May 23, 2024 CITY COUNCIL AND MDD JOINT MEETING

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

WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM THREE C.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED? UH, THANK YOU FOR APPROVAL.

[c. Consider an ordinance to provide the disbursement request from the Hyatt Regency Hotel.]

UM, I THINK, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY WILL JUST MAKE ONE CLARIFICATION FOR US BRIEFLY.

YES, COUNSEL.

UH, WE NOTICED THIS AFTERNOON THAT ITEM THREE C IS LISTED AS A PROPOSED ORDINANCE, UH, WHICH OF COURSE ARE CITY COUNCIL DUTIES.

UH, THAT ITEM SHOULD ACTUALLY BE AN MDD RESOLUTION BECAUSE THIS MEETING IS A JOINT MEETING OF BOTH BODIES.

EVEN THOUGH YOU VOTE SEPARATELY, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU VOTE THREE C AS THE MDD AND AS A RESOLUTION OF THE MDD.

UH, AS PART OF THAT, YOU'RE ALSO RATIFYING ANY, UM, POSSIBLE ISSUES THAT COULD COME UP, BECAUSE THIS WAS LISTED AS AN ORDINANCE RATHER THAN MDD RESOLUTION.

AND, UM, I GUESS BE OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER THIS ITEM.

I DID SKIP AHEAD ON ONE THING, BUT, UM, LET'S GO AHEAD ON AT LEAST THREE C AND I THINK THE C MANAGER WAS GONNA MAKE A FEW COMMENTS.

YES, MAYOR, COUNSEL, UM, THE ITEM IN FRONT OF YOU, THE BOTTOM LINE IS TO TRANSFER 600,000 FROM THE MDD TO A, UH, RESERVE TRUST, UH, FUND, UH, FOR, UH, FUTURE POSSIBLE EXPENSES THAT THE MDD, UH, WOULD NEED AS PART OF THEIR MONTHLY PIECE.

AND I HAVE A WHOLE THING I'LL READ, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO GIVE LIKE A QUICK UPDATE TO WHAT THAT ACTUALLY IS.

IT'S NOTHING, IT IS NOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE DEFICIT.

IT'S JUST PART OF A, UH, PART OF HOW IT'S BUILT INTO THE CONTRACT.

BUT LET ME, UH, READ ACTUALLY WHAT ALL THIS IS SO THAT HOPEFULLY I CAN TRY TO EXPLAIN IT.

UM, SO THE INITIAL MODELING FOR THE HO HOTEL SHOWED IT WOULD RUN A DEFICIT DURING THE FIRST THREE TO FIVE YEARS.

THE MDD IS IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE FUNDS RELATED TO THE HOTEL, WHERE THE OPERATOR ONLY HAS ACCESS TO ONE WORTH OR ONE MONTH'S WORTH OF OPERATING FUNDS AT A TIME.

UH, COUNSEL AND OR THE MDD WAS VERY AWARE THAT WHEN THAT WAS PRESENTED AND EVERYTHING, UH, WAS, UM, WAS BUILT INTO THE, THE PROJECT PLANNING LAST YEAR.

THE MDD WAS PRESENTED WITH AN OPERATING BUDGET THAT HAD A PROPOSED $1.3 MILLION DEFICIT.

UH, THAT BUDGET WAS APPROVED, AND, AND WE HAD BEEN OPERATING UNDER THAT, UH, SINCE THAT TIME PERIOD.

THE OPERATING AGREEMENT SETS OUT A CASH FLOW PROCESS FOR MONTHLY REVENUE AND CASH FLOW SUPPORT.

THE PROCESS ENSURES

[00:05:01]

RIGHT.

IT'S A, IT'S A QUALITY CONTROL PIECE BUILT INTO THE PROCESS WHERE WE, UH, CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.

THEY CAN SEE WHERE THE MONEY'S AT, AND THEY HAVE SOME KIND OF SUPPORT LEVEL SHOULD IT BE NECESSARY.

UH, THE INITIAL APPROVED BUDGET PROJECTED, AS I SAID, A $1.3 MILLION SHORTFALL FOR COVERING ALL OPERATING EXPENSES FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.

STAFF MONITORS ALL CASH FLOW IN, IN AND OUT AND OPERATIONS MONTHLY AND MAKES THE APPROPRIATE ALTERATIONS AT AN ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL.

SO AT, AT MY LEVEL AS THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE MDDI APPROVE THOSE TRANSFERS MONTH IN AND MONTH OUT.

THERE HAVE BEEN MONTHS.

OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE DISTRICT HAD TO PULL, UH, MONEY FROM THE WORKING CAPITAL RESERVE WHERE THIS 600,000 WOULD BE GOING TO, UH, TO ADDRESS MONTHLY DELTAS.

THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN A FEW MONTHS WHERE THE HOTEL WAS CASH FLOW POSITIVE, UH, FUNDING CAPITAL RESERVES AND OTHER DEBT SERVICE FUNDS.

WE ARE HAPPY, UH, TO REPORT THAT AN UPDATED BUDGET FORECAST SHOWS MORE POSITIVE CASH FLOWS AHEAD, LOWERING THE CHANCE OF FUTURE TRANSFERS FROM THE WORKING CAPITAL RESERVES COMPARED TO THE APPROVED BUDGET.

THIS IS FANTASTIC NEWS.

THIS MEANS THAT THE ADDITIONAL MONEY'S COMING IN THAT WILL HELP SUSTAIN THE ONGOING OPERATIONS FOR THE HOTEL.

UH, SO THE MONEY THEY'RE BRINGING IN IS, IS COVERING ALL THIS.

IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE WORKING CAPITAL RESERVE, WHICH THIS 600,000 GOES TO, HAS BEEN THERE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND WAS PLANNED TO HA OR HAD A FUNDING MECHANISM BUILT INTO IT WHEN THE HOTEL WAS BUILT.

SO WE'VE BEEN DRAWING DOWN FROM THAT WITHOUT ADDITIONAL MONEY GOING FROM THE MDD INTO THAT FUND.

OKAY? UH, SO THAT HAS BEEN DRAWN DOWN.

THIS IS JUST TIME TO REFILL THAT BACK UP.

THAT'S PART OF OUR CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT MONEY IN THERE.

THAT MONEY STILL BELONGS TO THE MDD, AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE.

SO WITH AN IMPROVED BUDGET FORECAST SUBMITTED, WE SEE FEWER MONTHLY SUPPORT TRANSFERS FROM THIS FUND.

THE BOND INDENTURE CALLS FOR THIS WORKING CAPITAL RESERVE TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN BALANCE, WHICH WILL BE A TRANSFER.

I ASK FOR THE BOARD TO APPROVE TODAY.

UH, THE AMOUNT IS UP TO 600,000.

OKAY? BUT THE INDENTURE DOES SAY THAT WE SHOULD MAINTAIN A $600,000, UH, BALANCE IN THERE AT ALL TIMES.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IT'S STILL THE DISTRICT'S MONEY AND DOES NOT BELONG TO THE HYATT.

IT IS HELD BY A TRUSTEE AND WILL ONLY BE, BE WITHDRAWN SHOULD THE DISTRICT NEED TO FURTHER SUPPORT THE MONTHLY WORKING CAPITAL, WHICH IS PART OF THE OPERATING AGREEMENT.

AND I JUST CIRCLE BACK TO THEIR CURRENT BUDGET SHOWS THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE IN THE POSITIVE AND THERE SHOULD BE NO MORE DRAW DOWNS FROM THIS FUND.

IF YOU REMEMBER, WE WERE ABLE TO RENEW THE HOTEL'S INSURANCE AT A RATE THAT PROVIDED A COST AVOIDANCE OF ROUGHLY $500,000.

THEREFORE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO USE ALREADY APPROPRIATED FUNDS.

NOT PULLING FROM THE RESERVE ALREADY.

APPROPRI FUNDS FOR THIS TRANSFER NOT IMPACTING THE DISTRICT'S RES RESERVE FUND BALANCE.

AGAIN, THE MONEY TRANSFERRED TO THE WORKING CAPITAL RESERVE IS STILL THE DISTRICT'S MONEY AND HELD BY A TRUSTEE.

AND ULTIMATELY, THE WORKING CAPITAL RESERVE WILL HAVE TO MAINTAIN A BALANCE NOT TO EXCEED 600,000 PER OUR BOND INDENTURE INDENTURE.

AND I'M GONNA STOP THERE TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN POSSIBLY ANSWER.

AND THEN I DO WANT TO ADDRESS THE S AND P RATING, UM, AS WELL.

SO THE COUNCIL AND THE CITIZENS ARE FULLY AWARE OF EVERY, OR THE BOARD AND THE CO OR THE CITIZENS ARE FULLY AWARE OF EVERYTHING GOING ON.

HOTEL PERFORMANCE AND WORKING CLOSELY WITH ITS ASSET MANAGER AND PRIVATE OPERATOR TO ENSURE THAT THE HOTEL IS OFFICIALLY MANAGED AND AGGRESSIVELY MARKETED IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE REVENUE.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR CITY MANAGER REGARDING, I GUESS WHAT HE, THE EXPLANATION HE JUST PROVIDED, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS PRETTY GOOD, SO, OKAY.

IF NOT, OKAY.

SO, UM, THE BAYTOWN SUN HAD SOME VERY GOOD QUESTIONS ON, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THE BOND DOWNGRADE MEAN AND WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE BOND DOWNGRADE? AND I'M ACTUALLY JUST GONNA READ THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT MR. HOLLIS ASKED AND THE QUESTIONS THAT WE PROVIDED HIM, AND SOME OF THE STUFF THAT'S BEEN PUT IN THE SUN.

UM, IT SAYS, WHAT LED TO THE ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURES AND WHY THE BONDS, UH, WHY WERE THE BONDS DOWNGRADED? WELL, UH, WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE HOTEL? WHY, WHILE THE CITY AND THE BAYTOWN MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT TAKE RATING AGENCY ACTION SERIOUSLY, THE DOWNGRADE ITSELF DOES NOT HAVE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOTEL.

THE REPORT HAS RESULTED IN THE DISTRICT COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH ITS INVESTORS REGARDING THE DOWNGRADE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE.

UH, THE FOLLOWING QUESTION WAS, IS IT IN DANGER OF BEING IN DEFAULT? IF SO, WHAT CAN THE, UH, MDD DO IN THE NEAR TERM? UH, THE HOTEL IS NOT IN DANGER OF BEING IN, IN DEFAULT.

UH, THE HOTEL IS A RESERVE FUND SET ASIDE TO ASSIST WITH DEBT PAYMENTS.

IF FUTURE OPERATING REVENUES FALL SHORT, THE CITY AND THE DISTRICT ARE CLOSELY MONITORING

[00:10:01]

UM, UH, FOR THOSE OUT THERE, I KNOW PEOPLE PICK MY WORDS APART, THEY'RE GONNA SAY, YOU ONLY SAID IN THE NEAR TERM.

WELL, THAT'S ALL THAT I CAN CURRENTLY ADDRESS BASED ON THE BUDGET THAT'S IN FRONT OF ME.

LONG-TERM FORECASTS ARE NOT THERE.

I, WE DON'T CURRENTLY FORESEE THAT FROM THE, FROM THE DISTRICT'S POINT OF VIEW.

UH, PLEASE DON'T READ INTO ANYTHING THAT'S JUST, ALL I CAN DO IS WORK WITH THE DATA THAT I HAVE IN FRONT OF ME.

AND RIGHT NOW WE DON'T SEE A DEFAULT IN OUR FUTURE.

IS ANYTHING BEING DONE ABOUT THIS NOW? AS MENTIONED ABOVE, THE CITY AND DISTRICT ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE HOTEL ASSET MANAGER AND OPERATOR TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS SITUATION.

THEY'RE ALSO COMMUNICATING WITH INVESTORS SO THAT ALL PARTIES HAVE CURRENT INFORMATION.

THE CITY AND THE DISTRICT STAFF ARE ALSO IN A REGULARLY BRIEFING OR ALSO REGULARLY BRIEFING THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE DISTRICT ON THE HOTEL'S PERFORMANCE.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE HOTEL GOES INTO DEFAULT? IT IS TOO SOON TO DETERMINE IF OR WHEN THE HOTEL GOES INTO DEFAULT.

THE HOTEL HAS ONLY BEEN OPEN FOR ONE YEAR AND REVENUES HAVE BEEN STEADILY IMPROVING.

NEW HOTELS TYPICALLY TAKE SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE OPERATIONS STABILIZED.

IF NECESSARY, THE CITY OR DISTRICT COULD PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE HOTEL AND ALSO WORK WITH INVESTORS AND OPERATORS ON MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE SOLUTIONS, SUCH AS RESTRUCTURING THE DEBT OR THE HOTEL'S OPERATING ACCOUNTS.

UH, ONE THING THAT CAME FROM, WE HELD A SPECIAL BOND CALL WITH ALL OF THE INVESTORS THAT HAVE MONEY INTO THE HOTEL.

ONE THING THAT THEY WOULD MAKE THEM FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORT IF THERE WAS A RESOLUTION BY THE MDD AND THE COUNCIL BACKING THE, THE, THE FUTURE OF THE HOTEL, REGARDLESS OF WHICH WAY THAT IT GOES.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BRING UP AT A, A FUTURE, UM, A FUTURE MEETING AND, UH, FURTHER DISCUSS.

BUT, UH, THOSE WERE THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED BY MR. UH, BY THE BAYTOWN SUN AND HAVE ALL BEEN PUBLICLY PUT ON THE, UM, UH, THE INVESTOR WEBSITE.

SO THIS IS ALL PUBLIC INFORMATION THAT'S OUT THERE, AND THEY CAN SEE THE, THE, UM, CURRENT FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE LAST TWO CYCLES WITH THE HOTEL.

THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

AND, UH, I DO REQUEST THAT THE 600,000 IS AUTHORIZED TO TRANSFER OVER.

THANK YOU SIR.

ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CITY MANAGER, I GUESS, REGARDING ANY OF HIS COMMENTS? OKAY.

SO FOR MDD, ITEM THREE CS TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE THE DISBURSEMENT REQUEST FROM THE HYATT, FROM THE HYATT REGENCY HOTEL.

SO I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM THREE C, MOVE TO APPROVE.

A MOTION TO SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? THREE CS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE.

ALL THOSE POST.

ALRIGHT, ITEM CARRIES.

I BELIEVE THOSE ARE ALL THE MDD ITEMS, IS THAT CORRECT? MS. ST.

CLERK? YES, CORRECT.

THANK YOU MA'AM.

[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.]

UH, I APOLOGIZE.

I DO NEED TO GET TO OUR CITIZEN COMMENTS.

AND SO THERE WAS THREE INDIVIDUALS THAT SIGNED UP.

SO I HAVE KATHY AND GARY, UH, VANDERBEEK.

AND SO I'M ASSUMING GARY'S GONNA SPEAK TONIGHT.

TELLS YOU SOLUTIONS ON, ON, ON THE VERBIAGE OF THIS LITTLE ARTICLE, BUT IT TELLS YOU HOW SERIOUS THINGS ARE WHEN THE CODES AREN'T FOLLOWED.

SO GO AHEAD AND SIR, WE'LL HAVE YOU COME WHILE YOU DO THAT.

I WILL READ THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT.

UH, THE PURPOSE OF CITIZEN COMMENT IS TO GIVE ALL INTERESTED CITIZENS THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS.

EVERYONE DESIRING TO SPEAK SHOULD HAVE EITHER SIGNED OR 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 NAME ADDRESS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A PROPER RECORD OF THESE COMMENTS.

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 AND THE BAYTOWN MD D'S BOARD.

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

EITHER ONE MINUTE OR THREE MINUTE, UH, LIMIT MAY BE EXTENDED BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF COUNCIL AND MDD.

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

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

YES, SIR.

UH, MY NAME'S GARY, 44 0 3 CROSBY, CEDAR FIRE ROAD.

AND, UH, TODAY I WANT TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE, UH, I GUESS I'D BROWBEAT Y'ALL AND TORE YOU DOWN AND DID EVERYTHING I COULD.

AND, AND, UH, I'D JUST LIKE TO HAND YOU SOME THINGS THAT MIGHT EDUCATE YOU ON, ON MY WORLD, YOU KNOW, THE PLUMBING WORLD.

AND, UH, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, UH, IF, IF YOU'D READ THIS AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK.

SO I'D LIKE TO HAND OUT.

YOU CAN'T, OH, YOU GIVE IT TO THE CITY CLERK AND SHE'LL HAND IT OUT HERE TO US.

YES, MA'AM.

SO WE'LL PAUSE THIS TIME.

YOU, YOU WANT, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE DON'T WANNA BE ABLE TO READ THIS HERE, BUT YOU CAN MAKE YOUR COMMENTS WHILE SHE HANDS THAT OUT.

NO, IT'S JUST, I, I BELIEVE THAT CODES ARE PUT IN FOR A PURPOSE.

AND THIS IS JUST ONE LITTLE ITEM OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE WITH, UM, NOT FOLLOWING THE CODE.

AND, UH, THERE THERE IS SOLUTIONS.

[00:15:01]

SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

I'M NOT GONNA GO DOWN THAT ROAD.

YOU ALRIGHT? NEXT WE HAVE JOHN PACHECO.

SO YOU COME HERE, SIR.

JUST, UH, YOU CAN JUST TELL US WHAT STREET YOU LIVE ON.

GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS JOHN PACHECO.

I LIVE IN 28 0 5 NEWCASTLE DRIVE, BAYTOWN, TEXAS.

I'M HERE TODAY TO ADDRESS, UH, THE BAYTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY.

UH, I'VE BEEN LIVING IN A HOME THAT HAS BEEN ANNIHILATED BY THE WEATHER AND, UM, I CAN'T SEEM TO MOVE OUT AND HOUSING HAS BEEN TRYING TO HELP ME.

I'M A HOUSING PARTICIPANT AND, UH, MS. JOYCE YOUNG, SHE'S BEEN DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO GET ME TO MOVE.

BUT FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER, SOMETHING HAPPENS, WEATHER OR SOMETHING HAPPENS WHERE WE'RE STILL IN THIS HOUSE.

I HAVE EPILEPSY AND I HAVE TWO CHILDREN WITH AUTISM, AND WE'RE STAYING IN THE HOUSE THAT EMITS A LOT OF GAS AND THERE'S A LOT OF LEAKS IN THE ROOFS.

AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU GUYS CAN HELP US WITH, UH, UH, A HARDSHIP CASE THAT WAS DENIED.

WE HAVE TO PAY FOR TWO RENTS NOW.

THIS ONE AND THE NEW HOUSE THAT WE'RE MOVING TO.

AND I WAS HOPING THAT YOU CAN RECONSIDER THIS BECAUSE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO, UH, AFFORD IT.

I'M SORRY.

WE WON'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT, UH, WITHOUT YOUR HELP.

ALRIGHT? UH, I DO APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE, SIR.

UM, SO FOR THE RECORD, BECAUSE YOU SIGNED UP UNDER A DIFFERENT ADDRESS, SO WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS THE ADDRESS THAT YOU, AND PROBABLY WHAT YOU EXPLAINED.

OKAY? THAT'S, I NEED TO KNOW THE ADDRESS THAT YOU, THAT YOUR COMPLAINT IS FOR.

UH, 20 AND THEN, YEAH, I'M STILL AT THE SAME ADDRESS.

WHAT IS IT? I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE MOVED, UH, ON THE 10TH OF APRIL.

AND HERE WE ARE ON THE 21ST.

HOW REALIZED THAT THEY WERE TRICKED JUST AS MUCH AS WE WERE.

I JUST NEED YOU TO GIMME THE ADDRESS ON NEWCASTLE DRIVE, SIR.

WAS IT 1128 DRIVE? 1128? UH, IT'LL BE 28 0 5.

NEWCASTLE DRIVE.

I HAVE THAT.

AND THEN I HAVE YOUR OTHER ADDRESS, THE OTHER ADDRESS THAT YOU SIGNED UP FOR.

YEAH, THAT'S THE NEW, UH, THE APARTMENT I'M TRYING TO GET THE HOUSE I'M TRYING TO MOVE INTO.

I'LL JUST, JUST SO WE HAVE IT CLEAR HERE.

BE, UH, BEING THAT NO ONE ELSE IS, UM, SIGNED TO SPEAK, WE WILL CERTAINLY CLOSE OUR ASSISTANT COMMENTS.

WE DO APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO CAME FORTH THIS EVENING.

WE WILL MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM TWO C.

UM, IT LOOKS LIKE WE CAN TAKE THESE THREE ITEMS TOGETHER.

THEY'RE, UH, MINUTES FROM APRIL 25TH, MAY 2ND, THIRD AND MAY 7TH.

SO TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR COUNCIL'S APPROVAL OF ITEMS TWO, C, D, AND E, MOVE TO APPROVE SECOND MOTION.

IS TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ADOPTION OF THE DOWNTOWN ARCH DISTRICT BLUEPRINT.

ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FOR ABSTENTIONS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, UH, THE ITEMS TWO C AND TWO C, D AND E FOR OUR MINUTES, PLEASE SAY, AYE.

AYE IS OPPOSED, CARRIES WILL MOVE, UH, ON TO PROPOSED ORDINANCES.

THE FIRST ONE

[a. Consider an ordinance authorizing the adoption of the Downtown Arts District Blueprint.]

MR. SCRIBNER.

THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNSEL, UH, FOR THE RECORD, MARTIN SCRIBNER PLAYING IN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.

UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR THE LAST, UM, FEW MONTHS, ALMOST A YEAR, UM, REGARDING TWO PLANS.

AND SO I'M GONNA KIND OF ADDRESS BOTH OF THEM NOW.

AND THEN WE'RE GONNA DO A REALLY HIGH LEVEL, UH, UH, PRESENTATION.

'CAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY SEEN SOME OF THE MORE DETAILED STUFF AND YOU'VE SEEN THE PLANS.

SO, UM, BOTH FOR THE DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT BLUEPRINT AND THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY ROADMAP.

SO, UM, A AGAIN, I WANNA REMIND YOU THAT THESE ARE INTENDED TO CREATE A VERY HIGH LEVEL VISION FOR THESE AREAS.

THE DOWNTOWN PLAN WENT TO P AND Z UH, THIS WEEK BECAUSE THAT HAS A LAND USE COMPONENT TO IT.

AND AS A LAND USE COMPONENT, WE, UH, WE BRING THAT TO P AND Z FOR A RECOMMENDATION.

THE ECONOMIC, UH, PROSPERITY BLUE, UM, ROADMAP DOES NOT HAVE THAT SAME COMPONENT.

SO THAT DID NOT GO TO PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, JUST SO YOU KNOW.

UM, I WANNA REMIND YOU AGAIN, SO HIGH LEVEL VISION, UM, THIS IS NOTHING IN THE PLAN COMMITS THE CITY TO ANY KIND OF MONEY REQUIREMENT, ANY KIND OF PARTNERSHIPS.

IT MERELY PROVIDES RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND WE ARE GOING TO CREATE SOME ACTION PLANS BASED ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.

BUT THEY ARE STILL SUBJECT TO FUNDING.

THEY'RE STILL SUBJECT TO YOUR APPROVAL AS WE NEED FUNDING BECAUSE THAT MONEY DOESN'T JUST SPROUT UP FROM THE GROUND.

UM, AND SO CITY COUNCIL STILL HAS A HIGH LEVEL OF, OF OVERSIGHT OF THESE PLANS AS THEY'RE IMPLEMENTED.

SO THAT'S

[00:20:01]

WHY WE CALL 'EM PLANS.

WE DON'T CALL THEM REGULATIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE, AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT COMMITMENTS TO ANYTHING.

WE HOPE THAT WE WILL HIT, UM, SOME OF THE, THE, THE HIGHER PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS IN THESE PLANS.

BUT OVER THE COURSE OF 10 TO 20 YEARS, IF WE'LL HIT 30, 40% OF THEM, THAT'S A PRETTY DECENT TRACK RECORD.

UM, AND, AND, AND THAT'S OKAY.

THAT'S THE WAY THESE PLANS ARE BUILT.

UM, I WANTED TO ADDRESS, UH, SOMETHING THAT CAME UP AS A QUESTION AT PNZ TUESDAY NIGHT.

AND THAT IS THE, THE, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM PNZ THAT WAS LOCATED IN YOUR STAFF REPORTS AS OF FRIDAY.

OF COURSE, PNZ DIDN'T MEET UNTIL TUESDAY.

THIS IS REALLY, THERE'S A TIMING ISSUE WITH THE WAY WE PUT OUR STAFF REPORTS INTO THE SYSTEM.

AND THAT WAS MERELY, BASICALLY A PLACEHOLDER BASED ON OUR BEST PREDICTION, UH, ON WHAT WE KNOW OF THE ISSUES AND OUR MEMBERS.

SO, UM, HAD THAT PREDICTION OF APPROVAL FROM PNZ NOT COME TO FRUITION, I'D BE STANDING HERE TELLING YOU THAT THAT WOULD BE MY FIRST THING THAT I WOULD TELL YOU.

NOW, RYAN IS GOING TO KIND OF HIT SOME OF THAT TONIGHT.

HE'S GONNA TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THE P AND Z DID TALK ABOUT, INCLUDING THE DISSENTING VOTES.

UM, SO, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR RYAN VILA IS HERE.

HE'S GONNA GIVE YOU, AGAIN, JUST A HIGH LEVEL, UM, RECAP OF THE PLAN.

UM, THIS ONE BEING THE DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT BLUEPRINT.

OUR, UH, CONSULTANT FROM KEN KEITH COLLABORATIVE.

UH, GREG FLIRE IS ALSO ON ZOOM TONIGHT.

UM, HE'S NOT PRESENTING, BUT HE'S HERE TO ANSWER ANY DETAILED QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THAT.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL QUIT BORING YOU AND I'LL GIVE YOU TO RYAN.

THANK YOU, MARTIN.

GOOD EVENING MAYOR.

MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, RYAN VILE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PLANNING DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.

UH, SO JUST WANT TO KIND OF SET THE TABLE OF WHERE WE WE ARE AT.

UH, SO THIS WHOLE, UH, PROJECT ALL STARTED BACK IN AUGUST OF 2023, UM, WITH A, A, UH, SET OF, UH, STEERING, UH, COMMITTEE AND ALSO STAKEHOLDERS.

UM, THAT STEERING COMMITTEE WAS MADE UP OF, UH, DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, LEE COLLEGE.

THERE WAS REPRESENTATIVES FROM AS WELL AS OTHER, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.

UM, AND WE DID HAVE, UH, TWO MEMBERS, UM, OF, UH, WE DID HAVE SOME MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AS WELL, WHO SAT IN ON THAT.

SO, UH, AGAIN, WE WERE, WE TRIED VERY HARD TO KEEP THIS VERY OPEN, UH, TO THE PUBLIC.

UM, THERE WERE TWO OPEN HOUSES THAT WERE HELD.

UH, ONE WAS HELD IN OCTOBER, 2023 AT THE BEGINNING TO KIND OF GET SOME FEEDBACK ON WERE WE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.

AND THEN IN APRIL OF 2024, WHEN, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD A FINAL, UH, PLAN READY FOR REVIEW, UH, PLANNING ZONING COMMISSION HELD A WORK SESSION ON APRIL 16TH.

UH, YOU ALL SAW THIS ON APRIL 25TH AT A WORK SESSION AND PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, UM, MADE A RECOMMENDATION AT THEIR MEETING, UH, JUST THIS WEEK AT MAY 21ST.

UM, SO REALLY QUICK, JUST KIND OF A HIGH LEVEL, UM, THIS IS THE OVERALL CONCEPT PLAN, UH, FOR THE DOWNTOWN.

UH, REALLY THE INTENT OF THIS WAS TO LINK, UH, THESE DIFFERENT AREAS, UH, TO KIND OF CREATE A COHESIVE DISTRICT.

SO YOU SEE ON THE LEFT HAND OF THE SCREEN, UH, THAT WOULD BE THE, UH, GOOSE CREEK WATERFRONT, UM, AREA.

UM, AND THEN YOU SEE THE TOWN SQUARE AREA, WHICH WOULD BE, UM, YOUR CENTER, RIGHT? AND THEN FURTHEST TO THE RIGHT WOULD BE AN AREA THAT WOULD BE JUST EAST OF MAIN STREET.

SO, GO REALLY QUICKLY THROUGH THESE.

UH, THIS FIRST AREA, THIS IS THE WATERFRONT, UH, GOOSE CREEK WATERFRONT AREA.

UH, SOME OF THE PROPOSED USES IN HERE WOULD BE A MIXTURE OF RESIDENTIAL, UM, WITH SOME, UH, COMMERCIAL USES, ALSO, POTENTIALLY SOME LEE COLLEGE, UH, UM, USES AS WELL.

UH, WA A WATERFRONT PARK WITH SOME TRAILS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IS KIND OF WHAT THE, THE PLAN IS, UH, ENVISIONING HERE.

UM, AND THEN THAT AREA ACTUALLY TIES INTO LEE, UH, COLLEGE AS WELL, UH, WITH A KIND OF CAMPUS VILLAGE, UH, TYPE OF, UM, OF IDEA, AGAIN, TRYING TO CAPITALIZE ON LEE COLLEGE'S GROWTH AND, UH, AND SUCCESS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.

UH, THE NEXT AREA YOU'LL SEE, THIS IS THE TOWN SQUARE AREA.

SO RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE, THAT'S TOWN SQUARE PARK.

UM, THE IDEA WOULD BE TO CREATE, UH, WHAT THE PLAN CALLS, KIND OF A, A QUAD.

UM, SO THAT WOULD BE EITHER SOME CIVIC TYPE BUILDINGS, UH, MAYBE SOME, UH, RESIDENTIAL, SOME COMMERCIAL THAT WOULD SURROUND TOWN SQUARE PARK.

THERE ARE TWO ALTERNATIVES IN THE PLAN BASED ON, UH, HOW QUICKLY THE, UH, PERMANENT, UH, KIND CONSTRUCTION HAPPENS.

UH, THE FIRST ONE YOU SEE ON THE LEFT IS A LARGER EXPANSION OF TOWN SQUARE PARK.

UH, THE ONE ON THE RIGHT WOULD BE, UH, WHAT IS KIND OF BEING CALLED A CONTAINER, UM, CONCEPT.

SO YOU WOULD HAVE SOME RESTAURANTS, YOU WOULD HAVE SOME ART, YOU WOULD HAVE, UM, AN EXPANSION OF OF TOWN SQUARE PARK, UH, SOME PARKING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO THAT'S KIND OF, UH, THE AREAS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THERE.

AND THEN FINALLY, UM, YOU WOULD, YOU SEE ON THE, UH, JUST EAST OF MAIN STREET, YOU WOULD SEE, UM, POTENTIALLY SOME MIXED USE INFILL, UH, WITH SOME, UM, TOWN HOMES AND SOME, UH, RESIDENTIAL, UM, AS WELL.

UH, REALLY WHAT YOU SEE KIND OF THROUGHOUT THIS IS RESIDENTIAL,

[00:25:01]

UH, REALLY NEEDS TO BE KIND OF SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE DOWNTOWN.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS ONE OF MY FORMER CITY MANAGER SAID IS, IS, WELL, YOU NEED TO GET WALTON PERS ON THE STREET.

UM, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WILL HELP CREATE THAT, THAT VIBRANT DOWNTOWN.

SO WITH THAT, UM, THE LAST THING HERE, UM, AS MARTIN MENTIONED THIS IS THIS IS NOT AN OVERNIGHT PLAN.

THIS IS A 20 YEAR PLAN.

UM, THE PLAN THAT IS BEING REPLACED BY THIS ONE, UH, IF IT, UH, IS APPROVED TONIGHT, UH, WAS APPROVED IN 2004.

UM, SO THIS IS, UM, BUT THIS SHOWS KIND OF, UH, THE NEXT STEPS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, UM, WITH, UH, THE TIMEFRAME AS WELL AS RESPONSIBLE PARTIES.

AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S A WIDE VARIETY OF PARTIES.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE BOTH WITHIN THE CITY WITH OUTSIDE THE CITY, UH, LEE COLLEGE, UH, UH, FOLKS LIKE THAT.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY HIGH LEVEL PLAN.

THIS IS A VISION.

UH, THIS IS NOT SETTING ANYTHING.

WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, STARTING IN BULLDOZERS TOMORROW, LAND ACQUISITION, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

THIS IS JUST KIND OF TO SET THAT TABLE, UM, AND REALLY, UH, BEGIN TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL ON WHAT POLICY LOOKS LIKE IN ORDER TO GET TO SOME OF THESE, UH, VISIONS.

UH, SO, UH, FINALLY, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM PLANNING ZONING COMMISSION.

THEY DID RECOMMEND APPROVAL WITH A VOTE OF FOUR TO TWO.

WE DID HAVE A COUPLE OF DISSENTING VOTES.

UH, THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.

UM, THERE WAS ALSO SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TIMING OF THE PLAN.

HOW LONG IS THIS REALLY GONNA TAKE? UM, AND THEN ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT, UH, WAS BROUGHT OUT, UM, FROM THE, UH, PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION WAS THEY DID WANT TO SEE THE COUNCIL PLACING A HIGH PRIORITY ON THE CITY, HAVING MORE PRESENCE DOWNTOWN, POTENTIALLY THE LIBRARY MOVING DOWNTOWN, OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF CIVIC BUILDINGS SIMILAR TO WHAT THE CITY'S DONE WITH THE BRUNSON AND WITH THE, UH, UTILITY BILLING.

UM, SO WITH THAT, I WILL PAUSE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE.

AND AGAIN, OUR CONSULTANT IS ON THE PHONE FOR ANY OF THOSE DETAILED QUESTIONS.

MR. MAYOR? YES, SIR.

WHAT, WHAT WERE THOSE CONCERNS ABOUT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS? UH, GENERALLY, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON RECENTLY WITH SOME OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, THE HOTEL, CONCERNS ABOUT THE, THE GOLF COURSE.

UM, JUST SOME OF THE, THE HISTORY THAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH, WITHIN THE, THE CITY ABOUT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.

UM, JUST BECAUSE THEY MAY HAVE NOT WORKED SO WELL IN THE PAST DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT WE SHOULD TAKE THEM QUICKLY OFF THE TABLE.

THERE IS A VALUE TO THEM IF THEY'RE DONE PROPERLY AND CORRECTLY.

AND SO, UM, THAT IS REALLY WHAT, UM, THIS PLAN LOOKS AT, IS THAT IF WE CAN FIND THE RIGHT PARTNER, IF WE CAN STRUCTURE SOME SORT OF DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT IN A WAY THAT PROTECTS THE CITY, UM, PROTECTS THE RESIDENTS, UM, IT'S CERTAINLY NOT OFF THE TABLE.

SO, SO THIS BLUEPRINT JUST CLEAR WHAT WOULD KEEP PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ON THE TABLE.

IT'S CERTAINLY NOT OUT OF THE OUTSIDE OF IT.

THERE'S BEEN, UM, OTHER COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN, BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.

AND, UM, AND WE BELIEVE THAT BAYTOWN COULD BE, AGAIN, IF WE FIND THE RIGHT PARTNER.

I, I, I THINK IT'S REALLY ABOUT OPPORTUNITY AND IT'S ABOUT NOT MISSING THE GOOD OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY COME UP, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THEY'RE THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY.

SO REGARDLESS OF ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S HAPPENED, I, I WOULD ECHO WHAT RYAN SAID, WHICH IS, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ARE A WIDELY USED AND SUCCESSFUL, UH, TOOL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND WE CAN STILL BE ABLE TO USE THOSE, BUT WE, WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE, AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY AND USING IT THE RIGHT WAY, WHICH WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BLUEPRINT.

THAT I HAVE ANY, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY A FEW THINGS.

IS THAT OKAY? UM, ABSOLUTELY.

THIS IS MY DISTRICT AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION A FEW THINGS.

WHEN, WHEN I WAS GOING OUT AND, WELL, I'VE, I'VE LIVED IN DISTRICT TWO ALMOST MY ENTIRE LIFE, BUT, UM, WHEN I WENT OUT, UM, AND WAS RUNNING FOR ELECTION AND I WAS TALKING TO EVERYONE, I WAS HEARING THE SAME THING THAT I EVEN HEARD AND SAW AT THE DINNER TABLE GROWING UP.

UM, PEOPLE IN DISTRICT TWO, THEY WANT TO SEE GROWTH.

I, I'VE HEARD MY WHOLE LIFE.

THEY WANT TO SEE, UM, LEE COLLEGE TAPPED INTO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A, A LIKE YOU SAID, A COLLEGE VILLAGE AREA AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

UM, I DO AGREE THAT WITH ASKING THE QUESTION ABOUT THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S NO SECRET.

WE'VE HAD SOME VERY TUMULTUOUS CONVERSATIONS UP HERE DEALING WITH GOLF AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

FOR ME, IT WAS DISHEARTENING THAT WE HAD TO DISCUSS THIS RIGHT AFTER ALL THE OTHER THINGS, BECAUSE FOR ME, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DEBATE OVER DREAMS. , THIS IS A VISION, IT'S A DREAM.

AND, UM, 18 MONTHS AGO WHEN I CAME IN, STAFF SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M NEW HERE.

WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR CONSTITUENTS WANT TO SEE IN DISTRICT TWO? UM, DOWNTOWN WAS BROUGHT UP A LOT.

I ASKED TO SEE WHAT THE PLAN WAS BECAUSE I REMEMBERED SEEING THE PLAN YEARS AND YEARS AGO.

I DID NOT REALIZE IT WAS 20 YEARS OLD UNTIL THEY, THEY SHOWED

[00:30:01]

IT TO ME.

AND SO, UM, THE, THE INTENTION FOR ME, AND I, AND I, YOU'VE JUST REPEATED IT SEVERAL TIMES, IS THAT WE, WE HAD TO HAVE SOMETHING NEW AND UPDATED.

I MEAN, IT'S 2024, NOT 2004.

AND SO, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I JUST SAW AND HEARD THIS WEEK OUT IN THE PUBLIC, UM, AFTER THE P AND Z MEETING UPSET ME BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE PUTTING OUT THERE THAT WE WERE TEARING DOWN BAYTOWN LITTLE THEATER.

AND SO I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANYTHING IN HERE WHERE YOU SAID, OR IT WAS EVER IMPLIED THAT BAYTOWN LITTLE THEATER WAS GOING TO BE TORN DOWN? NO.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, MAKE THAT CLEAR.

UM, BUT JUST SHARING WITH ALL OF YOU, MY PEERS UP HERE, I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF DIRECTION, UM, FOR DISTRICT TWO.

UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO VOTE ON ANYTHING THAT COMES UP.

AND I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO, TO, TO, TO GROW FROM, YOU KNOW.

AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW.

I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS BLUEPRINT.

WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS COMING UP ON THE MARKET STREET, UM, AREA ALREADY.

UM, AND A LOT OF THOSE FUNDINGS, I THINK WERE PARTNERED WITH HARRIS COUNTY, RIGHT? AND SO THIS WOULD BE A GREAT TIME TO START LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, BUILD ON DISTRICT TWO'S DOWNTOWN AREA.

SO, AND, AND I ALSO LIKE THE FACT THAT Y'ALL INCLUDED SO MANY STAKEHOLDERS DOWN THERE.

UM, IT WAS MENTIONED TO ME THAT THERE WERE VERY WELL ATTENDED FOCUS MEETINGS MM-HMM .

UM, IT WAS COMPARED TO OUR, TO OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS.

AND SO I, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT.

KUDOS TO KKC.

THEY DID A GREAT JOB WITH, WITH, UH, LEADING THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON THAT.

THANK YOU ALSO TO STAFF MM-HMM .

IN YOUR WORK, MAYOR? YES, MA'AM.

SO I HAVE A COMMENT AND A QUESTION AND, UM, ONE, I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THE DIRECTION THIS IS GOING.

I DID GO TO THE OPEN HOUSE AND I GOT TO HEAR THE FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE THERE.

I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY ALSO OUR BUSINESS OWNERS DOWN THERE, UM, EVEN BEFORE THIS BLUEPRINT CAME UP, AND I WAS HAVING LUNCH DOWN THERE ONE TIME, AND I JUST STARTED TALKING TO THE DIFFERENT BUSINESS OWNERS AND THE NEED THAT THEY HAD FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BECAUSE IT BENEFITS THEM AS WELL.

IT HELPS THEM GROW AND, AND HOPEFULLY IT, IT BRINGS IN ADDITIONAL BUSINESS OWNERS AND MAYBE STIR THE ONES THAT ARE THERE NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH THEIR PROPERTIES TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ALSO.

UM, AND SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT WAS PUT INTO IT.

I HAD ALSO ASKED BEFORE, BECAUSE WE DID DO A STUDY OF THE AREA BEFORE AND, AND THERE WAS SOME SORT OF DESIGN MADE FOR THE 100 BLOCK, IF Y'ALL REMEMBER.

AND SO I HAD ASKED HOW THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED AND THEY SAID, YES, THAT IS BEING TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION MM-HMM .

SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR MOLDING BOTH OF THOSE.

SO WE JUST DIDN'T DO A STUDY AND, AND FORGET ABOUT IT.

AND SO I'M GLAD THAT WAS INCORPORATED.

AND, AND THANK YOU FOR CON UM, SARAH, FOR CONTINUING TO BE A CHAMPION FOR THAT AREA.

IT'S LONG NEEDED.

UH, IT DEFINITELY IS.

UM, AND I, I, I THINK MY QUESTION IN REGARDS TO RESIDENTIAL IN THE AREA, UM, WHAT IS THE PLAN IN TERMS OF, IS IT GOING TO BE MORE BOUTIQUE, UM, APARTMENTS AND TOWN HOMES ARE, ARE YOU LOOKING AT LIKE HIGH SKILL, MULTIFAMILY? WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE ENVISIONING? BECAUSE I'LL GIVE YOU MY COMMENT AND, AND, UM, BEFORE YOU ANSWER, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO GET TO KEEP THE INTEGRITY OF THE AREA AND HAVE IT MORE OF A BOUTIQUE STYLE.

MM-HMM .

AROUND THERE.

I WOULD LOVE THE TOWN HOME CONCEPTS OUT TO THE EAST.

UM, AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT CAME UP AND FROM, FROM RESIDENTS IN THE AREA.

TOWNHOUSES, MOSTLY MARKET RATE, PROBABLY THE MAJORITY OF IT BEING MARKET RATE.

SO, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS HIGH LEVEL, SO WE DIDN'T QUITE GET INTO THAT DETAIL.

BUT THAT BEING SAID, UM, THE INTENT WOULD BE, YOU'D BE LOOKING AT, AT MORE OF KIND OF THAT MEDIUM DENSITY, SO MORE TOWN HOMES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

YOU MAY HAVE SOME HIGHER DENSITY CLOSER TO THE WATERFRONT BECAUSE THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE LAND TO WORK WITH THERE.

UM, BUT DOWNTOWN, UM, BECAUSE THERE IS SOME SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL THAT'S RATHER CLOSE, UM, I WOULD ANTICIPATE, UM, WE WOULD, WE WOULD WANT TO SEE MORE OF THAT MEDIUM DENSITY TOWN HOME, THINGS LIKE THAT.

GREG? UH, YEAH, ELABORATE ON THAT.

YEAH, GREG, UM, COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THAT A LITTLE BIT? I THINK, UH, BRIAN, UH, SAID IT RIGHT.

I THINK, UH, I DON'T THINK WE GOT INTO I THE GRAIN OF KIND OF WHAT HOUSING, WHAT HOUSING MARKETS WE'RE GOING AFTER.

I THINK WE ALL CONTEMPLATE OR HOPE IT'S GONNA BE MOSTLY MARKET RATE DEVELOPMENT.

UM, BUT WE CERTAINLY DON'T RULE OUT ANY TASK CREDIT STYLE DEVELOPMENT IF IT'S DONE WELL.

AND I THINK THAT GETS INTO THE IDEA, AND I DON'T WANNA BELABOR THE POINT ABOUT PUBLIC PAR PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IS THAT, UM, SYN CAN CONTROL, UH, A LOT OF THAT THROUGH NOT JUST ZONING, BUT THROUGH ANY KIND OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT IT ENTERS INTO.

BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I THINK WE WERE CONTEMPLATING UPPER STORY LOFT STYLE, APARTMENT DWELLINGS,

[00:35:01]

IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.

YES, IT DOES.

UM, AND SO AGAIN, I JUST APPRECIATE THE PATH THAT WE'RE TAKING AND, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT HAPPENS.

I KNOW THE STATE THAT IT'S IN RIGHT NOW, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT TOOK 20 YEARS TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE NOW AT TOWN SQUARE.

SO I CAN SEE WHERE IT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER 20 TO GET IT FULLY IN, INTO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.

UM, BUT THE MORE WE CHAMPION FOR THIS AREA, I, I HAVE TO ADMIT, IT'S GONNA FEEL A LITTLE WEIRD HAVING THE LIBRARY IF IT DOES MOVE OVER IN THAT AREA.

BUT IT HAVING, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, CIVIC PRESENCE HAS HELPED, YOU KNOW, WITH HAVING YOU BE THERE AND THEN OF COURSE THE, THE BRUNSON AND ALL OF THAT.

AND SO IT'S JUST KIND OF WRAPPING MY BRAIN ABOUT THAT.

BUT EITHER WAY, I, I LEAVE ALL THOSE STA STATISTICS TO YOU AND THEN OF COURSE MY COLLEAGUE WHO, WHO PRETTY MUCH RUNS THAT AREA AND, AND, AND HEARING MORE ABOUT HOW IT'S GOING TO DEVELOP.

YES.

UM, ONE SEC.

EVERYBODY ELSE LET A CHANCE TO COMMENT, THEN WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU.

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE, UH, I'LL JUST SAY, UM, I, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS, UM, WITH ANOTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT THIS, THIS BLUEPRINT AS A WHOLE.

UM, AND I THINK IT, WE PROBABLY ALL COULD PICK PIECES OF IT THAT WE MAY AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH.

I'M LOOKING AT SOME OF THE, THE LONGER TERM PRIORITIES.

ONE OF 'EM IS TO A, A BUSINESS INCUBATOR.

I THINK WE'VE ALREADY TRIED THAT.

IT WASN'T TOO SUCCESSFUL, BUT I MEAN, SOME OF THESE SHORT TERM, UM, INITIATIVES ARE THINGS WE DEFINITELY NEED TO, TO MOVE ON.

ADOPTING THE, THE NEW ULDC.

AND I SAW ON HERE RETRIP SOME STREETS TO PROVIDE EXTRA PARKING.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DO LARGE EVENTS DOWN NEAR TOWN SQUARE, WE ALWAYS NEED MORE PARKING.

SO, UM, I'M LOOKING AT THIS JUST AS A WHOLE, UM, AND I SEE A, A, A GOOD OVERVIEW HERE.

UM, AND I THINK AS WE GET ON DOWN THE ROAD, THERE MAY BE BITS AND PIECES THAT WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION ON.

BUT, UM, AS A WHOLE, UM, UH, I THINK IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD.

I'D LOVE TO SEE MORE DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT IN THIS AREA.

UM, MY KIDS, THEY FREQUENT THE LIBRARY OFTEN, AND, AND EVERY TIME THEY LEAVE FROM THERE AND GO STRAIGHT TO TOWN SQUARE 'CAUSE THEY LIKE THE TRAMPOLINES.

SO, UM, THERE MAYBE SOME IMPROVEMENTS WE COULD, WE COULD DO WITH MOVING SOME BUILDINGS AROUND.

BUT, UM, LOOKS GOOD.

THANK, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO US.

I'LL, I'LL JUMP IN WITH MY COLLEAGUES.

UM, IT'S A PLAN AND, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEAR ALL THE TIME.

SO WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR THE TOWN SQUARE AREA OR DOWN TEXAS AVENUE? WHAT'S THE PLAN? OKAY, SO WE HAD ONE THAT WAS 20 YEARS OLD.

WE DID QUITE A BIT THAT WAS IN THAT PLAN, BUT WE DIDN'T DO EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN THE PLAN.

BUT A 20-YEAR-OLD PLAN NEEDS TO BE UPDATED.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T DO IT ALL, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR, BUT 20 YEARS IS A LONG GAP.

SO THIS IS GONNA EBB AND FLOW.

I, I DID LIKE THE, I CLARIFICATION COMMENTS THAT THIS DOES NOT COMMIT THIS COUNCIL OR FUTURE COUNCILS TO ANYTHING.

IT'S JUST A PLAN.

AND, AND WITH THAT, I, I LIKE WHAT I SEE.

THERE'S SOME OF IT.

I COULD PROBABLY SAY, EH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, OR I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS, BUT IT'S AN OVERALL PLAN AND CONCEPT.

UM, WE HAVE OUR COMMERCIAL ECONOMIC AREA ON THE NORTHERN WEST SIDE OF TOWN.

THIS COULD BE, AGAIN, THE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT IN THE CENTRAL PART OF TOWN.

SO AGAIN, WE'RE STARTING TO SHARE THE, THE WEALTH WITH ACTIVITIES, UH, GIVES OUR CITIZENS A DIFFERENT PLACE TO GO TO OTHER THAN DOWN ONE SPECIFIC ROAD.

UM, SO, UH, I, I LIKE THE OVERALL PLAN.

UH, I THINK IT'S FUNNY THAT IN ALMOST ANY FORECASTING PLAN THAT WE HAVE, THEY COME UP WITH MULTIFAMILY MM-HMM .

TOWN HOMES.

AND, AND THAT'S ONE THING I HEAR ALL THE TIME, NO MORE MULTIFAMILY.

WELL, ALL THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING WE NEED MORE MULTIFAMILY MARKET RATES SPECIFICALLY.

UH, BUT, UH, SO I, I THINK IT'S GOT SOME GREAT IDEAS AND, AND IF I'M AROUND 20, 25 YEARS FROM NOW, I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK, SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THAT, AND IT'S GREAT.

IT INCORPORATES THE WATERFRONT, WHICH THIS COUNCIL HAS TALKED A LOT ABOUT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

UM, SO I'M GLAD TO SEE SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL WATERWAYS AND THEY JUST LANGUISH IN THIS KIND.

UM, SO I, I REALLY LIKE THAT CONCEPT.

SO IT'S JUST A PLAN.

YES, MA'AM.

HE, HE TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OVER MY MOUTH.

HE WROTE 'EM DOWN FOR ME.

NO, HE DIDN'T THROW, HE ACTUALLY SAID IT MUCH MORE ELOQUENTLY, SO.

YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS JUST, I MEAN, TOWN SQUARE AND TEXAS AVENUE, IF YOU LOOK AT, AT A MEASUREMENT OF IMPROVEMENT, IT'S WAY MORE IMPROVED.

ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ANY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I'LL JUST, I'LL MAKE A FEW OF MINE.

SO I DO, I DO AGREE.

I MEAN, IT IS A PLAN AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE ARE LIKE, WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN? AND SO HERE IS THE PLAN, RIGHT? AND SO YOU STILL HAVE TO, WE STILL HAVE TO LOOK AT IT, DISSECT IT AND UNDERSTAND IT AS A VERY HIGH LEVEL.

UM, I REMEMBER THE OLD PLANET 20 YEARS AGO, UM,

[00:40:01]

AND THERE WERE SOME THINGS WE DID, THERE WAS SOME FEDERAL MONEY, I THINK WE DID.

UM, UH, CONGRESSMAN GREEN WAS ABLE TO GO PROVIDE US SOME MONEY.

WE DID, UH, AN INTERSECTION, ICE BRICK WORK AND HARDSCAPING AND SO ON.

AND I THINK THAT WAS KIND OF THE PRECURSOR TO INVESTMENT IN THE AREA.

UH, WE HAVE DONE, WE'VE DONE SOME PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.

UM, FACT, THERE'S STILL AN OPERATIONAL LOFT THAT THAT'S THERE, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK EVERY DISCUSSION COUNCIL'S HAD, EVERY DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD WITH CITIZENS, BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, CONSULTANTS, EVERYBODY SAYS YOU NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE LIVING THERE.

AND THAT COULD BE THROUGH, IF IT'S LEE COLLEGE, IF THEY ACTUALLY HAVE BECOME MORE, I GUESS LESS OF A COMMUTER COLLEGE, UH, AND MORE OF A COLLEGE THAT, WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT WILL GO, THAT WILL LIVE IN BAYTOWN, THEY'RE NOT COMMUTING TO, TO LEE COLLEGE.

UM, I BELIEVE THAT'S, THAT'S IN A SENSE, THAT'S PART OF SOME DISCUSSIONS IN LEE COLLEGE.

SO, YOU KNOW, NO DOUBT, PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, UM, THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.

THEY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, UM, IN, IN THIS AREA HERE.

SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT.

UM, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING FOR ME IN THIS PLAN IS HAVING THAT, SO INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING.

AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT THIS AREA, UM, IT IS AGED, RIGHT? IT IS WHEN BAYTOWN FIRST BEGAN, IT'S AGED.

THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS THAT WORK AGAINST INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS OWNERS, IF IT'S THE FIRE WATER SYSTEM OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.

UM, I TRAVEL A LOT TO A LOT OF REVITALIZED AREAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

AND I LOOK AND I LOOK AT, AT VERY SIMILAR TYPE OF DOWNTOWN, BUT THEY'VE ALL FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET SOME VERY HIGH END TYPE.

UM, I GUESS, UM, USEFULNESS REPURPOSING OF, OF THESE TYPE OF, UM, PLACES.

BECAUSE I BELIEVE OUR CITIZENS, THOUGH, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT BAYTOWN, IT'S ALWAYS THE HOMETOWN FEEL, RIGHT? I'VE HAD PEOPLE THAT, THEY'RE NOT EVEN FROM BAYTOWN AND THEY JUST LIVED HERE A FEW YEARS, AND THEY SAY, I LIKE THE HOMETOWN TOWN FEEL OF BAYTOWN.

AND SO I THINK TOWN SQUARE AND WHAT'S HAPPENING ON TEXAS AVENUE, AND CERTAINLY THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN HA HAPPEN ON TEXAS AVENUE, I BELIEVE THAT WE CONTINUE TO TRY TO CAPTURE THAT.

AND THERE'S PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.

BUT CERTAINLY INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT ALL THESE BUSINESSES ARE FUTURE BUSINESSES WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.

UH, THE WATERFRONT.

I I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF CAPTURING THAT.

I THINK THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY THERE.

UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MARKET STREET CORRIDOR AND THE IMPROVEMENT THAT'S PLANNED FOR THAT, UH, TYING THAT INTO THE ROUNDABOUT AND THEN HAVING THAT COME DOWN TEXAS AVENUE, UM, AND PRETTY MUCH THE STREETS, THE FEW BLOCKS THAT, UM, SURROUND TEXAS AVENUE, I BELIEVE THAT IS, IS CERTAINLY, UM, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THAT, THAT THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY COULD ALL GO AND REALLY FOCUS ON.

AND SO HAVING THIS PLAN, UM, FROM A HIGH LEVEL, I THINK IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY A GOOD TOOL FOR US.

IT'S A GOOD TOOL FOR OUR CITIZENS AND A GOOD TOOL FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF WHAT THIS COULD BE.

SO WITH THAT, I DO APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED.

UM, WITH THAT, WE DO HAVE A, UM, A, UH, ACTION ITEM, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER COMMENTS.

UH, BUT THIS WOULD BE, IT'S JUST CONSIDERING TO, TO ADOPT THE PLAN.

AGAIN, IT'S A PLAN AS, AS IT WAS EXPRESSED, THERE IS NO COMMITMENT OTHER THAN THIS IS JUST KIND OF THE UPDATE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN, UH, IN, WITH THE FUTURE OF BAYTOWN, PARTICULARLY THE TEXAS AVENUE AREA, THE WATERFRONT AREA, UH, THERE.

SO WITH THAT, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UH, FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM THREE, A DISTRICT TWO, MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM THREE A, PLEASE.

SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION.

AND SECOND, ANY ADDITIONS, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEM THREE AS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY, AYE.

[b. Consider an ordinance authorizing the adoption of the Baytown Economic Prosperity Roadmap.]

THREE B, CONSIDER ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ADOPTION OF THE BAYTOWN ECONOMIC PROSPERITY ROADMAP.

SO, UM, A, AGAIN, MUCH LIKE THE, THE, UM, THE DOWNTOWN PLAN, UM, THIS AGAIN IS MEANT AS A GUIDE, AS A, UM, WE'RE CALLING IT THE ROADMAP.

SO MUCH LIKE A ROADMAP HELPS YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.

UH, SAME COMMENTS AS THE DOWNTOWN PLAN.

THIS DOESN'T COMMIT THE CITY TO ANYTHING.

IT DOESN'T COMMIT US TO ANY, UM, UH, COMMITMENT OF DOLLARS OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, OR, OR PARTNERSHIPS.

BUT IT DOES MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND I, AND I WANT TO JUST TAKE A SECOND TO TELL YOU WHY THIS ONE, THE DOWNTOWN PLAN IS DEFINITELY, UM, IMPORTANT AND YOU'VE ALL KIND OF ESTABLISHED WHY YOU HAD A PLAN FROM 20 YEARS AGO THAT HAS BECOME OUTDATED AND NEEDED TO, TO BE, UM, BROUGHT UP TO SPEED.

THIS ONE, THIS IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN BAYTOWN.

WE HAVE NOT HAD A GUIDE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND SO WHAT THAT HAS LED TO IS, IS THE CITY'S EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MORE OF A, HEY, SHINY, UH, SHINY OVER

[00:45:01]

HERE.

AND WHILE THAT GETS US SOME WINS, SOME WINS ALONG THE WAY, IT DOESN'T GET US TO THE EVENTUAL GOAL THAT WE HAVE AND CREATE A VISION FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY.

AND THAT, THAT MAKES IT REALLY, UM, MAKES IT REALLY DIFFICULT FOR, FOR STAFF AND FOR, AND FOR YOU AS, AS DECISION MAKERS.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS MEANT AS A HIGH LEVEL VISION AND GUIDE.

AND AGAIN, I'LL LET RYAN, UM, TAKE IT FROM THERE.

THANK YOU, MARTIN.

SO, YES, AS MARTIN SAID, UM, THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY ROADMAP, UM, THE INTENT OF IT IS TO SERVE, UH, THE CITY AS A CITY STRATEGIC PLAN AND VISION FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY PROGRAMS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL FRAMEWORK.

UH, THIS ALSO STARTED BACK IN AUGUST OF 2023, UM, WITH THE CREATION OF AN ECONOMIC STRATEGY WORKING GROUP.

UM, THIS ALSO INCLUDED A WIDE CROSS SECTION OF FOLKS, UM, ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, UM, FROM LEE COLLEGE, UH, SMALL BUSINESS, UH, DEVELOPMENT CENTER.

UH, WE HAD, UM, ALSO, UH, THE EDF INVOLVED.

UH, WE HAD SEVERAL BUSINESS OWNERS INVOLVED, UM, AS WELL AS OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE INTERESTED IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

UM, THIS GROUP MET FOUR TIMES THROUGHOUT THE PLANNING PROCESS.

UM, THIS ONE IS NOT AS, AS PUBLIC FACING OF A, OF A DOCUMENT AS IT IS TRYING TO CREATE MORE OF A POLICY, UM, FOR WITHIN THE CITY.

UM, BUT WE STILL, AGAIN, WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD A LARGE CROSS CROSS SECTION OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IN THE AREA.

UM, AND YOU DID SEE THIS ALL AT YOUR WORK SESSION, UM, BACK ON APRIL 25TH.

SO, UH, REAL QUICK, JUST KIND OF RUN THROUGH.

YOU ALL SAW THIS, BUT UH, JUST FOR THE RECORD AGAIN, UM, THE PLAN WAS BROKEN OUT INTO PRIORITY PROJECTS, PROGRAMS, AND POLICIES, AND THEN ALSO SOME RECOMMENDED GOALS.

UM, SO WE WERE LOOKING AT, UM, DOING SOME EXPANDED, UH, RECOMMENDING, UH, DOING EXPANDED THREE 80 AGREEMENTS, UH, THE CREATION OF ENHANCED RIS PROGRAM.

SO FOR SOME OF THOSE LARGER PROJECTS, UM, CREATION OF REVOLVING LOAN FUND, CREATION OF A REDEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISE AGENCY, UM, DOWNTOWN LAND ASSEMBLY AND MARKETING.

UM, THERE'S THAT DOWNTOWN PIECE, UH, THAT I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT IN INNOVATION POWER PARK, WHICH, UM, WE'VE HEARD, UM, FROM SOME PEOPLE SIMILAR TO THE ION DISTRICT THAT, UH, YOU SEE IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.

UM, AND THEN THIS IS A HUGE ONE, UH, STANDARDIZED AND PREDICTABLE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS AND INCENTIVES.

UM, REALLY WHAT DEVELOPERS WANT TO KNOW IS THAT BEFORE THEY SPEND ALL OF THAT MONEY TO DRAW PLANS AND, YOU KNOW, FLY PEOPLE OUT TO BAYTOWN AND ALL OF THAT, THEY KIND OF NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS EXPECTED, OKAY, IF, IF THEY DO X, THEY'RE GOING TO BE REASONABLY EXPECTED TO GET Y FROM THE CITY.

UM, AS MARTIN WAS SAYING, UH, PREVIOUSLY WE HAD KIND OF MORE OF AN AD HOC, UH, TYPE THING OF, UH, WELL, WE'LL JUST CREATE THIS ON THE FLY.

UH, WE'LL DO THIS, WE'LL DO THAT OVER HERE.

UM, THIS, UH, IS A HUGELY IMPORTANT THING, UM, AGAIN, BECAUSE DEVELOPERS WANT THAT PREDICTABILITY.

UM, AND IT WILL ALSO HELP ENSURE THAT THE CITY IS HOPEFULLY GETTING, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING A GOOD BENEFIT FROM THESE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS INSTEAD OF, AGAIN, US KIND OF WRITING THEM AS THESE PROJECTS COME THROUGH.

SO SOME OF THE RECOMMENDED GOALS, UH, WOULD BE EXPANDING OUR WORKFORCE TO, UH, INCLUDE MORE PROFESSIONAL TECHNOLOGY JOBS, UH, MORE ROBUST SMALL BUSINESS, UH, SUPPORT SYSTEM, UH, DEVELOP A, A WEALTH CREATION PROGRAMS TARGETED TOWARDS, UM, EXISTING LOW INCOME CITY RESIDENTS.

UH, BROADEN AND DEEPEN THE CITY RETAIL OFFERINGS, UM, FOCUS ON COMMUNITY ATTRACTIVENESS AND AUTHENTICITY, AND THEN REDEVELOP AND REVITALIZE VACANT AND BLIGHTED AREAS OF THE CITY.

UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS I DID WANNA MENTION, UM, THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT DURING THE DOWNTOWN, UM, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN IS NOT GOING TO CANNIBALIZE GARTH ROAD.

UH, WE ARE LARGE ENOUGH OF A CITY THAT WE CAN HAVE MULTIPLE NODES OF, OF ACTIVITY, UM, AND THEY CAN ALL SERVE DIFFERENT NICHES.

SO, UM, SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT, UM, THIS, UH, ROADMAP, UH, ALSO, UH, ENVISIONS, AGAIN, THIS IS A LONG TERM, UH, PLAN.

UM, AND, UH, THIS KIND OF BREAKS OUT THE FIRST FIVE YEARS AS YOU CAN SEE.

UM, AGAIN, UH, BRINGING IN BOTH, UH, DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS, THE CITY COUNCIL, THE MAYOR, UM, AND THEN OUTSIDE, UH, ENTITIES AS WELL.

UM, SO WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

AND AGAIN, GREG IS ON THE LINE, UH, TO ANSWER ANY OF THOSE DETAILED QUESTIONS.

APPRECIATE, UM, ANY, I GUESS, QUESTIONS ON REGARDING THE PRESENTATION, NOT NECESSARILY A QUESTION, BUT JUST A COMMENT.

AND, UH, AGAIN, I JUST APPRECIATE HAVING SOME SORT OF ROADMAP, A PLAN OF WHERE WE'RE GOING.

WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT AT OUR, UM, FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING AND, AND HAVING A PLAN OF, OF WHAT, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT Y'ALL TOOK IN THIS.

YES, MA'AM.

IT WAS EXCITING FOR ME TO HEAR YOU, UM, TALK ABOUT THE INNOVATION POWER PARK OR ION, UM, JUST RECENTLY A GROUP OF FUTURE BAYTON, WELL, THEIR CURRENT BAYTON IS, BUT FUTURE ADULT BAYTON.

MM-HMM .

FROM THE STEM SCHOOL WENT OUT TO THE ION DOWNTOWN, UH, PARK DISTRICT IN HOUSTON MM-HMM .

AND, UM, I ACTUALLY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THAT AREA UNTIL TWO

[00:50:01]

WEEKS AGO.

AND, UM, I COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW EXCITED THESE 16, 17, AND 18 YEAR OLDS WERE.

UM, THEY SPENT THE DAY OUT THERE JUST, UH, IF, IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THAT, I REALLY, IT'S WHERE ENTREPRENEURS CAN GO AND IT, IT IS A BUSINESS HUB.

AND I, AND I, EARLIER COUNCILMAN POWELL MENTIONED THAT THE, THE LITTLE THING THAT WE HAD, WHAT IS IT CALLED? THE INCUBATOR INCUBATOR, DEFINITELY THE WAY IT WAS DONE DIDN'T WORK, BUT THIS ION INSTITUTE OR ION DOWNTOWN IN, IN HOUSTON, UM, THE WAY IT WAS DONE THERE IS REALLY NEAT.

THESE ENTREPRENEURS GO INTO THESE, UH, ROOMS AND THEY CAN BUILD PROTOTYPES, USE 3D PRINTERS, AND YOU LOOK FOR OUTSIDE SOURCES TO HELP TO FUND THESE THINGS.

BUT, UM, I DEFINITELY GET EXCITED SEEING THESE KIND OF THINGS MAYBE BE IN OUR FUTURE ON OUR ROADMAP, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, SOME, SOME YOUNG PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE NOW THAT WOULD LOVE THAT.

THAT'S GREAT.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON ITEM THREE B? IF NOT, I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM THREE B AS PRESENTED.

MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND MOTION, SECOND QUESTIONS, COMMENTS.

IF NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.

THREE B IS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE.

NOW WE HAVE ITEM FOUR A, UH, LET'S SEE.

OPPOSED? ITEM CARRIES.

AND SO

[a. Consider a resolution accepting the Preliminary Service and Assessment Plan for the Bay Creek Public Improvement District.]

CONSIDERING A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE PRELIMINARY SERVICES AND ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR THE BAY CREEK PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, MR. MORAN.

HEY, GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

IN JULY OF 2021, THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE CREATION OF THE BAY CREEK PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, UM, WHICH ENCOMPASSES APPROXIMATELY 76 ACRES, UH, JUST SOUTH OF FM 1492, EAST OF NORTH MAIN STREET TO GET YOUR BEARINGS.

UM, WITH THIS IS, UH, SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENT, UH, AGREEMENT WAS PASSED IN OCTOBER, 2021, WHICH OUTLINES, UH, THE SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS, UM, FOR THAT SUCH AS LANDSCAPING, PARKS AND AMENITIES, STREET SCAPING, TRAIL SYSTEMS, UM, MASONRY SIGNAGE AND ARCHITECTURAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT.

UM, IT'S DIVIDED INTO TWO PHASES WITH PHASE ONE CONSISTING OF 143, UH, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNITS, AND THEN, UH, 108 UNITS ON, UH, 50 FOOT LOTS.

UM, THE SERVICE PLAN, IT'S IDENTIFIED, UH, FOR YOU TONIGHT FOR PHASE ONE, UM, IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ASSESSMENT OF APPROXIMATELY FOUR POINT, UH, SIX 1 MILLION.

AND THE REMAINING, UH, 2.4 MILLION IS COMING FROM, UH, THE DEVELOPER FOR THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH INCLUDE THE ROAD, WATER, SEWER, STORM, UH, LANDSCAPING, AND OTHER, UH, PUBLIC NECESSITIES.

UH, THE ITEM PRESENTED BEFORE YOU TONIGHT, UH, OUTLINES AND ACCEPTS, UH, WHAT THE PRELIMINARY SERVICE AND ASSESSMENT PLAN IS FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT, WHICH INCLUDES THE FIVE YEAR SERVICE PLAN, PREPARATION OF THE PROPOSED ASSESSMENT ROLE, UM, MAIL AND PUBLIC NOTICE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN ALSO ESTABLISHING THE DATE, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH IS JUNE 27TH.

UM, ALSO, ALL OF WHICH ARE INCLUDED IN THE PSOP, UM, THE PUBLIC HEARING.

UM, FOR LEVYING THE PROPOSED ASSESSMENT, UM, WILL BE SET FOR JUNE 27TH AND ALLOWING THE COUNCIL THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO CONSIDER ADOPTING THE ORDINANCE TO LEVY, UH, THE ASSESSMENT FOR BAY CREEK.

UM, WE ANTICIPATE THE HOME, UH, PRICE RANGES WILL BE IN THE RANGE FROM 297 TO 450,000 WITH THE HOMES RANGING IN ABOUT 1600 SQUARE FEET TO 3,300, UH, SQUARE FEET THERE.

ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FOR THE RESOLUTION WE HAVE NOT, UH, I ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM FOUR A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM FOUR.

A SECOND.

MOTION SECOND.

ANY ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, HAVE NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF FOUR A IS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE.

[a. Receive the City of Baytown's Quarterly Financial and Investment Reports for the Quarter Ending March 31, 2024.]

UH, RECEIVE THE CITY OF BAYTOWN QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INVESTMENT REPORTS.

FOURTH QUARTER ENDING MARCH 31ST OF 24.

MS. MCKENZIE.

UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.

UM, I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE SECOND QUARTER FINANCIAL REPORT FOR PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2024.

THIS REPORT OFFERS A SNAPSHOT OF OUR FINANCIAL STATUS AND THE DETAILS ARE IN YOUR, UM, PACKET.

UM, THE GENERAL FUND BOASTS A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE OF $72 MILLION GENERATED.

WE'VE GENERATED 111 MILLION IN REVENUE, REPRESENTING 83% OF OUR BUDGET.

WHILE OUR TOTAL EXPENDITURES ARE 64.3 MILLION AT 47% OF OUR BUDGET.

THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY

[00:55:01]

TAX REVENUE STANDS AT 414,000, WHICH IS ONLY 24% OF OUR TARGET WITH REVENUES AT 439,000.

THE FUND BALANCE REMAINS AT 2.9 MILLION.

UM, BASED ON OUR PRELIMINARY AUDIT FINDINGS, THE HOTEL, THE CITY IS DUE 122,000 IN HOTEL REVENUE.

THE WATER AND SEWER FUND WE'RE ON TARGET WITH 28.5 MILLION IN REVENUE.

AT 52% OF THE BUDGET AND EXPENDITURES ARE AT 26 MILLION AT 48% OF THE BUDGET, LEAVING A STRONG FUND BALANCE OF 12.8 MILLION.

THE SANITATION FUND, HOWEVER, SHOWS A NEGATIVE WORKING CAPITAL OF 540,000 REVENUES ARE 3.5 MILLION AT 46% OF THE BUDGET.

WHILE EXPENDITURES SLIGHTLY EXCEED THAT AT 3.6 MILLION, STORMWATER HAS A 2.3 MILLION, UH, 2.3 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES SURPASSING THE 2.1 MILLION IN REVENUE, LEAVING A NEGATIVE WORKING CAPITAL OF 2.2 MILLION.

AND THE AQUATICS FUND ENDS THE QUARTER WITH A NEGATIVE WORKING CAPITAL OF 228,000, IMPACTED BY A CARRYOVER NEGATIVE WORKING CAPITAL FROM THE PRIOR YEAR OF 786,000.

ON A BRIGHTER NOTE, THE STREET MAINTENANCE HAS A FAVORABLE FUND BALANCE OF 7.6 MILLION WITH 1.9 MILLION IN REVENUE AT 43% OF THE BUDGET, AND 1.6 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES AT 24% OF THE BUDGET.

ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE 53 MILLION IN UNSPENT BOND PROCEEDS.

OUR INVESTMENT TOTALS AT BOOK VALUE OF 281 MILLION WITH INVESTMENT EARNINGS ACROSS ALL FUNDS AT $3.2 MILLION.

AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS FOR MS. MCKENZIE? I HAVE ONE.

SO I'M, I'M JUST LOOKING AT SALES TAX RECEIPTS AND SO WHAT I SEE IS WE WILL GO A MONTH OR TWO AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IN A SENSE WE ARE, WHEN, WHEN I COMPARE, WHEN I LOOK AT YEAR TO YEAR COMPARISONS, SOME GO UP AND THEN SOME GO DOWN.

AND SO IS THERE ANY FINANCIAL EXPLANATION MAYBE FOR THAT? I KNOW SOMETIMES, UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, THERE'S CHRISTMAS TIME, THERE'S THAT KIND OF ISSUES, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING, WHEN I LOOK AT 12 MONTHS, WHY IS THERE AN UP AND DOWN? WELL, RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE SHOWING IS THE TREND IS NOT THE SAME AS LAST YEAR.

WE'RE RELATIVELY FLAT.

UM, IT IS NOT, UM, THRIVING THE WAY IT WAS IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, AND THAT'S THE ONLY EXPLANATION WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.

UM, SO WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT IT WILL BE FLAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THE SUMMER WILL GENERATE SOME MORE SALES TAX, UM, DUE TO EVERYONE BEING OUTTA SCHOOL AND VACATION.

I MEAN, I SAID IT JUST WAS INCONSISTENT IN YEARS, YOU KNOW, LIKE, WELL EVEN IN, IN THE COVID YEAR, YOU KNOW, THERE IT WAS AN UPTICK MM-HMM .

BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE BUYING MATERIALS DOING STUFF.

I'M BUYING BIKES, WHATEVER THEY WERE DOING.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WAS UP.

AND SO, UM, THIS WAS, THAT WAS, MAYBE THERE WAS SOME KIND OF FINANCIAL EXPLANATION FOR THAT.

SO I THINK, I MEAN, I THINK LAST YEAR WAS, LAST YEAR WAS SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER.

IF I RECALL CORRECTLY.

LAST YEAR WAS A GOOD BIT HIGHER THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

YES.

IT, IT WAS.

AND I THINK PART OF THAT WAS DUE TO INFLATION, RIGHT? I MEAN, WHEN THINGS, THE PRICE OF THINGS GO UP, WE BRING IN MORE SALES TAX REVENUE ALSO, RIGHT? YEAH.

BUT THAT CATCHES UP WITH PEOPLE EVENTUALLY AND THEY CUT BACK.

THEY BUY BACK.

THEY CUT BACK ON THEIR SPENDING AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING.

NO, I AGREE.

I MEAN, YEAH, SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY FOOD IS, IS ONE PLACE THAT WE ALL, EVERYONE EXPERIENCED INFLATION AT THE, YOU KNOW, THE CHECKOUT COUNTER AT THE GROCERY STORE.

THERE'S NO DOUBT.

AND SO I'LL JUST, ANYWAY, JUST IN GENERAL, I'LL JUST, IT WAS A GENERAL QUESTION ON SALES TAX.

I THINK IT'S JUST FINALLY BALANCING OUT FROM THE UPTICK DURING COVID AND THE FOLLOWING YEARS.

AND SO NOW IT'S LEVELING OUT.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO CONSENT.

ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS ANYTHING, ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT.

SO ALL THOSE, I GUESS WE'LL JUST CONSIDER, UH, FIVE A'S RECEIVED.

[6. CONSENT All Consent Agenda items listed are considered to be routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Council Member requests, in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda.]

WE HAVE ITEMS A THROUGH J.

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY? MAYOR? YES, MR. MAYOR, CAN WE HOLD SIX A UNTIL AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION? UH, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT, OKAY.

I THINK WE NEED TO DISCUSS, UH, WITH, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY.

THAT, UH, MAY INFLUENCE YOUR DECISIONS.

SO WE WILL, UM, PULL ITEM SIX A.

UH, SO OTHER THAN THAT, UM, I THINK I, THERE'LL BE A COMMENT ON LATER, BUT IT'S NOTHING FOR DISCUSSION IN A SENSE.

UM, SO WITH THAT, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM SIX B THROUGH J ON CONSENT.

MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM SIX B THROUGH J.

ALRIGHT, MOTION TO SECOND.

AND AGAIN, ITEM SIX A WILL BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY, BUT UH, WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND.

SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CONSENT THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED, WHICH IS B THROUGH J, PLEASE, PLEASE SAY AYE.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN.

OPPOSED? UH, REAL QUICK, UH, COUNCILMAN, I KNOW YOU WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ON ITEM.

I I DID, MAYOR, THANK

[01:00:01]

YOU FOR CONSIDERATION.

ABSOLUTELY.

POINT OUT THAT THE BAYTOWN HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION DAY IS PART OF, WAS I, AND IS SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY JUNE THE EIGHTH AT THE BAYTOWN STORE FACILITY AT 1200 LEE DRIVE, WHICH IS WHERE WE'VE HELD IT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

AND, AND I ALWAYS LIKE TO POINT THIS OUT 'CAUSE IT IS, IF IT'S A PRETTY DAY, IT WILL BE A VERY BUSY PLACE IN TOWN.

SURE.

UM, THE CITIZENS REALLY LIKE THIS.

IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET RID OF ALL THEIR HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE.

UM, I'VE EVEN SEEN LINES OF CARS WHEN IT'S POURING DOWN RAIN.

SO THEY REALLY, REALLY DO APPRECIATE THIS AND I KNOW THAT THE STAFF WILL DO A GOOD JOB ON ADVERTISING IT.

BUT AS, AS I VISIT WITH JAY AND, AND MAYOR AND I HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST REALLY NEED TO HIGHLIGHT WHEN STAFF DOES THINGS THAT THE CITIZENS REALLY DO WANT AND ENJOY GOING TO.

UM, I MEAN, THEY BRING USED PAINT, THEY'LL BRING PESTICIDES.

I MEAN, EVERYTHING THAT FITS IN THE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE CATEGORY, THEY'LL BRING.

AND AGAIN, I KNOW IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A NICE DAY, THE LINE WILL STRETCH AROUND THE BLOCK.

SO GET READY FOLKS.

IT'S COMING.

WHETHER IT'S RAIN OR SUNSHINE OR WHATEVER, COME ON OUT.

STAFF WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.

THANKS MAYOR.

ALRIGHT, WE WILL MOVE

[7. MANAGER'S REPORT Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 551.0415 of the Texas Government Code, the City Council of the City of Baytown may receive a report about items of community interest from City staff and/or a member of the City Council, but no action or possible action shall be taken or discussed concerning the subject of such report, except as provided by Section 551.042 of the Texas Government Code.]

ON TO ITEM SEVEN, WHICH IS THE MANAGER REPORT.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

I HAVE A FEW THINGS TO, TO READ THROUGH.

UH, HAPPY TO READ THROUGH 'EM.

UH, SO THE FOLLOWING EMPLOYEES WERE RECOGNIZED THIS QUARTER FOR GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND AND LIVING OUT OUR CORE VALUES, CARING, LEADERSHIP, INNOVATION, STEWARDSHIP, AND COLLABORATION.

I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR OUR CITY.

AND, UH, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT AND I APPRECIATE, UH, EVERYBODY THAT PUT ON THAT EVENT AND, UH, COMING OUT HERE AND DOING OUR, UH, FOOTLOOSE STANCE OVER HERE.

SO, UH, THANK YOU EVERYBODY, UH, FOR PARTAKING IN THAT.

AND, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY THAT WAS RECOGNIZED.

UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO MADISON BROWNLEY WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR EARNING HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION WITH A MINOR MINOR IN ACCOUNTING ON MAY 11TH.

UH, THAT IS A FANTASTIC ACHIEVEMENT AND CONGRATULATIONS, MADISON.

UH, LIEUTENANT RENEE OSA HAS BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE OF TEXAS LEADERSHIP'S COMMAND COLLEGE.

SO CONGRATS TO, UH, LIEUTENANT OSA.

SO, UH, GREAT STUFF.

UH, WE HAD A FEW WRITE-INS AND I ALWAYS LIKE, UH, READING THE WRITE-INS.

UM, WE HAD A WRITE-IN FROM ADVANCED INTERIOR SERVICES WITH SPECIAL KUDO, UH, KUDOS.

WELL, UH, FOR NICOLE SWEARER AND WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING, SHE WAS QUICK TO RESPOND TO AN ISSUE OUT FRONT OF THEIR BUSINESS, ADDRESS IT SWIFTLY AND WAS EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL.

GREAT WORK, NICOLE.

UM, THANK YOU.

FANTASTIC.

UH, THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, UM, IT'S ANOTHER RIGHT IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.

TRAFFIC TEAM WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND TO MAKE SURE LINES BLOCKING MY DRIVEWAY.

WERE TAKEN CARE OF TODAY AND THEY DESERVE, UM, A PAT ON THE BACK.

UH, THANK YOU TO OUR TRAFFIC TEAM FOR ALL YOU DO TO OUR RESIDENTS.

SO THANK YOU FOR WRITING IN.

WE DO APPRECIATE THOSE.

UH, JUST AN UPDATE, UH, FROM THE STORM.

I WANNA SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE, UM, WHO HAD A PART IN THE RECOVERY OF THE STORM.

I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LARGE NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS AND STAFF MEMBERS THAT PLAYED A VITAL ROLE, UH, INTO THE RECOVERY.

AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.

I WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR SENDING ME ALL THE ADDRESSES.

I KNOW, I KNOW THAT THE CITY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH POWER BEING ON OR OFF.

UM, BUT OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS DID REACH OUT AND GOT NUMEROUS, UH, NUMEROUS ADDRESSES.

UM, AND THEN THOSE WERE RELAYED TO CENTER POINT AND WE DID, UH, THEY DID DRIVE AROUND THE CITY, UM, MEET WITH THE HOMEOWNERS THAT WERE OUT, WERE WITHOUT POWER.

OUR STAFF WAS DOING THE SAME THING.

UM, JUST THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY THAT TOOK THE TIME TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY WAS SAFE AND SECURE AS THEY POSSIBLY COULD BE.

AND THEN JUST BEING AN EAR, UM, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE ARE STILL OUT TODAY, UM, AND WE JUST KIND OF LISTEN TO THEM AND LET THEM GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CENTER POINT THE BEST THAT WE CAN, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER WHAT'S HAPPENING.

UH, BUT THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY TO QUICK RESPONSE, UM, AND REALLY JUST BEING THERE FOR OUR CITIZENS.

AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER, PLEASE KNOW, IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING AT THIS POINT IN TIME THAT IF YOU OR ARE WITHOUT POWER, IT IS MOST LIKELY DUE TO AN ISSUE AT YOUR HOUSE, OKAY? IT IS MOST LIKELY DUE TO AN ISSUE AT YOUR HOUSE, WHICH MEANS THAT YOU PROBABLY NEED TO GET AN ELEC ELECTRICIAN TO GET A PERMIT TO GET THAT, UM, ADDRESSED.

UH, I WILL TELL YOU THAT OUR TEAM, OUR PLANNING, UH, UH, PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND BUILDING TEAM, THEY ARE READY TO EXPEDITE THOSE PERMITS TO GET YOU IN AND OUT AND HOPEFULLY GET CENTER POINT TO GETTING THOSE FIXED AND YOUR ELECTRICITY BACK ON AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.

ALRIGHT, AND THEN I HAVE ONE MORE THING.

DO YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING REAL QUICK? MAYOR, I'LL ADD, I MEAN, I, I'M GONNA SAY A FEW THINGS, BUT I WILL ADD AT LEAST ON

[01:05:01]

THAT POINT.

UM, I WILL SAY, UH, WITH THE PERMITS, UH, THAT IS THE, THE PERMITS, UH, THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED OBVIOUSLY FOR HOOKUP.

AGAIN, UM, THAT IS PROBABLY BECAUSE, UH, CITIZENS OR A HOMEOWNER'S, UH, EQUIPMENT MAY BE DAMAGED, THEIR ELECTRICAL BOX, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, IT MAY BE THE OVERHEAD.

AND SO, UH, THAT PERMIT IS REQUIRED BEFORE LINEMAN WILL, WILL RECONNECT, UH, POWER.

A LOT OF TIMES THEY WILL REMOVE YOUR METER FACE SO YOU DON'T TRY TO CONNECT AT LEAST, UM, I GUESS YOU CAN, BUT REALLY DANGEROUS.

UM, BUT THEY WILL, THEY WILL CERTAINLY DO THAT.

BUT, UM, I KNOW I HAD A FEW CITIZENS THAT CONTACTED ME.

AND SO WHAT I WOULD ASK, AND I'M SURE, UH, MYSELF AND COUNSEL, UH, WOULD AGREE THAT ANY PERMITS, UH, NEEDED, UH, AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS, UH, REGARDING STORM RELATED DAMAGES, IF IT PROBABLY GONNA BE ELECTRICAL, THEY MAY, THERE WAS ONLY A FEW HOMES, I THINK THAT WAS DAMAGE FROM FALLING TREES OR WHATEVER.

BUT I WOULD ASK THAT WE WAIVE THOSE FEES, UH, FOR OUR CITIZENS IF THEY IDENTIFY THAT THESE ARE STORM RELATED REPAIRS, UM, THAT THOSE FEES ARE WAIVED AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS.

STORM RELATED DAMAGES CLARITY.

UM, IF YOU CAN IN A SENSE, DO THAT ADMINISTRATIVELY FOR NOW.

UM, I WOULD ALSO ASK THAT IN ORDER TO CODIFY THIS ACTION, UM, THAT YOU BRING, I GUESS TWO ORDINANCES FOR US TO CONSIDER, ONE FOR THIS STORM, UM, THAT JUST PASSED, UH, BUT ALSO ONE SO THAT ANY FUTURE, UH, DISASTER DECLARATIONS, LOCAL DECLARATIONS THAT THE MAYOR MAKES, UM, THAT AUTOMATICALLY THE DAY FOLLOWING THE STORM, UH, AT LEAST FOR 30 DAYS AND WITH COUNSEL'S APPROVAL TO EXTEND, BUT AT LEAST FOR 30 DAYS, UH, PERMIT FEES WILL BE WAIVED SO PEOPLE CAN GET IN HERE AND GET, UH, GET A PERMIT WITHOUT HAVING TO WAIT FOR US OR ANYBODY.

UM, AS SOON AS WE CAN PROVIDE THEM AN EXPEDITED PERMIT FOR REPAIRS BEING MADE, WE CAN DO THAT SO THAT, THAT THEY, THEY, THEY ARE EITHER, UM, YOU KNOW, REPAIRS ARE MADE SAFELY AND OBVIOUSLY WITHIN CODE.

AND SO, UM, I WOULD ASK FOR YOU TO DO THOSE TWO THINGS AT OUR NEXT MEETING.

ARE, ARE AS SOON AS WE CAN.

YES, SIR.

JUST SO HAPPENS ON MY NOTE RIGHT HERE, PERMIT FEES ARE WAIVED, UM, FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS AND WE'LL BE RATIFY IT AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.

SO YES, SIR.

WE'LL GET IT DONE.

WELL, I WROTE THAT THERE EARLIER DAYS ANYWAY, FOR HOMES THAT ARE DAMAGED BY CONS BY THE STORM, NOT JUST ALL PERMIT FEES.

RIGHT.

RIGHT.

I WAS, I SAID IT VERY SPECIFICALLY, I THINK STORM RELATED DAMAGES, BUT I'LL MAKE, I'LL, I'LL A FEW MORE COMMENTS AFTER YOUR LAST.

YES, SIR.

I HAD ONE MORE THING.

UM, I DID SEE AN ARTICLE IN THE PAPER TODAY, UM, AND I WANTED TO, UM, ADDRESS, UH, THE ARTICLE.

AND SO I DID HAVE SOMETHING PUT TOGETHER AND I KNOW THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE INDIVIDUAL.

I KNOW THE INDIVIDUAL DID SPEAK, BUT WE DID HAVE, THE TEAM DID PUT TOGETHER AND JUST WANNA READ THAT QUICKLY.

UM, IN THE RECENT BAYTOWN SUN ARTICLE, THE HOUSE IS REPORTED TO BE A HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT HOME.

UM, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS PART OF THE PROGRAM WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.

UM, AND TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT A CITY BUILT HOME, NOR DO WE, DOES THE CITY HAVE ANY INVOLVEMENT WITH THIS HOME WHATSOEVER? THIS IS SOMETHING STRICTLY WITH THE BAYTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE THE HOME.

NO PERMITS HAVE BEEN APPLIED FOR, AND NO INSPECTIONS HAVE BEEN CALLED FOR.

WE HAVE NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE REGARDING ANY ISSUES WITH THIS HOME.

WE'RE NOT TRYING TO KICK THE CAN, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO HELP THE INDIVIDUAL GET TO THE APPROPRIATE PERSON THAT CAN, THAT CAN WORK ON THIS.

AND IT, IT'S NOT THE CITY OF BAYTOWN UNFORTUNATELY, AT, AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

AND THEN, UM, I HAVE ONE LAST THING ON THE STORM.

I WANT TO, UM, EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR THE RAPID RESPONSE OF PUBLIC WORKS MADE TO HELP THE, UH, THOSE RESIDENTS IN LAKEWOOD.

UH, THE FOLKS WORKED MANY HOURS AND LOOKED TO TAKE, UH, VERY FEW BREAKS.

THE EFFORT WAS WELL COORDINATED AND THE CLEANUP OF DEBRIS WAS MUCH FASTER THAN I EVER IMAGINED THAT WAS A RIDE IN FROM A, A RESIDENT.

SO A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY AGAIN.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR.

NOT JUST MY PERSPECTIVE IS THE CITY RESPONDED WELL FOR THIS STORM.

AND I JUST WANT TO JUST MAKE A FEW COMMENTS REGARDING, I GUESS, LAST THURSDAY STORM.

SO, UH, LIKE, LIKE MANY OF YOU, 7:00 PM CAME AND WE EXPERIENCED CAT TWO HURRICANE WIND OR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS, UH, IN BAYTOWN.

UH, AND IT LASTED ABOUT, I GUESS ABOUT AN HOUR, MAYBE, MAYBE NOT, NOTHING MORE THAN THAT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, DAMAGE WAS DONE.

UM, I BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE WAS FALLING TREES AND DOWN ELECTRICAL LINES.

UM, I WILL SAY THAT CITY STAFF, WELL, FOR THAT NIGHT, STORM WAS AROUND SEVEN BY NINE O'CLOCK.

THE CITY MANAGER, MYSELF, ALL THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL, POLICE CHIEF, FIRE CHIEF, EVERYBODY WAS REPRESENTED, UH, TO HAVE A PLAN.

AND PUBLIC WORKS WAS THERE TOO.

AND SO THEY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AS SOON AS A PLAN WAS IN PLACE, WHICH WE ALREADY HAVE.

UH, THE NEXT DAY THEY WERE GO, THEY'RE PICKING UP EVERYTHING THEY CAN, TRYING TO CLEAR ROADWAYS.

I FORGOT HOW MANY DOWN TREES WERE EITHER BLOCKING A ROADWAY OR NEAR A RIGHT OF WAY, OR IN SOME CASES THEY STILL HAVE LIVE WIRES IN THOSE TREES.

SO WE CAN'T TOUCH THEM.

WE WOULD NOT WANT OUR CREWS TO TOUCH 'EM.

UH, BUT THE RESPONSE THAT I'VE SEEN AND I'VE HEARD FROM CITIZENS, SO IT'S

[01:10:01]

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT, I'M VERY THANKFUL.

I THINK WE'RE VERY BLESSED FOR, UH, KIND OF KNOWING THE ROUTINE.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN THROUGH MANY, MANY STORMS. UH, SO I DO THINK I DO WANT TO THANK PARTICULARLY, UH, PARKS AND REC, PUBLIC WORKS, ALL THOSE EMPLOYEES.

I MEAN, THEY JUST WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND, UH, TO TRY TO GO AND CAPTURE TO, TO TRY TO, TO, TO, TO TRY TO GO AND, AND PROVIDE THE RECOVERY, UH, WITHIN THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITIES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND QUICK AS POSSIBLE.

SO THAT I, I DO WANT TO THANK AND ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, UM, CENTER POINT.

I MEAN, I, I UNDERSTAND IT, IT'S FRUSTRATING.

UH, TODAY, BROWNWOOD JUST GOT BACK PUT ONLINE, RIGHT? SO AFTER, UH, SEVEN DAYS, UH, BROWNWOOD FINALLY RECEIVED POWER, THERE WAS MULTIPLE ISSUES UPSTREAM FROM THEM.

UH, 'CAUSE THEY LOST POWER HAD IT, AND THEY GOT TAKEN AWAY AGAIN.

UM, AND IT'S JUST THE WAY THE CIRCUITRY IS, IS ON THE GRID FOR THEM.

BUT, UH, I'M TOLD THAT I THINK A MAJORITY, IF NOT ALL OF THAT AREA ALONG BAYWAY HAS, HAS BEEN RESTORED.

AND SO, UM, I THINK I SPENT THE LAST TWO DAYS DRIVING THERE.

I, I'M NOT A LINEMAN, BUT YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING, ANY, ANYTHING THAT PREVENTED IT, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING UPSTREAM.

UM, AND SO A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, PINEHURST, I THINK, UH, COUNCILMAN PAUL AND MYSELF, WE WENT TO THE LAST KIND OF THE LAST FEW, UM, HOMES, I GUESS YOU'D SAY TO GET ONLINE.

YOU KNOW, CENTERPOINT, THEY, THEY TAKE, THEY, THEY TRY THE WAY THEY TRIAGE, UM, I GUESS YOU SAY RECOVERY WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTRICITY IS THEY TRY TO, THEY TRY TO RECOVER AS MANY PEOPLE IN THE BIGGEST GROUPS AS THEY CAN AND THEY WORK THEIR WAY ON DOWN.

AND AS THE CITY MANAGER EXPRESS, WE'RE DOWN TO A FEW FOLKS.

UH, MOST OF THAT WILL BE RELATED TO DAMAGES, PROBABLY ON THE HOMEOWNER'S PROPERTY.

I'M GONNA SAY THAT.

I CAN'T SAY THAT'S COMPLETELY THE CASE, BUT THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING.

THAT'S THE TIME.

SO, UM, I WANNA SAY COUNCIL, UH, ALSO I WANNA THANK EACH AND ONE OF YOU.

I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR CITIZENS, INCLUDING OURSELVES, WE LOOK AT THE OUTAGE MAP ON CENTERPOINT.

UH, THEY EXPERIENCE STUFF IN THEIR, IN A SENSE THAT THEY'RE KIND OF THEIR, UM, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, UH, WHO'S, WHO HAS ELECTRICITY, WHO DOESN'T.

AND IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE OUTAGES DID NOT REFLECT THE PEOPLE THAT WERE ACTUALLY OUT IN BAYTOWN.

AND SO WE KIND OF, UH, WENT TO, UH, MANY DIFFERENT MEANS.

BUT IF IT'S SOCIAL MEDIA, IT WAS SEND US YOUR ADDRESS.

THAT'S WHY WE DID ASK THIS.

SEND US YOUR ADDRESS SO THAT WE CAN CONVEY AND COMMUNICATE TO CENTERPOINT ALL THOSE ADDRESSES SO THAT WE CAN SAY THESE ARE REAL TIME OUTAGES TODAY.

AND SO I FORWARDED, I THINK I GOT LIKE 400, UH, EMAILS, SO MYSELF PLUS ALL OF COUNSEL, I'M SURE YOUR, YOUR, UH, INBOX IS FULL, BUT I DO APPRECIATE IT.

AND, UH, AND SO THAT MEAN WE JUST KIND OF, THAT WAS KIND OF WAY, WE KIND OF HELPED MANAGE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO STAY ON THE STORM.

THAT'S WHERE IT'S AT.

HOPEFULLY NOW WE ARE REALLY CLOSE TO RECOVERY.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, THAT BRUSH PICKUP WILL CONTINUE 'CAUSE PEOPLE ARE STILL GETTING TREES TO THE CURVE AND SO ON.

AND SO BRUSH PICK WILL CONTINUE AS NEEDED.

UM, AND THEN, UM, HOPEFULLY MOSQUITO SPRAYING.

'CAUSE I MEAN, THEY WERE BAD BEFORE THE STORM AND THE STORM DIDN'T HELP.

THEY DIDN'T BLOW 'EM AWAY.

SO HOPEFULLY MOSQUITO SPRAY, UH, CONTINUES TO SPRAY WITHIN, WITHIN OR WHERE IT'S NEEDED AND AS, AS NEEDED.

UM, I WANNA SHIFT GEARS TODAY.

I ATTENDED BOTH THE CHA CHAMBERS COUNTY, UH, HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP AND ALSO THE CITY OF BAY TOWNS.

AND, UH, A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE PREDICTIONS THIS YEAR ARE ACTUALLY, THERE'S RECORD PREDICTIONS THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT, UM, BECAUSE OF WATER TEMPERATURES AND OTHER THINGS.

AND SO, UM, I'M HOPING THIS IS THE LAST OF A STORM FOR BAYTOWN.

UM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I BELIEVE WE'RE READY.

I BELIEVE OUR STAFF'S READY AND THIS IS THE TIME FOR OUR CITIZENS TO GET READY.

UH, WE'RE NOT EVEN IN HURRICANE SEASON YET UNTIL JUNE 1ST.

SO, UM, NOW'S THE TIME.

IF YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD PEOPLE CONTACT ME AND SAY, I'VE, I'VE BEEN MEANING TO CUT THAT TREE DOWN RIGHT? AND IT FELL ON MY LINE.

AND SO CENTER POINT HAS THEIR RIGHTS OF WAYS THAT THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR AND CERTAINLY OUR CITIZENS.

SO LOOK AROUND YOUR, LOOK AROUND YOUR YARD, LOOK AROUND YOUR HOUSE.

IF THERE'S ANY IMPROVEMENTS YOU CAN MAKE, NOW'S THE TIME BEFORE A STORM IS IN THE GULF, RIGHT? SO WITH THAT, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF JUST EXPLAIN A FEW THINGS.

I'M NOT SURE IF COUNSEL, I WOULD OPEN IT UP AS A POINT OF COURTESY IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO EXPRESS BUT NOT.

ALRIGHT, I THANK Y'ALL FOR, UM, FOR CERTAINLY EVERYTHING Y'ALL DONE IN THE PAST FEW DAYS.

SO WE WILL MOVE ON.

[8. EXECUTIVE SESSION]

ALL RIGHT, SO WE HAVE OUR, UM, WELL, ONE OF OUR LAST ITEMS. SO ITEM EIGHT A.

WE WILL NOW RECESS INTO AND CONVENE EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 5 51 0.071, UH, TO SEEK THE ADVICE FOR CITY ATTORNEYS REGARDING PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION AND OR 5 5 1 0.087 TO LIBERATE, UH, REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS.

IT'S SEVEN 50.

WE ARE NOW IN RECESS.

[01:15:01]

SO I NOW, UH, RECONVENE OUR OPEN MEETING OF THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL AND ANNOUNCE THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 5 5 1 0.102, OTHER TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, NO ACTION WAS TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.

UH, I BELIEVE WE ONLY HAVE ONE ITEM

[a. Consider an ordinance authorizing funding for the engagement of Husch Blackwell LLP to advise on economic development and general legal matters.]

THAT IS, IS IN NEED OF ADDRESSING, WHICH WAS ON CONSENT ITEM SIX A.

AND SO WITH THAT ITEM, UM, I GUESS I'D ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY, UH, TO ONCE AGAIN JUST, UH, GIVE US A VERY QUICK EXPLANATION AND I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

I GUESS THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S LANGUAGE.

YES, COUNSEL, WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO APPROVE THIS MOTION.

UH, HOWEVER WE WOULD LIKE, UH, SOMEONE TO MOVE TO AMEND IT TO, UH, ALSO AMEND ORDINANCE NUMBER 15 428 TO ALLOW FOR PAYMENT OF LEGAL FEES TO HUSH BLACKWELL ON ANY MATTER.

SO, UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION AS DESCRIBED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY.

MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM SIX A WITH AMENDMENTS DESCRIBED BY BY THE CITY ATTORNEY.

YEAH, BY THE CITY ATTORNEY.

SECOND MOTION.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, EVEN THOUGH THE CONSENTED ITEM JUST WILL MAKE SURE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE ITEM MS. MOTION, PLEASE SAY, AYE.