Feb 24, 2026 City Council

[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]

[00:00:04]

GOOD. YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD IN OUR MEETING. OH. READY TO GO. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH, 2026 AT 9:30 A.M. YOU MAY JOIN US AND AND PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING IN PERSON OR BY DIALING ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ZOOM TOLL FREE NUMBERS 877853524 7 OR 8 887880099. YOU MAY ENTER THE MEETING ID OF 89534110873, AND THE PASSCODE OF 37066. ALSO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THOSE UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. YOU MAY DO SO. DO SO 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE BY CALLING OUR CITY SECRETARY'S AT (409) 983-8115. AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO ASK THAT EVERYONE WILL MUTE THEIR CELL PHONES OR ANY DEVICES THAT YOU MAY HAVE. AT THIS TIME, MAKING SURE THEY DON'T RING. WE'LL NOW HAVE OUR INVOCATION, OUR PLEDGE, AND OUR ROLL CALL. OUR INVOCATION WILL BE LED THIS MORNING BY APOSTLE JANICE MARLOW, ASKING IF SHE WOULD COME AT THIS TIME. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR PLEDGE AND OUR ROLL CALL. THANK YOU. WE'LL STAND FOR THE INVOCATION. TO THE HONORABLE MAYOR CHARLOTTE MOSES AND OUR MAYOR PRO TEM AND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS. IS IT OKAY IF I READ A COUPLE OF SCRIPTURES? YES, PLEASE. AS THE FOUNDATION FOR MY PRAYER. PSALM 127, VERSE ONE. EXCEPT THE LORD KEEP THE CITY, THE WATCHMEN, WICKED, BUT IN VAIN. PSALM 133 HOW GOOD AND HOW PLEASANT IT IS FOR BRETHREN TO DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY. FOR THERE THE LORD COMMANDED THE BLESSING. FIRST TIMOTHY TWO I EXALT THEREFORE THAT FIRST OF ALL SUPPLICATIONS, PRAYERS, INTERCESSIONS, AND GIVING OF THANKS BE MADE FOR ALL MEN, FOR KINGS, AND FOR ALL THAT ARE IN AUTHORITY, THAT WE MAY LEAD A QUIET AND PEACEABLE LIFE IN ALL GODLINESS AND HONESTY. AND PROVERBS 16 AND NINE. THE HEART OF MAN PLANS HIS WAY, BUT THE LORD ESTABLISHES HIS STEPS. LET'S PRAY OUR FATHER AND OUR GOD, HOW WE THANK YOU AND WE PRAISE YOU, LORD. WE GIVE YOU HONOR, WE GIVE YOU GLORY. WE WORSHIP YOU AND WE ADORE YOU. AND WE COME THIS MORNING, FATHER, IN THE NAME OF JESUS AND FATHER GOD, WE COME PUTTING YOU AT THE HELM OF THIS MEETING AND AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS CITY. AND FATHER, WE PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS.

LORD, WE LIFT THEM ALL UP TO YOU. AND LORD GOD, WE ASK YOU TO BLESS THEM. WE ASK YOU TO PROSPER THE WORK OF THEIR HANDS. WE ASK YOU TO PROSPER THEIR AGENDA. AND AS THEY MAKE THEIR PLANS KNOWN, LORD GOD, ESTABLISH THEIR WAYS AND LORD GOD ORDER THEIR STEPS, BRINGING THE RESOURCES, BRINGING THE HELPERS, BRINGING THE FAVOR. GIVE THEM THE FAVOR AND EVERYTHING THAT'S NEEDED, LORD, TO ESTABLISH THEIR PLANS. AND FATHER, WE ASK YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS THAT THERE BE UNITY, LORD GOD, AMONG NOT ONLY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND FATHER, YOU SAID THERE YOU WOULD COMMAND THE BLESSINGS, YOU WOULD GUARANTEE OUR SUCCESS. PROSPER THIS CITY, PROSPER OUR MAYOR, PROSPER THE COUNCIL AND PROSPER EVERYTHING THEY PUT THEIR HANDS TO. AND FATHER, WE'LL FOREVER GIVE YOU THE HONOR, THE GLORY AND THE PRAISE. LET EVERY SPEAKER, EVERY PRESENTATION AND EVERYTHING BE DONE DECENTLY AND IN ORDER. AND IT'S IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY. AMEN, AMEN, AMEN. PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU FOR THAT PRAYER AT THIS TIME, CITY SECRETARY, IF YOU WOULD ESTABLISH A QUORUM, MAYOR MOSES HERE, MAYOR PRO TEM DOUCETTE HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER. LEWIS. COUNCIL MEMBER. HAMILTON. EVER FEEL. COUNCIL MEMBER. BECKHAM HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. KINLAW. COUNCIL MEMBER. FRANK, YOU HAVE A QUORUM. MAYOR. THANK YOU,

[00:05:01]

[III.A.(1) Chad Cossey, Director of Field Dates, LLC., Regarding Port Arthur Cajun Feast Cookoff Proposal]

MAYBE IF YOU HOLD A LITTLE FURTHER BACK. HELLO. IS THAT BETTER? THAT'S BETTER. IS THAT BETTER? YEAH. WE CAN HEAR YOU. OKAY, GREAT. ALL RIGHT, SO PHIL DAY STARTED ABOUT 3 OR 4 YEARS AGO DURING COVID. WE WANTED TO GET PEOPLE ACTIVE AND ENGAGING AGAIN BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS KIND OF SOCIALIZING AT THE TIME. I WANT TO ASK A QUICK QUESTION. HOW MANY PEOPLE REMEMBER PHIL DAY AS A CHILD AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR? REMEMBER THAT THE MOST FUNNEST PART OF MY CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE. SO WE CREATED A COMPANY CALLED FIELD DATES, BRINGING A CHILDHOOD ADULT GAMES BACK INTO LIFE, GETTING PEOPLE ENGAGED AND ACTIVE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE NOBODY WAS REALLY ACTIVE AT THAT TIME. AND SO WE KIND OF REALLY TOOK OFF WITH THIS FESTIVAL EVENT IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. FOR THREE YEARS, WE'VE GROWN FROM 200 PEOPLE TO ALMOST 1000 PARTICIPANTS. TICKETED EVENT THAT WE HOST IN HOUSTON. WE BEGIN TO TAKE THE EVENT ON THE ROAD BY TAKING IT TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE'RE NOW EIGHT SCHOOL DISTRICTS HISD, CYPRESS, KATY, GOOSE CREEK, ETC. WE'RE NOW IN EIGHT DIFFERENT COLLEGES LAMAR UNIVERSITY, LAMAR STATE. WE ALSO IN SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS, SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY, HOUSTON, SO FORTH. TODAY WE ARE PRESENTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT AN ANNUAL EVENT. THAT'S OUR ANNUAL EVENT HERE FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PORT ARTHUR THAT GOT ME FIRED ABOUT DOING THIS EVENT. PORT ARTHUR IS A CAJUN CAPITAL OF TEXAS, BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WHY WE HOLD THAT TITLE. OUR STORY DIDN'T START WITH MARK WITH MARKETING A SLOGAN. IT STARTED IN 1927 WITH THE GREAT MISSISSIPPI FLOOD. THIS PLACE OF THOUSANDS THAT FOLLOWED THE LIGHT FOR REFINERIES AND THE PROMISE OF A NEW LIFE. THEY DIDN'T JUST BRING THEIR TOOLS AND THEIR BROUGHT THEIR THEIR FIDDLES AND THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR FLAVORS. WE ARE JUST WE ARE THE CITY THAT WHERE AJ JUDAS, THE CRAZY FRENCHMAN HIMSELF, FIRST INTRODUCED TO TEXAS TO THE CRAWFISH. HE DIDN'T JUST SELL THEM, HE MADE THEM SPECTACULAR WITH THE WORLD FAMOUS CRAWFISH RACES. WE ARE THE CITY WHERE HARRY CHARTERS RECORDS JOLA BLOND TURNING CAJUN MUSIC INTO A NATIONAL SENSATION KNOWN AS THE CAJUN SWING. TODAY, WE AREN'T JUST PROPOSING A FESTIVAL, WE ARE PROPOSING A HOMECOMING BY LAUNCHING A CAJUN SWING FEST. WE ARE HONORING THAT 100 YEAR LEGACY OF MUSIC. MUDBUGS WHILE INVITING THE WORLD TO SEE WHY PORT ARTHUR ISN'T JUST A CAJUN CITY, IT IS THE CAPITAL. IN ITS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF FILLED DATES. IF YOU HAVE OUR PAMPHLETS AND INFORMATION, I'M GOING TO GO OVER 4 TO 5 KEY POINTS ON EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.

WHILE THIS EVENT WILL BE IMPACTFUL FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, ONE, IT WILL CELEBRATE CAJUN HERITAGE TWO SUPPORT VENDORS AND SMALL BUSINESSES. THREE PROVIDE FULL DAY OF FAMILY AND FIELD ADULT ENTERTAINMENT FOUR GENERATE A SIGNIFICANT CASH FLOW FOR THE

[00:10:03]

FIVE CRAWFISH VENDOR PARTICIPATIONS. WE'RE ASKING FOR VENDOR BOOTHS, ABOUT 50 VENDORS, ACCESS TO FAMILY ADULT FESTIVAL HOURS FOR VENDORS, ENTRY INTO THE COOKOFF COMPETITION, AND SHAREABLE PROMOTIONAL VISIBILITY. A VINTAGE SET TO SET THEIR OWN PRICES PER POUND FOR CRAWFISH PER PLATE AND KEEP 100% OF SALES. COOKOFF COMPETITION AWARDS. GRAND PRIZE $1,000 PRIZE AND TROPHY. OUR JUDGES WILL BE MIXED UP WITH CITIZENS AND ALSO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OF OF OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND WE'LL BE JUDGING BASED ON CAJUN FLAVOR, SPICE BALANCES, COOKING TECHNIQUES AND PRESENTATION. PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS, TROPHIES AND PLAQUES, SOCIAL MEDIA RECOGNITION, RECOGNITION, AND ALSO OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL AWARDS AS MOST CREATIVE FLAVOR, BEST PRESENTATION, AND BEST SIDE ITEM. I'M GOING TO PASS THIS MIC OVER TO NICK COLLINS. HE'S GOING TO FINISH THE REST OF THE PART OKAY. YES YES. ALL RIGHT SO NEXT IN OUR PRESENTATION WE'RE GOING WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT OUR BAR OPERATIONS. LET ME ASK A QUESTION. YES MA'AM. CITY SECRETARY BECAUSE YOU ONLY HAVE FIVE MINUTES WHEN WE HAVE A SPEAKER. I WISH WE HAD SIGNED UP AT YOU UP AS A PRESENTER, BECAUSE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN 20 MINUTES. BUT YOU ONLY AS A SPEAKER. YOU ONLY HAVE FIVE MINUTES. CITY SECRETARY. MAYOR. WE CAN, WE CAN. I'M SORRY. WE'RE GOING TO.

YES. THANK YOU. YOU WANT TO? YEAH. I WANT THE CONSENSUS OF THE COUNCIL. YES. YEAH. OR WE CAN MOVE THEM TO A PRESENTATION TIME. NO, YOU CAN'T MOVE THEM. YOU CAN. OKAY. LET'S EXTEND. I CANNOT VOTE TO EXTEND TIME FOR MAYOR. WE'VE ALREADY HAD LIKE TEN MINUTES IN. OKAY, SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE EXTEND THE PRESENTATION. FIVE MORE MINUTES. SECOND. SECOND.

ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. THE AYES HAVE IT. YOU MAY CONTINUE.

AWESOME. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO NEXT IN OUR PRESENTATION WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO THE BAR OPERATIONS. SO FOR THIS EVENT WE'RE GOING TO ESTABLISH FOR ALCOHOL BARS. ONE IS GOING TO BE A BEER A BEER BAR. THE OTHER IS GOING TO BE FOR WINE. THE OTHER IS GOING TO BE FOR COCKTAILS AND FROZEN BEVERAGES. OKAY. NOW EACH ONE OF THESE DRINKS ARE GOING TO HAVE A PRICE THAT'S RANGED BETWEEN 10 TO $12. AND WITH THESE BAR OPERATIONS, FIELD DATES WILL PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING A TABC CERTIFIED STAFF ID VERIFICATION, INVENTORY MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS TICKET BOOTHS FOR DRINK PURCHASES. NOW WITH THIS EVENT, BETWEEN FIELD DATES AND THE CITY, THERE'S GOING TO BE ESTABLISHED RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN THE TWO. FIRST, FOR OUR COMPANY, THESE ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE. WE'RE GOING TO BRING ALL THE RIDES, INFLATABLES AND PREMIUM ATTRACTIONS TO THE EVENT. WE'RE GOING TO SET UP THE STAFF, SET UP AND TAKE DOWN, AS WELL AS CONDUCTING OPERATIONS FOR THE EVENT. WE'RE GOING TO DO TICKETING AND ADMINISTRATION SYSTEMS AS WELL AS VENDOR COORDINATION WAS SET UP. STAFF AND MANAGEMENT WILL SUPPLY WAIVERS, AND WE'LL ALSO ESTABLISH OUR $1 MILLION

[00:15:01]

THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE'RE ASKING WILL BE TO PROVIDE AND APPROVE THE VENUE, ISSUE NECESSARY PERMITS, PROVIDE POLICE SECURITY AND AND EMS. WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT ONE OFFICER FOR ABOUT 100 PEOPLE PER 100 PEOPLE. WE'RE LOOKING TO HELP LEAD MARKETING FOR THE COMMUNITY. BILLBOARDS, RADIO ADVERTISING, PAMPHLETS, ASSIST WITH VENDOR RECRUITMENT, HELP WITH VOLUNTEER SERVICES. THIS WILL ACTUALLY HELP KEEP DOWN THE COST WHEN IT COMES TO THE PROFITS. PROVIDE UTILITIES, TRASH, GROUND SUPPORT AND TRAFFIC CONTROL, AS WELL AS HELPING PROVIDE AND ASSIST WITH ENTERTAINMENT BOOKINGS. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS WOULD BE LOCAL BANDS AT NUMBER NINE. NOW WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THE FUN PART THE REVENUE PROJECTIONS. WHEN WE LOOK AT 2500 ATTENDEES, THIS IS HOW IT BREAKS DOWN FOR GENERAL ADMISSION. WE'RE LOOKING AT 1500 ADULTS AT $25 A PIECE. THAT'S GOING TO BRING US AT ABOUT 37,500 DOLLARS FOR THE SAME THING, STUDENTS AND CHILDREN. AT $20 A PIECE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A TOTAL OF $20,000.

THAT GROSS REVENUE COMES OUT TO ABOUT 57,500 AT OUR PREMIUM ACTIVATION ZONE. IF WE LOOK AT ABOUT 625 GUESTS GETTING TICKETS AT ABOUT $40 APIECE, WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT BELOW $25,000. AND THEN FOR OUR ALCOHOL SALES, IF WE APPROXIMATE 1500 ADULTS AT TWO AND A HALF DRINKS FOR $10 A PIECE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ANOTHER 37,500 AND OUR VENDOR FEES. WE SWITCHED THIS UP JUST A TAD. IF WE LOOK AT ABOUT 50 VENDORS, AT ABOUT $100, $150 A PIECE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $7,500. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS SPONSORSHIPS. WITH THE AMOUNT OF OIL AND GAS AND BANKING AND LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT THE CITY HAS, WE BELIEVE THAT SPONSORSHIPS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS, BECAUSE WE ESTIMATE THAT THE CITY WILL HAVE ABOUT $20,000 IN SPEND FOR THIS EVENT, BUT THE SPONSORSHIPS CAN HELP, CAN HELP ELIMINATE THAT COST FOR YOU ALL. AND WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT AT ABOUT $25,000, THIS IS GOING TO BRING US A TOTAL REVENUE OF ABOUT AT RIGHT, AT $152,000 AND $470. THE PROFIT SHARING BREAKS DOWN LIKE THIS. FIELD DAYS GET 60%, THE CITY GETS 40. WE'LL HAVE WITH THIS EVENT. WE'LL GET RIGHT UNDER 90,000 FOR OUR COMPANY, AND THE CITY WILL GET RIGHT UNDER 60,000. NOW, THIS EVENT ISN'T JUST ABOUT PROFIT, IT'S ALSO ABOUT COMMUNITY IMPACT AND WHAT IT CAN DO FOR THE CITY. THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS THAT THIS EVENT CAN BRING IS INCREASED REVENUE FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES, BOOST IN VENDOR PARTICIPATION AS WELL AS TOURISM GROWTH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AS WELL SAFE FAMILY ORIENTED PROGRAMING. THE CELEBRATION OF CAJUN HERITAGE AS WELL AS INCREASED CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. AND FINALLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT CITY ADVANCEMENT.

THIS EVENT CAN HELP ESTABLISH A NEW ANNUAL SIGNATURE EVENT FOR THE CITY, AS WELL AS ENHANCING BRANDING AND VISIBILITY FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS EVENT CAN BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE GROWTH OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE'VE ALREADY PRESENTED THIS PROPOSAL TO THE CITY, TO THE COMMERCE, TO THE CITY OF COMMERCE, AS WELL AS THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. AND WE'RE PROUD TO SAY THAT BOTH OF THOSE TOLD US THAT WE HAVE THEIR FULL SUPPORT. AND SO, IN CONCLUSION, PORT ARTHUR IS A CITY RICH IN HISTORY AND CULTURE, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THIS EVENT CAN HELP BRING PORT ARTHUR OUT OF THE SHADOWS AND INTO THE LIMELIGHT WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE, CREATIVITY AND FOCUS, WE CAN TRULY SHOW THE WORLD WHY PORT ARTHUR IS THE CAJUN CAPITAL OF TEXAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, GENTLEMEN. I LIKE MY PANELS NOT WORKING. COUNCILMAN FRANK, YOU HAD YOUR LIGHT ON FIRST, I THINK, AND I'LL LET YOU GO FORWARD. AND THEN COUNCILMAN KINLAW. THANK YOU MAYOR. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION ON TODAY. I WAS MADE PRIVY TO SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT INDIVIDUALS WERE HAVING. THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW PORT ARTHUR WAS DURING MARDI GRAS SEASON. AND SO SINCE MARDI GRAS HAS LEFT PORT ARTHUR, THERE'S BEEN A VOID HERE IN OUR CITY. AND I'M GRATEFUL TO HEAR YOUR PRESENTATION ON THIS MORNING AS YOU'RE COMING FORTH, BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO OR HOW WE COULD BEGIN TO CELEBRATE THE CAJUN HISTORY AND THE MARDI GRAS AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE USED TO HAVE HERE IN PORT ARTHUR. AND SO I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THIS VENTURE. WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH, OF COURSE,

[00:20:05]

OKAY, SO IT'S JUNE THIS YEAR. YES. AND THEN ANOTHER THING I JUST WANT TO KIND OF MAKE SURE YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND WHEN WE HAVE A COST TO THE CITY, THAT'S, THAT'S GOING TO BE ENDURED BY THE TAXPAYERS. YOU ASK FOR POLICING. SO BASED UPON YOUR NUMBERS, I'M THINKING 20 TO 27 POLICE OFFICERS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE AT THIS EVENT BASED UPON 2500. SO WE MAY HAVE TO TALK IN THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE IN THE CITY MANAGER OR WHOEVER YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ENDURING A COST LIKE THAT. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU SAID THAT IT WOULD BE A 6040 PROFIT MARGIN BETWEEN YOURSELF, YOUR COMPANY AND THE CITY. SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN DO THAT TO THAT EXTENT. HAVING POLICE OFFICERS THERE OTHER THAN IF THEY'RE VOLUNTEERING. AND I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, TOO MANY PEOPLE WANT TO VOLUNTEER TO PROVIDE SECURITY. SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE THAT IS A COST. AND THAT WOULD BE A COST TO THE TAXPAYERS. AND YOU SAID FROM 11 TO 6. YES. FOR THE ORIGINAL EVENT. YES. SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET WITH OUR STAFF, OUR CITY MANAGER AND KIND OF SEE, BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. I MEAN, WE HAVE A VOID IN THIS CITY. IT I WANT TO BE ONE OF YOUR JUDGES.

IF YOU ONCE WE GET IT GOING. YOU KNOW, I LOVE TO EAT, BUT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU PROBABLY WANT TO LOOK AT LOGISTICALLY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CRUNCHING NUMBERS, BECAUSE THE POLICING IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY MANAGER, THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ADDITIONAL JOB THAT'S, YOU KNOW, OVER TIME JOB OR CONSIDERED AN EXTRA JOB THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO INCUR AS TAXPAYERS AND AS A CITY, AND THAT DO COME WITH A COST. SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO TALK WITH STAFF ABOUT THAT, INSPECTIONS, THOSE VENDORS THAT'S GOING TO BE OUT THERE THAT ALSO COMES WITH SOME SORT OF COST UNLESS YOU GET THE PRE DONE YOU KNOW. SO THOSE VENDORS HAVE TO BE INSPECTED WATERLINES ALL THOSE THINGS PROVIDING BARRICADES, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THE LEGWORK. I WISH YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND. IT COMES WITH SOME TYPE OF DIRECTION. WE HAVE THAT IN OUR ORDINANCE. ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT'S WHY WE PROPOSE THAT WITH THE PROJECTIONS OF THE BUDGET WOULD BE AND HOW WE CAN OFFSET THAT, THAT COST WITH OUR SPONSORSHIPS TO COVER THAT COST FOR TAXPAYERS, AND THEN ALSO BEING A POSITIVE AT THE END OF THE DAY OF 50 SOMETHING THOUSAND THAT BE GOING IN YOUR POCKET VERSUS MOST OF THE EVENTS ARE NORMALLY GIVEBACKS THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS, WE PAY FOR THAT FOR THE CITY AND GIVE THEM A FREE EVENT. IT'S ACTUALLY A CHARGEABLE TICKETED EVENT THAT YOU ACTUALLY CAN USE 57,000 MAYBE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO INCREASE HOMELESSNESS OR WHATEVER, OR MENTAL HEALTH. THIS CAN BE AN EXTRA BUDGET THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY UTILIZE SOMETHING ELSE. WELL, I WILL LEAVE THAT TO YOU GUYS WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GETTING THOSE SPONSORS TO COME IN AND SEE WHAT THEY WILL CONTRIBUTE. BUT I THINK AT THE BIG PICTURE, IT'S A WE NEED SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WE ARE THE CAJUN, WE ARE. PORT ARTHUR IS THE CAJUN CAPITAL OF TEXAS. SO I WANT TO BE THERE. I WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT. BUT I JUST HOPE THAT YOU JUST TAKE THE LOGISTICS AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU FINE TUNE THOSE LOGISTIC ASPECTS. THANK YOU. MA'AM, I HAVE ONE MORE COUNCILMEMBER. COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS, YOU HAVE YOUR LIGHT ON.

YES. COUNCILMAN KINLAW BASICALLY COVERED EVERYTHING, THE PROJECT. IT'S A WORKABLE PROJECT, BUT THAT'S CAUSE EVERYTHING THAT COUNCILMAN KINLAW COVERED, I WAS GOING TO COVER. BUT I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT. IT'S ENOUGH SAID, BUT I'M EXCITED ABOUT YOUR PROJECT.

IT'S A WORKABLE PROJECT. PEOPLE NEED TO GET OUTSIDE AND AND FIND OUT WHO THEIR NEIGHBORS ABOUT AND CO-MINGLE. IT'S GOOD. IT'S GOOD ATMOSPHERE. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. OKAY.

AND I'VE HAD SOME THE ENTERTAINMENT THAT WE USED TO HAVE EVERY YEAR THAT HAS LEFT AND WENT TO BEAUMONT, THAT'S ALL I'M GOING TO SAY. I'VE BEEN GETTING PHONE CALLS FOR THEM RETURNING. WILL I BE SUPPORTIVE OF IT? I SAID YES, I WOULD BE OKAY. SO THEY'RE NOT HAVING THE SUCCESS THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE. OKAY. RIGHT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. AND I'LL BE THE COOK. I'LL I'LL BE IN THE COOK OFFS. I'LL MAKE THE BEST A TOUGH DAY THERE IS. BUT ANYWAY, SO BOTH BUT ANYWAY WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. LOOK FORWARD TO YOU GUYS BEING IN PORT ARTHUR. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOUR NEXT STEPS SHOULD BE? WELL, GET WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND SEE WHAT, WHAT VENUE AND ALL OF THOSE

[00:25:06]

[III.A.(2) Chelmane Cohea Regarding Public Housing Living Conditions]

CHARLEMAGNE. KOBE. IF SHE COULD COME FORWARD REGARDING PUBLIC HOUSING LIVING CONDITIONS. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. I THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY BECAUSE THIS IS THIS IS JUST UNREAL. I'VE FOLLOWED THE CHAIN OF COMMAND. I'VE EVEN SAT DOWN WITH THE SUPERVISOR, LYDIA WILLIAMS, AND PUBLIC HOUSING. I MADE A APPOINTMENT WITH THAT. I'VE EMAILED. LET ME BACK UP JUST A LITTLE BIT, I APOLOGIZE. CAN YOU GIVE ME YOUR STATE, YOUR NAME FOR ME AND YOUR. YOU ALWAYS SAID YOUR NAME, BUT YOUR ADDRESS, PLEASE. OKAY. 5200 GULFWAY DRIVE, APARTMENT 306. OKAY. PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, 77642. OKAY. I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING. IF YOU COULD GO. THAT'S OKAY, THAT'S OKAY. I WAS NERVOUS ABOUT COMING UP HERE, BUT SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. I'VE EMAILED CYNTHIA HARRIS, WHICH IS THE ASSISTANT MANAGER.

I EMAILED TANYA KEEL, WHICH SHE'S NO LONGER THERE. SHE'S BEEN LET GO. I'VE EMAILED SAMANTHA JORDAN, I'VE EMAILED CHANEL DIXON AND JOSEPH GUILLORY. I'VE ASKED MANY TIMES FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE. IT RAINED IN MY APARTMENT FOR TWO DAYS. WHAT APARTMENT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? LAKEVIEW PALMS. I'M SORRY. LAKEVIEW PALMS, LAKEVIEW PALMS. YES, MA'AM. I EVEN SENT YOU PICTURES OF THE RAIN RAINING IN MY APARTMENT. I MEAN, THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. I'VE CALLED ENERGY. ENERGY CAME OUT, AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS ON THE MANNER IT WAS ON LAKEVIEW PALMS. I HAVE BLINKING LIGHTS, ELECTRICAL STOVE. IT CAUGHT FIRE. I WENT TO CALL. IT HAD A GREASE FIRE. THAT WAS THE OTHER DAY. THEY CAME AND THEY LOOKED AT THE STOVE AND THEY WALKED OUT. I MEAN, THAT'S CRAZY. THAT'S THAT'S LIFE THREATENING TO ME. I FOLLOWED EVERYTHING THEY'VE ASKED ME TO DO AND I HAVE NO, NO RESPONSES.

IT'S WE'RE WAITING OR WE'LL WE'LL GET TO YOU. I MEAN, IT'S JUST RIDICULOUS. LET ME. HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH THE OWNER OF THE COMPLEX? I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE OWNER OF THE COMPLEX. OKAY, I'VE EVEN FILED THE COMPLAINT THING WITH HOOD. I'VE DID EVERYTHING, AND THIS WAS MY LAST RESORT. PLEASE HELP ME. HELP ME LIVE. RIGHT, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S MOLD AND EVERYTHING ELSE FOR IT. RAINING TWO DAYS IN MY APARTMENT AND THE FOR THE FLOOR BUCKLING. COME ON NOW.

THAT'S CRAZY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, I SEE SOME LIGHTS GOING ON. OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER KINLAW, I'M GOING TO I'M CALLING BECAUSE I'M KIND OF WATCH HERE. I DON'T KNOW WHO HAD THEIR LIGHT ON FIRST, BUT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE MY MY PANEL'S NOT WORKING. SO COUNCILMEMBER, COUNCILMEMBER DOUCET AND THEN COUNCILMEMBER FRANK, THANK YOU. MAYOR AND AND MISS KOBE, THAT SEEMS TO THE NAMES THAT YOU'RE RECALLING, IT SEEMS TO BE LIKE IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT. YES, SIR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO YOU'RE ASKING THE CITY JUST TO SEE IF WE CAN INTERVENE AND AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP ACCOMMODATE YOU WITH SOME OF THOSE DEFICIENCIES. CORRECT? CORRECT. YOU'VE BEEN TURNING THEM IN, HADN'T GETTING HADN'T GOTTEN ANY TYPE OF RESPONSE OR REPLY? NO. I EVEN WENT LIVE ON FACEBOOK AND WHEN I WENT LIVE ON FACEBOOK, THEY SENT TWO MAINTENANCE MEN IN. THEY WALKED AROUND, THEY CHANGED LIGHT BULBS AND THAT'S IT. WELL, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. THE MAYOR. THE MAYOR HAD AN INTERVIEW A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

THE COUNCIL COLLECTIVELY, ALONG WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY, WE'RE PUTTING SOME TEETH IN SOME OF THOSE THINGS, LIKE YOU'RE STATING OUR JOB IS TO HELP THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR, AND I WANT TO DO THAT. SO IF LATER ON, IF YOU'RE HERE, I WOULD LOVE TO GET YOUR NAME AND NUMBER PERSONALLY, AND OUR ENTIRE COUNCIL IS GOING TO BE WORKING ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT. YES, SIR. BUT BEING THROUGH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, I KNOW THE BOARD IS THE BOARD IS MADE BY THE MAYOR. SHE HAS A STRONG STROKE. AND, YOU KNOW, TALKING WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND SAYING, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED. THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT COMING FROM THIS POINT FORWARD. BUT LIKE I SAID, I'M WILLING TO HELP YOU PERSONALLY TO MAKE SOME OF THOSE CALLS AND FIND OUT WHAT SOME OF THOSE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE, BUT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AND THAT'S JUST A WARNING, AND I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE. DON'T BE NERVOUS. I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE OTHER TENANTS LIKE YOURSELF ARE HAVING SOME OF THOSE SIMILAR PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND DISCUSS AND SHOW THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO

[00:30:04]

THANK YOU. DON'T BE NERVOUS. THANK YOU. SO IF YOU WILL GIVE ME YOUR NUMBER AND NAME AND I WILL, I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE GET OUT THERE AND ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE SOME OF THOSE ANSWERS ANSWERED. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. MAYOR. NO. YOU'RE WELCOME. COUNCILMEMBER.

MAYOR PRO TEM. YES. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. I HAVE A QUESTION THING BECAUSE I WE'VE HAD SOMETHING IN PRINCE HALL AND NOW WE'RE COMING FROM LAKEVIEW PALM VIEW SAY YES, SIR.

AND CITIZENS ARE COMING TO THE CITY. THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE JURISDICTION OVER PRIVATE PROPERTY, BUT EVERY BUILDING THAT PEOPLE GO INTO, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR HAVE TO GIVE WHAT THEY CALL AN OCCUPANCY, A LETTER OF OCCUPANCY THAT THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THAT BUILDING. AND THAT MEANS THAT THIS BUILDING HAS MET ALL OUR CODES. AND YOU CAN GO IN, THAT'S A RESTAURANT, A HOUSE, AN APARTMENT COMPLEX. OKAY. JUST LIKE WE GIVE. THESE A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE CALLED. WE CAN REMOVE THEM. THERE'S A PROCESS, THOUGH, IN ORDER FOR US TO REMOVE A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, WE MUST FIRST BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THAT PARTICULAR STRUCTURE IS UNINHABITED. OKAY. YES, SIR. SO MY QUESTION HERE, MANAGER. YES. WHEN WE'RE HAVING CITIZENS COMPLAINING, ARE WE GETTING OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT ENVIRONMENTAL, ENVIRONMENTAL BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT FALLS UNDER. DO OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT GO AND INSPECT WHERE THE COMPLAINT IS? YES, BUT WE CAN ONLY DO THAT WHEN WE REACH OUT TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS REGISTERED THE COMPLAINT, AND WE CAN CONTACT THEM. I HAVE PERSONALLY, WHEN THE MATTER CAME ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS COUNCIL MEETING, REACHED OUT ON FOUR OCCASIONS. NO RESPONSE TO MY CALL FROM THE NUMBER THAT WAS PROVIDED, AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS BECAUSE THE NUMBER THAT WAS RECORDED IS INCORRECT, BUT I HAVE PERSONALLY REACHED OUT ON THIS OCCASION. ON FOUR OCCASIONS, THE MAYOR ASKED ME ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS TO REACH OUT. OKAY. AND I HAVE NOT. SO WE CAN ONLY DO THAT WHEN WE GET THE CORRECT INFORMATION. AND AGAIN, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE ON THE COMMUNICATION THAT HAS BEEN RELAYED TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE. THANK YOU. OKAY. LET ME TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH. CAN WE REFER THESE INDIVIDUALS TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR THEM TO CHECK AND GO INSPECT THIS PARTICULAR PLACE TO SEE IF IT'S MEET THE CODE FOR PEOPLE TO OCCUPY? ABSOLUTELY. WE COULD DO THAT. OKAY, THEN. BUT WE CAN DO THAT WHEN WE HAVE THE CORRECT.

WE KNOW WHERE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO A CORRECT ADDRESS AND INDIVIDUAL.

I'M OKAY. I'M, I WANT I WANT TO ADDRESS THE PROCESS. WE HAVE NOT THIS PARTICULAR CASE. BUT IF WE ESTABLISH HOW CAN WE HELP OUR CITIZENS AND WE PUT THAT IN PLACE AND WE GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO THE CITIZENS, WE WON'T HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY COMING FROM PRINCE HALL THIS WEEK BEFORE US, SOMEBODY COMING FROM LAKE PARK NEXT FEW. THEN THE NEXT WEEK WE HAVE SOMEBODY COMING FROM ANOTHER COMPLEX. WE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS GO TO THE EDUCATIONAL PORTION. AND THAT'S THE PART THAT I KNOW WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY AS A CITY IS TO ENSURE THAT ALL STRUCTURES MEET OUR CODES AND ORDINANCE. FOR SOMEBODY TO OCCUPY. AND ALTHOUGH WE ESTABLISHED CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY, THAT IS DONE FOR ANY STRUCTURE WHEN IT WAS BUILT AND IS CONTINUOUS UNTIL IT BECOMES UNSAFE, AT WHICH TIME WE CAN THEN REMOVE

[00:35:07]

THAT'S WHAT I'M THAT'S I SAID OKAY. IT'S UNDER THE. I DIDN'T SAY IT. YOU OKAY? WE ISSUE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. YES. WE CAN REMOVE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. YES, THE CITY CAN.

RIGHT. OKAY. AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DOESN'T, BUT THE. OKAY, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CLEAR. WELL, I'M MAKING IT CLEAR TO EVERYBODY. I'M NOT. I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU ALL INSPECTING, NOT YOU ALL DOING NOTHING ELSE BUT GOING OUT, LIKE YOU SAID, I UNDERSTAND, BUT IF IT'S NOT STRAIGHT, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE AS A TOOL, AS A CITY. THAT'S MY POINT I WANT TO BRING OUT TODAY. WE ARE THE ONES THAT ISSUE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, AND THEY ONLY GO TO STRUCTURES THAT ARE MEET ALL OUR CODES.

YES. FOR SOMEBODY TO OCCUPY, WHETHER IT'S A RESTAURANT OR HOUSE, A HOTEL, AND IF IT BECOMES A TIME WHEN IT'S NOT, THEN WE HAVE THAT AUTHORITY TO REMOVE THAT CERTIFICATE BY SIMPLY NOTIFYING WHOEVER OWNED IT. YES, THESE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE CORRECTED. AND IF YOU CAN'T CORRECT THESE THINGS, THEN YOU WON'T HAVE A CERTIFICATE OPTION AND EVERYBODY ISN'T GOING TO. OR IF IT IS APARTMENT, THEY THEY'RE GOING TO BE ASKED TO MOVE BECAUSE THE OWNER AND THIS IS ALL ON OWNERS. YOU SEE I'M NOT DEALING WITH WE DON'T DEAL WITH RENTERS. WE DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO OWN THE PROPERTY BECAUSE THAT'S WHO HAS THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, NOT A RENTER. AN OWNER HAS THAT. OKAY. SO THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO TAKE AN APPROACH FOR THIS CITY. IF WE WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING WHERE WE GOT SOME TEETH, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT TOOLS WE HAVE. AND THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL IS A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. AND THAT IS ON OUR SIDE. OKAY. AND IF I CAN SAY THIS TO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL DEPARTMENT WORKS VERY CLOSE WITH MR. VELARDE OR WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO IF WE GO OUT AND WE SEE SOMETHING THAT IS OUTSIDE OF WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO, WE DO WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENTS. BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING, EVEN IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CANNOT DO, WE WILL GO OUT. AND, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERY COMPLAINT WE DO GO OUT, RIGHT? COUNCILOR LEWIS? WE GO

[00:40:02]

I FOUND A LOT OF THINGS OUT IN THE LAST MONTH. AND SO WE ARE WORKING TOWARD MAKING SURE THESE OWNERS ARE ACCOUNTABLE. AND SO IF YOU JUST BEAR WITH US, WE WILL GET SOMETHING DONE AND GET YOU SOME ANSWERS. I'M NOT GOING TO ANSWER UNTIL I KNOW THAT I'VE GOT SOMETHING IN PLACE AND I'VE ADDRESSED SOMEBODY AND I'VE MET WITH THE OWNER, I CAN GIVE YOU A SOLUTION. I'M NOT OUT HERE JUST TALKING WHEN I'M GOING TO MAKE SOME THINGS HAPPEN. YES, MA'AM.

YES, MA'AM. OKAY, I GOT WE GOT IT. SO IF YOU'LL JUST GIVE US A TIME TO DO THAT, I WILL. I WILL GO FORTH AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMPLIANCE. IF WE GUYS, WE CAN MOVE ON. WE'D LIKE TO GO ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA. COUNCILMAN. AIRFIELD, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? NO. YOU JUST SAID EVERYTHING I WANTED TO SAY, BUT I MISS. I'M SORRY THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THIS.

IF YOUR PROPERTY IS NOT SAFE TO LIVE IN RIGHT NOW, THEN WE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU WITH SOME RESOURCES SO THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY CAN BE IN A SAFE LIVING ENVIRONMENT. SO IF YOU DO NEED SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES, PLEASE REACH OUT TO THE CITY MANAGER. AND HE CAN DEFINITELY MAKE SURE THAT WE GET CONNECTED. AND THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. WE LOOK FOR YOUR NUMBER BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO CALL YOU BACK. I SAW YOUR EMAIL, BUT I DID NOT HAVE NOR THE CITY MANAGER HAD THE CORRECT NUMBER. WHETHER THAT WAS INADVERTENTLY TAKEN DOWN AND CORRECTLY. BUT IF YOU'LL LEAVE IT FOR US WITH SOMEONE HERE, THEN WE WILL DEFINITELY GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU. I'LL DO THE SAME THING AGAIN. COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS MYSELF AT PRINCE HALL WITH THE OWNER.

WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SOME THINGS HAPPEN, OKAY? THANK YOU FOR COMING. ALL RIGHT. YOU'RE

[III.B.(1) A Presentation By Motiva Regarding The Downtown Redevelopment Progress And Update (Requested By Councilmember Kinlaw)]

[00:45:05]

OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEES AT 20 YEARS OLD. LASTLY, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO JOIN THE CITY IN RECOGNITION OF EARTH DAY. SO WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN CLEANING UP OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE GREG ABBOTT. HE'S OUR PROJECT DIRECTOR FOR MOTIVA CAPITAL PROJECT TEAM AND OVERSEES OUR ADAMS BUILDING RENOVATIONS. GREG. THANK YOU CLAIRE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL CITY MANAGER AND MAYOR. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU GUYS A QUICK UPDATE ON THE ADAMS PROGRESS. I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE EXCITED TO TO GET SOME INSIGHT AS FAR AS WHERE WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT. THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING IS QUICKLY TRANSFORMING INTO A A MODERN, FUNCTIONAL OFFICE SPACE FOR THE PORT ARTHUR TEAMS, AND IT'S HARD TO SEE THAT FROM THE OUTSIDE. BUT HOPEFULLY IF YOU'VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION, YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE THE BUILDING COME TO LIFE AS WE'VE HIT THE 90% MARK ON THE EXTERIOR WINDOW SO YOU CAN START TO SEE THE BUILDING COME TO LIFE FROM THE EXTERIOR. BUT I ASSURE YOU, ON THE INTERIOR WORK IS ADVANCING. IT IS AT AN IMPRESSIVE PACE. WE ARE TAKING A TOP TO BOTTOM APPROACH ON CONSTRUCTION. FLOOR SEVEN, SIX AND FIVE ARE FOR ADVANCED COMPARED TO THE LOWER FLOORS, BUT YOU'LL YOU'LL BE ABLE TO QUICKLY SEE ALL OF THE TILE INSTALLATION ON THE RESTROOMS. SHEETROCK IS COMPLETE. FINAL WALL PAINTING IS COMPLETE, MILLWORK AND CABINETRY WORK IS INSTALLED AND THINGS ARE ADVANCING AND LOOK LIKE THEY'RE CLOSE TO COMPLETION ON THE UPPER FLOORS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE ELEVATOR INSIDE IS ALSO A NEAR COMPLETION, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF CURRENTLY ORDERING ALL OF THE OFFICE FURNITURE REQUIRED FOR OCCUPANCY LATER THIS YEAR. AND IT IS OUR INTENT TO BE OCCUPIED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, WHICH I THINK IF MY IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT. THE BUILDING WAS COMPLETED IN 1916, SO WE WOULD BE MOVING IN ON THE 100TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT IT IS A VERY ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION SITE, MANAGED BY OUR CONTRACTORS, PAUL GLASS. AND BECAUSE OF THIS, WE CAN'T OFFER ANY ON SITE TOURS AT THE MOMENT. BUT INSTEAD WE BROUGHT A SHORT VIDEO TO SHOW YOU THE PROGRESS OF THE BUILDING.

[00:50:38]

250. YES, SIR, FOR THAT BUILDING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU.

I KNOW I WAS HERE WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROJECT, WHEN WE HAD THE BUY IN TIE IN WITH THE COMMUNITY FOR MOTIVA TO COME. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR TEAM WANTING IN CONTINUING THE PROCESS, BUT UPDATES WERE WANTED AND NEEDED AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO ASSURE THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR THAT, YOU KNOW, NOTHING'S CHANGED. WE JUST HAD A PROCESS COME, A COUPLE OF MILESTONES WE HAD TO GET OVER. BUT I'M JUST SO EXCITED TO KNOW THAT WE'RE IN DOWNTOWN. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AT LEAST 200, 250 PEOPLE DAILY HERE IN OUR GREAT CITY. SO THANKS AGAIN AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING THIS REPORT. AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO THIS REPORT EVERY 3 OR 4 MONTHS. RIGHT. ARE WE OKAY WITH THAT? YES, SIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. OH, WAIT A MINUTE. I HAVE LIGHTS, COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS AND THEN COUNCILMEMBER HAVERFIELD AND THEN MAYOR PRO TEM DOUCETTE YES, I APPRECIATE ALL THE PROGRESS YOU ALL HAVE MADE SO FAR. AND I REALIZE ALONG THE WAY THINGS HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, YOU ALL HAD TO GET TO THE WITH THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, TEXAS HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND GET IN LINE TO GET ALL WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO APPROVED. SO THAT'S ONE OF THEM. WHEN THEY WERE GOING AROUND TALKING ABOUT THAT MOTIF HAS ABANDONED THE PROJECT. I KEPT TELLING HIM THAT IT'S NOT TRUE. THEY GOT PROCESS TO GO THROUGH. THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE HISTORICAL STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY CAN HAVE TO APPROVE. OKAY. NOW AND I'M APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU ALL HAVE DONE SO FAR, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING 250 MINIMUM 200 PLUS JOBS IN THE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. BUT THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY THING THAT'S HAPPENING. YOU GOT ENGINEERING COMPANIES THAT WANT TO BE CLOSE TO THE ADMINISTRATION. THEY'RE GOING TO BE MOVING INTO THE DOWNTOWN AREA. THEY'RE GOING TO BE BUYING. THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING THEY'RE LOOKING FOR OFFICE SPACES NOW TO MOVE IN SO THEY CAN BE CLOSE BY. OKAY. AND EVENTUALLY PEOPLE WILL BE RIDING A BICYCLE TO WORK. IT'S JUST IT'S IT'S JUST A WIN WIN.

BUT ONE OF THEM THIS IS MY DISTRICT, OKAY. AND MOST OF THE INCENTIVES AS YOU ALL ARE BENEFITING FROM I INITIATED THEM. OKAY. LIKE THE ABATEMENTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND PROCUREMENT, CONTRACTING ALL OF THAT STUFF THAT'S BRINGING REVENUE, THAT'S THE COUNCIL'S JOB IS TO FIND SOURCES OF REVENUE, NOT GET INVOLVED IN BOGGED DOWN IN THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF IT, BUT FIND NEW SOURCES OF REVENUE TO BRING AND PUT OUR PEOPLE TO WORK. OKAY.

BUT WHEN YOU ALL COMPLETE THIS PROJECT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ALL COMPLETE THE PROJECT, I HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR YOU ALL, BUT NOT TO INTERFERE WITH THIS. NOW, YOU SEE THAT OLD SABINE HOTEL

[00:55:03]

OKAY? IT'S BEEN SITTING THERE. OKAY, BUT WHAT I'M GOING TO PROPOSE. AND WHEN I FIRST CAME ON COUNCIL, I WENT IN THE CHARTER, GOT WITH THE CITY MANAGER, WENT INTO CHARTER AND TOOK SOME PROVISIONS OUT, SOME REQUIREMENTS OUT SO WE CAN PARTNERSHIP WITH BUSINESSES IN THE FUTURE. I WANTED TO ATTRACT CORPORATE OFFICERS AND THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES A WHILE FOR RETAIL FOLLOW TRAFFIC. AND THEY JUST LIKE THE MIGRATION BIRDS. THEY'RE GOING TO GO WHEREVER THE TRAFFIC IS OKAY. BUT WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN, WHEN YOU ALL COMPLETE YOUR PROJECT, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER THAT SABINE HOTEL. LET ME SAY, IF YOU GOT A VIABLE WORK IN PROJECT OR A GOOD PLAN, THE CITY MANAGER WILL LET YOU HAVE IT FOR $10. IN OTHER CONSIDERATION. WOW. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I. THAT'S WHY I TOOK IT OUT OF THE OUT OF THE CHARTER. LET YOU SEE, IT'S A PARTNERSHIP. A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS. YES. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MOTIVA. IT'S JUST TALKING ABOUT IT'S JUST MOTIVA, THE DOWNTOWN PROJECT, THIS MOTIVA, WHEN THEY COMPLETE. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ON SABINE HOTEL. CAN WE MOVE ON TO THE. YEAH, THAT'S NOT A PRESENTATION. OKAY, OKAY, I NEED I THINK I THINK Y'ALL GOT MY POINT. OKAY. BUT YES, HE CAN. HE HAS THE ABILITY TO COUNCILMEMBER FOR $10. ANOTHER CONSIDERATION OKAY OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER. GOOD EVENING. GOOD MORNING, MISS CLAIRE. AND SIR, I APOLOGIZE, I FORGOT YOUR NAME, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS AMAZING PRESENTATION AND THE FIRST CLASS WAY THAT YOU ALL ARE BUILDING OUT THIS PROPERTY. I SAW MARBLE ON THE WALLS. THAT IS DEFINITELY FIRST CLASS. I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THE UPDATES TODAY, BUT CLAIRE, I SPECIFICALLY JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A SHOUT OUT FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU ARE PUTTING NOT ONLY INTO DOWNTOWN PORT ARTHUR, BUT THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU ARE CREATING AND MOLDING AND MENTORSHIP THAT THAT YOU OFFER THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU YOUR FLOWERS WHILE YOU'RE STILL ON THIS SIDE TO SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE HARD WORK THAT YOU ARE PUTTING INTO INTO THIS COMMUNITY. NOT JUST YOU, BUT BUT YOUR TEAM, YOUR TEAM AS WELL. BUT I SEE YOUR FACE A LOT AND HEAR YOUR VOICE A LOT, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL OF THAT EFFORT AND CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT'S COMING. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM DOUCET. YES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. VERY GOOD. AND I THINK CITIZENS SHOULD GO BACK AND LOOK AT THIS PRESENTATION AND UNDERSTAND DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR CITIZENS KEEP WALKING DOWNTOWN TO GO BACK TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE, BASED ON THE MIGRATION OF THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY, THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN. OKAY. WE GOT A DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PLAN. WE PAY THEM TO GIVE US WHAT'S HAPPENING. DOWNTOWN IS NOT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU ALL DONE AND WHAT YOU ALL DONE. IN EXAMPLE, WHAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON DID WITH THEIR DOWNTOWN. WHEN EVERYBODY STARTED MOVING OUT OF HOUSTON, THEY GOT RID OF THE BUILDINGS AND THEY WENT DOWNTOWN AND STARTED WITH THE HEADQUARTERS FOR HALLIBURTON, THE HEADQUARTERS FOR THIS CORPORATIONS, THE CONVENTION CENTER, HOTELS. WELL, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN DOWN HERE. AND I LOOK, I WON'T BE AROUND, BUT DOWNTOWN WILL ONE DAY BE A BUSINESS DISTRICT. AND BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, I THINK OTHER REFINERIES, I THINK CHEVRON, I THINK VALERO, I THINK THESE REFINERIES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO EXPAND, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO EXPAND OUTSIDE THE FENCE LINE. THE ONLY OTHER PLACE YOU CAN EXPAND IS WITHIN. AND THE WAY THEY EXPAND, YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR ADMINISTRATORS OUT AND TURN IT INTO OPERATION. YOU ALL AND SOME PEOPLE SAY, OH, MOTIVA IS HELPING OUT DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PLAN. WELL, I'LL I'LL REVITALIZATION PLAN DID NOT INCLUDE MEDIEVAL BUILDING. THIS BUILDING. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. YOU ALL ARE THE PIONEERS TO WHAT I BELIEVE, GOING TO TURN OUR DOWNTOWN INTO A BUSINESS DISTRICT. AND IT'S GOING TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE REFINERIES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO COME OUT. ONCE THEY SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE, THEY'RE GOING TO DO THAT. AND WHY? BECAUSE DOWNTOWN IS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF REFINERIES, AND THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN TURN OPERATION MORE OPERATION WITHIN THOSE PLANTS

[01:00:02]

AND SO ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN A PART OF OUR PROJECT ON WOODWORTH BOULEVARD, MAKING A GATEWAY DOWNTOWN. WHEN INDIVIDUALS COME TO MOTIVA, COME TO THE CONSULTING FIRM, COME TO DOWNTOWN. WE WANT PORT ARTHUR TO BE THAT SHOWPLACE THAT WELCOMES PEOPLE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL OF THIS IS WORKING TOGETHER FOR GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL.

[III.B.(2) A Presentation By Council Member Willie Bae Lewis, Jr., Regarding The 900 Acres On Pleasure Island As A Brownfield Site]

NOW, THERE'S A THERE'S AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA WITH AN APPLICATION OF THE DISTRICT.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M GOING TO BE ASKING FOR, THAT WHATEVER WE DO WITH THE NAVIGATIONAL DISTRICT AND DD SEVEN, THAT WE EXCLUDE THE 900 ACRES FROM THAT. OKAY. BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S GOING THAT'S DEALING WITH PA. AND INSIDE OF PA IS THE THE 900 ACRE PA IS A LARGE TRACT OF LAND, AND THE 900 ACRES THAT WE HAVE LEASED TO WIND TURBINE PEOPLE IS A PART OF IT. WE NEED TO EXCLUDE THAT. AND I NEED BEFORE I CAN DO ANYTHING GO ANY FURTHER, I NEED TO KNOW I NEED AND I REQUESTED IT. I CALL YOUR OFFICE YESTERDAY. I NEED TO HAVE COPIES OF ALL RESOLUTIONS RELATED TO PA. OKAY, THAT'S BEEN PASSED FOR DD SEVEN. I NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE RESOLUTIONS. AND ONE OTHER THING I NEED TO KNOW. WHEN THEY DO THE EXCAVATION, THE DREDGING, AND I NEED TO KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO PUT THE SPOILS.

WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO PUT IT? THAT'D BE ALL FOR NOW. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE

[III.B.(3) A Presentation By Staff Regarding The City Of Port Arthur's Pursuit Of Purpose Leadership Development Program Culmination]

[01:05:04]

WE'VE OFTEN HAD QUERIES, ESPECIALLY FROM THE MAYOR AND DOCTOR KINLAW, REGARDING WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PREPARE OUR EMPLOYEES TO ASSUME A ROLE, NOT JUST AS MANAGERS OF DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS, BUT IN MOVING THE CITY FORWARD? AND TODAY, WE ARE VERY PROUD TO PRESENT TO YOU ONE OF THE ANSWERS. IN RESPONSE TO THAT, THE CITY MANAGER HAS CHALLENGED HIS SENIOR STAFF TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM WHICH HAD MORE OF A FUTURISTIC TYPE BENT IN THAT WE'RE NOT PREPARING PEOPLE JUST TO BE ABLE TO RUN A DEPARTMENT, BUT THAT THEY WOULD BECOME LEADERS AND MENTORS FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. SO IT IS MY PLEASURE TODAY TO PRESENT TO YOU THE ALPHA COHORT OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, PURSUIT OF PURPOSE, LEADERSHIP AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM AND THEIR DIRECTOR, MR. ROBERT MARTIN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, DOCTOR DIXON. THANK YOU. COME ON. MR. ROBERT BARTON, HOW ARE YOU? I AM FAR BETTER THAN I DESERVE.

OH, THAT'S PRETTY GOOD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MAYOR. MISTER MANAGER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DOCTOR THIGPEN. I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE WENT. HE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU. HE DISAPPEARS QUICKLY. SO I'VE GOT TO SAY JUST HOW MUCH GRATITUDE WE HAVE TO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN AND MADE PART OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR FAMILY. AND HOW VERY PROUD WE ARE OF THIS FIRST GROUP OF GRADUATING LEADERSHIP MENTORS. THEY ARE TRULY SERVANT LEADERS. THEY WENT INTO THIS COURSE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF APPREHENSION, A LITTLE BIT OF, SHALL WE SAY, ANXIETY. THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, BUT THEY TOOK HOLD OF IT WITH THEIR WHOLE HEARTS. AND THEY WILL STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY, AND THEY WILL GIVE YOU THEIR VISION STATEMENTS, BECAUSE THEY LEARNED HOW TO CRAFT A VISION STATEMENT FOR THEMSELVES AS LEADERS, AS PEOPLE, AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, AS INFLUENCERS FOR THEIR CIRCLES. SO AS I PRESENT OR AS WE PRESENT TO THEM. AND THIS IS CHUCK OLIFF, HE'S MY PARTNER. AS WE PRESENT TO THEM THEIR GRADUATING CERTIFICATES AND PLAQUES, I'D LIKE TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU THEIR VISION, IF WE MAY TAKE THAT LIBERTY. YES, PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. IN NO CERTAIN ORDER, I WILL CALL THEM UP INDIVIDUALLY. MR. JAMES BROWN. ALL RIGHT. MR. BROWN, HERE'S YOUR PLAQUE. MAN, THIS IS NICE. YOUR CERTIFICATE. THANK YOU, SIR. AND BEFORE HE PRESENTS, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU GUYS SOMETHING. SOMETHING THAT THIS COURSE INCULCATES IS THE PRINCIPLE. IT'S BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE GOLDEN RULE PRINCIPLE. AND I'M SURE MANY OF YOU KNOW THE GOLDEN RULE. WE WERE TAUGHT IT AS KIDS, BUT IT IS DO UNTO OTHERS TO DO UNTO YOU AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU. BUT THERE'S A LITTLE MORE TO IT THAN THAT. IT'S ACTUALLY A CONTRACT, AND THERE'S A CLAUSE IN THERE. THE IMPLIED, THE IMPLIED CLAUSE IS IF THE ROLES WERE REVERSED, BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT WE DON'T IMPLY EMPATHY OR WE DON'T APPLY EMPATHY. SO EACH GRADUATE OF THE COURSE NOW WILL BE INDUCTED INTO THE GOLDEN RULE CLUB. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS SO INSIDE YOUR LITTLE POUCH IS YOUR VERY OWN GOLDEN RULE MARBLE. AND THEY'LL TELL YOU THAT AS WE TAUGHT THE CLASS, I STOOD BEFORE THEM AND FIDGETED WITH MY VERY OWN GOLDEN RULE MARBLE. AND THE CHALLENGE OF THIS IS THAT EACH MEMBER INDUCTED INTO THE GOLDEN RULE CLUB IS THEN CHARGED WITH CARRYING THIS ON THEIR PERSON AT ALL TIMES TO REMIND THEM THAT IN EVERY ENDEAVOR THEY UNDERTAKE, THEY BUILD IT ON THAT PRINCIPLE. SHOW EVERYBODY WHAT'S IN. YES. RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. IT'S COOL. YEAH. EMBOSSED ON THAT MARBLE IS THE GOLDEN RULE. WE WILL HAVE IT ON OUR PERSON. PRETTY COOL ALL THE TIME. AND ROB AND I CARRY THEM EVERYWHERE WE GO. THERE YOU GO. SO, MR. BROWN, BATTER UP, I WANT I'M LIKE, DO I GET THAT MARBLE? I GOT TO GO THROUGH THE CLASS, I LIKE THAT. DO WE HAVE TO GO TO THE CLASS? GO AHEAD AND PUT THIS IN MY POCKET RIGHT NOW. OKAY. THIS IS A A GREAT WAY FOR SUPERVISORS. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. THAT'S AWESOME. NOW FIRST OF ALL I'M NOT A VERY GOOD PUBLIC SPEAKER.

SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME. WITH THIS. HE BEGINS WITH DISHONESTY. YES. VERY GOOD. YEAH. VERY GOOD.

[01:10:01]

VERY WELL DONE. ALRIGHTY. THANK YOU. MAYOR, CAN YOU GET A COPY OF THAT FOR THE COUNCIL? NEXT TO US? I'D LIKE MR. SPENCER MARTIN TO JOIN ME UP HERE. ALL RIGHT. HERE'S YOUR PLAQUE, YOUR CERTIFICATE, AND YOUR VERY OWN GOLDEN RULE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL. I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY THAT LET ME COME TO THIS COURSE. IT WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. I LEARNED A LOT. SO THANK YOU. MY VISION IS TO CREATE INDIVIDUALS TO BECOME BETTER AND PERSONAL GROWTH, LEADERSHIP GROWTH AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH. TO NEVER STOP LEARNING FROM OTHER INDIVIDUALS, EVEN THE ONES I WILL HELP CREATE TO COMPLETE THIS VISION. MY MISSION IS TO STAY COMMITTED TO BEING COURAGEOUS, DISCIPLINED, AND TO BE CONSISTENT WITH INTEGRITY. AWESOME. THANK YOU. GREAT. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. AND WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT THEY WERE GOING TO PRESENT THIS TO COUNCIL, IT WAS A SHOCK. AND THEY WERE LIKE, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? YOU EXPECT US TO DO WHAT? YEAH. ALL RIGHT, MR. MARTIN. FRANCOIS. PROUD OF YOU, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. OKAY. MY VISION, MY VISION IS TO EMPOWER OTHERS THROUGH FOLLOWSHIP AS WELL AS LEADERSHIP TO HOLD ONE ACCOUNTABLE THROUGH CAPABILITY, AS WELL AS TO INSPIRE THROUGH DIVERSITY AND EMPATHY AS WELL.

THE GOAL IS TO BUILD A LEGACY WITH CONFIDENCE THROUGH MENTORSHIP. THIS WILL BE THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR OTHER LEADERS TO BUILD ON. AWESOME. CONGRATULATIONS! AWESOME. ALL RIGHT, MISS LYNN. MISS LINDA BOSWELL. HERE'S YOUR PLAQUE, YOUR CERTIFICATE AND YOUR GOLDEN RULE. MARVEL. THANK YOU. MY VISION IS WHAT I ASPIRE TO BE. I DID NOT WAKE UP TODAY TO BE MEDIOCRE. MY VISION IS TO BE KNOWN FOR HAVING MADE A CONSTRUCTIVE, POSITIVE AND LASTING IMPACT FOR BOTH CAPACITY AND CONFIDENCE BUILDING IN PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC ARENAS THROUGH KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICE AND A SENSE OF HUMOR.

AWESOME. CONGRATULATIONS, LYNN. MR. GREGORY KAZMIR. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU, MR. BLACK.

THANK YOU FOR YOU AND YOUR MARK. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. MY VISION STATEMENT IS TO DEMONSTRATE A SUSTAINED COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY BY DELIVERING INNOVATIVE, SAFE AND IMPACTFUL ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS THAT SERVE PEOPLE. STRENGTHEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND INSPIRE LASTING PROGRESS. THAT'S MY STATEMENT. PORTFOLIO. YOU CAN TAKE YOUR STUFF. GOOD JOB. GOOD JOB GREG. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MISS RACHEL SCOTT. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR

[01:15:01]

AND IF POSSIBLE, WE'D LIKE TO ASK, COULD WE TAKE A PICTURE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL UP FRONT IF THEY COULD LINE UP RIGHT HERE? PERFECT. MAYOR. YES. COUNCILMEMBER. LEWIS. OH, NICE.

HEY, STIR IT AROUND NOW. YEAH. THEY'RE GOING TO COME LINE UP HERE AND I'LL TALK AFTERWARDS.

OH OKAY. YEAH. RIGHT. AND. COME ON I LIKE THIS. IS THIS LIKE SUPERVISORY KIND OF THE OLD SCHOOL SUPERVISORY TRAINING AND A NEW LEVEL I LIKE THIS I LOVE IT. IT'S VERY PERFECT. YEAH, I SEE IT. THANK YOU, MR. MARTIN. THANK YOU GUYS. CONGRATULATIONS. WITH YOUR DEGREE. I ALWAYS KNEW HE WAS CERTIFIABLE. YEAH. IF YOU SHOOK HIS HAND. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. GREAT. AWESOME. OH, THOSE FLAGS UP. ALL RIGHT. WHO'S GOING FIRST? YEAH. WE'RE WATCHING. OKAY. SO.

SMILE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ALRIGHTY. DO YOU THINK THAT BOSWELL IS A VERY SERIOUS PERSON? IT IS A GREAT PERSONALITY. I LOVE SHE'S FUNNY.

SHE'S ACTUALLY A RATCHET. OH, SHE'S ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. AND CONGRATULATIONS

[01:20:05]

[III.F.(1) A Discussion Regarding The City’s Response To Individuals Making Requests Or Seeking Information By Phone Calls Or Emails (Requested By Mayor Pro Tem Doucet)]

YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY IS HERE FOR, TO SERVE CITIZENS. WHEN SOMEONE CALL, IF WE CAN'T ANSWER THE PHONE AND THAT HAPPENS, THAT HAPPENS PRACTICALLY ANYWHERE. BUT MESSAGES ARE LEFT. WE SHOULD RETURN CALLS. NEXT TIME YOU HAVE A STAB. ME, I THINK IT DOES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED WITH THE DIRECTORS BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO STOP. WE DON'T GET TO CHOOSE WHO WE WANT TO ANSWER THE PHONE OR WHO WE WANT TO RETURN THE PHONE CALLS.

THAT'S WHAT WE GET PAID TO DO. SO LET'S SEE, CAN WE DO SOMETHING TO IMPROVE IN THAT AREA? CITY MANAGER. DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THIS? OKAY, WE ARE DONE WITH THAT DISCUSSION.

I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION THAT'S KIND OF ALONG THE SAME LINES, IF YOU DON'T MIND. OKAY. SURE.

SO WE HAVE THE NEW SYSTEM ON THE WEBSITE FOR PEOPLE TO REPORT THEIR CONCERNS. AND I'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS BECAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT AS A311 SYSTEM. BUT WHEN I THINK PEOPLE ARE GETTING CONFUSED BECAUSE IF YOU TRY TO CALL 311, YOU'RE STILL CONNECTED TO THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION. SO IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN MAKE OUR NEW REPORTING SYSTEM THAT'S ON THE WEBSITE INTO A PHONE NUMBER THAT THEY CAN CALL, THAT'S DEDICATED TO THE SAME TYPE OF THING, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS THAT DON'T USE THE COMPUTER. THEY DON'T HAVE SMARTPHONES WHERE THEY CAN ACCESS THE WEBSITE ON THEIR PHONE TO REPORT CONCERNS LIKE THAT. SO IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE WORKS FOR A DEDICATED PHONE NUMBER FOR THEM TO CALL THAT WILL DO THE SAME THING AS THE WEBSITE REPORTING SYSTEM THAT WE NOW HAVE. DO YOU WANT TO START FIRST? AND YEAH, AND THE ANSWER IS YES. THE QUESTIONS BY THE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE RIGHT ON POINT AND ON TIME. JUST THIS WEEK WE HAD TRAINING FOR THE MY CIVIC PLUS 311 SYSTEM WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE CONCERNED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE TIMELY AND RELEVANT RESPONSE TO ALL OUR CITIZENS. REQUEST IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE ROLLING OUT PRETTY SOON WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF, AND EVEN PRIOR TO THAT, THE APPOINTMENT OF OUR NEW DIRECTOR OR MANAGER OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE CITY, WHICH WILL BE INSTITUTED IN THE MONTH OF MARCH, WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S COMING ON BOARD TO DO THAT AND TO WORK WITH US TO GET IT DONE. SO WE ARE TAKING A VERY COLLABORATIVE APPROACH BETWEEN ALL DEPARTMENTS RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ROLL OUT THAT PLAN. OUR MAYOR HAS BEEN VERY MUCH INSTRUMENTAL IN WORKING WITH OUR IT DEPARTMENT, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND ALL OUR STAFF IN MAKING SURE THAT THE REQUEST FROM CITIZENS AND THEIR CONCERNS AND RESPONSES TO THEM IS BEING DONE IN A VERY TIMELY MANNER, AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO RESPOND IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS, YOU KNOW, TO SHOW THAT THERE IS A SYSTEM WHICH IS ALMOST SEAMLESS IN RESPONDING TO OUR CITIZENS CONCERNS. ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON IS APART FROM LEADERSHIP IS CUSTOMER SERVICE. IT NEEDS A LOT OF ATTENTION IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. IT DOES NEED ATTENTION. AND WE'RE GOING TO GET WE'RE GOING. I AM

[01:25:01]

OKAY. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. AND I'M SO GLAD THAT MAYOR PRO TEM DOUCET AND COUNCILMAN REBECCA, BECAUSE THAT WAS A BIG CONCERN. AND WITH THAT, BRINGING ON 311 WAS MAKING SURE THAT THERE WERE TWO PEOPLE PER DEPARTMENT THAT IN CASE SOMEONE IS OUT, ANOTHER ONE IS CALLED CROSS TRAINING. ANOTHER ONE WOULD ROLL OVER AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT TRAINING.

SO THAT WAY WE CAN'T SAY, OH, THEY DIDN'T ANSWER. SOMEBODY'S GOT TO BE THERE AND BE ACCOUNTABLE. AND SO THERE WERE TWO I THINK FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, I ASKED THE MANAGER OF TWO PEOPLE FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT COULD BE TRAINED IN THIS LAST TRAINING THAT TOOK PLACE WITH THE THREE, MY CIVIC THREE, ONE, ONE. AND SO THE APP WILL BE ASKED FOR MARCH 1ST LAUNCH. AND I THINK THEY HAVE DONE EVERYTHING TO ACCOMMODATE THAT DATE. TO LAUNCH THE MY CIVIC 311, THE APP IS READY FOR DOWNLOAD AND WE'RE JUST ABOUT READY TO GO LIVE, SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS. MY 311 IS JUST SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO COME INTO THE 21ST CENTURY WITH, AND THEY'VE DONE EVERY THE STAFF HAS DONE EVERYTHING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

AND SO I AM EXCITED ABOUT IT. AND I PRAY THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE EXCITED. AND I'M PRAYING WE GET RESULTS, AND WE WILL TEST IT AND SEE HOW IT GOES IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS, ONCE WE LAUNCH IT IN MARCH 1ST AND THEN BE ABLE. BUT WE'RE READY FOR A MARCH 1ST, MARCH 2ND LAUNCH. AND SO THEY HAVE PREPARED THEMSELVES AND STAFF. SO I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THE STAFF IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR FOR THEIR COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS TO MAKE THIS VISIBLE, BECAUSE SO OFTEN, MAYOR PRO TEM, WE GET THAT THAT NO ONE ANSWERED MY CALL, NO ONE ANSWERED MY EMAIL, BUT NOW THEY WILL BE HELD. WE WILL KNOW WHO'S GETTING THAT CALL, AND WE WILL KNOW THE PERSON THAT'S BEHIND THEM. THAT SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT IF THE FIRST PERSON DIDN'T GET IT. SO WE WILL NOW HAVE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN OUR CITY STRUCTURE AND STAFF. ALL RIGHT. MAYOR. YES. AND ONE OF THE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF IT, THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF IT IS TO GET BACK TO THE CUSTOMER. YES. AND INFORM THE CUSTOMER THAT THE JOB WAS DONE. WE HAVE ADDRESSED IT, YOU KNOW, AND I'M TELLING YOU WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT THOUGH. YEAH. AND STAFF MEMBERS ARE GOING TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. I'M TELLING YOU, THERE IS A SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. AND WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON. NOW WE HAVE NUMBER FOUR PUBLIC

[V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]

COUNCILMEMBER FRANK, I'M GOING TO LET YOU DO IT. I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE YOU, BUT GO AHEAD AND YOU GO AHEAD. AND DO YOU WANT TO GO? NO, NO NO NO. GO AHEAD. I'M BEHIND YOU. GO AHEAD. ALL RIGHT. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO OFFER PRAYERS AND CONDOLENCES TO ONE OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, FAMILY, CLYDE RIP TRAHAN, OF COURSE, HAS PASSED. AND SO HE WAS SUCH A VALUED TEAM MEMBER HERE AT THE CITY FOR SO MANY, FOR SO LONG. BUT HE WAS A FRIEND AND A FOOTBALL MATE AT LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL AND SO VALUED HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR FOR 30 PLUS YEARS HE WAS AN EMPLOYEE OF OUR CITY. AND SO WE WANT TO REMEMBER HIM AND HIS FAMILY IN OUR PRAYERS. IT'S BEEN A ROUGH WEEK FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR BECAUSE SO MANY BELOVED INDIVIDUALS AND ICONS HAVE GONE ON AND PASSED IN THIS WEEK. BUT WE WANT TO REMEMBER COACH GAMBLE AND HIS FAMILY IN THE PASSING OF MISS MARGARET GAMBLE. OF COURSE, WE WANT TO REMEMBER THE WISE FAMILY AS WELL. ZETA WISE HAS PASSED. SHE WAS THE WIFE AND A LONGTIME EDUCATOR HERE IN THE CITY OF MR. ELLIS WISE. WE WANT TO REMEMBER THEM, THE FAMILY, AND OF COURSE, WE WANT TO ASK FOR PRAYERS FOR MY FAMILY AND FOR THE FAMILY OF THE SAVOYS CIVIL RIGHTS ICON, HAJJI FAYE SAVOY, WHO STARTED THE MARTIN LUTHER KING SUPPORT GROUP AT THE REQUEST OF CORETTA SCOTT KING.

OVER 40 YEARS. OVER 40 YEARS AGO, HAS PASSED. I JUST WANT TO ASK FOR HER PRAYER. ASK FOR

[01:30:04]

WE NUMBER SIX, WE HAVE REPORTS OF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE NUMBER SIX UNFINISHED BUSINESS. WE

[VII. CONSENT AGENDA ]

OKAY. NUMBER ONE ON PAGE FOUR, COUNCIL MEMBER BECKHAM, ITEM NUMBER 14 ON PAGE SIX. TEN.

OKAY. AND COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS. YES. ITEM. EIGHT. AND ITEM. ITEM 14. YOU GOT 14. OKAY, OKAY.

EIGHT. ITEM NUMBER EIGHT. OKAY. THAT IS ON PAGE FIVE. OKAY. WOW. SO I NEED A MOTION FOR APPROVAL WITHHOLDING ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA. HOLDING NUMBER ONE. HOLDING ITEM NUMBER THREE.

HOLDING. ITEM NUMBER EIGHT. HOLDING ITEM NUMBER 14. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED. OKAY, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ITEMS WHICH WERE PREVIOUSLY CALLED OUT. AND AGAIN, I WILL DO IT FOR THE RECORD. ITEM NUMBER ONE HAS BEEN WITHHELD. ITEM NUMBER THREE HAS BEEN WITHHELD. ITEM NUMBER EIGHT. AND ITEM 14 DID WE VOTE? ALTHOUGH WE DID VOTE ANY NO'S? DID WE VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY NOS. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE CONSENT

[VII.C.(1) P.R. No. 24568 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Pilot Program For The MarMac Low Dose System For The Water Purification Plant From Vision Equipment Of Houston, Texas For A Duration Of 45 Days With A Budgetary Impact Of $66,000.00; Funding Is Available In Water Purification Account No. 410-40-210- 5318-00-00-000, Equipment Maintenance]

[01:35:02]

[VII.C.(3) P.R. No. 24728 – A Resolution Ratifying Emergency Repairs To Fire Ladder Truck No. 1 Performed By Siddons­Martin Emergency Group Of Port Arthur, Texas, In The Amount Of $32,608.91; And Authorizing Payment From The Fire Department Motor Vehicle Maintenance Account No. 001-19-047-5319-00-30-000]

IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND DISCUSSIONS. YES. OKAY. MAYOR PRO TEM. YEAH I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS. SURE. OKAY. THE FIRE CHIEF, YOU COME IN ON TIME. HE'S HE'S. I GUESS HE WAS HOPING HE'D GET AWAY. BUT TODAY IS YOUR LUCKY DAY. GOOD MORNING. ANTONIO. GOOD MORNING. HOW ARE YOU DOING? YES, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT. THE RATIFYING EMERGENCY REPAIR TO THE FIRE TRUCK. OKAY. YES, SIR. I READ ALL THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION. ONE, WE HAVE A LADDER TRUCK.

AND YOU HAVE A SPARE, RIGHT? YES, SIR. WE DO? YES, SIR. OKAY, SO IF YOU HAVE A SPARE. RIGHT? WHY DO WE HAVE TO. WHY IS THIS AN EMERGENCY? SO THE THE THE BACK, THE SPARE TRUCK WENT INTO THE SHOP TO GET PM TO GET EVERYTHING OPERATE. WHICH ONE? THE BACKUP TRUCK. OKAY. THE BACKUP TRUCK WENT INTO THE SHOP TO GET EVERYTHING. WE CALLED PM. MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS SERVICEABLE. GOTCHA. WHILE IN THE SHOP, THEY IDENTIFIED SOME STUFF WITH THE LADDER THAT NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED AND SOME OTHER STUFF WITH THE PM. SO WE WENT AHEAD AND GOT IT FIXED JUST IN CASE. IF OUR MAINLINE TRUCK WENT DOWN, THIS TRUCK WOULD BE OPERABLE. OH, WE DIDN'T WANT TO WAIT THE LAST MINUTE AND TRY TO GET THAT FIXED BECAUSE WE COULDN'T PUT PEOPLE IN THE BASKET AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE BOTH OF THEM ARE READY TO GO AT ALL TIMES. OKAY. SO HOW IS THAT AN EMERGENCY? BECAUSE IF WE DO LET IT COME OUT, CERTAIN THINGS WITHIN THAT BASKET, IF IT'S NOT DONE, THEN IT IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET US BACK ON THE SCHEDULE TO GET IT DONE. SO IT WAS ALREADY IN THE SHOP ALREADY GETTING WORKED ON. OKAY, SO THEY MADE THE FLEET FACILITY, MADE THE DECISION TO GET THAT FIXED WHILE I WAS IN THE SHOP CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP VERSUS MOVING IT OUT RATHER THAN TAKING IT OUT AND THEN HAVING TO GO BACK BECAUSE THEN YOU HAD TO BE RESCHEDULED. YEAH, WE HAD TO BE RESCHEDULED. THE PARTS HAD TO BE ORDERED AND ALL THAT. YEAH. OKAY. I WAS GOING TO UNDERSTAND, BUT NOW THAT WE GOT THAT RESOLVED, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT QUESTION. NEXT QUESTION IS I SAW THE INVOICE WAS DATED NOVEMBER 25TH. SO WHEN WAS IT COMPLETED? I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATE WHEN IT WAS COMPLETED. I CAN TELL YOU. I CAN FIND OUT WHAT DAY THEY WENT INTO THE SHOP. BUT A LOT OF THOSE INVOICES WE GET THOSE WEEKS, MONTHS LATER. SO I COULDN'T TELL YOU WHEN THE WORK WAS DONE. I CAN TELL YOU WHEN THE WORK WAS DONE, WHAT WAS IN THE SHOP, I COULD OKAY, THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE QUESTION THAT YOU CAN SEVEN AND ANSWER THIS ONE. OKAY. WHEN DID WE PAY HIM? I'M SORRY AGAIN. WHEN DID WE PAY THEM? I'LL HAVE TO PULL THAT AS WELL. OKAY. MY QUESTION IS ANTONIO IS CENTERED AROUND TIME FRAME HERE. EVERY TIME I SEE ANYTHING THAT SAYS RATIFYING, I WANT TO KNOW WHY IT DIDN'T COME TO COUNCIL. OKAY, SO WE DONE WELL ON THE TRUCK BEING IN THERE. AND YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO TAKE IT OUT.

WAIT TILL COUNCIL MEET AGAIN. THAT'S RIDICULOUS. SO I UNDERSTAND THE DECISION BEING MADE. GO AHEAD AND DO THE ADDITIONAL ONES. BUT I HAVE A CONCERN WITH THE INVOICES BECAUSE FOR THEM TO GIVE AN INVOICE, THAT MEANS THEY'VE DONE THIS WORK, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY GOING TO DO THIS WORK? AND IN NOVEMBER AND NOW IT'S COMING BEFORE COUNCIL AT THE END OF FEBRUARY. THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. YES. SOMETIMES WE GET INVOICES LIKE THAT. THEY MAY HOLD ON TO THAT INVOICE FOR MONTHS. AND THEN WE GET THE INVOICE AND THEN IT'S THEN WE

[01:40:02]

[VII.C.(8) P.R. No. 24770 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Apply For The FY 2027 Body-Worn Camera Grant With A 25% Cash Match Requirement. Funding For The Cash Match Is Available In Account Number 001-17-045-5470-00-30-000]

YEAH. I JUST GOT A QUESTION ABOUT IS THERE A PROGRAM THAT'S IN PLACE TO MONITOR THE THE BODY CAMERAS, OR DO YOU WAIT UNTIL CITIZEN COMPLAINT OR SOMETHING? THAT'S ALL.

COUNCILMEMBER I MEAN, POLICE OFFICER I MEAN, SERGEANT, I'M GONNA GET YOUR TITLE. RIGHT.

YOU WANT TO COME ON UP TO THE PODIUM FOR ME? YEAH. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. MAY YOU FIND YOUR WAY THROUGH THE MAZE. GETTING UP HERE? YES, SIR. OKAY, I JUST HAVE A SIMPLE QUESTION. I'M KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT THE BODY CAMS THAT THE POLICEMEN ALL HAVE. YES, SIR. DO YOU HAVE SOME KIND OF PROGRAM THAT YOU MONITOR THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY'RE INTERFACING WITH A CITIZEN OR WHATEVER, OR THE CAMERAS ARE OPERATING AT THAT TIME COMPLETELY, OR ARE THEY TURNING THEM OFF? HOW DO YOU KEEP UP WITH THIS STUFF? THE SUPERVISOR WOULD MONITOR THAT.

SUPERVISOR MONITOR? YES. THAT'S AN ONGOING THING. YES, SIR. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE.

OKAY. BECAUSE I, I HAVE A REASON FOR THAT. NOT TODAY. OKAY? OKAY. WELL, COUNCILMEMBER KINLAW, THANK YOU, SERGEANT TRENT, DO WE HAVE A POLICY? AND I KNOW WE I KNOW WE DO. I JUST WANT TO BE STATED FOR RECORD, BUT DO WE HAVE A POLICY THAT ALL OFFICERS THAT ARE ON DUTY AND ARE WEARING BODY CAMS IS ACTIVATED WHEN THEY ARE DOING SOME TYPE OF EMERGENCY? STOP INTERACTING WITH THE CITIZENS? YES. IS THAT A POLICY THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY? PD YES, THAT'S THE POLICY WE HAVE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH.

COUNCILMEMBER FRANK, PIGGYBACKING, PIGGYBACKING, PIGGYBACKING OFF THAT QUESTION UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES? AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW AND I WANT THE CITIZENS TO KNOW AS WELL.

UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD AN OFFICER TURN OFF THAT CAMERA? LET'S SAY CALL FOR SERVICE, BUT THEN THEY GO USE THE RESTROOM OR THAT'S I MEAN, IN THE LINE OF DUTY. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE PERSONAL. OKAY? I'M TALKING ABOUT UNDER IN, IN. IS THERE ANY REASON THAT WE CAN THINK OF OR THAT MIGHT OCCUR WHERE AN OFFICER WOULD BE INTERACTING WITH A CITIZEN OR IN A STOP OR ANSWERING A CALL THAT THAT CAMERA WOULD BECOME DISENGAGED? WE SHOULDN'T DO THAT. NO, SIR.

JUST WANT TO JUST WANT TO CLARIFY IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, OFFICER. DO USUALLY WANT TO HAVE A PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH ANOTHER OFFICER ABOUT INFORMATION. THEY WOULD MUTE THAT BODY CAMERA, BUT THEY WOULDN'T TURN IT OFF. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. EXTENSION OF THE OTHER ONE. THE COMPLAINT THAT I GOT WAS NOT THE CITIZEN CALLED ME, WAS ARRESTED FOR RUNNING A STOP SIGN, AND I SAID, IF YOU DIDN'T AGREE WITH IT, JUST GO AND FILE A COMPLAINT AND WE'LL FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. BUT WHEN HE WENT IN, THEY ONLY SHOWED HIM GETTING OUT OF THE CAR. THAT PORTION, WHEN OFFICER WAS TALKING TO HIM, THE REST OF IT LEADING UP TO THAT WAS HE COULDN'T SEE IT. SO WHY? MY QUESTION IS WHY YOU

[01:45:04]

I'LL SPEAK TO HIM. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. ANY NOES?

[VII.C.(14) P.R. No. 24794 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Submit An Application For Funding Under The Jefferson County Tourism Grant Program For The “Beach/Park On Waterway” Project At Pleasure Island (Lakefront Park)]

THANK YOU. GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND DISCUSSION. COUNCIL MEMBER BECKHAM. THANK YOU. I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS PROJECT BEFORE AND THAT THIS RESOLUTION IS ONLY FOR THE APPLICATION FOR THE FUNDING, BUT I JUST NEED CLARIFICATION ON A COUPLE OF THINGS. WHERE EXACTLY IS THIS PARK TO BE LOCATED? IT SAYS LAKEFRONT PARK, BUT CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT A LITTLE BIT? YES, MA'AM. THE CUL DE SAC, THE FRONT SIDE OF THE PARK WHERE THE BASKETBALL COURT IS. THERE'S AN AREA. IF YOU'RE FACING THE BASKETBALL COURT, IT WOULD BE TO THE LEFT SIDE AS SOON AS YOU COME OFF THE BRIDGE. OKAY. AND WHAT ELSE BESIDES A PICKLEBALL COURT AND ADDITIONAL SEATING BENCHES ARE PLANNED FOR THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION. THAT'S ALL. THAT'S IT? YES.

OKAY. IS THIS ANYWHERE NEAR WHERE THE VOLLEYBALL COURT WAS THAT'S BEEN TAKEN DOWN? YES.

IT'S TO REPURPOSE THE VOLLEYBALL COURT BECAUSE WHEN THEY HAD THE THEY HAD TWO VOLLEYBALL COURTS, WELL POLLS IT WASN'T ACTUAL COURTS, BUT THEY HAD TWO VOLLEYBALL POLES THAT WERE NEXT TO EACH OTHER WITH NO NETS ON THEM. SO YEARS AGO WE TOOK THOSE DOWN, BUT WE NEVER ACTUALLY PUT ANYTHING IN PLACE OF WHERE IT WAS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I. OH. I'M SORRY. SOMEBODY ELSE HAD A LIGHT ON. OH, YEAH. WE'VE GOTTA GET THIS PANEL. I'M GONNA SAY IT ONE MORE TIME. WE PUT MONEY IN THE BUDGET. IT'S SIX MONTHS INTO THE BUDGET. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH NOT HAVING LIGHTS ON. I NEED TO GET THIS REPAIRED.

OKAY. MAYOR PRO TEM HAS A QUESTION. OKAY. YES, I JUST I READ IT. I HAD NO QUESTION ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. I HAVE A QUESTION, THOUGH. WHEN YOU SAY YOU TOOK THE VOLLEYBALL THINGS DOWN. THAT'S MY QUESTION YEARS AGO. YEAH, ABOUT 3 TO 4 YEARS AGO. WELL THERE WERE I KNOW, BUT THERE'S NO PLAN TO PUT NO OTHER ACTIVITY THEREBY THAT IT WAS LOCATED. YEAH, I UNDERSTAND PICKLEBALL, BUT WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE OUT THERE ON PICNIC THAT NORMALLY PLAY VOLLEYBALL, PICKLEBALL. SO THERE'S NO NEED. JUST HAVING ONE. OKAY. SO AM I HEARING THAT WE'RE GOING TO JUST HAVE THE PICKLEBALL. THAT'S ALL WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THERE. WELL, AS FAR AS WHAT THIS GRANT GOES, WE CAN INSTALL, YOU KNOW, A VOLLEYBALL POLE SOMEWHERE ELSE. I MEAN, YEAH, VOLLEYBALL NET SOMEWHERE ELSE. I WAS JUST TRYING TO REPURPOSE THAT AREA. WELL, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, WE NEED SOMETHING ELSE THAT IF THEY'RE GOING TO GO UP THERE BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE THAT GO OUT FOR A PICNIC, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE HAVE GATHERINGS THAT THEY WANT TO GO OUT. THEY'LL DO THE PICNIC AND THEY'LL PLAY VOLLEYBALL. OF COURSE, DEPENDING ON WHAT TIME OF YEAR OUT THERE ON PLEASURE ISLAND. BUT I THINK IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN JUST ONE SPORT. IF WE GOT IN PLACE, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK PICKLEBALL IS GOING TO BE THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE. IF YOU'RE TAKING A POLL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO GO OUT THERE ON A PICNIC, BECAUSE MOST PICNIC YOU GO ON. PEOPLE LOVE TO PLAY VOLLEYBALL. AND THAT'S THE ONLY COMMENTS I HAVE. THANK YOU. OKAY, ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I ANY NO'S. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.

[VIII.A.(1) P.R. No. 24605 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Professional Engineering Services Agreement With Arceneaux, Wilson & Cole, LLC, (AWC) Of Port Arthur, Texas, For Continued Construction Management Services Associated With The Woodworth Streetscape Improvements Project From Lakeshore Drive To State Highway 87 (Gulfway Drive) For $251,630.00. Funding Is Available In The Street Capital Fund Account No. 307-21-053-8517-00-10-000. Project No. ST4014.ENG]

[01:50:09]

OKAY. I LIKE THE QUESTION. SOMEBODY ANSWER. YEAH OKAY. HERE WE GO AGAIN. STREETS WOODWARD BOULEVARD I ONCE HEARD THAT IT WAS A IT WAS A DONE DEAL. AND WE NEED TO MOVE PAST IT. BUT EVERY TIME I TURN AROUND WE'RE PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO IT. A PROJECT OF THIS MAGNITUDE, WHEN YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE APPROVE MONEY FOR IT. IF WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER THAT, WE NEED TO START TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND TRY TO SEE WHAT WE COULD ELIMINATE TO STAY WITHIN THE BUDGET, TO STAY WITHIN THE BUDGET. THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN A ADD ON FROM DAY ONE. FROM DAY ONE, THE PROJECT HAS COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND ALL DIFFERENT FACTIONS. AND ONE THING I HAVE CONSTANTLY TALKED ABOUT ON THIS COUNCIL SINCE I GOT BACK ON HERE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, IS. MONEY SHOULD BE COMING FROM THE BUDGET. WHEN YOU DO A RESOLUTION, HAVE IT CORRECT, HAVE IT TRANSPARENT. SECTION TWO DASH 31 E IN THE CITY ORDINANCE, THE ONE ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCE AND IT STATES NO ITEM GOES ON A BUDGET IN NO ITEM COME BEFORE COUNCIL ON AGENDA UNLESS THE FUNDING HAS BEEN APPROVED IN THE BUDGET. SO SOMEONE TELL ME WHERE IS THE MONEY? BECAUSE UNDER BUDGET IMPACT, I'M BEING TOLD THAT THE MONEY IS AVAILABLE IN THE STREETS FUND.

WE APPROVE THE BUDGET. IT'S RIGHT HERE. WHATEVER MONEY WE APPROVE TO BE USED IN STREETS IN THE CAPITAL. IMPROVEMENT IS IN THIS BUDGET. I SEE LIGHTS ON WOODWARD BOULEVARD. I SEE DESIGNS AND I SEE MONEY FOR EACH DISTRICT IN STREETS. BUT WHAT I DON'T SEE IS ANYTHING IN THIS BUDGET THAT AUTHORIZES US TO GO PAST $14.2 MILLION FOR THIS PROJECT. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE'VE COME HERE WITH A CHANGE ORDER TO THIS PROJECT. THE FIRST TIME I SPOKE ABOUT IT NOT BEING IN THE BUDGET, JUST LIKE I'M DOING TODAY. SO THIS IS FOR THE CITIZENS WHO ARE LISTENING. WE NEED TO APPROPRIATE MONEY BASED ON WHAT WE PUT IN THIS BUDGET AND STAY WITHIN IT. SO THE FIRST TIME IT CAME BEFORE US, I SAID THE SAME THING. I WENT TO THE CITY ATTORNEY AFTERWARDS AND TOLD HER SHE NEEDS TO BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL AND HAVE COUNCIL TO AVOID IT. AND ENSURE THE COUNCIL DOES IT THE PROPER WAY. BECAUSE MOST OF THE THINGS THAT YOU DO TO VIOLATE THIS, THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE, IT'S REALLY NOT BEING TRANSPARENT BECAUSE MOST OF THE THINGS YOU'RE DOING, YOU CAN DO ANYWAY IF YOU JUST FOLLOW THE ORDINANCE. AND I'M GETTING TIRED OF THIS SAME ORDINANCE GETTING VIOLATED. SO I WANT SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN TO ME TODAY, WHERE IN THE BUDGET IS THIS MONEY? I BECAUSE IT'S NOT. AND

[01:55:07]

LYNN BOSWELL, FINANCE DIRECTOR YES. IN THE BUDGET, ACTUALLY, THERE IS A LINE ITEM ON WOODWORTH BOULEVARD. WE'RE NOT GOING BEYOND THAT. APPROPRIATED WAS 8.6 MILLION FOR THIS YEAR.

AND THIS DOES NOT IS THIS IS NOT IN ADDITION TO WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROPRIATED BY COUNCIL. WHICH LINE ITEM YOU SAID IT IS. IT'S EITHER THE MY BOOK. I'VE GOT A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BOOK THAT LINES IT OUT SEPARATELY. IT SHOULD BE UNDER THE 307. I BELIEVE THAT YOUR 307 FUND. LET ME GO GET THE PAGE NUMBER FOR YOU. I HAVE THE BUDGET BOOK THAT YOU GAVE.

OKAY. UNDER WOODWORTH BOULEVARD. THE 8.6 MILLION THAT WE ALLOCATED SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE MONEY THAT REMAINED IN. THAT'S REMAINING FROM WHAT WE PUT IN WHEN WE APPROVED THE 4.2. THAT SHOULD BE THAT AMOUNT REMAINING. I MEAN, THE FOR THE THE. THE 14.2 MILLION. WHEN WE DONE THE FIRST CHANGE ORDER FOR THIS PROJECT, WHEN WE MOVED THE LIGHTS, WHAT IT WAS THE ELECTRICAL AS THE FIRST. RIGHT. THEN WE STARTED GOING OVER THE 14.2 MILLION. THAT'S WHAT I BROUGHT TO THE CITY'S ATTORNEY'S ATTENTION. AND SHE TOLD ME IT WAS YOU. I TALKED WITH YOU ABOUT IT. WE STARTED SPENDING MORE THAN ONE. AND THE MONEY THAT WE KEEP SAYING WHEN WE PUT IT ON HERE IS IT'S COMING FROM. THE STREET FUND. I'VE SEEN THIS SPRING DRAINAGE PROJECT BEFORE. THIS UTILITY PROJECTS. NOW WE GOT LIGHTS, PROJECTS AND EVERYTHING SAYS.

STREET FUND. SO THIS IS ON PAGE 285 OF YOUR BUDGET. I'M ON THAT PAGE RIGHT NOW. AND THIS IS NOT GOING BEYOND THE 8.6 THAT HAS BEEN APPROPRIATED. THAT'S ALL THAT I'M JUST THAT THIS AMOUNT IS THAT'S ALL THAT I, I HAVE ON HERE. OKAY. NAN. FIRST OF ALL. WE KEEP SAYING IT DOESN'T GO BEYOND IT. THAT IS CORRECT. WELL, IF IT'S NOT GOING BEYOND IT, THEN WHY DO WE HAVE TO GET MONEY FOR IT? BECAUSE WAS THIS INCLUDED IN AN INITIAL. WHAT WAS IT INCLUDED IN INITIAL IN THE INITIAL I BELIEVE IT WAS 14 POINT. NO NO NO NO. OH, I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE REQUESTING RIGHT NOW. OKAY. THIS INITIAL IS FOR ENGINEERING SERVICE, AM I CORRECT. IT'S PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND IS PART OF THIS PROJECT. SO IT IS PART OF THIS. THAT IS CORRECT.

WELL WHEN YOU WHEN WE APPROVE 4.2 MILLION, WE HAD OUTLINED WHAT IT INCLUDED AND IT WASN'T FOR NO CHANGES OR NOTHING. IT WAS WHAT WE HAD FOR AN ESTIMATED COST OF THE PROJECT.

YES. OKAY. AND RIGHT NOW THIS PROJECT HAS WENT OVER 14.2 MILLION. AND WE KEEP TALKING.

[02:00:03]

YOU KEEP SAYING PROJECT BECAUSE WHAT YOU'VE DONE, YOU START OUT WITH THE WOODWORTH BOULEVARD, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS STREETSCAPE CAME INVOLVED IN IT. SO WE WENT FROM 3 MILLION TO 14 MILLION PROJECT. AND THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FUNDING, THEY BOTH LABELED THE SAME PROJECT.

I'M NOT GOING TO PLAY GAMES WITH THIS. AND THIS IS MORE THAN WHAT WE APPROVED. JUST LIKE THE FIRST TIME I CAME TO YOU AND SAID, WE ARE EXCEEDING THE 14.2 MILLION. I SHOWED YOU, BUT WE GET UP HERE NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE NOT EXCEEDING. THAT'S OKAY, I DIDN'T I'LL GET I'LL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT OKAY. WE CAN SHOW YOU. BUT THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. IT'S A PROCESS. AND WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING, WE SHOULD SPEAK IN ORDER WITH ORDINANCES, OKAY? BECAUSE IF WE HAVE THE MONEY, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET IT. I COULD SHOW YOU. I READ IT TOOK ME ALL WEEKEND. THAT'S TIME. I'M NOT GOING TO DEBATE THIS. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON. BUT I'M BRINGING I'M NOT BRINGING IT BACK TO THIS COUNCIL. I'M TIRED. BUT I READ ALL OF THESE RESOLUTIONS THAT YOU REFERRED TO. THAT'S WHAT I'VE DONE THIS WEEKEND. OKAY. AND THE MAJORITY OF THEM VIOLATED SECTION TWO DASH 31 E. EVERY ONE OF THEM, EXCEPT THE FIRST ONE THAT CALLED FOR 3 MILLION. I BROUGHT THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION. YEAH, I'M WILLING TO MOVE ON, BUT YOU KEEP COMING BACK HERE MILKING THIS STREET FUND AND SAYING THIS. I'M GOING TO GO BACK. I'M GOING TO GET ALL OF THE RESOLUTION AND ALL OF THE MONEY. AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO FIND IS THAT THE MONEY WE APPROVED DID NOT CALL OR DOES NOT INCLUDE FOR ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING. AND WHEN WE FINISHED THIS PROJECT, THIS ENGINEERING COMPANY WOULD HAVE MADE. A MILLION IF SOMETHING. BECAUSE YOU GET A 200 AND SOMETHING. THE FIRST ONE 383, THEN IT WAS 281 AND 400 AND SOMETHING. WE KEEP COMING HERE AND EVERYTHING KEEP COMING OUT.

STREET FUND AND CITIZENS HOLLERING, WHY WE CAN'T FINISH STREET AND THEM ANSWERS. YOU'RE GIVING ME? I DON'T BUY THEM ANYMORE. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I ANY NOS. NO. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT WE HAVE TWO NOTES AND THE MOTION PASSES. RESOLUTION PASSES. LET'S GO TO

[VIII.A.(2) P.R. No. 24781 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Change Order No. 3 To The Contract With BDS Constructors, LLC, DBA MK Constructors, LLC, Of Vidor, Texas, For The Woodworth Boulevard Streetscape Improvements Project From Lakeshore Drive To State Highway 87 (Gulfway Drive) For The Electrical Item Adjustment Due To Entergy Plan Revisions, Addition And Deduction Of Various Construction Materials, And Add One Hundred-One (101) Calendar Days For The Increased Amount Of $19,577.44; For A New Contract Amount Of $13,478,485.01. Funding Available In The Street Capital Fund Account 307-21-053-8517-00-10-000. Project No. ST4014]

30721-053. DASH 85170. DASH ZERO ZERO. DASH 10000. PROJECT NUMBER STREET 4014. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED. SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND DISCUSSIONS. YES.

COUNCILMEMBER. MAYOR PRO TEM DOUCETTE. YES. THANK YOU. MAYOR. ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE DEALING WITH THE STREETSCAPE AND THAT'S MY THING. YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHERE BOULEVARD, AND THEN YOU WON'T TALK ABOUT A STREETSCAPE. IT'S GOT TO BE ONE OF THE EITHER. THE PROJECT IS WOODWORTH BOULEVARD RECONSTRUCTION OR IT'S GOING TO BE A STREETSCAPE WATCH. I SAID

[02:05:02]

[VIII.A.(3) P.R. No. 24740 – A Resolution Appointing And/Or Reappointing A Member Or Members To The Construction Board Of Adjustments And Appeals]

IT'S BEEN MOVED. IN SECOND. ANY DISCUSSIONS? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. ANY NO'S? THE AYES HAVE IT.

[VIII.A.(4) P.R. No. 24765 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Change Order No. 1 To The Construction Contract With Elite Contractors & Equipment, LTD, Of Kirbyville, Texas, For The 7th Street Improvements Project-Stadium Road To Duff Drive, Decreasing The Contract By $123,257.00, For A New Contract Amount Of $2,705,013.00. Funding Is Not Impacted. Project No. ST3047.CON]

[VIII.A.(5) P.R. No. 24769 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Accept The Fiscal Year 2026 Body-Worn Camera Grant Funding In The Total Projected Amount Of $132,381.60, Consisting Of $99,286.20 In Grant Funds And A Required 25% Cash Match In The Amount Of $33,095.40; Funding Shall Be Available In Account Number 107-17-045-5240-00-30-000 Subject To Approval Of P.O. 7398]

[VIII.A.(6) P.R. No. 24774 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Change Order No. 9 For The Main Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Improvement Project With Allco, LLC Of Beaumont, Texas, For An Increased Cost Of $286,459.25 For The Purchase Of Three (3) 2000AMP Standalone Disconnects, Resulting In A New Total Contract Amount Of $70,866,440.84, And No Extension Of The Contract Time; Funding From CIP Account No. 405-40-000-8516-00- 00-000, Project No. WS0023]

[02:10:12]

[02:15:02]

AND THIS BRINGS US UP TO 70 MILLION. SO WE'RE WE'RE STILL BELOW THE ORIGINAL BID. YEAH.

IT'S JUST THE VALUE ENGINEERING TO AWARD IT CAUSED US TO REMOVE LOTS OF ITEMS. WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHEN THE PROJECT BID, THE ONLY AMOUNT OF FUNDING AVAILABLE TO THE CITY TO AWARD THE JOB WAS AROUND 65, 65, 66. RIGHT. SO WE HAD TO DELETE A LOT OF ITEMS THAT ARE NECESSARY, LIKE THE BARGE SCREENS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND COME BACK AND CHANGE ORDER THEM IN. BECAUSE IF YOU NOTICE, IN OUR BUDGET, WE'VE BEEN ALLOCATING FUNDS FOR THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET EVERY YEAR TO PUT THESE ITEMS BACK IN THERE THAT ARE NEEDED. NOW, THERE HAS BEEN UNKNOWNS LIKE THESE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. THERE HAS BEEN SOME UNKNOWNS ON THE PIPING. THEY START DIGGING OUT THERE, AND THE PIPING IS NOWHERE WHERE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, AS PER THE ORIGINAL DRAWINGS. SO WE HAD SOME CHANGE ORDERS. BUT A LOT OF THESE ITEMS ARE THINGS WE HAD TO CUT TO AWARD AND THEN BRING BACK EVERY YEAR, LIKE WE'VE BEEN DOING THROUGH THE BUDGET. THANK YOU. YES, COUNCILMEMBER FRANK. YES, DOCTOR HANEY? YES, SIR. I THINK THAT I DON'T I GUESS PERHAPS I'M MISCONSTRUED AND DIDN'T HAVE A REAL CLEAR UNDERSTANDING. I, I WAS IN THE LIBERAL ARTS BUILDING, NOT THE ENGINEERING BUILDING. I THOUGHT THAT I THOUGHT, THANK YOU, UNCLE BAY. EVERYBODY GOT CRAZY. I THOUGHT THAT VALUE ENGINEERING WAS TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT THE PROJECT, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT MEANT TAKING THINGS OUT TO BRING THEM BACK FOR THIS PROJECT. IT DID BOTH. OKAY, WE HAD TO DO BOTH AWARDED BECAUSE WE WERE UNDER THE GUN WITH THE T-C-E-Q TO GET THIS PLANT UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND WE COULDN'T REBID. WE COULDN'T SAY, OKAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT. SO WE DID EVERYTHING WE CAN DO, INCLUDING REMOVING SOME ITEMS TO BE ABLE TO AWARD IT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES, SIR. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. ANY NOES? THE AYES HAVE IT. THE

[VIII.A.(7) P.R. No. 24775 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Professional Services Agreement With Arceneaux Wilson & Cole LLC Of Port Arthur, Texas, For The Design Of The Railroad Avenue Lift Station Rehabilitation Project, In The Total Amount Of $199,200.00. Funds Are Available In CIP Account No. 405-40-000- 8516-00-00-000]

SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. ANY NO'S? THE

[VIII.A.(8) P.R. No. 24777 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Renew Insurance Policies For Various Locations With Wright National Flood Insurance Company For Flood Insurance With A Projected Budgetary Amount Of $150,000.00. Proposed Funding By: 612-11-025-5410-00-00-000 $150,000.00 Liability Insurance Fund]

[VIII.A.(9) P.R. No. 24784 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Professional Services Agreement With Schaumburg & Polk, Inc. Of Beaumont, Texas, For Construction Management For The Hwy 365 Force Main And Highway 365 Lift Station Projects, In The Total Amount Of $213,000.00. Funds Are Available In CIP Account No. 405-40-000-8516-00-00-000, Project No. WS0012.ENG]

[02:20:02]

[VIII.A.(10) P.R. No. 24788 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract With Kraftsman Commercial Playgrounds & Water Parks Of Spring, Texas Through BuyBoard Cooperative Purchasing Contract No. 781-25 For Park Improvements To Bryan Park ($99,966.22) And Eagles Park ($238,546.50), For A Total Amount Of $338,512.72. Funds Are Available In The Parks And Recreation Capital Improvement Account Number 307-25-067-8525-00-10-000 Project Code PR0020.CON]

FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT NUMBER 307 2506 7852 5001 0000. PROJECT CODE PR TWO I'M SORRY. PR 0020. C O N. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECOND, ANY DISCUSSIONS? YES, I HAVE TWO LIGHT, THREE LIGHTS. OKAY, MAYOR PRO TEM DOUCETTE, THEN COUNCIL MEMBER BECKHAM, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK. NO. YES. I HAVE A QUESTION ON THE PARKS. OKAY. PARKS DIRECTOR IS COMING UP. OKAY. HOW YOU DOING, SAM? GREAT. MY QUESTION IS SIMPLE. WHEN ARE WE DOING THE BUDGET? AND WE GOT TO PARK AND RECREATIONS. AND WE DONE. AND WE APPROVED FUNDS FOR THE DIFFERENT PARKS. I ASKED THE QUESTION, IS THERE A LIST ON WHAT WE PLAN TO DO WITH THIS MONEY THAT WE PUT IN THERE? AND YOU SAID YOU HAD TURN ONE IN. OKAY. CITY MANAGER, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A COPY OF THAT LIST. SO WHEN WE HAVE A RESOLUTION LIKE THIS, I WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE MONEY WE'RE SPENDING IS MONEY WE PLACED IN THERE FOR PARKS. OKAY. OKAY. SO WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE ME A LIST, PLEASE? YES, YES. AND THEN THE LIST DOES EXIST IN THE MASTER PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL. BUT WE'LL PROVIDE A COPY AGAIN TO COUNCIL. WELL, WHEN WE DID A MASTER PLAN. MASTER PLAN CONTAINS ALL THE PARKS AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO TO THEM. THE BUDGET IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE IDENTIFY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO FOR THIS YEAR, AND HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GOING TO SPEND ON ONE THIS YEAR. OKAY, SO THAT'S WHAT I WANT. SO THERE IS A LIST.

IT WAS CREATED AND I CAN GET THAT LIST TO YOU. YEAH. THAT'S ALL I THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE PUT MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO DO SPECIFIC THINGS AND WE ALLOCATE X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS TO DO THEM. AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SEE. THANK YOU CHAIR OKAY I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. COUNCILMEMBER BECKHAM. THANK YOU. DON'T GO ANYWHERE YET SANDRA. I'M NOT LEAVING. I'M WRITING A NOTE. SO MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH EAGLES PARK.

THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S IN PORT ACRES, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. AND THIS IS THE PARK THAT WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT DRAINAGE ISSUES WITH. CORRECT, CORRECT. SO I WANT TO BE SURE THAT PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND I KNOW THAT THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE COMPANY THAT'S ACTUALLY DOING THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT. BUT AS PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TO THAT PART TO IMPROVE THE DRAINAGE AROUND THAT PARK, THAT'LL BE PHASE TWO. THE FIRST PHASE IS TO REPLACE THE PLAYGROUND SYSTEM. WE'RE GOING TO REMOVE THE PLAYGROUND SYSTEM FROM WHERE IT IS AND PUT IT TO A DIFFERENT SIDE, SO WE CAN ACCURATELY ADDRESS THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM. OKAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY PUT THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT IN A DIFFERENT SPOT AND NOT IN THE SPOT THAT'S ALWAYS UNDER WATER. BUT WE'RE STILL GOING TO ADDRESS THE DRAINAGE. CORRECT. OKAY. GOOD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. WE DON'T HAVE ANY. AND FOR CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE THE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS IS IDENTIFIED IN THE DRAINAGE MASTER PLAN. SO WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE BOTH OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME OKAY. THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL. YEAH. PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY NOES? THE

[VIII.A.(11) P.R. No. 24790 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A One-Year Contract With Siddons-Martin Emergency Group Of Port Arthur And Houston, Texas, For Preventative Maintenance And Repair Services For Fire Department Fire Apparatus And Other Special Response Vehicles, With A Projected Budgetary Impact Of $475,000.00; Providing Funding In The Amount Of $310,000.00 Budgeted In FY 2025-2026 And $165,000.00 In FY 2026-2027, Subject To City Council Appropriation; Fire Department Motor Vehicle Maintenance Account No. 001-19-047-5319-00-30-000]

[02:25:04]

WITH A PROJECTED BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $475,000, PROVIDING FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $310,000 BUDGETED IN FY 2025, 2026, AND $165,000 IN FY 2026 2027, SUBJECT TO THE CITY COUNCIL'S APPROPRIATION. FIRE DEPARTMENT MOTOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT NUMBER 0011904753190030000. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND MOTION AND SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? MAYOR PRO TEM DOUCETTE I'M SORRY, MAYOR. OKAY, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. ANY NOS.

[VIII.A.(12) P.R. No. 24791 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into An Interlocal Cooperation Agreement Between The City Of Port Arthur And The City Of Port Neches For The Disposal Of Debris At The City Of Port Arthur Landfill]

[VIII.A.(13) P.R. No. 24804 – A Resolution Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas, Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into An Interlocal Cooperation Agreement Between the City Of Port Arthur, Texas, And The Sabine Neches Navigation District Of Jefferson County, Texas, Relating To the Deepening, Widening, And Improving Of The SabineNeches Waterway]

AND SECOND, ANY DISCUSSIONS? MAYOR PRO TEM DOUCETTE AND THEN COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS. YES. IN REFERENCE TO THE WIDENING AND DEEPENING OF THE WATERWAY, WE RECEIVED INFORMATION IN REFERENCE TO THEM ACTUALLY GOING TO NEED PART OF PLEASURE ISLAND PROPERTY THERE. DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE PROPERTY THAT WILL BE NEEDED, WE WILL BE COMPENSATED FOR. THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TOLD. OKAY, SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO WITH AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT? WHEN THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT WORKS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS? SO WE WENT FROM THE CORPS OF ENGINEER. AND THIS PROJECT IS A CORPS OF ENGINEER PROJECT. IN FACT, I READ. THEIR APPROVAL OF THE MONEY AND THE FUNDING AND HOW IT WOULD GO ABOUT. OKAY, BECAUSE WHEN I READ THIS AGREEMENT, I'M CONFUSED BECAUSE NOW WE GOT THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT COMING INTO THIS. THE OTHER THING IS, WHEN IT COMES TO COMPENSATION, THAT PROPERTY BELONGS TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. WITHOUT A DOUBT. SO IF ANYBODY, WHETHER IT'S A CORPS OF ENGINEERS OR THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT, WANTS THIS PROPERTY, THEY HAVE TO COMPENSATE. AND WHEN I READ THE BACKGROUND TO THIS ITEM, IT SAYS THAT THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT WILL REPLACE AND MOVE OUR EXISTING TRAILERS AND ALL THIS STUFF. SO I SAW ALL THIS THING THEY WANT TO DO, AND THAT'S COMPENSATION WITHOUT A DOUBT. BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHEN WAS THIS DISCUSSED? WITH THIS COUNCIL? WE WENT FROM WHAT THE CORPS OF ENGINEER WAS REQUESTING TO NOW. AN AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO SIGN WITH THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT. WHEN WAS IT DISCUSSED? MAY I PROCEED,

[02:30:08]

IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE WORK WITH THEM. AND SO AS PART OF THE THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS, I HAVE BEEN WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH, WITH WITH JUDGE GRIFFIN OUT HERE MYSELF, WITH MYSELF AND THE CITY ATTORNEY AND WORKING WITH THE WITH THE ATTORNEYS AND WITH THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET INTO AN AGREEMENT TO EXPEDITE THE BOTH FOR THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT AND FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. THE BEST DEAL POSSIBLE FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS OF OF OUR OF OUR RV PARK. AND NOT ONLY THAT, NOT ONLY THAT, IF COUNCIL REMEMBERS, THERE IS AS PART OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE TO TAKE PLACE FOR THE DEEPENING AND WIDENING OF THE CHANNEL OF THE. THERE IS A PIPELINE THAT WOULD COST $7 MILLION TO BE REMOVED.

THAT HAS NEVER BEEN NEVER BEEN BUDGETED FOR. AND SO PART OF THE DISCUSSION WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BROUGHT THAT TO THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT'S ATTENTION. AND LO AND BEHOLD, AS PART OF THE THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS, THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT HAVE AGREED TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO REMOVE 2/10 IN, WHAT, TEN INCHES WATERLINE AND PROVIDE FOR A 16 INCH WATER LINE THAT WILL PROVIDE MORE VOLUME FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. YOU KNOW OF THE PLEASURE OF DEVELOPMENT ON PLEASURE ISLAND. SO THAT'S A SKILLFUL NEGOTIATION THAT HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE COUNCIL AUTHORIZED IT, YOU KNOW, AND SO WE HAVE MOVED AHEAD WITH IT AT NO COST TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. THIS IS A WIN WIN SITUATION BOTH FOR THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT AND FOR THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. VERY ELOQUENT IN SPEAKING. HOWEVER, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO YOU WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, AND YOU ARE EXACTLY CORRECT. WE AUTHORIZE YOU TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS. WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT, IT WAS WE WERE GOING TO GET COMPENSATION FOR THE PROPERTY. OKAY. NOW WE'RE FINDING OUT THAT WE'RE GOING TO.

GET INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE LAND, WITH THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT. AND IT AIN'T NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT WHAT I READ IN AGREEMENT IS MORE COMPENSATION TO US PROBABLY, THAN WHAT WE CAN GET IN THE LAND. MY PROBLEM WITH THIS IS YOU SAID. WE SAID YOU WERE GOING TO NEGOTIATE.

WHAT WE DISCUSSED WAS BEING COMPENSATED FOR IT. WHAT YOU'VE COME BACK WITH IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS BETTER THAN WHAT WE WERE TOLD, BUT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK TO US, BECAUSE IF IT WAS BROUGHT BACK TO US THE WAY IT WAS PRESENTED TO US, WHEN WE

[02:35:02]

YEAH, JUST JUST A QUICK BRIEFING. I GOT. HAPPENED TO FIND OUT THAT THERE WAS THERE WAS A TIMELINE THAT WAS OF MARCH 10TH THAT THEY BEGAN DIGGING THE CHANNEL ABOUT TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AGO, AND I NOTIFIED THE THE CITY MANAGER, WHO I GUESS YOU GUYS ALL KNOW IS YOU AS A COUNCIL, HAS BEEN WORKING WITH OUR OFFICE TO HELP BRING BACK A HISTORIC HOME HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE SOMETHING NEGATIVE COME OUT OF ALL THIS. AND THEY HAD TO START DIGGING ON MARCH 10TH. AND SO THOSE NEGOTIATIONS HADN'T GONE VERY FAR. AND AND THE CITY HAD NOT BEEN AWARE THAT IN OCTOBER 16TH, 1933, CONGRESS ENACTED A LAW THAT SAID THAT THAT ALL THAT LAND IS OWNED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND THEN TO THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND THEN TO THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT, WHO CARRIES OUT THOSE DUTIES. SO THE WHOLE CHANNEL IS OWNED BY THEM AND NOT BY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND THOSE SIDE, THAT SIDE AREA. AM I CARRYING ON, TOO? OKAY. AND SO AFTER THAT, THERE WAS A RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2007, THAT SAID, WHEN THEY BUILT THE PARK ALONG THE CHANNEL, THAT THEY WOULD TAKE REMOVE ALL THE PARK IF THERE WAS A NEED BY THE CHANNEL AND THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT, THEY WOULD REMOVE THAT AT THEIR EXPENSE. SO THAT THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT COULD CREATE THE CHANNEL THE SIZE THAT IT NEEDED TO BE, BASED OFF OF WHAT THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS AGREED WITH. AND WHEN THAT INFORMATION CAME OUT OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, IT EXPEDITED THE NEED TO MAKE SOME KIND OF AGREEMENT BEFORE THE MARCH 10TH DEADLINE, WHEN THEY STARTED DIGGING THE CHANNEL. AND THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT WANTS TO BE A GOOD PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND I THINK WITH WHAT THEY'VE AGREED TO WITH THE MANAGER AND AND THE CITY ATTORNEY, I IS, QUITE FRANKLY, UNBELIEVABLE AS A $14 MILLION DEEPENING FOR THAT PIPELINE, THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT WOULD PAY FOR HALF OF THAT, WHICH IS SEVEN. I THINK Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY BUDGETED 2 MILLION. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S IN THE 14 MILLION OR NOT, BUT 2 MILLION FOR ENGINEERING. THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT WILL NOT BE USING THAT MONEY. THEY'RE GOING TO THEY'RE TAKING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DOING THAT WHOLE $14 MILLION PROJECT WITHIN THEIR WITHIN THEIR PURVIEW. THE CITY WOULD BE COMPLETELY OUT OF THAT. THEY ALSO ARE AGREEING TO GO THROUGH AND ADD THE SAME NUMBER OF SPACES THAT THEY REMOVE, EXCEPT FOR IT WOULD PUT THOSE SPACES ALL ALONG THE CHANNEL, WHICH WOULD MAKE THEM VERY, VERY NICE FOR THE CHANNEL AND FOR RENTING, BECAUSE EVERYBODY WOULD HAVE A RIVERSIDE SPOT. AND SO HOPEFULLY THAT HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND. HAD I NOT QUIETLY STOPPED BY AND GOTTEN A STARBUCKS ON. 365 AND SEEN SOME OF THE NAB DISTRICT GUYS THAT MENTIONED TO ME BECAUSE THEY

[02:40:05]

DID YOU HAPPEN TO READ THAT ONE? I DID NOT I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE STUFF THAT WAS PROVIDED ME BY YOUR OFFICE. OKAY. THAT THAT WHERE Y'ALL APPROVED THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO MOVE. THIS WAS BACK. NOT YOU, NOT THIS COUNCIL. IT WAS IN 2007 THAT WAS APPROVED. BUT YEAH. AND THIS IS AND I ALSO HAVE THE DEED HERE FROM THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FROM 1933. THAT IS TWO THINGS THAT I, THAT I'VE SEEN. ONE IS THAT THE, THE ACTUAL ORDER WHERE THE MONEY WAS APPROVED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THAT PROJECT, AND THEY HAD A BREAKDOWN ON THE PROJECT, AND THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT BEING THE SPONSORSHIP, BECAUSE THEY COULD DO THE LEASE TO SELL AND ALL THE CONTRACTS AND EVERYTHING.

OKAY. I READ THAT FROM THEM. THEY ALSO HAVE IN THAT ORDER WHERE THE SPOILS WILL BE PLACED.

THEY GAVE THEM FOUR OPTIONS IN THAT ORDER FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND IT'S ONE THING CLEAR THAT THE ONLY THING THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS THERE IS THE WATERWAY. OKAY.

THE FLOORS UNDERNEATH IS NOT PART OF THAT. OKAY? THE SHORES ARE NOT PART OF THAT, WHICH MEANS IT'S CITY OWNED. OKAY. SO I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WITH WHAT YOU SAID, AND I AND LIKE I SAID IN THE BEGINNING, THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY. YES IT IS. I DON'T QUESTION THAT. I QUESTION THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS AND ALSO THE FACT THAT WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND, YES, THE WHOLE SIDE OF IT, WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SENT TO US, WHAT THEY INSTRUCTED TO BE DONE, AND HOW THE FUNDS CAN BE DISTRIBUTED AND USED. OKAY. SO FAR, ABOUT 50 PIPELINES FROM OIL AND GAS AND CHEMICAL COMPANIES HAVE PAID THE 50% OF WHAT IT COSTS TO DEEPEN THOSE PIPELINES ACROSS OUR CHANNEL OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS. AND THEY'VE SPENT, I BELIEVE, SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 60 TO $100 MILLION ON LOWERING THOSE PIPELINES. SO I THINK THE CHALLENGES IN COURT OVER WHO OWNS UNDER THE CHANNEL HAVE ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN.

EVERY ONE OF THE MAJOR OIL COMPANIES AND GAS COMPANIES HAVE ALREADY DONE THEIR DEEPENING OF THEIR PIPELINES. BUT IF YOU WANT ANY OF THIS, I DID RECEIVE THAT FROM YOUR CITY ATTORNEY AS WELL, SO I COULD TALK TO THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT ON YOUR BEHALF WITH WITH THE WITH THE MANAGER AND THE AND THE CITY ATTORNEY AND TRY TO HELP YOU ALL GET THIS WORK THROUGH. SO THE CITY DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE A $7 MILLION TO COME OUT OF THEIR POCKET TO FIX, TO LOWER THAT PIPELINE. SO I KNEW IT WAS TIGHT, TIGHT BUDGET. YEAH. I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT THAT'S WHAT I LEARNED BY WHAT I'VE READ ABOUT WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. YES, SURE.

SENT DOWN HERE. AND TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE PIPELINES THAT WE OWN, THOSE PEOPLE WHO OWN THEM ARE THE ONES THAT GOT THAT, THAT THAT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR LOWERING THEM, NOT US, THE CITY, BECAUSE WE OWN THE LAND. YOU KNOW, THEY GOT EASEMENTS. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER THING. AND I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO. I'M NOT A LAWYER. I'M NOT A LAWYER. I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT I'VE READ SO FAR. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. AFTER THE EXPLANATION, DO WE STILL HAVE YOU HAVE A QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS? I CERTAINLY HAVE. AND COUNCILMAN MERRIFIELD, DO YOU YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE DEEPENING AND WIDENING OF THE CANAL. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH

[02:45:02]

THERE'S A PA. YEAH, IT'S A 900 ACRES THAT WE LEASE. WE LEASE OUT TO WIND TURBINE IS A 900 ACRES THAT'S GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS AT SOME POINT IN TIME. I DON'T CITY ATTORNEY.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ITEM RIGHT HERE AT ALL. SO IT'S NOT ASSOCIATED WITH I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AND WHAT WHAT'S THE IMPACT GOING TO BE IN THE FUTURE. BUT WHAT I, WHAT WE NEED TO DO, WHATEVER THAT GOING ON IN NEGOTIATING OR CONTRACTING WITH THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT, WE NEED TO THEY NEED TO IN THAT AGREEMENT NEED TO EXCLUDE THE 900 ACRES. I DON'T CARE WHERE THEY PUT THE STUFF, THEY NEED TO EXCLUDE THAT 900 ACRES. IT'S NOT INCLUDED. AM I CORRECT THAT YOU DON'T SEE THAT THAT'S A SLEIGHT OF HAND. THAT'S THE LEGAL ATTORNEY AND JUDGE GRIFFIN, SHE DON'T SEE IT EITHER. OKAY, WELL, WE IF NEITHER ONE RIGHT NOW WE'RE VOTING ON. I UNDERSTAND ALL THIS IS ALL THIS IS TYING IN WITH THAT P-8 AND THE 900 ACRES. AND IT'S BEEN STATED THAT THE THE THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAS PERPETUAL PROPRIETARY ON THE ISLAND AS IF THE WHOLE ISLAND.

THEY CONTROL IT. WELL, IF THAT WAS THE CASE, THEN WHY ARE THEY COMING TO US FOR AN AGREEMENT? SIMPLY BECAUSE THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR HAS A PATENT. ALL THE LAND IS PATENTED, OWNED BY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. YOU CAN'T GET AROUND IT. I DON'T CARE WHAT KIND OF END RUN YOU DO.

YOU CAN'T GET AROUND IT. THEY GOT TO COME TO US. WE. WE'RE THE PATENTED OWNERS NOW. I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO ON DRESDEN AND PLACE THAT WE NEED TO EXCLUDE IN THAT AGREEMENT. AND I'LL GO. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM. EXCLUDE THE 900 ACRES. AND THAT'S IN THAT PA.

PA IS A BIG TRACT OF LAND. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCIL. I NEED THE CITY ATTORNEY. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEWIS. THE 900 ACRES THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS IN AN AREA KNOWN AS PEA. I UNDERSTAND THEY JUST TOLD YOU THAT THE SPOILS FOR THE WIDENING ARE GOING IN. PEA 11 I HEAR THAT PA 11 IS THE NORTH LEVEE. I HEARD THAT, THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL I'M SAYING IS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND YOU'RE 11 OR NORTH LEVEE. WHAT? THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT, BECAUSE THEY ARE ASSUMING SOME HIDDEN THEY'RE ASSUMING SOME SOME AUTHORITY THAT THEY DON'T HAVE. THAT'S WHY THEY COMING TO US. AND THAT'S A SLEIGHT OF HAND. I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY DO AS LONG AS THEY EXCLUDE THE 900 ACRE OR PA EXCLUDE THAT AND WHATEVER THE HELL Y'ALL WANT TO DO. OKAY. COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBER. AIRFIELD. THANK YOU. MAYOR.

GOOD AFTERNOON JUDGE. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ALWAYS HELPING US TO WAVE THE FLAG FOR PORT ARTHUR. SO KEEP GETTING YOUR COFFEE AT STARBUCKS AND LOOK AROUND TO SEE WHO'S IN THE IN THE ROOM TO SEE IF THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN GET YOUR HELP TO. BUT I JUST WANTED TO OFFER SOME CLARITY AND BUT FIRST, SOME APPRECIATION TO THE SABINE NATION, NATURE'S NAVIGATION DISTRICT, THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, AND TO YOUR FIRM, JUDGE GRIFFIN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WE. WELL, SOME OF US DO CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS DID NOT HAVE TO BE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AND WITH THE SABINE NECHES NAVIGATION DISTRICT BEING THAT NONFEDERAL. ENTITY IN THIS, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR HAS BEEN GRACIOUSLY GIVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO ONE HAVE OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVED,

[02:50:04]

STRONG APPRECIATION TO THE CITY MANAGER AND TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY AS WELL. ALRIGHT.

THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. HI. ANY NOES? NO. LET THE RECORD REFLECT ONE. NO. THE RESOLUTION PASSES. THANK YOU AGAIN, JUDGE. WE APPRECIATE YOUR HELP AND ASSISTING US THROUGH THIS DIFFICULT PROJECT. YOU'RE

[VIII.A.(14) P.R. No. 24807 – 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 2026A In A Principal Amount Not To Exceed $17,000,000.00 For The Construction Of Public Works And Any Items Related Thereto And For The Payment Of Contractual Obligations For Professional Services; Authorizing The Distribution Of A Preliminary Official Statement Relating To Such Certificates; And Containing Other Provisions Relating Thereto]

I GOT A MOTION. I MEAN A MOTION. I NEED A SECOND. SECOND. I GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS. CITY MANAGER, WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? ARE THESE BONDS YOU ACTIVATED AND YOU'RE GOING TO SELL? THAT'S ALREADY BEEN AUTHORIZED? YES. IF YOU REMEMBER, WE VOTED ON THAT SOME TIME AGO TO GET 14, $16 MILLION FROM THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW. IT WASN'T TOO LONG AGO WE DID THAT. OKAY. REMEMBER? YES, I REMEMBER I JUST WANT YOU TO STATE FOR THE RECORD. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. ANY NOS. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO

[VIII.B.(1) P.O. No. 7398 – An Appropriation Ordinance Amending The City Of Port Arthur Budget For The Fiscal Year Beginning October 1, 2025, And Ending September 30, 2026, Increasing The Public Safety Emergency Fund (107) By $132,382.00]

[VIII.B.(2) P.O. No. 7400 – An Ordinance Authorizing The Sale Of A 0.1287 Acre Portion Of Land Out Of Parcel No. 250968, Located At Or Near The LNVA Canal, 1101 H.O. Mills Boulevard, Port Arthur, Texas, And Further Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Special Warranty Deed For The Conveyance]

MILLS BOULEVARD, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A SPECIAL WARRANTY DEED FOR THE CONVEYANCE. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED.

SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. I THE AYES HAVE IT. THE THE ORDINANCE PASSES AT THIS TIME. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR WE'LL HAVE WE HAVE NO CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION MEETING. WE'RE GOING TO ASK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN OUR MEETING.

CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL SECOND. GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. OUR MEETING HAS BEEN ADJOURNED. ADJOURNED AT 12:26 P.M. THANK YOU. HAVE AN AMAZING DO. SO WE APPRECIATE Y Y LITTLE DETAIL, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO KNOW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR

[02:55:03]

YES, LINDSAY, YOU HAVE TO STAY UNTIL THE NEXT. OH, OKAY. WE'RE PUSHING IT TO THE NEXT THING.

HE SAID WE CAN DO THAT. LIKE HE AIN'T SAYING HE AIN'T. WE CAN DO IT BY

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.