* 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. THANK YOU SO [00:00:01] KINDLY, CITY SECRETARY. NOW I'M [I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL] READY. THANK YOU. SO KINDLY, CITY SECRETARY, AND AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EACH OF YOU TO, EXCUSE ME, CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS HERE ON THE FIFTH FLOOR OF CITY HALL HERE IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. AND WE ARE NOW BEGINNING OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING ON TODAY, MARCH 18TH, 2045. IT IS NOW 6:20 PM AND WE WILL BEGIN THE MEETING. IF YOU ARE OR WOULD HAVE A DESIRE TO ATTEND THE MEETING IN TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE MEDIUMS, YOU MAY DO JUST THAT BY DIALING 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7 OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9. YOU WOULD THEN ENTER THE MEETING ID OF 8 5 6 5 0 1 5 9 5 8 3, AND THE PASSCODE OF 8 4 9 9 7 4, AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING AND EVEN ATTEND THIS MEETING THAT IS ACTUALLY GOING ON AS I SPEAK IN THIS MEETING. WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. IF YOU WOULD HAVE A NEED FOR ANY SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS, THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS WILL BE AFFORDED YOU, BUT YOU MUST FIRST CALL THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5. YOU WILL SPEAK TO HER EFFICIENT STAFF THERE AND THEY WILL DO ALL WITHIN THEIR POWERS TO ACTUALLY ACCOMMODATE YOU WITH YOUR SPECIAL REQUEST IF THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY OTHER PRELIMINARIES BEFORE THIS MEETING. WE HAVE A FORMAL COUNSEL PERSON THERE. I I WANT TO ASK HIM, MR. SCOTT, WILL YOU OFFER THE INVOCATION FOR US? PLEASE? WOULD YOU ALWAYS PLEASE STAND AND FORMER COUNCILMAN SCOTT WILL OFFER THE INVOCATION FOR US. DO YOU HAVE ANY? FATHER, WE COME TODAY IN THE MOST HUMBLE WAY. WE KNOW HOW THE LORD THANKING YOU FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS YOU RESTORED US, THE LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE DO A GRACIOUS MASTER AND STORE YOUR GLORIOUS LIGHT INTO OUR HEARTS, OUR MINDS, AND OUR EYESIGHT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO FEEL, THINK, AND SEE THY WAY. WE ASK THAT YOU LET THIS MEETING GO ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD DELO. CONTINUE TO WATCH OVER THE LORD AND LET THIS CITY GROW IN A POSITIVE WAY. WE THANK YOU DEAR GRACIOUS MASTER, WE LOVE YOU AND PRAY THESE THINGS IN YOUR DAR AND SON JESUS NAME FOREVERMORE. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. MR. SCOTT. WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN US NOW IN RECITING THE PLEASURE OF ALLEGIANCE, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU SO KINDLY FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING CITY SECRETARY. WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH A QUORUM FOR THIS MEETING? MAYOR BARTEE, PRESENT MAYOR PRO. TIM BECKHAM. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER ETT HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW. COUNCIL MEMBER FREE PRESENT. YOU HAVE A QUORUM MAYOR. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. UH, CITY SECRETARY AND TO ALL OF OUR GUESTS WHO ARE GATHER HERE TODAY, UH, OR THIS EVENING IN THE GALLERY HERE WE ARE GOING TO GO A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY FROM THE PRINTED AGENDA AND WHAT I LIKE TO DO, I'LL USE EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE AND PULL UP ON PAGE SIX. ON PAGE SIX, OR EXCUSE ME, NOT SIX, I'M SORRY. MM-HMM . [VIII.A.(2) P.R. No. 24150 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute An Industrial District Agreement With Entergy Texas, Inc., For The Legend Power Station Project] SEVEN ON PAGE SEVEN. ITEM NUMBER TWO ON PAGE SEVEN SEVEN, ITEM NUMBER TWO. AND IT IS PR NUMBER 24 1 50. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT AGREEMENT WITH ENTERGY TEXAS INCORPORATED FOR THE LEGEND POWER STATION PROJECT. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE. SO MOVED. MAY I GET A SECOND? MAYOR PROM SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 24 1 50 AS PRESENTED. WE READY FOR QUESTION? WILL THERE BE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY QUESTIONS READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR A. AYE, ANY OPPOSES THYS? HAVE IT. SO IT IS ORDERED AND APPROVED THAT PR NUMBER 24 1 50 AS PRESENTED. ITEM NUMBER TWO ON PAGE SEVEN IS APPROVED AS READ. THANK YOU. [VIII.A.(10) P.R. No. 24226 – A Resolution Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas To Enter Into A Ground Lease Agreement Between The City Of Port Arthur, Texas And Diligence Offshore Services LLC For Approximately 2,274 Acres Of City-Owned Land On Or Near Pleasure Island For The Development, Construction, And Operation Of Wind And Solar Energy Facilities, A Substation, Data Center, Offshore Energy Hub And Other Necessary Appurtenant Facilities] AND NEXT WE WILL MOVE TO PAGE EIGHT ON PAGE EIGHT, ITEM NUMBER 10. ITEM NUMBER 10 ON PAGE EIGHT. IT IS PRR NUMBER 24 2 26. IT IS A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS [00:05:01] TO ENTER INTO A GROUND LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS AND DILIGENCE OFFSHORE SERVICES LLC FOR APPROXIMATELY 2,274 ACRES OF CITY OWNED LAND ON OR NEAR PLEASURE ISLAND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY FACILITIES, A SUBSTATION DATA CENTER, OFFSHORE ENERGY HUB AND OTHER NECESSARY, UH, OR YEAH, NECESSARY A BIG OLD WORD. OKAY, THAT WORD FACILITIES. OKAY. AND WHAT WE LIKE TO DO IS A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. COUNCILMAN LEWIS. MOTION FOR APPROVAL. SECOND, COUNCILMAN FRANK. SECOND. IT HAS BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE NUMBER 24, 2 26 AS PRESENTED. WE'RE READY FOR QUESTION. NO QUESTIONS. READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? NO, NO, NO. WE GOT LIGHTS ON. OKAY. NO LIGHTS IN. COME ON ON TIME. I NOW POINT OF ORDER. THANK YOU. I HEAR YOU. OKAY NOW MAYOR, APPROACH HIM ON QUESTIONS. YES. SO IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSPARENCY, FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE, WHETHER THEY ARE FOR OR AGAINST THIS WIND FARM, I'M GONNA TELL YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I SEE WITH THIS CONTRACT THAT CAME FROM OUR OUTSIDE COUNSEL THAT WE HIRED TO HELP US WITH THIS. FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR LOSING FEDERAL FUNDING IN OTHER AREAS OF PLACES THAT WE RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR. IF WE ENTER INTO THIS LEASE AGREEMENT, THERE WAS NO APPRAISAL DONE. , THE LEASE HOLDER CAN ASSIGN THE LEASE. WHAT WE ARE RECEIVING IS NOT MARKET VALUE FOR THE PROPERTY. THIS WAS NOT DONE UNDER THE RFQ PROCESS, WHICH IN THE OPINION OF MYSELF AND OTHERS, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE THAT WAY. THERE ARE SOME VERY STRICT TIMELINES FOR DIFFERENT COMPLIANCE ISSUES IN THIS CONTRACT. THE ENFORCEMENT REMEDIES ARE NOT FRIENDLY TO THE CITY. MORTGAGE PROVISIONS ARE NOT IN THE FAVOR OF THE CITY. THE SENIOR LENDER ENCUMBERS THE LAND. WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CONTROL AS THE CITY OVER THE PROJECT. WE ACTUALLY GAVE UP THE DE DECOMMISSIONING RESERVE. SO IF THE COMPANY GOES BANKRUPT, WE ARE STUCK WITH THE STATE LAW. MINIMAL PROTECTION. THE PRODUCTION ROYALTIES, IF THERE EVER ARE ANY, ARE VERY LOW. SOME OTHER CONCERNS THAT I HAVE, AND THESE WERE EXPRESSED TO ME BY ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS AND IT REALLY SUMS UP ALL OF THE RESEARCH THAT I'VE DONE AND THE REASONS THAT I'M AGAINST THIS. VALID SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENTS AGAINST BUILDING THE WIND TURBINES IN SABINE LAKE CAN BE BASED ON ECOLOGICAL, HYDROLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS. FIRST, ECOLOGICAL DISRUPTION. SAB BEAN LAKE IS A VITAL ESTUARY E ECOSYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS DIVERSE MARINE LIFE, INCLUDING FISH, SHRIMP AND OYSTERS. WIND TURBINE CONSTRUCTION WOOD REQUIRE DREDGING PILE DRIVING AND HABITAT DESTRUCTION, WHICH COULD DISRUPT BREEDING GROUNDS FOR AQUATIC SPECIES, INCREASE WATER TURBIDITY AFFECTING PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND SUBMERGED VEGETATION. INTRODUCE NOISE POLLUTION THAT DISTURBS FISH AND BIRD POPULATIONS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE MIGRATORY PATH OF THE LOUISIANA BROWN PELICANS AND OTHER FEDERALLY PROTECTED SPECIES. HYDRODYNAMIC IMPACT THE LAKE'S NATURAL WATER FLOW AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR MAINTAINING WATER QUALITY AND SHORELINE STABILITY. WIND TURBINE FOUNDATIONS COULD ALTER CURRENTS AND SEDIMENT. DEPOSITION LEADING TO EROSION OR UNINTENDED SILTING IN CRITICAL AREAS AFFECT SALINITY BALANCE, WHICH IS CRUCIAL FOR ESTUARIAN SPECIES THAT RELY ON BRACKISH WATER CONDITIONS. THIRD STORM AND HURRICANE RISKS, WHICH I'LL REMIND EVERYONE. WE HAD A TORNADO GO RIGHT THROUGH THIS AREA JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO. SABINE LAKE IS IN A HURRICANE PRONE REGION. WIND TURBINES ARE VULNERABLE TO HIGH WINDS AND STORM SURGES, WHICH COULD CAUSE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE LEADING TO DEBRIS IN THE LAKE, INCREASED MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR COSTS, REDUCING ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY, POSE A RISK OF OIL OR HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKS FROM DAMAGED TURBINES CONTAMINATING THE WATER. FOURTH, ECONOMIC AND RECREATIONAL IMPACT. SABINE LAKE IS A POPULAR SPOT FOR FISHING, BOATING, AND TOURISM. WIND TURBINES COULD REDUCE ACCESS TO FISHING AREAS AFFECTING LOCAL FISHERIES AND RECREATIONAL ANGLERS DIMINISH SCENIC VALUE, POTENTIALLY HARMING TOURISM REVENUE AND INCREASED NAVIGATIONAL HAZARDS FOR BOATS RAISING SAFETY CONCERNS. SABINE LAKE IS NOT [00:10:01] A SUITABLE LOCATION FOR WIND TURBINES DUE TO ITS ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE. HYDRODYNAMIC SENSITIVITY, STORM VULNERABILITY AND ECONOMIC RELIANCE ON FISHING AND TOURISM ALTERNATIVE OFFSHORE OR LAND-BASED LOCATIONS WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT. I'LL GIVE CREDIT TO LISA DRAGO, UH, FOR WRITING THIS. SHE WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND TONIGHT AND GAVE ME PERMISSION TO USE THIS AS PART OF, UH, MY COMMENTS TONIGHT. OKAY, COUNCILWOMAN UH, EVERFI. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD EVENING. UM, THIS PROJECT IS PROPOSED TO BE PLACED ON PLEASURE ISLAND, WHICH IS A PART OF DISTRICT TWO. IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION LAST MEETING WITH PICKET SIGNS THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF RACIAL IN WINDOWS SURROUNDING THIS PROJECT. AND I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT MY DECISION TO SUPPORT OR NOT SUPPORT THIS PROJECT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ETHNICITY OR RACE OF THE DEVELOPER. PLEASE UNDERSTAND MY DECISION HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. THIS PROJECT HAS NOT BEEN IN THE BEST INTEREST OF PORT ARTHUR. THE WAY THAT THE CONTRACT IS WRITTEN IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. THE WAY THAT THE LEASE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN WRITTEN IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. WE'VE LEFT MONEY ON THE TABLE THAT WE NEED AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BEING FAIR AND JUST WITH OURSELVES. I WELCOME BUSINESS TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. I SUPPORT BLACK BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. I LOOK IN THE MIRROR TOO AND SEE MY BROWN SKIN, BUT I ALSO SUPPORT WHITE BUSINESS, ASIAN BUSINESS, ARABIC BUSINESS. I REALLY DON'T CARE 'CAUSE MONEY IS GREEN AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. SO DON'T GET THAT MISCONSTRUED AT ALL PLEASE. I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE EXECUTIVES FROM TCEQ, FROM THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND FROM THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. ALTHOUGH THE AREA, PROPOSED AREA HAD THAT'S BEING, UH, REQUESTED IS OWNED BY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. WE DO NOT OWN ALL OF THE RIGHT OF WAYS FOR PERMITTING FOR THESE PROPERTIES. AND THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE COMMISSIONER HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT SHE WILL NOT SUPPORT ELECTRICAL LINES RUNNING THROUGH TEXAS LANDS TO SUPPORT WIND TURBINES. THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT A PORTION OF THE REQUESTED, UM, PROPERTY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE PERMITTED. THIS IS NOT AT ALL A NEGATIVE FOR WIND TURBINES. I AM LOOKING AT THIS PROJECT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF DID THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR MAKE THE BEST BUSINESS DECISION THAT WILL SUPPORT US US FIRST. SO I NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT MY TRUTH WAS PUT ON RECORD SO THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN MISCONSTRUE MY WORDS OR MISUNDERSTAND MY VOTE. COUNCILMAN ETT? YES. ONCE AGAIN, WE ALL HAVE OUR STANCE ON THIS AND I'VE ADDRESSED IT SEVERAL TIMES. IF PEOPLE I MADE COMMENTS TO WHO ASK ME WHERE I STAND AND I HEAR A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE SAID, I BELIEVE IN MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON INFORMATION THAT IS FACTUAL, SUDDEN I COULD SUPPORT WHAT I SAY. I, WHEN I HEAR SOMEBODY SAY THAT, IF THIS PROJECT IS DONE, WE'RE GONNA LOSE FEDERAL FUNDING. YOU ONLY LOSE FEDERAL FUNDING IF IT'S GONNA BE FUNDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. OKAY? SO THAT'S NOT THE CASE. I HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT [00:15:01] RFQ REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. WE DON'T NEED TO DO R FQS TO LEASE PROPERTY IF SOMEONE ASKS FOR IT. THAT'S JUST HOW CITIES OPERATE. ROYALTIES. ROYALTIES IS SOMETHING YOU DO IF YOU'RE DOING, IF PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP. THIS IS NOT A PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP. THIS IS TALKING ABOUT JUST LEASING THE PLAN. IT'S SIMPLE. WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG FOR US TO GET TO THIS DECISION? I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND. WE TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE TALKING ABOUT NOT GIVING A PERMIT. IF THE LINES CROSS STATE SPACE OR SOMETHING THAT'S EXPECTED, THAT IS WHY THIS HAS DIFFERENT LEVELS. LEASING OF THE LAND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHETHER THOSE TO TURBINES GET BUILT OR NOT. COME ON. THE PEOPLE WHO DECIDES IF THOSE TURBINES OPERATE IN THIS CITY AIN'T SETTING UP HERE, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH STATE TCEQ AND FEDERAL EPA. THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT'S GOING TO DETERMINE WHETHER THOSE TURBINE OPERATE OR NOT. FOR THOSE WHO ARE OPPOSING IT, I SUPPORT YOU. BUT IF WE STOP IT BECAUSE YOU OPPOSE IT, WHAT GROUNDS DO WE HAVE? WE ARE A CITY. WE DON'T GET TO OPERATE LIKE WE WANT OR WE SHOULDN'T AND WE SHOULDN'T MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE NOT RIGHT BY WHAT'S WRITTEN. I UNDERSTAND WHEN I SAT IN THIS SEAT, I'M THE PEOPLE'S VOICE. YOU ELECTED ME TO BE YOUR VOICE AND I HEAR YOU WELL, BUT WHEN YOU ELECTED ME, I TOOK AN OATH. I TOOK AN OATH TO ENFORCE ORDINANCES, POLICIES, LAWS AND EVERYTHING. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS COMES DOWN TO WITH ME. EVERYBODY WANT TALK ABOUT WHY, HOW THEY GONNA VOTE. THAT'S WHAT COMES DOWN TO ME. SO IF ANYBODY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE IMPACT TURBINES WILL HAVE ON ENVIRONMENT OR CLIMATE, THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE PEOPLE WHO GOING TO GIVE THEM PERMISSION AND PERMITS TO OPERATE. NOT US. I'M GOING CLOSE WITH GIVING YOU A SYMBOL EXAMPLE, AND I THINK EVERYBODY WILL BE ABLE TO RELATE TO IT. IF YOU WANT TO BUILD A LIQUOR STORE AND OPERATE A LIQUOR STORE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, YOU MUST COME TO THIS COUNCIL IN THIS CITY. YOU MUST GET PERMITS TO BUILD IT. AND WHEN YOU BUILD IT, YOU HAVE TO MEET ALL OF THE CODES IN THIS CITY IN FOR IN FOR THE, IN ORDER FOR US TO SAY, OKAY, BUT YOU CAN'T SELL NO LIQUOR. COME ON, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT AUTHORITY. WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY. YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE STATE. SO DON'T CON DON'T CONFUSE WHAT WE CAN AND WHAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING AND THINK THAT WE'RE DOING IT BECAUSE WE ARE LISTENING OR WE TRYING TO SIDE WITH SOMEONE. NOW, I'M SPEAKING ONLY FOR DEUCE SET UP HERE BECAUSE I'M GONNA VOTE TODAY, BUT I DON'T FIND IT A HARD DECISION BECAUSE I STAY IN MY LANE. I DON'T CHOOSE SIZE. BUT WHEN I TELL YOU TODAY THAT THIS COUNCIL DOES NOT MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER THOSE WIND TURBINES OPERATE OR NOT OPERATE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, I'M TELLING YOU A FACT AND I CAN PROVE IT TO YOU. AND I'M TELLING YOU, WHEN WE VOTE ON THE LEASE AGREEMENT, [00:20:02] IT'S NOT SAYING WE SUPPORT THEIR WIND TURBINES OR WE OPPOSE THEM. IT'S A LEASE. AND LIKE I SAID, AND I ALWAYS SAY WHEN PEOPLE SAY THINGS THAT ARE SUPPORTING IT, I HEAR YOU AND I REALLY, I'VE RESEARCHED IT. I I FOUND IT TO BE TRUE. I SEEN THINGS WHERE PEOPLE SAY THAT ARE OPPOSING IT. I READ ALL THAT. I KNOW THAT'S TRUE, BUT WHETHER IT'S TRUE OR NOT, IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH LEAST IN LAMB. SO WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHERE WE STAND AND WHY WE VOTE A CERTAIN WAY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I MAKE IT KNOWN WHY AND WHAT I'M DOING. AND IF YOU TALK TO ME AFTERWARD, I'LL SHOW YOU, I'LL TELL YOU THE SAME THING. AND IF YOU QUESTION WHAT I SAY, I'LL SHOW YOU WHERE I'M GETTING IT FROM AND IT AIN'T GONNA BE FROM NOBODY'S OPINION. AND LIKE I SAY, JUST REMEMBER THE PEOPLE THAT SAYS WHETHER THOSE TURBINE TURNS OR NOT IN THIS CITY AIN'T THIS COUNCIL. SO WHOEVER DETERMINES THAT, THAT'S THE PEOPLE THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO BE TALKING TO. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. OKAY, COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES. FOR ME, THE DECISION, UM, THAT I WILL CA UH, THAT I WILL CAST MY VOTE FOR ON TODAY, THAT DOWN TO THREE THINGS AS I SEE IT. FIRST OF ALL, I ASK THE QUESTION, DOES IT BRING GROWTH AND REVENUE TO OUR CITY? THE SECOND QUESTION THAT I WANT ANSWERED IS, IS DOES IT, UM, DOES IT MEET ALL OF THE STANDARDS CONTRACTUALLY FOR OUR CITY? DOES IT MEET ALL OF THE STATE STANDARDS CONTRACTUALLY FOR OUR CITY? AND THEN FOR ME, THAT THIRD QUESTION THAT I ASKED AS WELL, DOES THE PROPERTY COME BACK TO US? IF THE PROJECT IS NOT DONE, THOSE QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED. THOSE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED AND I WILL CAST MY VOTE ACCORDINGLY. THANK YOU. OKAY, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES. I'LL SAY ONCE AGAIN, THE THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO A PROJECT, BUT THE WORST THING THAT HAPPEN TO, THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO IS FOR A MISINFORMED VOTER TO GO VOTE, GO TO THE POLL AND VOTE AND AN UNINFORMED VOTER, GO TO THE POLLS AND VOTE. AND IT'S BASED ON INFORMATION THAT THEY HAVE HEARD. NOW, NOW THIS AREA THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS CALLED THE SPOIL AREA. WHY IS IT CALLED THE SPOIL AREA? BECAUSE THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, WHEN WHEN, WHEN THEY, UH, DIGGING OUT THE WIDENING AND THE DIGGING OUT THE CANAL, THEY DUMPED ALL OF THE POLLUTION AND STUFF. THAT'S ALL SETTLEMENT. THEY DUMPED IT IN THE SPOIL AREA. NOW WHO IN THEY RUNNING? AND I'M HEARING THAT AND THEM PACKING THE CRAB, THE FISH, YOU KNOW WHO IN THEY RIGHT. MIND FISHING IN THE SPOIL AREA. EAT FISH OUT THE SPOIL AREA. NOBODY. WELL, THAT'S NOW YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED, ? NO, IT OVER TIME IT. AND NOW WHERE DID, IF IF THE SPA AREA IS POLLUTED, HOW IT GOT POLLUTED? THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, GAVE THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS THE RIGHT TO INCREASE THE DETER OF THE, OF THE, UH, IN THE COAST OF CANAL. AND THEY DUMP IT IN THAT SPOIL AREA. AND ALL IT, ALL THAT SPOIL AREA'S BEEN PRODUCING FOR US AS MOSQUITOES EVERY DAY, EVERY DAY FOR YEARS. THAT'S WHERE THE MOSQUITOES ARE COMING FROM. NOW, FAR AS THE, UH, THE BIRD PATTERNS THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN STUDIED, THE ALL FLIGHT PATTERNS HAS ALREADY BEEN STUDIED. NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THEY WE GAVE THEM PERMISSION TO GO IN THERE AND, AND DO, UH, A FEASIBILITY STUDY. THE COMPANY SPENT THEIR OWN MONEY, SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO GO IN THERE TO SEE IF IT WAS, LOOK AT IT, SEE IF IT WAS FEASIBLE. WELL, THEY FOUND OUT IT IS FEASIBLE, BUT NOW GUESS WHAT? COME GUESS ANOTHER FLAG. SOMEBODY SITTING ON A BENCH THROWING FLAG. YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT IN ON THE FIELD AS OFFICIAL REFEREE, YOU COULD THROW [00:25:01] A FLAG, BUT PEOPLE SITTING ON THE BENCH THROWING FLAGS, PEOPLE JUMPING OFF THE BENCH, TACKLING FOLKS GOING TO MAKE A TOUCHDOWN, THAT DOESN'T WORK. THEY DIED. WHAT'S, WHAT'S THAT NOISE? OH, OKAY, MY ECHO. OKAY. BUT ANYWAY, I'VE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THIS PROJECT, WHAT IT MEANS TO PORT ARTHUR. WE CAN GET, WE GOING TO GET GENERAL, GET QUITE A BIT OF REVENUES IN THE FUTURE, BUT LET'S, LET ME BACK UP A A MINUTE THERE. THEY WANTED, AFTER THEY DON'T, THIS COMPANY DONE SPENT THEIR MONEY TO SEE IF IT'S A FEASIBILITY. NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN ANOTHER FLAG IS THROWN. WE NEED TO GET ALL YOUR FQS. WAIT A MINUTE, WAIT A MINUTE. NOW YOU'RE TRIGGERING A LAWSUIT. THEY DONE FOUND OUT IT IS FEASIBLE. AND NOW OTHER FOLKS CAN COME IN IF YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING FAIRLY IN LEVEL OF PLAYING FIELD, YOU, YOU ASK FOR ALL THOSE, THOSE THINGS UP FRONT, BUT THEY CHOSE TO WAIT. NOW THE BIRD, ALL THESE PATTERNS AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUFF THAT DOESN'T, NO. IF YOU TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO ALL OVER TEXAS, THE FARMERS, THE FARMERS ARE GOT, THE FARMERS HAVE A WINDFALL. THEY, THE FARMERS ALLOWING THESE WIND TURBINES ON THEIR PROPERTIES. THEY, I MEAN, THERE'S MILES AND MILES OF 'EM ALL OVER TEXAS. WE TOOK A TRIP THE OTHER DAY ALL OVER TEXAS. NOW FAR AS THEM, THE, THE STORM AND THINGS LIKE THAT GOING TO IMPACT THEM, IT GOING IMPACT THEM. WELL, EVERYTHING IS BUILT. ALL TOWERS ARE BUILT TO 120 MILE AN HOUR WINDS OR, OR GREATER. TELL ME, HAVE ANY, LOOK AT THE REFINERIES. HAVE ANY OF YOU ALL HAVE WITNESSED ANY HURRICANE? HURRICANES HAVE TORE UP REFINERIES, BUT HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ONE OF THEM TILES BLOWN OVER A BENT? NO, BECAUSE THEY ARE BUILT FOR 120 MILES OR GREATER, NOT OTHER THINGS AROUND IT. IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, YES, YOU HAVE PROBLEMS. THEY TAP DIFFERENT LINES AND ANOTHER THING CAME UP. UH, IF IT'S SUCH A GOOD PROJECT, WHY DOESN'T ENERGY SPEAK FOR IT? IT'S TOTALLY UNRELATED. ENERGY IS THE SOLE PROVIDER OF ELECTRICITY. THIS COMPANY IS GOING TO BE DONE, UH, A DATA CENTER BECAUSE ALL YOUR REFINERIES, YOU KNOW, LIKE ON YOUR, ON YOUR, ON YOUR, YOUR COMPUTERS, IF YOU NEED MORE ROOM TO START TO STORE DATA, YOU, YOU PUT IT IN, YOU CAN PUT IT IN THE CLOUD. THIS COMPANY HERE IS GONNA BE PRODUCING DATA OF, OF PLACES FOR THE, THE OIL INDUSTRY TO TO STORE. THEY'RE GONNA BE LEASING FROM IT AND WE ARE GOING TO BE GETTING REVENUES FROM THE ELECTRICITY THAT THAT'S, THAT'S BEING PRODUCED. AND IN LONG TERM, WE ARE GONNA GENERATE SO MUCH REVENUE IN THE FUTURE, IT'S GOING TO. AND THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL'S JOB IS TO FIND NEW SOURCES OF REVENUE. AND WHEN WE FIND NEW SOURCES OF REVENUE, IT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE BUDGET, YOUR TAX RATE, IT'S GONNA LOWER EVERYBODY'S TAX RATE. EVENTUALLY WHEN, WHEN WE FIND NEW REVENUE, YEAH, IT IS GOING TO IMPACT EVERYBODY'S TAX RATE. OKAY. NOW THAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED. THAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED IN THE PAST. OUR TAX RATE USED TO BE, NO, NO. OH, JUST A MINUTE. JUST A MINUTE. PLEASE. COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN, JUST MAKE YOUR STATEMENTS DIRECT. I'M NOT ADDRESSING, I MEAN NOTING I'M NOT ADDRESSING ANYTHING. I'M NOT GONNA ADDRESS ANYTHING. PLEASE AN AUDIENCE, PLEASE, PLEASE REFRAIN. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM RESPONDING. THANK YOU. NO, THIS, THIS PROJECT IS, IS A GREAT PROJECT AND IT'S GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL TO THE CITY AND IT'S GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL TO OUR CITIZEN AND EVERYTHING. AND IT'S GOING TO IMPACT OUR REVENUES AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO FLOW INTO. THE BUDGET AND THE BUDGET AND BUDGET. IT'S, IT'S FUNDED BY THE TAX RATE ALSO AND, AND PER AND, AND, UH, PERMITS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE GREAT PROJECT AND YOU'RE GOING TO FIND OUT HOW DID WE GET ALONG WITHOUT IT? THIS IS A GREAT, THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT. BUT ANYWAY, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE COUNCIL, THIS COMPANY, I DISCOVERED THIS COMPANY WAS WALKING AWAY. THEY WAS WALKING AWAY FROM THE PROJECT. THEY WAS TIRED OF FOOLING WITH IT. THEY HAD BEEN HERE EIGHT MONTHS. [00:30:01] MY PHONE RANG AND I WAS TOLD ABOUT IT. SO I GOT INVOLVED, I GOT INVOLVED AND WE FIND OUT WHAT A PROBLEM WERE. THE COUNCIL WORKED WITH THE COUNCIL, WHAT WE SOLVED ALL THE PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW, DID ALL THE THINGS THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY DO THAT WE GOT CONTROL OF. AND THAT'S WHERE WE AT NOW. THIS LEASE WILL GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT TO THE STATE AND FEDERAL TO GET THEIR PERMITS AND WHATNOT. WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THOSE STATE. AND I DON'T WANNA BE REDUNDANT, WE DON'T HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THOSE THINGS, BUT THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. POINT OF ORDER. THERE'S A LOT OF NO STOP, STOP. NO, JUST STOP PLEASE. NOW FIRST YOU SAID POINT OF ORDER AND THEN YOU CONTINUE TO TALK. NOW I NEED TO RECOGNIZE YOU SO YOU CAN STATE YOUR POINT OF ORDER. WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THE DECOR NOW LET'S START IT OVER AGAIN. GO AHEAD MA'AM. POINT OF ORDER. OKAY, NOW I RECOGNIZE YOU. WHAT IS YOUR POINT OF ORDER? THANK YOU. THERE'S A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE IN THE GALLERY THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE HEARD. OKAY? NO ONE OUT THERE RAISED THEIR HANDS. YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR QUESTIONS ON YOU SAID YOU WERE READY TO VOTE. WELL, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO. THANK YOU. OKAY. YOU ARE NOT MY TEACHER. I'VE LEARNED ALREADY. LET'S KEEP THAT STRAIGHT. OKAY, NOW HOLD UP. WAIT A MINUTE. STOP. WHO WANTS TO SPEAK? OKAY. UH, CITY SECRETARY, WE'VE ALREADY MADE PLANS FOR ALL OF THIS. WE'VE ALL, AND MAN, I I'VE DONE THIS TO STOP THERE FOR ONE SECOND. SO SEE, THE SECRETARY IS GOING TO COME UP. ANY PERSON WHO WISHES TO SPEAK, YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. YOU'RE GOING, YOU ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES. SHE'S GOING, SHE HAS TWO OF TIMES THAT A HAND, SHE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE AND SHE WILL TELL STOP. NOW, IF YOU FAIL TO STOP, I HAVE POLICE OFFICERS OR PEACE OFFICERS, I'LL JUST HAVE THEM ESCORT YOU AWAY FROM THE PODIUM. YOU CAN REMAIN IN THE ROOM, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO ESCORT YOU AWAY FROM THE PODIUM BECAUSE YOUR TIME HAS BEEN EXPENDED. AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND, OKAY, WHILE YOU ARE SPEAKING, YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK HERE WHERE THE CITY SECRETARY IS. OKAY? YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE YOUR THREE MINUTES, YOU CAN SPEAK IN ONE MINUTE, BUT WHEN YOU GET TO THAT TIME LIMIT, SHE'S GOING TO LET YOU KNOW. I WILL THEN ASK YOU TO STOP. OKAY? YOU BEGIN BY STATING YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, OKAY? YES SIR. GO RIGHT AHEAD. ALRIGHT, IS IT ON? YES. MY NAME IS HILTON KELLY AND I'M THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, 600 AUSTIN AVENUE, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, 7 7 6 4 0. FOR 25 YEARS, I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND WHAT THAT MEANS AND WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE. I'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT OF THIS GREAT CITY, THIS GREAT STATE. I'VE BEEN FIGHTING TO PROTECT OUR WATERS. I'VE BEEN FIGHTING TO PROTECT OUR AIR. I'VE BEEN FIGHTING TO PROTECT OUR LAND. AND WHAT HAVE I BEEN FIGHTING? WHO I'VE BEEN FIGHTING AGAINST. THOSE BIG POLLUTERS THAT DUMP TONS AND TONS OF BENZENE, WHICH IS A KNOWN CARCINOGEN. SULFUR DIOXIDE, ETHYLENE OXIDE. WE HAVE INDUSTRIES THAT PETITION ALL OVER THE WORLD TO BRING IN CHEMICALS TO INCINERATE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, CHEMICAL INCINERATION FACILITIES, CHEMICAL PROCESSING FACILITIES, SULFUR DIOXIDE FACILITIES THAT DUMP TONS AND TONS OF SULFUR DIOXIDE INTO THE AIR WITH IMPUNITY. TCEQ CAN'T SEEM TO STOP 'EM. EPA DOESN'T SEEM TO STOP 'EM OR DO THEY CARE TO STOP 'EM? I REMEMBER WHEN THERE WAS A SHIP AND A, A TANKER. A TANKER, AND A BOYAGE COLLIDED IN OUR SHIP CHANNEL. AND ALL OF WEST PORT ARTHUR SMELLED LIKE ONE BIG GASOLINE STATION. I REMEMBER SEEING SPILL AFTER SPILL HAPPEN IN THE GULF OF MEXICO AND WATCHING THE, THE OIL DRIFT INTO THESE ESTUARIES AND WHATNOT. NOBODY SAID A MUMBLING WORD, BUT NOW WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A WIND TURBINE, A WIND TURBINE THAT'S GONNA HAVE UNDERGROUND CABLES. YES, BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THESE INDUSTRIES THAT DUMP EVERY DAY? AND IF ANYBODY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE INDUSTRY, AND WHEN EPA CAME ABOUT TO HELP PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH AND TO PROTECT THE ESTUARIES AND OUR WILDLIFE AND OUR FOREST AND OUR AIR, IT WAS 1970. I WAS BORN IN 1960. PRIOR TO 1970, I GREW UP IN WEST PORT ARTHUR, THE SMELLING THE SULFUR. I REMEMBER KIDS WITH SORES ON THEIR ARMS. I REMEMBER THE KIDS WITH ASTHMA COULDN'T BREATHE. I KNOW ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE DIED FROM CANCER. AND RIGHT NOW, I'M SURE IF I TURNED AROUND AND [00:35:01] ASKED EVERYBODY, HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW FIVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED FROM CANCER? AND EVERYBODY IN HERE WOULD RAISE THEIR HAND. I'M HERE TO LET Y'ALL KNOW SOMETHING RIGHT NOW. IF WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE BABY FISH AND THE BABY CRAB, WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONCERNED A LONG TIME AGO BECAUSE THE SABINE LAKE, THE SHIP CHANNEL IS POLLUTED AND THAT SLUDGE, THEY DIG UP TO DEEPEN AND WIDEN THE SHIP CHANNEL. SO BIGGER SHIPS CARRYING PETROLEUM COULD COME IN AND PROCESS IT AND DUMP MORE MATERIAL INTO OUR AIR IS KILLING US. AND IF YOU ARE EATING OUT OF THAT SHIP CHANNEL, I WOULD URGE YOU NOT TO DO SO. THANK YOU FOR MY, MY TIME. THANK YOU SIR. ANYONE ELSE BEGIN BY STATING YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS PLEASE, SIR. SEAN CLIFFORD. THE TIME PERSON WILL BE RIGHT THERE. SEAN CLIFFORD, UH, 900 SOUTH WIND PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, OVER ON PLEASURE ISLAND. AS SOMEBODY THAT LIVES ON PLEASURE ISLAND, I CAN TELL YOU I DON'T WANT A BIG WINDMILL STICKING OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE. BUT, UM, MORE THAN THAT, IT'S ABOUT THE MATH. SO I WORKED FOR SIEMENS AUTOMATION FOR MANY YEARS. SIEMENS BUILDS THE MAJORITY OF, UH, WIND TURBINES ALL OVER THE WORLD. YOU SEE 'EM EVERYWHERE AS THEY COME OUTTA GERMANY. THEY LAST 45 YEARS. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PAY FOR 'EM? 99 YEARS THAT MATH. DON'T MATH. SO THESE PEOPLE THAT BUILD 'EM AFTER THEY BREAK AND THEY CAN NO LONGER BE FIXED WITHOUT REPLACING THEM. WHO PUTS THAT BILL? THE CITIES DO. AND THESE GUYS DON'T DO THIS BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST GONNA HAND A BIG PILE OF MONEY OVER TO THE CITIES. THEY DO THINGS LIKE THIS BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA PUT A BIG PILE OF MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS. THAT'S JUST A FACT. SO BEFORE WE GET ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY THAT THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT, REALLY THINK ABOUT THE NUMBERS AND THE MATH BECAUSE THE LAST THING WE NEED IS TO LINE OUR GULF COAST WITH WINDMILLS THAT ARE GONNA DRIVE EVERYBODY AWAY FROM HERE. THE GAS AND OIL. YEAH, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE GOT. IT'S UGLY. I LIVE, I DRIVE PAST IT EVERY DAY. BUT IT SUPPORTS A LOT OF FAMILIES. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE GO TO WORK THERE. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA GO TO WORK ON A WINDMILL? ZERO EXCEPT FOR VERY HIGHLY PAID TECHNICIANS THAT DON'T LIVE HERE. THEY FLY THEM IN FROM GERMANY, THEY LAND THEM ON TOP OF THE HELICOPTER. THAT GUY GOES INSIDE, DOES HIS LITTLE THING, FLIES BACK. IT COSTS 50 GRAND FOR ONE GUY ONE DAY, CHANGE SOME OIL JUST TO CHANGE SOME OIL. AND BY THE WAY, THEY'RE NOT PETROLEUM FREE. AS SOON AS ONE OF THE BARONS GOES OUT, IT LEAKS ALL OF ITS OIL INTO THE WATER. SO THAT GOES RIGHT BACK TO OUR POLLUTANT. I AGREE. OUR WATERS ARE DEFINITELY POLLUTED. WE DON'T NEED TO HELP IT OUT. AND WE DO HAVE A GOOD FISH IN THE ECOSYSTEM. I FISH IT ALL THE TIME. SO BEFORE WE JUST GO AND DESTROY IT, LET'S THINK ABOUT THAT. THE MATH DOES NOT MATH. THAT'S ALL I GOT. THANK YOU COUNCIL. HOW ARE YOU TODAY? UH, MY NAME IS REVEREND DR. SIMEON QUEEN. UH, I LIVE AT 9 24 SOUTH WIND, UH, IN FORT ARTHUR, TEXAS ON LEDGE ISLAND. UH, I TOO AM A RESIDENT. I LIVE ON THE SAME STREET AS MR. CLIFFORD. UH, I HAVE READ THE SAME THINGS THAT HE HAS READ. UH, BUT WHAT I HAVE NOT TAKEN INTO CONTEXT, AND I THINK THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HERE HAVE NOT TAKEN INTO CONTEXT, IS THE EXCELLENCE OF MR. HARRY CRAWFORD. I THIRD, UH, HE HAS REACHED OUT TO THE THIRD BEST WIND TIME, WIND, WIND TURBINE, UH, MAKER IN THE COUNTRY. IT'S THE HIGHEST OF QUALITY. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SIEMENS. IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH ACTUALLY BRINGING A PRODUCT TO PORT ARTHUR CITIZENS THAT EDIFY THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO, UH, EDIFY, UH, THAT OF OUR ENVIRONMENT. ALSO, THERE HAVE BEEN QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, THAT OF, UH, THE BIRD, UH, FAMILY. I'M A BIRD AVID BIRD WATCHER, UH, ON THE ISLAND. AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS, UH, THAT THE PROJECT THAT, UH, DILIGENCE IS DOING IS OUTSIDE, UH, OF THE BIRD, UH, PASSAGE. OKAY? ON TOP OF THAT, UH, ANOTHER THING THAT I THINK, UH, PEOPLE ARE, ARE, ARE DISMAYED ABOUT IS THEY SAY, WE'RE GONNA LOSE FEDERAL FUNDING. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME, I'VE BEEN A PROFESSIONAL FOR OVER 25 YEARS IN FUND DEVELOPMENT, GRANT WRITING, AND ALL OF THE ABOVE. AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS THIS PROJECT IS NOT ASKING FOR FEDERAL FUNDING. IT'S PRIVATE FUNDING. SO THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR WON'T LOSE ANY MONEY. [00:40:01] AND WE TALK ABOUT, UH, THE WATER BOTTOMS OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. IN 1932. UH, THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT BECAUSE THE WATER BOTTLES WERE TAINTED, UH, TO GIVE PORT ARTHUR, UH, THOSE ACREAGE. AND IN THE MIDST OF GIVING THAT ACREAGE, IT'S OF RECORD, UH, WITH THE LAND BANK OF TEXAS, UH, THE LAND, THE GRAND LAND OFFICE, UH, WHICH IS ACTUALLY PUBLIC RECORD NOW. SO EVERYBODY CAN GO AND LOOK FOR THEMSELVES, UH, WHERE THOSE WATER BOTTOMS WERE DAMAGED. UH, AND AT THE TIME, UH, COUNCILMAN BASE SAID AT BEST, UH, THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS STARTED TO DRUDGE AND THOSE JUDGES, THEY PUT IN A SPA AREA THAT CREATED TWO TYPES OF MOSQUITOES. THIS IS OF RECORD AND IT ALSO CAUSED MALARIA OF RECORD. BUT NOW WE REACH A POINT WHERE THOSE SPA AREAS HAVE BEEN DIPPED ON FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AND DUMPED ON THE COMMUNITY AND THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR. AND NOW WE HAVE A PROBLEM. BUT ONE THING THAT I, I HAVE TO SAY BEFORE LEAVING IS WE HAVE MAJOR INDUSTRY THAT COMES THROUGH OUR CITY EACH AND EVERY DAY. AND I KNOW I HAVE ONE MINUTE LEFT. UH, BUT IN THE MIDST OF THAT, UH, MR. CRAWFORD HAS, UH, AGREED TO GIVE HIS COMMUNITY BENEFITS PLAN TO THE FOREFRONT, WHICH HAS NEVER HAPPENED. $31 MILLION TO THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR, 12 MILLION FOR TRAINING ON THOSE WIND TURBINES FOR LOCAL INDIVIDUALS, AS WELL AS $10 MILLION IN HOUSING AS WELL AS TO TO PLANT SEED IN THE 50 BUSINESSES EVERY YEAR IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS OF A MINIMUM OF $50,000 EACH. HE SAID IT FROM HIS MOUTH. HE'S NOT WAITING FOR A GRANT TO COME IN, HE'S NOT WAITING FOR ANY OF THIS TO HAPPEN. WHAT HE IS TRYING TO DO IS BUILD OUR CITY AND IT'S SHAME ON YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE FIGHTING AGAINST INDUSTRY, UH, THAT ACTUALLY BUILDS OUR CITY WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY, WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE 10 OTHER MAJOR REFINERIES HERE. AND YOU HAVEN'T SAID A MUMBLING WORD, COME ON, NOT A MUMBLING WORD SAY THAT. BUT EACH AND EVERY TIME THIS COMES BEFORE THIS DAUS, WE HAVE DISAGREEMENT AND DISRESPECT. THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. I'M GOING TO, I'M GOING TO GO VIRTUAL ONCE WE COMPLETE EVERYTHING HERE. GO RIGHT IN. MY NAME IS SUSIE, SHE, I LIVE AT 8 0 6 SOUTH WIND. I'M A NEIGHBOR OF BOTH OF THESE TWO GENTLEMEN ON PUSHIER ISLAND. AND UM, SO I THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND, AND GIVING TIME TO, FOR US TO ADDRESS OUR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. I'M GONNA START OUT BY SAYING THAT I FEEL LIKE MR. CRAWFORD IS PROBABLY A VERY, VERY PROFESSIONAL PERSON. AND IF IT WERE ANYTHING OTHER THAN WIND TURBINES, I FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE, WE WOULD WELCOME THIS BUSINESS, UM, THIS COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HIRE MEGA PEOPLE AND KEEP THIS PRODUCT ROLLING BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, WE ARE AN INDUSTRY AREA. I SMELL, WHICH THE PEOPLE ON THE WEST SIDE I'M SURE DO AS WELL, THE GERMAN PELLETS. AND WHEN THOSE MOVED IN AND ONE OF THEM CAUGHT FIRE FOR MONTHS, IT WAS HORRIBLE WHEN I JUST WENT OVER THE BRIDGE. I CAN'T IMAGINE LIVING ACROSS THE STREET FROM VALERO REFINERY THAT GOT TO SMELL IT MOST EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF THAT. UH, THE REFINERIES HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE WAY BEFORE ME, SO I DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE OF NOT HAVING THEM. I KNOW THAT I DRINK OUR WATER, I KNOW THAT I LIVE ON, UM, IN THE MARINA. I KNOW THAT EVERY BIT OF THE MARINA IS SPOIL AREA BECAUSE THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO BUILD OUR HOUSES ON PYLONS BECAUSE IT'S NOT SOLID GROUND. IT TAKES, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING OVER A HUNDRED YEARS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. UH, WHEN THEY FIRST DREDGE, I'M SURE IT IS DEVASTATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT THERE'S ONE MORE THING THAT'S DEVASTATING INTO THE ENVIRONMENT AND THAT'S SOME OF THE PRODUCTS THAT MAKE UP THESE WIND TURBINES. AND SOME OF THE PRO, PRO UH, PRODUCTS ARE EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY TOXIC TO THE ENVIRONMENT, SUCH AS SOMETHING BY THE NAME OF BPA. AND WHEN WE SEE THINGS THAT ARE PLASTICS AND THEY'RE BPA FREE, WE OH, OKAY, THAT SOUNDS GREAT. BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY THE RESIN OF THE WIND [00:45:01] TURBINES IS MADE OUT OF BPA, WHICH IN, UM, IT'S CALLED UM, BLADE SHEDDING. AND IT BEGINS WITHIN THE FIRST FOUR YEARS. AND AS THE TURBINES ARE TURNING, THEN THIS, UH, RESIDENT ON THE OUTSIDE STARTS TO RELEASE INTO THE AIR RELEASES INTO THE WATER, AND UH, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING OF AN ARTICLE FROM MARK MALLETT OF HOME ENVIRONMENTAL HUMAN HEALTH IN A NOVEMBER OF 2024 ISSUE. UM, THE GENTLEMAN, I CAN'T BELIEVE, UH, PRONOUNCE HIS FIRST NAME, SOLBERG PAPERS, HE STATED THAT IT'S CALCULATED THAT 20 TURBINES, 130 METER ROT ROTOR DIAMETER COULD RELEASE UP TO 24.8 TONS OF MATERIAL OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR LIFETIME. EXCUSE ME, DO I HAVE A MINUTE LEFT? NO MA'AM. THANK YOU. TIME IS UP. OKAY, WELL IT'S LIKE, UH, OKAY. THANK YOU. TIME IS UP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU KINDLY. THANK YOU KINDLY. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOD BLESS YOU. OKAY, ANYONE ELSE? COME RIGHT ON. I'M SHORT. HELLO, COUNCILMAN AND WOMEN. MY NAME IS LINDA BAKER. I RESIDE AT 27 10 EVERGREEN DRIVE, MYSELF, MY FAMILY AND MY BUSINESS. WE MOVED HERE FROM CENTRAL TEXAS FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AGO. AND, UM, I WANNA SAY THAT AS AN OWNER OF A BUSINESS, WE DO SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, MERCHANT SERVICES, AND POINT OF SALE WORLDWIDE. AND WE DO A LOT OF CITY, UH, STATE AND FEDERAL BUSINESS WITH RFPS. IT GIVES THE CITY AND ANY OF THOSE ENTITIES THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO VET THE BUSINESS THAT'S TRYING TO COME IN AND DO THE JOB. AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY SO THAT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GETTING WHAT YOU NEED FOR WHAT YOU WANT FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE CITY. WITH THAT COMES ALONG WITH VETTING, DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHAT MR. CRAWFORD'S TRACK RECORD IS? HAS HE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THIS BEFORE? I DON'T WANNA REPEAT WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS ABOUT THE DETRIMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT THE COUNCILWOMEN HAVE IT PLANNED MY FORMER LIFE, UM, AS AN INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE LAW. SORRY, I'M NERVOUS WITH SPECIALIZATION IN CONTRACTS. ONCE IT'S WRITTEN, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET OUT OF IT IS THROUGH A LAWSUIT. IF I DIDN'T HEAR THAT, IT WAS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE CITY. I DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT ALL THE MONEY THAT WAS COMING IN. I DIDN'T HEAR ANY OF THAT, BUT I HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD EXACTLY WHAT IS IN THE AGREEMENT. AND I THINK FOR THAT YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY COULD RECONSIDER MOVING THIS FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, . HI, GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. I'M TAMMY ZER, THE DIRECTOR FOR THE CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND WE'RE HOUSED IN INSIDE THE CIVIC CENTER. AND, UM, I'M HERE TONIGHT JUST TO SOLELY SPEAK ON TOURISM. AND TOURISM SHOULD IS A VIABLE ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO GROW. TOURISM SHOULD BE ONE OF OUR FUTURE BIGGEST ECONOMY GENERATORS. WE ARE SURROUNDED BY WATER. WE ARE SURROUNDED BY MARSH. WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SO MUCH THAT SO MANY CITIES WOULD GIVE SO MUCH TO HAVE. AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF NUMBERS, UM, I, A LOT OF THE SAME STATISTICS, A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS I MENTIONED WERE THINGS THAT, UM, COUNCILMAN, UH, SAID MS. D DRAGO HAD SUPPLIED. SO I WON'T, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT BIRDING. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT A SINGLE BIRD ARE BIRD WATCHERS THAT COME TO SABINE WOODS, THAT COME TO PLEASURE ISLAND THAT COME TO OUR AREA GAVE IN SIX IN 2024, $6,000,141, ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY ONE, EIGHT HUNDRED AND TWENTY $8. THEY STAY AN AVERAGE OF 1.9 DAYS, 13,345 TRIPS, WHICH TOTALS 25,806 DAYS. NOW WE HAVE ALL OF THE BIRDING SIDES, PLEASURE ISLAND. EVERYTHING IS GEOFENCED. SO THAT'S HOW WE GATHER OUR DATA. A BIRDER IN PORT ARTHUR TYPICALLY SPENDS $238 A DAY AND WE GATHER THAT DATA BY POLLING BIRDERS. THE FISHING FOR OUR AREA, UH, THERE WAS A STUDY DONE, IT'S CALLED THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF RECREATIONAL FISHING IN THE SABINE LAKE ESTUARY. THIS WAS BY BY TEXAS A AND M AGRILIFE EXTENSION AND SEA GRANT, TEXAS. THIS IS A 2016, BUT IT SAYS THAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF RECREATIONAL FISHING OF JUST SABINE LAKE, SABINE LAKE ESRY WAS $42,255,000. AND SO IN 2024, BASED ON OUR GEOFENCED AND AREA, WE ESTIMATE THAT'S 58 MILLION NOW. BUT THIS WAS A STUDY DONE BY THE STATE OF TEXAS BY AGRO TEXAS A M, AGRILIFE AND SEACOAST. SO THIS WAS IN 2016, [00:50:01] IT SAID $44 MILLION. SO TOURISM SHOULD BE ONE OF THE FUTURE INDUSTRIES OF PORT ARTHUR. IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO GROW. FISHING AND BIRDING ARE TWO OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOING FOR US AS WELL AS PLEASURE. ISLAND HAS ALWAYS BEEN CALLED THE DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH AND WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT ON PLEASURE ISLAND. AND SO I'M JUST HERE TO SEEK ON BEHALF OF TOURISM THAT BIRD AND FISHING. SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT A SINGLE BIRD, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT A PATHWAY. IT IS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE IMPACTS ON TOURISM AND THE FUTURE OF ONE OF OUR ECONOMIC GENERATORS. ONE THAT COULD BE GREAT. SO, AND SHOULD BE GREAT FOR THIS AREA. SO THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. COME ON UP, SIR. I'M KYLE KIMBALL, PORT ARTHUR HARRIS SHRIMPERS ASSOCIATION. UM, HAVE A SHRIMP BOAT AND SABINE PASS AND TALKING ABOUT THE FISH AND EVERYTHING. NOT EDIBLE, UH, SHRIMP OR BOTTOM FEEDERS. OKAY? AND EVERYBODY IN HERE EATS SHRIMP I'M ASSUMING BECAUSE I SELL A WHOLE LOT OF 'EM IN THE AREA AND THAT'S RIGHT FROM THIS AREA. OKAY? WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS ON THESE WIND TURBINES THAT ARE NOT DISCUSSED. I KNOW YOU TALK ABOUT HOW GOOD THEY ARE. THERE'S PLACES WHERE DO THEY PUT THE BLADES AT? OKAY. THEY'RE BURIED. THEY'RE SO TOXIC, THEY HAVE NO WAY OF GETTING RID OF THE BLADES, OKAY? NOT TO MENTION THE OIL, THE TRANSMISSION LINES, EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAS TO DO WITH THESE THINGS. IT IS NOT AS Y'ALL THINK AND AS GOOD AS WHAT Y'ALL HAVE Y'ALL'S INFORMATION ON. ME AND MY WIFE HAS DONE A LOT OF STUDIES AND GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE. IF Y'ALL WANT PAPERWORK ON IT, WE'LL GET Y'ALL PAPERWORK ON IT. SHE'S GOT IT OUT IN THE CAR OUT THERE, BUT THIS STUFF IS NOT WHERE IT'S PUT OUT TO BE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE F**K YOU TOLD ME. NAME AND ANY ANYHOW, THE UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE IT KNOWN THAT WE DO SHRIMP OUT OF THIS AREA WHEN MAKE A LIVING. I FISHED IN THAT SABINE LAKE AREA TOO. AND THERE'S A LOT OF FISHERMEN OUT THERE IN THAT, IN THAT AREA. Y'ALL NEED TO CONSIDER A LOT OF THINGS ON TOP OF THAT. THIS IS NOT, UM, ROSES. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY COME UP WITH IDEAS, BUT IF Y'ALL REALLY DO SOME RESEARCH IN ON IT JUST A LITTLE BIT, Y'ALL FIND OUT WHERE IT REALLY STANDS. ANYHOW, I'D APPRECIATE IT. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU SIR. ANYONE ELSE IN THE GALLERY? GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I'M CHUCK VINCENT. I RESIDE AT 2 3 6 6 60 SECOND STREET, PORT ACRES. I HEARD MR. KELLY TALKING ABOUT ALL THE ECONOMIC IMPACT. MR. KELLY, I ASSUME YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE BAILEY DUMP SITE OVER IN BRIDGE CITY. IT'S GOT ALL THE SIGNS AROUND IT. YEAH. MM-HMM . OKAY. I HAPPEN TO KNOW ABOUT IT 'CAUSE THAT'S SOME OF MY FAMILY. YOU TALK ABOUT THE TOXIC ENVIRONMENT THAT GOES ON IN THE WATERWAYS THAT THEY DID AND THEY'VE DUG UP AND PUT IN. IF THAT WAS TRUE, SIR, THERE'D BE DIRECT TOXIC SIGNS ALL IN THAT SPILLWAY AND I DON'T SEE ANY. AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FISH AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE. I PULLED SHRIMP NETS FEED BY A FAMILY WHEN IT, WHEN OIL INDUSTRIES WENT ON STRIKE AND THERE WAS NO OTHER THING TO EAT, BUT THE FOOD THAT WAS IN OUR LAKE AND OUR ESTUARIES, I STILL EAT THE FISH AND STUFF OUT OF THOSE ESTUARIES. I'M NOT GLOWING AND I DON'T HAVE CANCER. AND SOME OF Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE, THE SAME STUFF, THE FOOD. I'VE SEEN Y'ALL AT KIM'S AND MARIE SEAFOOD BUYING SHRIMP AND FISH AND TAKING IT HOME AND FEEDING IT TO YOUR FAMILIES. AND Y'ALL WORRIED ABOUT IT UP HERE. NOW, LET ME TELL YOU, OKAY, DO I THINK THIS PROJECT'S GOOD FOR PORT ARTHUR? NO, I HEAR, I HEAR, UH, MY COUNCILMAN TALKING ABOUT THAT HE'S GONNA MAKE THE DECISION BASED ON WHAT HE FEELS IS RIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE, THE STATE AND ALL THAT SAYING NO. Y'ALL HAVE THE POWER TO DO IT RIGHT NOW. YEAH, YOU DO. IT'S AS SIMPLE AS A VOTE. IT'S AS SIMPLE AS A VOTE. THAT'S ALL I GOTTA SAY. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. UH, I'M HARRY CRAWFORD. I'M APPARENTLY IN TEXAS, OF COURSE. UH, THE DEVELOPER THAT'S LOOKING TO COME TO PORT ARTHUR TO DO BUSINESS. UH, IF IT WAS A SITUATION WHERE WE WERE GONNA HURT PEOPLE, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE. UH, WE HAVEN'T BEEN IN BUSINESS AS LONG AS WE HAVE OVER 25 YEARS KILLING PEOPLE. UH, I HEARD MR. CLIFFORD SAY THAT THERE'S PEOPLE OUT HERE THAT, UH, ALL THEY DOING IS PUTTING MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS. WELL, WE CAME HERE TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU TODAY. THAT'S OUR MONEY ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT HADN'T GOT A DIME IN 125 YEARS. THE FIRST YEAR'S RENT IS $227,300. HERE IT IS RIGHT HERE IN CASE SOMEBODY'S [00:55:01] WORRIED ABOUT THE CHECK BOUNCING . UH, WE USE ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE PRODUCTS, THE BEST IN THE WORLD. THERE'S PLACES TO PUT OUR, UH, WIND TURBINE BLADES BECAUSE THEY MADE OUT BAMBOO. THEY'RE NOT MADE OUTTA ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA KILL THE PEOPLE. WE DON'T HAVE CARCINOGENS. WE USE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, UH, PRODUCTS. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HERE TODAY AND I PRAY THAT THERE WILL BE A LEASE THAT GO FORWARD AND I CAN LEAVE THIS MONEY AND GET MY RECEIPT. LISA MARTIN, 23. PUT IT DOWN. LISA MARTIN, 23 63 60 FIFTH STREET. I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING HERE TODAY THAT SAYS THIS LEASE WILL BENEFIT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AT ALL. NOTHING. I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S IN THE CONTRACT, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING AT ALL THAT SAYS IT'S GONNA BENEFIT THE CITY AND TO SAY IT'S GONNA LOWER OUR TAXES. THAT'S REALLY NOT, NOT TRUE. AND YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT? AND THE CITY'S NOT GONNA MAKE MONEY OFF OF THIS AND PEOPLE'S NOT GONNA BE WORKING OUT THERE. IT'S NOT CREATING JOBS. I DON'T SEE ANY REASON FOR Y'ALL TO VOTE FOR THIS LEASE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, YES. HOW YOU DOING? MY NAME IS DAVID JONES, 11TH STREET, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. AND I JUST WANT TO GO AHEAD AND HIT THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, RIGHT? I HEARD ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WAS TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS WE'RE NOT GOING TO RECEIVE MONEY. IT'S A LOT OF, UM, UH, ISSUES GOING ON WITH IT. BUT WHERE WAS THIS CONCERN WHEN WE SIGNED THAT? UH, SIMPLE DEAL. THE SIMPLE DEAL. THEY HAVE A PERMANENT EASEMENT FOR 7,700. WHAT? $75? THAT'S FOREVER. THAT'S ONE TIME PAYMENT. THAT'S NOT MONTHLY. AND ALSO THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO AHEAD AND ABANDON EVERYTHING, INCLUDING THE 42 INCH PIPELINE. WHERE WAS THE, THE CONCERN WITH ALL THAT? RIGHT? THIS CITY ATTORNEY RIGHT HERE IS THE ONE THAT DONE IT. SHE WAS SUPPOSEDLY COMPETENT ENOUGH TO SIGN THAT AGREEMENT, BUT YET SHE HAVE TO HIRE A COUNCIL FOR THIS AGREEMENT. BUT SHE HAS EXPERIENCE IN PREVIOUS, IN LIKE A PREVIOUS AGREEMENT IN ONE OF THE, UH, CITIES WHERE SHE CAME FROM. SO WHICH ONE IS IT? IS SHE COMPETENT AND SHE GOT THE CITY SCREWED OVER WITH THE SEMPRA DEAL OR THAT SHE REFUSE TO DO THIS AND HAVE SOME OF HER, UM, COLLEAGUES, HER ATTORNEY COLLEAGUES EAT SOME MONEY? I THINK THE CITY COUNCIL NEED TO GO AHEAD AND LOOK AT THE COMPETENCY OF THE CITY ATTORNEY TO SEE WHAT JOB THAT SHE WAS DOING OR NOT DOING. THAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. THANK YOU. POINT OF ORDER, MAYOR. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. THANK YOU. NOW SOMEONE ELSE. POINT OF ORDER. OKAY, SOMEONE, OKAY, JUST COME ON UP PLEASE. YOU'RE NOT GONNA RECOGNIZE ME, SIR. I GOT DIDN'T MEET. I SAID I WANTED TO MAKE A POINT OF ORDER. GO RIGHT IN. WHAT'S YOUR POINT OF ORDER? MY POINT OF ORDER WAS WAS THAT THE MAYOR, THAT OUR ATTORNEY WAS NOT THE ATTORNEY OF RECORD FOR THE SEMPRA DEAL. AND THESE ARE STATEMENTS DURING THIS. I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT TO TRY TO CORRECT SOMEONE WHILE THEY'RE SPEAKING. I UNDERSTAND, BUT, AND CHANGE THEIR BELIEFS. BUT WE ARE IN A CLIMATE. WE ARE IN A CLIMATE. WE ARE IN A CLIMATE WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE MAKING ASSERTIONS AND MAKING, MAKING STATEMENTS THAT ARE NOT TRUE. AND IF YOU DON'T CORRECT SOMETHING, IT BECOMES TRUTHFUL. SO YOU GOTTA CORRECT IT AS IT HAPPENS. IT'S CALLED FACT CHECKING. THANK YOU. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNTY. GO RIGHT AHEAD. MY NAME IS DANTE BROWN OF 4 1 3 0 PHILMONT AVENUE, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. I THINK WE'RE BEING VERY SELECTIVE AND OUTRA OUT OUTRAGE. WE'VE, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT'S BEEN ASKED ABOUT THIS, UH, THIS AND THERE WAS OPPORTUNITIES FOR US FOR INDIVIDUALS TO COME. LIKE THERE WAS, I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT, UM, WIND TURBINES AND THERE WAS A, UM, A TOUR OFFERED TO ONE OF MRS. CRAWFORD'S, UM, WIND TURBINE FARMS, WHICH I ATTENDED AND GOT GATHERED THAT INFORMATION THAT NEEDED. AND IT, THERE WAS ANOTHER PERSON WHO SAID THERE WAS, HOW DOES IT BENEFIT PORT ARTHUR? WELL, UM, AS A, I REPRESENTED, I OWN A SECURITY COMPANY HERE AND WHO WE HAVE VETTED MR. CRAWFORD. UH, OUR FRANCHISE HAS OVER 13,000 EMPLOYEES NATION WORLDWIDE. AND WHAT WE HAVE CONCLUDED IS THAT HE IS HIS, HIS BUSINESS MODEL. UH, IT IT IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE CITIZENS IN, UM, UM, DISTRICT THAT IT, IT SERVES. SO, UM, IF, IF WE ARE, I JUST THINK WE'RE BEING VERY SELECTIVE. HE'S, UH, WE HAVE DID OUR DUE DILIGENCE IN HIS, UM, HIS PROPOSAL FOR THE WIND TURBINES WILL HELP AND BENEFIT THE CITIZEN OF PORT ARTHUR DIRECTLY BECAUSE SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM AND WE'VE HAD, UM, I KNOW THAT [01:00:01] INDIVIDUALS WHO OUR, MOST OF OUR GUARDS ARE UNDEREMPLOYED. BUT WITH THIS, UH, WITH THIS PROJECT, WE CAN OFFER FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT TO ALL, UH, TO ALL OF OUR GUARDS. LET BACK UP A LITTLE BIT. ALL OF OUR GUARDS LEE LIVE RESIDE IN PORT ARTHUR, BUT IF THIS WAS TO PROCEED, THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO OFFER FULL-TIME POSITIONS TO ALL OUR GUARDS WHO RESIDE IN THE PORT ARTHUR CITY. AND THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE TAX REVENUE AND IT CONTRIBUTES, CONTRIBUTES TO THE ECONOMIC, UH, THE REVENUE IN GENERAL HERE IN PORT ARTHUR. SO, I MEAN, IT WOULD JUST BEING VERY SELECTIVE IN OUR OUTRAGE. I MEAN, IF WE JUST, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME GATHER INFORMATION. THERE WAS, HE OFFERED, UM, A TOUR FOR HIS FACILITY. NO ONE SHOWED UP. UM, I JUST THINK IF WE WOULD'VE, IF HE WOULD'VE CAME, YOU WOULD'VE SAW YOU WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE IT CHANGED MINE BECAUSE I WAS, I WAS INITIALLY AGAINST IT AS WELL BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS PROBABLY JUST A QUICK MONEY GRAB, BUT I'M DONE. OKAY, THANK YOU. YOU HAVE ONE LEFT? NO, BUT I'M, I'M, I'M JUST SAYING THANK YOU SIR. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. COUNSEL. PULL, PULL IT DOWN, SIR. MY NAME IS CUR OF FLOOD AND I LIVE AT 42 21 JIMMY JOHNSON BOULEVARD. UH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO ON THE TOUR WITH MR. CRAWFORD. UH, I ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND GROWING UP AS A LITTLE CHILD, I SAW THE WIND TURBULENCE IN, UH, GOING TO LOS ANGELES AND WE WERE ABLE TO GO AND VISIT, UH, WITH WIND TURBULENCE. WHAT WE WANNA KEEP IN, UH, MIND IS THAT WHAT THESE WIND TURBULENCE WOULD DO FOR THE COMMUNITY, WHAT IT WOULD DO FOR THE, THE, THE CITY. WE HAVE A LOT OF OUTAGE IN PORT ARTHUR AREA JUST ON A SMALL RAIN. UH, I SAID A WEEK AGO IN FIVE HOURS OF DARK. AND, UM, IT WAS VERY HOT. AND FOR, FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE LIKE ASTHMA, YOU ARE, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT CAUSES WHERE YOU CANNOT EVEN USE YOUR MACHINE TO SAVE YOUR LIFE. I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE BIRDS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, BUT WE NEED TO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION MAYBE SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN HERE MAY NOT EVER E EXPERIENCE OUTAGE, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF US THAT ARE EXPERIENCING OUTAGE, THAT ENERGY IS NOT ABLE TO KEEP THINGS AFLOAT. WE LIVE IN AN AREA THAT IS FILLED WITH HURRICANES AND TORNADOES AND HIGH WINDS AND IT'S NOT BEING ABLE TO, THE SUSTAINABILITY IS NOT HAPPENING IN OUR AREA WITH ENERGY. SO WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WHAT IS A LIFE VALUE? THERE ARE A LOT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE THAT NEED THEIR ELECTRIC AND THESE WIND TURBINES WILL, UH, COMBINE WITH ENERGY AND PRODUCE AND COVER THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF HOMES. AND WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. AND I'M GLAD THAT IT'S BRINGING, UH, BUSINESS TO PORT ARTHUR AND I KNOW THAT IT WILL PROVIDE JOBS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNSEL FOR HEARING US TONIGHT. MY NAME IS HOLLAND HOFFER. I LIVE ON 37 20 PLEASURE ISLAND. UH, MY FAMILY MOVED TO BEAUMONT IN 1906. UM, I PERSONALLY WAS BORN IN DALLAS. I MOVED HERE IN 2020 FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF ENJOYING WHAT SABINE LAKE HAS TO OFFER. I INITIALLY WAS RENTING AN APARTMENT, BUT I ENJOYED IT SO MUCH THAT I BOUGHT MY HOUSE ON PLEASURE ISLAND AND MOVED HERE PERMANENTLY. I DON'T HAVE ANY CHILDREN. I DON'T USE ANY OF THE CITY SERVICES AND I PRAY AN ABSOLUTE PREMIUM IN TAXES, WHICH GOES TO HELPING THIS COMMUNITY, WHICH DON'T TAKE, I GIVE MY DREAM AS A LITTLE BOY, WHICH I FOUND OUT ONE OF MY THIRD GRADE PAPERS JUST RECENTLY WAS TO MOVE TO THE OCEAN AND LIVE BY A HOUSE BY THE BEACH WHERE I COULD GO FISHING. I'VE WORKED HARD MY ENTIRE LIFE TO BUILD THAT DREAM AND I FOUND IT HERE IN PORT ARTHUR IN SABINE LAKE. THIS WIND FARM WILL COMPLETELY DESTROY NOT ONLY MY DREAM, BUT EVERY OTHER SINGLE PERSON THAT USES THIS AREA FOR ANY REASON. WHETHER IT BE FISHING, BOATING, BIRDING, OR RELAXING. WE HAVE A REAL TREASURE DOWN HERE AND LET'S NOT DESTROY IT FOR THE GREED OF A SELECT FEW PEOPLE. THIS PROJECT IS NOT ABOUT ENERGY OR HELPING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. I'M SORRY TO THE LAST ONE THAT SPOKE, BUT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT THOSE TURBINES ARE GOING TO POWER THE GRID OR HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE LOCAL ENERGY MARKET HERE. AND IF YOU KNOW ENERGY OR KNOW HOW THE GRID WORKS, THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. NEVER HAPPEN. I COULD GIVE YOU A THOUSAND REASONS WHY THIS PROJECT IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE EXPERTS. THERE'S PLENTY OF THEM THAT'LL LET YOU KNOW. ANYONE WITH BASIC COMMON KNOWLEDGE [01:05:01] KNOWS THIS PROJECT IS AN ABSOLUTE DISASTER. THERE WAS A PETITION SHOWN AT THE LAST MEETING WITH A HUNDRED QUESTIONABLE SIGNATURES FOR THIS PROJECT. AND HERE'S A LEGITIMATE DOCUMENT WITH OVER 450 SIGNATURES AGAINST THIS WIND FARM PROJECT. THE DOCUMENT WITH A HUNDRED SIGNATURES WAS PAID FOR BY MR. CRAWFORD BECAUSE HE BOUGHT EVERY ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE A MEAL IN ORDER TO GET THEIR SIGNATURE. EXCUSE ME. EXCUSE ME. I'M NOT DONE. I'M NOT, I'M NOT DONE. NO, NO. HEY, HEY, HEY. YOU GOING TO BE DONE NOW? NOW, NOW HOLD UP. I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU TAKE CONTROL OF MY MEETING. YOU'VE BEEN DOING REAL WELL. OKAY, I'LL STOP. OKAY, I'LL STOP. OKAY, NOW LET'S STOP THAT. OKAY SIR, COME ON. LET'S STOP. GO RIGHT AHEAD. OKAY. THESE SIGNATURES ON HERE, ON THIS DOCUMENT WERE DONE BY CONCERNED CITIZENS. THEY DIDN'T GET A PENNY FOR THEIR SIGNATURE. AND THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER DOCUMENT BY CHANGE.ORG THAT'S GOING AROUND RIGHT NOW FOR THE WIND FARM. IT HAS 61 VOTES, THERE'S 495 AS OF I JUST AT FIVE O'CLOCK TODAY WHEN I TOOK THIS, WHEN I TOOK THIS PICTURE, IF DILIGENCE, OKAY, I'M I'LL. I'LL SKIP THAT BECAUSE I'M NOT GONNA TALK WITH MR. CRAWFORD. THAT'S GONNA BOTHER PEOPLE. OKAY. UH, INITIALLY BUILDING SOMETHING OFFSHORE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH PORT ARTHUR. THEY GOT DENIED. SO THEY'RE HEARSAY NOW. THEY'RE PUTTING THE CITY OF ARTHUR, OF PORT ARTHUR FIRST. THE CITY IS NOT IMPORTANT AND IT DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE INITIAL PLAN. OKAY? THAT'S IT. THANK YOU SIR. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME. EVERYBODY PLEASE VOTE. ON THE COURT AND OF YOUR CITIZENS? WE VOTED, YES, SIR. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, SIR. MY NAME IS RONNIE MOON, BORN AND RAISED IN PORT ARTHUR LIVE IN NEWLAND, TEXAS. YOU ALL KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN UP HERE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. I, BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL FOR OVER 30 OR SO YEARS NOW, OFF AND ON, SPENT HALF MY LIFE ON PLEASURE ISLAND. BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME. FAMILY, FRIENDS, WORKING PEOPLE. WE SPENT OUR TIME OUT THERE FISHING, CRABBING, BIRD WATCHING, DUCK HUNTING. WHATEVER WE THOUGHT WE COULD GET AWAY WITH. WE DID IT FOR YEARS. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. I, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO SELL IT ALL ON IT FOR YEARS. YOU'RE GONNA DO WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO. YOU PLEASE REMEMBER, WE ARE IN A COMMUNITY CITY. IT'S ALL AROUND US. LET THE PEOPLE HAVE A LITTLE BIT, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, SIR. COME ON, SIR. HOW Y'ALL DOING? DAVE ROBERTS. UH, I HAVE A PIECE OF PROPERTY ON HIGHWAY 82 SOUTH END, PLEASURE ISLAND, PORT ARTHUR. UH, SO I'M HERE OF COURSE FOR THE DISAPPROVAL OF THE PROJECT AND EVERYTHING. SO I WAS BORN AND RAISED ON, YOU KNOW, HERE ON IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS. SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON PLEASURE ISLAND GROWING UP. LOVE TO HUNT, LOVE TO FISH. UH, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES THAT I HAVE EVER LAID EYES ON IT. AND, AND THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SURROUNDED BY A BUNCH OF, UH, INDUSTRIAL STUFF AROUND. STILL THOUGH, UH, I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO TRAVEL AROUND TO SOME BEAUTIFUL PLACES AND I STILL GET OFF THE PLANE AND COME STRAIGHT HERE AND, AND SPEND A LOT OF TIME. I BOUGHT A PIECE OF PROPERTY WITH HOPES TO START A LODGE FISHING LODGE ONE DAY, GET MY CAPTAIN'S LICENSE. AND I WANNA SHARE THE BEAUTY OF THIS AREA WITH OTHER PEOPLE AROUND, WHICH WILL IN TURN BRING MORE PEOPLE HERE, MORE TOURISM, MORE EVERYTHING. UH, I KNOW MISS TAMMY HERE, I HAVE WRITTEN BLOGS FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO COME HERE AND COME FISH, COME BIRD WATCH COME. JUST COME SEE THE AREA. UH, LIKE I SAID, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING SPECIAL AND I THINK IF YOU PUT WIND TURBINES UP, YOU'RE GONNA DRIVE THEM PEOPLE AWAY. TOURISM IS A, UH, BIG INDUSTRY. SHE SAID THE NUMBERS. THOSE ARE PRETTY GOOD, PRETTY GOOD NUMBERS THERE. IF I, IF I HAVE TO SAY. SO, UH, SOME, SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THESE WIND TURBINES, THEY'RE CARBON NEUTRAL. THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THE WIND TURBINE THEMSELF DOESN'T PRODUCE ANY CARBON, BUT HOW MUCH DIESEL IS GONNA HAVE TO BE BURNED ON THE BOATS, ON THE HELICOPTERS, ON EVERYTHING. ASSEMBLING THESE THINGS, DRAGGING 'EM OUT THERE, PUTTING MANPOWER OUT THERE TO GET 'EM OUT THERE. A LOT OF DIESELS GONNA BE BURNED. SO YOU AIN'T SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT BY DOING IT. UH, THE PROPOSED LAND IS FOR 20 PER LEASE IS 2200 ACRES. UH, WAS IT MR. BAILEY, GAN, KELLY, MR. HILTON KELLY, MR. KELLY, YOU TALK ABOUT IT. I KNOW YOU WANNA BREATHE GOOD, FRESH AIR, CLEAN THE WATER. I THINK THERE'S BETTER WAYS TO DO IT RANDOMLY ENOUGH. THE 2200 AC RELEASE, IF YOU USED TO PLANT TREES FOR 2 2200 ACRES, YOU CAN PROVIDE ENOUGH FRESH, FRESH AIR. CLEAN AIR FOR 36,000 PEOPLE A YEAR. THAT'S MORE THAN HALF THE PEOPLE IN PORT ARTHUR. YOU COULD DO THAT JUST WITH PLANTING TREES. ALSO, THE BIRD WATCHING IS A BIG THING HERE. UH, AND, AND, UH, IF YOU PUT THESE TURBINES UP, YOU CAN, YOU CAN, YOU [01:10:01] CAN GET RID OF THAT. THE, I KNOW THE CITY WANTED TO MAKE AN OFFICIAL, THE CITY PORT ARTHUR BE AN OFFICIAL BIRD BIRDWATCHING AREA THAT'S GONE. YOU PUT THE WIND TURBINES UP. MR. DE SAID, I DO LIKE YOUR ANALOGY YOU HAD THERE OF THE LIQUOR STORE. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU SAID THAT EVEN YOU CAN APPROVE A LIQUOR STORE, BUT YOU HAVE NO SAY SO TO DO WITH, UH, SELLING THE ACTUAL LIQUOR. SAME THING WITH THIS WIND TURBINE PROJECT. IF A BUNCH OF PEOPLE HERE SAID THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT A LIQUOR STORE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, WOULD YOU SAY, OKAY, YOU CAN BUILD A LIQUOR STORE WITH NO PROBLEM, BUT LIKE, LOOK, SO WHAT I'M GONNA SAY IS I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA LEAVE Y'ALL WITH THIS, THIS COMPANY HERE IS GONNA COME IN AND THEY'RE GONNA THROW THEIR MONEY ON THE TABLE. THEY'RE GONNA SAY A LOT OF THINGS AND THEY'RE GONNA SAY HOW GOOD THEY'RE GONNA DO FOR THE COMMUNITY. THE QUESTION YOU NEED TO BE ASKING YOURSELF IS HOW THIS MAY HURT THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. COME ON, SIR, PLEASE. MY NAME IS DOUGLAS SMO. I LIVE IN 2248 17TH STREET. MR. HARRIS, I MET MR. HARRIS AND WE HAD A MEETING. AND THE THINGS HE'S WANTING TO BRING TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION WAS HE WAS GOING TO DO EMPLOYMENT FIRST TO THE PEOPLE IN PORT ARTHUR. EVEN IF HE HAD TO DO CLASSES WHERE THEY NEED TO CLEAN THEIR LIFE UP TO GO TO WORK, HE WASN'T GONNA CALL IN OUTSIDE PEOPLE TO DO THE JOB RIGHT HERE IN THIS CITY. AND HE COMING IN TO INVEST MONEY IN THE CITY. SO WHO WOULD WANT THAT? THAT'S ALL I GOT. THANK YOU, SIR. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MICHELLE BRUNO. I, UH, GREW UP AT, UM, 50 42 LAKE SHORE DRIVE AND IT'S SEVEN 10 HOUSTON AVENUE. MY DAD OWNED ALAMO SERVICE STATION. MOST OF Y'ALL STILL KNOW HIM. IF Y'ALL WERE LONG TIMERS, LIKE I AM YOUR PRESENT ADDRESS, MY PRESENT ADDRESS IS, UH, 24 25 EVERGREEN DRIVE. AND I ALSO OWN RENTAL PROPERTY AROUND ME. THIS IS MY CITY. THIS IS THE CITY I LOVE. THIS IS THE CITY I MOVED BACK HOME TO AFTER COLLEGE. THIS IS A CITY THAT I GREW UP IN EATING CRABS. THIS IS VERY EMOTIONAL TO THINK THAT Y'ALL WOULD COME IN AND RUIN OUR CITY WITH SOMETHING THAT IS NOT GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY. LOOK AT THE RESEARCH OF EVERYWHERE THAT THEY'VE EVER PUT A TERM. PINE. DON'T DO THAT TO OUR CITY. THIS IS MY HOME. I PLAN ON LIVING HERE THE REST OF MY LIFE. DO YOU, DO THEY JUST THINK ABOUT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS HARRY GUNNER. I GREW UP ON 2 48 EMORY LANE HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. UM, I WENT TO UNDERGRAD AND I WENT TO WORK FOR A FORTUNE 100 COMPANY. I COMPLETED THAT JOB AND MOVED INTO HEALTHCARE AFTER I MOVED INTO HEALTHCARE, AFTER SOME, SOME FAMILY SITUATIONS TO PLACE AND I HAD TO COME BACK HOME. WHEN I CAME BACK HOME, I COULDN'T GET A JOB AT ONE OF THE PLANTS. ONE OF THE PLANTS WAS ONE OF THE PLACES THAT I WAS TOLD, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN MAKE SOME GOOD MONEY. WELL, THAT OPPORTUNITY WASN'T THERE FOR ME. I SPOKE TO A COUNCIL MEMBER AT THE TIME, AND MY UNDERSTANDING HAS BEEN THAT WHEN CONVERSATIONS TAKE PLACE WITH THE BIG OIL AND GAS COMPANIES, UM, IT'S OFTEN SAID THAT THERE'S, UH, NOT A GOOD ENOUGH TALENT POOL FOR, UM, EMPLOYEES TO WORK THERE. UH, HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS THAT THERE WILL BE TRAINING IN PLACE TO TRAIN AND HELP RESIDENTS HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. THE OTHER THING IS, IF THERE'S GONNA BE NEW WORKERS, THERE'S GONNA BE NEW INCOME TO BE BROUGHT HERE AND SPENT HERE. THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE HOMES TO BE BUILT, WHICH INCREASES PROPERTY TAXES FOR THE CITY, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. SO I AS WELL WANNA BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO MY HOMETOWN AND REPRESENT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT TAUGHT ME AND RAISED ME. AND I DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE, BUT I FEEL LIKE I MIGHT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE. SO I JUST WANNA SAY ON THAT BEHALF, I'M HERE FOR MORE JOBS IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. ANYONE ELSE? HELLO, MY NAME'S MARY CHE. I LIVE AT 2104 10TH AVENUE, RIGHT HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, DISTRICT TWO. UH, THE GENTLEMAN THAT HAD THE DEAL ABOUT THE CHANGE.ORG, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M THE ONE THAT STARTED THE ONE THAT WAS AGAINST IT BECAUSE THERE ARE SO [01:15:01] MANY REASONS WHY TO BE AGAINST IT. UH, I RECENTLY FOUND OUT IN ANOTHER COUNTRY THAT IT WAS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST WIND FARMS, AND IT'S TIME TO CHANGE THE TURBINES. SO THEY CHECK THE PRICE COMPARED TO WHAT IT WOULD COST TODAY TO REPAIR, TO CHANGE 'EM OUT TO NEW, COMPARED TO DEMOING THE PROPERTY, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEMO THE PROPERTY BECAUSE IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE IT. THE AMOUNT OF PERCENTAGE THAT THEY MADE OFF OF THE WIND TERMS WAS 19% OUT OF WHAT THEY COST TO HAVE IT PUT IN. THAT'S NOT GOOD. THAT'S NOT MONEY FOR PORT ARTHUR. NOT AT ALL. AND THE REFINERIES, YOU'RE SAYING THE ENERGIES CAN GO TO REFINERIES. REFINERIES HAVE THEIR OWN POWER PLANTS. I KNOW FOR A FACT, BECAUSE I WORKED IN PS FOUR DURING THE CEP PROJECT FOR, FOR MOTIVA. THAT'S ONE OF THE JOBS THAT THEY ACTUALLY SAID WE'RE GONNA TRY TO HIRE PORT ARTHUR PEOPLE FIRST. I WAS NOT LIVING IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AT THE TIME, BUT I DO NOW. I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE, AND THEY COULDN'T EVEN PROVIDE ENOUGH EMPLOYEES TO BE ABLE TO SPONSOR THE PERCENTAGE OF WHAT THEY PROMISED TO BRING IN FROM THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. SO THE WIND TURBINES ISN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT EITHER. THE DEAL ABOUT THE CONTRACT, HAS IT ALL BEEN AGREED ON? HAVE ALL Y'ALL AGREED ON THE ACTUAL WRITTEN CONTRACT? IS IT SIGNED? NO, IT'S NOT BECAUSE SOMEBODY WOULD'VE SAID IT TONIGHT. MY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS THAT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHURS SENT ONE TO MR. CRAWFORD AND HIS LEGAL TEAM TWO WEEKS AGO. THEY HAVE YET TO ANSWER BACK. SO WHY ARE WE EVEN BRINGING IT UP TO A VOTE TODAY IF WE DO NOT HAVE A SIGNED CONTRACT AGREEMENT, A LEASE AGREEMENT? THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NO AGREEMENT. SO WHY ARE Y'ALL EVEN VOTING ON WHETHER OR NOT TO APPROVE IT OR NOT? IT'S NOT IRONED OUT. IT'S NOT IRONED OUT. THANK YOU. MY DEAL WOULD BE TO POSTPONE IT UNTIL ALL EVERYTHING COULD BE WORKED OUT. THEN BRING IT BACK UP. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS KAREN BAKER. I WAS RAISED AT 61 20 CHARLES AVENUE IN AUGUSTA, TEXAS. I'M A GRADUATE OF STEPHEN F. AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL. SO I DEFINITELY KNOW, UM, THE DEAL DEALING WITH REFINERIES. UM, IT'S, IT'S A SHAME THAT WHEN YOU LOOK ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THEY ARE CALLING PORT ARTHUR, ONE OF THE POOREST CITIES IN THE STATES AND THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE ELSEWHERE, AND WE ARE CALLING PAPPA, PORT ARTHUR MID-COUNTY. I THINK THAT DILIGENCE, UH, WHAT THEY ARE BRINGING TO THE TABLE IS VERY GOOD FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. UH, I THINK IT'S, UH, GOOD FOR ECONOMICAL GROWTH AS FAR AS JOBS, UH, BRINGING PEOPLE TO PORT ARTHUR. I'M NOT A BIRD WATCHER. I MAY FISH AND CRAB, BUT I CAN GO TO GALVESTON, I CAN GO TO KEMA, I CAN GO TO ANY OTHER AREAS VERSUS, UM, SHRIMPING AND EFFICIENT IN SPOILER LAND OR WHATEVER THE SITUATION MAY BE. UM, I REALLY AGREE WITH THE WIND TURBINES. I DID MY RESEARCH AS FAR AS, UM, THE PROS AND CONS. UM, AND IT'S NO WORSE THAN THE REFINERIES THAT ARE HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. UM, SO I THINK, LIKE I SAID, I THINK IT IS A GOOD ECONO, UH, GOOD, UM, ECONOMICAL GROWTH FOR THE CITIZENS AND THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL PEOPLE OF PORT ARTHUR. I'D LIKE TO OFFER A I, MY NAME IS STEVEN SEALS. I AM, UH, LIVE OFF 27 10 EVERGREEN DRIVE. UH, I'D LIKE TO OFFER A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE HERE TONIGHT. SO I'M A SINGLE FATHER. MY DAUGHTER AND I MOVED HERE LAST MAY. I'M NEW TO THE AREA. I HAVE NO BIASES. I KNOW NOTHING OF THE AREA. I DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY THAT MUCH. UH, I CANNOT MAKE ANY ASSUMPTIONS OF ANYTHING. WHAT I DO KNOW IS I KNOW PEOPLE, I KNOW NUMBERS AND I KNOW ECONOMICS. I GRADUATE TOP OF MY CLASS FROM PERDUE GLOBAL UNIVERSITY, UH, AND BUSINESS. AND I EVEN, UH, EXCELLED, UH, WITH PROFESSOR MCDERMOTT AND MACROECONOMICS. SO I HEAR A LOT OF TALK OF JOB AND THAT'S GOOD JOB. GROWTH IS GOOD. HOW MANY JOBS, AGAIN? NUMBERS. HOW MANY JOBS ARE WE TALKING? ARE WE TALKING A FEW JOBS? [01:20:01] ARE WE TALKING A FEW DOZEN? ARE WE TALKING A FEW HUNDRED JOBS? TAXES? UH, IT HAS BEEN SAID, I'VE HEARD, LET ME SAY IT THAT WAY, THAT THE POWER FROM THESE WINDMILLS WILL BE FREE TO THE PUBLIC. IS THAT CORRECT? IF THAT IS SO THEN HOW ARE WE GOING TO LOWER TAXES WHILE PROVIDING FREE ENERGY? I OFFER AN ARGUMENT I HAD WITH SOMEONE FROM FINLAND WHO IS VERY A SOCIALISTIC STATE, AND THEY THEMSELVES, ACROSS THE BOARD, PAY NO LESS THAN 60% IN TAXES BECAUSE THEY HAVE FREE SCHOOL FREE POWER. UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DON'T FEEL THAT THIS WOULD BE A STRONG FIT FOR THIS COMMUNITY. AND ALSO, YES. IS THERE GONNA BE PROS TO THIS? SURE. THERE'S A TWO SIDES OF A COIN. THERE'S A HEADS AND TAILS. THERE WILL BE PROS, THERE WILL BE CONS. EVERYTHING COMES AT A COST. THE PRO, THE REAL QUESTION IS, IS WHAT IS THAT COST YOU'RE WILLING TO PAY FOR THE PRO YOU'RE WILLING TO GAIN? AND I YIELD BACK MY TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO CALL FOR THE VOTE JUST A SECOND. I WANT TO SEE IF THE PERSON WAS, IT WAS ONLINE, WAS REMAINING, BUT, UH, IS SHE STILL THERE? THE PERSON ONLINE? UH, SHE, SHE LEFT SEVERAL MINUTES AGO. OKAY. SHE DID. SHE DID. SHE DID. BUT I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER. OKAY. I, I CAN'T GET A RESPONSE. I CAN'T GET A RESPONSE FROM THE PERSON WHO WAS ONLINE. I CANNOT GET A RESPONSE FROM THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS ONLINE FOR THE THIRD TIME ASKING FOR A RESPONSE FROM, FROM THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS ONLINE. THAT IS ALL IN THE NEGATIVE. WHAT WE'LL DO, WE'RE READY TO VOTE. UH, DID YOU NEED TO GET BACK OVER THERE? SAY THE SECOND . OKAY. ASK FOR A ROLL CALL. VOTE. OKAY. UH, A ROLL CALL BOARD HAS BEEN REQUESTED. I THINK THAT CAN BE GRANTED. WELL, RIGHT AHEAD. CITY SECRETARY MAYOR PRO. TIM BECKHAM. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER ETT? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. FRANK? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON. EVER FIELD? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS? YES. MAYOR BARTY? YES. THE MEASURE PASSES. MEASURE PASSES. OKAY. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. YES. OKAY. PLEASE. NO OUTBURSTS. NO OUTBURSTS. WE HAVE BUSINESS TO TAKE CARE OF. THANK YOU ALL SO KINDLY. THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE ORIGINAL PAGE OF, UH, OUR HOLD UP. EXCUSE ME. IF YOU ALL DON'T MIND, WOULD YOU MIND LEAVING QUIETLY PLEASE. WE HAVE OTHER BIDS TO TAKE CARE OF. WOULD YOU LIKE FOR YOU TO LEAVE QUIETLY, PLEASE. YOU MAY EXIT QUIETLY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. OKAY. NOW WE HAVE PROCLAMATIONS AND WE HAVE SOME FRIENDS HERE WHO WERE UPSET THROUGH EVERYTHING. HAD I KNOWN IT WAS GONNA BE THAT LONG, WOULD'VE ASKED YOU TO COME UP. BUT THINGS HAPPEN. AND WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION HERE. HAVE SOME OF MY FRIENDS HERE FROM THE RED CROSS MAKING SURE Y'ALL COME RIGHT ON UP. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO PATIENT. AND IF I'M JUST ASKING Y'ALL WHO ARE EXITING, EXITING, PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT WE ARE HANDLING SOME OTHER BUSINESS. YOU CAN GO OUT INTO THE LOBBY AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. OKAY, [II. PROCLAMATIONS] NOW WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION. THIS IS FROM THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, OFFICE OF THE MAYOR. IT SAYS, WHEREAS THE TRADITION OF MARCH BEING DECLARED RED CROSS MONTH BEGAN IN 1943 WITH THE PROCLAMATION FROM PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ANO ROOSEVELT. AND FOR MORE THAN 75 YEARS, ALL US PRESIDENTS HAVE JUST DESIGNATED THIS MONTH. AND WHEREAS THIS MARCH, WE ARE HONORED TO ACKNOWLEDGE EVERYONE WHO HAS RESPONDED TO THE CALL TO ASSIST OTHERS UNDER OUR RED CROSS EMBLEM, WHICH CONTINUES TO SYMBOLIZE HELP AND HOPE DURING THE MOST CHALLENGING TIMES. AND WHEREAS WE HONOR ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS AND EMPLOYEES WHO POSITIVELY IMPACT THE COMMUNITIES BY DONATING [01:25:01] BLOOD OR PLATELETS, VOLUNTEERING TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY A DISASTER, TAKING A FIRST AID OR CPR CLASS TO RESPOND IN AN EMERGENCY OR PROVIDING SUPPORT TO A MEMBER OF THE MILITARY, A VETERAN OR THEIR FAMILY. AND WHEREAS WE RECOGNIZE THE MONTH OF MARCH IN HONOR OF ALL THOSE WHO LED WITH THEIR HEARTS TO SERVE PEOPLE IN NEED. NOW, THEREFORE, I THURMAN BILL BTI, MAYOR OF THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF MARCH AS RED CROSS MONTH HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. WE ASK EVERYONE TO JOIN IN THIS COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY IN WITNESS WHEREOF. I HAVE HERE UNTO AFFIX, OR HERE UNTO SET MY HAND TO CAUSE THE SEAL OF THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO BE AFFIXED THIS 18TH DAY OF MARCH IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2025. AND IT IS SIGNED THURMOND, BILL BORNE MAYOR. AND I'M GOING TO COME DOWN AND PRESENT THIS TO YOU ALL WHILE YOU'RE COMING DOWN. THANK YOU MY FRIEND. THANK YOU, COUNSEL. UM, I'M KIMBERLY KLEIN. I AM THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE AMERICAN RED CROSS FOR SOUTHEAST AND DEEP EAST TEXAS. THAT'S 17 COUNTIES IN OUR AREA. UH, I WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING US BECAUSE THE MONTH OF MARCH ALLOWS US TO GIVE HONOR TO THOSE VOLUNTEERS THAT WE HAVE THAT ACTUALLY LET US DO OUR MISSION AT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS. THEY GIVE THEIR COMPASSION AND THEY TURN IT INTO ACTION. AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE HOPING THAT MOVING FORWARD, THAT OUR 17 COUNTIES, WE CAN GET ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY SUSTAIN THEMSELVES DURING A DISASTER BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS ANYWAY. LET'S PUT THE RED CROSS WITH THOSE NEIGHBORS THAT ARE HELPING NEIGHBORS. SO WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE TAKEN CARE OF IN DISASTER. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I JUST WANNA SAY FROM A, FROM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, I'VE, I'VE BEEN THE BENEFIT OF THE RED CROSS SERVICES WHEN I EXPERIENCED A HOUSE FIRE IN 2009. YES MA'AM. JUST, I, I DON'T KNOW WHO CALLED THEM. I DON'T KNOW THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I GUESS SO, BUT THEY SHOWED UP AT MY HOUSE WHILE MY HOUSE WAS BURNING. YES MA'AM. AND THEY PROVIDED US WITH WHAT WE NEEDED TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BE TEMPORARILY UNTIL INSURANCE KICKED IN. AND IT WAS JUST, IT, IT WAS A MIRACLE THAT, THAT THEY SHOWED UP AT MY HOUSE. SO I, I JUST APPRECIATE Y'ALL AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT. AND YES, IT IS. WE HAVE, UM, RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT WHEN THEY DO GET THOSE CALLS, THEY HAVE A SPECIFIC LINE THAT THEY CAN CALL INTO US AND GIVE US THE INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN GET THERE AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. YEAH, IT WAS AMAZING. THEY, THEY WERE THERE BEFORE THE FIRE WAS OUT. YEAH. COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK. YES. I JUST WANNA SAY THERE'S NO GREATER COMPLIMENT, UH, THAT YOU CAN PAY TO ANY ORGANIZATION THAN TO SAY YOU'RE ALWAYS THERE. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW YOU, YOU NEVER LET I'M A WITNESS. YOU NEVER LET ME DOWN . THANKS GUYS. NEXT ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE SPEAKERS. WE HAVE, UH, MS. WENDY ANDREWS REGARDING TRASH DUMPING AT, UH, CECIL REYNOLDS PARK. MS. ANDRES. MS. ANDREWS. MS. ANDRES. OKAY. I GOT THE, SHE IN THE TIP. WE'LL MOVE NEXT TO THE NEXT SPEAKER. MR. JOSE. JAVIER A, UH, AYALA. AYLA, EXCUSE ME. AYALA VALENCIA REGARDING WATER, UH, DEPTH, HUH? OKAY. WATER DEPARTMENT. [01:30:01] OKAY. I I DIDN'T GET THE T ON MY, UH, ON MY COPY. OKAY. HE, I PRESENT, I MEAN, I MEAN I HAVE THE, HIS, HIS AS WELL. OKAY. NEXT WE [III.B.(1) A Presentation By Christina Patteson, WIC Director Of The City Of Port Arthur Health Department Regarding The Grow With Me Community Garden] HAVE PRESENTATION. WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY CHRISTINA, UH, PATTERSON, THE WIC DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, A HEALTH DEPARTMENT REGARDING THE GROW WITH ME COMMUNITY GARDEN. AND YOU MAY APPROACH HIM. YOU'VE GIVEN THE HANDOUT. I THINK YOU HAVE A, WE ALL GONNA GET SOME WIC SUPPLIES TOO? YES. . GOOD AFTERNOON OR GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. UM, I'M CHRISTINA PATTISON AND I WORK FOR MS. JUDITH AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND I ALSO HAVE MS. LENE JENNINGS, WHO IS THE WIC ADMINISTRATIVE SUPERVISOR. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND JENNA PRISCILLA, WHO ALSO WORKS WITH US AND DOES OUR DIGITAL MARKETING. UM, SO THANK Y'ALL FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE AND TO PRESENT TO YOU GUYS TODAY. UM, THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I'M SORRY, HERE WE GO. THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS OUR WIC PROGRAM HAS GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY AND WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE TO INTRODUCE ONE OF OUR NEWEST PROGRAMS AND IT'S THE GROW WITH ME COMMUNITY GARDEN. SO HERE'S JUST SOME FACTS. IF YOU LOOK AT DIFFERENT THINGS WITH THE FOOD INDUSTRY, AND I'M SORRY I'M NOT DOING GOOD WITH THIS MIC, BUT , HUH? YOU CAN TAKE IT OUT. CAN I TAKE IT OUT? OKAY. IS THAT BETTER? YEAH. THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL CAN HEAR ME OR NOT. OKAY. SO 14 BILLION IS SPENT ON FOOD AND DRINK ADS EVERY YEAR. AND OVER 80% PROMOTES FAST FOOD, SUGARY DRINKS AND JUNK FOOD. 1 BILLION IS SPENT OF CDC D'S BUDGET ON CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION. AND OVER 70% OF TEXANS ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE. AND WHEN IT COMES TO OUR KIDS, 33% OF THEM EAT FAST FOOD EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND 25% OF THE ADS THAT THEY SEE ARE ALL FAST FOOD ADS. I'M GONNA PUT THIS UP 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS WORKING FOR ME. SO I'M GONNA TALK REALLY LOUD. IS THAT OKAY? YES. IS THAT BETTER? OKAY. SO HOW DO WE COMBAT THIS? SO WE ACTUALLY WORK WITH A SNAP ED PROGRAM THAT IS ACTUALLY WHAT OVERSEES OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN. AND SO THE THINGS THAT THEY LOOK AT, THEY WANT US TO ESTABLISH HEALTHY EATING HABITS, PHYSICALLY ACTIVE LIFESTYLES, AND LOWER AND PREVENT NUTRITION RELATED DISEASE. SHE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE ON THE MIC. YEAH. OH, IS THAT WHY IT HAS TO? I'M SORRY. I'M TRYING REAL HARD. . SO THE GROW WITH MEAT COMMUNITY GARDEN, OUR MISSION IS TO GU CULTIVATE HEALTHIER LIFESTYLES FOR FAMILIES THROUGH HANDS-ON GARDENING, NUTRITION, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. SO IT IS LOCATED BEHIND THE, FOR ARTHUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT. WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY GROWING IT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN OUT TO IT, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT RECENTLY, AND BEEN ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THE STUFF THAT'S GOING ON. WE ACTUALLY HAVE 40 RAISED BEDS THAT WE'VE PUT IN THERE. AND WE HAVE OVER 20 CEDAR BEDS. AND WE HAVE A NEW GARDEN, UH, BUILDING THAT'S OUT THERE AS WELL. IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC DURING HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUSINESS HOURS. WE HAVE CLASSES EVERY SINGLE WEDNESDAY. THEY'RE AT NINE 30 IN THE MORNING AND ONCE A MONTH WE HAVE 'EM AT 4:00 PM THERE'S A NEW TOPIC THAT WE TEACH ON EVERY SINGLE MONTH. AND WE USE, UM, ALL OF OUR FOCUS IS ON SEASONAL PRODUCE FOR THE USDA ZONE NINE. AND THEN WE HAVE REINFORCEMENT ITEMS FOR THE GARDEN AS WELL, YOU GUYS. SO WE HAVE SEEDS, SEEDLINGS, UM, DIFFERENT TYPE OF GARDENING PACKS AND DIFFERENT TOOLS TO HELP THEM GO HOME AND PLANT THEIR OWN GARDENS AT HOME. OUR TARGET AUDIENCE IS LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES, BUT IT'S OPEN TO EVERYONE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND WE HAVE THE CLASSES. AND SO ANYONE THAT WANTS TO ATTEND CAN ATTEND. IT'S A FAMILY FRIENDLY GARDEN AND ALL AGES ARE WELCOME, INCLUDING ADULTS. THIS IS OUR CLASS SCHEDULE. SO WHAT'S NEAT BESIDES JUST THE CLASSES THAT WE OFFER, WE HAVE INDIRECT EDUCATION THAT WE DO AS WELL. THERE ARE QR CODES THAT ARE IN ALL THE GARDEN BEDS. AND WHEN YOU SCAN THE QR CODE, IT BRINGS YOU TO ADDITIONAL NUTRITION EDUCATION INFORMATION, RECIPES. AND IT EVEN SHOWS YOU PICTURES AND VIDEOS OF THE GROWTH WITHIN THE GARDEN. SO RECENTLY WHEN WE STARTED TO BUILD THE GARDEN BACK IN NOVEMBER, WE HAD A COMMUNITY-WIDE CONTEST TO NAME THE GARDEN. AND WE HAD SEVERAL DIFFERENT PEOPLE SUBMIT NAMES FOR THE GARDEN. AND THEN AFTER THE VOTES CAME OR AFTER THE DIFFERENT NAMES WERE BROUGHT IN, WE BROUGHT IT TO THE PORT ARTHUR COMMUNITY PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD TO VOTE ON IT. AND WHEN THEY VOTED, THEY VOTED ON GROW WITH ME. AND THAT WAS A RESIDENT, MS. PEBBLES REYNOLDS THAT SUBMITTED THAT PARTICULAR NAME. WE'RE ALSO WORKING, WE HAVE VOLUNTEER DAYS. AND SO ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WANTED TO COME AND TALK TO YOU GUYS TODAY IS WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WERE AWARE THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A VOLUNTEER DAY THIS SATURDAY FROM EIGHT TO 12 TO HELP PUT THE GARDEN TOGETHER. [01:35:01] WE DO ASK THAT PEOPLE COME DRESSED IN COMFORTABLE CLOTHES, BUT ALSO LIKE CLOTHES, TOE SHOES AND BRING TOOLS WITH YOU. AND THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING. AND SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A GIFT FOR COUNSEL TODAY AS WELL. SO WE WANNA GIVE Y'ALL SOMETHING PRESENT, Y'ALL WITH A LITTLE GIFT ABOUT THE GARDEN. UM, AND SO THESE LADIES HERE ARE GONNA GIVE THIS TO YOU GUYS, BUT THERE'S A ROCK AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS. I KNOW IT SOUNDS SILLY, BUT WE REALLY WANTED THE GARDEN TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE DO BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT EDUCATION, IT IS ABOUT FAMILIES. IT'S ABOUT THAT COMMUNITY AWARENESS. AND SO WE DECIDED THAT IT'D BE REALLY GREAT TO HAVE A ROCK GARDEN THAT HAD ENCOURAGING MESSAGES ON IT. SO WE GAVE Y'ALL ALL A ROCK AS WELL SO THAT Y'ALL CAN PAINT ONE AND PUT IT OUT IN THE GARDEN FOR US, IF YOU DON'T MIND. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME OUT THERE THIS SATURDAY. BUT IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE FREE THIS SATURDAY, ANYTIME BETWEEN EIGHT AND 12, WE'D LOVE TO SEE YOU OUT THERE. WE'D ALSO LOVE TO SEE YOU GUYS COME OUT AND PLANT THAT PLANT THAT YOU HAVE RIGHT THERE. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL COULD SEE, DID Y'ALL GET THE LITTLE PAPER IN THERE? MM-HMM . YEAH. SO IT SAYS RESILIENCE, STRENGTH, AND GROWTH. THESE SEEDLINGS ARE TOUGH, DROUGHT RESISTANT PERENNIAL HERBS THAT CAN HANDLE A VARIETY OF CONDITIONS. THE RESILIENCE HELPS THEM THRIVE YEAR AFTER YEAR, BRINGING FRESH GROWTH AND BEAUTY TO THE GARDEN. AND I LOVE THAT BECAUSE THAT IS ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT? WE ARE RESILIENT. WE ALWAYS COME BACK AND I THINK THAT THAT'S AMAZING AND THAT'S WHY WE CHOSE THIS PARTICULAR PLANT. SO IT'S ROSEMARY AND TIME THAT'S IN THERE FOR YOU GUYS. AND I TOTALLY GO OUTTA ORDER ON EVERYTHING. BUT THIS IS ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'RE GONNA DO TOO. SO AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH AND WE'RE DOING ALL THIS STUFF FOR THE SNAP ED GARDEN, THERE'S A LOT OF RULES AND REGULATIONS AS TO WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO. AND SO THEY TOLD US YOU CAN'T HAVE A FENCE. SO WE GOT REAL CREATIVE. AND SO THE WAY THAT WE GOT CREATIVE IS THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA HAVE A PAINT BY NUMBERS WALL AT THE BACK THAT REPRESENTS THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS GONNA BE ANOTHER CONTEST, HONESTLY. SO WE'LL PUT IT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, HAVE THEM PUT DESIGNS OUT, AND WE REALLY WANT IT TO SHOW WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS ALL ABOUT, RIGHT? AND SO WE WANT IT TO REPRESENT PORT ARTHUR AND THEN WE'LL INVITE PEOPLE OUT TO COME AND PAINT IT. SO WE'LL HAVE IT ALL NUMBERED SO THAT THEY KNOW WHAT COLOR GOES WHERE AND THEY CAN MAKE THE BIG WALL IN THE BACK. AND THAT'S HOW WE'LL CREATE OUR FENCE. SO HERE ARE SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE. AGRILIFE AT JEFFERSON COUNTY HAS ACTUALLY TRAINED TWO OF OUR ASSOCIATES IN THE MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM. THEY WON'T BE MASTER GARDENERS FOR ANOTHER YEAR. THEY HAVE TO GET 50 HOURS OF UM, VOLUNTEER WORK. BUT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT WE CAN SAY THAT WE'LL HAVE MASTER GARDENERS OUT THERE TENDING TO THE GARDEN, PORT ARTHUR CODE ENFORCEMENT. I HAVE IT AT THE END. BUT Y'ALL MISS DARLENE. SHE IS AMAZING AND SHE HAS HELPED US ALL ALONG THE WAY AND HAS CONTRIBUTED QUITE A BIT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE GARDEN. AND WE APPRECIATE HER SO MUCH FOR, FOR EVERYTHING THAT SHE'S DONE. AND HER TEAM, UH, THE PORT ARTHUR PUBLIC LIBRARY AS WELL. UM, THESE ARE ALL PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE ON OUR ADVISORY BOARD. SO WE HAVE AN ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE GARDEN. SO IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE A GREAT FIT FOR OUR ADVISORY BOARD, PLEASE LET US KNOW. WE'D LOVE TO INCLUDE THEM BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT THIS TO BE AN ONGOING COMMUNITY THING. UM, MS. JUDAS PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD AS WELL HAS PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE TAKING PART IN THIS PORT ARTHUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND THEN OUR INTERNAL COALITION, THE HEALTHY MOTHERS AND BABIES OF JEFFERSON COUNTY. SO THIS IS A BEFORE PICTURE. THIS IS WHAT WE HAD TO WORK WITH. AND SO WE SAW THE VISION, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT HAVE JUST LOOKED LIKE A FIELD THAT WAS OVERGROWN, WE REALLY WORKED ON THIS. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THERE WAS LIKE A MANHOLE IN THERE. THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS. AND SO WE WENT THROUGH AND WE CLEARED THE LAND. IT'S BEEN LEVELED, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT. THIS JUST KIND OF SHOWS YOU THE IN PROGRESS PART OF IT. THOSE ARE SOME OF THOSE 40 RAISED BEDS I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT. IT LOOKS BETTER THAN THAT EVEN NOW. LIKE EVEN IN A WEEK. IT'S GROWN TREMENDOUSLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO. AND SO THIS IS THE VISION. SO JENNA IS OUR LITTLE EXPERT WITH THE CAD PROGRAM AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO SHE CREATED THIS AND SHE WAS LIKE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA BRING TO LIFE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. AND THIS IS THE LAST PROJECT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH THE GARDEN. AND I THINK THIS ONE'S GONNA BE A REALLY FUN ONE. WE'RE TRYING TO BRING A FARMER'S MARKET TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT COMES MONTHLY. AND THE PURPOSE OF IT IS TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? BUT ALSO BRING THAT AWARENESS BACK TO THE GARDEN AGAIN. AND SO WE'LL HAVE CLASSES IN THE GARDEN WHILE THE FARMER'S MARKET IS GOING ON. AND SO WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OR OUR INTERNAL SANITARIANS TO WORK THIS OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS NOT JUST A FARMER'S MARKET, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, THAT REPRESENTS THE CITY REALLY WELL. WE'LL HAVE OUR MONTHLY MARKET HOSTED AT THE COMMUNITY GARDEN. IT'S GONNA BE OPEN TO LOCAL BUSINESSES. FREE GARDENING AND NUTRITION CLASSES WILL BE OFFERED THERE. AND WE'VE EVEN HAD PEOPLE THAT HAVE SAID LIKE THEY WANT TO COME OUT AND TEACH GARDENING CLASSES [01:40:01] FOR FREE. UM, AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT IDEA 'CAUSE WE'RE FOCUSING ON NUTRITION EDUCATION, BUT THEY CAN FOCUS ON OTHER ENDS OF STUFF FOR US. AND SO WE WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE OUR ADMINISTRATION WITHIN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE COULD NEVER BE A SUCCESS WITHOUT MS. JUDITH OR MS. MAYON. WE WANNA ALSO, AGAIN, THANK MS. DARLENE FOR ALL OF HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GARDEN. AND I REALLY WANNA TAKE THE TIME YOU GUYS AND, AND TELL Y'ALL HOW AMAZING THE WIC TEAM IS. I HAVE AN AMAZING TEAM. THERE'S A COUPLE OF THEM, BUT THERE ARE 15 OF US TOTAL. AND THE THINGS THAT THEY DO AND HOW HARD THEY WORK IS AMAZING. AND SO EVEN WHEN WE STARTED TO PUT THIS GARDEN TOGETHER, IT'S A HUGE UNDERTAKING. AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND EFFORT THAT THEY'VE PUT IN AND THAT THEIR FAMILIES HAVE PUT IN, THEY, THIS ISN'T STUFF THAT THEY'RE DOING JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE A JOB. THESE ARE THINGS THEY DO BECAUSE THEY CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND THEY WANT TO GIVE BACK. BUT THAT'S MY INFORMATION. SO IF YOU WANT ANY MORE INFORMATION ON THE GARDEN, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. AND THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JUST A MINUTE. IF YOU ALL JUST WAIT, WAIT MINUTE. UH, MAY I THANK YOU. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I GREW UP GARDENING WITH MY MOM AND MY GRANDMOTHER AND I'VE RAISED MY DAUGHTER IN THE GARDEN AND NOW I'M RAISING MY GRANDKIDS IN THE GARDEN. AND I, I HAVE BOTH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR GARDENS AT MY HOUSE. THAT'S AWESOME. AND I ALSO HAVE A CERTIFIED MONARCH WASTE STATION. SO WE ARE EAGERLY AWAITING THE MONARCHS COMING FROM MEXICO. THEY SHOULD BE HERE JUST ANY, ANY MINUTE NOW. SO THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO GET KIDS IN THE GARDEN WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG SO THAT THEY LEARN ABOUT IT AND THEY, THEY HAVE AN APPRECIATION AND A LOVE FOR IT SO THAT WHEN THEY GROW UP, THEY CAN PASS IT ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED IN MY FAMILY. SO I JUST LOVE THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING THIS AND I LOVE THAT YOU'RE PARTNERING WITH THE PORT ARTHUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND I WOULD LOVE TO GET YOU CONNECTED WITH THE LOCAL HOMESCHOOL COMMUNITY AS WELL. OH, ABSOLUTELY. WE HAVE A HUGE HOMESCHOOL COMMUNITY. I'M A PART OF IT. I HOMESCHOOL MY GRANDKIDS AND I WOULD LOVE TO GET Y'ALL HOOKED UP WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO HOMESTEAD AND, YOU KNOW, TEACH NATURAL THINGS. AND I, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP FOR US TO GET WITH THEM AS WELL. SO LET, LET'S EXCHANGE INFORMATION SO THAT I CAN ABSOLUTELY, I CAN GET YOU CONNECTED WITH SOME OF THOSE LOCAL GROUPS AND WE CAN GET THEM INVOLVED AS WELL. THAT, THAT'S WONDERFUL. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. AND, AND JUST ANOTHER THING TOO, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE MOTHER'S DAY OUT PROGRAMS AT SOME OF THE CHURCHES DOWN PERFECT. UH, NEAR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THEY'VE BEEN BRINGING THEIR, THEIR CHILDREN OUT THERE TOO. SO WE'VE BEEN TEACHING CLASSES SINCE OCTOBER. YEAH, I WISH I COULD BE THERE THIS WEEKEND, BUT I'M GONNA BE OUT OF TOWN. THAT'S, THAT'S OKAY. I KNOW YOU'LL DO IT AGAIN AT SOME POINT. IF YOU WANNA COME OUT AND PUT YOUR PLANT OUT THERE, WE WOULD LOVE FOR Y'ALL TO COME. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO COME ON SATURDAY, BUT WE REALLY DO. AND YOU CAN COME BACK AND WATCH IT GROW. AND WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE A QR CODE BY YOUR PLANTS AND, AND YOU CAN WATCH IT, YOU KNOW, ONLINE AS WELL. SO THANK Y'ALL AGAIN. OKAY. OH, I'M SORRY. OH, JUST A MOMENT. JUST A MOMENT. COUNCILMAN . THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF OF WHAT YOU DO. THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND VERY EXCITING. I WILL ASK THAT YOU PLEASE, UM, ALSO GET IN CONTACT WITH OUR BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE BECAUSE THEY ARE READY AND WILLING TO VOLUNTEER. WE DO HAVE SOME MASTER GARDENERS THAT ARE A PART OF THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE. SO THEY WILL BE ABLE TO HELP ASSIST YOU WHILE YOU'RE WAITING FOR THE OTHERS TO FINISH THEIR, UM, 50 HOURS. YES. UM, OF, OF COURSEWORK OR VOLUNTEERISM. AND THEN THE OTHER PART IS, I PROMISE I WILL COME AND PLANT MY PLANT. ARE THESE SEEDS FOR ME? YES, THEY ARE. AND I'M GONNA PAY MY OF THE RECEIPT THEM IN BASIL. YES. I SEE. BA YES. AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, THANK YOU MS. DARLENE. VERY, VERY MUCH. AND, UM, THE TIME THAT WE HAVE THE, THE CLASS SCHEDULE. SO OF COURSE PARENTS WITH SMALLER CHILDREN WHO MAY NOT BE IN SCHOOL YET WILL BE ABLE TO COME. I DO RECOGNIZE THERE'S A FOUR O'CLOCK AT LEAST ONCE DURING EVERY MONTH. YES. BUT OUR CHILDREN ARE OUTTA SCHOOL AT THAT TIME. SO IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL TIME? AND AGAIN, I'M NOT LOOKING AT THE CALENDAR, BUT ARE ANY OF THESE DAYS ON A SATURDAY, EACH MONTH THE SATURDAY CLASSES WILL LINE UP WITH THE FARMER'S MARKET AND WE WILL, WE'LL HAVE MULTIPLE CLASSES GOING ON THROUGHOUT SATURDAY WHILE THE FARMER'S MARKET'S GOING ON. WE WERE REALLY WANTING TO, WE WERE WANTING TO RELEASE THAT THIS MONTH. WE WERE REALLY EXCITED. BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK TO THAT THAN WHAT WE ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED. SO IT'LL PROBABLY STILL BE A COUPLE MORE MONTHS BEFORE WE CAN DO THAT. OKAY. BUT PROBABLY MAY. OKAY. AND THEN ANOTHER PLACE YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET SOME VOLUNTEERS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU CHOOSE TO FOCUS A THEME MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, FOR EACH, UM, MAYBE A THEME, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MONTH. AND THE STUDENTS AT LAMAR STATE COLLEGE AND EVEN LAMAR UNIVERSITY, THEY [01:45:01] CAN ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO, UM, INCLUDE THIS IN AS A PART OF THEIR COURSEWORK OR GET VOLUNTEER HOURS. SO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE MORE, UM, PEOPLE FROM OUR COMMUNITY TO BE INVOLVED. I ACTUALLY TEACH FOR LAMAR STATE COLLEGE, PORT ARTHUR. AWESOME. AWESOME. AND SO I HAVE ACT I INVITED MY STUDENTS TO COME OUT THIS SATURDAY. YES. OKAY. GOOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHAT Y'ALL DO. THANK YOU. OKAY. JUST A MOMENT. UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS. YES. APPRECIATE YOU ALL. YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN A A VINE RIPE TOMATO IT OR ANY VINE RIPE FRUITS. YES. IF YOU PICK EM PREMATURELY, THEY STICK EM IN THE WINDOW. WHEN, WHEN, WHEN IT GETS, WHEN IT'S VINE. RIGHT. IT GOT HEALING PROPERTIES. OKAY. AND IT'S GREAT. YOU ALL ARE TEACHING THE KIDS. THAT'S JUST A LIFELONG SKILL. I, I GREW UP, I WAS RAISED ON A FARM IN EVERGREEN, LOUISIANA. YOU KNOW WHERE THAT'S AT? THAT'S DOWN, IT'S DOWN BY PLUM. NEARLY PLUM IN THE WOODS AND NEARLY OUT THE WORLD. . YEAH. BUT MY WIFE WAS SHOCKED WHEN SHE, WE GOT MARRIED. I PLANTED A, I PLANTED A GARDEN AND YOU KNOW, SHE HAD NEVER TASTED, SHE DIDN'T REALIZE HOW GOOD OF A VINE RIPE TOMATO. WELL SHE WAS, OH, THEY, THEY'RE DELICIOUS. YOU CAN'T BEAT THAT. THANK Y'ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL. IT'S KEEP ON THIS WHOLE NEW THING. BUT WIC, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST TO FEED THE EXPECTING THE MOTHERS AND THE BABIES. BUT , Y'ALL CAN FEED ME NOW. I APPRECIATE . WELL, YOU CAN COME OUT TO THE GARDEN IF YOU WANT TO AND GET SOME FOOD. IT IT IS READY? YEAH. Y'ALL WANT ME SOME BROCCOLI AND ASPARAGUS. I'LL BE OUT THERE. WE WILL, WE WILL. . REALLY. HEY, SNAP A PIECE OFF. AND EVERY DAY NOW [III.B.(2) A Presentation By Councilmember Doucet Regarding The Streets Program] LET'S UH, MOVE TO NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION BY COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE REGARDING THE STREETS. YOU GOT MESSAGE? HE HAS A, UH, POWERPOINT FOR YOU. YEAH. YOU REACH IT FROM HERE? YES. ALRIGHT. BEING ORDER RIGHT, RIGHT. E IS SHE RIGHT? OKAY. SEE YEAH, THEY SHOULD, IF YOU GO ON EACH PAGE, THEY'RE GONNA FALL IN LINE. HEY VINCE. OKAY. OKAY. YOU DIDN'T PUT IT THUMB DRIVE. HE GOT CAP. ALL RIGHT, THERE WE GO. CAN YOU ENLARGE IT? OH, OKAY. LET ME GO THROUGH IT. OKAY. I GOT A PRESENTATION ON, UH, STREETS. UH, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR A YEAR AND A HALF PRIOR TO MY, UH, COMING ON COUNCIL. THE LAST COUNCIL I SERVED ON THE COUNCIL WENT AND GOT $50 MILLION TO DO STREETS. UH, THAT THE COUNCIL FELT THAT THE CITIZENS, UH, REALLY WAS DISSATISFIED WITH FIXING STREETS IN THE CITY. AND ALWAYS HERE WE CAN'T DO IT. WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. SO THIS COUNCIL DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. WE WENT OUT AND GOT A CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION FOR $50 MILLION. IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE PROGRAM WILL SPEND $10 MILLION A YEAR. THIS, THIS $10 MILLION WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DIVIDED AMONG THE DISTRICTS. AND THAT WAS A METHOD OF APPROPRIATING THE FUNDS. AND I'LL GO THROUGH THAT IN A PRESENTATION. BUT THE POINT I WANNA MAKE IS THE MONEY IS TO FIX STREETS. AND WITH THE CONDITIONS OF THE STREETS IN THE CITY AT THIS TIME, I DON'T SEE WHERE WE ARE STICKING WITH WHAT WAS ADOPTED. THE PROGRAM THAT WE WAS ADOPTED. I'VE TALKED ABOUT IT MANY TIMES. NOT MANY, I'LL SAY MORE THAN TWO TIMES SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL. AND FOR SOME REASON, AFTER I SPEAK, I GO BACK, [01:50:01] I CHECK, I LOOK AT INFORMATION AND I WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH IT IN MY DISTRICT TO TRY TO GET STREETS FIXED. MOST IMPORTANT, FIND OUT HOW MUCH MONEY I HAVE. THAT'S WHAT DRIVES THE TRAIN, THE MONEY. AND EACH TIME I GO, I'M GIVEN A LIST. THE LIST HAVE STREETS. THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN DISTRICT FOUR. I HAVE STREETS THAT'S NOT IN DISTRICT FOUR ON THE LIST. I HAVE TO CORRECT IT. I WANNA FIND OUT HOW MUCH MONEY SO I CAN KNOW HOW MANY STREETS I COULD GET. NOBODY BRINGS THE MONEY. COUNCILMAN KINLAW WAS ASKING ABOUT THIS PRIOR TO ME COMMENT ON COUNCIL, HOW MUCH MONEY DO I HAVE? NOBODY KNOWS. SO I STARTED GATHERING INFORMATION AND THIS PRESENTATION IS BASED ON JUST A SNAPSHOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT I'VE GATHERED SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. THE FIRST THING THAT WE TALK, UH, YOU SEE THERE IS EXPRESS TO EXPRESS CITIZENS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS RESPONSES. CITIZENS, UH, RESPONSES IS SIMPLE. IT IS ALWAYS THE SAME. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THESE TREATS? I BUST MY RIM OUT, I BUST MY TIRE, THEY GOT POTHOLES WE CAN'T DRIVE. OR SOMEONE PUTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA A STREET WHERE THERE'S A HOLE HERE, A HOLE THERE, A HOLE HERE. LIKE A GOLF COURSE TO GO AROUND. AND SO AS A COUNCILMAN, I HAVE TO EVALUATE WHY ARE WE NOT HAVING MORE STREETS DONE? COUNCIL MEMBERS RESPONSES. WELL, WE GIVE IT TO THE MANAGER. THE MANAGER GIVE IT TO THIS PERSON, THEN WE GIVE IT TO THE STREETS DEPARTMENT, THEY GET THE STREETS AND THEN WE GET 'EM FIXED. OR YOU'RE NEGATIVE IF YOU POINTING OUT INFORMATION WHERE WE ARE NOT DOING THE JOB AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO DO THE JOB. SO I'M GONNA JUST GO OVER SOME OF THE THINGS AND I WANNA SHOW A FEW SLIDES. I HAD TO TRY TO PICK WHAT I WANT TO SHOW TO TRY TO GET THE MESSAGE OVER. SHERRY. YES SIR. THIS POINT ON? YES SIR. MAKE IT PART OF THE RECORD. YES SIR. OKAY, THANK YOU. THE FIRST THING I HAD THERE WAS SHOW THE SUCCESS OF THE PLAN. OKAY. UH, IT'S KIND OF SMALL. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEBODY LIKE ME TRYING TO DO A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION. YOU GOT IT BRO. BUT I DID TRY. YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED ME. I HAVE DID. WELL. WELL I DON'T WANT TO PUT THE BURDEN ON NOBODY ELSE BUT I, I STRUGGLE. BUT I GOT SOMETHING THAT, I'M SORRY. CAN'T READ IT. THE BIG ONE LOOKED BETTER OVER THERE. BUT I'M GONNA READ ALL THIS ONE SO I CAN MAKE IT. IT SAYS HERE, WHAT IS THE ADOPTED PLAN? THE DOCTOR PLAN WAS STREETS THAT ARE SELECTED BY DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER SELECTED BY DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS ALONG WITH STAFF RECOMMENDATION. THAT WAS WE GET, WE GET TOGETHER WITH THE STAFF. THEY HAVE A LIST OF STREETS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED IN THE DISTRICT. WE DRIVE THE DISTRICT. WE OUGHT TO KNOW WHICH STREETS WE WANT FIXED. BUT WE DECIDE A STREET. ONCE THE STREET IS SELECTED, THEN THE STREETS IS PROVIDED AN ESTIMATED COST PLUS A CONTINGENCY FUND. THE MONEY FOR THE STREETS IN YOUR DISTRICT IS SUPPOSED TO BE BASED ON HOW MUCH MONEY YOU GET IN YOUR DISTRICT. THE STREETS ARE SELECTED FOR EITHER REMEDIATION OR RECONSTRUCTION. THE NUMBER OF STREETS SELECTED US BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY ALLOCATED IN EACH DISTRICT ON THE PERCENTAGE THAT IS ESTABLISHED. I'LL GO OVER THAT ON ANOTHER SLIDE. THE PERCENTAGE WAS ESTABLISHED BY OBTAINING TOTAL LINEAR FEET WITHIN EACH DISTRICT COMPARED TO A TOTAL IN THE CITY. THERE'S A REASON THAT THAT WAS DECIDED. WE HAD A ENGINEER WHO WAS ALSO OUR PUBLIC WORK DIRECTOR THAT BROUGHT THAT, PUT THIS PLAN TOGETHER AND HE [01:55:01] PUT IT TOGETHER BECAUSE WE WERE JUST LUCKY THAT THIS PARTICULAR PUBLIC WORK DIRECTOR, HE HAD EXPERIENCE IN STREETS SO HE UNDERSTOOD ABOUT REMEDIATION AND RECONSTRUCTION. THE REMEDIATION'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE STREETS THAT WE JUST NEED TO REPAVE CONSTRUCTION WERE THE STREETS THAT WE HAD TO WORK WITH THE BASE. HE ALSO PRESENTED THIS PLAN TO SAY THAT THE STREETS THAT NEEDED TO BE RECONSTRUCTED, THAT WE WOULD HIRE CONTRACTORS. THE PEOPLE WOULD EXPERIENCE TO DO THE OLD STRAIGHTS AND THEN WE'LL DO IN-HOUSE ON THE STREETS THAT JUST NEED REMEDIAL. THE FINAL LIST, ONCE THIS LIST WAS PUT TOGETHER, EACH DISTRICT, YOU PUT A LIST TOGETHER. ONCE THAT LIST WAS PUT TOGETHER, IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL, THE FULL COUNCIL. NOW YOU REMEMBER I MENTIONED COUNCIL MEMBERS SELECTED STREETS. BUT WHEN IT CAME TO FUNDING STREETS AND APPROVING THOSE STREETS, IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL. THE COUNCIL APPROVED IT. ONCE THE FUNDING WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL, THEN IN THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET YOU WILL HAVE THOSE STREETS THAT WERE SELECTED AND THE ESTIMATED COST TO FIX THEM BUDGET FOR EAST STREET, THAT'S THE WAY A BUDGET'S SUPPOSED TO BE DONE. DETAILED. IT'S ACCOUNTABILITY. THAT'S HOW YOU FOLLOW THE MONEY. OKAY. ONCE THE FUNDING OF EAST STREETS ARE APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL, NO CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE WITHOUT COUNCIL APPROVAL. THAT'S WHY THE COUNCIL HAD TO APPROVE IT. SO ONCE THE COUNCIL APPROVE IT, THERE WASN'T NO NEED FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO COMMUNICATE WITH STAFF OR ANYONE ELSE. THE WHOLE COUNCIL HAD APPROVED IT. SO THIS IS THE PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME. WHY WAS THIS PLAN ADOPTED? THE PLAN WAS ADOPTED BECAUSE WHAT WE FOUND OUT WAS US, THERE WAS NO TRANSPARENCY. SO IN ORDER TO BRING TRANSPARENCY TO THE STREET PROGRAM IN THE CITY WITH THIS PROGRAM, IF WE SELECT STREETS AND WE PUT 'EM IN THE BUDGET, THEN CITIZENS GET TO SEE WHICH STREETS ARE GOING TO BE FIXED NEXT. AND THEY GONNA KNOW THE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE. NOT ONLY WILL DO WE KNOW THE CITIZENS KNOW, SO THESE ARE THE STREETS WE'RE GONNA FIX. IT ALLOWED THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO RESPOND TO CITIZENS WITHIN THE RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS ON A STATUS WITHIN THE DISTRICT. EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER IN THESE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS ARE ASKED BY THEIR CONSTITUENTS ELECT THEM, WHAT ABOUT MY STREET? WHY YOU FIX THAT STREET BEFORE MY STREET? WELL, WITH THIS PLAN, IT WAS UP TO THAT COUNCIL MEMBER TO EXPLAIN TO THAT RESIDENT WHY YOU SELECTED THAT FEE. BEFORE THAT ONE, THE STAFF DID NOT HAVE TO COME UNDER THOSE TYPE OF QUESTIONS. THE CITY MANAGER, NEITHER AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER OR ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER IS YOUR DISTRICT. YOU SHOULD PICK THE STREETS THAT AND YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN TO THE CITIZENS. SO YOU TOOK OUT ALL OF THAT. WHO TO BLAME? AND YOU KNOW WHO IS RESPONSIBLE. IT ALLOWED THE MONEY TO BE APPROPRIATED WITH RESPECT TO THE CITY. THE REASON BEING, IF THE MONEY WAS DIVIDED IN PROPORTION OF THE NEEDS, THEN THAT MEAN YOU PUTTING THE MONEY THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND THE MOST MONEY'S GONNA GO WHERE THE MOST NEED IS. THAT WAS ANOTHER REASON WE ADOPTED IT. AND ONE OF THE OTHER REASONS WE HAVE LISTED HERE, IT KEPT OUT THE POLITICS. AND THE GOOD OLD BOY, THE POLITICS AND THE GOOD OLD BOY WAS WE FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, WE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE DISTRICT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT STREETS GONNA BE FIXED. WHEN WE ASK [02:00:01] WHO'S SELECTING THE STREETS. OH THE CITY. WELL WHAT OKAY, DO THEY TELL ME? WHICH STREETS? PEOPLE ASKING ME WHEN THEY STREET WHEN I'M GONNA KNOW? WELL, WHEN WE LOOKED INTO IT, THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WAS FRIENDS WITH THE DEPARTMENT THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE, THEY'LL DO THE STREET THAT THEY WAS ASKING TO DO. NOBODY ELSE KNEW. NOBODY KNEW WHAT THE STREETS, THE CITIZENS DIDN'T KNOW WHAT STREET'S GONNA BE FIXED. COUNCIL MEMBERS DIDN'T KNOW. THAT IS THE REASON WE ADOPTED THE PLAN. AND ABOVE ALL IT ALLOWED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND MONITORING OF THE PLAN. WHEN I SAY ACCOUNTABILITY ABILITY, WHEN YOU SAY I WANT TO ALLOW THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR DISTRICT AND ENABLE YOU TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH YOU SPENT FOR THAT STREET, IT ALSO ALLOWED YOU AS A COUNCIL MEMBER AND AS CITIZENS TO UNDERSTAND IF I SAID IT WAS GONNA TAKE $5 TO FIX THIS STREET, BUT IT ONLY TOOK THREE, THAT I STILL HAD $2 LEFT IN MY DISTRICT. SO THE NEXT TIME I SELECT STREETS AND I GET MY ALLOCATION OF MONEY, I STILL HAVE MONEY LEFT OVER TO ADD WITH THIS. SO MAYBE I COULD DO MORE STREETS SO THE MONEY STAYS IN THE DISTRICT. ONCE THE COUNCIL APPROVE THAT LIST, IT STAYS IN THE STREET. SO THAT WAS THE PLAN AND THAT'S HOW THE PLAN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE. SEE THAT'S HOW I KIND LIKE I'M NOT REAL SWIFT. I TALKING AND I'M RUNNING WHY ADOPTED? OKAY, SO THE NEXT PORTION I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT CITIZENS UNDERSTAND IS WHAT WERE THE RESULTS WHEN WE ACTUALLY EXECUTED THE PLAN? WHEN WE EXECUTED THE PLAN, WHAT IT DID, IT ALLOWED FOR CONSTANT WORK THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BOTH REMEDIATION AND CONSTRUCTION. MON MONTHLY MONITORING AND REPORTING WITH THE CITY. MONTHLY FINANCE REPORT. WHEN WE INSTITUTED THIS PLAN, PART OF OUR MONTHLY FINANCE REPORT, THEY HAD A SECTION SAID STREET. AND IF ANY MONEY WAS DISPERSED, YOU SAW WHERE DISTRICT ONE SO MUCH MONEY WENT DOWN 'CAUSE THEY DONE STREETS. SO YOU FOLLOWING THE MONEY IN EACH DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY YOUR DISTRICT. SO YOU KNEW IF WE WERE SPENDING MONEY OR NOT. THE OTHER THING THAT IT WAS VERY OBVIOUS TO ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGHOUT THE CITY INSTEAD OF WORKING JUST ONE PLACE. 'CAUSE IF YOU WORK ONE PLACE, THE OTHER BALANCES ARE NOT GONNA GO DOWN. SO IT, IT ALLOWED US TO ACCOUNT FOR OUR MONIES AND ALSO MONITOR THE PROGRESS IN OUR CITY ON A MONTHLY BASIS. IT ALLOWS COUNCILS, CITIZENS AND STAFF TO BETTER MONITOR THE PLAN. SO ANYBODY LISTENING TO MEETINGS OR REVIEWING A MEETING, THEY CAN ALWAYS HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON ABOUT STREETS. THEY'RE TRACKING IT TOO. NO CHANGES WITHOUT THE COUNCIL APPROVAL. CITIZENS CAN ALSO BE AWARE OF CHANGES BECAUSE WHEN YOU REPORT EVERY MONTH AND MONEY, IF SOMEBODY WAS GONNA CHANGE IT, THEY'D COME BEFORE COUNCIL. IF THEY COME BEFORE US, IT'S ON RECORD. CITIZENS GET TO UNDERSTAND WHO CHANGING AND WHY YOU CHANGING. IF MY STREET WAS SELECTED AND FUNDED AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT NOT BEING FIXED, WHO CHANGED IT? THAT COULD NOT HAPPEN BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS TRANSPARENT. WE HAD MORE THAN ONE CONTRACTOR AT THE SAME TIME WORKING THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WE HAD CONTRACTORS. WE HAD AT ONE TIME, I KNOW WE HAD AT LEAST TWO CONTRACTORS WORKING IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY. SO YOU GOT CONTRACTORS WORKING IN THE CITY AND YOU HAVE OUR CITY EMPLOYEES WORKING IN THE CITY. AND IF WE DO THAT, THEN WE GONNA DO MORE STREETS. SO IT'S NOT ABOUT SAVING MONEY, [02:05:01] IT'S ABOUT GETTING THE WORK DONE. GET THESE STREETS FIXED. NOW THIS IS THIS SHEET HERE. I'M SORRY YOU CAN'T SEE IT ON THIS, BUT THE BIG ONE SHOWS A LITTLE CLEARER. BUT IF YOU GO TO THE CITY BUDGET FOR THE YEAR 2018 TWO, 2019 AND YOU LOOK UNDER THE STREETS, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE BUDGET LOOKED LIKE WHEN WE WENT BY THE PLAN. THE LEFT COLUMN SHOWS EVERY STREET THAT WAS SELECTED TO BE FIXED IN THE COMMON YEAR IN EVERY DISTRICT IT SHOWS HOW MUCH MONEY WE GOING TO ALLOCATE FOR EACH STREET IN THOSE DISTRICTS, THAT MONEY WAS TO FIX STREETS IN THOSE DISTRICTS. OKAY, THE NEXT SLIDE, OKAY, IS WHAT WE STARTED DOING WHEN WE STOPPED FOLLOWING THE PLAN. IN THE FIRST, YOU'LL SEE HERE FOR STREAKS IT SAYS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE PUTTING IN IT DOESN'T TELL HOW MUCH EACH DISTRICT HAS IS JUST HAVE THE TOTAL SUM. AND IT DOESN'T SAY WHICH STREET'S GOING TO BE FIXED OR WHICH STREETS WERE SELECTED. NOW BEFORE YOU BLAME THE STAFF FOR THAT, THAT WAS THE COUNCIL'S DECISION BECAUSE THE COUNCIL WAS EXTENDED ANOTHER SIX MONTHS THAT YEAR. AND RATHER THAN COUNCIL THAT'S LEAVING IN NOVEMBER, SELECT STREETS WHEN WE KNEW COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL BE COMING IN AND I UH, IN MAY WE SAID LET THEM SELECT THE STREETS. SO THAT LIST, YOU DIDN'T NEED TO SEE IT THAT YEAR. THAT'S UNDERSTOOD. BUT IF YOU FOLLOW ALL OF THE LISTS AFTER THAT, THEY ALL THE SAME WAY STREETS GONNA BE SELECTED OR BE DETERMINED WHO DETERMINED THEM. THE PLAN SAYS CANCEL MEMBERS. WE NEED TO EXECUTE THE PLAN. I'VE, I'VE TALKED ABOUT IT SO MUCH AND THE REASON I'M DOING IT, BECAUSE THE WAY THE PLAN IS DESIGNED AND THE WAY WE OPERATING DISTRICT FOUR IS NOT GETTING THIS SHARE OF MONEY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING I HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH BECAUSE DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT FOUR IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR HAS THE MOST STREETS, ASPHALT STREETS THAT NEED TO BE REPAIRED. DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT FOUR ARE THE OLDER PART OF THE STREET CITY. SO IF WE GOTTA FIX THESE STREETS, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE WORST STREETS ARE THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED OVER THE YEARS? AND IF WE CAN'T FOLLOW A PLAN THAT MAKE IT FAIR AND EQUITABLE, IT'S TIME FOR US TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. THE CURRENT, THE WAY WE DOING IT. NOW, THE FIRST, THE FIRST, UH, LEMME SEE. I KNOW I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN DOING THIS. ALRIGHT, HERE WE GO. THE CURRENT STATUS SAYS NO TRANSPARENCY. NOW WHY DID I SAY NO TRANSPARENCY? BECAUSE IF I ASK COUNCIL MEMBERS, GIVE ME A LIST OF THE STREETS RIGHT NOW IN YOUR DISTRICT THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED AND FUNDED, I LIKE TO KNOW BECAUSE I HAVEN'T APPROVED ANY LIST FOR FUNDING. SO IF THE COUNCIL HAVE NOT APPROVED ANY FUNDING FOR STREETS, HOW ARE THE STREETS BEING FUNDED WITH THE PLAN? COUNCIL KNOWS, EVERYBODY KNOWS IT IS TIME TO THAT WE START HAVING ACCOUNTABILITY. STREETS SHOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. WE NEED TO START DOING IT RIGHT? IT'S NOT A MANAGER AND STAFF SELECTION COUNCIL MEMBERS [02:10:02] AND THEY DON'T HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO APPROVE NO MONEY COUNCIL MEMBERS. ALL THEY, ALL THIS PLAN SAYS IS YOU DECIDE IN YOUR DISTRICT, BUT WHEN IT COME TO THAT STREET BEING PLACED IN THAT BUDGET AND THE MONEY TO FUND IT, THAT'S THE ENTIRE COUNCIL RESPONSIBILITY. AND WHEN WE DO IT, ALL CITIZENS GET TO KNOW WHAT IT IS TOO. 'CAUSE THEY SAY US, WE DISCUSS IT. THAT'S TRANSPARENCY THERE. OKAY? AND IF WE NOT DIVIDING THE MONEY THE WAY WE SAY THE THE PLAN, SAY WE DO IT, HOW ARE WE APPROPRIATING THE MONEY? ARE WE DOING IT THE WAY THE PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED, SAY WE DO IT OR ARE WE DOING IT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE SELECT AND THAT'S HOW WE WANT TO SPEND MONEY. CHANGE IS BEING MADE WITHOUT COUNCIL'S ADVICE. WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT GOES BACK TO WHY THE PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED SAID, EVERYTHING MUST BE APPROVED BY THIS COUNCIL. AND THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT CHANGE IT IS THIS COUNCIL, NOT THE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT. WE NEED TO GET WITH TRANSPARENCY. NOW, WHEN WE START ABOUT THE BUDGET, THAT FIRST SHEET IS THE ONE THAT WE OR THE OTHER. OKAY, THIS ONE HERE IS HOW THE BUDGET LOOKS. THIS ONE IS FOR 2021, 2022. NOW HERE WE ARE STILL PUTTING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY INTO THE BUDGET, BUT WHEN WE HAVE THE DESCRIPTION, WE TALKING ABOUT REMEDIATION, RECONSTRUCTION. AND THEN WE SAY TO INCLUDE MAINTENANCE, THE CITY HAS ALWAYS PLACED MONEY FOR MAINTENANCE, FOR STREETS AND PUBLIC WORKS. AND IF YOU LOOK AT EVERY BUDGET TO INCLUDE THIS YEAR AND ANY PREVIOUS YEAR, THERE'S A LINE ITEM THAT SAYS MAINTENANCE. THAT IS WHERE WE PUT MONEY TO DO POT, HOOK, FILL, POTHOLES, PASS STREETS, AND DO THINGS TO MAINTAIN STREETS. WE PUT MONEY IN THAT SECTION. BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, THE PREP, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WAS ADOPTED TO FIX STREETS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AND SELECTED AND THE MONIES IN THERE WERE FOR THAT PURPOSE. SO WHILE WE START MIX APPLES AND ES ALSO, YOU'LL SEE IN SOME OF THESE BUDGET WHERE WE ARE FUNDING BRIDGE REPAIR AND REHAB, WE GOT THIS MONEY AND WE SAID WE HAD THE MONEY FOR STREETS. IF WE GONNA DO BRIDGE, WE TO PUT THE MONEY IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR THAT PURPOSE. BUT LET'S NOT SAY WE PUTTING MONEY FOR STREETS, BUT THEN WE GOING TO USE IT FOR OTHER PURPOSES. WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE RESOLUTIONS. IT, THE RESOLUTION SAYS HERE, FOR ONE EXAMPLE, AND I'M RESOLUTION 20 DASH ZERO EIGHT, THAT'S 2020. IT SAYS THE CITY COUNCIL ALLOCATED FUNDS BASED ON THE PERCENTAGE OF STREETS TO BE REPAIRED. REMEMBER THAT KEY WORD PERCENTAGE BY DISTRICTS. OKAY. I I HUH? BUT WE SHOULD DO IT THAT WAY. LET ME WRAP THIS UP 'CAUSE WE HAD A LONG DAY. ANYWAY, THIS ONE HERE, JUST TALK, JUST GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THE, UH, CAPTAIN IMPROVEMENT PLAN. THIS ONE IS THE 25 THROUGH 29 YEAR. UH, THIS NEXT, OKAY, THIS NEXT ONE WAS JUST A, UH, FROM THE CAPTAIN IMPROVEMENT BUDGET THAT WE HAD. IT SHOWED AN EXAMPLE WHEREBY THIS LAST YEAR WE GOT STREETS THAT WE LISTEN TO THE BUDGET THAT'S BEING FUNDED THAT ALREADY HAD BEEN FIXED, THE STREET HAS ALREADY BEEN FIXED, [02:15:01] BUT THEY LISTEN IN THE BUDGET TO BE SAID. SEE, THESE ARE MISTAKES WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO MAKE. WE NEED TO GET ON TRACK. WE NEED TO MONITOR, WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR MON AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE PUT THE MONIES INTO THE STREETS. SO THAT THE CITIZENS CAN SEE WHAT WE DOING. OKAY. UH, THE LAST PART OF THIS IS SIMPLY HOW CAN WE GET THE PROGRAM BACK ON TRACK? BUT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT I'M GONNA SAY IT AGAIN. AND IT'S FOR THE CITIZEN BENEFIT. FIRST OF ALL, WE NEED TO CREATE A NEW AND COLLECT A CORRECT LIST OF STREETS IN THE RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS. THAT'S LIKE STARTING IN THE BEGINNING. DETERMINE HOW MANY LINEAR FEET OF EACH STREET IN EACH DISTRICT SO THAT YOU COULD DETERMINE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF MONEY YOU SHOULD GIVE EACH DISTRICT INSURED STREETS CURRENTLY SELECTED HAVE APPROPRIATED FUNDS. SO IF THE STREETS RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE BEEN SELECTED, WE NEED TO STOP, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE MONEY TO FIX ALL THOSE TREES, THEN WE NEED TO APPROPRIATE THE MONEY AND LEAVE IT IN THE DISTRICTS AND WORK THAT WAY. OKAY. UPDATE SHOULD BE PART OF THE MONTHLY REPORT. WE SHOULD RECEIVE MONTHLY REPORT ON HOW WE DONE WITH STREETS, BECAUSE THESE, THESE UPDATES AND THESE MONTHLY REPORT THAT TELLS YOU SOMETHING. IT TELLS YOU WHETHER YOU'RE MOVING OR STANDING STILL. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, JUST OFF THE TOP, RON, ABOUT HOW MUCH WE GOT RIGHT NOW IN STREETS RIGHT NOW. I MEAN THAT, I MEAN THAT'S WITH THAT I, NO, JUST, JUST THE AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE, I JUST PROVIDED OKAY. HOW INFORMATION, WHAT I WOULD, NO, I'M NOT GONNA, I DON'T, I JUST WANNA KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE RIGHT NOW FOR STREETS. I DON'T NEED NO PRESENTATION. THIS MINE, WE GOT 20.9 MILLION ROUGHLY IN RECONSTRUCTION AND 20.9 MILLION IN RESURFACING. SO $40 MILLION. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I NEED. THANK YOU DR. TOME. HOW CAN WE SAY WE SITTING ON 40 SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS AND YOU TO RIDE AROUND THE CITY AND LOOK AT THIS STREETS. IF WE CANNOT SPEND $10 MILLION IN A YEAR AND OUR STREETS LOOK THE WAY THEY LOOK, WE CAN'T ANSWER TO THE CITIZENS. WE NEED CONTRACTORS IN HERE DOING STREETS. AND WE NEED TO DO STREETS. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT STREETS IS A PRIORITY AND THE MONEY THAT WE'VE ALLOCATED FOR THEM TO STAY. YOU KNOW, MONEY WAS NOT ALLOCATED ON WHAT PART OF THE CITY YOU LIVE IN. THE MONEY WAS ALLOCATED FOR THE NEEDS OF THE CITY. AND THAT IS AN EXAMPLE ON HOW THE MONEY WAS DIVIDED IN THE PLAN. AND IT SHOWS HOW THEY DETERMINE THE PERCENTAGE. AND IT GOES TO SHOW YOU THE LINEAR FEE PER DISTRICT COMPARED TO THE TOTAL. AND THAT GIVES YOU A PERCENTAGE. THIS NOT IN, THIS IS NOT ABOUT FAVORING THIS DISTRICT OR THAT DISTRICT. THIS IS CITY. THIS IS HOW MANY LINEAR FEEDING OUT AN ENTIRE CITY. SO HOW MUCH SHOULD GO IN EACH AREA BASED ON HOW MANY FEET YOU HAVE THAT NEED TO BE FIXED. THAT'S IT. THAT'S HOW WE DETERMINE. NOW, WE CAN'T USE THIS METHOD RIGHT NOW BECAUSE AS I SAID, WE NEED TO MAKE A NEW LIST. WE ALSO NEED TO DETERMINE A NEW PERCENTAGE BECAUSE IT MAY NOT BE THE SAME AS IT WAS BEFORE BECAUSE WE HAD REDISTRICTING WITH A CENSUS. SO WE CHANGED LIONS, WE CHANGED BOUNDARY LINES. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE, BUT I BET WHATEVER PERCENTAGE WE USE, I BET IT'S NOT INCORPORATING THIS CHANGE. THESE ARE THINGS I TALKED ABOUT WITH THE PEOPLE IN THE SECTION, [02:20:04] BUT LIKE I SAID, WHEN PEOPLE ARE HAPPY WITH THE SYSTEM IN PLACE AND NOT TAKING A LOOK AT, CAN WE DO BETTER? SEE TOO MANY PEOPLE WON'T BE DEFENSIVE. UH, TOO MANY PEOPLE DID NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW THE PROGRAM GO. BUT IF YOU KNEW HOW THE PROGRAM GO WHEN WE DON'T HAVE CONTRACTORS WORKING IN THIS CITY, SOMEBODY WOULD'VE BEEN UPSET AND ASKING WHY I EVERY STREET THE CONTRACTOR, DO WE GET A WARRANTY EVERY STREET? WE DO. WE ON OUR OWN HAVE OUR CREWS DONE STREETS THAT WERE SELECTED TO BE RECONSTRUCTED, BUT INSTEAD WE DOING OVERLAY. YES. OKAY. HAVE WE DONE WORK ON STREETS THAT WERE MORE THAN WHAT WAS ESTIMATED AND WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO? YEAH. AND THE LAST SLIDE IS ONE THAT WILL SHOW YOU WHEN THE, WHENEVER THE MONEY WAS APPROPRIATE APPROPRIATED AND BROKE DOWN BY DISTRICTS, IT WOULD TELL YOU HOW HOW MUCH MONEY WENT INTO EACH DISTRICT. WHEN I ASK HOW MUCH MONEY DOES DISTRICT FOUR HAVE ON STREETS, I SHOULD KNOW I SHOULD GET THAT ANSWER. THAT MONEY SHOULD BE DIVIDED THE WAY THE ADOPTED PLAN SAID CITY ATTORNEY. LAST COMMENT IS TO YOU. YOU JUST CAME ON BOARD. BUT I WOULD, I WOULD ASK OR I WOULD REQUEST, IF YOU DON'T MIND, FIND THE, THE MEETING IN WHICH THIS, THE COUNCIL ADOPTED THE STREET PROGRAM. FIND OUT WHAT THE COUNCIL ADOPTED AND ANY RESOLUTIONS COMING TO YOUR OFFICE. I ASK THAT YOU REVIEW THEM TO BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT WAS ADOPTED. AND IF WE DO THAT, THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT. FAIR. I DON'T WANT POINT FINGERS, I DON'T WANT CALL NAMES, BUT THE REASON I'VE DONE THIS PRESENTATION, 'CAUSE THIS IS THE LAST TIME THAT I'M GOING TO EXPECT US TO DO THIS AND GET THIS RUNNING AND ROLLING AGAIN, BECAUSE YOU NEVER HEAR ME TALK ABOUT DISTRICT FOUR. ALTHOUGH I'M A COUNCIL MEMBER WHEN I'M ON THIS COUNCIL, I MAY BE THE DISTRICT FOUR COUNCIL MEMBER WHEN I COME THROUGH THAT DOOR AND SIT ON THIS COUNCIL. I'M PART, I'M A MEMBER OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR COUNCIL. EVERYTHING COME BEFORE THIS COUNCIL IS CITY BUSINESS. AND THAT'S HOW I TREAT IT. BUT I WOULD TALK ABOUT THESE STREETS SINCE I'VE BEEN BACK ON AND DIDN'T GET THE RESULTS. I THINK WE SHOULD IN CALL IT WITH THE PLAN, BUT WE GONNA START DOING IT NOW BECAUSE IT IMPACTS AND IS IMPACTED ON THE TWO AREAS THAT NEED US THE MOST. THANK YOU'ALL FOR YOUR TIME. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAN. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ETT. OKAY, WE'LL MOVE NOW TO PAGE, UH, TWO. MAYOR, I JUST, FYI, OH, EXCUSE ME. I, I JUST PROVIDED A LIST FOR 20, 25 REHAB PROJECTS FOR ALL THE DISTRICTS. I AM, I KNOW THOSE ARE STREETS. UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE EACH DISTRICT MEMBER TO MEET WITH THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THOSE ARE NOT STREETS THAT WAS SELECTED BY THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. THOSE ARE STREETS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED BY EACH DISTRICT MEMBER AS THE, AS EITHER AS LEFT OVER FROM PREVIOUS DEALS OR YOU ADDED THEM AS WE MOVED ALONG. SO THE LIST IS HERE. OKAY. JUST A CURRENT, I JUST GAVE IT TO YOU, RON. LIKE I SAID, I DON'T CALL, I AIN'T CALLING NO NAMES. I DON'T DO THAT. BUT WHAT I SAID TONIGHT AND WHAT I PRESENTED WHAT'S IN LINE WITH THE PLAN, AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A LIST AND SELECT [02:25:01] A LIST SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL. AND WHEN I WENT AND THEY PRESENTED ME THE LIST, THE LIST HAS PRIESTS THAT WERE NOT IN MY DISTRICT. SO THERE'S ISSUES, BUT I, I DISCUSSED THEM. IF SOMEBODY GO BACK AND REVIEW THE VIDEO AND JUST GO BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT YOU ALL DO RIGHT THEN I'M READY. I'M READY TO GET LIT. BUT BEFORE I GET, BEFORE I SELECT STREETS, I WANNA KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY, I WANNA KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY EACH DISTRICT HAS. YEAH. THAT THAT, THAT'S FINE. OKAY. THANK YOU. HAS THE LIST FOR THEIR DISTRICTS TO LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHETHER THOSE, UH, STREETS THAT YOU SELECTED AS A DISTRICT MEMBER OF THAT, AS THE, AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THAT DISTRICT. OKAY. AND THEN WE'LL DO THIS, WE'LL DO THE, THE MONEY PART OF IT AS WELL. YEAH. THE PERCENTAGE IS VERY YES. THE PERCENTAGES, THE PERCENTAGE GOTTA BE CHANGED. YES. WE, WE'LL LOOK AT IT WAY WE'LL LOOK AT IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU. BUT THAT WOULD HELP YOU, THAT WOULD HELP YOU GREATLY. ALRIGHT. EACH DISTRICT PERSON. OKAY. I'M TRYING TO MAKE THIS AS EASY. OKAY. WE'LL MOVE NOW [III.F.(1) A Discussion On The Use Of IT / Emails / STAN / Everbridge For Alerting Citizens Regarding Emergencies, Schedule Changes, General Notices, Etc. (Requested By Mayor Pro Tem Beckcom)] TO PAGE TWO OF . AND, UH, UNDER, UH, WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER ONE. WELL, WELL, WELL NUMBER ONE. NO, NO. UH, UNDER DISCUSSIONS. I'M SORRY. UH, YEAH. UH, IT IS A DISCUSSION ON THE USE OF IT. EMAILS STAND, UH, EVERBRIDGE EVERBRIDGE FOR ALERTING CITIZENS, UH, REGARDING EMERGENCIES, UH, SCHEDULE CHANGES, GENERAL, UH, NOTICES, ET CETERA. AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY, UH, MAYOR PROM BECKHAM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GO RIGHT AHEAD. I, UH, I HAD WANTED THIS TO BE ON THE AGENDA FOR ONE OF THE FEBRUARY MEETINGS, BUT IT DIDN'T MAKE IT ON. AND, AND THAT'S OKAY. BUT, UH, THE REASON I WANTED TO HAVE IT ON AT THAT TIME IS THAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN REALLY TIMELY CONSIDERING THE, UH, WINTER STORM THAT WE HAD IN JANUARY THAT WAS OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS. UM, I, I EXPERIENCED THIS MYSELF AND A LOT OF, UH, FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY REACHED OUT TO ME ABOUT IT. ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS THAT WE USED TO GET NOTICES OUT TO THE PUBLIC WERE NOT FUNCTIONING IN CONJUNCTION WITH EACH OTHER. I'M ON ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS. I RECEIVED THE EMAIL NOTICES FROM THE CITY. I'M ON STAND, I'M ON EVERBRIDGE, AND I WAS NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS FOR VARIOUS THINGS THAT OTHER PEOPLE WERE HEARING ABOUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER PLACES. SO I, I WANNA FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL OF THESE PLATFORMS. UH, THERE WAS A BOIL WATER NOTICE THAT WAS GOING OUT, THAT IT WAS GOING OUT ON THE EMAIL, BUT IT WASN'T GOING THROUGH STAN AND IT WASN'T GOING THROUGH EVERBRIDGE AND THE LOCAL MEDIA WAS NOT PICKING UP ON IT. AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OUR CITIZENS THAT DON'T USE ANY OF THESE PLATFORMS TO RECEIVE ANY OF THESE NOTICES. SO THEY GET THEIR NOTICES FROM LOCAL MEDIA. SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY, AND I, I DON'T KNOW, UH, I KNOW THE IT DEPARTMENT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THIS, BUT CITY MANAGER, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CONSISTENT NOTIFICATIONS GOING OUT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WINTER STORM, THERE WERE ROAD CLOSURES, THERE WAS A BULL WATER NOTICE, THERE WERE POWER OUTAGES. THERE WERE ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT, THAT CITIZENS NEEDED TO HEAR ABOUT. AND THEN OF COURSE, AFTER IT WAS OVER FOR ALMOST A MONTH, OUR GARBAGE COLLECTION WAS, WAS OFF KILTER. UM, I DON'T, I THINK WE'RE STILL NOT QUITE BACK ON THE REGULAR SCHEDULE, BUT THESE NOTICES ARE NOT CONSISTENT. SO WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE THIS PROCESS OF GETTING THESE IMPORTANT NOTICES OUT TO THE CITIZENS A LITTLE BIT BETTER? JEREMY, COULD YOU COME FORWARD? LET ME JUST SAY AS A PREAMBLE TO THIS, THE VARIOUS PLATFORMS THAT WE USE HAVE VARIOUS FUNCTIONS AND ARE GOVERNED BY VARIOUS BODIES THAT WE HAVE NO CON THAT WE PARTICIPATE IN, BUT WE DO NOT SET THE MODE FOR THOSE. UM, AND JEREMY, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND EXPLAINING THOSE THAT ARE CONTROLLED BY THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION AND WHAT WE ARE PERMITTED AND NOT PERMITTED TO PUT ON THERE, THAT'S WHY WE USE THE VARIOUS FORMS OF MEDIA, INCLUDING THE CITY'S WEBSITE, THE CITY'S, UM, FACEBOOK PAGE IN ORDER TO GET EVEN DISTRIBUTION AND EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. SO IF WE DON'T GET YOU WITH THE LOCAL MEDIA, WE TRY TO GET YOU ON FACEBOOK. WE TRY TO GET YOU BY EMAIL. WE TRY TO GET YOU ON, ON, ON, UM, ON, ON, UM, THE CITY WEBSITE, WHICH IS RELEVANT AND SEQUENTIAL IN ORDER TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT OUT THERE TO THE, TO THE CITIZENRY. WELL, YOU GO AHEAD. ALRIGHT. GOOD EVENING COUNCILORS. ALRIGHT. WE CURRENTLY UTILIZE EVERBRIDGE TO ALERT THE RESIDENTS OF EMERGENCIES SUCH AS ROAD CLOSURES, UH, BALL, WATER NOTICES, AND OTHER [02:30:01] IMPORTANT EMERGENCY EVENTS. UM, IT SUPPORTS, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, COMMUNITIES WITH, UH, IT SUPPORT PUBLIC SAFETY WITH COMMUNICATING WITH RESIDENTS DURING, TO PROVIDE REAL TIME UPDATES AND GIVE OUT INSTRUCTIONS, UM, IF NEED BE. SO THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF EVERBRIDGE. UM, IF FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE YOU STATED, UH, GARBAGE, SOMETHING TO DO WITH GARBAGE, WE CAN'T UTILIZE EVERBRIDGE FOR THAT. IT IS ONLY UTILIZED FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES ONLY. SO IF THE MAYOR CALLS FOR AN EVACUATION, OF COURSE WE WOULD SEND A MESSAGE OUT THROUGH EVERBRIDGE. IF THERE IS A BAR OF WATER NOTICE, WE WOULD SEND THAT MESSAGE OUT TO THROUGH EVERBRIDGE AND SUCH. IF THERE IS A TRAFFIC HAZARD, SOMETHING THAT, THAT TO DEAL WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, WE WOULD SEND THOSE MESSAGES OUT VIA EVERBRIDGE. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, SO THE, THE STAN SERVICE, THAT'S THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION. RIGHT. IT'S THE SAME THING AS EVERBRIDGE. NOW THEY'VE MOVED OVER TO EVERBRIDGE, THEY HAVE MOVED OVER TO EVERBRIDGE MESSAGE. OKAY. OKAY. UM, ONE OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT I SAW IS, AND, AND I'M ASSUMING THIS GOES THROUGH OUR IT DEPARTMENT, IS WHEN A NOTICE IS SENT OUT ABOUT GARBAGE COLLECTION, THERE'S ABOUT FOUR DIFFERENT CLICK THROUGHS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET TO THE ACTUAL NOTICE. AND SOMETIMES THE NOTICE IS NOT THERE. IT'LL SAY THE LINK IS BROKEN, IT'S NOT THERE. SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO, TO FIX THAT BEFORE IT GOES OUT? WE NEED TO HAVE A CHECKS AND BALANCES SYSTEM. SO WE'RE MAKING SURE, LET'S SEND A TEST TO SOMEBODY IN HOUSE AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S THERE. WHEN YOU CLICK IT, IT OPENS AND IT'S, THE INFORMATION IS THERE. AND LOOK AT THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE, IF THERE ARE ANY GLITCHES OR ANYTHING THAT DISRUPTS THE INFORMATION FROM GOING OUT WHERE WE CAN MAKE IT MUCH MORE EFFICIENT. YES, SIR. WITH THE IT DEPARTMENT. YES, SIR. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WILL LOOK AT IT TO ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING'S WORKING PROPERLY BEFORE WE, THAT WAY EVERYBODY GETS AN EFFECTIVE MESSAGE OUT. OKAY. WELL LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE RIGHT INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC TOO ABOUT STAN AND EVERBRIDGE. SO STAN NO LONGER EXISTS AND THEY NEED IT'S CURRENTLY EVER. YEAH, IT'S EVERBRIDGE NOW. SO THEY NEED TO SIGN UP FOR EVERBRIDGE. THAT'S CORRECT, CORRECT. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. YES, YES. ALL RIGHT. I REMEMBERED WE USED STAN ONCE TO INFORM THE, THE, UM, RESIDENTS ABOUT THEIR GARBAGE BINS AND THEY ALMOST KICKED US OUT OF THE PROGRAM BECAUSE THAT IS CORRECT. THAT IS CORRECT. WE WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE EXISTED. IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE UTILIZED FOR SUCH, FOR SUCH. SO NOTICES INFORMATION THAT THAT ARE PRIMARILY INFORMATIONAL ARE GONNA COME THROUGH THE CITY WEBSITE. THAT'S RIGHT. THROUGH THE EMAIL LINKS THAT YOU CAN GET. THAT IS CORRECT. EMERGENCY THINGS ARE GONNA GO THROUGH EVERBRIDGE SUCH AS BOIL WATER, STREET CLOSURES, EVACUATION NOTICES. THAT IS CORRECT. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. STORING THINGS, OKAY. YES. YES, MA'AM. THAT, THAT MAKES SENSE. YES. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. OKAY. THAT'S IT. THAT'S IT, COUNCILMAN? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, WE WILL NOW MOVE, EXCUSE ME, TO, UH, REPORTS ARE OUT, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, INTEREST. I HAVE MY LIGHT ON. OH, ON THIS LAST, I'M VERY SORRY I DIDN'T SEE IT. THAT'S OKAY. RIGHT HERE'S, OKAY. UM, CITY MANAGER, YOU WERE SAYING THAT ONCE STAN TRANSFERRED OVER TO EVERBRIDGE THAT WE ALMOST GOT KICKED OUT BECAUSE WE'RE PUTTING THE NOTICES. I JUST WANT TO, NOT TO PUT ANY OTHER CITY ON BLAST, BUT I'M REGISTERED WITH EVERBRIDGE AND I RECEIVE TEXT MESSAGES FROM ANOTHER CITY NEAR US ABOUT GARBAGE PICKUP AS OF JANUARY 21ST. SO QUITE POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY CHANGED THE RULES AFTER THAT. BUT AS OF JANUARY 21ST, I RECEIVED A MESSAGE FOR THAT CHECK AND SEE, WE'LL CHECK AND SEE. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, WE WILL, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, THAT IT'S FAIR TO US AS WELL TO BE ABLE TO USE ABSOLUTELY. USE THIS SERVICE ABSOLUTELY. TO BE ABLE TO INFORM OUR CITIZENS. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. NOW THERE ARE NO MORE LIGHTS, RIGHT? OKAY. MY EXCUSE ME. UH, COUNCILOR MARYFIELD. OKAY. SHOULD NOW WE'LL MOVE [V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST (LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF TWO (2) MINUTES PER COUNCILMEMBER)] TO SECTION FIVE, WHICH ITEMS OF, UH, COMMUNITY INTEREST. UH, AND, UH, I DO HAVE INFORMATION HERE. THERE WERE, UH, ACTUALLY THREE DEATHS THAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED A, A FEW WEEKS AGO. ONE BEING AN EMPLOYEE, AN ACTIVE EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY, AND REVEREND UH, JAMES, UH, BICKHAM, UH, HIS FUNERAL SERVICE. ONE, UH, LAST WEEKEND. UH, AND A RETIREE, A FORMER EMPLOYEE, MRS. BRENDA VAUGHN, HAD HER SERVICES ON LAST WEEK. AND MR. WARREN BENJAMIN, A RETIREE, A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR PASSED. SHE PASSED AWAY AND HIS SERVICES WERE ON LAST WEEKEND AS WELL. AND ON BEHALF, UH, COUNCIL IN ENTIRE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, WE WANT TO EXTEND OUR CONDOLENCES AND PRAYERS FOR STRENGTH FOR EACH [02:35:01] OF THE FAMILIES OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS. ALSO, UH, IT IS VERY NOTICEABLE TONIGHT THAT COUNCILMAN, UH, DR. KEN LAW IS NOT HERE. HE TOLD ME I COULD SAID HE ACTUALLY HAD MAJOR SURGERY ON THIS PAST FRIDAY, AN EMERGENCY MAJOR SURGERY ON THIS PAST FRIDAY. I SPOKE WITH HIM TODAY. HE SAID, UH, HE'S FEELING BETTER AND HE WOULD JUST SOLICIT THE PRAYERS FOR HEALING FROM THE COUNCIL COMMUNITY. EVERYONE WHO WAS EVEN MIGHT BE, MIGHT BE LISTENING RIGHT NOW, UH, AND THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO RETURN. AND, BUT HE'S RECUPERATING WELL AT, AT THE MOMENT, BUT THAT'S WHY HE ISN'T HERE ON THIS EVENING AND THE OTHERS. OKAY, THERE WOULD BE NO OTHERS. WE WILL NOW [VII. CONSENT AGENDA] MOVE THROUGH THE CONSENT AGENDA BEGINNING ON PAGE, UH, THREE, THE CONSENT IN THE CONSENT AGENDA. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS, UH, BEFORE WE WOULD ACTUALLY ACT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, ITEM NUMBER 13 ON PAGE SIX, I'D, UH, LIKE TO HAVE A MOTION, IF YOU WILL, THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD, UH, REMOVE THIS ITEM FROM THE AGENDA AT THIS TIME. SO MOVED. SECOND IS REMOVED IN SECOND, THAT WE REMOVE ITEM NUMBER 13 ON PAGE SIX, WHICH IS PR 24 2 18. ANY QUESTIONS? WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR A. AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYE. SO ITEM NUMBER 13 IS REMOVED FROM THE PRINTED AGENDA. NOW BE CONSENT AGENDA CONSIST OF INFORMATION THAT YOU WILL FIND ON PAGES TWO, UH, 4, 5, 6. UH, YEAH, FIVE AND SIX I BELIEVE. YEAH. UH, SO BE FROM PAGES THREE THROUGH PAGE SIX. IF THERE WOULD BE ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO BE WITHDRAWN, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THE ITEM NUMBER, PAGE NUMBER AND THE ITEM PLEASE. UH, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE. MAYOR. ITEM FOUR ON PAGE FOUR. OKAY. JUST A MINUTE. FOUR ON FOUR. AND ITEM NUMBER 11 ON PAGE SIX ON PAGE SIX, ITEM 11. LET ME GET TO IT. OKAY. AND THE OTHER ONE WAS TWO 18. Y'ALL TOOK THAT ONE OFF THE LIST. OH, OKAY. NO, YOU ALREADY ELIMINATED. YOU ELIMINATE. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UH, MAY I APPROACH THEM ITEM NUMBER ONE ON PAGE FOUR? ITEM NUMBER ONE ON PAGE FOUR. OKAY. OKAY. ANY OTHERS? ANY THE OTHERS OF NOT WHERE THE ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCLUSION OF THE ITEMS AS STATED, UH, IN, UH, THIS SESSION. UH, MAY I GET A MOTION? COUNCILMAN KIM LAW? I MEAN, COUNCILMAN FRANK. SORRY. DON'T MOVE. MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? THAT'S GOOD. THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCLUSION OF THE STATED ITEMS. READY FOR QUESTION THERE? ANY QUESTIONS? READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYE HAVE. SO THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED WITH THE EXCLUSION OF THE WITHDRAWN ITEMS. NOW WE HANDLE THOSE ITEMS INDIVIDUALLY ON PAGE FOUR. [VII.C.(1) P.R. No. 24090 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur And The Port Arthur American Little League For The Use Of Virginia/Sal Grado Field At Pioneer Park] WE BEGIN WITH ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS PR NUMBER 24 0 9 0. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND THE PORT ARTHUR AMERICAN LIT LEAGUE FOR THE USE OF OF VIRGINIA SOUTH. UH, GREAT OLD FIELD AT, UH, PIONEER PARK. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN FRANK? SO, MOVE I GET A SECOND. COUNCILMAN LEWIS SECOND. IT'S MOVED IN SECOND. THEN WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 2 40 90. WE READY FOR QUESTION? UH, MAYOR PRO. THANK YOU MS. CHANDRA, COULD YOU COME UP PLEASE? SO, I'VE BEEN FRIENDS WITH THE GRADO FAMILY FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS AND THEY REACHED OUT TO ME, UH, ABOUT THE SIGN THAT IS CURRENTLY AT THE PARK BECAUSE IT'S NOT CORRECT. IT ONLY HAS, UH, SAL GRAD'S NAME ON IT AND IT SHOULD BE THE SAL AND VIRGINIA GRADE OAK FIELD. I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, A SIGN WAS DAMAGED DURING A HURRICANE. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN LIKE WAY BACK AT HURRICANE IKE. UH, AND THEN IT WAS REPLACED WITH THIS SIGN AND IT DOESN'T HAVE BOTH OF THEIR NAMES ON IT. SO THE FAMILY REALLY WOULD LIKE TO GET THE SIGN CHANGED SO THAT IT [02:40:01] SAYS THE SAL AND VIRGINIA GRADO FIELD. OKAY. CAN WE TAKE CARE OF THAT? YES. SOUNDS GOOD. OKAY. WHEN YOU HAVE TAKEN CARE OF IT, IF YOU WOULD SEND ME A PICTURE OF IT SO THAT I CAN NOTIFY THE FAMILY THAT IT'S BEEN DONE, I THINK THINK THEY'D REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. YES. LET ME LOOK INTO IT. IT WILL BE DONE. WE NEED TO SEE THE KIND OF SIGN, 'CAUSE WE MAY HAVE THE SIGN FIT WITHIN OUR BEAUTI, THE WAYFINDING PROJECT. OKAY. OKAY. SORRY, I, I CAN'T PROMISE IT'LL BE DONE TOMORROW, BUT, WELL, NO, I MEAN, I'M EXPECTING IT ANYTIME SOON. I KNOW THAT VIRGINIA WORKED IN INSPECTIONS FOR THE CITY FOR 30 YEARS. OKAY. AND THAT SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THAT PART NAMED FOR, FOR THE FAMILY. SO THEY REALLY WEREN'T ASSIGNED TO BE CORRECTED. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. SOUNDS GOOD. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR. OKAY, WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES AYES HAVE IT. SO ITEM NUMBER ONE, PR NUMBER 24, I MEAN 2 40 90 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NEXT, WE HAVE ITEM [VII.C.(4) P.R. No. 24182 – A Resolution Rescinding Resolution No. 24-388 In Its Entirety As It Pertains To The Purchase Of A Vehicle Lift For The City’s Maintenance Garage Located At 103 H.O. Mills In Port Arthur, Texas From Southeast Texas Automotive Equipment Of Beaumont, Texas In The Amount Not To Exceed $31,265.00] NUMBER FOUR ON PAGE FOUR, PR NUMBER 24 180 2. IT IS A RESOLUTION, RESCINDED RESOLUTION NUMBER 24 DASH 3 88 IN ITS ENTIRETY AS IT PERTAINS TO THE PURCHASE OF A VEHICLE. UH, VEHICLE LIFT FOR THE CITY'S MAINTENANCE GARAGE LOCATED AT 1 0 3 HO MILLS IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS FROM SOUTHEAST TEXAS, AUTOMOTIVE EQUIPMENT OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $31,265. UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS MOTION FOR APPROVAL? MAY I GET A SECOND COUNCILMAN WOMAN EVER FIELD AND THEN MOVE AND SECONDARY WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 2 41 82. WE READY FOR QUESTION? COUNCILMAN ETT? YES. YES. IT, THEY WANT US TO RESCIND THIS BECAUSE THE QUOTE SOMEONE EXPLAINED TO HIM, 'CAUSE I READ THE RESOLUTION AND, OKAY, I, THIS COMING RIGHT THERE, MR. MITCHELL. WHY, WHY WE STANDING THIS? SO IT IT WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF YOU GUYS APPROVING IT, UM, THROUGH THEIR PAPERWORK AND JUST TRYING TO GET IT DONE. BY THE TIME WE ISSUED THEM THEIR PO THEY WERE UNABLE TO ACCEPT OUR PO BECAUSE THEIR PRICES WENT UP. SO THEY COULD NOT, UM, SELL IT TO US AT THAT PRICE THAT WE HAD AGREED UPON. THAT WENT THROUGH COUNCIL. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR COMMENT BECAUSE THAT WAS MY, THAT'S MY QUESTION. WHEN I READ THE BACKGROUND TO THIS, THE REASON WE COULD NOT GET IT FOR THAT PRICE BECAUSE THE QUOTE WAS NO LONGER VALID. 'CAUSE THEY ON THE QUOTE WAS ONLY VALID FOR 30 DAYS. MM-HMM . SO WHEN WE MADE UP OUR MIND TO GET IT, IT WAS AFTER THAT AND THEY DIDN'T WANNA SELL IT TO US. SO ACTUALLY WE END UP PAYING MORE MONEY BECAUSE WE DIDN'T SAY PURCHASE IT. YOU CAME TO US SEPTEMBER AND WE APPROVED IT. MM-HMM . BUT WE DIDN'T TELL 'EM WE WANNA BUY IT. WE DIDN'T GO TO BUYING IT. SO THEN WHEN WE MAKE UP OUR MIND, OKAY, SO CITY MANAGER, MY POINT HERE IS WE END UP PAYING ABOUT $2,800 MORE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GO PURCHASE IT. IT'S NOT THAT WE DIDN'T, WE APPROVED THE MONEY TIMELY MANNER. TIMELY HOW WE DO BUSINESS. OKAY, WE READY TO VOTE? THANK YOU IRVING. OKAY, Y'ALL IN, IN FAVOR? A ANY OPPOSED AS HAVE IT? SO WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 2 41 82 AS, EXCUSE ME, PRESENTED MOVING [VII.C.(11) P.R. No. 24210 – A Resolution Designating PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. As The Depository Bank For The City Of Port Arthur And Authorize The City Manager To Execute All Documents Necessary To Implement The Contract Renewal To Be Effective From April 1, 2025 To March 31, 2026] SWIFTLY OVER TO PAGE EIGHT. I THINK IT IS. UH, PAGE SIX. I'M SORRY, PAGE SIX. UH, PR WELL ITEM NUMBER 11, WHICH WOULD BE PR NUMBER 2 42 10. IT IS A RESOLUTION DESIGNATING PNC FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INCORPORATED AS THE DEPOSITORY BANK FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND AUTHORIZED THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AND ALL IF YOU EXECUTE BROTHER, ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE CONTRACT RENEWAL TO BE EFFECTIVE. APRIL 1ST, 2025 TO MARCH 31ST. 2026. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? MOTION FOR APPROVAL? I GIVE A SECOND COUNCILWOMAN EVER FIELD. SECOND, IF THE MOVEMENT SECONDARY, WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 2 42 10 AS APPROVED. YOU READY FOR QUESTION OF COUNCILMAN DEUCER? YES, RON, ON THIS ONE I LOOKED AT THE WAY THE [02:45:01] BANKING BUSINESS GOING. NOW EVERYBODY WANNA BE COMPETITIVE, UH, GIVING YOU ENTRIES ON DV, UH, DIVIDENDS. ALL THE DO, DO WE ACTUALLY TAKE A LOOK OR, OR KIND OF GOT A FEEL FOR WHAT WE COULD GET IF WE MOVED IT? BECAUSE WE ARE GOVERNED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE AS FAR AS THAT IS CONCERNED. WE WENT OUT THE LAST TIME AND IT HAS BEEN SELECTED FOR, WHAT, THREE YEARS? TWO OR THREE YEARS. AND THEN WE ARE STUCK WITH IT FOR THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS ACCORDING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. THE, THE BANK OF CHOICE. EXPLAIN THAT. ISN'T THAT CORRECT TO ME? YES. THAT'S, IT'S DONE. HOLD ON. YOU WANNA COME AND EXPERIENCE TODAY? WE START WITH SLATE. SO SOMEBODY GONNA TELL US, WE CAN START, COME ON TELL IT. IT WENT OUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. AT THE TIME WE HAD CAPITAL, I'M SORRY, LYNN BOSWELL, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, GOOD EVENING MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS. IT WENT OUT FOR A BID AND UH, CAPITAL ONE WAS THE PREVIOUS BANK. AND THEN AT THE TIME, IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE MY TIME PNC WAS SELECTED AS THE MORE COMPETITIVE BANK. IT'S JUST A DEPOSITORY. WE'RE NOT COMPARING THE INTERESTS AT THIS TIME. THE INTERESTS ARE ACTUALLY SECURED IN OUR TEXAS CLASS, TEXAS STAR AND TEXAS POOL. AND, UH, WHAT PNC DOES, ONE OF ITS BIGGEST ADVANTAGES IS IT ALLOWS US TO DOWNLOAD AND WORK WITH OUR OWN SYSTEM CURRENTLY. AND THIS IS JUST A, THE RENEWAL, THE FIRST YEAR RENEWAL FROM WHAT WE'VE HAD BEFORE AND THE NEXT YEAR WILL BE THE LAST OR SECOND RENEWAL AND THAT'LL BE THE LAST RENEWAL BEFORE WE GO OUT AGAIN. DO WE, DO WE PAY FOR ANY SERVICES? WE INDIRECTLY, I WOULD SAY INDIRECTLY PAY FOR SERVICES BECAUSE THEY WILL CHARGE FOR CHECKS. HOWEVER, WE ALSO GET INTEREST WHEN WE HAVE THE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE IN THERE. WE DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH IN THERE. WE HAVE ENOUGH TO KEEP MONEY IN THERE TO BE ABLE TO PAY OUR BILLS AND WE ALSO WAIT FOR THE REVENUE THAT COMES IN. SO IT BALANCES OUT VERY WELL. WE HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM IN PERSON AND WE GO OVER ALL OF THE RATES AGAIN. I DO BEAT THEM UP EVERY, EVERY TIME I SEE THEM AND I GET TO SEE THEM AT LEAST TWO TO THREE TIMES A YEAR. OKAY. THE REASON I ASK THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER YOU GET TO WHERE YOU A CONTRACT EXPIRED WITH ANY FINANCIAL INSTITUTE NOWADAYS, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS TRY TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT THE OTHER INSTITUTIONS, BECAUSE THEY'RE COMPETING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER AND STUFF. ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, UH, SO WE COULD HAVE SOMETHING GOOD AND IT'S GOOD TO RENEW, BUT IF WE COULD GET A BETTER DEAL, BASICALLY WHAT I'M SAYING IS WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH MONEY, IT AIN'T NO LOVE. I AGREE. AIN'T NO LOYALTY. IT'S WHAT'S BEST FOR US. THAT'S CORRECT. SO WHEN I SEE THAT WE GONNA RENEW A CONTRACT, THE ONLY QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS THE ONE I'VE ASKED, WILL ANYBODY ELSE GIVE US MORE OR FOR LESS AND STUFF? AND THE ONLY WAY SOMEBODY COULD TELL ME GIVE AN ANSWER THAT'S ACCEPTABLE IS YES, WE LOOKED INTO IT AND WE CAN'T BEAT THEM. THAT'S WHAT I EXPECT. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD BE WORKING FOR IN THIS CITY. ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOU ASKED THAT SONG, JUST INFORMATION, THAT'S WHAT'S CALLED A BANKING REINVESTMENT ACT. THAT BANKS SUPPOSED TO BE REINVESTING INTO THE COMMUNITY. IS THERE ANYBODY MONITORING THAT? THE, THE BANKING REINVESTMENT ACT? BEFORE WE START DOING BUSINESS WITH THESE DIFFERENT BANKS, WE GONNA LOOK AT ARE THEY MAKING CERTAIN LOANS WITHIN WHAT SENSE OF THE TRACKS? I CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR ME IN BANKING BECAUSE IN, IN DIFFERENT ENTITIES THAT I'VE WORKED FOR, IS I NEED THE BANK TO BE A FULL SERVICE BANK INSIDE THE BORDERS OF THE CITY. I WILL NOT ACCEPT OR NOR WILL I, WILL I CONSIDER, AND I HOPE THE COUNCIL AGREES WITH ME. I WILL NOT CONSIDER A BRANCH THAT JUST DOES ATM OR SOMEONE THAT CAN'T PHYSICALLY SEE AND REACH IN THE CITY THAT I AM WORKING IN. I WILL LOOK INTO WHAT YOU HAVE ASKED FOR AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS BEING FOLLOWED AS WELL. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE, THE, THE IDEA BEHIND THE COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT BANK IS IN THE COMMUNITY SUPPOSED TO BE, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING CERTAIN LOANS AND BY, AND DO IT BY CENSUS TRACK. THAT WAY WE CAN WE'LL KNOW WHAT IT, YOU KNOW, IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE CITY, THEY RED LINE SO UNDER. SO YOU BE WANNA LOOK INTO IT FOR ME, I WOULD DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THAT TO MY ATTENTION. OKAY? MM-HMM . [02:50:01] OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? HAVE BE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? A. ANY OPPOSES? AYE. HAVE IT? SO P NUMBER 2 42 10 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. OKAY, WE NOW HAVE UH, ITEM NUMBER. NO, WE'RE GOOD. THAT, THAT COMPLETES THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA. WE'VE NOW MOVED TO ROMAN NUMERAL EIGHT ON PAGE SEVEN, WHICH IS THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA. WE WILL REMOVE, WE WILL BEGIN WITH [VIII.A.(1) P.R. No. 23968 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Change Order No. 1 To The Contract With BDS Constructors, LLC, DBA MK Constructors, LLC, Of Vidor, Texas, For The Woodworth Boulevard Streetscape Improvements Project From Lakeshore Drive To State Highway 87 (Gulfway Drive) To Excavate And Backfill Waterlines For The Amount Of $32,980.00 Increasing The Contract Amount To $13,459,327.92 And Adding Fifty-Four (54) Calendar Days To The Project. Funds Are Available In The Street Capital Fund Account 307-21-053-8517-00-10-000. Project No. ST4014] ITEM, UH, ONE A. IT IS A PR UH, PRO NUMBER 2 39 68. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER ONE TO THE CONTRACT WITH BBS CONTRACTORS. L-L-C-D-B-A-M-K CONSTRUCTORS, EXCUSE ME, LLC OF VITA, TEXAS FOR THE WOODWORK BOULEVARD STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FROM LAKE SHORE DRIVE TO HIGHWAY 87, WHICH IS GULF DRIVE TO EXCAVATE AND BACK, UH, BACKFIELD WATER LINES FOR THE AMOUNT OF $32,980, INCREASING THE CONTRACT AMOUNT TO 13,459,200 $327 92 CENTS. AND ADDING 54 CALENDAR DAYS TO THE, UH, PROJECT FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE STREET CAPITAL FUND ACCOUNT. UH, NUMBER 3 0 7 DASH 21 DASH FIVE THREE DASH 85, UH, 17 DASH 0 0 0. AND IT'S PROJECT, UH, NUMBER ST 4 0 1 4. UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN FRANK? SO MOVED. MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN LEWIS SECOND. IF THE MOVE SECONDARY, WE WOULD APPROVE, EXCUSE ME, PR NUMBER 2 39 68 AS UH, PRESENTED. WE READY FOR QUESTION? COUNCILMAN ETT? YES. LYNN, IF YOU DON'T MIND, CITY MANAGER. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE FINANCE DIRECTOR. YES, SIR. BOY, THIS, THIS ONE HERE, I HAD TO READ SO MANY RESOLUTIONS TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. BUT WHAT I'VE CAME OUT WITH IS THE COUNCIL APPROVED $14.2 MILLION FOR THIS PROJECT, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. THE CONTRACT, IF WE APPROVE THIS 32,000, UH, UH, CONTRACT, LEMME GET MY NOTES, I'M SORRY. OKAY. IF WE APPROVE THIS $32,933,000 FOR THIS CONTRACT THAT BRING THE TO THE, SO TOM UP SOME, IT IS LATE TO $13,459,327 AND 92 CENTS FOR THE CONTRACTOR. FOR THE CONSTRUCTION. RIGHT? THE CONTRACTOR. OKAY. YES. NOW IF I GO BACK READING WHAT WE PAYING THE ENGINEERING FIRM TO DESIGN AND MANAGE, RIGHT, THAT TOTAL COMES OUT TO $831,903. IF I ADD THOSE TWO NUMBERS UP, THEY COME UP WITH 14,258, 14 MILLION, I'M SORRY, $258,250 AND 92 CENTS. WHERE'S THE OTHER 58,000 COMING FROM THE OTHER 58,000? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN, UH, PRETTY STRICT ABOUT IS IF YOU'RE GOING TO ADD ANYTHING TO ANY OF THE STREETS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN PLANNED AND APPROVED, AND THIS ONE ALREADY HAS A PROJECT NUMBER, ST ONE PI FORGET WHAT THE REST OF IT IS, THEN MY REQUEST TO THE ENGINEERS, YOU NEED TO FIND THAT SOMEWHERE IN THERE. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO REDUCE THAT WHEREVER IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND IT OR MOVE IT OVER TO 2026. THAT I CAN'T GO OVER BUDGET ON THIS, ON THIS, ON, ON IN 2025 FOR THIS. WELL, I, WELL, YOU COULD. I MEAN ALL THAT GOOD. THIS IS SIMPLE. THIS IS SIMPLE FINANCE WHAT I'M TALKING NOW. AGREED. YES. MM-HMM . SO EVEN IF WE DON'T EVEN APPROVE THE [02:55:01] INCREASE HERE, THE INCREASE IS ONLY 32 30 $3,000. SO THAT MEAN EVEN WITHOUT THE $32,000, WE STILL OVER 14.2 MILLION. AND I'M SAYING WHEN WE APPROVE $14.2 MILLION, NOBODY SPEND MORE MONEY THAN WHAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED. THAT'S WHY I SPEND DAYS GOING OVER THESE RESOLUTIONS. I GET ALL THESE SIGNATURES SAYING EVERYTHING'S OKAY. BUT THEN WHEN THEY GET UP HERE AND I TAKE THE TIME, WHEN I GO THROUGH 'EM, I FIND OUT, SO HOW ARE WE SPENDING MORE MONEY THAN WHAT COUNCIL APPROVED? THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. THE RESOLUTION IS TO REQUEST PERMISSION FOR, IT DOESN'T GO, IT DOESN'T GO ABOVE THE APPROPRIATION BECAUSE THERE'S STILL MONEY IN THE STREET'S ACCOUNT. THAT'S WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM. EVEN IF MONEY IN THE STREETS ACCOUNT, AND THAT'S WHY I'VE DONE THE PRESENTATION I DONE EARLIER. YES, IT AIN'T GONNA BE NO MONEY IN THE STREETS ACCOUNT NO MORE BECAUSE THAT MONEY'S GONNA BE APPROPRIATE TO A DISTRICT AND YOU ALL WON'T BE ABLE TO GO IN AND SAYS IN THERE ANYMORE. OKAY? SO IT'S NOT THERE. THE POT OF MONEY IS GONNA GO AWAY. BUT I WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS RESIDENT BECAUSE YOU NOT ANSWER MY QUESTION. WE PUT $14.2 MILLION FOR THIS PROJECT. YES. AND THIS TOTAL IS MORE THAN $4.2 MILLION. I DON'T HAVE THE BREAKDOWN ON THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE ENTIRE PROJECT. THE ENGINEERING PART, THE CONSTRUCTION PIECE, AND MAYBE THE ENGINEER CAN SPEAK MORE TOWARDS THE SPECIFICS OF THAT. I DO GO BY HOW MUCH IS ACTUALLY IN WHAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED TO THE PROJECT. AND THAT'S HOW I, I BASE THAT ON. AND THE DECISION FOR THESE RESOLUTIONS I SIGN OFF ON YES OR NO OR YOU HAVE TO TELL ME HOW, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE ONES WHERE I SAID, YOU NEED TO TELL ME HOW TO GET THAT OTHER 32,000 BECAUSE THERE WAS A SET LIMIT. WELL, WHAT I'VE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH, EVERY TIME I GET TO A SITUATION LIKE THIS AND I BRING THIS UP ON CANCEL, I HEAR, I HEAR WHAT YOU TELL ME. YOU TELLING THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO DO AND TELL YOU WHERE. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT'S COMING BEFORE ME TO, TO APPROVE TONIGHT BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME TO APPROVE IS EXCEEDING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THIS COUNCIL APPROVED FOR THAT PROJECT. THIS COUNCIL APPROVED $14.2 MILLION. I READ EVERY RESOLUTION EACH TIME. IT STARTED WITH 3 MILLION. YOU ADDED 4.2, BROUGHT IT 7.2, THEN THE LAST TIME YOU DID WITH A REP, IT WAS 7 MILLION FOR TOTAL OF $14.2 MILLION. OF THAT, THE CONTRACTOR FOR THE CONSTRUCTION WAS $13,000,426, $347 AND 92 CENTS. OKAY, SEE THAT'S MY ISSUE HERE. YOU Y'ALL SUBMIT ME A RESOLUTION. I SPEND ALL MY TIME VERIFYING IT ONLY TO FIND OUT THIS IS MORE THAN WHAT WE APPROVED. THIS IS NOT DOUCETTE, THIS IS WHAT A COUNSELOR APPROVED. AND IT AIN'T THE FIRST TIME I'M GETTING FRUSTRATED WITH IT. I'M GETTING FRUSTRATED. 'CAUSE WHEN I ASK A SIMPLE QUESTIONS, EVERYBODY WON'T GIMME EXCUSES. LEMME, I'M GETTING FRUSTRATED. YEAH. LEMME, WE CANNOT SPEND MORE MONEY THAN WHAT COUNSEL APPROVED. DO YOU AGREE WITH ME? YOU CAN'T SPEND MORE MONEY THAN WHAT WAS APPROPRIATED. THAT IS CORRECT. SO WHY IS THIS COMING BEFORE US? THAT'S GOING TO HAVE MORE MONEY THAN WHAT WE APPROPRIATED. THAT WAS MY QUESTION. IT'S IT'S NOT ANYMORE. GO AHEAD. LET ME, LET ME GIVE THE, THE SHORT EXPLANATION, BECAUSE THIS SEEMS TO BE GETTING CONVOLUTED WHEN THERE'S NO NEED FOR IT TO BE CONVOLUTED. THE SHORT ANSWER IS THAT PART OF THE STREET WAS COMPLETED, THE CONCRETE WAS POURED AND EVERYTHING, IT WAS BUILT. THERE WAS A LINE ON THAT. IF IT BUSTED AND IT SEND OFF WATER, YOU HAVE TO CUT THE STREET AND REPAIR THE LINE. THAT'S IF WE DID $2,000. AM I CORRECT? I READ IT, I READ IT, I READ IT AND I READ IT AGAIN. AND I FOUND THAT OUT. OKAY. NOW, SINCE YOU DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS FAN SAYS I'M GONNA GET EXCITED TOO, BUT SEE, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, EVEN WITH THIS ADDITION YOU ASKING FOR, YOU ARE STILL OVERSPENT. SEE, THAT'S WHY [03:00:01] I DON'T MIND ANSWER. I DON'T MIND ENTERTAINING THINGS, BUT DON'T TELL. WHAT I'M SAYING IS VERY SIMPLE. WE APPROVED 14.2 MILLION AND WE ARE SPENDING MORE THAN 14.2 MILLION FOR THIS PROJECT. AND NOBODY CAME BACK TO THIS COUNCIL AND ASK US FOR MORE MONEY. AND I'VE BEEN SAYING IT ALL THE TIME. GO AHEAD MR. UC. NO, I I'LL YIELD EVIDENTLY YOU WON'T SAY SOMETHING. I I I'LL YIELD FOR A WHILE. LET, LET, I I DON'T WANT YOU TO YIELD FOR A WHILE. I WANT TO, I WANT TO MOVE THE MEETING ON. OKAY, WELL IF SLATE WELL YOU SAID YOU WAS GONNA LET ME SAY NO. OKAY, GO AHEAD. OKAY, DONE. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. ALRIGHT, SO THIS IS A CHANGE ORDER AND IT'S CHANGE, IT'S A CHANGE ORDER SIMPLY BECAUSE SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT WAS UNEXPECTED. YES, WE DID APPROVE $14.2 MILLION, BUT AS THEY WERE DOING THE WORK, SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENED. AND THEY ARE COMING TO US RIGHT NOW AND ASKING US TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE FOR THE UNEXPECTED. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING MR. DOUCETTE, THE FACT THAT THE PROJECT CAME TO US AND THEY SAID THAT THE PROJECT WAS GONNA COST A CERTAIN AMOUNT, BUT THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING THROUGHOUT OUR CITY. WE START, LET, LET'S TAKE SUNKEN COURT FOR EXAMPLE. SUNKEN COURT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENED IN TRANSPIRE. WE STARTED DOING SUNKEN COURT, IT WAS GONNA COST A CERTAIN AMOUNT, BUT WHEN WE STARTED DIGGING UP SUCKING CORD, THERE WAS ALL, THERE WERE ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS FROM INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS UNDERNEATH THE STREET THAT WAS UNEXPECTED AND IT COST MORE. AND, AND WE ALLOWED THAT TO HAPPEN AND TRANSPIRED BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME UNEXPECTED, I I DON'T UNDERSTAND. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL WHAT ALL THE, UM, THEATRICS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT, WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. OKAY. I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND. OKAY. WELL FOR YOU TALKING, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'VE COMMENTED ON ABOUT FOR ONE SUNKEN COAT. I'VE HEARD THIS SAID A LOT OF TIMES, SUNKEN COAT. IT WAS UNDERESTIMATED. NO IT WASN'T. SUNKEN COAT HAD A ESTIMATE. IF YOU GO BACK, I WAS ON CANCER, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ASPHALT. EVERY STREET IN THIS DISTRICT THAT WE SUPPOSED TO BE HAVING ON HERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE WITH ASPHALT. WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE ANY STREETS THAT WE SELECTED OR THAT PROGRAM DOES NOT COVER CEMENT STREET. OKAY? NO, IT, THAT'S WHY I SAY Y'ALL NEED TO IT. SUNKEN COLD WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ASPHALT. IT TURNED INTO CEMENT. THAT'S WHERE THIS COST EXPLODED. IT WENT FROM ASPHALT TO CEMENT. WE CURVES AND GUTTERS. SO YOU SEE THAT'S WHY IT WENT UP. IT SHOULD HAVE STAYED WITH WHAT WE APPROVE ASPHALT. NOW THAT'S TO COVER THAT. NOW WITH THIS, I UNDERSTAND IT'S A CHANGE ORDERS COUNCILMAN FRANK. BUT MY PROBLEM IS EVEN WHEN WE DO CHANGE ORDERS, OKAY, WE GOT X AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BRING THE TOTAL COST TO SOMETHING. AND IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE CHANGE ORDER IS BASED ON THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CONTRACTOR. THAT'S THE CHANGE ORDER. HIS CONTRACT, WHEN WE ADD IT AND WE ADD WHAT WE PAID THE ENGINEERING FOR HIM, WHICH IS ANOTHER CONTRACT, BUT BETWEEN THOSE TWO, WE'RE SPENDING MORE MONEY THAN WE HAVE PROVED. NOW, I DON'T MIND LISTENING, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS VERY SIMPLE AND IT'S SIMPLE FINANCES. IF YOU LOOK AT JUST THIS, YES, OKAY, IS A CHANGE AUDIT. IF YOU LOOK AT THIS AND GO BACK AND READ THE WHOLE THING, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND OUT YOU PAID 800 AND SOME THOUSAND DOLLARS ALSO FOR, UH, ENGINEER FOR DESIGN AND DESIGN AND ENGINEERING. WELL, THE DESIGN AND ENGINEERING TOGETHER WITH THE CHANGE ORDER IS 14,258,000. SO EVEN IF [03:05:01] WE DIDN'T APPROVE THIS RIGHT NOW, WE STILL OVER WHAT WAS APPROVED FOR COUNCIL. I'VE ALWAYS SAID THIS SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, I DON'T MIND APPROVING MONEY THAT WE NEED TO, BUT I HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN PEOPLE ARE SPENDING MORE MONEY THAN COUNCIL APPROVE WITHOUT COMING BACK TO COUNCIL. THAT'S COUNCIL'S DECISION. THAT'S HOW WE'D SAY INFORMED OF EVERYTHING. THEY DON'T JUST SEE THE PROBLEM WHEN YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND FINANCES AND PEOPLE START GETTING INTO THESE HABITS. THAT'S WHY EVERYBODY BE COMING UP HERE GIVING US ALL OF THESE NUMBERS AND STUFF. BUT IF YOU DON'T READ THE NUMBERS, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS. YOU SAY, OKAY, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT STAFF AND EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHATEVER YOU BRING TO US WHEN WE APPROVE IT, THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE. SO IF WE APPROVE $14.2 MILLION FOR THIS PROJECT, THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE. THIS CITY'S SUPPOSED TO BE RAN THAT IF THEY NEED ANY MORE MONEY THAN 14.2, NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO MAKE THAT DECISION. IF THESE COME BACK TO THIS COUNCIL AND THIS COUNCIL MAKES THE DECISION ON WHETHER WE WANT TO GIVE MORE MONEY OR NOT. THIS SPENDING MONEY AND MAKING DECISION WITHOUT COUNCIL, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE A POWER WITH COUNCILMAN FRANK. SO THIS CHANGE ORDER THAT AIN'T ABOUT THIS, IT'S ABOUT THE TOTAL MONEY FOR THIS TOTAL PROJECT. AND IT'S NOT JUST THIS, THIS IS JUST CONSTRUCTION, WHICH YOU TALKING ABOUT THE CHANGE ORDER. WE DON'T HAVE A CHANGE ORDER FOR THE ENGINEERING 'CAUSE WE DONE A CHANGE ORDER FOR THE ENGINEER IN A PRIOR RESOLUTION BECAUSE WE STARTED OUT WITH PAYING THEM 400, BUT THEN WE DONE A CHANGE ORDER FOR THEM AND WELL, WE END UP PAYING 831. SO WE PAID THEM ADDITIONAL 400. I SPENT A LOT OF TIME. I'M NOT, I'M GETTING FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I'M DEALING WITH THE SAME ISSUES WHEN FINANCES COMING BEFORE US. YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME OF YOU MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THE FINANCE THAT MUCH. AND I'M NOT SAYING YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO, BUT I, BUT WHEN I ASK THE QUESTION, I'M GETTING TIRED OF SOMEBODY COMING AND TELLING ME WHAT THEY WANT TO TELL. I'M NOT HERE TO RUBBER A STAMP. I'LL SPEND A LOT OF TIME UNDERSTANDING FINANCES AND READING. AND WHEN I ASK A QUESTION, I DON'T MIND. IF SOMEBODY DON'T KNOW, TELL ME YOU DON'T KNOW. BUT DON'T INSULT MY INTELLIGENCE. AND IF I'M SPENDING THIS MUCH TIME GOING OVER THESE AGENDAS TO ENSURE THAT OUR DOLLARS AND EVERYTHING IS BEING RAN THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, I DON'T EXPECT TO COME HERE AND HAVE NOBODY QUESTIONING ME. OKAY? COUNCILMAN LEWIS. I FIND THAT INTERESTING. FIRST OF ALL, THE MONEY CAME OUT OF THE BOND ISSUE FOR STREETS AND DRAINAGE, CORRECT? MM-HMM . OKAY. I VOTED AGAINST THAT BECAUSE YOU, YOU BREACHED THE, AND BROKE THE PROMISE OF THE BOND COVENANT. OKAY? NOW THAT'S A TOTAL OF $14,000,258 THAT WAS ISSUED OUT OF THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOND COVENANT, OKAY? TO QUOTE A CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'LL DO WHAT WE WANT TO. WE GOT THE VOTES AND LEMME SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENED. NOW, TODAY'S PRICES, TODAY'S PRICES. I COULD DO 18 STREETS AND WATER AND SEWAGE. 18 STREETS, WATER AND SEWAGE FOR $10.7 MILLION. THAT'S TODAY'S PRICES. AND WAY BACK THEN WE CHANGED, WE VIOLATED THE THE BOND COVENANT. AND THAT'S A PENALTY FOR IT BECAUSE WE CAN, WE CAN END UP GETTING OUR BOND. THEY SHOULD DOWNGRADED THAT. THAT'S THE PENALTY. NOW I FIND IT, I FIND IT CONVENIENTLY THAT THOSE WATER LEAKS, THEY WENT TO, STARTED DOING THE WORK ON, ON MEMORIAL BOULEVARD WITHOUT DOING CHECKING FOR THE WATER AND SEWAGE STUDY. THEY DIDN'T DO IT. THEY WENT AHEAD AND STARTED RECONSTRUCTING. AND YOU NOTICE THAT RESTAURANT DOWN ON, ON GOWAY DRIVE, ON HIGHWAY 87, GOWAY DRIVE IN, UH, IN MEMORIAL. YOU NOTICE THAT THAT LITTLE BY JACK'S, UH, JACK'S, UH, MUFFLER, THAT LITTLE RESTAURANT THERE, I WATCHED HIM GO AROUND THAT THEY DIDN'T CUT THAT LINE. THAT'S CONVENIENT FOR COUNCIL MEMBER SAY IT. IT, IT WAS AN UNFORESEEABLE. THAT WATER THAT WA THEY FOUND, THEY, THEY WENT AROUND AND THE SEAL NOT FIXED. THEY, BY NOT DOING THE [03:10:01] ASSESSMENT OF THE WATER AND SEWAGE, THEY COULDN'T, THEY COULDN'T PAVE OVER THAT. THEY COULDN'T PAVE OVER IT. THEY LEFT IT THAT. NOW THEY GETTING AROUND. NOW THEY TRYING TO COME BACK AND SAY, UH, IT WAS UNFORESEEABLE. OH, WE WERE DOING SOME WORK AND WE CUT THE LINE. THAT'S A LIE. I'M MONITORED REAL CLOSE. THEY AIN'T CUT NO LINE. THEY, THEY WORKED AROUND THAT AND, AND LEFT A BIG OLD SQUARE BECAUSE THE UNDERNEATH THE MEMORIAL BOULEVARD. AND I CHECKED WITH THE ENGINEERS, WA AND THEY SAID, WE HAVE ALWAYS SAID THERE, THERE ARE SEWAGE AND WATER ISSUES UNDER MEMORIAL BOULEVARD. NOW THEY WANNA COME BACK HERE AND, AND PAINT OVER THIS AND SAY, OH, WE WANT TO AMEND THE, UH, A CHANGE ORDER BECAUSE WE HAD A, AN UNFORESEEABLE SOMEBODY THE LINE WAS BROKEN OR CUT WHILE, WHILE WE WAS RECONSTRUCTING THE STREET. THAT'S A LIE. THAT'S A LIE. I COULD, I KNOW FOR DISTRICT ONE FOR $10.7 MILLION, I, I COULD DO TODAY'S RIGHTS. I COULD DO THE WATER AND THE SEWAGE AND PAY. I'M NOT AND ASPHALT 18 STREETS. TODAY'S PRICES, WE GOT THE, WE DO WHAT WE WANT. OKAY. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL, WHATEVER FIELD. THANK YOU MAYOR. I WILL AGAIN ASK THAT WE PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION OF STREETS. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT OUR STREETS DEPARTMENT AND OUR WATER UTILITIES DEPARTMENT ARE IN ENGINEERS ARE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION SO THAT THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BEEN REVIEWED. WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED UNDERGROUND SO THAT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO BUILD A HOUSE ON A BROKE FOUNDATION. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE LET US GET OUR HOUSE IN ORDER THE CORRECT WAY. SOMETIMES WE DO HAVE TO SLOW DOWN TO SPEED UP, BUT AGAIN, WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO BUILD A HOUSE ON A BROKE FOUNDATION. SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN, BUT WE HERE NOW AND IT WAS FOUND AND WE GOTTA FIX IT SO WE CAN MOVE ON. SO IF NO ONE ELSE HAS COMMENTS, MAY WE PLEASE CALL FOR A VOTE. OKAY, THAT'S IT. WE ARE READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AND OPPOSED? OPPOSED. OKAY. I SOUND AS THOUGH THE AYES HAVE IT. SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, APPROVED, SIR. OPPOSED? OKAY, SO THERE'S TWO NO VOTES. TWO NO VOTES. YEAH. AND ARE THE OTHERS OF ALL VOTE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. OKAY, SO THAT'S APPROVED. UH, P NUMBER 2 39 6 8 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NEXT, WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER [VIII.A.(3) P.R. No. 24199 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Award The Alleyway, Road Reconstruction And Drainage Repairs Between Dallas Avenue And San Antonio Avenue To Texas Materials, A CRH Company Of Beaumont, Texas In The Amount Not To Exceed $562,099.60. Funding Available In Transit Capital Account 401-70- 530-8525-00-60-000, Project DR1P06] THREE ON PAGE SEVEN. ITEM THREE IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO AWARD THE ALLEYWAY ROAD RECONSTRUCTION AND DRAINAGE REPAIRS BETWEEN DALLAS AVENUE AND SAN ANTONIO AVENUE TO THE, UH, TO TEXAS MATERIALS. UH, A UH, CRH COMPANY OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $562,099 AND 60 CENTS. FUNDING AVAILABLE IN THE TRANSIT CAPITAL ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 0 1 DASH SEVEN ZERO DASH FIVE 30 DASH UH, 85 25, EXCUSE ME. DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 6 0 0 0. AND THIS IS PROJECT, UH, D ONE P ZERO SIX MAKE AND A SECOND PLEASE. IT'S MOVED IN SECOND. IF WE WOULD APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION, WE ARE READY FOR QUESTION. NO QUESTION. READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYE. HAVE IT. SO, PR NUMBER 2 41 9 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. ITEM NUMBER FOUR, [VIII.A.(4) P.R. No. 24206 – A Resolution Approving The FY 2026 Amendment Between The City Of Port Arthur And The Department Of State Health Services, Immunization Branch-Locals, Extending The Contract Term For An Additional Year With The Original Contract Period Beginning September 1, 2023, And Ending August 31, 2026. The Contract Is Amended To Increase Funding In The Amount Of $162,630.00 With The Total Not-To-Exceed Amount Of $487,890.00] UH, PR NUMBER 24 2 0 6. IT IS A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 AMENDMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND THE DEPARTMENT OF, UH, STATE HEALTH SERVICES IMMUNIZATION, UH, BRANCH, UH, UH, LOCALS EXTENDING THE CONTRACT TERM FOR AN ADDITIONAL YEAR WITH THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT [03:15:01] PERIOD BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2023 AND ENDING AUGUST 31ST, 2026. THE CONTRACT IS AMENDED TO INCREASED FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $162,630 WITH THE TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED, UH, AN AMOUNT OF $480,890. 4 87, OH, EXCUSE ME, MY BIG ZERO TO ME, EXCUSE ME. 487,000. THANK YOU FOR CORRECTION. $890. UH, I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. SEC. SO MOVE I GET A SECOND. SECOND. MOVED SECOND. THEN WE WILL APPROVE P NUMBER 24. TWO AS PRESENTED. WE ARE READY FOR QUESTION OR ANY QUESTIONS. READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYE. HAVE IT SO IT IS APPROVED. NEXT WE [VIII.A.(5) P.R. No. 24209 – A Resolution Appointing New Members To The Port Arthur Youth Advisory Council (YAC) (Requested By Councilmember Lewis)] HAVE ITEM NUMBER FIVE, PR NUMBER 24 2 0 9. IT IS A RESOLUTION APPOINTING NEW MEMBERS OF THE PORT ARTHUR YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL. THE Y THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS. HAVE YOU, UH, GIVEN THAT NAME? YES. SO CITY SECRETARY. YOU HAVE THE NAMES? HUH? WHAT'D SHE SAY? SHE SAID SHE DOES, SHE DOESN'T HAVE IT. OH, WELL I GIVE WITH MS. WILEY THEN MS. MS. WHI WE JUST SWEAR TO PROVE IT WITH PENDING THE NAME AND THAT'S IT. THE PLEASURE OF THE COUNCIL. I'D BE HAPPY TO FIND OUT WHAT THE NAME. YEP. OKAY. NO, WELL I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT WE CAN DO IT. OKAY. WE, WE GET A MOTION. MOTION. COUNCILMAN LEWIS TO APPROVE WHAT YOU WANT. YES. OH, THANK YOU. GOTTA A SECOND. SECOND. THANK YOU. IS REMOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WILL APPROVE PR NUMBER 24 2 0 9. WE READY FOR QUESTION? NOW THE QUESTIONS READY? I DO HAVE, OH, THERE ARE, WE CAN PUT THE NAMES THERE ATTACHED TO THE RESOLUTION OF MR. LEWIS'S THREE APPOINTEES. CITY SECRETARY, ARE YOU READY? TORI CHANCE, TORI. CHANCE KAYLA HOPE. K-A-Y-L-A. HOPE AND KALIYA HAYES. K-A-L-E-A. AND I WOULD ALSO ASK FOR COUNSEL TO, UM, BE A, TO PLEASE HELP US TO INFORM YOUR APPOINTEES WHEN OUR MEETINGS WILL BE THIS MONTH. WE DID CHANGE THE MEETING DATE AND IT IS, UM, MARCH 22ND HERE AT CITY HALL ON THE FOURTH FLOOR AT 10:00 AM AND THE CHILDREN HAVE BEEN, UH, MEETING EVERY SECOND SATURDAY OF THE MONTH. OKAY, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR A. AYE. ANY OPPOSES AYE HAVE. SO IT'S, UH, APPROVED PR NUMBER 24 2 0 9 WITH THE NAMES THAT EVER BEEN ATTACHED. THERE ARE, UH, ON [VIII.A.(6) P.R. No. 24211 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract With SETEX Construction Corp. Of Beaumont, Texas For The Repair Of The Pier And Gazebo Located At 800 Lakefront Drive (Boat Launch), The South Levee Park Piers And Bridge And The Pier Adjacent The Pleasure Island Condos, In The Amount Not To Exceed $227,484.00; The Funding For This Project Is In Account No. 307-60-000-8525-00-10-000, Project No. PI0006] PAGE EIGHT, UH, ITEM NUMBER SIX PR NUMBER 24 2 11 IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO ENTER A CONTRACT WITH SOUTHEAST TEXAS CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR THE REPAIR OF THE PIER AND GAZEBO. LOCATED AT 800 LAKEFRONT DRIVE, UH, BOAT LAUNCH, THE SOUTH LEVY PARK, PIERCE AND BRIDGE AND THE PIER ADJACENT TO PLEASURE ISLAND CONDOS IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED TO HUNDRED 27,008. I MEAN FOUR $84. THE FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT IS IN ACCOUNT NUMBER 3 0 7 8 5 2 5 0 0. AND IT IS PROJECT NUMBER P ONE SIX. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN ETT? SO MOVED. I GET A SECOND. UH, MAYOR. I APPROACH SECOND. THE MOVE SECOND. THEN WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 2 42 11 AS PRESENTED. WE'RE READY FOR QUESTION. YOU HAVE A QUESTION? COUNCILMAN ETTE? YES. ON THE P BEHIND PLEASURE ISLAND, THE CONDO. THIS LINE ITEM. I WENT OVER THE GEORGIA, I WENT OVER THE BID TABULATIONS AND I GONE OVER THE BID TABULATIONS, RIGHT? THIS, THIS SOUTHEAST TEXAS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. I'M NOT AN ENGINEER, BUT I'M LOOKING AT THESE THINGS AND I'M KIND OF SAYING SOMETHING IS WAY OUTTA WHACK HERE AND I JUST WANNA KNOW WHY WE SELECT THEM. AND, AND UNDER THE NUMBER FOUR, GEORGE, ITEM NUMBER FOUR ON THE, ON THE BID. TABULATION? YES SIR. OKAY. [03:20:02] TAKE K. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER OF DAYS. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M QUESTIONING. SEE THE NUMBER OF DAYS. KTM SAYS 30. THE, THE OTHER COMPANY SAYS 60, THE OTHER COMPANY SAYS 80. AND THE COMPANY WE GIVEN IT TO SAY IS 17. IS THAT A MISTAKE? UH, I DON'T BELIEVE 'CAUSE IT'S JUST LIKE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE REST OF THEM, UM, THE NUMBER OF DAYS, I THINK ON ITEM ONE IT SAYS 20 AND THEY HAVE FIVE. I THINK THEY'RE, THEY HAVE A, A BIGGER CREW THAT'S GONNA BE OUT THERE, SIR? MM-HMM . OKAY. THANK YOU GEORGE. ANY OTHER READINESS? I WILL, HE ACTUALLY WORKS FOR THE COMPANY. SO HE SAID ON ON THAT ACTUAL, ON THAT ON THAT DAY. COME TO MIC. COMING TO MIC COUNCIL MEMBER DISETTE ON THAT, ON THOSE DAYS. YEAH. IT'S YOUR NAME, ADDRESS. MY NAME IS STATE. STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS. SEAN CLIFFORD. 900 SOUTHWOOD, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. THANK YOU. UH, MY OFFICE IS RIGHT HERE. PORT ARTHUR. I KNOW IT SAYS BEAUMONT ON HERE, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE EDC BUILDING. UM, IT, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S 47 ON THE, ON THE PROPOSAL TO QUOTE AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS ACCEPTED. BUT I'LL, I'LL DOUBLE CHECK THAT. WE ARE GONNA HAVE A LARGE CREW OUT THERE TO KNOCK ALL THIS OUT, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER IT SAYING 17 DAYS. OKAY, THAT'S, I MEAN, WHENEVER I SEE NUMBER LIKE THAT, I MEAN IT'S LIKE, IT'S A MISTAKE NOW. 47. IT COMES BACK LIKE NOW THERE, THERE'S ACTUALLY COUNCIL MEMBER, THERE'S A LOT OF OF WORK OUT THERE. THERE'S ABOUT TWO REALLY TWO MONTHS WORTH OF WORK IF YOU GOT JUST A NORMAL CREW. LOOK HERE, I DON'T QUESTION NOTHING, BUT WHEN I SEE NUMBERS LIKE THAT, I JUST ASK A SIMPLE QUESTION. YES SIR. I THINK IT GONNA TYPO. OKAY. YOU TELLING ME A TYPO NOW I CAN UNDERSTAND IT. I'M GOOD. I'M GOOD. OKAY. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN , YOU HAVE SOMETHING? THANK YOU MAYOR. CITY ATTORNEY. DO WE NEED TO MAKE A QUICK AMENDMENT TO THE RESOLUTION OR CAN JUST BE UPDATED? WE'LL FIX ON IT. WE'RE WE'RE GOOD? WE'RE GOOD. THE RESOLUTION REFERS TO THE AMOUNT, NOT TO THE NUMBER OF DAYS. THANK YOU MA'AM. OKAY, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY THE OPPOSES AYES HAVE AND SO, UH, PR NUMBER 2 3 4 2 11 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NEXT WE HAVE ITEM [VIII.A.(7) P.R. No. 24216 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Change Order No. 1 To The Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur And Geofill Construction Of Schertz, Texas, Increasing The Contract Amount By $28,547.50 To A New Contract Total Of $234,722.50 For The Renovation Of Both Sets Of Restrooms In Lakefront Park On Pleasure Island; Funding Available In Account Number 450-00-000-8525-00-00-000 Project Number PI0007 ] NUMBER SEVEN, NUMBER 24 2 16. THERE'S A RE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER ONE TO THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND GEO FIELD CONSTRUCTION OF CHURCH TEXAS. INCREASING THE CONTRACT AMOUNT BY $28,547 AND 50 CENTS TO A NEW CONTRACT TOTAL OF $234,722 AND 50 CENTS FOR THE RENOVATION OF BOTH SETS OF BATHROOMS IN LAKEFRONT PARK. LONG PLEASURE ISLAND FUNDING AVAILABLE IN ACCOUNT NUMBER FOUR 50 DASH 0 0 0 DASH 85 25 DASH 0 0 0 0. AND THAT IS PROJECT NUMBER PI 0 0 0 7. I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. COUNCILMAN FRANK. SO MOVED. I GET A SECOND. COUNCILMAN LEWIS. BEEN MOVED THE SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 24 2 16 AS PRESENT. READY FOR QUESTION? COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE GEORGE. HE, TODAY'S YOUR NIGHT. YOU FAMOUS? OKAY. YES, SIR. I I LOOKED AT THE, UH, RESOLUTION JUDGE, THEN I WENT BACK TO YOUR, UH, JILL PHIL PROPOSAL. YES, SIR. OKAY. AND I LOOKED AT THE PROPOSAL, I LOOKED AT THE, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. IS IT MORE LIKE YOU, YOU'VE DONE A CONTRACT AND A PERSON DONE WORK AND THEN WE DECIDE TO DO SOME MORE WORK? NO. UM, MOST OF THE STUFF THAT WAS TAKING PLACE, THEY HAD, UM, UNFORESEEN THINGS IN THERE AS FAR AS SETS OF BEES AND ALL THIS TYPE OF STUFF. THEY HAD, UM, THE TOILETS HAD TO GET REORDERED AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THAT WAS THE UH, THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR NUMBER WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT? NO, WHAT I'M LOOKING AT HERE, LET ME READ IT TO YOU. OKAY? I'M TALKING REPLACE DAMAGED ROOF DECKING. IT, THAT'S NOT THE, THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT THING. UM, AND INITIAL WALKWAY WAS SPECIFIED AT 65 ANY FE [03:25:01] SO WE HAD 30 NEXT IN THE WRONG, THEY SENT THE WRONG STUFF IN. CAN WE PULL THAT ONE, I GUESS AND, AND SEND ANOTHER ONE IN THE RIGHT INFORMATION. TELL YOU WHAT LEGAL HAS IT. OKAY, SO THIS AIN'T THE RIGHT STUFF. NO LEGAL HAS THE CORRECTION. WELL, IT'S A CHANGE. ALL THAT MEAN WE ALREADY APPROVED THE CONTRACT. I HAVE NO OTHER QUESTIONS. YEAH, BUT, BUT I, I STILL WANNA GET YOU THE RIGHT STUFF THOUGH. LOOK I'M NOT HERE. THAT WASN'T RIGHT. YOU TELLING ME THAT? YES. NO, NO, NO, NO. THAT, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO READ. NO, NO, NO, NO. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE CHANGE ORDER. OKAY. SO LET'S MOVE, BUT YES, SIR. THAT AIN'T, I STILL WANNA GET YOU THE RIGHTS THOUGH. ALRIGHT? AND YOU CAN GET ME RIGHT ON YOUR OWN, OKAY? YES, SIR. I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. OKAY. UH, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYES HAVE IT. PR NUMBER 24 2 16 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED AS WE HAVE. ITEM NUMBER EIGHT [VIII.A.(8) P.R. No. 24219 – A Resolution Disallowing Guests From Bringing Alcohol Into The Civic Center For Hosted Events, Requiring All Events With Alcohol To Have A TABC Licensed Vendor To Provide And Serve Alcohol, And Implementing Measures To Enhance Public Safety And Reduce Alcohol-Related Incidents At The Robert A. "Bob" Bowers Civic Center Located At 3401 Cultural Center Drive, Port Arthur, Texas 77642] PR NUMBER 24 2 19 IS A RESOLUTION DISALLOWING GUESTS FROM BRINGING ALCOHOL INTO THE CIVIC CENTER FOR HOSTED EVENTS REQUIRING ALL EVENTS WITHOUT, WITH ALCOHOL TO HAVE A-T-A-B-C LICENSED VENDOR TO PROVIDE AND SERVE ALCOHOL AND IMPLEMENTING MEASURES TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY AND REDUCE ALCOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS. AT THE ROBERT, UH, A BOWERS, UH, CIVIC CENTER, LOCATED AT 34 1 CULTURAL CENTER DRIVE, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS 7 7 6 4 2. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? MOTION FOR APPROVAL? MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN HAMILTON SECOND AND MOVE SECOND. AND WITH APPROVE PR NUMBER 2 4 2 19 AS PRESENTED, WE ARE READY FOR QUESTIONS. QUESTION. OKAY. COUNCILMAN, UH, FRANK, I WANT, I WANT TO ASK A QUESTION TO OUR ATTORNEY. HI. UM, I WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH, UM, I WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH, UM, LIABILITY DOES THE CITY HAVE, UH, FOR ANYTHING THAT MIGHT HAPPEN AFTER AN EVENT OR A CLASS REUNION AT THE SETS CENTER? I MEAN, AT THE SETS US IN THE LORD HAVE MERCY. IS THE WRONG CITY UNIVERSITY. I SAID THE SET, THE SET THAT I HEARD IT . IT'S LATE. IT IS. OUR BRAINS ARE FRIED AT THE BOB BOWERS AT THE, AT THE BOB BOWER CENTER. THEN IF SOMEONE WERE TO LEAVE, UM, A RESTAURANT LEAVING PAPA'S DO, DO, DOES THE, DOES THE CITY CARRY ANY MORE LIABILITY, SAY THAN PAPA'S WOULD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK. WE ACTUALLY BRIEFED THE CITY COUNCIL ON THIS AGENDA ITEM A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT LEGAL LIABILITY. I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO BRING THAT BACK TO YOU IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO FURTHER REMIND AND CLARIFY THE, THE LEGAL OPINION. UM, BUT I DON'T ADVISE THAT I PROVIDED AN OPEN SESSION AT THIS TIME. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES, BRIEFLY. THE CITY CITIES CAN BE HELD LIABLE FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, A SIGN. REMEMBER MONSO USED TO THAT RESTAURANT USED TO BE ON GULF WAY DRIVE. YEAH. AND THE GIN MILL. MM-HMM . WELL, SOME GUY LEFT THE GIN MILL AND A YOUNG, YOUNG KID WAS COMING OFF OF 19TH STREET. HE TURNED TO THE RIGHT AND, AND GOT KILLED. BUT THE CITY UP NOW, THE FAMILY SUED THE GIN MILL. THEY SUED MONSO AND THEY SUED THE CITY. THEY SUED THE CITY BECAUSE WE ALLOWED THE SIGN TO BE THE, THE BLIND, THE VIEW. WE GOT SUED ALSO. AND, AND ANOTHER INCIDENT YOU CAN, YOU CAN BE PULLED INTO. WE GOT SUED AND WE HAD TO PAY OVER $300,000 BEHIND A STOP, UH, A TREE LIMB HANGING OVER, STOP SIGN A GUY IN THE GOT KILLED. SO THE CITY WAS PULLED INTO THAT LOT. WE HAD TO PAY OUT, WE HAD TO PAY THE FAMILY ALSO. SO WE ALCOHOL. I KNOW YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT NO, YOU, I'M, IT'S ALL ABOUT ALCOHOL. IT'S ALL ABOUT LI LIABILITY. IF WE SERVE SOMETHING AND SOMEBODY LEAVE THAT AND GO GET IN A, A RECORD OR SOMETHING. YES. WE'LL BE, WE'RE GONNA BE PULLED INTO IT. THE LAWSUIT. THAT'S STANDARD PRACTICE. THEY GO AFTER THE DEEP POCKETS. OKAY. UH, COUNCILWOMAN HAMILTON, SISTER BECK. NO, YOU CUT YOUR LOUD. YOU THREW, HUH? TURN MY LIGHTS OFF. OKAY. NO, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU, YOU WERE THROUGH. YEAH. THANK YOU MA'AM. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN, UH, VILLE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO REMIND COUNCIL, OR JUST MAKE YOU AWARE THAT THIS TYPE OF, UM, RESOLUTION WILL ALSO ALLOW US THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESTRICT GUNS FROM BEING [03:30:01] ABLE TO BE ADMITTED INTO THE PORT ARTHUR CIVIC CENTER. BECAUSE IT'S CONSIDERED A PUBLIC PLACE CURRENTLY AS IT STANDS, YOU ARE ABLE TO BRING A FIREARMS INTO AN EVENT AT THE PORT ARTHUR CIVIC CENTER WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FOR UNLIMITED ALCOHOL. THAT IS A STORM WAITING TO HAPPEN. SO I WOULD ASK THAT WE PLEASE TAKE INTO STRONG CONSIDERATION PASSING THIS RESOLUTION SO THAT WE ARE NOT HELD LIABLE, BUT NOT ONLY FOR THAT REASON, BUT TO ALSO HELP PROTECT THE CITIZENS THAT PARTICIPATE AT EVENTS AT THE PORT ARTHUR CIVIC CENTER. AND WHAT HAPPENS TO CITIZENS, THOSE WHO ARE LEAVING AND THOSE WHO ARE ON OUR ROADS WHEN, UM, WHEN THEY LEAVE, WHEN THEY EXIT THE BUILDING, NO ONE'S GETTING A BREATHALYZER TEST. AND NO ONE WAS MONITORING HOW MANY DRINKS THEY WERE ABLE TO HAVE DURING THE EVENT. OTHER FACILITIES IN OUR AREA AND ABROAD, NINE TIMES OUT OF 10, THESE FACILITIES REQUIRE THE SERVICES, ALCOHOL SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY THE VENUE AND THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO GREATER, HAVE GREATER, UM, OPPORTUNITY TO MONITOR HOW MANY DRINKS PEOPLE ARE HAVING. IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, THIS RESOLUTION WAS WRITTEN WITH CONSIDERATION OF THE COST THAT WILL BE INCURRED BY THE HOST HAVING TO ACQUIRE THE TABC CERTIFIED OR, UM, LICENSED BARTENDER TO WHERE THE COST, THE CATERING COST PER SEAT WILL BE DECREASED FOR THE NUMBER OF GUESTS THAT THE HOST HAS. SO THIS HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION FROM ALL ANGLES, AND I'M ASKING THAT WE NOT HOLD UP PROGRESS ON, UM, ON PASSING THIS RESOLUTION. OKAY. UH, MAYOR APPROACH THAT. THANK YOU. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. SAUNDERS. IF YOU COULD COME UP, AND THIS IS JUST IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSPARENCY, SO THAT THE CITIZENS UNDERSTAND WHAT GOES INTO MAKING SURE THAT OUR VENDORS ARE ACTUALLY TABC CERTIFIED. SO WE KNOW WITH AI AND PHOTOSHOP AND CANVA AND ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, IT'D BE REALLY EASY FOR SOMEBODY TO CREATE A CERTIFICATE THAT SHOWS THAT THEY ARE A LICENSED TABC BARTENDER. SO I WANNA BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE SOMEONE ON YOUR STAFF THAT'S GONNA ACTUALLY GO ON THE TABC WEBSITE, CHECK THE CREDENTIALS OF THE VENDOR WHO CLAIMS TO BE T-A-B-C-T-A-B-C CERTIFIED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE AND NOT JUST RELY ON THEIR RESUME OR DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY MIGHT SHOW WHEN THEY APPLY TO BE A VENDOR. YES. AND THAT WOULD BE ME. THAT WOULD BE MY, THAT WOULD FALL TO ME TO DO THAT. THEY HAVE TO GET A LETTER FROM ME, UM, TO GET THE LICENSE, TO HAVE AN, UM, SOMEONE ELSE HAVE THEIR LICENSE COME OVER THERE, AND THEN I WOULD BE ABLE TO GO ON TO THEIR WEBSITE AND CONFIRM THAT THEY ACTUALLY DO HAVE THE LICENSE. AND THEN ALSO YOU CAN ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THE BARTENDERS HAVE THE LICENSES AS WELL. PERFECT. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO KNOW. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE? YOU HAVE TO, OKAY. ALRIGHT, CHIEF, YOU CAN ANSWER MY QUESTIONS WE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT, NOW, UH, THE FIRST QUESTION I WANNA ASK YOU ARE, ARE, UH, WEAPONS PERMITTED IN THE CIVIC CENTER? I HEARD IS, IS WEAPONS PERMITTED? YES, SIR. WE, WE CAN'T STOP WEAPONS IN THE CIVIC CENTER, JUST LIKE WE CAN'T STOP WEAPONS INTO THIS BUILDING UNLESS THAT SIGN IS POSTED. WHAT, THEN WHY DON'T THE FOLKS ARE SIGN IN THE, IN THE BUILDING? BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW TOO MANY. THEY GOT A LOT OF PUBLIC PLACES THAT CITIES OWN, LIKE CIVIC CENTER. THEY POST THOSE SIGNS. SO, NO, YOU GO AHEAD. I WAS GONNA SAY, BECAUSE WE PUT THE THING ON, WE DO GUN SHOWS THERE, SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T POST A SIGN SAYING THAT YOU, YOU CAN'T HAVE FIREARM WHEN YOU'RE DOING A GUN SHOW. WELL, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS THAT YOU COULD PUT, YOU KNOW, BUT FOR THE MAIN ROUTE, BECAUSE SOME PLACES THEY SAY NO WEAPON, BUT, YOU KNOW, OFFICERS, THERE'S PEOPLE LIKE THAT, THEY IDENTIFY WHO CAN, AND IT'S KNOWN, BUT IT'S NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL FOR ME RIGHT NOW IN THE, IN MY DECISION MAKING. SO THAT'S, I JUST FIND IT ODD THAT SOMEBODY COULD COME IN THERE WITH A WEAPON. OKAY. SO I, I THINK WE WAS ALL RIGHT. YOU JUST WANTED TO GET ME NO, NO, NO. NOW WE'RE GONNA GET TO THE QUESTION ACTUALLY. UM, THE [03:35:01] RESEARCH PRIOR TO THE CURRENT CITY ATTORNEY, I WAS TOLD THAT IN A PUBLIC FACILITY SUCH AS CITY HALL, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO BRING WEAPONS IN THE BUILDING. WE WANTED TO RESTRICT THAT FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES. I MEAN, CITY OF PORT ARTHUR EMPLOYEES AND PEOPLE THAT VISIT CITY HALL. BUT WE WERE TOLD THAT WE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A, UM, A CA CITY FACILITY, A PUBLIC FACILITY. AND I THINK AT ONE TIME, ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WITHOUT CALLING ANY NAMES, UM, WAS AGAINST LOCKING THE DOORS TO, TO THIS BUILDING BECAUSE IT IS A PUBLIC FACILITY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. LET'S GET ON TO THE MEAT AND POTATOES NOW. OKAY. NOW I READ EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL RECOMMENDED. THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED FOR US TO CONSIDER BANNING IT. THE FIRST THING THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT THAT I NEED AN ANSWER ON IS THEY SAY THAT BY BRINGING IN A LICENSED ALCOHOL VENDOR TO DO, TO SERVE THE LIQUOR. SO THAT'S GONNA STOP PEOPLE BRINGING ALCOHOL IN? UH, NO, SIR. WE'RE GONNA ATTEMPT TO, TO CURTAIL THE AMOUNT THAT THEY'RE BRINGING IN. SO BASICALLY WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE GONNA SNEAK ALCOHOL IN, IN BOTTLES AND PURSES AND BACK POCKETS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO, I I JUST WANT TO GET TO THE BOTTOM BECAUSE WHEN I READ IT, IT SAYS TO ELIMINATE THIS. NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT. OKAY. SO IF YOU'RE GONNA, THAT'S CORRECTED. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEXT THING THAT THEY'RE TALKED ABOUT IN HERE IS THE INCIDENTS. OKAY. INCIDENTS GONNA HAPPEN. OKAY. IF WE COULD DO SOMETHING WHERE WE COULD STOP THINGS FROM HAPPENING, WHY REQUIRE SECURITY? SO WE KNOW THAT THAT'S WHY WE REQUIRE PEOPLE TO HAVE POLICE OFFICERS THERE. THAT'S WHY WE REQUIRE IT TO DEAL WITH THAT. SO IF WE WANT TO TRY TO FIX IT. SO THERE AIN'T GONNA BE NO INCIDENT. WE DON'T NEED TO. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT WHEN I'M SAYING, I DON'T MIND LISTENING TO WHAT THEY'RE SAYING, BUT WHEN THEY SAYING SOMETHING, I WANT YOU TO SHOW ME WHERE THAT'S GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 'CAUSE I DON'T SEE IT. OKAY. AS FAR AS, WAS THAT YOUR STATEMENT OR IS THAT A QUESTION? I MEAN, IT WAS A STATEMENT, BUT YOU CAN, YOU CAN EXPOUND ON IT BECAUSE THAT THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. I WANT YOU TO EXPLAIN TO ME. OKAY. SOMETHING THAT'S, I'M READING AND I DON'T SEE WHAT IS SAYING. GO AHEAD. OKAY. WE, WE MET WITH THE SILVER SERVICE BOARD, IS IT CALLED? IT'S THAT CIVIC CENTER BOARD. CIVIC CENTER BOARD. AND THIS WAS A RECOMMENDATION. AND WE'VE HAD OTHER PEOPLE THAT APPROACHED ADAM, WHO RUNS, WHO, YOU KNOW, RUN RUNS THAT CENTER OKAY. TO TALK ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR PEOPLE VISITING CIVIC CENTER. AND, AND, UH, WE BROUGHT THIS TO THE BOARD MM-HMM . TO THE MANAGER. AND WE'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH YOU GUYS. OKAY. I ALSO TALKED TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION. WELL, TO TRY TO CURTAIL THAT. I'M GONNA VOTE, I'M GONNA VOTE ON IT. BUT THERE'S THINGS THAT YOU ALL ARE SAYING TO ME FOR ME TO SUPPORT IT. THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING BECAUSE WHAT YOU ALL ARE TELLING ME, I DON'T SEE IT BEING THAT MUCH OF A IMPACT. BECAUSE THE LAST THING AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME, 'CAUSE THIS IS NOT OUR FIRST RODEO SINCE I'VE BEEN A COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT ELIMINATING ALCOHOL AT THE CIVIC CENTER. WHEN THEY ELIMINATING SIR, UH, NO, I'M TA I'M TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY BRINGING IN ALCOHOL. RIGHT? OKAY. I'LL SAY THAT. THIS IS NOT MY FREE RODEO, BUT SOMEBODY ASKING COUNCIL TO STOP ALLOWING PEOPLE TO BRING IT. SO, OKAY. WE, WE'VE ENTERTAINED THAT BEFORE. SO MY QUESTION IS, THIS TIME AND ALL THINGS THAT YOU ALL SAY, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST REVENUE MAKING WE GOT OVER THAT, UH, ADAM CLASSROOM, UH, TO THE RENTAL OF THE BUILDING? RIGHT. AND IF, IF I COULD EXPAND ON THE QUESTION YOU ASKED THE CHIEF IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DID INCREASE SECURITY AND IT DID NOT HELP. REALLY? I'M TALKING REVENUE NOW. I HAD NO, I KNOW. I WAS JUST ADDING TO WHAT YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT EARLIER, THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE STATED IS THAT IT DID NOT REALLY, UH, CURTAIL OR MAKE THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE ON THE INCIDENTS THAT WE HAD. BUT AS FAR AS THAT, IT IS REVENUE OF OUR BUILDING IS OUR BIGGEST REVENUE RENTAL OF OUR BUILDING. OUR RENTAL RATES IS OUR BIGGEST REVENUE, WHICH YOU ASKED. OKAY. AND, [03:40:01] UH, WHAT TYPE OF RENTAL IS OUR BIGGEST REVENUE DRAWING? UH, CLASS REUNIONS OF CLASS REUNIONS IS IF YOU'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ONE SPECIFIC TYPE OF EVENT. RIGHT. THE ONES WE HAD THE MOST OF THAT ARE THE MOST COMMON ARE THE REUNIONS. RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND SEE, THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY CONCERN BECAUSE EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, WE HAVE ALWAYS SUBSIDIZED THE CIVIC CENTER. MM-HMM . EVERY YEAR WE PUT MONEY INTO THE CIVIC CENTER. THE CIVIC CENTER HAS NOT PAID FOR ITSELF SINCE I'VE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY SINCE 2011. SO IF WE GOING TO LOSE THIS REVENUE, THAT MEAN WE HAVE TO PUT IN MORE MONEY AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THAT'S NOT A BIG DEAL. BUT I'M JUST SAYING, JUST LIKE WHAT WE MOVING TOWARD, THEY HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY GO THERE AND HAVE THE UNION REUNION THERE, AND THEY'RE THE PEOPLE THAT'S GONNA SAY, WELL, WE AIN'T GOING THERE. AND IF WE DON'T, IF THEY DON'T GO THERE AND WE START LOSING MONEY, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE START GONNA HAVE AN OPERATIONAL PROBLEM. SO A LOT OF TIMES IT'S GOOD FOR US TO SET AND WE COME UP WITH DECISIONS. WE'RE NOT GONNA EVER PLEASE EVERYBODY. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THIS PARTICULAR REQUEST IS DEALING WITH REVENUE. AND SOMETIME ALL OF THESE THINGS I READ, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY THING I SAW WHERE WE REALLY LOOKED AT THE REVENUE SIDE, HOWEVER, WHEN WE DECIDE TO REDUCE THE, UH, CATERING FEES TO KIND OF COMPENSATE FOR THIS, AND, AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT, BUT, UH, HOW, HOW, HOW IS IT GONNA BE RECEIVED BY PEOPLE TO USE IT? SO I THINK THAT IF WE WERE GOING TO GO THIS ROUTE, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DO WITH A SPECIFIED TIME, UH, TO SEE IF IT'S GOING TO GIVE US ARE WE GONNA LOSE OR WHAT? NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT, I'M TALKING ABOUT, I'M LOOKING AT, MAN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO AGO, OR SIX MONTHS OR WHAT WEDNESDAY WHEN YOU, YOU WANT THE TRIAL PERIOD, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, RIGHT? GIVE IT A YEAR. I'M JUST, SO, I'M JUST, SO WHAT DO YOU THINK CONFUSED WITH THIS ONE? BECAUSE I JUST DON'T, WHAT, WHAT'S THE CONFUSION? BECAUSE LIKE WHAT, WHAT WE'RE ASKED TO DO BY, BY THE BOARD TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING TO PRESENT TO YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS ARE ABLE TO VOTE ON IT. WE'RE JUST PRESENTING. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IS TRY TO RESTRICT PEOPLE FROM BRINGING IN WEAPONS. NOW, IF YOU GUYS APPROVE IT, WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT, UH, AN INCIDENT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. BUT I THINK WE, WHAT ADAM WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND AND THE SAFETY PORTION OF, FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS WHAT WE'RE GOING, OR WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON. UM, IF, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. WHAT A COMMISSION, WHOSE SOLE, WHOSE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO TRY TO HELP AND DO WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH RECOMMENDATION. I KNOW WHAT AL'S RESPONSIBILITY IS. I KNOW WHAT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS. OKAY. YEAH. AND I THINK WE, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SHIFT THE LIABILITY FROM, OR AT LEAST MOST OF THE LIABILITY FROM THE CITY TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY SERVING ALCOHOL. BASED ON WHAT COUNCILMAN LEWIS WAS SAYING. WELL, HOW WE GOING? WE GOT, WE GOT INSURANCE AND WE LIABLE FOR CERTAIN THINGS THAT HAPPENS IN OUR FACILITY. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE INSURANCE. SO WHY WE TALKING ABOUT THAT? I MEAN, WE ARE, THAT'S OUR BUILDING. WE GOT INSURANCE. SOMETHING HAPPENED. WE ARE AT FAULT. THAT'S WHY WE GOT INSURANCE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AT FOUR. HOLD UP. WAIT A MINUTE. WAIT A MINUTE. COME HOLD UP. STOP. NO, YOU THROUGH. OKAY, COUNCILMAN FRANK. UH, ONE QUESTION I WANTED TO ASK WAS, SO I I, I DO REALIZE THAT WE DO THE GUN SHOWS THERE, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES OF BRINGING IN ALCOHOL AND, AND THEN MIXING, UH, ALCOHOL WITH GUN CARRY AS WELL. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE, BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO FIX SOME THINGS IN MY MIND. SO WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE A SIGN OUTSIDE, UH, THAT WOULD BE PORTABLE? OR DOES IT HAVE TO BE A POST-IT SIGN? THAT'S THERE ALWAYS, UM, UM, THAT WOULD SAY NO FIREARMS IN THIS BUILDING COULD, COULD THEY BE PORTABLE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU PUT OUTSIDE THE DOOR? COULD WE DO THAT? YEAH. IT, IT WOULD NEED TO BE PORTABLE [03:45:01] BECAUSE THE ONLY TIME WE CAN RESTRICT IT IS WHENEVER IT IS A LICENSED FACILITY WITH TAPC. AND THEN WE CAN AT THAT POINT, THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S ONE OF MY QUESTIONS. THEN I WANT TO ADDRESS WHAT I'M READING HERE. IT SAYS, WHEREAS NUMEROUS INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED AT EVENTS WITHIN THE CIVIC CENTER WHERE ALCOHOL FUELED ALTERCATIONS, OVERSERVING OF ALCOHOL INJURIES DUE TO SPILLS, BROKEN BOTTLES, AND EVEN FIGHTS REQUIRING LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERVENTION INTERVENTION HAVE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED THE SAFETY OF VETERANS AND CITY EMPLOYEES ALIKE. UH, INCLUDING, UH, INCIDENTS THAT HAVE LED TO EARLY EVENT SHUTDOWNS AND UNSAFE CONDITIONS FOR ATTENDEES. SO WHEN I GO TO A CLASS REUNION, I LEAVE BEFORE 12, AND I HAVE BEEN TO ONLY ONE CLASS REUNION OVER THE COURSE OF TIME WHERE THE LIGHTS HAD TO BE TURNED ON AND FOLK HAD TO LEAVE. I'VE ONLY BEEN TO ONE, I'VE BEEN TO PORT ARTHUR REUNIONS FOR NUMEROUS YEARS. AND SO I'VE ONLY BEEN TO ONE REUNION WHERE AN ALTERCATION OCCURRED AND THEY HAD TO TURN THE LIGHTS ON BEFORE IT WAS OVER. I DON'T GO TO A MALL. SO WHEN YOU SAY NUMEROUS, HOW NUM WHAT IS NUMEROUS? IS THAT MY QUESTION? YES, THAT'S YOUR QUESTION. I, I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS, SIR. YOU, UH, BUT I DO KNOW, AND I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT'S SITTING UP THERE KNOW WHAT I'M SPEAKING OF. AND THEY KNOW ABOUT MANY INCIDENTS, ESPECIALLY THE INCIDENT WHERE WE CALLED IN PEOPLE FROM OTHER AGENCIES BECAUSE WE WANTED TO SHOW VISIBLE PRESENCE INSTEAD OF FORCEFUL, FORCEFUL PRESENCE. WE COULD HAVE HANDLED IT AS PAPD, BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO PUSH PEOPLE AROUND SO WE HAD VISIBLE PRESENCE. SO WE CALLED IN OTHER AGENCIES JUST TO STAND THERE AND SHOW PRESENCE. SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT OUR HANDS ON ANYBODY. WE WERE TRYING TO DO IT DELICATELY. SO CHIEF, YOU'RE TELLING ME THIS IS A THING. THIS IS A THING. OKAY. I'M, I'M JUST, 'CAUSE I DON'T GO TO, I DON'T GO TO A LOT OF CLA I DON'T GO, I DON'T GO OUT A LOT LIKE THAT. SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THIS IS A THING I'M NOT TELLING YOU, I AM TELLING YOU IS AN ISSUE. I I'M NOT, I KNOW IT'S OCCURRED. I'M TELLING, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT LIKE, I'M TELLING YOU IT'S AN ISSUE. I'M TELLING YOU, IT'S THE THING WE FOUGHT EVERY WEEK AT THE AFRO SCENE. YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? SO I'M SAYING, I'M SAYING, WHEN YOU TELL ME NUMEROUS, I'M TALKING ABOUT FIVE OR SIX OCCURRENCES A YEAR. MAY, MAY, MAY, MAY, MAY I SAY I'M CHIEF YES, SIR. AND, AND ADAM AND EVERYONE HAS SPOKEN AND I'VE NEVER EVER SEEN ANYTHING. BUT I DONE STAYED THERE SO LONG HERE, MY PLANTING GREW . SO, UH, BUT, UH, IT, IT STARTED OUT DOWN HERE. AMEN IT OUT. SO, BUT, BUT I LIKE, I LIKE TO SAY THIS, I LIKE TO SAY THIS, I LIKE TO SAY THIS, UH, CULTURALLY IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ACCUSTOMED IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, A PART OF THE CULTURE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IS CLASS REUNIONS. AND THEY MOVED FROM, UH, I I, I'VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH. I CAN REMEMBER WHEN THEY WAS BEING AN TWINES. YEAH. AND, AND THEN, AND I COULD EVEN CALL MY MAMA, MAN, ONE OF THE WEST SIDE AUDITORIUM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW DEEP I CAN GO. AND THEN FROM THERE TO SACRED, BUILT A NICE PLACE. THEY HAD SOME THERE. THEN ANTOINE'S, OF COURSE, IF YOU HAD A BIGGER CLASS, THEN THEY BUILT THE CIVIC CENTER. AND WE WOULD GO TO BEAUMONT, TO THE HARVEST CLUB AND, AND, AND THEN BACK TO PORT ARTHUR TO THE IBEW. THAT'S WHAT WE USED TO CALL IT BACK THEN. NOW AT THE US SEAL WORKERS OF AMERICA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. ANYWAY, I'M JUST SAYING ALL THAT TO BE THE, GEE, SOME HISTORY ON THIS. ALL OF THESE YEARS AND ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT OCCURRENCES WITH DIFFERENT CLASSES AND FOLK WERE TURNING TO PORT ARTHUR. 'CAUSE THEY, MOST OF 'EM HAD ATTENDED LINCOLN AND THEN THOMAS JEFFERSON GOT INVOLVED AND STEVEN NEMAN GOT INVOLVED AND BISHOP BURN GOT INVOLVED. SO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT, IT IS COME A BIG MELTING POT NOW OF ALL OF THE SCHOOLS, ALL OF THE CLASSES PARTICIPATING IN REUNIONS. ONE OF THE PRACTICES IN A REUNION IN PORT ARTHUR, I'VE NEVER DONE IT, BUT I SEE PEOPLE DO IT. THEY TAKE A TABLE AND THEY WOULD SPEND FOUR OR $5,000 DECORATING THAT TABLE, HAVING FLOWERS, CHAIRS, LIGHTS, EV YOU KNOW, EVERY, THE WORKS, ALCOHOL, FOOD, YOU NAME IT, THEY HAVE IT THERE. HOWEVER, ALL OF THESE GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS ARE MORE MATURE [03:50:01] INDIVIDUALS. AND WHEN I SAY MORE MATURE INDIVIDUALS, THESE ARE CLASSES THAT THEY'VE BEEN OUTTA SCHOOL 30 YEARS OR 40 YEARS. OR LIKE MY CLASS, 50 PLUS YEARS. OKAY. YES, I KNOW I LOOK YOUNG, BUT IT'S BEEN LIKE THAT. OKAY. SO I MEAN, WE GOING TO CONSUME, UH, UH, UH, THOSE LIBATIONS IN A, IN, IN A MORE RESPONSIBLE MANNER THAN MAYBE SOME OTHERS. I WAS A WITNESS THERE. OKAY, ADAM, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU YOUR PROPS, MAN ON YOU AND YOUR, YOUR YOUR, YOUR STAFF THERE. I'M THERE FOR ALL A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS AND YOU ALL ARE ALWAYS DOING A GREAT JOB. E EVEN IN THOSE ADVERSARIAL TYPE, UH, ENVIRONMENTS, I'VE SEEN YOU ALL COME RISE TO THE OCCASIONS. CHIEF, I'VE SEEN YOUR PERSONS, YOUR PEOPLE RISE TO THE OCCASIONS, MAN. I KNOW IF I HAD BEEN A POLICEMAN, I WOULD'VE ARRESTED A COUPLE OF PEOPLE AND I SAW AND SAID, MAN, GO HOME. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I WAS STANDING THERE LOOKING AT, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY DIDN'T WANNA DO PAPERWORK OR WHATEVER, BUT THEY LET THE PEOPLE CALL. OKAY? BUT THE CLASSES THAT WERE CELEBRATED, A REUNION, NOTHING AGAINST, UH, MY, MY, UH, COLLEAGUE, IT'S OUR FRIENDS. 10 YEAR PEOPLE. YEAH. 15 YEAR PEOPLE. THAT'S WHY SHE COULD TELL YOU THEY NEED TO HAVE SOME TAB, C PEOPLE THERE. AND I KNOW IF I'VE HAD TOO MUCH, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE HAD TOO MUCH AND YOU OLD ENOUGH, YOU TAKING ALL KIND OF HEART MEDICINE AND KIDNEY MEDICINE, YOU ALREADY KNOW YOU AIN'T SUPPOSED TO DRINK. OKAY? NOW, THESE YOUNG FOLK, THEY DON'T EVEN MEASURE THE DRINK. THEY DRINK OUT THE BOTTLE. , OKAY? I'VE BEEN THERE. THEY DRINK OUT THE BOTTLE, THEN THEY GO TAKE A PILL AND THEY GO SMOKE SOMETHING. I DON'T KNOW WHAT COME BACK INTO PLACE. OKAY? THAT'S FACTS. I CAN'T SUPPORT PUTTING THIS ON EVERYBODY. AND I KNOW ADAM, WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT IT. YOU CAN'T DISCRIMINATE BY TELLING THE 10 YEAR CLASS, BUT HELL, YOU CAN TELL 'EM TO PLACE RENTED AND DON'T HAVE NOBODY THERE. IT'S ALL RIGHT MAN. YOU AIN'T MAKING NO MONEY. NO. SAID WE DON'T CARE. OKAY? . OKAY. RIGHT. NO, LOOK, YOU LOOK, YOU JUST HAVE TO CALL MY GRANDMA SAID LIKE YOU SHOULD CALL A SPADE A SPADE. THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE, SOME AT WHOM I HAD EVEN TAUGHT, OKAY? NEXT YEAR IT'LL BE THE 10. THAT'S BE THE LAST CLASS I WAS WITH WAS IN 17. OKAY? THEY MIGHT NOT NEED TO RENT YOUR PLACE, LET THEM GO ON THE PARK AND HAVE WHAT THEY WANT TO HAVE ON THE PARK. MAYBE AT 20 YEARS THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO COME INSIDE AND FOLLOW THE TRADITION, FOLLOW THE CUSTOMS THAT ARE IN PLACE. WHAT WE ARE HAVING RIGHT NOW, WE ARE HAVING, I THINK, A GREAT DIVIDE WITH GENERATIONAL WHAT THEY CALL 'EM, BUT THEY CALL 'EM NEW PEOPLE, ZENS OR SOMETHING. THEN VINS AND QUEENS, OKAY? THAT GENERATION, THAT'S MY GRANDCHILDREN. YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW THEY DO IT. I'M A BABY BOOMER, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND MAYBE THE EX AND OTHERS, YOU KNOW, WE DO NOT INVOLVE OURSELVES IN CELEBRATIONS OR IN A CELEBRATORY MANNER. THE WAY THESE YOUNGER FOLK, I UNDERSTAND Y'ALL CHIEF, BUT I WANT TO ASK THIS. I DON'T, I JUST SAID ALL THAT 'CAUSE I FELT LIKE TALKING. NOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR EVERY INCIDENT OR THAT OUGHT BE THIS, EVERY OCCASION AT THE CIVIC CENTER, CIVIC CENTER, RENT, PURCHASE OR WHATEVER, OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. HEY MAN, I FLY A LOT. A LOT OF US FLY A LOT. NO, I WANT 'EM TO CHECK ME AND EVERYBODY ELSE GETTING ON A PLANE, OKAY? I DON'T WANT NO TERRORISTS GETTING ON THERE, NOT JUST KNOWINGLY. SO IF WE CAN HAVE METAL DETECTIVES, THEM LADIES, THEM LITTLE PRETTY AND THEM LITTLE, THEY DON'T WEAR MUCH CLOTHES ANYWAY. SO THEY CAN'T BE HIDING A GUN. Y'ALL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I'M JUST TELLING THE TRUTH. AND YOU, WE CHECK THESE PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME IN. YOU UNDERSTAND? AND I COULD DO THAT FOR Y'ALL. I'LL HELP Y'ALL WITH THAT ONE. OKAY? LOOK, I THINK WE COULD WORK ON THIS. WE COULD KEEP THE CUSTOM THAT WE HAVE. WE JUST CHANGED THE ENTRY SETTING. THEY BEEN TRYING TO DO IT WITH THE, WITH THE WRISTBAND. AND YOU ALREADY KNOW, I KNOW I GOING A WHOLE BUNCH. I AIN'T HAD NO WRISTBAND. I JUST WENT IN THERE. OKAY? NOT JUST BECAUSE I WAS THE MAYOR. I WAS GONNA DO A GOAL ANYWAY BECAUSE I COULD MAKE ME A WRIST MAN THAT LOOKED LIKE THE ONES THEY HAD THAT, THAT THAT'S GOING THAT PEOPLE GONNA SEE IT [03:55:01] AGAIN IN. BUT TONIGHT WAS MY FIRST TIME HEARING ABOUT THE WEAPONS AND HOW YOU CAN, YOU CAN'T STOP A PERSON FROM BRINGING THE WEAPON IN. NOW I UNDERSTAND THE MIXTURE THAT WEAPON AND ALCOHOL IN THAT, THAT THAT'S VOLATILE. BUT IS THERE A WAY THAT YOU ALL COULD GO BACK AND STUDY THIS MAN, THANK AND, AND, AND WHEN I'M EVERYBODY SAYING, NO, NO, NO, BUT NO, GO BACK AND STUDY IT WITH THE ELEMENT OF JUAN, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, JUAN. AND, UH, FOLK, YOU, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T, IF OKAY, IF YOU HAVE A WEAPON ON YOU, YOU, YOU NOT COMING IN ON THE ALCOHOL PART. I THINK, I KNOW YOU AIN'T NEVER HAD NO PROBLEM OUTTA CLASS OF 72. OKAY? I DON'T THINK YOU, MAYBE WE DIDN'T WANNA PAY YOU, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUT HAVE YOU HAVE NO OTHER KIND OF PROBLEMS. MAYOR, MAYOR. UM, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RESTRICTING WEAPONS, THEN WE'RE BACK TO THE LEGAL ADVICE PRIOR TO THE CITY NEW CITY ATTORNEY. YEAH. WHAT'S, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE THING WE CAN'T RESTRICT WEAPONS. LEMME JUST MAKE IT CLEAR THAT, THAT THIS, SORRY. THIS CITY ATTORNEY HAS NOT BEEN ASKED TO LEGALLY RESEARCH ANYTHING INVOLVING WEAPONRY AND ALCOHOL AT THE CIVIC CENTER. WE'VE ONLY ADVISED ON THE ALCOHOL POLICY AND THE LIABILITY RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AND EXECUTIVE SESSION. THANK YOU. AGREED. BUT WITH, WITH THAT SAID, IT WOULDN'T, IT WOULDN'T BENEFIT US. I THINK THAT WHAT WE BROUGHT FORWARD, IT WAS FROM, I GUESS THE BOARD THAT YOU GUYS APPOINTED MAYOR. OH, THE, THE THE MAYOR POINTS. YEAH. THAT THE MAYOR POINTED. AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE BRINGING TO YOU GUYS. OKAY? UP IT IS UP TO YOU. AS COUNCIL UC SAID, ME SAY, IT'S UP TO YOU GUYS, WHETHER YOU WANT TO SEE IT OR NOT. IT WE'RE JUST BRINGING SOMETHING THAT WE WERE ASKED TO BRING FORWARD. HAVE YOU GUYS TAKE A LOOK AT IT? YEAH. AND YEAH, OR NAY IT, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT SAFER AND YEAH, ME, AND, AND IF YOU GUYS APPROVE IT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO STOP EVERYTHING 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT, AND I'M NOT GONNA GET PAINT IN THE CORNER AND SAY, IF WE DO THIS, THIS, AND THIS, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. I CAN'T PREDICT THAT. BUT I'M SAYING HERE'S WHAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD BECAUSE WE THINK THAT IT'S GOOD FOR EVERYBODY AND WE COULDN'T PUT RESTRICTIONS ON IT. WHICH I THINK MAYBE WHERE YOU WERE LEADING AS FAR AS AGE GROUPS, BECAUSE I THINK THIS, THIS CITY ATTORNEY SAID IT WOULD BE DISCRIMINATION. YEAH. LET ME, LET ME SUGGEST THIS, SIR. THIS KIND OF LEAD. BUT YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE, I THINK IT'S COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE TO SAID A TRIAL PERIOD, OR WHAT IF YOU CONSIDER A PERIOD A YEAR, TWO YEARS, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE COULD COME BACK AND REVISIT IT. THAT THAT'S A, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA THOUGH. LET US SEE HOW IT, IF IT SIGNIFICANTLY DIS DISSUADES PEOPLE FROM USING THIS FACILITY AND WHAT IMPACT IT'S HAVING ON REVENUE. BUT I, I WOULD STILL WANT YOU ON THE TABLE THAT I DON'T WANNA SIGN THAT . Y'ALL DO THAT IN JUNE. I'M, I'M BEING SERIOUS ABOUT THAT. JUST, JUST WAIT TILL JUNE DO IT. I WANT MY, I DON'T WANT MY SIGNATURE ON THAT. YOU WANNA MAKE IT DEFECTIVE , I'M, I'M TELLING, I'M GONNA TELL THE TRUTH. I DON'T WANT TO BE THE MAYOR. LET HIM SIGN OR WHOEVER BE THE MAYOR, LET THEM SIGN THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT YOU NOT GOING TO LET FOLK, BECAUSE THE FOLK IN MY AGE GROUP, THEY ARE VEHEMENTLY AGAINST SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND DO SAID OLDER THAN ME. I KNOW HIS PEOPLE, BUT THEY WANT, WE WANT TO USE THE PORT ARTHUR CIVIC EXAMPLE. I'M JUST TELLING YOU NOW, YOU KNOW, IT AIN'T NOTHING PERSONAL. AND Y'ALL KNOW, I SUPPORT STAFF PROFESSIONALLY ON EVERY, ON EVERY OWN FOR WHATEVER. BUT IT'S JUST, I I THINK IT'S SOMETHING BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO IT. THIS THIS ILL ILL AFFECTS LARGER GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS AND THAT'S THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN OUT THERE. I WAS THERE, YOU YOU, Y'ALL REMEMBER THAT NIGHT THEY WERE PASSING OUT? I THOUGHT THEY WAS AT CHURCH. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I SAW IT. YEAH. I AN EXAMPLE, I WITNESSED IT, BUT IT WAS, AND IT WAS BASICALLY BECAUSE, AND SO MUCH OF IT WASN'T ALCOHOL, MAN. Y'ALL NEED TO CATCH SOME THEM DOPE DEALERS AND STUFF. YEAH. THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL GOTTA CATCH. WELL, I GUESS SUMMATION, I GUESS I'M SPEAKING ABOUT 'EM TOO, BUT I'M REALLY NOT. AND SUMMATION ON MY PART IS [04:00:01] I'M JUST A SOLDIER IN THE CITY'S ARMY. WHATEVER YOU GUYS WANT TO DO, IT'S UP TO YOU. UH, I'M JUST A SOLDIER NORM, MAN. I'M, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO SAVE LIVES. THAT'S IT. IT'S UP TO YOU GUYS BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT HAD 'EM FALL. THAT WASN'T WHAT THEY WERE DRINKING. THAT'S WHAT THEY, THEY GO OUTSIDE TO THE CAR AND COME BACK. THEY COME BACK, THEY WALKED OUT STRAIGHT AND THEY COME BACK. THEY STUMBLING AND CAN ON, BUT I MEAN, LET'S VOTE. YOU KNOW WHAT Y'ALL WANT TO DO. CAN WE, I I HAVE GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. ALRIGHT. UM, I'M ASKING THAT WE DO NOT PLEASE, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE MANAGER, THIS IS NOT A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE A TRIAL PERIOD. IF PEOPLE SAY THEY'RE GONNA GO TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION, THEN THEY'RE GONNA PAY THIS APPROXIMATE $500 FEE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SECURE THE TABC LICENSED, UM, BARTENDER, WE HAVE TO UPGRADE OURSELVES. WE GOT TO COME INTO THIS CENTURY. THIS IS HOW THINGS GO. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ELDER CLASSES MAY NOT HAVE THESE ISSUES, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. AND THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS TO HELP US TO BE SAFER. WHEN IT COMES TO A TIME WHEN PEOPLE ARE HAVING UNLIMITED ALCOHOL, THEN IT'S BOUND. I DON'T CARE HOW OLD YOU ARE, BUT I MEAN, YOU, YOU MAY KNOW SOME OLD SCHOOL PEOPLE THAT CAN DRINK YOU UNDER THE TABLE, BUT THAT'S NOT THE PEOPLE I'M TALKING ABOUT WITH YOUR FREE, WHEN LIBATIONS ARE INVOLVED, IT IS APT FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE WHATEVER INCIDENT THAT STARTED AT A FIVE AND ENDS AT A 25. AND IT CANNOT, AND SOMETIMES IT IS NOT PRETTY. SO I'M ALSO ASKING CHIEF THAT WHEN THESE INCIDENTS DO HAPPEN, AND WE HAVE THE PROPER PRESENCE THERE OF OUR, UM, PAPD OR THE OTHER OFFICERS THAT YOU MAY CALL IN, THAT THEY NOT JUST BE VISIBLE, BUT BE MORE PROACTIVE. AND AGAIN, I'M NOT ASKING FOR THEM TO BE AGGRESSIVE, BUT I AM ASKING FOR THEM TO BE MORE PROACTIVE IN THESE SITUATIONS AND NOT REACTIVE. THAT HAS BEEN THE COMPLAINT FROM MY GENERATION OF WHEN INCIDENTS HAPPEN THAT IT TAKES TOO LONG IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BE DEESCALATED. SO WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, AGAIN, KEEPING THE MAIN THING, THE MAIN THING THIS IS ABOUT, I WANNA BE CLEAR. WE ARE NOT ELIMINATING, WE ARE NOT ELIMINATING ALCOHOL USE IN THE CIVIC CENTER. WE ARE REQUIRING THAT THOSE WHO HOST WILL BE REQUIRED TO USE A-T-A-B-C LICENSED BARTENDER. AND IF THESE CLASSES CHOOSE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, EVERY OTHER FACILITY REQUIRES IT. THAT'S WHY THEY KEEP COMING TO US. SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, AGAIN, ARE MAKING THE BEST INTEREST FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THIS, OF ALL OF THE CITIZENS IN PORT ARTHUR. NOT SPECIFIC, NOT JUST SPECIFIC AGE GROUPS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, IN THE, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY INCIDENTS, AND IT WAS CONSIDERED SEVERAL, WE'VE HAD A FEW DEATHS, WE'VE HAD, UH, MORE THAN A FEW FIGHTS. ALL OF THIS STUFF SPILLS OVER AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP TAILOR AND DECREASE THESE NEGATIVE INCIDENTS THAT HARM THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE, THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE EVENT AT THE CIVIC CENTER AND THOSE THAT THEY AFFECT WHEN THEY LEAVE. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES. JUST BRIEFLY. YOU ALL DOING THE RIGHT THING. YOU, YOU'RE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE, THE WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, UH, DISORDERLY CONDUCT, YOU'RE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THAT. AND THE THING ABOUT CIVIC CENTERS AND CERTAIN, UH, ENTERTAINMENT AREAS, THEY ARE ATTRACTIONS. THEY'RE NOT GONNA MAKE A PROFIT. THEY'RE NOT GONNA MAKE A PROFIT. THEY ARE ATTRACTIONS. OKAY? BEACHES OR CIVIC CENTERS, THEY ARE ATTRACTIONS. THAT'S WHY WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THE HOTEL MOTEL TAX TO CAPTURE SOME OF THAT OFFSET THE ATTRACTIONS. OKAY? IF YOU, IF YOU'RE TIED TO LOOKING AT A PROFIT, NO, BUT, AND ANOTHER THING, WHEN YOU ALL, WHEN YOU ALL, AND I'M SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, LICENSED BARTENDER, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THAT, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO MINIMIZE BRINGING IN PINTS ABOUT QUARTZ AND GALLONS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. OKAY? UH, [04:05:02] WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU DO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO, IF THAT IS IMPLEMENTED, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN? THEY GOING TO, THEY'RE GOING TO GO GET AWAY FROM THE HAND BRINGING THE LIQUOR AND, AND THE QUARTS AND LITERS OR WHAT HAVE YOU. THEY'RE GONNA STILL BRING IT IN. THEY GONNA GET 'EM A LITTLE FLASH. THEY GONNA PUT 'EM IN A LITTLE FLASH, AND THAT'S WHAT'S, IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T CONTROL THAT. NOW, WEAPONS ALLOWED INTO THE, AND THAT, THAT'S A NO-NO. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO MINIMIZE THAT WHEN YOU POST A SIGN OR WHATEVER, BUT IF ANYBODY DO ANYTHING OR BRING A WEAPON AND GET CAUGHT WITH A WEAPON, THEY ON THEIR OWN. BUT, AND MINIMIZE OUR LIABILITY. MAKE SURE THOSE VENDORS HAVE ALL THE INSURANCE AND, AND, AND PERMITS AND WHAT THEY NEED. BUT AS FAR AS, UH, STOPPING, UH, ALL THAT EXCESSIVE DRINKING, THAT'S A WAY TO CURB IT. AND THEY, THEY, THEY, IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS WHEN YOU'RE COMING IN THERE WITH A, A, A, A BIG LITER AS OPPOSED TO A FLASH OR YOU KNOW WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR INSIDE POCKET. Y'ALL KNOW HOW YOU DO IT. YOU KNOW, THURMAN KNOW HOW YOU DO IT. THEY USED TO TELL HIM, NO, MISS JA, I'M EXAGGERATING NOW. LIKE AT THE GAMES, AT THE, AT THE FOOTBALL GAME, THEY DON'T, THEY DIDN'T ALLOW YOU TO BRING LIQUOR IN THERE, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT A LOT OF 'EM DID WHAT THEY SAID, OKAY, I CAN'T BRING IT IN. SO THEY'LL STEP BACK FROM THE GATE AND OPEN IT UP AND DRINK IT ALL AND THROW IT IN THE TRASH AND WALK RIGHT ON HERE. . BUT YOU KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO MINIMIZE LOOK CALLED A COUPLE OF EVENTS SPILLED OVER INTO THE DOWNTOWN AREA. YOU THINK IT ALL HAPPENED DOWN, BUT IT SPILLED OVER FROM A CIVIC CENTER DOWN HERE. SO DO WHAT YOU CAN TO MINIMIZE, OKAY, COUNCILMAN FRANK. YOU SEE? NO, I'M READY. IT'S MY MISTAKE. READY? THE CLASS COULD ACTUALLY MAKE A PERCENTAGE OFF OF THE VENDOR. I CAN. YEAH, IF YOU, YOU CAN NEGOTIATE WITH THE, IF YOU HAVE A VENDOR COME IN, UH, YOU CAN NEGOTIATE, GET A PERCENTAGE OF THEIR SALES. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UH, LAST YEAR WE HAD 10 EVENTS THAT ACTUALLY USED VENDORS AND MOST OF THOSE WERE TO MAKE A PROFIT OFF OF IT. THEY ACTUALLY GOT A PERCENTAGE OF THE SALES OF THE ALCOHOL. AND AGAIN, THAT'S SALES. YOU. WE ALSO COULD JUST HAVE THE BARTENDERS AND YOU COULD BRING THE ALCOHOL, PURCHASE IT YOURSELF AND JUST HAVE THE ALCOHOL BEING SERVED BY THAT LICENSED VENDOR. AS LONG AS YOU TURN THE ALCOHOL OVER TO 'EM, IT ALSO LASTS THING. IT'LL HAVE A CUTOFF TIME CUTOFF AT, IF THE EVENT ENDS AT 12 AT ONE CUTOFF, STOP SELLING, SERVING ALCOHOL AT 1230. THE WAY IT IS RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE SHOOING 'EM OUT THE BUILDING. THEY'RE STILL DRINKING. AND, AND THAT'S WHENEVER THE CHAOS STARTS IS AFTER USUALLY MIDNIGHT IS WHENEVER IT STARTS GETTING SO, BUT I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, WE, WE, WE NEED TO VOTE ON IT. JOHN, WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE? FOR A VOTE CALL FOR A BOAT. ROLL CALL. ROLL CALL. OH, WE'VE BEEN THERE TOO LONG. EVERYTHING, ALL THE BATTERY'S DYING. MY BATTERY DEAD. MAYOR PROTE BECKHAM? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER D SIT. NO COUNCIL MEMBER. FRANK? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON EVER FIELD? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS? YES. MAYOR BARTY? NO. THE MEASURE BILLS FOR TIE VOTE. OKAY. UH, NO, NOT TY BOAT. I'M SORRY. HUH? THAT'S NOT A TY BOAT. I APOLOGIZE. MEASURE FAILS. HUH? MEASURE FAILS. PERIOD. WAIT. THREE. NO. THREE YEARS, HUH? HUH? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. OH, OH, YOU SAID YEAH, YOU SAID THEY PASSED THE FIRST TIME, HUH? OKAY, MA'AM, IT GET TOO LATE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. OKAY. IT FAILED. YEAH. FAILED DUE TO A TIE. YEAH, IT, IT, THE VOTE THREE IS THREE. THREE. OKAY. NOW STILL ON PAGE EIGHT, UH, [VIII.A.(9) P.R. No. 24225 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Special Road Use And Indemnity Agreement And Permit With Duphil, Inc. Of Orange, Texas] NUMBER NINE, UH, PR NUMBER 24, 2 2 5. IT'S A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO INFANT SPECIAL ROAD USE AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT WITH AND PERMIT WITH, UH, DUFFIELD, UH, DUFFIELD INCORPORATED OF ORANGE. I HOPE I SAID IT CORRECTLY. UH, UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN ETT. SO [04:10:01] MOVED. MAY I GET A SECOND? UH, UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK, IF WE MOVE SECOND, WE, WE READY FOR QUESTIONS? QUESTION. GO AHEAD. OKAY. ON THIS, ON THIS ROAD, ARE WE GONNA TAKE A PICTURE OF THIS ROAD BEFORE WE GET INTO THIS? 'CAUSE I, I NOTICED THE, UH, THE BOND. WHAT DID THEY TELL THE ROAD MORE THAN WHAT THAT BOND IS? WHY DON'T WE TAKE A PICTURE OF THE ROAD AND USE THAT AS A BASIS? WE CAN DO THAT. WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE OF THE ROAD. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. ARE WE GOOD? YES. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES AYES HAVE SO IT IS, UH, APPROVED. SPR NUMBER 24 2 2 5. OKAY, [VIII.B.(1) P.O. No. 7313 – An Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas, Suspending The Rates Proposed By Texas Gas Service Company's Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program Filing Made With The City On Or About February 11, 2025; Finding That The Meeting Complies With The Open Meetings Act; Making Other Findings And Provisions Related To The Subject, And Declaring An Effective Date] ON PAGE NINE, ORDINANCES, WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE 73 13, UH OH. OKAY. IT IS AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS SUSPENDING THE RATES PROPOSED BY TEXAS GAS COMP SERVICE COMPANY'S GAS RELIABILITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM, UH, FILING MADE WITH THE CITY ON OR ABOUT FEBRUARY 11TH, 2025, FINDING THAT THE MEETING, UH, COMPLIES WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS AT MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. COUNCILMAN FRANK. SO MOVED. I GET A SECOND. COUNCILMAN ETT SECOND. IF REMOVE THE SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, APPROVE ALL 73 1 3. WE READY FOR QUESTION? NO QUESTIONS. YES, I DO HAVE A QUESTION. OKAY, GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. CITY MANAGER. I'M ASKING IF WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW UP WITH TEXAS GAS REGARDING THE HORRIFIC AND CONSISTENT GAS ODOR AT DRIVE ROAD AND STADIUM. YES, WE HAVE TRIED TO FIND OUT WHO THE NEW HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT IS, BUT WE STILL NOT HAVE, HAVE WE STILL NOT YET HAVE HAD A RESPONSE FROM THEM? DOES THIS ORDINANCE INCLUDE WHEN I READ GAS RELIABILITY INFRASTRUCTURE? COULD THAT THE CONCERN THAT I'VE BEEN SHARING WITH Y'ALL, DOES IT, DOES IT FALL UNDER THAT CATEGORY? I, I DON'T THINK SO. THAT, I THINK THAT SPECIFICALLY RELATES TO THE RATES THAT'S BEEN CHARGED TO OUR CUSTOMERS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. THANK YOU, SIR. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YEAH. CITY MANAGER. ON THE, THE PROPOSED RATE, WE ARE SUSPENDING A PROPOSED RATE, CORRECT? OR WHAT ARE WE GOING TO, WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO, LET ME SAY TO THE CITY ATTORNEY ON THIS, 'CAUSE THE CITY ATTORNEY, EVERY YEAR GAS AND ENERGY COME TO REQUEST RATE INCREASES IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. AND THIS IS ANOTHER ANNUAL GAS UTILITY RATE INCREASE. AND THEY HAVE GIVEN YOU AN OPTION TO SUSPEND THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE RATE INCREASE FOR 45 DAYS BEYOND THE COMPANY'S PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE. SO THIS IS JUST A REPRIEVE FOR 45 DAYS, THE RATES ARE GONNA INCREASE. SO YOU APPROVE THIS MOTION TO HOLD IT OFF FOR 45 DAYS. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE DONE? HOW DO WE KNOW THEY JUSTI JUSTIFIED A RATE INCREASE? HOW DO WE KNOW THIS? RIGHT? THERE'S A COMMISSION, THE STATE AGENCY REVIEWS THE APPLICATION AND THERE'S NEGOTIATIONS AT HIGH LEVELS INVOLVING WHETHER OR NOT THE RATE INCREASE IS JUSTIFIED. USUALLY WE GET REQUESTS EVERY, EVERY YEAR WE DO GET REQUESTS THAT IF THE CITY WANTS TO TRY TO NEGOTIATE THE RATE INCREASE, THEN WE CAN HIRE AN OUTSIDE COUNCIL WHO REPRESENTS NUMEROUS CITIES TO TRY TO GET THE RATE INCREASE REDUCED OR NEGOTIATED TO A REDUCED LEVEL. SO THERE IS AN EXTENSIVE PERIOD OF NEGOTIATION THAT HAPPENS AT THE STATE LEVEL INVOLVING THE RATE INCREASES. SO WE'RE GOING TO, WE ARE GOING TO GET, HIRE SOME EXPERTS TO DEAL WITH THIS. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. IT'S A VERY EXPERIE IT'S A VERY, VERY NARROW TAILORED FIELD AND IT'S USUALLY DONE IN AUSTIN. LEMME MAKE SURE I I, I'M, I'M CLEARLY HEARING YOU CLEARLY WE ARE GOING TO GET SOME OUTSIDE. WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE GOING TO DO TO, TO VERIFY THAT THEY, TO LOOK AT THIS RATE INCREASE AND SEE AND SEE IF THEY, SEE IF THEY ARE, IF IT'S WARRANTED. HUH? [04:15:04] ? LOOK, UH, WE ARE THE FIRST LINE COUNCILMAN LEWIS. I WILL WORK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY TO, UM, SEE TO THIS BECAUSE THERE'S NORMALLY A, AN ATTORNEY THAT WE WORK WITH. WHEN, WHEN THE FORMER CITY ATTORNEY WAS THERE, WE WOULD CALL UP THE CITY WHEN IT, ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH GAS OR ENERGY WE OR DO ENERGY. YES. WE, WE NORMALLY WORK WITH THEM, SO WE DO THE SAME THING IF THAT IS NEEDED. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, ANY ANYONE ELSE? WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYE. SO IT IS, UH, APPROVED. UH, [VIII.B.(2) P.O. No. 7315 – An Ordinance Authorizing The Sale Of Surplus Property By A Public Online Auction Through Rene Bates Auctioneers, Inc] NEXT WE HAVE PEO NUMBER 73 15 ORLEANS AUTHORIZED IN THE STATE THE SALE OF A SURPLUS PROPERTY BY A PUBLIC ONLINE AUCTION THROUGH RENEE BATES AUCTIONEERS INCORPORATED. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR? MOTION HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE THIS ONE. UH, WE READY FOR QUESTION? ANY QUESTIONS? NO, WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES AYES HAVE TO SHOW PR NUMBER 73 15 IS APPROVED. [VIII.B.(3) P.O. No. 7320 – An Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas, Suspending The Rates Proposed By Centerpoint Energy Resources Corp., D/B/A Centerpoint Energy Entex And Centerpoint Energy Texas Gas Company's Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program Filing Made With The City On Or About February 18, 2025; Finding That The Meeting Complies With The Open Meetings Act; Making Other Findings And Provisions Related To The Subject, And Declaring An Effective Date] NEXT WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER THREE, PR 73 20. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS SUSPENDING THE RACE PROPOSED BY CENTER POINT ENERGY RESOURCES CORPORATION, DBA CENTER POINT ENERGY, UH, INEX AND CENTER POINT ENERGY, TEXAS GAS COMPANIES GAS RELIABILITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM, UH, FILING MADE WITH THE CITY ON OR ABOUT FEBRUARY 18TH, 2025. 2025. EXCUSE ME, FINDING THAT THE MEETING COMPLIES WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. SO MOVED. I GET A SECOND. IT IS BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PRO NUMBER 73 20 AS APPROVED. WE FOR QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS. READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? CHUCK? YEAH. OH, YOU HAD A QUESTION? OKAY. JUST A MINUTE. JUST ALL YOUR VOTES. TAKE YOUR VOTES BACK. CITY ATTORNEY. WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THIS, THIS THEY'LL PURCHASING GAS, THEY'LL PURCHASING IN FUEL. UH, OKAY, PRESSURE. HOW ARE THEY, ARE THEY MEASURING IT THROUGH BTUS AND SELLING IT TO THE CUSTOMER FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST THROUGH THE MEASUREMENT? SEE IF YOU BUY AND WHO'S AND WHO NEED TO FIND OUT WHO'S CALIBRATING THE, THE, THE METERS TO COME AND GO METERS. AND WHO'S CALIBRATING THE MASTER METERS AND ARE WE BUYING BY BTU AS OPPOSED TO FLOW? I KNOW THEY CAN SELL IT TO THE CUSTOMER FOR, BASED ON THE FLOOR, BUT THE MASTER METERS WE BUY BY BTU BECAUSE YOU CAN FLOW BECAUSE SAW SOMETHING, IF IT'S, IF IT FALLS LOW ON A, ON THE BTU, THAT MEANS THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO FLOW MORE TO GET THE SAME HEAT. THAT'S TOO TECHNICAL FOR ME. I'M NOT AN ENGINEER READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. THANK YOU. OKAY, [VIII.B.(4) P.O. No. 7322 – An Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 25-10 For Purpose Of Cancelling The Conduct Of A Joint Election With The Sabine Pass Independent School District; Providing For The Conduct Of The May 3, 2025 General Election For The Purpose Of Electing A Mayor, In The City Of Port Arthur, Texas; Providing For A Joint Election With The Port Arthur Independent School District, The Port Of Port Arthur Navigation District, And The Sabine Pass Port Authority In Accordance With Chapter 271 Of The Texas Election Code, And Providing For The Publication Of The Election Notice] NEXT WE HAVE ON PAGE 10 PO NUMBER 73 22. IT IS AN ORDINANCE, UH, AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 DASH 10 FOR A PURPOSE OF COUNSELING, UH, THE CONDUCT OF A JOINT ELECTION OR CONDUCTING. I SAID, BUT IT DID SAY COUNSELING THE CONDUCT. OKAY. THAT'S RIGHT. MY BAD. CANCELING THE CONDUCT OF A, OF A JOINT ELECTION WITH THE SABINE PAST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT PROVIDING FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE MAY 3RD, 2025 GENERAL ELECTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF ELECTION. A MAYOR IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS PROVIDING FOR A JOINT ELECTION WITH THE PORT ARTHUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE PORT OF PORT ARTHUR NAVIGATION DISTRICT, AND THE SABINE BASS PORT AUTHORITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 2 71 OF THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE AND PROVIDING FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE ELECTION CODE. AND IT'S ALSO, UH, PROVIDED HERE ON THIS DOCUMENT IN THE SPANISH LANGUAGE, YOU MIGHT GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. SO MOVED. I GET A SECOND. SECOND. IT IS BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PO NUMBER 73 22 AS PRESENTED. WE READY? WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS. READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYES HAVE IT. SO IT IS AUDIT THAT 73 22 PO IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED BE. THERE ARE NO OTHER, UH, ANY OTHER BUSINESS, EXCUSE ME. UH, BUT COME BEFORE THIS AUGUST BODY AT THIS TIME AT 10 39, 10:40 PM I DECLARE THIS BODY DULY ADJOINED. AND WE WILL MEET AGAIN ON NEXT [04:20:01] TUESDAY AT 9:30 AM GOD BLESS YOU. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO OFFICIALLY REMOVE THE WORKSHOP. * 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.