[00:00:01]
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE A LITTLE EARLY.
WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE, UH, UH, MIKE BEING ABLE TO GO TO HIS PLANNING AND ZONING MEETING AT FIVE.
AND WE SHOULD EASILY BE FINISHED BY FIVE O'CLOCK.
[a. Discussion and possible action regarding the review and prioritization of potential General Obligation-funded bond projects.]
WHAT I JUST, UH, GAVE YOU A COPY OF EVERYBODY.WHAT I JUST GAVE YOU A COPY OF, UM, THE, THE FIRST PAGE.
I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THESE THREE PAGES AND I'M GONNA EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT THEY ARE.
THE FIRST PAGE IS SIMPLY A, A, UH, RECONCILED VERSION OF WHAT WE ENDED UP WITH AT OUR LAST MEETING.
ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE AGREED TO INCLUDE THAT WERE EITHER ITEM, YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONES AND NUMBER TWOS.
AND, UH, THAT TOTAL AT THAT TIME WAS $181 MILLION.
OKAY? SINCE THAT TIME, IF YOU RECALL, I TOLD YOU THE COUPLE OF WEEKS WOULD GIVE THE CITY SOME TIME TO, TO FINE TUNE A COUPLE THINGS.
AND SINCE THAT TIME, THEY HAVE LOOKED AT THE STERLING AND DFE STREET PROJECTS AND THEY HAVE, UH, RE-ESTIMATE THOSE, UH, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SCOPE OF WORK, MORE LIKE ALL THE OTHER ROAD, UH, REPLACEMENT PROJECTS AND NOT LIKE A COMPLETELY ENGINEERED GARTH ROAD TYPE PROJECT.
SO THAT LOWERED THE COST OF THOSE TWO PROJECTS, SOMEWHERE AROUND TWO AND A HALF, $3 MILLION.
AND I THINK, UM, ERIC HAS PASSED OUT.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE DETAILS, THEY'RE RIGHT HERE.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS, THIS SHEET SHOWS UP IN THE TOP SECTION, WEST DFE.
IT SAYS COST ADJUSTED 2.947 AND, UH, STERLING COST ADJUSTED 4.782.
THOSE ARE LOWER THAN THE NUMBERS WE HAD TWO WEEKS AGO.
I'M GONNA CALL YOUR ATTENTION DOWN TO THE SECOND GROUP WHERE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS RECONSTRUCTION OF LANTERN PARK WAS SHOWN.
IT IS NOW SHADED AND IT'S, AND, AND WE'VE STRICKEN IT OUT, OKAY? AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THEY, THE CITY CONFIRMED THEY HAVE OTHER FUNDS AVAILABLE THAT CAN HANDLE THAT PROJECT.
SO, SO THEY TOOK THAT PROJECT OFF OUR LIST.
SO THAT WAS $6 MILLION THAT WE HAD ON OUR SIDE AND ANOTHER, UH, 4.395 OF, OF COUNTY.
AND, AND THAT'S STILL GONNA HAPPEN.
THE CITY WILL PUT THE 6 MILLION IN, THEY JUST HAVE IT FROM OTHER FUNDS, AND THEN THE COUNTY WILL STILL SUPPORT THAT SIDE.
SO, SO THAT PROJECT LANTERN PARK WILL STILL GET DONE AND THE BAY OAKS HARBOR STREETS WILL GET DONE AND HALF OF ONE OF THE CIRCLE STREETS THAT DIDN'T GET DONE.
IS THAT A GUARANTEE THAT THAT IS? WHERE'S THE CITY THAT, THAT'S, THAT IS WHAT THEY HAVE COMMUNICATED TO ME OFFICIALLY WITH EVERYBODY FROM CITY MANAGER ON THE EMAIL DOWN.
'CAUSE THOSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING A LONG, LONG TIME TO GET THOSE ROADS FIXED.
WELL, THOSE ROADS ARE GONNA HAPPEN JUST MAYBE EVEN QUICKER THAN US DOING IT, WAITING FOR AN ELECTION.
BUT, SO WITHOUT FRANK HERE, I CAN JUST SHARE BRIEFLY THAT THE, THERE WAS ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING FOR.
SO THAT PROJECT IS GONNA NOW BE ABLE TO SUPPORT LAN PARK.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE WAITING FOR WAS CONFIRMATION OF THAT GRANT MONEY.
AND SO IT IS, IT, IT IS, IT IS FIRMED UP THAT THERE IS MONEY AVAILABLE.
OKAY, SO WHAT I WANT TO JUST GO OVER THIS PAGE ONE AND, AND I'M GOING TO UP AT THE VERY TOP AND IT SAYS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION OPTION ONE.
OPTION ONE DOESN'T MEAN THIS IS OUR FIRST RECOMMENDATION.
IT JUST MEANS THAT'S WHAT WE'RE STARTING WITH.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE SCOPE OF WORK WE AGREED TO A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
AND, AND IF YOU WEREN'T HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WENT THROUGH ALL THESE PROJECTS AND WE WENT THROUGH EMAIL RESPONSES AND WE, WE, WE COLLECTIVELY AGREED THIS WAS THE LIST.
AND SO, UH, THE GEO BOND RECOMMENDATION OPTION NUMBER ONE NUMBER, YOU SEE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, IT WAS 181 MILLION AND SOME CHANGE TWO WEEKS AGO.
SAME PROJECTS, STUR, DP, ADJUSTED LAN PARK GOES AWAY.
ALL THE REST OF 'EM ARE STILL ON THERE.
AND WE'RE DOWN TO A TOTAL OF 173 MILLION.
OKAY? NOW, IF YOU LOOK THOUGH AT THE GROUP ONE PROJECTS, IF YOU RECALL, WE WORKED REAL HARD TO TRY TO GET THAT AS OPPOSED TO ONE 50 AS WE COULD, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TARGETING A ONE 50 NUMBER.
WELL, THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED, AND THE ONE THAT'S COME OUT HAS TAKEN THAT GROUP OF PROJECTS DOWN TO $139 MILLION, OKAY? AND SO THE SECOND GROUP, THE 33 7 57 WERE THE PARKS PROJECTS.
AND THAT HASN'T CHANGED THAT, THAT NUMBER AND, AND THE PROJECTS THAT COST HAS NOT CHANGED.
SO ALL WE DID WAS WE, WE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF THE GROUP ONE PROJECTS FROM, UH, 148, I THINK IT WAS MILLION, DOWN TO 1 39.
SO IS EVERYBODY CLEAR ON THIS FIRST PAGE? IT'S WHERE WE LEFT OFF TWO WEEKS AGO WITH NUMBERS ADJUSTED.
ALL THE PROJECTS ARE STILL ACCOUNTED FOR.
ALRIGHT, WE GOOD THERE? MM-HMM
OKAY, SO, UM, UM, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO LOOK AT OPTIONS, RIGHT? WE'RE GONNA NEED TO LOOK AT IF, IF WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET TO A RECOMMENDATION CLOSE TO 150 MILLION, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THERE.
[00:05:01]
THE SECOND PAGE I'M GIVING YOU IS A SUGGESTION.AND ALL IT DOES IS, IS TAKES A STEP, RIGHT? THIS TAKES A STEP.
THE TWO PROJECTS HIGHLIGHTED, THE ONES WE JUST DISCUSSED, STARTING IN DEEPY, IF WE WERE TO TAKE THOSE TWO OUT OF OUR RECOMMENDATION, IT WOULD GET US DOWN TO A TOTAL OF ONE 65 MILLION.
NOW, I'M NOT TELLING YOU THE COMMITTEE THAT THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THOSE TWO PROJECTS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WE'VE ALL UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE MAJOR EAST WEST THOROUGHFARES IN THAT PART OF TOWN.
STERLING AND D ARE BOTH ONE WAY STREETS, TWO LANES EACH WAY VERY HIGHLY TO USE THOROUGHFARES.
BUT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, AND I KNOW MIKE BROUGHT THIS UP EARLY, THEY WERE RANKED NUMBER 21 AND 22 BY THE CITY.
OKAY? NOW, THAT WAS AGAINST ALL THE PROJECTS, BUT FROM THESE STREET PROJECTS THEMSELVES, THEY WEREN'T, UH, THEY WEREN'T RANKED THAT HIGH.
SO IF, IF WE WERE TO SAY, IF WE GOTTA CUT SOMETHING, WOULD WE LOOK AT CUTTING A POTENTIAL PROJECT WHERE THE PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX WASN'T AS BAD, BUT THE FUTURE SHOWS IT'S GONNA GET WORSE.
AND SO LET'S PREPARE TO, TO DO THIS WORK AS AN EXAMPLE.
THOSE ARE TWO OF THE LOWER RATE PROJECTS BY THE CITY.
AND SO IF WE CONSIDER THOSE, WE'VE CUT OUT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, $7.6 MILLION RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE NEXT STEP, IF YOU TURN THE PAGE TO OPTION THREE, TAKING THOSE TWO STREETS, WE WOULD NEED TO GET DOWN, WE WOULD NEED TO CUT 14 TO $15 MILLION OUT.
OKAY? AND AGAIN, AS A CONVERSATION, IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE BOTTOM SECTION, THE PARK SIDE, $14 MILLION ON THE BAYTOWN NATURE CENTER IS WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO US.
NOW I CAN SAY THAT UP UNTIL WE WERE TWO MINUTES STARTING THE MEETING LATE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT PROJECT, OKAY? SO I'M GONNA ASK TRACY AT THIS TIME, IF YOU WOULD JUST CLARIFY THE $14 MILLION WHEN I, WHEN I DID GET THE DETAILED ESTIMATE EARLIER, UM, THAT I, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT CLEARLY.
SO I'M GONNA ASK TRACY, IF YOU'LL JUST EXPLAIN THE $14 MILLION, PLEASE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT BEFORE.
THESE ARE THE EXTRAS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE BUILDING THAT RIGHT NOW IS RANKED, YOU KNOW, A, A NUMBER ONE, WHAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT? AND I DON'T KNOW THE LINE ITEMS PER, UH, AMENITY.
UM, I CAN LEAN ON ERIC A. LITTLE BIT FOR THIS, BUT WHAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT IS AN AMPHITHEATER FOR, UM, SOME DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE WOULD DO OUT THERE BY THE NEW BUILDING.
UM, IT INCLUDES SOME BOARDWALKS, A LOT OF BOARDWALKS.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SMALL ISLANDS AT THE NATURE CENTER THAT WE HAVE NO ACCESS TO.
SO THERE WOULD BE SOME BOARDWALKS THROUGHOUT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE NATURE CENTER THAT WOULD GIVE PEOPLE ACCESS TO THAT WE'VE NOT HAD BEFORE.
GREAT FOR BIRDERS, GREAT FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS, GREAT FOR HIKERS AND WALKERS.
IT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE AN OUTDOOR, UH, ROPES COURSE, SOME SORT OF A ROPES COURSE, IF Y'ALL BEEN TO THE ONE IN THE WOODLANDS.
UM, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
MAYBE NOT THE EXACT SAME ONE, BUT SOME SORT OF AN OUTDOOR AMENITY COURSE.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT A HAWK TOWER, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT THE ONLY HAWK TOWER AROUND US IS, UM, THE ONE DOWN AT SMITH OAKS.
SO THAT'S A REALLY TALL STRUCTURE, MAYBE A, YOU KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE FOOT STRUCTURE.
AND IT ALLOWS BIRDERS TO BE ABLE TO GET UP HIGH AND, UM, AND WATCH FOR HAWKS.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A NICE AMEN TO HAVE BECAUSE THERE'S JUST NOT ONE ANYWHERE AROUND US.
SO, UM, PLUS SOME ROAD, ROAD, UM, IMPROVEMENTS IN THE AREA THAT WOULD GO TO WHERE THE NATURE, THE NEW BUILDING WOULD BE ON SHREK PLUS.
SO YES, THE PHASE TWO ARBORETUM, AND THAT'S JUST SOME ADDITIONAL GARDENS.
UM, IF YOU SEE WHERE IT SAYS PHASE ONE ON THE FACILITY ITSELF, THAT'S LIKE THE BEGINNING PART OF THE GARDENS.
UH, PHASE TWO, WE WOULD BE ADDING SOME MORE TREES AND SOME MORE SIGNAGE, INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE FOR THE, THE, UM, TREES THAT ARE OUT THERE IN THE ARBORETUM.
I DON'T HAVE LINE ITEMS FOR EXACTLY WHICH ONE OF THOSE COSTS WENT.
OKAY, WELL, I, I JUST FOUND IT FROM WHAT ERIC SENT ME EARLIER.
SO FOR INSTANCE, THE, UH, THE HIGH ROPE COURSE WOULD BE ABOUT 750,000 BUCKS.
THE, SO SIGNAGE IS ANOTHER ONE THAT'S, THAT'S A, A COST OF ABOUT, I CAN'T SEE THIS, UH, A HUNDRED THOUSAND, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO ALL THOSE THAT YOU MENTIONED, MINUS THE ARBORETUM, PHASE TWO AND THE AMPHITHEATER BUILDING THE BUILDING, ARBORETUM AM NOW WE'RE NOT TALKING BUILDING BECAUSE THERE NEVER WAS BUILDING HERE.
THERE'S A $10, THERE'S A $10 BILLION LINE ITEM FOR ARBORETUM.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DEFINE.
ASIDE FROM THE OTHER LINE ITEMS YOU JUST DISCUSSED, WHAT'S IN THAT $10 MILLION? THAT'S A BIG CHUNK OF 14, RIGHT? AND IT'S NOT DEFINED ON WHAT YOU GAVE ME.
[00:10:01]
IT THE, THE PHASE TWO ARBORETUM GARDENS? NOT FOR $10 MILLION FOR 10, I THINK THE, THE LINE ITEM WAS BROKEN DOWN.LIKE WE, PRIOR TO THAT, I, YOU CAN'T READ IT.
WE HAD THE GREENHOUSE SLAB, THE WOODEN TOWER, THE CANOPY BRIDGE WALK, THE ROPE COURSES THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, SIGNAGE, UH, KAYAK LAUNCHES, FISHING PIERS, BIRD WATCHING, RIGHT? SO $4 MILLION, THAT'S 4 MILLION.
Y'ALL SAID REPEATEDLY, THE FISH AND PIERS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS.
THEY'RE NOT THAT Y'ALL HAVE FUNDING SOMEWHERE.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY WILL BE DONE BEFORE.
SO HOW MUCH MONEY IS IN THE FISHING PIERCE? NONE.
THERE'S NO NOTHING IN THE BOND FROM THE FISHING, NOT IN THE BOND.
I'M, I'M JUST TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, I GOT THIS THAT SAYS FISHING PI WITH MONEY.
OKAY, WE CAN, YOU CAN SAY WHAT'S NOT IN THERE.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
NOT WHAT YOU SAY OR WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED OR WHAT'S THIS? IT'S WHAT IS WRITTEN DOWN THAT JUSTIFIES $14 MILLION.
SO WE NEED TO CLEAR UP THIS LINE ITEM AND THAT'S ON US AND WORK WITH TRACY 13.
WE WE'RE, WE'RE DONE, WE'RE DONE.
WE, YOU KNOW, THIS, WE'VE BEEN AT IT THREE MONTHS.
THIS IS WHY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WE WOULD TYPICALLY HAVE LOOKED AT EVERY SINGLE PROJECT IN DETAIL TO THE, TO THE MINUTE DETAIL.
AND THIS IS ONE WE DIDN'T GET THAT KIND OF DETAIL ON.
AND SO WE'VE HAD THIS HAPPEN BEFORE, AND WHEN THAT HAPPENED, WE JUST KIND OF TOOK THE PROJECT AND SAID, WE JUST GOTTA SET IT ASIDE.
AND YOU CAN'T HAVE A $10 MILLION PLACEHOLDER IN A BOND FOR SOME PHASE TWO THAT SOMEBODY'S GONNA FIGURE OUT.
SO THERE ARE FISHING PEERS IN THIS LIST YOU SENT ME.
THERE ARE THE THINGS YOU TALKED ABOUT IN THIS LIST, AND I KNOW YOU DON'T AGREE WITH IT, BUT THIS IS THE INFORMATION WE'RE GETTING.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, SO I'M NOT ARGUING WITH YOU OR ANYBODY ON WHAT YOU KNOW IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
I'M SAYING WE DON'T HAVE WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WERE GIVING ME JULY.
OUR CHALLENGE, IF WE WERE TO TRY TO CUT TO ONE 50 ISH, WE WOULD NEED 14 TO $15 MILLION.
I STARTED WITH THE BAYTOWN NATURE CENTER OF 14 MILLION.
WHETHER IT'S RIGHT OR NOT, IT'S STILL 14 MILLION THAT WOULD COME OFF THE LIST.
OTHERWISE WE GOTTA GO FIND ANOTHER TWO OR THREE PROJECTS, OR WE GOTTA GO INTO THE, THE TRAFFIC PROJECTS AND WE GOTTA LOOK AT ALEXANDER DRIVE, WE GOTTA GO LOOK AT A STREET, RIGHT? WHICH WE'VE ALREADY VALIDATED THOSE PROJECTS.
SO WHAT I WAS SHOWING HERE AS AN EXAMPLE, IF WE, WE LOOKED AT THE FEE AND STERLING STREETS AND WE LOOKED AT THE NATURE CENTER COMING OUT, WHATEVER THE 14 MILLION WAS FOR, WE'RE DOWN TO 1 51.
AND, AND I GOTTA SAY THAT ONE 50 ONE'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA TRIGGER A TAX INCREASE IF ONE 50 DID, RIGHT? SO YOU CAN SIT, THERE YOU GO.
SO WHILE, WHILE I WILL SAY THAT IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THE NATURE CENTER PROJECT SCOPE ISN'T BETTER DEFINED THREE MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD.
I KIND OF PUT IT IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS A STERLING LIBRARY RIGHT NOW, WHERE THERE'S TOO MANY OPTIONS, TOO MANY, TOO MANY THINGS OUT THERE WHERE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, BUT IT'S NOT SHOWN THAT WAY.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER MONTH TO WORK THIS RIGHT.
SO, SO MY, MY QUESTION IS, THE EXAMPLES I'VE GIVEN YOU, IF WE TOOK STERLING AND DFE, AND AGAIN, THEY WERE LOW RANKED PROJECTS BY THE CITY AND WE TOOK THE NATURE CENTER OUT, WE GET TO THE ONE 51 MILLION, OKAY? THAT, THAT'S THAT MAGIC NUMBER WE'VE BEEN CHASING.
NOW I STILL FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR THE CITY AND BOND, UH, CONSULTANTS ARE NOT MEETING UNTIL THE WEEK FROM THURSDAY TO FIRM ALL THIS UP.
BUT THEY'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING AT STUFF AND VALIDATING.
SO THE QUESTION FOR US IS, IF WE WANTED TO PRESENT A ONE 50 MILLION ISH PROPOSAL THAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD ALL ALONG DOES NOT TRIGGER A TAX RATE INCREASE, WOULD THIS OPTION GET US THERE? AND WOULD Y'ALL AGREE WITH IT? OKAY.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE IF YOU WOULD, THEN WE COULD SAY THAT'S OUR BASE OPTION.
WE COULD THEN SAY, BUT, BUT WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT THAT OPTION TWO, MAYBE NOT ADDING THE NATURE CENTER BACK IN UNLESS WE GET IT WORKED OUT QUICKLY, UM, YOU KNOW, COULD INCLUDE D AND STERLING FOR ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, $7 MILLION.
AND, AND THEN IF YOU WANTED TO, TO GO BACK TO THE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WELL, AND IF WE WERE ADDING THE NATURE CENTER, WE'D BE BACK UP TO OUR FIRST OPTION, OUR, OUR FIRST BEFORE WE ENDED UP LAST WEEK.
SO THE QUESTION FOR US IS, HOW MUCH DO WE WANT TO GIVE AS FAR AS OPTIONS BEYOND THE ONE 50 MARK? YOU KNOW, WE, WE LOOKED AT ALL THESE PROJECTS.
I MEAN, WE, WE AGREED TO 'EM ALL.
DO WE WANT TO PROPOSE OPTIONS BEYOND THE ONE 50 OR SAY THIS IS OUR BEST RECOMMENDATION.
HERE'S WHAT WE, WE DIDN'T RECOMMEND TO YOU, BUT THEY'RE OPTIONS.
AND IF YOU WANT TO CONSIDER THAT'S YOUR CALL AND GO AHEAD AND DO IT.
UM, WHAT, WHAT, WHERE ARE WE AT HERE, GILBERT? I, I'M GOING TO SPEAK TO THE BUDGETING FOR A MINUTE.
[00:15:02]
I'M SORRY THAT JASON'S NOT HERE.I'M PRETTY DISAPPOINTED IN THE CITY STAFF AND THE CONSULTANTS FOR NOT GIVING US THE BOND CURVE PROJECTIONS UPDATED BASED UPON A LOWER NUMBER.
AND I ASKED FOR THAT THE SECOND WEEK WE MET.
SO Y'ALL HAD OVER TWO AND A HALF MONTHS TO GET US THAT DATA.
AND FOR SOME REASON THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN SOME REASON NOW YOU'RE NOT MEETING FOR TWO MORE MONTH WEEKS.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT MONEY AND I ASKED FOR THOSE PROJECTIONS.
WE WERE TOLD BY THE CITY MANAGER WE WERE GONNA GET WHATEVER WE NEEDED.
THAT'S TWO AND A HALF MONTHS THAT THE CITY AND THE CONSULTANTS FAILED TO PROVIDE THAT DATA THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE.
AND I KNOW JASON, I WATCHED THE VIDEO, SO I'M SPEAKING TO THE CITY THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.
IT'S UNPROFESSIONAL AND IT'S UNACCEPTABLE.
SO WE DON'T KNOW IF THE PAJAMA PROJECTION NUMBERS ARE ACTUALLY OKAY OR NOT.
'CAUSE YOU NEVER PROVIDED THE UPDATE.
SO WE'RE GOING ON A BIG LEAP OF FAITH HERE THAT THEY'RE OKAY.
BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED THOSE NUMBERS SEVEN WEEKS AGO AND THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR THAT.
IF, IF I HAD GONE INTO MY OLD BOSSES AND THEY'D ASKED ME FOR A NUMBER AND I TOOK SEVEN WEEKS AND STILL HADN'T GOT IT, I'D BE LOOKING FOR A JOB.
SO THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR THAT IN THE PROCESS.
I'M OKAY WITH THIS BECAUSE IT GETS US WITHIN THE NUMBER AND IT KEEPS, IF THE PROJECTIONS ARE CORRECT AND IT KEEPS THE PARKS UNIT DAY, UNIT DAY, THE, UH, WAYNE GRAY, WAYNE GRAY, GINA RUSSELL, IT KEEPS THOSE IN PLAY IN THE BOND PROJECTS.
UH, AND AND I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, I SAID IT BEFORE, YOU HAVE A BOND, YOU DON'T HAVE PARKS IN.
YOU AIN'T GOT A BOND PARK SALE BONDS.
AND IT KEEPS US, ASSUMING OBJECTIONS ARE CORRECT, KEEPS US WITHIN THE NU REASONABLY WITHIN THAT NUMBER YEAH.
WELL, I, I'LL, UH, I'LL SHARE YOUR FRUSTRATION A LITTLE BIT.
I'M NOT NEAR AS, UM, I'VE SAID AS YOU ARE BECAUSE I HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF THE FINANCE FOLKS AND I HAVE SEEN SOME UPDATES ON THE PROJECTIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
THE NINE AND A HALF VERSUS THE SIX OR SIX AND A HALF.
AND, AND, AND THEY, THEY STILL CONFIRM THE SIX AND A HALF LOWER FORECASTED GROWTH STILL COVERS THE ONE 50 MILLION NO TAX RATE INCREASE.
NOW THEY GOTTA PRESENT THAT TO CITY COUNCIL.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE ONES ON THE HOOK FOR THAT, NOT US.
THAT, THAT THAT'S BETWEEN THE CITY AND THEIR CONSULTANTS AND WHO THEY PAY.
RIGHT? THEY, THEY GOTTA LIVE WITH THAT.
WE, THAT'S NOT OURS TO VALIDATE, BUT IT WAS A GOOD QUESTION THAT WE NEEDED TO SEE, UH, CONFIRMATION ON WHAT THE NUMBER WE'RE TARGETING.
UH, I DO AGREE WITH, WITH MIKE THAT THE, THE, THE LAST PAGE OF WHAT I GAVE YOU, TAKING OUT THE TWO STREETS AND THE, UH, NATURE CENTER, UH, DOES LEAVE, UH, THE OTHER PARKS PROJECTS IN THERE WHERE, WHERE BEFORE THE FIRST OPTION WE WERE, BECAUSE WE LOWERED SOME OF THE COSTS AND REMOVED PROJECT, WE WERE AT 1 39, BUT WE STILL HAD 33.7 MILLION WORTH OF PARKS PROJECTS.
YOU COULD, YOU COULD LEGITIMATELY TAKE OUT THE NATURE CENTER AND, AND THEN WE, WE KEEP EVERYTHING, LIKE YOU SAID, RIGHT? SO I JUST WANNA SAY THIS HAS BEEN CHALLENGING FOR ALL OF US, RIGHT? UM, WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME, PROBABLY FOUR TIMES LONGER THAN, THAN, THAN WE THOUGHT WE WOULD.
BUT I THINK, LIKE I SAID A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, I THINK WE'VE HAD A LOT OF GOOD CONVERSATION.
WE'VE DISSECTED THESE PROJECTS.
I, I WISH WE'D HAVE DISSECTED THE, THE NATURE CENTER A LITTLE SOONER AND, AND JUST DIDN'T.
BUT, UM, AGAIN, THE NATURE CENTER, WE ALL AGREE THERE'S A VALUE.
WE ALL AGREE IT'S GREAT AMENITY.
WE ALL AGREE THAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE, ARE NECESSARY.
UM, BUT IF WE'RE TRYING TO CUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE TO CUT SOMETHING, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME, WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE IT'S TOUGH.
'CAUSE WE AGREED ON ALL THESE PROJECTS AND WE AGREED ON THE NATURE CENTER EVEN WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THE DETAILS WERE.
SO THERE'S NOTHING AGAINST THAT.
I MEAN, THAT SHOWS SUPPORT FOR THE NATURE CENTER.
RIGHT? AND I'M, AND I APPRECIATE THAT AND I'M, YOU KNOW, SPEAK FOR THE NATURE CENTER AND I WOULD PREFER THE OTHER THREE PROJECTS GO FORWARD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDING, LIKE I SAID FROM THE VERY BEGINNING IS, IS OUR PRIORITY, OUR NUMBER ONE? AND THAT ONE'S STILL ON THERE.
UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE, THE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE, BUT I THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT DECISION FOR YOU GUYS TO GET DOWN TO ONE 50 IS, UM, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE OTHER PARTS PROJECTS TOO.
SO MY, MY, I'M GONNA SAY FORMAL QUESTION NOW TO THIS GROUP, PAGE THREE I GAVE YOU, STARTING IN DFI OUT NATURE CENTER OUT GETS US THE 1 51.
DO WE WANT THAT TO BE OUR PRIMARY RECOMMENDATION? YES.
YOU READ AYE, TODAY WHAT?
OKAY, SO IT LOOKS LIKE THAT WOULD BE OUR, OUR, OUR PRIMARY TARGET.
WE WORKED IT, WE WHITTLED IT, WE MADE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME STUFF ON HERE WE CUT OUT
[00:20:01]
EVEN PRIOR TO THIS THAT, THAT WE KNOW ADDED VALUE, BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE IT ALL.UH, THE QUESTION NOW IS DO WE WANT TO GIVE COUNSEL ANY OPTIONS? YOU KNOW, WE ONLY TOOK OUT TWO STREETS.
THE NATURE CENTER WOULD HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY REDEFINED FOR US TO EVEN GO BACK TO CONSIDERING IT.
OR DO WE THINK WE'RE GOOD WITH THIS OPTION? DO WE THINK CITY COUNCIL WOULD BE OPEN TO ANYTHING BEYOND ONE 50 THAT WOULD TRIGGER A TAX RATE INCREASE? I WAS EVEN THINKING, I KNOW I WAS LOOKING AT I PARK AND WE TOOK THAT ONE OUT AND PUT DFI AND STERLING BACK IN.
THAT WOULD BE A LOT BETTER TO ME IN MY BOOK.
'CAUSE WE ALREADY GOT TWO PARTS ON THERE.
I THINK WHAT THAT ONE WAS MENTIONED, IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS DISTRICT ONE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
I SEE WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, BUT THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF RENOVATION WITH THE DRAINAGE OVER THERE.
IT'S THE DRAINAGE RENOVATION PROJECT.
SO YEAH, I, I THINK WE'VE ALREADY TESTED THOSE OPTIONS ON THE PARKS.
THIS WAS ABOUT CUTTING 14 MILLION.
AND UH, AGAIN, I, I WOULDN'T PUT THE, DID I PARK UP AGAINST, UH, DP AND, AND, AND STARLING MYSELF SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO ROADS THAT ARE IN SERVICE TODAY AND THEY'RE GONNA BE IN SERVICE FOR THE NEXT FIVE OR SIX YEARS.
THEY'RE GONNA DETERIORATE A LITTLE BIT AND THEN THEY'LL GET FIXED.
DID I PARK EITHER GETS BUILT OR IT DOESN'T? YOU KNOW.
AND SO I LOOK AT THOSE TWO DIFFERENT, AND I, AND I DO AGREE THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A, A, A, A PIECE THAT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PARKS COMPONENTS, UH, IF, IF, OH LET ME GET TO THE CLASSROOM, WE, WE ENDED UP WITH 19.7, YOU KNOW, JUST UNDER $20 MILLION OF, OF PARKS MONEY RIGHT OUT, OUT OF 150 MILLION.
WE CAN DO THE, WE CAN DO THE PERCENTAGES, BUT WE KNOW THE BULK OF THIS HAS BEEN ROADS, RIGHT? THE BULK OF THIS IS ALL ROADS, THE FIRST TWO CATEGORIES, THOSE ARE THE BIGGEST NUMBERS.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS ARE.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, ARE THESE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS? AND THEN WE CAN SAY WE, WE LOOKED AT, WE PRIORITIZED INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
AND THEN AS WE HAD OUR CONVERSATIONS THROUGHOUT THE LAST, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE MONTHS, WE ALSO RECOGNIZED THAT THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITY, UH, COMPONENT THAT THE WETLAND CENTER BRINGS US AND PARKS AMENITIES, UH, HAD VALUE TO THE SYSTEMS OF BAYTOWN.
AND SO THAT'S HOW WE ENDED UP WITH THIS LIST.
SO AGAIN, THE QUESTION IS, WOULD WE, WOULD WE WANNA OFFER, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ON HERE WE WANNA SAY, COUNSEL, WE, WE BELIEVE THIS IS IMPORTANT TOO.
AND IF YOU WANT TO CONSIDER IT, HERE'S THE AMOUNT AND THIS IS WHAT THE TOTAL WOULD BE.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW AT THE 1 51 AND, AND WE'RE 100% GOING ON THAT, THAT NO TAX RATE COMPONENT.
AND I CAN TELL YOU IF WE WEREN'T DEALING WITH THAT, IF, IF WE, IF WE WERE JUST DEALING WITH THE NEEDS OF THE CITY, WE, WE, WE PROBABLY WOULD BE DOING A LOT MORE.
RIGHT? BUT, BUT I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT LOOKING AT A NO TAX RATE INCREASE FOR THIS GEO BOND THAT HASN'T HAPPENED IN 18 YEARS IS PROBABLY A SMART WAY TO GO.
IT'S, IT IS PROBABLY A GOOD WAY TO SAY, HEY CITIZENS, WE NEED THIS WORK DONE.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU AGREE TO ALL THIS, INCLUDING THE PARKS, AND IT'S SOLID.
AND I THINK WE'VE COVERED THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO ANYBODY FEELS STRONGLY ABOUT PROVIDING ANY OPTIONS.
AT FIRST I THOUGHT WE WOULD SIMPLY BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE'D HAVE MORE PROJECTS THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO GET DONE THAN WHAT WE HAD THE MONEY FOR AND LET THEM MAKE THE CALL.
BUT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU PERSONALLY, I'M, I'M NOT BIG ON THE STERLING AND DP RIGHT NOW AND OR THE NATURE CENTER.
UH, THE ONLY ONE I WOULD WANT TO MAYBE SQUEEZE IN THERE IS ADDING PARKING TO JENKINS.
I KNOW IT'S CROSSED OFF, IT'S GRAY.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF EVENTS GOING ON THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WAS A LITTLE SURPRISING THAT THE, THE ADJUSTED JENKINS PARKED $1.2 BILLION, RELOCATE THE ENTRANCE FOR SAFETY FROM THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND PARKING ALL THAT.
WHAT DIDN'T GET AS DIDN'T GET TRACTION.
BUT WHEN WE DISCUSSED IT TWO WEEKS AGO, IT WAS ALMOST 50 50 TO, TO NOT DO IT, DO IT OR NOT DO IT.
AND SO WHEN WE WERE COMPARING ALL THE OTHERS, WE, WE SAID THAT THAT WOULD JUST KIND OF FALL OFF THE LIST.
NOW, YOU KNOW, COULD WE SQUEEZE ANOTHER 1.2 MILLION IN HARDER, EASIER TO SQUEEZE 1.2 MILLION IN THAN SQUEEZING ANOTHER FIVE OR EIGHT.
RIGHT? COULD WE SQUEEZE 1.2 MILLION IN, INTO THE, UH, 1 51 3? COULD WE MAKE IT 1 52 5? YOU KNOW, WOULD THAT STILL BE, UH, WITHIN THE WHOLE TAX RATE? YOU KNOW, THING I, I DON'T KNOW.
IT MIGHT BE, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
MY, MY SUSPICION IS THAT IF YOU ADDED ANY MORE MONEY NOW THAN THE 1 51, THEN UH, YOU'RE GONNA TRIGGER SOME DISCUSSIONS THAT MAY OCCUR ANYWAY ON CITY COUNCIL
[00:25:01]
AND SOME OTHER PROJECT MAY GET KICKED OUT BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE COUNCIL PEOPLE IN YOUR MINDS ALREADY HAVE A NUMBER IN THEIR HEADS.UH, AND SO THIS GROUP'S WORK HARD TO GET TO POINT.
AND I CAN TELL YOU PRE-BOND MEETINGS, THIS IS THE HARDEST PART RIGHT HERE, IS WHEN DO YOU TURN IT LOOSE? YEP.
AND I THINK WE'VE DONE OUR DUE DILIGENCE ON THE PROJECT AND WE NEED TO LET IT MOVE.
I WAS GONNA SAY ON TOP OF THAT, MIKE, UM, I THINK PRESENTING ONE OPTION AND EVERYONE BEING OKAY WITH ONE OPTION, I THINK C COMMUNICATES TO CITY COUNCIL.
LIKE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE OKAY.
AS CITIZENS OF THE CITY WITH RIGHT.
LIKE, UM, AND, AND I THINK THEN GIVING OPTIONS WERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT IS JUST MORE, THERE'S MORE VARIABLES BY GIVING OPTIONS AND SAYING, WE HAVE ONE OPTION, WE CAN GO TO CITY COUNCIL WITH THIS.
AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK WE OUGHT LET CITY COUNCIL KNOW THAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT OTHER OPTIONS THAT ARE SOMEWHAT BEYOND THAT.
IF IN THE FUTURE, AS THEY GO ALONG WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THIS, IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ANY OF THAT WE CAN SHARE.
BUT IF THEY DON'T WANT TO, THAT'S PERFECTLY OKAY.
BUT WE DID PREPARE THAT JUST IN CASE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WAS ANOTHER, UH, GROUP OF, UH, PROJECTS TOTALING $15.7 MILLION THAT WE LOOKED AT AND THEN DIDN'T RECOMMEND.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE THERE WEREN'T OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE ALL HAD INTEREST IN, YOU KNOW, EVEN, EVEN THE MAJORITY OF OF US HAD INTEREST IN.
BUT THERE AGAIN, WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO TIE THIS UP INTO SOME REASONABLE PACKAGE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND KEEP IN MIND THAT THE MOST, UM, THE, THE MOST, UH, THE, THE, THE WHOLE THING, IF WE DID EVERY SINGLE PROJECT, THE MOST WE COULD HAVE DONE IS 281 MILLION.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMING IN AT ALMOST HALF RIGHT.
SO I, I AGREE THAT, THAT WE'VE DONE OUR JOB.
UM, AND I THINK I DO KIND OF AGREE THAT A SINGLE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S WITHIN THE, THE, THE SCOPE, THE FRAMEWORK THAT EVERYBODY'S KIND OF HAD IN THEIR MIND, AND YOU KNOW, I, I'VE SAID THIS, I STAYED AWAY FROM THAT NUMBER.
I TOLD YOU FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, I STAYED AWAY FROM THAT NUMBER.
I DIDN'T WANT THE NUMBER TO START CUTTING THINGS OFF THE LIST EARLY ON JUST BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY ADDING UP IN OUR HEAD.
AND I THINK WE WENT FULL BLOWN, CONSIDERED EVERYTHING, AND THEN STARTED PULLING BACK, STILL DIDN'T PULL BACK TO A NUMBER.
WE JUST PULLED BACK, RIGHT? WELL, WE ENDED UP TWO WEEKS AGO WAS NOT AT ONE 50.
WE ENDED UP AT 180 1 AND WE WERE GOOD WITH THAT, RIGHT? WE WERE GOOD WITH 180 1.
WE WENT, WE WENT THROUGH THAT WHOLE PROCESS.
BUT THE REALITY IS, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO WHAT WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND, IF WE BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A BETTER CHANCE OF A ONE 50 ISH MILLION DOLLAR OPTION GETTING COUNSEL'S ATTENTION AND, AND, AND APPROVAL TO GO FORWARD AND WE ALL STAND BEHIND THAT, THEN THAT'S PROBABLY A PRETTY SOLID RECOMMENDATIONS.
I FIRST THOUGHT WE WOULD GO WITH THE TOTAL, THE ONE, YOU KNOW, 73 AND GIVE THEM OPTIONS BACK TO 1 51 AND LET THEM BE THE ONES TO CUT ALL THOSE OTHER PROJECTS OUT.
BUT WE'VE ONLY TALKED, WE'VE ONLY TALKED ABOUT THREE, TWO STREETS AND THE, UH, MAJOR CENTER AND GOT, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL'S REALLY LOOKING FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE.
I THINK THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A BOND PROPOSAL YEAH.
DO, DO WE NEED A VOTE ON THIS? SO WE, WE WE'RE GONNA, WE, WE FIRM, I, I KIND, I GOT, OKAY, SO EVERYBODY, WE ARE GONNA FORMALLY IF THIS IS GONNA BE OUR RECOMMENDATION.
SO I, I WILL SAY THAT, THAT, UH, I HAVE NOT HAD MAYBE ONE CONVERSATION WITH ANYONE ON COUNCIL SINCE WE STARTED.
NOT ONE COUNCIL MEMBER HAS ASKED ANYTHING.
I SEE THE MAYOR PRETTY REGULAR.
HE HADN'T ASKED ME A QUESTION AND NO ONE'S ASKED.
NOW, TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN WE MET AND WE FIRMED EVERYTHING UP, I, I UPDATED ALL THESE SPREADSHEETS WITH ALL THE NOTES AND EVERYTHING AND I SENT IT TO THE CITY AS HERE'S WHERE WE'VE LANDED AT THIS POINT.
PRELIMINARY SAID PRELIMINARY ON THERE, RIGHT.
SOME OF YOU KNOW THIS, THAT THAT PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL WAS PASSED ON TO CITY COUNCIL FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES.
SO THEY HAVE SEEN THIS, THEY HAVE SEEN ALREADY THE LIST OF PROJECTS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT RECOMMENDING ALL OF THE, THE, THE, THE ONES THAT WE'RE TOTALING $181 MILLION.
I, I HAVEN'T GOT ANY FEEDBACK.
HE, HE'S, THEY, THEY CALL 'EM ALL.
I KNOW THERE ARE SOME CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY WATCHING THE VIDEOS BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE.
I I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO KNOW WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH WITHOUT THEM ASKING ME AND ME TO TELL 'EM.
'CAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T WANT ANY, I I, AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY RESPECTFUL.
I'M TELLING YOU THAT THEY, THEY'VE NOT ASKED ME.
THEY, THEY'VE JUST LET THE PROCESS GO.
[00:30:01]
SO I FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT THIS BEING A CITIZEN LED DRIVEN PROPOSAL AND NOT DRIVEN BY THE CITY.EVEN EVEN THE CITY STAFF AND CONSULTANTS HAVE NOT REALLY IMPOSED THEIR WILL.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT CITY, I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE HELP WE'VE GOTTEN FROM, FROM CITY STAFF ON TAKING SOME PROJECTS OFF THE LIST, RIGHT? BY THEM ADMITTING LIKE DANA BINA FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
IT'S LIKE THEY HELPED US OUT, THEY HELPED US OUT ALONG THE WAY ON THAT SIDE OF THINGS.
TRACY'S HELPED US OUT A LOT, UNDERSTANDING THE, THE WETLAND CENTER PROJECT AND, AND THE NATURE CENTER AS, AS BEST AS WE COULD.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SUPPORT.
IT'S, IT'S NOT BEEN, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT SUPPORT FROM THE CITY AND THE, AND THE CONSULTANTS.
UM, I'LL JUST SAY THAT, THAT I THINK I I'M, I, I FEEL GOOD WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO LET'S, LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND WRAP THIS THING UP.
IT'S HARD TO END
BUT LET, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN WRAP THIS UP.
THE THIRD PAGE IN THIS SHEET THAT I GAVE YOU, THE TOTAL OF 1 51 3 4 6 500 WOULD BE OUR RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS NUMBER DOES NOT TRIGGER A TAX RATE INCREASE.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN THIS WOULD BE OUR RECOMMENDATION.
I GET ADD THE FACT THAT THEY ARE GONNA HAVE A BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WITH THIS.
SO THE, YOU KNOW, I, I ALREADY COMMUNICATED THAT TO, TO, UH, IT QUITE FRANKLY THAT THEY DON'T I'LL VOTE AGAINST THE BOND.
WHEN I, WHEN I, WHEN I COMMUNICATED THIS TO, TO CITY COUNCIL A FEW WEEKS AGO, IF YOU WERE THERE, I MEAN, I, I STATED HOW ALL THIS GOES AND HOW THE REASON THIS WOULD BE A GREAT WAY, A A VERY TANGIBLE WAY TO GAIN TRUST OF OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE YOU VOTE FOR THIS, THERE'LL BE AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE FOLLOWING IT TO MAKE SURE THAT, NOT NOT AUDITING, BUT JUST, JUST TO HELP, HELP THE CITY AND ALL THE, THE, THE CONSULTANTS AND CONSTRUCTION FOLKS DO WHAT THE CITIZENS VOTED FOR.
THAT THAT'S A NORMAL PROCESS FOR EVERY SUCCESSFUL GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND THAT EITHER THE CITY, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, OR LEE COLLEGES HAVE.
SO IT'S NOT UNCOMMON THAT THAT IS A COMMON PART OF MOVING FORWARD AFTER THE ELECTION.
WE WOULD COMMUNICATE THAT ALL THROUGHOUT THE, THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AS WE GET READY FOR ELECTION DAY.
THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE PROCESS.
'CAUSE THE CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW THAT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT COUNCIL'S GONNA COMMIT TO THAT BEFORE WE START GOING OUT AND TELLING THE COMMUNITY.
THERE IS GONNA BE AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND THEN THEY DECIDE THERE'S NOT GONNA BE AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
SO LET, LET'S, UH, LET'S LOOK AT IT THIS WAY.
PART OF OUR PROPOSAL WILL BE WITH THAT PIECE INCLUDED.
I THINK, I THINK THEY'RE GOOD AND I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE REASON TO NOT DO IT.
BUT, BUT WE'LL MAKE THAT PART OF OUR, WE WE SUPPORT THIS.
AND GOING FORWARD A CITIZENS BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTION, WE'LL BE PART OF THE PROCESS AS PART OF OUR SUPPORT FOR THIS.
EVERYBODY GOOD WITH THAT? YES.
SO EVERYBODY MARGA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO CALL IT
YEAH, RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF PRESENTING THIS TO CITY COUNCIL AS OUR RECOMMENDATION.
IS THAT EVERYBODY'S HAND UP? THAT'S EVERYBODY.
I KNOW THERE'S A, A COUPLE OF FOLKS, UH, PATRICIA SMITH HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE HERE.
I BET I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH HER AND SHE WAS GOOD WITH WHAT WE CAME UP LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO.
SO, UH, WE'VE HAD ONE MEMBER WHO'S NOT BEEN HERE SINCE MAYBE THE FIRST OR SECOND MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
WE ARE, WE'RE WE'RE 14 STRONG.
RIGHT? SO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL PRESENT IT THAT WAY.
GILBERT, DO Y'ALL NEED TO DO A MOTION AND A SECOND OR DO WE JUST, I THINK WE NEED TO DO A MOTION.
MOTION TO APPROVE ALL I SAY A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, TO SUBMIT THIS TO COUNSEL AS 151 MILLION.
I HAVE THE PACKAGE THREE BUT IS SECOND MOTION AND A SECOND.
SHE'S MADE THE MOTION TO, UH, ACCEPT THIS, THIS AND WHO, WHO DID SECOND.
ALRIGHT, WE GOT A SECOND RIGHT HERE.
WOULD YOU ACCEPT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT THAT INCLUDE THAT THEY HAVE AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE? WELL THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALREADY ON THERE WITH AN OVERSIGHT.
IT'S NOT THE MOTION COMMITTEE.
A MOTION IS TO SUBMIT THIS TO THE COUNCIL WITH THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
IT'S NOT WRITTEN ON THERE ANYWHERE.
I DUNNO WHAT YOU'RE READING, BUT YOU'RE READING YOUR WRITING.
YOU'RE NOT READING WHAT I SAW HERE.
A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ONE 51 MILLION PLUS.
SO, SO AND SO YOU GOT THE NUMBERS WITH AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE FOLLOWING WITH THE BOND AFTER THE ELECTION.
ANY, ANY DISCUSSION, ANY FINAL DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING? ALRIGHT.
HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
[00:35:01]
OPPOSITION.SO YOU CAN RECORD EVERYONE HERE VOTED IN FAVOR OF AND THERE'S NO OPPOSITION.
BEFORE, LET, LET ME, LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE TIMING.
SO ON JULY 24TH, A WEEK FROM THIS THURSDAY, ONE 12 VOTES ON THAT.
WERE YOU SUPPOSED TO VOTE? WELL, I'VE NEVER VOTED 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T VOTED.
I KNOW ON JULY 24TH, THE CITY'S FINANCE COMMITTEE IS HAVING A, A, A FORMAL MEETING WITH BOND COUNCIL AND EVERYBODY THAT'S RELATED TO MONEY, UH, TO, TO LOOK AT THIS, HOW THIS PACKAGE IS UP.
AND, AND CONFIRM THE, THE, THE PROJECTIONS AND THE ONE 50 MILLION AND ALL THAT.
SO I, I THINK THEY'VE ALREADY GOT THAT FIRM, BUT THAT'S THEIR OFFICIAL MEETING.
SO AT FIRST THEY WANTED, UH, THEN ME TO PRESENT CITY COUNCIL THAT EVENING AND IT'LL WORK OUT, REALLY WORK OUT FOR ME.
ONE CAN'T MEET AT FOUR FIRM UP NUMBERS AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TWO HOURS LATER.
PLUS I HAVE ANOTHER, ANOTHER COMMITMENT.
SO, UH, BUT THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULED, UH, AUGUST 14TH, WHATEVER IT IS, IS WHEN THEY HAVE TO CALL IT.
SO THEY HAVE A, A WORKSHOP I THINK ALREADY SCHEDULED ON AUGUST 5TH.
AND SO I'M GONNA GO TO THAT WORKSHOP AND I'M GONNA PRESENT THIS TO THEM.
AT THAT POINT, THEY CAN'T VOTE ON ANYTHING, BUT THEY CAN TALK ABOUT IT SO THAT WHEN THEY COME TO CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON THE 14TH, THEIR, THEIR OFFICIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING, UH, IT WILL BE ON THE AGENDA FOR THEM TO, UH, TO LOOK AT AND CALL FOR THE ELECTION.
SO THEY, SINCE THEY'VE SEEN THIS LIST OF PROJECTS ALREADY, IT'S NOT A SURPRISE TO 'EM.
RIGHT? THEY, THEY'VE SEEN THIS TWO WEEKS AGO.
UH, IF ANYONE'S HAD ANY CALLS OR QUESTIONS, THAT'S GREAT.
UH, BUT, UH, I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY CALLS OR CONCERNS OR WHYS OR ANYTHING.
UH, IT AND I, I KNOW ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEY KNOW ME AND THEY, THEY HAVE MY PHONE NUMBER AND NO ONE'S EVER CALLED ME.
UH, BUT I'D BE GLAD TO TALK TO ANY OF 'EM.
SO, UH, THAT'S THE NEXT SCHEDULE.
BEFORE THE FINAL PROPOSAL IS PUT TOGETHER AND GO CITY COUNCIL, WE WILL PACKAGE IT UP AND GET IT TO YOU.
ALRIGHT? I DO HAVE ALREADY THE DOCUMENT THAT WILL BE AN AMENDMENT TO THIS PROPOSAL WHERE EVERYONE STOOD ON EVERY PROJECT THAT, THAT YOU DID IN SUPPORT, RIGHT? SO THAT THEY CAN SEE HERE'S THE LIST.
AND I TOLD 'EM WE WERE DOING THAT.
AND IT'LL JUST SHOW, HEY, MARGARET MADE THE MOTION.
SHE APPROVED THIS OPTION, BUT SHE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, REALLY AGREE WITH THESE RIGHT HERE.
MIKE DIDN'T AGREE WITH THESE, BUT HE'S GOOD WITH WHAT WE PROPOSED SERGIO, WHOEVER DIDN'T AGREE, RIGHT.
SO THAT, THAT INFORMATION WILL GO TO COUNCIL AS WELL AS WE DISCUSSED.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THIS? I HAVE TWO COMMENTS.
THIS, I'VE GOT A SUMMARY OF THAT.
ONE IS, UH, AND I THINK KEITH AGREE WITH THIS HAS BEEN A MUCH MORE PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCE THAN IT WAS IN 2007 OF GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE AT IT WAS, IT IS A MUCH MORE DIVERSE GROUP THAN WE HAD IN SEVEN.
SO THIS HAS BEEN A PLEASURE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND EVEN WITH DISAGREEMENTS WITH ALL YOU GUYS THAN IT WAS BEFORE.
SECOND THING IS, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT GILBERT PUT IN.
I'M NOT SURE YOU GUYS KNOW HOW HE'S BEEN STAYING UP AT NIGHT.
HE'S BEEN LOOKING INDICTOR, HE'S BEEN READING BY I KNOW YOU HAVE.
HE'S BEEN MEETING WITH THE CITY, CITY, BEEN BUYING WHAT HE HAS PUT A LOT OF EXTRA LABOR IN HERE THAT, UM, I DON'T THINK THE CITY REALLY EXPECTED IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN WHEN THEY PRESENTED THIS TO FOR ME.
WHICH IS WHY YOU TEACH HIM NOT TO MISS ANOTHER MEETING.
I SHOULD NOT HAVE MISSED A MEETING.
THAT'S BEEN A GOOD JOKE AROUND.
YOU KNOW, I MISSED THE MEETING AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED.
SO THAT WAS, I HAVE ENJOYED YEAH, I KNOW.
WELL, THIS, THIS IS NOT OUR LAST MEETING BY THE WAY.
OUR LAST, WE, WE WILL HAVE A, A A A, UH, ANOTHER COLLECTIVE END OF PROCESS MEETING.
I DON'T WANT US TO END THIS WAY.
RIGHT? WE, WE HAVE SOME PRESENT, BUT WE, WE'LL HAVE ONE LAST GET TOGETHER THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY AND, AND HAVE A LITTLE CELEBRATION.
THEY'RE GONNA TREAT US TO SOMETHING OR WHAT? SURE.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE TREATED OFF TO? YOU HEARD JASON SAID THERE WAS NO EXTRA REVENUE.
WE WILL, WE WILL TAKE CARE OF WE.
I WAS JUST GONNA ASK, SO WHAT'S WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP HERE FOR WE, WHERE WE GOING? SO OFFICIALLY WITH THIS VOTE, AND WE JUST DID, WE'VE, WE'VE COME UP WITH OUR FORMAL RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL FOR A GEO BOND ELECTION LIST OF PROJECTS, DOLLAR VALUE.
UH, THE NEXT STEPS ARE LET CITY COUNCIL HAVE IT, PRESENT IT TO 'EM, LET THEM THINK ABOUT IT, AND THEN THEY'LL EITHER CALL FOR THE ELECTION AUGUST 14TH OR THEY WON'T RIGHT.
IF THEY CALL FOR THE ELECTION, AUGUST 14TH, THE NEXT THING THAT HAPPENS IS THERE WILL BE A, UM, A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE FORMED.
AND THAT'S THE GROUP THAT WILL GO OUT AND PROMOTE THIS BOND RIGHT.
[00:40:01]
TO THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY.BUT FOR THIS COMMITTEE, OUR, OUR ROLE IS FINISHED EXCEPT FOR THE ONE, ONE LAST LITTLE GET TOGETHER IF YOU WANT TO.
I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD IF ON AUGUST 14TH AS MANY OF THIS AS POSSIBLE TO CANCEL, I I WOULD SAY AUGUST 14TH WOULD BE A GOOD DAY TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR TO, UH, TO BE AT CITY HALL.
I'LL GET THIS TO YOU BEFORE THAT DATE WITH ALL THE INFORMATION.
HERE'S THE PROPOSAL, HERE'S EVERYTHING IN THERE, AND THEN WE ALL SHOW UP AND, AND WE'RE GOOD.
AS I'M ALWAYS SAYING, COUNCIL'S GONNA DO WHAT COUNCIL'S GONNA DO.
SO DON'T GET YOUR FEATHERS RUFFLED.
IF THEY TAKE THIS IN HERE, RIP IT ALL APART BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR PRE I'M GONNA, WE'VE DONE, WE'VE DONE OUR JOB.
I'M, I'M GONNA SAY THAT I, I, I KNOW THAT'S THEIR PREROGATIVE AND I KNOW THAT THEY, THEY'RE THE FINAL AUTHORITY.
WE, WE ALWAYS UNDERSTAND WE'RE NOT THE AUTHORITY.
WE'RE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION.
BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT EVEN, UH, ANY, ANY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO MAY HAVE COME INTO THIS THING WITH A NO WAY, NO WAY ANYTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN.
I, I GOTTA BELIEVE THEY'VE, THEY'VE CHANGED THEIR MIND A LITTLE BIT AND OPENED UP OKAY.
I, I BELIEVE WHAT, WHAT EVERY ONE OF YOU HAVE DONE AND WHAT YOU'VE CONTRIBUTED, UH, AND DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND, AND, AND DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES.
I THINK THEY, THEY SEE THE VALUE IN THAT BECAUSE WE REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY.
AND I, I THINK IT'LL GIVE THEM COMFORT IN KNOWING THEY GOTTA GO ACROSS THE SCREEN NOW.
I THINK IT'LL GIVE 'EM COMFORT IN KNOWING, UH, AND A LITTLE MORE CONFIDENCE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I THINK SOME OF 'EM ARE SCARED.
AND I, I DON'T, I'M NOT AGREEING OR DISAGREEING WITH, WITH ANY OF THAT.
I'M JUST SAYING WHAT MORE TANGIBLE WAY TO PUT SOMETHING OUT THERE AND GET THE TRUST OF THE PUBLIC THAN SOMETHING LIKE THIS VERY SPECIFIC, VERY TIME.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, THERE'S A TIME LIMIT.
FIVE YEARS LATER, IT'S ALL GOOD.