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WHAT'S THE 23RD? YEAH.WE WILL CALL THIS REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING ON THURSDAY, JUNE 23RD TO ORDER, AND COUNCILWOMAN ALVARADO WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE AND THE PRAYER.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH ONE? NATION.
NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY, JUSTICE STRONG.
I LED ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD.
AND IF YOU'LL JOIN ME IN PRAYER.
LORD, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US THE SPACE TO MEET ON MATTERS THAT AFFECT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE AND WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE SERVE WITH BOTH OUR HEART AND OUR MINDS TO ENSURE WE MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT ARE JUST AND MAKE AN IMPACT FOR FUTURE YEARS TO COME.
WE ASK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO PROTECT.
AND, UM, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND MILITARY, LOCAL AND ABROAD.
UM, WE THANK THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED, UM, OUR CITY WELL AND WISH THEM THE BEST IN THEIR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
THIS WE PRAY IN YOUR NAME, AMEN.
[1. MINUTES]
A IS TO CONSIDER APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING HELD ON MAY 26TH, 2022.CAN I GET A MOTION? MOVE TO APPROVE.
[a. Recognize City of Baytown Employees for their Years of Service.]
A IS RECOGNITIONS AND CITIZENS COMMUNICATIONS.UH, TWO A IS TO RECOGNIZE THE CITY OF BAYTOWN EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE.
I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE AGAIN TO RECOGNIZE OUR AWESOME CITY EMPLOYEES.
DARYL STARR, DETENTION SUPERVISOR WITH POLICE.
BRIAN FABERG, FIREFIGHTER WITH FIRE.
BRANDON SPEARS, FIREFIGHTER WITH FIRE.
VANESSA CHAVEZ, FIREFIGHTER WITH FIRE.
MICHAEL THOMAS, WASTEWATER OPERATOR THREE WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING.
GLEN BARTEE, HEAVY EQUIPMENT SPECIALIST, TWO WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING.
EVA LEFT HERNANDEZ, PATROL OFFICER WITH POLICE.
EVA LEFT HERNANDEZ WAS BORN IN BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS, THEN MOVED TO BAYTOWN AND GRADUATED FROM ROSS S STERLING HIGH SCHOOL IN 1995.
SHE WAS HIRED BY THE BAYTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT AS A PART-TIME COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER, WHERE HER DUTIES CONSISTED OF TAKING POLICE REPORTS OVER THE TELEPHONE, ALONG WITH A VARIETY OF OTHER ASSIGNMENTS.
WHILE WORKING AS A CSO, SHE COMPLETED HER NURSING DEGREE AT LEE COLLEGE.
BUT WHEN IT CAME TIME TO EMBARK ON HER NURSING CAREER, SHE WAS INTRIGUED BY THE ATMOSPHERE AND TEAMWORK IN THE PD AND REALIZED HER CALLING WAS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
IN AUGUST, 1999, AVE BECAME A PATROL OFFICER AND COMPLETED HER BASIC PEACE OFFICER TRAINING AT BAYTOWN POLICE ACADEMY.
IN MARCH, 2006, SHE WAS HANDPICKED TO BE THE DEPARTMENT'S TRUANCY OFFICER, WHERE HER DAILY DUTIES INCLUDED WORKING WITH GOOSE CREEK SCHOOLS COURT AND MAKING HOME VISITS.
DURING HER 11 YEARS AS A TRUANCY OFFICER, SHE MADE OVER 10,000 HOME VISITS EACH SCHOOL YEAR, WHILE ALSO CONDUCTING FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATIONS ON LOCAL JUVENILE RUNAWAYS.
IN 2017, ELI WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION IS CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO WORK CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN, WHICH SHE ENJOYS BECAUSE AT TIMES SHE'S THE ONLY ADVOCATE FOR THE CHILD.
DURING HER CAREER, SHE'S BEEN RECOGNIZED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BY HER SUPERVISORS AND CITIZENS FOR OUTSTANDING WORK PERFORMANCE, INCLUDING RECEIVING OFFICER OF THE QUARTER FROM THE BAYTOWN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR NEGOTIATING WITH AN ARMED INDIVIDUAL THREATENING MURDER SUICIDE, WHICH ULTIMATELY ENDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.
AND BEING ONE OF THE FEW FEMALE OFFICERS FEATURED ON TRUE TV'S MOST SHOCKING HIGH SPEED CHASES FOR A PURSUIT IN WHICH SHE WAS INVOLVED IN HER SPARE TIME.
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VISITED ARE MACHU PEKU IN PERU, BAT TAJ MAHAL IN INDIA, AND ULTIMATELY SHE WOULD LIKE TO VISIT EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD BEFORE RETURNING AND MOVING TO COSTA RICA.THANK YOU, OFFICER HERNANDEZ FOR 25 YEARS OF EXCELLENT SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
ESTELLA MARTIN, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT WITH POLICE.
ELLA MARTIN IS A NATIVE BAYTOWN, GRADUATING FROM ROBERT E. LEE HIGH SCHOOL IN 1986.
WHILE IN THE SCHOOL, SHE ENJOYED SECRETARIAL CLASSES.
SO AFTER GRADUATION, SHE HEADED TO THE BRADFORD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS WHERE SHE GRADUATED IN 1987.
IN 1995, ESTELLA WAS HIRED AS A COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER WITH THE BAYTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AT THAT TIME, THIS WAS A PART-TIME POSITION, AND SHE WORKED AT THE RON ACKLEMORE SUBSTATION MARKET STREET, WHERE SHE ASSISTED CITIZENS WITH REPORTING INCIDENTS, BOTH IN PERSON AND BY PHONE.
AFTER TWO YEARS, HER POSITION BECAME FULL-TIME AND SHE MOVED TO THE POLICE STATION ON MAIN STREET.
IN ADDITION TO HER REGULAR DUTIES OF TAKING REPORTS OF CRIMINAL MISCHIEF, RUNAWAY AND MISSING PERSON STEPPED IN FRAUD.
SHE ALSO ASSISTED WITH WATCHING CHILDREN WHILE THEIR PARENT WAS BEING INTERVIEWED AND TRANSLATING SPANISH FOR OFFICERS.
SHE WAS THE FIRST PERSON SEEN WHEN ENTERING THE POLICE STATION.
ESTELLA WAS OFTEN THE FACE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND MADE SURE SHE PROVIDED EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
ESTELLA STAYED FOR 14 YEARS IN THIS POSITION AND TRAINED SEVERAL NEW COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERS.
IN 2011, SHE MOVED A POSITION OF ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT FOR THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OVER THE DETECTIVES AND SUPPORT SERVICE BUREAU.
IN THIS POSITION, SHE PERFORMED SECRETARIAL DUTIES ALONG WITH RECEIVING REPORTED CPS AND A PS CASES, MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT FILES, COMPILED MONTHLY STATS FOR DETECTIVES AND MONTHLY REPORTS TO DPS AND HANDLED SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION WITH THE CITY LIMITS.
IN 2016, SHE TRANSFERRED TO THE PATROL DIVISION, NOW KNOWN AS THE OPERATIONS BUREAU.
SHE CONTINUES TO PERFORM SECRETARIAL DUTIES FOR THE ASSISTANT CHIEF AND MAINTAIN STATS FOR PATROL.
SHE ALSO CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION, AND TWICE A YEAR SHE HEADS UP A COMPLIANCE CHECK.
ELLA LOVES HER JOB AND HER BLUE FAMILY.
SHE'S PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT SHE DOES AND IS WELL LOVED AND ADMIRED BY HER PEERS, AND EQUALLY RESPECTED BY HER CLIENTS FOR HER WORK ETHIC, CUDDLE CONFIDENTIALITY, AND CARING PERSONALITY.
IN HER SPARE TIME, SHE ENJOYS CRAFTING HUNTING, FISHING, AND SPENDING TIME WITH HER FAMILY.
SHE'S BLESSED TO BE A NEW GRANDMA AND LOVES EVERYTHING ABOUT HER NEW ROLE.
ESTELLA MARTIN FOR 25 YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
STEVEN JONES, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER WITH POLICE STEVEN JONES PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICE STARTED WHEN HE EARNED HIS BASIC FIREFIGHTING CERTIFICATION AT LAMAR UNIVERSITY AND SERVED AS A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER FOR HIS HOMETOWN OF HUFFMAN, WHERE HE INJURED HIS SHOULDER, REQUIRING A CHANGE IN HIS CAREER PATH.
STEVEN'S FRIEND, WHO WAS EMPLOYED WITH BAYTOWN COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION TALKED WITH STEVEN ABOUT JOINING THE TEAM.
AND IN JUNE, 1997, HE BEGAN HIS CAREER WITH BAYTOWN AS A TELECOMMUNICATOR.
IN 2005, HE WAS PROMOTED TO SHIFT SUPERVISOR WHERE HE SERVED IN UNTIL 2018.
STEVEN IS A STRONG BELIEVER IN TRAINING, AND DURING THIS TIME, HE VOLUNTARILY TOOK TRAINING CLASSES THAT WOULD HELP HIS DIVISION WITH IN-HOUSE REQUIRED TRAINING, SUCH AS RED CROSS FIRST AID AND CPR TEXAS DPS ASSOCIATE TRAINER AND BASIC T INSTRUCTOR.
IN 2018, STEVEN WAS PROMOTED TO HIS CURRENT ROLE AS COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, WHERE HE'S INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING EMERGENCY POLICE AND EMERGENCY FIRE PROTOCOLS.
STARTED WITH THE DIVISION, STEVEN WAS ALSO ABLE TO GET THE ASSISTANT COMMUNICATION MANAGER POSITION ADDED, ALONG WITH GETTING COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING OFFICERS PAY ADDED.
IN ADDITION, HE CONTINUED HIS PERSONAL CAREER GROWTH BY ATTENDING THE COMMUNICATION CENTER MANAGEMENT TRAINING AND FBI LEAD OF TRILOGY.
DURING HIS CAREER, HE SERVED ON THE TELECOMMUNICATOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE TASK FORCE AND WAS AMONG THE FIRST GROUP THAT WAS DEPLOYED OUT OF STATE TO LOUISIANA TO HELP AFTER A HURRICANE.
STEVEN CURRENTLY HOLDS HIS MASTER'S TELECOMMUNICATOR LICENSE AND QUALITY ASSURANCE CERTIFICATIONS AND ALL THREE DISPATCH PROTOCOLS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIES OF EMERGENCY DISPATCH.
STEVEN AND HIS WIFE HAVE BEEN MARRIED 23 YEARS, AND TOGETHER THEY HAVE THREE FUR BABIES.
AS THEY NEAR RETIREMENT, THEY PLAN TO TRAVEL WITH THEIR FIFTH WHEEL AND SEE EVERYTHING OUR AMAZING COUNTRY HAS TO OFFER.
FOR MANY YEARS, SERVING THE CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY, JOHN BUTLER, SERGEANT THE POLICE, JOHN BUTLER, WAS BORN IN BAYTOWN AND GRADUATED FROM ALL C STERLING HIGH SCHOOL IN 1986.
HE CONTINUED HIS EDUCATION AT LEE COLLEGE, WHERE HE RECEIVED AN ASSOCIATE'S OF ARTS DEGREE IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION.
HE LATER WENT ON TO STUDY BUSINESS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.
CLEARLY LAKE BEFORE BEING HIRED BY BAYTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IN 1992, JOHN COMPLETED HIS BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING AT BAYTOWN POLICE ACADEMY, AFTER WHICH HE WORKED THE STREETS OF BAYTOWN AS A PATROL OFFICER.
AFTER SPENDING FOUR YEARS ON PATROL, HE TRANSFERRED TO COMMUNITY SERVICE BUREAU TO BECOME A DARE OFFICER IN THE HOPES OF REACHING THE YOUTH OF OUR CITY AND EDUCATING THEM ABOUT DRUGS AND VIOLENCE.
FROM 1997 TO 2000, JOHN WORKED IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AS A DARE OFFICER, WHILE ALSO TAKING ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BAYTOWN CRIME STOPPERS COORDINATOR, AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN CREATING THE BAY TOWN'S WANTED FUGITIVES PROGRAM.
IN AUGUST, 2001, JOHN WAS SELECTED TO REPRESENT OUR DEPARTMENT AS THE PERSONNEL OFFICER.
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POSITION FOCUSED ON HIRING AND RECRUITING QUALIFIED OFFICERS.IN SEPTEMBER, 2003, JOHN WAS PROMOTED THE RANK OF SERGEANT AND RETURNED TO PATROL.
HE SUPERVISED VARIOUS PATROL SHIFTS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, INCLUDING SPECIAL DUTIES AS AN ADMINISTRATOR TO THE VERSADEX POLICE REPORTING SYSTEM, ALONG WITH DIRECTLY SUPERVISING THE COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERS.
IN 2008, JOHN WAS SELECTED FOR THE SUPPORT SERVICES BUREAU INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION.
FOLLOWING THIS ASSIGNMENT IN 2009, JOHN WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE DETECTIVE DIVISION WHERE HE OVERSAW VARIOUS INVESTIGATIONS OF CRIMES THAT INCLUDED THE LOWEST OF MISDEMEANORS TO THE HIGHEST OF FELONIES.
IN OCTOBER OF 2012, JOHN ONCE MORE RETURNED TO THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BUREAU CRIME PREVENTION DIVISION, WHERE HE CURRENTLY SUPERVISES THE DARE CRIME STOPPERS AND CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS. DURING HIS CAREER, JOHN HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY CITIZENS AND SUPERVISORS FOR HIS OUTSTANDING WORK, WHILE ALSO RECEIVING THE FOLLOWING HONORS JCS, OFFICER OF THE YEAR, OFFICER OF THE MONTH TO EMERGENCY SERVICE RIBBONS CHIEFS UNIT CITATION LIFESAVING AWARD IN 2007, BAYTOWN SUN READERS CHOICE OFFICER.
THANK YOU, SERGEANT BUTLER FOR YOUR MANY YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
LISA SALINAS, OPEN RECORD SPECIALIST, ONE WITH POLICE.
SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE, THE DEDICATED EMPLOYEES AND, AND THE CITY'S VERY, VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.
[b. Presentation of the Life Saving Award to Officer Jeffery Spencer by the Chief of Police.]
WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE TO TWO B PRESENTATION OF THE LIFE SAVING AWARD TO OFFICER JEFFRIES SPENCER BY THE CHIEF OF POLICE.THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE OUR OFFICERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN SAID THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE SPEND THEIR WHOLE LIVES, UH, IN A CAREER, AND WHEN THEY REACH THE END OF IT, THEY WONDER, HAVE I EVER DONE ANYTHING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? UH, IN THE SHORT TIME THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH BAYTOWN POLICE OFFICERS SINCE SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
THEY KNOW THAT AT THE END OF EACH OF THEIR SHIFTS, THEY'VE MADE A DIFFERENCE AND AN IMPACT IN SOMEBODY'S LIFE.
AND THAT'S THE REASON THAT I'M SO PLEASED TO BRING OFFICER SPENCER UP HERE AND CELEBRATE HIS, UH, HIS ACHIEVEMENT.
ON APRIL 26TH, 2022, OFFICER SPENCER RESPONDED TO THE SCENE OF A REPORTED SUICIDAL SUBJECT ON THE VERY TOP OF THE FRED HARTMAN BRIDGE.
ON ARRIVAL, OFFICER SPENCER OBSERVED THE SUBJECT SETTING ON THE RAILING.
WITH HIS FEET DANGLING OVER THE SIDE, A CONCERNED CITIZEN WAS THERE TALKING WITH THE SUBJECT TO HIS HAVING A MEDICAL CRISIS, A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
OFFICER SPENCER APPROACHED AND BEGAN SPEAKING WITH THE DISTRAUGHT INDIVIDUAL, ASKING HIM TO COME BACK OVER THE RAILING.
AND AS I WATCHED THE VIDEO, HE ASKED HIM SEVERAL TIMES, UH, AND IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT AS THEY CONTINUED TO TALK, THE SUBJECT WAS BEGINNING TO MAKE MOVEMENTS AS IF THE SUBJECT WAS GOING TO PUSH HIMSELF OVER THE BRIDGE AND END HIS LIFE.
THE SUBJECT MADE THESE MOVEMENTS THAT CONCERNED OFFICER SPENCER, OFFICER SPENCER WAS CONCERNED THAT HE WOULD IN FACT JUMP.
OFFICER SPENCER CLOSED HIS DISTANCE, WRAPPED HIS ARMS AROUND THE SUBJECT, AND PULLED HIM BACK OVER THE RAILING.
AND AGAIN, HAVING WATCHED THE VIDEO, I CAN TELL YOU THAT OFFICER SPENCER DIDN'T JUST REACH OUT AND PULL HIM BACK OVER THE RAILING.
OFFICER SPENCER PUT HIMSELF IN DANGER TO SAVE THIS PERSON'S LIFE.
AT ANY MOMENT, HE COULD HAVE GONE OVER THAT RAILING WITH THIS CITIZEN WHO WAS IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
THIS ACTION PREVENTED SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
THE SUBJECT IN CRISIS WAS ABLE TO GET THE HELP HE NEEDED.
OFFICER SPENCER'S EFFORT TO SAVE A HUMAN LIFE, BRING GREAT CREDIT UPON HIMSELF, HIS UNIT, HIS SHIFT, THE BAYTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY ARE IN THE FINEST TRADITIONS OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICE.
AND I'M PROUD TO WORK WITH YOU, AND I'M ALSO PROUD TO PRESENT TO YOU TONIGHT THE BAYTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT LIFESAVING MEDAL.
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THANKS, CHIEF.AND, AND THANKS AGAIN TO OFFICER SPENCER.
[a. Receive a presentation regarding the Proposed FY23 Utility Rates.]
ON TO DISCUSSIONS THREE A IS TO RECEIVE A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR OF 23 UTILITY RATES, AND I UNDERSTAND FROM THE CITY CLERK THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE SIGNED UP ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.DAVID, IS HE HERE OR ON? HE'S ON.
SO ARE YOU THERE PRESENTATION? YES, I'M HERE.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM YOU BEFORE WE DO THE PRESENTATION.
MR. UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THE UTILITY RATES.
I, UNFORTUNATELY, THE, UH, AGENDA THAT'S POSTED ON THE INTERNET, UH, DOES NOT SHOW THE FULL AGENDA ITEMS AND THE PAPERWORK ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
UH, WOULD LIKE THE CITY TO WORK HARDER ON THAT.
I'LL SPEAK MORE ABOUT THAT LATER.
I'M HOPING TODAY ISN'T GOING TO BE A UTILITY RATE HIKE ON THE TAXPAYERS AND OF THE CITIZENS OF THIS TOWN.
WE'RE GOING THROUGH A GLOBAL RECESSION UPON THE HORIZON HERE.
GAS PRICES ARE HIGH, AND I THINK SOMEBODY SHOULD SPEAK FOR EVERYDAY AMERICANS WHEN WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR UTILITY RATES.
SO I'M HOPING THAT THIS PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE PERHAPS SOME RELIEF IN THE BEST CASE, PERHAPS STAY THE SAME IN A NEUTRAL CASE AND GO UP.
IN THE WORST CASE, I COMPEL THIS CITY COUNCIL TO HEAR THIS PRESENTATION, AND IF IT IS A UTILITY RATE HIKE TO VOTE IT DOWN FOR THE SAKE OF THE TAXPAYER FOR THE SAKE OF RELIEF IN THIS ECONOMY AND ITS CLIMATE.
THANK YOU, UH, WITH THAT MR. SEMINO.
WE WILL, WE WILL HEAR THE PRESENTATION.
GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR PROTI AND COUNCIL.
I HAVE A, UH, SHORT PRESENTATION TO, UH, DISCUSS OUR PROPOSED UTILITY FOR FY 23.
THE, UH, AGENDA OF THE PRESENTATION IS GIVEN HERE.
I'LL GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION, UH, RECOMMENDED CHANGES, TALK ABOUT OUR WATER TIERS, UH, LOOK AT EXISTING AND PROPOSED RATES AND EXAMPLE BILLS, AND THEN COMPARED TO OTHER CITY, COMPARABLE CITIES.
SO, JUST AS SOME BACKGROUND, OUR LAST RATE ADJUSTMENT ON THE WATER WAS IN 2014 ON WASTEWATER IN 2019.
AND THEN LAST YEAR, UH, COUNCIL ADOPTED AN ORDINANCE ADDRESSING A, UH, OUTSIDE THE CITY MULTIPLIER.
SO THE EFFECT OF INSIDE CITY RATES VERSUS OUTSIDE THE CITY RATES, UH, AS IS CURRENTLY, IT'S BASICALLY A 1.2 MULTIPLIER FOR THE VOLUMETRIC CHARGES AND 1.5 MULTIPLIER FOR THE BASE CHARGES, WHICH ARE THE BASE AND THE CUSTOMER CHARGE.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE DRIVING OUR RATES AND, AND THAT THE CITY IS, UH, DEALING WITH ON, ITS ON ITS COST SIDE.
WE'VE HAD 18.5% CITY OF HOUSTON RATE TO, UH, BAWA IN THE LAST YEAR.
THAT'S, UM, B BAIC RAW WATER FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THEN TREATS IT INTO DRINKING WATER.
AND CONSEQUENTLY, BOWA IS INCREASING ITS RATE TO THE CITY AND FY 23 OF 6%.
THERE'S ALSO BEEN INFLATION COSTS THAT, UH, THE UTILITY HAS REALIZED AND INCREASED COSTS OF ALL ITS MATERIALS, UH, AND SERVICES.
AND THERE HAS BEEN HISTORICAL UNDERFUNDING OF UTILITY, UH, WHICH RESULTS IN DELAYED MAINTENANCE OF A LOT OF THE, UH, PROJECTS THAT SHOULD BE DONE IN ORDER TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN OUR SYSTEM.
UH, JUST KIND OF UPFRONT WHAT RECOMMENDED CHANGES WE ARE PROPOSING.
UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE ON, UH, SINGLE FAMILY FIVE TIERS, UH, BASED ON VOLUME OF USAGE.
UH, WE RECOMMEND REDUCING THOSE TIERS.
AND I'LL GET TO A SLIDE NEXT THAT'LL SHOW YOU WHY I RECOMMEND REDUCING THE TIERS.
UH, WE RECOMMEND BRINGING ALL THE TIERS OR RATE CLASSES TO AT LEAST THE COST OF WATER.
UH, CURRENTLY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL IS PAYING, UH, $2 AND 57 CENTS PER THOUSAND GALLONS.
UH, THE COST THAT BA CHARGES THE CITY IS, UH, CURRENTLY $3 AND 8 CENTS PER THOUSAND GALLONS.
UH, AND THAT WILL GO UP TO $3 AND 26, UH, CENTS PER THOUSAND GALLONS IN, UH, OCTOBER.
SO RECOMMENDATION IS ALL THE CUSTOMERS SHOULD AT LEAST PAY THE COST OF THE WATER TO THE
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CITY.UH, NEXT WE ARE TRYING TO GENERATE A 2%, UH, REVENUE INCREASE TO THE UTILITY.
THIS IS TO COVER THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, RISING COSTS AND DELAYED MAINTENANCE.
AND THEN ONCE WE MAKE THESE STRUCTURAL CHANGES, WE WANT TO EVALUATE IN FUTURE YEARS, UM, MORE OF ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, RATES TO, BASED ON HOW MUCH REVENUE WE GENERATE.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE THE STRUCTURAL CHANGES AND THEN SEE HOW MUCH REVENUE THAT GENERATES, AND THEN EVALUATE WHAT'S NEEDED FROM THERE.
SO TALKING ABOUT THE TIERS, AS I MENTIONED, YOU SEE, UH, WE HAVE LISTED HERE THE FIVE TIERS.
AND, UM, YOU SEE THAT, UH, TIER ONE AND TWO, UM, ARE BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, ALMOST A THIRD EACH.
AND THEN IF YOU TAKE TIERS THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE COMBINED TOGETHER, THAT'S ALSO ABOUT A THIRD OF THE CUSTOMERS.
SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING, UH, CONSOLIDATING TIERS THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE INTO ONE TIER, BASICALLY.
AND SO THAT WILL, UH, WE, WE DON'T SEE THE NEED TO HAVE TIERS THAT ONLY ENCOMPASS A SMALL NUMBER OF USERS.
SO I'M GONNA GET INTO THE, UH, ACTUAL PROPOSED RATES AND TIERS.
AND FIRST SLIDE I'M GOING SHOW YOU IS, UM, THE INSIDE THE CITY, UH, BASE CHARGES.
SO YOU HAVE A CUSTOMER CHARGE AND A, A BASIC FACILITY CHARGE.
WE ARE KNOWN AS YOUR FIXED CHARGES.
UH, I HAVE THE EXISTING IN THE FIRST COLUMN AND THEN PROPOSED IN THE SECOND COLUMN, AND THE DIFFERENCE IN THE THIRD COLUMN.
AND THE DIFFERENCE IS ROUGHLY ABOUT A 3% INCREASE ON YOUR, UM, BASE CHARGES THROUGHOUT THE, UM, ALL THE METER SIZES THERE.
UH, NEXT WE LOOK AT THE VOLUMETRIC CHARGES.
AND THIS IS YOUR CHARGE PER WATER USAGE.
UM, YOU'LL SEE, AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, TIER ONE, UH, THE, THE 2000 GALLON AND BELOW IS BELOW THE COST OF WATER TO THE CITY.
WE RECOMMEND BRINGING THAT UP TO THE COST OF WATER TO THE CITY.
AND SO THAT, THAT HAS A VARIANCE THERE OF 69 CENTS PER THOUSAND GALLONS.
AND THE EFFECT ON THE, THE REMAINDER OF THE TIERS IS JUST TRYING TO GENERATE THAT 2% REVENUE INCREASE.
SO SOME OF THEM GO UP MORE, UH, AND, AND SOME OF THEM NOT AS MUCH.
UM, THE MULTIFAMILY, WE'RE DOING THE SAME THING, TRYING TO BRING THAT UP.
THE, THE LOWEST TIER UP TO THE COST OF WATER.
UM, THE HIGHER TIER, UH, WE'RE NOT PROPOSING AN INCREASE.
AND THEN, UM, NON-RESIDENTIAL, WE'RE JUST ELIMINATING THE HIGH VOLUME USER SO THAT YOU JUST HAVE ONE CLASS OF NON-RESIDENTIAL, UH, CUSTOMER.
AND, UM, THEN ON THE IRRIGATION, SAME THING.
ELIMINATING SOME OF THE HIGHER TIERS.
SO NOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUTSIDE THE CITY, UM, IT'S BASICALLY THE SAME AS INSIDE THE CITY, EXCEPT WE APPLY THE MULTIPLIERS OF 1.2 ON THE VOLUME CHARGE AND 1.5 ON THE FIXED THE BASE CHARGES.
AND SO THOSE WILL JUST CORRESPOND TO THE INSIDE THE CITY, UM, EXCEPT FOR THAT MULTIPLIER.
AND THEN SAME THING HERE ON THE VOLUMETRIC.
NOW ON THE SEWER RATES, UM, WE ARE, WE HAVE TRIED TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND YOU'LL SEE AT THE END WHEN I DISCUSS, UH, OR SHOW YOU THE BILL IMPACTS, UM, WE WERE TRYING TO KEEP THAT, UH, BILL IMPACT TO, UH, LIKE, UH, $2 PER MONTH ON THE, THE LOW VOLUME USER.
AND SO OUR SEWER RATES ARE NOT GOING UP AS MUCH JUST BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN THAT TOTAL, UH, BILL IMPACT TO A, A LOWER AMOUNT ON OUR, ON OUR USERS.
UM, SO AGAIN HERE, THE FIXED CHARGE IS ROUGHLY ABOUT 3%.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE VOLUMETRIC CHARGE, UM, THE FIRST TIER, WE'RE HOLDING IT THE SAME, NO INCREASE.
UH, THE SECOND TIER IS A SLIGHT INCREASE.
THE, THE BIG CHANGE IS THAT CURRENTLY FOR OVER 12,000 GALLONS, THE CITY DOES NOT CHARGE ANYTHING FOR THAT.
UH, WE'RE CHANGING THAT SO THAT WE CHARGE THE SAME RATE, UH, BASICALLY OVER 10,000 GALLONS.
SO WE WILL CHARGE, IF YOU USE, YOU KNOW, 12 OR 15,000 GALLONS, WE WILL CHARGE FOR THAT.
UM, THE MULTIFAMILY IS, IS VERY SIMILAR.
UH, NO INCREASE ON THE LOWER RATE, AND A SLIGHT INCREASE ON THE LARGER
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ONE.AND THE HIGH VOLUME, UM, OF THE NON-RESIDENTIAL WOULD BE NO CHANGE, BUT THE HIGH VOLUME IS ELIMINATED.
AND HERE YOU GET INTO THE, UM, THE OUTSIDE THE CITY.
AND IT'S THE SAME, SAME PRINCIPLE.
IT'S THE SAME AS THE INSIDE THE CITY, EXCEPT THE MULTIPLIER IS APPLIED.
NOW, IF WE LOOK AT THE, UH, IMPACT ON THE CUSTOMERS, UH, I HAVE, UH, BARS HERE FOR EACH OF THE CUSTOMER CLASSES.
AND THE, UH, THE LIGHTER BLUE REPRESENTS THE EXISTING RATES, THE DARKER BLUE, THE PROPOSED RATES.
UM, AS I SAID BEFORE, UH, THE SINGLE FAMILY FOR 2000 GALLON USER IS GOING FROM, UH, CLOSE TO $34 TO $36 A MONTH.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN, YOU KNOW, UH, REALIZING THAT WE ARE IN, UH, DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES AND TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT ON THE USERS.
UH, YOU'LL SEE THE REST OF THE RATE CLASSES ARE HAVE A SIMILAR IMPACT.
UH, WHEN I GO TO, UH, AN EXAMPLE 5,000 GALLON A MONTH USER, UM, WE'RE BASICALLY GOING FROM $69 A MONTH TO $73 A MONTH.
SO, UH, A $4 A MONTH IMPACT ON A 5,000 GALLON USER.
AND THE OTHER RATE CLASS ARE, LIKE I SAY, SIMILAR, UM, EFFECT.
NOW WHEN WE COMPARE TO OTHER CITIES, UH, WE SEE THAT BOTH THE EXISTING BAYTOWN AND PROPOSED BAYTOWN ARE ROUGHLY IN THE, IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR, UH, COMPARISON CITIES.
UM, SOME ARE HIGHER, UM, THE ONES THAT ARE LOWER, I THINK ARE VERY COMPARABLE, UH, ON THE LOWER RANGE.
SO, UH, I DON'T SEE THIS AS BEING EXTREME.
UH, THEN WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE, UH, 5,000 GALLON PER MONTH WATER BILL, BOTH EXISTING AND PROPOSED.
AGAIN, UH, BAYTOWN IS STILL WITHIN THE, THE, UH, MEDIAN OF THAT RANGE.
SO THAT, UH, CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
UM, THESE, UM, THIS IS NOT AN ACTION ITEM.
UM, THESE RATES WOULD BE INCLUDED IN YOUR, UM, UH, BUDGET, PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO, UH, TAKE ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU HAVE AND, YOU KNOW.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL FOR MR. SEMIAL? I HAVE A QUESTION, FRANK.
UM, UH, I MEAN, WE SEE THE, THE KIND OF WHAT IT WOULD BE EACH MONTH PER USER, BUT JUST TO GIMME AN IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE DIDN'T APPROVE THIS INCREASE, WHAT KIND OF DEFICIT WOULD YOU BE LOOKING AT AS A WHOLE? SO IT, IT'S HARD TO SAY EXACTLY.
UM, WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO IS DEFER MORE MAINTENANCE ON OUR SYSTEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DEFER MAINTENANCE SOONER OR LATER YOU HAVE TO PAY.
AND BECAUSE THINGS WILL BREAK AND IT'S GONNA COST MORE TO FIX THINGS THAN, UH, TO MAINTAIN THEM PROPERLY.
SO IT ENDS UP, UM, BY PUTTING US IN A DEFICIT, UH, IT WOULD END UP, UH, I THINK CREATING THE NEED FOR HIGHER RATES IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE MUCH GREATER, UH, NEED ON OUR, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS.
I, I DON'T SEE, UH, THIS YEAR WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT PROJECTED TO BE AT A DEFICIT, ALTHOUGH WE ARE, I, I THINK VERY CLOSE ON OUR, UM, THERE'S A DAYS, NUMBER OF DAYS THAT WE HAVE THE WHAT? SO IT, IT'S LIKE THE, THE, I FORGET THE TERM, THE, THE NUMBER OF DAYS WE HAVE, UH, OF OPERATING CAPITAL BASICALLY WOULD, UM, WOULD BE VERY CLOSE.
AND THEN THE FUTURE, IT WOULD PROPOSE TO BE, IT WOULD BE PROJECTED TO GO UNDER OUR REQUIRED RESERVES.
RICK, I KNOW WE LIKE TO KEEP, UM, EXPENSES IN THE SAME FUND, UH, FOR THE ASSETS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN, OR YES, MA'AM.
OR OPERATE, BUT, UM, I MEAN, COULD YOU USE GENERAL FUND MONEY TO GET THIS MAINTENANCE DONE WITHOUT RAISING THE RATES? UM, IT IS POSSIBLE TO USE GENERAL FUND, UH, DOLLARS FOR THE UTILITY.
IT, IT'S, UH, NORMALLY ENTERPRISE FUNDS, YOU, YOU LIKE FOR THEM TO BE SELF-SUSTAINING.
AND YOU KNOW THAT, THAT'S OUR OBJECTIVE.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, THE CITIZENS ARE UNDERPAYING BWA, RIGHT? BECAUSE OF THE RATES AREN'T THE SAME AS WHAT BWA CHARGES THE CITY.
IT'S BASICALLY THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, SO THE
[00:30:01]
OTHER CLASSES.SUBSIDIZING THAT THOSE ARE UNDER PAYING.
THEY'RE SUBSIDIZING THAT, UH, THAT RATE CLASS.
UM, I GUESS I'M JUST WONDERING, AND MAYBE I'M JUST WONDERING OUT LOUD HOW THIS IS A, A SUSTAINABLE MODEL.
I MEAN, IS IT JUST ALWAYS GONNA, THE RATES ARE ALWAYS GONNA RAISE? UM, I, I, WELL, I MEAN, AS, AS THE COST OF WATER KEEPS INCREASING, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON HAS, UH, TRADITIONALLY INCREASED THEIR COST OF WATER EVERY YEAR.
UH, AND SO BYLAW INCREASE RATES, AS YOU KNOW, INFLATION HAS BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW INFLATION HAS BEEN.
AND, UM, SO COSTS KEEP RISING AND, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST TO BALANCE YOUR, UH, YOU KNOW, REVENUES AND EXPENSES YOU HAVE TO RAISE RATES TO, TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
FOR ME, I'M, I'M KIND OF LEANING TOWARDS MAYBE SOME ALTERNATE FUNDING MECHANISMS. UM, LIKE OUR SPEAKER MENTIONED, INFLATION IS HITTING EVERYBODY RIGHT NOW, SO MAYBE THIS ISN'T THE RIGHT TIME, IN MY OPINION, FOR RATE RAISES.
AND I DO KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE A REVENUE INCREASE IN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND SO, UM, I, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING, UM, OTHER WAYS TO ACCOMMODATE THE MAINTENANCE WITHOUT RAISING RATES.
YEAH, DO, FRANK, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE SLIDE WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE USER USING 2000 GALLONS IS 2 62 68, AND THEN SOME OF YOU USING 4,000 GALLONS IS HIGHER THAN THAT.
UH, LIKE, IS LIKE THE SECOND OR THIRD? NO, KEEP GOING BACK.
THERE WE GO FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL TIER ONE, FIRST 2000 GALLONS, 2 57, AND THEN FOR THE NEXT 4,000 GALLONS IS FIVE 60.
UM, I REMEMBER WHEN SOME OF THESE WERE DISCUSSED A WHILE BACK, AND I MEAN YEARS BACK, UM, IT WAS DELIBERATE THAT THAT FIRST 2000 WAS LESS THAN THE 360 THAT IT COST.
UM, AND THAT IN THE DISCUSSIONS THAT COUNCIL HAD WAS THAT'S TYPICALLY AN OLDER HOUSEHOLD WITH MOM AND DAD.
AND SO THE, THOSE ARE OUR SENIOR CITIZENS.
SO IT WAS A DELIBERATE ACT TO MAKE THAT A LESSER FEE.
AND THEN THOSE THAT GO 4,000 OR WHATEVER TYPICALLY, 'CAUSE THE DISCUSSIONS AT THAT TIME WAS, WELL, THAT'S TYPICALLY A HOUSEHOLD WITH TWO TO THREE KIDS AND THEY'RE USING MORE WATER, YOU KNOW, SO FORTH AND SO ON.
SO THERE WAS A DELIBERATE ACTION TO KEEP THAT LOWER THAN, THAN THE, THE COST AS YOU INDICATED THE COST.
UM, I AGREE WITH WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SET UP HERE AND, AND I AGREE WITH WHAT MY PREVIOUS COLLEAGUES HAVE DISCUSSED AND STATED IN THE PAST.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE SENIOR CITIZENS AND I'M, I'M ONE OF 'EM, UM, OR LIMITED INCOMES ARE RETIRED, WHATEVER, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT.
INFLATION, THE ECONOMY HITS EVERYBODY, BUT IT HITS THAT GROUP EVEN MORE SO.
SO I KINDA LIKE THE IDEA OF, OF KEEPING THAT A LITTLE MORE CONSTRAINED.
I MEAN, 2000 GALLONS IS, WE USE A LOT MORE THAN THAT, BUT, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT MUCH.
AND SO IF A RESIDENTIAL HOUSEHOLD CAN STAY UNDER THAT 2000 GALLON MARK AND STAY AT THAT LOWER RATE, I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S SOME ACCOMMODATION THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
UM, BECAUSE THE OTHERS GO UP AGAIN, IF IT'S COSTING US 360 PER THOUSAND GALLONS OR WHATEVER TO, TO GENERATE OR, YEAH.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER RATES ARE OBVIOUSLY COVERING THAT A LITTLE BIT.
NOW, IF IT NEEDS TO GO UP SOME, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO KEEP THAT INITIAL TIER LOWER.
'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S OUR LOW USE TYPICALLY MOM AND DAD, GRANDMA AND GRANDPA TYPE HOUSEHOLDS.
COUNCILWOMAN EL GERALDO, UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, SO WHEN MOST INDIVIDUALS LOOK AT THEIR BILLS, THEY LOOK AT IT AS A WHOLE, WE JUST DISCUSSED, UM, OUR, OUR WASTE COLLECTION AND YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE WOULD GET BACK FROM THAT.
IT COULD BE A POTENTIAL INCREASE TO THE RATES.
SO WE'RE RAISING OUR UTILITY, THEN WE TACK ON ANY GARBAGE, IT'S ALL ON THE SAME BILL.
AND SO I'M JUST KIND OF WORRIED ABOUT, UM, WHAT THE COST WOULD BE WITH THAT.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, RESIDENTS WILL JUST SEE THE BILL.
UM, AND, UM, SO I'M KIND OF A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
BUT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT, UM, I ALSO HAD, UM, IN TERMS OF THE SEWER DOES, IS THE RATE IMPACTED BY THE, THE HOMES THAT HAVE THE SEWER LINE ISSUES THAT HAVE NOT GONE INTO THE P SPLIT PROGRAM? WELL, THEY, THEY ARE CHARGED $25 A MONTH, UH, SURCHARGE FOR NOT, IF THEY HAVEN'T MADE THEIR REPAIR WITHIN THE YEAR RIGHT.
[00:35:01]
THEN THEY DO HAVE A $25 SURCHARGE FOR THAT.BUT THE MAINTENANCE OF OUR LINES, UM, IS AFFECTED BY THOSE NOT WILLING TO EITHER ENTER, ENTER INTO A PROGRAM OR REPAIR THEIR LINES.
I MEAN, IS THAT ADDING A BURDEN TO OUR MAINTENANCE COST? IT DOES.
IT, IT MEANS WE HAVE TO TREAT MORE WASTEWATER, AND SO OUR COSTS ARE HIGHER BECAUSE WE USE MORE CHEMICALS.
SO WOULD WE WANT TO REVISIT THEN THE FEES THAT ARE APPLIED FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS? AND I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE, SINCE WE'VE PUT OUT THE PIECE LIT PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, HOW HAS THAT RESPONSE BEEN? ARE THE MORE OF THEM GETTING ON IT? ARE THEY MAKING REPAIRS? ARE WE HEARING BACK FROM THEM? SO I THINK I'D LIKE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
BUT IF THE ULTIMATE, UM, WAY IS TO GO INTO THESE CHANGES, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF GRACE PERIOD OF WHERE FEES ARE NOT CHARGED FOR ANY LATE FEES, UM, UNTIL WE GET THE RESIDENTS USED TO THIS HIGHER RATE? UM, SO WOULD THAT BE POSSIBLE WHERE, I MEAN, WE DID IT DURING THE PANDEMIC WHERE THEY WEREN'T CHARGED ANY LATE FEES.
UM, SO WOULD WE BE ABLE TO DO THAT? UM, IF THE ULTIMATE DECISION IS TO, TO RAISE THE RATES, I, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONSIDER? I PROBABLY WOULDN'T RECOMMEND MINGLING BILLING POLICIES WITH, WITH, UH, RATES, MEANING, UH, HOW WE DEAL WITH, UH, DELINQUENCIES.
WELL, WE'RE ULTIMATELY RAISING THE FEES THAT RIGHT.
THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD THESE NEW FEES.
AND SO WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO, TO KIND OF HELP THEM GET USED TO IT? I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE, THE WASTE COLLECTION.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THESE NEW RATES AND THE WATER INCREASES.
ONE THING, I MEAN, WE COULD TALK ABOUT AN INCREMENTAL SCHEDULE, UH, OF IMPLEMENTING.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN ALL AT ONCE, THAT'S AN IDEA.
I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD WITH YOU.
UH, SO THAT, THAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.
I PROBABLY WOULDN'T TOUCH ANY OF THE OTHER FEES, BUT I MIGHT, UH, MIGHT SUGGEST THAT WE DO SOMETHING MORE, UH, INCREMENTAL.
ONE CONSIDERATION WE HAVE TO MAKE IS, UH, HOW THIS IS GONNA INTERFACE WITH OUR NEW, UH, FINANCIAL SYSTEM THAT WE'RE BRINGING ONLINE.
SO, AND, UH, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THIS, DIDN'T WE HAD, UH, THIS MORNING, AND SO THERE MAY BE A DELAY IN BRINGING THOSE FEES ON ANYWAY MM-HMM
BUT AS WE DO, SO, WE MAY AGAIN BE ABLE TO BE MORE INCREMENTAL, UH, IN THAT.
AND MY LAST POSSIBILITY, SORRY, MY LAST QUESTION REALLY, UM, SPEAKS TO, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THESE SURPRISE BILLS ARE BECAUSE THEY HAD A LEAK, THEY HAD A RUNNING TOILET, UM, AND IT INCREASES THEIR BILLS AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND, UM, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE NEW, UM, SYSTEMS OR METERS THAT PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT REAL TIME OR THEY GET A NOTICE RIGHT AWAY THAT, HEY, YOUR USAGE IS REALLY HIGH OR, YOU KNOW, ABNORMAL.
IN THE PAST, I THINK, UM, SOME HOMES GOT LITTLE DOOR HANGERS, UM, OR EVEN PHONE CALLS, BUT IT WASN'T REAL TIME.
UM, WHERE MY MOM LIVES, IT'S LIKE SHE'S VISITING ME AND SHE GETS A CALL, HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON AT YOUR HOUSE? YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR WATER IS LIKE INCREASED BY WHATEVER PERCENTAGE.
AND SO WOULD WE HAVE THAT CAPABILITY? AND, AND WHEN
ACTUALLY, WE HAVE A RESIDENT EXPERT HERE, UH, IN OUR, OUR AUDIENCE ON THIS, ON THIS VERY TOPIC.
BUT IF SHE, IF I SAY SOMETHING THAT ISN'T WRONG, THAT, THAT ISN'T RIGHT, I'M, SHE'LL WAVE AT ME.
UH, ABOUT 20% OF OUR METERS RIGHT NOW ARE OVER THEIR, UM, I WOULD CALL USEFUL LIFE, BUT OVER THE LIFE WHERE THEY START TO SLOW DOWN, UH, WE'RE FOCUSED RIGHT NOW ON A STRATEGY TO REPLACE THOSE METERS FIRST, AND THEN WE WILL DEFINITELY LOOK, THERE IS TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL ALLOW US TO, TO GO TO THAT NEXT TIER, UH, DATA REPORTING.
BUT, UH, THAT'S SOME YEARS IN, IN THE DISTANCE, UH, BEFORE WE CAN PUT THE FINANCING TOGETHER FOR THAT.
FRANK, MY ONLY COMMENT WAS, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH YOU.
I WOULDN'T WANNA DEFER ANY MAINTENANCE.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, NOT PAY AN HOUR PAY LATER, IT'S PAY AN HOUR PAY MUCH MORE LATER.
SO I WOULDN'T WANNA DO THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M OKAY WITH THE MINIMAL INCREASE, BUT OF COURSE, I WOULD BE OPEN TO LOOKING AT SOME SORT OF OPTION OR IF THERE'S ANY FLEXIBILITY ON SOME OF THE LOW USE USERS SUCH AS SENIORS OR WHATNOT.
AND POSSIBLY EVEN IF THERE'S ANY AVENUES TO LOOK AT OTHER SOURCES LIKE COUNCILMAN BENORTH MENTIONED AS WELL.
[00:40:01]
MAYBE STAFF CAN KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.MEANWHILE, IF, UH, IF YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT THAT AS A, A SHORT TERM, UH, THING, THAT'S POSSIBLE.
BUT I I, I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND TO THE COUNCIL A LONGER TERM POLICY OF SUBSIDIZING WITH GENERAL FUND BECAUSE IT IS A, A PITFALL THAT A LOT OF COUNCILS GET INTO, AND THEN THAT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.
AND THEN, UH, THEN THE VERY LARGE INCREASE COMES LATER IN THE UTILITIES AND YOU FILL YOUR COUNCIL CHAMBERS UP AT THAT TIME.
RIGHT? SO IF, IF YOU'RE JUST SAYING, HEY, LET'S GET THROUGH THIS NEXT YEAR, OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UH, CERTAINLY WE CAN GO BACK AND, AND REVISIT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IF, UH, WE CAN FUND A PROJECT SOME OTHER WAY, WE'LL AT LEAST LOOK AT IT.
[b. Receive feedback regarding the Draft FY23-27 Capital Improvement Plan.]
WILL MOVE ON TO THREE B, WHICH IS TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK REGARDING THE DRAFT FISCAL YEAR 20 23, 20 27 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.SO, UH, I, I DO NOT HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR THIS.
UH, ON, UH, TWO MEETINGS AGO, I, UH, PRESENTED THE DRAFT CIP AND I PRESENTED YOU WITH, UH, BIG BINDERS.
UH, HOPEFULLY YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO GO THROUGH THAT.
UH, WE DID RECEIVE SOME INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK AND MADE, UH, A COUPLE OF ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, WE'VE ADDED, UH, TO THE C-I-P-A-A, AN ITEM TO RENOVATE THE ARC LEAGUE, UH, BUILDING.
UH, WE'VE ADDED 600,000 IN FY 23 FOR THAT.
UH, WE'VE ALSO MOVED THE FIREBOAT, UH, LIFT AND, UH, COVER FROM FY 25 26 TO FY 23, AND WE'VE PUT SOME CONTINGENCY INTO OUR, UH, CIP, UM, FUND.
AND, UH, SO THE EFFECT OF ALL THOSE CHANGES, NOW WE'RE AT, UH, IN FY 23 A PROJECTED, UH, UH, GENERAL FUND DEBT OF ABOUT $45 MILLION.
UM, SO THAT, THAT WAS ALL THE CHANGES.
UH, LIKE I SAID, I'M HERE TO, UH, LISTEN TO ANY FEEDBACK YOU, YOU WANT TO OFFER ON, ON THE DRAFT THAT I PRESENTED.
I I, I DON'T HAVE ANY FEEDBACK AT THIS TIME, FRANK, BUT ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL? SORRY ABOUT THAT.
THE, OUR LEAGUE BUILDING 600,000, WHAT ARE WE ANTICIPATING DOING THERE? SO THAT, THAT IS SOME, UH, HVAC, UH, ROOF REPAIRS, UH, UH, A DA COMPLIANCE, IT'S, UH, A LOT OF IT, IT'S THE A DA COMPLIANCE, UH, GENERAL, GENERAL ITEMS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S WITHIN THE CONTRACT BOUNDS, THAT'S WITHIN THE CONTRACT BOUNDS.
WE HAVE A CONTRACT LEASE CONTRACT ON THE ART LEAD BUILDING.
MY UNDERSTANDING, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING THAT LIMITS OUR, OUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BUILDING TO MAINTAIN IT.
RIGHT NOW, WE, WE ALSO HAVE WITHIN THE CONTRACT, I WANNA MAKE SURE OF THAT.
AND, UM, WE DID LOOK AT THE CONTRACT AND IT WAS WITHIN THE BOUNDS.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S A CHUNK OF CHANGE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW DURING THE RETREAT WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, THE QUILT LEAK, YOU KNOW, NEEDING SPACE AND HAVING SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY DO.
AND SO, UH, THERE IS MAYBE, I KNOW THIS STILL HAS TO BE DISCUSSED WITH THE ART LEAGUE AND EVERYTHING, BUT PERHAPS COHABITATING THE ROOM AND LETTING THE QUILT LEAGUE USE IT AS WELL.
UM, IF THEY HAVE NO OTHER SPACE, BUT IT IS ARTWORK, IT IS ART.
SO WOULD THIS, WOULD THE SECOND FLOOR BECOME USABLE? WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO DO A STUDY ON THAT.
THAT'S THE, TO PUT THE QUILT LEAGUE, QUILT GUILD MM-HMM
IN THAT BUILDING, THEY COULD USE THAT BUILDING PLUS, SO THAT, THAT WOULD, WELL, WE HAVE TO, TO START SOMEWHERE THAT WOULD BE REALLY STACKED AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE A VERY NEGATIVE INPUT IMPACT ON THE ART LEAGUE.
'CAUSE I MEAN, THEY'RE BUSTING THE SEAMS IN THERE, IN THERE AS IT IS.
SO THAT WOULD REALLY BE STACKING 'EM IN THERE.
'CAUSE $600,000 FOR ADDITIONAL RENOVATIONS AND STUFF ON THAT BUILDING.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE CONTRACTUALLY THAT WERE REQUIRED OR THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO, TO DO SOME OF THAT STUFF.
SO, AND, AND WE HAVE A, A FAIRLY CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT IMPROVEMENTS NEED TO BE MADE.
SOME OF THEM ARE WITHOUT COST.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE LABOR, BASICALLY, UH, THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO THERE.
WE CERTAINLY WON'T SPEND IT ALL IF WE DON'T NEED IT ALL, BUT WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO COME BACK AND KEEP COMING BACK TO YOU, UH, ABOUT IT.
IT WAS A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE.
I I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO, YOU KNOW, UH, TRY TO PRICE OUT ALL THE DIFFERENT ITEMS. WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE SAFE.
[00:45:01]
THERE TO THE, THE EARLIEST ESTIMATES I SAW WERE SOMEWHERE RIGHT AROUND, YOU KNOW, 250 TO 300,000 THAT WE'RE QUITE SURE.BUT IF WE GET INTO ISSUES DEALING WITH THE UPSTAIRS AND WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE, THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING.
AND, AND THAT'S SOME OF THE, THIS IS JUST A PLAN.
THAT'S SOME OF THE SIDEBAR DISCUSSIONS WE HAVE.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE BUDGET 600,000, BUT WE'RE REALLY GONNA SPEND 300,000 AND WE TIE 300,000 UP.
I MEAN, THIS ISN'T, THIS ISN'T A BUDGET THOUGH.
WE WILL, WE'LL ONLY SPIN THAT, BUT IT COULD GET VERY EXPENSIVE VERY QUICKLY.
ONE THING IS THE ELEVATOR IS NOT, UH, ENTIRELY OPERABLE.
AND THAT IS A VERY BIG A DA ISSUE, ESPECIALLY IF WE BEGIN UTILIZING THE UPSTAIRS.
WE DO NEED TO HAVE THAT, UH, FIXED.
THAT BECOMES VERY, VERY, SO THIS COULD, THIS COULD BE RELATIVELY OKAY IN TERMS OF EXPENDITURE, BUT IT COULD GO, IT COULD GO, UH, VERY QUICKLY NORTH IF WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THESE OTHER WEIGHTIER ISSUES.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO BE VERY WELL AWARE OF, KEPT INFORMED ON, BECAUSE IF IT STARTS TO GO WAY NORTH, I, I JUST, WELL, NO, WE'RE, WE'LL KEEP YOU INFORMED EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
THIS WAS A PRIORITY BROUGHT OUT IN THE, IN OUR, OUR ENVISIONING, UH, IT, IT ACTUALLY RECEIVED LOTS OF DOTS.
AND SO WE TOOK IT SERIOUSLY AND, AND PUT IT IN THE CIP.
SO WE DIDN'T LOSE, UH, SIGHT OF THAT, THAT COUNCIL, DO YOU COMMENT? YEAH, JUST IN ADDITION TO, UM, THE FACT THAT IT WAS RANKED REALLY HIGH IN OUR RETREAT AS A PRIORITY FOR COUNCIL.
THIS IS A CITY OWNED BUILDING, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, THIS ONE HAS BEEN DEFERRED FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
UM, THEY'RE LIVING WITH BATS, LEAKS, UM, NON-COMPLIANCE FOR, UM, A DA, NOT ONLY THE ELEVATOR, BUT BATHROOMS AND, AND OTHER THINGS.
AND SO THEY'RE ONE OF THE, UH, FEW FUNCTIONING BUILDINGS ON TEXAS AVENUE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THE CITY SHOULD INVEST IN THAT SINCE THERE'S NOT THAT MANY, UH, DOWN THERE THAT ARE FUNCTIONING.
AND, UM, THEY DO PUT ON QUALITY EVENTS THAT ACTUALLY ATTRACT PEOPLE WHO AREN'T MEMBERS OF THE ART LEAGUE.
SO TO ME, UM, I THINK 600,000, YOU KNOW, IT'S CONSERVATIVE AND I APPRECIATE THAT IS A REALLY GOOD INVESTMENT FOR THAT AREA.
UH, 600,000 IS A LOT OF MONEY.
I'M IN FAVOR OF, OF DOING WHAT WE CAN TO THE BUILDING AND, AND DOING SOME RENOVATION WORK.
I THINK IT'S NEEDED IS MY OPINION, IF, IF WE BELIEVE IT COULD BE CLOSER TO 250 OR 300,000, THEN WE, THERE'S SOME SORT OF BASIS TO BELIEVE THAT AND, AND HOPEFULLY THAT THAT ENDS UP BEING THE CASE.
AND WE'LL BE APPRISED IF, IF IT, EVEN IF IT STARTS APPROACHING 600, NOT, NOT OVER, BUT STARTS APPROACHING, WE WILL BE APPRISED OF THAT.
SO I THINK WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL MAKE SURE THAT I SEND YOU UPDATES, AND FRANK, IF YOU'LL KEEP ME APPRISED OF, OF WHAT WE'RE EXPENDING THERE, THEN, UH, I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE'RE APPROACHING THAT FIRST THRESHOLD.
SO YOU'RE COMFORTABLE AND CONTINUING, OR YOU GUYS CAN PULL BACK AND SAY, WHOA, LET'S, LET'S NOT SPEND ANYMORE OKAY.
MOVING ON, WE WILL MOVE ON TO FOUR B AND WE WILL,
[a. Receive a report from the Economic Development Alliance regarding the Economic Development Services Agreement for Tourism and Promotional Services.]
LET'S SEE.WE WILL MOVE ON TO FOUR A AND I BELIEVE MS. CITY CLERK SAYS WE HAVE THE SAME SPEAKER SIGNED UP ON THIS ITEM AS WELL.
MR. MR. ISAAC, ARE YOU THERE? YES, I AM.
I BELIEVE IT IS A FORMALITY, MR. MAYOR PRO TIM, TO READ THE AGENDA ITEM, UH, ON THE LIST THERE.
WOULD YOU MIND DOING THAT FOR ME AS CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE? MR. CITY ATTORNEY? IS, IS THAT A REQUIREMENT? UM, MAYOR PURIM, I DON'T THINK IT'S A REQUIREMENT.
UH, IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS RELATIVELY COMMON, BUT WE DO HAVE THE MATTER POSTED ON THE AGENDA FOR PUBLIC REVIEW.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND READ IT THIS ONE TIME.
SO FOR A, TO RECEIVE A REPORT FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE REGARDING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR TOURISM AND PROMOTIONAL SERVICES.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, PRO TEM AND CITY COUNCIL OF BAYTOWN.
I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN QUESTION THIS AFTERNOON.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HEAR A PRESENTATION HERE FROM SOME INSTITUTION THAT'S GONNA GIVE US, UH, A BUNCH OF, UH, NICE WORDS, BUZZ WORDS AS MR. UH, PRESLEY HAD ONCE SAID.
AND, UH, WHEN WE THINK IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, LIKE THE SMALL SITUATION THAT DIDN'T GO THROUGH, LIKE THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE SUFFERING, THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR GRANTS AND LOANS, OR AT LEAST DISCUSSED GETTING GRANTS AND LOANS AND HAVEN'T GOTTEN HELP, LIKE THESE LARGER COMPANIES HAVE, LIKE THESE BIG DEVELOPERS THAT COME INTO TOWN AND GET THE SUBSIDIES, GET THESE, UH, TAX ABATEMENTS AND SUCH.
[00:50:02]
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS SUFFERING IN OUR TOWN.I'VE TALKED TO SEVERAL TOWN MEMBERS ABOUT THIS, CITIZENS ABOUT THIS.
SMALL BUSINESSES ARE SUFFERING AND INFLATION IS KICKING OUR BUTTS.
GAS PRICES ARE THROUGH THE ROOF.
ENFORCEMENT OF CODES ARE AT AN ALL TIME LOW.
I THINK THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD CONSIDER ME TURNING ON THE HEAT THIS AFTERNOON AND LETTING YOU KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE ARE READY TO GET THE JOB DONE.
THAT GOES FOR THE MALL, THAT GOES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES GETTING A BOOST THAT GOES FOR THE FOOD DESERT ON THE WEST SIDE.
SO WHATEVER THIS IS, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR TONIGHT THAT NOBODY, NOBODY IN TOWN READ 270 PAGES ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
YOU'RE NOT HANDING IT OUT AT THE MEETING.
I HAVE TO GO LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE EVEN GOING TO DISCUSS TONIGHT, AND I HAVE TO SIGN MY NAME TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE SOMETHING WILL HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE WE EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT, THE WAY THE CITY IS OPERATING RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY THIS AFTERNOON, OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TOURISM PROMOTION, I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
I FED BANDS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, TEXAS AVENUE, AND WE'VE GOT AN ISSUE WITH TOURISM IN THIS TOWN, OR WE WILL HAVE AN ISSUE WITH TOURISM IN TOWN IF YOU EXPECT TO BRING A CONVENTION CENTER HERE AND NOT SUPPORT THE CURRENT CONDITION OF BUSINESSES IN THIS TOWN.
SO WITH THAT, WE WILL HEAR FROM MR. CHAD BURKE WITH THE ECONOMIC ALLIANCE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO, TIM, AND COUNCIL, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, COME HERE TONIGHT AND PROVIDE YOU AN ANNUAL REPORT OF ACTIVITIES, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, GOING ON OVER THE LAST, UM, YEAR HERE IN BAYTOWN AND THROUGHOUT THE, UH, HOUSTON PORT REGION.
UM, REAL QUICKLY, UM, WE ALWAYS START WITH OUR MISSION AND WE TRY AND KEEP EVERYTHING WITHIN, UH, OUR MISSION.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT MISSION CREEP, UH, THAT YOU HEAR ABOUT, BUT, BUT OURS IS SIMPLY TO GROW THE REGIONAL ECONOMY, AND THAT MEANS ADDING JOBS AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO THE REGION.
UH, WE DO THAT DIRECTLY THROUGH WORKING WITH PROJECTS AND COMPANIES TO LOCATE AND TO EXPAND HERE, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING THAT COMPETITIVE NATURE OF, OF WHERE THOSE DOLLARS ARE SPENT THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, UH, TRANSPORTATION WORK, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRAINING, UH, THE WORKFORCE TO SUPPLY THE, UH, THE, THE NECESSARY, UM, UH, UH, WORKERS IN THIS REGION, PUBLIC POLICY WORK ON BEHALF OF OUR CITIES AND OUR, AND OUR OUR BUSINESSES.
AND I'LL TOUCH REAL BRIEFLY ON ALL OF THESE AS WE GO THROUGH THAT, KIND OF GIVE YOU THE UPDATE ON WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING OVER THE LAST YEAR.
UM, THE FOOTPRINT, UM, IS, IS STILL THE SAME AS, AS IT HAS BEEN FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW.
IT'S BASICALLY THE 25 MILE STRETCH OF THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL, UH, NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE SHIP CHANNEL, UM, DOWN SOUTH, DOWN TO SEABROOK AND OUT WEST TO, UH, TO PEARLAND.
UH, IT DOES INCLUDE, UM, UH, 11 CITIES, HARRIS COUNTY, THE PORT OF HOUSTON, AND ABOUT 250 COMPANIES THAT ARE PRIVATE COMPANIES THAT DO BUSINESS IN THIS REGION.
UM, IT IS NO SMALL PART, UH, OF OUR, OF OUR STATE'S ECONOMIC SECTOR.
UH, IT ENCOMPASSES OVER 20% OF, OF VALUE OF THE STATE'S, GDP, UM, AND THAT GIVES US SOME WEIGHT WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO ADVOCATE ON, ON BEHALF OF THIS REGION, WHETHER IT'S FOR INFRASTRUCTURE OR SPECIFIC POLICY AT A STATE LEVEL OR EVEN A FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK UPDATES.
PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS ASKED, OKAY, HOW ARE THINGS GOING IN THE PORT OF HOUSTON? HOW ARE THINGS GOING WITH THE REGION? UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TRACK ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE PORT BUREAU IS THE NUMBER OF SHIPS OR LARGE VESSELS THAT MOVE IN AND OUT.
SO THIS IS KIND OF A, A, A, A FINGER ON THE PULSE, IF YOU WILL, OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.
UM, UH, WE SAW, WE SAW, YOU KNOW, A, A, A REAL DIP THROUGH, UM, UH, THE FREEZE AND, AND COVID, BUT, UM, THESE ARE, THESE ARE 20, 22 NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT HERE.
AND YEAR TO DATE, LARGE VESSEL MOVEMENTS ARE UP 8%.
UM, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD REFLECTION OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE IN THE REGION, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT MONTH BY MONTH.
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER REPRESENTATION OF THAT, UM, UH, GRAPHICALLY WITH YEAR OVER YEAR, UM, 22, EVEN THOUGH YOU SEE A SLIGHT DIP BELOW WHAT 19 AND, AND EVEN 21 THERE IN THE MONTH OF MAY, 2022 IS ALREADY ON TARGET TO BE PROBABLY THE, THE, THE BEST YEAR THAT THE PORT OF HOUSTON HAS HAD AS FAR AS MOVING SHIPS AND, AND EVEN, UM, CONTAINERS, WHICH CREATES ITS OWN SET OF PROBLEMS WITH GROWTH.
BUT, UM, UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRACKING TO HAVE A, ANOTHER REALLY SUCCESSFUL YEAR THIS YEAR.
UM, AND FEEL FREE TO INTERRUPT
[00:55:01]
ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.UM, REAL BRIEFLY ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THIS IS REALLY THE CORE OF WHAT WE DO.
UM, WE'VE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THE MISSION.
THIS IS A, THIS IS A NICE LOOK BACK OVER THE LAST 12 OR SO, UH, YEARS, UM, UH, OVER PROJECTS THAT, UH, THAT WE'VE WORKED ON THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, PRE 2011, UM, WE AVERAGED ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN NEW CAPITAL INVESTMENT ON PROJECTS WE WORKED ON SINCE THEN.
IT'S AVERAGING OVER $2 BILLION A YEAR, AND THAT'S DIRECT REFLECTION OF OUR, OF OUR PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY'S GROWTH.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST A, A LOOK BACK THIS LAST YEAR, 2021, UM, FIVE PROJECT WINS.
FOUR OF THOSE FIVE ARE, WERE IN THE PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY.
THAT WAS A DIRECT RESPONSE TO, UM, UH, UH, THE CLOSING OF, UM, HCA AFTER HARVEY.
UM, WE WERE APPROACHED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA, UM, TO TRY AND DO SOMETHING TO ADDRESS THE, UH, THE, THE REALLY THE HEALTHCARE, UM, DESERT, IF YOU WILL, UH, UH, IN THE, IN THE NORTH CHANNEL AREA.
WE WENT TO ALL OF OUR MEMBERS IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY AND, AND TALKED TO THEM PERSONALLY ABOUT THAT AND, AND ASKED THEM TO TAKE AN EVALUATION.
AND EVERYBODY HAD ALREADY KIND OF LOOKED AT IT, BUT KELSEY CAME BACK ABOUT 12 MONTHS LATER AND SAID, HEY, WE HAVE LOOKED AT THIS.
UM, THERE DOES NEED TO BE, THERE IS A SPOT FOR A CLINIC THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE COULD PUT THERE.
AND THEY, THEY OPENED THAT CLINIC, UH, ALMOST A YEAR AGO NOW, UM, AND ARE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING.
IT'S AT WALLACE FIELD AND, AND, AND, UH, BELTWAY EIGHT.
UM, SO IT'S NOT A HOSPITAL, BUT IT IS, IT IS, IT'S A SMALL PROJECT.
I THINK IT WAS A COUPLE OF MILLION DOLLARS, UH, UH, BUT THEY'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDING THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, NOT EVERYTHING, NOT EVERYTHING WE DO IS IN MANUFACTURING.
UM, AND LAST YEAR WAS, UH, BUT EVEN THOUGH LAST YEAR WAS REALLY HE, UH, HEAVY IN THAT, THIS IS A LOOK, IF YOU'RE A SALESMAN, YOU'VE GOT A SALES PIPELINE.
WE HAVE A PROJECT PIPELINE, UM, UH, THAT, THAT TELLS US WHAT THE PROJECTS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, UH, CURRENTLY 23 PROJECTS THAT ARE ACTIVE, ALL RELATIVELY NEW, PROBABLY WITHIN THE LAST 18 MONTHS, UM, INTO THE PIPELINE.
TOTAL CAPEX OF ABOUT $7.1 BILLION, UM, AND A LITTLE OVER 3,800 JOBS.
AND THE 7.1 BILLION IS A REALLY ROBUST NUMBER FOR US.
UM, UH, COMING OUT OF COVID OR THROUGH COVID, IT HAD DROPPED DOWN TO ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF OR 5 BILLION.
AND JUST AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, UH, 2022, WE STARTED SEEING A REAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS.
UM, SO I THINK, I THINK WE'LL BE BACK, UM, IN HEALTHY GROWTH MODE HERE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO.
ONLY ABOUT 20% OF THE PROJECTS WE WORK ON INCLUDE SOME SORT OF INCENTIVE, TAX INCENTIVE FROM THE STATE OR COUNTY.
UM, ALMOST ALL THE PROJECTS WE INCLUDE, UM, THAT WE WORK ON, INCLUDE, UM, CONNECTING THEM WITH OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, GETTING THEM THROUGH THE PERMIT PROCESS, TALKING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE.
DO YOU NEED TO EXPAND A ROAD? DO YOU NEED TO WIDEN A ROAD? THOSE TYPE OF, UH, THOSE TYPE OF ACTIVITIES TO REALLY KIND OF, UM, BOLSTER AND, AND HELP THOSE, UM, THROUGH THE, UH, THROUGH THE PROCESS.
THIS IS VERY QUICKLY, BUT JUST THESE ARE KIND OF SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT ARE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
UM, UH, AS FAR AS GROWTH IN CONTAINERS, UH, THAT THE REASON THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT DRIVES TRUCKS.
THAT'S PART OF OUR, OUR GROWTH, UM, UH, STRUGGLES THAT WE DEAL WITH AND WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE.
UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON WENT OVER 3 MILLION TUS IN 19 AND, AND, AND EVEN THREE AND A HALF MILLION IN, IN 21.
THAT'S A VERY SHORT WINDOW TO GO FROM THREE TO THREE AND A HALF.
AND, UH, WE'RE HEADED TOWARDS FOUR, UM, OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO.
UM, STILL MOST OF THE CARGO IS LIQUID BULK OUT OF THE PETROLEUM, UH, INDUSTRY.
SO A LOT OF THOSE, THOSE VESSEL MOVEMENTS, UM, OR BARGE MOVEMENTS THAT CONTINUES TO GROW.
UM, EVERYBODY COMPLAINS, UH, AND HAS REALLY HEARD ABOUT OUR SUPPLY CHAIN AND LOGISTICS ISSUES.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN HOUSTON COMPARED TO MAYBE IN LA LONG BEACH WHERE YOU'VE, YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THE, THE, THE NEWS ARTICLES.
SO, UM, PRE COVID, ID WE AVERAGED BETWEEN 30 AND 40 SHIPS IN THE QUEUE, IF YOU WILL, RIGHT OFF OF GALVESTON, WHERE THE, WHERE THE, UH, THE PILOTS PICK UP THE SHIP AND BRING IT IN.
UM, THIS, I PULLED IT UP LAST WEEK JUST TO SEE, I KIND OF CHECK IT ON A WEEKLY BASIS, BUT THERE WERE 65 IN THE QUEUE LAST WEEK, SO PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
NORMALLY IT WAS ABOUT A 24 HOUR WAIT, MAYBE A 48 HOUR WAIT, ONE OR TWO DAYS TO WAIT BEFORE YOU GOT IN, AND NOW IT'S CLOSER TO FOUR DAYS TO WAIT OFF, OFF BEFORE YOU COME IN.
UM, AND THEN, UM, ONCE YOU GET IN, UH, THEY CAN OFFLOAD, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CONTAINERS, THEY CAN OFFLOAD IT, BUT THEN A LOT OF THOSE CONTAINERS, IF YOU'VE DRIVEN PAST THE CONTAINER TERMINALS ARE SITTING ON THE DOCKS.
AND SO INSTEAD OF A THREE DAY TURNAROUND FOR, TO GET YOUR CONTAINER OFF THE DOCK, IT'S CLOSER TO A SEVEN DAY TURNAROUND RIGHT NOW TO GET YOUR CONTAINER OFF THE DOCK.
[01:00:01]
STILL AN IMBALANCE IN KIND OF WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO MOVE GOODS RAPIDLY, UM, AND THE AMOUNT OF GOODS THAT ARE FLOWING IN RIGHT NOW, AND, AND WE ARE ALL PART OF THAT.I KNOW I CONTRIBUTED THAT BY GOING TO AMAZON ON A REGULAR BASIS IN ORDERING SOMETHING THAT ENDS UP COMING OFF OF A, OFF OF A SHIP.
SO WE'VE CHANGED THE WAY THAT WE PURCHASE THAT'S BEING REFLECTED IN THE WAY WE MOVE GOODS, UM, IN AND OUTTA THE PORT OF HOUSTON.
UM, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WORK, UH, VERY PROUD OF THE, OF THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE THAT, THAT'S LED BY OUR REGIONAL MAYORS, EAST HARRIS COUNTY MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, THE PORT, THE COUNTY, UM, EVEN TDOT AND HGAC.
UM, UH, WE, WE ACTUALLY MET TODAY, EARLIER TODAY WITH, UM, THE, THE HOUSTON FREIGHT COMMITTEE HEADED BY FORMER JUDGE, UM, ED EMMETT, UM, AND TALKED THROUGH KIND OF WHERE WE WERE ON REGIONAL PROJECTS IN THIS, IN THIS FOOTPRINT.
UM, THAT COMMITTEE IDENTIFIED ABOUT 30 PROJECTS.
UH, THIS WAS SIX, ALMOST SEVEN YEARS AGO NOW.
AND ALMOST ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS, UM, ARE EITHER UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR STUDY IN ONE FORM OR FASHION, AND NOW IT'S TIME TO REASSESS.
UM, AND, AND THE CHANGE IN DYNAMICS WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING OVER HERE IN BAYTOWN OR THE NORTH CHANNEL AREA HAS, HAS IDENTIFIED ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE NEW PROJECTS THAT WE NEED TO BEGIN TO PRIORITIZE AND PUSH TOWARDS TDOT AND, AND GET IN THIS, UH, THE TIP.
SO, UM, SOME OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDERSTUDY RIGHT NOW AND OR, OR BEING ENGINEERED, UM, UH, THE, THE PELL STUDY, THE PLANNING ENVIRONMENTAL LINKAGES STUDY ON I 10, WHICH INCLUDES THE SAN CENTER RIVER BRIDGE, UM, AND THEN THE, THE, UM, STATE HIGHWAY 2 25, UM, TO SIX 10 PELL STUDY AND EXPANSION ON THE SOUTH SIDE, 1 46.
IF YOU'VE DRIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW THAT THE SOUTH SECTION IS, IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION UM, THE NORTH SECTION THROUGH LAPORTE IS NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AND THEN, UH, SOON TO BE IDENTIFIED EVEN MORE, UM, UH, UP HERE, UH, NORTH OF THAT, WE'RE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO FIND THE FUNDING FOR ALL EIGHT DIRECT CONNECTORS WITH THE BELTWAY EIGHT BRIDGE AND, UH, HIGHWAY 2 25, JUST SOUTH OF, OF THAT.
IT'S A, UM, NOW MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLAR BRIDGE.
AND, AND WE STILL HAVE TO, AS, AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, THERE'S STILL THREE DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH, THREE RED LIGHTS TO TAKE A TURN FROM THE BRIDGE TO HIGHWAY 2 25.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT TXDOT OR SOME ORGANIZATION FUNDS ALL EIGHT OF 'EM.
WE'VE GOT FIVE COMMITTED TO BE FUNDED, BUT NOT THE, UH, FINAL THREE.
SO, UM, AIR QUALITY DOES CONTINUE TO IMPROVE, AND WE MONITOR THIS EVERY YEAR, UH, WITH A PRESENTATION FROM HOUSTON REGIONAL MONITORING, WHICH IS EPA, UM, PRIVATE MONITORS, AIR ALLIANCE, UM, TCEQ.
THIS IS ALL THE MONITORS IN THE REGION THAT, THAT PRODUCES THIS DATA.
AND SO, UM, SO THE, THE, THE, THE QUALITY OF OUR AIR, UH, WHICH IS IMPACTED, REALLY TWO THIRDS IMPACT COMES FROM MOBILE SOURCES NOW INSTEAD OF POINT SOURCES.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THAT REAL QUICKLY.
GOING OVER THE PELL STUDIES, THE I TEN ONE AGAIN, FROM DOWNTOWN ALL THE WAY OUT TO MOUNT BELLEVUE.
THE MOST CRITICAL PART OF THAT IS, IS GONNA BE THE, UM, CENTER, CENTER RIVER BRIDGE.
UM, UH, I HEARD AN UPDATE EARLIER TODAY ON THAT, SO THAT THEY'RE ENGINEERING ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS ON THAT TO CON INCLUDE DIFFERENT HEIGHTS, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THE HIGHER YOU GO, THE FARTHER OUT YOU GO, THE FARTHER OUT YOU GO, OBVIOUSLY IT, IT, IT'S GONNA IMPACT THE THREE 30 INTERCHANGE THERE.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE BEST ENGINEERING SOLUTION FOR THAT.
AND, UM, UH, RICK, I KNOW YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH, WITH ALL THE THINGS GOING ON THERE, BUT AT LEAST IT HAS BEEN PULLED OUT OF THE WHOLE STUDY AND ACCELERATED TO, TO BE A TOP PRIORITY RIGHT NOW ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
THEY'RE ABOUT A YEAR BEHIND ON THE 2 25 STUDY, UH, VERSUS THE I 10 STUDY, BUT IT IS MOVED INTO PHASE TWO, WHICH IS GOOD.
WE'RE WAITING TO, AND HOPEFUL TO HEAR SOME, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME OUTTA THAT LATER THIS YEAR.
THAT STUDY DOES INCLUDE THE SIX 10 BRIDGE, UM, UH, RIGHT NEXT TO THE PORT OF HOUSTON, THE CONNECTION FROM THAT INTERSECTION TO 45, AND THEN ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE INTERSECTION WITH 1 46 AND, AND THE FRED HARTMAN BRIDGE.
SO, SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS ARE GONNA COME OUTTA THIS, UM, A VERY HIGH PRICE TAG IS GONNA COME OUTTA THIS TOO.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING NOW TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET FUNDING TO, TO, TO BASICALLY CORRECT AND CATCH UP.
WE TALKED, I HEARD YOU TALKING OBVIOUSLY ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE WITH YOUR WATER, UH, ISSUES WITH ALL OF THE INVESTMENT THAT'S HAPPENED IN THIS, THIS PORT REGION OVER THE LAST DECADE.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE DOES NOT MOVE AT THAT PACE.
AND, AND WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE IT WITH OUR STATE TO GET THESE PROJECTS, UH, FUNDED AND, AND MOVE FORWARD.
UM, OTHERWISE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND THEN OUR, OUR BUSINESS' ABILITY TO, TO PROSPER IN THIS REGION BEGINS TO DEGRADE AND, AND WE LOSE BUSINESS AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
SO, UM, THESE ARE JUST TRUCK COUNTS, UH, TRAFFIC COUNTS THAT, UH, ARE STAGGERING WHEN YOU LOOK AT 'EM AND YOU REALIZE THERE'S ALMOST 50,000 TRUCKS A DAY THAT RUNS DOWN
[01:05:01]
PROBABLY 2 25.UM, THE, I HAD MENTIONED THE 1 46 SECTION IS UNDER, UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.
MY FAVORITE INTERSECTION THAT I, THAT I MENTIONED WITH BELTWAY EIGHT AND HIGHWAY 2 25.
AGAIN, ONLY FIVE OF THE EIGHT DIRECT CONNECTORS OFF OF THAT BRIDGE HAVE BEEN FUNDED YET, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ENGINEERED, THEY'RE READY TO GO.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO DO IT YET.
AND WE, IF THE FEAR IS, AND OBVIOUSLY IF, IF THEY BUILD THAT BRIDGE AND, AND DO NOT FUND AND BUILD ALL EIGHT DIRECT CONNECTORS, IT, IT COULD BE A DECADES BEFORE WE SEE THAT FINISH.
AND THE TRAFFIC THERE IS JUST STAGGERING.
UM, ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR MAYORS AROUND THE CITY, ALL OF OUR STATE AND FEDERAL REP, UH, REPRESENTATIVES, UM, SIGNED THE LETTER, UH, SENT TO THE HEAD OF TEXDOT AND SEVERAL OTHERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TRY AND, UH, LET OUR VOICE BE HEARD.
SO, SO WE'VE, WE'VE GOT THEIR EAR.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO IDENTIFY SOME MONEY, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, UH, WE CONTINUE TO WORK HAND IN HAND WITH ALL OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WITH OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES, UM, AND WITH OUR INDUSTRY TO MARKET THE PATHWAYS AND THE JOBS THAT SUPPORT THIS REGION, UM, TO OUR, TO OUR STUDENTS THAT, THAT MAY NOT HAVE A FATHER OR AN UNCLE OR, OR A MOTHER OR AN AUNT THAT WORKS IN THIS INDUSTRY.
UM, SO, UH, IN, IN A PRE COVID YEAR, WE WERE AVERAGING A HUNDRED DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS A YEAR.
THIS YEAR, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA GET BACK TO THAT NOW, UM, AND OVER 10,000 STUDENTS A YEAR THAT WE WERE REACHING WITH THE INFORMATION AND THE PATHWAYS.
UM, BUT WE WORK HAND IN HAND, AS I MENTIONED, WITH OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES, WITH ALL OF OUR ISDS ON THE EAST END, UM, AND WITH OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS, UM, IN ECMA AND THEIR, THEIR WORKFORCE GROUP, WHICH IS PETROCHEM WORKS.
UM, I, I DID NOT PUT A SLIDE IN HERE FOR PUBLIC POLICY, BUT I DID WANNA MENTION THAT VERY QUICKLY.
UM, UH, UH, OUR POLICY COMMITTEE, UM, IS, IS CURRENTLY, UM, UH, WE MEET NEXT WEEK IS, IS BEGINNING TO WORK ON OUR STATE, UH, WHITE PAPER.
WE REACH OUT TO ALL OF OUR CITIES.
WE REACH OUT TO INDUSTRY, THE PORT, WE GATHER THOSE, THOSE THOSE TOPICS THAT THIS REGION NEEDS TO HAVE A VOICE ON, PUT IT ON ONE PAPER.
WE PRESENT IT TO OUR STATE LEGISLATORS, UM, NOVEMBER 30TH.
WE, WE HAVE A FORUM WITH ALL OF THEM THERE.
THEY'RE ALL WELCOME TO COME, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN KIND OF GIVE US THEIR FORECAST OF IT.
BUT THEN THE REAL MEANING OF THE, OF THE FORUM IS TO SAY, FROM THIS REGION, HERE ARE THE ITEMS THAT ARE PRIORITIES TO US IN THIS REGION.
AND, UH, IT'S KIND OF OUR FIRST CHANCE TO GET THEIR EAR.
UM, WE DO THE SAME THING ON A FEDERAL LEVEL EVERY YEAR.
UH, WE DIDN'T, OBVIOUSLY, UH, WEREN'T ABLE TO TO GO TO DC IN 2020, BUT IN 21, WE WENT IN, UM, OCTOBER, AND THEN WE WERE GOT BACK ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE THIS LAST APRIL, AND TOOK ABOUT ALMOST 30 PEOPLE, UH, A LITTLE OVER 20 PEOPLE EACH TIME, UH, INCLUDING, UH, UH, MAYOR AND, UH, AND OTHER, UH, FOLKS FROM FROM BAYTOWN WERE ABLE TO GO.
AND MAYOR CILLO DOES A GOOD JOB OF REPRESENTING THIS REGION IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, UM, WHEN HE'S THERE.
ONE OTHER QUICK THING THAT I DO WANNA MENTION HOUSED IN OUR, IN OUR OFFICE BUILDING, UM, INTENTIONALLY IS SBDC, UH, THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.
WE PARTNER WITH THEM REGULARLY.
UM, WE MAY WORK ON, UH, MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR PROJECTS.
THEY ARE THE ARM THAT REACHES OUT TO THE SMALL BUSINESS.
THEY PROVIDE FREE COUNSELING, UH, FREE BUSINESS PLANNING SEMINARS.
WE HELD A SEMINAR THERE LAST WEEK, TARGETED AT SMALL, UM, UM, UH, BUSINESSES, MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES, AND TAUGHT THEM HOW TO WORK WITH GOVERNMENT.
WE HAD, WE HAD FOLKS FROM ALL THE COURT, ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WHERE THESE ARE THE WAYS TO GET YOUR BUSINESS ENTRENCHED IN QUALIFIED TO WORK WITH GOVERNMENT.
SO WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE COMING UP ON LEGAL.
SO THESE ARE REGULAR THINGS THAT WE PROVIDE TO TRY AND KIND OF FILL THAT GAP WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A, IT'S NOT US, IT'S SBDC, HERB HILDE, BRATTON, THE TEAM THERE DOES A GREAT JOB, BUT WE HOUSE THEM WITH US SO WE CAN FILL THAT GAP.
SO, UM, AND THEN, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE.
JUST, UH, LAST MONTH, UM, WE, UH, VERY HAPPILY APPROVED THE, UH, UH, THE BAYTOWN SCULPTURE TRAIL MATCHING GRANT FOR $5,000.
WE'VE GOT THOSE MATCHING GRANTS, THOSE QUALITY OF LIFE GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF US BEING ABLE TO PUSH THAT MONEY BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITIES.
UM, IT'S JUST, THAT'S A REALLY REWARDING PROJECT THAT WE'VE GOT.
IT'S MONEY THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, TO, UM, UH, TAKE IN THROUGH DONATIONS OVER THE LAST REALLY COUPLE OF DECADES.
AND WE TURN THAT BACK AROUND INTO THE COMMUNITIES.
UM, UH, AND, AND REALLY THEY FALL UNDER THE HEADING OF QUALITY OF LIFE.
IT'S EVERYTHING FROM READING PROGRAMS TO WOMEN'S SHELTERS, TO SCULPTURE, UH, YOU KNOW, TRAILS.
SO IT, IT CAN BE, WE, WE JUST RECENTLY DID ONE FOR, UM, GALENA
[01:10:01]
PARK'S EARLY WARNING SYSTEM.THEY DIDN'T HAVE SIRENS AT WORK, SO, SO WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH THEM FOR THAT.
I, I, I ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
UH, THERE'S NOT JUST ONE BITE AT THE APPLE, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE BAYTOWN GOT A SCULPTURE TRAIL THING DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND ANOTHER PROJECT AND COME BACK.
WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF STEWARDING THAT MONEY OVER THE YEARS, AND, AND WE DO HAVE, UM, SOME FUNDS AVAILABLE THAT WE LIKE TO PUSH BACK OUT THERE WITH THAT, UH, I WILL, UH, I WILL JUST CONCLUDE BY SAYING IT'S AN HONOR TO BE, UH, UH, PARTNERED WITH BAYTOWN AS ONE OF OUR 11 CITIES.
UM, Y'ALL DO A GREAT JOB HERE, AND, AND WE WE'RE BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO SERVE YOU GUYS IN THIS REGION AND, UH, WORK CLOSELY WITH, UH, WITH MAYOR AND COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, ANYBODY OVER HERE.
WE, WE REALLY, UH, WE LOVE HAVING Y'ALL AND APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
AND WE, WE'VE APPRECIATED THE WORK OVER THE YEARS.
[b. Receive the City of Baytown's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Single Audit Report for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021.]
WILL MOVE ON TO FOUR B, WHICH IS TO RECEIVE THE CITY OF BAY TOWN'S COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT AND SINGLE AUDIT REPORT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2021.AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE MR. ISAAC SIGNED UP ON THIS ITEM AS WELL.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, PRO TEM AND CITY COUNCIL.
THIS EVENING WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS, UH, OUR FISCAL YEAR.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, PROBABLY THAT THE TAXPAYER CARES ABOUT WHERE OUR MONEY'S GOING.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS, THIS HAS NOT BEEN PUBLIC ENOUGH, TRANSPARENT ENOUGH ON THIS CITY'S WEBSITE.
WE GOTTA WAIT AND DIG THROUGH 270 PAGES JUST TO THE FISCAL YEAR REPORT, BURIED IN 300 PAGES.
NOW, I WANNA ASK YOU, HOW IS THE TAXPAYER SUPPOSED TO BENEFIT FROM THAT? I DON'T THINK THIS CITY COUNCIL HAS READ ELEVATING TRUST IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR THOROUGHLY, BECAUSE THIS ISN'T THE TRUSTFUL WAY TO DO IT.
THE WHOLE PACKET NEEDS TO BE AVAILABLE WHEN WE GO TO TOWN HALL FOR A CITY HALL MEETING.
EVERYONE IN THAT ROOM RIGHT NOW SHOULD HAVE A PACKET WITH THE FISCAL YEAR.
IT'S NOT EVEN IN THE PACKET, TO BE HONEST, WITH THE PACKET.
THERE'S, THERE'S OTHER INFORMATION.
ONE, ONE FOR THE ANGEL BROTHERS, WE'RE GONNA GIVE AWAY $2.7 MILLION TO THEM.
AGAIN, IT'S THE KIND OF THINGS THAT THE, THE TOWN WANTS TO TALK ABOUT.
IT'S THE KIND OF THINGS WE WANT TO PLAY A ROLE IN.
AND WE'VE MADE THAT CLEAR THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRICT FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE LAST YEAR.
THAT'S PART OF A COMMUNITY-BASED STRATEGIC PLAN.
HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE METRICS FROM A, FROM A STRATEGIC PLAN WITHOUT KNOWING THE FISCAL BUDGET FOR THE YEAR? I WOULD LIKE THE CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE THESE PIECES OF PAPER MORE TRANSPARENT GOING FORWARD.
SO WE WILL HEAR, UM, IT, IT SAYS MR. BROWN WAS SPIT.
I BELIEVE WE INSTEAD WE HEAR FROM MR. BELT, CORRECT? CORRECT.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE WITH YOU.
I'M THE MANAGING PARTNER OF BELT HARRIS PEK, AND I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE CITY FOR THE YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2021.
AND SO I'M VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE'VE ISSUED AN UNMODIFIED OPINION, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ASSURANCE AS THE CITY'S AUDITORS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, THAT THE DISCLOSURES REQUIRED BY GENERAL ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES HAVE BEEN INCLUDED, AND THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE, UH, ENTIRELY CORRECT.
SO THAT IS, UH, THAT IS THE EXACT TYPE OF OPINION YOU'RE LOOKING FOR TONIGHT.
SO THAT IS EXCELLENT NEWS TO HAVE.
ALSO, TO NOTE THAT ANYTIME THE CITY RECEIVES FEDERAL FUNDS OVER $750,000, THAT THE CITY IS REQUIRED TO HAVE THEIR OUTSIDE AUDITOR.
OUR FIRM CONDUCT A WHAT WAS REFERRED TO AS A SINGLE AUDIT.
UH, THINK IT WAS APPROXIMATELY $5.5 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WERE RECEIVED THIS PAST YEAR.
WE'VE ISSUED TWO DIFFERENT COMPLIANCE REPORTS WITHIN THIS REPORT, AND ALSO BOTH OF THOSE REPORTS ARE UNMODIFIED.
SO AGAIN, THAT IS, THAT IS EXCELLENT NEWS.
THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FINANCIAL, UH, INFORMATION WITHIN THE REPORT.
IT'S, UH, IT'S OVER 150 SOME PAGES LONG.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT AND, UH, HAVE NO FEAR.
I'M NOT GONNA READ IT OFF TO YOU, BUT I, WHAT WE'RE JUST GONNA POINT OUT
[01:15:01]
A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR THAT TOTAL REVENUES FOR THE YEAR CAME IN AT, UH, ALMOST $120,000, $120 MILLION.TOTAL EXPENDITURES CAME IN A HUNDRED, A HUNDRED $0.1 MILLION.
OTHER FINANCING SOURCES WERE 6,456,000.
YOU BEGAN THE YEAR WITH A FUND BALANCE OF 11,378,000.
YOU ENDED THE YEAR WITH A FUND BALANCE OF 48 MILLION.
I'M SORRY, YOU ENDED, YOU BEGAN THE YEAR WITH A, A FUND BALANCE OF 36,996,000, AND YOU ENDED THE YEAR WITH A FUND BALANCE OF 48,375,000, AND YOU HAD A POSITIVE INCREASE FOR THE YEAR OF APPROXIMATELY $11.3 MILLION.
SO WITH ANY TYPE OF GOVERNMENTAL UNIT, YOU WILL OFTEN LOOK AT YOUR TOTAL BUDGET AND EX AND YOUR FUND BALANCE, AND EXPRESS YOUR FUND BALANCE AS A PERCENTAGE OF YOUR OPERATING YEAR.
AND THEN GOOD SOLID PRINCIPLES HAVE YOU HAVING AT LEAST, UH, RECOMMEND HAVING AT LEAST 60 TO 90 DAYS WORKING CAPITAL ON HAND.
AND YOU COME IN AT ALMOST SIX MONTHS OF WORKING CAPITAL ON HAND.
SO THAT IS AN EXCELLENT FINANCIAL, UH, POSITION TO BE IN.
SO THAT IS, THAT IS GREAT NEWS.
ALSO, UH, A FEW PAGES BACK IS THE RESULTS OF YOUR WATER AND SEWER FUND.
I WON'T GET INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT, BUT YOU CAME IN WITH A VERY STRONG POSITIVE OPERATING RESULTS, UH, FOR YOUR WATER AND SEWER FUND.
BUT AGAIN, THIS WAS FOR THE PAST OPERATING YEAR, AND AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A GENERAL INFLATIONARY INCREASE OF ABOUT 8%.
AND SO, AS I WAS LISTENING TO THE, THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT, I JUST WANT TO JUST, I GUESS MAKE MY COMMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH THE COST.
THE, THE CITY'S HERE TO PROVIDE THE COST OF SERVICES AT THE LEAST POSSIBLE COST.
BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH THE COST.
AND IF THE COSTS ARE GOING UP 8%, YOU'VE GOTTA KEEP TRACK, UH, WITH THAT, OR YOU HAVE TO MAKE SACRIFICES SOMEWHERE IN THE QUALITY AND OF, OF THE SYSTEM, OR IT EVENTUALLY CATCHES UP WITH YOU.
SO THAT WOULD BE YOUR, YOUR ACCOUNTANT AUDITOR, UH, WOULD, WOULD MAKE YOU THAT, UH, WOULD, WOULD MAKE THAT WISH OF YOU, UH, SO TO SPEAK.
MORE THAN HAPPY TO, UH, ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THE COUNSEL MAY HAVE.
UH, WITH THAT, I GUESS I'LL JUST MAKE A COMMENT.
UM, UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IN TALKING TO THE CITY MANAGER, THERE WERE, UH, I GUESS MAYBE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO DO A, A BIT MORE REPORTING IN A COUPLE OF VARIOUS WAYS, WHICH I FEEL IS A GOOD IDEA.
UM, AND ALSO UNDERSTAND THERE WAS, UH, SOMEWHAT OF AN OVERSIGHT ON SOME OF THE, THE, THE BOOKING OR THE ACCOUNTING.
AND I, I UNDERSTAND THAT'S BEEN REMEDIED AS WELL.
AND, UH, THAT'S REALLY MY ONLY COMMENTS UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
SO THERE WERE, UM, FOUR FINDINGS.
UM, THERE ARE TWO THAT I WANTED TO DRAW COUNCIL'S ATTENTION TO, WHERE THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO IMPROVE HOW, UH, STAFF COMMUNICATES TO CITY COUNCIL ON THE SUBJECT OF NEGATIVE CASH BALANCES.
THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER ADOPTING A FORMAL POLICY ON HOW DEFICIT BALANCES WILL BE COMMUNICATED TO MANAGEMENT AND CITY COUNCIL.
AND ON THE SUBJECT OF EXPENDITURES, IN EXCESS OF APPROPRIATIONS, THE RECOMMENDATION IS, UH, WHAT WE SHOULD ENSURE THAT EXPENDITURES DO NOT EXCEED THE APPROPRIATIONS THAT ARE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UM, IF THERE IS INSUFFICIENT FUNDS, THEN AN AMENDMENT SHOULD BE PROPOSED TO CITY COUNCIL IN SUFFICIENT TIME.
I COMPLETELY SUPPORT, UH, BOTH OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND, UM, I URGE, UH, STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE.
COUNCILWOMAN AND FINANCE CHAIR.
ANYTHING ELSE? I GUESS JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, MR. CITY MANAGER.
SO HOW WOULD WE ADOPT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS? WOULD THAT BE A RESOLUTION OR WHAT WOULD WE NEED TO DO IF WE SO DESIRED AS A COUNCIL TO ADOPT? WELL, WITH REGARD, ANY OR ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WITH, WITH REGARD TO, UH, REPORTING, WE HAD A DISCUSSION TODAY ABOUT WHAT THAT IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE, AS YOU KNOW, AND I THINK WE'VE DISCUSSED, THERE'S A LOT OF, IN, WE HAVE ONE BUCKET OF MONEY, BASICALLY WITH DIFFERENT FUNDS THAT ARE REPRESENTED WITHIN THAT BUCKET.
THERE IS, UH, ORGANICALLY AN INFLOW AND OUTFLOW OF MONEY.
CERTAIN REVENUES COME ONLINE SOONER THAN OTHERS, AND CERTAIN EXPENDITURES ARE MADE SOONER THAN OTHERS.
WITHIN THAT BUCKET OF MONEY, THERE IS THAT, THERE'S THAT INFLOW AND OUTFLOW.
THE AUDITORS HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT WE, UH, WE MAKE SOME REPORTING OF THAT CONDITION AND I'LL LET, UH, VICTOR KIND REPORT ON, ON WHAT WE, WE RECOMMEND.
ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE ELDERS HAVE MADE HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THEM TO BRING FORWARD ANY NECESSARY POLICY PROPOSALS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
BUT EVERYTHING HAS BEEN ACCEPTED, AND I'M VERY, VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE HELP THEY HAVE GIVEN US, UH, WITH THE AUDIT AND
[01:20:01]
ALSO AS IDENTIFYING FURTHER REFINEMENTS TO OUR CONTROL PROCESSES, WHICH, UH, WILL GUARANTEE, UH, EFFECTIVE STEWARDSHIP OF, UH, CITY RESOURCES GOING FORWARD.AND, AND VICTOR, MAYBE ADDRESS, UH, POTENTIALLY HOW, UH, REPORTING CAN BE DONE WITH REGARD TO THE INFLOW AND OUTFLOW OF REVENUE? YES, THAT, AGAIN, THAT'S ONE OF THE, UH, SUBJECTS THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE THIS TUESDAY.
I'LL BE BRINGING PROPOSALS BACK TO THE COMMITTEE WITH, UH, HOW WE CAN BETTER REPORT THAT AND KEEP YOU INFORMED AND ANY NECESSARY, AS I SAY, CHANGES TO POLICIES WILL BE BROUGHT TO YOU FOR YOUR APPROVAL.
YEAH, I JUST ALSO WANTED TO, UM, POINT OUT, UH, IN HIS COMMENTS THAT THE, THE CITY HAD AN $11 MILLION INCREASE IN REVENUE AND ALSO THAT THE, UH, RECOMMENDED SAVINGS FOR OPERATIONS, UM, IS 90 DAYS AND WE HAVE SIX MONTHS.
SO, UM, I DON'T THINK ANYONE HERE IS SUGGESTING THAT WE NOT PAY FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, UM, OR NOT KEEP UP WITH THE RISING COST OF UTILITIES.
I THINK ALL THE SUGGESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE HERE THAT I'VE HEARD TONIGHT IS THAT THERE ARE OTHER AVENUES TO EXPLORE OTHER THAN RATE INCREASES.
AND I WANNA JUMP IN WITH MY COLLEAGUE HERE.
YOU KNOW, MOST CITIES TARGET, YOU KNOW, 60, 90 DAYS, AND, AND THAT'S KIND OF IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, AND THAT'S A TYPICALLY A LONG DISCUSSION.
WE HAVE, WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE? SIX MONTHS.
THAT'S, I, YOU, YOU BET THAT'S A GREAT BANK ACCOUNT, BUT THAT MEANS A WHOLE LOT OF WORK ISN'T GETTING DONE.
AND SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE.
WE CAN'T GET TO MAINTAIN THINGS.
60, 90 DAYS WHEN WE AS A COUNCIL AGREE THAT THAT'S OUR TARGET, OUR EXPECTATIONS, THAT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA KIND OF END UP.
SOMETIMES 120, BUT 180 DAYS, THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF PROJECTS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE AND IN MY OPINION, SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE.
UM, MR. MAYOR PROTE, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE CAN'T SEEM TO RECRUIT TO GET A LOT OF WORK DONE THAT IS NOT GOING, NOT GETTING DONE.
SO WE'RE WITH YOU, IF I CAN JUST RESPOND TO THAT.
WE WE'RE DOING PROJECTS AS FAST AS WE PHYSICALLY CAN DO.
WE'RE, IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THE PROJECTS.
UM, THERE, THIS CITY, MORE THAN ANY I'VE KNOWN, PAYS FOR A LOT OF PROJECTS IN CASH, AND WE HAVE DEFERRED A LOT OF DEBT.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT BY UTILIZING, UH, THIS CASH.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT UTILITIES, THE ONLY, THE ONLY THING I AM TRYING TO IMPRESS UPON YOU IS AS A LONG-TERM STRATEGY, I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THAT.
BUT AS A SHORT TERM, WE, I, WE, I'VE MADE MY COMMITMENT TO YOU ALL THAT WE WILL LOOK AT SOME ALTERNATIVE FUNDING FOR SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS AND TRY TO KEEP THAT COST AS CLOSE TO MINIMAL AS POSSIBLE ON THE UTILITIES.
I HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, AND, AND WE'LL DO THAT.
AND NOT ALL OF IT'S UTILITIES.
SOME OF IT'S, YOU KNOW, IN THE CAPITAL PROJECT, THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS OUT THERE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE.
AND, AND OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT FUNDS TO GET IT DONE IN FIVE YEARS.
MY FIRST FIVE YEARS OF THE CITY, WE PAID $82 MILLION IN ONE TIME.
UH, CAPITAL COST, THAT'S EQUIVALENT TO THE BOND THAT WAS ISSUED IN 19 IN 2007.
WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE MONEY SITTING IN THE BANK, SO WELL, WE UTILIZE IT ON YOUR PROJECT.
I, I, YOU KNOW, I, EVERY PROJECT THAT I'VE SUBMITTED HAS EITHER BEEN ALREADY, YOU KNOW, IN THE WORKS IN THE STUDY.
SO OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO, BUT, UM, I WOULD NOT WANNA GO TO, UH, A 60 OR 90 DAY.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE PANDEMIC WAS UNFORESEEN, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT ALSO SALARIES FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, THEIR, UM, BONUSES OR WHATEVER THEY GET, I MEAN, I WOULDN'T NOT WANT TO GO ANY LOWER THAN MAYBE, YOU KNOW, HUNDRED AND 20.
WELL THAT, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP REDUCING THE TAX RATE.
AND SO IT'S LIKE WE NEED TO HAVE A CUSHION.
I, I BELIEVE THIS LAST BUDGET YEAR, I THINK THE TARGET WAS 90 DAYS.
AND WE ENDED UP AT, AT, AT 180 DOUBLED.
I WOULDN'T WANNA GO DOWN BELOW 90.
BUT WE NEED TO TARGET SOME 90.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A HAPPY MEDIAN THERE SOMEWHERE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, BUT IT'S KIND 180 DAYS I, THAT TOOK ME OFF GUARD.
I KNOW WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS END UP IN GOOD SHAPE.
BUT 180 DAYS, THAT'S A LOT OF, THAT'S A LOT OF CASH TO SITTING THERE NOT DOING ANYTHING.
AND, AND AGAIN, WE ARE LIMITED PHYSICALLY ABOUT HOW MUCH WORK CAN BE DONE.
[01:25:01]
UH, WE JUST, WE JUST ARE, UH, WE DO AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.UH, I GUARANTEE THAT, UH, WE WILL UTILIZE THAT, THAT FUNDING.
AND, UH, I THOUGHT THE IDEA IS SHARED HERE TONIGHT.
AND WE WILL CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT.
I CAN'T GUARANTEE TO YOU THAT WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE THAT MUCH IN FUND BALANCE, BUT THIS HAS BEEN A, A TURBULENT YEAR IN, IN THAT IT IS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO GET WORK DONE EITHER ON THE CONTRACTOR SIDE OR OUR OWN EMPLOYEES.
A LOT OF WHAT YOU SEE IS, IS SALARY SAVINGS, UM, DOING OUR VERY BEST TO KEEP UP.
UH, THIS IS A CITY LIKE, UH, FEW OTHERS.
WE, WE HAVE, UH, SOMETHING VERY SERIOUS HAPPENED ABOUT EVERY YEAR THAT WE NEED TO BE PREPARED TO HANDLE.
WELL, NOT ONLY THAT, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN, SO, UM, I GUESS OUR PORTFOLIO IS SO HEAVY ON IDAS.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ONE OF THOSE SHUTS DOWN? YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THIS FAR AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS DIVERSIFYING AND GETTING IN NEW BUSINESSES.
SO WE'RE NOT SO, SO DEPENDENT ON OUR INDUSTRY.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS GIVING US CUSHION.
I THINK THIS COUNCIL'S BEEN VERY GOOD IN PROVIDING OUR CITIZENS DIVIDENDS ALSO, IN TERMS OF MODERNIZING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, BUILDING, THE ADOPTION CENTER, UH, THE, THE CONVENTION CENTER AND OTHER FACILITIES THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, THE ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MALL REDEVELOPMENT, THE WAY THAT YOU HAVE AND THE MYRIAD OF, UH, OTHER TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS YOU'VE BEEN DOING HAVE, UH, BEEN TREMENDOUS DIVIDENDS.
SO WE, WE OBVIOUSLY HOPE THAT YOU'LL GREET THIS KIND OF, UH, FINANCIAL CONDITION WARMLY, AND THAT YOU'LL BE, YOU'LL BE HAPPY THAT OUR, OUR CITY HAS NEVER EVER BEEN IN A STRONG, A FINANCIAL POSITION AS THIS.
AND WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THE ONGOING MARCH TO LOWER TAX BURDEN, REDUCE TAX BURDEN IN A PRUDENT WAY.
UH, ENTERPRISES ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY ARE ENTERPRISES.
SO, UH, BUSINESSES AND, BUT, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE SENSITIVE THERE AS WELL.
JUST KNOW WE WILL DO AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
AND, UM, I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT REPORT AND WE'RE PROUD OF IT.
DID YOU HAVE A CONCLUDING REMARK THERE, MR. BELL? YES.
I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE.
WE AUDIT ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 150 GOVERNMENTAL UNITS, APPROXIMATELY 40 OTHER CITY UNITS OUT THERE.
AND I, AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, WALK YOU BACK IN TIME AS YOU WERE GOING INTO THE 21 BUDGET YEAR, UH, IT WAS A PRETTY DEPRESSED, UH, OUTLOOK IN TERMS OF EVERYBODY'S DIDN'T KNOW WHERE WE WERE GONNA COME.
AND SO EVERYBODY WAS BEING CONSERVATIVE ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE.
THEY WERE BEING CONSERVATIVE ON THEIR, THEIR REVENUE ESTIMATES.
AND BY THE GRACE OF GOD, IT TURNED OUT MUCH BETTER THAN THAN ANYONE PER HAD, PER HAD PLANNED.
AND, UH, WE SAW THAT REFLECTIVE OVER MOST OF THE GOVERNMENTAL UNITS THAT WE WORKED FOR WITH.
AND, UH, THERE WAS A BUDGET VARIANCE, UH, FOR TAXES IN THE GENERAL FUND OF $4.8 MILLION.
AND THAT'S PRIMARILY SALES TAX.
YOU DIDN'T, PROBABLY DIDN'T ANTICIPATE GETTING IN.
SO THE TRULY, THE, THE, THE CITY IS A BLESSED POSITION.
AND THAT WASN'T BAD MANAGEMENT, BAD PLANNING, THEY GOT YOU HERE.
UH, IT WAS JUST, WE WERE, WE WERE CONSERVATIVE LIKE EVERYONE WAS.
AND IT TURNED OUT MUCH BETTER.
AND, AND NOW THERE'S A POLICY DECISION ABOUT YOU, YOU HAVE MORE MONEY AVAILABLE THAN YOU WOULD TRADITIONALLY HAVE.
SOME OF THIS IS GONNA, COULD POTENTIALLY BE CYCLICAL AS WE MAY END UP GOING INTO SEVERAL YEARS WHERE THE ECONOMY'S POOR.
AND SO YOU'RE AT LEAST GOING INTO IT WITH MORE MONEY THAN YOU WOULD HAVE TYPICALLY HAD.
SO THIS IS A, A GREAT POSITION TO BE IN.
I PRESENT TO MANY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES THAT ARE AT 30 DAYS, 20 DAYS OF FUND BALANCE, AND THERE IS NO ABILITY TO RECOVER FROM THAT.
SO WITH THAT, ANY CONCLUDING REMARKS? IF NONE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO
[5. CONSENT All Consent Agenda items listed are considered to be routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Council Member requests, in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda.]
CONSENT AGENDA.AND I UNDERSTAND WE NEED TO PULL, UH, FIVE D BECAUSE WE HAVE A SPEAKER OR SPEAKERS.
SO IF WE CAN GET A MOTION FOR CONSENT ITEMS A THROUGH M, SAVE AND ACCEPT D, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE D SEPARATELY.
MOVE TO APPROVE ITEMS FIVE A THROUGH M, SAVE AND ACCEPT D SECOND, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR OF SUCH CONSENT ITEMS, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
[d. Consider an ordinance authorizing a Professional Services Agreement with Freese and Nichols, Inc. to perform project management, construction management, and inspection services for the Lincoln Cedars and Julie Ann Villa Drainage Improvements Project.]
NOW CAN WE GET A MOTION, UH, FOR FIVE D TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH FREEZING NICHOLS TO PERFORM PROJECT MANAGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION SERVICES FOR THE LINCOLN[01:30:01]
CEDARS AND JULIANNE VILLA DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS? APPROVE ITEM FIVE, TEN SECOND.OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION IN DECE SECOND, WE, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND HEAR FROM THE, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE HEARD FROM THE SPEAKERS FIRST BEFORE THE MOTION, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
WE'LL HEAR FROM 'EM NOW IF THAT'S OKAY.
MS. CITY CLERK, ARE THEY HERE OR ON ZOOM OR THEY'RE HERE.
UH, SO FIRST SIGNED UP IS MR. MARLON BARBER.
WHAT, WHICH SHE SERVE? IT'S THE NAME.
I AM COMING FORWARD TO YOU GUYS.
THE, WE ARE IN THE, TO THE LINCOLN CEDARS PROJECT.
UH, IT'S A DRAINAGE PROJECT THAT WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT UNTIL IT ACTUALLY TRANSPIRED.
I THINK IT ACTUALLY ALL STARTED ABOUT BEFORE THE, UH, THE PANDEMIC HIT.
AND THEN IT WAS STAGNANT FOR TWO YEARS, AND IT JUST, BOOM, THEY STARTED.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING OUT THERE SINCE THIS DRAINAGE PROBLEM HAS STARTED.
WE'RE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT.
WE'RE NOT GETTING RESOLUTION, YOU KNOW, ANY, ANY TYPE OF RESOLUTIONS WITH THIS STUFF.
SO THE CONTRACTOR ONLY FEELS THAT IT NEEDS TO DEAL WITH, WITH THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
WE DO HAVE SOME HELP OUT IN THE AREA DURING THE DAY, BUT IT'S NOT CONSISTENT THAT'S ANSWERING THE PROBLEMS. MYSELF, I THOUGHT THEY HAD ALREADY RAISED THE, THE, UH, PRICE OF WATER BEING THAT I DONE WENT FROM LIKE $70 TO $102.
SO, AND IT ONLY STARTED WITH THIS PROJECT.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT THE ONLY RESIDENT OUT THERE.
SO WE TALK, I HAVE SOME THAT'S HERE TODAY THAT'S NOT GONNA SPEAK, BUT I'M GONNA SPEAK ON THE AMOUNT OF HOW THE WATER PRICE HAS WENT UP IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED FOR US.
THERE ARE SENIORS OUT THERE AND WE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT OR OUR SENIORS AND STUFF, BECAUSE THIS, THAT BIG OLD INCREASE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEM IS.
WE NEED SOMEBODY TO HELP US ADDRESS WHERE THE PROBLEM IS.
UM, DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS ON THE CONTRACTOR SIDE.
DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS WHEN THE CITY PUT IN NEW METERS.
BUT I AM ASKING THE COUNCIL AND WHOEVER CAN HELP US PLEASE FIND THIS PROBLEM.
IT'S, IT'S THE WATER, THE BILL, IF THEY'RE GONNA INCREASE.
I DON'T EVEN WANNA SEE WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE IF THEY ACTUALLY DO AN INCREASE ON THIS BECAUSE THERE IS A PROBLEM.
WE JUST WANT THE PROBLEM ADDRESSED.
I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM PAYING MY WATER BILL, BUT IF IT DON'T HAVE TO BE THE PRICE IT IS, I WOULD ASK YOU GUYS TO PLEASE HELP US FIND THAT PROBLEM.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER, WHICH I BELIEVE IS SANDRA LEWIS.
TO THE MAYOR, CITY COUNCILMAN, ALL THE OTHER OFFICIALS, CITY OFFICIALS.
MY ISSUE IS THEY'RE OUT THERE WORKING IN MY AREA OR AT MY HOME.
WHEN YOU COME OFF OF HIGHWAY 1 46 AND IT DROPS DOWN ON THE SECOND HOUSE THERE, EVERY STORM, EVERY HURRICANE, I USUALLY GET FLOODED.
SO IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN, UH, FLOOD INSURANCE, WHICH I DO.
THIS LAST TIME WITH HARVEY, I LOST THREE VEHICLES.
EVERYTHING IN MY HOME, EVERYTHING IN MY OFFICE BUILDING.
AND IT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE FOR ONE THING, IT'S THE STRUCTURE OF THE LAND.
THE PROPERTY BEHIND ME USED TO BELONG TO MR. ANDREW LANEY.
IT NOW BELONGS TO MR. JIMMY SMITH.
IT WAS ELEVATED HIGHER THAN THE, THAN THE REGULAR LAND IN THE COMMUNITY, THE LOTS THAT OUR HOMES SIT ON.
SO MR. SMITH DID TRY TO GRADE IT DOWN.
HE HAS A LOT THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN MY HOUSE AND THE HOUSE RIGHT AT THE, UH, ENTRANCE OF LINCOLN CEDAR.
SO WHENEVER IT RAINS, THE ROADS ARE NOT EVEN, ALL THE WATER ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE COMES OVER ON MY SIDE.
ALL THE WATER FROM THE BACK COMES OVER ON MY SIDE.
AND THIS LAST STORM THAT WE HAD, I WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT CALLED AT FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
I TRIED TO GET THROUGH TO THE EMERGENCY BOARD.
YOU COULDN'T GET THROUGH TO THEM.
WE COULDN'T GET THROUGH TO 'EM.
AND AT FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, THEY CAME AND RESCUED ME AND MY 93-YEAR-OLD AUNT, BECAUSE THEY SAID MY HOUSE LOOKED LIKE IT WAS SITTING IN THE BAYOU.
[01:35:01]
FEET OF WATER IN MY HOME.WHEN THESE GUYS COME OUT THIS TIME TO DO THIS CONSTRUCTION WORK IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
MY FIRST THING WAS, ARE YOU GONNA FIX THE DRAINAGE? BECAUSE I'M GETTING FLOODED UP HERE ALL THE TIME.
IT'S NOT AS BAD ON THE LOWER END OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT IT'S HORRIBLE UP HERE WHERE I AM.
IT IS TAKEN THEM A LONG TIME TO GET THE FIRE HYDRANTS BACK IN PLACE.
HEAVEN FORBID WE HAVE A FIRE, WE GONNA BE IN TROUBLE.
A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO RUN A WHOLE LOT OF HOSE OUT THERE.
I HAD TO GET THEM TO PICK THE METER UP, SIT IT BACK IN MY YARD.
AND THEN, UM, THE BOXES THAT THEY PUT IN, THE BIG CONCRETE BLOCKS, UH, BOXES, THEY'RE NOT LEVEL WITH THE GROUND.
AND EVEN THE DRIVEWAYS, OR SAY MAYBE AN INCH AND A HALF OR TWO INCHES HIGHER THAN THE ROAD.
I WAS AT MY NIECE'S HOUSE THE OTHER NIGHT, AND WHEN I WALKED UP, I FORGOT, YOU GOTTA STEP UP NOW.
AND I HIT THE CAVE OF IT, THE DRIVEWAY, AND ALMOST FELL OVER ON MY FACE.
AND WE HAVE A NEIGHBOR THAT DID FALL FROM THAT.
SO WE'RE JUST WONDERING WHAT ALL IS GONNA HAPPEN.
IT'S GONNA BE CONCRETE, UM, SIDEWALKS ON MY SIDE OF THE STREET ON LINCOLN CEDAR.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS? ARE THE DRIVEWAYS GONNA BE, EVEN WITH THE STREET? IS THERE GONNA BE ANY CURBING? IT'S NOT LIKE THEY SEND US OUT A LETTER SAYING, WE ARE GONNA DO THIS, THIS, THIS.
AND IT'S TAKING THEM A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME, GETTING ALL THIS STUFF DONE.
THE TRAFFIC COMING OFF OF 1 46.
THAT'S NOT A PLACE TO PLAY ON 1 46.
BECAUSE WHEN WE ARE TURNING IN, THEY HAVE THOSE BIG, UH, CONCRETE PETITIONS IN THE MIDDLE.
SOMETIMES THEY'LL MAKE IT LIKE A ONE WAY.
IF I AM COMING OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SOMEONE'S COMING OFF OF 1 46 AND THEY NEED TO COME IN.
IF IT'S A LINE OF CARS AND THIS SIDE IS BLOCKED OFF, THEY'RE NOT GONNA SLOW DOWN FOR YOU 99% OF THE TIME ON 1 46.
YOU BETTER BE REALLY HAULING BUTT TRYING TO BACK UP.
'CAUSE SOMEBODY'S GONNA GET TORE UP.
OKAY, MS. LEWIS, YOU'RE, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU'RE OUTTA TIME.
BUT WE DO APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS VERY MUCH.
WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE NEXT SPEAKER, AND THEN PERHAPS WE CAN GET YOU, YOU, YOU LADIES INFORMATION.
OKAY, SO NEXT, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S NICOLE MATHIS, POSSIBLY COME ON DOWN.
JUST MENTION THE WORD DRAINAGE AND YOU'RE OKAY.
DRAINAGE
UM, I, MY ISSUE IS IT'S JUST THE WAY THAT THE PROJECT IS BEING HANDLED, RIGHT? OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS SMALL, IT'S BEING TORN UP.
WE, UM, WE ARE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING.
UM, WE'RE NOT GETTING NOTICES AT TIMES WHEN THINGS, WHEN OUR WATERS ARE BEING TURNED OFF.
UM, THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL, SEVERAL METER BREAKAGES OUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S JUST, IT'S DOES, IT'S NOT PROFESSIONAL.
IT'S LIKE THE, THE, UM, CONTRACTORS ARE UNDERSTAFFED.
UM, THAT WE, WE JUST DON'T KNOW.
I GUESS OUR MAIN ISSUE IS WE JUST DON'T KNOW, RIGHT? WE UNDERSTAND WITH CONSTRUCTION, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME INCONVENIENCE.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS, IT'S AN OLDER NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? AND WE HAVE A LOT OF SENIORS OUT THERE.
A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT THEY'RE OUT THERE TRYING TO FIX HAS BEEN THERE.
I MEAN, I'M 53, SO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD'S BEEN THERE OVER 80 YEARS, RIGHT? SO A LOT OF THINGS CHANGES THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE THE OLD AND THE NEW NOT CONNECTING, RIGHT? AND IT'S CAUSING MORE PROBLEM THAN GOOD.
BUT CAN WE GET AN UNDERSTANDING? CAN WE GET SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY OUT THERE WITH US TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TODAY.
OR THIS IS WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THE PROJECT IS INVOLVED.
THEY HAVE THOSE BIG CONCRETE BARRIERS IN OUR SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE ROAD IS COMPLETELY TORN UP.
THEY'RE SAYING THEY'RE GONNA FIX IT.
THEY HAVE MATERIAL THAT BELONG TO JULIANNE VILLAGE, HOUSED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? SO WE JUST WANT AN ANSWER.
WE WANT SOMEBODY TO JUST COME OUT AND TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? WITH THE RESPECT THAT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF SENIORS AND WE'RE VERY PROTECTIVE OF OUR SENIORS.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY, RIGHT? SO WE JUST WANNA KNOW IF WE CAN GET SOMEONE COME OUT, TALK TO US AND GIVE US SOME UNDERSTANDING.
'CAUSE THE CONTRACTORS, THEY SAY NOTHING TO US.
AND WHEN WE TRY TO SPEAK TO THEM, THEY, THEY DON'T SPEAK TO, THEY SAY THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND ENGLISH.
SO ALL I'M SAYING IS WE JUST WANT SOME ANSWERS.
CAN WE GET SOMEONE TO COME OUT AND GIVE US SOME ANSWERS TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? OKAY.
WE DO APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION.
AND I, I GUESS I'M GONNA ASK THE CITY MANAGER IF IS, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE MR. SEMINO,
[01:40:01]
UM, AND, AND PUBLIC WORKS POSSIBLY BE ON SITE AND VISIT, UH, WITH, WITH SOME OF THESE FOLKS OR MOST OF THOSE FOLKS OUT THERE? UM, OR AFTER THE MEETING TONIGHT WOULD BE A GOOD START.I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND HERE, MR. SEMINO? THAT WE NEED TO GET OUR, UH, CONSTRUCTION CREW OUT THERE, OUR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, AND HE CAN TALK TO THEM.
UH, I HAVE TALKED TO, UH, THE FIRST RESIDENT PERSONALLY ABOUT THE WATER METER ISSUE.
THERE WAS CONTRACTOR WHEN MOVING THE METER DID, UH, CAUSE A LEAK.
AND WE'VE TURNED THAT INFORMATION OVER TO UTILITY BILLING TO CORRECT THAT ISSUE.
UH, WE'RE ALREADY WORKED ON THAT.
UM, BUT WE WILL HAVE MORE MEETINGS WITH THE RESIDENTS.
THAT IS ONE REASON FOR THIS ITEM IS TO PROVIDE THE HIGHER, UH, LEVEL OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
IT, IT IS A STAFF AUGMENTATION TO US TO PROVIDE A HIGHER LEVEL OF SERVICE.
SO WE'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, AND THIS, MR. POWELL, THAT'S YOUR DISTRICT, STEVE O YES, SIR.
I, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR COMING OUT AND SHARING YOUR CONCERNS.
UM, AND, AND LIKE FRANK SAID, THIS, THIS AGENDA ITEM IS FOR, WILL HELP US PROVIDE MORE PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT.
SO I'M, I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM AND I BELIEVE IT'S GONNA HELP GET MORE INFORMATION, Y'ALL, AND, AND WE'LL SEE WHAT PUBLIC WORKS CAN DO AS WELL, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE COMMUNICATING BETTER.
SO THANK YOU'ALL FOR COMING OUT.
AND, AND I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE.
I WAS READING THE AGENDA ITEM AND FROM THE COMMENTS I WROTE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MAIN COMPLAINTS IS, IS THE RESIDENTS WANT MORE INFORMATION FROM THE, FROM MANAGEMENT OF, OF THE PROJECT.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT FRANK, SORRY, DID FRANK ASK Y'ALL TO COME IN HERE TONIGHT TO SUPPORT HIS CONCEPT, TO GET SOMEBODY ON SITE THAT CAN VISIT WITH YOU MORE AND MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON? 'CAUSE THAT, THAT WAS A PERFECT LEAD IN TO HIS REQUEST FOR US TO APPROVE A MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT OF THE PROJECT.
SO, UH, THAT WAS, THAT'S GOOD FOR SURE.
SO HEARING NO OTHER COMMENTS, WE DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR.
SO ALL IN FAVOR OF FIVE D, SAY AYE.
SO WITH THAT, MOVING ON, UM, WE WILL MOVE ON
[a. Consider one (1) appointment to the Baytown Police Advisory Committee. ]
TO APPOINTMENTS.AND SIX A IS TO CONSIDER ONE APPOINTMENT TO THE BAYTOWN POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND I BELIEVE, UH, WE HAVE A, WE DO HAVE A SPEAKER, THE SPEAKER ON SIX A AS WELL.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S THE SAME INDIVIDUAL.
IF SO, THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER.
IT, MR. MAYOR PRO TEM, NOT MR. SPEAKER, BUT GO AHEAD, MR. BROWN, MR. MAYOR PRO TEM PRESLEY AND COUNSEL, UH, REGARDING THIS APPOINTMENT TONIGHT, I'VE READ AND EXAMINED THE APPLICATION AND THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THIS APPLICANT.
AND, UH, TONIGHT I WANNA SPEAK, UH, TO AFFIRM THAT APPOINTMENT MADE BY MR. MIKE LESTER.
UM, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD PICK.
I THINK THIS IS A DIVERSE PICK ON A BOARD THAT NEEDS DIVERSE VOICES.
AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HELP, UH, CONTRIBUTE TO THESE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING ON THE BAYTOWN, UH, POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, SO, UH, MR. LESTER, CAN YOU, UH, OFFER UP THE NAME? UH, YES, I CAN.
UH, ACTUALLY SHE'S HERE TONIGHT WITH US, WHICH IS GREAT.
I TOLD HER IT WOULD BE A SHORT MEETING, SO YOU CAN NEVER BELIEVE WHAT WE SAY
UM, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A SHORT MEETING.
MISS ATHENA GREEN, UH, SHE SUBMITTED HER APPLICATION AND, AND, AND I'VE BEEN RE IT'S, IT'S BEEN A HARD ROAD TO FIND FOLKS TO, TO VOLUNTEER, BUT SHE SUBMITTED HER APPLICATION.
I GAVE HER A PHONE CALL, WE VISITED.
UM, I LIKE WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY.
UH, SHE'S OBVIOUSLY GOT PLENTY OF ENERGY IF SHE'S, SHE'S STILL AWAKE AND STILL HERE THROUGH ALL THIS TONIGHT.
UH, SO WITH THAT MAYOR PROTO, I WOULD, UH, UH, POINT IF WITH Y'ALL'S CONSENT, MS. ATHENA GREEN TO THE BAYTOWN POLICE, UH, ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SO WITH THAT, UM, CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPOINT, UH, THAT PARTY TO THE, UH, POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE? SO MOVED.
[b. Conduct the election of the Baytown City Council Mayor Pro Tem.]
SIX B WILL BE TO CONDUCT THE ELECTION OF THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL.I BELIEVE THIS IS SELF-EXPLANATORY, UM, BUT IF, IF WHAT WE'LL DO IS I'LL ASK FOR ANY COMMENTS, UH, FIRST BEFORE WE MAKE THE MOTION.
SO ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS REGARDING THE MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN? NO, I'M JUST GLAD JUST SAYING SO.
YEAH, COUNCILMAN JOHNSON IS UP NEXT IN THE ROTATION.
UH, IF THERE'S NOT ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, WE'LL, UH, GO AHEAD AND I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION.
MOTION TO APPOINT CHARLES JOHNSON
[01:45:02]
AS THE NEXT MAYOR.OKAY, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND.
MR. JOHNSON CAN HAVE IT FROM HERE,
[7. MANAGER'S REPORT Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 551.0415 of the Texas Government Code, the City Council of the City of Baytown may receive a report about items of community interest from City staff and/or a member of the City Council, but no action or possible action shall be taken or discussed concerning the subject of such report, except as provided by Section 551.042 of the Texas Government Code.]
ON FROM THERE.SEVEN ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS MANAGER'S REPORT.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM AND, UH, COUNSEL, APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE HERE TONIGHT.
I WANT TO, UH, UH, PULL YOUR ATTENTION TO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I THINK YOU'LL BE INTERESTED IN THE, UH, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATORS BLUE PENCIL AND GOLD SCREEN AWARDS, UH, WHICH IS DEDICATED TO ADVOCATING, PROMOTING AND RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT.
COMMUNICATIONS HAS AWARDED TWO AWARDS TO OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.
UH, THE FIRST IS THE, UH, UNDER THE CATEGORY OF, UH, DIGITAL ENEWSLETTER AND BAYTOWN WAS AWARDED SECOND PLACE PRIZE FOR VISIT BAYTOWN NEWSLETTER AND AWARDED THIRD PLAY PLAY PRIZE FOR, UM, UNDER THE CATEGORY OF INFOGRAPHIC FOR OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY INFOGRAPHICS.
NOW, WHAT MAKES THE THESE AWARDS SO SIGNIFICANT IS THAT THE COMPETITION WAS SCARCELY, UH, CITIES.
IT WAS MOSTLY NA, LARGE NATIONAL AGENCIES AND, AND GROUPS LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, WE WERE GOING AGAINST THE GOLIATHS, UH, IN THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR AND STILL PULLED OFF THESE WAR.
IN FACT, I THINK WERE, UH, THOMAS ABOUT THE ONLY CITY THAT REALLY, UH, APPEARED, UH, IN THESE AWARD CATEGORIES.
THE OTHERS WERE, AGAIN, LARGE FEDERAL AND, UH, AGENCIES.
THEY'RE BOTH FIRST PLACE AWARDS.
BUT I WANTED TO GIVE KUDOS TO OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UH, DEPARTMENT.
AND I BELIEVE THE AWARDS WERE, UH, HANDED OUT IN KENTUCKY, UH, JUST ABOUT A, A MONTH AGO.
OKAY, UH, WANNA JUST, UH, UH, JUST THROW SOME KUDOS, UH, TOWARD RANDY CLA OF OUR, OUR, UH, BUILDING, UH, DIVISION.
UH, HE'S BEEN, UM, REALLY REMARKABLE IN HIS MASTERY OF OUR CODE AND, UH, HIS ABILITY TO EXPLAIN TO CUSTOMERS, UH, EXACTLY HOW THE CODE APPLIES IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS.
UH, RECENTLY HE JUST IMPRESSED HIS COLLEAGUES WITH HIS ABSOLUTE FLUID, UH, MASTERY OF OUR CODE, AND ABLE TO ACTUALLY HELP SOME OF OUR CUSTOMERS NAVIGATE SOME VERY TOUGH SITUATIONS, RAISED THEIR KNOWLEDGE LEVEL.
ALTHOUGH SOME OF THESE CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY FOR YEARS AND YEARS, THEY GAINED A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, UH, OF OUR CODE AND ACTUALLY CAUGHT SOME ISSUES AND CONCERNS BEFORE THEY REALLY HAD, UH, MATERIALIZED INTO SIGNIFICANT COSTS FOR, UH, FOR THE CUSTOMER.
SO I JUST WANT TO, UH, THROW SOME KUDOS OUT, UH, FOR HIM.
UH, WANT TO GIVE, UH, SPECIAL THANKS TO TIM MURPHY, UH, UH, FOR, UH, REALLY GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, UH, THOSE YOU MAY NOT KNOW, HE'S IN OUR FACILITIES, UH, DIVISION THAT OUR CHILLER WENT DOWN.
UH, AND IT WAS, IT WAS A SAUNA.
AND THE ONLY, AND YOU SHOULD BE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THIS, THE ONLY ROOM WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO ROOM TEMPERATURE WAS THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
BUT THE REST OF CITY HALL WAS, WAS LITERALLY A SWEAT BOX.
AND, UH, HE WORKED JUST DAY AND NIGHT TO CORRECT THAT ISSUE.
AND WITHOUT HIS DEDICATION, UH, WE WOULD NOT HAVE, UH, GOTTEN BACK ONLINE AS FAST AS WE DID.
I JUST WANNA THANK HIM PUBLICLY FOR HIS EXTRA, UH, WORK AND, UH, EXPERTISE.
UH, ANDREA BRINKLEY HAS BEEN SELECTED TO RECEIVE THE CITATION FOR EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO PUBLIC WORKS.
AND SO SHE'S A RECIPIENT OF THAT WAR, UH, AWARD.
AS YOU KNOW, SHE JUGGLES MANY, MANY DIFFERENT PLATES, UH, AT A TIME.
AND IT'S AN UNPRECEDENTED TIME FOR OUR CITY WITH SO MANY LARGE SCALE PROJECTS BEING BUILT.
AND ANDREA'S REALLY THE KEY COG IN THAT WHEEL, MAKING SURE OUR PROJECTS, UH, MOVE FORWARD.
SO JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE HER.
I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD DO WITHOUT HER.
AND THEN FINALLY, JUST WANNA GIVE KUDOS TO A COUPLE OF OUR COPS, UH, OFFICER DAVID HOLLAND, AND OF COURSE, THE EVER PRESENT OFFICER B, UH, WHO, WHO IS, SEEMS TO BE EVERYWHERE AND ALL AT ONCE.
AND THEY, THEY ASSISTED A, A MOTORIST COMING THROUGH TOWN WHO HAD BLOWN OUT ONE OF HIS MICHELINS, UH, ON HIS, UH, PORSCHE, CAYENNE CAYENNE.
IS THAT, UH, CLOSE? IS THAT CLOSE? CLOSE ENOUGH.
I OBVIOUSLY DO NOT OWN ONE, SO, UH, DUNNO
[01:50:01]
WHAT THAT IS.BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO GET HIM TO, INTO A SAFE, UH, PLACE, TOLD HIM TO STAY IN HIS CAR, AND THEY WAITED WITH HIM UNTIL, UH, AAA SHOWED UP.
AND, UH, HE SAID, UH, I'M EXTREMELY IMPRESSED WITH THE EFFICIENCIES OF THE EFFICIENCY OF THESE OFFICERS, AND ESPECIALLY THE EFFICIENCY OF OFFICER HOLLAND.
SO I PASSED A CARD ON TO OFFICER HOLLAND THANKING HIM FOR DEMONSTRATING OUR CORE VALUE OF CARING.
AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO TAKE JUST A LITTLE LIBERTY IF I CAN, IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME TO.
AND I'LL GO TO THE PODIUM HERE AND I'LL ASK, UH, TREVOR FANNING TO JOIN ME AT THE PODIUM AND THE REST OF OUR LEGAL TEAM.
UH, TREVOR, UH, MUCH LIKE ANDREA IS HERE AT A VERY HISTORIC TIME, UH, IN OUR CITY, AND HAS HAD TO FILL THE VERY LARGE SHOES VACATED BY KAREN HORNER AND, UH, WORK ON SOME OF THE TOUGHEST, MOST COMPLEX ISSUES IN THE CITY'S HISTORY.
AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WORK AND DEDICATION.
A LOT OF TIMES I WALK BY LEGAL, AND I ALWAYS EXPECTED TO SEE KAREN THERE AT SEVEN O'CLOCK OR SEVEN 30 OR WHATEVER.
BUT, UH, I THINK, SHOULD I SAY, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, TREVOR HAD TO KEEP THE SAME SCHEDULE IN ORDER TO GET THE WORK DONE.
HE GAVE IT HIS ALL, HE GAVE ALL HIS EXPERTISE.
HE, WE ARE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE OF HIM.
AND, UH, I, I'M JUST VERY GRATEFUL FOR HIS EXTREME DEDICATION TO OUR CITY AND TO MEMORIALIZE THIS CONTRIBUTION, I HAVE A, YOU CAN COME FORWARD IF YOU WOULD LIKE, WE'LL EVEN TAKE A PICTURE WITH IT.
BUT, UH, THIS SAYS TO TREVOR FANNING AND RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION FOR YOUR INVALUABLE SERVICE AS INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, JANUARY, JANUARY 3RD, 2022 TO JUNE 23RD, 2022.
UH, WITHIN THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, TREVOR, WE HAD ABOUT THREE YEARS WORTH OF WORK, UH, TO THROW AT YOU.
SO WITH THAT, I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU AND WISH YOU THE VERY BEST IN, IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
AND CAN WE GET A POLAROID? YES, THAT'D BE GREAT.
ISAAC SIGNED UP ON MY DISTRICT REPORT.
I SAW I WASN'T GONNA DO IT, BUT I'M GONNA DO IT NOW, YOUR HONOR.
YOU CAN EVEN KEEP THE BOX NICE.
THAT'S HOW GENEROUS WE AND, UH, MEMBERS OF THE, UH, LEGAL TEAM DID.
WANNA SAY JUST A FEW WORDS, UM, AND KIND OF ECHO SOME OF WHAT, UH, MR. DAVIS HAS SAID.
BUT, UH, TREVOR HAS BEEN AN INVALUABLE MEMBER OF OUR LEGAL TEAM.
UM, AND AS YOU KNOW, HE DID STEP UP TO BE OUR INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY, AND HE WAS VERY DEDICATED, WORKED MANY, MANY LONG HOURS, AND, UH, WE CERTAINLY, HE KEPT OUR OPERATIONS RUNNING, UM, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE WERE UNDERSTAFFED.
BUT WE WANT TO THANK YOU, TREVOR, FOR YOUR DEDICATED SERVICE.
AND A COUPLE MORE WORDS HERE FOR US.
WE CAN'T LET YOU GET OFF EASY.
WE COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON YOU, TREVOR, WHETHER WE WERE WORKING ON SOMETHING REALLY INTENSE OR VERY BUSY STAYING HERE, LATE HOURS.
YOU'D ALWAYS LIGHTEN THE MOOD WITH A FUNNY STORY OR A FUNNY JOKE, AND JUST KIND OF KEPT US ALL GROUNDED.
SO WE WILL REALLY, REALLY MISS YOU, YOUR CHARMING PERSONALITY AROUND THE OFFICE.
YOU KINDA KEPT US TOGETHER, AND SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND SO WE JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, AND KAREN HAS A PRESENTATION TO YOU ON BEHALF OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO JUST LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT YOU AND THAT WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU AND TO GUIDE YOU ON YOUR NEXT STEPS IN YOUR JOURNEY.
SO MAYBE A LITTLE UNUSUAL, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT WE, AS A VERY SMALL TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION, GOT YOU A COMPASS.
MAYBE YOU'LL NEED IT IN COLORADO.
BUT, UH, ENGRAVED ON THE BACK, IT SAYS, WHEREVER YOUR JOURNEY MAY TAKE YOU, MAY YOU ALWAYS FIND YOUR WAY BACK HOME.
YOU'LL SEE THERE'S COORDINATES ON THERE, AND THOSE COORDINATES WILL LEAD YOU BACK TO CITY HALL
[01:55:01]
AND WE'LL TAKE YOU WHETHER IT'S JUST, WHETHER IT'S JUST A VISIT OR OTHERWISE.MAY I ALSO MAKE A COMMENT, PLEASE? ABSOLUTELY.
IF YOU, YOU CAN INDULGE ME FOR A MOMENT.
UM, IT IS NOT LOST ON ME THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT TREVOR DID OVER THESE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND HE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS HELP TO ME IN GETTING, UH, UP TO SPEED OR AS UP TO SPEED AS I CAN IN FOUR DAYS.
UH, HE HAS BEEN, UH, A SCHOLAR AND A GENTLEMAN.
UH, I, HE IS A WONDERFUL PERSON, UH, OBVIOUSLY A WONDERFUL FIRST ASSISTANT AND INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY.
I WISH WE COULD GET HIM BACK, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP, TREVOR.
AND THANK Y'ALL FOR EVERYTHING.
YEAH, I, I REALLY, UM, I LEARNED A LOT HERE.
UM, THE ISLAND IS CALLING ME BACK
BUT, UH, I, UH, ALSO COULD SAY I'M LEAVING YOU IN VERY GOOD HANDS.
I HAD THE, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE HIM AROUND THE TCAA RECEPTION AND THERE WERE A LOT OF ATTORNEYS THERE THAT ALREADY KNEW HIM AND COULD NOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT HIM.
AND I THINK Y'ALL ARE IN VERY GOOD HANDS.
WE APPRECIATE IT'S NOT JUST WANNA SAY TREVOR, YOU KNOW, I, UH, I WISH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE DIPPED INTO THOSE RESERVES TO KEEP TREVOR
SO I, I GOT TO KNOW TREVOR A LITTLE BIT OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO AND, AND A GREAT GUY.
AND, UH, YOU'RE GONNA BE MISSED AND, AND WE WISH YOU WELL.
AND IF THE ISLAND EVER, YOU KNOW, GIVES YOU THE BOOT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE CERTAINLY, HOPEFULLY WE WELCOME HERE ANYTIME.
[a. Receive a report from Council Member Chris Presley as it relates to Council District No. Two.]
WITH THAT, UM, I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF A COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICT REPORT PREPARED TONIGHT, BUT I'M GONNA MAKE IT BRIEF.AND APPARENTLY WE HAVE A SPEAKER SIGNED UP ON THE DISTRICT TWO COUNCIL REPORT.
SO, UH, SPEAKER, IF YOU'RE THERE, GO AHEAD.
YOU'RE ABOUT TO HEAR A COUNCIL REPORT FROM DISTRICT TWO, AND THE PUBLIC SHOULD KNOW THAT DISTRICT TWO IS AND HAS BEEN IN DISARRAY FOR A LONG TIME.
OVER $20 MILLION INVESTED IN DOWNTOWN TEXAS AVENUE.
LITTLE SUPPORT FROM THIS CURRENT REPRESENTATIVE, LEE COLLEGE IS IN THE PITS, ENROLLMENT'S FALLING.
WE'VE GOT ISSUES, WE'VE GOT ISSUES ON THE WEST SIDE AND WHATEVER SPEECH THIS COUNCILMAN'S ABOUT TO GIVE YOU ABOUT HOW FINE AND HOW DANDY THINGS ARE LIKE THIS BOARD HAS A PROPENSITY TO DO THAT.
YOU GUYS SHOULD KNOW THAT IT'S JUST BUZZWORDS.
BUZZWORDS BUZZING AROUND IN YOUR EAR.
WE USE THE TERM, UH, DIP INTO THE RESERVES.
BY THE WAY, TREVOR DIPP INTO THE RESERVES WAS DIPPING INTO THE RESERVES.
THE METHOD USED TO FUND THE GRANT THAT WENT TO CHRIS PRESLEY'S BUILDING THAT HE OWNED.
OR WAS IT TAXPAYER MONEY BY REVENUE? WAS HE IN THE ROOM? DID HE SIGN A CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR, WAS AN ETHICS COMMISSION REVIEW TAKE PLACE? WE'VE BEEN RUNNING THIS CITY ROUGH SHOT FOR TOO LONG.
AND IN AUGUST, IF THIS REPRESENTATIVE CHOOSES TO RUN AGAIN, THEN THIS CITY IS ENGRAVED DANGER OF NOT TURNING BACK.
WE CAN SIT HERE AND LISTEN TO THESE BUD WORDS, LISTEN TO, UH, ALL THESE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE ABOUT TO HAPPEN, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE KEEP WAITING FOR.
PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING OUT HERE.
WE PERHAPS SAVE SOME COSTS ON UTILITY BILLS JUST NOW.
THAT IS HOW YOU'D BE AN ADVOCATE FOR THE TAXPAYER.
AND THIS IS HOW YOU MOVE ELECTORAL POLICY IN YOUR TOWN.
THIS IS HOW YOU ELEVATE TRUST IN YOUR CITY, ASKING FOR AN ETHICS COMMISSION, LOOKING FOR ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT AND BEING A STEWARD OF THE TAXPAYER MAYOR, PRO TEM, AND CITY COUNCIL, I APPRECIATE YOU LETTING ME ABLE TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS MUCH ENJOYED TONIGHT IN THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC TO SPEAK FROM YOU, FROM FIBER ROCK TO CABLE, AND BE WELL AND GIVE IT GREAT THOUGHT THAT IT'S TIME TO STOP BEING NICE.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA RANT AND RAVE OR WE WILL CUT YOU OFF.
YOU CAN MAKE PERSONAL ATTACKS AGAINST, AGAINST ME.
PRO TIM, HAVE I, HAVE I BROKEN ANY SORT OF A RULE? WELL, YOU, YOU, THERE'S A, THERE'S DECORUM IN THESE CHAMBERS.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA RAN AND RAVE.
DID YOU EXPLAIN YOU'RE NOT GONNA RAN AND RAVE, SIR, YOU, I BELIEVE I HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC.
AS LONG AS YOU DON'T RUN REGULAR SCREAM AT, YOU'RE WELCOME TO SAY MR. PRESLEY,
[02:00:02]
THEN YOU SHOULD PROBABLY ALLOW ME TO HAVE MY THREE MINUTES.WILL THE SPEAKER GIVE ME MY TIME BACK OR DO I HAVE TO GO TALK TO MS. HOG? THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
WE NEED ETHICS AND GOVERNMENT.
THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
YOU GET CUT OFF WHEN YOU TALK.
YOU ONLY GET THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
AND THIS IS ARAN RAVE THAT YOU HAVE TO SWALLOW BEFORE YOU LEAVE SCOT FREE, TAKING GOVERNMENT MONEY TO BUILD YOUR BUILDING AND SELL IT TO LEE COLLEGE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. YOU'RE OUTTA TIME.
AND YOU'RE CERTAINLY OUT OF CLASS.
BUT, SO WITH THAT, WE WILL DO THE DISTRICT TWO REPORT.
ARE WE GOOD, MISS CITY CLERK? YES.
SO DISTRICT TWO, I WAS, UH, PLEASED TO ATTEND A, UM, RIBBON CUTTING AT, AT DOTS ON DECKER DRIVE.
SO WE HAVE A NEW BUSINESS THAT MOVED INTO DISTRICT TWO HERE RECENTLY.
WE ALSO HAVE TWO NEW BUSINESSES THAT ARE MOVING INTO THE ACE DISTRICT.
UM, A A FLORIST THAT WAS THERE PREVIOUSLY WHO MOVED AWAY FROM THE AREA.
IT WILL BE MOVING BACK AND HOPEFULLY OPENING WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A, UH, FOOD AND BEVERAGE ESTABLISHMENT THAT WILL BE OPENING WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS ON TEXAS AVENUE.
THEY, THEY TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN IT.
I'VE, I'VE TALKED TO BOTH OF THEM.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THEM DOWN THERE.
I BELIEVE THE, THE COUNT OF NEW STREETLIGHTS IN THE PLY AREA OF DISTRICT TWO, I BELIEVE I WAS TOLD THE NUMBER IS 68.
WE'LL BE ADDING 68 NEW STREETLIGHTS IN THE PLY AREA OF DISTRICT TWO.
UH, WE JUST GOT NEW STOP SIGNS PUT UP ON MEMORIAL DRIVE IN GRAYWOOD.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT SPEEDERS ACTUALLY SINCE MY FIRST DAY IN OFFICE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO WORK WITH SOME OF THE HOMEOWNERS OUT THERE WASN'T ANY SCREAMING, WASN'T ANY NEGATIVITY.
UH, THEY WERE CLASS ACTS IN, IN ALL IN ALL WAYS AND JUST A, A, A JOY TO WORK WITH AND, AND HAPPY TO GET THOSE STOP SIGNS ON MEMORIAL DRIVE AND, AND HAVE HAD A LOT OF, UH, COMPLIMENTS.
SO WE HAVE THAT GOING AS WELL.
OF COURSE, THE WARD ROAD MEDIANS LOOK GREAT.
UH, WE'RE STILL WAITING ON THAT, THAT MULCH TO BE PUT IN PLACE AND, AND FINISH THOSE OFF.
UH, SO THE HOPE THAT HAPPENS SOON, OF COURSE, THE NEW UTILITY, UH, SERVICES BUILDING IS COMING ALONG VERY WELL.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE THE, THE FOUNDATION FINISHED VERY SOON AND WALLS START TO BE ERECTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND ALSO DISTRICT TWO IS A TOUGH DISTRICT.
IT'S, UH, IT KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU CALL ONE THING IN AND YOU TURN THE CORNER AND THERE'S THREE MORE TO CALL IN IT.
IT'S A, IT'S NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.
SO I, I HAVE SEEN MUCH MORE OF A POLICE PRESENCE IN DISTRICT TWO AND I'M, I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO THAT.
AND I THINK A LOT OF THIS POLICE CHIEF AND I, I HOPE THAT CONTINUES IN A BIG WAY AND IT CERTAINLY NEEDED AND, AND APPRECIATED.
UH, OTHER THAN THAT, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT IT.
UM, SO LIKE TO SAY THAT THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON AS OF LATE AND, AND THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT HAVE WORKED VERY, VERY HARD IN DISTRICT TWO
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO WORK HARD AND, AND, AND, AND GIVE WHAT YOU CAN AND, AND WORK ETHIC, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT MEANS A LOT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF THAT IN DISTRICT TOO.
AND, AND THAT'S REALLY, UH, IT'S JUST, THAT'S WHAT MAKES ME CONTINUE TO DO IT BECAUSE I SEE SO MANY HARDWORKING PEOPLE IN DISTRICT TWO.
THEY DON'T SIT AROUND AND COMPLAIN.
THEY JUST GET OUT THERE AND DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
SO THAT'S MY DISTRICT TWO REPORT.
AND WITH THAT, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.