[00:00:19]
TOWN, CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.
UH, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I DO WANT TO OFFER CONDOLENCES TO COUNCIL MEMBER LESTER.
UH, HE DID, UH, HAVE, UH, THE LOSS OF HIS MOTHER RECENTLY, SO HE WILL NOT BE JOINING US THIS EVENING.
UH, BUT WE DO WANNA OFFER OUR CONDOLENCES ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
SO WITH THAT, JUST KEEP 'EM IN IN YOUR THOUGHTS.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY HE WON'T BE HERE WITH US TONIGHT, BUT, UM, ANYWAY, I, I DID WANT TO, TO TO MENTION THAT IF HE MIGHT WANNA KNOW WHY HE'S NOT HERE.
[1. DISCUSSIONS]
UH, THIS IS, THIS IS TO DISCUSS OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THIS, UH, COMING FISCAL YEAR.UH, I KIND OF WANT HANDLE THIS, UH, A LITTLE BIT, UH, MAYBE DIFFERENTLY IN THE PAST.
UH, WHAT I'LL SAY, AT LEAST ON THE PREFACE OF THIS BUDGET, UM, I WENT THROUGH IT, UH, AS BEST I CAN.
AND IT, IT'S REALLY HARD TO GO AND, AND POKE MANY HOLES AT IT.
WE ARE CAPTURING SO MANY THINGS OF REALLY MAKING A BETTER BAIT TOWN.
IF IT'S PARKS, IF IT'S PUBLIC WORKS, IF IT'S DRAINAGE, IF IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A, A ANOTHER, UH, TAX RATE REDUCTION.
UH, LOTS OF LOTS OF THINGS HAVE BEEN CAPTURED IN THIS BUDGET.
I THINK THERE'S A FEW, UH, TOPICS I PROBABLY WANT TO HEAR FROM COUNCIL FIRST ON THAT, THAT, UM, UH, TO PROVIDE INPUT REGARDING PROBABLY HEADCOUNT.
THIS IS PROBABLY THE LARGEST HEADCOUNT I'VE SEEN IN, IN MANY BUDGETS.
BUT LAST YEAR, BECAUSE OF COVID AND STUFF, WE WERE VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, CAUTIOUS.
AND SO NOW I THINK WE'RE HAVING TO CATCH UP AND WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT OPERATIONS OF THE CITY.
SO I THINK THAT HEADCOUNT IS PROBABLY ONE AREA I WANT TO HEAR FROM, FROM EVERYONE ON.
AND THEN, UM, MAYBE SOME OTHER AREAS SUCH AS, UH, ALTHOUGH THAT WE ARE REDUCING THE TAX RATE, ONCE AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR, FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW.
UM, OVERALL, UH, THE, AND, AND WATER AND SEWER IS STILL THE SAME.
THERE'S NO INCREASE WITH THAT, BUT THERE IS A STORM, UH, STORM WATER FEE THAT THERE'S A SLIGHT INCREASE ON THAT.
I THINK IT'S THE DOLLAR, UH, OR, OR AT LEAST THAT'S THE GENERAL, THE GENERAL FEE, UH, WHICH IS, IS VERY SMALL.
AND I, I WANT STAFF TO KIND OF ELABORATE ON KIND OF WHAT THAT DOLLAR DOES AND, AND THE COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY AND SO ON.
BUT THOSE ARE THE TWO TOPICS I THINK, THAT ARE KIND OF THE BIG BOULDERS OF, OF, OF THE BUDGET AND KIND OF WHERE WE GO.
AND THEN WE CAN GET INTO INDIVIDUAL, UM, COMMENTS OR CONCERNS OR ANY, ANY INDIVIDUAL LINE ITEMS. DOES THAT SOUND, I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S OKAY WITH THAT.
SO FIRST, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO, I THINK HEAD COUNT, UM, KIND OF, I KIND OF, I'M NOT GONNA REALLY GO IN ORDER, JUST KIND OF RAISE YOUR HAND AND, AND WE'LL KIND OF JUST, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL RECEIVE COMMENTS ON THAT AND WE'LL DISCUSS IT.
'CAUSE YOU MAY BE RE YOU MAY BE EXPRESSING SOME THOUGHTS OR CONCERNS THAT MAYBE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY HAVE.
SO IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT, THAT HAS THAT ON HEADCOUNT OR INDIVIDUAL POSITIONS, UM, I'LL KIND OF JUST START IT OFF.
I'M GONNA HAVE YOU START THAT WAY.
UM, SO I DID, UH, I THINK I, I SHARE A LOT OF THE SAME SENTIMENTS.
I THINK, UM, OVERALL STAFF DID A, A TREMENDOUS JOB TRYING TO PUT THIS BUDGET TOGETHER.
AND, UM, EVEN TALKING WITH, UM, FINANCE, UH, THEY REALLY TOOK TO HEART ALL OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GAVE AT OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETINGS AND EVERYTHING.
I JUST HAD A FEW ITEMS, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO, TO HEADCOUNT, ONE OF THEM STOOD OUT TO ME IN TERMS OF WHAT IT WAS.
I DON'T REMEMBER DISCUSSING THIS PARTICULAR, UM, HIRE, AND I JUST WANTED TO GET SOME BACKGROUND ON IT.
IT WAS ON PAGE 21, UM, UNDER, UH, CITY MANAGEMENT, UH, OR THE CITY CITY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR.
UM, IS THIS A NEW POSITION? CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS? AND I'LL LET, I'LL LET RICK ADDRESS THAT.
WHICH ONE IS IT AGAIN? I'M SORRY.
UH, PAGE 21, CITY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR.
CITY MANAGE YOUR, YOUR MANAGEMENT ANALYST, YOU MEAN THE ANALYST? YES, SIR.
UH, SO, UH, RIGHT NOW WE, WE HAVE BEEN UP TO THIS POINT UTILIZING AN INTERN TO HELP US KEEP UP WITH SOME OF THE, UH, CITIZEN CONSTITUENT REQUESTS, UH, THAT WE HAVE COMING IN OUR OFFICE.
WE GENERALLY RUN BETWEEN ABOUT 40 AND 60, UH, DIFFERENT CONSTITUENT REQUESTS AT A TIME.
THAT REQUIRES SOME COORDINATION.
ALSO, SPECIAL STUDIES THAT WE DO.
FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW WE'RE FORMATTING AN ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS AND BENCHMARKING INITIATIVE WITH ABOUT 14 OTHER CITIES.
UH, AND, UH, THAT'S GONNA EVEN BROADEN EVEN FURTHER.
UH, BRIAN IS ALSO WORKING ON THAT INITIATIVE.
SO THERE ARE STUDIES THAT CROP UP FROM TIME TO TIME DATA THAT NEEDS TO BE COLLECTED.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE THERE IS THE CONSTITUENT MANAGEMENT
[00:05:02]
ISSUES THAT WE ALSO WORK ON.THERE'S ALSO BEEN OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE CROPPED UP IN TERMS OF OUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, UH, OUR ACTIVITY ON THE, UM, HOUSTON AREA, UH, COUNCIL AND MAYOR'S ASSOCIATION, AND OTHER ASSOCIATIONS AND GROUPS THAT THIS PERSON WOULD ALLOW US TO, TO KEEP UP WITH SOME OF THOSE OBLIGATIONS.
BUT THIS IS, UH, UH, THIS COMING YEAR WE WILL LOSE THAT INTERNSHIP.
UM, THIS PERSON THAT, THAT HAS BEEN FILLING THAT NICHE FOR US IS GONNA GRADUATE AND GO AWAY.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THAT HELP ANYMORE.
SO MY IDEA WAS TO MAKE THAT PERMANENT AND, UH, REALLY TRY TO ENHANCE OUR RESPONSIVENESS TO SOME OF THOSE RE CONSTITUENT REQUESTS THAT YOU ALL GET AND REALLY MAYBE BRING THIS TO A, A NEW LEVEL.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT BACKGROUND OR THE, THE BACKGROUND ON IT.
AND I JUST FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, BRIAN'S DOING A TREMENDOUS JOB.
UM, I KNOW HE WAS HANDED OVER THE TORCH OF OUR STICKY NOTES AND, AND DIFFERENT REQUESTS THAT WE AS COUNSEL GET FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND, UM, HE'S COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR GOOGLE SPREADSHEET AND THINGS THAT WE CAN SEE REAL TIME IN TERMS OF COMPLETION.
AND, AND I JUST FEEL IF, YOU KNOW, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PERHAPS CAN BE ADDED, UM, TO HIS ROLES.
UM, WHEN WE BROUGHT JASON ON, OR WHEN HE WAS BROUGHT ON, UM, WE WERE TOLD THAT ONE OF HIS STRENGTHS WAS BEING ABLE TO TAKE FIELD THOSE CALLS.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ALWAYS GET HAPPY CALLS FROM CONSTITUENTS, RIGHT? WE WISH WE DID, BUT WE'RE GONNA GET THOSE THAT ARE IRATE OR FRUSTRATED.
AND WE WERE TOLD THAT, THAT JASON WAS GOING TO HAVE THIS SKILLSET TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THESE TYPES OF CALLS.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, AND THERE ARE THREE PEOPLE THAT WORK ON THE GOOGLE SHEET.
PAMELA'S THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY PUT THE GOOGLE SHEET TOGETHER.
AND SO WHERE YOU SEE THE VARIOUS COLORS, THERE'S THREE COLORS ON THAT THAT REPRESENTS EITHER MYSELF, BRIAN, IT TAKES THREE OF US REALLY TO, TO STAY ON TOP OF THAT.
UM, SO, SO MY THOUGHTS RICK, UM, WOULD BE REALLY TO, IF, IF WE'RE CREATING A POSITION FOR THIS INTERN THAT WE'RE LOSING, YOU KNOW, AND CITY OF BAYTOWN IS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK AT, UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER POSITIONS THAT ARE OPEN THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL CAN FILL THE ROLE AND EVENTUALLY GET BACK INTO CITY ADMINISTRATION'S OFFICE? AND, UM, I WOULD JUST RATHER AT THIS TIME, WAIT ON THIS ONE UNTIL WE REALLY FIND OUT WHAT THIS NEW SYSTEM THAT WE'RE CAPITALIZING ON FOR, YOU KNOW, SELF-SERVICE FOR OUR RESIDENTS, GIVE THAT A TRY.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO PERMITTING, ALL OF THAT, UM, WE HAVE THE APP I THINK THAT WE NEED TO PUSH MORE ON.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S MORE THAT WE CAN DO TECHNOLOGY WISE, UM, AND THEN, UM, LEVERAGING OTHER CITY STAFF.
AND SO MY PARTICULAR POSITION, UM, WOULD ACTUALLY BE TO WAIT ON THIS HIRE.
UM, SO, AND JASON DOES FIELD A LOT OF CALLS MM-HMM
THEY DO NOT MAKE THEIR WAY ONTO THE GOOGLE SHEET.
NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE MORE REDIRECTED TO, TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT COULD ANSWER THOSE.
THESE ARE STRICTLY THINGS THAT COME FROM U SEVEN THAT MAKE IT ONTO THE GOOGLE SHEET.
SO IF WE'RE JUST GOING IN ORDER HERE, SO I'M, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M JUST GONNA GO AS IF YOU WANNA SPEAK AHEAD.
SO I, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD THE SAME POSITION ACTUALLY FOR, OH, YOU KNOW, THE LAST 2, 3, 4 YEARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST NOT IN FAVOR OF, OF GROWING GOVERNMENT IN A SENSE.
BUT SPECIFICALLY, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF GROWING THE, THE ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT, REGARDLESS OF HOW HIGH OF A TIER THAT POSITION WOULD BE AT, OR HOW LOW OF A TIER THAT POSITION WOULD BE AT.
AND THE RATIONALE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS PERSON WILL GRADUATE SOON AND WE WILL LOSE THAT.
WELL, IT'S AN INTERN PROGRAM, SO I WOULD SUSPECT OR ANTICIPATE THAT WE WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIRE ANOTHER INTERN AT ZERO COST TO THE TAXPAYERS.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT RATIONALE ENTIRELY TO SAY WE, WE WON'T HAVE THE HELP ANYMORE WHEN IT'S AN INTERN PROGRAM.
AND, AND TYPICALLY INTERNS ARE ON A ROTATION.
AND, AND SO I'M A LITTLE LOST THERE.
UM, I GUESS JUST OUT OF A, A QUESTION OUT OF CURIOSITY, IF THIS WERE A PERMANENT POSITION, WOULD WE STILL CONTINUE ON AND, AND HAVE AN INTERN PROGRAM AS WELL, OR WE WOULD WE DISCONTINUE THE INTERN PROGRAM IF WE HAD A FULL-TIME POSITION WAS CREATED? SO UNTIL RECENTLY, THE CITY HASN'T HAD A, A VERY STRUCTURED INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
UH, INTERNS, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE AWAY ALSO
[00:10:01]
FROM IS THAT INTERNS ARE THE SOURCE OF CHEAP LABOR.WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO MOVE AWAY FROM THAT.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT CAREERS AND IN PUBLIC SERVICE, PARTICULARLY MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT.
WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO GET EXPOSURE, UH, AND, AND STRUCTURE MORE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND SIMPLY TRY TO FILL SOME TYPE OF LABOR GAP.
SECONDLY, UM, ONE, ONCE AGAIN, THIS, THE, THE WORKLOAD CONTINUES IN THIS AREA.
PAMELA, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS SERVED IN THIS CAPACITY FOR TWO YEARS.
THIS IS TYPICALLY NOT THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT YOU KEEP AN INTERN.
UH, SO FOR SOMEBODY TO SAY, WELL, WE CAN JUST HIRE AN INTERN, THEY CAN JUST DO WHAT PAMELA'S DOING RIGHT NOW, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
OF COURSE, WHEN WE DO HIRE AN INTERN, WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE MORE FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT EXPAND THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND, UH, PREPARE THEM FOR A, A CAREER IN, IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
THAT'S WHAT THE OBJECTIVE IS GOING TO, UH, TO BE IN THE FUTURE.
UM, WE HAVE NOT SEEN A DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF CONSTITUENT REQUESTS THAT YOU ALL GET.
YOU GUYS PROBABLY CONCUR THAT THAT'S NOT GONNA COME TO AN END.
DURING THE TIME THAT YOU ALL OF US MET TOGETHER IN JULY, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO CON UH, CONTINUE TO SEE AN ELEVATION OF, OF, UH, THE LEVEL OF SERVICE ON HOW WE RESPOND TO THESE CONSTITUENT REQUESTS THAT YOU ALL RECEIVE.
NOW, I KNOW THAT WE'VE MADE GREAT STRIDES.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS POSITION WAS SIMPLY POSSIBLY TO GET MORE CONCENTRATED HELP ON THAT, UH, THAT PARTICULAR AREA AND LIFT THIS TO A NEW LEVEL.
AND SO, AND, AND HONESTLY, YOU GUYS, I MEAN, IF YOU WANNA WAIT AND I'M FINE WITH THAT AND NO ARGUMENT FOR ME, BUT, UH, WE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THE BEST WE CAN FIELDING THE MYRIAD, UH, CONSTITUENT REQUEST THAT YOU GET THE VERY BEST THAT WE CAN.
WELL, I UNDERSTAND WITH RESOURCES WE HAVE, WELL, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE COMMENT, MR. CITY MANAGER AND YOU KNOW, I, I CAN APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S A, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S VERY NOBLE.
AND, AND I WOULDN'T EXPECT ANYTHING LESS FROM A CITY MANAGER.
HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TASKED TO LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE AND TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND, YOU KNOW, A, A GREAT PERCENTAGE OF THE CONSTITUENTS LIKE CHEAP LABOR AND, AND FREE LABOR.
SO IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
THE, THE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AREN'T REALLY OUR NUMBER ONE PERSPECTIVE HERE.
THAT'S JUST NOT WHAT WE WERE ELECTED TO DO.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE ELECTED TO, TO, TO LOOK OUT AND BE GOOD STEWARDS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
SO I, I SHARE COUNCIL ONE ALVARADO'S SENTIMENT WITH, WITH THAT POSITION.
AND, UH, THAT, THAT'S MY POSITION.
SO ONE, ONE OF YOUR INITIATIVES FROM OUR RETREAT WAS TO EXPAND EXPOSURE TO YOUNG PEOPLE, TO OUR ORGANIZATION.
IT WAS PART OF OUR REPUTATION AND IMAGE INITIATIVE.
AND TO EXPAND OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM OR THE ABILITY OF COLLEGE STUDENTS, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER TO, UH, BE EXPOSED TO THE FUNCTIONINGS OF OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
SO THAT, THAT WAS, UH, PART OF MEETING THAT AS WELL.
AND I REALLY COMPLIMENT, UH, HR, UH, HA HAS PUT, UH, QUITE A BIT OF WORK IN, IN PUTTING TOGETHER A MORE STRUCTURED AND, UH, LOGICAL PROGRAM.
UH, I THINK THAT I, I AGREE WITH YOU.
UH, STEWARDSHIP IS ONE OF OUR CORE VALUES, BUT IT, IT ALSO MEANS PROVIDING A RETURN ON INVESTMENT ALSO.
AND I, I THINK IF I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THE POSITION, IF I DIDN'T THINK WE COULD, WE COULD GIVE A RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT AND ELEVATE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT WE HAVE.
BUT I AM, I'M GREAT WITH YOUR POSITIONS.
AND WE WILL NOT, IF THE REST OF THE COUNCIL AGREES THAT THAT'S CONSISTENT OF THE COUNCIL, WELL, WE WON'T PURSUE THAT POSITION RIGHT NOW.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON, I GUESS ON THIS PARTICULAR POSITION, IT SEEMED LIKE THEY'RE FOCUSED ON THAT ONE.
WELL, THIS POSITION, BUT I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE HAVE THREE POSITIONS, NEW POSITIONS FOR ANIMAL CONTROL.
UM, 4 4 4, 4 NEW POSITIONS FOR ANIMAL CONTROL.
YEAH, NOTHING NEGATIVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
I'M HAPPY BECAUSE THAT JUST MEANS WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND STAFFING THE NEW FACILITY.
UM, JUST MY COMMENTS ON SOME COMMENTS ABOUT INTERNS.
I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY CONSIDER INTERNS CHIEF LABOR BECAUSE I INTERNED WHEN I WAS WORKING FOR MY COUNSELING DEGREE AND TOOK A LOT OF PRIDE IN THE WORK THAT I HAD DONE.
I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THAT'S NECESSARILY
[00:15:01]
CHIEF LABOR, BUT THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE NOT ONLY TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY, BUT TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE FOR THEM TO GO AND GET A NICE PAYING JOB IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR.WE HOPE WE CAN STRUCTURE IT THAT WAY.
UH, THAT MAY ALSO BE AN OPPORTUNITY, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT IT BEING LOCAL, THAT MAY BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH LEE COLLEGE AND SEE IF THEY WOULD HAVE SOME STUDENTS WITH MAJORS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION OR GOVERNMENT OR POLITICAL SCIENCE AND SEEING IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO COME IN.
I WAS GONNA ASK THE SAME QUESTION.
DO WE HAVE PLANS FOR INTERNS IN THE COMING YEARS? 'CAUSE IF SO, IF SHE'S DONE THAT GOOD OF A JOB FOR TWO YEARS, WE COULD PROBABLY FIND OTHERS WILLING TO WORK JUST AS HARD TO DO A GOOD JOB BECAUSE WHO WOULDN'T WANT THE THIRD LARGEST CITY ON THEIR RESUME SAYING THAT THEY INTERNED HERE? SURE.
THIRD LARGEST CITY IN HARRIS COUNTY.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HELP A YOUNGER CITIZEN OR AN OLDER CITIZEN.
SOMEONE WHO HAS HOPES AND DREAMS OF WORKING FOR A CITY, IF NOT OURS.
UM, WITH THIS AMOUNT UP HERE NEXT TO IT, I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY SAY THAT THEY WERE DOING CHEAP LABOR WORK IF WE'RE LOOKING TO PAY THEM THAT AMOUNT TO, UH, BRING THEM ON WITH THE, UM, WITH THE CITY.
I WOULD SAY THAT SOME OTHER TWO COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID, WE PROBABLY NEED TO WAIT ON THIS.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT.
I WOULD REALLY HOPE THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE WITH THE INTERN PROGRAM.
I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO LEE COLLEGE ABOUT SUPPLYING OUR INTERNS FOR THE PROGRAM.
AND, UM, I THINK I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE IT AT THAT.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THE CITY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR OR ANY POSITION? I, I GUESS WE'RE FOCUSED RIGHT NOW ON THAT PARTICULAR POSITION, BUT IF IT, IF IT'S IN GENERAL ON ANY POSITIONS, THE IDEA IS JUST OVERALL HEAD COUNT, IT COULD BE THAT OR ANY BE TOUCHING ON MOST OF THE POSITIONS THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AS WELL.
AS A HEADS UP, UM, ON THE CITY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR POSITION, I'M JUST CURIOUS, RICK, DID UM, THE SCOPE OF WORK OR THE WORKLOAD FOR BRIAN AND JASON CHANGE TO CAUSE THIS, UM, POSITION? OR IS IT MORE ABOUT GIVING THE INTERN AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME ON BOARD? UH, IT'S A LITTLE OF, OF ALL, ALL THE ABOVE.
WHEN YOU INVEST TWO YEARS IN SOMEBODY AND THEY'RE WITH THAT FAMILIARITY IN OUR ORGANIZATION AND OUR DEPARTMENTS, AND THEY, THEY ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS AND THERE'S VALUE TO THAT OF COURSE.
UH, THERE IS, AGAIN, THINGS THAT HAVE EVOLVED OVER ON, I'M TALKING, I KNOW YOU'RE SITTING RIGHT HERE, BRIAN, BUT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT BRIAN.
THERE ARE THINGS ON BRIAN'S PLATE THAT HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME, PARTICULARLY WITH HIS, UH, GRANTS COORDINATION AND, AND SOME OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT WE NEVER ANTICIPATED WE'RE GONNA BLOSSOM AND, AND GROW THE, UH, CARES ACT AND ALL THAT KIND OF THING.
THAT, THAT HE'S BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN COORDINATING FOR US ON THAT SIDE.
SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE EMERGED ON HIS PLATE AND, UH, I'M NOT TO SAY THAT HE DOES NOT DO SOME OF THAT.
I DO SOME OF THE, WHAT WE CALL STICKY NOTES.
IN FACT, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF PURPLE.
HE'S ORANGE FOR TENNESSEE AND, AND PAMELA'S PINK.
SO THAT'S THE, IT LOOKS LIKE AN EASTER EGG.
UH, THERE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, THE, THE SHEET WE ALL PITCH IN AND HELP, UH, WE JUST THOUGHT WE COULD BENEFIT FROM MORE CONCENTRATED ATTENTION ON THAT, ALLOWING SOME OF THE OTHER WORK THAT WE'RE DOING THAT HAS BLOSSOMED, AGAIN, AS I'VE TOLD YOU OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, UH, TO BE, UH, ALLOW BRIAN TO FOCUS ON THAT.
AND, UH, IT'S JUST MAGNIFYING OUR ABILITY TO, UH, ANSWER THE CONSTITUENT REQUESTS THAT YOU ALL GET.
SOME THINGS YOU GUYS COULD HELP US WITH.
I MEAN, IF WE'RE NOT, IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT AND HAVE THAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE AND A BRAND NEW INTERN IS NOT GOING TO BE AS EFFECTIVE, OBVIOUSLY SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN WITH TWO YEARS MM-HMM
IN RESOLVING SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
BUT SOME OF THE THINGS YOU, YOU CAN DO IS TRIAGE SOME OF THE REQUESTS YOU GET FROM CONSTITUENTS AND REFER THEM DIRECTLY TO A DEPARTMENT OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT THAT MAY HELP ALSO.
UH, I THINK YOU DO THAT ALREADY TO SOME DEGREE.
SO CONTINUE TO DO THAT, IF YOU WILL.
AND JUST BE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR ABILITY TO IMMEDIATELY GET BACK ON CERTAIN ISSUES.
SOMETIMES SOME ISSUES TAKE, UH, A LOT OF TIME TO RESOLVE.
UH, AND I, I THINK OF SOME OF THE, THE, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT AND, AND COMPLICATED CODE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES THAT WE HAVE SOMETIMES INVOLVE FOUR AND FIVE DEPARTMENTS.
ON THAT, INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I THINK THAT WAS GONNA BE MY NEXT POINT, IS I FEEL LIKE THE ISSUES I GIVE
[00:20:01]
TO Y'ALL FROM CONSTITUENTS THAT GO ON THE GOOGLE DOC, I FEEL LIKE THE TURNAROUND TIME'S PRETTY GOOD.I DON'T FEEL LIKE I'M WAITING TOO LONG FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE LOW HANGING FRUIT TO BE ADDRESSED.
SO, UM, FROM WHERE I SIT, Y'ALL'S CURRENT PROCESS SEEMS TO BE WORKING OKAY.
YEAH, JUST GENERALLY ON THE HEAD COUNT, I MEAN, THE BIG NUMBER OBVIOUSLY CAUGHT MY EYE.
I MEAN, IT'S A LOT, UM, 39 NEW POSITIONS.
UM, AND THAT'S CONCERNING TO ME, YOU KNOW, JUST THE GROWTH OF THE SIZE OF OUR SIZE OF OUR GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, AND YOU RARELY SEE POSITIONS GO AWAY ONCE YOU ADD 'EM.
UM, AND SO JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, UM, THAT THAT'S, IT'S CONCERNING TO ME THE THE AMOUNT OF GROWTH.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT LAST YEAR THERE WEREN'T ANY NEW HIRES.
AND SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A PORTION OF IT.
UM, BUT A FEW OF 'EM THAT, THAT CAUGHT MY EYE, THE ONE THAT THE CITY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH, THAT'S KIND OF A NEWER PROGRAM AND ALREADY SEEING THAT GROW TO NEED ANOTHER PERSON, UM, CALLED MY, UH, THE PERMIT CASE SPECIALIST.
UM, THE JUSTIFICATION THERE TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT INTER GOV AS THAT CONTINUES TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT CONCERNS ME.
JUST WE'RE IMPLEMENTING A NEW PROGRAM THAT SHOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT, BUT IT NEEDS KIND OF AN ADDITIONAL PERSON TO HELP OVERSEE IT.
UM, SEEMS LIKE WE'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY THERE.
UM, I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THE, THE STORM WATER, THE FEE INCREASE, BUT WITH THAT COMES IN A COMPLETELY NEW, UH, DITCH MAINTENANCE CREW.
UM, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU INCREASE THAT FEE TO TRY TO HELP GET SOME OF THESE PROJECTS DONE, AND A CHUNK OF IT IS EATEN UP ALREADY WITH PERSONNEL.
UM, I'M SURE WE'LL, WE'LL DISCUSS THAT IN MORE DETAIL.
UM, BUT THAT WAS A, A FEW OF THE POSITIONS THAT IT CAUGHT MY EYE, BUT THE OVERALL 39, IT, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF GROWTH.
SO I THINK AS WE GO AND JUST LOOK AT, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY THAT THE, THE HEADCOUNT ISSUES.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME THERE'S A GENERAL CONSENSUS ON, ON THE COORDINATOR POSITION FOR CITY MANAGEMENT TO KIND OF KIND OF WAIT MM-HMM
AND THEN, UM, SO IT WAS KIND OF MENTIONED THE COMMITTEE ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST, UH, ON THAT TOO.
I, I THINK IT WAS ALMOST, IT'S ALMOST KINDA LIKE A PREVIOUS DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD IS, IS KIND OF, UM, AS WE EMERGE THROUGH SOMEWHAT OUT OF, OUT OF COVID, UH, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A METRIC, HOW DO WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO KIND OF ADD HEAD COUNT TO, TO THIS POSITION WHEN WE DON'T KNOW HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW WE SOLIDIFIED THE CURRENT ROLE AND THE ACTIVITIES OF, OF, UH, THE, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR AS IS RIGHT NOW.
AND SO I WOULD HAVE A RESERVATION ON THAT TOO.
MAYBE, MAYBE IT WOULD BE, UM, BEST RIGHT NOW TO WAIT.
I, I DON'T, I DON'T UNDER, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE MEASURE.
I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE HOW DO WE MEASURE THE NEED FOR THAT? IS THERE SOMETHING HAPPENING? YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK OF THE ROLE AS IT WAS DESCRIBED TO ME, ACTUALLY IT WAS DESCRIBED FOUR YEARS AGO IN A BUDGET.
WHEN I SAT IN THE AUDIENCE HERE, UH, I HEARD A LOT OF DISCUSSION AT THE TIME ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A NEED? AND I THINK THIS PERSON POSITION AT THE TIME WAS GONNA BE UNDER PUBLIC AFFAIRS MM-HMM
AND SO I HEARD A LOT OF COMMENTS FROM SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE UP HERE.
AND SO I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO LOOK AT THAT OF, OF HOW THIS POSITION WAS DESCRIBED, HOW IS IT EVOLVED AND, AND THINGS CHANGED.
I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DYNAMICS CHANGE.
UM, I'M JUST NOT SURE, UM, IF I'M COMFORTABLE IN ADDING A HEAD COUNT WHEN, WHEN, WHEN MAYBE THIS POSITION HASN'T REALLY HAD A GOOD, HAD ENOUGH TIME TO KIND OF CURE AND, AND LOOK WHERE ARE WE REALLY GOING? I, I WILL TELL YOU THE REASON WHY, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION WAS ONE MAJOR ROLE OF THIS, THIS POSITION WAS TO BE KIND OF A VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR, UH, TO GET GROUPS, LARGE GROUPS TO COME IN AND IF IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, COME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND IMPACT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WITH SOME KIND OF PROJECTS OR WHATEVER.
AND I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T, NOW, I'M NOT SAYING IT HASN'T OCCURRED, I HAVEN'T BEEN MADE AWARE OF, OF THOSE THAT'S ACTUALLY BEEN PART OF IT.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME, DON'T GET ME WRONG, I'M JUST SAYING THAT I DON'T KNOW IF, IF, IF, IF I'M NOT AWARE THEN IT'S JUST ON ME.
BUT POINT BEING, IT HASN'T BEEN COMMUNICATED TO ME.
AND SO THAT WAS A MAJOR ROLE OF THE, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR WAS, UH, KIND OF THE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR POSITION.
'CAUSE IT WAS, IT WAS A BIG UNDERSTANDING OR IT WAS, UM, IT WAS KIND OF VAGUE, I THINK AT THE TIME.
I REMEMBER, UM, I WANT TO NAME NAMES, BUT, UH, THEN IT CAME INTO JUST KIND OF BE THIS LIAISON BETWEEN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND THE CITY.
AND I, AND I CAN SAY THERE WAS COMMENTS LIKE, WELL, ISN'T THAT OUR JOB TO BE KIND OF THAT AS LIAISON BETWEEN A COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD? SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I HEAR AND, AND I JUST, I DON'T THINK I'M COMFORTABLE YET WHEN ADDING HEAD COUNT.
AND IF I, IF I HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN OR HAVEN'T BEEN REPORTED OF, OF, UH, REPORTED TO ABOUT
[00:25:01]
WHERE WE AT WITH THE CURRENT ROLE.I THINK, I THINK THE PERSON IN THAT ROLE IS DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT ADDING, YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOMETHING HAPPENING THAT RE THAT IS FORCING US TO ADD THAT ADDITIONAL HEAD COUNT? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
SO MAYBE YOU CAN, YOU WANT THAT ANSWER NOW? YES.
SO, AND I THINK, UM, I'LL LET THEM SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, BUT I KNOW A COUPLE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH SABRINA AND JAMIE OVER THE PAST, REALLY OVER THE PAST YEAR.
SINCE SABRINA MOVED INTO THAT ROLE.
UM, IT'S ONE OF THOSE CASES WHERE YOU'RE RIGHT, A FEW YEARS BACK, THE ROLE WAS NOT CLEARLY DEFINED.
UM, IT, IT MOVED UNDER JAMIE IN THE LIBRARY.
SABRINA CAME ON BOARD, AND IT'S ONE OF THE CASES WHERE IT'S BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL THAT, AND I'LL, I'LL LET HER WORK HER WAY UP AND I SEE HER NOW AND, AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT.
UM, AND SO MUCH WORK HAS BEEN DONE.
JAMIE CAN TALK TO THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED.
IT'S MORE A MATTER OF, DO YOU WANT MORE? THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH GOOD.
DO YOU WANT MORE OF IT? DO YOU WANT MORE ENGAGEMENT WITH NEIGHBORHOODS? DO YOU WANT MORE COORDINATION OF VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES? SO WE CAN ABSOLUTELY GO EITHER WAY.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF DO YOU WANT TO DO MORE OF THOSE GREAT THINGS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON? UM, IF JAMIE HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD ON THAT.
THE POSITION CERTAINLY HAS KIND OF FORMED.
UM, AND THE THINGS THAT WE WORK ON, WE KIND OF DIVIDE INTO FIVE BUCKETS.
WE CALL THEM PUBLIC ART BEING ONE.
UM, VOLUNTEERISM IS DEFINITELY ONE OF OUR BUCKETS.
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN TERMS OF THE CIVIC ACADEMY AND THE YOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE FALL UNDER THAT ONE.
UM, SOMETHING WE CALL PARTICIPATORY DECISION MAKING, WHICH IS REALLY THE BAYTOWN ENGAGE THE SURVEYS FACILITATIONS THAT WE DO WITH NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, AND THEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH, WHICH INCLUDES THE GRANT PROGRAM.
AND WE'VE DONE TONS THIS YEAR, JUST REALLY WE'RE PROUD OF THE, THE THINGS WE DO.
AND I HAVE SOME NUMBERS AND METRICS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE DONE SURVEYS AND HOW MANY NEIGHBORHOODS WE'VE VISITED, AND HOW MANY VOLUNTEER PROJECTS WE'VE DONE.
BUT THE OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE CAPACITY, AS YOU SAID, AND KIND OF EXPAND, WOULD REALLY BE IN THE AREAS OF VOLUNTEERISM AND, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT PROGRAM.
CAN I ASK YOU ONE QUESTION ON THAT? MM-HMM
SO ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT PROGRAM, BECAUSE I THINK WE STARTED OFF, IT WAS, IT WAS A STARTING POINT, I THINK IT WAS, WAS IT 50 K? 30? 30 30 K YES.
AND IN THIS, BUT WHAT WAS PROPOSED, WAS IT THE SAME OR INCREASED? 40? 40 40.
BUT, BUT I WILL, I WILL TELL YOU NOW, WE DID NOT SPEND THE ENTIRE 30, WE, WHEN WE LAUNCHED THE FIRST ROUND, WE EVEN HOPED TO GO INTO A SECOND ROUND.
BUT ONE PLACE WE'RE LIMITED IN CAPACITY IS MANAGING THE PROJECTS.
WE DON'T HAND THE CHECKS OVER TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
IF IT'S A MURAL, WE MANAGE THE MURAL FROM START TO FINISH.
EVERYTHING WE MANAGE FROM START TO FINISH.
UM, AND BY WE, I MOSTLY MEAN, RIGHT, THAT ONE.
UH, SO, UH, INCREASING CAPACITY BY ADDING THE 10,000 AND HAVING ADDITIONAL STAFF WOULD LET US WORK THAT A LITTLE BIT CLOSER AS FAR AS PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
WELL, MY ONLY COMMENT ON THAT IS I, I GET AS THE, AS THE PROGRAM HAS KIND OF UNROLLED MM-HMM
IN A SENSE, NOW PEOPLE ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE.
AND I THINK WE DONE, WE DONE GREAT PROBABLY FOR THE FIRST YEAR ROLLOUT AND ESPECIALLY IN, IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
BUT, UH, NOW PEOPLE ARE BEING MADE AWARE AND SO WHEN THEY, THEY CONTACT ME IN THE CONVERSATIONS, THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS REALLY SEEKING X, Y, Z, AND IT'S LIKE, PERFECT.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE CAN COME SOME WITH, COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF CRITERIA, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT PROGRAM.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE INVEST IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, IF IT'S, IF IT'S KIND OF EITHER THE SIGNAGE FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, THAT, UH, THAT, UH, EITHER THE HOA THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE FUNDS FOR OR WHATEVER, IT'S JUST, IT REALLY PRESENTS, WELL, I'D LIKE US KIND OF STANDARDIZE A LITTLE BIT, BUT I'D LIKE TO EX EXPAND THE PROGRAM, AT LEAST THE FUNDING FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT, THAT MAY, MAY LEAN TOWARD THE EXPANSION OF THIS ADDITIONAL BODY.
AS YOU SAY, THAT WAS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST LESSONS LEARNED WAS, UH, ONCE WE AWARDED THE GRANTS, WE ALSO DO HAVE TO MANAGE THEM, START TO FINISH TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S DONE.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE NOT DONE YET FOR THIS YEAR, FISCAL YEAR.
SO LET ME ASK, WHY, WHY IS IT YOUR PERSPECTIVE THAT WE HAVE TO MANAGE IT? BECAUSE IT WOULD BE LIKE, I, I THINK I'M JUST, LOOK, I'M JUST GIVING AN EXAMPLE.
IF A NEIGHBORHOOD SAYS WE WANT TO, TO DO BUILD THIS, LET'S SAY IT'S, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ENTRY ENTRYWAY, GATEWAY, AND, AND THE COST IS $5,000.
WE, TO ME IT WAS LIKE, HERE'S A 5,000.
NOW WE MAY OVERSEE IF THERE'S SOME SPECS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT YEAH.
BUT I, I DON'T WANT US TO GET, BECOME THE PROJECT MANAGER ON IT.
I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THE ROLE THAT WE WERE SEEKING FOR.
IT VERY MUCH DEPENDS ON WHAT THE PROJECT IS.
THEY DID, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, MANAGE THE BUILDING OF THEIR SIGNED THAT THEY WERE VERY SPECIFIC.
UM, BUT, AND WHEN WE PAID THEM OUT AFTER, LIKE, WE DON'T WANNA GIVE ANYONE MONEY UP FRONT BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S DONE.
UH, TWO OF THE PROJECTS ARE MURALS.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? YOU WANNA GIVE MONEY UP FRONT? YES.
TO JUST LIKE, SO IF A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OR A NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP THAT DOESN'T HAVE A TREASURY, UH, WHICH IS A LOT OF TIMES THE CASE, THEY DON'T HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT, THEY DON'T HAVE A TREASURER.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA HAND ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS A CHECK FOR $5,000 AND CROSS OUR FINGERS.
OBVIOUSLY WE WANNA BE CAUTIOUS, BUT I HAVE A, I HAVE A HARD TIME.
[00:30:01]
SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS I CAN THINK OF, OF SOME IN, IN DISTRICT TWO.THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE MAYBE AN ORGANIZED GROUP.
MAYBE THEY, THEY MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT.
SO HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE MANAGE THAT? WE CAN SAY WE WILL PAY FOR MATERIALS AND LABOR.
WE, WE PROCESS THAT, BUT I DON'T WANT US TO BECOME THE BIG BROTHER.
UH, BUT LIKE, IF IT'S A MURAL, WE'LL PAY THE ARTIST.
LIKE OKAY, INSTEAD OF IF WE CAN PAY DIRECTLY.
OR IF IT'S THE STREET SIGNS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE MANUFACTURED TO THE SPECS THAT PUBLIC WORKS, WHERE THEY MAKE SURE WITH THE SIGNS AND COORDINATE WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO PUT 'EM UP.
THAT'S SOMETHING A NEIGHBORHOOD REALLY COULDN'T ACCOMPLISH WITHOUT US.
SO IT, IT REALLY DOES DEPEND, BUT WE HAVE TO OVERSEE IT PRETTY QUICKLY.
MY POINT IS, I WANT AS MANY TAX DOLLARS TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE IMPROVEMENT RATHER THAN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE IMPROVEMENT.
WE DON'T TAKE ANY OVERHEAD OFF.
IT ALL GOES A HUNDRED PERCENT TO PROJECT, BUT YEAH.
BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL BODY THAT HELP, BUT JUST TO BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE AND TO KIND OF FOLLOW THE THINGS.
WE, INSTEAD OF HANDING PEOPLE A CHECKS, AND I GET, I MEAN, I GET, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T JUST HAND I THINK MAYBE PART OF WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS, SO WE, IT'S A, THERE WAS $30,000 IN THE PROGRAM.
WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT UPPING THAT TO 40.
HOWEVER, WE HIRE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST, THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL 47.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A, A $47,000 EXPENDITURE TO MANAGE A $40,000 BUDGET.
WELL, I THINK THEY'LL DO OTHER THINGS.
OR A, OR A SMALL, I'M NOT SURE.
CAN JAMIE, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE MORE THROUGH THE, THE VOLUNTEER COMPONENT THAT YOU FEEL LIKE THIS POSITION MIGHT ADD? SURE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE ABLE TO DO REALLY SUCCESSFULLY WAS PARTNER WITH UNITED WAY TO GET WITH A VOLUNTEER CONNECT PORTAL.
SO NOW IF YOU WANNA VOLUNTEER IN BAYTOWN, THERE'S ONE SHOP, IT HAS ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES ON THERE.
AND THEN WE HOSTED OUR OWN, WE WORKED WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IN PARTICULAR, UH, THE NATURE CENTER TO HAVE OUR OWN EVENTS SO THAT THERE WERE CITY OF BAYTOWN EVENTS REPRESENTED ON THERE.
I THINK WE HAD FIVE BIG EVENTS THIS YEAR.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE TO BE ON SITE, UH, DOING THE, CONTACTING ALL THE VOLUNTEERS.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND THAT VERY MUCH.
ONE QUICK QUESTION, JUST, OKAY.
SO THE, THE, THE AMOUNT HERE FOR THIS POSITION NOW, THIS IS THE ROLLED UP NUMBER.
I HAVEN'T, WE DON'T PUT THE NUMBERS ON HR TO, SO I HAVEN'T IS NUMBER, THIS IS, I'M, I'M ASSUMING THE NUMBERS WE SEE HERE THEN ARE, ARE THESE ARE ALL IN NUMBERS? THIS IS TOTAL, CORRECT.
SO JUST SO THE COUNCIL UNDERSTANDS, THIS IS NOT SALARY, THIS IS EVERYTHING IS THIS AND BENEFITS.
SO I, I KNOW DURING THE RETREATS WE DID PROACTIVELY SAY WE WANTED MORE MONIES TOWARDS THIS GRANT PROGRAM.
I THINK SO AND SO, AND THE ADVERTISEMENT, RIGHT? PEOPLE WILL KNOW AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT ONLY HELPS YOU HAVE STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A STRONG CITY.
SO AS MUCH AS WE CAN GIVE TOWARDS THE ACTUAL MONIES THAT GOES BACK OUT TO THE PROGRAM, UM, THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT.
NOW I'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH SABRINA ON A COUPLE OF PROJECTS.
ONE GROUP PRETTY MUCH TOOK OFF ON ITS OWN.
UM, I INITIALLY, YOU KNOW, DID THEIR APPLICATION AND ALL OF THAT FOR THEM, UM, WHICH WAS CENTRAL HEIGHTS AND THEY, THEY RAN WITH IT.
AND I HAVE ANOTHER GROUP THAT'S LIKE NEEDING MORE HELP.
AND SO I CAN SEE WHERE IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE SOMEONE, NOT SO MUCH AS THE PROJECT MANAGER GOING STEP BY STEP, BUT REALLY PUSHING THIS GROUP, YOU KNOW, FOR TIMELINES AND, AND GETTING THINGS DONE.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT, YOU KNOW, DON'T HAVE ANYONE.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ONE PERSON THAT'S GONNA WANNA TAKE THE CHARGE AND THAT ONE PERSON CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
AND SO I, I CAN DEFINITELY SEE WHERE THIS WOULD BE A VALUE ADD, BUT I THINK I WOULD JUST WANNA FLUSH OUT THEIR EXACT, UM, UH, THE EXACT ROLE.
SO, UM, I WAS, I'M A HUGE ADVOCATE OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, BUT I, AND I DO HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE MAYOR IN THAT WHAT I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT WE WERE DOING WITH SABRINA'S, UH, POSITION HAS EVOLVED TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
NOT TO SAY THAT I DON'T LIKE WHAT SHE DOES, I DO LOVE WHAT SHE DOES, BUT I DID THINK IT WOULD HAVE MORE OF THE VOLUNTEER COMPONENT TO IT THAN IT CURRENTLY DOES NOW, WHICH I CAN SEE WHY YOU'RE ASKING FOR THIS SECOND POSITION SO THAT YOU COULD ADD THAT, BUT MAINTAIN WHAT SABRINA'S CURRENTLY DOING.
AND SO I GUESS THE QUESTION'S REALLY TO US, DO WE WANT TO SEE SABRINA MAYBE SCALE BACK SOME OF WHAT SHE'S CURRENTLY DOING TO ADD MORE OF THE VOLUNTEER COMPONENT THAT I THINK WE'VE ALL EXPRESSED THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE THEM DO? OR SHOULD SHE MAINTAIN HER CURRENT WORKLOAD AND ADD THIS POSITION? BECAUSE FOR ME, UM, I KIND OF ALWAYS ENVISION THIS POSITION TO COORDINATE VOLUNTEERS, CITIZEN VOLUNTEERS TO CLEAN GRAFFITI AND PICK UP TRASH AND A ATTACK.
SOME OF THOSE FREQUENT, UM, CODE VIOLATIONS AND SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THOSE HOMEOWNERS CAN'T DO IT THEMSELVES.
[00:35:01]
AND SO, I MEAN, IT'S DEFINITELY EVOLVED TO SOMETHING I NEVER IMAGINED.AND I DO LIKE IT, BUT I'M STILL MISSING LIKE THAT CORE THING I WISHED THIS POSITION WAS DOING.
CAN WE HEAR SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS FOR THE EVERYTHING THAT'S TAKEN PLACE? YEAH.
GRANTS, GRANTS, EVERYTHING THAT, SORRY.
WELL YOU STARTED WITH 30 K, SO, AND, AND IT, YOU KNOW, OH, FOR, DO, DO YOU WANNA KNOW THE GRANT RUNDOWN OR LIKE THE WHOLE, LIKE HOW MANY PUBLIC ART THINGS AND HOW MANY I WANNA KNOW THAT THAT, OKAY.
UH, WE DID FOR PUBLIC ART, THREE STORM DRAINS, SIX SPLASH PAD CONTROL BOXES, UH, AT THE SPLASH PADS, 11 NEW MINI MURAL MURALS.
UH, WE PAINTED A STREET, I DUNNO IF YOU'VE SEEN IT,
AND, UH, AND THEN SOME OF THE PUBLIC ART CROSSES OVER INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT GRANTS.
WE'RE HOPING TO FINISH THIS FISCAL YEAR, A MURAL ON THE SIDE OF THE PROMISE CENTER.
ONE IN, UH, THE ARTS DISTRICT.
SO, UH, IN VOLUNTEERISM, I THINK WE DID FIVE PARKS AND REC, KIND OF THE BIGGER EVENTS WHERE WE HAD A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS THAT WE COORDINATED.
UH, AND THEN WITH THE UNITED WAY PORTAL, THE, JUST, IT'S BRAND NEW THIS YEAR, SO IT'S JUST PROVIDED ALL THE HEARTS AND HANDS.
IT'S REALLY A UNITED WAY INITIATIVE, BUT WE WORK ON THE VOLUNTEER COUNCIL WITH THEM TO PROMOTE EVERYTHING TO DO.
SO WE HAD FIVE VOLUNTEER EVENTS.
HOW MANY EVENTS WERE SPECIFICALLY IN, UM, MEANT FOR ART OF THE VOLUNTEER EVENTS? NO MA'AM.
NOT, NOT VOLUNTEER EVENTS, BUT JUST THE ART, THE THINGS THAT WERE PAINTED AND THE MURALS.
HOW MANY PROJECTS WAS THIS PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR? SO, UH, ALL THE SPLASH PADS, EIGHT SPLASH PADS, THE ENTIRE STREET.
AND SO THE 11 MINI MURALS WERE UNDER ONE PROJECT OR SEPARATE PROJECT? NO, THAT'S ONE PROJECT.
MANY MURALS WERE ONE SPLASH PADS, PLA SPLASH PADS, THE STREET STREET, THE STREET, UH, AND THE STORM DRAIN ART PROJECT THAT WE DID BRIDGE IN STORM BUILDING FOUR ART PROJECTS.
AND I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION TO SEE IF WE DO NEED IT BASED OFF OF THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WAS DONE.
I'M LIKE YOU, I NEVER EXPECTED TO HEAR THAT WE HAD, OUTSIDE OF THE VOLUNTEER EVENTS, WE HAD SO MANY OTHER EVENTS TO TAKE PLACE.
I WAS UNDER MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THIS PERSON WAS STRICTLY GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENGAGING VOL, BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO GET SOME OF THOSE THINGS DONE THAT WE HAD ASKED FOR.
UM, THAT NUMBER, HOW MANY MORE THINGS ARE PLANNED FOR NEXT YEAR? PROBABLY EQUAL.
I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T SAT DOWN AND MADE OUR SPECIFIC PLAN, BUT OKAY.
I, I WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GONNA BE PLANNED FOR NEXT YEAR BEFORE WE DECIDE IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS
WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE A BANDWIDTH ISSUE.
THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHY THEY'RE ASKING THE POSITION.
THAT WAS JUST ONE COMPONENT OF HER JOB.
THERE'S THE FIVE DIFFERENT, MAYBE, MAYBE THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
WHAT WOULD BE THE ROLE OF THIS, THIS NEW ADDITION? UH, REALLY TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO SERENA FOR VOLUNTEERISM AGAIN.
'CAUSE THAT'S A PLACE WE SORT OF FEEL STUCK BECAUSE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ON OUR PLATE THAT, THAT I WOULD ARGUE WOULDN'T BE SCALED BACK BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY ARE BEING SO SUCCESSFUL.
SO, AND EXPLORING PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CHURCHES AND, AND HOSTING THE OWN, OUR OWN CITY OF BAYTOWN VOLUNTEER EVENTS.
AND THEN DOING MORE OUTREACH IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
CURRENTLY WE GO TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS.
WE TRY TO MAKE CONNECTIONS, HELP PEOPLE FORM, UH, ASSOCIATIONS IF THEY DON'T HAVE ONE, UH, WORK WITH THEM REALLY CLOSELY TO DO THE GRANTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND THEY DUNNO HOW IT'S DONE.
UM, AND TO PROVIDE SOME MORE SUPPORT AND CAPACITY IN THAT AREA AS WELL.
SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF, THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS THEY WOULD, I THINK, TOUCH EVERYTHING AND PROVIDE OVERALL SUPPORT.
AND I THINK WHAT I, WHAT I REMEMBER IN SOME PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THESE ROLES WOULD BE REALLY, IT'S ALMOST INTERNAL WHERE, UM, THIS DEPARTMENT WOULD, WOULD PROBABLY GET WITH PROBABLY INSPECTIONS.
AND LIKE, THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S SOME CITIZENS WHO, UM, FOR VARIOUS REASONS, THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES.
MAYBE THEY'RE IN VIOLATION OF CODE AND, AND IT MAY JUST BE MATERIAL BUILDING MATERIALS ON A PORCH OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
AND SO KIND OF REALLY BROKERING BETWEEN VOLUNTEERS AND SOME STUFF THAT CAN BE DONE FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO, TO RECTIFY THIS.
WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I, I WOULD HOPE WE CAN TALK TO EACH OTHER AND MAKE THAT HAPPEN INTERNALLY.
THAT WOULD BE A REALLY BIG INITIATIVE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE LEGALITIES OF DOING WORK ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, THE LIABILITIES.
UM, BUT CHURCHES HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED INTEREST IN, IN BEING VERY INVOLVED IN THAT.
THE CHURCHES
BUT WHILE WE'RE DOING THIS IS KIND OF MATCHMAKING BETWEEN HERE, HERE'S A CITIZEN AND, AND THEY, UM, THEY'RE IN VIOLATION.
THEY NEED BASICALLY LABOR, LET'S SAY.
AND HERE'S THE LABOR AND WE MATCH, WE MATCH 'EM.
AND NOW WE, WE'VE ACTUALLY HELPED THE CITY.
WE'VE HELPED THEM BECOME COMPLIANT, WE'VE HELPED THE CITIZEN.
UM, AND SO I, I BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS KIND OF, UH, A VERY SIMPLE INITIATIVE THAT WE CAN TAKE INTERNALLY.
BUT THAT'S JUST WHAT I REMEMBER.
[00:40:01]
TO, TO EXPLORE AND HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD BE AT THAT, THAT TABLE.CODE ENFORCEMENT AND MUNICIPAL COURT AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE'RE ACTUALLY HELPING EVERYONE IS ALMOST A WIN-WIN.
I, I THINK OUR IDEA OF THE INITIAL ROLE HAS DEFINITELY EVOLVED BECAUSE OF THIS NEW UNITED WAY PORTAL.
IT WASN'T IN PLAY WHEN WE WERE FIRST TALKING ABOUT THIS MM-HMM
AND SO A LOT OF WORK HAS BEEN DONE ALREADY AND DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS ARE STEPPING UP AND UTILIZING THEIR PORTAL AND WANTING TO PUT IN FOR INTERNS AND, UH, EVEN, UH, PROMISE CENTER HAS UTILIZED, UM, THE PORTAL AND THEY HAVE GOTTEN NEW VOLUNTEERS THAT THEY'VE NEVER WORKED WITH BEFORE.
AND SO I, I, I THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE OF A, JUST A MATCHING, AS MAYOR SAID, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA BE HANDS-ON DOING EVERYTHING, BUT BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE A STRONG BASE ALREADY OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN PROVIDE THE MANPOWER, UM, WE, WE, I GUESS JUST NEED TO ADAPT TO THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT, IT'S CHANGED FROM WHEN WE FIRST, IT'S CERTAINLY BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THERE IS A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR VOLUNTEERS AND IT, IT'S, IT'S ABSOLUTELY, IT'S GREAT.
AND IT'S GROWING IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS TOO, AS THE CAPACITY BUILDS.
I, I GUESS MY COMMENT AFTER THE DISCUSSION AND, AND KNOWLEDGE, I MEAN, THIS ISN'T A SUPER HIGH PAID POSITION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT IT WILL ALLOW MORE BANDWIDTH TO DO MORE GOOD THINGS, I THINK, FOR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO I'M PRETTY SUPPORTIVE OF, OF IT AT THIS POINT.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, I HAVE NOT A LOT OF EXPERIENCES WITH, WITH, UH, THIS INITIATIVE, BUT I HAVE HAD ONE OR TWO AND, AND IT, IT, IN MY OPINION WITH THE, THE PART OF TOWN THAT I REPRESENTED, IT WAS A VERY POSITIVE, UH, UNDERTAKING ON, ON THE THINGS THAT, THAT, THE EFFORTS THAT WERE THERE.
AND IT'S JUST, IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING FOR ONE COUNCIL PERSON SOMETIMES AND, AND PARTS OF TOWN.
SO IT WAS A NICE RESOURCE TO TAP INTO.
AND, AND I, I DO THINK, UH, IT'S FRUITFUL IN THAT REGARD.
I, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN PROVIDE US, UM, KIND OF A, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY SABRINA'S JOB ROLE AND THEN THIS NEW POSITION JOB A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED, JUST SO, SO WE ARE AWARE YEAH.
FOR ME, JAMIE, I CAN SUPPORT IT IF THERE'S GONNA BE A FOCUS ON CREATING OUR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, NOT JUST USING THE UNITED WAY PORTAL, BUT WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO FIX THINGS WITH VOLUNTEERS.
AND IF THAT PERSON CAN DO THAT, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
ANYTHING ELSE? ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? SO ANY OTHER POSITIONS? I MEAN, JUST OVERALL HEAD COUNT.
I, I THINK IN GENERAL, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY AS WE EXPAND THE, THE ANIMAL CONTROL SHELTER, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S CAPABILITIES THAT WE NEVER HAD BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE A NEW FACILITY.
THIS IS, IS NOT JUST THE FACILITY, IT'S THE, THE SERVICES OFFERED.
UM, COULD SOMEONE, AT LEAST IN GENERAL, TELL US WHAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE? UM, IF IT'S EITHER TONY, WHAT I, I'D LIKE THE CITIZENS TO KNOW WHY WE ARE APPROVING THESE AND WHAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE DIFFERENT THAN BEFORE.
IF YOU GO BACK, I GUESS I'M GONNA SAY ROUGHLY 2015 ISH AND NOW WE HAVE MADE LEAPS AND BOUNDS AS FAR AS ALMOST CHANGED PHILOSOPHIES OF HOW THE CITY OF BAYTOWN PROVIDES ANIMAL SERVICES IN GENERAL.
SO WITH THAT NEW SHELTER COMES A LOT OF EXPECTATION, HIGH EXPECTATION.
UH, THE FOUR POSITIONS THAT WE, UH, ARE UP, OR A VETERINARIAN, A VET TECH THAT WILL SUPPORT THE VET, A ANIMAL CARE SPECIALIST THAT WILL SUPPORT THE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UH, AND A FOSTER SPECIALIST TO HELP, UH, SU SUPPORT THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR TRYING TO CREATE MORE AVENUES TO GET SOME ANIMALS OUT TO BE FOSTERED AND ALSO OPEN UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOLUNTEERS.
THE SHELTER IS GONNA HAVE SO MUCH SPACE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE VOLUNTEERS.
UH, CURRENTLY WE, WE JUST DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ROOM.
UH, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE BASIS OF IT.
I KNOW WE'VE, UM, ADDED QUITE A FEW POSITIONS, UH, BACK IN, I THINK IT WAS 20 18, 20 20 18.
UM, AND SO WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS A, A GREAT NEED BECAUSE ONCE WE OPEN, UM, THE EXPECTATION IS TO, UH, BE ABLE TO CARRY ON AND PROVIDE ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE, WE'VE STARTED THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, WE'VE STARTED THE FOSTER PROGRAM, SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO CARRY IT FORWARD.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO OFFER LIKE MORE VACCINATIONS FOR, FOR THE ANIMALS THAT ARE THERE THAN, THAN BEFORE NOW.
WITH THE VETERINARY SUITE THAT'S GONNA BE IN PLACE.
WE'LL HAVE THE FACILITY FOR A VET TO COME IN, UM, AND, AND TAKE CARE OF THE ANIMALS, UH, A LOT, A LOT MORE EFFICIENTLY AND A LOT MORE, UH, QUICKLY.
SO ARE ALSO, ARE WE MEASURING, I WOULD REALLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN WE GO AND, AND WE RELEASE AN ANIMAL, SOME TYPE OF METRIC OF, OF KIND OF WHAT'S THE SURVIVABILITY? I MEAN, SOMETIMES WE GET ANIMALS OFF THE STREET, WE GO AND WE, WE ARE ABLE TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION AND THEY'RE FOSTERED AND THEY GO TO THEIR, THEIR
[00:45:01]
FOREVER HOME.UH, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE A BASELINE? ARE WE MEASURING THE SURVIVABILITY OF THOSE ANIMALS? I MEAN, SOMETIMES WE GET 'EM AND THEY HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO, TO GO AND IDENTIFY.
AND SO THE MORE WE CAN DO WHEN THEY ARE IN OUR CUSTODY BEFORE THEY ARE PROVIDED TO A FOSTER OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, UM, ARE WE MEASURING THAT IN A SENSE? I MEAN, IT'S NOT, IT'S BASED OFF OF FEEDBACK, OBVIOUSLY FROM THE, THE NEW PET OWNER, BUT RIGHT, RIGHT.
I, I'LL PROBABLY LET JIMMY GARCIA, UH, TOUCH ON THAT.
HE, HE IS INVOLVED WITH THE SHELTER DAY-TO-DAY OKAY.
AND THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS.
AND HE CAN EXPLAIN AND ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
VERY BRIEF, BUT JUST GENERAL, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, I'LL PUT IT THIS WAY.
I WOULD LIKE THE PERCENTAGE OF ANIMALS THAT LEAVE OUR SHELTER TO BE AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE AND THAT THERE'S SURVIVABILITY IS AS GOOD AS WE CAN IDENTIFY WITH THE NEW RESOURCES THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE.
WHEN, WHEN YOU SAID WE HAVE TO RELY ON, UM, FEEDBACK FROM, FROM THE ADOPTERS, UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE HAVE, UM, WITH OUR SURVIVE SURVIVABILITY RATE IS, UM, HEARTWORM.
CURRENTLY WE DO NOT TEST FOR HEARTWORM, UM, TO, TO PROVIDE THAT TREATMENT WE WOULD NEED A VETERINARIAN.
UM, ALSO SURVIVABILITY HAS GONE UP TREMENDOUSLY WITH THE, UH, ORDINANCE PASSAGE OF VACCINATING ON INTAKE.
THE, WE, WE HAD A BIG ISSUE WITH PARVO BEFORE HAVING TO DO THAT.
NOW IT'S A VERY MINIMAL AND, UM, SO WITH WE, WE DO NOT HAVE SPECIFIC NUMBERS OF WHAT THE BASELINE IS FOR WHAT, WHAT OUR ANIMALS ARE SURVIVING OUTSIDE AFTER THEY LEAVE THE SHELTER.
SO WE HAVE VERY LITTLE INFORMATION BACK FEEDBACK FROM CITIZENS ON THAT.
WELL, IT IS JUST, YOU KNOW, ONCE, ONCE WE GET THE NEW, ONCE WE HAVE THE NEW SHELTER AND THE NEW CAPABILITIES, THEN I THINK WE KIND OF LOOK AT IT AT A, WE, WE KIND OF MEASURE A BASELINE.
WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE LOOKING AT THAT.
UH, I DON'T WANNA PUT MY, MY PREVIOUS HARRIS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT HAD ON, BUT THE ONE BIGGEST METRIC WE ALWAYS HAD WAS POST-OPERATION INFECTION RATE.
AND SO SAME THING FOR AN ANIMAL CONTROL SHELTER WAS HOW, UH, THE, THE, THE ANIMALS THAT GET BECOME, COME IN OUR CUSTODY AND THAT WE RELEASE TO A FOREVER HOME OR A FOSTER.
UM, HOW HEALTHY IS THE ANIMAL? WHAT IS THEIR SURVIVABILITY? AND I THINK THAT'S HOW WE MEASURE WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THESE NEW CAPABILITIES.
EVERYTHING YOU SAID IS, IS KIND OF WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR OR NO.
ABOUT THE VETERINARIAN POSITION, SHELTER, VETERINARIAN.
THAT NUMBER, THAT'S INCLUSIVE OF EVERYTHING.
WELL, THAT NUMBER ALLOW US TO HIRE SOMEBODY WITH EXPERIENCE WHO'S GOING TO BE HERE A WHILE.
SO WE WON'T HAVE A ROTATING DOOR WITH VETS COMING IN AND OUT, OR WHEN THE SHELTER OPENS, IS THIS GONNA ALLOW US THIS NUMBER? WILL IT ALLOW US TO HIRE, HAVE SOMEBODY HIRED FOR THE FIRST DAY OF OPEN, RIGHT? IS THAT NUMBER THE SAME AS WHAT WE'VE SEEN? I, I'M NOT SURE.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT NUMBER, THE NUMBER I'M SEEING HERE IS 99,000, UH, ON INCLUSIVE.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT'S ACCEPTABLE.
UM, EARLY ON, I'D, I'D RECOMMENDED, UM, PAY SIMILAR TO WHAT THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR POSITION WOULD BE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ADD IN THE BENEFITS AND ALL THAT, IT ALMOST DOUBLES.
UM, THE, THE GOING RATE, UM, FULL-TIME VETS LOCAL IN OUR AREA FOR CITY OF HOUSTON BARK, UM, ALSO HARRIS COUNTY.
THEY HAVE SEVERAL VETERINARIANS, CHIEF VETERINARIANS.
BUT, UM, THEY'RE ANNUAL BUDGETS FOR OUR 85 TO 120,000.
AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE BENEFITS SALARY.
THAT'S JUST SOLELY THE SALARY OF THAT POSITION.
SO WHY WOULDN'T WE GO AHEAD AND PUT A NUMBER OUT THERE WHERE WE'RE GONNA AT LEAST HAVE PEOPLE TO ENTERTAIN, THINK ABOUT COMING HERE.
IF WE HAVE A NUMBER THAT LOW AND PEOPLE, THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT, THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT THE QUALIFICATIONS, THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT THE NUMBER, AND WHEN THEY GET TO THE NUMBER, THEY'RE GONNA TURN TO THE NEXT PAGE AND GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
WHY WOULDN'T WE WANT TO UP THAT NUMBER AND GET SOMEBODY WHO'S GOING TO BE HERE DAY ONE AND WANT TO STAY HERE? WELL, ONE THING IS THAT, UH, WE ARE NOT GONNA HIRE, I DON'T THINK WE'LL HAVE SOMEBODY ON BOARD FOR OCTOBER 1ST.
THE, IT REALLY, UH, DOES NOT, UH, COME INTO PLAY UNTIL THEIR FIRST QUARTER.
UH, SO YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT WE HAVE NOT GONE OUT TO THE MARKET, NOR HAVE WE NEGOTIATED WITH, UH, A VETERINARIAN.
THAT'S JUST, THAT'S KIND OF A PLACEHOLDER THAT ALLOWS US TO GAUGE WHAT EXACTLY IT'S GOING TO TAKE.
UH, WE THINK IT'S SUFFICIENT FOR THE COMING BUDGET YEAR TO PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES.
AND IF IT COSTS MORE, WE CAN RESPOND TO THAT.
WE HAVE ENOUGH LATITUDE WE CAN RESPOND TO THAT IF WE NEED BE.
WE REALLY NEED TO KNOW WHETHER YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE OF OUR GOING OUT AND RECRUITING A VETERINARIAN, WHICH WE'VE DONE BEFORE WITHOUT VERY MUCH SUCCESS.
[00:50:01]
CONSIDERED THE ALTERNATIVE OF CONTRACTING WITH A VETERINARIAN FOR WHICH THIS WOULD BE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.UNDERSTAND, WE HAVE A PARTIAL FISCAL YEAR THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, AND WE'LL FINE TUNE THIS NUMBER, WHETHER WE GO THE CONTRACTED ROUTE, WHETHER WE HIRE SOMEBODY FULL TIME AS WE GET INTO THIS DOWN THE YEAR, DEEPER INTO THE YEAR.
SO I GUESS BASED ON JUST SAID, THIS IS NUMBER, NUMBER WE CAN BEGIN TO WORK WITH.
SO THE NUMBER, YOU'RE SAYING, THE NUMBER HERE THAT'S, THAT'S LISTED, IS THIS A PRORATED NUMBER FOR THREE QUARTERS? MM-HMM.
I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S HOW I GATHER WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
IT WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO, TO DO THAT.
FOR, FOR, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR THAT A PERSON WOULD BE ON STAFF.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT NEXT YEAR, IF THAT PERSON IS HERE, THEN IT WILL OBVIOUSLY BE A DIFFERENT NUMBER.
REMEMBER GUYS, THIS IS A, THIS IS A POSITION WE'VE NEVER HAD, WE'VE NEVER HAD TO NEGOTIATE WITH SOMEBODY BEFORE, SO, RIGHT.
BUT AS COUNCILMAN JOHNSON, HE'S SAYING HE WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, THAT THE POSITION WILL BE ADVERTISED AS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A COMPETITIVE SALARY FOR SOMEONE.
AND THEN WHAT YOU SAID, I THINK AGREES IS JUST, YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT IT FROM ADMINISTRATIVE STANDPOINT THAT THIS IS A THREE QUARTER TYPE.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET A, A VETERINARIAN.
LEMME MAKE IT CLEAR WHEN, IF THE POSITIONS ARE APPROVED, WHEN HEALTH GOES TO HIRE 'EM, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU ONLY HAVE $99,000.
AND THEY WORK WITH HR AT THAT TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THE RIGHT LEVEL.
MAYBE YOU HAVE TO GO ABOVE, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT MINIMUM MIDPOINT MAXIMUM IF IT'S A CERTAIN POSITION, AND IT'S GONNA BE TOUGH TO RECRUIT, WE MAY HAVE TO PAY IT A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
SO THESE ARE, THEY'RE BELOW THE SAME PAGE WE PUT INTO THE BUDGET.
WE'LL PAY WHAT WE NEED TO GET THE RIGHT PERSON.
WELL, THANKS FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS LIST, IT'S, IT SAYS 99, WE ASSUME THAT'S IT.
THAT'S WHY, UM, I KNOW WE BUDGETED VETERINARIAN BEFORE, 'CAUSE WE TRIED TO HIRE ONE AND WE WEREN'T VERY SUCCESSFUL.
DID WE JUST ABSORB THAT MONEY ELSEWHERE IN THE BUDGET WHEN WE BUDGETED ALREADY? LIKE WHERE DID THAT GO? NO, THAT IT'S JUST NOT USED.
IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK THAT WAS 20 17, 20 18 WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO DO THAT.
SO IF YOU DIDN'T HIRE 'EM, IT'S JUST GOES TO THE CLOUDS.
SO IT'S AT THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN YOU HAVE, WHEN YOU BUDGET FOR 80 RESERVE DAYS AND YOU WIND UP WITH 90, THAT'S WHAT IT'S, WELL, SHE WANTS TO ABSORB THAT MANY INTO, OKAY.
WELL I I, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF BEING COMPETITIVE, BUT YOU MAY HAVE TO DO THE WHOLE CONTRACT THING.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT MAY MAKE SENSE TOO.
SO, UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER POSITIONS FOR ANIMAL CONTROL, IF YOU COULD JUST KIND OF TALK ME THROUGH THEM.
SO I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, CANDACE IS A VET TECH AND AN ANIMAL CARE SPECIALIST AND A FOSTER SPECIALIST.
AND SO IF WE'RE GONNA KIND OF BREAK THESE INTO THREE DIFFERENT POSITIONS, HOW DOES THAT FIT IN WITH, YOU KNOW, HER ROLE AND THEN SOMETIMES MARYANNE'S THE ONE THAT'S LIKE MANAGING THE FOSTERS.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST KIND OF TALK ME THROUGH THE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, STAFF ROLES WITH THESE NEW POSITIONS.
SO AS YOU JUST MENTIONED, CANDACE'S, MULTI MULTITASK CURRENTLY.
UM, AND WITH, IF THESE POSITIONS GO AS AS WRITTEN, THEN A VETERINARIAN WOULD NEED A FULL-TIME VETERINARY TECHNICIAN TO WORK AS ALONGSIDE THEM.
WHEN DOING, UH, SPAY AND NEUTER, IT'S REQUIRED TO HAVE BOTH OF THEM IN THE SAME AREA AT THE SAME TIME.
ONE WATCHING ANESTHESIA WHILE THE OTHER'S OPERATING, AND VICE VERSA.
SO WITH, EVEN THOUGH WE CURRENTLY HAVE CANDACE'S VET TECHNICIAN, HER JOB DESCRIPTION CLEARLY IS NOT, UH, STATED AS SUCH.
UM, SO DEFINITELY A POSITION THAT'S NEEDED WITH THIS.
WE HAVE THREE LARGE ROOMS IN THE NEW SHELTER THAT'S GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, BE THE VETERINARY SUITE.
UM, SO, SO THAT WILL RELIEVE HER FROM THOSE VET TECH DUTIES.
AND THEN WHAT WILL THE, UM, ANIMAL CARE SPECIALIST FOCUS ON ANIMAL CARE SPECIALISTS WILL ENGAGE WITH HELPING NOT ONLY CANDACE'S CURRENT POSITION OF THE ADOPTION, UH, COORDINATION AND ALSO THE, UM, FOSTER COORDINATION? WE, WE CURRENTLY, ONE OF OUR CURRENT EMPLOYEES, WE ARE TRANSFERRING OR GONNA BE RECLASSIFYING TO LIKE A, UM, VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR.
UM, WE HAVE THE TRAINING ROOM THAT WAS, THAT Y'ALL VOTED ON AND THERE AT THE END OF THE, UH, BUDGET CYCLE FOR APPROVING THE SHELTER FACILITY.
UM, SO WE, WE DO PLAN ON LAUNCHING A ROBUST VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.
UM, AND WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA TAKE A, A GOOD DEAL OF TIME AND, UM, AND ORGANIZATION.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE CREATING JOB DESCRIPTIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS.
UM, ALL KINDS OF THINGS FOR 'EM TO MAKE FEEDING, ANIMAL, FEEDING,
[00:55:01]
WALKING DOGS WITH THE, THE PLAY YARDS WE HAVE.UM, TO ME THAT IS ONE OF THE SCARIEST POSITIONS WE GOT COMING UP.
THE, THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM WITH THE DON'T BE SCARED.
THE, THE AMOUNT OF JUST THE AMOUNT OF, UH, PERSONNEL ON THE STAFF.
UH, NOT PERSONNEL STAFF, BUT VOLUNTEER CITIZENS THAT CAN BE BROUGHT IN TO, TO HELP FACILITATE WHAT WE'RE STRIVING FOR.
YEAH, NO, I THINK THAT'S GREAT.
I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE LIKE YOUR ANIMAL SHELTER 2.0.
THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE WHO WANNA GET IN THERE TO HELP AND THERE'S JUST NO PROCESS FOR THEM TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW Y'ALL ARE FEELING ABOUT THESE POSITIONS, BUT HAVING THAT POSITION, I THINK WILL REALLY PROPEL OUR SERVICES AND OUR ABILITY TO RUN THE NEW SHELTER.
BECAUSE YOU'LL HAVE VOLUNTEERS WHO CAN DO A HOST OF RUDIMENTARY OR LABOR INTENSIVE JOBS GLADLY FOR FREE, AND IT NOT TAKE UP STAFF TIME AND RESOURCES.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GREAT, THAT'S A GREAT POSITION TO ADD AS WE DICED.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT, MA'AM, BECAUSE AS WE DICED UP CANDACE, CANDACE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT ONE PERSON TO DO DOWN THERE.
AND PART OF THE THING THAT TONY AND I TALK A LOT ABOUT IS WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO BE AT CAPACITY.
THAT'S WHEN WE GET INTO OTHER ISSUES THAT WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN.
SO ADOPTION, FOSTERING, TRANSPORT, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO ON THAT.
AND FRANKLY, CANDACE JUST DOESN'T HAVE THE TIME TO, TO DO ALL OF THAT.
SO I APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT, BUT THAT WILL BE HER FOCUS WITH THE OTHER POSITIONS ALLEVIATING HER.
HOW OFTEN, WELL, HOW COMMON IS IT THAT A SHELTER THAT, UM, THE SIZE OF OURS IS GONNA BE ACTUALLY HAS A VETERINARIAN ON STAFF? THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
UM, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO SET A STANDARD.
UM, MOST SHELTERS OUR SIZE DO NOT HAVE A FULL-TIME VETERINARIAN.
THEY EITHER CONTRACT OR THEY HAVE A PART-TIME VETERINARIAN.
I, I DID A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, STUDY ON, ON THAT AND I, I'D BE HAPPY TO GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO, TO RICK OR KEVIN TO PASS ALONG TO YOU.
AND INTERESTINGLY, THERE'S NOT, IN MY OPINION, OF WHAT WE FOUND OUT, THERE'S NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE IN THE COST OF WHAT WE WOULD HAVE WITH CONTRACT OR A PART-TIME.
UM, WHEN WE GO INTO CONTRACTING A VETERINARIAN, SO WE, WE GET ANIMALS TURNED IN OR WE PICK 'EM UP OFF THE STREETS, SOMETIMES THEY HAVE TO WAIT TWO WEEKS BEFORE THEY'RE SPAYED OR NEUTERED.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TAKING UP TIME, IT'S HARDER FOR THEM TO BE PLACED.
AND, UM, WITH CONTRACT TWO, IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GOING RATE, YOU KNOW, UP TO $75 AN HOUR AND THE, THIS IS JUST FOR A SPAY AND NEUTER.
SO WE GOTTA TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE HAVE AN INJURED ANIMAL OR A SICK ANIMALS.
SO AT THAT TIME, LIKE THREE WEEKS AGO, WE HAD AN INJURED ANIMAL PICKED UP OFF THE STREET.
SO THE FIELD PERSON HAD TO, UM, TAKE THAT ANIMAL TO A EMERGENCY VETERINARY HOSPITAL AT SIX 30 IN THE EVENING.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S THROUGH ALMOST INTO HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME IT, IT TOOK A LONG TIME.
UNFORTUNATELY THE ANIMAL DID NOT MAKE IT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY HARD.
IT'S REALLY HARD ON, ON STAFF AT TIMES TO, TO HAVE THEM TAKEN OUTTA PLACE TO, TO TRANSPORT ANIMALS.
I MEAN, IT TOOK US ALMOST AN HOUR TO FIND A LOCATION TO ACCEPT THE ANIMAL.
UM, WE, WE WORK WITH ABOUT A DOZEN, UH, VETERINARY HOSPITALS AND, AND, UH, OTHER, OTHER VETERINARY OFFICES.
AND, UM, WHEN WE HAVE INJURIES LIKE THAT, WE JUST HAVE TO GET ON THE PHONE AND START CALLING.
AND, UH, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO, TO FIND.
SOMETIMES WE CAN'T, THERE, THERE'S NO ONE AVAILABLE TO, TO SEE THE ANIMALS AND, AND, UM, OF COURSE THOSE DECISIONS BECOME REALLY HARD AT THAT POINT.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, I GUESS ON AT LEAST THE ANIMAL CONTROL POSITIONS? AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY OTHER POSITIONS THAT THERE'S ANY COMMENTS ON? I HAVE AN UNRELATED ON PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, JUST I GUESS FOR CLARIFICATION, SO UNDER THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION ON THE PERMIT CASE SPECIALIST, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT ENTAILS, BUT I, I WOULD ASSUME PERMIT CASE SPECIALIST, WOULD THAT BE SOMEONE TO HELP RESOLVE ISSUES ON, ON OBTAINING PERMITS? OR WHAT WOULD THAT IN THAT POSITION ENTAIL? SO THIS WOULD REALLY BE YOUR LIAISON FROM, UM, NOT ONLY OUR DEPARTMENT TO THE APPLICANTS, BUT ALSO TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL CALL US AND WE HAVE TO DO A LOT OF FLIPPING BACK AND FORTH, AND IT MAY BE, YOU GOTTA TALK TO ME, THEN YOU GOTTA TALK TO ENGINEERING.
AND THEN, SO THIS PERSON WOULD BE THE SOLE CONTACT THAT WOULD REACH OUT TO THE DIFFERENT, UH, REVIEWING DEPARTMENTS.
AND THEN BRING THAT, SO, SO IT WOULD BE A, A A, A CONTACT POINT FOR ANYBODY WHO HAS
[01:00:01]
ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS.SO IT'S MORE OF A CONTACT PERSON NOT NECESSARILY RESOLVING ISSUES THEN? CORRECT.
MORE OF A, WE, WE CALL IT MORE OF A LIAISON.
'CAUSE WE, WE HAVE AN OMBUDSMAN NOW, AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AND SO FORTH, SO, OKAY.
THIS, THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE FURTHER ON IN THE PROCESS THAN I UNDERSTAND, THAN USING BRETT.
THIS IS ABOUT A DIFFERENT POSITION.
AT FIRING AN ADMINISTRATION MECHANIC.
HE JUST, MAN, I THOUGHT HE WAS READY.
UM, THIS IS AN ALL-INCLUSIVE NUMBER.
I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT THIS NUMBER IS PRORATED BECAUSE WE MAY OR MAY NOT GET SOMEONE RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT NUMBER SEEMS PRETTY LOW FOR A MECHANIC.
UH, CHIEF AND I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR COMPETITIVENESS, WHERE, WHERE IT COMES TO, TO, UH, OUR MECHANICS POSITIONS.
UH, WE'LL WORK WITH HR, UH, ONCE AGAIN TO, UH, DETERMINE THE RIGHT, AM I TAKING WORDS OUTTA YOUR MOUTH OR YOU WERE TAKING THE WORDS OUTTA MOUTH?
IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE GONNA SAY? YEAH, THE, UM, JUST REAL QUICKLY, THE, THE FIRE MECHANICS DO HAVE OTHER AREAS OF EXPERTISE, UM, REPAIRING PUMPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THERE ARE CERTIFICATIONS AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HR TO LOOK AT THOSE TYPES OF CERTIFICATIONS AND SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THE PAY TO BRING THE PAY UP A LITTLE BIT.
SO YOU HAVE ANY I, I HAVE A COMMENT, BUT WELL, AT THAT POINT, WELL, NOW I'M GONNA ASK, DO WE HAVE A REVOLVING DOOR WHEN IT COMES TO MECHANICS? IF WE'RE GONNA OFFER THIS SLOW, I CAN IMAGINE WHAT THE OTHER ONES ARE GETTING PAID AND ARE THEY BEING LOOKED AT TO SEE THAT THEIR SALARY IS COMPETITIVE? SO WE'RE NOT LOSING ANY OF THEM IF THEY'RE HARD TO COME BY.
I THINK YOU'RE LIKE, YOU WERE A FLY ON THE WALL.
UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE GONNA LOOK IN, WE'RE GONNA LOOK INTO THAT.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA REMAIN COMPETITIVE.
WE'RE COMPETITIVE IN, IN ALL OF OUR POSITIONS.
WE'LL, WE WILL BE COMPETITIVE IN THAT ONE.
I WILL SAY JUST IN THE FUTURE, WHEN YOU DO LIST NEW HEAD COUNT, LET US KNOW IF THAT'S ANNUAL NINE MONTHS, SIX MONTHS, THREE MONTHS.
'CAUSE WE'RE KIND OF GAUGING, YOU KNOW, THE VALUE OF A POSITION AND, AND WE KINDA NEED TO KNOW THAT SOME SOMETIMES WE DON'T KNOW YET.
WE HAVEN'T GONE OUT IN THE MARKET.
WE, WE HAVEN'T HIRED THIS POSITION BEFORE.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS DON'T BE WORRIED ABOUT IT IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THIS POSITION.
WELL, WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WELL, I MEAN, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE SUFFICIENCY OF IT IN THE GIVEN YEAR.
WE CAN WELL, WE JUST HAVE TO GAUGE IT.
AND SO THE ONLY THING, ONLY COMMENT I'LL MAKE, 'CAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S THE, THE, THE MECHANIC, THERE'S TWO MECHANIC POSITIONS HERE.
AT LEAST I THINK, AND I KNOW YOU HEARD, HEARD ME SAY THIS, BUT WHEN IT CERTAINLY, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, REALLY OUR, BOTH OUR POLICE VEHICLES AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THAT AND, AND CERTAINLY OUR, OUR OUR FIRE ENGINES AND ALL THOSE APPARATUS, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE A VERY GOOD MAINTENANCE PROGRAM FOR WHAT WE CAN DO HERE IN OUR GARAGE.
CERTAINLY AS WE REBUILD THE WHOLE CAMPUS OF PUBLIC SAFETY ABSOLUTELY.
UM, BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, I THINK IT'S VERY ADVANTAGEOUS OF US, AND I KNOW THE CHIEF HAS HEARD ME SAY THIS, I THINK FACE TO FACE WHERE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY OUTSIDE OUR WHEELHOUSE, WHERE I WOULD LIKE THE OEM TO REALLY, OR US HAVE A REALLY GOOD MAINTENANCE PROGRAM WITH THE OEM, I DON'T WANT EVER HEAR THAT THERE'S NOT AN AIR CONDITIONER ON A FIRE TRUCK IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
IF IT IS, IT NEEDS TO GET FIXED.
YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T DO SOME TYPE OF 3000 HOUR MAINTENANCE ON WHATEVER NEEDS TO BE DONE.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY, WE HAVE THE FINANCIAL, UM, RESOURCES TO ENSURE THAT OUR FIRE TRUCKS AND THE, AND THE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE, THAT USE THOSE FIRE TRUCKS, THEY SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO GO AND EXPERIENCE THAT COMMIT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, I KNOW IT CAN HAPPEN, BUT I DON'T WANT IT HAPPEN LONG.
SO IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? UM, I THINK THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THE POSITIONS I'VE SEEN THAT WE'RE JUST, AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST INQUIRIES.
YOU KNOW, UH, I, I THINK, UH, OBVIOUSLY BESIDES THE ONE ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION FOR CITY MANAGER, I THINK EVERYTHING ELSE FROM WHAT I GATHERED, SEEMS LIKE COUNSEL CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH UNLESS I HEAR SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND LET ME ALSO SAY, SO OF THE 39, 22 MINUS ONE NOW 21 ARE IN THE GENERAL FUND.
SO, YOU KNOW, LITTLE DIFFERENT MECHANISM FOR FUNDING SOME OF THE OTHER ONES.
SO JUST, JUST KIND OF WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT TOO.
AND AGAIN, IT'S, AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, THAT THE NEED'S NOT THERE.
IT SOUND LIKE FOR THE ONE POSITION THAT THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH,
[01:05:01]
UM, REMOVED THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, LET'S, LET'S GO AND LET'S SEE HOW THIS WORKS OUT.BUT I WILL TELL YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN WHEN THERE WAS SOME SMALLER FOLKS AT, AT THE, KIND OF IN THE CITY ADMIN, BUT WE'RE A LOT DIFFERENT CITY NOW.
WE'RE A LOT OF DIFFERENT DYNAMICS AND, AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT, WE GET QUESTIONS ALL.
I GOT LIKE FOUR OR FIVE CALLS IN THE PAST 24 HOURS THAT WERE JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED HELP WITH.
AND I, I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO GIVE YOU THE STICKY NOTE YET.
AND SO, AND, AND, AND IT'S WITH, WITH THE, OUR, WE'RE A VERY COMPLEX CITY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF GROWTH THAT'S, THAT'S ONLY GOING TO INCREASE.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO GAUGE THIS YEAR.
I LIKE WHAT CHARLES IS VERY FAMOUS IN SAYING.
HE'S, HE'S ALWAYS FAST TO APPRECIATE.
HE SAYS, WELL, YOU GUYS MAKE US LOOK GOOD.
AND I ALWAYS REALLY APPRECIATE WHEN YOU SAY THAT.
WE WANT TO NOT JUST MAKE YOU LOOK AT, WE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS FEEL LIKE THEY'VE GOT TOP-NOTCH SERVICE AND IT JUST REQUIRES ATTENTION.
THERE'S A LOT OF PLATES SPINNING AND SOMETIMES THINGS FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
AND, AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE, UM, 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WE'VE EVER REALLY TAKEN THE TIME TO LINE ITEMIZE THESE NEW POSITIONS BEFORE.
AND BECAUSE I KNOW SOMETIMES WE'LL WANT, WE WANT A PROGRAM FOR THIS.
AND, AND WHEN I WAS DOING A A, A TOUR OF, OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE LIKE, WELL MA'AM, YOU WANT MORE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT'S GONNA TAKE MORE ADMIN.
SO IT'S NOT AS EASY AS JUST ADDING, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ON THE STREETS.
IT'S THE ADMIN THAT'S GONNA GO BEHIND IT.
SO I, I APPRECIATE TAKING THIS TIME TO GO THROUGH THIS.
YOU DO BRING UP VERY GOOD POINT BECAUSE IN THIS BUDGET THERE IS NOT OFFICER POSITIONS AND THERE'S NOT FIRE POSITIONS, WHICH I KNOW MOST OF US ALL UP HERE, ALL OF US UP HERE MM-HMM
ARE VERY GOOD ADVOCATES AND, AND SUPPORT OUR, OUR POLICE AND E UH, POLICE, FIRE AND EMS. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING JUST, JUST FOR THE CITIZENS', UM, KNOWLEDGE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE, IT'S, IT'S CHALLENGING TO TRY TO FILL THE OPEN POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE MM-HMM
NOW IF WE, ANYTIME, IF WE KNOW WE FILLED ALL THOSE POSITIONS AND WE NEED MORE POLICE, FIRE EMS, THEN WE WILL CERTAINLY ADDRESS THOSE IF IT'S MID BUDGET OR WHATEVER.
AND MAYOR, JUST JUST TO REMIND YOU, AS I DO EVERY YEAR, I, I TREAT EMERGENCY SERVICES, UH, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS BECAUSE THEY ARE HARD TO FILL.
BUT I WILL ALWAYS, AND I'VE MADE THIS COMMITMENT TO THE CHIEF, BOTH, BOTH OF THEM, THAT I WILL RESPOND TO WHATEVER NEEDS, UH, WE HAVE DURING A FISCAL YEAR, SHOULD WE MAX OUT AND FILL OUR POSITIONS AND STILL NEED MORE, UH, WITH THE CONFIDENCE THAT I HAVE HAVING WORKED WITH YOU AS LONG AS I HAVE THAT YOU'LL SUPPORT THAT EXPANSION IN THE COMING BUDGET.
IF OUR CHIEFS BELIEVES THEY NEED, THEY NEED MORE, UH, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LIMIT TO WHAT I CAN, I CAN DO IN ANY GIVEN YEAR NO MATTER WHAT.
BUT WE RETAIN THE LATITUDE, THE NIMBLENESS, AND THE BUDGET TO RESPOND TO THOSE NEEDS.
SO EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T SEE THEM IN THE BUDGET, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE WON'T RESPOND TO THE NEED.
SO I THINK LET'S, LET'S MOVE ON TO, I THINK ANOTHER ITEM THAT, THAT, UM, SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WOULD BE, UM, THE STORM WATER FEE.
IF, IF YOU CAN BRIEFLY GIVE A, SO YOU DON'T WANT ME TO GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION THAT I HAVE? SURE.
I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO
WELL THEN LET'S DO IT IN THE MIDST OF EVERYTHING ELSE.
HOW LONG IS ITS, AND WE THOUGHT THIS MEETING WAS ALMOST OVER
I MEAN, IF, IF, IF YOU WANT ME TO SKIM PAST EVERYTHING ELSE I CAN, I WAS JUST, WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS WE CAN WITH ALL THE NEW PROGRAMS AND THE FUNDS AND MAKE SURE, MAKE SURE YOU ALL ARE CONFIDENT WITH THE BUDGET.
SO, WELL, WE WANNA BE COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
I DON'T, I NEVER LIKE INCREASING ANYTHING, BUT I, I WANT, I NEED COUNSEL TO KNOW, I NEED CITIZENS TO KNOW WHY THIS IS OCCURRING AND THE BENEFIT OF IT.
I WANNA KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO GO THROUGH THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION.
THE, IS IT ENTIRE BUDGET PRESENTATION? CORRECT? NO, LET'S NOT DO THAT YET.
SO LET'S, LET'S DO, LET'S, LET'S DO STORM WATER.
I MEAN, YOU CAN JUST GIVE US A VERBAL SYNOPSIS OF WHAT THE $1 PROPOSED STORM WATER FEE.
WHAT WOULD THAT DO IF THEY'RE SLIDING, GO STRAIGHT TO THOSE.
I KNOW YI KNOW Y'ALL PUT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT IN THE, THE BUDGET OVERVIEW.
I JUST, I'D RATHER TAKE CARE OF THE BOULDERS AND THEN WE CAN GET INTO THE SMALLER PEBBLES AND ROCKS AND SAND AND WE STILL HAVE TOMORROW IF WE NEED TO.
I JUST, I WANTED TO TAKE IT, I THINK THESE ARE THE ONES, THE ITEMS OF, OF MOST CONCERN OR INQUIRY.
AND THEN WE CAN, WE CAN MOVE ON TO OTHER THINGS.
WELL, I'M SUPPOSE I'M TOLD THAT THERE IS GONNA BE A SURPRISE, SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
SEE, WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER WHATEVER YOU NEED.
SO JUST TO SET THE CONTEXT HERE IS THE OVERVIEW OF THE STORMWATER FUND.
IT DOES CURRENTLY INCLUDE THE DOLLAR INCREASE.
I'M GONNA TOUCH ON THAT IN IN JUST A SECOND.
WHAT'S OUR CURRENT RATE? WELL, SO IT'S $3
[01:10:01]
OKAY.BUT ALL THE OTHERS ARE BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACE.
SO ALL THE COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES, THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACE.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE A WALMART IS MUCH HIGHER THAN WHAT YOU'RE PAYING AT THE $3 PER MONTH.
UM, AND IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST LOGICAL FEE THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE IT'S THE AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE PUTTING INTO THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM IS HOW MUCH YOU PAY.
SO IT'S, IT'S THE MOST THOUGHTFUL FEE REALLY THAT THERE IS.
UM, YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, I SAT IN FRONT OF YOU A A ONE PAGER THAT INCLUDES ONE, THE DIFFERENCE IN WHAT $3 PER MONTH GETS VERSUS $4 AND WHAT THE SPLIT IS BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
WHAT THIS IS, IT SHOULD HAVE A YELLOW HIGHLIGHT ON THE FRONT.
THE BACKSIDE OF THAT SHEET SHOWS YOU EXACTLY HOW WE BREAK DOWN THE FEE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, LESTER, IF HE WAS HERE, I THINK ACTUALLY STARTED THE MDUS FEE FOR THE CITY, THE STORMWATER FEE.
SO HE WOULD KNOW THIS CHART VERY, VERY WELL.
I THINK HE PROBABLY CREATED IT.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE IT, IT DEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACE AND BASED ON THAT, YOUR MONTHLY FEE GOES UP.
SO YOU CAN SEE OF THE TOTAL PROJECTED REVENUE NEXT YEAR, THE 3.8 MILLION, UH, ONLY 950,000 OF THAT COMES FROM SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE STRUCTURE OF HOW THE FEE WORKS.
UM, WHAT IT WOULD BE UTILIZED FOR.
UM, GLAD YOU ASKED IT EARLIER.
COUNCILS MEMBER POWELL, UM, THE NEW DITCH MAINTENANCE CREW COULD BE FUNDED WITHIN THE EXISTING FEE, BUT WE, WE DO NOT NEED THE, THE NEW FEE FOR THAT.
UM, THE INCREASED FEE IS COMPLETELY FOR THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT RECENTLY, PRIMARILY THE FOUR THAT YOU SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ON THESE FOUR? I MEAN, I KNOW I CAN READ 'EM, BUT CAN YOU, CAN YOU, SO GENERAL DETAIL.
AND I THINK YOU MISSED THAT COUNCIL MEETING WHEN WE DID DISCUSSED THAT.
SO, UM,
SOMEBODY TOLD ME LIKE, I THINK I SAID SOMETHING A WEEK OR TWO AGO AND YOU SAID, YEAH, YOU MISSED THAT ONE.
YEAH, YOU COULD GO TO THE CIP SHEETS.
I DID SEE THE SLIDES, SO, OKAY.
SO, UH, THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, WEST TEXAS AVENUE.
THIS IS, UM, NEAR, YOU KNOW, LEE COLLEGE.
IT'S, UM, IN, IT IS A, UM, PROJECT WE SUBMITTED FOR FEDERAL FUNDING.
WE DID GET APPROVED THROUGH CDBG AND WE'RE ALSO IN CONVERSATION WITH HARRIS COUNTY.
SO WE'LL GET, UH, A LOT OF OUTSIDE FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT.
IT'S, UH, AN AREA THAT HAS HISTORICALLY FLOODED AND NEEDS SOME ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, FLOODING, UH, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.
WHILE WE'RE DOING THESE IMPROVEMENTS, WE'RE GONNA DO SOME MORE AESTHETIC TREAT AESTHETIC TREATMENTS TO, UH, TEXAS AVENUE.
SO THAT'S PRIMARILY WHAT YOU'LL SEE AS THE, UH, CITY OF BAYTOWN CONTRIBUTION.
UM, SO THIS SHOULD BE A VERY GOOD PROJECT.
AND WE'RE CURRENTLY WAITING FOR OUR CONTRACT, UH, FROM CD
AND WE HAVE, YOU SHOULD SEE AN AGREEMENT WITH HARRIS COUNTY SOON AS WELL.
AND, AND CAN I ASK, I WANNA ASK ON THAT, SO PENDING COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THIS BUDGET WITH, WITH ANY STORM WATER FEE INCREASE, DO WE ALREADY HAVE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT IN PLACE OR PENDING AT LEAST IT'S BETWEEN US AND HARRIS COUNTY WHERE THEY HAVE AGREED IT'S PENDING.
UH, I'VE, UH, KIND OF AGREED ON THE TERMS. RIGHT.
UM, WAITING FOR HARRIS COUNTY TO ACTUALLY SEND THE CONTRACT.
BUT THEY AGREED, I MEAN, THEY, IT'S, UH, IN A SENSE EARMARK THE FUNDING.
THEY HAVE, HAVE, UH, AGREED TO WHAT THEY CALL AUTHORIZATION TO NEGOTIATE OKAY.
ON THEIR COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
AND NOW, UH, I THINK THEY HAVE PROPOSED TO GET THE AGREEMENT ON THEIR SEPTEMBER 14TH, UH, AGENDA.
SO WE'RE HOPING NOVEMBER TO GET IT NOVEMBER 14TH, PAST COUNCIL PRIOR TO THAT NOVEMBER.
AND LIKE I SAY, YOU CAN SEE THE AREA.
WE'VE DONE SOME WORK THAT, UH, GREEN AREA IS, UH, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN-HOUSE TO LOWER THE PAVEMENT AND INCREASE THE STORM INLETS.
BUT THIS, THIS WILL EXPAND THAT PROJECT.
IT'S GOT A STORM DRAIN SYSTEM WITH INTAKE AVENUE THAT'S UNDERSIZED.
UM, WE APPLIED FOR FEDERAL FUNDING, DIDN'T GET, UH, AWARDED THAT.
[01:15:01]
HOWEVER, WE, UH, HARRIS COUNTY HAS AGREED TO FUND, UH, HALF OF THIS.AND THIS ONE IS ALSO, WE HAVE THE AUTHORIZATION TO NEGOTIATE.
WE'RE CURRENTLY JUST WAITING FOR THE AGREEMENT TO COME BACK FROM HARRIS COUNTY.
UH, SO THAT WILL BE FOR PHASE ONE.
AND PHASE ONE IS JUST PUTTING THE TRUNK LINE DOWN OKLAHOMA.
UH, SO IT'LL UPSIZE THAT ALL THE WAY TO THE BAY.
IS EACH PROJECT A SEPARATE AGREEMENT OR IS IT JUST ONE IN TOTAL? YES, SIR.
NEXT, UH, THE NEXT ONE WE HAVE, UH, VERBAL AGREEMENT WITH HARRIS COUNTY.
THIS IS THE ONE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSIONER CAME OUT, WE DID THE TOOL.
HE CAME OUT AND WE LOOKED AND, AND, UH, SO WE, WE DON'T HAVE, UM, THE AGREEMENT YET, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOPEFUL TO GET SOMETHING DONE ON THIS ONE.
THIS ONE INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, CLEARING OF THE CHANNEL, UH, OUT THERE AND JUST THE TRUNK LINE.
BUT THIS, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS ONE WOULD HAVE THE MOST IMPACT FOR A LARGE AREA OF FUNDS.
IT AND, AND IT IS THE LARGEST, UH, DOLLAR AMOUNT.
SO, OF COURSE, UH, IT THE, UM, JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, CLEAR, YOU KNOW, KNOW THE INCREASE IN THE FEE WOULD DEFINITELY BE NECESSARY IF WE EVER HOPE TO DO THIS PROJECT.
I MEAN, UH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER LESSER'S NOT HERE, BUT E EVEN EVEN PREVIOUSLY, THERE WERE SOME CITIZENS THAT I'VE MET WITH MULTIPLE TIMES AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, IS TRYING TO SOLVE AN INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY ISSUE AND YOU CAN'T RIGHT.
IF SOMEONE SAYS, WHY IS MY YARD FLOOD? AND THE PROBLEM ISN'T THEIR YARD, THE PROBLEM IS SOMETHING THAT MAY BE HALF A MILE DOWNSTREAM.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, YOU HAVE TO REALLY CORRECT AND MITIGATE THAT PINCH POINT.
AND SO THIS HERE WOULD BE, UH, BENEFICIAL TO A LOT OF CITIZENS ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN.
AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S A LARGE AREA.
WE WOULD HAVE TO BREAK THIS UP IN PHASES.
IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROJECT.
UH, BUT PHASE ONE, LIKE I SAY, WE'VE GOT AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY TO PART PARTICIPATE AND HOPING TO GET THIS PROJECT DONE.
UH, THE LAST ONE IS KIND OF A CONTINUATION OF THE DANINA.
IT'S, UM, BUT IT, IT IS A SMALLER PROJECT.
THE CHANNEL WOULD BE IMPROVED WITH THE DANINA PROJECT.
THIS IS JUST THE AREA IN PURPLE.
UH, YOU SEE THERE, IT'S THE UNDERGROUND STORM SYSTEM, BUT NOT AS LARGE, BUT STILL, UH, AN AREA THAT WOULD, UM, BE IMPACTED, YOU KNOW, UH, WOULD HAVE A GREAT BENEFIT FROM THIS.
AND THIS IS AGAIN, ONE WE'RE PARTNERING WITH HARRIS COUNTY.
SO IN GENERAL, MY UNDERSTANDING THE PARTNERING, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE TOTAL THAT, THAT IT LOOKS LIKE HARRIS COUNTY WOULD PROVIDE IN DOLLARS WITH THESE PROJECTS? IS THERE A GENERAL NUMBER? I'M NOT GONNA HOLD YOU TO IT, BUT IN GENERAL, I, I DON'T REMEMBER THE, I, I HAD A SLIDE THAT HAD THE SPLIT AND I, I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBERS.
YEAH, IT WAS, IT'S OVER $50 MILLION TOTAL FOR THE FOUR PROJECTS.
THE, IT'S NOT ALWAYS A CLEAN 50 50.
BUT I THINK THEIRS WAS LIKE, PROBABLY SHOULDN'T SAY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I WAS THINKING IT WAS AROUND 26, 20 7 MILLION.
UM, THEIRS ON LIKE THE DAN BINA PHASE.
THEIRS IS A HIGHER PERCENTAGE.
BUT IN GENERAL WOULD BE THAT, THAT HARRIS COUNTY FUNDS IS GONNA BE IN JUST SLIGHTLY IN EXCESS OF $50 MILLION OF HARRIS COUNTY DOLLARS COMING HERE? UH, NO, I THINK THAT'S TOTAL PROJECT.
I THINK THEIRS WAS A LITTLE OVER 20.
UH, AND THEN THERE WAS THE CDBG PORTION.
SORRY TO HAVE TO OKAY, NO PROBLEM.
REVISIT THOSE ITEMS THAT I MISSED.
BUT I, I JUST WANT IN, IN, IN THE BUDGETARY CONTEXT, I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE JUSTIFICATION OF THE $1, UH, STORMWATER FEE INCREASE.
THE BANK FOR THE BOOK IS, WE'RE REALLY GETTING DOUBLE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE BRINGING IN.
I GET IT FROM THE STORMWATER FUND FROM HARRIS COUNTY.
YEAH, THEY'RE MUCH NEEDED, MAYOR.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, I'M NOT A PROPONENT OF NEW FEES IN ANY WAY, BUT THIS ONE IS JUST REALLY JUST SORELY NEEDED AS FAR AS THE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS GO, PARTICULARLY IN DISTRICTS ONE, TWO AND, AND SIX AND, AND OTHER AREAS AS WELL.
SO IT'S, UH, I VIEW IT AS JUST A, UH, THERE'S JUST NO WAY AROUND IT IF WE WANNA CONTINUE TO MAKE MAJOR DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE OTHER PARTS OF TOWN.
AND, UH, IT'S GREAT THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE A LOT OF COUNTY AND, AND, AND FEDERAL DOLLARS AS WELL.
YEAH, I DON'T KNOW OF A HIGHER PRIORITY THAT Y'ALL HAVE THAN ABSOLUTELY.
UM, I AGREE IT, IT IS REALLY NEEDED.
I JUST, I JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FEE INCREASE.
UM, I MEAN, WE SEEM TO BE PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THE MATCHING GRANTS FROM HARRIS COUNTY,
[01:20:01]
BUT I MEAN, WHAT IF WE DON'T, I MEAN, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN AT THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.WHAT IF WE, WE RAISE THE FEE, WE'RE COLLECTING THE MONEY, BUT THEN WE DON'T GET THE MONEY FROM THEM? DO WE JUST MOVE AHEAD ON OUR OWN PIECE BY PIECE? LIKE, WELL, WHAT WOULD BE THE PLAN? SO KIND OF A TWO PART ANSWER.
ONE, WE KNOW WEST TEXAS AND WEST BAYTOWN, I MEAN THOSE ARE GONNA BE A GO.
THE INTERLOCALS ARE COMING TO YOU ALL IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
SO IT'S DANINA AND EAST JAMES WHERE IT'S KIND OF LIKE DANIEL EAST JAMES, WHERE YOU ARE PRETTY CONFIDENT THOSE ARE COMING.
WE DON'T, WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS YET, SO, YOU KNOW, NOT QUITE AS CONFIDENT, BUT, UM, WE'RE PRETTY SURE THAT THOSE ONES ARE COMING.
SO, BUT I WOULD SAY THE OTHER PART IS EITHER WAY, WE HAVE SO MUCH DRAINAGE WORK TO DO THAT WHETHER WE'RE LEVERAGING THOSE DOLLARS OR NOT, UM, WE HAVE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES THAT WE NEED TO PUT INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO WE WILL PROBABLY NEED TO SPEND THAT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
UM, ONE IS WE DO HAVE TO COVER THE WEST BAYTOWN MATCH, UM, TO START OUT WITH.
SO THE OTHER IS EVEN THE STORMWATER FEE INCREASE THAT WON'T COVER THE ENTIRE MATCH WITH HARRIS COUNTY.
UM, I MEAN IF OUR PORTION IS LET'S SAY 25 MILLION, THAT'S MORE THAN THE, EVEN THE $1 FEE INCREASE CAN, CAN GET US TO.
SO, UM, I WOULD SAY IT'S PROBABLY NEEDED NO MATTER WHAT, JUST BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK THAT WE'VE GOT OUT THERE.
IF WE DIDN'T GET IT FROM HARRIS COUNTY ONE, WE'RE GONNA KEEP GOING AFTER IT FROM THEM.
WE'RE GONNA GO AFTER FEDERAL MONEY, WE'LL GO AFTER ANY MONEY WE CAN.
AND A LOT OF IT DOES REQUIRE A MATCH.
UM, AND WE CAN DO THE PROJECTS ON OUR OWN TOO IF WE YEAH.
IF WE FEEL LIKE WE, WE WANT TO DO THAT.
SO NICK, IF THE INCREASE IS ONLY RAISING WHAT, 3.8 IN A YEAR AND WE NEED, YOU KNOW, 25, WOULD WE ISSUE DEBT FOR THAT? YES.
AND THEN THIS FEE INCREASE WOULD GO TO PAY THAT DEBT? IS THAT, WOULD THAT BE THE PLAN? YES.
AND THEN I'M ASSUMING, I DON'T KNOW, LET'S SAY IT TAKES SEVEN, 12 YEARS TO PAY OFF THESE PROJECTS.
IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE THERE PROBABLY FOREVER.
UM, IT'S NOT LIKE ONCE WE GET THESE PROJECTS DONE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GET A DECREASE.
THIS IS, WE RAISED THIS, IT'S, IT'S A SET DEAL.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS SET BASED ON A 20 YEAR DEBT ISSUANCE.
SO FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, YEAH, THE, THE FEE WOULD STAY AT THAT $4, UM, AFTER THE 20 YEARS IF THERE WASN'T ANOTHER PURPOSE FOR THAT MONEY, I MEAN, IT'S ABOUT $900,000 A YEAR.
SO 20 YEARS FROM NOW, IF ANY OF YOU'RE STILL ON COUNCIL, NO.
AT THAT POINT, DON'T THINK, NO, I DON'T THINK WE'LL BE ALLOWED TO BE, BUT YOU COULD ABSOLUTELY REDUCE THAT FEE AGAIN.
SO, UM, MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, WHEN'S THE LAST TIME WE RAISED THIS FEE? ANY, SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT WITH THAT.
IT WAS IN, WHAT WAS IT? I THINK IT'S 2015.
SO, AND IN 20 15, 1 OF THE THINGS IN 2015 WAS THE SECOND, UM, STORMWATER MAINTENANCE CREW.
WE'VE GOT TWO STORMWATER MAINTENANCE CREWS OUT OF THAT FUND.
UM, ONLY ONE OF THEM DOES TOTALLY DITCH MAINTENANCE WORK.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AREAS THAT WE'VE ANNEXED THE PAST COUPLE PASSES, REALLY FIVE TO SIX YEARS, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE AREAS HAS OPEN DITCH MM-HMM
AND WE WERE ALREADY BEHIND THE CURVE.
SO, UM, THAT EXTRA CREW IS, IS ALSO REALLY NEEDED IN THIS, IN THIS BUDGET.
WELL I DO LIKE THAT WE HAVE A PLAN FOR THIS MONEY AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY VERY NEEDED, BUT I MEAN, MAKE NO MISTAKE, IT IS A FOREVER FEE INCREASE SO WELL IT IS AND JUST KIND OF FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS ANYWAY.
BUT THE WAY I LOOK AT IT IS, AT LEAST AS FAR AS THE OLDER PARTS OF TOWN GO, THAT THAT REALLY SUFFER THE MOST, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO HARDWORKING TAX PAYING CITIZENS, I, I HONESTLY THINK THEY'RE HAPPY TO PAY AN EXTRA $1 ON SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO MOVE THEIR CAR WHEN IT, WHEN IT RAINS TOO HARD OR THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR HOME BEING FLOODED.
SO IT'S JUST THE MOST BASIC SERVICES THAT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN PROVIDE WHEN IT COMES TO DRAINAGE AND HOMES NOT FLOODING.
SO, LIKE I SAY, I, I HATE ANY AND ALL FEE INCREASES, BUT THIS ONE, IT'S JUST MUCH NEEDED AND, AND HONESTLY I THINK THE CITIZENS, AT LEAST ON THE OLDER PART OF TOWN ARE, ARE HAPPY TO PAY IT FOR DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON STORMWATER FEE AND, AND THE, I GUESS YOU'D SAY THE BENEFITS OF, OF THE INCREASE? AND SO I JUST, I I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD, CERTAINLY THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT, UM, AT LEAST THE PROPOSED PROJECTS, IF THEY COME TO FRUITION, WHAT IT WOULD, WHAT IT WOULD FUND INITIALLY AND THEN AS OTHER PROJECTS AND OTHER NEEDS COME ABOUT, THEN THAT FEE COULD, COULD ADDRESS THOSE IN FUTURE YEARS.
I HAD A, I HAD A STORM WATER RELATED QUESTION.
[01:25:01]
THE FEE, BUT WITH THE NEW, UM, THE NEW DITCH CREW, UM, I SAW ON THE JUSTIFICATION THERE, IT SAID IT WOULD TAKE, RIGHT NOW IT TAKES APPROXIMATELY 8.8 YEARS FOR A CITYWIDE DITCH MAINTENANCE CYCLE.THE NEW CREW WOULD TAKE THAT DOWN TO 4.9 YEARS.
UM, IS THERE A TARGET THAT THERE, I MEAN, ARE OTHER CITIES, DO THEY HAVE, WHAT ARE HARRIS COUNTY, WHAT'S THEIR CYCLE? I MEAN, IMPROVING IS ALWAYS BETTER.
I'M JUST CURIOUS KIND OF WHAT'S OUR END GOAL? SO I WOULD, I WOULD SAY IT'S NOT A TIME-BASED CYCLE, BUT REALLY IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DITCH SHOULDN'T BE FILLED UP WITH SEDIMENT.
SO IT'S A CONDITION BASED CYCLE AND WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, QUANTIFY, YOU KNOW, OUR DITCH UH, CONDITIONS.
WE, WE, WE NOW ARE IMPLEMENTING WHAT WE CALL A DRAINAGE CONDITION INDEX.
WE'RE CLASSIFYING EVERY DITCH ACCORDING TO THE AMOUNT OF SEDIMENT THAT'S IN IT AND ITS CAPACITY.
SO A DITCH WILL GET A RATING FROM ZERO TO 100 OF, YOU KNOW, ITS CONDITION.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TARGET THE ONES THAT ARE AND COLOR CODE THEM WITHIN ZONES, HAVE RED, GREEN, YELLOW, AND TARGET THE ONES THAT ARE IN THE WORST SHAPE.
UH, SO JUST LIKE STRIPING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE STRIPING WEARS OUT FASTER THAN OTHER BASED ON NUMBER OF TRAP YOUR TRAFFIC.
UH, SO YOU GOTTA RETRIP GARTH ROAD MORE THAN YOU GOTTA RETRIP A ROAD THAT DOESN'T HAVE MUCH TRAFFIC WITH A DITCH.
IF IT HAS A LOT OF SEDIMENT THAT CONTINUALLY BUILDS UP, THEN WE GOTTA MAINTAIN IT MORE OFTEN.
SO THIS, YOU KNOW, UH, CONDITION INDEX WILL HELP US FOCUS OUR EFFORTS WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED.
UH, WHICH YOU HAVE THERE, YOU KNOW, THE 4.9 YEARS, THAT'S JUST, IF WE HAD TO CUT EVERY DITCH IN THE CITY AT ONE TIME, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE US WITH THE NEW CREW? IT'LL BE JUST UNDER FIVE YEARS, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA TARGET THAT TO ONE THAT NEED IT THE MOST.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO, AND I WOULD SHOW YOU THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, TOOL MAYBE ON, ON A WORKSHOP SESSION WE COULD TALK ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON STORM WATER? IF NOT, NOW WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO THE OVERVIEW PRESENTATION.
YOU GOT FIVE MINUTES NICK
CAN WE, LET'S TAKE A A ABOUT A 10 MINUTE RECESS.
WE MAY ADJOURN FOR, FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
WE'LL RECESS, WE'LL COME BACK.
YOU READY? HOLD ON, LET ME, UH, GET, UH, WHERE'S LLOYD? THERE HE IS.
SO I'LL CALL, I'LL RECONVENE THIS, UH, MEETING, UH, WORK SESSION OF THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL ORDER.
UH, MR. NICK LEY, PLEASE, UH, BEGIN.
OKAY, SO YOU'VE SEEN MOST OF THIS BEFORE FROM RICK, SO I'M GONNA FLY THROUGH IT.
THESE WERE THE HIGH LEVEL SUMMARIES.
IN FACT, I'M NOT EVEN GONNA TOUCH ON THIS SLIDE OR THAT SLIDE 'CAUSE WE'VE COVERED 'EM BEFORE.
UM, I WILL, RICK ALSO SHOWED YOU THESE, THERE'S A COUPLE I WAS GONNA CALL OUT JUST TO MAKE SURE, UH, YOU HAD THE INFORMATION ON.
AND THEN IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH, LIKE I SAID, PLEASE STOP ME.
UM, ONE OF THEM THAT HASN'T BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE IS THIS EVERGREEN AREA MASTER PLANNING.
UM, SO WHAT THIS IS, SO DOWN IN THE EVERGREEN AREA, THINK OF THE AREA NEAR GRAND PARKWAY.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF GROWTH POTENTIAL DOWN THERE.
WE'RE STARTING TO HEAR FROM SOME DEVELOPERS THAT THEY'RE IN INTERESTED AND THERE'S THE POTENTIAL TO DO, TO DO IT RIGHT DOWN THERE.
SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS, UM, HIRE A CONSULTANT TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID ALONG SAN JACINTO BOULEVARD, DO SOME LAND PLANNING, UM, AND THEN GET THE INFRASTRUCTURE RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING.
SO ONE WAY TO DO THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT AREA DEVELOPS REALLY NICELY.
AND WE CAN ALSO START TO REVITALIZE SOME OF THE AREAS IN COUNCIL MEMBER PRESLEY AND I THINK LESTER'S DISTRICT, UM, IS TO, AND MAYBE EVEN ALVARADO, IS TO POTENTIALLY DO A SECOND TOURS DOWN THERE.
SO BEFORE DEVELOPMENT STARTS, RIGHT? UM, WE COULD SET UP THAT AREA FOR A SECOND TOURS AND START TO REINVEST THE MONEY FROM THE NEW DEVELOPMENT INTO INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, WE HAVE EVERGREEN BLUFF PARK DOWN THERE THAT COULD BE DEVELOPED, UM, THAT COULD BE AN ELIGIBLE PROJECT.
THERE'S GONNA BE SOME DRAINAGE NEEDS DOWN IN THAT AREA AS IT DEVELOPS.
UM, YOU HAVE AN AREA, YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK OF LIKE TRI-CITIES BEACH ROAD, IT'S A TWO LANE ROAD.
IT'S KIND OF, IT'S A COUNTY LOOKS LIKE A COUNTY ROAD IN THE FUTURE AS WE DEVELOP, IT'S GOTTA LOOK A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT THAN THAT.
UM, YOU'VE GOT AREAS LIKE WIMER DRIVE, LEE DRIVE, WEST MAINE, ALL THROUGHOUT KIND OF THAT, THAT SOUTH SIDE OF TOWN
[01:30:01]
THAT WE COULD REALLY REVITALIZE AS WE DEVELOP.SO THAT'S THE IDEA BEHIND THAT MASTER PLANNING.
UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING TO BRING IT TO, UM, MDD HERE SOON FOR FUNDING AND THEN BACK TO COUNCIL FOR, FOR APPROVAL.
SO IT ACTUALLY WOULD START IN THIS BUDGET YEAR AND THEN CARRY OVER INTO, INTO FUTURE BUDGET YEARS.
BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY MAKING SURE WE DO THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHT DOWN IN THAT SIDE OF TOWN AND, AND MAKE IT A REALLY NICE AREA.
UM, I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY OTHER, THE ONLY ONE ON THIS SLIDE I HAD CALLED OUT, UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ON ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS. OKAY.
UH, INFRASTRUCTURE MOBILITY, UM, COUPLED TO CALL OUT HERE.
UM, SO MODERN MODERNIZATION OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS, UM, THAT'S CONTINUED, CONTINUED REINVESTMENT IN OUR, UH, TRAFFIC SYSTEM.
UH, IT WILL ALSO INCLUDE SOME MORE SIGNIFICANT WORK ALONG ALEXANDER.
SO ALL OF THOSE TRAFFIC SIG SIGNALS IN ALEXANDER NEED TO BE REPLACED HERE OVER THE NEXT, UH, FIVE YEARS PROBABLY.
SO IT'S STARTING THE KIND OF THE REPLACEMENT OF THOSE TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
UM, LEMME LET ME ASK YOU ON THAT REAL QUICK, NICK.
SO LIKE AT SAN JATO AND BUSH AND CEDAR BATTLE, LYNCHBURG, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE LIGHTED UM MM-HMM
IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN CONSIDER? I KNOW WE'D KIND OF PILOTED THAT ONE TIME, BUT UM, I THINK AS WE PROGRESS, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT ENHANCEMENT AT THOSE TYPE OF INTERSECTIONS.
YEAH, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT ESPECIALLY ON IF WE'RE DOING A, A BRAND NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL, UH, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT THAT.
WE HAVE A, UH, LARGE PROGRAM IN PLACE WE'RE WORKING ON.
YOU SHOULD START SEEING ALIGHTED STREET SIGNS START POPPING UP ON BAKER.
STARTING AT BARLOW WORKING THEIR WAY, UH, BACK WEST.
UH, WE'RE HAVING TO HAVE THE SIGNALS REWIRED WITH PHOTO SALES.
BAYTOWN ELECTRIC POPPING IN THE PHOTO SALES FOR US NOW.
WE HOPE TO START THE PROJECT NEXT WEEK.
WELL NO, I MEAN THEY LOOK GREAT.
WELL THE ONE LOOKS GREAT AND SO I JUST THINK CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN COMMENTING ON SOME OF THE, THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS ALREADY AND THEN I THINK ONCE WE START INITIATING THE, THAT THAT ENHANCEMENT, I THINK IT'S REALLY GONNA LOOK NICE.
WE ALSO PLAN ON DOING THE SAME THING WITH ROLLING BROOKS.
IT'S, UH, REWIRING IS AWESOME.
BLOWING US DOWN AND THEN ON, ON GARTH AS WE DO THAT PROJECT, THEY'LL HAVE LOT SENSE.
NICK, THE FIRST ONE ON THE LIST, THE JENKINS PARK BLUE HERON CONNECTIVITY PROJECT, IS THAT FOR CONSTRUCTION OR JUST KIND OF AN INITIAL STUDY THERE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET ACROSS THE, THE TRACKS? YEAH, AND I'VE ACTUALLY GOT A, A SLIDE LATER TO KIND OF GO THROUGH THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT, UM, WE'RE GETTING MONEY FROM HARRIS COUNTY TO DO THAT, SO.
UM, WHEN I GET LATER THERE'LL BE A SPECIFIC SLIDE ON THAT ONE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON INFRASTRUCTURE MOBILITY? OKAY.
UM, ONLY ONE I'LL CALL OUT HERE THAT, THAT MAYBE HASN'T BEEN TALKED ABOUT A WHOLE LOT.
UH, WISH COUNCIL MEMBER LESTER WAS HERE.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE LIKE A SPECIFIC LINE ITEM ANYWHERE.
UM, WE HAVE SEVERAL LINE ITEMS THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET WHERE WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON ALEXANDER.
ONE IS THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS, BUT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WORKING ON SIDEWALKS, CURVES, STREET LIGHTING.
UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WORKING ON THIS YEAR.
ON ALONG ALEXANDER? NO, I MEAN I'M VERY HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, TO SEE, I MEAN WE HAVE AT LEAST A NAME WE WE'RE CALLING IT SOMETHING AND IT'S JUST REALLY, IT WAS JUST HOLDING OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AS BEST WE CAN.
IT IS A TECH STOCK RIGHT AWAY, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT IF IT'S SIDEWALKS OR JUST SOME OF THE CURVED REPAIRS.
SO I DO APPRECIATE, I DO REALLY, REALLY DO APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN BEEN DONE ON ALEXANDER AND I THINK IT'S GONNA BE HELPFUL, AS YOU JUST SAID, WITH THE INTEREST IN THE EVERGREEN AREA AND THE COMPLETION OF 99.
I THINK PUTTING THESE IMPROVEMENTS IN PLACE NOW WHEN AS DEVELOPERS COME AND SEE THAT IT'S REALLY GONNA HELP US, WE WILL BE A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF THE CURVE RATHER THAN, THAN A LITTLE BIT LATE.
UM, NICK ON THE RUSSELL PARK PHASE ONE, WE'VE BEEN BANKING MONEY FOR THAT.
WE SHOULD HAVE A NICE COLLECTION BUILT UP, I WANNA SAY AROUND FIVE OR 600,000.
WE, WE'VE GOT THE MONEY SO IT'S NOT BUDGETING NEW MONEY, IT'S JUST OKAY.
IT'S JUST, IT'S MORE CLARIFYING.
IT'S STILL ON THE PLAN EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO THIS YEAR.
AND I'VE GOT A SLIDE LATER, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
MDD FUNDING FOR BUSINESS AND RETAIL RECRUITMENT.
YEAH, THIS WAS JUST A KIND OF ONE OF YOUR, UH, IMPLEMENT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ITEMS WAS DIRECTED AT THAT.
SO IT'S MAINLY JUST A REMINDER THAT THAT IS ONE OF THE LINE ITEMS IN MDD IS FOR BUSINESS AND RETAIL RECRUITMENT.
[01:35:01]
IS IN THE BUDGET.QUESTION, AND THIS GOES BACK NOT ONLY COMMUNITY AMENITIES BUT THE PREVIOUS FLIGHT THAT YOU HAD AS WELL AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN AROUND 99.
AND THEN WHEN I SEE THE ALEXANDER REVITALIZATION PROJECT, SO ONE OF THE INITIATIVES WAS TO DO, UH, APELLI REVITALIZATION AS WELL.
WOULD, WOULD THERE BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE, UH, JOIN THAT ONE WITH THE 99 MASTER PLAN SINCE, YOU KNOW, PLY IS RIGHT THERE OFF OF THE, WILL BE ALONG THE 99 CORRIDOR.
SO YEAH, THE, THE AREA OF OF WEST MAIN THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, THAT WE'RE WANTING TO STUDY IS THE, IS THE PELLEY AREA.
SO A COUPLE THAT'LL CALL OUT ONE THE A DA SIDEWALK EVALUATION.
YOU REMEMBER AT THE, UH, RETREAT, UH, BRIAN TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
THIS IS STARTING THAT, UM, THAT EVALUATION PROJECT, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD INTO A BETTER, UH, MASTER PLAN FOR OUR SIDEWALKS.
UM, LET'S SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE.
I THINK THAT WAS THE ONLY OTHER ONE I HAD TO CALL OUT.
A NUMBER OF THOSE ARE POSITIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
UM, AND THEN OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, UM, THE ONLY ONE I WAS GONNA CALL OUT WAS THE A DA FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS AT THAT SAME RETREAT WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE DID THAT FACILITY EVALUATION.
WE'VE GOT, UM, OVER A MILLION DOLLARS OF, OF A DA IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE ARE BASICALLY REQUIRED TO MAKE AT OUR FACILITIES NOW, UM, THIS STARTS THAT IMPLEMENTATION.
SO WE'VE GOT $500,000 TO START THOSE IMPROVEMENTS THIS NEXT YEAR.
AND NOW JUMPING IN THROUGH TO THE VARIOUS FUNDS THAT WE'VE GOT THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UM, OBVIOUSLY OUR, OUR LARGEST FUND IS THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, SO WE'LL START BY KIND OF TALKING THROUGH THAT.
UM, GONNA HIT A FEW OF THE POINTS ON THE SLIDE AND THEN I'VE GOT A COUPLE NOTES.
UM, AND ON SOME OF THE LINE ITEMS WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND THAT MAY HAVE CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THE TAX RATE IS AS OF YESTERDAY, WE KNOW NOW IS BELOW THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE, WHICH IS 81, UH, 0.76 CENTS.
THE PROPOSED TAX RATE IS 78.50 CENTS.
SO WE'VE COME IN QUITE A BIT BELOW THAT, WHICH IS A, A GOOD THING.
UM, AND IF FOR SOME REASON IT WOULD'VE BEEN BELOW 78.5, WE WOULD'VE, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD'VE TO ADJUST.
UM, AND IT'S HISTORY, I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T USE THAT TERM, BUT JUST SO THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS IS THAT WHEN WE, WHEN WE ARE UNDER THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, WHICH IS A CALCULATION OF I'M, I'M ASSUMING LAST YEAR'S TAX REVENUE PLUS 3.5% OR SOMETHING SIMILAR THAT WHEN YOU'RE UNDERNEATH IT, THEN ANY TAX RATE THAT IS BELOW THAT IS CONSIDERED VOTER APPROVED PER STATE LEGISLATION.
IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S, IT'S CLOSE ENOUGH.
IT MEANS YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GET VOTER APPROVED.
AND THAT IT'S AUTOMATICALLY VOTER APPROVED.
THAT WAS MY, THAT THAT IS CONSIDERED A VOTER APPROVED 'CAUSE IT'S BELOW.
THAT WAS THE WAY THE LEGISLATION, THAT'S HOW THEY WROTE IT.
SO, ALRIGHT, SO, UM, WE DO HAVE A TR A A A LARGE TRANSFER TO CASH FUNDED CIP PROJECTS.
UM, A NUMBER OF THESE HAVE, HAVE KIND OF BEEN PLANNED OVER THE YEARS AND WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT A FEW OF THEM, UH, A LITTLE BIT LATER ON.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY THE EXPENDITURE TOTAL LOOKS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THIS YEAR.
UM, AND I'LL, I'LL TOUCH ON THAT NOW.
UM, SO YOU SEE 137 MILLION AND IT, IT, IT MAY FEEL TO YOU LIKE THAT'S A HUGE INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR AND IT CERTAINLY IS A, A BIG INCREASE.
WHAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS THAT'S NOT A SUSTAINED NUMBER, SO IT'S NOT LIKE 137 AND NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA BUILD ON THAT.
A LOT OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE'RE DOING A LOT OF ONE-TIME CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO IF I HAD TO LOOK AT THAT AND, AND BACK IT OUT, I WOULD SAY ROUGHLY 122 MILLION IS REALLY WHAT THE SUSTAINED NUMBER IS, GIVE OR TAKE.
SO JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE IF YOU, IF YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE NUMBER IT, IT, YOU KIND OF LOOK AT THAT AND THINK, WOW, MAYBE WE'RE LIKE REALLY GROWING GOVERNMENT.
NO, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF ONE-TIME, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS THIS YEAR.
UM, WE ALSO BEGAN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FACILITIES MASTER PLAN.
I MENTIONED THE A DA IMPROVEMENTS.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER, UM, PAST DUE IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR FACILITIES, UM, THAT ARE GETTING TO BE IN FAIRLY ROUGH SHAPE AND WE NEED TO REALLY NEED TO INVEST IN 'EM.
SO, UM, IT BEGINS SOME OF THAT INVESTMENT, UM, TALKED EARLIER, THE 22 NEW POSITIONS AND THEN THE FUND BALANCE IS ABOVE THE, THE COUNCIL POLICY, UM, AT 120 DAYS.
SO, AND THAT IS A, UM, AND WE, WE'VE TALKED HERE
[01:40:01]
RECENTLY AND WE'LL GO BACK TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.UM, WE'D LIKE TO MAYBE EVEN SEE COUNCIL RAISE THAT POLICY UP A LITTLE BIT, UM, AS WE'VE GROWN AS A CITY AND OUR, UH, FINANCIALS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER FROM A DEBT STANDPOINT, FROM A BOND RATING STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, GETTING UP TO AROUND 120 IS A GOOD, GOOD POSITION TO BE IN.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD NUMBER AT 120 DAYS.
UM, ONE THING YOU SHOULD HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS THE, UH, TAX NOTICE.
SO, UM, TODAY WE PUT ON OUR WEBSITE THE, UM, NOTICE OF, OF THE TAX RATES AND IT BASICALLY TALKS THROUGH THE VOTER APPROVAL RATES AND THE, THE PROPOSED RATE THAT WE HAVE.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU SAW IN FRONT OF YOU WHAT WE'VE NOW GOT ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, AND WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU AT THIS NEXT COUNCIL MEETING FOR SOME ACTION.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY ON SEPTEMBER 9TH TO ACTUALLY ADOPT THE TAX RATE.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU, YOU SAW THAT.
AND THEN GETTING INTO A COUPLE OF THE LINE ITEMS IN THE GENERAL FUND, IF YOU DUG THROUGH IT, YOU MIGHT'VE NOTICED A COUPLE THINGS THAT LOOKED MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OFF.
UM, AND THERE THERE WAS SOME GOOD REASON FOR IT.
SO YOU MAY HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS GO, GO UP OR DOWN AND IT WAS HARD TO TELL WHY.
SO WE DID DO SOME REORGANIZATION OF POSITIONS, UM, CHANGING DEPARTMENTS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UM, THE, THE BIG THING THOUGH THAT YOU'LL SEE IS THE BUILDING MAINTENANCE LINE ITEM.
SO I'VE HEARD FROM A COUPLE OF YOU FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
UM, ONE, IT LOOKS LIKE BUILDING MAINTENANCE HAS GONE WAY UP IN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND ON THE OTHER HAND IT LOOKS LIKE DEPARTMENTS HAVE GIVEN UP THEIR ENTIRE BUILDING MAINTENANCE BUDGETS.
SO THAT IS, THAT IS AN ATTEMPT AS WE'VE KIND OF REORGANIZED OUR, OUR FACILITIES TEAM INTO PUBLIC WORKS TO TRY AND TRY AND MANAGE OUR BUILDINGS A LITTLE MORE THOUGHTFULLY AND HAVE 'EM, UH, KIND OF FUNDED IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
SO THE, THE ACTUAL AMOUNT WE'RE SPENDING DIDN'T NECESSARILY GO UP A WHOLE LOT, IT JUST, IT'S JUST SHOWN IN A DIFFERENT PLACE.
UM, PART OF THE REASON THAT IT WENT UP AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT IS WE'VE GOT A TRANSFER FROM, LIKE THE AQUATICS FUND IS THE BIGGEST ONE FOR BUILDING MAINTENANCE.
SO IT'S SHOWING IN THE GENERAL FUND, BUT THERE'S ACTUALLY A TRANSFER FROM AQUATICS.
UM, THAT ONE IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA COME BACK TO YOU BEFORE YOU ADOPT THE BUDGET AND, AND CHANGE THAT BACK.
UM, BUT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THAT PARTICULAR LINE ITEM, UH, IT DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE NOT SPENDING A MILLION DOLLARS MORE ON, ON BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND THE DEPARTMENTS DIDN'T LOSE THEIR BUILDING MAINTENANCE MONEY.
WE'RE JUST DOING IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR.
SO, UM, YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE A TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENT FROM US BEFORE YOU ADOPT THE BUDGET WHENEVER YOU DO THAT.
UM, JUST KIND OF GIVING YOU A HEADS UP THAT THAT'S WHY THOSE NUMBERS LOOK A LITTLE BIT ODD IN THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
UM, NEXT THING I WANTED TO, UH, SHOW YOU ALL BASED ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE IS SAME CHART WE PROVIDED LAST YEAR, THE TAX BURDEN ON THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER.
SO, UH, WORKED WITH HCAD, UM, THIS DATA CAME STRAIGHT FROM THEM AND IT LOOKED AT, UM, BASICALLY THE AVERAGE VALUE HOME IN THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT IS THE ACTUAL TAX BURDEN ON THAT AVERAGE HOME, INCLUDING THE OPTIONAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION AND THE SENIOR AND DISABLED EXEMPTIONS.
SO IT KIND OF OF AVERAGES OUT EVERYBODY BASED ON ALL THAT AND SHOWS YOU KIND OF WHAT THE, THE TAX BURDEN IS, AGAIN FOR THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER IN YOUR CITY.
BUT A LOT OF THAT IS A FUNCTION BECAUSE OVERALL WE HAVE ACROSS THE BOARD, WE HAVE A LOWER ASSESSED VALUE ON AVERAGE, CORRECT? MM-HMM
OUR, OUR MEDIAN ASSESSED VALUES ARE LOWER.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A PART OF IT.
SO THAT, THAT IS A PART OF IT.
UM, ONE PART OF IT IS LIKE, I'LL TELL YOU IAN, FOR EXAMPLE, THE REASON THEY'RE, THEY'RE SO HIGH, UM, THEY HAVE A MUCH LOWER HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
SO ALL THOSE THINGS START TO FACTOR INTO THE TAX BURDEN BESIDES JUST THE RATE ITSELF.
UM, YEAH, AVERAGE HOME VALUE EXEMPTIONS, ALL THAT STUFF.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU SAW THIS AGAIN THIS YEAR.
UM, WE TALKED THROUGH THIS BEFORE, SO I WILL FLY THROUGH THESE SLIDES SINCE WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT,
UH, I THINK WE MENTIONED TO Y'ALL, WE GOT THE LEGISLATION CHANGED THIS PAST YEAR IN AUSTIN,
[01:45:01]
SO WE CAN NOW FUND IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR SPORTS FIELDS, UH, TO BRING IN VISITORS.SO WE HAVE INCLUDED IN THE FY 22 BUDGET THE ENHANCEMENTS TO WAYNE GRAY, UM, AND GOT A SLIDE ON IT LATER.
BUT BASICALLY THAT'S THE TURFING OF THE FIELDS AND THEN SOME OTHER, OTHER ENHANCEMENTS CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE HOTEL CONVENTION CENTER AND THEN THE FUNDING FOR THE, UH, HISTORICAL MU MUSEUM CONSULTING, UH, PROJECT THIS YEAR AS WELL.
ANYWHERE IN HOTEL MOTEL FUND, IS THERE ANY MONEY SET ASIDE FOR THE BATTLESHIP TEXAS? AND I'M ASKING THAT QUESTION BECAUSE I'M GETTING A LOT OF, UM, I'M HEARING A LOT OF CHATTER ABOUT IT COMING HERE.
AND I BELIEVE LAST TIME WE DISCUSSED IT THAT SOME OF US HAD ACTUALLY SAID THAT WE HAVE OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO WITH OUR MONEY THAN TO BRING THE BATTLESHIP TEXAS HERE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOTHING IN HOTEL MOTEL FOR THE BATTLESHIP TEXAS.
WE HAVE NOTHING IN HOTEL MOTEL.
WE DON'T HAVE A PENNY ANYWHERE IN THE BUDGET FOR THE BATTLESHIP.
UM, SO Y'ALL REMEMBER LAST YEAR, OBVIOUSLY REALLY TOUGH YEAR DURING COD WE HAD TO SUPPLEMENT AQUATICS WITH THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR LOOK TO COME BACK STRONG AND OF COURSE WE'VE HAD AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF RAIN DAYS.
SO, UM, THIS YEAR HAS BEEN ALSO A STRUGGLE.
SO WE'VE BUILT A CONSERVATIVE BUDGET NEXT YEAR, MAINLY BECAUSE THERE'S JUST NOT ANY MONEY TO TO WORK WITH THERE.
I MEAN, THERE'S NO MONEY TO DO ANY MAJOR CAPITAL EXPANSIONS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO IF YOU REMEMBER, WE, UM, SAID WE'D PAY BACK THE GENERAL FUND OVER 10 YEARS.
SO WE DO HAVE THAT IN THERE, BUT NOT A WHOLE LOT TO SAY ON THE AQUATICS BUDGET OTHER THAN WE'RE JUST TRYING TO, TRYING TO MAINTAIN POSITIVE FUND BALANCE IN THERE.
ACTUALLY, I'LL JUST, YOU KNOW, TALKING WITH JENNA AND I, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE STAFF AND NICK IS RIGHT ABOUT THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT WE LOST THIS YEAR.
STAFFING WAS ALSO A CHALLENGE THIS YEAR.
UM, AND SO ACTUALLY THE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA COME IN BETTER THAN YOU THINK THEY ARE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF WORK, THE WORK THEY'VE DONE.
AND WITH THE DAYS THAT WE LOST, WE ALSO SAVE SALARY FOR THE STAFF THAT'S NOT WORKING OUT THERE.
SO KUDOS TO EVERYBODY THAT WAS OUT THERE WORKING REALLY HARD THIS YEAR.
IT WAS A TOUGH YEAR OUT THERE, BUT THEY SALVAGED A LOT OF THIS YEAR AND THEY'RE GONNA DO BETTER THAN YOU THINK.
UM, MOVING, MOVING ON TO WATER AND SEWER FUND.
UM, WE'LL SPEND A A LITTLE BIT OF TIME HERE 'CAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON WITH, WITH WATER AND SEWER.
I WANNA MAKE SURE, MAKE SURE I'LL UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO, UM, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE IS NO RATE INCREASE PROPOSED.
UM, WE WERE THINKING WE PROBABLY WERE GOING TO NEED ONE THIS YEAR.
IF Y'ALL REMEMBER, WE DID THE RATE STUDY AND WE BROUGHT TO YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE REVENUE REQUIREMENT WAS, WHAT THE COST OF SERVICES, WHICH MEANS WHO SHOULD PAY RESIDENTS, COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT.
UM, AND THE REASON WE DIDN'T BRING BACK ANY RATE PROPOSAL TO YOU IS THE LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED QUITE A BIT WHEN IT COMES TO WATER AND SEWER, PRIMARILY OUR OUT OF CITY CUSTOMERS.
SO YOU PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT THE NIAGARA PROJECT THAT'S GONNA BE GOING ON.
UM, THERE'S OTHER PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS AND THEY ARE, THEY ARE CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE OF OUR REVENUE STRUCTURE IN WATER AND SEWER.
SO WE WERE NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO BRING BACK ANY CHANGE TO THE RATE STRUCTURE IN WATER AND SEWER.
WE'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO GO BACK EARLY 22 AND REDO PORTIONS OF THAT MODEL JUST TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT DATA IN THERE.
AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT A NEW RATE STRUCTURE WOULD LOOK LIKE.
SO AT THIS POINT, THAT'S WHY THERE'S NO RATE INCREASE.
WE CAN FUND EVERYTHING WE NEED TO FUND.
UM, THIS YEAR IN WATER AND SEWER, WE ARE ABSORBING A BWA RATE INCREASE.
UM, AND WE'RE MAINLY ABSORBING IT BECAUSE OF THE CUSTOMER GROWTH.
UM, OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS, WE DO HAVE A TRANSFER FOR, UH, SOME CASH FUNDED CIP PROJECTS.
UM, TOPIC IN PREVIOUS BUDGETS WAS THE PLIP PROGRAM AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TO GET THESE PRIVATE SEWER LINES, UH, FIXED UP.
I'VE GOT A SLIDE IN JUST A SECOND TO TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT, UM, WE'VE GOT A, UH, $250,000 SET ASIDE TO, TO DO SOME WORK ON THAT PROGRAM AND GET THE REMAINING, UH, HOMES, GET THOSE SEWER LINES FIXED.
UM, WE DO HAVE ONE NEW POSITION, UH, AND IT'S A
[01:50:01]
CUSTOMER SERVICE REP OUTTA UTILITY BILLING.THAT'S MAINLY JUST, UH, ADDITIONAL GROWTH, ADDITIONAL DEMAND ON THE STAFF.
AND THEN I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS IN A MINUTE, BUT WE'VE GOT THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, UH, PROJECTS.
SO THAT WAS THE MONEY THAT CAME IN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE COVID UH, RELIEF.
AND ONE OF THE CORE AREAS THAT YOU ARE ALLOWED TO SPEND THAT ON IS WILL WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS.
SO, UM, I'LL TALK IN A MINUTE ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SPEND THAT 16.3 ON.
WE DO HAVE TO SUBMIT A, A PLAN TO, UH, TREASURY DEPARTMENT BY THE END OF OF AUGUST.
SO DEFINITELY LIKE TO GET SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'LL FINISH NEXT YEAR, 90 DAYS FUND BALANCE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WATER AND SEWER, ALTHOUGH WE'VE GOT HUGE DEMAND ON THE CAPITAL SIDE, WE'RE WE'RE GETTING BY AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND A LOT OF THAT IS THE STAFF'S DOING A GOOD JOB AT MANAGING THE FACILITIES AND MAKING SURE AT LEAST OPERATIONALLY WE'RE KEEPING OUR SPENDING UNDER CONTROL THERE.
SO, PLIP, UM, JUST AS A REMINDER FOR ANYBODY WHO, WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHAT PLIP IS, THAT'S THE PRIVATE SEWER LINE INSPECTION PROGRAM.
ANYTIME THE CITY GOES IN AND AND REPLACES OUR PUBLIC SEWER LINES IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, WE FOLLOW THAT UP BY TELEVISING THE PRIVATE SEWER LINES, UM, IN THE SAME AREA.
AND IF THERE'S A, A DEFECT, THE HOMEOWNER IS REQUIRED TO FIX THAT DEFECT IN THEIR PRIVATE SEWER LINE.
IF THEY DON'T FIX IT WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, THEN A $25 SURCHARGE IS ADDED TO THEIR UTILITY BILL AND THEY PAY THAT UNTIL THEY FIX THEIR PRIVATE SEWER LINE.
SO I KNOW SOME OF THE DISCUSSION IN THE PAST WAS, IT'S NOT WORKING, THAT PROGRAM IS NOT WORKING.
UM, WANTED TO SHOW YOU THE DATA BECAUSE I, I THINK MAYBE THE NARRATIVE SHOULD CHANGE A LITTLE BIT.
THE PROGRAM'S ACTUALLY WORKING REALLY WELL.
UM, SINCE 2007, WE'VE INSPECTED 7,906, UH, PRIVATE SEWER LINES.
OF THOSE TWENTY NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE HAD BAD INSPECTIONS, SO THEY HAD TO FIX SOMETHING WITH IT.
UM, 2,339 OF THOSE HAVE MADE THE REPAIRS.
SO THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD SUCCESS RATE, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING SOME OF THOSE ARE JUST IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, THERE'S 652 PENDING REPAIRS.
SO EVERYTHING WE'VE INSPECTED, THERE'S ONLY 8% OUTSTANDING.
I THINK THAT'S MAYBE A NUMBER THAT'S LOWER THAN EVERYBODY WAS, WAS THINKING.
UM, SO WE DON'T HAVE A HUGE CHUNK LEFT TO GET, UM, TO GET KNOCKED OUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN REALITY, THESE PEOPLE COULD JUST FIX THEIR PRIVATE SEWER LINE.
WELL, IS IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE INCOME TO DO THAT? WE HAVE CDBG PROGRAM WHERE IF YOU MEET THAT INCOME THRESHOLD, WE WILL REPAIR THE LINE.
WHAT WE'LL FIX THE LINE WITH CDBG FUNDS.
SO WE'VE LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ELSE COULD WE DO TO GET THE 652, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT PAYING THE $25 AND ACTUALLY GETTING THEIR SEWER LINE REPAIRED.
THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHAT WE WANT BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T DO THAT, YOU'VE GOT WATER COMING INTO THEIR SEWER LINE AND THAT LEADS TO SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOWS.
SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS USE THAT 250,000 AS SOME SEED MONEY TO TRY SOME DIFFERENT THINGS THIS YEAR.
WE'LL, WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU ALL TO ACTUALLY APPROVE THOSE PROGRAMS. BUT, UM, ONE IS TO INCREASE THE ELIGIBILITY FOR LOW TO MODERATE INCOME HOMEOWNERS.
SO CDBG HAS A CERTAIN INCOME THRESHOLD.
THERE'S ANOTHER THRESHOLD ABOVE THAT, AND IT IT'S ONLY UP TO 80% OF THE, UM, ADJUSTED MEDIUM INCOME, CORRECT? YEAH.
SO THE NEXT THRESHOLD IS 80 TO 120%.
THAT'S STILL PRETTY LOW TO MODERATE INCOME.
UM, AND WE THINK WORKING AND PROVIDING SOME ASSISTANCE TO THOSE HOMEOWNERS WOULD BE A GOOD PLAN OF ATTACK.
'CAUSE AGAIN, THEY'RE PROBABLY STILL STRUGGLING TO MAKE, LET'S SAY IT'S A $3,000 REPAIR TO THE SEWER LINE, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE SOME GOOD GOOD ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE HOMEOWNERS.
UM, WE HAVE SOME OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE COULD LOOK AT, WHETHER IT'S LOW INTEREST LOANS, UM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING PAYBACK THROUGH UTILITY BILLS.
THERE'S, THERE'S A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD DO.
UM, ALL WE'RE PROPOSING IN THE BUDGET IS TO PUT SOME SEED MONEY IN THERE SO WE CAN TRY SOME DIFFERENT THINGS TO GET, YOU KNOW, GET THAT LIST BOUGHT DOWN.
THE OTHER THING, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, WE APPROACHED THE STATE AND THEY DID APPROVE THE, UH, SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT FOR US.
UM, AND THAT WAS SET UP TO ASSIST, UM, THESE HOMEOWNERS.
WE ARE NOT GETTING A LOT OF INTEREST FROM INDUSTRY, SO I KNOW THEY'RE STILL COMMITTING VIOLATIONS AND PAYING FINES.
UH, THEY ARE JUST NOT PAYING IT INTO OUR PROJECT.
UM, AND THERE THERE'S A VARIETY OF REASONS FOR THAT.
[01:55:01]
WERE KIND OF WAITING A WHILE TO SEE IF WE COULD GET SOME OF THAT INCOME IN, BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE POSITION WE'RE AT NOW.SO WE WILL COME BACK TO Y'ALL IF IT PROVED TO WORK ON THIS.
SO BAYTOWN HAS BEEN ALLOCATED $16.3 MILLION.
THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS MONEY VERSUS ANY OTHER MONEY THE CITY GETS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH CDBG, IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH TDOT.
IT CAME STRAIGHT TO US, WHICH IS AWESOME.
SO WE'VE RECEIVED 50% OF THAT ALREADY.
IT'S SITTING IN A SPECIAL ACCOUNT, UM, JUST WAITING FOR THE PROJECTS TO, TO SPEND IT.
UM, THE OTHER 50% WILL COME, UH, NEXT YEAR.
SO AS I MENTIONED, WE NEED TO SUBMIT OUR, OUR PROJECT PLAN.
THE PROJECTS THAT MAKE THE MOST SENSE ARE RELATED TO WATER AND SEWER.
AND THIS IS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO ENHANCEMENTS TO OUR SYSTEM THAT WE WOULDN'T OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO DO.
AND THAT'S THE PROJECTS THAT YOU SEE ON THE LIST.
SO WE PROPOSE, UH, 300,000 TO PROVIDE SOME UTILITY BILL ASSISTANCE.
WE ARE STILL SEEING A HIGHER RATE OF UNPAID UTILITY BILLS RIGHT NOW, AND EVERYTHING WE CAN, UM, UM, KIND OF FIGURE IN TERMS OF WHY THAT'S HAPPENING IS BECAUSE OF OF COVID.
AND SO THIS WILL ALLOW US TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL STRUGGLING TO PAY THEIR, UH, THEIR CITY UTILITY BILL.
UM, THE OTHER 16 MILLION WOULD BE PRIMARILY FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT ENHANCEMENTS.
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'VE NEEDED TO DO FOR YEARS, BUT WE, THERE WAS JUST, THERE WAS NO MONEY TO DO THEM.
UM, I'M GONNA TALK IN DETAIL A LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT THESE PROJECTS, BUT BEFORE OUR, UM, WORKING ON SOME WINTERIZATION OF OUR TREATMENT PLANTS AND OUR WATER WELLS, UM, IMPLEMENTING SCADA AT OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS, ANYBODY WHO WORKS IN INDUSTRY KNOWS WHATS SCADA IS.
YOU'D THINK OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS WOULD HAVE IT ALREADY.
AND, AND WE ABSOLUTELY NEED IT.
UH, BUILDING UPGRADES OUT AT THE WEST DISTRICT AND THEN OUR CENTRAL DISTRICT, WHICH PREVIOUSLY GOT CDBG MONEY AFTER IT WAS HIT DURING IKE, UM, THERE'S SOME FOLLOW UP IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED AT THAT FACILITY.
SO I'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON THOSE PROJECTS LATER.
BUT, UM, IN GENERAL THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT STAFF WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE IN TERMS OF HOW WE UTILIZE THAT, THAT 16.3 MILLION.
WERE THERE ANY OTHER, OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE WATER AND SEWER FUND BEFORE I MOVE ON? OKAY, SO SANITATION, UH, THIS ONE'S QUICK.
WE DO STILL HAVE THE TRANSFER IN FROM THE GENERAL FUND OF 250,000 AND THAT BASICALLY KEPT US FROM NEEDING TO, TO RAISE RATES, UH, THIS YEAR.
AND JUST A REMINDER, WE ARE MOVING INTO YEAR FIVE OF THE WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON RIGHT NOW TO START CONSIDERING WHAT, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN WITH THE FUTURE OF SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL BE TALKING TO Y'ALL ABOUT THAT VERY SOON.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS FUND IS NOT, I MEAN IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S THIN MARGINS IN THIS FUND.
SO 31 DAYS OF FUND BALANCE IS ENOUGH, BUT IT'S, IT'S VERY TIGHT.
UM, THIS BUDGET, YOU'RE GONNA SEE AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF ZERO, UH, WHICH MAKES SENSE FOR THIS FUND BECAUSE IT'S ALL, IT'S PRIMARILY PROJECT BASED, SO WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO LEAVE MONEY THERE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, THIS DOES ASSUME PASSAGE OF THE REAUTHORIZATION ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.
UH, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL THE PAST COUPLE TIMES.
UH, THE, THE RESIDENTS HAVE STRONGLY SUPPORTED IT AND WE HOPE THEY WILL.
IT WAS, THE RE REAUTHORIZATION IS FOUR YEARS, BUT IT WAS JUST WENT TO THE VOTERS LAST OR THREE YEARS AGO.
AND BEFORE THAT IT WENT THREE YEARS PREVIOUSLY.
THERE'S A QUIRK IN THE STATE LAW THAT IS REQUIRING US TO TAKE IT A YEAR EARLY, WHICH IS, IT'S FRUSTRATING, BUT I MEAN, WE'VE LOOKED AT IT ALL SORTS OF WAYS AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO GET AROUND IT.
SO THAT'S WHY IF ANYBODY'S THINKING, WELL, DIDN'T YOU JUST BRING THIS ELECTION TO US? YEAH, WE, WE DID THREE YEARS AGO.
SO, UM, AFTER THIS WE CAN GET I THINK A COUPLE DECADES WITHOUT HAVING TO GO LESS THAN FOUR YEARS.
SO, UM, THIS BUDGET DOES INCLUDE A NEW CONCRETE CRACK SEAL CREW.
UM, AND THEN JUST SO YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE LARGE SCALE REHAB PROJECTS, WE DO A NUMBER OF REHAB PROJECTS OUTTA STREET MAINTENANCE, UM, BUT SOME OF THE NOTICEABLE ONES, WE'RE WORKING ON WARD ROAD RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE WILL SOON BE WORKING ON WEST
[02:00:01]
ROAD AND SOUTH ROAD, AND ALSO MCKINNEY AND BRITAIN ARE SOME OF THE, THE LARGER PROJECTS THAT YOU'LL SEE THIS YEAR.UM, BUT YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL SEE US OUT THERE DOING ALL SORTS OF, OF WORK OUTTA THE STREET MAINTENANCE FUND.
THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE MORE NOTICEABLE ONES.
SORRY, IS, UM, MCKINNEY ROAD, THE, THE ONE BETWEEN MASSEY TOMPKINS AND BOB SMITH, IS THAT THE MCKINNEY OR IS THERE ANOTHER ONE? YEAH, GONNA LOOK, WELL, THERE'S DIFFERENT PARTS OF IT BETWEEN, UH, PECAN AND LID.
THAT REALLY BAD STRETCH WHERE IT, I THINK IT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 1 46 OR, YES.
I THINK THEY DID ONE, THEY DONE ONE SIDE OF MCKINNEY AND NOW THIS IS THE OTHER SIDE.
BUT IT IS GOOD TO, THEY'RE NOT, NOT MINE.
HERE'S YEAH, WEST, WEST AND SOUTH ROAD CERTAINLY.
UM, AND THEN BRITTON ROAD, I, I WAS CONTACTED BY A CITIZEN.
BRIT ROAD WAS UNIQUE SERVICES ON BRITTON ROAD.
UM, SO GOOD, GOOD TO SEE THESE ROADS ON THIS LIST HERE.
OKAY, SO, UH, JUMPING INTO THE CIP LAST YEAR, I HIT EVERY SINGLE PROJECT.
UM, WELL, YOU GUYS LOVED IT SO WELL.
BUT YEAH, WE CAN SOMEWHERE, UM, I'M ONLY GONNA HIT THE ONES TONIGHT THAT ARE EITHER NEW OR SOMETHING HAS, UH, CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM LAST YEAR.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF CATEGORIES THAT WE LOOK AT.
UM, STAFF LOOKS OUT 10 YEARS ON THESE PROJECTS.
UM, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'LL SEE, UM, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE A LISTING IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, YOU'LL SEE THE FIVE TO 10 YEARS AND, BUT THE ONLY ONES THAT HAVE REALLY GOT DEBT FUNDING TRULY DEDICATED TO 'EM ARE 22.
AND BEFORE, UM, OBVIOUSLY WE ONLY BUDGET IN ONE YEAR INCREMENTS.
SO, UM, SO JUST MAKING SURE YOU KNEW THAT THERE IS A ADDITIONAL DEBT CAPACITY COMING AVAILABLE IN 23 AND BEYOND.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A NUMBER OF PARKS AND FACILITIES, PROJECTS THAT COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY HAVE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE COMMITTED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE IS FIRST WE'RE GONNA GOING TO GET A DEBT MANAGEMENT POLICY IN PLACE.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH FINANCE COMMITTEE ON THAT WITH THAT IN SEPTEMBER, UM, IN THIS FALL.
AND THEN WE CAN START LOOKING AT, OKAY, WHAT DOES COUNCIL WANT TO DO WITH, WITH FUTURE DEBT CAPACITY, THE VARIETY OF OPTIONS THERE.
SO, UM, SO STARTING WITH DRAINAGE, JUST KIND OF A, A HIGH LEVEL PROJECTS THAT WE'LL HAVE IN CONSTRUCTION.
AND REMEMBER THIS IS FY 22, SO STARTING IN OCTOBER, UH, THE ONES WE HAVE IN DESIGN AND THE ONES WHERE WE'RE LOOKING FOR OUTSIDE FUNDING.
SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT, UM, MAYBE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS IT.
ROBERT LEE HIGH SCHOOL DRAINAGE REROUTE.
UM, THIS STARTED WITH A, A CAVE IN NEAR THE BASEBALL FIELD THERE AT ROBERT E. LEE.
THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SCHOOL DISTRICT, HARRIS COUNTY.
UM, WE ENDED UP STEPPING IN AND BEING KIND OF THE, THE MEDIATOR FACILITATOR.
AND SO WE ARE MANAGING THIS PROJECT, BUT IT'S FUNDED COMPLETELY BY THE TWO OF THEM.
UM, BUT IT IS AT A CRITICAL POINT IN THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S PARTLY WHY WE WANTED TO, TO MANAGE THAT PROJECT.
UM, IT'S IN DESIGN NOW, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE WORKING ON CONSTRUCTION NEXT YEAR.
HE MENTIONED WEST BAYTOWN, DANIEL BINA, EAST JAMES, UH, FACILITIES.
SO WE HAVE THE, OBVIOUSLY ANIMAL SERVICES IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
UH, THE HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER, CITIZENS BANK AND PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY ALL WILL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION HERE IN, IN THE COMING MONTHS.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT GOING ON.
THAT'S WHY YOU SAW SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS TEAM.
UM, WE HAVE A, JUST A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF, OF PROJECTS AND, AND REALLY ALL OF THESE ARE WHAT YOU CALL MARQUEE, UH, FACILITY PROJECTS.
SO, UM, THE END DESIGN THAT YOU SEE THERE IS REALLY THESE CITY FACILITIES THAT WERE DISCUSSED DURING THE FACILITIES MASTER PLAN.
THINGS LIKE A POTENTIALLY A REC CENTER.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS OUT THERE, WE NEED TO START DOING AT LEAST SOME PRELIMINARY DESIGN WORK ON THAT.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME MONEY IN THIS BUDGET TO, TO WORK ON THAT.
AND DOES THAT INCLUDE THE DESIGN OF, UH, CITY HALL EXPANSION? YEAH, SO IT INCLUDES A, A PRELIMINARY DESIGN, WHICH IS, UM, KIND OF LOOKING AT IT FROM A HIGH LEVEL.
IT'S NOT A DETAILED DESIGN DISCOUNT.
AND, AND PART OF THAT IS UNDERSTANDING, WILL BE UNDERSTANDING WHAT, WHAT DOES COUNCIL ACTUALLY WANT FROM THAT PROJECT? THIS PROJECT, UH, THIS PRELIMINARY
[02:05:01]
DESIGN WILL REALLY BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DISCUSSION ON FUTURE DEBT CAPACITY.UM, 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING TO PAY FOR ANY OF THE FACILITY PROJECTS, UM, BEYOND THE FOUR C ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW.
SO THOSE TWO WILL BE REALLY DONE IN CONJUNCTION.
PARKS AND REC, UM, OBVIOUSLY A NUMBER IN CONSTRUCTION, THERE'S SOME SMALLER PROJECTS THAT AREN'T, UH, LISTED ON THIS SCREEN THAT OUR, OUR PARKS AND REC STAFF WILL BE MANAGING.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA TOUCH ON A FEW OF 'EM.
SO YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THIS, IT WAS BROUGHT UP LAST BUDGET, WAYNE GRAY, UM, THE TURFING, THERE'S OTHER ENHANCEMENTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE GONNA BE NEEDED OUT THERE.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE LEGISLATION CHANGED SO WE HAVE HOT FUNDING SO WE CAN ACTUALLY DO THIS PROJECT.
SO, UM, WE WILL BE WORKING THIS IN DESIGN-WISE WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER PARKS PROJECTS AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THIS, UM, STARTED IN CONSTRUCTION AT SOME POINT NEXT YEAR.
UM, WE HAD THE DISCUSSION IN MDD ALSO ABOUT PARKING, SO WE'LL LOOK AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING AVAILABLE IN THAT HOT FUNDING BEYOND THE FIELD ENHANCEMENTS THAT WE CAN DO WITH PARKING.
WE'LL DO THAT AND THEN WE'LL USE THE MDD MONEY AS WELL, SO WE'LL, WE'LL DO AS MUCH PARKING ENHANCEMENTS AS WE CAN GET OUTTA THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE.
YEAH, NICK, I'LL JUST REITERATE, Y'ALL HAVE A REAL DILEMMA BEING LANDLOCKED THERE AND YOU'RE, UM, ENHANCING THESE FIELDS TO BRING VISITORS.
PIRATES BAY IS ONLY GROWING, YOU HAVE NO ROOM FOR MORE PARKING, SO YOU'LL HAVE QUITE A, UH, QUITE A PROBLEM TO SOLVE THERE.
UM, I KNOW WHEN I'VE TALKED TO RICK ABOUT, UH, GOING VERTICAL WITH A PARKING STRUCTURE, IT SEEMS TO BE AN EXPENSIVE PROJECT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WHEN WE GO TO OUR RETREATS, SOME SOLUTIONS OR IDEAS ON HOW TO SOLVE THIS WOULD WOULD BE GREAT.
YEAH, AND, AND THERE'S, THERE'S A FEW QUICK SOLUTIONS THAT, THAT CLIFF MENTIONED LAST TIME.
UM, THE DRAWING IS NOT WORKING UP THERE, BUT, UM, NEAR THE FIELD ON THE, I GUESS THE NORTHEAST SIDE, YOU KNOW, BEHIND THAT FIELD THERE IS SOME SPACE WHERE WE CAN, WE CAN DO SOME PARKING ON OUR CURRENT LAND.
UM, THERE'S A FEW OTHER THINGS WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK AT THERE.
SO I THINK WE CAN MAKE SOME, SOME PRETTY GOOD ENHANCEMENTS THERE.
AND THEN, LIKE YOU SAID, BEYOND THAT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SEE WHAT OTHER OPTIONS WE HAVE BECAUSE THERE IS VERY LITTLE LAND AROUND THERE, SO THANK YOU.
WHERE'S THE, WHERE'S THE CRICKET FIELD? IT, UH, THE VERY NORTH, UH, SIDE THERE ABOVE THE FOUR DIAMONDS, BIGGER DIAMONDS.
AND WHERE YOU SAID NORTHEAST, WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING TO DO THAT? PARKING? UH, IS THAT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT CROOKED FIELD? NO, TO THE, SO IF YOU LOOK JUST TO THE EAST OF THAT NORTHEAST FIELD, DO YOU SEE WHERE THE HISTORICAL, UH, PRESERVATION AREAS OH YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
YOU SEE THE GREEN, GREEN SPACE THERE? YEAH.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LOT.
UM, WE DID MEET WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, UM, A MONTH OR SO BACK, AND SO THERE, THERE IS SOME INTEREST THERE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY EXISTING FUNDING, SO WE'VE GOTTA COMPETE NOW.
WE'VE COMPETED WELL ON OTHER PROJECTS.
MARKET STREET IS A, IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
UM, SOME OF THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS ARE, ARE OTHER EXAMPLES.
SO, UH, WE CAN COMPETE, WE CAN PUT TOGETHER GOOD GRANT APPLICATIONS.
ONE THING WE HAVE TO DO TO COMPETE FOR ANY OUTSIDE MONEY IS YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE A, A MORE REFINED PLAN THAN WE HAVE TODAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I TALKED ABOUT DOING SOME ADDITIONAL ACTUAL PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING WORK, UM, WE NEED TO DO THAT OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS TO GIVE OURSELVES OF FIGHTING CHANCE.
UM, AND WE NEED TO DO THAT ANYWAY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GET READY TO AT LEAST DO THE DRAINAGE, THE SITE DRAINAGE, UM, ANY SITE IMPROVEMENTS, YOU KNOW, PHASE ONE OF THE PARK AND THEN, UM, DOING SOME WORK ON THE EQUESTRIAN SIDE AS WELL.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA PRELIMINARILY, UM, DESIGN HERE OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS IS THOSE COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT.
EVERGREEN BLUFF, I MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS AS A PART OF THE, UM, EVERGREEN AREA ANALYSIS.
I KNOW IT CAME UP IN THE, UH, PARKS AND REC MASTER PLAN DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, UTILIZING THE WATERFRONT.
UM, AND SO IT'S REALLY JUST PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING ON, ON PROVIDING A LITTLE MORE FOCUS TO WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND GETTING COSTS.
THAT'S ONE BIG THING THAT PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING DOES IS IT GIVES YOU A COST ESTIMATE.
AND SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT, IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IT AS A TS PROJECT, UM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ACTUAL COST ASSIGNED TO IT.
SO WE'LL START THAT WORK WITH, WITH THAT EVERGREEN ANALYSIS.
COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, THIS IS THE, THE QUESTION YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT.
[02:10:01]
SO THE LAST YEAR'S HARRIS COUNTY PARTNERSHIP GRANT, UH, PROCESS, THIS WAS ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT THEY APPROVED.UM, SO THEY WILL BE, HARRIS COUNTY WILL BE PARTNERING WITH US TO, UH, FUND AND CONSTRUCT THIS PROJECT.
SO IT'LL, IT'LL BE THE CONNECTOR IN BETWEEN JENKINS PARK AND BLUE HERON.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, HOW, HOW ARE YOU CROSSING THE RAIL, THE RAIL TRACK? UH, PEOPLE SMARTER THAN ME ARE FIGURING THAT OUT, BUT, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THE SOLUTION HAS BEEN DETERMINED YET THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY A DISCUSSION THAT HARRIS COUNTY, UH, BROUGHT UP AS THE FEASIBILITY OF IT.
AND SO WE HAVEN'T DONE THE AGREEMENT BECAUSE THEY ARE KIND OF REFINING THIS PLAN AND THE COST TESTAMENT THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT.
SO HARRIS COUNTY IS, IS WORKING WITH OUR ENGINEERING GROUP TO, UM, FIGURE OUT THE, THE BEST WAY TO CROSS IT AND, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, THE RAILROAD WOULD'VE TO SIGN OFF ON WHATEVER SOLUTION IS OFFERED UP.
WELL, THERE, THERE IS AN EXISTING CROSSING IF WE STAY IN WITHIN THE STREET RIGHT OF WAY.
UH, IT, IT WOULDN'T REQUIRE THAT.
SO THAT'S ONE THING THEY'RE LOOKING AT IS, YOU KNOW, YEAH.
AND THAT ALONG WITH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU GO AERIAL, UH, THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF OPTIONS AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO REALLY WANT TO, THIS IS ONE, WE DIDN'T DO PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING BEFORE WE SUBMITTED THE GRANT, SO, UM, WE DON'T WANT TO GET CAUGHT DOING A, AN AGREEMENT THAT IS NOT, YOU KNOW, REFLECTIVE OF THE ACTUAL COST.
YEAH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF IT TOOK HEAVY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE RAILROAD OR NOT.
IT, IT, IT, IT IS DEFINITELY POSSIBLE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID THAT.
I DON'T BLAME YOU AND, AND, AND I, UH, COME IN FOR HARRIS COUNTY FOR, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZING THAT AND, AND JUST PUT THE BRAKES ON UNTIL WE FIGURE IT OUT.
YEAH, THEY'VE, THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT TO, TO WORK WITH.
OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE HELPING US FUND A LOT OF PROJECTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAVE BEEN THOUGHTFUL ON, ON THESE PROJECTS AND, AND WORKING WITH US.
SO, UH, SO MOVING ON TO TRANSPORTATION.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A LOT THAT IS EITHER UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR WILL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION HERE IN THE NEW NEAR FUTURE.
UM, Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT ROLLING BROOK OBVIOUSLY IS ALREADY ALREADY UNDERWAY.
ALLEN BROOK, EDGEBROOK, IL KOLBY WAS JUST AWARDED, SO THOSE WILL BE STARTING SOON.
UM, YOU'VE GOT FAIRWAY AND VE WHICH ARE PROGRESSING VERY WELL IN DESIGN, SO WE'LL BE CONSTRUCTING THOSE NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND THEN GARTH ROAD WILL ACTUALLY START THE UTILITY PORTION OF THE CONSTRUCTION, UM, HERE SHORTLY.
WE'RE GONNA COME TO COUNCIL HERE, UM, IN THE NEAR FUTURE AT A WORK SESSION TO TALK ABOUT THE GARTH ROAD PROJECT AND JUST WHAT THE PATH FORWARD IS AND MAKE MAKING SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT ALL THAT PROJECT IS GONNA ENTAIL.
SO THAT IS A, OBVIOUSLY A HUGE PROJECT AND ANYTIME YOU'RE RECONSTRUCTING THAT TYPE OF CORRIDOR, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGE.
SO, BUT WE HAVE THE MONEY THAT WE NEED, WHICH IS, THAT WAS A HUGE HURDLE FOR US.
SO WE HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE FIRST TWO PHASES.
UM, IN DESIGN AND I'LL, I'LL TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF THESE 'CAUSE SOME OF 'EM ARE NEW HERE.
SO, UM, YOU SAW THAT THAT LARGE LIST OF NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS THAT ARE GONNA BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION NEXT YEAR, WE'VE NOW MOVED INTO, UM, WHAT'S GONNA BE CONSTRUCTED IN FISCAL YEAR 23, AND WE NEED TO DESIGN THOSE STREETS IN FY 22.
SO, UM, THE, THE STREETS THAT REALLY NEED IT THE MOST AND ROWS TO THE TOP OF THE LIST ARE IN LANTERN PARK, UM, OFF OF BAKER ROAD.
AND SO, UM, THOSE ARE THE NEXT, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE REALLY NEXT UP ON THE LIST.
AND SO WE WILL START, UH, DESIGN ON THOSE HERE IN FY 22 CEDAR BY LYNCHBURG, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR, BUT THE DIFFERENCE NOW IS THE TURS IS GETTING VERY CLOSE TO HAVING ENOUGH INCREMENT, UM, TO PAY.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ISSUE DEBT TO PAY FOR THIS.
NOW WE'RE LOOKING TOWARDS IF WE CAN ISSUE THE DEBT JUST DIRECTLY THROUGH THE TURS, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD SOLUTION IF WE CAN.
UM, BUT THEY'RE CLOSE TO HAVING ENOUGH INCREMENT TO PAY FOR THAT.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IN FY 22, THE WHOLE PROJECT HAS BEEN AGREED WITH HARRIS COUNTY TO SPLIT 50 50.
SO WE'VE AGREED TO THE SAME THING, UM, ON THE DESIGN.
THAT INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WILL BE COMING TO YOU HERE, UM, IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.
AND SO, UM, WE WILL, UH, ACTUALLY THE COUNTY, WE'LL DO THE DESIGN FOR
[02:15:01]
THE FIRST PHASE, WHICH IS FROM GARTH TO JOHN MARTIN.SO THAT'S A BIG DEAL TO GET THAT PROJECT MOVING.
AND IDEALLY WE WOULD DO CONSTRUCTION IN FY 23.
UM, A COUPLE PROJECTS THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE COMING UP, UM, ARE REALLY SLATED BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE'S OTHER FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY COMING AND WE NEED TO POSITION OURSELVES TO POTENTIALLY GRAB THAT IF WE CAN.
LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU HAVE TO HAVE DONE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING TO GET ANY OF THAT MONEY TO HAVE ANY CHANCE.
SO WEST BAKER IS ONE THAT HAS RISEN UP THE LIST FOR TWO REASONS.
UM, ONE, THE, THE STREET CONDITION SCORES ARE, ARE VERY LOW, IT'S IN ROUGH SHAPE.
UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THAN THAT, THERE'S ALSO A MAJOR WATER LINE ALONG THAT CORRIDOR.
UM, IT'S AN OLD, UM, TYPE OF WATER WATERLINE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO TRANSITION AWAY FROM.
SO WE WERE GONNA NEED TO REPLACE THAT, THAT WATERLINE.
ANYWAY, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE COST.
SO, UM, WHAT WE WOULD DO, UM, HERE THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR IS AGAIN, DO PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND THAT LOOKS AT REALLY WHAT IS THE NEW CONFIGURATION OF THE STREET GONNA LOOK LIKE AND WHAT ARE THE ESTIMATED COST GONNA LOOK LIKE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER BENORTH WOULD KNOW IN DISCUSSIONS WITH LIKE COUNTRY CLUB FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES WITH HOW THE ROAD WAS DESIGNED TO START OUT WITH.
SO IF YOU'RE EXITING SOME OF THE COUNTRY CLUB, UM, STREETS, YOU HAVE FENCES RIGHT UP TO THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SO IN SOME CASES THERE'S NOT EVEN ENOUGH ROOM FOR A SIDEWALK.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT, ON SOME OF THOSE STREETS, WE HAVE TO PUT NO RIGHT TURN ON RED SIGNS AT THOSE STOPLIGHTS.
ONE THING WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT DOING IS SHIFTING THE RIGHT OF WAY A LITTLE BIT.
I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME VERY LARGE MEDIANS ALONG BAKER.
SO WHAT WE'LL LOOK AT IN PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING IS TRYING TO MAYBE RECONFIGURE THAT STREET A LITTLE BIT, UM, TO ALLOW FOR MORE, MORE RIGHT OF WAY FOR SIDEWALKS AND JUST SOME BUFFER BETWEEN THE FENCES THERE ON THE, I GUESS THE SOUTH SIDE.
WEST MANLEY DRIVE, WE, I TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER.
AGAIN, LOOKING TO REALLY DO SOME ANALYSIS OF HOW WE CAN RECONFIGURE THAT WHOLE CORRIDOR.
IT'S, IT'S AN OLDER, MUCH OLDER AREA.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO SOME REVITALIZATION, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT THE MARKET STREET PROJECT, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER PROJECTS IN THE AREA AND THIS WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO NOT ONLY REVITALIZE, BUT LOOK AT SOME PEDESTRIAN AND, AND BIKE ENHANCEMENTS IN THOSE AREAS.
UTILITIES, I'M ALMOST THROUGH.
YOU CAN'T SAY YOU WEREN'T INFORMED TO END OF THIS, RIGHT? WELL, I THOUGHT SOME OF, SOME OF PEOPLE MAY HAVE SEEN IT ALREADY.
I HAVEN'T, BUT I CAN GO THROUGH THIS FAIRLY QUICK.
YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS LAST MEETING.
THE ONLY REASON I'M SHOWING IT TO YOU IS TO LET YOU KNOW, UM, ALTHOUGH WE'RE DOING DESIGN NEXT YEAR, WE DO HAVE THE FUNDING SECURED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AS WELL.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT.
SO THE WATER AND SEWER IMPACT FEES ARE THE MAIN FUNDING SOURCE.
AND THEN, UH, MDD IS THE SECONDARY FUNDING SOURCE FOR THAT PROJECT.
BAYWAY, THIS IS A PROJECT, UM, Y'ALL HAVE PROBABLY NOT SEEN, INCLUDING COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON, UM, AND ALVARADO.
SO THIS CORRIDOR ALSO HAS THAT OLD WATERLINE, THE TRANSI WATERLINE.
UM, WE NEED TO START REPLACING THAT.
THIS IS ACTUALLY THE ONE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
IT JUST SO HAPPENS WE DID THE BAYWAY CORRIDOR STUDY.
THERE'S OTHER ENHANCEMENTS WE CAN MAKE ALONG THAT STRETCH, INCLUDING BIKING, PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS.
SO, UM, WE WILL NOT ONLY LOOK AT DOING SOME PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND, AND THEN DESIGN ON THE WATER LINE, BUT ALSO THE ROAD CONFIGURATION AS WELL.
IF WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO BIKE FROM SPUR THREE 30 ALL THE WAY DOWN, UH, INTO MARKET STREET AND OVER TO THE LIBRARY, UM, AND ON A SAFE ROUTE.
AND EVENTUALLY, IF YOU LOOK BIG PICTURE, IF THE COUNTY DOES WHAT THEY NEED TO DO ON CEDAR BIO LYNCHBURG, YOU WILL END UP HAVING A LOOP AROUND, UH, THE CITY, WHICH, WHICH WILL BE A PRETTY NEAT THING DOWN DOWN THE ROAD.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT, I HIT THESE AT A HIGH LEVEL EARLIER.
UM, THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, UM, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FOR, WE'VE GOT WINTERIZATION, OBVIOUSLY WE HEARD ABOUT IT AT, AT BAWA, BUT IT'S AN ISSUE AT ANY, ANY TREATMENT PLANT.
SO, UM, THIS WILL BE DOING SOME WORK ON, ON ASSESSING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, UM,
[02:20:01]
AND THEN ACTUALLY MAKING THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.SCADA INSTALL, I, I TALKED, UH, YOU KNOW, AT A REAL HIGH LEVEL ABOUT THIS, IT'S A SYSTEM THAT IS NEEDED.
IT, IT, IF YOU WERE AT THE BWA, UM, RIBBON CUTTING AND YOU WALK THROUGH THE CONTROL ROOM, YOU WOULD'VE SEEN COMPUTERS AND THEY'VE GOT ALL THE DATA ON THE TREATMENT PROCESS.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE THAT AT OUR WASTEWATER FACILITY.
SO THIS IS A, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO, TO IMPLEMENT THAT AND BE ABLE TO BETTER MANAGE WHAT'S GOING ON AT OUR WASTEWATER FACILITIES AND OUR LIFT STATIONS, OF WHICH WE HAVE MANY, MANY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
IT NEEDS SOME ACTUAL BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THIS ONE IS A HIGH VISIBILITY FACILITY RIGHT ALONG I 10.
UM, AND SO WE WANT TO LOOK AT DOING SOME, UH, SOME VISIBILITY SCREENING, BUT ALSO LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO TO REDUCE ODORS FROM THIS FACILITY.
THERE ARE TIMES YOU DRIVE DOWN I 10 AND YOU CAN SMELL THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
SO, UH, WE LIKE TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IMPROVING THAT WITH THIS PROJECT.
AND THEN CENTRAL DISTRICT MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, WE'VE MADE REPAIRS TO THIS AFTER HURRICANE IKE, AND THEN THERE'S SOME, SOME ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE TO THE OPERATIONS OF THAT FACILITY.
WITH THAT, JUST THE PATH FORWARD, UM, WE HAVE A ANOTHER DATE SLOTTED TOMORROW NIGHT, WHICH HOPEFULLY IT SAYS IF IT SAYS IF NEEDED, HOPEFULLY WE WON'T NEED AND, UH, BUDGETED OPTION YOU COULD DO NEXT THURSDAY IF YOU DESIRED.
AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU ON SEPTEMBER 9TH FOR THE, UH, TAX RATE ADOPTION AND THEN PROBABLY THE STORM WATER FEE.
AND WE HAVE SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO WATER AND SEWER RATES, BUT IT'S ALL RELATED TO THE OUTTA CITY CUSTOMERS.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES.
SO, UH, I GUESS IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING WHAT EVERYTHING WAS PRESENTED? I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, NICK.
ON THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, YOU SAID THE, THE QUALIFIERS FOR THAT OR WASTE WATER AND AND WATER, WHAT ELSE WOULD QUALIFY? UH, BRIAN MAY BE ABLE TO HELP ME OUT BETTER.
THERE, THERE, THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE.
SOME OF THEM ARE LIKE DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO, TO BUSINESSES OR HOMEOWNERS.
WAS JUST WONDERING IF MAYBE SOLID WASTE WOULD, WOULD QUALIFY AND MAYBE THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL OPTION IF WE RAN INTO, I DON'T THINK I SAW THAT ONE LIST WASTE.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE YEAR FIVE.
POSSIBLE DILEMMA PENDING WITH HAVE NOT SEEN THAT.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY REALLY WANT ONE, THEY WANT THE MONEY SPENT.
SO THAT'S WHY CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE, ARE A REALLY GOOD ONE.
IS THERE ADDITIONAL GOOD QUESTION, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, I'M ASSUMING IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, WE, WE'VE COVERED A LOT OF THE BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, THE ONE, THE ONE REASON WHY WE ACTUALLY SPENT A LOT OF LESS TIME IN, IN WORK, OUR BUDGET WORK SESSION IS WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF TIME OVER THE PAST NINE MONTHS REALLY OF, OF PREPARING FOR THE BUDGET.
BUT, UM, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS THAT WE, WE PROBABLY DON'T NEED A MEETING TOMORROW, BUT IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL CONCERNS THAT WE DISCOVERED IN OUR AUGUST 26TH, UM, UH, KEEP IN MIND ALSO MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT WE, WE HAVE IT ON YOUR WORK SESSION ALSO FOR, FOR COUNCIL MEETINGS.
SO THERE'LL BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, EVEN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO, UH, A WORK SESSION TOMORROW, WE, IT WILL BE ON THE PRE-MEETING.
SO I THINK WE CAN JUST CO COVER ANY, ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S NEEDS ANY ADDITIONAL CONCERNS, I GUESS ON THE 26TH WORK SESSION.
THAT'S LIKE AGREEABLE TO EVERYBODY.
IF THERE'S GONNA BE QUESTIONS FOR THE 26TH, UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME TONIGHT OR WE HAVE, THIS WOULD BE BETTER IF THERE'S QUESTIONS BECAUSE ESPECIALLY IF WE HAVE TO DO IT SO THEY'RE PREPARED FOR THE WORK SESSION.
I JUST, I JUST HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ANIMAL CONTROL, UM, LINE ITEMS SINCE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SO BROAD, I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, SEE THE DETAILS IN THEM.
UM, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT TONY, UM, THE NEW SOFTWARE THAT THE STAFF HAD REQUESTED TO MODERNIZE THEIR OPERATIONS AT THE SHELTER.
IS THAT BUDGETED? UH, NO MA'AM.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY IN PLACE.
IT WAS, UH, ACQUIRED AND INSTALLED AND IMPLEMENTED, UH, LAST MONTH IN JULY.
THIS IS THE SHELTER LOVE OR, UH, CHAMELEON.
WHICH ONE? THE CHAMELEON, UH, SOFTWARE.
IT'S, UH, IMPROVED OUR REPORTING, UM, ALSO ENHANCED OUR FIELD OPERATIONS.
WE CAN GO STRAIGHT TO DISPATCH WITH THAT SYSTEM, UH, HAVE SOME TABLETS IN THE TRUCKS.
I WAS GONNA ASK, HAD Y'ALL THOUGHT ABOUT HARDWARE IN ADDITION? SO CAN YOU, I KNOW IT'S LATE, Y'ALL, CAN YOU, CAN YOU JUST KIND OF GIMME AN UPDATE BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER HEARD ABOUT IT SINCE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT AS A CONCEPT.
[02:25:01]
HADN'T DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT YOU HAD EXECUTED IT ALREADY.I'LL, I'LL GET JIMMY TO EXPLAIN IT.
HE, HE REALLY LED THE CHARGE ON THAT, UH, WORKING WITH IT AND, UH, AND FINANCE TO GET THIS GOING AND, UH, HAS GOT IT IMPLEMENTED AND IN PLACE.
SO THE CHAMELEON PROGRAM IS A WIDELY USED, UH, SOFTWARE ACROSS THE NATION.
UH, PROBABLY THE, THE NUMBER ONE USED OUT THERE.
UM, IT'S MODIFIABLE, UH, THROUGH CRYSTAL REPORTING.
UH, WE CAN CREATE OUR OWN FORMS, THINGS LIKE THAT TO CUSTOMIZE OUR NEEDS.
UM, A MONTH IN RIGHT NOW, STAFF ARE LEARNING VERY WELL.
UM, THE EFFICIENCY IN THE FIELD HAS BEEN GREATLY IMPROVED.
INSTEAD OF RADIO COMMUNICATIONS, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT, THE CALLS COME INTO THE SHELTER, THEY'RE PUT INTO THE SYSTEM AND IN LIVE TIME GO TO THE FIELD STAFF THAT, THAT ARE IN THE FIELD ON THEIR LAPTOPS.
SO IT'S, IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING.
UH, WE GOT A LOT MORE TO LEARN ABOUT IT AND, UM, THE OPTIONS ARE PRETTY MUCH ENDLESS.
HAVE YOU SEEN A REDUCTION IN YOUR PAPERWORK SHUFFLING YET? OR MAYBE IT'S TOO NEW, BUT, UM, IT'S GETTING THERE.
SO THE, THE CRYSTAL REPORTING, UM, A COUPLE OF STAFF MEMBERS ARE, ARE WORKING ON THAT AND LEARNING.
UM, WE, WE HAVE NOTICED REDUCTION IN, IN PAPERWORK FOR SURE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY FOR THE FIELD STAFF WOULD HAVE TO, UM, BASICALLY DUPLICATE EVERYTHING WHEN THEY COME BACK INTO THE SHELTER.
NOW, NOW THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
UM, ALSO TOO, THE PHOTOS CAN BE TAKEN IN THE FIELD.
THEY'RE AUTOMATICALLY UPLOADED TO PET HARBOR.COM FOR OUR CITY, UM, WITH THE MAXIMUM OF 30 MINUTES, BUT TWO TO FIVE MINUTES WE SEE THE ANIMALS DIRECTLY FROM THE FIELD ONTO THE WEBSITE NOW.
AND THE LAST, UH, ONE I HAD WHEN WE CAME IN TOURED SOMETHING THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IS POSSIBLY GETTING A SMALLER TRANSPORT VEHICLE.
UM, OURS IS SO LARGE THAT STAFF FINDS IT DIFFICULT TO MARKET THE ANIMALS AT FESTIVALS AND EVENTS OR EVEN TRANSPORT THEM SHORT DISTANCES, LIKE TO AUSTIN, WHICH IS CRITICAL IN MOVING ANIMALS OUT AND NOT BEING OVER CAPACITY.
HAVE Y'ALL THOUGHT ANYTHING ABOUT GETTING A SECOND SMALLER TRANSPORT VEHICLE? YES MA'AM.
UH, IT'S A, IT'S A CUSTOM VAN, UH, THAT WE HAD, UH, RESEARCHED AND PREVIOUSLY HAD APPLIED FOR A GRANT.
WE DIDN'T GET IT, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, USE SOME, UH, EXISTING FUNDS AND IT'S ON ORDER AND IT'S SCHEDULED TO COME IN, I THINK EARLY 2022.
YEAH, JANUARY IS PROPOSED TO RECEIVE IT.
WELL, I TOLD Y'ALL WE WEREN'T GONNA MAKE IT THROUGH THIS WITHOUT ANY QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, LAST YEAR I ASKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SOME DIVERSITY, CULTURAL AND INCLUSION TRAINING AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK FOR IT IN THE BUDGET.
WHERE WOULD WE FIND SOME DIVERSITY INCLUSION AND CULTURAL TRAINING, IF NOT FOR ALL OF STAFF, MAYBE FOR DIRECT AT THE DIRECTOR LEVEL, AND THEN MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENCOURAGE THE REST OF STAFF TO PARTICIPATE IN IT.
NOT SOMETHING THAT IS NECESSARILY DONE IN A SUITE PLAN THROUGH HR, BUT MAYBE HAVING SOMEONE COME IN OR SOMETHING TO THAT.
WE FIND THAT'S A STANDALONE TRAINING FOR THOSE AREAS.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S IN OUR HR DEPARTMENT IN THEIR SUITES.
IN FACT, THEY JUST GAVE RICK AN UPDATE ON THAT.
THEY USUALLY DO THAT QUARTERLY TALKING ABOUT THE HUB AND THROUGH NEO GOV AND THE WHOLE SUITE OF TRAINING THAT THEY'VE GONE THROUGH, THEY'VE GONE THROUGH OVER 1500 TRAINING CLASSES, PUT A LOT OF 'EM ONLINE THAT IS OPEN TO, UH, CITY EMPLOYEES.
WE ENCOURAGE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AND EMPLOYEES TO GO ONLINE.
I KNOW RICK HAS DONE SEVERAL OF 'EM IN HIS, IN HIS OFFICE HIMSELF.
AND SO DIVERSITY, UH, CULTURAL AWARENESS, UM, ALL OF THAT IS INCLUDED IN THERE.
WE CAN ADD MORE CLASSES TO THAT, BUT WE HEARD YOU, WE'VE DONE THAT AND WE ARE DOING THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPAND THAT.
WOULD IT BE AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE MAY ABLE MAY BE ABLE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT THE EXPERIENCE IS LIKE IN THOSE TRAININGS? IN OTHER WORDS, CAN YOU GO ONLINE THROUGH THE NEO GOV AND DO IT? YEAH, I'LL GET WITH CAROL AND WE'LL SEE HOW TO DO THAT AND HOW YOU CAN BE INCLUDED.
YEAH, I, I LIKE TO SEE WHAT IT IS AND IF IT'S WHAT I'M ACTUALLY ASKING FOR.
AND I THINK THE ONLY WAY THAT I CAN KNOW THAT IS IF I GO IN AND EXPERIENCE IT FOR MYSELF.
FROM A, FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT THOUGH, WE HAVE THE RESOURCES WE NEED TO, TO DO ANY OF THAT TRAINING.
[02:30:01]
OKAY.WHAT THIS, WHAT I'VE ASKED FOR SPECIFICALLY IS A MODULE OR TRAIN.
IT COULD BE A SERIES OF TRAININGS THAT FOCUSES ON CULTURAL APPRECIATION MM-HMM
AND IT, IT'S REALLY NOT, UH, CENTERED ON ANYTHING EXCEPT THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES THAT ALL OF US BRING TO OUR ORGANIZATION.
AND APPRECIATING THOSE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND UTILIZING, UTILIZING THOSE DIFFERENCES IN ORDER TO SYNERGIZE.
I TALK TO EVERY NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION, EVERY NEW EMPLOYEE HEARS ME TALK ABOUT, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF SYNERGY AND APPRECIATING EACH OTHER.
UH, I'VE, I'VE INTRODUCED A BOOK CALLED LEADERSHIP AND SELF-DECEPTION THAT SETS THE CULTURAL FOUNDATION OR BLUEPRINT FOR US.
AND, UH, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA JUST CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON THAT.
IT, IT IS REALLY NOT FOCUSED ON ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD HEAR, UH, TALKED ABOUT IN POPULAR CULTURE RIGHT NOW.
IT'S A BAYTOWN SPECIFIC TYPE OF TRAINING.
NOW YOU SAY YOU'VE INTRODUCED A BOOK.
HOW DID YOU INTRODUCE THE BOOK? OH, PROBABLY ABOUT 24 HOURS AFTER I WAS HIRED.
UH, AND, AND COMING HERE, UH, I BEGAN TO, UM, UH, EVERY NEW EMPLOYEE IS GIVEN OKAY.
UH, LEADERSHIP AND SELF DECEPTION.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE A COPY JUST COME ON BY, I WOULD, UH, JASON HAS THAT, BUT I'VE INTRODUCED IT TO A LOT OF FOLKS.
IN FACT, ONE OF THE STRONGEST TESTIMONIALS I'VE EVER HEARD IS FROM, FROM MR. DALLAS WEBB.
HE JUST, I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT.
UH, BUT IT TEACHES VERY POWERFUL, UH, LESSONS ON HOW TO CULTIVATE PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND TO HELP YOU AVOID GETTING INTO DESTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS.
IT TEACHES YOU TO VALUE EACH OTHER AS YOUR BEST CUSTOMER AND AS, AS PEOPLE INSTEAD OF OBJECTS 2000 YEAR OLD PRINCIPLES.
BUT IT'S PROVEN TO BE ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL, UH, BOOKS INTRODUCED TO BUSINESS IN THE LAST PROBABLY 25 YEARS.
I JUST HAVE A, A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS AND I, I THINK A MAJORITY OF MY LIST GOT COVERED WHEN YOU WERE GOING THROUGH THINGS, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND SO, UM, I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE A LINE ITEM FOR WIFI IN THE PARKS.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THAT.
IS THERE ANY PLAN ON HOW THAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED? WHAT PARKS ARE WE TARGETING OR IS THIS JUST, HEY, LET'S GET IT IN THE BOOKS AND THEN WE WILL, WE'LL KIND OF WORK THROUGH THAT.
SO I KNOW THAT WAS UNDER THE TECHNOLOGY BUDGET.
SO THERE THE, WE'RE GONNA, SO WE ALREADY HAVE IT AT WAYNE GRAY.
WE HAVE AT TOWN CENTER, WE HAVE IT AT PIRATES BAY, UM, CALYPSO COVE, A LOT OF THE PARKS ALREADY EXIST.
OUR FOCUS THIS TIME WITH THAT MONEY WAS WE WERE GONNA LOOK AT, UH, JENKINS SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO GET TO THE BALL FIELDS, THE UH, RENTAL FACILITY, THE DOG PARK.
THAT'S KIND OF THE AREAS WE'RE LOOKING TO COVER.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE WOULD GO, WHERE THEIR KIDS ARE PLAYING AT THE SPLASH PATTERN, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ANY THOUGHTS ON ROSELAND OR DOES ROSELAND HAVE ROSELAND? WE'VE ALREADY PLANNING TO DO THAT IN THE PAVILION WHEN THE NEW BUILDING COMES ONLINE.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE SABRINA'S, I'M NOT SURE.
SO THERE'S, UM, PAGE 180 5, THERE'S AN ART IN THE PARK.
UM, SO THE VISUAL PIECES, IS THIS JUST GOING TO BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, ART PAINTINGS MORE MINI MURALS? WHAT, WHAT IS THAT ART GOING TO ENTAIL? ACTUALLY, THAT'S ME.
SO, UH, AS A CONTINUAL PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE, UH, WITH THE LIBRARY, WE WANT TO FURTHER GO THAT MM-HMM
AND CONTINUE TO PUT ART IN THE PARKS.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE IT FOR THE ART MURAL AND, UM, TOWN SQUARE MM-HMM
WE'VE DONE FOR OUR, UM, SPLASH PADS MM-HMM
SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THAT RELATIONSHIP AND LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO ADD MORE THINGS IN THE PARK.
I WOULD, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOME SCULPTURES IN THE PARK THAT WOULD ATTRACT KIDS AND PARENT INTERACTION.
SO I THINK THOSE, I KNOW I'VE TALKED TO RICK ON A COUPLE OF IDEAS AND SO, UM, I, I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE HAVE SOME SCULPTURES AROUND, AROUND THE CITY.
SO WE, WE EVEN RECENTLY HAD A PERSON THAT WANTED TO DONATE SOME ART, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE AN AVENUE TO DO THAT.
SO THIS WILL HELP CREATE THAT.
SO, UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR.
UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I GUESS WE'LL REVISIT THIS IN A WORK SESSION I GUESS ON AUGUST 26TH.
SO WITH THAT, I OBVIOUSLY, I THINK STAFF GOOD TO DISCUSS THIS, ALL THIS TONIGHT.
SO WITH THAT, THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.