[a. Roll Call of Board Members.]
[00:00:21]
I'M READING OSA, SORRY, AFTER TWO ME, I, I PRESENT THREE.
WHO'S THE NORMAN? NICE TO MEET HERE.
DISTRICT AT DISTRICT FIVE, ACTUALLY AT LARGE.
AND WITH THAT, WE HAVE A QUORUM.
SO THE MEETING IS, THE, IS STARTED, THE
[a. Consider electing the Chairperson and Co-Chairperson for the Community Development Advisory Committee.]
NEXT BUSINESS ITEM IS TO CONSIDER ELECTING CHAIRPERSON AND CO-CHAIR PERSON AS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.UM, THE STAFF OPENING UP, UH, WE, WE KNOW THAT MR. UH, ETT IS NOT PRESENT.
UM, WE ACTUALLY POSTPONED THE VOTE FOR CHAIR, CO-CHAIR AT THE LAST MEETING.
SO, UH, I WOULD WE KNOW WHAT STUFF WITH THEM? BECAUSE WE DO NOT, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY COMMUNICATION WITH YOU.
HIS WIFE SAID SHE'S AWARE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REACH OUT TO HIM.
THAT'S WHERE SOME BUSINESS MUST, MUST GO ON.
BUT IF HE, BESIDES HE COULD, HE WANTS TO COME BACK.
I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T REMOVED THE SEAT AT ALL, BUT, LIKE, I, REQUIREMENTS.
WHATEVER THE LAW SAYS, WE GOTTA FILE.
LIKE I SAID, I DON'T, THAT'S A CLEAR ANSWER.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS, I TELL HIM ABOUT.
I MEAN, I LIKE THE MAN BEEN HERE.
IT PROBABLY IMPORTANT TO, TO MAYBE JUST REMIND THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE THAT ARE HERE TODAY THAT, UM, IF, IF, UH, MR. BARNETT IS NOT ELECTED OF THE CHAIR, HE IS STILL A MEMBER OF THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, AND SO AGAIN, RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST UNSURE WHAT HIS STATUS IS OTHER THAN A, OF THE COMMITTEE.
SO, UM, YOU GUYS MAKE YOUR, YOUR NOMINATIONS AND RECOMMEND VOTE ACCORDING TO THE NEXT MEETING BE MARCH.
IT'LL BE THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOP.
APPLICATION ON FEBRUARY 28TH, AND THEN, I BELIEVE IT'S MARCH 8TH IS THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOP.
CAN WE CHANGE THE MARCH 8TH DURING SPRING BREAK ALREADY? YOU WEREN'T HERE AT THE DECEMBER MEETING KIDS HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'LL LET ME GO HER RING.
SHE FIGURED OUT WHEN SHE CALLS POPPO IN AMERICA, THEY ACTUALLY LISTEN TO HER.
I'VE, I'VE BEEN WAITING TO HEAR ALL THAT.
YOU, WE'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU.
SO WE'RE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SO IF WE, IF WE ELECT A CHAIRPERSON AND A CO-CHAIR, I GUESS THEY CAN'T RESIGN IF MR. BARNETT COMES THERE AND GIVE HIS POSITION WORTH, WE'RE IN FOR IT FOR A YEAR.
WELL, I'M TORN IS SINCE I ASKED HIM WHEN THE NEXT MEETING IS, YOU POSTPONING IT AND BE ABSOLUTE ON MARCH AND SELECT A CO CHAIR AND CO-CHAIR PERSON ON THAT DATE.
WE'VE ALREADY POSTPONED IT ONE MEETING AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO REACH OUT TO HIM SINCE THE END OF NOVEMBER.
BUT NO COMMUNICATION WHATSOEVER.
I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF POSTPONING IT ANY LONGER.
WELL, I, I DON'T, I GUESS I WOULD SECOND THAT WITH HER BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE THE ANSWER THAT SHE RECEIVED THAT I, SHE WENT KNOCKING ON THE DOOR.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THAT KIND OF JUST SAYS, OKAY.
WE KNOW WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU IF WE, WE, IT'S JUST THE LANDLORD AND ME DIDN'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU.
WELL, STAFF WILL KEEP TRACK OF MR. NAN.
DENY AND WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP YOU FORWARD.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE A NOMINATION FOR CHAIR AND A CO-CHAIR.
[00:05:01]
CHAIR AND CO-CHAIR.SO SOMEBODY ELSE WANTS TO NOMINATE BOBBY THE CHAIR.
WERE YOU TURNING DOWN YOUR NOMINATION? YEAH, I'M TURNING DOWN MY, OH, I'M TURNING IT DOWN.
I WANT, BOBBY'S BEEN HERE WHILE TWO AND, AND, AND, AND, AND I'LL GIVE MY REASON.
SO WE ALL, WE'RE A COMMITTEE AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GROWNUPS.
I'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMITTEE NOW GOING THREE, FOUR YEARS NOW.
AND I LOVE BEING IN THIS S COMMITTEE, BUT MY FUTURE HERE IN BAYTOWN IS UNCERTAIN.
YET I GOT A NEW GRANDSON AND, UH, MY WIFE, UH, EVERY TIME I, WE GO SEE HIM AND HE LIVES IN AUSTIN.
SO, UH, I'M, I'M FIGHTING EVERYTHING I CAN, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I'M JUST, WAIT, LET'S WAIT UP, YOU KNOW, WAIT, WAIT JUST A MINUTE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF, UH, I, I GET HER PART OF IT AND THAT'S IT.
YOU KNOW WHAT, I ALSO WANNA BE FAIR TO THIS COMMITTEE.
SO I KNOW BOBBY, HE'S YOUNG MAN.
AND, AND HE'S JUST AS DEDICATED AS I WOULD TO, SO TO BACK HER UP.
SO YOU HAVE, UH, DO WE HAVE THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, MS. RONDA, ANY OTHER? NO, I'M JUST, I KNOW MY NAME.
I
ALRIGHT, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, IT LOOKS LIKE NOMINATION.
ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? I'M FINE WITH THAT.
DO YOU WANNA BE CHAIR OR CO-CHAIR? I DO NOT WANNA BE CHAIR, BUT I,
THE, AND I MEAN, BASICALLY, UH, MANAGING THE MEDIA.
WELL, HE'S ALREADY BEEN DOING THAT.
UH, SO, UM, AT THIS TIME IT LOOKS LIKE THE NOMINATION BY NO DIAZ CHAIR.
AND THEN MS. LOPEZ, A CO-CHAIR.
A ALL OPPOSED, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, UH, THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING ME AND NOMINATING ME AND ME FOR THIS, FOR THIS HIGHLY RESPONSIBLE, UM, POSITION.
I HOPE I WON'T LET THE COMMITTEE DOWN AND I HOPE I WON'T.
MR. BARNETT DOWN FOR MANY YEARS AS HE'S, UM, DEDICATED TO NOT ONLY THE COMMITTEE, BUT TO THE CITY.
SO HOPEFULLY, UM, WE HAVE BILL FROM CANADA IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
DOES YOU THINK KING AND QUEEN IN THE NORTH.
ITEM THREE A ME AND AGREE EVENT.
[a. Meet and Greet for Community Development Advisory Committee members.]
I AM THREE A MEET AND GREET EVENT.MEET AND GREET FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO, UM, GO DOWN BY DISTRICT AND, AND INTRODUCE OURSELVES.
AND IF I'M READING THAT CORRECTLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO DO FIRST IS, UH, IS ALLOW MR. DAVIS TO, UH, BASICALLY GIVE YOU GUYS A CHANCE TO TALK TO HIM AS THE CITY MANAGER.
AND HE'S GOING TO SPEAK TO US AS A BOARD ABOUT WHAT WE DO AND OR WHAT YOU ALL DO AND WHAT IT, WHAT IT DOES FOR THE REST OF THE CITY.
WELL, THANK YOU CHRIS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE CHRIS GIVING ME A FEW LITTLE DETAILS ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT YOUR, YOUR, UH, BOARD HAD, UH, ON, UH, OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, I THINK THAT, UH, THE THING I WAS MOST GRATIFIED WITH IS THAT WHEN CHRIS WROTE ME BACK WAS LIKE, GIVE SOME HIGHLIGHTS.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE COOL THINGS, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'VE BEEN USING LATELY CDBG MONEY FOR, HE PUT IT IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR COMMUNITY BASED STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO AS YOU, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, WE, WE OPERATE OFF OF A FIVE YEAR COMMUNITY BASED STRATEGIC PLAN.
IT'S NOT DISSIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RECENTLY, PART OF THAT ENDEAVOR.
UH, BUT IT OUTLINES FIVE STRATEGIC DIRECTIVES.
IN OTHER WORDS, FIVE FOCUS AREAS WHERE OUR CITIZENS REALLY BELIEVE WE OUGHT TO ALL OF US TO FOCUS OUR ENERGY AND ATTENTION.
AND, UH, THE FIRST ONE IS COMMUNITY IMAGE AND REPUTATION.
AND, UH, THE, ANOTHER ONE IS NEIGHBORHOOD
[00:10:01]
QUALITY, COMMUNITY AMENITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE AND MOBILITY.AND THEN FINALLY, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE.
THESE ARE GOING TO CHANGE VERY SOON BECAUSE WE HAVE INITIATED THE SECOND STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE CITY.
AND, UH, WE ALREADY HAVE SOME NEW DIRECTIVES THAT THE COUNCIL'S BEEN LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF FRAMING THEIR GOALS FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
SO WE'RE IN YEAR FIVE OF A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US FURTHER OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND WHAT I, I JUST WANNA READ A COUPLE OF THINGS.
SO THE WAY CHRIS, UH, UH, PUT IT TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND MOBILITY, THAT'S ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT STRATEGIC DIRECTIVES.
AND, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE PROGRAM THAT YOU ALL, UH, SUPPORTED FROM HARRIS COUNTY TO SUPPORT SENIORS AND DISCOUNTED BUS PASSES, FREE TAXI RIDES, UH, FOR MEDICAL VISITS.
THAT MAY SEEM LIKE A SMALL THING TO YOU, BUT THAT'S EXACTLY THE KIND OF THING THAT OUR CITIZENS HOPE THAT WE WILL BE.
TRANSPORTATION IS ABOUT MOVING OUR CITIZENS, ESPECIALLY, THOSE ARE RISK FROM ONE 20 A TO POINT B, WHERE THEY CAN GET THE CRITICAL SERVICES AND THINGS THAT THEY NEED.
UH, WITH REGARD TO A COMMUNITY AMENITIES, UH, YOU APPROVE 30 TO HELP THE CITY UPDATE AND REVITALIZE PARKS.
AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY THE STATE STRUCTURES AT PELLY PARK AND A SPLASH PAD AT
THESE
THESE ARE TRULY THINGS WHERE YOU MOVE THE, THE TIME FORWARD NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY.
IT'S HAD TO DO WITH THE OWNER OCCUPIED, UH, HOUSING REHAB AND THE SEWER LINE REHAB PROGRAM, UH, TO RECONSTRUCT OCCUPIED STANDARD HOMES AND WITH THEIR PRIVATE SEWER LINES.
SO I, I'LL TELL YOU, UH, WE HAVE BEEN CDBG IN TERMS TERMS OF COMING TO THE RESCUE WITH REGARD TO OUR LATERAL REPLACEMENT.
A LOT OF OUR OVERFLOW ISSUES IN OUR CITY ARE TIED BACK TO THE INADEQUACIES OF SOME OF THE LATERALS, ESPECIALLY IN THE OLDER PARTS OF TOWN.
THEY TAKE IN MORE WATER THAN THEY EVER PUSH OUT.
AND, UH, BECAUSE OF THAT, UH, WE HAVE OVERFLOW ISSUES AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE LATERALS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO REPLACE IS A VICTORY FOR US.
AND IT'S A STEP TOWARDS DECREASING OVERFLOW.
AS YOU KNOW, RAIN FALLS FROM THE SKY HERE FAIRLY RAPIDLY.
UH, IT'S NOT DRIBBLE, DRIBBLE, DRIBBLE, IT'S, IT'S LIKE SOMEBODY TURNS ON A SHOWER.
AND OUR SEWERS, OUR SEWER SYSTEM IN OUR, IN OUR SAN OUR STORMWATER SYSTEMS JUST AREN'T CAPABLE OF HANDLING THAT, UH, KIND OF THING UNLESS WE HAVE THE ADEQUATE LATERALS FROM THE SEWER LINES TO GO INTO THESE HOUSES.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT COULD COST ANYWHERE FROM EIGHT TO $15,000 TO REPLACE ONE OF THESE LINES.
AND, UH, ABOUT YOU ABOUT THAT PRETTY MUCH RUINED MY DAY IF I FOUND OUT I NEEDED TO PAY EIGHT OR $15,000 TO REPLACE THAT.
YOU IMAGINE, IF YOU'RE LIVING OFF OF A, IF YOU'RE A LOW MOD, UH, INCOME PERSON AND SOMEBODY TELLS YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS JUST REPLACE THAT LATERAL, PROBABLY GONNA BE ABOUT 10 GRAND.
SO THE AID THAT WE GIVE TO PEOPLE TO, TO REPLACE THOSE LIES IS ABSOLUTELY, UH, IMPORTANT.
UH, YOUR NEW SHOES PROGRAM, UH, HELPS STUDENTS GO BACK TO SCHOOL WITH A DECENT PAIR OF SHOES.
SEEM LIKE LITTLE THINGS, BUT OUT OF LITTLE THINGS YOU REALLY REALIZE IN CITIES, THINGS THAT ARE CUMULATIVELY GREAT AND WONDERFUL.
I JUST WANT TO COMPLIMENT YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THIS COMMITTEE.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL, IMPORTANT COMMITTEES WE HAVE.
AND YOU HAVE A GREAT TRUST THAT'S LAID ON YOUR SHOULDERS TO CONTINUE, UH, THIS WORK.
I WANT TO THANK OUR STAFF TOO.
UH, THEY, THEY LABOR ALMOST WITHOUT CEASING.
UH, AND I, I'M HUMBLED, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THEM.
ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE FOR ME, I'M WILLING TO, AS LONG AS YOU DON'T ASK ABOUT THEM.
NO, I'LL, I'LL TALK ABOUT ALL DAY.
YOU ARE LOVED BY SOME AND YOU ARE HATED BY THE OTHERS.
IS THE, I MEAN, ONLINE, DO YOU KNOW, I MEAN, DO YOU KEEP UP WITH THAT? DO YOU KNOW? OKAY, GOOD.
I MEAN, I I'M TELLING YOU, IT IS POLARIZING.
IN MY PROFESSION, IF YOU, IT HAPPENS ABOUT 50% APPROVAL RATING IS, UH, IS PRETTY GOOD BECAUSE EVERY PERSON THAT YOU PLEASE TICKS OFF SOME OF THE, SO THAT'S JUST THE WAY THE THINGS GO.
AND I, I NEVER TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT ME.
UH, MANY PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO I AM.
THEY DON'T KNOW ME, THEY'VE NEVER MET ME.
SO SOMETIMES THEY DIRECT THEIR IRE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, KNOW IN THIS DAY AND AGE, LIFE'S NOT GOING WELL FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND THEY'RE CONCERNED AND THEY'RE WORRIED.
AND, AND IT, IT HELPS TO LASH OUT AND PAINT A FLA, PAINT A FACE ON
[00:15:01]
A FLAG.BUT, YOU KNOW, AND IF IT HELPS THEM, THAT'S, THAT'S OKAY, DO THAT.
BUT, UH, I, I DON'T REALLY SEE IT AS PEOPLE HATE ME.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE ARE FRUSTRATED WITH ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
THEY'RE FRUSTRATED WITH LOCAL PROCESSES, THEY'RE FRUSTRATED WITH, WITH CONDITIONS THAT ARE IMPACTING ALL OF US, NO MATTER WHETHER IT'S CITY MANAGER OR ANYBODY ELSE IN THE TOWN, WE ALL HAVE TO TAXES.
IT'S JUST, WHAT DID THEY, UH, UH, WHAT'S HER NAME? UH, AMY POOLS ON THE PARKS AND RECREATION.
SHE GOES, I NEVER HEAR PEOPLE YELLING.
I JUST HEAR CARING VERY LOUDLY,
SO, UH, THAT I, I GUESS I ADOPT THAT KIND OF PHILOSOPHY TOO.
ONE DAY I SAW YOU UNDER ON THE, THE OVERPASS ON GARTH AND I 10.
YOU WERE WITH TWO OF THE GENTLEMEN LOOKING AT THE LIGHTS OR SOMETHING.
SO I WAS GONNA CARE LOUDLY, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IT'S CALLED A HORN PRE.
YOU, YOU GUYS WERE WORKING, YOU KNOW, WHEN, I THINK IT WAS IN THE AFTERNOON AROUND THREE O'CLOCK, 2, 2 30.
ALL OF THESE, THESE GUYS AND GALS DO.
AND UH, IT IS A NASTY, UH, UH, I MEAN IT'S A HARSH PROFESSION, UH, THAT WE ALL HAVE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN OR CANNOT DISCUSS THIS SINCE IT HAS NOT OCCURRED YET.
WELL, ON THURSDAY CITY COUNCIL MEETING, I WAS LOOKING AT THE AGENDA ITEM, THE MARKET STREET TO REVITALIZATION PROJECT.
TO ME IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE GOING FROM FOUR LANES TO TWO LANES.
SO YOU ELIMINATING SOME OF THE LANES.
AT WHAT POINT YOU BUILD RATHER EXPANDED PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE LIKE BIKE LANES, COMBINATIONS, UHHUH
CAN YOU IMAGINE NOW YOU CAN GET OFF GOOSE CREEK AND EVENTUALLY YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE YOURSELF OFF THE WAY, ALL THE WAY TO THE NATURE PARK OR THE NATURE CENTER, UH, UTILIZING, UH, THESE BICYCLE.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE THREE AND A HALF FOOT FOOT SIDEWALKS, SIDEWALK HOOKS FOR YOU COMFORTABLE.
OUR INTENTION IS TO CONNECT ALL OF OUR PARTS OF INTEREST IN OUR CITY WITH BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT TOO.
THAT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF THE, MOST OF THE SCHOOL TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, HOW IT BACKS UP OUT THERE, THAT THAT'S GONNA GET MOST OF THAT OFF THE MARKET STREAM.
SO, 'CAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY PRESENTS A CHALLENGE, I THINK, AT LEAST WHEN I DRIVEN DOWN THROUGH THERE.
SO IF YOU GET ALL THAT TRAFFIC TO THE SCHOOL PROPERTY, THEN THAT, THAT'LL HELP UP THE TIME.
SO THIS, IT'S JUST LIKE AN ENGINEERING STUDY OR CONS? NO, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE CONS.
THEY'RE GONNA SIGN OUR PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH HARRIS COUNTY.
IT'S A 50 50 MATCH AND UH, IT INCLUDES A LARGE ROUNDABOUT AT THE CONFLUENCE OF TEXAS DECKER, UH, MARKET
THERE WAS ONE THERE IN THE 50.
SO WHY RECREATE THE WHEEL? LET'S JUST BRING IT BACK.
SO ANYWAY, WE'RE GONNA BRING THAT BACK.
THERE'LL BE SOME OTHER SMALLER TRAFFIC CIRCLES WORKING AWAY ALL THE WAY TO MINNESOTA AND AROUND THAT TRIANGULAR, UH, WALK AROUND MINNESOTA, THERE'LL BE NEW LIGHTING.
UH, I THINK IT'S JUST GONNA BE, UH, BEAUTIFUL
UM, AND THE THING IS THAT THE TRAFFIC COUNTS ACTUALLY SUPPORT.
SO THERE AREN'T ENOUGH TRAFFIC COUNTS TO SUPPORT A MAJOR ROAD.
SO, UM, YOU FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE THE, THESE AMENITIES, YOU SAID IT WAS CALLED ROAD DIET.
AS I GET OLDER AND I DRIVE IN THE DARK, I CAN'T, I DON'T SEE AS WELL, WHO DO I TALK TO IN THE CITY ABOUT THE TRAFFIC? UH, THE STREET LIGHTS NOT BEING ON OR NOT BEING ON.
OH, YOU, BECAUSE LIKE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I KNOW I CAN CALL CENTER POINT, GIVE THEM THE PORT NUMBER.
YOU CAN CALL, YOU CAN CALL THE NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER.
NUMBER, UH, YOU CAN EMAIL ME AND I WILL DISPATCH AS SOMEBODY, UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL LIGHTS AROUND TOWN.
IF WE, IF WHEN YOU, IF YOU GUYS ARE DRIVING TODAY, LOOK AT THE PHONE AND LISTEN, LOOK AT THE, LOOK AT THE STREET LIGHT THERE.
I MEAN, THEY'RE THERE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEING PAID FOR, BUT THE BULBS ARE NOT WORKING.
IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE OUT, WE TO KNOW ABOUT THOSE.
WE HAVE OVER 5,000 STREETLIGHTS IN BAY COUNTY AND WE DO NOT HAVE ANYBODY ASSIGNED.
ALTHOUGH I WANT THAT POSITION REALLY BAD.
THREE YEARS IN A ROW, THE CITY MANAGER AND I GET PICKED, YOU KNOW.
[00:20:01]
WELL, WE'LL FUND SOME OTHER POSITION.IS THERE ONE PERSON WHO'S IN CHARGE? NO, NO, THAT'S THE THING.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, WE HAVE PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU FIND THAT THERE'S AN AREA OF THE CITY THAT'S DARK, PROBABLY TALKING TO MARTIN AND THE, AND THE PLANNING FOLKS OR WHY DON'T YOU WANNA TALK TO YOU? IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT LIGHTS THAT ARE JUST OUT, AGAIN, CALL PUBLIC WORKS, CALL ME, LET US KNOW THAT YOU SEE THEM.
I DO DRIVE AROUND AND I EVEN HAVE A LITTLE RECORDER AND UH, WHEN I SEE A STREET LIGHT OUT, IT'S, IT'S LIKE THIS.
I MEAN, IT IS, IT'S LIKE THE LIGHT BULBS IN MY HOUSE.
I JUST CAN'T KEEP, AND THEY KEEP SELLING ME THESE REALLY EXPENSIVE LIGHT BULBS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO LAST FOREVER.
UH, WE'LL GET ONTO 'EM AS FAST AS WE CAN.
'CAUSE I, I THINK LAST TIME I, I SPOKE WITH YOUR ASSISTANT BRIAN ABOUT THE LIGHTS UNDER I 10 UNDER THE FREEWAY.
AND THEY WERE ON, THEY WERE OFF AGAIN.
THEN I KIND OF REACHED OUT TO HIM AGAIN.
I SAW THE, THE, THE CITY CONTRACTOR WITH THE ELECTRIC COMPANY BASED DOWN ELECTRIC YEAH.
THEY PUT UP LED LIGHTS AND SO FORTH AND THEY'RE OFF.
YOU KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO PROBABLY THIS COMING YEAR IS, IS PROBABLY BUDGET FOR AN ENTIRELY NEW LIGHTING SYSTEM OUT THERE.
'CAUSE EVIDENTLY THE ONE THAT WE HAVE IS A SN GOING BECAUSE I MEAN, I I I JUST THINK IF WE WERE LIT UP, WE WE MUCH MORE LIKEWISE.
IT WAS A CHANGE COLOR OR BEAUTIFUL.
HAVE YOU EVER USED THIS APP? THE CITY OF BAYTOWN APP? YOU ACTUALLY REPORT STREET LIGHTS BEING OUT.
BUT I, I'D RATHER TALK TO ONE.
I REPORT AN OPTION THAT'S, THERE ARE SO MANY WORKS BECAUSE I'VE USED THAT.
SO I SPOKE WITH SOMEBODY NAMED, WE REPORT SOMEBODY YEARS AGO ABOUT GETTING SOME MORE ADDED ON AN YARD STREET.
AND HE ONLY, HE SAID HE, THEY ONLY HAVE TO BE A HUNDRED YARDS FROM ONE TO THE OTHER.
'CAUSE LIKE NORTH OF I 10 ON GARTH, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE, BETWEEN EAST POINT AND I 10 VILLE.
I MEAN THERE'S LIKE ONLY ON ONE SIDE.
I UNDERSTAND THE OTHER ONE IS NOT IN CITY LIMIT, BUT I MEAN, THERE'S ONE BETWEEN RIGHT BY EAST POINT IS OUT AND THEN THERE'S, THERE AREN'T ANY FOR LIKE 200 YARDS.
I WOULD GET MORE THERE AND I'VE TALKED TO MY COUNCILMAN YEARS AGO, NOTHING HAPPENED.
THAT'S WHEN I GOT IN TOUCH WITH BRIAN.
AND YOU CAN ATTACH PICTURES, THE APP THEN I'LL DO THAT.
YEAH, JUST GO TO THE APP STORE.
YOUR CE ASSESSOR, MRS. BOB LIEBER, ONE OF HIS VITAL ACTS WAS TRYING TO REMOVE THE ABANDONED RAILROAD TRACKS THAT TRAVELS THROUGHOUT MOST THE BAYTOWN, HIS EXXON O HE WAS TRYING TO TEAR UP AND MAKE IT INTO A HIKE COMBINED TRACK.
WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THAT? SO WE, WE ACTUALLY CALLED, UH, RAILS TO TRAILS.
WE WERE A FEW YEARS BACK APPROACHED BY UNION PACIFIC, UH, ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.
WE HAD A, A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF APPLY FOR THAT.
THE, UM, THE REAL ESTATE UNDERNEATH THOSE TRACKS WAS ABSOLUTELY ASTRONOMICAL.
WE WOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO PAY THAT MUCH, UH, FOR THAT AND UP NEGOTIATES LIKE, YOU KNOW, KHOMEINI OR SOMETHING, RIGHT? THEY DON'T, I MEAN, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T NEGOTIATE AT ALL.
SO WE WERE, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO, UH, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT PROGRAM.
WE HAVE APPLIED FOR THEM TO JUST SIMPLY BE REMOVED.
THEY SAID THAT THEY WILL BE REMOVED.
UH, THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT KNOW, NOT SPEAKING NEGATIVELY PER SE, BUT THE HAS, THEY HAVE DECADES, YOU KNOW, OVER THEIR OFFICE.
AND SO I THINK MY SUCCESSOR SUCCESSOR SEE SOMETHING ON THAT.
BUT WE'RE GONNA KEEP PRESSING FOR THE
OUR FIRST OBJECTIVE IS THE ONE THAT'S CLOSEST TO CITY HALL THAT'S COMPLETELY UNUSED RIGHT NOW.
WE'D WANT TO AT LEAST TURN THAT BACK INTO WE OWN PROPERTY ACTUALLY IN, IN THAT AREA ON THE, UH, SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD.
SO WE, WE WANT GET THE TRACK PULLED UP.
BUT IT TAKES, IT TAKES FOREVER.
I WAS AT A TECH STOCK MEETING TIME AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE TRACK THAT RUNS OUT BY EVERGREEN AND WE WERE THE TRESTLE AND ALL THAT THING.
I SAID, AND THIS WAS SIX YEARS AGO.
AND I SAID, I SAID, HOW, HOW LONG WERE YOU, UH, BEFORE YOU COULD REMOVE THIS? THEY GO, WELL, WE HAVE TO DO A STUDY FIRST.
AND I SAID, HOW LONG WOULD THE STUDY TAKE? AND HE GOES, TWO YEARS.
IF, IF WE CAN'T ASK ABOUT THE MALL, WHAT ABOUT THE JACK IN THE CRACK ACROSS THE HIGHWAY? THE JACK IN THE CRACK? YEAH.
SO AGAIN, THESE GUYS COULD PROBABLY TELL YOU, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO WORK OUT A COMPLETE RECONSTRUCTION OF THAT, UH, A STORE THAT WOULD BE A CONVENIENCE STORE WITH A JACK IN THE BOX INSIDE THE CONVENIENCE STORE.
AND THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH SOME,
[00:25:01]
UH, INGRESS ISSUES OFF OF THE FEEDER ROAD.AS SOON AS THEY WORK THOSE OUT AND THEY GET THE NECESSARY
I'VE TALKED TO THEM, I'VE, I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO CORPORATE AND JACK IN THE BOX CORPORATE DOESN'T CARE AS LONG AS THEY'RE GETTING THEIR DUES.
YOU KNOW, I, I'VE TALKED TO CORPORATE AND THIS WAS ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
I PRIOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUY AND SEE WHO THAT IS.
BUT THAT WAS THE LATEST THAT I HAD ON.
AND THE OWNERS, I MEAN, THEY OWN OTHER JACK IN THE BOXES AND I DRIVE BY THEM AND LOOK AT THEIR CONDITION AND IT'S JUST HORRIBLE.
I WENT INTO WALGREENS RIGHT NEXT TO IT AND I TOLD THE MANAGER, HEY, CLEANED THIS UP, THE LANDSCAPING AND SO FORTH BEFORE I CALLED THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
BUT THE OTHER JACK WALGREENS ARE NOT CLEANED UP.
AND JUST THE IMAGE OF THE CITY, LITTLE, LITTLE THINGS.
AND IF WE EACH DID SOMETHING BEAUTIFY, BUT THE JACK IN THE BOX RIGHT THERE AT THE MAIN INTERSECTION, IT IS JUST THAT IF WE HAVE, WHEN I HAVE VISITORS FROM OUT OF TOWN, THAT GARTH ROAD, IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT MALL IS THERE, LIKE THEREOF.
BUCKY'S IS GOOD, BUT THAT JACK IN THE BOX IS BURNED DOWN AND BOARDED UP NOW.
YOU KNOW, SO PRIVATE PROPERTY IS, I KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN OWNERS DON'T CARE.
THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THE PERMITS.
SO THEY'LL, WE'VE BEEN, STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THEM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO.
SO THE, THE REAL PART OF THIS MEETING IS REALLY ABOUT YOU ALL ON THE COMMITTEE.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE IDENTIFIED SINCE BEING, UM, A PART OF THIS, THIS GROUP IS THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOU.
WE DON'T GET ENOUGH TIME TO TALK ABOUT EACH OTHER AND OURSELVES.
SO I, WITH THIS BEING THE FIRST AND US HAVING A NEW MEMBER ON BOARD, I FELT LIKE THIS WAS A, A GOOD TIME FOR US TO REINTRODUCE OURSELVES AND INTRODUCE OURSELVES FOR THE FIRST TIME, UM, AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS AGENDA ITEM, I'M GONNA LEAVE YOU IN GOOD HANDS.
ARE YOU LEAVING? YOU? ALRIGHT, THANKS RAY.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, AGAIN, YOU ALL ARE MORE THAN WELCOME.
THIS IS A, A CASUAL MEETING, MORE THAN WELCOME TO GET SNACKS, BUT CASUAL.
I WOULD
AND THEN ALSO TELL US WHAT DREW YOU TO CDAC AND WHAT YOU WANT TO MANIFEST OUT OF YOUR, UH, PARTICIPATION IN CDS.
AND I GUESS WITH THAT, LET'S START WITH THE NO, I APPRECIATE THAT.
I, I'M REALLY JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE.
I I REALLY, UH, WHAT IS YOUR NAME AGAIN? UH, MY NAME IS VINCENT NORMAN.
WOULD DEFINITELY LOVE TO GET INVOLVED AND WANT TO GET BACK TO MY HOMETOWN.
UM, A YEAR 2000 GRADUATE OF STARTING HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.
AND MY FATHER, WE OWNED THE UPS STORE.
I'VE FROM THREE OTHER LOCATIONS HERE LOCALLY.
SO, UH, WE DEFINITELY LOCALLY IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
UH, SO, UM, IT, IT MEANS A LOT TO ME, UM, UM, TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT I CAN FOR WHERE I GREW UP IN, IN THE CITY I GREW UP IN, AND BE ABLE TO, UH, PROVIDE MY OWN INPUT.
YOU KNOW, UH, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
UH, I DO SIT ON, UH, THE JUNETEENTH COMMITTEE AS WELL, AND THAT'S WHAT LED ME OVER HERE.
SO DEFINITELY, UM, I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE AND I'M WILLING TO, UH, PUT IN AND HELP WHERE I CAN.
I FREQUENTED OFTEN AMAZON PACKAGES GOOD EMPLOYEES.
THAT, THAT'S A BIG, BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO.
AMAZON GOOD EMPLOYEES, THEY PUT UP WITH MEANS THEY'RE GOOD EMPLOYEES.
I GRADUATED FROM HARVEY LEE, THOUGH
UM, DON'T HOLD THAT AGAINST ME.
UM, I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, WELL, I, UM, FIRST ACTUALLY LEARNED, I DIDN'T, EVEN THOUGH I DON'T KNOW HOW, WHAT THIS SAYS ABOUT ME, BUT, UM, I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE COMMITTEES ON THE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES FOR THE CITY, THE BOARDS AND THINGS UNTIL I STARTED WORKING WITH MY COUNCIL PERSON WHO AT THE TIME WAS HEATHER BETTENCOURT FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE HAVE A POCKET PARK IN THE BACK OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S AN OLD NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT HASN'T HAD ANY IMPROVEMENTS IN LIKE 30 YEARS.
AND WELL, FIRST WE ORGANIZED A, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WITH BYLAWS AND EVERYTHING, AND THEN WE WORKED ON TRYING
[00:30:01]
TO SEE IF WE COULD GET SOME IMPROVEMENTS FOR OUR PARK, BUT, AND JUST OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN GENERAL.SO JUST WORKING WITH HER, I LEARNED ABOUT THESE COMMITTEES AND, UM, I HAVE SERVED ON THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON THE LIBRARY BOARD, BUT I TURNED THAT DOWN BECAUSE YOU CAN ONLY SERVE ON TWO AT A TIME NOW.
AND I REALLY WANTED TO BE ON THIS COMMITTEE WHEN THE OPENING CAME UP BECAUSE LIKE MR. DAVIS SAID, IT'S SO IMPACTFUL AND THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME, BEING BORN AND RAISED HERE.
UM, THERE'S SO MUCH NEED AND IF I CAN FACILITATE SOME OF THAT, UM, TO MY NEIGHBORS, I AM WILLING AND DEFINITELY I WANT TO DO THAT.
SO THAT'S WHAT REALLY DREW ME TO THIS, UM, COMMITTEE.
I WORK FOR TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.
UM, I DO WORK FOR TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.
SO ANYWAY, IT'S JUST, THAT WAS YOUR, THIS PAST YEAR WAS YOUR FIRST FULL YEAR HAVE, I DON'T THINK I'VE BEEN HERE A YEAR YET, HAVE I? WHY DID WE BRING YOU ON MIDYEAR? I ALMOST, I THINK IT WAS MIDYEAR
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO WANT TO SHARE WITH MR. NORMAN ABOUT, UH, ABOUT YOUR FIRST YEAR, THAT THING THAT YOU LEARNED OR SOMETHING THAT HE SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR? I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYTHING TO LOOK OUT FOR, BUT I WAS SO EXCITED, UH, TO BE A PART OF THE WHOLE, UM, CALL THAT WHEN THEY, THE RFP PROCESS, THE RFP PROCESS, LIKE, I WAS GLAD THAT I HAD BEEN, I LIKE CAME IN RIGHT BEFORE IT STARTED, RIGHT.
AND SO I HAD TO LEARN A LOT, LIKE ON THE FLY, KIND OF, RIGHT.
BUT, UM, I WAS GLAD TO BE A PART OF THAT, LIKE, TO, TO KNOW THAT WE ARE, WE ARE TRYING TO DISPERSE THE MONEY AS WELL AS WE CAN TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE OR WHATEVER.
THE RFP PROCESS IS, UM, WE GET OUR ENTITLEMENT FROM HUD ANNUALLY.
SO USUALLY SOMETIME IN MAYBE APRIL WE'LL GET A LETTER TELLING US WHEN IT IS, UH, HOW MUCH IT IS THAT WE'RE GETTING FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
PRIOR TO THAT HAPPENING THOUGH, WE RELEASE OUR APPLICATION TO LOCAL NONPROFITS AND, UH, MANY FOR-PROFITS THAT ARE DOING COMMUNITY CITY DEPARTMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THEY'RE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR FUNDING.
SO ONCE WE RECEIVE, THE APPLICATION'S ONLY OPEN FOR LIKE SIX WEEKS, UH, ONCE WE CLOSE THE APPLICATION, WE MAKE A BOOK OF EVERY SINGLE APPLICATION THAT WAS RECEIVED.
WELL, WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE.
THEN, UM, MAKE A BOOK OF EVERY APPLICATION THAT WAS RECEIVED AND WE GIVE IT TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS.
THEN IN MAY, IF YOU SAW THE CALENDAR THAT I SENT YOU, LIKE ALMOST EVERY TUESDAY IN MAY, IT SAYS THERE'S A MEETING.
USUALLY WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE LIKE THE, BUT FOR THE FIRST TWO MEETINGS, ALL THE APPLICANTS COME AND ACTUALLY PRESENT THEIR PROJECTS TO THE BOARD.
AND THEN YOU GET TO ASK THEM QUESTIONS AND SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT EXACTLY THEY'RE TRYING TO DO AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN AFTER ALL THE PRESENTATIONS ARE DONE, WE HAVE A MEETING WHERE Y'ALL DO BUDGET DELIBERATIONS.
HOW YOU DECIDE OPEN, YOU GET TO OPEN THE BOOKS TO THAT WAY YOU SEE ACTUALLY THE MONEY AND TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ALSO, RIGHT? YEAH.
THEY PRESENT THE FIRST TWO TUESDAYS TO PROJECT TO EVERYBODY, LISTEN TO THEM AND ASK QUESTIONS.
AND SO THIS LAST YEAR, BECAUSE OF COVID, SOME PEOPLE WERE LIKE, ON ZOOM.
SO IN PREVIOUS YEARS, DID YOU GUYS MEET SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEY ACTUALLY CAME IN PERSON? YES, MA'AM.
UM, THERE'S THE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE AUDITORIUM AT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, AND RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO IT, THERE'S A SMALLER ROOM WE WOULD MEET IN THERE AND WE COME AND DO A PRESENTATION AND ASK QUESTIONS.
AND TONY HAD A HOUSE AND RAISED HERE IN BAYTOWN TOO, RIGHT HERE IN OLD BAYTOWN, GO TO LEE GRADUATE.
AND UH, THE REASON THAT I, I WENT BECAUSE THE COMMITTEE WAS TO HELP MY NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT MY, MY PARENTS HAD A STORE FOR THREE, THREE YEARS IN.
SO THE COMMUNITY THAT HELPED US SURVIVED KIDS, UH, HAVE SO IN, IN A SMALL WAY, MY COMMUNITY BACK TO, SO THAT'S THE REASON
[00:35:01]
I CAME.AND I HAD ALL THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT GUIDING US THROUGH THESE PROCESSES HERE.
AND, AND WE CAME, I BECAME, GOT CLOSER TO 'EM BECAUSE I SAW THEIR, THEIR SINCERENESS.
SO I WANT TO BE SINCERE AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THAT CAME FROM BAYTOWN.
I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THAT CAME FROM CENTRAL HEIGHTS, HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THAT CAME FROM OVER ADDICTION.
AND SO, AND THE, THE, WHEN WE WENT OFF AND STARTED, THOSE ARE WHERE IT WAS STARTING RIGHT HERE, MARKET STREET.
AND I SAW THE PROJECTS THAT WERE GOING AND IT MADE SENSE OF WHY WE'RE, WHAT THEY WERE ASKING FOR, THE ALLOCATIONS OF MONEY AND WHERE IT WAS GONNA GO AND HOW WHEN HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, AND IT STARTED WITH THE HOUSING.
AND WE, AND AS I WAS LEARNING IT, THEIR PROCESS GOES ON 24 7.
AND I GIVE THESE GUYS A, I GIVE 'EM TO SHARON DAVIS, MAYBE HE'S A BAYTOWN.
THESE PEOPLE, THEY WORK HARD BEHIND THE SCENES.
THEY GUIDE US OF HOW AND HOW COME IF YOU'RE MAKING A MISTAKE, HEY GUYS, WE CAN'T GO.
THAT'S WONDERFUL, RIGHT? YOU COULD, REALISTICALLY, YOU'RE AN OUTSIDE, YOU COME IN, YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING, RIGHT? UNLESS YOU GOT A PET PEEVE OR SOME KIND, RIGHT? SO IF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY IS YOUR PET PEEVE, BE GOOD FOR EVERYBODY, RIGHT? IT MAY NOT, IT MAY NOT, IT, IT MAY, IT MAY HELP YOU, MAY NOT HELP YOU, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY GOT HELP.
THESE, UH, NON-PROFITS THAT ARE GIVEN SHOES TO KIDS NOT FROM, AIN'T NOBODY GAVE NOBODY NOTHING.
SO, YOU KNOW WHAT? PROUD TO BE HERE, PROUD TO SERVE.
I, MY WIFE CHANGES HER MIND BY
I REALLY, YOU KNOW, I LOVE MY GRANDSON, BUT, UM, SURE HE LOVES HIS OTHER GRANDPARENTS TOO.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
AND I HOPE THAT WHAT WE DO HERE BENEFITS OUR COMMUNITY.
SOME SMALL FORM AND WE DO WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANNA SIGNAL FROM THE BOARD OR FROM, FROM STAFF OR, YOU KNOW? NO, I FEEL ASHAMED.
NOT, YOU KNOW, I, WHEN I GO AND I DISCUSS WHAT I DO, YOU KNOW, EVERY SAY YOU, YOU ON SOME KIND OF COMMITTEE.
BUT IT'S TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.
AND I TELL YOU THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME BEFORE YOU, RIGHT? AND THAT, AND, AND THESE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT INFLUENCED ME AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS, I JUST SAID IT, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE SHARING, Y'ALL INFLUENCED ME BECAUSE WHEN YOU PRESENT SOMETHING TO US, THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY IT'S GOT.
THAT'S THE WAY IT'S GOTTA BE, RIGHT? SO NOW I'M GONNA USE MY HEART AND I'M GONNA USE WHAT I, HOW I THINK, HOW CAN I MANIPULATE THAT, MAKE IT EVEN BETTER, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UH, WITHOUT YOU GUYS, RIGHT? SO, AND THEN YOU GOT MS. LOPEZ, YOU KNOW, SHARON, ME, BOBBY, AND Y'ALL THAT, THAT HAVE THE SAME THOUGHT.
HEY, YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY? I MEAN, IT'S Y'ALL'S JOB.
I KNOW, BUT HEY, EVEN WHEN, WHEN YOU GET PAID, YOU KNOW, YOU SAY, HEY, WHAT'S IT FOR ME, OTHER THAN YOU GOT A JOB AND YOU, DID YOU FEEL GOOD IN YOUR HEART? AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU GOOD TO GO HOME? AND THAT'S ALL I'VE EVER WANTED.
I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I, I I, I, I FEEL LIKE I, I WORK HERE AND I, I RETIRED FROM RIGHT HERE FROM THE PLANT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, HEY, I, I KNOW I'M GONNA HAVE A BITE TO EAT TOMORROW.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT BEEN EATING.
YOU KNOW WHAT? IF I CAN MAKE IT EASIER FOR THIS, WHERE I, IN THIS LITTLE SMALL AREA THAT I'M, UM, OPEN, I HOPE I TELL I'M VERY PROUD THAT THIS HOUSE, THAT, THAT Y'ALL JUST GOT THROUGH BUILDING RIGHT HERE ON CHERRY STREET.
SHARON SAID, HEY, GO DOWN AND CHECK IT OUT.
MY WIFE, THAT'S PROBABLY A BLOCK FROM WHERE I LIVE.
WHOEVER'S GONNA GET THE KEYS TO THAT HOME.
I'M TELLING YOU, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THAT WHAT KIND, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, WE PUT THAT, THE FUNDS IN THERE, STATE OF THE GOVERNMENT GIVES US WHOEVER, RIGHT.
AIN'T YOU AIN'T JUST TALKING ABOUT WHAT, WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.
YOU WANT ME TO GET IT OR YOU GOING TO GET IT? NO, NO,
[00:40:01]
NO, NO.SHE TOLD ME THAT I, MY HEART JUST, I FEEL LIKE I WAS TELLING HER THOUGH, I GET EMBARRASSED, BUT SHARON TELLS ME, TONY TONY'S GAVE YOU THE MONEY FOR ALL THIS.
OH, TONY DIDN'T GET NO MONEY, NO
SO, UH,
I'M JUST JOKING ABOUT, I FEEL LIKE, HEY, WE SHOULD ALL FEEL THAT PROUD.
YOU SEE THAT I'M GONNA BE THERE.
PEOPLE GET THE KEYS FOR THE HOUSE.
I DONE TOOK THIS TAKES MY BREATH AWAY.
OUR, UH, OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB PROGRAMS. THIS IS ONE OF THE PROGRAMS WHERE, UH, ESSENTIALLY A RESIDENT OR A CITIZEN IS LIVING IN A SUBSTANDARD HOUSE.
UH, WE, THEY RELOCATE FOR A FEW MONTHS AND THEN WE GO TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY STAY IN IT FOR FIVE YEARS, AND THEN IT'S FREE AND CLEAR FOR THEM.
UM, SO THEY GET THE MOVE FOR A NEW HOUSE, UM, A SAFER HOUSE.
UH, AND, AND IT'S SO, UM, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE BENEFITS THAT MUCH MONEY TO THAT PROGRAM.
SO HOW MANY ARE WE ABLE TO DO THIS YEAR, CHRIS? THIS YEAR WE ARE DOING TWO WITH C, DBG.
NO, THREE WITH CDBG DOLLARS, AND THEN TWO WITH, UH, STATE OF TEXAS DOLLARS, OTHER ONES.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE PENDING.
BUT YOUR FUNDING, WE'RE HOPING TO DO TWO OR THREE STILL.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOMES OR, NO, THIS IS CITY OF BAY.
YEAH, THIS, I DIDN'T KNOW IF, IF, IF THAT WAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH IT.
I KNEW THAT WE TALK ABOUT IT WITH, YOU KNOW, UH, ALLOCATED MONEY FOR THAT TO HELP.
I I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS JUST SOLELY VACANT.
HEY, THAT'S EVEN, SEE THAT'S, THAT'S CHERRY ON TOP OF
NOW THEY'RE GETTING THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT'S, IT'S I GRAVE, RIGHT? THAT PLATE WHEN I WAS KID.
AND TO SEE THAT, I USED TO SEE THERE BEFORE SOME OF Y'ALL WEREN'T EVEN BORN.
YEAH, THE RAILROAD TRACK CAME RIGHT BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AIN'T THINK IT WAS AN EARTHQUAKE EVERY TIME THE TRAIN PASSED RIGHT THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT SAW HEAD NO AIR CONDITION.
YOU KNOW WHAT AIR CONDITION, WHAT A FAN AT.
YOU WERE LUCKY TO HAVE ONE OF THEM INSIDE YOUR HOUSE, THE ADDICT FAN, TO JUST SAYING YOU BE WOULD ARRIVE.
BOY, I LIVED IN A HOUSE IN BAYTOWN WITH AN ATTIC FAN AT O.
UM, HOW DO YOU ALL FOLLOW UP THERE? I MEAN, IT'S EMOTIONAL
UM, I WAS BORN IN INDIA, MOVED TO BAYTOWN WHEN I WAS 11.
BLESSED TO BE HERE, BLESSED TO BE IN AMERICA.
I HAVE TWO GIRLS MARRIED, MEAN WIFE, YOU KNOW,
I TRY TO REMIND MY KIDS EVERY DAY THAT WE'RE BLESSED TO BE IN AMERICA.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'M HERE TO LEARN AND TO HELP OUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S, I MEAN, GUYS, I, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA LEARN AND HELP OUT.
WE'RE BLESSED, VERY BLESSED AND JUST WANNA LEARN.
AND ANOTHER THING I WOULD LIKE FROM THE COMMITTEE IS JUST TO MEET OTHER, OTHER PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE IN THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, LIKE PARKS AND YOU GO FORTH AND ON AND LIKE THE LIGHTS AND DO OTHER THINGS.
COME THROUGH THE CIVIC ACADEMY.
OKAY? YOU MEET PEOPLE FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY.
BECAUSE I MEAN, I, I THINK ONE, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE HERE IS WE'RE TIRED OF TALKING ABOUT IT.
LET'S, IF YOU'RE GOING TO CHANGE, MAKE A CHANGE.
YOU GOTTA GET UP, KIND OF DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AND UNLESS I WIN THE LOTTERY, MY FAT ASS AIN'T GOING NOWHERE.
IF I WON THE LOTTERY, YOU WON'T SEE ME.
YOU CAN PUT MY WIFE ON THERE BECAUSE I'M NOT TAKING HER WITH ME.
UNLESS THIS IS THIS BEING RECORDED, YOU'RE A BRAVE MAN.
IF YOU DIDN'T HEAR NOTHING, YOU HAD TO TESTIFY, RIGHT?
AND SHE KNOWS WE HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE.
SHE AS FUNNY AS YOU ARE, YES, BUT NOT, NOT IN PUBLIC.
OH, YOU KNOW WHAT, INDIAN PEOPLE, I MEAN, I WAS RAISED THERE AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND
[00:45:01]
LIKE THE SHOES I WENT INTO ORIGINAL HORSEMAN WITH HOLES IN MY SHOES.I WAS JUST AN ABUSIVE HOME WITH MY PARENTS, WITH MY FATHER.
AND I GREW UP IN A HOUSE WITHOUT AC AND MY FIRST CAR WAS LIKE $400.
I'VE WALKED FROM FOOD TOWN OR S SACK, SAVE IF EVERYBODY KNOWS THE SACK, SAVE MY PARENTS HAD A BUSINESS AND FRIENDS WOULD HONK AND MAKE FUN OF YOU BECAUSE I USED TO HAVE A TURBAN AND A BEARD, AND I WAS THE ONLY ONE ON MY HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM WHO WASN'T AFRICAN AMERICAN OR BLACK, YOU KNOW? AND I PLAYED.
AND SO I, I KNOW WHAT'S, I'VE BEEN, BEEN AROUND, BEEN, YOU KNOW, BUT BEEN BEAT UP AS A KID FROM MY OWN PARENTS AND WENT TO SCHOOL AND HATED.
BUT INDIAN KID PEOPLE, YOU MEAN ANY OTHER INDIAN INDIAN PERSON, THEY'RE NOT GONNA TALK TO YOU.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST VERY QUIET.
AND TO ME, I LIKE TO MAKE FRIENDS.
IT'S EITHER GET BULLIED OR MAKE FRIENDS AND GET TO KNOW PEOPLE.
SO, AND I DON'T DISCRIMINATE ON ANYBODY.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE ME, IT'S NOT MY FAULT.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE I TRY TO GET ALONG WITH EVERYONE.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU LEARNED IN YOUR FIRST YEAR THAT YOU WOULD UH, YES, LIKE TO SHARE? I, I LEARNED THAT WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
EVEN, EVEN THOUGH IT'S SMALL AND I'M STILL LEARNING AND I MISSED A FEW MEETINGS, BUT YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND IT'S JUST, IT IS LIKE A DROP THE BUCKET.
IT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DOUBLES AND YOU JUST LEARN FROM IT.
AND THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CARE.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, OUR LEADER WAS SAYING THAT PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED WITH THE GOVERNMENT, BUT HOW MANY OF THEM ACTUALLY GO OUT AND VOTE? WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
HOW MANY OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY WILLING TO REACH OUT AND SEE THAT THE PERSON IS TRYING, BUT DO YOUR PART.
IT'S EASY TO GET ON FACEBOOK AND COMPLAIN, BUT THEN WHAT, WHAT DID YOU DO IN ACTION? AND THAT'S IT.
I ACTUALLY LEE COLLEGE OR DOWNTOWN BAYTOWN, THE ARTS DISTRICT OR IN HARMONY REFER TO AS ANY DISTRICT, ARTS, CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT NOW.
SO I LIVE, UM, I LIVE, THAT'S MY DISTRICT.
HAS A SMALL TOWN FEEL, BUT AT THE SAME TIME AS BORN BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS.
UH, I'M KIND OF CLICHE TO SAY WHEN A POLITICIAN STATES THAT, OH, NOW IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE LIVING AT THE AFFIRMATION CITY.
BUT I DO FEEL LIKE NOW IS A GOOD TIME.
BUT WE CANNOT, CANNOT FORGET ABOUT THE LOW TO MODERATE INCOME PEOPLE WITH RESPECT TO ALL THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE HELPED OUT THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
I FEEL MY, I FEEL LIKE THE, MY BEST, UM, HOW I CAN BEST HELP OR CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY BY SERVING ON THIS BOARD.
AND SO I, I TRY TO GET MY BEST.
I WAS JUST PASSING BY EAST GOLF, UH, TODAY.
AND I NOTICED THAT, UM, LEE, COLLEAGUES, THAT HOUSE ACROSS FROM LEE, COLLEAGUES, THEY DEMOLISHED YES.
WHAT? THE CIRCULAR DRIVE ALL ACROSS FROM THE PARKING? YEAH, A ONE STORY HOUSE BEHIND THE, UM, STORY HOUSE.
IT'S RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE, FROM THE RIGHT OFF OF SOUTH RIDING.
ONE THING I APPRECIATE ABOUT MR. DIAZ, HE'S AN OBSERVER OF, OF THINGS GOING ON AROUND TOWN.
HE RAISED THOSE QUESTIONS TO, TO THE, TO THIS BOARD, RIGHT? YOU DO.
MR. DIAZ IS ABOUT TO GET HIS MASTER'S DEGREE.
I'M ABOUT TO HAVE THREE DEGREES MASTER'S.
YOU'RE GONNA BE A COP OR AN ATTORNEY.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN ION DEGREE? WHAT DO YOU THINK? I I LOVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
I LOVE TAKE THE HELL AWAY FROM ME.
MY, I'M AN AT LARGE DISTRICT FOUR.
BUT WHEN THE, WHEN COUNCIL APPROVES THE NEW REDISTRICTING MAP, 'CAUSE OF THE CENSUS, I WILL, MY NEIGHBORHOOD'S NOW GOING TO BE IN DISTRICT FIVE.
I'M NO LONGER GONNA BE IN DISTRICT FOUR.
SO HOW DOES THAT AFFECT MY PLAN? BUT YOU'RE AT LARGE.
PUT FOUR BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU LIVE.
OH, SO YOU'RE AT LARGE, YOU'RE FINE.
BUT OTHERWISE I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN CONSIDER FROM HERE.
THAT, THAT SAID, WE HAVE A FEW VACANCIES RIGHT NOW, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE SOMETIMES, UH, AT A LOSS FOR VOLUNTEERS.
SO PROBABLY WE'D BEEN, UH, LET'S SEE.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA BE IN WHICH ONE? I'M, I'M IN FOUR NOW, BUT I'M GONNA BE IN FIVE.
ONCE THE MAP IS APPROVED, THEN YOU HAVE STILL HAVE ANOTHER.
[00:50:01]
SO ENLARGE MEANS IT COULD BE ANYBODY, RIGHT? BECAUSE I'M NOT READY TO GO ANYWHERE YET.I JUST SAID, OH, THAT'S RIGHT,
WELL, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOOD TO GO FOR NOW.
OKAY, SO WHERE IS FOUR? WHERE IS FOUR? DISTRICT FOUR? THAT'S HEATHER BETTENCOURT, UM, COUNTRY CLUB.
SOME OF COUNTRY CLUB LANTERN PARK RE DOWN TO, UM, BOB SMITH.
AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS MAYBE I CAN BUILD A FIRE UNDER SOMEBODY AND SAY, HEY, COME ON MAN.
COME RELEASE YOUR TIME FOR A LITTLE BIT.
MAKE THIS COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, FOOL FULL AND WITH THE DIVERSITY THAT THAT, THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, RIGHT? AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S DONE INTENTIONALLY.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT WHEN WE, UH, ASK THE COMMISSION OR THE THE COUNCIL DISTRICT FORWARD IS THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THE RACE OF THE EXISTING BULL.
I AGREE WITH THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
CHRIS, AS, UH, AS LONG AS YOU'RE DOING THE MEET AND GREET, UM, IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA TO STAFF AS WELL.
UM, AND WELL, I'LL, I'LL, OKAY, SO I'LL START.
UM, MY NAME'S MARTIN SCRIBNER.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
UM, CHRIS AND SHARON AND FRANKIE.
AND WHY SOMETIMES I WANNA GO BACK TO CHRISTIE.
IT HAS BEEN A YEAR AND SOMETIMES I CALL CHRISTIE, IT'S FRANKIE, UM, THAT ALL WORK IN, UH, THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS WE'VE BEEN DOING A LITTLE BIT OF, OF MOVING PEOPLE AROUND.
AND THE REASON FRANKIE IS HERE TONIGHT IS BECAUSE, UM, CHRIS, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF HE TOLD YOU GUYS LAST TIME, HE PROBABLY DIDN'T TELL YOU BACK IN, MAKE THE CHANGE LATE NOVEMBER.
UM, I PROMOTED CHRIS TO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, SO GREAT FOR CHRIS.
NOW WHAT THAT ALSO MEANS IS THAT WE ARE TRANSITIONING SHARON TO BE IN CHARGE OF THIS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
WE BELIEVE IN PROMOTING FROM WITHIN AND THESE GUYS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB.
SO, UH, WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT.
SO NOW WHAT THAT MEANS IS, UH, CHRIS IS NO LONGER THE MANAGER FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, GROUP.
AND SO SHARON IS, IS AGAIN, GONNA BE KIND OF MANAGING WHAT YOU GUYS DO.
UM, AND THEN SHE'LL BE REPORTING TO FRANKIE.
SO, UM, FRANKIE IS, WE'RE CHANGING THE NAME.
WE'RE GOING WITH NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING, NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING MANAGER.
THIS IS FRANKIE'S, UM, TITLE OR WILL BE FRANKIE'S TITLE.
AND SO, UH, I WANTED YOU GUYS TO, UH, TO KNOW, FRANKIE YOU TO KNOW THAT REALLY SHARON'S GOING KIND BE IN CHARGE OF THINGS COMING UP VERY SOON AS WE SORT OF TRANSITION.
BUT CHRIS, CHRIS WILL STILL BE AVAILABLE.
CHRIS WILL STILL BE PROBABLY CHECKING IN ON THESE MEETINGS.
I'LL PROBABLY COME TO THESE MEETINGS LESS AT THAT POINT.
'CAUSE HOW MANY STEPS UP THE LADDER DO WE HAVE TO GO? SO, UM, SO ANYWAY, BUT I WANTED YOU GUYS TO BE AWARE OF THAT.
AND AGAIN, UH, I'M VERY PROUD OF OF MY STAFF MEMBERS.
AND, AND IT, IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE THAT.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, OF COURSE, UM, GO TO SHARON FIRST AND SHE CAN SEE WHAT SHE NEEDS TO DO.
MS. LOPEZ WANTS TO KNOW IF YOU'LL BE MEETING, WON'T BE AT OUR MEETINGS ANYMORE.
THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING TO LAUGH HERE AND I WON'T BOTHER.
YEAH, I, I WENT AND SAYING AS MUCH AS I CAN, WHO DO I UNTIL I WIN THE LOTTERY?
SO I, AGAIN, BUT I, BUT I'LL KIND OF, I, I'LL JUST TELL YOU GUYS I REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR TIME.
APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS ARE HERE AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE, THOSE KIND OF, I WOULD SAY SPECIAL INTEREST COMMITTEES, BUT IT'S, IT'S MUCH MORE FOCUSED THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS.
AND WE, AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE THE CARE THAT YOU PUT INTO, UH, THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE AND, AND WHAT YOU GUYS DO.
SO WITH THAT, FRANKIE, TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE CITY AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
YOU KNOW, THE SCRIPT
I, FRANKIE SPELL WITH THE CI LOOKS LIKE FRANCY.
UM, I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
UM, I'M NOT A BAYTOWN NATIVE, SO I HOLD IT AGAINST YOU.
UM, I CURRENTLY WORK IN THE APARTMENT AS, UM, THE LONG RANGE, UH, PLANNING MANAGER, UM, WHICH ACTUALLY WAS CHRIS'S OLD JOB BEFORE, SO WE'RE JUST KIND OF TRADING AT THIS POINT.
UM, UH, I OWN A HOME IN BAYTOWN.
HAPPY, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OF THE
[00:55:01]
QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT ME.SO TELL 'EM ABOUT, UM, WHAT DOES LONG RANGE ENTAIL? SO LONG RANGE, UM, DOES A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS.
SO EVERYTHING FOR MAKING, UM, LIKE A 20 YEAR LONG RANGE VISION PLAN OF BAYTOWN.
AND I KNOW, UM, MS. LOPEZ, I KNOW I MET YOU AT ONE OF THOSE WHO'S, WHO'S BEFORE.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE CONFERENCE PLAN AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HANDLE THINGS LIKE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY, NOT RIGHT NOW OR IN A COUPLE YEARS, BUT A COUPLE DAYS MAKING SURE WE'RE SETTING OURSELVES.
SO IF YOU ALL REMEMBER, WELL I GUESS ON THE, YOU TWO REMEMBER
SO FRANKIE WILL BE DOING MORE THINGS LIKE THAT AROUND THE CITY.
SO WHAT THOSE SMALL AREA STUDIES DOES IS IT ALLOWS US TO TAKE THE, THE BIG VISION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND FOCUS IT IN ON, YOU KNOW, THIS PARTICULAR STREET FOR A CERTAIN LENGTH OF THE STREET FOR THIS PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, FOR THIS POPULATION.
AND THEN IT COMES UP WITH A PLAN ON HOW DO WE GET RID OF THE RAIL SYSTEM THERE AND TURN IT TO RAILS TO TRAILS.
HOW DO YOU TAKE MARKET STREET AND BEAUTIFY IT, DO A ROAD DIET, ET CETERA.
SO SHE'S GOING TO BE IN CHARGE OF DOING ALL THOSE PLANS AND UM, KIND OF MANAGING HOW THE CITY GROWS AT A MICRO.
WHO ARE YOU AGAIN? SHARON ROSE.
UM, I AM ALSO NOT ORIGINALLY FROM BAYTOWN.
UM, YOU CAN HOLD IT AGAINST ME.
I'M A YANKEE ALL DAY, EVERY DAY.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR A BIT OVER SIX YEARS NOW.
I WORKED AT THE LIBRARY PREVIOUSLY FOR ALMOST FIVE.
UM, LIKE WHAT I DO, I, WHAT DO I SAY? I'M NOT LEAVING.
I LIKE WHAT I DO AND I LIKE WHAT I DO IT FOR.
I GET TO ACTUALLY SAY I HELP PEOPLE FOR LIVING.
BUT, UM, I DO, I GET TO TELL PEOPLE, WHAT DO YOU DO? OH, I HELP PEOPLE.
LIKE THAT'S, I HELP PEOPLE, I HELP PEOPLE, I HELP ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP PEOPLE.
SHARON'S TITLE IS GENERALIST AND I SAID, THAT'S AN AWFUL TITLE YOU NEED TO, SO I'VE TASKED HER WITH COMING UP WITH HER, WITH HER OWN, WELL HER SUCCESSOR'S TITLE WHEN WE HIRE SOMEBODY TO TAKE WHAT SHE'S DOING
UM, BUT YEAH, SO, UM, OF, SO GODDESS OF ALL THINGS GOOD.
UM, IT'S A LITTLE, IT'S A LITTLE TOO GENERAL.
WE MIGHT AS WELL GO WITH GENERAL, RIGHT? I'LL STICK IT WITH THE G'S.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, BUT YEAH, I HAVE A 13-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.
UM, SHE WILL EVENTUALLY GO TO STERLING.
SO YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY, WE'LL HAVE A RANGER OVER HERE FOR YOU.
BUT, UM, YEAH, UM, I GOT A HOUSE IN BAYTOWN TOO.
I'M IN THE SAME DISTRICT AS, SO WHEN YOU CAME OVER FROM THE LIBRARY, UM, TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW, LIKE WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT YOU'VE SEEN HAPPEN WITH THE CDBG GRANT OR WITHIN THE, UH, WITHIN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, ET CETERA? WELL, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS IS I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WAS.
LIKE I HAD TO GOOGLE IT BEFORE MY INTERVIEW.
SO I'VE BEEN LEARNING A LOT, UM, OF THAT.
AND IT'S JUST INTERESTING TO SEE THE, THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING, THAT WERE HELPING.
AND THANKFULLY WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE FUNDING FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH ALLOWED US TO DO FIVE HOUSES THIS PAST YEAR.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY WHAT I DO SEE IS OUR MONEY GOING DOWN, WE NEED MORE MONEY.
SO IF YOU WIN A LOTTO, YOU HAVE TO GIVE US MONEY
SO, UM, BUT YEAH, THAT'S THE MAIN THING THAT I SEE UNFORTUNATELY IS THAT THE NEED, THE, THE NEED OUTWEIGHS THE FUNDING.
THAT'S THE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE.
SO THAT'S WHY WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR BUDGET DELIBERATIONS, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S SO CAREFUL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH THEY MIGHT GRANT TO ONE ORGANIZATION BECAUSE THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO GIVE TO ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, CAN GET A LITTLE BIT.
SO THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING THAT I SEE THOUGH, IS JUST, IS SAD.
I GUESS A GOOD THING IS, IS THAT, UM, WE HAVE NEW DIRECTORS AND STUFF AND, AND STAFF, YOU KNOW, AND THAT WITH STAFF CHANGES ALSO COMES INTERNAL CHANGES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND IT'S ALWAYS GOOD, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T ALWAYS BE IN THAT WHOLE, THAT'S HOW WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT, MINDSET.
SO IT'S NICE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING, THAT TURNOVER LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY IN HIGH POSITIONS BECAUSE YOU GET TO SEE THINGS FROM, HE SEES THINGS FROM A WHOLE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAN THE PREVIOUS PERSON DID AND THINGS, WHICH IS DIFFERENT.
LIKE MARTIN STUFF, SHE HAS TO SAY THAT I'M SITTING HERE, IT'S UH, SHE SAID SO FAR SHE DID DON'T RUIN IT.
AND I THINK A BIG CHANGE IS I BOUGHT
[01:00:01]
Y'ALL FOOD FOR THIS MEETING AND NOBODY ATE ANYTHING.SO LISTEN, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, IT'S FRUITS.
MAYBE YOU FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT SPECIAL, UM, ORGANIZATION, WHETHER IT BE FOR OR AGAINST IT JUST HAS THAT YOU VOICE YOUR OPINION ABOUT IT.
THERE, THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG MR. DUR.
BUT LIKE, SAY FOR NEW YEAR'S IN NEW SHOES, YOU KNOW, HE MAY BE FOR IT OR YOU MAY BE AGAINST IT VOTING.
YOU BE DE SURPRISED ON WHO'S WHO SIDE I, YEAH.
THE ONE THING THAT YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY KNOW, THANKS TO
SO THEY HAD ASKED FOR SOME FUNDS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OUR
AND, YOU KNOW, STUFF LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE, I MEAN, IT'S A GIVE AND TAKE, YOU KNOW, SO IF YOU ASK THEM A QUESTION, YOU, I MEAN, WE EXPECT TO HEAR BACK WHEN YOU SAID, WE DIDN'T HEAR BACK FROM SO LONG.
AND SO THE FUNDING WAS, YOU KNOW, REDUCED.
SO IT KIND OF JUST WENT FROM THERE.
AND I LIKED THE EXPERIENCE THAT IN 2014 AND 17, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN LEARN FROM IT.
I THOUGHT IN, IN MY OPINION OF THE, OF THAT, LIKE THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM WAS, I COACHED IN THAT.
I GAVE MY TIME, YOU KNOW, IT ONLY COST ME MORE MONEY TO BE THE COACH OF THE TEAM, YOU KNOW, THAN I HAD.
AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, YEAH.
BECAUSE SOMEBODY WAS ALWAYS HUNGRY.
SOMEBODY EVER NEEDED A RIDE, SOMEBODY NEEDED, YOU KNOW, THE PARENTS PICKING YOU WATCH HIM FOR I GET IT.
I, I CAME FROM THAT, RIGHT? SO ANYTHING THAT HAD TO DO WITH THAT, THAT PROGRAM, I FELT LIKE IT WAS DOING SOME JUSTICE TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT, FOR ONE SATURDAY, SIX WEEKS SATURDAY, IT, IT, IT TAKES AWAY ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT A FAMILY MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE.
AND EVERYBODY, THE LITTLE GIRLS, THE KIDS, THEY'RE ALL GOT THE FOOTBALL UNIFORMS ON.
THE LITTLE GIRLS GOT, THEY, THEY WANTED TO BE ON THE CHEER, LEADING SQUAD AND, YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS A HOOP LOT, RIGHT? SO THEY WORRIED ABOUT IT.
ALL THOSE LITTLE THINGS THAT, THAT MAKE A COMMUNITY THAT I FELT LIKE, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT COMMUNITY, THIS, THIS PROGRAM HAS ITS RULES AND REGULATIONS.
AND IF WE, AND IF WE COME TO AN AGREEMENT THAT WE WOULD SEE X AND YOU DON'T WANNA PRESENT X, SORRY, THIS IS THE WAY IT, WE'RE A TEAM WE WORK TOGETHER'S GONNA AGREE THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING.
BUT HEY, WE ALL COME TOGETHER AND AGREEANCE THAT, HEY, SEE, A, B, C, YOU DON'T WANNA SHOW US A, B, C, EVEN THOUGH I WAS IN THERE.
I LIKE BEING ON A JURY LAWYER.
I CARE WHAT YOU, CHRIS, CAN YOU, UH, EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE ROOM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND ANSWERED YOUR QUESTIONS.
UH, I AM ORIGINALLY FROM THE CITY OF REGION, RATHER A SMALL CITY ON THE EAST SIDE.
UM, I CAME TO TEXAS TO, UH, BAYTOWN BY WAY ATLANTA.
I WAS PREVIOUSLY THERE, UH, FOR EIGHT YEARS PRIOR TO COMING HERE.
I'VE BEEN IN BAYTOWN FOR FIVE AND A HALF YEARS NOW.
UM, AND FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS I'VE HAD THE BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE OF, OF BEING A PART OF THIS GROUP AND BEING INSIDE A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
A LITTLE BIT STORY ABOUT IT, IT'S LIKE MY WHOLE PLANNING CAREER.
UM, I HAD BEEN AVOIDING HOUSING, RIGHT? SO I, WHEN I WAS
DON'T DO THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE GRANT FUNDED, BUDGETS GET CUT, ET CETERA.
SO I LITERALLY WAS TRYING TO WALK HOUSING.
I PLA
THAT'S WHY
IT'S GIVEN ME SOME EXPOSURE THAT I, I DID NOT HAVE BEFORE.
UH, GIVEN ME A LOT OF GROWTH AND LOOK AT THINGS.
IT GOT ME OUT OF MY ORIGINAL ROUTINE OF PLANNING, UM, WHICH SOMETIMES I CAN DO IN MY SLEEP.
SO IT, IT DEFINITELY GAVE ME A ADVERSE EXPERIENCE THAN JUST STAY ON
[01:05:01]
TRACK.UM, IT GAVE ME A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPASS TO PEOPLE AND CIRCUMSTANCES AND SITUATIONS.
'CAUSE WHEN WE SEE THEIR APPLICATIONS AND WE LOOK AT THEIR TOTAL INCOME AND LIKE, THIS PERSON IS REPORTING $9,000 OF INCOME.
AND THAT CHANGED, THAT CHANGED ME.
THAT WAS MY FIRST, AH, OH OOH, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, SO YEAH, IT, IT'S BEEN A BLESSING.
UH, I I I LOVE, I LOVE THE PURPOSE OF, UM, CBG HAVING, AND I LIKE THE, THE TRACK THAT, UH, THE VISION IS ON.
AND WANTED THE FINISHES, I GO IN GENERAL WAS TELLING, TELLING US ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS ABOUT CITY OF BAYTOWN AND I JUST, IT MADE ME THINK OF A STORY, UH, WHEN I WAS A YOUNG CAT, RIGHT? I WANTED TO MARRY MY WIFE AND I HAD GONE TO HER DAD AND I SAID, HEY, I WANT TO MARRY YOUR DAUGHTER.
AND HE SAID, WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU DO? I SAID, I WORKED FOR THE CITY AT THE TIME.
I, I WORKED FOR THE TEEN COMMUNITY CENTER RIGHT HERE ON THE OTHER SIDE.
AND, UH, HE SAID, WELL, HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE? I SAID, I MAKE A, I MAKE A DOLLAR 50 A HOUR.
AND THEN SOMETIMES THEY LET ME GO IN THE GARBAGE TRUCKS AND I GO WITH, THEY GAVE ME A LITTLE EXTRA.
HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID I DIDN'T ENOUGH TO SUPPORT MY, I LOOKED AT MY WIFE AT THAT TIME.
I LOOKED LIKE SHE EAT SEVEN
THEY WERE STRUGGLING IN A HOUSE.
AND SO I THOUGHT ABOUT THESE THINGS THAT Y'ALL ARE DISCUSSING IN THEIR STORY AND SOMEBODY HAS TO HELP.
WE'RE LIMITED TO, I CAN WHAT YOU SEE EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO.
IT COULD BE LIFE CHANGING FOR SOMEBODY, EVEN IF IT'S THAT MUCH THAT YOU DID.
WELL, IF WE WANTED TO OFFICIALLY, I'VE GOT Y'ALL SOMETHING TO, OH, IT WAS NOTHING LIKE CHRISTMAS CAME LATE, BUT EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT CHRISTIAN, I'LL CELEBRATE IT.
IT'S NOT EVEN IN AN AMAZON BOX.
SO IF WE NEED AMAZON BOXES, I'M GOING TO MR. NORMAN STORE.
YEAH, YOU VERY MUCH, I'M SURE.
WAS IT YOUR WINDOW OR THE NEIGHBOR'S WINDOW? IT WAS ACTUALLY RIGHT IN BETWEEN.
I SAW THAT HIT IT AT ONE POINT.
THAT WAS THE PLACE TO HIT IT AT.
THE GUY, THEY'RE MY NEIGHBORS.
I THINK THEY LIVE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD NOW TOO.
AND WIFE DRIVES CRAZY IN THE STREETS, BUT SHE NEEDS TO SLOW DOWN.
BUT I THINK THEY LIVE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU GOT SOUND LIKE YOU GOT A WONDERFUL NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? YEAH.
I WANT YOU WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID THAT NEIGHBORHOOD
I'M TELLING MY NEIGHBORS YOU CAN PUBLIC RECORDS.
I'VE CALLED THE COPS ON MY NEIGHBORS.
I MEAN, I'VE BEEN CALLED EVERY KIND OF NAME UNDER THE SUN.
I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE THAT IN A $250,000 HOUSE.
I THOUGHT I MOVED ON UP WITH THE RICH WHITE FOLKS.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE, YOU KNOW, THE FUTURE PLANNING AND THINGS, UH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH
ALL THAT IS, UH, COMMERCIAL RIGHT NOW.
BUT WHEN EXXON COMES OUT OF THE GATE, THEY COME RIGHT DOWN EUGENIA SANTANA.
SO THEY HAVE TO CROSS FOUR STREETS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, FOUR INCHES.
THAT IS, I'VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY YOU WOULD WANNA SEND 18 WHEELERS THROUGH THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I SAID, I THOUGHT, WELL, OKAY, THERE USED TO BE AN ALTERNATE THAT WHEN YOU CAME OUT OF THE EXXON GATE RIGHT THERE ON HARBOR STREET, IF YOU WENT LEFT AND THEN YOU MADE A QUICK RIGHT.
AND THEN YOU HAD TO CROSS THE RAILROAD TRACK.
IT WAS RIGHT BESIDE EXXON'S FENCE AND EXXON CLOSED THAT OFF.
NOW WHETHER THEY CLOSED IT OFF, BECAUSE THE RAILROAD WOULD BLOCK A LOT OF THE WORKERS WHEN THEY GET OFF OF WORK.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN AUDUBON WHEN THEY GET THERE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WORKERS GET OUT.
I'M NOT KNOCKING THAT PART OF IT.
I'M KNOCKING THE PART THAT THERE'S CHILDREN THAT PLAY THROUGH THERE.
AND I WAS WONDERING AN ALTERNATE ROUTE.
[01:10:01]
A LOT OF 'EM JUST REALLY DO TURN RIGHT, GO DOWN MARKET STREET, I MEAN HIT HAR, GO ON HARBOR STREET AND THEN GET ON THE MARKET.AND THEN YOU GET, SO NOW IT TURNS INTO TWO LANES TO GET OUT.
BUT I, I WAS WONDERING WHY THEY, THEY DID AWAY WITH THAT, THAT LITTLE SIDE ROAD, ONCE YOU CROSS THE, THE, THE, THE RAILROAD TRACKS ON AIRHART, YOU WOULD COME OUT ON AIRHART THAT WOULD DIVERT ANY BIG TRAFFIC THAT WOULD GO THROUGH THIS, THROUGH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE MORNINGS.
WELL, FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, IT'S, UM, THEY'RE RACING AND THEY, THEY DO HAVE THOSE LITTLE STOP SIGNS AND THEY HAVE THOSE, YOU KNOW, LITTLE, THEY, YOU HAVE THE LITTLE BLOCKING THING WHERE YOU HAVE TO RUN OVER IT, IT'LL SLOW DOWN.
AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S CHILDREN, THERE'S FIXING TO BE A SCHOOL.
I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN KIDS ARE CROSSING ALL THAT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE A BE A TOUGH DEAL.
I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH, WITH THE ENTRANCE AND THE EXXON.
UM, SO I'M NOT SURE WHY THEIR TRAFFIC MATTERS CHANGED.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU MY ADDRESS.
YOU CAN COME TO MY HOUSE AND WE'LL TOUR ALL THE OLD
I JUST DON'T KNOW THE BACKSTORY.
YEAH, I I WOULD, I WOULD BE MORE THAN GLAD.
AND, AND IT'S FOR A SAFETY, YOU KNOW, IT MAY NOT BE A PROJECT THAT HAS FEASIBILITY RIGHT NOW, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, EVERYTHING IS FUTURE.
YOU CAN MAKE IT BETTER A YEAR, FIVE YEARS, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND THAT, THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE THOUGHTS.
AND BECAUSE AS, AS, AS I SEE IT NOW WITH THE NEW CHANGES THAT ARE BEING MADE IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TEARING DOWN ALL THE OLD HOUSES AND BETTER THINGS THERE.
VERY PROUD, VERY PROUD OF THE CITY.
THAT'S, UM, JUST, YEAH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UH, IF ALL CITIES RECEIVE LIKE HUD FUNDING, RIGHT? LIKE SHARON WAS TALKING ABOUT.
SO THIS COMMITTEE IS PART OF HELPING DISPERSE THAT FOR BAYTOWN.
DO ALL CITIES HAVE A COMMITTEE LIKE THIS? HOW DO THEY DO? HOW DO IDEALLY, YES.
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A POPULATION REQUIREMENT TO BE AN ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THOSE ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITIES BILL ON PUBLIC BOARDS TO, TO DISPERSE THOSE FUNDS.
SO I THINK IT'S $50,000 IS, I MEAN 50,000 IN POPULATION THRESHOLD FOR CBG, THE ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITY.
UM, SO ONCE YOU BECOME AN ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITY, YOU APPLY FOR THAT APPROVED VIEW AND THEN IT JUST, OKAY.
AND UM, BOBBY, RHONDA, I'M SORRY TONY, I HAVE REAPPOINTMENT PAPERWORK FOR YOU TO SIGN.
WELL APPOINTMENT FOR YOU AND REAPPOINTMENT FOR YOU.
AND THAT CONCLUDES STATUS REPORT.
DID WE PICK A DATE FOR THE, UM, PROJECT TOUR? NOT YET.
IT'S USUALLY ON THE FRIDAY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WEEK.
AND THAT IS, I REMEMBER LAST TIME WE MET YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO LOOK AT THE, YOUR DESK CALENDAR AND GET BACK TO US IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
YEAH, ACTUALLY I WAS TALKING TO FRANKIE TODAY ABOUT IT, UM, THAT I WANNA GET WITH HARRIS COUNTY TO UM, GO AHEAD AND RESERVE A BUS.
BUT IT'S USUALLY ON THE FRIDAY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WEEK.
SO I HAVE NATIONAL CD WEEK EVENT, SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND RESERVE A BUS WITH HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT JUST IN CASE.
BUT YEAH, THAT WAS AWESOME LAST YEAR.
SO HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT WILL PROVIDE US WITH, UH, ONE OF THEIR BUSES AND WE WILL DRIVE Y'ALL AROUND THE CITY SHOWING YOU, UM, PAST PROJECTS, CURRENT PROJECTS, FUTURE PROJECTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WHY FRIDAY? WHY NOT ANY OTHER DAY OF THE WEEK? JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY OF THE WEEK.
THINK THAT'S HOW WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT.
YOU DON'T LIKE FRIDAY? FRIDAY? I MEAN COME ON.
IT'S NOT IN THE EVENING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO YOU GET TO PLAY HOOKY THAT DAY.
YOU THINK I WORK? I JOKING
[a. Receive the Community Development Manager's Report.]
OH.RECEIVED A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS REPORT.
SO WITH THAT, UH, AS WE STATED, WE ARE BUILDING HOUSES.
WE WILL BE SENDING OUT YOU ALL INVITES OUT FOR THE NEXT, UM, MONTH THAT WE'RE GONNA, UH, GIVE OVER, HAVE THE KEY CEREMONY.
[01:15:01]
SO WE'LL INVITE YOU ALL TO THEM.UM, THEY'LL GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO ONE, WALK THROUGH THE HOUSING PRODUCT AND SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON THE GROUND.
AND THEN TWO, YOU'LL GET A CHANCE TO MEET THE OWNER, THE FACTORY.
UH, YOU SHOULD BE HEARING SOMETHING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS FOR SURE.
WE HAVE ONE THAT IS THAT CLOSE TO BEING FINISHED.
LITERALLY ALL WE NEED TO DO IS PUT THE GRASS ON THE GROUND AND CLEAN IT UP AND THEN WE'LL BE PASSING ALL THE KEYS.
UH, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE OF COURSE LOCATED IN PUBLIC BAYTOWN.
UM, THERE'S ONLY ONE THAT IS NORTH OF THREE 30.
ARE YOU GUYS BUILDING THAT HOUSE ON LOUIS? MM-HMM
THE UH, THE STORE STORAGE BUILDING.
YEAH, RIGHT IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
I SAW THE HOUSE TORN DOWN IN CONSTRUCTION GOING UP.
SO WE WILL, WE'LL SEND YOU OUT, UH, SEND YOU ALL THE EMAIL AND GIVE YOU ALL THE CALL AND LET YOU KNOW, UH, THAT, SEE, WE'LL TRY TO GIVE YOU YEAH, IT'S RIGHT THERE TOWARDS THE LEFT.
WE'RE ONLY IS RIGHT THERE TOWARDS, YEAH, RIGHT THERE.
THERE'S SEVERAL HOMES IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD THAT ARE NEED HELP WHEN IT RAINS, I THINK THE SEWER BACKS UP.
AND WHAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE THAT YOU GOT WAYS OF FUNDING?
WE DON'T ACTIVELY ACCEPT APPLICATIONS.
BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP.
AND THEN HER AND THE ONE THAT WE JUST GAVE THE KEYS A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, THEY APPLIED IN 2016.
WE STOPPED ACCEPT THE APPLICATIONS IN 2017.
WHAT WE DO NOW IS, IS WE'LL TAKE DOWN YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WE'LL KIND OF LOOK AT THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE LIST THE LONGEST.
DO A DRIVE BY, TAKE PICTURES, SEE WHICH ONE IS THE KINDA AN ASSESSMENT.
AND THEN DO YOU HAVE AN INCLUDED APPLICATIONS ACTIVELY LIKE OPEN? YEAH, BECAUSE I MEAN, SO I KNOW PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I MEAN THEY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW SOME OF THOSE HOME DE OCCUPANCY DEPARTMENT, I MEAN, I THINK THE CITY'S NOT AWARE OF IT.
WE JUST CAN'T DO ANYTHING WE OCCUPY BECAUSE RENT, SOME OF THOSE HOMES ARE RENTER OCCUPIED AND THE RENTERS CALL ME LOOKING FOR OTHER RENTALS AND THEY TELL ME ABOUT IT.
SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOOK AT THE HOUSE AND IT'S, I MEAN, THE OWNERS ARE STILL GETTING RENT, SO THEY REALLY DON'T CARE.
BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, HEALTH CODE WISE.
THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY NEED TO HELP.
WELL, THREE'S KIND OF GOTTEN BETTER SO FAR.
SO IT, IT IS, IT IS THE, UH, THE CITY SARU THAT'S BACKING UP.
I DON'T, I'M JUST SAYING IT MIGHT BE THE CITY DRAINS BACK UP AND THEN IT RAINS.
I THINK THAT JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT THE CITY PRE-TRAIN, IF THE UH, IF THE SEWER SYSTEMS, UH, WOULD BE CHEAPER, CLEAN AND STRONG AND ALL THAT VERSUS HOUSING.
WELL, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE THOUGH IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL GO OUT THERE, THEY'LL BLOW OUT THE CULVERTS AND THEY'LL DO ALL THAT STUFF AND THEN PEOPLE WILL MOW THEIR GRASS AND THROW EVERYTHING LEAVES.
AND SO FAR I'VE BEEN HEARD, I'VE HEARD, SEEN, SEEN IT IN THERE.
PEOPLE THROW ALL KINDS OF TRASH.
I'VE HAD THE CITY, TWO GENTLEMEN FROM THE CITY COME OUT.
KEPT CALLING THEM THE ENTIRE SUMMER AND THEY FINALLY CAME OUT AND IT OF THE BURDEN OF PROOF WAS ON ME TO, YOU KNOW, WHY THEY'RE OUT HERE.
SO I SHOWED 'EM PICTURES AND VIDEOS AND THEY DIDN'T, I HATE TO SAY THIS, THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
THEY JUST GAVE THEM A VERBAL WARNING AND WE'RE BACK TO NORMAL AGAIN TO, SO PEOPLE DO IT ALL THE TIME.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION FOR THIS MEAN TO BE ADJOIN.
SECOND THAT ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.