[ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORK SESSION THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2022 2:00 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ]
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SO I'VE CALL THIS, UH, UH, BUDGET WORK SESSION OF THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER.
IT IS 2:03 PM WE ARE IN BAYTOWN CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
[a. Discuss the City of Baytown Fiscal Year 2022-23 Proposed Budget. ]
WILL DISCUSS THE CITY OF BAY TOWN'S FISCAL YEAR 22, 23, PROPOSED BUDGET.IS THERE, I GUESS, ANY COMMENTS BETWEEN LAST MEETING AND THIS MEETING FROM STAFF, UM, THAT NEEDS TO BE, ANYTHING, ANY FACTUAL INFORMATION THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED BY US? SURE.
I'D LIKE TO ACTUALLY TURN SOME TIME OVER TO, UM, TO VICTOR, AND WE'RE GONNA PICK UP KIND OF WHERE WE LEFT OFF ON THE OPTIONS THAT WE PRESENTED YOU, THE CIP PLAN, AND THEN, UM, AND THEN FINALLY WORK OUR WAY INTO ENTERPRISES AS WE PROGRESS.
AND I KNOW WE'RE ALSO GONNA HEAR FROM THE A E CHAIR, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE RIGHT.
THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS THAT, THAT'S PART OF IT.
MAYOR, IF YOU WANT, I CAN DEAL WITH THE THREE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD FROM THE LAST SESSION.
UH, ONE RELATES IT TO THE USE OF FUND BALANCES IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
YOU SHOULD ALL HAVE HAD THAT SHEET, WHICH SHOWS YOU THE PROJECTED FUND BALANCE IN EACH OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND THE ACTUAL, YOU WILL SEE THAT WE ALWAYS SIGNIFICANTLY OUTPERFORMED THE BUDGET.
THE SECOND PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU ASKED FOR, WHICH AGAIN, HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU, IS A LIST OF ALL THE FUNDED SUB, UH, FUNDED NEW POSITIONS IN THE BUDGET.
AND THEN THE THIRD PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU REQUEST THAT RELATES TO THE USE OF CONTINGENCIES IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
AND AGAIN, THAT HAS BEEN DETAILED FOR YOU.
I'M HAPPY TO FIELD QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THOSE, MR. MAYOR.
SO I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE REQUESTED INFORMATION SHEETS, CORRECT? MM-HMM
ANY QUESTIONS ON, I GUESS THAT INFORMATION? IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, I GUESS THE, A E CHAIR'S COMMENTS.
SO, THE AD HOC COMMITTEE, CONS CONSISTING OF MYSELF, COUNCILMAN LESTER, COUNCILMAN ALVARADO.
WE'VE MET THREE TIMES OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
UH, ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS WAS WITH, UH, THE POLICE CHIEF INCLUDED THE POLICE CHIEF, THE FIRE CHIEF, UH, FRANK WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND ANDREA, AND OF COURSE, CLIFF WITH PARKS.
UH, VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETINGS WITH, WITH, WITH STAFF.
UM, THE WAY WE APPROACHED IT WAS OUR FOREMOST CONSIDERATION WAS TO SCRUTINIZE THE LIST AND, AND WHETHER, AND DETERMINE IF IN FACT, THEY'RE ALL NEEDS VERSUS ANY WANTS.
AND IN OUR OPINION, THAT A CASE CAN BE MADE THAT ALL OF THE LINE ITEMS ARE NEEDED, EITHER NOW OR IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WERE, UM, WE WANTED TO OPTIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF RESERVES, UH, THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME, SOMEWHAT, UM, SO THAT SOME OF THE LINE ITEMS COULD BE CASH FUNDED.
WE ALSO GAVE CONSIDERATION TO MATCHING THE SIZE AND SCOPE AND THE USEFUL LIFE, UM, OF THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MATURITIES OF LONG-TERM DEBT.
FRANKLY, WE, WE, WE DID STRIVE TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF DEBT, UM, AND THEREFORE THE INTEREST EXPENSE.
SO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS, AND I'M JUST GONNA HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS.
AND OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO BRING THE RESERVES.
I, I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS SAID THAT THE RESERVES WERE CURRENTLY AT 91 DAYS, SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO BRING THE AMOUNT OF RESERVES DOWN TO JUST UNDER 80 DAYS.
AND BY DOING SO, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CASH FUND THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. UH, THE PUBLIC SAFETY FF AND E OF 2.5 MILLION ART LEAGUE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, THE 150,000 FACILITY, A DA COMPLIANCE 200,000, THE 100 BLOCK, UM, OF WEST TEXAS AVENUE, 200,000 FOR DESIGN, AND THE BAIN MARINA PARK DESIGN FOR 150,000.
IN ADDITION, UM, WE ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT PRIORITIZATION AND CERTAINLY WE DIDN'T FEEL THAT ANY LINE ITEM SHOULD BE DELETED.
HOWEVER, WE DO RECOMMEND THAT A COUPLE OF LINE ITEMS COULD BE PUSHED BACK, UM, 12 MONTHS, UM, WITH, WITH VERY LITTLE COMPLICATION.
AND THOSE ITEMS WOULD BE THE FACILITY MAINTENANCE DESIGN, UM, THE JENKINS PARK CLUBHOUSE
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DESIGN, AND THE RUSSELL PARK DRAINAGE.AND ANDREA MAY HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THE RUSSELL PARK DRAINAGE.
WE'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT THERE, THERE IS SOME CASH ON HAND NOW TO BEGIN THAT PROCESS, SO SHE COULD HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THAT.
THE ONLY TWO ITEMS THAT
AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE DISAGREED, IT'S BECAUSE ALL OF THE INFORMATION WASN'T, WASN'T PROVIDED BEFORE THIS WORK SESSION, BECAUSE WE GOT SOME FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS WOULD BE THE DESIGNS OF FIRE STATIONS 4, 5, 6, 7, AND THE SOUTH COMMAND BUILDING.
OUR QUESTIONS WERE, IF INDEED IT WOULD BE WISE TO, TO COMMENCE ALL AT ONE TIME OR TRY TO PRIORITIZE THAT.
AND THEN THE OTHER ITEM THAT WOULD BE CERTAINLY POSSIBLY OPEN FOR MUCH DISCUSSION WOULD BE THE AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE, THE 1.56 MILLION THAT'S DEDICATED FOR THAT LINE ITEM.
UH, CLIFF HAS INFORMED ME THAT HE'S MADE SOME PHONE CALLS TO THE CONTRACTORS, AND IT WOULD BE VERY LIKELY THAT WE COULD UPGRADE, UM, NEW RESTROOMS IN A NEW BUILDING.
UH, AND A CONCESSION WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT FOR AROUND 850,000.
SO THEORETICALLY WE COULD, WE COULD PROBABLY CUT THAT NUMBER IN HALF AS WELL.
UM, AND THAT'S REALLY ALL WE HAVE.
THAT'S THE HIGHLIGHTS AND MAKING THOSE ADJUSTMENTS.
AND WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, CLEARLY THAT WOULD BRING, UM, THE TOTAL DEBT DOWN FROM 45 MILLION TO APPROXIMATELY 25 MILLION DEPENDING ON HOW A COUPLE OF THESE CONVERSATIONS GO.
AND WITH THAT, WE JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRUST IN THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.
IT WAS A A, WE, WE FEEL THAT IT WAS A WISE IDEA, MAYOR, AT YOUR SUGGESTION, AND, AND, AND WE APPRECIATED THE, UH, OPPORTUNITY.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, AT, I GUESS YOU'D SAY THE, THE LENGTH OF THESE PROJECTS AND, AND, UH, CERTAINLY WE, WE, WHEN WE DO ISSUE DEBT, WE WANNA MAKE ENSURE THAT IT IS NEEDED.
AND ALTHOUGH, LIKE YOU SAY, THEY, THEY ALL MAY BE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PRIORITY AND NEED, UM, SOMETIMES WE CAN, WE CAN ONLY, THE BANDWIDTH WILL ONLY ALLOW US TO, TO COMPLETE SOME.
AND SO SOME, IF THEY'RE NOT AS IMPORTANT THIS PARTICULAR YEAR IN THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET CYCLE TO GO, AND THAT'S JUST DELAY IT TO, TO BE RECONSIDERED IN, IN THE NEXT BUDGET OR IN A FUTURE OPPORTUNITY.
WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS, THERE'S NO DOUBT.
UM, BUT WE WANNA BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
AND I KNOW COUNCILWOMAN, UH, BEN COTH AND, AND THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, THEY WANNA ENSURE THAT, THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN THAT, THAT FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK AND BALANCE WITH THAT.
AND I KNOW SHE MADE SOME VERY GOOD, UM, SUGGESTIONS IN MDD AS FAR AS CASH FUNDING, SOME SMALLER PROJECTS FOR DESIGN.
SO I WOULD CERTAINLY HOPE THAT WE CONSIDER THOSE TYPE OF THINGS AS MUCH AS FROM WHAT I CAN SEE HERE, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S VERY LIKELY.
AND, AND MAYOR, THAT, THAT CERTAINLY CAME UP WITH US AS WE WERE LOOKING AT, OKAY, LET'S MOVE THIS OVER TO CASH FUND.
AND BASED OFF OF THE LAST MEETING WE RECOGNIZED, HEY, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF NEEDS CURRENTLY, UM, IN, IN THE, IN THE CITY, BUT ALSO THE MANPOWER, RIGHT? UM, SO AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE THINGS INTO CASH FUND, WE KNEW THAT WE WOULD STILL HAVE TO HEAR FROM THE PLANNING TEAM AND VICTOR TO SEE, OKAY, WE'RE MOVING THESE, CAN THEY BE DONE? UM, CAN THESE WAIT? UH, BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY DO RECOGNIZE THE OVERLOAD OF WORK THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE VERY MINDFUL OF THAT.
AND, AND AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
Y'ALL HEARD ME FROM THE LAST TIME THAT I WAS VERY, VERY HESITANT TO BRING DOWN OUR RESERVES, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO MEET IN THE MIDDLE.
UM, I'M NOT A LEAVE IT AT 90 OR NOTHING.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING CAUTIOUS OF THE RESERVES, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT WE STILL NEED TO DO SOME PROJECTS WITH THAT.
SO I DO APPRE I THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
I KNOW IT WAS KIND OF QUICK TIME OF LOOKING AT SOME, SOME LARGE STUFF, BUT I KNOW, UM, STAFF, I THINK STAFF AND FINANCE WAS INVOLVED IN THAT MM-HMM
AND SO IT CERTAINLY KIND OF CAN SET A, A GOOD, I THINK, UM, MANAGEMENT OF THESE PROJECTS FINANCIALLY ALSO MM-HMM
AND THEN WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT LATER, I THINK I'VE ASKED FOR IT A FEW TIMES, WOULD BE, UM, REALLY KIND OF LIKE SOME PROJECT ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION TIMELINES AND WE CONTINUE TO MANAGE IT.
I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S LOTS OF FACTORS WHEN IT COMES TO LABOR MATERIALS AND AND SO ON.
BUT, UM, I THINK WE WANNA MANAGE THAT, NOT, NOT TAKE ON TOO MUCH THAT WE CAN'T DO, BUT MAKE SURE THAT CERTAINLY THAT WE'RE DOING AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN ABSOLUTELY.
AND DOING IT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT ON THAT.
IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I THINK, AT LEAST FROM WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, WE'LL GET IN, I'M SURE WE'LL GET INTO MORE DETAILED
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DISCUSSIONS.THE COMMITTEE WORKED PRETTY WELL, AND, AND, AND WE TARGETED OUR MEETINGS TO BE ABOUT AN HOUR.
AND THEY TYPICALLY WENT ALMOST TWO, TWO AND A HALF SOMETIMES.
SO THERE WAS SOME DETAILED DISCUSSIONS.
UM, I STILL, WE STILL HAVEN'T GOT SOME RESPONSES BACK ON, ON SOME OF THE PRIORITIZATION ISSUES.
UM, BUT I THINK WE DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB AS A GROUP, UM, CAME UP WITH A, I WILL SAY, A CONSENSUS ON MOST ISSUES.
UM, IT WASN'T ALWAYS UNANIMOUS, BUT IT WAS A CONSENSUS EFFORT.
AND I HAVE TO APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES FOR BEARING WITH ME ON SOME OF MY CHALLENGES.
BUT, UM, AND SOME OF THEIR CHALLENGES.
SO, UM, I THINK WE DID PRETTY WELL.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
WELL THANK Y'ALL FOR Y'S WORK.
COMMENTS IS THE EXPECTATION TO GO THROUGH THIS NOW? I MEAN, YOU, YOU, YOU CAN GO THROUGH THIS LIST OR ANY DETAILS AT LEAST BASED OFF THE RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WAS THE 25 MIL, I GUESS MM-HMM
I GUESS FIRST WE CAN KIND OF DISCUSS THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND, AND IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S SET IN STONE.
THE IDEA WOULD BE IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED OR NOT INCLUDED, THEN THIS WOULD BE THE TIME.
I WOULD SAY, I GUESS JUST LIKE WHEN STAFF, YOU KNOW, GIVES US A 50 PAGE POWERPOINT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME WE'RE ON THE DAIS AND WE'VE GIVEN THEM THE FEEDBACK I NEED, I NEED TO DIGEST THIS, I NEED TO READ THIS AND UNDERSTAND IT.
I MEAN, UNLESS WE WANNA START GOING THROUGH IT LINE BY LINE IN REAL TIME NOW.
UM, I JUST, I'M NOT PREPARED TO JUST COMMENT, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO, I NEED TO READ IT AND UNDERSTAND IT AND, AND, UM, MAYOR AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT.
I KNOW THAT, UM, AGAIN, STAFF WAS OVERLOADED AND WE WERE HOPING THAT IT WENT, IT WENT OUT TO Y'ALL YESTERDAY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HOPE THAT THERE WERE, UM, COMMENTS, UM, FROM THE LAST SESSION THAT WE HAD THAT PERHAPS WE COULD WEIGH IN AS WE WORKED THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY IF THERE ARE ANY PROJECTS FROM ANY OF THE DISTRICT THAT EITHER YOU HAD BROUGHT UP OR ARE WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT THAT YOU CAN JUST GO THROUGH AND, AND PULL OUT, AND IF WE DID ANY CHANGES OR OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS TO, I, I, I THINK WE CAN DO THAT AND THEN STILL RESERVE THE TIME TO GO THROUGH THE OTHER ITEMS LINE BY LINE.
UM, BUT PERHAPS MAYBE, UM, WE START THERE, PICK OUT WHAT ITEMS WERE WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT, GO THROUGH IT, UM, AND WE START DISCUSSING THAT.
AND I KNOW AGAIN, WE STILL HAD PENDING QUESTIONS FROM, FROM FIRE, UM, THAT PERHAPS CAN BE ADDRESSED IN, IN PARKS AS WELL.
SO, AND MAYOR AND I'LL, I'LL HELP ADD SOME OF THE, THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION IN, EVEN THOUGH I WORKED ON IT, I'D LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THROUGH IT.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHERE ON SOME OF THESE, WHERE IT'S REDLINE FUNDED FROM CASH.
WHAT, WHAT WE DID AS A COMMITTEE IS WE SAID, OKAY, 90 DAYS RESERVE, WE STARTED OFF THAT, THAT WAS THE TOP.
SO THERE'S 300 AND SOME THOUSAND DOLLARS A DAY IS WHAT THAT EQUATES TO.
SO WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED SAYING, OKAY, FOR THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY, THAT'S THIS NUMBER OF DAYS ON RESERVE.
AND WE STARTED BRINGING THE RESERVE DOWN SO THAT WE COULD FUND SOME OF THIS STUFF FROM CASH.
INSTEAD OF BEING ON CO A LOT OF THIS, WE AGREED THAT A LOT OF THIS DIDN'T NEED TO BE ON A CO BECAUSE OF THE LIFETIME OF THE, OF THE PROJECT WOULDN'T MEET THE STANDARDS.
WE GOT DOWN TO A LITTLE LESS THAN 80.
I, I WOULD STILL LIKE TO SEE THAT, THAT LITTLE FLEX, THAT EXTRA FOUR, FOUR AND A HALF DAYS WE HAVE, BRING IT DOWN TO 75, UM, GIVES US A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY TO ADD SOME MORE CASH BACK INS FOR SOME OF THE SMALLER PROJECTS.
AND, AND I'LL GO TO THE, THE OPERATING RESERVES THAT THE NUMBERS THAT WE GAVE THE ACTUALS, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WAS 179 YEAR BEFORE THAT WAS A HUNDRED FORTY SIX, A HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE, A HUNDRED SEVEN.
THOSE ARE THE ACTUAL DAYS WE ENDED UP WITH WHEN WE'RE TARGETING MUCH LESS THAN THAT.
SO FINANCIALLY WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE.
SO WE COULD PULL THAT TARGET RESERVE DOWN KNOWING PRETTY COMFORTABLY THAT WE'RE GONNA END UP WELL ABOVE THAT.
BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE DID LOOKING FOR ACTUAL CASH MONEY.
IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE NOT FUNDING THE PROJECTS, WE'RE JUST SAYING WE WANNA FUND THEM IN A DIFFERENT MANNER INSTEAD OF PUTTING ON A CO THING, BRING THAT DEBT RATIO DOWN, FUND IT THROUGH THE, THE, THE RESERVE MONEY INSTEAD OF IT JUST SITTING THERE IN A, IN, IN VICTOR'S CLOSET WAITING FOR THE CAPACITY TO HAPPEN.
SO PART OF THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT, THAT THE BALANCE, WHAT WHAT'S CREATED IS, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE AN A AND E GO AND, AND LOOK AND KIND OF PRIORITIZING MM-HMM
THE, THE PROJECTS LIST AND WORKING WITH STAFF OF WHAT CAN BE DELIVERED IN A SENSE.
I, I THINK THE NEXT STEP IS WHERE I WOULD ASK THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE THE SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT IS GONNA BE OUR TARGET FOR RESERVES, WHAT'S GONNA BE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE WANT TO DRAW THAT FINANCIAL LINE.
I THINK THAT'S MORE IN THEIR, WITHIN THEIR PURVIEW AND WITHIN THEIR SCOPE.
SO, SO KNOWING THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA APPROVE THIS BUDGET,
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OR WE'RE NOT GONNA CONSIDER FOR APPROVAL OF THIS BUDGET UNTIL SEPTEMBER 22ND, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, ABSORB IT, UH, I WOULD LIKE FINANCE TO MEET AND, AND DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THAT TARGET CONSIDERING YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS.I MEAN, THEY'RE VERY FAIR, THEY'RE VERY VALID.
CONSIDER WHAT IS THE TARGET FOR RESERVES? WHAT IS THE TARGET FOR, UM, THAT ISSUANCE.
AND THEN THAT RECOMMENDATION TO ME, UM, GOES AND REALLY SETS IN STONE WHAT WE CAN, WHAT WE NEED TO DO, WHAT WE CAN, WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DELIVER AND WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT.
AND TO ME, HAVING BOTH COMMITTEES MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL TO CONSIDER IN THE BUDGET IS, IS A REALLY GOOD BALANCE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD ASK FOR, FOR FINANCE TO DO.
UH, HOW ARE THEY, THE SCHEDULED MEETING.
IS THAT FAIR? FOR THE FINANCE COMMITTEE? MM-HMM
WHEN, UM, Y'ALL WERE CONSIDERING THE CASH, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE BRINGING DOWN THE RESERVES.
DID Y'ALL DISCUSS THE, IN THE GENERAL BUDGET THEY WANTED TO MOVE 12 MILLION OVER TO CIP? WAS THAT A RECOMMENDATION TO STILL DO THAT OR TO CHANGE THAT? WE, WE DIDN'T DISCUSS THE GENERAL FUND ISSUES AT ALL.
WE REALLY FOCUSED ON, ON THE CO PROJECTS AND THEN THE READY CASH AVAILABLE WITH THE RESERVE ISSUE.
THAT'S SOMETHING MORE THAT WE, I WOULD THINK WE WOULD WANT TO DISCUSS HERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF THE GENERAL FUND ISSUES THAT WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS TODAY, I HOPE, OR I'LL CERTAINLY BRING IT UP.
SO BECAUSE THERE WAS 12 MILLION, THEY WERE PROPOSING TO MOVE OVER TO FUND THESE PROJECTS.
AND SO I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF Y'ALL ACCOUNTED FOR THAT IN YOUR CASH.
THAT WASN'T PART OF OUR DISCUSSION.
SO IF THERE'S, IF THEY'VE GOT ANOTHER 12 MILLION THAT THEY, THEY CAN FIND TO MOVE OVER, THAT'S SOMETHING THE FINANCE COMMITTEE CAN LOOK AT AND SAY, OKAY, HERE'S 12 MORE MILLION, HERE'S, HERE'S SEVERAL MORE OF THE CO PROJECTS THAT AND BE CASH FLOW MAY OR MAY NOT SHOULD BE ON THE CO AND WE CAN FUND WITH CASH.
AGAIN, WE CAUGHT OURSELVES EARLY.
'CAUSE IN THE, SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS IT'S LIKE, WELL WE'RE, WE'RE MIXING THESE PROJECTS.
IT'S LIKE, NO, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT MIXING THEM.
WE'RE JUST GONNA FUND THEM IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
SO THE PROJECTS ARE STILL ON THE LIST TO DO, THEY'RE JUST BEING FUNDED IN A SEPARATE WAY.
BUT IN A SENSE, AREN'T WE DOING THAT? WERE YOU SAYING, UM, UH, COUNCILWOMAN THAT ASIDE FROM THE 45 INITIAL, THAT THEY WERE GONNA MOVE OVER 12 MORE BECAUSE, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'M THINKING ABOUT IT WRONG, BECAUSE IF WE'RE DIPPING INTO THE RESERVES TO BRING THE CO DOWN, WOULDN'T THAT INCLUDE THE 12 MILLION THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MOVED OVER? SO THE 45 WAS JUST DEBT ISSUANCE.
THEY WERE ALSO PROPOSING MOVING 12 MILLION IN CASH FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE CIP.
WHICH WAS THIS LIST OF PROJECTS MM-HMM
SO I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT'S STILL PART OF THE PLAN.
LIKE LET'S SAY WE JUST ACCEPTED ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS AS IS, IS IT STILL THE PLAN TO MOVE 12 MILLION TO THE CIP OR DO WE NOT HAVE TO DO THAT NOW? IT IS STILL THE PLAN BECAUSE THE OVERALL CIP WAS THE 45 MILLION OF DEBT PLUS THE 12 MILLION CASH TRANSFER PLUS THE BALANCES IN THE CIP FUND.
THAT WAS THE ENTIRE OF THE RESOURCES.
UM, WHAT ESSENTIALLY WE, WE WOULD BE DOING IS INSTEAD OF DEBT FUNDING AT 45, WE WOULD BE TRANSFERRING A CHUNK OF THAT TO CASH.
SO THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO INCREASE THE GENERAL FUND CASH CONTRIBUTION TO 18 MILLION.
THAT IS ADDING 6,000,020 $5 MILLION WORTH OF DEBT AS THE CHAIRMAN OF A AND E IS ALREADY OUTLINED.
THAT, THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE NUMBERS IS THE 45 MILLION WAS, WE WERE WILLING TO ISSUE DEBT ON THAT, BUT WE STILL HAD ANOTHER 12 MILLION IN PROJECTS THAT WE WERE GONNA TRANSFER MONEY TO COVER.
SO IT ACTUALLY, IT'S A 57 MILLION PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S THE WAY I HAD UNDERSTOOD IT.
SO THE 12 MILLION WASN'T GONNA IMPACT THE 45.
THAT WAS JUST OTHER WORK THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO.
AND AGAIN, THAT TO ME REALLY HASN'T CHANGED.
WE WERE JUST TRYING TO TRIM THE 45 DOWN FROM A DEBT ISSUANCE SIDE, EXCEPT IT'S BEING INCREASED 18 BECAUSE WE ARE REDUCING, WE TAKE 6 MILLION DOWN THE DEBT, WE WILL INCREASE ON THE CASH SIDE.
AND I CAN SHOW YOU WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF YOU WERE TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD.
ARE THE PROJECTS BEING FUNDED BY THAT 12 MILLION ON THIS LIST OR IS THAT A ADDITIONAL THEY'RE THEY'RE IN THE BUDGET BOOK UNDER FUND 3 51 AT PAGE TWO 12.
SO Y'ALL DIDN'T REVIEW THOSE PROJECTS, SO THEY ARE OR ARE NOT ON THIS LIST OR NOT? THERE'LL BE NO, THEY NOT, THEY'RE ON THAT LIST.
THAT'S, NO, THAT'S JUST THE LINE.
WE ONLY REASON WE ONLY REVIEWED THE CIP WE DID REVIEW OR MAKE ANY RECOMME RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE DID NOT REVIEW OF THE OTHER PROJECTS AS RELATED TO PHASE TWO 12.
SO TWO 12 WAS WHEN I WAS MAKING COMMENTS ON THE OTHER DAY
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WAS THIS WAS STUFF THAT WAS NOT CONSIDERED FOR THE, THE FOUR, THE ORIGINALLY PROPOSED PROJECTS OF THE, THE COS OF 45 MILLION.SO THESE ARE SEPARATE, THAT'S WHY I WAS MENTIONING THIS ONE DIFFERENTLY.
SO, SO WITH THAT AND, AND SO WE CAN LOOK AT, AT THESE TWO, THESE ARE, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY THAT THE THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE BROUGHT INTO EVERY, EVERY BUDGET EVERY YEAR, RIGHT? SO THESE WE CAN DISCUSS, I WOULD STILL SUGGEST THAT FINANCE MEET, YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM A AND E AS FAR AS THE DEBT ISSUANCE PROJECTS.
WE STILL HAVE THESE TO LOOK AT AS A COUNCIL, THIS IS WHAT WE SEE EVERY BUDGET.
SO THIS IS WHERE I'LL BE ENTERTAINING.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON, UM, WE CAN PROBABLY PROCEED FROM THAT.
I THINK, UH, FINANCE WANTS TO EXPRESS A FEW THINGS AS FAR AS SOME FRAMEWORK HERE.
SO I WAS JUST GONNA GIVE YOU A SUGGESTION.
UH, AT YOUR LAST MEETING WE TALKED ABOUT THE VARIOUS OPTIONS IN TERMS OF TAX RATE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
IF YOU WERE TO REDUCE THE DEBT ISSUANCE DOWN TO ABOUT 30 MILLION, UM, WITH A REDUCED TO 25, UH, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO REDUCE THE TAX RATE EVEN FURTHER.
YOU COULD TAKE TWO AND A HALF CENTS OFF THE CURRENT RATE.
IT WOULD MEAN INCREASING CASH FUNDING OF THE CIP FROM THE GENERAL FUNDERS WE JUST DISCUSSED OF 6 MILLION.
UH, I WOULD BE SUGGESTING TO YOU THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO REDUCE THE GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY SUBSTANTIALLY LEAVING 1 MILLION IN CONTINGENCY.
UH, AND THAT WOULD TAKE YOU DOWN TO A FUND BALANCE EQUIVALENT TO 75 DAYS, WHICH IS EXACTLY THE MIDPOINT BETWEEN THE MINIMUM OF 60 AND THE RECOMMENDED UPPER LIMIT OF 90 I WOULD SUGGEST MR. ME, THAT I SHOULD SAY PROVIDES YOUR OVERALL FRAMEWORK.
ANY, ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ANY, I GUESS QUESTIONS ON KIND OF IF THIS, IF THIS, IF THE OUTCOME OF OF, OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS DEBT ISSUANCE, ARE Y'ALL COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH THESE TYPE OF, UM, EITHER REDUCTION TO THE CONTIN FOR THE CONTINGENCY TO THE 1 MILLION AND THEN I GUESS THE, THE REDUCTION OF THE TAX RATE PROVIDE SOME DIRECTION OR WE WANT TO JUST HOLD OFF OR, OR I REALLY WOULD RATHER LET FINANCE KIND OF MAKE, LOOK AT SOME NUMBERS AND SEE WHERE THAT, I'LL MAKE COMMENT AFTER MY COLLEAGUE CHARLES HAS GOT THAT FINGER ON.
YOU KNOW, UM, LOOKING AT THIS, WE BOUGHT A FIRE TRUCK WITH SOME FUNDS FROM CONTINGENCY.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WASN'T PLANNED IN THE ORIGINAL BUDGET.
AM I CORRECT? BUT WE SAW A NEED LATER ON AND WE SPENT A MILLION DOLLARS EVERY TIME WE REDUCE THE TAX RATE BY 1 CENT.
HOW MUCH MONEY IS THAT OFF OF THE BUDGET? UH, BY 1 CENT? IT'S ABOUT 1.3 MM-HMM
MILLION IN TERMS OF THE LOSS ON IDAS PLUS THE LOSS IN PROPERTY TAX AND THE FIRE TRUCK COST US HOW MUCH? ABOUT ONE AND A HALF MILLION.
SO THAT 1 CENT EQUATES TO A FIRE TRUCK THAT WAS ACTUALLY NEEDED FOR OUR, AND I'M GONNA STRESS HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR OUR COMMUNITY IF WE HAD NOT DONE THAT WELL, WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR US WANTING, NEEDING ANOTHER FIRETRUCKS? SO WHAT WE DID, MR. MERRIT, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY ESSENTIALLY TO CATCH UP ON, UH, THE ACQUISITION OF FIRE APPLIANCES.
IT WAS SUGGESTED TO US THAT WE COULD LEASE THE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
MY VIEW WAS I DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL COST, UH, IN DOING THAT.
AND, UH, IT WAS MY SUGGESTION TO USE THE CONTINGENCY ESSENTIALLY TO GET AHEAD OF OURSELVES, GET THE TWO ENGINES NOW, AND FOR THE FIRE CONTROL DISTRICT TO REPAY THE GENERAL FUND FOR THAT BACK OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND BECAUSE OF THEIR HEALTHY SALES TAX EXPERIENCE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THAT IS POSSIBLE TO DO SO.
WE WILL GET THAT MONEY BACK INTO GENERAL FUND.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE US TO TAKE A LOOK AT REGARDING HEALTH AND SAFETY, LET'S LOOK AT OUR POLICE FLEET, WHAT PD MAY NEED.
LET'S LOOK AT OUR FIREFIGHTERS, WHAT THEY MAY NEED, AND MAKE DECISIONS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO THAT CONTINGENCY.
THAT WOULD BE THE SMART THING FOR US TO DO.
AND THIS IS JUST ME SPEAKING FOR MYSELF.
UM, I'M ALL ABOUT REDUCING THE TAX RATE, BUT ARE WE GONNA RE, WOULD WE REDUCE THE TAX RATE AND PUT OUR CITIZENS AT RISK WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH AND SAFETY? THAT WOULDN'T BE A SMART DECISION ON, ON OUR PART.
SO LET'S, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, WE'RE NOT GONNA APPROVE IT TILL SEPTEMBER 22ND.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT IT WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB AND BE SURE THERE'S NOT OPPORTUNITY FOR US WHETHER, SEE IF THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR US,
[00:25:01]
LIKE I SAID IN THE LAST MEETING TO IMPROVE FIRE PD, MAYBE EVEN EVEN HEALTH OR PLANNING.AND THEN WE CONSIDER IF WE, IF WE CAN TRULY TAKE 1 CENT OFF OF THE BUDGET.
IT, SO MR. MAYOR IF, IF I MAY ON THAT, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE MADE THE TRANSFERS FROM THE FIRE CONTROL AND CRIME PREVENTION DISTRICTS OF PERSONNEL INTO THE GENERAL FUND WAS TO ALLOW THEM TO FOCUS ENTIRELY ON VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT.
UH, AND THAT WILL ALLOW US TO CATCH UP AND STAY ON PACE IN TERMS OF, UH, REPLACING THOSE VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT.
SO I'M CONFIDENT THAT NOW WE HAVE, WE HAVE REMEDIED THAT WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR WAS A CATCH UP WITH FIRE.
WE NOW HAVE A DIFFERENT, UH, METHODOLOGY GOING FORWARD.
SO I'M, I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE IN A POSITION TO BE ABLE TO KEEP PACE WITH THAT AND AT THE SAME TIME DRIVE DOWN THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
AND MAYOR COUNSEL, ONE OF THE REASONS WE ACCELERATED ALSO OUR COMMITMENT TO FIRE APPARATUS IS BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE THE CITY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF CASH BY DOING THAT.
WE SAW PRICE ESCALATIONS AND WE WERE TOLD BY THE PROVIDER, IF WE, IF WE COULD COMMIT NOW TO THESE THAT WE WOULD SAVE, UH, WE WOULD SAVE A LOT OF MONEY, UH, BY DOING THAT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE MOTIVATIONS WE HAD TOO.
AND, AND AGAIN, I'LL STRESS WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE HAVEN'T CUT ANYTHING BACK.
IF FIRE POLICE NEED ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT OR WHATEVER, THEY'RE NOT REAL BASHFUL ABOUT ASKING FOR IT.
SO I, I THINK THE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE YOU USE IS JUST, AS VICAR EXPLAINED, IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DOUBLE UP WITH SOME OF THE GENERAL FUND CASH KNOWING THAT THE FIRE CONTROL WOULD PAY THE GENERAL FUND BACK.
WE ALWAYS HAVE THAT CAPABILITY AND, AND KIND OF GOING WITH IT FROM THERE.
IT'S KINDA LIKE I, I WENT THROUGH BOTH THEIR BUDGETS AND, AND WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE PROJECTS ON THERE.
WE THINK THEY'RE VERY VIABLE AND, AND NECESSITIES.
SO AGAIN, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US ARE WANTING TO CUT BACK.
UM, WE JUST, AGAIN, I I I KEEP STRESSING THE CITY IS PROBABLY IN THE BEST FINANCIAL CONDITION THAT'S BEEN IN IN A LONG TIME AND I'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME TO TO KNOW THAT.
AND IT'S, IT, IN MY OPINION, IT'S TIME TO GIVE THE CITIZENS BACK A LITTLE BIT.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN DO IT WITHOUT HAVING A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE IT'S TIME, UH, TO DO THAT.
UM, MY FIRST QUESTION WAS, IF WE DO REDUCE IT TO THE 76 OR THE TWO AND A HALF CENTS, HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT IS THAT GONNA HAVE ON THE IDAS? AND VICTOR'S HAS INDICATED THAT, THAT WE'RE COVERING THAT LOSS WITH FUNDS THAT WE HAVE.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE IN SUCH GOOD SHAPE, WE CAN COVER THAT LOSS.
IT, IT'S TIME, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, COUNCIL SET THE PRESIDENT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS OF A PENNY.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOW TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE BACK YEAH.
AND NOT HURT US, UH, EVEN LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE.
SO YEAH, WHY NOT? YEAH, WE COULD SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY AND, AND I'M GONNA BE JUST INTRINSIC ON THIS CITY.
WE COULD GO OUT AND SPEND A WHOLE LOT MORE MONEY AND KEEP THE TAX RATE WHERE IT IS.
IT'S TIME TO GET BACK TO THE CITIZENS A LITTLE BIT.
I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULDN'T, I JUST WANT TO BE SURE WE'RE NOT HAVING TO DIP INTO CONTINGENCY AND RESERVES FOR, OR WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN CONTINGENCY AND RESERVES NOT HAVING TO, UM, DIP INTO IT FOR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
I'M GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET AHEAD.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY AHEAD CONTINGENCY AND THE, THE WAY, THE WAY I SEE CONTINGENCY UNFORESEEN THINGS THAT MAY HAPPEN, THAT WAS SOMETHING ON UNFORESEEN AND WE'VE HAD SOME OTHER UNFORESEEN THINGS HAPPEN.
JUST WANT TO BE SURE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH TO COVER THAT.
NOW, IF YOU ALL CAN ASSURE US THAT ASSURE ME THAT WE WILL THEN, LIKE I SAID, I'M ALL ABOUT GIVING BACK.
I WAS ON FINANCE COMMITTEE WHEN WE FIRST PROPOSED GIVEN, UM, LAUREN THE TAX RATE BY 1% AND I'VE SUPPORTED IT EVER SINCE THEN.
BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE BEING PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE IS NOT JUST ABOUT LOWERING THE TAX RATE AND SAVING MONEY.
BEING PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE IS ALSO ABOUT MAKING SURE YOU HAVE THE FUNDS TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
I JUST WANT TO BE SURE WE HAVE THAT.
WE WE ARE CAPABLE OF HANDLING OUR BUSINESS AND UNFORESEEN THINGS AND, AND MAYOR I I WAS YES MA'AM, SOMEWHAT IN LINE WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN JOHNSON WAS SAYING.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN VICTOR, YOU POINTED OUT THAT WE TOOK AN IMPACT ON, UM, IDAS.
WE KNOW THAT IDAS CONTINUE TO BE A TARGET FOR STATE.
WE CONTINUE TO HAVE TO ARGUE WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE IDAS.
YOU'VE SEEN OUR BUDGET WHERE A MAJORITY OF IT IS IDA A THE VERY FIRST TIME I SAT IN A BUDGET SESSION, I ASKED WHAT
[00:30:01]
WOULD HAPPEN IF EXXON CLOSED, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ENTERPRISE OR CHEVRON OR THOSE THAT HELP US FUND A LOT OF THE PROJECTS.AND SO THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK ABOUT.
YES, WE WANNA DO, WE WANNA SUPPORT OUR RESIDENTS, WE WANNA BRING THINGS DOWN, BUT WHAT ARE OTHER AREAS CAN WE REDUCE? BECAUSE I'M STILL, AS MUCH AS I SUPPORT OUR INDUSTRY, I AM STILL WEARY, UM, ABOUT WHAT STATE CONTINUES TO PUSH IN, IN US MAYBE LOSING THAT IDA MONEY.
UM, I AGREE MORE SO WITH COUNCILMAN LESTER, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE HAVEN'T BEEN GIVING A A A 1% REDUCTION.
IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN A, A, A 1 CENT REDUCTION MM-HMM
SO REALLY THE 1 CENT REDUCTION, I MEAN, IT'S MINUSCULE.
IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT EVEN 1%, IT'S LESS THAN THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE TWO AND A HALF CENT CUT, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE A, A, I DON'T KNOW, ROUGH TWO OR 3% REDUCTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE EMPLOYEES RECEIVE, YOU KNOW, THREE, FOUR, 5% RAISES EACH AND EVERY YEAR.
AND I DO AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN LESTER THAT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, YOU KNOW, THE CITIZENS DESERVE A RAISE IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.
THAT'S MORE THAN A MINUSCULE, MINUSCULE AMOUNT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I TEND TO LEAN CLOSER TO, TO THE TWO AND A HALF CENT CUT AND, AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST WHERE I FALL.
I I THINK IT'S TIME AND, AND, AND I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO THIS, THIS DAY AND TIME.
SO WITH COUNCILMAN LESTER AND THE TIME BEING NOW VICTOR, UM, WHAT EXPENSES FALL UNDER THE USE OF CONTINGENCY? CAN ANYTHING BE COVERED UNDER CONTINGENCY? ANYTHING THAT CAN LEGALLY BE SPENT BY THE CITY? YES.
UM, I MEAN, GENERALLY SPEAKING, I WOULD SAY IT WOULD BE FOR, UH, ITEMS LIKE A FIRETRUCK.
UH, SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD, UH, BE DOING IN A NORMAL COURSE OF BUSINESS FOR AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.
THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER, UH, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT WE WOULD BRING BACK TO YOU.
BUT THE CONTINGENCY IS FOR THINGS LIKE UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES RELATING TO THE NORMAL COURSE OF BUSINESS DRAINAGE.
ANYTHING THAT MAY HAPPEN WITH WATERLINE BREAKS, EVERYTHING.
NOT ONLY CONTINGENCY, WHICH YOU AND I DISCUSSED, THE, THE, UM, RESERVES.
'CAUSE I HAD A VERY NARROW VIEW OF WHAT RESERVES COULD BE USED FOR.
BUT YOU INDICATED THAT WE COULD EVEN, IF NECESSARY, TAP INTO THE RESERVE NUMBER IF IT'S LEGITIMATE AND WE VOTE TO, TO RE RESTRUCTURE THE BUDGET AT THAT POINT.
SO LET'S SAY SIX MONTHS INTO THE BUDGET, WE'RE, WE'RE WELL ON TRACK FOR OUR 75 DAY TARGET AND, AND SOMETHING COMES UP AND WE LOSE A FIRE TRUCK, WE GOTTA DO THAT.
WE COULD MEET AS A BODY AND SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA REDUCE IT DOWN AGAIN.
A FIRETRUCK IS ABOUT FOUR DAYS.
WE'RE GONNA REDUCE IT DOWN TO 70, GET THAT CASH UP AND GO BUY A FIRETRUCK.
SO, SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING YOU, INSTEAD OF LEAVING
THAT'S JUST CASH SITTING IN A CLOSET, NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR ANYBODY.
LET'S BE, AND LAURA'S CONVINCED ME THAT BECAUSE I WAS THINKING ABOUT DRAGGING IT DOWN FURTHER THAN THAT, AND SHE'S CONVINCED ME THAT 75 DAYS WOULD BE MY MINIMUM AS WELL.
WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA END UP WELL AHEAD.
LET'S USE SOME OF THAT AND FUND SOME OF THESE PROJECTS IN CASH AND, AND LOWER OUR DEBT RATIOS SOME, AND BE ABLE TO GIVE THE TWO AND A HALF CENTS BACK TO OUR CITIZENS NEXT YEAR.
WE MAY HAVE THE SAME DISCUSSION GOING, WELL, WE CAN'T AFFORD ANYTHING BUT A HALF CENT.
UH, FROM WHAT I'M SEEING, WE'RE, AND AGAIN, AS PART OF, YOU KNOW, $1.9 MILLION IN STAFFING IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE BENEFITS.
SO IT'S CLOSER TO TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN STAFFING 40 AND A HALF EMPLOYEES, NEW EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT DOESN'T COUNT THE TRANSFER FROM CCPD AND FIRE EMS INTO THE BUDGET.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN 40 NEW EMPLOYEES IN ANY GIVEN BUDGET YEAR.
ARE THEY NECESSARY AND NEEDED? I SURE HOPE SO.
BUT 40 NEW EMPLOYEES, THAT'S, THAT IS SIGNIFICANT.
AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS AND STILL BE ABLE TO GIVE MONEY BACK TO OUR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, GUYS, WE JUST NEED TO, TO TAKE THAT CHANCE, IF YOU WILL, THAT THINGS ARE GONNA CONTINUE AS THEY ARE.
UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S JUST PRUDENT.
DO WE STILL NEED TO GO THROUGH A LITTLE FINE TOOTH COMB ON SOME OF THIS STUFF? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO TAKE A BITE AT THE APPLE, THIS IS YEAR TO DO IT.
SO LET ME, LEMME JUST WEIGH, I AGREE.
I MEAN, I, I WANTED TO, FOR, FOR YEARS, I DID WANT TO TAKE A LITTLE DEEPER CUT, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS, RIGHT? MM-HMM
[00:35:01]
KNOW, THERE'S OTHER THINGS WHERE YOU, YOU KINDA READ THE TEA LEAVES WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL MARKETS AND YOU WANNA BE CAUTIOUS.'CAUSE I, I'VE BEEN THROUGH SOME BUDGETS WHERE, YOU KNOW, OH EIGHT AND OH NINE WERE VERY TOUGH.
THERE WAS NO RAISES AND ALL THAT.
AND SO I JUST, I GUESS I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT.
SO I I I BECOME CAUTIOUS, RIGHT? AND SO I DO, WHEN YOU'RE GOING AND, AND, AND THOSE RESERVES ARE REALLY LOW AND, AND PEOPLE AREN'T SPENDING MONEY 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE IT MM-HMM
UM, WHICH COULD HAPPEN AT ANY TIME.
UM, BUT WE ARE FINANCIALLY IN A VERY GOOD POSITION.
I I, I DO AGREE WITH, WITH TAKING AS MUCH OF A CUT AS POSSIBLE, IF IT'S TWO AND A HALF CENTS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, THE, THE 1 MILLION, KNOWING THAT THAT'S KIND OF UNFORESEEN AND, AND CONTINGENCY.
BUT KNOWING THAT IF SOMETHING DOES SURFACE THAT WE DO HAVE TO ADDRESS, 'CAUSE IT'S HAPPENED.
WE'VE HAD A $1 MILLION WATER MAIN CHURCH, UH, CUT THAT, THAT TOOK PLACE, UH, I THINK ON CHRISTMAS EVE OR THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS EVE.
AND SO IT CAN HAPPEN, BUT WE ARE PREPARED FOR THAT.
UH, I DON'T WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT, UM, YOU BUDGET FOR IT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
BUT, BUT WE ARE ALSO, UH, WE HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESERVES IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS.
AND SO I WOULD SUPPORT IF IT IS TWO AND A HALF OR 2 CENTS OR WHATEVER, UH, I THINK THAT'S FINE.
I STILL WANT, UH, FINANCE TO GO AND MAKE THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION OF WHAT THE FRAMEWORK LOOKS LIKE.
I DO APPRECIATE THE A AND E AS FAR AS WHAT THEY ADDRESS ON THE DEBT ISSUANCE.
UH, WE HAVE THESE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE PRETTY MUCH THE DAY-TO-DAY PROPOSED BUDGETARY ITEMS. AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE GO THROUGH, YES, WE ALWAYS WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL HAVE ALL THE, THE, THE BEST EQUIPMENT, NOT JUST ENOUGH EQUIPMENT, BUT THE BEST EQUIPMENT WHEN IT COMES TO, TO BEING ABLE TO, UH, BEING ABLE FOR THEM TO OPERATE.
AND I REALLY BELIEVE, SO I THINK THE NEW FLEET OPERATIONS THAT'S BEING BUILT AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX AND SO ON, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE VERY HELPFUL TO BOTH POLICE AND FIRE.
AND SO WITH ALL THAT SAID, UM, THIS SEEMS LIKE A VERY FAIR FRAMEWORK WILL LET FINANCE PICK A DATE THEY MEET, THEY'LL GIVE US SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE'LL MOVE FORWARD FROM THAT.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE WE CAN REALLY DISCUSS ON THAT, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS A GENERAL CONSENSUS OF COUNSEL THAT, THAT THE TWO AND A HALF CENTS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, WITH THE ONE MAN CONTINGENCY, I THINK THAT'S FINE.
JUST ONE QUESTION ON THE CONTINGENCY, AND I, I AGREE WITH LOWERING IT A BIT, BUT, UM, I KNOW WE GOT A NOTE FROM TONY EARLIER TODAY WITH TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CHEMICALS AND THERE WAS A, SOME CONTINGENCY BUILT INTO THAT NUMBER FOR AN AERIAL APPLICATION.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE CONTINGENCY BUILT INTO THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT MAYBE WE'RE NOT CAPTURING? UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT EITHER WE DON'T NEED IT IN THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT BUDGETS OR THIS 1 MILLION COULD BE LOWER IF THEY'RE ALL HANDLING IT INDIVIDUALLY? NOT AS A MATTER OF COURSE, BUT TONY MAY WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT SPECIFIC.
UH, IN REFERENCE TO THE EMAIL THAT I SENT YOU GUYS, THAT CONTINGENCY IS ACTUALLY BUILT INTO THE CHEMICAL BUDGET, UM, REALLY TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT IF WE DO NEED TO EXTRACT IT.
'CAUSE WE'LL HAVE TO GO OUT AND, UH, CONTRACT WITH THE VENDOR.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT DEEMED A CONTINGENCY PER SE, UH, WITH A LINE ITEM IN OUR BUDGET.
IT'S JUST THAT ADDITIONAL CHEMICAL.
UM, AND IF WE DON'T HAVE A TROPICAL EVENT, UM, THEN THAT CHEMICAL WILL JUST BE IN THERE.
THAT A HUNDRED, 101,000, OKAY.
TO THE COUNCILMAN'S POINT, AREN'T A LOT OF THE BUD.
THE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS HAVE A BUILT IN CONTINGENCY.
AND EVEN THE CIP HAS A CONTINGENCY, WHICH IS ALL SEPARATE FROM THIS GENERAL CONTINGENCY.
THE, THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS DO NOT, AS A MATTER OF COURSE, HAVE SEPARATE CONTINGENCIES.
THE GENERAL FUND HAS CONTINGENCY AND THE CIP HAS A SEPARATE CONTINGENCY RELATED TO CAPITAL PROJECTS.
WELL WENT THROUGH THE BUDGET IN LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM AND, AND I HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS.
THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET REQUESTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN IN PREVIOUS YEAR'S.
BUDGETS REQUESTS, UM, SPECIAL SERVICES ONE IS SOMETHING THAT ALL THE DEPARTMENTS GOT REAL FRIENDLY WITH THIS YEAR.
UH, SO I'M LOOKING AT ONE THAT'S $300,000 FOR SPECIAL SERVICES EXPENDITURES THAT THEY'VE NEVER HAD BEFORE.
UM, I GOT SOME QUESTIONS ON, ON SOME OF THOSE, AND WE CAN GET INTO SPECIFICS, BUT ALSO QUESTIONS ON, UM, I'M ALL ABOUT EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN, IN THE DEPARTMENTS.
A LOT OF OUR STAFF HAVE TO CARRY CERTIFICATIONS AND TO DO WHAT THEY DO.
UM, WHICH I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
BUT THEY ALSO FOUND A NEW LINE ITEM, UH, CALLED, UH, EMPLOYEE, UM, WELL, LET ME FIND IT HERE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO QUOTE.
THEY HAVE EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND THEN, UH, WHAT IS IT? STAFF DEVELOPMENT THAT, THAT'S A NEW ONE.
AND, UH, A LOT OF THE DEPARTMENTS
[00:40:01]
FOUND THAT MINE ITEM TO ADD NEW MONEY TO THE BUDGET.SO AGAIN, NICKELS AND DIMES HERE AND THERE, BUT THEY ADD UP REAL QUICK.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE CAN GO THROUGH, WE CAN START ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT SPECIAL SERVICES TENDS TO BE VERY POPULAR AND THEY, AND IF, IF THEY'RE NECESSARY OR NEEDED OR THEY'RE JUSTIFIED, I'M, I'M GOOD WITH IT.
BUT, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT CAME UP IN THE, IN, IN THAT.
WHAT ARE SPECIAL SERVICES? WELL, I'M SURE EVERY DEPARTMENT'S GOT A DIFFERENT DEFINITION OF WHAT THAT SPECIAL SERVICES COST WOULD BE.
UM, I WOULDN'T CA CHARACTERIZE IT AS, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE FINDING THIS WHEN I, I THINK THAT'S UNFAIR TO STAFF, UM, TO SAY THAT THEY'RE FINDING WAYS TO ADD THINGS TO THE BUDGET.
UM, I, I THINK IF THERE'S A NEED, THEY'RE GONNA ADD IT.
AND I, I AGREE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE QUESTIONING AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
BUT I THINK IT'S AN UNFAIR CHARACTERIZATION TO STAFF.
JUST AUDITS NEVER BEEN IN THE BUDGET ON SOME OF 'EM.
SOME OF 'EM DO HAVE SPECIAL SERVICES, BUT THEY'VE BEEN INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY.
BUT SOME OF THE NEW ONES CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD.
AND MR. RAM MAYOR, THE SPECIALIST SERVICES LINE IS WHERE WE CAPTURE THE COST OF CONTRACTED SERVICES.
SO WHERE WE'RE BUYING IN, UH, SPECIFIC SPECIALIST EXPERTISE AND WE'VE HAD TO INCREASE THAT, PARTICULARLY AS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD DIFFICULTIES WITH FILLING OUR OWN POSITIONS.
SO, UH, UNFORTUNATELY THAT MEANS THEN WE HAVE TO OUTSOURCE TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND BUY IN THAT EXPERTISE.
OKAY, SO WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED CAPITAL PROJECTS.
WE DISCUSSED THE, THE FRAMEWORK.
I THINK FINANCE IS GONNA GIVE A RECOMMENDATION AT SOME POINT.
SO LET'S, LET'S MOVE PAST THIS.
IS THERE ANY, ANY, UH, PARTICULAR LINE ITEMS OR, UH, PROJECTS AREAS? THERE'S ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
I MEAN, I KNOW I KEEP HEARING STAFF TALK ABOUT WHEN WE GET TO THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, BUT FOR, FOR COUNCIL, WHAT IS THERE, WHAT, WHAT DISCUSSION ITEMS DO YOU HAVE? WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE? THEY'RE HERE.
AGAIN, IF WE'RE GONNA GO LINE ITEM AND LINE ITEM, THIS IS THE TIME.
I MEAN, WE, WE ONLY HAVE X AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT TO ME, PUBLICLY AND, AND, AND ADDRESS THINGS.
SO GENERALLY WE CAN'T KEEP WAITING AND WAITING.
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION, UH, BUDGET 1 0 1.
WHAT PAGE? WHAT PAGE YOU ON? UH, I GOT YOU MAKE ME PUT MY, YOU SAID 1 0 1? NO, IT'S UH, 62.
WHICH PAGE? WHICH PAGE? SIX TWO.
OUR SPECIAL PROGRAMS IS $300,000.
THAT WAS TO, THAT IS TO COVER, UM, $50,000 FOR COUNCIL DISTRICT, UH, PROJECTS.
YEAH, WE'VE BEEN OKAY, SO THEY JUST DON'T TELL YOU NO, THEY, THEY DO
WHAT'S NEW IN THIS BUDGET? THAT'S BECAUSE Y'ALL ASKED FOR THAT.
YEAH, YEAH, I REMEMBER THAT ONE.
SO THAT'S SPECIAL PROJECTS FOR COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
UH, SPECIAL SERVICES 74 21 WENT FROM 63,000 TO 202,000.
AGAIN, THAT'S AS A BUDGET PERSON, I LOOK FOR MAJOR JUMPS IN BUDGETS.
SO SAME GENERAL ADMINISTRATION, 70, 74, 0 21 LAST YEAR.
PROPOSED NEXT YEAR IS 202,500.
MR. ME, THAT IS FOR THE BROADBAND STUDY.
THE WHAT? THE BROADBAND STUDY.
BRIAN, CAN YOU, THAT WAS ANOTHER COUNCIL INITIATIVE MM-HMM
THAT, UH, WE WANTED TO, THERE ARE, UM, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO SEEK SOME FUNDING AND SOME HELP TO, UH, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE BROADBAND NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT AS A PART OF THAT PROCESS, WE NEED TO DO A STUDY.
THERE'S A COMPANY THAT WE'VE HAVING BEEN HAVING SOME DIALOGUE WITH CALLED HR GREEN THAT CAN PROVIDE THAT, UH, ANALYSIS AND GIVE US REALLY A, A BLUEPRINT OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN OUR COMMUNITY TO INCREASE BROADBAND.
BUT THIS WAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES THAT YOU, YOU SET FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY THAT WAS AN INITIATIVE SPONSORED BY ONE OF THE COLLEAGUES.
AGAIN, I'M JUST ASKING THE QUESTIONS.
I SEE THESE MAJOR JUMPS IN BUDGETS AND THERE'S NO, IT, IT IS KIND LIKE, SO WE CAN GO OVER TO, UH, 10 30 FISCAL OPERATIONS.
UM, LAND MAINTENANCE PAGE, PAGE NUMBER, UH, 64.
WE JUST, WE'LL JUST GO PAGE BY PAGE NUMBER THE SAME.
LAND MAINTENANCE, NEVER BEEN IN THE BUDGET BEFORE, BUT WE HAVE 156,000, ALMOST $157,000 IN LAND MAINTENANCE.
DID, DID WE ACQUIRE JUST A WHOLE BUNCH MORE LAND THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN?
[00:45:02]
UH, NO.THAT IS A MOVE FROM OTHER BUDGET LINES INTO THE PURCHASING UNIT, UH, FOR THEM TO MANAGE ALL OF THOSE BUDGET LINES TOGETHER.
SO IT IS A MOVE FROM OTHER, IT WAS IN OTHER PLACES THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE ACCUMULATED IT TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE.
SO CONSOLIDATED TO CONSOLIDATE IT, TO MANAGE IT MORE EFFECTIVELY.
MR. MAYOR, IT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE HELPFUL AT THIS POINT BECAUSE WHAT CONSTABLE NESTOR HAS IDENTIFIED ARE ITEMS THAT ARE THE SUBJECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL REQUESTS.
SO PAGE 36 OF THE BUDGET BOOK INCLUDES THAT ENTIRE LIST.
AND IT STARTS WITH, AS I SAY, THE BROADBAND STUDY WITH 150,000.
THE RESEARCH AND MARKETING STRATEGY THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AT THE LAST MEETING OF 150,000 THAT GOES ON FROM THERE.
UM, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL JUST TO FOCUS THAT DISCUSSION.
SO AS, AS THE FINANCE DIRECTOR ALLUDED TO, SO PAGE 36 I THINK GIVES A LOT OF EXPLANATION ON SOME CERTAIN THINGS.
COURSE MAY, IT'S GONNA BE REFLECTED IN, OBVIOUSLY IN DIFFERENT LINE ITEMS AND BUDGETARY AREAS.
BUT YES, YOU TAKE THIS GENERAL LIST, IT'S HARD TO FIND IT IN 200.
I THINK THEY, THEY TRY TO SUMMARIZE EVERYTHING OVER HERE FOR YOU.
WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS ESSENTIALLY WE'VE, WE'VE STARTED WITH A BASE BUDGET.
SO WHAT WE DO THIS YEAR AND ASSUME WE DO IT NEXT YEAR, THAT'S OUR BASE.
THEN WE HAVE ADDED SUPPLEMENTAL SWITCHES, THIS LIST HERE.
SO IT'S ENTIRELY UP TO YOU WHETHER YOU WANT TO DO ANY, SOME, ALL NONE ENTIRELY UP TO YOU.
AND THOSE WILL, IF THEY'RE NOT APPROVED, THEN THEY WILL COME OUTTA THE BUDGET.
UM, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, SAME, SAME LINE ITEM.
SPECIAL SERVICES 104 AND IT BUMPED UP TO 2, 4 7.
AND THAT IS, AS I SAY, THE SECOND ON THE LIST OF, AGAIN, I'M, I'M JUST GONNA GO THROUGH THE LINE.
'CAUSE GOING BACK TO THAT LIST, IT DOESN'T TELL ME WHERE IT IS IN THE BUDGET.
UM, SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO, WHAT DO THOMAS, COME ON UP TO THE PODIUM.
I GOT ABOUT 30 BLUE TAGS ALL IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
OH, YOU'RE CREATIVE, BUT YOU'RE NOT THAT CREATIVE.
THE 150, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT, UH, AT THE LAST MEETING IS FOR THE MARKET STRATEGY AND, AND RESEARCH STUDY.
UH, ALSO SOME OF THAT IS MOVING AROUND FROM OTHER LIGHT ITEMS THAT SIMPLY WEREN'T BEING ACCOUNTED FOR PROPERLY.
AND SO JUST MOVED FROM LINE TO LINE AS, AS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED TO CONSOLIDATE AND ALSO, UH, IN TERMS OF SPECIAL SERVICES MOVING THE CONTRACT WEBMASTER THERE.
AND THAT IS A SAVINGS OF, UH, IN THE SALARY LINE AND ACTUALLY MOVED INTO, UH, THE CONTRACTED SERVICES.
AND, AND THEN YOUR LEGISLATIVE SERVICES, 220,000.
IT HAS BEEN REQUESTED TO INCREASE THAT TO INCLUDE A FEDERAL ADVOCATE.
WE'VE HAD SUCCESS IN OUR STATE ADVOCACY.
AND SO NOW THE REQUEST HAS BEEN TO ADD A FEDERAL ADVOCATE.
AND IF I CAN SPEAK TO THAT, SO IN PREVIOUS YEARS WE DID HAVE, YOU KNOW, UM, A CONSULTANT IN DC THAT, THAT HELP US, HELPS US WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE THESE LARGE SCALE INITIATIVES, I'LL JUST CALL 'EM IN, IN DC IT, IT, IT'S, THEY'RE VERY THICK.
AND WITH THE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AND SOME OTHER THINGS, WE HAVE TO HAVE HELP LOOKING AT IT, IDENTIFYING IT.
BUT THERE'S GONNA BE MANY THINGS THAT WE HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY WE CAN CAPITALIZE ON.
NO DIFFERENT THAN GROWTH ROAD AND, AND MATCHING FUNDS FOR IT FROM, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT WE EITHER HELP ON AND THEY UNDERSTAND THE COMMITTEE LANDSCAPE AND LANDSCAPE AND, AND HOW LEGISLATION IS MOVING FORWARD AND SO ON.
SO, AND, AND MAYOR, I'M SURE, AND I'LL BE REAL POSITIVE TO MY COLLEAGUES COMMENT, I'M SURE STAFF IS GONNA HAVE GOOD ANSWERS FOR EVERY ONE OF THESE QUESTIONS.
AND SOME OF THIS IS TO BRING OUT JUST THAT, THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING GOOD THINGS AND IT COSTS MONEY TO DO THAT.
I, I JUST WANT TO, AGAIN, MY CURIOSITY IS PEAKED.
THERE'S JUST, I GUESS IF I READ EVERY LINE ITEM AND HAD MY OUIJA BOARD, I COULD MATCH THESE, THESE THINGS UP, BUT I DON'T, AND SO I'M JUST ASKING THE QUESTIONS.
UH, TWO, TWO BIG WINS FROM THE FEDERAL ADVOCACY HAS BEEN THE SAN JACINTO WASTE PITS AND THE SAN UH, AND THE SAN JACINTO BRIDGE, RIVER BRIDGE.
AND, UH, I, I HAVE TO SAY THOSE PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE MOVED THE WAY THEY DID WITHOUT, UH, HELP FROM THOSE ADVOCATES.
[00:50:01]
BIG ONES.DID THE LEGISLATIVE SERVICES MOVE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE BUDGET? 'CAUSE I SEE IT WASN'T.
WHERE WAS THAT PREVIOUS? IT'S NEW TO PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
IT WAS IN GENERAL ADMINISTRATION BEFORE.
IT WASN'T PREVIOUS BUDGETS, BUT THAT RIGHT.
IT WAS JUST, THAT'S WHAT I FIGURED.
UM, AND THE ADVERTISING, THE BUDGET ITSELF DIDN'T CHANGE MUCH.
IT WAS 1 0 8 THIS PAST YEAR AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING DOWN TO 1 0 2, BUT WE'RE ESTIMATED TO ONLY SPEND 27,000 THIS YEAR.
SO WHAT, WHAT WILL WE SPEND THE 1 0 8 ON? OR WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU FORESEE DOING IN THAT? A LOT OF WHAT WAS IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS WAS FOR THE SPECIFIC SEIZE THE BAY CAMPAIGN THAT HAS BEEN DONE IN, IN A BIG BULK OF FUNDS SPENT ON HULU ADS, AMAZON ADS, REALLY HIGHLIGHTING BAYTOWN, WHAT WE DISCUSSED AT OUR LAST MEETING NEEDS TO COME BEFORE WE SPEND ANY MORE MONEY ON ADVERTISING BAYTOWN IN THOSE, UH, FORUMS IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO THE, THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY THAT WE TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY WOULD ACTUALLY BRING US A STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN FOR THE BEST USE OF OUR ADVERTISING DOLLARS GOING FORWARD.
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HOW, HOW TO PUT BAYTOWN IN THE BEST LIGHT FORWARD OR POSSIBLE FOR THOSE DIFFERENT AUDIENCES THAT WE HAVE.
PLANNING DEVELOPMENTS TURNED 10 80.
WHAT PAGE? MY DAD? WHAT PAGE? HUH? YOU REMIND ME OF MY DAD.
72 SPECIAL SERVICES WENT FROM 250,000 TO 600 TO 57,000.
I KNOW Y'ALL ARE SPECIAL OVER THERE, BUT WHAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH IT? UH, 200 OF THAT IS FOR THE ULDC UPDATE, WHICH WE ARE BRINGING THE CONTRACT BEFORE YOU, UH, LATER THIS MONTH.
AND I THINK WE RAISED THE, WE WERE LOOKING AT, UM, THE, UH, DOWNTOWN PLAN UPDATE AND ACTUALLY EXPANDED THE SCOPE OF THAT, THE POTENTIAL SCOPE OF THAT.
WE WERE ASKED TO DO A CODE AUDIT THAT NOW I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER HOW MUCH WE PUT, I THINK THAT WAS ANOTHER 50,000 INTO THAT, WHICH MAY NOT END UP BEING NEEDED.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WAS A STREETLIGHT, UH, STUDY AS WELL, WHICH I THINK WE PUT IN A HUNDRED FOR THAT.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THAT CAME FROM.
AND UM, THIS WAS THROUGH, UH, DISCUSSION WITH OUR CITY MANAGEMENT TO SAY, OKAY, HERE'S THE THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO GET DONE IN THE NEXT YEAR TO TWO YEARS.
IT'S JUST YOU HAD 250 BUDGETED, YOU, YOU'RE ANTICIPATING SPENDING 169 AND THEN IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET IT WAS 657 IS LIKE, YEAH, A BIG, A BIG, BUT THREE STUDIES EXPLAINS IT.
UH, AND A BIG PIECE OF THIS YEAR'S BUDGET WAS THE TWO 50, UH, ONE 50 OF THAT WAS FOR THE ULDC UPDATE, WHICH WE HAVEN'T STARTED YET.
AND WE ONLY HAVE A MONTH LEFT IN THIS BUDGET YEAR.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THAT, UH, SOME OF THAT IS GONNA BE REABSORBED INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND WE'LL PICK THAT UP NEXT YEAR, UH, WITH THAT 200, WHICH, UH, FULL DISCLOSURE WILL PROBABLY BE COMING BACK THE FOLLOWING YEAR TO ASK FOR WHATEVER THE REMAINDER OF THAT CONTRACT IS.
I'M ANTICIPATING PROBABLY AROUND A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
ALL THREE OF THOSE ARE GOOD STUDIES.
YOU HAVE THE SAME ONE TIME I, NO, JUST
AND AFTER SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD IN THE, ON THE CO STUFF, I'M, I'M SURE IT'S NEEDED FUNDING.
BUT WHAT DO WE THAT'S THAT'S A CHUNK OF CHANGE.
THAT IS OUR STANDARD BUILDING MAINTENANCE.
WHAT WE FOUND IS LAST YEAR WE COMBINED ALL THESE BUILDING MAINTENANCE, UH, FUNDS INTO ONE UNDERNEATH FACILITIES.
WE FOUND IT WAS A LOT OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE FROM DEPARTMENTS THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS TAKE CARE OF STUFF PROPERLY.
UH, WE HAVE BASICALLY, UH, ZERO DEBT LINE OUT ABOUT NOW THAT 900,000, UH, THIS YEAR.
SO WE ASKED FOR AN INCREASE OF UH, ABOUT 20% FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO YOU ZEROED OUT FROM OTHER BUDGETS? YES.
JUST ABOUT, I'M LOOKING AT ANOTHER BUDGET.
IT'S GOT BUILDING MAINTENANCE LISTED IN HERE AS FAR AS MON SO YOU KNOW, JUST ABOUT EVERY BUDGET'S GOT BUILDING MAINTENANCE MONEY IN THERE.
SO DID WE ZERO IT OUT OR DID WE NOT ZERO IT OUT? NO, WE HAVE ABOUT COM.
WE HAVE ABOUT SPENT ALL THAT MONEY THIS YEAR.
[00:55:01]
I MEAN WE WERE ALMOST AT THE END.UH, SO WE INCREASED AT 300,000.
'CAUSE YOU'VE SPENT, YOU, YOU HAVE AN ANTICIPATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AN INCREASED AMOUNT.
AND, AND AGAIN, WITH THE STATE OF OUR BUILDINGS AS WE DISCUSSED, WE GOT A LOT OF OLD BUILDINGS.
SO IT'S JUST INCREASED COST AND HEAVIER MAINTENANCE.
AND WHAT'S STILL LEFT WITH THE DEPARTMENTS IS JUST VERY SMALL AMOUNT TO DO THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO DO IF IT'S CHANGING PAINT OR YOU KNOW, A SHELF OR SOMETHING.
BUT IT'S, IT'S VERY SMALL AMOUNT.
UM, AGAIN, AFTER SOME OF THE DETAILED DISCUSSIONS WE HAD ON BUILDINGS,
UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN'T LEAVE YOU OUT.
IT'S AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT SOMETIMES I LIKE TO JUST HEAR THE ANSWER.
CHEMICAL BUDGET, 72 31 WENT FROM 21,000 TO 115,000.
THAT'S PRIMARILY FOR THE TRAINING FIELD, FOR THE PROPANE, FOR THE NEW INDUSTRIAL PROP.
I FIGURED THAT'S WHAT IT WAS FINALLY GETTING UP TO SPEED UP THERE.
WE WILL HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING AT SOME POINT.
WE WORKING ON, WE'RE WORKING ON, ON A REPAIR STILL.
WE'RE JUST WORKING ON A, A LEAK ON PIPE.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S EXCELLENT.
I I ASSUME THAT'S WHERE IT WAS.
UH, LAND MAINTENANCE, SAME ISSUES.
YOU WENT FROM 17,000 TO 52,000.
SOME OF THAT IS ADDING THE TRAINING FIELD.
WE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH, UH, FINANCE TO ADD A, A PROGRAM IN OUR BUDGET TO JUST ADDRESS THE TRAINING FIELD.
YEAH, WE DEFINITELY WANT IT NICE OUT THERE.
I MEAN, IT'S A NICE FACILITY AND I ENJOY THE FIRE TRAINING 1 0 1 AND LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING GROWTH.
SO AGAIN, I JUST WANT SOME OF THE NUMBERS JUST SURE.
I JUST GOTTA ASK THE QUESTION.
ALMOST HATE TO KEEP DOING THIS, BUT, UM, STREETS 30 10 THERE, IT IS ALMOST NEGLIGIBLE, BUT 120,000 SPECIAL SERVICES TO 180, $60,000 INCREASE.
YOU JUST TRYING TO BALANCE THAT OUT.
THIS IS AN AEROBIC EXERCISE THOUGH.
I JUST SEEN THEM DO IT THIS PAST WEEK.
I THINK IT'S SOME EASEMENTS AND SOME PUPPY EASEMENTS OVER THE STREETS.
STUFF LIKE AS THE ONES THAT HANG OVER.
STREET LIGHTS, STREET SIGNS AND UH, BLOCK SIGNS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, CENTER POINT DOES THEIR CORRIDORS OF THEIR, OF THEIR UTILITY, OBVIOUSLY.
BUT THERE STREETS THAT GET OVERGROWN AND YOU GET STOP SIGNS AND YOU GET SOME, SOME BLIND SPOTS AND SOME CORNERS.
SO, WELL, I'M GLAD WE'RE DOING A LOT OF IT IS THE STREET LIGHTS, RIGHT? UM, CENTER POINT DOESN'T TURN AROUND AT THOSE, SO THE TREES WILL BLOCK THE LIGHTS AND YOU CAN'T, DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT JUST LOOKS INTO THAT OR DO YOU WAIT FOR COMMENTS OR COMPLAINTS FROM CITIZENS? UM, OR BOTH? WE DO BOTH.
TRAFFIC CONTROL, STREET MARKING SUPPLIES.
I JUST SAW ONE OF YOUR TRUCKS COMING HERE TODAY DOING THAT.
BUT WE, WE ARE BUMPING FROM ONE 50 TO, OR FROM 50 TO ONE 50 OR, OR JUST, JUST A SHORT TERM COUPLE OF YEAR PROGRAM TO GET 'EM ALL RES STRAPPED OR, YES, SIR.
WE EXPANDED THE PROGRAM, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
WE HAD $350,000 SLATED FOR CONTRACT MAINTENANCE.
WE HAVE SLOWLY CUT THEIR BUDGET DOWN AND INCREASED OUR BUDGET TO MAKE UP.
WE'VE, UH, CONTRACTOR BUDGETED A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR NEXT YEAR.
HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR WE'LL HAVE THAT ROLL INTO OURS.
BE, UH, NOT DEPENDENT ON A CONTRACTOR ANYMORE.
AND AGAIN, I SAW THE GUYS WORKING ON IT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEW SCHOOL DOWN HERE, THAT WAS ALL IN-HOUSE WORK.
WE JUST PUT, THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
AMAZING WORK IN ADDITION TO THAT.
AND THAT'S JUST THAT IT WAS, THAT WHEN IT WAS CONTRACTED OUT, IT DIDN'T LAST LONG.
SO GREEN IN HOUSE, DON'T RUN OFF, KEVIN.
IT WAS THE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE WORKMANSHIP THAT WE WERE DOING IN-HOUSE WAS, WAS SUPERIOR TO WHAT WE WERE GETTING CONTRACTED OUT.
AND, AND IF THAT'S THE INCREASE IN COST THAT WE'RE REDUCING DOWN CONTRACT, ADDING EACH OUR BUDGET, KEEP IT IN HOUSE.
OUR GUYS, YOUR GUYS, OUR GUYS DEFINITELY ARE DEDICATED
[01:00:01]
TO THE CITY TO MAKE SURE IT'S DONE RIGHT.AGAIN, A PAST CREW WORKING ON THE STREET AND IT'S LIKE THAT LOOK, THEY, THEY WERE DOING A SHARP JOB AND ONE OF THE, UH, ONE OF THE PERSONNEL REQUESTS WE HAVE IS FOR A, UH, TECHNICIAN ON THE STRIPING CREW.
TO, TO HELP THAT CREW FUNCTION BETTER.
AGAIN, SPECIAL SERVICES JUMPED FROM 15,000 TO 165,000 ON TRAFFIC.
UH, OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER, UH, RESIGNED.
AND THAT IS, UH, TO PAY, UH, ENGINEERING FIRMS TO PICK UP THE DESIGN.
WE'RE NOT GONNA HIRE A TRAFFIC ENGINEER.
WELL, IT'S POSTED FOR UNDERSTAND SEVERAL MAKING POSITIONS.
I HAVE ONE, UH, APPLICANT THAT WAS NOT QUALIFIED, SO, OKAY.
IT, IT, IT WILL LIKELY BE OPEN FOR QUITE A WHILE.
UH, AND THEN MOTOR VEHICLES OR YOU 84.
Y'ALL GETTING A NEW VEHICLE OR SOMETHING? 225,000 BUCKET TRUCK.
IT'S A BUCKET TRUCK ON THAT BUCKET TRUCK.
OH, WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT TONY'S DEAL.
LIKE GOING TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, IT'S EVEN, EVEN THE PROTEGE'S GONNA GET IT, HUH? EVEN THE, YOUR PROTEGE'S ABOUT TO GET IT NOW.
HE'S, HE'S A BETTER MAN THAN I WAS.
UM, CHEMICAL SUPPLIES THE 101,000 FOR AERIAL SPRAYING.
SO YOU, YOU GOT A, AN ADVOCATE AND, AND ALSO IT'S KIND LIKE WE COULD SPRAY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, GONNA SPRAY THE CITY ONE NIGHT.
AND THAT'S REALLY NOT GOING TO GIVE US ANY RELIEF IF, IF WE DON'T SPRAY CHAMBERS COUNTY, HARRIS COUNTY AND GALVESTON COUNTY AND FORT BEND COUNTY AT THE SAME TIME.
SO DO WE REALLY NEED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS SITTING IN THE BUDGET THAT, AGAIN, I'M ONE OF THOSE, ONCE WE APPROVE THE BUDGETS, THAT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS CONTINGENCY THAT IS TARGETED TOWARDS AN AERIAL SPRAYING, BUT COULD BE USED FOR ANYTHING THAT THEY WANT.
SO, REALLY WELL, I MEAN, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST, BUT WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE AN EVENT IN THE PAST, WE HAVE TO RELY ON THE STATE OR THE FEDS TO COME IN.
THEY HAVE TO BASICALLY EQUIP ALL THE AIRCRAFT AND THEN THEY HAVE TO MOBILIZE.
UH, SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A TIME LAG.
I MEAN, IT'S, UH, WHAT'S IN THERE IS, UH, A ONETIME SPRAY EVENT.
UM, IT, IT'LL BASICALLY ELIMINATE EVERYTHING THAT'S FLYING AT THAT TIME IN THE, SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE OUTSIDE CLEANING UP AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET SOME RELIEF IF WE'VE JUST HAD A HURRICANE.
UM, BUT IF I CAN INTERJECT, SO ADAM TRYING TO PLAY OFF OF MEMORY.
SO, I MEAN, MOST OF THE TIME YOU'RE RIGHT, WE, WE HAVEN'T HAD A USED AERIAL SPRAYING, BUT WE BUDGET FOR IT BECAUSE IF IT WERE TO OCCUR LIKE IT DID IN IKE AND SO ON, WE'VE NEVER BUDGETED FOR AERIAL SPRAYING.
THAT'S, THAT'S MY POINT IS, BUT WHEN WE NEEDED IT, WE COULDN'T DO IT.
UM, BUT EVERY TIME WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH HARRIS COUNTY, 'CAUSE THEY'RE USUALLY THE ONES WHO I BELIEVE HAD THE, THE EQUIPMENT, UM, IT, AS YOU KNOW, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, IT WAS VERY EFFECTIVE.
AND SO THIS IS KIND OF LIKE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
YOU BUDGET FOR SOMETHING IF IT OCCURS, IF IT DOESN'T, 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST AERO SPRAY WITHOUT, I'M ASSUMING TCEQ APPROVAL.
CORRECT? WELL, ACTUALLY IT'S THROUGH FAA.
AND SO IN THE PAST, HARRIS COUNTY'S DONE SOME AERIAL SPRAYING IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COUNTY WHEN WE HAVE AN EVENT OR THEY HAVE A WEST NILE OUTBREAK, THEY'VE DONE IT.
UH, BUT TYPICALLY IT'S THE STATE OR THE FEDS.
MOSTLY IT'S THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT COMES IN AND SETS UP THE CONTRACTS AND DOES A HUGE SWATH.
LIKE COUNCILMAN LESTER WAS SAYING, IT TAKES MULTIPLE COUNTIES ALONG THE COAST THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THE STORM.
BUT MY POINT IS THAT IF YOU JUST JUST SAY, HEY, I WANT TO GO AND DO THIS JUST BECAUSE I WANNA DO THIS.
WE, WE WOULD HAVE TO CONTRACT OUT AND THERE'S A MINIMUM ACREAGE OF $25,000 FOR THE, THE PLANES TO GET IN THE AIR.
UH, AND THE COST IS DEPENDING ON THE CHEMICAL, IT'S TWO $83 AN ACRE.
NO, AND THAT'S EXACTLY MY POINT IS THAT WE DO BUDGET FOR THINGS LIKE THIS AND YOU CAN'T JUST DO IT BECAUSE YOU WANT TO.
THERE, THERE'S AN APPROVAL PROCESS AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A COORDINATED PROCESS.
SO I BELIEVE IT DOES MAKE SENSE, THE BUDGET FOR IT.
IF IT DOESN'T OCCUR, THEN, THEN MY UNDERSTANDING WOULD BE THEN YOU DON'T SPEND THAT MONEY.
I THINK YOUR POINT IS, WELL, THEY COULD GO AND USE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THEY COULD USE IT ELSEWHERE AND, BUT THAT COULD BE
[01:05:01]
ANYWHERE IN THE BUDGET THOUGH.SO I'M JUST SAYING, IN FAIRNESS TO THE BUDGET AND TO THIS PROCESS, COUNCILMAN, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE DO BUDGET FOR THOSE TYPE OF THINGS BECAUSE IF WE DO HAVE AN EVENT, AND AS YOU KNOW, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, IT WAS VERY EFFECTIVE FOR THIS TYPE OF SPRAYING.
I'D RATHER HAVE IT AND DO IT THAN BE NOT BEING ABLE TO GO AND ADDRESS THINGS IF IT'S WEST N OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, MAYOR, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, SO A, AS YOU MENTIONED IT, IT GOES WITH ANY BUDGET ITEM.
IF YOU DON'T SPEND IT, THEN YOU CAN USE IT FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
BUT THE QUESTION I HAVE, UM, SO IF, LET'S SAY THIS IS EARMARKED FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT, YOU DON'T USE IT, CAN IT BE USED FOR A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT OR FOR SOMETHING ELSE NOT RELATED OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT? RIGHT.
OUTSIDE OF THE DEPARTMENT? UH, THAT I WOULD PROBABLY DEFAULT THAT TO FINANCE.
TYPICALLY THE, THE TRANSFERS ARE HAPPEN, UH, WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS.
WHATEVER YOU'RE ALLOCATED, YOU CAN TRANSFER CERTAIN ACCOUNTS FROM, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR BUDGET MM-HMM
BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT REALLY WORKS.
COUNCIL, ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF THE BUDGET PROCESS AND OUR, OUR MUNICIPAL BUDGET IS THAT THERE IS NO MONEY IN YOUR BUDGET.
WHAT THESE ARE IS A COLLECTION OF AUTHORIZATIONS MM-HMM
WE HAVE A PURCHASING AND A, A PROCUREMENT PROCESS STATE FOUNDED ON STATE LAW.
AND, UH, WE DO OUR VERY BEST TO EXECUTE THE AUTHORIZATIONS THAT YOU MAKE DURING THIS, THIS TIME'S ALL YOUR BUDGET'S A POLICY STATEMENT.
IT'S NOT REALLY A COLLECTION OF MONEY.
AND SO OBVIOUSLY BEFORE WE EXPENDED THINGS OUTSIDE OF ANY PARTICULAR LINE ITEM WE HAVE, AND WE WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU WITH REGARD TO THAT.
SO THERE'S OBVIOUSLY NEEDS TO BE A TRUST LEVEL THERE MM-HMM
AND, UH, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE EARNED THAT OVER THE YEARS.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT, IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT WHY WE WIND UP AT 189 DAYS, IT'S BECAUSE OF LINE ITEMS LIKE THAT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT IT'S OBVIOUSLY VACANCIES.
I COULD TELL YOU PROBABLY THE LAST ONE WAS GO COMING OUT OF COVID ARE KIND OF ON THE BACK HILLS OF, OF COVID.
WE WERE VERY CONSERVATIVE ON A LOT OF THINGS AND LUCKILY IT WASN'T WORST CASE SCENARIO.
AND SO THAT'S WHY IT, IT, IT DID RESULT IN A LARGE AMOUNT OF, OF, OF DAYS AT THE END OF IT, WHICH IS GOOD COMPARED TO THE ALTERNATIVE.
AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST THERE, WE COULD HAVE A LONG DISCUSSION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SPOT AERIAL SPRAYING, BUT I'LL LET THAT GO.
UM, FURNITURE AND FIXTURES, WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF NEW FURNITURE.
IS THAT, IS THAT TARGETED IN ANIMAL CONTROL? UH, 5,000 TO 24,000 FURNITURE AND FIXTURES? UH, NO SIR.
THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE THE DOWNSTAIRS, UM, MEETING ROOM AT DFE.
WE, WE'VE ALREADY GOT THE FURNITURE AND FIXTURES, UM, IN THE SHELTER.
SO THAT'S THE MEETING ROOM DOWNSTAIRS? YES, SIR.
I JUST THOUGHT MAYBE YOU'RE GETTING A NEW DESK OR SOMETHING
SPECIAL SERVICES, 89,000 BUMPED UP TO 151.
UH, SO ABOUT 9,000 OF THE CURRENT 89, UH, IS FOR DR UH, BERNIE.
UM, THE REST OF THAT, WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD TO DO A TRANSFER INTO THAT LINE ITEM FOR ANIMAL SERVICES.
UM, THAT ACCOUNT IS TYPICALLY USED FOR SPAY AND NEUTER FOR ALL OF OUR SHELTER ANIMALS WITHIN THE SHELTER, AS WELL AS ALL THE ANIMALS THAT WE HAVE IN FOSTER CARE.
SO THAT WE'RE PAYING OUTSIDE SERVICES FOR THAT.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL HIRE A VETERINARIAN.
BECAUSE THAT'LL, THAT'LL HELP.
COUNCILMAN JOHNSON HAS A QUESTION.
WHILE WE'RE ON PUBLIC HEALTH, I WANT TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF YOU REAL QUICK, IF THAT'S OKAY.
ON OVERTIME, IS THE OVERTIME GOING TO INCLUDE, UM, AFTER HOUR CODE ENFORCEMENT? JUST THAT OUTSIDE OF THE EIGHT TO FIVE, WHERE WE MAY HAVE SOME RESIDENTS WITH 18 WHEELERS BEING PARKED OR THINGS THAT HAPPEN AFTER WE GO HOME AND RESIDENTS COME HOME FROM WORK? YES, SIR.
WE, WE CAN SET THAT UP TO COVER THAT.
I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION TO THAT.
UM, AND I, I OFTEN GET THOSE QUESTIONS WHERE I KNOW THAT WE PATROL HEALTH PATROLS FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT, UM, THROUGHOUT THE DAY, BUT A LOT OF THOSE VIOLATIONS DO HAPPEN IN THE EVENINGS ON THE WEEKENDS.
UM, AND SO HAVE WE EVER THOUGHT OF DOING A SPLIT SHIFT OR ANYTHING WHERE YOU HAVE SOME FOLKS COMING IN SEVEN TO WHATEVER AND ANOTHER SHIFT THAT COMES IN IN THE EVENING, UM, TO COVER ANYTHING THAT MAY,
[01:10:01]
I MEAN, IF WE'RE CONTINUING TO GET THESE CALLS THAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING AFTER HOURS, HAVE WE EVER THOUGHT OF DOING THAT? UM, NO MA'AM.NOT SPECIFICALLY IN THAT BROAD OF A RANGE.
IN THE PAST WE HAD, UH, A YARD PARKING AFTER HOURS PROGRAM A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S VERY BENEFICIAL TO DO IT WHILE THE, THE DAYLIGHT HOURS, OBVIOUSLY, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS AND DOCUMENT MM-HMM
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE NEVER, UM, THOUGHT OF THAT MUCH DETAIL DOING AFTER HOURS.
BUT, UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT.
IF THERE'S ANY DEPARTMENT ASIDE FROM POLICE AND FIRE, WHICH THEY ALREADY DO, BUT IF THERE'S ANY DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD PROBABLY REQUIRE OR WARRANT EVENING OR SPLIT SHIFT TYPES, UM, I WOULD SAY THIS ONE.
UM, BUT NO, I, I AGREE WITH THAT MAYOR.
JUST IN, IN REGARDS TO MY DISTRICT, UH, WITH THE COMMENTS ON AFTER HOURS IT'S THERE, THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF AFTER HOURS CONSTRUCTION WITHOUT A PERMIT ON THE WEEKENDS AND SUCH, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WOULD BE VERY PRODUCTIVE TO, TO EXPLORE THAT AFTER HOURS CONCEPT.
'CAUSE I DO GET A LOT OF CALLS AFTER HOURS.
SO AS LOT OF THE COMPLAINTS TAKE PLACE AFTER HOURS, JUST GENERAL CODE ENFORCEMENT FROM, FROM OUR SIDE GENERAL CODE.
AND, AND I'LL TAG ONTO THAT WITH THE, FROM THE EXPERIENCE SIDE.
UH, AND AS TONY INDICATED, OR MR. GRAY INDICATED, AS LONG AS THERE'S DAYLIGHT HOURS, YOU, YOU START SENDING CODE STAFF YEAH.
NO MATTER WHO IT IS IN THE DUSK OR EVENING HOURS, UM, IT GETS A LITTLE PRECARIOUS FOR THEM.
BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GET OUT, TAKE PICTURES, AND IF IT'S SEMI DARK OUTSIDE AND YOU'RE OUT TAKING PICTURES OF PEOPLE, CARS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THE CONFRONTATIONS ACCELERATE MM-HMM
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN PD DOES HAVE TO SHOW UP.
SO WE HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS OF THAT.
BUT WE'VE, WE'VE ALWAYS DONE TARGETED PROGRAMS BASED ON COUNCIL'S DIRECTIVE OR HOTSPOT AREAS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA TO CATCH 'EM IN THE ACT, BUT I'M, I'M SURE THE DEPARTMENT HEADS WILL TELL YOU IT IS NOT A FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT FOR THE STAFF TO BE THERE.
AND THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT AS WELL ARMED PER SE AS PD IS.
I WAS ALSO GONNA ADD IT AS WELL IN THAT SPECIAL SERVICES ACCOUNT.
I THINK WE BUDGETED ABOUT OH, WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO THAT.
I THINK IN OUR RETREAT, I, I MEAN, I'LL JUST BE HONEST, IT'S JUST I THOUGHT THE TRASH OFF EVENTS THAT WE USED TO TAKE PLACE WERE VERY HELPFUL.
I'LL JUST SAY IT GAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO, TO GET WHATEVER JUNK THEY HAVE.
PUT IN OUR, PUT IT IN OUR ROLL OFFS, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALMOST AN AMNESTY DAY.
JUST BRING YOUR STUFF LY THEY'RE, AND WE COLLECT IT.
WE DID, WE DID TRY GOING DOWN THE PATH, THE, THE, A NONPROFIT TO, TO RECEIVE SOME GRANTS.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK WHAT WAS MOST EFFECTIVE WAS TRASH OFF.
MIKE, I'M SURE YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH I'M PLEASED TO HEAR WE'RE GONNA GET BACK INTO IT.
I'D LIKE TO, TO SEE AT CITYWIDE WE WORK WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S LOTS OF LOCAL BUSINESSES IN A SENSE THAT, THAT HELP ON THAT DAY.
IT'S A GOOD COMMUNITY EFFORT AND, UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT, IT REALLY DOES MAKE AN IMPACT.
ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, IT DOES IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS.
THAT, THAT NEED THOSE TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES.
SO, UM, I'M HOPING, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, I'M ASSUMING THE SPRINGTIME AND, UH, YES SIR.
YOU KNOW, WE USED TO DO A, WELL, WE WORKED WITH, WITH, UM, THE LIBRARY AND, AND, AND, AND OTHERS TO, TO EVEN HAVE A THEMED T-SHIRT AND A COMPETITION FOR IT.
SO WE CAN GET BACK TO THAT IF WE CAN.
RIGHT? YEAH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
I THINK IT'S, UH, MUCH NEEDED.
UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER ITEM THAT'S INCLUDED IN THAT SPECIAL SERVICES ACCOUNT IS A DRONE.
A DRONE THAT WILL BE USED FOR, WE'RE GONNA DO VERY CHEAP AERIAL SPRAYING WITH THE DRONE
WELL, TO LOOK FOR GET ON THE BIRD BATS.
TECHNOLOGY IS, IF YOU'VE BEEN TALKING TO THEM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE LLOYD IS.
YOU, YOU'VE GOT A, I CAN SEE WHERE THEY, A HEALTHY EDUCATION AND TRAINING BUDGET AND I AGREE WITH THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
BUT WE ADDED $10,000 IN STAFF DEVELOPMENT IN ADDITION TO, UH, YES, SIR.
OH, HERE COMES, HERE COMES, CAROL.
I'LL, I'LL LET, UH, CAROL TAKE THAT.
UH, SO AS YOU MENTIONED, UM, YOU NOTICE THIS LINE ITEM IN A NUMBER OF THE BUDGETS.
ACTUALLY IT'S IN EVERY ONE OF, UM, THE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS.
IT'S YOUR FAULT, IT'S MY FAULT.
SO OVER THE PAST, OH, WE PROBABLY STARTED THIS BACK IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER.
UM, DIRECTORS HAVE BEEN MEETING AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE WHOLE IDEA OF, REALLY IT'S ABOUT AROUND RETENTION, RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, IDEAS.
HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OURSELVES
[01:15:01]
AS A PLACE, UM, AN IDEAL PLACE TO WORK.AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE RAN INTO, AND ESPECIALLY COMING OUT OF COVID WHEN WE STOPPED DOING SOME OF THE MAJOR, LIKE EMPLOYEE PICNIC AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, 'CAUSE THEY WEREN'T DOABLE.
THE CONVERSATION THAT ALSO CAME OUT OF THAT IS THOSE CITYWIDE EVENTS REALLY ONLY TARGET PARTICULAR EMPLOYEE GROUPS BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE SHIFT WORK AND THE THINGS THAT HAVE TO KEEP HAPPENING ALL THROUGH THE DAY.
SO OUT OF THAT, WE REALLY ENDED UP WITH THIS IDEA OF, WE STILL WANNA FIGURE OUT THAT PIECE, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT PIECE, REALLY HAVING A PIECE WHERE INDIVIDUAL TEAMS WITHIN DEPARTMENTS, WE CAN TAKE THE TIME TO EITHER REWARD WHEN THERE'S MAJOR PROJECTS OR IT'S JUST TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES, WHATEVER THOSE THINGS ARE TO REALLY CREATE THAT CONNECTION THAT IS SO IMPORTANT IN RETENTION OF EMPLOYEES.
UM, SO THAT IS A NEW LINE ITEM.
UM, WE TRY TO BE VERY MODEST IN KIND OF FIGURING OUT WHAT'S KIND OF LIKE A PER PERSON AMOUNT JUST TO KIND OF, UM, WORK ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS OF ALL SIZES.
BUT THAT'S REALLY THE INTENT BEHIND THAT IS TO ALLOW DIRECTORS THAT OPPORTUNITY TO STOP AND TAKE TIME, BUILD TEAM, ACKNOWLEDGE, REWARD, BUILD CONNECTIONS, THAT SORT OF THING.
YOU GONNA HAVE SOME OVERSIGHT AS TO THAT.
SO WE CONTINUE AS DIRECTORS, UM, THE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS AS WE GET TO THE NEW BUDGET, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT DOES THAT CONTINUE TO LOOK LIKE? HOW DO WE USE THAT? WHAT ARE IDEAS? AGAIN, WE DON'T WANT ONE DEPARTMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING DOING A BIG SHINDIG AND ANOTHER DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, YOU ONLY GET CRACKERS OR WHATEVER.
SO WE'LL
UM, SO YEAH, SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THAT AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, AGAIN, IT'S A REAL EFFORT TO MAKE BOTH A, A CITYWIDE EFFORT TO VALUE OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME ALLOW THAT FLEXIBILITY FOR DEPARTMENTS.
THAT AND THAT'S A GOOD IDEA, GOOD PROGRAM.
YOU SHOULD ASK HER FIRST 30 TAB AGO, 30 TAPS AGO.
OH, I GOT ABOUT 25 MORE TO GO.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION BEFORE YOU GET OFF OF THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC.
UM, IN TERMS OF EMPLOYEE RETENTION AND ALL OF THAT, DO WE DO EXIT INTERVIEWS? DOES THE CITY FOR EACH DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE EXIT INTERVIEWS THAT YOU KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT.
UM, SO YES, WE OFFER ALL EXITING EMPLOYEES AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE AN EXIT INTERVIEW.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU, NOT ONLY FROM OUR EXPERIENCE, BUT FROM THE RESEARCH, EXIT INTERVIEWS ARE NOT TERRIBLY EFFECTIVE.
UM, MOST EMPLOYEES ALWAYS LEAVE EVEN EMPLOYEES THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN ISSUES ON THEIR EXIT INTERVIEW.
IT'S STILL, EVERYTHING'S AT LEAST OKAY.
UM, MOST EMPLOYEES ARE NOT GOING TO PUT IN WRITING THINGS THAT WILL BURN BRIDGES.
UM, AND SO YOU DON'T GET GOOD INFORMATION OUT OF EXIT INTERVIEWS, BUT WE DO EXIT INTERVIEWS.
AND SOME OF MY TEAM ARE THE ONES WHO LOOK AT THOSE AND REVIEW THEM JUST TO SEE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, WE'LL, WE WILL HAVE A COMMENT MM-HMM
UM, AND SO WE DO STOP AND KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, DIG INTO IT TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING BEHIND IT.
IF THERE WAS A PARTICULAR ISSUE, ADDRESS THAT WHERE APPROPRIATE.
I I CAN ATTEST THAT THEY DO REACH BACK OUT
AND, AND I THINK I'VE, I'VE DONE BOTH WAYS, BUT I FOUND THAT WHEN THE EXIT INTERVIEW GOES BACK TO THE MANAGER IN THE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY WERE LEAVING, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT I FOUND LEAST EFFECTIVE.
I DON'T THE LINE UP WHERE YOU READY? BUT YEAH, THEY, THEY, THEY KNEW THEY WERE, NEXT UP, I SEE FIVE MORE TABS LEFT.
72 31 CHEMICAL SUPPLIES, 87,000 BUMPED 168,000.
THAT'S JUST THE COST OF CHEMICALS GOING UP.
IT IS ONE, ONE, UH, CHEMICAL IN PARTICULAR, UH, SKYROCKETED.
ONE CHEMICAL IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE MM-HMM
AND, UH, WE HAD TO COME UP WITH AN ALTERNATE SOLUTION AND THE SKYROCKETING COSTS OF, UH, CHEMICAL COSTS.
UH, WE WE'RE ACTUALLY USING A TWO BLEND PROCESS, UH, FOR, UM, ALL OF Y'ALL THAT DON'T KNOW, WE HAVE A SPRAY TRUCK THAT GOES AROUND AND SPRAYS ALL THE RIGHT OF WAYS.
AND THAT IS OUR MAIN TRUCK THAT, UH, DOES ALL THAT WORK.
AND THE CHEMICALS, UH, THAT WE USED TO HAVE ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE DUE TO REGULATIONS AND, UH, CHANGES IN THE INDUSTRY.
AND WE'VE GONE TO ANOTHER BRAND.
AND THAT BRAND IS, UH, BASED ON THE NEW CHEMICAL COST HAS GONE UP FROM $1 AND 25 CENTS TO ALMOST $4.
SO THAT'S WHAT THAT COST COMES AND DOES FOR WEED CONTROL PRIMARILY.
[01:20:01]
THE STANDARD CHEMICAL IS NO LONGER READILY AVAILABLE.AND THEN BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS, 82 0 11, 200 80,000.
I KNOW THAT'S PROBABLY ON THE LIST BACK ON PAGE 32, BUT THAT'S ON THE, UH, FOR TOWN SQUARE WITH A TURF, THERE'S A MAINTENANCE SHED UP THERE.
AND THE, AND THEN ON THE EQUIPMENT IS AN 82 0 4 2, IS THAT THE ONE YOU REFERENCED? 82 0 11.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE, UH, THE SHED.
THE, SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A STORAGE FACILITY AT TOWN SQUARE FOR THE, THE NEW EQUIPMENT THAT'S ALSO IN THE BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN CLEAN THE TURF EFFECTIVELY.
UM, AND STERLING MUNICIPAL LIBRARY, SHE KNEW SHE WAS, WASN'T GONNA GET OFF THE HOOK.
BEFORE THAT PARKS CLIFF COUNCILMAN JOHN HAS A, I GUESS A QUESTION.
WE WERE HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UM, GETTING RID OF THE ADMISSIONS INTO THE NATURE CENTER.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME COMMENT ON BENEFIT AND WHAT PROS AND CONS OF DOING THAT.
I THINK THE BEST PERSON TO ANSWER THAT WOULD BE TRACY PRO THROW.
SHE'S, UH, OVER THE NATURE CENTER AND THE STAFF OUT THERE.
UM, PROS, OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE PEOPLE.
WE'RE SEEING AROUND 70,000 PEOPLE CAME IN 2021.
UM, SO YES, THAT WOULD BE A, A GRAND IDEA.
HOWEVER, IF YOU REMEMBER, WE USED TO OFFER A FREE SUNDAY AND THE PARK WAS BASICALLY LOVE TO DEATH.
WE HAD TO HIRE EXTRA PEOPLE TO COME OUT THE NEXT DAY TO CLEAN UP THE TRASH.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE THE PARKING FOR, AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T HAVE PARKING FOR A LOT OF ADDITIONAL PEOPLE.
PEOPLE ARE PARKING ON THE GRASS, PEOPLE ARE PARKING ON THE ROADS AND CAUSING JAMS. UM, I DON'T, I JUST DON'T, PERSONALLY, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE QUITE THERE YET TO, UM, OPEN IT UP.
AND, UM, FOR FREE, I THINK WE NEED A RANGER PROGRAM OUT THERE TO BE ABLE TO, AND ENFORCE SOME OF OUR RULES THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
WE STILL HAVE SOME ISSUES WITH, UM, ESPECIALLY WEEKENDS.
WE HAVE A, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT DO PAY TO GO IN, WE'RE STILL HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH, UM, PARKING ISSUES, OBVIOUSLY, BUT EVEN OVERCROWDING SOME ARGUMENTS BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR MORE PEOPLE THERE.
I JUST DON'T WANNA SEE THAT PARK FALL BY THE WAYSIDE AS SOME, SOME OF OUR NATIONAL PARKS DID AFTER COVID AND THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE GOING IN AND THEY ENDED UP EVEN HAVING TO, TO CLOSE SOME OF OUR NATIONAL PARKS BECAUSE THEY WERE JUST BEING OVERCROWDED.
SO, UM, IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, I'D BE GLAD TO, TO ANSWER.
UM, IT JUST, IT GIVES ME, WE CAN MAKE IT WORK.
IF WE DO THAT, WE'LL MAKE IT WORK WE'LL.
WE WILL IMPLEMENT SOME SORT OF A RANGER PROGRAM AND ENFORCE SOME, SOME SECURITY OUT THERE AND WE CAN MAKE IT WORK.
BUT AT THIS POINT, I DON'T THINK WE'RE QUITE READY FOR THAT.
SO CAN WE TALK ABOUT WILDLIFE, HOW WE THINK IT'S GONNA AFFECT WILDLIFE OUT THERE? AND THEN IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO IMPLEMENT A RANGER PROGRAM, WHAT IS THAT GOING TO COST AND IS THAT IN THE BUDGET? UM, IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET AS OF RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ONE THAT IS READY TO GO.
WHAT WE HAVE REQUESTED THIS YEAR IS TO, UM, MOVE OVER OUR EXISTING STAFF INTO GENERAL FUND.
WE WOULD NEED TO COME UP WITH, UM, A PROGRAM AND WHAT SOME OF THOSE STAFF MEMBERS WOULD COST IF WE WANNA MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.
SO THAT IS NOT INCLUDED AT THIS POINT IN THE BUDGET AS FAR AS WILDLIFE GOES.
UM, IT WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT MAINLY JUST BECAUSE THE MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE IN AREAS WHERE THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE VEHICLES AND THAT STILL HAPPENS, THEY'RE GONNA IMPACT THE WILDLIFE OUT HERE.
THAT'S THE ONE, THAT'S ONE PARK IN BAYTOWN OR ONE SPECIAL FACILITY IN BAYTOWN THAT'S DEDICATED TO NATURE.
AND, UM, THE, WE LOVE HAVING PEOPLE OUT THERE.
DON'T GET ME WRONG THAT I DON'T WANT MORE PEOPLE OUT THERE, BUT WE WANNA BE ABLE TO CONTROL WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE AND HOW THEY ENJOY THE FACILITY.
WE HAVE PEOPLE OUT THERE NOW THAT WE GET CALLS WHERE THEY'RE SHOOTING SEAGULLS, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WITHOUT SOME SORT OF A RANGER PROGRAM THAT CAN KEEP THAT SORT OF THING UNDER CONTROL, IT SCARES ME TO THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO OUR, OUR ONE LITTLE NATURE CENTER IF WE JUST OPEN IT UP FOR FREE FOR ALL AT ALL TIMES.
UM, WHAT WAS MY OTHER QUESTION? IT SLIPPED MY MIND.
WELL, I HAVE A QUESTION WHILE YOU TRY TO REMEMBER.
HOW TRACY, HOW OFTEN DOES A GAME BOARD EVER COME AND DO A SPOT CHECK? JUST, UM, I WISH THAT I WAS OUT THERE THAT I COULD TELL YOU THE
[01:25:01]
ANSWER TO THAT THEY DO COME OUT IF THEY'RE CALLED, BUT THE GAME BOARDS HAVE HUGE AREAS TO PATROL.SO WE DON'T SUE THEM VERY OFTEN.
UH, BAYTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT COMES OUT IN PATROLS.
UH, WE SEE THEM OUT THERE MORE OFTEN THAN WE SEE THE GAME WARDENS AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, CORNELL JUST MENTIONED TO ME, WE HAD AN INCIDENT, UH, LAST YEAR WHERE WE ACTUALLY CAUGHT POACHERS OUT THERE.
UM, TRYING TO COLLECT A, A CERTAIN TYPE OF PAINTED BUNTING, IF Y'ALL KNOW WHAT A PAINTED BUNTING IS, A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE BIRD.
BUT WE CAUGHT POACHERS ON SITE WITH TRAPS.
UM, IT'S A FEDERAL CASE AT THIS POINT, AND THEY'RE WORKING ON CATCHING THESE POACHERS, BUT THAT'S EVEN A PROBLEM OUT THERE BECAUSE I, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF OUT THERE THAT CAN MONITOR THE WHOLE PARK AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SORT OF THINGS DON'T HAPPEN.
MY QUESTION WAS IN REFERENCE TO THE COST.
WHAT DOES IT COST PER PERSON AND WHAT DOES IT COST PER FAMILY BY DAY? AND THEN FOR YEAR PASSES? SO DAILY ENTRY FOR AN ADULT 13 YEARS AND OLDER IS $4.
UM, $1 FOR 12 AND UNDER, OR SENIORS OVER 65.
UH, AN ANNUAL PASS IS $30 PER PERSON.
THAT'S UNLIMITED ACCESS FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
FOR A FAMILY OF SIX, IT'S $65 TO BE ABLE TO COME IN ALL YEAR ROUND.
UM, THAT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY.
WE, WE DO MAKE A LITTLE MONEY EVERY SINGLE YEAR AT THE NATURE CENTER, BUT NOT A LOT.
BUT, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE DO BRING IN SOME MONEY AND THAT'S NOT VERY EXPENSIVE COSTS TO GET IN AND ENJOY THE AMENITIES.
NOW I'VE HEARD THAT THE NATURE CENTER IS A BIG ATTRACTION TOURIST WISE FOR BIRDING.
HOW DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD AFFECT THE BIRDING ASPECT OF IT IF WE WAIVE THE FEES? UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING WITH THE, THE LITTLE BIT OF PROFITS THAT WE ARE DOING IS TO IMPLEMENT SOME BIRD FEEDING STATIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE EVER BEEN DOWN TO SOME OF THE STATE PARKS, ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH TEXAS.
UM, IF WE ELIMINATE FEES, OPEN IT UP TO EVERYONE, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THOSE LITTLE POCKETS AVAILABLE, THOSE LITTLE PRIVATE POCKETS TO BE ABLE TO PUT BIRDING STATIONS IN.
I DO THINK IT WILL IMPACT OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR BIRD NUMBERS.
WE HAVE A MONTHLY AUDUBON COUNT OUT THERE NOW.
UH, I, I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE THAT IT WILL IMPACT, BUT I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT IT, THAT IT MIGHT CAUSE US TO LOSE SOME OF THE BIRDS BECAUSE THEY FEEL SAFE.
WE HAVE THESE NATURAL PROTECTED AREAS OUT THERE.
IF THOSE ARE GONE AND THEY'RE OVERRUN BY MORE AND MORE PEOPLE, I THINK IT WILL IMPACT IT IN A NEGATIVE WAY.
I'VE, I'VE RECEIVED PHONE CALLS FROM A FEW PEOPLE I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WERE BIRDERS AND THAT WAS SOME OF THEIR CONCERN.
UM, SOME OF THE PHONE CALLS I RECEIVE, THE INDIVIDUALS ACTUALLY STATED THAT THE NATURE CENTER IS REALLY ABOUT PRESERVING NATURE AND THAT'S WHY THEY LIKE TO GO OUT THERE.
FISHERMEN, I'VE KEMP OUT THERE BEFORE.
AND DO THEY OPEN AT SIX OR FIVE? IT DEPENDS ON SUNRISE.
AT SUNRISE AND SUNSET DETERMINES THE TIME.
IT USUALLY SIX O'CLOCK DURING THE YEAR.
WELL, OPENS AT SIX MINES WERE NOT OPENING AT SUNRISE.
THERE'S A LINE THERE EVERY MORNING FOR THE FISHERMEN WAITING TO COME IN.
AND WHEN THEY COME IN, THEY COME IN FULL FORCE.
WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE, AND I'M GONNA BE HONEST WITH YOU, $4 A PERSON, UM, $65 FOR A FAMILY.
AND THAT'S, UM, OF SIX INDIVIDUALS, FAMILY OF SIX, FAMILY OF SIX, FAMILY OF SIX, OKAY.
I THINK THAT THAT'S A, THAT'S A VALUE FOR YOUR DOLLAR RIGHT THERE.
IF WE'RE DOING IT, IF I GOT FOUR PEOPLE, I'M DOING $20 AND IF WE GO OUT THERE THREE TIMES A YEAR, THAT'S 60.
I CAN GET A FAMILY PASS AND GO OUT THERE UNLIMITED TIMES.
AND THEN THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT'S ACTUALLY IN THE BLACK, NOT IN THE RED.
THEY'RE CHARGING A MINIMUM AMOUNT AND THEY'RE IN THE BLACK.
I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO RECONSIDER IF WE REALLY WANT TO, UM, WAIVE THE FEES THERE, IF NOT FOR ANYTHING ELSE, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING IN TO OUR CITIES, BRINGING IN TOURISTS.
I THINK I HEARD THAT WE HAD SOMEBODY FROM GERMANY COME DOWN FOR BIRDING.
WE DID ONE OF OUR LAST BIRDING TRIPS.
WE HAD, UM, THREE PEOPLE THERE.
ONE WAS FROM JAPAN, ONE WAS FROM GERMANY, AND ONE FROM FROM SOUTH AMERICA.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH COUNTRY SHE WAS FROM, BUT, UM, IT IS AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION FOR BIRDING.
AND I ONLY THINK THAT THAT CAN GET BETTER.
THAT'S A DRAW TO BRING PEOPLE INTO BAYTOWN.
AND THE FUN THING HAS BEEN WATCHING HIM POST A LOT OF THE PICTURES AND TALK ABOUT WHAT A GREAT FACILITY, THE NATURE, WHAT NATURE CENTER IS FOR BIRDING.
SO WHO KNOWS HOW MANY PEOPLE INTERNATIONALLY THAT COULD DRAW IN.
IF ANYTHING, I THINK WE, IF, IF WE LEAVE IT AS IS, HAVE SOME DAYS WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY STAFF FOR FREE DAYS,
[01:30:02]
HAVE A COUPLE OF DAYS A MONTH.THAT WAY WE CAN PLAN, WE CAN HAVE STAFF OUT THERE TO BE SURE THINGS ARE KEPT IN LINE AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON FROM THERE.
LET'S SEE HOW FAR THE, UM, ATTENDANCE GOES UP AND, AND RECONSIDER IT.
BUT JUST TO COME IN AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE STYLE THAT COULD POSSIBLY, UM, HELP WITH THE INFLUX OF PEOPLE THAT MAY GO IN.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
MAYOR, I THINK, HOLD ON ONE SEC.
I THINK THE CITY MANAGER YOU HAD, YOU HAD SOMETHING TO ADD.
ONE THING, JUST TO GIVE YOU KIND OF A BACKGROUND INTO OUR THOUGHT PROCESSES, WE DID, THIS WASN'T DISSIMILAR TO THE DISCUSSION YOU HAD AT THE VERY BEGINNING ABOUT PAYING OUR CITIZENS' DIVIDENDS AND YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO LOWER, I KNOW IT'S ONLY THREE OR $4, BUT IF WE WERE TO TELL YOU WE CAN LOWER OUR UTILITY FEES THROUGH OR $4, UH, I KNOW THAT'S A MONTHLY THING, BUT, UH, THAT'S NOT INSIGNIFICANT TO A LOT OF FOLKS.
WE ALSO ARE PLANNING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IN THE FUTURE INTO THE NATURE, UH, CENTER THAT, UH, WE WANT TO BE MORE UNIVERSALLY ENJOYED BY OUR CITIZENRY.
AND SO WE THOUGHT THIS WAS A POSITIVE GESTURE TO MAKE.
UH, THERE ARE HUMAN RESOURCES THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THE, IS IT NINE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW? THE, IT'S NOT FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT.
THEY ONLY HAVE ONE FULL-TIME AND THE REST ARE ALL PART-TIME.
SO WE PROBABLY HAVE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEAH.
SO WHERE ARE THEY GONNA BE REALLOCATED? UM, THREE OF THEM ARE INTERNS.
THEY WILL CONTINUE WHERE THEY ARE.
ONE IS THE NATURALIST, SHE'S THE FULL-TIME, THE OTHER ONES ARE GATE ATTENDANTS.
UM, THEY POSSIBLY COULD TRANSITION INTO BEING A RANGER, BUT THAT LEAVES THE FRONT INFORMATION DESK UNMANNED.
SO, AND NOT TO DISAGREE AT ALL, BUT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE TRACY'S FORGOTTEN MORE THAN I'LL LEARN ABOUT THE NATURE CENTER.
BUT, UH, BUT HONESTLY YOU DO HAVE TO EXTRAPOLATE TO A CORRELATION BETWEEN DROPPING THREE OR $4 AND THEN A, A RUSH INTO THE NATURE CENTER.
AND IF YOU THINK THAT'S REASONABLE, THEN I, I THINK, UH, I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD, I WOULD CONJECTURE.
I KNOW THAT FOR BRIEF PERIODS OF TIME WHEN WE ELIMINATE THE FEE THAT YOU DO HAVE, THAT ACTUALLY IS LIKE A FUNNEL.
IT DOES CAUSE PEOPLE TO RUSH IN LIKE THAT.
BUT IF IT'S UNIVERSALLY OPEN, THERE'S NO FEE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I I JUST NOT SURE I SEE A CORRELATION BETWEEN DROPPING THE FEE AND, AND HAVING TREMENDOUSLY GREATER IMPACTS ON THE, ON THE ENVIRONMENT OUT THERE.
WELL, IF YOU GOT POACHERS COMING IN AND THEY'RE PAYING A FEE TO COME IN TO POACH, YOU GOT PEOPLE FIRING FIREARMS AT SEAGULLS AND THEY'RE PAYING TO COME DO IT AND THEY'RE PAYING TO DO IT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GONNA HAPPEN WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN FOR FREE? WELL, IF IT'S HAPPENING ANYWAY, BUT IT'S NOT HAPPENING AT, AT AN ACCELERATED RATE, WELL THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE TO EXTRAPOLATE TO SOME TYPE OF CORRELATION AND ALL I'M SAYING BEFORE WE DO THAT, BE SURE WE GOT THE STAFF IN PLACE.
SHE WAS JUST SAYING THAT IT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE RANGERS OR ANYTHING.
AND YOU JUST SAID THAT SHE WOULD BE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON IT.
I'M SAYING WE NEED TO GIVE THEM AN EAR AND REALLY CONSIDER WHAT WE'RE CAN AND THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DOING.
REAL QUICK, I KNOW THERE'S SOME OTHER COMMENTS.
YES, MR. MR. AND, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL STEP IN TO DEFEND MANAGEMENT A LITTLE BIT.
I'M WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT KIND OF SPEARHEADED THE ISSUE OF GOING TO TO ZERO FEES OUT THERE BECAUSE THE CHANDLER ARBORETUM.
UM, I'VE SINCE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT, UH, WITH FORMER PARK DIRECTOR IN DETAIL AS WELL AS STEVE CHANDLER.
UM, WE MOVED THE CHANDLER ARBORETUM OUT THERE AND, AND AGAIN, WHEN THE, WHEN THE CHANDLER FAMILY DONATED THE PROPERTY TO US MM-HMM
THEY REALLY STRESSED, THEY WANTED IT TO BE A FREE AND OPEN TYPE ARBORETUM ISSUES WITH TRAINING AND THIS AND THAT.
BUT INVIS WITH STEVE, UM, MR. CHANDLER, HE WAS QUITE CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PARK HAD POTENTIAL PARK HAD LANGUISHED FOR YEARS AND REALLY WASN'T GONNA DO ANYTHING.
HE WAS, THEY WERE HAPPY TO SEE IT MOVE TO THE NATURE CENTER.
'CAUSE NOW SOMETHING WAS GONNA GET DONE.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY GONNA START MOVING FORWARD WITH WHAT HIS FATHER HAD INTENDED THE ARRE TO BE AND THAT HE AND THE FAMILY WEREN'T ADVERSE TO THE FEES.
UM, SO I HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH HIM AND, AND AS HIS, HIS COMMENT WAS, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE CHARGING A FEE, MAYBE THAT'LL HELP GET MORE STAFF SO THEY CAN START DOING THE GARDENING TRAINING AND, AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
I STILL HAVE CONCERNS THAT, THAT THERE ARE SOME CITIZENS, OKAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S 10 BUCKS, UH, FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR TO GO OUT THERE FOR THE DAY.
10 BUCKS IS NOT MUCH TO ME, BUT 10 BUCKS IS A LOT TO OTHERS.
SO MAYBE WE CAN ASK, YOU KNOW, KINDA LOOK AT THE FEE STRUCTURE.
IS THERE A WAY TO DO IT IF A A A FAMILY OF FOUR SHOWS UP IN A CAR, CAN WE GIVE 'EM SOME TYPE OF BREAK? NOW IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A CAR LOAD OF 18 YEAR OLDS, THEN, THEN NO, I'M NOT WILLING TO GIVE 'EM A BREAK.
YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT I HAVE TO LEAVE SOMETHING WITH THAT.
BUT 18-YEAR-OLD, I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S MR DON'T INCLUDED.
THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY TO PUT OTHER FEATURES OUT THERE, THERE AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW THAT PARK MM-HMM
[01:35:01]
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW WE ALLOW MORE AND MORE CITIZENS TO UTILIZE IT.UM, SO AGAIN, I WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT KICKED OFF THAT I WANTED IT TO BE.
MY CONCERN WAS THE CHANNELERS HAD ORIGINALLY GIVEN US THE ARBORETUM PROPERTIES AND SO FORTH WITH THE CONCEPT IT WOULD BE FREE AND OPEN.
MOVING IT TO THE NATURE CENTER WITH A FEE WAS CONTRARY TO THEIR COMMENTS.
UH, THE CHANDLER FAMILY IS, IS SUPPORTIVE OF GOING IT DOWN THERE BECAUSE NOW IT'S SOMETHING IS ACTUALLY MOVING FORWARD AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WANNA SEE MORE THAN ANYTHING AT ALL.
SO IF IT'S A FEE ISSUE, IF WE CAN LOOK AT HOW IT'S STRUCTURED IN THE MOUNTS OR WHATEVER AND STRUCTURE IT MORE TOWARDS A FAMILY ENVIRONMENT WHERE FAMILIES CAN GO ENJOY IT A LITTLE CHEAPER.
YEAH, I'D, I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT INDIVIDUAL FISHERMEN GOING DOWN THERE TO FISH ON THE PIERS.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE AGAIN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TAKING RESOURCES OUT.
SO, UH, I CAN, I CAN SEE THAT.
WELL IF I CAN INTERJECT, I MEAN MY, MY THOUGHT ON IT AND, UH, I THINK, I THINK THE INTENTION FROM, FROM STAFF OR WHOEVER SUGGESTION WAS WE DID WANNA PROVIDE A FREE AMENITY TO, TO TO GO, UM, TO ALLOW PEOPLE ACCESS TO, TO THE NATURE CENTER.
AND, AND I THINK THAT WAS WELL INTENDED.
OBVIOUSLY THERE COULD BE CONSEQUENCES MM-HMM
THAT, THAT, UH, REGARDLESS IF THERE'S SOMEONE GOING IN THAT'S PAYING A FEE OR NOT THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY BE DOING SOME THINGS THAT ARE ILLEGAL AT THE END OF THE DAY AND OR IN A SENSE, DETRIMENTAL TO THE WILDLIFE.
WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST, KINDA LIKE WE DID DURING COVID, AND I KNOW THAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO CLEANUP NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'D HAVE TO DO FOR 4TH OF JULY BY, BY CENTENNIAL.
MAYBE WE JUST OFFER, YOU KNOW, ONCE A MONTH ON A SUNDAY FREE ACCESS.
WE'RE PREPARED FOR THE CLEANUP.
WE CAN HAVE SECURITY OUT THERE, WE CAN DO THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
IT ALLOWS FAMILIES TO STILL GO OUT THERE FOR FREE.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE EVEN LIMIT IT TO JUST, IF YOU GO, YOU SHOW THAT YOU EITHER HAVE A BAYTOWN WATER BILL OR YOU HAVE A BAYTOWN ADDRESS YOU'RE IN AND WE KIND OF CONTROL THAT AND MANAGE THAT.
I THINK IT MEETS THE INTENT OF WHAT STAFF, UM, IS PROVIDING.
UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE CAN GO AND TRY TO MANAGE IT AND CERTAINLY WE WANT TO PRESERVE WHAT'S OUT THERE AND MM-HMM
AND KEEP IT IN, IN A GOOD CONDITION.
THERE'S SOME OTHER COMMENTS HERE REAL QUICK.
YEAH, WELL I WAS JUST GONNA ADD THAT, I MEAN, IF WE'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH PARKING NOW AND THE LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO MOVE THE WETLANDS OVER THERE, AND SO I'M, I'M KIND OF STARTING TO QUESTION THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE NATURE CENTER.
UM, THE PARKING ISSUE IS DOWN ON SAND CENTER POINT WHERE ALL OF THE, UM, FISHING PIERS ARE, THERE'S JUST VERY LIMITED PARKING DOWN THERE.
THE NEW WETLAND CENTER WOULD BE UP NEAR THE NEW ARBORETUM SITE.
UM, AND IT, IT WILL INCLUDE AMPLE PARKING.
AND I'M WONDERING BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE ADOPT A STREET OR ADOPT A, UH, ROADWAY PROGRAM WHERE THEY CLEAN UP AND THEN I KNOW Y'ALL ENTERTAINED POSSIBLY FOR THOSE THAT ARE DOING CLEANUP, THEY CAN UTILIZE ONE OF THE MEETING ROOMS FOR FREE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
CAN WE MAYBE DO THAT FOR THE ARBORETUM THAT, UH, UH, FOR THE NATURE CENTER? SO IF YOU'RE, IF YOU ADOPT PART OF THE NATURE CENTER, YOU CAN COME IN FOR FREE AT WHATEVER DATE WHERE WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE STAFF AND MAYBE UTILIZE THOSE VOLUNTEERS.
'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS VOLUNTEERED TO CLEAN UP AT THE NATURE CENTER FROM THIS PROGRAM.
WE ACTUALLY, THANKFULLY HAVE MANY COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT COME IN AND DO CLEANUPS AND, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR THAT SORT OF THING.
AND WE ARE WORKING ON POSSIBLY SOME SORT OF A DOCENT PROGRAM FOR THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN TO HELP KEEP IT WEEDED AND THEY WOULD DEFINITELY GET SOME SORT OF, UM, UM, ADMISSION, UM, PERK TO BE PART OF OUR DOCENT PROGRAM.
AND I DID LOOK UP THE AVERAGE SALARY FOR OUR PARK RANGER.
UM, SO IF, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MAYBE DO AND THAT'S TEXAS RATES, TEXAS RATES, UM, THEN MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ENTERTAIN.
UM, I WAS, UH, INITIALLY VERY IN FAVOR OF DOING THE FREE, UM, ACCESS BUT DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER ISSUES.
AND SO, UM, I'M LIKE, MAYOR, IF WE CAN COME TO SOME SORT OF A MEDIUM OKAY.
UM, TO WHERE WE RESPECT YOU ALL AS STAFF AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE ADEQUATE SUPPORT TO CLEAN AND GET VOLUNTEERS IN THERE TO CLEAN, ET CETERA, UM, THEN I WOULD BE ALL FOR THAT.
I THINK THE ONLY THING I WANNA ADD TO THAT IS, SO YEARS AGO WE USED TO DO TRASH BASH WHEN WE WORKED WITH THE PORT OF HOUSTON AND, AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO RECONSTITUTE THAT AGAIN.
UM, I DID, I WENT THE LAST TIME I WENT TRASH I, I DROVE THROUGH BUT I DIDN'T GET TO PARTICIPATE AS MUCH AS I USED TO.
BUT YEAH, IT'S A GOOD EVENT THAT'S IN THE FALL.
SO, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO TALKING TO HEALTH ABOUT TRASH OFF AS WELL.
UM, CHEVRON PHILLIPS ACTUALLY IS OUR BIG PARTNER OUT AT FOR TRASH BASH NOW.
AND WE USED TO GET ONE OF THE, AT THE TIME ONE OF THE PORT EXECUTIVES WOULD COME OUT UHHUH.
SO I JUST THINK WE NEED TO KIND OF REFOCUS ON SOME OF THAT.
ONE, ONE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS THE, UH, THE FIRST STEP, ALL THESE IDEAS ARE GREAT IDEAS ON, ON, ON THE NATURE CENTER IN GENERAL.
AND, AND THE FIRST STEP IN GETTING TO THAT IS TO GET THOSE, UH, POSITIONS FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO OFFER
[01:40:01]
OPEN DAYS WITHOUT GOING INTO THE RED.BUT THE FIRST STEP IN ANY OF THESE IDEAS IS TAKING CARE OF THE EMPLOYEES OUT THERE THAT SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO OFFER THE SAME SERVICES.
DO WE, COULD YOU ALL GET A NUMBER ON HOW MUCH WOULD BE NEEDED SINCE WE'RE IN THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE MOVING MONEY AROUND 6,000? IT'S 206,000.
IS THAT THAT'S WHAT THE BUDGET IS? YEAH, THAT'S THE BUDGET, THE OPERATING BUDGET.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S, LET'S MOVE BACK TO THE BUDGET.
I HAVE A GOOD QUESTION FOR PARKS, NOT THE NATURE CENTER.
UM, SO THE WANG GRAY PARKING EXPANSION AND PARKING IMPROVEMENTS, IT'S BEING RECOMMENDED TO DEFER TO 2024 TO ALLOW DESIGN TO BE COMPLETED.
BUT THEN IN RED IT'S HIGHLIGHTED, INCLUDED IN THE EXPANSION IS THE POSSIBILITY TO PURCHASE LAND.
DOES THAT, IS THAT PART OF THE DESIGN STILL FUNDED OR IS THAT BEING DEFERRED TO 2024? THE PURCHASE OF THE LAND IS IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, YES.
AS WELL AS THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND DESIGN.
AND THEN, UM, THE RUSSELL PARK DRAINAGE HAD A ZERO NEXT TO IT.
IS THAT BECAUSE IT WAS MOVED TO, OR IT'S RECOMMENDED TO MOVE TO MBD? SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT 200, SORRY.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT 200,000 IN PRELIMINARY DESIGN FOR RUSSELL PARK IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET THAT WE'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND EN ENGAGE IN THAT, THAT'LL ALLOW US TO GET A PLAN TOGETHER TO THEN MOVE INTO DESIGN.
SO WE KNOW THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT AND IDEAS ABOUT WHERE WE STARTED OFF WITH THE MASTER PLAN, WHERE WE NEED TO GO WITH DEVELOPING THIS PARK.
AND SO WE WANNA PROVIDE OURSELVES THAT TIME.
I DON'T WANNA PUT WORDS IN CLIFF'S MOUTH, BUT THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE FUNDS TO DO SOMETHING WITH THIS YEAR'S MONEY BEFORE, UH, MOVING FORWARD INTO FULL DESIGN.
AND THEN THERE WAS SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE PARK IMPROVEMENTS.
WOULD THIS BE THE RIGHT TIME TO DISCUSS WITH THE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ARE, I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT, UM, YES.
WHAT EVERYONE'S THOUGHTS ARE ON THIS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE IS.
WELL THERE'S A, THERE, LIKE I SAY, THIS WAS ONE OF TWO THAT, THAT WE, WE COULDN'T COME TO A UNANIMOUS DECISION ON.
AND WE LEFT IT REALLY FOR, FOR THE ENTIRE COUNCIL TO DELIBERATE AND TO DISCUSS, I BELIEVE THE NUMBER WAS 1.56 MILLION AND WHAT WAS SUGGESTED WERE NEW RESTROOMS, NEW PRESS BOX, NEW CONCESSION, ET CETERA.
SO WE HAD ASKED, I HAD ASKED CLIFF AND ANDREA, YOU, IF THERE WERE ANY OPTIONS TO REDUCE THE SCOPE OF THAT BECAUSE THAT PARTICULAR PARK IS LANDLOCKED, THERE'S A LACK OF PARKING.
THE MAYOR HAD SOME GOOD SUGGESTIONS OR, OR THOUGHTS ABOUT POSSIBLY EVEN RELOCATION AT SOME POINT IN TIME TO A BIGGER, BETTER DESTINATION ORIENTED, UH, CONCEPT.
AND, AND CLIFF HAS INFORMED ME, AND I I SHARED IT WITH, WITH THE COUNCILMAN FOR THE MEETING THAT ONE OPTION WOULD BE TO DO NEW RESTROOMS AND A CONCESSION AND HE THOUGHT THEY COULD PROBABLY GET IT DONE FOR AROUND EIGHT TO $900,000 AND THAT WOULD STEM THE TIDE, SO TO SPEAK, FOR A FEW YEARS UNTIL WE DEVELOP A LONGER TERM VISION OR PLANNED IN CONCERT WITH THE ISD BECAUSE WE DO NOT CURRENTLY OWN THAT PROPERTY IS OUR UNDERSTANDING.
SO WE JUST, LIKE I SAY, WE DON'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATION ON THAT.
I I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BUDGET EVEN IF IT'S THE 1.5 OR ONE MILL, IT'S NOT THAT I HAVE RESERVATIONS ON THAT.
MY RESERVATIONS WERE, I WANNA KNOW WHAT, WHAT IS REALLY THE BIGGER PICTURE AND EVEN THE BIGGER PICTURE IF IT COMES INTO PLAY WHERE WE GET FOUR OR FIVE FIELDS AT RUSSELL PARK OR WHEREVER THE CASE MAY BE.
UM, I DO THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED THE THREE FIELDS THAT WE HAVE HERE.
'CAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE TOURNAMENTS, THEY'RE GONNA NEED ABOUT EIGHT FIELDS, SO THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO, TO GO AND, AND STILL CONDUCT IT.
I DO THINK WE NEED TO, UM, MAKE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT'S NEEDED IF IT'S THE AADA A COMPLIANCE AND SO ON.
I'M NOT SURE, SO SURE I'M SOLD ON A DA COMPLIANCE FOR A PRESS BOX.
BUT IF THAT'S WHAT THE RULES ARE, THAT'S WHAT THE RULES ARE.
UH, BUT CERTAINLY FOR THE BATHROOMS, I UNDERSTAND THE BATHROOMS HAVE ISSUES, THEY HAD FUNCTION ISSUES.
AND SO WE HAVE TO, WE DO HAVE TO CORRECT THAT.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY WE, WE WOULD WE PROCEED WITH IF IT'S 900,000 OR WHATEVER THE CASE THAT MAYBE NEEDED, WE DON'T EXPEND IT ALL.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T, WE DON'T USE IT ALL, UM, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA STILL TAKE A FEW OUT YEARS BEFORE WE GET TO ANY KIND OF SELECT FIELD.
BUT I JUST WANT A BIGGER PICTURE AND UNDERSTANDING.
AND IT'S NOT THAT IT COMES FROM PARKS, IT COMES FROM THE THE BASEBALL COMMUNITY ITSELF.
SO WHAT WAS THE FULL 1.5 SUPPOSED TO BE USED FOR? IF WE'RE ONLY REALLY NEEDING EIGHT TO 900, WHAT IS IT? WAS IT CONTINGENCY OR WHAT'S THE REST OF THAT BALANCE? IT WAS SIMPLY OUR ESTIMATE THAT INCLUDED ALSO A SMALL CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND.
AH, BUT WE HAVE A CONSERVATIVE VIEW OF THE ESTIMATES BECAUSE ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT
[01:45:01]
AND ALL OF THE MATERIALS ARE GOING UP.SO IT'S ALL OF THE MATERIALS THAT WOULD EVEN MAKE THE PREFAB, YOU KNOW, STRUCTURES.
SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK FOR CHANGE ORDERS.
SO THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE REASON.
SO JUST BE AWARE AS WE PAIR THAT DOWN, YOU DO HAVE UTILITIES THAT NEED TO FUNCTION FOR THAT RESTROOM.
SO THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A RISK.
BUT WE DO HAVE ANOTHER FISCAL YEAR, SO BY THE TIME WE COMPLETE DESIGN, WE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN FULLY FUND THAT.
BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL KNOW WE, THIS IS, YOU ARE TAKING IT DOWN FOR THIS YEAR, BUT THERE MAY BE A LITTLE BIT NEXT YEAR.
AND I'M ASSUMING BECAUSE WE DON'T OWN THE LAND, THAT THERE MAY BE AN OPINION TO NOT INVEST IN IT SIMILAR TO HOW WE'VE TREATED BICENTENNIAL PARK.
AND MY OPINION ON THAT WOULD BE THE SCALE'S DIFFERENT.
I UNDERSTAND THE RESERVATION, DON'T GET ME WRONG.
UM, IT WAS, IT WAS UNTIL EARLY THIS YEAR WAS EVEN DISCOVERED THAT THAT WAS THE CASE.
SO SO WE WILL WORK THROUGH THAT.
YES, I WOULD, I THINK WE WILL WORK THROUGH THAT.
I THINK, I THINK THERE'LL BE SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER AT THAT POINT.
UM, I WOULD NOT WANNA HOLD BACK ON, ON, ON MAKING THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED.
UM, BICENTENNIAL IS A DIFFERENT CASE 'CAUSE THAT THAT'S A LARGER SCALE, LARGER FOOTPRINT AND A LARGER INVESTMENT THAT WILL BE NEEDED AT THAT POINT.
THE THE ISSUE JUST SO YOU CONSIDER THAT YEAH.
THE, THE DIFFERENT, REALLY THE DIFFERENCE IS THERE'S REALLY NOT A LOT THEY COULD DO WITH BICENTENNIAL AS FAR AS THE PROPERTY.
UM, THEY'RE JUST, THEY JUST BUILT A BRAND NEW BUILDING PRETTY MUCH NEXT TO THIS BALLPARK AND THEY COULD COME BACK AND SAY, WE HAVE PLANS FOR ANOTHER BUILDING AT THAT BALLPARK.
THEY COULD SO MOVE YOUR BALLPARK.
THEY COULD, THAT COULD BE GOOD.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME I THINK WE, WE DO STILL WANT TO ANTICIPATE SOME UPGRADES TO IT.
UM, IF, I MEAN IF THEY CAN'T FLUSH A TOILET PROPERLY, THEN WE NEED TO GET 'EM A NEW TOILET.
AND SO IT'S, I I AGREE THAT WE DO NEED TO MAKE THESE INVESTMENTS.
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE 1.5, UM, BUT I WILL LEAVE IT UP TO THEM TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TO MAKE IT FUNCTIONAL.
BUT JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, MAYOR, SO I KNOW AT ONE POINT WE HAD SOME INTERGOVERNMENTAL MEETINGS AND SUCH, BUT WE, WE DID ALSO, I DID ASK AND IT WAS AT THE AD HOC COMMITTEE'S, BEST TO MAKE A PHONE CALL TO THE ISD.
NO, IT'S MORE THAN SOME PHONE CALLS, BUT SURE.
LEMME LET RICK AT AT A MINIMUM.
SO LET, LET ME LET RICK GIVE AN UPDATE ON THOSE.
I'VE HAD A FEW CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, DR. O'BRIEN ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC PROPERTY.
AND ORIGINALLY IT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE CONTEXT OF A POSSIBLE PROPERTY EXCHANGE WITH THE CITY.
IT'S NO LONGER PART OF THAT DISCUSSION YET.
DR. O'BRIEN GAVE ME EVERY INDICATION LAST TIME WE MET THAT THE BOARD IS CONSIDERING THE TRANSFER OF THAT PROPERTY TO THE CITY.
I'LL KNOW MORE IN ANOTHER WEEK WHEN I MEET WITH DR. O'BRIEN.
I'M HAPPY TO COME BACK AND AND REPORT THAT TO YOU.
BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW ACTIVE DISCUSSIONS ARE, YOU KNOW, ONGOING WITH REGARD TO THE TRANSFER OF THAT PROPERTY TO THE STUDY.
I DON'T ANTICIPATE IT'S GONNA REMAIN DISTRICT PROPERTY FOR LONG, SO THAT THAT THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR.
SO THAT WOULD ELIMINATE ANY UNFORESEEN WHERE THEY WOULD COME BACK AND WANNA BUILD ON THE PROPERTY WHERE WE EXPENDED FUNDS.
UH, ABSOLUTELY MAKE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN MY, MY POSITION.
EVEN, EVEN IF THE, EVEN IF THE DISTRICT DIDN'T MOVE THE PROPERTY TO OUR OWNERSHIP, IF THEY CAME OUT AND BASICALLY JUST SOLIDIFIED THAT IT'S STILL AN AGREEMENT THAT IT'S OUR PROPERTY, BUT Y'ALL CAN, IF AS LONG AS Y'ALL CONTINUE TO USE AND OPERATE A LITTLE LEAGUE PARK THERE AND, AND MAINTAIN IT, STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU CAN USE IT.
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN, BECAUSE THAT HAD TO BE THE CASE MANY YEARS AGO WHEN, WHEN IT ALL STARTED.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT HAPPENED.
AND SO IT JUST, IT WAS, HEY, HERE'S SOME LAND, GO AHEAD AND BUILD A LITTLE LEAGUE.
IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST DIFFICULT TO, FOR ME, AS, AS SITTING ON THIS DIOCESE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M SURE IT'S DIFFICULT FOR MY COLLEAGUES UP HERE AS WELL TO SPEND A MILLION AND A HALF OR, OR EVEN 2 MILLION IF WE REALLY WANT TO UPGRADE THE PARK AND DO MORE WITH IT ON SOMEBODY ELSE'S PROPERTY.
UM, THAT THEY COULD, AT ANY TIME SINCE, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY CHANGED OUR MIND, WE WANT TO BUILD ANO ANOTHER OUTLET BUILDING AND, AND YOU GOTTA GO, IF WE WORK OUT AN AGREEMENT THAT IT STAYS AS IT IS AND IT WILL BE AS IT IS, AS LONG AS WE MAINTAIN THE LITTLE LEAGUE, THAT'S GREAT.
OR IF THEY TRANSFER THE PROPERTY TO US, IT'S GREAT.
MY, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT, THAT WE BUDGET FOR, FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS.
I THINK WE'LL HAVE A PRETTY GOOD INDICATION HERE FAIRLY SHORTLY ON THAT WORST CASE.
NO, I THINK WE GET INTO AT LEAST, AT LEAST A, AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM, UM, THAT OBVIOUSLY THAT THEY WON'T GO AND TAKE THIS LAND BACK AND BUILD WHATEVER MM-HMM
UM, I THINK WE CAN, I THINK WE CAN GET THERE.
UM, AND I THINK REALLY THE, THE TRUE OUTCOME WOULD PROBABLY BE A LAND EXCHANGE OR SOME TYPE OF AGREEMENT OF TRANSFER TO THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
AND WE CAN CONSIDER NOT SPENDING THE MONEY BUDGETED UNTIL THAT AGREEMENT IS, IS SOLIDIFIED.
I'M TOTALLY, WHAT I HEARD WAS WE MAY HEAR SOMETHING BEFORE THE FINAL BUDGET APPROVAL.
[01:50:01]
'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE IDEAL IF IT GETS TO THE FINAL BUDGET APPROVAL.AND WE STILL HAVE AN AGREEMENT.
THEY'LL, THERE'LL BE A NAY VOTE ON THAT LINE ITEM.
WELL THE BUDGET IS ONE OR THE OTHER, BUT YEAH.
BUT I GET IT, IT CAN STILL BE HELD ON THERE AND AS HEATHER MENTIONED, WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND IT UNTIL, SO I WOULD STILL HOLD THAT LINE ITEM, UH, WHETHER WE HEAR BACK BY THE 22ND OR NOT UNTIL THAT WE, THAT WE EITHER HAVE ASSURANCE THAT WE, THAT WE, WE HAVE RIGHT.
TO THE PROPERTY OR, AND, OR OBVIOUSLY THAT WE'RE WORKING ON A TRANSFER, AN AGREEMENT TO CONTINUE AS IT IS.
I'M, I'M THINKING I'M GOOD WITH THAT.
'CAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE WE'RE NOT GONNA DESIGN THIS IN THE NEXT 30 TO 60 DAYS.
YEAH, AND I'M, I I MEAN, I, IN A SENSE, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET'S CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, I GOT IT.
WHEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE AMENDMENTS AND ALL THAT AND GET MESSY, WE CAN DO THAT.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE SOMETHING YOU MAY NOT LIKE OR I MAY NOT LIKE, BUT HOLISTICALLY, I I, I WILL CERTAINLY THINK THAT WE, WE LOOK AT THE ENTIRETY, THE COLLECTIVE BUDGET.
AND THE ONLY OTHER PIECE, AND, AND WE CAN WAIT TO WHERE IT'S, THERE'S A BETTER TIME, BUT THE ONLY OTHER PIECE THAT WE WANTED FEEDBACK OR, OR SUGGESTED WAS THE, THE FIRE STATIONS AND THE SOUTH COMMAND.
IF ALL OF THAT DESIGN NEEDS TO BE THIS YEAR OR THAT CAN BE PRIORITIZED.
SO THAT WAS THE ONLY OTHER ITEM THAT WE DIDN'T REACH A FULL UNANIMOUS CONSENSUS ON THE FIRE FACILITIES, FIRE FACILITIES TO PRIORITIZE WHICH ONES NEED TO BE DONE FIRST.
I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT GETTING BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
UM, YEAH, THEY CAN BE PRIORITIZED.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRIORITIZED IN THE ORDER THAT THEY'RE LISTED.
SO IF, UM, IF WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, LOOK AT A COUPLE OF 'EM IN THE NEXT YEAR AND THEN THE OTHERS IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, I THINK THAT'D BE FINE.
IT ACTUALLY MIGHT EVEN BE BETTER THAN TO, TO KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS ALL OF 'EM AT ONCE BECAUSE IT GETS A LITTLE BIT DISRUPTIVE WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON STATIONS.
IF YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF EM IN THE PROCESS COULD BE A PROBLEM.
WELL, AND I THINK OUR THOUGHT PROCESS WAS THAT IF, LET'S SAY YOU ONLY DO TWO, BUT THEN USE THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO FIX THOSE, UM, INSTEAD OF GOING INTO DESIGN ON ALL OF THEM AT ONCE, BECAUSE I THINK THE BUDGET WAS JUST FOR DESIGN, RIGHT.
AND SO IF, LET'S SAY WE TOOK TWO FIRE FIREHOUSES AND THEN DID THE DESIGN AND THEN UTILIZED THE, THE EXTRA FUNDS TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE WERE ORIGINALLY THINKING.
MY INTENT TO, UH, ISSUE THIS OUT ALL THE FACILITY RENOVATIONS, UH, TO ONE ARCHITECT AS A PACKAGE MM-HMM
NOW THEY CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZE THEIR WORKLOAD.
BUT, UH, I THINK IT'LL BE MORE EFFICIENT TO HAVE ONE ARCHITECT DO ALL THESE, UM, DESIGNS, UH, TOGETHER AS ONE PACKAGE.
THAT WAY WE CAN, OUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT ON OUR END WILL BE EASIER AND THEN EVERYTHING WILL BE READY TO MOVE INTO CONSTRUCTION.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO CONSTRUCTION ON ALL FACILITIES AT ONE TIME.
EITHER, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE, UH, STAGED.
BUT, UH, WELL THAT WAS A QUESTION WE HAD.
IF WE APPROVE ALL THE DESIGN AT ONE TIME THIS YEAR, WELL NEXT YEAR YES.
BE BROUGHT BACK TO WANT TO APPROVE ALL THE CONSTRUCTION AT ONE TIME.
WHICH WOULD BE A FAIRLY HEFTY NUMBER.
WELL THAT WAS WHAT, WHAT WAS IN THE CIP AND IT WAS PROGRAMMED IN THAT WAY.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GET THE DESIGN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION ON ALL OF THEM, BUT WE CAN STAGGER THOSE.
WELL, IT COULD BE, BUT THAT WAS ANOTHER THOUGHT IS IF WE, YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, THE PLANS OR THE DESIGN IS STAGNANT FOR A YEAR OR TWO, WHERE THERE ARE GONNA BE OTHER CHANGES THAT COME UP.
THE DESIGNS HAVE TO BE REDESIGNED AT SOME POINT.
I MEAN, JUST LEMME ASK THIS QUESTION REAL QUICK, FRANK, AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S FOR YOU FOR CHIEF.
I UNDERSTAND STATION TWO REPLACEMENT.
LET'S EXPEDITE IT IF WE CAN, RIGHT? YEP.
YOU KNOW, UH, THREE, I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND FOUR, EVEN FIVE.
I'M, I I CAN'T TELL YOU I FULLY UNDERSTAND SIX OR SEVEN SINCE THEY'RE THE NEWER FIRE STATIONS.
I MEAN OBVIOUSLY TO TO, TO MY, TO WHAT I CAN SEE, I DON'T SEE THE NEED.
SO WHY WOULD THOSE, SO THIS, ALL THESE CAME OUT BECAUSE THIS IS, THIS IS MINOR REMODEL.
I'M TRYING TO, TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING OF SIX TO SEVEN OF SOME VERY WELL DESIGNED FIRE STATIONS.
SO I, I, I HAVE, I GUESS I STRUGGLE WITH, WITH HAVING TO ADDRESS THOSE.
ALL OF THESE CAME OUT OF THE, UH, FACILITY ASSESSMENTS.
AND EVEN ON THE NEWER FACILITIES, THERE WERE SOME ISSUES I GET, BUT
THAT SHOULD BE, THAT SHOULD BE ANNUAL TYPE OF BUDGETARY STUFF.
NOT SO MUCH OF, AND AGAIN, UH, DESIGN REMODEL FOR SEAL TILE IS MORE EFFICIENT TO PACKAGE ALL THESE TOGETHER, HIRE ONE ARCHITECT AND HAVE THEM DESIGN, UH, OKAY.
UH, JUST MY POINT IS JUST, AND I GET IT, I'VE BEEN THROUGH FACILITIES ASSESSMENTS WHERE THEY GO AND THEY'LL GO DOWN TO EVERY LIGHT SWITCH AND OUTLET AND CEILING TILE.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE BUDGET FOR ANNUAL MAINTENANCE AND, AND OPERATIONS OF OUR FACILITIES.
[01:55:01]
HAVE A HARD TIME PAYING A CONSULTANT TO GO AND DESIGN A REMODEL FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED.WELL, WE DID 10 YEARS OR LESS.
I, I HAD, UH, YOU KNOW, KEVIN GO THROUGH AND PICK OUT THE THINGS THAT ARE FACILITY MAINTENANCE, UH, THAT CAN BE DONE IN HOUSE.
WE, WE ALREADY SEPARATED THOSE AND UH, SO THERE ARE STILL REMAINING ITEMS THAT YEAH.
ARE MORE THAN JUST MAINTENANCE.
I MEAN, I SEEN ONE OF THE HVAC HVAC SYSTEM.
IT'S JUST WHEN I SEE CEILING TILES, I JUST, IT DOESN'T REALLY GIMME A WARM FUZZY ABOUT BEING A CONSULTANT FOR THAT.
WELL ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT CAME UP DURING OUR MEETING WITH THE DIRECTORS MAYOR, UM, THAT WE LIKED, UM, WAS THE FACT THAT, UM, WE'RE NOW DOING PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PRETTY MUCH ON EVERYTHING.
AND SO I, AND I THINK MAYBE WE'RE PLAYING CATCH UP.
ARE WE PLAYING CATCH UP FROM ALL OF THAT WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE OH, I'M SURE WE ARE.
UM, AND, AND SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT I, I DID NOTICE.
I THINK PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, I'M CERTAINLY A FAN OF, IT'S JUST FOR SOME FIRE STATIONS THAT, THAT WERE RECENTLY BUILT.
FOR THE MOST PART, I JUST, WHEN IT COMES TO REMODEL, WHAT DOES THAT REALLY ENTAIL? IF IT'S SOMETHING FUNCTIONAL WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO ADD ADDITIONAL BAY 'CAUSE WE HAVE NEW APPARATUS AND NEW THE, LIKE THE STATE SHARED VEHICLE WE HAVE FOR WILDFIRES AND SO ON.
SO I JUST NEEDED CLARITY ON THAT.
JUST COMMENT ON WHAT YOU ALL WERE SAYING.
UM, ONE THING THAT WE DO NEED TO REMEMBER ABOUT THE FIRE STATIONS, THEY'RE LIVED IN 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, EVERY MOMENT OF THE DAY.
WORKING SHIFT WORK, BEING IN A BUILDING FOR 17 YEARS.
YOU, I'M LOOKING AT FLOORING ON HERE, TRIM, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND IF IT'S CATCH UP, IF THOSE THINGS HAVEN'T BEEN ON A MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, I COULD SEE WHERE WE WOULD REALLY NEED TO SPEND THE MONEY TO GET IT THERE.
I WOULD JUST HOPE THAT WE WOULD HAVE MONEY IN FUTURE BUDGETS TO KEEP IT AND ON PAR AND ARE WE GOING, ARE WE PLANNING TO DO, AND THAT, THAT IS WHAT KEVIN HARWELL JUST TALKED ABOUT.
IT, IT, WE'RE TRYING TO INCREASE OUR FACILITY MAINTENANCE BUDGET.
SO NEXT YEAR, AND I SAY WE INCREASE 20% THIS YEAR, WE'RE MAY HAVE TO DO MORE.
SO IF WE SEE AN INCREASE IN FACILITIES MAINTENANCE NEXT YEAR, THEN WE KNOW THAT THAT'S PART OF IT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? JUST YES MA'AM.
I DON'T THINK I GOT A, A CLEAR ANSWER TO COUNCILMAN PRESLEY'S ANSWER.
DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT IF YOU DESIGN 'EM ALL THIS YEAR, BUT WE DON'T BUDGET THE REMODEL, THE RECONSTRUCTION FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS THAT YOU WON'T HAVE TO REDESIGN AGAIN? WELL, LIKE I SAY, IT WAS PLANNED IN THE CIP TO CONSTRUCT ALL OF IT NEXT YEAR.
SO, UH, IF THERE'S A DIFFERENT PLAN THEN WE COULD DELAY SOME OF THE DESIGN.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE RATIONAL OF WHY WE WANTED TO DISCUSS IT AND BRING IT UP, RIGHT, IS BECAUSE THERE WILL BE A HEFTY NUMBER AGAIN TO DO ALL THE CONSTRUCTION SIMULTANEOUSLY.
I GUESS WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS.
WELL, THEY HAVE TO GO, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER CONSTRUCTION, WE HAVE OUR ESTIMATE.
SO, UH, AND AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL JUMP IN THERE THAT YOU KNOW, THE STATION FIVE, STATION SIX, STATION SEVEN AND SOUTH COMMAND.
I READ THROUGH THE DESCRIPTIONS AND I DON'T, AND, AND WE HAD, WE HAD LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS ON THIS.
I JUST DON'T SEE THE CRITICAL ISSUES.
IF IT'S LIKE STATION FOUR, NO DOUBT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN OLDER STATION THAT WE'RE HAVING TO, TO REMODEL TO PUT IN, YOU KNOW, UH, FACILITIES FOR THE LADIES AND WHICH IS NECESSARY.
AGAIN, THAT STATION WAS BUILT SO MANY YEARS AGO.
THERE JUST WASN'T ANY CONCEPT OF THAT.
WELL, THE MONEY WAS COBBLED TOGETHER FOR THAT ONE AND FOR STATION FIVE, I GET THOSE THINGS.
SO, BUT STATION 5, 6, 7 AND AGAIN, TO YOUR POINT, AND THEN EVEN SOUTH COMMAND, THOSE ARE RELATIVELY NEW, NEW FACILITIES.
SO THERE'S NOTHING MAJOR OR CRITICAL TO OPERATIONS.
IT WILL, WILL, WILL IT MAKE IT NICER? WILL IT BE MORE EFFICIENT? TO SOME EXTENT, POSSIBLY, BUT I JUST DON'T SEE THAT AS PART OF A CO PROGRAM.
THAT'S WHEN WE WERE PUSHING THE FUND IT BY CASH.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, IF, IF WE COULD PRIORITIZE THOSE AND WAIT ANOTHER YEAR OR SO, NOT AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA TAKE IT OFF THE TABLE.
'CAUSE I, I AGREE STATION FIVE HAS TWO DIFFERENT LIVING QUARTERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
PROBABLY NEED, AND I'M ASSUMING THAT'S SOME OF THE RECONFIGURATION YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, CHIEF IS TO CONSOLIDATE THAT.
COULD THEY GO ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO? YEAH.
BEING A LITTLE INCONVENIENCED, BUT STILL IN A NICE FACILITY.
IF IT'S HVAC SYSTEMS OR STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT'S CRITICAL CARE.
WE GOTTA DO THOSE, WHETHER IT'S IN THIS BUDGET OR WE JUST SPEND IT.
IF IT'S CRITICAL ISSUES, WE NEED TO DO 'EM.
UM, BUT CHIEF YOU, I WAS GONNA SAY HVAC IS ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES WITH THE STATIONS.
STATION SIX HAS HAD, HAS HAD SOME WATER INTRUSION AS ISSUES IN THE PAST AND
[02:00:01]
THEY WORKED TO ADDRESS THOSE EVEN AS A NEWER STATION FOR WHATEVER REASON, WATER KEEPS FINDING ITS WAY INTO THE BUILDING AND WE'VE HAD TO PULL OUT DRYWALL, PULL OUT CARPET AND TRY TO FIX THAT.AND THEN THE ONE OTHER THING I WAS GONNA MENTION THAT REALLY WASN'T LISTED IN HERE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MANY TIMES AND LOOKED FOR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR WAS, UM, EXHAUST SYSTEMS. UM, UM, AND ALSO, UM, SEPARATING THE BUNKER GEAR ROOMS. NOW THOSE TWO NEW STATIONS, STATION SIX AND STATION SEVEN DO HAVE SEPARATE BUNKER GEAR ROOMS, BUT THEY HAVE DOOR OPENINGS WITH NO DOORS AND NO, UM, UH, EXHAUST THROUGH THOSE ROOMS. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE DONE AS PART OF THE CANCER PREVENTION PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A SIMPLE THING TO DO AT BOTH OF THOSE STATIONS.
UM, THE OTHER STATIONS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WORKING ON, THEY WOULD NEED A LITTLE MORE WORK IS THE GEAR SITS RIGHT IN THE APPARATUS SPACE.
AND SO WE'D HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE WOULD PUT THAT IN.
UH, IRONICALLY, I, I JUST WENT THROUGH FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, I JUST WENT THROUGH STATION ONE AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S A VERY COMPRESSED NATION MM-HMM
SO I'M JUST SURPRISED IT'S NOT ON THIS.
BUT ANYWAY, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, I WOULD, I WOULD ASK TO CONSIDER THAT WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY DOING ASSESSMENTS AND PLANS, PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN BUILD OURSELVES 10, 15 YEAR PLANS, FINANCIAL PLANS ON WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND IF WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT DEFERRING WHAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN FINANCIALLY PLAN FOR WHAT'S AHEAD OF US, THEN I THINK THIS, IT'S PRUDENT FOR THE A E COMMITTEE TO SIT DOWN AND LOOK AT, HEY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THESE DEBT ISSUANCES COMING TO LIFE SOON THROUGH THE YEARS, AND IF WE'RE DEFERRING SOMETHING NOW, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE NEXT YEAR WHEN SITTING DOWN TO HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION? OR IS IT WORTH IT TO BITE THE BULLET NOW TO STAY ON THE FINANCIAL PLAN THAT WE HAVE SET IN FRONT OF US? BECAUSE WE DID PUT ALL THAT INTO PLAY, UH, RECENTLY AND WE DID TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
WE EVEN SAID, WHAT'S NEXT YEAR'S CIP GONNA LOOK LIKE IN OVERALL BUDGET? SO, UM, JASON, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
BUT WE, WE DID TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, BUT THAT'S WHY WE HAD THESE QUESTIONS TO BE ABLE TO FINALIZE WHAT WE WANTED DO MOVING FORWARD.
I KNOW WE ADDED ON HERE THAT WE WOULD MOVE THE DESIGN OVER TO CASH TO GET IT CASH FUNDED, BUT UH, AGAIN, WE JUST NEEDED THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE FINAL DETERMINATION AND OF COURSE, FEEDBACK FROM OUR COLLEAGUES.
AND I MEAN, THAT, THAT WAS OUR, WHAT JASON SAID, THAT WAS OUR INTENT AND PUTTING TOGETHER A FIVE YEAR CIP JUST SO THAT YOU COULD LOOK RIGHT OUT FIVE YEARS AND SEE WHAT WE PLANNED AND SEE THAT IS, UH, FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
UM, IT IS A PLAN THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH.
AND I DID IMAGINE Y'ALL WE'RE GETTING SOME SORT OF BULK RATE, REMEMBER IS LIKE YEAH, YEAH.
UH, I THINK IT'S ALMOST WITH ONE OF THE FIRST PAGES.
IT'S NOT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT Y'ALL DID, Y'ALL DID THE FIVE YEAR, BUT I ASKED FOR THAT AND YOU, YOU KIND OF DID IT.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WHAT'S, WHAT'S, UM, FINANCIALLY AVAILABLE, WHAT, WHAT IS ABLE TO BE DELIVERED.
AND, AND, AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE THAT BALANCE OF A AND E AND FINANCE IS GONNA COME IN WORKING WITH EACH DEPARTMENT IF IT'S FIRE OR ENGINEERING OR PUBLIC WORKS, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA, I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
UH, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE DON'T, AGAIN, TAKE ON TOO MUCH THAT CAN'T BE DELIVERED.
ISSUING MONEY AND, AND HAVING IT SAID IS, IS IS PRETTY MUCH, I THINK THE, THE PHILOSOPHY, WELL I'M HEARING FROM, FROM ALMOST ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE CAN DO THAT, TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS, MAKE SURE THAT THAT, THAT WE, UH, WE MEET OUR CITIZENS' NEEDS, BUT UM, BUT ALSO REDUCE THE TAX RATE.
SO I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO GET THERE.
WE, WE NEED THE UNDERSTANDING.
I THINK IT'S SAID, I'VE HEARD IT SAID FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GET, WE GET SNAPSHOTS OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT, UH, FROM A CITY PERSPECTIVE.
MANY OF YOU, YOU WORK 40, 60 HOURS, WHATEVER.
YOU SEE IT, YOU LIVE AND BREATHE IT.
SO IT TAKES US SOME TIME, TWO HOURS A DAY OR WHATEVER IN BUDGET SESSION TO ABSORB ALL THESE.
AND SO WE HAVE TO ALSO BE ABLE TO GO AND, AND, UH, UNDERSTAND IT AND, AND MAKE SURE WE'RE MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS FOR OUR CITIZENS AND, AND JUST TO, YOU KNOW, CLARIFY.
AND, AND WE CERTAINLY AGREE WITH THAT SENTIMENT.
AND, AND FRANK EVEN POSED THE QUESTION BACK TO US IN THE MEETING WE HAD WITH STAFF.
YOU KNOW, GUYS, Y'ALL ARE THE ONES THAT SAID YOU WANTED TO, TO, YOU KNOW, FIX THE BUILDINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED, DO YOU OR NOT? SO, YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE THAT.
I MEAN, NOTHING WAS DELETED AT, AT WORST CASE, PUSHED OUT 12 MONTHS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO GET 'EM DONE AND, AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE TAKEN THE APPROACH WE HAVE.
LET'S GET BACK ON TRACK ON THE BUDGET.
UM, YOU, WAS YOUR QUESTION ANSWERED MM-HMM
I KNOW YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME MORE, BUT LET'S, LET'S GET TO THAT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S IS GOOD ON SCHEDULE.
WE DO HAVE ONE MORE, UM, WORK SESSION PLANNED ON TUESDAY.
IF, IF EVERYBODY'S STILL AVAILABLE FOR THAT.
I WANT JUST KIND OF KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO, IF WE ARE CLOSE AND WE BE ON 30 MORE MINUTES AND WE'RE GOOD, UM, THEN WE WOULD, WE WOULD GO, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO TOO MANY EXTENDED HOURS TODAY IF WE'RE GONNA REVISIT ON TUESDAY.
BUT LET'S MAKE SURE WE ADDRESS AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
'CAUSE WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS ADDRESS SOME, SOME, SOME MAJOR QUESTIONS MM-HMM
TODAY SO THAT WE CAN EITHER GET INFORMATION AND GET THOSE, GET THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY TUESDAY.
[02:05:01]
OF TIME.UM, I, I JUST, I DON'T WANT TUESDAY WE'RE STILL PUTTING LITTLE THINGS ON THE TABLE OR BIG THINGS ON THE TABLE AND HAVING TO REACT TO THAT AND ADJUST TO THAT.
DOES I MAKE THAT SEEM OKAY? SO MIKE, I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING PLEASE? LAST ONE.
THAT'S, THAT'S LAST BUT NOT LEAST DEAREST TO OUR HEART STARTING LIBRARY.
UM, A COUPLE OF MY QUESTIONS WERE ALREADY ANSWERED, BUT I STILL, THEY WERE JUST WAITING.
THEY WERE SITTING THERE QUIETLY AS ANY, YOU THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA DUCK OUT, RIGHT? WE ARE READY.
I SAID OKAY, SHE'S ON VACATION SO YOU HAVE US TO WHO ALLOWED? SORRY ABOUT THAT.
NO, UM, A COUPLE OF MY QUESTIONS ARE ALREADY ANSWERED.
AND, AND THIS IS REALLY JUST TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE EFFORTS Y'ALL DO.
UM, 115,000 FOR COMPUTER SOFTWARE.
IS THAT A NEW SOFTWARE PROGRAM OR IS THAT A NEW PROGRAM OR? SO WE MOVED THAT OUT OF SPECIAL SERVICES.
SO YOU'LL NOTICE OUR SPECIAL SERVICES BUDGET ACTUALLY DECREASED, BUT, UM, ONE OF THE FEW
SO WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS ENHANCE OUR CATALOG SOFTWARE.
THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE USE TO SEARCH FOR WHAT BOOKS WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
UM, WE HAVE USED THE SAME SOFTWARE FOR OVER A DECADE.
SO WE ARE HAVING TO PAY ABOUT $16,000 AND ONE TIME IMPLEMENTATION FEES.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE HOPEFULLY OFFERING A NEW AND IMPROVED CATALOG SOFTWARE.
THAT, THAT'S THE ONLY, I WAS ASSUMING IT WAS NEW SOFTWARE OR SOMETHING.
'CAUSE AGAIN, Y'ALL DON'T DO IT.
BUT AGAIN, IT IS ONE OF THOSE, IT, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT JUMP NOT BUDGETED BEFORE.
AND JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THE EFFORT AND ISSUES, AS THE MAYOR JUST INDICATED, SOMETIMES WE JUST DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS AND, AND LIKE TO, TO KNOW THOSE DETAILS, UH, GIVE Y'ALL A CHANCE TO SAY, YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING BETTER AND BETTER.
UM, MY OTHER QUESTIONS WERE ALREADY ANSWERED BY, UH, HR, SO, ALRIGHT, PERFECT.
OH YEAH, YOU HAVE AN ORANGE ONE.
NO, ACTUALLY THAT ONE'S ALREADY BEEN ANSWERED.
WELL, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY IF THERE'S ANY, ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, ITEMS, BUT I, I DO THINK WE MADE A LOT OF HEADWAY AND, AND I THINK WE'VE, UM, CERTAINLY GOT A BETTER UNDERSTANDING THUS FAR.
BUT IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT THAT COUNSEL HAS, THIS IS THE TIME.
AND I, I WON'T BE HERE TUESDAY, BUT I'M COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE WE ARE UNLESS SOMETHING MAJOR CHANGES AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
I, I THINK THE, A E COMMITTEE, WE MOVED PROJECTS AROUND CASH FUNDED, LOOKED AT THE, THE DEBT ISSUE ISSUES.
I, I REALLY APPRECIATE STAFF'S EFFORT TO, TO LOOK AT BRINGING US A TWO AND A HALF CENT REDUCTION.
I THINK OUR CITIZENS WILL BE JUST FLABBERGASTED WITH THAT, UH, AND OVERJOYED TO SOME EXTENT MM-HMM
SO IF WE CAN MAINTAIN THAT TRACK AND KEEP ON THERE, AND AGAIN, EVEN DOING THAT, EVERYTHING IN THIS BUDGET'S STILL APPROVED.
SO, YOU KNOW, SO WE'VE CLARIFIED SOME THINGS, WE BROUGHT SOME THINGS TO LIGHT AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
NO, I DO, I DO APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE THE WORK AND, AND HOPEFULLY FINANCE CAN MEET AND, AND CERTAINLY OFFER THEIR, THEIR INPUT FROM THE, THE, UH, FINANCIAL STANDPOINT OF THE BUDGET.
AND, AND NOT JUST FOR THIS, BUT MOVING FORWARD REALLY WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE WOULD BE, UM, I GUESS WHAT I ENVISION, UH, IT'S CALLED, IT'S CALLED THE TIP.
IF, IF YOU SIT ON THE TRANSPORTATION POLICY COUNCIL, YOU, YOU CAN HAVE A SLEW A WHOLE LONG LAUNDRY LIST OF PROJECTS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE LIKE THE THREE YEAR PLAN OR THE FIVE YEAR PLAN.
I THINK THAT'S, WE'RE KIND OF GET GETTING TO, TO BOTH WHAT, WHAT CAN BE REALLY DESIGNED, BUDGETED, FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED, AND THEN LACK AND, AND I THINK A SHARED DOCUMENT FOR BOTH, WELL REALLY FOR COUNCIL, BUT FOR A AND E, UH, FROM A PROJECT STANDPOINT AND THEN ALSO FROM FROM FINANCE, FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF A FUNDED TYPE OF, UH, TYPE OF COMMUNICATION.
AND I THINK A SHARED DOCUMENT THAT WILL BE HELPFUL TO EVERYONE.
SO ANY OTHER QUE UH, COMMENTS FOR THE DAY? IF NOT, TUESDAY IS AT FIVE AGAIN, I BELIEVE.
IS THAT CORRECT? TUESDAY FIVE.
SO WITH THAT, UH, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.