* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] RECORDING IN PROGRESS. OKAY. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. WE ARE READY. CITY, THE SECRETARY. I CAUGHT YOU. OKAY. OKAY. GOOD MORNING. AND CITY, THE SECRETARY? IS THIS NO, THIS IS MINE. THAT'S WHAT? YOURS RIGHT THERE? YEAH. NO, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ONE. I DON'T HAVE ONE. OKAY. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. [I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL] WE ARE GATHERED HERE IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER HERE IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET, AND WE ARE ON, IN SOUTH FOURTH. PERSON COMES IN NOW, AND WE ARE ON THE FOURTH FLOOR OF THE, UH, CITY HALL IN, UH, COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON THIS BEING TUESDAY, MARCH 25TH, 2025, AND IT IS NOW 9:37 AM AND AT 9 37, WE DO HAVE FOUR, UH, COUNCIL PERSONS PRESENT PHYSICALLY HERE IN THE CHAMBERS, WE HAVE ONE COUNCIL PERSON MAY APPROACH HIM, WHO IS WITH US VIRTUALLY. SO WE HAVE FIVE INDIVIDUALS FROM THE COUNCIL WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS AUGUST MOVEMENT ON THIS MORNING. OKAY? NOW, WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU MAY PARTICIPATE IN, UH, OUR COUNSEL PROCEEDINGS TODAY VIA TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE MEDIUMS. HOWEVER, YOU MUST FIRST DIAL 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7, OR 8 8 8, UH, 7 8 8 0 0 9 9. YOU WOULD ENTER THE MEETING ID OF 8 1 1 5 0 5 2 3 0 3 8 5, AND THE PASSCODE OF 400, AND THEN 3 6 5 4 0 0 3 6 5 BEING THE PASSCODE. AND YOU WILL BE PERMITTED AND ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING AND THE PROCEEDINGS ON TODAY. ALSO, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. IF THERE IS A NEED FOR SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THIS MEETING, YOU WILL ONLY NEED TO CALL THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5. HOWEVER, IT HAS TO BE DONE 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING, AND THE GRADE EFFICIENT STAFF IN THAT OFFICE WILL DO ALL WITHIN ITS POWERS TO ASSIST YOU AND ACCOMMODATE YOU WITH YOUR REQUEST FOR SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS. WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN OUR MEETING NOW AT 9:38 AM WITH THE INVOCATION AND WITH THE PLEDGE. AND ALSO IF YOU HAVE, UH, ELECTRONIC DEVICES, WHICH YOU PLEASE MUTE THEM OR CUT THOSE, UH, DEVICES OFF, IF, IF THAT'S YOUR WISH, UH, SO THAT WE WOULD, THERE WOULD NOT BE A DISTURBANCE IN. AND DURING THE MEETING, LET US STAND. WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE INVOCATION AND THEN THE PLEDGE. AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, I THINK I SEE MR. SOKO HERE. WOULD YOU MIND COMING UP AND DOING THE PRAYER FOR US THIS MORNING, SIR, WE WOULD BE, UH, HONORED FOR YOU TO DO THAT FOR US. COMING RIGHT UP TO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. LET US PRAY. DEAR GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THIS GREAT CITY. WE THANK YOU FOR BLESSING THIS GREAT CITY WITH ALL OF ITS RESOURCES, LEADERS, AND ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE IN THIS PARTICULAR MEETING. SO GOD, GIVE US GOOD SUCCESS AND LET EVERYTHING BE DONE DECENTLY IN ORDER. IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS, WE PRAY AND WE SAY AMEN. AMEN. LET US REPEAT OR RECITE RATHER, THE P 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. SHERIFF, CHECK. SECRETARY, WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH A QUORUM? MAYOR BARTEE, PRESENT MAYOR PRO, TIM BECKHAM. I'M HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD COUNCIL MEMBER DSET HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW. COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, PRESENT YOU EVER ACO MAYOR. THANK YOU SO KINDLY, CITY SECRETARY. AND AGAIN, UH, REVEREND BROTHER, UH, CALLED. WE APPRECIATE YOUR ALLOWING GOD TO USE YOU WITH THE PRAYER AND OPENING THIS MORNING. AND I LIKE TO SAY THIS BEFORE I BEGIN. I KNOW I'VE DONE THIS DURING MY SIX YEAR TENURE HERE. IF I AM AWARE OF A PERSON'S, UH, CHRISTIAN ABILITIES AND, UH, CHRISTIAN STANDING, AND IF I SEE YOU IN THE AUDIENCE AND I ASK YOU TO OFFER A PRAYER, UH, I THINK I'VE ONLY HAD ONE PERSON TO, TO SAY THAT THEY, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT. SO I THANK ANYONE WHO'S A CITIZEN OF PORT ARTHUR OR A MEMBER OF, [00:05:01] UH, UH, THE CLERGY OR JUST A, A MEMBER OF CHRISTIANDOM, IF YOU WILL. UH, AND WHEN YOU'VE BEEN ASKED THAT YOU HAVE COMPLIED WITH THAT REQUEST AND, UH, BEING THE MAYOR OF THE CITY, I KNOW I DIDN'T ASK YOU PRIOR TO. I'VE NEVER ASKED ANYONE PRIOR TO. AND, UH, AS I SAID, I'VE ONLY HAD ONE PERSON TO SAY THAT THEY DID NOT WANT TO DO IT, AND THAT WAS THEIR DISCRETION, AND THEY COULD DO THAT. OKAY. BUT I APPRECIATE ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE AC WESTED AND ALLOW THE PRESENCE AND INVOKE THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN OUR PROCEEDINGS. NOW, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO BEGIN WITH THIS MORNING IS PROCLAMATIONS. I DON'T HAVE WHAT? OH, OH, NO, DON'T, YEAH, YEAH. I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ONE NOW. I DON'T. NO. I'M MAKING TO SEE THE SECRETARY. I KNOW ALL Y'ALL KNOW EVERYTHING, BUT I NEED TO LET HER TELL ME SHE DON'T HAVE ONE. OKAY. I'M JUST MESSING WITH YOU, BROTHER. GET YOUR, I MEAN, WHAT ARE WE SO SERIOUS ABOUT THIS MORNING? EVERYBODY? DON'T CHOP ME. OKAY. NO, I HAVE THIS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE ANY, ANY PROCLAMATIONS AT ALL. NO, SIR. SO, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO TELL ME YES, SIR. I'M SORRY. EVERYBODY WANT YOUR JOB? OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. NOW WE'LL HAVE, UH, PETITIONS AND THE COMMUNICATIONS. UH, I DON'T SEE ANY SPEAKERS, HOWEVER, WITH PRESENTATIONS, [III.B.(1). A Presentation By The Solco Group Update On Activities And Projects By The Solco Group] WE DO HAVE, AGAIN NOW, UH, A PRESENTATION BY THE SOKO GROUP, UH, UP AN UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING HANDLED BY THIS GROUP. SO, MR. SOKO, YOU MAY APPROACH AGAIN AND INFORM US ON WHAT THE AGENDA HAS YOU DOWN FOR. WELL, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. AND GOOD MORNING, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THE SOCO GROUP. I ACTUALLY ADDRESSED THIS COUNCIL, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER, UH, A FEW YEARS AGO, BACK IN 2020, SHORTLY AFTER WE STARTED THE FIRM HERE IN PORT ARTHUR. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THIS IS AN UPDATE TO GIVE YOU, UH, JUST A STATUS OF WHERE WE ARE, WHAT WE'RE DOING AS A FIRM, ACTIVITIES, AND, UH, I THINK WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT, AT LEAST OUR PARTNERSHIP, OUR RELATIONSHIP THUS FAR. UH, WHEN I STARTED THE FIRM, I WAS JUST A ONE MAN TEAM, ONE MAN ENGINEER. I HAVE A, UH, BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM PRAIRIE VIEW UNIVERSITY. I'VE BEEN A REGISTERED ENGINEER IN THE STATE OF TEXAS SINCE 1993. I WAS EDUCATED AT, UH, NOW IT'S PORT ACRES OF PORT RES, BUT PORT ACRES, ACRES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, FORMERLY KNOWN AS ELIJAH PEASE. AND THEN OF COURSE, FROM NOW I WENT TO STEPHEN F. AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL. AFTER GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, UH, LIKE A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE, A LOT OF YOUNG ENGINEERS, I MOVED UP TO THE DALLAS FORT WORTH VERY DIFFERENT AREAS TO FIND WORK. WHAT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU IS AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY, I MOVED BACK HOME AND STARTED AN ENGINEERING FIRM SO THAT I COULD FIX THE VERY STREETS THAT I USED TO PLAY ON. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. I WANTED TO SHOW YOU JUST A COUPLE OF SLIDES, UH, ABOUT OUR TEAM BECAUSE WE ARE GROWING. IF YOU COULD LOOK ON THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN THERE. I'VE GOT SIMON KARENGE, WHO WAS ALSO A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER AT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, SAN ANTONIO GRADUATE, UH, HAPPENS TO BE FROM KENYA, BUT HE IS A US CITIZEN, AND HE'S BEEN ON THE TEAM AND WORKING WITH US AND DOING GREAT WORK IN PORT ARTHUR. BELOW HIM IS MIRROR AL MAYOR MARTIN AMBRY RIDDLE UNIVERSITY IS, SHE HAS A DEGREE IN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING. SHE IS OUR PROJECT PLANNER, CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, AND ALSO SHE DOES SOME DESIGN WORK AS WELL. UH, OVER ON THE LEFT HAND COLUMN, YOU'VE GOT ME AT THE TOP AS THE PRINCIPAL OF THE FIRM. AND THEN BELOW WE'VE ADDED TWO VIRTUAL MEMBERS, MR. KEER GRIMES AND MR. ROD NICHOLSON. THEY'RE ALSO ENGINEERS, UH, KEER GRIMES, TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY, HBCU, ROD NICHOLSON, UNIVERSITY OF, UH, ST. LOUIS. AND HE, THEY'RE ALL, OF COURSE, UH, EXPERIENCED CIVIL ENGINEERS. ROD NICHOLSON IS ACTUALLY WORKING VIRTUALLY IN THE DALLAS AREA, TRYING TO GET US BUSINESS IN THE DALLAS AREA. UH, KEEPER GRIMES TAKES CARE OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PURSUE IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA. THE REST OF US, THE TEAM THAT YOU SEE, THE THREE OF US MIRROR, SIMON AND I, WE WORK HERE IN PORT ARTHUR. WE HAVE BEEN HUSTLING NOW. UH, I LEARNED THIS GROWING UP IN THE STREETS OF PORT ARTHUR. IF YOU WANT WORK, YOU GOTTA GO GET IT. AND SO WE STARTED A FIRM IN 2018. IT WAS A SLOW START FOR US, AND SO WE, UH, COULDN'T FIND ANY WORK HARDLY IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. SO WE STARTED SPREADING OUT. WE WENT TO LOUISIANA AND WE WENT TO, AS FAR AS MCALLEN, WE HAD TO GO UP TO DALLAS, WACO. AND THEN FINALLY, I'M HERE TO THANK YOU BECAUSE THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND PORT ARTHUR TRANSIT IS BY FAR OUR LARGEST CLIENT. IF TRANSIT HAD NOT GIVEN US OPPORTUNITIES STARTING IN 20 19, 20 20, WE WOULD NOT BE IN BUSINESS. THE PORT ARTHUR, EDC HAS GIVEN US AN OFFICE PRESENCE, A PROFESSIONAL IMAGE. FIRST OF ALL, THEY, THEY PUT US IN EDC BUILDING, BUT NOW THEY PUT US IN A NEW PRESS BUILDING RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, 5 49 FOURTH STREET. I WAS THE FIRST FIRM TO MOVE INTO AN OFFICE IN THAT PRESS BUILDING. I'M THE ANCHOR OF THAT PRESS BUILDING ON THE SECOND FLOOR. IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO MY OFFICES, COME BY, THAT GIVES US THE IMAGE THAT WE NEED AND THE PROFESSIONAL THAT WE NEED. AND I'M HERE JUST TO THANK YOU, CITY [00:10:01] OF PORT ARTHUR FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HELP ME CREATE THIS ENGINEERING FIRM. WE ARE A DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE CERTIFIED FIRM. WE ARE A HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESS FIRM. I'M A SMALL BUSINESS FIRM HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. I'M ALSO A DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE FIRM IN THE STATES OF LOUISIANA, TENNESSEE, ARKANSAS. WE'VE JUST APPLIED FOR CERTIFICATION, DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS IN THE STATE OF ALASKA, AND ALSO WE'RE ACKNOWLEDGED AND RECOGNIZED AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN OWNED DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. I'M JUST GONNA SHOW YOU JUST A FEW OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US. AND I WANNA THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THESE OPPORTUNITIES. THIS, UH, PARTICULAR PICTURE IS RIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR WINDOW. THIS IS A 300 BLOCK OF DALLAS AVENUE. PORT ARTHUR TRANSIT GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO AHEAD AND DO A FULL RECONSTRUCT MILL AND OVERLAY, WHICH WE DID. SO I SHOW A BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE ON DALLAS AVENUE, AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY. WE DID THE SAME THING ON FORT WORTH AVENUE, THE 300 BLOCK, AND ON THURSDAY WE'LL START A PRE-CONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE AND WE'LL, WE'LL FIX ONE BLOCK OF SAN ANTONIO AVENUE, ALSO THE 300 BLOCK. HERE'S A PHOTOGRAPH OF OUR MOST RECENT PROJECT. THIS IS THE HO MILLS MAINTENANCE FACILITY OVER OFF OF HIGHWAY 73. UH, THIS IS THE MAIN ENTRY DRIVEWAY BEFORE AND AFTER. SO WE DID A FULL CONCRETE PANEL RECONSTRUCTION. YOU CAN SEE THE BEFORE AND THE AFTER. IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE, TAKE A LOOK. GO OUT TO HO MILLS AND LOOK AT THE WORK WE'VE DONE FOR YOU THERE. AND THEN FINALLY, THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WE DO SOME VERTICAL WORK, LIGHT VERTICAL WORK. THIS IS THE PORT ARTHUR LIBRARY, IF YOU MAY RECALL, YOU HAD BASICALLY JUST A BENCH SITTING OUT IN THE SUN UNTIL WE, OF COURSE, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO DO THIS PROJECT. WE PUT FOR YOU A CANOPY FOR YOUR CITIZENS OF THIS CITY TO SIT UNDER. AND THAT CANOPY HAS LIGHTS. THOSE LIGHTS ARE SOLAR POWERED LIGHTS THAT'S COSTING YOU ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR FIRM AND I THINK OTHER FIRMS, AND BY THE WAY, YOU WORK WITH A LOT OF FINE FIRMS HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, BUT THERE IS ONE DIFFERENCE. WE ALSO GO A STEP FURTHER WITH WHAT WE CALL PLANNING, WHICH MEANS WE GO OUT AND WE LOOK FOR THE GRANT FUNDING FOR THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU TO PAY US WITH. IN OTHER WORDS, I'M NOT TRYING TO TAP THE CITY BUDGET. I'M TRYING TO FIND MONEY FOR YOU AS A FIRM. BRING IT IN. SO WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY WON ABOUT FOUR GRANTS SO FAR FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. SO WITH THAT, I'LL STOP. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE TIME. I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE MORNING. OKAY. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. MR. SOKO. COUNCILMAN LEWIS. YES. UH, APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION. I'M, I'M THANKFUL FOR, I'M GLAD THAT YOU FINALLY COME FORWARD, COME OUT OF THE, YOU KNOW, AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF. WHEN I FIRST CAME BACK ON COUNCIL, I WAS TRAVELING BACK AND FORTH, AND I HAPPENED TO, WE NEEDED COMPANIES TO DO WORK, INFRASTRUCTURE WORK, AND EVERYBODY WAS SCHEDULED UP O-A-A-W-C, AND EVERYBODY WAS TIED UP. AND I DIDN'T SEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THOMAS BOULEVARD DONE UNTIL MAYBE 5, 6, 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS TIED UP. BUT I'M, I WAS FROM START TO FINISH. I OBSERVE YOU ALL WORKING. SO I DECIDED TO STOP AND TALK WITH ONE OF THE GUYS. HE SAID, NO, I'M NOT, I'M NOT THE OWNER. I'M THE, I'M THE, UH, SUPERINTENDENT. I FINALLY OBSERVING Y'ALL WORK AND EVERYTHING, AND I FINALLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH YOU. I STOPPED AND TALK WITH YOU. AND I WANTED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE DONE GREAT WORK AND WE NEED, AND YOU WAS NEW IN THE AREA. AND I SAID, LOOK, MAN, WE GOT PLENTY OF WORK, AND I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU, WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR PROJECT, YOU WASN'T TIED UP. I SAID, GO DOWN THERE AND LOOK AT THOMAS BOULEVARD FOR ME, MLK, ALL THE WAY TO, TO MEMORIAL BOULEVARD. I SAID, PHASE ONE WOULD BE FROM HOUSTON AVENUE TO, TO, UH, GILHAM CIRCLE. I SAID, GO LOOK AT THAT AND, AND WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR PROJECT AND, AND GIVE US A CALL, WHAT IT WOULD TAKE, OKAY? MM-HMM . AND, UH, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD TO SEE WE, WE, YOU'RE DOING MORE GREATER THINGS AND YOU, AND YOU EXPANDING. AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE, UM, ON A LOT OF PROJECTS. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. YEAH. WE STAND BY READY TO SERVE THE CITY. THANK YOU. YES. OKAY. THAT'S IT. COUNCIL. OKAY. COUNCILMAN FRANK. YES. THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IN OUR CITY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT, UH, HERE IN THE CITY IS HAVING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FROM PORT ARTHUR COME BACK HOME AND HELP US, UH, REVITALIZE, UH, OUR CITY AND BRING BACK, UH, THE KIND OF IMAGE THAT WE WANT TO PORTRAY MM-HMM . UH, NOT JUST TO, UH, OUR CITIZENS AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS, BUT TO THE WORLD. AND SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND WE APPRECIATE, UH, THE, YOU TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN FRANK. THANK YOU, SIR. OKAY. UH, I DON'T THINK I SEE ANYONE ELSE. AND AGAIN, UH, I'M, I'M, I AM HUMBLED AND, AND AND APPRECIATIVE THAT THIS, THAT YOU DID COME ON DURING MY ADMINISTRATION. SO ALL I CAN SEE IS JUST KEEP MAKING US PROUD. YES, SIR. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. ALRIGHT. HAVE A GOOD MORNING. YES, SIR. NEXT WE WILL HAVE, UH, [00:15:01] WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ANY REPORTS FROM THE CITY MANAGER. UH, WE WOULD HAVE A DISCUSSION ITEM, BUT I DON'T SEE THE COUNCIL MEMBER PRESENT AT THIS TIME. SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS, UH, CITY MANAGER, ARE YOU, UH, AWARE OF WHAT THE, UH, COUNCILPERSON WANTED OR DISCUSSION REGARDING THE PROPOSED STREET RECONSTRUCTION, REHABILITATION AND, UH, NEW DESIGN THAT'S BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCILWOMAN, UH, EVER FIELD? SHE, I THINK SHE'S ON THE WAY. UM, SHE'S ON A, WE, BUT, OKAY. WELL, WE, PUTTING THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA, SHE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE BEFORE WE DO THE RESURFACING OF STREETS. AND I TOLD HER WE HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THAT ALREADY PAST. OKAY. SO, SO WE, WE, WHICH WHEN SHE COMES, I THINK SHE'S ON HER, WE, OKAY. OKAY. WELL, SHE, IF, IF IT CAN BE REVISITED LATER YES. LEGALLY WE WILL, IF NOT YEAH. PRIORITIZING THE UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE BEFORE WE DO THE SURFACE INFRASTRUCTURE. OKAY. YES, SIR. OKAY. WE, WE, WE, WE'LL, UH, DEAL WITH THAT. UH, ON PUBLIC HEARINGS. WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC HEARINGS. UH, WE DO HAVE RECESS THERE, BUT THAT WILL HAPPEN AT 1145. SO WE ARE REALLY, UH, MOVING SWIFTLY. 'CAUSE WE ARE IN, UH, TOTALLY, TOTALLY. THE FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS. UH, THIS IS, THIS IS HISTORY TODAY. OKAY? I'M GONNA KEEP GOING SIR. LET YOU HAVE ME KEEP GOING. THE TALKER, THAT'S MY FRIEND. I TALK BUSINESS. OKAY. YOU SAY TALK BUSINESS, OKAY. YEAH, I TALK BUSINESS. OKAY. OKAY. SO WHAT ISN'T NOT BUSINESS. WHAT? I'M TALKING MINE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. WELL, SOMEBODY LIKE IT, THAT'S BUSINESS. YOU MIGHT, NOT THAT I LIKE MY PICTURE. YOU DON'T LIKE MY PICTURE, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I STILL LOVE YOU. GOD TOLD ME TO LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU TOO. OKAY. ALRIGHT. WELL SEE, WE LOVE EACH OTHER. ALRIGHT. SO NOBODY DON'T LEAVE AND SAY WE WERE HAVING AN ARGUMENT. ALRIGHT? AND IF YOU DO, THAT'S OKAY WITH ME TOO. ALRIGHT. NOW, WHAT WE LIKE TO DO IS MOVE TO, UH, IS THERE ANY INFORMATION THAT ANY COUNCIL PERSON WOULD HAVE THAT, THAT OF COMMUNITY INTEREST? YOU CAN HAVE SOMETHING. COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE? YES. MAYOR. ITEM TWO ON FOUR. ITEM FOUR ON FOUR. HOLD UP. WAIT A MINUTE. YOU MIGHT BE GOING TOO FAST. OH, I'M TOO FAST. YEAH, MAN. ALRIGHT. YOU SEE, YOU SO BUSY, SO YOU DON'T EVEN LISTEN. ALRIGHT, I'M, I'M GONNA PRAY FOR HIM. I'M, I'M GONNA PRAY FOR HIM AGAIN, MR. SOKO. OKAY. ALRIGHT. NOW HE WANNA GET TO THE BUSINESS REAL FAST. I UNDERSTAND. OKAY. NOW, NO, NO, NO. UH, ITEMS OF COMMUNITY ENTRIES. THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ON. OKAY? OKAY. I GOT YOU. ALRIGHT, NOW LET'S, UH, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY, ANY, UH, UNFINISHED BUSINESS. SO NOW WE CAN GET TO WHERE COUNCILMAN DEUCE HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET US TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. . OKAY? AND HE SMILED. Y'ALL CAMERA, CATCH HIM SMILING PLEASE. CAMERAMAN, CATCH HIM SMILING. BOY, YOU GOT JOKES? OH, CATCH HIM SMILING. HE DOES SMILE. CATCH HIM SMILING. OKAY. ALRIGHT, NOW ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, [VII. CONSENT AGENDA] IT BEGINS ON PAGE THREE AND IT GOES THROUGH, LEMME SEE, PAGE FIVE OR SIX. THAT'S IT. LEMME SEE. I THINK, UH, YEAH, THROUGH PAGE, UH, I KNOW IT'S REAL SHORT THROUGH PAGE FIVE. OKAY. UH, AND THESE ARE ITEMS OF ROUTINE THAT ARE ROUTINE IN NATURE AND ACCOUNTS THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN, UH, INFORMATION, UH, ON THESE ITEMS PRIOR TO, UH, ATTENDING OR BEING IN THE MEETING ON TODAY. IF THERE WOULD BE AN ITEM THAT YOU WOULD WANT WITHDRAWN AND HANDLED INDIVIDUALLY, PLEASE GIVE ME THE PAGE AND THE ITEM NUMBER AND WE WILL HANDLE IT AS SUCH. UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES. ITEM ITEM FOUR, PAGE FOUR. ADAM. OKAY. IS THAT ALL? OKAY, COUNCILMAN TWO SAID THAT'S, THAT'S IT. YOU, THAT'S YOUR LIGHT WENT OFF. THAT'S OKAY. ALRIGHT. NOW WHAT WE WOULD DO IS FROM PAGE, UH, THREE THROUGH PAGE FIVE, THE ITEMS THAT ARE CONSIDERED TO BE CONSENT AGENDA. I'D LIKE TO GET A MOTION FOR THAT. UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK. SO MOVED. I GET A SECOND. COUNCILMAN LEWIS. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, THAT WE WOULD APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED WITH THE EXCLUSION OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR ON PAGE FOUR. UH, ARE WE READY FOR QUESTION? ALL IN FAVOR? NO, NO QUESTION. IT'S ON THE WHOLE THING. ALL IN FAVOR? A. OKAY. ANY, OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OPPOSES? OKAY, I, SO THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NOW THERE IS [VII.C.(4) P.R. No. 24228 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Apply For The U.S. Department Of Transportation, Port Infrastructure Development Program For The Shrimp Boat Pier. Funding Appropriation Is Required Once This Application Is Selected For Award. There Is No Budgetary Impact To Apply. The Grant Is 80% Federally Funded, With A 20% Recipient Match] ONE ITEM ON PAGE FOUR, ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS PR NUMBER 24 2 2 8. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CENTER MAN, CITY MANAGER TO APPLY FOR THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PORT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, UH, PROGRAM FOR THE SHRIMP BOAT PIER. FUNDING, UH, APPROPRIATIONS IS [00:20:01] REQUIRED ONCE THE APPLICATION IS, UH, SELECTED FOR AWARD. THERE IS NO BUDGETARY ITEM, UH, OR IMPACT RATHER, UH, TO APPLY TO THIS ITEM. AND THE GRANT IS 80% FEDERALLY FUNDED WITH A 20% RECIPIENT MATCH. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN? UH, FRANK. SO MOVED. I GET A SECOND. COUNCILMAN DEUCE. SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND. AND WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 24. 2 2 8. UH, WE'RE READY FOR QUESTIONS. COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES. I JUST WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO THANK MRS. GERALDINE HUNT. THAT THAT PEER DOWN THERE, MRS. HUNT, FOUND THAT GRANT YEARS AGO AND THAT, AND TO BUILD THAT PEER, OKAY. AND, AND IT, AND IT HAS SERVED US WELL. THAT'S COUNCIL MEMBER'S JOB TO FIND NEW STREAMS OF REVENUE AND BRING IT. BUT THAT HAS SERVED US WELL AND YOU KNOW, COUNCIL CAN, WE CAN DO THINGS IN A POSITIVE WAY THAT WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE US. AND IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL AND NOT STUDYING AND WORK IN THE PLANS THAT ARE IN PLACE, THAT'S SERVED US WELL, WE CAN HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACT. FOR EXAMPLE, HARVEY STORM, WE'LL STILL BE THIS TAX BILLS ARE STILL PAYING FOR THE EQUIPMENT LOST HARVEY STORM. OR YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE REAL CAREFUL THIS, SO I TOLD THANK MRS. HUNT AND WE OWE MRS. HUNTER DEBT OF THANKS AND THANK HER WHEN YOU ALL SEE HER FOR, FOR THIS DOC. AND NOW WE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO, TO DO IMPROVEMENTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. AND, UH, WITH THAT ON QUESTIONS, I'D LIKE TO EXPOUND ON THAT MR. HUNT BEING ONE OF MY RELATIVES. UH, I'LL PERSONALLY THINK HER NEXT TIME VISIT WITH HER. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. I APPRE I APPRECIATE YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY TOLD ME THE SAME THING LAST WEEK. ALRIGHT, SO, BUT UH, WITH, WITH THAT, WE ARE VERY, WE ARE INDEBTED TO MS. GERALDINE HUNT WHO HAPPENED TO HAVE BEEN THE VERY FIRST FEMALE TO SERVE ON CITY COUNCIL IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND SHE WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE TO SERVE ON COUNCIL HERE IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND WE ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE FOR HER BEING ABLE TO GET THIS GRANT THAT IS STILL ACTUALLY HANDLING BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ON THE DATE. UH, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE. YEAH. THANK YOU MAYOR. WE TALKING ABOUT THIS PIER. I'M CONFUSED. I'VE BEEN READING THIS RESOLUTION AND THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION. THEY TALKING ABOUT THE, IS THIS THE PORT THE DOCK WHERE THE SHRIMP BOYS AND STUFF ARE? OKAY, BECAUSE I SPENT THE TIME TO READ THIS WHOLE GRANT INSTRUCTION AND I'VE GOT, I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW IT EQUATES TO THE CITY BECAUSE EVERYTHING I'VE READ, EVERYTHING REFER TO THE PORT, UH, FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE GRANT ITSELF. YOU KNOW, IT IT, IT TALKS ABOUT, UH, PRO ELIGIBLE PROJECTS, TYPES ELIGIBLE PROJECT TYPES, PROJECTS WITH THE BOUNDARY OF A PORT ARE OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARY OF A PORT DIRECTLY RELATED TO PORT OPERATIONS OR THE INTERMODAL CONNECTION TO A PORT THAT IMPROVES THE SAFETY, EFFICIENCY OR RELIABILITY OF LOADING AND UNLOADING OF GOODS AT PORT. THE MOVEMENT OF GOODS IN, OUT AND AROUND OR WITHIN A PORT. OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS AT A PORT IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND EMISSION MITIGATION MEASURES. OKAY. UM, ELIGIBLE PROJECTS, THE LOAD AND UNLOADING OF GOODS AT THE PORT, SUCH AS FOR A MARINER TERMINAL EQUIPMENT, THE MOVEMENT OF GOODS IN AND OUT AND AROUND OR WITHIN A PORT SUCH AS FOR A HIGHWAY RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE, FREIGHT INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM. OPERATIONAL MOVEMENT, INCLUDING PROJECTS TO IMPROVE PORT RESILIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL EMISSION MITIGATION MEASURE INCLUDING PORT, PORT, PORT RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THAT SUPPORT. SEAFOOD, SEAFOOD RELATED BUSINESSES INCLUDING THE LOADING AND UNLOADING, COMMERCIALLY HARVEST, FISH [00:25:01] PRODUCTS, SEAFOOD PROCESSING, COLD STORAGE, AND OTHER RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE. OKAY. I I HAD SEVERAL OTHER, SHE ALL OF IT TALKING ABOUT THIS GRANT EVEN FORMS TO FILL OUT EVERYTHING TALKS ABOUT THIS GRANT TALKS ABOUT THE PORT AND THE, UM, MATCHING FUND IS ONE POINT SOME MILLION OR SOMETHING. SO I WANT TO KNOW HOW ARE WE GOING TO COME UP WITH MONEY TO MASH THIS AND EVERYTHING I'M READING TO INCLUDE QUALIFY QUALIFYING FOR THE GRANT DEALING WITH THE PORT WE PAY ALL CITIZENS IS LIKE ALL OF US, WE ALL PAY TAXES TO THE PORT. THE PORT IS A SEPARATE ENTITY WITHIN THE CITY. EXPLAIN TO ME WHY WE WANT TO TRY TO SIGN UP FOR THIS. THE PORT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY THE PREVIOUS FIRE CHIEF, THE FIRE FIGHTING PIPING ON THE PORT, THAT DOCK, WHICH IS OWNED BY THE CITY BECAUSE I WENT TO THE, THE PORT, I TALKED TO ED LONG AND HE ASSURED ME THAT THEY DID NOT OWN THAT PIER AND THEY DID NOT WANT TO OWN THAT PIER. SO THAT THE PIPE ON THE PIER DOES NOT BELONG TO THE WATER. UTILITIES DEPARTMENT IS DOWNSTREAM OF THE METER. IT BELONGS TO THE PIER. I DO NOT KNOW WHO IN THE CITY OWNS THE PIER. A FRIEND OF MINE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS GRANT TO REBUILD THE PIER. IT APPEARS IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE. SO, UH, WHICH WAS ALSO BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY THE PREVIOUS FIRE CHIEF. SO I WENT AND TALKED TO AURAURA AND SHE READ IT AND SAID IT IS A PORT, IT UNLOADS SEAFOOD AND IT'S OWNED BY THE CITY. WE CAN APPLY. IT DOESN'T COST US ANYTHING TO APPLY. SO, AND WE CAN TURN IT DOWN IF THE COUNCIL CANNOT FIND THE MATCHING FUNDS AT THE TIME THAT WE'RE, IF WE ARE SELECTED, WE CAN TURN IT DOWN AT THAT TIME AND AT THAT TIME WE WILL HAVE SPENT NO MONEY. SO I PERSONALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA 'CAUSE ALL I REALLY WANTED TO DO IS GET THE PIPE REPLACED, BUT IT'S NOT IN MY BUDGET. IT'S NOT MY PIPE. WELL, SO IWI TOOK IT UPON MYSELF EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT MY PEER TO PUT THAT PAPERWORK TOGETHER. SO I'M LEAVING IT UP TO COUNSEL. IF YOU WANT TO APPLY, APPLY. IF YOU DON'T, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO OWNS IT. OKAY. LET LEMME SAY SOMETHING WHENEVER WE ARE COMMUNICATING. YES SIR. I HEAR THAT A LOT FROM STAFF. IF COUNCIL WISH TO OR WISH COUNCIL NOT WISH TO BELIEVE ME. THAT'S WHY WE SIT UP HERE. WE KNOW WE HAVE AN OPTION. OKAY. RIGHT. WE JUST INTERESTED IN THE INFORMATION. WELL, I'M TRYING TO GET YOU TO THE POINT WHERE WE KNOW HOW MUCH THEY'LL GIVE US, HOW MUCH THE COUNCIL'S, HOW MUCH THE CITY'S PORTION WILL BE. AND AT THAT POINT WILL DECIDE YOU, THE COUNCIL WILL DECIDE. WELL, WELL MY QUESTION IS TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS PIER. THAT'S WHY I ASKED FIND OUT ABOUT THE PIER. THAT'S WHY I ASKED ABOUT IT. OKAY. TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT IT WAS. AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, I'M STILL TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT. IT'S A, IS IT THE ONE WE HAVE RIGHT OUT HERE WHERE YEAH, WHEN YOU WALK OUT ON FIFTH AND YOU LOOK AND YOU SEE ALL THE SHRIMP BOATS, IT BASICALLY COMES OKAY. YEAH. AT THE THERE THAT ONE OF HOUSTON AVENUE AND TO THE LEFT. RIGHT? THAT'S THE ONE I'M LOOKING AT WHERE ALL OF THE BOATS ARE. RIGHT? THE SHRIMP BOATS. YES SIR. THAT'S, THAT'S OUR PIER, THAT'S OUR PEER ACCORDING TO THE PORT. OKAY. UH, IF IT'S OUR P AND IT'S IN DISREPAIR, THEN WE SHOULD FIX IT AND WE SHOULD BE LIABLE. AND IF WE COULD GET GRANT MONEY, THAT'S GREAT. THAT SAVE US MONEY. 'CAUSE EVENTUALLY WE GOTTA FIX IT. I UNDERSTAND THAT. THERE'S ONE THING THAT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME RIGHT NOW THAT I WOULD LIKE TO FURTHER INFORMATION IS I WOULD LIKE FOR SOMEONE TO CONFIRM WHO OWNED THE PIER. OKAY. WELL THE PORT CONFIRMED THAT THEY DON'T OWN THE PIER. SO I, AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS OURS, BUT I I DID NOT DO A TITLE SEARCH ON IT. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. OKAY. I BE HEARING YOU GUYS, I'M, I'M, I'M NOT SLOW. YEAH. BUT WHAT I'M HEARING IS WHAT THE PORT SAYS. ALL I SAID WAS DO OUR SIDE OF IT TO ENSURE THAT WHAT THEY TELLING US IS A FACT. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GO AROUND ABOUT THIS HERE. YOU SAY THE PORT TOLD US I HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR. I'M SAYING JUST WE NEED TO CONFIRM WHAT WE OWN, NOT EXACTLY WHAT SOMEONE TELL US. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. OKAY. SO, UH, [00:30:01] WELL I CAN I, I'LL GET WITH WILLIE BAY AFTER THE MEETING AND HE HAD SOME INFORMATION ON HOW WE GOT MONEY SO WE CAN CHASE THAT AROUND. WELL, THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE, HOLD, HOLD ON COUNSEL. OKAY. I'M LET, LET HIM FINISH AND, AND THEN I'M, I'M GONNA CALL DO, SAID IS COMPLETE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ALL I'M ASKING IS THAT WE JUST CHECK, UH, PRIOR TO US GETTING IT, IF WE ARE WATERED, MAKE SURE IT'S OURS. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. WILL DO. OKAY. YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY. JUST, JUST, JUST, JUST, JUST A MINUTE. NOW, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, JUST FOR CLARITY, WE OWN THE PORT, WE OWN THAT FACILITY. OUR FIRST, AFTER WE BUILT IT, OUR FIRST CUSTOMER THAT WE LEASED IT TO LONG TERM IS, IS THE SHRIMPING COMPANY DOWN THERE, JD. OH, THE ONE AT THE END OF HOUSTON AVENUE? YEAH. I DON'T KNOW THEIR NAME. YEAH, WE, THE DOC WE LEASED, HE LEASED THE DOCK FROM US. IF WE DIDN'T OWN IT, WE COULDN'T HAVE LEASED IT BECAUSE THAT WAS OUR FIRST CUSTOMER. OKAY. AND THE GRANT AND EVERYTHING WAS BROUGHT THROUGH THE CITY, YOU KNOW, AND WE MAY HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT MAY HAVE BEEN OTHER VEHICLES TO GET TO, TO THE GRANT THING, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT HERE OR THERE. BUT WE OWN THE FACILITY AND LIKE I SAID, WE COULDN'T HAVE LEASED IT OUT IF WE DIDN'T OWN IT. UNLIKE THE STATE OUT THERE LEASING OUT OUR LAND IN THE LAKE AND, AND WE OWN IT. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS UNREADINESS? IF NOT, WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSES AS HAVE IT? SO P NUMBER 2, 4 2 2 8 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NOW WE'LL MOVE TO, UH OH. OKAY. NOW, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, YOU SAID WAS ASKING ABOUT, UH, ITEM 1 45. YEAH. OKAY. UH, NO, NO. HE WAS ASKING ME ABOUT COUNCILWOMAN, UH, EVERFI BEING HERE. UH, IF IT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE GROUP, WE CAN, UH, RETURN TO THAT DISCUSSION ITEM. IF NOT, WE CAN DO IT AT THE END OF THE MEETING. WELL, WHAT'S, WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE, COUNCILMAN? GO AHEAD. LET'S GO BACK, SIR. I'M OPEN TO EITHER ONE. IT DOESN'T MATTER. YEAH, LET'S GO BACK. SEE, WE CAN GO BACK. OKAY. OKAY. IF, IF, IF, IF THE GROUP, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE A DICTATOR. SO THE GROUP, WE, WHAT WE DO IS WE HAVE COMPLETED THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDAS. NOW WE WILL GO BACK TO [III.F.(1). A Discussion Regarding The Proposed Street Reconstruction, Rehabilitation And New Design (Requested By Councilmember Hamilton Everfield)] PAGE, UH, AND WHAT I'M TRYING TO SEE WHAT PAGE IT IS IS THAT'S PAGE TWO. WE'LL GO BACK TO PAGE TWO AND, UH, FOR A DISCUSSION OUT UNDER, UH, ROMAN NUMERAL THREE, UH, F UH, SUBSECTION ONE, WHICH OKAY. A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE PROPOSED STREET RECONSTRUCTION, REHABILITATION, AND NEW DESIGN. AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON EVER FIELD. GO RIGHT AHEAD, COUNCILMAN. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU MA'AM. GOOD MORNING. I PROMISE I WILL NOT KEEP YOU ALL LONG. THERE'S JUST A FEW KEY POINTS THAT I WANT TO MAKE AND ALSO MAKE A REQUEST. LAST WEEK WE HAD A RESOLUTION THAT WE APPROVED REGARDING RE UM, REPAIR OF A STREET. AND IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION A LITTLE BIT LATER THAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS, UM, RECONSTRUCTION OF THIS STREET WAS DUE TO SOME WATER DAMAGE, WATER INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES. AND THIS HAS BEEN CONVERSATIONS THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND I'M REQUESTING, AS I DID LAST WEEK, THAT WE MAKE A STRONG EFFORT TO CONFIRM WITH OUR ENGINEERS IN THE WATER UTILITIES DEPARTMENT AND ALSO THE ENGINEERS IN OUR STREETS DEPARTMENT PRIOR TO A STREET BEING LAID SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK AND USE MORE SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT, STAFF, AND TIME TO TEAR UP A STREET BECAUSE OF THE UNDERGROUND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. STAFF HAS HEARD THAT PLEA NOT ONLY FROM ME BUT FROM OTHER COUNSELORS. AND WE HAVE THREE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TODAY THAT REFLECT EXACTLY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OTHER SO THAT WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT IN HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR STREET REPAIRS. IT WAS ALSO BROUGHT UP DURING THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING THAT THE STREETS ARE DIVIDED BY DISTRICTS. AND THAT WILL BE HOW WE ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR EACH OF THOSE STREET REPAIRS, WHETHER IT'S A NEW, UM, CONSTRUCTED STREET OR A RE REHABILITATED STREET. IN THAT RESOLUTION THAT I REVIEWED, THE RESOLUTION 2 0 0 0 8, [00:35:02] IT STATES THAT THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS IS BASED UPON A PERCENTAGE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THE NUMBER OF MILES OF ROADS TO BE REPAIRED PER DISTRICT VERSUS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES OF ROADS NEEDING REMEDIATION AND RECONSTRUCTION IN THE CITY OF PHAR. THE RESOLUTION DOESN'T ALLUDE TO COUNSELORS MAKING THE DECISION AS TO WHICH STREETS ARE REPAIRED AND WHEN. SO I'M ASKING THAT WE PLEASE YIELD TO OUR ENGINEERS TO GIVE US INSTRUCTION AS TO WHICH STREETS SHOULD BE REPAIRED. AND WHEN WE INVESTED IN VERY HIGH QUALITY TECHNOLOGY SOME YEARS AGO TO HELP THE ENGINEERS, INCLUDING HIRING AN ENGINEERING FIRM TO HELP US DECIPHER WHICH STREETS HAD UNDERGROUND FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THOSE THAT COULD BE, UM, COULD BE PATCHED. I WASN'T HERE BACK THEN IN 2019, SO I'M NOT SURE OF THE INTENT OF THE RESOLUTION, BUT I AM ASKING THAT THIS BE UPGRADED SO THAT OUR QUALIFIED STAFF CAN GIVE US DIRECTION AS TO WHICH STREETS ARE DONE. IT MAY MEAN THAT THE PERCENTAGES OF EACH DISTRICT CHANGE, AND THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE WE ALL WANT WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITIZENS AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING THIS IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE. THAT ISN'T TO THE DISCRETION OF AN UNEDUCATED ENGINEER. WE DON'T HAVE ANY ENGINEERS ON, ON COUNCIL RIGHT NOW, SO I'M ASKING THAT WE YIELD TO THEM TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON WHAT WE NEED AND HOW WE NEED IT TO BE DONE. THE INTENT OF THIS RESOLUTION I KNOW WAS IN GOOD WAS IN GOOD FAITH AND IT MADE SENSE THEN. BUT IT WAS IN 2019 OR 20? IN 2020, SO FIVE YEARS AGO. SO A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN. I'VE HAD AN EXPERIENCE TO WHERE A STREET WAS ACTUALLY BEING PREPARED TO BE RECONSTRUCTED AND THERE HAD BEEN NO DESIGN AND THE ENGINEERS IN THE WATER OR STREETS DEPARTMENT EVEN KNEW THAT THE STREET WAS ABOUT TO BE TORN UP AND REDONE. THAT'S BACKWARDS. SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE STAFF FOR TAKING ALL OF THOSE COMMENTS. AGAIN, NOT ONLY FROM ME, BUT FROM OTHER COUNSELORS INTO CONSIDERATION AND HELPING TO MOVE US ON THE, ON THE RIGHT TRACK. I WOULD ASK THAT THIS RESOLUTION 20 DASH 0 0 8 BE RESCINDED AND ANOTHER RESOLUTION BE PUT OUT SO THAT WHEN COUNCIL CHANGES, WE ARE NOT GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING AGAIN, LOOKING TO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER TO SAY WHAT STREET SHOULD BE REPAIRED. AND WHEN I'M ASKING THAT, WE SUBMIT A RESOLUTION THAT BE ACCORDING, THAT WILL ACTUALLY READ THE LANGUAGE OF THE INSTRUCTION AND SUGGESTION OF OUR ENGINEERS, WHICH ARE QUALIFIED TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. COUNCIL ALWAYS HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH OUT TO OUR CITY MANAGER AND MOST OF THE TIME HE IS GIVING LEEWAY FOR US TO, TO REACH OUT TO STAFF TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECOGNIZE THIS, BUT THIS STREET AT ON X, Y, Z AVENUE HAS IMPLODED. AND THEY'LL GO OUT AND AND CHECK FOR IT. THAT'S AS FAR AS OUR SUGGESTIONS SHOULD GO. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE ENGINEERING DESIGN BUILD AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FIRST, THAT SHOULD BE ACCORDING TO DATA THAT HAS BEEN GATHERED BY THE ENGINEERING FIRMS THAT WE PAID FOR TO GIVE US INSTRUCTION FOR THAT. AND OUR ENGINEERING STAFF HERE IN THE CITY THAT HAVE BEEN VERY OPEN TO EDUCATING US ON HOW THIS PROCESS, UM, WILL WORK MOST EFFICIENTLY. THANK YOU MAYOR. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, DOUCETTE, THE BRIEFING I GAVE LAST MEETING COVERED ALL OF THE ITEMS COUNCILWOMAN EVER FIELD HAS MENTIONED. THIS RESOLUTION TELLS HOW THE BREAKDOWN IS. [00:40:03] I ALSO MENTIONED FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROGRAM WAS ADOPTED TO GO BACK AND READ AND REVIEW THE FILMS. I MEAN, THE VIDEOS, IF YOU REVIEW THE VIDEOS, YOU WILL HAVE, YOU WILL HAVE HEARD THE DISCUSSION THAT CAMPUS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS MADE WHEN COUNCIL MEMBERS ADOPTED THE PROGRAM. YES. THAT'S THE RESOLUTION. TALKS ABOUT THE DIVISION OF IT. THE VIDEO WOULD TELL YOU WHAT WAS PRESENTED. WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL WAS NOT COUNCIL. IT WAS A LICENSED ENGINEER WHO WAS AT THE TIME THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WITH PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE IN STREETS. SO THAT IS WHO DONE THIS PROGRAM AS FAR AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT DESIGN AND ENGINEERING. IF YOU REVIEW THAT VIDEO, THE ONLY ROLE A COUNCIL MEMBER PLAYS IN THE PROGRAMS THAT WAS ADOPTED, THE ONLY ROLE IS THE COUNCIL MEMBER GUESS WITH THE ENGINEERING, WHOEVER IN CHARGE OF TREATS ALONG WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATION, THE COUNCIL MEMBER. AND THAT PERSON SELECTS THE STREETS IN THE PARTICULAR DISTRICTS THAT'S GOING TO BE REPAIRED IN THE UPCOMING YEAR. THE UPCOMING YEAR, NOT A LONG LIST OF STREETS. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER DO. NOW, THE COUNCIL MEMBER WAS GIVEN THE OPTION OF SELECTING AND BEING THE FINAL ONE TO SAY WHICH TRACE AND THE REASON THAT WAS DONE, BECAUSE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE THE ONES THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS TO THE CITIZENS, NOT THE STAFF, IT'S THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO THAT'S WHY THE COUNCIL AGREED TO DO IT IN THAT METHOD. BUT HERE'S WHERE COUNCILWOMAN EVER FEEL IS MISSING THE POINT. ONCE THOSE STREETS WERE SELECTED BY THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, THE THING THAT THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT DETERMINES IS HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST TO DO THAT. STREETS COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THAT. THAT IF A STREET IS GOING TO BE RECONSTRUCTION, IT NEEDS TO BE REDESIGNED. THE COUNCIL MEMBER IS NOT INVOLVED WITH THAT. THAT'S WHY THE COUNCIL MEMBER GETS WITH THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. SO THAT THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, IF THIS COUNCIL MEMBER SELECT DISTRICT FOR RECONSTRUCTION, THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HAVE AN ESTIMATED COST PLUS CONTINGENCY. SO THAT ESTIMATED COST TO DETERMINE IF IT'S ANY INFRASTRUCTURE UNDER THERE, WHICH YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT'S WHAT THE ENGINEERS SUPPOSED TO DETERMINE. THAT COST IS THEN FIGURED INTO THE EQUATION. THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S NOT DOING THAT. ONCE THAT LIST AND THE COST IS DETERMINED FOR EACH DISTRICT, THAT LIST IS THEN BROUGHT AS A COMBINED LIST. SO THE FULL COUNCIL, THE FULL COUNCIL APPROVES STRAIGHTS TO BE FIXED IN THE UPCOMING YEAR. NOT A COUNCIL MEMBER, NOT A STAFF. THE STREETS THAT GOING TO BE FIXED IN THE UPCOMING YEAR IS DECIDED NOT BY A DISTRICT COUNCIL. IT'S DECIDED BY THE FULL COUNCIL. THE COST TO FIX EACH ONE OF THOSE STREETS IS NOT DECIDED BY THE COUNCIL, I MEAN BY THE ENGINEER, BY THAT ONE COUNCIL MEMBER. THIS FULL COUNCIL APPROVES IT. ONCE THE COUNCIL APPROVE THAT LIST OF STREETS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, THEN IT IS PLACED IN THE BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR. EACH STREET HAS ITS OWN PROJECT NUMBER. EACH STREET WE ARE APPROVING X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS TO FIX. [00:45:01] SO WHEN YOU SAY CHANGE IT COUNCILWOMAN AND THAT WAY, NOBODY ELSE? NO. IT IS NOT ABOUT CHANGING IT, IT'S ABOUT UNDERSTANDING. LIKE YOU SAID, YOU AND I, EVERY POINT YOU COVERED IS COVERED IN THE ADOPTED PROGRAM, BUT YOU CAN'T JUST READ THE RESOLUTION. YOU HAVE TO REVIEW THE MEETING. SO YOU COULD HEAR WHEN IT'S EXPLAINED TO US BY THE ENGINEER WHO WAS HEAD OF DEPARTMENT, THAT DECISION AND ADOPTION OF THAT PROGRAM WERE NOT COUNCIL MEMBERS. IT WAS FROM THE DEPARTMENTAL DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, WHO WAS A LICENSED ENGINEER. THE REASON WE HAVE ALL THESE ISSUES, BECAUSE WE ARE NOT DOING IT THAT WAY. I BROUGHT THAT OUT IN MY PRESENTATION. WE NEED TO START, YOU MENTIONED WE HAVE THREE TODAY. SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND SOME POINT I'M GONNA BE BRINGING OUT IS GOING BECAUSE WE ARE NOT FOLLOWING IT. WE'RE NOT ACCOUNTING FOR THE MONEY. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE STREETS TODAY, KEEP IN MIND WHAT YOU JUST SAID AND RE AND AND LISTEN TO THE QUESTION THAT I WILL ASK. AND THEY WILL, AND THE STAFF WILL ASK. YOU WILL FIND OUT THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THE PROGRAM AS ADOPTED. IF WE DO IT AS ADOPTED, WE WILL FIX MORE STREETS. WE WILL HAVE MORE MONEY TO FIX WITHIN THE DISTRICT. EACH DISTRICT COUNCILMAN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT DISTRICT. AND THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. AND THAT'S WHY WE DID IT THAT WAY. ONCE THE MONEY IS ADOPTED, AND THAT PERCENTAGE IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF LINEAR FEET YOU HAVE IN YOUR, YOUR DISTRICT, THAT'S WHERE THE PERCENTAGE COME FROM. WE DONE A REDISTRICTING WHERE WE MOVED BOUNDARY LINE. THAT WAS, THAT'S THE REASON IT WAS SO IMPORTANT. THAT'S THE REASON IT WAS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO GO BACK AND REDO THAT PERCENTAGE BECAUSE THE LINEAR SAID, I KEPT SAYING IT WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, NOBODY LISTENED. WHAT I'M TELLING YOU, I'M NOT GONNA STAND AND DEBATE. AND WE GO BACK AND FORWARD DISTRICT FOUR AND YOU DON'T HEAR ME SAY THAT OFTEN. I'M DISTRICT FOUR. ALL I WANT IS DISTRICT FOUR'S MONEY. GIVE ME DISTRICT FOUR MONEY AND I WILL SIT DOWN. WE WILL DETERMINE STREETS. WE WILL PUT THE STREETS BEFORE THIS COUNCIL. AND IF THIS COUNCIL APPROVED THE STREETS THAT I SELECTED AND THE MONEY THAT THE ENGINEERS, WHICH YOU TALK ABOUT, THE ENGINEERS SAY IT'S GONNA COST THAT STREET. IF THIS COUNCIL APPROVE IT, ONCE THIS COUNCIL APPROVE IT, NOBODY CHANGES IT. NOBODY. THAT'S THE PROBLEM WE'VE BEEN HAVING. WE GOT PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING IRRIGATIONS, ALL KINDS OF STUFF. I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS. THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS. MONEY NEEDS TO GO INTO FIXING THESE STREETS. I'M TIRED OF CITIZENS COMPLAINING ABOUT OUR ROLES AND WE ARE NOT DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. WE GOT THE MONEY. YOU WASN'T ON CANCEL, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THE $50 MILLION FOR CERTIFICATE OBLIGATION. I WANT THIS SHERRY, ENTER THIS STATEMENT IN THE RECORDS, PLEASE. DOES $50 MILLION CERTIFICATE OBLIGATION FOR STREETS IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, AUTHOR WERE SOUGHT AND APPROVED BY A COUNCIL. THAT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THAT MONEY WILL BE USED ONLY FOR CONSTRUCTION AND RECONSTRUCTION OF STREETS AND RELATED CURVES, GUTTER PIPES, IF THEY'RE UNDERNEATH, MOVE THEM OUT THE WAY, FIX THE STREETS. BUT BEAUTIFICATION, IRRIGATIONS, STUFF OF THAT NATURE, THAT [00:50:01] MONEY IS NOT INTENDED FOR THAT PURPOSE. AND ANY OTHER USE OF IT SHOULD BE MISAPPROPRIATION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YES, SIR. UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK. OH, THANK YOU MAYOR. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, I'M LISTENING TO, TO THIS DIALOGUE AND I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS. AND, AND THERE'S A, A WEALTH OF INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCE, UH, FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN ON COUNCIL, UM, FOR ELONGATED PERIODS OF TIME, 10 YEARS AND MORE. AND THAT HAS ITS ADVANTAGES, BUT ALSO IT HAS, ITS, IT HAS SOME DISADVANTAGES TO IT AS WELL. BECAUSE WHEN NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS COME ON ON BOARD AND WE READ RESOLUTIONS AND WE SEE RESOLUTIONS, WE DON'T KNOW INTENT. AND THAT IS THE, AND AND INTENT IS SOMETHING THAT IS ARGUED IN, IN, IN, IN, IN JUDICIAL, UH, DEBATES. INTENT IS ALWAYS DISCUSSED. PEOPLE ARGUE ABOUT THE INTENT OF THE LAW. AND SO WHEN WE GET TO A POINT IN PLACE WHERE WE START TALKING ABOUT INTENT, WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE KNOWLEDGE. ALL WE CAN READ IS THE RESOLUTION, BUT ALSO WE CAN'T GO BACK AND REVIEW TAPE. UM, I MEAN, WE CAN'T GO BACK AND REVIEW THE TAPE OF THE MEETING 15 YEARS AGO OR 10 YEARS AGO. WE, WE INTENT IS WHAT INTENT IS, WHAT THE RESOLUTION SAYS AND HOW IT IS READ AND HOW IT IS ULTIMATELY, UH, UNDERSTOOD BY THE READERS WHO ARE ON COUNCIL NOW. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD CONTINUALLY, UH, FROM, UM, MR. LEWIS, UH, IS WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT BOND, COVENANT, UH, THAT IS A, THAT IS A, THAT IS A, A CEMENTED WORD WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT BONDS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING AND TRANSPIRING. BUT ALSO WE'VE BEEN TOLD, AND WE HAVE BEEN TRAINED, THAT WHEN BOND COVENANTS ARE MADE, THOSE COVENANTS ARE MADE IN A WAY THAT THERE IS LATITUDE GIVEN AS WELL. AND SO WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT WHAT STREETS WANT TO BE AND WHAT STREETS OUGHT TO BE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT. WE KNOW THAT OUR CITIZENS WANT OUR STREETS FIXED. THAT THAT IS AN ISSUE THAT IS OF THE UTMOST CONCERN FOR OUR CITIZENS. BUT HERE'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, UH, IS WHEN A COUNCILMAN MAKES A DECISION ABOUT WHAT STREETS ARE GOING TO BE FIXED IN THEIR DISTRICT, I, I'M FOR, I AM THE COUNCILMAN FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE CITY. I'M AT LARGE. SO I DON'T HAVE THAT DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE, FOR THE SELECTION OF STREETS. BUT WHAT GOES INTO THAT? HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU SELECT THE STREETS IN YOUR DISTRICT? AND HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU PUT AWAY THE APPEARANCE OF EVIL WHEN YOU'RE DOING THAT? AND WHEN I SAY PUT AWAY THE APPEARANCE OF EVIL, I'M TALKING ABOUT PUTTING AWAY THE APPEARANCE OF FIXING A STREET FOR THIS PARTICULAR PERSON. MM-HMM . BUT NOT THIS PARTICULAR PERSON OR THIS, THIS PARTICULAR SECTION OF STREET, BUT NOT THIS PARTICULAR SECTION OF STREET THAT MIGHT BE ATTACHED. SO WHEN YOU START MAKING THOSE SELECTIONS AND YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS TO THAT DEPTH OF DOING THAT, AND YOU'RE NOT USING AS COUNCILWOMAN EVER FEEL HAS SAID DATA, USING A, USING A, UH, MACHINERY THAT CAN X-RAY STREETS AND SEE WHAT'S UNDERNEATH THE STREET AS YOU'RE DOING THAT, OR IF THERE'S PIPING THAT'S THERE, OR ALL THOSE KINDS OF PARTICULARS, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT INTERJECTING OURSELVES INTO THAT PROCESS TOO DEEPLY SO THAT WE CAN AVOID LOOKING AS THOUGH WE ARE DOING SOMETHING FOR INDIVIDUALS AND NOT FOR OTHER INDIVIDUALS. AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT. OKAY. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES, I APPRECIATE BOTH OF YOU GUYS DISCUSSION, BUT I GOT A PROBLEM WITH THE PRESENTATION. THE PRESENT, THE PRESENTER ADMONISHING US STAFF FOR NOT LOOKING [00:55:01] AT THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE WATER, AND THE SEWAGE NEEDS BEFORE CONSTRUCTING THE STREETS. THAT'S IN PLACE. THAT'S THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS. WE LONG, LONG AGO STOPPED TEARING OUR STREETS AND, AND RECONSTRUCTING THEM OR OVERLAYING THEM AND THEN HAVE TO COME BACK AND DIG IT, CUT IT OUT AND, AND, AND, AND DO INFRASTRUCTURE. A FINE EXAMPLE. NOW LET WHAT'S IN, WHAT'S IN PLACE. WE HIRED, WE HIRED A CONSULTANT TO GO AND ASSESS ALL OF THE SEW LINES AND, AND WATER WATERLINES AND WHAT THE NEEDS IS. BUT NOW MY PROBLEM IS WE HAVE TO DO THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE WATER AND SEWER FIRST, THEN WE RECONSTRUCT. UH, MY ARGUMENT WAS THAT ON MEMORIAL BOULEVARD, HOW DOES RECONSTRUCTING MEMORIAL BOULEVARD FITS IN WITH THE WATER AND SURGE? IF YOU WAS DOING THE WATER AND SURGE AND THEN YOU HAD TO, YOU, YOU DAMAGED THE, THE, THE BOULEVARD, THEN YOU COULD RECONSTRUCT IT. SO WHY YOU PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE? THEY WENT IN THERE AND TIED IT UP. SO, AND GUESS WHAT? JUST, JUST LIKE I FIGURED I'D ALREADY CHECKED WITH THE ENGINEERS. I SAY, YOU ALL DID THIS STUDY. IS THERE PROBLEMS WITH WATER AND SEWAGE ON MEMORIAL? YES, THERE IS. I SAID, WELL, THEY GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK. THEY DONE RECONSTRUCT WHAT THEY DID. THEY, THEY LOOK, LOOK AT THAT HISPANIC, UH, PLACE HAT USED TO HAVE DOWN THERE ON, ON THE, ON MEMORIAL BOULEVARD. THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A WATER LEAK, HAD AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEM, AND THEN SOME OTHER LOCATIONS. DO YOU NOTICE THEY STARTED AT, AT GOWAY DRIVE AND WORKED AROUND. THEY WORKED AROUND IT. AND GUESS WHAT? LAST, LAST COUNCIL MEETING, THEY COME BACK FOR EXTRA MONEY TO FIX THE WA THROUGH WATER AND SEWAGE FOR CORRECT THAT. AND IT WAS ALREADY THAT. IT HAD ALREADY BEEN OUTLINED. THE ENGINEERING FUND THAT WE HIRED, OUTLINED AND IDENTIFIED EVERYTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. EVERYTHING. AND NOW HERE WE COME UP HERE A PRESENTER AND ADMONISHING THE STAFF FOR PUTTING A CART BEFORE THE HORSE. AND, AND, AND COUNCILMAN FRANK AND INTENT, YOU ALWAYS, YOU CAN DEFINE INTENT REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE YOU GOT OR NOT. LOOK AT WHAT'S BEING DONE. LOOK AT THE, THE EFFECT. IF THE EFFECT IS NEGATIVE, THAT'S THE INTENT. I WANT A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY ON INTENT. AND THAT, AND, AND IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHAT THE INTENT WAS, BUT WE POINTED OUT IN THE, IN THE VOTING RIGHT LAWSUIT, LOOK AT THE EFFECT OF THE VOTING PLANS IN PLACE. IT DISCRIMINATES AGAINST MINORITY, IT CONTROLLED MINORITY. SO THE EFFECT PROVED THE INTENT. AND AFTER $532,000, WE DEFEATED THE CITY. THAT'S WHY HE GOT THE PLAN. HOW YOU DEFINE INTENT, LOOK AT WHAT THE EFFECT IS. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK, YOU'D LIKE TO, NO. OKAY. COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE. YOU, YOU? YEAH. I JUST WANT TO RESPOND, UH, ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS COUNCILMAN FRANK HAD BECAUSE THEY WERE GOOD QUESTIONS. UH, THE FIRST BEING SELECTION OF STREETS AND, UH, OR WHY WOULD THE COUNCILMAN GET INVOLVED IN IT? THAT'S WHY WE, UH, THE PROGRAM PUT US INVOLVED IN IT BECAUSE, UH, YOU SAID, HOW DO WE KNOW WHICH STREETS, UH, NEED CONS? RECONSTRUCTION AS OPPOSED TO REMEDIAL. THAT'S WHY WE MEET WITH THE, UH, STREETS DEPARTMENT PERSON WHO'S GONNA HANDLE IT, OR THE ENGINEER THAT'S GONNA WORK THE STREET PROGRAM FOR THE STREET, FOR THE CITY, BECAUSE THEY HAVE RECOMMENDATION TOO. THEIR LISTING IS ALL THE STREETS THAT ARE FOR RECONSTRUCTION AS A LIST AND AS A LIST FOR REMEDIATION. THAT LIST IS NOT DETERMINED BY THE COUNCIL MEMBER. SO IT'S DONE BY ENGINEER. SO WHEN WE SELECT THE STREET, WHETHER IT'S A RECONSTRUCTION STREET OR A, UH, STREET THAT JUST NEED TO BE RESURFACED, THAT STREET WOULD DETERMINE TO NEED THAT BY THE ENGINEER, NOT THE COUNCIL MEMBER. WE JUST DECIDE WHICH ONE. NOW YOU SAID, UH, UM, WHY WOULD WE GET INTO SELECTING THE [01:00:01] STREETS IN THE DISTRICT? UH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT, HOW DO WE STOP IT FROM BEING POLITICAL IN A WAY YOU, HOW CAN I JUSTIFY NOT PICKING ONE THAT'S I KNOW SOMEBODY, OR IT NOT BEING TO MY FRIEND OR SOMEBODY. THAT'S WHY I WANT CONTROL IN MY DISTRICT. I DID IT WHEN THE PROGRAM FIRST INITIAL, I DID IT IN MY DISTRICT. NOW, ALL DISTRICT WASN'T DONE LIKE THIS, BUT I TREATED THE DISTRICT JUST LIKE I DO. LIKE THE CITY DID THE CITY. AND THAT'S HOW I DID IT. WHAT I DID, I GOT DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WITHIN MY DISTRICT. I BROKE DOWN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT I WAS GETTING BASED ON A PERCENTAGE OF LINEAR FEET IN EACH OF THESE COMMUNITIES IN MY DISTRICT. AND I ALLOCATED THE MONEY LIKE THAT. SO THE FIRST THING, I HAD ALL THE DOCUMENTS. SO IF SOMEONE IN MY DISTRICT CALLED ME AND SAY, WELL, WHY ARE YOU WORKING OVER THERE? I HAD ALL THIS DOCUMENTATION TO SHOW 'EM, I CAN'T DO IT THE WHOLE DISTRICT, BUT I'M PUTTING SOME MONEY EVERY YEAR INTO ALL THE COMMUNITY. SO EVERYBODY GETS A PIECE OF THE PIE. THE PIECE OF THE PIE THAT WAS GIVEN TO EACH COMMUNITY WAS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STREETS IN THAT COMMUNITY. NOW, HOW DO I EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT THAT'S NOT MY FRIEND STREET? I, I WOULD TELL THEM I CAN'T FIX 'EM ALL, BUT THE STREETS I HAVE SELECTED THIS YEAR, I WILL TAKE YOU IN MY VEHICLE TO THOSE STREETS. AND IF THOSE STREETS ARE NOT EQUAL TO OR WORSE THAN YOUR STREETS, I'LL DO YOUR STREET. I, I HAD PEOPLE CALL ME AND QUESTION, I TELL 'EM, OH, WELL IF YOU THINK YOUR STREET BAD, GET IN MY VEHICLE. I WILL DRIVE YOU AROUND TO THE REST OF THIS DISTRICT AND YOU WILL SEE, SEE, THE PROBLEM IS WE EITHER COULD SIT BACK AND ACCEPT WHAT STAFF GIVE US OR WE COULD GET INVOLVED. I DON'T, I DON'T SUGGEST THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS DO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER DO, SAID DO WE GOT A DISTRICT TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO. SO MY THING IS, I WANT TO DO IT SO THAT I COULD JUSTIFY TO THE CITIZENS WITHIN MY DISTRICT WHY I FIX THAT STREET BEFORE I FIX THIS STREET. MY INFORMATION IS BASED ON ME DRIVING EVERY STREET IN MY DISTRICT. I KNOW THE STREETS IN MY DISTRICT, I KNOW THE STREETS IN MY DISTRICT BETTER THAN THAT ENGINEER. ALL THAT ENGINEER KNOW IS WHEN THAT STREET WAS EVALUATED, THIS WAS OUR RESULTS FROM IT. WHETHER THAT ENGINEER EVER DRIVE ACROSS, AGAINST, I DON'T KNOW. BUT IN MY DISTRICT, I DRIVE THESE STREETS ALL THE TIME. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WHEN I SIT ON COUNCIL, I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE, ALL THE DISTRICTS. I JUST DON'T WANT TO SAY HOW TO DO IT. BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT ALL THE DISTRICT BECAUSE AS A CITIZEN, I HAVE TO DRIVE ALL THEM STREETS. I DON'T CARE IF THE DISTRICT 1, 2, 3, I GOTTA DRIVE IT. SO I REALLY CARE ABOUT 'EM. SO TO YOUR QUESTION, HOW WE SELECT STREET, THAT'S OUR COUNCILMAN DE SAYS SELECT STREETS. OKAY? AND THAT KIND OF COUNCILMAN DE SAID, NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH NO CITIZENS. ONCE HE EXPLAINED TO THEM HOW IT'S DONE, AND THEY SAY THEY UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION THAT COUNCILMAN DEUCED IS DOING, AND THE WAY HE'S DOING IT, IT ALL COMES FROM THAT ENGINEER. IT AIN'T COUNCILMAN DEUCED, I DON'T CHOOSE, BUT I WORKED WITH WHAT I GOT. OKAY? SO IT GOES BACK TO WHAT YOU SAID AND WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED. WHEN WHEN YOU'RE NOT HERE AND YOU'RE NOT PRIVY TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS, THEN YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE YOUR DECISION BASED ON WHAT EXISTS TODAY, WHICH COUNCILWOMAN EVER FEEL REFERRED TO. AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S AS A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, IT'S HARDER FOR ME TO SIT HERE AND WORK WITH THIS COUNCIL WITHOUT THE COUNCIL GETTING INTERPRET. I'M TRYING TO TELL THE COUNCIL HOW IT'S GOING TO BE DONE. [01:05:01] SO I'M IN A, I'M IN A HARD SPOT AND I'VE DONE IT FOR 18 MONTHS. YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS I'M VERY STEADFAST WITH, SOME THINGS I KIND OF GIVE TO WORK WITH, BUT I'VE GOTTEN TO THE POINT THAT IT'S BECOMING FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT WE DID BEFORE WAS GOOD, BUT WE STOPPED DOING IT. AND THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. YOU SEE WHERE PEOPLE ON, YOU NEVER SAW IT WORKING WHEN IT WAS DONE, RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE NO IDEA WE COULD GO BACK AND REVIEW VIDEOS 50, 15 YEARS. WE SHOULD HAVE 'EM ON OUR THING. WE CAN GO BACK AND REVIEW VIDEOS. SO A LOT OF TIME IS HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU WANT TO INVEST TO SEE WHAT THIS COUNCIL INTENT WAS, HOW THEY, WHY THEY DID THAT, WHAT THEY WERE SAYING. YOU KNOW? AND THEN ONCE YOU FIND OUT WHAT THAT COUNCIL INTENT WAS, IF YOU SEE, IF YOU AGREE WHAT THEY SAY, THAT'S FINE. AND IF YOU DON'T, THEN THE NEXT THING IS, OKAY, I SEE HOW THEY WORKED IT, BUT WE NEED TO CHANGE IT A LITTLE BIT. BECAUSE CHANGES ARE GOOD. THEY'RE GOOD. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO CHANGE, BUT YOU DON'T CHANGE BASED ON OPINION, BASED ON HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT IT OR BASED ON AN IDEA. CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF WHAT WE DO. YOU KNOW, I OKAY, WE CAN, I I, I I'M JUST HERE. YEAH. OKAY. MAY MAYOR, LET ME, LET, LEMME SAY THIS, LEMME SAY THIS REAL QUICKLY. I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN TRANSPIRING, BUT SOMETIMES WE MOVE INTO, UH, OPINIONS ABOUT SO MANY VARYING ISSUES. I DRIVE THE ENTIRETY OF THE CITY. I DRIVE OUT ON WILLIAMS IN, ON WILLIAMS STREET, UH, OUT IN LAKEVIEW. I, I TRAVEL, MY CHURCH IS ON THE WEST SIDE OF PORT ARTHUR. SO I KNOW ABOUT THE 200, THE 100 AND 200 BLOCK OF 18TH STREET THERE AND, AND HOW THAT STREET NEEDS TO BE REDONE, POST HASTE. UM, SO I UNDERSTAND, I I, THE ENTIRETY OF THE CITY, UM, I I DRIVE THE ENTIRETY OF IT. SO I KNOW THE STREETS ARE, ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, HORRIFIC. AND YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, I, WHEN THE POTHOLE HIT ON NINTH AVENUE, I LIVE IN THAT, I LIVE IN DISTRICT THREE. SO I SAW THE THREE OR FOUR CARS THAT WHEN THE ROAD CAVED IN, I WAS RIGHT THERE, UH, WHEN THOSE STREETS HIT THOSE POTHOLES. AND I, I SAW THAT AND PEOPLE CALLED ME AND ASKED HOW THEY COULD GET THE CITY TO FIX THEIR WHEELS AND THEIR ALIGNMENT AND ALL OF THAT. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT. I GUESS THE ONLY THING THAT I WANT US TO DO AS A COUNCIL IS UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN COUNCIL MEMBERS COME ON TO THE COUNCIL, IF THE COUNCIL CHOOSES TO INTERPRET AND TAKE THE LATITUDE THAT IS GIVEN AND UTILIZE THOSE RESOURCES FOR A CHANGING DYNAMIC IN THE CITY, YOU CAN'T HOLD THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE BECAUSE OUR CITY IS CHANGING AND THE GOALS OF THE CITY ARE CHANGING. AND WE, WE CONTINUE TO GO BACK AND TO REHASH THAT. AND IT HAS CREATED A SITUATION FOR OUR COUNCIL BECAUSE IT FRUSTRATES SENIOR COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE UPSET WITH NEWER COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE OF DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF OUR CITY. AND SO YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T HOLD THAT AGAINST THE NEWER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE SEEKING TO MOVE OUR CITY, UH, IN, IN ADVANCING AND TO NEW GOALS, TO REDEVELOP DOWNTOWN, TO CREATE A GATEWAY INTO OUR CITY AND TO DO THOSE THINGS. YOU CAN'T BE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THOSE THINGS AND GIVE A NEW IMPRESSION AND A FACELIFT TO OUR CITY TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE INDIVIDUALS WILL WANT TO RELOCATE DOWNTOWN. ONCE MOTIVA PUTS 500 NEW EMPLOYEES DOWNTOWN AND INDIVIDUALS ARE MOVING THEIR FIRMS DOWNTOWN. SO IT, IT'S A NEW DYNAMIC. IT'S A NEW DAY. AND I, I, AND I PRAY THAT MY WISH WOULD BE IS THAT WE WOULD EMBRACE IT AND THAT WE WOULD UTILIZE IT TO THAT DEGREE AS WELL AND SEIZE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SO. I, I'M, I'M FINISHED. [01:10:01] OKAY. YOU ALL COME FROM LEWIS. SOUNDS GOOD. WHAT YOU JUST SAID SOUNDS GOOD. IN A, IN A SERMON. OKAY. WHERE YOU GOT A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE, NOBODY CAN SAY ANYTHING. A COMPLAINT OR COMMENT SOUNDS GOOD, BUT THAT'S NOT THE SITUATION. DOWNTOWN IS NO LONGER DOWNTOWN SAYS JUST AN HISTORICAL PLACE. YOUR DOWNTOWN IS, IS WHERE YOU, ALL YOUR BUSINESSES ARE CENTRALIZED. THAT'S OUT THERE AROUND THE MALL AND ALL THAT. THAT'S, THAT'S YOUR NEW DOWNTOWN. NOW, THIS HISTORICAL PLACE, YES. WE GOT, UH, THINGS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE IN SENSE THAT WE PUT IN PLACE TO ATTRACT CORPORATE AMERICA. IT IS HAPPENING. IT WAS PUT IN PLACE 20, 30 YEARS AGO. IT IS HAPPENING. TAX ABATEMENT, NEW MARKET TAX CREDIT, HISTORICAL TAX CREDIT. THAT'S WHY THEY ARE HERE. AND THE PRESSURE FROM THE EPA TO GET RID OF THEM, LITTLE OLD, UH, TRAILERS OUT, UNSAFE TRAILERS WITH EMPLOYEES IN IT. SO THEY COME, THAT'S WHY THEY COME IN AND GETTING RID OF THEM LITTLE TRAILERS IN, IN, IN THE, IN THE PLANT FREES UP LAND SO THEY CAN EXPAND. AND THE PUMPKIN SYSTEM HAS CHANGED. NOW. THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO SPRAWLING ANYMORE. THEY CAN GO UP BECAUSE THE PUMPING SYSTEM ENGINEERING JUST CHANGED. NOW, LET'S GET TO THE BUSINESS AT HAND. RIGHT NOW, WHAT COUNCILMAN DE SAID, SAID, AND I APPRECIATE IT, I HAVE NO PROBLEM. I HAVE NO PROBLEM SELECTING STREETS DISTRICT BY DISTRICT, THE FOUR COUNCILMEN, AND THEN BRING IT TO THE FULL COUNCIL AND APPROVE THAT PLAN. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. BUT I HAVE A PROBLEM BY THE CITY MANAGER DOING MORE STREETS IN-HOUSE IN DISTRICT ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, DOING STREETS, IN-HOUSE, SAVING MONEY. NOW, IF THE CITY MANAGER WANT TO MOVE THAT MONEY OUTTA DISTRICT ONE INTO DISTRICT, ANOTHER DISTRICT, HE BETTER BECAUSE YOU BRING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL, YOU COME BACK TO COUNCIL. NOW, IF I GET A PHONE CALL FROM STAFF, THE COUNCILMAN, WE SAVE MONEY. WE, WE CAN DO THIS STREET, THAT STREET. WE CAN DO FOUR OR FIVE MORE STREETS. I SAID, WHAT A, I SAID, IS IT DISTRICT ONE MONEY? YEAH. I SAID, WHERE DID YOU GET THE MONEY? WE SAVED IT BY DOING IT IN HOUSE. WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL, CHILD COUNCIL. WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL APPROVE. THAT'S AN IN-HOUSE THING. SO I TELL THEM, GO AHEAD AND DO IT, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO TRANSFER IT OUT OF THERE, YOU COULD COME BACK TO COUNCIL. BUT GO AHEAD AND DO IT NOW. NOW WHAT, WHAT THAT MEAN? IF YOU COME BACK TO COUNCIL AND, AND, AND, AND BID OUT THE, THE, THE, THE ADDITIONAL STREETS THAT NOW YOU GOT A, THAT CONTRACTOR GOT TO MOVE IN COSTS, YOU, YOU, YOU INCREASING THE COST. BUT IF YOU GOT A CONTRACTOR THERE AND THE CITY, WELL, THE, WELL, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE CITY MANAGER DOING, DOING IT IN HOUSE, IF YOU'RE SAVING MONEY BY DOING STREETS IN HOUSE AND YOU GOT THAT EXTRA MONEY, GO AHEAD. WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK AND TOP COUNCIL. WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE GOT ENOUGH PROBLEMS DOWN HERE ON OUR PLATE. WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK AND APPROVE THAT. GO AHEAD AND DO IT. OKAY. COUNCILMAN NEVER FIELD. THANK YOU, MA'AM. OKAY. THERE WERE SEVERAL POINTS THAT BROUGHT UP THAT I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS. AND COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE, I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT I, I DON'T WANT TO DEBATE WITH YOU EITHER. I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAVE TO BE A DEBATE. I JUST WANT TO STATE MY OPINION, MAKE MY SUGGESTIONS, AND THEN COUNSEL WILL MAKE A DECISION ON THESE ITEMS TOGETHER. UM, MR. LEWIS, YOU MENTIONED THAT I WAS HONORING IN SO MANY WORDS, HONORING STAFF FOR ADMONISHING, ADMONISHING THEM. THAT IS NOT WHAT I WAS DOING BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN WRONG. IT HAD BEEN WRONG FOR YEARS. AND I LEARNED THAT IT WAS WRONG BECAUSE STAFF TAUGHT ME THAT THE PROCESS THEY'VE BEEN DOING WAS WRONG, WHICH IS WHY THEY CHANGED IT. SO I WAS SAYING THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING THROUGH ON WHAT YOU SAID BECAUSE THEY DID CHANGE IT, AND NOW WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD IN A MORE STRATEGIC WAY. SO I PERSONALLY HAVE WITNESSED STREETS BEING PREPARED FOR RECONSTRUCTION THAT HAD NO DESIGN. AND THIS WAS A FEW MONTHS AGO. SO WHEN I DID BRING THIS TO THE CITY MANAGER'S ATTENTION, AND HE BROUGHT IT THEN TO STAFF'S ATTENTION, IT WAS, OH, NO, THIS IS NOT WHAT WE WANT TO DO. AND IT WAS RECTIFIED. THAT IS WHAT I'M SAYING. THANK YOU FOR SECONDLY, THE, [01:15:03] IT WAS THE CONVERSATION ABOUT INTENT. IF WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REMOVE ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF INTENT, THEN THAT'S WHAT I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE DO. IF IT'S NOT IN WRITING, IT'S NOT REAL. AND I HAVE WATCHED SOME OF THOSE VIDEOS, BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ANY COUNSELOR TO TRY TO DECIPHER WHAT SOMEONE'S INTENT WAS. WHEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT IT IN WRITING, THERE WILL OFTEN BE TIMES TO WHERE WE DO HAVE TO TRY TO DECIPHER INTENT. BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT. WE CAN PUT IT IN WRITING AND MAKE IT REAL. ANOTHER COUNCIL MAY COME IN TO CHANGE THAT, AND THAT IS OUR RIGHT TO DO. SO. IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOOD, THAT'S IN PLACE, WE WOULD HOPE THAT THAT WOULDN'T BE, BUT THINGS CAN BE CHANGED. A RESOLUTION OR AN ORDINANCE CAN BE CHANGED FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY. BUT WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS THAT WE NOT ALLOW THE DECISION OF A STREET TO BE CHANGED PER COUNCIL, BECAUSE WE CAN COME IN AND DO THAT. AND THAT IS NOT, THAT'S NOT SMART. WE NEED TO BE MAKING THESE DECISIONS ON THE DATA THAT HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY A CERTIFIED ENGINEER, NOT REVIEWED BY A COUNSELOR'S NAKED EYE. WE MUST USE THE DATA. WE MUST USE THE DATA AND THE SKILLSET AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR CERTIFIED ENGINEERS. SO AGAIN, YES, COUNCIL CAN SUGGEST A STREET, BUT WE SHOULD NOT BE THE BE ALL END ALL WHEN WE, WHEN A DECISION IS MADE AS TO WHICH STREET IS DONE FIRST, IT SHOULD BE ACCORDING TO THE DATA OF WHAT WAS WORSE. IT WAS MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES THAT COUNSELORS WILL CHOOSE THE STREETS WITH THE ENGINEERS, IN MY OPINION, THAT'S FAULTY AND HAS NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES TO THAT, WHICH IS WHY I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE USE THE DATA FIRST. AND ONCE THAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED OR HAS HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY THOSE CERTIFIED ENGINEERS, THEN YES, WE CAN BRING IT TO COUNCIL. BUT JUST BECAUSE IT LOOKS BAD TO ME OR LOOKS BAD TO ANOTHER CITIZEN, DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT WAS THE WORST BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON UNDERGROUND. SO IT WILL BEHOOVE US TO TAKE THE DIRECTION AGAIN, OF OUR CERTIFIED ENGINEERS TO HELP US MAKE THESE DECISIONS BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY, ALL DAY. AND WHEN I'VE EXPLAINED THAT TO CITIZENS, IT DID HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THEY WANT, THEY DON'T WANT A BANDAID. THEY WANT IT DONE RIGHT. AND THAT IS WHAT OUR CITY MANAGER AND STAFF AND ALL OF COUNCIL WANTS. I KNOW WE DO. WE MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT ROUTE TO GET THERE, A DIFFERENT OPINION OF HOW WE GET THERE, BUT WE WANT IT DONE RIGHT. SO AGAIN, I'M ASKING THAT WE PLEASE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AND REVIEW THESE ORDINANCES SO THAT WE CAN PUT THE LANGUAGE IN PLACE THAT WILL NOT HAVE US LOOK FICKLE IN HOW WE ARE CHOOSING WHICH STREETS ARE BEING RECONSTRUCTED. AND THAT CAN BE CHANGED WHEN A NEW COUNCIL COMES IN. BUT THAT WE DO THIS ACCORDING TO A PROCESS PUT IN PLACE THAT HAS BEEN, THAT WE WILL FOLLOW A PROCESS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE THAT WE ACTUALLY CAN FOLLOW WITHOUT OVERBEARING OPINION OF COUNSEL, AS TO WHICH STREETS SHOULD BE DONE FIRST. SO THE PROGRAM PUT IN PLACE CAN BE EFFECTIVE, AND IT HAS BEEN IF WE FOLLOW IT. BUT AGAIN, IT SHOULD NOT BE OVERWHELMED OR OVER OVERBOARD BY COUNSEL'S OPINION. THAT WAS ALL I HAVE FOR THIS DISCUSSION, MAYOR. THANK YOU. OKAY. THAT WOULD BE ALL OF THE DISCUSSION ON THIS. UH, [01:20:01] EXCUSE ME. OH, OKAY. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY, BUT MOVED. MOVED HERE. GO RIGHT AHEAD. FIRST OF, FIRST OF ALL, THE DECISION THAT'S A MADE ABOUT WHAT STREETS ARE FIXED, THERE'S A CALLED A STREET INVENTORY THAT HAS BEEN PUT TOGETHER BY THE ENGINEERS AND, AND A VALUE HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO THAT. NOW, YES, COUNCIL CAN, NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, INEXPERIENCED CAN COME ON BOARD AND, BUT IT'S THEIR FAULT BECAUSE THEY'RE INEXPERIENCED. BECAUSE YOU GOT THREE YEARS TO STUDY. IF YOU, UH, GONNA RUN FOR COUNCIL, IF SOMEBODY'S IN DETERMINED OUT, YOU GOT THREE YEARS. SO THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR INEXPERIENCE. NOW, IF SOMEBODY PASS AWAY OR SOMEONE ILLNESS, CREATE A VACANCY ON COUNCIL, THAT NEW COUNCIL PERSON, INEXPERIENCED COUNSELOR, I CAN GO ALONG WITH THAT. BUT YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS DOWN HERE WITH THREE YEARS OF STUDYING, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY, AND YOU CHOOSE NOT TO. THEN YOU COME DOWN HERE TO DRAW A CHECK TO LEARN. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. NOW, A NEW COUNCIL PERSON, AN INEXPERIENCED PERSON CAN, IF YOU WANNA MAKE A DECISION ABOUT STREETS, GO GET THE FACTS, GO GET WITH THE STAFF, GET WITH THE STREET INVENTORY. IT'S ALREADY HERE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL AND THE STREETS GOOD, BAD OR WHATEVER A RATE IT, ONE. WELL, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU GO TO MEMORIAL BOULEVARD, A STREET THAT RATED FIVE OR SIX AND SELECT THAT, CHANGE THAT AND SELECT THAT OVER A STREET THAT RATED ONE TWOS AND THREE. THAT MAKES NO SENSE. THAT MAKES NO SENSE. IT REALLY, IT, IT MAKES NO SENSE. BUT, BUT I HEAR THE THING ABOUT OPINION. IF, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE FACTS, AND I'VE TOLD THIS TO PREVIOUS CITY MANAGERS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE FACTS, YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO AN OPINION. IF YOU DON'T, I'LL SAY IT AGAIN. LIKE I'M NOT GONNA SAY IT THREE TIMES. LIKE SOME OF Y'ALL LIKE TO SAY IT. IF YOU DON'T HAVE FACTS, YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO AN OPINION. YOU'RE NOT. AND THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA SAY ABOUT, I AIN'T HAD ENOUGH OF THIS. OKAY. UH, NOW WE HAVE THE MARK FROM THE GALLERY. WE WANT TO INFORM YOU THAT YOU DO HAVE, UH, UP TO THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. STATE YOUR NAME AND, UH, YOUR ADDRESS TO BEGIN. UH, RAYMOND SCOTT, 37 26 LAKE SHORE DRIVE. AGAIN, I, I HAVE THREE MINUTES, BUT I'VE LISTENED TO ALL THE CONVERSATION THAT HAS BEEN UP THERE ON THE D AND I'LL TAKE THREE MINUTES TO DO THE BEST I CAN BECAUSE I WAS HERE WHEN THAT, UH, WAS PUT IN PLACE ABOUT THE STREETS. FIRST OF ALL, I HEARD THE INTENT, THE WORD INTENT USED BY COUNCILMAN FRANK. AND HE, AND I KNOW THE DEFINITION OF INTENT BECAUSE HE AND I GO BACK FROM SCHOOL, GRADUATED TOGETHER. BUT AGAIN, I'M JUST GONNA SAY SIMPLY BECAUSE I GOT THREE MINUTES, WE DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE, THE WHEEL. OKAY? NOW, I'VE HEARD, UH, CONVERSATION ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE FIND OUT OUR USE OUR STAFF FIRST. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE EDUCATION, ALL THAT THIS PROCESS IN PLACE, USE THE STAFF THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE USED. ALL IT, ALL, ALL THE COUNCIL PERSON DO IS DECIDE, UH, WHAT STREETS IN THE DISTRICT TO, TO BE FIXED. BUT IT GOES THROUGH THE ENGINEER. THE ENGINEER, THEY TELL US EVERYTHING, TELL YOU EVERYTHING ABOUT THE STREET, HOW THE STREET, WHAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED AND, AND WHAT'S UNDER THE STREET. SO WE USED THAT PROCESS IN PLACE IS USED CORRECTLY. IT'S NOT ANY EDUCATION NOT BEING USED. WHAT I'VE HEARD PEOPLE WITH EDUCATION OR THE KNOWLEDGE OF ENGINEER, THEY ARE USED, BUT THEY DON'T MAKE THE DECISIONS. THE PEOPLE UP THERE ON THE DIOCESE, YOU ALL ARE THE COUNCIL PEOPLE. YOU ALL DECIDE WHAT STREETS. AND THEN BECAUSE COUNCILMAN FRAME, THE DISTRICT COUNCILMAN MAKES THE DECISION ABOUT WHAT THE STREETS, BECAUSE THEY REPRESENT THAT PARTICULAR DISTRICT. YEAH. YOU, YOU QUOTED THAT YOU'RE NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED BECAUSE YOU ARE A LARGE PERSON. BUT IF YOU WANTED TO, YOU RODE AROUND AND SAW A STREET IN DISTRICT ONE, IN DISTRICT FOUR THREE, YOU COULD SAY, UH, COUNCILMAN DO SAID, OR COUNCILMAN BLUE AS A COUNCILMAN, EVER FEEL, I SAW A STREET IN YOUR DISTRICT THAT NEED TO BE FIXED AND BRING IT TO 'EM. OKAY? I'M COUNCILMAN FRANK WHEN YOU TALK, I DIDN'T TALK. OKAY. SO I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S A PROCESS THAT COULD BE USED. AND WHEN THAT PROCESS USED, THAT MEAN, THAT'S GOING TO MAKE A COMBINATION OF YOU ALL CO COOPERATING TOGETHER AS A COUNCIL. BECAUSE IF YOU GO TO SOMEBODY AND SAY, I LIKE THIS STREET TO BE FIXED AS A, [01:25:01] A CITIZEN CAME TO ME, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, LEWIS AND I, I'M BRINGING IT TO YOU. COUNCILMAN LEWIS SHOULD TAKE THAT IN INFORMATION AND USE IT THAT YOU BRING TO HIM. AND THAT'S A COMBINATION OF YOU ALL WORKING TOGETHER. SO IT WON'T BE EVER THIS PROBLEM WHERE I, I, EXCUSE ME. I WANNA MAKE A DECISION AND, AND, AND, AND ABOUT A STREET. AND IT'S A DISAGREEMENT. IT WON'T BE THAT. OKAY. SO I I I'M JUST SAYING, SCOTT, I'M LISTEN TO YOU ALL. SCOTT. SCOTT, YES, SIR. THE TIME IS EXPENDED. YEAH. OKAY. IT'S OKAY. CAN, CAN I BE ALLOWED, UH, BY THE COUNCIL TO GET TWO MORE MINUTES? ANY COUNCIL MEMBER? YES, MAYOR, WE EXTEND HIM A COUPLE OF MINUTES, A MINUTE OR SO. PLEASURE OF THE COUNCIL. OKAY. GIVE YOU TWO MORE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. AGAIN, DON'T REINVENT THE WHEEL. THE PROCESS IS THERE. IT'S IN PLACE. AND IF EVERYBODY JUST COME TOGETHER TO WORK THE PROCESS AND STOP TRYING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL, THE PROCESS WILL WORK FINE. IT WORKED FINE. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST THE INTENT SHOULD BE DECIDED BY THE COUNCIL TOGETHER, LOOKING AT IT, LOOKING AT THE WHOLE WHEEL, AND MAYBE SAY, WE CAN TWEET IT AT A COUPLE SPOKES ON THE WHEEL, BUT LET THE WILL WORK. IT'LL WORK. IT WAS A LOT OF THOUGHT IN THIS PROCESS TO PUT TOGETHER, BECAUSE ONE THING WE COULD DO WITH THAT PROCESS, WE CAN KEEP TRACK OF ALL THE MONEY. OKAY? WE CAN FIX STREETS AND WE CAN KEEP THE POLITICS OUT OF IT. THE POLITICS DON'T NEED TO BE IN IT. THE POLITICS WON'T BE IN IT. WHEN YOU UNITE TOGETHER AS A, AT LARGE DISTRICT COUNCILMAN, COME TOGETHER AND SAY, THIS CITIZEN COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS STREET. LET'S GET IT FIXED. AND YOU DO IT TOGETHER. THANK YOU. OKAY? AND THIS, THIS IS A REMINDER, THIS IS A DISCUSSION, ADAM, AND SO THERE'S NO ACTION ON THIS AT ALL POSSIBLE, A ACTION AT ALL. UM, I, I WOULD JUST WANT TO ADD ONE THING TO THIS INSIDE DISCUSSION THAT WE WOULD BRING IT TO A CLOSE. 'CAUSE WE, WE, WE'VE SPENT VERY MUCH TIME ON IT, AS I SAID UP HERE, AND I SHARED IT WITH COUNCILMAN ETT, AND MAYBE THIS, UH, LADY WAS WATCHING THIS. SO SHE IS WATCHING THIS, AND SHE, UH, TEXT ME, UH, UH, AND, AND, AND, UH, IT WAS AS IRONIC, I'M GONNA READ THE TEXT TO YOU ALL. THIS YOUNG LADY. SHE SAYS, UH, NOW, UH, UH, MAYOR BARTY. AND SHE SAID, WHO SHE IS, SAID, I'M CALLING TO SEE CAN THEY GET SOMEBODY TO COME AND FILL THESE HOLES ON THIS STREET. AND SHE LIVES ON VICKSBURG, AND IT'S A PLUM MESS. I PUT A LOT, UH, I GOT A, A LOT OF HOLES IN THE STREET, AND MY CAR KEEP, OR, AND SHE INTENDS, KEEPS GETTING THE FLAT TIRES, AND THEY NEED TO COME AND PUT SOMETHING DOWN ON THE STREET. IT'S ALL HOLES IN THERE. AND THEN SHE ASK ME TO GIVE HER A CALL. AND I WILL, WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE, BYE-BYE. I LOVE YOU. BUT THIS WAS JUST THE IRONY AND THE TIMING THAT I RECEIVED THIS TEXT FROM THIS CITIZEN AT THE TIME. I, I SHOWED IT TO COUNCILMAN DEUCE. I MEAN, IT WAS, IT WAS IN REAL TIME. AND, UH, SHE'S, SHE'S TEXTED ME BEFORE ABOUT SOME ISSUES. BUT, UH, I DON'T KNOW. I, I WISH I DID HAVE THE WAND THAT I COULD WAVE AND CORRECT ALL OF THE PROBLEMS WITH STREETS INFRASTRUCTURE IN PORT ARTHUR, EVEN ALL OVER AMERICA. BUT I WANT US TO KNOW ONE THING. WHAT WE ARE DOING IS NOT UNIQUE TO PORT ARTHUR. IT HAPPENS. AND WHEN YOU GO TO THESE MEETINGS AROUND THE COUNTRY, YOU FIND OUT, AND IF YOU HAPPEN TO GO ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY AND YOU DRIVE, WALK, OR JUST FLY OVER IT, YOU CAN SEE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE AND THOROUGHFARES ARE NOT IN THE GREAT GREATEST SHAPE IN PORT ARTHUR. AND AGAIN, I SAY ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES. SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO AS WE END THIS DISCUSSION, COMMEND THE CITY MANAGER STAFF WHO HAS WORKED DILIGENTLY, WHO ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO CORRECT PROBLEMS WITH OUR STREETS. I APPRECIATE IT. AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE BEING CORRECTED, AND WHO, UH, EVELYN CORRECTED IT BECAUSE I CAN JOHN IN BECAUSE, UH, I HAVE SOME POTHOLES BY MY HOUSE. I'M THE MAYOR AND THEY'VE NEVER BEEN FIXED. OKAY? SO, UH, IT'S NOT POLITICS, MR. SCOTT, [01:30:01] BECAUSE I FIGURED THEY SHOWN UP OUGHT TO FIX THE MAIL STREET. BUT ANYWAY, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT TAKES, BUT BECAUSE OF THE YEARS THAT WE'VE GONE IN OUR CITY, BUT IT HAPPENS IN EVERY CITY NOW, THE NEGLECT IN WHATEVER WAY IT'S HAPPENED MM-HMM . BUT WE HAVE NOT KEPT UP WITH THE MAINTENANCE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, THE MAINTENANCE OF OUR THOROUGHFARE. WE ARE AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME. NOW, SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. BUT I WANT TO THANK OUR STAFF. I THINK IT'S PUBLIC WORKS. AND IF YOU DROVE HERE AT THE CITY HALL THIS MORNING, AND I'VE BEEN DRIVING DOWN THIS WAY FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS FOR SURE, IN TWO YEARS, EVEN PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THE SIXTH. AND THOSE, UH, MANMADE, UH, HUMPS, I CALL 'EM ON PROCTOR STREET THAT KNOCKS YOUR CAR OUT OF LINE. I SEE WE HAVE SOME CONSTRUCTION GOING ON THOSE. SO I THANK YOU ALL MR. FLOOD. I SAW YOU DOWN THERE THE OTHER DAY WITH THEM WITH SOMETHING. I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT'S YOUR DEPARTMENT, BUT, OR SOMEBODY'S, WHOEVER'S DOING IT, MAN. THANK YOU. AND THEY GOT FIVE MORE THAT I CAN SHOW YOU THAT I DIDN'T SEE Y'ALL WORK ON. OKAY. ALRIGHT. BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT. SO I, I DON'T WANT CITIZENS OF ANYONE WHO'S VIEWING THIS THING THAT NOTHING IS BEING DONE AND COUNCILWOMAN EVER FEEL IS JUST THINKING OF A PROCESS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY VISIT. AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE VISITED SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, AS MR. SCOTT SAID, SOME FORM OF, UH, JUST, JUST A CONFORMITY, IF YOU WILL, WHERE WE'VE ALL COMPROMISED TO BEGIN A PROCESS THAT WE WILL MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS A HUNDRED YEARS OLD OR BETTER. OKAY? AND THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE, WHICH GONE PAST 50, YOU KNOW THAT THINGS BEGIN TO HAPPEN. AND IT'S THE SAME THING WITH INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE, IN THE THIRD FAST. SO WE THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN, FOR HAVING THIS. WHAT WE LIKE TO DO IS MOVE NOW TO OUR DAWN CONSENT AGENDA, IF YOU WILL. ONE SECOND. OKAY. HOLD UP. GO RIGHT AHEAD, COUNSEL. YOU KNOW, ALL THE DISCUSSION WE TALKED ABOUT, WE TALKED ABOUT THE PROCESS, BUT YOU MADE A STATEMENT. I WON'T MAKE IT CLEAR WHEN I SPEAK, I DON'T CALL NAMES AND THE STAFF WHEN I MAKE COMMENTS, I MAKE COMMENTS BASED ON WHAT I'M READING, WHAT I'M SEEING, AND WHAT I FORESEE AS A PROBLEM. BUT I'VE NEVER SAID STAFF IS DOING A HORRIBLE JOB OR A BAD JOB. I'M NOT LIKE THAT. BUT I WILL TELL STAFF WHEN IT'S NOT RIGHT NOW, I JUST LIKE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT MY INTENT IS NEVER TO SAY THAT SOMEBODY IS NOT DOING AN OVERALL GOOD JOB. BUT IF THERE'S A PROBLEM, I WANT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. WHO DID IT? WHO RESPONDABLE AS IMMATERIAL, LET'S CONCENTRATE ON THE PROBLEM AND FIX THE PROBLEM. SO IF ANYBODY THOUGHT THAT ANY COMMENTS THAT IF IT WAS STARTED IN ANY COMMENTS THAT I MADE, UH, THIS MORNING WAS DIRECTED TO STAFF, IT'S NOT ABOUT STAFF. IT'S ABOUT US IDENTIFYING ISSUES AND TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER TO RESOLVE 'EM. WHEN YOU GET UP HERE AND YOU GET DEFENSIVE, THERE'S NO NEED TO BE, WE NEED TO FIX IT. LET'S WORK TOGETHER AND FIX IT. OKAY? OKAY. COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? YEAH, JUST BRIEFLY. UM, THE REASON WE HAVE A LOT OF INCREASE IN POTHOLES AND CRACK STREETS AND ALL THAT PROBLEM SINCE, SINCE R STORM, WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE STORMS AND FLOODING, ALL OF THAT INCREASES OUR STREET INVENTORY FOR DETERIORATES. WHEN THAT WATER GO THROUGH THEM CRACKS AND THROUGH THE WINTER AND COME SUMMERTIME, IT HEATS UP, EXPANDS AND BREAK. AND WE GOT MORE AND MORE POTHOLES. AND WE ARE, THAT'S WHY WE SO FAR BEHIND WE THE EVERY SUMMER, EVERY YEAR IT, IT INCREASES. SO WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP COUNCIL, JUST HAVE TO KEEP WORKING AND FINDING REVENUE STREAMS TO TRY TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS. AND, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN WE GOT ROOM ON BOND ISSUES, WE NEED TO GET IT DONE. WE GOT ROOM TO HIRE MORE CONTRACTORS. WE NEED TO GET IT DONE. THERE'S A LOT OF CONTRACTS NOT EVEN BID IN OUR AREA. THEY GOT SO MUCH WORK IN, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE OTHER AREAS. THEN SOME OF 'EM DON'T COME PAST GALVESTON. IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET CON THEY'RE NOT HUNGRY. THAT'S WHY. I GUESS THAT'S THE ONLY THING. THEY'RE NOT HUNGRY AND THEY GOT PLENTY OF WORK BECAUSE OF [01:35:01] THE INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. ALL THAT MONEY AND STUFF HAS BEEN RELEASED, BUT WE GOT TO CONTINUOUSLY DILIGENT AND CONTINUOUSLY WORK AND CITY MANAGER TRY TO EXPAND THE IN-HOUSE WORK AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. OKAY. OKAY. SO TO CONCLUDE THIS DISCUSSION ITEM, NOW WE'LL MOVE PAGE FIVE, ROMAN NUMERAL THREE, UH, I'M SORRY, FIVE, UH, EIGHT RATHER, UH, ROMAN NUMER EIGHT. UH, THE ITEMS REQUIRE AN INDIVIDUAL ACTION. WE WILL BEGIN WITH, UH, ITEM NUMBER ONE P NUMBER 24 9 1. YEAH, WE DID, YEAH. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING ME SHARP. OKAY. ITEM NUMBER ONE ON [VIII.A.(1) P.R. No. 24091 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Change Order No. 2, To The Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur And ALLCO, LLC, Of Beaumont, Texas, For The El Vista Drainage Improvement Project To Add One Hundred Fifty-Two (152) Calendar Days, Changing The Original Contract Completion Date Of March 27, 2025 To The New Contract Completion Date Of August 26, 2025. Funding Is Not Impacted. Project No. DR1P02] PR NUMBER 24 0 9 1. IT IS RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE CHANGE OF ORDER NUMBER TWO TO THE, UH, CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND ALL CODE INCORPORATED TO BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR THE, UH, VISTA DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT TO ADD 152 CALENDAR DAYS, CHANGING THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT COMPLETION DATE OF MARCH 27TH, 2025 TO, UH, THE NEW CONTRACT COMPLETION DATE OF AUGUST 26TH, UH, 2025 FUNDING IS NOT IMPACTED AND IT'S PROJECT NUMBER DR ONE P ZERO TWO. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN LEWIS? MAY I GET A SECOND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN EVER FIELD SECOND IT MOVE TO SECOND. HE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 24 0 9 1 AS PRESENTED. WE READY? UH, FOR QUESTION? UH, SEE COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES, SIR. UM, I READ THE BACKGROUND ON THIS PROJECT AND 154 DAYS ADDED BECAUSE OF ADVERSE WEATHER. I READ THE ENTIRETY OF THE RESOLUTION, BUT IT, THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT I COULD SEE, UM, AS JUSTIFICATION FOR ADDING 154 DAYS. THAT'S, THAT'S A HALF A YEAR. . CAN I, CAN I SAY SOMETHING ? YEAH. WHILE THEY'RE COMING, IT IS NOT 154 DAYS FROM RIGHT NOW. THE WE WORD IT SEEMS LIKE SUCH, EVIDENTLY THIS IS ADDING, UH, 30 OR 40 DAYS. GUESS, UH, IF, IF WE LOOK AT IT OR NO, IT IN AUGUST, RIGHT? MM-HMM. BECAUSE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED TOMORROW. YES. RIGHT. THE CONTRACT ENDS TOMORROW. OKAY. BUT IT'S NO WAY THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE THROUGH, RIGHT? NO. SO IF WE DON'T ADD THE DAYS, WE'VE LOST ALL THE MONEY THAT WE'VE PUT INTO IT AND HAVING DISCUSS DISCUSSION, I GUESS IT'S OKAY, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE THOSE DAYS IN ORDER TO COMPLETE IT. IT'S NO BUDGETARY IMPACT. AM I CORRECT? YES, SIR. OKAY. ALRIGHT. OKAY. BUT I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT ALSO IF THERE, IF IT IS NOT COMPLETED, THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT THE CITY GETS BACK TO US FOR NOT COMPLETING THE JOB ON TIME. MM-HMM . SO THAT'S A CONSIDERATION I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE, UM, JUSTIFICATION FOR AS WELL. IF WE'RE GOING TO GIVE 150, I GET WE'RE NOT GOING TO ALLOW ALL OF THE MONIES THAT WE'VE SPENT TO, YOU KNOW MM-HMM . BE BE THROWN DOWN THE THROWN DOWN THE TOILET. I GET IT. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS 152 DAYS, WHAT CONSIDERATIONS ARE BEING MADE BACK TO THE CITY FOR THOSE 152 DAYS? COUNCILMAN? THE TOTAL OF THE 152 DAYS COMES FROM THREE ITEMS. WHEN THIS PROJECT WAS AWARDED, WE DID SOME VALUE ENGINEERING TO REDUCE THE COST AND THE ITEMS THAT WERE VALUE ENGINEERED HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH TIME, BUT THE TIME WAS REDUCED BY 30 DAYS AT THE TIME. SO WE'RE GIVING THEM THOSE 30 DAYS BACK BECAUSE IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REDUCED. THE SECOND ITEM THAT'S ADDING THE TIME IS THE INCLEMENT WEATHER, WHICH IS ALLOWED BY THE CONTRACT DOCUMENTS. THE THIRD ITEM IS WE ARE PROJECTING INCLEMENT WEATHER TILL THE END OF THIS JOB. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK, DO ANOTHER TIME CHANGE. 'CAUSE THAT TIME INCREASE HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE ENTITIES THAT ARE FUNDING THIS PROJECT AND WE DON'T WANNA HAVE TO GO BACK TO THEM. SO WE USE STATISTICS IN THE TERMS OF HOW MANY RAIN DAYS WE HAD AND WE PROJECTED THAT'S WHAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS TO GET TO THAT NUMBER. SO THERE WOULD BE DELAYED DAMAGES IF THIS WAS A CONTRACTOR'S ISSUE OR FAULT, BUT IT IS NOT AT THIS TIME. OKAY. [01:40:01] OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN ETT. OKAY. IN THIS CONTRACT WE HAVE IN THIS CONTRACT WHERE WE ALLOW DAYS FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER IN THIS CONTRACT. YES SIR. OKAY. WHAT DOES IT SAY? WE HAVE A COPY OF THIS CONTRACT. I HAVE THE ENGINEER HERE THAT HE CAN COME UP AND EXPLAIN THAT IF YOU'D LIKE. NO, I JUST ASKED THE QUESTION. I SAID IN THE CONTRACT DOES, IT SAYS WE GIVE EXTENSIONS FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER. OKAY. BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE CONTRACT HERE. THE CONTRACT THAT WE SIGNED WITH ALL OF THESE CONTRACTORS SAYS SO MANY CALENDAR DAYS. I HEAR CITIZENS ALL OVER COMPLAINING. NOBODY IS WORKING. I PASTOR IN VERA MANY TIMES WHEN, SINCE THE START OF THIS PROJECT DURING THE WEEK, NICE DAY ALL DRY, NOBODY WORKING. THIS IS NOT WHAT NOBODY'S TELLING ME. THIS IS WHAT I KNOW. SO I HAVE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S A CONTRACT AND THE CONTRACT END THIS DAY. OKAY. SO WE HAVE A PERSON, SOMEBODY IS SUPPOSED TO BE MANAGE THIS PROJECT AND ON THAT DAY WHEN THEY GO, IF NOBODY WORKING IT SHOULD BE ANNOTATED, IT SHOULD BE NOTED. OKAY? WE HAVE A CONTRACT THAT'S ENDING THE 27TH, WHICH IS THURSDAY. AND WHEN WAS THE FIRST REQUEST MADE FOR THE EXTENSION? THE DATE THAT, THAT, THAT THE REQUEST WAS MADE. I LOOKED IN THE, I LOOKED IN THE, UH, BACKGROUND AND I HAD THIS INFORMATION, LET ME JUST SAY IS DATED 10 MARCH, IS THAT CORRECT? IS THAT WHAT WE MEANT TO PUT IN THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION? THIS LETTER, THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, BUT IT DID NOT MAKE THE AGENDA. OKAY, BUT OKAY, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THIS IS WHEN IT WAS SUBMITTED ON THIS DATE. 'CAUSE THAT'S SEE A DATE ON THAT 10 MARCH? YES SIR. OKAY. 10 MARCH. AND THIS LETTER STATES, THIS LETTER STATES ATTACHED IS THE PAY APPLICATION NUMBER 12 FOR THE AIR VESSEL STORM SEWER IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. THIS INVOICE WILL PAY ALCOHOL FOR THE WORK PERFORMED AND STORED MATERIAL SECURED ON THE PROJECT FROM FEBRUARY 21ST TO FEBRUARY 28TH. SO THE AMOUNT DUE TO ALCO IS 570 $17,856 BASED ON THIS INVOICE, THE PROJECT IS APPROXIMATELY 39% CLEAT 90. WAIT, NO, IT SAYS THE PROJECT IS APPROXIMATELY 39% COMPLETE. COMPLETE, COMPLETE. NOW THIS IS A PROJECT THAT'S SUPPOSED TO END THURSDAY. THURSDAY TWO DAYS. AND ON THE 10TH OF MARCH 15 DAYS AGO, WE GOT A LETTER HERE. AND I'M JUST READING WHAT Y'ALL GIVING US. SAYS IT IS 39% COMPLETE BUT HAVE USED 93% OF THE CONTRACT TIME. YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS SINCE I'VE BEEN BACK ON COUNCIL. WE GOTTA FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE WHEN CITIZENS ARE TALKING AND COMPLAINING. UH, A NICOLE ATTENDED A TOWN MEETING IN PORT ACRES FOR THE PORT ACRES DRAINAGE PROJECT. AND ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT, AND YOU ALL WERE THERE, Y'ALL HEARD IT, THEY JUST SITTING THERE, NOTHING IS DONE. AND WE ALL EXPLAINED TO [01:45:01] THEM, THEY HAVE A SCHEDULE TO GO BY . THEY HAVE A SCHEDULE, WE DON'T TELL THEM WHEN TO WORK. BUT THEN SOMEBODY COME AND TELL ME, OH, WE NEED TO GIVE AN EXTENSION BECAUSE OF INCLEMENT WEATHER WHEN IT WASN'T INCLEMENT, WHETHER, WHY DIDN'T THEY MAKE UP THE TIME? YOU SAID, YOU SAID TO ME THAT THIS EXTENSION INCLUDES ANY POSSIBLE BAD WEATHER WE ARE GOING TO HAVE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PROJECT. AM I CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. IT'S PROJECTED IN THERE. OKAY. THE STATEMENT YOU JUST TOLD ME IS REQUIRED OF EVERYBODY THAT'S SUBMITTED BY A PROPOSAL AND BID TO THIS CITY. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PROJECT THOSE DAYS BEFORE THEY TELL US HOW MANY DAYS THEY GONNA DO THIS PROJECT. I MAYOR COUNCIL, THAT'S MY AREA. I DRIVE THERE A LOT. THERE ARE MANY DAYS, WEATHER WAS NICE, NO WET, NO NOTHING DRY, NOBODY WAS WORKING. OKAY. PEOPLE COME BEFORE US, THEY COME UP WITH THESE EXTENSIONS. SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE BEEN MONITORING AND MANAGING THAT PROJECT. WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS. I'LL PUT IT BACK ON THE COUNCIL. BUT WE NEED TO ADDRESS ALL OUR CONTRACTS WE HAVE AND PEOPLE WE PAYING TO MANAGE THEM. MANAGE THEM FOR US, NOT THEM. WHY WE CAN'T GET THINGS FIXED IN THE CITY BECAUSE WE PAY SOMEBODY X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS AND THEY TELL US IT'S GOING TO TAKE 20 DAYS, THEN THEY COME IN HERE AND TAKE 40 DAYS. I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF IT. THIS IS NOT MY FIRST RODEO. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH OUR MANAGEMENT OF PROJECTS. VERY DISAPPOINTED. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED WHEN NO ONE IS HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THEY SIGNED ON THE CONTRACT. AND WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING, I LISTENED REAL CAREFULLY, BUT I COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS WHEN I READ IT. YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY PUT THIS DOCUMENT TOGETHER ON THE 10TH OF MARCH AND YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU 30% COMPLETE. THAT'S NOT EVEN 50. AND THEN YOU ASK, I COULD SEE WHY YOU NEED SO MANY DAYS, BUT ALL THE DAYS I RIDE IN ELLE VISTA COUNCIL, I RODE IN VIS MANY DAYS ON NICE DAYS DRY, GOOD WEATHER, NOBODY WAS WORKING. UNLESS SOMEBODY COULD COME BACK WITH A BETTER EXPLANATION, IDENTIFICATION OF SOMETHING, I THINK WE SHOULD HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO THE NUMBER OF DAYS ON THE CONTRACT. AND IF THEY DO NOT COMPLETE IT BY THIS CONTRACT BY THURSDAY, WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT IS IN THE CONTRACT AND WE EXECUTE THE CONTRACT AS SIGNED BY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND THE CONTRACT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT COUNCILWOMAN EVER FIELD. THANK YOU MAYOR. SO NOW WE'RE HERE. HOW DO WE JUSTIFY WHAT UNFORESEEN WEATHER DAYS MEAN AND HOW DO WE NOT GO BACK THERE? UH, I'M GONNA LET THE ENGINEER ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A PERSON ON THE JOB 40 HOURS A WEEK. UH, THE REASON THIS IS COMING TO YOU NOW, NOT BEFORE, BECAUSE OUR DIRECTION IS, SINCE THIS IS FUNDED BY OUTSIDE CITY ENTITIES, WE DO NOT WANNA DO THESE TIME CHANGES EVERY MONTH BASED ON THE INCLEMENT WEATHER. SO WE'RE DOING IT ONE TIME BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GO ALSO APPROVE IT. SO THAT'S WHY IT DIDN'T COME TO YOU BEFORE. AS FAR AS THE INCLEMENT, WHETHER AND IS IT IN THE CONTRACT OR NOT? I'M GONNA LET THE ENGINEER ANSWER. OKAY. SO JUST TO HELP CLEAR UP A LITTLE BIT, UH, THE 60 DAYS THAT ARE IN THERE, ORIGINALLY WHEN THIS CONTRACT WAS PUT OUT, UH, WE LOOKED AT IT, HOW LONG IS THIS [01:50:01] GONNA TAKE TO REALISTICALLY INSTALL? WE PUT THAT DOWN AND THE FUNDING SOURCE BASICALLY SAID, WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU ALL THAT. WE ONLY WANNA GIVE YOU THIS AMOUNT OF DAYS. SO THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT WAS REDUCED BY TWO MONTHS, NOT BECAUSE, AND WE KNEW THAT FROM THE BEGINNING THAT IT WOULD, IT JUST WAS NOT POSSIBLE. SO AT THIS POINT, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO PUT THE 60 DAYS BACK IN BECAUSE NOW THE FUNDING SOURCE HAS ADDED THOSE DAYS IN AND ALLOWED IT TO BE DONE. WE HAVEN'T CAME BEFORE NOW BECAUSE WE WERE WAITING FOR THEM TO APPROVE TO HAVE THAT EXTENSION, WHICH HAS NOW HAPPENED. SO THE 60 DAYS FOR THAT IS THERE. WE ALSO COULDN'T EXTEND IT EVEN REALISTICALLY AS IT WENT ALONG FOR THAT SEXING REASON. UH, WE HAD TO WAIT FOR THEM TO SAY WE WERE ALLOWED TO GO LONGER, UH, WHICH WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR DURA THE WHOLE TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD HOW MANY RAIN DAYS WE WERE PUTTING IN, UM, TO ADDRESS THE DAYS. AS FAR AS THAT, THEY'RE NOT WORKING. JUST GIVE ME A DATE. I, WE, WE TURN IN EVERY DAY, A MONTH, A DAILY, I I SAY EVERY DAY. SOMETIMES IT TAKES US A COUPLE DAYS TO GET CAUGHT UP, BUT WE TRY TO TURN 'EM IN DAILY SO THAT WAY YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE ACCOMPLISH. WE SHOW PHOTOS OF WHAT WAS DONE THAT DAY, UH, AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE. I KNOW EARLY ON SOMETIMES WE'RE WAITING FOR MATERIAL TO GET DONE, UH, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR DIFFERENT REASONS OR NOT, BUT I THINK LATELY, AS FAR AS I KNOW, IF YOU GIMME A DATE, I'LL GLADLY LOOK IT UP TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE THAT DAY OR WHY THEY'RE SAYING THEY DIDN'T GET ANYTHING DONE. UM, THE PERCENTAGE, JUST TO KINDA ADDRESS THAT REAL QUICK, THE BOX CULVERS THAT ARE BEING PUT IN ON MAPLE ARE THE BIGGEST COST ITEMS THAT ARE BEING PUT IN, WHICH HAVE BEEN DONE WITHIN THE PAST MONTH AND A HALF, AND THEY'VE JUST ABOUT COMPLETED ALL OF IT. NOW THAT PERCENTAGE IS GONNA START JUMPING UP ONCE THEY START PUTTING IN THOSE LARGE MATERIAL ITEMS. AND SO SOMETIMES THAT PERCENTAGE OF WHAT'S BEEN COMPLETE IS REALLY WHAT'S BEEN BILLED, AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY CORRECTLY SHOW HOW MUCH HAS ACTUALLY BEEN COMPLETE. UM, AND AS FAR AS THE ANTICIPATED DAYS, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO IS TO COME TO YOU, UH, LIKE DR. TOME SAID AND PUT DAYS DOWN SO THAT WAY WHEN WE GIVE YOU A DATE, WE'RE SAYING WE CAN GET IT DONE IN THIS DATE. THE CONTRACTOR KNOWS THIS IS THE DATE WE'RE GONNA DO, AND THEY'VE AGREED THAT THEY'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO MAKE SURE IT'S DONE WITHIN THAT TIMEFRAME THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'RE PRESENTING TODAY. OKAY. I WANT TO SUMMARIZE AND REPEAT TO MAKE SURE I'M FOLLOWING YOU. NO PROBLEM. THE 60 DAY PART, UM, UNDER, I DID READ THAT IN THE ORIGINAL, UM, SCHEDULE REDUCTION, BUT YOU SAID THAT IT WAS BECAUSE A CERTAIN PART OF THE PROJECT HADN'T BEEN FUNDED YET, SO YOU NEEDED TO WAIT FOR IT TO BE FUNDED. THAT TAKES CARE OF ONE SET OF 60 DAYS. NO, MA'AM. WE, WE ORIGINALLY SAID, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I BELIEVE WE SAID IT WAS GONNA TAKE 15 MONTHS TO FINISH. OKAY. REALISTICALLY, AND THEY SAID, SORRY, WE CAN ONLY GIVE YOU 13. SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY THERE WAS A 60 DAY REDUCTION FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. OKAY. AND THE CONTRACTOR WAS ALWAYS BEING VERY HONEST FROM THE BEGINNING, THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN GET THIS DONE IN 13 DAYS OR 13 MONTHS. 13. OKAY. AND THEN THE OTHER PART YOU MENTIONED OF THE YES. UM, WE CAN SHOW YOU OR NOT WE, BUT MR. JUE SAID HE COULD FOLLOW BACK UP WITH YOU TO LET YOU KNOW HOW, WHAT DAYS IT WAS CLEAR WHETHER NO ONE WAS WORKING, AND THEN YOU COULD HELP JUSTIFY THAT PART. ALL RIGHT. SO WITH THE PERCENTAGES THAT YOU PROVIDED IN THE, IN THE LETTER, JUST READING IT, THAT DON'T LOOK GOOD. I AGREE. SO HOW CAN WE GIVE CLARITY AS TO WHAT IS ACTUALLY BEING COMPLETED VERSUS WHAT'S ACTUALLY BEEN BILLED? YOU CAN LOOK AT PERCENTAGE OF WHAT'S BEEN PUT IN THE GROUND. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S VARIOUS DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF THINGS AT THE VERY END THAT THEY COULD DO AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, UH, HYDRO MULCHING OR SEATING ALONG THOSE LINES LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED AT THE VERY END THAT THEY GET A LOT OF MONEY FOR. UH, THAT WOULD BE THE OTHER THING WE COULD PROVIDE IS HOW MUCH LINEAR FOOTAGE OR PERCENTAGE OF THAT LINEAR FOOTAGE THAT THEY'VE ACTUALLY INSTALLED TO GIVE AN IDEA, UM, TO KIND OF HELP OUT WITH THAT. SO WHEN Y'ALL DO COME BACK WITH LETTERS, CAN YOU PLEASE INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION? SO THE NUMBERS THAT WE SEE ARE NOT LIKE WHAT? THEY'RE NOT DOING ANY, ANY WORK. WE'RE NOT GETTING ANYTHING DONE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES, MA'AM. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. THANK YOU, SIR. WE CAN LOOK AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS AND WHAT I'M HEARING, UH, UH, 90 PER 90%, 93% OF THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE. NO, SIR. 93% OF THE TIME HAD BEEN WHEN WE TURNED IN THAT LETTER, REPEAT, REPEAT THAT 93% OF THE TIME HAD IT LAUDED WHEN I TURNED IN THAT LETTER. OH, 93% OF THE TIME HAD BEEN LA TIME. CORRECT. HOW MUCH MONEY HAS BEEN, WHAT'S THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY AND HOW MUCH THIS HAS BEEN SPENT? SIX 11? I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME. I APOLOGIZE. NO, THAT'S WHY I'M YOU HAVE A MILLION, HUH? [01:55:04] I HATE TO TELL YOU INCORRECTLY. OH, I'M LOOKING AT THE WRONG, THE WRONG FILE. HERE WE GO. UH, THE TOTAL COST WOULD, IF, IF YOU DON'T MIND I COULD GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. I THINK THAT TOTAL COST, IF I READ IN THE RESOLUTION WAS LIKE 11, RIGHT? 11.2 MILLION, RIGHT? THAT SOUNDS CORRECT. RIGHT. AND, UH, AFTER YOU REDUCED IT, YES SIR. THE COST IS NOW 9.8 MILLION AFTER YOU'D DONE THAT SAVINGS AND STUFF. THOSE ARE NUMBERS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US INITIALLY STARTED OUT WITH 11 TWO, BABE. YEAH, I UNDERSTAND. BUT HOW MUCH HAS BEEN SPENT OUT OF THAT 9.2 AND THEN HE SAVED, UH, US MONEY 1 MILLION OR SOMETHING THAT GAVE US OUR ACTUAL CONTRACT COST OF 9.8 MILLION FOR THAT PROJECT. SO THE TOTAL AMOUNT HAS BEEN SPENT OUT OF THE 9.2? I DON'T KNOW. YEAH. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO, LOOKING AT THE ALLOCATION OF THE AMOUNT OF ALLOCATION, BUT HOW MUCH IS ABOUT THAT? FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE, IF IF WE 50% OR 60% OF THE MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT, WE, WE HEADING INTO TROUBLE. SO I NEED TO KNOW OF THAT TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WAS ALLOCATED, HOW MUCH HAS BEEN SPENT, AND MAYBE THE FINANCE DIRECTOR CAN HELP YOU. I BELIEVE THAT NUMBER WAS 39% OF THE OVERALL TOTAL CONTRACT HAS BEEN SPENT TO CONTRACT. 39%. YES, SIR. OF THE MONIES YES, SIR. HAVE BEEN PAID OUT? YES, SIR. OKAY. OKAY. UH, AND IT IS ALSO JUST TO KINDA HELP A LITTLE BIT TOO, THERE WAS A LARGE OUTFALL THAT WE HAD TO CONSTRUCT THAT WAS UNDERNEATH SOME PIPELINES. THAT WAS A VERY TIME CONSUMING DEAL, BUT THERE ALSO WASN'T A LOT OF MONEY SPENT PER SE AT THAT. UM, THEY ALSO I THINK, HAVE SOME MONEY BECAUSE THERE'S A, A COFFER DAM THAT'S UP AND ONCE THEY PULL THAT COFFER DAM DOWN, THERE'S SOME MONEY IN THERE. SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IN THE 39% IS KIND OF MISLEADING AS FAR AS HOW FAR ALONG THEY ARE. UM, I THINK RIGHT NOW THEY ONLY HAVE TWO MORE STREETS TO DO. YEAH, IT'S OKAY. I, OKAY. I IT'S SOMETHING I'M, I'M NOT QUITE LOCKING ON TO. YES, SIR. WHAT WAS YOUR ORIGINAL REASON FOR, FOR THE, THOSE AMOUNT OF DAYS FRONT Y'ALL SIGNING? SIX WELL, 60 DAYS. THE 60 DAYS. YEAH, 60 DAYS. WHAT WAS YOUR, WHAT WAS YOUR REASONING FOR, BECAUSE THE FUNDING SOURCE WOULDN'T LET US GO THE FULL 15 MONTHS THAT WE ORIGINALLY SAID IT WAS GONNA TAKE TO CONSTRUCT. SO THE FUNDING SOURCES, THOSE ARE THE OKAY. WOULD NOT ALLOW THAT. YES, SIR. OKAY, SO NOW, OKAY. OKAY, I SEE. SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE COMING HERE AND ASKING US BECAUSE THEY, THEY, THEY SAID BASICALLY IT HAD TO BE DONE BY A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME AND THEY FINALLY EXTENDED IT TO WHERE WE CAN GO FARTHER ALONG. AND SO NOW WE'RE SAYING, OKAY, NOW CAN WE PLEASE HAVE THE 60 DAYS WE WERE ASKING FOR ORIGINALLY? SO THAT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT WE HAD A CONTROL OF. CORRECT. OKAY. NOR THE CONTRACTOR FOR THAT MATTER. CORRECT. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN UC SAID YOU SO YEAH, BECAUSE I'VE LISTENED TO COMMENTS AND JUST BROUGHT UP A FEW MORE QUESTIONS. I HEAR YOU, YOU CONSTANTLY TALK ABOUT RAINY DAYS. YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON COUNCIL, THAT WAS THE THING. RAINY DAY, RAINY DAYS, WE DON'T DO CONTRACTS TALKING ABOUT RAINY DAYS. WE DON'T DO 'EM. YOU ALL WHO ACCEPT THE CONTRACT, IT'S THE ONE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO PUT THAT IN WHAT THEY WANT. OKAY? NOT US. THAT'S WHAT GETS ME. WHY DO YOU TALK RAINY DAYS TO US? WE DO CONTRACTS. WE DON'T PUT IN A CONTRACT, WE GONNA ALLOW YOU RAINY DAYS. WE DON'T PUT IN A CONTRACT. HOW LONG YOU GOING TO TAKE TO DO THE JOB? WE DON'T DO THAT. WE APPROVE A CONTRACT THAT YOU SAID, I'M GOING TO DO THIS JOB FROM THIS DATE TO THAT DATE. CALENDAR DAYS THAT MEAN HOLIDAYS, SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS, EVERY DAY, 150 CALENDAR DAYS IS 150 DAYS. WE DON'T DECIDE THAT YOU DO OR WHOEVER DOES THE CONTRACT DECIDING IT. WE DON'T PUT IN THAT CONTRACT, WE GONNA GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR RAINY DAYS. THE WEATHER IS BAD. WE DON'T DO THAT BECAUSE WHEN YOU GIVE US A CONTRACT, YOU SUPPOSED TO PUT IT IN BECAUSE WHEN YOU SIGN [02:00:01] THE CONTRACT, YOU SIGNING IT FROM THIS DAY TO THAT DAY, CALENDAR DAYS. NOW, BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, I WANT EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM TO BE ON THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC AND AGREE WITH THAT. IS THAT STATEMENT I JUST SAID IS CORRECT. ANYBODY CAN ANSWER ME CONTRACT, ANYBODY CAN ANSWER ME. D DIFFERENT CONTRACTS ARE WRITTEN DIFFERENTLY AND THEY CAN BE CALENDAR DAYS OR WORKING DAYS. THE, THE TWO ISSUES WE WILL HAVE WITH THIS ISSUE, NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE CITY ORDINANCES THAT PREVENT THEM FROM WORKING ON WEEKENDS. I SECOND ISSUE IS IF WE HOLD THEM TO THE HOLD UP, HOLD UP, DR. TOME, I ASKED THIS, I'M ASKING, I I DON'T WANT TO ENTER, INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I I UNDERSTAND CONTRACTS ARE WRITTEN. OKAY? I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A CONTRACT THAT'S TALKING ABOUT WORKING ON NOT WORKING ON WEEKEND. I'M GONNA START AGAIN AND I'M GONNA REPEAT THIS. WHEN WE DO A CONTRACT AND YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE 150 DAYS TO COMPLETE THE CONTRACT, I SAID, THE CONTRACT DOESN'T SAY IT IS GONNA GIVE YOU CREDIT ADDITIONAL DAYS IF IT RAINS. I SAID, THE CONTRACT THAT IS SIGNED BY THE CITY AND THE PARTY STATES THAT AFTER 150 DAYS, YOU ALL THROUGH, I HAD TO, I HAD TO ARE YOU ALL THROUGH? I'M LISTENING TO YOU, COUNCILMAN. I SAID, THE CONTRACT SAYS THIS PERSON SIGNED, SAYS 150 CALENDAR DAYS. I, I SAID THAT MEANS IT'S 150 CALENDAR DAYS AND THE CONTRACT DOESN'T SAY WE GONNA GIVE YOU EXTENSION FOR RAINY DAYS. YOU DON'T GET IT. THAT'S NOT THE CONTRACT THAT YOU SIGNED. THE CONTRACT WAS FOR FOR HUNDRED 50 DAYS. AND I ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION. SO MY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT PARTICULAR ONE DON'T, DON'T GIVE ME EXAMPLES OF SOMETHING ELSE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE CONTRACT THAT HAS THE CALENDAR DAYS ALSO ALLOWS FOR RAINY DAYS. SO EVEN IF IT DOES SET IT'S 150 CALENDAR DAYS, THE CONTRACT WILL ALSO ALLOW FOR RAINY DAYS BECAUSE THE CONTRACTOR CANNOT PROJECT THESE DAYS. AND IF HE'S GONNA HAVE TO PAY, IF HE GOES OVER 150 DAYS, BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ALLOTTED TIME FOR RAINY DAYS, HIS PRICE IS GONNA GO UP, ESPECIALLY IN AN AREA WHERE WE GET 50 INCHES OF RAIN A YEAR. OKAY? UH, WE NOT GONNA STAY HERE THAT LONG WITH THAT. I THINK, UH, WE GET WHAT I LIKE TO WHAT I LIKE, UH, TO REQUEST OF, UH, CITY ATTORNEY, WOULD YOU PLEASE PULL A, UH, COPY OF THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT, THIS CONTRACT. I'D LIKE TO HAVE A COPY OF IT. I'M GONNA READ IT AND, AND IF IT, IF IT DOESN'T TALK ABOUT GIVING THIS EXTENSION RHETORIC, I'M GONNA BRING THIS BACK AND I'M GONNA BRING IT BACK BECAUSE WHEN I ASK SIMPLE QUESTIONS, I DON'T WANT SOMEONE TELLING ME SOMETHING THAT IS, THAT IS CONTRARY TO IT. ALL I'M ASKING JUST TELL ME I DON'T WANT TALK ABOUT OTHERS. BUT SINCE THIS CONTRACT HERE IS THE ISSUE, I'M NOT GONNA BE, UH, THE ONE BECAUSE REALLY THIS DOESN'T, THIS, UH, ORDINANCE, UH, RESOLUTION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT JOB BEING COMPLETED. WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW, IT'S JUST THE FACT THAT WILL THEY BE ABLE TO GO PAST THURSDAY WITHOUT BEING PENALIZED? THAT'S WHAT THIS RESOLUTION IS ABOUT. AND IF COUNCIL APPROVES IT, THAT'S FINE. WHEN I READ THE CONTRACT, I'LL BRING THE CONTRACT BACK, BACK TO COUNCIL AND I'LL ASK FOR US TO RECONSIDER THIS, THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE WE WILL NEVER GET OUR CITY MOVING UNTIL WE HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. WHEN WE PAY 'EM FOR JOBS, THEY NEED TO COME IN AND DO IT AND GET IT DONE. A LOT OF CONVERSATION GOES ON AMONG PEOPLE, BUT IT AIN'T WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE. GET THE JOB DONE. SO I'M NOT GONNA HOLD THIS ONE UP, BUT, UH, PLEASE WOULD YOU BRING ME A COPY [02:05:01] AND WHENEVER YOU GET IT, JUST LET ME KNOW THAT YOU HAVE PULLED IT UP AND I'LL COME TO CITY HALL AND GET IT. AND ONCE I READ IT, IF THERE'S ANY DIFFERENT DIFFERENTIATION OF WHAT I'M SAYING ABOUT THIS CONTRACT, I WILL BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA STOP THIS. WE GONNA ALL BE ON ONE SHEET OF MUSIC, EVEN ME, BUT WE GONNA BE ON ONE SHEET OF MUSIC, BUT WE GONNA MOVE AND PEOPLE GONNA DO THE WORK THAT WE PAY FOR. OKAY. COUNCILMAN FRANK? YEAH, I, I SIMPLY RAISED THE QUESTION BECAUSE I WAS ON A FACT FINDING MISSION. UM, THE 152 CALENDAR DAYS WAS IN BOLD PRINT AND IT, IT, IT'S KIND OF, IT, IT IT GETS, UM, THE MESSAGE ACROSS THAT THOSE DAYS WERE NEEDED. BUT AS WE HAVE UNVEILED THE FACTS, UH, ABOUT THE, THE FUNDING BEING A PART OF, AND THE 60 DAYS THAT WERE TAKEN AWAY BECAUSE OF THE VALUE ENGINEERING AND FROM THE ONSET, I WISH THAT WE WOULD'VE PUT THAT IT IS IN THE LETTER, BUT I WISH THAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN EXPLAINED JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE SO THAT WE COULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND THEN IT WOULD'VE BEEN THE JUSTIFICATION MORE SO THAN THE WEATHER FOR THE 152 DAYS. AM I RIGHT ABOUT THAT? OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. YEAH. GO, GO, GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD, SIR. RAYMOND SCOTT, 37 26 LAKE SHORE DRIVE. AGAIN. UH, I STAND HERE AND THE QUESTION COUNCILMAN FRANK AND BROUGHT UP, AND, UH, COUNCILMAN BROUGHT UP ABOUT HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. UH, THIS COUNCIL HAS DEALT WITH A COMPANY BEING A MONOPOLY IN A CERTAIN AREA OF THE CITY. YOU ALL HAVE DONE THAT BEFORE. AND I'M JUST GONNA USE A FRUITFUL MIND THOUGHT AS A CITIZEN THAT SOMETIMES WHEN WE ALLOW COMPANIES TO MONOPOLY MONOPOLIZE A CERTAIN AREA IN THE CITY, I'M NOT SAYING IT COULD BE, I'M SAYING JUST USE A, THE FRUITFUL THOUGHT THAT WHEN SOMETIMES PEOPLE MONOPOLIZE A CERTAIN AREA IN THE CITY, UM, THEIR MIND THINKING COULD BE WE WILL GET TO IT WHEN WE CAN. WE'LL GET TO IT WHEN WE CAN BECAUSE WHEN A COMPANY MONOPOLIZE A CERTAIN AREA, THEY CAN BE THAT WAY. NOW, I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT, IT EXISTS, BUT I'M SAYING TO THE COUNCIL, JUST USE IT AS A FRUITFUL THOUGHT. WHEN A COMPANY MONOPOLIZE A CERTAIN AREA IN THE CITY, THEIR MINDSET COULD BE, WE'LL GET TO IT WHEN WE CAN. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN FRANK. YOU SEE AS YOUR LIGHT ON OKAY. IF BE ANYMORE, WE ARE READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR A AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYE. OKAY. A IT SEEMS AS THOUGH SOUND IT IT IS APPROVED. IT'S APPROVED AS READ. OKAY. IT IS NOW 1144. WE ARE TO, UH, ADJOURN. NOT ADJOURN. EXCUSE ME. RECESS. UH, TO GO DOWNSTAIRS, ASK THE ENTIRE COUNCIL AND THOSE WHO ARE IN THE, UH, GALLERY TO GO DOWN AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A QUA CENTENNIAL, UH, UH, PRESENTATION AND UNVEILING DOWN IN THE, UH, I GUESS I WOULD CALL IT THE COURTYARD OR IN THE PORCH AREA OF OUR CITY HALL. SO WE ARE GOING TO, TO RECESS NOW AT 1145 AND WE WILL RESUME AND COME BACK IN THIS SESSION AT 1:30 PM THANK YOU SO KINDLY. HELLO? WE WE'RE BACK. YES, SIR. WE'RE BACK. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. IT'S NOW ONE 30 AND WE WOULD LIKE TO RECONVENE. THANK YOU. MAY I APPROACH HIM? WE CONVENE OUR MEETING. UH, WOULD YOU PLEASE WE ESTABLISH CITY, THE SECRETARY, MAYOR BARTEE. PRESENT. MAYOR PROTE BECKHAM. HERE. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS. COUNCIL MEMBER D SET HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW. COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, PRESENT. YOU HAVE A COURT MAYOR. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. AS WE RECONVENE OUR MEETING, WE WERE ON PAGE FIVE AND [VIII.A.(2) P.R. No. 24178 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Professional Engineering Services Agreement Between The City Of Port Arthur And Soutex Surveyors & Engineers (Soutex), Of Port Arthur, Texas, For The Design Of The 9th Avenue Paving, Utilities, And Drainage Project With A Projected Budgetary Amount Of $674,500.00. Funding Is Available In The Capital Improvement Account Number 307-21-053-8517-00-10-000. Project No. ST1P21.ENG] WE WERE READY TO BEGIN WITH ITEM NUMBER TWO UNDER ROMAN NUMERAL, [02:10:01] UH, EIGHT IN THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA. ITEM NUMBER TWO IS PR NUMBER 24 1 7 8. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND SOUTH TEXAS, UH, SURVEYS AND ENGINEERS OF SOUTH TEXAS, OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS FOR THE DESIGN OF THE NINTH AVENUE PAVING UTILITIES AND DRAINAGE PROJECT WITH A PROJECTED BUDGETARY AMOUNT OF $674,500. FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT. NUMBER 3 0 7 DASH 21 DASH 53 DASH 85 0 0 0. AND IT IS PROJECT NUMBER T ONE P 21 EG. NOW I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. UH, COUNCILWOMAN HAMILTON. SO MOVED. MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN FRANK. SECOND IS REMOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE, UH, PR NUMBER 24 1 7 8. AS PRESENTED, WE READ UP A QUESTION. COUNCILMAN ETT? YES. ON THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT? OH YEAH, YOU MIC ON. OKAY. OKAY. ON THAT, THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT, WE, WE, UH, HAD 674 5 FOR THE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN. YES, SIR. CORRECT. OKAY. AND WE GOT THIS, UH, ACCOUNT NUMBER FOR THE FUNDING. I'VE ASKED MANY TIME TO GET THIS LIST OF WHERE THESE ACCOUNTS ARE. YES SIR. WE CAN GET, THIS IS, UH, UNDER THE, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S TWO PROGRAMS FOR STREETS. ONE OF THEM FOR REHABILITATION, ONE FOR OF THEM FOR RECONSTRUCTION. UHHUH. THIS BUDGET HERE STARTED WITH 2.9, SORRY, $20.94 MILLION FOR RECONSTRUCTION THAT, UH, MOST OF IT IS ALLOCATED FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE ONGOING AFTER THOSE ARE PAID FOR. THE BALANCE IN THAT ACCOUNT IS 4.6 MILLION. SO WE ARE PLANNING TO DESIGN THOSE FOUR PROJECTS YOU CAN SEE ON THE AGENDA TODAY. SO IN THE NEXT ROUND OF FUNDING, THEY'LL BE READY TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION. WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING I'M GONNA BE DISCUSSED TODAY TOO. THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT OVER, THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT UP THE, UH, THE PRESENTATION LAST MEETING ABOUT FUNDING. AND THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN MAKING A POINT ABOUT ENGINEERING OR SOMEBODY MAKING A DECISION ABOUT FUNDING. THAT'S WHY I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT FUNDING. THIS IS IN DISTRICT THREE. UH, UH TWO. WHICH ONE IS ON TWO OR THIS IS COUNCIL'S EITHER TWO OR THREE. THAT COMES, UH, THREE THREE, I BELIEVE. OKAY. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE DOING THESE PROJECTS, THAT MONEY NEEDS TO BE COMING FROM MONEY ALLOCATED TO STREET. SEE, THE WAY Y'ALL DOING THIS IS WHAT I HAD A PROBLEM WITH. I WANT THE MONEY TO DO THIS TO COME FROM DISTRICT THREE FUNDED THE CITY, CITY, UH, FINANCE RATE, THE CITY MANAGER. CAN I ASK A QUESTION, PLEASE? SURE. CAN I ASK A QUESTION? YEAH, SURE, SURE. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, LYNN. LYNN, DO YOU HAVE THE MONEY? A A APPROPRIATED BY DISTRICT? DO YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION? DO YOU HAVE IT? I HAVE A LIST THAT I WAS GIVEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BUDGET YEAR AND IN THAT LIST THERE WAS A LIMIT. AND THAT'S THE LIST THAT I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW. SO THE MONEY HAS BEEN APPROPRIATED, IT HASN'T BEEN SPECIFIC TO THE DISTRICTS. THAT IS COMPLETELY TRUE. OKAY, LYNN, THAT'S THE, THAT'S, THAT WAS MY QUESTION. I, YOU KNOW, I LISTEN TO ALL THESE ANSWERS. I BE ASKING SIMPLE QUESTIONS. THE SIMPLE QUESTION IS, IF YOU [02:15:01] RECEIVE THIS DISTRICT IS IN DISTRICT THREE, WHEN IT GOES TO YOU AND YOU SIGN OFF, I WANT TO KNOW, IS IT ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, YES, THAT FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN MONEY FOR DISTRICT THREE? SO I'M GOING TO SIGN OFF. YES, THERE WAS A PRE DESIGNATED LIST AND WHEN THERE'S ANY KIND OF COMBINATION IN A PERFECT, IN THE, IN THE ACTUAL SPREADSHEET AND THEY WANT TO EVEN COMBINE TRAITS, THEY HAVE TO COMBINE IT WITHIN EACH OF THOSE DISTRICTS. AND YOU HAVE THE LIST. I DO HAVE THE MOST UPDATED LIST. WHEN I ASKED THEM TO UPDATE IT, BECAUSE I HAD FUNDING, THEY, THERE WERE SOME MOVEMENTS THAT NEEDED TO BE MADE FOR STREETS OR RENAMING THEM. I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. THERE WAS ONE PROJECT FOR JADE AND THEN THERE WERE THREE LINE ITEMS FOR JADE. AND I SAID, I CAN'T ACCEPT THIS. MAKE IT ONE OF THESE AND COMBINE THEM. AND THEN WHATEVER THAT BALANCE IS, IS IF IT'S GONNA BE MORE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DELAY IT TILL THE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THIS IS ALL THE FUNDING I HAVE FOR THAT DISTRICT FOR 2025. OKAY. WHEN ARE COUNCIL MEMBERS GONNA KNOW? I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. HOW MUCH MONEY FOR A YEAR AND A HALF? I'VE BEEN ASKING A SIMPLE QUESTION. I'M GONNA SAY IT, I'M GONNA REPEAT IT FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. I'VE BEEN ASKED HOW MUCH MONEY DO I HAVE IN DISTRICT FOUR FOR STREETS? I ASKED THAT QUESTION FOR FOUR FOR, UH, 18 MONTHS. I'VE BEEN ASKING IT. DID YOU LAST, I CAN'T GET IT. LAST WEEK. DID WE NOT HA GIVE THEM A LIST LAST WEEK? DID I GIVE YOU A LIST? WELL, NO. NO. OKAY, OKAY. OKAY. YOU TALKING LAST WEEK? I'VE BEEN ASKING IT FOR, FOR 18 MONTHS. SO YOU GIVE ME A A A LIST FROM LAST YEAR AND LAST YEAR. LAST WEEK. LAST WEEK. YES SIR. THE LIST YOU GAVE ME, I'M GONNA GET WITH THE MANAGER PERFECT. AND STYLE BECAUSE I CAN ASSURE YOU, I WILL BE WILLING TO BET ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THAT LIST DID NOT GO BACK TO BE CENTERED AROUND OUR CURRENT REDISTRICTING AND NUMBER OF LINEAR FEE PER PER STREET. BUT EVEN SO, IF WE DID THAT RIGHT, THE PERCENTAGE THAT WE GO BACK AND DIVIDE THE MONEY IN THOSE PERCENTAGES BASED ON THAT WE DID. I DON'T KNOW. THAT WAS A LIST LIST THAT I INHERITED AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK REALLY HARD ON THAT ONE. SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING MORE INPUT AND GETTING A, A, A GREAT LIST TO START FROM IN 26 BASED ON WHAT WE GAVE YOU LAST WEEK. WELL, I'M, I, AFTER YEAR AND A HALF, I'M, I'M LOOKING REAL FORWARD TO IT. THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN TRYING VERY PATIENTLY YES, SIR. JUST TO WORK WITH PEOPLE TO GET THE INFORMATION AND LET'S DO IT RIGHT. ABSOLUTELY. I I DON'T POINT FINGERS, I DON'T TALK ABOUT THE PAST, BUT SINCE I GOT ON COUNCIL 18 MONTHS AGO, I HAVE ALWAYS SAID, LET'S STOP, GET A HANDLE ON IT. AND IT'S ABOUT MONEY ACCOUNTING FOR MONEY. ABSOLUTELY. AND, AND I WANT TO KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO DEPEND ON STAFF TO TELL ME HOW MUCH MONEY I HAVE REMAINING IN DISTRICT FOUR FIFTH STREET AT THE END OF THE YEAR. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY IS BROUGHT BACK OVER SO I CAN CONTINUE. IF I'M SHORT, THEN I KNOW THE NEXT YEAR I WON'T GET AS MUCH AS I WAS ALLOCATED BECAUSE I NEED TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT THEY DID. BUT THE WAY WE'VE BEEN DOING STREETS IN THE CITY, THAT'S NOT EVEN A CONCERN BECAUSE WE GOT SO MUCH MONEY THAT'S LEFT OVER. OKAY. SO IT IS NEVER A CONCERN. SO WHEN I ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING. SO THE 674,500 IS COMING OUT OF DISTRICT THREE'S MONEY. I'M NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH THE DISTRICT SEPARATION. SORRY. SOMEBODY NEED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR ME. THANK YOU, LYNN. YOU'RE WELCOME. YES, COUNCILMAN, SINCE, UH, JANUARY WHEN I STARTED WORKING ON THE STREETS PART, WHEN JOHN, UH, RESIGNED, I STARTED WORKING ON THE ANSWERS FOR YOUR QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF WHAT WAS DONE IN WHICH DISTRICT. I'M ABOUT 80% COMPLETE. [02:20:01] THE LIST I GAVE YOU LAST WEEK WAS ABOUT 80%. I HAVE ABOUT 70, 80 MORE STREETS. WERE IDENTIFYING THAT THEY WERE DONE TO ADD THE FOOTAGE UP, UP TO DATE. WE HAVE 180,000 FEET THAT HAS BEEN DONE. 91,000 OF IT IS IN DISTRICT FOUR 33,000. 34,000 DISTRICT THREE, 19,500 IN DISTRICT TWO AND 34,600 IN DISTRICT ONE. OKAY. BUT THESE ARE NOT FINAL NUMBERS. WE GOT 20% MORE TO GO TO. SO ONCE THAT IS COMPLETE, WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GIVE YOU A WORKSHOP SO WE CAN GO OVER ALL THESE ITEMS FOR YOU. I TELL YOU WHAT, I AM THRILLED TO HEAR THAT. YES, SIR. THAT IS WHAT I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR, FOR A YEAR AND A HALF TO HEAR EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. SO HOW LONG YOU THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE YOU, DR. TOME? UH, THIS LIST SHOULD BE FINE. I WAS HOPING TO HAVE IT FOR THIS MEETING, BUT THEY'RE STILL HAVING TO TAKE SOME DIMENSIONS 'CAUSE IT WASN'T IN THE DATA. UH, IT WILL BE FINISHED THIS WEEK. OKAY. SO WHEN YOU FINISH THE LIST, THEN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY GET A A UP-TO-DATE PERCENTAGE. SO I CAN TELL YOU SINCE THE PROGRAM STARTED, HOW MANY FEET WERE DONE IN EVERY DISTRICT AND WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL FOOTAGE. YEAH. WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT TOO FOR THE LAST 18 MONTHS, I THINK HOW MANY STREETS HAVE BEEN DONE IN EACH DISTRICT AND, AND ALL THAT, THAT SHOULD BE LIKE IN OUR ARCHIVES. SO WE'LL KNOW WHEN THE LAST TIME STREETS WERE DONE AND STUFF. BUT WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH STREETS, I THINK THAT'S ONE THING THAT I WILL SAY, EVEN WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THE PROGRAM THAT I KIND OF HAD A PROBLEM WITH. YOU'RE GIVING ME THIS LONG LAUNDRY LIST, BUT WHEN I READ THE LAUNDRY LIST, I GOT STREETS THAT'VE BEEN COMPLETED. STREETS THAT ARE SCHEDULED. OKAY. OKAY. WHY DON'T WE JUST, WHEN WE DEALING WITH THIS, WHY, WHY AREN'T WE DEALING WITH JUST THE STREETS THAT NEED TO BE REPAIRED? SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DETERMINE WHAT WE DOING NEXT. UH, THE STREETS THAT ALREADY DONE, IF WE WANT TO KNOW WHICH STREETS IN OUR DISTRICT, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO PULL THAT UP AND SAY, OKAY, THESE ARE LISTED STREETS, BUT WE'RE, I GO IN THERE TO TALK TO YOU AND WE WANT TO DECIDE WHAT STREETS WE'RE GONNA NOW SELECT RIGHT. TO BRING TO COUNCIL. WHY CAN'T WE JUST LOOK AT THOSE TREES SO I DON'T HAVE TO SEE ALL THIS OTHER STUFF THAT'S IN MATERIAL. IT'S JUST A LOT OF MUD IN THE WATER. THE, THE PAPERWORK I PROVIDED LAST WEEK HAS ONE SHEET THAT SAYS, UH, READY FOR BID DESIGN COMPLETE. THESE ARE GONNA BE IN THIS TEXT ONE AND FOUR. 'CAUSE THE LAST CONTRACT WE PUT OUT WHERE IT'S TWO AND THREE, THESE ARE GONNA BE ABOUT 11.9 MILLION IS THE ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COST. THE NEXT PAGE IS THE STREETS THAT ARE UNDER DESIGN. AND ALL THESE ARE BEING DONE IN-HOUSE WITH AN ESTIMATED COST OF ABOUT 14.9 MILLION. SO THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE, BUT WE'RE GONNA PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER IN ORDER WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN EVERY DISTRICT, HOW MANY FEET? AND I'M GONNA STICK TO THE FEET INSTEAD OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNT BECAUSE SOME OF THESE STREETS ARE 20 FEET WIDE, SOME ARE 24, SOME ARE 18. SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT ON, ON PERF PER FOOT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL WANTED TO DO IN EVERY DISTRICT. WELL, WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT WE DID. WE, IN FACT, WE HAVE ONE OF YOUR ENGINEERS HERE THAT WAS ACTUALLY HERE FOR WHEN, WHEN ACTUALLY WE'RE DOING IT. THAT'S HOW COME WHEN WE GET WITH THE STAFF. SEE, AND THAT'S WHAT COUNCILMAN EVER FEEL PROBABLY NEEDS TO HEAR IS SOMEBODY MAY THINK THAT WHEN THE COUNCILMAN GET WITH ENGINEER, WE GO IN THERE AND SAY, WE WON'T DO THIS STREET, THIS STREET, THAT STREET, THIS STREET. YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE MONEY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DIVIDED ONCE WE GOTTEN THE MONEY, THEN THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, THEY WENT THROUGH AND THEY LOOKED AT RECOMMENDATIONS. SO WHEN WE DID GET WITH THEM, THEY SAY, OKAY, YOU GOT THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR RECONSTRUCTION. THIS IS WHAT WE THINK YOU NEED TO DO. YOU SAY, NO, DO THIS ONE, DO THAT. OKAY, NO PROBLEMS. YEAH. REMEDIAL. SO THEN AFTER THAT, RIGHT, THEN WE GO. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK WE ON THE RIGHT TRACK FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, IT'S JUST THAT THE MONEY, IF WHAT I'M REALLY CONCERNED WITH IS THE MONEY, BECAUSE THAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE WE START DOING THE RIGHT SO THAT THE, THE, THE STREETS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON, THE LIST THAT WE HAVE IS THE LIST THAT, UH, JOHN WENT THROUGH WITH Y'ALL AS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND I, HE SAID HE DROVE SOME OF THESE STREETS WITH YOU. SO THESE ARE THE LISTS WE'RE WORKING ON AS FAR AS THE MONEY. IF YOU ALL APPROVE THE FOUR CONTRACTS WE HAVE HERE TODAY FOR RECONSTRUCTION, THE ONLY BALANCE LEFT IN RECONSTRUCTION THAT'S NOT, UH, ALLOCATED [02:25:01] YET WILL BE 2.7 MILLION ONLY. SO WE ARE HOLDING THAT TO SEE IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANY CHANGE ORDERS OR WE NEED TO DESIGN OR DO SOMETHING ELSE WITH IT ON THE RESURFACING. ONCE THIS BID, THE CONTRACT WE'RE GONNA BID, UH, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, ONCE THAT BIDS AND IT COMES AT THE 11.89 MILLION, WE ARE ESTIMATING THE ONLY MONEY LEFT WILL BE 2 MILLION IN THE RESURFACING PROGRAM. SO THE MONEY ALL GAVE US THROUGH THE FIVE YEARS PLUS THE OTHER, UH, FUNDS THAT CAME TO STREETS, UH, FOR REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION. IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS, WE'LL ONLY HAVE 4.7 MILLION LEFT THAT WE ARE HOLDING TO SEE IF WE'RE GONNA NEED IT IN ANY OF THE ONGOING PROJECTS. OKAY. IT'S A LONG, WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE A LONG DAY. YEAH, I THINK I I THINK YOU HAD IT IN THE DIRECT RIGHT DIRECTION. I'LL COME WITH YOU ALL. I'LL COME AND SEE. SO IF I HAVE ANY MORE CONCERNS, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE GOING. LET ME, LEMME SUGGEST THIS. OKAY. OKAY. YOU DONE? OKAY. LEMME SUGGEST THIS. DR. UNI, YOU ARE ALMOST, YOU'RE 20% LEFT TO COMPLETE WHAT YOU'RE DOING. I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS, UM, WHEN THE INFORMATION IS ALL COMPILED, LET'S HAVE A WORKSHOP WITH COUNCIL AND WE CAN PUT IT ON THE TABLE SO THAT WE HAVE A VERY CLEAR IDEA. I THINK THAT'D BE GOOD. CITY MANAGER. I THINK LET'S HAVE A WORKSHOP. I I JUST WANT HOUR TWO, I THINK ALL OF US. YES. NOT NOT JUST DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS. NO, NO, NO. BUT EVERYBODY SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE DOING IN TREES. HOW WE GONNA THINK, HOW THE MONEY'S GONNA BE ALLOCATED. YES. HOW THE MONEY'S GONNA BE MANAGED. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT NOT JUST THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER KNOW. EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER KNOW. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE. SO I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. AND THE SOONER WE CAN DO THAT, I THINK THE SOONER WE GONNA GET THIS THING GOING AND GOING. RIGHT. OKAY. YEAH, BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WE, WHAT WE SHOULD COME OUT OF THE WORKSHOP WITH IS WITH A PLAN, SEEING THAT WE HAVE SKIPPED THIS YEAR, WE DO NOT HAVE, UM, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS FOR STREETS, BUT FOR UTILITIES 2.2, $3.2 MILLION, I THINK WE SHOULD USE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PLANNING FOR THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR. IF WE GO NOT FOR $10 MILLION OR MORE, YOU KNOW, IS THAT OKAY? WELL, WELL, JUST LIKE RECONSTRUCTIONS, WE NORMALLY HAVE TO PAY FOR DESIGNS AND ALTHOUGH WE KNOW THAT WE GOING, WE KNOW THAT GO FROM DESIGNING TO BID TO WORK, WE KNOW WHAT, EIGHT, NINE MONTHS? A YEAR? A YEAR, YEAH. SIX MONTHS. WE KNOW THAT, RIGHT? MM-HMM . YES. SO BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS MONEY, IF WE USE THAT MONEY TO PAY CONTRACTS TO DESIGN MM-HMM . WHEN, WHEN THOSE STREETS ARE ACTUALLY SELECTED AND APPROVED, WE ARE ABOUT READY TO GO OUT FOR BIDS. MM-HMM . AND THE COST, WE, WE COULD RECOUP THAT COST THAT WE USE. YES. BECAUSE THAT COST IS NOW GOING TO BE IN THERE, YOU KNOW, IN, IN OTHER WORDS, WE GOTTA BE AHEAD OF THE TIME THAT WE SELECT THE STREET. WE CAN'T WAIT TO SELECT THE STREET TO START THE BEGINNING THE PROCESS, DO THE DESIGN, GET THE DESIGN DONE. YES. SO WHEN THAT STREET IS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL, THEN OUR NEXT STEP IS BID IN CONTRACTING AND LET'S WORK. MM-HMM . I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE GOT BEHIND. I'M GONNA TELL YOU, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE GOT BEHIND BECAUSE WE NEVER GOT INTO THAT RHYTHM. AND I THINK WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE ALL SIT DOWN AND AGREE AND LISTENED TO WHAT, UH, THE STAFF SAYS. IF THE STAFF, THE COUNCIL, ALL THE COUNCIL IS ON THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC, WE GONNA ROLL. OKAY. SO LET'S DO THE WORKSHOP. I THINK WE'RE GONNA FIX THIS. OKAY. IN THE WORKSHOP, WE'LL GIVE YOU THE ESTIMATES OF THESE PROJECTS WE'RE DESIGNING. SO YOU'LL HAVE A WHOLE YEAR TO DETERMINE HOW YOU WANNA FUND THEM AND HOW MUCH OF THEM YOU WANNA DO AT ONE TIME. I'LL STAND. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, HAMILTON, YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE FOR, UM, QUICK REQUEST ONCE THIS IS, UM, YOU, OKAY. ONCE THE, UM, 20% IS ADDED TO THE LIST, UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS SEVERAL TIMES. JUST A REMINDER THAT WE ADD THIS TO OUR WEBSITE SO THAT CITIZENS CAN BE ABLE TO SEE, UM, THE APPROXIMATE TIMELINE THAT THEIR STREET IS EXPECTED TO BE RECONSTRUCTED OR REPAIRED. I THINK THAT WILL HELP ALL OF US WITH IT'LL, IT WILL EXPECTATION BECAUSE IT'LL FORM PART OF OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. GOING AHEAD. WE RIGHT? YES MA'AM. YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HONOR, ARE WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ANY AYE. OKAY. ANY OPPOSES? AYE. HAVE IT. SO, UH, PR [02:30:01] NUMBER 24 1 78 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NEXT WE [VIII.A.(3) P.R. No. 24179 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Professional Engineering Services Agreement Between The City Of Port Arthur And S&R Consulting And Construction, LLC (S&R) Of Beaumont, Texas, For The Design Of The Roadway Improvement Projects For Duff Drive (Project No. ST3035; $75,000.00) And Becker Place (Project No. ST5067; $75,000.00) With A Projected Budgetary Amount Of $150,000.00. Funding Is Available In The Capital Improvement Account Number 307-21-053- 8517-00-10-000] HAVE ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS PR NUMBER 24 1 7 9 A RELU A RESOLUTION THAT'S RIGHT. AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND SNR CONSULTING AND CONSTRUCTION, L-L-C-S-R-S-N-R OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR THE DESIGN OF THE ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR DO AVENUE. THIS IS PROJECT NUMBER T 3 0 3 5 FOR 75,000 AND BECKER PLACE, WHICH IS PROJECT NUMBER ST 5 0 6 7 FOR 75,000 WITH A PROJECTED BUDGETARY AMOUNT OF 150,000 FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT. NUMBER 3 0 7 DASH 21 DASH FIVE THREE DASH 8 5 1 7 0 0 0 0. I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. COUNCILMAN FRANK, MOVE MA'AM, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN? UH, LEWIS SECOND BEEN MOVED AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 24 1 79 AS PRESENTED. WE'RE READY FOR QUESTIONS. COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE? YES. THIS COMMENT IS GOING TO BE ONE THAT UH, DR. HANNEY JUST KEEP IN MIND, UH, WHEN WE START DOING IT, WHENEVER WE HAVE A REQUEST TO COUNSEL TO APPROVE A, UH, DESIGN OR ENGINEERING, LET'S ALWAYS INCLUDE THE COST OF THOSE PROJECTED PROJECTS, OKAY? UH, THE, UH, UH, YOU ALREADY GOT THE, THE PROJECT, SO I'M QUITE SURE YOU GOT ONE. SO ON THIS ONE, LET'S JUST DO THAT. EACH ONE OF THEM INCLUDE THE CONSTRUCTION COST, YOU MEAN? YEAH, EVERYTHING. YOU KNOW, UNTIL WE HAVE A DESIGN, WE DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER. WE'LL BE REALLY SHOOTING FROM THE HIP, BUT WE CAN MINUTE COME UP WITH SOMETHING. WAIT MINUTE. THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT? MM-HMM . ANY DESIGN AN ENGINEER, THEIR COST IS BASED ON ESTIMATED COST OF THE PROJECT. ESTIMATED. YES. SO, IN OTHER WORDS, FOR THEM TO HAVE GIVEN ME THIS COST FOR DESIGN, THAT MEANS WE GAVE THEM AN ESTIMATED COST. SO THAT'S ALL I WANT. PROBLEM. I WANT NO PROBLEM. I WANT TO KNOW IF I'M GONNA APPROVE YOU TO GO AND DESIGN THIS, I WANNA KNOW AT LEAST ON THE BACK END WHAT THIS PROJECT GONNA COST TO ME WHEN YOU COME AND ASK ME FOR A CONSTRUCTION COST. OKAY? YOU ARE CORRECT. THOSE ARE BASED ON THEIR ESTIMATES OF THE CONSTRUCTION, RIGHT? AND I MADE SURE THEY ARE BELOW THE STANDARD. YEAH, WE USE IN ENGINEERING FOR THIS TYPE. YEAH, BUT WAY, YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING THOUGH? WE GOT THESE PROJECTS. LET US KNOW WHAT EACH ONE OF 'EM GONNA COST. THAT'S ALL. JUST INCLUDE ANY INFORMATION. GOOD IDEA. WE DO THAT ALL. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER? LEMME SEE. THAT'S JUST ONLY YOU COUNCIL. OKAY. ARE ANY OTHERS READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR A. AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYE. OKAY, ANY OPPOSES? AYE HAVE IT. SO PR NUMBER 24 1 79 IS APPROVED AS READ. [VIII.A.(4) P.R. No. 24180 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Professional Engineering Services Agreement Between The City Of Port Arthur And Arceneaux, Wilson & Cole, LLC, (AWC), Of Port Arthur, Texas, For The Design Of The Thomas Boulevard Improvement Project With A Projected Budgetary Amount Of $796,460.00. Funding Is Available In The Capital Improvement Account Number 307-21-053-8517-00-10-000. Project No. ST5062.ENG] NEXT WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS PR NUMBER 24 1 8 0. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND ARSENAL, WILSON AND COLE, L-L-C-A-W-C OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, FOR THE DESIGN OF THE THOMAS BOULEVARD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT WITH A PROJECTED BUDGETARY AMOUNT OF $796,460. FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT. NUMBER 3 0 7 DASH 21 DASH FIVE THREE DASH 8 5 7 0 0. AND THIS IS PROJECT NUMBER ST 5 0 6 2 ENGINEERING. UH, MAY I GOT A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE. SO MOVED. NOW I GET A SECOND. COUNCILMAN FRANK SECOND IS REMOVED IN SECOND AND WE WOULD APPROVE P NUMBER 24 180 AS PRESENTED. WE'RE READY FOR QUESTION. COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE THAT ANOTHER ONE THREW ME FOR LOOP ON THIS ONE. KIRSTEN ON THIS ONE I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. ONCE AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA MAKE, I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO THE SAME THING AS I DID BEFORE DR. TOMAIN, BUT IT GOES BACK TO THE COST OF THE TOTAL PROGRAM. I LOOKED AT THE, UH, BACKGROUND INFORMATION. UH, SO WE ARE APPROVING THIS FOR THE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN OF THAT SECTION OF THOMAS BOULEVARD. [02:35:02] BUT WHEN I READ THE BACKGROUND EQUIPMENT, I MEAN THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION IT STARTED TALKING ABOUT AND ADDITION OR ADDED THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS. AND IT'S, AND IT SAID IF WE GO WITH THE ADDED, IT'S $92,000 AND THE, UH, $92,200. AND THE ADDITION WAS IN CONSIDERATION IF WE WANT TO DO IRRIGATION AND LANDSCAPE. SO MY QUESTION IS, IF WE ARE DOING STREETS CONSTRUCTION, READJUSTING THE STREETS, WHY ARE WE HAVING OR EVEN CONSIDER PAYING TO DO LANDSCAPE OR IRRIGATION DESIGN? AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT, LET'S NOT GET INTO A PROJECT BALLOONING ON US. SO EXPLAIN WHY WE GOT THAT DOCK. UH, WE HAVE IT IN THERE BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE AN ONGOING PROJECT RIGHT NOW THAT THE LANDSCAPING PART OF IT WAS SUPPORTED BY SOME AND NOT OTHERS ON THE COUNCIL. SO WE PUT IT IN THERE AS AN ADDITIVE. IF THE COUNCIL DECIDES WANTS TO DO THE LANDSCAPING, WE CAN DO IT. IF THE COUNCIL DECIDES THEY DON'T WANNA DO THE LANDSCAPING, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THOMAS BOULEVARD HAVE A LOT OF LANDSCAPING IN THE CENTER OF IT THAT MAKES THE STREET BEAUTIFUL. SO WE'RE TRYING TO PUT IT IN THERE SO THE COUNCIL CAN DECIDE ON THIS ITEM BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THERE'S DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON THE COUNCIL REGARDING LANDSCAPING. WELL, THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE. I'VE BEEN THROUGH A PRESENTATION. THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF ALL OF US TALK AND ALL OF US GIVING OUR COMMENTS. WE, WE HEAR ONE ANOTHER, BUT WE GONNA GET TO A CONCLUSION. EITHER THOSE STREETS, EITHER THAT MONEY GONNA BE DONE FOR STREETS AND STREETS ONLY, OR WE GONNA USE IT FOR OTHER THINGS WHEN WE DO THE WORKSHOP, THAT'S SOMETHING I'M GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNCIL, WE GONNA COME TO A CONCLUSION AND WE GONNA ISSUE A DIRECTIVE. EITHER WE GOING TO DO STREETS OR WE GOING TO DO STREETS AND BEAUTIFICATION. WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO BOTH. THAT MONEY THAT WE GETTING IS TO GET THE CITIZEN OF OUR BACK FOR STREETS. OKAY? SO BASICALLY WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING RIGHT NOW IS ALTHOUGH IT IS LISTED IN HERE AS AN ADDED RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT ON THE TABLE. NO, WE HAVE AUTHORIZED IT SEPARATELY. ALRIGHT SIR. ALRIGHT, THAT'S, I WANT TO BE SURE. YES SIR. THANK YOU DOCTOR. WE HAVE THE COURT QUESTIONS ON IT. NOT WE READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? AYE. A HAVING SO PR NUMBER 24 180 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NEXT [VIII.A.(5) P.R. No. 24181 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Professional Engineering Services Agreement Between The City Of Port Arthur And Fittz And Shipman, Inc. Of Port Arthur, Texas, For The Design Of Jade Avenue From H.O. Mills Boulevard (Texas 73) To Farm To Market (FM) Road Highway 365 With A Projected Budgetary Amount Of $311,450.00. Funding Is Available In The Capital Improvement Account Number 307-21-053-8517-00- 10-000. Project No. ST5059.ENG] WE MOVE OVER TO PAGE NUMBER SIX, ADAM NUMBER FIVE, UH, PR NUMBER 2 4 1, 8 1. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND FITZ AND SHIPMAN INCORPORATED OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS FOR THE DESIGN OF JADE AVENUE FROM HO MILLS BOULEVARD, UH, TEXAS, UH, 73 TO FARM TO MARKET ROAD HIGHWAY NUMBER 365 WITH A PROJECTED BUDGETARY AMOUNT OF $311,450 P IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ACCOUNT NUMBER 3 0 7 DASH 21 DASH 0 5 3 DASH 85 17 DASH ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO. AND IT'S PROJECT NUMBER ST 5 0 5 9 ENGINEERING. I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. COUNCILMAN FRANK. SO MOVED. I GET A SECOND. COUNCILMAN, UH, LEWIS SECOND IF MOVE AND SECOND, THEN WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 24 1 8 1 AS PRESENTED. WE READY FOR QUESTION? COUNCILMAN ETT? YES. OKAY, I'VE ALREADY GOT AN IDEA OF THIS ALREADY. HERE'S MY CONCERN AND MY QUESTION. I HAVE WHEN I, WHEN I READ THE REQUEST, THIS REQUEST TO HAVE THE ENGINEERING AND THE DESIGN FROM 73 TO 365, CORRECT? JADE? YES SIR. OKAY. AND I KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW THERE'S A PORTION OF JADE THAT'S GOING TO BE REPAIRED. THAT COST IS [02:40:01] INCLUDED IN OUR MAJOR DRAINAGE PROBLEM AND PART OF THAT CAUSE IS PART OF THIS DISTANCE. SO I'M FIGURING WHY ARE WE GETTING THE DESIGN FOR THE WHOLE THING AND WE ONLY GONNA REPAIR, BUT ON A PORTION OF IT. 'CAUSE THE OTHER PORTION THAT CONTRACT IS GOING TO DO. SO THE PORTION THAT'S GOING ON TODAY, I BELIEVE IS FROM 63RD STREET TO UH, 365 THAT'S GONNA HAVE THE DRAINAGE DONE AND THE STREET RESURFACING PART OF WHAT FITS AND SHIPMENT ARE GONNA BE DOING ON JADE ON THE WHOLE SPAN IS ANALYZING THE TRAFFIC AND DOING IN A, A STUDY TO SEE WE NEED TO WIDEN JADE OR NOT WIDEN IT. DO WE NEED TO PIPE THESE DITCHES AND FILL THEM UP? DO WE NEED TO CREATE A TURNING LANE? SO I DON'T WANT THE WHOLE THING TO BE DONE UP TO 63RD AND THEN WE IGNORE 63RD TO 365. SO THAT'S WHY I KEPT THE WHOLE SCOPE OF WORK IN THAT PROJECT SO THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS FROM 73 TO 63RD STREET IS ALSO GONNA HAPPEN FROM 63RD TO 365. OKAY, THANK YOU. THAT CLEARS UP. I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. OKAY. UH, NO OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS. WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? OKAY, THANK YOU. UH, MAY I APPROACH HIM? UH, NO OPPOSES. SO WE ARE APPROVE PR NUMBER, UH, 24 180 1 AS PRESENTED [VIII.A.(6) P.R. No. 24214 – A Resolution Authorizing A Fifth-Year (Fourth And Final) Renewal Of The Contract With Ardurra Group, LLC For Assistance With The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Program/Grant Management Services In An Amount Not To Exceed $180,000.00, Bringing The Total Contract Amount To $900,000.00; And Authorizing Final Closeout Activities Through April 1, 2026; Funding Available In ARPA Account No. 169-07-015-5470-40-00- 000, Project No. ARP007] THAT YOU HAVE ITEM NUMBER SIX PR NUMBER 24 2 14. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FIFTH YEAR, FOURTH AND FINAL RENEWAL OF THE CONTRACT WITH THE DURO GROUP LLC FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, A RP PROGRAM, THE GRANT AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $180,000, BRINGING THE TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT TO $900,000 AND AUTHORIZING THE FINAL CLOSEOUT ACTIVITIES THROUGH APRIL 1ST, 2026. FINDING IS AVAILABLE IN OFFER ACCOUNT NUMBER 1 6 9 DASH 0 7 5 54 70 40 DASH 0 0 0 AND IT'S PROJECT NUMBER A RP 0 0 7. MIGHT GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. COUNCILMAN FRANK. SO MOVE MAYOR MIGHT GET A SECOND COUNCILWOMAN EVER FIELD SECOND, IT REMOVED THE SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 24 2 14 AS PRESENTED. ARE WE READY FOR QUESTIONING? OKAY, COUNCILMAN, UH, ETT? YES. HERE WE GO. ALWAYS. SAME ONE. AND WHAT ARE WE GONNA, WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO? I MEAN, THE REQUEST, THE BACKGROUND, THE CONTRACT, ALL OF IT IS THE SAME. IT IS THE SAME SINCE THE 2021. OKAY. EVERY YEAR WE SAY THE SAME THING. OKAY? UH, APRIL, I MEAN, WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHY DO WE NEED A CONTRACTOR TO CONTINUOUSLY WORK ON THIS? UH, WHY SPECIFICALLY ARE WE HIRING? ARE WE GONNA CONTINUE TO HIRE, HIRE OR RENEW THIS CONTRACT? WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN'T NOT DO AS A CITY AFTER FOUR YEARS? I SAID THIS LAST YEAR, I SAID IT THE YEAR BEFORE, AND I, AND EACH TIME IT WAS SOMETHING THAT SPECIFICALLY THEY'RE GONNA WORK ON. I THINK THAT WAS THE CASE LAST YEAR. SO I'M GONNA ASK AGAIN THIS YEAR. WHY IS IT THIS CITY CAN'T MOVE ON FROM THIS CONTRACT? OKAY, LET ME TRY VERY SIMPLY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. OKAY. SO AS THE, AS THE COME INDICATED AND THE CAPTION INDICATED, THIS IS THE FINAL YEAR OF APPLE THAT WE ARE DOING. UM, THERE WAS A DISCREPANCY THAT WE FOUND, UM, WHEN THE PROJECT WAS THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS OR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS WAS SENT OUT, WHICH INDICATED IT WAS FOUR YEARS, BUT WHEN THE CONTRACT WAS ISSUED, IT WAS FOR THREE YEARS. SO BASICALLY THIS IS THE FOURTH. AND FINALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONTRACT JIVES WITH THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS THAT WAS SENT OUT. NOW, WHAT DO THEY NORMALLY DO? THEY PROVIDE QUARTERLY REPORTS TO THE FEDERAL, THE TREASURER, OR TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO MAKE [02:45:01] SURE THAT THE MONEY IS PROPERLY EXPENDED ON THE PROJECTS THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY COUNCIL. AND THOSE, THOSE, UM, REPORTS ARE BEING SENT IN ON A QUARTERLY BASIS FROM APPLE. SO BASICALLY THIS IS THE FOURTH AND FINAL YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COMPLY WITH THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE DONE. AND AFTER THIS, IT'S CLOSED AND IT'S ENDED. THAT'S THE FINAL PART OF IT. OKAY. YEAH. EVIDENTLY, IS THAT CORRECT? I THINK THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. E EVIDENTLY IN SUMMING IT UP, THEY JUST SUMMED IT UP. OKAY. YEAH. EVIDENTLY THEY, UM, THEY HAVE COMPLIED. 'CAUSE IF THEY WOULDN'T, WE PROBABLY WOULD'VE TERMINATED THE CONTRACT. UH, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE. BUT THE QUESTION WAS SIMPLY WHAT SPECIFICALLY THEY DO THAT THE CITY CAN'T DO AFTER FOUR YEARS. WHAT WE CAN, WHAT CAN'T, WHAT WE CANNOT, WHAT WE CANNOT DO, NOT SO MUCH WHAT THEY DO. THEY DO THIS ANYTIME. THEY GO EVERYWHERE THEY GO. THE QUESTION IS AFTER THEM DOING THIS, WHAT IS IT LEFT THAT WE CAN'T FINISH THE JOB? THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING. NOT SO MUCH OF WHAT THEY DO, BUT WHAT, WHY WE CAN'T. MAYOR, MAYOR, I'M GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. PAM. UM, AURAURA PROVIDES A SERVICE, BASICALLY WE JUST HIRED SOMEONE IN OUR GRANTS DEPARTMENT TO WRITE GRANTS AND DO REPORTING. UM, SHE'S BEEN IN A POSITION, I BELIEVE, LESS THAN SIX MONTHS. UM, WHAT AURA IS DOING, AGAIN, AS THE CITY MANAGER INDICATED, IS THE REPORTING, THE PAPERWORK, ENSURING THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE, UM, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY AS IT RELATES TO THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT OF ARPA. UM, WE HAVE ASKED AURA AS WELL, UM, IF THEY WOULD WORK WITH OUR NEW GRANTS WRITER, UM, TO, UM, HELP DEVELOP THEM IN THEIR SKILLS IN UNDERSTANDING HOW TO DO A LOT OF THIS REPORTING. THERE'S A LOT OF PAPERWORK INVOLVED, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE TO REPORT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, YOU HAVE TO ENSURE THAT YOUR I'S ARE DOTTED AND YOUR T'S ARE CROSSED. UM, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US HAVING TO REPAY A LOT OF DOLLARS JUST FOR HAVING MAYBE ONE MISSING PAGE. UM, IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT STAFF THAT WE HAD PRIOR TO HIRING, UM, OUR GRANTS WRITER, UM, THERE ARE MANY OTHER DUTIES THAT THEY HAVE THAT THEY PERFORM EVERY DAY AS WELL. AND SO THERE WAS DIFFICULTY IN MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE MEETING, UM, TIMELINESS. TIMELINESS IS ANOTHER, UM, CONSIDERATION THAT A LOT OF THESE AGENCIES HAVE IN TERMS OF WHEN YOU'RE DOING REPORTING AND EXPENDING OF FUNDS. UM, ALSO, UM, ENSURING THAT DRAWDOWNS ARE, EXCUSE ME, BEING DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER. SO AURAURA DOES ASSIST THE CITY WITH ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT, UM, PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE TO, UM, ADHERE TO, UM, WITH A LOT OF THE FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVE FROM STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES. BUT THEY ARE WORKING WITH THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WE'VE HIRED, AGAIN, TO TRY TO HELP DEVELOP THEM. SO MOVING FORWARD IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL BE MORE SELF-SUFFICIENT AS IT RELATES TO THESE GRANTS. OKAY. YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO HEAR. YES. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I HEARD LAST YEAR. YES. THAT THEY GONNA WORK WITH OUR STAFF YES, SIR. SO THAT THEY GET OUR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO DO THE JOB. YES, SIR. THAT'S WHAT I HEARD LAST YEAR. YES. THAT'S WHY I JUST ASKED THE QUESTION OF WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO NOW IF THEY WORK THAT, IF THEY WORK WITH THIS STAFF FOR A WHOLE YEAR TO TRANSITION. YES. AND NOW I'M COMING BACK AND YOU ANSWERED IT. YES, SIR. BASICALLY WE'RE GONNA DO THE SAME THING AGAIN. YES, SIR. I GOT IT. YES SIR. YOU WELCOME. OKAY. COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES. I I WAS GOING TO, UM, I WAS GOING TO, WHEN COUNCILMAN DUCEY WAS ASKING THAT QUESTION, I WAS GOING TO REMIND HIM THAT THE QUESTION HAD BEEN ASKED LAST YEAR ABOUT WHY WE NEEDED TO RENEW THE CONTRACT, UH, WITH A DURA. AND I WAS GOING TO REMARK, UH, THAT, UH, BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED TO PRACTICE, UH, YOU KNOW, DOING THESE KINDS OF REPORTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE SENSITIVITY OF OF IT, WE DON'T WANT TO WIND UP HAVING TO PAY FINES OR REPAYING MONIES THAT WERE GIVEN TO US. UH, SO, SO THEY, THEY, THEY, UH, THEY OCCUPY A CRITICAL PLACE, UH, IN DOING WHAT THEY DO. THE QUESTION THAT I WANTED TO ASK WAS, UM, IS, IS THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE CONTRACT SIMPLY [02:50:01] LOCKED IN BECAUSE OF THE WAY IN WHICH WE, UM, UH, THE, THE WAY THAT WE WENT OUT FOR THE RFQ? OR IS IT KIND OF LIKE, UH, WITH AUDITS WHERE YOU CAN ONLY HAVE THE RELATIONSHIP FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME? WHY ARE WE LOCKED IN TO THE THREE YEARS OR, OR, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO THIS FOURTH YEAR, I MEAN, COULD WE HAVE MADE THE RELATIONSHIP LONGER OR ARE WE LIMITED LIKE WE ARE WITH AUDITS WHERE YOU HAVE TO SWITCH AFTER A CERTAIN CERTAIN TIME? AND THEN I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION AFTER THAT. SURE. CRAIG TUFARO WITH ADORA. THE, THE, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN REALLY IS TWOFOLD. ONE IS THE GOVERNING AUTHORITY DECIDES HOW THEY ENTER INTO LENGTHS OF CONTRACTS. THE US TREASURY DEPARTMENT, UM, WOULD NOT PROHIBIT LONGER EXTENSIONS OR LONGER ENGAGEMENTS, UM, PROVIDED THAT THE, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE COMPLIANCE WORK IS BEING DONE. UM, FEMA ON THE OTHER SIDE, UH, GENERALLY LIKES TO SEE, UM, A RENEWAL AND A PERIOD, UH, OF, OF RE ADVERTISEMENT, USUALLY EVERY FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS. UH, WHICH IS WHY YOU'RE GONNA SEE, SEE, UH, HOPEFULLY SEE US AGAIN IN TERMS OF A RENEWAL OF THE, THE FINALIZATION OF THE 4 0 4, THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. UH, THAT WOULD BE RESUBMITTING, UH, SOON. UH, BUT THIS, THIS ONE, US TREASURY DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME, UH, RESTRICTIONS OR PROHIBITIONS, UH, AS LONG AS YOU'RE FOLLOWING YOUR LOCAL, YOUR LOCAL POLICIES AND GUIDELINES. OKAY. WELL, AND THAT, AND THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING THAT IS, IS BECAUSE, UM, I WAS THINKING IN, I WAS THINKING KIND OF IN LINE WITH, UH, FEMA WITH THE, WITH THE, WITH THE ANSWER THAT YOU GAVE IN REGARDS TO FEMA, UH, BECAUSE, UM, AND I'M, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO, UH, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO GO, UH, AND DO THIS PROCESS OVER AGAIN. AND, AND WE PROBABLY COULDN'T EXTEND BY, UH, AN AMENDMENT TO THIS MOTION, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, PERHAPS EVEN ON THE NEXT AGENDA, THE RENEWAL OF A, A CONTRACT FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME SO THAT FEMA CAN BE SECURE SO THAT WE CAN BE SECURE CLIFF, UH, CLIFF'S COMING AND HE'LL, HE'LL ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. BUT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT, I KNOW WE ARE TRYING TO GROW, UH, TO DO THINGS OURSELVES. I CAN RESPECT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE STAFF AND ALL OF THAT, BUT THE NATURE AND SENSITIVITY OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE, I THINK, UM, THE EXPERTISE THAT IS BROUGHT TO THE TABLE HAS TO BE CONTINUED. UM, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT KIND OF CONTINUITY GOING FORWARD. I KNOW WE WANT TO GROW OUR OWN AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I WANT TO SEE US BE ABLE TO HANDLE THINGS, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THEM AS, AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UH, LANGFORD HAS SAID THE, THE AMOUNT OF MAN HOURS THAT IT TAKES TO FILL OUT THESE FORMS, THE CRITICALITY AND SENSITIVITY AND OF TIMELINESS TO SEND THOSE OUT AS WELL, I THINK NECESSITATE FOR US THAT WE CONTINUE THE RELATIONSHIP FOR A PERIOD LONGER. AND I WILL GIVE ONE CAVEAT TO, TO THIS IS REMEMBER THAT THE US TREASURY, AND BY ALL INDICATIONS, WE DON'T THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ADDITIONAL EXTENSION, ALTHOUGH I DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL TO KNOW. UH, BUT YOUR, YOUR OPERA PROJECTS, UH, THIS CONTRACT WILL END IN APRIL OF 2026. YOU'LL CONTINUE TO BE WORKING ON THOSE PROJECTS THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR CALENDAR YEAR OF 2026. SO THAT WOULD EITHER NECESSITATE US CONTINUING TO SUPPORT OR THAT FULL TRANSITION INTO YOUR GRANTS DEPARTMENT TAKING THAT ON INDEPENDENTLY. UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL STILL BE AROUND HELPING WITH THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE COULD IN THE BACKGROUND SUPPORT. EITHER WAY WE'RE WILLING TO DO THAT. UH, BUT, BUT THE, THE CONTRACT PERIOD WILL END BEFORE YOU WILL FINISH ALL OF YOUR OPERA PROJECTS. WELL, I HEARD SOMEONE, I HEARD SOMEONE SAY, UH, TO THE COUNCIL, UH, NOT TOO LONG AGO. YOU DON'T NEED TO REINVENT THE WHEEL. SO IN TERMS OF THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO REINVENT THE WHEEL. IT'S BEEN WORKING FOR US. MS. I, I'D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SHARE [02:55:01] WITH US. UH, SOME OF THIS A LEGAL I HAVE TO SPEAK TO, BUT AS FAR AS GENERAL PRACTICE, UM, WHEN WE GO OUT FOR BIDS, WE GENERALLY DON'T PUT A BID OUT FOR ANYTHING LONGER THAN FIVE YEARS. UH, MOST OF OUR PROJECTS ARE GENERALLY ONE YEAR WITH TWO OPTION RENEWAL. SO THREE YEARS, UH, THIS PARTICULAR BID WAS PUT OUT FOR ONE YEAR WITH FOUR, UM, OPTIONS TO RENEW. SO BASED ON THAT, WE GENERALLY CAN'T GO PAST THE FIVE YEARS. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO, UM, REBID, UM, THERE HADN'T BEEN A POLICY IN THE 30 YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE WHERE WE JUST AMEND A CONTRACT JUST TO KEEP ADDING 'CAUSE OF CONVENIENCE, MAYBE SOME EMERGENCY LEVEL THING THAT HAPPENS. SO THIS IS FOR, THIS RESOLUTION IS FOR THE FIFTH YEAR? YES. THE ONE WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW. YES. FINAL, FINAL YEAR. SO THIS IS THE FIFTH AND FINAL YEAR. YES. SO WE WOULD'VE TO REBID. SO WHEN YOU MADE THE, THAT'S THE REASON I COME BACK WHEN YOU SAID ABOUT NEXT WEEK THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO BY NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO REBID IT OUT. SO THAT'LL BE AT LEAST A MONTH OUT. SO IS THAT IN CHARTER? WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT BEST PRACTICE? YEAH. WELL THAT'S, THAT'S NOT A LAW. THAT'S YOU BEST PRACTICE. I MEAN, YOU GENERALLY DON'T WANNA MAKE 10 YEAR CONTRACTS. I MEAN, A LOT OF THINGS GO ON. SO WE DON'T GENERALLY MAKE ANYTHING THAT LONG. NO, I UNDERSTAND. OKAY. YEAH. SO IT'S PRACTICE. IT'S NOT A CHARTER SAYING IT'S GOTTA BE FIVE YEAR. SO IT'S BEST PRACTICE. YES. IT'S NOT CHARTERED SAYING THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, YES. OKAY. YES. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. GO CITY MANAGER. GO. THOSE, THOSE ARE TWO. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS. APA AS FUNDS THAT CAME DOWN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE FEMA PROJECTS ARE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE LAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS THAT AURA HAS BEEN PART OF, YOU KNOW, FROM ITS INCEPTION. I UNDERSTAND. I UNDERSTAND. BUT IT, THEY WERE BASED OFF THE, I WANNA MAKE THEM KNOW BEST PRACTICES, WHY WE USE IT. I'M JUST TRYING TO ADD CLARITY CLEAR. OKAY. YOU KNOW, AND THEN TWO, UM, FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE, UM, I'VE SPOKEN TO THE FINANCIAL DIRECTOR AND HERE ON, IN TERMS OF REPORTING, THAT HAS TO BE DONE FOR THE FUTURE FOR PROJECTS OF THAT NATURE, FOR APPLE, WE DO THINK WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO IT IN HOUSE. ANYTHING THAT'S COMING OUT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE WILL LOOK AT IT AND SEE HOW WE CAN ACCOMMODATE IT. INHOUSE JUST A MINUTE. WHILE, WHILE WE'RE ON THIS NOW, AND IF Y'ALL CORRECT ME, IF I'M, IF I'M MY UNDERSTANDING NOW, WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT, UH, TYPES OF CONTRACTS THAT WE DEAL WITH, WITH THE DUO COOPERATION. IF I, IF I'M, IF I'M CORRECT. OKAY. NOW, THIS FIRST ONE THAT WE WERE VOTING ON TODAY AND WE ARE DOING QUESTIONS ON IS FOR THE $180,000 TO COMPLETE THE OPERA PROJECT. RIGHT NOW, I THINK THE ONE THAT MAYBE COUNCILMAN FRANK IS ALLUDING TO, AND I'M, I'M NOT SURE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS SAID IT. THERE IS ANOTHER CONTRACT TO COMPLETE SOMETHING THAT, SOME WORK THAT, UH, AURA HAS DONE. THAT'S THE 1.8 MILLION OR SOMETHING. THAT ONE POINT 800,000 I THINK. ONE. ONE, YEAH. WE HAVE ONE POINT 800,000 SOMETHING 1,000,001 MILLION 0.8. YEAH. WELL, 1.8 MILLION. THAT'S RIGHT. WE SAID I'VE BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME. IT'S 1.8 MILLION IS ALL I WANT. SAY, OKAY. NOW THAT IS THE CONTRACT THAT YOU'RE SAYING HAS TO BE LET OUT AND YOU'RE SAYING THE BEST, I I JUST WANNA BE SURE IF I'M UNDERSTANDING IT CORRECTLY. WELL, I, I WAS SAYING IT ACTUALLY FOR BOTH. SO GENERAL, LIKE WHEN THE, WHEN THE THING WENT OUT, IT WAS ONE YEAR ADOPTION TO RENEW FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS. SO IT BECAME A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT. SO WHEN WE ORIGINALLY BIDDED IT OUT, IT WAS BASICALLY FOR FEMA PROJECTS AFTER HARVEY. RIGHT. SO NOW THE OPERA CAME OUT AFTER THAT. AND SO A SEPARATE CONTRACT WAS DONE FOR THOSE BECAUSE IT WAS A DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES THAN THE FEMA. RIGHT? RIGHT. SO YOU HAVE TWO CONTRACTS KINDA WORKING WITH THEM. SO THE ONE FOR FEMA, THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD HAS RUN ITS COURSE. SO THAT'S THE ONE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. IT'S NOT RUN ITS COURSE. THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT FACTUAL, IT'S NOT RUN ACCORDING TO LEGAL. I'M JUST GOING BY WHAT LEGAL TOLD. IT'S NOT RUN ITS COURSE. MATTHEW, COME ON. 2020. WAIT, WAIT A MINUTE. THIS WAS, WAIT A MINUTE, JUST SO WE DON'T HAVE TO ARGUE ABOUT, BUT JUST A MINUTE, COUNCILMAN, COME ON NOW. YOU'VE SPOKEN AND NOBODY HAS BOTHERED YOU. PLEASE. LET'S, LET'S SAY I AN AUDITING MEETING. OKAY. HE JUST SAID THAT YOU, YOU MADE A STATEMENT THAT RUN ITS COURSE. HE WAS ACTUALLY CORRECTING YOU SAYING IT HASN'T RUN ITS COURSE. OKAY. BUT WHAT, THIS IS WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT I, I REALLY THOUGHT I WAS ASKING THE QUESTIONS ABOUT SOMETHING. AND THAT IS ON THE SECOND CONTRACT. OKAY. I UNDERSTAND WHAT [03:00:01] WE'RE DOING TODAY ON THE SECOND ONE, I'M TRYING TO GET A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THAT BEING PLACED BEFORE US SO THAT WE CAN MAKE A DECISION ON THAT $1.8 MILLION CONTRACT. THAT'LL BE A LEGAL COMP. THAT'D BE A LEGAL ANSWER. THAT, THAT, THAT'S GOING TO BE WHAT? NOW? THAT'LL BE A LEGAL ANSWER. I CAN'T, OKAY. WELL, NO, WELL, NO, BUT SOMEWHERE WE GOT EVERYBODY HERE. SO LET'S, LET'S ANSWER IT. I'M, WHAT I, WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW IS HOW CAN WE WORK THAT SO THAT WE CAN EITHER, EITHER HAVE A VOTE FOR IT, YOU KNOW, IN THE AFFIRMATIVE OR IN THE NEGATIVE ON THAT FOR THIS COMPANY? WHAT ARE THE STEPS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE SO WE CAN EXPEDITIOUSLY GET THIS DONE? SO HE SAID THAT WOULD BE LEGAL. LEGAL. HOW CAN WE DO THAT? I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DISCUSS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH THE COUNCIL. MY OFFICIAL OPEN SESSION LEGAL OPINION AFTER SPENDING A COUPLE OF DAYS WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT SIGNIFICANTLY ANALYZING THE HISTORY OF THIS INFORMATION AND THE RESOLUTIONS AND THE CONTRACTS WERE PASSED, IS THAT YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FIFTH RENEWAL TO APPROVE FOR THE A RPA FUNDING ADMINISTRATION. THAT'S TODAY'S WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. THAT'S CORRECT. AT THE MOMENT. OKAY. AND THE FEMA GRANT, WHILE ARGER MAY DISAGREE WITH ME AS THE CITY ATTORNEY WITH THE LICENSE, I'M GONNA RECOMMEND THAT THAT BE RE LET OUT FOR AN R-F-P-R-F-Q AND THAT BE DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY HICCUPS OKAY. FOR OPEN. AND THAT I'M ASKING OPEN FAIR COMPETITION THAT'S ASKING ABOUT 1.8 MILLION YOU SAYING FOR OPEN AND FAIR COMPETITION SO THAT, UM, WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, UH, AS IT RELATES TO 1.8 MILLION IN GRANT ADMINISTRATION. AND, AND YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I'M JUST, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW, AND YOU SAID IT, IT CAN BE DONE BECAUSE I ASKED ABOUT THE TIMEFRAME WHEN I, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER I SAID ABOUT MOVING IT AFFIRMATIVELY AND IN, IN, IN AN EXPEDITIOUS MANNER. YOU JUST SAID THAT THAT COULD BE DONE IT MAYBE AS SOON AS THIS WEEK. THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING. AND THAT WOULD BE THE POSTING FOR THE RFQ. I'M GOING ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. YOU KNOW, IT'S AN OPERATIONAL QUESTION. I CAN'T ANSWER HOW FAST THE, THE MANAGER SIDE OF THE HOUSE CAN GET SOMETHING OUT. OKAY. BUT WAIT A MINUTE. BUT, BUT WAIT, YOU SEE THAT IS, SEE THIS SORT LIKE WHAT COUNCILMAN DE SAID ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT, SEE, NOBODY TAKES RESPONSIBILITY AND WE ARE DRAGGING THIS OUT UNTIL AUGUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO IS IN CHARGE OF GETTING IT DONE. SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING NOW IN OPEN SESSION NOT TO PUT ANYBODY ON ON, OKAY. ANSWER THE QUESTION. YES, SIR. AS LONG AS LONG, AS LONG AS EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE AS THAT, WE HAVE TO REBID IT. I CAN GET THE ADS OUT THIS SATURDAY AND HAVE IT DONE LIKE THE BIDS IN BY MIDDLE OF APRIL. SO, OKAY. THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ANSWER. BUT WHEN PEOPLE SAY COME IN BY LIKE NEXT WEEK, LIKE IT'S A AWARD, THAT'S THE PART I WAS SAYING WE CAN'T DO IT. OKAY. OKAY. SO RIGHT. YOU'RE BEING SPECIFIC. IF, IF THE, IF THE QUESTION IS ASKING WHEN CAN WE GET STARTED, RIGHT, THE ANSWER, I CAN HAVE IT THIS WEEK. YES, GO RIGHT. GET STARTED. YES, GO, GO. RIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. WHAT, NOW YOUR POINT OF ORDER COUNSEL, YOU SAID OKAY, MY POINT OF ORDER IS DOUBT ON THIS AGENDA IS PERTAINING TO THIS CONTRACT. YES. NOT NO OTHER CONTRACT. I ACCEPT YOUR POINT OF ORDER. I'VE GOTTEN MY ANSWER. WE CAN MOVE ON. LET'S VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OH, OPPOSES. NO. OKAY. IT SOUND LIKE MAYBE THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE. AYE ONE. THERE WAS ONE NO OF THE AYES WE PASSED. OKAY. THANKFULLY, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM. AND THAT [VIII.A.(7) P.R. No. 24221 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Renew Insurance Policies For Various Locations With Wright National Flood Insurance Company For Flood Insurance With A Projected Budgetary Amount Of $120,000.00. Proposed Funding By: 612-11- 025-5410-00-00-000 – $120,000.00 Liability Insurance Fund] NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS, UH, PR NUMBER 24 2 2 1. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO RENEW INSURANCE POLICIES FOR VARIOUS LOCATIONS WITH RIGHT NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE COMPANY FOR FLOOD INSURANCE WITH A PROJECTED BUDGETARY AMOUNT OF $120,000. PROPOSED FUNDING BY, UH, SIX TWO, I MEAN, UH, SIX 12 DASH 11 DASH 0 25 DASH 54 10 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO IN THE AMOUNT OF 120,000 LIABILITY INSURANCE FUND. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN LEWIS? MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN NE FIELD SECOND. IT IS BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 24, 2 21 AS APPROVED AS AS PRESENTED. EXCUSE ME, WE'RE READY TO VOTE. NO QUESTIONS. READY? ALL ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYE. AYE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. OPPOSED? AYES HAVE IT. SO, PR NUMBER, UH, 24 2 21 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. FINALLY, [VIII.A.(8) P.R. No. 24237 – A Resolution Ratifying The City Manager's Decision To Authorize The Emergency Water Leak Repairs By ALLCO LLC Of Beaumont, Texas In The Total Not To Exceed Amount Of $40,667.52. Funding In Water And Sewer Capital Project Fund, Account No. 405-40-000-8516-00-00-000, Is Contingent Upon The Approval Of The Budget Amendment In Proposed Ordinance No. 7321] WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, WHICH IS PRO NUMBER 24 2 37. IT IS A RESOLUTION RATIFYING THE CITY MANAGER'S [03:05:01] DECISION TO AUTHORIZE THE EMERGENCY WATER LEAK REPAIRS BY ALCO LLC OF MONT, TEXAS IN THE TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF 40,600, UH, $67 AND 52 CENTS FUNDING IN WATER AND SEWER CAPITAL PROJECT FUND ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 0 5 DASH 4 0 0 0 8 5 6 0 0 0. AND THIS IS CONTINGENT UPON THE APPROVAL OF A BUDGET, UH, AMENDMENT IN THE, UH, OUR PROPOSED ORDINANCE THAT WE WILL DEAL WITH, UH, IN A MOMENT. 73 21. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? OKAY, I, I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILWOMAN. UH, HAVE A APPEAL, PLEASE. EXCUSE ME. MAYOR, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT, UM, OUR STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE HOLD BECAUSE WE'VE LOST A QUORUM AT THIS POINT. YEAH, I WAS, I WAS THINKING, I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT SHE WAS GIVING ME TO TELL ME THAT THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S I DIDN'T WANT THIS. BRING IT UP MYSELF. OKAY. AND I THINK, YEAH, UH, NOW ON OUR ORDERS OF BUSINESS AS WELL, UH, LET'S, YEAH, LET ME SEE BECAUSE THEY, OKAY, WE HAVE ONE, ONE ITEM, UH, AN ORDINANCE AND IT WE HAVE THIS ORDINANCE, THEN WE CAN GO BACK TO THROUGH THE OTHER. YEAH. OKAY. UH, LET US, UH, I DON'T REALLY, IF, IF FRANK COMES BACK IN, WE COULD GO, HEY, EXCUSE ME. LOOK IN THE RESTROOM, SEE IF Y'ALL SEE SOMEBODY, ANYBODY THAT COULD VOTE PLEASE. I SAID NO, THEY NEED TO HEAR. BLESS YOU. SOMEBODY'S KNEES RIGHT. I'M JUST TRYING TO KEEP US IN WITHOUT HAVING TO RECESS AND, AND, AND, AND REESTABLISH AND EVERYTHING. UH, LORD EM OH, HE DIDN'T LEAVE. YEAH. COME ON. COME ON. HUH? BE QUIET PLEASE. . HE WAS TAKING A BREATHING. HE WAS TAKING A BREATHING TREATMENT. HE WAS TAKING A BREATHING TREATMENT. YEAH. THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN TEXTING ONE ANOTHER SAYING COME ON BACK SIR, PLEASE IF YOU WILL, PLEASE, SIR. KIND GENTLEMEN, BOTH OF YOU KIND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE RETURN. I HOPE IT DID. . OKAY. CITY SECRETARY. WE DID NOT RECESS AND WE ARE NOW BACK IN QUO, UH, HERE IN THE, IN THE CHAMBERS. AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS NOW PREPARED TO VOTE ON ITEM NUMBER, UH, 24 3 2 37. UH, WOULD THERE BE ANY QUESTIONS ON IT? NO. UM, YOU ASKED ME, SO WE NEED A MOTION FLOOR YET, SO THANK YOU. MOTION. MOTION. MOTION. OKAY, GET A SECOND PLEASE, MR. FRANK. SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDARY WOULD APPROVE. 24. 2 37 AS PRESENTED. ALL, UH, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AND THE VOTE OPPOSES. AYES HAVE IT. THANK YOU. CITY, UH, MEAN 40 CITY MATTERS. UH, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMP, WE HAVE NOW APPROVED ITEM NUMBER 24 2 37. NOW ON PAGE [VIII.B.(1) P.O. No. 7321 – An Appropriation Ordinance Amending The City Of Port Arthur Budget For The Fiscal Year Beginning October 1, 2024 And Ending September 30, 2025, Increasing General Fund Contingency (001) By $40,668.00 And Transferring That Amount Thereby Increasing Water And Sewer Capital Fund (405) By $40,668.00] SEVEN WE HAVE, UH, AN ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE NUMBER 73 21. IT IS AN APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2024. AND THEN IN SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025, INCREASE IN GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY ACCOUNT 0 0 1 BY $40,668. THE TRANSFERRING THAT AMOUNT AND TRANSFERRING THAT, THAT AMOUNT THERE BY INCREASING WATER IN SEWER CAPITAL 0.405 BY $40,668. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? MOTION APPROVE THE SECOND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, . [03:10:01] SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED THE SECOND THEY WOULD APPROVE THIS ORDINANCE. WE READY TO VOTE? WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON IT? NO QUESTIONS. READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR A. AYE, ANY OPPOSERS AS HAVING SO IT IS ORDERED TO, UH, AND IT'S APPROVED, UH, OUT THIS NUMBER 73 21 AS PRESENTED. NOW WE ARE PREPARING AT 2:31 PM TO GO INTO THE CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION AND ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF, UH, SECTION 5 5 1 0.101 OF CHAPTER 5 51 OPEN MEETINGS, LAWS OF TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, WHICH WAS FORMALLY, UH, ARTICLE, UH, 62 50 62, 52 DASH 17, SECTION TWO, SUBSECTION EIGHT. THAT PRIOR GOING INTO THIS MEETING MIGHT BE THE, UH, PRESIDING OFFICER IN THIS SESSION OR OVER THE, OF THIS BODY. I WOULD MAKE THIS, UH, FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT, MAYOR AND THE CLOSED MEETING WE WOULD DEAL WITH SECTION 5 5 1. MAYOR. MAYOR. THANK YOU, SIR. I JUST WANNA ASK THE COUNCIL, UH, ON HP ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION INC. VERSUS THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, IF WE COULD TABLE THAT UNTIL THE APRIL 8TH MEETING, SIR. AND SO THAT THE ONLY ISSUE THAT WE WOULD GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR WOULD BE PLEASURE ISLANDS BUILDINGS TO A AND B. YOU WON'T TABLE THE WHOLE EXECUTIVE SESSION? NO, SIR. OKAY, JUST ONE. OKAY. I DON'T THINK, DO I NEED THAT? MAKE A MOTION ON IT, UH, TO TAKE TO TABLE THIS OR WE DO IT ONCE WE TABLE THAT ONCE WE GET DOWN THERE, RIGHT? WE CAN DO IT HERE. I CAN DO IT HERE. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR OF WHAT THE CITY SECRETARY SAID. I THINK Y'ALL HEARD IT. UH, I GET A MOTION FOR IT. THE TABLE? YEAH, THE TABLE. MOTION TO TABLE. YEAH. YEAH, I GOT IT. SECOND. SECOND. OKAY, LET MOVE IN SECOND. WE READY FOR QUESTION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. A AYE. OKAY. IT GOOD. SEE? SO ITEM NUMBER, UH, ONE A IS ACTUALLY TABLED UNTIL OUR NEXT, UH, COUNCIL MEETING, BUT WE WILL STILL, WE WILL, WE WILL STILL NEED TO COVER ANYTHING IN IT. NOTHING. I CAN MOVE RIGHT ON, RIGHT? NO, BUT THE NEXT ONE [IX. *CLOSED MEETING (EXECUTIVE SESSION)] IS IN THAT SAME SECTION. RIGHT? SO WE, WE'LL BE RECOVERING, UH, RECOVERING. WE'LL BE COVERING, UH, SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 TEXAS OVER MEETINGS LAWS ACT TO MEET WITH OUR ATTORNEY TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE ON A MATTER IN WHICH THE DUTY OF THE ATTORNEYS TO THE CITY COUNCIL UNDER THE TEXAS DISCIPLINARY RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT OF THE STATE BOARD OF TEXAS. CLEARLY CON CONFLICTS WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT. AND THIS WILL BE TO DISCUSS THE PLEASURE ISLAND, UH, BUILDINGS A AND B ITEMS IN THIS EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND IT'D BE THERE ANY ITEMS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT WOULD HAVE ACTIONS OR VOTING CONNECTED WITH THOSE DISCUSSED ITEMS. WE WILL RETURN IN, UH, OPEN SESSION HERE AND VOTE, CONDUCT THE VOTE IN THAT SESSION AT 2:33 PM WE WILL NOW RECESS DOWN TO THE CONFERENCE ROOM FOR OUR CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION. THANK YOU. YES, WE ARE BACK AT 3 48. WOULD YOU LIKE FOR ME TO CALL THE ROLE MAYOR? OKAY. WE READY? YES. OKAY. HOLD ON BY THAT FOUR. YEAH. OKAY. CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE RE-ESTABLISH MAYOR BARTEE? PRESENT? MAYOR PROTE BECKHAM. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD COUNCIL MEMBER DEEC. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS? YEAH. COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK. SORRY, I GOT CONFUSED ON MY OWN LIST. THANK YOU. YOU HAVE A QUORUM, MAYOR. OKAY. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. UH, WE ARE NOW RETURNING. WE HAVE RETURNED WITH THE CONFIRMATION OF A QUORUM TO OUR, UH, OPEN SESSION. WE WERE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE WERE BASICALLY STILL IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, I THINK, BUT WE ARE NOW IN OPEN FORUM. UH, CITY ATTORNEY. IS THERE AN ITEM? YES. MAYOR, THE CITY ATTORNEY SEEKS, UH, A MOTION REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND S RELATED TO PLEASURE ISLANDS BUILDING A AND B. OKAY. AND THE, AND THE MOTION. OKAY. THE MOTION READS. MOTION TO AUTHORIZE COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON EVER FIELD THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY TO TRAVEL TO DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA TO MEET WITH INVESTORS, CELINE KLA TO CONDUCT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, EXCUSE ME, NEGOTIATIONS REGARDING PLEASURE ISLAND BUILDINGS A AND B COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON'S EVER FEELS TRAVEL EXPENSE WILL BE OF NO COST TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. [03:15:02] I GET A SECOND. SECOND. OKAY. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE THE, UH, MOTION COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE ARE READY FOR CAUTION. COUNCILMAN DEUCE? YES. UH, THIS, THIS, UH, TRAVEL TO DALLAS. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'S BASICALLY THE, UH, DEVELOPER WISHED FOR THE CITY TO, UH, GO UP AND MEET WITH HIM AND HIS LAWYER SO THAT, UH, WE WILL SHOW A GOOD FAITH EFFORT THAT WE ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING THIS PROJECT HERE. ONCE AGAIN, AS ALWAYS, UH, THAT SHOULD ALL TAKE PLACE HERE IN PORT ARTHUR. ANYTIME WE HAVE ANYBODY WANT TO DO BUSINESS, YOU COME, COME TO THE CITY, YOU APPEAR BEFORE THE COUNCIL, YOU APPEAR BEFORE CITIZENS, EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT IT'S ABOUT, AND THAT'S TRANSPARENCY. WE DON'T GO TO OTHER CITIES OR GO TO DEVELOPERS OR SOMETHING, NOT AT TAX HATED TAXPAYERS EXPENSE. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, MAYOR. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES, SIR. I AM. I AM, UH, GRATEFUL TO HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO VOTE ON THIS ITEM, AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT, UH, IT WOULD BE, UM, UH, CONDUCIVE TO SHOWING, UM, THE DEVELOPER THAT WE ARE, UM, IN A POSITION OF WANTING THIS KIND OF DEVELOPMENT ON PLEASURE ISLAND. UH, I THINK THAT, UM, IT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT PERHAPS HAS BEEN, IS OUT OF THE BOX, SOMETHING THAT WE NEVER DONE BEFORE, BUT THAT, UH, IT DOES SHOW THE POTENTIAL, UM, TO BRING, UM, UH, THIS ITEM AND OTHER, UM, UH, FUTURE, UH, INVESTMENTS IN THE FUTURE. SO, UH, I'M READY TO VOTE. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? ON THIS? YES. MAYOR, GO RIGHT IN. OH, I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T SEE THE HAND GO RIGHT IN. THANK YOU. I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER ETTE HAS SPOKEN. I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR TAXPAYER MONEY BY SPENDING MONEY TO GO TO A DEVELOPER. WE'RE TRYING TO BRING BUSINESS TO PI ARTHUR BRING IT HERE. THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT. HE NEEDS TO COME HERE. WE DO NOT NEED TO GO THERE AND SPEND OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO SEND OUR CITY MANAGER AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO SEE HIM. THIS COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED HERE IN, HE'S BEEN HERE SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY. IT COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED OVER ZOOM OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF VIDEO CONFERENCING, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE BEING GOOD STEWARDS TO OUR CITIZENS, UH, SPENDING THEIR MONEY TO GO TO A DEVELOPER RATHER THAN HAVE THE DEVELOPER COME TO US. OH, OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES. THIS ITEM HAS BEEN STALLED AT SOME TIME. UH, MY, MY INTEREST IS, IS, IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WATER PARK, AND THAT'S BEEN STALLED AND COUNCIL HAS NOT MADE ANY PROGRESS OF THAT. BUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED, AND I, AND I HATE TO SAY IT, IT'S BEEN TIED. THE A THE A AND B PROJECT HAS BEEN TIED TO THE, THE, THE DEVELOPMENT AS A PRIORITY, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WATER PARK. UH, WE, WE ARE IN COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING FOR STREAMS OF REVENUE. I'M GOING TO, I'M GOING TO GO ALONG WITH THIS FOR NOW. OKAY. ANY OTHER, UH, READINESS? WE'RE READY TO VOTE. UH, CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU DO A ROLL CALL? VOTE ON IT, PLEASE. MAYOR PRO TIM BECKHAM? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER DE NO. COUNCIL MEMBER. FRANK? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON EVER FIELD? YES. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS? YES. MAYOR BART? YES. MOTION TO OPEN SESSION PASSES. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. OKAY. WOULD THERE BE ANY OTHER ITEMS, UH, CITY ATTORNEY? NO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. IF THERE WOULD BE NO MORE ITEMS OR ANY MORE ITEMS COMING BEFORE THIS, EXCUSE ME, AUGUST BODY, IT IS NOW 3:53 PM ON THIS, THE LORD'S DAY, MARCH 25TH, 2025, HERE IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. AND I WOULD NOW BE IN THE MAYOR DECLARE THIS AUGUST. BODY ADJOURNED. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU, . * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.