* 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]
          I NOW CALL TO ORDER THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION 
          [ CITY OF BAYTOWN  			 NOTICE OF MEETING 		 		 		 		 		 		 		 		 			 			  			CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION  			THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2025 			5:30 P.M. 			COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 			2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 			 			AGENDA 			   			CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM 			  			 		 	      ]
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH AT 2020, THE YEAR BEING 2025. 
          COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL, BAYTOWN, TEXAS. 
          AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A QUORUM AT 5 32. 
          GONNA START WITH CITIZEN COMMENT. 
          UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE. 
          [a.  Discuss the Fiscal Year 2025 Certificate of Obligation bond issuance & Fiscal Year 2026 General Obligation bond issuance.]
GOOD DEAL. 
          WELL, LET'S MOVE ON TO TWO, A DISCUSSION. 
          DISCUSS THE PHYSICAL YEAR 2025, CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION BOND ISSUES, AND PHYSICAL YEAR 2026. 
          GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND ISSUANCE, MR. JASON REYNOLDS. 
          ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. 
          UM, OUR WORK SESSION TONIGHT WILL BE OVER CITY DEBT AND, UH, DISCUSSING A FEW ITEMS, UH, RELATING TO THE 2025 CO. 
          UH, AND THE GO BOND. 
          UH, STAFF WILL ONLY NEED DIRECTION ON ONE ITEM TONIGHT. 
          UH, THE CO AND THE INFORMATION AROUND THE GO IS TO ASSIST IN, UH, FUTURE DECISION MAKE DECISION MAKING. 
          UH, WE'LL COME BACK TO COUNCIL NEXT MONTH SO THAT YOU CAN, UH, SET PARAMETERS FOR THE GO BOND, UH, IN PREPARATION FOR THE BOND COMMITTEE MEETING. 
          UM, AS FAR AS THE LAYOUT GOES TONIGHT, UH, WE WILL QUICKLY GO OVER DEBT A LITTLE BIT. 
          WE WILL DISCUSS THE 2025 CO POSSIBLE ISSUANCE. 
          UH, WE WILL GO OVER THE GEO BOND AND THEN I WILL ASK FOR SOME COUNSEL DIRECTION OR GIVE DIRECTION ON, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING AND THEN KIND OF OPEN IT UP. 
          PLEASE KNOW THAT THIS IS MEANT TO BE INFORMAL. 
          IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TWO-WAY DIALOGUE BETWEEN ALL OF US, UH, FOR THE ACTUAL WORK SESSION. 
          UM, NOT MEANT FOR ME TO JUST GET UP HERE AND TALK AT YOU, SO PLEASE INTERRUPT AT ANY TIME, UH, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A FRUITFUL DIALOGUE AROUND THIS. 
          FUN, FUN NUMBERS TOPIC. 
          ALRIGHT, SO, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU ALSO HAVE A PRINTOUT, UH, UH, OF THIS SAME SHEET. 
          UH, PLEASE KEEP THAT, UH, CLOSE BY BECAUSE I WILL KIND OF REFERENCE IT A LITTLE LATER ON, UH, WITH THE SLIDES. 
          SO THIS IS AN ACTUAL OVERVIEW OF THE CITY'S DEBT, UH, A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION, UH, REPRESENTATION. 
          UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S IN A DOWNWARD SLOPE. 
          UH, THE DOWNWARD TREND HERE REPRESENTS THE FACT THAT THE CITY WILL HAVE A LOT OF DEBT PAYMENTS, UH, ROLLING OFF, UH, IN THE NEAR FUTURE. 
          IT KIND OF PLAYS WELL INTO THE GEO BOND PROCESS, UM, BECAUSE IT'S SHOWING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE BUILDING A LITTLE BIT OF CAPACITY, UH, FOR THE OVERALL DEBT, UM, STABILIZATION, SO YOU MIGHT SAY, UH, BECAUSE THEORETICALLY WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE WOULD BE SOMEWHAT OF A FAIRLY STRAIGHT LINE ALL THE WAY ACROSS. 
          THIS WOULD KEEP OUR INS PORTION OF OUR TAX RATE STABLE, UH, AND MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO CONTROL WHAT THE TAX RATE LOOKS LIKE, UH, FOR THE LONG TERM. 
          ANOTHER THING THAT I WANNA WANNA POINT OUT HERE, AND IT'S, IT'S BEEN A DISCUSSION POINT FOR US FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, JUST FOR ME ANYWAYS, AT THIS POINT WITH Y'ALL, IS THE IDEA OF CASH FUNDING INSTEAD OF USING DEBT. 
          SO IN 2022 WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, SOME OF OUR DEBT, WE TOOK OUT CASH OUT OF OUR RESERVES, UH, TO LOWER THE AMOUNT OF DEBT THAT WE WERE GOING TO ISSUE. 
          AND THE CONVERSATION AT THAT POINT STARTED ABOUT HOW CAN WE USE MORE CASH TO PAY FOR, TO PAY FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE INSTEAD OF, UH, GOING OUT FOR DEBT. 
          IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE THAT THE MAX THAT WE PAY A YEAR IS $14 MILLION ACCORDING TO WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW. 
          AND THIS IS GENERAL FUND ONLY. 
          THIS IS NOT ALL DEBT, THIS IS JUST GENERAL FUND, OKAY? THE MAX THAT WE PAY A YEAR IS $14 MILLION, WHICH MEANS IF WE WERE TO CASH FUND STUFF AND GOT, GOT RID OF ALL DEBT TODAY, RIGHT? WE PAID OFF ALL A HUNDRED AND WHATEVER MILLION THAT WE OWE ON DEBT, AND WE JUST STARTED WITH A CASH FUNDING PROCESS, WE'D BE LOOKING AT USING $14 MILLION A YEAR IN DEBT TO GO TOWARDS PROJECTS. 
          NOW, THAT'S IMPORTANT, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW BECAUSE, UM, IF YOU REMEMBER THE EMAIL THAT WAS SENT TO Y'ALL ABOUT OUR ROAD, OUR ROADS, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD TAKE $27 MILLION A YEAR JUST TO ADDRESS OUR ROADS ON A THEORETICAL BASIS, ON KEEPING THEM AT A CERTAIN LEVEL OF PCI, UM, IN PERPETUITY. 
          AND SO ALREADY AT THIS POINT, WE WOULD BE $13 MILLION BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL JUST ON ADDRESSING ROADS IF WE WERE TO CASH FUND PIECES. 
          NOW, WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU IS NOT THAT WE CAN'T DO A HYBRID APPROACH FOR DEBT, OKAY, WITH CASH AND DEBT. 
          UM, BUT IT IS SOMETHING LIKE, IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY NOT REALISTIC TO JUST CASH FUND A LOT OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS MORE THAN $14 MILLION A YEAR THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. 
          AND SO IT IS JUST SOMETHING TO TAKE AWAY FROM, FROM THIS, UH, PIECE THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US. 
          UM, SOMETHING THAT THE FINANCE 
          [00:05:01]
COMMITTEE WILL WORK ON IN THE FUTURE THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS AS WELL, IS WHAT PERCENT OF OUR TAX RATE DO WE WANT OUR DEBT AT, RIGHT? THIS DOESN'T FULLY REPRESENT, UM, HOW IT COMPARES, WHAT THE PERCENTAGES ARE, BUT IT IS A TALKING POINT THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO TAKE UP WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH DEBT DO WE WANT TO HAVE. 
          YOU KNOW, THEY TELL YOU WHAT THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY MORE THAN 30% OF DEBT OR 35% OF DEBT, UH, BECAUSE THEN YOU START NOT BEING ABLE TO PAY YOUR BILLS. 
          BUSINESSES WORK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT THAT'S A GOOD THRESHOLD THAT CAN, THAT YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL CAN RELATE TO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT JUST DEBT REQUIREMENTS, UM, FOR AN ORGANIZATION. 
          AND SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO PLAY WITH AND JUST INFORMATION FOR Y'ALL TO MAKE DIFFERENT DECISIONS ON IN THE FUTURE. 
          BUT I WILL SHUT UP AND MOVE ON, UH, TO A DIFFERENT TOPIC. 
          AND THAT IS THE 2025 CO. 
          AND THIS IS, UM, I HAVE THREE THINGS THAT I WANT TO TALK TO Y'ALL ABOUT, AND THAT IS GONNA BE THE CURRENT STATE OF THE 2025 CO ISSUANCE, UM, THE IMPACTS AND THEN THE PATH FORWARD OF THE 2025 CO. 
          SO THE CURRENT STATE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS THAT WHEN THE 2025 BUDGET WAS ADOPTED, THE CITY COUNCIL WAS AWARE THAT THE 2025 CO WOULD STILL BE AT PLAY IN ADDITION TO THE GEO BOND PROCESS. 
          OKAY? UM, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU ARE COMMITTED TO THAT, IT JUST MEANS THAT YOU WERE AWARE THAT THE 2025 CO, UH, WAS AT PLAY WHEN THE BUDGET WAS ADOPTED BECAUSE THAT WAS MEANT TO FUND, UH, THE, UH, PRIORITY PROJECTS BECAUSE WE COULD NOT WAIT ANY LONGER WITH WHAT IT WAS. 
          IT'S COME TO THE POINT WITH THE CURRENT STATE OF LIKE, OKAY, STRATEGICALLY WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING THE GEO BOND PROCESS, WHAT IS THE BEST PATH FORWARD? UH, DO WE STILL NEED TO DO THE 2025 CO? UM, AND THE ANSWER IS WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS, OKAY? WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE BUILT AROUND THE 2025 CO. 
          WE DID NOT PUT MONEY INTO REPAIRING STATION TWO BECAUSE WE WERE UNDER THE, UH, ASSUMPTION WITH THE BUDGET ADOPTION THAT THE 2025 CO WOULD STILL BE AT PLAY. 
          OKAY? AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, WE PROBABLY NEED, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED PLUS THOUSAND DOLLARS TO MAKE A IMMEDIATE REPAIRS TO FIRE STATION TWO. 
          UM, IF WE AREN'T GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE 2025 CO, THE 2025 OR THE STATION TWO, UH, WAS, IS THAT A POINT I'M, I'M GONNA SAY 90% DRAWINGS, IS THAT CORRECT? FOR STATION TWO? OKAY. 
          UH, READY TO GO FOR CONSTRUCTION BASICALLY AT THIS POINT. 
          AND SO WHEN WE WOULD, WHEN WE WOULD BID 20, IDEALLY WE WOULD BID THE 2025 CO NEXT MONTH OR BRING THE NOTICE OF INTENT TO COUNSEL, THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO START THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS IN THE FOLLOWING MONTHS AFTER THE MONEY STARTS COMING IN, WE CAN DO ADVANCED FUNDING AS WELL AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. 
          IF IT DOES NOT HAPPEN WITHIN THE 2025 CO, IT WOULD GO TO THE NOVEMBER BOND ELECTION WITH THE GEO, AND IT MOST LIKELY WOULD NOT GET THE MONEY UNTIL AROUND MAY OR JUNE OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR. 
          SO THERE WOULD BE A BUILT IN 10 MONTH TO 12 MONTH DELAY ON ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH STATION TWO. 
          AND SO THAT WOULD MEAN THAT WE WOULD NEED TO PUT IN A, AT LEAST A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN IMMEDIATE REPAIRS THAT HAVE TO BE, THAT HAVE TO GO OVER TO THE STATION. 
          AND THEN MY QUESTION TO YOU IS LIKE, WHY WOULD WE SPEND ANOTHER A HUNDRED THOUSAND? THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T PUT IN THE BUDGET IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE WE WERE GONNA GO WITH THIS, THIS CO ISSUANCE. 
          UM, AND IT'S NOT TO, IT'S NOT TO TRY TO TALK AROUND THE STRATEGY THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AT THE RETREAT ON LIKE, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO LIKE HANDLE ALL OF THIS DEBT BECAUSE IT, IT SEEMS COUNTERINTUITIVE TO THE PUBLIC TO BE LIKE, GO FOR A CO AND THEN GO A FEW MONTHS LATER AND GO FOR THE GEO BOND. 
          WE COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND IT. 
          THAT WAS JUST WE WERE TRYING TO BE TRANSPARENT, UH, LAST YEAR WHEN WE ADOPTED THE BUDGET SO THAT WE KNEW THAT THIS PROCESS WAS GONNA BE LAID OUT AND THAT IT WOULDN'T BE SOMETHING THAT JUST POPPING UP TO THE CITIZEN, UM, CITIZENRY WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR THE GEO BOND PROCESS. 
          AND SO ONE THING THAT'S CHANGED WITH THIS PROCESS IS WHEN WE STARTED THE 2025 CO, IT WAS PRIMARILY JUST STATION TWO AND THEN YOU HAD FUNDING FOR THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER. 
          UM, THAT FUNDING HAS BEEN FOUND. 
          WE NO LONGER NEED TO GO OUT FOR THE DEBT FOR THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AND WE CAN COVER THAT. 
          UM, AND THEN WHAT WAS ADDED WAS THE DRAINAGE, UM, AT RUSSELL PARK. 
          AND SO WHAT WAS INTENDED TO BE A, I THINK 10 TO $14 MILLION CO FOR 2025 HAS TURNED INTO A 12 TO $17 MILLION CO AT THIS POINT. 
          SO THAT IS A CHANGE THAT IS DIFFERENT, UH, THAN WHAT 
          [00:10:01]
WAS PRESENTED TO Y'ALL. 
          AND I DON'T WANNA ACT LIKE THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M GONNA STOP RIGHT THERE BECAUSE THE NEXT QUESTION IS WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO? I NEED SOME DIRECTION ON HOW TO HANDLE THE CO, BUT I ALSO WANT TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE I ASK THAT QUESTION. 
          SO FOR THE, JUST GETTING THIS TIMELINE DOWN, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE FIRE STATION IN THIS, IN THIS CO WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. 
          THE SOONEST WE COULD START ON IT WOULD BE MAY OF NEXT YEAR IF IT WENT TO THE GO. 
          IF IT WENT TO THE GO AND PASSED MM-HMM . 
          UM, THE MONEY WOULD NOT BE HERE UNTIL AROUND MAY. 
          AND THERESA AND I HAD A MEETING YESTERDAY, THERESA, OR TWO DAYS AGO, I'M SORRY, I'M MY TIMELINES TWO DAYS AGO. 
          TWO DAYS AGO WITH THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR. 
          AND HE DID CONFIRM THAT, THAT IT WOULD BE, UH, AROUND MAY. 
          UM, NOW YOU ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPEDITE THAT. 
          I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFICS OF AROUND THAT. 
          IT DOESN'T, YOU ARE PLAYING WITH, UM, SOME THINGS THAT I PO I CAN'T DESCRIBE FULLY RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU COULD MAYBE GET THE MONEY IN FEBRUARY, SO YOU WOULD HAVE AN EIGHT MONTH DELAY, BUT IT'S STUFF THAT I CAN'T EXPLAIN. 
          IT IS OUT OF THE ORDINARY AND HE WOULD NOT SUGGEST DOING THAT. 
          AND HOW LONG WOULD, BEFORE CONSTRUCTION WOULD START SO YOU GET THE MONEY? IT WOULD, IT WOULD, SO OUR PROCESS THAT WOULD START WITH STATION TWO, IF THE CO WAS ISSUED NEXT, IF THE NOTICE OF INTENT STARTED NEXT MONTH, WE WOULD START THE PROCESS AROUND APRIL OR MAY WITH EVERYTHING ELSE WITH STATION TWO, YOU, THAT SAME PROCESS, IF WE WENT THROUGH THE GEO BOND, WOULD NOT START UNTIL MAY OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR, APRIL OR MAY OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR. 
          SO IT, THE SAME PROCESS THAT WOULD START FOR US IN, IN TWO MONTHS WOULD BE DELAYED ALMOST A YEAR AT THIS POINT. 
          OKAY. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? AND FRANK, IF Y'ALL, IF I'M MISSING ANYTHING ON THIS, THAT'S OKAY. 
          ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, LAURA? I WOULD JUST SAY WE WOULD NEED SOME CERTAINTY ON, ON WHEN WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE THE MONEY RIGHT. 
          TO BE ABLE TO PLAN IT. 
          COUNCILMAN LAURA? UM, OKAY, SO IF WE WENT THE CO ROUTE, WHEN WOULD THE MONEY BE AVAILABLE? UH, NOTICE OF INTENT WOULD BE NEXT MONTH AND THEN WE WOULD GO OUT FOR SALE IN APRIL AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE MONEY IN MAY, BUT WE WOULD START, IF Y'ALL GAVE THE NOTICE OF INTENT WITH, UH, IN MARCH, I'M SURE STAFF WOULD COME TO YOU WITH A ADVANCED FUNDING REQUEST TO START THE PROCESS IN APRIL. 
          MM-HMM . 
          OF GETTING WHATEVER THEY NEED US TO DO WITH THE BIDDING PROCESS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, THAT, THAT WOULD BE GOING IN APRIL, IN MAY. 
          OKAY. 
          JUST TO KEEP IT SIMPLE, I WOULD SAY MAY OR MAY, JUST TO KEEP IT VERY SIMPLE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, SO, YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHTS AND, AND I'VE VISITED STATION TWO SEVERAL TIMES. 
          I GO THERE ALL THE TIME AND I SEE THE STATE THAT IT'S IN AND MY FEAR, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PROJECTS. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          SO MY FEAR WITH JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PROJECTS ON A GO IS THAT IT WOULD BE TURNED DOWN. 
          NOW YOU WOULD THINK THAT OUR CITIZENS WOULD WANT TO SUPPORT PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT ALSO SUPPORT DRAINAGE AND WHATEVER THE, WHATEVER PROJECTS WE HAVE ON THERE. 
          BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY COULD JUST VOTE STATION TWO DOWN, UM, THAT COULD BE THERE. 
          THERE'S THAT CHANCE. 
          AND SHOULD THAT HAPPEN THEN WE'RE NOW AT A THREE YEAR DELAY? FIVE, FIVE YEAR? IT'S THREE RIGHT NOW, BUT THE STATE IS TRYING TO CHANGE IT TO FIVE. 
          YES MA'AM. 
          YEAH. 
          SO THREE TO FIVE YEAR DELAY BEFORE GETTING THEM A NEW STATION. 
          IS THAT UNLESS YOU WANTED TO CASH FUND IT? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          YOU COULD CASH FUND IT. 
          WHAT'S THE TOTAL OVERALL PROJECT? I BELIEVE IT'S AT 12 MILLION WITHOUT 10 TO 11 FOR CONSTRUCTION, A MILLION FOR LAND ACQUISITIONS. 
          11, 11 TOTAL PACKAGE. 
          SO THE 12 GIVES GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF A CUSHION, RIGHT? YEAH. 
          SO WE'VE ALREADY SPENT IN THE DESIGN PHASE, BUT THAT MONEY IS ASIDE FROM THE 12 MILLION, RIGHT? IS THE 12 MILLION JUST FOR THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE, BECAUSE HOW FAR IS THE DESIGN RIGHT NOW? IS THAT DONE? 90%? I'M SORRY. 
          SORRY. 
          90%. 
          90%. 
          SO WE STILL HAVE FUNDING TO COMPLETE THE DESIGN PHASE, RIGHT? SO THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THE 12. 
          OKAY. 
          I DON'T WANNA MISSPEAK. 
          SO I'M LOOKING AT 
          [00:15:01]
THEM. 
          HAS , HAVE WE COMPLETED THE ACQUISITIONS THAT WE NEEDED TO, I THINK THAT'S WHAT FRANK WAS LETTING ME KNOW THERE WAS THE GO AHEAD PROGRESS. 
          SO WE, WE DON'T HAVE ALL, WE DON'T HAVE THE ENTIRE PROPERTIES NEXT DOOR, BUT THEY ARE UNDERWAY AT THIS POINT. 
          I FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT IT'S NOT A, A HINDRANCE. 
          IS THAT INCLUDED IN THE 12 OR IS THAT STRICTLY CONSTRUCTION? YES, MA'AM. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL THE FUNDING WOULD BE AVAILABLE WITH THE 12TH. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THE TIMELINE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          IF, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO START BIDDING IN A MONTH OR TWO IF WE DON'T HAVE THE PROPERTY, IF NOT EVERYTHING IS IN PLACE, BUT IT WAS, BUT THAT'S OUR INTENT IS TO BID IT AS SOON AS THE DESIGN IS DONE AND THE PROPERTY IS ACQUIRED. 
          I UNDERSTAND. 
          BUT THAT COULD STILL BE BEFORE WE EVER ELECT THE GO RIGHT BEFORE THE GO GOES OUT IN NOVEMBER. 
          WOULD, IT WOULD BE THIS FRAME. 
          SO, OKAY. 
          COUNCILMAN GRIT. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, I THINK EVERYBODY HERE KIND OF KNOWS WHERE MY POSITION ON THE CO BOND IS BEFORE A GO BOND. 
          UH, SOMETHING I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING. 
          I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE FIRE STATION POSSIBLY ON THE GO BOND. 
          UM, I THINK THERE'S SOME, SOME ISSUES WITH FUNDING THAT I THINK WE COULD LOOK AT, UM, IN DURING THAT TIME TO, UM, THAT COULD POSSIBLY PROTECT THAT GL BOND FROM ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH. 
          AND I, I WANT TO EXPLORE THOSE OPTIONS AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I HAVE GOT A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE, THE FIRE STATION MYSELF. 
          IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S DATED. 
          UM, THEY KEEP IT CLEAN, BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY, REALLY DATED AND I KNOW IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. 
          UM, PUBLIC SAFETY AND OUR COURSE SERVICE OR ISSUE. 
          I JUST THINK THERE'S, UH, A, A PROBABLY A MORE, UM, RESPONSIBLE ROUTE TO GO FINANCIALLY WITH THAT. 
          SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE, SOME TIME ON THAT GL YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER GRAHAM. 
          SO IF WE CHOOSE TO NOT DO THE CO YES OR NO, IT WOULD, DEPENDING ON OUR COUNCIL, WE WOULD THEN PUT IT ON THE GEO AND THEN WE WOULD BE AT THE FATE OF WHETHER THAT PASSES OR NOT. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. 
          IS THERE ANY OTHER FUNDING AS OUR CITY MANAGER THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR TO FUND FIRE STATION TWO OUTSIDE OF THE GO BOND OR A CO UH, CASH? YOU CAN PULL IT OUT OF THE RESERVES IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT. 
          $12 MILLION? MM-HMM. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WOULD YOU RECOMMEND PULLING IT OUT OF THE CASH RESERVES? NOT AS CITY MANAGER, I WOULD NO, IT, IT WOULD GO AGAINST Y'ALL'S, UM, OTHER POLICY DECISION, WHICH IS A, A HEALTHY RESERVE BALANCE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IT WOULD COUNTERACT THAT POLICY. 
          SO IF I LOOK AT IT FROM A POLICY LEVEL, IT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE TO DO THAT. 
          UM, WITH ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES UP HERE, I, I AGREE WITH US BEING MORE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND, AND I'VE ACTUALLY LEARNED A LOT FROM EVERYONE UP HERE AND ALL THE FEEDBACK. 
          AND SO I DEFINITELY WANT TO CONTINUE, UM, ON THE PATH THAT WE'VE BEEN ON AS FAR AS GOING FOR THE GEO BOND. 
          BUT I WILL SAY BECAUSE WE AS A CONSOLIDATED GROUP HAVE OVER AND OVER AGAIN SAID THAT WE WERE GONNA GO FORWARD WITH THE CO THIS SPRING, MY POSITION'S NOT GONNA CHANGE. 
          UM, SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT, I KNOW YOU'RE ASKING FOR GUIDANCE, I'M GONNA SUPPORT CONTINUING FOR THE CO BOND FOR FIRE STATION TWO. 
          THE OTHER REASON IS BECAUSE I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY'VE BEEN TOLD FOR 11, THEY, MEANING FIRE STATION TWO HAS BEEN TOLD FOR 11 YEARS, AND IF I HAVE THE NUMBER WRONG, I'M JUST REPEATING SOMETHING. 
          BUT THEY'VE BEEN TOLD FOR 11 YEARS THAT THEY WERE GONNA GET A NEW FIRE STATION. 
          MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IS ONE, IF NOT THE OLDEST CITY BUILDING. 
          UM, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH HAS BEEN SAID FROM UP AT THE DIOCESE AND HOW RECENTLY ANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN OVER THERE, BUT THE BACK WALL IS NOW COLLAPSING MM-HMM . 
          AND I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THE, UM, THAT THE EQUIPMENT DOESN'T FIT IN IT AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. 
          BUT, UM, I, I JUST CAN'T SUPPORT GAMBLING WITH SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED THAT WE WERE GONNA GO OUT FOR THE CO. 
          AND I AGREE WITH YOU. 
          I, I, COUNCIL MEMBER GRIFFIN, I AGREE THAT IT, IT LOOKS REALLY STRANGE TO THE PUBLIC TO GO OUT FOR A CO AND THEN FOLLOW THAT WITH THE GEO. 
          UM, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S GONNA BE OUR DUTY AND OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE AS COUNCIL PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT THAT TO THE PUBLIC AND WHY THAT'S BEING DONE. 
          AND THO THOSE CITIZENS THAT ARE INVESTED IN ALL OF THIS, HOPEFULLY THEY'RE WATCHING THESE MEETINGS THAT ARE LISTENING TO ALL THE FEEDBACK AND THEY KNOW THE WHYS. 
          UM, IF THERE IS SOME OTHER FUNDING BESIDES CASH, UM, THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE AVAILABLE, THEN I'D BE ALL FOR IT. 
          BUT YOU'RE 
          [00:20:01]
TELLING ME THAT YOU DON'T THINK THERE IS, SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE CO ANYONE ELSE? COUNCILMAN FRANCO? YEAH, SO YOU'RE TRYING TO PULL IT OUTTA THE RESERVES, LIKE YOU TALKED ABOUT. 
          WE, WE'VE BEEN GOING OVER THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN. 
          UM, AS WE'RE GOING DOING THE NO NEW, NO NEW REVENUE RATE, A LOT OF THE SYSTEM ASSISTANT DON'T UNDERSTAND OR HAVEN'T SEEN THAT. 
          BUT WHAT WE'RE COVERING THE ISSUE IS AS WE'RE ONLY INCREASING OUR BUDGET 3.5%, BUT INFLATION IS SIX TO 7%, WE'RE LOSING 3% ON COST. 
          SO OUR CASH RESERVE IS VERY HARD TO GET TO. 
          UM, SO THIS IS, THIS IS AN INSTANCE. 
          WE HAVE TO NOW, I'M, I'M ONE OF TWO COUNCILMEN WHO, WHO VOTED AGAINST THE CO BOND LAST YEAR AND HAVE BEEN A BIG PROPONENT OF GEO BONDS. 
          SO, UH, I UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THE FIRE STATION HERE. 
          AND SOMETIMES THE NEEDS IS WHAT, WHAT THESE ARE FOR. 
          THESE ARE NOT FOR WANTS, THESE ARE NEEDS WHEN WE HAVE TO DO A CO WANTS ARE NOT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE. 
          THESE ARE NEEDS. 
          UM, AND, AND OUR JOB IS TO SERVE OUR EXTERNAL CUSTOMER AND OUR INTERNAL CUSTOMER, OUR EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS, OUR CONSTITUENTS AND OUR INTERNAL CUSTOMER IS, ARE CITIZENS, IS THE, IS THE CITY STAFF, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND OUR INTERNAL CUSTOMER IS IN NEED OF SOME SUPPORT, BUT THAT ALSO HELPS OUR EXTERNAL CUSTOMER. 
          SO IT IS, IT IS A TOUGH DECISION, BUT YOU DON'T, WE DON'T, THE WAY WE'RE GOING AND THE WAY WE'RE CUTTING OUR BUDGET, IT IS GETTING TIGHTER AND TIGHTER. 
          AND WE, UNTIL WE GET SOME RELIEF FROM THE STATE LEVEL, WE, THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO THIS AND CONTINUE TO TIGHTEN THE BELT, WHICH IS NOT LEAVING US A LOT OF OPTIONS. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHAT I, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS WHAT THE ISSUE IS, IS AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH POINT A HALF PERCENT ONLY, BUT INFLATION 7%, WE CANNOT CATCH UP. 
          SO TO CATCH UP WE HAVE TO CUT. 
          SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. 
          THIS IS WHERE WE CAN HELP EACH HELP US, HELP OUR, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT OUT AND GET A WANT. 
          NOT A NEED. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          A NEED NOT A WANT. 
          I APOLOGIZE. 
          I'VE BEEN UNDER THE WEATHER FOR A Y FOR A WEEK AND I JUST HAD SOME MEDICATION EARLIER. 
          SO I'M HERE, BUT I'M NOT HERE. 
          . 
          OKAY. 
          SHOULD YOU BE MAKING DECISIONS IF YOU'RE YES, I SHOULD. 
          , I'M, I CAN MAKE DECISIONS LIKE THAT. 
          YOU NEED SOME MORE COUGH SYRUP. 
          UM, FOR ME, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT, UH, BE ON THE GO. 
          YOU KNOW, I'VE, UH, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, I I'VE, I'VE BEEN OPPOSED TO ALL COS AND I, I'VE, I'VE CONTINUALLY PUSHED US TO MOVE TOWARDS THE GO. 
          UM, JUST FROM PHIL PHILOSOPHICAL LEVEL, JUST, UM, GOING FORWARD, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT FIVE YEAR PLAN THAT WE CAN EXECUTE, YOU KNOW, UNTIL THE NEXT GO. 
          AND SO I'LL, I'LL, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA STICK TO THAT, UM, AS A GOAL AND UH, I THINK WE'RE VERY CLOSE. 
          WE'RE GETTING THERE. 
          UM, SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. 
          I GUESS I'LL, I'LL FINISH OFF. 
          UM, I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUE'S POSITION AND HE HAS BEEN CONSISTENT WITH, UH, THIS ISSUE ON COS UM, THIS, THIS IS ONE THAT EVEN YOU AND I SPOKE AND I GOT SOME TIMELINE ISSUES AS FAR AS AS IT WAS BROUGHT OUT EARLIER THAT IF WE DELAYED IT TO THE GEO AND IT PASSED IT, IT'S GONNA CAUSE A 12 POSSIBLY LONGER DELAY, UH, 12 MONTH DELAY. 
          THAT'S WITH THE CONDITION OF STATION TWO, THE AGE OF STATION TWO. 
          SO ON THIS ON, THAT'S JUST UNREASONABLE TO ME. 
          SO I'M, I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE CO UM, THE FIRE STATION BEING ON THE CO WE DIDN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT THE $5 MILLION IN DRAINAGE YET AND WE, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET TO THAT, BUT I I THINK IT'S A LONG TIME COMING. 
          UH, AS FAR AS THEM BEING TOLD FOR 11 YEARS THEY'RE GONNA GET A NEW STATION. 
          UH, I'LL BRING SOME HISTORY. 
          WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE CITY IN 99, THE BUILDING, I MOVED INTO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THERE, I WAS TOLD DON'T UNPACK YOUR BOXES 'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE MOVING TO A NEW FACILITY. 
          UM, 17, 18 YEARS LATER THEY SAID, WELL GO AHEAD AND PLANT SOME FRUIT TREES 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE . 
          SO I UNDERSTAND AGED BUILDINGS AND, AND, UM, SOME OF THE DEMANDS, THE CITY HAS DEMANDS ACROSS THE BOARD. 
          SOMETIMES FACILITIES JUST AREN'T THE TOP OF THE, THE LIST. 
          THIS IS ONE THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR A WHILE. 
          WE WERE GOING FORWARD WITH THE CO UM, I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. 
          LET'S GET THIS THING DONE. 
          I UNDERSTAND THERE'RE GONNA BE, RIGHT NOW IT'S A TWO BAY, BARELY A TWO BAY MM-HMM . 
          THE SLEEPING QUARTER AREAS HAVE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES AND, AND THEY'RE GONNA, UM, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BRING A TAJ MAHAL TO THE CITY, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A VERY WELL DESIGNED, EFFICIENT FIRE STATION FOR, FOR THAT AREA. 
          UM, AND I'M GONNA SUPPORT THAT. 
          SO, UM, YEAH, I I KNOW IT'S A, IT'S A TOUGH DECISION. 
          YOU KNOW, YOUR COMMENT IS, YOU KNOW, OR THE CITIZENS WE'RE GOING OUT FOR CO AND THEN WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO YOU FOR A GEO. 
          THIS IS FOR ABOUT 12 MILLION. 
          THE GEO'S GONNA BE FOR HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS. 
          IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DISCUSSION AND SCENARIO. 
          UM, WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD THE CITIZENS LOUD AND CLEAR THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE SOME INPUT 
          [00:25:01]
ON THOSE VERY LARGE PROJECTS. 
          WE'RE GONNA GIVE 'EM THE OPPORTUNITY. 
          HOPEFULLY THEY'LL TAKE THAT TO HEART AND NOT JUST SAY, WE DON'T WANT NEW TAXES AND WE'RE GONNA VOTE NO. 
          'CAUSE JUST BECAUSE THEY VOTE FOR THE BOND DOESN'T MEAN TAXES WILL GO UP. 
          JUST THEY'RE GIVING US PERMISSION TO RAISE THE TAXES IF IT'S NECESSARY. 
          SO, BUT, UH, AS FAR AS THIS, THE CO WITH THE 12 MAIN FOR THE FIRE STATION, I'M GONNA SUPPORT THAT. 
          AFTER LOOKING AT THE FIRE STATION TODAY, I WALKED ACROSS THE STREET, UM, I SAW IT TWO YEARS AGO, BUT I TOLD THE FIREFIGHTERS I DID NOT WANT TO GIVE COMMENT. 
          NOT SEEING IT RECENTLY. 
          AND, UM, YOU'RE CORRECT, THAT BACK WALL IS SEPARATING BETWEEN THE HOT AND COLD, COLD AREAS AND THE HUMIDITY THEY'RE DEALING WITH WITH OTHER ISSUES ALSO. 
          AND THE THING THAT WAS REALLY CONCERNING TO ME IS THAT WE HAVE FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS HERE NOW, AND WE DON'T HAVE DEDICATED RESTROOM FOR FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS. 
          WE, WE OWE IT TO OUR FIRE AND SAFETY TO GIVE THEM THE MOST EXCELLENT FACILITIES BECAUSE THEY GIVE US THE MOST EXCELLENT SERVICE WHENEVER THEY RESPOND IN TIMES THAT ARE, ARE VERY BAD FOR US AND FOR THEM. 
          THAT BEING SAID, UM, I THINK THAT THE CO I WOULD AGREE WITH THE CO FOR THE, FOR THE FIRE STATION AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE DRAINAGE, BUT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE THEM SITTING THERE ANOTHER YEAR TO 18 MONTHS IN THOSE TYPE OF CONDITIONS. 
          IT'S NOT EVEN ENOUGH ROOM TO HOUSE THE HIGH WATER RESCUE VEHICLE AND YOU DON'T WANT THOSE TYPE OF VEHICLES OUT IN, IN, IN, IN THE WEATHER AT ALL. 
          BECAUSE WHEN WE NEED THEM TO WORK A, AFTER WHAT HAPPENED WITH HARVEY, WE NEED THEM TO WORK THE BOAT. 
          IT IS BARELY ENOUGH ROOM FOR A, A SMALLER FIRE ENGINE AND, AND, UM, AN AMBULANCE. 
          SO I WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF THE, UM, OF THE FIRE STATION. 
          SO WHAT INFORMATION CAN YOU GIVE US ON THE DRAINAGE? UH, THE DRAINAGE IS A, UM, A LARGE SCALE PROJECT IN RUSSELL PARK. 
          UM, WE CAN GO OVER THAT SPECIFICALLY AT THE NOTICE OF INTENT HEARING IF Y'ALL JUST AUTOMATICALLY FEEL LIKE WE DON'T NEED TO ADDRESS DRAINAGE. 
          YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO FOCUS ON STATION TWO. 
          WE CAN JUST FOCUS ON STATION TWO AND MOVE PAST, BUT THIS NO, WHAT I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED THE FACTS ON IT, SO, OKAY. 
          YOU KNOW. 
          RIGHT. 
          WELL I CAN BRING IT BACK. 
          I WAS NOT INTENDING TO LIKE GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THING. 
          THE, THE PRIMARY FOCUS WAS STATION TWO, BUT, UH, THE DRAINAGE IS A, UH, EXPANSION OF RUSSELL PARK IN AN EFFORT TO PARTNER WITH, UH, HARRIS COUNTY, THEY WOULD TAKE OVER THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PARK REDUCING A LONG-TERM LIABILITY FOR THE CITY AT THIS POINT, UH, WITH A COLLABORATION OF MOVING AS A, AS A JOINT PARK AT THIS POINT AND, AND THEM BUILDING OUT THE REST OF THE FACILITY THAT'S THERE. 
          AND SO THAT'S THE, THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF WHAT THAT DRAINAGE IS. 
          YES, SIR. 
          IS IS THERE A TIME CONSTRAINT IF WE WAIT A FEW MONTHS OR EIGHT MONTHS, ARE WE GOING TO, IS THIS TRAIN GONNA SELL WITHOUT US OR TRAIN IS NOT GONNA SELL? I WOULD SAY IF WE CAN MAKE A DECISION WITHIN A YEAR. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S, IF MAKE A DECISION WITHIN A YEAR, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE ADDED TO THE DRAINAGE AS FAR AS THE GEO VERSUS PUSHING IT ON THE CO. 
          SO THAT WAS MY CONCERN, IS IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD QUICKLY OR IT'S GONNA SAIL AWAY MM-HMM . 
          OR IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GET, I THINK IT'S A VIABLE PROJECT. 
          IT IS JUST, I'M JUST NOT COMFORTABLE WITH PUTTING IT ON THE CO UNDERSTOOD. 
          UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M THE COMBINATION OF A JOINT VENTURE WITH HARRIS COUNTY ON THAT PARK IS A GREAT IDEA. 
          MM-HMM . 
          JUST RIGHT NOW THAT THIS DOESN'T FIT WITH WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. 
          UM, IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY, BUT SOMETIMES YOU JUST, YOU HAVE TO STALL OFF THAT OPPORTUNITY. 
          FULLY UNDERSTAND. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, YOU ASKED TODAY FOR FEEDBACK AND, AND WHAT DIRECTION TO GO. 
          AND I, AND I AM GONNA AGREE AS FAR AS THE, IT WAS 5 MILLION FOR THE DRAINAGE MM-HMM . 
          I'M, I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT THAT RIGHT NOW AT THIS TIME. 
          MY MAIN REASON IS JUST BECAUSE TO KEEP WITH, I LIKE THE WORD EARLIER, THE PHIL PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED AS A, AS A GROUP. 
          UM, BUT ALSO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT PARK, UM, YOU'RE RIGHT, LONG-TERM I THINK YOU USE LONG-TERM LIABILITY. 
          UM, BUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT IS RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THAT PARK IS NOT DEVELOPED AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE COLLABORATION WITH, WITH HARRIS COUNTY, BUT AT THE END, END OF THE DAY, FOR ME, THAT'S NOT EVEN A HAVE TO FOR ME, EVEN IN THREE TO FIVE YEARS, IF GOD FORBID THE BOND DIDN'T PASS BECAUSE IT'S NOT IMPACTING CITIZENS DIRECTLY OR THE INTERNAL OR THE EXTERNAL AS FRANCO SAID. 
          AND SO I, I WOULDN'T BE SUPPORTING THAT RIGHT NOW ON THE CO. 
          OKAY. 
          [00:30:01]
SO ANYONE ELSE? GOOD DEAL. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. 
          ALRIGHT, MOVING ON. 
          UH, LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT $12 MILLION. 
          LET'S TALK ABOUT $512 MILLION. 
          HOW ABOUT THAT? IS THAT EASIER? MM-HMM . 
          ALL RIGHT, MAYOR COUNSEL, UH, THANK YOU. 
          UM, AT, AT THE RETREAT Y'ALL GAVE, UH, STAFF SOME GENERAL GUIDELINES OF WHAT YOU FEEL THE CO SHOULD OR THE GO SHOULD FOCUS AROUND AND THEY WERE HELPFUL. 
          UH, TODAY I WANNA TALK TO YOU, UH, ABOUT A FEW MORE, UH, FOCAL POINTS AROUND THE GEO BOND PROCESS. 
          UH, THAT'S GONNA BE THE PROJECT CATEGORIES, TAX RATE AND REVENUE IMPACTS, FUTURE DEBT AND THIS GEO'S DEBT AMOUNT. 
          AND, UM, WE WILL NEED TO PRIORITIZE A FEW THINGS, UH, BY NEXT MONTH SO THAT THE BOND COMMITTEE HAS, UH, THE LEFT AND RIGHT BOUNDARIES TO WORK WITHIN. 
          UM, AND THOSE CAN BE JUST THE, THEY'RE OPEN BOUNDARIES. 
          SO DON'T FEEL, DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BEING PINCHED INTO ANY, UH, SCENARIO AT THIS POINT IN TIME. 
          WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY MORE DECISIONS, UH, OUT TODAY. 
          THIS IS ALL JUST INFORMATIONAL AT THIS POINT AND OPEN DISCUSSION. 
          SO WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW IS, UM, ALL THE PROJECTS, PROJECTS AGGREGATED INTO FOUR SEPARATE CATEGORIES. 
          UM, IN TOTAL IT'S 512 MILLION AND, UH, ONCE YOU TAKE OUT THE GRANT FUNDING IT, IT BREAKS THAT DOWN TO 343 MILLION. 
          OKAY? UH, WHEN WE ORIGINALLY STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS, I BELIEVE IS AT 293 MILLION. 
          AND, UH, THERE WERE ADDITIONAL, UH, PARK PIECES THAT, THAT COINCIDED WITH THE MASTER PLAN PUT IN INTO THIS, UM, WHICH IS WHY THAT WAS BUMPED UP TO 70 MILLION FOR THE PARKS, WHICH WAS NOT ON THE ORIGINAL DISCUSSION. 
          AND, UM, UH, IN TOTAL THOUGH, UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE MOBILITY CATEGORY DOMINATES THIS ENTIRE, UH, BOND, REALLY. 
          AND AS I SAID AT THE VERY BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, WE ROUGHLY NEED $30 MILLION A YEAR JUST TO MAINTAIN OUR STREETS AT A CERTAIN, UM, A PCI LEVEL OR A PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX. 
          DID I GET THAT RIGHT, FRANK? YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT, LOOK AT THAT. 
          UH, OUR PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX OF AROUND 72. 
          AND, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE TRY TO KEEP AT AN AVERAGE, UH, AROUND THE ENTIRE CITY. 
          AND SO THIS IS JUST THE KICKOFF, UH, TO WHAT THAT IS. 
          AND THIS IS ONLY JUST A VERY SHORT SEGMENT OF THE 700 PLUS MILES OF ROADS THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF, UH, DAY IN AND DAY OUT. 
          AND SO, UH, I LOST MY SPOT HERE. 
          UM, NOW IT DOESN'T MATTER. 
          I GOT IT. 
          SO FOR Y'ALL, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS, UH, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND, UH, THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT WE WANT TO DO FOR THE CATEGORIES AS WE LAY THEM OUT FOR THE, UH, BOND COMMITTEE. 
          DO YOU WANT THEM TO FOCUS JUST ON MOBILITY? DO YOU WANT THEM TO FOCUS ON DRAINAGE? DO YOU WANT THEM TO FOCUS ON FACILITIES IN THE PARKS? RIGHT? THEY ALL ARE WARRANTED. 
          THESE ARE THINGS THAT EVERY PROJECT IN HERE ALIGNS WITH JUST A COMMON MAINTENANCE PIECE THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN ALONG WITH THE MASTER PLANS THAT YOU, THAT YOU AND EARLIER COUNCILS HAVE ADOPTED, UH, TO COMPLETE A VISION. 
          NOW, WILL THEY PHILOSOPHICALLY ALIGN WITH WHAT YOUR, WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE RIGHT NOW? I DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW, BUT SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT, UH, AS YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS, AS YOU SELECT THE PEOPLE TO SERVE ON THE BOND COMMITTEE IS LIKE, WHERE DO WE WANNA FOCUS THIS RIGHT NOW? DO WE WANT TO TAKE THE FULL BITE OF THE APPLE AT, YOU KNOW, 343 MILLION AND TRY TO DO WHAT WE CAN DO? WE WANNA PARE THAT DOWN. 
          WHERE ARE THE PRIORITIES FOR YOU? HOW ARE Y'ALL FEELING WHEN YOU SEE THIS? 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, ONLY THE CIP COMMITTEE HAS, HAS REALLY LOOKED OVER THESE PROJECTS. 
          THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE FULL COUNCIL HAS HAD A CHANCE TO SIT HERE AND LIKE SEE WHAT EVERYTHING IS. 
          AND I WANTED TO GIVE Y'ALL A MINUTE TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THAT. 
          AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE FOCUS IS HERE. 
          SO THAT MR. LESTER, YOU AS THE CHAIR, IF YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING ON WHAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT, UH, I THINK THIS WOULD BE LIKE THE APPROPRIATE TIME. 
          AND I KNOW I'M PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT THIS IS JUST KIND OF OPEN DIALOGUE HERE. 
          YOU KNOW, THAT'S KINDA LEADS INTO SOME DISCUSSIONS WE'LL BE HAVING LATER TODAY. 
          BUT THE CIP COMMITTEE HAS WORKED PRETTY HARD AT, AT, AND IT WAS MIND BOGGLING FOR FRANK TO, TO COME IN AND BASICALLY BRING US UP TO SPEED ON OVER $500 MILLION WORTH OF POTENTIAL PROJECTS. 
          I MEAN, THAT'S JUST A STAGGERING AMOUNT OF PROJECTS AND STAGGERING INFORMATION. 
          IT TOOK US QUITE A WHILE TO, TO COMPREHEND WHAT ALL THAT MEANT. 
          AND WE'VE BEEN PUSHING BACK ON THE LAST TWO OR THREE MEETINGS WE'VE PUSHED BACK WITH STAFF THAT 
          [00:35:01]
WE, WE REALLY WANT TO START SEEING THE NEEDS. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF WANTS IN IN THAT AS WELL. 
          AND, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT TO MAINTAIN AT A PCI OF 72 AND WE, FRANK HAS EDUCATED US TO UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT HIS CLIENT, YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE TO SETTLE ON SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN THAT OR TARGET THE PRIORITY PROJECTS. 
          UM, AND, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT TRYING TO PAIR THE 500 MILLION DOWN CONSIDERABLY FROM THE CIP SIDE WITH SOME DIRECTION FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE SIDE THAT REALLY THIS IS HOW MUCH WE CAN AFFORD. 
          AND THEN WITH THAT COME UP WITH A, A REASONABLE, AGAIN, YOU SAY REASONABLE, BUT YOU'RE STILL TALKING TWO TO $250 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS. 
          AND THEN TAKE THAT TO THE BOND COMMITTEE AND SAY, OKAY, HERE'S $250 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS. 
          Y'ALL TRIM IT DOWN TO 150 MILLION. 
          YOU KNOW, AGAIN. 
          SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'VE HAD THE DISCUSSIONS AND UM, UM, WE'RE STILL HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS. 
          SO, BUT IT'S, IT'S AMAZING WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THESE 'CAUSE YOU THINK, WOW, $311 MILLION FOR TOTAL PROJECT COST FROM MOBILITY. 
          THERE'S JUST NO WAY. 
          AND THEN YOU START LOOKING AT THE ACTUAL PROJECTS AND IT'S KIND OF, IT ADDS UP QUICK, RIGHT? IT ADDS UP QUICK. 
          UM, SO YEAH, IT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO, RIGHT? AND NO, I THANK YOU THIS THAT'S PERFECT. 
          UH, BECAUSE THAT, I THINK WHEN THE CIP COMMITTEE REALLY STARTED THIS PROCESS, THEY WERE LIKE, HEY, LET'S FOCUS ONLY ON MOBILITY AND DRAINAGE, RIGHT? LIKE, THAT WAS LIKE THE, THE GENERAL DIRECTION THAT WAS GIVEN TO US. 
          AND THEN IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, THERE ACTUALLY IS A LOT GOING ON TO THIS, INTO THE CITY. 
          MAYBE THE BOND COMMITTEE ACTUALLY NEEDS TO LOOK AT ALL FOUR CATEGORIES, RIGHT? AND THEY CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL. 
          SO LIKE, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT Y'ALL WILL HAVE TO GIVE, UH, US DIRECTION ON WHEN WE TAKE THIS TO THE STAFF OR TO THE POND COMMITTEE BECAUSE IT IS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE ARE NEEDS, SOME OF THEM ARE WANTS, RIGHT? AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PROJECTS IN THE FACILITIES IS ANOTHER FIRE STATION, RIGHT? AND SO IF WE'RE GOING TO IGNORE FACILITIES AND PARKS, AND WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, AND WE'RE ONLY GONNA FOCUS ON MOBILITY DRAINAGE, DON'T FORGET THESE NUMBERS ARE STILL GONNA COME BACK IN IN A FUTURE DEBT ISSUANCE, RIGHT? MM-HMM . 
          THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT JUST A ONE TIME AND WE'RE, WE'RE DONE. 
          UM, AND SO IT'S, IT IS GONNA BE A, A, A TOUGH TASK AND WE JUST AS A GROUP NEED TO COLLECT COLLECTIVELY, UM, GIVE DIRECTION ON, IS IT ALL FOUR CONSIDERATIONS? JUST TWO OR, OR JUST MOBILITY, WHO KNOWS? JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT GOING OUT FOR THE BOND OR THE GEO BOND IS A NEW STEP FOR BAYTOWN, A NEW RECENT STEP FOR BAYTOWN. 
          AND, UH, WE KNOW THAT THEIR RISK WITH THAT, THAT'S THE POINT OF LIKE THROWING THIS ONE UP HERE. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          JUST WAITING FOR IT TO TURN GREEN. 
          ARE OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? NO, NO. 
          AND, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S THE WORK Y'ALL PUT INTO THIS, FRANK AND, AND, AND, AND THE REST OF THE STAFF. 
          I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HAVE PUSHED FORWARD TO GO TO THE GEO BONDS. 
          I'M PROUD, I'M HAPPY ABOUT THAT. 
          THAT IT'S, WHAT WE WANNA SEE IS THE OPEN AND TRANSPARENCY WITH THE CITIZENS, UM, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CITY IS, IS, IS AGING, INFRASTRUCTURE IS AGING, IT IS NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER, AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THEY'RE FALLING APART. 
          I WISH WE WERE A BRAND NEW CITY LIKE WE WERE TO THE EAST, WHICH ALL HAS 10-YEAR-OLD PIPES, RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM. 
          THEY DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE 10-YEAR-OLD ROADS. 
          WE HAVE 50, 60-YEAR-OLD ROADS AND 70-YEAR-OLD PIPES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIX. 
          UM, THE OTHER THING IS TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT, THAT IN MY, MY PROFESSION RIGHT NOW, THE BUSINESS I'M IN, STEEL JUST WENT UP 10%. 
          SO THOSE COSTS ARE GONNA GO INTO THIS, THESE ARE GONNA INCREASE MORE. 
          SO WE MIGHT NOT WANNA DO, YOU MIGHT NOT PASS 'EM NOW, BUT IN FIVE YEARS THEY'RE GONNA BE A LOT MORE AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA BE NEEDS A HUNDRED PERCENT NEEDS BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE FALLEN INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS REALLY GONNA BE CATASTROPHIC TO THE CITY AND DETRIMENTAL TO ATTRACTING MORE PEOPLE HERE TO THE CITY AND BUSINESSES TO THE CITY SO THAT WE CAN GROW. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          I THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS SLIDE UP THERE. 
          AND I LIKE THE FACT THAT, UM, ALL FOUR CATEGORIES ARE THERE. 
          UM, I STRUGGLED WITH DECIDING WHAT WAS A NEED AND WHAT WAS A WANT. 
          UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT CAN BE SUBJECTIVE TO, TO WHO'S LOOKING AT IT. 
          UM, THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT UP HERE IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A FEW PEOPLE THAT HAVE DUBBED ME THE PARKS GIRL. 
          AND SO I, I WAS LOOKING AT PARKS AND I, I, I IMMEDIATELY WAS LIKE, HMM, IS THIS SOMETHING I'M WANTING OR SOMETHING WE NEED? RIGHT? AND I JUST, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH SOME OF YOU UP HERE AND I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, I WANNA FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, THAT, THAT'S DEFINITELY NUMBER ONE. 
          IT'S IMPORTANT, WE NEED THAT. 
          BUT I'VE ALSO HAD CONVERSATIONS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BROUGHT 
          [00:40:01]
UP TO ME AND IT'S JUST BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE THAT, YOU KNOW, A NEED CAN ALSO BE SOMETHING THAT YOU MAY HAVE THINK THAT'S A WANT, BUT IT'S A NEED. 
          SO FOR EXAMPLE, MOST CITIES OFFER INFRASTRUCTURE AND DRAINAGE, BUT WHAT SETS BAYTOWN APART? WHAT MAKES SOMEONE WANT TO MOVE HERE VERSUS SOMEWHERE ELSE? UM, BY NO MEANS DO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO, TO DRIVE THE BOND PROCESS, BUT JUST WANNA FINISH THIS WITH SAYING, I'M GLAD THAT YOU OPTED TO PUT ALL FOUR TOPICS IN THERE BECAUSE OUR DEPARTMENTS, WHAT I REALLY HOPE TO GET IS WHEN THE BOND COMMITTEES TOGETHER, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THESE CITIZENS COME BACK AND SHOW US WHAT THEY SAY AND WHAT THEIR INPUT IS. 
          UM, YES, WE ALL HAVE CONVERSATIONS OUT ON THE STREET OR IN EMAILS OR WHATEVER AND, AND WE THINK THAT WE'RE UP HERE REPRESENTING AND DOING WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS. 
          SO I'M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO THE BOND COMMITTEE, UM, GIVING ME A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE ENTIRE CITIZENRY THINKS OF AS A NEED AND NOT A WANT. 
          SO I DO APPRECIATE ALL THE CATEGORIES. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          YEAH. 
          I JUST WANT TO KIND OF PIGGYBACK ON WHAT BOTH MY COLLEAGUES SAID, UM, AND KIND OF JUST REITERATE, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE NEEDS ARE NOT ONCE AS ISN'T NECESSARILY THE GOOD GOOD TURNS PROBABLY PRIORITIES WOULD BE A BETTER TERM AT THIS POINT. 
          THIS, THIS POINT IN JUNCTURE IN OUR CITY, WE, WE HAVE A FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. 
          UM, IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, I KIND OF LOOK AT THE FINANCIALS AND WE'VE, WE'VE WENT OUT ON DEBT BEFORE FOR THINGS LIKE PARKS AND, AND WE'VE HAVE DONE, MADE MAJOR ENHANCEMENTS TO OUR PARKS AND THAT HAS BEEN A PRIORITY IN PAST YEARS. 
          AND I THINK IT'S, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I THINK THE PRIORITY TO START SHIFTING TOWARDS THOSE PARTICULAR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M JUST KIND OF KEEP STICKING BY, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M, UH, MY POSITION IS THAT THIS BOND SHOULD BE STRICTLY, UH, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITIZED BOND. 
          UM, SO THAT, THAT'S BASICALLY KIND OF WHAT I WANT TO ADD TO IT. 
          AND TO, TO MY COLLEAGUE'S POINT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE ESTIMATING THIS, BUT INFLATION, YOU KNOW, THE PRICE OF AND STUFF, PRICE OF RENT, RAW MATERIALS IS GONNA GO UP BY THE TIME THAT BOND PASSES, RIGHT? YOU GOTTA CONSIDER THAT AS WELL. 
          MM-HMM. 
          SO, UM, DEFINITELY WANT TO KEEP THE FOCUS ON THE PRIORITY OF AN OUTDATED WATER AND, UH, UH, ROADS INFRASTRUCTURE ON THIS BOND WHEN LOOKING AT ESTIMATED GRANT FUNDS. 
          COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THAT OR WHEN YOU SAY ESTIMATED GRANT FUNDS ARE THESE POTENTIAL GRANTS OR GRANTS THAT WE'VE GONE OUT FOR THAT WE'RE WAITING FOR MONEY TO COME IN ON? IF I COULD SING MAYOR, I WOULD BE BON JOVI RIGHT NOW. 
          'CAUSE I'D BE LIKE LIVING ON A PRAYER, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I WOULD BE SINGING. 
          UH, BUT THE, THE IDEA ISN'T THAT BON JOVI? YES, IT IS. 
          UM, THE, UH, YOUR AGE. 
          THAT'S OKAY. 
          I'M WITH THERE. 
          I'M WITH YOU THERE TOO, SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. 
          THE, UH, IT'S FRANK AND HIS TEAM AND, AND, AND, AND TEAM MEMBERS IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT ARE VERY GOOD ABOUT GETTING GRANTS. 
          UH, I WILL LET FRANK EXPAND ON THIS, BUT I FEEL THIS IS WHERE THEY FELT COMFORTABLE THAT THEY COULD, UH, GO AFTER A GOOD PORTION OF THESE GRANTS TO AT LEAST OFFSET SOME OF THESE COSTS. 
          IS THAT FAIR TO SAY? RIGHT. 
          UM, SO IT, IT IS, UH, NONE OF THESE GRANTS ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, ALREADY ACQUIRED. 
          UH, THESE ARE ALL THAT WE WOULD APPLY FOR AND WE'RE TRYING TO START APPLYING FOR SOME NOW. 
          BUT, UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO APPLY FOR THESE GRANTS AND GET AWARDED. 
          UH, WE THINK WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, UM, GOOD, GOOD PROSPECTS FOR GETTING LIKE THE NEXT PHASES OF GARTH ROAD. 
          'CAUSE WE'VE ALREADY BEEN AWARDED, YOU KNOW, THE 40000001ST TWO PHASES AND WE'VE DONE WORK ON THAT. 
          SO, UM, THERE, THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT WE FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN GET THE GRANT, BUT NONE OF THE, AS YOU KNOW, THE RULES MIGHT CHANGE, YOU KNOW MM-HMM . 
          IN THE NEXT YEAR. 
          SO, BUT, UM, NONE OF THESE ARE A SURE THING YET. 
          UH, WE DID MAKE CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE GRANT, SO WE ASSUMED THAT FOR LIKE THE MOBILITY, IT WOULD BE A FEDERAL FUND WHERE IT WOULD, WOULD BE LIKE A 80 20, UH, SPLIT. 
          AND SO THE ESTIMATED BOND AMOUNT WOULD REFLECT WHAT THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO PAY, LIKE THE 20% LOCAL MATCH PLUS WHATEVER OTHER COSTS WE HAVE TO PAY LIKE RIGHT AWAY, YOU KNOW, UH, DESIGN COSTS, UH, TESTING, THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO THAT, THAT'S HOW WE DETERMINED IT. 
          AND, AND IT WAS OUR POSITION THAT IF WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE DON'T, UH, RECEIVE A GRANT, THEN WE 
          [00:45:01]
CANNOT COMPLETE THE PROJECT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE FUNDING WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE. 
          SO WHEN WE'RE GOING BACK TO YOUR, YOUR LAST STATEMENTS, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE PROJECTS ON, OR WE'RE NOT GONNA BE CONSIDERING GRANTS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BOND. 
          WE ARE NOT, YEAH. 
          WE WOULD ONLY GO FOR WHAT, WHAT WE WOULD GO UP. 
          UM, WE WOULD GO FOR THE 1 98. 
          RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THAT 1 98 WOULD BE THE BOND WOULD BE THE MATCH AMOUNT IF WE WERE TO RECEIVE THE GRANT. 
          OKAY. 
          IF WE WERE, DID NOT GET THE GRANT. 
          I THINK WHAT FRANK WAS SAYING IS WE WOULDN'T DO THAT PROJECT IF WE DIDN'T GET THE GRANT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND HOW THE BOND IS SET UP. 
          YOU COULD STILL USE IT ON THE OTHER STREETS LISTED IN YOUR BOND PROJECT. 
          THAT'S WHAT I WANTED THE CITIZENS TO HEAR. 
          WE WOULDN'T ISSUE. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO, UM, TALKING ABOUT THE GRANTS, AGAIN, I, I WOULD ASSUME FOR MOBILITY MOST OF THESE GRANTS ARE COMING FROM TRANSPORTATION POLICY COUNCIL, THAT THAT WOULD BE THE PRIMARY SOURCE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND HOW SOON BEFORE YOU THINK WE WOULD START APPLYING FOR SOME OF THESE GRANTS? SO WE'VE ALREADY BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UH, GARTH ROAD SEGMENT, UH, CDE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, ARCHER TO BAKER MM-HMM . 
          UM, WE ARE ABOUT 60% DESIGN ON THAT. 
          WE'VE DONE ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH HJC REGULARLY ABOUT THAT PROJECT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE LET 'EM KNOW THAT, HEY, WE'RE, WE'RE READY. 
          WE NEED TO GET PUT INTO THE NEXT TIP CYCLE, SO, SO WE CAN GET FUNDED. 
          SO, OKAY. 
          SO GARTH ROAD COULD POTENTIALLY, THIS, THAT CD AND E PHASE COULD POTENTIALLY BE IN THIS BOND. 
          CORRECT. 
          AND EVERYONE KNOWS WE NEED HELP ON GARTH ROAD, SO, UM, YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANKS FRANK. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          OH, GO. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          AND I KNOW THERE COULD BE ADDITIONAL GRANTS AS WELL AND DRAINAGE. 
          UM, BUT JUST A REPORT FROM THIS MORNING'S HGAC, UM, WATER RESOURCES COMMITTEE. 
          UH, I THINK RIGHT NOW, UM, THE FOCUS IS ON EITHER SHOVEL READY OR AREAS WHERE, UM, CITIES ARE MATCHING OR ALREADY HAS, UM, CERTAIN FUNDING, BUT HGAC AS THEY ARE A RESOURCE FOR A LOT OF AREAS MM-HMM . 
          UM, THEY WOULD ALSO HELP US LOOK FOR OTHER GRANTS AND, AND FUNDING WHERE IT MAY. 
          AND SO I KNOW, UH, FRANK AND HIS TEAM HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB. 
          UH, THEY'RE PROBABLY TIRED OF ME SENDING ALL OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES OVER TO THEM, BUT, UM, THAT WAS JUST THE LATEST THAT CAME UP TODAY. 
          AND BECAUSE THE NEED IS GREAT IN, IN SEVERAL, UM, UH, SEVERAL CITIES AND COUNTIES, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE FOCUS WILL BE GOING IS LIKE, DO YOU HAVE A MATCH OR IS THIS PROJECT SHOVEL READY? RIGHT. 
          UM, AND SO THAT IT'LL BE A LITTLE HARDER, UH, FOR DRAINAGE, UH, GRANTS, BUT IT'S NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. 
          SO THAT, IT'S GOOD YOU BRING THAT UP BECAUSE THERE ARE OFTEN GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME UP AND THEY ASK FOR SHOVEL READY PROJECTS MM-HMM . 
          SO, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO, YOU KNOW, IF WHATEVER PROJECTS WE APPROVE IN THIS, UM, ISSUANCE, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO DESIGN WORK MM-HMM . 
          AND HAVE IT READY WHILE WE'RE APPLYING FOR GRANTS. 
          AND IF A GRANT COMES UP, YOU KNOW, YEAH, WE ARE READY. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF WE CAN'T GO THROUGH WITH CONSTRUCTION, BUT AT LEAST HAVING THE DESIGN READY IS, IS ALWAYS HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT SHOVEL READY PROJECT. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND, AND I THINK THAT WILL BE KEY, UM, TO GO OVER WITH OUR BOND COMMITTEE, UM, SO THEY KNOW THAT WE DO CONTINUE TO GO OUT FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING. 
          THESE ARE THE WAYS THAT WE LOOK AT POSSIBLY FUNDING THIS AND, YOU KNOW, WE MAY GO AFTER THE ENTIRE AMOUNT AMOUNT, BUT WE'RE STILL REACHING OUT FOR, FOR FUNDING ELSEWHERE. 
          SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO REALLY FOCUS ON AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I HAVE A, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, JUST GENERAL QUESTION ON HOW WE FUND PROJECTS. 
          UM, SO LIKE WHEN WE DO A, A ROAD TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, OR A LOT OF TIMES WE GO AHEAD AND DO WHAT'S UNDERNEATH IT, RIGHT? THE THE WATER LINES LINE, SEWER LINE THAT MAY ALL GET UPGRADED AT ONCE. 
          I'M JUST CURIOUS WHEN WE DO THAT, IS THAT ALL CONSIDERED A MOBILITY PROJECT OR ARE THOSE THE WATER AND SEWER PIECES FUNDED SEPARATELY FROM THE ROAD ITSELF? YOU CAN DO IT EITHER WAY. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I'VE SEEN IT DONE BOTH WAYS. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, IF, IF THE REASON YOU'RE DOING IS THE MOBILITY, UM, A LOT OF TIMES THE MOBILITY WILL PAY FOR 
          [00:50:01]
THE WATER AND SEWER TO BE RE RELOCATED. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I WAS JUST CURIOUS. 
          AND, AND A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S CONFLICTS BETWEEN IF YOU'RE PUTTING IN NEW STORM DRAINAGE AND THE WATER LINE OR SEWER LINES AND CONFLICT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO MOVE THOSE ANYWAY. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S PRIMARILY IF THE STREET IS DRIVING THE PROJECT, THEN THE STREET WOULD PAY FOR THE WATER AND SEWER. 
          BUT I'VE SEEN CITIES THAT DO IT THE OTHER WAY AND JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, ALL WATER AND SEWERS PAID FOR BY THE UTILITY FUND. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANKS, FRANK. 
          YEP. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, YES, THANK Y'ALL. 
          UM, AN IMPORTANT THING, LIKE LOOKING AT THESE BIG NUMBERS WITH THE GEO BOND, WHICH IS GONNA, UH, GET OUT NOW SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND NO MATTER WHAT THE NUMBER IS, IF IT'S 343 MILLION, A HUNDRED MILLION, 150 MILLION, 200 MILLION, BASICALLY THE GO BOND WORKS LIKE A CREDIT CARD LIMIT, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT THE, WHAT THE NUMBER THAT, THAT YOU AS A, AS A COUNCIL WOULD GIVE, UM, TO THE CITIZENS TO VOTE ON WOULD BE OUR MAX CREDIT CARD LIMIT, RIGHT? AND THEN YOU WOULD DRAW THAT DOWN OVER YEARS, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE FIVE YEARS VERSUS 10 YEARS UP HERE. 
          NOW, I WILL TELL YOU, UH, I'M GONNA CUR TELL THIS A LITTLE BIT, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE RAN MULTIPLE SCENARIOS ON WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR THE CITY, UH, FIVE YEARS, 10 YEARS, 15 YEARS. 
          UH, I WILL TELL YOU, OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR HAS SAID TO ONLY DO SEVEN YEARS, BECAUSE WHEN YOU START GOING OUT BEYOND 10 YEARS, THEN YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF, IS IT REALLY A NEED IF IT'S BEYOND 10 YEARS AND DO ANOTHER GO IN A FEW YEARS TO CATCH UP TO WHAT A NEED IS? AND INSTEAD OF TRYING TO PUT OUT, AND THEN THAT GOES TO MR. LU'S QUESTION WHEN THE CIP COMMITTEE IS, HOW MUCH WORK CAN YOU ACTUALLY DO PER YEAR ANYWAYS. 
          AND SO THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER ON WHAT, WHAT OUR ISSUANCES ARE GEARED AROUND. 
          NOW, WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU IS ABOUT THREE OR FOUR CHARTS. 
           TRY TO CONSOLIDATE INTO ONE. 
          UM, AND SO WE'RE GONNA START ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE. 
          AND WHAT, WHAT I'M TRYING TO DEMONSTRATE HERE FOR Y'ALL IS THE IMPACT ON REVENUE. 
          SO ON, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE FIVE YEAR, YOU HAVE THE YEARS GOING ACROSS IN THE ROAD, 26, 27, 28, AND 29, AND THEN ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE GOING DOWN IS THE TAX RATE. 
          AND SO 70 CENTS IS OUR CURRENT TAX RATE. 
          UM, AND SO IF YOU GO INTO 2026 WITH $150 MILLION DEBT ISSUANCE UNDER GEO BOND, IF YOU GO INTO, IF YOU GO INTO 26 AND YOU STAY AT OUR CURRENT TAX RATE OF 70 CENTS ABOVE THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE PURSU, UH, I'M ASSUMING IT WOULD BE ABOVE THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, UM, IT WOULD, IT WOULD LIKELY BRING $1.7 MILLION EXTRA A YEAR. 
          YOU KNOW, WITH A GROWTH, A VALUE GROWTH, UH, THIS IS SHOWING OUR VALUES GROWING BY 9%, OKAY? OUR TAXABLE VALUE GROWING BY 9%, AND I'VE TALKED TO Y'ALL A NAUSEUM ABOUT HOW LITTLE OUR STUFF ACTUALLY GROWS. 
          UM, SO WITH THE $150 MILLION DEBT ISSUANCE, THE BOND OR THE GENERAL FUND WOULD ONLY GROW BY $1.7 MILLION. 
          UM, IF YOU STAYED AT THE 70 CENTS BASED ON YOUR FEEDBACK ON STICKING WITH A NO NEW REVENUE RATE, THAT IS THE NUM THE NEXT NUMBER DOWN, WHICH IS 68 CENTS. 
          SO IF YOU WENT TO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE OF 68 CENTS, THE GENERAL FUND REVENUE WOULD ONLY GROW BY $500,000. 
          OKAY? AND THEN IF YOU MOVE INTO, NO, INTO 2027, RIGHT? THE REASON THAT THOSE GO ALL THE WAY ACROSS ON EACH NUMBERS IS THAT IF WE STAYED AT 70 CENTS ALL THE WAY THROUGH NEXT YEAR, IT WOULD GO 1.7 IN 2027, IT GROW BY 2.8 AND 2028, IT WOULD GROW BY 4.8. 
          BUT IF YOU KEEP DECREASING, IF YOU GO TO NO NEW REVENUE IN 2026, AND THEN YOU GO TO NO NEW REVENUE IN 2027, YOU WOULD GROW 500,000 NEXT YEAR, AND IN 2027 YOU WOULD GROW 1.3 MILLION. 
          OKAY? AND THEN YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON THE 10 YEAR SLIDE, ON THE 10 YEAR BUBBLE AS WELL. 
          IT, IT WORKS THE SAME. 
          THE POINTING OUT OF THINGS HERE IS WHAT HAPPENS IN 2028. 
          YOU SEE A VERY LARGE INCREASE IN REVENUE IN 2028, AND THAT'S WHEN I WOULD ASK YOU TO GO BACK TO THIS, OKAY? MM-HMM . 
          THE REASON THAT YOU'RE SEEING A LARGE INCREASE IN REVENUE IN 2028 IS THAT OUR DEBT STARTS ROLLING OFF AND YOU CAN SEE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DEBT ROLL OFF IN 2027. 
          AND THAT SIGNIFICANT, THAT DEBT ROLL OFF IS GOING TO BRING THE ADDITIONAL TWO TO $3 MILLION ADDED TO THE REVENUE. 
          NOW, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH THE CITY WHEN WE HAD THESE LARGE PIECES OF REVENUE GROWTH, RIGHT? SOME OF 
          [00:55:01]
IT GOES WITH THE TAX RATE ISSUE THAT, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST YEAR DURING THE BUDGET, UH, PROCESS WHERE, UH, GOOSE CREEK HAD MISSED ON THE TAX RATE, OKAY? THE OTHER PORTION OF THAT IS THAT DEBT KEPT ROLLING OFF AND BECAUSE DEBT KEPT ROLLING OFF, IT LOOKED LIKE WE HAD ADDITIONAL CASH. 
          REMEMBER THAT THE TAX RATE IS MADE OF THE M AND O AND THE INS, THE MAINTENANCE OPERATION AND INS IS YOUR DEBT SERVICE. 
          AND SO AS THE DEBT SERVICE DECREASE, IT DECREASES, IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION HAS ADDITIONAL CASH. 
          AND SO THE THING THAT YOU AS A COUNSEL WILL HAVE TO CONSIDER IS THE FUTURE DEBT, OKAY? IF YOU GO INTO THIS GEO BOND PROCESS, AND LET'S SAY WE CAP OUT AT 150 MILLION AND WE CHOOSE THE 10 YEAR ROUTE IN 2028, EVEN GOING DOWN TO NO NEW REVENUE AT 66 CENTS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN ADDITIONAL $5.7 MILLION IN REVENUE, UH, BASED ON A STANDARD GROWTH. 
          AND THAT LOOKS FANTASTIC. 
          THE ISSUE IS, IS I WOULD TELL YOU DON'T SPEND ANY OF IT BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S A FALSE FRONT, OKAY? THIS IS WHERE BALANCING DEBT WITH MAINTENANCE OPERATION IS, IS AN ART FOR ALL OF US TO WORK TOGETHER WITH. 
          AND THAT THAT ADDITIONAL REVENUE MAY BE HELPFUL TO OFFSET SOME MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION GROWTH. 
          BUT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS SOON AS YOU ISSUE DEBT AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO EAT THAT BACK UP. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND SO THAT ADDITIONAL THREE TO $4 MILLION ROUGHLY TRANSLATES INTO ANOTHER $30 MILLION ISSUANCE, UH, THAT, THAT WE, THAT, THAT MONEY WOULD GO TOWARDS THAT. 
          AND SO, UM, WE JUST HAVE TO PLAN THAT OUT CAREFULLY. 
          AND SO WHEN WE'RE LAYING OUT OUR PARAMETERS, THAT'S WHEN I COULD TELL YOU IF YOU DID THE FULL 300 MILLION. 
          RIGHT NOW, IT ROUGHLY LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE 10 YEAR. 
          UM, UH, IT'S A 300 MILLION AT 15 YEARS ROUGHLY. 
          LOOKS EXACTLY WHAT THE 10 YEAR RATE LOOKS LIKE RIGHT THERE ON YOUR SCREEN. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO WEIGH SOME OF THOSE PARAMETERS AND HOW IT LOOKS. 
          THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DECIDED RIGHT NOW. 
          OKAY? UH, AND WHAT YOU'LL KIND OF WORK ON NEXT MONTH IS WHERE YOU WANT THAT LIMIT TO BE. 
          AND THEN WE WILL START BUILDING MODELS LIKE THIS FOR Y'ALL TO HELP MAKE BETTER DECISIONS OF FOR HOW LONG YOU WANT THAT CREDIT CARD LIMIT DRAW. 
          YOU CAN DRAW FROM YOUR CREDIT CARD LIMIT HOW MANY YEARS YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO USE IT FOR, UH, BUT IT JUST GIVES YOU AN INSIGHT TO WHAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING WITH THE MONEY. 
          IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE EXTRA CASH IS THERE. 
          WE JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE EXTRA CASH IS ACTUALLY NOT THERE. 
          WE JUST HAVE DEBT ROLLING OFF AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ISSUE MORE. 
          MM-HMM. 
          WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ISSUE MORE DEBT IF WE WANNA KEEP IT STABLE. 
          ARE THERE QUESTIONS AROUND THAT? I THINK WE'RE GOOD. 
          OKAY. 
          OOH, I WAS NERVOUS ABOUT THAT ONE. 
          UM, WELL, I WILL STOP. 
          UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING. 
          UM, WE AREN'T GONNA MAKE ANY, UH, DECISIONS ON THE JAIL BOND PROCESS. 
          UH, WE WILL NEED TO KNOW A FEW PARAMETERS. 
          UH, GOING FORWARD THOUGH, AND JUST KIND OF RECAPPING WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. 
          WE'RE GONNA NEED TO UNDERSTAND IF WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT ALL OF THE CATEGORIES WITHIN THE BOND LI WITHIN THE PROJECTS. 
          IF YOU WANT THE BOND COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT ALL THINGS AND JUST GIVE YOU A RECOMMENDATION, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SET A, A LIMIT ON THE BOND THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GO FOR. 
          UH, THAT WAY THE BOND COMMITTEE CAN LOOK AT THE NUMBER THAT THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS ALONG WITH THE PROJECTS AND HOW THEY WANT TO BUNDLE ALL THAT UP IN, UH, FOR YOU. 
          AND, UM, THEN AT SOME POINT IN THE, IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WE WILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE DRAW SCHEDULE THAT Y'ALL WANT. 
          IF YOU WANT IT TO BE A FIVE YEAR DRAW WHERE YOU'RE SPENDING $30 MILLION EVERY YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS AND KNOCKING IT OUT, AND THEN YOU ISSUE ANOTHER 150 MILLION IN THREE YEARS TO START OVER, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. 
          BUT THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DONE TONIGHT. 
          WE, WE'LL DO THAT STARTING NEXT MONTH. 
          IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I'M HERE FOR YOU. 
          THAT, BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE AT THIS POINT. 
          WHAT'S THAT? IT SOUNDS LIKE FUN. 
          IT DOES SOUND LIKE FUN QUESTION. 
          WHAT DATE DO WE NEED TO HAVE, WOULD YOU SAY WE NEED TO HAVE THESE NUMBERS, BOB? UM, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO, I DO NOT WANT TO STRESS Y'ALL INTO FEELING OBLIGATED TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION. 
          OKAY. 
          I WILL TELL YOU THAT Y'ALL ARE GOING TO, UH, MOST LIKELY SELECT BOND COMMITTEE MEMBERS TONIGHT. 
          AND THE BOND COMMITTEE MEMBERS WILL WANT TO GET STARTED PRETTY QUICK. 
          THEY DON'T WANNA BE SELECTED AND THEN HAVE TO SIT ON, ON THE SIDELINE. 
          WE ALSO WANT TO GIVE THEM TIME TO START MEETING WITH THE CITIZENS, HAVING TOWN HALLS, HEARING THESE THINGS, GETTING EXPLANATIONS FROM STAFF. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO START THAT IN MARCH. 
          UM, IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO ESTABLISH THOSE LIMITS NEXT MONTH, THEN THEY WOULD START IN APRIL. 
          UM, AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S UP TO Y'ALL. 
          UM, IT JUST COMPRESSES THE, THE ACTION OF THE BOND COMMITTEE ON THE BACKSIDE. 
          IF WE AREN'T COMPLETED NEXT MONTH, I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT 
          [01:00:01]
THIS AND FOR THE CITIZENS LISTENING, THIS, THIS HAS BEEN A DISCUSSION WITH Y'ALL FOR, FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW, OR A YEAR NOW, REALLY. 
          UM, BUT IT'S, UH, I STILL DON'T WANT YOU TO FEEL PRESSURED INTO HAVING TO MAKE SOME QUICK DECISION BECAUSE IT IS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT Y'ALL HAVE TO TALK THROUGH. 
          AND IT'S THE FIRST TIME THE FULL COUNSEL HAS SEEN THE ENTIRE PROJECT LIST ANYWAYS. 
          AND SO, UH, I, MY ANSWER IS, IT DEPENDS, MAYOR. 
          IT DEPENDS ON HOW, HOW COMFORTABLE Y'ALL FEEL WITH MAKING A DECISION. 
          I WOULD PREFER NEXT MONTH. 
          YOU PREFER NEXT MONTH? I WOULD. 
          THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S ALL I HAVE. 
          I'M JUST HERE FOR QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE 'EM. 
          ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UH, ONE, ONE QUESTION. 
          I HOPE THIS IS IN LINE WITH OUR DISCUSSION. 
          THE BOND COMMITTEE. 
          WOULD, WOULD THAT BE, WOULD THAT BE CONDUCTED ACCORDING TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT? UH, PRESS PRESS ALOUD AND PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          I'M NOT TRYING, I'M TRYING TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE WITH THE COMMITTEE. 
          I'M RIGHT. 
          AND I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF CLARIFY. 
          I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA MISSPEAK MR. GRIFFITH AND SAY THAT IT HAS TO FALL WITHIN OPEN MEETINGS. 
          I THINK YOU CAN CHOOSE AS A COUNCIL TO MAKE IT OPEN MEETINGS THE WHOLE TIME. 
          OKAY. 
          IF IT DOESN'T FALL WITHIN THAT. 
          WELL, LET'S SEE, WHAT LEGALS, IF THERE WOULD BE NO STATUTORY REQUIREMENT THAT THAT BODY, UH, MEET UNDER THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, UH, IT IS AN ADVISORY, UH, BODY TO YOU ALL THAT WOULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION. 
          UH, TRADITIONALLY, UH, YOU ALL HAVE EXPRESSED, UH, DESIRE THAT OUR PUBLIC COMMITTEES, UH, MEET IN AN OPEN FORUM AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO OBSERVE WHAT'S GOING ON AND PERHAPS TO, TO SPEAK. 
          BUT, UH, WE DID TALK ABOUT LAST YEAR, AND IT WAS MY RECOMMENDATION THAT, UH, YOU SHOULD NOT IMPOSE A RULE THAT OUR VOLUNTEER BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD, UH, SUFFER UNDER THE SAME STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU ALL, UH, MUST FOLLOW. 
          UH, AND THAT WOULD STILL BE MY RECOMMENDATION TODAY. 
          WE, WE DON'T WANT TO IMPOSE ANY, UH, UNINTENDED LIABILITIES ON OUR VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE SPENDING THEIR TIME ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU JASON. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          HAVING ADDRESSED ALL ITEMS ON THE, UM, PRE-MEETING OR THE KENT CITY COUNCIL WORKS SECTION, AND I'LL CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED.
* 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.