Feb 24, 2022 CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION

[00:00:21]

SOMEBODY SEE DOWN THE HALLWAY.

NOT SEEN THE FAR SHOW WE GOT.

NO, I HAVEN'T SEEN IT.

OKAY, GUYS, SO I'LL CALL THIS WORKS

[ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022 5:30 P.M. HULLUM CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ]

WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.

UH, IT, IT'S WHAT, FIVE 30? WE ARE THE, UM, FELLOW.

AND SO WE HAVE ITEM, UH,

[a. Discuss proposed revisions to the Baytown Community Center Rental Policies and Procedures regarding serving/consuming alcoholic beverages, charging admission fees, and related items. ]

UH, IF YOU HAVEN'T MET KYLE FRY YET, HE IS OUR RECREATION SUPERINTENDENT.

HE'S ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING WITH OUR STAFF AND WITH PARKS BOARD TO, UH, COME UP WITH THIS PROPOSAL AND, UH, HE'S GONNA ACTUALLY WALK THROUGH IT AND, UH, TALK ABOUT THE CHANGES.

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

UM, YES, JUST LIKE WHAT WAS TALKING ABOUT.

UH, SO WHAT WE DID IS THERE IS ALREADY A, UH, POLICY IN PLACE FOR CERTAIN AREAS WITHIN THE CITY THAT ALLOWS THE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL ON SITE.

AND SO THIS WOULD BE OUR PLAN AS OF RIGHT NOW, IS HOW WE WOULD IMPLEMENT IT INTO THE, INTO THE COMMUNITY CENTER.

SO FIRST OFF, UH, WHAT WE DID IS I, UH, IDENTIFIED THE THREE MAIN GROUPS THAT WOULD, UM, BE RENTING THE COMMUNITY CENTER.

SO PRIVATE ONES, THAT'S YOUR, YOUR REGULAR, UH, PARTIES, UM, SHOWER.

THEY INVITE THEIR GUESTS, SO THEY PRETTY MUCH KNOW WHO THE GUESTS CAN BE AS THEIR GUEST THERE, NON-PROFITS WHO WANTED TO HOST ANY EVENT AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER THAT HAS A 5 0 1 C3 STATUS.

AND THEN, UH, FOR-PROFIT GROUPS, UH, OF COURSE ANY ORGANIZATION THAT IS WHOLLY USING, UH, THE COMMUNITY CENTER TO, TO MAKE MONEY.

SO THOSE ARE THE THREE THAT WE IDENTIFIED.

SO WHAT ARE THEY GONNA GET WITH A RENT? UH, WHAT WE DID IS WE CREATED A, WHAT WE CALL THE COMMUNITY CENTER EVENT CORRIDOR.

SO BASICALLY THEY ARE GETTING A ONE SIDE OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THEMSELVES.

SO THEY WOULD GET THE, UH, MULTIPURPOSE ROOM, I MEAN, NOT THE MEETING ROOM, THE AUDITORIUM LOOP, BON IT ROOM, THE CON ROOM, LONE STAR, ALL THE COMMON AREAS OF RESTROOMS. THE REASON THAT, UH, WE WENT WITH THIS, UH, IDEA WAS THAT WE, WE WERE KIND OF AFRAID THAT THERE MIGHT BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, BUT SOME GROUPS THAT DIDN'T WANT TO BE AROUND ALCOHOL THAT WOULD RENT A ROOM ON THAT SIDE AT THE SAME TIME.

SO, UH, WE FIGURED THIS WOULD ALLEVIATE, UH, ANY CONCERNS FOR THAT.

HOWEVER, THE TEJAS SIDE OVER, UH, THE SENIOR CENTERS WILL STILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ANYBODY TO RENT.

THEY'LL HAVE THEIR OWN ENTRANCE, THEIR OWN RESTROOMS. SO IF THEY DID WANT A DATE THAT WAS ALREADY BLOCKED OFF FOR SOMEONE HAVING ALCOHOL, THERE IS THAT OPTION.

UM, AND THEN WE WERE GOING TO DO, UH, OFFER SATURDAYS ONLY BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF OTHER, UH, EVENTS AND PROGRAMS WITHIN THE CENTER DURING THE DAY, SO WE DIDN'T WANNA HELP.

AND SO THIS IS THE PRICING THAT, THAT, UH, WE'VE COME UP WITH.

SO FOR SATURDAYS IT'S A FOUR HOUR MINIMUM.

IT'S STILL GONNA DO THE ALCOHOL FEE FOR THE 250, UH, AN HOUR.

AND THAT WAS BASED OFF, RIGHT? RIGHT NOW, IF YOU WERE TO RENT 'EM ALL SEPARATELY, IT WOULD COME OUT TO $225 AN HOUR, AND THEN THE DEPOSIT INDIVIDUALLY ADDED UP AS FIVE 50 AND WE WERE GONNA DO 500.

UM, AND THEN THE $50 AN HOUR PER OFFICERS BASED OFF THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WHAT THEY, UH, ASK.

AND THEN AGAIN, FOR NON-PROFIT, THE HOURS AND, UH, THE PRICING WOULD BE THE SAME EXCEPT FOR THE DEPOSIT.

WE DID BUMP IT UP TO A THOUSAND JUST BECAUSE IT WOULD BE, UH, IT'S NOT JUST INVITE IF SOMEONE TO PAY FOR A PLATE FOR ANY KIND OF A TICKET TO GET INTO THE, UH, AREA.

YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT EXACTLY SURE WHO'S COMING IN.

SO IT WAS JUST, WE JUST WANTED TO BUMP UP THAT A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.

AND THEN THE FOR-PROFIT, AGAIN, SINCE IT'S REVENUE DRIVEN, WE DID UP THE HOURLY RATE, UH, BUT THE DEPOSIT WOULD BE THE SAME AS THE, THE NON-PROFIT.

CAN I ASK A QUESTION ON THAT? SURE.

WHERE THIS, WHERE ONE OF THESE THINGS CAME FROM BASIS WAS, UH, THERE WAS THE BOXING, BOXING OF THE BAYTOWN, AND THEY JUST WANNA HAVE A BOXING MATCH.

SO I HAVE A HARD TIME, BUT THEY WERE TOLD THEY COULDN'T SELL TICKETS AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER ALCOHOL.

THEY WERE LIKE, ALCOHOL, IT'S HELPFUL, BUT IT WASN'T, I MEAN, FOCUS, BUT I WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME SAYING $500 AN HOUR, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THAT.

BUT IT SEEMS PRETTY STEEP.

IT IS FOR PROFIT, JUST

[00:05:01]

THANK YOU.

ABSOLUTELY.

YEAH.

MAKE A NOTE OF THAT.

LOOK INTO IT MORE.

ABSOLUTELY.

SO, AND, AND AGAIN, WHAT, WHAT'S CONSIDERED A NON-PROFIT SENSE? I WANTS TO HAVE AN EXPO THERE AND MAKE A BUNCH OF MONEY SO I CAN UNDERSTAND, BUT IT, IT'S KIND OF A SOMEWHAT OF A COMMUNITY EVENT.

HOW DO YOU DISTINGUISH THAT? IT MAY NOT BE A 5 0 1 C3, BUT IT'S BAN OR THAT OKAY.

I DON'T KNOW.

I JUST, THOSE ARE JUST MY OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

AND THEN WHAT I DID IS I DID AN AREA STUDY ON THE DIFFERENT CITIES AND THEIR LARGEST ROOMS THAT THEY OFFER, UM, WITH ALCOHOL.

UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS TO NOTE IS THAT, EXCUSE ME, WE, WITH THE CITIES THAT I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT AND GET INFORMATION FROM, WE WOULD HAVE THE LARGEST AREA WITHIN THOSE TOWNS.

UM, BUT ALSO WE ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT, UH, REQUIRE A-T-T-A-B-C PERMIT AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL INSURANCE, WHICH I, I THINK IS A, IS A GREAT THING.

IT WAS JUST INTERESTING TO SEE THAT NONE OF THE CITIES I GOT CONTACT WITH ADDED THAT BENEFIT.

UM, IF YOU'LL SO AND SO, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS? SO, UH, I GAVE YOU THE, UH, CURRENT APPLICATION THAT WE HAVE THAT WE STILL NEED TO MAKE SOME MODIFICATIONS TO.

UH, BUT, UH, IF THIS WOULD ALL BE UPLOADED ON THE CIVIC REC, WHICH IS OUR SOFTWARE THAT WE RENT FROM, UH, THEY WOULD GO IN, MAKE SURE THE DATE AVAILABLE, MAKE, COULD, UH, HOLD THE DATE WITH THEIR DEPOSIT.

BUT THEN, UM, I OR THE PERSON OR THE SEPARATE SUPERINTENDENT WOULD GET A NOTIFICATION AND THEN I COULD CONTACT THEM AND THEN I COULD GO OVER ALL THE SPECIFICS.

SO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO THEM WHAT'S EXPECTED, WHAT THEY EXPECT FROM US.

THAT WAY THERE'S LESS CONFUSION ON TALKING TO MULTIPLE PEOPLE OVER TIME.

IT WOULD JUST, UH, BE A ONE-ON-ONE WITH ME AND THE, THE ORGANIZATION OF THE RENTERS.

UM, AND THAT WAY IT'S JUST ANOTHER VETTING PROCESS.

AND THEN, UH, THE REASON, UH, AGAIN, IT ALLOWS FOR THAT ONE-ON-ONE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND, UH, THE BETTING PROCESS.

AND, UH, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHAT HAPPENS IS THE PERSON THEY TALK TO ON THE PHONE ISN'T THE PERSON THAT THEY TALK TO WHEN THEY PAY, OR THOSE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE DIFFERENT FROM THE PERSON.

IT, IT CAN GET CONFUSING AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS.

TRYING TO CUT DOWN ON ALL THAT CONFUSION.

SO I KNOW THAT WAS KIND OF QUICK AND I'M SORRY, BUT, UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? DO WE KNOW WHY THE OTHER CITIES DIDN'T REQUIRE THE TA TA A BC INFORMATION? TO BE HONEST, THEY, IT WAS THE, WELL, WE'VE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE.

AND THEY WERE LIKE, OH, REALLY? I'LL DO THAT.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WAS, THEY REALLY HAD NEVER EVEN SEEMED LIKE THEY'D NEVER EVEN THOUGHT OF THAT.

SO, AND I THINK THEY WERE JUST RELYING ON THEIR OWN CITY'S INSURANCE TO COVER THE EVENT ITSELF.

I THINK WE WERE LATE TO THE GAME, IF YOU WILL, TO ALLOW ALCOHOL IN OUR CITY TO BEGIN WITH.

SO WE STARTED AT A MUCH LATER POINT THAN A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE.

SO WHEN WE GOT TO THAT POINT, WE HAD KAREN AND THE LEGAL TEAM AND EVERYTHING GOING THROUGH EVERYTHING.

SO I THINK WE STARTED LATER, BUT WE WERE MORE PREPARED.

IF YOU'LL, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA AS FAR AS A NON-PROFIT, THAT GOES BACK TO HOW WE DEFINE NON-PROFIT.

I KNOW MOST OF THE TIME WHEN YOU HEAR NON-PROFIT, MOST PEOPLE ARE GONNA ASK YOU FOR YOUR EIN NUMBER NOT PROFIT INFORMATION.

BUT IF WE'RE GONNA SAY THAT, UM, MY PROFIT IS YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA MAKE ANY PROFIT OFF OF IT, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING IN HERE SAYING THAT THEY'RE DOING THINGS FOR NOT-FOR-PROFIT.

WELL, I THINK THE OTHER EXAMPLE I WANT TO USE WOULD BE SAY THERE'S A SERVICE ORGANIZATION, THEY WANT DO BONKO NIGHT AND FIRST , WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S NOT A TRADITIONAL FOR-PROFIT.

THEY ARE TRYING TO FUNDRAISE.

SO WHAT CATEGORY WOULD THEY BE? A NONPROFIT? A NONPROFIT.

SO SERVICE ORGANIZATION OR SOMETHING? SERVICE ORGANIZATION ORIENTED WITH PAUL? YEAH, I MEAN WE HAD SET 5 0 1 C3, BUT IF, IF WE WANTED TO GEAR MORE TOWARDS JUST SERVICE, SERVICE ORIENTED, IT JUST, AGAIN, HONESTY.

SO THEY MAY NOT, THEY, THEY WANT JUST THE TE HOUSE ROOM.

THEY MAY NOT WANT THE OUR COMMUNITY CENTER TO HAVE THAT OPTION.

OH YEAH.

YEAH.

AS LONG AS THEY DIDN'T WANT HAVE ALCOHOL IN THE TE HOUSE ROOM, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT WOULD JUST BE, I THINK THAT'S IT.

I THINK IF MISTAKEN THEY MAY NOT NEED THAT ENTIRE, UM, THAT ENTIRE, I MEAN I'M, I'M FINE WITH THE, IF YOU DO THIS OVER HERE, THIS OTHER FACILITY MM-HMM .

SOMEBODY SAYS WE WANT ALCOHOL AND WE JUST NEED THE HOUSE ROOM.

THAT'S THE SIZE THAT, UM, I MEAN WE WOULD'VE, UH, TYPICALLY PUSHED EM TOWARDS, UH, EVERGREEN IF THAT THAT WAS AN OPTION.

NOW SAME WITH THE TEJAS ROOM THOUGH, THEN YOU HIT

[00:10:01]

ALCOHOL, THAT'S THE THING ABOUT, THERE WAS THAT CONFLICT THAT WAS SIGN THERE.

BOYS YOU'RE PRETTY STEEP FOR SOMEBODY TO RENT.

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE, WE HAVE 50 PEOPLE.

LIKE WE DON'T NEED AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY CENTER CAPACITY, 800 CAPACITY.

AND I PUT 50 IN THERE.

THAT'S KIND OF, I JUST, THE, THE THOUGHT THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT THOUGH, THAT WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT IS THAT, LET'S SAY WE RENTED OUT THE POND ROOM FOR A NORMAL PRICE AND ALLOWED ALCOHOL AND THEN WE BLOCKED OFF ESSENTIALLY THE OTHER ROOMS, BUT THEN WE WERE LOSING REVENUE ON THOSE OTHER ROOMS NOT RENTING.

RIGHT.

AND THEN THE WAY THAT IT'S SET UP IS THAT THE, THE CITY WOULD NEVER LOSE MONEY BECAUSE THE, THE RATE IS, IS, UH, IS ALL THAT WAY.

SO IT'S, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, IT, IT DOESN'T HELP NECESSARILY THOSE REALLY SMALL PARTIES THAT WANT TO DO LIKE LITTLE THINGS, BUT HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THE CLUBHOUSE FULFILLED THAT I WOULD, SO, SO HELP ME WITH THIS.

SO VERY RARELY DO I SEE THE SENIOR CENTER AFTER HOURS ON WEEKDAYS UTILIZE, IS THAT CORRECT? SO I GUESS WHAT I WOULD ADD TO THAT THEN, I, I GET THAT WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING SATURDAYS ONLY FOR THE, FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTER AND EVERYTHING THAT ENTAILS, I'M PROBABLY FINE WITH THAT, BUT I LIKE TO OFFER THE CHAOS ROOM FOR WEEKNIGHTS BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A SEPARATE ENTRANCE AND IT'S STILL BLOCKED OFF OF PEOPLE AND HAVE OTHER EVENTS THAT ARE NON-ALCOHOLIC HAVE THAT.

BUT I WOULD HATE, HATE TO LOSE THE TE'S ROOM AS, AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS THAT DON'T NEED AN ENTIRE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY CENTER.

IT'S A GOOD POINT TOO, BECAUSE YOU, THE WAY WE HAVE IT SET UP NOW IS THAT IT'S UNDER THE DISCRETION OF THE, OF THE DIRECTOR TOO.

SO WE COULD GET WITH THE SENIORS AND MAKE SURE THE DATE IS CLEAR, THEN MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S GOOD WITH IT.

AND IF THEY HAVE A BINGO NIGHT SCHEDULE THAT NIGHT, THEN WE CAN DENY THE RENTAL.

RIGHT.

I GET IT.

BUT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALLER GROUPS.

THESE AREN'T GONNA BE THAT HE MATCHES.

YES, SURE.

BUT IF IT'S A SERVICE ORGANIZATION THAT DOESN'T NEED THE HOUSE ROOM, UM, AND THEY GO THROUGH THE SAME PROTOCOLS FOR ALCOHOL AND ALL THAT, UM, I DON'T, I'VE NEVER SEEN THE SENIOR CENTER, SENIOR CENTER BEING UTILIZED AS I HAVE A SEPARATE ENTRANCE AND OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

UM, CLIFF AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT ON THE APPLICATION, UM, IT DOESN'T NOTE THAT IT SHOULD BE A MINIMUM OF TWO OFFICERS AND, UH, ON THE POWERPOINT IT SAID IF IT WAS BASED ON ATTENDANCE, BUT REGARDLESS OF ATTENDANCE, IT'S GOING TO BE TWO OFFICERS.

I THINK THAT'S THEIR, THEIR POLICY TOO.

YEAH.

I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT OUT.

SURE, THANK YOU.

AND IF, IF YOU GUYS WANT US JUST TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES AND THEN BRING IT TO COUNSEL ON A CONSENT ITEM, WE CAN DO THAT.

OR WE CAN BRING IT BACK TO, YOU KNOW, THE WORK SESSION AND TALK THROUGH IT AGAIN.

IT'S, IT'S WHATEVER YOU GUYS WANT US TO DO.

I WOULD JUST SAY PUT ON A REGULAR, REGULAR, REGULAR AGENDA.

IT DON'T HAVE TO BE A CONSENT, YOU DON'T REALLY WANT TO, IT'S UP TO OTHER DIRECTIONS.

SO THINK THAT'S MY PROPOSAL BECAUSE I GET THESE INTEREST FROM LIKE ANYONE ELSE.

AND I DON'T WANNA, I DO APPRECIATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND THE BIG THING, BUT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS GONNA BE THE CASE SCALE.

I THINK WE SAW THAT PRETTY, SO THE TWO THINGS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE CHANGED IS AMENDING THIS FORM TO, TO ADD THE COMMUNITY CENTER IS ONE, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE THE 70 DASH A 70 DASH EIGHT THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE ALCOHOL AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER.

WELL, SO FORM, AND THEN IF YOU SEE THOSE TWO THINGS INCLUSIVE OF THE TEJAS ROOM.

YEAH, CERTAINLY WE CAN ADD THAT TES ROOM NO PROBLEM.

I'M GOOD.

ADD THAT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.

I DUNNO IF THERE'S ANY, UNLESS THERE'S OTHER RESERVATIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS ON AN AGENDA.

IT'S IN THE PARKS AND REC BOARD.

THEY'VE ALREADY, I MEAN WE THINK ABOUT THE PARKS AND BOARD TWICE.

SO THEY WERE THE ONES THAT WORKED WITH US TO MAKE IT TO WHERE THE, THE ENTIRE BUILDING WAS UTILIZED.

LIKE INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING AN AA MEETING IN ONE ROOM AND A PARTY IN ANOTHER.

AND SO THAT THEY BROUGHT UP THOSE POINTS AND, AND SO IT'S BEEN TO PARKS BOARD FOR TWO MONTHS NOW.

OKAY.

AND THEY VOTED UNANIMOUSLY ON THIS.

UM, AND WE CAN TAKE IT TO PARKS BOARD IN THE BEGINNING OF NEXT MONTH AND THEN BRING IT TO COUNCIL AFTER THAT JUST SO THEY SEE THE FINAL PRODUCT.

IF YOU, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR PRODUCT, THEY TALK ABOUT USING THE PAYOFF ROOM, THEY COULD DO IT DURING THE WEEK AS WELL AS NOT JUST THE WEEKEND, CORRECT? WELL, I THINK THE WEEKEND WOULD BE FINE TOO.

NO, BUT, BUT DURING THE WEEK AS WELL.

BUT YOU'RE LIMITING THE, THE LARGE SIDE TO JUST SATURDAY NIGHT.

SATURDAY.

YEAH.

YEAH.

THAT, THAT UNFAIR.

I MEAN THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S FAIR.

Y'ALL WANNA SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT SAID, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA BE HERE.

WHAT IF I WANTS TO DO SOMETHING ON A THURSDAY NIGHT, TUESDAY NIGHT THAT'S NOT NORMALLY RENTED.

YEP.

SO WHY WOULD WE WANT TO LIMIT OURSELVES? DISCUSSIONS, DISCUSSION? THE LARGE SIDE, THE LARGE SIDE IS BECAUSE IT'S, THE CHAOS ROOM KIND OF LENDS ITSELF MORE TO LIKE THE CLUBHOUSE BECAUSE THIS ONE SIDE, YOU GET YOUR OWN THING.

THE OTHER SIDE IS THE ONE THAT IS DIVIDED UP.

AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S A WEDNESDAY.

'CAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF CHURCHES THAT UTILIZE THE, THE SMALLER ROOMS OVER THERE ON WEDNESDAYS AND SUNDAYS.

OKAY.

SO YOU TRY TO AVOID, AND WE HAVE KARATE AND WE HAVE KIDS EVENTS

[00:15:01]

I THINK LET'S START HERE.

LET'S SEE HOW IT, HOW IT PANS OUT.

AND THEN ANSWER MY QUESTIONS.

IF YOU OPEN UP THE BAR CARD MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AS WELL.

'CAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF OTHER EVENTS SCHEDULED OVER HERE, SO I'M GOOD.

MAYBE FRIDAY, SATURDAY.

THAT'S ALL I WOULD FIRST FORESEE.

FRIDAY, SATURDAY.

Y'ALL KNOW, Y'ALL KNOW THE SCHEDULE OF THE REST OF THE ROOMS, BUT WE, WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PARKS BOARD AND, AND LET THEM KIND OF LOOK AT IT.

UM, LET THEM MAKE THAT DECISION.

I'M, I'M OKAY WITH THE CHAOS ROAD BEING ANY DAY THE WEEK, HONESTLY, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH IT.

YEAH.

SEPARATE ENTRANCES.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE DO A LOT ON FRIDAY NIGHTS OVER THERE CURRENTLY, BUT I KNOW THAT WE HAVE IN THE PAST.

AND THE BIGGEST THING HONESTLY IS, IS WE WANT TO SEE THIS AND WE WANT EVERYBODY TO RECREATE HOWEVER THEY WANT TO, HONESTLY.

BUT WE DON'T WANNA TIP ON THE TOES, ESPECIALLY OF LONG TERM PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER FOR, FOR 20 YEARS.

RIGHT.

BUT WHERE I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET IN TROUBLE.

IF YOU PUT IN THIS ENHANCEMENT THAT IT'S GONNA BE SATURDAYS AND SOMEBODY COMES IN AND SAYS, WELL, WE'D REALLY LIKE IT FRIDAY NIGHT.

AND YOU GO, OH, WE DON'T HAVE A THING GOING ON FRIDAY NIGHT.

WE'LL ALLOW IT.

NO, NO, NO.

SO LET'S ASK THE PARTS BOARD IF THEY WANT FRIDAY, SATURDAY.

YEAH, WE'LL DO, I MEAN THEY HAVE TO BASICALLY SIDE.

ANYBODY ELSE? MOVE ON TO NEXT ITEM ITEM ONE B,

[b. Discuss the City of Baytown Naming Policy, including but not limited to, City Parks, Streets, and Facilities.]

THANK YOU GUYS.

UH, DISCUSS THE CITY OF BAY TOWN'S NAMING POLICY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CITY PARKS, STREETS AND FACILITIES.

YES.

THANKS MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

UH, AFTER SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER BETTEN COURT, UM, DETERMINED THAT, UH, AND, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL RESEARCH THAT I DID INTO EXISTING POLICY, UH, REALLY FELT STRONGLY THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO CLARIFY AND CLEAN UP SOME OF THE LANGUAGE IN OUR CODE THAT, UH, PERTAINS TO THE NAMING OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I NOTICED IMMEDIATELY AS I LOOKED AT THE CODE IS WHILE THE PARKS AND RECREATION HAS A ROBUST CODE THAT THEY, AND PROCEDURE POLICY AND PROCEDURE THAT THEY UTILIZE, UH, FREQUENTLY THERE, THERE REALLY DOESN'T EXIST.

ONE THAT FOR OTHER PIECES OF INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO FOR PARKS AND TRAILS, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN PRETTY GOOD ON THAT.

ANYTHING ELSE? UH, AND IT IS, UH, BEEN A LITTLE LESS THAN CONSISTENT.

AND SO WHAT WE, WE THOUGHT WE WOULD DO IS, UH, PRESENT YOU WITH A POLICY THAT IS A COMBINATION OF FACTORS.

FIRST OF ALL, UH, THIS IS, UH, A BLEND OF WHAT WE DO HAVE IN PARKS AND RECREATION, AND IT'S ALSO A BLEND OF POLICIES THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED IN OTHER CITIES.

AND, UM, AS THE PURPOSE ESTABLISHES, THIS IS AN APPROACH TO THE NAMING OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND FACILITIES TO FACILITATE THE IDENTIFICATION OF PARKS, ROADWAYS, TRAILS AND FACILITIES.

RECOGNIZE MEMORIALIZE, RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS PROVIDE NAMES SO THAT PEOPLE CAN FIND THEM AND PROVIDE AN AVENUE BY WHICH CITIZENS MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE NAMING OF CITY PARKS, ROADWAYS, TRAILS, AND FACILITIES.

UH, SO THERE IS A PATHWAY THAT'S BEING PRESCRIBED IN THIS POLICY WHEREBY ANYBODY CAN SUBMIT AN APPLICATION EITHER TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD OR TO THROUGH THE CLERK'S OFFICE, AND ULTIMATELY ME THAT WE, WE WOULD THEN BOTH OF THOSE FUNNEL TO YOU.

THIS POLICY IS NOT A RESTRICTION, UH, ON, UH, THE COUNCIL.

THIS POLICY ACTUALLY PROVIDES WIDE LATITUDE TO THE COUNCIL TO NAME WHAT YOU WILL IN, IN THE COMMUNITY.

UM, BUT IT'S A GUIDELINE.

MUCH LIKE WE HAVE THE PIT AND MUD, UH, POLICY.

THESE PROVIDE GUIDELINES, UH, TO YOU AND CONSIDERATIONS AS, AS YOU CONSIDER, UH, NAMING OF, UH, CERTAIN FACILITIES.

SO A PARK IS, IS OBVIOUS ROADWAYS TRAIL IS AN IMPROVED SURFACE THAT'S MEANT FOR THE CONDUCTION OF BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY.

AND FACILITIES MEANS BRICKS AND MORTAR.

SO I'M REALLY NOT TALKING ABOUT OPEN PAVILION, SHORT SEGMENTS OF TRAIL PLAYGROUNDS AND THAT KIND OF THING.

UH, I I GAVE THIS TO YOU ELECTRONICALLY.

THE GUIDELINES, UH, IS WE'RE TRYING TO ADOPT NAMES FOR OUR FACILITIES OF A NON-CONTROVERSIAL OR POLITICALLY INTENSIVE NATURE.

UH, YOU CAN RECOGNIZE PEOPLE, UH, LIVING OR DECEASED THAT HAVE CONSTRUCTED OR CONTRIBUTED FUNDING AT 51% OR MORE TO THE RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR THE PARK ROADWAY TRAILER FACILITY, OR PERSONS OR ORGANIZATIONS TO WHOM NAMING RIGHTS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED BY THE CITY VIA A SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT, OR A PERSON WHO HAS OVER A SUSTAINED PERIOD OF TIME POSITIVELY, SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE BAYTOWN COMMUNITY AND ITS QUALITY OF LOVE.

[00:20:01]

WE SHOULD CONSIDER, UH, WHETHER THE PERSON WANTS NAMED AFTER 'EM .

WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THAT, THAT POSITION OR THE FAMILY OBJECTS TO IT.

SO THE PROCEDURES ARE THERE, AND I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER ALL OF THAT, BUT IT, IT LAYS OUT A RATIONALE, RATIONAL PATHWAY TO CONSIDERATION.

I WILL SAY THAT IN ADDITION TO CONSIDERATIONS, UH, THERE ARE CERTAIN GUIDELINES, UM, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE ARE NOT DOING SOMETHING THAT IS SIMPLY GONNA BE UNDONE LATER.

SO, UM, WE DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING IN THE HEAT OF EMOTION ALSO.

THAT'S WHY I'VE SAID IF WE'RE NAMING IT AFTER SOMEBODY'S DECEASED, I'M RECOMMENDING WE WAIT SIX MONTHS BEFORE WE ACT ON THAT.

SO, 'CAUSE IT'S VERY EASY TO OVERACT SOMETIMES.

I JUST WANNA ADD ONE.

I CAN ADD ONE.

SO I GUESS THE FIRST THING THAT THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN THIS POLICY, AT LEAST I THINK IT MOST, MOST OF THE TIME WE'VE ALWAYS ONLY CONSIDERED, UM, IS THESE INDIVIDUALS FOR ANY KIND OF NAVY SENSE.

UM, IN MY SHORT THREE YEARS IN A SENSE, I GET LIKE, WE GET REQUESTS PEOPLE OUT LIKE, HEY, CAN YOU NAME, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING HAPPENS, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS, SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPENS AND IMMEDIATELY THERE'S A LOT OF EMOTIONS THAT COME INTO PLAY AND PEOPLE, CAN YOU NAME THIS HIGHWAY AFTER MY SON OR WHATEVER, AND I, AND I GET IT RIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS GONNA BE HELPFUL.

UM, AND THAT'S WHERE, LIKE YOU SAY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU MAKE THESE DECISIONS ON MOTION.

UM, EVEN AS A COMMUNITY WE CAN DO THAT.

BUT THIS WILL BE HELPFUL.

I'M GLAD THAT THIS IS EVEN COMING UP.

UM, YEAH, IN A SENSE, HOPEFULLY THIS WILL PROVIDE ENOUGH GUIDELINES, BUT COUNCIL'S CHANGED.

YOU'LL HAVE, YOU'LL STILL HAVE SOME DIFFERENT OPINIONS OF COUNCIL, BUT AT LEAST THIS IS A GOOD, WELL, I'D LIKE YOU TO DO IS, IS UH, 'CAUSE I'M GONNA SPEND A LOT OF TIME HERE TONIGHT, BUT, UH, READ IT OVER, CONSIDER IT, GET BACK WITH ME ON OUR ONE-ON-ONES OR OTHER TIMES OR EMAIL ME, UH, MODIFICATIONS.

YOU THINK I OUGHT TO BE IN IT.

UH, I'LL BRING THIS BACK TO YOU, UH, AT A FUTURE DATE.

BUT, UH, I, WHAT I WOULD REFER TO THIS POLICY AS IS A DEFENSE OF POLICY, MAYBE THAT NINE TIMES OUTTA 10 THAT YOU, YOU'RE GONNA CONSIDER THE NAMING OF THE, OF A FACILITY.

IT'S GONNA BE BE BECAUSE A CITIZEN OR A GROUP HAS ACTUALLY GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF PETITIONING AS SUCH THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS.

THIS PROVIDES YOU A REASON, A RATIONALE FOR SAYING YES TO SOME AND NO TO OTHERS.

INSTEAD OF JUST PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE SOME GUIDELINES TO SAY, WELL, WE'D REALLY LIKE TO, BUT IT REALLY DOESN'T FIT THE CHARACTER AND THE CONSIDERATIONS AND, AND GUIDELINES THAT WE HAVE IN, IN OUR POLICY.

SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S, UH, HELPFUL TO YOU.

THAT'S ALL I'M TRYING TO DO.

IT'S KIND OF BRINGS SOME RATIONALE TO EVERYTHING.

I JUST WANNA MAKE MY COMMENTS.

BUT MS. , ANYBODY ELSE, YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? UM, I APPRECIATE THE POLICY.

IT'S MY OPINION THAT I THINK IT SHOULD BE VERY HARD TO GET YOUR NAME ON SOMETHING.

I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE SO EASY AND FREELY HANDED OUT, WHICH I FEEL LIKE WE'VE KIND OF DONE IN THE PAST.

UM, IT'S MY OPINION THAT THE PERSON SHOULD BE DECEASED AND NOT LIVING.

UM, I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO ASK FOR SOMETHING TO BE NAMED AFTER YOU.

I THINK THAT YOUR CONTRIBUTION SHOULD BE SO GREAT THAT OTHER PEOPLE DO IT ON YOUR BEHALF.

I'M DEFINITELY OPPOSED, UM, TO PEOPLE PAYING TO GET THEIR NAMES ON THINGS.

THERE ARE A LOT OF CITIZENS IN THIS COMMUNITY WHO CONTRIBUTE A LOT THAT DON'T HAVE MONEY.

AND SO I FEEL START FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN, UH, YOUR WEALTH COMES INTO PLAY WITH GETTING YOUR, YOUR NAME ON THINGS.

SO, UM, I, I LIKE, UH, THIS DRAFT I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SOMETHING EVEN MORE, UH, RESTRICTIVE PERSONALLY.

UM, BUT IT IT'S A GOOD START FOR ME.

YES, SIR.

I AGREE WITH THAT AS WELL.

SO, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT AT ONE POINT DIDN'T THE CITY NOT NOT ALLOW NAMING WHATSOEVER? I'M NOT SURE IF IT ALLOW, I KNOW IT WAS DEFINITELY DECEASED, BUT I I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SOMETHING VERY RESTRICTIVE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A POLICY AND GUIDELINES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S FOLKS COME AND GO ON THE PARKS BOARD, FOLKS COME AND GO ON CITY COUNCIL AND AT THE END OF THE DAY A LOT OF THINGS END UP AND THERE'S A POLITICAL DYNAMIC TO SO MANY THINGS AT CITY COUNCIL AND, AND THERE COULD BE A POLITICAL DYNAMIC TO, TO NAMING.

SO I'M IN FAVOR OF A BAR, VERY STRICT ONEROUS NAME.

SO REALLY ONE THING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP HERE IS YOU DO NOT WANT TO, AS A BODY, YOU DON'T WANT TO CONSIDER LIVING PERSONS.

I THINK I'M, I'M, I'M WOR YEAH, I'M IN FAVOR OF DECEASED PERSON.

JUST KEEPING IT TO DECEASED INDIVIDUALS.

DO YOU LIKE THE SIX MONTH WEIGHT? UM, THAT'S WHAT WE HAD.

I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE MORE OF A WEIGHT.

[00:25:01]

I'LL SAY A YEAR, SIX MONTHS, SAY A YEAR, MONTHS.

AND ALL DECEASED.

ALL DECEASED.

AND, UM, I AGREE WITH HEATHER'S COMMENTS AND THAT WAS ONE OF MY FIRST CONCERNS WHEN RICK AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS.

IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY IT'S, IT SEEMS LIKE HERE I'M GONNA DONATE A MILLION DOLLARS TO WHATEVER, AND THEY HAVE, THEIR NAME GETS PUT ON THERE.

AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF, THAT WAS ONE OF MY CONCERNS.

OKAY.

WHAT ABOUT SPONSORSHIPS? WHAT DO YOU MAKE? SO, AND, AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A STADIUM, IF YOU HAD A FACILITY, IF YOU HAD, YOU KNOW, UH, AND A CORPORATION, WHAT'S COME ALONG AND, AND SHOULD THAT, SHOULD WE CALL THAT OUT AS A SEPARATE POLICY AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE? OR DO YOU, DO YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THAT IN THIS POLICY OR DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE THAT OPEN AS A POSSIBILITY BASED ON A SPONSORSHIP OF THE FACILITY? I LIKE THAT.

LIKE THE TOYOTA CENTER, THAT COULD BE SEPARATE BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S A CONTRACT FOR A PERIOD TIME.

YEAH.

OKAY.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING A SEPARATE, WELL MAKE IT SEPARATE.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE ARCH BOARD HAVE HAS HERE AND MAYBE KIND OF BUILT IN, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC INPUT.

SO NOT ONLY JUST KIND OF PUT IT THROUGH THE REGULAR COUNCIL AGENDA TYPE STUFF, BUT MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT FOR, I HATE TO SAY PUBLIC HEARING, BUT IT'S GOTTA HAVE SOME TYPE OF PUBLIC INPUT BEFORE WE MAKE THE DECISION.

THAT WAY WE, WE GET, 'CAUSE WE CAN HAVE A CHAMBER FULL OF PEOPLE SAID, OH YEAH, THIS MAKES SENSE, PEANUT BUTTER.

OR WE CAN HAVE A BUNCH OF 'EM SHOW UP, SAYS, OH, WE, OKAY.

AND ALSO LIMIT THIS SOUNDS, THIS IS GONNA SOUND KIND OF STRANGE, BUT LIMITING IT TO DECEASED.

I, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES FOLKS GET IN TROUBLE IN PRISON AND YOU KNOW, IT'S IRREVERSIBLE.

SEE I KNOW THAT SOUNDS KIND OF STRANGE, BUT YOU'D HATE TO HAVE TO TAKE A NAME OFF OF SOMETHING.

I THINK IT SHOULD BE VERY HARD TO GET SOMETHING NAMED AFTER YOU.

IT'S SO EASY.

WE WILL DO THAT.

UM, I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION FOR YOU.

OKAY.

SO, UH, KEEP IN MIND THIS POLICY ALSO GOVERNS THE USE OF NAMES THAT AREN'T CONNECTED TO A PERSON.

SO THERE, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEBODY MAY WANNA SAY, OH, WE REALLY FEEL LIKE THIS OUGHT TO BE CALLED RED BERRY HILL PARK.

AND, AND UH, SO IT WOULD FOLLOW ALONG THE SAME PATHWAY.

IT JUST WOULDN'T HAVE ANY OF THESE OTHER, WELL I KNOW THAT DURING OUR CONVERSATION YOU TALKED ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA MM-HMM .

AND ONE OF THE EXAMPLES THAT I BROUGHT UP, LIKE THE, UH, FRIENDS WITH DIVISION OR THE NEW FRIENDSWOOD PROPERTY WHO WAS WANTING TO DO THEIR THINGS, STER TRAILS, BUT WOOSTERS BACK DOWN WAY WAY.

AND SO, UM, OF COURSE WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY CONTROL ABOUT WHAT THEY WANNA NAME, BUT, BUT IT'S THE CITY'S NAME.

RIGHT? THIS POLICY ALSO DOES NOT REMOVE ANY OF THE NAMES THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UH, PLACED OUT THERE.

SO THAT, THAT STAYS, UH, JUST SO YOU, YOU KNOW, AND UH, OKAY.

WHAT I, WHAT I'VE HEARD, UH, I WILL BRING YOU BACK ANOTHER REVIEW OF THE POLICY AND WE'LL MOVE ON FROM THERE.

'CAUSE I THINK THERE'S ENOUGH MODIFICATIONS.

LET'S HAVE ANOTHER CRACK AT IT AND I'LL BRING IT BACK TO YOU.

OKAY.

THANK YOU ALL.

ITEM

[c. Discuss possible amendments to the City of Baytown Council Rules of Procedure regarding regular meeting time and scheduling.]

THAT'S ME.

I ASKED FOR THIS.

SO I'D LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER STARTING OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS EARLIER IN THE DAY.

UH, MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE ONE OR 3:00 PM I CAN FIND NO LEGAL REASON WHY WE STARTED THESE MEETINGS AT 6:30 PM OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT IT'S PROBABLY ALWAYS JUST BEEN DONE THAT WAY.

SO IF I LOOK AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING WE HAD, WE SAT IN WORK SESSION FOR AN HOUR, CITY COUNCIL FOR AN HOUR AND EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF, THREE AND A HALF HOURS.

THAT'S NOT A LONG MEETING COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHERS WE'VE SAT THROUGH.

BUT AFTER A NINE, 10 HOUR DAY AND TO SIT HERE AND TRY TO INTELLIGENTLY DEBATE THE MERITS OF A THREE 80 AGREEMENT AT NINE 30 AT NIGHT, YOU ARE NOT GETTING THE BEST OF ME.

YOU'RE NOT.

AND, UH, I JUST THINK THAT IF WE HAD STARTED AT THREE, WE COULD HAVE ALL BEEN HOME BY SIX 30.

WE HAD STARTED AT ONE.

I WOULD'VE BEEN HOME IN TIME TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTER FROM VOLLEYBALL PRACTICE.

AND I REALLY THINK THAT THIS IS APPLICABLE NOT ONLY TO US AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT ALL THE STAFF AND DIRECTORS THAT HAVE TO SIT HERE ALL NIGHT AND LISTEN TO US.

UM, I'M SURE THERE'S OTHER PLACES THEY'D LIKE TO BE IN THE EVENING AS WELL.

WHEN I BROUGHT THIS UP TO RICK, UM, ONE OF HIS CONCERNS WAS WOULD WE BE LIMITING CITIZEN PARTICIPATION BY HAVING IT EARLIER IN THE DAY WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT THEY'RE AT WORK AND THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY ABLE TO COME AND COMMENT.

UM, SO I ASKED TREVOR TO LOOK INTO IT FOR ME.

AND THERE ARE OTHER ENTITIES WHO ARE STILL UTILIZING

[00:30:01]

HARRIS COUNTY BEING THE BIGGEST EXAMPLE AND THE GOVERNOR'S ORDERS REALLY WERE TO LIMIT US AS ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM NO LONGER BEING ABLE TO VIRTUALLY DIAL IN.

WE HAVE TO NOW BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT.

SO THE ZOOM THING THAT WE DID DURING THE PANDEMIC, IF WE CHOSE TO, WE COULD STILL DO.

AND I THOUGHT WE HAD A LOT OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION WHEN WE UTILIZED THAT TECHNOLOGY VERSUS WHEN WE JUST MAKE THEM COME UP HERE AND BE IN PERSON.

SO, UM, I'M REALLY CURIOUS TO KNOW Y'ALL'S THOUGHTS, HOW THAT SCHEDULE CHANGE WOULD AFFECT Y'ALL PERSONALLY, PROFESSIONALLY, AND, AND HOW YOU'D WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING THE SAME NUMBER OF MEETINGS OR REDUCING THAT AS WELL.

UM, I'M OKAY WITH, I MEAN, OUR TWO COUNCIL MEETINGS A MONTH, UM, I MEAN MOST CITIES DO HAVE TWO A MONTH.

I'M FINE WITH THAT.

THE WORK SESSIONS, SOMETIMES I WONDER IF WE NEED THAT MANY, BUT TO ME, MY, MY PRIORITY IS MOVING THE TIMES UP AND UM, RE-IMPLEMENTING THE ZOOM FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION.

JUST LIKE TO KNOW Y'ALL'S THOUGHTS ON THAT.

UH, I LIKE THE IDEA OF MOVING IT UP.

UM, I THINK I WOULDN'T WANNA SEE IT MOVED UP TOO EARLY.

I DO THINK, UM, I MEAN THERE'S STILL THAT ASPECT OF SOME CITIZENS, UH, WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE IN PERSON, BUT I THINK, UM, I MEAN I THINK WE COULD START COUNCIL MEETINGS AT FIVE, WORK SESSIONS AT FOUR OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.

I MEAN, THAT'S STILL UP AN HOUR AND A HALF ON WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.

WORK SESSIONS, THEY CAN'T REALLY COMMENT ANYWAY.

IT'S JUST DISCUSSION.

SO I THINK IF WE START THAT EARLIER, MAYBE BEFORE THEY'RE OFF WORK STILL, OKAY, THEY CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND WATCH THE VIDEO THREE MINUTES.

BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE, I THINK I'D LIKE TO SEE COUNCIL STAY AT FIVE AT THE EARLIEST FIVE FOR THE COUNCIL MEETING ITSELF.

RIGHT.

AND WHEN WE HAVE WORK SESSIONS, START 'EM.

YEAH.

AS NEEDED.

SOMETIMES I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE 'EM AT ALL.

YOU KNOW, AVERAGE PERSON'S GONNA GET OFF WORK AT FIVE O'CLOCK IF THEY DON'T WORK IN BAYTOWN AND MOST PEOPLE MAY NOT IF THEY'RE TRAVELING OUT OF HOUSTON.

I ACTUALLY DROVE FROM KATIE YESTERDAY AND I STARTED AT FOUR.

I DIDN'T GET HOME NORMAL SIX O'CLOCK AND IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK.

I GOT A LOT GOING ON PERSONALLY TALKING ABOUT MYSELF.

I GOT FIVE KIDS, I'M NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO PICK THEM UP FROM SCHOOL UNLESS I'M OFF.

MY CONCERN IS THAT CITIZENS HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE INPUT, UM, STAFF CAN SYMPATHIZE OR EMPATHIZE WITH YOU ONE THE OTHER.

I UNDERSTAND THAT BEING HERE LATE, BUT Y'ALL GET COMP TIME FOR THAT, DON'T YOU? MM-HMM .

DON'T THEY GET COMP TIME FOR THAT? THEY DON'T GET COMP TIME FOR THAT.

DO THEY GET OVERTIME? WE'RE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MOSTLY SALARY EXECUTIVE LEVEL, UH, INDIVIDUALS ALSO.

SO THEY'RE PAID FOR THIS SALARY.

IT IS UNDERSTOOD WHEN YOU TAKE CONSIDERATION OF THE TERRITORY.

OKAY.

WELL WE WORK ON EASTER SUNDAY.

OKAY.

AND BEING A COUNCIL MEMBER, WHEN I SIGNED UP FOR THIS, I KNEW I WAS GOING TO BE SIGNING UP FOR SOME LATE MEETINGS AND MY FAMILY WAS GOING TO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE GET A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO SAY ALREADY THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO WHAT WE WANT.

AND THE PERCEPTION OF MOVING IT UP EARLIER IS PROBABLY, PROBABLY GOING TO BE, THEY'RE TRYING TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT, AMOUNT OF INPUT ON ISSUES.

UM, IF I SAY MOVE IT UP, HONESTLY, IT'S PROBABLY JUST GONNA BE SIX O'CLOCK ANY TIME BEFORE THAT.

IT'S GONNA BE HARD FOR PEOPLE TO GET HERE.

ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE CHILDREN.

THINK ABOUT THAT TOO.

THEY MAY BE PICKING THOSE KIDS UP FROM SCHOOL, BUT THEY MAY BE PICKING THOSE KIDS UP FROM SCHOOL AFTER AN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY, UH, PRACTICE OR SOMETHING.

SO IF WE'RE GONNA MOVE IT UP, I'M SAYING 30 MINUTES EARLIER, ANYTHING BEFORE THAT, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF IT.

I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I DID RESEARCH SOME OTHER CITIES AND WHAT THEY DO AND THE CITY OF PASADENA, THEY HAVE TWO MEETINGS A MONTH.

ONE OF 'EM AT FIVE, THE OTHER ONE STARTS AT 10:00 AM THE CITY OF GALVESTON.

THEY SEPARATE THEIR WORKSHOPS FROM THEIR MEETINGS.

AND SO THEIR WORKSHOPS ARE COMPLETELY OTHER MEETINGS THAT START AT 9:00 AM DIFFERENT DAYS, DIFFERENT DAYS.

THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THEY MEET EVERY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY OF EVERY SINGLE WEEK.

AND THE TUESDAY MEETING STARTS AT 1:30 PM AND THE WEDNESDAY MEETING STARTS AT 9:00 AM HOLD ON.

BUT ONLY THING ON THAT IS THEY ARE FULL TIME, THEY ARE, HARRIS COUNTY STARTS AT 10:00 AM THE REASON I POINT THIS OUT BECAUSE NONE OF THEM SEEM TO HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH CITIZENS PARTICIPATING.

OKAY.

BEFORE WE MOVE

[00:35:01]

WELL, I GO CHARLES REALLY AS A SHIFT WORKER.

HE'S DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF WORKING NIGHTS OR DAYS AND THEN WE TRY TO WORK AROUND THAT.

BUT HE'S DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB ON ATTENDANCE.

UM, ALL OF US HAVE OUR WORK SCHEDULE OR OTHER SCHEDULES THAT WE, WE ARE OBVIOUSLY STILL TRYING TO BALANCE AND MAKE TIME FOR IN Y'ALL'S DECISION.

JUST KEEP IN MIND IT'S NOT ALWAYS GONNA BE ABOUT US SINCE IT COULD BE CERTAIN IN THIS CAPACITY, BUT BE MINDFUL OF THAT.

SO, UM, BEFORE WE HEARD THREE, SO I'M KIND OF IN THE GO FOR IN THE MIDDLE, IN THE MIDDLE HERE.

SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A FEW DIFFERENT THOUGHTS.

SO I'M, I'M OKAY WITH MOVING IT UP OF HOW EARLY, YOU KNOW, TO BE DETERMINED FOR ME.

BUT, BUT I'M OKAY WITH MOVING IT UP SOMEWHAT.

YOU KNOW, THE WORK SESSIONS FOR THE FIRST, GOSH, I DON'T KNOW, A COUPLE OF YEARS ON COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, VERY RARELY DID WE USED TO HAVE WORK SESSIONS.

YEAH.

JUST HAVE A WHILE.

MAY, MAYBE QUITE A MONTH THERE'S SOME WAY TO GO WITHOUT.

YEAH.

SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF, OF MAYBE DISCUSSING SOME OF THESE THINGS IN OPEN SESSION AND, AND NOT, YOU KNOW, ELIMINATING WORK SESSIONS WERE POSSIBLE.

AND AS FAR AS THE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION CITIZEN INPUT GOES, YOU KNOW, I'M A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

TO ME IT, IT, IT, IT TELLS ME A LOT AND IT, IT SPEAKS A LOT TO HOW THAT PERSON FEELS AND FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY COME UP TO CITY HALL AND, AND THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

SO IT, IT'S A LOT MORE DIFFICULT TO DO THAT.

I I REALLY PREFER THAT OVER SOMEONE MUCH JUST LOGGING IN FROM THE COMPUTER WHEREVER THEY'RE AT.

BUT, UH, BUT I AM IN FAVOR OF, OF MOVING IT UP TO SOME DEGREE ELIMINATING, ELIMINATING OR REDUCING WORK SESSIONS WHERE POSSIBLE.

AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN I'D EVEN TAKE A LOOK AT MAYBE TRYING TO STREAMLINE THE MEETINGS AS, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE PUBLIC COMMENT.

WE, WE LET EVERYONE GO FIRST AND, AND, AND JUST ANY WAY THAT WE CAN HELP STREAMLINE THE MEETINGS MAY BE A GOOD IDEA AS WELL TO POSSIBLY LOOK AT.

SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE I'M AT.

OKAY.

UM, SO YOU SAID THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT US AND OH MEAN YEAH, DON'T, DON'T BE OUT.

AND THAT'S WHAT I LOOKED AT.

IT'S LIKE WHO ARE WE CONVENIENCING OURSELVES OR THE PUBLIC? AND FOR ME IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE PUBLIC, UM, THAT WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE MEETINGS.

LIKE, LIKE, UM, CHARLES, WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT RUNNING, I LOOKED AT ALL ASPECTS.

WHAT IS THE COUNCIL LIKE, WHAT ARE THE HOURS? WHAT AM I COMMITTING MYSELF? WHAT IS MY FAMILY COMMITTING TO? AND SO I KNEW GOING IN THAT WE WOULD HAVE LATE HOURS.

THAT'S WHAT WE SIGNED UP TO DO.

UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE SAME TIME, UH, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN WE DID STAY LATE AND I TALKED TO RICK AND IT'S LIKE, MAN, YOUR STAFF HAS TO BE HERE AND WE HAVE RETREATS ON SATURDAYS, WHICH YOU NOW CHANGE TO, TO HAVE 'EM DURING THE WEEK.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS FELT FOR STAFF BEING HERE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME AND GETTING OTHER FEEDBACK, IT'S LIKE, WELL, STAFF LIKES TO BE AT THE RETREAT, STAFF LIKES TO DO THIS.

AND SO, UM, COULD WE PERHAPS THINK ABOUT FLEX TIME? YOU KNOW, I KNOW I HAVE FLEX TIME FOR MY WORK, I'M SALARY, BUT IF I HAVE TO WORK ON SATURDAY OR I HAVE TO WORK LATE EVENINGS, I CAN TAKE A COUPLE HOURS OFF DURING THE DAY.

UM, I DO AGREE THAT OUR MEETINGS COULD PROBABLY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE STREAMLINED.

WHAT I'VE SEEN IN TERMS OF LONG HOURS, IT HAS BEEN WHEN WE HAVE OUR REVIEWS, ANNUAL REVIEWS, WHEN WE HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS AND WHEN WE PACK AN AGENDA TO HAVE SO MANY PUBLIC HEARINGS IN ONE AGENDA.

SO WHY NOT CHANGE THAT, YOU KNOW, TO, TO KIND OF DIVVY UP PUBLIC HEARINGS, UM, AND MAYBE TRY TO DO BETTER WITH OUR ANNUAL REVIEW WHEN WE'RE NOT HERE, UM, SO LATE AND WE'VE DONE A LOT BETTER WHEN IT COMES TO OUR EMPLOYEE.

THE, UH, PERFORMANCE REVIEWS WE DID USED TO STAY HERE TILL ALMOST MIDNIGHT.

UM, AND WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT BETTER NOW.

I WOULD NOT WANT TO DO IT DURING THE DAY.

UM, WE HAVE HGAC WHERE THAT'S ALREADY THREE HOURS OF MY DAY DURING THE WEEK.

UM, OTHER COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS THAT WE HAVE.

UM, SO PERHAPS I MAY BE WILLING, UM, SINCE WE ALREADY DO, UM, MDD AT FOUR 30, POSSIBLY CHANGING TO FIVE O'CLOCK OR EVEN FOUR 30 FOR THE WORK SESSIONS.

SO IF WE STILL HAVE WORK SESSIONS AND THEN MOVE UP THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AT SIX OR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT I WOULD NOT WANNA GO ANY, ANY EARLIER DURING THE DAY AT SIX FIVE, I MEAN FIVE, FIVE ISH, FIVE 30 OR SO.

BUT I, I, I JUST, I UNDERSTAND THE ZOOM OPTION.

I EVEN ASKED RICK, HOW COME WE WE'RE NOT DOING ZOOM AND THEN WE DIDN'T GET THAT CLARIFICATION IN TERMS OF US VERSUS THE CONSTITUENTS.

AND SO

[00:40:01]

AND SO IT WOULD BE HARD FOR THOSE THAT ARE DISENFRANCHISED TO BE TOLD, HEY, JOIN US ON ZOOM IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT.

UM, THEY'RE WORKING SERVICE INDUSTRY JOBS.

I MEAN I'VE LEARNED THAT THROUGH THE WORK THAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW, TRYING TO WORK WITH PARENTS AND IT'S LIKE, CAN YOU JOIN ME AT ZOOM? I'LL HAVE IT AT, AT AT LUNCH HOUR.

MA'AM, I'M WORKING AT WHATABURGER.

THAT'S MY PEAK TIME.

I CAN'T JOIN DURING 12.

I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, THE ZOOM OPTION WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO SHOWING UP IN PERSON.

I UNDERSTAND SI UNDERSTAND THEY COULD DO EITHER 50.

I'M A RETIRED MORE THAN A BUNCH.

SO USUALLY HAVE THE MOST TIME.

YEAH, RIGHT OUT ANY OF THOSE HERE.

EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.

YEAH, I CAN FIGURE YOU ANYTIME WE WANNA BE NOT, AND I'LL, I'LL DEFER TO THE HOURS OF THE TIMING TO THOSE THAT ARE WORKING AND, AND TWO OF THE TWO OF THEM THAT ARE OUT, THE FOUR OR SO THAT ARE ACTUALLY FULL-TIME FIVE AND SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT MOVE UP A LITTLE BIT.

SO, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT I, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED IF WE MOVE IT UP TOO EARLY, IT'S GONNA RESTRICT THE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC A ACCESS.

I LOVE THE IDEA TO CONFIRM THAT WE CAN STILL ALLOW CITIZENS TO HAVE COMMUNICATIONS VIA ZOOM.

THAT'S JUST AN ENHANCEMENT.

YEAH.

SO I, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.