* 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. [00:00:01] ALL RIGHT. CITY COUNCIL [ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2024 11:00 A.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ] MEETING, UH, SPECIAL MEETING MONDAY, DECEMBER 23RD, 2024 AT 11:02 AM IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER HERE AT CITY HALL. I NOW CALL TO ORDER AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF A QUORUM AT 11:02 AM UM, LET'S SEE. CITIZEN COMMENTS. ANGIE, DO WE HAVE ANY? NO. OKAY. OKAY. ITEM TWO. DECEMBER 14TH, 2024. [a. Canvass the returns of the City of Baytown’s December 14, 2024, Runoff Election.] THE RUNOFF ELECTION. WE'RE GONNA CANVAS THE RETURNS OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN DECEMBER 14TH, 2024 RUNOFF ELECTION. DO YOU WANT ME TO GO AHEAD AND START READING? OKAY. WE WILL NOW CONDUCT THE CANVAS OF THE CITY OF BAY TOWN'S RUNOFF, ELECTION HELD ON DECEMBER 14TH, 2024 THROUGH THE CITY CLERK PRECINCT. RETURNS ARE BEING DELIVERED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS THE CANVASSING AUTHORITY. A TABULATION OF THE TOTAL VOTES FOR EACH CANDIDATE RECEIVED IN THE RUNOFF ELECTION HELD FOR MAYOR HAS BEEN PREPARED. EVERYBODY HAS THEIR COPY. ALRIGHT, I'M NOW GONNA READ A SUMMARY OF THE TABULATED RESULTS OF THE ELECTION BASED UPON THE COMPLETED TABULATION OF PRECINCT BY PRECINCT RETURNS IN BOTH CHAMBERS AND HARRIS COUNTY, WHICH IS BEFORE EACH COUNCIL MEMBER. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. CITY OF BAYTOWN, DECEMBER 14TH RUNOFF ELECTION CANVAS. THE OFFICIAL RESULTS A CUMULATIVE REPORT. THE VOTER SUMMARY TOTAL ALL OVERALL BALLOTS CAST WAS 2,277. TOTAL PROVISIONAL BALLOTS. THREE TOTAL UNDER VOTES AND OVER VOTES. 10. TOTAL NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS, 43,991. THE VOTER TURNOUT WAS 5.18%. I'M GONNA READ ALL OF CHAMBERS COUNTY, UH, GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS. SO OUR CANDIDATES, CHARLES JOHNSON, THE ABSENTEE VOTING IN CHAMBERS COUNTY IS 11 ABSENTEE. BRANDON CAPI, SIX. TOTAL ABSENTEE. 17. EARLY VOTING IN CHAMBERS COUNTY. CHARLES JOHNSON, 44. BRANDON CAP 55, TOTAL 99. CHAMBERS COUNTY, ELECTION DAY VOTING. CHARLES JOHNSON 24. BRANDON CAP 17. THE TOTAL 41 CHAMBERS COUNTY, CHARLES JOHNSON, PROVISIONAL ZERO. BRANDON CAP, PROVISIONAL ZERO. AND THE TOTAL ZERO THE TOTAL FOR CHAMBERS COUNTY CHARLES JOHNSON IS 79. BRANDON CAP 78, AND THE TOTAL 157 VOTES. UM, THE NEXT SUMMARY IS GONNA BE FOR HARRIS COUNTY'S GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATES. CHARLES JOHNSON, ABSENTEE IN HARRIS COUNTY'S 131 VOTES. BRANDON CAP 163 VOTES, AND THE TOTAL ABSENTEE WAS 294 TOTAL VOTES. EARLY VOTING IN HARRIS COUNTY, CHARLES JOHNSON, 654. BRANDON CAPRIO, 461, TOTAL 1,115. ELECTION DAY VOTING IN HARRIS COUNTY, CHARLES JOHNSON, 373. BRANDON CAPRIO, 325 TOTALS 698 PROVISIONAL CHARLES JOHNSON AND HARRIS COUNTY ONE. BRANDON CAPI, TWO TOTALS. THREE. THE TOTAL FOR HARRIS COUNTY CHARLES JOHNSON, 1,159. BRANDON CAPI 951. THE TOTAL 2,110. WE HAVE THE GENERAL ELECTION SUMMARY, CHARLES JOHNSON ABSENTEE. TOTAL SUMMARY FOR BOTH COUNTIES 142. BRANDON CAPRIO 169 TOTAL 311 FOR THE ABSENTEE EARLY VOTING CHAMBERS IN HARRIS CHARLES JOHNSON 698. BRANDON CAPI 516. THE TOTALS 1,214 ELECTION DAY SUMMARY VOTING CHAMBERS IN HARRIS CHARLES JOHNSON 397. BRANDON CAPRIO 342 TOTAL 739 PROVISIONAL SUMMARY CHAMBERS AND HARRIS CHARLES JOHNSON ONE BRANDON CAPI TWO TOTALS THREE, THE TOTAL FOR CHAMBERS AND HARRIS COUNTY CHARLES JOHNSON, 1,238, WHICH WAS 54 POINT 61% OF THE VOTES. BRANDON CAPRIO 1029, WHICH IS 45 POINT 39% OF THE VOTES. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF VOTES WAS 2,267, [00:05:01] EQUALING THE HUNDRED PERCENT OF TOTAL VOTES OUT OF CHAMBERS AND HARRIS COUNTY. ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA PACK THESE BACK UP. I'M NOW DELIVERING THE ELECTION RETURNS AND EARLY VOTING PRECINCT REPORTS USED IN OUR CANVAS TO THE CITY CLERK, THE GENERAL CUSTODIAN OF ELECTRIC RECORD ELECTION RECORDS. WHO SHALL PRESERVE THEM FOR THE PERIOD FOR PRESERVING ELECTION RECORDS. UM, IT IS NOW 11:07 AM AND THIS CONCLUDES THE CANVAS OF THE RUNOFF ELECTION FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN HELD ON DECEMBER 14TH, 2024. THE OFFICIAL CANVAS REPORT BY PRECINCT IS AVAILABLE IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AND CITY HALL, AND WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST PROCESS. US. AND NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON [b. Consider an ordinance declaring the results of the City of Baytown Runoff Election held on Saturday, December 14, 2024.] TO ITEM TWO B TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN RUNOFF ELECTION HELD ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 14TH, 2024. AND CAN I GET A MOTION MOVE TO APPROVE SECOND. ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OKAY. OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. AND I THINK AT THIS POINT I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO MAYOR BRANDON CILLO. MA'AM, DO YOU HAVE OKAY, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR COMING IN FOR THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING. UH, LOOKS [a. Discuss and take possible action regarding the City of Baytown Mayor Pro Tem.] LIKE, UH, OUR NEXT ITEM IS TO DISCUSS AND TAKE A POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE CITY OF BAYTOWN MAYOR PRO TEM. UH, SO BEFORE WE BEGIN THIS, UH, I WANT TO TELL YOU, UM, UH, I KNOW FROM A PERSPECTIVE FROM MYSELF, SINCE I'M PROBABLY THE ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER HERE THAT HAS SEEN, UH, A SELECTION PROCESS FROM THE PAST IN OUR CURRENT POLICY. UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THERE'S SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WANT TO, UH, DISCUSS, I GUESS THE POLICY TO SEE IF THAT IS IN OUR BEST. OH, THANK YOU. SEE, SEE IF THAT IS IN OUR, UH, UH, CONTINUED BEST INTEREST OF THE SELECTION PROCESS. UM, IT'S ALWAYS AWKWARD, RIGHT? CHOOSING AMONGST YOUR PEERS. AND SO, UH, WITH THAT, WHAT I WOULD JUST SAY IS YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHOEVER, UH, IS IN A MAYOR PRO TEM ROLE, UH, A LOT OF IT IS CEREMONIAL. UM, BUT IF, IF THERE WAS A TRAGEDY TO OCCUR, YOU DO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WOULD SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY BEYOND THE CEREMONIAL, IS SOMEONE THAT COULD SERVE IN THE CAPACITY AS OUR MAYOR. 'CAUSE THAT IS HOW OUR CHARTER IS WRITTEN. SO, WITH THAT, UM, I'LL OPEN UP TO DISCUSSION. I BELIEVE WE HAVE ONE CITIZEN THAT IS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. MR. BECK? YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR, MAD MAYOR PRO DID A FANTASTIC JOB, BUT THAT YOUR QUALIFICATIONS TO SERVE THAT CAME UP. UH, I HAVE NO DOUBT OF THE QUALIFICATIONS OF ANYONE UP THERE IN MS. SERVE. I THINK YOU'VE ALL BEEN ELECTED TO REPRESENT YOUR DISTRICT, AND I BELIEVE YOU'RE ALL DUE THE, UH, THE HONOR OF BEING MAYOR PRO TEM. IS THAT AN HONOR? SORRY. YES. OKAY. UH, DESERVE THE HONOR OF BEING MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, UNDER THE SITUATIONS THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED BEFORE. UH, BY THE WAY, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE, UH, A HAPPY YOUTH FEST OF US TODAY. IT IS TODAY. UH, I DO HAVE A LIST OF GRIEVANCES, BUT I'LL STICK TO ONE TODAY. UM, THE, UH, THE PROCESS ON, UH, SELECTING THE, THE MAYOR PRO TEM HAS BEEN THE SAME FOR ABOUT A DOZEN YEARS. UH, I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE AT LEAST THROUGH THE NEXT CHANGE WITH THE WAY THAT WE ARE TO AVOID ANY KIND OF CONFLICT, UH, TO AVOID ANY KIND OF INADVERTENT, UH, DISRESPECT TO ANY COUNCIL MEMBER. UH, I FEEL THAT POTENTIALLY THIS LAST ACTION WAS TARGETED TOWARDS THIS PARTICULAR COUNCIL MEMBER. IF IT WASN'T, UH, I HOPE EVERYONE SAYS SO. AND IF YOU WANT TO, UH, MAKE CHANGES TO THE, UH, PROGRAM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FRANCO SAID THAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO ACCEPT WHEN HIS TIME WAS UP, WHICH IS NEXT. UH, PERHAPS WE GO AHEAD AND REEVALUATE IT AT THAT TIME. THEN THAT WAY, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICT WHEN IT COMES TO QUALIFICATIONS. THE, THE CHARTER ACTUALLY SAYS WHAT THE QUALIFICATIONS ARE. NOW IT'S TRUE, THE COUNCIL CAN IMPOSE ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS, SUCH AS YOU HAVE TO BE ON THE COUNCIL FOR A YEAR. BUT THE CHARTER ACTUALLY SAYS THE MAYOR AND EACH OF THE SIX COUNCIL MEMBERS SHALL BE A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND A QUALIFIED VOTER OF THE CITY, AND SHALL HAVE RESIDED IN THE TERRITORY FROM WHICH THE OFFICE IS ELECTED FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS, IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDING THE ELECTION. AND THROUGHOUT THE TERM OF THE [00:10:01] OFFICE, A MEMBER OF COUNSEL WHO LACKS ANY QUALIFICATION FOR THE OFFICE PRESCRIBED BY THIS CHAPTER, OR BY LAW OR CONVICTED OF A FELONY WHILE IN OFFICE, SHALL IMMEDIATELY FORFEIT THE OFFICE. THAT'S IT. IF, IF YOU MEET THOSE QUALIFICATIONS, YOU'RE QUALIFIED TO BE A COUNCIL MEMBER AND YOU'RE QUALIFIED TO BE MAYOR ACCORDING TO LAW. UH, SO LET, LET'S RECOGNIZE THAT THE CHARTER IS THE CONSTITUTION OF THE CITY AND THE BARRIER THAT WE, THE PEOPLE PUT AROUND YOU, AND THE GUIDANCE THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE. UH, THE COUNCIL CERTAINLY HAS WHAT YOU CALL PLENARY POWER, AND YOU CAN PUT ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS ON THAT, LIKE WE SAID. BUT I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE IN MY COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT THREE, KEN GRIFFITH, TO, UH, WITH, UH, TO UPHOLD THE, THE POLL, THE, THE, THE, UH, REQUIREMENTS OF THE OFFICE IF HE'S SELECTED, JUST LIKE I DO FOR ALL OF YOU. SO, PUT THIS OFF UNTIL IT'S NOT GONNA CREATE A CONFLICT AND RESPECT YOUR COLLEAGUES. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANKS SIR. AND I BELIEVE THE, UM, THE, THE POLL OF GRIEVANCES IS JUST OUTSIDE IN OUR LOBBY, IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND PARTICIPATE IN THAT. ALRIGHT. WE WILL MOVE ON TO, UH, ANY OTHER COUNCIL DISCUSSION. MR. MAYOR? YES. UM, UH, MY MIC. GIVE IT A SEC. GIVE, YEAH, YOU, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, UH, JUST GOT A SIGNAL, SIGNAL THROUGH OUR CABLES. OKAY. OKAY. YOU'RE ON TIME. I'LL JUST GO. I'LL SPEAK UP. THANK YOU. UH, I WANNA EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO COUNCILWOMAN GRAHAM FOR HAVING THIS ITEM PUT ON THE SPECIAL AGENDA. UM, I ALSO EXPECT MY, MY GRATITUDE, AND THANK YOU FOR BYRON SHEBA FOR HIS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE AND MY ABILITY. I ALSO WANNA EXPRESS MY DISAPPOINTMENT, NOT ONLY PERSONAL, BUT ALSO FOR THE CONSTITUENTS IN MY DISTRICT THAT VESTED THEIR CONFIDENCE IN MYSELF, JUST LIKE ALL MY COLLEAGUES CONSTITUENTS VESTED THEIR CONFIDENCE IN THEM TO CARRY OUT AND EXECUTE THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT COME WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICE. I FEEL THE MANNER WHICH THIS PROCESS WAS HANDLED AT THE DISTRICT 12TH MEETING, TO SEEING THE BID TARGETED, SEEN AS MANY COLLEAGUES, UH, RES SEEMS LIKE SEEING AS MY COLLEAGUES RESERVATIONS WASN'T EXPRESSED A YEAR, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. AND THREE OF MY COLLEAGUES WAS AFFORDED THE HONOR OF THE PRO TEMP SEAT LEADING UP TO THIS POINT. I LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT BEFORE ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES UP HERE PUT THEIR NAME IN THE HAT FOR THE ELECTED OFFICE ON COUNCIL THAT THEY DID, KNOWING FULL WELL THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND POTENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES WITH THIS POSITION, THERE ISN'T A MEMBER OF COUNCIL SELF INCLUDED THAT I BELIEVE LACK THE ABILITY AND QUALIFICATIONS TO CARRY OUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF MERIT PRO TEM. I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM MY COLLEAGUES ON WHAT, UH, THEY FEEL ARE THE UNIQUE SET OF QUALIFICATIONS THAT INDIVIDUALS WOULD NEED TO POSSESS, THAT ANYONE RUNNING FOR ELECTED PUBLIC OFFICE WOULD NEED TO POSSESS. BUT TO, BUT TO, BUT FOR ANY OF US, TO SAY ANY OF US LACK QUALIFICATIONS OF THIS POSITION IS AN INSULT TO THE PEOPLE WHO GIVEN EACH ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES THEIR VOTE OF CONFIDENCE. I'VE HEARD SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES MENTION THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO SEE HOW OTHER CITIES CHOOSE THEIR MAYOR'S PRO TEM. PERSONALLY, I FIND THAT PROCESS OF COMPARING WITH DIFFERENT CITIES TO BE INCONSISTENT. OTHER CITIES HAVE LOWER TAX RATES, LOWER WATER BILLS. ARE WE GONNA START LOOKING INTO DIFFERENT CITIES ON THAT? I'M SURE A LOT OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS WOULDN'T MIND THAT ONE BIT. SO I THINK WE SHOULDN'T PICK AND CHOOSE BASED ON WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AND NOT, AND NOT, OR NOT DOING AND BASE OUR DECISION ON WHAT'S WORKS FOR BAYTOWN. I THINK BAYTOWN SHOULD BE LEADING THE WAY, NOT FOLLOWING. AT THE SAME DECEMBER 12TH MEETING, FOUR MEMBERS, INCLUDING MYSELF, MADE VERY IMPORTANT DECISIONS REGARDING BOTH THE MDD BUDGET AND THE CITY BUDGET. THERE WERE NO OBJECTIONS OF VOTING ON THOSE ITEMS, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE HAD TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT FROM THAT MEETING. AS LONG AS WE HAVE A QUORUM, WE SHOULD BE FULLY CAPABLE OF TAKING ACTION WITHOUT WASTING ANY MORE, UH, CITY'S TIME AND RESOURCES GOING WITH, WITH THE GOING BACK AND FORTH. I THINK WE SHOULD KEEP THE PROCESS AS IS. IF THERE'S ANY ONE OF US FOR ANY REASON TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE INCAPABLE OF FEELING FULFILLING THE ROLE OF PRO TEM, THEN THEY'RE FREE TO DECLINE THE POSITION AND LET IT PASS TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER. MR. POWELL, IF YOU STILL FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT MAKING A CHANGE TO THE PROCESS OF SELECTING MAYOR PRO TEM, THEN WE SHOULD REVISIT IT WHEN YOUR TERM COMES UP AGAIN. I WOULD, I WOULD TELL YOU, I WOULD TELL EVERYONE RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK THE CHANGE OF PROCESS IS NECESSARY, AND WE SHOULDN'T BE WASTING THE CITY'S RESOURCES ATTEMPTING TO DO IT. ALSO, I WANT TO PRO GIVE, PROVIDE A QUOTE THAT WAS IN THE BAYTOWN SUN. MR. POWELL, YOU SAID, UM, UH, POWELL SAID HIS CONCERNS FOR MAYOR PRO TEM [00:15:01] ISSUE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GRIFFITH'S ABILITY TO HANDLE THE, THE POSITION. MR. P POWELL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE OF CONFIDENCE. AND I SEE NO REASON FOR US TO, UH, SKIP MYSELF OVER, UM, KNOWING THAT YOU FULL WELL SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE CONFIDENT IN MY ABILITIES TO, TO DO, TO FULFILL THAT ROLE. SO I'LL LEAVE, UM, YOUR COMMENTS UP TO YOU GUYS, BUT I, I HOPE WE COULD TAKE ACTION FOR ON THIS AND, AND MOVE FORWARD. AMIC AMICABLY. AH, SO THANKS SIR. ALRIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? WHAT, WHAT YOU WANNA SAY? I MEAN, I JUST, I'M OFFERED OUT THERE. UM, I DON'T HAVE A DOG IN THIS HUNT, REALLY, OTHER THAN I UNDERSTAND THE ROLES. EXCUSE, MAY I UNDERSTAND THE ROLES, MAYOR. UM, I UNDERSTAND, UH, THE LAST MINUTE IT COULD HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, I NEED, I NEED YOU TO HAPPEN RECENTLY, UM, OR JUST NEED A COUNCIL MEMBER IF IT'S A PROCLAMATION, WHATEVER. SO SOME OF THOSE THINGS I, I TRULY UNDERSTAND. UM, IT'S REALLY COUNCIL'S PLEASURE MOVING FORWARD. UM, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THAT, BUT I JUST WANNA OFFER THAT IF Y'ALL NEED TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING ANYTHING FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY, WE CAN DO THAT. OR WE CAN SAY IN OPEN SESSION. IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME. WE CAN'T MAKE ANY DECISIONS, OBVIOUSLY IN, IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT I JUST, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S OFFERED. IF NOT, WE'LL CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION HERE. OKAY? YES, SIR. IF MY MIC TURN ON. WELL, YOURS, THERE WE GO. THANK YOU. UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I, I'LL SAY THE SAME THING I SAID, SAID IN THE LAST MEETING. UM, THIS WAS A CONCERN I RAISED. I BELIEVE IT WAS IN OUR, UM, OUR COUNCIL RETREAT EARLIER THIS YEAR. UM, I THINK MAYBE AT THE TIME, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ALVARADO WAS MAYOR PRO TEM, AND WHEN I BROUGHT IT UP, THEN, I DON'T THINK ANYONE THOUGHT IT WAS TARGETED IN ANY WAY AT, AT WHO WAS GONNA GO NEXT. UM, SO I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S TURNED INTO THAT NOW. UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S ABOUT SKIPPING ANY ONE INDIVIDUAL. UM, IF, IF, UM, WE WERE TO GET RID OF THE ROTATION, WE COULD POTENTIALLY BE SKIPPING FIVE INDIVIDUALS, UM, GOING FORWARD. AND SO IT'S REALLY NOT ABOUT ANY, ANY ONE PERSON, ANY ONE COUNCIL DISTRICT. UM, IT'S ABOUT JUST WHAT I THINK IS THE BEST THING FOR BAYTOWN GOING FORWARD. UM, AND, UM, I THINK COMPARING TO OTHER CITIES, OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES IS SOMETHING WE DO FOR TAX RATE, FOR WATER RATES FOR MAN. WE'VE DONE IT FOR, UH, UH, PERMITTING. WE, WE DO IT, WE DO IT ALL THE TIME COMPARED TO OTHER, OTHER, UH, CITIES, OTHER, OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES. UM, AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD, UH, NEGLECT. I THINK IT, IT, UH, IT, IT'S JUST ANOTHER DATA POINT THAT WE CAN LOOK AT, UH, HOW OTHERS ARE DOING THINGS. I MEAN, EVEN IF WE LOOK INSIDE BAYTOWN, IF WE LOOK AT, UM, THE COLLEGE OR THE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THEIR WAY OF, I BELIEVE THE, UH, LEE COLLEGE, THE, THE REGENTS AFTER THEY HOLD ELECTIONS, AFTER ALL NEW REGENTS ARE SEATED, THEY AT THAT POINT CHOOSE A CHAIRMAN. UH, I THINK THEY HAVE CHAIRMAN VICE, VICE CHAIRMAN, SECRETARY, TREASURER. THEY HAVE MULTIPLE POSITIONS THEY ELECT AMONGST THEMSELVES. UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT THIS CONCERN UP IN THE LAST MEETING. IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US MOVE TOWARDS, UM, YOU KNOW, HOLDING THOSE ELECTIONS AFTER, UM, AFTER ELECTIONS ARE OVER, WHEN WHEN NEW, UM, NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, NEW MAYOR, WHOEVER'S NEW IS SEATED UP HERE, UM, THEN WE HAVE, UH, AN ELECTION FOR MAYOR PRO TEM. UH, AND SO I THINK, UM, IT, IT MAKES SENSE TO DO THAT TYPE OF THING IN, IN JANUARY AFTER, UM, ANY CHANGES HAVE HAVE OCCURRED UP HERE ON THE DAAS. UM, AND SO, UH, YEAH, I MEAN, IF, IF, IF COUNCIL AS A WHOLE WANTS TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS TODAY, THEN, THEN, UM, I'LL BE PREPARED TO, TO, TO VOTE HOW I SEE FIT. UM, BUT AGAIN, UH, I JUST THINK IT, IT'S JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION. I THINK THE ROTATION IS NOT THE BEST WAY TO ELECT A MAYOR PRO TEM AND I, I HAVE HELD THAT VIEW FOR OVER A YEAR NOW, AND, AND THAT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE. UM, SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT I THINK IS THE BEST THING. YES, MA'AM. HELLO? UM, ACTUALLY AGREE WITH BOTH OF YOU. SO, UM, I AM MAYOR PRO TEM RIGHT NOW, BUT I, UM, DID TALK TO THE LAWYER, UM, EARLIER THIS MONTH. I DO NOT PLAN ON GOING PAST DECEMBER 31ST AS MAYOR PRO TEM OF [00:20:01] 2024. IT HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE AND HONOR, UM, AND IF WE CONTINUE THE ROTATION, THEN I WILL ACCEPT IT IF MY TURN COMES AROUND. HOWEVER, I DO THINK THAT PART OF OUR JOB AS COUNCIL IS TO DISCUSS THINGS. UM, OUR CITY HAS CHANGED. UM, WE'RE GROWING. I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE DOING THINGS JUST TO CONTINUE DOING THINGS FOR THE SAKE OF DOING THEM. UM, I, I DID HAVE CONVERSATIONS, UM, WANTING TO KNOW THE HISTORY BECAUSE PREVIOUSLY WE DID NOT ROTATE IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN. UM, I KNOW MR. BECK CLARIFIED THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IT, I THINK HE SAID A DECADE OR MORE, 12 YEARS. UM, SO I MEAN, WE'RE, WHAT ARE WE AT 76 YEARS, 77 YEARS, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, SO THERE WAS A LOT MORE YEARS THAT WE WEREN'T DOING THE ROTATION. HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO VOTE TODAY, UM, ON MOVING FORWARD WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GRIFFITH AS THE NEXT MAYOR PRO TEM. UH, IF THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T KNOW, I, I COULD NOT FIND ANYWHERE IN THE CHARTER WHERE IT LISTED THE MONTHS, UM, OF WHEN WE SERVE MAYOR PROTE. UH, IF, IF YOU COULD HELP ME OUT WITH THAT, IS THAT LISTED SOMEWHERE? SO, SO LET ME, BEFORE WE GO DOWN A WHOLE RABBIT HOLE, ALL THE, ALL THE CHARTER SAYS IS THAT WE WILL SELECT THE MAYOR PROTE WELL, AND PERIOD. THE ONLY REASON I WANT TO, WE CAN DO OUR OWN, WE CAN DO WHATEVER POLICY WE WANT. WE CAN SAY YOU BUS BE 17 YEARS OLD, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE WANT SO WE CAN GO AND, AND, AND, AND GO DOWN THAT RABBIT HOLE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY. MM-HMM . AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SELECT A MAYOR PRO TIM, PERIOD. YEAH. AND, AND, AND I THINK ALL THE WHOLE POINT WAS, IS THIS, THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, BEFORE WHATEVER YEAR AGO, HE SAID, LET'S DISCUSS THIS. AND, AND, AND EVERYBODY JUST WAS LIKE, HOLD ON. AND NOW HERE WE ARE TODAY. SO THAT'S ALL MY POINT. YEAH. I THINK WE DID AGREE WITH HIM. UM, I DON'T REMEMBER WHO ALL WAS THERE, BUT WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS AND I DO THINK WE NEED TO GET TO A POINT OF DISCUSSING, UM, AND, AND, AND IF WE NEED TO CHANGE MOVING FORWARD. GREAT. HOWEVER, I, AS FAR AS TIMELINE GOES, I THINK THAT JUST MOVING FORWARD JANUARY 1ST, UM, LETTING COUNCIL MEMBER GRIFFITH VOTING TO, UM, GIVE HIM THAT HONOR. AND THEN, AND THEN I WENT BACK AND WATCHED THE LAST MEETING SINCE I WASN'T HERE. AND I KNOW FRANCO DOESN'T HAVE AN INTEREST IN IT. SO, MOVING FORWARD, UM, HAVING OUR DISCUSSION AT SOME POINT, MAYBE A WORK SESSION, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WANT TO DO, DO IT MOVING FORWARD, BUT DISCUSS IF WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES. UM, AND I, I, I THINK THAT'S ALL AND WHAT I HAVE FOR THIS. OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES, SIR. WAIT FOR THE MIC TO COME ON. OKAY. . YEAH, IT'S, THOMAS IS DOING HIS BEST. ARE WE GOOD? LET'S GO. OKAY. GUESS MY LIGHT'S NOT WORKING NEITHER MY SCREEN, BUT I GUESS, OH, ARE, WE'RE GOOD? OKAY. SO, UM, YES, I DID. IT'S STILL NOT WORKING. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT. WE CAN HEAR YOU THOUGH. SO, UH, YEAH, I DID. I I DID SAY THAT I WAS NOT GONNA TAKE THAT. AND I, AND THE REASON, LIKE I SAID, FOR ME SAYING THAT IS BECAUSE I FEEL THAT OUR MAR PRO TIM NEEDS TO HAVE MORE, HAVE A LITTLE MORE INSIGHT ON WHAT WE'RE DOING. I THINK OUR MAYOR, AS WE SEE, HAS A LOT ON THEIR PLATE. THEY HAVE A LOT IN THEIR SCHEDULE. AND I THINK THE MAYOR PRO TIM'S, THE, THE ROLE OF IT IS TO TAKE SOME OF THAT OFF OF THEM. UH, THEY, THERE'S GONNA BE TIMES WHERE THEY CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE. AND I THINK AS THE MAYOR PRO TEM, THEY ARE GONNA NEED TO TAKE ON AT LEAST HALF OF SOME OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THE MAYOR IS DOING. I ALSO KNOW, YES, WE DO HAVE BEEN DOING IT, THAT THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST, BUT 12 YEARS AGO, BAYTOWN WAS NOT THE SIZE IT IS. WE ARE GROWING, WE ARE CONTINUING TO GROW. WE KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING, WHAT'S COMING. WE SEE IT. THIS IS NOT US TRYING TO FOLLOW OTHER CITIES. THIS IS US TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS WE GROW, WE CANNOT BE WHAT WE WERE 40 YEARS AGO, WHAT WE WERE 20 YEARS AGO, WHAT WE WERE 10 YEARS AGO. WE ARE MOVING FORWARD IN THIS CITY. AND THIS IS A POLICY THAT LARGE CITIES HAVE TO DO BECAUSE IT IS MORE RESPONSIBILITY THE MAYOR THAN IT WAS 40 YEARS AGO. 40 YEARS AGO, THE MAYOR WAS A RIBBON CUTTING GUY, DOING SOME THINGS DIFFERENT HERE. NOW THEY'RE IN OUR MAYOR MET WITH, WITH AN AMBASSADOR FROM FROM JAPAN. THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT SCENARIO THAN IT WAS 30 YEARS AGO. SO I'M NOT TRYING TO SAY THAT I CAN'T DO THAT. WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT SOMEONE WITH MORE EXPERIENCE ON THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE CITY IS WHAT WE NEED AS A MAYOR PRO TEM. AND I'M NOT SAYING I CAN'T DO IT. I'M NOT SAYING KEN CAN'T DO IT, OR SARAH, YOU COULDN'T. THE LORD COULDN'T DO IT. THAT IS FOR US AS A COUNCIL TO DECIDE, NOT AS JUST A CEREMONIAL ROTATION TO DECIDE. IT'S FOR US AS A BODY TO DISCUSS AND DECIDE WHAT WE THINK IS THE BEST FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN. AND I WOULD NOT BE UPSET IF SOMEONE SAID, HEY JAMES, I JUST DON'T THINK YOU'RE READY FOR IT. 'CAUSE YOU'RE STILL LEARNING SOME OF THE INS AND OUTS OF CITY OF BAYTOWN. THAT'S WHY I DON'T THINK I WOULD BE READY TO TAKE ON THAT AMERICORP, TIM. THERE'S NO WAY I COULD GO MEET WITH THE INTERNATIONAL, SOME INTERNATIONAL, TRYING TO BRING BUSINESS HERE. I, I WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. AND IF HE COULDN'T BE THERE THAT DAY AND HIM KNOWING MORE, THEN I GET IT. JASON'S THERE AND HIS MANAGER, CITY LAWYERS ARE THERE, AND THEY HAVE A LITTLE MORE OF THE UNDERSTANDING. BUT THAT IS WHAT WE NEED [00:25:01] TO, TO UNDERSTAND IN THIS SITUATION. WE ARE MOVING FORWARD. THE CITY IS GROWING, AND WE HAVE TO GROW AND ADAPT WITH THE CITY. IT IS NOTHING PERSONAL, NOTHING THAT'S, HE DID TALK ABOUT IT, AND THAT IS WHY YEAH, I DID SAY I'M NOT GONNA DO IT BECAUSE I THINK IT DID SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. AND I THINK IT'S BEST TO CHANGE IT, LIKE AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN POWELL, THAT WHEN WE HAVE A ROTATION TO CHANGE AN ELECTION, BECAUSE GRANTED WE HAVE THREE OFFICES UP NEXT YEAR. WHOEVER COMES INTO OFFICE SHOULD, SHOULD BE ABLE TO DECIDE THAT AND BE IN ON THAT, ON THAT VOTE. SO I, I, I THINK JANUARY IS THE TIME THAT NEEDS TO BE WHEN WE NEED TO HAVE THE MAYOR PRO TEM DISCUSSED AND AGREED UPON FOR THE YEAR AMONGST COUNCIL. AND, AND THAT'S KIND OF ALL I'M GONNA KIND OF SAY ON THAT. BUT IT IS NOTHING AGAINST ANYBODY UP HERE. PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT TAKE IT THAT AWAY. I THINK ALL OF US HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB. I THINK WE'VE SEEN WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE CITY, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT, WE'RE MOVING TO MORE TRANSPARENCY FOR THE CITIZENS. WE ARE GOING TOWARDS DIFFERENT THINGS. WE ARE CUTTING THE BUDGET. WE ARE ONE OF THE ONLY CITIES IN THE COUNTY WHO CUT THE BUDGET, WHO CUT THEIR TAX RATE. NOBODY DID THAT. HARDLY ANYBODY IN THE CITY DID. OUR NEIGHBORS, IF YOU WANNA COMPARE, ALL RAISED THEIR TAX RATE. OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT RAISED THEIR TAX RATE, OUR COUNTY DID. WE AS CITIZENS, AS A CITY OF BAYTOWN DID NOT. WE TOOK, WE, WE DID, WE WENT THE STEPS FOR OUR CITIZENS. AND THAT'S ALL WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE. THANK YOU. THANKS SIR. YES. YES SIR. I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE NEXT. ARE WE GOOD? YEP. YEAH, WE'RE GOOD. UH, RED LIGHTS. I'LL, I'LL JUMP IN. MAYOR. AND AS YOU INDICATED, YOU WERE, I GUESS ON COUNCIL WHEN THE DECISION TO GO TO ROTATION WAS DONE. I WAS NOT ON COUNCIL, BUT I WASN'T ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE D OUT HERE. RIGHT. AND SO SOME OF THE HISTORY TO THAT WAS BEFORE THAT COUNCILS WOULD COME AND MAKE A NOMINATION TO WHO, WHO WAS GONNA BE MAYOR PRO TEM. AND THEN THEY VOTED ON IT. SOMETIMES IT WOULD PASS, SOMETIMES IT WOULDN'T. AND THEY'D HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER NOMINATION. AND I'VE SAW THAT ITERATION SEVERAL TIMES. AND THERE WAS A SPECIFIC COUNCIL MEMBER WHO NEVER GOT NOMINATED. AND SO THE ISSUE, THE ONE THAT WENT TO THE ROTATION WAS BECAUSE THAT INDIVIDUAL HAD BEEN A LONGSTANDING MEMBER OF COUNCIL AND WAS NEVER ALLOWED THE OPPORTUNITY. SO THEY CHANGED IT TO A ROTATION. I'M NOT NECESSARILY OPPOSED TO THE ROTATION. I, I AGREE. WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE TIMING ISSUES. 'CAUSE THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE. WE HAVE A NEW MAYOR COMING ON BOARD, AND HE MIGHT LIKE TO HAVE COMMENT, VOTE FOR OR AGAINST WHATEVER. SO MAYBE THE TIMING ISSUES, BUT I'LL USE MY, MY SPECIFIC TENURE AS AN EXAMPLE. THE ROTATION OCCURRED IN MY FIRST YEAR, AND I DIDN'T HAVE THE ONE YEAR TENURE, SO I GOT SKIPPED, WHICH IS OKAY. BUT THE PURPOSE OF THE SIX MONTH ROTATION IS THAT IN A THREE YEAR PERIOD, THE INTENT WAS THAT EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER GOT A CHANCE TO SERVE AS, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM. SO I WOULD'VE GONE MY ENTIRE THREE YEARS AND NOT BEEN MAYOR PRO TEM IF ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES, WHEN THEIR ROTATION CAME UP PASSED. AND THAT ALLOWED ME TO, TO SERVE. SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS, SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT IF, AS PER OUR RULES, AND THAT'S ALL IT IS, IS A RULE OR POLICY THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE ONE YEAR TENURE, WHICH IS A MINIMUM, THEN WHEN YOU GET THAT TENURE, THEN YOU FALL BACK IN NEXT IN LINE SO THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY. I ALSO WOULDN'T MIND HAVING THE DISCUSSION THAT IF THERE IS A PERMANENT INCIDENT WHERE THE MAYOR IS GONNA BE PERMANENTLY OUT, THE CHARTER SAYS, THEN THE MAYOR PROM WILL SERVE UNTIL THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION. THAT INDIVIDUAL, AGAIN CEREMONIAL NO PROBLEM. BUT ACTUALLY TO TAKE THE HELM OF THE CITY, THAT INDIVIDUAL MAY OR MAY NOT BE, AGAIN, THEY HAVE ONE YEAR AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE MAYOR FOR TWO YEARS, OR, YOU KNOW, OR FOR A YEAR, I GUESS THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION COULD BE BUMPED UP. SO, SO THAT MAY BE A DISCUSSION THAT WE ADD POLICIES IN THERE THAT SAYS, OKAY, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN COUNCIL CONVENES AND MAKES A PERMANENT SELECTION FOR MAYOR PRO TEM THAT WOULD THEN SERVE AS MAYOR FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME VERSUS A SIX MONTH RO ROTATION. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED. 'CAUSE THE CITY HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, UM, TO LOOK AT THAT. AGAIN, I WAS, I WAS NOT HERE WHEN THE INITIAL DISCUSSIONS CAME UP, IT, IT WASN'T, IT, IT KIND OF TOOK ME SURPRISED THAT IT CAME UP AT A, AT A SESSION, BUT IT HAS BEEN GENERALLY DISCUSSED IN SOME OF THE RETREATS WE'VE HAD, AND THERE'S BEEN A CONSENSUS THAT YEAH, WE KIND OF NEED TO LOOK AT THAT. BUT IT JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT JUST NEVER FLOWS TO THE TOP. SO I THINK WE DO NEED TO DISCUSS IT, UH, AND LOOK AT THAT, HOW WE MOVE FORWARD FROM HERE. YOU KNOW, I WOULD YOUR OUTGOING MAYOR'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE WITH YOU. I'D LIKE TO, TO HEAR FROM THE, THE MAYOR ELECT AS MAYOR TO SEE WHAT HIS OPINION IS. IT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT TO DRAG HIM UP HERE AND DO THAT TONIGHT, SO, OR TODAY. SO I'M, I'M A LITTLE QUANDARY AS TO HOW I WOULD GO WITH IT, BUT I, I DO THINK WE NEED TO [00:30:01] SERIOUSLY LOOK AT IT, AND MY POSITION WOULD BE IT NEEDS TO BE ON A DISCUSSION ITEM TO DISCUSS AND POTENTIALLY TAKE ACTION UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO AND, AND THEN MAKE THOSE APPROPRIATE CHANGES. I, I AGREE WITH BOTH MY COLLEAGUES OR ALL MY COLLEAGUES UP HERE, THAT I THINK WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE. WE JUST DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, IT, IT'S HOLDING KEN UP, PER SE, BUT THAT, THAT'S NOT THE INTENT. IT'S JUST, IT'S GOT, IN MY OPINION, IT'S GOT TO THE POINT THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS THIS, WHETHER IT'S DURING KEN'S POTENTIAL SERVING AS MAYOR PRO TEM, OR IF IT'S DURING THE, THE SKIP OR WHATEVER, OR JAMES DECIDES TO SKIP ON THE NEXT TERM, THEN IT FALLS DOWN. THEN EIGHT MONTHS LATER, OR SIX OR A YEAR LATER, HE SAYS, OKAY, I'M READY TO SERVE MY TERM OR WHATEVER. THEN WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT DECISION TO DO THAT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF TWEAKS THAT WE NEED TO DO, UM, WHICH IS WHAT WE DO UP HERE EVERY TWO WEEKS, , UH, WE REVIEW THINGS AND TWEAK THINGS. SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S MY COMMENTS. AND, AND AGAIN, I'M KIND OF FLOATING IN NEUTRAL AS TO WHICH WAY I'M GOING TO GO. UM, I'M HOPING WE CAN I DELAY OR TAKE THE PAUSE OR IF WE MAKE A DECISION, THEN, THEN WE COMMIT AS A GROUP THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THIS AT EVERY SESSION UNTIL WE WORK IT OUT, UH, TO, TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS TO SAY, OKAY, WELL, LET'S DO, I DON'T WANT TO DO IT, SO LET'S JUST GO WITH KEN AND THEN DROP THE SUBJECT. WE CAN'T DO THAT. UH, THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN OCCURRING FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH THIS ISSUE. SO IT'S KINDA LIKE, YEAH, IT'S REALLY NOT A HIGH PRIORITY, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE, WE NEED. WE JUST DON'T NEED TO PASS IT. UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF MY, MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. AND, AND, UH, I WAS GONNA TRY TO TAKE A POINT OF PRIVILEGE, BUT, UM, ANYWAY, I HAVE, UH, MAYOR ELECT, CHARLES JOHNSON IS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE HIM. OBVIOUSLY I DIDN'T SEE HIM DURING THE CANVASSING. I SEEN YOUR MOTHER THOUGH, BUT I DO WANT TO WELCOME HIM AND HIS FAMILY TODAY TO OUR COUNCIL CHAMBERS. SO, UM, YES, MA'AM. YES, I, UH, I'LL, I'LL BE THE LAST ONE, TO MAKE COMMENTS. OKAY. UM, AND, AND I THINK FOR ME, FIRST OF ALL, WE NEED TO TAKE THE WORD CONCERN OUT, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NOT A CONCERN IN, IN MY POINT, MY VIEWPOINT, UM, REGARDING THIS TOPIC. IT, IT IS JUST SOMETHING THAT'S COME UP. AND IT DID COME UP ABOUT A YEAR AGO, SO THIS IS NOTHING NEW. UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE. UM, AND I HAD EVEN QUESTIONED IT WHEN, UH, DON CARLOS WAS ON BOARD AS WELL, UH, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE THEN. UM, AND SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE, THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT I'VE SERVED ON AS MAYOR PRO TEM, IT, IT HAS BEEN STRICTLY CEREMONIAL. UM, MAYBE I GET TO DO A PROCLAMATION, MAYBE I GET TO GO AND SAY HELLO OR WHATEVER. UM, BUT IT'S BEEN JUST THAT. UM, AND YES, OUR CITY IS GROWING AND IT'S CHANGING, BUT I THINK WHAT WE PROBABLY SHOULD DO IS NOT JUST HOW THE ROTATION IS DONE, BUT WHAT IS DONE WITH THE MAYOR PRO TEM, BECAUSE THERE'S NO REAL OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY SHADOW THE MAYOR. UM, WE TRIED THAT BEFORE, MAYOR, AND, AND I TOLD HIM, AND IT'S LIKE, OKAY, IT'S MY TURN. I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL THIS LONG AND I'D LIKE TO SHADOW YOU. AND THAT NEVER REALLY HAPPENED. AND SO, UM, IT, IT, IT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHILE YOU'RE MAYOR POTEN THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY GET YOU READY, SHOULD YOU NEED TO TAKE OVER. AND SO, BECAUSE ONCE YOU'RE MAYOR PRO TEM RIGHT NOW, AS IT STANDS, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING TO DO OTHER THAN GOING CUTTING THE RIBBONS AND ALL OF THAT. AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK BEYOND THAT. SO WE DO GROW MORE IN OUR ROLE AND NOT JUST AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND SO I FEEL THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, BUT WE, WE DON'T NEED TO GO DEEP INTO THIS BECAUSE I DO FEEL IT NEEDS, UH, WARRANTS FURTHER DISCUSSIONS. UM, I MENTIONED AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING THAT, UM, I DID WANNA SEE WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING. AND, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE LOOKED AT OTHER CITIES AS, AS, UM, COUNCILMAN POWELL SAID, WE'VE LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ELSE AND, AND AS KIND OF A, A DATA SET. AND SO THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH, WITH LOOKING AT OTHERS. AND WHEN, UM, I'M TALKING TO MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES ON HEAC, MANY OF THEM DON'T ROTATE. AND WHEN I TOLD 'EM THAT WE ROTATE, THEY'RE LIKE, REALLY? AND YOU ONLY GET SIX MONTHS. AND SO IT'S LIKE, WHAT DO YOU DO WITHIN THOSE SIX MONTHS? AND THEY ALL START QUESTIONING ME. AND, UM, SO I THINK WE DO NEED TO DO SOMETHING, BUT I'M GONNA BE HONEST, UM, EVERYBODY ON HERE PRETTY MUCH HAS ALREADY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE MAYOR PRO TEM. UM, MIKE, YOU, YOU GOT TO SERVE. AND, AND JACOB, UH, I MEAN, UM, FRANCO, YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T BE TAKING IT ON. AND SO I THINK AT THIS POINT, [00:35:01] ONE, I'D LIKE TO WAIT FOR THE MAYOR ELECT, UM, TO COME IN INTO A VIEWPOINT, UH, HIS VIEWPOINTS. BUT TWO, UM, LET'S LEAVE, LET'S GIVE KEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AND KNOWING THAT THAT'S WHERE IT'S GONNA STOP POTENTIALLY, THEN WE CAN CONTINUE THOSE DISCUSSIONS. AND, AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WE'VE ALL HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY. IT KIND OF MAKES THEM FEEL LIKE WHAT YOU SAID, ONLY ONE PERSON NEVER GOT SELECTED AND NEVER GOT APPOINTED TO BE MAYOR PRO TEM. AND, AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW IT LOOKS. AND THE FACT THAT YOU FELT SINGLED OUT, I'M SORRY THAT YOU FELT THAT WAY, BUT THAT'S NOT HOW THIS WAS INTENDED TO BE. UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, I'M GONNA REITERATE, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS WAS BROUGHT UP. AND SO I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS WAS NOT A TARGETED ISSUE, UM, NOT A TARGETED, UH, DISCUSSION. I UNDERSTAND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, UH, REASONING FOR WANTING TO BRING THIS UP AND WANTING TO CHANGE THINGS. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF IRONS IN THE FIRE WE DO. AND, AND HOPEFULLY OUR CONSTITUENTS WILL START SEEING SOME OF THAT PROGRESS THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING. AND SO, UM, I THINK MOVING FORWARD, LET'S JUST GET THE, THE MAYOR ELECT IN, GET THEIR VIEWPOINTS AND LET'S START THE ROTATION AFTER, IF THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. OKAY. THANK YOU, MA'AM. I, SO HERE'S, HERE'S JUST MY COMMENTS ON IT. FIRST I'LL READ, UM, ALRIGHT, SO THREE QUALIFI, THREE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. YOU, YOU MUST BE 35 YEARS OF AGE, A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN AND MUST HAVE LIVED IN THE UNITED STATES FOR 14 YEARS. SO WITH THOSE THREE, YOU CAN BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. NOW, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THIS DIOCESE THAT PROBABLY MEET THOSE QUALIFICATIONS, BUT PROBABLY NONE OF US ARE PROBABLY TRULY QUALIFIED TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. AND SO I'M THE ONLY ONE UP HERE THAT HAS SERVED AS MAYOR AND MANY TIMES MAYOR PRO TEM. AND I DID EXPERIENCE THE, THE, THE, THE TIMES WHEN IT WAS A, A SELECTION JUST JUST BY NOMINATION. SOME PASS, SOME FAILED. AND THEN THE ROTATION, I THINK BOTH SERVED AT THE TIME. BUT I THINK OUR CITY AT THIS POINT, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S STUFF THAT IS BEYOND CEREMONIAL IN, IN MY MIND. AND I, I THINK WHAT WE REALLY DO HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND, UM, THAT IS THE, I GUESS THE, THE BIGGEST NEGATIVE ABOUT JUST THE SIMPLE ROTATION, UM, IS THAT IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO, DOES SOMEBODY, ALTHOUGH THEY MEET THE, I WOULD SAY THE WRITTEN QUALIFICATIONS, DO THEY TRULY HAVE THE SKILLSET TO SERVE AS MAYOR IN THAT CAPACITY? AND SO I WISH, I'LL JUST SAY IT THIS WAY, I WISH IN MY MIND, MAYBE NOT EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER SERVES THAT, THAT'S SERVING UP HERE TODAY, MEETS THAT SKILLSET IN MY PERSPECTIVE FROM A PERSON WHO SITS IN THIS CHAIR AS OF TODAY. NOW, WITH THAT, I, I'VE ALREADY HAD ONE TRANSITION MEETING WITH, UM, MAYOR ELECT JOHNSON. UH, WE DISCUSSED, YOU KNOW, THIS THING, AND, AND AT THAT TIME, I THINK THAT'S WHEN I WAS TOLD, UH, THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS ALL AGREED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION. SO WE ARE HERE, WE ARE DISCUSSING, BUT IT ALSO SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL WANNA WAIT AND HEAR HIS INPUT. AND I DID NOT WANT, I, I DON'T, I DID NOT WANT HIS FIRST MEETING IN A SENSE TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF TOPIC ON, ON AN AGENDA. I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR FIRST MAYOR MEETING, BUT THAT'S JUST KIND OF MY TAKE ON IT. I HEAR, I'VE HEARD EACH OF YOU, Y'ALL HAVE YOUR VALID POINTS, I HEAR WE LIKE, WE WANNA DISCUSS IT, BUT WE'D LIKE TO HEAR THE MAYOR ELECTS INPUT. THAT'S AN OPTION. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, FROM WHAT MS. GRAHAM SAID THAT SHE'S RESIGNING HER, OR YOU, YOU, YOU DO NOT WISH TO CONTINUE BEYOND DECEMBER 31ST. NO, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. WELL, WELL, HOLD ON. I'M JUST SAYING, I, I'M JUST LOOKING AT ALL THE, THE, THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN, THAT I'VE, THAT I'VE, THAT, THAT HAS BEEN EXPRESSED IS THAT YOU, YOU WILL, THAT YOU WILL NOT SERVE BEYOND DECEMBER 31ST. MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE YOU SERVE UNTIL Y'ALL FIGURE WHAT DIRECTION THIS IS GONNA GO ROTATION OR NOT. BUT IF YOU CHOOSE, WELL, I'M NOT GONNA SERVE PAST DECEMBER 31ST, THEN THAT, THAT FORCES OTHER ACTIONS GOOD OR BAD. AND SO MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE, YOU SERVE UNTIL Y'ALL FIGURE THIS OUT. AND THAT COULD BE IF IT'S KEN OR WHOEVER, RIGHT? BUT ELISE, BUT IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S THE LINE YOU DRAW ON THE SAND, THEN THAT'S THE LINE YOU DRAW ON THE SAND. SO THIS IS WHERE I'M AT. I MEAN, YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION, BUT I JUST WANT, THOSE ARE THE THINGS, THAT'S HOW I SEE IT. I HAVE THIS HAS FOR, FOR THE MOST PART HAS ZERO IMPACT FOR ME. MM-HMM . EITHER WAY. RIGHT. BUT I JUST WANT, I JUST WANNA BE SURE THE, THE ONE THING THAT I REALLY WANT Y'ALL TO UNDERSTAND IS WHEN YOU [00:40:01] CAST THAT, THAT VOTE FOR ANY, ANY ITEM UP HERE, I'VE ALWAYS SAID AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN YOU CAST A VOTE FOR WHATEVER ISSUE IS UP HERE, IS IT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF BAYTOWN? AND I WOULD, I WOULD STILL CONTINUE THAT FOR ME, THAT PRACTICE TODAY. BUT YES, GO AHEAD, MAYOR CILLO FIRST, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, IT HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE. ALSO, I WANTED TO, TO REITERATE WHAT MY COLLEAGUE SAID OF SERVING WITH YOU. UM, I'VE LIVED IN BAYTOWN ALMOST THE, WELL, I'VE LIVED IN BAYTOWN MY WHOLE LIFE, BUT YOU'VE SERVED A VERY LONG TIME IN OUR COMMUNITY AS I WAS GROWING UP. AND THEN I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING WITH YOU. AND I JUST WANNA TAKE THIS TIME TO TELL YOU THANK YOU. UM, YOU'VE DEFINITELY TAUGHT ME QUITE A FEW THINGS AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THAT. I DO WANNA TAKE THIS TIME TO MAKE A MOTION TO HAVE KEN GRIFFITH, UM, SERVE STARTING MAYOR PRO TIM ON JANUARY 1ST, 2025. UM, AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, I HOPE THAT WE HAVE A DISCUSSION, A WORK SESSION, AND I ABSOLUTELY THINK THAT WE SHOULD, UH, LOOK A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THIS BECAUSE THERE WERE PARTS OF EVERYTHING THAT ALL OF YOU SAID THAT I AGREE WITH HEAVILY. ALRIGHT, SO THERE'S A MOTION SECOND. THERE'S A MOTION A SECOND. ALRIGHT, ANY DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT? SO WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE. YEAH, I MEAN, MY, MY COMMENT WILL BE, I'M GONNA BE OPPOSED TO THIS. UM, FOR THE REASONS THAT I'VE STATED EARLIER, I THINK IT'S BEST TO WAIT TILL JANUARY AND DO THIS. I, I JUST THINK THE BEST THING IS WE, WE HOLD THIS TYPE OF, UH, WE MAKE THIS TYPE OF DECISION AFTER NEW PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SEATED ON THE DA. AND SO I, I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, STAY CONSISTENT IN, IN THAT VIEWPOINT. THANK, THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? CAN, CAN I GET A CLARIFICATION FROM LEGAL? IF, IF WE VOTE ON THIS AND IT, THIS IS SAY IT PASSES, DOES THAT MEAN WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIVE OUR RULES TO REDISCUSS AND POTENTIALLY CHANGE IT BEFORE THE SIX MONTH PERIOD? YES. YOU WOULD HAVE TO, UH, CHANGE THAT, UH, RULE THAT'S, UH, IN OUR RULES OF PROCEDURE, BUT WE COULD CHANGE 'EM AT ANY TIME. THAT'S CORRECT. SIX MONTHS WE SAY WE'RE WAIVING FOR SIX MONTHS. YES. YOU COULD VOTE TO WAIVE THAT REQUIREMENT AS WELL. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. AND THEN, SO, UM, YES MA'AM, FOLLOW UP QUESTION. UM, SO SINCE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GRAHAM IS CHOOSING TO HER TENURE AT THE END OF THE 31ST AND THE VOTE IS TO MOVE FORWARD AND WAIT FOR, UM, MAYOR ELECT TO COME IN, THEN WHAT HAPPENS THAT IN BETWEEN, HOLD ON, WAIT UP. THAT'S NOT WHAT THE MOTION IS THOUGH. I KNOW. YEAH, BUT IT, IT, IT KIND OF, THAT WAS MY SUGGESTION, BUT YEAH. BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF IT DOESN'T PASS? Y'ALL HAVE TO VOTE FOR ANOTHER, THEN WE HAVE TO VOTE. OKAY. WELL, WE'LL HAVE TO, THERE'LL HAVE TO BE ANOTHER MOTION OF SOME SORT. OKAY. COULD, YES, COULD WE, COULD I MAKE A MM-HMM . I HATE TO SAY FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, BUT AMENDMENT THAT, THAT THE MOTION, UH, WOULD BE TO PLACE KEN AS MAYOR PRO TEM UNTIL I'M TRYING TO GET AWAY. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS WAIVING OUR SIX MONTH RULE, POTENTIALLY NOT HAVING A MAYOR PRO TEM, BUT ALLOW US THE ABILITY TO DISCUSS AND MODIFY OR CHANGE AS WE SEE FIT OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. SO I'M, I'M STRUGGLING. WE'RE TRYING TO FIND A PROPER FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT, THAT CAN SERVE AS MAYOR PRO TEM UN UH, UNTIL WE MODIFY OR CHANGE, IF WE MODIFY OR CHANGE THE MAYOR PRO TEM RULES. SO THAT, THAT GETS US AWAY FROM, WE HAVE TO VOTE EVERY TIME THAT WE'RE GONNA WAIVE OUR SIX MONTH POLICY AND, AND, AND THEN HAVE A GAP WHERE WE HAVE TO SINGLE SOMEBODY OUT AND HELP ME OUT, SCOTT. WELL, I THINK THAT'S THE CASE ANY AT ANY TIME, RIGHT? YEAH, NO. SO YEAH. OKAY. I WITHDRAW. MY ONLY COMMENT IS THAT, THAT WHAT I HEARD A MAJORITY OF WAS THAT YOUR, YOUR COUNT, THIS IS, THIS IS MY TAKE AT THIS POINT. IT WOULD BE, IT SEEMED LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S ENOUGH COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WANT TO WAIT TO DISCUSS THIS AND MAKE A DECISION ONCE, UH, A NEW MAYOR IS SEATED. AND SO AND SO WITH THAT, HOLD ON, MA'AM. UNTIL I CALLED UPON YOU. OKAY. SO WITH THAT, I, I, I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHERE IT SHOULD GO. UNLESS THERE'S SOME TYPE OF ALTERNATIVE. IF, LIKE I SAID, IF YOU, IF YOU SAY DECEMBER 31ST IS MY LAST DAY AND YOU DON'T WANNA SERVE UNTIL THREE MORE WEEKS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE AFTER THAT, THEN I MEAN THAT, THAT'S YOUR CALL. UM, THAT'S WHAT MY SUGGESTION WOULD'VE BEEN. AND THEN IT COULD BE KEN OR WHATEVER, BUT AT LEAST YOU HAVE YOUR MAYOR ELECT. IT COULD HAVE, COULD, COULD, UM, UM, I GUESS HAVE INPUT ON IT. I WAS TRYING TO TAKE [00:45:01] THIS OFF HIS PLATE, BUT, UM, IT IS WHAT, IT'S, SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. SO, COMMENT, I WAS GONNA MODIFY THE, THE MOTION, BUT, AND I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF THE WORDS, BUT I THOUGHT MR. REYNOLDS WAS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING. WERE YOU, WELL, I WAS TRYING TO GET MY MIC TO WORK. I JUST, UM, THIS IS CHALLENGING FOR ME 'CAUSE THIS IS A, A TOPIC I NEED TO STAY OUT OF. UM, I'M TRYING TO OFFER ADVICE WITHOUT INSERTING MYSELF. AND, UH, I, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, IF, IF MY OPINION FOR THE COUNCIL IS IF YOU ARE GOING TO WAIT, YOU HAVE TWO THINGS. IF MRS. GRAHAM DOES STEP DOWN DECEMBER 31ST, YOU STILL HAVE TO TAKE ACTION TODAY TO PUT SOMEBODY IN PLACE COME JANUARY 1ST. SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND. UM, THE SECOND PIECE OF THAT IS, WHILE YOU HAVE A NEW MAYOR COMING ON, IT STILL TAKES FOUR OF YOU TO DRIVE ANY AND ALL CONVERSATIONS. REALLY, UH, AT THE SAME TIME, I CAN TELL YOU THIS FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, I CAN'T SEE THIS BEING THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR THE MAYOR, THE NEW MAYOR ELECT TO WANT TO DISCUSS. AND SO IF YOU'RE GONNA DELAY IT, PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA DELAY IT FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR SO JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY OTHER THINGS THAT THE MAYOR ELECT. UM, I SPENT FOUR HOURS WITH HIM ON THURSDAY OR FRIDAY. SO I MEAN, THAT'S JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE ON THE THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE DISCUSSED. UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO PUT IN HIS LAP AS A BRAND NEW FIRST ITEM TO TACKLE. SO MY ADVICE WOULD TO THE COUNCIL WOULD BE, IF YOU NEED TO DISCUSS IT NOW, MAYBE APPROPRIATE, UM, SO THAT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE MAYOR ELECT HAS TO TACKLE, UH, AS A FIRST ITEM. THAT WOULD BE MY ADVICE. IF Y'ALL WANT TO DISCUSS HOW THE RULES AND PROCEDURES GO AND, AND, UH, MR. LESTER, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT CHANGE IN POLICY, Y'ALL CAN MEET WITH THE ATTORNEY TO, TO DO ALL THAT. UM, I, I WILL NOT BE IN THERE, BUT, UH, BUT Y'ALL HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY IF YOU NEED TO. SO THE REASON THAT I WAS SAYING, I JUST WANNA FINISH OUT DECEMBER 31ST BECAUSE WHAT Y'ALL ARE, ARE USING AS THE REASON TO NOT DISCUSS, SAYING THAT IT CAN'T BE SOMETHING ON, OR IT SHOULDN'T BE SOMETHING PUT ON THE MAYOR'S PLATE, THE NEW MERRILL X PLATE, I'M ONLY SERVING ANYWAYS BASED OFF OF WHAT WAS VOTED ON LAST TIME THROUGH. THAT'S CORRECT. THE 23RD, YOU'RE CORRECT. SO NO MATTER WHAT, IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING PUT ON THE MERRILL X PLATE. THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT, UM, BASED OFF OF SOME OF THE THINGS YOU SAID, IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE ON EVERYONE'S AGREEMENT OF WHO WANTS TO, TO SERVE AS MAYOR PRO TIMM AND WHO DOESN'T RIGHT NOW, AT THIS MOMENT, IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE IN MY MIND, AFTER HEARING ALL OF THESE DISCUSSIONS TO JUST VOTE IN ON THE MOTION, HOPEFULLY GET KEN MAYOR PRO TEM AND THEN NO MATTER WHAT ON JANUARY 23RD OR BEFORE THAT, THERE WILL HAVE TO BE SOME TIME TAKEN. I DON'T KNOW THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO GET, FIGHT THIS BATTLE AND I UNDERSTAND AND GET INTO A REALLY DEEP DISCUSSION MORE SO THAN WE ALREADY ARE. 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY, UM, THOUGHT WE WOULD BE HERE THIS LONG TODAY. UM, I ABSOLUTELY WANT TO DISCUSS THIS MORE. I'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT. I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THE BEST THING IS MOVING FORWARD AS FAR AS ROTATIONS OR, UM, THE NEW MAYOR ELECT PICKING SOMEONE OR IF WE PUT NAMES IN THE HAT OR HOWEVER WE DO IT. BUT FOR ME AT THIS MOMENT, IT MAKES MOST SENSE TO GET KEN GRIFFITH, UM, AS MAYOR PRO TEM STARTING ON JANUARY 1ST, WHICH IT WOULD BE HAVE BEEN ORIGINALLY HOW THE ROTATION WORKED ANYWAYS, UNDER OUR PREVIOUS RULE OR OUR CURRENT RULE I SHOULD SAY. AND THEN I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CHANGE. I, I WAS TRYING TO PROCESS HOW TO CHANGE THE MOTION, UM, MODIFY MY MOTION TO VOTE IN KEN GRIFFITH, UM, AS MAYOR PRO TEM JANUARY 1ST UNTIL WE ARE ABLE TO DISCUSS NO LATER THAN 60 DAYS IN 2025. OKAY? ALRIGHT THEN. YES, SIR. ALRIGHT THEN. AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS STRUGGLING MM-HMM . BECAUSE I DON'T WANT US TO GET CORNERED IN OR LOCKED IN TO THE SIX MONTH RULE THAT WE HAVE TO WAIVE OUR RULES. AND BECAUSE, BECAUSE THEN THAT'S JUST AN ADDITIONAL BATTLE AND HURDLE TO, TO GET INTO THE DISCUSS. SO HOW DO WE MODIFY IT THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE SECOND TO, TO ALLOW US TO MAKE A DECISION, BUT ALLOW US THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP IT OPEN, IF YOU WILL. AND, AND THAT'S, WE'RE WE'RE, I WAS STRUGGLING TO DEFINE THE RIGHT VERBIAGE AS WELL. SO, UM, I, I THINK, LET ME, LEMME JUST SAY, SO I, IT, I MEAN IT [00:50:01] LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF Y'ALL WANTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION, COMMENT, EVEN IF YOU, WHAT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU DO TODAY, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE BEYOND 20, 30 DAYS AGO. I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPT. SCOTT MAY HAVE A SUGGESTION. OKAY. FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, SURE. IF, IF THE DESIRE OF COUNSEL IS TO BRING THIS BACK WITHOUT HAVING TO MODIFY THE RULES, YOU COULD ELECT A MAYOR PRO TEM TODAY, UM, WITH THE PROVISO THAT, UH, IT'S DISCUSSED AGAIN AT THE NEXT MEETING OR TWO MEETINGS FROM NOW. UM, WE'VE DONE RESOLUTIONS LIKE THAT, UH, IN THE PAST. WELL, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS ON THE TABLE, PERIOD. I MEAN, IT JUST, IT JUST IS. I DIDN'T KNOW AT LEAST WHAT, UH, WITHOUT HAVING WAIVED THE SIX MONTH. RIGHT? I MEAN I DID, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT I DIDN'T GET YEAH. GET THAT MUCH THOUGHT INTO THIS. SO THIS IS WHAT I SUGGEST. UH, I'M GONNA DO A ROLL CALL, VOTE. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING IN COMMENTS? I'M GONNA DO A ROLL CALL VOTE. YOU'RE GONNA, WHEN I ASK YOUR DISTRICT, YOU'RE GONNA SAY EITHER YAY OR NAY ON THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE. OKAY. DISTRICT ONE. THE, THE MOTION I BELIEVE WAS TO, UH, BEGINNING JANUARY 1ST. UM, I'M ASSUMING SIX MONTH ROTATION. THAT'S WHAT I'M ASSUMING. 'CAUSE THAT'S THE RULE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. UH, IT WOULD BE COUNCIL MEMBER GRIFF WOULD SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY AS MAYOR PRO TIM, IS THAT THE MOTION? I THOUGHT WE WERE MODIFYING IT. YEAH. YEAH. MODIFYING TO, WITH THE STIPULATION THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION. I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS, I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S ALWAYS ON THE TABLE, SO I DON'T THINK OF THE MODIFY ANYTHING. SO WE DON NEED TO MODIFY. OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO DISTRICT ONE. YAY. DISTRICT TWO. YAY. DISTRICT THREE. YAY. DISTRICT FOUR. NO. DISTRICT FIVE. NAY. DISTRICT SIX. I'M GONNA VOTE NAY BECAUSE I'M NOT CLEAR ON THE MODIFICATION. THERE'S NO MODIFICATION. OKAY. THE NAY. ALRIGHT. AND MYSELF AS A NAY. SO NOW I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY OTHER NEW MOTIONS. NOW HERE WE ARE. SO WHILE ALTERNATIVES, DO Y'ALL WANT TO COME UP WITH CITY ATTORNEY? CAN I MAKE A MOTION PERTAINING TO THE PROCEDURE OR, OR, OR JUST THE INDIVIDUAL WE'RE GOING TO ELECT? UH, I THINK THE AGENDA ITEM IS BROAD ENOUGH TO MAKE A ITEM MOTION REGARDING THE PROCEDURE OR PERSON. OKAY. BECAUSE I MEAN, FOR ME, THE, I, WHAT I ALWAYS WANTED TO DISCUSS FIRST AND FOREMOST WAS THE PROCEDURE FOR HOW WE ELECT MAYOR PROTO. SO, UM, AS I'VE SAID, I MEAN, LOOKING AT SOME OTHER CITIES, LOOKING AT OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, I THINK THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE IT IS, UM, THE FIRST MEETING FOLLOWING, UM, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY SWEARING IN OF NEW INDIVIDUALS OR SEATING OF NEW INDIVIDUALS. I DON'T, I MEAN MAYBE SOME LEGALESE WOULD HAVE TO, TO, TO MAKE THAT MORE CLEAR. BUT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US ELECT OUR MAYOR PRO TEM FOLLOWING THE FIRST MEETING FOLLOWING SEATING OF NEW INDIVIDUALS ON COUNCIL. SO, SO LET ME I CLARIFICATION. OKAY. SO OUR, OUR ELECTIONS ARE IN NOVEMBER. UNLESS THERE'S A RUNOFF, LIKE IN THIS CASE. SO IT WOULD JUST BE THE FIRST MEETING. I JUST, I MEAN WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ME TO THE FIRST, I JUST HATE FOR IT TO BE ON A SWEARING IN NIGHT AND OH, YEAH, YEAH. THE FIRST MEETING FOLLOWING, YEAH, THE FIRST MEETING. THE, THE MEETING, THE SUBSEQUENT MEETING, YEAH. THAT MEAN I JUST PUT THE FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY. FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY FOR, FOR WITH NEW, OKAY. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR POINT IS, BUT RIGHT. UM, I BELIEVE THAT'S GONNA BE ON THE 23RD. TWO MOTIONS ON THIS ONE. YES. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO AVOID. BUT, BUT IT IS ONLY WHEN THERE'S A RUNOFF IN A SENSE, BUT, AND SO UNDER THAT, WHO SERVES AS MAYOR PRO? Y'ALL HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER MOTION AFTER. WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE. YEAH. ANYWAY, BUT RIGHT NOW HE IS A DISCUSSION, I THINK IS, YEAH, I JUST WANNA DISCUSS THE, THE PROCESS. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO, WANTED TO TALK ABOUT. WHAT I WOULD SAY WOULD BE WITH THAT AND THAT THE, THE MAYOR PRO TEM THAT A SERVANT AT THE TIME WILL SERVE UNTIL A NEW FOR A YEAR PRO. FOR, FOR OR FOR A YEAR, WHATEVER, FOR THE DURATION. WHOEVER'S MAYOR PRO TE SERVED UNTIL A NEW MAYOR PRO TIM IS APPOINTED OR SELECTED, HOWEVER, [00:55:01] YOU RIGHT. THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO QUITS. OKAY. RIGHT. ALRIGHT. BASICALLY IT'D BE A YEAR TERM. ALL RIGHT. I MEAN, YOU DO THIS AFTER EVERY ELECTION CYCLE. OKAY. MAYOR, UH, JUST POINT OF CLARIFICATION WITH THIS MOTION, THE STANDALONE MOTION FOR ITEM THREE A, AFTER Y'ALL VOTE ON THIS MOTION, UM, WHICHEVER WAY IT GOES, YOU STILL HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER MOTION. MM-HMM . TO APPOINT AMERIPRO, TIM, JANUARY FOR JANUARY 1ST. SO THERE'LL BE THIS MOTION THAT YOU VOTE ON AND THEN A SECOND MOTION THAT Y'ALL WOULD'VE TO DO AFTERWARDS. RIGHT. AND I'D LIKE Y'ALL TO REPEAT THAT MOTION SO I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT I'M VOTING ABOUT. HE, HE'S SAYING FIR LIKE RIGHT NOW, COUNCILMAN POWELL IS SAYING THIS IS HOW, THIS IS THE, THE PROCESS. YEAH. I MEAN, AND THE, AND THE, YEAH. THE QUALIFICATIONS, HOWEVER YOU WANTS, SAY, BUT THIS IS THE PROCESS OF IT. AND THEN YOU STILL HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION OF WHO THAT'S THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. YES. CORRECT. COUNSEL, IF, IF I MAY, UM, WHILE WE'RE IN THE DISCUSSION OF PROCESS, I'D LIKE YOU TO KEEP IN MIND THAT, UM, WE DO HAVE A RESOLUTION. SO IT WOULD BE AMENDING THE RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE PROCESS. AND THAT WOULD BE 2145 RESOLUTION 2145. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YOU HAD ONE, I GUESS ONE POINT COUNCILMAN. SO WHAT'S THE NEXT, WAS THAT IT? YEAH, I MEAN, I CAN MAKE IT, I CAN MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE CLEAR. MAYBE. LEMME TRY. WELL, YOU WENT TO 12 MONTH 12. I'LL MAKE A MOTION. WE AMEND RESOLUTION 2145. OKAY. SO THAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM IS ELECTED FOR, YOU KNOW, A YEAR OR UNTIL THE NEXT MAYOR PRO TEMS ELECTED. BUT BASICALLY IT, IT WILL BE IN THE FIRST MEETING FOLLOWING THE SEATING OF NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS. FOLLOW SWEARING IN THE MEETING, FOLLOWING A SWEARING IN CEREMONY. RIGHT. IF, I GUESS IF APPLICABLE. RIGHT? OKAY. YES, MA'AM. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL. SORRY. SO UNDER YOUR MOTION, WE WOULD VOTE FOR WHO WE WANT TO BE MAYOR PRO TEM AS A COUNCIL FOR ONE YEAR. AND THEN WE WOULD REVISIT THAT VOTE EVERY JANUARY. YEAH. AFTER, AFTER THE NEXT ROUND OF ELECTIONS. ELECTIONS. SO DECEMBER OR JANUARY. YEAH, IT COULD BE IN DECEMBER. RIGHT? I MEAN, IF WE DON'T HAVE RUNOFFS, WE'RE TYPICALLY IT'S, IT'S OVER IN. RIGHT. BUT WE WOULD, WE WOULD VOTE AS A COUNCIL, CORRECT? YEAH. IT TECHNICALLY YOU KIND OF DO. I KNOW. I, IT, THAT'S NOT MUCH DIFFERENT TO ME THAT, I MEAN, WE'RE MOVING IT TO ONE YEAR INSTEAD OF SIX MONTHS, BUT WE STILL VOTE ON IT. THAT'S WHY WE'RE IN THIS SITUATION TO BEGIN WITH. WELL, I THINK THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS NOT A ROTATION NOW, IT'S JUST A NOMINATION. IT'S A BALLOT. YEAH. IT GOES BACKED UP NOMINATION. IT'S JUST AN OPEN NOMINATION FOLLOWING THE ELECTION CYCLE. AND THEN, AND IF I, IN THIS SPECIFIC CASE, THEN THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE THE FIRST MEETING IN FEBRUARY. 'CAUSE THE MAYOR ELECT IS BEING SWORN IN AND TAKING OFFICE, IF YOU WILL, ON JANUARY 23RD. IS IT. I MEAN, THAT'S, I GETTING THAT RIGHT. THAT'S, YEAH, THAT'S WHERE, OKAY. I THINK THAT'S THE PART. SO IF IT WAS A REGULAR ELECTION WHERE THERE'S NOT A RUNOFF, THEN THEY COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE THE SWEARING IN IN DECEMBER. SO IT WOULD BE THE FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY. SO THAT SELECTION MEETING WOULD FLUCTUATE. RIGHT. OKAY. UM, I, I PERSONALLY LIKE THE DIRECTION THE DISCUSSION IS GOING. I'D LIKE TO HAVE A BIT MORE DISCUSSION, UH, TO POTENTIALLY MASSAGE IT AND TWEAK IT A LITTLE BIT AND TO PUT MY HANDS AROUND, BECAUSE IF WE, IF WE VOTE ON IT AND IT PASSES, THEN WE'RE GONNA BE PUT IN A POSITION OF MAKING A NOMINATION FOR MAYOR PRO TEM FOR THE NEXT YEAR. AND I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH DOING THAT OFF THE CUFF TONIGHT. TODAY. I KEEP SAYING TONIGHT IT'S TODAY. I, I, I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU. LEMME ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY. SO WITH THAT, LET'S SAY ONCE WE'VE, WE'VE, WE GO AND WE MODIFY RESOLUTION 2145, THEN COULD, COULD WE BASICALLY, I WILL SAY IT, IT'S, IT'S A NOMINATION FOR SOMEONE, RIGHT? IT COULD BE A, A CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBER LEY WHERE WITH THE TIMEFRAME TO SAY, UNTIL I SECOND MEETING IN FEBRUARY, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. I, I MEAN, WE COULD SAY, YES, IT'S A VERY FINITE TIMEFRAME FOR WHOEVER [01:00:01] TO SERVE. THEN THERE'S DISCUSSION WITH THE NEW, UH, MAYOR AND THEN IT CAN GO WHAT, WHATEVER DIRECTION AT THAT POINT YES. THAT CAN BE DONE. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT, OKAY. ALRIGHT, MAYOR. YES MA'AM. I'LL MAKE IT HARDER THAN IT REALLY IS. OH, THERE'S NO DOUBT. YEAH. I MEAN MUCH. WE GOT SOME MAGGIES UP HERE AND . HEY, HEY, HOLD ON. HEY. SEE, I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S TURNING INTO SOMETHING HARDER THAN IT SHOULD REALLY BE. I MEAN, THE MOTION IS THE PROCESS AND THE FIRST MOTION ANYWAY, RIGHT? IS THE PROCESS. WE'VE ALREADY, THERE'S ALREADY BEEN A VOTE TO SKIP, UH, DISTRICT THREE. SO THE, WE ARE MAKING A MOTION ON THE PROCESS. WE JUST NEED TO KEEP MOVING IT FORWARD. I, I AGREE. THE SECOND MOTION WOULD JUST BE AS WHOEVER VOTING IN THE PRO TEM. SO, UH, THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY GAP. UH, WE HAD THE CONTAMINATION A FIRE, WE HAD ALL THESE THINGS HAPPEN. WE'RE STILL IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON. THERE SHOULD NOT BE A GAP IN. I MEAN, I DON'T JUST, I JUST, MY COMMENT, ONLY REASON WHY I ASKED THAT WAS BECAUSE EVERYONE, A MAJORITY OF FOLKS UP HERE ALL SAID THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE MAYOR, THE NEW MAYOR AT THE TIME. SO I WAS TRYING TO GIVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, BUT NOT HIS FIRST MEETING. NO. SO, BUT THAT, THAT WAS THE ONLY REASON WHY I ASKED THAT QUESTION. BUT YES, AND I WANTED TO AS WELL. LET'S GET THROUGH THE RESOLUTION 'CAUSE IT BELIEVE, LET'S GET THROUGH THE RESOLUTION AND THEN WE'LL TACKLE THE NEXT ITEM. THIS IS RELATED TO HIS, OKAY. YEAH. SO, UM, 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA DE DETERMINE HOW I'M GONNA VOTE. SO I NEED TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION . SO SINCE WE ALREADY, UM, AS A COUNCIL VOTED TO SKIP DISTRICT THREE, UM, AND I DID ORIGINALLY DURING DISCUSSION SAY THAT I WASN'T GOING TO SERVE MAYOR PRO TEM PAST DECEMBER 31ST IN HOPES THAT WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH KEN GRIFFITH. I WILL SAY THAT, UH, OUR CITY ATTORNEY HAD TOLD ME THAT IF I DO NOT CONTINUE SERVING WITHOUT A MAYOR PRO TEM IN PLACE, IT COULD PUT OUR CITY IN A PRECARIOUS POSITION. SO I JUST WANNA SAY FOR ME, UNLESS SOMEONE MAKES A MOTION, I WILL CONTINUE BASED OFF OF THE VOTE PREVIOUSLY AT THE OTHER MEETING UNTIL JANUARY 23RD, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO CONTINUE MAKING MORE. EXCUSE ME, I'M LOSING MY VOICE, MAKING MORE VOTES AND MOVING FORWARD. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT COUNSEL WAS AWARE OF THAT. I AM HERE, I'M IN TOWN. UM, I JUST WAS HOPING TO BE ABLE TO JUST MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR ROTATION UNTIL WE WERE ABLE TO GET INTO DEEPER DISCUSSIONS. BUT THAT DID NOT TAKE PLACE DUE TO THE VOTE. SO, UM, I WILL STEP UP AND CONTINUE UNDER THE PREVIOUS VOTE THAT HAPPENED. IF SO, BE THROUGH THE JANUARY 23RD MEETING. ONLY COMMENT I WANNA MAKE ON THAT IS, I'M NOT SURE THAT'S GONNA BE THE JANUARY 23RD MEETING, BUT I I DO APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS. WASN'T THAT WHAT WAS VOTED ON PREVIOUSLY? WE'RE IN NEW TERRITORY NOW. HOLD ON. WE'RE NOT, THERE'S NO GOING BACK. WHERE WE'RE AT IS THERE'S A RESOLUTION, UH, THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED FOR, TO REPLACE 2045 TO BE ELECT A MAYOR PRO TIM FOR A ONE YEAR TERM. AND THAT WILL TAKE PLACE FOLLOWING THE SEATING OF EITHER NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS. BUT EVERY DECEMBER OR JANUARY, I DON'T CARE HOW, WHAT LANGUAGE YOU COME UP WITH. OKAY. SO THE THE POINT OF THAT, LIKE, I THINK I, I THINK YOU HAD YOUR OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO, TO, TO EXPRESS THAT FEELING. I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU DID IT, BUT I THINK WE'RE A NEW TERRITORY NOW ON THE RESOLUTION AND THEN, THEN WE ARE GONNA APPOINT A MAYOR PRO TEM TODAY. YEAH. AND SO YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T KIND OF, WE TOOK A RESOLUTION ON THREE A NOT TO TO, FOR THE DISCUSSION. I DON'T THINK WE TOOK, IT WASN'T REALLY NECESSARILY NO, NO, NO. SKIPPING UP. NO, I ACTUALLY THINK LEGALLY I'M STILL MAYOR PRO TEM AND SO WE ONLY TOOK A VOTE ON A MOTION FOR KEN AND WE VOTED NAY ON THAT. SO ACTUALLY, I DON'T THINK THAT WE, UNLESS SOMEONE MAKES ANOTHER, I DON'T THINK WE'RE A NEW TERRITORY TO VOTE ON A NEW MAYOR PRO TEM. WE'RE VOTING ON A NEW PROCEDURE, BUT I STILL CAN REMAIN MAYOR PRO TEM THROUGH JANUARY 23RD. YOU COULD REMAIN YES. YEAH. YES YOU COULD. SHE WILL REMAIN MAYOR PRO TEM UNTIL WE APPOINT ANOTHER ONE. OKAY. IF YOU'RE WILLING TO REMAIN MAYOR PRO TEM. YES, SIR. THEN I CAN WITHDRAW MY, UH, MOTION AND WE CAN GO HOME. OKAY. BECAUSE THAT WAS MY WHOLE, THAT WAS MY WHOLE POINT. I WANTED TO PUSH THIS TO JANUARY. THAT'S ALL I WANTED. BUT, BUT LET ME ASK YOU THIS. I I DON'T WANT, I DON'T THINK JANUARY 23RD IS THE DATE YOU SHOULD PICK. WELL, IF WE GO BACK TO MY MOTION I MADE IN DECEMBER, OR, OR WE'RE STILL IN DECEMBER, THE LAST MEETING IT WAS, I THINK IT WAS, I WANTED TO BRING THIS BACK UP FOR DISCUSSION WHEN ALL SEVEN OF US WERE HERE AND IT WAS NO, NO LONGER THAN 60 DAYS. OKAY. SO THAT PUTS US INTO FEBRUARY. NO, I, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS. THAT'S ON MY POINT IS I DO NOT WANT, I'M NOT GONNA PUT THIS ON THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR ON THE 23RD. THEN, THEN, THEN THE, DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO [01:05:01] SUSPEND THIS UNTIL THE FIRST MEETING IN FEBRUARY THAT WOULD MEET THE RESOLUTION MODIFICATION AS THE MEETING FOLLOWING THE SWEARING IN. SO THAT WOULD BE, WE DON'T NEED ANY OF THAT. WELL, I THINK YOU, I THINK YOU VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION, THE RE RESOLUTION CHANGE. YES. TODAY. YES. RIGHT. WE CAN, WE DON'T HAVE TO. I MEAN THAT WE CAN DISCUSS IT IN FEBRUARY. THAT WAS MY, WELL, TO ME, IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T VOTE ON IT, THEN YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED YOUR YEAH. YOUR SELECTION PROCESS. I THINK WE'VE ALL AGREED THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A MAYOR FOR THE ONE YEAR PRO TEMP. I THINK WE'VE ALL AGREED THAT I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT. WE AGREE THAT IT NEEDS TO GO TO ONE YEAR. MAYOR PRO TEM. I DON'T THINK WE AGREE TO THAT. WE DIDN'T AGREE. I DON'T NO, WE HAVEN'T VOTED. I WAS JUST SAYING YOU, I THINK YOU HAVE TO DO THE RESOLUTION, BUT WITH THAT RESOLUTION, THE UNDERSTANDING THAT I WOULD SAY THAT MS. GRAHAM SERVED IN AS MAYOR PRO TEM UNTIL A, UNTIL A PRO TEM IS APPOINTED, BE IT HER OR KEN OR WHOEVER ELSE, WHENEVER THAT OCCURS. BUT I WOULD SUGGEST IT NOT TO BE JANUARY 23RD. THAT'S MY SUGGESTION. DO NOT, IF THAT WAS THE CASE, Y'ALL COULD HAVE JUST WAITED TILL JANUARY 23RD. BUT Y'ALL CHOSE NOT TO IN A SENSE. MS. MAYOR, IF I MAY, I JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT, UH, AT THE LAST MEETING YOU DID VOTE TO, UM, SUSPEND CONSIDERATION OF THE MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, ELECTION FOR AT LEAST 60, I'M SORRY FOR NO MORE THAN 60 DAYS. UM, WHICH IS I THINK FEBRUARY BECAUSE WE HAVE NOW TAKEN AN ELECTION THAT PREVIOUS MOTION HAS EXPIRED. YES. SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE. I WOULD SAY. OKAY. JUST SOMETHING. BUT DO NOT DO IT JANUARY 23RD. THAT'S ALL MY POINT IS ON THAT. OKAY. SO THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO ELECT TONIGHT? NO, NO, NO. I THINK, I THINK IT'S JUST, IF WE WANT TO SUSPEND IT AGAIN, WE, I THINK WE, WE, WE VOTE ON RESOLUTION 2145 WITH THE MODIFICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED. AND, AND WITH THAT, MS. GRAHAM SERVES UNTIL A NEW MAYOR PROTO IS APPOINTED. WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE DISCUSSION. ALRIGHT. IS THAT EVERYBODY'S UNDERSTANDING? SO I DON'T THINK IT'S A SECOND. YEAH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANY YET, MAYOR. I DON'T YEAH, NO, NO, I KNOW, BUT, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? IT'S JUST ALL I ALL, ALL I WROTE DOWN WAS IT WILL BE BASICALLY WILL BE SELECTED WITH OPEN NOMINATIONS FOR A ONE YEAR TERM. EITHER FOLLOWING A NEW COUNT, I GUESS A COUNCIL ELECTION, IF IT'S DECEMBER OR JANUARY, THAT'S UP TO Y'ALL. I GUESS IT JUST DEPENDS IF THERE'S RUNOFFS OR NOT. RIGHT. THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT THE MODIFICATION TO RESOLUTION 2145 IS. THAT'S, EVERYBODY AGREE WITH THAT? I WOULD, IF, I DON'T WANNA MAKE THIS MORE COMPLICATED, BUT BASED OFF Y'ALL'S INPUT, THE, THE, THAT, IF THAT MOTION IS STILL ON THE TABLE, Y'ALL ARE SAYING NOT DO IT ON JANUARY 23RD, THEN YOU PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE CAVEAT THAT THIS FIRST TIME GO IS FEBRUARY OF 20 IS DONE IN 2020. WELL, NO, IT'LL BE THE MEETING FOLLOWING THE SWEARING. THE MEETING, FOLLOWING HIS SWEARING IN IS ACTUALLY, HE'S GONNA BE SWORN IN IN EARLY JANUARY. SO JANUARY 23RD WILL BE THE FIRST MEETING AFTER THE SWEARING IN. AND SO THAT WILL TECHNICALLY BE WITHIN THE ORDINANCE OF WHAT OR THE RESOLUTION ON WHICH Y'ALL ARE PUTTING IN. CAN YOU ADD TO THE ORDINANCE AFTER, TO THE RESOLUTION AFTER MARCH, 2025. 'CAUSE THAT WILL GIVE YOU, THAT BASICALLY WILL SAY AFTER 2025, I'M JUST SAY TO Y'ALL, TO Y'ALL POINT AND WHATEVER THAT IS, WHENEVER THAT OCCURS, WE'RE, AGAIN, WE'RE MAKING THIS WAY TOO COMPLICATED. IT IS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, I KNOW Y'ALL THINK THAT MR. LESTER, BUT WE GET, I GET CHALLENGED CONSTANTLY ON IF, IF IT'S A TH OR AN A OR THE DETAIL IS IMPORTANT. I BELIEVE THE RESOLUTION IS THAT IT IT, AND IT'S A FLOATING DATE, WHICH IS, MAKES THE ATTORNEY'S NERVOUS. IT'S A FLOATING DATE THAT IF IT'S A STANDARD ELECTION AND THEY'RE ELECTED AND THEIR FIRST MEETING IS IN DECEMBER, THEN THE MAYOR PRO TEM ELECTION WOULD BE AT THE MEETING IN JANUARY. IF IT'S A RUNOFF ELECTION AND THE FIRST OFFICIAL MEETING IS IN JANUARY, THEN THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR PROTIME ELECTION WOULD BE THE FIRST MEETING IN FEBRUARY. IT'S THE MEETING FOLLOWING THE FIRST MEETING WHEN THEY'RE SEATED. 'CAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY COULD BE SWORN IN RIGHT. A A WEEK OR TWO BEFORE THE MEETING. BUT I THINK THE RESOLUTION IS TO TRY TO GIVE THEM ONE FULL MEETING BEHIND THIS DAAS BEFORE THEY HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON MAYOR PRO TEM. OH, I UNDERSTAND THE INTENT. I'M JUST, AND SO IS, IS OUR CITY ATTORNEY CLEAR WITH THE, THE VERBIAGE [01:10:01] AND INTENT THE CITY ATTORNEY IS PROCESSING , HIS WHEELS ARE SPINNING BECAUSE ATTORNEYS HATE FLOATING DATES. I GOT THAT. UH, BECAUSE IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT. I, I THINK WHAT MAYOR, IF I MAY YES. UM, IT IS STILL UP TO MAYORS TO PUT ANY AGENDA ITEM THAT THEY WISH TRUE. SO WE MAY SAY, HEY, WE'RE GONNA DO IT IN FEBRUARY, BUT IT IS STILL UP TO THE MAYOR IF THEY DECIDE TO GET THIS ITEM OUT THE WAY. UM, IT IS MAYOR'S WILL. YEAH. YEAH. WELL, WELL, WHAT, WHAT I WOULD SAY WOULD BE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S MR. REYNOLDS EXPRESS. IS HE, I WOULD ASSUME WE JUST MAKE SOME TYPE OF IN INCLUSION OF THE MOTION FOR THE RESOLUTION 24 FOR 2145 THAT YES, Y'ALL WILL REVISIT THIS. JUST PICK SOMETHING AFTER JANUARY 23RD. UM, I DON'T WANNA PUT IT ON THE CITY MANAGER TO HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING WHERE WE HAVE TO SELECT AMONGST EACH OTHER FIRST, FIRST MEETING IN FEBRUARY. YEAH, THIS FIRST MEETING IN FEBRUARY. OKAY. WHATEVER THAT IS, WHENEVER THAT IS. SO IN THAT CASE, COUNSEL, I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST TO HAVE TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS TO CHANGE THE RULE THAN HAVE MR. JOHNSON SWORN IN. AND THEN YOUR WILL IS TH THWARTED BECAUSE 45 DAYS OF SWORN IN, OR WE COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE COULD HAVE IT TAKE EFFECT AT A LATER DATE INSTEAD OF IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THIS MEETING, WHICH IS NORMALLY WHEN OUR AT WHAT TAKE EFFECT TAKE HAVE THE, UM, AMENDED RESOLUTION TAKE EFFECT AT SOME TIME, FEBRUARY 1ST IN THE FUTURE, LIKE MARCH 1ST. I DON'T WANNA PUSH IT OFF. YEAH, I THINK, I THINK WE VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ON A, ON A PRO. TIM, MS. GRAHAM, WITHOUT ANY, ANY, OR WITHOUT HAVING TO MENTION ANYTHING, MS. GRAHAM WILL SERVE INTO THAT CUP PAT UNTIL THAT ACTION IS TAKEN. I JUST THINK WE'D SAY FIRST MEETING IN FEBRUARY AS FAR AS WHEN, WE'LL, WHEN Y'ALL DISCUSS IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'LL HAVE TO SELECT SOMETHING THAT NIGHT, BUT Y'ALL DO HAVE TO DISCUSS IT. DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION. WE'LL DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION. BUT YEAH, SO I, I THINK THERE'S A MOTION FOR 2145 WITH THE 12 MONTH SELECTION OF, OF COUNSEL WITH OPEN NOMINATIONS TO OCCUR WHENEVER Y'ALL WANT THAT TO OCCUR. UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I HEAR FROM THE MOTION. SO THERE'S EITHER HAS TO BE MORE ADDITION TO THAT OR A SECOND. ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THAT MOTION? I WOULD LIKE TO, DO YOU WANT TO PUT A BEGINNING? YES, PLEASE. BEGINNING RESTATED FEBRUARY 1ST, 2025. NO, I'M SORRY MS. PR I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO, UH, RESTATE, OH, YOU WANT TO HEAR THE ENTIRE, THE MOTIONS, SO, ALL RIGHT. WE CAN GET THE, I'LL MAKE A MOTION. WE AMEND RESOLUTION 2145, UH, TO UPDATE OUR, OUR RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR HOW WE ELECT, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, GOING FORWARD. HOW ABOUT, I SAY BEGINNING FEBRUARY 1ST, 2025, WE WILL ELECT THE MAYOR PRO TEM FOR A YEAR TERM FOLLOWING GENERAL ELECTIONS. GENERAL ELECTIONS. YEAH. SO THERE'S, THAT'S IT. ALL RIGHT. SO THERE'S THAT MOTION'S THERE. A SECOND. SECOND. A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SO I JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT ON YES, YES, YOUR STATEMENTS ABOUT MY SKILLSET'S BEEN WELL RECEIVED AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND, UH, I WISH YOU BEST ON YOUR NEXT CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE A MOTION, UM, A MOTION. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION OF THE, I GUESS, AMENDMENT OF OUR MODIFICATION OF RESOLUTION 2145? UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? NAY. NAY. SO WE HAVE TWO, SO I, TO MAKE SURE I HEARD TWO. SO DISTRICT TWO AND DISTRICT THREE ARE NAY. ALRIGHT, ANY ADDITIONAL MOTIONS? SO MY UNDERSTANDING NOW THAT THAT HAS CHANGED, UM, MRS. GRAHAM WILL SERVE IN AS MAYOR PRO TIM UNTIL, [01:15:01] I GUESS THERE'S A NEW APPOINTMENT, ELECTION, OUR NEW SELECTION ELECTION, WHATEVER. UM, BUT, BUT THE RESOLUTION WILL TAKE PLACE ON FEBRUARY 1ST, WHENEVER Y'ALL TO GET TO THAT, I GUESS THAT ACTION. ALRIGHT, WELL, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THIS, THIS IS ALWAYS A, THIS IS ALWAYS A DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE WHEN YOU HAVE TO PICK ONE PERSON AMONGST YOUR PEERS. THAT'S WHY WE PROBABLY WENT TO THE ROTATION, BUT, UM, IT IS WHAT IT IS. I DO APPRECIATE Y'ALL GETTING THROUGH THIS, UM, THIS DISCUSS DISCUSSION TODAY. UM, LIKE I SAID, I DON'T THINK IT WAS ANYTHING PERSONAL IN ANY WAY. UH, IT'S JUST ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR BAYTOWN. SO WITH THAT, UH, LET'S SEE. I THINK, UM, WHAT I WILL SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO BAYTOWN, I THINK I SAID IN OUR LAST MEETING. BUT ALL THOSE MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE. IF YOU'RE TRAVELING OUT OF TOWN, SAFE TRAVELS AND GOD BLESS YOU. SO WITH THAT, BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL HAS ADDRESSED, UH, ALL OUR POSTED AGENDA ITEMS FOR TODAY. AND SO THIS MEETING'S NOW ADJOURNED. MERRY CHRISTMAS. MERRY GREAT. * 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.