[00:00:01]
OUR FIVE 30 SESSION? WE'RE READY.[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
GOING TO, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL BEING HERE, AND WELCOME TO OUR REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING THAT'S SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21ST, 2025 AT 5:30 PM YOU MAY JOIN US BY TELEPHONIC AND OR VIDEO CONFERENCE BY CALLING 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7, OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9.PLEASE ENTER, ENTER THE MEETING ID, 8 2 5 1 4 5 9 1 4 2 7, AND THE PASSCODE OF 1 8 2 2 9 4.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH AMERICAN WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
YOU CAN, UH, JOIN OUR MEETING AND WE CAN MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR YOU.
IF YOU WOULD CALL OUR CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE AND DIAL 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5.
AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GONNA BEGIN OUR MEETING.
I'M ASKING THAT EVERYONE IN THE, UH, ON THE DIOCESE AND ON IN THE AUDIENCE WOULD MUTE YOUR CELL PHONES, PLEASE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR INVOCATION LED BY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, OUR PLEDGE AND OUR ROLL CALL FOR OUR REGULAR MEETING AT THIS TIME.
LET US BOW OUR FATHER AND OUR GOD AS WE COME TO YOU YET AGAIN.
WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU WOULD, UH, MEET US HERE.
WE PRAY, GOD, THAT WE WOULD USE YOUR WORD AS OUR COUNCIL, THAT IT WOULD BE A LAMP UNTO OUR FEET AND A LIGHT UNTO OUR PATH, AND THAT WE WOULD TRUST IN YOU WITH OUR HEART AS YOU GUIDE US, LEAD US, HOLD US, AND PROTECT US.
WE PRAY IN JESUS' NAME, WE ASK IT.
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO A 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.
CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU ESTABLISH A QUORUM, PLEASE? MAYOR MOSES.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK HERE YOU HAVE A COURT MAIL.
[II. PROCLAMATIONS]
TIME WE HAVE A, UH, UNDER PROCLAMATIONS, WE'RE AT ITEM NUMBER TWO, AND WE HAVE A PROP PROCLAMATION THAT I AM HONORED TO GIVE AND HONOR OF MRS. KATE, LP WALKER, WHO, UM, WAS A PART OF THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT, UM, MS. WALKER.UM, YOU ALL CAN STAND, UH, COME TO THE PODIUM AS I GET READY, PREPARED TO READ THE PROCLAMATION.
I'M JUST THANKFUL AND HONORED THAT, UH, WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO THE FAMILY OF MS. KATE P WALKER.
SHE WAS RECENTLY, UM, UH, IN INDUCTED INTO THE, UH, MUSEUM OF THE GULF COAST.
AND SO WE, UM, AGAIN, I WAS THERE AND IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE SOMEONE THAT WE WATCHED A MOVIE ABOUT TO ACTUALLY KNOW THAT SHE'S FROM PORT ARTHUR AND WORKED WITH THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT ONE APART.
WHAT AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR US AND LEGACY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE, AND YOU, MS. VALERIE, YOUR MOM, AND YOUR, YOUR WHOLE ENTIRE FAMILY.
SO I'M HONORED TO BE ABLE TO STAND HERE AND READ THIS, UM, IN HER HONOR.
I AM A WOMAN WHO SERVES HER COUNTRY UNCONDITIONALLY, BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS AND SHATTERING STEREOTYPES.
THAT'S BY GENERAL LAURIE J ROBINSON.
ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, WE ARE HONORED TO RECOGNIZE THE LATE MRS. KATE L PATE WALKER, WHEREAS KATE WALKER WAS BORN IN BYER, TEXAS ON NOVEMBER THE THIRD, 1990.
1922 TO THE LATE FRANK AND DORIS THOMPSON PATE, THE FAMILY MOVED TO SOUR LAKE, WHERE SHE GRADUATED FROM BLACK SHEAR HIGH SCHOOL.
IN 1940, SHE MOVED TO PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, WHERE SHE MET THE GW WALKER AT ST.
AND WHEREAS KATE SERVICE IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY DURING WORLD WAR II WAS UNIQUE AND INSPIRING, SHE SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS,
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WAC FOR THE WOMEN'S BRANCH OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.MOREOVER, SHE SERVED IN THE SIXTH TRIPLE EIGHTH CENTRAL POSTAL DIRECTORY BATTALION, KNOWN AS SIX TRIPLE EIGHT, A MOSTLY AFRICAN AMERICAN BATTALION OF WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS, WAC.
AND WHEREAS IN 1946, SHE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED.
KATE RETURNED TO PORT ARTHUR AND MARRIED GW WALKER.
SHE WAS ACTIVE IN HER CHURCH AND HER COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS, UH, IN 1946, SHE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED.
KATE RETURNED TO PORT ARTHUR AND MARRIED GW WALKER.
I'M SORRY, SHE WAS ACTIVE IN HER CHURCH AND COMMUNITY.
I GUESS I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU GUYS GOT THAT
NOW, THEREFORE, I STROLL MARIE MOSES, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 21ST, 2025 AS KATE WALKER DAY IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, A REMARKABLE WOMAN WHO MAY I WANT Y'ALL GUYS TO APPLY FOR THAT.
SHE'S A REMARKABLE WOMAN WHO MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO HER, HER COUNTRY, AND HER COMMUNITY.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I HAVE SET HERE TO MY HAND AND CAUSE A SEAL OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO BE AFFIXED THIS 21ST DAY OF OCTOBER IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD, 2025 CHARLOTTE MARIE MOSES, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, YOU CAN SPEAK AT THIS TIME.
UH, THIS FAMILY HAS BEEN A BLESSING.
AND I TELL PORT ARTHUR, JUST LIKE I TOLD 'EM, I SAY, Y'ALL HAVE A BEST KEPT SECRET IN PORT ARTHUR THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT.
SO YOU HAVE A, UH, WHAT DID I CALL HER? UH, A HOMETOWN HERO AND A NATIONAL HERO.
SHE WENT OVER THE WATERS AND SERVED.
AND SO WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST SO HAPPY.
I'M ABOUT TO CHARGE YOU
YEAH, DON'T, DON'T, DON'T LEAVE YET.
I DID NOT KNOW AUNT KATE, UH, ON GOWAY DRIVE WEST SIDE.
I SPENT TIME IN THE HOUSE WITH JANICE AND WE WERE KIDS GROWING UP.
I DID NOT KNOW THAT AUNT KATE WAS A PART OF THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT.
WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR SO LONG, BUT I ALWAYS KNEW SHE WAS ARTICULATE AND BEAUTIFUL.
DIDN'T KNOW HER EXPERIENCES, BUT I, I'M SO HONORED TODAY TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT SHE WAS A PART OF MY UPBRINGING, UH, AND THAT I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW HER.
I WANNA SHIRT, BUT, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAN.
THAT JUST TOUCHES MY HEART, MAN.
AND WE, WE JUST ARE, WE'RE SO BLESSED TO HAVE HER IN OUR LIVES.
I'M, I'M GONNA BE HONEST, I WAS JUST KIND OF SIDEBAR WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE AND BEING A RETIRED, UH, ARMY GUY MYSELF AND HIM BEING A RETIRED ARMY GUY.
I SAW THE MOVIE ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO.
WE HAD SOMEONE LOCALLY FROM PORT ARTHUR HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY SERVE WITH THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT.
AND I WAS WONDERING WHY YOU GUYS HAD THE SHIRT AND THE PROCLAMATION, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IT NEEDS TO BE TOLD TO EVERYONE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
LIKE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, FRANK SAID HE DID NOT KNOW, HE DIDN'T PUT IT TOGETHER.
AND I'M JUST GLAD TO BE PART OF, YOU KNOW, OUR COUNCIL TO RECOGNIZE YOU GUYS TODAY.
I APPRECIATE THAT Y'ALL CAME BACK TODAY AND YOU GOT YOUR HONOR IN THE RIGHT WAY.
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WE APPRECIATE, SO WE APPRECIATE THAT YOU, UM, THAT Y'ALL WERE PATIENT WITH US AND WE GOT IT RIGHT.THIS, AND SO, UM, ALSO I VISITED THE GULF COAST MUSEUM, THE MUSEUM OF THE GULF COAST, LEMME SAY IT, RIGHT.
AND THE EXHIBIT IS AMA AMAZING.
EVERY DETAIL, EVEN DOWN TO A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THE, THE BULLOCK CASINGS THAT WERE, UM, SHOT IN HER HONOR, UM, I WANNA SAY OCTOBER 1ST, BUT I THINK IT WAS A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER THAT.
SO PLEASE, I WANNA ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PLEASE GO AND VISIT TO SEE THE EXHIBIT.
NOT, THERE'S A LOT OF AMAZING EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUM, BUT THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL ONE.
SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN BE ABLE TO RELATE TO.
AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE WATCHED THAT MOVIE WHO DIDN'T SHED A TEAR.
IT DIDN'T MATTER IF YOU KNEW THE PERSON OR KNEW OF, OF THEIR FAMILIES.
AND THOSE WOMEN FOUGHT AND THEY FOUGHT HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEPT HUMANITY AND FEELINGS, UM, AND CONNECTIONS GOING IN THE MIDST OF STRUGGLE.
SO APPRECIATE, UM, THE LEGACY THAT SHE'S LEFT IN THE FOUR OF Y'ALL.
AND I'M SURE THAT YOU HAVE YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WELL, I NORMALLY DON'T MAKE REMARKS BECAUSE MM-HMM
PROCLAMATIONS NORMALLY SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, BUT IN, UH, HER CASE DURING HER TIMES, YOU KNOW, FOR BLACKS TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY, AS MUCH DISCRIMINATION AND STUFF WAS GOING ON DURING THAT TIME, WE KNOW THAT SHOWED THAT THEY REALLY HAD THE DESIRE TO SERVE THE COUNTRY.
AND THEY HAD THE ORGANIZATION, MOST OF 'EM HAD BLACK UNITS AS OPPOSED TO INTEGRATED UNITS DURING THAT TIME.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING WHEN THEY SAY YOU SERVING THEM MILITARY DURING THIS TIME, YES, A LOT OF BLACKS SERVED, BUT THEY DIDN'T SERVE IN INTEGRATED UNITS.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY SAY, OKAY, Y'ALL WANNA SERVE, WE'LL PUT YOU IN YOUR OWN UNIT.
AND FOR SOMEONE TO STILL SAY AND SERVE, IT SHOWS THAT DESIRE, NOT ONLY TO BE THERE, BUT TO SERVE THE COUNTRY.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SERVING, THEY THINK YOU SERVED, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU'RE SERVING AND YOU'RE REALLY NOT ACCEPTED.
IT IS NOT AS EASY AS WHEN YOU WERE ACCEPTED.
WHEN I WENT IN THE ARMY, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE WASN'T NO DISCRIMINATION.
AND YOU GET THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO GET PROMOTED.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY DON'T SEE THAT DIFFERENCE.
BUT IF I HAD TO SAY 30 YEARS DURING THAT TIME, I WOULD REALLY HAVE TO WONDER WOULD I BE ABLE TO DO IT.
AND THAT'S FROM A MILITARY STANDPOINT.
SO I CAN REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT SHE DID DURING THAT TIME, BECAUSE IT WASN'T ALL ABOUT SERVING, IT WAS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE PRECIOUS AND UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'RE TREATED DIFFERENT AND STILL GET THE JOB DONE.
YOU KNOW, AND, UH, I HOPE ONE DAY THAT, UH, WE COULD DO MORE IN PORT ARTHUR TO PUSH THE NAME AND WHAT SHE DONE.
SO ONCE AGAIN, I, LET ME COME BACK.
Y'ALL HAVE MY GREATEST RESPECT, YOU KNOW, AND I'M SORRY I DIDN'T GET TO MEET HER PERSONALLY.
BECAUSE I WOULD'VE ENJOYED IT, YOU KNOW? YEP.
I'M CERTAINLY GLAD YOU ALL COME BACK AS A UNIT, BECAUSE I MISSED THIS THE FIRST TIME.
YOU DIDN'T MISS NOTHING PRESENT.
IT WAS KINDA LUMPED IN, YOU KNOW, UH, YOUNG LADY.
BUT ANYWAY, I SERVED IN THE VIETNAM CONFLICT.
THAT'S, THEY DIDN'T CALL IT A WAR, THEY CALLED IT A CONFLICT, BUT IT WAS A WAR FOLKS, 58,000 WHEN I LEFT THE 58,000 AMERICANS HAD PERISHED.
BUT ANYWAY, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL DONE AND MAKE HER, MAKE
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HER AWARE.AND IT'S A PART OF THE MUSEUM.
I'M GONNA GO OVER THERE AND REVIEW EVERYTHING.
SO I APPLAUD YOU ALL FOR COMING BACK.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, REBECCA? YES.
UM, I JUST GOT A REQUEST FROM COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON EVER FIELD ABOUT THE SHIRTS.
WHERE, CAN WE GET THE SHIRTS? ARE THEY, ARE THEY AT THE MUSEUM?
I'M GLAD THAT YOU'VE COME BACK AND YOU'VE GOTTEN THE RECOGNITION THAT YOUR FAMILY'S SO VERY MUCH DESERVED.
AND, UM, I'M SO PLEASED THAT SHE'S BEEN INDUCTED INTO OUR MUSEUM.
UH, AND I WANNA INVITE EVERYBODY TO GO AND SEE THE EXHIBIT.
AND I WATCHED THE MOVIE NOT, AGAIN, NOT KNOWING THAT WE HAD ANY CONNECTION, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO THAT, THAT, THAT WONDERFUL DEPICTION.
AND I HOPE THAT THE MOVIE, UH, DEPICTED HER TRIPLE EIGHT
I HOPE THAT THE, THAT THE MOVIE MADE YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT HER AND THAT IT DEPICTED HER, HER ROLE.
WELL, UM, I, I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT.
I, I WANNA WATCH IT AGAIN NOW THAT I KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE CONNECTED TO IT THAT WAY.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND CONGRATULATIONS ON HER INDUCTION INTO THE MUSEUM.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE MOVIE? SIX TRIPLE EIGHT
HUH? SIX TRIPLE EIGHT SIX TRIPLE EIGHT SIX.
YOU MEAN FOR ME TO SHOOT YOU? WE MAKE SURE YOU, WE, WE WANNA GET TOGETHER WITH YOU GUYS.
'CAUSE I DO HAVE, UM, WE'D LIKE TO SEE HOW WE CAN, UM, WORK WITH JESS AND THE, UM, UH, PALMS TO SEE IF WE CAN GET A STREET NAMED, OF COURSE.
UM, AFTER HER AND TRYING TO FIND, UH, A, A, YOU KNOW, SHE LIVED ON GULF WAY.
WE CAN'T DO GULF WAY, OF COURSE, WE'VE BEEN TOLD, BECAUSE THAT'S A TDOT, THAT'S A STATE HIGHWAY.
BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY FIND SOMETHING THAT, THAT WILL BE MEANINGFUL IN OUR CITY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
I THINK WE HAVE IT AND WE'LL GET TOGETHER AND MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
[III.B.(1) A Presentation By The Museum Of The Gulf Coast ]
UNDER PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, HAVE THE MUSEUM OF THE GULF COAST MAKE THEIR PRESENTATION.THERE'LL BE SOME MOVEMENT IN THIS, UM, AGENDA ON TONIGHT.
SO JUST KINDA STAY CLOSE AND WATCH SOME OF THE MOVEMENT
I COULDN'T FIND MY UMBRELLA, BUT I'M GLAD TO KNOW WE HAD A LITTLE RAIN.
UH, I PROVIDED YOU WITH SOME INFORMATION TO SHOW YOU WHAT THE MUSEUM BEEN DOING.
UH, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ACTIVITIES THAT WE CONDUCT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
FAMILY FUN DAYS, SPECIAL EVENTS, UH, PREMIERES OF, UH, JAWS, UH, THE GREAT WHITES THAT ARE COMING BACK TO THE GULF OF MEXICO.
NOW, THAT DOESN'T MAKE YOU FEEL TOO COMFORTABLE TO GO TO THE BEACH.
UH, TEMPORARY EXHIBITS THAT WE HAVE THAT, UH, TELL STORIES OF PORT ARTHUR.
YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THOSE EXHIBITS THERE.
OUR ART SHOW THAT WE HAD THIS YEAR FOR ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG'S HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH.
UH, WE HAVE AN EXHIBIT ON RIGHT NOW THAT WE HAVE UNTIL DECEMBER.
AND HE'S BEEN LAUDED BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC.
HE HAS SOME, I INCLUDE A FEW PICTURES OF HIS, THERE'S OVER 40 PICTURES THAT HE HAS TAKEN, AND THEY'RE ON DISPLAY IN THE DUNN GALLERY.
WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW INDUCTIONS THIS YEAR BESIDES, UH, KATE WALKER PAID, BY THE WAY.
UH, KATE'S SON, UH, RAYMOND WAS ONE OF MY DOCENTS.
HE USED TO GO WITH THE THIRD GRADERS AND TELL 'EM ABOUT PARTS OF THE MUSEUM WHEN THEY WOULD COME IN AND TOUR.
SO I GOT TO KNOW HIM FOR, FOR A YEAR BEFORE I KNEW KATE WAS.
BUT, UH, AND BY THE WAY, DURING OUR INDUCTION, WE FOUND, UH, FILM FOOTAGE FROM THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THAT BATTALION AND ALL THE MARCHING AND THINGS THAT THEY'VE DONE.
THAT'LL BE, THAT WILL BE PART OF HER EXHIBIT AS WELL, IF WE COMPLETE THAT.
UM, SARAH TAYLOR, UH, DAVIS, UH, BISHOP SARAH TAYLOR DAVIS OPERA SINGER, CAROL W UM, PAUL ORTA, BAR BRAGG, MIKE ZITO, BLUE SINGER.
UH, ALL THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INDUCTED AND WE GOT SOME MORE SCHEDULED FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
UH, SOME PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE WE HAVE A RADIO STATION.
UM, BOB
HE MANAGES IT FOR US TO PLAYS THAT 70 EIGHTIES THAT WE GREW UP HEARING ALL THOSE YEARS.
18% OF OUR LISTENERSHIP IS IN EUROPE.
UM, THE SPORTS EXHIBIT, UH, I HAVE SOME PICTURES OF THAT IN THERE THAT, UH, WE'VE WE'RE RENOVATING THAT, UH, HAD TO EXPAND SO WE'D HAVE ROOM TO PUT EVERYTHING IN.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A, A GENTLEMAN THAT'S GONNA BE OUR, UH, ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE GULF COAST GALA.
UH, HE'S A GUY THAT HAS A EIGHT OCTAVE RANGE VOICE VOCAL RANGE, UH, THE BASS NOTES.
UH, THERE ARE VIDEO AFTER VIDEO OF PEOPLE OUT THERE SAYING, I THINK I CAN SING AS LOW AS THIS GUY.
UH, HIS GROUP THAT HE HAS HOME FREE HAVE HAD 860 MILLION HITS ON THEIR MUSIC THAT THEY PLAY.
AND THEY SING A SONG CALLED SEAS SHANNY.
YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? ASK YOUR KIDS, ASK YOUR GRANDKIDS.
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UH, THAT'S BEEN HEARD 5 BILLION TIMES ONLINE.UM, WE HAD, UH, THIS LAST SATURDAY WE HAD THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM.
THEY'RE TRYING TO GET STARTED.
THEY HAVE SOME OF THE SAME INTERESTS WE HAVE OF TRYING TO DOCUMENT AND VIDEOTAPE PEOPLE TELLING THE STORY ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO GROW UP HERE AND CONNECTING THE DOTS.
AND THEY CAME TO THE MUSEUM TO BE ABLE TO, UH, UH, START SOME OF THEIR WORK TOWARD, UH, TOWARD DOING THAT.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF TOURS THAT WE CONDUCT THROUGH TIME, UH, HIGH SCHOOL REUNIONS, SPECIAL EVENTS.
UH, WE'RE PRETTY BUSY OVER THERE.
AND, UH, I'M SO GLAD I SEE YOUR FACES OVER THERE.
Y'ALL COME AND HELP US AND, AND WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU.
AND IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE BEFORE YOU.
IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL TRY TO ANSWER THEM.
I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
DURING THE COURSE OF A YEAR, HOW MANY ARE TWO OR TWO MUSEUMS? WE HAVE, WE HAVE OVER 16,000 PEOPLE COME THERE.
WE HAVE BETWEEN EIGHT AND 24 COUNTRIES THAT DARK ON OUR DOOR EVERY MONTH.
THAT SURPRISES PEOPLE THAT THE PEOPLE FIND THEIR WAY FROM DOWNTOWN PORT ARTHUR.
AND THEN WHEN THEY GET THERE, THEY'RE USED TO SMALL MUSEUMS LIKE TWO AND 3000 SQUARE FOOT, AND THEY'LL REMARK, I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT A LUNCH.
AND I'M GONNA SAY, WELL, EDITH IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE GOT, WE GOT YOU COVERED ON THEM.
I JUST LOVE EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS DO AT THE MUSEUM.
UM, BUT I WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO BECKY GUIDRY.
SHE SENDS OUT THE EMAILS THAT KEEP US INFORMED ABOUT EVERYTHING.
AND TODAY IS ARTHUR STILLWELLS BIRTHDAY.
AND SHE SENT THAT EMAIL OUT, AND I THOUGHT, WELL, I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THAT IF BECKY DIDN'T SEND OUT THAT EMAIL.
AND I, I THINK FROM ALL OF US, THAT SHE DOES A REALLY GREAT JOB FOR YOU GUYS GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS.
EVERY TIME I SEE A POST ABOUT PEOPLE THAT CAME FROM NEW ZEALAND TO COME AND SEE THE MUSEUM, I MEAN, IT JUST AMAZES ME THAT PEOPLE COME LITERALLY FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO SEE OUR LITTLE BIT OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
WE NEVER KNOW WHAT LANGUAGE YOU'RE GONNA SPEAK.
UH, THANK YOU MR. NEIL AGAIN FOR, UH, FOR TODAY AND FOR SHARING, UM, ALL OF THE AMAZING THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AT THE MUSEUM.
I WANT TO MAKE IT MORE PERSONAL FOR US TO PERSONAL, FOR US TO WANT TO GO TO THE MUSEUM.
OFTEN WE'LL SAY THAT, HA, NOTHING IN THE MUSEUM HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT DOES.
AND DON'T SAY THAT IT DOESN'T UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY GO.
AND SO WE HAD A PROM EXAMPLE ABOUT THE EXHIBIT REGARDING MS. PATE.
THAT DEFINITELY HAS SOMETHING TO DO, UH, WITH YOU.
THERE IS, UM, A GENTLEMAN, I THINK HIS NAME WAS ARCH BARRY.
AND ALTHOUGH HE'S FROM BEAUMONT, TEXAS, HE'S FROM OUR AREA, HE ACTUALLY DEVELOPED THE SMURFS AND TOY STORY.
LIKE THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT, UM, CAN HELP US ENCOURAGE OUR CHILDREN TO CONTINUE TO HOPE AND TO CONTINUE TO DREAM.
AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT MAY HAPPEN.
AND ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO DROP THE FACT THAT OUR MUSEUM PROMOTES ANYONE WHO, WELL, NOT ANYONE.
THE, THE BOARD CHOOSES, LET ME BE CLEAR, THE BOARD CHOOSES, BUT THEY HAVE NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION AND A BOOK OF WORK, NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION WITH A BOOK OF WORK.
SO IT ISN'T JUST BECAUSE, UM, I WAS THINKING ABOUT MY NANNY REESE EARLIER.
SO JUST BECAUSE I THINK MY NANNY REESE IS AN AMAZING PERSON, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT SHE DESERVES TO BE IN THE MUSEUM OF THE GULF COAST.
SO THERE ARE SOME QUALIFICATIONS AND UM, I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO GO AND SEE IT SO THAT YOU CAN ALSO EN ENCOURAGE YOUR FAMILY TO STILL HOPE AND DREAM AND UNDERSTAND MORE HISTORY OF PORT ARTHUR THAN WHAT WE THINK ISN'T OR IS HERE.
WE, WE LOVE WHAT WE, THERE'S 271 PEOPLE NOW INDUCTED INTO THE HALLS OF FAME.
AND KIDS ARE TOLD GO OUT AND DO ALL THESE WONDERFUL THINGS, BUT NOBODY GIVES THEM AN EXAMPLE.
WELL, WE GIVE THEM 271 EXAMPLES.
THEY CAN LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES AND THEY CAN LEARN FROM THINGS THEY DID SUCCESSFULLY.
AND EVERY KID IN EVERY TOWN THINKS THAT THEY LIVE IN A DEAD END STREET.
WELL, THIS IS A LAUNCHPAD WHERE WE LIVE.
AND SO WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT WHEN THEY LEAVE THERE AND PAY YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEE, MA'AM.
WE, AT THIS TIME, WE DO HAVE A
[VIII.(9) P.R. No. 24554 — A Resolution Approving A Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur, And The Port Arthur Historical Society For The Purpose Of Funding The Museum Of The Gulf Coast For The 2025- 2026 Fiscal Year In The Amount Of $296,336.00, Hotel Occupancy Tax Account No. 140-15-600-5470-00-20-000, HO7904.0TH.OCS ]
RESOLUTION ON PAGE NUMBER EIGHT, UM, NUMBER NINE.WE'RE GONNA BRING THAT UP AT THIS TIME SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND VOTE ON IT.
IT'S GONNA BE, UM, PR NUMBER 2 4 5 5 4, A RESOLUTION OF PROVEN A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND THE PORT ARTHUR HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING
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THE MUSEUM OF THE GULF COAST FOR THE 20 25 20 26 FISCAL YEAR IN THE AMOUNT OF $296,336.HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX ACCOUNT NUMBER 1 4 0 DASH 15 DASH 600 DASH 5 4 7 0 0 0 H 0 7 9 0 4 DOT OCS.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED.
IT'S BEEN MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS, AND SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MCKEN LAW.
ANY DISCUSSIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[III.B.(2) A Presentation By Environmental Industrial Services Group, (EISG) Regarding Optimization, Expansion, And Management Of The Port Arthur Landfill ]
TO BACK TO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, A PRESENTATION BY ENVIRONMENTAL INDUSTRIAL SERVICES GROUP, EISG, REGARDING OPTIMIZATION, EXPANSION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PORT ARTHUR LANDFILL.IF YOU'LL COME UP, UM, AT THIS TIME, GOOD EVENING.
YOU COULD STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
MY NAME IS PETER AND WE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL INDUSTRIAL SERVICES GROUP.
OUR ADDRESS IS 9 9 0 0 WEST PARK DRIVE, SUITE 3 48, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 6 3.
UM, GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
CITY ATTORNEY, CITY MANAGER, CITY STAFF, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE PEOPLE OF PORT ARTHUR.
UH, WE'RE VERY HONORED HERE TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY OUR PLAN TO OPTIMIZE THE PORT ARTHUR LANDFILL FOR THE MUNICIPAL, UM, OPTIMIZATION AND THE INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION.
UM, AND THEN FURTHERMORE, WE'VE ALSO PUT TOGETHER A VIDEO TODAY, UM, TO SHOW YOU GUYS HOW WE INTEND TO DEVELOP THE LANDFILL AND ALL THE INSIGHT THAT WE HAVE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS DONE THE RIGHT WAY.
THE PORT ARTHUR LANDFILL MODERNIZATION, MUNICIPAL OPTIMIZATION AND INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION, A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH ENVIRONMENTAL INDUSTRIAL SERVICES GROUP.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY STAFF, AND THE PEOPLE OF PORT ARTHUR.
WE THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TODAY.
ENVIRONMENTAL INDUSTRIAL SERVICES GROUP, RECOGNIZED AS EISG INTRODUCES A PLAN TO MODERNIZE THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR LANDFILL.
OUR GOAL IS SIMPLE TO STRENGTHEN WHAT ALREADY EXISTS, OPTIMIZING MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE OPERATIONS, WHILE EXPANDING CAPACITY TO MANAGE INDUSTRIAL WASTE RESPONSIBLY AND PROFITABLY.
THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT WASTE, IT'S ABOUT TURNING AN UNDERUSED CITY ASSET INTO A LONG-TERM ECONOMIC ENGINE.
WHY NOW? FORT ARTHUR SITS AT THE HEART OF THE GULF COAST INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR SURROUNDED BY SOME OF THE NATION'S LARGEST REFINERIES AND PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEXES.
YET TODAY, THE CITY CAPTURES ONLY ABOUT 12% OF THE REGIONAL WASTE MARKET.
THE OTHER 88%, ROUGHLY $60 MILLION PER YEAR GOES TO COMPETITORS.
COMPARABLE CITIES GENERATE AROUND FOUR TO $5 MILLION ANNUALLY IN LANDFILL REVENUE, DESPITE SOME BEING NO LARGER THAN PORT ARTHUR.
SO THE CHALLENGE ISN'T LOCATION, IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS PARTNERSHIP INTENDS TO FIX.
WHAT CHANGES, UPGRADING, EXPANDING, AND CAPTURING VALUE, WE WILL UPGRADE THE EXISTING MSW CELL THAT'S CURRENTLY THERE, BRINGING IT TO MODERN OPERATIONAL STANDARDS AND ADD NEW ENGINEERED CAPACITY FOR CLASS ONE AND TWO.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE WILL ALSO IMPROVE THE SITE ITSELF.
UPGRADED SCALE HOUSE ROADWAYS, SOLIDIFICATION PITS, BOX WASHING, AND LEAD SHAPE TREATMENT SYSTEMS FINDING WILL ESTABLISHED TRANSFER STATIONS IN SURROUNDING COUNTIES PULLING WASTE THAT CURRENTLY LEAVES THE REGION BACK INTO PORT ARTHUR.
PARTNERSHIP PEOPLE AND COST A TRUE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
THIS IS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WHERE THE CITY RETAINS OWNERSHIP AND OVERSIGHT.
WHILE EISG PROVIDES THE CAPITAL EXPERTISE AND EXECUTION, THERE IS NO CITY CAPITAL REQUIRED FOR THE MODERNIZATION WORK.
EISG WILL FUND THE EQUIPMENT AND SITE UPGRADES.
ALL CURRENT CITY LANDFILL EMPLOYEES WILL BE RETAINED AND EISG WILL FUND TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS AT OUR OWN COST.
THE UPGRADES BUILD A FOR EFFICIENCY INCOME COMPLIANCE.
HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT MODERNIZATION MEANS IN PRACTICE.
OPTIMIZE THE EXISTING MSW CELL FOR BETTER, BETTER COMPACTION SAFETY AND DAILY COVER MANAGEMENT.
ADD INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY THROUGH FOCUS.
PERMANENT AMENDMENT TO ACCEPT NON-HAZARDOUS INDUSTRIAL WASTE.
INSTALL SOLIDIFICATION KIT AND WASH WASHING SYSTEMS. ADDING,
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ADDING UP TO 25% MORE, MORE REVENUE PER TON ON COMPLEX LOADS.UPGRADE, UPGRADE THE SCALE HOUSE AND MOVE INDUSTRIAL CLIENTS TO TONNAGE BASED BILLING.
FOR, FOR ACCURACY AND TRANSPARENCY, IMPLEMENT LEACHATE TREATMENT ENHANCEMENTS, TARGETING UP TO $190,000 PER MONTH IN SAVINGS.
INTRODUCE RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING PROGRAMS. PROJECTED TO SAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ANNUALLY IN OPERATING COSTS.
THE PHASE PHASE IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE.
A CLEAR ROADMAP, THREE PHASE PHASES OF PROGRESS.
OUR OUR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN UNFOLDS IN THREE CLEAR PHASES.
PHASE, PHASE ONE, ONE FOUNDATION AND COMPLIANCE.
MONTH 1, 12 12, WE'LL UPGRADE EXISTING INFRAS INFRASTRUCTURE, BEGIN ROAD AND SCALE HOUSE IMPROVEMENTS, AND INITIATE THE PERMIT AMENDMENT PROCESS TO INCLUDE INDUSTRIAL WASTE.
PHASE TWO, TWO, CONSTRUCTION AND EXPANSION.
MONTH, MONTH 12 TO 18, WE'LL BRING IN NEW HEAVY EQUIPMENT VALUE BETWEEN 15 AND 20 MILLION.
INSTALL SOLIDIFICATION AND BOX WASH SYSTEMS AND CAN COMPLETE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE INDUSTRIAL CELLS.
READY, READY FOR CAPACITY INTAKE.
PHASE THREE, THREE, MARKET CAPTURE AND OPTIMIZATION.
WE'LL ACTIVATE TRANSFER STATIONS, EXPAND CLIENT CONTRACTS AND BRING THE LANDFILL TO ABOVE OPERATIONAL CAPACITY, EFFICIENT, PROFITABLE, AND FULLY COMPLIANT WITHIN WITHIN 18 MONTHS.
THE INDUSTRIAL SENSORS ARE ONLINE AND INVISIBLE CUSTOMER FACING IMPROVEMENTS.
HOUSE HOUSEKEEPING ARE, ARE FULLY IN PLACE.
MARKET, MARKET AND LOGISTICS ADVANTAGE POSITION FOR GROWTH WITHIN A 60 MILE RADIUS, THERE ARE, THERE ARE MORE THAN 50 MAJOR WASTE GENERATORS.
MOST, MOST ARE CURRENTLY TRUCKING DISTANCE SITES.
BY, BY INTRODUCING LOCAL TRANSFER STATIONS IN ORANGE AND OTHER SURROUNDING COUNTIES, WE CAN INTERCEPT THAT FLOW CUT OFF ALL TIMES AND BRING, BRING THOSE REVENUES HOME THAT THAT MEANS BETTER RATES FOR CUSTOMERS.
MORE, MORE VOLUME BILL AND NEW LOAN TERM REVENUE STREAMS. FOR, FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR FINANCIAL OUTCOMES, TURNING DEFICIT IS DURABLE GROWTH.
HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT THAT GROWTH LOOKS LIKE, LIKE NOW.
ABOUT ABOUT $5 MILLION ANNUALLY IN INDUSTRIAL WASTE.
AND AN ADDITIONAL TWO, $3 MILLION ANNUALLY FROM MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE IMPROVEMENTS YEARS THREE, THREE TO FIVE, APPROXIMATELY $20 MILLION ANNUALLY FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE.
AND WE ROUGHLY $45 MILLION ANNUALLY FROM THE MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE.
OVER OVER $50 MILLION FROM IN INDUSTRIAL REVENUE ALONE.
2025 YEAR PROJECTION BETWEEN 150 AND $200 MILLION COMBINED FROM MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS.
AND THEN THAT IN ADDITION TO SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS FROM EIGHT AND CONFLICT, IMPROVE IMPROVEMENTS NEARLY, NEARLY $2 MILLION A YEAR IN REDUCED OPERATING COSTS.
COMMUNITY AND CO COMPLIANCE JOBS, JOBS PRIDE, LONG TERM STEWARD STEWARDSHIP.
EVERY, EVERY CURRENT CITY LANDFILL EMPLOYEE KEEPS THEIR THEIR JOB.
E-E-I-S-G WILL FUND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING TO RAISE SKILLS, SAFETY, AND CERTIFICATION LEVELS BECAUSE MODERNIZATION MEANS EMPOWERING PEOPLE TOO.
RESIDENTS WILL SEE TANGIBLE IMPROVEMENTS, CLEAN, CLEANER FRONTAGE, SMOOTHER TRAFFIC FLOW, UPGRADED EQUIPMENT, AND A LANDFILL THAT LOOKS AND, AND OPERATES LIKE A TOP TIER TIER FACILITY.
ENVIRONMENTALLY OR ARTHUR WILL EXCEED TTCQ AND EPA STANDARDS PROTECT, PROTECTING LOCAL AIR, SOIL, AND WATER FOR GENERATIONS MOVING FORWARD TO TOGETHER FROM PLAN TO PARTNERSHIP.
THIS IS INITIATIVE IS MORE THAN UPGRADE, IT'S A PARTNERSHIP PROGRESS FOLLOWING THE CITY'S AUTHORIZATION.
AS AS WE PROCEED IN NORMAL CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.
E-E-I-S-G STANDS READY TO FINALIZE STRUCTURE, PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND REVENUE FRAMEWORK THAT WILL ENSURE, ENSURE MORE R RECEIVES MAXIMUM BENEFIT WITH ZERO FINANCIAL BURDEN TOGETHER.
THE TRANSFORM WHAT ONCE AN OVERLOOKED SITE AND INTO ONE PORT FOR ARTHUR'S STRONGEST AND MOST SUSTAINABLE ASSETS.
A STATE OF THE ART, THE ART LANDFILL BILL BUILT, BUILT FOR THE CITY OF PORT FORT ARTHUR.
UM, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYONE, MAYOR AND ALL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UH, NATURALLY, CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR OPPORTUNITY AND TIME.
I JUST WANTED TO PRESENT A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE ON MY END.
UM, I SPECIFICALLY IN THIS MARKET HAVE WORKED IN THE HAULING APPLICATION FOR BOTH ALLIED AND REPUBLIC WASTE, AS WELL AS GFL PREVIOUS TO THAT, UH, FOR ABOUT A DECADE IN THIS MARKET SPECIFICALLY.
UM, EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE JUST LAID OUT WITH REGARD TO THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE HERE IN THIS SPECIFIC MARKET ARE WITHIN 15 TO 20 MILES FROM THE LANDFILL.
95% OF THE REVENUE STREAMS, WHICH BASED ON THE SOUTHEAST REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION'S INFORMATION EXCEED ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE.
AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL THE NEW GROWTH THAT'S COMING OUT FROM THE NEW FACILITIES THAT ARE BEING BUILT.
AND ALL THE TARGETED MUNICIPAL SERVICES ARE GONNA BE AROUND THOSE.
WE WOULD ULTIMATELY TRY TO COMPETE SPECIFICALLY AGAINST COMPANIES LIKE WASTE MANAGEMENT AND REPUBLIC, WHOSE LANDFILLS ARE AT A DISTANCE AWAY.
HOWEVER, THEY'RE REMOVING ALL THE REVENUE STREAMS FROM HERE IN THE VOLUME INTO
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THEIR LANDFILLS FOR INTERNALIZATION.THEY'RE CAPTURING THAT REVENUE.
WHAT WE'RE ESSENTIALLY LOOKING TO DO IS MORE OR LESS PROVIDE A STREAMLINED APPROACH FOR THE MARKET.
GO OUT VISIT WITH ALL THE LARGE INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL APPLICATIONS THAT ANYBODY ELSE AND TARGET CLASS ONE THROUGH CLASS THREE WASTE, AS WELL AS GOING OUT AND INTRODUCING OURSELVES TO THE MUNICIPAL MARKET AS WELL AS THE C AND D AND CONSTRUCTION MARKET AND BRING ALL THOSE WASTE STREAMS HOME.
ALL THOSE WASTE STREAMS TODAY ARE NOT BEING CAPTURED OR EVEN LOOKED AT BY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TODAY.
AND IT, YOU KNOW, NOT TO SAY THAT IT'S AN EASY SALE TO GO AND GET THOSE THINGS SPECIFICALLY, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN YOU REALLY LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE, YOU TRULY HAVE A BLESSING IN THE ASSET THAT YOU HAVE TODAY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN UNDERUTILIZED FOR, YOU KNOW, DECADES.
NOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOUR COST OF DISPOSAL IN THIS MARKET IS INCREASING UP TO A HUNDRED, IF NOT MORE THAN A HUNDRED DOLLARS A TON FOR NOT ONLY BASIC TRASH, BUT ALSO YOUR SPECIAL WASTE.
AND IF WE WERE ABLE TO GO OUT AND COMPETE WITH THOSE FOLKS, SPECIFICALLY NON INDEPENDENT COMPANIES, LARGE CORPORATIONS, WE CAN GUARANTEE THAT THE MATERIALS THAT ARE WITHIN THAT 15 OR 20 MILE RADIUS THAT WE HAVE, IT'S MORE COST EFFECTIVE FOR YOUR LARGER COMPANIES WHO ARE ON YOUR CHAMBER, WOULD WANT TO BRING THAT MATERIAL BACK BECAUSE IT SAVES THEM A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT IN DISPOSAL.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO SET THE DISPOSAL RATES CHEAPER FOR PORT ARTHUR.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING THEM TO MATCH THOSE OF COMPETITIVE LOCATIONS.
AND IN DOING SO, PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE EFFICIENT PROCESSES, STREAMLINE OPERATIONS THAT THE LANDFILL, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ATTRACT A LOT OF SMALL THIRD PARTY COMPANIES THAT ARE OPERATING.
AND IN TRUTH, IF YOU GUYS REALLY TOOK A LITTLE TIME TO RESEARCH WHO'S OUT THERE, THERE'S NOT MANY PEOPLE COMPETING BECAUSE WASTE MANAGEMENT AND REPUBLICAN COMPANIES LIKE THAT HAVE ALREADY PUSHED THEM OUT OF BUSINESS.
SO IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, WE YIELD A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
SO THE END RESULT IS WE'VE IDENTIFIED, CREATED, AND BUILT THE PLAN TO NOT ONLY MANAGE THE LANDFILL, IMPROVE THE OPERATIONAL SECURITY OF THE LANDFILL, PRESENT THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR LONG-TERM EARNINGS INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE CAN GO OUT AND GET IT LOCAL, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIRE MORE PEOPLE, CREATE MORE JOBS, YOU KNOW, CREATE RECYCLE CENTERS FOR THE FUTURE, SMALLER OPPORTUNITY TRANSFER STATIONS, WASTE DIVERSION THERE.
THERE'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO MAKE PORT ARTHUR PROBABLY THE BEST OPERATING LANDFILL, YOU KNOW, WITH WITHIN THE, THE HOUSTON AREA.
AND IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
UM, I HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS, PARDON ME? YES.
APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION, YOUR TURNAROUND TIME UP AND OPERATING.
WHAT, WHAT KIND OF TIME WE TALKING ABOUT AND HOW MANY JOBS ARE WE GONNA BE PRODUCING ESTIMATES? THE OPERATING TIME FOR WHAT IT TAKES IN, IN, IN THE FIRST YEAR, I THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT.
I MEAN, WE REALLY HAVE TO GO IN AND DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE AT THE EXISTING LANDFILL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
AND ONCE WE'VE HAD THAT DONE, WE NATURALLY CAN SHARE THAT RELEVANT INFORMATION WITH YOU ON A REGULAR TIMEFRAME.
AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, NATURALLY WE'LL BE LOOKING AT VOLUME AND OPPORTUNITY.
WE WOULD HAVE TO ESTABLISH OURSELVES IN THE COMMUNITY FAR BEFORE THE LANDFILL'S COMPLETED SO WE COULD START THAT SALES PROCESS IN PLACE TO GO OUT AND MEET WITH ALL THE POTENTIAL CITIES AND LARGER OPERATIONS, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ON THE BID DOCKET FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
AND THEN ONCE THAT HAPPENS NATURALLY, WE'LL PUSH TO SELL ON A, ON A PRE-CLOSE BASIS, AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THE VOLUME AND THEN WE'LL KNOW WHAT WE NEED FROM A HEADCOUNT PERSPECTIVE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'M GONNA NEED TO TALK LAYMAN TERMS. WE SAY, UH, PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP, YOU KNOW, BUT WHEN WE START SAYING THAT, UH, EMPLOYEES GONNA RETAIN JOBS AND, UH, YOU'RE GOING TO BRING IN EQUIPMENT AND STUFF, BASICALLY WHAT, WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS US CONTRACTING THE LANDFILL AS OPPOSED TO OPERATING IT.
WE ARE JUST GONNA CONTRACT AND LET THEM HAVE IT.
SEE, MAN, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? WE, WE ARE NO LONGER GONNA BE OPERATING.
THAT'S WHAT LANDFILL, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING IN THEIR, IN THE PRESENTATION.
WELL, THAT'S WHY I SAID I'M GONNA TALK, UH, LAYMAN TERMS FOR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, HE DON'T UNDERSTAND PRIVATE PUBLIC
[00:40:01]
PARTNERSHIPS.SO BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING HERE IS THAT WE'RE GONNA TURN OVER LANDFILL OPERATION TO YOU ALL.
AND FROM YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU ALL GOING TO, UH, SET IT UP, BUT YOU ARE NOT GONNA JUST LOOK AT HOURS.
YOU'RE GONNA GO OUT FOR OTHER CLIENTS WITHIN THE AREA.
IDEALLY SPEAKING, WHEN YOU LOOK AT A LANDFILL, YOUR OPTIMUM SERVICE AREA FOR ANY LANDFILLS ABOUT 30 MILES, 60 MILES ZONE, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING IS BUILDING HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, SETTING UP A BUILDING, PUTTING OPERATIONS IN HERE, LONG TERM SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY'S OWN EFFORTS FOR EXISTING TRASH SERVICE WHERE YOU'RE GOING OUT AND YOU'RE COLLECTING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S WITHIN THE FRANCHISE AREA.
BUT THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK WITHIN THIS 20 MILE ZONE JUST OUTSIDE OF PORT ARTHUR THAT HASN'T BEEN CAPTURED.
OKAY, WELL THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
I I BASICALLY SAID WHEN YOU TAKE OVER IT, YOU'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR A LARGER AREA.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING BUSINESS, RUNNING A LANDFILL, NOT OUR LANDFILL.
BUT YOU'RE GONNA RUN A LANDFILL.
AND THAT, UH, ALL, ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO THEN HAVE, BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE RUNNING, IT'S GONNA BE YOURS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S THE THING I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR TO OUR CITIZENS WHO ARE LISTENING OF EXACTLY WHAT YOU ALL ARE PRESENTING BEFORE US.
JUST IN ADDITION THERE, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE, THE PERMIT AND THE PROPERTY WOULD STAY WITH THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, EISG WOULD, WE WOULD JUST BE THE OPERATOR.
WE'D HAVE THE, THE CONTRACT OPERATOR.
WELL, WELL, THAT'S WHAT I SAID, BECAUSE WHEN YOU SAY PARTNERSHIP, THE ONLY PARTNERSHIP I SEE WHERE WE ARE IS OUR LANDFILL.
BUT YOU ALL GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATION OF THE LANDFILL? YES, SIR.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE, YEAH, I JUST WANT TO PUT IT IN LAYMAN TERMS. YES.
UM, I REMEMBER YOU ALL COMING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, SHARING YOUR INITIAL, UM, THOUGHTS OF WANTING TO DO BUSINESS HERE.
AND INITIALLY THAT CONVERSATION SURROUNDED A PORTION OF OUR LANDFILL, WHICH I'M, I'M OPEN FOR CORRECTION, CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY.
IF I, IF I MISSPEAK, UM, THAT YOU SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL ALREADY.
YOU WON THE, THE BID ON THE PROPOSAL.
WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT? BECAUSE THIS PRESENTATION YOU PROVIDED TODAY GOES BEYOND WHAT YOUR SCOPE OF WORK YOU'VE ALREADY WON INCLUDES A PROPOSAL THAT WE SUBMITTED, INCLUDED MANAGEMENT AND, UM, ADDITION OF A NEW LANDFILL SALE FROM THE RFQ.
THE CITY OF PERATO IS SEEKING QUALIFIED FIRMS FOR A JOINT VENTURE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF THE MSW LANDFILL, WHICH IS THE SOLID WASTE LANDFILL THAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE.
THE SUCCESSFUL FIRM MUST DEMONSTRATES, UH, MODIFICATIONS THAT INCLUDE OTHER, OTHER WASTE THAN MUNICIPAL WASTE APPLICABLE, UM, UM, IN EXISTENCE TODAY.
SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF RUNNING BOTH LANDFILL CELLS FOR GIVING EXPERIENCE.
THIS KIND OF JOINT VENTURE IS VERY COMMON HERE IN TEXAS, CITY OF PORT.
THE REST, THE WAY THE PERMIT IS GONNA BE SET UP IS GONNA BE FOR BOAT CO-MINGLING, OR BOTH THE SOLID WASTE AND THE INDUSTRIAL WASTE.
AND WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY HAVE IT ANOTHER SECTION FOR JUST PURELY INDUSTRIAL WASTE.
WE, WHAT WE SUBMITTED OUR PREVIOUS PROPOSAL FOR WAS FOR, FOR THE WHOLE, FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF THE LANDFILL ITSELF.
SO, AND THE PROPOSAL DID COVER THAT.
THIS IS FROM YOUR RFQ, SO IT WASN'T SEPARATE.
SO THIS SCOPE, WHAT DOES THE SCOPE OF WORK, ACTUALLY, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE PARAGRAPH THAT, THAT YOU READ, BUT THE SCOPE OF WORK IS WHAT Y'ALL AWARDED TO DO, WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE MANAGEMENT OF OUR ENTIRE LANDFILL.
YES, IT DOES, IT DOES INCLUDE THAT AT THE INITIAL STUDY.
IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT, THAT'S WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR PRESENTATION THAT WE WERE GONNA TAKE OVER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE, THE CITY EMPLOYEES.
FOR US TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE THE PROPOSAL ITSELF, IT HAS TO ENCOMPASS BOTH THE MUNICIPAL.
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IF IT'S TWO DIFFERENT PERMITS, I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEPARATE.ALL WE'RE DOING TO YOUR PA CURRENT PERMIT IS UPGRADING YOUR CURRENT PERMITS TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL, AND AT THE SAME TIME IMPROVE THE MUNICIPAL WASTE.
SO THAT'S A, THAT IS, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE SAME, UM, RFQ THAT YOU PUT OUT THAT WE RESPONDED TO.
AND IN THAT AREA, FQ IT CLEARLY STATES, UM, WHAT I JUST READ OUT TO YOU GUYS, I, IF THERE'S A COUNCIL MEMBER YES, MA.
UH, I LIKE FOR THE, ACTUALLY THE, UH, WHERE THE RFQ WHO, WHO, WHO, WHO'S HERE, WHO WAS HANDLING THE RFQ? BECAUSE I WANNA KNOW WHAT IT WENT, WHAT IT WENT OUT, BECAUSE I'M, I WAS THOUGHT, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST AN AREA OF JUST THE INDUSTRIAL, UH, PART OF THE LANDFILL THAT WAS OUT FOR BIG.
CAN SOMEONE, UM, I'M GONNA BRING SOMEONE UP.
YEAH, IT WAS JUST ONE SEGMENT THAT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTOOD REAL QUICKLY, Y'ALL, WE, WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT, CAN I JUST MAKE THAT OH, AHEAD.
SO FOR, FOR MY UNDERSTANDING IT, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS, WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING, NOT WHAT WE AGREED TO, WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING, UM, SEEMS TO BE MUCH MORE EXTENSIVE.
THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU PROVIDED TODAY VERSUS WHAT WAS IN THE RFQ, WHAT YOU PROVIDED TODAY, UM, SEEMS AS IF WE OWN, WE CONTINUE TO OWN THE LAND, YOU ALL MANAGE IT, EARN AN INCOME, AND THEN PROVIDE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THAT INCOME TO US.
OUR LANDFILL IS IN THE BLACK, WE'RE DOING VERY WELL.
SO I WOULD UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO, TO BE A PART OF THIS GROWTH, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN HAVE, THAT WE CAN CONTINUE, UM, THAT GROWTH IN CERTAIN PARTNERSHIPS.
FOR FURTHER GROWTH, BUT NOT, UM, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE WOULD BE HANDING OVER OUR LANDFILL TO ANYONE.
THE IMPRESSION THAT WE HAVE FROM THE SCOPE OF WORK WAS A SPECIFIC SALE.
UM, CAN WE GET THE, UM, ACCOUNT, UH, DR. HANEY COME, HEY, IF YOU COULD, UH, YOU, YOU, THE PROPOSAL YOU HAVE THAT YES MA'AM.
WE WORKED ON THE RFQ AND WE PUT THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER.
THE INTENTION OF THE RFQ WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR INDUSTRIAL WASTE.
UH, AND WE DID, UH, MENTION THAT SPECIFICALLY WHEN WE HAD THE PRE-BID MEETING ON THIS PROJECT.
THE PRE-BID MEETING? YES MA'AM.
WE HAD THE PRE-BID MEETING ON THE RFQ.
SO THAT WAS THE INTENTION FROM THE BEGINNING FOR THAT RFQ.
UM, NOT SURE, THE EXPERT THAT'S BEEN READ IS FROM WHICH SECTION OF THE RFQ, BUT OUR INTENTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN INDUSTRIAL TO DO THE INDUSTRIAL WASTE BECAUSE THERE IS A HUGE MARKET FOR THAT.
AND CITY STAFF DO NOT WANNA GET INVOLVED WITH INDUSTRIAL WASTE AFTER SPEAKING TO STAFF AND THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK THE LANDFILL, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY DESIRE TO GET INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRIAL WASTE PART OF IT.
SO WE DID SEND THAT OUT FOR CLARITY.
WE DID SEND THAT SECTION FROM WHAT I UNDERSTOOD AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER EVER FILL AND SOME OF THE COUNCILORS HERE, JUST THAT SECTION, UM, OF THE LANDFILL OUT FOR, FOR BID FOR RQ MA'AM REQUEST, REQUEST PROPOSAL.
THEY ONLY HAD ONE BIDDER AND THEY WON THAT BID BECAUSE I, LISTEN, I WAS HERE WHEN OUR LANDFILL HAD NEGATIVE AND WE WORKED HARD TO BUILD THAT LANDFILL BACK UP.
I WAS ON COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW AND WE WERE IN THE RED RED AND WE HAVE BROUGHT THAT LANDFILL A LONG WAY AND FOR US TO GIVE IT AWAY AT THIS TIME WOULD BE DEVASTATING TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
BUT BASICALLY I DO UNDERSTAND, UM, THEIR PROPOSAL AND IT, WHEN IT'S IN THE BLACK, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, IT IS A GOLD MINE.
SO, BUT IF IT WAS INDUSTRIAL WASTE, WE NEED TO IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS CLEARLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S WHAT THE PROPOSAL WAS FOR.
AND WE STICK WITH WHAT THAT WAS FOR.
I, THE PRESENTATION WAS AMAZING, BUT YES MA'AM, I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS PRESENTATION BEFORE, SO I CAN SAY WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOES WORK.
OH, I JUST NEEDED YOU TO CLARIFY THE RFP.
YES, IT MIGHT BE GREAT, BUT I HAVEN'T STUDIED IT.
COUNCILMAN KINLAW A AND MARY, AND I THINK YOU HIT THE, THE NAIL ON IT.
UH, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING IT WAS THE INDUSTRIAL, BECAUSE OF OUR EMPLOYEES NOT HAVING THE PROPER TRAINING, OUR UNDERSTANDING AND DEALING WITH INDUSTRIAL.
UH, I WAS ON COUNCIL, THE MAYOR AS WELL AS COUNCILMAN ETT AT THE TIME.
I THINK, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS CAME IN, UH, UH, LATER.
BUT YOU KNOW, MY THING IS THIS, THAT THAT LANDFILL WAS IN THE RED FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND WE, THE MANAGER, UH, CAME UP WITH THE PLAN TO GET IT OUT, UH, RUNNING THE WATER AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF, HAVING A STATIONARY UNIT OUT THERE.
THAT'S THE ENVISION THAT WE HAD AS
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A COUNCIL BACK THEN.AND TO HEAR YOU GUYS COMING THERE, I THINK YOUR PRESENTATION WAS AWESOME.
BUT I DO TOO FEEL THAT WE CAN PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, TAKING IT FROM RED INTO THE BLACK AREA RIGHT NOW, GRAY AREA, UH, IT BENEFITS THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, YOU KNOW, AT THIS TIME TO INTO HOUSE ONE TO COME IN AND TO SHOW US BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS.
I'M OKAY WITH THAT, BUT I, I THINK AS A COUNCIL WE PROBABLY WOULD NEED TO KIND OF LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT LANDFILL.
IT'S ENTERPRISE FUND, IT MAKES MONEY.
AND, UH, AND THAT'S OUR GOAL AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ALWAYS BENEFIT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AT ALL TIMES.
I KNOW YOU BUSINESSMEN, BUT OUR JOB IS TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS AND THE CITY INTEREST AT ALL TIME AND ALL COSTS.
SO, UH, THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY, MAYOR.
BUT, UH, I THINK THE PRESENTATION WAS AWESOME.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE PRESENT.
I HAVE ONE MORE LIGHT, UM, HERE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK.
I JUST WANTED TO REMIND THE COUNCIL BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, AND I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING FROM THAT PARTICULAR STANDPOINT, BUT I WANNA REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT THE, THAT THE LANDFILL WAS IN, UH, THE RED.
I, I WAS SCARED WHEN, WHEN WE, WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, UH, WE PUT IN A WEIGHT SCALE MM-HMM
UH, AND WE DON'T EVEN UTILIZE THE WHEAT.
WE WOUND UP NOT EVEN UTILIZING THE WEIGHT SCALE, UH, BECAUSE, UH, IF WE WERE LOSING MONEY WHEN WE WERE DOING IT, THE ONLY REASON THAT THE LANDFILL EVEN HAS GONE INTO THE BLACK WAS BECAUSE OF FREE DIRT.
REMEMBER THAT, OH, THAT'S NOT BECAUSE, NOT BECAUSE WE DID ANYTHING SO WONDERFUL, UPGRADED, BUT WE WENT INTO THE, WE WENT INTO THE RED BECAUSE WE STARTED GETTING FREE DIRT FROM THE LNG PROJECTS.
AND WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR DIRT ANYMORE, THAT'S WHEN WE WENT INTO THE RED.
SO IT'S NOT THAT WE'VE DONE ANYTHING, UM, TO MAKE THE LANDFILL, UH, PROFITABLE.
AND WHEN THAT, WHEN THAT DIRT GOES, THE LANDFILL WILL LOSE ITS PROFITABILITY AGAIN.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET TO THE POINT TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO PRODUCE INDUSTRIAL, UH, RESOURCES, UH, AND MONEY, UH, FOR, UH, THE CITY.
AND, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK.
UM, FOR THAT I DON'T, I REALLY DON'T CARE.
I, THE DIRT HELPED US AND SO WE ARE MAKING THE MONEY AND IT'S GOING TO THE CITY.
UM, AND YOU THINK ABOUT INDUSTRIAL WASTE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE DON'T HANDLE.
THAT'S WHAT IT WAS I CLEARLY IDENTIFIED FOR.
BUT THEN YOU'RE GONNA BRING ON THE INDUSTRIAL PORTION OF THAT BY UTILIZING THE DOLLARS FROM THE BLACK THAT WE'RE IN ALREADY.
AND SO THE BLACK THAT WE'RE IN CURRENTLY, NO MATTER HOW WE GOT THERE, WE'RE IN THE BLACK.
AND SO USING THOSE DOLLARS TO THEN FUND THE INDUSTRIAL PART OF THAT.
THAT'S NOT, NO, THAT'S FOR, UM, TO, BECAUSE IT'S NOT COMING ON BOARD.
THE INDUSTRIAL PART WOULD NOT COME ON BOARD UNTIL 12 TO 18 MONTHS LATER.
WHEN I SAW THE VIDEO, THAT'S WHAT IT SAID.
NO, WHAT THERE'S WHAT THE PROPOSAL, IF I MIGHT MEAN SURE, GO AHEAD.
WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS, IS REP PERMITTING THE LANDFILL, THE CURRENT LANDFILL WILL GET ANOTHER DESIGNATION OF PERMITTING THAT WILL ALLOW INDUSTRIAL WASTE TO COME ON IMMEDIATELY RIGHT AFTER THAT PERMIT IS PASSED.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAKING OUR CURRENT LEVEL LANDFILL.
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT TAKING THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT LANDFILL RIGHT.
TO BY RE PERMITTING AND PUTTING I UNDERSTAND.
BUT, BUT, BUT I'M STILL, UH, THE, THE MONEY WE'RE MAKING, I JUST BELIEVE THAT IT OUGHT TO STAY, UM, WITH THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND SHOULDN'T BE CONTRACTED OUT.
MAY CAN I SAY ONE THING? UM, JUST ONE SECOND.
I HAVE A, UM, UM, ONE MORE LIGHT AND I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS, LET HIM GO AHEAD AND COMMENT.
I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I DIDN'T MISCONSTRUE ANYTHING OR ANYBODY SAW SOMETHING DIFFERENT ON THE PRESENTATION.
WE'RE NOT ASKING THE CITY FOR ANY MONEY.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE, THE PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE MOVING FORWARD, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST 12 TO 18 MONTHS, EVERYTHING WE'RE FIGHTING FOR THERE, FROM AN ENGINEERING STANDPOINT, THE TIME IS BEING DRIVEN, HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET THE PERMITTING, WHICH, YOU KNOW, HAROLD'S COMPANY AND HIM WILL BE WORKING FORWARD TO GET.
BUT THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WITH THIS IS PERCEPTION.
THERE'S A REASON WHY ALL THESE MAJOR COMPANIES HAVE NOT USED PORT ARTHUR LANDFILL.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO REITERATE WHERE I WAS, I HAVE 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE, SPECIFICALLY 10 IN THIS MARKET, AND THEY DON'T USE YOU BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY AND CONDITION OF THE LANDFILL.
I MEAN, I EVEN KNOW THAT AS A SMALL INDEPENDENT COMPANY COMING UP HERE, I, I THINK THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT EVERYBODY HAD IS MAINTENANCE IN THEIR TRUCKS AND BEING STUCK IN NAILS AND
[00:55:01]
TIRES AND WEIGHTS AND TIME LOGS.I MEAN THERE, THERE, THERE'S A HUNDRED REASONS WHY THEY WOULD USE SOMEBODY ELSE OVER AND ABOVE THE FACT THAT THE COMPETITORS THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREET RIGHT NOW, WHEN YOU GUYS GO OUT AND DRIVE AROUND, YOU DO NOT HAVE, I THINK, LET ME JUST CORRECT THIS.
YOU HAVE ONE SMALL OPERATING COMPANY IN THIS AREA WHO OPERATES JUST OUTSIDE PORT ARTHUR.
EVERYBODY ELSE IN THIS TOWN IS USING WASTE MANAGEMENT AND REPUBLIC.
WELL, WE APPRECIATE YOUR ANALYSIS AND THANK YOU FOR, I MEAN, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I, I STILL THINK THAT PRIVATIZING IT, UM, IS NOT SOMETHING WE SHOULD DO WITH THE LANDFILL ITSELF, BUT THE PORTION OF, OF WHICH YOU'RE THE INDUSTRIAL PORTION THAT WAS ALPHA RFQ IF YOU WOULD MM-HMM
STICK TO THAT AREA AND TELL US HOW THAT COULD WORK.
I MEAN THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO, TO ESTABLISH AND BUILD THE PREMIER LANDFILL THAT'S STATE THE ART, BUT WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN MANAGE THE, YOU KNOW, MINGLE THE TWO TRASH STREAMS TOGETHER.
YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO REBID THE WHOLE PRO WHOLE THE, WE WOULD'VE TO REDO THE ENTIRE AM I RIGHT.
WE'D HAVE TO REBID IT OUT, UM, TO HAVE THE RIGHT SPECS.
AND RIGHT NOW, FROM WHAT WE UNDERSTAND, IT WAS JUST ONE AREA THAT WE BID.
AND SO WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND REDO THAT RFQ AND UM, AND, AND REBID THE WHOLE THING.
THAT WAS NOT THE INTENT OF THAT RFQ.
SO I THINK THAT THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK.
UM, I'LL TAKE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE.
UM, I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING, BUT THIS IS NOTHING BUT A PRESENTATION.
THEY'RE PRESENTING SOMETHING TO US AND UH, WE TALKING ABOUT THE LANDFILL BEING IN THE BLACK, YES, LANDFILL IS IN THE BLACK, BUT THERE'S ALSO A COST THAT WE EXPERIENCE EVERY TIME WE DO BUDGET.
WE GOTTA BUY BULLDOZERS, WE GOTTA BUY THINGS.
SO THERE'S A COST THAT WE PUTTING OUT THAT UH, WHAT WE ACTUALLY HAVING MAY NOT BE A PLUS THAT WE SEE.
SO A LOT OF CITIES ARE TAKING A LOOK AT CONTRACTING THINGS OUT.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE JUST CLOSE-MINDED TO IT.
I THINK THEY NEED TO BRING US SOMETHING IF THEY COULD SEE WHEREBY WE CAN RETAIN OUR MONIES THAT WE ARE MAKING FROM THE LANDFILL AND NOT HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL THE OTHER STUFF.
UH, I THINK THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
AND THIS IS A PRESENTATION I WOULD BE GLAD TO KNOW BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO BE INTERESTED IN WHEN THEY COME BACK, IS HOW MUCH MONEY WE GOING TO MAKE.
THAT'S ALL I'M INTERESTED IN, IS WE CAN MAKE MONEY THAT WE ARE MAKING AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH, DEAL WITH THE HEADACHE OF BUYING EQUIPMENT, GETTING THE PEOPLE AND ALL THAT STUFF.
I MEAN, IT GOES AWAY AND, AND THAT'S WHAT CITIES ARE DOING.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO GET ALL OUR FACTS BEFORE WE CAN MAKE A DECISION.
WELL WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I THINK HAVING HEARD WHAT THE COUNCIL HAS SAID, I THINK WE NEED TO SET UP A WORKSHOP.
WELL, WE YOU GO AWAY NEXT WEEK THOUGH.
SO THE FIRST WEEK IN NOVEMBER.
AND WHAT WE WILL DO, BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE RECEIVED THE BID FOR THEM FROM THEM, I THINK WE NEED TO GO INTO DETAIL WITH THE RFQ MM-HMM
AND WE LAID ALL OUT TO THE COUNCIL.
SO OUR COUNCIL LOOKS AT IT IN DEPTH AND MAKES A DECISION, YOU KNOW, AS TO WHETHER WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE IN THE LANDFILL BUSINESS OR YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT ARE THE REVENUE STREAMS. RIGHT.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
ALRIGHT, Y'ALL, WE HAVE, I'M GOING TO AT THIS TIME COUNSEL AND WE'RE GONNA NOT GO TO NUMBER THREE.
I'M GONNA CALL UP, UM, 'CAUSE SHE'S TRAVELED HERE AND SHE'S TRYING TO GET BACK AND CATCH HER FLIGHT.
UM, ON PAGE NUMBER FIVE, PR NUMBER 2 4 5 5 7.
AM I CORRECT? UH, CITY MANAGER.
THAT WE WANT TO GET, UM, A RES, UM, A FINANCIAL ADVISOR UP AND WE'LL TAKE CARE OF ALL THE THINGS ATTACHED TO, UM, HER SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ON AND WITH OUR NEXT PRESENTATION AND THEN DISCUSSION.
[VII.(6) P.R. No. 24557 — A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter A New Contract Agreement For Arbitrage Rebate Compliance Services With Hilltop Securities Asset Management, LLC, For A Period Of Two (2) Years With An Annual Projected Budgetary Impact Of $16,000; Funding Is Subject To Annual Budget Approval. Upon Approval, Funding Shall Be Available In The Finance Department Account #001-07-015-5420-00-10-000 ]
NUMBER SIX, ON PAGE NUMBER FIVE, PR NUMBER 2 4 5 5 7 IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED AND THE CITY MANAGER ENTER INTO A CONTRACT AGREEMENT FOR, UM, ARBITRAGE REBATE COMPLIANCE SERVICES WITH HILLTOP SECURITIES ASSETS MANAGEMENT LLC FOR A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS WITH AN ANNUAL PROJECTED BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $16,000.[01:00:01]
AN ANNUAL BUDGET APPROVAL UPON APPROVAL FUNDING SHALL BE AVAILABLE IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.ACCOUNT NUMBER 0 0 1 DASH SEVEN DASH ZERO 15 DASH 5 4 2 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 0 0 0.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? MOVE SECOND.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ETT AND SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW.
ANY DISCUSSIONS AT THIS TIME? YOU HAVE ANY DISCUSSIONS? DID SHE HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? OKAY.
OKAY, WHICH ONE IS THIS? 1, 2, 4.
I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M CORRECT.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS AUTHORIZING THE PUBLICATION OF THE NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ISSUE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, COMBINATION TAX AND REVENUE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION SERIES 2 0 2 5 B AND A PRINCIPAL AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED $32,500,000 FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANY OF PUBLIC WORKS AND ANY ITEMS RELATED THERETO FOR THE PAYMENT OF CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, AUTHORIZING A DISTRIBUTION OF A PRELIMINARY OFFICIAL STATEMENT RELATING TO SUCH CERTIFICATES AND CONTAINING OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING THERE TO, CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED.
AND SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER ETT QUESTION.
ANY QUESTIONS? OH, COUNCIL MEMBER, FRANK, YOU HAD A QUESTION? NO, MA'AM.
CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS WHEN WE, UH, GO FOR THESE CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS, NORMALLY IT'S BETTER TO KINDA MAKE IT GENERAL SO THAT, UH, YOU HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY IN WHAT YOU DO.
BUT WHEN I SAY, WHEN YOU SAY PUBLIC WORKS AND ANY ITEMS RELATED THERETO FOR THE PAYMENT OF CONTRACT, THAT'S TOO LARGE FOR ME.
I MEAN, THAT'S 32 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
AND I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY WANT, I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT WHENEVER WE DO CERTIFICATE OBLIGATIONS, WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW EXACTLY OUR, PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH IT, BUT JUST GET IT AND, AND USE SUCH A BROAD, UH, AREA LIKE THAT.
GENERAL, WHAT I'VE SEEN, WHAT I HAVE SEEN IS WE START DOING THINGS THAT MAY NOT BE A PRIORITY, BECAUSE WHEN WE DO CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION, WE CAN DO THINGS THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO WITH GENERAL FUND MONEY AND STUFF.
ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS BE SPECIFIC, BUT JUST TO LEAVE IT BROAD, THAT'S TOO BROAD FOR ME.
I CAN'T, I CAN'T, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER APPROVE THE MONEY.
AND THEN WHEN IT'S TIME TO START APPROPRIATING THE MONEY, I WANT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, WELL, WHY ARE WE DOING IT FOR THAT? OR WHY ARE WE DOING IT FOR THAT? I WANT TO HAVE AN IDEA THAT IF WE SELL $32.5 MILLION OF CERTIFICATES ONCE I APPROVE IT, WHEN YOU COME BEFORE AND SAYS, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO, THE MONEY IS FOR THIS.
I WON'T SAY, YES, THAT'S WHAT WE GOT THE MONEY FOR.
BUT THAT'S A PROBLEM WE ARE HAVING THAT I'M NOT HERE FOR IS BECAUSE WE GET TO THE POINT WHEREBY WE APPROPRIATING MONEY.
BUT CERTIFICATE OBLIGATIONS ARE SOMETHING THAT WE SELL FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE AND WE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A PURPOSE ON THEM.
AND THAT PURPOSE, WHATEVER WE SAY THE PURPOSE IS, THAT'S WHAT WE GONNA USE THE MONEY FOR.
AND IF I SAY PUBLIC WORKS, WOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WE COULD DO A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS.
IT SAYS PUBLIC WORTH AND ANY RELATED ITEM MAY, WE COULD USE THAT MONEY FOR ALMOST ANYTHING.
COUNCIL MEMBER DUCEK ANN, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND MR. BURDEN AS WELL TO BE BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE, YOUR STAFF A HUNDRED PERCENT ANTICIPATED THE COMMENTS THAT YOU JUST MADE IN ANTICIPATION.
NO, HONESTLY, IN ANTICIPATION OF THIS AGENDA ITEM, WE HAD A CONFERENCE CALL WITH MS. BOSWELL OF YOUR STAFF, DEREK MITCHELL, YOUR BOND COUNSEL.
AND MS. BOSWELL SPECIFICALLY WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE TERM PUBLIC WORKS AND YOUR BOND COUNSEL SAID THAT IS A RECOGNIZED
[01:05:01]
TERM BY THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.IF YOU GO FURTHER INTO THE DOCUMENT, AND YES, SIR, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
IT ONLY SAYS PUBLIC WORKS IN THE CAPTION, BUT IF YOU READ FURTHER IN THE DOCUMENT, IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS, FOR WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS, CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT.
SO THE INTENTION IS THAT THIS WOULD NOT GO FOR ANY GENERAL FUND ITEMS AT ALL.
IT WOULD ONLY GO FOR WATERWORKS AND SEWER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS.
THAT SOME ALMOST 9 MILLION THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE TO REIMBURSE FOR THOSE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE AND POTENTIALLY UP TO ABOUT 20 MILLION NEW PROJECTS FOR CONSIDERATION.
WELL, I TELL YOU, I READ THE BACKGROUND AND I SAW WATER UTILITIES AND SEE, THAT'S MY THING.
WITH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, WHEN WE SELLING CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, WE SHOULD BE SELLING THEM IN REFERENCE TO THE PRIORITIES.
AND AND THAT'S WHAT I LOOK FOR.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, YES, THAT'S WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN BECAUSE I'VE BEEN SAYING IT, WE SHOULD HAVE LONG TIME BEEN USING CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION WATER CHILDREN.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL GOT OPINIONS AND THAT'S INDIVIDUALS AND I RESPECT EVERYBODY'S, AND MINE AIN'T.
I WANT A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THIS MONEY, BUT MOST OF ALL, I WANT THE CITIZENS TO KNOW WE GET BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
THEY DON'T, SO WHEN WE SPEND MONEY AND THEY SEE WHAT WE SHOULD BE SPENDING IT ON, AND THEY SAY THEY STEALING MONEY OR THEY AIN'T USING MONEY.
SO THAT'S WHY I LIKE TO BRING THESE THINGS OUT.
I LIKE TO MAKE VERY CLEAR THAT WHEN WE USE THE PUBLIC WORKS, LET THEM KNOW, YES, SIR, WHAT THIS MONEY'S GONNA BE USED FOR.
'CAUSE THEN THEY'LL KNOW, THEY WON'T SAY WHERE THE MONEY GOING.
I DON'T HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTION, MARY.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, RIGHT, THE, UNFORTUNATELY THAT WAS THE LANGUAGE BOND COUNCIL SUGGESTED FOR THE CAPTION, BUT THE DO THE DOCUMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY, THESE MONIES CAN ONLY BE USED FOR WATERWORKS SEWER SYSTEM PROJECTS, IMPROVEMENTS, CONSTRUCTION, AND EQUIPMENT.
AND I HAVE, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
THE REASON, IS THERE A REASON WHY THE CAPTION HAD TO SAY, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC WORKS BY LAW OR BY BY SPECIFICALLY IT'S BY LAW.
IT'S, IT'S, APPARENTLY PUBLIC WORKS IS A DEFINED TERM THAT THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE USES.
SO HE WAS CONCERNED THAT IF WE DEVIATED FROM THAT, THAT IT, THAT THERE MIGHT BE ISSUES WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
BUT AGAIN, YOUR STAFF COMPLETELY ANTICIPATED THIS QUESTION YES.
AND HE MADE SURE THAT THE LANGUAGE FURTHER ON IN THE DOCUMENT WAS VERY CLEAR IN LIMITING WHAT THESE FUNDS COULD BE USED FOR.
UM, I JUST WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT FOR EVERY SINGLE ITEM THAT'S ON OUR AGENDA, THAT WE MAKE A DECISION ON.
THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW AND, UM, ASK QUESTIONS.
AND SEVERAL PEOPLE DO ACTUALLY LOOK IT UP AND THEY CALL AND THEY ASK QUESTIONS, OR IF THEY CAN'T FIND IT, THEN THEY WILL ASK THE QUESTIONS.
SO JUST KNOW THAT THE INFORMATION IS NOT HIDDEN.
IT IS OPEN AND AVAILABLE, UM, ON OUR, THROUGH OUR CITY'S WEBSITE.
NO, I THINK THIS IS A ROLL CALL VOTE.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON EVER FIELD? YES.
WE ARE GONNA MOVE TO NUMBER 13.
AND YOU GUYS STAY RIGHT THERE.
LET ME GET THROUGH THESE LAST TWO PR ON PAGE NUMBER NINE, NUMBER 13 AT THE VERY TOP.
PAGE NINE, NUMBER 13 AT THE TOP, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS AUTHORIZING THE PUBLICATION OF THE NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ISSUE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS COMBINATION TAX AND REVENUE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION SERIES 2026 IN A PRINCIPAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $5 MILLION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC WORKS AND ANY ITEMS RELATED THERETO.
AND FOR THE PAYMENT OF CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, AUTHORIZING A DISTRIBUTION OF A PRELIMINARY OFFICIAL STATEMENT RELATING TO SUCH A CERTIFICATES AND CONTAINING OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING THERETO.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL?
[01:10:01]
SO MOVED.ANY, UH, DISCUSSIONS? ROLL CALL, VOTE.
IS THIS GONNA BE A ROLL CALL? VOTE.
AND, AND MAYOR, MAY I PLEASE ADD? OH, YES, MA'AM.
THIS IS FOR AN OBLIGATION WITH THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND THIS $5 MILLION, IT HAS TO BE THE, THAT AMOUNT, AND I, I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS.
ONLY ABOUT 2.4 MILLION OF THAT IS ACTUALLY A LOAN.
THE BALANCE OF THAT IS PRINCIPLE FORGIVENESS, BUT WE HAVE TO DO THE CLOSING MEMO FOR THE WHOLE AMOUNT.
AND IMMEDIATELY UPON CLOSING THAT 2.3 MILLION WILL BE FORGIVEN.
AND WHEN I'M BACK, UH, TO BRING THE DETAILS ON THIS, I'LL HAVE THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS OF THE GRANT ALLOCATION AND THE LOAN ALLOCATION, AND IT IS A 0% LOAN.
AND MAYOR, I'M PLEASED TO REPORT THAT I GOT COMMUNICATION THIS MORNING FROM THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOILER FOR THE 4 MILLION FOR THE GRANT APPLICATION.
I DID, I SENT IT OUT TO EVERYBODY.
UM, ROLL CALL IS IS THE ROLL CALL VOTES TO SECRETARY.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON EVER FIELD? YES.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE.
AN ORDINANCE BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
ARTHUR AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF A CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS TAX NOTES SERIES 2 0 2 5 B.
IN THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF 10, THIS WILL BE 10 MILLION, $10 MILLION LEVYING A CONTINUING DIRECT ANNUAL, A VALOREM TAX FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE NOTE, PRESCRIBING THE FORM, TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND RESOLVING OTHER MATTERS INCIDENT AND RELATED TO THE ISSUANCE, SALE AND DELIVERY OF THE NOTES AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A PAYING AGENT, REGISTRAR AGREEMENT, AND A PURCHASE CONTRACT AWARDING SUCH SALE TO A PURCHASER, DELEGATING THE AUTHORITY TO CERTAIN CITY OFFICIALS AND STAFF TO ESTABLISH TERMS OF THE SALE OF THE NOTES, AND TO EXECUTE CERTAIN DOCUMENTS RELATING TO, UH, THE SALE THEREOF IN ENACTING OTHER PROVISIONS INCIDENT AND RELATED TO THE SUBJECT AND PURPOSE OF THIS ORDINANCE, AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? NO.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON EVER FIELD? YES.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING MY AGENDA ITEMS EARLY, VERY MUCH.
UM, AT THIS TIME WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO OUR REGULAR, UM, AGENDA NUMBER THREE ON PAGE ONE.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION NOW BY STAFF REGARDING AN OVERVIEW OF LIGHTING IS SOMEBODY'S CELL PHONE.
UM, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE CAN MUTE OUR CELL PHONES, PLEASE.
[III.B.(3) A Presentation By Staff Regarding An Overview Of Lighting Procedures In Port Arthur (Requested By Councilmember Kinlaw)]
AN OVERVIEW, I'M SORRY, I'LL START OVER.PRESENTATION BY STAFF REGARDING OVERVIEW OF LIGHTING PROCEDURES IN PORT ARTHUR.
REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW.
AND JUST WHILE THE, THE DIRECTOR IS, UH, PREPARING ME, UH, I ASKED TO PUT THIS ON BECAUSE OF GETTING PHONE CALLS AND UNDERSTANDING THE PROCEDURES.
UM, I HAD A GROUP OF KIDS AT A, AT A BUS STOP.
UH, AND WITH THE TIME CHANGING, IT WAS ALWAYS DARK WHEN THEY GET THERE AT THAT TIME IN THE MORNING.
AND THEY HAD A LIGHT OUT THERE, BUT IT WAS DARK.
AND I'M SURE THAT THE DIRECTOR KNOWS ABOUT THIS BECAUSE SHE DID CLARIFY IT AND, AND RECTIFY THIS, UH, SITUATION.
BUT OTHER BUS STOPS HAVE THAT SAME SITUATIONS WHERE THAT KIDS HAVING TO GO TO SCHOOL OR TO CATCH A BUS, AND IT'S STILL DARK OUT THERE.
SO I ASKED THE DIRECTOR AND, AND THE CITY MANAGER IF THEY WOULD DO A PRE PRESENTATION WITH THE PROCEDURES, BECAUSE ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS HOW DO, AND WHO'S THE PROVEN AUTHORITY FROM WATT AND STREET LIGHTS? SO, UH, DIRECTOR, IF YOU WILL, UH, I'LL LET YOU AT, UH, DO YOUR PRESENTATION AND GET BACK WITH YOU.
[01:15:03]
SO I'LL GIVE YOU A START OFF WITH A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR COORDINATION, THE CITY'S COORDINATION WITH ENTERGY.UH, THE CITY HAS A FRANCHISE AGREEMENT, UH, WITH ENTERGY THAT BEGAN ON AUGUST 1ST, 2014, AND IT HAS A TERM OF 25 YEARS.
SO ON THE SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE, UH, UM, BRIEF BULLET POINTS ON WHAT THAT THAT FRANCHISE AGREEMENT ENTAILS.
SO THERE, THERE'S TREE TRIMMING AND REMOVAL.
UM, THERE'S PROVIDING POLE SPACE FOR THE CITY TO, UM, HANG ITS TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
UH, THEY OF COURSE, PAY A FRANCHISE FEE AND THEY WILL PERMANENTLY RELOCATE THEIR FACILITIES WITHIN THE CITY'S RIGHTS OF WAY.
UM, IF WE ARE ABANDONING A STREET OR WE'RE, IF WE ARE WIDENING A STREET, UM, OR IF WE ARE CLOSING, UH, ANY ROADWAYS, UH, THERE ARE SOME TIMES WHERE THERE ARE UNUSED AND DAMAGED POLES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
ENTERGY WILL REMOVE AND OR REPLACE THOSE POLES DEPENDING ON THE USAGE.
UH, IF ANYONE SEES THERE ARE ANY POLES THAT, THAT ARE DAMAGED THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED OR REMOVED, UH, THEY CAN CALL THE 1-800-ENTERGY, UH, NUMBER, THAT'S 1 803 6 8 3 7 4 9 TO REPORT ANY OF THESE DAMAGED OR UNUSED POLES.
UH, WHENEVER THEY CALL THIS NUMBER, THEY WILL HAVE TO PROVIDE THE ADDRESS FOR THE, UM, ARE THE NEAREST ADDRESS TO THAT POLE, BECAUSE SOME POLES DO NOT HAVE ADDRESSES.
ONCE THEY'RE ALSO ASKING THAT, UH, THE PERSON WHO WHO CONTACTS ENTERGY WILL PLACE AN ORANGE OR A YELLOW TAPE AROUND THE POLE TO SIGNIFY THAT THIS IS THE POLE THAT, THAT THEY'RE REPORTING.
FROM THERE, ENTER ENTITY'S DEPARTMENT WILL COME OUT AND MAKE A DETERMINATION ON WHETHER OR NOT THE REMOVAL OR THE REPLACEMENT OF THAT POLE IS WARRANTED.
AND I HAVE AN ASTERISK THERE, UM, THAT SAYS THAT AT AND T AND OR SPECTRUM ALSO, UH, HAS SOME FACILITIES ON THOSE POLES.
SO EVEN THOUGH ENTERGY MAY HAVE REMOVED THEIR FACILITIES FROM THE POLES SPECTRUM, OR AT AND T MAY STILL BE USING, USING THOSE POLES.
AND SO ENTERGE WILL CONTACT, UH, THOSE OTHER UTILITY COMPANIES, UH, TO VERIFY THAT, THAT THOSE POLES ARE NOT NEEDED FROM THEM.
IF ANYONE HAS, UH, ANY OUTAGES, IF ANYONE SEES THERE ARE ANY, UH, STREETLIGHTS THAT ARE OUT, UH, ENTERGY REQUESTS THAT YOU REPORT THAT INFORMATION BY USING THE APP, OR YOU CAN ALSO REPORT, UH, THAT INFORMATION BY USING, UH, THE ENTERGY WEBSITE.
IT'S ENTERGY.COM OR YOU CAN ALSO CALL, CALL THE NUMBER.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY HAVE PREFERENCES.
SO THE PREFERENCE WOULD BE THE APP, THEN THE WEBSITE, AND THEN BY, BY CALLING AS WELL, UH, IF YOU TRY TO CALL PUBLIC WORKS, WE WILL STILL REFER YOU TO, UH, CONTACT ENTRY TEAM BECAUSE IT IS THEIR FACILITY WITHIN, UH, THE CITY.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, SIX DIFFERENT TYPES OF LIGHTS.
UM, SIX DIFFERENT WATT, UH, WATTAGES.
SO THEY ARE 100 WATT, UH, HBS, WHICH IS HIGH PRESSURE SODIUM.
WE HAVE 100 WATT MV MERCURY VAPOR LIGHTS, 175 WATTS MER WATT MERCURY VAPOR LIGHTS, 250 WATTS, HPS LIGHTS, AND 400 WATT HPS AND 400 WATT LAMPS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, THE LETTERS THAT YOU SEE BEHIND HPS OR UH, MV THAT SIGNIFIES THE TYPE OF, OF, UH, BULB THAT IS USED EVERY QUARTER.
THE TRAFFIC DIVISION WILL SURVEY, UH, ALL OF THE STREETLIGHTS WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, THE LAST TIME THAT THE TRAFFIC DIVISION SURVEYED WAS ON SEPTEMBER 4TH OF THIS YEAR, AND THEY NOTICED THAT 524 LIGHTS WERE OUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, THIS, THE, THE, UH, TRAFFIC DIVISION ALSO USES THE ENERGY APP TO, TO TRACK THIS INFORMATION AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THEIR, THEIR SAME GUIDELINES.
THE CITY APPLIED FOR THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION BLOCK GRANT THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.
[01:20:01]
AND, UH, WE RECEIVE THIS GRANT, WHICH IS VALUED AT $118,760.UH, WE RECEIVED, UH, AND ACCEPTED THAT GRANT THROUGH RESOLUTION NUMBER 24 1 90.
THIS GRANT ASSISTS STATES LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND TRIBES, UH, IN THEIR EFFORTS TO REDUCE ENERGY USE, REDUCE EMISSIONS OR FOSSIL FUEL EMISSIONS, AND IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
THIS GRANT IS 100% FUNDED, UH, WITH NO MATCH FROM THE CITY.
ENTERGY BEGAN ITS DESIGN IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR, AND CONSTRUCTION BEGAN THIS MONTH.
UH, THE DEADLINE FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF ALL OF THE STREETLIGHTS FOR THIS GRANT IS DECEMBER 31ST, 2026.
SO, SO FAR, UM, ENTERGY HAS MADE PROGRESS IN THE REPLACEMENT OF, OF THEIR LIGHTS.
SO THEY HAVE REPLACED 632 OF THE 4,377, UH, STREET LIGHTS THAT HAVE TO BE REPLACED, WHICH IS ABOUT 14% OF THE TOTAL LIGHTS.
UH, BEGINNING THIS WEEK, THEY WILL BE ON PLEASURE ISLAND REPLACING LIGHTS, AND THEY HAVE PROVIDED THE CITY WITH COPIES OF THEIR WORK ORDERS.
UH, AND THOSE EXTEND THROUGH, UH, NEXT MONTH IN NOVEMBER.
SO IF THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE, WE CAN, UH, PUT COPIES OF THOSE MAPS SHOWING WHERE ENTER ENTERGY IS GOING TO BE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, IF YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
YEAH, THAT INFORMATION, PLEASE.
I'LL COORDINATE THAT WITH THE IT DEPARTMENT MOVING FORWARD.
UH, WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE AS MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF LIGHTS BECAUSE WE'RE MOVING TO LEDS.
SO OUR 100 WATTAGE LIGHTS, WE'LL REMAIN 100 WATTS, BUT THEY'LL BE LEDS.
OUR 175, UH, WATTAGE LIGHTS WILL BE 150 WATTS.
THE 250 WATTS WILL REMAIN TWO 50 AND 400 WILL REMAIN 400.
AS I SAID, THE REPLACEMENTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2020, 26.
UH, SO FAR WE HAVE, UH, 734 A HUNDRED WATT COBRA HEADS THAT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED.
150, UH, TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY FOUR, A HUNDRED FIFTY WATTS, 403 250 WATTS, AND 18,400 WATTAGE, UH, COBRA HEADS INSTALLED.
AND JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION, I I ALSO LISTED, UM, THE COST PER LIGHT PER MONTH THAT THE CITY HAS TO PAY, UM, FOR THESE, OUR, OUR, UH, MONTHLY COST FOR UPKEEP.
COUNCILLOR MCKINLEY, YOU? YEAH.
VERY, VERY DETAILED PRESENTATION.
UH, YOU ANSWERED A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS THAT I HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, BUT, UH, LET'S GO BACK.
I, I SAW SOMETHING ON YOUR SLIDE.
IT SAID REPLACE IT COST $25 OR SOMETHING.
DID, DID I SEE THAT ONE AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SLIDES? YES, SIR.
I'M TRYING TO FIND IT RIGHT NOW SO I CAN SWITCH TO IT.
SO ANYTIME THAT A, A CITIZEN CALL IN OR WANT TO CHANGE THE WATTAGE OR HAVE A LIGHT REPLACE, IT COSTS A $25 COST, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
AM I UNDERSTANDING CORRECT? YES.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT PUTS US AT A, KIND OF, AT A DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, AND I KNOW YOU'VE TAKEN AN AGGRESSIVE APPROACH OF, UH, GETTING THESE LIGHT POLES DOWN, REPLACING LIGHTS WITH THE GRANT, WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DO THESE CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LIGHTS BY 20, UH, 2026.
SO MY, MY THING IS THIS, UH, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN BAD IN CITIES, BECAUSE THERE'S THE DARK AREAS MM-HMM
AND WE HAVE TO TAKE AN A, A REAL AGGRESSIVE APPROACH IN MAINTAINING OUR LIGHTS, GETTING THESE, THESE LIGHT POLES DOWN, CUTTING THESE TREES THAT'S HANGING IN FRONT OF THESE LIGHTS, TAKING CARE OF OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE AT BUS STOPS, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S SAFE AND LIT UP IN OUR CITY.
AND I KNOW THAT'S YOUR GOAL BECAUSE YOUR PRESENTATION DIRECTS ME TO THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN CITIZENS CALL IN AND IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, SO MANY DAYS, SO MANY TIME
[01:25:01]
TO GET THIS REPLACED.HOW CAN WE IMPROVE ON THAT? BECAUSE I KNOW THE CITY HAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LIGHTS AND ENERGY HAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LIGHTS.
THEY CALL COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEY CALL YOUR DEPARTMENT.
THEY WANT THE LIGHT CHANGE, YOU KNOW, AND WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE OF THE LIGHTS, BECAUSE CITIZENS ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW.
UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I HOPE THAT WE CAN WORK ON REPORTING.
THEY PREFER AN APP, BUT A LOT OF THE ELDERLY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES DON'T USE APPS, WHICH I DID.
I, I, THEY CALL, TALK TO MEMBERS UP HERE MM-HMM
AND SAY, I, YOU KNOW, I NEED LIGHTING.
I NEED TO GET, GET IT RIGHT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I, I JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS ON FOR MY COHORTS HERE TODAY AND, AND SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT CAN WORK, BUT WE NEED TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE.
I KNOW YOU MAKE, YOU'RE TAKING A STRONG STANCE, BUT WE NEED TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE AND BRIGHTENED UP THIS CITY, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, THE PHONE CALLS THAT I GET, I MEAN, I PASS 'EM ON TO YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT.
UH, THE WADDY THING, THE $25 CHARGE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CONCERN FOR ME.
YOU KNOW, ENERGY MAKES MONEY, YOU KNOW, UH, WE WANT TO CHANGE THE BRIGHTNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WHO'S A, A GOVERNOR AUTHORITY WHEN WE GET CALLS AND THEY HAVE ALREADY HAVE A LIGHT THERE, IT'S NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH, DOES IT, YOU MAKE THAT CALL TO WANTING, YOU KNOW, WHEN A COUNCIL MEMBER OR ASSISTANT SAY, I WANNA CHANGE THE LIGHT, OR IS IT SOMEONE ELSE MAKING THAT CALL TO GET THE UPGRADE OF MM-HMM
WHO, WHO MAKES THE CALL? WELL, THE CITY MANAGER HAS DESIGNATED SOMEONE WITHIN THE CITY TO, UH, SIGN OFF BECAUSE ENTRY D REQUIRES A SIGNATURE FOR ANY CHANGES TO, UH, WATTAGE.
UM, AND THAT'S THEIR PROCEDURE.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY THAT.
SO WE DO HAVE A DESIGNEE WITHIN THE CITY.
THE $25 THAT YOU SPOKE OF, THAT IS A PART OF THE, THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT THAT THE CITY HAS, UM, THAT 25 YEAR AGREEMENT.
SO ANY CHANGES, IT WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK BEFORE THE, THE COUNCIL.
UM, AND THAT, THAT AGREEMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE CHANGED BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND THE GY.
UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW FOR ASKING FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR FOR YES.
IT'S VERY INFORMATIVE, BUT I HAVE A, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS.
SO, UH, BACK WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL IN THE SUMMER OF 2023, I MET WITH A REPRESENTATIVE FROM ENERGY ABOUT THIS, THIS PROJECT WHERE THEY WERE GONNA GO IN AND REPLACE ALL OF THE OLD STREET LIGHTS, THE HALOGEN BULBS WITH THE, THE LEDS.
AND HE TOLD ME BACK THEN THAT THEY WERE GONNA BRING IN A CREW AND THEY WERE GONNA REPLACE ALL ALMOST 6,000 LIGHTS ACROSS THE CITY AT ONE TIME.
AND OBVIOUSLY THAT HASN'T HAPPENED.
AND I'M NOT GONNA SAY HIS NAME BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA CALL HIM OUT, BUT WHAT CHANGED BETWEEN 2023 AND NOW WHERE WE STILL HAVE 2057 LIGHTS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN CHANGED OUT? DO YOU KNOW? WELL, SAM, I, I'M SORRY.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH MS. MARY ESSEX, UM, WHO HAS BEEN ADMINISTERING THE GRANT ON THE ENERGY GRANT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ON OUR BEHALF.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY.
WE'VE, MR. ARMSTRONG, APPARENTLY THE ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT AT HAS SOME VERY STRINGENT RULES AS TO THE BILLING MECHANISMS AND HOW THEY PROCESS, HOW THEY WISH TO PROCESS PAYMENTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND SO WHERE WE ARE LOCKED IN RIGHT NOW IS BETWEEN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UM, OF ENTITY AND PROVIDING US WITH AN EXPLANATION AS TO HOW AND WHEN AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO ACCEPT IN TERMS OF BILLING.
BUT WE HAVE ACTUALLY STARTED THE PROCESS SO THAT, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I THINK WE, SOMETIME AGO WE CAME AND WE ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION ON THAT GRANT.
UM, AND COUNCIL DID GRANT US AN EXTENSION ON, ON THAT GRANT.
BUT THAT'S WHERE THE BOTTLENECK IS RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE HAVE LOOKED AT, WE ARE, WE ARE STILL ON TRACK TO DO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, BUT THERE IS A BOTTLENECK, UM, THAT DESHAUN IS TRYING TO HELP US TO RESOLVE WITH THE, WITH ENTITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT, BUT IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
SO YOU, SO, BUT YOU CALLED HIM OUT AND I DIDN'T HAVE TO
HE'S, HE IS, DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB.
HE HAS, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, SO I'M SKINNING THE CAT ANOTHER WEEK.
SO WHAT WE DO, I ASK, UM, LANIE MCINTYRE EVERY TWO OR THREE WEEKS TO GO OUT AND SEE HOW MANY LIGHTS ARE OUT.
SO IF WE FIND 50 OR 60 LIGHTS OUT, I DEDUCTED AND I ASKED ENTITY TO GO OUT AND REPLACE THEM WITH, UM, ENERGY
[01:30:01]
EFFICIENT LIGHTS.SO HOPEFULLY BY THE TIME THEY'RE READY, I'LL BE PROOF THE WHOLE OF THE CITY.
SO IT'S BUREAU AND I KEEP MY MONEY TOO BUREAUCRATIC RED TAPE.
WELL, THAT ANSWERS THAT QUESTION.
UM, SO LIKE, COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW SAID, I GET CALLS ALL THE TIME ABOUT LIGHTS THAT ARE OUT, AND A LOT OF THE CALLS I GET ARE FROM ELDERLY PEOPLE.
THEY DON'T USE THE COMPUTER, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO GO ON AND DO IT.
SO I GO ON AND I DO IT FOR 'EM, AND IT'S, IT'S SO EASY.
YOU PULL UP, YOU KNOW, THE INTERSECTION OR YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU KIND OF THINK THE ADDRESS IS, AND YOU CLICK ON THAT LIGHT AND IT PULLS IT UP AND YOU SUBMIT THE REPORT.
BUT UNLESS I OVERLOOKED IT, IT DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT MARKING THE POLE WITH ORANGE OR PINK OR WHATEVER TAPE.
I MEAN, I'M, I'M GLAD TO GO AND DO THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK THE WEBSITE SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
AND I, I COULD BE WRONG, BUT, AND, AND THEN I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A FOLLOW UP BECAUSE I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I PUT IN MY INFORMATION IN MY EMAIL THAT I'M THE ONE THAT'S SUBMITTING THIS REPORT, BUT I DON'T EVER GET ANYTHING BACK FROM ENERGY SAYING, WE FIXED THIS LIGHT, WE'RE CLOSING OUT THIS TICKET, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEIR PROCESS IS? IF A CITIZEN, OR IF ONE OF US REPORTS IT ON THE WEBSITE AND DOES THE INTERACTIVE MAP, IF THERE'S SOME KIND OF FOLLOW UP THAT THEY LET US KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN DONE, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I CAN REQUEST, UH, MAKE A REQUEST WITH ENTERGY TO HAVE A, TO DO A FOLLOW UP WITH CITIZENS.
UM, IT, IT MAY BE ON THEIR CORPORATE SIDE, UH, THAT FOLLOW UP.
THAT ISSUE MAY BE ON THEIR CORPORATE SIDE.
BECAUSE WHAT I TYPICALLY TELL THE, THE FOLKS THAT CONTACT ME, YOU KNOW, LET ME KNOW, YOU KNOW, IN A WEEK IF THE LIGHT'S STILL OUT, AND THEN I'LL FOLLOW UP AGAIN.
SO MY FOLLOW UP IS COMING FROM THE CITIZEN THAT ORIGINALLY REPORTED IT TO ME AND NOT FROM ENTERGY SAYING, WE'VE, WE'VE CLOSED THIS TICKET.
WE'VE, WE'VE FIXED THE PROBLEM.
SO, BUT I WANT THE, I, I WANT THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THE THING ABOUT MARKING THE POLE WITH, WITH TAPE.
AND I MEAN, THAT'S TAPE THAT YOU CAN GET AT.
THEY SELL IT IN THE FISHING DEPARTMENT.
YOU CAN GET AT LOWE'S, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT IT IN THE ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS IS JUST TO ENSURE THAT ENTERGY KNOWS EXACTLY WHICH POLL, RIGHT.
THE, THE CITIZEN IS REFERENCING, JUST IN CASE THERE ARE MULTIPLE POLLS WITHIN THE, IN THAT SAME, THAT SAME AREA.
COUNCIL MEMBER ETT, I MEAN, MAYOR PRO TEM ETT.
I HAVE JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND THEY ALL IN REFERENCE TO YOUR PRESENTATION, THE FIRST ONE BEING MARKING THESE POLLS, WE AIN'T GONNA MARK NO POLLS.
THEY PAY, WE PAY THEM, THEY MAKE GOOD MONEY.
IF A PERSON GIVE AN ADDRESS AND A LOCATION THAT THOSE POLES ARE 200 METERS APART.
SO IF I GIVE AN ADDRESS, HOUSES ARE LESS THAN THAT, BUT WE, WE, WE ARE NOT GONNA DO THAT.
CITIZENS NOT GONNA GO OUT THERE AND TIE NOTHING UP ON THE POLE.
OTHER CITIES, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT HERE.
SO YOU NEED TO GET WITH THEM AND FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ELSE.
BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUT WORK ON CITIZENS THAT WE PAY THEM TO DO.
WHEN THIS FIRST CAME ABOUT, WE WERE GIVEN PRICES, OKAY.
UH, WHAT IT WOULD COST TO CHANGE OUT ALL OUR LIGHTS IN THE CITY.
AND HE SAID, OKAY, YOU CHANGE OUT ALL YOUR LIGHTS, IT COST YOU THIS MUCH MONEY, BUT IT'LL COST YOU LESS MONEY PER LIGHT IF YOU CHANGE THEM OUT WHEN THE LIGHT GO OUT INSTEAD OF CHANGE, CHANGE IT THEN, AND WE PAY LESS.
SO, SO IF WE DOING THAT, THEN THAT MEAN ALL OF THESE LIGHTS THAT ARE OUT EVERY TIME THEY GO OUT, ARE THEY PUTTING THE LED IN THEM? THEY SHOULD BE, YES, SIR.
WE NEED TO CHECK, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
EVERY TIME THEY GO AND REPLACE THE LIGHT GO OUT, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO COME WITH THE LED FOR THAT PARTICULAR POLE.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK AND PAY 'EM TO CHANGE THAT.
AND THE, AND THE LAST ONE IS, UH, THE TELEPHONE POLES.
WE HAVE OTHER UTILITIES COMPANIES THAT USE THEIR POLES.
YOU, YOU NAMED THEM VERY WELL SPECTRUM THEN.
UH, THEN WE GOT AT T AT T MM-HMM
BUT I'VE CALLED IN A, A LINE IN EL ALBERTA PROBABLY ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO WHERE THE, THE, THE LINE, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT IS AT AND T OR, OR ONE, IT SURE NOT ENERGY
[01:35:01]
BECAUSE YOU DON'T LEAVE ELECTRIC, BUT THE, THE LINE GOT BUSTED FROM A POLE AND IT'S DIPPING THAT THE PERSON TRYING TO GET ON THEIR PROPERTY DON'T HAVE IT.LIKE ABOUT EIGHT FEET CLEAR EIGHT FOOT OF CLEARANCE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH US GETTING ENERGY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS A ROUTINE WORK ORDER AND WHAT IS A ORDER THAT YOU NEED TO GET OUT THERE AND FIX IT.
WE SHOULD NOT HAVE, PEOPLE CAN'T GET TO AND FROM THEIR PROPERTY OR BRING ANYTHING WITH HEIGHT BECAUSE WE HAVE A POLE THERE.
AND THIS PARTICULAR AREA THAT I'M SPEAKING ABOUT, IF ENERGY WAS TO GO OUT THERE, ENERGY WOULD NAIL, THERE ARE THREE POLES THAT HAS NOTHING ON THEM.
ONCE THE WIRE BROKE, WHETHER IT WAS A SPECTRUM OR WHOEVER, YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON THEM.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT USING THEM, TAKE 'EM OUT BECAUSE ONE OF THOSE POLES IS THE POLES THAT, UH, THAT LINE IS COMING ACROSS.
SO OUR SERVICE WITH ENERGY, WE JUST NEED TO STAY ON IT.
THE CITY MANAGER WROTE A LETTER THE OTHER DAY TALKING ABOUT COMING IN OUR CITY, MOVE, REMOVING POLES.
SO ALL OF A SUDDEN I STARTED SEEING HIM AROUND THE CITY.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE MUST DO.
ENERGY IS NOT PROVIDING US A SERVICE.
I TALKED WITH DESHAUN ALL THE TIME.
LOVE HIM TO DEATH, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO LET OUR CITY GO WITHOUT YOU PROVIDING ME THE TOP SERVICE.
EITHER YOU DO IT, AND IF YOU'RE NOT DOING IT, I'LL GO ABOVE HERE AND GO TO YOUR BOSS.
SEE, SOMETIMES WE GET TO WORK IN RELATIONSHIPS AT A LEVEL WHERE WE START ACCEPTING EXCUSES.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE GET OUR SERVICE FOR OUR BUCKS.
CAN I GET WITH YOU LATER ABOUT THE ADDRESS FOR THIS, THIS PROPERTY YOU REFERENCED? REFERENCED? YEAH.
AND SAY THIS TELEPHONE LINE OUT THERE IN ALBERTA AND SHE'LL NOW.
BECAUSE IT'S BEEN, I DONE CHECKED WITH HER ONE TIME BEFORE THAT.
THAT'S THE KIND, I DON'T LIKE THE RESPONSE WITH ENERGY.
AND YOU KNOW, DESHAUN NEED TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GIVE YOU THING THAT'S ROUTINE.
AND THAT'S THING YOU NEED TO GO.
NOW, IF SOMEBODY CAN'T ENTER THEIR PROPERTY, YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT AS A PRIORITY.
NOT GO AND GET A POLE THAT'S LEANING, THAT AIN'T GONNA FALL.
AND THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE TAKEN TWO MONTHS.
UM, THE, REGARDING RECOGNIZING THE PULSE WITH THE ORANGE AND THE YELLOW TAPE, I GET THE WHY MM-HMM
UM, IF CITIZENS ARE WILLING TO DO IT, YES, PLEASE.
IF NOT COMPLETELY, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND.
UM, I WOULD ASK THAT IF ENTER ENTERGY DOES WANT OUR HELP WITH THAT, THEN THEY CAN PROVIDE THE TAPE AND TELL THE CITIZENS WHERE THEY'RE GO AND GET IT FROM THE STREETLIGHT SURVEY.
UM, WHAT IS THE EX, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M CLEAR ON THE SURVEY IS FOR ANY LIGHT THAT IS EITHER DAMAGED OR NOT FUNCTIONING, THAT INCLUDES THE ONES THAT ARE OWNED BY ENERGY AND THE ONES THAT ARE OWNED BY THE, THE CITY.
BUT IT, SO IT, IT WOULDN'T REALLY MATTER, REGARDLESS, THAT'S IN THE NUMBER OF OUR SURVEY.
SO WHAT'S THE EXPECTED TIMELINE THAT ENTERGY WILL REPAIR OR REPLACE THE ONES THAT WE ARE REPORTING TO THEM THAT ARE THEIRS? WELL, THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING IT NOW THROUGH THIS, THIS, UH, PROJECT THAT I REFERENCED.
THIS GRANT PROJECT, CORRECT? THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, THAT'S THE PART THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DONE IN DECEMBER.
WAIT, THIS ONE, UM, WHAT DID HE HAVE A A, A ANSWER TO IT? YEAH, I WAS CITY MANAGER.
TWO THINGS WHICH WE HAVE EXTENDED BY RESOLUTION.
REMEMBER MARY EXIT, I DON'T HAVE THE RESOLUTION BEFORE ME, BUT MARY EXIT CAME BEFORE US AND WE EXTENDED THE DATE OF IT, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, AS I INDICATED PART OF THE PROCESS IN RESPONSE TO COUNCILMAN, UM, DOT'S QUESTION, UM, PART OF OUR AGREEMENT WITH ENTITY AS WE GO
[01:40:01]
ALONG, EVEN IF THE PROJECT IS ON HOLD, SO TO SPEAK, RIGHT NOW THROUGH ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, WE ARE CONTINUING TO CHANGE THOSE LIGHTS TO LED.THEY'RE CHANGING THEM TO LED LIGHTS.
THAT WAS PART OF THE, I INSISTED THAT THAT WAS PART OF THE UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU DO NOT REPLACE HALOGEN WITH HALOGEN AND NO, IT HAD TO BE LED.
SO THAT IS BEING DONE RIGHT NOW.
AND I ADDRESSED THAT WHEN COUNCILWOMAN BECKHAM ASKED.
AND THE OTHER PART OF IT IS, UM, WE HAVE EXTENDED THE PERIOD NOW THE THIRD PART OF IT AS, UM, COUNCILWOMAN, UM, BECKHAM ASKED, WE CAN ASSIST THE ELDERLY RESIDENTS WHO HAVE POINTED OUT THAT THERE IS A LIGHT THAT'S OUT BY ASKING OUR ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT TO MARK THE POOL.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.
IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO ASSIST THE ELDERLY, AS YOU KNOW.
AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS BEING DONE.
WE WILL, WE WILL GO OUT THERE AND DO IT FOR THEM.
AND THE VERY LAST QUESTION IS, IS THERE A THANK YOU CITY MANAGER.
UM, THE LAST QUESTION IS, IS THERE A PHONE NUMBER WHERE CITIZENS CAN REQUEST NEW LIGHTING? I KNOW THERE ARE SEVERAL PLACES THAT, UM, WE'RE RECOGNIZING THAT THE LIGHTING IS LOW OR IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, TURNED OFF.
BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN PLACES THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT ACTUALLY NEED LIGHTING WHERE THERE IS NO LIGHTING.
I, THEY CAN STILL CONTACT ENTERGY, UM, AT THE ONE 800 NUMBER THAT I PROVIDED.
UM, 1-800-ENTERGY, I FORGOT WHAT THE, THE LETTERS.
THE NUMBER, THE NUMBERS THAT CORRESPOND TO THE LETTERS.
BUT, UM, THEY CAN, THEY CAN USE THAT OR YOU CAN STILL GO ON THE WEBSITE OR ON THEIR APP BECAUSE THERE ARE THOSE OPTIONS TO, UH, ON THE WEBSITE, ON AND ON THE APP TO REQUEST A NEW, A NEW STREETLIGHT AS WELL.
BUT THAT IS A MUCH LONGER PROCESS BECAUSE AS COUNCILMAN ETT KNOWS, WE REQUESTED SOME
AND IT TOOK, WHAT, EIGHT MONTHS A YEAR? YES, IT TOOK A WHILE.
SO THOSE ARE CONSIDERED NEW PROJECTS.
SO I WANTED, AND IT HAS TO BE DESIGNED MEMBERS OF, OF THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THOSE ARE NEW PROJECTS.
IT HAS TO BE DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED AND IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW, EVERY POLL, EVERY POLL HAS A NUMBER ON IT.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO, WHEN CITIZEN CALL ME AND TELL ME THAT THE LIGHTS OUT, I SAID, GO LOOK ON THE POLE AND GET ME THE NUMBER.
SO, AND I SAID, NOW ENERGY'S GOING TO COME BY IN THE DAYTIME.
I ALSO WANT YOU TO TIE A, AN ORANGE, A TIE, A RIBBON OR SOMETHING.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS.
AND WHEN THEY COME OUT DURING THE DAY, THEY SEE THE RIBBON.
THEY GO, THEY TAKE CARE OF IT.
NOW, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST DISAPPOINTING THINGS THAT I EVER RUN ACROSS, WHEN I LOST THE POSITION, I HAD 46% OF THE VOTES.
I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO CAMPAIGN.
SO I, I HAD A BROTHER THAT WAS ILL.
SO I HAD TO TAKE HIM BACK AND FORTH TO, TO, UH, THE HOSPITAL.
MY BASE DID NOT GO BACK TO THE POLLS.
GUESS WHAT? WE LOST THE, ON PREVIOUS MANAGER, A BUNCH OF, UH, ENERGY PEOPLE, EXTRA HELP CAME TO TOWN AND ALL THEY DID WAS GO AROUND AND CHANGE BUGS.
I HAD INITIATED IN PLACE AND IT FELL OFF THE TABLE SOMEWHERE 20 WITH THE PUBLIC RELATIONS PEOPLE TO REPLACE ALL OF THE LIGHTS.
YOU GOT KNOW, SINCE I LOST THE POSITION, I GOT THE IDEA FROM FLOYD BATISTE.
FLOYD BATISTE HAD THE, THE BUSINESS PARK LIFE CHANGED $25.
SO I CALLED A PUBLIC RELATIONS PERSON AND WORKED OUT THE SAME DEAL.
BUT I'M GLAD CITY MANAGER, YOU, YOU GOT A, A GRANT.
SO THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE YEARS AGO, BUT WE STILL FOOLING AROUND TRYING TO GET THE LIGHTING SITUATION BEING KILLED.
BUT, AND, AND, UH, ANOTHER THING WE NEED CITY MANAGER.
WHEN THE LAST TIME YOU HAD AN AUDIT FROM THE, FROM ENERGY YEP.
WHEN THE LAST TIME YOU HAD AN AUDIT ON WHAT YOU ARE PAYING, THEY WILL AUDIT YOUR BILLS.
I HAD AN AUDIT DOING IT AND WE RECOVERED $50,000.
[01:45:01]
UH, UH, OKAY, YOU ASKED THE QUESTION.WELL, AS SOON AS I BECAME CITY MANAGER, THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THING COUNCILMAN LER ASKED FOR.
A NO, A LIGHTING FOR THE BILL.
AND RE RECOVERED OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
IN LIGHTS THAT WERE NOT OURS THAT WE WERE PAYING FOR AND IN LIGHTS THAT WERE OFF FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND THEY KEPT ON CHARGING US FOR IT.
NOW IF YOU GO PAST A CERTAIN WATTAGE ON YOUR, ON YOUR LIGHTS, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A GLARE.
SO YOU GOTTA BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU DO.
YOU GET A GLARE TO CAUSE A PROBLEM.
NOW, CITY MANAGER, WHERE ARE WE ON WIDE ON GETTING ENERGY TO REMOVE THE POLES OFF THE RIGHT OF WAY SO WE CAN WIDEN NINTH AVENUE.
NOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO RESPOND.
AND YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE WORKING ON A GRANT ONE TIME.
WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THAT? WELL, I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU A STATUS UPDATE ON THAT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT TONIGHT.
AT THIS TIME WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO NUMBER THREE.
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS CONTINUE E CORRESPONDENCE.
WE HAVE NONE UNDER DISCUSSIONS.
[III.F.(1) A Discussion Regarding Conduct Of A Forensic Audit (Requested By Mayor Pro Tem Doucet)]
HAVE A DISCUSSION REGARDING CONDUCT OF, OF A FORENSIC AUDIT REQUESTED BY MAYOR PRO, TIM ETT.THE REASON I PUT THIS ON AGENDA, BECAUSE IT'S MOSTLY FOR CITIZENS, MOST OF THE STUFF THAT I GOING TO RUN THROUGH RIGHT QUICK IS, UH, MOSTLY FOR CITIZENS BENEFIT CANCER HAS HEARD ALL THESE THINGS IN THE PAST.
SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO FOR THE CITIZENS, I'M JUST GONNA GIVE, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODES.
SOME NUMBERS, GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT WE'VE DONE AND CODES OF ORDINANCE THAT YOU COULD GO AND READ.
'CAUSE A LOT OF YOU HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE PUTTING MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS.
AND UH, IT COMES FROM YOUR NOT SEEING THINGS THAT YOU WANT DONE WITH THE MONEY THAT WE GET.
OKAY? UH, THINGS THAT WE ARE SPENDING MONEY ON.
IT'S NOT THINGS THAT YOU FEEL YOU NEED DONE AS A PRIORITY AND THAT NORMALLY HAPPENS, BUT SOMETIMES WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS COUNCIL PEOPLE FOLLOW ORDINANCE CALLS AND LAWS.
WE TAKE OATH FOR THAT SOME TAKE IT LIGHTLY.
FIRST OF ALL, TALKING ABOUT CODES CITIZENS, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU CODE.
YOU COULD GO BACK TO THE MEETING AND YOU COULD GET THE NUMBER AND STUFF.
AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO WRITE 'EM DOWN NOW 'CAUSE I'M GONNA MENTION TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 1 0 2 0.003 A, THE A PORTION OF IT, THE BUDGET MUST SHOW AS DEFINITELY AS POSSIBLE EACH OF THE PROJECTS FOR WHICH EXPENDITURES ARE SET UP IN THE BUDGET.
AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF MONEY CARRIED IN THE BUDGET EACH YEAR.
BASICALLY THAT TELLS YOU WHAT WE WANT TO DO IN THE COMING YEAR.
A LOT OF TIME WE START GOING WHEREBY WE START TAKING MONEY AND DOING THINGS THAT, UH, WE DIDN'T PLACE IN THE BUDGET.
AND AS A WAY THAT YOU DO THAT, YOU'RE GONNA FIND OUT A LITTLE FARTHER UP INTO THIS DISCUSSION.
THE NEXT ONE, TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 1 0 2 0.009 A.
AFTER FINAL APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET, THE GOVERNING BODY MAY SPEND A MUNICIPAL, MUNICIPAL FUND ONLY IN STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH THE BUDGET, EXCEPT IN EMERGENCIES.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES IF WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING WHAT IT SAYS WE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH MONEY, THEN WE'RE NOT DOING IT UNDER CODE OF ORDINANCE SECTION TWO DASH 85.
THAT'S ONE THAT I'M PRETTY MUCH INTERESTED IN.
AND SOME OF YOU MAY BE BUDGETED.
ITEMS UNDER $25,000, THE CITY MANAGER AUTHORIZED CONTRACTS PURSUANT TO THE SECTION ONE ARTICLE 14 OF THE MUNICIPAL CONTRACTS OF THE CITY CHARTER.
THE CITY COUNCIL CONFERS UPON THE CITY MANAGER GENERAL AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT FOR EXPENDITURES WITHOUT FURTHER APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL FOR ALL BUDGETED ITEMS, NOT EXCEEDING 25,000.
YOU KNOW, I HEAR COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I'VE SAID IT MANY TIMES, SAYS IF IT'S LESS THAN $25,000, THE CITY MANAGER
[01:50:01]
CAN APPROVE IT WITHOUT COUNCIL.NO, IT HAS TO BE THAT SOMETHING THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET.
AND ALONG WITH THAT, A MONTHLY CHECK REGISTER INDICATING ALL SUCH EXPENDITURES SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
CHAPTER TWO, SECTION TWO DASH 31 E CITIZEN.
I'VE HARED ON THAT ONE SO MANY TIMES NO ITEM CAN BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA FOR ACTIONS THAT OBLIG OBLIGATES FUNDS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN SPECIFICALLY BUDGETED OR FUNDING WILL BE PROPOSED BY A BUDGET AMENDMENT AT THE MEETING.
FOR SOME REASON, I READ IT ALL THE TIME.
BUT EVERY TIME I TALK ABOUT IT IS ALWAYS VISIONS THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX IS ALWAYS ME.
BUT THIS IS THE, THIS IS A, UH, ORDINANCE IS IN OUR CHARTER.
THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD COMMENT ON BECAUSE THIS SECTION HERE IS THE KEY TO HOW WE DO BUSINESS WITH APPROPRIATING MONEY.
CHAPTER TWO DASH 31 G AS SAINT RECONSIDERATION OF AN AGENDA ITEM TAKES PLACE UPON REQUEST TO BRING BACK A MATTER PREVIOUSLY DECIDED BY THE COUNCIL.
FOR AN EXAMPLE, THE JIMMY JOHNSON BOULEVARD EXTENSION COUNCIL HAS DISAPPROVED.
SO IN THE RECORDS IT SAYS THAT PROJECT IS DISAPPROVED BY COUNCIL.
SO IF THAT PROJECT IS EVER GONNA COME BACK FOR COUNCIL, IT MUST BE IN THE FORM OF RECONSIDERATION BECAUSE IT CAME BACK AS A REGULAR COUNCILS APPROVE IT.
ONE SAID IT IS DISAPPROVED, THE OTHER SAYS IT'S APPROVED.
I SAID IT'D BE ON DEATH EARS CAUSE OF ORDINANCE.
SECTION 78 1 45 CONTINUES SUCH STUDY OF SALARIES AND RATES.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT DURING THE BUDGET WHEREBY ALL RATES AND POSITIONS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL DURING BUDGET.
AND ONCE COUNCIL APPROVE IT, THOSE RATES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF POSITIONS DOES NOT CHANGE.
NOBODY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO IT.
CODE OF LAW SECTION FIVE, CONTRACTS OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICE COUNCIL MAY APPROVE CONTRACTS FOR ENGINEERING APPRAISALS, ARCHITECTURAL, LEGAL, LEGAL, PHYSICAL, AND MEDICAL, AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FOR THE CITY.
SUCH CONTRACTS SHALL NOT EXCEED TWO YEARS EXCEPT FOR THE COMPLETION OF A WORK IN PROGRESS UNDER ARCHITECTURAL OR ENGINEERING.
ALSO TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 5 51 CITIZENS PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THAT ONE.
THE OPEN MEETING ACT IS A ACT THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS ENFORCE UPON MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT SO THAT YOU CITIZENS CAN HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE ARE DOING AND WHAT WE DISCUSS AND BRING ABOUT TRANSPARENCY.
UH, WHEN WE GO INTO CLOSED DOOR, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WE SHOULD DISCUSS IN CLOSED DOOR.
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WANT TO DISCUSS THINGS THAT, UH, WE DON'T WANT CITIZENS.
WE SHOULD NEVER BE AFRAID TO SAY THINGS WITH CITIZENS.
IN FACT, I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY EVEN DO CLOSE DOORS.
I DON'T CARE WHAT I THINK CITIZENS SHOULD KNOW.
THAT'S WHAT WE, YOU ELECT US FOR.
BUT THE POINT ABOUT THE FORENSIC AUDIT AND ENDING THIS A FORENSIC AUDIT IS WHEN SOMEONE FEEL THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT RIGHT.
I'M SORRY YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT THOSE SIGNS DOWN.
THERE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING RIGHT.
BUT TO SAY THAT FORENSIC AUDIT, WE WANT A FORENSIC AUDIT.
I MENTIONED IT THE LAST TIME WHEN I DONE THE PRESENTATION ON
[01:55:01]
MISAPPROPRIATION.AND THE FIRST THING I STARTED HEARING COMMENTS ABOUT IS THE ONE WE DID IN 2016, 2016, GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY.
SO THEREFORE, I PUT IT ON AND I'M ASKING THAT WE DO A FORENSIC GUARDIAN.
WHY? BECAUSE CITIZENS THINK THAT WE ARE MISAPPROPRIATING MONEY CITIZENS SAY WE ARE TAKING THE MONEY, WE ARE GIVING IT TO OUR FRIENDS.
IF CITIZENS ARE SAYING THAT, THEN THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO FOR CITIZENS IS TO LET SOMEONE COME IN HERE AND LOOK INTO ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE DO AND TELL THE CITIZENS, THEY ALL GOOD.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE GONNA BE THINGS THEY GOING TO FIND THAT THEY'RE GONNA SAY, THIS IS WRONG.
THIS IS WHAT YOU DID IS WRONG.
THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO FIX IT.
YOU SEE, WE CANNOT CONTINUE DOING THINGS WRONG.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THAT IS TO GET SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
BECAUSE WHEN I READ A ORDINANCE OR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE THAT COULD BE READILY UNDERSTOOD BY SOMEONE AND IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA VOTE ANYWAY.
WE'VE, WE'VE APPROVED THINGS THAT ARE COMPLETELY IN VIOLATIONS.
SO IT'S NOT THAT I WANT US TO SAY THAT WE MESSED UP, IT'S JUST THAT WE NEED TO TAKE ACTIONS TO LET CITIZENS KNOW WE ARE NOT HIDING NOTHING AND WE ARE NOT AFRAID.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE DOING WRONG, WE ARE WILLING TO CHANGE AND WE ARE WILLING TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO BE NOW BECAUSE WE PAID SOMEBODY, UH, TO DO A, WHAT IS IT? STRATEGIC CITY STRATEGIC PLAN AND OUR APPROVAL RATING 6%.
WE HAVE TO HAVE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN THE, UH, FROM THE CITIZENS.
AND I THINK BASED ON SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE ON A CONSISTENT BASIS, WE NEED TO FIX.
SO IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE CROOKS, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT I THINK EVERYBODY'S MESSED UP.
'CAUSE THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, I'M GONNA SAY THIS IN CLOSING, THE FINANCE DIRECTOR KNOWS FINANCE THE TIME SHE'S BEEN HERE.
AND I TALKED WITH HER, SHE KNOWS FINANCE.
BUT WHAT A LOT OF YOU AND MAYBE SOME COUNCIL MEMBER DON'T KNOW, SHE'S NOT THE ONE THAT TELLS THE DEPARTMENTS WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T SPEND THEIR MONEY.
ALL SHE DOES ENSURE THAT WHAT THEY'RE ASKING HER TO PUT THE MONEY IN, THAT THE MONEY IS THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM WORK COUNCIL MUST UNDERSTAND THESE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODES ABOVE ALL THESE ORDINANCES BECAUSE IT AIN'T ABOUT US DOING WHAT WE WANT.
IT'S DOING WHAT IS REQUIRED TO PROTECT THE TAX PAYERS DOLLARS.
OUR NEXT MEETING I WILL HAVE ON THE AGENDA A REQUEST FOR US TO CONDUCT ONE.
AND WE GONNA VOTE AND WHATEVER THE COUNCIL DECIDE, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL DECIDE.
BUT YOU AS CITIZENS, YOU HAVE A SAY.
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHERE THE MONEY'S GONE AND WHAT WE DOING.
'CAUSE IF WE FOLLOW THESE CODES AND
SO IT'S A LONDON EXPENSE FOR ALL OF, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE NOW TO NUMBER, UH, SET.
YOU HEAR A LOT ABOUT IN THE PAST IS FORENSIC AUDIT.
THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO LOOK IT UP FOR YOURSELF, LOOK UP THEFT VERSUS FRAUD.
NOW, THAT WAS NOT ANY FRAUD OR THEFT.
WHY DIDN'T NINE NINE EMPLOYEES LOSE THEIR JOB FOR, FOR, FOR THEFT? YEAH.
I PERSONALLY WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE FORENSIC AUDIT PEOPLE AND I SAID, WELL, HOW ARE YOU ALL GONNA DO THIS? THEY SAID, WE GOT TEMPLATES THAT
[02:00:01]
WE APPLY FROM CITY TO CITY.ALL OF THESE, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT COMMIT FRAUD, THEY DO THE SAME THING ALL THE TIME.
SO AT THE END OF THE INTERVIEW, I TURNED OVER TO THE FORENSIC AUDITOR.
WHAT I GOTTEN FROM THE CITY MANAGER THAT A SUPERVISOR HAD TURNED IN, I TURNED IN $5 MILLION WORTH OF MAINTENANCE THAT WAS OUTSOURCED.
THAT SUPERVISOR HIGHLIGHTED THE PROBLEM WITH THAT, WITH THAT MAINTENANCE THERE.
AND I ASKED HIM, I SAID, YOU SAID IT WAS $500,000.
WAS, UH, WAS TAKEN OR MISAPPROPRIATED? HE SAID, AND HE HIGHLIGHTED IT ALL.
I TURNED THAT OVER TO HIM AND HE SAID, I SAID, YOU, HE, I SAID, WELL, HOW MUCH? HE SAID, WELL, I QUIT COUNTING AT $500,000.
SO I TURNED ALL OF THAT OVER TO THE FORENSIC AUDITORS.
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO, THEY DID A PRESENTATION.
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO COME BACK AND, AND GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO OUTLINE THE FRAUD.
AND YOU HEAR COUNCIL MEMBERS SAYING THERE WAS NO FRAUD.
AND YOU HAD CITY EMPLOYEES LOST THEIR JOB BEHIND THE P CARDS, ALL OF THIS.
SO WHEN YOU HEAR COUNCIL MEMBERS SAYING THERE'S NO FRAUD, THAT IS, I CAN'T CALL THAT A FALSE, FALSE NARRATIVE.
NOW, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I HAD THE CITY MANAGER TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATOR ON COUNCIL MEMBER AND PUT A SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR ON THAT PERSON.
THEY FOUND THE EVIDENCE, THEY CALLED ME, ASKED ME, DO YOU WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OR DO YOU WANT TO, WE CAN SEND IT TO THE, UH, THE FORENSIC AUDITOR.
I SAID, I'VE HAD ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I SAID, SEND IT TO THE FORENSIC ORDERS.
THEY GONNA HAVE TO COME TO US.
AND I TURNED ALL OF THAT FIVE, I TURNED, WELL, IT WAS ABUSE BY A COUNCIL MEMBER WAS BEING PAID WITH TAXPAYERS DOLLARS.
AND WE, AND THIS IN THE FORENSIC AUDIT, THE COUNCIL, THE CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW WHERE THE MONEY FOR THE FORENSIC AUDIT AUDIT WAS WELL SPENT.
THEY DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAD TO VOTES TO BLOCK IT FROM, FOR THEM, FROM COMING BACK ON THE COUNCIL.
THEY HAD THE VOTES TO BLOCK IT.
SO THE CITIZENS DON'T KNOW THE, THE, THE ABUSE OF THE, UH, OF THEIR, OF THEIR TAX DOLLARS.
IT, THEY STILL HAVE IT, THEY STILL HAVE THE INFORMATION.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, AND I QUESTION COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE PREVIOUS ATTORNEY'S OFFICE GAVE A DEPOSITION IN, UH, A LAWSUIT GAVE A DEPOSITION.
IN THAT DEPOSITION THAT CITY ATTORNEYS OUTLINED HOW THEY USED TO, TO REPAIR VEHICLES, YOU HAD TO GET THREE, THREE BIDS.
THEY WAS SENDING IT ALL OVER THE PLACE TO WHOEVER THEY WANTED TO.
THAT'S WHERE THAT $500,000, THAT'S WHERE HE STOPPED COUNTING.
IT WAS A LOT MORE THAN, BUT HE STOPPED THAT MANAGER, THAT SUPERVISOR STOPPED COUNTING THAT 500,000 BUCKS.
WHAT CITY ATTORNEY WOULD YOU NEED TO CONSIDER LOOKING AT? AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO GET IT, GET THAT DEPOSITION FROM THE, THE LAWYER THAT WAS GIVEN BY THE CITY ATTORNEY.
AND I CHECKED WITH THE COUNCIL.
I CHECKED WITH ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I SAID, HAVE A CITY ATTORNEY TOLD Y'ALL THEY GAVE A DEPOSITION IN THE AZI VERSUS CITY OF PORT ARTHUR? I SAID, NO, NO, BUT SHE EXPLAINED HOW THAT HAPPENED.
SO, AND I'M GONNA CUT IT OFF RIGHT THERE.
I COULD SELL A LOT MORE, BUT I'M TELLING YOU, PLENTY OF THEFT, PLENTY OF FRAUD.
TAX BILLS NEED TO KNOW WHERE THEIR MONEY IS GOING.
UM, I HAVE A, UM, NO ONE, NO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I THINK MS. JOANNE, YOU HAVE A, UM, COMMENT FROM THE AUDIENCE.
I JUST, JOHN JOHN SIX 40 EAST 10TH STREET, I AGREE WITH YOU COULD SPEAK THE MIC.
I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAYS.
UH, I REMEMBER THAT TIME PCARDS WERE MESSED UP BY,
[02:05:01]
BY PEOPLE IN POSITIONS.PEOPLE WITH THE CITY WAS EVEN SUED, UH, BY A COUPLE OF PEOPLE THAT LOST THEIR JOBS.
UH, COULDN'T, YOU KNOW, NOTHING, NOTHING EVER CAME OUT OF IT.
OR THE LAWYER DIDN'T AGREE WITH THEM THE WAY THEY WERE FIRED.
AND THEN I SAID, I THINK THE CITY MANAGER EVEN COME UP WITH MONEY THAT WAS TAKEN.
IT WAS ACCUSED THAT CITY MANAGER LOST SOME MONEY.
THAT I, I THINK I REMEMBER SOMETHING TO THAT, UH, PART.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, UH, LEWIS IS, UH, HE'S SPEAKING EVERY WORD OF THE TRUTH.
AND IT WASN'T THE LITTLE PEOPLE, IT WAS THE BIG AND THE HEAD PEOPLE.
SO LIKE I SAID, WE NOT ACCUSING YOU ALL, IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT IN YOUR POCKET, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANNA KNOW WHERE THE MONEY GO.
WE WORK HARD FOR THAT MONEY AND WE WANT IT PLACE.
WELL, MS. JOHN, I ONLY BEEN BACK FOUR MONTHS, SO I DON'T HAVE IT JUST, BUT ANYWAY,
WE NEED TO MOVE ON WITH OUR AGENDA.
AND, UM, WE ASKED, UH, MANAGER, AND I'M GONNA ASK THE CITY SECRETARY TO PROVIDE, UM, THE NET ACCOUNT AVAILABLE COPIES OF THE LAST FORENSIC AUDIT TO THE ENTIRE, THEY'RE HERE.
SO, UM, IF YOU GUYS, ANYBODY WANTS TO TAKE A COPY WITH YOU OF OUR FORENSIC AUDIT THAT WAS HAD, UM, FROM MY READING, YOU CAN READ AND HIGHLIGHT THROUGH THAT, UM, FORENSIC AUDIT THAT WE, UM, HAD IN 20, UM, IT WAS FROM 2014, WHICH I WASN'T ON COUNCIL THEN MM-HMM.
BUT CAME BACK TO GET THE RESULTS IN 2016.
I HAD JUST GOTTEN ON COUNSEL IN 2016.
SO THOSE COPIES ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
ALL OF, UM, ALL OF THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND ALL ARE, ARE THERE, I UNDERSTAND THEY WERE THERE, BUT NOTHING WAS DONE ABOUT THE ONE THAT FOUND WAS FOUND GUILTY EITHER.
I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THAT, MS. JOANNE, THAT'S NOT, LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THAT.
WE APPRECIATE YOU WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON WITH OUR AGENDA ONE.
COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS, THE PERSON.
THIS IS, YOU GET THE SECOND, YOU HAVE YOUR SECOND TIME ON THIS.
YOU HAVE THREE YOU A FEW MINUTES.
THE PERSON THAT TURNED IN THE $5 MILLION WORTH OF OUTSOURCE MAINTENANCE LOST HIS JOB BECAUSE HE ABUSED THE PCARD.
UM, WE HAVE NOW NUMBER FOUR, PUBLIC HEARINGS, NONE REPORTS OF I, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO, UH, CONGRATULATE OR MAKE A COMMENT ON OR CONDOLENCE ON, YOU CAN DO SO AT THIS TIME.
IF NOT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO
[VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS ]
OUR UNFINISHED BUSINESS AND IT IS GONNA BE PO NUMBER 7, 3 6.NO, I HAVE SOMETHING REAL, REAL QUICK.
OKAY, SO THIS FITS UNDER NUMBER FIVE.
YES, I WAS HONORED AND, UM, HUMBLED TO BE ASKED BY KEVIN PEARSON, WHO'S OUR CEO OF THE YMCA AND JODY MOORE, UH, TO BE A JUDGE FOR THE TEXAS YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT, UH, WHICH IS SPONSORED BY THE YMCA.
UH, THIS WAS, UH, A NUMBER OF STUDENTS FROM THE WOODROW WILSON EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL, AND THE BOB HOPE HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, IT IS A COMPETITION WHERE STUDENTS ARE IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
UH, THE CATEGORY THAT I WAS A JUDGE FOR WAS STATE AFFAIRS, AND THE STUDENTS CAME UP WITH PROPOSITIONS, UH, FROM DIFFERENT CATEGORIES THAT THEY PRESENTED TO THE JUDGES.
UM, AND WE GOT SOME REALLY WONDERFUL PROPOSITIONS.
WE HAD SOME ABOUT FAMILY VIOLENCE.
WE HAD SOME ABOUT, UH, ACCIDENTS IN INDUSTRY.
UH, THE, THE KIDS WERE JUST VERY WELL PREPARED, AND THIS WAS KIND OF A, UM, A PRACTICE ROUND, SO TO SPEAK, FOR THEM TO GO ON TO A REGIONAL COMPETITION IN HOUSTON.
AND IF THEY ADVANCE FROM HOUSTON, THEY GO TO THE STATE COMPETITION IN AUSTIN.
AND THEN FROM THERE, THEY GO ON TO THE NATIONAL COMPETITION IN WASHINGTON, DC AND THERE WERE PROBABLY ABOUT A HUNDRED STUDENTS THERE IN THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, AND THEY WERE IMPRESSIVE.
AND IF THESE ARE THE CALIBER OF STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE COMING OUT OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, IN ALL OF THESE, THESE DIFFERENT FIELDS, THERE WAS JUDICIAL, THERE WAS STATE AFFAIRS, THERE WAS ENVIRONMENTAL, THERE WERE SEVERAL DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THESE KIDS.
UM, SO, UH, IT, IT, IT WAS JUST A REALLY, REALLY GOOD EVENT.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, THE YMCA SPONSORS EVERY YEAR, UH, OUR PORT ARTHUR YMCA HAVE, UM, THEY HAVE NOT SPONSORED IT IN A FEW YEARS, BUT IT'S KIND OF COME BACK IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND AGAIN, IT'S CALLED THE TEXAS YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT SUMMIT.
[02:10:01]
THAT'S AWESOME.UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON OVERFIELD.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE A FEW EVENTS AND THEY ARE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25TH AND THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR'S BEAUTIFICATION COMMISSION IS HOSTING OUR FALL SWEEP.
AND THE MEET TIME IS FOR 7:30 AM FOR REGISTRATION, 8:00 AM UH, FOR BREAKFAST.
UM, WE WILL DO OUR FALL SWEEP CLEANUP AND THAT WILL, AND WE'LL MEET AT THE DOWNTOWN PAVILION, WHICH IS AT 500 PROCTOR STREET.
AND LUNCH WILL BE SERVED AT 1:00 PM IN THE EVENT THAT WE HAVE INCLEMENT WEATHER.
THE EVENT WILL BE RESCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 1ST.
THEN ALSO THE PARKS AND RECS DEPARTMENT, UM, AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL HOST THE FALL FESTIVAL.
THIS IS FOR MUSIC, FOOD GAMES, FUN, AND A COSTUME CONTEST.
THE EVENT IS FROM 4:00 PM TO 8:00 PM AND THE COSTUME CONTEST WILL BE AT FIVE 30.
THE LOCATION IS AT AMANS AMOS EVANS, MULTIPURPOSE BUILDING 1308, UM, NINTH AVENUE IN PORT ARTHUR.
UM, SO THAT'S WHERE IT WILL BE.
AND IT'S FOR AGES FOUR THROUGH 11, I PROMISE.
THERE'S AN ALZHEIMER'S AND DEMENTIA RESEARCH UPDATE THAT'LL BE HELD TOMORROW.
THAT'S WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22ND AT THE THAS BUILDING.
THAT'S THE TEXAS ARTISTS MUSEUM AT 2:00 PM 35 0 1 CULTURAL CENTER DRIVE.
AND THEN LASTLY, EARLY VOTING.
EARLY VOTING IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
YOU CAN VOTE AT THE SUBCOUNTY COURTHOUSE NEXT DOOR OR AT THE PORT ARTHUR PUBLIC LIBRARY.
POLLS OPEN FROM 8:00 AM TO, UH, 5:00 PM EARLY.
VOTING ENDS OCTOBER 31ST, AND ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 4TH.
WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU ALL TO VOTE ON ARE SEVERAL STATE PROPOSITIONS AND THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR HAS ONE PROPOSITION REGARDING THE TYPE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WE WILL HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
I HAVE ONE OTHER THAN OKAY, COUNCILOR BECK, GO AHEAD.
BECAUSE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EVENTS AND THERE'S ONE EVENT COMING UP ON FRIDAY.
IT'S THE PORT ARTHUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT.
UH, IT STARTS AT 7:00 AM IT'S A FOUR MAN SCRAMBLE.
THERE'S GONNA BE ALL KINDS OF, UH, WHOLE SPONSORS AND THINGS GOING ON.
UH, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A GOLFER, I INVITE YOU TO COME OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE BABE.
THAT'S OUR WONDERFUL MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE IN PORT ARTHUR.
THEY'VE DONE LOTS OF IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, PART OF THE DRAINAGE PROJECT THAT'S GONE ON, UH, AROUND JIMMY JOHNSON AND NINTH AVENUE HAS ALSO BEEN PART OF THE GOLF COURSE, AND THEY'VE MADE SOME REALLY GREAT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE COURSE.
UH, SO COME OUT FOR THAT ON FRIDAY MORNING.
I'M SORRY, MAYOR, I FORGOT ONE.
ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER EVER, PHIL, UM, I FORGOT TO MENTION THE FAMILY FUN DAY, THE SPOOKTACULAR.
IT'S A FREE EVENT AT THE, UM, MUSEUM OF THE GULF COAST.
HE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO MENTION THAT, BUT THAT'S BEEN A HUGE EVENT EACH YEAR ABOUT FIF.
I I WANNA SAY A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN 2000 PEOPLE COME THROUGH THERE.
UM, CHEVRON PHILLIPS WILL HAVE THE FIRETRUCK, THE PORT ARTHUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THERE'S CANDY FOR KIDS AND SO MUCH MORE.
IT'S SATURDAY, ALSO THE 25TH FROM 10:10 AM TO 1:00 PM AND THAT SAYS 700 PROCTOR STREET.
HOPE WE GOT ALL OF THOSE DOWN.
LET'S MOVE NOW TO, UH, NUMBER SIX.
UM, UNFINISHED BUSINESS PO NUMBER 7 3 7 3 AND APPROPRIATION ORDER.
THAT'S AMENDING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR'S BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2025, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026, INCREASING THE WATER AND SEWER CAPITAL FUND, 4 0 5 BY $10 MILLION.
AND CD B-G-C-D-P-G-D-R FUND 1 48 BY 108 $118 MILLION.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED.
AND SECOND, ANY DISCUSSIONS? QUESTION? ANY QUESTIONS? YES.
UH, WHAT DATE WAS THIS GRANT APPROVED? A GRANT.
THEY HAVE A GRANT INCORPORATED IN THIS RIGHT? FINANCE CITY B.
RIGHT, BUT, BUT THAT WAS A GRANT THAT WAS AWARDED, RIGHT? WE AWARDED A GRANT FOR THAT.
[02:15:01]
SEWERS.SO WHAT DATE? ACCORDING GOOD EVENING, MAYOR.
ACCORDING TO THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT I HAVE, I'M LOOKING AT THE MARCH 22ND, 2021 OKAY.
THAT'S THE REASON I WANTED THAT BECAUSE I LOOKED AT IT IN THE BACKGROUND.
WHY IF 'CAUSE IT WAS AWARDED, BUT IT WAS APPROVED, I THINK IN 22 SOMEWHERE OR 21.
BUT ANYWAY, WHY WE'VE BEEN SO LONG WITH THIS.
I MEAN, WHY HAVEN'T WE, IF WE RECEIVE THIS GRANT AND IS DEALING WITH THIS, WHY HAVEN'T WE DONE THE WORK THAT'S NOT YOURS? DEADLY.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, THIS GRANT WAS FINALIZED, I BELIEVE LAST YEAR, AND IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AGO THAT IT NEEDS TO BE BID ADVERTISED, DESIGNED.
SO WE PREPARED THE DESIGN AND, UH, BID DOCUMENTS IN-HOUSE.
WE ADVERTISE IT, WE BID IT, AND WE HAVE A CONTRACTOR THAT WE'RE GONNA BE AWARDING THIS PROJECT TO DURING THIS AGENDA.
BUT I, I AM NOT AWARE WHY IT WAS NOT DONE BEFORE THEN.
BUT THE FUNDING WAS, WAS MADE AVAILABLE LAST YEAR? NO.
IF IT WAS AWARDED IN THE 22, THE FUNDING WAS AVAILABLE THEN IT'S LIKE YOU SAID, YOU JUST BEEN BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
WE NEED TO FIND OUT HOW MANY GRANTS WE HAVE.
WHAT DO THEY FALL FAR? WE NEED TO SPEND THE MONEY.
I MEAN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE COULD GO AND GET A GRANT TO DO SOMETHING AND IT'S TWO, THREE YEARS BEFORE WE DO IT.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO BE TRACKING IT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A BETTER SYSTEM.
UH, WE GONNA BE, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE VOTING ON THIS FOR AN FOR AMENDMENT, RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO I NOTICED THAT WE GOT TWO TWO APPROPRIATIONS.
MY THING IS EVERY TIME WE GET THE APPROPRIATION AND, AND THE, UH, BUDGET AMENDMENTS, WE ALWAYS GET HOW MUCH AND WHICH, AND WHICH FUND WE GOING TO INCREASE.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM? I CAN TELL YOU FOR BOTH
SO THE, THE $10 MILLION, THE ONE THAT YOU GUYS JUST APPROVED THIS EVENING AS A TAX NOTE FOR THE WATER METER PROGRAM, WE DID NOT, OR I DID NOT KNOW, DID NOT ANTICIPATE THAT THIS WOULD BE A POSSIBLE THING FOR THE BUDGET AT THAT TIME WHEN WE DID THE BUDGET.
I REALLY WASN'T SURE ABOUT THAT.
BECAUSE NOW YOU ANSWERING MY LAST QUESTION I WOULD'VE HAD FOR YOU.
IF WE ARE HERE IN OCTOBER, MID-OCTOBER AND WE JUST FINISHED A BUDGET TWO, TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AGO, WE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IF WE ARE GONNA DO THIS AND WE NEEDED THE MONEY AS OPPOSED TO AMENDING THIS BUDGET.
WE JUST APPROVED THIS BUDGET AND WE AMEND IT ALREADY.
AND THE SO, BUT YOU ANSWERED THAT.
BUT IN THE FUTURE WE NEED TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE THINGS.
WE JUST APPROVED IT AND NOW WE ARE GOING BACK AND AMENDING IT.
I MEAN, WE SHOULD LOOK, I CAN TELL YOU THE BACKGROUND.
IT SEEMED LIKE I THOUGHT THAT WE HAD, OR WE WERE GOING FOR A METER PROGRAM EVEN WHEN I GOT HERE IN 2024.
BUT THAT DID NOT SEEM TO COME TO FRUITION.
I DON'T LIKE TO TRY TO BUDGET FOR SOMETHING UNLESS I KNOW I'VE GOT THE MONEY AND WE KNOW WE'VE GONNA GO FORWARD WITH THE PROGRAM.
I DON'T BLAME YOU BECAUSE WE HEARD WE APPROVED IT ONE TIME AND THE FUNDING WAS THERE.
THEN THE NEXT THING WE HEAR, THE FUNDING AIN'T THERE, YOU KNOW, SO MONEY THERE, MONEY GONE, MONEY HERE, MONEY GONE.
YOU KNOW? SO I UNDERSTAND THAT LYNN, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THE, UM, THE, UH, RESOLUTION PASSES THIS TIME WE'RE GONNA
[VII. CONSENT AGENDA ]
MOVE TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA.COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO WITHHOLD, UM, IF YOU COULD DO THAT AT THIS TIME.
IF NOT, WE'RE GONNA GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
ANY ITEMS YOU'D LIKE TO WITHHOLD? YES.
[02:20:01]
ON FIVE.OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GET, I'M ASKING FOR A MOTION FOR APPROVAL FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH, UM, HOLDING PR NUMBER 2, 4 5 5 8.
NUMBER SEVEN ON PAGE FIVE AND NUMBER 10.
PR NUMBER 2, 4, 5, 7 3 ON PAGE FIVE, CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED, MAYOR.
ANY DISCUSSIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
WE'RE GOING TO NOW MOVE TO PAGE NUMBER FIVE.
[VII.(7) P.R. No. 24558 — A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute An Annual Service Order Renewal With Cleargov Of Maynard, Massachusetts For The Purchase Of Budgeting, Transparency, And Financial Reporting Subscription Services Through BuyBoard Cooperative Purchase Contract 692-23 In The Amount Of $51,609.00 For Fiscal Year 2026; Funding Available From The Information Technology Department In General Fund Account No. 001-09-023-5450-00-10-000 Fiscal Year 2025-2026 ]
PR NUMBER 2 4 5 5 8 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER EXECUTE AN ANNUAL SERVICE ORDER RENEWAL WITH THE CLEAR GOV GOV OF MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS FOR THE PURCHASE OF BUDGETING, TRANSPARENCY AND FINANCIAL REPORTING SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES THROUGH BY BOARD COOPERATIVE PURCHASE CONTRACT 6 9 2 DASH 23 IN THE AMOUNT OF $51,609 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026.FUNDING AVAILABLE FROM THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT IN GENERAL.
FUND ACCOUNT NUMBER OH OH ONE DASH ZERO NINE DASH 0 2 3 5 4 5 0 0 0 FISCAL YEAR.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED.
ANY DISCUSSIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE? YES, THIS IS, UH, A CONTRACT.
THIS IS A CONTRACT FOR BY BOARD.
IT'S A ONE OR, UH, THE ALTERNATIVE PURCHASING.
SO THIS WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR IN THE SAME, IT'S THE SAME.
THIS WAS A BUYBOARD AT THE TIME, BUT HOWEVER, THERE WERE RESTRICTIONS ON EXACTLY WHAT WAS NEEDED FOR THIS PARTICULAR SOFTWARE OR THIS HOSTED SOFTWARE.
AND I NEEDED TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT COULD DO BOTH AUDIT AND BUDGET.
THIS WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT I COULD FIND ANYWHERE.
AND WE WENT THROUGH THE BUYBOARD METHOD BECAUSE IT WAS GONNA BE CHEAPER THAN GOING DIRECTLY TO CLEAR GOV IN ENABLE IN ORDER FOR US TO GET THE, GAIN, THE DISCOUNTS THAT THEY GIVE THROUGH BUYBOARD.
AND THIS WOULD BE THE SECOND YEAR OF THIS CONTRACT.
AND THE, AND THE LAST QUESTION, LYNN, IS WHEN YOU, WHEN WHEN WE SAY WE GET THIS DISCOUNT FROM BUYBOARD, OKAY, THAT'S BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN OUT AND WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT SOME TYPE OF ESTIMATES OTHER THAN BUYBOARD, BECAUSE I SEEN TIME WHEN WE PURCHASED ON BUYBOARD AND PEOPLE TELL US ON ONLINE WE GOT THE SAME THING.
HERE'S CHEAPER THAN WHAT YOU BOUGHT.
I'M NOT AWARE THAT IT WOULDN'T HAVE THAT DISCOUNT BECAUSE THEY GO THROUGH THE SAME KIND OF PROCUREMENT PROCESS, IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
PERHAPS MR. WILLIAMS CAN ALSO CLARIFY.
WAIT BY BOARD ACTUALLY HAS THEIR OWN KIND OF RFP PROCESS AS WELL.
AND THAT'S HOW WE'RE ABLE TO GET THAT.
AND I AND BY BOARD IS, UH, AUTHORIZED AND APPROVED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
'CAUSE THEY GOING TO PAY THE STATE OF TEXAS TO BE ON THIS LIST BECAUSE THEY GONNA TELL THE STATE, STATE OF TAXES, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A DISCOUNT ON THESE THINGS.
UH, IF THEY PURCHASE THROUGH, IF YOU GO THROUGH HERE, WE ALREADY CLEARED THEM FOR YOU.
IT SAVE YOU TIME AND STUFF AND YOU GET A DISCOUNT.
BUT SOMETIME WE NEED TO COMPARE BEFORE WE GO BY BOARD.
AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING, WHENEVER I HEAR BIBLE, I JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE THE CHEAPER WAY TO GO FOR THE CITIZEN.
BEST WAY TO SAVE DOLLARS, BUT NOT THE EASY WAY NOT TO WORK.
SO I, SO THIS IS FOR ACTUALLY THE SOFTWARE THAT YOU GOING FOR THAT CAN DO BOTH.
[VII.(10) P.R. No. 24573 — A Resolution Authorizing The Pre-Qualification Of Four (4) Real Estate Brokerage Firms For The Purpose Of Providing Professional Real Estate Brokerage Services In Accordance With §253.014 Of The Texas Local Government Code]
10.A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED AND A PREQUALIFICATION OF FOUR REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE FIRMS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE SERVICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH, UM, 2 5 3 0.014 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED.
ANY DISCUSSIONS? COUNCILOR MEMBER DOUCETTE? YES.
[02:25:01]
LET SEE, WHAT DO WE GAIN BY GETTING THIS LIST? JUST EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT DO WE GAIN? BECAUSE IF WE GO THROUGH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, WE, WE DO REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS AND WE DO REQUEST FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.SO EVEN IF WE FORM THIS LIST, IF WE HAVE A PROJECT, WE STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
THE LIST OF NAMES DOESN'T STOP US FROM STILL HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF REQUESTING A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE SAME WAY WITH, WITH ENGINEERING, WE KEEP DOING IT.
JUST EXPLAIN TO ME, 'CAUSE YOU GOT THIS LIST, YOU'RE GONNA PICK SOMEBODY OFF THIS LIST WITHOUT DOING A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.
UM, CITY, CITY ATTORNEY? I DON'T THINK SO.
MAYOR TURRO, UH, UNDER CHAPTER 2 53 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, IT SAYS THAT A GOVERNING BODY OF A HOMEROOM MUNICIPALITY MAY CONTRACT WITH THE BROKER TO SELL A TRACK OF LAND OF REAL PROPERTY THAT THE MUNICIPALITY OWNS OR HOLDS IN TRUST WITH THE AUTHORITY TO SELL.
UH, THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY HUNDREDS OF TRACKS THAT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR OWNS IN THE CITY.
AND SO IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SELL THAT TRACK, WE MAY DO SO BY HAVING A BROKER.
AND SO THIS IS JUST A QUICKER RESPONSE TIME OF BEING ABLE TO SELL THOSE TRACKS WITH A PRE-QUALIFIED LIST OF BROKERS.
SO IF I, THAT, THAT DOESN'T PROHIBIT ANY PROJECTS THAT MAY NEED TO GO OUT FOR BIDDING, THIS IS JUST A PRE-QUALIFIED LIST FOR A BROKER TO BE ABLE TO SELL TRACKS OF LAND THAT NEED TO BE SOLD AND OWNED BY THE CITY.
OKAY? I WENT BACK AND READ THAT ALL.
SO I'M GONNA ASK ONE QUESTION AND I'M GONNA BE DONE WITH THIS STRAIGHT ANSWER.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS LIST THAT ANY TRACKER LINK THAT WE WANT TO SELL A LEASE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH REQUESTING, REQUESTING FOR A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME? THAT'S ALL I NEED TO HEAR YOU TELL ME.
I THINK YOU'RE MISSING CONCEPTS.
IF THE CITY WANTS TO SELL A TRACK LAND, WE WOULD NEED TO GET PERMISSION FROM THE COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO SELL THE TRACK LAND.
BUT WE CAN SELL THE TRACK LAND IF WE HAVE A LICENSED BROKER AND A LICENSED BROKER IS NEEDED SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT FOR BIDDING OR, OKAY.
NOW LET ME REPEAT THIS QUESTION AGAIN.
A LICENSED BROKER, IF WE SOLICIT THEIR SERVICES, THAT IS A REQUEST FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICE THAT IS REQUEST FOR A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE THAT IS A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE.
AND ALL I WANT YOU TO TELL ME IS THAT BECAUSE WE GOT THIS LIST, WE NOW DO NOT HAVE TO ADVERTISE FOR THAT PROFESSIONAL SERVICE.
THIS IS THERE WAS AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE REQUEST FOR THESE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
OKAY? THEN, THEN MAY BE CLIFF I'M MISSING, BUT EACH TIME WE DO SOMETHING IT'S INDIVIDUAL.
WE CAN'T DO SOMETHING JUST FOR ALL.
WE CAN'T SAY WE GONNA GET A LIST FOR THIS BECAUSE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE SAYS FOR EACH PROJECT OR EACH REQUEST FOR SERVICES, WE MUST DO A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.
OFFER QUA OR A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION.
SO THAT MEANS EACH THING THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH, WE GO OUT AND DO THESE REQUESTS.
OKAY? THIS PREQUALIFICATION IS GOOD FOR YOUR OWN USE.
'CAUSE YOU GET A, YOU CAN HAVE A LIST OF PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW DON'T WORK FOR YOU AND YOU WANT THEM TO GET TO WORK, BUT THE LO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE SAYS EACH THING.
SO IF YOU WANT TO SELL A PIECE OF PROPERTY RIGHT NOW, WE SHOULD BE SENDING OUT A REQUEST FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
WE CAN'T SAY WE GONNA GET THESE NAMES AND IT GONNA PERTAIN TO ALL OF THE PROPERTIES.
JUST LIKE PROJECT FOR ENGINEERING, WHICH I, WHICH I'VE ALWAYS SAID JUST 'CAUSE YOU HAVE A LIST, IT REQUIRES YOU FOR EACH PROJECT TO GO OUT FOR REQUEST FOR A PROPOSAL OR FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BASED ON THE
[02:30:01]
TYPE PROJECT AND THE PROJECT YOU ARE REQUIRING.IT DOESN'T SAY YOU, YOU, YOU COULD GO FROM THE SAME LIST.
THE CLIFF WHEN IT COMES TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, UM, LIKE ENGINEERING, WHAT THE CODE SAYS IS YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH THE MOST QUALIFIED PERSON.
UH, PRICE IS NOT A FACTOR WHEN IT COMES TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
SO IF WE GO OUT FOR A CERTAIN STANDARD FOR A ENGINEER AND WE HAVE THAT QUALIFIED LIST TO SHOW THAT THESE APPROVED PEOPLE ARE THE MOST QUALIFIED, WE CAN USE THAT LIST TO NEGOTIATE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL PROJECT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GO FOR OUR QUEUES FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT TO GET AN ENGINEER FOR EACH ONE.
OKAY? WE CAN SAY ACCORDING TO THIS APPROVED LIST FOR THE YEAR, WE CAN PULL THIS ENGINEER.
I JUST WANT SOMEONE TO TELL ME EXACTLY.
I SAID HE'S GOOD, BUT I'M SPEAKING AND YOU OKAY? THAT'S ALL I NEEDED WAS A STRAIGHT ANSWER BECAUSE NOW HERE YOU TELLING ME THAT ONCE WE HAVE THE LIST, WE GO FROM THE LIST.
OKAY, THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE WE ARE SHOWING THAT THAT PERSON'S QUALIFIED BY EVALUATIONS.
I'LL JUST HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS? YEAH, CLIFF.
OH, I I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
YOU HAVE THE LIST THAT HE'S TALKING COUNCIL UC IS TALKING ABOUT THE, THE LIST OF NAMES FOR THE, FOR THE APPRAISERS.
I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
IT'S IN THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
BUT ANYWAY, WHAT AM I MISSING? I'M NOT ON THE LIST.
[VIII.A.(1) P.R. No. 24461 — A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Contract With Construction Managers Of Southeast Texas Of Beaumont, Texas For The Phase II And III Roadway And Drainage Reconstruction At 101 H.O. Mills Boulevard In The Not To Exceed Amount Of $1,114,939.19; Funding Is Available In Account No. 307- 13-037-8525-00-10-000 ]
INDIVIDUAL ACTION.UM, I UH, ITEM NUMBER, UH, NUMBER EIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO TO NUMBER ONE.
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS, OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR THE PHASE TWO AND THREE ROADWAY AND DRAINAGE RECONSTRUCTION AT A 1 0 1 HO MILLS BOULEVARD AND THE NOT AN AMOUNT AND NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $1,114,939 AND 19 CENTS.
FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN ACCOUNT NUMBER 3 0 7 13 3 7 8 5 2 5 0 0 DASH ZERO ZERO.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED.
ANY DISCUSSIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
EXCUSE ME MAYOR, I'M SORRY WE DIDN'T RECORD A VOTE ON 2 4, 5, 7 3 OH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
WE HAD QUESTIONS AND I GOT AHEAD OF MYSELF.
UM, DO YOU HAVE TO GO BACK THROUGH THE WHOLE ENTIRE THING? OKAY.
ALL IN FAVOR? UH, LET'S GO BACK TO PR NUMBER 2, 4 5, 7 3 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A PREQUALIFICATION OF FOUR REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE FIRMS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE SERVICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH UM, 2 5 3 0.014 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
CAN WE HAD A MOTION? WE HAD AN APPROVED, YES WE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND, RIGHT? YES MA'AM.
NO WE SHOULD'VE SAID SOMETHING.
[VIII.A.(2) P.R. No. 24464 — A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Change Order No. 1 To The Contract With SETEX Construction Corp. Of Beaumont, Texas, Which Utilized $6,995.64 From The Project’s Contingency Fund To Cover Repairs To Burned Deck Boards, Install Caps And Replace Additional Damaged Boards; And Further Authorizing The Acceptance Of Close Out Documents And The Approval Of Final Payment In The Amount Of $11,224.00; And Noting That The Overall Project Cost Resulted In A Decrease Of The Original Contract Amount From $227,484.00 To A New Total Contract Amount Of $224,180.00, For The Completion Of The Pier And Gazebo At 800 Lakefront Drive (Boat Launch), The South Levee Park Piers And Bridge And The Pier Adjacent To The Pleasure Island Condos; Funding Is Available In Retainage Account Number 450-00- 000-2050-00-00-000 ]
PR NUMBER 2 4 4 6 4 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED AND CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER ONE TO THE CONTRACT WITH SOUTH S-E-T-E-X CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS WHICH UTILIZED 6995.64 FROM THE PROJECT'S CONTINGENCY FUND TO COVER REPAIRS TO BURNED DECK BOARDS, INSTALL CAPS AND REPLACE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE BOARDS AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE ACCEPTANCE OF CLOSEOUT DOCUMENTS AND THEIR APPROVAL OF FINAL PAYMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $11,224 AND NOTING THAT THE OVERALL PROJECT COST RESULTED IN A DECREASE OF THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT FROM $227,484 TO A NEW TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $224 $180 FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE PIER AND GAZEBO AT 800 LAKEFRONT DRIVE BOAT LAUNCH, THE SOUTH LEVY PARK, PIER AND BRIDGE AND THE PIER ADJACENT TO THE PLEASURE ISLAND CONDOS FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN A RETAINAGE ACCOUNT.NUMBER 4 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED.
ANY DISCUSSIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[02:35:01]
THE RESOLUTION PASSES PR NUMBER[VIII.A.(3) P.R. No. 24497 — A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Contract With Norman Highway Constructors, Inc. Of Orange, Texas, For The Storm Sewer Brick Manhole Replacement Project In The Amount Of $1,118,000.00; Requiring Compliance With Grant Conditions; And Providing For A Completion Period Of Ninety (90) Calendar Days. Funding Will Be Available In The Drainage System Account No. 148-00-000-8515-00-10-000. Project No. GM2404.GRE.DRA. Pending P.O. 7373]
2 4 4 9 7 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH NORMAN HIGHWAY CON CONSTRUCTORS.CONTRACT CONSTRUCTORS INCORPORATED OF ORANGE TEXAS FOR THE STORM SEWER BRICK MANHOLE REPLACEMENT PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,118,000 REQUIRING COMPLIANCE WITH GRANT CONDITIONS AND PROVIDING FOR A COMPLETION PERIOD OF 90 CALENDAR DAYS.
FUNDING WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
ACCOUNT NUMBER 1 48 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 8 5 15 0 0 0.
PROJECT NUMBER GM 2 4 0 4 GD PENDING PO NUMBER 7 3 7 3 WE'VE APPROVED THAT AGAIN, A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
OKAY, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BECKMAN SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, KEN, KEN LAW AND UH, WE NEED ANY DISCUSSIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[VIII.A.(4) P.R. No. 24533 — A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into Contracts With Amelia Lawn Care & Landscaping Of Groves, Texas For Group 1, Nimitz Lawn & Landscape Of Beaumont, Texas For Group 1(A), South East Texas Lawn & Maintenance Of Beaumont, Texas For Groups 2, 3(C), And 9, Smith's Remodeling Of Port Arthur, Texas For Group 7(A), And Consider Us Of Port Arthur, Texas For Group 8 For The Mowing Of Various City Properties, Parks And_ Right-Of-Ways With A Projected Budgetary Impact Of $179,193.00 Funding Available In Parks Account No. 001-25-065- 5311-00-20-000 ]
PR NUMBER 2 4 5 3 3.A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER IN TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH AMELIA LAWN AND CARE AND LANDSCAPING OF GROVE, TEXAS.
FOR GROUP ONE NIMITZ LAWN AND LANDSCAPE OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR GROUP ONE, A SOUTHEAST TEXAS LAWN AND MAINTENANCE OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR GROUP TWO, THREE C AND NINE SMITH'S REMODELING OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS FOR GROUP SEVEN A AND CONSIDER AS A POET, ARTHUR TEXAS FOR GROUP EIGHT FOR THE MOWING OF VARIOUS CITY'S PROPERTIES, PARK AND RIGHT OF WAYS WITH THE PROJECTED BUTTER.
FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN ACCOUNT NUMBER 0 0 1 DASH 2 5 6 5 5 3 1 0 2 0.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? MOTION SECOND.
[VIII.A.(5) P.R. No. 24536 — A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A 24-Month Lease-To-Purchase Agreement For One (1) 2025 D6 36 WHA For The Landfill From Mustang CAT Of Houston, Texas, Through The Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing Program For $667,664.88 Or A Monthly Lease Of $22,560.17. Funding Is Subject To The Annual Approval Of The City’s Budget, And Upon Such Approval, Shall Be Made Available In The Solid Waste Landfill Equipment Fund Account, 403-50-320-8522-00-00-000 ]
PR NUMBER 2 4 5, 3 6.RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A 24 MONTH LEASE TO PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR THE ONE 2025 D 6 36 WHA FOR THE LANDFILL FROM MUSTANG CAT OF HOUSTON, TEXAS THROUGH THE SOURCE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING PROGRAM FOR $667,664 AND 88 CENTS OR A MONTHLY LEASE OF TWENTY TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED SIXTY THOUSAND SEVENTEEN CENTS.
FUNDING THE SUBSTITUTE OF APPROVAL OF THE CITY'S BUDGET AND UPON SUCH APPROVAL SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN THE SOLID WASTE LANDFILL EQUIPMENT FUND.
ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 0 5 3 2 8 5 2 0 0.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? WE BEEN, IT, IT BEEN MOVED? AND SECOND QUESTIONS.
ALL IN FAVOR? A ALL OPPOSED MOTION PASS.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TE WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO A NUMBER
[VIII.A.(6) P.R. No. 24539 — A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Contract With Ferguson Enterprise LLC, DBA Ferguson Waterworks Of Humble, Texas, To Award The Water Meter And AMI System Replacement/Upgrade For A Combined Total Amount Of $9,836,584.12, Funding In Capital Improvements Project Account Number 405-40-000-8516-00-00-000, Is Contingent Upon The Approval Of The Budget Amendment In Proposed Ordinance No. 7373 ]
SIX PR NUMBER 2 4 5 3 9 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH FERGUSON ENTERPRISE, L-L-C-D-B-A FERGUSON WATERWORKS OF HUMBLE TEXAS TO AWARD THE WATER METER AND A MI SYSTEM REPLACEMENT UPGRADE FOR THE COMBINED TOTAL OF $9,836,584 AND 12 CENTS FUNDING IN, IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 0 5 DASH FOUR ZERO DASH 8 5 6 0 0 0 IS CONTINGENT UPON THE APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET AMENDMENT AND PROPOSED ORDINANCE NUMBER 7 3 7 3 WHICH WE'VE ALREADY PASSED.CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? IT'S BEEN MOVED.
ANY DISCUSSIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[02:40:01]
AYE.[VIII.A.(7) P.R. No. 24552 — A Resolution Approving An Amendment To The Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur And The Port Arthur Convention And Tourist Association Which Manages And Operates A Convention/Visitors Bureau In Order To Provide Funding Of The 2025-2026 Fiscal Year In The Amount Of $940,000.00, Hotel Occupancy Tax Account No. 140-15-600-5470-00-20-000, HO7912.0TH.OCS]
2 4 5 5 2.A RESOLUTION APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND THE PORT ARTHUR CONVENTION AND TOURIST ASSOCIATION, WHICH MANAGES AND OPERATES A CONVENTION VISTA BUREAU IN THE ORDER TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE 20 25 20 26 FISCAL YEAR IN THE AMOUNT OF $940,000.
HOTEL OCCUPANCY ACCOUNT TAX ACCOUNT NUMBER 1 4 0 DASH 15 DASH 600 DASH 5 4 7 0 0 DASH TWO ZERO H 0 7 912 S CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO PAGE NUMBER EIGHT.
WE HAVE ALREADY VOTED ON, UH, RESOLUTION NUMBER TWO.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 2 4 5 5 4 WE'RE GONNA GO TO NUMBER 10.
[VIII.A.(10) P.R. No. 24566 — A Resolution Authorizing The Purchase Of Two (2) Peterbilt Dump Trucks For The Water Utilities Department, Wastewater Treatment Division From Rush Truck Center Of San Antonio, Texas, Through BuyBoard, In The Amount Of $358,483.44. Funds Are Available In Account No. 625-40-225-8523-00-00-000, Motor Vehicles ]
PR NUMBER 2 4 5 6 6 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A PURCHASE OF TWO PETER BUILT DUMP TRUCKS FOR THE WATER UTILITIES DEPARTMENT.WASTEWATER TREATMENT DIVISION FROM RUSH TRUCK CENTER OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS THROUGH BY BOARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $358,483 AND 44 CENTS.
FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN ACCOUNT NUMBER 6 2 5 4 0 DASH 2 2 5 DASH 8 5 2 3 0 0 0 0 MOTOR VEHICLES.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? MOVED SECOND.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[VIII.A.(11) P.R. No. 24567 — A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Change Order No. 4 To The Atlanta Waterline Improvement Project With Global Drilling Inc. Of Winnie, Texas, Increasing The Contract Amount By $166,500.00 To The New Total Contract Amount Of $2,967,550.00 With Extended Contract Time Of 75 Days To A New Total Contract Time Of 480 Days; Funds Are Available In Capital Improvement Projects Account No. 405-40-000-8516-00-00-000, Project No. WS-0019 CON ]
NUMBER 2 4 5 6 7 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER FOUR TO THE ATLANTA WATERLINE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT WITH GLOBAL DRILLING INCORPORATED OF WINNIE TEXAS.INCREASE IN THE CONTRACT AMOUNT BY $166,500 TO THE NEW TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $2,967,550 WITH EXTENDED CONTRACT TIME OF 75 DAYS TO A NEW TOTAL CONTRACT.
FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 0 5 DASH 4 0 0 8 5 16 DASH 0 0 0 0 0.
PROJECT NUMBER WS DASH 0 0 1 9 CN CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANY NOS? THE AYES HAVE THAT THE RESOLUTION PASSES.
WE NEED TO GET A, WE'RE GONNA RE GET A MOTION TO REMOVE.
DO I NEED A MOTION TO REMOVE, UH, PR NUMBER 2 4 5 7 9.
I GOT A, A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THE RESOLUTION HAS BEEN REMOVED.
LET'S MOVE OVER TO PAGE NUMBER NINE.
WE HAVE ALREADY, UM, TAKEN ACTION ON, WE'RE GONNA GO TO NUMBER 14, PR NUMBER 2 4 5 9 8 A RESOLUTION APPOINTING MEMBERS TO THE PORT ARTHUR HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION AND WE'RE GONNA ASK FOR THAT TO BE MOVED REMOVED AT THIS TIME.
NO, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO THAT NOW.
I'M SORRY Y'ALL WE'RE GETTING IT STRAIGHT.
[VIII.A.(14) P.R. No. 24598 — A Resolution Appointing Members To The Port Arthur Housing Finance Corporation Board Of Directors]
LET'S GO.PR NUMBER 2 4 5 9 8 A RESOLUTION APPOINTING MEMBERS TO THE PORT ARTHUR HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
CAN I GET A MOTION OF APPROVAL? MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE REAPPOINT EVERYONE THAT IS ON THE RESOLUTION.
AND SECOND THAT WE REAPPOINT EVERYONE ON THE HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES.
ANY NOS? THE RESOLUTION PASSES.
WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON THE, OR WE MOVE INTO ORDINANCES.
WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON PO NUMBER 7 3 7 2.
AND SECOND TO REMOVE PO NUMBER SEVEN.
[02:45:01]
FAVOR SAY AYE.WE'VE REMOVED THE ORDINANCE NUMBER.
CAN A MOTION FOR? A MOTION FOR, UM, DISMISSAL? MOVE TO ADJOIN TO ADJOURN? IT HAS BEEN MOVED.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 8:19 PM HAVE A GREAT NIGHT.