* 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. CONFERENCE ROOM, PUBLIC SAFETY [00:00:01] BUILDING IN BAYTOWN, TEXAS. AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM AT 9:27 AM [1. CITIZEN COMMENTS Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, prohibits the City Council from discussing, deliberating, or considering, subjects for which public notice has not been given on the agenda. Issues that cannot be referred to the administration for action may be placed on the agenda of a future City Council Session.] UH, WE HAVE CITIZEN COMMENTS AND I'M GOING TO READ SOME COMMENTS FROM A, UM, A CITIZEN THAT HAD TO CATCH THE BUS, UM, SPEAKING WITH LEGAL. LEGAL. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE PRO, ARE WE ALLOWED TO DO THIS? YES. UH, THE CITIZEN HAD ALREADY SIGNED UP THIS PAGE, SO PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE TO TAKE THOSE, UH, COMMENTS IN WRITING. OKAY. DO I NEED TO STATE THE NAME AND ADDRESS? YES, SIR. OKAY. IT'S GONNA BE DON MARIE SEAVER AT, WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT HANDWRITING THERE. 8 0 5 CHILLING STREET, SCHILLING STREET, UH, BAYTOWN, TEXAS. AND HER COMMENTS ARE, HAS ANY OF THE COUNCIL EVER BEEN ON THE BUS? ARE THEY WILLING TO UBERS AND TAXIS DO NOT HAVE LYFTS? CAN UNITED WAY GIVE PASSES TO THOSE PRESENT? AND IS THE CITY HIRING? IF SO, CAN HR REACH OUT TO HER WITH DETAILS ON HOW TO APPLY? THOSE ARE HER COMMENTS. SO, UH, HR, I HOPE Y'ALL, Y'ALL GOT THAT? OKAY. UM, I DON'T HAVE A PHONE. OH, I DO HAVE HER PHONE NUMBER IN CASE YOU NEED IT. ALRIGHT, THAT'S GONNA END OUR CITIZEN PORTION OF, UM, THE CITIZEN COMMENTS. THEY LEFT. YEAH. AND, UM, [a. Discussion of Fiscal Year 2026 budget and policy impacts. ] WE ARE NOW ON TO TWO, A DISCUSSION OF THE FISCAL 2026 BUDGET AND POLICY IMPACTS. MR. JASON REYNOLDS. THAT'S ME, CAROL, OR YOU GOING? JUST KIDDING. NO, I'M NOT. I, I HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT SOLVING THE WRITING ISSUE. , GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. UH, BEFORE I TALK NUMBERS, SPREADSHEETS, AND POLICY, BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THE HEART OF THE FY 26 BUDGET, I, I WANNA SHARE SOMETHING PERSONAL. UM, IT'S A JOURNEY OF WEIGHT, WELLNESS, AND DISCIPLINE. AM NOT DOING THIS TO DISTRACT FROM OUR BUDGET DISCUSSION, BUT TO TRY TO CONNECT WITH YOU. 'CAUSE AS I'VE LEARNED, THE CHOICES WE, WE MAKE FOR OUR HEALTH AREN'T SO DIFFERENT FROM THE CHOICES WE MAKE FOR OUR CITY'S FINANCIAL HEALTH. THE CLICKER DOESN'T WORK, SIR. OKAY. YOU TOLD ME THAT THIS IS ME IN THE MILITARY. UM, OH, I MISS MY HAIR . UM, THE, AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE, I WAS EXTREMELY LEAN. I WAS STRONG. I COULD RUN, UM, FIVE MILES AT THE DROP OF A HAT. UM, WE SPENT MANY HOURS HIKING, UM, WITH 70 POUND ROCKS ON OUR BACK AND, UH, ACROSS TEROS TERRAIN. AND THEN IF I WASN'T IN ANY KIND OF ENVIRONMENT LIKE THAT, UH, IT WAS CONSTANTLY TRAINING A LOT OF DISCIPLINE, A LOT OF, UM, JUST MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICES SO THAT I COULD TAKE THE PEOPLE TO MY LEFT AND MY RIGHT. AND IT WAS A LIFE THAT HAD A LOT OF PURPOSE. AND THAT PURPOSE REALLY HELPED WITH THE DISCIPLINE THAT WAS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THAT LEVEL OF FITNESS. AND, UM, IT WASN'T JUST YOUTH, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T JUST YOUTH DRIVING THAT. NOW GRANTED, IT HELPED, RIGHT? IT DEFINITELY HELPED, BUT, UH, A LOT OF IT WAS JUST ME WANTING TO BE A BETTER PERSON HEALTH-WISE, TO TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE AROUND ME. AND THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF IT WAS. THIS IS ME AFTER THE MILITARY. AFTER WHEN I RETIRED FROM THE MILITARY, UM, I WAS FORCED TO RETIRE. I HAD SHATTERED MY LEG. UM, AND THAT WAS A VERY, VERY CHALLENGING THING FOR ME TO GO THROUGH BECAUSE I COULD NO LONGER RUN. UM, LIKE I SAID, I, IN THE MILITARY, I, I DID A HUNDRED MILE ROAD, UH, A ROAD MARCH WITH 45 POUNDS ON MY BACK, A HUNDRED MILES OVER FOUR DAYS. AND IT WAS, IT WAS HUMBLING TO GO TO A LEVEL OF NOT BEING ABLE TO, UH, DO SPORTS. I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO GOLF, [00:05:01] UH, TWO TO THREE TIMES A WEEK. AND I WAS NO LONGER TO ABLE TO PLAY SOCCER, WHICH IS ULTIMATELY WHAT KILLED ME. I, I, I HAD A COMPOUND FRACTURE IN MY LEG AND I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO EVEN WALK. I JOKED WITH PEOPLE THE OTHER DAY ABOUT, AFTER I SHATTERED MY LEG, I ASKED THE MILITARY TO JUST CUT IT OFF. I ASKED 'EM TO CUT MY LEG OFF BELOW MY KNEE SO I CAN GET BACK TO WAR AND BE NEXT TO MY, MY BROTHERS. AND IT'S A, IT'S A WEIRD MINDSET. IT'S A WEIRD MINDSET TO NOT HAVE THAT ANYMORE. AND I USED IT AS AN EXCUSE. AND I GOT VERY LAZY. I GOT COMPLACENT. I HAD A VERY GOOD JOB. UH, I HAD MY KIDS AND I USED IT AS, AS A WAY TO JUST PAWN OFF THE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE DISCIPLINE TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT I NEEDED TO TAKE CARE OF, TAKE CARE OF FOR MY WELLBEING. AND IT WAS PRETTY SHOCKING, UH, FOR ME TO LOOK BACK AND TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT I DIDN'T SEE IT HAPPENING. I DIDN'T SEE IT HAPPENING AT ALL UNTIL AFTER I WENT TO THE DOCTOR. AND THE DOCTOR GAVE ME REALLY TERRIBLE NEWS AND SAID, YOU NEED TO CORRECT YOURSELF. AND I SAID, CRAP. AND I DID. AND THE THING ABOUT MY PERSONALITY IS IF I COMMIT TO SOMETHING BY GOODNESS, I'M GONNA DO IT. AND, UM, I DID, I LOST OVER 60 POUNDS, UH, BETWEEN THAT PHOTO ON, UH, IN THE, THE SECOND PHOTO TO THE THIRD PHOTO. AND THE ISSUE HERE IS I TOOK IT TO THE EXTREME. I HAD A VERY, I HAD PEOPLE HERE AT CITY HALL WORRYING ABOUT ME. THEY THOUGHT I WAS DYING. THEY, I HAD MY WIFE TELL ME THAT I LOOKED TOO FRAIL AND SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS STRONGER THAN ME. UM, THAT, THAT IS A VERY HARD THING TO LOOK AT, TO HAVE SUCH A DRASTIC CHANGE, UH, IN SOMEBODY. I WENT FROM A SIZE 42 PANT TO A 29, AND IT WAS TOO MUCH. IT WAS TOO MUCH OF A, OF A SHIFT. AND YOU CAN SEE LIKE THE UPS AND DOWNS. AND THEN THIS IS ME JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. MY BROTHER'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF KIND OF WISH WE WERE SHOWN THE WHOLE PHOTO. YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE JUST BIG BOYS, . UM, HE'S PROBABLY TWO TO THREE INCHES TALLER THAN I AM, AND PROBABLY HAS ANOTHER 78 POUNDS ON ME. HE'S A, HE'S A BIG BOY. UM, AND IT WAS ABOUT FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE FOR THOSE THAT SAW ME GO THROUGH THE MIDDLE PART. I WASN'T EATING ANYTHING EXCEPT LIKE BEEF, TURKEY AND SALADS, AND LIKE, I HATED FOOD. I JUST DIDN'T ENJOY ANYTHING ABOUT IT. AND, UM, AND NOW I'M JUST FINDING THAT BALANCE OF LIKE BEING HEALTHY AND ADJUSTING WHERE NECESSARY, BUT NOT GOING OVERBOARD AND LIVING IN SUCH, IN SUCH EXTREMES. AND I SHARE THIS BECAUSE OUR FINANCIAL JOURNEY MIRRORS THIS PERSONAL ONE OF, UH, YEARS AGO WE WERE IN THAT FIRST PHASE. WE WERE DISCIPLINED AND PROBABLY RIGID. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PAST HISTORY OF THE BUDGET, IT WAS VERY, VERY TIGHT. AND YOU HAD PEOPLE JUST WITH CONTROLLED OVERSIGHT, EXTREME CONTROLLED OVERSIGHT. AND THEN THINGS STARTED TO HAPPEN WHERE WE STARTED TO HAVE EXTRA CASH IN THE CITY, AND WE GOT COMFORTABLE, THE SPENDING INCREASED ALONG WITH THE REVENUES, BUT OUR ASSUMPTIONS STARTED TO GET SOFT AND OUR EXPECTATIONS JUST DRIFTED. UH, WE WERE ON AUTO AUTOPILOT, WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS A BAD THING. BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU GO TO AUTO AUTOPILOT, YOU HAVE TO RE, YOU HAVE TO FOCUS THAT YOU'RE ON AUTOPILOT. YOU CAN'T JUST LET GO OF THE WHEEL. AND IT NEARLY COST US. AND THEN MORE RECENTLY, WE'VE MADE BIG CORRECTIONS. WE'VE TIGHTENED SPENDING, WE'VE MADE TOUGH CHOICES AND IT, AND IT HAS WORKED. BUT IF WE OVERCORRECT, IF WE'VE BECOME SO LEAN THAT WE UNDERINVEST IN OUR PEOPLE, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND OUR FUTURE, WE WILL PAY A DIFFERENT PRICE. SO TODAY, LET'S CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS OF THIS NEW BUDGET. WE REALLY HAVE MADE, UH, GREAT PROGRESS, LIKE I DID IN MY HEALTH. WE'VE REVERSED OUR TRENDS. WE MUST MAINTAIN THE DISCIPLINE, NOT SLIP BACK INTO OUR OLD HABITS, NOT FALL INTO COMPLACENCY. [00:10:02] IF WE DO ALL THAT HARD WORK, WORK COULD UNRAVEL. SO LET'S STAY FOCUSED. LET'S CONTINUE CRAFTING POLICIES, UH, THAT BUILD SUSTAINABLE AND HEALTHY BUDGETS. ONE THAT SERVES OUR COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THIS YEAR, BUT FOR THE LONG TERM. SO I THANK YOU. AND AS WE WALKED THROUGH THIS FY 26 BUDGET, UH, IT DOES KNOW THAT IT REFLECTS THE BALANCE THAT WE WORKED ON SO HARD TO ACHIEVE. SO THE FY 26 BUDGET, YOU WILL GET A COPY LATER TODAY. AND I'M NOT GIVING IT TO YOU ON PURPOSE 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET SO CAUGHT UP IN NUMBERS RIGHT NOW THAT YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION. OKAY? UM, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE FY 26 DRAFT BUDGET, UH, REPRESENTS A MAJOR MILESTONE. IT IS STRUCTURALLY BALANCED. THAT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT THE REVENUES ARE OVER THE EXPENDITURES. AND THAT IS A NEW TREND THAT THE CITY HAS NOT HAD IN A LITTLE BITS. UH, IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE A TEMPORARY FIX OR A ONE TIME SOLUTION, BUT BECAUSE OF INTENTIONAL POLICY DIRECTION AND OPERATIONAL DISCIPLINE, THIS BUDGET DIDN'T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT. IT'S THE DIRECT RESULT OF SEVERAL YEARS OF THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS BY THE COUNCIL AND YOUR DEDICATED STAFF THAT ARE HERE TODAY. ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT WE'VE HAD WITH OUR BUDGETS RECENTLY WAS THE FOCUS ON THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. UM, THIS, THIS DIRECTION HAS HAD REAL CONSEQUENCES. IT'S REQUIRED US TO BE MORE EFFICIENT, MORE INTENTIONAL, AND MORE, UM, AND MORE DISCIPLINED IN HOW WE BUDGET TO MEET THE CHALLENGE, UH, AND STILL DELIVER THE BUDGET WITH THE SERVICE DELIVERY, UH, ASPECTS THAT YOU WANT. WE'VE HAD TO REDUCE THE BUDGET. THIS PROPOSED BUDGET BY AN ADDITIONAL THREE TO $4 MILLION. THIS IS ON TOP OF THE 5 MILLION THAT WAS SAVED THE PREVIOUS YEAR, ALONG WITH THE 3 MILLION THAT WAS ALSO WORKED AROUND, UH, FOR A, UM, UNPLANNED EXPENSE. IT WASN'T ABOUT JUST CUTTING THE BUDGET, THOUGH IT WAS ABOUT RIGHT SIZING. IT WAS ABOUT FUNDING WHAT WORKS, PAUSING WHAT DOESN'T, AND ADJUSTING THE ORGANIZATION TO DELIVER HIGH QUALITY, HIGH QUALITY SERVICES WITHIN OUR FINANCIAL MEANS. THOSE HARD DECISIONS, UH, WE ARE PROUD TO REPORT, UH, THAT THE CITY HAS INCREASED ITS RESERVE DAYS, CREATING A STRONGER FINANCIAL BUFFER AND MORE FLEXIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE. THIS BUDGET IS A REFLECTION OF OUR TEAMWORK AND A STATEMENT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT BAYTOWN GOVERNS WITH DISCIPLINE, FOCUS, AND FORESIGHT. UM, I'M ALSO HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE'VE SEEN MEASURABLE REVENUE GROWTH LARGER, LARGELY DRIVEN BY NEW DEVELOPMENT, INVESTMENT AND A CITYWIDE FOCUS ON ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY ABILITY. UH, WITH THIS BUDGET, UH, WHILE WE HAVE GONE AND REDUCED EXPENSES STRATEGICALLY, I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A FEW YEARS, UH, WE HAVE ADDED NEW PERSONNEL IN PRIORITY AREAS. AND WE WILL GO THROUGH THAT IN THIS BUDGET CONVERSATION TODAY SO THAT YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT'S AT. AND WE ARE GOING TO ADDRESS SUPPLEMENTS, UM, IN THE, UH, IN THE ORGANIZATION THAT DRIVE INNOVATION, SERVICE IMPROVEMENT AND CAPACITY. THESE INVESTMENTS, THESE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS REFLECT THE DEMANDS OF THE GROWING CITY AND THE, THE STANDARDS OUR RESIDENTS EXPECT. IT DOES GIVE US, UH, WITH THE BUDGET, IT DOES GIVE US THE ROOM TO ADAPT, RESPOND, AND REMAIN STABLE. AND FINALLY, THE FY 26 BUDGET IS A TURNING POINT. WE'RE BUILDING ON THE YEARS OF HARD CHOICES AND VALUES THAT PRIORITIZE SUSTAINABILITY. AND WE'LL CONTINUE WITH THOUGHTFUL POLICY AND DISCIPLINE. SO I ASK YOU TO CELEBRATE THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL OF YOU BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN A VERY, VERY CHALLENGING TWO YEARS. WOW. EXCUSE ME. AND, UM, PREPARE FOR THE THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS AHEAD. AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA PAUSE FOR A SECOND WHILE WE GET READY FOR THE BUDGET. J CAN YOU CLICK TO THE NEXT SLIDE FOR ME? OKAY. GOOD MORNING. WE ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH OUR FORMULA LIKE WE HAVE FOR OUR LAST FEW RETREATS AND OUR BUDGET WORK SESSIONS. THIS IS GONNA ACT AS OUR AGENDA FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. UM, YOU DO SEE LARGE POST-ITS ON THE WALL. THOSE ARE OUR DIRECTION AND, UH, DECISION POINTS THAT WE HAD SENT PREVIOUSLY TO [00:15:01] YOU ALL SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SOME DIRECTION FOR TODAY. AND THEN AS WE GET TO THE END, JAY WILL KIND OF WRAP IT ALL UP WITH A POLICY CONVERSATION AT THE END. AND SO THESE POST-ITS, AS WE GO THROUGH, WE'RE JUST GONNA DO SOME GUT CHECKS ON WHAT DIRECTION WE'RE LEANING BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE TO BE A BALANCED BUDGET. SO IF WE ADD SOME THINGS ON THE LEFT OR TAKE SOME THINGS AWAY ON THE RIGHT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY STILL BALANCE. SO WE'LL LOOK AT IT HOLISTICALLY AT THE VERY END. ANY QUESTIONS ON OUR PROCESS FOR TODAY? WHERE, WHERE DID I GET THIS BUDGET? YOU SAID YOU HAVE, I'M SORRY YOU'LL GET IT, BUT AT THE END. YES, SIR. SO RIGHT NOW YOU GET, YOU'LL GET THE FIRST, LIKE THE TOTAL SHEET, UM, YOUR FULL BUDGET BOOK, LIKE THE BIG ONE WILL BE JULY 24TH, I THINK PRESENTED TO COUNCIL. BUT IN ORDER TO MAKE THE MAKE SURE THE BIG ONE BEFORE WE PRINT IT, WE NEED TO GET SOME DIRECTION ON THESE PIECES FIRST. SO WE'RE NOT DOING A BUNCH OF REPRINT AND THE TOTAL SHEET BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY. YES SIR. IT'LL BE AFTER LUNCH. OKAY. NO DEAL. YES. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT TODAY? UM, JUST A COFFEE, BEER, IF I MAY. UM, BEFORE WE GET TOO DEEP AND JUST KIND OF IN RESPONSE TO, UM, CITY MANAGER'S COMMENT AND, UH, WE DO, I FEEL I CAN SPEAK FOR ALL OF COUNCIL. UH, THE HARD WORK THAT STAFF HAS HAD TO GO THROUGH TO GET US TO THIS POINT. WE'RE JUST THE OVERSIGHT AND WE DON'T GET TO SEE ALL OF THE DAY-TO-DAY WORK THAT THEY DO TO TRY TO BRING THIS BUDGET TO FRUITION, TO, UM, PREPARE FOR US TO REVIEW. AND SO I REALLY WANT TO GIVE THEM KUDOS FOR, YOU KNOW, GETTING US TO WHERE WE ARE. UM, AND AS YOU SAID, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF LEAN, UH, MONTHS AND YEARS, BUT I, I, I THINK, UH, OVERALL WE'RE, WE ARE TURNING THAT SHIFT. AND SO I JUST WANNA GIVE KUDOS TO ALL THE DIRECTORS AND STAFF ARE JUST REALLY GETTING US TO WHERE WE ARE. BUT KIND, KIND OF THE BACK, MY, MY COLLEAGUE'S POINT. I, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE STAFF, ALL Y'ALL'S WORK. JASON, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS KINDA SHOWS THE PASSION YOU HAVE FOR THE CITY AND THE LOVE YOU HAVE FOR THE CITY AND HAVE YOU EMBRACED THIS COMMUNITY AND, AND HOW YOU WANT TO SEE IT BETTER, THE BETTERMENT OF THE COMMUNITY. AND, AND IT DOES GET EMOTIONAL. AND I, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT SIDE OF THAT FROM YOU. AND I APPRECIATE ALL STAFF WORKING PART. I KNOW YOU A NEW MOM SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE NEW MOM AND, AND NOT A NEW MOM, BUT A NEW BABY. AND THAT'S A LOT OF WORK AND YOU'VE TAKEN A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF TIME BUT TO DO THIS FOR, FOR THE CITIZENS AND WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S HARD WORK AND, AND STAFF AND EVERYTHING Y'ALL DO FOR US. OKAY. SO WE'RE GONNA JUMP IN AND START ON OUR REVENUE PRACTICE SIDE. YES. AND JUST TO, UM, TO CLARIFY FOR ALL OF COUNCIL, WE AREN'T TRYING TO REALLY JUMP INTO ALL THE LINE ITEMS WORKING ON THE, ON THE POLICY DECISIONS THAT FRAME THE BUDGET. AND THIS, WHAT YOU SEE UP HERE WERE THE ORIGINAL POLICY DECISIONS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS. UH, WHEN WE STARTED THE RETREAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE FELT THE FUND BALANCE WAS GONNA BE GETTING BEGIN IN 61 AND Y'ALL'S DIRECTION WAS TO AT LEAST INCREASE IT BY SIX BY ONE DAY TO END AT 62. AND THEN THERE ARE MULTIPLE POLICY DECISIONS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE THROUGHOUT. UH, OVERALL THE BUDGET FOR FY 26 HAS DECREASED FROM THE FY 25 BUDGET. AND SO IF Y'ALL REMEMBER WORKING THROUGH THE LINE ITEMS OR THE PORTIONS OF THE BUDGET BEFORE, A LOT OF THAT IS THE SAME STUFF YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT. AND SO, UH, THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE DECREASES, WE WILL GO THROUGH THOSE WITH THE STAFF, UH, LATER ON TODAY. AND THE ADS WILL ALSO BE TALKED ABOUT, UH, SO Y'ALL UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY'RE AT AS WELL. OKAY, WELL, YES SIR. I MAKE A COMMENT. UM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE RECENTLY OR OVER SOME PERIOD OF TIMES IS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GET THE, AND I WOULD SAY IT PUSHBACK, WELL COUNSEL APPROVE THAT IN THE BUDGET. SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS TODAY, I'M GOING TO BE FOCUSED ON THE DETAILS IN THAT BUDGET. 'CAUSE FOR ONE, I'M GONNA START THROWING OUT THE YELLOW BS FLAG THAT WELL YOU APPROVED IN THE BUDGET. YEAH, WELL, WE APPROVED A CONCEPT IN THE BUDGET. SO IF I'M GONNA GET THAT FLAG THROWN AT ME THAT I APPROVED IN THE BUDGET, I WANT SEE THE DETAILS ON IT BE BECAUSE THAT'S FAIR. I'M BEING HELD THAT WELL, YOU APPROVED IT. I APPROVED A CONCEPT. SO AS WE GO THROUGH TODAY, I'M GOING TO, AND I AGAIN, WE'LL SEE SOMETHING LATER 'CAUSE YOU DON'T WANT US TO SEE THE NUMBERS UP FRONT. SO, SO WE'RE GONNA GO BACK THROUGH AND DISCUSS THE DETAILS. YES, SIR. BECAUSE THAT'S THE CHALLENGE I HAVE IS, WELL, YOU APPROVED IT. WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS APPROVED, I WAS APPROVED A GENERAL CONCEPT OR A REAL BIG NUMBER. I DIDN'T APPROVE DETAILS [00:20:01] AND IT'S GUY, WELL, TRUST ME. OKAY. I TRUST YOU. I REALLY DO. BUT THAT'S JUST, IT IS KIND LIKE, OKAY, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN WE GET THROWN THAT, WELL, Y'ALL APPROVED IN THE BUDGET. WELL, THAT WAS 18 MONTHS AGO, SO IT WAS A GENERAL CONCEPT. SO I'M GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ORIENTED AS WE MOVE FORWARD. 'CAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA APPROVE THE BUDGET. SO I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET. SO WE'RE GONNA GET THE OLD MIKE. YEAH. THE OLD MIC SHOWING UP . SO WE KIND OF GO FROM THERE. BUT YEAH, BUT I, I LOVE THE FORMULA EVERY WHAT WE'VE DONE AND, AND I THINK EVERYBODY'S STAFF AND, AND COUNCIL HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB OVER THE LAST TWO, THREE YEARS WITH THEM. YOUR GUIDANCE AND ASSISTANCE TO GET FOCUSED, GET THROUGH A HARD TIME. WE'RE PLEASED TO HEAR THAT WE'RE KIND OF THROUGH THE HARD TIME, BUT AGAIN, WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE APPETITE SUPPRESS IT, RIGHT? WE CAN'T JUST REVERT NO. 'CAUSE THEN ALL THIS PAIN HAS BEEN THROUGH NOTHING. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. WE DON'T WANT, WE DON'T WANNA RELAPSE. OKAY. YES, MA'AM. AND I APPRECIATE THAT, MIKE. AND, AND I DO REMEMBER THE, THE, THE MIC 1.0. SO I GUESS WE'RE GONNA SEE THE MIKE 10.0. UM, BUT, UH, UH, I THINK WHAT I APPRECIATE ALSO IS THE FACT THAT IT, WE DON'T JUST GET THAT OPPORTUNITY DURING BUDGET SESSION. AND THAT'S WHAT THE ONE-ON-ONES ARE WITH JASON. AND YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T FEEL AS THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO GIVE US THE TOTAL BUDGET RIGHT NOW. UM, IN, IN THE PAST WE DIDN'T GET IT THIS EARLY ON EITHER. UM, AND SO, UH, WE HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY, NOT JUST DURING BUDGET CONVERSATIONS, BUT OUTSIDE OF THOSE TO EVEN GET DEEPER IN THE WEEDS AND, YOU KNOW, YEAH, THERE'S THINGS THAT I MAY HAVE WANTED TO KNOW THAT YOU BROUGHT UP AND, AND THAT'S FINE. BUT THOSE COULD ALSO BE BROUGHT UP AFTERWARDS. AND SO THOSE ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS WITH JASON, WE TAKE IT BACK TO HIS STAFF. I THINK THOSE ARE STILL IMPORTANT. UM, AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND, AND, UH, I I, I'M NOT SAYING LET'S NOT GET IN THE WEEDS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE'S, THERE'S STILL SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE WE MAKE THE FINAL ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET. OKAY. SO, OKAY. SO THE FIRST POLICY DECISION THAT Y'ALL LOOK AT AS A CITY COUNCIL, UM, IS WHAT WE CALL THE SECOND PORTION OF THE FORMULA, WHICH IS THE REVENUE PROPERTY. AND WITHIN THE REVENUE PROPERTY, UH, THERE ARE MANY PORTIONS THAT MAKE UP THIS. AND, UH, WE, WITH THIS PORTION OF THE FORMULA, WE'LL TALK ABOUT A FEW, UH, BUT WE HAVE PROPERTY, WE HAVE IDAS, WE HAVE SALES TAX, ET CETERA. THIS IS THE BIGGEST PORTION OF THE REVENUE DRIVER IN THE FORMULA. UH, THE FIRST ONE THAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT TODAY IS THE SALES TAX. SO COUNT PREVIOUS COUNCILS MADE DECISIONS ON SALES TAX, UH, UH, YEARS AGO TO UTILIZE THE TWO FULL CENTS, UH, THAT CITIES ARE ALLOWED TO USE, UM, WHICH IS DIVIDED INTO MULTIPLE GROUPS. WE HAVE THE CITY GETS A PORTION AROUND 1 CENT. UH, THE MDD GETS AROUND 50 CENTS. UH, STREETS GET AROUND 25 CENTS AND THEN, UH, CCPD AND FIRE CONTROL GET COMBINED THE ADDITIONAL 25 CENTS. NOW, THE CAVEAT THERE IS THAT THERE IS A PORTION OF CHAMBERS COUNTY, UH, THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THEIR EMS THAT OFFSETS ONE OF THESE. UH, AND WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY GONNA TALK ABOUT THE POLICY DECISIONS AROUND THE SALES TAX. UH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING AWARENESS TO CCPD AND FIRE CONTROL. UH, I AM GONNA ASK THE CHIEFS TO COME UP HERE AND GIVE A VERY SMALL OVERVIEW OF WHAT CCPD IS AND THE PROGRAMS THAT THEY OFFER. AND THEN I'LL ASK, UH, UH, THE OTHER CHIEF TO COME UP HERE AND DO THE SAME WITH FIRE CONTROL. UH, I THINK THEY DREW STRAWS AND KENNY SAID JOHN'S WAS, PD WAS SLOWER. SO THEY GET TO GO FIRST AND THEN FIRE CAN WRAP. UH, IT, IT WASN'T THAT WE DREW STRAWS, IT'S THAT, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ALWAYS HAS TO GO FIRST AND MAKE SURE THE SCENE IS SAFE FOR FIRE TO APPROACH . APPRECIATE, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I'M GONNA BE BRIEF. I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THIS IS GONNA BE AN OVERVIEW FOR YOU AND THINGS THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW, BUT IT JUST REINFORCES, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF, OF THIS BENEFIT TO THE CITY. UH, THE CCPD ACTUALLY ADDS A LOT OF VALUE, NOT JUST TO THE EMPLOYEES OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND TO THE ORGANIZATION ITSELF, BUT ALSO TO OUR CITIZENS. UM, AS YOU KNOW, IT'S A SPECIAL TAX DISTRICT THAT'S CREATED TO FUND SPECIALIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMS, EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY, AND THE ENHANCEMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. UH, IT'S NOT A PROPERTY TAX, SALES TAX, AND YOU CAN THINK OF IT AS A CONSUMPTION BASED TAX. UH, IT MEANS CCPD COMES LARGELY FROM PEOPLE WHO VISIT TRAVEL THROUGH OR COMMUTE TO THE CITY OF BAYTOWN [00:25:01] PURCHASING GOODS, FUEL, FOOD, EATING IN OUR RESTAURANTS, UH, STAYING IN OUR HOTELS. WHILE, WHILE THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT RESIDENTS AND THEY DON'T PAY LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES, THEY STILL USE PUBLIC SERVICES. OUR ROADWAYS, EMS, FIRE AND POLICE, THE CCPD ENSURES THAT, UH, THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING IN SOME WAY TO SOME OF THESE SERVICES THAT THEY DO CONSUME WHEN THEY'RE VISITING OUR CITY OR THEY'RE TRAVELING THROUGH OUR CITY. UH, THIS IS WHAT THE CCPD IS FUNDING WITHOUT GOING INTO A LOT OF DETAIL. UH, IT PAYS FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES AND CRITICAL TOOLS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED. AND THIS INCLUDES NEW POLICE VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT. NOW, WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT IS WE DON'T HAVE TO, UH, GO THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND OR CAPITAL FUND TO, UH, TO OUTFIT OUR POLICE OFFICERS WITH, UH, UH, WITH, WITH WELL EQUIPPED POLICE VEHICLES THAT HAVE ALL OF THE MDTS, THE MOBILE DATA TERMINALS. WE EVEN HAVE ENHANCED, UH, SAFETY FEATURES FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS IN THESE VEHICLES. LIKE, UH, UH, BULLET RESISTANT LINING FOR THE DOORS SO THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAD COVER NOT JUST CONCEALMENT, UH, DIGITAL FORENSICS AND ANALYTICS. THIS IS THE MODERN EQUIVALENT OF DNA, IT USED TO BE WHEN DNA TECHNOLOGY CAME OUT, THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT WE WERE GONNA BE ASKED FOR. NOW IT'S OUR TECHNOLOGIES AND OUR DIGITAL FORENSICS, UH, REAL TIME LOCATION TECHNOLOGY TO TRACK OFFENDERS, RECOVER STOLEN PROPERTY, AND YES, EVEN LOCATE MISSING PERSONS EVIDENCE, STORAGE SYSTEMS AND ADVANCED PLATFORMS, UH, FOR INFORMATION SHARING AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT. THESE INVESTMENTS LEAD TO FASTER ARREST AND CASE CLOSURES, BETTER RESPONSE TIMES, MORE EFFICIENT OPERATIONS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND SAFER STRESS FOR PROSECUTION OF VIOLENT OFFENDERS. SO WHY IS THIS MATTER TO BAYTOWN? DIGITAL FORENSICS AND, UH, AND TECHNOLOGY ARE TYPICALLY THE FIRST THINGS THAT A PROSECUTOR IS GOING TO ASK FOR. IN A MAJOR CASE. IT OFTEN IS THE DECIDING FACTOR IN SERIOUS CASES AND SENTENCING. AND IT MAY BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 20 TO 40 YEARS OF SENTENCING IN A MAJOR CASE THAT KEEPS A VIOLENT OFFENDER OFF OF OUR STREETS. WITHOUT THIS SYSTEM OR THE SYSTEMS THAT WE USE TO FUND OUR DIGITAL FORENSICS UNIT, UH, NOT ONLY ARE, UH, CASES SLOWER AND BEING MITIGATED, BUT JUSTICE IS SLOWER, WEAKER, OR SOMETIMES IT'S EVEN OUT OF REACH. UH, I WOULD OFFER YOU ONE SUCCESS STORY IF YOU ARE STILL FAMILIAR AND REMEMBER THE, UH, MURDER OF A YOUNG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN SHAY HILLS, UH, ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO NOW. UM, IT WAS SOLVED WITH, WITH THE AID OF CCPD ALL THE WAY THROUGH IT. OUR VERY FIRST TANGIBLE CLUE, CREDIBLE PIECE OF EVIDENCE WAS A FLOCK HIT FROM OUR A LPR. WITHOUT IT, WE MAY STILL BE LOOKING FOR A SUSPECT. THEN OUR DIGITAL FORENSIC UNIT GOT INVOLVED WITH CELL PHONE EXTRACTIONS, INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM EXTRACTIONS, UH, VEHICLE DATA EXTRACTIONS. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THERE WERE 13 TO 14, UH, FORENSIC EXTRACTIONS. THE OFFENDER PLED TO 40 YEARS. BAD GUY WAS CAUGHT. THEY CAN'T HURT ANYBODY ON OUR STREETS. RECENTLY, WE HAD A CARJACKING SUSPECT. WITHIN MINUTES, OUR, UH, TECHNOLOGY WAS ABLE TO LOCATE THE, UH, THE VEHICLE, AND WE WERE ABLE TO BRING THE, THE BAD GUY TO JUSTICE. THIS WAS, I BELIEVE, TWO, THREE WEEKS AGO NOW. BUT IT WAS WITHIN MINUTES THAT A VIOLENT OFFENDER WAS TAKEN OFF THE STREETS. IT STARTED WITH A, BASICALLY A HOME INVASION AT GUNPOINT. CCPD ACTS AS A FORCE MULTIPLIER FOR THE BAYTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT. IT INCREASES OUR EFFICIENCY, IT REDUCES RESPONSE TO INVESTIGATIONS TIMES, AND IT ENHANCES EVIDENCE, QUALITY AND PROSECUTORIAL SUCCESS. IT HELPS RETAIN, RETAIN O RETAIN OFFICERS IN THIS COMPETITIVE RECRUITING ENVIRONMENT BY EQUIPPING THEM TO DO THEIR JOB EFFECTIVELY. SO WHAT HAPPENS IF, UH, IF WE LOSE THE CCPD? AND JUST AS CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, UH, IF, IF, IF IT FAILS AND WE LOSE IT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT LOSES NEARLY $2.5 MILLION AND SO DOES THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, THIS WOULD FORCE US TO MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS AS A, AS A DEPARTMENT AND PROBABLY AS A AN ORGANIZATION, UH, WE MAY HAVE TO CUT SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS AND TECHNOLOGY IS CURRENTLY FUNDED BY CCPD, UH, WHICH ALWAYS BENEFITS THAT I JUST MENTIONED. THEY'RE GONE FOR OUR CITIZENS. WE TAKE THAT VALUE AWAY FROM THEM. UH, WE MIGHT HAVE TO REALLOCATE FUND FROM OTHER CITY PROJECTS OR DEPARTMENTS IF IT'S DETERMINED IF THESE ARE STILL PRIORITIES, UH, OR THE DEPARTMENT MAY HAVE TO BEGIN LOOKING AT PERSONNEL TESTS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO FUND THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS VITAL TECHNOLOGY AND THESE THINGS THAT WE NEED. SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE CCPD IS ESSENTIAL TO KEEPING BAYTOWN SAFE, EFFICIENT, AND EQUIPPED FOR MODERN POLICING. AND IT'S RENEWAL ENSURERS THAT WE MAINTAIN TOOLS, TECHNOLOGY, AND STAFFING NEEDS, UH, TO [00:30:01] SERVE AND PROTECT REPUBLIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JOHN. SCENE, SAFE TO APPROACH . I LIKE TO COMPARE IT MORE TO OPENING ACT AND HEADLINE. LET'S ON THE SOFTBALL FIELD. THAT WAS GOOD. CHIEF SPEAR DID A GREAT JOB OF KIND OF DOING THE INTRO ON THE SALES TAX AND HOW THE FUNDING COMES IN. SO I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, FIRE, OR WE CALL IT FIRE CONTROL, BUT IT'S FIRE CONTROL PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES DISTRICT. IT'S TOO MUCH. WE LIKE ACRONYMS, SO WE, WE CAN'T MAKE A WORD OF IT. BUT, UM, SO, UM, ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO, UM, WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN. OUR, OUR FIRE CONTROL FUNDS WERE KIND OF DECIDED ON THE SPENDING AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH YEAR, AND WE DID OUR BUDGET. AND SO WE'VE KIND OF NARROWED IT DOWN TO, TO THREE KEY AREAS. AND THOSE AREAS ARE OUR FIRE APPARATUS AND, UH, VEHICLES, OUR FIRE EQUIPMENT. AND THEN, UM, THE FIRE TRAINING FIELD, WE'VE GOT A PIECE THAT GOES TO THAT, UH, REAL QUICK ON THE FIRE TRAINING FIELD, THAT ONE'S KIND OF SIMPLE. WE PAY THE DEBT FOR THE FACILITY THAT'S OUT THERE. THE MAINLY THE, UM, CLASSROOM BUILDING THAT WE ALL USE. UM, IT IS KEY TO OUR PERSONNEL MAINTAINING THEIR LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS WE USE A LOT, UTILIZE IT FOR CLASSES FOR RECERTIFICATION. AND SO THAT'S BEEN, UH, REALLY KEY TO US IN OUR TRAINING DIVISION. WE'VE GOT A FEW YEARS LEFT ON THAT FOR THE DEBT PAYMENT. AND THAT IS A PART OF THE FUNDING FROM FIRE CONTROL. UM, THE OTHER TWO COMPONENTS, THE FIRE APPARATUS AND FIRE EQUIPMENT ARE, ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR US NOW BECAUSE, UM, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT REPLACING THE EQUIPMENT. WE HAVE, AGAIN, EIGHT YEARS AGO WE DID NOT HAVE A REALLY GOOD VEHICLE REPLACEMENT PLAN. AND SO FIRE CONTROL PLAYED PAID FOR A LOT OF OPERATING COSTS IN THE TRAINING FIELD. AND, UM, WHEN WE NEED AN APPARATUS, UH, WE NEED A NEW FIRE ENGINE, WE NEED AN AMBULANCE, WE WOULD SUBMIT IT AS A SUPPLEMENTAL AND WE'D GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF COMPETING WITH EVERYONE ELSE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GONNA GET FUNDED. THAT HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS. FIRE CONTROL NOW, UM, IS OUR, UH, MECHANISM FOR OUR FIRETRUCK AND AMBULANCE REPLACEMENT. AND SO WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD ROTATION. AND I THINK WHAT'S MOST KEY ABOUT THAT IS THAT, UM, IT'S, UH, REALLY ELEVATED OUR RELIABILITY OF OUR VEHICLES. AND SO, AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU SEE ENGINE TWO ACROSS THE STREET, THE THE FIRETRUCK THAT'S ALL RED, THAT'S THE NEWER MODEL. UM, THIS COMING YEAR, IF ALL WORKS OUT WE'LL REPLACE ENGINE FOUR, ENGINE FIVE, AND THEN ALL SEVEN OF THE FIRE ENGINES WILL BE THE NEWER MODEL. WE'LL HAVE GONE THROUGH A FULL ROTATION. AND, UH, AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT ONLY IMPORTANT FOR RELIABILITY OF THE VEHICLES FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS, BUT ALSO THAT YOU GET THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY WHEN YOU UPGRADE THOSE VEHICLES. AND THERE'S THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE AS, UM, AS, UH, PRIORITIES CHANGE AND TECHNOLOGY CHANGES. UH, ALSO ON THE AMBULANCES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FIRE TRUCKS THAT ARE ALMOST $1.3 MILLION NOW IN AMBULANCES THAT ARE CLOSE TO, UH, 400,000. SO WE DO A ROTATION WITH OUR AMBULANCES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE RELIABLE. AND, AND ALSO, UM, IMPORTANT IS THAT OUR, OUR BACKUP UNITS ARE RELIABLE AND THAT WE HAVE SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF THOSE. AND SO, UM, THOSE ARE THE, THE PROBABLY THE KEY THINGS. AND FIRE CONTROL, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. WE ALSO BUY FIRE EQUIPMENT OUT OF THERE. UH, FIRE EQUIPMENT, LIKE THE JAWS OF LIFE, WE DO SPREADERS OF THE RESCUE TOOL. UM, WE'VE GOT BUNKER GEAR IN THERE. NOW, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, BUNKER GEAR HAS A REPLACEMENT CYCLE OF 10 YEARS. WE TRY TO MAINTAIN TWO SETS OF, OF FOR FIREFIGHTER. AND SO THERE'S A ROTATION PROCESS. SO IT IS, UH, IT'S VITALLY IMPORTANT, UM, THAT WE HAVE THIS, THIS FUNDING MECHANISM THAT MAINTAINS THAT ROTATION OF EQUIPMENT AND MAINTAINS THAT ROTATION OF OUR EMERGENCY VEHICLES. AND AGAIN, AS CHIEF STRINGER SAID, IT'S ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. UM, IF THAT, UH, IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT MECHANISM, THEN WE WOULD BE GOING BACK TO SUPPLEMENTALS. UH, WE'D BE LOOKING AT CUTTING SOME AREAS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET IN ORDER TO FUND THINGS LIKE REPLACEMENT AMBULANCES AND FIRE TRUCKS. AND UH, WE ALSO HAVE A LADDER TRUCK, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THAT'S ABOUT A $2 MILLION PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE. AND SO, AGAIN, WE'VE ALREADY GOT THAT IN OUR PLAN AND WE THINK WE'RE REALLY VERY WELL PREPARED AS THIS MECHANISM CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU. COULD WE ASK QUESTIONS? NO, ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. UM, AND SO I, I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO, TO HIGHLIGHT THE, YOU KNOW, THE PURPOSE OF BOTH OF THESE, UM, STRUCTURES. AND UM, AND IT SAYS SHOULD THESE FAIL? SO COULD YOU DESCRIBE THE INSTANCES THAT WOULD CAUSE IT TO FAIL? UM, SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT, OR MAYBE IT'S HAPPENED OR CAN YOU KIND OF WALK THROUGH THAT? RIGHT. UH, I COULD GIVE [00:35:01] A CLEAR EXAMPLE. THE, THESE TWO SALES TAX ISSUES PASSED MANY YEARS AGO. AND, AND I WAS A MEMBER OF STAFF AT THAT TIME. THEY PASSED OVERWHELMINGLY WITH THE PUBLIC. PUBLIC LIKED THE IDEA OF HAVING DEDICATED SOME OF THE SALES TAXES SPECIFICALLY TO FIRE AND PD. IT WENT OVER WELL AFTER, AND THEY RENEWED EVERY FIVE YEARS. MM-HMM . WENT OVER, WELL THE SECOND TIME WE WENT, THE FIRST TIME WE WENT FOR A NEW RENEWAL FOR THE SECOND FIVE YEARS, UH, THE CITY DECIDED ON THE POLICE SIDE TO GO FOR A 10 YEAR VERSUS FIVE YEARS. AND IT WAS DEFEATED. AND WE SCRAMBLED FOR TWO YEARS. 'CAUSE YOU HAD TO DELAY TWO YEARS. WE SCRAMBLED FOR TWO YEARS TO GET THAT REDONE. UM, BUT THEY WENT BACK TO FIVE YEARS AND IT PASSED OVERWHELMINGLY AGAIN. SO THE RESPONSE TO THE CITIZENS, AS YOU TOLD US WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED, WE'D COME BACK, CITY WOULD COME BACK EVERY FIVE YEARS FOR RENEWAL. AND THE CITIZENS SEE THAT. THEY BUY THE FIRE TRUCKS, THEY BUY THE AMBULANCES, THEY BUY EQUIPMENT, PD, THEY BUY EQUIPMENT AND THEY SEE WHAT'S BEING SPENT. AND THE CI AGAIN, IT'S A TRUST ISSUE. SO THE CITIZENS, YES. YOU KNOW, THAT WE WANT THAT DONE 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT PD BEGGING FOR CARS. WE DON'T WANT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EMS BEGGING FOR AMBULANCES OR FIRE TRUCKS. AND WE DON'T WANT TO COME OUTTA THE GENERAL FUND. SO, SO AGAIN, THAT'S THE FAILURE IS IF, IF WE STOP DOING WHAT WE TELL THE CITIZENS WE'RE GOING TO DO, BUT PD AND, AND FIRE HAS DONE VERY WELL WITH THAT. SO IT PASSES OVERWHELMINGLY EVERY TIME. 'CAUSE THEY CAN SEE THAT WHERE THEIR MONEY'S GOING. RIGHT? SO, SO THAT'S THE REAL KEY THERE. UM, PD HAD ACTUALLY POLICE OFFICERS IN IT FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF TERMS. AND WE FINALLY GOT THOSE OUT, WHAT, TWO YEARS AGO? 2022 I BELIEVE. YEAH. WE FINALLY GOT THE PERSONNEL OUT OF IT. 'CAUSE THE CITIZENS DIDN'T LIKE THAT. UM, THEY WANTED IT TO BE HARD, HARD ASSETS. RIGHT. SO THAT'S A GOOD THING. YEAH. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IT IS ON THIS YEAR, THE BOND ELECTION OR NOT THE BOND, THE ELECTION, GENERAL ELECTION. GENERAL ELECTION. THESE ARE TWO ITEMS THAT ARE ON GENERAL ELECTION. AND SO WE WOULD BE SCRAMBLING TO FIND $5 MILLION. THAT'S CORRECT. SHOULD THAT FAIL AFTER WE'VE ALREADY DONE A BUDGET. AND SO, UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I WANTED TO GET THROUGH. AND WE BELIEVE THE COMMUNITY WILL, UH, AUTHORIZE THESE TO CONTINUE. UH, IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT THE COUNCIL KNOWS THAT THERE IS A RISK POINT THAT WE, UH, NEED TO KEEP ON THE RADAR. UH, SHOULD IT GO A DIFFERENT WAY THAN WE BELIEVE IT WILL. UH, AND IT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO ADJUST THE BUDGET WITH, UH, INITIALLY. THANK YOU. UM, ANOTHER PIECE THAT WE HAVE IS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX. THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT PASSED THE STATE LEGISLATURE, UH, THIS YEAR. I'M GONNA TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT IT'S AN UNKNOWN. IT'S AN UNKNOWN OF HOW MUCH WILL BE IMPACTED. THE CURRENT ASSESSMENTS THAT WE BELIEVE WILL IMPACT OUR GENERAL FUND IS RIGHT AT A MILLION DOLLARS. WE THINK THAT WE WILL LOSE, UH, ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE. UH, BECAUSE WHAT THIS DOES IS IT IS IT ALLOWS BUSINESSES TO RIDE OFF $125,000 OF THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX, WHICH IS AN INCREASE FROM THE 2,500 THEY WERE ABLE TO DO BEFORE. SO IT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT WRITE OFF. UH, AND, UH, OUR INITIAL ESTIMATES ARE RIGHT AT A MILLION DOLLARS IN LOST REVENUE. UH, HOWEVER, UH, I JUST WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE. UH, AND WE PROBABLY WON'T KNOW UNTIL WE DO THE TAX RATE, UH, AND GET THE, THE UPDATED, UH, DATA FROM HARRIS COUNTY. UH, BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE EXPECTING IT TO BE A MILLION DOLLAR LOSS. UH, THE NEXT THING THAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT, UM, IS THE TAX RATE. AND, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE MENTIONED, UH, IN THE OPENING. AND IT'S THIS BUDGET AS PREPARED FOR YOU TODAY IS BUILT OFF THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE COUNCIL, NOT VOTED ON, BUT THE GENERAL DIRECTION, UH, TO BUILD THIS BUDGET WITH A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE. AND, UH, I HAD TO REWRITE THIS WHOLE PORTION OF THIS BECAUSE I WENT TO MY TEAM AND THE TEAM SAID, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? AND LIKE, FIND A BETTER WAY TO LIKE TELL THIS MESSAGE. AND, AND IT RESONATED. AND SO LIKE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF IT IS THEY, UH, SAID, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SHOW US? LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SHOW US WITH THE TAX RATE? AND ULTIMATELY, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH FOUR GRAPHS AND BE THANKFUL. I HAD LIKE EIGHT. UH, AND THE STAFF TOLD ME, DUDE, THAT'S ALL, I THINK THAT'S ALL HE SAID WAS, DUDE, UH, AND JUST PICK UP ON THE TONE . BUT, UM, I WANT SHOW DIFFERENT WAYS TO ATTACK [00:40:01] THE TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SHOW. AND I WANT US TO HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS WHEN WE, OR DIFFERENT WAYS OF THINKING OR JUST POSSIBLY HAVE DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENT PIECES THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY FOCUSED ON JUST THE TAX RATE. OKAY. THIS GRAPH IS FROM OUR AUDIT. UH, THESE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT WERE PRESENTED IN THE AUDIT. UM, AND THE TOP ONE IS OUR IDA. AND IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST THING THAT HIGHLIGHTS THAT BAYTOWN IS UNIQUE. OKAY? THIS IS OUR BIGGEST REVENUE DRIVER, AND I HONESTLY SHOULD DO A BETTER JOB DISCUSSING HOW ALL THESE TOOLS WORK IN TANDEM. UM, SO THAT YOU FUTURE COUNCILS AND THE COMMUNITY BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW IT ALL TIES TOGETHER. AND, UM, THAT THERE'S MORE TO LOOK AT THAN JUST THE TAX RATE. THE, THIS HISTORICAL DATA PAINTS A PRETTY CLEAR PICTURE. UM, AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THINGS WERE CORRECTED. UH, AND I'LL GO THROUGH THAT A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THAT IN 2016 WE HAD LIKE THIS REAL KICKOFF WITH IDAS, AND IDAS REALLY STARTED TO JUST BOUNCE. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT, THEY STARTED TO FLATTEN OUT AROUND 2020, THAT WAS A DISCUSSION AROUND GOING TO NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE ONLY. AND THAT IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY OBVIOUS, AND I'LL SHOW THIS IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT SALES TAX HAS MODERATELY INCREASED OVER TIME OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. AND OUR PROPERTY TAXES HAVE GONE UP. AND WHEN I SAY PROPERTY TAXES, THIS BLUE LINE IS STRICTLY FOCUSED ON RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY ROUGHLY MAKES UP, UH, 60% OF THAT VALUE. SO IN TOTAL, I THINK IT'S LIKE $6 BILLION, UH, IN VALUE THAT'S TAXABLE. AND YOU KNOW, JUST SIMPLY, I THINK 4 MILLION OF ITS RESIDENTIAL HOMES AND 2 MILLION OF IT IS, UH, COMMERCIAL VALUE. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT PROPERTY TAX LINE THAT A MAJORITY OF THAT IS ACTUAL, UH, RESIDENTIAL HOMES CONTRIBUTING TO A A LOT OF THAT, THIS NEXT SLIDE, IT'S A LOT. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A LOT. THE BLUE AND ORANGE ARE REVENUE OVER EXPENSES FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS. YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S BEEN FAIRLY CONSTANT WITH GOING UP ON BOTH REVENUE AND EXPENSES. THE GRAY LINE THAT YOU SEE IS OUR DAYS OF RESERVES. AND IF YOU THINK BACK TO THE INTRO, WE TALK ABOUT EXTREMES AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF EXTREMES IN, UH, WHAT OUR REVENUE AND EXPENSES ARE FOR THE CITY. ON THE PREVIOUS, YOU HAD THE EXTREMES OF IDA GROWTH. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT OVER HERE AND YOU CAN START TO SEE THAT THE DAYS OF RESERVE REALLY WENT UP WITH THE IDAS REALLY GOING UP. AND WE HAD AT ITS PEAK 180 DAYS OF RESERVE, OKAY? SIX MONTHS OF THE, OF RESERVES. NOW THAT CAN BE LOOKED AT IN MULTIPLE WAYS BY YOU, BY THE COMMUNITY THAT PEOPLE CAN SAY, YOU OVERCHARGE THIS. NO, NOBODY'S OVERCHARGING YOU. IT'S JUST THEY DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF LIKE REVENUE COMING IN THAT PROBABLY WAS NOT EXPECTED. OKAY? YOU PROBABLY SPENT LESS THAN WHAT YOU BUDGETED, UH, OVERALL BECAUSE WHAT THESE DO INCLUDE IS ALSO CAPITAL. AND WHEN YOU LOOK ON THE FAR RIGHT HERE, WHEN YOU HAVE THE ORANGE ABOVE THE BLUE, YOU ALSO SEE THE DAYS OF RESERVE GOING DOWN. AND Y'ALL MADE CONSCIOUS DECISIONS. AND WHEN I SAY Y'ALL JUST COUNSELS TODAY AND IN THE PAST, UM, MADE CONSCIOUS DECISIONS TO SPEND DOWN THE RESERVES TO ADDRESS CAPITAL. AND SO THAT'S INTERESTING TO LOOK AT. AND THEN WE SAY, DID WE OVERCORRECT AND DO WE NEED TO START MAKING SURE IT GOES UP AGAIN BECAUSE MAYBE WE SPENT TOO MUCH OF IT AT ONE TIME. THAT PLAYS INTO ANOTHER GRAPH ON THE TAX RATE. THIS ONE'S IMPACTFUL TO ME, BUT IT'S PROBABLY THE HARDEST FOR ME, ME TO TRY TO, TO LIKE PUSH OUT WHAT IT MEANS. OKAY? YOU CAN SHOW A DECREASE IN THE TAX RATE OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. THE, THE ORANGE IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT. THAT IS THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION PORTION OF THE TAX RATE. THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION IS WHAT PAYS FOR THE PERSONNEL. IT'S WHAT PAYS FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY HAPPENINGS OF THE CITY. [00:45:01] AND BY AND LARGE, IT HAS BEEN CONSTANT BY AND LARGE, SMALL INCREASE. IF YOU ACTUALLY PUT A TREND LINE IN THERE, IT'S PROBABLY A SMALL INCREASE OVER THE 10 YEARS. UH, BUT BY AND LARGE IT'S BEEN FLAT. THIS PORTION IS THE INS OF THE, OF THE TAX RATE. SO THE TAX RATE, YEAH, YOU GET THE DRAW. UH, OUR CURRENT TAX RATE IS 70 CENTS, M AND O IS 45 CENTS AND DEBT. THE INS PORTION IS 25 CENTS. HELLO CAMERA. UM, THE BIGGEST THING TO NOTICE UP HERE IS THAT THE DEBT HAS DECREASED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. AND IF YOU REMEMBER THE, THE, THE THING, THE GRAPH BEFORE ON THE DAYS OF RESERVE, THIS WILL DIRECTLY CORRELATE WITH THE DAYS OF RESERVE DECREASING. OKAY? UM, OR RUN IN PARALLEL, WHATEVER MATHEMATICAL TERM WE NEED TO USE THERE. I DON'T KNOW. UM, BUT IT'S ALSO VERY MISLEADING. THE ONLY REASON WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DECREASE THE TAX RATE IS BECAUSE WE'VE DECREASED DEBT USAGE, OKAY? AND BECAUSE WE'VE DECREASED DEBT USAGE, IT'S GIVEN US THE APPEARANCE THAT WE HAVE MORE MONEY IN MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION. OKAY? IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE MORE MONEY TO SPEND, BUT IF WE DON'T KEEP DEBT CONSTANT, THIS IS GONNA CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THIS EXTREME OF THEN WHEN YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO ISSUE DEBT, THIS GRAY BAR IS GONNA SHOOT WAY UP. AND IF THAT GRAY BAR SHOOTS WAY UP AND YOU, AND YOU HAVE THE MENTALITY THAT WE CAN ONLY THE, THE, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE FOR, FOR NEXT YEAR IS MOST LIKELY GONNA BE 68 CENTS. AND SO IF YOU HAVE THE MENTALITY THAT WE HAVE TO STAY WITH THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND YOU ISSUE THE DEBT, IT'S AUTOMATICALLY GOING TO DECREASE THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION PORTION, WHICH MEANS THAT YOU WILL HAVE IMMEDIATE LESS MONEY TO CONTINUE OPERATIONS FOR, UH, THE CITY. NOW THAT GOES INTO A WHOLE PHILOSOPHICAL, UH, DEBATE ABOUT GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND THERE PEOPLE ARE EXPECTING THAT TO GO UP WITH IT. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO TALK MORE ABOUT AND WE NEED TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS IN TANDEM WITH ALL THIS BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED, THANK YOU. WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS IS WHILE IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE MORE MONEY FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION PORTION, WHAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE DONE IS DECREASED THE AMOUNT THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION TO RUN THE BUSINESS. AND SO WE HAVE ACTUALLY DECREASED THE AMOUNT OF MONEY READILY AVAILABLE TO, TO PAY THE PERSONNEL OR TO PAY THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE NOT INCREASED PERSONNEL, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE NOT HAD SUPPLEMENTALS FOR, FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. AND IT'S BEEN VERY STABLE OR, UH, JUST FLAT, UH, WHILE WE'VE GONE THROUGH THESE CHANGES. AND SO IT IS JUST A DIFFERENT WAY TO LOOK AT IT. AND THEN MY FINAL GRAPH IS THE FIRST GRAPH THAT YOU SAW WITH AN OVERLAY OF THE TAX RATE. SO THE BLUE LINE UP THERE IS THE TAX RATE AND YOU CAN SEE A PRETTY DRASTIC DROP IN THE TAX RATE, UH, SINCE 2018. WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT HERE IS THAT WE DON'T, THE INTENT OF LOWERING THE TAX RATE IS TO PROVIDE MORE BENEFITS TO THE HOMEOWNERS. IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT? MM-HMM . IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, WHAT WE CAN SAY IS THAT IDAS ARE PAYING LESS, OKAY? AND YOU'RE PUTTING MORE OF THE BURDEN ON THE HOMEOWNER TO PICK UP THE DELTA, UH, AS THE TAX RATE LOWERS. AND SO AS THE TAX RATE CONTINUES TO GO DOWN, THE BLUE LINE WILL INCREASE THE PROPORTION OF WHAT TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING, UH, TO FUND THIS. BECAUSE THE INTERESTING PIECE ABOUT HOW WE ARE SET UP AS A UNIQUE CITY WITH IDA'S IS THAT OUR IDAS DO NOT CONTRIBUTE TO DEBT. SO ANY DEBT ISSUED IS ONLY DONE BY HOMEOWNERS AND [00:50:01] COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN. THAT'S AN INTERESTING DYNAMIC, RIGHT? AND WHAT HAPPENS, AND I I'M GONNA DO A LITTLE MATH, OKAY? AND I DON'T WANT TO GET LOST BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO SABRINA, CAN YOU HELP ME? I GOT IT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. OKAY. AND YOU, THIS WAS COMING. YEAH. SO OUR CURRENT TAX RATE IS 70 CENTS. OKAY? AND WE CURRENTLY ARE BUDGETED FOR $68 MILLION WITH IDAS. SO WHAT I'LL DO IS DIVIDE 70 DIVIDED BY 68.68% AND THIS GIVES ME THE VALUE. OKAY? THE VALUE OF, OF OUR SUB, IT SHOULD BE 9.7 BILLION, RIGHT? 9 9 7 1 4 2 5 8 7 1 4. IS THAT CORRECT? WE JUST DID THIS YESTERDAY, YES. OH, ACTUALLY 2 8 5 2 8 5, SORRY, WE'RE STILL FIVE. OKAY. SO THAT'S THE VALUE OF ALL OF OUR IDA THAT WE HAVE IN BAYTOWN RIGHT NOW THAT CONTRIBUTE TO PAYING, UH, THAT'S NOT RIGHT. WHAT DID I DO WRONG HERE? 68 MILLION. 68 MILLION DIVIDED BY 0.7%. THAT'S STILL THE NUMBER. I KNOW THAT, THAT'S WHAT I DID. YEAH. OKAY. WE RECEIVED $68 MILLION DIVIDED BY OUR TAX RATE. GIVES OUR VALUE. SO OUR VALUE FOR IDA'S RANGES, IT, IT, IT CHANGES AND GROWS. IT, IT GROWS BY A HUNDRED MILLION A YEAR OR 400 MILLION A YEAR. BUT BY AND LARGE I'M GONNA SAY WE HAVE A VERY GOOD YEAR AND IT GROWS BY 400 MILLION. OKAY? SO I THEN TAKE THIS, UM, AND I TAKE, UH, TEN, TEN ONE ONE FOUR, TWO EIGHT, FIVE, SEVEN, ONE FOUR. IS THAT WHAT YOU HAVE ON THERE? PLUS 400 MILLION? YEAH, IT'S TEN SEVEN ONE FOUR YOU SURE. PLUS 400 MILLION. NO, 9 7 1 4 PLUS 400 MILLION. OH NO, SORRY. NO, YOU'RE RIGHT. OKAY. SO TIMES THAT, REMEMBER I SAID THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS MOST LIKELY GONNA BE 68 CENTS. OKAY? TIMES THAT BY 0.68%, IT SHOULD BE 68.7 MILLION, RIGHT? 68. SO THE 68 MILLION THAT WE RECEIVED THIS YEAR WILL ONLY GROW TO 700,000 IF 400 MILLION IS ADDED. SO WHAT I WOULD ASK YOU AT THIS POINT IS TAKE THIS 10.14 MILLION OR BILLION AND TIMES THAT BY POINT 70. SORRY, IT'S A LOT OF NUMBERS. IT'S A BIG NUMBER. IT'S ONLY, OKAY, 70.8 70, 70,800,000. SO IF YOU STAYED AT 70 CENTS, YOU HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 2.1 MILLION THAT'S ADDED TO OUR CHARTS AND YOU WILL CONTINUE TO GROW. HERE'S THE OTHER INTERESTING THING THAT I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH. IF WE WOULD'VE KEPT THE TAX RATE AT 82 CENTS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND WE NEVER DECREASED IT, NEVER DECREASED IT ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL NOW. OKAY, THAT IS ON THIS CHART, A 10 CENTS DIFFERENCE. OKAY? THAT IS A 10 CENT DIFFERENCE. ANYBODY KNOW THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE IN BAYTOWN? 230, 200 50,000? THAT'S THE AVERAGE HOME IN BAYTOWN. OKAY, I'LL JUST USE THIS ONE FOR NOW. UM, YOUR QUESTION, THANK YOU. 250,000 IS THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE IN BAYTOWN. IF I TIMES THAT BY THE 10 CENTS DIFFERENCE IN THE PROPERTY TAX RATE, THAT EQUALS $250. THAT'S IT. SO 10 CENTS IS $250 FOR THE HOMEOWNER. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT TO BE LIKE, OH, IT'S ONLY TWO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING. I'M SAYING IF WE STAYED AT 82 CENTS THIS ENTIRE TIME, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN MORE [00:55:04] THAN 15 MILLION EXTRA DOLLARS A YEAR TO THE GENERAL FUND WITH THE IDAS PAYING A BIGGER PORTION OF THAT. AND THEN THEY SAY, OKAY, BUT HOMEOWNERS ARE NOW PAYING MORE. RIGHT? OKAY, I UNDERSTAND THAT. LET'S ADDRESS THAT. WE HAVE 20,300 HOMES IN BAYTOWN. IF I PAY EVERY, EVERY SINGLE HOMEOWNER THE DIFFERENCE, THE $250 DIFFERENCE EVERY SINGLE YEAR, IT'S ROUGHLY TO 5 MILLION OR 6 5, 5 0.0 7, 5, 5 0.075 MILLION. SO I COULD PAY EVERY HOMEOWNER BACK THAT $250 DIFFERENCE IN A TAX RATE AND STILL BE $10 MILLION AHEAD. OKAY? IT'D STILL BE $10 MILLION AHEAD. IDAS ARE PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE, THE HOMEOWNERS ARE COMPENSATED BACK FOR THE EXTRA THAT'S COMING ON THEIR TAX BILL THAT STILL LEAVES THE CITY AN EXTRA $10 MILLION ON TOP OF THAT. I COULD PAY FOR ALL THE SANITATION WITH THAT $10 MILLION. SO THE HOMEOWNERS ARE SEEING A DIFFERENCE IN HOW WE UTILIZE OUR TOOLS, BUT IT'S A VERY CONSTANT CONVERSATION IN EDUCATION WITH NOT ONLY THE COUNCIL BUT WITH OUR COMMUNITY, WITH OUR STAFF. BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE. IF YOU START SAYING, I HAVE THAT 15 MILLION EXTRA DOLLARS, THAT'S NOT GONNA GO OVER WELL WITH PEOPLE, RIGHT? IT'S GONNA TAKE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, IT'S GONNA TAKE US UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT WAYS TO USE OUR TOOLS AND DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THINGS SO THAT WE, THAT WE FOCUS ON HOW UNIQUE WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN FUND THE SERVICES THAT WE WANT TO FUND, BUT ALSO HAVE BETTER ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM AND TALK MORE IN DEPTH ABOUT PIECES AND, AND GET AWAY FROM JUST ONE PORTION OF OUR PHILOSOPHY ON THE FORMULA. I'M GONNA PAUSE THERE 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S A LOT BAD. WHAT'S THAT QUESTION? THAT GOES BACK TO THE LEVEL OF SERVICE ALSO, RIGHT? I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING . WHAT'S THAT? THAT GOES BACK TO THE LEVEL THAT'S DIRECTLY AFFECTING THE LEVEL OF SERVICE IT IS BECAUSE EVERY, ALL OF OUR EXPENSES ARE, ARE RELATED TO THE REVENUE THAT WE HAVE. OR IF YOU USE THE 10 MILLION, MAYBE YOU DON'T PAY SANITATION, BUT YOU REDUCE THE DEBT THAT YOU'RE HAVING TO ISSUE EACH YEAR. AND IF YOU'RE REDUCING THE DEBT THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY EACH YEAR, THEN THEN YOU CAN ARGUE THAT THAT IDAS ARE PAYING TOWARDS THE DEBT INSTEAD OF, OR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS INSTEAD INSTEAD OF PROPERTY TAX. RIGHT NOW, THIS IS LOOKING BACK IN HINDSIGHT'S 2020, RIGHT? THAT'S EASY TO LOOK BACK AND CHANGING THAT GOING FORWARD. I DON'T KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE DIFFERENT DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING TO JUST LOOK AT HOW WE, HOW WE DO THINGS MAYBE DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY BEEN THE DISCUSSION WE'VE BEEN HAVING FOR TWO YEARS. OKAY, PERFECT. SO AS WE GO THROUGH DIFFERENT SECTIONS, WE WANNA HAVE SMALL MINI CONVERSATIONS SO THAT WE DOCUMENT OUR THOUGHTS AND WHAT WE WERE THINKING. BRIAN, ARE ANYTHING WITH THAT? OKAY, PERFECT. SO, UH, IN THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST HEARD FROM DAN, PROPERTY TAX RATE, WHAT, UM, UH, IS SOME GOOD NEWS? I PUT A SHEET ON YOUR PAPER SO YOU KIND OF KNEW WHERE WE WERE GOING. TOP LEFT SOME GOOD NEWS THAT YOU HEARD IN THAT CONVERSATION. DON'T YOU ALL CHILLS UP AT ONE? THERE'S TOOLS AVAILABLE. TOOLS AVAILABLE. WHAT? I MEAN I CAN PAUSE RIGHT NOW BEFORE WE DO THIS. LEMME SEE. OKAY. I MEAN, OVERALL I WOULD SAY, I MEAN TO YOUR EXAMPLE, I MEAN, WE'VE TIGHTENED THE BELT, WE'VE DONE THE WORK WE NEED TO DO AND WE'RE KIND OF SEEING THAT, UM, SOME, SOME OF THESE THINGS LINE BACK OUT TO WHERE WE'RE, I MEAN, REVENUE IS HIGHER THAN EXPENSES. MM-HMM . I, I JUST DON'T LIKE THE OF THAT BURDEN IS RISKING ON THE PROPERTY TAX WHEN WE HAVE THAT CONCERNS. YEAH. THAT'S ONE WE HAVE ABOUT GOOD NEWS. [01:00:01] YEAH. WHEN WE WERE TALKING, TALKING ABOUT GOOD NEWS, WE HAVEN'T ASKED THE BAD NEWS YET. JUMPING AHEAD CONCERNS NOT BAD. WE CAN JUMP INTO CONCERNS. THAT'S RIGHT. WE CAN UP THE CONCERNS WITH THE, WITH THE PROPERTY TAX, KNOWING WHERE WE SEE PROPERTY TAX GOING WITH EVERYBODY WANTING TO CUT IT. UM, THAT COULD PUT US IN A BAD SITUATION IF, IF WE CONT IF WE CONTINUE TO SEE THINGS GOING IN THAT DIRECTION. OKAY. THANK YOU. OTHER CONCERNS? GOOD NEWS IS, UM, WE, WE ARE BLESSED WITH OUR IDA. YES. UNIQUE CITY. UNIQUE CITY. THAT'S GOOD NEWS. YEAH, I THINK JUST OVERALL, LIKE I, NONE OF THAT WAS A SURPRISE TO ME. I MEAN, I THINK IT WAS GOOD TO SEE IT IN NUMBERS, UM, LIKE THE ACTUAL CONCRETE DATA. I MEAN I, I, I THINK WE'VE KNOWN ALL ALONG, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT LIKE EVERY TIME WE CUT THAT RATE, IT'S REALLY HELPING INDUSTRY MORE THAN IT'S HELPING OUR INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS. THE PROBLEM IS JUST, UM, FIND, YOU KNOW, USING THE TOOLS WE HAVE, LIKE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, HOW CAN WE SOMEWHAT UNCOUPLE THOSE THINGS MM-HMM . BECAUSE THEY'VE JUST ALWAYS BEEN CONNECTED. SO, UM, MAYBE IT'S A CONCERN I JUST EXPLAINING ALL THIS IN A WAY TO, UM, THE PUBLIC TO WHERE THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND IF WE DON'T DO NO NEW REVENUE, LIKE HERE'S WHAT IT MEANS. HERE'S, HERE'S THE OTHER TOOLS WE'RE GONNA USE. LIKE, IT, IT WOULD BE A HUGE EDUCATION PIECE. I MEAN, 'CAUSE WE LOOK AT THIS FAR MORE THAN THE AVERAGE CITIZEN AND I THINK IT'S STILL A LOT FOR US TO, TO PROCESS. UM, AND SO, UH, IT'S JUST THINKING HOW, HOW DO WE USE THOSE TOOLS AND STILL LIKE EXPLAIN IT ALL IN A GOOD WAY THAT EVERYONE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND THAT'S, I'M RIGHT WITH JACOB ON THAT IS CLIENT. HOW COME, OKAY, IF WE WENT TO JUST BELOW THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, WHICH WOULD BE A TAX INCREASE, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A BEATING ON IT TO RAISE MY TAXES. BUT IF WE SHOWED THAT THAT LITTLE BIT OF A TAX INCREASE, THEN WE COULD BASICALLY OFFSET AND NOT DO THE RATE INCREASES FOR UTILITIES AND, AND THAT WOULD COVER IT. THAT IS KIND AND THAT WOULD BE FAR LESS OF AN IMPACT ON THE AVERAGE CITIZEN. AND THEN INSTEAD OF DOING THE RATE INCREASE, WE'RE GONNA RAISE THE TAXES, BUT WE'RE GOING TO COVER THE RATE INCREASES AND YOU'RE GONNA SAVE MORE MONEY IF IT DOES THAT. RIGHT. AND IT'S KIND LIKE, THAT'S TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EDUCATION, BUT IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WE CAN KEEP THE NO REVENUE AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA PAY AN EXTRA, WHAT, EIGHT, $9 A MONTH, 80 TO A HUNDRED BUCKS A YEAR ON UTILITY FEES, OR WE COULD RAISE THE TAXES TO A CERTAIN LEVEL. WE'LL OFFSET THAT A HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR TO YOU AND IT'S STILL LESS MONEY. I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO SEE THAT DIFFERENCE. YEAH. BECAUSE THEN, THEN IT STARTS TO MAKE THE IASS PAY MORE THEIR WAY MM-HMM . BUT WE'RE STILL SAVING THE CITIZENS' MONEY. AND THEN IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT WAY OF GETTING TO IT. AND GO AHEAD. DID, YEAH, THIS MIGHT JUST BE A DIFFERENT WAY OF SAYING THAT WE HAVE TOOLS, BUT STICKING TO THE GOOD NEWS, UM, THERE'S SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S LOTS OF OPTIONS ON THE TABLE FOR US TO LOOK AT AS A COUNCIL AS A WHOLE AND SEE WHAT, WHAT THE BEST OPTION IS FOR THE CITIZENS AND, UM, I JUST LIKE THE FACT THAT THERE'S OPTIONS RIGHT NOW MM-HMM . WE'RE NOT JUST BACKED AGAINST THE WALL AND INTO ONE SITUATION. UM, I, I THINK FOR ME IT'S NOT SO MUCH A BURDEN, BUT THE UNCERTAINTY, UH, BECAUSE WE, WE RIGHT NOW KNOW THE TRAJECTORY OF WHERE STATE IS GOING AS IT RELATES TO MUNICIPAL BUDGETS AND TAX RATES AND, AND THE CONFUSION THAT THE LANGUAGE BRINGS IN TERMS OF NO NEW REVENUE, NO NEW REVENUE RATE VERSUS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. UH, BECAUSE IT DOES SAY THAT IT'S A TAX INCREASE, ALTHOUGH IT WAS APPROVED BY, UH, OUR RESIDENTS. AND SO AS THEY CONTINUE TO DECREASE AT THE STATE LEVEL, AT THE SAME TIME INCREASING HOME STATE, UH, HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, IT DOES PUT THAT UNCERTAINTY ON CITIES ON AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO MANAGE, UM, OUR BUDGET. BUT, UH, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE ARE, UM, EXPLAINING THE DIFFERENT TOOLS THAT WE HAVE AT OUR RESOURCE AS A RESOURCE. UM, AND I, I THINK WE, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO SEE MORE OF THAT. AND, UM, I, I'M JUST, AGAIN, THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE STATE IS ALWAYS, UM, WHAT I HAVE IN MY MIND AS WE GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. UM, WE [01:05:01] ALREADY KNOW IT. UH, I CALL IT UNCERTAINTY BECAUSE, UM, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH FURTHER IT'S GOING TO GO DOWN, UM, FROM WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING. AND SO I, I THINK ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE, HAVE PUT IT, UM, VERY WELL IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GIVE ON ONE SIDE IF WE HAVE TO GIVE UP THE OTHER. AND SO, THANK YOU JASON, FOR KIND OF PUTTING IT INTO PERSPECTIVE. AND I HAD TO GET MORE COFFEE AFTER ALL THOSE NUMBERS. HAVE A QUESTION. UM, THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT AT THE SALE LEVEL. SEEMS LIKE EVERY, EVERY LEGISLATIVE CYCLE AND THEN HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH MOVEMENT ON IT. SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL EVER GET THERE. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS LEGISLATION FILED TO RAISE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. THAT'S CORRECT. UM, IF THAT WERE TO PASS, WOULD THAT HAVE THE SAME EFFECT OF, I MEAN, IT WOULD LOWER THAT, I MEAN, WE COULD KEEP THE TAX RATE STEADY BUT GIVE MORE OF AN EXEMPTION AND YEAH. WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD BE THE EFFECT? RIGHT. SO WE DON'T CONTROL THE UNDER 65 HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, RIGHT? SO WE DON'T HAVE, IT'S CAPPED. IT'S CAPPED, SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT PIECE, RIGHT. BUT WE DO WORK ON THE OVER 65. AND SO PART OF THIS, WHEN THIS WAS HAPPENING, WHEN WE HAD THE DEBT START ROLLING OFF, IS WHEN THE COUNCIL REALLY STARTED PUSHING TO INCREASE THE OVER 65 HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, WHICH DID DECREASE REVENUE AS WELL. BUT IT WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS LESS DEBT TO, TO, TO HAVE TO PAY FOR AT THIS POINT. AND THAT'S WHEN THE POLICY DECISIONS WERE MADE FOR THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION HERE. AND, BUT WITH THE, THE OTHER ONE, IT IS CAPTAIN, IF THEY RAISE IT UP, THEN YES, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW IT IMPACTS THE REVENUE COMING IN. OKAY. ANY OTHER, I, I DO, SOME OF MY CONCERNS ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE HERE AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING AWAY FROM IDAS AND SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS. I KNOW WE HAVE PARTS ONE WE JUST LOOKED AT, IT'S THE 2070, SO IT'S STILL IN THE CONTRACT, BUT, UH, AS SOME ARE STARTING TO ROLL OFF AND GET TO RENEGOTIATE, THAT COULD BE, THAT COULD BE AFFECTING FUTURE TAXPAYERS HERE 10 YEARS, YEARS DEPENDING WHERE WE'RE AT. SO THAT'S SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT, THAT ARE GOING BE FORWARD LOOKING AT THAT AS THESE, AS THESE HAPPENS. 'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, YOU LOSE ALL THAT I IDEA EIGHT PERCENTAGE AND NOW WE CAN'T, AND THEN IT STARTS ROLLING OFF, THEN WE WOULDN'T BE HAVING TO RAISE THAT TAX QUICKLY. AND THERE'S, AND YOU CAN ONLY GO A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE. SO THERE IS SOME CONCERNS THERE. WELL, UH, IF I MAY ADD TO THAT, BUT, UH, ON THE POSITIVE OF THAT, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO ADD POSITIVES TOO. . UM, WE, OUR STAFF HAS REALLY BEEN WORKING HARD TO DIVERSIFY OUR REVENUE AND, AND WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM. SO WE ARE NOT TOO, AND I KNOW WE'RE DEPENDENT ON IDAS, BUT AS WE INCREASE AND DEC AND DIVERSIFY, UH, OUR REVENUE, THEN HOPEFULLY AT SOME POINT WE WON'T BE AS, AS DEPENDENT. UM, ON THAT. UH, GRANTED WE ARE KIND OF LANDLOCKED IN OUR AREA, UM, BUT WHERE VACANCIES APPEAR IN TERMS OF PROPERTY, THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BRING IN A NEW REVENUE STREAM. IT'S PROBABLY AN IMPORTANT NOTE PIGGYBACK OFF THAT IS THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT GOES ON WITH THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR US. AND I THINK THAT, UM, TYING INTO THE WHOLE EDUCATING THE PUBLIC, WE NEED TO REALLY ALSO DIVE INTO SHOWING THE PUBLIC HOW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAN LESSEN THE BURDEN ON HOMEOWNERS MM-HMM . MM-HMM . 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S THE NORM TO TIE THAT INTO, UM, TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND, AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR BUDGET. OKAY. ANY OTHER GOOD NEWS OR CONCERNS FROM THIS CONDO? OKAY, WE HAVE A LOT UP THERE. SO REMEMBER, THIS IS JUST A GUT CHECK. THIS IS JUST TO GIVE US AN IDEA TO SEE OUR WHOLE CONVERSATION ON THE WALL AT THE END. UM, YOU HAVE A STICKY NOTE IN FRONT OF YOU IF YOU WILL WRITE, YOU KNOW, NO NEW REVENUE OR UP TO, UH, VOTER APPROVAL SO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF THE DIRECTION AND WE'RE GONNA JUST TALLY THEM UP HERE SO I CAN PICK THEM UP FROM YOU. UM, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. I HAVE TO GET GABBY TO TALLY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THAT IS OUR FIRST SECTION OF FEEDBACK. THANK YOU ALL FROM THERE. [01:10:02] WE ARE GOING TO MOVE INTO OUR NEXT QUESTION. THANKS, JAMIE. WITH THIS IS JUST AN UPDATE EMBARRA WALK. SO, UM, ALTHOUGH WE'VE CONTINUED TO HAVE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PROPERTY TAX AND SALES TAX, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE VITAL TO OUR REVENUE SOURCES FOR CITY OPERATIONS, WE ARE ALSO ACTIVELY REVIEWING OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO GENERATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE. AND SO ONE OF THE WAYS WE'VE DONE THIS IS, UH, IS BY ADDRESSING THE OUTSTANDING AMBULANCE FEES. IN MARCH OF 24, THE CITY ENGAGED IN THE THIRD PARTY PROVIDER THAT SPECIALIZES IN AMBULANCE COLLECTIONS. AND WE'VE SEEN THE BENEFITS OF THIS ENGAGEMENT. IN THE FIRST YEAR, WE RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL 1.1 MILLION IN REVENUE, AND THIS YEAR WE ARE PROJECTING TO RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL 339,000 OVER FY 23 BEFORE WE STARTED. AND SO, AS THIS ENGAGEMENT IS STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES, WE WILL ESTABLISH A NEW TREND OVER TIME. BUT WE HAVE, UH, WE, WE, THIS IS A SUCCESSFUL ENGAGEMENT AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING IN ADDITIONAL RECORDS. I JUST WANNA TELL YOU THAT THAT'S VERY REFRESHING TO HEAR THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, PROGRAM IS WORKING AND, AND COLLECTING SOME OF THOSE FUNDS. UM, THE SECOND, UM, WAY THAT WE OH, YOU'RE GOOD. THE SECOND WAY THAT WE HAVE ADDRESSED SOME OF OUR, UM, REVENUE STREAMS IS LAST YEAR WE INCREASED OUR GREEN, GREEN CENTER FEES TO RECOVER MORE OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH OPERATIONS. AND AS A RESULT, THE REVENUE GOES SIGNIFICANTLY FROM 48,000 TO 104 COMPARED TO THE PRIOR YEAR. NOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, UM, THIS INCREASE OCCURRED BECAUSE WE DID HAVE AN EXTENDED FEE PERIOD AFTER HURRICANE BUR, UM, THAT, UM, GAVE A WAIVER OR SUSPENDED SOME OF THE FEES FOR THOSE WHO WERE IMPACTED BY THE, UH, STORM. BUT, UM, SO WE WILL SEE ADDITIONAL TRENDS GOING FORWARD, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT, UM, THIS INCREASE HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN GENERATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE AS WELL. AND WE ARE ALSO REVIEWING OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT BRENT WILL DISCUSS SHORTLY, UH, RELATED TO GREENING. HOW LONG WAS THAT, UH, EXTENDED? ANY WAIVER PERIOD? SIX. THANKS THERESA. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. UM, JUST TO TOUCH ON, UH, OR CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE REVENUE, UM, FOR THE GREEN CENTER. UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT COMPLETELY PAYS FOR ITSELF, UH, BUT IT IS A SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE SANITATION FUND. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID WANT TO TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT, UH, WAS LOOKING AT, UH, THE BRUSH THAT'S COLLECTED AT THE GREEN CENTER CURRENTLY ALL BRUSH DROP-OFFS AT THE GREEN CENTER. UH, THOSE ARE A FREE SERVICE TO RESIDENTS WHO HAVE AN ACTIVE UTILITY ACCOUNT THAT PAY SOLID WASTE FEES. NO NON-RESIDENT DROP-OFFS ARE ALLOWED AT THIS POINT. UH, THESE DROP-OFFS ARE IN ADDITION TO THE REGULAR MONTHLY RESIDENTIAL CURBSIDE BRUSH PICKUPS THAT WE DO PROVIDE. UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CONCERNS MENTIONED ABOUT LARGE AMOUNTS OF BRUSH BROUGHT IN VIA TRAILERS, UH, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR COMMERCIAL BRUSH DISPOSAL, UH, BEING UTILIZED, UM, THROUGH THAT FREE SERVICE. UH, A TRAILER LOAD OF BRUSH IS PRETTY ATYPICAL FOR THE AVERAGE RESIDENT, UH, BRUSH IN THE BACK OF A TRUCK. THAT'S MORE, UH, IN LINE WITH WHAT WE SEE FOR SOMEONE WHO GOES IN THE BACKYARD, TRIMS THEIR TREES, BRINGS THE, THE LIMBS, UH, TO THE GREEN CENTER, THE AMOUNT OF BRUSH IN A TRAILER THAT MUST BE DISPOSED OF AND HANDLE IS USUALLY FAR GREATER THAN, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, THAT TRUCKLOAD OF BRUSH THAT WE JUST MENTIONED. UM, AND IN ADDITION, YOU KNOW, WE DO BELIEVE AND HAVE SEEN, YOU KNOW, THAT CONTRACTORS DO USE THIS SERVICE. UM, AND THAT'S TYPICALLY WOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS COMMERCIAL WASTE. THEY'RE PERFORMING A SERVICE, THEY'RE REMOVING IT, THEY SHOULD BE DISPOSING IT, UH, DEPOSING OF IT. UM, AND ANECDOTALLY, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN BASED ON SEEING [01:15:01] BUSINESS SIGNS, UH, BUSINESS SIGNS ON THE SIDE OF THE TRUCKS THAT ARE HAULING THE TRAILERS. TRAILERS ARE IN THE TRAILERS THEMSELVES AND A LOT OF THESE TRAILERS THAT COME IN, THEY'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, UP TO FOUR FOOT HIGH WALLS ON 'EM. AND SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A PRETTY GOOD VOLUME THAT COMES IN THERE. UM, AND WE DO STILL REQUIRE A DRIVER'S LICENSE, YOU KNOW, PROOF OF THE WATER BILL. UM, BUT THESE COMMERCIAL DROP OFFS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE CHECKING THAT THEY'RE STILL INITIATED BY RESIDENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE RESIDENTS ARE EITHER THE BUSINESS OWNERS OR EMPLOYEES OF THOSE CONTRACTORS TYPICALLY. AND SO AT THIS TIME, YOU KNOW, WE DO NOT CHARGE A FEE FOR BRUSH AT ALL. AND WE WERE NOT PROPOSED TO MAKE ANY CHANGES TO WHAT THE TYPICAL BRUSH DROPBOX WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT A TRAILER. UM, WE DO CURRENTLY CHARGE $10 PER TRAILERS UP TO EIGHT FEET AND $20 FOR TRAILERS THAT ARE EIGHT TO 16 FEET WHEN THEY'RE DISPOSING OF DEBRIS OR SOLID WASTE. AND SO, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOU ALL CONSIDER AND GET SOME FEEDBACK ON A POSSIBLE ORDINANCE CHANGE, UH, TO EITHER RESTRICT TRAILERS OF BRUSH OR TO APPLY THE CHARGES FOR TRAILERS, DISPOSING OF DEBRIS TO TRAILERS, DISPOSING OF BRUSH AS WELL. AND SO WITH THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY FEEDBACK OR, UH, THOUGHTS. SO I I, I DON'T SEE, I THINK MOST PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO USE A TRAILER INSTEAD OF JUST PILING THINGS UP IN THE BACK OF THEIR TRUCK TO BRING IT IN, I THINK. SO I WOULDN'T WANT TO SEE THOSE PEOPLE, UM, WITH A HIGHER FEE OR EVEN CHARGE. BUT IF THEY'RE COMING IN AND THEY'VE CREATED WALLS LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, SIX, EIGHT FEET HIGH AND THEY'RE FILLING IT UP, I WOULD, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF, UM, PUTTING A FEE OR CHARGING MORE FOR THAT. UM, I APPRECIATE THAT. THE ONE THING I WOULD POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, IT IS, IT WOULD BE VERY TOUGH FOR US TO MANAGE THAT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. AND YOU KNOW, WE DO STILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE FRONT OF THE YARD PICKUP, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERN, YOU KNOW, FOR, JUST FROM A WORKLOAD PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, A LARGE TRAILER FULL OF BRUSH IS STILL LAUNCH TO DISPOSAL OF, REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT'S COMING FROM. MM-HMM . WE DO CURRENTLY CHARGE FOR DEBRIS AND SOLID WASTE IN A TRAILER. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST WANNA THROW THAT OUT THERE. WHAT, WHAT IF THEY MIXED IT? I'M SORRY, WHAT IF IT'S MIXED BRUSH? WHAT IF THEY DO, IF THEY BRING A TRAILER THAT HAS DEBRIS, SOLID WASTE AND BRUSH IN IT? DO THEY JUST CALL IT DEBRIS AND SOLID WASTE? I, I CAN'T SPEAK SPECIFICALLY. IF I WAS ASKED THAT QUESTION, I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS SOLID WASTE AND YOU CHARGE FIRST. I DID, I DIDN'T REALIZE WE WEREN'T CHARGING FOR BRUSH. MY POSITION WOULD BE THERE'S A FEE IF YOU COME IN A TRUCK, IT'S WHAT, FIVE BUCKS? IF YOU COME WITH A SMALL TRAILER, IT'S 10. IF YOU COME WITH A A 16 FOOT TRAILER, IT'S 20. I, WHETHER IT'S BRUSH, WHETHER IT'S DEBRIS. I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE WE'RE PROVIDING. I THOUGHT WE WERE, I DIDN'T REALIZE WE WEREN'T CHARGING MUCH SO, 'CAUSE WE OFFER FREE PICKED UP AT THE HOMEOWNER'S SITE. WE, WE WEREN'T. BUT IF THE GREEN CENTER IS AN EXTRA, THEN WE HAVE TO TAKE IT FROM THE GREEN CENTER TO OUR CORRECT. THE GREEN CENTER IS AN EXTRA EFFORT ON OUR PART. SO IF YOU WANT TO BRING IT TO THE GREEN CENTER, YOU'RE GONNA PAY THE FEE, DECIDE IF IT WAS DIVERTED. SO WHAT WE COULD DO IS IF THAT'S THE CONSENSUS OF COUNSEL, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE AN ALTERNATE FOR AN EXCHANGE AS WELL. WHAT, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE, UH, MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF BRUSHES THAT THEY PICK UP ON THE, THIS SIDE OF THE HOME. YOU CAN PUT 10 TREES OUT. I THINK IT IS DEPENDENT UPON THE EQUIPMENT AND EVERYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE USE. SO THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE A PRETTY LARGE AMOUNT. WELL, THEY JUST MAKE 10 TRIPS. WELL, I'M ONLY ASKING BECAUSE WE HAD MY NEIGHBOR NEXT DOOR. THEY'RE, THEY'RE LARGE AMOUNT OF BRUSH SAT IN FRONT OF THEIR HOME FOR ALMOST TWO MONTHS. AND SO I, I MEAN, I WOULD'VE GONE AND RECOMMENDED THEM TAKE IT TO THE GREEN CENTER. SO I DIDN'T, I THOUGHT THEY JUST HAD TOO MUCH AND THAT'S WHY IT WASN'T BEING PICKED UP. WELL, FOR INSTANCES LIKE THAT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS WE SHOULD FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED. IF IT IS AN ISSUE WITH, WE CAN'T PICK IT UP, UM, YOU KNOW, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT. BUT, UM, THE QUESTION ORIENTED YEAH, I, I DIDN'T CALL 'CAUSE I JUST ASSUMED THEY WERE. YEAH, NO WORRIES. NO, MIKE, MIKE, MIKE IS JUST MY ADDRESS, MY CONCERNS. 'CAUSE I'M, I I THOUGHT WE WERE ALREADY CHARGING FOR IT AND I MEAN IT'S, FOR ME IT'S THE SAME AS THE TRASH PICKUP. KNOW WE'RE WE'RE TAKING A TRAILER. TAKING A TRAILER. IT'S [01:20:01] CONVENIENT FOR, I MEAN, I MEAN THAT'S, IS THERE A CONSENSUS AMONG COUNCIL AT THIS TIME OR WOULD YOU LIKE FOR US TO BRING THAT BACK OR? I'M GOOD WITH CHARGE TRAILER. TRAILER. THE TRAILER. WE'RE ALREADY DOING IT FOR THE PET TRASH. DO IT FOR THE TRAILER ONLY OR TRUCKLOAD AS WELL. ANYTHING. SO BASICALLY WE WOULD REMOVE THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN BRUSH AND SOLID WASTE. OKAY. THEN THAT'S OUR CONSENSUS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE WE WORKED OUR WORK. WHAT'S I HAVE ANOTHER BEFORE YOU LEAVE DOC, I MEAN WHAT'S OUR, WHAT'S OUR OPTIONS FOR ADDRESSING THESE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE DROPPING OFF BIG TRAILER LOAD FULL OF UH, IT, IT DOESN'T REALLY, THERE'S STILL BIG COUNT RESIDENCE. YEAH, THERE'S STILL RE RESIDENTS. IT IS, YEAH. BUT IT'S A, THE, I MEAN IT'S A SERVICE WE PROVIDE TO RESIDENTS, NOT BUSINESSES. HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE BIG TRAILER MODE? CAN, CAN YOU BREAK IT UP BY LIKE SINGLE AXLES THAT EIGHT FOOT UP TO SINGLE AXEL FOOT? BECAUSE THE, THE SLANT. YEAH. BUT YOU 20 FOOT BUT YOU HAVE DOUBLE AXLE EIGHT FOOTERS. YOU HAVE A SINGLE AXLE. IF THEY HAVE COMMERCIAL SIGNAGE ON THEIR VEHICLE, COULD WE MAKE THAT AN EXTRA CHARGE? I JUST PUT A MAGNET TABLE. SOME COULD, SOME COULD, BUT NOT ALL. I WOULD SAY THAT I THINK STAFF CAN HAVE SOME DISCRETION, UM, OUT THERE. UM, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. I WOULD BE, I'M SORRY, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. I DON'T THINK STAFF DISCRETION'S A GOOD IDEA. IF, IF WELL TO THE POINT OF IF IT'S BEING, IF IT'S AN OBVIOUS ABUSE. BUT UM, FROM AN ORDINANCE PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO WHATEVER YOU ALL WOULD LIKE. THE ONLY REASON I SAID STAFF DISCRETION'S NOT A GOOD IDEA. 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA PUT STAFF IN A SITUATION WHERE ONE CONTRACTOR FINDS OUT ANOTHER CONTRACTOR. UNDERSTOOD. I WAS SIMPLY SAYING THAT TO, I GUESS FOCUS ON THE POLICY QUESTION AND KNOWING THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO ADDRESS EVERY SINGLE INSTANCE IN THE ORDINANCE. BUT YOU KNOW, HOWEVER YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO, UH, PROCEED AND WE CAN, WE CAN DRAFT THAT AND BRING IT BACK TO YOU ALL. IF WE START CHARGING JUST LIKE THE, AND WE CAN SEE THE IMPACT AND SEE IF THAT CHANGES THE HABIT. SO THE CONTRACTOR YEAH, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S A HUGE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN IT DOES COME IN, YOU KNOW, IT DOES ADD TO IT AND WE'RE ALREADY DRIVING THE CURBSIDE SERVICE AS WELL. SO DO WE ALLOW, DOES EVERY PERSON THAT UTILIZES GREEN CENTER HAVE TO HAVE A BASED DOWN ID OR THAT'S A UTILITY BILL? UTILITY, I MEAN A UTILITY BILL. YEAH, THEY HAVE TO NO MATTER WHAT. THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. YES MA'AM. I HAVE TO PULL MINE UP ON MY PHONE SOMETIMES 'CAUSE I DON'T GET THE PAPER. I CAN SHOW LIKE THIS. GUESS THE UTILITY, JUST PAY DOWN ON YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE. THE SANITATION FEES PART BILL. YOU GOTTA SHOW THAT YOU'RE DEALING THAT WHICH IS PAYING FOR THE GREEN CENTERS. WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE ANNEX TO, THEY ARE PAYING UTILITY BILL. WE THEN HAD TO PUT THAT IN IN THE, HEY, THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE ALLOWED TO SHOW THEIR ID AND ONLY THAT ADDRESSES. SO WHAT WE'LL DO, IF I'M HEARING EVERYONE, UM, CORRECTLY, WE'LL BRING BACK INTO ORDINANCE THAT BASICALLY, UM, REMOVES ANY DISTINCTION FOR TRUCKLOADS AND TRAILER LOADS, UH, ITEMS BROUGHT TO THE GREEN CENTER. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M LEAVING THIS TIME. OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON CREDIT CARD FEES. OKAY. LAST YEAR, UM, WE BUDGETED 601,000 IN REVENUE TO COVER CREDIT CARD PROCESSING FEES. WE ARE PROJECTING TO RECEIVE 241,000 IN REVENUE SLIGHTLY ABOVE OUR INITIAL ESTIMATE. UM, UNFORTUNATELY DESPITE THIS INCREASE IN REVENUE, THE ACTUAL COST ASSOCIATED WITH PAYMENT PROCESSING HAS SIGNIFICANTLY EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS. AND NOW WE'RE PROJECTING OUR ACTUAL TO BE AROUND $1.2 MILLION. UM, THIS RISE IS DUE TO MERCHANT RATE AND PROCESSING FEES. UM, THERE WAS AN ACCOUNT REVIEW. OUR ACCOUNT HAD NOT BEEN REVIEWED SINCE 2021. AND WHEN WE INCREASED THE RATES, WE HAD TO WORK WITH THE, UM, MERCHANT SERVICES AND THAT'S WHEN THEY REALIZED THEY HADN'T ADJUSTED THE RATES. AND NOW OUR RATES ARE, UM, MUCH MORE THAN ANTICIPATED. SO, SO THE ONLY, UM, PLUS HERE AND SUCCESS HERE IS THAT WE'VE [01:25:01] RECOUPED, UH, PRACTICALLY ALMOST HALF OF THE COST THIS YEAR. UH, DEPENDING ON WHAT OUR ESTIMATES ARE, OUR ONLY OTHER OPTIONS WITH CREDIT CARD FEES TO INCREASE IT ONE MORE PERCENT, WHICH IS 5%, WHICH WE CANNOT GO ABOVE OR WE CAN, UM, JUST TAKE CREDIT CARD FEES AS A PART OF OUR ONGOING OPERATIONS TO DO BUSINESS UNITS. SO I'LL SAY IT ANOTHER WAY. UM, WE INCREASED THE FEE, WE PUT OUR FEE IN PLACE AND THEN THEY CALLED TERESA AND SAID, OH BY THE WAY, WE'RE NOW CHARGING YOU EXTRA BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT IT'S BECAUSE THEY, WE PUT THE FEE IN PLACE AND MIRACULOUSLY IT JUMPED UP WITH A, AN EXTRA FEE TO US AS WELL. BECAUSE WHEN Y'ALL APPROVED THIS FEE PAYMENT, YEAH, SO WE WERE PAYING 600,000 AND WE TRIED TO COVER OUR 600,000. OH WAIT A MINUTE, YOU'RE GONNA OWE US ANOTHER 600,000. CORRECT. SO WE BROKE IT. SO IF WE RAISE IT, WOULD THEY JUST COME BACK AND SAY, CAN PROCESS THIS FOR US? SO WE ARE LOOKING IN OTHER, OTHER AVENUES TO SEE WHO CAN BE A MERCHANT PROVIDER. BUT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THESE COSTS ARE STILL ALSO LIKE VISA, MASTERCARD, YOU KNOW, AMERICAN STRESS. SO SOME OF THOSE FEES WE CAN'T AVOID. TYPICALLY MAN BUSINESS, THAT'S A LOT. TYPICALLY A SMALL BUSINESS THAT CHARGES THE SERVICE CONVENIENCE FEES SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THREE AND 4%. YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT, THAT IT'S, IT'S MUCH HIGHER THAN THAT FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE USE. HOW IS THAT? BECAUSE, BECAUSE THE CREDIT CARD FEE THAT THEY CHARGE IS GOTTA BE STATIC. BUT WE ALSO PAY FOR THE MERCHANT UH, PROCESSING. SO WHEN IT GOES THROUGH THE AUTOMATIC CLEARINGHOUSE, THINGS LIKE THAT, THERE ARE OTHER, SO WE PAY FOR THE SERVICE. WE PAY FOR THE SERVICE. BUT YOU, YOU INDICATED IF THEIR CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS ARE ACTUALLY DECREASING. SO OUR THEIR USAGE IS GOING DOWN BUT OUR COSTS ARE GOING UP THERE. THERE'S SOMETHING UP. YES. GOOD WITH THAT. WE AGREE. AGREE. THAT'S WHY I ASKED, THAT'S WHY I ASKED. IS THERE ANOTHER MERCHANT? OBVIOUSLY. OKAY. THE LESS WE USE, THE MORE THEY CHARGE. OH HEY I USED TO HAVE A MECHANIC LIKE THAT. I STEPPED DOWN. BUT ISN'T THERE SOME LEGALITIES OF THE MAX THEY CAN CHARGE? YEAH, THE MAX WE CAN CHARGE IS 5%. YES. SO WE CAN'T GO UP MUCH. NOT US, BUT I'M ASKING THE OH YES, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE UH, PROCESSING RATES TOO, BUT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEARS THEY WENT UP ABOUT 13% ON US THIS YEAR. NO, I'M ASKING ARE THERE LEGALITIES FOR YES, THERE. YES THERE ARE. THERE. DON'T GIVE YOU, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL JUMPING ON THE A CH THING. I KNOW IT TOOK A WHILE FOR, I'M ASSUMING THAT INCREASED A LITTLE BIT BETTER. THE AACH H ARE WE GETTING MORE AACH H PAYMENTS? OH ABSOLUTELY. CASH WALK-INS. UM, AND AACH H PAYMENTS ARE INCREASING. UM, AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER AVENUES. WE ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THIS EITHER. UM, THIS IS NOT WHAT WE ANTICIPATE OR EXPECTED TO HAPPEN. UM, SO WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT BETTER WAYS TO CONTROL THE COSTS. WE NEED TO GO OUT, FIND SOMEBODY ELSE TO GO OUT. WHAT, WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS FOR HOW MANY PEOPLE UTILIZE THIS OUT OF OUR CUSTOMERS, UH, PAY BY CREDIT CARD COMPARED TO THE OTHER WAYS. UM, SO IN JUST THREE MONTHS WE DID THE THREE MONTH COMPARISON FOR CREDIT CARDS. IT LITERALLY WENT DOWN 2000 TRANSACTIONS IN ONE MONTH AND THEN IN ANOTHER MONTH IT WENT DOWN 3000. SO THE THE DIFFERENT PAYMENT OPTIONS, THEY ARE CHOOSING THOSE OVER CREDIT CARD. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE PAYING BY CREDIT CARD? I KNOW YOU SAID, OH, OKAY. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE PAYING BY CREDIT CARD IS ABOUT 10,000. 10,000 HALF. AND BEFORE THAT I WAS ABOUT 12 IN ONE MONTH. SO GOTTA GO BACK TO CASH AND S**T. SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT, THAT I KNOW I'VE HAD COME UP IS, SO CREDIT CARD MEANS EITHER VISA AND MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, OR IF THEY ARE USING A DEBIT CARD, IS THAT THE SAME OR DEBIT CARDS ARE DIFFERENT? YEAH, DEBIT CARDS ARE DIFFERENT, BUT THERE STILL IS A P BUT IT'S NOT AS LIKE THE CREDIT CARD AS HIGH AS CREDIT CARD. SO MY UNDERSTANDING WAS YOUR DEBIT CARD HAS A VISA LOGO ON IT THAT THE SYSTEM DOES NOT DISTINGUISH WHETHER IT'S COMING FROM BANK VERSUS VISA. AND SO THE VISA STILL GETS TO COLLECT THAT FEE. AND MY HONOR, SO THAT'S ANSWERING HER QUESTION. THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN A DEBIT CARD AND A CREDIT CARD. IF IT HAS A, ALMOST EVERY BANK NOW PUTS A LOGO ON IT. YEAH. AND SOMETIMES THE, THE FEE CAN BE LESS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO TO THE REGISTER AND SOMETIMES THEY'LL SAY, IS THE DEBIT, IS IT CREDIT? YEAH. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE PUSHING THAT BUTTON, THE FEE IS LESS DEPENDING ON THAT. AND THAT'S WHY SOMETIMES THE COMPANY WILL SAY, IF YOU USE A DEBIT OR IF YOU USE CASH, IT'S A LESSER FEE. THEY'RE NOT GONNA CHARGE YOU AS MUCH BECAUSE THEY'RE ALSO PAYING THESE THESE FEES AS WELL. SO THEY HAVE TO GO IN PERSON THOUGH TO CHOOSE THAT. SO WHEN YOU'RE DOING IT ONLINE AND SAVE VISA IS GOING SAVE ME. HOW MANY OF OUR PAYMENTS ARE ONLINE? DO YOU KNOW THAT [01:30:01] HAVE WELL, NO, THAT'S HARD FOR ME TO TELL. YEAH, I FIGURED IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE I MEAN TRANSAC, I MEAN YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY THE, SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO MIGHT HAVE ME USE A CREDIT CARD TO MAKE A PAYMENT, AN ACTUAL PHYSICAL CREDIT CARD, NOT A DEBIT CARD. SO, BUT A GREAT DEAL OF THE ONLINE IS, I MEAN OF THE ONLINE PAYMENTS ARE CREDIT CARD, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN PAY ONLINE. AND NOW THEY'RE DOING ECHECK. SO ECHECKS ARE INCREASING. YEAH. UM, SO THAT IS BEING HELPFUL FOR THE THAT THEY NOW HAVE THAT OPTION. WE SEEM TO PROMOTE THE A C MORE MM-HMM . I'M NUMBERS. THEY ALREADY HAVE. THEY ALREADY HAVE THEM. IT'S 2025. EVERYBODY HAS YOUR INFORMATION. I'M NOT THAT IMPORTANT TO CHINA. THEY DON'T CARE. YEAH. I MEAN WE DO STILL HAVE A POPULATION THAT IN NO WAY THEY'RE GOING TO DO A CH OR, OR ANY OF THAT. AND, AND WE RESPECT THAT. AND COULD THERE BE A POSSIBILITY IF IT'S A CONVENIENCE ISSUE? UM, COULD WE, AND MAYBE IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING. I DON'T KNOW. UM, COULD WE, LIKE INITIALLY WHEN WE MOVED, UH, I'M TRYING TO GET MY WORDS TOGETHER. UM, SO WHEN WE MOVED, UH, UB OVER TO TEXAS AVENUE, THERE WAS AN INITIAL CONVERSATION THAT UM, THOSE UH, FOR WHATEVER REASON DIDN'T WANT TO GO OUT THERE. WE ENTERTAINED POSSIBLY HAVING, UM, CHECKS BEING DROPPED OFF AT CITY HALL, UM, AS MORE OF A CONVENIENCE OPTION FOR THOSE THAT DON'T WANT TO TRAVEL ANY FURTHER OR PARTNERING WITH GROCERY STORES WHO TAKE, YOU KNOW, LIGHT BILLS AND OTHER, OTHER ITEMS, THEY CAN ALSO PAY THEIR CITY UTILITY BILLS. SO RIGHT NOW WE DO HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UM, SOME OF THE LIKE KROGER, SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT TAKE PAYMENTS, UM, WHEN THEY WALK IN THE STORE. SO WE ALREADY HAVE PAYMENTS COMING IN FROM OUTSIDE THE I DIDN'T KNOW THAT EITHER. I WOULD LIKE TO, 'CAUSE I PAY ALL MY OTHER UTILITIES AT RO SO I DIDN'T REALIZE I COULD PAY ONE OF THEM. I WOULD HAVE TO GET YOU THE LINK. YEAH, BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE. WE MIGHT WANNA ADVERTISE THAT. MAKE THAT PUBLIC. YEAH. I MEAN YEAH, WEBSITES. YEP. YOU DON'T? YES MAN. I'M MARRIED TO NOW WE DRIVE UP AND DOWN GARTH ROAD, PAY EVERY CREDIT CARD IN PERSON. YOU KIDDING? THAT MEANS A CASH ONLY DUDE, UNCLE SAY KNOW ABOUT THAT ONE. DOES HE? I DIDN'T SAY ALL THAT WITH THAT. UH, I DO WANT TO JUST PAUSE REALLY QUICK. UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY GOOD NEWS YOU WANT TO THROW OUT THERE? I DON'T THINK GOOD NEWS. THERE'S, I CAN NOW PAY MY REAL PROGRAM PAY AND WE'LL GET YOU, WE'LL GET THE LIST TO YOU ALL, UH, OF WHERE AND HOW TO PAY, UH, AND THAT SORT OF THING. DO YOU, UH, HAVE ANY CONCERNS? I DID WRITE THE LOOK AT DIFFERENT MERCHANTS THAT Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT. ANYTHING ELSE? YEAH, MY MY CONCERN IS WE, WHEN WE WERE TALKING, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ITEMS, WE'RE IN THE RETREAT THAT, THAT WE COULD LOWER THE BUDGET. LIKE TODAY WE HAD A LOT OF SPEAKERS ABOUT HARRIS COUNTY. I'M JUST GONNA TIE THIS IN THERE. $450,000 AND I'M LOOKING AT THIS AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE BUDGETED OR PROJECTED AND THAT, THAT WAS ABOUT 400,000 PLUS DOLLARS. SO, I MEAN, AND, AND THIS SEEMS LIKE AN, AN EASIER PROBLEM TO SOLVE IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT THE ALTERNATIVE TO MAKE THAT, UM, BIG OF A DIFFERENCE IN THE BUDGET. SO IF, IF WE DO GO UP TO THE 5%, DO YOU THINK THEY'RE GONNA INCREASE IT STILL? AGAIN, , I MEAN AT THIS POINT YOU MAX IT OUT. BUT IF WE MAX IT OUT, LIKE, OH, GUESS WHAT, NOW YOU GOTTA GO TO 16%. WELL, ONE WAY TO STOP THE BLEEDING PER SE, WE SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM TO FREEZE RATE AT THE CURRENT RATE BECAUSE WE HAD A HEATED CONVERSATION ABOUT IT. UM, AND SO THAT GIVES US TIME TO LOOK AT ANOTHER MERCHANT TO FIGURE OUT IF WE CAN FIND BETTER OPTIONS. SO RIGHT. YOU NEED TO GO UP TO 5%. HOW LONG HAVE WE FOR? IT'S JUST BEEN A FEW MONTHS. AND WHEN THIS STARTED HAPPENING, WE REALIZED, WAIT, WE ARE BEING CHARGED WAY MORE THAN WE WERE BEFORE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T SEND US A NOTICE. UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES WE HAD WITH IT AS WELL. UM, AND SO AS WE WERE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS HEATED, BY THE WAY, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, NEGOTIATED TO FREEZE, DO WHATEVER WE NEEDED TO DO FOR THE TIME BEING UNTIL WE CAN FIND BETTER OPTIONS. JUST TAKING IT TO AN EXTREME. WE WE COULD SAVE A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. WE WE'RE NOT TAKING CREDIT CARDS ANYMORE. WE STAY CASH. THAT'S WHAT I SAID. OH YEAH. THERE GOES THE PUSHBACK, BUT AGAIN, IT'S KIND LIKE, SO, BUT WE, WE HAD A GROUP OF PEOPLE IN HERE THAT WERE, I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING WE, IF WE ADVERTISE, WE WEREN'T GONNA TAKE CREDIT CARDS AND ONLY CASH THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE. WE, WE JUST PAID THEM. I KNOW THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUDGETS AND THE BIG NUMBERS THAT THAT'S THE REALITY OF THIS. MM-HMM . ONE THING TO CONSIDER, WE DO GET PHONE CALLS FROM PEOPLE WHO PAY FOR THEIR [01:35:01] ELDERLY PARENTS AND THEY WANNA MAKE PAYMENTS. AND THIS IS ONE WAY, PAYING ONLINE IS ONE WAY, ESPECIALLY IF THEY LIVE OUT OF STATE THAT THEY HELP TO, UM, MAKE THE PAYMENTS FOR THEIR, I'M NOT SERIOUS ABOUT NOT TAKING CREDIT CARDS, BUT IT LIKE WE TAKE A MILLION BUCKS IF WE DIDN'T AND LAST TIME YOU WERE THOUGHT TO BE SERIOUS, YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED. YEAH, I DO WANNA PAUSE. DO YOU HAVE ANY DIRECTION ON UH, ANYTHING FOR THE CREDIT CARD FEES STAYING THE SAME, CHANGING CHANGE BY SOMEBODY NEW, GET A BETTER RAISE? YES. THAT'S ALREADY IN PROCESS FOR SURE. THERE. I DON'T WANNA SEE THERE HEATING. I'LL SAY IT AGAIN. MINE IS MASTER FEES. WE'RE, IF WE GO 5%, 5% FUNCTIONS 1%. IT'S TALL PEOPLE PROBABLY ANOTHER DOLLAR MORE TO DO IT. BUT LET'S KEEP THE FEE THE SAME UNTIL WE FIND ANOTHER MERCHANT. YOU KEEP THE SAME, A DOLLAR MORE PASSING ALONG THOUGH IS STILL COSTING UP. I JUST WANT POINT THAT OUT THAT YEAH, THEY, THEY'RE LOCKED IN. WE'RE LOCKED IN THE RANK NOW WITH THEM. SO IF WE GO UP TO 5% NOT JUMP AGAIN, WE ADD THE FOUR DIRECTION FOR STAFF ON WHAT WE THINK ABOUT. I MEAN, I WOULD GO WITH AS MUCH COST RECOVERY AS POSSIBLE. YEAH. AND SO IF THAT'S GOING TO 5%, THEN I WOULD DO THAT UNTIL IT, UNTIL THAT EQUALS OUT. WELL THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON THERE. THERE'S A FEE THAT WE'RE GETTING CHARGED BECAUSE THEY'RE USING THE CARD AND THEN THERE'S A FEE WE'RE BEING CHARGED BECAUSE THEY'RE PROCESSING. RIGHT. SO, SO THE FEE THAT WE'RE BEING CHARGED FOR USING THE CARD, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING COST RECOVERY ON THAT, SIR. SO WHAT ARE, IF THAT'S 3.5% WE SHOULD BE CHARGING THREE POINT HALF PERCENT. I'M, I'M GONNA OVERCHARGE 'EM. IT COSTS ME THREE AND A HALF PERCENT. WHY DO I WANT TO CHARGE SOMEBODY 5%? IT IS OUR, IT IS OUR OPTION TO HAVE SOMEBODY MANAGE THAT FOR US. AND SO WE'RE PAYING THAT, THAT'S A ADDIT, WE'RE NOT COVERING IT. WE NEED TO CO WE NEED TO RECOVER WHAT WE'RE BEING THE CHARGE TO USE THE CREDIT CARD, THE THE CONTRACT AS A MERCHANT TO HANDLE IT. THAT'S ON US. WE NEED TO GO FIND A BETTER MERCHANT. BUT THAT'S THE CONTRACT TO HANDLE THE CREDIT CARD. LIKE IT DOESN'T EXIST WITHOUT THE CREDIT CARDS. YEAH, YOU GO ANYWHERE YOU GO BUY CARD, IT'S ALL PART OF USING THE CARD CARD. THE CARD COSTS AN ADDITIONAL 3.5% TO 4% DEPENDENT TO USE THE CARD. WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE PAYING A COMPANY EXTRA TO MANAGE THAT FOR US. SO THAT'S SEPARATE THIS THING, THE MERCHANT FEE IS A CONTROLLABLE IN THIS EQUATION. YEAH, THEY MERCHANT FEES WHAT'S GOING UP TWO TO 15%. BUT THAT'S THE MERCHANT, THAT'S THE MERCHANT FEE FOR PROCESSING THE CARD. YES. YEAH, JUST, JUST THEY, THEY ADD TWO, THEY ADD THE 3.5% ON TOP OF WHAT THEY CHARGE FEES WE RECEIVING. THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT FEES WE'RE RECEIVING. BUT WHEN THEY SENT US THE SCENARIO AND THE BREAKDOWN, THEY DID NOT BREAK THAT OUT FOR US. WHAT I'M SAYING IF, IF IF IT'S NOT THE 1.1 PLUS, RIGHT? IF NO ONE, IF NO ONE USES A CREDIT CARD, YES. DO WE NEED THIS GLOBAL PAYMENT AT ALL? UM, PROBABLY FOR EEX, YES. BUT IF, BUT THEY, BUT THE FEE FOR THAT IS DIFFERENT AND WE CAN GET RID OF ECHE AND THEN THAT WAY WE WOULDN'T HAVE A FEE AT ALL. WE WOULDN'T NEED FEE. SO ARE WE CHARGING A FEE FOR EEX? NO, NOT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE WERE, I WAS UNDER IMPRESSION THE EEX WHAT I'M SAYING THE WHOLE GOAL WAS COST RECOVERY. AND SO WE, WE WENT THIS ROUTE ON CREDIT CARDS. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S FEES FOR EEX THAT WE'RE NOT RECOVERING ANY OF THAT. WELL, ANYTIME YOU USE THE THIRD PARTY MERCHANT TO DO ANYTHING FOR US, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING TO CHARGE US A FEE BECAUSE THEY, THEY'RE TRACKING IT BECAUSE THEY'RE A PART OF THE ONLINE SYSTEM SO THEY CAN ENTER A ECHECK ONLINE. SO THEY'RE A SMALL FEE FOR THAT. BUT IT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE CREDIT CARD PROCESSING. IS IT IT IS LESS THAN THE CREDIT CARD. YES. ABSOLUTELY. ABOUT HOW MUCH PERCENTAGE IS IT EACH HEAD? 1%, 2%. IF THE DECISION IS, DO WE WANT A HUNDRED PERCENT COST RECOVERY FOR ALL PROCESSING OR TO YOUR POINT, JUST THE AMOUNT FOR THE CREDIT CARD COMPANIES AND WE'RE GONNA EAT WHATEVER THE YEAH, THE PAYMENT. WE COULD DO IT IN HOUSE, BUT WE HAVE OUR STAFF SO CHEAPER TO GO OUT THE THIRD PARTY. BUT IT'S OUR OFFICE. 'CAUSE IF WE TAKE A CHECK AT THE, IF YOU TAKE A CHECK AT THE, AT THE, AT THE CHECK CREDIT CARD, DOESN'T MATTER. NO. IF YOU TAKE, BUT I'M SAYING IF YOU TAKE A CHECK, A CHECK AT THE, AT THE, AT THE UTILITY PHYSICAL CHECK. PHYSICAL CHECK AT THE UTILITY COMPANY, WE'RE NOT PAYING THE FEE BECAUSE IT'S GOING INTO OUR DEPOSITING INTO THE ACCOUNT. BUT IF YOU DO IT ONLINE, THERE IS A FEE. YES. SO THE ECHECK, IF IT'S 2% THAT NEEDS TO BE CHARGED 2% ALSO. NO, WE ARE, WE'RE LOOKING INTO ALL THE, THE, THE CALLS AND WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO YOU. THEREA. DO WE HAVE AN ACTUAL CONTRACT LINKED WITH THE CURRENT MERCHANT? WHEN IS YOUR CONTRACT UP OR [01:40:01] DO WE HAVE A A AN ACTUAL TIMELINE THAT WE HAVE TO STICK WITH THAT? SO, UM, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE COULD GET OUT OF THE CONTRACT, WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY, UH, PENALTY OF COURSE. UM, AND IF WE FIND A BETTER OPTION, WE WILL DO THAT. I MEAN, WE'LL WE'LL COMPARE, YOU KNOW, THE BENEFIT OF PAYING THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT THAT WE NEED TO PAY VERSUS THE AMOUNT WE'RE CURRENTLY PAYING TO SEE THE BENEFIT OF DOING THAT. SO WE'RE LOOKING INTO THAT. WE NEED TO PAY TO GET OUT OF THE CONTRACT. SO I THINK IT STARTED IN 2021. YEAH, MULTIPLE YEARS. IT IS WHEN WE, WE MOVED TO UM, UNI, IT WAS A PART OF THAT TRANSITION. UM, THEY WORKED WELL WITH AND NOT VERSUS UH, PLUS. AND IN THE PAST WE HAD JP MORGAN CHASE AND WHEN WE SHIFTED FROM JP MORGAN CHASE AS OUR BANK, THAT'S WHEN THE MERCHANT CHANGED. AND SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING TO GO BACK TO CHASE BECAUSE WE'RE BACK WITH CHASE BECAUSE THEY WERE CHARGING US, UH, LESS FEES TO DO OUR MERCHANT PROCESS. AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE AVENUES WE'RE LOOKING. OKAY. UH, WHAT'S THE COST TO BREAK THE CONTRACT? UM, I THINK THEY SAY LIKE 300,000 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IT WAS, IT WAS PRETTY HIGH COURSE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. YEAR CONTRACT. WE'LL, I'LL BRING BACK MORE OPTIONS. HOW LONG IS THE CONTRACT HERE? THREE YEARS. YEARS. BUT THEY HAVE AN OPTION INCREASE TO A THOUSAND WE WALK IN THAT EVERYBODY KIND OF AWARE OF IS THE MERCHANT THAT WE USE FOR DOING THIS PROCESSING HAS TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH ALL OF OUR SYSTEMS. AND SO BECAUSE WE HAVE A MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT SYSTEMS THAT LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF TOTAL PEOPLE WE CAN PICK FROM, OTHERWISE YOU END UP HAVING DIFFERENT MERCHANTS WITH DIFFERENT FEES FOR DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. SO JUST SOMETHING ELSE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SMALL MOMENT FOR JAY TO HAVE A METRIC MOMENT AND LET HIM JUMP INTO SOME NUMBER THIS MOMENT. ME. SO THIS IS A LITTLE GLIMPSE INTO ONE OF OUR INVISIO THINGS THAT WE'RE TRACKING. AND I, I MENTIONED THIS LAST NIGHT AND PART OF, I ASKED FOR THIS TO BE ADDED IN BECAUSE PART OF THE CREDIT CARD FEE PIECE WAS LOOKING AT REALLY COST RECOVERY FOR ALL OF OUR SERVICES. AND YES, THIS IS UTILITY BILLING, SO IT'S GONNA BE DEALING WITH WATER SEWER. UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTICE OF LIKE, WE WERE TRYING TO FIND DIFFERENT WAYS, UH, THE A CH YOU KNOW, MR. FRANCO TALKED TO US ABOUT HCH IN, IN LIEU OF THE CREDIT CARD FEES. AND UH, HE HAD A BUNCH OF CONSTITUENTS REACH OUT AND WE WERE HOPING LIKE WHEN PEOPLE FIND DIFFERENT METHODS TO, TO PAY CONVENIENT METHODS TO PAY, THAT WE WOULD HAVE INCREASES, UM, IN MONEY THAT'S COMING IN BY AND LARGE PEOPLE DID SHIFT AND THEY PAID WHAT THEY NEEDED TO PAY WITH THE, WHEN THE CREDIT CARD FEE WENT INTO PLACE. AND UH, BUT ONE AREA THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE STRUGGLES IS IN OUR UTILITY BILLING DEPARTMENT. AND, UM, THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE PAYING THEIR UTILITY BILL ONLINE OR ON TIME IS, IS PRETTY LOW. AND UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NATIONAL OR WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STANDARD, IT IS LOW COMPARED TO THAT. AND WE WOULD LIKE IT TO TO BE, YOU KNOW, NORTH OF 95%. AND FOR US, THAT'S SIGNIFICANT REVENUE THAT'S ALSO BEING LOST. AND SO THE QUESTIONS FOR Y'ALL WANT IS JUST TO BRING AWARENESS TO THIS. UM, AND THEN TWO, IT'S GONNA TIE INTO SOME OF THE, UM, OTHER CONVERSATIONS WITH FEES. BUT THOSE ARE ONE-OFF PIECES. JUST I I DO WANNA DISTINGUISH THAT. OH, I'M SORRY RYAN, I FORGOT TO TURN ON. UM, BUT THE, FOR Y'ALL, I NEED TO GET DIRECTION FROM Y'ALL IF THIS IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR Y'ALL FOR US TO LOOK AT FURTHER TO SPEND TIME AND RESOURCES TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO INCREASE THIS. BECAUSE INCREASING FINDING WAYS TO INCREASE PAYING THIS ON TIME, UM, MAY BE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY. OR IS IT, IS THE, IS IT WORTH GOING AFTER AT THIS POINT? ARE THERE LATE FEES? UH, YES AND NO. UH, THERESA, I WILL LET YOU SPEAK TO LATE FEES. I KNOW THERE ARE LATE FEES. WE HAVE LATE FEES. I'M, I'M NOT SURE THAT IT'S, UM, IT'S LIKE 25. YEAH, IT'S NOT PROPORTIONATE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, UH, RECOVERING WHAT, WHAT WE'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH 10% OF YOUR BILL, 10% OF YOUR BILL THEY'RE PAYING LATE. BUT DO THEY EVENTUALLY PAY? YEAH, [01:45:01] THAT'S WHY I ASKING ABOUT WHAT FEES TO SEE WHERE THAT, 'CAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 80, LET'S SAY 80% ON TIME. SO 20% ARE LATE, BUT DOES THAT 20% EVENTUALLY PAY OR THEY JUST DON'T PAY? SO, BECAUSE THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE FOR ME, ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT I'M GONNA TIE THIS INTO BRINGING IN A NEW EMPLOYEE, THIS IS SO RAMPANT THAT WE HAVE TO BRING IN ONE EXTRA EMPLOYEE TO MAKE THE CALLS TO ENSURE PEOPLE ARE PAYING. SO ONE, THERE'S ONLY ONE EMPLOYEE DOING THIS RIGHT NOW AND SHE IS OVERWORKED LIKE COMPLETELY AND UH, GOING OUT AND MAKING CALLS. AND BECAUSE OF OF THAT, WE, THIS IS AN ISSUE WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BRING IN ANOTHER EMPLOYEE TO ASSIST WITH THIS ON. SO WE MAKE CALLS TO, WE MAKE CALLS TO TELL PEOPLE THAT THEY NEED TO PAY. I WILL DEFER, WELL WE SEND OUT THE LINK WITH NOTICES INFORMING CITIZENS THAT THEY NEED TO PAY. AND SO WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS WE SEND OUT THE DELINQUENT NOTICE AND THEN WE CAN HAVE THE NOTICES OUT THERE. AND THEN ONCE WE DISCONNECT, OF COURSE MAJORITY OF THE CUSTOMERS WILL COME IN AND PAY. BUT THERE ARE ALSO CUSTOMERS WHO HAVEN'T PAID FOR, LET'S SAY 18 MONTHS, THEY MOVE OUT AND THEY NEVER PAY THEIR OLD BILL OR THAT BILL THAT WAS DELINQUENT THO THOSE FUNDS, WE ARE HAVING TROUBLE COLLECTING, WHICH WILL BE GOING OUT LOOKING FOR A COLLECTION AGENCY TO HELP US WITH THAT. UM, BUT OF COURSE CUSTOMERS PAY WHEN THEY NEED THE WATER TURNED BACK ON AND THEY COME IN AND MAKE THE PAYMENT. YEAH. SO WHY, WHY IS CALL THREE DIFFERENT ISSUES? WHY IS THE CALL BEING MADE? I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT WHEN ARE WE CALLING AND WHY ARE WE CALLING? UM, I MAY BE MIS MISSPEAKING ON THE WHAT SHE DOES, BUT I I KNOW THAT SHE'S INVOLVED WITH THE COLLECTIONS. YES. WHAT AM I MISSTATING HERE? Y'ALL LOOKING AT ME? I SAY IT'S CALLS COMING IN. CALLS COMING IN, SORRY. CALLS COMING IN. YES. WHEN THE NOTICES GO OUT, IT'S MANAGING THAT WHOLE PROCESS. OKAY. I, I'LL WARN WHY WOULD WE CALL THEM IF THEY KNOW THAT THEY OWE THEY DON'T NEED A REMINDER 'CAUSE THE WATER OFF. DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO, UM, WHAT'S CALLED YOU CHOOSE YOUR DUE DATE? THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES GOING TO THAT. SO IS OUR SYSTEM CAPABLE? AND AND I ASK THIS BECAUSE IF I GOT MY WATER TURNED ON WHEN I WAS 50 YEARS OLD AND YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST WHATEVER THE DATE WAS THAT I GOT THE WATER TURNED ON WAS THE 13TH OF THE MONTH AND NOW I'M ON A FIXED INCOME AND MY CHECK COMES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH AND I WANT TO MAKE THAT BILL NOW DUE ON THE FIRST OR THE SECOND OR THE THIRD. UM, IS THERE A WAY IN OUR SYSTEM ONLINE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO MOVE THEIR DUE DATE? UM, I'M NOT AWARE THAT OPTION, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT AVAILABLE. SO WE CAN LOOK INTO IT SINCE WE'RE USING THE NEW SYSTEM. BECAUSE ONE OF THE REASONS THAT, THAT I KNOW PEOPLE WHO PAY THEIR BILL LATE IS JUST THE WAY THEY GET PAID HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS. AND SO THEY JUST CHOOSE TO PAY AND THERE IS A LATE FEE AND UM, AND IT IS ABOUT 10%, BUT THEY JUST CHOOSE TO ALWAYS PAY IT LATE AND THEY PUT THAT IN THEIR BILLS. BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN THEY'RE MOVING RESIDENCY THEN, THEN THEY JUST SAY THEY'RE MOVING SOMEWHERE TO AN APARTMENT WHERE THE WATER'S PAID AND THEN THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF MOVEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY SO THEY MOVE THERE. WELL THEN WHEN IT'S TIME TO GO BACK TO A RENTAL HOME, THAT'S THE ONLY TIME THEY ARE FORCED TO PAY THE, THE WATER UTILITY. SO THEY HAVE THIS FOUR, $500 BILL WITH US THAT SITS THERE UNTIL THEY'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY MOVE BACK TO A RENTAL HOME OR ANOTHER PROPERTY THAT REQUIRES UTILITIES. SO I, I THINK IF WE CAN GIVE PEOPLE THE OPTION TO CHOOSE WHEN THEIR BILLS DUE OR EVEN ALLOW PAYMENTS TO BE MADE. BECAUSE THE OTHER THING THAT I'M UNDER THE IMPRESSION IS THAT IF YOU OWE A LARGE BILL, YOU HAVE TO PAY THE WHOLE THING. YOU CAN'T JUST COME IN AND PAY TOWARDS IT. WELL WE HAVE PAYMENT PLANS THAT WE PUT IN. OKAY. AND THAT MAY NOT BE COMMUNICATED OR IN THE PAST COMMUNICATED PROPERLY. UM, BUT I THINK THOSE ARE TWO WAYS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO, TO LOOK AT THIS. WE COULDN'T HAVE THEM CALL IN TO AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM THAT WOULD WALK 'EM THROUGH THE STEPS OF JUST HANDLING THAT ON THE PHONE INSTEAD OF HAVING SOMEONE ON THE OTHER LINE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT LINE TAKING THAT CALL. WE WERE LOOKING INTO OPTIONS OF DOING THAT AND I BELIEVE WE WEREN'T ABLE, THE ONLY THING WE WERE ABLE TO DO IS ADDRESS LIKE, UM, QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE ANSWERED BUT WALK A WALKTHROUGH PROCESS. WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT AT THIS TIME, BUT WE, WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT, UH, SOME KIND OF WAY TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE CALLS THAT WERE COMING INTO THE STAFF. WHAT WOULD IT COST LESS TO DO THAT INSTEAD OF HIRING ANOTHER PERSON? WELL, THE PERSON HE'S REFERRING TO WHO BILLS FOR THE, ACTUALLY HE ONLY HAVE ONE PERSON. I DON'T THINK HE WAS SAYING HE WAS HIRED SOMEBODY ELSE. I THINK HE WAS USING THAT AS A WAY TO EXPLAIN HOW MUCH PERSONNEL TIME. NO, THEY SAID THEY NEEDED TO HIRE SOMEONE. I'LL HAVE TO HIRE SOMEONE. OH, I'M GONNA HAVE TO HIRE SOMEBODY ELSE. YEAH. SO I FEEL LIKE WE'RE DISCUSSING TWO DIFFERENT THINGS HERE. [01:50:01] IT'S GOING INTO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. OKAY. YEAH, I'D BE INTERESTED TO SEE, UM, MAYBE WHAT SOME OTHER CITIES ARE DOING THAT HAVE MAYBE STRUGGLED WITH THIS. I DON'T, I MEAN THERE'S ALL, THERE'S THE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT AND NEGATIVE. I MEAN THERE'S, THERE'S LATE FEES OR THERE'S UM, I KNOW SOME UTILITIES I HAVE, THERE'S THE, IF YOU SIGN UP FOR AUTO PAY YOU GET $5 OFF A MONTH OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW. UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, INCENTIVIZE TO PUT IT ON AUTOPAY. UM, I DON'T KNOW. I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT OTHER, WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE TRIED. YEAH. BECAUSE KIND OF GOING BACK IN AND INTO BEFORE THE CREDIT CARD PIECE, 'CAUSE WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST YEAR THAT WE SAID IF WE'RE GONNA GO CHARGE PEOPLE FEES, WE THEN WANTED TO GIVE, COME BACK AND LOOK AT THIS YEAR, GIVE 'EM DISCOUNT FOR GOING TO PAPERLESS AND TWO OTHER THINGS FOR PERCENTAGE. THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAD ASKED ABOUT FOR LAST YEAR. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS SHORTLY OR NOT. BUT THAT IS ONE THING WE HAD ASKED, HEY, IF YOU'RE GONNA GO PAPERLESS STAYS ON OUR PAPER, STAYS IN THE PROCESS AND GETTING ALL THAT DONE, THAT WE WOULD GIVE A SLIGHT DISCOUNT TO THOSE PEOPLE. WE DID STATE, STATE THAT LAST YEAR. IS THERE A NUMBER ASSOCIATED, Y'ALL ARE ASKING IS DO Y'ALL JUST WANT TO BE AT 95% OR IS THERE A NUMBER ASSOCIATED WITH IT WHEN IT COMES? WELL IT'S JUST, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT THIS INCREASES WORKLOAD. THAT THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE, THE, THE POLICY PIECE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, SO LIKE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR THE EXTRA PERSON THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO DO THE WORK, HOW DO YOU WANT US TO FIND DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THAT'S GONNA BE ADDRESSED? RIGHT? AND WAYS THAT THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED ARE STIFFER, STIFFER PENALTIES, FINDING WAYS TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO GO TO OC OR A CH EXCEPT MIKE. 'CAUSE HE'S NOT GONNA GIVE HIS HIS BANK ACCOUNT INFORMATION OUT. UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO AUTOMATIC, UH, WHEN YOU CALL TO PAY YOUR PHONE BILL, THEY DON'T HAVE ANYONE MOST OF THE TIME ON THE OTHER SIDE TAKING THAT IT'S RIGHT. BUT THOSE DO COST SOME MONEY THERE. YEAH. I'M SAYING, BUT HOW MUCH IS IT GONNA COST TO HAVE SOMEONE DO TO, UM, AUTOMATE A SYSTEM COMPARED TO HIRING ANOTHER PERSON? WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO INSURANCE AND ALL THAT FOR, RIGHT. UH, MY, MY CAUTION WITH AUTOMATION, UM, AND KEVIN MAY THANK ME FOR SAYING THIS, BUT LIKE MY CAUTION WITH AUTOMATION IS THAT THE CITY IS OVERWHELMED WITH SOFTWARE AT THIS POINT. AND EVEN IF YOU AUTOMATE, YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY TO MAINTAIN AND MANAGE THE AUTOMATION THAT'S HAPPENING. BUT COULD THAT BE CHEAPER THAN JUST HIRING ANOTHER EMPLOYEE? I, I, I WANT IN SOME INSTANCES, YES, IN SOME INSTANCES IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE SOFTWARE PIECES. UM, I WOULD TELL YOU, UM, IT IS A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AMONG STAFF ON THE AMOUNT OF SOFTWARE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW AND TRYING TO STREAMLINE BECAUSE, UH, TO KEVIN'S POINT, WHEN YOU JUST STOOD UP AND TALKED IS LIKE IF WE START ADDING DIFFERENT SOFTWARES, NOT ALL THE SOFTWARES TALK TO THE OTHER SOFTWARES AND THEN YOU'RE REALLY LIMITED AS IS, IS THIS TYLER? MM-HMM . YES. OKAY. . AND THEN WHEN YOU HAVE TYLER, TYLER IS BUILT TO WHERE ANYTHING THAT YOU USE WITH THEM IS VERY PROPRIETARY AND YOU'RE PAYING AN EXTRA CHARGE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S ALMOST MONOPOLIZED ON THE SOFTWARE. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE COST. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. I UNDERSTAND. AND, UH, MAYOR IF I MAY, UH, AND, AND I THINK, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, GRAHAM BROUGHT UP AN AN EXCELLENT POINT BECAUSE WE ARE, WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE FACT THAT THERE'S LATE PAYMENTS DUE, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE WHYS. UM, AND YOU BROUGHT UP THAT EXCELLENT POINT IN TERMS OF AFFORDABILITY AND PEOPLE MOVING, ET CETERA. AND SO, UM, I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO TACKLE THE TWO DIFFERENT ONES, THOSE THAT CAN'T AFFORD IT VERSUS THOSE THAT ARE JUST LATE. UM, I LIKE THE DUE DATE OPTION 'CAUSE THAT'S EVEN SOMETHING THAT I'VE DONE IS CHANGING MY DUE DATES AROUND, UM, JUST TO KIND OF STREAMLINE WHEN I'M PAYING BILLS. UM, BUT UH, ALSO MAYBE LOOKING AT RESOURCES AVAILABLE EXTERNALLY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. AND SO IF SOMEONE'S CALLING IN AND SAYING, HEY, I JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE TELLING THEM? OH, THERE'S PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS. THERE'S MAYBE, UH, EXTERNAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HELPING WITH, YOU KNOW, HELPING PAY UTILITY BILLS. I DON'T KNOW IF WATER WOULD BE ONE. UM, THAT 2 1 1, THIS ONE I THINK RUSTY IS GONE. BUT, UM, ARE, ARE WE PROVIDING THOSE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WHEN EITHER FOLKS CALL IN OR WALK IN TO DISCUSS THEIR, THEIR LATE BILLS? UM, AND SO I I I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER TWOFOLD THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. UH, YES, I WANT TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF, UH, LATE BILLS, UM, AND TRY TO CAPTURE AS MUCH REVENUE AS WE CAN, BUT THEN ALSO UNDERSTANDING THE TWO SIDES OF IT. YEAH. THAT, AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED, OF THE 20% THAT AREN'T PAYING, HOW MANY OF THOSE WITHIN [01:55:01] A FIVE TO 10 DAY PERIOD COME IN AND PAY? BECAUSE IT MAY BE, I GET PAID ON THE 15TH, MY UTILITY BILL IS DUE ON THE 13TH, I GOTTA WAIT THREE DAYS BEFORE I CAN PAY THE BILL. SO AGAIN, IF THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER, THEN MAYBE OPTING TO HAVE A CHOOSE THE BILL DATE SO THAT CAN ADJUST THAT. 'CAUSE SOME PEOPLE DO LIVE PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK AND WHEN THAT BILL'S DUE JUST BEFORE PAYCHECK TIME, THEY GOTTA WAIT AND THEY INCUR AN EXTRA COST. BUT IF THEY COULD ADJUST THAT DATE, THAT MIGHT HELP. BUT IF IT'S KIND LIKE, BUT THE ONES THAT AREN'T GONNA PAY OR ABANDON THE FEE, THAT'S EVERY CITY LIVES WITH WITHOUT ISSUES. AND THAT'S, THESE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IF WE DO THAT, ARE Y'ALL WILLING TO PAY AN EXTRA $50,000 TO IMPLEMENT THAT ADMINISTRATIVELY? IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S THE WAY THAT WE WANT TO GO, BUT THAT, THAT'S A $50,000 KIND OF ONE TIME. NO, NO, I'M GOING, OH, YOU'RE HIRING A PERSON. I, I I AM PULLING THAT STRAIGHT FROM HERE RIGHT NOW, MR. LESTER. YEAH. AND I'M JUST SAYING IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL WANT TO LOOK AT, ARE YOU ALSO WILLING TO ABSORB THE ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT WE'RE GONNA GO WITH THAT KNOWING THAT AT, REGARDLESS I'M GONNA HAVE TO HIRE A PERSON RIGHT NOW TO, TO HANDLE THE CALLS. AND SO IS THIS ENOUGH OF A, IS THIS A BIG ENOUGH OF ISSUE FOR Y'ALL WHERE Y'ALL WANT US TO SPEND MORE TIME AND RESOURCES TO ADDRESS IT, EITHER THROUGH DIFFERENT SCENARIOS OF FINDING BILLING DUE DATES, UH, DIFFERENT OUTREACH METHODS, DIFFERENT SOFTWARE OR THE PERSONNEL TO HANDLE IT? SO ONE OF THOSE IS HAPPENING. I JUST KIND OF NEED THE DIRECTION ON WHAT Y'ALL, THIS IS VERY OUTSIDE THE BOX, BUT FOR THERE, WHEN YOU'RE CALLING, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THIS IS POSSIBLE, BUT I JUST GOT AN IDEA. IT'S LIKE THE DREAM IDEA. SO A LOT OF THESE KIOSK, LIKE IF WE GO, IF WE MOVE BACK TO CHASE JP MORGAN OR WHATEVER THEY ARE RIGHT NOW, AND WE START DOING CREDIT CARD STUFF WITH THEM, A LOT OF THESE KIOSKS NOWADAYS, SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF I HAVE, UH, SEVERAL CREDIT CARDS, BUT THEY ALL HAVE A CHASE LOGO ON THEM, I CAN NOW GO TO THE KIOSK AND MAKE A PAYMENT. AS LONG AS IT HAS THAT LOGO, I CAN PAY SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF BILLS AT THEIR KIOSK ON, ON MY OWN. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD, THAT MIGHT BE AN INTERNAL THING WITH CHASE, BUT IT MIGHT BE WORTH YOU MENTIONING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOMETHING CAN GROW FROM THAT. EVEN A NEW IDEA FOR THEM. THEY COULD OFFER SOME TYPE OF PROGRAM TO MUNICIPALITIES FOR A FEE. COULD, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, SOMETHING VERY NEW WHERE PEOPLE COULD PAY THEIR UTILITY BILLS IF OUR MUNICIPALITY BANKS WITH THEM AT THEIR KIOSK. AND THAT MAY NOT BE SOMETHING RIGHT AWAY, BUT IT COULD BE SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE WHERE IT ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR A A PERSON. AND THERE'S THIS KIOSK AS LONG AS THE MUNICIPALITY'S BANKING. I THINK THAT SUMMARIZES THAT. UH, QUICK QUESTION. I KNOW AS WE'RE GROWING IN, WE'RE GETTING MORE, UH, MORE NEW HOMES TO DO OTHER THINGS. WHAT'S, HOW, HOW, HOW QUICKLY IS OUR UTIL OUR UTILITY USE USERS OR ACCOUNTS GROWING? 'CAUSE IT'S GOING UP. I'M ASSUMING THERE'S A SMALL PERCENT, 2%, 3% FROM LAST YEAR'S ACCOUNTS RIGHT NOW? IT, IT'S NOT. LAST NIGHT WE, UH, THEY PRESENTED 1.3% WAS WHEN'S THE LAST, SO, AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE, WHEN'S THE LAST TIME WE HIRED A NEW STAFF MEMBER FOR THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT? BECAUSE AS, AS IT GROWS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GROW THE DEPARTMENT A LITTLE BIT. SO IT'S KIND OF THAT THIS ALSO KIND OF PLAYS INTO IT, RIGHT? I GET IT. YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE 10 EMPLOYEES AND YOU GROW TWO 10%, YOU GOT 10% MORE EMPLOYEES, YOU HAVE TO HAVE ONE MORE EMPLOYEE. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS, IF IT'S 1.2% AND WE HAVEN'T INCREASED IN FIVE YEARS, UH, WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO ACTUALLY HAVING TO HAVE ONE MORE EMPLOYEE IN THAT DEPARTMENT. THIS IS THE NATIONAL, THIS IS COMPARED TO NATIONAL. NO, THIS IS OUR, THIS IS JUST OUR NO, BUT BUT YOU WERE SAYING NATIONAL IS LIKE 95. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A 95%. SO MORE CONSISTENCY ON, ON UNDERSTANDING WHAT, UH, THE REVENUE COMING IN. SO REMEMBER LIKE WHAT THIS AVERAGE IS SHOWING US IS ROUGHLY AROUND 16% IS NOT PAYING ON TIME. SO THAT'S ROUGHLY WHAT, 3000 PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO CONTACT UTILITY BILLING TO TAKE CARE OF A LATE PAYMENT. AND THAT'S A MONTH. WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE AREA IN OTHER CITIES WITH THAT, THAT NU THOSE NUMBERS? I MEAN, I CAN BRING THAT TO YOU. I DON'T, I'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW IF THE, I DON'T HAVE IT ON TOP OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW, JUST IN THIS AREA. WE JUST WE'RE RIGHT ALONG WITH LAPORTE, THEIR PART, OTHER CITIES AT THAT NUMBER, DO THEY HAVE ALSO THE ISSUE OF 20% OF THEIR POPULATION NOT PAYING THEIR BILLS ON TIME? YEAH, I I'LL HAVE TO BRING IT BACK THERE. I DON'T KNOW OFF TOP OF MY HEAD. UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION FOR ME, I MEAN LIKE, IS THAT COST WORTH IT? I'D LIKE TO KNOW. OKAY, UH, WHAT THE, WHAT'S THE BENEFIT? LIKE IF WE, I MEAN, IF, IF THAT WAS 95, LIKE WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE BENEFIT? I MEAN, I THINK TO MIKE'S POINT, LIKE ARE ARE THESE PEOPLE JUST PAYING A WEEK LATE AND WE'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, 95% OF USERS ARE STILL PAYING. SO I'LL I'LL SAY IT LIKE THIS [02:00:02] RIGHT NOW YOU PAY 10% LATE FEE, RIGHT? 10% LATE FEE OF YOUR BILL COULD BE $6, RIGHT? IF YOUR BILL IS $68, $6.80, IF YOU HAVE TO PAY A $50 LATE FEE, ARE YOU GONNA PAY YOUR BILL ON TIME? DO I NEED TO HIRE SOMEBODY ELSE TO MAKE THOSE, TO RECEIVE THOSE CALLS ANYMORE? OKAY. OKAY. I MEAN, SIMPLY PUT RAISE PLATE. YEAH, RAISE LATE RAISE PLATE. I MEAN THAT'S A SIMPLE, THE SIMPLE THING. YEAH. YEAH. AND, UM, IT, IT JUST BRASS TACK. IF WE LOOK AT IT LIKE THAT, IS THERE AN INCENTIVE TO MAKE SURE YOUR BILL PAYMENT ON TIME? WHY, WHY DOES THE CITY HAVE TO GO OUT OF ITS WAY TO CATER TO EVERYBODY? OR SHOULD THE PEOPLE BE RESPONSIBLE WITH WHAT'S DUE AT THAT POINT? I I LIKE THE IDEA OF POSITIVE INCENTIVE VERSUS NEGATIVE INCENTIVE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BECAUSE IT'S A HAVE TO MM-HMM . IT'S A NEED, NOT A WANT, BUT I MEAN, I KNOW WE HAVE TO EXPLORE EVERYTHING, BUT, UM, IF SOMEBODY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THEIR WATER BILL, THEN THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF I LIKE MORE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES. THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT. AND THAT'S, THIS IS WHY I'M BRINGING IT UP. I'M, I'M, I'M JUST ANSWERING THE QUESTION ON WHAT'S THE INCENTIVE. I'D PROBABLY BE MORE CONCERNED IF IT WERE BELOW 80%, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE RUNNING BETWEEN 80, 83%. UM, RECENT, IF WE WERE TALKING 70%, 30% OF THE PEOPLE WERE NOT PAYING, IT'D BE MORE OF A CONCERN FOR ME. MM-HMM . I'M LIKE, JACOB, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT'S THE BENEFIT. IF NOT, I'M NOT, I'M GENERAL, I WOULDN'T HAVE CARED ABOUT THIS. OKAY. COULD WE, UM, COULD WE LOOK AT FIRST FINDING A WAY TO GET, CHOOSING YOUR OWN DUE DATE, EVALUATE AFTER THAT'S IN PLACE AND THEN COME BACK TO THE TABLE TO REVIEW? IF WE NEED TO GO NEXT STEPS. JACOB HAD THE IDEA OF DOING BOTH, LETTING THEM CHANGE THEIR DUE DATE. MM-HMM . BUT THEN IF, IF YOU PICK IT AND THAT'S YOUR DUE DATE, YOU HAD CONTROL OF THAT AND THEN YOU STILL ARE EXPERIENCING REASONS FOR NOT PAYING ON TIME, THEN WE, YEAH. SO IT'S THAT POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INCENTIVES. YEAH. GIVE AND GIVE TAKE THERE. GOOD CONVERSATION. ALL. THANK YOU. THIS, IS THAT UP BECAUSE I, IT'S 1130. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. YOU READY, MAYOR? OKAY. NEXT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT UTILITY SERVICE FEES. NOW THIS IS NOT THE WATER RATE STUDY CONVERSATION. THIS IS ABOUT FEES THAT, UH, UTILITY BILLING WOULD BE CHARGING. SO CURRENTLY WE'RE NOT RECOVERING THE FULL COST ASSOCIATED WITH, UM, NON-ROUTINE UTILITY ISSUES AND THE FEES. SO IN ORDER TO ADDRESS IT, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS PROPOSE SOME INCREASING RATES SPECIFICALLY FOR CUSTOMERS WHO ENGAGE IN WATER THEFT OR CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE CITY INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE GOAL OF THIS IS TO, UM, GET THE ACTUAL COST INCURRED BY THE CITY. AND THESE ARE ACTIONS THAT ARE AVOIDABLE AND ALSO THIS WILL NOT IMPACT MAJORITY OF THE, UH, CITIZENS. THE ONES WHO ACTUALLY USE OUR SERVICES RESPONSIBLY WILL NOT BE IMPACTED BY THESE CHANGES AND THE CHANGES THAT WE ARE PROPOSING. OKAY. ARE THE FEES HERE LISTED, UH, BEFORE YOU, AND I'LL BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT EACH ONE JUST, UM, QUICKLY IF POSSIBLE. SO THE TEMPORARY ONE IS BASICALLY USED A LOT OF TIMES BY CONSTRUCTION OR SPECIAL EVENTS OR RENTAL PREPARATION. SO IT'S JUST A TEMPORARY USE. YOU JUST, UM, YOU JUST NEED THE SERVICE TEMPORARILY BEFORE YOU CHANGE IT OVER TO THE ACTUAL PERSON WHO WILL BE PAYING THE BILL. UH, GOING FORWARD. THE VACANT ONE IS SOMETIMES WE HAVE A LOT OF VACANT USE, UM, IN OUR SYSTEM. IT'S INACTIVE OR THEY'RE VACANT, BUT WE'RE STILL SHOWING THAT THERE'S A READING THAT SOMEONE IS USING THE WATER. UM, AND THEN WE HAVE BROKEN LOCK AND DEVICE. THIS IS MORE OF SOMEONE'S TAMPERING WITH THE, UH, METER DOING THINGS SO THAT WE CAN'T, UM, MONITOR OR READ THE METER CORRECTLY. AND THEN THE PULL STRAIGHT LINE IS WHEN THEY LITERALLY BYPASS OUR SYSTEM SO THAT WE CAN'T MONITOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING, BUT THEY'RE STILL GETTING THE WATER. LIKE PEOPLE PUT IN WATER HOSES AND DIFFERENT PIPES AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO, TO STEAL THE WATER AND WE'RE UNABLE TO MONITOR IT. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, WHEN YOU GET A DAMAGE REGISTER, UM, SOMEONE CAN RUN OVER THE CAR, UH, RUN OVER WITH A CAR OR DAMAGE IT WITH A LAWNMOWER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, CHARGING A FEE FOR THOSE ITEMS. AND THEN THE METER TEST [02:05:01] AND OWNER DEPOSIT, THESE ARE JUST THE ONES WHERE WE GO OUT AND TEST THE METER. RIGHT NOW WE ONLY CHARGE, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, $25, BUT A ACTUAL METER, EVERY TIME WE TEST A METER, WE HAVE TO TAKE IT OUT THE GROUND AND PUT IN A NEW ONE. AND A NEW ONE IS CLOSE TO $300 AND WE'RE ONLY CHARGING 25 AND WE CHARGE 25. THE NEW FEE WILL BE CHARGED ONLY IF THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE METER THAT WE PULLED OUT OF THE GROUND. IF THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE METER, OF COURSE WE WOULDN'T CHARGE THEM, RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAD A, A LEGITIMATE, A GRIPE ABOUT THE SERVICE. BUT IF THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE METER AND WE PULL IT OUT THE GROUND, WE WOULD CHARGE THEM FOR THE COST OF THE METER. AND THAT'S WHAT THAT IS ABOUT. AND THE OWNER DEPOSIT IS JUST TO HELP US RECOVER SOME OF THE COSTS OF LIKE A ONE BILL. $50 DOESN'T COVER A GENERAL BILL, TYPICALLY. SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO RECOUP SOME OF THE COSTS WITH THAT. AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS ON THE, AND I'M GONNA START AT THE BOTTOM, MARK MY WAY UP. OKAY. I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE OWNER DEPOSIT. I MEAN, THAT'S A DEPOSIT THAT'S REFUNDABLE AT A POINT IN TIME, THE METER TEST. SO WE PULL A METER, WE TEST IT, THE METER'S FINE, BUT WE'RE GONNA CHARGE FOR THE METER WE PUT IN AT THE FULL COST OF METER. THAT I DON'T KNOW IF I AGREE WITH THAT. I AGREE WITH CHARGING WHAT IT WOULD COST TO GO CHANGE OUT THE METER. SO IF THAT TAKES TWO HOURS OF STAFF TIME, THREE HOURS, WHATEVER WE NEED TO THAT COST. BUT WE STILL HAVE A, A VIABLE METER. SO, BUT WE'RE CHARGING FOR A METER. WELL, CURRENTLY WE DO NOT PUT THE METER, WE TAKE OUT THE GROUND. IF THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, WE DO NOT PUT IT BACK IN THE GROUND. SO IF THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, WHY WOULDN'T WE REUSE THAT METER? SO MIKE, UH, BRENT BROUGHT UP THIS EXACT SAME SCENARIO YESTERDAY, UH, YESTERDAY OR THE DAY BEFORE WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS. AND PART OF WHAT UTILITY BILLING DEALS WITH IS IF WE WERE, IF IF THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ONE THAT WE TOOK OUT OF THE GROUND, WE PUT IT BACK ON THE SHELL, WHAT WE HEAR IS LIKE, WELL NOW YOU PUT SOME, YOU KNOW, USED METER BACK IN THE GROUND WHEN WE'RE REPLACING A METER. AND SO WE, WE START CREATING THESE CYCLES OF LIKE, OKAY, IF I TAKE IT OUT, PUT IT BACK ON THE SHELF, I'M, I'M REUSING IT. THEN THE PEOPLE THAT WE PUT A NEW ONE IN, THEY'RE GONNA COMPLAIN. AND THEN WE'VE HAD THIS DEATH SPIRAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF. AND SO TO YOUR POINT WHERE WE LOOKED AT, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, DO WE CHARGE FOR THE FULL ADMINISTRATIVE FEE TO PUT SOMETHING IN THE GROUND, WHICH IS THE COST OF THE PEOPLE, THE COST OF THE, UH, THE EQUIPMENT. AND IF THAT'S 500, 700 BUCKS TO DO THAT, ARE Y'ALL WILLING TO, TO GO THAT ROUTE AS WELL? BUT WE STILL HAVE THE METER AND IF THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, WE COULD, IN MY OPINION, SHOULD REUSE IT. MM-HMM . I MEAN IF THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, IT'S BEEN TESTED AND CERTIFIED, PUT IT BACK IN THE GROUND. SO AT THE NEXT ONE OR WHATEVER, I AGREE WITH CHARGING THE COST OF THE, OF THE ROTATE, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF TIME TO DO THAT. 'CAUSE IT TAKES A COUPLE HOURS, I WOULD MINIMUM, I WOULD THINK TO SEND A CREW OUT, PULL IT OUT, PUT A NEW METER IN, TAKE IT BACK, TEST THE METER. AGAIN, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WHEN THE CITIZEN CALLS US, WELL THEY CHARGE ME X. WELL, YEAH, THEY CHARGE YOU. 'CAUSE THEY SAID STAFF OUT THERE TO DO THIS, THIS IS THE COST, THIS IS THE COST OF TESTING THAT METER. IT TESTED FINE. SO THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. SO YOU'RE GONNA GET CHARGED FOR THAT. BUT CHARGE FOR THE METER THAT WE STILL HAVE A METER THAT WE COULD USE. SO IF WE'RE GONNA CHARGE FOR METER, WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE ODOR? WE JUST THROW IT AWAY. PRETTY MUCH. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS. THAT'S THE WEIGHT SAID THE, THE ISSUE. ESPECIALLY IF IT TESTS FINE. IF THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT, THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE. TO ME, THAT'S AN EVEN BIGGER ISSUE BECAUSE IF SOMEONE CHARGED ME TO PUT A NEW METER IN AND THEN TELLS ME, BUT THE OTHER ONE WAS FINE, BUT THEN YOU THREW IT AWAY. I'M GONNA SAY THE CITY'S LYING, IT WASN'T REALLY OKAY. THEY THREW IT AWAY. SO I, SO THE ISSUE IS WHEN WE TAKE THE METER OUT, WE LEAVE THE LOCATION BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO DO IT RIGHT ON THE SPOT. SO IN THAT MOMENT, WE HAVE TO PUT IN A NEW METER. CORRECT. RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT. SO THERE'S READINGS THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. SO THEN THAT METER NOW HAS TO GO BACK IN INVENTORY. IF WE TAKE IT BACK OUT, PUT IN THE OTHER METER. SO NOW THAT METER HAS READINGS ON IT, THAT NOW WE ARE GOING TO PUT IN ANOTHER. DO YOU LEAVE THE FIRST ONE THERE OR DO YOU JUST REUSE THE, THE ONE YOU PULLED OUT THAT TESTED FINE, NEXT TIME YOU NEED A NEW METER, YOU JUST PULL IT OFF, PUT IT IN THE GROUND. SO WE USE THE ONE THAT YOU PULLED OUT. IF IT TESTS FINE AND THAT IF IT TESTS FINE, THAT'S WHEN WE CHARGE. IF IT TESTS BAD, WE DON'T CHARGE. RIGHT. 'CAUSE IT'S A BAD METER. UH, GOING ON DAMAGE. I'LL HAVE TO PROMPT THAT. PULL METER TAPING YOU OUT, PULL STRAIGHT LINE. THAT'S WHEN YOU SAID THAT THEY ACTUALLY PUT IN A STRAIGHT LINE OR PUT A WATER HOSE IN THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY STEALING WATER. MM-HMM . YEAH. YOU REFER THAT, THAT GUY OVER THERE. BUT LIKE ARE YEAH. WHAT, SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD IS THE DA DOESN'T ENFORCE THIS BECAUSE IT'S HARD FOR US TO [02:10:01] GIVE THEM AMOUNT OF HOW MUCH WAS STOLEN BECAUSE IT'S NOT BEING READ. SO IF YOU CAN'T READ THE AMOUNT THAT THEY'RE STEALING, UM, THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT THEY'RE STEALING, WHAT EXACTLY. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? AND SO IT'S HARD FOR IT TO ENFORCE THAT, UH, PIECE OF IT. YEAH. I ON THAT, WHAT I WOULD, UH, A THOUSANDS NOT ENOUGH CHARGE MORE. YOU'RE GONNA DO IT AND I CAN'T PROSECUTE YOU. I'M GONNA GET AS MUCH, GET AS MUCH AS WE CAN POSSIBLY GET OUT OF 5,000. I WANNA GO BACK TO THE COST OF THE REGISTERS THAT ARE DAMAGED. I KNOW YOU SAID IF IT WAS DAMAGED BY LAWN MOWING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT WOULDN'T THAT BE A, AN ARGUMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE CITIZEN? BECAUSE THE CITIZEN COULD SAY THAT THEY'RE NOT THE ONES THAT DAMAGED IT. AND SO WHO GETS TO DETERMINE WHO, WHO'S THE MEDIATOR IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT? UM, IT WOULD TYPICALLY BE US BECAUSE WE'RE NOT, THE ONLY THING WE WOULD SAY PROBABLY IS THAT IT'S IN YOUR YARD, IT'S YOUR PROPERTY. UM, WE WOULDN'T KNOW WHO DAMAGED IT BECAUSE WE WOULD KNOW IF WE DAMAGED IT OR NOT. AND SO IT'S IN YOUR PROPERTY IF WE HAVE TO REPLACE IT, WE HAVE TO TALKING ABOUT OR SOMEONE EASEMENT OR, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THIS. SO LIKE WHERE I LIVE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN CENTERPOINT'S EASEMENT. AND THERE HAVE BEEN WATER METERS WHERE LARGE TREES AND THINGS HAVE FALLEN ON 'EM. I'M NOT AWARE, SOMETHING HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, MONTHS LATER I'M CALLING ABOUT SOMETHING GOING ON BY WATER. BILL CITY COMES OUT AND SAYS YOU DAMAGED IT. WELL, I GET IT, IT'S ON MY PROPERTY. BUT IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE LIVING ON A FIXED INCOME OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I JUST, I'M WORRIED ABOUT US BEING THE ONLY ONE THAT GET TO MAKE THAT CALL. WELL I THINK THE ISSUE WOULD BE IS HOW WOULD WE KNOW, UM, THAT IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE TREE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I MEAN, THE CITIZENS, WE WORK WITH CITIZENS, IF THEY CAN PROVIDE US PROOF THAT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED, THESE PEOPLE WERE IN OUR YARD. SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A SET, WE DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT THE CUSTOMERS TELL US AND THEN WE RESEARCH AND DO OUR INVESTIGATION OF BASICALLY, OF WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US. SO IF IN THAT CASE, IF THEY WERE TO SAY, HEY, A TREE FELL ON IT, SOMEONE ELSE WAS WORKING IN MY YARD, WE WOULD TRY TO WORK WITH THEM. IT'S NOT A, YOU KNOW, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO, UM, ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE ONES THAT ARE HONESTLY TRYING TO DO THINGS THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE DOING. THAT'S THE MAIN GOAL OF IT. I HEAR, YOU HONOR, IT'S NOT JUST TO, I WORRY ABOUT GRAY AREAS LIKE THAT WHERE WE SAY WE WORK WITH PEOPLE. I'M REALLY JUST TRYING TO ADVOCATE FOR SITUATIONS THAT I'VE HEARD. AND EVEN IF IT'S JUST MAKING EVERYBODY AWARE WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE JUST SAYING THAT WE WORK WITH PEOPLE, BUT IT'S NOT WRITTEN SOMEWHERE. WHAT'S WRITTEN IS COST OF REGISTER. I THINK THAT A LOT OF TIMES THAT WHAT HAPPENS IS SOMEONE JUST COMES OUT AND SAYS, NO, IT'S BROKEN. YOU OWE US. AND THAT THAT'S WHAT, AND CITIZENS MAY NOT KNOW THAT THEY CAN COME AND SHOW YOU INFORMATION OR WHATEVER. AND I I, I DON'T HAVE THE SOLUTION TO THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT I JUST THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE AWARE THAT JUST LIKE WE DON'T HAVE PROOF WHO DAMAGED IT, THAT WE ARE ASKING THEM TO PAY FOR SOMETHING AND JUST ASSUMING THAT THEY'RE THE ONES THAT DAMAGED IT. 'CAUSE IT'S ON THEIR PROPERTY. AND THERE'S JUST LOTS OF SITUATIONS IN A TOWN THAT HAS OLDER HOMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS, UH, SECLUDED ON THEIR PROPERTY. THE, THE WATER PIECES. WELL, THAT'S FAIR. GO QUICK. I GO BACK TO VACANT UNAUTHORIZED USE. TO ME THAT'S A CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. SO WHETHER WE CHARGE A HIGHER FEE OR WE REFER IT TO PD AND UH, WHATEVER TEMPORARY SERVICE ON MY THOUGHT, ON THE TEMPORARY SERVICE ON IS, IS THAT ENOUGH? I HAVE THE SAME THOUGHT. I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE BY THE TIME YOU SEND SOMEBODY OUT, WE JUST DOUBLED IT. BUT I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE BASIS FOR THAT WAS. LIKE IF THAT'S REALLY THE, THAT THE HOURS GOING OUT THERE PUTTING, YOU KNOW, A TEMPORARY MEETING, DOING ALL THAT. LIKE WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY COST US TO DO A TEMPORARY SERVICE ON? UM, THAT THING WE WERE JUST TRYING TO CAPTURE AT LEAST LIKE ONE MONTH BILL. SO LIKE IF YOU HAD A TEMPORARY SERVICE AND YOU WERE TRYING TO DO RENTAL PREP FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO MOVE INTO YOUR RENTAL PROPERTY, THE AVERAGE BILL PROBABLY WOULD BE CLOSE TO THAT AMOUNT. UM, THE CONSTRUCTION, UM, COST, TYPICALLY THEY PAY. SO WE ARE REALLY TARGETING THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE USING THIS ON A TEMPORARY BASIS. OKAY. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT COST CAME THAT WE'RE OPEN TO WHATEVER SUGGESTION AGAIN, MYSELF IS IS THAT ENOUGH? I MEAN, DO YOU THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE AMOUNT OR WHATEVER IT JUST ON THE OTHER I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ON. YEAH, BECAUSE THAT TEMPORARY SERVICE ON, IF YOU'RE ON THE HOME BUILDERS, NEW HOME BUILDERS. I KNOW WHEN I USED TO BUILD HOMES BACK IN THE DAY, YEAH, WE USE A LOT OF WATER. SO A HUNDRED AIN'T GOING MONTH NOWADAYS. I FEEL LIKE THAT'S ONE FEE WE COULD RECOUP FOR MORE THAN ALL THE OTHER THAT SHOULD. I MEAN, I I GET IF IT'S A, AN INDIVIDUAL SYSTEM VERSUS [02:15:01] A COMMERCIAL TRIP SERVICE ON WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? WHEN YOU SAY TEMPORARY SERVICE ON, THAT'S THE, THE FEE TO TURN THAT ON. AND THEN THEY STILL, I MEAN THEY PAY FOR THE USAGE ON TOP OF THAT FEE. MM-HMM . OKAY. UM, THAT'S DIFFERENT. YES. IT'S JUST THE FEE TO GET IT TURNED ON. I GOTCHA. WELL IF IT'S THE FEE JUST TO GET IT TURNED ON, BUT THEY'RE PAYING FOR THEIR USAGE. YEAH, BUT A COMMERCIAL I I I GET PRIVATE. I GET IT. IT'S A LOT COMMERCIAL. YOU'RE A COMMERCIAL. WE SHOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT WAY FOR THE COMMERCIAL THEN. YEAH. THAT'S WHAT I'M TEMPORARY SERVICE ON FOR COMMERCIAL SHOULD BE DIFFERENT THAN A TEMPORARY SERVICE ON FOR IT. A REGULAR SYSTEM. IF I'M BUILDING A ME HOUSE, I BOUGHT A LOT, I WANNA BUILD A HOUSE. HEY, I'M GONNA CONTINUE MY UTILITY BILL THERE. I'M DONE PULTE HOMES BUILDING IT. ONCE THEY'RE DONE, THEY MIGHT NEVER PAY THAT ACCOUNT. TECHNICALLY THEY'RE GOING TO, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING, THEY COULD WALK AWAY FROM THAT ACCOUNT BACK IN. IF, IF THERE'S A VACANT, UN UNAUTHORIZED USE, UM, WHO WOULD BE USING THE WATER IN A VACANT, UNAUTHORIZED USED HOME? ALL OF US. WELL, SO THAT'S WHAT I'M ASSUMING. SO WHO, WHO ARE WE CHARGING? WHO CHARGING? WELL, PROPERTY OWNER. WELL, SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE MOVE IN, THEY DO NOT COME AND SET UP SERVICE WITH THE CITY. SO YOU CAN HAVE AN INACTIVE ACCOUNT. THEY DON'T COME AND SET UP RIGHT AWAY. SO THEY'RE USING THE WATER. AND SO WE SEND OUT A NOTICE, WE SAY, HEY, THERE'S USE GOING ON WITH THIS ACCOUNT. IT'S INACTIVE, NO ONE SHOULD BE HERE. AND SO THAT OWNER TYPICALLY HAS TO COME IN AND TELL US, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING. OR ACTUALLY GET WHOEVER NEEDS TO SIGN UP FOR THAT ACCOUNT. AND SO ALTHOUGH IT COULD BE HOMELESS, WE WOULDN'T KNOW THAT THOUGH. LIKE, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE DEATH HOUSE LISTED AS VACANT OR UNAUTHORIZED. SO WE ARE MONITORING THAT BECAUSE WE NEED TO GET THE, RECOUP THE COST OF THE WATER THAT'S BEING USED. BUT WOULDN'T YOU JUST CHARGE THEM FOR THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT'S BEING USED THAT'S ON THE METER AND NOT A FEE. SO WHAT WAS THE, WHAT WAS THE ONE CODE ENFORCEMENT HOUSE? WE HAD, AND I THINK IT WAS THE ALLEN BROKER SUBDIVISION HAD THEIR DRIVE. HEATHER LANE? MM-HMM . RIGHT? HEATHER LANE, UM, WHERE THEY WERE STEALING WATER THAT THEY WOULD BYPASS EVERYTHING AND TAKE WATER AND WITHOUT HAVING AN ACTIVE WATER BILL. WOULD THAT BE AN EXAMPLE HERE? I I, I KNOW WE HAVE EXAMPLES. I'M JUST TRYING TO, BUT WOULDN'T NOT BE TAMPERING STRAIGHT LINE. IT'S A LOT PEOPLE ARE VERY CREATIVE AND, BUT AT THAT POINT, IF WE KNOW IT AND WE CAN SEE THAT THEY'VE STOLEN AND HOW MUCH THEY'VE USED, WOULDN'T THAT BE A CRIMINAL OFFENSE AT THAT POINT? BUT THAT GOES BACK TO THE DA HAS TO ACCEPT CHARGES AND BY AND LARGE, THEY DO NOT ACCEPT CHARGES FOR A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. SO MY, THEY BARELY ACCEPT CHARGES FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. MINE COURSE. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN PULLING AND TAMPERING WITH THE WATER. LIKE SOMEONE'S WATER'S OFF, THEY GO OUT THERE, THEY TURN IT BACK ON, THEY'RE STILL IN THE WATER. I GET WHY WE DON'T DO THE CRIMINAL THING AND WE CHARGE, BUT TEMPER THE VACANT UNAUTHORIZED USE. I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND THE TAMPERING AND TURNING THE WATER ON BECAUSE I KNOW WHY WE'RE GONNA CHARGE A FEE WHEN WE CAN, WHEN YOU KNOW, YOU'VE TURNED THE WATER OFF AT SUCH AND SUCH ADDRESS AND THE WATER'S STILL GOING AND THAT, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY THEY TURNED IT BACK ON. BUT WITH VACANT UNAUTHORIZED USE, WELL IF, IF IT IS VACANT, YOU ARE TURNING THE WIRE BACK ON BECAUSE WE'VE TURNED IT OFF. IF IT'S VACANT AND INACTIVE THAT OKAY, WE'VE TURNED IT OFF AND SO NOW IT'S ON AND IT'S SHOWING USE. I, I DON'T KNOW. IT FEELS LIKE SOME OF THESE COULD BE STACKED THOUGH, BECAUSE IF IT'S BROKEN, YOU'RE, I MEAN IF IT'S VACANT, YOU OBVIOUSLY BROKE THE LOCK OR THE DEVICE TO USE THE WATER. SO ARE YOU STACKING THE FEES OR IS IT JUST ONE STRAIGHT FEE OR THE VACANT UNAUTHORIZED USE? YEAH, BECAUSE YOU'VE TAMPERED WITH IT IF YOU UNAUTHORIZED USED IT. YEAH. SO WHO GETS TO DECIDE WHICH ONE? THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA BOTH CHARGED BOTH. WE ARE DECIDED, BUT UH, WE DON'T STACK THE FEE GET CHARGED. WE GO, WELL, NOTHING WE DON'T TYPICALLY STACK. SO IF IT, IF IT, IF WE KNOW THAT THE, THE, THE HOME IS VACANT AND AUTHOR AUTHORIZED, THAT IS THE CHARGE. WE ARE GOING TO CHARGE FOR WHATEVER'S TAKING PLACE AT THAT FACILITY OR THAT HOME. AND SO WE'RE NOT STACKING IT TO SAY, OKAY, YOU STOLE WATER. WE, WE JUST KNOW THAT'S AN INACTIVE VACANT CAN ACCOUNT I MUCH HEARSAY. WELL, I'M SORRY IF YOU PULL THE METER YES, THEN IT IS VACANT. LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO WATER. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M NOT, I GUESS I JUST ALWAYS NEED AN EXAMPLE. I DON'T KNOW. THERE'S VACANT. I'M SORRY. WELL, THEY DON'T PULL THE METER. OKAY. THAT DON'T MATTER. IT DOESN'T MATTER. THEY'RE BOTH 500. SO [02:20:01] IT DOESN'T MATTER. SO WE DON'T STACK. OKAY. SO FOR ME, LET'S SAY ANYTHING THAT IS CRIMINAL AS FAR AS THE, THE TAMPERING OR THE, OR THE, UH, PULLING THE STRAIGHT LINE, UH, RAISE THEM AND HIRE. YOU'RE, YOU'RE, THAT IS NOT SOMEBODY WHO'S LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, TEMPORARY SERVICE, VOLUNTARY SERVICE, ASSAULT, THEY'RE BASICALLY PAYING AN ACCOUNT. UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE METER TEST METER DAMAGE. I GET SOME OF THAT STUFF. BUT IF YOU'RE BREAKING THE LAW AND YOU'RE STEALING WATER, GET AS MUCH AS YOU CAN OUTTA THOSE PEOPLE. VIOLATING. BUT WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE COLLECTION RATE ON THOSE LIKE RIGHT NOW? I MEAN, WOULD IT EVEN MAKE SENSE TO RAISE FEES IF THEY'RE NOT EVEN PAYING THIS ONE? THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE ANOTHER ACCOUNT WITH US. SO BASICALLY THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT. THEY WON'T HAVE WATER COUNT LIST US. SO YEAH, SO I WOULD SAY IT, IT'S NOT, UM, IT IS NOT REALLY SERVING AS A DETERRENT RIGHT NOW. WHICH IS WHY WE FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD INCREASE THE RATES TO SEE IF THAT WILL HELP TO DETER SOME OF THE ACTIVITY THAT YEAH, I MEAN IF YOU HAVE A HOUSE THERE AND YOU'RE STEALING WATER FROM SOME FROM THERE AND YOU ARE GONNA LIVE THERE AND NOW YOU'RE LIKE, GREG, NOW I GOTTA GET THIS WATER BACK ON. BUT I OWE THE CITY NOW 5,000 BUCKS FOR STEALING, STEALING WATER. PROBABLY NOT GONNA TRY TO STEAL WATER EVER AGAIN. SO I I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. IF YOU HAVE A HOME ADDRESS THAT HAS RACKED UP SOME FEES AND IT'S A RENTAL PROPERTY AND SOMEONE NEW MOVES IN IT AND IT'S GONNA BE A NEW WATER ACCOUNT, WILL ANY OF THOSE FEES IN ANY WAY GO TO THAT NEW PERSON? IT SHOULD BE ON THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY. MM-HMM . BEFORE THEY SIGN UP, BEFORE THE NEW RESIDENCE. IT NOT, SO HE DOES THE BEST ON JOE BLOW WAS RENTING A HOUSE, HAS THE UTILITIES IN THEIR NAME, THEY RACK UP A BUNCH OF FEES, THEY DO WHATEVER THEY MOVE OUT. NOW THERE'S GONNA BE A NEW RENTER IN THAT HOME. YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT IT'S GONNA BE THE OWNER OF THE HOME, NOT THE PERSON WHO HAD THE WATER IN THEIR NAME. WITH THE CAVEAT UNDERSTANDING THAT THE, WE CAN'T CONTROL WHAT THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY PASSES ON TO THE NEW TENANT. WE CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT PORTION. WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE BUILD THE, WE BUILD THE PERSON THAT SET UP THE WATER LINE AND IT, OR THE WATER SERVICE. LIKE I DON'T WANT TO GET TRAPPED IN THIS, IN THIS SCENARIO WHERE WE'RE SAYING SOMETHING AND THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL. THE, THE THING THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL IS IF THE, IF THE RENTER SITS UP THE WATER SERVICE AND MOVES OUT, YOU'RE ASKING, IS THE NEXT RENTER COMING IN GONNA HAVE TO ABSORB THAT? AND THE ULTIMATELY IT'S GONNA BE PROBABLY THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE THAT HAS TO ABSORB THAT COST AND THAT'S GONNA BE THE OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT IT'S TAKEN CARE OF. AND IF THEY PASS IT ON TO THE NEXT PERSON, WE HAVE NO SAY IN THAT, BUT I'M GOING TO USE NAMES. UHHUH , SARAH MOVES INTO JOE'S HOUSE. MM-HMM . AS A RENTER. AND I PUT WATER IN SARAH'S NAME, UHHUH AND SARAH RUNS UP A BUNCH OF BILLS AND SHE MOVES OUT. UHHUH, JOE RENTS THE HOUSE TO ETHAN. UHHUH, , ETHAN'S GONNA PUT THE WATER. ETHAN HAS A PERFECT WATER RECORD. ETHAN'S GONNA PUT THE WATER IN HIS NAME. WILL ETHAN HAVE ANY PROBLEMS PUTTING THE WATER IN HIS NAME? AND WILL ANY FEES FROM SARAH BE PUT ON ETHAN'S BILL? NO. SO YOU WILL NOT ASSOCIATE IT WITH THE ADDRESS? NO. EVEN IF THERE'S A TAMPERED METER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BECAUSE YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE A CUSTOMER ACCOUNT, YOU HAVE THE ACCOUNT, WHICH IS WHERE I'M NOT GETTING CONFUSED, BUT ONE IS THE LOCATION, WHICH IS THE HOME AND ONE IS ASSOCIATED WITH. SO THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE TWO ACCOUNTS, TWO NUMBERS AND YOU, UM, SIGN FOR. BUT MR. REYNOLDS, I GUESS YOUR EXAMPLE IS IF FOR SOME REASON THE METER'S MISSING OR SOMETHING, WELL THEN THE NEW PERSON WOULD HAVE, OR THE OWNER MM-HMM . SO I GUESS THAT COULD BE A, THE CAVEAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT MAY BE REFLECTED OR ON, YEAH. OKAY. WAS THERE ANY, UH, CHANGES, UH, THAT YOU WANT MADE TO THESE FEES? I HEARD A FEW SAY A HIGHER CRIMINAL, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS BRUCE'S CONCERN. I WAS SAYING WRITE 'EM A TICKET, LET 'EM GO TO COURT AND PAY A FINE. IF THEY DON'T PAY THE FINE, THEY GOT A WARRANT OUT AND IF THEY GET STOPPED, THEY'RE TAKEN IN. CAN'T SPEAK TO ANY OF THAT. YOU CAN WRITE A TICKET FOR SOMEBODY NOT HAVING THEIR DOG CHAIN UP. YOU CAN WRITE A TICKET FOR SOMEBODY THAT STOLE WATER AND YOU CAN PROVE IT. OR FOR TAMPERING. YEAH. CAN BAYTOWN WRITE A TICKET FOR TAMPERED WITH WATER METERS? UM, I THINK TO GET BACK TO THE CONVERSATION THAT TERESA WAS HAVING ABOUT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY NOT ACCEPTING CHARGES, WE WOULD HAVE A SIMILAR EVIDENTIARY PROBLEM. THE ISSUE IS NOT WRITING A CITATION. THE ISSUE IS BEING ABLE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THAT CITATION. SO IF WE DON'T HAVE THE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE, THERE ARE SOME LEGAL CONSEQUENCES TO THAT OUTSIDE OF SIMPLY LOSING THE CASE. BUT IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, UH, AS THE [02:25:01] THE CITY PROSECUTOR, I WOULD NOT BRING A CASE THAT I COULD NOT WIN. SO, AND ETHICALLY I COULDN'T DO THAT. BUT YOU HAVE RECORD THAT THAT METER WAS TAMPERED WITH, THAT THEY WERE STILL IN THE WATER. THAT WOULDN'T BE ENOUGH EVIDENCE? WELL, I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO ANY SPECIFIC SITUATION 'CAUSE I, I HAVEN'T SEEN WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. BUT I CAN SAY IN A GENERAL SENSE, BASED ON THERESA'S COMMENTS, THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS HAVE DECLINED TO, UH, PRESS CHARGES BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO BRING THE CHARGES THAT WOULD CAUSE A SIMILAR SITUATION IF WE TRIED TO PROSECUTE A CASE IN COURT. SO I'M TRYING TO GIVE YOU AN, AN ANSWER IN A, IN A VERY GENERAL SENSE, BUT I HAVE TO SEE THE EVIDENCE BEFORE I CAN MOVE FORWARD. I THINK SOME OF IT IS TO THE POINT THAT SARAH WAS BRINGING UP, LIKE SOMETIMES THESE INCIDENTS ARE HAPPENING AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHO'S DOING IT. RIGHT? AND SO, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY WE COULD TAKE SOMEONE TO COURT, UM, AND THEY COULD SAY THEY DIDN'T DO IT. I MEAN, AND THEN WHO'S TO PROVE THAT THEY DID IT OR THEY DIDN'T DO IT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF COMPONENTS TO IT OUTSIDE OF JUST, UM, AS FAR AS THE DA I WOULD SAY, UH, MAY BE CONCERNED THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE CHANCES THAT YOU'RE GONNA WIN THAT CASE? IF I COULD SPEAK TO THAT, THE BURDEN OF PROOF IN MUNICIPAL COURT, IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN IN STATE DISTRICT OR FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT. IT IS THE SAME BURDEN OF PROOF. UH, WE JUST HAVE A DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONAL LIMIT. WE PROSECUTE MISDEMEANORS, NOT FELONIES. SO IN ORDER FOR US TO PROSECUTE A CRIMINAL VIOLATION, WE'D HAVE TO BE CERTAIN, UH, NOT ONLY THAT THERE'S PROBABLE CAUSE, BUT THAT THERE'S REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THIS PERSON COMMITTED THIS SPECIFIC OFFENSE. AND WE'VE HAD THAT BEFORE WE'D EVEN BRING A CASE TO COURT HAS TO BE THAT INDIVIDUAL PERSON THAT'S CORRECT PERSON ON GROUP, ON PROPERTY. THAT INDIVIDUAL PERSON HAS TO BE PROVEN THAT WE, WE'D HAVE TO HAVE SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO EVEN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CASE AND WITHOUT HAVING SEEN, UH, SOME OF THESE SPECIFIC FILES. IT'S HARD FOR ME TO GIVE AN ANSWER. UM, BUT THE GENERAL, THE GENERAL UNDERSTANDING IS BECAUSE IT'S YOUR PROPERTY, IT'S WORKING ON YOUR PROPERTY, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, WHICH IS WHERE THE FEE COMES IN. THAT THAT WOULD BE A PRESUMPTION, RIGHT? IT WOULD NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO PROVE GUILT BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT. I'M SAYING THIS IS FOR THE FEE. THIS IS WHERE THE FEE COMES INTO PLAY. 'CAUSE IT'S YOUR PROPERTY, YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR PROPERTY. IF IT HAPPENS ON YOUR PROPERTY, YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT. THAT'S WHY THE FEE'S IN PLACE AND NOT THE COURT IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT. Y YEAH, THAT I THINK THAT'S A, A GOOD SUMMARY. YES. THAT THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CIVIL BURDEN AND A CRIMINAL BURDEN. CIRCUMSTANTIAL. I SUPPORT THE NEW PROPOSED FEES. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD START. I AGREE. YEP. LET'S LOOK, SEE HOW THAT LOOKS. OKAY. CAN I CLARIFY PLEASE? DO YOU STILL WANT US TO CONSIDER SEPARATING OUT TEMPORARY COMMERCIAL VERSUS RESIDENTIAL? YES. YES. OKAY. AND COST OF SERVICE FOR THE METER INSTEAD OF THE METER? YES. OKAY. I WILL TELL YOU, WE THOUGHT THIS WAS A THREE MINUTE CONVERSATION. IT WAS THREE TIMES SIX, THREE TIMES 10. WE HAVE TO MAKE IT HARD. LAST NIGHT WAS AN HOUR AND A HALF . I JUST KNOW THAT I GET QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME OF THIS STUFF. I'M GONNA CALL TERESA AND SAY YOU SAID THAT THEY DECIDE THIS. YES. AND WE, I DUNNO WHY YOU THINK ANYTHING WITH WATER IS GONNA BE A FEW MINUTES EVER. I JUST, HEY, WE'RE HALFWAY, WE'RE HALFWAY THROUGH OUR SHEETS GUYS. THE UTILITY FEES WAS ONLY 30 MINUTES. OKAY. SO LOOKING AT UH, SANITATION FUND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED GOING BACK TO OUR PREVIOUS UH, RETREAT WAS THE DESIRE TO LOOK AT WAYS TO AVOID ANY SANITATION FUND INCREASES. UM, I'LL TELL YOU THAT AT THIS TIME, [02:30:01] I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE PREPARED TO CONFIRM THAT $1 MILLION THERE. UM, ONCE WE GET THAT INFORMATION WE'LL DEFINITELY BRING THAT BACK. BUT MAYBE IN GENERAL WE CAN LOOK AT A COUPLE THINGS. SO LAST YEAR IN THE FY 25 BUDGET, UM, COUNCIL AUTHORIZED A CONTRIBUTION OR SUBSIDY FROM THE GENERAL FUND OF RIGHT ABOUT 1.79 MILLION. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IS OBVIOUSLY INCONSISTENT WITH THE CONCEPT OF AN ENTERPRISE FUND PAYING FOR ITSELF. NOW GOING BACK TO SOME OF THE ITEMS DISCUSSED EARLIER, LOOKING AT THIS IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL FISCAL IMPACT TO RESIDENTS FOR TWO RESIDENTS PAY THE CITY PER YEAR, TAX BILLS, WATER BILLS, SANITATION BILLS. AND SO YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS AS A SUBSIDY, YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS AS UTILIZING THE TAX RATE TO HOLD THOSE SANITATION RATES. AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, LOOKING AT THAT 1.79 MILLION FROM LAST YEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TWO CLASSES OF CUSTOMERS. WE HAVE THE, UM, NORMAL RATE, THEN WE HAVE THE RATE FOR THE SENIOR CITIZENS. UM, THIS EQUATES TO ABOUT AN 18.5% INCREASE THAT 17.9 MILLION FOR BOTH CUSTOMER CLASSES. AND SO WHAT THAT DOES, YOU KNOW, THAT OFFSETS ONCE AGAIN RIGHT ABOUT, UH, 1.79 MILLION IN THE END THAT SAVES CUSTOMERS DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, THE CUSTOMER CLASS, UH, OR CATEGORY RATHER, ANYWHERE FROM 89 TO $82 A YEAR. AND SO YOU START CHIPPING AWAY OR YOU START ADDING DIFFERENT VARIABLES TO THAT OVERALL FISCAL IMPACT ON RESIDENTS. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT NUMBERS TO COME BACK TO TELL YOU. UM, THEY DID, UH, OR WE DID HAVE A $1 MILLION TRANSFER PLAN. WE'RE NOT SURE ABOUT THAT. WE'LL CONFIRM THAT AND WE CAN PICK THIS CONVERSATION UP. HOWEVER WE THINK IT'S LESS, I'M SORRY, WE THINK IT'S LESS, RIGHT? LESS THAN 1 MILLION WE THINK IT IS. UH, WE NEED TO CONFIRM. BUT UM, YOU KNOW, CONCEPTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF DOING THIS WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE STILL HAVING OUR REVENUES EXCEED EXPENDITURES. NOW TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE SOLID WASTE SERVICES CONTRACT, UH, IN FY 25, THAT BUDGET FOR THAT CONTRACT ALONE, UH, BEST TRASH IS RIGHT ABOUT 6.9 MILLION. NOW WE'RE GOING INTO YEAR FOUR OF FIVE FOR THE CONTRACT. INITIALLY WE HAD THOUGHT WE WERE LOOKING AT RIGHT ABOUT A 5% INCREASE. WE THINK THEY'RE ESTIMATING ABOUT 6.1% INCREASE RIGHT NOW. UM, SO THAT, UM, THAT 5% INCREASE WOULD'VE BEEN RIGHT ABOUT 345,000, 6.1 421,000. UM, NOT A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF THE BOTTOM LINE FOR EITHER INCREASE. SO I THINK THE OVERALL DISCUSSIONS THAT WE WOULD HAVE WOULD NOT BE IMPACTED BY THAT 1%. AND SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE YOU ALL THAT INFORMATION, KIND OF SET THE STAGE FOR MAYBE SOME FUTURE CONVERSATIONS. BUT, UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW? UM, YOU KNOW, HAPPY TO HEAR THEM DISCUSS, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. WHEN IS THIS CONTRACT UP? I'M SORRY SIR. WHEN IS THE CONTRACT UP? THE CONTRACT HAS, UH, WE'RE IN YEAR FOUR OR FIVE. SO WE WOULD HAVE ONE MORE YEAR AFTER THIS COMING YEAR. SO, UM, IN 20 FY 26 THAT'LL BE YEAR FOUR AND Y 27 WE'LL REPRESENT, UH, YEAR FIVE. UM, ONE THING I DIDN'T MENTION THOUGH, THE CONTRACT HAS AN OVERALL CAP ON CPI INCREASES OF 20%. AND SO THAT, UH, WE'RE, WE HAVE ABOUT 9.2% REMAINING. AND SO THAT 6.1% WOULD CUT US DOWN TO I THINK WHAT, UH, 3.1% FOR FY 27. AND SO WE WILL HAVE SOME ADVANTAGES THERE. UH, DEPENDING ON CPI ASSUMING IT'S GONNA BE MORE THAN 3%, UH, GOING INTO THAT LAST YEAR OF THE CONTRACT. SO WE WOULD LOOK TO GO OUT FOR BID, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIME IN 27, UH, TO PREPARE FOR THE EVENTUAL UH, CHANGEOVER OR UM, UH, NEW CONTRACT THAT WE WOULD HAVE. THEN YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION OR UH, I WAS GONNA ASK HOW MUCH WAS LEFT IN THE CAP MM-HMM . UM, [02:35:02] SO YEAH, I MEAN I THINK I WANNA SEE SANITATION AS A WHOLE. I MEAN WE TALKED, 'CAUSE I THINK ALL GREEN CENTERS INCLUDED IN THE SAME FUND, RIGHT? YEAH. AND WE HAD ESTIMATED ABOUT, I THINK ABOUT A $500,000 SUBSIDY, UH, FOR THE GREEN CENTER. UM, YOU'RE NOT REALLY GOING TO GET THAT BACK WITH RATES. I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE $500,000 IN TRAILER FEES, BUT ONE COULD HELP. UM, SO I MEAN I THINK THAT WE LOOK AT THE FUND AND THE SERVICES IT PROVIDES ON THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY SOME POLICY DECISIONS THAT YOU ALL CAN MAKE. UM, MENTIONING THE POTENTIAL OF A GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION, WHETHER YOU WANT TO CALL IT A SUBSIDY CONTRIBUTION OR, UM, YOU KNOW, OVERALL LOOKING AT OVERALL FISCAL IMPACT. YOU KNOW, THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME POLICY DISCUSSIONS THERE. ANYTHING THE YEARS FOR THIS CONTRACT, THEY, I'M ASKING THAT THEY, UM, HAD AN INCREASE EVERY YEAR. YES. OKAY. AND WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST INCREASE? UH, I DON'T KNOW. LIKE I SAID, WE WERE AT, UM, I I HONESTLY, IF I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE LAW OF AVERAGES, I THINK THE 6.1 PROBABLY WOULD BE THE BIGGEST INCREASE. RIGHT? DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT? I THINK THEY WERE IN THE SIX AND 7% RANGE. OKAY. WELL WE HAD 20% TOTAL CAP. RIGHT? RIGHT. AND SO WE HAD 9.2 REMAINING, SO THEY WOULD'VE USED, UM, 11 OVER THREE YEARS. SO, UM, NO IT WAS ONLY TWO FIRST YEAR. FIRST YEAR THEY DIDN'T. OKAY. THERE'S ONLY BEEN TWO WEEKS. OKAY. SO YEAH, SO THAT'D BEEN ZERO. SO TWO YEARS 11. SO YEAH, IT'S PROBABLY BEEN ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF. STILL PRETTY STEADY. STILL PRETTY STEADY. YEAH. WE'LL REALIZE A LITTLE BIT OF A BENEFIT IF THAT HOLDS, UH, GOING INTO YEAR FIVE. OKAY. WHEN THINKING ABOUT, UH, WHAT GRANT SAID ABOUT SANITATION AND UH, CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, AND RETREAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UH, WHAT IS SOME GOOD NEWS WHEN IT COMES TO SANITATION? THEY ONLY HAVE ONE MORE YEAR LEFT. YEAH. WHAT BEST TRASH WAS MINE TOO. DON'T I HEAR NO COMPLAINTS. I ALSO WANNA SAY THEY INVESTED IN BUILDING A LITTLE HUB HERE IN TOWN AND THAT'S A POSITIVE. THE HAVE DIMINISHED IN THE LAST YEAR. WHAT ONLY PLACE ON BEST HAS DIMINISHED? THE ONLY ONES I USUALLY GIVE, LIKE MAN, THEY COME RIGHT ON TIME AT SEVEN. CAN THEY COME AT AT EIGHT O'CLOCK? GIVE ME WHAT TIME THE TRASH CAN. THEY ARE VERY EIGHT TWO. AND WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT THE RENEWAL, OBVIOUSLY NOT THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR, BUT NEXT FISCAL YEAR WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE TERMS AND SERVICES AND YOU KNOW, FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THERE'S GROWING PAINS WITH ANY NEW CONTRACTOR. UM, I WOULDN'T EXPECT, YOU KNOW, WHOLESALE IMPROVEMENTS GOING INTO YEAR ONE OF A NEW CONTRACT. BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL BE FOR, UH, FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION. OBVIOUSLY. I, I AGREE WITH THAT. LIKE, AND I, I JUST DON'T GET ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT 'EM AT ALL. I'VE GOT COMPLAINTS AND I'VE GOT PAST RECENT YES, NOT, NOT PICKING UP TRASH AND LEAVING TRASH ON THE STREET. I GOT PICTURES, BUT I, I THINK THOSE ARE THE BIGGEST ONES THAT I'VE GOTTEN REALLY ARE JUST EITHER BROKEN TRASH CANS AND THEY'RE HAVING A HARD TIME TO REPLACE 'EM. BUT I THINK OVERALL OUR COMPLAINT SYSTEM HAS REALLY GONE DOWN WHEN IT COMES TO BEST TRASH. UM, AND SO THEY'VE SAID THAT THEY'RE MORE RESPONSIVE, UH, OTHER THAN THE BROKEN TRASH CANS, BUT, UM, OVERALL THEY'VE BEEN MORE RESPONSIVE AND YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A DIRECT NUMBER NOW AND THEY ACTUALLY TALK TO SOMEBODY. AND THAT'S THE ISSUE I'VE HAD. THEY'RE, I'VE GOTTEN COMPLAINTS WHERE THEY'RE NOT ANSWERING THE PHONE AND THIS IS FROM PEOPLE IN, IN EAST POINT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND I'VE GOTTEN COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS, LIKE I SAID, PICTURES WHERE THEY ARE LEAVING TRASH ON THE ROAD AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE CALLING THEM, IT'S TAKING THEM TWO DAYS TO GET FOR SOMEONE TO CALL 'EM BACK. I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S POSSIBLE WITH THE WAY THEY PICK THEM UP. THAT'S WHAT I, I'M, I'D BE INTERESTED TO SEE HOW THAT HAPPENED. THEY DIDN'T PICK UP MY TRASH. REMEMBER WHEN I RECORDED IT TO YOU MULTIPLE TIMES AND DIDN'T COME BACK TO GET IT. I MEAN I KNOW THAT ONE TIME THEY, THEY, THEY DIDN'T DO MINE, BUT IT IS BECAUSE WHERE MY SON PLACED IT, HE DIDN'T PLACE IT WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE. OH NO. SAME PLACE EVERY TIME. IT JUST HAPPENED. TIMES MOMENT WHEN LOOKING AT LARGE AT LARGE, YES. BUT I DO WANNA PLUG AT LARGE CLICK FIX FOR A MOMENT WITH THOSE PICTURES. IF YOU GET PICTURES FROM RESIDENTS OR LIKE YOURSELF, PLEASE CLICK THOSE INTO THE APP BECAUSE WE'RE KEEPING A TRACKING SYSTEM AND STAFF IS ABLE [02:40:01] TO THEN, YOU KNOW, SHOW BEST ES IS A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OR UH, THE TYPE OF COMPLAINTS THAT WE'RE RECEIVING THAT IS BEING TRACKED. UH, JAMIE, UH, HAS BEEN WORKING ON, UM, THAT A LOT LATELY. SO THERE IS, UM, METRICS BEING FOLLOWED ON THAT. SO PLEASE IF YOU HAVE PHOTOS OR YOU GET PHOTOS FROM CONSTITUENTS STRAIGHT INTO THE APP SO IT CAN GO STRAIGHT INTO THE APP. MOST OF MY CONSTITUENTS DON'T USE APPS, BUT I'VE ONLY GIVEN TO PUBLIC WORKS. THAT WORKS GREAT. HAVE Y'ALL BEEN TRACKING THE, ANY COMPLAINTS IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS? I'M, HAVE Y'ALL BEEN GETTING DATA? SO WHAT, WHAT, SO WE CAN PROBABLY SPEAK TO THAT FOR YEAH, WHAT, WHERE, WHERE ARE THEY AT RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS THE, THE DATA EXISTS. CCL FIX WAS INSTITUTED, BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE RIGHT NOW IS THERE WERE SO MANY WAYS PEOPLE WOULD WOULD CALL OR TELL YOU OR SEND AN EMAIL. SO THE DATA, UNTIL WE GET EVERYBODY DOING IT THE SAME WAY ISN'T AS SOLID. BECAUSE IF THEY CALL PUBLIC WORKS RIGHT NOW, PUBLIC WORKS WILL ACTUALLY ENTER THE TICKET IN JUST SO WE CAN SEE IT. TRASH AND RECYCLING IS THE NUMBER ONE MOST, UH, COMMUNICATED ISSUE IN THE CITY, UM, 189 LAST MONTH. BUT A LOT OF THOSE ARE, I NEED A NEW CAN. I JUST MOVED IN, I NEED A RECYCLING BIN. UM, AND, AND SOME THEY FORGOT TO GET MY TRASH AND EVERYTHING. SO IT IS, IT IS FAR AND AWAY THE THING THAT PEOPLE MOST CONTACT US ABOUT, BUT MOST OF THE ISSUES ARE MINOR AND INVOLVED. MY CAN IS DAMAGED, PLEASE BRING ANOTHER ONE. UM, AND WE'RE TRACKING THE CLOSING RATE AND ALL OF THAT, BUT I'M NOT CONFIDENT IN HISTORICAL DATA BECAUSE IT WASN'T ALL STREAMLINED INTO THE SAME SYSTEM. LIKE WE NEED A TICKET, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SEE EVERY TICKET, WHAT IT IS AND WHAT THE RESOLUTION IS. AND Y'ALL WORKING ABOUT, Y'ALL WORKING ON COMPILING ALL THAT UHHUH? CORRECT. Y'ALL LIKE TO SEE LIKE HOW, HOW THE, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT THE ACTUAL DATA SAYS 189 IN, BUT BUT YOU'RE BUT YOU'RE NOT TRACKING PEOPLE THAT CALLED IN DIRECT? NO, NO. IN FACT, UNTIL YOU SAID, AND THAT'S THE COMPLAINT I GET IS CORRECT UNTIL YOU SAID THAT THE MESSAGE, NOBODY CALLS ME BACK AND, AND I'M A VICTIM OF THAT I CALL AND NOBODY CALLS ME. YEAH, UNTIL YOU SAID THAT. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT PEOPLE WERE CONTACTING THEM DIRECTLY. OH NO. OH, THEY HAD A PHONE NUMBER ON THE PHONE NUMBER. THAT'S ACTUALLY THE MOST DIRECT, YOU KNOW, WAY THAT RESIDENTS CAN CUT OFF REPORT THAT IS DIRECTLY TO THEM. AND THE SOLUTION THEY GAVE ME FOR, THEY MISSED MY TRASH. ACTUALLY THEY MISSED THIS STREET TRASH TODAY. OH, WE'RE SORRY. JUST LEAVE IT OUT TILL THE NEXT PICKUP DAY. REALLY? NO, THAT'S WHEN, NORMALLY WHEN I CALL FRANK AND HE MAKES A PHONE CALL AND AMAZINGLY A TRUCK WILL SHOW UP AND PICK UP ALL, I HOPE FRANK CALL FRANK'S, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME WITH THE DATA IS THAT ALSO THE REMEDY, RIGHT? BECAUSE THERE'S, AS BRAND SAID, THERE'S GONNA BE GROWING PAINS AND THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE SOME KIND OF ISSUE WHEN IT'S A SERVICE THAT IS WEEKLY A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK AND THERE'S JUST MORE AVAILABLE WAYS TO MAKE MISTAKES. SO I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN HOW QUICKLY THEY'RE BEING REMEDIED AND, AND LIKE IF IT IS JUST GETTING A TRASH CAN, WELL IF WE GET THE TRASH CAN RIGHT OUT THERE, THEN IT'S FIXED FOR EASY FIX, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE HAVE LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THINGS THAT WE NEVER COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS OR REMEDIES. SO IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEING FIXED VERY QUICKLY, THEN THAT ALSO SAYS A LOT. WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ALSO REQUEST THAT INFORMATION FROM THEM TO SEE WHAT REPORTS THEY'VE GOTTEN. THEY, THEY REPORT THAT. OKAY. SO WE COULD PROBABLY ADD THAT INTO THAT. IT'S A SIMILAR SITUATION TO CENTER POINT. YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, WOULD NORMALLY ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO CALL CENTER POINT DIRECTLY ABOUT A STREET STREETLIGHT. WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY DO OR DON'T, BUT WHEN THEY CALL US WE PASS THAT ALONG SO THERE'S THAT UNKNOWN VOLUME THERE AS WELL. SO REAL QUICK, JUST QUICKLY. SO ON THE TRASHCANS WHEN THEY'RE BROKEN, WE'RE BREAK, WE'RE TAKING OUT THE CITIZENS OR BEST TRASH A CITIZENS? 'CAUSE I KNOW I'VE SEEN BOTH. UH, BEST TRASH IS SUPPOSED TO BRING IT OUT. IF THEY DON'T OR THEY ARE DELAYED, THEN WE CALL ALL THE COURTS AND WE'LL MAKE SURE. YEAH, BECAUSE I, I KNOW MINE BROKE, I JUST TOOK IT UP TO, TO THE, TO THE ROOM CENTER AND YEAH. SWAPPED IT OUT THAT WAY. SO I KNOW THAT THAT WORKED THAT WAY MUCH THERE. BUT I KNOW FOR ME, LIKE WITH FOR THE LAST ONE, I'M, I'M ALWAYS BE ABOUT KIND OF COST RECOVERY. SO IF OUR FEES GO UP, WE KIND OF GOTTA INCREASE OUR FEES BECAUSE I'M NOT, I DON'T WANT TO BE WHERE, SORRY, LET'S LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT. IF, IF I DON'T WANT TO, I KNOW WE'RE PROBABLY BEHIND, BUT YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT IT IN SIMPLE TERMS OF AN ENTERPRISE FUND, YES, ABSOLUTELY. IF WE'RE LOOKING TO PRESERVE THE CAPACITY AND THE TAX RATE AND CONSCIOUSLY PAYING THIS DOWN, I MEAN THAT'S CERTAINLY A POLICY DECISION THAT YOU ALL CAN DO IN ORDER TO AVOID REVENUE LOSS FROM IDAS. SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S JUST SOME DIFFERENT SCENARIOS WHERE YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, THE ENTERPRISE FUND FACT IS NOT LOST. YEAH, IT IT, IT IS JUST MEAN THE THING IS, I KNOW I DON'T WANNA BE LIKE, OH WE, WE DIDN'T RAISE THE FEES FOR FIVE, SIX YEARS AND THEN WE GOTTA RAISE 8%. I'D RATHER GO ONE OR 2% A YEAR. SO IT'S, IT'S LESS FEEL ON THE CUSTOMER UNTIL TILL 50. [02:45:01] OH NOW I GOTTA RAISE IT. 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T RAISED IT SO LONG. I KNOW WE HIT IT ALL POINTS IN BETWEEN. YEAH. SO FOR ME IT'S BETTER TO BE A GRADUAL INCREASE THAT'S NOT AS FELT AS IMPACT RIGHT AWAY. YEAH. AND IT'S JUST KIND OF WITH, WITH THE COST OF LIVING GOING UP YOUR COST OF EVERYTHING, THEN THAT GOES UP A LITTLE BIT AND IT'LL GO IN LINE WITH THE UM, THE INCREASE FROM AS TRASH. YEAH. UH, THEIR CONTRACTUAL INCREASES. SO WE CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY PUT THOSE TWO TOGETHER. YEAH, YOUR PERCENTAGES ARE GONNA CHANGE WHETHER IT'S INFLATIONARY CPI, UM, VALUES IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE TAX RATES, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF THING. SO I SAW, AND I'VE HEARD MORE LEANING TOWARDS COST RECOVERY FOR THIS ONE, WHICH WE'LL TAKE A BIGGER LOOK AT EVERYTHING, UM, TO THE END, BUT OKAY, WE'LL DO PDS FEED TODAY THIS SECTION. OKAY, NEXT SLIDE IS UP THERE TOO. NEXT SLIDE HAS THAT. YEP. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE PREVIOUS RETREAT WAS THE IDEA OF LOOKING AT A LEVEL OF COST RECOVERY FOR, UH, THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS RECENTLY, I THINK IT WAS BASTROP THAT ACTUALLY STARTED LOOKING AT THIS IN TERMS OF AN ENTERPRISE FUND. UH, WE TALKED ABOUT A FEW DIFFERENT OPTIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF COST RECOVERY LEVELS, THAT SORT OF THING. WHERE WITH WHERE WE ARE NOW WITH THE BUDGET AND UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE PROPORTION OF REVENUE TO UH, TO EXPENDITURES, THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY A NEED FOR AN IMMEDIATE MOVE. NOW WE TALKED ABOUT POSSIBILITIES OF 80 TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF, UH, COST RECOVERY. WHAT WE LOOKED AT IS IF WE WENT TO 80% COST RECOVERY OVER FIVE YEARS AND ASSUMING A 2.5% INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES, WE COULD GET THERE WITH, YOU KNOW, 23 19 16 INCREASES IN FEES OVER THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD TO GET TO THAT LEVEL. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD NEED TO MAINTAIN, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY INCREASES IN EXPENDITURES. AND SO WE CAN DO A VARIETY OF THINGS. WE CAN GO IMMEDIATELY TO 80, WE CAN GO IMMEDIATELY TO A HUNDRED. UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY AN IMPACT ON THE FEES WHEN WE'RE, WHEN MARTIN AND I WERE LOOKING AT THIS, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE NOTICE IS THAT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW DIFFERENT FEES THAT HAVE WAY MORE VOLUME. AND SO THE INCREASE, BY THE WAY, THE INCREASE IN YEAR ONE WOULD'VE BEEN ABOUT 60% REVENUE INCREASE, NOT NECESSARILY FEE INCREASES. YOU HAVE CERTAIN FEES THAT HAVE MORE VOLUME, THEREFORE A SMALLER INCREASE WOULD GET, YOU GET TO THAT NUMBER A LITTLE BIT QUICKER. SO WE COULD DISTRIBUTE THAT ACROSS LIKE MAYBE THE ONESIES OR TWOSIES THAT ONLY RESIDENTS WOULD PAY LOOKING AT COMMERCIAL VERSUS RESIDENTIAL, THAT SORT OF THING. UM, AND SO REALLY WE'RE LOOKING FOR ANY SORT OF THOUGHTS OR DIRECTION DO WE WANT TO MOVE, YOU KNOW, TOWARDS SOMETHING LIKE THIS TOWARDS HAVING A COST RECOVERY GOAL THAT IS BASED ON THE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET? YEAH, I'D LIKE TO SAY, I MEAN IN MY IS WAS THE COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS CAN, CAN TAKE THE BIGGER BLUNT OF THE, OF, OF THE, OF THE REVENUE ON THAT PART THAN THE COMMERCIAL. I MEAN IN THE RESIDENTIAL, IN THE RESIDENTIAL. RESIDENTIAL, SORRY, IN THE RESIDENTIAL, I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF, LIKE, I'LL TAKE FOR INSTANCE, OFFENSE. LIKE WE CHARGE WHAT, 50 BUCKS FOR THE PERMIT? I THINK SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IT COSTS US PROBABLY FOUR OR $500 TO DO IT. IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHY ARE WE DOING IT? YEAH. THERE'S SOME OF THOSE THINGS WE KIND OF NOT THAT AREN'T NEEDED AREN'T REALLY NEEDED FOR THAT BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA GET THAT PERMIT IF THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT. IT'S NOT EVEN, YEAH, I THINK LOOKING AT IT IN THESE TERMS AND KIND OF IN AN ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, SORT OF APPROACH, WE CAN MAKE SOME OF THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AND KIND OF SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE BURDEN WOULD BE AND MAYBE EVEN HAVE SOME, UH, ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS ON THAT. IF YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED IN US PURSUING THIS. UM, OBVIOUSLY WE THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS GRADUAL APPROACH IS SOMETHING THAT'S, UM, FEASIBLE WITH AN 80% COST RECOVERY GOAL BEING SOMETHING THAT, UM, WOULD KEEP US RELATIVELY IN LINE WITH SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS. MARTIN, IS THAT, UH, CORRECT? WELL I I THINK THAT'S THE NEXT QUESTION TO ASK IS HOW [02:50:01] SENSITIVE IS COUNSEL TO HOW WE COMPARE TO OUR NEIGHBORS OR TO COMPARABLE SIZED CITIES THAT HAVE COMPARABLE OF TYPES OF PERMITS? YEAH. WOULDN'T WE BE, BECAUSE THIS, UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL AT ONE OF THE LOWEST YEAH, THIS WOULD TAKE US TO NO LONGER THE LOWEST FOR SURE IN THE LAST RETREAT. WHAT I REMEMBER IS WE DON'T WANNA BE FIRST, BUT WE DON'T WANNA BE LAST. SO, AND THAT'S THE THING, WE, WE ARE IN THE INDUSTRY, WE ARE WAY BOUGHT TOWARDS THE BOTTOM AND ACTUALLY PROBABLY ONE OF THE EASIEST TO GET A PERMITS FROM IS THE CITY OF BAY. AND, AND I LIKE SAY THAT AGAIN. ONE OF THE EASIEST I'M GONNA BE HUNDRED PERCENT CAN YOU PUT THAT ON THE RECORD PLEASE? I'LL PUT THAT ON THE RECORD PLEASE. SOMEONE WANTS TO COME GET A PERMIT WITH CITY HOUSTON TO COME WITH ME. I'LL SEE YOU IN THREE DAYS TO TO JUST TO SEE SOME, I KIND OF PUT, UH, ANOTHER POINT ON THAT AS WELL. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'D LIKE TO DO IS WE, WE FEEL THAT WITH THE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS AND BIG COMMERCIAL PROJECTS, THOSE ARE, THOSE PERMIT FEES ARE, ARE CALCULATED ACCORDING TO THE VALUATION OF THE IMPROVEMENTS. WE DON'T HAVE ANY WAY TO CHECK THAT. SO IF YOU COME IN AND YOU HAVE A $10 MILLION PROJECT, YOU TELL US IT'S GONNA BE TWO, THE PERMIT FEE IS CALCULATED ON TWO, UNLESS WE KNOW SOMETHING ELSE. THERE IS A NATIONAL, UH, BUILDING VALUATION DATA, UM, TABLE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ADOPT THAT WOULD SAY YOU'RE DOING THIS TYPE OF, OF PROJECT USING THESE MATERIALS AND THIS IS THE SIZE OF IT AND THIS IS THE VALUATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE CHARGED FOR. IT IS UPDATED EVERY SIX MONTHS AND IT IS USED ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE BELIEVE THAT FOR NEW COMMERCIAL TYPE OF PROJECTS, IT WILL MAKE A RATHER LARGE DENT IN WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE UP. AND SORRY, ON, ON, ON MY END. I KNOW WHEN WE BID, WHEN WE LOOK AT PROJECTS AND WE GO TO PUT THE BID PERMIT INTO OUR PROJECT, IT IS JUST A PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL COST. WE DON'T LOOK AT WHAT THE COSTS ARE GONNA BE PERSONALLY. WE JUST SAY IF IT'S $1 MILLION PROJECT, IT IS IN ITS MIDDLE OF A 5.5%, IT'S NOT EVEN THAT MUCH. AND MARTIN, WHATEVER MINIMAL, WHATEVER METHOD WE USE FOR THAT, WE COULD STILL HAVE THAT RAMP UP THAT WE NEEDED. CORRECT. OKAY. YES. SO THOSE ARE INDEPENDENT BUT THEY AFFECT EACH OTHER, BUT THEY'RE INDEPENDENT NUMBERS. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT, UH, SORRY, I WAS JUST SAY I, I LIKE THIS APPROACH TO RAMPING IT UP. UM, I THINK I'D LIKE TO SEE IT, UM, IN CONTEXT. WELL, NO, LIKE, I MEAN THIS IS EVERYTHING, RIGHT? YES. SO I MAYBE I'D LIKE TO SEE LIKE PERMITTING FOR EXISTING RESIDENCE AND, AND YEAH, LIKE SEPARATE NEW, ALL RIGHT. ACROSS THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. AND THAT'S REALLY KIND OF HOW WE HAD LOOKED AT IT ORIGINALLY AS WELL. SO THAT FITS WITH KIND OF OUR LINE OF THINKING AS WELL. 'CAUSE I THINK EVEN THE TARGET MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT, RIGHT? YEAH. WE MAY WANT TO HIRE RECOVERY FOR ALL NEW DEVELOPMENT VERSUS EXISTING, EXISTING RESIDENTS. THEY'RE ALREADY PAYING TAXES AND SO WE'RE OFFERING A SERVICE TO THEM, WHEREAS WE'RE TRYING TO RECOVER THE COST FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT. AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO BEING KIND OF CONSISTENT WITH SOME OF OUR CONVERSATIONS AND WITH WHAT I'M HEARING, JUST KIND OF A, AROUND THE, UM, THE, UH, 90 DEGREE ANGLE. UM, WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU ALL WITH UM, KIND OF SOME UPDATES AND SOME PROJECTIONS AND GO FROM THERE. UM, I DON'T KNOW, UM, A TIMETABLE, BUT WE'LL TRY TO DO THAT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND GO FROM THERE. BUT WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT THAT WE CAN PLAN FOR THIS SORT OF STRUCTURE AND APPROACH. YES. AND IS 80% A GOOD GOAL? YEAH. YES. FOR HAVING EXISTING WELL THAT'S WHAT I SAID. IT MAY BE SEPARATE GOALS. LIKE I'D LIKE TO SEE, I MEAN THE, THE THE GOAL FOR EXISTING RESIDENTS MAY BE A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN 80. YEAH, WE WELL, BUT WE CAN JUST NEED OVERALL, YES. OVERALL GOAL FOR THE DEPARTMENT'S QUESTION, THE COST RECOVERY IS 80% WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. IF WE WERE TO JUST INCREASE FEES ACROSS THE BOARD, IT WOULD BE ABOUT 60% TOTAL OVER WHAT? SO IF YOU'RE PAYING A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A PERMIT NOW IT'LL GO UP TO 1600 BUCKS. SO THAT, THAT'S AGAIN, IF WE WERE TO DO IT ACROSS THE BOARD EVENLY AT 60%, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SAY IS, YEAH, FOR, FOR COMMERCIAL OR NEW DEVELOPMENT, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT. RIGHT. BUT FOR EXISTING RESIDENTIAL, THE PERMIT FEE FOR AN EXISTING WOULD BE FOR EXISTING RESIDENTIAL FOR A THOUSAND BUCKS YOU'RE GONNA GO UP 6,100. I'M NOT RIGHT, BUT MIKE, LET ME, UM, LET ME ALSO MAKE A POINT OF CLARITY HERE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN INCREASE IN THE REVENUE, NOT NECESSARILY AN INCREASE IN THE RATES. THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THOSE HIGHER VOLUME PERMITS, YOU KNOW, THEORETICALLY IF YOU'RE INCREASING, YOU KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW THE REVENUE BY 60% ACROSS THE BOARD, THE IMPACT OF A DOLLAR IS MUCH HIGHER THERE THAN IT WOULD BE ON SOME OF THOSE OTHER THINGS. SO WE CAN LOOK AT THAT ACROSS THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND [02:55:01] COME BACK TO YOU ALL WITH KIND OF WHERE WE THINK WOULD BE THE SENSE TO THE EXISTING RESIDE. YES, SIR. SO THAT WOULD BE KIND OF WHAT IN LINE WITH EXACTLY THE EXAMPLE SARAH'S BEEN REQUESTING. SO LET'S SAY SOMEONE ADDS AN, UH, A NEW ADDITION TO A HOME VERSUS GET GOING OUT AND GETTING A PERMIT TO REDO THEIR, THEIR WATER LINES OR SEWER LINES. THOSE, THOSE COSTS WOULD BE DIFFERENT. AND SO IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPREADING THE BURDEN OVERALL. LET'S JUST USE THE 60% INCREASE IN REVENUE, NOT INCREASE IN RATES. WE WOULD DISTRIBUTE THAT TO LESSEN THE IMPACT ON RESIDENTS DOING THOSE ONESIES AND TWOSIES VERSUS THE LARGE SCALE DEVELOPERS, THE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS, THAT SORT OF THING. AND SO WE CAN COME BACK AND KIND OF GIVE YOU ALL SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME CATEGORIES AND KIND OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, FOR THAT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS OVER TIME. RIGHT. SOUNDS GONNA SETTLE. OKAY. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, SIR? NO. GOOD. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. RIGHT. JANE, YOU'RE OH, TRANSFER. SO LET'S JUMP INTO SOME REAL MEAT MEMENTO CHEESE REAL QUICK BEFORE WE JUMP ON. WE DIDN'T, PEOPLE CHEESE, I'M, I'VE BEEN TO SO MANY SOUTHERN BAPTIST CUP DISH CHEESE EVERY ACTUALLY CHICKEN SALAD CHICKEN AND WAS HALFWAY. SORRY. I HOW WE GOT SO OFF TRACK SO FAST. YOU WENT FROM TRANSFERRING TO F CHEESE. I WAS A KID. IN MY MIND PEOPLE ATE CHEESE AND I WAS EATING IT AND ENJOYED IT. I LIKE CHEESE. IT'S CRAZY. YOU ALSO DRINK A LOT WATER NOW. YOU DON'T EAT TEA, YOU DON'T. Y'ALL GET GLASSES, WATER. I'LL COME BACK. SO MAYOR AND COUNCIL, ON A, ON A VERY POSITIVE NOTE, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR IN A FEW YEARS THAT WE ARE NOT USING TRANSFER INS AS A SIGNIFICANT REVENUE PORTION TO BALANCE THE FORMULA. OKAY. SO THE TRANSFER IN IS A, IS A MECHANISM IN THE FORMULA THAT OTHER DEPART OR OTHER FUNDS ARE ASSISTING THE GENERAL FUND WITH A REVENUE SOURCE. AND I'M, I'M JUST GONNA STOP HERE. THERE ARE MORE THAT THAT GO IN. YOU HAVE THE TURS THAT PUTS IN MONEY, YOU KNOW, THE HOT FUND THAT PUTS IN MONEY, UH, TOURISMS OF MONEY. YOU HAVE THE MDD THAT TRANSFERS MONEY IN AND YOU HAVE WATER SEWER ALONG WITH PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR OTHER FUNDS THAT ACTUALLY TRANSFER MONEY IN. AND THIS IS AN AREA THAT IS USED ALMOST AS A CATCHALL, RIGHT? AND Y'ALL AS A COUNCIL NEED TO KNOW THAT WHEN THE FORMULA IS BEING DEVELOPED SO THAT YOU CAN ASK DIFFERENT QUESTIONS ABOUT, HEY, WHAT ALL IS GOING INTO YOUR FORMULA? BECAUSE IF YOU GO BACK TO THE GRAPHS, YOU HAVE UM, YOU HAVE THE IDAS AND PROPERTY TAX AND SALES TAX AND FRANCHISE FEES THAT ARE, THAT ARE YOUR PRIMARY DRIVERS OF REVENUE. AND THEN YOU HAVE ALL THE FEES AND THAT'S THE REVENUE ACUTE PIECES THAT Y'ALL JUST LOOKED AT. AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS ONE CATCHALL PIECE FOR THE FORMULA THAT HAS HELPED TO BALANCE THE OVERALL PIECE, KNOWING WHAT THE EXPENDITURES ARE, EVEN THOUGH THE FORMULA THE FORMULA READS LEFT TO RIGHT. AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET AN EQUATION. THIS IS THAT ONE SECTION OF THE EQUATION WHERE YOU GO BACKWARDS AND PLAY WITH IT TO HELP GET THE, UH, FORMULA TO BALANCE. UM, HISTORICALLY YOU ARE USING IT TO TRANSFER DIFFERENT PIECES IN IF YOUR EXPENSES ARE ABOVE YOUR REVENUE, RIGHT? AND IT TRANSFERS SOME THINGS IN FROM OTHER FUNDS THAT MAY HAVE A SURPLUS OR MAY JUST HAVE A BETTER RESERVE. AND IT'S STRATEGICALLY DONE JUST BECAUSE YOU MIGHT NOT NEED THOSE. UM, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS WE'VE HAD THIS PINCH POINT WHERE WE'VE BEEN REALLY RELYING ON OTHER FUNDS TO HELP OFFSET SO THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET. IF YOU, [03:00:01] ONCE YOU GET YOUR BUDGET PAPER HANDED OUT TO YOU TODAY, YOU'LL SEE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS WE TRANSFERRED IN, UM, I BELIEVE SIX, ALMOST 7,000,002 YEARS AGO. WE TRANSFERRED IN 9 MILLION LAST YEAR. AND A LOT OF THAT WAS PULLING FROM OTHER FUNDS, UH, THAT WEREN'T NECESSARILY JUST FOR THIS. OKAY. UM, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE IN JUST A SECOND. AND THEY PULLED FROM OUR CAPITAL FUND. AND THE, THE, THE POLICY PIECE THAT Y'ALL NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THEY'RE PULLING FROM OUR CAPITAL FUND. IT'S AUTOMATICALLY HURTING OUR ABILITY TO OFFSET SOME OF THE DEBT THAT WE'RE ISSUING, RIGHT? MM-HMM. UH, WE ARE PULLING FROM THE MEDICAL FUND. WE HAVE A SELF-SUSTAINING MEDICAL PROGRAM FOR, UH, THE EMPLOYEES. WHAT ARE OUR BENEFITS FROM? IT HAS A, IT HAD A, A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA CAPACITY, AND IT WAS UTILIZED TO OFFSET THAT. OKAY? AND SO YOU HAD TO PULL FROM THAT. THAT PUTS A DETRIMENT ON BEING SELF-FUNDED MEDICALLY AND COULD REALLY HURT US, UH, IF WE HAD A LARGE CLAIM COME IN AT THE TIME. AND SO WE BALANCE THOSE RISKS ON WHERE WE ARE AT AND USE THAT AS A TRANSFER INTO THE FORMULA. BUT Y'ALL DO NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THOSE THINGS OPERATE, UH, SO THAT WHEN WE ARE IN THESE BUDGET PIECES, WE'RE ASKING QUESTIONS AROUND IT. NOW, WITH THESE FUNDS, UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT COME INTO PLAY OVERALL, JUST LIKE GRANT WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH SANITATION, WHICH WE'LL GET TO WITH, UH, UH, WATER AND SEWER AND MDD IN A MINUTE. BUT YOU HAVE, WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT TURS IN THE CITY, OKAY? CURRENTLY ONE TRANSFERS IN, I THINK IT'S $300,000. OKAY? UH, AND THAT'S TO COVER THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, JUST TO RUN THE TURS. SO WE'RE PAYING SOME OF THE EMPLOYEE SALARY AND SOME OF THE COSTS THAT, THAT HAS TO, THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN TO KEEP THAT TURS AFLOAT, RIGHT? AND TO RUN THE BOARDS, DO ALL THE PROCESSING, PAY THE AUDIT FIRMS, WHATEVER. THAT'S WHAT THAT IS GOING TO. AND I CAN SIT UP HERE IN GOOD FAITH AND JUSTIFY THAT THAT 300,000 BEING TRANSFERRED IN IS, IS BEING USED, UH, PROPERLY TO PAY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT NEED TO DO THAT. I CAN DO THE SAME WITH HOT, RIGHT? THE TOURISM FUND IS TRANSFERRED IN, IT PAYS FOR SOME OF THE SALARIES. PEOPLE SPREAD OUT THROUGH PARKS, REC AND TOURISM, UH, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UH, WHATNOT. AND IT'S TRANSFERRED IN. IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT'S ALSO TRANSFERRED IN TO DO THE ADMINISTRATION. THERE'S A LOT OF ADMINISTRATION THAT COMES WITH THESE EXTRA FUNDS THAT WE COLLECT. UH, I CAN SEND UP HERE AND FULLY SUPPORT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT FUND. THE MDD, WE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST ONE SECOND. THE MDD TRANSFERS IN ROUGHLY 300,000 FOR ADMINISTRATIVE FEES. ONE THING THAT WE WILL DISCUSS IS IT COULD POSSIBLY TRANSFER IN ADDITIONAL 400,000 TO OFFSET THE HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT SYSTEM. SO RIGHT NOW, AS THE BUDGET IS CURRENTLY BUILT, I BELIEVE THE 700,000 IS COMING OUT OF THE MDD INTO THE GENERAL FUND. AND IT'S USED FOR EXPENSES THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY INCURRING WATER AND SEWER, WATER AND SEWERS TRANSFERRING IN $3 MILLION. OKAY? SO THE POLICY QUESTION THAT WE WILL TALK ABOUT HERE IN A SECOND IS, DO YOU WANT TO TRANSFER THAT IN OR DO YOU WANT THE GENERAL FUND, UH, IDA MONEY TO ACTUALLY ABSORB SOME OF THAT COST? BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT WATER RAISE IN A SECOND AFTER THE DISCUSSION YOU'LL HAVE WITH, UH, UH, THE PRESENTATION LAST NIGHT. NOW, THOSE, THAT $3 MILLION IS ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, A MAJORITY OF THAT IS LEGAL FEES. AND THEN SOME OF THAT IS PENALTIES. AND I'M LOOKING AT FRANK AND SCOTT TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT SAYING ANY OF THESE THINGS INCORRECTLY BY AND LARGE, I'M JUST TRYING TO GENERAL, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE AT. UM, I THINK WE HAVE PENALTIES THAT GO WITH THE LEGAL FEES AND THEN SOME ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND EMPLOYEE COSTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT $3 MILLION. HOW IT'S CURRENTLY SET UP IS DIFFERENT THAN THE PAST, BECAUSE I CAN STAND UP HERE IN GOOD FAITH AND SAY THAT IT IS COVERING ACTUAL COSTS THAT WE FEEL, YES, IT'S ROUGHLY AROUND $5 MILLION, BUT WE'RE NOT TRANSFERRING IN TO JUST OFFSET OTHER EXPENSES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN, UH, JUST TRYING TO COVER THAT COST IN THE PAST. OKAY. THE FIRST ONE THAT I WANNA TALK TO YOU, TO YOU ABOUT TODAY IS THE MDD. SO WITH HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT, UM, WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. I, I WOULD SAY, AND WE REALLY GOT INTO THE CONVERSATION, UM, WITH THE COUNCIL ON FINDING ALTERNATIVES FOR TRANSIT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN. THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD AROUND TRANSIT IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON ARE THERE DIFFERENT WAYS TO PROVIDE TRANSIT THROUGHOUT [03:05:01] BAYTOWN? DO WE HAVE TO THINK OF THE STANDARD WAYS OF JUST HAVING A BUS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, OR CAN WE BE MORE INNOVATIVE AND THINK OF LIKE, HOW DOES UBER WORK? HOW DOES, HOW DOES A DA ACCESSIBILITY WITH, UH, PERSONAL CARS WORK? HOW DO DRIVERLESS CARS WORK? WE SEE THESE THINGS IN OTHER CITIES. CAN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN LOOK AT DIFFERENT AVENUES WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE A VERY SIMILAR SERVICE, UM, TO HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT, FIND SOME WAY TO OFFSET IT, FIND SOME WAY JUST TO NOT HAVE IT, OR FIND JUST OTHER WAYS TO HAVE HYBRIDS GOING ON? WE DON'T KNOW. THAT WAS KIND OF THE DIRECTION THAT WE WERE WORKING ON, UH, AS A BODY. AND SO PART OF THAT, WE WENT INTO THESE DISCUSSIONS. WE ALSO HAD SOME PRETTY HARD DECISIONS TO MAKE AS A, AS A COUNCIL AND SAID, OKAY, HOW CAN WE STILL PROVIDE A TRANSPORTATION SERVICE AT A REDUCED COST? AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IF WE HAVE A REDUCED COST? WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE, THE KEEP IT AS IT IS? WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES AND WHAT IS THE EXTREME OR NOT EXTREME? THE THE, UH, THE OTHER MEASURE OF JUST NOT HAVING THAT COST ALTOGETHER? LET'S LOOK AT ALL THREE SCENARIOS AND WHAT WE HAVE. AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION FOR US WAS, CAN THE MDD FUND THIS, UH, MECHANICALLY? CAN IT FUND THIS? UH, AND IT'D STILL BE A VIABLE USE OF THE SALES TAX FUNDS THAT GO INTO THE MDD? THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES. AND THEN WE RAN INTO A COMPLICATION OF, HEY, THE MDD HAS A PINCH POINT AS WELL. UM, IS THE MDD GONNA BE, IS THE MDD GOING TO BE THE FUND THAT HAS THE MONEY TO SUPPORT THIS SYSTEM? IF IT'S NOT THE FUND TO SUPPORT THIS SYSTEM, DOES THE GENERAL FUND HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SUPPORT THIS SYSTEM? ? AND SO IT GOT A LITTLE CONVOLUTED. AND SO HERE WE ARE TODAY. AND, UH, BEFORE I GO ANY MORE INTO THE TRANSIT PIECE, I DID WANT TO INVITE, UH, KEN WITH HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT TO TALK ABOUT THE TRANSIT SYSTEM TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. IF Y'ALL HAVE. THAT IS Y'ALL'S PREROGATIVE IF Y'ALL WANT THE PRESENTATION OR NOT. SO I'M GONNA KIND OF PAUSE IT. I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT ANYBODY ON THE SPOT. UM, BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO PROCEED OR WHAT Y'ALL WANNA DO ON THIS CONVERSATION AT THIS POINT. I WANT THE PRESENTATION. OKAY. YEAH, LET'S HEAR HER MOVE. YEAH, I'D LIKE TO HEAR. THANK YOU, JUDGE. YOU WELCOME, KEN. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY. THANKS FOR HANGING AROUND . IT'S BEEN EDUCATION . GOOD AFTERNOON Y'ALL. THANK YOU FOR HAVING HERE TODAY. UH, BEFORE I GET INTO MY POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, I WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. SO WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION SERVICES TO BAYTOWN FOR ABOUT 18 YEARS NOW. THE FIRST PROJECT WAS A BAY, THE, UH, BAYTOWN PARK RIDE, OR THE BAYTOWN EXPRESS, AS WE CALL IT. WE CONTRACTED THE METRO TO PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICE IN BAYTOWN TO DOWNTOWN. AND THEN YOU CAN TRANSFER THERE FOR FREE TO ANY OF THEIR SYSTEMS. IF THEY'VE GOT MEDICAL CENTER, CATCH A DA PEER TRANSIT OR WHATEVER YOU MENTIONED A DA EARLIER, INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE TO DO THAT 'CAUSE WE DO IT NOW. A DA PARA TRANSIT'S REQUIRED WITH FIXED ROUTE BUS SERVICE. AND IT'S, ANYBODY CAN GET ON A BUS AND GO ANYWHERE THEY WANT TO. WELL, A DA REQUIRES THE SAME THING. I GOTTA PICK 'EM UP AT THEIR HOUSE, TAKE 'EM ALL THE WAY ACROSS TOWN, WHICH CAN BE A $40 TRIP. SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO, TO KIND OF REDUCE THAT COST A LITTLE BIT. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ROUTES TO THE STANDPOINT. CAN WE FLEX THESE ROUTES A LITTLE BIT MORE? POSSIBLY HAVE ZONES WHERE IT'S A, IT'S AN ON-CALL PRO PROGRAM, OR THEY USE AN APP OR SOMETHING. WE USUALLY HAVE NOW GENERATION PARK, THEY CAN GET THE APP OUT, BOOK THEIR TRIP, GET PICKED UP IN A FEW MINUTES. THEY TAKE 'EM WHERE THEY WANT TO GO. BUT THE WAY TO SAVE MONEY INSTEAD OF TAKING 'EM ALL THE WAY ACROSS TOWN, TAKE 'EM TO THE NEXT, TAKE 'EM TO THE CLOSEST ROUTE, WHICH IS WHAT DARK DOES IN DALLAS. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A COST SAVINGS. YOU'RE ALLOWED BY A LOT TO DO IT THAT WAY. AND IT SAVES A LOT OF MONEY. UM, WE LIKE TO THINK OF OURSELVES AS A PARTNER OF CHOICE THESE DAYS. OUR, I'M A, I'M IN HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. SO IT WE'RE A DIVISION OF THAT. WE STARTED OFF AS THE HOUSING WELL COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. TRANSIT STARTED AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT AS A RESULT OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN BACK IN 2007. I'M GONNA GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT. BUT RECENTLY WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO TAKE ONE OF THE PROJECTS FOR PRECINCT FOUR, PRECINCT TWO, AND YES, THE HARRIS COUNTY TO ROAD AUTHORITY, THEY OWNED THE LINCHBERG FERRY. SO WE'RE GONNA GET INTO FERRY BUSINESS HERE IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS. WE RECEIVED A REWARD FOR $32 MILLION TO ABOUT TWO NEW BOATS. IT'S ALL F-T-A-D-O-T FUNDS. THAT FALLS INTO OUR LAP BECAUSE WE'RE THE FTA RECIPIENT FOR HARRIS COUNTY. OUR DEPARTMENT IS. SO IT'S KIND OF EXCITING TO SEE SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA GET TO DO. WE GOT A, EVERYBODY FROM HERE, NAVIGATION BOULEVARD, EAST SIDE OF TOWN. SO [03:10:01] EAST SIDE OF HOUSTON. THE ORIGINAL . YEAH. WELL, DOWNTOWN FROM LOCKWOOD BACK OVER TO MAX STREET. ONE MILE STRETCH IS GONNA BE CONVERTED TO A LINEAR PARK SHARED USE PATH. $12 MILLION. WE HAVE THAT PROJECT. UH, WE ALSO HAVE A PROJECT OUT IN PRECINCT FOUR IN KATY, WHICH IS GONNA BE A HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL ALONG MASON CREEK. IT CONNECTS TO A METRO PARKING RIDE FACILITY. SO ANYTHING TRANSIT RELATED THAT GETS TO TRANSIT, IT CAN FUND IT WITH FGA FUNDS. BRING UP MY YOU GOT, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY BIG PROJECTS FOR OUR SIDE OF TOWN? NO, WE DON'T HAVE, WE HAVE HAD PROJECTS AND I'VE TALKED TO THIS MAN BEFORE ABOUT AND PRIOR CITY MANAGERS. YES, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT PARK OVER BEHIND BUCKY'S. MM-HMM. WE WERE GONNA PAY FOR A PARKING LOT IN THERE TO USE FOR A PARKING RIDE, BUT IT COULD ALSO BE USED FOR PARKING FOR THE PARK. AND THAT JUST KIND OF WENT AWAY. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WENT AWAY. I THINK FIDEL WAS INVOLVED IN THAT. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE WE'VE DONE WITH F FOR YEARS. GOODNESS. AT THE PRESENTATION. ALRIGHT, SO THE TRUCK SERVICE. YES. WE LOOKED AT PROJECTS FROM BAY 10 A LOT. UH, YOU'RE OUR BEST CUSTOMER. UH, SO YES, WE HAVE SERVICE 6:00 AM TO 6:00 PM ON SATURDAYS. EIGHT TO SIX. NEXT SLIDE. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE SUPPORT SERVICES FIX ROUTE BUS SERVICES COST US $896,000 80 YEAR PERIOD TRANSIT 2 82. THAT NUMBER HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. 'CAUSE YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE IN BAYTOWN 80 TO GET TO DIALYSIS OR OTHER MEDICAL SERVICES WHO ARE SEVERELY HANDICAPPED. AND THE NEXT ONE PLEASE. WAS THAT THE COST OR WHAT THEY'RE PAYING? WHAT? THAT'S THE COST THAT WE'RE PAYING TO TRANSPORT PEOPLE THAT HAVE DISABILITIES. WILL YOU GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE PLEASE? OKAY. SO I WILLING THAT, OKAY, SO IT'S OVER A MILLION DOLLARS. OKAY. JEREMY, HAVE THE NEXT ONE. OKAY. TOTAL COST. TOTAL COST FOR OUR PROGRAM THAT WE PAY FOR WAS 1,000,003 30. THAT INCLUDES SALARIES THAT WE PAY. SO OUR PRIOR SHARES, WE WOULD ALLOCATE TO BAYTOWN IF WE WERE CHARGING YOU FOR THAT. BUT WE'RE NOT. THE ORIGINAL ARRANGEMENT THAT WE HAVE IN BAYTOWN WAS WE WOULD ONLY CHARGE YOU FOR THE COST OF THE ACTUAL SERVICE WAS TO CONTRACT. WE PAY FOR VEHICLES. WE DON'T CHARGE FOR OVERHEAD, WE DON'T CHARGE FOR SALARIES, WE DON'T CHARGE ANYTHING ELSE EXCEPT THAT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A PASS THROUGH. SO YOU'RE PAYING $400,000 FOR A $1.3 MILLION COST ON SERVICE. WE THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD DEAL. WHY? BECAUSE WHEN I FIRST GOT INVOLVED WITH BAYTOWN ON THIS PROJECT, THEY HAD TALKED TO METRO ABOUT SERVICE HERE. AND METRO WANTED $1 MILLION TO OUR BUS OUT HERE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FROM GARTH ROAD TO LEE COLLEGE AND BACK. THAT WAS WHAT IT WAS GONNA DO. WASN'T GOING, IT WASN'T GOING TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS. IT WASN'T GONNA GO TO STATE STREET SUBDIVISION. IT JUST WENT UP AND DOWN GAR ROAD. SO THAT WAS A VERY GOOD DEAL. OKAY. JAKE, CAN I HAVE THE NEXT ONE PLEASE? OKAY. HERE'S SERVICES PROVIDED TO BAYTOWN AND NO COST OF BAYTOWN DOES COST US OR DOESN'T COST BAYTOWN. HOLD ON. I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE. OKAY. WHEN YOU SAY NO COST, I SEE SHELTER, WE PAY FOR IT, HUH? YEAH, SHELTERS. SHELTERS. YOU, YOU PAY FOR EVERY SINGLE SHELTER AND THE CONCRETE TO PUT 'EM UP. YES. DO YOU PAY FOR THE PERSONNEL AND ALL THE MAINTENANCE OF ALL OF THEM AND YES. WE HAD THREE CONTRACTS FROM 2011 TO ABOUT 2000. I HAVE COPIES OF 'EM IN 2014. WHAT'S THE COST NUMBER? WE HAD 10. SO FROM THE SHELTERS, UM, WE PAID OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR INSTALLATION TO BAYTOWN FOR THE INSTALLATION. TWO BAYTOWN. I THINK SCOTT WOULD HAVE COPIES OF OUR CONTRACTS IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN. AND IT IS IN THE CONTRACT AND WE REIMBURSE YOU GUYS FOR IT. AND WE DO HAVE, WE HAVE S SHOWING THAT IT WAS REIMBURSED TO MAYTOWN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. IT'S PROBABLY MORE THAN THAT. BUT YOU'RE, WHEN YOU SAY INSTALLATION, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS ARE PUTTING IN THE CONCRETE AND INSTALLING THEM. SO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE PURCHASE OF THE SHELTER? JUST THE INSTALLATION, MA'AM. SO YOU ARE CORRECT. SO WE BOUGHT THE SHELTER. WE PURCHASED THE SHELTERS. YOU GUYS DO THE WORK AND WE'RE, WE REIMBURSE YOU FOR THE WORK. SO SAY OF BAYTOWN IS GETTING REIMBURSED AND YOU ARE CORRECT TO ME. SO YOU GUYS ARE INSTALLING IT. 'CAUSE YOU ARE, YOU'RE DOING THE WORK, YOU'RE GETTING REIMBURSED FROM THE TIME THAT YOU GUYS ARE DEALING. OKAY. SO THAT, THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION. BUT THE SECOND QUESTION IS, I JUST SAID WHO'S MAINTAINING THEM? AND YOU SAID WE'RE MAINTAINING 'EM AND I THINK WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION? MY DEFINITION WE'RE POWER WASHING AND WE FILED REPAIR OF THEM. I DO KNOW THAT IN THE PAST, Y'ALL GONE OUT AS A FAVOR TO US TO POSSIBLY MAKE A REPAIR ONE OR REPLACE ONE OR MOVE ONE BECAUSE Y'ALL HAD TO MOVE SOME FOR STREET WORK. NO, I'M, I'M GONNA BE MORE SPECIFIC. OKAY. CHANGING OUT THE TRASH BAGS. YEAH. PAYING FOR THE TRASH BAGS AND TAKING GRAFFITI AND THINGS LIKE THAT OFF OF WELL WE NOT, THERE'S NOTHING IN OUR CONTRACTS ABOUT GRAFFITI. OKAY. BUT [03:15:01] OUR CONTRACTS DO PROVIDE FOR Y'ALL TO DO TRASH PICKUP AND SEND US A BILL. WE'LL PAY FOR IT. IT'S IN THE CONTRACTS HAS BEEN FOR YEARS. SO WE JUST HAVEN'T BEEN SENDING, HAVEN'T BEEN SENDING US A BILLS. WE'VE PASSED SOME. I'M LOOKING AT TWO DIRECTLY. WE'VE, WE'VE PASSED HEADLIGHTS. WE'VE HAD SOME PHONE CALLS ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST THAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT. 'CAUSE SOMEBODY CALL US FROM FINANCE SEND YOU WHAT'S STATUTE OF LIMITATION ON THOSE BILLS? SEND ME A BILL. SEND ME A BILL. WE'LL PAY YOU. I'VE GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT FROM THE BEGINNING. WE TALK, YOU TALK TO OUR LAWYER SCOTT . SCOTT SHOULD BE ONE OF THE LAWYERS PLEAD GUILTY. NO, AND I'M, I I WANNA BE CLEAR, I'M NOT, I'M NOT TRYING TO GIVE YOU A HARD TIME, BUT THIS HAS ACTUALLY BEEN THE ISSUE WHEN I'VE PERSONALLY BEEN ASKING QUESTIONS. MM-HMM . BECAUSE I, I KNOW THE MAYOR SAID THAT HE SPOKE TO YOU AND THE MAYOR AND I ARE TALKING AND HE'S LIKE, NO, I, THEY SHOWED ME WE GOT THE SHELTERS I I'VE WATCHED FOR 15 YEARS. PARKS PEOPLE PUT THEM TOGETHER AND PUBLIC WORKS. PEOPLE LAY THE CONCRETE. WHAT I CAN'T FIGURE OUT THAT I'VE ASKED THE CITY MANAGER IS IF WE'RE BEING REIMBURSED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TOTAL FOR 18 YEARS. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR. YES. TOTAL FOR 18 YEARS. A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. NO, NO. WAIT, WE ONLY, WE ONLY REIMBURSED YOU FOR THE COST OF THE INSTALLATION OF A SHELTER. WE ALL HAD A SEPARATE CONTRACT. IS IS, IS SHE CONTRACT WITH YOU? YOU SENT US A BILL FOR THAT. I'M GETTING THIRSTY. I IN MY WATER PEN. . HERE YOU GO. HERE'S ANOTHER 52. SO I CAN'T, I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK FOR WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE 2015, WHICH IS WHEN WE STOPPED PAYING YOU GUYS TO DO INSTALLATION. 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY SHELTERS. SHELTERS, OKAY. I'M, I'M SORRY. AND I'M REALLY, REALLY TRYING TO STAY ON TARGET WITH YOU. BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SAYING ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE. YOU JUST TOLD ME THAT YOU STOPPED PAYING US IN 2015. I'VE SEEN PLENTY OF SHELTERS INSTALLED SINCE 2015. WHERE, WHERE I'LL TAKE YOU ON. I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT. ALL I'M LOOKING AT IS WHAT WARD ROAD, ALEXANDER NORTH ROAD ROAD, MI, MICHIGAN STREET. THREE OF THEM. UM, TWO OVER BY GOOSE CREEK DECK. I, I WOULD NEED TO RESEARCH THOSE. OKAY. SO I, BECAUSE I'M GOING, I'M GOING OFF A LEDGER THAT MY FINANCE PEOPLE KEEP, THAT SHOWS WE'RE REQUIRED BY A LAW TO MAINTAIN A LEDGER AND AN INVENTORY WITH ALL THOSE SHELTERS. 'CAUSE THEY'RE ASSETS. SO THAT'S WHERE THE DISCONNECT IS. AND I'M TRYING TO BE REALLY CLEAR. WE'VE BEEN, IF YOU WOULD SEND ME WHERE THE LOCATIONS YOU THINK THAT WE, THAT YOU INSTALLED SHELTERS FOR THAT YOU WEREN'T PAID. I'D LIKE TO KNOW. I I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE WEREN'T PAID. SO MY MAIN QUESTIONS TO OUR STAFF YES. WAS WHO'S THE ONE TELLING OUR DEPARTMENTS TO GO INSTALL ALL THESE SHELTERS? BECAUSE WHAT WE FOUND OUT IS THE NUMBERS IN THE EIGHTIES. OKAY. SHELTERS EIGHTIES AND BIG TOWN, THEY GO EVERYWHERE FOR, LET ME REPHRASE THAT. OKAY. BUS STOPS. IT'S IN THE EIGHTIES. THEY'RE 80, BUT POSSIBLY 80 WITH A POLE. YES. YEAH. SO A POLE WHICH HAS TO BE INSTALLED, BY THE WAY. YEAH. ALL THE WAY UP TO SHELTERS. YEAH. SO I'M GONNA INCLUDE ALL OF THOSE. I I ASKED WHO'S GIVING THE COMMAND OR THE SAY SO, BECAUSE WITHIN OUR CITY, NO ONE CAN CAN TELL ME THAT. THEY SAY THAT THESE POLES AND THESE SHELTERS SHOW UP AND THEY'RE JUST TO INSTALL THEM. SO I WANTED TO KNOW WHO'S GIVING THE SAY. SO I WANTED TO KNOW HOW MUCH Y'ALL HAD REIMBURSED OVER THE, OVER THE YEARS. AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW, BECAUSE I HAPPENED TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT. THERE'S A NORTH SIDE CREW, A SOUTH SIDE CREW. YES. YOU'RE NOT GONNA KNOW ALL OF THAT. I DON'T KNOW ALL THAT. BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE PERSONNEL ADDED WHEN 80 PLUS STOPS WERE ADDED TO MAINTAIN AND OVERSEE THAT YOU'RE TELLING US WE REIMBURSE THAT YOU ARE REIMBURSING US FOR BUT NOW YOU'RE ALSO SAYING WE DIDN'T BILL YOU. SO WE EITHER WERE REIMBURSED OR WE WEREN'T. SO DID WE JUST FORGET TO BILL YOU? IT'S POSSIBLE. MAY I SAY SOMETHING? YES SIR. OKAY. YOU WANT TO, WHO'S BEEN DOING THIS? IT HASN'T BEEN JAY. PRIOR TO JAY'S ARRIVAL, WE WOULD CALL THE CITY MANAGER AND SAY, WE NEED HELP WITH THIS. STOP. CAN YOU HELP US? SURE. WE'LL GET IT DONE. THAT WAS IT. AND THAT GOES BACK TO BOB LEAPER, UH, TO RON BOTTOMS. I DON'T THINK JAY'S EVER HAD, HAS GOT A CALL FROM US. WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT MUCH IN RECENT. AS FAR AS I KNOW. I DON'T KNOW IF MY STAFF'S BEEN CALLING SOMEBODY IN PARKS AND SAYING, CAN YOU HELP US WITH THIS? I DON'T KNOW THAT. YES SIR. SO YOU SAY THAT YOU, SO YOU, YOU ARE DOING MAINTENANCE ON IT AND POWER WASHING AND KEEPING UP. SO WHAT IS Y'ALL'S, WHAT DO Y'ALL, HOW DO, WHAT IS Y'ALLS MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE? WELL, RIGHT NOW WE'RE GETTING BIDS TO GET OUR, ALL OF OUR SHELTERS POWER WASHED. 'CAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN DONE IN FIVE YEARS. OKAY. WE'RE HAULING OFF FROM THAT TILL WE DECIDED WE'RE GONNA HAVE SERVICE IN BAYTOWN. WELL, SO I'M LOOKING AT LAND RIGHT NOW TO BUYING BAYTOWN TO PUT IN A FACILITY OUT HERE THAT'S ON HOLD. AND I GET IT. BUT I'M GONNA JUST SAY, OKAY. REGULARLY. WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE TO PRESSURE WASH CLEAN FIVE YEARS. EVERY [03:20:01] FIVE YEARS YOU PRESS WASH AND CLEAN. SO WE ON A CYCLE, AND IF WE DECIDE ON A CYCLE, WE HAVE, WE HIRE SOMEBODY TO DO IT. YEAH. IF WE DECIDE, HEY, THESE, THESE THINGS ARE REALLY GETTING DILAPIDATED, WE NEED TO CLEAN THEM. AND WE TELL YOU, HEY, WE NEED THEM. THE ESTIMATED LIFE ON THESE ARE 20 YEARS, EVERY 20 YEARS, ABOUT 12 YEARS ON SOME OF THEM. WE HAVE 20 OR SO SITTING AT WADE ROAD CAMP FOR REPLACEMENTS. Y'ALL HAVE THREE, I THINK IN THE PARTS DEPARTMENT THAT YOU'RE HOLDING AS SPARES FOR US. WE'VE BEEN STORING THEM THERE. IT'S YOUR, YOUR COURTESY TO LET US DO THAT. SO MY THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE HAVE BEEN A PHONE CALL. SAY, CAN YOU HELP US WITH THIS? YEAH. WHO, WHO IS IT CALLING? BECAUSE I CAN'T FIND, SOMETIMES I CALL, I WOULD'VE CALL THE CITY MANAGER. NO. WHO? OH, THE CITY MANAGER. YES. BUT HE'S BEEN HERE THREE YEARS ABOUT RICKING BEFORE. SO YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED A PHONE CALL IN THREE YEARS. YEAH. HE SAID, I'M STILL BACK ON THE MAINTENANCE, SO I'M SORRY. YEAH. SO, SO BASICALLY IT FIVE YEARS SITE, EVERY FIVE YEARS YOU'RE GONNA COME AND CLEAN AND PRESSURE WASH THAT BUS STOP. THAT'S THAT'S RIGHT. NOW WE'RE TRYING TO, TRYING TO DO EVERY FIVE YEARS THAT WELL, I NEED TO GET, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT, WE HAD, WE HAVE TO GET, LOOK FOLKS TO SPEND FEDERAL DOLLAR, IF YOU HAVE TO GET THREE QUOTES FOR EVERYTHING. I UNDERSTAND. EVERY FIVE YEARS, I'LL PUT OUT AN R FP EVERY FIVE YEARS IS NOT AN BUT THAT WOULD BE A CONTRACTUAL YEAH. WE, WE HAVE CHANGE THAT FROM EVERY FIVE'S MORE THAN THAT. MAYOR, IF I COULD WELL SPEAK UP. I, I THINK WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN HELPFUL, JAY, UM, AND WE DID GET THE DATA, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, BUT I THINK WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN HELPFUL TO GET IS THE CONTRACT ITSELF. 'CAUSE IT COULD HAVE ANSWERED SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS OR COULD POSE ADDITIONAL QUESTION. I HEARD HER ON A VERSION. WHAT VERSION ARE WE ON OF THE CONTRACT? WELL, THIS IS, IT'S NUMBER 18. 1818. SO YOU WOULD HAVE THAT, THAT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM. I ALREADY REQUESTED THAT. RIGHT. BUT WE'RE ON CONTRACT 18 AND IT SOUNDS LIKE, WHAT I SEE ON THE OUTSIDE IS EVERYONE'S ON A DIFFERENT VERSION OF THE CONTRACT. I I THINK IT'S REALLY NERVE WRACKING TO ME THAT WE'VE HAD THIS CITY MANAGER FOR THREE YEARS AND THESE TWO PEOPLE HAVE WORKED HERE ONE OVER TWO DECADES AND ONE CLOSE 15 YEARS. 15 YEARS. AND, UM, I CAN TELL YOU, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR YOU, BUT I'M SURE THEY HAVE THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW. MM-HMM . UM, BECAUSE I'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM. I JUST, THERE THE, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE. SO WE RECEIVED YOUR DATA AND I JUST HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE DATA. UM, TODAY WE GOT TO HEAR FROM SOME OF OUR, OUR AMAZING CITIZENS THAT SHOWED UP THAT UTILIZE THE HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT. UM, ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT SPOKE SAID THAT THERE'S A HUNDRED RIDES A DAY. SO THE DATA THAT WE RECEIVED SAID 297 CLIENTS. THAT'S WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YEAH, THAT'S FOR WHICH PROGRAM IS THAT IN? THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT FIXED ROUTE. THAT'S A PROGRAM. WHICH IS THAT 88, IS THAT THE 88 FAIR TRANSIT OR IS THAT A RIDE? YEAH. WHICH ROUTE ARE YOU USING? WELL, SO, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE A, THAT'S THE RIDES CLIENTS IN BAYTOWN. IT SAID, SO HERE'S WHAT THE DATA SAYS. THREE YEARS OF SERVICE BY THE NUMBERS. THIS WAS EMAILED TO OUR CITY MANAGER. RIGHT. FIXED ROUTES. IT GIVES THE NUMBER OF TRIPS. SO I JUST HAVE TO ASSUME YOU, WHATEVER Y'ALL CALL FIXED ROUTE 195,000 PLUS TRIPS. BUT AT THE VERY BOTTOM IT JUST SAYS RIDES TRIPS. 4,000 CLIENTS. 2 97. SO RIDES IS A SEPARATE PROGRAM. RIDES IS SEPARATE PROGRAM THAT ARE PAID FOR WITH CDBG FUNDS. THAT IS OUR PROGRAM. RIGHT. RIDES IS, WE AS A CITY, UM, WE USE, UH, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 60 AND $80,000 WORTH OF CDBG FUNDS EACH YEAR TO PROVIDE VOUCHERS TO THE RIDES PROGRAM. THINK OF IT AS A TAXI CAP SERVICE. WELL, BASICALLY IT HAS BEEN IN SOME CASES YES. A SHARED RIDE. YES. BUT WE PICK UP THE OTHER HALF OF THAT COST. SO WE'RE PAYING HALF THAT COST. ALSO, THAT PROGRAM HAS BEEN AROUND LONGER THAN THE TRANSIT PROGRAM HAS BEEN. IT'S UNDER OUR UMBRELLA. IT'S SPLIT F FUNDS. Y'ALL BEEN USING IT FOR A LONG, LONG TIME. AND WE STARTED THE FIXED ROUTE BUS SERVICE. BOB LIEBERT, THAT AT THAT TIME TOOK EVERYBODY THAT WAS ON THE CDBG PROGRAM THAT MARTIN'S TALKING ABOUT, THAT LIVED ANYWHERE THAT WAS CLOSE ON, ON THE ROUTE, OR CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE ROUTE TO GET TO THE BUS TO GO WHERE THEY'VE BEEN GOING. SO THEY MATCHED UP THOSE WHO WERE, WHO COULD TAKE THE BUS AND NOT USE THE, THE RIDE SYSTEM AND TAKE THEM OFF THE RIDE SYSTEM TO SAVE MONEY AND PUT 'EM ON A BUS. YES SIR. SO, SO I, ONE OF MY , SHE'S RIGHT THERE WHERE YOUR MOM WHERE HOME VIRTUAL. MM-HMM . UH, SHE SAID WITH, SHE'S ON THE RIDE SHARE PROGRAM. RIGHT. HER ISSUES, WHEN SHE GOES TO THE APP, SETS IT, SCHEDULES IT, IT THEN CANCELS IT THE DAY SHE'S SUPPOSED TO COME GET THE DAY OF THE RIDE AND THEN SHE HAS TO REDO IT. SHE SAID IT HAPPENS TO HER EVERY SINGLE JUST GIMME HER NAME AND MS. HOWARD I'LL GET YES. I'LL FIND, LET ME LOOK INTO THAT. BECAUSE SHE SAID THEN THAT'S THE ISSUE THAT SHE'S HAVING. WE, SHE'S NOT CAN WE STARTED, WE'RE NOT USING AN APP ON RIDES. IT'S AN APP THAT SHE SAYS THROUGH HARRIS COUNTY. I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE IT MIGHT BE, BUT SHE OH, YOU KNOW, WELL SHE'S TAKING THE BUS OR USING A, THE RIDE. THE RIDE SHE HAS, SHE HAS, SHE HAS A, SHE HAS DEMENTIA. SHE'S ALSO ON DIALYSIS. LET ME LOOK ON THAT BECAUSE SHE, [03:25:01] WE NEED THE NAME. I'LL LOOK INTO IT. MS. HOWARD, WE'LL JUMP INTO THAT QUICK. YEAH. SO DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT WHEN WE'RE LOOK YEAH, I'LL, I'LL LET SOMEWHERE I'LL LEAVE MY CARD. YOU PLEASE DO. AND I'LL GIVE HER A CALL BACK. SO I, I THINK ALL I RECEIVED THEN WAS THE RIDES DATA BECAUSE BOTH OF THE SHEETS THAT WE WERE EMAILED, SAY, RIDES. SO HOW MANY PEOPLE IN BAYTOWN RIDE THE BUS EACH DAY ON AVERAGE? THE DAY AMP WAS FROM KEN DIRECTLY. SO WE AVERAGE ABOUT 70,000 PER YEAR ON A DAILY NUMBER, I WOULD SAY WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 300. 300 PER DAY OF RIDING THE BUS. GIVE AND TAKE THE BUS. YES MA'AM. THE BUS. AND THEN ON AVERAGE, YEAH. THIS PROBABLY ISN'T, UH, I, I WAS CURIOUS HOW Y'ALL DETERMINED. THIS WAS JUST INTERESTING TO ME IN THE DATA THAT IT'S BROKEN UP INTO AMBULATORY, WHEELCHAIR, ELDERLY, DISABLED, UH, EVEN GOES AS FAR AS DIALYSIS. I KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T ASK PEOPLE THIS WHEN THEY GET ONTO THE, THE BUS. SO THAT'S NOT FOR THE BUS ONE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. THAT'S RIDES PROGRAM. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO EARLIER. IT'S A TOTALLY SEPARATE PROGRAM. THAT'S THE RIGHT PROGRAM IS SOMETHING THAT WE USE. LET LET, LET'S BACK UP FOR A MINUTE. OKAY. THE RIGHTS PROGRAM IS A SHARED RIDE PROGRAM OR CAN BE ONE PERSON PER VEHICLE. IT IS FOR ELDERLY, DISABLED PEOPLE ONLY. YOU CAN'T BE A NORMAL PERSON LIKE ME OR SOMEONE. I ACTUALLY QUALIFIED ELDERLY . I I'LL DO THAT. BUT I'M SAYING BUT YOU CAN'T DO THAT. ALRIGHT. SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO THIS PROGRAM, WE COLLECT IT, YOU GET TO FILE APPLICATION, YOUR DATE OF BIRTH, WHAT, WHAT YOUR DISABILITY IS. ALL THIS IS INFORMATION. WE STORE IT AND KEEP IT LOCKED UP SO WE KNOW WHAT WE GOT AS FAR AS MOST OF OUR CUSTOMERS. WE ALSO DO SURVEYS TWICE A YEAR ON THE BUSES. 30% ABOUT 30% OF OUR TRIPS. THAT'S WHEN I SAW FOR, FOR MEDICAL. ABOUT 35% FOR GOING TO WORK. OKAY. REST OF 'EM ARE JUST ALL OVER THE PLACE. SO THAT'S THE, WE CLICK A, I'M A DATA HOUND. I LOVE DATA. I LIKE TO SEE A LOT OF DATA AND COLLECT THIS. SO I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING. WHAT CONCERNS ME A LOT IS YOU'RE CONCERN ABOUT THE SHELTER THING. AND I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT'S RELEVANT TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. WE'VE NEVER, EVER TRIED TO SHORT BAKE TOWN ANY FUNDING OR OWE MONEY. I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT. OH SIR, I DIDN'T SAY THAT. BUT I CAN TELL YOU HOW IT'S RELEVANT. BECAUSE OUR PERSONNEL YES. ARE NOT TAKING CARE OF SOME OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. I UNDERSTAND. BECAUSE THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THINGS. I UNDERSTAND THAT. OKAY. AND WHEN I WAS, WE, WHEN WE WORKED OUT THIS ARRANGEMENT TO DO THIS AND, AND WE PAY Y'ALL TO DO THIS, WE WERE TOLD THE THE SHELTERS WOULD ONLY BE INSTALLED IN THE WINTER MONTHS 'CAUSE IT TOOK AWAY PARK ACTIVITIES FROM THE PEOPLE THAT NEEDED TO BE WORKING ON PARK STUFF. SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT INWARD WORKINGS OF THE BAYTOWN PARK SYSTEM, BUT THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE TOLD WAS GONNA HAPPEN IF WE NEEDED HELP WITH, IF WE NEEDED INSTALL. WHEN WE DID THESE SHELTER INSTALLS, WE HAD A WHOLE LOT OF'EM ONE TIME. SO IT TOOK US ABOUT TWO YEARS TO GET 'EM DONE. MOST OF THAT WORK WAS DONE WHEN IT WAS COLD. YES, SIR. BY DIRECTOR ASKING WHEN DID, WHEN WAS THAT DISCUSSED? INITIAL 2011, 2010. SO I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THE CITY MANAGER, WHAT UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU , IS THAT HE HAS BEEN FOLLOWING EVERYTHING THAT SOMEBODY ELSE ARRANGED. AND YOUR STAFF IS, IS NOT AWARE OF ALL OF THESE ARRANGEMENTS. THAT THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE, THERE'S A BIG HIDDEN COST FOR US. WELL, IT'S, WE DID HAVE, I KNOW SOMEBODY CALLED, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG AGO THAT TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO YOU DIDN'T GET THE CALL. SOMEBODY ELSE DID. BUT THEY WERE CALLING ABOUT THAT AND THEY WERE, DID NOT KNOW IT WAS IN THE CONTRACT. THEY, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE BILLING US FOR IT. THAT'S THE LAST I'VE HEARD ON IT FOR A WHILE. I DON'T, I THINK WE GO BACK. I DON'T, I DON'T PAY THE BILLS. SO JUST, I DON'T WANT TO GET LOST THOUGH ON YES, WE CAN BE REIMBURSED FOR THE WORK DONE. BUT TO YOUR OTHER POINT, IT'S STILL WORK BEING DONE. IT'S THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE IS STILL WORK BEING DONE. SO THE, THE BALANCE THAT Y'ALL HAVE TO CONSIDER IS LIKE IF YOU WANT THE WORK DONE, YES, YOU'RE GONNA BE REIMBURSED FOR IT. AND MAYBE IT'S ONLY $20,000, UH, FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR, BUT YOU'RE TAKING AWAY FROM WHAT PARKS IS DOING FOR SOMETHING ELSE. OR DO YOU WANT TO PUT THAT BACK ON THE CONTRACTOR RENEWAL OF LIKE, HARRIS COUNTY NEEDS TO SEND THEIR OWN PEOPLE OFF TO TAKE CARE OF THE WE'RE DOING THAT NOW. RIGHT. THE TRASH AND THE CLEAN WE HIRED ON PERSON BECAUSE WE NEED A HAPPY MEDIUM IN MY OPINION. YEAH. SO THE OTHER THING IS, UM, YOU, I KNOW THAT MOST PEOPLE THAT RIDE THE BUS ROUTES, THEY PAY EITHER 50 CENTS OR A DOLLAR. YES MA'AM. UM, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU, UH, RECOUPED THROUGH THAT? YES. WHAT'S THAT NUMBER? I CAN'T TELL YOU TODAY. I I DON'T, I DON'T TRACK THAT. BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT THEY'RE GETTING THAT WE'RE NOT WELL, I'M SORRY, WHAT? THAT, THAT YOU'RE GETTING THAT WE'RE NOT. SO YOU PUT THE NUMBERS UP THERE EARLIER WE'RE YES. SO HOW WE, OKAY. WHO'S, WHO'S IN FINANCE? WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A BUS OPERATION WHERE PEOPLE ARE TAKING CASH DOWN IN CASH CONTROL? THERE YOU GO. OKAY. SO THE, THE COUNTY AUDITOR, [03:30:01] MY FINANCE PEOPLE SAID, HERE'S THE WAY WE'RE GONNA DO THIS. YOUR CONTRACTOR'S GONNA, THEY HAVE A LEAVE A LOCK BOX. MONEY GOES TO A BOX. MM-HMM . THE COUNT, THE CASH, WHATEVER THE CASH TALLY IS, HAS TO MATCH PASSENGER BOARDINGS. THEY KEEP THE CASH, WE GET A CREDIT FOR ALL THAT THEY HAVE TO BALANCE OUT. IF THEY DON'T, THEN WE, THEY DON'T, WE DON'T PAY 'EM THEIR BILL. WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO HAVE A MEETING ABOUT THAT. SO WE DON'T TAKE THE MONEY. WE NEVER SEE THE MONEY. IT GOES TO THE BUS CONTRACTOR. THEY TALL IT UP. THAT GETS TAKEN OFF OUR BILL. SO IT'S NONE OF THAT. SO WE'RE NOT, THIS IS NOT A PROFIT BUSINESS FOR US. JUST SO YOU KNOW THAT. SO NO, I, SO THAT'S HOW THAT WORKS. SO IS IT DOLLAR OR 50 CENTS? YES. SO I WAS GOING BACK TO THE NUMBER. IT COSTS Y'ALL A MILLION PLUS DOLLARS AND IT COSTS US 400,000. THE 30% THE SLIDE THAT YOU PUT UP THERE. SO THE REASON I BROUGHT THAT UP IS BECAUSE YOU'LL HAVE A DEDUCTION FROM YOUR CONTRACTORS FOR WHATEVER CASH THEY RECOUP. RIGHT. SO YOUR COST OF A MILLION PLUS, THERE'S GONNA BE A SMALL AMOUNT THAT YOU PART OF THAT'S PART OF, THAT'S, THAT'S BEFORE, THAT'S AFTER FAIR RECOVERY. OKAY. THIS A FAIR RECOVERY NUMBER. I HAVE NO PROBLEM. OKAY. WE, WE DO KEEP THAT INFORMATION. I JUST DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME IN MY BRAIN TODAY ON PIECE OF PAPER. SO I COULDN'T TELL YOU WHAT IT IS. SO, AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED BEFORE WITH BAYTOWN ABOUT DOING RAISING FARES. OH NO, WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. WE WANT TO KEEP IT AS AFFORDABLE AS WE CAN. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. A DOLLAR. AND THAT'S ABOUT WHAT FARES ARE ON A NATIONAL BASIS FOR SMALL SYSTEMS. METRO IS A DOLLAR 40, I THINK 25 A DOLLAR 25. I CAN RAISE FAIRS, BUT I CAN'T RAISE THEM MORE THAN 25% AT ONE TIME. SO METRO RAISED THEIRS ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO. 25. 25%. 25 CENTS. SO I WAS ASKED BY, I'VE FORGOTTEN NOW, WHO IT WAS, IT WASN'T IN BAYTOWN. CAN WE RAISE OUR FAIRS LIKE A BUCK 50? YEAH, WE CAN DO, IT'D BE HAPPY TO DO IT FOR YOU. BUT HERE'S THE HEADLINE. HARRIS COUNTY, OUR BLANK CITY RAISES THEIR FAIRES 150%. THAT'S THE HEADLINE. SO I HAD LOVE TO FAIRS. IT SAVES EVERYBODY MONEY. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING TO RIDE, TO RIDE THE BUS. WHAT KIND OF FUNDING DO THEY HAVE? SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, I CAN GET YOU SOME DEMOGRAPHICS AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT SEVERAL PAGES I THINK OF DATA. LOTS OF DATA ANYBODY ELSE HAVE, EARLIER, EARLIER YOU STATED THAT IF YOU ADJUST THE ROUTES THAT MAY SAVE ON YES, I SAID THAT. WHAT'S THE PROJECTED? DON'T KNOW. WE'VE ONLY BEEN DISCUSSING IT. WE HAVEN'T ANALYZED THAT. I COULD PROBABLY GIVE YOU AN ESTIMATE IN A FEW WEEKS. BE HONEST WITH YOU. WE'VE BEEN HIT WITH THIS VERY, FOR US TO, IT TOOK US A YEAR TO DESIGN ROUTES. IT TAKES TIME TO DESIGN ROUTES. IT TAKES TIME TO DO AN ANALYSIS. IT TAKES TIME TO DO PUBLIC OUTREACH AND HAVE PUBLIC MEETINGS AND COLLECT INFORMATION FROM YOUR PUBLIC. YES, SIR. SO KNOW WHAT THEY WANT BEFORE YOU MAKE THAT DECISION. AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO THAT. IT TAKES TIME TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS. YES, SIR. SO THE ROUTES, LIKE WE KNOW WE'VE HAD ROUTES, THE WHOLE THING ABOUT ROUTES BEING ADDED. YEAH. HOW, HOW DOES THAT DETERMINE, OKAY, SO ROUTES GONNA BE ADDED OR DETERMINED. WE SPENT, WE SPENT A YEAR DESIGNING THE FIRST TWO ROUTES. KNOW PUBLIC MEETINGS, GOT PUBLIC INPUT. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? WELL, WE OBVIOUS WOULD SAY THINGS LIKE, WELL THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA INCREASE YOUR HEADWAY FOR AN HOUR INSTEAD OF 30 MINUTES. HEADWAY'S THE ROUTE, THE TIME TO GO AROUND THE ROUTE. ONE OF THESE GUYS SAYS, WE DON'T REALLY CARE. WE'VE BEEN WAITING 15 YEARS FOR A BUS. WHAT'S AN HOUR? THAT WAS ONE OF THE, AT, AT YOUR AUDITORIUM OVER HERE BEHIND THE CITY HALL. SO I NEVER, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME AND I I, I REMEMBER ALL THIS STUFF THAT I'VE SEEN HERE. SO TO YOUR POINT, I'M JUST, I MEAN, HOW DO WE GET TO 85 ROUTE IS ONE QUESTION. SO WE, SO PART OF THE POLICY DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD IS CAN WE, CAN WE LOOK LIKE THE HISTORICAL STUFF I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO AN EXTENT. AND THEN THE PROBLEM IN FRONT OF US IS DO WE WANT TO CONTINUE FORWARD WITH HER KIND OF TRANSIENT? AND IF WE DO, DO WE WANT TO FIND A MODIFIED METHOD TO MOVE FORWARD? UM, 'CAUSE A LOT OF THE STUFF IS GONNA BE DETAILED STUFF THAT PROBABLY HE NOR I CAN PROBABLY ANSWER ON THE SPOT RIGHT NOW, BUT LIKE, GENERALLY LOOKING AT THIS, HOW DO WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AS A, AS AN ENTITY? WELL, THE ANSWER IS QUESTION JASON. THE, THE FIRST TWO ROUTE, THE FIRST, THE FIRST, THE FIRST TWO ROUTES LINKED TOGETHER. AND THAT TOOK A LONG TIME TO DO THAT. A LOT OF DISCUSSION. A LOT OF DISCUSSION IN YOUR MM-HMM . CITY HALL BUILDING OVER THERE, YOUR MEETING ROOM, AROUND THE TABLE THERE. WE ATTENDED A LOT OF MEETINGS, DID A LOT OF PRESENTATIONS AFTER HURRICANE I, WE GOT A CALL. WE NEED EXTRA SERVICE IN LOWER BAYTOWN. CAN YOU GET SOME BUSES OUT THERE FOR US? WE'LL PAY YOU. SURE. WE'LL DO IT. AND WE THEN AFTER THAT, WE GOT A $40,000 GRANT CUP COVER FOR SOME OF THAT COST THROUGH HGAC. SO THEY DECIDED TO KEEP THAT ROUTE. IT BECAME ROUTE THREE. AND ABOUT [03:35:01] TWO YEARS LATER, THEY CAME TO US AND SAID, WE THINK WE NEED HAVE COVERAGE OVER HERE. OKAY. SO WE'RE GONNA DO THAT. SO WE HAD ROUTE FOUR WHO, WHO SAID THEY NEED COVERAGE? BAY MANAGER, THE CITY MANAGER AND THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME, Y'ALL, Y'ALL WEREN'T IN THERE, BUT SOME PEOPLE WERE. BUT WE HAD WHAT, HOW MANY, WHAT? THREE, TWO MAYORS, I GUESS THE MAYOR AND A LOT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. I BELIEVE THE LAST ONE THAT WAS ADDED WAS RIGHT WHEN I GOT HERE IN JULY OF 22. AND I THINK RICK HAD WORKED TO RICK AND THE FORMER MAYOR HAD WORKED TO DO THE HYATT BUS STOP MEETING. WELL, THAT WAS OKAY, SO THAT WAS ADDED ON TO THE ROUTE THAT GOES OVER THERE. YEAH. THAT WAS JUST, THAT'S JUST A ROUTE CHANGE. OKAY. MOVES THROUGH THERE. THAT WAS THE LAST CHANGE THAT I REMEMBER. AND THAT WAS LIKE RIGHT WHEN HERE IS THE ACM. SO THAT WAS THE LAST ROUTE, WAS THE LAST ROUTE ADDED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND WE'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND RESEARCH THAT. RIGHT. THAT ROUTE WAS CHANGED. BUT I CAN SAY IT'S NOT ROUTE TO COUNCIL ITSELF. SHE SHE WAS, YEAH. IT WAS NOT NO, YOU'RE YOU'RE CORRECT. I, I WAS AROUND, BUT THE, THE CONTRACT CURRENTLY READS, IT'S THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER IN HARRIS COUNTY. THAT'S WHAT THE CONTRACT SAYS. GOT IT. AND SO Y'ALL KNOW MY STAND ON. I'M TRYING TO DO ANYTHING IN THE PAST. Y'ALL KNOW MY STANCE ON THAT, SO. RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. LIKE RIGHT NOW, ALL OF THAT, IT HAS HAPPENED. IT HAS HAPPENED. AND THE THE NEXT QUESTION IS YES, AND I DO AGREE WITH KEN. THEY HELP WITH EMERGENCIES. THEY, THEY HAVE PART, THERE WAS A PARTNERSHIP WITH LEE COLLEGE WHERE THEY PROVIDE STOPS AT LEE COLLEGE. UH, I THINK THAT ONE HAS GONE AWAY. THAT'S WHAT PAYING, PAYING FOR. AND THE CLOSED ONE IS LIKE YEAH, THEY STOPPED PAYING FOR BACK, BACK TO THE IKE THING AND THE HELPING WITH EMERGENCIES. I'M SORRY. AND HARVEY AND A FEW OTHER THINGS. YEAH. SO THEY PROVIDE, SO LIKE IN HURRICANE BARREL, THE HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT DID RESPOND TO DO, TO MOVE TRANS, UH, UH, UH, PEOPLE, UH, FROM ONE AREA TO ANOTHER. SO THEY WERE HURRICANE BARREL. BUT I, I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR DURING HARVEY THAT THAT'S A NO. I'LL STEP ASIDE. YOU AGREE TO THAT? A NO, BECAUSE THERE WERE EMPLOYEES HERE THAT HAD TO GO TO SAN JA AND LEARN HOW TO DRIVE A BUS VERY QUICKLY FROM GOOSE CREEK SCHOOL DISTRICT. I JUST, THERE'S A LOT OF JUST THINGS BEING THROWN OUT HERE THAT ARE, ARE NOT THE TRUTH THAT I KNOW. OKAY, SO WELL, THERE'S AND THERE'S GONNA BE MORE THAN ONE TRUTH BECAUSE WE DID PROVIDE BUSES FOR HARVEY. WE DID PROVIDE BUSES FOR BURL IN BAY. IN BAY. THAT'S DAVID ALAMEDA. WHERE'S DAVID AT? THEY DID. DAVID CALLS US EVERY TIME THERE'S A STORM COMING. YES, MA'AM. SO YOUR EOC WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH US. WE'RE ALSO IN THE HARRIS COUNTY. E-O-C-E-O-C. SO WHENEVER THERE'S A HURRICANE, WHENEVER THERE'S A FOREMAN STATION THAT NEEDS TO GET SET UP, WHENEVER THERE'S A FREEZE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHEN THERE'S A FLOODING, WE WILL SEND OUR CREW OUT HERE TO GO PICK UP PEOPLE, BRING 'EM TO THOSE SHELTERS, TAKE 'EM TO THE EMERGENCY CENTER, TAKE 'EM WHEREVER THEY NEED TO GO. SO IF YOU SPEAK WITH THE, THE FIRE CHIEF HERE, HIS EEOC MEMBERS WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH US. AND WE ARE YOUR PARTNER FOR EVERY EMERGENCY, EVERY BARREL EMERGENCY. AND, AND SARAH, I THINK, UM, I'M, I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT BARREL AND THE RECENT ONES. THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. HE, HE MENTIONED IKE SPECIFICALLY. I DID. THAT'S ALL I THAT'S ALL I WAS SAYING. GO AHEAD. PROVIDE YOU WITH MORE INPUT ON THAT. I DON'T REMEMBER, HONESTLY. YOU MAY BE RIGHT. DR. HARVEY HARVEY. I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER VIVIDLY. I, ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON, I GOT A CALL FROM BOB, ER I NEED YOUR BUSES AND I NEED HIM NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE TO EVACUATE LAURA BAYTOWN NOW ACTUALLY. SO WE SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS. WE SENT OUR BUSES OVER TO NEW FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE. WE CALLED UP OUR PROVIDER AND GOT THREE MORE VEHICLES OUT HERE. THEY OPERATED ALL NIGHT LONG TO EVACUATE WARREN BAYTOWN TO GET'EM TO THE MALL TO GET 'EM TO THE G RV DOWNTOWN. THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBER WAS A LONG TIME AGO. IT WAS TOO MUCH EFFORT. WE STARTED SERVICE TO GET 'EM TO THE, TO GET TO THE MALL. THAT WAS DURING NIGHT. YEAH. TOOK TO THE MALL. NOT OUT OF BAYTOWN TO THE MALL. THAT THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO, THAT WAS MY FIRST EVACUATION. ONCE THEY GOTTA, THE MALL BUSES WERE DRIVEN. THERE'S JUST, THAT'S A LOT. BUT NONE OF THAT REALLY MATTERS ANYMORE. IT'S JUST MORE ABOUT THE COST AND THE EFFECTIVENESS. SO MY, MY ASK TO KEN AND TO, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA'S OFFICE IS THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE THERE ARE CONCERNS THAT THE BUS ROUTE SYSTEM HAS GROWN BEYOND WHAT WAS EVER INTENDED BY THE CITY COUNCIL. UM, AND FINDING A WAY BEYOND WHAT WAS INTENDED. SO I I'M, I'M TRYING TO SAY THAT, I'M TRYING TO SAY THAT THE CITY MANAGER HAD PROBABLY MORE AUTHORITY OVER THINGS THAN THE COUNCIL PROBABLY EVER REALIZED, UH, AS A WHOLE. OKAY. I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT THE MAYORS INVOLVED DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON BEFORE. I'M SAYING THAT AS THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FULLY AWARE OF HOW MUCH THE BUS SYSTEM WAS GROWING. THAT'S PROBABLY HOW I'M TRYING TO, WELL, WE ADDED A ROUTE. WE HAD CHANGE CONTRACT COUNCIL. LAURA'S BEEN THE LONGEST AND LAURA HAD NO CLUE ABOUT IT. LAURA, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ON COUNCIL? WE, UH, WE REALIZED THAT THE CONTRACT WAS GROWING, BUT WE DIDN'T SEE THE WEEDS AND WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW EACH ONE, [03:40:01] NOW IT COULD BE ON US AS WELL THAT WE DIDN'T ASK THOSE QUESTIONS. UM, BUT IT, IT HAS, I WASN'T HERE WHEN IT FIRST STARTED. NO, BUT I MEAN, YOU, WHEN I DID COME ON COUNCIL, WE DIDN'T REALIZE WHO WAS MAKING THE DECISIONS TO ADD THE ADDITIONAL STOPS. BUT, AND, AND I THINK WHAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO DO IS, IS I THINK WHAT JAY IS TRYING TO OPEN TO IS THAT AT THIS POINT WE KNOW THERE'S A FLAW SOMEWHERE. WE KNOW THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN INFORMATION, A BREAKDOWN IN PROCESS COMMUNICATION. UM, YOU, UM, HARRIS COUNTY IS WORKING ON THE FACT THAT, HEY, WE HAD A CONTRACT. THIS IS A PROCESS WE FOLLOWED. UM, WHO DID IT? WELL, WE KNOW WHO WE WORKED WITH, BUT IT JUST NEVER GOT DOWN TO COUNCIL AS A WHOLE. AND SO I FEEL WHERE WE NEED TO MOVE ON FROM HERE IS WHAT ARE WE GONNA APPROVE TODAY? HOW, HOW IS IT GONNA BE FUNDED? RIGHT. UM, AND DO WE WANT TO THEN LATER REVIEW BECAUSE WE'RE UNDER A CON, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTUAL. RIGHT. RIGHT. WHETHER WE WANT REVIEW, RENEW WHAT'S ON THERE RIGHT NOW, AND THEN WHAT I'M HEARING, IF WE NEED TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO LOWER THE COST, WE DO, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS. WE HAVE A PROCESS. YES. YEAH. PROCESS IS GONNA INVOLVE Y'ALL TOO. AND WHICH IS, YOU SAID IT WAS A YEAR, IT USED TO A YEAR PROCESS. NO, IT TOOK A YEAR TO START THE PROGRAM WITH THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS. YEAH. BUT TO, TO DO THE ANALYSIS, WHETHER WELL, WE COULD GIVE US, IF YOU GIVE US A COUPLE OF MONTHS TO, I, I'M GONNA CALL TIME OUT IF YOU DON'T MIND REAL QUICK. MM-HMM. HARRIS COUNTY HAS THEIR PROCESS. THE CITY HAS THEIR PROCESS. WE ARE GOOD PARTNERS. THE CITY AND OF BAYTOWN AND HARRIS COUNTY ARE VERY GOOD PARTNERS. PERIOD. END OF STORY UHOH HERE. YEAH. AND THANK YOU FOR COMING TO, LIKE, IT'S BETTER HAVING YOU HERE TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT ONE-ON-ONE. I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. I'LL, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACE EVERY DAY, AND YOUR ATTORNEY KNOWS THIS 'CAUSE HE'S, HE'S BEEN AROUND WITH US. WE HAVE A LOT OF CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH. OKAY. PUBLIC INFORMATION, PUBLIC INPUT, ALL THAT FALLS UNDER THE BIG UMBRELLA OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND TITLE VI. SO WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ALL THAT. OUR A DA MANUAL WAS 262 PAGES THAT'S PUBLISHED BY THE FT A. SO WE GOT A LOT OF RULES AND REGULATIONS WE HAVE TO FOLLOW. IT TAKES TIME TO FIGURE ALL THIS STUFF OUT. I KNOW, I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT. I'M JUST TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE COMPLEXITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING JASON. HOLD ON. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AND GIVING US THAT INFORMATION. I THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN ENLIGHTENED. UM, I HAVE TWO ACTUALLY. 'CAUSE I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS ONE ON YOUR SIDE OF THE FENCE. YEAH. SO, SO NOW WE NEED TO DECIDE IF WE'RE, WE'RE, HOW WE'RE GONNA PROGRESS GOING FORWARD. AND I THINK WE NEED TO HEAR FROM MS. YEAH. I'LL, I'LL TRY TO TIE IT ALL TOGETHER AND I KNOW KEN WILL STILL BE HERE IN CASE THERE ARE MORE QUESTIONS. SAY I'M STAYING HERE. YEAH. SO I'LL BE AVAILABLE ALL DAY UNLESS YOU NEED ME HERE. SO, SO THANK YOU. HE'S GOT MY CELL PHONE NUMBER. , THANK YOU. THE, UH, FOR US, YES. HARRIS COUNTY DOES HAVE PROGRAM PIECES THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO CHANGE ROUTES. AT THE SAME TIME, CONSIDERING THAT WE ARE GOOD PARTNERS, THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE LIKE, HEY, HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER WITH THEM? IN MY SAME BREATH, I'M GONNA SAY THAT'S THEIR PROBLEM. OKAY. WHEN I LOOK AT THIS FROM THE CITY OF BAYTOWN ISSUE, THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT MR. LAMONT UP HERE. IF, IF WE CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD SAYING, HEY, WE WANT TO BE PARTNERS FOR NDD OR, OR FOR HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT, UH, BUT I WANT TO PAY MAX 250,000, IT'S GOING TO FORCE YOU TO LIKE CHANGE SERVICE DELIVERY THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF BAYTOWN. UM, AND WE WANT TO BUILD A NEW CONTRACT BASED ON THAT. AND THEN THE QUESTION FOR THE, THE RISK POINT FOR THE COUNCIL IS LIKE, OKAY, WELL ARE THESE THINGS THAT MR. PICKS IS TALKING ABOUT PROBLEMS FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN? OUR ATTORNEYS ALREADY TOLD YOU NO, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE BELIEVE. AND IF I'M MISSPEAKING, PLEASE TELL ME I'M MISSPEAKING. THAT IS NOT SOMETHING WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT. THAT IS SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO, THAT THEY HAVE TO WORK THROUGH. UH, WE CAN ASSIST THEM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO WORK THROUGH. BUT THE MAX THAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND WITH THE CONTRACT RENEWAL IS 250,000 AND WORK ON YOU WITH WHAT THE ROUTES LOOK LIKE. BUT THE FIRST QUESTION BEFORE WE EVEN GET THERE IS DO WE WANT TO FUND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? THAT'S THE VERY FIRST QUESTION WHICH WE NEED TO ANSWER. AND THEN, WHICH THE GENERAL DIRECTION THAT HAS COME TO ME BUILDING UP TO THIS POINT IS LIKE, WE FEEL IT IS RIGHT TO HAVE A FORM OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT TO PROVIDE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN? WE LOOKED AT UBER, WE TALKED TO KEN ABOUT HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT IS ALSO LOOKING AT A, UH, UH, AUTOMOBILE. [03:45:01] IT'S KIND OF LIKE AN UBER THING. THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT THINGS. THEY HAVEN'T GOT THAT. WE ACTUALLY, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A CONTRACT WITH UBER THIS FOR THE RIDES PROGRAM IN. RIGHT. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND DIFFERENT WAYS TO BE INNOVATIVE ON THAT THING. FOR US, WHEN WE TALKED TO UBER AND LYFT AND THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE PROVIDING THE SAME TYPE OF SERVICE, AND THEY DID HAVE AN 80 DA, UM, PORTION OF THAT, IT WAS GONNA BE ROUGHLY $500,000 A YEAR. AND FOR TWO CARS, AND THOSE TWO CARS, THEY WOULD JUST BE, BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LARGE UBER PRESENCE IN BAYTOWN, YOU'RE REALLY SUBSIDIZING THAT PRESENCE. AND SO IT WOULD BE TWO DEDICATED CARS THAT WOULD PROVIDE THAT SERVICE TO GET PEOPLE AROUND OVER AND OVER AND OVER. AND SO WE DIDN'T FEEL THAT THAT WAS A GOOD ENOUGH SERVICE DELIVERY. AND SO WE CONTINUED TO LOOK AT OTHER PIECES. WE WERE TRYING TO LOOK AT THE, UH, DRIVERLESS CARS THAT OTHER CITIES ARE USING. UM, AND SO LIKE WHAT, HOW ARE THOSE THINGS WORKING OUT OR NOT? WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ANSWERS ON THAT. SO LIKE THE, THE FALLBACK AT THIS POINT IN TIME IS IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT IS THAT MEDIUM THAT IS GOING TO ASSIST WITH THAT. AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST QUESTION. THE NEXT QUESTION IS, HOW MUCH DO WE WANT TO SPEND? AND IF, IF HOW MUCH WE WANNA SPEND IS GONNA DETERMINE OTHER BUS ROUTES, THEN THE DIRECTION THAT I NEED TO GET IS, HEY, WORK WITH KEN ON SETTING UP WHAT THIS PROGRAM LOOKS LIKE. THE, THE PROBLEMATIC PIECE IS THAT THE CONTRACT DOES IT EXPIRE? UH, JA JULY 8TH. SO IT EXPIRES IN TWO WEEKS. UH, DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE FORCED. IT HAS BEEN LATE BEFORE. THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO RUSH ON THAT. YEAH, THERE'S NO, I'M NOT GONNA STOP, BUT SIR, I UNDERSTAND. UM, UH, SO IT IS SOMETHING JUST THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE THAT IT IS HAPPENING. OKAY. UM, AT THE SAME TIME, THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE SIGNED, UH, I THINK IT'S A 30 DAY NOTICE IF WE NO LONGER WANT TO USE THAT SERVICE. 90, 90 DAY NIGHT SERVICE. EXCUSE ME. 90 DAY NOTICE IF WE NO LONGER WANT TO USE THAT SERVICE. UM, SO AT THIS POINT, THE FIRST QUESTION IS DO WE WANT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? YES. YES. OKAY. THE NEXT QUESTION IS, HOW MUCH DO WE WANT TO SPEND ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? CAN I JUMP IN? YES, SIR. SORRY, I THINK YOU DID. A LOT OF THIS CONVERSATION REALLY CAME UP WHEN WE REALIZED $400,000. YES. AND THE ROUTES HAD EXPANDED. I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF. I WAS KINDA LIKE, WELL, WOW. I'VE BEEN HERE SIX YEARS AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. SEVERAL YEARS AS A, AS A DIRECTOR. NEVER HEARD DISCUSSIONS OF HOW IT EXPANDED. DO YOU EXPLAIN TODAY? AND IT'S BECOME VERY CLEAR. WELL, THEY EXPANDED. THEY EXPANDED WAY BEFORE SIX YEARS AGO. THAT'S CORRECT. BUT HOW THOSE EXPANSIONS OCCUR WITHOUT COMING TO THIS BODY. WELL, THE CONTRACTS PUT IT ON THE SEED MANAGER. SO I CAME TO EVERY MEETING. THEY WERE APPROVED THERE, WE PRESENTED TO ORIGINALLY WAS HERE BECAUSE I WAS WITH THE CITY FOR I KNOW THAT. SO, SO THAT'S HOW THAT OCCURS. SO THE 400,000, THAT'S HOW IT GREW. RIGHT. THEN THEN IT THEN PART OF THE DISCUSSION CAME IN AS FAR AS, WELL CITY STAFF IS PUTTING UP ALL THE, THE SHELTERS, CITY STAFF AND, AND WE OBVIOUSLY BY THE, THE BLANK STARES FROM THE TWO DIRECTORS INVOLVED, WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND OR THERE WASN'T A CONNECTION AS FAR AS WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVOICING BACK TO BE PAID FOR THAT. MM-HMM . SO THEN THAT'S BECOME CLEAR THAT THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING. THAT'S ON OUR SIDE AGAIN. YEAH. SO, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE IT COME AROUND. I THINK. YES, WE ALL AGREE THAT WE WANT SOME TYPE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. I THINK Y'ALL PROVIDE EXCELLENT SERVICE DURING EMERGENCY, SO FORTH AND SO ON. I'VE WORKED WITH Y'ALL DURING THE IKE ISSUES. I KNOW. YEAH. UM, IT, IT IS JUST, HAS IT GROWN TOO LARGE AND HOW CAN WE SCALE IT BACK? WELL, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT OUR ROUTES, PARTICULARLY ROUTE FOUR. IS THAT IT? 'CAUSE IT'S GOT A COUPLE SECTIONS IN THERE THAT DON'T HAVE GOOD RIDERSHIP. AND, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD ASK IF WE COULD. I I WANT YOU NEED TIME TO DO THAT. AND I GOT THAT. I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT THOSE AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE GOOD RIDERSHIP, THERE WAS A LOCAL DECISION MADE THAT WE NEEDED TO GO OVER THERE. YEAH. OKAY. THAT WASN'T US. THAT WAS, I GOT, I GOT ALL THAT. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M JUST SAYING IS IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MOVE FORWARD AND RE RE REDUCE THE ROUTES TO WHERE THERE HAVE GOOD RIDERSHIP, SCALE IT BACK A LITTLE BIT MORE. I I'M, I'M MORE APPLICABLE TO GO THAT WHAT THAT AMOUNT IS. I, I, I DON'T KNOW. WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT AMOUNT IS. SO, BUT 400,000, IF WE GOTTA DO THAT TO GET TIME TO MOVE FORWARD AND THEN SCALE IT BACK AND REDO AGAIN. I, MY, MY, MY PROPOSAL AT THIS POINT, WE BELIEVE WHAT YOU JUST SAID, WE KNEW THE CONTRACT FOR 400, WE'RE ALL GONNA WORK TOGETHER TO REDUCE THE COST WHERE WE CAN, IF I CAN PASS THE COST ON TO YOU BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, I'LL DO THAT. I MEAN, IT'S COST SAVINGS, BUT WE, WE NEED TIME TO DO THAT. THE SECOND THING IS, IF YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO, TO, TO OFFER SERVICE NOW, SAVE SOME MONEY. WE CAN STOP SATURDAY SERVICE AND CUT AN HOUR OFF IN [03:50:01] THE MORNING. BUT THAT'S AS FAR AS I WOULD TAKE IT. THAT'S GONNA BE $300,000. HOW MUCH? 300,000, TWO 50. YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO TALK. Y'ALL NEED TO TALK OUT AMONGST YOURSELVES AND DRAW STRAWS TO FIND OUT WHO WANTS TO LOSE THE ROUTE IN THEIR DISTRICT. I'LL GIVE YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU DON'T HAVE TALK YOU ABOUT YOUR DISTRICT BECAUSE WE SPENT LOT. I THINK WE'RE GONNA HARRIS COUNTY OR CHAMBER COUNTY. WELL, WE CAN, BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT HOSPITALS ABOUT IT AND RUSTEE CITY WAS COUNTY COMMISSIONER OVER THERE. HE AND I STILL LOCKED OUT RIGHT AROUND THE CAR TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, AND THAT THAT'S THE ISSUE. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING. SO OUR CITIZENS THAT ARE CHAMBERS COUNTY SERVICE, SATURDAY SERVICE BACK, AND THEN, SORRY, WHAT? WE COULD CUT SATURDAY SERVICE BACK AND REDUCE THE ROUTES AND WE COULD GET IT DOWN TO 2 50, 300. BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, WELL KEEPING, KEEPING THE ROUTES WOULD BE BY ABOUT 312,000. THAT'S THE NUMBER I CAME UP WITH ON THE BACK OF, AGAIN, I THINK SOME OF THE ROUTES WERE EXPANDED AND, AND NOT NECESSARILY, BUT, AND MY, AND MY, MY, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS, IS, IS OUR ELDERLY INSECT. IT'S, IT'S, THAT'S THE THING MEAN, BAYTOWN IS NOT LIKE, IT'S NOT THIS GRAND BIG CITY, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT, THERE'S, THERE'S PLACE TO GET AROUND FOR, FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. TOO LOT. GOOD SIDEWALK SYSTEM. AND, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE WE HAD A GENTLEMAN THERE WHO RODE A BIKE HERE TODAY. I MEAN, THAT'S, YOU CAN GET AROUND, BAT OUT OTHERS, AND I YOU GOT SOME , BUT MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE LADY WHO, MY DIALYSIS, WHO WHO IS, UH, IS SO, IS IN STATE OF DEMENTIA AND SHE CAN'T EVEN GET A RIDES SHARE BECAUSE THEY KEEP CANCELING ON HER. AND WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, I'LL LET YOU, WELL, WHY DON'T YOU LOOK INTO THAT. YEAH, I, I'M LOOKING INTO THAT. I'LL GIVE HER A CALL HERE IN A SECOND. THOSE ARE THE, THOSE ASSISTANTS I'M CONCERNED ABOUT ARE, THOSE ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE ONES. JAKE, I'M, IF WE CAN GET WITH, UM, A AND MAYBE EVEN PUBLIC WORKS, AS YOU MENTIONED, AS WELL AS FINANCE, UM, AND WE RENEW AT THE 400 FOR THIS YEAR. MM-HMM . AND THEN SEE HOW MUCH WE ARE GOING TO RECOUP. THAT MAY WASH A LITTLE BIT OFF OF THE 400,000 UNTIL WE HAVE THAT TIME TO FIGURE OUT THE SCALE BACK. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HERE DON'T THINK WE HAVE. I'M NOT WONDERING, I DON'T THINK I, MY PERSONAL OPINION FOR MY, MY RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL IS THAT I DON'T THINK PARKS SHOULD BE DOING IT, PERIOD. OH, I, I AGREE. I AGREE. AND I WOULD ASK THAT HARRIS COUNTY TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN STOPS AND THAT WAY YOU DON'T HAVE ANY REIMBURSEMENT OR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS THAT GO WITH THAT. UNDERSTOOD. UM, BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR DOWN IN THIS DISCUSSION, I DIDN'T WANT TO INTERRUPT EARLIER, EARLIER, BUT I DO WANT, UH, COUNSEL TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE NOT TALKING IF, IF, IF WE TALK ABOUT THE TOTAL SYSTEM, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ONLY THIS CONTRACT THAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY. THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE DIFFERENT CONTRACTS, AND I THINK THERE ARE MORE THAN THAT. UH, THERE'S A CONTRACT FOR THE SERVICE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY, RIGHT? THERE'S A CONTRACT FOR SIDEWALKS, THERE'S A CONTRACT FOR SHELTERS, AND THERE MAY BE MORE THAN THAT. THAT'S ALL THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, UH, SO FAR. ARE THEY ALL UNDER THE $400,000 COST? NO, THEY'RE NOT. NO. THEY'RE SEPARATE OR, OR THERE'S NO COST AT ALL? WE, WE, WE'VE PUT IN 3 MILLION, ALMOST 3 MILLION. SO GLAD THAT YOU GUYS BROUGHT UP SIDEWALKS BECAUSE MY TEAM HAS WORKED. I'VE CAME IN, BEEN WITH FRANK BEFORE WE WORKED ON SIDEWALKS WITH YOU GUYS. A LOT OF OUR PROJECTS WERE SIDEWALKS. WE EITHER FUND THEM AT 80% OR I WAS TALKING TO THE MAYOR. WE HAVE MONEY THAT WE'RE WILLING A HUNDRED PERCENT AT A HUNDRED PERCENT WE'RE WILLING TO PUT SIDEWALKS IN BAYTOWN. AS OF RIGHT NOW, I HAVE 3.3 MILES WORTH OF SIDEWALKS IN BAYTOWN. THAT'S A LOT. WE'RE SAYING, WE'RE SAYING ON FINISH ALL THAT WE'RE SAYING ON $3 MILLION YOUR MARK BAYTOWN, THAT IS PROBABLY GONNA GO TO PORT IF WE DON'T PUT 'EM IN HERE. SO BECAUSE THEY'RE SALIVATING OVER IT FOR YOU GUYS WILL SEE ON OTHER STUFF HOW MUCH IS THEY HAVE ONE BUS THAT'S $90,000 AND THEY DON'T HAVE ALL THE ADA A FAIR TRANSIT ISSUES THAT Y'ALL DO. SO IT'S, IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL BASED ON FAIRNESS AND EVERYTHING, THE HOURS AND THAT KIND OF STUFF. PLUS Y'ALL ARE SHARING, Y'ALL ARE SHARING A BUS WITH THE PORT THAT YOU MAY NOT REALIZE. WE CALL IT THE SHUTTLE. IT GOES FROM HERE TO PORT TO THE STRAWBERRY CLINIC IF IT'S NEEDED. THE SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE AND YES. ALL THE WAY DOWN TO GULF GATE. SO Y'ALL GOT PEOPLE GOING TO WORK, GET SURVEYS ON THAT. I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION I WAS TRYING TO ASK EARLIER. YEAH. UH, IS THE MDD CAPABLE OF FUNDING EVEN A PORTION? YES. THE MDD CURRENTLY AS IT'S STRUCTURED WITH THE SAVINGS FROM THE HEB SALES TAX INIT INITIATIVE, THAT WOULD SAVE THE MDD 150,000 AND THE POSSIBLE THE, IT'S, AND I NEED TO, I NEED TO HIGHLIGHT POSSIBLE SAVINGS OF INSURANCE FOR THE HOTEL. THERE IS A PROPOSED SAVINGS RIGHT NOW WHERE THE MDD [03:55:01] CAN AFFORD, UH, THE ABSORPTION OF THE HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT. THE CAVEAT BEING, UM, WE ARE GIVING UP THE GRANT, RIGHT? LIKE THAT IS COMING OUT AT THAT, THE CATALYST GRANT. THE CATALYST GRANT PORTION THAT'S COMING OUT. AND WE ARE NOT FUNDING ONE OF THE, THE POSITIONS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT THIS POINT. AND SO YOU ARE LOSING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO DO THIS. AND SO WE HAVE TO START WEIGHING WHERE DO, DO WE WANT TO PUT MORE MONEY TOWARDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND REALLY BRING IN THAT STUFF? OR DO WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THE HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT? THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE MDD. SO, BUT, SO WE'RE GONNA BE ON EQUAL KIND OF ENFORCES, GOT ABOUT 36,000 PEOPLE. THEY'RE PUT IN 90,000. WE GOT ABOUT 87. SO THEY'RE ABOUT TWO AND A HALF, TWO AND A HALF PERCENT MORE. TWO AND A HALF TIMES MORE POPULATION. SO IF THEY'RE PUT IN 90 FOR THEM, THEN THEY SHOULD BE PUT ABOUT TWO 20. THEN IF THE, THE PORT'S PUT IN 90, THEN WE NEED TO GO ABOUT 2 25. THAT'D BE ABOUT EQUAL PERCENTAGE OF WHAT THE PORT'S PUT IN. WE'LL DO THE TWO 50. 'CAUSE WE HAVE THE ADA A OKAY. SO I MEAN, SO OUR FIRST QUESTION IS THAT YOU ASKED, WE WANNA DO THIS AT ALL. RIGHT? I THINK HE'S GONNA STAY. RIGHT. OKAY. SO THAT QUESTION IS, I THINK WE GOT, IF WE WANT TO DO IT AS YES, WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT, Y'ALL MIND GOING OVER THERE. SURE. WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE GOING TO START SCALING IT BACK. BUT THAT'S GONNA BE A SEPARATE CONVERSATION. RIGHT. IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME TO DO THAT ON OUR END AS A CITY. SO THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION. OKAY. AGAIN, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS. THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE TO PROCESS. I'M, I'M TALKING ABOUT US. WE, WE, YOU SAID WE NEED TO LOOK AT AT LEAST THREE CONTRACTS. UH, WHAT I SAID WAS THERE ARE MORE, MORE THAN, THAN JUST YES. THIS CONTRACT, UH, THAT INVOLVES THE BUS SYSTEM. YES. SO THIS CONTRACT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SERVICE. MM-HMM . WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT THE SHELTERS. THAT IS A SEPARATE CONTRACT. OKAY. AND THOSE CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN LONG GONE FOR YEARS. OKAY. AND THERE COULD BE MORE IS WHAT YOU ALSO SAID. THERE IS ALSO A CONTRACT FOR FOR SIDEWALK. FOR SIDEWALKS. OKAY. AND THERE COULD BE MORE THAT WE HAVEN'T FOUND TO THIS POINT. SO WHAT I THINK WE NEED TO HEAR AND SEE WHAT ELSE ALL WRAPS INTO THIS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE A DECISION. I DON'T THINK THOSE OTHER CONTRACTS ARE RELEVANT, MAYOR, HONESTLY. BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT. I I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY'RE RELEVANT. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY MORE THERE ARE. AND I WOULD RATHER BE ON THE SAFE END AND FIND OUT BEFORE WE MAKE A MISTAKE. OKAY. WELL, SO WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M HEARING FROM EVERYONE IS YES TO PUBLIC TRANSIT. YOU WANNA SCALE BACK YOUR ROUTES AND COSTS AND WE STILL NEED TO REVIEW ALL OF THE CONTRACTS. YES. BUT THE, THE ISSUE IS, IS THERE'S NO WAY FOR ME TO GO SCALE BACK OR NEGOTIATE UNTIL I UNDERSTAND WHAT Y'ALL WANT. THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING THE OTHER CONTRACTS ARE NOT RELEVANT. I NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT Y'ALL WANT SO THAT I CAN NEGOTIATE. ALL THE OTHER STUFF IS NOISE RIGHT NOW. AND IT'S DELIBERATE NOISE TO TRY TO CONFUSE SO THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE A, A CON NOT, NOT YOUR, NOT YOU MAYOR. THE NOISE FROM HARRIS COUNTY. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION. MR. LAMONT, YOU SIDEWALKS, SHELTERS, TRANSIT, RIGHT? RIGHT. FROM THE CITY'S ASPECT. DO ARE WE GONNA HAVE TO RENEGOTIATE ALL OF THOSE? NO. AND MY PURPOSE IN BRINGING THAT UP WAS SIMPLY TO ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS GOTCHA. THAT CAME UP ABOUT THE COST OF THE SHELTERS. OKAY. SO THIS IS, THEY THEY ARE STANDALONE CONTRACTS, BUT THEY ALL RELATE TO THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE. OKAY. CAN I ADD SOMETHING TO THAT REAL QUICK? OKAY. THE CONTRACTS WITH THE SIDEWALKS, THAT'S A WATER ROAD WITH A BRIDGE OVER THE DAM, WHATEVER IT'S BEEN YEARS SINCE THOSE CONTRACTS WERE USED. WE CURRENTLY HAVE ONE CONTRACT, I BELIEVE IT'S STILL THE, THAT ONE SIDEWALK CONTRACT DOES NOT CONTRACT IN PLACE. CITY . IT'S FOR THE SIDEWALKS OF DECKER. RIGHT. IT HASN'T BEEN CLOSED OUT YET. THAT HAS NOT BEEN CLOSED OUT. BUT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT. THAT'S THE ONLY OTHER CONTRACT THAT I'M AWARE OF. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO CLARIFY. RIGHT. IT'S ABOUT TO CLOSED. GOTCHA. IS IT THINK SO THE FINAL CHANGE ORDER IS GOING YEAH. AT THE END OF JULY. RIGHT. COUNCIL. OKAY. AND AFTER THAT, WE'LL CLOSE IT. WE'RE DONE. ALRIGHT. WE DON'T EVEN NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT. 'CAUSE THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. NO, IT DOESN'T. IT'S TOTALLY SEPARATE IS SERVICE. IT'S TOTALLY SEPARATE SERVICE. I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO PUT OUR MARABLE POPULATION, UM, IN A PLACE WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE MASS TRANSPORTATION OR TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE. BUT, UM, ALL THE CONCERNS THAT I'VE SHARED WITH COUNSEL AND YOU, UH, BOTH I THINK ARE NOW EVEN [04:00:01] GREATER THAT I'VE HEARD THIS. AND SO YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB OF SUMMARIZING, YOU'RE ASKING FOR A CONSENSUS IN WHAT TO DO. SABRINA'S WRITTEN WHAT WHAT I, WHAT I THINK AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE FROM WHAT'S HAPPENED TODAY, WHICH I'VE ALREADY TALKED TO YOU ABOUT. YES, MA'AM. BUT, UM, THE GOAL FOR ME IS NOT TO DO AWAY WITH CORRECT. TRANSPORTATION FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. RIGHT. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE DOING IT IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY AS A CITY. I'M REMOVING HARRIS COUNTY FROM THAT AND JUST SAYING, I DON'T THINK WE'RE BEING EFFICIENT AND I DON'T THINK WE ARE BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. AND SO WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THAT. I THINK THAT'S GOING TO COME WITH COMMUNICATION. 'CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE SOME THINGS WERE GOING ON AND COUNSELING AS A WHOLE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. THERE YOU GO. YEAH. SO THAT'S A GOOD START RIGHT THERE. YOU WERE ASKING FOR WHAT TO DO. SHE, I DO NEED A DOLLAR. HE NEEDS A DOLLAR FOR ME IT'S $250,000. AND THAT'S BASED OFF OF SOME, SOME THINGS THAT HE SAID WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES NEAR US AND OUR NEEDS A LITTLE BIT GREATER THAN THEIR NEEDS. MM-HMM . COMPARING POPULATION. AND HOW MANY ROUTE? MY NUMBER'S TWO 50. I AGREE WITH THE TWO 50. DO Y'ALL NEED TO DECIDE? YOU NEED TO DECIDE WHICH ROUTE YOU WANT TO CLOSE. THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DONE TODAY. NO. THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE DONE TODAY. WE'RE NOT GONNA DECIDE TODAY. YOU'RE GONNA DECIDE. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE DO OR ARE THEY NO, Y'ALL BE DECISION. WE'RE NOT GONNA DECIDE THAT WE'RE GONNA DECIDE. Y'ALL NOT. YOU'RE GONNA DECIDE THAT. I WILL. AND YOU'RE GONNA END UP WITH NO SERVICE. YOU'VE GOT THE DATA ON WHERE, WHERE THE RIDERS ARE. AND WE, I MEAN, WHEN THEY MADE, WHEN THEY MADE THE NEW ROUTES, YOU HELPED MAKE THAT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE HELPED DESIGN THE ROUTES THAT WAS YEARS AGO TO ASK ME TO COME UP DECISION KNOW, TO DESIGN ROUTES ON A ROUTE. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SHUT ONE DOWN BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE MONEY TO PAY FOR FOUR. AND, YOU KNOW, WHICH ONES ARE BEING LEASED USED BEING LEASE USED. I DO. THAT'S, THAT MAY NOT NEED TO BE THE PRIORITY FOR CLOSING THAT ROUTE. THAT'S GOING TO PUT US BACK IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE NOT MAKING THAT DECISION. BUT WE'RE IN THIS POSITION BECAUSE COUNSEL WAS NOT ABLE TO HAVE INPUT ON WHAT ROUTES WE'RE GOING TO BE IN. WE JUST ESTABLISHED THAT. AND, AND I THINK JAY WAS TRYING TO JUMP IN THERE AND I'LL JUMP IN THERE WITH YOU. AT THIS POINT IN TIME WE'RE SAYING, I THINK THE CONSENSUS IS AROUND 250. JAY WILL THEN TAKE THAT AND WORK WITH HARRIS COUNTY AND WITH THE INFORMATION HARRIS COME BACK TO US. THAT'S, JAY WILL BRING IT BACK TO US. AND THIS IS ROUTE WE'RE GONNA CUT. THIS IS ONE SAY. YEAH. ALL FOUR . JAY KNOWS OUR, WHERE OUR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ARE AT. YES. AND HE CAN USE THAT KNOWLEDGE THAT HE HAS OF THE COMMUNITY HE LIVES IN WITH THE DATA OF WHO'S WRITING. I JUST DIDN'T WANT, I JUST, I WANT IT TO BE HELD. WE NEED TO, IF YOU'RE GONNA BE BRINGING IT BACK TO US AND LETTING US KNOW, IT'LL BE A NEW CONTRACT THAT'S BROUGHT BACK TO Y'ALL. YES, SIR. AND EVERYTHING'S LAID OUT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT HARRIS COUNTY IS MAINTAINING AND, AND THIS WITH THE SHELTERS. I'LL TALK TO THE PARK SCENE, TALK TO PUBLIC WORKS. THEY WILL BE INVOLVED WITH HARRIS COUNTY, DO THIS PROCESS. EVERYBODY WILL BE INVOLVED HAVING, UM, UH, VIGOROUS FELLOWSHIP. WHERE'S BRANCH VIGOROUS FELLOWSHIP GRANT? WHERE TO GO, UM, WITH THESE CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING OF THIS IS TAKING PLACE. AND, AND THAT'S WHERE THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN PUSHING THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE SOME SAY YES. YES. I THINK WE, WE'LL, GRANT AND I SERVED TOGETHER ON THE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE. IT'S ALL, IT'S OKAY. IT'S OKAY. BUT HE'S HEARING THE REPORTS. I HEARING. OH, HE'S HEARING THE REPORTS THAT I'M HEARING ARE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, HE'S HEARING THE REPORTS. I'M HEARING OUR YOU A MILLION FREE SEVEN VEHICLES TO DO MICRO TRANSIT, THE MATH ON HOW MUCH THAT IS PER VEHICLE. A LOT. AND NOT GETTING GOOD SERVICE YET EITHER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT. LET'S TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS. LET'S, ALRIGHT, MAYOR COUNSEL. UM, THE NEXT THING IS, UH, I'VE ALREADY TOLD Y'ALL THAT WATER SEWER DOES TRANSFER IN, UH, FOR LEGAL FEES AND OTHER PIECES. UH, THIS IS A CHANCE TO REALLY KIND OF REOPEN THE WATER SEWER CONVERSATION FROM LAST NIGHT. SHOULD YOU WANT TO. UH, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE, THE, UH, CONSULTANTS ARE NOT HERE. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL [04:05:01] INFO THEY WILL HAVE. UH, OR FRANK OR BRENT WILL HAVE IF FRANK HAVE HE PULLED THE FRANCO AND THE DICTIONARY. UH, ANYWAYS, THAT WAS GOOD. THE, UH, THE ONE THING THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO GO OVER, BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A LOT TO ACTUALLY GO OVER WITH WATER SEWER EXCEPT UNDERSTANDING THAT WATER SEWER DOES TRANSFER INTO THE GENERAL FUND. IT'S ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT BRENT WAS ASKING WITH THE SAN SANITATION, DO YOU WANT TO USE THE POWER OF THE GENERAL FUND TO HELP WATER SEWER WHERE IT CAN RIGHT NOW? AND, AND HAVE THE GENERAL FUND ABSORB THIS? OR DO YOU WANT THE WATER SEWER TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE AS THE ENTERPRISE FUND WHERE THE COST RECOVERY MECHANISM IS THERE FOR WATER SEWER? BECAUSE THIS IS THE 3 MILLION THAT TRANSFERRED IN IS AN EXPENSE OF WATER SEWER. IT'S JUST BEING FILTER. IT, IT, IT'S BEING TRANSFERRED TO THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE GENERAL FUND TO HANDLE IT. SO I KNOW THAT WAS QUICK AND I'M DIRTY. I CAN START AGAIN. NO, THAT'S, I I THINK PAST COUPLE YEARS WE'VE MOVED TOWARD MORE TOWARDS COST RECOVERY. THAT'S CORRECT. LIKE WE HAD KIND OF SUBSIDIZED THAT LOWER RATE FOR WHICH I DON'T KNOW FOR HOW LONG. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR QUITE A WHILE. MM-HMM . UM, I THINK I'D LIKE TO SEE US STILL MOVING TOWARDS COST RECOVERY. UM, JUST 'CAUSE PART OF THAT IS WE HAVE SO MANY OUT OF CITY CUSTOMERS WHEN WE SET THOSE RATES, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE SUBSIDIZING, YOU'RE NOT ONLY SUBSIDIZING CITY RESIDENTS, UH, YOU END UP SUBSIDIZING FOLKS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY TOO. UM, AND I MEAN, SOME OF THESE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE, WITH THE RATE, LIKE IF WE ENDED UP FULLY SUBSIDIZING SANITATION, YOU KNOW, BUT ONLY CITIZENS ARE USING THAT SERVICE. RIGHT. WE DON'T PROVIDE TRASH PICKUP TO ETJ RESIDENTS. RIGHT. BUT WATER AND SEWER, WE DO PROVIDE THAT. SO I I, I'D WANT TO KEEP MOVING TOWARDS COST RECOVERY ON THAT JUST BECAUSE WE'D BE SUBSIDIZING MORE THAN JUST RESIDENTS. OKAY. HAVE ONE THERE. YEAH. AND FOR ME, LIKE I SAID LAST YEAR, IT, IT'S ALWAYS, HOW'D YOU KNOW WHICH WAY IT WAS GONNA GO? JAY . IT'S, IT'S NOT HAVING TO RIP THE BANDAID OFF. IT'S A SLOW PROCESS. YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA, I DON'T WANT TO GO 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD AND DO, OH, WE HAVEN'T RAISED IT FOR FIVE YEARS, BUT NOW I GOTTA RAISE A LARGE AMOUNT. SMALL INCREMENTS ARE EASIER TO ABSORB THAN A LARGE INCREMENT. AND YOUR BILL MIGHT GO UP TWO BUCKS, THREE BUCKS ON THE WATER VERSUS, OH, IT WENT UP 20 BUCKS FROM LAST YEAR THIS YEAR. THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE THAT CUSTOMER'S GONNA SEE. HOW MANY YEARS HAVE WE BEEN DOING THIS, UM, THE SECOND YEAR? MARK MIKE. FOR COST RECOVERY? YES. UH, I, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY TWO AND A HALF YEARS HAS KIND OF BEEN THE PHILOSOPHY SHIFT ON LIKE DOING COST RECOVERY. OKAY. I THINK, 'CAUSE WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT. BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE CHARGING THE CUSTOMER FOR 10,000 GALLONS IS WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY PAYING TO ACTUALLY JUST GET IT TO THE PLANT. 2000, THE LOWEST TIER. THE LOWEST TIER IS 2000. AND WE WERE BASICALLY, OUR GOAL WAS TO GET THAT TO COST. THEY PAY COST. WELL I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE WITH THAT. WE'RE GONNA PAY FOR IT SOMEHOW. SO COST RECOVERY IS THE WAY TO GO. PUT ME A LITTLE TALLY ONE. ALRIGHT. I GOT FOUR. SO I MEAN, TECHNICALLY FIVE. LOOK AT THAT. THERE WE GO. 6, 6, 6. GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE. WE'RE WAITING. MIKE? YES. OH, OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN FOR THAT. HURRY, MOVE A BIT. I DON'T, YEAH, I DON'T WANNA ASSUME ANYTHING. . ALL RIGHT. I'M GONNA STOP ON WATER SEWER. AND THAT'S THE SHORTEST CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD. SO YEAH, I'M PRESSING A BUTTON BEFORE WE GET STUCK FAR TOO. FIVE. OKAY. PERFECT. ANOTHER PHONE. YEAH, ANOTHER PHONE. YOU GIVE GRANT ALL THE EASY ONES. . YES. BRENT, TRACY. WE'LL DISCUSS AFTER GRANT MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW. , MAYBE. UM, SO YEAH, THIS ACTUALLY STARTED OFF AS A RELATIVELY SIMPLE CONVERSATION. UM, AND I'M NOT REALLY GOING TO GO INTO TOO MUCH OF THIS. LET ME KIND OF GIVE YOU ALL A SUMMARY OF, UH, WHERE WE ARE NOW. UM, 400,000. SO WHILE, WHILE HE'S SETTING ALL THIS UP, THIS WE'VE ENTERED INTO THE EXPENSE PORTION, UH, OF THE FORMULA. AND THE, THE INTENT HERE IS REALLY TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE POLICY [04:10:01] DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO US TO THROUGH THE RETREAT AND OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS TO HELP BUILD THIS PORTION OF THE BUDGET. AND WE HAVE A FEW FOLLOW UP ITEMS THAT WE MAY NEED MORE DIRECTION ON. AND JUST AS A LITTLE LEAD IN, SO I HAVE THIS MAP UP, THIS SHOWS, UM, THIS IS A MAP PRODUCED BY, UH, PARKS AND REC SHOWS WHERE WE CURRENTLY PROVIDE SERVICE IN THE, ALONG THE GREEN AREAS AND, UM, WHERE WE DO NOT. AND UM, ON THERE IT SAYS T STOP MAINTAINS. UM, THEORETICALLY WE BELIEVE THAT TO BE TRUE. UM, THEORETICALLY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN, UM, THEY, THESE ARE SOME THAT ARE ACTUALLY INTER CHAMBERED COUNTY ALONG NINE NINE. AND WE DO NOT HAVE ANY SERVICES IN THOSE AREAS. SO JUST AS A POINT OF COMPARISON. BUT, UM, THAT'S NOT A PARKS JOB. RIGHT. UM, SO PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD PLANNED TO REMOVE THE COST FOR MAINTAINING T OUT AREAS FROM THE BUDGET. UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOOKED AT THOSE RED AND GREEN AREAS. AND WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH TDOT AND JUST FOR KIND OF SETTING THE STAGE FOR THAT, TXDOT CATEGORIZES ALL OF THESE AREAS AS EITHER CONTROLLED ACCESS AREAS OR NON-CONTROLLED ACCESS AREAS WHERE CONTROLLED ACCESS LIKE HIGHWAYS WHERE ACCESS, UH, YOU KNOW, ON FREEWAYS FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THAT RESTRICTS ACCESS TO DESIGNATED INTERCHANGES, NON-CONTROLLED ACCESS AREAS LIKE SOME STATE HIGHWAYS WHERE YOU HAVE THE INTERSECTION, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST ALONG THE ROADWAY, THAT SORT OF THING. THAT'S HOW THEY KIND OF CLASSIFY THOSE. UM, SO THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS, I GUESS GOING BACK, MAYBE STARTING IN FEBRUARY AND AS RECENTLY, I BELIEVE AS APRIL MAYBE AROUND THERE, UH, WITH BOTH PARKS AND PWE, UM, IN TALKING WITH TDOT, LETTING THEM KNOW, HEY, WE'D LIKE TO STEP BACK, LET TECH STOCK PROVIDE THE SERVICES ALONG THEIR RIGHT OF WAYS. UM, SO WE THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS GOOD. THE MOST RECENT MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT THAT THEY SENT US. AND WHEN I SAY THEY, I MEAN TDOT SPECIFICALLY THE HOUSTON DISTRICT, UM, IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THOSE PROPOSED REDUCTIONS. AND SO WE DON'T BELIEVE AT THIS POINT THAT THEY EVER ACTUALLY INCORPORATED THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD INTO THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT. UM, AND THIS AGREEMENT THAT THEY SENT US IS A NEW TEMPLATE THAT UPDATES THE ONE THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY USED GOING BACK TO 1981. UM, THE MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE NEW TEMPLATE FOR CITIES VARIES GREATLY FROM WHAT WE INTENDED TO DO AND WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING. UM, WITH THAT, AND I WILL JUST RATTLE OFF KIND OF THE DIFFERENCES FOR THE NON-CONTROLLED ACCESS. BASICALLY IT SAYS THE STATE WILL MAINTAIN THE SURFACE ASSIST IN MOWING AND LITTER PICKUP, ASSIST IN SWEEPING AND OTHERWISE CLEANING, ASSIST IN SNOW AND ICE CONTROL TO SUPPLEMENT CITY RESOURCES. UM, STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE IN CITIES, LESS THAN 50,000. THEY'LL INSTALL, MAINTAIN SCHOOL SAFETY DEVICES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. CITY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR NON-CONTROLLED ACCESS, UH, PARKING MANAGEMENT, SIGNAGE, INSTALLATIONS, REPAIRS OF PRIVATE UTILITIES, REGULAR CLEANUPS AND LITTER CONTROL, INSTALL, MAINTAIN, OPERATE ALL TRAFFIC SIGNALS, PERFORM MOWING AND LITTER PICKUP, SWEEP AND OTHERWISE CLEAN THE AREA, PERFORM SNOW AND ICE CONTROL. UM, THAT'S INTERESTING. UH, RETAIN ALL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS, WHICH ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY DESCRIBED AS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STATE'S. UM, INTERESTING, UH, APPROACH. WILL YOU, UM, WILL YOU, UM, GIVE THE DEFINITION OF NON-CONTROLLED AREA OR AN EXAMPLE? UM, AS LIKE WHERE ONE IS? YES. THAT WOULD BE PORTIONS OF 1 46, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE THERE IS AN INTERSECTION AS YOU'RE JUST GOING ALONG NORTH, NORTH OF FERRY ROAD OR ALEXANDER WOULD BE ANOTHER EXAMPLE. CONTROLLED IS WHERE WE HAVE ON AND OFF RAMP. YEAH. I 10, YOU KNOW, FIRST THREE 30 NON CONTROL IS WHERE YOU HAVE INTERSECTION. OKAY. SO ALEXANDER, ALEXANDER IN NORTH OF DUBAI NORTH, RIGHT ON 1 46. MM-HMM . RIGHT. OKAY. SO T BUT EXAS ALSO OVER THE TOLL ROAD SOURCES OR DOES HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD OVER THAT SECTION, PRESUMABLY HARRIS COUNTY TO ROAD, BECAUSE THOSE ARE ALSO GROWING [04:15:01] UP REAL BAD THAT THAT'S HARRIS COUNTY TO ROAD NOT, THAT'S NOT A TEXDOT AND THAT'S A PRIVATE ROAD. IT IS A, IT IS TDOT UP TO WHERE THE, UM, CONTROL PORTION STARTS. OH, OKAY. UM, WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE? YEAH. CONTROLLED ACCESS. UM, YOU KNOW, SAME BASIC THING, THE STATE'S RESPONSIBILITIES ARE FAIRLY LIMITED IN THIS NEW TEMPLATE. UM, OUR RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, ARE MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE DOING. UM, BUT BOTH OF THOSE AREAS IN THIS NEW CONTRACT DO POINT TO US FOR SWEEPING, CLEANING, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, WHICH ARE THINGS THAT WE'VE NOT ONLY NOT DONE, BUT WE HAVE NOT PLANNED TO DO. DO WE EVEN HAVE THE ABILITY NO. TO TREAT THE ROAD FOR SNOW AND ICE? NO. SO WE HAD, UM, ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS, UM, EARLIER THIS WEEK, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE CONFUSION SAYING, HEY, THIS IS NOT WHAT WE AGREED TO. AND SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE TDOT A RED LINE VERSION OF THEIR NEW TEMPLATE, UM, TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE. UM, ONCE WE HAVE THOSE COMMENTS BACK AND WE UNDERSTAND WHAT TXDOT WILL, WILL NOT PROVIDE, WE'LL REVISIT THIS WITH YOU ALL. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PUT YOU OR TO BACK YOU ALL IN A CORNER. IT'S INTENDED TO BASICALLY LET YOU KNOW WHAT T DOT WILL AND WILL NOT PROVIDE. AND IF WE DECIDE WE WANNA SUPPLEMENT SOMETHING THAT WILL BE A POLICY DECISION THAT YOU ALL CAN MAKE, UM, I DO WANT TO CLARIFY FOR THE COUNSEL. WE CAME TO YOU TO PROPOSE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T NEED TO DO, PERIOD. AND THEN AS WE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH THEM TO RENEGOTIATE THIS CONTRACT, UM, THEY TOOK A VERY DIFFERENT STANCE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE THIS, THIS IS, WE WERE JUST DOING THIS AS A FAVOR TO YOU. UM, AND SO THE NEW STANCE THAT THEY'RE MAKING RIGHT NOW IS LIKE, THIS IS GONNA CONTINUE TO BE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. AND, UM, OH, BY THE WAY, YEAH. YEAH. OH, BY THE WAY, THIS IS ACTUALLY YOURS. AND, UH, SO IT'S, IT IS A, A TURN FROM WHAT WE HAD PROPOSED TO Y'ALL. UH, WE WILL TELL YOU THAT WE WERE JUST AS SHOCKED AS Y'ALL ARE RIGHT NOW, UH, WHEN THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS CAME BACK OR, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. SO, UH, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO REVERSE COURSE, IT'S JUST SOMEBODY SLAPPED US AND WE'RE TRYING TO LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF SLAPPING BACK AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA LAND, BUT WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR THE WORST CASE SCENARIO OF TAKING THE MOWING PORTION BACK ON WITH TEXDOT AND IT NOT BEING A REDUCTION IN THE BUDGET OF THESE GREEN AREAS. CORRECT. THEY ARE TAKING ON THE RED, UH, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK TO THAT. WELL, LET US GET A RED LINE VERSION FROM THEM. OKAY. UH, FOR ALL AREAS. AND THEN I THINK WE CAN SPEAK FROM A MUCH BETTER, UM, UH, POINT THERE. WE'LL, WE'LL SCRIPT SWEEP ONCE EVERY 10 YEARS, WHETHER IT NEEDS OR NOT. WE'LL MOW ABOUT EVERY 20 YEARS WHETHER IT NEEDS IT OR NOT. SOUNDS GOOD. UH, AND JUST A REMINDER, WE'RE DEALING WITH THE TECH WITH THE HOUSTON REGION OR THE HOUSTON DISTRICT RATHER. UM, WE HAVE NOT TALKED TO BEAUMONT DISTRICT, WHICH HANDLES CHAMBERS COUNTY. AND SO NONE OF THIS ACTUALLY, UM, REFERS TO THE ONE THAT AREA. YES, SIR. I WAS GONNA SAY ABOUT THAT AREA NORTH OF IS CALLED THE BEAUMONT DISTRICT. BEAUMONT. RIGHT. IT WOULDN'T BE APPLICABLE TO THIS CONTRACT. WELL, WE DON'T WANNA SIGN A, AN AGREEMENT THAT SOMEHOW THE BEAUMONT DISTRICT WOULD SAY, HEY, LOOK WHAT Y'ALL GET TO DO NOW. SO WE'LL, UM, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT IS VERY CLEAR, UM, WHAT WE DO DO, THAT SORT OF THING. UM, AND THAT'S ALL REALLY, I THINK, UM, WELL, I DID WANNA TAKE A MINUTE TO BRAG ON THE, THE TEAM WITH THE MOWING STANDARDIZATION THAT HAS BEEN DONE. IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND, JUST SO Y'ALL KNOW THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S BEEN GOING ON. UH, AND SO Y'ALL CAN SEE LIKE, I'M TRYING TO STANDARDIZE COST, AND SO LIKE COUNSEL HAS A CONSISTENT UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE FOR MOWING. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALSO WANT TO PUT ON THE WEBSITE SO PEOPLE KNOW. 'CAUSE PEOPLE OFTEN CALL LIKE, HEY, WHEN IS THIS BEING MOWED? WE WANT TO CREATE THINGS SO THAT Y'ALL SEE, UH, THE, THE MOWING TIMELINES. THERE IS AN EXPECTATION THAT'S BEING SET. THERE'S AN EXPECT, UH, AN EXPECTED COST THAT GOES WITH STUFF. AND THIS TOOK A LOT OF EFFORT OF LIKE COORDINATING, UH, THROUGH ALL THESE AREAS. AND IT MAY BE SURPRISING HOW MUCH IT ACTUALLY DOES COST TO MOW, UH, IN, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND I JUST WANT A BIG, BIG KUDOS TO EVERYBODY THAT WAS INVOLVED. I KNOW, UH, I THINK THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT LED THIS, BUT IT DID INVOLVE EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT THAT HAS A FACILITY THAT'S MOWED OR I THINK, UH, PARKS AND REC AND TOURISM HAD A VERY BIG HAND IN COORDINATING THIS AS WELL. AND THIS WAS A BIG COST SAVINGS FROM THEIR BUDGET. UH, EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T SHOW ON THE ACTUAL BUDGET, THIS IS A SAVINGS FROM THE PARKS AND REC, UH, TOURISM DEPARTMENT AS WELL. CAN WE JUST, CAN WE TAKE KENNY'S GUYS THE LAWNMOWER, [04:20:01] PLAY US SOME MONEY? WELL, I MEAN, IF Y'ALL, IF Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO START DOING A MOWING BUSINESS, Y'ALL SEE THAT WE'RE PAYING WHAT JOE? KENNY, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS. THIS IS, WOULD, AS A COUNSELOR, THIS WOULD BE MY EXPECTATION FOR MOST THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING. YEP. VERY CLEAR. CUT. FINE. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. AND SO VERY QUICKLY, UH, I WANTED TO TALK DEMOLITION, UH, PER PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS, UH, IN PROPOSED BUDGET, WE ARE LOOKING TO, UM, REDUCE THAT BUDGET FURTHER. UM, I THINK, UH, SAVING, YEAH, SAVING $200,000 WITH WHAT WOULD BE REMAINING. I THINK THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR THREE TO FIVE DEMOLITIONS A YEAR. UM, WANTED TO GET FEEDBACK ON THAT. IF, UM, WE NEED TO LOOK AT SOMETHING IN CONJUNCTION WITH WHAT WE WERE DISCUSSING EARLIER, UH, WE CAN DO THAT. BUT, UH, WANTED TO GET FEEDBACK TO SEE IF, UM, YOU ALL ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS LEVEL OF SERVICE AND THIS LEVEL OF FUNDING. I WILL SAY I, UM, INCORRECTLY DID THE MATH. IT'S, UH, SAVING $150,000 GOING INTO THE NEXT BUDGET AFTER THE, UH, PREVIOUS YEAR REDUCTION. SORRY, 200 IS ONE 50. RIGHT? THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR DEMOS THIS YEAR IS 200. SO IT IS FOR US, JUST BRING AWARENESS TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO Y'ALL, UH, THAT THIS IS REDUCED FROM 500,000, UH, TO 50,000 OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD. AND SO THE DEMOLITIONS ACROSS THE CITY AND THE CODE ENFORCEMENT THAT GOES WITH THAT WILL DECREASE. AND IT'S JUST AN AWARENESS PIECE. UH, WE WILL START TO GET CALLS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SABRINA WAS TALKING ABOUT C CLICK FIX EARLIER. WE WANT, Y'ALL KNOW, WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE A VERY BIG PUSH FOR PEOPLE TO USE CCL FIX. UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, DILIGENTLY TO ENSURE THAT AS THOSE THINGS COME IN, THERE IS A CLOSEOUT LOOP OF CCL FIX. WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT WAS NOT CLOSING OUT. UM, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS BEING CORRECTED IN THE ORGANIZATION. SO WE'RE GONNA START TRACKING MORE OF THIS STUFF AND THAT'LL BE STUFF THAT Y'ALL SEE, UH, THROUGH THE INVISIO METRICS AS WELL. UH, AND WE CAN HAVE BIGGER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT DEMO AND THEN WE CAN MAKE STRATEGIC DECISIONS ON IF WE NEED TO REALLOCATE FUNDS IN THE FUTURE, UH, FOR DEMOLITION OR OTHER CODE ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE GETTING THROUGH CCL FIX, IS THAT THE SAME THING? IS BETTER BASED ON THAT? YES. BETTER RETURN THAT, ARE WE GETTING PHONE CALLS NOW ABOUT IT? UH, DEMOLITION? YEAH. UH, WE GET QUITE A FEW CALLS ABOUT HAD SINCE WE STARTED. YOU SAID THAT YOU STARTED LOWERING THE BUDGET FOR LAST YEAR? UH, TWO. SO 24 WAS THE FIRST REDUCTION, I BELIEVE, AND THEN 25 IT IS REDUCED THIS YEAR, RIGHT? YEAH, I'M ASKING, I'D HAVE TO DEFER TO MARTIN. 24. 24 WAS 500 THIS YEAR. 25 IS 200. SO WE WOULD BE REDUCING IT TO 50. BUT ARE YOU GETTING CALLS FROM PEOPLE GET CALLS LAST YEAR ABOUT OH, THAT NEVER, THAT NEVER STOPS. WE, I MEAN, WE GET CALLS ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSED SUBSTANDARD, UM, STRUCTURES AND THEN WE TAKE THOSE TO COURT TO SEE WHAT NEEDS TO GET DONE AND, AND QUITE A LOT OF 'EM EITHER GET DELAYED FOR SOMETIMES UP TO A YEAR OR TWO, UH, DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY, WHAT THE COURT WANTS TO DO. AND I PERSONALLY DID TWO LAST WEEK, SO I'M, I'M SURE THAT THEIR DEPARTMENT IS FAR MORE THAN I DO. SO YEAH, IT GETS PASSED TO US. YES. YEAH. AND I'M KIND OF MYS A LITTLE CONCERN. I MEAN, I GET WE'RE REDUCING 200 TO 150 TO JUST 50, BUT I MEAN, THIS ALSO GETS TO A HEALTH CONCERN. THESE BUILDINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE, THAT NEED TO BE DEMO DEMOLISHED AND GONE. SO IT'S A BIG CHUNK. IT'S A BIG CHUNK TO DROP YOU. YOU'RE GOING BASIC WITH 500 TO FOUR. OH, YOU'RE BASICALLY DROPPING FOUR 50 OVER THREE YEAR PERIOD. THAT'S COMPLETELY DESTRUCTION CHILD. IT, IT WOULD TAKE US TO PRETTY MUCH EMERGENCY SITUATIONS ONLY. AND, UM, IF THAT HAPPENS TO BE A COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE, SO A HOUSE, LET'S SAY AVERAGE $10,000 TO TAKE DOWN THE HOUSE. UM, A UH, THE OLD HOSPITAL BUILDING THAT WAS ON D BECAUSE A HUNDRED. YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT, ROUGHLY ABOUT WHAT, A DOLLAR 50 TO $2 A SQUARE FOOT PRETTY MUCH IS WHAT I THINK MOST DEMOS ARE IN THAT RANGE. YEAH. SOMEWHERE IN THERE. BUT I'M GONNA SAY ONE OF THE REASONS I WAS OKAY WITH, WITH THE REDUCTION IN THIS AREA OF THE BUDGET IS BECAUSE WHAT YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, A LOT OF TIMES, EVEN WHEN IT'S BEEN DECIDED THAT WE'RE GOING TO DEMO AND WE HAVE THE MONEY, IT GETS CAUGHT UP FOR SO LONG IN, IN THE COURT SYSTEM. EITHER THE OWNER, YOU KNOW, FIXES THE SITUATION, WHICH HAS HAPPENED IN, IN MY DISTRICT A FEW TIMES, OR WHILE THEY'RE GOING THROUGH COURT, THEY COME UP WITH FUNDS AND END UP DOING IT THEMSELVES OR YOU KNOW, OR [04:25:01] IT JUST NEVER HAPPENS. SO FOR ME, UM, AS FAR AS WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S SEEING, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THE REDUCTION IN THIS PART OF THE BUDGET IS GOING TO BE SEEN AS MUCH AS WE THINK IT'S GOING TO BE SEEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE BUILDINGS SIT THERE FOREVER GOING THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM. JUST, JUST KNOW, TWO YEARS AGO, WE PROBABLY TOOK DOWN 65 BUILDINGS. NOW THIS REDUCES IT TO, LIKE, IT SAYS THREE TO FIVE BUILDINGS. SO, OKAY. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT NUMBER. IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A LARGE ACTIVITY INCREASE WITHOUT A DOUBT. OKAY. SO IF, UM, YOU ALL ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS LEVEL OF FUNDING AND SERVICE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GO WITH THAT AND THEN COME BACK WITH ADDITIONAL STATISTICS FROM, UM, FROM THE COST WE RECEIVED. IF YOU WANT US TO CONSIDER SOMETHING MORE AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT OTHER PIECE WITH THE 80% COST RECOVERY, WE CAN ADD THAT IN AND INCLUDE AN OPTION FOR THAT. UM, SO WHATEVER, UH, DIRECTION YOU WANT TO PROVIDE NOW, UM, WAIT AND SEE OR, UM, INCLUDE ANALYSIS. WE'RE HAPPY TO. I HAVE A QUESTION IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE, I'M SORRY. THAT'S OKAY. IF WE'RE REDUCING THE, THE BUDGET, UM, BUT LET'S SAY THERE IS A SUBSTANDARD HOME, DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE JUST WON'T EVEN PURSUE LIKE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SIDE OF IT OR THE FACT THAT IT'S DANGEROUS BECAUSE WE KNOW WE CAN'T DEMOLISH IT SO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO COURT OR NO, NOT NECESSARILY. NO. THAT THE OPTION IS ALWAYS FOR THE, THE, THE PROPERTY OWNER TO PAY FOR THE DEMOLITION. MM-HMM . JUST FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THAT IS A, IS A CRAPSHOOT, UM, AT BEST. BUT THAT, THAT'S UP TO JULIE, THAT'S UP TO THE COURT AND TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE EITHER GONNA PURSUE THIS OR SOMETIMES IF SHE KNOWS, I MEAN, WE'LL TELL HER HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE IN THE BUDGET AND SHE'LL KIND OF CUT IT OFF AT SOME POINT TO SAY, OKAY, IF THE OWNERS AREN'T WILLING TO PAY FOR THE DEMO, THEN THE CITY HAS NO WAY TO PAY FOR IT. SO I'M JUST NOT GONNA, WE'LL JUST DISMISS CASE. SO SHE DOES DISMISS CASES SOMETIMES BASED ON THAT. BUT TO CLARIFY, CUTTING THIS PART OF THE BUDGET WOULD NOT, UM, STOP CONSEQUENCES OF SUBSTANDARD BUILDINGS FOR OWNERS? NO. OKAY. UM, MY QUESTION IS AROUND THE, THE OWNER WEIGHT, UM, SAYING, HEY, I CAN'T AFFORD TO, HERE'S MY WAIVER. GO AHEAD AND TURN, TEAR IT DOWN. SO DO WE AT ANY POINT RECOVER ANY COSTS FROM THEM OR HOW HAS THAT WORKED? ARE THOSE NUMBERS INCLUDED WITH THE 65? WAS IT 65 FROM, UH, LAST YEAR? UM, SO TWO QUESTIONS. ONE WAS, IS THAT INCLUDED IN THOSE NUMBERS? DID I MEAN, DEMOLITIONS ARE DEMOLITIONS, RIGHT? UM, IF, IF WE DID THEM, SO IF IT'S PART OF OUR CONTRACT, DO WE EVER SEE THE MONEY BACK ON THOSE? SOMETIMES, UM, SOMETIMES IF THEY, I MEAN, WE PUT LI ON THE PROPERTIES, RIGHT? SO, UM, IF WE CAN GET THEM TO JUST PAY THE BILL AND, AND IT DOES HAPPEN, SOMETIMES THEY'LL PAY US THE BILL, WE CAN DO IT CHEAPER THAN, THAN THEY CAN DO ON THEIR OWN MM-HMM . UM, AND, UH, SOMETIMES THEY WILL JUST PAY THAT BILL FLAT OUT, THEY'LL SIGN THE WAIVER WITHOUT GOING TO COURT AT ALL TO SAY, OKAY, I KNOW THAT THIS BILL NEEDS TO COME DOWN, SO GO AHEAD AND TAKE CARE OF IT FOR ME AND I'LL PAY YOU BACK. UM, OTHER TIMES WE, I THINK WE MAKE THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE'RE NEVER GONNA SEE THAT MONEY AGAIN. IT'S KIND OF LIKE LOANING MONEY TO YOUR, UH, FAMILY MEMBERS. , YOU ASSUME YOU'RE NEVER GONNA SEE THAT CASH AGAIN. BUT IF YOU DO GET SOME BACK, THEN LEASE SMILE AND SAY THANK YOU. AND SO, UM, IF YOU GO TO SELL A PROPERTY THAT HAS A LIEN ON IT, OBVIOUSLY AS PART OF THAT, THAT TRANSACTION, UM, WE ARE NOT AT THE TOP OF THE LIST FOR GETTING PAID BACK FOR LIENS. SO AGAIN, IT'S A CRAPSHOOT, UH, IT GETS SOLD AND THE LIEN DOESN'T GET PAID, THEN IT JUST GOES AWAY. SO THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES IN THAT AND TO SAY, OKAY, YEAH, SOMETIMES WE GET PAY BACK, SOMETIMES WE DON'T. SO I DON'T HAVE NO. IT'S, IF I CAN EXPAND ON MR. SRI'S ANSWER, I I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU THE FALSE IMPRESSION THAT, UH, WHEN A HOUSE IS SOLD, WE'LL GET THAT MONEY BACK WHEN THE LIEN IS PLACED ON IT. YOU KNOW, AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, MOST OF THE TIME WHEN YOU'RE IN THIS SITUATION, THAT OWNER IS GONNA HAVE SOME SEVERE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, INCLUDING OWING TAXES, NOT JUST IN CITY OF BAYTOWN, BUT TO GOOSE CREEK, UH, AND EVERY OTHER TAXING ENTITY WHICH MAY BE INVOLVED IN THAT PROPERTY. SO THOSE TAXES COME OFF FIRST. MM-HMM . THE LIENS ARE AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE LIST, AND [04:30:01] IN MOST SITUATIONS, WE DON'T EVEN RECOVER, UH, ALL OF OUR TAXES. OKAY. YOU, SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN A MINUTE SINCE I WAS IN CDAC AND THERE WAS A BUDGET LINE ITEM FOR SUBSTANTIAL SUBSTANDARD DEMOLITION. SO ARE WE STILL GETTING MONEY FROM THAT? AND HOW MUCH IS IT? AND OH, SHARON LEFT. UM, WE HAD, UH, I WANT TO SAY 70,000 IN THIS PAST YEAR, BUT WE HAVE REMOVED THAT POSITION, THE DEMOLITION PERSON FROM THE INSPECTOR FROM THAT, UM, FROM THAT BUDGET. SO WE, I DON'T THINK THIS YEAR'S WILL HAVE ANY DEMOLITION IN IT. IT MAY BE A SMALL AMOUNT, BUT IT, IT'S, AND I KNOW EACH YEAR IT KEEPS GETTING SMALLER AND SMALLER FROM THE FEDS, SO. OKAY. YEAH. YEAH. THERE'S ALSO CDBG HAS AN ON WHAT YOU CAN SPEND FOR WHATSOEVER. THANK YOU. SO KIND CIRCLING BACK, UH, WE CAN TAKE THIS APPROACH FOR, UH, FY 26, UH, WITH THE CURRENT BUDGET, UH, UH, FUNDING LEVELS AND SERVICE LEVELS, UH, REPORT BACK ON SOME INFORMATION IF YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO INCLUDE ANY POTENTIAL ASSUMPTIONS RELATIVE TO THIS IN OUR COST RECOVERY ANALYSIS. UH, WE CAN DO THAT WHILE WE'RE DOING IT AS WELL. UM, QUESTION BACK TO YOU. OKAY. YOU GOOD? GOOD. WE LOSING AN ARGUMENT? SO JUST SHUT UP, HUH? WE'RE GOOD TO MOVE FORWARD, PRESENT, MOVE FORWARD AS PRESENTED? YES. YES. OKAY. OKAY. UM, SO MOVING ON. WE'RE MOVING THROUGH THE EXPENSES PRETTY QUICK. I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TO Y'ALL, UM, THAT WE HAVE NOT GONE THROUGH ALL OF THE EXPENSE CHANGES, UH, IN THE BUDGET, IN THE ENTIRE BUDGET. THEY'RE IN THE BUDGET THAT WILL, YOU'LL SHORTLY GET THE, THE FULL LAYOUT FOR, UH, THERE ARE MORE THAN $3.4 MILLION IN REDUCTIONS, UH, DUE TO THE WORK THAT THE STAFF HAS DONE TO TRY TO LOOK AT THINGS. WHAT WAS BROUGHT HERE TO Y'ALL TODAY WAS ONLY THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT WERE IMPACTFUL. SERVICE DELIVERY CHANGES THAT YOU MAY GET CALLS ON OR THAT THE CITIZENS MAY ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, UH, MAY ACTUALLY SEE OR HAVE A MODERATE IMPACT WITH WHAT THEY EXPECT FROM THE CITY. WHAT YOU HAVE UP HERE NOW, UM, IS DIFFERENT THAN ANY KIND OF SERVICE DELIVERY CHANGES THAT WE'VE HAD. THESE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING UP HERE IS ACTUALLY THE FIRST STEP IN ADDING ADDITIONAL THINGS TO THE BUDGET OUTSIDE OF SALARY ADJUSTMENTS, WHICH IS REALLY ALL THAT'S BEEN ADDED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH TWO, UH, EMPLOYEE GROUPS IN THE, UM, UH, IN THE ORGANIZATION RIGHT NOW. AND, UH, ALSO HAVE GIVEN A BASELINE SALARY ADJUSTMENT TO ALL OF THE ORGANIZATION. THAT IS A STARTING POINT, UM, THAT WAS BUILT INTO THE BUDGET, BUT I'M NOT GONNA GO MORE INTO THAT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THERE ARE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS AND NOTHING IS FINALIZED. AND I DON'T WANT TO SET A LOW EXPECTATION NOR A HIGH EXPECTATION UNTIL THINGS ARE SETTLED. UH, BUT I DO WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT THERE IS A BUILT-IN SALARY ADJUSTMENT INTO THE BUDGET, UH, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WHICH IS PRETTY STANDARD OVER THE PAST, UH, YEARS. MOVING ON TO POSITION CONTROL THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, THERE WAS A, UH, INSIDE THE $3.4 MILLION REDUCTION THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU, THERE ARE VACANT POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED OUT OF THE BUDGET. UH, THOSE POSITIONS ARE NOT, UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, UH, THEY ARE PRESENTED TO ME FROM THE DIRECTORS AND THE DIRECTORS HAVE WORKED TO ESTABLISH WHAT THEY CAN PROVIDE WITH THE SERVICE DELIVERY EXPECTATIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE. AND WHAT I HAVE, UH, WITH THE REMOVAL OF THESE POSITIONS, UH, IT DOES REQUIRE SOME MODEST CHANGES THAT, THAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT SEE. WE DO NOT THINK YOU WILL SEE THEM, THAT'S WHY THEY'RE NOT PRESENTED AS A SEPARATE PIECE. UH, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE DIRECTORS WILL HAVE TO WORK AROUND. AND I DON'T WANT TO, I'M NOT TRYING TO JUST OVERSPEAK THAT LIKE IT'S NOTHING. I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT FOR THE DIRECTORS, IT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE TO WORK ON. UH, BUT BY AND LARGE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT SEE ANY KIND OF IMPACT WITH THOSE VACANT POSITION REMOVALS. ARE THERE QUESTIONS? I'M GONNA STOP THERE. OKAY. AND THEN I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT, I'M GONNA ASK THE CHIEF TO COME UP AND TALK. DO YOU HAVE YOUR SLIDES OR THEY HERE SABRINA? [04:35:01] I DIDN'T. OH, YOU DIDN'T? OKAY. BUT IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I DO YOU HAVE THE HANDOUTS? YEAH. DO YOU HAVE THE HANDOUTS? THE, I HAVE THIS KENNY, WOULD YOU MIND COMING UP AND JUST TALKING ABOUT, UH, I, I BELIEVE Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY HEARD, UH, BRIEFLY ABOUT THE FIREFIGHTERS BEFORE MAYOR COUNCIL, BUT THIS BUDGET DOES HAVE A PROPOSAL OF SIX ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS, UH, THAT ARE GOING TO ADDRESS, UH, E EM AN EMS NEED. BUT I'M GONNA STOP TALKING AND HAND THIS OVER TO, UH, THE CHIEF REAL QUICK. THANK. YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW, I KNOW THIS KIND OF WENT OUT THE HEAT MAP THAT I SENT OUT. LOOKS SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SEEMS THAT ITEM THERE. WE CURRENTLY HAVE, WE HAVE SEVEN STATIONS. WE HAVE FIVE AMBULANCES OUT ACROSS THE CITY. UM, I, I SENT OUT THE MAP JUST TO KIND OF GIVE EVERYONE AN IDEA OF EXACTLY WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED AT AND PART OF THE REASON FOR THE NEED AND THEN THE LOCATION. OKAY, THANK YOU. THE, UM, THE AMBULANCE CALL NUMBERS HAVE BEEN GOING UP AS A VOLVO. CALL NUMBER HAS BEEN GOING UP. WE'RE UP TO ABOUT 17,500, UM, FROM LAST YEAR AS THE TOTAL NUMBER. AND, UH, EMS CALLS, AS YOU KNOW, MAKE UP PROBABLY ABOUT, UH, A LITTLE OVER 80% OF THE CALLS THAT WE RUN. AND WE'RE SEEING INCREASED, UM, NOT ONLY INCREASED RESPONSE TIMES, ALTHOUGH, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE NOT TOO TERRIBLY BAD, THEY'RE SLOWLY INCHING UP. ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING IS THE DEMAND FOR OUTSIDE, UH, MUTUAL AID. AND THAT USUALLY IS ONE OF THE TRIGGERS FOR US. BACK IN 2018, WE ADDED, UH, MEDIC TWO OVER AT STATION TWO WHEN WE STARTED SEEING, UH, A SIGNIFICANT, UH, INCREASE IN MUTUAL AID REQUESTS, PARTICULARLY TO, UM, LA PORT. NOW WE'RE SEEING IT OVER HIGHLANDS. HIGHLANDS IS SPENDING A LOT OF TIME, UH, COMING INTO OUR CITY AND IT'S ABOUT A EIGHT TO ONE MUTUAL AID RATIO, SO IT'S GETTING PRETTY BAD FOR THEM. WE ALSO CALL MOUNTAIN BELLEVUE OCCASIONALLY, AND LA PORTE AND A COUPLE OTHERS, BUT HIGHLANDS HAS BEEN THE BIG ONE. AND SO AS WE'VE SEEN THE, UM, THE, THE, THE RESPONSE TIME START TO COME UP, THE NEED FOR, UM, MUTUAL AID CONTINUES TO RISE. UM, WE'VE, WE STARTED THE CONVERSATION ACTUALLY PROBABLY A YEAR OR TWO AGO ABOUT THE NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL AMBULANCE. SO WE'RE AT THE POINT NOW WHERE THIS REQUEST IS FOR SIX PERSONNEL, GET IT OUTTA THE WAY, SIX PERSONNEL TO STAFF, A NEW AMBULANCE. AND, UH, THE BLUE CIRCLES ARE WHERE THE AMBULANCES CURRENTLY ARE. I USUALLY GET A QUESTION WHY THE BUSIEST PLACE IS THE CENTER OF TOWN. WE DON'T HAVE AN AMBULANCE THERE. UH, RESPONSE TIMES ARE OUR FOCUS. WE FOLLOW NATIONAL STANDARD. AND SO OF COURSE ANY ONE OF THOSE AMBULANCES THAT ARE OUT THERE WAS PUT AT STATION ONE, THERE WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT RESPONSE TIME GOING OUT. AND SO THAT'S WHY OVER THE YEARS, STATION ONE HAS NOT HAD AN AMBULANCE. UH, BUT IF I WAS JUST MENTIONING STATION TWO WAS THE LAST ONE, BUT BEFORE STATION TWO HAD AN AMBULANCE, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE FOUR WERE AT. UH, THE BUSIEST AMBULANCES WE HAVE ARE ACTUALLY FOUR AND TWO. AND THAT'S BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO THEY RUN THAT AREA, BUT THEY RUN UP INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY TOO. AND SO THEY CATCH A LOT OF THE CALL VOLUME. SO WE WOULD ADD THE AMBULANCE TO STATION ONE AND UH, THAT WOULD BASICALLY CUT A, A DISTRICT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE SO THAT THE AMBULANCES WOULDN'T BE RUNNING UP INTO THAT AREA AS MUCH. STATION SIX HAS A LONGER RESPONSE DISTANCE. UH, STATION THREE TENDS TO RUN MOST OF THE CALLS UP THERE, BUT THE CALL VOLUME UP THERE IS, IS PRETTY LOW. AND STATION THREE CAN GET THERE PRETTY QUICKLY. AND SO THAT'S GENERALLY, UM, WHAT THE TRIGGERS WERE. THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD AT LEAST OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, UH, ABOUT ADDING THE AMBULANCE, UH, FIRE CONTROL, WE HAVE BEEN ORDERING AMBULANCES. THE, UM, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE, WHEN THE, THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TOOK TO BUILD AN AMBULANCE, JUST LIKE A FIRE TRUCK I HAD MENTIONED, HAD REALLY GONE UP SIGNIFICANTLY. WE, WE, WE KIND OF ORDERED A COUPLE EXTRA. WE PULLED OUR, OUR ORDERS BACK SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE GET 'EM HERE ON TIME. AND NOW IT'S STARTING TO GET BETTER. SO WE'RE GONNA SEE A COUPLE NEW AMBULANCES COMING PRETTY QUICKLY. SO THE TIMING IS PRETTY GOOD IF WE GET THE PERSONNEL THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND PUT MEDIC ONE INTO SERVICE. CAN I ADD ONE THING? SURE. UM, ONE ADDITIONAL THING, AND IT'S KIND OF, UM, FORTUNATE THAT WE'VE BEEN PLANNING FOR THIS AT THIS POINT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS POPPED UP AND KIND OF WHAT I ALLUDED TO LAST NIGHT, UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE RESPONDING MORE TOWARDS CEDAR PORT, UH, CHAMBERS COUNTY. AGAIN, THIS GOES BACK TO CONTRACTS DATED BACK TO 2012. UM, AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NOTICED, WE HAD A, THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A MEDIC NEED OUT IN THE EAST, EAST HER EAST HER, UH, EAST CHAMBERS COUNTY, WEST CHAMBERS COUNTY, UH, DOWN BY CEDAR PORT. AND, UH, WE HAD NOT BEEN GETTING CALLS TO RESPOND UP THERE, UH, AS A PRIMARY CARE, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T HAVE IT ON OUR RADAR THAT WE WERE PRIMARY CARE. AND IF I'M MISSPEAKING, PLEASE CORRECT ME. UM, THE MEETING THAT WE [04:40:01] RECENTLY HAD, WE HAVE FOUND OUT THAT CHAMBERS COUNTY 9 1 1 WAS NOT DISPATCHING US. AND SO, LO AND BEHOLD, WE ARE THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBLE PERSON FOR MEDICAL TO RESPOND TO SEA TO CEDAR PORT, UH, AREA. AND SO WITH THIS FIX, AND THAT IS CONTRACTUALLY BOUND THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THAT, UH, DATED BACK DECADE PLUS AGO AT THIS POINT. UM, AND SO NOTICING THAT CHAMBERS COUNTY WAS NOT CALLING US, UH, THEY HAVE FIXED THAT OR BE VERY FIXED VERY, VERY QUICKLY. AND SO WE WILL BE RESPONDING NOW ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO, WHAT IS THAT? ROOM NIGHT, BEACH CITY, BASICALLY 2354. 2354. WE WILL BE RESPONDING ALL THE WAY TO BEACH CITY AT THIS POINT. WOW. UM, FOR EMS SERVICE. UM, AND UH, AND, AND I'LL ADD, IT'S NOT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CALLS. UM, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, MOST OF THAT AREA IS INDUSTRIAL. IT'S NOT A LARGE, UM, RESIDENTIAL PIPE. WE DON'T RUN ANY OF WHICH JUST PULLS AWAY, RIGHT? WE DON'T RUN ANY OF THE RESIDENTIAL POPULATION THAT'S OVER LONG BEACH CITY. THEY HAVE AN AMBULANCE THAT SITS WAY OVER UP, UM, ALONG WHERE THAT, WHERE 2130 MEETS. UM, BUT, UH, SO WE WOULD BE RESPONDING TO ALL THOSE, UH, AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS OUT THERE FOR ANY TYPE OF MEDICAL CALLS. THEY GET A FEW CALLS. IT'S NOT A LOT. UM, BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN GOING OUT THERE WHENEVER WE HAVE SOME TYPE OF TRAUMATIC INCIDENT OR SOMETHING BECAUSE OUR ENGINES RESPOND OUT THERE. THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK BECAUSE I'VE SEEN THEM OUT THERE. SO YEAH. SO WE ALREADY GO OUT THERE WITH OUR ENGINES. UM, WE DON'T GO OUT, WE HAVEN'T BEEN GOING OUT WITH OUR AMBULANCES UNLESS OUR ENGINE'S GOING OUT OF THE AMBULANCE. WE GO WITH THEM BECAUSE, UH, WAY WE WORK TOGETHER. IT, IT DOES FIX SOME ISSUES TOO BECAUSE RESPONDING WITH THEIR EMS SOMETIMES IS A PROBLEM. WE GET DELAYED, UM, CALLS IF THEY GET A BAD ACCIDENT, THE AIR AMBULANCE GOES BY THE TIME THEY GET THERE AND FIND OUT IT'S A PENDING OR SOMETHING TO CALL US. IT'S, IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY DELAYED US GOING OUT THERE. WE AUTOMATICALLY WOULD SEND AN ENGINE WITH AN AMBULANCE FOR ANY TYPE OF PRIORITY MEDICAL CALL. AND SO IT, IT'S KIND OF IS A FIX FOR US AND, UM, KIND OF A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OF, OF SOLVING SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE RIGHT ALONG THAT SIDE. BUT IT, IT'S ALSO OPENED A DOOR FOR A POTENTIAL COST SUPPLEMENT, UH, FROM, UH, CHAMBERS COUNTY, UH, THAT WE WILL MOST LIKELY BRING TO Y'ALL IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WHICH IS A POSITIVE. SO IT'LL BE A, A, A REVENUE ADD TO THE SYSTEM. SO THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ADDING THE FIREFIGHTERS AND I, I'LL ADD ONE THING ABOUT OUR CURRENT VACANCIES TOO, THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DISCUSSION. YEP. AND WE'RE AT ABOUT FIVE VACANCIES NOW AND WE'VE GOT I THINK SIX OR SO THAT ARE KIND OF IN THE PROCESS. WE'VE JUST, I THINK TODAY WAS ACTUALLY OUR, OUR DEADLINE TO FILL THEIR APPLICATIONS. WE'VE GOT SIX OR SEVEN, SO WE'LL PROBABLY FILL MOST OF THESE VACANCIES AND WE WILL BE PRETTY CLOSE TO FULL BY THE TIME WE GET INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AND SO THAT WORKS OUT ALSO. NOW THESE, THESE WILL BE FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS? YES, SIR. CORRECT. AND JUST SO Y'ALL KNOW, YOU KNOW HOW WE HAVE OUR POLICE FIRE RIVALRY GOING ON HERE, IF WE DO THIS THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE WILL ADD 30 COPS NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? IS THAT HOW IT WORKS OUT? 35. THANKS CHIEF . ANY QUESTIONS THOUGH? SERIOUSLY, COUNSEL? OKAY, THANK YOU. THAT'S GOOD. OH, SO JUST WANTED TO, UH, LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT BASED ON ALL OF YOUR POLICY DECISIONS, WE HAVE NOT APPROVED THE SUPPLEMENTALS AT THIS POINT, BUT AS I DID MENTION, WE WILL APPROVE SUPPLEMENTALS, UH, THIS YEAR. I DON'T KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE SUPPLEMENTALS THAT WILL BE APPROVED. IT IS IMPORTANT, I THINK TO Y'ALL AS WELL THAT WE HAVE A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET. AND SO ONCE WE LOOK AT ALL THESE POLICY DECISIONS, SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH TECH STOP MOWING, UH, THERE WILL BE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO UH, CONSIDER, UH, AND THEN LOOK AT THE SUPPLEMENTALS TO BE APPROVED. THE SUPPLEMENTALS INCLUDE THE MACHINERY VEHICLES, UH, JUST REPLACING SOME OF OUR ASSETS TO, TO COMPLETE WORK. AND, UH, THOSE WILL BE COMING OUT OF THE CAPITAL REPLACEMENT FUND BY AND LARGE. BUT THEY'RE TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE GENERAL FUND IS THAT IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL MONEY IN THE GENERAL FUND, IT IS SHIFTED OVER TO EITHER CAPITAL ASSET REPLACEMENT OR TO, TO CIP TO REDUCE DEBT, UH, PURCHASES OR DEBT USAGE IN THE FUTURE. AND SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE WAITING FOR, WHAT THE ENTIRE BUDGET LOOKS LIKE. WHEN WE ARE DONE WITH THAT, I'LL KIND OF PAUSE 'CAUSE WE'LL KIND OF WALK THROUGH THE REST OF THIS. YES. OKAY. SO WE HAVE MADE IT ACROSS OUR FORMULA AND WE, UM, I HAVE YOUR WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. UM, LOOKING AT WHAT WE HAVE KIND OF, UH, GOING BACK [04:45:01] TO WHERE WE STARTED, UH, WE'RE LEANING, UH, TOWARDS THE VOTE UP TO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, UH, AND COST RECOVERY ON MOST THINGS. AND THEN, UM, SOME DIRECTION FOR SERVICES FOR TRANSIT, AS WELL AS WE'RE GONNA BRING SOME FOLLOW UP INFORMATION WHEN IT COMES TO CREDIT CARD FEES AND MERCHANTS. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I HAVE OUR ONE SHEETER FOR OUR BUDGET. THIS IS JUST A DRAFT. UM, THIS IS JUST A DRAFT OF OUR BUDGET COMING FORWARD. SO LOOKING AT WHAT WE HAVE DONE HERE AND THE BALANCED BUDGET THAT'S PRESENT THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON AND BUILDING TOWARDS, WE DON'T HAVE ANY CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE AT THIS TIME TO THIS. CORRECT. BY AND LARGE. BY AND LARGE. OKAY. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, FOR FUTURE WORK SESSIONS THAT WE HAVE, UH, MOVING FORWARD, ARE THERE ANY, UM, SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND TO DISCUSS SO WE CAN PLAN AROUND THOSE AS NECESSARY? ARE WE GONNA BE LOOKING AT NO NEW REVENUE OF UP TO VOTER APPROVAL? RIGHT NOW? Y'ALL HAVE GIVEN THIS AND IF Y'ALL WANT TO STAY, IF Y'ALL WANT TO GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE AT LOOKING AT A COLLECTIVE, UH, Y'ALL CAN GIVE US DEFINITIVE ACTION THAT YOU WANT TO GO TO RIGHT NOW. SIMPLY PUT THIS, WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS BUILT ON THE NO NEW REVENUE. MM-HMM . IF YOU WANT TO DO VOTER APPROVAL, JUST ADD 2 MILLION TO THAT TOP NUMBER. SO GOING FORWARD IS WHAT I'M ASKING WHEN WE GET THE BUDGET. YES SIR. WHICH ONE IS IT GOING TO SHOW? UH, RIGHT NOW, IF Y'ALL, IF Y'ALL ARE SAYING THAT UP TO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, RIGHT. I'M GONNA CONTINUE WITH THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE HERE, BUT HAVE AN ALTERNATE. SO Y'ALL SEE WHAT IT IS THAT IT'S BASICALLY JUST GONNA ADD TWO TO $3 MILLION ON THIS TOP LINE. THAT'S ALL THAT'S GONNA CHANGE FOR THIS OVERALL BUDGET. IT'S JUST GONNA PUT $2 MILLION HERE AND PROBABLY $1 MILLION ON IDA DEPENDING ON WHAT THE ACTUAL RATE IS THAT YOU SETTLED ON. IT'S EASIER FOR WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE BUILDING THIS TO FOCUS ON THE LOWEST AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT'LL ACTUALLY BE THERE SO THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE COVERING THE EXPENSES. THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY. OKAY. YEAH. ALRIGHT. I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE THAT IF WE DECIDED ON THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET. 'CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE THIS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE DIRECTION IS A LITTLE BIT SHIFTED. YEAH, A LITTLE BIT MORE. YEAH. 'CAUSE OF YOUR CAREER PRESENTATION. OKAY. WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, ANY, UM, ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT YOU WANT SEE BROUGHT BACK, UH, FOR WORK SESSION? UH, OUT OF THE BUDGET FOR PRESENTATIONS? WELL, WHEN WILL WE GET THE DETAIL BUDGET, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE JULY 24TH IF I HAVE MY THURSDAY RIGHT? MM-HMM . SO JULY 24TH, FIRST TIME WE'RE GONNA SEE THE DETAIL BUDGET SHOULD BE YES. AND THEN HOW MANY MEETINGS DO WE HAVE BEFORE IT HAS TO BE APPROVED? IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE APPROVED UNTIL SEPTEMBER. YES, BUT POSSIBLY FOUR. YEAH, POSSIBLY FOUR IF Y'ALL WANT TO JUST STAY WITH THE WORK SESSIONS. BUT THE, LIKE, THE QUESTION, UM, SO FOR, FOR ME, RIGHT, LIKE USING ALL THIS IS WE MET, WE MET YOUR PARAMETERS. RIGHT. AND TO BE FAIR, I'M NOT TRYING TO, I'M NOT TRYING TO GO AROUND EXACTLY WHAT YOU STATED AND I'M TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT. IT WOULD BE NICE IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO BRING BACK. UM, BECAUSE LIKE RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW, I COULD GO THROUGH, LIKE IF I SIT DOWN AND JOHN HELP ME OUT. IF I USE PD, IF I USE PD, DO YOU WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING IN PD OPERATIONS? RIGHT? DO YOU WANNA KNOW IN, IN LOGISTICS? DO YOU WANT TO KNOW IN, UH, I'M FORGETTING RIGHT NOW. YOUR, YOUR BREAKDOWN. HUH? PLANNING. PLANNING. LIKE THEY HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS AND LIKE IF I WENT TO HEALTH, DO YOU, IS THERE ANYTHING IN ANIMAL CONTROL THAT YOU WANNA LOOK AT? IS THERE ANYTHING IN NEIGHBORHOOD PROTECTION THAT YOU WANNA LOOK AT? IS THERE ANYTHING IN, UH, UH, MOSQUITO CONTROL THAT YOU WANNA LOOK AT? RIGHT? IF INSTEAD OF LIKE HAVING EVERY SINGLE THING LAID OUT AND IT BEING REALLY, REALLY OPEN, IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT ARE ON YOUR MIND THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO BRING BACK, LIKE Y'ALL DID BRING BACK LIKE, UM, UH, EVENTS IN THE CITY, RIGHT? AND HOW DO, HOW DO WE, HOW [04:50:01] DO WE FUND EVENTS AND WHAT ARE THE POLICY DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE? UH, WE HAD DISCUSSIONS LAST NIGHT AS WELL. UH, THAT WERE LIKE, HEY, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF COUNSEL WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT THESE THINGS AND LIKE, THOSE ARE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT Y'ALL ARE AWARE OF THAT IF WE CAN LIKE PUT THOSE OUT AND IT WOULD BE TIME BETTER SERVED LOOKING AT THOSE SPECIFIC THINGS INSTEAD OF LIKE GOING THROUGH ALL OF IT AND THEN COMING BACK AND BE LIKE, HEY, WE'RE GONNA SPEND ONE FULL DAY LOOKING AT JUST ALL OF THE BUDGETS. AND THEN LIKE, IF YOU KNOW SPECIFIC THINGS, IT'D BE HELPFUL NOW TO START GEARING UP FOR IS REALLY ALL I'M GETTING AT IT. IT, IT'D PROBABLY BE BETTER IF WE, IF WE GOT THE, IF WE GOT IT, WE ARE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT AND THEN TO MAYBE GET SOME INFORMATION BACK TOO. SO I, I I AGREE. I'M NOT SAYING WE NEED TO GO THROUGH IT WORK. SO STORM, THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I ASKED HOW MANY MEETINGS BECAUSE IF WE GET THE DETAILED BUDGET AND, AND OBVIOUSLY MESQUITE CONTROL, WE HAD A POSITIVE WEST, WEST NILE. SO IT'S KIND LIKE, OKAY, HAS MESQUITE CONTROL BUDGET REDUCED OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS? OR IMPROVED OVER THE LAST COUPLE? WELL, IT'S REDUCED 50% OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. I'M NOT FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT, I COME BACK SAYS, WELL WE NEED TO PUT SOME MONEY BACK INTO THERE TO, TO HELP SUPPLEMENT THAT AT I, I DON'T KNOW. YES SIR. BUT I WANT TO SEE THAT VALID POINT AND I, I WANT TO SUPPORT THAT, THAT THE WHERE, WHERE I'M, YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAN A LOT OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS DO. OKAY. WHERE I WANT TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CAUTION ON LIKE GETTING THE LINE ITEM RIGHT. SO LIKE, LET'S SAY, LET'S SAY WE'LL USE HEALTH, OKAY, SORRY RYAN, I KNOW YOU CAN'T SEE WE'LL USE HEALTH. WHEN YOU GET THE LINE ITEM BUDGET, MIKE, YOU ARE GONNA KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, RIGHT? IT'S GONNA SAY ANIMAL CONTROL UNDER THE, IT IS GONNA SAY PERSONNEL, THEN IT'S GONNA SAY TRAINING, THEN IT'S GONNA SAY CLOTHING. I DON'T KNOW. OFFICE CONTROL. HUH? OFFICE SUPPLIES. OFFICE SUPPLIES. THIS IS THE 4,100 ACCOUNT. I GOT THAT. RIGHT. RIGHT. BUT THE POINT PUT THE CODE ON THERE, THE POINT BEING IT'S NOT GONNA TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROGRAMS, RIGHT? NO. AND THE QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE ARE ACTUALLY ABOUT THE PROGRAMS. AND SO THE BUDGET MAY BE HELPFUL TO YOUR POINT ABOUT A HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF LIKE, HEY, MOSQUITO CONTROL DID GO DOWN, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA GIVE YOU ANY CONTEXT ABOUT THINGS THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT. AND SO IF YOU, MY QUESTION STILL IS LIKE IF YOU HAVE PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT, TELL US ABOUT THE PROGRAMS NOW AND WE CAN SPEND SOME TIME BEFORE JULY 24TH GETTING SOMETHING ELSE BUILT FOR Y'ALL TO HAVE DETAILED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT. I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA KNOW UNTIL LIKE, LOOK AT SOMETHING AND IT SPARKS SOME THOUGHT IN MY MIND. OKAY. I, WELL, BECAUSE USING THAT EXAMPLE MOSQUITO CONTROL CHEMICAL, HAS IT INCREASED, DECREASED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS? I WON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL I SEE IT. SO, AND I, IF, IF WE NEED TO GET IT BEFORE THE 24TH AND YOU EMAIL IT OR ASK US TO COME IN AND THEN WE CAN START LOOKING AT IT AND WE CAN GET THE QUESTIONS TO YOU AHEAD OF TIME. YES SIR. THAT COULD, THAT COULD WORK ALSO. ABSOLUTELY. SO WE'RE NOT WASTING TIME. YEAH, NO, I'M, I'M WITH YOU. UM, AND, AND WITH MY EXAMPLE, OKAY, THE, THE SKI CONTROL CHEMICAL BUDGET HAS REDUCED HOWEVER WE SHIFTED AND THE EXPLANATION BACK WOULD BE WE SHIFTED FROM BEING A ADULTICIDE SPRAYING TO LARVICIDE APPLICATION, WHICH IS CHEAPER AND MORE EFFECTIVE. I, THAT'S JUST A QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW UNTIL I SEE THE NUMBER. RIGHT. UM, I WILL AND THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE. NO, NO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT. THE, MY CAUTION TO THE COUNSEL IS I'LL, I WILL GET YOU THE BUDGET THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR. THE, THE ISSUE IS IT'S NOT READY FOR Y'ALL, I GUESS THAT'S FINE. JUST WHENEVER WE GET IT. UM, BUT YOU DO HAVE THE BUDGET FOR 25. AND SO THE BUDGET BY AND LARGE IS THE SAME BUDGET THAT'S BEEN IN PLAY FOR, IT'S JUST BEEN REDUCED SINCE 23. IT'S JUST BEEN REDUCED. AND SO IF YOU HAVE LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, YOU CAN LITERALLY GO OPEN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET OR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AND IT'S GONNA BE EVERYTHING YOU SEE THERE JUST REDUCED. AND, UM, BUT I'LL GET IT TO YOU. I'LL GET IT TO YOU AND Y'ALL CAN HAVE, AND Y'ALL HAVE THINGS, IT'S JUST IF YOU HAVE DIFFERENT PROGRAM PIECES THAT YOU WANNA LOOK AT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL NOW. YEAH. I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING RIGHT NOW OTHER THAN WHAT WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT. YEAH. MAYOR DIDN'T, I MEAN, UH, JASON DIDN'T WE HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT MOSQUITO CONTROL AND WE LOOKED AT WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES WERE DOING. UM, WE ALREADY HAD THAT [04:55:01] PARTICULAR CONVERSATION, IF I'M MISTAKEN. BUT THAT WAS, THAT WAS FROM THE STANDPOINT OF WE WERE GOING TO EVEN DO IT AT ALL. YEAH, NO, BUT THAT'S TIED TO THE BUDGET. YEAH. UM, SO WE, WE HAD THAT INITIAL DISCUSSION ALREADY. UH, I GUESS, YEAH, I'M JUST SAYING I'M NOT GONNA KNOW WHAT I NEED TO KNOW UNTIL I START LOOKING THROUGH IT AND I CAN DEVELOP QUESTIONS. 'CAUSE I, I, I, MY MIND HAS LOOKED AT THIS AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE. I, I NEED TO GIVE MORE TIME AND THOUGHT TO IT. I I JUST, SO WHEN WE GET THE BUDGET, IT'S NOT GONNA BE BROKEN DOWN BY PROGRAM. NO. RIGHT. SO THAT'S THE THING. SO, WELL WHAT I'M SAYING, THIS IS JUST GONNA SPARK SOME THOUGHTS IN MY MIND. I CAN SIT UP HERE AND THINK ABOUT IT NOW AND THEN WHEN I GET THE BUDGET, I'LL LOOK AT IT. YOU KNOW WHAT, LET ME ASK ABOUT THIS. I'M NOT SAYING IT'S GONNA BE IN THERE, BUT IT'LL, IT'LL GET MY, IT'LL GET MY WILLS TURNED. PULL UP THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. YES, SIR. I, I WAS, I WAS GONNA DO LIKE A LITTLE HAPPY RAIN DANCE, RIGHT? BECAUSE LIKE WHAT Y'ALL DID JUST NOW, YOU DID APPROVE THE BUDGET AND THIS COULD BE THE VERY LAST MEETING. RIGHT. THAT'S, I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY GETTING AT IS LIKE YOU'VE APPROVED THE BUDGET NOW AND WE KNOW THAT WE KNOW THE TOP RANGE THAT YOU'LL GO TO AND WE KNOW THE BOTTOM RANGE THAT YOU GO TO. AND RIGHT NOW THE REVENUES ARE OVER EXPENSES. YOU DON'T NEED ANOTHER MEETING AT ALL. I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE MEETINGS, PERIOD. OKAY. WE ARE GONNA HAVE MORE MEETINGS. OKAY. I WAS JUST GONNA DO LIKE A LITTLE DANCE OF EXCITEMENT. LIKE Y'ALL HAVE FINISHED THE BUDGET. YOU STILL DO A LITTLE DANCE. WE'LL SMILE. THAT'LL BE, THAT'LL BE GOOD. THAT MAY BRING PEOPLE IN AND WATCH IT. YEAH, NO TAYLOR SHAKE IT OFF. I TELL ME I CAN'T DO THAT. OKAY. I THINK THAT'S ALL WE HAVE. THAT'S IT. THAT'S IT. SO YOU WERE JOKING ABOUT 5 30, 6 30. WELL MAYOR, WE WERE HOPING THAT Y'ALL WERE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE PROGRAMS AND THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE LIKE 30, 45 MINUTES. WE'RE GOOD, MAN. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. OKAY. HAVING EXHAUSTED EVERYTHING UNTIL WE GET, UNTIL WE GET DETAILED. YEAH. WE GOTTA FINISH THE OTHER MEETING. WE GOTTA TAKE ACTION ON THE HARRIS COUNTY. BUT YOU GOTTA CLOSE THIS ONE OUT AND THEN I DO, I DO. I GOTTA OPEN ZEL THIS, UM, WHERE ALL THE PAPERS, ALL THESE PAPERS DO. THIS IS MD WE'RE GONNA CLOSE UP THE BUDGET WORKSHOP FIRST. GOTCHA. ADJOURN THAT ONE. AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO THE MD TO THE M DD MEETING. HAVING ADJOURNED EVERYTHING ON THE BUDGET WORKSHOP, I NOW ADJOURNED AT MEETING AT 3:28 PM. * 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.