[00:00:21]
AND YOU'RE GONNA CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER CALLER'S MEETING TO ORDER.
THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS, THE FIRST ITEM
[1. DISCUSSIONS]
OF BUSINESS IS TO DISCUSS MM-HMMAND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS TO THE BAYTOWN CITY CHARTER, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO TERM LIMITS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STAFFING.
SO WE'RE GONNA START WITH, UH, WE HAVE SOME SPEAKERS AND WE'RE GONNA GO DOWN THE LIST.
AND THE FIRST PERSON IS, THE FIRST PERSON IS THOMAS PARENTS.
SO FOR ALL SPEAKERS, IF YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE, YOU TELL US YOUR NAME, YOUR ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO MAKE YOUR COMMENTS.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY THAT'S VIRTUAL? WHO AM I COMMITTEE? MR. MAYO AND YOU.
YEAH, HE CAN'T, YOU CAN'T SEE HIM.
GOOD EVENING, UH, CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE.
MY ADDRESS IS 69 0 3 HUNTERS WAY LANE, UH, AS A RESIDENT OF BAYTOWN, I, I SAW THE, UH, CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE AGENDA WITH, UH, THE DISCUSSIONS ON TERM LIMITS AND FIRE DEPARTMENT STAFFING, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT STAFFING.
UH, SOMETHING, UH, THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME.
MY, UH, DAD WAS A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER BACK IN MASSACHUSETTS, UH, BACK IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES.
UH, AND WHENEVER I WAS TALKING TO HIM ABOUT FOUR MAN STAFFING, UH, IN PARTICULAR, HE, YOU KNOW, HE WAS PRETTY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.
UH, HE TOLD ME ABOUT ONE CALL THAT HE WAS ON WHERE, UH, HE WAS INSIDE.
HE WAS, YOU KNOW, DOING HIS THING.
AND, UH, ALL OF A SUDDEN HE NOTICES LIKE HIS, HIS POLE'S NOT REACHING THE CEILING ANYMORE.
AND, UH, THE GUY THAT WAS ON HOST, LIKE, HEY, YOU, YOU NEED TO GET OUTTA THERE.
AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT WERE OUTSIDE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE FIRE, ONE OF THEM WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION, DIDN'T LET 'EM KNOW THE FIRE JUMPED FROM THE SECOND FLOOR TO THE FIRST FLOOR, AND, UH, COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, COST HIM HIS LIFE IN THAT TYPE OF SITUATION.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, FIREFIGHTER STAFFING'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, HAVING FOUR GUYS ON THE TRUCK ALLOWS THE FIREFIGHTERS TO MAKE ENTRY AND BE SAFE, UH, PROTECT PEOPLE'S LIVES, PROTECT PEOPLE'S PROPERTY.
UH, SO I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE WITH THE FOUR STAFFING, UH, THAT WE KEEP IT IN THE CHARTER.
UH, 'CAUSE THE CHARTER IS A REALLY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT FOR OUR CITY.
I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE ON THE COMMITTEE.
I'M PROBABLY PREACHING TO THE CHOIR HERE, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S BASICALLY OUR CONSTITUTION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT THE PEOPLE UP ON CITY COUNCIL OF TODAY ARE GONNA DO, OR WHAT CITY ADMINISTRATION TODAY IS GONNA DO.
IT'S ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE MIGHT DO IN THE FUTURE AND CONTROLLING HOW OUR GOVERNMENT WORKS.
IT'S WHAT THEY CAN DO, WHAT THEY CAN'T DO, WHAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO DO.
SO, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU GUYS ARE AMENDING THE CHARTER.
I HOPE THAT, UH, WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, JUST SPEAKING BEYOND FIREFIGHTER STAFFING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CHARTER'S AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT FOR OUR CITIZENS.
YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE WITH THE CHARTER REVIEW PROCESS TO GET MORE CITIZENS INVOLVED.
MAYBE HAVE A TOWN HALL TYPE MEETING, TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT'S INVOLVED IN THE CHARTER, YOU KNOW, HOW OUR CITY WORKS, AND SEEK SOME MORE INPUT IN A MORE BROAD FORMAT.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THESE MEETINGS ARE POSTED, THEY'RE PUBLIC MEETINGS, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND GET SOME MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED.
IS MR. BEARD ON THERE? MM-HMM
CAN YOU MUTE THEM UNTIL THEY'RE YEAH, BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING FEEDBACK.
I'M NOT A PUBLIC SPEAKER, SO
UM, I'VE BEEN A CITIZEN OF BAYTOWN FOR 17 YEARS, A GREAT CITY.
UM, I JUST WANT TO KIND OF EXPLAIN FOUR STAFFING.
AND THE REASON WHY WE PUT IT IN THE CHARTER, UM, WE HAD JUST GOT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN 2000 AND ABOUT THAT TIMEFRAME, WE KNEW HOW HARD IT WAS TO GET THAT.
AND WE KNEW THAT IF WE TRIED TO PUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN OUR BARGAINING, IT WOULD ALWAYS BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE TAKEN AWAY.
WE CHOSE TO PUT IN THE CHARTER 'CAUSE WE, IT'S WHAT THE CITIZENS VOTED FOR, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WANTED.
[00:05:01]
AND I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS ON THE LAST FIRE BEFORE WE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED FOUR MAN STAFFING.I WAS A NEW DRIVER IN 2002, AND THE LAW WAS MADE IN MARCH, 2002 OF, UH, TWO AND TWO OUT.
THE REASON WE HAVE TO HAVE TWO PEOPLE OUTSIDE WHEN WE SEND TWO PEOPLE IN, CAN'T SEND ONE PERSON IN, HAVE TO SEND TWO, CAN'T HAVE ONE PERSON OUT, HAVE TO HAVE TWO.
IT'S A CALLED THE TWO AND TWO OUTLAW.
YOU COULD LOOK IT UP YOURSELF.
IT'S, UH, TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE TITLE 37.
I CAN GIVE YOU THIS TOO IN A MINUTE, BUT THE REASON WE DID THE FORMAT STAFFING LIKE WE DID, WAS BECAUSE THAT WAY WHEN ONE TRUCK SHOWS UP, WE IMMEDIATELY GET TO GO TO WORK.
THIS ONE CALL I HAD, UM, LIKE I SAID, I WAS A NEW DRIVER AND I WAS BUSY DOING MY PUMP STUFF, TRYING TO GET THE TRUCK READY.
AND I HAD MY LIEUTENANT YELLING AT ME.
THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO GO INSIDE AND PUT THIS MAN'S HOUSE OUT OFF OF GALA STREET, BUT THEY WERE, THIS MAN KEPT RUNNING INSIDE.
SO THEY RAN INSIDE, GRABBED HIM, PULLED HIM OUT, AND HAD ME HOLD THE GUY DOWN.
AND THEY ENDED UP BREAKING THE LAW, GOING INSIDE AND PUTTING THE FIRE OUT.
WE HAD TO BREAK THE LAW TO PUT THE FIRE OUT, BUT WE DID, BECAUSE AT THE TIME, THE NEXT TRUCK WASN'T THERE FOR ANOTHER THREE MINUTES.
DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A LONG TIME, BUT IF YOU LOOK UP HOW FAT THAT'S MY TIME.
BUT, UH, THREE MINUTES IN TODAY'S BUILDING, CONSTRUCTION, THE WAY KEEPS, BUILDS AND GROWS.
UH, IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO BE ABLE TO WAIT.
AND THIS GENTLEMAN, LIKE I SAID, KEPT RUNNING IN HIS HOUSE, AND IF IT WASN'T FOR US HOLDING HIM DOWN, HE WAS GONNA GO PUT HIS OWN.
I RESPECT THE FACT THAT HE DID THAT.
AFTER THAT, THE LAW WENT, OR THE, THE CITY MADE THE RULING AND WE WENT IMMEDIATELY TO FOUR MAN STAFF.
THAT WAY WE CAN IMMEDIATELY DO OUR JOB.
AND HE HAS MR. UH, WILLIAM REIA.
MR. DO YOU WANNA TO SAY ANYTHING OR, YEAH, YOU'RE GONNA GIVE YOUR THREE MINUTES.
SO HE'S GONNA GIVE HIS THREE MINUTES TO DALLAS.
AND WE'RE GONNA PUT A TOTAL OF SIX MINUTES ON THE CLOCK FOR HIM THAT THIS, THE CLOCK HERE.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE BAYTOWN PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTER ASSOCIATION HERE IN BAYTOWN.
UM, I'VE BEEN A BAYTOWN FIREFIGHTER FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS NOW.
UM, I CAME IN OBVIOUSLY AFTER FOUR MAN STAFFING HAD ALREADY STARTED, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS, I COULDN'T THINK OF DOING ANYTHING ANY OTHER WAY.
UM, AND SOME OF THE HISTORY BEHIND WHERE FOUR MAN STAFFING CAME FROM.
AND NOT ONLY HAS MIKE TOLD YOU, THOMAS KIND OF TOLD YOU A LITTLE BIT.
UM, IN 2001, THE NFPA CREATED THE STANDARD NFP 1710, WHICH REQUIRED A MINIMUM STAFFING OF FOUR PEOPLE ON A, ON A FIRE APPARATUS TO MINI MINIMIZE, OR SORRY, TO MAXIMIZE THE EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY OF CREWS ON THE FIRE GROUND.
NOT ONLY DOES THAT STANDARD MINIMIZE INJURY AND DEATH TO FIREFIGHTERS, BUT IT ALSO MAXIMIZES OUR SAFETY TO OUR CITIZENS AND HOW WE PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.
UM, LIKE MIKE SAID, IN 2002, I BELIEVE WE, WE ACHIEVED STAFFING RIGHT AFTER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
UM, SOME OF THE REASONING BEHIND THAT AT THE TIME WAS WHEN WE ASKED THE CITY TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW STANDARD FOR FOUR MAN STAFFING.
UM, THE CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME BASICALLY SAID, NO, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT.
UM, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE DECIDED TO TRY TO BRING IT TO A REFERENDUM AND HAVE THE CITIZENS VOTE ON IT.
UH, WHEN THEY VOTED IT, FROM WHAT I'M BEING TOLD, OBVIOUSLY, LIKE I SAID, I WASN'T HERE.
UH, IT PASSED WITH AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENED.
I THINK THAT EVERY CITIZEN IN THIS TOWN THAT LIVES IN THIS TOWN, UH, CAN SEE WHAT WE DO ON MOST OCCASIONS, AND THAT IT WILL PROVIDE EXCELLENT SERVICES WE ALWAYS PROVIDE TO OUR CITIZENS.
UM, NOT ONLY, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT NOT ONLY DOES IT PROTECT PEOPLE ON THE FIRE, GROUND, GROUND, UM, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT A LOT OF WHAT WE DO HERE NOWADAYS IS MEDICAL.
WE DO A LOT OF MEDICAL ON A COMMON CPR.
IT TAKES ABOUT SIX OF US TO RUN A CPR CALL ON AN AVERAGE.
UM, THAT TAKES TWO PARAMEDICS, ADMINISTERING, ADMINISTER, OR ADMINISTERING, UH, MEDICATIONS THAT TAKES ONE PERSON SECURING SOME OF SOMEBODY'S AIRWAY, TWO PEOPLE DOING CHEST COMPRESSIONS AND ONE PERSON KEEPING DATA.
UH, THE DATA IS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE GIVE A PROPER TURNOVER ONCE WE GET TO THE HOSPITAL.
SO THE DOCTORS KNOW WHAT WE DID, WHAT TIMES WE DID IT.
EVERYTHING IS KIND OF TIMESTAMPED HOW YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO THINGS.
IF THERE WAS A CHANCE THAT WE WERE TO TAKE THIS OUT OF THE CHARTER, THERE'S ALWAYS A CHANCE THAT CITY ADMINISTRATION CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM THE CITIZENS OF THIS TOWN.
AND WHAT THAT PROVIDES IS A LESSER SERVICE FOR THEM.
NOT ONLY DOES IT KEEP US SAFE HAVING FOUR PEOPLE, BUT IT PROVIDES A LESSER SERVICE FOR THE CITIZENS THAT
[00:10:01]
THEY DON'T HAVE THOSE FOUR PEOPLE.RIGHT NOW, OUR ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATES THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR TWO MAN, TWO MAN TWO OUT RULES, JUST AS MIKE SAID.
SO CURRENTLY, IF WE WERE TO SHOW UP IN A FIRE, WE CAN'T GO TO WORK.
UM, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT ENGINE.
LIKE MIKE SAID, THREE MINUTES.
IF IT'S MY FAMILY, I DON'T WANT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAITING THREE MINUTES, STAND OUTSIDE, WAITING FOR MY MY FAMILY MEMBER WHO MAY BE TRAPPED INSIDE AND COULD POSSIBLY BE PASSED AWAY IN THERE.
THE, THE ASSOCIATION THINKS THIS IS A VERY IMPERATIVE THING TO KEEP IN OUR CHARTER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
TONIGHT ON YOUR SPEAKERS, YOU CAN OPEN UP THE ITEM FOR DISCUSSION.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO START WITH YOUR, UM, NUMBERS THAT ARE ON ZOOM.
SO IF THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, COMMENT, JUST KEEP THAT ON THE, YEAH.
SO JUST, YOU PROBABLY WANNA START WITH MR. MAYO OR MR. BEARD PICKMAN.
MR. MAYO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT WHAT THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE SAYING? YES, SIR.
NO, OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT, THAT OVER EVERY TIME THE PRIOR REVIEW COMMITTEE HAS MET IN THE PAST, WE HAVE, UH, HAD DISCUSSIONS FROM TIME TO, BUT IT'S NEVER ACTUALLY MADE IT AS A RECOMMENDATION OUT.
AND I DON'T, I WOULDN'T BE IN FAVOR OF US MAKING A REC.
MR. MAYO, I'M SORRY, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
UM, CAN SOMETHING, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? CAN YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID? YES.
I SAID AT EVERY CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT WE'VE HAD MM-HMM
THIS HAS BEEN AN ITEM OF DISCUSSION, BUT IT'S NEVER WENT ANY FURTHER THAN A BASIC DISCUSSION.
AND I CAN TELL YOU UP FRONT, NO MATTER WHAT THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE, I WOULD BE ONE VOTE AGAINST CHANGING.
UM, YOU ASK MR. BEARD IF HE WANTS, SAY MR. BEARD, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? MR. BEARD? CAN YOU HEAR US? OKAY? ALL RIGHT.
SO, UM, DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING SO YOU CAN OPEN IT UP TO ANYBODY AT THE TABLE IF THEY HAVE ANY COMMENTS.
UM, LIKE MR. MAYO SAID, UM, I WAS ON THE LAST CHARTER COMMITTEE AND I WAS SHOCKED THAT THIS IS BROUGHT BACK UP AGAIN BECAUSE IT WAS BROUGHT UP LAST TIME, AND EVIDENTLY IT WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE PAST BEFORE I WAS ON THE COMMITTEE.
AND I'M SHOCKED THAT IT'S BROUGHT UP AGAIN BECAUSE THIS IS RIDICULOUS.
TO CHANGE IT, IT ONLY TOOK US FIVE MINUTES OF A DISCUSSION THREE YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD THE LAST CHARTER COMMITTEE TO SAY, IT'S RIDICULOUS.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ANYBODY WOULD WANNA BRING UP AND FOR SAFETY REASONS, ESPECIALLY THESE DAYS, WITH ALL THE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS AND EVERYTHING GOING ON IN THE WORLD, WHY SOMEONE WOULD WANT TO MAKE THINGS UNSAFE.
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE GONNA DO ANYTHING, YOU SHOULD BE ADDING PEOPLE, ADDING MEN, NOT TAKING AWAY MEN.
AND I COME FROM, UM, A FAMILY OF FIREFIGHTERS AND, UM, I'M JUST APPALLED THAT SOMEONE WOULD WANT TO CHANGE IT.
AND SO I THINK IT SHOULD JUST STAY THE SAME FOR SAFETY REASONS.
LIKE THESE, UM, GENTLEMEN JUST SAID, THE BEER.
IS THAT MR. BEER? CAN YOU HEAR US NOW? YEAH.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, SIR.
SO, UM, YOU CAN'T HEAR ME? I'M SORRY TO SPEAK UP.
I, I'M NOT SURE WHO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA, BUT HOWEVER, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
THE ORIGINAL CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHEN IT WAS FIRST FORUM, I WAS THE ONE WHO ACTUALLY PROPOSED THE CHANGE TO THE FOUR MAN STAFFING.
AND THE REASONING WAS THIS, IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH, UH, SAFETY FOR ME.
IT WAS A BUDGETARY ITEM THAT SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.
AND WHEN YOU PUT THESE ITEMS IN A BUDGET IN AN ISSUE, I GUESS YOU TAKE AWAY THE RIGHT OF DECISIONS TO AFFECT BUDGET.
HOWEVER, HAVING SAID THAT, WHEN THIS COMMITTEE WAS FORMED, I SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF THIS AGENDA ITEM WAS COME UP AND WAS TOLD, PROBABLY NOT.
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I TOLD WHEN I WAS AT, WHEN I ASKED THAT THIS HORSE HAS BEEN RODE, IT HAS DIED, IT HAS BEEN BEAT TO DEATH.
IT IS NOT GONNA GET RESURRECTED.
COUNSEL IS NOT GONNA PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
AND AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, I WOULD NOT SUPPORT A PROPOSAL FOR IT GOING FORWARD, BECAUSE AS I CONSIDERED A WASTE OF TIME.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY PRODUCT? THAT'S IT.
[00:15:02]
APPRECIATE YOU FELLAS, AND WHAT Y'ALL DO EVERY DAY.I WORKED AT A CHEMICAL PLANT FOR 49 YEARS, OCCIDENTAL IN DEER PARK, AND I WAS ON THE FIRE BRIGADE.
AND WHAT THESE FELLAS SAID IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, YOU THINK IN YOUR OWN HEAD, WELL, THREE MINUTES.
YEAH, THREE MINUTES COULD SAVE SOMEBODY'S LIFE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, I, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO I THINK JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE HERE TODAY SHOULD BE LEFT AS IS ANYONE ELSE? OH, I'M, OH, GO AHEAD.
I WAS GONNA SAY, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE JUST LEAVE, UM, THE CHARTER AS IS WITH THE FOUR STAFFING AND DON'T MAKE ANY CHANGES.
UM, THE PERSON THAT BROUGHT THIS UP, THEY'RE NOT HERE, RIGHT? SO IT MUST NOT BE THAT IMPORTANT TO THEM.
IS THERE A WAY TO JUST HAVE THIS NOT KEEP COMING UP? SO, UH, WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM ONE OF THE MEMBERS THAT THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER ASKED THAT THIS BE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BE CONSIDERED ALONG WITH THE, WHAT WAS IT? THE TERM LIMITS.
THIS IS NOT A STAFF INITIATED THING.
IT, WHEN WE TOLD YOU GUYS GO BACK AND TALK TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS MM-HMM
WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL THAT SAID, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED THAT MY COUNCIL MEMBER SAID WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT.
AND IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSPARENCY, WE PUT 22.1 BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S SUCH A HIGH, UM, INTEREST IN AND EMOTIONAL ITEM SO THAT PEOPLE COULD COME AND SPEAK AND NOT HAVE A FEELING THAT SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO SNEAK SOMETHING BY.
IT IS THE PREROGATIVE OF EVERY CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE TO BRING UP ANY ITEM IN THE CHARTER.
AND THE STAFF IS GOING TO LISTEN AND ANSWER ANY TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS HAVE ON IT.
YOU, YOU SAID IT WAS SENT IN EMAIL, RIGHT? FROM SOME, A MEMBER WHO ASKED THEIR COUNCIL PERSON.
SO WHAT THIS WAS, UH, THIS WAS ASKED TO BE ADDED TO THE AGENDA TO DISCUSS TONIGHT MM-HMM
SO WHAT, WAS THERE AN ALTERNATE PROPOSAL TO WHAT? SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE FOUR MAN STAFFING.
CORRECT? THERE IS NO ALTERNATE PROPOSAL.
THIS IS JUST FOR YOU TO, SO YOU GUYS CAN LOOK AT 22.1 AND YOU CAN ASK WHAT IT IS.
HOW DID IT COME UP? YOU KNOW, IS THERE A RECOMMENDATION? STAFF DOES NOT HAVE A RECOMMENDATION.
AND ULTIMATELY IT IS YOU GUYS WHO MAKE THE DECISION, NOT, NOT SO, SO IT APPEARS TO ME THAT WE COULD TALK ABOUT IT TILL MIDNIGHT.
BUT IN OUR QUORUM RIGHT HERE, WE'VE DECIDED WE'RE NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE BECAUSE EVIDENTLY, WHOEVER, I WOULD SAY, LET'S MOVE ON.
WHOEVER THE REPRESENTATIVE IS, ISN'T SPEAKING, ISN'T SAID.
IT'S SPEAKING AGAINST WHY IT WAS EVEN ON THE AGENDA.
SO IF THAT PERSON'S NOT EVEN HERE OR THEY CHANGE THEIR MIND, THEN WHO WOULD DO, YOU KNOW WHO THE COUNCIL, EVERYBODY'S HERE PERSON WAS.
RIGHT? SO I, I MOVE THAT WE TABLE IT AND LEAVE IT AS IS IN THE CHARTER, THE MOTION.
SO THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS TO NOT MOVE, MAKE ANY, UH, ANY AMENDMENTS FOR 22.1 RIGHT FORWARD.
AND YOU CALL FOR A VOTE? CALL FOR A VOTE.
LIKE, ALL IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES.
SO, UM, NEXT ITEM, UH, THAT YOU GUYS HAD LISTED WAS TO TALK ABOUT, UM, HARM LIMITS.
SO SOMEBODY MUST HAVE BROUGHT THAT UP.
SO I GUESS WHOEVER BROUGHT THAT UP FOR A CHANGE, BECAUSE I WAS ON THE THING LAST TIME TOO.
IS THIS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS? IT'S MAYOR.
MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS? MM-HMM
MAYOR, CAN YOU TELL, YOU SHOULDN'T SAY, OR CAN YOU SAY WHO THAT PERSON IS? OH, I DON'T THINK, NO, THEY, THAT I DON'T THINK IT MATTERS.
WHOEVER IT IS CAN SAY THEIR OPINION, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER.
SO YOU WANNA START WITH THE, FOR THE ZOOM PEOPLE, VIRTUAL, ASK THEM.
DO YOU HAVE ANY DISCUSS YOU REPEAT WHAT ISSUE Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT? I COULDN'T QUITE HEAR YOU.
THE ISSUE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, WHAT IS A TERM? TERM LIMITS.
SO, UH, SHE HAS BROUGHT UP THE, THE ISSUE OF TERM LIMITS.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT THEY ASKED US TO, TO BRING, UH, FORWARD FOR DISCUSSION FOR THE COMMITTEE.
UM, WE HAVE UP ON THE, ON THE, UM, ON THE TELEVISIONS, UH, A SURVEY THAT WE UPDATED FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR MORE THAN ONE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE, THIS IS KIND OF AN UPDATE TO, UM, THE SURVEYS THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
AND IT LETS YOU KNOW WHAT CITIES AROUND US ARE COMPARABLE TO US, UM, DO AS IT
[00:20:01]
RELATES TO, UH, TERM LIMITS.SO, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? YES, SIR.
I, I'VE BEEN TALKING FOR 15 MINUTES.
WHAT, SO WHAT, THE MOTION THAT YOU JUST PASSED THAT I TRIED TO VOTE ON, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, WAS TO TABLE THE FIREFIGHTER PORTION OF THE CHARTER, YES OR NO? NO.
THE MOTION ON THE TABLE WAS TO NOT MOVE 22.1 FORWARD AS ANY AMENDMENT AS AN AMENDMENT RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL.
AND NOW WHAT ARE WE DISCUSSING? YOU'RE DISCUSS, YOU'RE DISCUSSING TERM LIMITS.
ARE WE READY FOR DISCUSSION? YES, SIR.
YOU CAN START IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
UM, SO, UH, I'M GONNA USE PROPONENT OF TERM LIMITS.
IT'S BEEN PUT UP SEVERAL TIMES.
IN FACT, IN TWO OF THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEES, IT WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT VOTED ON TO PASS IT THROUGH TO COUNCIL FOR IMPLICATION, WITH A CAVEAT THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD TO ACCEPT THE PAYMENT.
I MEAN, HAD TO SET, EXCUSE ME, BACKING UP.
TWO DIFFERENT THINGS HAD TO GO INTO THE TERM LIMITS.
HOWEVER, IT NEVER HAS GOTTEN PAST COUNCIL IN THAT PROCESS.
MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT YOUR RIGHT TO TERM LIMITS IS IN THE VOTING TABLE.
UH, PERSONALLY I LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE NEED TO MOVE ON.
I THINK NOT HAVING TERM LIMITS ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT LIMITS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME OF THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE COMMUNITY TO COME IN AND PARTICIPATE.
UH, BUT, UH, NEVERTHELESS, I WOULD SUPPORT, UH, AN AMENDMENT FOR TERM LIMITS, UH, IN GOING FORWARD IN THE PROCESS.
UH, NOW HE SAID THAT I MADE A COMMENT THAT ONE OF THE CHARTER VIEW COMMITTEES ONE TIME, IT WASN'T OUR JOB TO REALLY, TO TRY TO DECIDE WHAT COUNCIL WAS GOING TO DO OR NOT GOING TO DO.
'CAUSE THAT WAS COUNCIL'S POSITION.
IT WAS OUR JOB TO DISCUSS WHAT WE THOUGHT SHOULD GO FORWARD AS A CHARTER AMENDMENT.
UM, I, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF TERM LIMIT, PERSONALLY.
SEE IF MR. MAYO HAVE ANY, MR. MAYO, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? YES.
UM, GENERALLY I AM NOT AN OPPONENT.
I MEAN, A PROPONENT OF TERM LIMITS.
I THINK TERM LIMITS AT THIS LEVEL HAPPEN AT THE BALLOT BOX.
UH, THE, MY REASONING FOR THAT IS, IS TERM LIMITS MIGHT BE NECESSARY IN MUCH, MUCH BROADER ELECTIONS WHERE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT A PERSON RAISE AS AN INCUMBENT AND REALLY HAVE AN EFFECT ON THEIR ABILITY TO HAVE.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT GOING DOOR TO DOOR AND SHAKING HANDS WITH PEOPLE AND TALKING IN THE COMMUNITY IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY TYPE OF SIGNAGE OR CERTAINLY NO TV ADS.
SO MONEY IS NOT AS IMPORTANT A THING.
SO I DON'T THINK IT GIVES AN INCUMBENT IN RAISING MONEY AND HAVE HAD OVER THE TIMES THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TURNED OUT.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REELECTED MANY TIMES OVER.
AND IT'S MY BELIEF, PARTICULARLY WITH A SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS THAT THEY'VE EVIDENTLY BEEN DOING WHAT THEIR, UH, DISTRICTS, PEOPLE WANT, THEY KEPT GETTING REELECTED.
UH, I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A BIG JUMP TO TELL SOMEONE THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY LIKE THIS PERSON AS THEIR COUNCILMAN AND THEY THINK THEY'VE BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB, IS THAT YOU'RE GONNA DEPRIVE THEM OF THE RIGHT.
I'M NOT, IF WE'RE GONNA ADVANCE IT AS AN ITEM, I WOULD NOT BE IN FAVOR OF IT.
BUT I GUESS THESE, TO SUMMARIZE WHAT YOU SAID IS IF THE PERSON WANTS TO BE, AND THE PUBLIC SHOULDN'T BE DEPRIVED OF WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT THE PERSON'S DOING, THEN THAT'S WHY YOU WOULD BE OPPOSED TO THIS.
IF THEY'RE DOING A, HE, I THINK HE SAID IF THEY'RE DOING A GOOD JOB, IT'S THE, UM, THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE, THEIR DISTRICT, UM, THE PEOPLE, THE CITIZENS, IF THEY'RE DOING A GOOD JOB, THEY WANT TO CON THEM TO CONTINUE TO DO A GOOD JOB.
IT MIGHT TAKE LONGER THAN WHATEVER THE TERMS ARE TO GET THAT JOB DONE.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT, THEN THE CITIZENS WILL VOTE SOMEBODY ELSE IN.
THAT'S WHAT HE, I THINK THAT'S WHAT HE SAID.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? SO, BACK, BACK A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND BY THE WAY, PAIA, YOU KNOW, I HAD THE MOST RESPECT.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL ONCE AGAIN, AGREE TO DISAGREE ON THIS SUBJECT AS WE DID LAST TIME.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO PUT SOMETHING FOR THE VOTERS AND LET THEM DECIDE WHAT THEY WANNA DO.
[00:25:02]
OKAY.CAN YOU ASK ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE TO ADDRESS US ON THAT? 'CAUSE HE'S RUNNING FOR MR. PARENT, YOU'RE RUNNING FOR, UM, THE PRESIDING OFFICER AS A PRESENT OFFICER THAT CAN, IS THAT OKAY TO DO THIS PROCEDURE? ANSWER QUESTION? I DUNNO.
I GUESS I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER A QUESTION FROM THE COMMITTEE.
WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION? UH, YOU'RE IN THIS POSITION, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU, WHAT DO YOU I I COULD BE IN THAT POSITION.
BUT SO WHAT IS YOUR OPINION? I'VE ALWAYS BEEN KINDA 50 50, LIKE, RIGHT.
SO I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S DEFINITELY, UH, THE CONSIDERATION THAT, UH, TERM LIMITS CAN BE IMPOSED BY THE VOTERS.
INCUMBENTS ALWAYS HAVE AN ADVANTAGE.
UH, SO IF YOU HAVE AN INCUMBENT THAT'S DOING A GOOD JOB, HE'S GONNA BE INCREDIBLY HARD TO BEAT.
UH, BUT THEN AGAIN, HE'S DOING A GOOD JOB.
IF THE INCUMBENTS NOT DOING A GOOD JOB, UH, IT OPENS HIM UP TO A CHALLENGER.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PEOPLE CAN ALWAYS FLIP OUT A BAD, BAD INCUMBENT EASILY, EVEN AFTER A FIRST TERM.
UM, UH, I, I WOULD ASK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, THE TERM LIMITS THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE, HOW MANY OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD'VE EVEN HIT THOSE TERM LIMITS? I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THERE ARE MANY, UH, IN THE PAST 20 YEARS THAT WOULD'VE EVEN SEEN ANY, I SEE LIMITS PRETTY FAST TO LEAVE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE CONSIDERATION.
ANYBODY ELSE? I HONESTLY, I'M A MEMBER OF MOM'S CLUB AND EVERY YEAR WE, AND IT'S A SMALL ORGANIZATION, BUT I THINK A NEW PERSON, IF THEY DECIDE, BRINGS NEW IDEAS AND IT KIND OF HELPS PEOPLE NOT LAG AND GET THINGS DONE, IF THEY ARE DOING A GOOD JOB, THEN THE PERSON WILL, THE PUBLIC WILL VOTE THEM BACK IN.
SO YOU'RE SAYING, SO MAYBE DO A, I HAVEN'T STARTED THE NUMBERS, I JUST GOT THESE, BUT MAYBE DO NO, I UNDERSTAND.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION ON ANYTHING TONIGHT.
SO IT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU GUYS TO HAVE AN INITIAL DISCUSSION.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.
KAREN, KAREN, I WOULD SUGGEST THIS IS AN EXCELLENT SURVEY QUESTION AND PUT OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, MS. LOPEZ WAS GONNA MAKE A COMMENT.
THEY'RE STILL TALKING OVER HERE.
NO, I WAS GONNA SAY, UM, I AM DEFINITELY A PROPONENT OF TERM LIMIT TERM LIMITS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US TAKE THIS FURTHER AND HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION.
AND MAYBE EVEN AS MR. MAYO JUST SUGGESTED A SURVEY.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? YEAH, SOMETIMES YOU KNOW, THAT'S RIGHT ABOUT THE VOTERS GONNA TURN PEOPLE OUT.
BUT SOMETIME IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
SOMETIME YOU GET A PERSON THAT DOES NOTHING FOR THEIR DISTRICT AND OUTTA HABIT, PEOPLE GO VOTE 'CAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE THE NAME.
AND THAT'S JUST, I CAN THINK OF ONE IN HOUSTON NOW THAT DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND DON'T NAME NO NAMES FOR HER DISTRICT, BUT SHE GETS PUT BACK IN OFFICE ALL THE TIME.
BUT MAY I ASK A QUESTION? UM, MR. NOT MR. MAYO.
UM, HE SAID A WHILE AGO IT WAS A 50 50 AND HE ALSO SAID IT'S BEEN BROUGHT BEFORE CITY COUNCIL BEFORE TWICE.
AND IT NEVER MADE IT ANY FURTHER.
SO I, I BELIEVE THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO, BECAUSE IT, NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU WORK ON IT HERE, IF IT'S UP TO CITY COUNCIL, NO MATTER WHAT OUR IS, SO I THINK PERSONALLY, IF YOU WANNA CHANGE IT, YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TIME BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT.
AND OF COURSE, THE ONLY ONE THAT I CAN THINK OF, THERE'S ONLY ONE ON THERE THAT SEEMS TO BE A, IN A CAREER PATH FOR CITY COUNCIL ANYWAY.
SO THE REST OF 'EM SEEM TO GO IN AND OUT.
I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT IF IT WAS BROUGHT INTO THE AGENDA, IT MAY BE FOR A REASON.
WELL, A LOT OF CAN, CAN I RESPOND? CAN I RESPOND TO THAT? YES, SIR.
SO, BY THE WAY, JUST FOR THE RECORD, THAT WASN'T MR. MAYO THAT MADE THE COMMENT.
I I I WOULDN'T WANT YOU OF NO, NO, NO, NO.
WE'RE, WE'RE, I I HIGHLY RESPECT.
SO, UH, I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE AND I, ONE OF THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I HAD A MEMBER SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PRETTY HAPPY WITH OUR REPRESENTATION.
AND I SAID, THAT'S 'CAUSE YOU DON'T LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE
[00:30:01]
DO HAVE SOME CAREER POLITICIANS THAT HAVE GONE IN AND GONE IN.HOWEVER, YOU REMEMBER MY COMMENT EARLIER THAT I MADE UP TO, THAT I HAD MADE THE EARLIER COUNCIL, IT'S NOT OUR JOB TO TRY TO DECIDE WHAT COUNCIL WILL DO OR WON'T DO.
IT'S OUR JOB TO DECIDE WHAT CHARTER AMENDMENTS NEED TO BE PUT FORTH AND TO GO TO, TO THE COUNCIL.
THERE'S BEEN NUMEROUS, NUMEROUS CHARTERS PUT WITH A HUNDRED PERCENT SUPPORT OF THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT COUNCIL NEVER PUT FORTH.
SO TO SIT HERE AND TRY TO ANTICIPATE WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO ON ANY GIVEN DAY, YOU PROBABLY HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF GOING OUT AND BUYING A LOT OF TICKET TONIGHT.
SO IF WE, IF WE THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO GO, WE NEED TO PUT IT IN REPORT AND SAY WE WANT YOU TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, UH, TERM LIMITS.
AND THERE'S CERTAINLY ENOUGH PRECEDENT, KAREN, I BELIEVE, OF PREVIOUS CHARTERS ON HOW THAT LANGUAGE CAN BE, UH, DERIVED AND HOW THOSE TERM LIMITS CAN ACTUALLY WORK.
I WOULD PUT IT OUT ON THE SURVEY AND GET A SENSE OF INPUT IF YOU WANT TO GET A FEEL FOR THE CITIZEN, BECAUSE GIVEN CURRENT POLITICS, YOU MIGHT FIND OUT TERM LIMITS MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT CITIZENS MIGHT BE REALLY LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
SO AS IT RELATES TO SURVEYS, WE DON'T ACTUALLY GO OUT AND SURVEY THE CITIZENS UNTIL WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE ITEM TO ASK.
THE OUTREACH AND THE PUBLIC, UH, FORUMS AND ALL OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS OCCUR WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAVE WHAT'S LATE OR WHAT QUESTIONS LATER ON DOWN THE LINE.
WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH, WITH THINGS BEFORE IT GETS SUBMITTED TO COUNSEL.
SO WHEN ARE ALL THESE FORUMS GONNA HAPPEN? THEY TYPICALLY HAPPEN IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH, SIR.
SEE, I WOULD HOPE WE'D BE THROUGH BY THEN PERSONALLY WHEN WE ONLY HAVE TWO ITEMS OF DISCUSSION HERE.
WELL, WHEN DOES COUNCIL HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION? THIS, IF WE GO TO A CHARTER AMENDMENT? KAREN, WHEN IS IT GOING TO BALLOT? IS THAT NOVEMBER OR NEXT YEAR? YES.
AND WHEN IS THE COUNCIL HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ON THAT? IT'S SCHEDULED TO BE SUBMITTED IN MAY FOR THEM TO, UH, RECEIVE THE REPORT AND THEN TAKE ACTION.
THEY HAVE TO CALL THEIR SPECIAL ELECTION NO LATER THAN THE FIRST REGULAR MEETING IN, UH, AUGUST.
IF NOT, THEY WOULD HAVE TO CALL A SPECIAL MEETING.
DO WE NOT HAVE A REGULAR ELECTION IN NOVEMBER NEXT YEAR? YES, SIR.
BUT, UH, A CHARTER AMENDMENT ELECTION IS A SPECIAL ELECTION.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO CALL A SPECIAL ELECTION.
SO WHAT OTHER CONSIDERATIONS HAVE COME UP ON THE COMMITTEE RIGHT NOW? OTHER THAN THE ONE THAT WAS SUPPOSED BY, UH, STAFF ON THE LAST MEETING? UM, I BELIEVE MR. MAYO ALSO SUBMITTED, UH, UH, A PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
AND, AND REFRESH MY MEMORY, WHAT WAS THAT? UM, MR. MAYO DO, LET'S FINISH THIS.
THIS ONE, DO YOU WANNA FINISH THIS? WE HAVEN'T FINISHED DISCUSSION ON THIS ONE THOUGH.
UM, I THINK I WOULD BE, UM, FOR LIMITS CONSIDERING, LIKE, I THINK YOU SAID, OR HE SAID FORGOT, BUT HE WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE PERSON THAT MADE, YOU KNOW, ON HIS DISTRICT.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU GO VOTE, YOU VOTE 'EM OUT.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT HAPPENS A LOT OF TIMES.
I THINK THEY JUST GET USED TO THE SAME PERSON THAT COULD HAVE SOMEBODY BUT RAN AGAINST.
BUT, BUT IN THE CITY COUNCIL, I'M NOT, I'M NOT HAPPY.
I'M MEAN I NOT GOT UNDER THE CITY, BUT I'M VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE PERSON THAT WE GOT ON OUR SCHOOL BOARD IN MY DISTRICT.
VERY UNHAPPY WITH THAT PERSON.
BUT I CAN STILL MAKE A COMMENT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT, OKAY, MA'AM, I'M NOT AS NEW.
I'M NOT ON THE COMMITTEE LIKE YOU ARE FOREVER.
DO WE ANY MORE COMMENTS? ANY MORE COMMENTS ON THIS? I, I WOULD MAKE ONE COMMENT PLEASE.
IF, IF IN FACT WE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA GET THAT FAR, BUT IF WE END UP DOING A SURVEY, THE ONE THING I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IS THAT THE SURVEY INCLUDE IF SOMEONE'S IN FAVOR OF TERM LIMITS, THAT THEY COME UP OR THEY GIVE US SOME IDEA AS TO WHAT THEY DETERMINE TERM LIMITS TO BE.
BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THE DISCUSSION IN THE PAST.
AND LIKE I SAID, IF YOU DECIDED TO GO FORWARD WITH THAT IDEA, THE NEXT QUESTION IS WHAT THE TERM LIMITS WOULD BE, HOW MANY YEARS AND HOW MANY TERMS OF, I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT AS PART OF A SURVEY.
SO, UM, SO, UM, I THINK CAN JUST ASK IF THERE'S A DESIRE OF THE BOARD TO DISCUSS, OH, ANY SORT OF TERM LIMIT.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T GET THAT.
THE LENGTH OF A TERM LIMIT, WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF TERM LIMIT WOULD YOU WANT? WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO HAVE, UM, A SERVICE IN A COUNCIL
[00:35:01]
MEMBER POSITION FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS? AND THEN WOULD YOUR TERM LIMITS START OVER IF YOU GOT TO BE MAYOR FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS? OR DO YOU COUNT UNEXPIRED TERMS? WHAT DO YOU ALL WANT? WHAT ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? WELL, EACH POSITION, I'M THINKING CONSECUTIVE TERMS. RIGHT.THAT'S WHAT I'M CONSECUTIVE TERMS, BUT OKAY.
SO YOU SERVE, SAY WE SAY THREE TERMS AND SOME ACTUALLY CAN SERVE.
SO I, THERE'S THREE TERMS. IS ACCOUNTS MEMBER, MAY I NOW RUN AS MAYOR AND SERVE THREE MORE TERMS CONSECUTIVELY? IS THAT BECAUSE THERE'S DIFFERENT OPTIONS I'M LOOKING AT? RIGHT.
SO THERE'S DIFFERENT OPTIONS YOU CAN DO.
IT'S EITHER THREE TERMS AND YOU, YOU HAVE TO SIT OUT FOR, FOR THREE, SIT OUT FOR ONE, SIT OUT FOR, FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT'S A DIFFERENT POSITION.
YOU'RE NOT DOING THE SAME THING.
IF YOU GOT VOTED IN FOR, FOR THAT, THEN MAYBE THERE'S A PURPOSE FOR YOU THERE.
AND WHAT ABOUT UNEXPIRED TERM? SO SAY SOMEBODY WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO SERVE, SO SOMEONE JUMPED IN FOR AN UNEXPIRED TERM SO IT DIDN'T SERVE A FULL THREE YEAR TERM.
MAYBE THEY SERVED TWO YEARS OR ONE YEAR.
WOULD YOU COUNT THAT AS PART OF THEIR TERM OR WOULD THAT ONLY BE FULL COMPLETE TERMS? I WOULD THINK, UH, COMPLETE THAT PARTIAL AND THEN TERM LIMITS AFTER THAT, I DID, I, I PERSONALLY, I'D LIKE TO SEE TWO TERMS AND YOU DROP OUT AND RUN FOR ANOTHER TERM IF YOU WANT.
AND IT WOULDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO ME IF IT WAS MAYOR OR CITY COUNCIL.
BUT I'D CERTAINLY BE LIVED WITH THREE, WITH THREE, THREE YEAR TERMS. AND THAT'S NINE YEARS, UH, ON THE COUNCIL.
BUT, UH, AND I THINK THAT LANGUAGE HAS BEEN PUT FORTH IN THE PAST, UH, IN, IN SOME TYPE OF, UH, FORMAT AND HOW THOSE TERM LIMITS WORK.
AND I THINK AT ONE POINT IN TIME, IF IT WAS ENACTED, YOU SERVED OUT YOUR CURRENT TERM AND THEN TERMIN 'EM, IT STARTED AFTER THAT.
UH, BUT P IS RIGHT, WE NEED SOME KIND OF INDICATION OF SOME, IF THEY DO WANT 'EM, WHAT THEY THINK IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY THINK IS, UH, EQUITABLE, UM, AND GOING FORTH IN THAT.
DO WE NEED TO EXPLORE A MOTION TO WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO DECIDE TO KEEP PURSUING THIS AND WAIT TILL AFTER A PUBLIC HEARING? SO WE NEED TO PURSUE A MOTION THAT WE'RE EITHER GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TABLE IT NOW.
WE SHOULD PURSUE A, I THINK WE SHOULD MOTION, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DO, WE CONTINUE DISCUSSING IT AT LIKE, LIKE NEXT MEETING OR HOW YOU SEE THAT FUTURE MEETINGS.
CAN WE REPEAT THE MOTION PLEASE? UH, I HAVE A MOTION FOR MS UH, FINLEY.
SECONDED BY MS. LOPEZ, CORRECT? YES.
UM, THAT THE DISCUSSION ON TERM LIMITS, UH, BE, UH, DISCUSSED FURTHER AT, UH, A FUTURE MEETING, IF NOT THE NEXT ONE.
DO YOU HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE? YOU NEED A, A VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR.
UM, MR. MAYO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM.
DID YOU HAVE A PROPOSED AMENDMENT? YEAH, WELL I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT CALLS A PROPOSED AMENDMENT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO, TO, I'M PERSONALLY AWARE OF THE HISTORY.
MAYBE SOMEONE ELSE ON THE COMMITTEE, UH, IS AWARE OF IT OR MAYBE EVEN, UH, MS. HORNER WAS THERE AT THE MEETING OR WHATEVER.
UH, BUT I UNDERSTAND AT SOME TIME IN THE PAST THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF CONTROVERSY ABOUT WHEN AN ELECTED CITY COUNCILMAN TERM BEGINS AND ENDS.
BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS THAT THERE'S A CERTAIN TIME WHEN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE, UH, WHEN THE VOTES ARE CANVASSED AND WHEN THE TERM'S SUPPOSED TO START AND THEN THEY HAVE A CEREMONIAL SWEARING IN AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THE ONLY PLACE I KNOW THAT IT'S MENTIONED ABOUT, AND I I, I WOULD DEFER TO MS. HORNER IF IT'S IN THERE.
SOMEPLACE ELSE WAS SET IN 25 WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING TAKING OVER.
AND UH, THE SUGGESTION I HAD IS THAT WE PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT, UH, IF 25 SECTION IS THE ONE IT SHOULD BE IN, UNLESS THE CITY ATTORNEY OR STAFF HAS A BETTER PLACE WHERE IT'S TALKED WHEN THE TERM OF A PERSON ENDS, IF THEY'RE LOST THE LAST ELECTION, LIKE AT 11:59 PM ON, UH, THE DAY.
AND THEN THAT THE NEW TERM OF THE NEW COUNCILMAN, UH, ARE A SECOND TERM FOR THE SAME COUNCIL PERSON STARTS AT 12:01 AM OR 12:00 AM UH, ON THE DAY THAT THAT'S A START.
UH, LIKE I SAID, IF ANYBODY WAS INVOLVED IN THAT OR WAS AROUND WHEN THAT ISSUE WAS BROUGHT UP AS AN ISSUE BEFORE, I NEVER HEARD ABOUT IT AND WASN'T IN ON IT.
[00:40:01]
THAT'S THE PROPOSAL I WOULD MAKE AS TO MAKE MORE SPECIFICITY ABOUT WHEN SOMEONE TAKES THEIR, THEIR, SO IF I COULD, THIS IS KAREN.SO I'VE BEEN HERE 27 YEARS AND I DON'T REMEMBER ANY CONTROVERSY.
NOT THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, BUT NEVER GOT TO OUR OFFICE NECESSARILY.
'CAUSE THE CHARTER'S CLEAR THAT YOU CANNOT TAKE OFFICE UNTIL AFTER YOU QUALIFY FOR OFFICE.
SO THAT'S BEING TAKEN YOUR OATH.
YOU CAN'T TAKE YOUR OATH UNTIL AFTER THE VOTE IS CANVASED.
THE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE IS THAT THAT DATE IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME DATE EVERY YEAR.
ANOTHER ISSUE IS WE HAVE IS THAT AS SOON AS SOMEONE QUALIFIES FOR OFFICE, THAT MEANS THEY'VE BEEN CANVASED AND DECLARED THE WINNER.
THEY TAKE THEIR OATH OF OFFICE, THEY CAN ASSUME OFFICE.
AND THAT'S WHAT OURS SAYS UNDER THE CHARTER.
WE HAVE LIKE, UM, MAYBE WORK SESSIONS AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT COUNCIL'S READY TO MOVE ON AND GET GOING ON THE NEXT, NEXT BUDGET YEAR, NEXT CAPITAL ITEMS OR WHATEVER.
SO THE WAY OUR CHARTER'S WRITTEN IS, UM, CONSISTENT AS YOU SEE WITH THE, THE, UH, THE SURVEY THAT WE DID PRETTY MUCH CONSISTENT WITH MOST ALL OF THE OTHER ONES THAT YOU CAN WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE CANVAS ELECTION.
UM, AND IF THERE'S A RUNOFF, YOU WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE RUNOFF ELECTION AND THEN THEY QUALIFY AND TAKE OATH AND ASSUME OFFICE.
SO TO HAVE A SPECIFIC TIME AND SPECIFIC DATE IS, IS VERY UNUSUAL.
AND I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THAT JUST BECAUSE THE FACT THAT, UM, THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBER CAN JUMP IN, GET STARTED AND GO FORWARD, THE OUTGOING COUNCIL MEMBER MIGHT NOT HAVE THE INTEREST ANYMORE TO, TO CONTINUE TO, TO SERVE IF THEY HAVE TO CONTINUE TO HOLD OVER UNTIL SOME ARBITRARY DATE.
JUST SOME THINGS FOR Y'ALL TO THINK ABOUT.
AND THESE COMMENTS, LETITIA, WHAT DOES STATE LAW SAY? STATE LAW SAYS THEY HAVE TO, THE VOTES HAVE TO BE CANVASSED AND THEN THE STATE LAW SAYS THEY HAVE TO TAKE THEIR OATH OF OFFICE.
THE CHARTER THEN GOVERNS AFTER THAT.
DO, DO YOU KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE ANY OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE A SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME? BECAUSE THE, THE VOTES ARE CANVASSED A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION, BUT THEN YOU'RE SAYING LIKE 30 MINUTES AFTER THAT CANVAS A PART, TAKE THE OATH, THEN THEIR TERM WOULD START.
WE DO HAVE A, A CHART AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S ONE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY.
THERE'S THE FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY.
UM, I THINK WHERE'S THAT AT? IT'S NOT IN SECTION 2025.
THERE'S INDUCTION AND THAT'S, I MEAN, I LOOKED FOR IT.
MAYBE I DIDN'T SEE IT IN OURS.
IT IS IN CHAPTER IN SECTION 25.
AND THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE IN THEIR CHARTER.
UM, EXCEPT FOR SOME, SOME DO SAY THE FIRST REGULAR MEETING, SOME SAY THE FIRST REGULAR MEETING AFTER THE CANVAS.
SOME SAY THE FIRST REGULAR MEETING OR ONE SAYS BEL AIR SAYS THE FIRST REGULAR MEETING IN JANUARY.
UM, SO IT JUST WELL, THAT WOULD BE SPECIFICALLY THE ISSUE I WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT RIGHT THERE.
SOME SAY, SOME SAY IT, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY SOMEBODY SAID IT ONE TIME ONE WAY AND SOMEBODY SAID IT.
I DID A SURVEY AND IT'S, YOU SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT EARLIER TODAY.
AND THE SURVEY SHOWS WHAT DIFFERENT CITIES SAY.
SO I'M SAYING WHAT SOME CHARTER SAY.
I I DIDN'T SEE THAT IN YOUR PACKET.
NO, WE SENT IT, WE SENT IT OUT JUST TODAY.
BUT OUR CHARTER DOES SAY THAT IT, IT, UH, IT, THEY ASSUME OFFICE.
THEY SHALL QUALIFY THROUGH THE DUTIES OF OFFICE AFTER THE CANVAS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS WE CANVAS AND THEN THEY CAN COME IN, THEY CAN DO A, A, UH, SWEARING IN WITH LUDY BEFORE THERE CAN BE A CEREMONIAL AFTER.
BUT IT'S THAT, THAT FIRST SWEARING IN IS WHEN THEY WOULD ASSUME OFFICE.
AND THAT AGAIN HELPS IN PREPARATION OF NEW IDEAS, NEW THINGS GETTING MOVING FORWARD.
YOU DON'T HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S JUST GONNA BE SITTING ON COUNCIL, NOT REALLY INTERESTED, MAYBE NOT EVEN ATTENDING ANYMORE 'CAUSE THEY KNOW THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE, UM, CONTINUING IN THAT CAPACITY.
YOU'RE SAYING THAT IF THE VOTES ARE CANVASSED AND THE PERSON WINS AND UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A, THERE'S A SET OF RULES ABOUT WHEN THE CANVASSING TAKES SO MANY DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION AND ALL THAT, ONCE THEIR VOTES ARE COUNTED, THEN THE FIRST REGULAR SCHEDULED, SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING IS WHEN THAT PERSON WOULD ASSUME OFFICE.
AND THAT'S A SPECIFIC DATE BASED ON THE CALENDAR OF WHEN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING.
SO THERE IS KIND OF A, KIND OF A TIMEFRAME IN THERE THAT SPECIFIES WHEN THE PERSON WOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, PARTICIPATE AS AN ELECTED MEMBER.
[00:45:01]
NO, YEAH.YEAH, IT'S NOT A SPECIFIC DATE.
SO LET'S JUST SAY ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN AND WE NEED TO CALL A SPECIAL MEETING BEFORE THE, THE FIRST REGULAR, UH, MEETING IN DECEMBER, AFTER WE CANVAS THAT PERSON, IF THEY'RE ALREADY, UH, SWORN IN, WOULD BE THE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WOULD COME IN AND SIT.
NOW THE CONTROVERSY THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT WAS NOT, WAS NOT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN PEOPLE WERE GONNA SIT.
WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT, UH, WE CANVASED THE ELECTION TRADITIONALLY MANY YEARS AGO.
THE, THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD HAPPENED IN THE FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER.
WE HAD A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO CAME IN AND SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? I WANNA BE SWORN IN AND I WANNA TAKE IMMEDIATELY.
SO THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE IT WAS, THERE WAS, IT WAS ANTAGONISM.
BUT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME, ONCE WE CANVAS, THE COUNCIL MEMBER, IF THEY WANT, CAN COME IN RIGHT AFTER THE MEETING AND BE SWORN IN.
AND FROM THAT MOMENT FORWARD, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES.
THE ONLY REASON THAT, UM, THERE'S A CONCERN IN CREATING, UH, A SYSTEM OF DATES IN THE CHARTER IS BECAUSE IT MOVES US AWAY FROM WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO, WHICH IS DEFER TO STATE LAW WHEN IT REGARDS TO ANYTHING FOR ELECTIONS MM-HMM
UM, AS THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR, IT, IT MAKES THINGS MORE DIFFICULT WHEN WE START TACKING IN OTHER THINGS OUTSIDE OF WHAT STATE LAW MANDATES.
SO LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT.
IF THE VOTES ARE CANVASED, A A WINNING COUNCIL MEMBER COULD TAKE THE OATH ONE MINUTE LATER AND THEN THEY WOULD BE, IN FACT THEIR TERM WOULD START, UH, IT WOULDN'T MATTER UNTIL, OF COURSE THERE WAS A BOARD, UH, THERE WAS A COUNCIL MEETING BECAUSE THERE WOULDN'T BE ANYTHING THEY COULD DO IN TERMS OF VOTING UNTIL THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING AT ALL.
BUT THERE, THAT WOULD BE A TIME YOU COULD SAY THE TERM ENDS AND A TIME STARTS ONE MINUTE AFTER THE CANVASSING OF THE BOAT.
IF THEY TAKE THEIR, OH, IS THAT WHAT THAT WOULD BE? CORRECT.
SO THEY WOULD TAKE OFF, THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE, THERE WAS A MEETING.
I MEAN, THAT'S, SO THE NEXT MEETING, WELL ARE WE SAYING, ARE WE SAYING THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NOT BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING TILL THE FIRST COUNCIL MEETING IN TERMS OF A VOTE? OR THAT THEIR TERM ACTUALLY STARTS AS SOON AS THEY TAKE THE OATH? IF THEIR TERM STARTS WHEN THEY GET THE OATH? YEAH.
THE TERM DOES START, WHEN IT TAKES THE OATH.
THEY CAN'T, THEY DON'T ACT UNTIL THEY CAN ACT AS A MEMBER OF COUNCIL AS A MEETING.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT A COUNCIL MEMBER COULD DO BEFORE THE, THE VOTE AT A MEETING, BUT I'M ASSUMING THERE'S SOMETHING A COUNCIL MEMBER COULD ASK TO BE DONE OR DO OR WHATEVER.
EACH COUNCIL MEMBER HAS A DESK AT CITY HALL, RIGHT? NO, NO, THAT'S NOT CORRECT.
ONLY THE MAYOR HAS AN OFFICE IN CITY HALL.
I THOUGHT I'D VISITED MY COUNCILMAN THERE, BUT ONCE BEFORE YEAH, I HAVE THEY, THERE'RE NO MORE.
THOSE OFFICES HAVE BEEN, YEAH, WE RAN OUT OF ROOM.
SO STAFF TOOK OVER THE OFFICES.
WELL THIS WAS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS AGO IT WAS.
I WENT, BUT I ACTUALLY WENT AND SIT WE THAT ROOM, SIR.
UH, BUT NO, BASICALLY, SO BASICALLY WE CANVAS, THEY DECLARE THE RESULTS AT, AT THE END OF THAT MEETING, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THAT MEETING.
THEY WANNA COME IN AND TAKE THEIR OATH OF OFFICE.
THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GONNA INTERRUPT THE MIDDLE OF THE MEETING AND SAY, HEY, GET OFF MY SEAT.
YOU KNOW, WE'D STILL, WE'D STILL WELL THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS YEAH, NO, THAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN, SIR.
SO YOU, SO YOU LIKE, I'LL JUST TAKE THE 17TH.
WE'RE GONNA CANVAS THE ELECTION, RIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA, UM, DECLARE THE RESULTS AND THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON.
AND SO ALL THE OATH AND STATEMENTS WHEN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY WOULD BE READY IF THEY WANT TO COME IN AFTER THE MEETING AND BE SWORN IN, BUT WE DON'T STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A MEETING TO SWEAR SOMEONE IN.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? BUT THE CITY COUNCILMAN COULD BE IN THE DECEMBER MEETING YES.
INSTEAD OF THE JANUARY MEETING.
AND SO THE ISSUE RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A RUNOFF, WE ALREADY HAVE DATES FOR, UM, THE COUNCIL RETREAT.
AND SO WE'RE HAVING TO MOVE THINGS AROUND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED, THEY NEEDED THE NEW MEMBERS TO BE READY FOR THE COUNCIL RETREAT.
SO IF WE HAD IT WHERE YOU CAN'T REALLY TAKE IT UNTIL JANUARY 1ST, IT DELAYS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF THAT THEY WANNA GET STARTED ON.
I HAVE A QUESTION AND A COMMENT REAL QUICK.
SO LETICIA, WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH HEATHER? IS SHE BEING CANVASSED AND SWUNG BACK IN? SIR? SHE WAS AN UNOPPOSED CANDIDATE, DECLARED ELECTED AT THE, UM, FIRST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER.
I CERTIFIED THAT TO THE COUNCIL.
UM, SHE WAS DECLARED UNOPPOSED AND ELECTED AND WE CANCELED THE DISTRICT FOUR ELECTION.
SHE WILL BE SWORN IN AFTER, AFTER THE CANVAS
[00:50:01]
IN A PRIVATE SWEARING IN, UH, ON THURSDAY.SO HER POWERS HAVE BEEN INTERRUPTED AS FAR AS OFFICIALLY SERVING COUNSEL, CORRECT? NO SIR, THEY HAVEN'T BECAUSE, UM, SO EVEN IF YOU'RE UNOPPOSED, YOU DON'T ACT, NOTHING CHANGES UNTIL AFTER THE VOTES ARE CAN UNTIL AFTER THE ELECTION IS CANVASSED.
SO, SO IS SHE AN OFFICIAL COUNCIL MEMBER OR NOT? RIGHT NOW SHE'S STILL SERVING HER REGULAR TERM, SIR, THE OLDER TERMS. SHE'S NOT GONNA START HER NEW TERM UNTIL AFTER WE CANVAS.
SO THE HER OKAY, MY SHE'S NOT INTERRUPTED.
AND SO, OKAY, MY COMMENT IS THIS, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO YOU AND, AND THE REST OF YOU, IF A COUNCIL MEMBER IS SWORN IN AND THE CANVAS AND, AND THEY TAKE THE OATH AS, AS PAIA SUGGESTING WHEN YOU MAKE THE COMMENT THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO AN EX COUNCIL MEMBER THAT'S NOT EXACTLY CORRECT.
AT THAT POINT, THEY'RE GETTING SWORN IN.
THEY ARE AN OFFICIAL ELECTORATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITY, AND THEY CAN START DEALING AS AN OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITY TALKING WITH CONSTITUENTS, CANVASSING WITH THE CITY MANAGER, HAVING MEETINGS AND DOING WHAT THEY DO,
SO I SEE WHAT PROBABLY IS HEADING WITH THIS.
THEY'RE, I, I VAGUELY REMEMBER THIS CONTROVERSY AND IT WAS WAY BACK BEFORE THE CHARTER OF DUE STUFF, BUT I SEE WHERE YOU'RE HEADING THAT IT PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED.
SO HOW, IF
SO LET ME, LET ME ASK A QUESTION.
SO HOW DO YOU SAY THAT THEY, SO IF I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEETING AND IT'S CANVAS AND DECLARED OPPOSED, HOW DO, IF UNDER STATE LAW, YOU DON'T ACTUALLY TAKE THAT POSITION UNTIL YOU'RE SWORN IN WITH YOUR OATH AND STATEMENT.
HOW EXACTLY ARE THEY FUNCTIONING? THAT'S MY POINT.
ONCE THEY TAKE THE OATH, THEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE AN OFFICIAL MEMBER OF IT.
IF THEY, THE ISSUE, UH, AND CORRECT ME PROBABLY IF I'M WRONG, WE'RE HEADING IT.
THE ISSUE IS WHEN THEY TAKE THE OATH, WHEN THE CANVAS AND THE OATH HAPPENS, SO YOU SAID THEY TECHNICALLY COULD BE CANVASING AND TAKE THE OATH RIGHT AWAY, BUT THEY WOULD BE AN OFFICIAL CITY, UH, ELECTED CITY OFFICIAL, AND THEY COULD CONDUCT REPRESENTATIVE BUSINESS ON BEHALF OF THEIR DISTRICTS REGARDLESS OF WAITING TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, AND AS, AND AS FAR AS YOUR COMMENT QUESTION ABOUT HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT? I DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S WHAT WE PAY YOU GUYS FOR.
WELL, IT, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT IT, IT CLEAR TO THE WORLD AND I UNDERSTOOD IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY SAID.
THE VOTES ARE CANVASSED, THEY'RE DONE.
YOU WALK OUT OF THE ROOM AND YOU TAKE YOUR OATH.
THAT MEANS THE OTHER GUY'S TERM ENDED.
THE SECOND YOU TOOK THE OATH AT THE ONE MINUTE AFTER CANVASSING, AND THAT'S WHEN YOU START.
MY CONCERN WAS NOT WHEN IT HAPPENS, UH, THE GUY DOESN'T TAKE HER OR THE LADY DOESN'T TAKE THEIR OATH FOR TWO WEEKS.
MY MY CONCERN WAS THAT THERE BE A SET POINT AND THAT SET POINT SOUNDS LIKE BY DEFINITION, ANYTIME AFTER THE VOTES ARE CANVASSED THAT THEY TAKE THEIR OATH, WHICH CAN BE ONE MINUTE AFTER OR TWO WEEKS AFTER OR WHATEVER.
IF YOU DO REMEMBER THE, THE PROBLEM, UH, WOULD, WOULD THAT CLARITY BE THE ANSWER? BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE WAS.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, I DON'T REMEMBER IT MYSELF.
BUT IF THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT IT, IT LOOKS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF SOMETHING'S BEEN CHANGED SINCE THEN TO CLEAR THAT UP.
BUT IT LOOKS LIKE, AT LEAST FROM WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME, THE WORLD UNDERSTANDS IT TO BE.
IF IT'S ONE MINUTE AFTER CANVAS AND YOU TAKE THE OATH, THAT'S IT.
SO THEY QUALIFY, IT'S THAT THE COUNCIL SHALL MEET AT THE USUAL PLACE OF FOR MEETINGS AND THE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS SHALL QUALIFY AND ASSUME DUTIES OF OFFICE.
THAT ASSUMES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ASSUME THOSE DUTIES AT THAT MEETING BASED ON OUR CHARTER, BASED ON CH SECTION 25.
NOW WAIT A MINUTE, THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
YEAH, YOU'RE THEY'RE GONNA ASSUME THEIR DUTIES AT THE FIRST MEETING AND EXACTLY WHAT MR. BEARD SAID.
I I WOULD DISAGREE THAT TAKING THE, GOING TO THE MEETING AND VOTING IS NOT ALL IT TAKES TO BE A COUNCILMAN WOULD, WOULD SAY THAT THEIR TERMS STARTS.
IF WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND HERE, AND THIS MAY BE THE CONTROVERSY IF I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING IT, IS THAT IF THEY CAN MISS THE VOTES AND SOMEBODY, EXCUSE OF HEATHER, HER TERM IS STILL GOING ON EVEN THOUGH THE VOTE UNTIL THE VOTES ARE CANVASED AND AS SOON AS THE VOTES ARE CANVASED, SHE COULD TAKE HER OATH, HER OLD TERM WOULD END AND HER NEW TERM WOULD BEGIN RIGHT THEN.
AM I UNDERSTANDING? I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
I THINK THAT HER NEW, IF, IF YOU READ THE CHARTER, I THINK IT SAYS AFTER THE CANVAS OF THE ELECTION, THE COUNCIL SHALL MEET THAT IT'S USUAL PLACE OF BUSINESS.
AND THE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBER SHALL QUALIFY AND ASSUME DUTIES.
SO THEY ASSUMED DUTIES AT THAT NEXT MEETING.
BUT I WAS INFORMED, I THOUGHT JUST WHILE AGO THAT IT'S NOT WHEN THAT MEETING STARTS,
[00:55:01]
IT'S WHEN THEY TAKE THE OATH.AND THOSE WERE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
I READ IT LIKE YOU READ IT WHEN THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING IS HELD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING AND IT DOESN'T SAY SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING.
THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT TIMES THOUGH THEN ONE MINUTE AFTER CANVAS AND AT THE TIME THE CONVENING OF THE NEXT MEETING.
I WOULD AGREE THAT MEANS EVEN THOUGH VOTES ARE CANVASED, HEATHER WOULD STILL BE ON HER OLD TERM UNTIL THE ACTUAL CALLING OR THE GATHERING IN, OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
AND I COULD HAVE JUST BEEN DOING IT WRONG.
I MEAN, WELL THAT'S OBVIOUSLY, I'M THINKING WE DO HAVE A CONTROVERSY HERE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I'M NOT CONVINCED EITHER WAY WHICH ONE'S.
UH, I AGREE THAT WITH MS. HORNER THAT IT SAYS TO THE, TO THE, UM, TO THE FACT THAT IT SAYS THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING.
BUT THEN I THINK WE MAYBE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
MAYBE WE NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE BECAUSE DO, IF WE WANT THE WAY THAT WORKS THEN THEORETICALLY AND, AND MR. BEARD'S CORRECT.
I THINK ON THIS POINT, WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S STILL A LEGAL COUNCIL MEMBER, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE LOST THE ELECTION, THE VOTES HAVE BEEN CA CANVASSED.
THEY'RE STILL IN THAT POSITION.
THEIR TERM IS STILL ONGOING UNTIL THEY GAVEL IN THE FIRST MEETING.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PROBLEMS COULD ARISE FROM THAT, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR MISCHIEF.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE NOT SEE IT THAT WAY? BUT IT'S REALLY NOT.
I MEAN, THE PROBLEM, I'LL THROW A SCENARIO OUT THERE.
SO WE HAVE TWO RUNOFFS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
OKAY? WE HAVE THAT ELECTION ON THE 12TH WE CANVAS THE VOTES ON MONDAY, THEY TAKE THE OATH OF MONDAY AFTERNOON.
THOSE GUYS ARE, WHOEVER THEY'RE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THEY CAN START DOING BUSINESS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
THE CITY REPRESENTATIVE, THE PERSON SIT, STILL SITTING IN OFFICE MAY HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THAT BECAUSE THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING HASN'T OCCURRED.
SO THERE COULD BE THE LAWSUIT OR SOME LEGAL ACTION IN MY MIND TAKE PLACE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE OUT REPRESENTING THEMSELVES AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CITY WHEN IF IT HADN'T HAPPENED TO THE NEXT G GUY WITH THE COUNCIL MEETING, THEY'RE NOT.
SO, YEAH, IT MIGHT NEED TO GET CLARIFIED.
I MEAN, THE WHOLE POINT OF THE CHARTER IS TO ELIMINATE SOME ISSUES BEFORE THEY OCCUR.
THE NEXT QUESTION I WOULD HAVE FOR EVERYONE IS IF WE THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO WORK AT, THAT EVERYBODY'S THINKING ABOUT.
WHEN DOES THE NEW GUY TAKE OVER AT THE FIRST COUNCIL MEETING, AS I BELIEVE YOU KNOW, IS IMPLIED FOR SURE ABOUT WHAT'S THERE.
OR ONE MINUTE AFTER THE CANVAS WHEN THEY TAKE THE OATH.
NOW I DON'T KNOW THE BACK 'CAUSE I HADN'T TALKED THAT FAR AHEAD, BUT I, I'M GONNA TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, THE FIRST BLUSH TO ME IS IF YOU DON'T MAKE IT THAT ONE MINUTE AFTER THE CANVAS, IF THEY TAKE THE OATH, THEN YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH, WITH THE GUY THAT'S JUST BEEN VOTED OUTTA OFFICE AND STILL TECHNICALLY THE COUNCILMAN.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT GOOD, BAD COULD COME OF THAT, BUT OBVIOUSLY IF THERE WAS SOME BAD IDEAS GOING ON, THERE WOULD BE CHANCE FOR MISCHIEF FROM THE DATE OF THE CANVAS TILL THE DATE OF THE FIRST MEETING.
NOW THAT WOULD JUST BE MY, MY CONCERN IS WHAT HAPPENED.
SO PUT IN LINE WITH STATE LAW LUKE QUADRANT RIGHT THERE.
SO WOULD IT BE TO PUT IT IN LINE WITH STATE LAW? WELL, I THINK IT'S IN STATE LAW, JUST BY THE QUALIFICATION, OUR CHARTER STATION PROCESS MEETING.
WELL, THE ONLY THING IS WE HAVEN'T DONE, ALWAYS DONE IT THAT WAY.
YEAH, WE CAN CERTAINLY CLARIFY IT.
SO THERE'S NOT A, WE'RE JUST TALKING, WE COULD CERTAINLY CLARIFY THIS TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO, NO, UH, NO QUESTION OF WHEN THAT IS.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA GET TOO FAR AHEAD OF US HERE, BUT IN ORDER TO CUT THE MISCHIEF OFF, I THINK AN EASY WAY, IF IT WERE LEGAL UNDER THE STATE LAW IS TO SAY, UH, UPON CANVAS SOMETHING OF THE VOTE AND TAKING OATH, THE NEW PERSON TAKES OVER AND IF THEY WANT TO DO IT ONE MINUTE AFTER, FINE.
IF THEY DON'T WANNA DO IT TILL A WEEK LATER, THAT'S THEIR BUSINESS.
BUT I MEAN, UH, IT WOULD GIVE CLARITY THERE
BUT THAT WOULD REQUIRE US, I BELIEVE CHANGING 25 YOU GUYS READ, BUT I'M LIKE MS. HORNER, I HAVE INTERPRETATION OF IT BEING THAT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS AT THE CANDIDATE MATTER, WHAT HAPPENS AT THE OATH, THAT PERSON IS NOT NOT A SEATED COUNCIL MEMBER UNTIL THEY GAVEL IN THE NEXT MEETING.
THEY MIGHT WANT TO COME IN AND PUT AGENDA ITEMS ON THE NEXT MEETING AND THEY COULDN'T DO IT IF THEY'RE NOT LEGAL AT COUNCIL MEETING.
A COUNCILMAN, A COUNCIL PERSON.
WHAT IF THE WINNER OF THE LOSER OF THE ELECTION, THE PERSON'S GAVEL IN, COMES IN AND WANTS TO PUT SOMETHING ON IT, WE DISCUSS IT THE NEXT, IN THE FUTURE MEETING.
[01:00:01]
PROBABLY WANT TO LOOK AT SOME CLARIFYING LANGUAGE ON THAT ONE.YEAH, WE JUST PRESENT SOME CLARIFYING LANGUAGE.
WE'LL, WE'LL PRESENT SOME CLARIFYING LANGUAGE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
HOW'S THAT? DO YOU NEED A MOTION FOR THAT? DO WE NEED A MOTION? NO, I CAN TAKE DIRECTION.
CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT WE SEEK SOME OUTSIDE COUNSEL FROM, AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST ON ISSUES OF THIS, UH, THE STAFF THAT, UH, GET AN, GET ANOTHER OPINION.
THERE'S REALLY NOT A, A LEGAL QUESTION.
I MEAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY ASK WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING, BUT I ALREADY GAVE YOU THAT SURVEY, SO I THINK IT'S JUST WHAT
WE'VE CERTAINLY DONE THAT IN THE PAST.
WE'VE DONE IT WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT CHANGING THE COMPOSITION OF THE COUNSEL AND THAT WAS A SPECIFIC OUTSIDE ATTORNEY THAT SPECIALIZED IN THIS KIND, THAT KIND OF, UM, ELECTION CHANGES.
SO ARE YOU TELLING ME STAFF IS OPPOSED TO SEEKING THAT OPINION? WELL, WE'RE GONNA SEEK, UH, WE'RE GONNA PAY AN OUTSIDE ATTORNEY FOR SOMETHING THAT REALLY ISN'T, UH, A LEGAL QUESTION.
I MEAN, SO WHAT WE CAN DO IS I CAN CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO RANDY STRONG, WHO WAS THE CITY ATTORNEY BEFORE, AND IGNACIO RAMEZ AND TO SCOTT BOUNDS AND SEE HOW THEY INTERPRET IT.
WELL THAT WAS EXACTLY WHO I WAS THINKING ABOUT.
KAREN, IF HE SENDS YOU A BIG BILL, YOU LET ME KNOW.
I'LL
I MEAN, I SUSPECT HE HAS AN OPINION.
I MEAN, IF I NEED TO PUT THAT IN THE FORM OF A MOTION THAT WE GO OUT AND SEEK IT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
I'LL TRY TO REACH OUT TO THE LAST, UM, THREE CITY ATTORNEYS AND SEE HOW THEY INTERPRETED IT.
YOU WANNA OPEN IT UP TO ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON ANY OTHER PROPOSED AMENDMENTS? DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANY OTHER OPPOSED ANYTHING ELSE? CAN BARELY HEAR YOU GUYS? DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I WOULD CERTAINLY SUGGEST TO EVERYBODY START THINKING ABOUT IT IF IN FACT WE DO BELIEVE, I BELIEVE THERE'S NO DOUBT IT'S A KIND OF CONTROVERSY, UH, NOT A CONTROVERSY, BUT, BUT UNEX EXACTNESS ABOUT IT OR OR WHATNOT, PRECISE.
IS THAT WHEN YOU WOULD WANT IT TO BE EITHER ONE A ONE MINUTE AFTER THE CANVAS OR AT THE, THE WAY IT, I BELIEVE IT'S SET FORTH NOW.
IS THAT THE, THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING? UH, I JUST THINK PEOPLE SHOULD THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK WOULD BE THE BEST WAY.
AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM TO SET THE
[a. Consider setting date, time and location of the next Charter Review Committee Meeting, along with any related tasks and processes.]
TIME, DATE OF YOUR NEXT MEETING.IS THERE A MOTION FOR THE NEXT TIME DATE WE MAY ASK YOU GUYS TO SPEAK UP? UH, THIS IS BREE.
THAT, THAT'S WHERE I'M HEADING, SIR.
IS THAT WAS THE QUESTION ABOUT SETTING THE NEXT DATE? THAT THIS IS BRIE.
SO I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY CONSIDER SETTING DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION OF THE NEXT CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE ALONG WITH ANY RELATED TASK AND PROCESSES.
COULD I MAKE A SUGGESTION? YES, SIR.
THAT WE SKIP, WE SKIPPED DECEMBER INSTEAD OF DATE FOR JANUARY.
DECEMBER'S GETTING AWFUL CONGESTED AND I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION READY TO REALLY DISCUSS SOME OF THE ITEMS WE'VE DONE.
IT'S WHATEVER YOU GUYS WANT TO DO.
SO I THOUGHT WE ALREADY HAD A
IF YOU GUYS WANNA MEET DECEMBER, I'LL BE THERE.
I JUST THINKING MAYBE WE, YOU KNOW, WE MOVE THIS TO EARLY JANUARY.
WE ALREADY HAVE A PROPOSED, WE ALREADY HAVE A DECEMBER DATE.
WE WENT AHEAD AND PUT IT ON THERE.
IN CASE YOU GUYS WANTED TO CHANGE IT SO THAT WAY YOU GUYS COULD HAVE THE DISCUSSION AND YOU SAID WE DON'T HAVE TO SUBMIT ANY OF, WE'RE NOT SUBMITTING ANY OF THIS TILL FEBRUARY.
SO IT DEPENDS ON HOW FAST YOU MOVE ALONG.
UHHUH
THEN WE DO THE, YOU KNOW, THEN YOU DO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS LIKE YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
YOU JUST MOVE THE, THE TIMELINE FORWARD.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WE SCHEDULE IT OUT TO WHERE YOU WOULD PRESENT IN THE PAST.
THE LATEST WE CAN PRESENT IT IS BY MAY TO GIVE COUNSEL AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW YOUR REPORT.
IF YOU GUYS WANNA SUBMIT IT EARLIER, THEN YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO SUBMIT IT EARLIER.
I, I'M FOR GETTING THIS THING DONE EARLIER MYSELF.
SO WHAT IS THE DATE OF DECEMBER THAT YOU HAVE? 21ST.
NO, IT'S THE FIRST, THE 21ST, THE 14TH.
IT'S THE FIRST, IT'S THE FIRST THREE WEEKS, RIGHT? YOU CAN, YOU CAN MOVE BIT WHEREVER YOU GUYS WANT.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY, YEAH, GONNA BE THE 21ST.
BUT BECAUSE THAT, SO WEEK OF CHRISTMAS STAFF SUGGESTED THAT WE MOVE IT TO THE 14TH, 14TH, 14TH, 14 WORKS WEEK.
[01:05:01]
WHAT TIME? FIVE 30.AND, UH, SO DID THE COUNCIL CHANGE
LETICIA, THAT'S NOT GONNA CONFLICT WITH THE POLICE REVIEW COMMITTEE, IS IT? I HAVE THE POLICE ON THE SECOND TUESDAY.
IT'S THE ON THE EIGHTH, SO NO, IT WON'T CONFLICT.
SO, SO DID THE COUNCIL CHAMBER WORK WELL, UM, FOR YOU GUYS? YES.
I HAVE, SO IS EVERYBODY DECEMBER? MM-HMM
WE DO A MOTION OR, UH, DO YOU WANNA DO A MOTION, MS. LEY? I DON'T KNOW.
AM I GONNA GET DECEMBER 14TH? I WANNA GET CHEWED OUT FOR IT.
WE HAVE OUR NEXT, UH, MAKING NEXT MEETING.
FOR, UH, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14TH AT FIVE 30.
UM, ANY, UH, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
DO WE HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION? OKAY.