* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          WE HAVE A WORK SESSION. 
          [00:00:01]
SO, UM, AND I'LL CALL THIS MEETING OF THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL, OR THE WORK SESSION WITH THE BAY BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL ORDER. 
          IT IS 5:41 PM UH, AGAIN, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. 
          UH, WE 
          [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.]
HAVE CITIZEN COMMENTS. 
          UH, FOR ITEM ONE, DO WE HAVE ANYONE THAT HAS SIGNED UP FOR CITIZEN COMMENTS? YES. 
          NOPE. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          UH, SO WE MOVE ON 
          [a.  Discuss the feasibility, benefits and potential challenges of implementing a sewer cap on water bills.]
TO ITEM TWO A, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION, UH, DISCUSS THE FEASIBILITY BENEFITS AND POTENTIAL CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING A SEWER CAP ON WATER BILLS. 
          IT HAS YOUR NAME HERE, MR. CITY MANAGER. 
          GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. 
          UM, BEFORE YOU, OR TONIGHT OR FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR SO, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT A, UH, TEMPORARY SUMMER RELIEF, UH, UH, AS IT PERTAINS TO, UH, WATER AND SEWER BILLS. 
          UM, THE PURPOSE, UH, THE PURPOSE OF THE DISCUSSION THIS AFTERNOON IS TO GO OVER A TEMPORARY RELIEF, UH, FOR SEWER USAGE IN THE FY 24 SUMMER. 
          UM, IN AN EFFORT TO, UH, GAIN BETTER DIRECTION, STAFF WILL PRESENT THE OPTION OF RETURNING THE SEWER CAP. 
          THIS WILL ASSIST THE TEAM IN BETTER PLANNING FOR OUR FINANCES IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER THIS YEAR, ALONG WITH PREPARATIONS AROUND THE FY 25 BUDGET AND FUTURE WATER SEWER RATE DISCUSSIONS. 
          UM, I WANT TO NOTE THAT NOTHING HAS TO BE ACTED ON TONIGHT, NOR DO YOU NEED TO GIVE STAFF DIRECTION. 
          WE ARE FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT COUNCIL ASKED TO SEE. 
          REGARDLESS IF A PATH IS DECIDED TODAY, STAFF WILL HAVE A MORE, UH, EXTENSIVE CONVERSATION AROUND THIS TOPIC, UH, DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, UH, LATER THIS YEAR. 
          SO WITH THAT, THE WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU IS REALLY JUST ONE SCENARIO, UH, A SCENARIO. 
          THE SEWER CAP OPTION WAS PREVIOUS, PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, AND WILL ACTUALLY BE THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE THAT WE ARE BRINGING UP TONIGHT. 
          UH, THE SEWER CAP ALSO ADDRESSES SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT THE CITIZENS, UM, HAVE PUT FORWARD, UH, THAT Y'ALL HAVE HEARD FROM, THAT STAFF HAS HEARD FROM. 
          AND THAT FEEDBACK IS AROUND THAT THE, UM, NOT ALL OF THE WATER THAT IS USED, UH, BY THE RESIDENTS IS ACTUALLY GOING INTO OUR SEWAGE SYSTEM. 
          AND SO WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WAS IN PLACE BEFORE, BRING IT BACK, HAVE ANOTHER FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION ON IT, AND SHOW THE IMPACTS, AND THEN JUST HAVE A, UH, A DEBRIEF OR A, A ELONGATED DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNSEL ON THE OPTIONS IN FRONT OF YOU. 
          UM, AND SO ONE THING I WANNA GO OVER FIRST THOUGH IS WHY THE SEWER CAP WAS REMOVED PREVIOUSLY. 
          SO I, I BELIEVE THIS WAS 2022, UM, WHEN THIS WAS ENACTED OR WAS CHANGED, AND THEN IT WENT INTO EFFECT IN 23. 
          AND THEN LAST YEAR WE ALL GOT CALLS ABOUT, UH, ELEVATED WATER, SEWER BILLS OR UTILITY BILLS. 
          AND THEN, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL HAD ASKED, OKAY, WHAT'S THERE, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED? AND WHY THIS WAS PUT IN PLACE WAS ONE TO DISINCENTIVIZE PEOPLE FROM USING EXCESS WATER. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE DRASTIC CHANGES ONCE YOU START GOING OVER THE AVERAGE. 
          THE AVERAGE USE THAT WE HAVE IS ROUGHLY SIX TH 6,000 GALLONS. 
          UM, AND SO ONCE YOU START GOING OVER OVER 6,000, YOU CAN SEE IT DOUBLES AT 12,000, GOES UP PRETTY GOOD AT 15,000, 20,000 AND 40,000 FOR THE, THE SEWER BILLS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF YOU. 
          AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, WE HAD RATE STUDIES, UH, THAT WERE DONE TO ADDRESS WATER SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE ITEMS, AND WE NEEDED TO RAISE SOME OF OUR UTILITY RATES. 
          AND SO THOSE WERE THE TWO MAIN FACTORS THAT WERE DRIVING WHY THE SEWER CAP WAS, UM, REMOVED IN THE PAST OR IN 2022. 
          AND THIS HELPED DISINCENTIVIZE PEOPLE USE IN EXCESS WATER. 
          IT BROUGHT IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE WITHOUT PUTTING THE BURDEN ON THE OTHER, UH, USERS IN THE CITY. 
          AND SO, UM, I DO WANT TO STATE THAT WHEN WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT ALL THESE, THESE FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS TODAY, OR JUST THIS ONE SLIDE REALLY, UM, THIS IS NOT A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OR COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF THE FINANCIAL SCENARIO THAT WE ARE AT. 
          IT'S TO GIVE YOU A GENERAL OVERVIEW SO THAT WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSIONS AND SEE WHAT INFORMATION IS NEEDED BACK FROM YOU, UH, IF WE WANT TO TAKE A PATH FORWARD. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, IF YOU NOTE UP THERE, THERE'S A LITTLE CAVEAT. 
          THIS IS NOT INCLUDE THE SEWER FEES OF $12 AND 4 CENTS. 
          IF YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGE BILL OF 6,000, USE $40 AND 44 CENTS, THAT IS STRICTLY FOR THE SEWAGE PORTION OF THE CONVERSATION, OKAY? THE WATER IS STILL, UH, ROUGHLY PARALLEL TO THAT. 
          UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE, UM, THIS IS JUST ACTUALLY THE USAGE AND WHAT THE FEE PER U OR PER THOUSAND GALLONS WOULD, UH, EQUATE TO WHEN, WHEN THAT'S SAID AND DONE. 
          [00:05:01]
SO BREAKING THAT DOWN FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AT THIS POINT, AS I SAID, THE AVERAGE USE IS 6,000 GALLONS. 
          IF YOU KEEP THE CAP OR IF YOU REMOVE THE CA OR EXCUSE ME, IF YOU PUT THE CAP BACK ON, THAT DOESN'T REALLY IMPACT THOSE HOMES. 
          IF YOU GO DOWN THE 12,000 GALLONS WHERE THE CAP WAS AT BEFORE, IT AGAIN STAYS AT ROUGHLY THE SAME. 
          IT'S WHEN YOU START GOING OVER 12,000 GALLONS AT THIS POINT THAT YOU START SEEING A CHANGE IN THE FINANCIAL SCENARIOS. 
          SO IF YOU USE 15,000 GALLONS AS A HOME, YOU'RE CURRENTLY PAYING, OR YOU CURRENTLY WOULD PAY $101 ESTIMATED, UH, FOR THAT SEWER PORTION, SEWAGE PORTION OF YOUR BILL, IF YOU WENT BACK TO THE CAP, YOU WOULD BE MAXED OUT AT $80 AND 88 CENTS. 
          AND I WON'T GO DOWN EACH OF THE LISTS THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU CAN SEE THAT. 
          UM, BUT IT STARTS, IT STARTS TO BE A BIG DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE, THE 20,040,000 BASED ON WHAT THE CAP IS. 
          SO FOR THE COUNCIL TO MAKE A POLICY DECISION, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE FINANCIAL IMPACT THAT THIS WOULD HAVE IF WE JUST PUT THIS IN PLACE FOR THE THREE MONTHS OF THE SUMMER. 
          UM, AND SO IF YOU PUT THIS IN PLACE FROM JUNE TO AUGUST, THAT WOULD ROUGHLY COST THE UTILITY OF THE WATER SEWER FUND ROUGHLY $300,000. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS HAD BEEN AROUND 120 WITH Y'ALL, UH, ACTUAL FINANCIALS THAT WE GOT. 
          AND ACTUALLY HAVING A DETAILED ANALYSIS TURNED THIS AROUND TO ROUGHLY 300 OR UP TO $300,000. 
          I THINK IT'S 260 BASED OFF LAST YEAR'S DATA, BUT, UH, IT CAN FLUCTUATE ANYWHERE DEPENDING ON THE USE UP TO $300,000. 
          NOW, HOW IT IMPACTS THE HOMES A LITTLE BIT IS A LITTLE BIT VARIABLE. 
          IN JUNE, IT'S ROUGHLY 2% OF OUR HOMES THAT WOULD PAY OVER THE 12% OR THE 12,000 GALLONS OF ROUGHLY 430 HOMES USE OVER 12,000 GALLONS IN JUNE. 
          HISTORICALLY, IN JULY, IT JUMPS UP TO AROUND 800 HOMES. 
          SO ROUGHLY 5% OF OUR HOMES, UH, USE MORE THAN 12,000 GALLONS. 
          AND THEN IN AUGUST IT JUMPS UP TO 2,500 HOMES. 
          SO THEN YOU HAVE ROUGHLY 10 TO 15%, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY HOMES THAT MONTH ARE ACTUALLY GOING OVER THE $12,000 OR 12,000 GALLON, UH, USAGE AT THAT POINT. 
          OVERALL, IT'S NOT A LARGE PORTION OF THE CITY THAT THAT USES THIS AMOUNT. 
          UM, AT MOST IT LOOKS TO BE 10 TO 15% THAT GO OVER 12,000 GALLONS. 
          AND WITH THAT, UM, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PROS AND CONS THAT WE HAVE. 
          AND I'M NOT, AGAIN, GONNA GO OVER THIS WHOLE LIST OR THIS LIST IN FRONT OF YOU. 
          UH, IT'S JUST MORE OF A TALKING POINT FOR YOU. 
          UH, THE BIGGEST PRO IS THAT IT PROVIDES RELIEF TO SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS. 
          THE BIGGEST CON IS THAT IT'S GONNA BE A FINANCIAL IMPACT THAT THE CITY HAS TO ABSORB AT SOME POINT, UM, BE IT, UH, RIGHT AFTER THE, THE SUMMER OR WITHIN THE NEW RATE STRUCTURE. 
          WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FY 25 BUDGET AT THIS POINT, THIS, THIS LOSS OF REVENUE WOULD BE CO COVERED BY THE RE UH, BY THE RESERVE FUND AT THIS POINT IN TIME. 
          UM, AND, BUT THAT DOES GIVE THE, THE CITY COUNCIL SOME TIME TO, UH, LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT IS AT PLAY AND ACTUALLY SEE WHAT THE REVENUE NUMBERS CAME IN LIKE FOR THE, FOR THE YEAR. 
          YOU CAN MAKE A BETTER, UH, INFORMED DECISION AT THAT POINT IN TIME WHEN WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. 
          AND SO WHAT WE WOULD WANT TO KNOW AS WE MOVE INTO WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS IS, UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT COUNSEL WOULD WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH NOW? UM, IF SO, WE WOULD BRING BACK ACTION, UH, AS A RESOLUTION. 
          I'M NOT AUTHORIZED TO, UH, TO PUT THIS IN PLAY. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO VOTE ON A RESOLUTION BECAUSE IT IS FOREGOING REVENUE, UH, THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE BY THE PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED, UH, REVENUE RATES. 
          UM, AND THEN ANY LOSS OF REVENUE, UH, WOULD HAVE TO BE OFFSET BY A BUDGET AMENDMENT AS WELL SO THAT IT COULD BE TRANSFERRED OUT OF THE RESERVES. 
          AND WITH THAT, UM, I WILL TURN THAT OVER TO SABRINA. 
          AM I TURNING IT OVER TO SABRINA? THAT'S FINE. 
          WE JUST WANNA KICK OFF THE DISCUSSION WITH, DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US? I'M GONNA MAKE SURE WE SCRIBE THEM SO WE CATCH 'EM. 
          NO, UH, WE'LL SAY, UM, I DO APPRECIATE STAFF COMING BACK. 
          I KNOW WE HAVE LOTS OF ITEMS THE PAST FEW MONTHS TO TALK ABOUT. 
          UM, AND SO IT'S BEEN 90 DAYS OR SO SINCE, SINCE I ASKED FOR THIS TO, TO BE A, AT LEAST A COUNCIL WORK SESSION ITEM. 
          I WANNA HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          OBVIOUSLY WE HEAR FROM, UH, OUR CITIZENS CERTAINLY LAST SUMMER, UM, WHEN WITH NO CAP AND RE REGARDLESS OF, UH, I'M SURE EVERY SITUATION WAS DIFFERENT FOR EVERY CITIZEN IN THEIR YARD, BUT DURING THE SUMMER, PEOPLE USE MORE WATER FOR WHATEVER 
          [00:10:01]
REASON. 
          UH, SOMETIMES IT, IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT IS TRULY MECHANICAL OR A LEAK OR SOMETHING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S NOT. 
          IT LEAVES US ALL SCRATCH ON OUR HEADS, UH, WHEN SOMEBODY OBVIOUSLY GETS A, A, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY HIGH EXCESSIVE BILL WHEN YOU AND YOU TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY. 
          YES, SIR. 
          UM, AND SO, AND THOSE ARE, SOMETIMES THOSE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. 
          I DO LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU DID GIVE A, AN IDEA TO SCALE AT LEAST ON AVERAGE, YOU KNOW, 12,000 GALLONS OR MORE, WHICH IS PRETTY A LOT. 
          IT'S A LOT OF WATER USAGE IN A SENSE, BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE VERY LARGE FAMILIES. 
          UM, KIND OF WHAT DOES THAT REALLY LOOK LIKE AS FAR AS THE AMOUNT OF HOMES OR IN OUR FAMILIES THAT IT MAY IMPACT. 
          AND SO THAT, THAT'S HELPFUL TO ME. 
          UM, I'D LIKE TO HEAR COUNCIL, UH, JUST PROVIDE THEIR, THEIR PERSPECTIVES ON A SEWER CAP. 
          I MEAN, THAT'S THE MAIN RIGHT, UH, IDEA OF THIS DISCUSSION. 
          I DO PRE APPRECIATE THE PROS AND CONS THAT YOU PRESENTED. 
          OBVIOUSLY WITH THE FUTURE DECISIONS WE MAKE, UM, IT WILL EITHER COMPACT ALREADY OTHER, UM, CHALLENGES THAT WE'LL HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO WATER AND SEWER RATES. 
          UM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING FOR US TO CONSIDER. 
          SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW. 
          UM, BUT I WOULD, I DO, MY PERSONAL OPINION IS I WOULD LIKE TO, I, I'D LIKE TO, TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF, UM, I GUESS CONTROL MECHANISM FOR OUR CITIZENS WHERE, UM, SEWER DOES HAVE SOME LEVEL OF THRESHOLD, UM, WHERE THEY DON'T, WHERE IT WILL PREVENT, EVEN IF IT'S FOR 400 OR 2,500, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHERE IT DOES PREVENT SOME OUTRAGEOUS BILL. 
          RIGHT? RIGHT. 
          I THINK, UH, TO YOUR POINT, MAYOR, UH, LAST YEAR WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, I THINK Y'ALL WERE ALL IN AGREEANCE THAT THAT WAS NOT THE INTENT OF THE BILL OR OF THE RATES THAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE IT TOO ASTRONOMICAL FOR ANY RESIDENT. 
          THERE WAS A DISINCENTIVE, BUT IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE SO ASTRONOMICAL THAT IT WAS A BURDEN, UM, ON THE POCKETBOOK. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO ANYWAY, WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN UP FOR DISCUSSION. 
          I JUST FIND IT INTRIGUING A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS, UM, WE TALK ABOUT THE CITY AND THEN THE CITIZENS, BUT I MEAN, THE CITIZENS ARE THE CITY. 
          IT, IT'S THE SAME THING. 
          AND SO, UM, IT'S THE SAME BANK ACCOUNT THAT PER SE, RIGHT? YES. 
          SO FOR ME, OBVIOUSLY, I, I THINK EVERYONE UP HERE WANTS TO SAVE CITIZENS MONEY, BUT THE END OF THE DAY, THE BUDGET IS THE BUDGET. 
          AND OF COURSE, I WANNA PUT A CAP, UM, ON SEWER IF IT'S GOING TO HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE, WHO HAVE MORE LIMITED BUDGETS, RIGHT? UM, MAYBE SMALLER HOUSEHOLDS, THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO I LIKE THIS DISCUSSION, BUT I JUST WANNA KEEP IT IN MIND FOR EVERYONE IN THE ROOM THAT, I MEAN, THE CITY IS THE CITIZENS AND ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, LIKE I WAS LOOKING RIGHT HERE AT THE BOTTOM WHERE IT SAYS IT'S NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT OR YEAH, RIGHT HERE, THE, OR UP THERE. 
          WELL, I DUNNO WHERE Y'ALL PUT IT, IT TOOK OFF. 
          BUT THE SSO, THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH, OH, THANK YOU. 
          UM, THE CONS. 
          SO IT'S NOT ADDRESSING THE SSO ACTION PLAN AT, AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, THE CITY SLASH CITIZENS, WE'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE THIS. 
          SO IF WE CAN SOMEHOW, UM, PUT THE SEWER CAP ON TO HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING ON THOSE LIMITED BUDGETS, UM, THAT'S GREAT, BUT WHERE ELSE IS THAT GOING TO EAT INTO THE, TO THE OTHER AREAS OF THE BUDGET, I GUESS IS A BIGGER QUESTION, RIGHT? AT SOME POINT, THE MONEY WILL IMPACT SOMEBODY, SOME CITIZEN, RIGHT? SO, UM, I GUESS, DID YOU WANT TO ANSWER OR JUST TALK OUT LOUD RIGHT NOW? JUST TALKING OUT LOUD. 
          OKAY. 
          JUST THE WIND. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          YES SIR. 
          AND, AND I'LL JUMP IN. 
          MAYOR DID GO BACK TO YOUR FIRST SLIDE. 
          UM, MY BIGGEST CONCERN, AND, AND I THINK JAY TOUCHED ON IT, THE CITY MANAGER, CITY MANAGER TOUCHED ON IT. 
          SORRY ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, OR IS, ARE SENIOR CITIZENS THERE LI LIMITED? YES. 
          RESOURCES AND INCOME. 
          I'M RETIRED, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT LIMITED RESOURCES NOW. 
          UM, BUT 12,000 GALLONS OF WATER, WHETHER YOU HAVE A CAP OR NOT, UP TO 12,000, IT, IT'S NO DIFFERENT. 
          SO THAT'S A LOT OF WATER. 
          NOW, WHEN WE ENACTED AND TOOK THE CAP OFF, WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE ABOUT TO GO INTO ONE OF THE WORST DROUGHTS THAT WE'D HAD IN 15 YEARS IN THIS AREA. 
          SO, UH, THAT HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. 
          WE ALSO HAD THE ANOMALIES THAT POPPED UP THAT ALWAYS POP UP DURING A HARD SUMMER. 
          YOU KNOW, I GOT A 20,000 GALLON BILL AND I DIDN'T WATER MY YARD AT ALL. 
          OKAY. 
          WE HAVE TO TRACK THOSE DOWN. 
          I THINK STAFF DID A GREAT JOB DOING THAT. 
          UM, SOME OF 'EM WERE LEAKED, SOME OF 'EM WERE JUST ANOMALIES. 
          BUT THOSE WERE FEW, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE HEARD THE LOUDEST, BUT THEY WERE VERY FEW. 
          YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M LOOKING AT THAT AND, AND PART OF THE REASON YOU TAKE THE CAP OFF IS A DISINCENTIVE. 
          IT'S WATER CONSERVATION, RIGHT? COST OF WATER'S GOING UP. 
          HOUSTON RAISED THE COST TO US THIS PAST YEAR. 
          THEY'LL PROBABLY RAISE IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR OR YEAR AFTER. 
          SO IF WE PUT THE CAP BACK ON, THEN WE HAVE TO RAISE RATES. 
          SO WHAT DID WE ACCOMPLISH THAT ACTUALLY HAS A MORE SIGNIFICANT 
          [00:15:01]
NEGATIVE IMPACT ON, ON OUR SENIOR CITIZENS THAN TAKING A CAP OFF? SENIOR CITIZENS AREN'T GONNA USE A LARGE VOLUME OF WATER. 
          THEY JUST DON'T. 
          THEY'RE BACK DOWN TO TWO FA TWO MEMBER HOUSEHOLDS. 
          SO THEIR WATER USAGE IS, IS CONSTRAINED. 
          SO INSTEAD OF SAYING EITHER CAP ON OR CAP OFF, MAYBE IF WE, AND AGAIN PUTS MORE WORK ON STAFF, MAYBE WE LOOK AT, OKAY, THEY HAVE A, A PERCENTAGE OF A CAP DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS THAT, OKAY, YOU GET OVER 12,000 OR YOU USE 15,000 GALLONS OF, OF WATER, SO IT'S 15,000 GALLONS OF SEWER. 
          WELL, WELL MAYBE ONLY X PERCENT IS COMING TO US. 
          'CAUSE WE KNOW THEY'RE WATERING. 
          I, DURING THE DROUGHT, I WATERED FOUR AND A HALF ACRES. 
          SO I WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WAS STINGING A LITTLE BIT, BUT I KNEW I WAS USING THE WATER AND I KNEW I WAS GONNA GET CHARGED FOR IT. 
          BUT I, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I HAD TO MAKE THAT CHOICE. 
          UM, SO MAYBE A PERCENTAGE, I DUNNO HOW YOU'D FIGURE THAT OUT, BUT INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING YES, A CAP OR NO, NOT A CAP, AFTER YOU GET TO 15,000 DURING, DURING THE, THE JUNE, AUGUST, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, MAYBE THERE'S A PERCENTAGE, YOU KNOW, 75% OR I, I DON'T KNOW, YOU'D HAVE TO JUST FIGURE THAT OUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA BE WATERING MORE TO KEEP THEIR PLANTS. 
          SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. 
          BUT AGAIN, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO, YOU KNOW, FRESH WATER IS GONNA BE THE TOUGHEST THING TO GET IN THE FUTURE AND IT'S GONNA GET MORE, MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE. 
          AND SO YEAH, WE CAN PUT THE CAT BACK ON, BUT THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TURN RIGHT AROUND AND RAISE RATES TO, TO COMPENSATE THE VALUE. 
          $300,000 DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE CITY, BUT IT IS A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE CITY. 
          AND SO WE JUST NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND. 
          I I AND I, I JUST WANNA DIVE IN. 
          SO I WOULD SAY THE $300,000 IN, IN SOME, IN SOME CONVERSATIONS, $300,000, NOT A LOT OF MONEY IN THE CONVERSATION OF, OF A, IN A SENSE, AN ENTERPRISE FUND THAT'S THAT ALREADY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT IT TO HAVE IT IN A SENSE IN THE BLACK. 
          SO EVERY DOLLAR DOES COUNT IN THIS. 
          I MEAN, IF YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TELLING YOU HERE, UM, I DO LIKE YOUR COMMENT THOUGH. 
          UM, AND I DID ASK THE SAME THING. 
          IS THERE SOME TYPE OF ENGINEERING THRESHOLD THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, 75% WOULD BE KIND OF THE, THE PERCENTAGE THAT THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLY ACCEPTABLE BETWEEN WHAT WATER THAT COMES IN VERSUS WATER THAT GOES OUT. 
          75% SEEMS KIND OF NOT LIKE A GOOD NUMBER TO ME, BUT AGAIN, I I WANT IT TO BE BASED OFF OF SOMETHING MORE THAN JUST WHAT I FEEL. 
          AND SO, UM, I LIKE THE COMMENT THAT YOU MADE, COUNCILMAN. 
          UM, I KNOW WE DID TRY TO IDENTIFY, EVEN IN OUR RATE WHEN WE DID OUR RATES WAS OUR 65 PLUS INDIVIDUALS, AND A LOT OF THAT WAS JUST BASED OFF THEIR USAGE, RIGHT? YEP. 
          THEIR $2,000, I MEAN TWO 2000 GALLONS OR LESS. 
          UM, IF THERE'S A WAY WE COULD IDENTIFY US, I MEAN THAT WE CAN DO THAT THROUGH OUR, UH, EXEMPTION, UM, UM, FILINGS OF 65 PLUS ARE DISABLED WHERE THEY WILL BASICALLY, THIS IS THE MOST THAT WOULD EVER PAY, RIGHT? OR, YOU KNOW, JUST THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WOULD BE. 
          AND SO MAYBE THERE'S A WAY WE CAN GET, GET TO THAT FOR, FOR THOSE FOLKS. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION. 
          YOU'D HAVE TO SEE THE IMPACT, YOU KNOW? YEAH. 
          PUT IT FOR THOSE THAT ARE 65 OR OLDER, PUT THE CAP ON IT, 6,000, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S PROBABLY MORE THAN THEY'LL EVER USE, BUT YOU PUT A CAP ON IT. 
          SO IF THEY DO HAPPEN TO FILL THAT SWIMMING POOL UP TWICE AND THEY GET A BREAK, NO. 
          AND, AND THAT'S ALL MY COMMENT WAS, WAS JUST THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD BE AT, AT A CERTAIN CAP. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, AND THEN LIKE THIS WOULD BE A SHORT TERM, I GUESS, RESPONSE. 
          AND THEN WE'D HAVE, WE'D HAVE TIME TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON ALL LONGER TERM RESPONSE AND THE PHYSICAL, THE PHYSICAL IMPACTS OF THAT. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? IF Y'ALL WANTED TO PUT, IF COUNSEL WANTED TO PUT THE SEWER CAP BACK IN PLACE FOR THE SUMMER, YES, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE VERY TEMPORARY. 
          UM, AND Y'ALL WOULD DISCUSS IT IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AGAIN. 
          BUT YOU WOULD HAVE TO TALK ABOUT RECAPTURING THE REVENUE, RIGHT? GET IT. 
          I DON'T, AND MAYOR, I'LL JUMP IN. 
          I I DON'T FORESEE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER DROUGHT THIS YEAR. 
          WE'RE GETTING QUITE A BIT OF WATER WELL, THIS WEEK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE SAY THIS WEEK, RIGHT? YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, BUT AGAIN, WE, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE MONTHS WE CAN START LOOKING AT THAT, BUT I, THEY'RE NOT, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE PROJECTING A DROUGHT AGAIN THIS YEAR, WHICH IS TYPICAL. 
          YOU HAVE A HARD DROUGHT AND THEN YOU RECOVER FOR THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE ANOTHER DROUGHT. 
          UM, BUT YEAH, WE, THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT. 
          'CAUSE OUR ACTIONS HAD PRETTY NEGATIVE IMPACT, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING I JUST WANT TO PUT RIGHT BACK ON BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S GONNA, IF WE DO THAT IN THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, I CAN ALMOST GUARANTEE THAT WE'RE GONNA HEAR, OKAY, Y'ALL PUT THE CAP BACK ON, BUT NOW WE NEED TO RAISE THE RATES. 
          AND WE MAY STILL HEAR THAT. 
          YOU WILL HEAR THAT. 
          YES. 
          BUT IT WON'T BE AS MUCH OF A RATE INCREASE. 
          SO, SO TO ME, IF WE RAISE THE RATES, THAT'S GONNA HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON, 
          [00:20:01]
ON SENIOR CITIZENS, IF WE ADJUST THE CAP, THAT'S GONNA HAVE LESS OF AN IMPACT ON OUR SENIOR CITIZENS, EVEN IF WE HAVE TO RAISE THE RATE ON A MINIMAL BASIS. 
          AND, AND THAT'S MY TARGET IS HAVE THE LEAST IMPACT ON OUR SENIOR CITIZENS AS WE CAN HAVE. 
          YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M SORRY IF YOU'RE IN THE, I HATE TO SAY THIS, IF YOU'RE IN THAT 30 TO 40, 50-YEAR-OLD AND YOU'RE OUT THERE MAKING GREAT MONEY, YOU, YOU, YOU'RE GONNA PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR YOUR SEWER. 
          UM, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN AFFORD THAT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF YOU GET FOUR OR FIVE KIDS AT HOME, OKAY? THEY'RE USING A LOT OF WATER. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT, BUT THEY'RE USING A LOT OF WATER AND A LOT OF THAT WATER'S GOING IN. 
          I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING YOU SAID THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT JUMP IN AUGUST. 
          UH, YES. 
          AS FAR AS THE USAGE. 
          SO THAT TELLS YOU THAT LAST YEAR AS WE GOT INTO THE HARDEST PART OF THE DROUGHT, PEOPLE WERE USING A LOT OF WATER OUT THERE. 
          THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING MAYBE AFTER YOU REACH 15,000 GALLONS, WE, WE COME UP WITH A PERCENTAGE BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY A JUMP. 
          I MEAN, 15,000 GALLONS A MONTH IS, THAT'S A LOT OF WATER FOLKS. 
          UH, THAT'S A SWIM POOL AND A HALF. 
          YES, SIR. 
          UM, I MEAN CAP, NO CAP. 
          I MEAN, FOR ME, WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM CITIZENS IS THEY JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT IT'S, THEY'RE BEING CHARGED ACCURATELY. 
          THAT TRUE. 
          UM, AND SO I THINK EITHER WAY WE GO WITH THIS, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME LEVEL OF SOME RESIDENTS SUBSIDIZING OTHERS, UM, WHICH IS NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT CHARGING FOLKS AS ACCURATELY AS POSSIBLE. 
          UM, SO I MEAN, FOR THE SHORT TERM, I WOULD SAY I'M OKAY WITH THE CAP FOR THE SUMMER. 
          UM, BUT I THINK LONG TERM WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE, THE FUTURE RATE DISCUSSION. 
          LOOK AT, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WINTER AVERAGING YES, SIR. 
          THAT A LOT OF CITIES USE, FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, THAT'S THE MOST ACCURATE WAY TO CHARGE AND THAT WILL DEFINITELY HAVE A RATE IMPACT. 
          IT WILL, BUT TO ME, AN ACCURATE RATE IS THE BEST RATE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE JUST GO WITH THE CAP, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHERS OR YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE SOMEBODY SUBSIDIZING THOSE ABOVE OR THOSE BELOW, RIGHT? WITH NO CAP, SOMEONE FILLING THEIR SWIMMING POOL IS ARTIFICIALLY KEEPING RATES DOWN FOR THOSE OF US THAT AREN'T FILLING A SWIMMING POOL. 
          UM, AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S VERY FAIR TO THOSE RESIDENTS EITHER BECAUSE THEY CHOOSE TO FILL THEIR POOL. 
          UM, SO YEAH, AGAIN, I WOULD, I WOULD BE OKAY WITH THE CAP SHORT TERM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS. 
          WHAT ARE OTHER CITIES DOING TO JUST TRY TO CHARGE, UM, AS YOU KNOW, AS FAIRLY AND ACCURATELY AS POSSIBLE. 
          YEP. 
          OTHER COMMENTS? YES, SIR. 
          UM, UH, TO, UM, MY COLLEAGUE'S POINT, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S O BEEN, UH, UH, UNDERLOOKED IS WHAT THE CITY HAS DONE AS FAR AS CHANGING OUT METERS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT'S CAUSED, UM, RACE TO, TO APPARENTLY MAGICALLY SKYROCKET FOR PEOPLE. 
          SO MAYBE, YOU KNOW, INFORMING PEOPLE OF, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, PUTTING OUT THE MESSAGE THAT SOME OF PEOPLE'S METERS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO WHERE THEY'RE RUNNING PROPERLY NOW, RIGHT? AND THEY'RE RECORDING THE ACTUAL USAGE PROPERLY. 
          AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GETTING A LITTLE STICKER SHOCK NOW THAT THEIR, THEIR METERS, WHICH HAS BEEN BEHIND IT'S BEEN BEING, UH, UH, NOW RECORDED PROPERLY AND THEY'RE, THEY, THEY BILL IS HIGHER. 
          I ALSO LIKE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW HEARD THERE'S A PILOT PROGRAM BEING USED TO, TO, UM, WITH, WITH OTHER CITIES TO THAT THEY COULD GO ONLINE AND TRACK THEIR RATES AND, AND SEE IN REAL TIME WHAT THEIR WATER USAGE IS. 
          YES, SIR. 
          ONLINE. 
          SO IT'D BE BE GOOD TO LOOK INTO SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR OUR CITY. 
          I KNOW THERE'S A PILOT PROGRAM GOING ON HERE. 
          UH, HOPEFULLY THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE COULD GET THAT OUT TO OUR CITIZENS SO THEY COULD SEE THEIR WATER USAGE. 
          UM, I, I LIKE THE IDEA OF MAYBE TEMPORARY CAPS UNTIL WE CAN FIGURE THESE THINGS OUT. 
          SO YEAH, I'M, I'M IN AGREEANCE WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THAT. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          UM, ANYONE ELSE? ONCE, OKAY. 
          UM, HOPEFULLY THERE'S SOME DIRECTION I GUESS, I MEAN YOU CAN BRING BACK, IT'S NOT LIKE, AT LEAST BRING BACK OPTIONS ON A CAP, IF THAT LOOKS LIKE A PERCENTAGE OR USAGE. 
          UM, I GUESS PRESENT A FEW OPTIONS. 
          I, I THINK IT'LL BE JUST THIS, HONESTLY, MAYOR ON IT WON'T BE THE, THE PERCENTAGES WILL BE DONE WITH THE ENGINEER STUDIES AND THOSE ARE GONNA TAKE MONTHS TO, TO DO. 
          BUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, WE'LL PUT THAT INTO THE RATE STUDY NOW SO THAT IT CAN BE DONE. 
          IF THE TEMPORARY RELIEF IS THE WAY THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO GO, WE WILL PUT THIS WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU IN PLACE FOR THE TIME BEING. 
          AND THEN 
          [00:25:01]
AS THE RATE STUDY MOVES FORWARD, HAVE THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS ALONG WITH WHEN WE'RE AVERAGING, UH, SO THAT COUNCIL CONSIDER THAT, CONSIDER THAT DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. 
          BUT, UH, I'VE HEARD SOME OF THE INPUT ON, ON WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AS WELL. 
          SO BASICALLY, LET'S JUST TAKE A SIMPLE APPROACH, CAP IT LIKE WE HAD IT, 12,000 GALLONS, THAT RIGHT. 
          SIMPLE APPROACH. 
          THEN WE CAN EXPLORE THE THINGS. 
          I WOULD, I KNOW WE'RE NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT RATE STUDY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO REALLY LOOK AT, AT LEAST FOR OUR 65 PLUS FOLKS OPTIONS TO GO, SINCE MORE THAN LIKELY THEY'RE ON A VERY FIXED INCOME IN, IN MANY CASES, MAYBE NOT, MAYBE NOT IN ALL, BUT IN, IN MANY CASES, UH, WHERE THAT THEY WILL ALMOST NEVER RECEIVE SOME TYPE OF ASTRONOMICAL BILL AND HAVE TO MAKE VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS ON, ON OTHER THINGS THAT COME INTO THEIR HOME UTILITIES OR FOOD OR MEDICINE. 
          SO IF WE CAN ENSURE THOSE TYPE OF THINGS FOR THE, FOR OUR 65 PLUS, YES SIR. 
          UH, CITIZENS. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          ANY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ANY OTHER DIRECTION AT LEAST ON THIS? OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT, SO, WELL, THAT WAS OUR ONLY ITEM FOR OUR WORK SESSION. 
          SO THIS MEETING WILL BE ADJOURNED AND WE WILL RECONVENE AT SIX 30.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.