[00:00:19]
AND I'LL CALL THIS MEETING THE BAYTOWN
[ BAYTOWN MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT NOTICE OF MEETING BAYTOWN MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT REGULAR MEETING THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021 4:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 Due to the COVID 19 Disaster and the CDC's recommendation regarding social distancing measures, the public may not be allowed to be physically present at this meeting, as there is a limited amount of space when maintaining the required 6-feet separation from others. For those members of the public that cannot or do not wish to be physically present at the meeting, they will be able to participate through two-way communications, unless the Open Meetings Act suspensions no longer apply. For video conferencing, use the following website www.zoom.com, click on "join a meeting" on the top right-hand corner, and input the following Meeting ID: 874 8650 1907. For telephone conferencing please use the following toll-free number: 1-888-788-0099, Meeting ID: 874 8650 1907. Any person, who is participating through video/teleconferencing and is interested in speaking on any item on the agenda, must submit his/her request via email to the Interim Assistant Secretary at cityclerk@baytown.org. The request must include the speaker's name, address, and phone number that will be used if teleconferencing as well as the agenda item number. The request must be received prior to the posted time of the meeting. The agenda packet is accessible to the public in both HTML and PDF formats at the following link: https://www.baytown.org/183/Public-Meetings-Agenda-Packets. After the meeting, a video recording of this meeting will be made available to the public at https://www.baytown.org/183/Public-Meetings-Agenda-Packets. For more information or questions concerning the teleconference, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at 281-420-6504. AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ]
MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, UH, REGULAR MEETING TO ORDER THIS THURSDAY, JULY 1ST.IT'S 4:32 PM WE ARE IN, UH, CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
[1. MINUTES]
OUR, UH, MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 3RD MEETING, UH, WITH, UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR ABSTENTIONS? IF NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE, UH, MINUTES IS WRITTEN.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED? WE HAVE ITEM TWO A CONDUCT A
[a. Conduct a public hearing concerning the Baytown Municipal Development District's Fiscal Year 2021-22 Proposed Budget.]
PUBLIC HEARING CONCERN THE BAYTOWN MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENTS DISTRICT'S FISCAL YEAR 20 21, 22 PROPOSED BUDGET.SO FIRST OF ALL, LEMME READ THIS PUBLIC HEARING TODAY IS BEING HELD FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING RESIDENCE OF THE DISTRICT.
THE RIGHT TO SPEAK AND BE HEARD.
EVERYONE DESIRING TO SPEAK AT TODAY'S HEARING SHOULD HAVE EITHER SIGNED THE APPROPRIATE LIST IN THE FOYER OR EMAILED THE DISTRICT ASSISTANT SECRETARY PRIOR TO THE POSTED TIME OF THIS MEETING.
EACH SPEAKER SHALL GIVE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A PROPER RECORD OF THIS HEARING.
THE RULES ALLOW EACH SPEAKER THREE MINUTES TO PRESENT INFORMATION.
HOWEVER, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE AS BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DIRECT 'EM TO ME AND I WILL AID, I WILL AID THE I WILL I WITH, WITH THE AID OF STAFF.
I SHALL ATTEMPT TO HAVE THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
IT IS NOW 4:33 PM AND I'LL CALL THIS ORDER OF THE PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE BAYTOWN MD'S FISCAL YEAR 2122 PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO NOW I'D LIKE TO HAVE STAFF SUMMARIZE, UM, THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
MAYOR, AT YOUR LAST MEETING, THE CITY MANAGER PRESENTED THE DRAFT MDD BUDGET AND WE HAVE MADE A TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENT, UH, SINCE THAT LAST MEETING.
UM, WITHIN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PORTION OF THE BUDGET, YOU WILL SEE 200,000 HAS MOVED FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFFING DOWN INTO THE BUDGET FOR THE HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER.
TO SAY IT'S A TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENT, IT DOESN'T AFFECT THE BOTTOM LINE.
THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE TO ADD, MR. PRESIDENT.
UH, IS, UH, MS. MS THIS CLERK? IS THAT WHAT MS. SECRETARY? DO WE HAVE ANYONE DESIRING TO SPEAK FROM THE PUBLIC? OKAY.
SO THERE BEING NO ONE DESIRING TO SPEAK, I NOW CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE BAYTOWN MINNESOTA DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT'S FY 2122 PROPOSED BUDGET.
[b. Consider a resolution adopting the Baytown Municipal Development District Fiscal Year 2021-22 Budget.]
TWO B, CONSIDER RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE BAYTOWN MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, FISCAL YEAR 2122 BUDGET.UH, BUT I WOULD ASK, UH, FIRST, UM, FOR DISCUSSION, UH, I WILL TELL YOU, UM, I THINK JUST WITH THE DISCUSSION THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE LAST, THE LAST MDD MEETING, UM, I DO NOT PLAN ON, ON APPROVING A BUDGET TONIGHT, BUT IF, IF YOU SO WISH, THEN WE SHALL DO SO.
SO I COULD JUST HAVE A LITTLE, LITTLE EXTRA TIME? YES, SIR.
AND THE THE FIRST COMMENT IS THAT, UH, I WANNA SAY THAT I COULD NOT AGREE MORE AS FAR AS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADDITIONAL POSITION GOES.
THAT IT'S, IT'S IN REGARDS TO THAT, MY COMMENTS ARE, AND I CAN SAY THAT, THAT I COULD, I CANNOT AGREE MORE WITH, WITH DIRECTORS LESTER AND ELDORADO ABOUT TRYING TO LEVERAGE THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN A, IN A MORE PRODUCTIVE FASHION TO, TO HELP US WITH SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CITY, PARTICULARLY IN THE OLDER AREAS OF TOWN.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS A, A VERY COURAGEOUS COMMENTS TO MAKE.
AND, AND I, I COULD NOT AGREE MORE WITH THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD COST US ZERO ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE'RE PAYING NOW BECAUSE WE DO SUPPORT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WE HAVE FOR DECADES, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF THE CITY HAS A LOT OF MEMBERSHIPS, AND WE'VE, WE'VE PAID TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, IF NOT POSSIBLY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OVER THE LAST 10 OR 20 YEARS.
SO I THINK THERE'S MORE THAT CAN BE DONE IN, IN THAT REGARD.
UM, ALSO, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS, AND, AND MR. DAVIS ALLUDED TO IT, WE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO ABOUT BRINGING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN HOUSE.
WE DID, HOWEVER,
AND, AND PART OF THAT CONVERSATION IS, YOU KNOW, WE OUGHT TO JUST HIRE BJ
SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS ACTUALLY A CENTRAL PART OF THAT
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CONVERSATION THAT, THAT YOU AND I AND A FORMER COLLEAGUE DID INDEED HAVE.BUT THAT, THAT WASN'T MENTIONED AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT THAT WAS A CENTRAL PART OF IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M AT IS WE SPEND A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO, TO AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR, EDF OF COURSE, BJ DOES A GOOD JOB.
NO ONE HAS MORE RESPECT FOR BJ THAN I DO.
HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, SIX YEARS LATER WE'RE, WE STILL HAVE THE OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR ENGAGED, WE'RE STILL PAYING THE SAME MONEY.
WE'VE BROUGHT IN AN ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSON IN-HOUSE.
NOW WE'RE, NOW WE'RE BACK AT LOOKING AT, AT ADDING A SECOND ONE.
MY SUPPORT FOR THE FIRST ONE WAS BASED ON THE OMBUDSMAN ROLE THAT THE POSITION WOULD PLAY.
NOW, WE, WE HEARD THAT THE NEW POSITION WOULD BE AN OMBUDSMAN.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M KIND OF HEARING THE SAME THING OVER AGAIN, THAT THAT DREW MY SUPPORT OUT ON THE, THE FIRST TIME.
AND, UH, SO I, I THINK ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
AND I, I REALIZE, MAYOR, WHEN WE, WHEN WE, WHEN WE RENEWED WITH EDF LAST TIME, WE TRIED TO DIFFERENTIATE THE DUTIES BETWEEN IN-HOUSE AND EDFI, I REALIZE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, I THINK WE'VE TAKEN SOME THINGS OFF THE PLATE OF EDF AND, AND WE TALKED ABOUT, NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THEM JUST HANDLING INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT SOLELY.
SO WE'VE TAKEN SOME THINGS OFF THEIR PLATE AND, YOU KNOW, WE PAY THE EXACT SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY WHENEVER, IN MY OPINION.
THEY'RE DOING A LITTLE BIT LESS NOW.
AND WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE SOME OF THAT TO THE, THE PAID POSITION, THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL COST.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE A COUPLE OTHER THINGS TOO.
SO AS FAR AS THE OMBUDSMAN ROLE GOES, I, I CAN TELL YOU I'VE BEEN CONTACTED RECENTLY.
I'M CONTACTED ON A ROUTINE BASIS.
I KNOW A PROPRIETOR HAS REACHED OUT TO COUNCILMAN JOHNSON AS WELL.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A RESTAURANT TRYING TO OPEN IN THE ARTS DISTRICT CURRENTLY, AND THEY'VE RUN INTO
THEY, THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE, SOMEWHAT OF A CREDIBLE PROPRIETOR ENTREPRENEUR, BUT THEY'VE BEEN TOLD THEY NEED TO FIRE, SPRINKLE THE BUILDING.
AND PREVIOUSLY THE BUILDING WAS USED AS THE GLASS ONION RESTAURANT, THE VERANDA RESTAURANT, AND THE RED FOX RESTAURANT.
SO NOW THEY'RE BEING TOLD THEY NEED TO SPRINKLE THE BUILDING AND IT COST ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO SPRINKLE THE BUILDING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE APPLIED FOR THE, THE CO OVER A MONTH AGO, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STILL CALLING THE COUNCILMAN, THE PROPERTY OWNER CALLED ME, THE PROPRIETOR CALLED MR. JOHNSON.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S SOME ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POSITION CURRENTLY.
I THINK WE CAN BETTER INTERFACE BETWEEN ADMIN OR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PERMITTING AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE RIGHT HAND COMMUNICATES WITH THE LEFT HAND A LITTLE MORE TO WHERE WE CAN BE MORE PROACTIVE AND, AND WE CAN REACH OUT AND SEND THEM THE GRANT APPLICATION THAT WE HAVE.
NOW, I FORWARDED THE GRANT APPLICATION TO THE PROPERTY OWNER.
AND, UH, SO I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
AND HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, EDF IN-HOUSE OMBUDSMAN, WHICH WE STILL GET THE CALLS AND, AND I KNOW MAYOR, YOU STILL GET A LOT OF PHONE CALLS ON PERMITTING, AS DO I, AS DO A FEW OF YOU GUYS.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE'VE KIND OF GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A HOT MESS GOING ON HERE.
AND IN, IN MY OPINION, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND, AND, AND LOOK AT THE PROCESS AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING, OR A FEW THINGS.
I MEAN, I HAVE TWO OR THREE
AND, AND COUNCILMAN JOHNSON HAD A GOOD ONE AS FAR AS THE OCCUPANCY LIMITS AND THE BUILDING CODES GO AND TRYING TO CREATE SOME CODE FLEXIBILITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I, I DON'T SEE A RUSH.
I, I JUST THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
AND I, I THINK THE TIME IS NOW, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THINGS LEFT ON MY PLATE TO GET ACCOMPLISHED, BUT THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THEM FOR THE ENTIRE TIME I'VE, I'VE BEEN UP HERE.
AND I GUESS, SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS IF WE CAN JUST LOOK AT MAYBE AN ALTERNATIVE THAT WOULD SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND WOULD NOT ADD ANOTHER LAYER OF BUREAUCRACY, WOULD NOT ADD ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE COST TO MDD, WHICH IS FOR BRICKS AND MORTAR.
FRANKLY, I WOULD RATHER HAVE THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO GIVE
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TO THE PROPRIETOR TO HELP PUT IN THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM TO GET A NEW RESTAURANT AS OPPOSED TO AN ANOTHER MORE OVERHEAD COMING OUT OF MDD.SO, LIKE I SAY, I, I KNOW THE INTENT FROM MR. DAVIS IS, IS, IS VERY GOOD.
AND I, I DO RESPECT IT AND APPRECIATE IT.
I, I, I THINK TRYING TO DO SOMETHING IS, IS PROBABLY AN ADMONITION THAT THERE'S A LITTLE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF AND I'M SPEAKING FOR MS. ALVARADO, I'M PRETTY SURE WE, WE HAVE OUR HANDS FULL
IT, IT IS OVERWHELMING TRYING TO REPRESENT DISTRICT TWO AND, AND BETTER DISTRICT TWO AT TIMES.
AND I THINK MS. ALVARADO PROBABLY FEELS THE SAME WAY.
AND IT JUST, TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE BEFORE WE ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND WE TRY TO FIX THE PROCESS, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE GIVING A BANDAID TO SOMEONE THAT HAS INTERNAL INJURIES.
SO I JUST THINK THERE'S A SEQUENCE OF EVENTS.
MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY LUCK OR, OR WE CAN'T MAKE SOME WHOLESALE CHANGES THAT ARE PRODUCTIVE, MAYBE WE REVISIT THIS IN THE FUTURE.
MAYBE WE DO MAKE THE CHANGES AND THE PROCESS IMPROVES AND IT BETTER DEFINES WHAT WE WOULD DO WITH AN ADDITIONAL HIRE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST LOOKING AT IT IN A SEQUENTIAL MANNER AND I, I THINK WE'RE ONE OR TWO STEPS AWAY FROM EVEN CONTEMPLATING AN ADDITIONAL POSITION.
AND I, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THAT.
BUT LIKE I SAY, I'M JUST ONE PERSON.
AND, AND I DON'T MEAN TO SPEAK FOR COUNCILWOMAN ALVARADO, BUT SHE'S CALLED ME A FEW TIMES, AND I CAN TELL YOU SHE'S
AND, UH, SO THAT, THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE.
MAYOR, I, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT IT.
LET, LET ME BE SURE SO I DON'T HAVE TO MAKE ANY OTHER COMMENTS.
YEAH, THAT, THAT, THAT'S REALLY, THAT, THAT'S THE GIST OF IT.
AND I, I APPRECIATE THE ADDITIONAL TIME.
ANY DIFFERENT EVIDENCE? WE, WE DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO, TO TELL YOU THAT THAT POSITION'S NOT PART OF THIS BUDGET PROPOSAL.
I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS.
I I DON'T THINK WE CAN AGREE MORE WITH YOU THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DO SOME MORE ENVISIONING AND, AND, AND TRY TO CRAFT SOMETHING, UH, FOR DISCUSSION WITH YOU LATER ABOUT THE FUTURE OF, OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK AS A COMMUNITY, NOT JUST AS A CITY, WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF IN A TRANSITION, UH, PHASE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
SO WE NEED TO, WE, WE AGREE YEAH.
WITH A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND, AND, UH, WE'RE, UH, WE'LL MOVE, UH, FORWARD ACCORDINGLY.
WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS TAKEN OUT.
I, I, I, YOU KNOW, FEEL KIND OF SILLY NOW.
I WOULDN'T HAVE WASTED WELL, I, VICTOR MENTIONED THAT.
YEAH, MR. PRESIDENT, SO I, I SHOULD HAVE LET THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE LET THAT GO AS LONG.
UH, THAT WAS THE REFERENCE I MADE AT THE BEGINNING TO THE TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENT.
YEAH, I ACTUALLY, THAT WAS, I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE CONTINGENCY OR WHEN WE MOVED SOME ADDITIONAL MONEY PREVIOUSLY OVER TO THE HOTEL CONFERENCE CENTER.
BUT ANYWAY, I'M SORRY, I WAS STILL WORKING ON MY NOTES, SO I APOLOGIZE.
I THINK WHAT YOU SHARED WAS, UH, VERY, VERY RELEVANT AND IT WAS VERY VALUABLE.
UH, WE NEED TO BUILD UPON THAT.
UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE AS A COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE'RE KIND OF CRAFT THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR, UH, BAYTOWN AND, AND FIGURING OUT WHERE DO WE GO, UH, FROM HERE? WHAT RESOURCES DO WE REALLY NEED TO BRING TO BEAR? I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS ABOUT LEVERAGING THE PARTNERSHIPS WE ALREADY HAVE.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AS WELL.
AND, UH, SO I'LL TAKE HIM VERY WELL AND, UH, WE'LL HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT.
I DO, I DO APPRECIATE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, I DO SEE WHERE THE A HUNDRED DOLLARS WAS TAKEN OUT.
WHAT I, I WANNA KNOW WHERE IT WENT.
AND AGAIN, TO CLARIFY, THERE WAS 100,000 FOR A POSITION AND A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR ASSOCIATED WORKS AT THE BRUNSON, UH, THAT HAS BEEN MOVED TO THE HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER.
LINE TO PUT IT BACK UP TO THE 1.6 MILLION.
IT WAS IN THE BUDGET, UH, IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
SO THERE SHOULD BE A PLUS OF 200 K TO AN A DIFFERENT, A DI DIFFERENT LINE ITEM.
AND IT'S, IT'S, IT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR YOU REVISED BUDGET THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
IF YOU SEE ON THE HOTEL CONVENTION CENTER LINE, THE FIGURE IS NOW 1.6 MILLION.
OKAY, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND SO, SO NOW WE, WE BEGIN WITH THIS PROPOSED BUDGET WITH, WITH THE TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENT OF BOTH 100 FROM, UH, THE ECONOMIC RETENTION COORDINATOR AND THEN THE BRUNSON REDEVELOPMENT.
UM, SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT? YES.
SO THIS WOULD BE THE PROPOSED, UH, BUDGET FROM STAFF.
IT IS OURS AT THIS POINT TO MAKE ANY ADDITIONAL ADJUSTMENTS.
THAT WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE ADJUSTMENT.
AND THEN WE, WE SEE WHAT WE, WHAT WE BELIEVE IS, UH, FIT AT THIS POINT.
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LIKE TO HEAR, UM, FROM INDIVIDUALS ON ANY QUESTIONS.I KNOW THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS, I THINK BESIDES THE, THE ONE ADDITIONAL HEAD COUNT.
WAS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING ELSE? NOT ANY QUESTIONS, MAYOR, BUT I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
AND SO I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THE REST OF MY COMMENTS BECAUSE, UM, WE GOT THAT CLARIFICATION, BUT I JUST APPRECIATE HAVING MORE TIME TO DISCUSS THIS AND REVIEW IT, AND REVIEW THE PROCESS.
AND I REALLY DO, UM, YOU KNOW, AFTER LOOKING AT THE JOB DESCRIPTION YOU SENT US AFTER THAT LAST MEETING AND JUST BEING ABLE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF FOCUS AROUND RETENTION, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW I BRING THAT TO YOU A LOT.
UM, I TALK TO BRETT ABOUT THAT A LOT.
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS COMPANY, THAT COMPANY AND ET CETERA.
AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS BEING PART OF THE, THE NEW POSITION OR, YOU KNOW, AS WE TALK ABOUT EXISTING, UM, SUPPORT THAT COULD BE ADDED TO THAT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO MENTION THAT.
UM, ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PART, I JUST NEED SOME CLARIFICATION.
UM, THE FIRST ONE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW AND EXPANSION OF EXISTING BUSINESS FOR 500,000, IS THAT THE FEE FOR, TO EDF? NO.
WHAT IS THAT ONE? NO, THAT'S THE, THE LINE BELOW THAT IS EDF TO 250,000.
THE ONE ABOVE THAT IS UTILIZED FOR BASICALLY, UH, RECRUITMENT EFFORTS FOR NEW BUSINESS.
UM, IT'S ALSO LIKE HEB OR IT IT COULD BE, YEAH.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S FAIRLY OPEN-ENDED.
IT ALSO INCLUDES IF THERE'S ANY TRAVEL TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE ICSC OR, OR ANY OTHER CONFERENCE LIKE THAT THAT COMES OUT OF THAT LINE.
SO IT'S ALL RELATED TO RECRUITMENT OF, OF NEW BUSINESS IN THERE.
WE USUALLY LIKE TO LEAVE ENOUGH IN THERE JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING COULD COME UP DURING THE YEAR MM-HMM
UM, WHERE YOU NEED THAT ON HAND.
AND THEN WHAT IS THE SPECIAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS FOR ONE 50? SO THAT, GENERALLY, IF THERE ARE SPECIAL PROJECTS THAT THE MDD WANTS TO SEE EDF DO DURING THE YEAR, UM, IT COULD BE A STUDY THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
UM, IT COULD BE A VARIETY OF THINGS.
IT'S NOT GUARANTEED TO GO TO EDF, BUT IT'S THERE AVAILABLE JUST IN CASE IT'S NEEDED.
UM, BJ CAN PROBABLY TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE OVER THE YEARS.
UM, IT'S JUST, IT'S AN EXTRA RESOURCE.
IT'S NOT AUTOMATICALLY GUARANTEED TO GO TO THEM, BUT IT'S THERE AS A RESOURCE IF, IF NEEDED.
CAN I ASK, I WANNA ASK A QUESTION ON THAT.
AND SO IS IT SOMETHING WHERE EITHER THIS BOARD OR THIS MDD WE APPROVE A SPECIAL PROJECT? OR IS IT SOMETHING WHERE IT'S A REIMBURSABLE TO THE EDF OR IT'S SOMETHING THEY SUBMIT TO US, BUT I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALLOCATING THE MONEY BUDGETARILY, BUT, UH, COULD BE, COULD BE EITHER OR.
UM, YEAH, IT COULD BE EITHER ONE.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE 400,000 FOR PROPERTY ACQUISITION.
DO WE HAVE ANYTHING IN MIND OR IS THAT JUST KIND OF IN CASE SAME, SAME THING AS ABOVE.
UM, YOU NEVER KNOW DURING THE YEAR WHAT'S, WHAT COULD COME UP.
AND IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THAT AVAILABLE THERE.
UM, IN THE PAST WE'VE REALLOCATED IT FOR A VARIETY OF THINGS, LIKE IF WE NEED TO ACQUIRE LAND FOR PARKS, UM, IN THE PAST, MDD HAS SELECTED TO UTILIZE THAT FOR PARK ACQUISITION MONEY.
SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S THERE KIND OF AS, AS ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS.
UM, AS FAR AS PROPERTY ACQUISITION GOES, UM, I'D REALLY LOVE A HARD LOOK AROUND PIRATES BAY, UM, NOW THAT WE'RE BACK IN FULL SWING AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL KNOW I LIVE AROUND THERE, THE PARKING IS JUST INADEQUATE AND, UH, I THINK IT'S ONLY GONNA GET WORSE.
IT'S GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE CARS ARE PARKING IN THE DITCH, THEY'RE PARKING ON THE BUSINESSES THAT FRONT CEDAR BAYOU LYNCHBURG, AND THEN PEOPLE ARE WALKING ON A ROAD WITH NO SIDEWALKS TO GET TO PIRATES BAY.
I KNOW WE'RE A LITTLE LANDLOCKED, UM, IN THAT AREA WITH HOMES AND BAYTOWN CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, BUT JUST SOMETHING TO REALLY THINK ABOUT LONG TERM.
WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE PARKING.
AND MAYBE PROPERTY ACQUISITION COMES TO PLAY THERE.
UM, AND WE DO PLAN TO ADD SOME PARKING WITHIN THE EXISTING LIMITS AS A PART OF THE, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX PROJECT WE'RE GONNA DO.
UM, BUT WE'VE ALSO KEPT AN EYE ON WHAT'S AVAILABLE THERE.
YEAH, WE KNOW PARKING IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE BECAUSE I, I SEE WE HAVE SOME EXPANSION OF PIRATES BAY BUDGET, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, P PARKING I THINK IS, IS CRITICAL MORE OF A NEED THAN A WANT.
UM, AND THEN THE, UM, PERFECT TRAIL IMPLEMENTATION FOR GOOSE CREEK TRAIL AND BAYTOWN NATURE CENTER.
I MEAN, I LOVE THE PERFECT TRAIL PROGRAM, BUT I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE GONNA TRY TO PILOT IT AT JENKINS FIRST BEFORE WE WENT AND IMPLEMENTED IT, UM, IN OTHER AREAS.
AND SO I THOUGHT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, LET'S GET JENKINS GOING AND
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THEN MAYBE NEXT BUDGET WE COULD LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, PUTTING IT IN OTHER PLACES.JENKINS PARK IS, WE'RE JUST ABOUT READY TO GO OUT AND DO THAT PROJECT.
WE'VE GOT THE PLANS AND EVERYTHING JUST, WE JUST COMPLETED IT.
SO WE'RE ABOUT TO START ON IT AND START ROLLING IT OUT.
SO YOU SHOULD SEE THAT HITTING THE FLOOR PRETTY QUICK.
SO, AND WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST CONTINUE THE, CONTINUE THE PROCESS TO THE NEXT, WE'RE DOING THE HARD PART NOW IS GETTING ALL THAT, ALL THE SIGNAGE AND ALL THAT STUFF WORKED OUT.
SO THEN WE'LL FOLLOW IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE REST OF OUR PROJECT.
COUNCILWOMAN, JUST TO CLARIFY YOUR COMMENT, WOULD IT BE YOUR PREFERENCE OR SUGGESTION TO SEE THE COMPLETION AND CULMINATION OF THAT PROJECT TO THEN MAKE A DECISION ON GOING FORWARD? TO ME, THAT'S WHAT A PILOT MEANS.
AND SO BUDGETING IT BEFORE IT'S IMPLEMENTED TELLS ME Y'ALL ARE CONFIDENT THAT IT'S A SLAM DUNK AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND JUST BUDGET THE NEXT PHASE.
WHEREAS I, I THOUGHT THE PLAN WAS LET'S PILOT IT, LET'S SEE WHAT DIDN'T WORK, WHAT ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, AND THEN EXPAND IT.
BUT IF WE BUDGET IT, THE MESSAGE TO ME IS IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA WORK OUT GREAT.
LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND, YOU KNOW, FORGE AHEAD.
UM, I MEAN, IF THAT'S HOW Y'ALL FEEL, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT IT WAS A PILOT AND THE ONLY REASON I, I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE POSSIBLY THESE FUNDS MAY BE OPEN.
UM, I I, I WANNA SUGGEST MAYBE SOME INVESTMENT IN SOME CITY OWNED BUILDINGS ON TEXAS AVENUE, AROUND TEXAS AVENUE, SPECIFICALLY THE BAYTOWN ART LEAGUE, AND MAYBE EVEN THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM.
AND, UM, IN TALKING WITH, UM, AT LEAST THE ART LEAGUE LADIES, I KNOW THAT WHEN THE DEAL WAS MADE YEARS AGO FOR THEM TO OCCUPY THE SPACE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FOR FOR FREE OR FOR LIMIT LIMITED RENT, THAT THEY WOULD MAINTAIN IT.
BUT FRANKLY, AS A, YOU KNOW, A NON-PROFIT AND BASED IN ARTS, THEY, THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE THE, THE MEANS TO DO THAT OR ANY LARGE BENEFACTORS TO HELP THEM DO THAT.
AND AS WE'RE REALLY GROWING OUR PRESENCE DOWN THERE, UM, I THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE AN ATTRACTION, OR SHOULD BE.
AND WHEN YOU WALK IN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CARPET SHOULD, YOU KNOW, NOT BE RIPPED AND THE FLOORBOARD SIDING SHOULD BE COMPLETE AND THE CEILING TILES SHOULDN'T HAVE WATER STAINS ON THEM.
AND, UM, I KNOW THE AGREEMENT IS PROBABLY THEY SHOULD BE FIXING THAT STUFF, BUT REALLY THAT THEY CAN'T, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO.
AND I THINK REALLY MINIMAL MAINTENANCE, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE BUILDINGS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, OWNERSHIP OF THAT WE WANT TO BE AN ATTRACTION TO PEOPLE, I THINK SEEMS LIKE A GOOD IDEA.
SO I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT.
'CAUSE I'M TRYING TO RECALL BACK WHEN IT, THE BUILDING WAS PURCHASED, THERE WAS SOME, THERE WAS SOME MONEY WE HAD TO PUT IN TO GET IT UP TO CODE.
I THINK THERE'S A SECOND LEVEL THAT WAS SOME ISSUES.
YEAH, THERE WAS, IT WAS A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WELL, I REMEMBER WE, WE, THE, THE SALE PRICE WASN'T THE ISSUE UPSTAIRS.
I THINK THERE WAS OTHER, OTHER ISSUES.
THERE HAD BEEN A FIRE IN THE BUILDING AND THERE WERE QUITE A BIT OF STRUCTURAL ISSUES.
AND IT'S, IT'S MY RECOLLECTION, YEAH.
THAT WHAT WAS GOING TO BE A 50 OR 60, $60,000 EXPENSE TURNED INTO TWO OR 300,000.
BUT YEAH, SO, BUT I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS AND I DO AGREE WITH THAT IN THE SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, I, IN THE CITY MANAGER KNOWS, I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN IMPROVING AND FIXING THE PROPERTIES AND, AND WE HAVE A PLAN.
AND I KNOW WE'RE CLOSE TO A, A GROUNDBREAKING ON ONE OF THEM, BUT I, I, I DO SUPPORT THAT IN THE SENSE THAT I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME, UH,
IS THERE, COULD WE, IF WE, IF WE'RE WILLING TO MAKE THAT INVESTMENT, AND I THINK IT'D BE RELATIVELY SMALL, BUT IF IT'S CARPET AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD BE WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.
AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDRESSING THE, NO, NO, NOT, MAYBE NOT THAT, BUT I'M, YOU KNOW, THE CARPET OR CEILING TILES OR JUST GENERAL MAINTENANCE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN, IT'S, IT'S A CITY'S BUILDING, SO IT'S OUR BUILDING.
THAT'S WHAT I'M, I'M MAKING SURE.
I WOULD SAY AT A, AT A GRANDER LEVEL, I MEAN, I, I KNOW THE MUSEUM IS GONNA BE DOING SOME ENVISIONING PROBABLY WOULDN'T HURT TO, TO MAYBE WORK WITH THE ART LEAGUE ON SOME SIMILAR THINGS BEFORE WE MAKE MAJOR REPAIRS.
BUT YEAH, IF THERE'S THINGS LIKE CARPETING THAT ARE BECOMING A MAJOR ISSUE, WE'LL, WE'LL REACH OUT TO THE ART LEAGUE AND TALK TO 'EM AND SURE.
I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT UPSTAIRS OR THE FIRE.
I DON'T, I JUST KNOW WHEN I WALK IN, THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY JUST REALLY GENERAL BASIC COSMETIC MAINTENANCE.
WELL, AND THAT WAS OVER 10 YEARS AGO, I BELIEVE WHEN THAT, WHEN THAT WAS, WAS DONE SO, AND SO, I CAN'T IMAGINE IT BEING THAT, THAT COSTLY, UM, AND NOT, DEFINITELY NOT IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS.
BUT IT, LIKE I SAID, IT'S CEILING TILES, CARPET PAINT, UH, YOU KNOW, FLOORBOARD, UH, SIDING TYPE THINGS.
[00:25:01]
AND I WAS JUST THINKING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OPEN, THEY'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE DOWN THERE.THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW ATTRACTIONS WE HAVE FOR PEOPLE TO VISIT WHEN THEY ARE ON TEXAS AVENUE.
I DON'T KNOW, WE JUST GIVE IT A NEW COAT OF PAINT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE A GREAT PARTNER.
WE DID, UM, WE DID UTILIZE, I THINK IT WAS THROUGH THE HOT FUND.
SO THE, THE OUTSIDE EXTERIOR, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOT THAT NICE, UH, PAINTED FACADE NOW.
AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED THEM BEFORE.
UM, SO YEAH, WE'LL TALK TO 'EM AND SEE.
WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO, DO THAT FACILITY, OR AT LEAST THAT BUILDING SINCE IT'S OURS, AND I GUESS YOU MENTIONED THE MUSEUM, IF, IF THAT'S OURS TOO.
WAS THAT INCLUDED IN OUR FACILITIES ASSESSMENT? UH, DO, DO NOT BELIEVE, UH, THE ART LEAGUE WAS THE MUSEUM.
I KNOW THE SIDE WHERE HEALTH IS, WAS DEFINITELY INCLUDED.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE MUSEUM SIDE WAS OR NOT.
BUT THE, IT, THE MUSEUM BUILDING IS A VERY OLD BUILDING AS MR. LESTER CAN, CAN DESCRIBE.
AND WE'VE SPENT, WE'VE SPENT AN EX I WOULD SAY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY OUT OF THE HOT FUND TO JUST MAINTAIN THAT BUILDING IN, IN THE SYSTEMS INSIDE OF IT, INCLUDING ON THE MUSEUM SIDE.
SO, UM, WELL, UH, ONLY ADDITIONAL COMMENT I'LL MAKE IS, IS I MEAN, I THINK IF WE CAN ALLOCATE SOME MONEY TO MAYBE BOTH THOSE FACILITIES TO, TO TRY TO GET 'EM A LITTLE BIT MORE ATTRACTIVE OR AT LEAST, UM, I SAY ALMOST HOUSEKEEPING STUFF THAT, THAT THEY, THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE, THE RESOURCES FOR.
BUT I, I WANNA KIND OF CIRCLE BACK A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT COUNCILMAN PRESLEY MENTIONED.
WHAT I STRUGGLE WITH, UH, IN THE TEXAS AVENUE AREA IS, UM, I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT POTENTIAL DOWNTOWN TOWN SQUARE, THE BUILDINGS AROUND IT.
WHAT WE STRUGGLE WITH, WE HAVE TO GET BEYOND, AND I'M JUST GONNA SAY IT SOMETIMES BEING OUR OWN WORST ENEMY, UH, I TRAVELED TO EITHER LOCAL, OTHER SMALL TOWNS, TRAVEL TO OTHER TOWNS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND IT SEEMS THESE BUILDINGS, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT HISTORICAL IN NATURE, THEY'RE JUST OLD BUILDINGS.
HOW DO WE OVERCOME OR HOW THESE OTHER COMMUNITIES, EVEN SOME OF 'EM PRETTY LOCAL TO US, HOW DO THEY OVERCOME THE SAME FIRE CODES, THE SAME BUILDING CODES THAT WE, THAT WE PUT ON OURSELVES? BECAUSE WHEN INDIVIDUALS, AND I DON'T KNOW, I, I HAVE, I HAVE NO CLUE THE INDIVIDUAL THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE VERANDA, BUT IT'S JUST DISAPPOINTING TO ME WHEN SOMEONE IS WILLING TO GO AND INVEST THEIR, THEIR PRIVATE DOLLARS, WHICH THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR, OUR DRIVE WAS TO MAKE THE, THE, THE CITY INVESTMENT IN TEXAS AVENUE SO THAT WE DO BRING PRIVATE DOLLARS, BUT YET THE FIRST THING THEY ENCOUNTER IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, ISSUE.
IS THERE NOT, IS THERE NOT A WAY THAT WE CAN EITHER PROVIDE SOME TYPE OF OPTION OR ALTERNATIVES WHERE IN LIEU OF SPRINGING THE BUILDING, YOU EITHER HAVE, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE EXITS OR MORE FIRE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FIRE DETECTORS OR SOMETHING.
IS, IS THERE ALTERNATIVES TO THAT? I LIKE REALLY SOLUTION DRIVEN ALTERNATIVES BECAUSE OTHER COMMUNITIES HAS HAVE, HAS FIGURED IT OUT.
AND I HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN STAFF.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT OR NOT.
WE'RE GONNA KEEP INVESTING IN TEXAS AVENUE, BUT WE WILL NOT HAVE A, A GATEWAY FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN AND TRULY OPEN A BUSINESS.
SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
I, I, I'D RECOMMEND NOT CONCLUDING THAT, THAT, UH, THAT WE'VE TURNED ANYBODY AWAY OR THAT WE'RE, WE'RE STOPPING ANYBODY YET.
I AM, UH, FOR ONE, NOT AWARE OF, OF ANY VENTURE THAT WANTS TO COME ON TEXAS AVENUE THAT'S BEING STOPPED BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DO X, Y, OR Z.
WE WILL BE OVER EXUBERANT AND AMBITIOUS AND EXCITED TO, UH, PARTNER AND ASSIST ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COME IN AND REHABILITATE ONE OF THESE BUILDINGS AND OPEN UP A VIABLE BUSINESS.
WELL, YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF IT, BUT I, IT SEEMS LIKE SOME OF US ARE AWARE OF IT.
I'VE BEEN AWARE OF A FACILITY THAT IT WAS A EVENT HALL FOR 150 PEOPLE AND IT GOT CLOSED BECAUSE WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.
I THINK MAYOR, AT SOME POINT, AND, AND I'VE VISITED WITH THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT, I AM NOT SURE IT'S GONNA COME FROM A BUILDING OFFICIAL.
I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER ENGAGING A CONSULTANT OR AN ENGINEER OR AN ARCHITECT, A CODE PROFESSIONAL.
I, I
AND MAYBE THAT WOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD COME FROM, FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS OR I'M NOT SURE IT WOULD, IT WOULD JUST COME UNASSISTED FROM THE, THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
SO MAYBE MORE OF AN OBJECTIVE THIRD PARTY AT SOME POINT IN TIME MAY MAYBE IT'S WORTH CONSIDERING FIVE OR $10,000 TO GET THAT CONVERSATION.
[00:30:01]
AND THAT PROCESS STARTED.WELL TIE TO TIE THIS BACK TO THE BUDGET, MAYBE WE'LL LOOK AT THAT SPECIAL PROJECTS LINE ITEM.
AND I THINK SO BECAUSE I, I DO WANNA KEEP US ON TASK ON THE, THE BUDGET ITEM HERE.
BUT, UM, WE, WE WILL, WE WILL LOOK AT THAT.
'CAUSE IT IS A, WELL, IT IS COMPLEX WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH SAFETY AND IT IS, IT IS.
IF WE NEED SOME OUTSIDE INPUT, THEN WE WILL.
WELL, IT'S JUST, WE HAVE THE SAME GOALS TOO.
BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN WE BRING STUFF UP, WHAT I, WHAT I GET AND SEE, IT'S LIKE, WELL, WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
WE'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT, BUT WHY FOR YEARS I'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT IT.
SO IT'S JUST, WE GOTTA GET OVER THAT.
WE GOTTA FIND SOME SOLUTIONS, IS WHAT I'M ASKING.
I I KNOW WE WORK TOGETHER, WE TALK EVERY DAY ABOUT THINGS WE HAVE TO GET THERE.
WE CAN'T KEEP, THE REASON WHY IT'S TIED TO THE BUDGET IS WE KEEP PUTTING MONEY INTO SOMETHING WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH, UH, THAT WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME AND PROVIDE PRIVATE DOLLARS.
BUT WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY SHOW UP ON OUR DOORSTEP, THAT'S WHERE IT ENDS.
WELL, WE ARE, WE ARE VERY EAGER TO HEAR ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ONE.
I, UH, WELL YOU HAVE TWO PEOPLE HERE.
I BELIEVE THEY HAVE, THEY'VE APPLIED FOR THE CO OVER OVER WHO, WHO THE DO YOU KNOW THE MOST ABOUT IT? YES SIR.
OKAY, I'LL GET WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PRESSLEY, THEY CONTACTED HIM AS WELL.
I'LL SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH YOU IN THERE.
AND I'M GOING TO TAG IN HERE A LITTLE BIT.
AND WITH MY HISTORY, I'M, I'M A STAUNCHED DEFENDER OF STAFF, BELIEVE ME.
BUT SOMETIMES I THINK YOU HIT IT ON THE KEY.
SOMETIMES STAFF, WE PUT A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THEM TO REGULATE APPROPRIATELY.
AND, AND SO, BUT THE KEY WORD IS REGULATION.
AND IT'S TOUGH AS A STAFF MEMBER THAT'S GOT A CODE BOOK THAT'S THIS DEEP AND AN INTERNATIONAL CODE BOOK THAT'S THIS DEEP THAT'S OUT THERE DOING THEIR BEST THEY CAN TO PROTECT US WITH LIFE SAFETY ISSUES FOR THEM TO GET OVERLY FLEXIBLE.
SO I LIKE THE IDEA OF BRINGING A THIRD PARTY IN IS SAID, HOW DO THESE OTHER CITIES DO IT? MM-HMM
DO WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT ALLOWS OUR FOLKS THE FLEXIBILITY THAT THEY MAY NOT CURRENTLY HAVE? 'CAUSE I HEAR THAT AS WELL.
WE JUST DEALT WITH ONE RECENTLY AND, AND IT'S KIND LIKE THE, IT'S IT'S, IT'S HUNG UP AND IT'S KIND LIKE, WELL, BOTH SIDES HAVE POINTS.
SO, BUT THE STAFF SIDE IS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE BOOK AND THIS IS WHAT HE SAYS, WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO? AND, AND THAT'S WHERE THEY GET CAUGHT.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA DEFEND STAFF TO SOME EXTENT BECAUSE THEY DO GET HUNG UP WITH THAT.
AND WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL AREAS THAT NEED SOME SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.
WE MAY NEED TO, I WILL PROVIDE THEM THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB.
AND THAT'S WHERE MY COMMENT CAME FROM.
I THINK THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY EAGER TO USE EVERY TOOL AT THEIR DISPOSAL.
AND MY COMMENT WAS MORE COMING FROM, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF MAYBE WE COULD HELP PROVIDE SOME MORE TOOLS THAT, THAT THEY CAN EMPLOY TO GET US ALL DOWN THE ROAD FURTHER AND CLOSER TO THE OBJECTIVE WE WANT TO ACHIEVE.
ONE QUICK COMMENT AND, AND I, I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS A LOT, BUT I, I THINK WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH A WAY WHERE BEFORE THESE NEW BUSINESSES EVEN SPEND A DOLLAR ON A LOCATION OR, OR, OR WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO, THEY NEED TO HAVE THAT POINT PERSON WITHIN THE CITY.
HERE'S MY IDEA, HERE'S WHAT I WANNA DO.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER THEY HAVE AN ENGINEERING PLAN OR NOT.
SPEAK TO SOMEONE THAT WILL TELL THEM.
AND I KNOW, UM, RICK AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT.
HE GOES, THAT'S BRETT, THAT'S BRETT AND I WAS, BUT HOW DO WE GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO FOLKS THAT, HEY, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY, TALK TO US BEFORE YOU INVEST ANYTHING.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE HEARTACHE START FOR THESE, FOR THESE BUSINESS, UH, OWNERS THAT THEY ALREADY BUY THE PROPERTY, THEY ALREADY GET INTO IT, AND THEN THEY'RE RUNNING INTO ROADBLOCKS.
SO WHETHER WE HAVE SOME SESSIONS, WHERE DO YOU WANNA BUILD OR, OR HAVE A BUSINESS IN BAYTOWN, BRING US YOUR PLANS, WE'LL REVIEW IT, WE'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S NEEDED RIGHT UP FRONT BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE HAPPENS.
AND SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING NEW.
I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE AND IT IS JUST, WE'VE GOTTA GET THERE.
WE HAVE TWO, WE, THERE'S TWO VENUES FOR THAT.
FIRST OF ALL, ONE, I WOULD SAY JUST IN THE PAST WEEK, I'VE SEEN PROBABLY 3, 4, 5 PEOPLE TALKING TO BRETT WHO HAVE NOT STARTED THE PROCESS, ARE JUST LOOKING AT IT AND KIND OF DECIDING WHAT TO DO.
WHERE DO I NEED TO START? YOU KNOW, TRYING TO JUST TALK THROUGH SOME THINGS.
SO I THINK IT, IT DOES HAPPEN A LOT.
UM, THERE MAY BE A COUPLE THAT DIDN'T START THERE.
AND HOPEFULLY AS TIME GOES ON, MORE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN GO TO 'EM AND, AND START THERE.
UM, ON THE PLANNING SIDE, WE ALSO DO HAVE OUR DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE.
SO IT DOES GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO COME IN AND KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT'S NEEDED BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY SUBMIT ANYTHING OFFICIAL TO THE CITY.
[00:35:01]
GOOD PROCESSES.OUR, OUR DRC PROCESS IS, WE'VE GOTTEN REALLY GOOD REVIEWS FROM NOT ONLY CUSTOMERS BUT OTHER CITIES SAYING, HEY, CAN WE COME AND LEARN FROM YOUR PROCESS? SO BOTH OF THOSE ARE GOOD.
IT'S JUST MAKING SURE THAT CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND THEY CAN START THERE.
WE TRY AND REACH OUT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A FEW THAT DON'T START WITH EITHER OF THOSE PROCESSES, BUT BOTH ARE ARE VERY GOOD AVENUES FOR, FOR ESPECIALLY SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHAMBER.
I'M GONNA SAY DITTO ON WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID, BUT I HAVE SOME THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP ABOUT THE BUDGET.
JUST SOME QUESTIONS WE'D HAVE.
WE HAD THE PARK STUDY, UM, I'M GONNA CALL IT A REVIEW HERE ABOUT A FEW WEEKS AGO.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS THAT THEY SAID, WE NEED SOME MORE PUBLIC PARKS NORTH OF I 10.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY, ARE WE GOING TO UTILIZE SOME OF THIS MONEY IN THE BUDGET? UM, I SEE HERE PRO PROPERTY ACQUISITION FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR PARKING, TRAVEL, AND WHAT ELSE WAS IT THAT I HAD MARKED HERE? PLANS FOR PUBLIC PUBLIC PARKS.
UM, DO, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING COMING DOWN THE PIPE WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT PROPERTY NORTH OF I 10 FOR A PUBLIC PARK OR TWO OUTSIDE OF THE BIG PARK.
I'M TALKING ABOUT A SMALL PARKING POCKET PARK.
'CAUSE WHAT WE HAVE OUT THERE WITH THE GINA LORETTA RUSSELL PARK IS JUST, UM, A LOT OF LAND.
I DON'T EVEN THINK IT HAS ANY BENCHES OUT THERE.
I, I REMEMBER SEEING A SIGN, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ELSE, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA BE UTILIZED FOR PARTIES OR ANYTHING ELSE.
ONE IDEA THAT I HAD IS WHEN WE HAVE NEW DEVELOPMENT COMING IN, WHY DON'T WE TALK TO THEM AND ASK THEM IF THEY WOULD CARVE OUT A PIECE THAT WE COULD ACQUIRE TO PUT A PARK IN THERE, A PUBLIC PARK.
NOT SOMETHING OWNED OR MANAGED BY THE HHOA, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE TEND TO FOR THE RESIDENTS NORTH OF I 10.
NOW I STAY OUT THERE AND I STAY IN AN HOA WHERE, IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THERE WERE THREE HOAS IN EAST POINT AND ONLY ONE OF THEM HAS ACCESS TO THE PARK.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO BRING UP, I'VE BEEN ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT A DOG PARK ON THE WEST END OF TOWN.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANY ON THE WEST END OF TOWN.
AND WE HAVE SOME, UM, NEIGHBORS IN LAKEWOOD WHO WOULD MOST DEFINITELY LIKE TO SEE A DOG PARK OUT THERE.
UM, WE HAVE A, WE'RE GONNA GET A NEW ANIMAL SHELTER.
I KNOW I'VE MET SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT ANIMALS.
I COULD SEE US HAVING TWO OR THREE DOG PARKS THAT'S EASILY ACCESSIBLE FOR THE CITIZENS.
UM, WHAT ELSE WAS THERE? PARK SECURITY UNDER PARK SECURITY.
WHAT ALL DOES PARK SECURITY ENTAIL? IS THAT POLICE OFFICERS IN THE PARK? WHAT IS THAT EXACTLY? WELL, LET MY PARKS PEOPLE, NO, IT'S USUALLY SURVEILLANCE GATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WHAT THE, THE ITEM THAT'S IN THERE WOULD INCLUDE PARK SECURITY AS PART OF THE ROSELAND PAVILION IS WHAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT.
SO WE COULD SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.
ARE WE LOOKING AT, UM, SO I I I'M HEARING ROSELAND, BUT WHAT ABOUT OTHER PARKS AND OTHER AREAS WHEN IT COMES TO PARK SECURITY? AND I'M BRINGING THIS UP, TALKING ABOUT THE VAGRANT ISSUE THAT WE HAVE WITH PEOPLE CAMPING OUT IN PARKS.
UM, THERE WAS SOME TIME AGO I WAS DRIVING BY A PARK ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE VILLAGE, AND I SAW SOME PEOPLE LIVING UNDER THE SHED AREA AND ONE OF THEM WAS URINATED IN PUBLIC AS PARK SECURITY.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO KIND OF DISCOURAGE THAT, THAT CAN BE IMPLE IMPLEMENTED FROM THIS BUDGET? THE, THE 50,000 IS THERE IS AS, AS, UH, KEVIN SAID IS, IS, UH, GEARED TOWARD ENHANCING THE ROSEN PAVILION MM-HMM
UM, WE ARE VERY AWARE OF THOSE ISSUES THAT YOU TALK ABOUT.
UM, THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT, UH, IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE HOMELESS ISSUE IS A, THERE'S, THERE'S NO ANSWER.
AND, UH, THEY HAVE AS MUCH RIGHT TO BE IN THE PARK AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON AS I DO MM-HMM
SO THE, THE POLICE CAN'T GO OUT THERE AND RUN 'EM OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY BECAUSE THEY'RE THERE.
SO IT'S REALLY A TOUGH, IT'S A TOUGH, THERE'S NO ANSWER TO IT.
SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THEM BEING THERE IN THE DAY BECAUSE EVERYONE'S WELCOME IN THE DAY, AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS AND GIVEN DIRECTIVES TO MM-HMM
[00:40:01]
HOLDEN THAT WE, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY VARIANCE FROM THE 10 O'CLOCK CLOSURE.NOW, WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK IN PARK SECURITY, IF WE CAN PUT A LITTLE MORE MONEY IN THAT BUDGET AND MAYBE PUT SOME CAMERAS UP IN PARKS THAT WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE CAMPING OUT OVERNIGHT, BECAUSE I'M GETTING REPORTS THAT THE, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CAMPING IN THESE PARKS OVERNIGHT ARE ACTUALLY TRYING DOORS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS NEXT DOOR TO THEM AND THEY'RE BRINGING SOME OF THE STOLEN PROPERTY BACK THERE.
IF THERE WAS A CAMERA THERE AND YOU COULD ACTUALLY SEE THEM DOING THAT, NOW WE HAVE A WAY OF ACTUALLY SAYING, WE GOT YOU WE'RE REMOVING THEM FROM THE SITUATION, AND THEN WE WOULD NOT BE GETTING AS MANY PHONE.
WELL, I KNOW I GET PLENTY OF PHONE CALLS AND, UM, FACEBOOK MESSAGES AND TEXT MESSAGES ABOUT THE ISSUE.
WE WILL PROBABLY SEE A DECLINE IN THAT AND WE WILL PROBABLY HELP US WITH THE CRIME.
THE LITTLE SIMPLE, SIMPLE CRIME WITH THINGS BEING STOLEN FROM NEIGHBORHOODS.
YOU BRING UP, YOU BRING UP A LOT OF GOOD POINTS.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON A FEW THINGS.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT OPPOSED TO, TO FINDING A CAMERA SYSTEM THAT THAT WORKS NOT ONLY FROM OUR STANDPOINT FOR IT AND POLICE THOUGH MM-HMM
WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH BOTH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION THAT WORKS FOR ALL OF US.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WITH THE HOMELESS, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE, UH, HARRIS COUNTY, UM, HOT TEAM, THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, UH, RECENTLY, WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, UH, WE ARE WITH, WE GO WITH THEM ACTUALLY TO PARKS ABOUT ONCE A MONTH AND, UH, DO OUTREACH TO 'EM, UH, TO THE HOMELESS POPULATION, TRY TO GET THEM HELP.
UH, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH A GROUP THAT'S TRYING TO DO A, A HOMELESS, UH, RESOURCE CENTER HERE IN BAYTOWN.
UH, THAT WOULD GIVE THE POLICE THE ABILITY TO TAKE, UM, HOMELESS PEOPLE FROM THE PARK AND GIVE THEM AN OPTION AS OPPOSED TO JUST TICKETING THEM.
BECAUSE ONCE THEY RECEIVE A TICKET, THE ONLY OPTION THEY HAVE AT THAT POINT IS TO GO TO COURT.
THEY DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION TO GO TO COURT.
THEY GET A, A WARRANT OR WHATEVER, BUT IT'S JUST A NEVER ENDING CYCLE.
SO WE, WE ARE NOT ONLY LOOKING AT, UM, POSSIBILITIES FOR CAMERAS WITHIN, UH, WORKING WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR OTHER WAYS TO HELP SOLVE THAT PROBLEM AS WELL CURRENTLY.
NOW GOING BACK TO WHAT MY COLLEAGUE SAID ABOUT HELPING SMALL BUSINESS, UM, WE DON'T HEAR ENOUGH ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALS WHO COME UP HERE AND SEEK INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE AND HELP.
COUNCILMAN PRESLEY DID RECOMMEND THAT THERE BE SOME TYPE OF SIGN IN BOOK OR A LOG SO THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY SEE THAT.
BECAUSE A LOT OF THE PHONE CALLS I GET, I'VE SHARED ONE WITH HIM, BUT I'VE GOTTEN MAYBE THREE OR FOUR IN THE PAST THREE OR FOUR MONTHS WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE WANTING INFORMATION, THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO, SO THEY DECIDE TO CALL A CITY COUNCILMAN.
IS THERE SOMEWHERE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE WHERE WE CAN DIRECT PEOPLE OR IT CAN BE ADVERTISED WHERE IF THEY WANT TO GIVE, RECEIVE INFORMATION ON COMING AND STARTING A BUSINESS HERE WHERE THEY CAN GO CLICK A BUTTON AND IT GIVES NAME, PHONE NUMBER AND, AND TIMES OF OPERATION WHERE THEY CAN ACTUALLY KNOW THAT THERE'S A PERSON HERE THAT WILL HELP THEM WITH THAT.
WE CAN MAKE IT MORE OBVIOUS TOO.
I TRIED TO PULL IT UP HERE TO SHOW YOU, THEN I DISCOVERED I HAVE NO KEYBOARD.
BUT WE, WE'LL, WE'LL WORK ON THAT AS WELL.
I THINK WE CAN WORK WITH PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UH, AS WELL.
THUMBS UP FROM PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT INFORMATION'S MORE OBVIOUS.
WE CAN ALWAYS WORK ON GETTING THAT, UH, INFORMATION MORE OBVIOUS.
IN THE MEANTIME, AS YOU ALL GET QUESTIONS, UH, YOU CAN EITHER REFER FOLKS TO ME OR TO BRETT GARDELLA OR TO NICK OR ANY ONE OF US IN ADMINISTRATION.
WILL GLEEFULLY TAKE THE CALL AND, UH, ENTHUSIASTICALLY, UH, WORK WITH THAT PERSON.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO MAYBE GET SOMETHING SENT TO US IF SOMEONE INQUIRES ABOUT AN AREA IN OUR DISTRICT? SURE.
SO THEY HAVE PHONE, YOU HAVE PHONE NUMBERS RIGHT THERE? YEAH.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? MY ONLY COMMENT WAS THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE THE, THE PARK MASTER PLAN BEFORE APPROVING THE BUDGET, JUST TO SEE HOW THESE PROJECTS HERE TIE IN WITH THE, THE MAIN GOALS THAT THAT PLAN IDENTIFIES.
SO SAME THING COUNCILMAN JOHNSON MENTIONED, SEEING THAT MASTER PLAN.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT IS, HOW CLOSE THAT IS TO BEING COMPLETED, BUT EVERY, EVERY TIME I GO BACK THERE, I GET TO COME BACK.
SO MUSICAL CHAIRS, WE, UH, OUR PARKS BOARD APPROVED THE, UH, PLAN YESTERDAY WITH A COUPLE OF MODIFICATIONS.
AND, UH, SO WE GOTTA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS ADDED TO THE, TO THE STRATEGY LIST AND WE SHOULD, WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEND IT OUT TO Y'ALL
[00:45:01]
FOR THE WHOLE THING FOR Y'ALL TO REVIEW.UH, IT'S A LOT OF STUFF AND, UH, UH, AT LEAST A COUPLE WEEKS BEFORE WE, WE GET IN THERE AND, UH, AND PASS IT OR GET Y'ALL TO DO A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE IT.
WE HAVE TO PASS, WE NEED TO PASS THE BUDGET BY SEPTEMBER.
SO, SO I THINK WE CAN DO THAT.
NO, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, IS THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ACCURATE FOR MDD.
I BELIEVE MD HAS TO BE APPROVED BEFORE THAT.
IS IT AUGUST? WE'RE READY TO BE DONE WITH THE MASTER PLAN TOO.
WHICH IS WHY WE, YEAH, WE GENERALLY DO PRESENT IT IN JUNE AND THEN IT GETS APPROVED IN JULY, WHICH IS, WELL, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN TODAY, I DON'T THINK.
BUT YEAH, I, YES, YOU MR. MAY, I'VE GOT JUST ONE QUESTION UNDER THE PARKS CATEGORY ALSO.
UM, I SAW THE 55,000 TO REPLACE SOME KAYAKS.
IS THAT AT BAYLAND PARK OR IS THAT AT THE PROPERTY WE ACQUIRED ON 1 46 AND TOMPKINS ROAD.
THE KAYAK LAUNCH IS BAYTOWN NATURE CENTER.
IS IT THE BEACH TOWN NATURE CENTER.
UH, THE H HURRICANE OR HARVEY TOOK IT AWAY.
WE HAVE, SO WE BACK AND THAT JUST REPLACED KAYAKS? YES.
BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS IF, IF THAT PROPERTY IS IN SOMEWHERE IN, IN THE WORKS AND, AND THAT'D BE A NICE KAYAK PARK THERE ON THE BAYOU ALSO.
OH YES, IT WOULD, IT'D BE VERY NICE.
ANYTHING ELSE MR. BUSTER? YEAH, NO.
YEAH, NO, I HAVE, I GOT A COUPLE, UM, ALRIGHT.
THE PARK DEVELOPMENT AT RUSSELL PARK, 300,000 THIS YEAR.
WHAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING? BECAUSE IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THERE'S A SIGN, IT'S A ROLL, IT'S A ROLLOVER FROM LAST YEAR.
AND THE PLAN IS, AND I BELIEVE PUBLIC WORKS IS WORKING ON THE, THE PLANT, THE GRADING AND DRAINAGE PLAN.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA GRADE AND DRAIN IT BEFORE WE CAN DO ANYTHING.
AND, UH, ONCE WE DO THAT, THEN WE CAN START BITING OFF SMALLER PIECES.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA, YOU CAN'T BUILD A SUBDIVISION UNLESS YOU BUILD THE STREETS AND ALL THAT STUFF FIRST.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO FIRST.
IT'S NOT AN ADDITIONAL, IT'S A, IT IS JUST A ROLLOVER.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY EXPENSIVE SIGN.
IT'S, IT'S JUST PUTTING MONEY ASIDE.
UH, I I WILL ANSWER WHAT I CAN FROM AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, RUSSELL PARK IS MULTIMILLION DOLLAR OH.
THAT THE ACTUAL BUILD OUT IS, I DON'T KNOW, 50 MILLION.
IF, IF YOU BUILD EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN THE SITE PLAN, UM, I WILL TELL YOU IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS WE ARE, I THINK THE ONLY WAY WE'RE REALLY GONNA GET SOMETHING GOING ON THIS WILL BE REALLY LOOKING AT A REGIONAL PARK, UH, PARTNERING WITH HARRIS COUNTY.
UH, MAYBE IT COULD BE, COULD BE BALL FIELDS, IT COULD BE SOCCER FIELDS, IT COULD BE SOMETHING.
BUT WE DO NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
WE'VE HAD THIS, THIS LAND FOR QUITE A WHILE WHEN WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WITH IT, I DON'T THINK.
I THINK THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA GET SOMEWHERE SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WOULD BE THROUGH A COUNTY PARTNERSHIP.
AND SO A COUPLE OF WEEKS WE'LL BE MEETING WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA ON THIS TO TRY TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH, WITH PARK, WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR PARTNERSHIP.
DON'T KNOW, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE HOPEFUL FOR, FOR A PARTNERSHIP.
THAT I WAS JUST THINKING, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD 600,000, IT'S KIND OF, WE SHOULD START SEEING SOMETHING.
BUT IF IT'S A ROLLOVER, THE 300,000, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE GRADING AND DRAINAGE ISSUES OUT THERE.
THE COMMENTS OF SOME OF THE OTHER DIRECTORS THAT SECURITY ISSUES AT PARKS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE IDENTIFIED THE, THE, UM, ONE OF THE DIRECTORS IDENTIFIED THE GOOSE CREEK TRAIL, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UM, THE PERFECT TRAIL THING.
THERE'S SOME FUNDING THERE THAT WE COULD MOVE TO MORE SECURITY ISSUES.
I AGREE WITH THE, WITH WITH THAT CONCERN.
AND I ALSO AGREE WITH THE COMMENT MADE THAT I, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THE MASTER PLAN.
THERE'S THREE, THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF PARKS PROJECTS IN THIS BUDGET.
DO ALL OF THEM COINCIDE WITH THE MASTER PLAN? I THINK, BUT A LOT OF THAT IS REPAYING BONDS FOR THE UH, I UNDERSTAND.
BUT SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THE MASTER PLAN, MAKE SURE WE'RE STAYING ON TARGET.
I MEAN, WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY, DO A LOT OF EFFORT ON THESE PLANS.
LET, LET'S STAY ON TARGET WITH 'EM.
I'M NOT SURE THERE'S THREE AND A HALF MILLION THERE, BUT I WON'T, I WON'T ARGUE WITH YOU.
COUNCILMAN LESTER, BOTH YOU AND COUNCILWOMAN BETTEN MENTIONED THE PERFECT TRAIL.
I'M JUST SITTING HERE THINKING BECAUSE THINGS THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN EXCITED ABOUT, WE OBVIOUSLY TRY AND MOVE FORWARD.
[00:50:01]
WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S DONE RIGHT AT JENKINS PARK.IF YOU APPROVE THAT IN THE BUDGET, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S ROOM TO FINISH JENKINS PARK.
HAVE A CONVERSATION IF IN FACT IT DID WHAT WE ALL WANTED IT TO DO.
AND IF YOU HAD APPROVED THAT IN THE BUDGET, THEN YOU MOVE ON WITH THE NEXT ONE.
IF YOU TAKE IT OUT, OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT THERE TO DO IT.
IT'S A YEAR AND A HALF AWAY FROM, YOU KNOW, THE END OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
ALRIGHT, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I GUESS JUST MY LAST COMMENT, MAYOR, IS I WOULD ACTUALLY, LIKE, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO, UH, REALLY STRONGLY CONSIDER ALLOCATING 5,000, $10,000 TO START THE PROCESS WITH THE THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT AS FAR AS CODE FLEXIBILITY AND I HAVE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
GO THIS, THIS YEAR INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING ABOUT IT.
ANYONE ELSE? 'CAUSE I'LL, I'LL HAVE, I'LL THROW ONE OUT THERE.
UM, I KNOW A FEW YEARS AGO WE RECEIVED A GRANT, UM, I BELIEVE FROM THE TEXAS PARKS.
UH, IT WAS A GRANT THAT, UH, FOR GATEWAY AT 1 46 AND I 10.
AND, UH, WE'LL JUST IF YOU HAVE AN UPDATE THAT'D BE GREAT, BUT YEAH.
UM, THE PROJECT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN THE BEAUMONT DISTRICT.
HAD IT BEEN IN THE HOUSTON DISTRICT WOULD'VE BEEN FINISHED RIGHT? A YEAR OR TWO AGO.
IT'S IN THE BEAUMONT DISTRICT AND, UH, BUT THE HOUSTON DISTRICT IS TAKING OVER THE OWNERSHIP OF IT.
BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE BEAUMONT, THEY'RE JUST FACILITATING THE PROCESS.
IT IS, UH, CURRENTLY IT'S, IT, UH, IT WILL BE LET, IT'S SCHEDULED TO BE LET RIGHT AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
AND TXDOT WILL BUILD IT AND SOMETIME NEXT SPRING WE SHOULD SEE CONSTRUCTION STARTED.
THERE IS $80,000 OF THE DOLLARS ALLOCATED IN CASE THERE'S OVER OVERAGES TO COVER ANY OVERAGE SHIFT.
SO I, I KNOW WHAT THE, UH, I KNOW WHAT THE GATEWAY PROJECT, WHAT IT ENTAILS.
UM, THE, THE MEDIAN THAT'S THERE, UM, IMMEDIATELY, I GUESS YOU'D SAY SOUTH OF 10 ON 1 46 MM-HMM
UM, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO REALLY CONSIDER SOME TYPE OF BEAUTIFICATION OF THAT MEDIAN.
OBVIOUSLY THE, I LOVE PAINTING, UH, THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS BLACK AND INSTALLING NICE LIGHTS AT THAT INTERSECTION.
BUT I THINK ENHANCING THAT INTERSECTION WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD WELCOMING PARLAY AND OR COMPLIMENTING THE, THE GATEWAY PROJECT ITSELF.
SO MAYBE IF IT'S OUT OF THESE, UM, UNFORESEEN INITIATIVES, BUT IF WE CAN KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF WHAT THAT WOULD COST OF, OF IMPROVING THAT, THAT WE, WE'VE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY FEASIBLE.
I THINK COINCIDING IT WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE, OF THE, UH, GATEWAY OKAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT I WANTED TO TAKE THE CURRENT SIGN AND I KNOW WE HAD DISCUSSIONS PUT YES.
WE PROBABLY CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT THOUGH.
YOU WON'T BELIEVE THAT SIGN, YOU WON'T BELIEVE THE, UH, THE, THE HOOPS WE HAD TO JUMP THROUGH TO GET JUST THAT SIGN.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT THAT WHEN WE WON THE C THE, UH, GOVERNOR'S, UH, COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, THAT THEY WOULD HAND US AT ONE OF THOSE BIG CHECKS, YOU KNOW, AT THE BANQUET ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO, UH, THAT HAD $278,000 WRITTEN ON IT.
WHAT, WHAT I LEARNED THAT WHAT THE PRIZE REALLY IS, IS THAT TDOT AT THEIR CONVENIENCE AND ON THEIR SCHEDULE WILL, UH, CONSTRUCT A PROJECT THAT THEY APPROVE FOR YOU.
UH, WHICH QUITE, QUITE DIFFERENT THAN I THOUGHT THE AWARD WAS.
I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AS GIDDY AT THE BANQUET AS I WAS IF I HAD KNOWN THAT.
I THINK, I THINK YOU'VE BEEN PROVIDED PLENTY OF DIRECTION AS FAR AS I KNOW.
UNLESS THERE'S, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE, PLEASE REACH OUT TO STAFF THAT COMES, COMES ABOUT BETWEEN NOW AND I'M ASSUMING OUR AUGUST MEETING, CORRECT? YEAH.
NEVER HESITATE, UH, TO GIVE ME A CALL, VISIT WITH ME, COME SEE ME.
SOME OF YOU LOVE TO DO THE POP IN AND I LOVE THAT.
AM I NOT ALWAYS SMILING WHEN YOU COME IN? YOU ARE.
I REALLY HAPPY TO SEE YOU COME IN AND IF, IF YOU GET THAT CALL, LET ME KNOW.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK'S INVALUABLE, AND I FEEL LIKE NOW WE CAN CRAFT SOMETHING THAT'S A LOT CLOSER TO WHAT YOU'RE HOPING FOR.
I DID HAVE ONE OF THOSE POP-INS WITH RICK, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY A REQUEST FROM, UH, TO HAVE A BASKETBALL COURT COVER AT BRITTON PARK.
AND SO I KNOW WE'RE IN DISCUSSION OF THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN BUDGET IT THIS TIME, BUT I KNOW IF THERE'S ANY EXTRA DOLLARS OUT THERE.
AND RICK HAS HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH US, MA'AM, AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY IN THIS BUDGET, 'CAUSE WE WANT TO DO THAT.
[00:55:01]
YOU KNOW, ONE OR TWO EVERY YEAR.
WHAT WE HAVE THE LEEWAY TO DO IS THE ONE THAT'S IN NEWCASTLE PARK MM-HMM
THAT'S IN THIS ONE AS PART OF THE 2 21.
WE'RE AWARE OF THAT CONVERSATION.
AND I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH, YOU KNOW, THE PARKS AND THE MAINTENANCE, WHEREVER WE DO NOT HAVE A BASKETBALL COURT COVERED, THAT SHOULD BE ON OUR RADAR TO GET THOSE ON THERE.
AND I'LL JUST THROW THIS OUT THERE.
DO WE HAVE, THE ARTIFICIAL TURF IS IN THE BUDGET.
THIS MAY BE HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT IF, IF THERE'S ANY PROJECTS THAT, THAT, UM, ARE VERY HIGH PRIORITY, UM, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, I, I WOULD ACTUALLY BE OPEN TO PHASING THE ARTIFICIAL TURF IN ORDER TO GET A PROJECT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE SOONER THAT MAY NOT OTHERWISE OCCUR.
AND, UH, I AM A BELIEVER IN THE ARTIFICIAL TURF, BUT I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO BEING A TEAM PLAYER AND WE CAN, WE CAN MOVE SOME OF THAT MONEY AROUND AND WE CAN DO THAT IN TWO PHASES IF NEED BE.
AND TO YOU, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME THAT WE SPENT DOWN THERE AT TOWN SQUARE TO KIND OF GET YOUR VISION OF WHAT THAT WAS AND THAT WAS USEFUL TO US AND STAFF.
IN PARTICULAR, I'D SAY THE, THE PRIORITY IS REALLY AROUND THE STAGE AREA.
BUT UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, 600,000 SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY FOR NOT A LOT OF GREEN.
BUT I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE HAVE SOME SAVINGS AND IF THERE ISN'T, WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE SOME OTHER OPTIONS.
WE HAVE TO TALK WITH COUNCILMAN PRESLEY, SIR.
I DON'T, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, BUT SO MANY EVENTS WHERE PEOPLE ARE NOT JUST BY THE STAGE, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF YOU THAT COME TO SNOW DAY KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMETHING IN EVERY CORNER.
IN EVERY CORNER IS VERY, VERY MUDDY.
IT JUST HELPS US WITH ALL THAT.
UH, SO THIS ITEM, IT DOES SAY CONSIDER RESOLUTION.
SO I'M NOT, IF WE NEED A MOTION, UH, MS. ATTORNEY TO, OR MS. COUNSEL, YOU HAVE TO POSTPONE IT JUST TO POSTPONE.
SO WE NEED A MOTION JUST TO, UM, TO CONSIDER AT A FUTURE DATE, 60 DAYS OR SOMETHING TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION, MOVE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET WITHIN 60 DAYS OF TODAY.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, I THINK, UH, KIND OF THE INFORMATION WE ARE SEEKING, OR ADDITIONAL DATA AT LEAST IS THE, UH, PARTS MASTER PLAN.
EVEN IF IT IS IN A FINAL DRAFT STAGE, I THINK THAT WILL STILL BE ADEQUATE FOR, FOR OUR USE OVERALL, I WOULD THINK.
I DIDN'T PUT THE WORD POSTPONE IN THERE.
DO I NEED TO PUT TABLE OR POSTPONE IN THERE? KAREN? ARE WE OKAY? I THINK THE MOTION IS JUST TO SUSPEND IT FOR 60 DAYS.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[a. Receive and discuss the Economic Development Foundation's Third Quarter Report.]
HAVE THREE A RECEIVE AND DISCUSS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION'S THIRD QUARTER REPORT.I DON'T SEE, I CAN'T SEE BJ THERE.
THEY REFERRED TO HIM, BUT I COULDN'T SEE HIM.
HE HADN'T THROWN ANYTHING AT YET AS PRESIDENT DIRECTORS.
IT'S BEEN A BIT SINCE I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERSONALLY COME BEFORE YOU.
WANTED TO DO IS, UH, COLLAPSE SOME COMMENTS IN THE SECOND QUARTER AND ADD TO THE THIRD QUARTER.
UH, BUT BEFORE GOING FORWARD, I'D LIKE TO MAKE MENTION THAT, UH, THE FOUNDATION HAS HAD A LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH CITI, AND WE HOPE TO, UH, CONTINUE THAT PARTNERSHIP, UH, AND WHICH IS EMBODIED WITHIN AND BY A CONTRACT, UH, BUT HOPE TO THAT, UH, MBD SEES US AS A PARTNER IS COMPARED TO A CONTRACTOR.
SO THE PERIOD, UH, OF REVIEW IS FOR PERIOD COVERING APRIL ONE, UH, THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2021.
UH, IT'S BEEN VERY BUSY, UH, COVID NOTWITHSTANDING, UH, A LOT OF ACTIVITY.
YOU'LL NOTE THAT, UH, THE FOUNDATION RESPONDED TO 88 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION, UH, BASED ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF CRITERIA AND REQUESTS AND HOSTED A NUMBER OF SITE VISITS DURING THAT TIME PERIOD.
UM, ACTIVE, LARGE, VERY LARGE PROJECTS IN OUR SERVICE AREA.
AGAIN, WE WORK, OUR SERVICE AREA INCLUDES BAYTOWN, UH, ALL OF CHAMBERS COUNTY AND CERTAIN UNINCORPORATED, UH, AREAS OF HARRIS COUNTY.
AND YOU'LL NOTE THAT, UH, MANUFACTURING AND PETROCHEMICALS, UH, AND LOGISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION CONTINUE TO BE VERY, VERY ACTIVE OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE NOTED IN THAT TABLE.
ON PAGE ONE, UH, PROJECT POLAR AND PROJECT WEBSTER WEBSTER, UH, HAVE MADE, THEY ARE GOING VERTICAL, UH, IN THE CEDAR PORT INDUSTRIAL PARK.
UM, THE $68 MILLION IN CAPITAL INVESTMENT FOR PROJECT POLAR IS A COAL STORAGE FACILITY.
THIS IS A, UH, A SECOND, UM, COAL STORAGE, A PROJECT THAT IS EMERGING IN THE AREA.
COAL STORAGE IS VERY IMPORTANT AND INDICATIVE, UH, OF, UH, GROWTH IN THE AREA.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S AN AREA OF, UH, CONTINUED GROWTH THAT COMPLIMENTS THE, UH, PRO CITRUS NETWORK PROJECT THAT WE VERTICAL LAST YEAR.
PROJECT, UH, WEBSTER IS, UH, IS A E-COMMERCE ENTITY, UH, THAT'S TAKEN DOWN THE AVERA BUILDING THAT WAS BUILT
[01:00:01]
LAST YEAR AT 644,000 SQUARE FEET.UM, THEY, UM, THE ENTITY'S CALLED RESTAURANT, THEY, UM, ARE AN E-COMMERCE, UH, RETAILER WHOLESALER OF, UH, UH, RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT, UH, PROJECT, UH, $30 MILLION IN A HUNDRED JOBS.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ALSO REFER TO SOME OTHER PROJECTS THAT HAVE GONE VERTICAL, UH, IN, IN THIS PERIOD THAT ARE GOING FORWARD CURRENTLY.
UM, BLACKLINE COAL STORAGE IS A FACILITY THAT'S COMING ONLINE IN CEDAR PORT INDUSTRIAL PARK.
PLASTIC EXPRESS IS MOVING FORWARD WITH THE $70 MILLION PROJECT IN CEDAR PORT, UH, A HUNDRED JOBS, UH, FLOOR AND DECOR.
I, THEY THINK THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE, THE IDA FOR FLOOR AND DECOR, AND THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THEIR $65 MILLION PROJECT AND 150 JOBS.
UH, TOSS, UH, IS A PROJECT THAT WAS NOTED IN A PREVIOUS MDD REPORT.
THAT PROJECT HAS BEEN GREENLIGHTED AND, AND GOING FORWARD, UH, 60 JOBS.
UM, IT'S PART OF THE CIRCULARITY, UM, UH, ASPECT OF PLASTICS AND POLYMERS.
UH, AND SO THAT, UH, IS A PROJECT THAT COMPLIMENTS PROJECT REDFISH, WHICH IS A PROJECT THAT WAS PRESENTED LAST YEAR IN ONE OF OUR PROJECTS.
UH, ONE OF OUR REPORTS TO THE MDD, IT'S RGO, LLC.
THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH ANOTHER, UH, COMPONENT WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE REPRE, UH, PURPOSING PLASTICS AND OTHER COMMODITIES.
UH, TOF IS A SUBSIDIARY OF REDFISH OR AVAGO.
THAT PROJECT'S BEEN GREEN-LIGHTED.
IT'S ANOTHER $60 MILLION, UH, 60 JOB PROJECT.
UH, AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF, UH, OF THOSE PROJECTS, BUT INCLUDING THE PROJECT POLAR AND PROJECT WEBSTER, AND THEN THE FLOOR AND DECOR, UH, RIGHT NOW GOING VERTICAL IN THE CITY'S ETJ, WHICH IS OUR PRIMARY FOCUS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LARGE INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS, BECAUSE ALL OF THE INDUSTRIAL, UH, MOST OF THE INDUSTRIAL PARKS ARE IN THE CITY'S ETJ, THAT'S BAY 10, AMERI PORT, UH, AND CEDAR PORT, UH, INDUSTRIAL PARK.
AND OF COURSE, PORT 10 IS IN THE INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS.
IT'S, UH, THESE PROJECTS REPRESENT $577 MILLION OF CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND 750 JOBS.
AND SO THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT, UH, ACTIVITY FOR A COMP A YEAR THAT WAS IMPACTED BY COVID AND THEN GOING FORWARD.
AND ALL THESE PROJECTS ARE IN SOME FORM OF DEVELOPMENT GOING VERTICAL.
SO GOING ON WITH OTHER PROJECT UPDATES.
UH, WE CONTINUE OUR SUPPORT RELATED TO, UH, RETAIL.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE KIND OF, UH, MOVED AWAY FROM THAT BECAUSE OF THE, UH, UH, POSITION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE ACTIVITY THAT BRETT AND ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN OVER.
BUT WE STILL GET CALLS AND WE MAKE REFERRALS AS NEEDED.
AND, UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR OR LAST YEAR, WE HAD, UH, OUR OWN ATTEMPT TO RATIONALIZE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MDD AND MEETING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO UNDERSTAND HOW, WHAT THE ROLE OF THE FOUNDATION IS WITH RESPECT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND AS IT'S DEFINED UNDER OUR CONTRACT, ALONG WITH HOW TO, UH, PARTNER WITH, UH, INTERNAL RESOURCES.
AND SO, UH, WE CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS AND, AND MAKE REFERRALS APPROPRIATELY, UM, GOING ON TO OUR INCUBATOR WITHOUT WALLS.
WE CONTINUE TO UNDERTAKE THOSE ACTIVITIES.
UH, THE, I THINK THE, THE, UH, ITEM OF INTEREST WOULD BE THE, UH, BRUNSON ENTREPRENEUR CENTER.
THAT WHOLE PROJECT HAS GONE THROUGH SEVERAL ITERATIONS, BUT, UM, IT, IT IS ACTIVE.
UM, I THINK RIGHT NOW, THOMAS REEVES, UM, IS, UM, GOING THROUGH A MANAGEMENT REVIEW AS TO HOW TO BEST POSITION THAT ASSET.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF, UH, REQUESTS THAT HAVE EMERGED, UH, SINCE COVID, UM, POST COVID.
AND SO THE, THE, UM, THE CONCEPTS CONTINUE TO EMERGE BEING AS AN EVENT CENTER.
WE'VE EVEN BEEN CONTACTED BY A FEW PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BUY THE BRUNSON, AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, HAS TO BE ENTERTAINED, UM, SERIOUSLY AT SOME POINT.
BUT, UH, THERE ARE REVENUES THAT HAVE BEEN GENERATED, PREPARED, A REPORT TO PRESENT TO THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND, UM, AFTER YOU ACTUALLY TRANSFER FUNDS, YOU KNOW, FROM THE PAYPAL ACCOUNT THAT, UH, MEMBERS PAY FOR, UM, A SPACE THERE TO THE CITY.
SO WE MAKE SOME ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THAT.
I THINK IT'S ABOUT $4,000 IN ACCOUNTS, PAYABLES, RECEIVABLES THAT HAVE TO BE TRANSFERRED.
UM, AND, UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THOMAS AND ADMINISTRATION AND PURPOSING THAT, THAT, UH, ASSET, UM, OTHER ENTREPRENEUR DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES OR REFERRALS THAT WE MAKE TO THE LEAGUE COLLEGE, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AND, UH, USDA, THE, AND THEN THE HOUSTON AREA URBAN LEAGUE, AND THEIR, UH, UNIVERSITY SMALL BUSINESS UNIVERSITY FOR SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT UNDER, UH, BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION DEVELOPMENT AND NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES THERE.
WE DID CONTINUE TO WORK, UH, WITH THE CITY OF BAYTOWN ON THE BAYWAY STUDY AND THE, UH, MARKET STREET, UH, CORRIDOR STUDY.
ONE ACTIVITY AT THE FOUNDATION'S UNDERTAKING, DECIDED TO REPURPOSE THE CEDAR TRINITY, UM, UM, CORPORATIONS 5 0 1 C3 ENTITY THAT WAS, UH, FORMED TO HELP FACILITATE ONE, UH, PERMUTATION OF THE HOTEL CONVENTION CENTER, UH, AS A PASS THROUGH.
BUT, UH, WE'RE REPURPOSING CEDAR TRINITY AS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND, UM, HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO USE IT AS A FUNDING SOURCE FOR, UH, SOME OF THE PLANS THAT ARE NOTED IN THE BAYWAY STUDY AND THE, UH, MARKET STREET CORRIDOR STUDY.
UH, WE CONTINUE OUR DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT EFFORTS FOR THE, UH, BAILIN ISLAND, UH, HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER PROJECT AS WELL.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THAT LAST BULLET NUMBER OF DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS HELD EITHER IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY WITH
[01:05:01]
THE VAST ARRAY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE CONDUCTING BUSINESS OR WANT TO CONDUCT VISITS IN OUR SERVICE AREA.GOING ON TO PAGE THREE, UH, UNDER PUBLIC POLICY, WE CONTINUE OUR, UH, SUPPORT EFFORTS FOR INTERMOBILE TRANSPORTATION.
UH, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT EFFORT THAT'S UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW TO REALLY LOOK AT, UH, ALLEVIATING SOME OF THE CONSTRAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, TRANSPORTATION IN OUR AREA.
AND, UM, WORKING IN SUPPORT OF SOME, UH, ACTIVITIES THAT, UM, CHAMBERS COUNTY'S PURSUING.
UH, CITY OF BAYTOWN HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS ALONG WITH TDOT AND HGAC, AND WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT.
UM, THE, UM, CEDAR BAYOU DREDGING PROJECT, UH, WE CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED WITH THAT IN SUPPORTING, UM, AN ADDITIONAL, UM, GRANT THAT'S BEING PROMOTED BY THE CHAMBERS COUNTY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, UH, UNDER THE RAISES, UM, UM, FUNDING MECHANISM THAT USED TO BE KNOWN AS TIGER GRANTS AND USED TO BE KNOWN AS BUILD.
AND, UH, WE'VE PROVIDED SOME SUPPORT FOR THAT APPLICATION AS WELL.
WE CONTINUE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY THROUGH AIRCO AND, UH, SUPPORT, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, UM, THROUGH HCAC AND INVOLVEMENT WITH THE, UH, THE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, WE CONTINUE OUR COLLABORATION WITH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ALLIES, BOTH LEE COLLEGE AND GOOSE CREEK, AND THE BARILL ISD AS NOTED.
UM, LOOKING AT THE BUSINESS ASSISTANCE AND FACILITATING TAX ABATEMENT AND INCENTIVE PROGRAMS PROVIDED TAX ABATEMENT AND INCENTIVE, UH, ASSISTANCE TO ALL THE ENTITIES THAT ARE NOTED UNDER THAT BULLET AS WELL.
UM, AND WE CONTINUE TO, UM, MARKET OUR OPPORTUNITY ZONES, UM, THAT ARE DESIGNATED IN BOTH CHAMBERS COUNTY AND, AND CITY OF BAYTOWN AND NEW MARKET TAX CREDIT, UH, AREAS UNDER CONDUCTING EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS AND LECTURES AND PUBLIC HEARINGS.
WE DID HAVE THAT ONE ACTIVITY, UH, WHICH IS PART OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.
UH, HOSTED AN OVERVIEW WITH THE HDAC, UH, AND TDOT OFFICIALS GOING ON TO SUPPORTING, UH, FOREIGN TRADE ZONE EXPANSIONS.
WE SUPPORT, UH, ACTIVITIES IN BOTH FDZ 84, WHICH IS HARRIS COUNTY AND PORT OF HOUSTON AND FDZ 1 71, WHICH IS LARGELY IN CHAMBERS COUNTY.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FOREIGN TRADES ZONE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UM, IN PROCESS, AND WE'RE WORKING TO SUPPORT THAT AS WELL.
WE CONTINUE OUR DISSEMINATION AND COMPILATION OF BUSINESS RELATED DATA AND PROVIDING THAT UPON REQUEST.
MOVING ON TO, UH, COORDINATING WITH, UH, REGIONAL ALLIES.
WE CONTINUE OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE GULF COAST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, UH, GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP, UM, HCAC, CHAMBERS COUNTY.
UM, HARRIS COUNTY NEEDS A NEWLY, UM, FORMED DEPARTMENT OF, UH, EQUITY AND, UH, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, UM, THE CITY OF MOUNT BELLEVUE AND OTHERS.
UH, WE CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH SITE SELECTION CONSULTANTS AND ACADEMIA AS NOTED THROUGH THERE.
AND, UH, AS PART OF OUR OPPORTUNITY ZONE, A NEW MARKET TAX CREDIT STRATEGY, UM, UNDER PROMOTING THE SERVICE AREA, UH, FOR CONVENTIONS AND TOURISM.
AS MENTIONED BEFORE, WE CONTINUE OUR DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT FOR THE BAILIN ISLAND HOTEL CONFERENCE CENTER PROJECT, AS WELL AS THE BRING THE BATTLESHIP TO BAYTOWN, UH, PROJECT.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE CONTINUE OUR ROUTINE INTERACTION WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO WITH THAT, I'D BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
YEAH, THAT WAS A MOUTHFUL, BUT, OKAY.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, BJ? I HAVE A, A QUESTION FOR RICK.
SO, YOU KNOW, BJ, LIKE I SAID, I THINK YOU DO A GREAT JOB.
ALWAYS HAVE, BUT I GUESS CLARIFICATION RICK.
OH, UM, SO JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, I KNOW THAT THE, SOME INFORMATION YOU SENT US OUT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND EVEN THE COMMENTS TO THE NEWSPAPER A WEEK OR TWO AGO TALKED ABOUT HOW EDF WAS SOLELY FOCUSED ON INDUSTRIAL THESE DAYS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR ABOUT THE BRUNSON ENTREPRENEUR CENTER, LEE COLLEGE, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, MARKET STREET, BAYWAY DECKER, YOU KNOW, BAYWAY CORRIDOR PROJECTS, BAYLON ISLAND, BATTLESHIP, ARE THEY, SO THEY, THEY STILL ARE WORKING ON THOSE THINGS AS WELL AS ARE WE IN-HOUSE.
SO MY INTENT, THERE'S STILL SOME OVERLAP.
MY, MY INTENT IN THE CONTEXT THAT I PROVIDED THOSE STATEMENTS WAS TO TRY TO DRAW A DISTINCTION BETWEEN WHAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO INTERNAL TO CITY HALL AND WHAT, WHAT EDF ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHES FOR US.
CERTAINLY THEY DO A VARIETY OF OTHER THINGS FOR US, BUT IT WAS SOLELY ATTEMPT TO, TO MAKE SOME KIND OF DISTINCTION.
I UNDERSTAND BETWEEN THE TWO AND THE RESULTS.
UH, AT LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY THESE SIX YEARS, AND, UH, WORKING CLOSELY WITH BJ IS, HAS BEEN, UH, REALLY FOCUSED ON JOB CREATION AND EXPANSION OF OUR ECONOMIC BASE.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE CITY, THERE WERE SCARCELY OVER 60, UH, IDAS, THERE ARE NOW OVER 80 IDAS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S QUITE A BIT OF GROWTH.
AND A LOT OF THAT I ATTRIBUTE TO OUR ABILITY THROUGH EDF TO RESPOND TO THE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION AND, AND, UH, MAKE PROPOSALS TO COMPANIES AND, AND PRESENT THE, THE, THE CITY, UH, TO, UH, MOSTLY WOULD'VE BEEN INDUSTRIAL, UH, TENANTS THAT HAVE WANTED TO COME
[01:10:01]
TO BAYTOWN.I JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN PRESENTED WITH THE DIFFERENTIATION AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED THERE.
THERE'S STILL QUITE A BIT OF OVERLAP IN MY OPINION.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT, MAYBE STREAMLINING JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER SO THERE'S MORE CLARITY THERE AS WELL.
SO, BUT LIKE I SAY, BJ, I THINK, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS THINK YOU DO A BANG UP JOB.
NO, I, I APPRECIATE THAT COUNCILMAN.
UM, BUT THE FOUNDATION IS 35 MEMBER ORGANIZATION, AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD AND WE, AGAIN, TOOK THE ANTICIPATORY, UM, MOVE TO WORK WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS, PRIMARILY THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN, UH, RATIONALIZE OUR INTERACTION WITH THE CITY AND NOT BE DUPLICATIVE IN EFFORT.
SO, AND IF, IF IN FACT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY GOING FORWARD FOR DECISION MAKING, UH, WE'D LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH, UH, NICK.
AND AGAIN, JUST ANOTHER CHANGE, YOU KNOW, NICK IS STEWARDING THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM OR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, PROCESSES AS WELL TO GIVE, UH, THE MDD, YOU KNOW, SOME SENSE OF AN ANNUAL REPORT.
WE'VE NEVER REALLY DONE THAT ON A ROUTINE BASIS.
AND SO, UH, IT PROVIDES THE, THE APPROPRIATE CONTEXT AND, UH, LOOKING AT THE VALUE PROPOSITION GOING FORWARD.
I, I, I MEAN, LISTEN, I'M, I'M, I'M SPEAKING FROM, FROM
I, I'M NOT SURE, I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN THE DIFFERENTIATION THAT, THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED RECENTLY AND, AND, AND THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
SO, LIKE I SAY, JUST SOME THINGS TO, TO THINK ABOUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE COVERING BECAUSE WE, WE, WE HAVE THE, UM, THE THIRD QUARTER REPORT, AND DID YOU ALSO COVER ITEM THREE B BJ? I'M, I'M, I'M KIND OF, THERE'S TWO ITEMS HERE RELATED, THAT'S WHY THAT'S BRETT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE EITHER OF THEY WERE BOTH COVERED.
THAT'S, THAT'S A REPORT FROM BRETT.
SEE, THAT'S, THAT'S TO YOUR POINT RIGHT THERE, COUNCILMAN.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
WELL, YOU JUST, IT'S, IT BECOMES CONFUSING.
[b. Receive and discuss an update concerning economic development activities.]
AUTUMN THREE B, RECEIVE AND DISCUSS AN UPDATE CONCERNING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.MR. ELLA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND MR. PRESIDENT DIRECTORS, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF PRESENT TO YOU WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING HERE FOR THE CITY FOR THE LAST, UM, ALMOST TWO YEARS.
UH, BASICALLY, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE NOT KNOWN THAT I DO, SO HOPEFULLY I CAN KIND OF COVER SOME OF THOSE ISSUES FOR YOU.
UH, I DO WANT TO ACTUALLY THANK BJ THOUGH WE, I THINK WORK VERY WELL COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER.
HE HAS TURNED OVER SOME OF THE INTERNAL ISSUES THAT, UM, UH, MAYBE TAKE UP A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THEIR TIME THAN WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO TO ANSWER THE RFPS ON THE INDUSTRIAL STUFF.
SO HE'S DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF, UH, TURNING OVER SOME OF THE RETAIL CONTACTS THAT HE HAS TO ME, UM, IN MY ROLE, I'VE WORKED WITH ENTREPRENEURS IN THIS CITY.
I'VE WORKED WITH RESIDENTS WHO HAVE HAD ISSUES IN THIS CITY ON AN OMB OMBUDSMAN SIDE.
AND I'VE ALSO BEEN ATTRACTING IN NATIONAL DEVELOPERS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR, UH, RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR CITY.
SO I'VE, I'VE RUN THE GAMUT FROM, UH, A SINGLE PERSON TRYING TO GET INTO BUSINESS TO A MULTIBILLION DOLLAR COMPANY THAT'S COMING HERE.
SO I'M GONNA TRY TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF FLARE FOR THAT.
I DO WANT TO ANSWER SOME OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP EARLIER.
UH, I HAVE JOINED THE CHAMBER.
I'VE JOINED THE CHAMBER FOR A WHILE.
I TRY TO ATTEND ALMOST AT LEAST ONE OR TWO OF THEIR EVENTS A MONTH.
AND, UH, THEY ALWAYS CERTAINLY KNOW THAT THEY COULD REACH OUT TO ME.
I KNOW I'VE SEEN QUITE A FEW OF YOUR FACES AT SOME OF THOSE, UH, BUSINESS AFTER FIVE EVENTS AS WELL.
UM, IT'S BEEN GOOD FOR ME BECAUSE IT OBVIOUSLY HELPS ME TO MAKE SOME CONNECTIONS WITHIN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HERE.
AND, UH, THOSE FOLKS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACH OUT TO ME WITH OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY KNOW OF OR THEY'VE HEARD OF, OR THEY'VE TURNED ME ON TO OTHER PEOPLE.
SO, UH, IT, IT'S BEEN A GOOD CONNECTION POINT AND WE ARE DEFINITELY GROWING.
UM, MY LOCAL BASE OF CONTACTS OUT OF THAT.
UH, IN ADDITION TO JOINING THE CHAMBER, UH, I RECENTLY JOINED THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP ON BEHALF OF THE CITY AND, UH, THE TEXAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IN TEAM TEXAS BECAUSE PART OF MY JOB IS TO RECRUIT, OBVIOUSLY, UH, I COVID HURT US FOR A YEAR AND A HALF ON ACTUALLY DOING THAT, BUT WE WILL BE GETTING BACK OUT AND RECRUITING, UM, TO BRING IN THE, THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN THE CITY TO FILL THE JOB GAPS THAT WE HAVE.
PART OF THAT, ESPECIALLY DEALING WITH THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP, IS GETTING THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT JUST INDUSTRIAL, THAT WE DO HAVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 400 TO 500 HUNDRED ACRES THAT CAN BE USED FOR, UM, OTHER PURPOSES SUCH AS, UM, HEADQUARTERS OPERATIONS.
AND SO WE WANNA GO OUT AND PURSUE THESE TYPES OF HIGHER END JOBS.
WE'RE NOT IGNORING MANUFACTURING THOUGH, BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO HAVE SOME PUNCH CLOCK JOBS HERE.
SO WE ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT SOME LIGHT MANUFACTURING TO COME INTO THIS AREA AND THE TYPE OF MANUFACTURING THAT COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PLASTICS THAT ARE CREATED OUT OF OUR FOUR HEAVY INDUSTRIES HERE.
[01:15:01]
WE ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT AREAS TO FILL DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS IN OUR CITY THAT DON'T CURRENTLY, CURRENTLY EXIST.AND THAT WILL TAKE SOME MARKETING AND THAT WILL TAKE SOME, UM, ACTUAL FACE-TO-FACE TRAVELING TO GO AND RECRUIT.
AND THAT'S PART OF WHY WE'RE GONNA BE INVOLVED NOW WITH, UH, GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP ON BEHALF OF THE CITY AND, UH, TEAM TEXAS ON BEHALF OF THE STATE.
AND WE'LL BE OUT WORKING THOSE THINGS MOST LIKELY STARTING FOURTH QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
THE, UM, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT HOW DO PEOPLE FIND ME? YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE TO FIND ME HERE BECAUSE THERE IS NO WEBSITE PRESENCE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH ADMINISTRATION ON CREATING THAT ALREADY.
THERE IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT I'VE WORKED WITH IN THE PAST THAT CREATES PROFESSIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PAGES AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN, UM, IN CONTACT WITH THEM.
WE'VE NOT ENGAGED THEIR SERVICES AS OF YET, BUT, UH, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AND TRYING TO SEE HOW QUICKLY WE CAN GET A PRESENCE CREATED SO WE CAN GET SOMETHING UP AND RUNNING.
ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE HAVE THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT GRANT AND THE REVOLVING LOAN FUND.
WE NEED TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION ABLE TO BE DISSEMINATED OUT TO THE PUBLIC IN A SIMPLE MANNER.
SO WE'RE NOT THERE, BUT WE HOPE TO GET THERE VERY QUICKLY.
CAN I MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT? I JUST THINK THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE TO ME THAT'S MONEY WELL SPENT.
IF, IF SOMEBODY DOES GO TO OUR SITE AND THEY'RE ABLE TO CLICK ON MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, IF IT'S THE MARKET STREET CORRIDOR, IF IT'S THE BAYWAY CORRIDOR, IF IT'S TEXAS AVENUE REDEVELOPMENT, THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS HAVE THAT DATA AND HAVE THAT EASY LINK TO THEM.
AND SO I THINK COUNCILMAN JOHNSON AND, AND OTHERS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE FULLY SUPPORTIVE.
IF, IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT AREN'T BUDGETED, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
WE'LL, WE'LL GET ON THAT, UH, IMMEDIATELY THEN, BASED ON YOUR FEEDBACK, UM, IN, IN ALONG THOSE LINES, NOT JUST DEALING WITH THE OMBUDS AND ROLE, BUT DEALING, DEALING WITH SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE TURNED OVER SOME, UM, CONCEPTS, SOME IDEAS, SOME PEOPLE TO ME, AND I THINK IF YOU CHECK WITH THEM, I REACH OUT TO THEM IMMEDIATELY AND I MEET WITH THEM AND I TRY TO HELP THEM OUT AS QUICKLY AS I CAN.
SOME PEOPLE I REACH OUT TO, THEY DO NOT RETURN MY PHONE CALLS, THEREFORE, I CAN'T HELP SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T, UH, WHO DOESN'T CALL ME BACK, UH, THE ITEMS, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN WITH THE, UH, THE RESTAURANT DOWNTOWN.
IF I KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT IT, I'D BE HAPPY TO STEP IN AND HELP OUT.
THAT IS A GOOD PART OF THE OMBUDSMAN ROLE THAT I PLAY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IS WORKING WITH ENGINEERING AND OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO CREATE THOSE WIN-WIN SOLUTIONS.
WELL, THEY APPLIED OVER 30 DAYS AGO, I'M SORRY, THEY OFFICIALLY APPLIED OVER 30 DAYS AGO, AND THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN THEIR FORMAL COMMENTS BACK FROM PERMITTING.
SO, LIKE I SAY, IF THERE'S JUST, MAYBE WE CAN INTERFACE A LITTLE BETTER, THAT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND ABSOLUTELY MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE ANYTIME YOU HEAR FROM SOME OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS OR FOLKS WHO HAVE THOSE STRUGGLES, FEEL FREE TO CALL ME, UH, EMAIL ME OR GIVE THEM MY CONTACT INFORMATION AND HAVE, REACH OUT TO ME.
THERE'S NO ONE WHO HAS REACHED OUT TO ME THAT DOESN'T GET A RESPONSE WITHIN 24 HOURS.
UM, SO I, I, I'M HERE, I'M HERE TO HELP AS WE GET THE INFORMATION PUT TOGETHER WITH, UH, WITH AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRESENCE ON THE WEBSITE.
I THINK THAT'LL ABSOLUTELY HELP TO CHANNEL THIS INFORMATION QUICKER AND BETTER.
UM, LEMME DIVE INTO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT GRANT REVOLVING LOAN FUND, WHICH GOT APPROVED, UH, JUST UPWARDS OF ABOUT 60 DAYS AGO.
WE ARE ALMOST FINISHED WITH THE, UM, RFQ PROCESS FOR THE BANK THAT WE WILL USE FOR THE REVOLVING LOAN FUND.
I BELIEVE THAT, UH, EXPIRES ACTUALLY TODAY.
SO WE SHOULD HAVE, UM, THE BID OPENING OF THAT COMING UP NEXT WEEK.
UM, ONCE WE FIND A BANK THAT REVOLVING LOAN FUND WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE QUICKLY.
THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT GRANT, I'VE GIVEN OUT ABOUT 12 APPLICATIONS SO FAR, UH, NONE HAVE BEEN RETURNED.
I DO CALL THESE PEOPLE AND I TRY TO STAY IN FRONT OF THEM AND SUGGEST THAT, YOU KNOW, HERE IS MONEY.
HERE'S A PROGRAM, WE'RE TRYING TO HELP YOU, BUT WE CAN'T DO THE WORK FOR THEM, SO THEY HAVE TO FILL OUT THE APPLICATION.
UM, I HAVE GONE AND SAT DOWN WITH A COUPLE OF THESE PEOPLE AND WALKED THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS, BUT AGAIN, NOTHING HAS BEEN TURNED BACK IN.
AS SOON AS THEY TURN IT BACK IN, WE WANT TO CERTAINLY TURN AND BURN ON, UH, LOOKING AND REVIEWING SOME OF THESE APPLICATIONS AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, BECAUSE THE GOAL IS NOT FOR US TO HAVE THE MONEY.
THE GOAL IS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE GET THEIR PROJECTS DONE SO WE CAN ASSIST THEM AND GET THAT MONEY OUT THE DOOR.
UM, AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF JUST THE MONTH OF JUNE, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW OF WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING.
UH, I'VE HAD, UH, THREE NATIONAL RETAIL COMMERCIAL DEVELOPERS IN THIS MONTH.
UM, CERTAINLY THEY'RE ATTRACTED TO THIS AREA BECAUSE, UH, I KNOW THEM.
I SHARED WITH THEM THE LAND PLAN THAT WE CREATED ON SAN JATO BOULEVARD ON WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO CREATE FOR OUR FUTURE.
UH, THE PLAN, AS YOU KNOW, WAS CREATED THROUGH THE TURS AND, UH, IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED BY THESE FOLKS.
THEY WANT TO TALK TO US ABOUT HOW QUICKLY WE'RE GONNA ACT AND REACT TO, UM, ITEMS THAT ARE COMING UP IN THE SAN JATO AREA.
WE CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T OWN THE PROPERTY, UH, WE'RE IN A PRETTY GOOD POSITION, I THINK, WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO WORK ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS TO MOVE 'EM FORWARD.
THE, UH, GOAL OUT OF THIS IS TO LOOK AT CREATING, UH, AN ENTERTAINMENT HUB.
[01:20:01]
DO HAVE SOME INTEREST IN THAT, UM, TO BRING THAT UP INTO THE SAN JACINTO AREA.WE ARE LOOKING AT A, UH, FULL SERVICE FLAG THAT IS, UM, INTRIGUED ABOUT COMING TO THAT, UH, SIDE OF THE CITY AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE SOME CAMPUS SETTINGS, UH, TO GET US SOME CLASSY OFFICE SPACE, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW, WHICH WILL HELP US TO GO OUT AND, UH, ATTRACT IN SOME OF THOSE HEADQUARTERS OPERATIONS.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT.
UM, I'VE ALSO HAD A COUPLE LOOKING AT THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CITY FOR SOME RESIDENTIAL PRO PROJECTS.
AND THE SOUTH SIDE WE'RE DEFINING AS BASICALLY, UH, MAIN STREET, UH, SOUTH ACROSS 99, DOWN TO THE WATER.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE FUTURE FOR RESIDENTIAL, ESPECIALLY FOR LOOKING FOR A HIGHER END PRODUCT, CAN HAPPEN DOWN THERE.
UM, ONCE THE 99 IS OPENED, IT'S GOING TO REALLY SPUR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO DRIVE THROUGH THAT DIRECTION.
UH, THE HOTEL CONVENTION CENTER WILL WILL HELP, UM, THE, THE GOLF COURSE, UH, RE-ENGAGEMENT AND, UH, OR THE POTENTIAL OF GETTING MORE PEOPLE OUT THERE TO PLAY DISC GOLF OR USE IT MORE AS A PARK SCENARIO IS GOING TO HELP.
BUT THE GRAND PARKWAY IS REALLY SPARKING A LOT OF PEOPLE TO START LOOKING AT US ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CITY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHERE WE CAN CREATE WHAT I WILL CALL A MINI ESTATE TYPE OF PRODUCT.
WE'RE NOT GONNA SEE ONE ACRE ESTATES, BUT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET LARGER PARCELS DEVELOPED LARGER HOMES BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA BE CLOSER TO THE WATER, THEY'RE GONNA BE CLOSER TO THE GOLF COURSE, GONNA BE CLOSER TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND CERTAINLY IF YOU JUMP ON THE GRAND PARKWAY, UH, I, I'M ALWAYS TOLD FROM BASICALLY THAT AREA TO DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, YOU HAVE ONE STOPLIGHT, SO TRANSPORTATION'S GONNA BE A LOT QUICKER ONCE ALL OF THIS IS PUT TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GONNA HELP US OUT.
SO THAT'S, WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE SOUTH SIDE FOR, UH, LARGER RESIDENTIAL.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE, UH, FIVE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPERS THAT I'M WORKING WITH WITHIN THE CITY.
THREE WILL REQUIRE ANNEXATION.
UH, ONE, AS YOU'RE AWARE, IS ALREADY GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO THERE WILL BE, UH, TWO OTHERS THAT WILL BE LOOKING AT, UM, AND I BELIEVE ALL OF THEM ARE GOING TO REQUIRE A PI.
SO AS YOU KNOW, I ALSO, UM, UH, FRONT THE PIS FOR THE CITY AND, UH, MAINTAIN, UM, THE ACCESS FOR ALL THE MEETINGS OF THAT AND TRY TO COORDINATE ALL THAT THROUGH, UH, OUR PLANNING, OUR LEGAL, UM, AND OUR ASSOCIATED TEAMS THAT ARE OFFSITE THAT WE BRING IN THAT ARE HELPING US OUT WITH THIS.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, PROBABLY BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE'LL HAVE AT LEAST FIVE OF THEM THAT WILL WORK THROUGH COUNCIL.
AND, UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY A GREAT FINANCE TOOL AND, UH, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE BENEFICIAL FOR US AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
THE ANNEXATION IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S ALLOWING THESE PEOPLE TO USE OUR UTILITIES, WHICH THEY NEED, UH, BUT IT'S HELPING US TO GROW OUR CITY AS WELL.
UH, WE HAVE TWO COMMERCIAL DEVELOPERS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THIS PAST MONTH, UH, DETERMINING SITES FOR THEIR PROJECTS.
ONE IS, UM, ON THOMPSON ROAD, JUST ACROSS FROM BWA.
UH, IT'S, IT'S A UNIQUE CARVE OUT.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM.
I BROUGHT PLANNING IN TO TRY TO GET THEM, UH, CONFIGURED ON THEIR PROPERTY CORRECTLY.
THE NICE THING IS THAT WILL REQUIRE AN ANNEXATION, SO THAT WILL BE A NICE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL COME INTO THAT AREA.
UM, MOST LIKELY TILT WALL LOGISTICS, UH, OPERATIONS, UM, ONLINE BUSINESS IS WHAT THEY'RE, UH, TARGETING RIGHT NOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN PURSUED BY.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO HELP THEM GET ACROSS THE FINISH LINE RATHER QUICKLY HERE BECAUSE THEIR CLIENT NEEDS TO GET UP AND RUNNING BY NEXT YEAR IN OUR MARKET.
LOOKING THROUGH MY NOTES, I'VE ASSISTED 15 RESIDENTS AND OR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, N NAVIGATING THE PERMIT AND REVIEW PROCESS THIS MONTH.
UM, MOST OF THOSE, IT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT EITHER COME THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE OR HAS BEEN CHANNELED TO ME THROUGH THE FRONT DESK OR THE PERMIT COUNTER.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S PEOPLE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, WHO MAYBE HAVE HAD SOME COMPLAINTS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN HEAR BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE.
I'D LISTEN TO THEM, I TALK WITH OUR PLANNERS, OR I TALK WITH OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, AND WE'RE ABLE TO RATHER QUICKLY, I THINK, SOLVE THEIR SOLUTION, UM, OR SOLVE THEIR PROBLEM WITH THE SOLUTION.
UM, I THINK COUNCILMAN LESTER AND COUNCILMAN ALVARADO KNOW THAT, AND WE GOT ONE SOLVED FOR THEM RATHER QUICKLY LAST WEEK.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A, A GOOD PART OF THE OMBUDSMAN PROJECT PROCESS, I SHOULD SAY THAT.
UM, I GO AND HANDLE STILL DEALING WITH, UM, K AND M REALTY AT 1 46 AND 10, STILL WORKING WITH AMERICAS ON, UH, THE HARD ACRES OF 26, UH, 26 HARD ACRES ON, UH, 99 AND I 10.
UM, THEY DID HIRE A COMPANY TO TRY TO MARKET THAT FOR RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.
SO I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THAT COMPANY TO FIND OUT WHAT LEVEL, UM, OF ENGAGEMENT THEY KNOW HOW TO BRING IN RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL.
AND QUITE HONESTLY, IT'S, IT'S NOT AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF WORK TO DO OUT THERE TO CREATE THE RIGHT TYPE OF, UH, ENTRANCE GATEWAY AT 99 AND 10 THAT WE WANT.
UM, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF BJ, UH, I'VE GOT, UM, A COUPLE OF OUR LOCAL, UH, PROPERTY MANAGERS, UH, NEWQUEST, FOR EXAMPLE, IS ONE OF THEM WHO HAS REACHED OUT TO ME ON A COUPLE PROJECTS.
THEY'VE GOT SOME NATIONAL FRANCHISES LOOKING TO COME INTO 1 46,
[01:25:02]
UM, AT THE WALMART SITE THAT THEY OWN.AND, UH, YEAH, WE'RE WORKING A COUPLE THINGS THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH THEM TO BRING A COUPLE NEW FRANCHISE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES OUT TO THE PADS OUT THERE.
SO WE SHOULD PROBABLY, WE'LL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF WHO THAT IS IN IN THE NEXT 30 TO 60 DAYS.
UH, THE SAN JACINTO BOULEVARD, WHICH I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE DID GET THROUGH THE, THE LAND PLAN.
UH, WE ARE NOW MOVING FORWARD WITH AN RFQ THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS, LOOKING FOR AN ENGINEERING FIRM TO COME IN AND GIVE US THE ANALYSIS OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT, WHICH IS GONNA BE THE WEST SIDE OF THE PROJECT, UH, BEHIND BUCKY'S AND, UH, AN EXTENSION OF LONE STAR BOULEVARD ALL THE WAY OVER THERE.
WE HAVE TO START THERE BECAUSE WE NEED TO KNOW THE FINAL, UH, END POINT OF WHERE THE WATER'S GONNA DRAIN TO, AND WE HAVE TO START CREATING THAT.
AND OBVIOUSLY IN ORDER TO GET OVER THERE, WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE THE ROAD.
UM, I'VE ALSO BROUGHT HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT SERVICES INTO THIS BECAUSE THEIR PARK AND RIGHTS SCENARIO AT THE MALL IS NO LONGER THERE.
SO WE HAVE, UH, BEEN ABLE TO PARTNER UP WITH THEM TO CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT IN THE PARKING LOT THAT WE WILL CREATE AROUND THIS DRAINAGE LAKE.
AND, UH, CERTAINLY THEY HAVE FUNDS TO PUT INTO THIS, WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS, WILL HELP OUR BOTTOM LINE.
SO, UM, AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE THE, UH, SOUTH SIDE, UH, ANALYSIS THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW TO KIND OF TELL US WHAT WE NEED AS FAR AS ROAD CONNECTIVITY, DRAINAGE, UM, AND UTILITY SERVICES AS WE'RE LOOKING TO GROW THE SOUTH SIDE FOR RESIDENTIAL PURPOSES.
SO THAT'S KIND OF A SNAPSHOT REALLY QUICK OF, UH, MY MONTH OF JUNE.
UM, SORRY THAT PEOPLE HAVE REACHED OUT TO YOU AND DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO REACH OUT TO ME, BUT CERTAINLY I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, GIVE THEM MY INFORMATION, UM, OR PASS IT ALONG TO ME AND I WILL CERTAINLY REACH OUT THEM, UH, REACH OUT TO THEM AND HELP THEM OUT.
SO ACTUALLY IT WAS A MISTAKE, BUT SHE SHOULD HAVE EMAILED IT TO BRETT, HOWEVER SHE EMAILED IT TO ME.
BUT WE, WE HAVE RECEIVED OUR, UH, UH, APPARENTLY OUR FIRST GRANT APPLICANT, AND IT, IT'S A, A LADY THAT THAT CONTACTED ME ON A MATTER, AND SHE ALSO CONTACTED COUNCILMAN JOHNSON SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, AND IT'S, IT'S OUTSIDE THE BOX.
IT WOULD, IT WOULD ELIMINATE BLIGHT AND IT WOULD POSSIBLY SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND IT, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE, WE WOULD POSSIBLY WANT TO CONSIDER ENTERTAINING.
AND, UH, I'VE, I'VE ALSO PASSED OUT A NUMBER OF, ABOUT HALF A DOZEN OF THE GRANT APPLICATIONS IN THE ARTS DISTRICT TO FORMER COLLEAGUES AND, AND MR. HAVNER, AND, AND MR. HANER HAS ACTUALLY PITCHED A, UH, PROPOSAL THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE A WIN-WIN.
AND, UH, SO, AND THERE'S, THERE'S ONE OR TWO OTHERS THAT HAVE EXPRESSED SOME INTEREST, SO I'M HOPING WE GET A SECOND ONE, POSSIBLY EVEN A THIRD ONE.
SO I'M, I'M DOING MY BEST AS WELL.
AND, AND DR. PRICE WORKING WITH, UM, MR. HAVNER DOWNTOWN HAS, UH, MET WITH ME TWICE IN THE LAST WEEK.
HE DOES HAVE THE APPLICATION PROCESS, UM, DOWN, HE KNOWS HOW TO FILL IT OUT.
THEY'RE GOING TO FILL OUT THREE DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS FOR THEM.
SO OBVIOUSLY IN THERE THEY HAVE TO LET US KNOW WHAT THEIR, UH, WHAT THEIR PROGRAM IS, WHAT THEY WANNA DO AS WELL.
SO YES, IT'D BE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE EXCITING TO SEE WHAT, UH, WHAT THEIR INTEREST IS.
THE DEVIL'S ARE THE DETAILS, BUT HOPEFULLY THEY CAN GET ON THE SAME PAGE WITH STAFF AND, AND, AND AGREEMENT CAN BE HASHED OUT.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT? UH, BOTH.
UM, SO I KNOW WHEN I HAD MY FIRST, UM, BUDGET MEETING, WE, WE ASKED, OR I ASKED ABOUT DIVERSIFYING OUR PORTFOLIO BECAUSE WE WERE VERY INDUSTRY HEAVY.
SO AS WE PROGRESSED THROUGH THE YEARS, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE A LOT OF THAT HAPPENING.
WHEN I SEE ABOUT, UH, WHEN I READ NEWS ABOUT SOME BIG BUSINESS GOING TO A CERTAIN CITY OR WHATEVER, WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE ATTRACTED TO WORKFORCE AND WHERE THERE'S TALENT AVAILABLE FOR THAT.
AND SO WE HAD ACTUALLY, AND, AND YOU KNOW, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, SO WHEN WE DID THE, THE, UM, WE GROW GIANTS CAMPAIGN, IT WAS TO ATTRACT THE RESIDENTIAL, YOU KNOW, BIG, BIG DEVELOPMENT INTO THE AREA THAT MAY HAVE HAD A STIGMA OF WHAT GOOSE CREEK MAY HAVE BEEN.
AND SO WE TRIED TO TACKLE THAT PIECE.
AND SO WOULD WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR WITH LEE COLLEGE WHERE WE PROMOTE, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, TALENT AND DEVELOPMENT THAT, UM, LEE COLLEGE BRINGS OUT, WHETHER IT'S THE STUDENTS AND, YOU KNOW, THE TYPE OF WORKFORCE THAT THEY'RE DEVELOPING THAT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE INDUSTRIES WOULD BE LOOKING AT THAT, YOU KNOW, MAY ALSO HELP THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, LIVE, WORK, PLAY HERE IN BAYTOWN, UM, MENTALITY AS WELL.
AND SO I, I THINK I'D LIKE TO SEE MAYBE SOME SORT OF CONVERSATION START WITH THAT, WITH LEE COLLEGE.
YOU KNOW, THEY RECENTLY GOT A $5 MILLION YEAH.
[01:30:01]
FROM MCKENZIE, IS THAT HER NAME? YEAH, JEFF BEZOS.SO I, I THINK WE HAVE A, A GOOD THING WITH LEE COLLEGE HERE, AND SO I'D LIKE TO MAYBE SEE SOME OF THAT MOMENTUM HAPPENING, SO OKAY.
ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S THE POINT.
YES, THEY DO HAVE $5 MILLION IN STATES.
THEY DO
AND SO I, I JUST THINK THAT WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE.
SO PRIOR TO, IF I MAY JUST, UM, ANSWER THAT A LITTLE BIT PRIOR TO C UM, I HAD MET WITH DR.
VILLANUEVA ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS BECAUSE THERE WERE A COUPLE OF PROGRAMS THAT, UM, I SUGGESTED THAT THE SCHOOL COULD BENEFIT FROM RATHER QUICKLY MM-HMM
UH, AND THERE WERE SOME PARTNERSHIPS WITH A COUPLE OF THE LOCAL UNIVERSITIES THAT ARE INTERESTED, UH, AT THAT TIME WERE INTERESTED IN COMING OUT TO OUR MARKET.
UM, THEY'VE SINCE CONTRACTED BACK TO THEIR MAIN CAMPUSES, BUT THERE ARE SOME GOOD PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE CAN BUILD.
UM, I'VE NOT ENTERTAINED THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH DR.
VILLANUEVA AGAIN AS OF YET BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO FIND THE CORRECT UNIVERSITY PARTNER.
UH, THAT'S, THAT WILL EXPAND THEMSELVES OUT HERE.
BUT, UM, OUT OF THIS PROCESS, I DID PULL EXXON, CHEVRON, COVESTRO AND ENTERPRISE TO ASK THEM WHAT THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE LOOKING FOR AS FAR AS HIGHER EDUCATION AND OBVIOUSLY ENGINEERING, UM, GETTING A FOUR YEAR OR FINISHING UP WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE IN ENGINEERING IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THEM.
AND IN FACT, EXXON, UM, EVEN RELATED THAT IF WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME OF THOSE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES CREATED OUT HERE, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY PAY FOR THEIR STUDENTS TO, OR PAY FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES TO GO AND BECOME STUDENTS AND FINISH OFF THAT EDUCATION, UH, OR ATTAIN THAT EDUCATIONAL LEVEL AND PANDEMIC HIT CONVERSATIONS HAD TO STOP.
UM, OBVIOUSLY, UNFORTUNATELY, AND, UH, SO WE JUST HAVEN'T PICKED THEM BACK UP YET.
UH, THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM THAT WAS INTERESTED LAST YEAR HAS CONTRACTED BACK TO THEIR MAIN CAMPUSES IN THE HOUSTON MARKET, SO WE JUST HAVE TO FIND THE TIME TO READDRESS THEM WITH SOME OTHER UNIVERSITIES.
BUT I DO BELIEVE, LET'S SAY IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, WE CAN GAIN SOME TRACTION ON, UM, CREATING THOSE TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS AND, AND GET THEM OUT HERE AGAIN.
AND NOT JUST PARTNERSHIPS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A REALLY GREAT CAMPAIGN WITH REGROW GIANTS AND SO IT COULD BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS, YOU KNOW, COMING UP WITH A SIMILAR CAMPAIGN, UH, WITH LEE COLLEGE, SO, AND THAT, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING SEPARATE FROM WHAT YOU'RE ALREADY WORKING ON.
ONE OTHER THING I'VE NEGLECTED TO MENTION, I APOLOGIZE ABOUT TAKING UP SO MUCH TIME.
UH, I'VE BEEN VERY HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH THE ACE DISTRICT RIGHT NOW AS WELL.
UM, WE'RE WORKING ON A PROJECT THAT IS GOING TO BE A, UH, PERENNIAL TOURISM PROJECT FOR THE ACE DISTRICT.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I HAVE SEEN AND WORKED WITH IN THE PAST AND, AND KNOW THE GENTLEMAN WHO SET THIS UP AND, UH, THE ACE DISTRICT FOLKS, THE BOARD HAS APPROVED IT AND THEY'RE GONNA BE MOVING FORWARD WITH IT, UH, AS A 5 0 1 C3, THEY CAN GET OUT AND RAISE THE MONEY FOR THIS PROJECT.
SO, UH, IT'S NOT FOR ME TO RELEASE THEIR DETAILS, BUT I BELIEVE RATHER QUICKLY HERE, THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO RELEASE THE DETAILS OF THE PROJECT.
THERE WILL BE A SMALL CITY COMPONENT, UH, THAT WE HAVE TO WORK ON WITH IT BEING THAT WE WOULD, UM, HAVE TO ALLOW THEM TO USE SOME OF OUR, UH, COMMON AREA SPACE DOWNTOWN.
BUT, UM, IT'S A FANTASTIC PROJECT AND IT IS A TOURIST PROJECT THAT WILL DRAW PEOPLE HERE ON AN, ON A YEARLY YEAR-ROUND BASIS.
UM, AND THEN, AS I SAID, IT'S A PERENNIAL, SO IT DOES CHANGE ITSELF OUT, WHICH IT DRAWS THE SAME FOLKS BACK AND MORE AND IT'S, UH, ALL BASED IN THE ART COMMUNITY.
ALRIGHT, SO I THINK WE HAVE ALL THE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS.
I HOPE I KNOW YOU BETTER HURRY.
[4. MANAGER'S REPORT]
WOW.UM, WE, UH, WE HAVE BEEN MAKING SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WITH THE HOTEL SERVICES AGREEMENT.
UH, WE ARE TARGETING THE WEEK OF THE 12TH TO HAVE THAT WRAPPED UP.
AND, UH, THAT COINCIDENTALLY COINCIDES WITH THE, UH, PUBLISHED RATINGS FOR OUR BONDS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE HOTEL CONVICTION CENTER, WHICH MEANS THAT LIKELY THAT WEEK WE'RE READY TO GO OUT TO MARKET.
ALL OF THIS, AS YOU FOLLOW THE CALENDAR OUT, UH, PUTS US AT, AT LIKELY IS A THIRD WEEK IN AUGUST WHERE WE COULD PROBABLY MOBILIZE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND AND TRYING TO FASHION THINGS FOR A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONIALLY THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WE'D LIKE TO BE, UH, AT THAT, UH, HISTORIC EVENT, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY A FRIDAY, THE 17TH OF SEPTEMBER.
WE WILL BE MOBILIZED BEFORE THEN, LIKELY, UH, BUT I'D LIKE YOU TO PUT A LIGHT CIRCLE AROUND FRIDAY.
[01:35:01]
FROM MY MEMORY EARLY TODAY, FRIDAY THE 17TH OF THIS.SO, UH, JUST KINDA CIRCLE THAT I THINK WE'RE SAFE IN SETTING THAT.
HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE A SUNSHINEY DAY AND WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF FUN AND CELEBRATE A REALLY GREAT EVENT AND KICKING OFF THIS, UH, HISTORIC PROJECT.
UH, LIKEWISE, UH, AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, UH, SOME CONSUMMATING, UM, UH, TYPE OF EVENTS IN TERMS OF THE, UH, CONTROL OF THE PROPERTY AT THE MALL THAT, UH, FIDELIS NEEDS TO, UH, UH, ORCHESTRATE BY, UH, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE THE FIRST WEEK IN AUGUST.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT THEY'LL BE HERE BEFORE YOU THE FIRST, UH, IN AUGUST, UH, TO PRESENT THE, THEIR NEW PLAN, UH, SCHEMATICS.
UH, AND, UH, WE CAN CONSIDER A NEW AGREEMENT, UH, WITH BIDS.
MEANWHILE, UH, MDD, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT IT'S LIKELY IN JULY WE WILL CALL A SPECIAL MEETING, UH, TO CONSIDER THAT HOTEL SERVICES AGREEMENT AND OTHER ELEMENTS THAT WE NEED TO REALLY PUSH THIS PROJECT, UH, FORWARD.
SO EXCITING TIMES, BIG THINGS HAPPENING, AND SO APPRECIATE YOUR TRUST, YOUR FAITH, AND, UH, GIVING US THE ABILITY NO, GIVING US THE ABILITY TO, UH, TO, UH, SATISFY YOUR NEEDS WITH THIS BUDGET.
AND WE'LL GET TO WORK INTEGRATING YOUR INPUT RIGHT AWAY.
AND OUR NEXT MEETING IS ON AUGUST THE FIFTH.
BARRING NOT A SPECIAL MEETING, BEING THAT WE ADDRESSED ALL POSTED AGENDA ITEMS, THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURN.