Mar 28, 2024 CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION

COMMENTS IS TO GIVE ALL INTERESTED CITIZENS THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS.

SO FIRST WE HAVE, UH, MS. MARGARET MATTHEWS.

UH, SO, UM, THE PURPOSE OF CITIZEN

[1. CITIZEN COMMENTS Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, prohibits the City Council from discussing, deliberating, or considering, subjects for which public notice has not been given on the agenda. Issues that cannot be referred to the administration for action may be placed on the agenda of a future City Council Session.]

EVERYONE DESIRING TO SPEAK SHOULD HAVE EITHER SIGNED THE APPROPRIATE LIST IN THE FOYER OR EMAIL THE CITY CLERK PRIOR TO THE POSTED TIME OF THIS MEETING.

EACH CITIZEN SHALL GIVE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A PROPER RECORD OF THESE COMMENTS.

THE RULES ALLOW EACH PERSON ONE MINUTE TO SPEAK.

A CITIZEN MAY PASS HIS OR HER TIME TO ANOTHER PERSON WHO IS REQUESTED TO ADDRESS COUNSEL.

HOWEVER, NO CITIZEN REMARKS SHALL EXCEED THREE MINUTES IN TOTAL.

EITHER THE ONE MINUTE OR THREE MINUTE LIMIT MAY BE EXTENDED BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE AS BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THE CITY COUNCIL CANNOT DISCUSS OR DELIBERATE ON ITEMS FOR WHICH THE PUBLIC NOTICE HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN ON THIS AGENDA.

SO FIRST WE DO HAVE MS. MATTHEWS.

SO WHAT I WOULD ASK, UM, JUST, JUST, JUST STATE THE NAME OF THE STREET THAT YOU DO RESIDE ON.

6 0 6 EAST REPUBLIC AVENUE.

AND I GUESS I DON'T HAVE TO SAY MY NAME 'CAUSE Y'ALL ALL KNOW ME.

UM, FIRST I WANNA THANK Y'ALL ALL FOR TAKING THIS IN CONSIDERATION FOR HOPEFULLY AN AMENDMENT TO THIS ORDINANCE.

I'M JUST GONNA GO QUICK SINCE YOU SAID I ONLY HAVE A MINUTE.

A MINUTE.

SO, TAXPAYERS PEOPLE PAY, UH, MOVE TO AREAS THAT HAVE NO HOAS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T WANNA BE HOUNDED CONSTANTLY ON DIFFERENT THINGS.

TIMEFRAMES, PIECES CONSIDERED TIMEFRAMES WHERE PEOPLE CAN PARK AND UNLOAD, DROP THEIR PASSENGERS OFF.

UH, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF INCIDENT INCIDENTS THAT PEOPLE DO THIS ON OCCASIONS BEAUTIFICATION.

I KNOW THERE'S BEAUTIFICATION IN, IN PLACE HERE.

AND IF YOU CAN JUST LOOK AROUND IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND SEE WHICH PEOPLE PURPOSELY PARK IN FRONT OF THEIR YARDS AND SEE WHAT KIND OF HOME AND HOW THEY BEAUTIFY THEIR HOME.

AND USUALLY PEOPLE THAT BEAUTIFY THEIR AREA OF LAND DO NOT DO THIS ON PURPOSE.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MR. FUTURE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEAR.

ONE MINUTE IS UP.

AND THANK YOU FOR COMING FOR COUNSEL.

NEXT WE MOVE ON TO JAMES KILBURN.

GOOD EVENING, JAMES KILBURN 5,001 ASHWOOD DRIVE.

UH, FOLKS, I'VE LOOKED AT THIS ORDINANCE AS IS WRITTEN AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S THERE FOR THREE PURPOSES.

ONE IS TO PROTECT PROPERTY VALUES, PROTECT THE AESTHETICS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND TO LESSEN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT FROM VEHICLES BEING PARKED IN THE YARD.

UM, THE ORDINANCE ALSO APPLIES TO ALL LICENSED, UH, AND INSPECTED OPERABLE MOTOR VEHICLES.

SO IF I'VE GOT A VEHICLE THAT'S NOT LICENSED, IT LOOKS LIKE THIS WOULD NOT APPLY TO BEING IN MY FRONT YARD.

UH, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY.

IF IT IS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PURPOSES.

I NOTICED THIS MEETING IS LISTED AS BEING HELD BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

UM, WHY IS IT OKAY ENVIRONMENTALLY IF MY YARD, IF MY VEHICLE DRIPS OIL IN THE BACKYARD AND NOT THE FRONT YARD, IT'S STILL AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN AND I'D LIKE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO PULL MY VEHICLE INTO THE YARD, WASH IT, LET THAT WATER GO INTO MY YARD, RATHER THAN DOWN THE STORM DRAIN WITH SOAP AND SUCH, WHICH THE CITY SENDS BROCHURES OUT YOU DON'T WANT IN THE STORM DRAINS.

ALRIGHT, MR. I DO APPRECIATE, I KNOW A MANY GO FAST.

I DO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.

THANK YOU.

WE WANT TO, UH, MARIE, UH, JANOWSKI FAST, FAST AS I LOVE PENNSYLVANIA.

A MINUTE GOES QUICK.

HI, I'M SHOWING YOU SOME PICTURES THAT DOES MY CAT TOWARDS MY, AND YOU CAN PASS THOSE ON.

WE, WE WILL ALLOW, LET ME ALLOW THAT TO BE PASSED THE COUNCIL BEFORE YOU CALL YOU, START YOUR COMMENTS.

OH, I HAVE ANOTHER SET TOO, I'M SURE.

SO, MR. UH, GO AHEAD AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS AND THE TIMER MAY START.

THOSE ARE EXAMPLES OF WHAT I JUST TAKEN IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

YOUR AMEN HAS STARTED MR. ALKI.

THE DAY? MR. UNFORTUNATELY, YOUR MINUTE IS UP.

UM, WITHOUT AN F-H-H-O-A, WE RELY ON THE CITY, OH, SORRY.

MARIE JANOWSKI 4 7 0 5 BURNING TREE.

UH, WITHOUT H HOAS, WE RELY ON THE CITY AND THE CITY ORDINANCES TO PRESERVE AND MAINTAIN THE AESTHETICS OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND TO ALSO MAINTAIN THE VALUE OF OUR HOMES.

WITHOUT THE ORDINANCES, YOU HELP TO ENFORCE THEM, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WILL DECLINE IN APPEARANCE AND VALUE.

UM, THE PHOTOS YOU HAVE SEEN ARE THERE, UM, THE ORDINANCES NEEDED TO HELP US PRESERVE THE AESTHETICS AND HOME VALUES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

COULD THE PROBLEM BE WITH THE ORDINANCES ENFORCED? COULD IT BE YOU'RE TRYING TO FIT THE WHOLE TOWN INTO SAME MOLD? COULD IT BE SOME COMMON SENSE IS NEEDED WHEN ENFORCING THE ORDINANCES? AND IS THE VIOLATION ONGOING OR IS THE REGULAR BASIS OR TIME OF

[00:05:01]

IT GOES BY QUICK.

IT'S LIKE A TIME SH I FEEL LIKE I'M A GAME SHOW HOST SOMETIMES UP HERE, BUT THE MINUTE GOES QUICK.

AND I DO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND CERTAINLY FOR THE, UH, PICTURES.

I THINK THAT WAS, UM, PROVIDED TO COUNSEL.

SO, BEING THAT, I THINK THAT'S ALL OUR ASSISTANT COMMENTS FROM WHAT I CAN TELL ON THE LISTING, WE'LL MOVE ON TO

[a. Discuss the yard parking ordinance. ]

OUR ITEM TWO A IS TO DISCUSS THE YARD PARKING ORDINANCE.

MR. GRAY? YES, SIR.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.

UH, SO WE'LL BEGIN, UM, WITH A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND, UM, ON THE ORDINANCE AND WHAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU IS ACTUALLY STRAIGHT OUT OF THE ORDINANCE.

AND, UH, SO THE GENTLEMAN WAS CORRECT.

AND, UH, THE PURPOSE OF IT TO REGULATE THE PARKING OF VEHICLES AND OF EQUIP OR EQUIPMENT IN THE FRONT YARD OF AREAS OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.

AND IT IS, UH, INTENDED TO PRESERVE THE PROPERTY VALUES, AESTHETICS OF NEIGHBORHOODS, PREVENT DAMAGE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES, AND MITIGATE OR LESSEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT OF CONTAMINATION CAUSED BY THE LEAKAGE OF HARMFUL CHEMICALS FROM VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT.

SO, JUST A BRIEF HISTORY.

SO THIS ORDINANCE WAS CREATED IN 2008.

UM, AND THEN THE, THE BASIC, UH, PART OF THE ORDINANCE IS, IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY PART OF THE TRAFFIC CODE.

AND SO IN THE TRAFFIC CODE, HEALTH PLANNING AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE THIS ORDINANCE.

UM, BUT HEALTH HAS BEEN THE PRIMARY, UM, WE WANNA CALL IT ENFORCEMENT ARM OR INSPECTION GROUP, UH, TO ENFORCE IT.

AND HOW WE DO THAT IS WE, WE BASICALLY, UM, DO OUR INSPECTIONS FROM OUR VEHICLES WITHIN THE CITY VEHICLES WHILE THE STAFF DRIVES THE CITY AND SURVEYS FOR CODE VIOLATIONS.

UM, SO WHEN IT WAS FIRST CREATED, UH, THERE WAS AN EDUCATIONAL PERIOD AND THEN, UM, THE PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT BEGAN.

UH, AND PART OF THAT, UH, EDUCATIONAL PERIOD WAS ACTUALLY A BROCHURE.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE THAT IN YOUR PACKET OR NOT, BUT, UH, VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD, INFORMATIVE BROCHURE.

UM, WHEN MR. LESTER WAS IN THE DEPARTMENT, HE ACTUALLY CREATED THAT.

UM, IT'S A LOT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND THE BROCHURE THAN SOMETIMES TO UNDERSTAND THE ORDINANCE.

AND SO PICTURES, UH, SOMETIMES CONVEY THE MESSAGE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

UM, SO THEN IN 2009, SO THE ENFORCEMENT CHANGED FROM PROACTIVE TO COMPLAINT BASED.

AND THEN IN 2016, IT SWITCHED BACK AGAIN FROM COMPLAINT BACK TO PROACTIVE.

AND JUST LAST MONTH IT SWITCHED BACK AGAIN FROM PROACTIVE TO COMPLAINT BASED.

SO ALL OF THE CHANGES ON THE, ON THE TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT PROCESS, WHETHER IT'S COMPLAINT OR PROACTIVE, HAVE BEEN UNDER THE DIRECTION OF CITY ADMINISTRATION ON ALL THESE CHANGES THAT YOU SEE.

UM, SO, UM, MOVING ON.

SO THIS IS, UH, KIND OF A TABLE THAT OUTLINES SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE, UH, PRESENTED ON THE FEBRUARY 8TH MEETING, UH, AT THE YARD PARKING.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, ONE OF THE COMMENTS WAS TO ALLOW FOR A PARTIAL NUMBER OF WHEELS ON THE GRASS.

OF COURSE, THERE'S PROS TO THAT, POTENTIALLY FEWER VIOLATIONS.

UM, THE, THE CONS WOULD BASICALLY BE, IT'S, IT'S COUNTER, IT'S COUNTER TO THE ORDINANCE.

UM, AND IT STILL ALLOWS FOR PARKING ON THE GRASS.

UM, I THINK THAT WOULD ALSO BE, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE THAN THE WAY WE CURRENTLY HAVE IT.

UM, THE SECOND, UM, SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENT WAS TO ALLOW FOR A PERCENTAGE OF VEHICLE IN THE GRASS.

WELL THEN AGAIN, PROS FOR THAT, POTENTIALLY FEWER VIOLATIONS.

CONS, UM, DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE VIOLATION, UH, AS WELL AS THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE COURT.

UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR OUR STAFF TO ENFORCE THIS.

AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE IF WE WERE GONNA TRY TO MEASURE THE PERCENTAGE OF A VEHICLE, WE'D ACTUALLY HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR AND WE'RE GOING ONTO PRIVATE PROPERTY TO MEASURE, UM, HOW MUCH OF THE VEHICLE IS IN THE GRASS.

AND SO WE WOULD NEED TO GET PERMISSION TO DO THAT.

UH, AND SO ALMOST LOOK AT THAT AS, UM, PROBABLY NOT VERY ENFORCEABLE.

UM, AND THE THIRD, UH, SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENT YOU SEE THERE IS ALLOW FOR YARD PARKING ON CERTAIN LOT SIZES.

AGAIN, PROS TO THAT INCREASE FLEXIBILITY OF PROPERTY USE.

UH, THE CONS, UM, THAT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE A VIOLATION IN THE FIELD FOR OUR STAFF.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND I'M, I SAY, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA ALLOW AN EXEMPTION OR AN EXCEPTION BASED ON PROPERTY SIZE, WHERE DOES THAT START AND WHERE DOES IT STOP? BECAUSE IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ACREAGE, I THINK THAT WAS THE COMMENT FROM THE, THE FEBRUARY 8TH MEETING.

UM, WHAT ABOUT THE SMALLER LOTS? BECAUSE THEY HAVE LESS SPACE TO HAVE A DRIVEWAY AND TO PARK.

[00:10:01]

I LOOK AT THAT AS, UM, AND THE CITY ATTORNEY CAN COMMENT ON THAT, BUT I DON'T SEE HOW THAT WOULD BE FAIR.

THAT TO ME SOUNDS LIKE PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT, UM, BASED ON WHATEVER THE EXCEPTIONS ARE, BASED ON YOUR LOT SIZE.

UM, THE FOURTH SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENT YOU SEE THERE IS ALLOW FOR OTHER KINDS OF PARKING SURFACES.

UM, PROS WOULD BE TO INCREASE THE LEGAL PARKING OPTIONS.

UM, THEY'RE ALL WEATHER SERVICES OPTIONS ARE LIMITED.

UM, BASICALLY WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE, I BELIEVE THE ORDINANCE ALLOWS FOR, UH, CONCRETE, BRICK, PAVERS, ASPHALT.

SO ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER I GUESS APPROVED, UM, TYPE OF SURFACE WOULD NEED TO GO THROUGH THE CITY BUILDING OFFICIAL.

UH, AND THAT'S IN THE ORDINANCE PER THE ORDINANCE.

SO THAT DESIGNATION BASICALLY IT COULD HAPPEN.

I JUST DON'T KNOW OF ANY OPTIONS REALLY THAT COME TO MIND.

SO, UM, THAT'S JUST A KIND OF A LIST OF THE FEEDBACK AND THE PROS AND CONS.

UM, SO NOW MOVING ON TO, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.

WE HAVE A, A SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENT WOULD BE FROM PROACTIVE TO COMPLAINT BASE, WHICH WE ALREADY ARE AT AS OF FEBRUARY THE EIGHTH.

THE PROS, UH, ENFORCEMENT OCCURS WERE REQUESTED, UM, REDUCED NUMBER OF CITIZENS IMPACTED, UH, THE CONS.

UM, THE COMPLAINT VAL VIOLATION MAY NOT BE OBSERVED OR WITNESSED BY THE INSPECTOR.

SO WE DO THE COMPLAINT.

IF IT'S, UH, NOT IN COMPLIANCE, THEN WE CLOSE THE COMPLAINT AND MOVE ON.

UM, YOU COULD SEE SOME OF THE DATA THERE WHEN WE WERE DOING PROACTIVE, WHERE WE GO LOOK FOR THE VIOLATIONS, CALENDAR YEAR 23, EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS WE RECEIVED 104.

THOSE ARE EITHER THROUGH EMAIL, C CLICK FIX, PHONE CALLS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THEN OUR PROACTIVE INSPECTORS OBSERVED 662, UM, UH, VIOLATIONS WITH CASES.

AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE, THE 113 CITATIONS WERE ISSUED, UM, WHICH IS ROUGHLY, UH, 15% OF THE, OF THE, WHAT IS THAT? 766 CASES.

UM, NOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, SINCE WE STARTED THE COMPLAINT BASE OF FEBRUARY 8TH, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ON THAT.

IT'S ACTUALLY 26, UH, COMPLAINTS AND, UH, STILL NO CITATIONS.

AND I WILL, I WILL SAY THAT THE COMPLAINTS, THERE ARE SOME DUPLICATE COMPLAINTS IN THAT TOTAL OF 26.

UM, AND WHILE THERE'S DUPLICATES IS BECAUSE WE DOCUMENT EVERY COMPLAINT THAT COMES IN.

SO IF SOMEBODY SENDS AN EMAIL OR A PHONE CALL, WE GOT THAT COMPLAINT.

WE CREATE THE CASE.

IF SOMEBODY SUBMITS A C CLICK FIX WITH THE SAME PROPERTY, UH, WE DOCUMENT THAT COMPLAINT, BUT IT'S, IT'S DUPLICATE.

SO, UM, THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF THE, THE BASICS OF WHY, UM, THERE'S, IT'S HARD TO LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, HOW MANY ARE SINGLE COMPLAINTS BECAUSE THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS SET UP AND WE, WE WANT TO DOCUMENT ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT COME IN.

UM, SO AT THIS POINT, UM, BASED ON ALL OF THIS, UH, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS TO KEEP THE ORDINANCE AS IT IS AND KEEP THE COMPLAINT BASED ENFOR, EXCUSE ME, COMPLAINT BASED ENFORCEMENT, ENFORCEMENT IN PROCESS.

UM, AND SO THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF THE PRESENTATION, VERY SHORT AND TO THE POINT.

AND, UM, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, UH, IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR INSIGHTS, UH, IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION.

UM, AND THEN WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE COUNSEL'S EXPECTATIONS ON NEXT STEPS? OKAY, BEFORE WE GET THE QUESTIONS, LEMME MAKE A FEW COMMENTS SINCE I'M THE ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WAS HERE IN 2000 8 0 9 WHEN AUGUST WAS INITIATED.

SO YOU KIND OF HAVE A, A GENERAL, I GUESS, LEGACY PERSPECTIVE OF WHY THIS WAS CREATED.

SO ABOUT THAT TIMEFRAME, WE HAD A MULTITUDE OF CITIZENS THAT WERE COMING BEFORE COUNCIL, EITHER THROUGH EMAIL HERE, HERE IN CHAMBERS OR WHATEVER.

IT WAS LIKE WE HAD ONGOING PARKING ON YARDS.

PEOPLE JUST HAD, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE ABANDONED, YOU HAVE ABANDONED VEHICLES.

WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE FOR THAT.

THIS IS SEPARATE FROM THAT.

SO WE HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE JUST BASICALLY PERPETUAL YARD PARKS, LET'S SAY WE HAD THAT, AND WE HAD PEOPLE THAT HAD A PERPETUAL GARAGE SALE THAT WAS GOING ON.

SO THE OUTCOME OF TWO OF THOSE THINGS WAS GARAGE SALE PERMITS AND THE PARKING ON YOUR YARD ORDINANCE.

SO IT'S REALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, PARTS OF BAYTOWN, PARTICULARLY IN THE OLDER AREAS, YOU HAVE A LOT OF CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS, BUT YOU HAVE VERY FEW HOAS THAT ARE MANAGED BY A PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT TYPE OF COMPANY.

SO COUNCIL TOOK IT UPON IT AT THAT POINT TO TRY TO GO AND, AND, UM, HAVE AN ORDINANCE TO PREVENT BASICALLY DECAY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

AS YARDS CONTINUE TO GO IN DISARRAY, YOU HAVE PARKING ON YARDS.

AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW, IF IT COULD BE IN A SENSE, PEOPLE WHO NO LONGER MAY NOT BE THE HOMEOWNER, THEY MAY HAVE RENTAL PROPERTIES, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.

BUT

[00:15:01]

CONTINUE DECAY, UH, AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, IT WILL GROW.

IF YOU DO NOTHING, IT, IT WILL GO AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO GRADE THE, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY THE OVERALL AESTHETICS OF THE COMMUNITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO MANY AREAS OF TOWN DO NOT HAVE ANY TYPE OF H-O-A-H-O-A AND SOME DO.

AND, AND, UM, I THINK AT THE TIME IT WAS A FINE OR A BIG GAP BETWEEN CITY ORDINANCES AND WHERE HOAS MAY PICKED UP IN SOME AREAS, RIGHT? SO EVEN IN SOME HHOA AREA, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY WERE ASKING FOR MANY THINGS TO TRY TO HELP FILL THAT GAP.

MAINLY IF IT'S PROPERTY VALUES OR JUST GENERAL AESTHETICS, APPEARANCE OF OUR CITY, UH, THAT'S WHAT WAS COMING BEFORE US.

SO THE OUTCOME WAS THIS YARD PARKING ORDINANCE, WHICH AS MR. GRACE STATED, IT WAS GONNA BE COMPLAINT ORIENTED.

UM, I REMEMBER MANY, MANY DISCUSSIONS AT THE TIME BEING PARTICULAR.

UH, I THINK I, I THINK I CAN ALMOST REMEMBER MY EXAMPLE IS IF YOU HAVE A GO AND YOU HAVE A LARGE BARBECUE OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, UM, OR A HOLIDAY AND YOU HAVE CARS ALL, YOU KNOW, PARKED ALL OVER IN YOUR YARD, OBVIOUS, IT'S, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A TEMPORARY EVENT, RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE AMENDMENTS WERE MADE TO SAY, WELL, HOW DO WE KNOW HOW LONG THIS CAR HAS BEEN HERE OR NOT? BECAUSE I HAVE, I DO HAVE A LOT OF, OF RESERVATION IN ISSUING ANY KIND OF LETTER OR CITATION FOR AN OBVIOUS TEMPORARY EVENT.

OKAY? COULD BE THANKSGIVING, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.

UM, BUT IN ORDER, AS MR. GRACE SAID, YOU DO NEED AN ORDINANCE THAT'S ENFORCEABLE.

SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE TIME, SOME OF THE TIME TYPE THINGS WERE, WE'RE HAVING TO BE ESTABLISHED OF.

THIS VEHICLE COMES IN, A LETTER IS SENT, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW.

I MEAN, THERE WAS A GRACE PERIOD.

I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES WITH NEW ORDINANCES WE DO THAT.

UM, BUT THEN THE GRACE PERIOD EXPIRED, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS WHAT, 15, 16 YEARS NOW THAT HAS PASSED.

AND SO THE ORDINANCE IS NOT NEW IN ANY WAY, BUT WE CONTINUE TO SEE IN A SENSE THESE TYPE OF ACTIVITIES.

SOME AREAS MAY BE ACCEPTED, SOME AREAS IT'S NOT.

YOU HEARD SOME INDIVIDUALS TODAY THAT THEY KIND OF LOOK AT THIS.

UH, I DO NOT WANT OUR STAFF TO HAVE TO BE SOME TYPE OF, UM, GAUGE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE TIRE IS TOUCHING GRASS VERSUS SOME TYPE OF IMPROVED PAVEMENT OR ANY, IN ANY, IN ANY WAY.

IT SHOULD BE PRETTY CLEAR.

I TOTALLY SUPPORT THE COMPLAINT DRIVEN APPROACH.

UM, I DO THINK THAT IS THE, THE TWEAK THAT, THAT I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD.

ALTHOUGH I DO APPRECIATE ADMINISTRATION'S APPROACH TO SAY WE ARE GONNA TAKE A TIME OUT UNTIL COUNSEL CAN DISCUSS THIS.

UH, BUT I THINK WE DO NEED TO MAKE AN ACTUAL COUNSEL AMENDMENT TO, UH, EITHER SUPPORT OR NOT SUPPORT A COMPLAINT DRIVEN APPROACH TO THIS.

BUT WE DO NEED A ENFORCEABLE ORDINANCE FOR STAFF, LIKE ANY OTHER ORDINANCE THAT, THAT MAY IMPACT CITIZENS IN THIS WAY.

I WILL TELL YOU THE SAME WORDS THAT EXISTED IN 2008 AND OH NINE IS WHAT WE ARE SEEKING IS VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.

WE DO NOT WANT TO ISSUE CITATIONS.

WE DO NOT WANT YOUR MONEY.

THIS IS NOT A MONEY GRAB IN ANY WAY.

THIS IS ABOUT PRESERVING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN BAYTOWN, TEXAS.

AND IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU LIVE IN ROSELAND OR COUNTRY CLUB OR BAYTOWN OR CENTRAL HEIGHTS OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN BETWEEN.

WE ARE HERE TO, TO GO AND TRY TO PRESERVE, UM, THE ESSENCE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD AND PREVENT ANY TYPE OF DECAY.

BECAUSE ONCE IT STARTS, IT NEVER ENDS.

AND THAT'S WHERE IT KIND OF BEGINS.

AND SO I DO NOT WANT TO PUT MORE, UM, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY RESPONSIBILITY OR HOLD ON.

I HAVE SOMEBODY, I'M SURPRISED IT'S NOT A WHOOP, BUT REGARDLESS, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA PUT ANY MORE RESPONSIBILITY IN A SENSE ON, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SOME CASES, OR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

UH, I THINK, I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO THIS ORDINANCE.

I DO BELIEVE A, A VERSION OF IT IS NEEDED.

UM, BUT I, I HEAR MANY CASES, I KNOW THERE'S AN INDIVIDUAL HERE THAT GAVE AN EXTREME CASE OF, HEY, MY TIRE WAS TOUCHING A BLADE OF GRASS, AND THEY GET A CITATION OR A LETTER.

AND I, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL SPIRIT OF, OF THE ORDINANCE FOR ME.

AND I, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANT TO SEE.

I DON'T THINK THAT REALLY IS WHAT WE'RE AFTER.

SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.

I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE YOU KIND OF A GENERAL PREFERENCE OF THE LEGACY APPROACH AND THEN AS IT WAS, AS IT WAS STATED, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS OUR NEXT STEP? SO I'LL OPEN UP A DISCUSSION.

UM, I'LL START.

UM, AND JUST, UH, QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF WHAT SHOULD BE ADDED.

UM, WE RAN INTO AN INCIDENT OVER, UM, ON NORTH MAINE RIGHT NEXT TO KALI CALYPSO CO.

AND Y'ALL PROBABLY SAW THEM FOR PROBABLY YEARS.

CAN I PAUSE ONE SEC? IS THERE A MICROPHONE ON? AND CAN Y'ALL HEAR HER? YES, IT'S ON.

IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT IS, BUT OKAY.

CAN Y'ALL HEAR, CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME BETTER? CAN YOU POINT IT? CAN YOU POINT IT TO YOUR MOUTH? IT'S POINTING TO MY MOUTH.

IT IS NOW.

THANK YOU .

BECAUSE THEY CAN'T HEAR BACK THERE, SO, OKAY.

ONE WE WERE ABLE TO REMOVE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE FOUND THE OWNER OR WHATEVER THE SECOND ONE WE COULDN'T REMOVE.

SORRY, THOMAS.

UM, UH, WHERE THERE WERE TWO, UH, WHAT LOOKED ABANDONED TRACTOR TRAILERS

[00:20:01]

UM, AND, UH, REMIND ME, UM, MR. CITY MANAGER, IT WAS THE FACT THAT IT HAD A, A STICKER.

IT WAS A GOOD, THE DUMP TRUCK HAD A, YEAH, THE DUMP TRUCK HAD A STICKER.

IT WAS A RE EXPIRED REGISTRATION.

YES.

ONE NEXT TO SSO COVE.

THE OTHER ONE WAS THE, UH, I BELIEVE A TRACTOR, SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.

I THINK IT WAS A FELL CO.

IT FELL UNDER A DIFFERENT ORDINANCE PART OF IT.

AND, UM, YEAH, I, I BELIEVE PART OF THAT IS HOW CAN ALL THIS BE COMBINED TOGETHER OR WORK TOGETHER, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT TOOK US A LONG TIME TO ADDRESS THAT.

WE HAD BEEN REPORTING IT FOR YEARS AND IT'S LIKE, WE CAN'T FIND THE OWNERS, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO BE THERE.

AND RESIDENTS WERE LIKE, WELL, WE CAN'T HAVE OUR CARS ON THE GRASS, BUT THESE UGLY TRACTOR TRAILERS ARE SITTING IN THIS ABANDONED LOT, AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THAT? SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TYPE OF VEHICLES, UM, ARE INCLUDED, UM, IN THE ORDINANCE.

IF THERE ALREADY IS AN ORDINANCE, THEN WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING AND WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY FOR SUCH A LONG TIME WE COULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING DONE WITH THOSE PARTICULAR VEHICLES.

IF I CAN, UH, CLARIFY THAT FOR YOU MM-HMM .

SO THE, THE YARD PARKING ORDINANCE ONLY DEALS WITH FRONT YARDS MM-HMM .

AND SO TO HAVE A YARD, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A, A HOME.

SO IT BASICALLY APPLIES TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES ONLY.

IT DOESN'T APPLY TO A VACANT LOT.

UH, OR ANY TYPE OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.

AND SO THE DUMP TRUCK WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THERE, BUT THE OTHER PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT CAN WE DO THAT AS A JUNK VEHICLE, BUT NO, WE CANNOT, UM, BECAUSE IT'S NOT, UH, MEANT TO BE DRIVEN ON THE ROAD MM-HMM .

UM, LIKE A VEHICLE.

SO THERE'S A, SO THERE WAS NOT A REMEDY FOR THAT.

AND, UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON WHY, UM, IT'S STILL THERE IS BECAUSE THE, THE YARD PARKING ONLY DEALS WITH FRONT YARD PARKING AND IT HAS, IT DOES NOT APPLY TO A VACANT LOT, UH, OR ANY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.

COULD WE LOOK AT THAT ON A SEPARATE ISSUE? LIKE A SEPARATE ITEM IF IT DOESN'T BELONG WITHIN THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE, CAN WE LOOK AT IT AT A SEPARATE ITEM? I WOULD, I WOULD SAY YES MA'AM.

YES.

WE'LL, WE'LL BRING IT BACK.

THANK YOU.

UM, THERE WERE SOME, UM, HOMES AROUND THE PELLY AREA.

UM, MOST OF THE AREAS WERE LIKE, UM, BUOY AND BOLSTER AND, AND TRAVIS WHERE, UM, THEY HAD THIS ASPHALT PARKING, WHICH WAS ALLOWED, BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES OVER, OVER THE COURSE OF A PERIOD, GRASS STARTS TO GROW.

AND, UM, I HAVE A LOT OF SENIORS IN THAT AREA, AND SO THEY'LL MAINTAIN THEIR YARD.

IT'S NICE AND PRETTY, BUT THIS ONE PARTICULAR RESIDENT KEPT GETTING A VIOLATION BECAUSE GRASS STARTED GROWING IN THAT AREA, BUT IT WASN'T LIKE OVERGROWN.

AND, UM, HE KEPT TELLING THEM WE'RE ALLOWED BECAUSE THIS IS ASPHALT.

AND SO I THINK THERE WAS CONFUSION ABOUT THOSE IN THE, IN THAT PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD IN IS IT ALLOWED.

UM, AND UH, THEY HAD NO OTHER PARKING AVAILABLE TO THEM EXCEPT THAT HORIZONTAL PARKING ON ASPHALT AREAS.

AND SO, UM, I THINK WE GOT HIM SQUARED AWAY, BUT IF THERE'S ANY OTHERS THAT COME UP, IF WE CAN KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, UM, AND SEE WHAT MAY BE HAPPENING.

AND COULD ASPHALT, AT LEAST FOR THOSE PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOODS, NOT JUST PE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHERS IN THE SAME SITUATION, THAT THAT'S THE ONLY AVAILABLE PARKING TO THEM, THAT THEY WILL NOT GET THE VIOLATIONS OR WE HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT'S RIGHT OR WRONG.

SO ASPHALTS, UM, WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE SURFACES THAT WAS APPROVED IN THE ORDINANCE.

AND SO MY QUESTION REALLY IS, WAS IT WAS THAT DRIVEWAY MAINTAINED SO THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY SEE AS ASPHALT AST? WAS THERE WAS FAULT YES.

ALL GROWN OVER WITH GRASS.

THERE WAS ASPHALT THAT YOU, THAT WAS VISIBLE, BUT UH, PARTS OF IT HAD GRASS THAT HAD OVERGROWN THE ASPHALT.

SO IT WASN'T LIKE YOU COULD CLEARLY SEE A BIG OLD PATCH OF ASPHALT.

WE, UH, IT'S JUST OVER TIME WE'VE, WE AS A TEAM HAVE DISCUSSED IT.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO HAVE TO LOOK INTO.

WE DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU AN INCORRECT ANSWER BECAUSE THERE ARE A LITTLE BIT OF VARIATIONS THAT HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED ON MM-HMM .

UH, WHAT THE LOTS LOOK LIKE.

SO IT'S SOMETHING WE WILL HAVE TO BRING BACK WHEN WE BRING BACK THE OTHER PIECE AS WELL.

HOMES THAT WERE BUILT WAY BACK WHEN , UM, OLDER HOMES, LET ME PUT IT THAT WAY.

AND THEN JUST A COMMENT, UM, MAYOR, I, I, I THINK ALSO IN MY OPINION,

[00:25:03]

OLDER HOMES REALLY JUST HAD ENOUGH PARKING FOR THE ONE VEHICLE THAT'S REALLY ALL HOUSEHOLDS HAD WAS ONE VEHICLE.

IF THEY DIDN'T USE THEIR GARAGE, THEN IT WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY.

UM, AND NOW THERE'S A VEHICLE ALMOST FOR EVERY ADULT IN THE HOUSE OR A A, A CHILD WHO'S 16 AND OVER AND THEY GET A NEW CAR.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S AN, A BIG ISSUE WITH THE OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS AND, UH, IN TERMS OF AVAILABLE PARKING, AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING THAT WITH NEW DEVELOPERS WHO DON'T ALLOW FOR ENOUGH PARKING SPACES.

AND SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REVIEW AS WELL, AND, AND ESPECIALLY AS NEW DEVELOPMENT COMES ALONG, THAT WE HAVE THIS ISSUE WHERE IT'S NO LONGER A ONE CAR HOUSEHOLD AND NOT EVERYBODY USES THEIR GARAGE FOR THEIR VEHICLES.

AND SO, UM, I I THINK I'D LIKE A REVIEW OF THAT AS WELL.

YES.

IF I CAN ADD WHAT, WHAT I RECALL BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU SAID, AND I THINK I, I MADE THE SAME COMMENT, PARTICULARLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS NEAR CITY HALL, AS YOU SAID.

I MEAN, SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ANY CARS, BUT IF THEY DID, THEY HAD ONE CAR.

SO A LOT OF THE DRIVEWAYS IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS ARE FOR ONE CAR OR ONE CAR GARAGE.

OBVIOUSLY THERE'S PLENTY OF STREET TO PARK ON.

UM, SO WE DID MAKE AN ALLOWANCE, I BELIEVE, UM, GOING THROUGH A PERMITTING PROCESS, BUT INDIVIDUALS COULD PAVE UP TO 50% OF THEIR FRONT YARD.

AND THAT WAS THE EXTENSION OF IT.

BUT BECAUSE OF, BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.

IF I RECALL RIGHT.

SO WE DID TRY TO MAKE AN ALLOWANCE FOR THAT.

UM, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY HAD TO BE ONE OF THE ACCEPTABLE, IMPROVED SERVICES, BUT, UM, WE DID CONSIDER THAT IN THE ORDINANCE TOO AT THE TIME.

AND I DO SEE THAT IN THE BROCHURE.

SO I APPRECIATE THE BROCHURE BECAUSE IT DOES GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY, HEY, IF YOU NEED TO INCREASE, UM, WIDTH, UH, 25 FEET OR 50% OF THE AVERAGE WIDTH OF YOUR LOT, WHICHEVER IS GREATER, THEN YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT.

AND SO, UM, I I THINK STILL A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT, OR IF THEY FEEL THAT IT'S TOO HARD TO GET THOSE PERMITS, UM, TO DO THAT, UM, THEN I THINK THE MORE THAT WE CAN WORK WITH THE CONSTITUENTS TO HELP THEM MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS THE BETTER.

ESPECIALLY IF WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE CONTINUED VIOLATIONS, THEN, I MEAN, CAN WE WAIVE THEIR PERMITS OR SOMETHING TO LIKE, NOT WAIVE THE PERMIT, BUT THE PERMIT FEES, UM, AND, UM, LET THEM DO THE EXTENSION OF THEIR DRIVEWAYS FOR THAT.

SO JUST A RECOMMENDATION.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? YES, MA'AM.

UM, I JUST THROUGH ALL THE CITIZEN COMMENTS, UM, TODAY AND IN THE PAST WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF, UH, PEOPLE USING THE WORD CITATIONS AND LETTERS.

AND I WOULD LIKE SOME CLARITY ON THE PROCESS.

WHEN YOU DO SEND OUT, UM, LETTERS, ARE THEY CITATIONS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE LETTER ARRIVES? I, I WOULD LIKE THE EXACT PROCESS.

SO IF THERE'S A COMPLAINT, CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS FROM THE MOMENT THAT COMPLAINT COMES IN? SURE, SURE.

WE CREATE THE CASE IF IT, IF IT CAME THROUGH C CLICK FIX, EMAIL, PHONE, WE CREATE THE CASE, THEN IT'S ASSIGNED TO THE INSPECTOR.

WE HAVE THE CITY BROKEN INTO DIFFERENT ZONES AND THEY GO OUT AND, UH, THEY OBSERVE IT.

IF IT'S IN IN VIOLATION, THEY DOCUMENT IT AND THEN, UH, THEY SEND THE NOTICE AND IT'S JUST A NOTICE.

THAT'S WHERE I WANTED THE CLARITY.

SO THE NOTICE IS ONE LETTER THAT GOES TO THE HOME? YES, MA'AM.

UM, AND HOW DO WE KNOW WHO THE LETTER IS SENT TO? SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WHO, YOU HAVE A CAR, YOU GO OUT, IT'S PARKED ON THE GRASS, YOU OBSERVE IT, YOU NOTE IT, UM, YOU'RE GONNA GO SEND A LETTER, A NOTICE AS YOU CALLED IT.

NOTICE WHO DO YOU NOTICE? SEND THE LETTER TO THE PROPERTY OWNER, NOT THE PERSON THAT OWNED THE VEHICLE.

IT WOULD BE THE PROPERTY OWNER.

AND IS THAT LOOKED UP ON HCA OR THROUGH TAX, THROUGH TAXES? YES, MA.

THE REASON I'M ASKING IS 'CAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO RENTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, SO IF, IF YOU OWN A PROPERTY AND SOMEONE HAS VIOLATED WITH THEIR VEHICLE, BUT THEY'RE RENTING THE HOME, WILL THE NOTICE COME IN THE PROPERTY OWNER'S NAME OR WILL IT COME IN THE RENTER'S NAME OF THE VEHICLE WHO'S VIOLATING? I BELIEVE IT'S THE PROPERTY OWNER.

WE WOULDN'T KNOW.

I MEAN, WE WOULDN'T KNOW WHO THE RENTER, IF IT WAS THE RENT A RENTAL.

I TELL YOU WHAT, UM, I'LL LET SEAN MITCHELL, HE'S A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON YARD PARKING.

UH, HE CAN EXPLAIN IT.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

AND I WANNA SAY TO ME, THESE WEREN'T HARD QUE AND I, I'M, I AM NOT MEANING TO BE RUDE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT TO ME THIS, THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A HARD QUESTION.

AND THIS IS, THIS IS TO ME, IS PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THE, IT GOES FARTHER THAN THE ORDINANCE FOR

[00:30:01]

ME.

IT'S ACTUALLY THE COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC.

SO, WELL, TO SPEAK TO THAT, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD TO WORK WITH WHEN THE ORDINANCE CAME OVER TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS THAT WE'RE NOT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

WE DON'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT OR THE ACCESS TO DETERMINE WHO THE VEHICLE OWNER IS.

SO IN THAT CASE, FROM A FUNCTIONAL STANDPOINT, WE DEFAULTED TO WHAT WE DO IN OUR NORMAL PROCESS AND WE NOTIFY THE PROPERTY OWNER.

IF, AS YOU SAY THAT, UM, IN A RENTAL PROPERTY SITUATION, WE DO ACCESS THE TAX RECORDS.

WE ALSO ACCESS THE CITY UTILITY ACCOUNTS.

IF THERE IS A TENANT LISTED THERE, WE DO SEND THAT AS WELL.

AND THEN BASICALLY WHAT WE TRY AND DO IS WE SEND TO EVERY NAME THAT WE FIND ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPERTY ABOUT THE ISSUE.

BECAUSE AGAIN, THE IDEA BEHIND IT IS WE WANT TO NOTIFY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PERSON OR PEOPLE INVOLVED UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ORDINANCE IS AND THAT WE GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO A, CONTACT US IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR BASICALLY TO CLARIFY WHAT COMPLIANCE MEANS.

AND SO THAT WE ALSO GIVE THEM TIME TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE BEFORE WE COME BACK.

THANK YOU.

THAT WAS MY, OKAY.

AND THEN THE NEXT THING, SO THEY GET THE NOTICE MM-HMM .

AND IT COMES THROUGH ALL THOSE DIFFERENT VARIOUS WAYS OF FINDING OUT WHO OWNS A PROPERTY.

WHEN THEY GET THEIR FIRST NOTICE IN THAT LETTER, WHAT DOES IT TELL THEM THEIR OPTIONS ARE? UH, BASICALLY IT'S, IT, IT GOES THROUGH WHAT THE STEPS ARE IN THE LANGUAGE, IN THE ORDINANCE ABOUT WHAT'S ALLOWED, WHAT'S NOT ALLOWED.

AND WE SEND A PHOTOGRAPH ALONG WITH THAT.

AND IT HAS LANGUAGE ON THAT PHOTO PAGE ABOUT, UH, WHAT THE CORRECTIVE STEPS ARE.

AND AGAIN, WE ASK THEM TO CALL US.

WE ALSO INCLUDE THE BROCHURE THAT SHOWS THE LAYOUT OF VARIOUS PROPERTIES AROUND THE CITY, THE TYPES, UH, WHERE PARKING IS ALLOWED AND WHERE IT'S NOT ALLOWED.

DO YOU GET A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CALL, UM, IN REFERENCE TO THE LETTERS? NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.

SHOULD BE BY CERTIFIED MAIL.

AND, UM, WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE DO CALL YOU TYPICALLY, DO Y'ALL USE THAT AS AN EDUCATION MOMENT AND THEN AT AND AS LONG AS THEY ABATE THE PROBLEM AND FIX IT, THEN IT'S OVER WITH? CORRECT.

AND SO WHEN WOULD IT MOVE FORTH TO A CITATION? UM, AT THE FOLLOW UP INSPECTION, WHICH AT THIS POINT IS 14 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE NOTICE.

IF THEY COME BACK OUT AND THEY SEE THAT THE VIOLATION IS THERE STILL, OR AGAIN, UM, IT'S DOCUMENTED AND THE CASE IS FILED WITH THE COURT.

SO BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS TO SEND THE NOTICE OUT, TRY TO INFORM, EDUCATE, ET CETERA.

UM, IF WE DON'T GET VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE ON THAT, THAT'S WHEN THE CASE WILL BE FILED WITH THE COURT.

THAT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME.

THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING.

SO, AND I CALL, I GOT A LETTER AND I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF IT WAS THE SAME EXACT WAY.

I GOT THREE LETTERS IN ONE DAY AND I WANTED TO SHARE THIS WITH THE PUBLIC FOR MM-HMM .

A TIRE IN THE YARD, UM, ON THE GRASS, ONE TIRE ON THE GRASS.

THREE LETTERS CAME AND IT WAS BECAUSE MY HOME IS IN ONE NAME, MY UTILITIES ARE IN ANOTHER PREVIOUS NAME AND SO FORTH.

AND I CALLED AND, UM, WAS ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND IT DIDN'T MOVE FORWARD.

ONE OF MY CONCERNS, AND I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WITH THIS, WITH Y'ALL, IS A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN COMING TO SPEAK TO US, THEY USE THE WORD CITATION OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

THE LETTERS ARE VERY WORDY.

UM, AND I COULD SEE WHERE SOME OF SOME OF OUR, UM, GENERAL PUBLIC WOULD THINK THAT THOSE LETTERS ARE A IMMEDIATE CITATION AND, UM, MAYBE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE VERBIAGE.

SO I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN MAYBE MAKE SOME OF THAT MORE SIMPLIFIED.

I ALSO WONDER, UM, DEPENDING ON WHAT WE COME OUT, WHAT WE ALL DECIDE WITH THIS, IF WE CAN, UM, DO A PUSH OUT OF THESE BROCHURES FROM MANY, MANY YEARS AGO TO TO SHOW THE PUBLIC AGAIN.

'CAUSE I, I DON'T REMEMBER EVER SEEING THOSE.

AND, UM, THE OTHER THING, AND I, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST, I, AND I, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS, BUT, UM, IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PERSON THAT HAS VIOLATED THE ORDINANCE IS ACTUALLY GETTING THE LETTER? I KNOW THAT WE GIVE THE 14 DAYS, AND, AND AGAIN, I, I'M NOT THE ONE WITH ALL THE IDEAS HERE, BUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD PEOPLE SAY THEY DON'T GET THE LETTERS.

UM, HOW, HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY GETTING THEM? THAT WORRIES ME BECAUSE MAYBE SOME ARE, AND THEY'RE JUST SAYING THEY AREN'T, BUT MAYBE SOME AREN'T GETTING THE LETTERS, YOU KNOW? AND, UM, WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MAIL IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS.

AND SO, I MEAN, WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE DOESN'T GET THOSE FIRST COUPLE OF NOTICES? THEY DON'T KNOW THAT WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS A PROBLEM.

UM, AND THEN IT GOES TO COURT.

UM, I JUST, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE GONNA KEEP AN ORDINANCE AND KEEP OUR NEIGHBORHOODS LOOKING NICE, THAT, THAT OUR CITIZENS HAVE A CHANCE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

AND I KNOW WE ALL AGREE ON THAT.

YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A DIFFERENT, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE, SOMEONE TALKED ABOUT A CERTIFIED LETTER.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD HELP THE SITUATION.

WELL, I, I MEAN I ONLY THING I WOULD ADD TO THAT, I BELIEVE ONCE A CITATION IS ISSUED, THAT IS BY CERTIFIED LETTER.

I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S CORRECT STATEMENT.

NO, NO, NO, NO.

SO, AND I THINK THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE ISSUE IS, AND, AND NOT JUST FOR PARKING ON YARD, BUT PRETTY MUCH ANY, ANY, ANYTIME A, I WOULD BELIEVE A CITIZEN HAS MAILED A CITATION, THAT

[00:35:01]

MEANING WE KNOW THAT YOU RECEIVED IT.

WE'VE ALREADY WENT THROUGH THIS RODEO WITH AN INDIVIDUAL.

I'M GONNA DO THAT AGAIN.

AND SO I KNOW IT COSTS MORE.

BUT IF WE'RE ISSUING A CITATION, AT THE VERY LEAST, IT SHOULD BE CERTIFIED MAIL, RIGHT? THE CITATION PROCESS.

SO THAT WE HAVE RECEIPT THAT A CITIZEN HAS SIGNED, OR I MEAN, CERTIFIED MAIL WOULD BE THAT THE SIGNATURE IS REQUIRED.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S A COURT ISSUE.

MAYOR, A COURT ISSUE, UHHUH , ONCE THEY, AND I'LL JUMP IN HERE.

YEP.

ONCE THEY HAVE, HAVE CONFIRMED THE SECOND ROUND RIGHT.

THAT, THAT MEANS THEY ISSUE A COMPLAINT TO THE COURT, AND THE COURT AT THAT POINT TAKES OVER THE PROCESS.

SO WHETHER IT'S SENT OUT CERTIFIED OR, OR MAIL OR WHATEVER, THAT'S A COURT PROCESS.

THAT'S NOT THEIR PROCESS.

I, I WOULD AGREE.

I I THINK THAT, AND, AND I WILL SAY, I WOULD AGREE WITH, WITH MS. GRAHAM, WHERE, YOU KNOW, I GET CITIZENS ALL THE TIME THAT'S CALLED ME THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AND THEY, LIKE, I GOT A TICKET FROM THE CITY AND IT'S JUST THE LETTER.

WE'LL JUST SAY IT'S A LETTER THAT A VIOLATION, I THINK IS WHAT IT SAYS.

MEANING YOU'RE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH AN ORDINANCE, BUT THEY SEE IT AS, AS A CITATION OR A TICKET OR THAT'S HOW THEY FEEL REGARDLESS.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT MS. GRAHAM IS SAYING IS THAT SOMEHOW FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS YOUR WARNING, YOU EITHER RECTIFY IT, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK IN 14 DAYS.

AT THAT POINT, THEN THE VIOLATION HAS BEEN BASICALLY VERIFIED AND THEN IT GOES THROUGH THE COURT.

IF A CITATION IS ISSUED IN MY, IN FROM, FROM MY, FROM, I WOULD SAY I THINK IT IS PRUDENT FOR US TO, IF A CITATION IS ISSUED THAT IS DONE BY CERTIFIED MAIL, BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY WENT THROUGH A RODEO ON THIS ALREADY.

OKAY, I'M GONNA DO THAT AGAIN.

YOU HAVE BASICALLY, UM, NON-COMPLAINT ENFORCEMENT.

AND, AND THAT'S A COURT.

BUT IN THE LETTER, UNLESS IT'S CHANGED, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE, SINCE I WAS DEALING, PROBABLY NOT WITH IT.

IT SAYS IN THE LETTER TWO TO THREE TIMES, IF THERE'S QUESTIONS, CALL US, CONTACT US.

I MEAN, I, AND AGAIN, IT'S A LITTLE WORDY.

WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE CITY 25 PLUS YEARS AGO, IT WAS ABOUT SIX LINES.

AND IT SAID, YOU'RE IN VIOLATION.

IF YOU DON'T COMPLY, YOU GO TO COURT.

THAT WAS A LITTLE TOO SHORT.

SO WE MODIFIED IT OVER THE YEARS AND, AND NOW THE LETTER IS VERY INFORMATIVE.

AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO INFORM THE PUBLIC, THERE'S A NUMBER OF NOTIFICATIONS IN THERE.

CALL US IF YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS.

YOU DON'T AGREE, WHATEVER.

LIKE WE HEARD TONIGHT, I WANNA BE ABLE TO WASH MY CAR IN THE YARD.

DID DO YOU WASH IT EVERY MONDAY AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON? BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S A 14 DAY FOLLOW UP.

IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEY NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT AND THAT, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.

UM, THIS ORDINANCE, AS THE MAYOR ALLUDED TO EARLIER, WAS WELL DISCUSSED.

WHEN IT WAS CREATED.

IT WAS ABOUT A SIX TO SEVEN MONTH PROCESS.

AND SINCE THEN THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ITERATIONS.

IT EBBS AND FLOWS.

IN OTHER WORDS, PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT, THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE, THE ACTIVITY GOES AWAY.

AND SO THEN IT REVERTS BACK TO COMPLAINT.

'CAUSE THERE'S JUST NOT THAT MANY.

AND THEN YOU JUST DO COMPLAINT BASIS AND AFTER A WHILE, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYBODY'S PARKING IN THEIR YARDS AGAIN.

SO COUNSELS IN THE PAST HAVE COME AND GONE WITH THIS ISSUE.

YEP.

I, YOU KNOW, I GET COMPLAINTS ABOUT TOO MUCH ENFORCEMENT BACK OFF SIX, SEVEN MONTHS LATER, A YEAR LATER UP NOW I'M GETTING ALL THESE COMPLAINTS 'CAUSE THERE'S NO ENFORCEMENT GEAR IT BACK UP THAT, THAT CREATES A REAL YO-YO POSITION WITH IT DOES THE STAFF.

AND THAT'S TOUGH.

THAT'S REALLY HARD ON THEM TO DO THAT.

IF WE WANT TO STAY WITH, BASED ON A COMPLAINT BASIS, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.

UH, OR AGAIN, IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT THE TOTALITY OF THE PROCESS, IF THEY'RE DRIVING AROUND AND THEY SEE SOMEBODY PARKED IN THE YARD, THEY SEND A NOTICE TO THE PROPERTY OWNER, THEY SEND A NOTICE.

WHOEVER'S GOT THE WATER UTILITIES, AS MY COLLEAGUE INDICATED, YOU KNOW, SHE'S GOT TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT NOTICES.

IT'S THE SAME NOTICE.

THEY FOLLOW UP 14 DAYS LATER AND IT'S COMPLIANT CASE IS CLOSED.

AND WE GO ON ABOUT, THEY GO ON ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS.

IF THERE'S STILL A VIOLATION, THEN THEY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE COURT.

THE COURT SENDS A SUMMONS, YOU GO TO THE JUDGE AND YOU EXPLAIN WHY, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE IN VIOLATION FOR 14 OR MORE DAYS OR IS IT A REPETITIVE ISSUE OR WHATEVER.

AND THEN THE, AND THEN IT'S DECIDED TO COURT.

AND THEN WE GO ON AND THERE'S PLENTY OF INFORMATION OUT THERE AS FAR AS DRIVEWAY EXPANSIONS.

I, I DON'T, I I AGREE.

YOU KNOW, AND WE DO THIS PERIODICALLY.

LET'S ATTACH THE, THIS FLYER TO THE WATER BILLS AGAIN AND SEND IT BACK OUT.

THIS IS A GENERAL NOTICE.

WE SHOULD DO THAT ANYWAY, SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

BUT THE, BUT THE CODE WAS PUT IN PLACE.

IT WAS TOUGH DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE AT THE TIME.

AND I THINK THE CITY'S HAS SEEN THE IMPROVEMENT BASED ON IT.

CAN IT BE GO AWRY FROM TIME TO TIME? YES, IT CAN.

BUT THAT'S WHY THERE'S SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITIZEN TO COME IN AND VISIT WITH TONY OR SEAN OR GO VISIT WITH THE JUDGES.

IF THEY GET A SUMMONS.

IT'S, IT'S WHEN PEOPLE IGNORE EVERYTHING AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GET FTAS OUT THERE, FAILURE TO APPEAR WARRANTS THAT JUST SIT

[00:40:01]

THERE.

THEY DON'T GO KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR.

AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GET STOPPED ONE DAY RUNNING A STOP SIGN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND A LITTLE RED FLAG GOES UP AND THEN THE CHIEF GETS TO FEED YOU THREE MEALS A DAY.

AND I HAVE TO JUMP ON THAT, COUNCILMAN.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHY THAT IF A CITATION IS ISSUED, IT'S CERTIFIED MAIL.

OBVIOUSLY IF A WARRANT IS ISSUED, IT'S CERTIFIED MAIL.

THAT WARRANT IS NOT FOR PARKING ON THE YARD.

IT'S NOT FOR TURNING YOUR LIBRARY BOOK IN LATE.

IT'S BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET A CITATION, THAT IS AN, THAT IS A ORDER TO APPEAR FROM THE JUDGE.

WHEN YOU DO NOT GO SEE JUDGE ESCALANTE, THEN, THEN IT WILL TURN INTO A WARRANT FOR FAILURE TO APPEAR.

CORRECT.

NOT FOR PARKING ON THE YARD.

NOPE.

WE'LL BE VERY CLEAR ON THAT.

YEP.

IS THAT CORRECT, JUDGE? ABSOLUTELY.

UM, AND I HAVE SOME COMMENTS THAT MIGHT CLARIFY SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE JUST DISCUSSED.

UM, THE FIRST IS WITH RESPECT TO THE ACTUAL VIOLATION, UH, THE CODE DOES SAY IT'S UNLAWFUL FOR ANY PERSON TO CAUSE SUFFER OR PERMIT.

UH, SO THOSE ARE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT COULD APPLY TO MULTIPLE PEOPLE.

AND THE, UH, SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE CODE PROVIDES A PRESUMPTION THAT THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO RESIDE CAUSED THE VIOLATION.

SO IN TALKING ABOUT THE WAY THE CODE IS, IS DESIGNED, UM, THAT MIGHT HELP CLARIFY SOME OF THESE ISSUES.

LET ME ASK MS. GRAHAM, SINCE YOU ARE ONE OF THE EXPERIENCED INDIVIDUALS HERE, WHEN YOU RECEIVED YOUR LETTER OF VIOLATION, WAS THERE A PICTURE I RECEIVED THREE IN ONE DAY AND YES, THE SAME PICTURE WAS ON ALL THREE LETTERS.

SO THE POINT BEING IS IF A VISITOR OR A GUEST OF YOU, OF, OF YOUR HOME WAS THE PERSON WHO WAS I GUESS PARKING ON THE YARD, LET'S SAY THEN YOU AS A HOMEOWNER, THEM AS THE REGISTERED VEHICLE OWNER, I GUESS IN THIS CASE, OR THE PERSON WHO HAS THE UTILITY BILL IN THEIR NAME, THEY WILL ALL RECEIVE IT.

ONE, ONE WILL SAY IT WAS YOU MM-HMM .

SO I BELIEVE, AS MS. GRAHAM ASKS, I THINK IT DOES PRESENT THAT FOR THE MOST PART, WHOEVER THE VIOLATOR IS, WILL BE NO, WILL BE GIVEN NOTICE IN SOME FORM OR FASHION.

UM, IF THERE'S ANY LANGUAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED WITH, IT SEEMS THAT THERE'S A, I HAVEN'T HEARD OF EVERY ONE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS A GENERAL CONSENSUS TO MOVE THIS TO BY ORDINANCE, NOT JUST BY, I DON'T WANT IT JUST BY THE CITY MANAGER BY ORDINANCE.

IF IT NEEDS TO BE CLEAN, UH, BE CORRECTED SO THAT THIS IS A COMPLAINT DRIVEN ORDINANCE, I WANT THAT DONE BY COUNCIL ACTION.

BUT WITH THAT IN MIND, IF THERE'S ANY LANGUAGE IN ITS CURRENT FORM OR FORM IN THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, THEN I'D ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY TO MAKE THOSE REVISIONS AND PRESENT THAT TO COUNSEL IN A CLEAN, IN A CLEAN ORDINANCE.

YES, SIR.

THAT FAIR? OKAY.

ANY, ANY OTHER? YES, MA'AM.

WELL, BEFORE YOU ASK, IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES, A COMMENT.

UM, MY ONLY ISSUE WITH THE ORDINANCE IS, UM, WITH THE INTENT STATING THAT THAT, THAT THE INTENT IS TO PRESERVE PROPERTY VALUES AND AESTHETICS OF NEIGHBORHOODS.

UM, NOT THAT I THINK THAT'S A BAD THING, HOWEVER, I THINK IT IS INCONSISTENT WITH, I MEAN, I, I GET CALLS ABOUT MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE HAS VINES GROWN UP? IT CAN YOU MAKE 'EM PULL THE VINES OFF THEIR HOUSE? IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD.

THAT'S JUST, THAT'S NEIGHBORHOOD AESTHETICS, YET WE DON'T ADDRESS THAT.

AND SO, UM, I THINK IT'S INCONSISTENT TO ADDRESS IT IN WITH REGARDS TO PARKING AND NOT TO OTHER THINGS.

UM, WITH RESPECT TO WHAT THE, THE GENTLEMAN SAID EARLIER, UM, I ALSO AGREE THAT IF WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT FLUIDS IN THE YARD, THE SAME FLUIDS IN THE BACKYARD ARE ALSO AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN.

UM, AND SO, UH, IF IT TRULY CAUSES, UH, CAN CAUSE UNDERGROUND UTILITY DAMAGE, UM, THEN I THINK IT, THAT WOULD APPLY TO THE LOT THAT WAS BEING TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.

THAT'S A COMMERCIAL LOT.

UM, AND SO IT JUST SEEMS INCONSISTENT TO ME IF, IF I COULDN'T PARK IN MY YARD, BUT A VACANT LOT NEXT DOOR CAN HAVE CARS PARKED ALL OVER IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT A QUOTE UNQUOTE YARD.

UM, AND SO, UM, I DON'T THINK I, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT WAS THE INTENT WHEN THIS WAS, WAS ORIGINALLY PASSED.

I JUST THINK THERE'S A LOT OF INCONSISTENCIES WITH HOW IT'S WRITTEN VERSUS OTHER ORDINANCES OR THE LACK OF OTHER ORDINANCES.

UM, AND SO I THINK WE MAY JUST NEED TO LOOK AT THIS, YOU KNOW, AS A WHOLE, UM, DO WE NEED TO ADDRESS PARKING IN IN VACANT LOTS? UM, IF IT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN AND WILL CAUSE UTILITY DAMAGE, THEN, THEN YEAH, MAYBE WE NEED TO TO ADDRESS IT ALL AT ONCE.

DO WE ADDRESS IT AS A WHOLE, UM, SO THAT WE'RE JUST CONSISTENT.

UM, AND SO I THINK I'D LIKE TO SEE MAYBE SOME FEEDBACK FROM STAFF ON HOW

[00:45:01]

YES, SIR.

UM, ACROSS THE CITY.

AND, AND COUNCILMAN AND, AND I WOULD AGREE, SO THE GARAGE SALE PERMIT AND THE PARKING ON YARD ORDINANCE WAS KIND OF THE INITIAL STEPS, IF YOU WANT TO SAY OF LIKE, 'CAUSE WE HAD CITIZENS, LIKE HOW, HOW DO WE CLEAN UP BAYTOWN? HOW DO WE CLEAN UP RUBBISH AND THINGS THAT JUST DE DEGRADE APPEARANCE REGARDLESS OF PROPERTY VALUES.

RIGHT? AND SO THIS WAS, THESE WERE KIND OF LIKE THE, I GUESS YOU'D SAY THE, THE, UM, PREFACE OR PRECURSORS TO LOOKING AT, AT OUR CITY AS A WHOLE, UH, PARTICULARLY WHERE, WHERE, UM, HOAS MAY NOT EXIST OR, OR, OR WHATEVER THAT MAY BE.

AND SO THIS IS WHERE WE STOPPED.

I MEAN, I WILL SAY THAT, AND, AND YOU CAN STILL SEE TODAY, IT STILL BECOME, IT'S STILL AN ISSUE AT THE END OF THE DAY.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TRYING TO COME UP WITH A HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU CALL, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO WE, YOU WORD THIS ORDINANCE, BUT LOOKS WE'LL JUST SAY LOOKS LIKE C WORD, RIGHT? AND HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ADDRESS PEOPLE WHO DO NOT, THEY DON'T WANNA BE YARD OF THE MONTH, THEY DON'T CARE.

THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY HAVE, THEY SAY, THIS IS MY HOME.

I I OWN IT AND I WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE THIS AND I'M PERFECTLY FINE WITH IT.

AND I THINK THAT'S THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD IS, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAVE A MANAGED HOA OR DEED RESTRICTIONS, LET'S SAY THEY ARE VOLUNTARILY SAYING, I LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THESE ARE THE COVENANTS THAT I'M WILLING TO ACCEPT.

WELL IN THE FUTURE THAT, YOU KNOW, HOLDS THOSE BUSINESSES ACCOUNTABLE TO KEEPING OUR CITY BEAUTIFUL.

WHEN YOU LIVE IN AN INCORPORATED CITY ANYWHERE IN TEXAS, RIGHT, YOU ASSUME THE SAME THING IN A HOME RULE CITY, IN A HOME RULE CITY, JUST SUCH AS, AS THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, YOU ARE ALSO ACCEPTING THE ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.

AND, AND IF THAT'S PARKING ON YARD OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, YOU ARE, YOU ARE ACCEPTING OF THAT, RIGHT? AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A FAIR ORDINANCE.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE A PART OF A COMMUNITY.

AND IT'S, IT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT AN ISLAND.

YOU'RE NOT ALL BY YOURSELF.

YOU ARE PART OF A BAYTOWN COMMUNITY.

LIKE ANY ORDINANCE, WE CAN'T WRITE AN ORDINANCE FOR ONE PROPERTY.

WE HAVE TO WRITE IT FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.

WE HAD, WE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU COULD HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL, I'LL JUST SAY IF, IF, UH, DISTRICT ONE SAYS I DON'T WANT THAT ORDINANCE IN MY DISTRICT, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY BE THE ONE THAT SUFFERS THE MOST FROM THE, THE SITUATION, WELL, WE CAN'T WRITE AN ORDINANCE LIKE THAT, RIGHT? IT HAS TO APPLY TO EVERYBODY, BUT IT HAS TO APPLY TO THEM FAIRLY.

SO I WOULD LIKE US TO, TO ENSURE THAT IT IS CITIZEN DRIVEN SO THAT THE CITY IS IN A SENSE, NOT THE BAD GUY.

IT HAS TO BE ENFORCEABLE AND IT HAS TO BE FAIR.

SO THAT'S WHERE I WOULD LIKE US TO GET WITH THIS COUNCIL.

THAT'S WHAT THE DISCUSSION IS ABOUT THIS EVENING.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS, BUT, BUT YES, YOU'RE RIGHT.

I MEAN, IT'S PART OF THE BIGGER, THERE'S A, THERE WAS A, A BIGGER INITIATIVE, BUT THAT WAS KIND OF THE FIRST BITE AT TRYING TO GO.

AND WE HAD, LIKE I SAID, WE HAD LOTS OF, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS THAT SAY WE DON'T HAVE, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A MANAGED HOA, SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR ANY RELIEF FROM FROM DECAY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THAT'S WHERE IT'S AT.

SO, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I KNOW YOU HAD ONE, MS. MS. RADO, MS I'M WAITING TO SEE IF THEY HAVE COMMENTS.

THIS IS THE TIME.

ANYBODY ELSE, BUT WHAT I NEED Y'ALL TO DO IS PROVIDE DIRECTION FOR ANY TYPE OF ORDINANCE, AMENDMENTS, OR REVISION LANGUAGE.

UM, MYSELF, LIKE I SAID, I SUPPORT CERTAINLY THAT THAT IS A CITIZEN COMPLAINT DRIVEN ORDINANCE.

SO I, I, GO AHEAD.

YES, I DO FEEL LIKE THE, THE, UM, COMPLAINT DRIVEN WILL WORK EVEN WHEN YOU THINK OF, UM, UH, PEOPLE PARKING, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

THAT'LL WORK AS WELL.

UM, TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, UH, I UNDERSTAND CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS DON'T HAVE HOA, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE A MAKESHIFT HOA FOR THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL.

UM, SO I THINK, I FEEL WE ARE IN A, WE'RE IN A GOOD DIRECTION WITH THE COMPLAINT DRIVEN.

UM, I THINK IT, IT COULD STRIKE A, A HEALTHY BALANCE IF IT, IF IT'S DONE CORRECTLY.

AND WE'RE, UM, FROM WHAT I READ IN THE PAST, UH, I THINK IT WAS A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE, UH, RICK DAVIS SPECIFICALLY SAID THAT THIS, THIS YARD ORDINANCE WAS TO TARGET JUNK CARS.

SO THAT WAS THE SPIRIT OF THE ORDINANCE WAS HABITUAL JUNK CARS IN FRONT YARDS.

UM, AND I ALSO WANNA TOUCH ON THE JACOB, JACOB AND, UH, LORD'S POINT ABOUT COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES PARKING ON THE YARD.

BECAUSE IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS AT A LAKE WHERE THERE'S CERTAIN BUSINESS THAT'S HABITUALLY PARKING ON THE YARD AND IN THE PROCESS THEY'RE DAMAGING CITY PROPERTY.

SO I THINK THAT STRIKES, THAT SENDS AN INCONSISTENT, DEFINITELY SENDS AN INCONSISTENT MESSAGE TO THE NEIGHBORS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH THIS ORDINANCE, BUT THE, THESE BUSINESSES ARE RUNNING FREE, UH, JUST PARKING AND, UH, WITHOUT ANY EGRESS AND JUST MAKING UP THEIR OWN EGRESS.

AND UM, UH, SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO SEE SOMETHING AS

[00:50:01]

AND, AND ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I, I'VE HEARD SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT, AND IT IS PEOPLE WHO SQUEEZE TOO MANY CARS ON THE FRONT DRIVEWAY DESIGNED FOR FOUR, AND THEY HAVE SIX, UH, AND THEY'RE DOOR TO DOOR.

'CAUSE UH, THERE'S A COUPLE PROPERTIES I'VE SEEN THAT ARE IN, IN, IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE LIKE THAT.

SO IS THERE A WAY TO KIND OF, THAT, THAT KIND OF MAKES IT LOOK BAD? 'CAUSE IT JUST LOOKS LIKE A PARKING LOT, NOT A, NOT A DRIVEWAY.

AND THAT REALLY HURTS THE HURTS, THE, THE AESTHETICS.

SO THAT SUBDIVISIONS ALSO IS THERE, I MEAN, THAT HAPPENS A LOT, SO I KNOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE REGISTERED VEHICLES AND SOME OF THOSE PROBABLY AREN'T REGISTERED, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT COULD BE ALSO ADDRESSED IN THAT ORDINANCE TOO.

SURE.

WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND KEEP IN MIND, COUNSEL, THERE'S AN ABANDONED VEHICLE ORDINANCE THAT ALREADY EXISTS THAT'S SEPARATE FROM, FROM WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TONIGHT.

SO, YEP.

WELL ON THAT, THAT ONE, THESE VEHICLES HAVE TAGS.

NO, I THINK, I THINK THERE'S, I CAN TELL YOU, AND THEY'RE TEMPORARY TAGS.

IT'S THAT, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE WITH, WITH ONE ORDINANCE, IT'S ABOUT IT'S VEHICLE OP OPERATIONAL, IS IT ROAD WORTHY? IS IT, IS IT, IS IT, UH, LICENSE TO BE ON THE ROAD? THAT THOSE ARE, THOSE, THOSE ARE ALSO SEPARATE ISSUES.

UM, I THINK THERE, I THINK THE, THE LOT, THE EMPTY LOT WITH MULTIPLE CARS, I KNOW THAT THERE'S CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU KNOW, THAT SOMEBODY HAS A LOT AND THEY SAY, HEY, COME BRING YOUR PONTOON AND YOUR JET SKIS AND EVERYTHING ELSE PARKED ON IT.

AND, AND WE GET THOSE COMPLAINTS.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MS. ALVARADO WAS MENTIONING TO, TO KIND OF LOOK AT THAT.

I JUST WANNA FINISH MY THOUGHT.

GO.

UM, JUST TO SUMMARIZE EVERYTHING, I, I HOPE WE COME TO A CONSENSUS ON ALL THIS, BUT I DO WANT TO, UM, JUST SAY OUT LOUD, I AGREE WITH POWELL AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE SAID ABOUT THE INCONSISTENCIES FOR ME, IT BOTHERS ME A LOT, UM, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE LOOK AT COMMERCIAL LOTS AND ALL THOSE.

SO YES, I KNOW WHAT OUR FOCUS IS TODAY.

UM, FOR ME, I JUST WANT CLARITY IN THE LETTERS AND BETTER COMMUNICATION, UM, AND COMPLAINT DRIVEN, JUST SO YOU'LL KNOW THE CONSENSUS OF WHERE I STAND WITH THAT.

BUT I ALSO LIKE THE FACT THAT IT'S OPENED UP THE DISCUSSION FOR WHAT DO WE DO WITH ALL THE OTHER SITUATIONS SUCH AS COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AND EMPTY LOTS BECAUSE, UM, THE WAY THAT OUR TOWN IS ZONED AND BUILT UP AND THERE'S SO MANY, UM, DIFFERENT TYPES OF ZONES THAT INTERMINGLE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMERCIAL AND NEXT TO THE RESIDENTIAL, IT'S HARD FOR A CITIZEN TO, TO GET A VIOLATION LIKE THIS AND THEN LOOK NEXT DOOR.

AND SO I KNOW I'M JUST BEING REPETITIVE AT THIS POINT, BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP THE INCONSISTENCIES.

OKAY? YES MA'AM.

I KNOW YOU HAVE COMMENT.

SO MY FINAL TWO THINGS.

YES, I THINK ALL YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE HAD, AND THEY HAD, THEY HAD BETTER DISCUSSION.

SO I KNOW I WAITED PATIENTLY.

I CAN COME BACK TO YOU AND I'M GONNA TRY TO SPEAK UP.

WHOLE, WHETHER IT'S FRONT OR BACK, UM, BECAUSE, UH, AGAIN, THEY HAVE THIS TALL WOODEN FENCE AND, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE VEHICLES EITHER WAY, AND THEY'RE ALL SCATTERED ABOUT THE FRONT YARD.

BUT , UM, AND IT WENT KIND OF IN LINE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, GRAHAM, WHEN IF IT IS COMPLAINT DRIVEN AND YOU GO INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD, CHECK, CHECK THIS OUT.

THIS IS MORE OF A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.

SO I GO TO HOUSE A AND I TAKE THE DOCUMENTATION, YES, THEY'RE ON THE YARD, BUT HOUSE B, C, AND D OFFICER ON THE YARD, ARE YOU SOLELY GOING TO ADDRESS A SINCE THEY WERE THE ONLY ONES THAT WERE COMPLAINT DRIVEN? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

'CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST AND SO WHERE EVERYBODY ELSE GET, YOU KNOW, GETS A VIOLATION.

BUT I JUST WANTED A, A CLARIFICATION THAT YOU'RE ARE ONLY ADDRESSING THE ONES THAT WERE COMPLAINT DRIVEN.

NOW WHAT WILL MOSTLY HAPPEN IS THAT PERSON IS GONNA SEE THEIR VIOLATION AND SAY, WELL, HOW'S BCDA? AND HE ALSO HAVE IT, THEY NEED A VIOLATION.

BUT THAT'S GOOD.

THEY COULD FILE A COMPLAINT THAT'S UP TO THE COMPLAINT.

UH, COMPLAIN.

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.

COMPLAINT.

UM, AND AS FAR AS, BE NICE TO YOUR NEIGHBORS TOO.

BE NICE TO YOUR NEIGHBORS.

I KNOW NEIGHBORS BE NICE TO YOUR NEIGHBORS.

UM, THE WHOLE PAPER TAGS, I MEAN, THAT'S GONNA GO AWAY WITH THE, THE WHAT NAME WITH THE TEXAS, UM, ORDINANCE, THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT PASSED.

THEY, THEY'RE GONNA DO AWAY WITH PAPER OR UH, PAPER TAGS, BECAUSE I KNOW ON, UM, GRESHAM, UM, I HAVE A CITIZEN THERE THAT CONTINUES TO COMPLAIN, WHICH HE HAS A RIGHT TO, UM, ABOUT A HOUSE IN FRONT OF HIM THAT PROBABLY EVERY WEEK THESE VEHICLES HAVE NEW PAPER TAGS, , AND OR EVERY TIME ONE EXPIRES.

LO AND BEHOLD, THEY HAVE ANOTHER PAPER TAG.

SO WE'RE HOPING THAT ADDRESSES IT.

UM, BUT, UH, I, I DON'T WANNA MUDDY THE WATERS ANYMORE, BUT THIS PARTICULAR, UM, HOME, AND I KNOW WE'VE REPORTED IT SEVERAL TIMES, THEY HAVE A FENCE AND, UM, AND IT COVERS THE FRONT YARD, BUT THEY HAVE VEHICLES BEHIND THAT FENCE.

SO IF WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS BACKYARDS JUST THROUGH THE YARD AS A

[00:55:01]

UM, THE, THE CITIZEN FEELS THAT IT'S OPERATING AN ILLEGAL, UM, BUSINESS THERE FOR CAR REPAIRS.

BUT I KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAVE GONE OUT, Y'ALL HAVE NOT FOUND ANY VIOLATIONS.

BUT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS AS A WHOLE AND IN, AND STAYING IN THE SPIRIT OF WHAT THIS SHOULD BE, UM, IF THOSE CARS ARE PARKED ON THE GRASS, THEN THEY SHOULD ALSO BE CITED.

WELL, ONLY THING, ONLY THING I WOULD HAVE TO COMMENT ON THAT.

OKAY, SO THE BACKYARD, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHY WE, IT WAS HARDER FOR US TO ENFORCE THE BACKYARD WHEN THE ORDINANCE WAS WRITTEN.

IT WAS, HE HAD THE FRONT, THE, I GUESS IT'S THE MOST, I GUESS THE EX, THE, THE EXTERIOR, THE VERY FIRST POINT OF THE EXTERIOR STRUCTURE TO THE STREET IN FRONT OF THE HOME.

AND THEN YOU HAD CORNER PROPERTIES, WHICH MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT.

BUT IT WAS, IF THE VEHICLE, OR WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, IT COULD BE A BOAT IS BEHIND THAT FACADE OF THE FRONT HO PART OF THE HOME, THEN BASICALLY FENCE OR NO FENCE, THEN THEY'RE NOT IN VIOLATION.

AND SO WHEN WE, BY GOING AND LOOKING AT ENFORCING THE BACKYARD, ME PERSONALLY, WE'RE OPENING A CAN OF WORMS ON THAT.

I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO PURSUE THAT.

I DON'T WANT CARS IN THE BACKYARD, BUT THEN WE'RE OPENING A WHOLE DIFFERENT CAN OF WORMS. I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THEY'D CONSIDER SEPARATELY.

LET'S GET THROUGH THIS RIGHT NOW, WOULD BE WHAT I WOULD, WHAT I WOULD, WOULD SUGGEST IF THERE'S A FENCE AROUND THEIR FRONT YARD.

WELL, THERE'S SOME PEOPLE, YOU'RE NOT REALLY SUPPOSED TO FENCE YOUR ENTIRE FRONT YARD IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS YOU CAN'T DO IT AT ALL.

BUT, UM, I MEAN, YOU CAN GET THROUGH ISSUES ABOUT PERMITTING AND OTHER THINGS.

UM, I DON'T, WITH TWO MINUTES LEFT, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THAT DISCUSSION, BUT, BUT YES, IT COULD, IT COULD BE AN IMPROPERLY ERECTED FENCE.

AND REAL QUICK COMMANDERS, UH, YEAH, I KNOW THAT LAW IS COMING ON THAT, BUT A LOT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING INTERNET CAR SALES NOW.

SO THEY'RE USING THAT AS THEIR STORAGE LOT AS THE FRONT YARD.

AND THAT'S WHAT THAT GUY'S DOING WHEN HE HAS 12 VEHICLES PARKED IN THE FRONT YARD AND HE'S SELLING THEM REPEATEDLY AND HE'S ALWAYS HAVING 12 THERE.

THAT'S NO, YEAH, I KNOW MINE, MINE IS MINE.

THEY'RE BUYING 'EM AT AUCTION.

BRING 'EM.

AND THEN SELLING 'EM WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

SO IT JUST CONSTANTLY STAYS FULL.

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE COMMENTS? NOT CITY MANAGER, UH, MAYOR, I'M GONNA LET SABRINA SUMMARIZE ALL THE POINTS SO THAT WE CAN, UH, MAKE SURE WE'RE CAPTURING OKAY.

THE STUFF FOR OUR NEXT STEPS.

SO EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE TO BRING BACK IS, UH, REEVALUATING THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AND VACANT LOTS.

UH, POSSIBLE CLARIFICATION ON SERVICES AND WHAT IS AN ALLOWED SURFACE REVIEW DEVELOPMENT, UH, REGULATIONS FOR FUTURE PARKING, REVISIT, SIMPLIFYING THE NOTICE LETTERS AND CLARIFYING THEM, UH, AS WELL AS A BLAST OF THE COMMUNITY FOR EDUCATION.

UH, OH, THAT WAS MY SUGGESTIONS.

CITATIONS, UH, COULD BE ALL CERTIFIED LETTERS LOOKING INTO THAT COMPLETE DRIVEN, UH, ORDINANCE, OFFICIALLY ADOPTED BY COUNSEL, BUT ALSO REVISIT THE ACTUAL REASONS WHY WE'RE HAVING THE ORDINANCE AND MAKE IT MORE CLEAR.

DID I MISS ANYTHING? GREAT JOB.

SO ANY, ANY OTHER CLOSING COMMENTS? IF NOT, WE'LL REVISIT THAT I GUESS IN SOME FORM OR FASHION AT A FUTURE MEETING.

GIVE US, I MEAN, I, I DON'T WANNA SET A DATE, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.

I JUST GIVE US THE APPROPRIATE TIME.

WE WILL PUT STUFF TOGETHER AND BRING IT BACK FOR ANOTHER WORK SESSION.

WE, Y'ALL HAVE A FOLIAGE AGENDA AHEAD OF YOU FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, SO IT'LL BE MIXED IN SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY.

SO BEING THAT, THAT'S OUR ONLY WORK SESSION AGENDA ITEM, IT IS SIX 30, BUT I WILL SAY, UH, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA RECESS AND WE'LL RECONVENE IN FIVE MINUTES.