Jun 01, 2023 Municipal Development Committee

[00:00:20]

SO NOW I'LL CALL

[ BAYTOWN MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT NOTICE OF MEETING BAYTOWN MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT REGULAR MEETING THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2023 4:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ]

THAT IS, UM, THURSDAY, UH, JUNE 1ST.

IT IS 4:36 PM WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.

UH, FIRST WE HAVE APPROVAL OF

[a. Consider approving the minutes of the Municipal Development District Regular Meeting held on April 6, 2023. ]

ITEM ONE A CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE MDS REGULAR MEETING HELD ON APRIL 6TH, 2023.

I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.

SO MOVED.

MOVE.

MOTION.

SECOND.

ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR ABSTENTIONS? IF NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MINUTES AS WRITTEN, PLEASE SAY, AYE.

AYE.

A OPPOSED? THANK YOU FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

WE HAVE NEXT A, UH,

[a. Discuss the Baytown Municipal Development District's Fiscal Year 2023-24 Proposed Budget and budget process.]

10 MINUTES WILL DEVELOPMENTS DISTRICT'S FISCAL YEAR 20, 23, 24.

PROPOSED BUDGET AND BUDGET PROCESS.

THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.

OKAY.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

SO HAPPY TO PRESENT THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE PROPOSED MDD BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.

UM, WE ANTICIPATE SUBJECT TO YOUR APPROVAL, UH, THAT WE HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AT YOUR NEXT MEETING ON THE 6TH OF JULY.

UM, LET'S JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO, TO RUN THROUGH THE BUDGET.

AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO DWELL UPON ARE THE, UH, THE CHANGES, SIGNIFICANT CHANGES YEAR OVER YEAR.

UH, LET'S START WITH REVENUES.

I JUST HAD A LOOK BEFORE IT CAME TO THE MEETING.

OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE ADDED $2.1 MILLION IN SALES TAX.

THAT'S A 33% INCREASE IN BUDGET OVER FIVE YEARS.

I THINK THAT'S WORTH CELEBRATING, NOTING.

UH, HOWEVER, MY CONCERN IS THAT WE MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE ABLE TO RELY UPON THAT GOING FORWARD.

UM, THERE ARE ALREADY SIGNS, UM, IN THE ECONOMY NATIONALLY, GLOBALLY, AND INDEED LOCALLY THAT THERE'S A SLACKING IN, UH, IN SALES THAT, THAT YIELD SALES TAX REVENUES TO, TO CITIES.

SO FOR THAT REASON, I DO NOT WANT TO BE QUITE SO AMBITIOUS AND AGGRESSIVE IN THE, UH, UH, THE REVENUES WE ANTICIPATE NEXT YEAR.

SO YOU, SO YOU WILL SEE A VERY CONSERVATIVE 2% INCREASE.

ANTICIPATE THAT, I'M HOPEFUL IT WILL BE BETTER.

REMEMBER, WE CAN ALWAYS REVISIT THE BUDGET DURING THE YEAR.

WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE.

UH, IF WE PERFORM EVEN BETTER THAN WE ANTICIPATE, I'LL HAPPILY BRING BACK PROPOSALS FOR YOU TO HELP US SPEND THE ADDITIONAL MONEY.

BUT I DON'T WANT TO ASSUME IT AT THIS STAGE.

LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE PROJECTS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO FUND THE NEW ONES.

UH, AND THERE'S A LIST OF THEM ON THE, UH, SECOND PAGE OF THE, THE BUDGET, UH, ART IN THE PARK AT 60,000, UH, 70,000 TOWARDS, UH, YOUTH LEAGUE IMPROVEMENTS.

UH, THE BIG ONE, ALMOST 750,000.

THAT IS FOR THE THOMPSON AREA PARK PROJECT, IF YOU REMEMBER.

YES.

WE'RE WAITING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A VISUAL.

I THINK.

UM, WE MAY GET, GET SOME MEMBERS.

'CAUSE EVERYBODY SEE WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT.

IT'S, UH, THERE'S A SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET ITSELF.

YEAH.

UM, YEAH, WE DON'T, WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP SCANNING THERE.

THERE IT IS.

THAT'S IT.

UM, IT SHOULD BE ON THE SIDE.

THERE SHOULD BE BOOKMARKS.

I DON'T HAVE BOOKMARKS.

I DON'T EITHER.

IS IT, ARE THEY DISAPPEARED? CLICK THAT TOP.

YEAH, I'M REFERRING THIS ONE VERY BUDGET.

AND THEN, WELL THIS, HOW'D YOU GET THAT TO COME UP HERE? BOOKMARK.

SO, AND THEN YOU CAN SCROLL THROUGH.

I'M NOT SURE.

I THINK IT'S PAGE AROUND 11.

ALRIGHT.

WE NEED GET EVERYBODY LITERAL ON THE SAME PAGE.

.

AND THEN EXCELLENT.

NO PROBLEM.

THAT'LL BE HELPFUL TO US.

WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S SET UP.

PAGE 13 IS WHAT HE JUST SAID WHEN HE WAS SPEAKING.

WHEN 13.

13.

THANK YOU.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

THANK YOU.

THAT'S OKAY.

NO, NO PROBLEM AT ALL.

UM, AND REALLY, AS I SAY, WHAT I WANT TO DO IS JUST HIGHLIGHT THE, UH, THE NEW PROJECTS.

UH, THE BIG ONE IS THOMPSON AREA PARK.

IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR, UH, WE SOURCED GRANT FUNDING, UH, OF ABOUT $750,000 FROM THE, UH, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE.

THIS IS OUR 50% MATCH OF THAT.

SO IT WILL BE A 1.5 MILLION PROJECT, UH, PROJECTED FOR, UH, FISCAL YEAR 24.

UM, THE OTHER,

[00:05:01]

BUT WE HAVE AN ANNUAL, UH, PROJECT RELATED TO SHADE STRUCTURES FOR THE BASKETBALL COURT.

SO THIS WOULD ADD PE AND BAROO PARK TO THAT.

THAT'S A 260,000.

AND THEN THE FINAL ONE IS A PROPOSED ADDITION, UH, TO PIRATES BAY, WHICH WOULD BE A SPLASH PAD AT A COST OF 350,000.

SO THOSE ARE THE NEW PROJECTS THAT ARE PROPOSED TO BE FUNDED FROM THE MDD IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

I'LL STOP THERE.

OKAY.

I'LL OPEN UP FOR COMMENTS AT LEAST.

WHAT WAS, WHAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED SO FAR? IS THERE ANY COMMENTS ON, PARTICULARLY ON ANY OF THE PROJECTS, I GUESS, PROPOSED PROJECTS AT THIS POINT? I'LL MAKE A COMMENT.

UM, I WANNA START BY SAYING I'M NOT OPPOSED TO ANY OF THESE PROJECTS.

UM, I, I WOULD JUST AS WE MOVE FORWARD, MAYBE NOT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT IN FUTURE BUDGETS, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, THE MAJOR PROJECTS OUT OF MDD WITH A REAL FOCUS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

UM, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE MAY BE PROJECTS ELSEWHERE, GENERAL FUND WHATNOT, THAT, THAT HAVE MORE OF A ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT MAYBE WE CAN JUST DO A SWAP ON.

UM, I MEAN, EVEN IN THE BUDGET, WE HAVE THINGS LIKE LIFT STATIONS, WHICH YOU WOULD SAY IT'S, IT IS A UTILITY PROJECT, BUT IT'S IN AN AREA WHERE WE'RE HAVING GROWTH.

UM, AND SO I'M THINKING THINGS LIKE GARTH ROAD.

I MEAN, IT'S A UTILITIES PROJECT OR, OR, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.

BUT DEFINITELY THERE'S A, AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SIDE OF THAT WITH THE GROWTH ON GARTH.

SO, UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE THAT MOVING FORWARD IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE MAKEUP OF THE BOARD, UM, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE WANT THIS BOARD TO DO.

SO WE WOULD LIKE A BANKER OR SOMEONE IN, IN REAL ESTATE.

AND I THINK THEIR, UM, THEIR EXPERTISE WOULD BE BETTER USED, UM, LOOKING AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, SHADE STRUCTURES ON, ON BASKETBALL COURTS.

AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THOSE ARE BAD PROJECTS AND I, I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE DOING 'EM.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE MAYBE SOME, SOME SHIFTING OF WHICH BUCKETS THEY'RE PAYING FOR THESE PROJECTS.

YEAH.

YES, MA'AM.

CAN I USE YOUR MIC BECAUSE IT'S NOT WORKING? UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT AND I AGREE WITH DIRECTOR POWELL.

I THINK THAT THAT SAME PHILOSOPHY COULD BE UTILIZED IN THE TEXAS AVENUE AREA WHERE I KNOW WE HAVE SOME UTILITY ISSUES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE BEING DISCUSSED IN CIP, BUT THIS MIGHT BE ANOTHER AVENUE TO GET SOME OF THOSE ISSUES FIXED.

UM, AND THEN THE QUESTION I HAD WAS THE BAYTOWN SPORTS YOUTH LEAGUE IMPROVEMENTS.

IT, WHICH, WHICH LOCATION IS THAT? I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS A GENERIC NAME OR IF THAT'S THE NAME OF A SPECIFIC LOCATION.

THAT'S A, UH, THAT'S A GENERIC NAME.

AND IT'S, IT IS FOR A LOT OF THE LITTLE THINGS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY IN ONE ITEM ADD UP TO A LOT OF MONEY, BUT A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS LIKE FENCE REPAIR, SIDEWALK REPAIRS, BLEACHER REPAIRS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

DOES, DOES IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE BASEBALL FIELD THAT WE SAID WE WEREN'T GONNA INVEST IN THAT'S OWNED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN, IN THE PAST? IT HAS, BUT IT IS ONLY TO FACILITATE THE PLAY THAT'S THERE.

SO IF THE PLAY WASN'T THERE, IT WOULDN'T BE THAT.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I I THINK, I THINK HER POINT IF, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IS WE, THE LAST I REMEMBER WE DID NOT WANT TO INVEST IN THE PROPERTY.

IF, I GUESS IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROPERTY, THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS UNLESS WE OWN THE PROPERTY.

CORRECT.

AND THAT'S NOT THE CURRENT STATE.

BUT WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU IS THIS IS BASICALLY, 'CAUSE THIS IS, I KNOW THIS IS ANNUAL BUDGET ITEM.

YEAH.

UM, THAT, THAT WOULD BE FOR MAINTENANCE, REPAIR, AND GENERAL UPKEEP SINCE WE ARE OPERATING OR SINCE IT IS AN OPERATION.

IS THAT CORRECT? Y YEAH, THIS WOULDN'T GO TO IT ANYMORE RIGHT? FROM THE, IN THE PAST IT WAS, BUT OKAY, NOW IT'S NOT.

OKAY.

YES.

SO THAT WAS ALL.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I, UM, I WOULD, I'M GONNA SHARE AS, AS BOTH, UM, DIRECTOR BEN CORT AND, AND POWELL EXPRESS WHAT I, WHAT I WAS REALLY EXPECTING AND, AND NOT THAT WE CAN'T CHANGE IT, THIS IS WHY IT'S CONSIDERED A PROPOSED BUDGET.

WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS KIND OF WHAT WE'VE, WHAT I'VE, I'VE, I GUESS LEARNED OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO IN THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE MDD TO FOCUS MORE ON A, LIKE A LARGE SCALE CAMPAIGN, IF YOU WANT TO CONSIDER THAT MINE WOULD AND PARTICULARLY BE BAIN ISLAND, UH, I WOULD PROPOSE, UH, CONSTRUCTION OF A, A PARKING GARAGE AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT COULD COME TO BAIN ISLAND IN ITSELF, I BELIEVE THAT WILL BE, UM, CONTINUE TO BE AN ECONOMIC GROWTH, I GUESS, AREA IN THE FUTURE.

UM, THEY, AND AS IT WAS EXPRESSED, ALL THESE ARE GREAT PROJECTS, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO START WEANING OURSELF OFF OF

[00:10:01]

WE HAVE GENERAL FUND FOR THAT AND MORE INTO, UH, I GUESS INVESTMENTS THAT, THAT WILL RELATE DIRECTLY TO ECONOMIC GROWTH AND OUR GROWTH.

I MEAN, LIFT STATION CAN BE, AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, I THINK WE STILL CALL IT THE BUCK EAST LIFT STATION, AND THAT ABSOLUTELY WOULD FIT IN INTO THAT.

UM, ANYTIME THAT WE GO AND, AND INCREASE SIZE OF CERTAIN, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FOR GROWTH, THAT WOULD ABSOLUTELY FIT.

BUT I REALLY WANT THE MINDSET TO CHANGE MORE WHERE WE ARE GOING TO INVEST THE NEXT, UM, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE YEARS OR FIVE YEARS INTO, IF IT'S BAIN ISLAND OR IF IT'S TEXAS AVENUE OR WHATEVER THAT IS, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE A BETTER USE OF THE FUNDS.

UM, AND THAT'S MY PHILOSOPHY.

THAT'S, THAT'S THE DIRECTION I'D LIKE US TO, TO GO TO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

SO ANYBODY ELSE? YES.

UM, WOULD THERE BE ROOM IN THE GENERAL FUND IF WE MOVE THESE NOW? OR WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? SHOULD WE JUST WAIT TILL THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR? SO MY OWN OPINION IS THAT, THAT THAT IS HUGE MERIT WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING.

UM, IT IS THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, AS SOME OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY WORKED OUT.

THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING.

UH, THIS IS ONE STOP ALONG THE WAY.

UM, I AM CONCERNED THAT BY JUST SHIFTING IT TO THE GENERAL FUND, THEN WE WERE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE OTHER DECISIONS WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND ABOUT OTHER PROJECTS THAT DECISIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE ABOUT THAT.

THAT'S MY ONLY CONCERN AND HESITATION INSTINCTIVELY AND CONCEPTUALLY, YOU ARE RIGHT, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT, I DON'T THINK, JUST IN ONE STEP.

SO I THINK TO MOVE IT THERE, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO CIP COMMITTEE.

I'M LOOKING AT THE CHAIR OF THE, THE CIP COMMITTEE AND SAY, WE NEED TO REWORK SOME OF THOSE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO NECESSARILY DO THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT YOUR, YOUR TRAJECTORY IS THE RIGHT ONE TO BE ON.

WELL, AND I MEAN, AND I UNDERSTAND WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT ALL IN ONE TIME, BUT WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT FIRST STEP AT SOME POINT.

AGREED.

YES, MA'AM.

AGREED.

UM, ALTHOUGH I AM EXCITED ABOUT BAYLAND ISLAND AND GROWING THAT, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I WOULD RATHER, UM, ENTICE TALK TO WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO WITH COMPANIES SUCH AS HYATT AND GET THEM TO GROW THAT, MY CONCERN ABOUT PUTTING EVERYTHING INTO ONE AREA, WHETHER IT'S A LIFT STATION OR BAYLAND ISLAND OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IS, UM, WHEN YOU, IF YOU PUT EVERYTHING INTO ONE SIDE OF TOWN OR INTO ONE AREA, THEN UM, WE RISK THESE OTHER THINGS NOT BEING TAKEN CARE OF.

SO, UM, I SEE THE POINT, AND I, AND I, I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE BEEN SITTING UP HERE LONGER AND HAVE A, A DEEPER HISTORY WITH THAT, BUT, UM, I JUST, I DON'T WANNA SEE ANY OF THESE THINGS TAKEN AWAY.

AND THEN LISTENING TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT, UM, HAVING TO REDO EVEN THE GENERAL FUND AND, UM, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE A DOMINO EFFECT AND IN THE END, IF THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE STILL PAID FOR.

UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION TO THE, TO THE BOARD UP HERE IS WHAT SPECIFICALLY DOES IT HURT TO KEEP THEM IN THE MDD FUND AND NOT, AND MOVE THE OTHER FUNDS AROUND, LIKE GENERAL FUND AND ALL OF THAT? WHY DO YOU WANNA SEE THE MDD FUND MORE SPECIFICALLY INVOLVED IN ONE PROJECT VERSUS SPREAD OUT WHEN THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY IS GONNA BE SPENT, NO MATTER WHICH BUCKET IT COMES OUT OF? I DON'T THINK MIGHT WANNA ANSWER.

I I'LL ANSWER THAT.

UM, AND I THINK I, I MENTIONED THAT EARLIER.

UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE MAKEUP OF MDD, UM, WANTING EXPERTISE AND BANKING, REAL ESTATE, VERY SPECIFIC TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND, UM, I DON'T THINK ALL OF THESE PARK PROJECTS DEFINITELY FEED INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

UM, AND SO, UM, EVEN IF IT IS JUST MOVING THEM AROUND, WE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS THAT SIT ON THIS DIOCESE AS OPPOSED TO JUST WHEN WE'RE UP HERE AS COUNCIL.

UM, AND SO I THINK IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, BEST USING THE EXPERTISE THAT WE, THAT, THAT OTHERS BRING TO THE DAIS IN MDD.

AND IF I WOULD ADD, UH, YES MA'AM, THAT THERE MAY BE SOME PROJECTS THAT WOULD ADD TO IT.

UM, YOU KNOW, PIRATES, BAYSA COVE, ALL OF THOSE BRING PEOPLE OUTSIDE, ANY OF OUR LITTLE LEAGUES.

ANYTHING THAT WE IMPROVE ON THAT BRINGS FOLKS OUTSIDE.

I MEAN, WE'RE USING SALES TAX, YOU KNOW, IN INTO THIS FUNDING.

SO ALL OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE, WE HAD PEOPLE COME IN FROM OUTSIDE OF BAYTOWN TO SPEND MONEY.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO, TO BE STRATEGIC AND NOT SAY LET'S CROSS ALL PARK PROJECTS OUT, BECAUSE SOME OF THEM DO SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

BUT I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF MAKING THAT MOVEMENT.

UM, AND, UH, IT'S NOT BAD TO CONCENTRATE ON ONE AREA.

I KNOW THIS CONCEPT CAME UP EARLY WHEN I WAS, UH, FIRST ON COUNCIL THAT

[00:15:01]

UM, BUT MAYBE WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT BOTH WILL LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, SPENDING IT ALL ON ONE AREA VERSUS CHOPPING IT UP AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL AREAS ARE ADDRESSED.

YEAH.

THANK YOU.

AND I THINK, WELL, MIKE WAS ON THE TRIP WHEN WE WENT TO OKLAHOMA CITY AND YOU HEARD IT FIRSTHAND FROM THOSE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS YEP.

WHERE THE PHILOSOPHY'S COMING FROM.

YEAH, THAT'S, THAT PRETTY WORKS PRETTY WELL, YOU KNOW, BUT, AND I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE D OVER HERE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE PIRATES BAY SPLASH PAD, THAT TO ME IS, IS A GOOD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

'CAUSE IT'S GONNA SERVE THE FOLKS WHO ARE COMING TO PIRATES BAY BECAUSE THEY STAND IN LINES ALONG THAT.

I, I GOT THAT COMBINING THE MONEY WITH, UH, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE TO CREATE ANOTHER LARGE PARK.

I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT USE OF NBD FUNDS.

BUT WHEN, AND, AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M NOT DISCOUNTING ANY OF THESE PROJECTS AT ALL, BUT WE GET INTO BASICALLY THE, THE SPORTS LEAGUE.

WHAT I'VE BASICALLY HEARD IS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF JUST A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN JUST ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, BUT BASICALLY MAINTENANCE TYPE SMALL PROJECTS HERE AND THERE, YOU KNOW, WHY IS THAT IN THE MDD BUDGET? UM, SORRY ABOUT THAT.

SAME WAY AS THE ART AND THE PARK.

I'M, I'M NOT SURE HOW, HOW THAT REALLY FITS WHERE, WHERE IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE BY PUSHING IT BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND IS THEY, IS THEN THESE PROJECTS HAVE TO COMPETE WITH OTHER SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS.

AND, AND THEY MAY OR MAY NOT FLOAT TO THE TOP AS FAR AS THE SELECTION, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE SHOULD BE.

WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT PROJECTS AS A WHOLE AND, AND HAVE THEM TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE WITH EACH OTHER TO SEE WHICH ONES GO FORWARD AND WHICH ONES ARE DELAYED.

BECAUSE THOSE OTHER PROJECTS DON'T GET TO FLOAT OVER TO MDD.

SO WE HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS WITH THAT.

UH, THE BASKETBALL SHADE STRUCTURES, I'M NOT SURE WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WE'RE GONNA HAVE WITH THOSE.

IS THAT A NECESSARY PROJECT? OH, YOU BET.

I'VE, I'VE HEARD THE, MY CONSTITUENTS TALK ABOUT WHEN WE GOT THE COVER, UH, AT ROSELAND PARK, IT MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE.

AND SO FOR QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES, I CAN SEE THOSE.

BUT I MEAN, THE 60,000, $70,000, THOSE ARE JUST, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY, BUT COMPARED TO THE PARK'S BUDGET, IT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY.

SO WE NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS WITH THAT.

BUT I, I AGREE.

WE NEED TO START THE SHIFT AND I THINK WE HAVE START THE SHIFT WHERE WE'RE PUTTING THIS MONEY BACK IN TO BRINGING MORE MONEY BACK TO US.

IT, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA FEED THE LION TO GET THE LION TO COME TO US.

AND, AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

OKAY.

I WANT THAT ADEQUATELY.

THAT, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH, IT'S, IT'S A PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE.

UM, AND I THINK IT, WE REALLY DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, AS CLOSELY IN LINE WITH THE INTENT OF MDD AND I THINK IT'S TRULY ECONOMIC GROWTH.

UM, EVERYTHING THAT'S EXPRESSED, I WOULD SAY THE, UH, THE TEXAS WA UH, TEXAS PARK AND WILDLIFE GRANT AND THE, THE SPLASH PAD, YES.

I CAN SEE WHERE THERE'S ECONOMIC GROWTH OR OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT.

THE OTHERS, WHICH ARE KIND OF SMALL IN NATURE, I I, I HAVE A HARD TIME MOVING FORWARD WITH WHAT I KNOW NOW TODAY.

I HAVE A HARD TIME GOING AND SAYING, THIS BELONGS IN MBD BUDGET, DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN'T GO AND LOOK AT OTHER BUDGETARY ITEMS IN OTHER OTHER FUNDING SOURCES.

I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS THE PHILOSOPHICAL WALL.

I COULD SAY I DON'T AGREE WITH THE PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH OF APPROVING THESE IN THIS BUDGET.

AND SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF WHERE IT'S AT.

UM, WE HAVE TO MAKE HARD CHOICES SOMETIMES AND EVERYTHING CAN'T GET FUNDED IN ONE YEAR.

WE WOULD LOVE FOR THAT TO BE THE CASE, BUT THAT'S, UM, SO THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO GO.

AND, AND CERTAINLY AS A BOARD BUILD A CONSENSUS OF, OF THE DIRECTION OF MBD AND OBVIOUSLY OF COUNSEL.

SO, SO, MR. PRESIDENT, HAVING, HAVING HEARD YOU, UM, WOULD IT BE HELPFUL IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT TRANSFERRING THOSE PROJECTS? YOU'VE IDENTIFIED ART IN THE PARK, THE YOUTH LEAGUE IMPROVEMENTS, AND THE BASKETBALL COURT SHEET STRUCTURES TO THE GENERAL FUND AND LEAVE THE REMAINDER IN THE MDD BUDGET.

WOULD THAT BE A USEFUL, I ONLY ANSWER FOR MYSELF THE ANSWER BE YES, BUT MS. BENCO HAS A QUESTION.

YEAH.

SO THAT KIND OF LEADS INTO WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK YOU IS, SO AT WHAT POINT IS THIS THE MEETING WHERE YOU HEAR WHAT WE THINK SPECIFIC PROJECTS SHOULD BE IN HERE INSTEAD OF THESE SPECIFIC PROJECTS? OR IS THAT ANOTHER MEETING? LIKE WHEN DO YOU GET THAT FEEDBACK FROM US? SO THIS IS, THIS IS THE START OF THAT.

THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO, AT FIRST BLUSH, TELL US WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS.

AND, AND I THINK WE'VE HEARD YOU, SO WE, WE CAN MAKE CHANGES THAT REFLECT WHAT WE'VE HEARD, BUT BRING THAT BACK, BACK THEN TO WHEN YOU HEAR SPECIFIC IDEAS LIKE JACOB MENTIONED, LIKE, YOU KNOW, UTILITIES SAY, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS A REALLY A REAL THING OR NOT, BUT I MEAN, I'VE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO PUBLICLY DISCUSS THE, THE FIRE WATER LINE ISSUE ON TEXAS AVENUE.

AND IS THIS THE MEETING TO DO THAT, OR IS THERE GONNA BE A, ANOTHER MEETING ABOUT THAT? OR, I MEAN, WHEN DO I DO THAT? SO WE WILL BRING THE MDD BUDGET BACK AND THERE, THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED FOR THE NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS THE 6TH OF JULY.

[00:20:01]

OKAY.

YEAH.

SO THERE'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE.

AND IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING THAT IS FOR YOU ALL TO DECIDE AND, AND DO THAT, THAT'S COMPLETELY WITHIN YOUR GIFT.

THIS IS REALLY JUST YOUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY.

AND I RECOGNIZE THAT FOR YOU TO GIVE US FEEDBACK.

I'VE LISTENED, I'VE HEARD AND EXPECT TO SEE CHANGES IN THE NEXT ITERATION OF THIS.

OKAY.

BUT I, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.

WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE, 'CAUSE I WHAT I, WHAT I SEE HERE IN FRONT OF ME WHEN I LOOK, LOOK AT THE, THE RUNDOWN FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS THAT COLLECTIVELY EXPENDITURES AND MD IS $8.3 MILLION, CORRECT? MM-HMM .

THAT'S WITH ALL NEW INITIATIVES AND PROPOSED, PROPOSED TO, HOW MUCH OF THAT IS ALREADY, IN A SENSE, I DON'T CONSIDER COMMITTED ALREADY.

I MEAN, BECAUSE THAT WE, I MEAN, THOSE ARE UNTOUCHABLE, THOSE ARE OBLIGATIONS WE HAVE.

SO, UM, FIVE, ABOUT SIX AND A HALF MILLION.

YEAH.

SO THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK.

SO WE KNOW THAT THAT'S IT.

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S OTHER OBLIGATIONS WE HAVE, SO I'D LIKE SOMETHING, SOME WAY I TO IDENTIFY PROJECT, I'M GONNA PUT 'EM BOLD OR ITALICIZE TO KNOW THAT THOSE ARE, ARE KIND OF, THOSE ARE OFF THE TABLE MM-HMM .

AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS KIND OF IN PLAY FOR DISCUSSION.

RIGHT.

FOR CONSIDERATION.

AND REALLY WHAT I WOULD DRAW TO YOUR ATTENTION IS THE, THE, THE LIST OF THE NEW PROJECTS.

THOSE ARE ALL IN PLAY.

THOSE ARE ALL ADDITIONS TO THE BUDGET.

AND WHAT I'VE HEARD YOU ALL SAY IS THAT YOU ACCEPT THAT THE 750 FOR THOMSON AREA PARK, BECAUSE THAT IS MATCH FUNDING FOR A GRANT THAT WE HAVE ALREADY ACCEPTED, WE ARE COMMITTED TO THAT, UH, THE FUNDING FOR PARROTS BAY SPLASH PAD.

I'VE HEARD YOU SAY THAT YOU SEE THAT THAT HAS MERIT AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED.

SO I, I WOULDN'T INCLUDE THOSE IN THE LIST OF THINGS THAT ARE UP FOR DEBATE, BUT ALL THE OTHERS ARE.

AND I'VE SUGGESTED HEARING AGAIN WHAT YOU SAID, THAT ONE WAY TO DEAL WITH THAT IS WE COULD SHIFT THOSE TO THE GENERAL FUND AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL, WHEN THAT MEETS, WE'LL HAVE TO DECIDE ITS PRIORITIES THEN.

YEAH.

WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE WOULD BE THE, THE KIND OF THE, THE LARGE, UH, PRINTOUT.

IT HAS ALL THE COLUMNS WITH PROJECTS.

YEAH.

I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT'S, WHAT, WHAT IN A SENSE, WHAT'S OBLIGATED AND THEN KIND OF ALMOST, ALMOST FIVE YEARS OUT, BECAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE IT, AND THAT FOR ME, IT WORKS EASIER, IT'S EASIER TO UNDERSTAND MM-HMM .

UM, NOT THAT KIND OF THE SAME INFORMATION HERE, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE.

UM, AND I WOULD SAY SHARE THAT WITH EACH, UH, BOARD MEMBER.

OKAY.

ANYTHING, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UM, MAYOR? YES, SIR.

IF I COULD, IF WE LOOK ON LIKE PAGE 1516, I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT IS.

NO, I KNOW THEY, THEY KIND OF GOT IT BROKEN OUT AND, AND YOU POINTED IT OUT VERY WELL.

THERE'S LIKE 8.4 MILLION TOTAL MD I'M LOOKING AT THE PROPOSED BUDGET.

AND THEN FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, THERE'S ABOUT 2.85 MILLION FOR UTILITY PROJECTS.

THERE'S ABOUT 2.1 THAT BE ME, WHERE MY COLLEAGUE WAS KIND OF REFERRING.

MAYBE WE CAN LOOK AT PUTTING SOMETHING ELSE ON THERE OR ADJUSTING THAT.

BUT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UH, PARKS PROJECTS ARE ABOUT 2.5.

SO THE PARKS, PARKS PROJECTS ARE EQUAL.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.

UM, AND AGAIN, KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF REALLY BIG ONES IN THERE THAT I, I AGREE WITH TOTALLY MOVING FORWARD.

UM, SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU A ROUGH IDEA HOW THIS CARVED OUT.

AND, AND I THINK YOUR POINT EARLIER WAS TAKING SOME OF THE PARK PROJECTS AND STARTING TO WEAN OURSELVES OFF OF THE MDD BUDGET FOR PARKS PROJECTS AND START PUTTING THAT MORE BACK INTO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.

AGAIN, FEED THE FIRE TO, TO TRY TO GET SOME UP, EVEN THOUGH THAT THERE'S SOME THINGS IN PARKS LIKE THE SPLASH PAD AT BAY, UH, AT THE PIRATES BAY, THE THOMPSON PARK, UM, AND THE DISC GOLF COURSE ARE IN THERE.

AND THOSE ARE GONNA BE ECONOMIC GENERATORS, UH, TO SOME EXTENT.

YEP.

SO I AGREE WITH THOSE.

UM, BUT SOME OF THE SMALLER ONES, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THEY GET TO THE POINT THAT IN, IN THE SEVERAL MILLION DOLLAR DEPARTMENT BUDGET, $70,000 IS NOT MUCH.

AND, AND WE CAN START SHIFTING THAT TOWARDS THERE, BUT $70,000 PUMPING INTO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS OR UTILITY PROJECTS COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE SOMEWHERE.

YEAH, I MEAN, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE UTILITY PROJECTS AND I MEAN, ALL THESE FIT VERY WELL, THEY'RE ALL GROWTH, YOU KNOW, GROWTH CENTRIC TYPE MM-HMM .

PROJECTS.

SO THERE'S NO DOUBT, AND I'M NOT SAYING WE DON'T DO ANYTHING IN IT, BUT WE DO HAVE TO KIND OF START LOOKING AT TRANSITIONING INTO TRULY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TYPE PROJECTS AND, AND, AND WE HAVE TO START LEARNING HOW TO INCORPORATE THESE PART PROJECTS, UM, INTO OTHER FUNDING SOURCES.

THAT'S MY PHILOSOPHY.

SO I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, UH, IF I COULD, I SEE HERE, WE HAD RENT OR PURCHASE OF THE ICE RINK IN THE PREVIOUS TWO BUDGETS, AND IT'S NOT ON THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.

SO HAVE WE DECIDED NOT TO CONTINUE WITH THE ICE RINK OR IT JUST WON'T COME FROM MDD?

[00:25:05]

UM, THIS PAST YEAR WE WENT ALMOST THREE TIMES OVER, UH, THE EXPECTED AMOUNT FOR THE ICE RINK, UH, DUE TO A LOT OF LOSS OF GLYCOL AND EVERYTHING, JUST BECAUSE OF THE PIPING AND THE TUBING AND ALL THAT WAS AT THE END OF THE LINE.

UH, THEY REALLY HAVE ABOUT A FIVE YEAR LIFESPAN.

WE EXCEEDED THAT.

UM, SO WE JUST DIDN'T FEEL AS, AS A TEAM THAT THAT WAS THE MOST VIABLE OPTION OR THE BEST WAY TO SPEND PUBLIC MONEY.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

MM-HMM.

CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? YES, MA'AM.

UM, A LOT OF THESE SHADE STRUCTURES, SOMETIMES WE GET FUNDING FROM, UH, AN OUTSIDE SOURCE.

SO WOULD THEY BE OKAY IF WE MOVE THOSE? AND I DON'T KNOW IF THESE ARE, BUT I KNOW AT TIMES WE DO GET FUNDING FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES, SO WOULD THEY BE OKAY REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT'S AT THAT IT GETS FUNDED? I WOULD IMAGINE YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE BEBO BAYTOWN STUFF? YES.

THAT, UH, BEBO BAYTOWN HASN'T FUNDED ANY OF THESE.

OKAY.

PARTICULAR BASKETBALL COURTS.

THESE WERE SOMETHING THAT MDD WANTED TO DO YEARS AND YEARS AGO.

YES.

AND IT'S BEEN ON A, A CONTINUAL ROTATION EVERY YEAR OF TWO PARKS.

UM, MDD DOES HAVE, UH, OR I'M SORRY, UM, BEWELL, BAYTOWN, ONE OF THEIR INITIATIVES, INITIATIVES IS, UM, UM, SUN SAFETY, SO WE COULD POTENTIALLY WORK IT INTO THAT MM-HMM .

ALTHOUGH THE, THE AMOUNT THAT IT IS, I, I DON'T KNOW IF M UH, BEWELL BAYTOWN WOULD, WOULD'VE THE, UM, ABILITY TO, TO PAY BACK.

UH, AND EVERYTHING WE DO WITH BE WELL BAYTOWN, WE, WE FRONT THE EXPENSE AND THEN THEY REIMBURSE.

RIGHT.

AND SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE, THE MONEY THERE TO BEGIN WITH.

MM-HMM.

UM, BUT WE CAN ABSOLUTELY, UH, PUT THAT ON A REQUEST FOR, UM, BE WELL BAYTOWN.

THE, SOME OF THE REASONS THAT BE WELL BAYTOWN AND THINGS LIKE THAT TAKE SO MUCH LONGER IS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GET EVERYTHING LINED UP FOR THEIR REQUEST PROCESS AND THIS REQUEST PROCESS.

AND IF WE MISS THE BOAT ON EITHER IT AFFECTS THE OTHER AND IT, IT IS KIND OF A WEIRD GAME TO PLAY.

BUT, UH, WE WILL ALWAYS BE LOOKING FOR, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO USE BE WELL BAYTOWN TO IMPROVE A PARK.

SO, SO.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

MM-HMM .

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON ITEM? UM, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S TWO A JUST TO, TO DISCUSS THE, UM, PROPOSED BUDGET FOR MDD.

YES, SIR.

MR. PRESIDENT, UM, VICTOR IS, I, I SEE THAT THERE'S NO MONEY ALLOCATED FOR THE LAKEWOOD DOG PARK.

IT'S KIND OF A BIG THING IN LAKEWOOD.

UM, IS THERE ENOUGH MONEY THAT TWO 20 ENOUGH MONEY, YOU BELIEVE THAT'S ENOUGH MONEY TO CARRY IT THROUGH AND GET THAT PROJECT DONE? UH, CURRENTLY WE'RE IN THE, UM, INITIAL PRELIMINARY DESIGN PHASE OF HIRING A CONSULTANT TO DO, UM, SOME SURVEY WORK, TOPO WORK, UM, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR THAT, UH, UH, FACILITY FOR LAKEWOOD.

AND ONCE WE GET THAT, UM, ESTIMATE FROM THERE, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON WHAT'S THE REMAINING BALANCES TO SEE IF WE HAVE MONEY, UH, TO ALLOCATE A PHASE, UM, ONE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PROJECT.

UM, RIGHT NOW THAT ESTIMATE'S COMING BACK A LITTLE HIGH, WE'RE NEGOTIATING ON THAT.

IT CAME IN LIKE ALMOST THE FULL AMOUNT OF TWO 20.

SO WE'RE NEGOTIATING THAT DOWN ON WHAT THAT PHASE ONE WOULD LOOK LIKE, UM, FOR DEVELOPING A PARKING THAT AREA.

SO, UH, WE'RE REVISING THE SCOPE AND WORKING WITH THE, UH, CONSULTANT TO, UH, GET US A BETTER FEE, UH, SO WE CAN TRY TO GET SOMETHING DONE, UH, IN THE FISCAL YEAR FOR, FOR THE LAKEWOOD RESIDENTS.

UH, THE CITY MANAGER HAS A COMMENT, AND I WILL COMMENT ON THE ITEM TOO, ACTUALLY, NOT ON THIS SPECIFIC ITEM.

SO IF Y'ALL WANNA FINISH THAT, THEN I'LL WEIGH IN WITH A COUPLE THINGS.

WELL, MY ISSUE WITH, WITH THE LAKEWOOD DOG PARK IS, IS THERE'S, I DON'T KNOW, LAND THAT IS AVAILABLE THAT MAKES SENSE FOR A DOG PARK.

HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED A SITE? OH, HAVE WE? OH YES.

WE'VE NARROWED DOWN THE SITE TO THE, WHERE'S IT AT? THE SITE'S GONNA BE THE ONE ADJACENT TO THE POOL.

UH, THAT'S THE ONE THAT THE RESIDENTS CHOSE AS A SITE, WHICH IS ON A PORTION OF CITY PROPERTY.

JASON TO THAT YES.

THE OLD WESLEY FIELD.

RIGHT.

WHICH WILL FLOOD, BUT, OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

YES MA'AM.

WERE THERE TOWN HALL MEETINGS WHERE CITIZENS WERE INVOLVED IN CHOOSING THAT PROPERTY AND FOR THE DOG PARK? CORRECT.

THERE WAS, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.

TWO, TWO MEETINGS FOR THAT.

THREE MEETINGS FOR THAT.

THAT'S, YEAH.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.

YEAH.

THEY SURVEY ON THERE A BAY GAUGE TOO, SO YEAH.

YEP.

WE, WE, WE MET WITH THE RESIDENT AND, AND WE HAD THREE PARK SELECTIONS.

THAT WAS BY FAR AND AWAY THE NUMBER ONE.

WE ALSO EXPLAINED DURING THAT PROCESS THAT THAT WOULD BE THE LONGEST AND THE, UH, THE, UM, MOST CHALLENGING WHOA AND THE MOST CHALLENGING, UH, PARK TO COMPLETE.

[00:30:02]

I I WAS JUST SAYING THAT WE, WE WERE, UH, EXPLAINING THAT THE, THE NEGATIVE TO THAT SITE WAS NOT ONLY THE FLOOD ISSUES, BUT THE, UH, THAT IT WOULD BE THE LONGEST TO COMPLETE, UH, BECAUSE OF ALL THE CHALLENGES TO IT.

UH, BUT IT DOES HAVE A LOT GOING FORWARD AS WELL, THOUGH, WITH THE ACCESS AND, AND THE AVAILABILITY AND ALL THAT TOO.

SO.

WELL, I, I JUST KNOW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTS OF LAKEWOOD, THEY CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE ACCESS TO A GENERAL PARK.

THAT'S ONE THING THEY DON'T HAVE.

AND THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOT LAND AVAILABLE WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THIS IS A, A DECENT SITE FOR THAT.

IT'S JUST, I KNOW THAT THAT DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT TAKE PLACE ON THAT LAND AND THE FLOODING CONCERNS, IT'S BASICALLY ALMOST IN A TITLE TYPE ZONE.

SO THAT'S MY CONCERN.

BUT THERE'S, THERE'S A DISH THAT RUNS ALONG THAT PARK.

IF WE COULD KEEP THAT CLEAN OF BEAVERS, IT MIGHT HELP WITH THE FLOODING ISSUE IF IT HAPPENS.

YEP.

I, WE, WELL, IN 2005 I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH BEAVERS THERE IN THAT, IN THAT AREA.

SO WE WILL LOOK FORWARD TO ANOTHER STUDY ON A DOG PARK.

YEAH.

SO LIKE, I, LIKE I SAID, WE, WE ARE WORKING, UH, 'CAUSE THE DRAINAGE PORTION IS THE BIGGEST PART OF THAT, UM, STUDY THAT WE'RE DOING.

SO, UM, WE'RE JUST, UH, TWEAKING IT A LITTLE BIT TO GET THE BEST VALUE FOR THE CITY FOR THE MONEY.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON, ON ITEM TWO A, MR. PRESIDENT? OKAY.

OH, YES SIR.

JUST A COUPLE THINGS.

UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE PARK PROJECTS AND KIND OF THAT WHOLE PHILOSOPHY THAT YOU ALL MENTIONED, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL INFORMATION FOR YOU ALL TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S BEEN COMMITTED PREVIOUSLY AND WHAT'S TAKEN PLACE SO FAR TO WHERE IF THERE'S A VALUE, UH, DECISION TO BE MADE, YOU'RE NOT STOPPING SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, MID-PROJECT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

OR AT LEAST YOU KNOW, THAT'S GONNA BE THE CASE.

AND THE OTHER THING IS, IN TERMS OF JUST ACHIEVING THAT PHILOSOPHY, WOULD IT BE WORTHWHILE FOR US TO LOOK AT SWAPPING OUT PROJECTS TO KIND OF MAKE THAT PHILOSOPHICAL SHIFT, MOVE SOME PROJECTS INTO THE GENERAL FUND, MOVE SOME PROJECTS OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND? THAT'S WHAT I WOULD'VE THOUGHT HAPPEN.

YOU KNOW, YES, WE HAVE THE, I WOULD GUESS WE, WE WERE, WE WERE, UM, HOLISTICALLY WE WERE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THAT TRANSITION AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

'CAUSE BOTH MDD BOARD AND THEN CITY COUNCIL ITSELF WILL HAVE TO GO AND MAKE SOME DECISIONS ON WHAT THAT TRANSITION WILL LOOK LIKE.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM

[b. Consider a resolution setting a public hearing regarding the Baytown Municipal Development District's Fiscal Year 2023-24 Proposed Budget.]

IS THE RESOLUTION SET IN A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE MDD, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH IS GONNA BE JULY 6TH ACCORDING TO THE PAPERWORK YOU'RE IN FRONT OF ME.

OKAY.

SO WITH THAT, I GUESS, UM, I ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM TWO B FOR JULY 6TH AS THE PUBLIC HEARING CHAIR FIRST GOT MOTION.

SECOND, I BELIEVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, IF NOT ALL, IS IN FAVOR OF JULY 6TH AS THE PROPOSED HEARING FOR MD'S, UH, NEXT FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET, PLEASE SAY AYE AYE IS OPPOSED.

WE'LL MOVE

[a. Receive the Monthly Construction Status Report for the Baytown Hotel and Convention Center Project.]

WE'LL RECEIVE A MONTHLY CONSTRUCTION STATUS REPORT ON THE HOTEL CONVENTION CENTER PROJECT.

SO, MR. ROMELL NOT DWELL ON THIS.

WE HAD THE SOFT OPENING OF THE HOTEL LAST WEEK, WHICH WENT SUPERBLY WELL, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ATTENDED, I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY WE HAVE A WONDERFUL PRODUCT NOW WITH THE BAYTOWN HOUSTON HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER AS SOMETHING TO BE JUSTIFIABLY PROUD OF.

UH, THERE WILL BE A FORMAL GRAND OPENING, I BELIEVE, UH, HYATT ARE LOOKING AT A DATE LATER ON IN JUNE.

SO ANTICIPATE WE'LL ALL, UH, RECEIVE INVITATIONS TO THAT.

BUT SUFFICE TO SAY, UH, WE ARE NOW CLOSING THE PROJECT OUT.

UH, ANTICIPATE FINALIZING THAT OVER THE NEXT NUMBER OF WEEKS WITH GARFIELD PUBLIC PRIVATE AMBU, DPR, UH, AND THEN WE MOVE ON TO THE ONGOING OPERATION OF THE HOTEL.

AND I'M SURE YOU WILL JOIN ME IN WISHING HYATT ALL THE VERY, VERY BEST AND GOOD FORTUNE WITH THE, UH, WITH THE WONDERFUL NEW HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER.

YES, SIR.

SO I WOULD, UM, I THINK OBVIOUSLY HAVING THE UPDATES, THE PRODUCT UPDATES WERE HELPFUL AT WHAT POINT, I GUESS WHEN THEY'RE, I GUESS WHEN ALL PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE.

UH, AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR A FINAL REPORT FOR THAT.

AND THEN WE CLOSE THAT JUDGE.

ABSOLUTELY, YES, YOU WILL GET THAT.

ALRIGHT, UM, WE'LL

[b. Receive the Economic Development Foundation's First and Second Quarter 2023 Reports.]

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. PRESIDENT.

DIRECTORS FIRST OPPORTUNITY.

WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, PRESENT OUR QUARTERLY REPORTS.

UH, SO I THINK YOU HAVE COPIES, SHOULD HAVE COPIES.

UM, AND SO FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, UH, WHAT I'LL TRY TO DO IS JUST, UH, GIVE SOME CHARACTERIZATIONS OF THE ACTIVITIES AND GIVE AN UPDATE, UH, IN RELEVANT, UH, AREAS.

SO THE REPORTING PERIODS HERE FROM

[00:35:01]

UH, JUST TO NOTE, THE REPORTING CATEGORIES THAT ARE IN THE REPORT WERE ADOPTED BY THE FOUNDATION BACK IN 2006 FOR ALL OF OUR CONTRACTS.

AND WE MAINTAINED, UH, REPORTING THESE, UH, IN THESE CATEGORIES.

HOWEVER, WITH DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, CITY MANAGER, UH, NEW CITY MANAGER, UH, WE'VE DECIDED THAT, UH, MAYBE THE REPORTING FORMAT WOULD BE CHANGED TO MAKE IT MORE RELEVANT.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT FOR SOME TIME.

AND SO THIS IS PROBABLY GONNA BE THE LAST TIME THAT THESE QUARTERLY REPORTS ARE GONNA BE PRESENTED AS THEY ARE TODAY.

UM, SO JUST IN THE, UH, THE CATEGORIES TO TO REVIEW, THERE ARE, UH, SEVERAL DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.

STIMULATE AND ENCOURAGE BUSINESS ACTIVITY, WHICH IS SORT OF A GENERIC, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, ACTIVITY.

WE DO DO SOME WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYSIS, UH, BUSINESS ASSISTANCE FACILITATING TAX INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, WHICH IS OUR MAINSTAY ACTIVITY.

UH, WE CONDUCT EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS AND LECTURES AND PUBLIC HEARINGS AS REQUIRED.

WE DO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO, UH, TWO FOREIGN TRADE ZONES, FTZ 84 IN HARRIS COUNTY, AND THEN FTZ 1 71 IN, UH, CHAMBERS COUNTY.

WE COMPILE AND DISSEMINATE, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DATA AND INFORMATION.

WE ROUTINELY INTERACT WITH, UH, PUBLIC OFFICIALS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND, UM, CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND PROMOTE, UM, TOURISM BEST THAT WE CAN.

AND FINALLY, WE ROUTINELY ACT AND REACT, UH, WITH THE, UH, GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

SO FOR THE, UM, THE PROSPECT RESPONSES FOR THE FIRST TWO QUARTERS OF OUR CONTRACT YEAR WITH THE MDD, UH, WE'VE RESPONDED TO 231, UH, REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION RATHER BUSY YEAR, UH, THUS FAR.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE CATEGORIES IN THE TWO TABLES.

THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY, UH, REPORTED TO THE MDD IN REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN CITED.

UM, AND SO THE, WHEN WE LOOK AT, UM, THE REPORTING PERIOD FOR JANUARY 1ST, 2020, THE, THE THE SECOND QUARTER REPORT, THERE'S SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN DUE DILIGENCE THAT WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH COUNSEL, UH, RELATED TO INCENTIVES AND THE LIKE.

UM, SPECIFICALLY PROJECT, UH, JAGUAR, UH, WHICH IS A LITHIUM BATTERY MANUFACTURING, UH, CONCERN, PROJECT TARPON, UM, PROJECT LION ISN'T COMPETING, UH, FOR PROJECT AND THEN PROJECT RENEW.

SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE MADE ARE ACTUALLY CITED, UH, FALL WITHIN A CATEGORY OF WE CRAWLING PRIORITY PROJECTS, UH, IN FOR THE FOUNDATION.

UH, CURRENTLY WE'VE, UH, IN, IN 2023, WE, WE'VE GOT 58 ACTIVE PROJECTS, 32 OF WHICH ARE PRIORITY PROJECTS.

UM, AND, UM, THE TOTAL POTENTIAL AMOUNT, IF YOU WILL, FOR CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN, UM, THE, UH, EDF SERVICE AREAS, ABOUT $6.4 BILLION WITH THE POTENTIAL CREATION OF 4,800 JOBS.

AND SO SOME OF THESE OBVIOUSLY, UM, ARE RELATED TO LARGE, UH, PROJECTS THAT HAVE YET TO BE, UH, CITED.

HOWEVER, THE ADVANTAGES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR AREA OR CEDAR PORT, WE'VE GOT SEVERAL OTHER INDUSTRIAL PARKS THAT, UM, THAT MAKE IT, UH, VERY APPEALING TO SITE.

SO SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED IN OUR REPORTS LAST YEAR THAT HAVE CITED, UH, I'LL JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH THEM QUICKLY.

UH, FREEZE PACK LOGISTICS IS A CITING A SITE IN, UH, IN CEDAR PORT PHASE ONE.

IT'S ABOUT 254,000 SQUARE FEET.

UM, CAPITAL INVESTMENT IS $109 MILLION.

UM, THE, UM, SAMSON CONTROL SAMSON CONTROLS HAS BEEN IN THE BAYTOWN AREA FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

THEY'RE GOING THROUGH ANOTHER EXPANSION.

UH, IT'S TO NOT A LARGE CAPITAL INVESTMENT, BUT, UM, THEIR STRATEGY IN REACTING TO, UH, RE RATIONALIZATIONS, IF YOU WILL, OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN, THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN, AND THE NEED FOR VARIOUS CONTROL VALVES THAT THE PROJECT WILL RESULT IN APPROXIMATELY 200 NEW JOBS.

UM, IAH TRANSLOAD, IT'S A THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS PROVIDER.

THEY'RE, UH, DEVELOPING A SITE IN CEDAR PORT.

THEY'RE BUILDING A NEW FACILITY AND THEY'RE LEASING A 350,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY.

UM, THAT, UM, PROJECT IS TO HANDLE ALL OF TARGETS, UH, INBOUND AND OUTBOUND THROUGH THE PORT OF HOUSTON.

THAT, UM, IS A $62 MILLION PROJECT.

UH, CREATE ABOUT 350 JOBS.

UH, BLUE TIDE ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, FORMERLY KNOWN AS, UM, TOP SALE ENERGY.

AND THEY'RE DEVELOPING AN EXPANSION AT THEIR FACILITY ON CEDAR BAYOU.

IT'S A 40 $65 MILLION, UH, PROJECT OF 45 JOBS.

UH, SUNAN FURNITURE IS A CANADIAN ENTITY, UH, FURNITURE DISTRIBUTOR.

THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKING DOWN A 200 PLUS, UH, THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT FACILITY, UM, CREATING, UH, 20 JOBS.

IT'S $120 MILLION CAPITAL INVESTMENT.

UM, AND THEN THERE'S SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ARE IN, UH, DUE DILIGENCE, UH, THAT ARE NOTED, AND WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH COUNCIL ABOUT THAT.

AND THEN LASTLY, TWO PROJECTS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY CITED, UH, ARE, UM, NOTED IN QUARTERLY REPORTS WERE, UH, PROJECT DRACO AS IT WAS KNOWN THEN.

IT IS NOW IKA SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS, TEXAS.

THEY'RE BUILDING A FACILITY IN CEDAR PORT, UH, PROVIDING A, UM, MATERIAL HIGH GRADE SOLVENT FOR THE, UH, SAMSUNG PROJECT IN TAYLOR, TEXAS.

IT'S A $250 MILLION

[00:40:01]

AND THEN LASTLY, CONEFLOWER STORAGE PROJECT, WHICH WAS KNOWN AS PROJECT DAFFODIL.

UH, AND PREVIOUSLY REPORTS REPORTED, UM, PROJECTS TO THE MDD.

UH, IT'S A BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM PROJECT THAT, UH, IS GONNA START CONSTRUCTION AT THE END OF THE SECOND QUARTER TO $105 MILLION PROJECT.

SO IN TOTO, UH, SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THIS WHOLE, UM, POTENTIAL INVESTMENT OF $6.4 BILLION, CURRENTLY $1.62 BILLION OF THAT IS IN THE CITY OF BAY TOWN'S, ETJ, UM, UH, OF THE $1.62 BILLION OF PROJECTS THAT ARE IN ETJ 955 MILLION OF IT, UH, IS, UM, RELATED TO ENTERPRISE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN, IN THEIR SITE, UH, WHICH IS COVERED UNDER THEIR TWO 12 AGREEMENT.

THAT'S WHY THAT MEANS THAT LEAVES A RESIDUAL OF ADDITIONAL $655 MILLION THAT ARE BEING INVESTED IN THE, UH, CITY OF BAYTOWN CTJ LARGELY IN, UH, CHAMBERS COUNTY.

SO AS WE GO THROUGH THE, UH, REPORT, YOU'LL NOTE THAT, UH, UH, WE TRY TO PROVIDE SOME LINKS TO, UH, RELATED PROJECTS, UM, UNDER, UH, OUR SERVICE AREA.

UM, WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS AS BEST WE CAN THROUGH OUR INCUBATOR WITHOUT WALLS.

YOU'LL NOTE, UH, SEVERAL REFERRALS TO THE LEE COLLEGE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AND THE U OF H, UM, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER.

UM, UNDER BUSINESS RETENTION AND, UM, REDEVELOPMENT, WE'VE PROVIDED SOME SUPPORT FOR THE, UM, PROJECTS AT MARKET STREET AND BAYWAY DRIVE CORRIDOR PROJECTS.

UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL INQUIRIES, PARTICULARLY IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF OUR REPORTING AREA RELATED TO EB FIVE RELATED PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITY ZONES.