[00:00:06] AND WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING ON TUESDAY. TODAY IS TUESDAY, MAY 19TH, 2026 AT 9:30 A.M. IT'S 932. WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED. I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN JOIN OUR MEETING BY VIDEO CONFERENCE OR BY TELECONFERENCE. I'M SORRY, TELEPHONIC AND VIDEO CONFERENCE. YOU CAN DO THAT BY CALLING 877853524 7 OR 8 887880099. WHEN YOU CALL THAT NUMBER OR DIAL THAT NUMBER, YOU MAY ENTER OUR MEETING ID, WHICH IS 87094779093, AND ENTER THE PASSCODE OF 329803. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS IN COMPLIANCE WITH AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT, AND YOU CAN REQUEST TO BE A PART OF THAT. WE WANT TO MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR YOU. YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DIAL IN AT OUR CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT (409) 983-8115, AND YOU HAVE TO CALL IN 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE FOR US TO MAKE THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS. AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO ASK EVERYONE TO PLEASE MUTE OR TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE PLACE IN SILENT MODE. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR INVOCATION, OUR PLEDGE, AND OUR ROLL CALL. AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO ASK US TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO PASSED ON YESTERDAY. AND IF FATALITY, THE FATAL ACCIDENT ON YESTERDAY IN SABINE PASS. AND ALSO, JUST TO REMEMBER, PASTOR FRANK, IF YOU WOULD LEAD US IN PRAYER, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. LET US BOW. ALL WISE AND ETERNAL GOD, THIS MORNING. WE COME BEFORE YOU WITH HUMBLE HEARTS AND WITH BOWED HEADS. WE COME BEFORE YOU, THANKING YOU FOR YET AGAIN BLESSING US WITH ANOTHER DAY. YOU REMIND US EACH AND EVERY MOMENT OF OUR LIVES, FATHER, THAT THERE IS BUT A STEP BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, AND THAT EVERY DAY HEAVENLY FATHER CARRIES WITH IT VALUE AND PURPOSE. AND SO WE OUGHT TO BE MINDFUL OF HOW WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER AND FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER AND HELP ONE ANOTHER. AS WE COME INTO CHAMBER TODAY, WE PRAY FOR THOSE FAMILIES WHO LOST LOVED ONES ON YESTERDAY. WE PRAY FOR THEIR GRIEF, THAT YOU WOULD COMFORT THEM AND KEEP THEM BY THE POWER OF YOUR PRECIOUS HOLY SPIRIT. AND FOR THIS DAY WE ASK FOR YOUR WISDOM, FOR YOUR GRACE, FOR YOUR MERCY. AS WE MAKE DECISIONS, WE PRAY FOR WISDOM. FOR YOU SAID, IF ANY MAN LACKS WISDOM, LET HIM ASK OF GOD, WHO GIVES LIBERALLY AND UPBRAIDETH NOT BE WITH US THIS MOMENT AND FOREVER. WE PRAY IN JESUS NAME. WE ASK IT ALL. AMEN. AMEN. OUR PLEDGE AND PLEDGE OF 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. CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU ESTABLISH A QUORUM, PLEASE? MAYOR MOSES HERE. MAYOR PRO TEM KINLAW HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEWIS. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. COUNCIL MEMBER. BECKHAM HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. DOUCETTE HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. FRANK HERE. YOU HAVE A QUORUM, MAYOR. THANK YOU. CITY SECRETARY. AT THIS TIME PRIOR TO OUR PROCLAMATIONS, WE HAVE AN ITEM THAT NEEDS TO BE PULLED UP ON THE AGENDA. COUNCIL. IF YOU WOULD TURN TURN TO PAGE 13 IN YOUR AGENDA PACKETS ITEM NUMBER SIX. WE NEED TO. IT'S OF IMPORTANCE TO GET DONE PRIOR TO 10:00. I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE MOVE PROPOSED ORDINANCE NUMBER 7426. I NEED A SECOND. SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY NOSE. OKAY. WE WILL MOVE THIS ITEM UP. SO AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO PULL NUMBER [VIII.B.(6) P.O. No. 7426 – An Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas, Amending Exhibit “B” In Ordinance No. 26-25 To Provide For Public Notice And Publication Of Voting Dates And Times For The City's Runoff Election To Be Held On June 13, 2026. ] 7426 IS AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, AMENDING EXHIBIT B IN ORDINANCE NUMBER 226-25 TO PROVIDE FOR PUBLIC NOTICE AND PUBLICATION OF VOTING DATES AND TIMES FOR THE CITY'S RUNOFF ELECTION TO BE HELD ON JUNE 13TH, 2026. I NEED A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES. I'M SORRY. ORDINANCE PASSES. WE'RE GOING [II. PROCLAMATIONS] TO MOVE NOW TO OUR REGULAR AGENDA PROCLAMATIONS. I HAVE THREE PROCLAMATIONS. AND I'LL [00:05:02] COME DOWN AND GET THOSE PRESENT THOSE NOW. GOOD MORNING AGAIN TO EVERYBODY. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY. PERFECT. WE HAVE THREE PROCLAMATIONS. AS I STATED EARLIER, THE FIRST PROCLAMATION IS TO OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. IT'S A NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK PROCLAMATION FROM MAY 17TH THROUGH MAY 23RD. AND I WANT TO PRESENT THAT ONE FIRST TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS WORKERS. IF YOU BACK THERE IN THE BACK, WE SEE YOU ALL. WHEREAS PUBLIC WORKS PROFESSIONALS FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE, FACILITIES AND SERVICES THAT ARE OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT COMMUNITIES AND TO PUBLIC HEALTH, HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELL-BEING OF THE PEOPLE OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. AND WHEREAS, THESE INFRASTRUCTURE, FACILITIES AND SERVICES CANNOT BE PROVIDED WITHOUT THE DEDICATED EFFORTS OF PUBLIC WORKS PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE ENGINEERS, MANAGERS AND EMPLOYEES AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REBUILDING, IMPROVING, AND PROTECTING OUR NATION'S TRANSPORTATION, OUR WATER SUPPLY, OUR WATER TREATMENT AND SOLID WASTE SYSTEMS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND OTHER STRUCTURES AND FACILITIES ESSENTIAL FOR OUR CITIZENS. AND WHEREAS IT IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST FOR THE CITIZENS, FOR CIVIC LEADERS AND CHILDREN IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE OF AND MAINTAIN AN ONGOING INTEREST AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC WORKS AND PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES. AND WHEREAS, THE YEAR 2026 MARKS THE 66TH ANNUAL NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK, SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION. NOW, THEREFORE, I, MAYOR CHARLOTTE MARIE MOSES, DO HEREBY DESIGNATE THE WEEK OF MAY 17TH, 2023 THROUGH 2026 AS NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, AND I URGE ALL CITIZENS TO JOIN WITH RESPECT, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND ACTIVITIES, EVENTS AND CEREMONIES DESIGNED TO PAY TRIBUTE TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS PROFESSIONALS, ENGINEERS, MANAGERS AND EMPLOYEES, AND TO RECOGNIZE THE SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS THEY MAKE TO PROTECTING OUR NATIONAL HEALTH, SAFETY AND ADVANCING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL. IN WITNESS WHEREOF I HAVE HEREUNTO SET MY HAND AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO BE AFFIXED THIS 19TH DAY OF MAY, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2026. CHARLOTTE MARIE MOSES. IF OUR PUBLIC. IF WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS FROM OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND IF YOU ALL WOULD STAND, LET US JUST BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A BIG HAND CLAP FOR YOUR WORK, FOR YOUR SERVICES. FOR ALL THAT YOU CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY. IS THERE A SPEAKER? THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. GOOD MORNING. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE DAY IS. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR READING THIS PROCLAMATION TODAY FOR OUR PUBLIC WORKS STAFF. I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORK WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS, WHETHER THAT BE UTILITIES AS WELL AS OUR TRASH COLLECTION, GARBAGE COLLECTION, STREETS, LANDFILL. THESE MEN AND WOMEN MAKE IT HAPPEN EVERY DAY. THEY PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR. WE DON'T GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT WHAT THEY DO. WE RECEIVE A LOT OF SCRUTINY AND NOT A LOT OF THANK YOUS. SO TODAY WE DO WANT TO HONOR YOU AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. YES, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS IN PUBLIC WORKS, AND I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY, AND THAT IS THAT YOU ARE THE HEARTBEAT OF THIS CITY. I MEAN THAT FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, THAT YOU ARE THE HEARTBEAT OF THIS CITY. AND THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IS, IS BECAUSE JUST LIKE THE THE HEART THAT BEATS IN YOUR CHEST, YOU REALLY DON'T NOTICE IT. YOU SLEEP ALL NIGHT LONG AND YOUR HEART IS BEATING. BUT WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG WITH THE HEART, THEN WE [00:10:03] SCRAMBLE. WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO FIX IT. AND YOU'RE A LOT LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GO ALONG AND YOU DO YOUR JOB SEAMLESSLY. BUT WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG, YOU GET SCRUTINIZED AND WE SCRAMBLE AND WE DO ALL OF THAT. BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE YOU AND APPRECIATE YOUR WORK AND YOUR EFFORTS AND ALL THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU SO MUCH FROM THE COUNCIL, BUT ESPECIALLY FROM THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO GIVE KUDOS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. I MEAN, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS GOT TO GO OUT THERE EVERY DAY AND HAVE A SMILE ON YOUR FACE WHEN SOMETIMES PEOPLE CRITICIZING YOU. WE REALIZE THAT AS COUNCIL, I REALIZE THAT, BUT I DO ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT WHEN I MAKE A PHONE CALL, GLEN WHITE, BRAD BROWN, MR. BATES, SKEETER, IF Y'ALL DON'T KNOW SKEETER BACK THERE, THAT'S HER NAME. BUT WHEN I MAKE THESE CALLS, YOU GUYS COME AND SHOW OUT. EVEN THOUGH SOMETIMES WE MAY NOT HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED. AND I TELL THAT TO THE CITY MANAGER ALL THE TIME. AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT IT'S A HARD JOB THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. MY COHORTS REALLY APPRECIATE IT AS WELL. I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU AND I'LL BE WORKING ON THAT ADVANCEMENT PAY, THAT INCREASE IN PAY. SO DON'T FORGET, CITY MANAGER, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT INCREASING THEIR PAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE. WHEN I CALL YOU ALL, YOU ALL RESPOND VERY WELL AND APPROPRIATELY. NOW YOU'LL FIND SOMETIME I'LL CALL TO THE DEPARTMENT AND AND THE DEPARTMENT MEET TO MEET MY REQUEST AND RELEASE IT THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER. THAT WORKS FOR ME. IT DOESN'T WORK FOR EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT IT WORKS FOR ME. IT SPEEDS THINGS UP. AND ALSO, YOU, ALL THAT ARE KNOW THAT I'M RUNNING FOR REELECTION AND MY PLATFORM IS GIVING THE CITY EMPLOYEES A RAISE. OKAY, JESUS, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. AND IT DOESN'T RAIN. IT DOESN'T RAIN IN THE PUBLIC WORKS. IT RAINS ON IT. ALRIGHT. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT AND ALSO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE EVERY DAY ATTENDING TO OUR GARBAGE AND OUR TRASH ON THE STREETS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH STANDARDS ARE BEING MAINTAINED AND IT ADDS TO THE BEAUTIFICATION OF OUR CITY AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE TEAM OF WORKING TOGETHER WITH US, WORKING TOGETHER IN COLLABORATION WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACHIEVE SEAMLESS GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. YOUR EFFORTS ARE APPRECIATED IN THE DRAINAGE DEPARTMENT AND IN THE STREETS DEPARTMENTS AS WELL. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MAYOR, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT ALL THIS THAT YOU'VE HEARD NOTHING ELSE TO ADD, BUT PROLONGING. Y'ALL NEED TO GET BACK TO WORK. OKAY, SO THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT YOU ALL ARE THE FACE OF THE CITY AND THE CITY EMPLOYEES. YOU KNOW, WE ALL COME HERE ONCE EVERY OTHER WEEK. PEOPLE IN OFFICES UP HERE, PEOPLE NEED TO COME AND SEE THEM. BUT YOU ALL ARE OUT THERE EVERY DAY. YOU HAVE SPECIFIC AREAS, YOU WORK SO THE PEOPLE HAVE SEEN YOU AND THAT'S WHO THEY RELATE TO. WHEN THEY SAY CITY EMPLOYEES, THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBERS OR PEOPLE UP HERE IN OFFICES. THEY TALK ABOUT YOU ALL. EVERYTHING YOU DO IS A REPRESENTATION OF THE CITY BECAUSE THEY SEE YOU ON A DAILY BASIS. SO JUST KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND KEEP IN MIND YOU ARE THE FACE OF THE CITY. ALL RIGHT, ONE MORE HAND FOR OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. WE ARE CERTAINLY APPRECIATIVE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING. YEAH. THAT'S IT. I'M SORRY. THAT'S THE PROCLAMATION. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME WE HAVE ANY REPRESENTATIVES, REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE. IF YOU WOULD COME NOW, WE'LL DO YOUR PROCLAMATION. THANK. MACDONALD. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION FROM THE FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE FOR THE 2026 MEN'S HEALTH AND PROSTATE CANCER MONTH [00:15:02] PROCLAMATION. AND IT READS AS SUCH. WHEREAS JUNE 2026 IS NATIONAL MEN'S HEALTH MONTH. AND WHEREAS GIFT OF LIFE, IN COLLABORATION WITH ITS MEDICAL PARTNERS, WILL MAKE AVAILABLE FREE MEN'S HEALTH CARE SERVICES, INCLUDING PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN PSA SCREENINGS, PRIMARY CARE TESTS, INFECTIOUS DISEASE TESTS, ALONG WITH ON SITE PHYSICIAN CONSULTATIONS TO REVIEW TEST OUTCOME AND NEGATIVE AND AND NAVIGATE MEN TO CARE. AND WHEREAS THE GIFT OF LIFE PAYS THE ENTIRE ENTIRETY OF PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING, DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT COSTS FOR ITS CLIENTS. AND WHEREAS GIFT OF LIFE WILL WILL HOST A REGIONAL MEN'S HEALTH SCREENING AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JUNE AND JULY. AND WHEREAS PROSTATE CANCER IS THE MOST FREQUENTLY DIAGNOSED, CANCER IN MEN, ASIDE FROM SKIN CANCER, AND ABOUT 1 IN 8 MEN WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH PROSTATE CANCER DURING THEIR LIFETIME. AND WHEREAS TEXAS IS THE. IN MEDICALLY UNINSURED CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES WITH 4.9 MILLION TEXANS WITHOUT COVERAGE. AND. WHEREAS, IN 2025, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 23,890 MEN IN TEXAS WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH PROSTATE CANCER AND APPROXIMATELY 2509 WILL DIE FROM THE DISEASE. AND WHEREAS, SINCE 2000, MORE THAN 13,400 SOUTHEAST TEXAS MEN HAVE RECEIVED GIFT OF LIFE FREE PROSTATE CANCER SCREENINGS, HELPING TO EXTEND THE LIVES OF 84 MEN WHO WERE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER AND WHO WERE PROVIDED ACCESS TO DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATIONS AND TREATMENTS. AND WHEREAS THE TREATMENTS. OKAY, I'M SORRY I READ THAT NOW. THEREFORE, I. CHARLOTTE MARIE MOSES, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 2026 AS MEN'S HEALTH MONTH AND TUESDAY, MAY 19TH AS GIFT OF LIFE MEN'S HEALTH AWARENESS DAY IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND I ALSO URGE ALL MEN IN OUR COMMUNITY TO PURSUE PREVENTATIVE HEALTH PRACTICES AND EARLY DETECTION EFFORTS IN WITNESS WHEREOF I HAVE HEREUNTO SET MY HAND AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO BE AFFIXED THIS 19TH DAY OF MAY, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2026. CHARLOTTE MARIE MOSES AND I PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION, AND IF WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS, LET'S GIVE THEM WHAT GIFT OF LIFE HAS DONE TO SAVE LIVES. PLEASE, A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING OUR APPRECIATION THIS TIME. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DAIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, FOR ISSUING THIS PROCLAMATION TO THE GIFT OF LIFE. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN OFFERING OUR TEST HERE IN PORT ARTHUR. THAT DATE IS JUNE 27TH, WHICH IS SATURDAY. WE WILL BE OFFERING NOT ONLY THE FREE SCREENINGS. WE WILL GIVE EACH MAN THAT COMES A $25 GIFT CARD TO JASON'S DELI WILL ALSO BE ISSUING FREE GIFTS. WE ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING IN PORT ARTHUR. IF YOU'RE UNABLE TO ATTEND IN PORT ARTHUR, WE HAVE THREE OTHER SITES LUMBERTON, ORANGE AND PORT ARTHUR. THIS WILL BE THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JUNE AND JULY. WE'RE REALLY PLEASED WITH THIS PROGRAM. LAST YEAR, WE SAW OVER 1000 MEN IN OUR PROGRAM, AND WE HOPE TO EXCEED THAT NUMBER THIS YEAR. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR COUNCIL, FOR ALL YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT IN THE EFFORTS OF THE GIFT OF LIFE. OKAY. AND JOINING ME ALSO IS THE HEALTH DIRECTOR, AND SHE NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION. AND LEAH JACOBS, WHO'S ALSO A PART OF THE STAFF OF THE GIFT OF LIFE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. WE THANK GIFT OF LIFE FOR THE AMAZING JOB THAT THEY DO HELPING WITH WOMEN AND WITH MEN AND THEIR HEALTH CARE. WE'RE NOW HAVE A PROCLAMATION DECLARING JUNE 2026 AS PORT ARTHUR ISD SUMMER LIT CAMP MONTH. WHEREAS LITERACY SERVES [00:20:01] AS THE FOUNDATION OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, LIFELONG LEARNING, WORKFORCE READINESS, AND ENGAGED CITIZENSHIP. AND WHEREAS, THE PORT ARTHUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT STRENGTHEN LITERACY, ACHIEVEMENT AND STUDENT SUCCESS FOR ALL LEARNERS. AND WHEREAS, THE PORT ARTHUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, IN COLLABORATION WITH LAMAR UNIVERSITY'S COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, NANCY EVANS READING CENTER, IS LAUNCHING THE 2026 SUMMER LIT CAMP PROGRAM TO SUPPORT AND ENHANCE LITERACY DEVELOPMENT FOR STUDENTS IN PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH GRADE. AND WHEREAS, THE SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE APPROXIMATELY 600 PORT ARTHUR ISD STUDENTS WITH ENGAGING, RESEARCH BASED LITERACY INSTRUCTION FOCUSED ON PHONICS, FLUENCY, VOCABULARY COMPREHENSION, AND WRITING DEVELOPMENT THROUGH HANDS ON LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND HIGH INTEREST TEXTS. AND WHEREAS, THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE PORT ARTHUR ISD AND LAMAR UNIVERSITY'S NANCY EVANS READING CENTER REFLECTS A SHARED COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHENING LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT, PROMOTING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, AND FOSTERING A LONG, LONG, LIFELONG LOVE OF READING AMONG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS, THE SUMMER LIT CAMP INITIATIVE WILL ALSO PROVIDE FAMILIES WITH TARGETED LITERACY TOOLS, TAKE HOME LIBRARIES, AND READING RESOURCES DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND TO HELP REDUCE SUMMER LEARNING LOSS, WHILE SUPPORTING LITERACY DEVELOPMENT BEYOND THE CLASSROOM. AND WHEREAS, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATIVE EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS THAT EMPOWER STUDENTS, SUPPORT FAMILIES, AND INVEST IN THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS, THE SUMMER OF PORT ARTHUR RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATIVE EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS THAT EMPOWER STUDENTS, SUPPORT FAMILIES, AND INVEST IN FUTURE SUCCESS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS THE SUMMER LITERACY KICK OFF, PARENT AND STUDENT ORIENTATION WILL BE HELD ON MAY 19TH, 2026 AT THE PORT ARTHUR CIVIC CENTER THAT WILL SERVE AS A CITYWIDE CELEBRATION OF LITERACY, LEARNING AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP. NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLOTTE M MOSES, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 26TH AS THE PORT ARTHUR ISD SUMMER LIT CAMP MONTH IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, AND RECOGNIZES ALL AND ENCOURAGE ALL STUDENTS, ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, OUR EDUCATORS, OUR FAMILIES, OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESS LEADERS TO SUPPORT LITERACY INITIATIVES PROMOTING, READING, ENGAGEMENT AND CELEBRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION IN BUILDING A STRONGER FUTURE FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COMMUNITY. IN WITNESS WHEREOF I HAVE HEREUNTO SET MY HAND AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO BE AFFIXED ON THIS 19TH DAY OF MAY, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2026. CHARLOTTE MARIE MOSES, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. DO WE HAVE ANY REPRESENTATIVES HERE FOR OUR READING LITERACY PROGRAM? I THINK THIS CAME FROM MISS CAROLYN THIBODEAUX FROM THE LIBRARY AND ASKED THAT WE RECOGNIZE THIS PRIOR TO THE MONTH OF THE READING MONTH, WHICH WILL BE IN JUNE FOR OUR LITERACY PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LAMAR. SO SHE'S NOT HERE. BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR. LET'S JUST GIVE THE WE NEED READING IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR OUR CHILDREN. SO LET'S JUST PRAISE AND GIVE HAND CLAP IN SUPPORT OF HELPING OUR CHILDREN TO READ MORE AND READ BETTER. THANK YOU. [III.A.(1) Thomas Atlas Regarding Abuse Of Power By City Employee, Corruptions.] WE WILL NOW GO TO NUMBER THREE PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS. WE HAVE SPEAKERS, THE FIRST SPEAKER AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE A FIVE MINUTE TIME SET. CHRISTI THOMAS ATLAS REGARDING ABUSE OF POWER BY CITY EMPLOYEE CORRUPTIONS. AND SO WE HAVE A. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING. I MAKE IT SHORT SINCE I HAVE TO GO TO AIRPORT, TAKE MY FAMILY TO AIRPORT. I CAME DOWN HERE, SIR, IF YOU'LL GIVE ME YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND. THOMAS ATLAS, 33, 12 12TH STREET, PORT ARTHUR. OKAY. YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES. YEAH. THAT'S MY HOME WHERE I LIVE. IN 2024, [00:25:02] I WAS HERE. I BRING IT TO COUNCIL MEMBER, ESPECIALLY TO CITY MANAGER, ABOUT MISCONDUCT OF THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND BUILDING EMPLOYEES. AND HE WAS VERY RUDE TO ME. AND INSTEAD OF SOLVING THE PROBLEM, HE ATTACKED ME AS WELL. SIR, WE'RE NOT GOING TO POINT AT ANYBODY. NO I'M NOT. I'M JUST TALKING STRAIGHT FORWARD BECAUSE I KNOW MY LEGAL RIGHT. AND ONE OF YOUR EMPLOYEE, HIS NAME IS EARL. SIR. WE CAN'T GIVE NAMES. YOU CAN'T DO THAT. NOT IN HERE. NO, SIR. CITY ATTORNEY HERE, SIR. YOU CANNOT GIVE OUT NAMES. YOUR CITY ATTORNEY HERE. OUR CITY ATTORNEY IS HERE. BUT YOU CAN'T GIVE OUT NAME. CITY ATTORNEY HAS MY DOCUMENTATION. OKAY, MISTER, YOU PROVIDE US THE NAME. THERE ARE THREE PEOPLE IN BUILDING DEPARTMENT. DEMOLISHING DEPARTMENT THAT THEY ARE ABUSING THE POWER UNDER YOUR NOSE. AND THEY ARE DOING ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES DOWN THERE. OKAY, I'M NOT GIVING ANY NAME. FRAUDULENT INDICTMENT, FRAUDULENT USING OF A STATE ISSUED NOTARY. THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE DOWN THERE LEGALLY. THEY FABRICATE EVIDENCE AND DOCUMENT IN THE NAME OF CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. THEY PUT YOUR POSITION IN DANGER. OKAY? YOUR POSITION IN DANGER. AND IT ALLOWS ME, SINCE THE TIMING WAS AT THE TIME OF BETWEEN 8 TO 5, CITY IS LIABLE FOR THEIR MISCONDUCT. AND TWO WEEKS AGO, THE SAME INDIVIDUAL CALLED THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND TRIED TO FILE A COMPLAINT FOR CRIMINAL CONDUCT AGAINST ME TWO WEEKS AGO FOR NO REASON. IT MAKES YOU, ALL OF YOU, RELIABLE, ESPECIALLY CITY MANAGER, THAT I BELIEVE, SIR. HE IS FULLY AWARE. SIR, I'VE ASKED YOU NOT TO POINT IN THIS POINTING. I WILL HAVE YOU REMOVED. CITY MANAGER KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT HE IS DOING SINCE HE'S BEEN HERE. WHETHER HE KNOWS. AND HE COVERED IT UNDER HIS NOSE OR HE'S CONDUCTING A MAFIA STYLE BUSINESS DOWN HERE. SO YOU BETTER CLEAN UP. OTHERWISE, WE HAVE TO GO A DIFFERENT ROUTE. YES, SIR. HAVE A NICE DAY. YOU TOO. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTINA KNIGHT. REGARDING REFINERIES AND WHAT SIX CITIES WE ARE TAKING CARE OF. OKAY. SHE'S NOT HERE. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO WANDA BOWDEN REGARDING A. I'M SORRY. NO, MA'AM, I I'M FOLLOWING THE AGENDA. I GOT THE AGENDA. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS WANDA BARTON. I DON'T SEE HER HERE. ADOPTING THE SOUTH LEVEE BEAUTIFICATION. MISS BARTON. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR PRESENTATIONS AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO PULL THE PUBLIC HEARING PRIOR TO OUR PRESENTATION. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD. AND SINCE IT'S IT'S IT'S WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT BY TIME, BUT WE NOT HAVE WE'RE NOT HAVING THE PUBLIC HEARING. NO, SIR. SO WE NEED TO PULL THAT ITEM. AND WE DON'T HAVE A REQUIRED CITY MANAGER. CITY ATTORNEY. WE DON'T HAVE A REQUIRED TIME TO PULL IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. WE'LL JUST PULL IT [III.B.(1) A Presentation by Gloria Sanchez, Christopher Seller, And Mark Chambers Regarding Port Arthur Community Survey.] THEN WHEN WE GET TO IT. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION. AT THIS WILL BE A PRESENTATION BY GLORIA SANCHEZ, CHRISTOPHER SELLER AND MARK CHAMBERS REGARDING PORT ARTHUR COMMUNITY SURVEY. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS GLORIA SANCHEZ. I LIVE IN SIX, SIX, TWO FIVE JADE AVENUE AND. CORRECT. WE'RE HERE TO DO A PRESENTATION. CHRISTOPHER. I'M CHRIS SELLERS. GOOD MORNING. MAYOR. YEAH, WE ARE TALKING. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS. OTHER OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DAYS. I GUESS REALLY APPRECIATIVE THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US SOME TIME TO TALK ABOUT OUR WORK HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, OUR COMMUNITY BASED RESEARCH, AND ESPECIALLY THIS SURVEY THAT WE CONDUCTED LAST SUMMER. I, I TEACH AT STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK, BUT I WAS BORN IN TEXAS. AND I'M ALSO I'M A SON OF EXXON. MY GRANDDAD WORKED FOR THE COMPANY FOR HIS ENTIRE LIFE. AND IT PUT MY DAD THROUGH SCHOOL AND ALL THAT. SO I'VE BEEN VISITING HERE IN PORT ARTHUR SINCE SINCE REALLY SINCE [00:30:06] 2010. TALKING TO PEOPLE, DOING RESEARCH, DIGGING OUT THE HISTORY. I'M AN HISTORIAN BY TRADE AND, AND A HISTORIAN OF CITIES AND SO ON. AND LET'S SEE. THIS, THIS IS THIS IS WHO'S PRESENTING TODAY. I HOPE I CAN DO THIS QUICK. THERE WE GO. SO ALL OF THESE FOLKS ARE, ARE MORE OR LESS PART OF OUR TEAM. AND SO GLORIA THE SURVEYOR, TIANA BRUNO IS A IS HERE WITH US AND WE'LL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT. SHE'S IN THE GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY HILTON. KELLY IS IS KNOWN TO MANY. MOST OF YOU, I UNDERSTAND, IS THE HEAD OF THE COMMUNITY IN POWER AND DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION HERE IN PORT ARTHUR. MARK CHAMBERS IS LISTENING ONLINE BUT COULDN'T MAKE IT. HE HAS SOME HEALTH ISSUES WITH A FAMILY MEMBER, SO HE DIDN'T TRAVEL HERE. I'M GONNA BE TALKING TODAY ABOUT ABOUT OUR SURVEY. AND THIS GIVES GIVES YOU A SENSE OF THE TEAM THAT WAS INVOLVED. SO MARK AND HILTON AND SOME SOCIOLOGISTS AT STONY BROOK, AS WELL AS MYSELF. THE SURVEYORS, THE FOUR SURVEYORS ARE ALL PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS. YOU CAN SEE THEIR NAMES THERE. AND WE ALSO HAD SOME FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY, A COUPLE OF SOURCES, THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION AND THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION. THE SURVEY ASKED RESIDENTS WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THE CITY, WHERE THEY LIVE. WE TALKED, WE LOOKED AT OR LISTENED TO THEIR THOUGHTS ON HOMES AND NEIGHBORHOODS AND SENSE OF COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS THE JOBS AND LOCAL INDUSTRIES HERE. HOW WE CONDUCTED IT. WE DID IT LAST SUMMER AND THE THE WE DID SOME RECRUITMENT OF OUR SURVEYORS FIRST, AND THEY WERE TRAINED BY OUR STONY BROOK SOCIOLOGIST. THEN THEY DREW ON ALL THEIR CONTACTS WITHIN THE CITY TO CONDUCT THE SURVEY. ALL WERE PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS, ALL THE PEOPLE SURVEYED AND. THE SURVEY CONSISTED OF ABOUT 20 MINUTES OF ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT LIVING IN PORT ARTHUR. THE BENEFITS AND BURDENS IS HOW WE FRAME THOSE QUESTIONS. SO THE SURVEY BEGAN ON THE JUNE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION AND THE FLAG RAISING LAST YEAR, AND WE. WE PROCEEDED TO CONDUCT A SURVEY OVER THE NEXT WEEK AND A HALF OR SO. THE PEOPLE IN THE SURVEY, WE. WE SURPASSED OUR TARGET SET BY OUR SOCIOLOGISTS. GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE CITY AND THE STATISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS, THERE WAS. 122 WE GOT TO. 155. YOU CAN SEE HERE THE. HOW THE SURVEY SAMPLE COMPARES WITH THE. THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF PORT ARTHUR. ACCORDING TO THE COMMUNITY SURVEY AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY, WE HAD SOMEWHAT MORE BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN PARTICIPANTS, A BIT LESS LATINO PARTICIPANTS, AND ALSO A BIT LESS WHITE AND ASIAN PARTICIPANTS, BUT MORE MULTIRACIAL FOLKS THAN REGISTER IN THE. IN THE PORT ARTHUR AMERICA COMMUNITY SURVEY. SO INTO THE QUESTIONS HERE. OUR QUESTIONS FIRST. THE FIRST ONE CENTERED ON THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY HERE. AND SO TO GET AT THAT, WE WE TAPPED PEOPLE'S SENSE OF THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO PORT ARTHUR WITH THIS QUESTION. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED MOVING AWAY? AND WE HAD 51%. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT, OH, ALL THE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING, BUT ACTUALLY WE FOUND A PRETTY ROBUST GROUP OF FOLKS, 51% HAD NOT CONSIDERED MOVING AWAY, AND 15% ONCE OR TWICE THEY THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT JUST ABOUT 30, 33% OF FOLKS HAD HAD SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED AT ONE MOMENT OR ANOTHER MOVING AWAY. SO WE THOUGHT THAT WAS A PRETTY ROBUST STATEMENT ABOUT PEOPLE'S COMMITMENT TO THE CITY. AND OUR NEXT QUESTION OPENED UP THE ISSUE OF WHY WE ASKED AN OPEN ENDED QUESTION ABOUT THE BENEFITS THAT PEOPLE SAW FROM LIVING IN PORT ARTHUR. AND HERE ARE OUR RESULTS. A GREAT DEAL OF FOLKS 50%. AND THIS WAS AN OPEN ENDED QUESTION. SO WE DIDN'T SORT OF PRE PRE FABRICATE AND JUST HAVE PEOPLE CHECK BOXES. PEOPLE VOLUNTEERED PHRASES AT LEAST THREE ABOUT WHAT THEY LIKED ABOUT PORT ARTHUR. SOCIAL TIES AND COMMUNITY ARE NUMBER ONE, 50% OF THE COMMENTS OF THE 406 GIVEN RESPONSES, SERVICES AND AMENITIES ALSO COME UP NEXT AT 13%. AND THEN JOBS AND ECONOMY WERE A THIRD PLACE AT 12%, ALONG WITH COST OF LIVING. AND [00:35:07] THERE WERE SOME SOME COMMENTS ABOUT ENVIRONMENT AND LOCATION AND SO ON AS WELL. JUST TO BREAK THIS DOWN WITHIN THE SOCIAL TIES AND COMMUNITY, A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. SO FAMILY, FAMILY FRIENDLY, CLOSE TO FRIENDS AND SO ON. ANOTHER GROUP ALSO MENTIONED COMMUNITY ITSELF AND THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND THEN SEEMING LIKE A SMALL TOWN THAT THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE LANGUAGE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE USED TO IN TERMS OF THE SERVICES AND AMENITIES THAT PEOPLE MENTIONED, SCHOOLS, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, THE PROXIMITY TO STORES AND RESOURCES, THE EASE OF GETTING AROUND FOOD AND RESTAURANTS AND RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES, AND THEN JOBS. WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF FOLKS TALKING ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES HERE FOR JOBS. AND IT'S INTERESTING THAT JUST ONE PERSON ACTUALLY MENTIONED THE REFINERIES. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JOBS MORE BROADLY THAN THAT. AND THEN ALSO LOW COST AND AFFORDABILITY WERE BIG ISSUES HERE. AND HOUSING ALSO WAS MENTIONED BY SOME. AND THEN FINALLY, OTHER THINGS MENTIONED WERE THE CITY'S LOCATION ON THE WATER AND THE GULF, ITS OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITIES, LIKE FOR FISHING WATERWAYS AND THEN ITS CULTURE AND ITS HISTORY. AND I THINK THIS IS A GOOD MOMENT TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TIANA BRUNO'S RESEARCH AND ONLINE RESOURCES, ABOUT PORT ARTHUR HIGH. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, EVERYONE FOR THIS MINUTE TO SHARE A BIT ABOUT MY WORK. MY NAME IS PROFESSOR TIANA BRUNO AND I AM A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY. BUT I'M ALSO A DAUGHTER OF PORT ARTHUR. MY MOM AND DAD WERE BOTH BORN AND RAISED HERE IN PORT ARTHUR AND MY DAD ON THE WEST SIDE. MY MOM IS A VILLAGE, SO I'VE BEEN AROUND PORT ARTHUR ALL OF MY LIFE AND CONTINUE TO BE OBVIOUSLY AROUND PORT ARTHUR, AND I'VE BEEN DOING RESEARCH ON PORT ARTHUR FOR ABOUT A DECADE, AND IT'S THESE KINSHIP CONNECTIONS THAT BROUGHT ME TO MY CURRENT RESEARCH THAT BLENDS GEOGRAPHY, BLACK STUDIES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES TO EXPLAIN CONNECTIONS TO COMMUNITY, CONNECTIONS, TO PLACE HOME, NATURAL AND THE NATURAL LANDSCAPES OF PORT ARTHUR. I AM WORKING ON A BOOK. YEAH, IT'S UP THERE WORKING ON A BOOK PROJECT THAT LOOKS AT, WITHIN THIS CONTEXT OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP AND THE SORT OF COMPLEXITIES OF LIVING BENEATH THE LARGEST REFINERY IN NORTH AMERICA, AMONG OTHER REFINERIES. WHY DO PEOPLE STAY? WHY DO PEOPLE STAY IN PORT ARTHUR? IT EXPLORES NOTIONS OF AIR PROPERTIES OR THE HOMESTEAD, THESE SORT OF PASSED DOWN PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE ACROSS PORT ARTHUR. CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND BALANCES, COMMUNITY MEMORIES AND CONNECTIONS TO PLACE AND WATERWAYS AND LANDS OF PORT ARTHUR WITH THE VERY REAL REALITY OF ECONOMIC SORT OF COMPLEXITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE HARMS. WE THINK OF THE FLOODING AND HURRICANES, OF COURSE. AND SO PAIRED WITH THIS BOOK PROJECT IS A STORY MAP THAT CENTERS ON A PROJECT CALLED SPACES WHERE THERE WERE PLACES WHICH MR. JOHN SEARS JR, SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE BEGAN YEARS AGO. AND THIS IS SHAPED INTO A MULTIMEDIA PROJECT THAT FOCUSES ON THE HISTORY OF THE WEST SIDE OF PORT ARTHUR, THE HERITAGE, MEMORY AND COMMUNITY ETHIC THAT BUILT A SELF-SUFFICIENT COMMUNITY DURING SEGREGATION AND BEYOND IS DISAPPEARING. WEST SIDE TODAY SHOWS A LOT OF SPACES WHERE THERE WERE PLACES, VERY DEAR PLACES, A COMMUNITY THAT TOOK CARE OF ITSELF, TOOK CARE OF EACH OTHER. SO I'VE BEEN TOLD. SO IT'S MORE OF A IT'S MORE THAN JUST SIMPLE NOSTALGIA THAT THIS PROJECT IS ABOUT. MANY FOLKS SHARE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS ETHIC OF COMMUNITY CARE REBUILT IN PORT ARTHUR FOR A BETTER FUTURE. SO THROUGH ORAL HISTORIES, COMMUNITY ARCHIVES, SHORT FILM AND ARTWORK. THIS PROJECT MAINTAINS THAT THIS MEMORY MAINTAINS THIS MEMORY WITH THE AIM OF SUPPORTING COMMUNITY PRIDE, RESILIENCE, AND A CARE FOR THE FUTURE OF PORT ARTHUR. I ONLY HAVE A MINUTE OR SO, SO I WILL BE SHARING MORE ABOUT THIS, MUCH MORE ABOUT THIS WORK. DURING THE JUNETEENTH FLAG RAISING, WHICH IS ON JUNE 4TH AT THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. I ALSO I ALSO WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF ANOTHER RESOURCE ON PORT ARTHUR'S HISTORY THAT A TEAM OF US HAD DEVELOPED, AND OUT OF WHICH SOME OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONS THAT WILL GO GET INTO NOW COME FROM THIS IS ON OIL'S HISTORY AND IMPACTS IN PORT ARTHUR. AND WE HAVE A WHOLE SORT OF SET OF OF EXPLORATIONS OF PORT ARTHUR HISTORY, PHOTOS, RESOURCES, NARRATIVE, LOTS OF, LOTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION AS WELL. AND YOU CAN SEE THE TEAM THAT WORKED ON THIS, THIS HAS BEEN WE'VE WORKED ON THIS OVER THE LAST 4 OR 5 YEARS. AND SO IT'S QUITE THE RESOURCE. I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL FIND THIS AND USE IT. WE ALSO HAVE. I WANTED TO [00:40:06] MAKE YOU AWARE OF THIS EVENT TOMORROW WHERE BOTH TIANA AND I ARE GOING TO BE UNPACKING SOME MORE OF OUR DIGGING INTO PORT ARTHUR'S HISTORY, AS WELL AS TALKING ABOUT THE SURVEY. AND THIS IS OVER AT THE TEXAS ARTIST'S MUSEUM, 530 TO 730. PLEASE COME, ALL OF YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. AND ALSO A LIGHT DINNER WILL BE SERVED. OKAY, SO NOW ON TO THE SURVEY. THE REST OF THE SURVEY ITSELF, IF I CAN. LET'S SEE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. THERE WE GO. OKAY, SO BUILDING ON OUR LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THE OIL AND PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY IN PORT ARTHUR AND ITS COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS, THIS SOME OF OUR NEXT QUESTIONS ASK PEOPLE ABOUT THE BENEFITS VERSUS THE BURDENS OF THIS THIS INDUSTRY THAT'S BEEN SO CENTRAL TO PORT ARTHUR'S HISTORY. AND SO YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE RESPONSE IS WE OFFERED PEOPLE A CHANCE TO SAY HOW BENEFICIAL EACH OF THESE FEATURES OF THE INDUSTRY WAS IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE COMMUNITY. SO WE HAVE PROVIDING JOBS, AIDING IN SPENDING POWER FOR LOCAL BUSINESS AND INVESTING IN TRAINING PROGRAMS. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS LOOKS PRETTY GOOD, ESPECIALLY THE TWO ON THE LEFT IN TERMS OF LARGELY AND EXTREMELY. AND, YOU KNOW, TO INTERPRET THIS AND MOST OF THESE GRAPHS, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THIS SIDEBAR WITH WITH WHAT THE COLORS MEAN. NOT AT ALL IS RED. LITTLE AND SOMEWHAT ARE SHADES OF BLUE. AND THEN THE MORE POSITIVE, LARGELY AND EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL ARE THE GREEN. AND HERE YOU CAN SEE IT LOOKS LIKE SALARIES AND WAGES, ESPECIALLY THAT ADD TO SPENDING POWER ARE HIGH. BUT YOU HAVE TO TAKE THAT WITH WITH A COMBINING THAT WITH THE OTHER TWO. AND THAT'S 49% SAYING LARGELY AND EXTREMELY. AND ACTUALLY IF YOU PUT THE RED ALONG WITH THE BLUE, YOU GET 51%. SO IT'S REALLY KIND OF A MIXED BAG HERE ON THESE, THESE THE WAY THAT PEOPLE EVALUATE THE BENEFITS, THESE THREE BENEFITS FROM THE INDUSTRY. AND THEN THIS IS A LITTLE LESS POSITIVE ON INVESTING IN THE DOWNTOWN, PAYING TAXES AND OTHER FINANCING OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT, AND THEN DONATING TO CHARITIES. SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT LESS GREEN, A LITTLE BIT MORE BLUE, ESPECIALLY. WHAT ABOUT THE PAST VERSUS PRESENT? WHAT HAVE BEEN THE TRENDS? AND HERE THE TRENDS ARE PRETTY REMARKABLE. I THINK, IN ABOUT THE DECLINING BENEFITS THAT PEOPLE HAVE PERCEIVED IN THESE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE INDUSTRY TO THE CITY. SO PROVIDING JOBS, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BIGGEST SHARE IS MUCH LESS NOW OR SOMEWHAT LESS NOW. SAME WITH THE SPENDING POWER AND THE SAME WITH INVESTING IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE, IN THE PUBLIC, IN DOWNTOWN AND OTHER PUBLIC SPACES. OKAY. AND THEN THIS ONE TOO, PRESENT VERSUS PAST. YOU'LL ALSO SEE ASSESSMENTS OF DECLINE OR STABILITY IN THESE BENEFITS THAT PEOPLE SEE FROM THIS INDUSTRY. NOW, THIS, THIS SLIDE REALLY BOILS DOWN, I THINK, PEOPLE'S ATTITUDES THAT WE HEARD FROM PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS ABOUT THIS, THIS INDUSTRY AND ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. AND YOU CAN SEE THE HIGH ONE HERE. THE RED AND PINK IS POORLY OR NOT SO WELL THAT THE OIL, GAS AND PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY ARE CURRENTLY ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. SO THIS IS THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A CRY FOR MORE FOR MORE GIVING BACK, HOW WOULD YOU RATE AND IN TERMS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF THIS WORSE, WE ASK ABOUT BURDENS. AND SO WE ASK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ENVIRONMENT, SUCH AS AIR POLLUTION AND AND HERE, NOT SO SURPRISINGLY, THE BIGGEST CHEER RATE, THE AIR QUALITY HERE IS POOR ARE NOT VERY GOOD. AND THOSE RATING AT VERY GOOD OR EXCELLENT ARE ACTUALLY LIVING OUT FROM THE REFINERIES. WE FOUND OUT. WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? IT COMES FROM LOCAL OIL, PETROCHEMICAL AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL PLANTS. GREAT MAJORITY OF PEOPLE SAY MUCH OR MOST ALL OF IT. AND THEN HOW CONCERNED ARE RESIDENTS ABOUT THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF OF THIS INDUSTRY, THIS LOCAL INDUSTRY ON THEIR OWN AND THEIR FAMILY'S HEALTH? VERY CONCERNED. YOU CAN SEE EXTREMELY CONCERNED OR VERY [00:45:03] CONCERNED ARE WHERE THE BULK OF PEOPLE COME DOWN. AND WE'RE TALKING AIR POLLUTION, CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, BUT ALSO TRANSPORTATION OF POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS MATERIALS AND ACCIDENTS FROM SUCH AS EXPLOSIONS OR SPILLS FROM THE LOCAL INDUSTRY. OF COURSE, THIS IS BACK LAST SUMMER BEFORE THE BIG MOTIVA EXPLOSION IN MARCH. SO WOW, WHAT WOULD THEY SAY NOW? OH, VALERO. OH OH THAT WAS VALERO. SORRY. YEAH. MARCH 23RD. YEAH. VALERO. SORRY. AND WHAT ABOUT WHAT ABOUT HOME VALUES. AND MOST PEOPLE ASSESS WHO ARE HOMEOWNERS ASSESS THAT THIS IS THE PRESENCE OF THIS INDUSTRY HAS NOT BEEN GOOD FOR HOME VALUES AT LEAST THEIRS EXTREMELY INFLUENTIAL IN LOWERING OR INFLUENTIAL IN LOWERING IS THE BIG SHARE OF HOMEOWNERS IN OUR SAMPLE. WHAT ABOUT EXTREME WEATHER? AND WE WANTED TO ASK THIS IN PART BECAUSE OF THE SORT OF CLIMATE CHANGE CONNECTION, JUST TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE WERE THINKING. AND IT SEEMS PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL THAT EVERYBODY ASSESSES HURRICANES, FLOODING AND HEAT WAVES AS GETTING WORSE, GETTING MORE EXTREME. THAT'S THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE, WHETHER WHETHER OR NOT CLIMATE CHANGE HAS COME TO PORT ARTHUR, THEIR DECISION IS YES. AND AND, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT CLIMATE DENIALISM, BUT THAT'S NOT HAPPENING IN OUR SAMPLE FOR THE MOST PART. AND PEOPLE ALSO LINK IT TO FOSSIL FUEL BURNING. GREAT MAJORITY MAKE THAT CONNECTION. WE DIDN'T ASK ABOUT WHETHER WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT THE PLANTS HERE THEMSELVES THAT MAKE THE FOSSIL FUELS, BUT I THINK A LOT OF THEM ARE CONNECTING THOSE DOTS. SO FINALLY, WHAT ABOUT THIS IS WE THIS WAS A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION THAT WE WANTED TO GET TO THE PRIORITIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT HOW, HOW THE INDUSTRY COULD GIVE BACK MORE, GIVEN THE SENSE THAT IT'S NOT CONTRIBUTING ENOUGH. AND SO WE ASKED, WE GOT THESE THESE POSSIBLE WAYS OF BENEFITING FROM THE INDUSTRY BY TALKING WITH PEOPLE BEFOREHAND, ALSO BY LOOKING AT WHAT THE INDUSTRY HAS BEEN GIVING, AND IT HAS BEEN GIVING SUBSTANTIAL DONATIONS VARIOUS WAYS. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, MOST OF THESE PEOPLE RATED THEM HIGH OR HIGHEST PRIORITY. AND JUST TO JUST TO TAKE THEM, TAKE THEM APART A LITTLE BIT, THE HIGHEST PRIORITY IS MORE THAN 60% RATED HIGH OR HIGHEST. WE'RE HIRING OF LOCALS. AND THEN TRAINING THAT WOULD WOULD ACTUALLY LEAD TO LOCAL JOBS. NUMBER THREE, MORE TRANSPARENCY ABOUT LOCAL POLLUTION, ESPECIALLY WE MENTIONED REAL TIME MONITORING OF AIR POLLUTION AT THE FENCE LINES OF THE COMPANIES THAT WAS ALSO RATED HIGHLY. AND ALL OF THESE ARE ABOVE 50%. THAT WAS ACTUALLY 64% BOLSTERING SCHOOLS, 63% SUPPORTING SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND 63% ALSO FOR FORTIFYING PROTECTIONS AGAINST THE FLOODING THAT PEOPLE SEE AS GETTING WORSE AND THEN RECREATIS IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT LACK THEM WITH. AND FINALLY, LET'S SEE. AND NEXT IN THE LIST, 58% WAS WERE HIGH OR HIGH PRIORITIES FOR INCREASING THE TAX IN OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE COMPANIES AND THEN INVESTING MORE IN PORT ARTHUR'S DOWNTOWN, AS WELL AS FAIR PRICE BUYOUTS OF HOMES NEAR THE REFINING AND PETROCHEMICAL PLANTS. SO I THOUGHT. SO THAT'S OUR THAT'S THE BASIC RESULTS OF OUR SURVEY, I THINK YOU SEE HERE, JUST TO SUM UP AN APPRECIATION OF AN ALLEGIANCE TO THE COMMUNITY OF PORT ARTHUR. BUT RESIDENTS HAVE HAVE ATTITUDES, HAVE MIXED ATTITUDES TOWARD THE BIGGEST INDUSTRIES IN THEIR IN THEIR MIDST, RANGING FROM MIXED ACTUALLY TO QUITE NEGATIVE ON SEVERAL FRONTS, ESPECIALLY WHETHER WITH REGARD TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL DANGERS. SO THERE'S A STRONG SENSE THAT COMPANIES ALSO NEED TO STEP UP AND DO MORE TO ADDRESS LOCAL COMMUNITY NEEDS. AND NOW LET HILTON HILTON WILL SAY A FEW WORDS TO WRAP US UP HERE. I THINK LET ME SAY WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 20 MINUTES FOR THE PRESENTATION. SO LET ME SEE IF COUNCIL WE CAN GO. THAT'S ALL [00:50:06] I'M ALLOWED TO DO. HOW MUCH LONGER DO WE HAVE? I WON'T TAKE LONG. OH, OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBERS, Y'ALL AMENABLE? ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO. MY NAME IS HILTON. CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? PRETTY GOOD. HILTON. KELLEY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, FOUNDED IN 2000. I WANT TO THANK MR. SELLERS, STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE A NON-BIASED OPINION WITH PEOPLE COMING INTO OUR COMMUNITY. AND HE HAD BEEN AFTER ME FOR QUITE A WHILE TO WORK WITH CEDAR TO DO SOME RESEARCH HERE, INDEPENDENT OF OUR ORGANIZATION, JUST SO YOU'LL NOTE THAT. AND I FIND HIS FINDINGS GETTING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND ACTUALLY TALKING TO PEOPLE AND DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES. THIS IS HIS DOING. CEDAR HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT'S BEING SAID, WHAT'S NOT BEING SAID. SO WHAT THEY FOUND WAS RIGHT IN LINE WITH WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT WE'RE BEING EXPOSED TO, HOW MUCH AND WHO'S BEING EXPOSED. AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY AND MR. SELLERS FOR BEING DILIGENT IN PULLING MY COAT AND SAYING, HEY, WE GOT TO DO THIS. LET ME WORK WITH YOU. LET'S, LET'S GET SOME THINGS DONE IN PORT ARTHUR, AND HERE'S WHAT WE CAN ADD TO THE RESEARCH AND THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'M LEAVING IN ABOUT FIVE DAYS, HEADING TO WASHINGTON, DC TO WORK WITH ORGANIZATION CALLED EARTHJUSTICE. AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS PUSHING TO CHANGE POLICIES THAT GOVERN THE TYPE, TYPES OF CHEMICALS AND THE AMOUNT OF CHEMICALS THAT CAN BE DUMPED INTO THE AIR BY THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRIES. BECAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS FROM DC ALL THE WAY TO OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THAT WE ARE BEING DISPROPORTIONATELY OVERBURDENED WITH CERTAIN TOXINS LIKE BENZENE, ETHYLENE OXIDE, SULFUR DIOXIDE, YOU NAME IT. AND THIS IS WHY WE HAVE SUCH HIGH CANCER RATES HERE AS WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN WITH PORT ARTHUR BEING OUR TEXAS BEING DUBBED THE ENERGY COUNTRY OR ENERGY STATE OF, OF, OF, I MEAN, ENERGY COUNTRY OF THE WORLD OR WHATNOT. AND SO WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROTECT OURSELVES, OUR FAMILIES, AND OUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES. AND I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR 26 YEARS TO DO JUST THAT, ALONG WITH OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE HERE THAT MAY NOT BE AS VISIBLE AS MYSELF, BUT YET AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP OUR CITIZENS SAFE. AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO. SO WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BRING INFORMATION FORWARD, LIKE WHAT MR. SELLERS BROUGHT FORWARD AND THE YOUNG LADY THAT DOES A LOT OF RESEARCH AS WELL. AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT YOUNG MINDS COMING INTO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, VERY INTERESTED IN MAKING PORT ARTHUR THE ENERGY COUNTRY THAT IT IS, AND KEEP IT THERE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, KEEP IT CLEAN AND SAFE AND VITAL. AND WE WANT TO HELP TO UPGRADE SOME OF OUR SECTORS THAT DO NOT HAVE THE ECONOMIC SUPPORT THAT IT SHOULD GET, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SITTING ON A FENCE LINE $1 BILLION A YEAR COMPANIES, AND WE THINK THAT IT'S TIME FOR EVERYBODY TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE IN TAXES. SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU GUYS FOR LISTENING AND GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. OKAY. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU ALL. AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING. WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU. I HAVE A COUPLE OF LIGHTS ON, SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE LIGHTS BEFORE YOU LEAVE. COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER. DOUCETTE. YES, MR. SELLERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. YOU KNOW, WE WE DO A LOT OF HIRING FOR CONSULTANTS AND PEOPLE COME IN AND HELP US. BUT IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO TAKE THEIR JOB. LIKE, YOU WANT TO BE A HISTORIAN, YOU WANT TO REALLY DO THINGS BECAUSE YOU WANT TO DO IT FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF PEOPLE AS OPPOSED TO MONETARY THINGS. AND WHEN YOU PRESENT THIS INFORMATION, YOU'RE PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION NOT BASED ON WHAT YOU THINK OR WHAT YOU SEE. YOU'RE BASING IT ON ACTUAL RESPONSE FROM PEOPLE. AND I WATCHED FOR YOUR QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASKED. YOU KNOW, THEY WERE NOT LOADED. SO THE THINGS YOU WERE ASKING FOR ALLOW PEOPLE TO JUST FEEL GOOD ABOUT SAYING WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY. AND THAT'S FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE. BUT THERE'S TWO THINGS I WANT TO POINT OUT ABOUT YOU. PRESENTATION. THE FIRST WAS JOB OPPORTUNITIES. AND, AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS A GOOD SURVEY BECAUSE WHEN YOU SURVEY THE PEOPLE FOR JOB, I THINK YOU SAID ONE AND NO ONE REALLY TALKED ABOUT WORKING IN THE REFINERIES. OKAY. YOU SEE, I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE KEEP TALKING ABOUT WE NEED TO GET JOBS IN REFINERIES. I'LL KEEP OUR KIDS. THEY DON'T WANT ME TO LIVE AROUND THIS, YOU KNOW. BUT IT'S INFORMATION [00:55:04] LIKE THIS CAN GET US TO START SERVICING AND HELPING AND INFORMING OUR CITIZENS ON THINGS THAT CAN HELP THEM TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE CITY. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU START TELLING US WHAT THEY TALK ABOUT, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. OUR JOB IS NOT TO HAVE OUR IDEAS WHAT WE THINK, SEE SOMETHING IN ANOTHER CITY AND SAY, OH YEAH, THEY DOING IT OVER THERE, BOY. THAT'S RIGHT. WE OUGHT TO HAVE IT IN PORT ARTHUR. NO, IT'S BASED ON PEOPLE HERE IN PORT ARTHUR AND HOW THEY RESPOND AND WHAT THEY WANT, THE CULTURE AND ALL OF THAT. YOU COVERED A LOT IN THIS SURVEY, BUT EVERYTHING YOU COVERED, IF ANYONE HAS BEEN PAYING ATTENTION IN THIS CITY, THEY COULD SEE VALIDATION OF WHAT YOU WERE SAYING. WE UNDERSTAND IT. AND I THINK THIS PRESENTATION OUGHT TO BE SOMETHING THE COUNCIL, AT SOME POINT IN TIME IN THE FUTURE, SHOULD TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT. AND ALSO PERHAPS TALKING WITH YOU AGAIN, WE NEED TO TRY TO DO THINGS IN THIS CITY BASED ON CITIZENS, BECAUSE WHAT WE DO UP HERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE TO SERVE THEM, NOT WHAT WE THINK. AND WE CAN'T DO THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO USE OUR OPINIONS OR WE GOING TO TRY TO THINK FOR THEM, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. THAT'S WHAT YOU DID. YOU GOT A SAMPLING AND THAT SAMPLE 155 IS JUST LIKE POLAND. IT MAY NOT BE THE SAME IN THE END, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. SO I APPRECIATE THIS. AND THIS IS VERY INTERESTING. VERY FEW PRESENTATION. I REALLY GOT A LOT OUT OF, BUT I GOT A LOT OUT OF THIS ONE BECAUSE IT'S REAFFIRMED WHAT I THOUGHT OF THE CITY AND WHAT I SEE OF THE CITY, AND IT'S COMING FROM CITIZENS. AND SOMEBODY WHO'S TAKING IT IS TAKING IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. AND YOU HAVE TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, AND THEY HAVE TO BE ASKED THE RIGHT WAY, BECAUSE IF THEY'RE LOADED, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET A GOOD SURVEY. AND I PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASK. SO ONCE AGAIN, I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. I HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT. IT'S LIKE WE. YES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES WE CAN. OKAY. YEAH. I MEAN, WE REALLY TRIED TO MAKE THE QUESTIONS BALANCED TO, TO ALLOW FOR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, DIVERSITY OF OPINION THERE, THERE MIGHT BE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE ASK IT ABOUT, WE ASK ABOUT BENEFITS AS WELL AS BURDENS, WE HAD THE WHOLE RANGE OF OPTIONS THAT PEOPLE COULD CHOOSE. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY CHOSE AS THEY SAW FIT. SO I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN, WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTEN A GOOD SAMPLE OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS CONSTITUENTS, I GUESS YOU PUT IT THINK HERE'S THE OTHER THING THOUGH, AND THIS IS IN THE STORYMAP. AND I WANT TO MAKE I HAVE THE THE SHEET HERE WITH ALL THE QR CODES FOR THE BOTH FOR A WRITE UP OF THE SURVEY AND FOR TIANA'S AND OUR STORY MAP PIECES THAT I'LL HAND TO YOU. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN THAT STORY MAP ON PORT ARTHUR'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT WITH THE INDUSTRY, THE OIL AND PETROCHEMICALS IS FIGURES, JOB NUMBERS, AND THE PEAK PROPORTION OF THE PORT ARTHUR WORKFORCE IN THAT INDUSTRY WAS IN 1960, WHEN IT WAS LIKE 38%. WHERE IS IT NOW? IT'S WELL BELOW 8%. 8% IS THE NUMBER OF MANUFACTURING JOBS THAT PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS HAVE. AND OF COURSE, JUST TO SHARE OF THAT IS IN OIL AND PETROCHEMICALS. SO SO IT'S REALLY IT HAS I MEAN, THE PEOPLE'S PERCEPTIONS ABOUT CHANGE IN THE JOBS FROM THAT PARTICULAR INDUSTRY, IT REALLY MATCH UP WITH THE NUMBERS. SO OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M ACKNOWLEDGING THE LIGHTS. COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS HAD HIS LIGHT ON FIRST AND THEN AFTER COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS. COUNCILMEMBER, YES, I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION. I SPENT 45 YEARS IN THE IN THE OIL INDUSTRY. THEY GOT A LONG WAYS TO GO, BUT THEY'VE COME A LONG WAYS. OKAY. BECAUSE OF THE STUDIES LIKE WHAT YOU DO AND, AND DIFFERENT HILTON KELLY'S ORGANIZATION ADDRESSING ADDRESSING ISSUES THAT COMES UP. THEY HAVE COME A LONG WAYS, BUT THEY GOT A LONG WAYS TO GO. ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO DO IS TO ON PAGE ON PAGE EIGHT, ITEM ONE, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION THAT THE DATA PAGE [01:00:02] ON PAGE EIGHT, ITEM NUMBER ONE. OKAY. IT'S ON A NON CONSENT AGENDA. SHARE, SHARE YOUR STUDIES AND INFORMATION. IF THAT, IF THIS PASSES IS GOT A CONSULTANT, WE'RE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH GOING TO BE DEALING WITH INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT AGREEMENTS TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENTS AND AND YOU KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT A CEP DOES. OKAY. OKAY. SO I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO SHARE ALL OF THAT DATA. IF THIS PASSES WITH THAT CONSULTANT. OKAY, OKAY. IT WILL, IT WILL, IT WILL EDUCATE IT. AND, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY WOULD. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'M NOT GOING TO CALL THE NAME OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THE PREVAILING WINDS 80% OF THE YEAR IS SOUTHWEST IN IN THIS AREA, THERE'S A PARTICULAR AREA, AND I'M NOT GOING TO CALL THE NAME OF THE COMMUNITY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE HOME. IT'S AN AFFLUENT COMMUNITY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE HOMES, VERY LITTLE VEGETATION CORROSION ON THE ON THE THE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT STUFF ON THE NORTH SIDE, PLANTS PREVAIL BECAUSE OF THAT HOUSE. BUT THAT SOUTH SIDE. THIS ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT BREAKER BOXES, THEY'RE CORRODED AND VERY FEW PLANTS SURVIVE. THEY'LL THEY'LL GROW, BUT THEY'RE STUNTED. YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT GOING TO CALL THE NAME OF THE COMMUNITY. ANYBODY WANT TO WANT TO KNOW? I'LL LET YOU KNOW. OKAY. OKAY. YEAH. THANKS. THAT'S OKAY. YOU WONDER WHY PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR HEALTH. WELL, WHEN THEY SEE THAT KIND OF THING. OKAY, COUNCILMEMBER FRANK, YOU HAVE YOUR LIGHT ON. I HAVE A QUESTION, AND I WANT TO DIRECT IT TO MR. KELLY, IF I MIGHT, BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AND ABOUT WHAT REFINERIES ARE EMITTING INTO THE AIR. AND WE JUST RECENTLY HAD A SITUATION IN THE CITY. HAS ANY INFORMATION BEEN RELEASED PER YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WHAT WAS RELEASED INTO THE AIR, INTO OUR COMMUNITY? YEAH. WELL, THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL REPORTS DONE AS TO WHAT WAS RELEASED INTO THE AIR AND FOR HOW LONG. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNTS OF BENZENE. MOST CERTAINLY, SULFUR DIOXIDE IS ALWAYS ONE OF THE MAIN CATALYSTS THAT'S RELEASED INTO THE ENVIRONMENT. WHENEVER YOU HAVE ANY TYPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENT, SUCH AS AN EXPLOSION OR MAJOR FIRE, ETHYLENE OXIDE WAS EMITTED. AS A MATTER OF FACT, CHANNEL 12 AND CHANNEL SIX DID AN EXTENSIVE REPORT ON EXACTLY WHAT WAS RELEASED INTO THE ENVIRONMENT AND FOR HOW MUCH AT ONE GIVEN TIME. SO, AND WE KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT IT WENT ON FOR ABOUT TEN DAYS. AND THERE WAS A JUST UNCONTROLLABLE AMOUNT OF TOXINS. AND SOME OF THEM WERE KNOWN CARCINOGENS LIKE BENZENE, ETHYLENE OXIDE THAT WAS RELEASED INTO THE ENVIRONMENT. UNFORTUNATELY. AND I THINK YOU COULD LOOK BACK ON THOSE NEWS REPORTS AND GET THAT IN WRITING EXACTLY WHAT WAS RELEASED FROM CHANNEL 12 AND CHANNEL SIX. AND ALSO THERE'S BEEN OTHER REPORTS DONE AS WELL BY ACADEMIA THAT I CAN PROBABLY SHARE WITH YOU LATER ON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER. HIS LIGHT IS ON. YES. WHEN YOU WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DATA THAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED IN HERE AND YOU LOOK AT THE STRATEGIC PLAN ON ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, IT VERY MUCH MIRRORS A BALANCE THAT THE CITY, AS A MUNICIPAL ENTITY, CONTINUES TO TAKE IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN CREATING THAT POLICY DOCUMENT, WHICH YOU'RE REFERRING TO, THAT WOULD SERVE AS A CATALYST OR A PARTICIPATORY TOOL IN ADVANCING DEVELOPMENT AND PEOPLE'S PARTICIPATION IN INITIATING DEVELOPMENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. I THINK COUNCILMAN DOUCET MENTIONED IT, BUT IT'S THAT ELEMENT, THAT VERY ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IS ALREADY THERE IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, IN THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THAT IT HAS ADOPTED. THAT VERY ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IS ALREADY THERE IN THE DOWNTOWN PLAN. THAT VERY ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IS ALREADY THERE IN THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN AND IS REFLECTED IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING UNDERTAKEN ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. IF YOU GO THROUGH THE CITY'S BUDGET DRAINAGE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CITY HAS INVESTED OVER $78 MILLION OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AND THE DATA SUPPORTS IT [01:05:05] BECAUSE HERE IT IS. IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP BY THE RESIDENTS, NOT THAT THE CITY IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE CITY HAS PAID ATTENTION TO THE CONCERNS OF ITS RESIDENTS BY PUTTING ITS MONEY WHERE ITS MOUTH IS, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITIES, WITH THE CITIZENS. SO THAT'S A PLUS FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND ITS RESIDENTS. IT IS A PLUS, AND THAT SHOULD BE MENTIONED. THAT SHOULD BE MENTIONED. IT HAS NOT. IF YOU LOOK AT THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD RIGHT NOW BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, TO ENSURE THAT OUR IDEAS ARE BEING UPGRADED TO MAKE SURE THAT INDUSTRY IS MUCH MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE AVERAGE CITIZEN. IT'S ALREADY TAKING PLACE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WE DO HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. YES, WE DO, BUT WE HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AND WE HAVE UNDERSTOOD TO LISTEN TO, TO, TO THE CONCERNS OF OUR CITIZENS AND MAKE IT PART OF OUR POLICY DOCUMENTS THAT WE ARE WORKING TO ACHIEVE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT I'M GLAD YOU DID. THANK YOU, BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE FORGOTTEN THAT WE ARE NEGOTIATING AND HAVE BEEN SINCE 2020, NEW CONTRACTS WITH OIL REFINERIES. THEY'RE NOT ON THE SAME CONTRACTS THEY'VE BEEN ON BEFORE. SO WE'RE GETTING READY. IT'S TEN YEARS. SO IT'S I THINK IT WAS 2019. SO NOW WE'RE GETTING READY AND PREPARED TO. YEAH. BUT IT YEAH, SOME MORE. BUT IT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION. IF YOU LOOK AT THE RECREATIONAL MASTER PLAN THAT THE CITY HAS DEVELOPED, NOT AS AN ACADEMIC, AS AN ACADEMIC EXERCISE IN FRUITION, YOU KNOW, BUT WITH SOLID COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION FROM EVERY SEGMENT OF THE COMMUNITY. TODAY, WE ARE IMPLEMENTING IT 70 SOMETHING PLUS THOUSAND DOLLARS, $4 MILLION FOR ROSEHILL AS WE GO ALONG. SO THERE IS COMMUNITY INPUT. THE VOICES OF THE CITIZENS ARE HEARD, AND WE ARE PUTTING THE RESOURCES WHERE IT'S NEEDED. WE HAVE TO WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY, BUT WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO. YEAH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. ALL RIGHT. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OH WE'RE GOOD. YES, SIR. OKAY. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND I THINK WE, WE WE WE HAVEN'T REALLY OUR QUESTIONS DON'T REALLY CENTER ON WHAT THE CITY IS DOING. MORE ON WHAT ON PEOPLE'S SENSE OF THE REFINERIES AND SO ON, AS WELL AS THEIR GENERAL COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SOME SIGNS IN THE SURVEY THAT I DIDN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT, ABOUT SOME DISGRUNTLEMENT WITH WHAT THE CITY IS DOING, THAT MAYBE THE WORD HAS NOT GOTTEN OUT ABOUT SOME OF THESE THINGS. AND I DID LOOK AT THE THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND SO ON. AND I, YOU KNOW, AND ALSO WE LOOKED AT THE QUESTIONS THAT I THINK THERE WAS A SURVEY THAT YOU GUYS DID EARLIER, AND WE MADE SURE OUR QUESTIONS DIDN'T DUPLICATE YOURS. SO THIS IS ANOTHER. BUT I HOPE, I HOPE OUR HOPE IS THAT THE ANSWERS THAT WE'VE COLLECTED WILL REALLY, YOU KNOW, EMPOWER AND INSPIRE YOU GUYS TO DO MORE AND TO PUSH IT FORWARD ALL THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS. AND, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE BACK AND FORTH GUYS FOR OUR PRESENTATION. BUT COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, WE NEED TO KIND OF MOVE ON IN OUR AGENDA, BUT WE APPRECIATE YOU AND GLAD YOU'RE GOING TO BE AT THE MUSEUM SO THAT TOMORROW WE COULD POSSIBLY STOP BY AND GET MORE INFORMATION ON AND SPEAK AND LOOK AT YOUR PRESENTATION AGAIN TOMORROW AT THE MUSEUM OF THE GULF COAST AT 535 30 TO 730 AT THE MUSEUM? YES, SIR. AND THERE WILL BE TIME FOR QUESTIONS AND SO ON AND DISCUSSION. WE'RE TAKING THAT IN. THAT'S GOING TO BE THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. HAVE A GREAT DAY. I'M SORRY. VERY QUICKLY. OKAY. IF I MIGHT GO AHEAD JUST VERY QUICKLY. THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR ALLOWING ME TO SAY THIS, BUT I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT IT IS IMPERATIVE AND IMPORTANT THAT I SAY THIS AS WE'VE WATCHED THIS ON TO TODAY AND AS WE'VE LISTENED TO THE TO THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SAID WAS, WAS THAT THEY FELT AS THOUGH. I WANT TO THANK YOU, MISS BRUNO AS WELL, FOR COMING COMING BACK TO PORT ARTHUR. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND INDIVIDUALS TO STILL LOVE PORT ARTHUR. BUT I WANT TO SAY AS WELL, FROM THIS PARTICULAR STANDPOINT, THAT THE DATA SHOWS US THAT CITIZENS BELIEVE THAT INDUSTRY NEEDS TO PARTICIPATE MORE IN OUR CITY. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW INDUSTRY HANDLES AND DEALS WITH OTHER CITIES AROUND US AND IN PROPORTION TO HOW THEY DEAL WITH PORT ARTHUR, THERE'S A GREAT DISPARITY. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE UNDERSTAND IS, IS THAT WE ARE HAVING SO MANY CHEMICALS EMITTED ON US. BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT COMPANIES HAVE DONE IN [01:10:01] REMOVING MONEY AWAY FROM OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, IN, IN NOT SUPPORTING OUR BULLETIN BOARD IN PORT ARTHUR, AT OUR STADIUM, BUT OTHER CITIES AROUND US ARE HAVING THEIR BULLETIN BOARDS FILLED WITH PROMOTIONS AND WITH ADVERTISEMENT. WE ARE NOT BEING HANDLED IN THE SAME MANNER AND WAY. AND SO I WANT TO SAY THAT FOR THE RECORD, THAT THE DATA NOW SHOWS IT AS WELL, THAT THE CITIZENS FEEL IT, BUT THAT THE DATA SHOWS IT AS WELL. AND SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE AND IT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED AS WELL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. SELLERS. HAVE A GREAT DAY. SEE YOU TOMORROW. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO NUMBER THREE PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS. SEE THE CITY MANAGER STAFF REPORTS. WE HAVE NONE. EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION, WE HAVE NONE CORRESPONDENCE AND WE HAVE NONE DISCUSSIONS. WE HAVE NONE AT [IV.(1) A Public Hearing For The Purpose Of Receiving Public Comments And To Discuss The Following: Proposed Change: Zoning Map Amendment (Z26-04) From Low Density Residential (LDR) To Commercial Retail (CR) To Allow The Operation Of A Car Wash Legal Description: .2987 Acre Of Land, Lot 17, Part Block 7, Lot 1, Part Block 32, Triangular TR 220.37X206.06X128.82’ Port Acres Subdivision, Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas (Located At 2219 Canal Street) | JCAD Parcel #86925) Citizens With Questions Regarding The Description Of This Property Can Contact The City Planning Department At (409) 983-8133. The Public Will Also Be Able To View The Public Hearing Via The City’s Website At www.portarthurtx.gov ] THIS TIME. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING WHICH NEEDS TO BE PULLED. I'M GOING TO ASK FOR A MOTION TO PULL. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS? DISCUSSIONS. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. ANY NO'S. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION HAS BEEN PULLED FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND ATTACHED TO THAT, IF WE GO TO PAGE, THERE WAS AN ATTACHMENT THAT WE WOULD HAVE HAD WITH THAT. IT'S ON PAGE 11 AND IT'S NUMBER TWO. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE AND GET THAT HANDLED AS WELL. OKAY. ARE WE READY? OKAY. PO NUMBER 7414. AN ORDINANCE [VIII.B.(2) P.O. No. 7414 – An Ordinance Amending Appendix A - Zoning, Of The Code Of Ordinances Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas, By Granting A Zoning Map Amendment For Approximately .2987 Acre Of Land, Located At 2219 Canal Street, Legally Described As Part Of Lot 17, Block 7, Lot 1, Block 32, Triangular Tract 1, Port Acres Addition, City Of Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas, Located South Of Norma Street And North Of Canal Street From Low Density Residential (LDR) To Commercial Retail (CR) To Allow The Operation Of A Car Wash; (Violation Of Any Provision Of This Ordinance Shall Be Guilty Of A Misdemeanor And Shall Be Punished By A Fine Not Exceeding $2,000, As Provided In Chapter 1, Section 1-13 Of The Code Of Ordinances And Each Day Which Violation Is Permitted To Exist Shall Constitute A Separate And Distinct Offense); And Providing For Publication In The Official Newspaper Of The City Of Port Arthur And Effective Immediately After Publication Date.] AMENDING APPENDIX A ZONING OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, BY GRANTING A ZONING MAP AMENDMENT FOR APPROXIMATELY 0.2987 ACRE OF LAND LOCATED AT 2219 CANAL STREET. LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS PART OF LOT SEVEN, BLOCK SEVEN, LOT ONE, BLOCK 32. TRIANGULAR TRACT ONE PORT ACRES. ADDITION. CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS. EXCUSE ME. LOCATED SOUTH OF NORMA STREET AND NORTH OF CANAL STREET FROM LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL LDR TO COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL RETAIL. KR TO ALLOW THE OPERATION OF A CAR WASH. VIOLATION OF ANY PROVISION OF THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR AND SHALL BE PUNISHED BY A FINE NOT TO EXCEED IN $2,000 AS PROVIDED IN CHAPTER ONE, SECTION ONE THROUGH 13 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, AND EACH DAY BY WHICH VIOLATION PERMITTED TO EXIST, SHALL CONSTITUTE A SEPARATE AND DISTINCT OFFENSE, AND PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AFTER PUBLICATION DATE. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED. APPROVAL. AT THIS TIME TO PULL IT A MOTION TO. I'M SORRY. YOU'RE RIGHT. LET ME CORRECT THAT MOTION TO PULL. SO MOVED SECOND AND IT'S BEEN SECOND. ANY DISCUSSIONS. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. ANY NOSE. THE AYES HAVE IT. THIS ORDINANCE HAS BEEN PULLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. ALL RIGHT. LET'S MOVE [V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST] NOW BACK TO REPORTS OF AND ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF TWO MINUTES. COUNCIL MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? CONGRATULATIONS. OR OUR CITY. ANYONE ON THE DAIS? CONDOLENCES, INFORMATION REGARDING HOLIDAY SCHEDULES, ANYTHING YOU CAN DO SO AT THIS TIME? CITY ATTORNEY THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE ONE OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT. HIS NAME IS FRANCISCO BARRERA. HE EARNED HIS BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE THIS PAST FRIDAY FROM LAMAR UNIVERSITY. I KNOW THAT THIS COUNCIL VALUES EDUCATION, AND SO I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE HIM. HE'S WORKING IN OUR OFFICE RIGHT NOW AND TELL YOU, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT HIM IN THAT ENDEAVOR. WELL, TELL HIM CONGRATULATIONS. WE COMMEND HIM FOR COMPLETING AND JOB WELL DONE. ANYONE ELSE, [VI.(1) P.R. No. 24880 – A Resolution Ratifying Emergency Sewer Repairs At 3800 Jimmy Johnson Boulevard And Authorizing Payment To SETEX Construction Corporation In The Total Amount Of $588,284.46, With Funding From CIP Account No. 405-40-000-8516 00-00-000 Project No. WS0032.OTH. ] ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS, ANYTHING IN THE COMMUNITY? ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE NOW TO ITEM NUMBER SIX. UNFINISHED BUSINESS NUMBER ONE, PR NUMBER 24880. A RESOLUTION RATIFYING EMERGENCY SEWER REPAIRS AT 3800 JIMMIE JOHNSON BOULEVARD AND AUTHORIZING PAYMENT TO CITY CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $588,284.46, WITH FUNDING FROM SIP ACCOUNT NUMBER 405 DASH 40-000-8516-00-00-0000. PROJECT NUMBER WS0032 DOT OTH. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED. I NEED A SECOND. SECOND? IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, [01:15:04] ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, WE HAVE A LIGHT ON. AND IF STAFF WILL COME MAKE THEIR WAY UP. MAYOR PRO TEM KINLAW. HEY. THANK YOU, MAYOR KEVIN, WHY ARE YOU WALKING UP? I READ THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THIS AND IT WAS TWO CONNECTED TEN INCH CLAY SANITARY SEWER LINES. OKAY. AND YOU SAID IT WASN'T DETERMINED. IT WASN'T RECOGNIZED OR DETERMINED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROJECT WHERE THAT THEY COLLAPSED. SO GIVE ME SOME HISTORY. WHY WASN'T THAT? WE KNEW THAT THOSE LINES WERE ALREADY OLD. SO WHY WASN'T THERE IN THE BEGINNING, SOME TYPE OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THOSE LINES? BECAUSE WHAT YOU KNOW, OUR JOB IS COUNCIL MEMBERS, ANYTIME I SAY SEE EMERGENCIES OR REPAIRS, I KNOW IT'S UNFORESEEN TYPE EVENTS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE. WE KNOW IT'S A LOT OF LINES LIKE THAT IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, AND IF WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S DOING THE BACKGROUND OR THE INQUIRY LINES, WHY DIDN'T I? WHY DIDN'T THEY INCLUDE THAT AS WELL? WELL, SIR, THE THE FUNDING WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO DO ALL OF THE CHECKS FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS. WE CAME TO KNOW ABOUT THIS INCIDENT WHEN THE MANHOLE SUNK. SO INITIALLY WE ISSUED A EMERGENCY MEMO TO REPLACE THE MANHOLE BECAUSE THE MANHOLE COLLAPSED. WHEN WE EXCAVATED THE MANHOLE, WE FOUND THAT. WHEN IT COLLAPSED, IT CRACKED THE LINE. SO WE HAD TO DIG BACK, PUT A NEW MANHOLE IN, AND THE INTENTION WAS TO CONNECT TO THOSE LINES. THE LINES JUST FAILED. THE ONE THAT CROSSED JIMMIE JOHNSON. WE TRIED TO CONNECT TO IT ALL THE WAY UNTIL IT WENT UNDER THE PAVEMENT. SO THEN WE HAD TO DO A DIRECT. PIPE JACKING. WE INSTALLED A MANHOLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF JIMMIE JOHNSON AT A PROPERTY LINE, SO IT WOULDN'T BE IN AN EXISTING DRIVEWAY. THE EXISTING MANHOLE WAS IN A DRIVEWAY. WE DIDN'T WANT TO DESTROY THE DRIVEWAY. WE REPLACED THE PIPE UNDER JIMMIE JOHNSON, AND WE HAD TO REPLACE THE PIPE TO NINTH AVENUE. T, C Q INITIALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS PART OF THE ORIGINAL WORK THAT WE WERE DOING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF NINTH AVENUE, WHERE THAT PIPELINE HAD FAILED PRE 19, 2010. I DON'T KNOW WHEN I KNOW IT FELL BEFORE 2010 UNDER JIMMIE JOHNSON, AND THEY HAD PUT A TEMPORARY PIPE IN ALONG JIMMIE JOHNSON. AND THAT HAD CAUSED A BIG PROBLEM ON ON JIMMIE JOHNSON, WHICH T-C-E-Q GOT US INVOLVED WITH. WE GOT THESE TWO PROJECTS SEPARATED AND WE FINISHED IT. I PULLED IT LAST WEEK BECAUSE THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF WARRANTY WORK GOING ON AND WE HAD TO DIG UP A HOLE, SO IT LOOKED LIKE THE JOB WASN'T FINISHED. THE ORIGINAL WORK WAS FINISHED. IT WAS A WARRANTY ISSUE. IT'S NOW FINISHED. BUT JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE, WE'VE DONE QUITE A BIT OF WORK IN STONEGATE. THE PIPES IN STONEGATE ARE IN BAD SHAPE. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING CITY WIDE. TWO WITH THE FUNDING THAT THE COUNCIL PROVIDED US, THERE WILL BE ARE THERE NEEDS TO BE MANY, MANY MORE CITY WIDE. THEY'RE MULTI-MILLION DOLLARS APIECE. WE ARE LOOKING AT STONEGATE. IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT AREA TO WORK IN BECAUSE OF THE ISSUE WITH EASEMENTS. THERE'S NOT ALLEYS THERE AND LOTS OF IMPROVEMENTS ON THOSE EASEMENTS. THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED A NEW EASEMENT LAW OR ORDINANCE TO ADDRESS THAT. SO IT'S WE'RE DOING IT AS FAST AS WE CAN BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT COUNCIL APPROVES. WE. ARE A VERY LARGE CITY WIDE TV INSPECTION PROGRAM WOULD BE WONDERFUL, BUT IT WILL COST MILLIONS. SO. WELL, THIS THIS COUNCIL IS, YOU KNOW, VERY AWARE OF THAT. WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING OUR LINES, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE WORKING PROPERLY. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN YOU GUYS ARE DOING YOUR DISCOVERY PHASE OF THESE THINGS, YOU MADE A AT YOUR OWN ADMISSION, YET YOU STATED THAT OVER 12 YEARS, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT HAVING FUNDING, IT'S AT THIS POINT. BUT WE KNOW THAT. I MEAN, WHOEVER'S THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, WHEN THEY COME ACROSS A PROJECT, THE PAPERWORK SHOULD ALREADY BE INCLUDED. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DISCOVERY ASPECT OF IT. I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND YOU DON'T UNFORESEEN TYPE EVENTS HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, BUT TO GO BACK AND IT COLLAPSED ALL OF A SUDDEN AFTER, YOU KNOW, SO MANY YEARS, AS YOU STATED, THAT'S MY THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, HOW OFTEN WE ARE SITTING SOME TYPE OF INSPECTION TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE WORKING PROPERLY? WHEN I SEE EMERGENCY THAT PROMPTS COUNCIL, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, WHEN WE SEE EMERGENCY OR WE SEE [01:20:01] RATIFICATION, OR IF WE SEE CHANGE ORDER ALL OUR EARS, WE START TO, YOU KNOW, GO UP. SO I'M SAYING, HOW OFTEN ARE THESE INSPECTIONS DONE TO ENSURE WHEN WE GO IN AND BID FOR A NEW PROJECT? SO THESE PEOPLE, THESE COMPANIES, THESE CONTRACTORS COULD SEE YOU LOOK CONFUSED. TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE CONFUSED ABOUT. TYPICALLY, WE KNOW WHAT SEWERS ARE ARE BAD, WHICH IS A VERY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THEM. SO LIKE ON CITY WIDE TWO, WE DO THE INITIAL TV CLEANING AND INSPECTION AS PART OF THE CONTRACT. RIGHT? SO WE'VE ALREADY ISSUED THE CONTRACT NOW. AND THEN THERE HAS BEEN TIMES WHERE WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SECTION REPLACED THAT WASN'T RECORDED SOMEWHERE BACK IN THE HISTORY ON CITY WIDE ONE. SO WE WE DIDN'T REPLACE IT AGAIN BECAUSE IT WAS PVC. AND WE, WE CHANGED IT TO A DIFFERENT SECTION, YOU KNOW, SO YOU'RE DOING SO MANY FEET OF PIPE. BUT THAT'S DONE AS PART OF THE CONTRACT. THIS WAS AN EMERGENCY CALL. WE HAD SEWAGE ALL OVER IN FRONT OF A CHURCH. IT'S A VERY LARGE CHURCH. I MET THE PASTOR AND WE HAD TO IMMEDIATELY ADDRESS IT. I MEAN, MAYBE WE ALL DO DIFFERENT. I'M NOT SAYING IT MUST BE. I WOULD BE MORE. YOU LOOK KIND OF CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT I'M SAYING. I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PUT IN THE BUDGET A MAJOR SEWER STUDY. WE UNDERSTAND WE HAVE BUDGET RESTRAINTS IN FINANCE. THIS COUNCIL IS UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE THAT I'M SPEAKING OF. I'M SAYING WE WANT TO IMPROVE THESE LINES. BUT WHEN WE HIRE CONTRACTORS, THESE COMPANIES AND WHEN WE IN THE DISCOVERY PHASE OF THIS, WHY DON'T WE PICK UP A LOT OF THESE THINGS? WHY DOES IT HAVE TO ALWAYS HAPPEN ON THE BACK END? THAT'S MY QUESTION. OKAY. IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE DOING THIS, THAT'S HOW A LOT OF THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE THAT'S ALLOCATED RUNS OUT. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. WE PAY PEOPLE, CONTRACTORS, ENTITIES, BIDS. AND WHEN THEY GET THESE BIDS ON THE DISCOVERY PHASE, THEY NEED TO FIND THESE THINGS. WITH THE DOCUMENTATION WE PROVIDE. WE KNOW LINES HAVE BEEN OUTDATED FOR A VERY LONG TIME. WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT A GUESS. WE KNOW. SO WHY CAN'T THEY SAY, HEY, WELL, LET'S JUST ADD THAT OTHER 15FT OR WHATEVER. OR I MEAN SECTION IT IS. LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND REPLACE IT SO WE DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DO THAT AGAIN. SO THE COUNCIL COULD BE AWARE. YOU GUYS ARE AWARE AND EVERYBODY AWARE. BUT WHEN PEOPLE READ THESE AGENDAS AND THEY SEE THAT EMERGENCY, A LIGHT GOES UP. OKAY, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. YES, COUNCILMAN. ALL RIGHT. NO DOUBT THIS COUNCIL IN THE PREVIOUS TWO COUNCIL TERMS HAVE PROVIDED MORE FUNDING TO REPLACE SANITARY SEWER PIPE THAN HAS BEEN DONE THE 20 YEARS BEFORE. FOR THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, THE EMERGENCY WAS PURELY A SUNK MANHOLE. WE HAD A MANHOLE THAT SUNK, BROKE THE PIPES OFF OF IT. SEWER STARTED FLOWING ON JIMMY JOHNSON. SO WE ISSUED A MEMO TO REPLACE THAT MANHOLE. WHEN THEY WENT DOWN THERE TO REPLACE THE MANHOLE, THEY HAVE TO RECONNECT THE PIPE. THERE WAS NO PIPE TO RECONNECT TO, SO THEY STARTED DIGGING BACK. THE FURTHER THEY DUG, THE MORE COLLAPSED PIPE WE HAD. SO THAT'S WHEN WE STOPPED AND SAID, WE HAVE TO REPLACE THIS PIPE MANHOLE TO MANHOLE FROM NINTH AVENUE TO THE CHURCH AND FROM THAT CHURCH ACROSS JIMMY JOHNSON. WE COULDN'T HAVE DETERMINED THIS WAS COLLAPSED PIPE BEFORE WE ISSUED THE MEMO, BECAUSE WE COULDN'T TV THESE LINES WHEN THEY WERE FULL OF SEWER. BUT ONCE WE REMOVED THE MANHOLE BYPASS PUMP, THEN WE WERE ABLE TO DISCOVER THE NEED TO REPLACE THE PIPES. AND THAT'S WHY WE EXPANDED TO REPLACING THEM. GREAT ANSWER. I'M GOOD. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. COUNCILMAN DOUCET. YES. YEAH. CALVIN, I'VE GONE ALONG WITH YOU, AND I'VE HEARD THE THING, BUT I'M. I'M ALSO IN LINE WITH COUNCILMAN KINLAW, AND. BUT I WANT TO DWELL ON JUST THIS SPECIFIC CASE, OKAY? BECAUSE WE HAVE EMERGENCIES. LOOK LIKE EVERYTHING IS AN EMERGENCY. AND THE REASON IS AN EMERGENCY IS BECAUSE OUR WATER LINES DURING THE SUMMERTIME, THEY LIKE POPCORN THAT FAST IS ONE POP, ONE POPPING OVER. HERE YOU GO. YOU FIX THIS ONE, YOU TURN THE WATER BACK ON, IT POPS THAT LINE SOMEWHERE ELSE. I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT MY CONCERN IS. DO WE HAVE A MAP OF ALL OF THE CITY WATER LINES? AND WHEN THE LAST TIME WE REPLACED THEM, ARE WE TRACKING WHEN THEY ARE BREAKING, WHERE ARE WE GOING THE MOST? YOU SEE, WE NEED TO START DIRECTING OUR ATTENTION [01:25:04] TO THE MOST NEEDED, AS OPPOSED TO IF IT'S NOT EMERGENCY, WE'RE GOING TO GO AND WORK OVER HERE. WE'RE GOING TO GO WORK ON THERE. I THINK IF WE START GOING INTO AREAS WHERE WE'RE CONSTANTLY GOING BACK FOR THESE EMERGENCIES THAT TELL US THAT MOST OF THE LINES OVER THERE IS ABOUT THE SAME, SAME CONDITIONS. SO WHEN WE GET MONEY, THE MONEY SHOULD BE GONE WHERE THE MOST NEEDED. THAT'S HOW WE GET A BANG FOR OUR BUCK WITH REPLACING THINGS. THERE ARE SOME AREAS IN THIS CITY WHERE THEY REALLY NEED A WHOLE LOT OF WORK DONE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE AREA HAS NEVER HAD NOTHING TO DO. BUT IF THEY WENT BECAUSE THE LINE WAS BURST OR SOMETHING, SO WE SHOULD HAVE A MAP WITH INDICATIONS HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE BEEN IN THIS AREA. AND IT SHOULD TELL US WE ALWAYS GOING BACK IN THIS AREA. SO IF WE GET MONEY AND WE GO IN THIS AREA AND REPLACE MOST OF THESE LINES, WE'RE CUT BACK ON A WHOLE BUNCH OF US RUNNING TO IT. IT'S CALLED SETTING A PRIORITY. THE PRIORITY. WE NEED TO HAVE IT ALREADY IDENTIFIED. WHEN WE GET MONEY, WE NEED TO GO WHERE THE PLANS SAY WE GO AS OPPOSED TO PUTTING OUT FIRES. OH, LET'S GO OVER HERE. OR SOMEONE SAY, WELL, LET'S DO IT OVER HERE. I'M A FIRM BELIEVER WITHOUT PLANS. WE JUST GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, IN TIME THESE MAIN BREAK THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. AND IN THE SUMMERTIME, EVERYTHING IS AN EMERGENCY. BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT AND GET MONEY, THAT MONEY NEED TO BE ALLOCATED. AND WE KNOW WHY WE GO AND GET IT, AND WE NEED TO SPEND THE MONEY ON THAT. AND WE SHOULD HAVE A PLAN FOR SPENDING THAT MONEY, NOT GET THE MONEY, AND THEN START PLANNING WHAT WE WANT TO DO. NOW WE ALL KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO. SO WHEN THE FUNDING COME IN, WE DOING IT. YOU KNOW, WE GET FUNDING, THEN WE START PLANTING NOW. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'M WAS INTERESTED IN. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, EMERGENCY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN. BUT SOME OF THE WORK I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT ON A LATER RESOLUTION ABOUT OUR MANAGEMENT OF PROJECTS IN THE CITY AND KEEPING TRACK. BUT THAT'S NOT NOTHING. THAT'S I WON'T GET INTO IT, BUT THANK YOU, CALVIN. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, SIR. WE HAVE WATERLINE PROJECTS DESIGNED READY TO BID. I JUST NEED MONEY. MONEY. PLUS WE HAVE IDENTIFIED FUTURE ONES TO DESIGN. THAT'S THE WAY WE NEED TO DO IT. CALVIN HAVE HAVE IT ALREADY DONE AND JUST GET THE MONEY AND START GETTING IT DONE. AND NOT THAT THE MONEY SET UP THERE FOR TWO, THREE YEARS. OKAY. YEAH. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS CALVIN, DON'T RUN AWAY. THEN THE CITY APPROVED FOR YOUR TIME. I THINK THE CITY APPROVED ASSESSMENT OF WATER LINE AND SEWER LINES. THEN THEY HAD A SURVEY ON I KNOW THERE WAS AN ASSESSMENT OF SEWER LINES. I. IT WAS QUITE A FEW. IT WAS SEWER LINE. IT'S PRETTY MUCH LINES WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING. THE WATER LINES. RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE 57 WATER LINE PROJECT WAS. WELL, LET'S LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SEWER LINES. THAT'S AN ASSESSMENT ON THE SEWER LINES. YOU KNOW WHAT SHOWED UP, WHAT A WEAKNESS AND THINGS ARE. BUT A LOT OF THINGS DO NOT SHOW UNTIL YOU SOMETHING RUPTURE. AND THAT'S YOU GOT THIS WEAK PART OF THE LINE. AS SOON AS YOU FIX THE STRENGTH IN THIS, IT'S GOING TO BLOW THE OTHER. AND, YOU KNOW, IRONICALLY, ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS ARE THE SAME WAY. YOU REPLACE SOMETHING NEW AND IT BLOWS UP IN AN ADDITIONAL CIRCUIT. BUT IT'S DIFFICULT TO TO PLAN FOR UNFORESEEN. ALL YOU CAN ADD A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE TO YOUR BUDGET AND HOPE THAT BE ENOUGH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, CALVIN. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I ANY NO'S. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES AT THIS TIME. COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF [VII. CONSENT AGENDA ] YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO WITHHOLD, AM I AM I [01:30:04] GOING TOO FAST? YEAH. ALL RIGHT. YOU CAN PUT YOUR LIGHTS ON. I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AND HOLD THOSE ITEMS. THAT'S ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. COUNCILMEMBER DOUCETTE. YES, MAYOR, I ITEM NUMBER 11 ON PAGE SIX. AND ITEM NUMBER 15 ON PAGE SEVEN. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS. YES. PAGE SEVEN. OH, YOU'VE ALREADY ITEM ITEM 15. THAT'S WHAT I WAS INTERESTED IN. OKAY. OKAY. 15 OKAY. AND. 11 OKAY, YOU HAVE ANOTHER ONE. ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL FOR OUR CONSENT AGENDA WITH WITHHOLDING ITEMS NUMBER 11 ON PAGE SIX AND NUMBER 15 ON PAGE NUMBER SEVEN. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I. I'M SORRY, I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOTION. AND SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY NO'S. THE AYES HAVE IT. OUR CONSENT AGENDA PASSES WITH US HOLDING NUMBER 11 AND NUMBER 15. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO NOW GO TO ITEM. DID I SAY ALL IN FAVOR. ALL IN FAVOR SAY I I AND HE [VII.(11) P.R. No. 24925 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Negotiate A Professional Services Agreement With Sigma Engineers Inc, Of Beaumont, TX, For Architectural And Engineering Design Services Related To The Renovation Of 3535 Gates Boulevard Into A Port Arthur Police Department Field Office To Support Public Safety Operations Within The City. ] KNOWS THE AYES HAVE IT. THE CONSENT AGENDA PASSES. OKAY. LET'S NOW MOVE TO PAGE NUMBER SIX AND GO TO ITEM 11. PR NUMBER 24925. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH SIGMA ENGINEERS INCORPORATED OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS, FOR ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES RELATED TO THE RENOVATION OF 3535 GATES BOULEVARD INTO A PORT ARTHUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FIELD HOUSE TO SUPPORT PUBLIC SAFETY OPERATIONS WITHIN THE CITY. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, ANY DISCUSSIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCET. COUNCILMEMBER. YEAH, THANK YOU MAYOR, ON THIS ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RENOVATING FOR FIELD OPERATIONS. WE GET IT IN THE FORM OF A RESOLUTION. WHY ARE WE DOING IT? WHAT'S GOING ON? YOU KNOW. WE DON'T HAVE ANY DISCUSSIONS. SO WHAT DO WE WANT HERE? WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO? I READ THE BACKGROUND. YOU SAID FIELD OPERATION, FIELD OPERATIONS. WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WELL, CITY MANAGER, YOU WANT A GUN? YES. OKAY. EVERYBODY DESERTED ME THIS MORNING. THAT'S OKAY. I'LL. I'LL ADDRESS IT. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER DULL SAID WE HAVE THE GATES BUILDING THAT WAS BEING FUNDED IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS BUDGET FOR THE TUNE OF SOME $2 MILLION. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS THAT WE LAST APPLY FOR, WE ALLOCATED $2 MILLION FOR THAT, AND IT WAS APPROVED ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE POLICE CHIEF AND WITH THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR OPERATIONS TO IDENTIFY THAT BUILDING, BECAUSE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS BURSTING AT THE SEAMS RIGHT NOW, AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT PLACES FOR THE STORAGE OF THE EVIDENCE AND AS WELL AS INTERROGATION ROOMS. AND SO I THINK WE CAN PROVIDE SOME SORT OF RELIEF IN THE PRESENT BUILDING THAT THEY HAVE BY UTILIZING THAT BUILDING. I HAVE DONE WE HAVE DONE WHAT WE CALLED A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS REPORT OF THAT BUILDING AND WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW. WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO SEE HOW WE DESIGN OR REDESIGN, BECAUSE WE HAVE GUTTED THE BUILDING COMPLETELY AND WE HAVE MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ROOF. SO WHAT WE'RE WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS TO WORK WITH THE POLICE CHIEF TO SEE THAT HIS NEEDS ARE BEING MET IN THAT PARTICULAR BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE. OKAY. AND IE1 OF THE THINGS THAT HE'S LOOKING AT IS HIS EVIDENCE ROOM AND OTHER OTHER SERVICES THAT COULD BE PROVIDED IN THAT FACILITY. OKAY. YES. AND THE REASON I PULL IT AND, AND IT REALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION BECAUSE THE, THE LAST TIME I WAS ON COUNCIL IN 2008, 2019 OR 20, WE PAID 700 AND SOME THOUSAND DOLLARS TO A, A FIRM TO DO A. DESIGN. OF THAT, OF THAT PROPERTY OVER THERE THAT, THAT WE GOT FROM SAINT MARY'S, THE WHOLE PROPERTY, THE DESIGN THAT WE PAID FOR WAS FOR THE POLICE STATION, THE FIRE [01:35:07] STATION, AND THE ANIMAL CENTER. Y'ALL SAY, YEAH, OKAY, WE PAY MONEY FOR THIS. AND THE SUBJECT CAME UP AT A COUNCIL MEETING. AND WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND WE STARTED TO TALK ABOUT THE POLICE. THE COUNCIL MEMBER SAYS, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS INCLUDED. YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. WE DIDN'T. YEAH. IN YOUR RESPONSE SPECIFICALLY WAS, WELL, WE CAN HOLD THAT. AND IF COUNCIL DON'T WANT TO DO IT, THEN WE'LL DO IT LATER. WELL, MY WHOLE POINT OF PULLING THIS TO FOR A POINT WHEN THE COUNCIL APPROVED FUNDING FOR A PROJECT, YOU AND THE STAFF SHOULD CARRY OUT THAT OBJECTIVE. THE MONEY IS THERE TO DO IT. SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO NOW, WE FIXING TO START TO GET TO WORKING ON A POLICE SECTION, BUT WE DON'T PAY MONEY FOR A DESIGN. SO NOW WE'RE DESIGNING AGAIN. I SAID AT THE TIME THE COUNCIL DISCUSSED MOVING IT AT THE TIME, AND THAT'S WHY THE COUNCIL APPROVED IT, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT POLICE STATION IS THE SAME POLICE STATION. BEEN THERE SINCE PROBABLY THE EXISTENCE OF A POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN WE HAD PROBABLY 6 OR 8 POLICEMEN IN THE WHOLE CITY. OKAY. AND NOW WE GOT 100 AND SOME. AND YOU STILL GOT THE SAME BUILDING. THAT'S WHY THE MONEY WAS APPROVED TO PAY THIS PERSON TO DO THAT DESIGN AND STUFF. SO MY POINT IS, LET'S STOP DOING THIS. IF WE'RE GOING TO USE TAXPAYERS MONEY AND WE APPROVE SOMETHING TO BE DONE, LET'S NOT DO SOMETHING WHERE THE MONEY WE DON'T WANT TO PUT IN BEEN USED. WE ARE READY TO DESIGN TO MOVE THEM OUT THERE. SO NOW WE'RE COMING BACK SO THAT MY, MY ONLY POINT WAS BRINGING THAT POINT IN HERE BECAUSE I FEEL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DESIGNING SOMETHING TO PUT ANY PORTION OF IT OUT OF THERE WHEN WE ALREADY HAD IT, WE SHOULD JUST WENT AROUND WITH THE PLAN THAT WE HAD DESIGNED BECAUSE WE ALREADY PAID FOR IT. BUT WE DIDN'T STARTED WORKING ON I'M NOT FOR IT. YEAH, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT POINT. YEAH. LET ME I HAVE A CITY MANAGER'S LIGHT ON. AND THEN MAYOR PRO TEM KINLAW, WHO. I'M GETTING. I THINK I NEED SOMETHING TODAY. ALL RIGHT. LET ME GO. GO AHEAD. CITY MANAGER AND YES, COUNCILMAN DOUCET, THE PLAN FOR THE MASTER PLAN. I'M I'M I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT UP BECAUSE THAT HAS EVADED ME. THE MASTER PLAN FOR THAT WAS REFERRED TO. IT WAS MAYOR BARTIE AT THE TIME WHEN MISS MISS LANGFORD PRESENTED IT. AND SHE GOT FIRED THAT DAY FOR PRESENTING A MASTER PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE CITY. THAT MASTER PLAN IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL. WE ARE STILL WORKING ON IT BECAUSE WE AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL, STILL SEE THE NEED TO BRING WHAT WE WOULD CALL OUR SECURITY AND SAFETY COMPLEX TO THE PEOPLE IN MIDTOWN IN THE MIDDLE, BECAUSE WE WE HAVE AN. I'M JUST LOOKING AT IT FROM A PLANNER'S PERSPECTIVE. HERE IT IS THAT WE HAVE SHORELINE PROPERTY. WE. THAT COULD BE UTILIZED FOR A CONVENTION CENTER RIGHT OUT HERE. IF WE ARE ABLE TO CONVINCE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO MOVE THE POST OFFICE TO THE MIDDLE OF TOWN WHERE PEOPLE ARE. AND WE COULD UTILIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR TOURISM AND OTHER OTHER DEVELOPMENT. SO THE MASTER PLAN IS STILL WELL AND ALIVE, AND THE MASTER PLAN IS BUILDING ON THE DOWNTOWN PLAN, WHICH HAS IDENTIFIED WHERE THE POST OFFICE IS AS CATALYST AREA BE. AND IT'S ALL LAID IN THE DOWNTOWN PLAN. SO WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THAT MASTER PLAN, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE COUNSEL IN THE NEW BUDGET. WE'VE WE'VE WE'VE, WE'VE. OUR PROPOSAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MASTER PLAN THAT AS IT RELATES TO OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY COMPLEX. BUT I DO INTEND TO APPROACH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SEE HOW WE CAN WORK WITH THE POST OFFICE TO GET IT MUCH MORE CENTRALIZED, WHERE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO MOVE FROM THAT PART OF TOWN TO COME [01:40:02] DOWN HERE AND TO UTILIZE KEY REAL ESTATE THAT WE COULD PUT ON THE MAPS. AS WE CONTINUE TO UTILIZE OUR WATER LINE AS A MAJOR ASSET IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY. THAT'S MY VISION. OF FEEDING PORT ARTHUR. ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL MAYOR PRO TEM KINLAW. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND RON, I'M GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON YOU. I REMEMBER WE TALKED MORE ABOUT THAT AND AND PAM GOT CRUCIFIED AT THE AT THE AT THE PODIUM. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE OUR THING IS THIS WE WANTED TO ENSURE. AND I THINK CHIEF CAME UP AND SPOKE. WE WANTED TO CUT DOWN ON THE RESPONSE TIME. AND WE LOOKED AT THE THE GRAPHICS OF WHERE PEOPLE WERE. MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCILMAN DOUCET AT THE TIME SPOKE ABOUT THAT AS WELL, AND WE WANTED TO ENSURE WE WASN'T GOING TO JUST THROW DOWN OR, OR GET RID OF THE POLICE STATION. WE WANTED TO CUT DOWN ON RESPONSE TIME AND HAVE A BRAND NEW FACILITY. AND I THINK THAT SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, MAYBE WE NEED TO REVISIT JUST TO ENSURE THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW WHERE WE WERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, FOUR YEARS AGO, TO PRESENT IT BECAUSE IT BEHOOVE US TO PREPARE FOR SOME UPCOMING DEVELOPMENT. AND THAT'S WHY WE STARTED THE TOURS, YOU KNOW, TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN WE CAN HELP OUT WITH THAT AND ALONG WITH INDUSTRY. SO IF WE CAN REVISIT THAT AT SOME TIME, JUST TO ENSURE THE COUNCIL HAS A FULL UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WITH THAT MASTER PLAN, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING WE COULD DO? CITY MANAGER AND I THINK THE GOOD TIME TO BRING IT IS DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, SO THAT COUNCIL CAN BUY INTO IT AS WELL. AND THEN THE NEW COUNCIL. BUT I'M HAPPY THAT COUNCILMAN DOUCET BROUGHT IT UP. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT UP, CHIEF. YOU HAD SOME WORDS BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO MOVE ON. YES, MA'AM. YOU GOT TWO MINUTES, CHIEF. I ONLY NEED 30S. OKAY. GO AHEAD. 30S. I HOPE THAT REVISITING WHAT YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO DELAY THIS PROJECT. NO, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED, OKAY? IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE PEOPLE NEED, SOMETHING THAT THE CITIZENS NEED. OKAY? SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY NEED. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU CHIEF. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PLEA. NOW, LET ME JUST SAY THIS. GO AHEAD. NO, NO, CHIEF, I, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT MY, MY MY THING IS THAT COMPLEX. WE CAN'T DO IT ALL AT ONE TIME. NO, BUT THE THING ABOUT IT IS IF WE TALKING POLICE, IF WE WANT TO START INVESTING MONEY, LET'S DO THAT. LET'S GET THEM IN THERE. LET'S NOT SPEND MONEY, THEN COME BACK AND SPEND MONEY AGAIN. I GOT YOU. THAT'S MY POINT. I GOT YOU, OKAY, WE GOT IT. ALRIGHT THEN. LET'S SPEND IT ALL AT ONE TIME. GET RID OF IT. GOT YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I I ANY NOS. THE AYES HAVE IT. THIS RESOLUTION HAS PASSED. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE NOW TO OUR CONSENT. NON CONSENT. OH WAIT A MINUTE. 015 I'M SORRY. [VII.(15) P.R. No. 24940 – A Resolution Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas Adopting The City Of Port Arthur's Legislative Priorities For The 90th Session Of The Texas State Legislature, 2027.] I KNOW I HAD COFFEE THIS MORNING. OKAY THEN PR NUMBER 2494. OH. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, ADOPTING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR'S LEGACY LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR THE 90TH SESSION OF THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATOR LEGISLATURE, 2027. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED. CAN I GET A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND. I GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND DISCUSSION. COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE. YES. THANK YOU MAYOR. I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. I LOOKED AT IT AND THEN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT. SO IT AIN'T NOTHING NEW. SECTION THREE. AND WE TALK ABOUT LEGISLATIVE AND DESIGNATED SUPPORT. AND ALSO SECTION FIVE WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AUTHORIZATION TO SIGN AND ALL LETTERS IN PETITION. OKAY. THOSE TWO THINGS POPPED UP RIGHT OFF THE SENATE, BECAUSE WHAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT ANY TIME ANYBODY, THE MAYOR OR ANY COUNCIL MEMBER OR ANYBODY GO AND REPRESENT THE CITY, IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY COUNCIL. WE DON'T GET A CHANCE BECAUSE WE. COUNCILMAN, WE DON'T LEAVE AND GO REPRESENT THE CITY WITHOUT COUNCIL APPROVAL. BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO, YOU'RE SPEAKING BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN APPROVED. WHAT YOU'RE SAYING HAS BEEN APPROVED BY COUNCIL. SO WHEN WE SAY SECTION FIVE, FOR AN EXAMPLE, THE MAYOR AND CITY MANAGER ARE SPECIFICALLY ARE SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED TO SIGN ANY AND ALL LETTERS, PETITION AND OTHER DOCUMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY IN ORDER TO PROMOTE THE CITY'S LEGAL PRIORITY, PRIORITIES AND AGENDA. I THINK IT SHOULD BE, UPON APPROVAL OF COUNCIL. I [01:45:01] MEAN, HOW WE GET TO SIGN DOCUMENTS AND COUNCIL DON'T APPROVE. WE DON'T DO THAT. ANYTHING, ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO SAY CITY IS APPROVED BY COUNCIL. SO YOU KNOW THAT SECTION THERE, YOU KNOW. YEAH. IF IT'S GOING TO BE SOME DOCUMENTS OR SUCH, YOU KNOW COUNCIL SHOULD KNOW WHAT SOMEONE FITNESS PUT OR SAY. IS HE GOING TO OFFER AN AMENDMENT OR WHAT. YES. BUT LET ME FINISH. I MIGHT HAVE ANOTHER ONE DEPENDING ON THE LAST THING I HAD. QUESTION ON IS SECTION SIX WHERE IT SAYS BEFORE DEPARTING, THE MAYOR OR COUNCIL MEMBER MUST PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE COUNCIL. OKAY, ON THAT ONE THERE. THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR TRAVEL ORDINANCE ANYWAY. YEAH, IT'S IN THE I MEAN, YEAH, THAT'S OUR TRAVEL ORDER. I DIDN'T SEE THAT. WE'LL COME AND GIVE A REPORT. YEAH. SO I JUST WANT TO. YEAH. BECAUSE WE HAVE IT THERE ALREADY. BUT SECTION FIVE I'M NOT YOU KNOW, I THINK IT NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS COUNCIL LEAVE AND EVERY COUNCIL OR ANYBODY COME AFTER NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS WRITTEN. MEN. SECTION FIVE TO JUST ADD AT THE END THERE, UPON COUNCIL APPROVAL. AND LET ME LET ME BE CLEAR THAT ANYTIME WE GO TO THE LEGISLATURE, IT'S ALWAYS WITH APPROVAL OF THE COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO. ANYTIME. I THINK WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON WENT AND OTHERS. IT'S BEEN BASED ON THE CONSENSUS OF THE COUNCIL TO GO SPEAK UP FOR THE CITY AT THAT TIME. SO I THINK THAT DOES THAT. NO, TO ME, IT AUTOMATICALLY GOES WITHOUT SAYING NO. WELL, BUT SEE, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, MAYOR. WE TALK ABOUT THINGS, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT IF SOMEBODY GET INTO A DISCUSSION, WE HAVE IT WRITTEN. OKAY, SO IF THIS IS GOING TO BE THE GUIDANCE OF IT, LET'S NOT THAT'S AUTOMATIC. WE NO, NO, LET'S LET'S MAKE IT PLAIN AND SIMPLE. AND THAT'S ALL IT'S DONE, ALL IT'S DOING. SO YOU WANT TO PROVIDE CLARITY THAT THERE YOU GO. OKAY, THERE WE GO. FOR, FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S NOT HERE, WHO COME BEHIND. SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND SECTION FIVE BEFORE WE MAKE THAT MOTION. I GOT A COUPLE MORE LIGHTS. COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS, YOUR LIGHT IS ON. YES. OKAY. AND THEN DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK NOW OR YOU WANT TO WAIT? CITY MANAGER HAS HIS LIGHT ON. WELL, HE OFFERED UP AN AMENDMENT TO THAT SECTION. I'M NOT DEALING WITH THAT SECTION. OKAY. WHAT? HE WANTS TO DO SOMETHING ELSE. BUT I HAVE AN AMENDMENT FOR SECTION. OKAY, LET ME HEAR THE CITY MANAGER AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK. LET HIM GO AHEAD. CITY MANAGER. OKAY, SO IN THE LAST THE LAST TIME WE WORKED WITH LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, I KNOW THIS TIME COUNCIL IS VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT THE SABINE PASS AREA. YEAH. AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A PRIORITY, A KEY PRIORITY FOR COUNCIL. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. OKAY. SO DOES THE COUNCIL. IS IT THE WISH OF THE COUNCIL? BECAUSE THE LAST TIME THE COUNCIL ADDED A BUDGET OF $75,000 TO IT, SO THAT IT ALLOWS COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, TO TRAVEL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE EXISTING TRAVEL BUDGET. NOW, I IT MAY BE THAT MORE THAN ONE COUNCIL MEMBER MAY WANT TO GO UP TO AUSTIN TO REPRESENT THE. ON THAT MATTER, ON THAT VERY PRESSING MATTER. SO IS IT THE WISH OF MY QUESTION? IS IT THE WISH OF THE COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE VERY SAME BUDGET AS WELL, OF $75,000? IS IT THAT YOU. IS IT THAT FOR THE NEW YOU. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. YEAH. CITY ATTORNEY YES, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. DO YOU WANT IT IN THE NEXT BUDGET AS WELL? I MEAN, IS IT THAT. OKAY, MAYOR. OKAY. I I'M OKAY. AND IT WOULD JUST HELP THE CITY. OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER KINLAW I MEAN, MAYOR PRO TEM THANK YOU. MAYOR. I SEE WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH IT, RON. BUT WOULD IT PENALIZE US BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AS COUNCIL TO APPROVE IF WE DON'T HAVE IT IN THE BUDGET? SO YOU'RE ASKING IF WE PUT IT IN A SEPARATE YES BUDGET TO ADDRESS THE AUSTIN TRIPS IN THE NEW LEGISLATIVE TYPE THINGS? YES. SO WE COULD PLAN FOR IT. WILL WE BE IN A TYPE OF TIME CONSTRAINT IF WE STILL HAD TO BRING IT BACK BEFORE COUNCIL? YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING WITH IT? EVEN IF WE DON'T IF WE DON'T DO IT. OKAY. YEAH. WILL WE BE PUT UNDER A TIME CONSTRAINT OR WOULD WE HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING TO SEND THE MAYOR OR YOU OR, OR COUNCIL MEMBERS? [01:50:01] IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK. THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING. IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK BECAUSE THE THE FINANCIAL IT HAS TO DO AN AMENDMENT. WE HAVE TO DO A RESOLUTION OR AN ORDINANCE. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK. BUT I MEAN, ANYHOW, YOU WANT TO DO IT IF YOU WANT TO DO PRIOR PROPER PLANNING, I THINK WE WE COULD DO IT DESIGNATED. AND SO WHAT YOU SAYING THIS HAS COME BACK A SECOND TIME, A SECOND TO APPROVE. RIGHT. BUT I THINK WHEN YOU APPROVE IT HERE IT'S DONE. AND SO WE'VE GOT THE APPROVAL THERE TO BE ABLE TO GO. WE DON'T KNOW HOW SOON OR HOW FAST OR IMPACTFUL WE MAY HAVE TO GO. SO THIS GIVES US THE RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO GET IT DONE. OKAY. I'M GOOD WITH IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS. OH, YES. WELL, I'M INTERESTED IN IS FUNDING FOR HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT, FUNDING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HIGHWAY CONNECTED CONNECTING PORT ARTHUR TO SABINE PASS. I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY WORDED IT THAT WAY FOR SABINE PASS. WHAT'S THAT? BUT MY AMENDMENT, IT'S ON 15. WE AIN'T ON 15. YEAH. LOOK AT LOOK AT THE LEGISLATIVE. WHAT DO YOU KNOW? THIS IS 11 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW. 150015 OKAY. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, ADOPTING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR'S LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR THE 90TH SESSION OF THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE. OKAY. SO THIS IS IT HERE? YES. SO WHAT ARE YOU. OKAY, SO WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN, HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU DO THAT? WHEN I'M OFFERING FOR AN AMENDMENT IS TO CONNECT HIGHWAY 87 TO HIGHWAY 24. AND THAT HIGH ISLAND, THAT'S THE SIMPLEST WAY TO DO IT. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GO DOWN THAT AND REOPEN THAT OLD. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT. THE SIMPLEST THING IS TO CUT ACROSS TO, TO, TO HIGHWAY 124 AND INTERSECT THERE. YOU TURN RIGHT, YOU COME TO INTERSTATE TEN, YOU GO LEFT, YOU GO TO A GALVESTON. IT'S SIMPLE JUST FOR FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION. OKAY. RIGHT. COUNCILMEMBER DOUCETTE WELL, ON THAT ONE THERE, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, IF WE APPROVED IT, THIS. ANYWAY, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING IS JUST SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO TELL WHOEVER GO TO, TO, TO WHAT'S WHAT'S THIS? NOW, WHOEVER WHOEVER DECIDED TO GO AND SPEAK. IF SOMEONE GO, THEN THEY COULD DO THAT. BUT I WANT TO PUT IT IN THE LANGUAGE AND ALERT THEM AS TO A SIMPLER WAY OF DOING IT, INSTEAD OF WAITING ON US TO GO DOWN THERE TO, TO CREATE SOMETHING. IT'S THE SIMPLEST THING TO HIGHWAY 8Y 24. IT'S SIMPLE. THIS IS THAT'S AN AMENDMENT. THIS IS WE AGREE WITH YOU, BUT I DON'T THIS IS NOT NOTHING WE SENDING TO THE LEGISLATURE. THIS. JUST AS OUR RESOLUTIONS. WHEN WE GET READY TO DO IT, THEN WE COULD GO AND WE CAN ADDRESS JUST EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. BUT IT'S GOING TO BE LONG. IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY COUNCIL. IT'S GOING TO BE AND EVERYTHING. SO WE WE KNOW OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS, WHAT WE NEED TO DO, THIS IS JUST AN AGENDA FOR US TO HANDLE GOING FORWARD, TO ADVOCATE FOR WHAT WE NEED. AND SO WE WE WILL REMEMBER AND KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BECAUSE WE AGREE THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER DIRECTION IN WHICH THIS HIGHWAY NEEDS TO GO. WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS AT SOME POINT IN TIME WE'LL IDENTIFY, YES WE WILL. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. OKAY. BUT I WANTED IT CLEAR. UNDERSTOOD. YOU DON'T JUST SEND THIS DOWN THERE. NO. BECAUSE THEY THEY CAN'T EVEN JUSTIFY DOING IT BECAUSE IT SAYS NOT ENOUGH OF PEOPLE LIVING DOWN THERE. WE WE GOT YOU. OKAY, OKAY. WE GOT YOU. IN RESPONSE TO THIS BUDGET, MAYOR. I WE SAY WE SAVING TIME AND WE AND WE REFER TO OUR TRAVEL ORDINANCE IN HERE. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ABOUT TIME. AND I HEARD THIS THE LAST TIME YOU GET UP AND GO, WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. THESE BILLS WHEN THEY'RE COMING UP. AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PLAN TO GO. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TALK AND GET APPROVAL FROM COUNCIL. THAT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME TO SEE. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. THIS EMERGENCY TYPE RUNNING AND STUFF IS, IS JUST NOT FITTING IN TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. I'M APPROVING SOMETHING WHERE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE PEOPLE TO GO AND SPEAK ON HOW. BUT THIS OVERNIGHT, NO, THAT AIN'T THAT AIN'T WHAT IT'S ABOUT. BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE HAD PEOPLE WENT LAST YEAR, THEY WENT, I DIDN'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT OR WHAT THEY GOING TO SAY. I DIDN'T KNOW AND I WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER. OKAY, SO HOW ARE YOU GOING TO REPRESENT THE CITY AS SOMETHING IF COUNCIL HASN'T SAID, OKAY, YEAH, WE WANT YOU TO GO IN AND DO THAT. WE AS COUNCILWOMAN, JUST DON'T GET UP AND JUST RUNNING AND GO AND DO SOMETHING BECAUSE WE. WANT TO GO. NO, IT'S COUNCIL REPRESENTING THE CITY. THAT'S [01:55:09] TAXPAYERS MONEY. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS. I'M ALL FOR THIS, BUT IT'S WITH A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING. NOBODY'S GOING TO JUST GET UP AND GO AND NOBODY ELSE KNOWS ABOUT IT UNTIL THEY COME BACK. THAT THAT AIN'T WHAT I'M NOT. I'M NOT EVEN I'M NOT EVEN GOING. AND THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS SAID BECAUSE IT REFERS TO THE TRAVEL ORDINANCE. OKAY. RIGHT. AND AS LONG AS WE FOLLOW WHAT'S WRITTEN HERE, LET'S FOLLOW WHAT'S WRITTEN. OKAY, THEN LET'S GO. WE'RE READY. ALRIGHT. NEXT QUESTION. OKAY. YEAH, THAT JUST FINE. OKAY, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE AMEND SECTION FIVE JUST TO ADD, AT THE END, UPON APPROVAL OF COUNCIL. OKAY, WE HAVE AN AMENDMENT ON THE FLOOR. I MEAN, A MOTION TO AMEND ORDINANCE RESOLUTION 24940, TO ADD WITH COUNCIL'S. I NEED A SECOND. SO I GOT A SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR WITH THE AMENDMENT. SAY YES OR YES. I I ANY NO'S. THE AYES HAVE IT. ON THE AMENDED MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCET. THE MOTION THE AMENDED MOTION PASSES. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE NOW TO THE GO BACK TO THE REGULAR AMENDMENT. THE PREVIOUS FIRST RESOLUTION, AND IT'S ALREADY GOT IT'S ON THE FLOOR. IT'S GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. AND WE'VE ALREADY GOT QUESTIONS ANSWERED. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY NO'S. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES. NUMBER [VIII.A.(1) P.R. No. 24848 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Professional Services Agreement With Griffith Moseley Johnson & Associates, Inc. (GMJ) Of Port Arthur, Texas For Consulting Services Related To Industrial District Agreements (IDAs), Tax Abatements Agreements, Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) Applications, Compliance Review And Revenue Enhancement Initiatives, With A Projected Budgetary Impact Of $26,000.00 For FY25/26; With Subsequent Years Subject To City Council's Annual Approval And Appropriation Of The Budget; Funds Shall Be Available In Special Purpose Account No. 001-01-005-5470-00-10-000. ] SEVEN EIGHT. ALRIGHT WE'RE GOING TO MOVE NOW TO PAGE EIGHT WHICH IS GOING TO BE RESOLUTIONS NONCONSENT THAT WE WILL HANDLE INDIVIDUALLY. RESOLUTION PR NUMBER ONE, PR NUMBER 24848. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH GRIFFITH, MOSELEY JOHNSON AND ASSOCIATES INCORPORATED GMC OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, FOR CONSULTING SERVICES RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT AGREEMENTS. I'D. S TAX ABATEMENTS AND AGREEMENTS. SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT SIPS APPLICATIONS. COMPLIANCE REVIEW AND REVIEW ENHANCEMENT INITIATIVES WITH A PROJECTED BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $26,000 FOR FY 2020 526, WITH SUBSEQUENT YEARS SUBJECT TO CITY COUNCIL'S ANNUAL APPROVAL AND APPROPRIATION OF THE BUDGET. FUNDS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN A SPECIAL PURPOSE ACCOUNT NUMBER 001-01-005-5470-00-10-000. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, ANY QUESTIONS? YES. COUNCILMEMBER DOUCET? YES. FIRST QUESTION. CITY MANAGER. DID WE ADVERTISE FOR THIS? NO. OKAY. NO, NO. NEXT QUESTION. YES, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT GOING BACK AND DO OUR ID AGREEMENTS AND STUFF. I KNOW WE MENTIONED IT AND CAUSALLY, BUT WE NEVER DISCUSSED IT. OKAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE LOOKING AT HIRING SOMEBODY AS A CONSULTANT TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE. ONE WE DIDN'T DO WE DIDN'T ADVERTISE. THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION I HAVE. BECAUSE IF WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, WE MUST ADVERTISE. THAT'S THE FIRST THING. THAT'S NOT US. IT'S LAW. OKAY, SO WE DIDN'T ADVERTISE. THE NEXT QUESTION IS WE SAY IT'S A BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $26,000 A YEAR. IT'S IT'S LIKE GIVING THIS FIRM $26,000 TO BE. WHAT AN UNCALLED FOR WHEN WE WANT TO DO THESE TYPE THINGS. BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST US A YEAR, IT'S GOING TO BE DEPENDENT ON WHAT SERVICE THEY PROVIDE. BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THE CONTRACT AND YOU START TALKING ABOUT THE CONTRACT AND GO TO THE FEES. I MEAN, FOR AN EXAMPLE, THE INDUSTRIAL AGREEMENT IN THE RATE THE FEE STRUCTURE. HERE WE GO FOR THE INDUSTRIAL REVIEW OF COMPANIES IN THE ETJ OPERATING WITH ID A WE THEY WANT 15% OF ONE TIME FEE. THAT MEANS IF THEY FIND [02:00:04] SOMEBODY IN THE ETJ, THAT'S NOT PAYING IT, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM 15% OF THAT RATE. NOW, THAT'S NOT COUNTING THE $26,000, 15%. THE LAST TIME WE HAD PEOPLE IN THE ETJ AND WE WAS NOT COLLECTING HUEY, HUEY IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WAS THE ONE THAT DISCOVERED IT WAS ABOUT THREE COMPANIES IN THE ETJ. AND HE CAME TO COUNSEL SAYS, HEY, I FOUND THREE COMPANIES OUT THERE THAT AIN'T PAYING. HE DONE THE PAPERWORK. WE GAVE IT TO THEM AND THEY STARTED PAYING IT, AND WE GOT ALL OF THE MONEY. OKAY. SO WHY ARE WE GOING TO PAY SOMEBODY 15% OF IT WHEN WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT DOES IT? OKAY, THAT'S FOR THE ETJ. SO THAT 15% THAT'S GOING TO COME OUT OF THE BUDGET IF THEY FIND SOMEBODY. OKAY, LET'S GO TO THE SEVEN. THE SELF. IF THEY PUT IN A SELF, JUST PUT IN FOR SELF, WHETHER WE GET IT OR NOT, WE GOTTA PAY $5,000 JUST FOR THE APPLICATION, JUST FOR THE APPLICATION. WE GOTTA PAY $5,000. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A CITY. THEY GOT ORGANIZATIONS. NONPROFITS IN THIS CITY CAN APPLY FOR A SELF. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GOOGLE IT. THEY WILL NOT ONLY PUT THE FORM UP THERE, BUT THEY'LL GIVE YOU TIPS ON HOW TO FILL IT OUT AND HOW TO QUIT AND YOU SUBMIT IT. BUT IF THEY SUBMIT IT, WHETHER WE GET IT OR NOT, IT'S GOING TO COST THE CITY $5,000. THAT'S NOT THE 26,000. OKAY. AND THEN IF WE GET ONE, WE GET 15%, ONE TIME FEE OF WHATEVER. THEY GET 15% GOING TO GO TO THE FIRM. OKAY, NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT SELF. WE HAD THE SAME TYPE THING PROPOSED TO US PROBABLY IN 2012 OR 1317, WHERE COUNCIL MEMBERS RECOMMENDED AND TALKED ABOUT HIRING AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WORKED WITH REFINERY. IN FACT, THE PERSON WAS IN CHARGE OF THE IDA GROUP, I MEAN, IG GROUP, INDUSTRIAL GROUP, BIG LAWSUIT. WELL, LET ME GET TO THIS. THIS MY DON'T TRY TO STEAL THIS, BUT THAT INDIVIDUAL WOULD GET A PERCENTAGE OF WHAT WE GOT. OUR CITY ATTORNEY TOLD COUNCIL. WHY ARE YOU ALL PAYING HIM THIS PERCENT SAYS, MY MY PERSONNEL CAN FILL OUT A SELF. ANYBODY CAN FILL OUT A SELF SAYS, WHY ARE WE PAYING THEM? SO SHE EXPLAINED IT TO US AND WE SAY, WELL, LET'S CANCEL THE CONTRACT. WELL, HE GOT ANGRY AND. AND THAT'S WHAT COUNCILMAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LITIGATION. BUT ANYWAY, WE END UP SETTLING. BUT WE DROPPED IT BECAUSE WE FOUND OUT THAT ALL YOU DO IS FILL THIS FORM OUT AND SUBMIT IT. OKAY, SO HERE WE TALK ABOUT 15% AGAIN. NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE COMPLIANCE REVIEW. FOR THE COMPLIANCE REVIEW, MONITORING PROCEDURAL AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS. THAT IS TO GO TO COMPLIANCE AND MONITOR IT AND EVERYTHING. IT'S GOING TO BE AN HOURLY RATE OF $250. THAT'S ALMOST WHAT ATTORNEYS CHARGE AN HOUR. BUT IT'S AN HOURLY RATE OF $250. IF HE JUST START TALKING ABOUT LOOKING AT OUR POLICY AND REVIEWING IT AND THEN MONITORING WHAT'S MONITORING. OKAY. AND THEN NUMBER FOUR SAYS, FOR PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING SERVICE FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, HE SHALL BE COMPENSATED AN HOURLY RATE OF $250, BILLED MONTHLY. SO THAT MEANS THAT NOT ONLY IS IT DEALING WITH THIS, BUT IF WE DO ANY CONSULTING WITH HIM, WE'RE GOING TO BE ON A $250 RATE. OKAY. SO WHEN YOU TELL ME THAT IT'S A BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $26,000 A YEAR. NO IT AIN'T. [02:05:12] THAT'S A RETAINER. WE DON'T PUT CONSULTANTS ON RETAINER FEES IN CASE WE NEED OR WHEN WE NEED. WE GOT A LOT OF THINGS IN HERE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PAYING THAT'S NOT EVEN INCLUDED IN THE $26,000. WE INCLUDED A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO. AND WHAT'S MY BIG POINT? I'M ALWAYS SAYING IT OVER AND OVER. WE NEED TO JUST TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO AND NOT PAYING SOMEBODY. AND THE LAST IS TO HAVE THIS COME BEFORE US. AND IT HASN'T BEEN ADVERTISED. AND THIS IS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICE. AND IF YOU READ THE PURCHASING LAW, WHEN IT COMES TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO ADVERTISE. WE HAVE GOT TO START GETTING COMPETITIVE. PEOPLE NEED TO START BEING COMPETITIVE TO GET OUR TAX DOLLARS. AND THE LAST THING IS, WHEN WE DO IT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FOLLOWING LAWS AND THAT WE MAKING IT VERY CLEAR BECAUSE EVERY CITIZEN WHO READ THIS PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT IT'S GOING TO BE COST OF JUST $26,000. AND THEY PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGETARY IMPACT, ABOUT 26,000. NO, THAT'S JUST 26,000. PUT SOMEBODY ON RETAINER. WE DON'T PUT FIRMS ON RETAINER. WE HAVE TO HAVE THEM ADVERTISE. AND ABOVE ALL, WHAT IS TRANSPARENCY? YES. WE TALKED ABOUT DOING IT, BUT WE WE HAVEN'T HAD A PLAN. AND FOR OUR I, I'D A WHICH IS THE SECOND THING ON HERE. OUR AGREEMENTS ARE NEED TO BE UPDATED. WE NEED TO GO BACK. WELL, THE ONE WE HAVE NOW, THE WAY WE DID IT, WE HIRED A LAWYER FROM A FIRM THAT DEALS STRICTLY WITH IDA AGREEMENTS WITH REFINERIES. THAT ATTORNEY STAYED WITH US WHILE WE WAS DECIDING WHAT WE WANTED, AND SHE WAS ADVISING US WHAT WE COULD GET, WHAT WE SHOULD DO AND HOW. AND THAT'S HOW WE PUT THAT POLICY TOGETHER. IT WASN'T BASED ON SOMEBODY THAT SAY THEY WORK WITH. NO. THIS WAS A FIRM THAT ACTUALLY DEALS WITH IDA AGREEMENTS, AND THEY UNDERSTAND ALL THESE ABOUT GETTING REVENUES AND WHAT WE COULD GET. IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, I SUGGEST THAT WE GET A FIRM THAT SPECIALIZED IN IDA AGREEMENTS AND CONTRACTS, GET IT. AND WHEN WE START LOOKING AT SELF, UNDERSTAND SELF IS NOT SUPER COMPLICATED. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE SPENDING MONEY, IT'S NOT TO GIVE SOMEBODY A JOB THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING. AND WHEN WE PUT SOMETHING ON A BUDGET AND SAY A BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $26, DON'T DO THAT. THIS IS WAY MORE BECAUSE ANY, ANY TIME THE WORK OR ANYTHING HAPPEN, YOU GOT TO PAY MONEY. THAT MONEY'S COMING OUT OF BUDGET AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PART OF THAT 26,000. OKAY, I HAVE OTHER LIGHTS. COUNCILMEMBER. COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS, THANK YOU MAYOR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMEMBER FRANK, DID HE FINISH? YEAH, HE SAID HE AGREED WITH COUNCILMEMBER DOUCET. I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN DOUCET FROM THE PARTICULAR STANDPOINT THAT ALL WE HAVE TO CONTINUALLY BE SURE THAT WE ARE COMPLYING WITH THE LAW. AND SO COMPETITIVELY, IF IT'S NECESSARY AND IT IS ACCORDING TO LAW THAT WE GO OUT AND WE GIVE OTHER INDIVIDUALS OPPORTUNITIES TO COME UP FORWARD AND BID ON THIS OPPORTUNITY, OR THEY BE ADDED TO A LIST OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. WE NEED TO DO THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS IN COMPLIANCE. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I THINK THAT WE CAN SOMETIMES FEEL AS THOUGH WE CAN DO IT. WE WE COME TO A POINT SOMETIMES WHERE WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN FIND SOMEONE IN OUR ORGANIZATION TO DO IT, OR IT'S SO EASY TO GET THIS DONE, TO FILE THE CIP APPLICATION AND TO GET IT. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT GET YOU TO DO IT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND WE SET OUT TO DO THIS FOR THESE MANY WEEKS AND MONTHS AND YEARS, AND IT'S NOT BEEN DONE. AND SO NOW TO COME AND SAY IT'S EASY TO GET IT [02:10:08] DONE, WELL, WHY HASN'T IT BEEN BEING DONE? AND WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN, YOU KNOW, WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN A PART OF THE, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ASSURED THAT IT'S BEEN GETTING DONE AND WHEN THE CITY MANAGER COMES NOW AND IS AFFORDED AN OPPORTUNITY. DON'T, DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT. WHEN WHEN THE CITY MANAGER COMES WITH A PLAN AND A PROGRAM TO GET THINGS ACCOMPLISHED, LIKE THE SET AND TO GET CONSULTATION WITH A GROUP TO COME AND DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE BEING SUGGESTED HERE. I THINK WE GOTTA LOOK AT THAT. SO. SO I, I, I AM IN AGREEMENT THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE, BUT SOMETIMES THINGS LOOK EASIER THAN THEY ARE. AND WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT A COMPANY THAT WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT A COMPANY. THAT DOES CONSULTATION WITH. BUSINESSES ALL AROUND THE WORLD, THAT THAT ARE RIGHT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY, LITERALLY WITHIN A STONE'S THROW OF CITY, CITY GOVERNMENT HERE, AND YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THAT. IT BEHOOVES US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. SO THAT'S WHERE I STAND ON THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. YEAH. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I WAS ABLE TO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA AFTER I HAVE CONSULTED WITH MY WITH YOUR CITY ATTORNEY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PROCUREMENT. AS FAR AS THE ITEM IS CONCERNED, I ALSO GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE BUDGET, 33% OF THE BUDGET, WHICH IS $135 MILLION. AS WE CONTINUE TO DO BUSINESS, A THIRD OF THE BUDGET COMES FROM GRANT MONEY. WE CAN BOAST OF. YOU KNOW, IT COMES FROM GRANT MONEY, AND WE ENGAGE CONSULTANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE GRANT MONIES ARE BEING EXPENDED, GIVEN THE REQUIREMENTS, WHETHER IT'S FROM A FEDERAL STANDPOINT OR WHETHER IT'S FROM A STATE REQUIREMENT, TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE ARE EVER AUDITED, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MET THE STANDARDS THAT ARE BEING REQUIRED, AND I'M PRETTY MUCH SURE THAT WE ARE IN GOOD STEAD AS FAR AS THAT IS CONCERNED. HAVING SAID SO, AS I GROW OLDER, I RECOGNIZED THAT BEING CITY MANAGER IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. IF YOU CAN PICK UP THE PHONE AND YOU CAN MAKE A PHONE CALL AND GET 17 AND GO HAVE GET $17 MILLION FROM PLEASURE ISLAND THROUGH A NEGOTIATION PROCESS. IT'S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN THAT. AND I'VE LOOKED AT THE OPPORTUNITY OF WORKING WITH THIS COMPANY TO SEE WHAT CAN BE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE FOR 2500 $0. WE GOT I GOT WE THE CITY GOT $17.5 MILLION TO REPLACE A WATER LINE THAT WAS NOT BUDGETED FOR THAT. WE STILL CANNOT BUDGET FOR SEVEN PLUS MILLION DOLLARS FOR ZERO. AND IT WAS ALL ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT COMPANY. AND IT WAS CREATING MORE CAPACITY FROM THE EXISTING WATER LINE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DOUBLED OUR CAPACITY TO PLEASURE ISLAND. IT WAS ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP. WE GOT A WHOLE RV PARK REPLACED. IT WAS ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP. AS I GROW OLDER, I HOPE I'M GETTING WISER THOUGH, THAT LIFE IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. AND SO I'M MAKING THIS PROPOSAL TO COUNCIL. IT IS JUST A PROPOSAL. IT WILL BE NO SKIN OF MY TEETH IF YOU KICK IT OUT. LIFE IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN PICK UP THE PHONE AND THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE AT THE OTHER END OF THE LINE AND SAID, LISTEN, THERE'S X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THERE. MAKE A CALL UP TO AUSTIN FOR ME. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, I CAN GET 20 AND $30 MILLION. IT'S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. AS I GROW OLDER, I RECOGNIZE IT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S ALL THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL. I'VE MADE SURE THAT I HAVE MET THE LETTER OF THE LAW. AS FAR AS THE CITY ATTORNEY'S ARE CONCERNED, THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT. YOU CAN KICK IT OUT IF YOU WANT TO. OKAY. CITY ATTORNEY, IF YOU COULD ANSWER THE QUESTION, DID [02:15:04] IS THIS BID HERE, THIS RESOLUTION THAT WE'RE AUTHORIZING FOR 26,000, DOES IT REQUIRE US TO GO THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES? IT'S ALWAYS JUST GOOD. PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 2254.001 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ARE EXEMPT FROM THE COMPETITIVE BIDDING REQUIREMENTS UNDER STATE LAW. AS IT RELATES TO THE QUESTION INVOLVING THE BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $26,000, THAT IS SPECIFICALLY ONLY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2526, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THERE BEING MUCH OF A BUDGET EXPENSE IN 2526. AS COUNCIL MEMBER, DOUCETTE REFERRED TO NEW REVENUE INVOLVING THE. I'D A WOULD BE A ONE TIME FEE OF 15%. THERE IS DEFINITELY A. A CAVEAT, THOUGH, AND THAT THE NEW REVENUE IS NOT ANY REVENUE THAT THE CITY HAS NOT ALREADY BEEN PURSUED OR NEGOTIATED, ANTICIPATED OR COLLECTED IN THE ORDINARY COURSE OF BUSINESS. AND IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY KIND OF RENEWALS OR AMENDMENTS OR AUTOMATIC INCREASES BASED ON CPI ADJUSTMENTS OR EXISTING AGREEMENTS. SO ANYTHING THAT THE CITY FINDS ON ITS OWN, THE NEW THE NEW COMPANY OR PROFESSIONAL SERVICE COMPANY WOULD NOT BE ENTITLED TO THAT AMOUNT. SO IT'S GENUINELY SOMETHING THAT'S NEW, NEW, NEW FOR THEM. AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WOULD BE COMING FROM THE 15%, ONE TIME FEE OF ANY NEW REVENUE THAT THEY FOUND WOULD PROBABLY BE SUBJECT TO THE FISCAL YEARS OF 2728 AND NOT IN FISCAL YEAR 2526. IF THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO TO GO OUT FOR BID TO GET DIFFERENT QUALIFICATIONS FOR SERVICES INVOLVING THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF SERVICE, YOU MAY. BUT IT'S NOT MANDATED BY STATE LAW UNDER CHAPTER TWO, 254 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE. OKAY, SO UNDER TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE TWO, TWO, FIVE FOUR AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WE DO NOT HAVE TO GO OUT FOR PROCUREMENT. JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMEMBER DOUCETTE YEAH. FOR THE RECORD, JUST SAYING THAT THIS IS YOUR SECOND TIME SPEAKING. MAYOR. TRUST ME, I KNOW IT'S OKAY. SECOND. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, I KNOW YOU. YOU'RE THE PARLIAMENTARIAN, SO. OKAY. MAKE SURE FIRST OF ALL, IT'S OBVIOUS FROM THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE. THAT'S WHY THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS COMING TO THE COUNCIL. THAT'S WHY I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH IT. I COULD HAVE SAID ALL THIS IS NEVER BEEN PRESENTED TO COUNCIL. OKAY, ALL THIS. SPEAKING IS SPEAKING BECAUSE IT'S DISCUSSED. SO LET ME JUST SAY EXACTLY WHAT I SAY AND GET DONE WITH IT. FIRST OF ALL, WHEN THE CITY MANAGER SAYS HE CONSULT WITH THE ATTORNEY, AND THEN YOU ASK THE ATTORNEY AND ATTORNEY. REED'S PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DO NOT REQUIRE BIDDING. SHE SHOULD CONTINUE TO READ BECAUSE IF SHE READS IT, IT'S GOING TO SAY THAT IF WE WANT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WE MUST ADVERTISE. AND WHEN THE CITY MANAGER SAYS THAT IT'S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS, IT AIN'T ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. IT'S ABOUT DOING THINGS BY THE LAW. AND I'M NOT HERE FOR RELATIONSHIPS. I'M HERE TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS MONEY AND DO WHAT IS WRITTEN. A RELATIONSHIPS IS GOOD, BUT WE MUST UNDERSTAND WHAT'S WRITTEN BECAUSE WE HAVE NO PROBLEM. I'M JUST WAITING FOR THE FORENSIC AUDIT. WE CANNOT VIOLATE THE LAWS AND ORDINANCE. AND WHEN ASKED THE QUESTION, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS NOBODY SAID ABOUT BIDDING. I KNOW PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DON'T REQUIRE BIDDING, BUT IT REQUIRES US TO ADVERTISE. THAT'S WHERE THE COMPETITIVENESS COMES IN. OKAY. AND THE REPLIES IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH DISCUSSIONS. TRANSPARENCY IS BRINGING IT BEFORE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE AND BEFORE CITIZENS AND LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THEIR MONEY. DON'T DON'T COME WITH THESE DISCUSSIONS. DIDN'T COME UP HERE AND WANT TO ADVERTISE. OKAY. SO ONCE AGAIN. THIS WAS NOT ADVERTISED. THIS IS NOT NOTHING THAT COUNCIL DISCUSSED ON HOW WE WANT TO DO IT. AND THE LAST TIME I READ OKAY, [02:20:01] ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER'S DUTIES AND PERFORMANCE WAS TO MAKE DECISIONS ON DAILY ROUTINE OPERATIONS. OTHER THAN THAT, WE SET POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN THIS CITY AND THANK YOU. BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A DISCUSSION ABOUT FROM ME. I JUST ASK THE QUESTION FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY THAT SITTING IN HER CHAIR, THAT WE HAVE A RIGHT TO ASK. I HAD NO DISCUSSIONS WITH ANYBODY PRIOR TO THIS MEETING AND THIS ITEM BEING ON THE AGENDA. NO, SIR, WE DID NOT. I KNOW I DID NOT, AND MAKE SURE. OKAY. SO LET'S MAKE LET'S CLEAR DON'T SAY THAT IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE NOT WITH ME. OKAY? OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. SO WE WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO A VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE CAN DO A ROLL CALL VOTE. THEY WANT A ROLL CALL. WE WANT TO DO A ROLL CALL VOTE. LET'S GO. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER BECKHAM. YES, COUNCILMEMBER DOUCETTE. NO. COUNCILMEMBER FRANK. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. YES. MAYOR PRO TEM KINLAW. YES. COUNCILMEMBER. LEWIS. MAYOR MOSES. YES. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THE PR NUMBER 24848 IS ADOPTED. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO NUMBER TWO PR NUMBER [VIII.A.(2) P.R. No. 24947 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Ratify Change Order No. 8 Submitted By Texas Materials Group, Inc. - Gulf Coast Area Of Beaumont, Texas, For The Various Streets Roadway Improvements Project-Districts 2 & 3 For An Additional 155 Calendar Days And A Contract Reduction Of $3,154,051.17, For A New Contract Amount Of $8,055,041.49. Street Program Capital Improvements Project Account 307-21-053-8517-00-10-000.] 24947. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO RATIFY CHANGE ORDER NUMBER EIGHT, SUBMITTED BY TEXAS MATERIALS GROUP. INCORPORATED GULF COAST AREA OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR THE VARIOUS STREETS, ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT DISTRICTS TWO AND THREE FOR AN ADDITIONAL 155 CALENDAR DAYS AND FOR CONTRACT REDUCTION OF $3,154,051.17 FOR A NEW CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $8,000,055.41 AND $41.49. STREETS PROGRAM CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT NUMBER 307-21-053-8517-00-10-000. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY. SECOND, ANY DISCUSSIONS? DISCUSSION. OH, OKAY. GO AHEAD, COUNCILMEMBER DOUCETTE. YES. OKAY. I SEE WE HAVE. THE NEXT RESOLUTION, THE SAME ITEM. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? THE NEXT RESOLUTION IS THE CLOSEOUT DOCUMENTS BECAUSE THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN COMPLETED, SIR. OKAY. SO HOW IS IT THAT WE ARE PROVEN THE DATE A CHANGE ORDER. RIGHT. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE IT OUT AT THE SAME TIME THIS CHANGE ORDER IS DUE TO TRANSPARENCY. IT'S ONLY A TIME CHANGE ORDER THAT WE ARE ADDING TO THE CONTRACT. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE COUNCIL IS AWARE OF THE TIME CHANGE. AND THEN THE REDUCTION, WHICH IS A DEDUCT BECAUSE OF THE QUANTITIES ON THE PROJECT AND SOME OF THE STREETS WERE REMOVED. LET ME, LET ME LET ME LET ME JUST SAY THIS, OKAY, I SEE A LOT OF THIS COMING UP HERE. AND I KEEP SAYING, THAT'S ALL RIGHT, ALL THIS GOING TO COME OUT. WE HAVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN THIS CITY. WHEN THERE'S A CHANGE ORDER, IT'S TWO. TYPE ONE IS THAT YOU SEE, WE NEED A CHANGE AND IT NEEDS TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND COUNCIL APPROVES THE CHANGE. AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN BEFORE COUNCIL APPROVES THE CHANGE. THE OTHER IS AN EMERGENCY CHANGE ORDER. EMERGENCY CHANGE ORDER IS SOMETHING WE CAN'T FORESEE AND WE NEED TO GET DONE. THAT IS DONE. AND THEN IT COMES TO COUNCIL FOR RATIFICATION. SO WHEN WE CLOSE OUT THAT MEAN THAT ALL HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. WE WENT OUT, WE VERIFIED AND WE END. COUNCIL HAS APPROVED ALL PAPERWORK, BUT ALL OF IT COMING IN AT ONE TIME. SO IT CAN'T BE. IT CAN'T BE DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER. EITHER. SOMETHING IS WRONG THAT WE'RE BRINGING THIS A CHANGE ORDER AND THIS TOGETHER. AND THE OTHER THING THAT I'M GOING TO SAY, AND I'M GOING TO LET THIS GO BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE DOING A PRESENTATION WITH THIS STREETS PROGRAM, BECAUSE WE KEEP COMING TO THESE AUDITS. I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION. WHEN YOU ALL ARE DOING STREETS AND YOU'RE TAKING FUNDING, ARE THE FUNDS COMING FROM A DESIGNATED DISTRICT? DID THE CITIES GET MONEY DESIGNATED TO THEM IN AN ACCOUNT IDENTIFIED BY THAT DISTRICT? THIS IS A FINANCE QUESTION, AND [02:25:05] I'LL DEFER IT TO LYNN TO ANSWER. OKAY. WELL, I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO HAVE HER ANSWER. BUT THE QUESTION BACK TO YOU ALL IS, IF YOU ALL ARE NOT DOING IT, HOW CAN YOU EVEN SUBMIT IT TO HER? THIS PROJECT STARTING IN 2023, IN FEBRUARY 2023, AND AT THAT TIME, THAT FUND WAS DEDICATED TO THESE PROJECTS. IT STARTED WITH THE 23 STREET PROGRAM THAT WAS CHANGE ORDERED DOWN TO 19 STREETS. AND NOW WE HAVE COMPLETED ACTUALLY 30 STREETS WITH A BUDGET, $2 MILLION UNDER THE ORIGINAL 10.2 MILLION THAT WAS DEDICATED TO THIS PROJECT. AS FAR AS YOUR FIRST QUESTION, THE PROJECT WAS ISSUED. LET ME BACKTRACK FOR A SECOND. IN THE SEVENTH CHANGE ORDER THAT WAS ISSUED ON THIS PROJECT WAS IN DECEMBER 24TH. THAT EXTENDED THE TIME OF THE PROJECT TO JUNE 25TH. THAT DECEMBER RESOLUTION GOT GIVEN TO THE CONTRACTOR IN FEBRUARY 1125. SO THAT ALONE PUT US TWO MONTHS BEHIND SCHEDULE. THEN FROM JANUARY 25TH TILL THE END OF NOVEMBER, WHEN WE DID SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION ON THIS PROJECT, WE HAD OVER 100 DAYS OF RAIN, WHICH DELAYED US A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. BUT IN NOVEMBER OF 25, WE ISSUED A SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION TO THE CONTRACTOR WITH A PUNCH LIST THAT WE REQUIRED THE CONTRACTOR TO COMPLETE. BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT THE DOCUMENTS AND THE PROJECT. AND GREGORY DID A GREAT JOB WITH HIS INSPECTIONS AND HIS DETAILED PUNCH LIST TO WHERE HE'S BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THE CONTRACTOR UNTIL ACTUALLY LAST MONTH WHEN THAT PUNCH LIST WAS COMPLETED. SO IN REALITY, THE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION WAS NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR. BUT WE WANTED TO CLOSE THIS PROJECT, GET IT OVER WITH. THAT'S WHY WE DID THIS ONLY TIME CHANGE ORDER AND THE CLOSEOUT DOCUMENTS IN THE SAME MEETING. OKAY, YOU SAID ALL THAT, BUT I MOVED AWAY FROM THAT QUESTION. I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE FUNDING. THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. CAN WE GET SOMEBODY CITY MANAGER? YOU GOT SOMEBODY THAT CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT FUNDING? BECAUSE I DON'T SEE HOW WE COULD SUBMIT FUNDING TO THE FINANCE DIRECTOR IF WE'RE NOT CHECKING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE MONEY, OR THE MONEY IS GOING TO COME FROM THE SAME PLACE. SO CITY MANAGER, CAN I, CAN I GET THE CITY? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LYNN, HOW YOU DOING? LYNN BOSWELL, YOUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE. HEY, LISTEN, I HAVE A QUESTION AND IT'S THE SAME I'VE BEEN SAYING FOR THREE YEARS AND I'M GETTING TIRED OF GOING AROUND THE BEAT. WHENEVER WE HAVE PROJECTS, WE HAVE MONEY SHOULD BE DESIGNATED BY DISTRICTS. OKAY? THAT IS HOW THE MONEY IS SUPPOSED TO BE DIVIDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHEN THERE'S AN INVOICE SUBMITTED, DO YOU HAVE IT SET UP IN FINANCE THAT YOU KNOW THAT THE FUNDS WILL COME OUT OF THIS DISTRICT, OR ARE YOU JUST TAKING IT OUT OF THE STREET FUND? I'M TAKING IT OUT OF THE STREET FUND. OKAY. THANK YOU. LYNN. YOU SEE, CITY MANAGER, I'M GOING TO SAY THAT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN MY MY BEEF BECAUSE FOR THREE YEARS I'VE BEEN HEARING, OH, WE FOUND A PROGRAM. WE'RE DOING THIS. THE PEOPLE TAKING MONEY FOR PROJECTS. BUT YET NOW NO ONE IS ACCOUNTING FOR WHERE IT GO. AND THE REASON I SAY THAT, AND I'M GOING TO COME WITH A PRESENTATION IN THE FUTURE WHEREBY YOU TAKING MONEY OUT OF A POT AND YOU'RE DOING PROJECTS AND YOU'RE USING MONEY, BUT YOU'RE NOT TRACKING IT. BECAUSE WHEN WE RUN THESE NUMBERS BY DISTRICTS AND HOW MUCH MONEY IS BEING SPENT OUT OF THE STREET FUND, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND OUT. EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE SHOCKED WITH ALL THE MONEY GOING, OR WHERE THE MOST MONEY GOING. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WHAT YOU'RE JUST LET ME LET HIM FINISH, OKAY? OKAY. YEAH, YEAH. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DIVIDE THIS MONEY BY [02:30:07] DISTRICTS AND PUT IT INTO A BUDGET, AND IT'S UP TO THE DEPARTMENT, NOT THE FINANCE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, WHOEVER OVER IT SHOULD BE TRACKING IT TO KNOW THAT IF I'M SPENDING MONEY, IT'S GOING HERE. BUT WHEN I BRING THE INFORMATION, EVERYBODY ON THIS COUNCIL WHO DON'T KNOW OR HAVEN'T TAKEN THE TIME TO FIND OUT, IT'S GOING TO FIND OUT. WE'RE NOT DOING THAT. WHAT WE'RE DOING IS USING FUNDS AND ANYTHING DEALING WITH STREETS, WE GO INTO THE STREET, WE GO INTO THE POT OF MONEY WITH NO RESPECT TO DISTRICTS, AND IT'S GOING TO. AND WHEN THE FORENSIC AUDIT COUNCIL, WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT THAT SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE PUTTING IT ON IS NOT STREETS. SEE, I'M TIRED OF BAITING. I'M TIRED OF COMING WITH THIS EVERY TIME. BUT THE QUESTION WAS ANSWERED. YOU DON'T HAVE IT IDENTIFIED, SO HOW CAN YOU BE SPENDING IT THAT WAY? I MADE MY POINT. CLIFF. YOU HAD A COMMENT? YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A CLARIFICATION. IT IS COMING OUT OF THE STREET FUND, BUT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TRACKED BECAUSE EACH STREET HAS ITS OWN PROJECT NUMBER. SO WHEN THEY SUBMIT THE PAY OUTS, THEY PAY WHAT WAS DONE TO THAT STREET ACCORDING TO THAT PROJECT NUMBER. SO YOU WOULD KNOW WHICH STREET THE WORK WAS DONE ON BY THAT PROJECT NUMBER. NOW IT'S NOT IDENTIFIED AS DISTRICT ONE, TWO, 3 OR 4, BUT IT WILL SAY IF FOR A 17TH STREET FROM WHATEVER STREET TO WHATEVER STREET. SO, YOU KNOW, WHICH STREET WAS ACTUALLY WORKED ON DURING THIS PROJECT. OKAY, OKAY. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE. OKAY. I'M SORRY MAYOR, I KNOW HOW THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IS HAVING THE MONEY ALL IN ONE BIG POT. HOWEVER, THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT TRACKS THESE PROJECTS. WE IDENTIFY THEM PER DISTRICT. WE EVEN WENT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE TO GATHER INFORMATION BEFORE I WAS IN CHARGE. AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE THAT INFO. WHAT STREETS WERE DONE IN WHICH DISTRICT AND THE COST AND WE WILL MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO COUNCIL. PLEASE, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO ALL OF US AND WE'LL MAKE IT AVAILABLE. WE APPRECIATE IT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE NOW TO, OH WAIT, COUNCILMEMBER KINLAW, MAYOR TIM KINLAW. NO, NO PROBLEM. YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION EARLIER. HOW HOW COULD WE HAVE A CLOSE OUT AND AT THE SAME TIME BE APPROVING 155 CALENDAR DAYS? THAT WAS MY QUESTION. COUNCILMAN DOUCET MENTIONED THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET TO A POINT LIKE THIS, WHO'S THE CITY SIDE THAT'S MONITORING THESE PROJECTS? SEE, WHEN WE DO THAT AND WHEN WE SEE THIS, WE SEE IT WHEN IT COMES ON THE AGENDA THE THURSDAY PRIOR TO THE MEETING. SO WHY DON'T WE GET BRIEFINGS AS A COUNCIL PRIOR TO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO COMPLETE IT BY THE CONTRACTUAL DATE. WHY DON'T WE GET SOMETHING THAT'S 30 DAYS OUT? SO THE COUNCIL WILL BE ABREAST INSTEAD OF JUST PUTTING IT ON THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING JUST BEFORE IT EXPIRES? OR, YOU KNOW, I NEED MORE CLARITY ON THAT DOC. IF WE CAN HAVE SOMEONE, ONE WHO WAS ON THIS PROJECT. PROJECT MANAGER. YEAH. WELL, THE CITY SIDE, WE KNOW WE HAVE A PROJECT MANAGER, BUT WHO'S ON THE CITY SIDE MONITORING, RIGHT? BECAUSE I WAS TOLD WHEN SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS COUNCIL, WHEN WE WERE DEALING WITH STREETS, THEY HAVE THE PROJECT MANAGER, BUT WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S ON THE CITY SIDE ENSURING THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE IMMA SAY AGAIN, ALIBI DAYS THAT THEY'RE NOT OUT THERE WORKING, YOU KNOW, THEN AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN THE JUST BEFORE THE CONTRACT ENDS, THEY WANT TO SAY, HEY, CAN WE GET AN EXTENSION AT NO COST TO THE CITY? THAT'S BS. I DON'T LIKE THAT. I REALLY DON'T BECAUSE WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE OUT THERE ON A SUNNY DAY BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE DOING, JUST LIKE I'VE BEEN SAYING FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, THEY'RE WORKING ON OTHER PROJECTS, THEY MAY HAVE OTHER PROJECTS, AND THEN WHEN IT'S TIME TO COME TO PORT ARTHUR, THEY WANT TO HURRY UP AND SEE IF THE COUNCIL WILL GIVE THEM ALIBI DAYS TO EXTEND THEIR PROJECT SO THEY DON'T LOSE OUT ON MONEY. AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE TOLD WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY. ALL OUR CONTRACTS NEED TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF PENALTY IN IT. AND AND I MEAN, JUST FOR CLARITY, I WAS TALKING ABOUT A PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE CITY, NOT FOR THE OTHER TEAM. WELL, I DON'T EVEN KNOW. I'M TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE WATCHING THE PROJECT ON OUR END. THANK YOU. AND I THINK THAT WE DO HAVE THAT, AM I CORRECT? WELL, THEN MY NEXT QUESTION. WHERE IS THE PAPERWORK PROJECT? WE HAVE A CITY EMPLOYEE THAT SHOULD BE PROJECT THIS ONE. GREGORY CASHMERE IS THE ONE WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF IT. AND TRUST ME, GREGORY IS SO PICKY HE WILL GO TAKE A TAPE MEASURE AND TELL THEM YOU ONLY PUT 11.3FT WIDE OF ASPHALT, NOT 11.4 LIKE YOU'RE BILLING ME. SO HE'S VERY PICKY WITH HIS PROJECTS. HE DOES A VERY GOOD JOB AT THAT. AND IN THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, THE MISTAKE THAT WAS MADE IS THEY NEVER TRACKED RAIN DAYS. [02:35:05] SO THIS PROJECT ORIGINALLY WAS A 700 DAY PROJECT WITH 23 STREETS. WE BROUGHT IT DOWN TO 19 STREETS AND 580 DAYS. AND THEN WE DID CHANGE ORDERS TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE. THAT ADDED THE STREET, ADDED 107 DRIVEWAYS. NO TIME ADDITIONS. DIDN'T ADD ANY TIME. WE DIDN'T ADD ANY TIME TILL WE GOT TO CHANGE ORDER NUMBER SIX. AND THAT TIME SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDED. RAIN DAYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDED. SO IN REALITY, IF WE ADD ALL THAT TIME THAT WAS SKIPPED, THIS PROJECT IS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. BUT THE MISTAKE WE MADE IS WE DIDN'T BRING THIS TO YOU SOONER. YOU'RE 100%. THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING. WHEN THE TIME EXPIRED IN JUNE 25TH, WE SHOULD HAVE CAME BACK AND SAID, OKAY, WE NEED THIS EXTRA TIME. BUT WE KNEW THERE WAS GOING TO BE NO MONEY ADDITIONS, AND WE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE A DEDUCT AND WE MADE A MISTAKE. SO I AGREE WITH YOU. NEXT TIME WE WILL BRING IT SOON. AND THAT'S ALL I MEAN, YOU KNOW, TO COLLABORATE ON MR. G. I'VE BEEN WITH HIM. I'VE BEEN ON THE SITE. HE MADE A LADY MOVER FENCE A FOOT, YOU KNOW, SO I KNOW HE'S ABOUT TO BOOK AND I RESPECT HIS, HIS PROFESSIONALISM, BUT THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. BRING IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL JUST BEFORE, YOU KNOW, DON'T DO IT BEFORE THE THURSDAY AND IT GOES ON THE AGENDA. AND THEN WE HAVE TO GO AND SCURRY AND LOOK FOR THIS INFORMATION. SO THE COUNCIL WILL BE AWARE AND ABREAST OF THESE CHANGE ORDERS. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I'M I'M GOING TO PULL EVERY CHANGE ORDER. I'M GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. IF I DON'T HAVE THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION, I'M OKAY. I MEAN, WE NEED TO EXPLAIN OURSELVES. AND I'M TELLING YOU, WE MADE A MISTAKE ON THIS ONE. DIDN'T BRING IT SOONER. THANK YOU DOC. THANK YOU. MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DID YOU HAVE SOME WORDS, MISTER? YOU GOOD. THANK YOU. GREGORY CASHMERE, 5050 LAKESIDE DRIVE, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. I JUST WANTED TO COUNCIL'S TO KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN WITH THIS PROJECT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, AND I HAVE DONE. WHAT'S REQUIRED OF ME. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND WE APPRECIATE YOU. WE JUST THANK. AS WE'VE STATED, AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA FOR US TO BE BRIEFED, KNOWING THAT THIS IS GOING TO COME UP BEFOREHAND SO WE CAN HAVE SOME PRIOR KNOWLEDGE JUST HELPING US TO MAKE OUR DECISIONS ON WHAT TO VOTE FOR AHEAD OF TIME. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BUSY WEEKENDS AND THINGS GOING. SO EVERYBODY, WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER DO SAID HE SPENDS HIS WHOLE WEEKEND DOING THIS. I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF TIME. SO BUT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TO BE APPRIZED MUCH EARLIER IF WE CAN. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I KNOW YOU'RE DOING YOUR DUE DILIGENCE, GREGORY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK, AND THANK YOU FOR STICKING WITH WHAT YOU. THE PLAN OF GETTING NOT EVEN A FOOT OR MEASURE GONE BEYOND YOU YOURSELF GETTING PAST YOU. AND THANK YOU, DOCTOR HANEY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND VOTE RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR. OH I DIDN'T WAIT HOLD UP. I DIDN'T SEE THAT ONE. I ONLY TALKED ONCE ON THAT ONE. OKAY. THIS IS IT. GO AHEAD. YOU ALWAYS TELL ME THAT. I KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT I WANT. MY TURN IF I GET IT. OKAY? OKAY. YOU GOT YOU GOT TWO MINUTES, YOU KNOW. HEY, LET. LET'S NOT CONFUSE IT. NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THE INSPECTION. GREG, THE PROBLEM WE HAVE HERE IS PEOPLE KEEP ASKING COUNCIL TO EXTEND THESE. AND MOST OF THE TIME THEY'RE TALKING RAINY DAYS. OKAY. BUT SEE, I READ CONTRACTS. THE CONTRACT SAYS SEVEN DAYS, MONDAY HOLIDAYS, SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS WE GO, I GO OUT THERE. NOBODY WORKS ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS OR HOLIDAYS. A CONTRACTOR WON'T PAY HIS EMPLOYEES ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY HOLIDAY BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? HE'S GOT TO PAY MORE MONEY. BUT HE'S ONLY GOING TO GET SO MUCH PER DAY, SO HE DON'T WANT TO WORK ON SATURDAYS AND HOLIDAYS. THAT'S OKAY WITH ME. THAT'S WHERE WE COME IN. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THESE DAYS. WHEN I CAME ON COUNCIL THE WAY WE USED TO DO THESE EXTENDED DAYS, THEY HAD TO PRESENT US THE DAYS THAT IT RAINED. OKAY. THE OTHER THING IS, JUST BECAUSE IT RAINED DOESN'T MEAN HE CAN'T WORK. THE OTHER THING IS, IF YOU READ THE CONTRACT, THE CONTRACT CLEARLY STATES 70% OF THE WORKERS. THAT'S A WORK DAY, LESS THAN 70%. IT'S NOT A WORK DAY. IT'S ABOUT THE CONTRACT. SO WE NEED TO START COMING FOR THESE DAYS. YOU WANT EXTENSIONS? BRING US A LIST OF THE DAYS THAT IT WAS RAINING, WHERE YOU COME IN AT WHEN THEY TURN IT IN TO US AND SAY THEY WORKED, YOU GOT YOURS? SAID NO, THEY I PASSED OUT THAT DAY. [02:40:03] THEY THEY WASN'T WORKING. OKAY. SO WE NEED TO TRACK IT AND SEND THE RECORDS. I WANT TO KNOW WHEN YOU GO WORK IN THE RAIN. NO NO NO NO NO. WHEN YOU GO WORK IN THE RAIN. NO. MAYOR, WE HAVE TO VERIFY THAT IT RAINED. OKAY. DON'T GIVE ME. OKAY, OKAY. I JUST LIKE WORKING IN THE RAIN. OKAY, LET'S LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE JOKING. I WILL, I WILL, ALRIGHT, OKAY. LET'S GO. ALRIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE THESE TWO, RIGHT? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY NOS. THE THE [VIII.A.(3) P.R. No. 24870 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Accept Close Out Documents Submitted By Texas Materials Group, Inc., Of Beaumont, Texas, And Approve The Release Of Retainage In The Amount Of $402,752.08 For The Various Streets Roadway Improvements Rehabilitation: Districts 2 & 3 Project. Funding Is Available In The Street Capital Improvements Project Fund Account 307-00-000-2050-00-00-000.] AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES. LET'S GO TO PR NUMBER 24870. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT CLOSEOUT DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED BY TEXAS MATERIALS GROUP INCORPORATED OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS, AND APPROVED THE RELEASE OF RETAINAGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $402,752.08 FOR THE VARIOUS STREETS, ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT REHABILITATION DISTRICTS TWO AND THREE PROJECT FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN THE STREET CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT FUND ACCOUNT 307 DASH 00-000-2050-00-00-000. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED IN. SECOND, ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? OH, NO. THAT'S OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY [VIII.A.(4) P.R. No. 24878 – A Resolution Authorizing The First One-Year Renewal Of The Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur And The Ardurra Group, LLC, For Disaster Recovery Grant Management And Administrative Services, As Outlined In Attachment “A”, For Ongoing Federal And State Grant-Funded Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure, Transportation Safety, And ARPA-Related Projects, With No Additional Funding Required. ] OPPOSED? THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES. LET'S GO TO PR NUMBER 24824878. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FIRST ONE YEAR RENEWAL OF THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND THE ADORA GROUP, LLC FOR DISASTER RECOVERY, GRANT MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, AS OUTLINED IN ATTACHMENT, A ONGOING FEDERAL AND STATE GRANT FUNDING, DISASTER RECOVERY, INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORTATION SAFETY, AND ARPA ARPA RELATED PROJECTS WITH NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING REQUIRED. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? OH YES, THAT'S IT. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, ANY QUESTIONS? YES, MA'AM. YES. OKAY. WHOA! COUNCILMEMBER FRANK, I'D LIKE HIM TO COME FORWARD, PLEASE. OKAY. MR. OH, YEAH. I'M SORRY. CRAIG. TAFFARO. HEY, HOW ARE YOU, SIR? GOOD MORNING, COUNCILMAN MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS. GREAT, GREAT. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD, AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE. BUT ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT AS I'VE TALKED TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE ONES THAT I'VE HAD MYSELF, ARE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING NECESSARY TO STAY IN THE LOOP OF GETTING NEW MONIES. AS YOU HEARD THE CITY MANAGER SAY, 33% OF OUR BUDGET COMES FROM FROM GRANTS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. CAN YOU LIST FOR US OR GIVE US A THUMBNAIL SKETCH OF THE GRANTS THAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR? SURE. I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT. SO I BELIEVE YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKETS. AND NOW ON THE SCREEN, A LITTLE BIT OF A SUMMARY. AND I WANT TO FIRST PREFACE THIS BY SAYING, KEEP IN MIND THAT THE NATURE OF OF GRANT FUNDING AND THE NATURE OF DISASTER RECOVERY. YES. I'M SORRY, WE DON'T HAVE YOUR PACKET. I DON'T HAVE YOUR PACKET. I DON'T HAVE ONE. I DON'T HAVE IT EITHER. WHERE IS YOUR PACKET AT? THAT'S THE THE INFORMATION THAT I HAD EMAILED DIRECTLY TO EACH OF US. YES. BUT IT'S ON THE SCREEN NOW. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL CAN YOU. YEAH, THAT'S FINE IF YOU DON'T MIND. I MEAN, BUT YOU CAN ROLL. SURE. I JUST DON'T HAVE. OKAY. I DON'T HAVE IT EITHER. SO I WISH WE HAD PROVIDED. BUT THAT'S OKAY. LET'S GO ON FOR THE SAKE OF TIME. OKAY? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. YOU GOT A COPY? I'M GOING TO LOOK AT THE SCREEN. OKAY. LOOK AT THE SCREEN. OKAY. SO SO AGAIN, THE NATURE, THE NATURE BETWEEN GRANT MANAGEMENT, DISASTER RECOVERY, AND GRANT ADMINISTRATION, THERE'S OFTEN TWO PARALLEL TRACKS, RIGHT? IN THE SENSE THAT WHAT WE PARTNERED STARTING BACK IN 2018 WITH THE, WITH THE CITY BASED ON HURRICANE HARVEY AND THE DAMAGES RELATED THERETO. WE CAME IN AND I'LL PREFACE THIS WITH SAYING, WE CAME IN AS THE CITY ATTEMPTED TO HANDLE THE DISASTER, THE INITIAL DISASTER RESPONSE INDEPENDENTLY OR IN-HOUSE. AND SO THAT THAT PROCESS REVEALED THAT THERE WAS MUCH MORE TO BE DONE THAN WHAT THE IN-HOUSE CAPACITY HAD. EVERYONE HAD FULL TIME POSITIONS AND I OBLIGATIONS WITHIN THEIR ROLES, AND THAT'S WHY THE CITY WENT OUT FOR ASSISTANCE. THAT BEGAN OUR PARTNERSHIP OVER THE CURRENT. OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS OR SO, WHAT WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN ARE SEVERAL. AS THAT MOVING YOU, [02:45:10] THERE YOU GO. OH, SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND PRIMARILY RELATED TO SOME OF THE DISASTERS THAT HAVE, HAVE COME TO PORT ARTHUR. YOU'LL NOTICE ON THIS SCREEN THE, THE TOTAL PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKED ON IN ADVANCE. I THINK IT'S ON THE MAIN SCREEN. DID THAT GO OKAY? THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT THAT SCREEN OR THAT TABLE SHOWS YOU THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS. AND UNDER EACH ONE THERE ARE SUBPROJECTS. SO YOU'LL NOTICE THAT HURRICANE HARVEY PUBLIC ASSISTANCE. THERE'S ACTUALLY 39 INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS THAT MADE UP THAT THAT ONE PROJECT ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT. YOU SEE THE FUNDING ALLOCATIONS FOR THE CITY THAT THAT WERE PART OF EACH OF THOSE PROJECTS AND THAT THE BOTTOM, YOU SEE A TOTAL OF ALMOST $151 MILLION OF, OF FUNDING THAT HAS COME TO THE CITY THROUGHOUT THESE DIFFERENT DISASTERS. AND, AND THE RELATED GRANTS. NOW, AS I SAID, WHEN WE WERE PART PARTNERED WITH THE CITY AND WHAT OUR PARTNERSHIP HAS PREDOMINANTLY BEEN ABOUT IS MANAGING THOSE DISASTERS, MANAGING THE FUNDS THAT HAVE COME IN TO THE CITY, AND WHAT OPPORTUNITIES EACH OF THOSE GRANTS PRESENTED FOR ADDITIONAL WORK, SPECIFICALLY TYPES OF WORK LIKE MITIGATION WORK, WHICH IS IF YOU LOOK AT THE SECOND COLUMN OR THE SECOND LINE ITEM THERE, THE H, M, G, P, 404 PROJECTS WORTH ALMOST $60 MILLION. THAT CAME AS A RESULT OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY FOR THE RECOVERY ASPECT OF OF HURRICANE HARVEY BEING, BEING AWARE OF AND APPLYING FOR AND WORKING THROUGH A COMPETITIVE GRANT FOR MITIGATION WORK. AND THOSE ARE THE THREE PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY. EL VISTA, PORT ACRES AND STONEGATE. IF YOU REMEMBER, WE'VE GONE THROUGH YEARS OF ITERATION AND NOW WE'RE FINALLY CLOSING IN ON ALL THREE OF THOSE PROJECTS, CLOSER AND CLOSER TO COMPLETION. YOU'LL NOTICE EACH OF THOSE WITHOUT GOING THROUGH EACH LINE ITEM, THAT THEY ALL HAVE A TIME FRAME, AND THEY ALL HAVE A FUNDING AMOUNT RELATED TO THAT PROJECT. THOSE FUNDS, THOSE FUNDS COME TO THE CITY EITHER BY AN ALLOCATION BY THE GRANTING AGENCY OR THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS THAT THE CITY CHASES OR PURSUES. AND THERE'S A COMBINATION THEREOF. AND I'LL EXPLAIN THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT SLIDE. SO IN IN RELATIONSHIP TO THESE, THERE ARE DISASTER GRANTS AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF THOSE. THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN THERE, THE HARVEY. THESE ARE DIRECT RELATED, IF YOU WILL, DISASTERS THAT HAVE THAT HAVE TOUCHED THE CITY. THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKED ON THAT HAVE CONTINUED TO BE ACTIVE PROJECTS. AND I WANT TO POINT OUT SOMETHING TO YOU TO, TO EMPHASIZE THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED WITH THE CITY. YOU'LL NOTICE ABOUT MIDWAY DOWN THERE'S A HURRICANE IKE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE FOR ALMOST $13 MILLION, $12.8 MILLION. IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT WE COME IN AND WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THE PARTNERSHIP. I HAPPENED WELL BEFORE HARVEY, RIGHT? IT HAPPENED WELL BEFORE A DOOR EVER, EVER BECAME A PARTNER OF THE CITY. BUT BECAUSE OF THAT PARTNERSHIP AND BECAUSE OF THE DIRECTION OF THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE COUNCIL, WE DUG INTO THAT AND PROTECTED THAT MONEY. THAT MONEY WAS SCHEDULED TO BE RECAPTURED FROM THE CITY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ONE MONITORING AND CLOSING OUT HOW THAT DOCUMENT, HOW THE DOCUMENTS WERE HANDLED AND HOW THE PROJECTS WERE MANAGED THAT FELL OFF THE TABLE, SO TO SPEAK, BECAUSE NO ONE WAS DOING IT. NO ONE IN HOUSE HAD THAT AS PART OF THEIR ORDINARY AND REGULAR FULL TIME JOB DESCRIPTION. AND SO IT FELL OFF THE TABLE WHEN WE CAME ABOARD AND THIS WAS BROUGHT TO US. WE DID THIS, AND WE DIDN'T COME BACK AND ASK FOR A NEW CONTRACT THAT WAS EMBEDDED INTO THE WORK THAT WE DID. BECAUSE OF THE PARTNERSHIP THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN SO GRACIOUS IN GRANTING US. AND I POINT THAT OUT ONLY BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S A BUSINESS VENTURE, BUT THERE IS A A COMMITMENT TO MAKING SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WE PARTNER WITH, WE PLAY THE LONG GAME AND NOT THE COME IN AND GET WHAT WE CAN AND LEAVE. YOU'LL NOTICE ALSO THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED ENHANCED GRANTS OR THE ADMINISTRATION. AND ON THIS PARTICULAR SCREEN, [02:50:02] THESE ARE GRANTS THAT WE HAVE HAVE BEEN AND ARE MANAGING FOR THE CITY THAT WE'RE PART OF THE OVERALL PROCESS. THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS THIS WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS COMPETITIVE. THIS WAS A US TREASURY ACT. CONGRESS PUT THIS MONEY IN PLACE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE DID HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY APPLY AND, AND COMPLETE THE PROCESS OF, OF REQUESTING THE FUNDS. AND THEN THE, THE PROCESS OF MANAGING THOSE FUNDS, REPORTING WHAT THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS ARE. AND YOU, YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN IDENTIFYING THE PROJECTS BY SPECIFIC DEADLINES AND THIS PROJECT OR THESE PROJECTS HAVE TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR WITH ALL THE MONEY BEING SPENT SO THAT THERE'S NO MONEY TO GIVE BACK TO THE US TREASURY. THAT WILL BE A PROCESS AS WE GET TO THE AWARDS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AND WE CLOSE THOSE OUT, WE MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE DOCUMENTATION THAT IS REQUIRED SO THAT THE TREASURY DOESN'T COME BACK AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE AND ASK FOR ANY OF THOSE DOLLARS BACK. THE MASTER DRAINAGE PROJECT WAS A PROJECT THAT WE PURSUED ON BEHALF OF THE OF THE CITY. THAT WAS ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT THAT YOU GUYS PARTNERED WITH AND THE MASTER DRAINAGE STUDY. AGAIN, YOU GUYS HAVE TALKED ABOUT PLANNING THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING SOME AWARENESS GOING IN TO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PARTICULAR PROJECTS THAT THAT DOES THAT AS WELL. THE US DOT OR THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAFE GRANTS. THIS IS A GRANT THAT WE ACTIVELY PURSUED. AGAIN, NOT BECAUSE THAT WAS THE PRIMARY FOCUS, BUT BECAUSE THE COMMITMENT THAT WE HAVE TO THE CITY IS TO PURSUE ANYTHING THAT THE CITY ASKS US TO PURSUE OUT OF AN INTEREST OF, OF A, OF A PROJECT OR A PARTICULAR AREA OF PROJECTS. THE MOST RECENT ONE, THE 2019 HUD INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS, THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE DOING THE BRICK MANHOLES AS WELL AS THE. NINTH AVENUE EXPANSION. THAT'S AT LEAST PHASE ONE OF THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT. SO AGAIN, THIS IS ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WAS NOT RELATED TO A PARTICULAR DISASTER, BUT WAS PURSUED AND ACHIEVED IN TERMS OF MONEY FOR THE CITY. THERE IS ONE THAT WE ACTUALLY JUST PUT IN FOR THE 2024 STORMS GRANT FROM FROM GLO THAT WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR. WE WE WERE NOT IN PORT ARTHUR, WAS NOT IN THE THE PRIMARY TIER. WE WERE IN THE SECONDARY TIER. SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THE PRIMARY TIER, ONCE ALL OF THOSE INVITATIONS GO OUT, THERE'S SOME MONEY LEFT OVER TO GET TO THE SECOND TIER. AND THOSE APPLICATIONS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE WILL BECOME ACTIVE. THE THIRD PART OF THIS IS WHAT I WOULD CALL PENDING OR PURSUITS THAT ARE OUT THERE OR HAVE BEEN OUT THERE. AND I PUT THIS SLIDE UP HERE NOT TO SAY, HEY, WE HAVE THIS ADDITIONAL MONEY IN HAND, BUT TO SHOW YOU THE ACTIVITY THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. EACH OF THESE GRANTS REPRESENT ADDITIONAL WORK, ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT WERE NOT DISASTER RELATED, BUT THAT THE THAT THE CITY REQUESTED US TO PARTNER WITH. AND WE HAVE DONE SO AS PART OF OUR ONGOING WORK IN THE MANAGEMENT AREA IN THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT AREA. SO IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S IT'S WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER VALUED BONUS TO, TO THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE, HAVE, I THINK, DEVELOPED AND CERTAINLY HAVE HONORED CLOSELY. I WILL TELL YOU THAT THESE THESE PROJECTS, THE BIGGEST ONE THERE, YOU SEE, IS THE $92 MILLION DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PROJECT. WHILE WE WERE VERY HOPEFUL OF THAT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, IF I CAN KIND OF BRING YOUR MEMORY BACK TO. THERE WAS SOME SOME STATE LEVEL MANEUVERING, WE'LL CALL IT, THAT MOVED MONEY TO OTHER AREAS OF THE STATE THAT WERE NOT IMPACTED AS PORT ARTHUR WAS. AND WE, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER ENTITIES AND CITIES, BROUGHT UP THE OBJECTION IN, IN THE THE TE DEUM SYSTEM THAT GRANT IS STILL ACTUALLY ALIVE, BUT THERE'S NO FUNDING FOR OUR PROJECT AT THIS POINT. BUT IT'S NOT DEAD IN THE SENSE OF IT'S OFF THE TABLE. WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TIMING OF THAT WILL BE OR IF THAT WILL COME THROUGH. BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD BE A HUGE WIN FOR THE CITY. WE CONTINUE TO PURSUE THAT BECAUSE OF OUR CONTACTS WITHIN THE STATE SYSTEM. WE MONITOR THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO PULL A A POLITICAL MOVE FROM THE COUNCIL OR STATE REPRESENTATION THAT WE DO SO TO [02:55:04] ADVOCATE FOR THOSE THOSE PROJECTS, NOT JUST THE DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION, BUT ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE LISTED THERE. THE NEWEST ONE IS, IS THE ONE THAT WE'RE IN DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW. THE SAFE ROOM GRANT THAT WE HAVE POSITIONED OURSELVES. I SAY OURSELVES, THE CITY, TO BE IN LINE. IF THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL SLOT FOR A SAFE ROOM GRANT, AND THAT THAT WOULD BE OBVIOUSLY WOULD COME BACK TO YOU FOR THAT. IF WE HAVE THAT NOTIFICATION, WE'RE EXPECTING THAT WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH TO BE NOTIFIED. IF IF THAT IS INDEED THE CASE. SO I GUESS WHAT I'M WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS THE CONTINUED ACTIVITY. IN ADDITION TO THOSE THINGS THAT WE DO AS PART OF DISASTER RECOVERY AND DISASTER GRANT MANAGEMENT, WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU IN TERMS OF THE ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY IS THE CONTINUATION OF THESE THESE SERVICES, BECAUSE YOU WENT OUT A YEAR AGO AND YOU PROCURED. WHAT HAPPENS IS TWO THINGS. ONE IS IF YOU CONTINUE OUR OUR PARTNERSHIP, THEN YOU HAVE US IN PLACE. GOD FORBID ANOTHER EVENT COMES FOR THE 2026 SEASON. YOU KNOW, WE HOPEFULLY THAT THAT THAT WOULD NOT BE THE CASE. AND IF IT DOES, OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF, OF ACTIVATING THAT PART OF THE CONTRACT, RIGHT. SINCE WE'RE IN PLACE TO DO THAT. THE SECOND THING THAT IT DOES IS IT ALLOWS US, IF WE GO BACK TO. THIS FIRST SLIDE TO CONTINUE TOWARDS CLOSE OUT FOR ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS, CLOSE OUT IS IS CRITICAL, ALTHOUGH THERE IS ALWAYS THE SENSE THAT, OH, WE, WE GOT THE GRANT, WE HAVE THE AWARD LETTER AND THEN WE CAN COAST. THAT'S REALLY NOT THE CASE BECAUSE WHEN WE COAST, THAT'S WHEN THINGS FALL OFF THE TABLE. AND THAT'S WHERE WHEN TEDOM DOES OR HUD DOES THEIR THEIR INTERNAL AUDITS AND THINGS DON'T LINE UP. THAT'S WHEN THE CITY STARTS RECEIVING LETTERS OF, YOU OWE THIS MONEY BACK OR YOU'VE BEEN OUT OF COMPLIANCE AND THE MONEY IS IS TO BE RETURNED. SO WE WANT TO PROTECT YOU FROM THAT, OBVIOUSLY, AND WE HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE, I THINK, ESTABLISHED, WELL AND HONORED YOUR WISHES IN DOING SO. OKAY. THANK YOU. CRAIG. COUNCILMEMBER FRANK, YOU HAD ANY YOU WANTED THE PRESENTATION. YOU'RE GOOD. MAYOR PRO TEM KINLAW HEY, THANK YOU, MAYOR CRAIG, THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT. AND I DO VALUE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH DURA OVER THE YEARS. BUT, YOU KNOW, AS A AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, WE HAVE TO BE BUSINESS MINDED WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES AND ADVENTURES. MY FIRST QUESTION, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. I, YOU KNOW, SEE IF YOU CAN ANSWER THESE FOR ME. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE DID A COUNCIL UPDATE? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU DID THAT? PROBABLY IT'S BEEN SEVERAL MONTHS. RIGHT. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE THING THAT I'M KIND OF SPEAK ON JUST A LITTLE BIT BRIEFLY. I THINK, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WHEN MAYBE ABOUT FOUR YEARS I WAS ON COUNCIL IN 18. SO I DO REMEMBER, BUT WE NEED MORE CLARITY ON UPDATES. I SHARED THAT WITH YOU LAST WEEK. ON FRIDAY. I SAID, IT'S JUST NOT FAIR TO COUNCIL AGAIN, WHEN WE ARE PUT ON THE AGENDA AND NOT KNOW WHEN THE CONTRACT END, MAYBE WE NEED TO DO BETTER AS THE CITY COUNCIL OR OUR STAFF TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN CONTRACTS LIKE THIS COME UP FOR RENEWAL IN EXTENSION OR WITH NO FINANCIAL PERIOD TO THE TO THE TO THE CITY, I LOOK BEYOND THAT BECAUSE I DO WANT TO CONTINUE A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH COMPANIES AND BUSINESSES THAT I FEEL ARE HAS A VERY, VERY GOOD REPUTATION WITH. AND I DO FEEL THAT ABOUT YOUR COMPANY, COUNCILMAN. I'LL BE I'LL BE HAPPY TO RESPOND TO THAT PARTICULAR POINT AND TELL YOU THAT WE'RE HAPPY TO DO A REPORT, AN UPDATE ON WHATEVER FREQUENCY THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE. IF YOU WANT TO DO IT QUARTERLY, WE CAN DO THAT. WE NEED THAT ANNUALLY, SEMIANNUALLY, MONTHLY, WHATEVER YOU DECIDE, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT. AT THIS POINT, I WOULD TELL YOU QUARTERLY IS PROBABLY SUFFICIENT BECAUSE OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE PROJECTS. AND INSIDE OF THAT QUARTER TO QUARTER REPORT, IF THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIFIC THAT COMES UP THAT NEEDS COUNCIL ACTION, YOU'LL HAVE THAT AND YOU'LL HAVE A REPORT SPECIFIC TO THAT. AND MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE GRANTS IN THE PIPELINE. YOU KIND OF SPOKE BRIEFLY ABOUT THAT. HOW DO YOU WHAT WE DO AS COUNCIL, WE HEAR ABOUT OTHER CITIES SURROUNDING CITIES ARE GETTING OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR GRANTS. AND 1 OR 2 TIMES I WAS ASKED PERSONALLY, WHY DIDN'T PORT ARTHUR APPLY? SO WHAT DETERMINES WHAT INPUT COLLABORATION YOU HAVE WITH STAFF TO APPLY FOR GRANTS WHERE [03:00:03] WE KNOW OTHER CITIES AROUND? AND I SPOKE TO YOU LAST WEEK ABOUT THAT AS WELL. I WOULD I DON'T WANT TO STEP OUT OF LINE WITH MR. BURTON HERE, BUT BUT BUT ANY COUNCIL MEMBER, ANY OF YOU THAT THAT BECOMES AWARE OF A GRANT OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN, YOU CAN CERTAINLY CONTACT ME DIRECTLY. OBVIOUSLY, I'M GOING TO COORDINATE THAT WITH WITH MR. BURTON TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND THE THE PARAMETERS OF IT. BUT THE PROCESS AND I'LL GO BACK A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND THIS SPEAKS TO COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE'S REQUEST SEVERAL SEVERAL YEARS AGO OF WE WANT TO DO THIS IN-HOUSE. WE WANT TO DO THIS IN-HOUSE. AND AND WE AGREE. I LISTEN, I WAS IN PUBLIC OFFICE. I UNDERSTAND THE PHILOSOPHY OF DOING WHAT YOU CAN INSIDE THE CONFINES OF YOUR STAFF. I AGREE WITH THAT PHILOSOPHY. THE CITY HIRED SOMEONE. WE BEGAN TO TRAIN THAT PERSON AND THAT PERSON IS HAS BEEN OUT NOW FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. ANYONE THAT THE CITY PUTS IN FRONT OF US TO TRAIN, WE WILL TRAIN. NOW, I WANT TO TELL YOU THIS, AND IN IN COMPLETE DISCLOSURE, ONCE WE TRAIN SOMEONE TO DO WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO, THE HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF YOU LOSING THEM TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR GOES WAY UP. BECAUSE THAT SKILL LEVEL, THE CITY GOVERNMENTS, NOT JUST PORT ARTHUR BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, HAVE A HARD TIME COMPETING WITH THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY. RIGHT. WE WILL DO THAT. AND WE CONTINUE TO BE COMMITTED TO TO TRAINING WHOEVER YOU PUT IN FRONT OF US. WE'VE WE'VE TALKED WITH MR. BURTON, MISS LANGFORD, ABOUT THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS. SO ANYONE THAT WE CAN HELP TRAIN AND KIND OF INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY SO THAT YOU GUYS FEEL MORE INDEPENDENT ABOUT YOUR ABILITY. BUT ALSO, MAKE NO MISTAKE, IN A DISASTER SITUATION, NO CITY HAS THE CAPACITY TO HANDLE IT, ESPECIALLY AT THE FRONT END. RIGHT. IT'S JUST I WOULD TELL YOU AGAIN, FROM BEING BEING IN THE SEAT OF OF BEING A PARISH PRESIDENT, IT'S FOOLISH TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE FULL CAPACITY TO DO IT. YOU BECOME PENNY WISE AND DOLLAR FOOLISH, BUT AT SOME POINT, IT DOES MAKE SENSE TO BRING YOUR STAFF UP TO SPEED, TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE CERTAIN THINGS, AND ALSO, RON, WE DON'T HAVE A A CURRENT GRANT WRITER, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT. WE DO. IS SHE STILL EMPLOYED? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I'M GONNA LET YOU PASS ON THAT NEXT QUESTION. AND THEN LASTLY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN DO THE UPDATES, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. I'M GOING TO SUGGEST TO MY COUNTERPARTS HERE AND THEN ALSO WITH OUR STAFF THE NEXT TIME WHEN YOU PRESENT, COULD YOU ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE INFORMATION PRIOR TO COUNCIL MEETING? ABSOLUTELY. JUST JUST IN, YOU KNOW, FYI FOR YOU, THAT WAS MY I'LL MAKE SURE THAT I GET IT TO, TO THE CITY STAFF INSTEAD OF SENDING IT DIRECTLY. PROBABLY GETS LOST IN EXTENDING THESE DAYS WILL NOT. HARM THE CONTRACT WE CURRENTLY HAVE WITH YOU. RIGHT? NO. WHAT, WHAT. SO TELL ME WHAT YOU GUYS DID WHEN YOU WHEN YOU RENEWED US OR PROCURED US A YEAR AGO. THAT'S WHY THIS IS THE FIRST RENEWAL OF A OF A NEW CONTRACT. YOU PUT THE MONEY IN PLACE TO, TO HANDLE THE CONTRACTS AND THE PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE. NOW, WE DON'T WE'VE MANAGED THAT WELL. WE'RE NOT COMING TO YOU SAYING NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING, NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THIS YEAR. NO THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCILMEMBER DORSET. GREG. YES, COUNCILMAN, I TELL YOU, LIKE EVERY YEAR THIS CONTRACT COME UP, WE AND YOU AND I GO ROUND AND ROUND. IT'S FAR FROM THE FIRST TIME YOU CAME TO THIS CITY. WHEN I WAS THE ONE THAT WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO HAVE YOU AND YOUR COMPANY. YOU WERE HIRED BECAUSE YOUR COMPANY WAS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR HURRICANE DISASTER RECOVERY FUND. THAT'S WHY WE HIRED YOU. OKAY. NOW, I STATED EARLIER IN REFERENCE TO CONSULTANTS, IT DOESN'T CHANGE FROM WHAT YOUR COMPANY DO. ANY OTHER COMPANY, IT SAYS UNLESS IT'S DEALING WITH ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE OR DESIGN, OR THE SPECIFIC PROJECT FOR WHICH FOR WHICH YOU CONTRACTED THEM FOR EXTENDS OVER TWO YEARS, THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TIME FOR CONSULTANTS OR TWO YEARS. LIKE YOU SAID WHEN YOU STARTED, IT'S BEEN EIGHT YEARS. YOU, YOU YOU PROCURED US LAST YEAR. IT WAS A NEW PROCUREMENT LAST YEAR. WE WILL PROCURE IT IN A NEW A NEW COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT. DO WE [03:05:08] ADVERTISE? YES. OH, OKAY. THEN I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, GREG. I'M GOING TO GO BACK. BUT ANYWAY, WE CAN STAY WITH YOU ON THAT BECAUSE I GOT I GOT A COUPLE OF COMMENTS BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE TELLING. YOU SEE. WE TALK ABOUT TRAINING. OKAY. ONE TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THAT, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU SAID, WELL, WE'RE HERE, BUT WE'RE TRAINING SOMEONE AND IT'S GOING TO BE THE LAST TIME. OKAY. WELL, THE LAST TIME WE CAME AND I ASKED ABOUT THAT, IT WAS THE PERSON LEFT. OKAY. SO CITY MANAGER, IF, IF, IF WE ARE TRAINING, I MEAN, IF WHAT THEY DO, THEY TRAIN SOMEBODY AND THE PERSON LEAVE BECAUSE IT'S SO COMPETITIVE, WHY HAVEN'T WE TAKEN THE APPROACH OF HIRING SOMEONE THAT'S GOING TO DEAL WITH GRANT WRITING AND GRANT MANAGEMENT? WE SEND THEM TO THE SCHOOL AND, AND GET THEM KNOWLEDGEABLE IN WHAT THEY DO. AND THEN WE ATTACH ALONG THAT HIRING, THAT CONTRACT. THEY GOTTA WORK FOR THE CITY SO LONG. SO WE GET OUR MONEY BACK OUT OF IT. OKAY, SO THERE'S WAYS IN WHICH WE DON'T HAVE TO LOSE THEM TO COMPETITIVENESS, BECAUSE IF WE PAY FOR THE TRAINING, THEN WE ATTACH THAT TO IT. SO THEY GOING TO WORK FOR US SO WE DON'T LOSE AFTER WE GET OUR MONEY OUT OF THEM, THEN THEY COULD GO, WE'LL DO IT AGAIN. BUT FROM WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA FOR YOU TO TRAIN NOBODY IF THEY'RE GOING TO RUN ON US. OKAY, THEN WE TALK ABOUT GRANTS BECAUSE THAT'S ALL IT BOILS DOWN TO, YOU PUTTING IN GRANTS. OKAY, SO. WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR THE LONGEST. WE NEED A GRANT WRITER. YOU GOT ONE. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID. WELL, IF WE GOT A GRANT WRITER, WHY CAN'T WE GO? WHY CAN'T WE GET GRANT? WHY DO WE HAVE TO HIRE SOMEBODY TO GO AFTER THE GRANTS? WE HAVE SOMEBODY. THAT'S THE DEPARTMENT. YEAH, WELL, I UNDERSTAND MANAGEMENT. OKAY. I'LL GET I'M GOING TO GET TO THAT PART TOO. FOR FOR COUNCIL, FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE PROCESS. WHEN HE SAID WE CAME IN AND YOU KNOW, YOUR PEOPLE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE TO DO THAT MANAGING AND STUFF. COUNCIL, WHEN YOU LEAVE TODAY, GO BACK AND GOOGLE AND LOOK AT OTHER CITIES THAT GET THESE GRANTS. WE AIN'T THE ONLY CITY GET GRANTS. YOU'LL FIND OUT THEY GOT PEOPLE IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENTS. THEY SUBMIT THESE, ALL THIS PAPERWORK. IN FACT, NOT ONLY DO THEY SUBMIT IT, BUT THEY'RE MORE OF A BREAST WHERE THEY DON'T NEED BRIEFING AND STUFF BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. OKAY, SO IT'S COMING FROM INSIDE AND EVERYBODY'S ALWAYS SAYING, WELL, IT'S EASY TO SAY, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE PERSONNEL. WELL, THAT'S WHY WE PAY PEOPLE. WE PAY PEOPLE TO DO A JOB. WE CAN'T DO THE JOB. WE NEED TO GET RID OF THEM, PAY SOMEBODY ELSE, BUT WE DON'T PAY TWICE. BUT GRANTS IS SOMETHING THAT WE GOT TO HAVE SOMEBODY TO DO. AND WE CAN'T DEPEND ON PEOPLE. MANAGEMENT OF THE GRANT. TAKE A LOOK AT FINANCE. MAYBE WE NEED TO INCORPORATE SOMEBODY IN FINANCE THAT CAN HANDLE THAT AND PUT IT IN HOUSE. WE NEED TO HELP OURSELVES. PARTNERSHIP. BOY, I LIKE THAT WORD. THAT WORD WOULD USE THROUGHOUT YOUR PRESENTATION. PARTNERSHIP, PARTNERSHIP, PARTNERSHIP TO ME IS WHEN YOU YOU DO SOMETHING AND I'LL DO SOMETHING. WHAT WE DO, WE PAY YOU AND YOU DO A JOB FOR WHAT WE PAY YOU FOR. SO YOU'RE GETTING PAID. IT AIN'T NO PARTNERSHIP. YOU'RE MORE OF A EMPLOYEE OR A CLIENT. OKAY, SO IT'S ABOUT MONEY FOR YOU AND IT'S ABOUT US PAYING YOU FOR IT, YOU KNOW? AND AS FAR AS THE EVENTS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE'LL COME BACK TO AN EVENT. THAT'S THAT'S HOW YOU GOT TO THE CITY HERE BECAUSE AN EVENT AND THE WAY YOU GOT THROUGH IT, BECAUSE WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, WE ADVERTISE YOUR COMPANY AND OTHER COMPANY APPLIED BECAUSE YOU REMEMBER THAT AND WE CHOSE YOUR COMPANY. SO QUITE NATURALLY, IF A DISASTER HAPPENED AGAIN, WE SENT OUT A REQUEST AND ADVERTISE. AND IF YOU PUT IN, YOU OUGHT TO DO REAL GOOD BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT YOU DO. OKAY, SO KEEPING A CONTRACT AND STUFF, I DON'T SEE IT, YOU KNOW, BUT I, BUT I'M LISTENING. I HEAR A LOT OF TERMINOLOGY THAT I THINK CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT WE TALKING ABOUT. AND THAT IS THE FACT OF RELATIONSHIPS. AND I LOVE [03:10:08] RELATIONSHIPS, BUT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, IT'S GOTTA BE BUSINESS. AND, AND WHEN WE SITTING ON THIS SIDE, WE HAVE TO DO BUSINESS AND WE DON'T BASE IT ON RELATIONSHIPS, WE BASE IT ON BUSINESS WITH TAXPAYER'S MONEY AND NOT OURS. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ON THAT ONE, EXCEPT FOR THE EIGHT YEARS AND THE TRAINING. AND THE LAST THING IS ALL THIS MONEY YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT. YEAH, THAT'S COMING OUR WAY ANYWAY. COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'RE GOING TO GO AND TAKE A VOTE. AND THEN I DIDN'T. YOU HAVE YOUR LIGHT ON. YEAH. OKAY. LEWIS. YEAH. SO APPRECIATE YOU. YOU KNOW EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE SO FAR. I STILL WANT THAT INFORMATION FROM THAT AT HARVARD STORM. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY CALL US TO REPLACE ALL THAT EQUIPMENT. NOW, WHEN WE HIRED YOU, WE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS. ADVERTISEMENT. RIGHT? CORRECT. RIGHT. NOW, ONCE WE WENT THROUGH THE ADVERTISEMENT, THE CITY MANAGER CAN MAKE A DECISION. OKAY. PROFESSIONAL. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. OKAY. YOU FOLLOW ME, I DO. THAT'S WHEN RELATIONSHIPS COME INTO PLAY. THAT'S WHEN I VOTED AGAINST SOMETHING. THAT'S A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, BECAUSE THE CITY MANAGER SKIPPED A PROCEDURE. HE SKIPPED THE ADVERTISING. HE TALKED ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP, WHICH IS GOOD. RELATIONSHIPS ARE GREAT, BUT YOU DO THE ADVERTISEMENT WHEN IT COME TO YOU, THEN YOU CAN APPLY THESE THINGS, BUT YOU DON'T APPLY RELATIONSHIP BEFORE YOU IF YOU DON'T VIOLATE THE PROCEDURE. CITY ATTORNEY DIDN'T READ FAR ENOUGH WHEN SHE WAS COMMENTING, OKAY, BUT THAT'S TRUE. YOUR POSITION I'M IN SUPPORTIVE OF YOU AND YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB AND YOU'RE AN ASSET TO TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, WHAT WE ARE ACCOMPLISHING. OKAY. YOU. AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. COUNCILMAN, CITY ATTORNEY. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD. CITY ATTORNEY. YEAH. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY IS INFORMED. OUR JUROR AND HIS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ARE ACTUALLY PAID FOR BY FEDERAL DOLLARS. AND SO IT DEPENDS ON THE SOURCE OF PAYMENT. IF FEDERAL DOLLARS ARE USED TO PAY FOR THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, THE FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES PROCUREMENT THROUGH ADVERTISING AND REVIEW. IN OUR PREVIOUS AGENDA ITEM, I TOLD YOU THAT PROCUREMENT WAS NOT REQUIRED. BIDDING WAS NOT REQUIREMENT FOR PROCURING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BECAUSE THAT SOURCE OF FUNDING IS NOT FEDERAL DOLLARS. SO IT'S DIFFERENT RULES FOR DIFFERENT SOURCES OF FUNDING. OKAY. THANK YOU, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY NOS. NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THIS TIME. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK. IT'S 1244. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LUNCH BREAK FOR 30 MINUTES, GUYS. AND WE'LL COME BACK IN AT 115 TO CONVENE. WE HAVE QUITE A BIT MORE ON THIS AGENDA TO COVER. AND COUNCILMAN, LET'S BE MINDFUL THAT WE HAVE WHEN YOU HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM, YOU CAN SPEAK THREE MINUTES, THREE MINUTES. CHRISTIE, I'M GOING TO FOR THE AGAIN, WE'RE NOT IN A RUSH TO GO HOME, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING WHAT THE PROCEDURE SAYS. THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEM UNDER DISCUSSION. OKAY. AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GOING TO ADJOURN OUR MEETING AT 1245 FOR LUNCH, AND THEN WE WILL COME SECRETARY IF YOU COULD. ARE WE READY TO GO BACK ON. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE BACK IN 30 MINUTES, SO IT'S ON. OKAY. WE ARE BACK IN SESSION AT 1:24 P.M. WE'LL PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHICH IS ON PAGE NINE, NUMBER FIVE, AND WE WILL CONTINUE THEIR PR NUMBER TWO FOUR. OH, HAVE WE STARTED? OKAY, MAYOR MOSES HERE. MAYOR PRO TEM KINLAW HERE. COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS, COUNCILMEMBER JONES, COUNCILMEMBER BECKHAM HERE, COUNCILMEMBER DOUCETTE, YOU HAVE A QUORUM, MAYOR. THANK YOU, CITY SECRETARY. THIS TIME WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO PAGE. LET ME KNOW IF THE RECORDING IS ON. IT'S ON. OKAY. PR NUMBER 24889. [VIII.A.(5) P.R. No. 24889 – A Resolution Authorizing The Purchase Of Twenty Four (24) Fire Hydrants For The Water Utilities Department From Core & Main, LP Of Beaumont, Texas With A Total Budgetary Impact Of $102,615.00. Funds Are Available In Account No. 410-40-215 5315-00-00-000, Water System Maintenance. ] A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF 24 FIRE HYDRANTS FOR THE WATER UTILITIES DEPARTMENT FROM CORE AND MAIN LP OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS, WITH A TOTAL BUDGETARY IMPACT OF [03:15:03] $102,615. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN ACCOUNT NUMBER 41040215. THAT'S 5315, THAT'S 00-00-000. WATER SYSTEM MAINTENANCE. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED IMPROPERLY. SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I. ANY NO'S? THE AYES HAVE IT. THE [VIII.A.(6) P.R. No. 24906 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into An Agreement With DISYS Solutions Inc. For The Purchase And Replacement Of The City's Existing Network Equipment, Through The Department Of Information Resources Cooperative Contract #DIR-CPO-5381 In An Amount Not To Exceed $345,673.38. Funding Is Available In Capital Improvement Account 307-09-023-8525-00 10-000, Project #IT1009. ] RESOLUTION PASSES. PR NUMBER 24906. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH DISYS SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED FOR THE PURCHASE AND REPLACEMENT OF THE CITY'S EXISTING NETWORK EQUIPMENT THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION RESOURCES COOPERATIVE CONTRACT NUMBER DIRCPO5381 IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $345,673.38. FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT NUMBER 307 DASH 09-023-8525-00-10-000. PROJECT NUMBER IT1009. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED IMPROPERLY. SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I. I ANY NO'S. THE AYES HAVE IT. [VIII.A.(7) P.R. No. 24909 – A Resolution Rescinding Resolution 26-059 In Its Entirety And Authorizing The City Manager to Execute Contracts With Univar Solutions USA LLC Of Dover, Florida And Ineos Calabrian Corp. Of Port Neches, Texas, For The Purchase Of Liquid Sodium Bisulfite For The Water Utilities Department, Wastewater Treatment Division, With A Projected Budgetary Impact Of $150,480.00. Funding In Water Utilities Account No. 410-40-225-5217-00-00-000, Treatment Chemicals. ] THE RESOLUTION PASSES. LET'S GO TO PR NUMBER 24909. NUMBER SEVEN, A RESOLUTION RESCINDING RESOLUTION 26-059 IN ITS ENTIRETY AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE CONTRACTS WITH UNIVAR SOLUTIONS USA, LLC OF DOVER, FLORIDA, AND ENOS CORPORATION OF PORT NECHES, TEXAS FOR THE PURCHASE OF LIQUID SODIUM BISULFATE FOR THE WATER UTILITIES DEPARTMENT WASTEWATER TREATMENT DIVISION. WITH A PROJECTED BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $150,480. FUNDING AND WATER UTILITIES ACCOUNT NUMBER. 41040-225-5217-00-00-000. TREATMENT CHEMICALS. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOTION. AND SECOND. ANY DISCUSSIONS? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I. ANY NO'S. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES NUMBER EIGHT. PR NUMBER 2491111. [VIII.A.(8) P.R. No. 24911 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A One-Year Contract (2nd And Final Renewal) With IPS Pump Services, Inc. Of Houston, Texas, To Provide On-Demand Mechanical Services For Various Equipment At The Water Utilities Department, With A Total Projected Budgetary Amount Of $500,000.00. Funds Are Available In The Following Water Utilities Accounts: 410-40-210-5318-00-00-000 ($100,000.00, FY26), 410 40-215-5318-00-00-000 ($100,000.00; Where $25,000.00 For FY26 And $75,000.00 For FY27, Subject To City Council's Annual Appropriation And Approval Of The Budget), 410-40-220-5318-00 00-000 ($100,000.00; Where $25,000.00 For FY26 And $75,000.00 For FY27, Subject To City Council's Annual Appropriation And Approval Of The Budget), 410-40-225-5318-00-00-000 ($200,000.00, FY26), Equipment Maintenance.] A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A ONE YEAR, SECOND AND FINAL RENEWAL WITH IPS PUMP SERVICES INCORPORATED OF HOUSTON, TEXAS TO PROVIDE AN ON DEMAND MECHANICAL SERVICE FOR VARIOUS EQUIPMENT AT THE WATER UTILITIES DEPARTMENT WITH A TOTAL BUDGETARY PROJECTED BUDGETARY AMOUNT OF $500,000. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE FOLLOWING WATER UTILITIES ACCOUNTS. 410-40-210-5318-00-00-000 $100,000 FY 26. 410402155318-00-00-000 $100,000. WHERE $25,000 FOR FY 26 AND 75,000 FOR FY 27. SUBJECT TO CITY COUNCIL'S ANNUAL APPROPRIATION AND APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET. 410-40-220-5318-00-00-000 $100,000, WHERE 25,000 FOR FY 26 AND 75,000 FOR FY 27. SUBJECT TO COUNCIL'S ANNUAL APPROPRIATION AND APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET. 410-40-225-5318-00-00-000 $200,000. FY 26 EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES. LET'S CONTINUE ON PAGE NUMBER TEN. PR [VIII.A.(9) P.R. No. 24912 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Renew The City’s Three-Year Microsoft Enterprise Agreement And To Purchase From SHI Government Solutions Microsoft Licenses, Subscriptions, Email, Collaboration, And Related Technology Services For The Total Amount Of $172,664.64 To Be Paid In Three Annual Payments Of $57,554.88. Funding For Years Two And Three Is Subject To The Approval Of The Budget And The Appropriation Of Funds. Funding For Year One Is Available In Information Technology Account No. 001-09-023-5420-00-10-000-. ] NUMBER 24912. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO RENEW THE CITY'S THREE YEAR MICROSOFT ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT AND TO PURCHASE FROM SHI GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS. MICROSOFT LICENSES, SUBSCRIPTIONS, EMAIL COLLABORATION AND RELATED TECHNOLOGY SERVICES FOR THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $172,664.64 TO BE PAID IN THREE ANNUAL PAYMENTS OF $57,554.88. FUNDING FOR YEARS TWO AND THREE IS SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET AND THE APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS. FUNDING FOR ONE FOR YEAR ONE IS AVAILABLE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCOUNT NUMBER [03:20:09] 001-09-023-5420-00- TEN DASH 000. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY. SECOND, ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY [VIII.A.(10) P.R. No. 24914 – A Resolution Approving Amendment No. 3 Between The City Of Port Arthur And The Department Of State Health Services, Immunization Branch-Locals, Extending The Contract Term For An Additional Year With The Original Contract Period Beginning September 1, 2023. The Contract Will Start September 1, 2026 And Expire August 31, 2027. The Contract Is Amended To Increase Funding In The Amount Of $162,630.00 With The Total Not-To Exceed Amount Of $650,520.00, With No Cash Match. ] OPPOSED? THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES. LET'S GO TO NUMBER TEN. PR NUMBER 24914. A RESOLUTION APPROVING AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES IMMUNIZATION BRANCH. LOCALS EXTENDING THE CONTRACT TERM FOR AN ADDITIONAL YEAR WITH THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT PERIOD BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 1ST OF 2023. THE CONTRACT WILL START SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026 AND EXPIRE AUGUST 31ST, 2027. THE CONTRACT IS AMENDED TO INCREASE FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $162,630, WITH A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $650,520 WITH NO CASH MATCH. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? MOTION FOR APPROVAL. SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOTIONED. AND SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. ANY NO'S? THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES NUMBER 11. PR NUMBER 24917. A RESOLUTION [VIII.A.(11) P.R. No. 24917 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Change Order No. 8 To The Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur And Allco, LLC, Of Beaumont, Texas, For The Port Acres Drainage Improvement Project, To Extend The Contract Time An Additional 240 Calendar Days And Additional Work Items Associated With Drainage Revisions, With Estimated Savings To The Contract Of $717,007.14. Project No. DR1P03A. Account No. 307-21-055-8515 00-10-000.] AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER EIGHT TO THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND ALCO LLC OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS, FOR THE PORT ACRES DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT TO EXTEND THE CONTRACT TIME AND ADDITIONAL 240 CALENDAR DAYS, AND ADDITIONAL WORK ITEMS ASSOCIATED WITH DRAINAGE REVISIONS, WITH ESTIMATED SAVINGS TO THE CONTRACT OF $717,000 AND 717 $717 $7.14. PROJECT NUMBER DR1P03. A ACCOUNT NUMBER 307-21-055-8515-00-10-000. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED. CAN I GET A SECOND? SECOND. I'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? YES. QUESTION. OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER DOUCET. THANK YOU. MAYOR. ON. ON THIS ONE. THIS EXTENSION OF 240 DAYS. YOU KNOW, I WENT THROUGH ALL OF THESE CHANGE ORDERS. I KIND OF GOT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE HAVE ALL THESE REDUCING COSTS AND INCREASING COSTS. BUT THE THINGS THAT I GET CONCERNED WITH IS EXTENSIONS OF WORK DAYS, YOU KNOW? THAT CONTRACTOR THERE. I GO OUT TO THAT AREA A LOT. THERE'S SO MANY DAYS WHEN THERE'S NO WORK BEING DONE. AND I, AND I ALWAYS SAY, WE GIVE CALENDAR DAYS, NOT WEEKDAYS, HOLIDAYS AND ALL ARE INCLUDED CALENDAR DAY. THEY NEVER WORKING. ISN'T WHO HAS ELVIS OR ALCO. THIS IS THE PORT ACRES PROJECT. NO, NO. THIS PORT ACRES, WHO HAS ALCO IS THE CONTRACTOR FOR WHO? ALCO IS THE CONTRACTOR FOR THE CITY TO DO THE PORT ACRES PROJECT. RIGHT. WHO'S DONE WHO'S DOING IT FOR TURN? TURN THAT MIC ON FOR ME. WHO'S DOING IT FOR. ON THE CITY ALVESTA. YEAH. WHO DOING THAT. ALCO AS WELL. RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN TIME WHEN THEY HAVE SOMEBODY WORKING IN ALVESTA THEN I PASS NO WORK IN ALVESTA. THEY MAY BE WORKING IN PORT ACRES, BUT WHEN WE DO THESE CONTRACTS, THESE CONTRACTS ARE BASED ON THEM WORKING ON THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT. AND WHEN WE GO OUT THERE, THOSE ARE THE TYPE THINGS IN THESE CONTRACTS. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WORKING IF YOU DON'T HAVE 70% OF THE PEOPLE WORKING SUPPOSEDLY BY CONTRACT, THAT'S NOT A WORK DAY. OKAY. AND IF HE'S WORKING IN ALVESTA, HE SHOULD BE WORKING ALSO IN PORT BECAUSE HE GOT BOTH CONTRACTS, BECAUSE WE ARE PAYING HIM BASED ON HAVING PEOPLE TO DO THOSE PARTICULAR PROJECTS. SO THEY ALWAYS COME BACK FOR EXTENSIONS. BUT ALL THESE DAYS THEY'RE NOT WORKING. NOBODY IS SAYING THAT, OKAY, THEY HAVE TWO DIFFERENT CREWS WORKING ON THESE TWO DIFFERENT PROJECTS. THIS SPECIFIC CHANGE OF TIME AND THE REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL DAYS IS DUE TO THE FOLLOWING. THE ORIGINAL DESIGN OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDED THE WATER TO FLOW DOWN 66TH AND 67TH STREET TO GARNET, GARNET TO 365, AND THEN [03:25:06] INSTALLING STORM SEWER BOXES, REINFORCED CONCRETE FROM GARNET ALL THE WAY TO THE DD SEVEN DITCH. THAT'S THE NATURAL FLOW OF THE WATER. THAT'S HOW IT WAS DESIGNED. WE DISCOVERED THAT BETWEEN GARNET AND JADE ROAD, THERE ARE THREE OLD, OLD PIPELINES, PETROCHEMICAL PIPELINES THAT NOBODY KNOWS WHERE THEY ARE. WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE NOW, BUT NOBODY KNOWS WHO OWNS THEM. NOBODY DECIDED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM. SO WE CAME TO COUNCIL AND SAID, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO REMOVE THESE LINES. THEY NEEDED ABATEMENT BECAUSE OF ASBESTOS, SO WE GOT TO CHANGE OR APPROVE TO REMOVE THESE PIPELINES. WHEN THEY WENT DOWN TO REMOVE THEM, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THESE PIPELINES HAVE PETROCHEMICAL LIQUIDS IN THEM. AND THEN THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL ABATEMENT THAT CAN COST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THESE LINES END AND STOP. SO WE DECIDED INSTEAD OF TAKING THAT CHANCE TO REDESIGN THE PROJECT SO THAT THE FLOW GOES FROM 66TH STREET DOWN TO JADE, FROM JADE TO 365, WHERE IT CAN CONNECT TO THE BOXES. SO WE HAD TO REDESIGN THIS WHOLE AREA, WHICH TOOK ABOUT SIX MONTHS, AND THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THIS AREA IS THE ADDITIONAL TIME WE ARE ASKING FOR. SO THIS IS NOT A CHANGE BECAUSE OF RAINY DAYS OR THE CONTRACTOR SHOWING UP OR NOT. IT'S A CHANGE REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL TIME. DUE TO THE CHANGE IN THE SCOPE OF WORK OF THE PROJECT ITSELF. THE GOOD NEWS IS IT'S $717,000 LESS THAN WHAT IT WAS GOING TO COST US GOING THE OTHER WAY. OKAY, I UNDERSTAND THAT DIDN'T GO TO I UNDERSTAND THE COUNCIL THAT THE CHANGE ORDERS AND AND WHAT WE DO AS THINGS GO. YOU KNOW, MY BIG CONCERN IS ALWAYS MY CONCERN IS YOU WANT TO ADD DAYS FOR WORK, BUT WHEN YOU SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING, YOU'RE NOT WORKING. OKAY. SO I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT. I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT I KNOW. DOCTOR TOLD ME. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT WHAT CITIZENS CALL AND TELL ME. I'M TELLING YOU WHAT I HAVE OBSERVED AS A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THAT DISTRICT AND BEEN THERE ON NUMEROUS DAYS. IT'S NOT MY FIRST TIME TALKING ABOUT THIS. AND THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING WHEN WE'RE PUTTING OUT THIS KIND OF MONEY TO CONTRACTORS, WE SHOULD HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. AND IF HE'S DOING THIS, EVEN WHEN WE CHANGE IT, IF HE'S GOT X AMOUNT OF DAYS, IT SHOULD BE WITHIN THE WINDOW. AND IF HE'S GOING TO DO IT, THEN WE NEED TO KNOW. BUT I JUST DON'T SEE HOW WE KEEP EXTENDING THIS. AND THE REASON I'M REALLY GETTING THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT DATE WAS SUPPOSED TO END WHEN. SORRY, THE ORIGINAL, THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT DATE. THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT. HERE'S ANOTHER THING ABOUT THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT TO COUNCILMAN. THIS IS MONEY THAT'S ALLOCATED THROUGH THE GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVED. AND THEY HAD A DEADLINE. SO THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT, WHEN AWARDED, HAD TO MEET THAT DEADLINE. KNOWING THAT WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK FOR EXTENSIONS FOR THAT DEADLINE. SO THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT DID NOT REPRESENT THE EXACT AMOUNT OF TIME IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO DO THIS JOB. BUT WE COULDN'T EXTEND THE TIME UNTIL WE GET IT AWARDED, THEN START EXTENDING THE TIME. SO THAT COULD BE SOME OF THE REASONS YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, SEEING THAT THERE'S TOO MANY TIME EXTENSIONS. BUT THE ORIGINAL ALLOTTED TIME WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO ACTUALLY COMPLETE THIS JOB. WE JUST HAD TO STAY WITHIN THE TIME THAT THE FEMA GRANT SAID WE NEED TO FINISH IT WITHIN. THEN WE SEND THEM THE EXTENSIONS. WE NEED IT. OKAY, MY LAST QUESTION WITH THIS, I LOOK THROUGH ALL OF THE INFORMATION. NORMALLY WHEN YOU GIVE US COMMENTS AND WE READ THEM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE MONEY REDUCTION OF OF THE COST. AND WE'RE EXTENDING 240 DAYS. AND I NOTICE IN ANY CONTRACT WE NORMALLY, WHEN WE ASK COUNCIL TO EXTEND ANY PROJECT A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DAYS, WE ALWAYS TELL THEM CHANGING THE CONTRACT DATE FROM THIS DATE TO THAT DATE. RIGHT. AND I WAS LOOKING FOR IT IN THIS ONE COUNCIL. YEAH. OKAY. COUNCILMAN, YOU SAID WE HAVE WE'RE PAST OUR TWO MINUTE MARK. SO IF WE CAN GET AN ANSWER AND MOVE ON TO THE OTHER LIGHTS THAT WE HAVE. YEAH. IF I GET THE ANSWER, MAN, IT'S FINE. I MEAN, WE BRING THESE THINGS BEFORE COUNCIL. WE HAVE. AND AND I GO THROUGH THESE CONTRACT WASTE A LOT OF TIME AND I'M ASKING QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, I WILL ASK THE COUNCIL TO GIVE YOU ADDITIONAL TIME, BUT WE'RE [03:30:01] GOING TO TRY TO STICK WITH THIS TWO MINUTES. WOULD YOU PLEASE DO THAT, MAYOR. COUNCIL. OKAY, Y'ALL. YEAH THANK GOD. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO THE CONSENSUS IS TO GIVE MORE TIME. SO WE'LL GIVE YOU TWO MORE MINUTES. OKAY, BACK TO THE QUESTION. OKAY. WHEN IS THE WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL DATE THAT WE PUT YOU? I MEAN, WE PUT DOWN THERE AND YOU'VE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT YOU'RE GOING TO IT WAS DATE WAS JUNE 25TH, 2025. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. NOW WITH THE NEW CONTRACT DATE, YOU ASKED THEM FOR 240 DAYS. OKAY. WHAT IS THE NEW CONTRACT DATE NOW? SO THE LAST TIME EXTENSION WENT TO NOVEMBER 26TH. SO THE EXTRA 24 DAYS IS GOING TO PUT US AROUND SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER 27TH. OKAY. NEXT TIME WOULD YOU PLEASE INCLUDE THAT SO COUNCIL KNOW YOU WANT THESE DAYS, BUT WHAT THE NEW TIME FRAME IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS, THAT'S WHEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE COMPLETED. THEN WE'LL KNOW INSTEAD OF HAVING THE COMPUTER. OKAY, CORRECT. COUNCILMAN DIDN'T INCLUDE IT. WE USUALLY DO THAT, BUT WE DIDN'T KNOW WE NORMALLY DO. I READ IT, I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THIS ONE. OKAY, OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER. FRANK. YES, SIR. DOC, DOC I I, I KNOW THAT THE FASTEST OR THE QUICKEST WAY BETWEEN TWO POINTS IS A STRAIGHT LINE. SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THE DIVERSION OF THIS ROUTE HAS SAVED THE CITY $717,000, AND WHY THEY DIDN'T GO IN THIS DIRECTION THE FIRST TIME? AND IF, IF, IF, IF IT'S SAVING THIS KIND OF MONEY, AND HOW AM I AS A I AM AS A COUNCIL PERSON SUPPOSED TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THIS COMPANY WHEN THE DIVERSION OF THIS PROJECT, THEY SAVING US $717,000 BY ACCIDENT. TWO THINGS. COUNCILMAN. FIRST ONE, WE'RE DESIGNING THESE DRAINAGE PROJECTS. WE WANT TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THE EXISTING FLOW. AND THE EXISTING FLOW WAS IN THAT DIRECTION. SECONDLY, PART OF THE 717,000 DEDUCT IS $480,000 THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ON THE PIPE ABATEMENT. SO THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT. SO THE TOTAL ON THE OTHER THAN CHANGES WOULD BE LIKE 200 000. AND THAT CAME FROM THE BOXES WE ARE USING. THEY WERE SAVINGS BECAUSE WE UPSIZED SOME OF THE BOXES INSTEAD OF DOING DOUBLE BOXES. SO THE SAVINGS OVERALL ON THAT PROJECT FOR THE YEAR OUT IS AROUND 200 000 PLUS THE 480 000 FOR THE NOT HAVING TO ABATE THE EXISTING PETROCHEMICAL PIPELINE. SO WHEN. SO YOU SO SO YOU'RE SAYING TO ME THAT WHEN WE WERE WHEN THEY WERE FIGURING THIS PROJECT OUT, THEY IN NO WAY, SHAPE, FORM OR FASHION KNEW THAT THOSE PIPES WERE THERE. AND THERE WAS NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT AT ALL. WE COULDN'T EVEN FIND ANY HISTORICAL DATA ON IT. WE COULDN'T EVEN FIGURE OUT WHO EVEN OWNS THEM BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE MADE THEM ABATE IT, BUT WE COULDN'T EVEN FIND ANY DATA AT ALL. THEY TRUST ME. THERE WAS NO DATA AVAILABLE ON THAT PIPELINE. SO OKAY, SO WITH THAT INFORMATION, I'M AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BEAT A DEAD HORSE, I'M JUST SIMPLY ASKING. SO WHEN WE DID FIND THE PIPE THERE, WHY DIDN'T WE DIVERT INSTEAD OF TRYING TO ABATE IT? BECAUSE THINKING THE TIMELINE OF THE PROJECT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NEEDING THAT EXTENSION IN TIME. SO WE WOULD HAVE BEEN PROCEEDING WITH THE PROJECT AND NOT SLOWING DOWN. VERSUS NOW WE HAVE TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE WE CAN'T TAKE THEM OUT. SO WE HAVE TO SLOW DOWN TO REDESIGN. AND WE HAD TO GIVE THE CONTRACTOR MORE TIME TO REDIRECT. THERE WAS A TIME FACTOR IS WHY WE DECIDED, LET'S TAKE THEM OUT AND KEEP MOVING. UNFORTUNATELY, WE COULDN'T. OKAY. THANK YOU DON. ALL RIGHT. OKAY, COUNCIL, WE ARE READY TO TAKE A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE AYE. ANY KNOWS? THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES. THANK YOU. LET'S GO TO NUMBER 12. PR NUMBER 24938. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CHAPTER 380 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH PLEASURE ISLAND, LLC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WATER PARK AND PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS ON PLEASURE ISLAND. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND, AND A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS? MAYOR, I'M GOING TO ASK THAT THE COUNCIL PLEASE HOLD OFF ON VOTING ON THIS UNTIL AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION. OKAY. WE WILL HOLD UNTIL AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION. DO WE HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE? OKAY. WE DON'T. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SAME WOULD BE TRUE FOR THE NEXT ITEM. NUMBER 13. OKAY. NUMBER 13, HOLD UNTIL EXECUTIVE SESSION. ABOUT 14. YES, MA'AM. 14. IF YOU COULD HOLD AS WELL [03:35:04] UNTIL AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION. OKAY. WE NEED SHERRY. WE NEED A MOTION ON THESE TO HOLD THEM AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION. NO WE DON'T. OKAY. AND WHAT ABOUT 15? YOU MAY PROCEED. OKAY. THANK [VIII.A.(15) P.R. No. 24946 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Negotiate An Agreement With Greenberg Traurig, LLP Of Austin, Texas, To Provide State And Federal Legislative Consulting And Government Relations Services For The City Of Port Arthur. ] YOU. NUMBER 15 PR NUMBER 24946. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT WITH GREENBERG TRAURIG LLP OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, TO PROVIDE STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CONSULTING AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND, I'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY NOSE. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION PASSES ON ORDINANCES. WE NEED TO HOLD OFF ON ANY OF THESE ORDINANCES UNTIL AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE. YES, YES. THREE, FOUR AND FIVE WILL BE HELD UNTIL AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION. MAYOR. OKAY. YOU MAY PROCEED WITH ONE. WE'LL GO TO NUMBER ONE, PO NUMBER 7413. AN [VIII.B.(1) P.O. No. 7413 – An Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas, Code Of Ordinances By Adding Chapter 62 Offenses, Article III. Electioneering At Polling Locations, Sections 62-101 Through 62 104; Establishing Regulations As To Electioneering And Other Conduct On City-Owned Or City-Controlled Property Being Used As A Polling Place; Providing For Penalties Not To Exceed $500.00 Per Day Per Violation; Providing A Savings And Severability Clause; Providing For Publication And An Effective Date; And Ordaining Other Matters Related To The Foregoing. ] ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS CODE OF ORDINANCES BY ADDING CHAPTER 62 OFFENSES, OFFENSES. ARTICLE THREE ELECTIONEERING AT POLLING LOCATIONS. SECTION 62-101 THROUGH 62104. ESTABLISHING REGULATIONS AS AN ELECTIONEERING AND OTHER CONDUCT ON CITY OWNED OR CITY CONTROLLED PROPERTY BEING USED AS A POLLING PLACE, PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES NOT TO EXCEED $500 PER DAY PER VIOLATION, PROVIDING A SAVINGS AND SEVERABILITY CLAUSE. PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND ORDAINING OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE FOREGOING. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. OH, OKAY. JUST BRIEFLY, ACTUALLY, IT'S MORE OF A STATEMENT AND A SUGGESTION. FIRST, I WANTED TO THANK THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR PUTTING THIS ORDINANCE TOGETHER. I THINK IT'S VERY WELL WRITTEN AND BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAD WITH HER AND SOME EMAIL EXCHANGES, I THINK IT ENCOMPASSES EVERYTHING THAT I HAD ENVISIONED IN AN ORDINANCE LIKE THIS. MY SUGGESTION IS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S CONTEMPLATED THIS YET, IS THAT THIS BE PLACED IN THE CANDIDATE PACKET EACH TIME THAT WE HAVE A CITY ELECTION, SO THAT IT IS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR TO THE CANDIDATES WHAT IS EXPECTED AT THESE TWO POLLING LOCATIONS. AND THEN MY QUESTION IS, AND THIS MAY BE IN THE ORDINANCE SOMEWHERE, MAYBE I JUST DIDN'T DIDN'T QUITE SEE IT, BUT WHO IS GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE AT EACH OF THESE LOCATIONS FOR SEEING TO IT THAT THIS IS UPHELD AT EACH LOCATION WHEN THERE IS POLLING GOING ON? OKAY. AND LET ME THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. A GOOD QUESTION, AND WE DID DISCUSS THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE ACTUALLY DID THE FOUNDATIONAL WORK IN SUBMITTING THIS, AND OUR ATTORNEY REVIEWED IT. BUT I WANT TO THANK THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, ASSISTANT CITY SECRETARY AND OUR CITY SECRETARY FOR PUTTING THIS JUST A CORRECTION FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER IN OUR CITY ATTORNEY WHO REVIEWED IT FOR ACCURACY. SO THANK Y'ALL. DID A TREMENDOUS JOB ON IT. CHRISTY AND SHERRY, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND OUR ATTORNEY, OF COURSE, FOLLOWING UP WITH THAT, BUT MAKING SURE IT'S IN THE CANDIDATE PACKAGE. I DID ASK IF WE COULD DO THAT WHEN THEY PICK UP THEIR RUNOFF OR HAVE PACKETS READY, BUT WE DO NEED SOMEONE TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS FOLLOWED UP TO THE LETTER. AND SO WE NEED TO DECIDE, IS THAT COMING FROM THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE OR ENFORCEMENT? THAT'S BECAUSE. THAT'S IT. YEAH. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. SHERRY, GO AHEAD. IN THE CITIES THAT WE PULLED, IT WAS UNDER THE CITY MANAGER'S JURISDICTION BECAUSE HE OWNS THE BUILDING OR, YOU KNOW, HE'S OVER THE BUILDINGS AND THE CITY PROPERTY. THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD LIKE TO WORK OUT WITH THE CITY MANAGER, WHO HE WOULD LIKE THINGS TO BE REPORTED TO. OF COURSE, YOUR ELECTION WORKERS WILL REPORT VIOLATIONS AND GO FROM THERE. THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING WE NEED TO IRON OUT WITH THE CITY MANAGER. YEAH, WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT'S THAT'S IRONED OUT DISTINCTLY AND, AND KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO ADHERE TO THOSE PERSONS THAT ARE IN CHARGE. I WOULD THINK PROBABLY IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR SOMEBODY THAT THERE WILL ACTUALLY LISTEN TO ENFORCEMENT ENFORCEMENT, CODE ENFORCEMENT OR SOMEBODY. YES, MA'AM. SOMEBODY THAT CAN WRITE A TICKET TO ME. MANAGER CAN'T WRITE A TICKET FOR THAT. SO IF YOU'RE A TEN IS IN THE WRONG PLACE, OR IF YOU'RE APPROACHING OR DOING WHATEVER, AS, AS THE [03:40:04] ORDINANCE SAYS, WHATEVER THAT ENTAILS, WE NEED SOMEBODY THAT CAN THAT'S THAT THE AUDIENCE OR CAN FOLLOW THROUGH AND LISTEN TO AND MAKE SURE THAT, HEY, THIS IS GOING TO BE A TICKET. THAT'S A DEEPER CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED. BUT THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER BECKHAM, FOR BRINGING THAT UP. AND SO I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE SOME MEETINGS AFTER THIS IS ADOPTED TO FIGURE OUT HOW THIS WILL BE ENFORCED. OKAY. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE AYE AYE. ANY KNOWS THE AYES HAVE IT. THE RESOLUTION THE ORDINANCE PASSES. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE NOW [IX. *CLOSED MEETING (EXECUTIVE SESSION)] TO GO INTO OUR CLOSED OR EXECUTIVE SESSION MEETING. THE FOLLOWING WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION NUMBER ONE. SECTION 551071 LITIGATION CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS VERSUS LAND TO SKY REALTY LLC. CALL NUMBER 26DCCV AS IN VICTOR, 0962 IN THE 136TH DISTRICT COURT OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS. NUMBER TWO, SECTION FIVE, 51071 LITIGATION. GREGORY BENSON VERSUS CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS CIVIL ACTION NUMBER 125 DASH CV DASH 00585MAC. IN THE US DISTRICT COURT OF THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, BEAUMONT DIVISION NUMBER THREE, SECTION FIVE, 51071 LITIGATION EVICTIONS AT PLEASURE ISLAND MARINA AND RV PARK. NUMBER FOUR, SECTION 551071. POSSIBLE LITIGATION EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION EEOC COMPLAINT FILED BY CHRISTINA GUTIERREZ. NUMBER FIVE, SECTION 551071 LEGAL ADVICE TRESPASSING ON PARTIAL IDS. NUMBER 95640956419564295643 AND 95644, REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW. OH JESUS 551071 LEGAL ADVICE AND SECTION 551072 VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY. 916 18TH STREET. NUMBER SEVEN. SECTION 551074. PERSONNEL DELIBERATING THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT AND DUTIES OF THE CITY SECRETARY AND ANY ACTING CITY SECRETARY. SECTION NUMBER EIGHT. SECTION 551071. LEGAL ADVICE SECTION 551072 VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY IN SECTION 551087 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE WATER PARK, SECTION 551071 LEGAL ADVICE CONTRACT FOR THE STUDY DESIGN, PERMIT, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF A CELL THAT WILL RECEIVE WASTE THAT IS NOT PERMITTED UNDER THE CURRENT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR'S LANDFILL PERMIT, AND THIS IS REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK AND NUMBER TEN 551071 LEGAL ADVICE AND SECTION 551087 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CENTRAL MALL, PORT ARTHUR. I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION HANDLING THOSE TEN ITEMS THAT WE'VE JUST READ OUT. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I WILL GO INTO EXECUTIVE * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.