* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:04] I NOW CALL TO ORDER THE CITY COUNCIL OF BAYTOWN AND THE BAYTOWN MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT JOINT MEETING THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2025, 6:30 PM HERE AT THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER. AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM AT 6:36 PM WE WILL NOW HAVE THE PLEDGE AND INVOCATION BY COUNCIL MEMBER LAURA ALVARADO, DISTRICT ONE. I PLEDGE TO THE FIVE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY, LIBERTY, AND JUSTICE. FOR ALL, HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD. ONE, AN INDIVIDUAL. PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYER. FATHER, WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY AS WE GO THROUGH TONIGHT'S THE AGENDA. YOU PRAY THAT YOU PROVIDE US THE WISDOM AND HEART TO MAKE THE DECISIONS RIGHT. FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE ALL ONE IN YOUR GLORY, AND AS SUCH, WE WILL MOVE TOGETHER IN HARMONY TOWARDS THE BENEFIT OF EVERYONE. FATHER, THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING US A SELFLESS SERVICE TO PROTECT OUR GREAT CITY, AND ASK THAT YOU WATCH OVER THESE FIRST RESPONDERS WHEREVER THEY MAY BE. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY, AMEN. AMEN. [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.] START WITH CITIZEN COMMENT. AND DO WE HAVE ANYONE TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK? YES, SIR. GOOD DEAL. THANK YOU. THE PURPOSE OF CITIZEN COMMENT IS TO GIVE ALL AND ARRESTED CITIZENS THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS. EVERYONE DESIRING TO SPEAK SHOULD HAVE EITHER SIGNED UP IN THE APPROPRIATE LIST IN THE FOYER OR EMAIL THE CITY CLERK PRIOR TO THE POSTED TIME OF THIS MEETING. EACH CITIZEN SHALL GIVE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A PROPER RECORD OF THESE COMMENTS. THE RULES ALLOW EACH PERSON ONE MINUTE TO SPEAK AS CITIZEN MAY PASS HIS OR HER TIME TO ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAS REQUESTED TO ADDRESS COUNSEL. HOWEVER, NO CITIZEN REMARKS SHALL EXCEED THREE MINUTES IN TOTAL. EITHER THE ONE MINUTE OR THE THREE MINUTE LIMIT MAY BE EXTENDED BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF COUNSEL. I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE AS BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND COUNSEL CANNOT DISCUSS OR DELIBERATE ON ITEMS FOR WHICH PUBLIC NOTICE HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN ON THIS AGENDA. MS. JONES, STANSKI EVENING 46 0 1 DRIFTWOOD DRIVE, BAYTOWN, TEXAS. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND, UH, MATT HOLLIS AND MAYOR JOHNSON ON BEING SO BOLD IS TO COME FORWARD AND SAY, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO REFUND THE BUSES AND PUT IN THE EXTRA $150,000 INTO THE BUDGET THROUGH FUTURE ACTIONS BY THE COUNCIL. UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN. IT'S 150,000. YOU GUYS ARE USING A LOT MORE IN OTHER CONSULTING FEES. SECONDLY, I'D LOVE TO SEE THE, UM, HOLE FIXED ON WEST TEXAS AVENUE. IT'S BEEN THERE SINCE DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR. PLEASE FIX THE HOLE. IT'S IMPEDING THE FESTIVALS THAT ARE IN THE, IN THE TOWN SQUARE. IT'S IMPEDING THE BUSINESSES AROUND IT. FIX WEST TEXAS, PLEASE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR JOHNSON. THANK YOU. MR. TROY. WHITE NECK, TROY WHITE NECK. 9 9 4 6 BY YOU WOODS DRIVE. BAYTOWN. UH, THIS MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH TRANSPARENCY. YOU DID NOT NEED TO CUT THE BUS SERVICE TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. IT'S BECOME VERY CLEAR AND I'VE ASKED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU IN THE EMAIL WHY YOU CUT THE BUS SERVICE. 'CAUSE YOU DIDN'T NEED TO DO IT TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. I ALSO ASK YOU A SECOND TIME IN A LETTER TO BAYTOWN SUN. I'M ASKING YOU A THIRD TIME RIGHT NOW WHY YOU CUT THE BUS SERVICE. BUT I WANT TO THANK MAYOR JOHNSON FOR HIS EFFORT IN TRYING TO RESTORE THE BUS SERVICE. NEXT, WE WILL. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE WILL HAVE MR. JEFF WALTERS, BUT HE IS HAS, HE HAS TIME GIVEN TO HIM FROM [00:05:01] MR. DAVID ISAAC AND FROM MR. NICHOLAS RICE. SO YOU HAVE A TOTAL OF THREE MINUTES, RIGHT. PLEASE STATE YOUR ADDRESS. 2303 JAMES BOWIE DRIVE. UM, I'M, I'M ALSO SPEAKING ON THE BUS ROUTE. UM, I GOT TO EXPERIENCE, UH, LEARNING ABOUT SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT DROVE IT OR HAVE RIDDEN ON IT. UH, THEY, THEY WORK AT THE ST. JAMES HOUSE. SOME OF THE ELDERLY THAT LIVE IN THE APARTMENTS BEHIND IT. UH, THEY HAVE TO WALK ACROSS THE STREET AND DOWN TO A GROCERY STORE OR TO A CONVENIENCE STORE TO GET ON THE BUS. WELL, THEN I TOOK THE BUS AND, AND TOOK THAT ROUTE. AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE ON IT. UH, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE ON IT. SOMETIMES BUS DRIVER SAID SOMETIMES IT'S FULL. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S $200,000. Y'ALL SPEND MILLIONS ON PROJECTS THAT ARE FLOPS. UM, THE GOLF COURSE, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, BUT THAT MONEY WAS MOVED OUT OF, UH, TRANSIT THAT WAS ALREADY ALLOTTED AND USED TO PAY CONTRACTORS. I GUESS I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE PAYING, UH, FOR THE GOLF COURSE. I UNDERSTAND THERE WERE BAYTOWN CONTRACTORS PAID OUT OF IT, UH, THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE USED TO RUN IT. UH, ALSO, ROUTE FOUR IS NOT A LUXURY. IT SERVES SENIOR APARTMENT COMPLEX, A NURSING HOME DPS OFFICE AND TWO LOW INCOME APARTMENT COMMUNITIES. YOU CAN'T VOTE WITHOUT AN ID. UH, THE PEOPLE IN BAYTOWN USE THAT, USE THAT BUS. THEY HAVE TO HAVE IDS. UH, I WOULD HOPE THAT, UH, I MEAN IF Y'ALL CANCEL IT AND THEY DO GET AN ID, I WOULD ASSUME THEY WOULD VOTE IN FAVOR OF, OF REMOVING THE PEOPLE THAT TOOK THEIR MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. SO, UH, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD THING THEY CAN'T GET TO IT. UM, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KEEPING A JOB AND LOSING IT OR, OR MAKING A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT OR GOING WITHOUT CARE, BUYING GROCERIES OR GOING HUNGRY. THE PEOPLE THAT USE THESE BUSES NEED IT. WE'RE PRIVILEGED. WE HAVE EVERYTHING. I MEAN, WE GET TO DO WHAT WE WANT. THEY DON'T, THEY'RE IN BAD SITUATIONS OR THEY CAN'T DRIVE AT ALL. THEY'RE ELDERLY AND THAT'S THEIR ONLY MEANS TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE OR TO THE DOCTOR. UM, BAYTOWN IS GROWING. CITY IS A GROWING CITY. GROWTH WOULD MEAN PROGRESS. LEAVING PEOPLE BEHIND IS NOT AN OPTION. OUR COMMUNITY MUST COME FIRST. IF BAYTOWN CAN'T AFFORD TO BAIL OUT A FAILED, IF, IF BAYTOWN CAN'T AFFORD TO BAIL OUT A FAILED GOLF COURSE AND POUR MONEY INTO A POORLY CONSTRUCTED HOTEL THAT HAS WINDOWS FALLING OUT OF IT, IT CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP ITS ELDERLY AND DISADVANTAGED CITIZENS MOVING, IT MAKES NO SENSE. UH, I URGE YOU TO RESTORE FUNDING, SAVE ROUTE FOUR AND PUT THE PEOPLES BEFORE THE PET PROJECTS HISTORY WILL REMEMBER IF YOU CHOOSE BAILOUTS FOR A FAILED GOLF COURSE OVER BUSES FOR THE PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. WALTERS. THIS NOW CONCLUDE THERE BEING NO ONE ELSE TO SPEAK. THIS NOW CONCLUDES THE CITIZEN COMMENT PORTION OF THE AGENDA. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT ITEMS, AND WE WILL BEGIN IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. IT IS NOW 6:44 PM WE WILL RESOURCE RECESS INTO AND CONVENE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 5 5 1 0.071 TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF CITY ATTORNEYS REGARDING PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION AND 5 5 1 0.087 TO DISCUSS REGARDING ECONOMIC NEVE DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS. I NOW RECONVENE OUR OPEN MEETING OF BAYTOWN MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT AT 7:25 PM AND ANNOUNCED THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 5 5 1 0.102 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, NO ACTION WAS TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. [a. Receive the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Operating and Capital Budget for the Hyatt Regency Baytown-Houston.] NOW WE WILL RECEIVE THE FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26, OPERATING IN CAPITAL BUDGET FOR THE HYATT REGENCY BAYTOWN HOUSTON, MS. MCKENZIE, UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNSEL. UM, THIS IS THE OPERATE ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR FY 26 FOR, UM, THE HYATT REGENCY IN BAYTOWN. UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE HOTEL IS DOING MUCH BETTER. UM, EVEN IN WITHIN THE SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT IS BEEN OPENED, OUR OCCUPANCY IS ALREADY INCREASED TO 51.4%. OUR AVERAGE DAILY RATE WILL BE 1.4 146.49, WHICH IS A 3.2% INCREASE. AND OUR TOTAL REVENUE AT THIS, AT THE TIME THAT WE POSTED THIS WAS 9.78 MILLION. WE'RE PROJECTING NOW JUST IN THE TIME, UH, BETWEEN POSTING, UM, FOR THE AGENDA AND TO NOW THAT THAT GROSS OPERATING PROFIT WILL NOW BE $1.329 MILLION, [00:10:03] SO THAT IT'S ACTUALLY AN INCREASE AND NOT A DECREASE IN THE GROSS OPERATING PROFIT. FOR OUR OPERATING BUDGET AND FOR OUR CAPITAL BUDGET, WE ARE SHOWING, UM, BASED ON HYATT'S ESTIMATES THAT THE MAX THEY WILL SPEND IS 273,000, UM, FOR MINOR, UH, IMPROVEMENTS OR REPAIRS THAT ARE NEEDED TO BE DONE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. CONSIDER THIS RECEIVED. THANK YOU. NOW WE WOULD [b. Consider a resolution adopting the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Operating and Capital Budget for the Hyatt Regency Baytown-Houston.] CONSIDER A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26, OPERATING CAPITAL BUDGET FOR THE HYATT REGENCY BAYTOWN. I NEED A MOTION. MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM TWO C, SECOND B I'M SORRY, TWO B SECOND. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. CONSIDER RESOLUTION [c. Consider a resolution authorizing Alliant Insurance Services, Inc., as broker, to secure agreements for insurance coverage policies for the Baytown Municipal Development District's property for Fiscal Year 2025-2026.] AUTHORIZING ALLIANT INSURANCE SERVICES, INC. AS BROKER TO RESU SECURE AGREEMENTS FOR INSURANCE COVERAGE POLICIES FOR THE BAYTOWN MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, PROPERTY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. 2026. MR. LOPEZ. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL. THIS IS FOR THE PROPERTY INSURANCE COVERAGES THAT ARE REQUIRED UNDER THE HYATT, AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY FOR THIS QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. I NEED A MOTION. MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM TWO C. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. [3. CITY COUNCIL ITEMS - MINUTES] NOW WE WILL GO ON TO CITY COUNCIL ITEMS. WE WILL TAKE ITEMS THREE A AND THREE B TOGETHER. CONSIDER APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL BUDGET WORK SESSION MEETING HELD ON AUGUST 5TH, 2025, AND THE MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL HELD ON AUGUST 28TH, 2025. MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS THREE A AND B TOGETHER. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES [a. Conduct a public hearing for a request concerning the proposed text amendment to Chapter 111, Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) of the Baytown Code of Ordinances to revise Sections 2.31, 2.34, and 7.25, for updates regarding Battery Energy Storage Systems.] PUBLIC HEARINGS. WE WILL NOW GO INTO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS. THE PUBLIC HEARINGS TODAY ARE BEING HELD FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING ALL INTERESTED PERSONS THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS REGARDING THE SUBJECT OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS. EVERYONE DESIRING TO BE A PART OF TODAY'S HEARINGS SHOULD HAVE EITHER FILED THE LIST IN THE FOUR YEAR OR EMAIL THE CITY CLERK PRIOR TO THE POSTED TIME OF THIS MEETING. EACH PARTICIPANT SHALL GIVE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE PROPER RECORD OF THIS HEARING. THE RULES ALLOW EACH PERSON THREE MINUTES TO PRESENT INFORMATION. HOWEVER, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE AS BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE. IF YOU ARE A GROUP OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE COUNSEL ON THE SAME SUBJECT, PLEASE SELECT THE SPOKESPERSON TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION. AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DIRECT THEM TO ME. WE WILL NOW CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING FOR REQUESTS CONCERNING THE PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 1 1 1, UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE OF THE BAYTOWN CODE OF IS TO REVISE SECTIONS 2.31, 2.34, AND 7.25 FOR UPDATES REGARDING BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS. IT IS NOW 7:30 PM AND I CALL TO ORDER THIS PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING THE AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 1 1 1, UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE OF THE BAYTOWN CODE OF ORDINANCES TO THE, TO REVISE SECTIONS 2.31, 2.34, AND 7.25 FOR UPDATES REGARDING BATTERY STORAGE SYSTEMS. I WOULD LIKE NOW TO REQUEST STAFF TO SUMMARIZE THE REASON FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING. MR. SCRIBNER, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL, MARTIN SCRIBNER, UH, PLANNING DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. SO, UH, YOU'VE NOTICED THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING, UM, MORE ACTIVITY WITH THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS, THESE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS. AGAIN, THESE ARE THE COMMERCIAL LEVEL, NOT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING YOU HAVE IN YOUR GARAGE POWERING YOUR HOUSE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO IF YOU REMEMBER, UH, BACK IN JUNE, I PRESENTED AT A WORK SESSION AND KIND OF GAVE EVERYBODY AN IDEA OF WHAT WE WERE THINKING, UH, IN TERMS OF SOME MINIMUM STANDARDS. AND SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TONIGHT IS, IS BASICALLY TWO THINGS. UM, SOMETHING TO HELP CLEAR UP WHAT IS CURRENTLY A CONFUSING SYSTEM BECAUSE THAT WAS NEW AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND WE TESTED IT, IT DIDN'T WORK AS WELL AS WE'D HOPED. SO WE'RE, WE WANT TO CLEAR THAT UP AND MAKE OUR, OUR SERVICE AS A CITY BETTER TO OUR CUSTOMERS. UM, NUMBER TWO, UM, WE'RE ADDING IN SOME MINIMUM STANDARDS THAT CURRENTLY DO NOT EXIST. UM, IT DOES NOT REMOVE THE ABILITY FOR THIS COUNSEL TO, UM, TO DENY. UM, THESE ARE JUST THE MINIMUMS. YOU CAN ALSO AS A, AS A, UM, COUNSEL, YOU CAN PUT IN, UH, ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS ON THIS AS WELL. SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THOSE REAL QUICK. THESE SHOULD LOOK FAMILIAR. THESE SHOULD LOOK WHAT, LIKE, WHAT WE, UM, WENT OVER IN JUNE. UM, [00:15:01] SO REMEMBER WHAT WE'RE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT IS LAND USE IS COMPATIBILITY. WHAT DO YOU HAVE CLOSE TO THIS TYPE OF A, OF A, UH, PROJECT? UM, LOT SIZES, DENSITY LIMITS, SETBACKS, HEIGHT, FENCING, SCREENING, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO CURRENT CODE ALLOWS, UH, BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE IN LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AND HEAVY INDUSTRIAL BY, RIGHT? SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME TO YOU OR PNZ FOR ANYTHING. THEY WOULD JUST COME TO STAFF AND GET THEIR PERMITS. UH, THEY ARE ALSO ALLOWED IN GENERAL COMMERCIAL AND FREEWAY COMMERCIAL, BUT ONLY IF THEY GET A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. AGAIN, REMINDER THAT COMES THROUGH P AND Z AND THROUGH CITY COUNCIL. UM, THE ONLY REAL MINIMUM ON THAT IS A 25 FOOT STEPBACK. UH, SO IF YOU REMEMBER, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE COME IN WHERE THEY NEEDED A REZONE AND A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. THE REZONE THE, THE PROCESS ENDED UP BEING RATHER CONFUSING, BUT ALSO WE'VE LOOKED AT A COUPLE SINCE THEN WHERE WE SAID WE DON'T REALLY LIKE THE REZONE TO GENERAL COMMERCIAL, BUT THE PROJECT FOR BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE ACTUALLY MADE SOME SENSE BECAUSE IT IS A VERY, UH, LOW IMPACT. AND SO WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO STREAMLINE THIS PROCESS IN ORDER FOR THE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM PROJECT TO KIND OF BE EVALUATED ON ITS OWN MERITS. WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GET THAT CONFUSING BUSINESS BETWEEN THE REZONE AND SAYING, OKAY, IF THE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE DOESN'T HAPPEN, YOU CAN PUT A GAS STATION OR A HOTEL OR A HOSPITAL OR A GROCERY STORE HERE. WE JUST WANT TO EVALUATE IT ON THAT PROJECT ITSELF. SO WHAT WE WOULD PROPOSE IS PERMITTING IN THIS TYPE OF PROJECT IN ALL ZONING DISTRICTS EXCEPT FOR OPEN SPACE RECREATION. BUT THE SUP WOULD BE REQUIRED IN ALL. SO LEMME REPEAT, YOU WOULD STILL NEED A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IN ALL DISTRICTS EXCEPT FOR LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AND HEAVY INDUSTRIAL. WE STILL FEEL THAT, THAT THAT DOESN'T REALLY QUALIFY FOR THAT. UM, THE MINIMUM SETBACKS WOULD BE A HUNDRED FEET FROM ALL STRUCTURES, BUT 200 FEET FROM ANY RESIDENTIAL, THERE WOULD BE A SCREENING REQUIREMENT OF SIX FOOT MASONRY WALL. I KNOW, UH, IN THE WORK SESSION WE TALKED ABOUT AT EIGHT FOOT WALL, THERE WAS SOME CONCERN THAT THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE TOO ONEROUS. SO WE BACKED THAT DOWN TO SIX FOOT AND I'LL GET TO WHY WE KEPT THE SIX FOOT WALL HERE IN JUST A MOMENT. UH, SO NO BUFFER YARD REQUIRED ADJACENT TO INDUSTRIAL, BUT WHEN YOU'RE COMING IN NEXT TO COMMERCIAL OR MIXED USE, YOU WOULD BE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW BUFFER YARD B FROM THE ULDC TABLE. AGAIN, WE DON'T WANT TO REINVENT THE WHEEL HERE, THIS IS ALREADY IN THERE. YOU'LL NOTICE THAT TO THE FAR RIGHT OF THAT, UH, THAT DIAGRAM IT, THERE IS WALL HEIGHT. THERE IS ALREADY A SIX FOOT, UH, WALL, UH, MASONRY WALL REQUIREMENT UNDER CIRCUM CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, UM, THE BUFFER YARD B AGAIN, UH, WILL DICTATE THE WIDTH AND THE NUMBER OF TREES, THE NUMBER OF SHRUBS, NUMBER OF EVERGREEN, AND THEN WHEN YOU GO TO A BUFFER YARD C ADJACENT TO RESIDENTIAL, THAT INCREASES THE WIDTH AND IT ALSO INCREASES THE NUMBER OF TREES AND SHRUBS, UH, AND WOULD STILL REQUIRE THAT, UH, MASONRY WALL SIX FOOT. THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING WOULD BE A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, AT LEAST ONE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING. WE HAVE GOTTEN INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS OF THAT, BUT TO BE HONEST, WE WANT TO, THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE NOTIFYING ALL THE NEIGHBORS AND GIVING OUT ALL THE INFORMATION SO THAT THEY'RE NOT SHOWING UP HERE COLD AND THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING WHEN THE, THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT COMES BEFORE YOU. THAT ADDS TO THE CONFUSION. IT ADDS TO THE, THE, UM, UH, THE, THE TIME REQUIRED AND, AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO, UM, WHEN WE GET INTO THE DETAILS, WE WANT TO KNOW THAT THEY HAD A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING. WE WANT TO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE CONTACTED THE NEIGHBORS. THAT'S REALLY WHAT WAS FIRST AND FOREMOST, NOT THE NITPICKY DETAILS OF HOW THAT HAPPENS. UM, THE, THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED, UH, TO SEND OUT AN ADDITIONAL PUBLIC NOTICE TO OWNERS WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE PROPERTY. THAT WOULD BE THE APPLICANT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THAT. CURRENTLY, CITY STAFF SENDS IT OUT TO EVERYBODY WITHIN 300 FEET. SO THIS WOULD EXPAND THAT CIRCLE. AGAIN, WE WANT THE, THE AWARENESS, THE NOTIFICATION TO HAPPEN TO EVERYBODY WHO LIVES NEARBY. SO THEY'RE NOT JUST KIND OF LEFT UNAWARES WHEN IT'S LIKE, OH, THERE'S A PUBLIC HEARING. I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. UH, THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MEET THE NFPA 8 5 5 STANDARDS, THAT IS THE NATIONAL STANDARD. UH, AND THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A DECOMMISSIONING PLAN BEFORE THEY WOULD BE ISSUED ANY PERMITS. THIS WENT TO PLANNING ZONING COMMISSION, UH, A WEEK AND A HALF AGO. UH, IN, IN, IN SEPTEMBER. I ALMOST SAID JUNE, SORRY, UH, YEARS GETTING AWAY FROM ME. UM, AND WE DID HEAR A FEW CONCERNS FROM, UH, THE P AND Z MEMBERS THEMSELVES. WE HAD TWO P AND Z MEMBERS THAT, UH, WERE, THAT HAD SOME [00:20:01] CONCERNS. UH, ONE WAS NOT REALLY, UH, THRILLED WITH THE IDEA OF ALLOWING THESE IN A RESIDENTIAL, UH, EVEN WITH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT, THEY WERE THINKING THAT LARGER SETBACKS WERE IN ORDER, ESPECIALLY NEAR RESIDENTIAL. AND, AND IT, IT RANGED FROM 300 FEET TO 500 FEET TO A THOUSAND FEET. SO IT, IT, IT KIND OF, IT, IT RAN THE GAMUT. UM, AND THEN ANOTHER THOUGHT THAT THESE SHOULD BE SPACED OUT AT LEAST A MILE APART ALONG THE, UM, THE UTILITY LINES. AND, UM, THAT THAT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT HAD BEEN CONSIDERED, UH, TO THAT POINT. THAT SAID, THERE WAS NO TESTIMONY FROM THE PUBLIC ON THIS TOPIC. AND, UH, STAFF AND PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION HAVE BOTH RECOMMENDED APPROVAL. UM, THE VOTE FROM PNZ WAS FIVE TO TWO, UH, FOR APPROVAL. AND AGAIN, I WANNA REMIND YOU THAT THERE, THE MINIMUM STANDARDS RIGHT NOW ARE ALMOST NOTHING. THE SUP ALLOWS FOR PNZ AND FOR CITY COUNCIL TO APPLY ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS IF THERE ARE GOOD REASONS FOR IT. UH, AND IT ALSO GIVES YOU, IT GIVES THE PUBLIC THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND HAVE THEIR INPUT HEARD. IT ALSO GIVES YOU, AS A CITY COUNCIL, THE ABILITY TO, UH, TO DENY IT, UM, AS WE HAVE HAD AN SUP NOT TOO LONG AGO DENIED BY THIS, UH, GROUP. SO, UM, WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. GOOD DEAL. ANY QUESTIONS? YES, MA'AM. WHAT, WHAT WAS THE, UM, THE COMMENTS AND THE THOUGHT PROCESS, UH, ABOUT THE ON PNZ WHERE THEY WERE THINKING THEY SHOULD, THE BEST PROJECT SHOULD BE A MILE APART? WHAT, WHAT WAS THE CONVERSATION THAT I BELIEVE THAT THAT PARTICULAR P AND Z MEMBER HAD BEEN DOING SOME ONLINE RESEARCH AND HAD JUST FOUND SOMETHING WITH ANOTHER COMMUNITY THAT HAD A ROAD RESTRICTION LIKE THAT. I DON'T THINK IT WAS IN TEXAS. UM, AGAIN, THAT, THAT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WE HAD CONSIDERED AT THAT POINT. SO, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS QUESTION'S FOR YOU, IT MIGHT BE FOR LEGAL, BUT DO WE KNOW, UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A BIG PUSH FOR SUPPLY AND DEMAND WITH THE, THE STORAGE OF, OF POWER, ESPECIALLY AFTER WE'VE HAD SOME OF THESE, THE BIG STORM AND POWER OUTAGES AND THINGS. DO WE KNOW IF THERE'S ANY PUSH WITH LEGISLATION ON, YOU KNOW, UTILITIES HAVE, HAVE A LOT OF RIGHTS WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, IMMINENT DOMAINS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO, UM, I KNOW THAT WE'RE VOTING ON SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC THIS TIME, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE KNOW IF THERE'S ANY CHAT OR ANY LEGISLATION THAT MAY BE IN THE FOREFRONT WHERE THESE KIND OF THINGS WOULD BE OUT OF OUR, OUT OF OUR CONTROL ANYWAYS. HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING? I HAVE NOT. UM, THERE IS THE RECENT LEGISLATION REGARDING, UM, RESIDENTIAL, UH, BATTERY STORAGE. THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I'M AWARE OF AT THE MOMENT. AND I DON'T KNOW IF MARTIN OR YEAH, SCOTT, JASON, CAN YOU CHIME IN? I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT ONE UP BECAUSE THAT WAS MENTIONED WHEN WE HAD THE LAST, UM, BATTERY STORAGE PROJECT THAT WAS APPROVED. AND I, I DO WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT PARTICULAR LEGISLATION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THESE, UM, COMMERCIAL SIZE. THOSE ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR SMALL INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTIAL TYPE, UM, NOT, NOT NECESSARILY BATTERY, BUT IT WAS ANY KIND OF OF BACKUP, UH, ENERGY TYPE SYSTEM. UM, THAT SAID, I, I WOULD, UH, ECHO MR. LAMOND THAT WE, I I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT TO THIS POINT. I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING IN THIS MOST RECENT, UM, CURIOUS LEGISLATION. I JUST CURIOUS, I KNOW, UM, IT'S, THIS IS FAIRLY SOMETHING NEW THAT CITIES ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH AND THEY'RE BECOMING MORE AND MORE COMMON. I MEAN, WE WE'RE EVEN SEEING THIS, IT'S SEEMS TO BE COMING UP EVERY, YOU KNOW, FEW MONTHS OR SO, AND I THINK IT'LL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. SO JUST WONDERING IF ANYBODY HEARD ANYTHING? YES, SIR. NO, I JUST WANNA SAY I, UH, I'M GLAD WE'RE DOING THIS. UM, I, I DON'T LIKE ANY PROCESS WHERE WE HAVE TO VOTE ON SOMETHING TWICE, REALLY, AND WE COULD ALMOST GET A PIECE OF PROPERTY STUCK IN BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, WE MAY APPROVE THE, THE GENERAL COMMERCIAL AND THEN NOT APPROVE THE SUP INTO YOUR POINT. IT, WE MIGHT END UP WITH A PIECE OF GENERAL COMMERCIAL THAT DOESN'T REALLY FIT THE AREA. AND THEN AS WE KNOW, AS WE'VE SEEN, ONCE YOU APPROVE THAT REZONE ANYTHING MM-HMM . ALLOWED, YOU KNOW, IN IN THAT CASE, ANYTHING ALLOWED ON GENERAL COMMERCIAL WOULD BE ABLE TO BE BUILT THERE. SO I LIKE THE FACT THAT WE'RE TAKING IT DOWN TO A SINGLE YAY OR NAY VOTE. UM, AND, AND JUST LOOKING AT THE, THE BEST, UM, YOU KNOW, AS THAT ONE SINGLE PROJECT, UM, ALL OF THESE CONCERNS, UH, CAN STILL BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THE SUP PROCESS. UM, WE CAN VOTE NO IF IT'S IN RESIDENTIAL, WE CAN STILL ADD LARGER SETBACKS, UM, IN THE SUP PROCESS AND, AND JUST THROUGH OUR, UH, APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL, WE CAN STILL CHOOSE TO SPACE 'EM OUT. SO [00:25:01] I THINK WE STILL HAVE, UM, WITH THIS PROCESS, IF WE PUT THIS PROCESS IN PLACE TONIGHT, WE COULD STILL ADDRESS EVERY ONE OF THESE CONCERNS. SO, UM, I, I'M, I'M GLAD WITH THE DIRECTION OF THIS. I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS TO US. I, I, I GUESS I WOULD POINT OUT TOO THAT THAT SPACING THEM OUT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, OF SPACE AGAIN, CENTER POINT, WOULD IT? SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE EXPERTS ON THIS. I WON'T CLAIM TO BE AN EXPERT ON HOW THAT PART OF THE SYSTEM WORKS. IF THEY HAD A CONCERN WITH IT, THEY HAVE TO HAVE CENTER POINTS COOPERATION TO MAKE A PROJECT LIKE THIS HAPPEN. IN FACT, THE ONE THAT, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED IN, WHAT WAS IT, LATE JULY, THAT ONE CENTER POINT WAS BUILDING THEM A SUBSTATION ON THEIR PROPERTY. SO THEY HAVE TO HAVE THAT, THAT, UH, COOPERATION FROM CENTER POINT. AND I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO, UH, IMAGINE THAT IF CENTER POINT HAD AN ISSUE WITH SPACING, THEY'D LET 'EM KNOW. SO, UM, I, I, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S OUT OF OUR, UM, AREA OF EXPERTISE. MM-HMM . ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU. DID WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGN UP FROM THE PUBLIC TO TALK? NO. IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING. MM-HMM. OKAY, THEN I'LL MAKE SOME COMMENTS. I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE THAT, UM, I, I LIKE THE IDEA OF MAYBE SPACING 'EM OUT A LITTLE BIT. GO AHEAD AND MAKE THAT ONE OF THE PRE REQUIREMENTS. YOU KNOW, WE DO THAT WITH APARTMENT COMPLEXES RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE A HALF HALF MILE RADIUS. SO, SO AGAIN, I WOULDN'T MIND A HALF MILE, MILE MIGHT BE TOO MUCH, BUT A HALF MILE JUST SO WE CAN SPACE 'EM OUT. UM, I LIKE THE IDEA OF ALLOWING THEM INTO ANY OF THE DISTRICTS BASED ON THE SPECIFICS. UM, I KNOW THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT PUTTING THEM IN ALLY ZONED AREAS, BUT WE HAVE AREAS THAT ARE RESIDENTIALLY ZONED, LIKE THE ONE WE'RE DISCUSSING THAT THE RAILROAD TRACK AND, AND THE UTILITY EASEMENT AND THE POWER LINE GOES RIGHT THROUGH THAT AREA. NOBODY'S GONNA BUILD HOUSES UNDERNEATH OR NEXT TO THAT ANYWAY. SO IT MAKES SENSE TO BE ABLE TO PUT AN SUP REQUIREMENTS ON, ON A BEST TYPE PREP PROJECT THERE. UH, I WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WAS CONCERNED LAST TIME ABOUT, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA APPROVE A ZONING CHANGE AND THEN IF THE BATTERY STORAGE GOES AWAY, THEY COULD BRING ANYTHING THEY WANT TO IN THERE. AND, AND THAT'S A BIGGER CONCERN TO ME ABOUT THE ENCROACHMENT ON THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS THAN, THAN THIS TYPE OF PROJECT. SO, BUT I AGREE, I APPRECIATE YOU SEEING THE CONFUSION AND THE ISSUES WORKING A SOLUTION TO, TO MAKE IT GOOD FOR EVERYBODY AND LEAVING THE FINAL DECISION HERE WITH THIS COUNCIL. AND, AND WE CAN ADD TO THIS, 'CAUSE THESE ARE JUST THE MINIMUMS MM-HMM . SO IF IT, IF A SPECIFIC LOCATION WE FEEL NEEDS BETTER SETBACKS OR WHATEVER, I, I THINK THEN WE CAN ADD THAT AS WE GO FORWARD. BUT IT WOULD BE PROJECT SPECIFIC AND NOT JUST UNILATERAL. SO I, I APPRECIATE STAFF'S EFFORT ON, ON IT, SO I I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA. YES, SIR. UM, I LIKE THE, THE DECOMMISSION PLAN. THAT'S WHAT WE DID WITH THE LAST PROJECT. UM, I STILL FEEL LIKE THE SETBACKS FOR THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT'S A LITTLE TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, I GOT SOME OF THAT REPORT FROM THE PNZ MEMBER AND KATIE'S DOING 750 FEET SETBACKS. UM, I THINK THE FURTHER, I'M NOT SAYING 750 FEET, BUT MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, 500 FEET, UM, FOR A MINIMUM FOR A SETBACK TO, SO WE COULD HAVE A LITTLE LEEWAY MAYBE IF THEY NEED, MAYBE WE, WE HAVE A, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT WHERE THEY'RE A LITTLE CLOSER, WE COULD KIND OF GIVE BACK AND, BUT MAYBE SETTING THAT MINIMAL POT REQUIREMENT FOR, UH, A LITTLE FURTHER BACK, FURTHER SETBACKS, UM, UH, WOULD BE I THINK PRUDENT FOR SAFETY. UM, ALSO I'VE SEEN AREAS WHERE THERE, THERE HAVE 24 HOUR MONITORING OF THAT, OF THAT. I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE, YOU KNOW, A MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR SOMETHING FOR US TO CONSIDER. UM, UH, YOU KNOW, SAFETY IS, IS KIND OF PARAMOUNT, UH, WITH THESE FACILITIES. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE PITTING IN THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO GUARANTEE THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT GUARANTEED, BUT, UM, ENSURE THAT THERE'S SOME, UH, SOME ADEQUATE SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE. MY MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE, THE, THE NORMAL PRACTICE FOR THESE GUYS IS TO, BECAUSE THEY DON'T MAN THEM 24 7, THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING HAPPENING. UM, OR THEY'RE, I MEAN, IT'S A BIG INVESTMENT TO JUST KINDA LEAVE OUT TO THE WIND, SO. ALRIGHT. WELL, I, I STILL LIKE TO SEE I MORE REQUIREMENT, SO. NO, IT'S GOOD. ANYONE ELSE? I WAS JUST GONNA ADD, UM, THAT IT'S, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY FROM THE LAST TIME, THANK YOU , THAT IT CAME UP. THEY, THEY DO HAVE A, A TWO FACTOR, UM, SAFETY ELEMENT TO IT. SO IF ONE BREAKS DOWN OR WHATEVER HAPPENS TO THE FIRST ONE, IT HAS A SECOND, UH, SAFETY. UM, I GUESS I [00:30:01] DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A SHUTOFF OR, OR WHATEVER IT IS, IF THERE'S LIKE A FIRE OR SOMETHING. I, I THINK CHIEF YOU WERE HERE WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT. AND SO THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT BUILT INTO THE SYSTEM. UM, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT CAMERAS. IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE WANTING IS FOR THEM TO PUT CAMERAS? YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. I, LIKE I SAID, IT'S AN ENORMOUS, UM, INVESTMENT FINANCIALLY. SO THEY, THEY'RE, FOR THEM NOT TO HAVE SOME SORT OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING WOULD ABSOLUTELY WOULD BE KINDA SILLY. BUT THE, THE OTHER PART OF THAT TOO IS AGAIN, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IF THERE'S A FIRE, THE, THE IDEA IS TO KEEP IT INSIDE THE BOX MM-HMM . SO THAT THEY KEEP IT INSIDE THE BOX AND THEN IT BASICALLY BURNS ITSELF OUT AND MELTS DOWN, DOES WHATEVER IT DOES MM-HMM . AND THEN NOBODY TOUCHES IT UNTIL THAT'S, UNTIL THAT HAS HAPPENED. SO, UM, I I, I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFICS ON ANY OTHER KIND OF SAFETY IF THEY HAVE ANY KIND OF A FIRE SUPPRESSION TYPE SYSTEM INSIDE IT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT YEAH, I ATTENDED THE COUNT, THE, UH, PLANNING AND ZONING MEETING BECAUSE I WANTED TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THIS. AND THERE WAS SOME VERY GOOD DISCUSSIONS GOING ON UP THERE. UM, I LEARNED A LOT, WHICH MADE ME WANT TO GO BACK AND DO SOME MORE RESEARCH. I'M GOING TO PROBABLY BE IN FAVOR GOING FORWARD OF A BIGGER SETBACK BECAUSE, UM, FROM WHAT I'VE FOUND, WHEN, WHEN SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED IN ANOTHER CITY, THEY HAD ALLOWED IT TO GO IN AND WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THEY REVISITED IT FOR THE PURPOSE OF SAFETY FOR THE CITIZENS AFTER SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED. AND I DON'T WANT US TO BE CAUGHT IN A POSITION WHERE WE WE'RE REVISITING IT FOR THE PURPOSE BECAUSE SOMETHING HAPPENED AND CITIZENS ARE SAYING, WELL, WHY DIDN'T WE DO A LITTLE BIT MORE? I, I DON'T THINK IT'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE WHETHER WE SET, UM, A HIGHER SETBACK HERE RIGHT NOW FOR A MINIMUM STANDARD OR WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION IF IT IS IN A, IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND SAY, LET'S PUT IT BACK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BEING IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS. BUT I DO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO, UM, STAFF ALSO TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMITTEE 'CAUSE THEY DID HAVE SOME DETAILED CONVERSATION. IT TAUGHT ME A LITTLE BIT MORE. IT MADE ME WANT TO GO BACK AND DO A LITTLE BIT MORE RESEARCH. ANYONE ELSE? GOOD DEAL. THERE BEING NO ONE ELSE DESIRING TO SPEAK. I NOW CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING AT 7:49 PM CONCERNING THE PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 1 1 1, UNIFYING LEAD DEVELOPMENT CODE OF THE BAYTOWN CODE OF ORDINANCES TO REVISE SECTIONS 2.31, 2.34 AND 7.25 FOR UPDATES REGARDING BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS. [b. Consider an ordinance concerning the proposed text amendment to Chapter 111, Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) of the Baytown Code of Ordinances to revise Sections 2.31, 2.34, and 7.25, for updates regarding Battery Energy Storage Systems.] NOW WE WILL CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING THE PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 1 1 1 UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE OF THE BAYTOWN CODE OF ORDINANCES TO DIVIDE TO REVISE SECTIONS 2.31, 2.34, AND 7.25 FOR UPDATES REGARDING BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS. MR. SCRIBNER? UH, I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD. GOOD DEAL. OH, ANYTHING ELSE? UH, SORRY. YEAH. UM, ON NINE A LOOKING AT THAT, THAT'S WHERE I'D WANT TO ADD THE CHANGE THE MINIMUM FROM 200 TO 400 AND THE MINIMUM 100 FROM ALL THE STRUCTURES TO LEAVE THAT ONE ALONE. BUT THAT, THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD CHANGE THE SETBACK IF WE'RE GONNA DO THAT. YEAH. CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT POWERPOINT OR THAT SLIDE WITH THE SETBACKS? YEAH. SO YOU'RE WANTING TO GO FROM WHAT I WOULD SAY 200 TO 400 ON RESIDENTIAL. ON RESIDENTIAL. OKAY. I'D BE ALL RIGHT WITH THAT. WHAT'S YOUR BASIS FOR THAT? WHAT'S THE WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING SEVEN. YOU'VE SEEN OTHER CITIES DO SEVEN 50 AND WE'RE JUST, I'M JUST, I'M THINKING RESIDENTIAL, WE WANT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER SAFETY FACTOR THAN, THAN THE 200. I MEAN, YOU'RE STILL GONNA COME TO A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. YOU CAN BRING IT. I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE AREAS WHERE YOU, YOU THINK YOU, THAT IT'S NOT GONNA FIT, YOU STILL COULD BRING IT UP TO AN SUP AND YOU COULD MINIMIZE IT IF WE NEEDED TO. IF WE NEED TO FEEL IN INSTANCES LIKE WE TALKING ABOUT, YOU CAN'T GO, YOU CAN'T GO LESS. RIGHT. I'M FINE KEEPING IT AS IS BECAUSE LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE CAN ALWAYS GO MORE, WE CAN, WE SEE EACH INDIVIDUAL PROJECT. I THINK THERE'S EVERY ONE OF 'EM IS GONNA HAVE, THEY'LL BE NUANCED. THEY MIGHT BE IN RESIDENTIAL, THEY MIGHT NOT BE. SO I'D BE FINE LEAVING IT WHERE IT IS, KNOWING THAT WE CAN ALWAYS INCREASE IT, UM, WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL PROJECT. OKAY. AND, AND KEEP IN MIND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT 200 FEET, 300 FEET, 400 FEET, THE 300 FEET YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A FOOTBALL FIELD, YOU KNOW, [00:35:01] YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED YARDS AWAY. I MEAN, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD DISTANCE. 200 FEET'S, PRETTY GOOD DISTANCE. BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE OPTION THAT WE CAN INCREASE IT ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS IF IT'S COMING OUT THE WAY THE CREEK GOES OR HOWEVER WE WANT IT FURTHER AWAY, WE CAN ADD AS FAR AS THIS COUNCIL, BUT AS A MINIMUM JUST TO GET STARTED THAT WAY, FOLKS COMING IN TO LOOK CAN SAY, OKAY, WE CAN MEET THE A HUNDRED FOOT OR THE 200 FOOT IN RESIDENTIAL. I'D LIKE TO, TO SEE US GO AHEAD AND ADD THE HALF MILE RADIUS. I MEAN WE DO IT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING IT FOR APARTMENT COMPLEXES. MM-HMM . LET'S, LET'S NOT HAVE THESE THINGS STACKED UP ALONG THE HIGHLINES. UM, I STILL THINK THAT SAME QUESTION I ASKED HIM THERE. WELL WHAT'S THE BASIS FOR THAT? BECAUSE I MEAN, APARTMENTS, THE BASIS WAS DENSITY. THE DENSITY AND THE, IF YOU BUILD 'EM ALL NEXT TO EACH OTHER, THE WATER USAGE, THE SEWER USAGE THAT, I MEAN THIS, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THOSE SAME CONCERNS WITH SOME BEST SYSTEMS THAT ARE CLOSE TOGETHER. I'LL AGREE. WE, AND IF THERE'S MULTIPLE, 'CAUSE IT COULD BE MULTIPLE IN A, IN HOT, IN HEAVY INDUSTRY OR LIGHT INDUSTRY. SO, AND IT DEPENDS, KEEP IN MIND WE CAN ALWAYS SAY, OH, YOU'VE GOT THREE OTHERS WITHIN, WITHIN THE HALF MILE, WE'RE NOT GONNA APPROVE THIS ONE. SO OKAY, I'LL GO WITH THAT. WHY WE KEEP IN MIND TOO THAT THOSE ARE, UH, THE APARTMENTS AND UH, THE OTHER ONE IS THE SELF STORAGE. THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE COUNCIL POLICIES. YEAH. THEY'RE NOT IN, THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE ORDINANCE. SO AS, AS A COUNCIL POLICY, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAY, OKAY, WE WE'RE GONNA WAIVE THAT POLICY FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT. OKAY. THE ORDINANCE BECOMES A DIFFERENT STORY. SO CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT ONE MORE TIME, HOW DID WE COME UP WITH A 200 FOOT FROM RESIDENTIAL? UH, THE, THE 200 FEET WAS, UM, JUST BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE, BASED ON SOME OF THE OTHER PORTIONS OF THE CODE AND WHAT SEEMED TO MAKE SENSE, UM, JUST FROM A, WITH THE BUFFERING THAT WE'RE ALSO REQUIRING WITH THE WALL, THAT THIS SEEMED TO BE ADEQUATE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN I SEE IT? CAN I SMELL IT? IF THERE'S A FIRE, AM I GONNA BE IN DANGER? IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THERE, IT, THERE WAS A A, THERE, THERE WAS NOT A SPECIFIC FORMULA INVOLVED, BUT IT JUST KIND OF BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE AND AND HOW THE CODE READS. SO THEY DID THINK ABOUT SAFETY, NOT JUST YEAH, OF COURSE. OKAY, GOT YOU. NOT JUST THROUGHOUT A NUMBER. YEAH, EXACTLY. AND THAT'S WHAT I WANTED, UH, PEOPLE TO HEAR THIS, THIS WASN'T A NUMBER THAT WAS JUST PICKED FROM THIN AIR. AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK MM-HMM . AND ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. ANYTHING ELSE? NO. OKAY. I NEED A MOTION. MOTION TO APPROVE FOUR B. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? A. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NAY. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THIS IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE CCI GOT YOU. OKAY. GOT IT. OKAY, [c. Conduct a public hearing on a proposal to adopt a tax rate of $0.70042, which is effectively a .34 percent increase in the tax rate.] NOW WE ARE ON TO FOUR C. CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSAL TO ADOPT A TAX RATE OF 0.70042, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 34% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE. POINT THREE 0.34% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE. OH MY BAD. IT IS NOW SEVEN. SAY IT ONE MORE TIME. JUST 0.34. IT IS 0.34. IT IS NOW 7:55 PM AND I CALLED TO ORDER THIS PUBLIC HEARING TO ADOPT THE TAX RATE OF 0.70042, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 0.34% TAX IN TAX RATE INCREASE IN TAX RATE. MS. MCKENZIE. OKAY, MAYOR AND COUNSEL. UM, IF YOU RECALL DURING THE WORK SESSION, UM, ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, WE WALKED THROUGH THE, UM, PROPERTY TAX CALCULATION. OUR CURRENT TAX RATE IS 0.70042. AS THE MAYOR JUST STATED, OUR NO NEW REVENUE IS 0.69803 AND THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE WAS 0.7727. UM, WE WERE GIVEN DIRECTION TO BRING BACK THE TAX RATE AT 0.70042. AND OF COURSE, UM, SINCE THAT TIME THERE COULD BE CHANGES. YOU COULD BE, UM, BE, UH, WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE A RATE THAT IS LESS THAN THAT AMOUNT. SO YOU ALWAYS HAVE THAT ABILITY TO DO SO. SO AT THIS TIME, UM, WE ARE REQUESTING THAT YOU VOTE ON A TAX RATE THAT YOU FEEL YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH. GOOD DEAL. UM, WE HAVE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS. FIRST WE'RE [00:40:01] GONNA GO WITH MS. CELIA REVY. DID I GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME? I DIDN'T STILL LET'S CILA CILA. IT'S CILA. CILA CILA, OKAY. GOT YOU. MY APOLOGIES. THANK YOU, SIR. WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, STATE YOUR ADDRESS FOR RECORD? 4 6 1 2 COUNTRY CLUB VIEW. HI. OKAY. AS A RESIDENT AND HOMEOWNER IN BAYTOWN, I RESPECT OF RESPECTFULLY URGE YOU TO PASS A RATE NO HIGHER THAN THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. THIS PROPOSED NEW TAX RATE DOES NOT MEET THAT AND IT INCREASES PROPERTY TAXES ON RESIDENTS WHO ARE ALREADY FACING HIGHER APPRAISER APPRAISAL VALUES AND EXPENSES. ADDITIONALLY, IF THE 151 MILLION IN GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR PARKS, DRAINAGE, ROADS, AND FACILITIES ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT PASSES, OUR CURRENT TAX OBLIGATION WILL CONTINUE RATHER THAN BE REDUCED. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT PREVIOUS BONDS HAVE BEEN NOW PAID OFF AND THE CITY IS ASKING FOR THESE NEW BONDS. INSTEAD OF BETTER BUDGETING TO ALLOW THE TAX REDUCTION FROM THE PAID OFF DEBT, WE MUST KEEP PROPERTY TAXES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE. THE CITY SHOULD HONOR THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND SHOW RESIDENTS YOU ARE IN THIS FIGHT WITH US AND NOT AGAINST US. THE CITY NEEDS TO EARN BACK PUBLIC TRUST BY BEING BETTER STEWARDS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS. SINCE THE PROBLEMS WITH OTHER CITY ENDEAVORS, SUCH AS THE GOLF COURSE AND THE HOTEL HAVE ERODED, MUCH OF THAT TRUST INCREASING OUR TAXES WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO OUR CONFIDENCE IN CITY LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS A DRAIN ON OUR FINANCES. ALSO, PASSING A TAX INCREASE COULD JEOPARDIZE THE PASSING OF THE ESSENTIAL CRIME AND FIRE CONTROL DISTRICT SALES TAXES, WHICH WILL ALSO BE ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. THESE TAXES ON TOP OF RAISING UTILITY RATES WOULD BE ALL TOO MUCH OF A BURDEN FOR BAYTOWN RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NOW WE WILL HAVE MS. MARGA MATTHEWS AND WE HAVE MS. CYNTHIA COKER PASSING TIME TO MS. MARGA MATTHEWS. I GOT YOUR NAME RIGHT. MS. MARGA MATTHEWS. YES. GOOD DEAL. WOULD YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR ADDRESS FOR RECORD? IT'S UH, 6 0 6 EAST REPUBLIC AVENUE. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. I URGE YOU TO REJECT THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.70042 AND INSTEAD ADOPT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE OF 0.69803. WHY? BECAUSE THE NO NEW RATE, NEW REVENUE RATE IS THE FAIREST APPROACH. IT IS THE RATE THAT PREVENTS GOVERNMENT FROM COLLECTING MORE MONEY SIMPLY BECAUSE PROPERTY VALUES WENT UP. IT KEEPS REVENUES FLAT FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT AND IT PROTECTS TAXPAYERS FROM HITTING INCREASES THE PROPOSED RATE, THOUGH IT LOOKS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR, WILL RAISE TAXES ON AN AVERAGE HOME. THE CITY ITSELF SHOWS AN INCREASE. NOW THAT'S JUST THE CITY'S, UH, BAY TOWN'S PIECES OF THE PUZZLE. BUT HOMEOWNERS DON'T GET SEPARATE BILLS FOR THE CITY, THE COUNTY, AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. IT ALL COMES IN ONE TAX BILL. AND WHEN YOU ADD THE CITY'S INCREASE TO THE HARRIS COUNTY RATE AND THE GOOSE CREEK RATE, IT ALL STACKS UP. FAMILIES END UP PAYING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS MORE EACH YEAR, NOT JUST A SMALL BUMP. FOR MANY HOUSEHOLDS, ESPECIALLY SENIORS ON FIXED INCOMES AND WORKING FAMILIES STRETCHED THIN BY INFLATION, THAT CUMULATIVE IMPACT IS CRUSHING. IT'S NOT JUST A NUMBER ON PAPER, IT'S GROCERIES, UTILITY BILLS AND MEDICINE. AND THIS YEAR THE CITY'S ALSO ASKING VOTERS IN NOVEMBER TO APPROVE A NEW BOND PACKAGE. THAT BOND IS BACKED BY PROPERTY TAXES. AND EVEN IF IT DOESN'T HIT IMMEDIATELY, IT REPRESENTS FUTURE TAX INCREASES LAYERED ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE. THAT'S WHY ADOPTING THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS SO CRITICAL. IT DOESN'T MEAN CUTTING SERVICES. IT MEANS HOLDING THE LINE AND REPRESENTING TAXPAYERS, UM, WHO ARE ALREADY PAYING MORE THROUGH HIGHER VALUATIONS AND COMBINE LOCAL TAX BURDENS. IT MEANS THE CITY IS WILLING TO TIGHTEN ITS BELT THE WAY RESIDENTS HAVE TO TIGHTEN THEIRS. THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE ENCOURAGES PHYSICAL DISCIPLINE, EFFICIENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. JUST AS HOUSEHOLDS AND SMALL BUSINESSES [00:45:01] HAVE TO BUDGET AND CUT WASTE, THE CITY SHOULD DO THE SAME. BY ADOPTING THIS RATE, YOU SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT BAYTOWN RESPECTS ITS TAXPAYERS AND IS COMMITTED TO RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP OF PUBLIC FUNDS. YOU HAVE A CHOICE TONIGHT. ADOPT A RATE THAT QUIETLY TAKES MORE FROM THE PEOPLE OR ADOPT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND SHOW THAT BAYTOWN STANDS FOR PHYSICAL RESPONSIBILITY AND TAXPAYER PROTECTION. I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO CHOOSE THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. AND, UH, ALSO WANNA ADD THAT WE HAVE TO, AS A CITY OF BAYTOWN, BE PHYSICAL RESPONSIBLE. WE WASTE A LOT OF MONEY AND YOU KNOW IT, PEOPLE SEE IT. PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED. THEY COME UP HERE TO SPEAK BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA DO IS LET Y'ALL KNOW WHAT WE THINK. AND I HOPE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE, THE PEOPLE ARE THE ONES THAT VOTE Y'ALL IN. SO BE PHYSICAL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUNDS THAT Y'ALL ARE GETTING FROM OUR POCKETS. SO THAT MEANS CUTTING STUFF THAT Y'ALL ARE WASTING MONEY ON. AND Y'ALL KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT Y'ALL WASTE MONEY ON AND I, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST OUTRAGEOUS. WE BUDGET FROM THE HOUSEHOLD AND Y'ALL SHOULD BUDGET SHOWING US HOW Y'ALL SPEND OUR MONEY WISELY. NOT JUST GO OUT THERE AND SPEND, SPEND, SPEND AND JUST THINK THAT IT'S OKAY. IT'S NOT OKAY. IT'S NOT OKAY FOR US AT HOME AND IT'S NOT OKAY FOR Y'ALL. SO PLEASE BE PHYSICAL RESPONSIBLE AND LET US SEE THAT ACROSS THE BOARD, NOT JUST ONE PERSON. ALL OF Y'ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. MATTHEWS. NEXT WE HAVE NICHOLAS RICE. ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS NICK RICE 99 0 3 PINEHURST. I'M ALSO HERE TO SPEAK IN STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED TAX RATE, WHICH IS ABOVE THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND WOULD RESULT IN AN OVERALL TAX INCREASE. I WANNA SAY I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING THAT BAYTOWN COLLECTS THE MOST THAT IT CAN FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS. AND YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE UNIQUENESS OF BAYTOWN WHEN WEIGHING THE TAX RATE. BUT THE TIMING MATTERS, AND THIS IS SIMPLY NOT THE TIME TO RAISE TAXES IN A FEW SHORT WEEKS. THE CITY IS ASKING VOTERS TO APPROVE A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 18 YEARS, AS WELL AS TO RENEW THE CRIME CONTROL AND FIRE CONTROL DISTRICTS. MANY OF THE MOST OF, MOST OF THESE INITIATIVES ARE CRITICAL TO OUR FUTURE AND THEIR SUCCESS DEPENDS ON THE PUBLIC TRUST. MANY OF US, MYSELF INCLUDED, ARE WORKING HARD TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS ON WHY THESE MEASURES MATTER. AND RAISING TAXES NOW WOULD MAKE THAT WORK MUCH HARDER. A RISK CONFUSING VOTERS CREATING SKEPTICISM AND UNDERMINING SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS WE KNOW ARE ESSENTIAL. SO LET'S CONSIDER WHAT'S AT STAKE. WITHOUT THE C-C-P-D-A $99,000 PATROL CAR WOULD HAVE TO COME OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. GUTS WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE WITHOUT THE FIRE CONTROL DISTRICT. A $1.3 MILLION FIRE TRUCK REPLACEMENT ALSO WOULD COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND. AGAIN, CUTS WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE IN THE BOND PACKAGE. WEST BAYTOWN DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS TOTAL $10 MILLION, WHICH HAVE NOT APPROVED, CANNOT BE CONSIDERED FOR SEVERAL YEARS. ALTOGETHER, THE BOND AND SPECIAL DISTRICTS PROPOSITIONS REPRESENT MORE THAN $155 MILLION. SO LET'S COMPARE THAT TO ABOUT 232,000 MORE COLLECTED FROM THE IDA, WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON YOUR SCREEN WITH THIS PROPOSED TAX RATE. SO LET'S ASK OURSELVES, IS IT WORTH RISKING OVER $155 MILLION IN PROPOSITIONS FOR $232,000? THE ANSWER IS NO. AT THE LAST WORK SESSION, A FEW OF YOU SAID THAT THIS WOULD ONLY RAISE TAXES ABOUT $5 A YEAR FOR MOST HOMEOWNERS. AND THAT MAY BE CORRECT, BUT THE REALITY IS AN INCREASE IS AN INCREASE. AND WITH ELECTION DAY JUST SIX WEEKS AWAY, THERE IS NO TIME TO SPEND IT AND NO TIME TO REFRAME IT. ONCE THAT MESSAGE IS OUT, IT CANNOT BE TAKEN BACK. AN INCREASE IS AN INCREASE, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. AND THAT FACT ALONE COULD SINK THE VERY INITIATIVES THAT YOU'RE ASKING VOTERS TO PASS. FUTURE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE TAX RATE CAN AND SHOULD HAPPEN, BUT AT A MORE APPROPRIATE TIME, WHEN THEY DON'T CLOUD, THE CONVERSATION WITH VOTERS ARE UNDERMINE THEIR TRUST. RIGHT NOW. THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON EARNING THAT TRUST, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON THESE INITIATIVES AND DEMONSTRATING FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE REASONS. I'M STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THIS INCREASE AND URGE COUNSEL TO DO THE SAME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? THAT'S IT. OH, WE HAVE ONE MORE. [00:50:02] MR. DAVID ISAAC. DID I GET YOUR NAME RIGHT? YES YOU DID. MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. WOULD YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD? YES, SIR. DAVID ISAAC, UH, BAYTOWN, TEXAS, UH, LANDMARK DRIVE, 28 12 7 7 5 2 1. I SPEAK TO YOU THIS EVENING, UM, AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN WHO HAS BEEN ON A BALLOT JUST THIS PAST, UH, SPRING. I GOT ABOUT 500 VOTES IN THE COMMUNITY, SEVERAL OF WHICH ARE IN YOUR DISTRICT, YOUR DISTRICT, YOUR DISTRICT ALL OVER THE TOWN. AND, UH, I BELIEVE I HAVE A, A, A PULSE ON THE, UH, TOWN SENTIMENT REGARDING THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND THIS TAX RATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADOPT TONIGHT. AND, UM, IT BEWILDERS ME TO DO THIS, BUT I AGREE WITH THE INDIVIDUALS WHO SPOKE BEFORE ME. YOU OKAY ? YEAH, I'M OKAY. YEAH, I'M ALL RIGHT. BUT, UH, AND IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A REPUBLICAN THING OR A DEMOCRAT THING. IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A BAYTOWN THING ROUND THESE PARTS. UH, WE LIKE TO ADOPT A RATE AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. I SEE THAT WE'VE DONE THAT TONIGHT SINCE THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE IS 0.77. THAT WOULD BE, UH, QUITE THE TAX INCREASE. NOW, UH, AS MR. RICE HAD STATED, THIS IS EFFECTIVELY A TAX INCREASE AND WE DO HAVE A BOND COMING UP HERE IN NOVEMBER. AND I THINK PERHAPS IT WOULD BE AN INCENTIVE FOR PERHAPS A TALKING POINT FOR OUR, UH, COUNCIL TO GO TO THE PUBLIC AND EXPLAIN THAT WE ADOPTED A, A REVENUE RATE, A A A TAX RATE AT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO CLAW ANYTHING EXTRA. UH, WE HEARD, UH, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOND COMMITTEE SPEAK PUBLICLY THIS MORNING AND SAY THAT, UH, IF WE DO PASS THIS BOND, IT WON'T BE A TAX RATE INCREASE AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE SOME GOOD THINGS GOING FOR US. AND I THINK IF WE STAY THAT TRACK, IF WE STAY THAT COURSE, UH, WE CAN CONTINUE TO GARNER PUBLIC SUPPORT AND PUBLIC TRUST AS THESE INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE AISLE HAVE EXPLAINED TO YOU. NOW, UM, I DO NOTICE I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE MATH OVER THERE, 26,121,756 COMPARED TO 25,975,558 IS, UH, CONVENIENTLY ABOUT $150,000. NOW, IF WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET US, UH, THAT BUS SYSTEM FULLY FUNDED, MAYBE I'LL THINK TWICE ABOUT, UH, UH, ADOPTING A NO NEW REVENUE RATE THIS EVENING. WE COULD TALK ABOUT THAT LATER. BUT, UM, ANYWAY, AS OF NOW THOUGH, I WOULD LIKE FOR THE COUNCIL TO REJECT THIS TAX INCREASE AND TO, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT A TAX RATE AT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE PROPOSED THIS EVENING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK. THERE BEING NO ONE ELSE DESIRING TO SPEAK. I NOW CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING AT 8:09 PM CONCERNING THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE OF 0.70042, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 0.34% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE. [d. Consider an ordinance approving the ad valorem tax rate for the City of Baytown, Texas, for fiscal year ending September 30, 2026. Approval of the ordinance will set the property tax rate at $0.70042 per $100 valuation for the 2025 Tax Year. The General Fund maintenance and operations tax rate will be set at $.42703 per $100 valuation and debt service tax rate set at $.27339 per $100 valuation for fiscal year ending September 30, 2026.] NOW WE ARE ON TO FOUR D. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE VALARA TAX RATE FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, TEXAS FOR PHYSICAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026. APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE, WE'LL SET THE PROPERTY TAX RATE AT 0.70042 PER $100 VALUATION FOR THE 2025 TAX YEAR. THE GENERAL, THE GENERAL FUND MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TAX RATE WILL BE SET AT 0.42703 PER $100 VALUATION AND DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE AT 0.27339 POINT PER $100 VALU FOR PHYSICAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026. MS. MCKENZIE, UH, MAYOR COUNSEL, I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. COMMENT, MS. MAYOR, IF YOU DON'T MIND, AND I'M ONE OF THE ONES THAT HAVE ADVOCATED HOLDING THE LINE AT THE, THE, UM, 0.70042 AND, AND I, I PAY TAXES LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. BUT WHEN I LOOK AT THE CHALLENGE OF, AND EVERYBODY THAT CAME TO THE PODIUM TODAY TALKED ABOUT, WE HAVE TO BE PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE $5 A YEAR TO THE AVERAGE RESIDENT VERSUS 50 TO $70,000 A YEAR SAVINGS FOR ONE OF OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT. SO I'M TRYING TO BE PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE. UM, I WOULD NOT HAVE, I WOULD NOT HAVE ENTERTAINED ANY TYPE OF SIGNIFICANT TAX INCREASE, BUT WE HAVE TO START HOLDING THE LINE BECAUSE TO BE PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE, WE HAVE TO START LOOKING AT OUR IDA AGREEMENTS THAT ARE IN PLACE. THOSE AGREEMENTS ARE BASED ON THE TAX RATE. THEIR VALUES ARE SET BY NEGOTIATION IN THE IDA FROM MY UNDERSTANDING. SO THEIR VALUE, THEIR, UNLIKE US, [00:55:01] OUR PROPERTY VALUES GO UP EVERY YEAR. THEIR PROPERTY VALUES IS NEGOTIATED AND STAYS THE SAME. THEIR IMPACT IS WHEN WE, WHEN WE LOWER THE TAX RATE, THEY GET A SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS. SO $5 A YEAR PER AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD, AGAIN, IT IS A TAX INCREASE, BUT $5 A YEAR, YOU CAN'T GO BUY A COKE FOR THAT. BUT TO REQUIRE AT THE SAME TIME REQUIRE OUR, IN ONE OF OUR, JUST ONE OF THE INDUSTRY LEADERS TO, TO HAVE TO PAY UP 50 TO $70,000, THAT'S WHERE WE START BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT LETTING THAT MONEY JUST GO AWAY. I UNDERSTAND IT'S BAD TIMING. IT IS NEVER A GOOD TIME TO RAISE TAXES. I DON'T CARE IF THERE'S A BOND OR NOT A BOND. AND I, AND I'VE HEARD IT TOO. WELL, IF Y'ALL ARE GONNA RAISE TAXES, THE BOND IS GONNA FAIL. LOOK AT THE PROJECTS ON THE BOND AND MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. MM-HMM . THE PROMISE THAT TAXES WON'T GO UP WITH THE BOND IS JUST A FORECAST. IF, IF WE KEEP LOWERING OUR NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND THEN WE CAN'T COVER OUR BILLS, GUESS WHAT? WE'LL HAVE TO COME BACK AND RAISE TAXES. THAT'S RIGHT. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING NOT TO DO. WE'RE TRYING TO HOLD THE LINE AGAIN. $5 IS $5. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS AN INCREASE, BUT I'M TRYING TO HOLD THE IDA SIDE MORE ACCOUNTABLE AND AND REPRESENTATIVE TO THE TAX BILL. SO I'M TRYING TO TO, TO MEET BOTH SIDES OF THAT ARGUMENT. SO I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS HOLDING THE LINE AT 70 CENTS OR THE 0.7 0 0 0 4 2, I, I THINK THE AVERAGE RESIDENT IN TOWN CAN AFFORD THE $5 A YEAR AVERAGE INCREASE. BUT LET'S LOOK AT, WE'RE GAINING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A YEAR FROM OUR IDAS. SO AS WAS BROUGHT OUT, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR MONEY FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS, BUS SERVICES OR WHATEVER, THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA START FINDING THAT TYPE OF MONEY IS WE HAVE TO START BEING LONG TERM BROAD SCOPE, PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE. SO THAT'S WHERE I'M WITH THAT. AND, AND AGAIN, I, I GET THE SAME TAX BILLS FROM HARRIS COUNTY AND GOOSE CREEK AND, AND BELIEVE ME, THEY'RE GOING UP. WE'RE TRYING TO HOLD THE LINE. SO WHEN WE GET THE PUSHBACK, TRY TO SEPARATE THOSE TAX NUMBERS OUT AND SEE THAT WE'VE HELD THE LINE OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS. I THINK THE CITY MANAGER LAST TIME MENTIONED WE'D HAVE, WE HAVE LOWERED THE TAX RATE 12 CENTS, ALMOST 12 CENTS. YEAH. SO WE ARE DOING ALL WE CAN, BUT IT REACHES A POINT THAT IF WE CONTINUE TO GO DOWNWARD, THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE REALLY BENEFITING ARE THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT AGREEMENTS. AND, AND WE GOTTA HOLD THE LINE THERE. AND, AND IT'S JUST THE WAY THOSE ARE DESIGNED AND HOW THEY'RE BUILT AND STRUCTURED THAT WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THAT. SO WE HAVE TO START DRAWING A LINE SOMEWHERE. MAYOR, THAT'S ALL I GOT. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? YES, SIR. UH, I AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS THEY WERE DOING TONIGHT. I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S WHAT I'VE SAID IN THE PREVIOUS COUPLE MEETINGS, UM, FOR THE AMOUNT THAT WE'RE GONNA GET BY RAISING THIS, THIS TAX RATE, I, I DON'T SEE A, A RETURN ON THAT. I DO THINK IT, I, I AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS THAT I THINK IT PUTS SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS ON THE BALLOT AT RISK. UM, I DEFINITELY THINK IT, IT'S, IT'S UNSUSTAINABLE TO STAY AT NO NEW REVENUE FOREVER. I THINK WE ALL REALIZE THAT. MM-HMM . AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS, WHAT ARE SOME OF, SOME OF THE THINGS WE CAN DO. UM, I JUST THINK THOSE ARE MUCH BIGGER CONVERSATIONS, UM, MORE THAN JUST $5 PER HOUSEHOLD. UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED MORE TIME TO PLAN. UH, MAYBE WE LOOK AT THAT FOR THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE WE HAVE WHEN WE HAVE MUCH MORE TIME TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS, GET PUBLIC INPUT. UM, I JUST DON'T THINK, UH, THE JUICE IS WORTH THE SQUEEZE, SO TO SPEAK. UM, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE $5, $5 PER HOUSEHOLD IS NOT WORTH US SAYING THAT WE ARE RAISING TAXES THIS YEAR. AND THAT'S ALL. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? YES, SIR. YEAH, I JUST WANT TO, UH, KIND OF PIGGYBACK, 'CAUSE I KNOW IN THE WORK SESSION I WAS IN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF INGREDIENTS WITH THE THEORY OF WHAT WAS GOING ON AND MAYBE AFTER TALKING TO MANY RESIDENTS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS A GOOD TIME TO, TO RAISE TAXES AND, UM, TO, TO ECHO WHAT, WHAT THEY HEARD. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN A, A CHAMPION FOR, YOU KNOW, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, BEING RESPONSIBLE WITH THE REVENUE THAT WE'RE GETTING IN. SO, YOU KNOW, WHILE I WANT TO LOOK AT THIS GOING FORWARD AND WAYS TO MAYBE CAPTURE THOSE IDA DOLLARS AND MAYBE SEE IF THERE'S A REBATE ON THE, THE BACKEND AND THE FUTURE FOR LIKE OUR, OUR TRASH PICKUP AND OUR WATER BILL, WHICH IS STEADY GOING UP AS WELL. UM, RIGHT NOW, UM, I'M FEELING CONFIDENT WITH JUST STAYING AT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE RIGHT NOW, TIGHTENING OUR BELT AND, AND MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WITH THOSE REVENUE DOLLARS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO [01:00:01] THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR. UM, SO I WAS ONE OF THE ONES, UM, ALSO CHAMPIONING FOR US TO, TO HOLD THE LINE. AND I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE SAID BECAUSE I THINK FOR ONCE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU AND I IN THE PAST WHEN IT CAME TO THE TAX RATE, WE'VE, WE'VE BUTTED HEADS A LOT. UM, BUT I, I WANNA BE CLEAR, AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PUBLIC THAT CAME OUT TO SPEAK, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE. I, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL COMING. I DO. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I, WHEN I LOOK AT THE SUPPORT FOR BONDS, AND I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE Y'ALL BROUGHT UP THAT THE BONDS WOULD BE IN, IN PERIL IF WE DON'T GO WITH NO NEW REVENUE BEFORE WE INTRODUCED MM-HMM . OUR TAX RATE. PEOPLE ARE ALREADY SAYING, I'M NOT GONNA VOTE FOR THE BONDS. I WILL NEVER VOTE FOR A BOND. AND THOSE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT, THAT I'VE SEEN ON ONLINE THAT HAVE COME UP TO ME AND SAID, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE DOING A BOND. SO I DON'T THINK I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A VALID POINT. UM, I RESPECT YOUR VIEWS TO, TO THINK THAT THAT IS A VALID POINT. I COMPLETELY RESPECT IT. BUT FOR FOLKS THAT IN THE PAST TO, BEFORE WE PRESENTED THE NO NEW REVENUE OR, OR OUR TAX RATE, WE'RE ALREADY SAYING NO TO THE, TO THE BONDS. UM, WHAT I DO HOPE, SHOULD WE GO WITH THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, IS THAT THERE WILL BE GREATER SUPPORT IN THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE COME TO SPEAK SAYING THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THE BONDS ARE, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY NOT GOING TO PASS. THAT YOU, I WILL SEE YOU OUT THERE CHAMPIONING FOR THE BONDS TO PASS. UM, BECAUSE FOR ME, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I LOOK AT WHEN I MAKE THE DECISIONS. UM, THE FACT THAT YES, YOU DO VOTE US SIN, BUT AT ANY TIME, THAT IS TOLD TO US ALL THE TIME, NOT JUST DURING THIS TIME. SO FOR ME, MYSELF, I DON'T MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON KEEPING MY SEAT. I DON'T MAKE DECISIONS THAT, WELL, YOU'RE GONNA BE ON THE BALLOT THIS YEAR. WE HAVE TO MAKE DEC TOUGH, TOUGH DECISIONS EVERY SINGLE DAY. UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT I LOOK TO EVERY TIME I GET AN AGENDA AND EVERY TIME WE HAVE TO REVIEW. AND, AND SO I, I DO THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING TO SPEAK. UM, WE HAVE REVIEW SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS AND, UM, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I NEED YOU TO GO OUT AND SUPPORT THE BOND IF YOU'RE COMING HERE FOR US TO SUPPORT THE NO NEW, NO NEW REVENUE. UM, AND SO THAT'S ALL I ASK IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS US WORKING FOR YOU, BUT THEN WE HAVE, WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER, JUST LIKE I SAID EARLIER IN MY PRAYER. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER, ALL OF US. AND SO IT IS NOT JUST ON US TO BE OUT THERE ASKING YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, BUT IT GOES BOTH WAYS. AND SO I WANT YOU TO KEEP THAT IN MIND. AND, AND I HEARD EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU, BUT THAT, THAT WOULD NOT BE ONE OF MY FACTORS WHETHER I, I CHANGED MY MIND ON HOLDING THE LINE OR, OR GOING WITH NNR BECAUSE THAT, THAT SHOULDN'T CHANGE MY MIND. AND I WOULD HOPE IT WOULD NOT CHANGE ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES' MIND BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID THEY WOULD LOSE THEIR SEAT. IT'S BE, IF WE DO SOMETHING, IT'S BECAUSE WE FEEL IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. SO THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. UM, IF YOU WATCHED THE WORK SESSION, UM, OR IF YOU WERE HERE LAST WEEK, UM, I WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT I, I, BEFORE JASON TOLD US THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO GIVE DIRECTION, I WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY GLAD WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A VOTE TONIGHT, BECAUSE I FELT LIKE MY, MY COLLEAGUE POWELL OVER THERE, HE HAD A GREAT POINT. HE USED THE WORD OPTICS. UM, AND, AND SOME OF YOU HAD THE SAME SENTIMENT TONIGHT WHEN YOU WERE TALKING. IT'S, IT'S NOT GOOD OPTICS TO GO OUT FOR A BOND AND THEN ALSO INCREASE THE TAX RATE, OR AS WE CALL IT, HOLD AT THE LINE. BUT THEN ALSO BIG PICTURE, I, AND, AND I SAID IT, I WAS TORN. UM, WHAT MIKE IS SAYING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS CONTINUED TO LOWER THE TAXES. UH, WE WERE AT 83 CENTS AND NOW WE'RE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, UM, 60, WELL, 70 CENTS. MM-HMM . UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE CONSTANTLY HEAR PEOPLE UPSET, WHETHER IT'S GREEN CENTER PRICES, TRASH PRICES, THE BUS SYSTEM. UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON COUNCIL, WE TALKED ABOUT THESE BUCKETS. YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S MDD OR THIS, THE GENERAL BUDGET OR THIS BUDGET AND, AND NOT ALL BUDGETS ARE CREATED EQUAL AND MONEY HAS TO COME OUT OF DIFFERENT PLACES. AND THERE'S NOT A MONEY TREE BUDGET. I KNOW THAT. AND SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION AT THE WORK SESSION, AND WE [01:05:01] ENDED UP WITH THIS AT THE, AT THE END WHEN I SAID, WELL, I'M GLAD WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A VOTE. AND THEN JASON, WELL ACTUALLY WE HAVE TO HAVE A CONSENSUS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAME TO THIS FIVE TWO CONSENSUS THAT IT MADE THE MOST SENSE FISCALLY TO HOLD THE LINE AND THEN SEEK, UM, SEEK A WAY TO, UH, MAYBE, UM, SUBSIDIZE IN SOME OTHER AREAS IN THE FUTURE. MY BIGGEST CONCERN, AND, AND I, I AM GONNA BE IN SUPPORT OF NO NEW REVENUE, SO EVERYBODY CAN TAKE THEIR DEEP BREATHS. BUT MY, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE THE SAME CITIZENS THAT COME ALL THE TIME, AND I APPRECIATE SO MUCH, I LEARN SO MUCH. I GET Y'ALL DO SO MUCH OF, OF THE BACKEND RESEARCH AND BRING US SUCH GOOD INFORMATION, THE SAME PEOPLE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. BUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT YEAR WHEN THE BOND'S NOT ON HERE AND WE HAVE A NEW GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE UP CAMPAIGNING FOR THEIR SPOT. WHAT'S GONNA BE THE NEW TAGLINE OF WHY WE CAN'T, UM, WHY, WHY WE CAN'T HOLD THE LINE NEXT YEAR? AT WHAT POINT DO WE TURN THE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE RHETORIC TO, IT'S NOT A RED OR A BLUE THING. IT'S NOT CHECKING A BOX OF WHAT SIDE OF THE AISLE IS WHAT IS BEST FOR BAYTOWN. AND THAT I'M, I'M VERY, I'M FRUSTRATED RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THIS IS A LOCAL SEAT. I'M NOT A STATE, I'M NOT A COUNTY, I'M NOT A NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE. I COME IN HERE BECAUSE I LIVE OVER IN PELLY. MY HOUSE PROBABLY IS WORTH LESS THAN MOST PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM. AND SO WHEN PEOPLE GET UP HERE AND, AND TALK LIKE, I'M NOT PAYING TAXES TOO, OR LIKE, I AIN'T DRIVING MY MAMA'S CAR UP HERE TO CITY HALL EVERY DAY. IT'S, IT'S HURTFUL. I'M MAKING THESE DECISIONS FOR WHAT'S NOT ONLY BEST FOR MY FAMILY, BUT ALSO IS BEST FOR BAYTOWN. AND I THINK ALL OF US ARE DOING THAT. I AM GONNA BE IN SUPPORT OF NO NEW REVENUE, BUT I DO HOPE I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA REPEAT YOU. I THE SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE SAYING THAT IT MIGHT, UH, YOU KNOW, NEGATIVELY OR POSITIVELY IMPACT THE, THE BOND THAT YOU'LL GET ON BOARD WITH THAT I'M GONNA HOLD EVERYONE ACCOUNTABLE TO NEXT YEAR WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE MOST FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO WITH THE TAX RATE NEXT YEAR. THAT, THAT WE REMEMBER EVERYTHING THAT WE SAID, THAT IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE TO KEEP DOING THIS. YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? SURE. SO JUST LIKE LAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO, TO CHAMPION FOR THE NEW RIVER DATE FOR THIS YEAR. UM, AND I, I DON'T MIND TO MY COLLEAGUES POINT, AND I HAVE SAYING THAT NEXT YEAR IS THE YEAR THAT, YEAH, I AM GONNA BE UP FOR REELECTION NEXT YEAR AND I WILL BE HOLDING THE LINE NEXT YEAR. AND I'M, I'M TELLING YOU THAT RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THAT IS, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT. BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT WE, WE ARE TRYING TO GET THROUGH HERE. THE TRANSPARENCY WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE TO OUR CONSTI, TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, AND TO OUR VOTERS. AND I, I, I HAVE NOT WAVERED FROM THAT, NOT CHANGED THAT. AND FOR ME, THAT THAT'S JUST THAT, THAT IS WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO, IS TO BE MORE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM. AND THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ALWAYS CONTINUE TO HEAR ME CHAMPION THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE TAX DOLLAR, EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE SPENDING, AND EVEN FROM THOSE THAT WE GIVE MONEY TO, THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY AND UH, TO, TO WHERE OUR TAX, WHERE OUR CITIZENS DOLLARS ARE GOING. SO I WILL STILL CONTINUE TO GO THIS YEAR FOR THE NO NEW REVENUE. AND I DO NOT MIND PUTTING THAT ON THE RECORD THAT I DO KNOW THAT I'M ON NEXT YEAR AND TELLING YOU THAT YES, I DO KNOW WE NEED TO HOLD THE LINE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THIS YEAR I NEED A BOND PASSED. I NEED CCPD TO GET THEIR MONEY. I NEED FIRE CONTROL TO GET THEIR MONEY. AND I DO NOT WANT ANYTHING IN THE WAY THAT, THAT IS TO MY COLLEAGUE'S POINT TO, TO GET IN THE WAY OF THAT. ANY WAY, OPTICALLY. SO SOME OF THE COMMENTS SAID THAT WE NEED TO BE MORE PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE. AND I'M GONNA SAY THIS, WE STARTED REDUCING THIS TAX RATE, AND I'M GONNA SAY WE, BECAUSE I WAS ON COUNCIL WHEN WE STARTED REDUCING THIS TAX RATE, 12 CENTS, I DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER CITY THAT'S REDUCED THE TAX RATE OVER 12 CENTS IN SEVERAL YEARS. WE LISTEN TO CITIZENS, AND I'M GONNA SAY IT, WE ALWAYS LISTEN TO CITIZENS. I'M GONNA SAY, THIS STAFF DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB WITH THIS BUDGET. YOU'RE NOT GONNA CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE. I SAT IN THAT SEAT AND SAW THE JOB THAT THEY'VE DONE. I SAT IN MY SEAT AT HOME AND READ IN THE PAPER AND HEARD ABOUT THE JOB THAT THEY'D DONE AND EVEN CAME UP HERE WHEN THEY FOUND ISSUES WITH THE, UM, WHAT WAS IT? WHAT, WHERE'D Y'ALL FIND ISSUES WITH, I DON'T WANNA SAY THE WRONG THING. BANK RECONCILIATION? NO. UH, DEALING WITH PROPERTY TAX CALCULATION. THE WHAT? THE PROPERTY TAX CALCULATION. THE PROPERTY TAX CALCULATION. MM-HMM . SO TO SAY THAT WE NEED TO BE MORE PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE. I'M NOT BUYING THAT. WE ARE PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE. WE NEED TO OWN THAT AS A COUNCIL. WE'RE PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE. WE'RE PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE. YES. NOT PHYSICALLY, [01:10:01] PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE. OKAY. AND IF WE ARE PHYSICALLY, IF WE ARE PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE, Y'ALL KNOW WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY. YES SIR. YES SIR. WE GOT YOU. IF WE'RE PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE, WE NEED TO OWN THAT. I LIKE YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS IS NOT A STATE SEAT. I GREW UP IN THIS CITY, LOVE THIS CITY. I WOULD NEVER SIT UP HERE AND TRY TO DO ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO HURT MY NEIGHBOR. WHETHER MY NEIGHBOR IS MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, LESS THAN 200 FEET AWAY FROM ME OR MY NEIGHBOR THAT I CALL MY FRIEND ACROSS TOWN. WE NEED TO STOP TRYING TO MAKE IT AT US AGAINST THEM BECAUSE IT'S, WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT. NOW, WHAT MY COLLEAGUE SAID TO KICK THINGS OFF, BEING PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE IS, I'M GONNA SAY, IS HOLDING THE LINE WHERE WE ARE. AND THINK ABOUT THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WE GET FROM IDAS AND WHAT WE WILL LOSE IF WE DON'T HOLD LINE. WE CAN TALK ABOUT NEXT YEAR, BUT ARE WE GONNA KEEP TALKING ABOUT NEXT YEAR, WHEN NEXT YEAR COMES WHEN WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW? THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD THE LINE RIGHT NOW, WHICH WOULD GET US IN A BETTER POSITION SOONER THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE IN KUDOS TO STAFF AGAIN. BECAUSE WHEN WE STARTED BUDGET TALKS BACK IN JUNE. WAS IT THE LAST, THE LAST FRIDAY IN JUNE? WE STARTED IN FEBRUARY. FEBRUARY. BUT WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING YES, SIR. OVER AROUND JUNE, YOU STARTED THAT MEETING BY SAYING, WE ARE DOING BETTER. CORRECT. SOONER THAN WHAT WE EXPECTED. THIS BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. I GUESS YOU ALL KNOW WHERE WE ALL GONNA STAND, SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND VOTE. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR CITIZENS COME UP HERE AND SPEAK POSITIVELY ABOUT THE WONDERFUL JOB THAT EACH OF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE DOING. WE GOTTA STOP BEATING EACH OTHER UP OVER THIS. WE'RE ALL IN THIS THING TOGETHER. AND IF WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, WE NEED TO SPEAK POSITIVELY ABOUT OUR CITIZENS AND OUR CITIZENS, ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE ELECTED TO SERVE YOU. 'CAUSE THESE GUYS ARE DOING, THESE ARE, THESE ARE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS FOR US. AND WE COME HERE AFTER DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS. WE JOKE, WE WE CARE ABOUT ONE ANOTHER. NO ONE UP HERE IS TRYING TO MAKE A BAD DECISION FOR ANYONE IN THEIR DISTRICT OR OUTSIDE OF THEIR DISTRICT. Y'ALL READY TO VOTE? YEP. MAYOR. YES SIR. CAN I ADD ONE COMMENT? THE NEXT ITEM ON THIS AGENDA, THE VERY NEXT ITEM IS WE'RE GONNA RAISE UTILITY RATES. AND WE'RE RAISING UTILITY RATES BECAUSE WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO SUPPLEMENT THEM AT THE LEVELS THAT WE HAVE IN THE PAST. THAT'S BECAUSE WE CONTINUALLY REDUCE THE TAX RATE. THAT'S RIGHT. SO THAT'S THE FRUSTRATING SIDE FOR US. THIS WHOLE DS. 'CAUSE WE LOOKED AT GOING, HOW CAN WE DO THAT? WELL, WE HAVE TO BECAUSE THE BUDGETS ARE THERE. WE HAVE TO REDUCE THE SUPPLEMENTS TO THE UTILITIES. MM-HMM . THAT MEANS OUR CITIZENS ARE CONSTITUENTS ARE GONNA PAY MORE AND THEY'RE GONNA PAY A LOT MORE THAN $5 A PIECE. THAT'S RIGHT. A YEAR FOR THE UTILITY INCREASES. SO THAT'S WHERE, AGAIN, THOSE ARE, THAT'S THE MIX MATCH BOWL OF SPAGHETTI THAT WE DEAL WITH ALL THE TIME. SO WE DO TRY TO BE FISCAL RESPONSIBLE, BUT YEAH, WE, LET'S JUST GO TO THE VOTE. LET'S DO THAT. AND I BELIEVE, MAYOR, THIS HAS TO BE A FIVE OR BETTER. YES. TO PASS THE 70 CENT. YES. SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE 70 CENT. 7.70042. I NEED A SECOND. MR. MAYOR, I'M SORRY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, THERE IS A, UH, PARTICULAR SCRIPT FOR THIS MOTION. AND IT IS THAT YOU MUST STATE THAT YOU ARE MOVING. SORRY. SURE. THAT WHOLE PARAGRAPH. YES SIR LORD. AND YOU'RE THE ONE WHO VOLUNTEERED TO SAY IT, BUDDY. YEAH, YOU BET YOU YOU GET MY GLASSES ON. YOU CAN ACTUALLY, CAN YOU ZOOM THAT IN FOR HIM? HE IS THIS, THIS ONE RIGHT HERE FOR THE, FOR HEARING? WELL, NO. SO I MOVE TO ADOPT. WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DO A SHOW OF HANDS. YEAH, WE'LL DO A SHOW OF HANDS AND STOP AT THAT. OKAY. SO I'LL, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE TO ADOPT A PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.70042, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 0.34% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE. [01:15:01] YES, SIR. I NEED A SECOND. CALL IT THREE TIMES. YEAH. I'M TRYING TO GIVE HIM TIME. DO I NEED A SECOND? I NEED A SECOND. OKAY. WELL THAT DIED ON THE VINE. DIED ON THE VINYL. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE'S NO OTHER ACTION NEEDED. BECAUSE IF WE FAILED TO ADOPT, THEN IT AUTOMATICALLY GOES TO NO NEW REVENUE AT THE END OF OCTOBER. THAT IS CORRECT. IT IT DOES. I MEAN, YOU, BECAUSE OF NO MOTION, YOU CAN STILL MAKE A MOTION TO PASS THE NO NEW REVENUE READ. I'LL MAKE A MOTION. DOES HE HAVE TO DO THE SAME SCRIPT ? NO SIR. THERE WON'T BE. HE DOES NOT. IT DOESN'T REQUIRE, I I THINK YOU WOULD MOVE TO AMEND TO, UH, ADOPT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. MOVE TO AMEND ITEM FOUR D TO ADOPT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, WHICH IS, DO I NEED TO STATE THAT? 6 9 8 0 3 6 9 0.69. 8 0 3 0.693. GO. TAX DECREASE. NO, SECOND. I SECOND. NOW WE'RE GONNA DO THIS BY HANDS BY A SHOW OF HANDS. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION. RAISE 'EM HIGH SO THEY CAN COUNT IT. YOU GOT IT. ALL OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. MAYOR, JUST TO CLARIFY, FOR THE CITIZENS AND FOR MR. LESSER, IF, IF, IF YOU WOULD'VE MADE A MOTION ON THE 7 0 0 4 2 AND IT FELL, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE ANOTHER MOTION. YEAH. 'CAUSE IT DIED ON WITHOUT, UH, ON THE VINE. YEAH. THEN YOU WERE ABLE TO MAKE ANOTHER MOTION. GOOD DEAL. NOW [a. Consider an ordinance amending the City of Baytown Utility Rates.] WE ARE ON TO FIVE A CONSIDERING ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CITY OF BAYTOWN UTILITY RATES. MS. MCKENZIE. OKAY. MAYOR AND COUNSEL. UM, BASED ON WHAT'S IN OUR BUDGET FOR FY 26 AND ALSO WHAT WAS PROVIDED TO YOU IN OUR WATER RATE STUDY, UM, THE WATER RATE INCREASE IS 4.5% AND THE SEWER RATE INCREASE IS 12.4 AND THE COMBINED RATE INCREASE IS 7.8. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT IN THE PAST, THE COUNCIL HAD GIVEN DIRECTION THAT THE FIRST 2000 USERS SHOULD START PAYING THEIR, UM, COST THAT THE CITY IS BEING CHARGED. SO WE NEED TO MAKE, UM, A CHANGE TO THE ORDINANCE TO CHANGE THAT RATE THAT'S CURRENTLY LISTED AT 3.33 TO 3.89 FOR THE FIRST 2000 USERS. IN ADDITION, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS ALSO TO PROVIDE CLARITY IN THE ORDINANCE, PROVIDE A LINE THAT DICTATES OR SPECIFIES THAT THE BILLING IS BASED ON PER THOUSAND 1000 GALLONS, WHICH IS NOT LISTED CURRENTLY IN OUR ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I'LL MAKE A COMMENT. UM, 'CAUSE KIND OF GOING BACK TO THAT, THE LAST ITEM WE DISCUSSED ON THE, ON THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND KIND OF HOW THESE, HOW THESE ARE RELATED TO EACH OTHER. UH, WE HAVE SUBSIDIZED UTILITY RATES IN THE PAST, UM, AND AS WE TIGHTEN THE BELT ON THE GENERAL FUND, THAT HASN'T, WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH, UH, BANDWIDTH THERE TO DO THAT. UH, HOWEVER, I, I, I'VE BEEN ONE THAT'S PUSHED FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW TO, UM, TO, TO PULL BACK ON THOSE SUBSIDIES, UM, AND GET IT CLOSER TO THE TRUE COST. THE REASON BEING IS WE HAVE A LOT OF WATER, UH, CUSTOMERS AND SOME SEWER CUSTOMERS, BUT A GOOD BIT OF WATER CUSTOMERS THAT, UM, DON'T LIVE IN CITY LIMITS. YOU KNOW, WE SELL TO MUDS AND OTHER DISTRICTS THAT, THAT HAVE THAT PURCHASE WATER FROM US. UM, AND SO WHEN WE HAVE SUBSIDIZED THAT IN THE PAST WITH GENERAL FUND WITH A VALOREM, WE'VE REALLY BEEN TAKING AVALOR PROPERTY TAX MONEY AND, AND SUBSIDIZING HELPING OUT RESIDENTS THAT DON'T EVEN LIVE IN CITY LIMITS. UM, AND SO, UH, THAT'S WHY I'VE, YEAH, I MEAN, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO WHAT WE SAID, WE PAY TAXES, WE PAY UTILITY RATES TOO. UM, AND MY KIDS USE TOO MUCH WATER . UM, SO I DON'T LIKE THESE RATES GOING UP EITHER. HOWEVER, I, I MEAN, IT IS THE COST OF MAKING CLEAN WATER. IT'S THE COST OF TREATING WATER. UM, AND, AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD CHARGE A FAIR RATE BASED ON THE COST OF THOSE THINGS AND NOT BE USING A VALOREM TO SUBSIDIZE, UH, FOLKS THAT MIGHT NOT EVEN BE PAYING PROPERTY TAXES TO THE CITY. GO AHEAD SIR. KIND OF PIGGYBACK A LITTLE BIT ON MY COLLEAGUE'S COMMENTS. THERE'S ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR AND I WAS ONE OF THE ONES WHO SAID WE NEED TO BE COVERING OUR COST. AND I BELIEVE FROM WHAT I'M CORRECT, I HATE TO PUT YOU ON THE, ON THE, ON THE, ON THE POINT HERE, FRANK. BUT THIS IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE'RE BUYING FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON [01:20:01] IS CLOSE TO THIS RATE. SO WE STILL ARE STILL A SUBSIDIZED LITTLE BIT OF THIS. 'CAUSE THE WATER RATE WE'RE GETTING IS WHAT WE BUY FROM HOUSTON CITY HOUSTON AND WE TURN IT OVER. UM, SORRY TO PUT THAT ON FRANK, I APOLOGIZE. ON WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE PURCHASING OUR, OUR, OUR DOLLAR VALUE FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO IS THE QUESTION, HOW MUCH WE'RE PAYING FROM CITY, CITY OF HOUSTON? RATE 3.89. YEAH. WHAT'S OUR CITY OF HOUSTON, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW? NO, THAT 3.89 IS THE RATE THAT BYLAW CHARGES THE CITY OF BAYTOWN. YES. UM, I DON'T CITY BECAUSE CITY HOUSTON WENT UP ON IT, OFF WHAT CITY OF HOUSTON CHARGES BLAW. BUT IT DID GO UP LAST YEAR. IT DID GO UP FROM LAST YEAR. THIS YEAR THERE, THERE WASN'T INCREASE IT. UM, MAJOR, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS AN INCREASE THIS YEAR, BUT PREVIOUS YEARS THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE. YES. AND WE WERE TRYING TO, THAT'S WHY I KNOW LAST YEAR WE WERE TRYING TO CATCH THAT UP AND IT WAS STILL NOT COVERING OUR FULL COST. CORRECT. BUT IT'S GETTING CLOSE TO OUR COST OF WHAT IS COMING OUT OF BALA. RIGHT. AND ALSO, UM, JUST BE AWARE, BWA IS HAVING TO EXPAND, DO A MAJOR EXPANSION ON THE PLANT AND, UM, HAVING TO PAY FOR THAT EXPANSION MM-HMM . TO ALLOW GROWTH. IT IS. SO THIS, THIS KIND OF, THIS DOESN'T COVER OUR UTILITY DEPARTMENT. THIS JUST COVERS WHAT'S COMING OUTTA OF BALL. IT DOESN'T COVER EVERYTHING ELSE OUTSIDE OF THAT. IT'S JUST THE BALL OF CHARGES. THAT IS WHAT IT, WHAT WE'RE EQUALING 3.89 IS COVERS THE BALLOT OF CHARGES. YEAH. CORRECT. SO THERE'S STILL ADDITIONAL THAT, THAT IS THE COST OF WATER THAT THE CITY IS PAYING. BUT THERE, THERE'S STILL ADDITIONAL ADMIN COSTS AND OTHER COSTS THAT WERE IN THERE THAT ARE NOT IN THAT CREEK. CORRECT. CORRECT. THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE CHARGE FOR OUR PERSONNEL TO MAINTAIN THE WATER LINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. YES. AND THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT. SO THIS, IT'S NOT A FULL A HUNDRED PERCENT COVERAGE FOR THE 3.9. RIGHT? THAT THAT IS CORRECT. WE STILL ALL SUBSIDIZE IT. EVEN THOSE WHO DO NOT LIVE IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN. RIGHT? YES, MA'AM. UM, SO MR. CITY MANAGER, UM, JUST WANNA ADD, WE WE HAVE NEW SOFTWARE FOR UTILITY BILLING, DO WE NOT? UH, THEY DO HAVE A NEW SYSTEM. YEAH. SO ARE CUSTOMERS ABLE TO BETTER REGULATE AND LOOK AT USAGE? NOT AT THIS TIME. WE'RE CURRENTLY, UM, THE 2025 CO THAT WAS JUST RECENTLY, UM, ISSUED, IS GONNA PAY FOR THAT METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO DO THAT. OKAY. 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT HAS BEEN A CONCERN FOR A LONG TIME. I HAVE, UM, CONSTITUENTS THAT'LL SHOW ME THEIR WATER BILLS WHERE THEY KNOW THEY'VE NOT BEEN HOME AND IT STAYS STEADY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. AND SO IF THIS NEW SOFTWARE WILL ALLOW THEM TO BETTER UTIL UH, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THEIR RATES AND MANAGE THEIR RATES, WE HOPE THAT WILL ALSO ALLEVIATE USAGE AND, UM, THE COST TO THEIR, UM, THEIR WATER BILLS. AND SO I HOPE THAT WILL WORK AND THAT WILL ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT. UM, AND, AND I AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS FROM THE PAST. I DO, UM, THAT WE ARE WHERE WE ARE BECAUSE WE DO CONTINUE, UM, TO REDUCE THE RATES WE'VE SUB SUBSIDIZED. UM, AND SO I I I KNOW IT'S HARD 'CAUSE UTILITY RATES ARE ALWAYS THE ONES THAT WE HEAR MM-HMM . THAT YOU'RE RAISING THE RATES, MY WATER DOESN'T WORK ANYWAY. YOU'RE CHARGING ME MORE FROM WHAT I USE. AND SO WE HEAR ALL OF THAT. UM, BUT WE'RE MAKING, UM, WE'RE MAKING WAYS IN IMPROVING, UM, UH, THE BILLING OPTIONS. AND SO WE HOPE THAT WILL IMPROVE SOME OF THE WATER BILLS OR HIGH WATER BILLS THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING. AND SO THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN URGE IS FOR RESIDENTS TO CONTINUE TO CHECK THEIR USAGE, CHECK THEIR LINES FOR ANY, ANY LEAKS. UM, I BELIEVE THEY CAN CALL UTILITY BILLING AS WELL. RIGHT. TO COME OUT AND DO A LEAK TEST. UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW I'VE HAD THEM COME OUT BEFORE, UM, FOR ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS THAT WAS SAYING, WHY IS MY WATER BILL SO HIGH ALL THE TIME? AND SO ENDED UP THAT HE HAD A LEAK. UM, AND SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO AND CONTINUE TO EXPAND ON, UH, MAYBE THAT'LL ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE HIGH USAGE AS WELL. ANYONE ELSE? I NEED A MOTION. MOTION TO APPROVE. DO WE NEED TO AMEND THE COUPLE THINGS THAT OH, YES SIR. YOU MENTIONED, UH, THE, THE 3.33 NEEDS TO BE 3.89 AND WE'RE GONNA BILL 4,000 GALLONS. THAT'S CORRECT. FOUR GALLON, 4,000 MINIMUM. OKAY. SO, UM, I'LL MAKE AN AMENDED MOTION, UM, TO HAVE, UH, A 3.989 CHANGE AT A MINIMUM OF 4,000 GALLONS. 2000 GALLONS. 2000 GALLONS. I'M SORRY FOR RESEARCH STARTING AT 2000. GIMME A SECOND. AND, AND ADD THE PER 1000 GALLONS TO THE TEXT AMENDMENT AND ADD THE [01:25:01] 1000 GALLONS PER TEXT AMENDMENT. SO SECOND THREE, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, 3.89 PER 2000 GALLONS. YES. IT'S THREE. THE FIRST 2000 AND THEN IT'S THE 1000. AND THE RATE SCHEDULE DEFINITION THAT WILL BE CHANGED TO CLARIFY THAT THE RATES, UH, SCHEDULE IS PER 1000 GALLONS. GOTCHA. MM-HMM . VERY CLEAR. YES. WE ALREADY HAVE A SECOND ALREADY. YEAH. I'LL SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU MS. MCKENZIE. [b. Consider an ordinance authorizing an agreement between the City of Baytown and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for a Recreation Grant Federal Sub-Award in the amount of $132,500.00 for the Tompkins Road Park Project.] CONSIDERING ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN AND TEXAS PARK AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT FOR A RECREATION GRANT, FEDERAL SUB-AWARD AND THE AMOUNT OF 132,500 FOR THE TOMPKINS ROAD PARK PROJECT. Y'ALL KEEP SWITCHING UP ON ME NOW. ? YES, SIR. GOOD EVENING. MARRIED COUNSEL. UH, WE'RE AT THIS TIME THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS REQUESTING THE COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE AGREEMENT AS REQUESTED BY TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE FOR THE EXTENSION OF TIME AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE LAND AND EXPENDITURES AS PART OF OUR ORIGINAL GRANT AGREEMENT. UH, THE INTERNAL, UH, REVENUE, EXCUSE ME, THE INTERNAL REVIEW BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND TEXAS PARK AND WILDLIFE TOOK LONGER THAN IT, UH, NECESSARILY. AND, UH, THEY'RE GIVING US TIME TO GIVE THEM THE PAPERWORK TO APPROVE OUR GRANT, UH, MATCH THAT WE SUBMITTED TO THEM. YOU KNOW, GOT SOMETHING. I JUST WANTED TO, UM, SAY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE PARKS AND RECS TO CONTINUING TO, UM, SEEK WAYS TO FIND FUNDING AND MONEY FILLING OUT ALL THOSE GRANTS APPLICATIONS, UM, AND, AND BEING, UM, QUITE INNOVATIVE IN, IN FINDING OUT WAYS TO KEEP MOVING BAYTOWN FORWARD WITH THINGS THAT WE OFFER THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES DON'T. AND SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HEAR THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING MORE MONEY. SAY AGAIN? I'M DONE. MIKE'S NO ADDITIONAL. YEAH, SHE STOLE. SHE STOLE. SHE SOLD US. NO, I DIDN'T START. IT'S 132,000. NO, NO. YOU A MATCH. YEAH. UM, MY, MY COLLEAGUE KIND OF STOLE, STOLE MY CINEMAS, BUT , THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING INNOVATIVE. OF COURSE. YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, PARKS, UM, I MADE A COMMENT TODAY ON, ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, BAYTOWN HAS SOME UNIQUE WILDLIFE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PARKS DOES A GOOD JOB JOB OF HIGHLIGHTING OUR LOCAL HIGHLIGHT WILDLIFE. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ALSO, YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BEING INNOVATIVE ON FINDING WAYS TO FUND THAT. SO KUDOS ON FINDING GRANTS AND, AND BEING INNOVATIVE OF HAVING CAPTURING THOSE FUNDS TO, TO, UH, AS MY COLLEAGUES HAS MOVED US FORWARD AND, UH, PROVIDING A, THAT THAT ASPECT FOR OUR, FOR OUR CITIZENS AND PEOPLE COMING TO VISIT. RIGHT. AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THERE IS NO, UM, ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT WE'RE REQUESTING. WE'RE AMENDING THE, UH, EXISTING AGREEMENT. UM, AND THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE SUPERSEDED BY THE, UH, PREVIOUS AGREEMENT THAT WE ENTERED INTO WITH THE, UH, PARKS AND WILDLIFE. IT'S JUST AMENDMENT TO EXTEND THAT TIME AND TO ALLOW US TO, UH, SUBMIT ADDITIONAL PAPERWORK FOR FUNDING THAT WE'VE ALREADY INCURRED EXPENSES ON. THAT WAS NOT ALLOWED IN THE ORIGINAL GRANT. AND, AND, AND I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT, THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. RIGHT. FINDING WAYS TO, UH, CAPTURE THOSE FUNDS, UM, WITHOUT, UH, THE OVER EXPENDITURE OF THOSE PUBLIC DOLLARS. SO VERY, VERY GOOD. SO, YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY. UM, I THINK MR. GORDON GOT IT FLIPPED A LITTLE BIT. THIS AGREEMENT, UH, THAT PARKS AND WILDLIFE IS REQUESTING IS SUPERSEDING THE PREVIOUS AGREEMENT. DID I SAY IT BACKWARD? OKAY. I THOUGHT I SAID, I THOUGHT I SAID IT CORRECT. OKAY. THIS WAS SUPERSEDE THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT. YES. UHHUH, AND I, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR 'CAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THIS FISCAL STUFF THIS EVENING. , THE SEAT MANAGER REMINDED ME THAT, THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD APPROVED THIS A COUPLE YEARS AGO MM-HMM . SO IT'S $132,000 GRANT, BUT THE CITY ALSO POINTED UP $132,000 OF OUR MONEY AS A MATCH. MM-HMM . SO IT WASN'T FREE MONEY. WE HAD TO MATCH IT 50 50, WHICH IS STILL A PRETTY GOOD DEAL. RIGHT? BUT NOW WE GET INTO THE FISCAL SIDE OF IT. OKAY. WE BUILT, THIS PARK'S NOT BUILT YET. WE BUILT IT. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF IT. WE'RE GONNA ADD AMENITIES TO IT. AND SO THERE'S THE FISCAL DRAIN WE HAVE BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, WE GO, OH WOW, WE GOT A GRANT, LET'S DO IT. AND THEN HERE'S THE BACKSIDE THAT COMES WITH [01:30:01] THAT. WE'VE HAD SOME OF THE BEST PARK SYSTEMS IN THE STATE. I PUT THESE GUYS UP AGAINST ANYBODY AND I, I'LL GET THE EMAILS. OH, WHY DON'T YOU LIKE PARKS? I LOVE THE PARKS. BUT THIS IS THAT MISSION CREEP THAT WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME. LET'S GET A NEW PARK. WELL, WE CAN GET A 50% GRANT. WELL, THAT'S FOR THE INITIAL UPFRONT. WHERE'S ALL THE MONEY FOR THE MAINTENANCE? WHERE'S THE MONEY FOR ALL THE APPLIANCES GO OUT THERE AND IT TIME, HERE WE GO AGAIN. AND, AND WE'RE CITIZENS OUT HERE GOING, WHY ARE YOU RAISING MY TAXES? WELL, WE'RE RAISING YOUR TAXES 'CAUSE WE'RE BUILDING MORE PARKS. MIKE, I'LL GET THOSE PHONE CALLS. I KNOW IT, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO, TO, TO START DRAWING A LINE. SO, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'VE ALREADY FUNDED THIS, BUT THAT'S JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE. YEAH. FAIR. GOOD DEAL. OKAY. I NEED A MOTION. MOVE TO APPROVE FIVE B. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. [c. Consider an ordinance authorizing the Subdivision Settlement Participation Forms for eight (8) manufacturers of generic opioids: Alvogen, Amneal, Apotex, Hikma, Indivior, Mylan, Sun, and Zydus.] CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE SUBDIVISION SETTLEMENT. PARTICI PARTICIPATION FORMS FOR EIGHT MANUFACTURERS OF GENERIC OPIOIDS. ALGEN, AMIL, APOTEX, HCMA, VORE, MYAN SON AND ZDI. MR. LAMONT, DID I GET THAT LAST ONE RIGHT? UH, I YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE, SIR? NOT SURE. NO. UM, I WILL SAY HOWEVER THAT, UH, IN THE FEDERAL OPIOID LITIGATION, UH, THESE GENERIC DRUG MANUFACTURERS HAVE REACHED A SETTLEMENT, THE COMBINED AMOUNT WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $720 MILLION OF THAT AMOUNT. ABOUT 45 MILLION WILL GO TO THE STATE OF TEXAS. UNDER OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE BAYTOWN SHARE WILL BE 0.144% OF THAT $45 MILLION. UH, WE DO NEED TO FILL OUT THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK IMMEDIATELY AND GET THAT BACK TO THE STATE BEFORE SEPTEMBER 30TH. WE RECOMMEND APPROVAL. THANK YOU. CAN HE REPEAT THE, THE NUMBER, THE POINT? YEAH, THE POINT WHAT? POINT FOUR 0.144% OF 45. OF 45 MILLION. ABOUT 65,000 MEDICAL . HERE I NEED A MOTION. MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. [d. Consider an ordinance authorizing the Subdivision Settlement Participation Forms for Perdue Pharma, LP and the Sackler Family.] CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED AUTHORIZING THE SUBDIVISION SETTLEMENT PARTICIPATION FORMS FOR PURDUE PHARMA, LP AND SACKLER FAMILY. MR. LAMONT? YES, COUNSEL, THIS IS A SIMILAR REQUEST AND I WILL PULL UP THE NUMBERS FOR THIS SETTLEMENT. UH, THIS ONE INVOLVES, AS THE MAYOR SAID, PURDUE AND THE SACKLER FAMILY. UH, THE FEDERAL SETTLEMENT, UH, IS AN AGGREGATE OF $6.5 BILLION PAID BY THE SACKLERS IN 16 PAYMENTS OVER A 15 YEAR PERIOD, INCLUDING A $1.5 BILLION, UH, PAYMENT ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE SETTLEMENT, WHICH IS EXPECTED SOMETIME NEXT YEAR. THESE AMOUNTS WILL BE IN ADDITION TO THE AMOUNTS AVAILABLE FROM THE PURDUE ESTATE OUT OF THE BANKRUPTCY LITIGATION, UH, THAT AMOUNT SHOULD BE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE AND IS EXPECTED TO BE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $900 MILLION. UH, TEXAS SHARE IS REPORTED TO BE ABOUT $286 MILLION. AND AGAIN, BAYTOWN WILL RECEIVE 0.144% OF THE TEXAS SETTLEMENT. A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. CONSIDER AN [e. Consider an ordinance awarding a construction contract to Harper Brothers Construction, LLC for the Garth Road Reconstruction Project - Phase A & B.] ORDINANCE AWARDING A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT TO HARPER BROTHERS LLC FOR THE GARTH ROAD RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, PHASE A AND B, MR. SEMINOLE. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UH, TONIGHT WE HAVE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, UM, CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THE REHABILITATION OF GARTH ROAD FROM I 10 TO JUST SOUTH OF ARCHER. SORRY. UH, I DO HAVE A MAP THERE FOR, FOR YOU TO SEE. UH, THE PROJECT INCLUDES FULL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE PAVEMENT REPLACEMENT AND UPSIZING OF THE STORM DRAIN SYSTEM, UH, INCLUDING A NEW DETENTION, UH, FACILITY, PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS, UH, MEDIAN WITH LANDSCAPING AND PUBLIC ART TREATMENTS AND IMPROVED LIGHTING. UM, [01:35:01] SO THE FINAL PRODUCT, WE'LL HAVE, UH, THREE TRAVEL LANES IN EACH DIRECTION. UH, THE CENTER MEDIAN, UH, WITH ALTERNATING DEDICATED LEFT TURN LANES AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS ON BOTH SIDES. UM, WE WERE HAPPY TO RECEIVE, UH, FIVE BIDS, UH, FROM VERY REPUTABLE CONTRACTORS ON THIS PROJECT. UM, AND WE'RE ALSO HAPPY THAT, UH, THE BIDS ARE BELOW THE ENGINEER'S, UH, COST ESTIMATE. I THINK THIS IS, UH, DUE TO THE, UH, IMPROVED BIDDING CLIMATE THAT WE'RE SEEING. AND, UH, IT'S TESTAMENT TO THE CLARITY OF PLANS THAT, UH, KIM LEY HORN HAS PRODUCED. UH, THE PROJECT IS, UH, HAS CLOSE TO $42 MILLION AVAILABLE AND FEDERAL FUNDS THROUGH THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNT, UH, AREA COUNCIL'S TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PLAN. UH, THE REMAINDER OF FUNDS WILL COME FROM BONDS ISSUED BY THE CITY, UH, THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY ISSUED. UH, YOU PROBABLY NOTICED ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE THAT, UH, WE HAVE CONSTRUCTION TIME IS 39 MONTHS. UM, I HAVE THE PHASES LISTED HERE. UM, WE HAD TO ADD A PHASE ZERO TO THIS PROJECT THAT'S, UH, FOR THE UTILITY RELOCATION THAT WAS, UH, NOT COMPLETED BY THE PREVIOUS CONTRACTOR. UM, WE HAD TO TERMINATE, UM, DUE TO BEING BEHIND SCHEDULE. SO PHASE ZERO IS, UH, WAS PUT ON THIS CONTRACT. IT'S FOR THE UTILITY RELOCATION FROM ARCHER TO HUNT. UH, THEN, UH, WE MOVE INTO PHASE ONE, WHICH WOULD BE, UH, CONSTRUCTION OF TEMPORARY PAVEMENT. UH, AND THAT THAT WOULD BE, UH, STEPS ONE THROUGH THREE OF PHASE ONE. THAT WOULD BE THE TEMPORARY PAVEMENT. AND, UH, IN PREPARATION OF SHIFTING TRAFFIC, UM, SO THAT THE NEW PAVEMENT CAN BE CONSTRUCTED. UH, PHASE ONE, STEP FOUR IS CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW PAVEMENT ON THE WEST SIDE. AND, UM, THAT WOULD BE IN FRONT OF THE NEW, UH, SAN JACINTO MARKETPLACE. UM, THEN STEP FIVE WOULD BE ON THE EAST SIDE, UH, OF GUARD. THEN PHASES TWO AND THREE WILL BE CONSTRUCTION, UM, OF THE PAVEMENT AND STORM DRAINAGE SYSTEM FROM HUNT TO ARCHER. UM, NOW THE CONTRACTOR HAS THE ABILITY TO PROPOSE REVISIONS TO, UM, THIS PHASING, WHICH WE WOULD CONSIDER IF IT SAVES CONSTRUCTION TIME. SO WE WILL DISCUSS THESE AT OUR, UH, PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING THAT WE WILL HAVE IN OCTOBER. UM, ALSO YOU, YOU CAN SEE, UM, WHAT IS A TYPICAL TRAFFIC PATTERN WILL LOOK LIKE DURING CONSTRUCTION. UH, THERE'LL BE ONE LANE, ONE TRAVEL LANE IN EACH DIRECTION, AND A CENTER TURN LANE WITH CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. UH, WE KNOW THIS ALONG THE WAY TO PROJECT AND IT WILL GREATLY BENEFIT THE, UH, RESIDENTS OF BAYTOWN. SO, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL. THANK YOU. NEED A MOTION? GO AHEAD. I WAS GONNA MAKE A MOTION. DO YOU? WELL, YEAH, LET'S DO IT. LET'S MAKE A MOTION. WE APPROVE FIVE E SECOND. I HAD SOME COMMENTS ON IT. YEAH, YOU CAN, WELL YOU CAN STILL COMMENT, BUT GO AHEAD. OH, . SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I HAD SOME QUESTIONS OUT THERE. SORRY, WE MAKE COMMENTS FIRST. UH, AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL GETTING THOSE QUESTIONS BACK. JUST KIND OF SO YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THE, THE PLANS ARE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT, WHICH WAS CORRECT, WAS WHICH WILL MINIMIZE BY FAR ANY CHANGE ORDERS. UH, A LOT OF, I DID ASK IF THIS COULD BE DONE AT NIGHT AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE WAY IT'S COULD BE ZONED, IT WOULDN'T REALLY AFFECT IT BE DONE AT NIGHT R DURING THE DAY EITHER WAY. AND HOW GARTH ROAD'S TRAFFIC IS. IT IS KIND OF CRAZY. SO I APPRECIATE YOU CALL GETTING ALL THOSE, THERE WAS MORE QUESTIONS TO THAT, ALSO MORE ABOUT THE CONTRACT. BUT, UH, Y APPRECIATE Y'ALL GETTING BACK TO ME. I THINK THIS IS A TIGHT CONTRACT. IT'S A GOOD CONTRACT WITH Y'ALL, WITH THIS COMPANY. SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK Y'ALL PUT INTO THIS AND YOUR STAFF DID AND, UH, APPRECIATE THE WORK Y'ALL DID. UH, I I WOULD ADD THAT, UH, WE DID CHECK REFERENCES ON THIS CONTRACTOR. THEY HAVE, UH, VERY GOOD REFERENCES, UH, BECOME HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY THEIR PREVIOUS, UH, CLIENTS. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO GO AHEAD. NO, NO, GO, GO AHEAD, MIKE. I, I WAS JUST GONNA ADD, I, IN MY VISIT WITH JAY THIS WEEK, I ASKED HIM AND SAID, OKAY, CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ON NORTH MAINE OR SANS BOULEVARD OR THOMPSON ROAD IN THAT AREA? 'CAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE MAJOR, MAJOR, MAJOR CASES [01:40:01] AND CONFUSION, SO LET'S NOT ADD TO IT. YES, SIR. IF WE CAN, SIR, WE, UH, WE WERE DOING SOME PANEL REPLACEMENTS ON NORTH MAIN THAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED, SO, UH, WE'LL NOT BE DOING THAT. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT. UM, CENTER POINT WAS DOING SOME WORK AT THE CORNER OF NORTH MAIN AND I 10, UH, BUT THAT SHOULD ONLY LAST ABOUT A MONTH. OKAY. I JUST, THAT'S TRYING TO LOOK AHEAD ALL AWARE OF, AND, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE PLANNED FOR NORTH MAIN. THANKS, FRANK. YES, SIR. YEAH. UM, JUST WANT TO AGAIN, PIGGYBACK ON MY COLLEAGUES. UM, UH, I THINK IT'S A REAL GOOD CHOICE IN IN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. I'M REAL REPUTABLE. UM, THAT'S JUST WANNA THANK Y'ALL FOR ALL THE WORK TO GET TO THIS POINT. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST BOTH KIND OF IN MYSELF, MY COLLEAGUES DISTRICT, AND IT'S A LONG AWAITED INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED PROJECT IN THAT AREA. SO, UM, JUST, UH, REALLY, REALLY IMPRESSIVE. YOU KNOW, 42 MILLION IS GONNA BE FUNDED BY TDOT AND I THINK RIGHT ABOUT ABOUT 6 BILLION MADE UP IN BONDS. SO, UH, UH, I, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD AND GOOD POINT AND MAKE SURE THAT TRAFFIC MITIGATION DURING THAT TIME, SO EXCITED FOR THE, THE CITIZENS, UM, TO GET, YOU KNOW, SUBSTANTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE THERE. I SEE SIDEWALKS THERE, UM, WHICH IS A, UM, ADDED FOR, YOU KNOW, PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC AND, YOU KNOW, TOURISM. SO I EXCITED ABOUT THE PROJECT. OKAY, THANK YOU. I'M GONNA GO ON A LITTLE TRIP REAL QUICK JUST BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SAID TONIGHT. I HAD NO INTENTIONS OF SAYING THIS, BUT, UM, EXCITED ABOUT GARTH ROAD. LOVE ME A GOOD GREEN MEDIAN. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, WE, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, CONCRETE AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE NEED TO PAY FOR AND NEEDS VERSUS ONCE. AND I JUST WANNA SAY IF THE PUBLIC DID NOT KNOW, ONCE THIS LOVELY PROJECT GETS COMPLETED AND WE HAVE THOSE BEAUTIFUL GREEN MEDIANS, FYI, IT'S OUR PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT THAT MAINTAIN ALMOST ALL OF THE GREEN MEDIANS THAT ARE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. SO THAT WILL BE MORE FOR THEM TO HAVE TO MAINTAIN AND WORKFORCE. SO, GREAT. EXCITED ABOUT THE PROJECT, IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE. YAY. BUT PARKS AND REC WILL BE THE ONES MAINTAINING IT. SO AGAIN, I'LL BE READY TO CONTINUE CHAMPIONING THAT DEPARTMENT. POMPOMS OUT. I AM ARE THEY BLOWING WHITE? THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FOR ALWAYS CHAMPIONING OUR AMAZING PARK SYSTEM . UM, SO, UH, I WANNA THANK OUR, UM, UH, CITY MANAGER WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE SAT DOWN TO REVIEW THE AGENDA AND BECAUSE OF PRIOR CONVERSATIONS WITH DIFFERENT PROJECTS, THAT'S THE FIRST THING I ASK IS I NEED A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT, UH, THIS COMPANY HAS DONE. UM, GRANTED I'M NOT AN ENGINEER, UM, BY ALL MEANS I DON'T WORK IN CONSTRUCTION AND, BUT ALL I COULD DO IS LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS, THE QUALITY, THE, THE, THE END PRODUCT, UM, AND THE TIMELINESS OF THE PROJECT. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I LOOKED AT. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A KIND OF THING THAT WE DID DURING, UM, OUR, UH, A AND E COMMITTEES, UM, UH, ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING. AND SO I WAS JUST LOOKING AT ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND, AND THE BIDS THAT WOULD COME IN. AND SO THANK YOU FOR SETTING THOSE OVER BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A, A BIG CONCERN FOR A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS IS LIKE, HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THEM? ARE THEY EVEN QUALIFIED? AND THEN WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THEM? SHOULD SOMETHING GO WRONG? UM, SO, UH, AGAIN, I I AM NOT AN EXPERT. I JUST TOOK WHAT I SAW FROM, UM, THE, THE, UM, PAPERWORK THAT WAS SENT BACK TO US. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING US TO OUR, TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE. I CAN'T EVEN TALK TONIGHT, UM, TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE. AND SO I DO LOOK FORWARD, UM, TO A FINISHED PRODUCT. UM, I TAKE, UH, I TAKE SAN JUSTINO ALL THE TIME AND WHEN I STARTED TELLING FOLKS TO, TO START TAKING IT NOW, GET USED TO SAN JUSTINO AND, AND NORTH MAINE. AND THEN I HAD OTHER FOLKS TELL ME, DON'T GIVE THEM OUR SECRET, UH, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE'S NOT THAT MUCH TRAFFIC ON SAN JACINTO. AND SO IF WE COULD START TAKING IT NOW, THAT COULD ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE CURRENT TRAFFIC THAT'S ON, UM, GARTH ROAD. SO LET'S GET USED TO START TAKING THOSE. SO VERY EXCITED FOR THIS. YOU GOT THREE SECONDS. I HAVE MY LAST COMMENT. SO I DID GET TO TALK WITH SOME OF THE GENTLEMEN FROM, FROM HARPER BROTHERS, AND ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN THAT IS OVER IT, THAT IS GONNA BE OVER THIS PROJECT ACTUALLY LIVES IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN. MM-HMM . HE IS FROM BAYTOWN AND HE IS PROUD THAT HE CAN FINALLY BE IN BAYTOWN TO WORK IN BAYTOWN AND NOT HAVE, BE EXPLORE TRAVEL TO TOWN. SO HE'S GONNA PROBABLY TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING IN HIS TOWN THAT HE'S PAYING TAXES TO AND THAT HE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL ROAD AND PROBABLY WANTS TO GET IT DONE AS QUICK. 'CAUSE HE'S GONNA BE AFFECTED BY THIS TRAFFIC. ALL . LOVE THAT. GOOD DEAL. I NEED A MOTION MOTION [01:45:01] TO OH YEAH, WE ARE. THAT'S RIGHT. VOTING ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. [f. Consider an ordinance approving Change Order No. 1 with LEM Construction Company, Inc., for the Baytown Area Water Authority Raw Water Pump Rehabilitation Project.] CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE APPROVING CHANGE ORDER NUMBER ONE WITH LEM CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC. FOR THE BAYTOWN AREA WATER AUTHORITY RAW WATER PUMP REHABILITATION PROJECT. MR. SEMINO? YES, SIR. MR. THIS ITEM IS A CHANGE ORDER FOR LIMB CONSTRUCTION PART PART OF, UH, B'S RAW WATER REHAB CONTRACT. UM, ITEM IS TO REPLACE PIPING THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY PLANNED TO BE, UH, BLASTED AND RE COATED. HOWEVER, THE CONDITIONS OF THE PIPING, UH, DICTATED THAT IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. UM, THE ITEM PASSED BY BOARD, UM, BUT THERE WAS QUESTIONS ABOUT SALES TAX THAT WERE INCLUDED ON THE ITEM. UH, SO WE HAD TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND, UH, WE SINCE CLARIFIED THAT THE SALES TAX IS REQUIRED BECAUSE IT'S ON ITEMS THAT WILL NOT BE A PERMANENT PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION. IT, IT WOULD BE ON CONSUMABLES OR, UM, THINGS THAT ARE LIKE RENTALS. UM, SO, UH, THE ITEM IS CORRECT AS PRESENTED. UH, THAT'S WHY WE HAD IT ON REGULAR AGENDA BECAUSE WE HAD TO DO THE RESEARCH AND DETERMINE IF THE SALES TAX SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHARGED AND WE BELIEVE IT IS. SO THANK YOU. WE RECOMMEND APPROVAL. YES, SIR. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I NEED A MOTION MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. [a. Consider a resolution adopting the City of Baytown Transparency Framework.] SIX A CONSIDER A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE CITY OF BAYTOWN TRANSPORTATION TRANSPARENCY FRAMEWORK. MR. REEVES, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR INDULGING ME IN A FEW MINUTES AS WE GO OVER THE TRANSPARENCY FRAMEWORK. AND I'M EXCITED TO BRING THIS TO YOU TODAY AND OUTLINE THE STEPS THAT WE'VE TAKEN TO COME TO THIS POINT AND TO OUTLINE THE COMPONENTS OF THE FRAMEWORK. I'M ALSO GONNA INTRODUCE THE AXIS WEBPAGE AS PART OF OUR OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO YOU. I'LL SHOW YOU OTHER WAYS THE CITY IS LIVING OUT TRANSPARENCY AND WAYS THAT WE BELIEVE IN TRANSPARENCY, INCLUDING THE NEW INVISIO PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD, WHICH YOU'LL BE HEARING A LOT MORE ABOUT IN THE COMING WEEKS. AND FINALLY, WE'LL HAVE A BRIEF DISCUSSION BEFORE YOU'LL BE ASKED TO ADOPT THE FRAMEWORK. OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE HEARD THE WORD TRANSPARENCY USED A LOT IN IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT GOVERNMENT. OFTEN IT COMES UP WHEN RESIDENTS FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION OR WHEN THEY INTERPRET SILENCE DIFFERENTLY THAN WE INTEND. THE CHALLENGE IS THAT TRANSPARENCY MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. FOR SOME IT MEANS CONSTANT UPDATES. FOR OTHERS, IT MEANS EASY ACCESS WHEN THEY WANT INFORMATION, GOVERNMENTS HAVE THEIR OWN INTERPRETATIONS OF THAT. THIS FRAMEWORK IS OUR EFFORT TO BRING CLARITY TO WHAT TRANSPORTATION MEANS IN BAYTOWN SO THAT STAFF COUNCIL AND RESIDENTS ARE ALL WORKING FROM THE SAME UNDERSTANDING. SO WHAT DOES TRANSPARENCY MEAN FOR BAYTOWN? WELL, THE FRAMEWORK SAYS WE STRIVE TO OFFER TRANSPARENCY BY COMMUNICATING IN A WAY THAT IS TIMELY, PROACTIVE, AND CLEAR, WHILE GIVING OUR COMMUNITY ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS. IT'S ABOUT TELLING THE ACCURATE FACTUAL STORY. IN THE FRAMEWORK, YOU'LL FIND THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS FIRST, PURPOSE ESTABLISHES A SHARED COMMITMENT TO OPEN, CLEAR, AND CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION. NEXT, WHAT TRANSPARENCY MEANS TO BAYTOWN, TIMELY, PROACTIVE, FACTUAL COMMUNICATION THAT EXPLAINS THE WHY AS WELL AS THE WHAT. WHAT WE DO, WE SHARE IN PLAIN LANGUAGE, WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND WE OWN MISTAKES. UH, ONE LINE IN PARTICULAR IN THIS SECTION SAYS, WE TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY, ACKNOWLEDGE MISTAKES, AND CORRECT INACCURACIES. HOW WE'RE STRIVING TO BE CLEAR. WE'LL GIVE EXAMPLES LIKE THE BAYTOWN VOICE MAGAZINE, THE BAYTOWN BREAKDOWN VIDEO SERIES, COFFEE WITH THE CITY MANAGER, REYNOLDS, ON THE RECORD, COUNCIL MEETINGS AND MANY MORE. WHAT WE DON'T DO, WE DON'T SPIN INFORMATION. WE DON'T POST INACCURATE CONTENT OR LET JARGON DELAY OR CONFUSION GET IN THE WAY. WE ALSO INTRODUCE PUSH IT VERSUS PARK IT. A PRACTICAL TOOL TO DECIDE WHEN STAFF SHOULD PROACTIVELY ANNOUNCE AND WHAT SHOULD SIMPLY BE MADE AVAILABLE. HOW WE KNOW IT'S WORKING. RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO FIND WHAT THEY NEED. COUNCIL FEELS CONFIDENT CITING THE FRAMEWORK, AND STAFF COMMUNICATES WITH CLARITY AND CONSISTENCY. THIS IS THE NEW [01:50:01] AXIS WEBPAGE FOUND ON OUR HOMEPAGE THAT WILL BE ROLLED OUT AND ADVERTISED IN THE COMING WEEKS. IT'S BAY TOWN'S CENTRAL HUB. FOR TRANSPARENCY, THINK OF ACCESS AS THE FRONT DOOR FOR TRANSPARENCY, A SINGLE PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE WHERE RESIDENTS CAN ACCESS ALL OUR TOOLS, PUBLICATIONS, DASHBOARDS, AND ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS. ACCESS WILL LINK TO EVERYTHING FROM OUR MAGAZINE TO THE VIDEO SERIES, TO THE RECORDS ACCESS IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO THE NEW PER UH, PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD WITHIN INVISIO. INSTEAD OF ASKING RESIDENTS TO KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, WE'RE GIVING THEM ONE PLACE TO START. THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT WORDS ON PAPER. THERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW BAYTOWN IS LIVING OUT TRANSPARENCY. FIRST, THE NEW INVISIO PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD. CITY LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN WORKING FOR MONTHS, AND YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT IT TO BUILD AND REFINE A SYSTEM OF TRACKING STRATEGIC GOALS AND CORE SERVICES. AND SABRINA WILL BE SHOWCASING THAT FOR YOU VERY SOON. NEXT, THE COUNCIL'S LISTENING TO HER WHERE LEADERSHIP MEETS RESIDENTS WHERE THEY ARE AND LISTENS TO THEIR CONCERNS DIRECTLY. AND THE REYNOLDS ON THE RECORD LIVE VIDEO SERIES, WHICH IS A REGULAR OPPORTUNITY FOR CANDID CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CITY ISSUES. AND SOON MY TEAM WILL BE POSTING PREVIEWS AND WRAP UP OF THESE COUNCIL MEETINGS FURTHER HIGHLIGHTING OUR ACCESSIBILITY. SO LAUNCHING ALONGSIDE THE FRAMEWORK IN OCTOBER IS THE CITY'S BRAND NEW INVISIO PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD. THIS DASHBOARD PROVIDES RESIDENTS WITH A LIVE LOOK AT OUR STRATEGIC GOALS, PROJECTS, AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES. IT'S A MAJOR STEP TOWARDS SHOWING THE FULL PICTURE, NOT JUST DECISIONS, BUT THE PROGRESS AND CONTEXT BEHIND THEM. THE SCREENSHOT SHOWN HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO EXPLORE, AND SABRINA WILL BE SHOWING YOU THAT IN GREATER DETAIL. AS I SAID IN AN UPCOMING COUNCIL MEETING. THIS FRAMEWORK IS MEANT TO REFLECT YOUR PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION AS MUCH AS STAFFS. SO THERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS THAT YOU COULD CONSIDER BEFORE ADOPTION, AND I'LL, I'LL SHARE THESE WITH YOU NOW AND THAT WE CAN GO BACK TO THEM IF YOU'D LIKE. BUT BESIDES WHAT'S ALREADY LISTED IN THE FRAMEWORK, WHICH YOU HAVE, AND THAT'S BEEN INCLUDED IN THE PACKET, ARE WE MISSING ANY OTHER WAYS THAT BAYTOWN IS BEING TRANSPARENT? AND WHEN YOU LOOK BACK KNOWING IT'S NOT A PERFECT SCIENCE, HOW WILL WE KNOW THAT WE'VE ACHIEVED TRANSPARENCY? SO FINALLY, COUNCIL IS BEING ASKED TO, UH, FORMALLY APPROVE THIS FRAMEWORK BY RESOLUTION TONIGHT PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WILL LAUNCH ACCESS AND THE INVISIO PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD IN OCTOBER. SABRINA WILL PROVIDE A PREVIEW OF INVISIO AT AN UPCOMING COUNCIL MEETING AND WITH COUNCIL'S APPROVAL, WE'LL ALSO BE ASKING FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN HELPING TO SH TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS SHARED WITH RESIDENTS SO THAT THEY SEE THAT TRANSPARENCY IS OF VALUE. WE ARE COMMITTED TO YOU AS A WHOLE CITY. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. I CAN PUT IT BACK ON THOSE OTHER QUESTIONS IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THOSE. AND, UH, WE CAN GO FROM THERE. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME, QUESTIONS, OR COMMENTS? YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, THOMAS. AND, UM, I KNOW I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND WE WENT THROUGH, THROUGH ALL OF THIS AND THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DID TO PUT THIS TOGETHER AND, AND, AND YOU'RE VERY RIGHT. UM, EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT VIEW OF WHAT TRANSPARENCY IS GOING TO BE. AND SO I THINK, UM, FOR THAT ASPECT, THIS IS THE BEGINNING. UM, I I DON'T FEEL THAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA GET EVERYTHING RIGHT WITH THIS. UM, AND SO THERE WILL BE, UM, TIMES THAT WE CAN TWEAK IT AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO ADD MORE TO IT OR, OR CHANGE SOME OF THIS. AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I ASK, BECAUSE IN THE FRAMEWORK I NOTICED THAT, UM, IT, IT SAID THAT WE CAN'T, THAT WE WOULDN'T HIDE BETWEEN BEHIND A, UM, THIS IS A LEGAL MATTER. WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE THERE THERE'S MANY TIMES WHERE WE CAN'T SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING BECAUSE IT IS A LEGAL MATTER. AND SO IT'S MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WE UTILIZE THAT WHEN IT'S NECESSARY. AND SO, UM, I I APPRECIATE IT AND I THINK IT'S JUST ONE MORE STEP, ONE MORE THING THAT WE CAN USE, UM, TO REALLY SHOW HOW TRANSPARENT THAT WE ARE. UM, AND I, I LIKE HOW YOU LINKED EVERYTHING TO DIFFERENT PORTALS WHERE IT'S NEEDED, AND THAT WOULD BE AN EASY WAY FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO DIFFERENT SECTIONS AND INCLUDING THE PIS. UM, AND SO THAT'S EASILY, EASILY LINKED AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THOMAS. I APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR TEAM PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. UM, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, I THINK THAT THE SECOND QUESTION THERE IS GONNA BE DIFFICULT, RIGHT? LIKE HOW DO WE, UM, WHAT'S [01:55:01] A BASIS FOR EVALUATING SUCCE SUCCESS? JUST BECAUSE, UM, LIKE S EVEN MENTIONED, UH, WHAT DOES TRANSPARENCY LOOK LIKE? EACH INDIVIDUAL'S PROBABLY GONNA HAVE, UM, A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DEFINITION OR MORE THINGS THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE TO SAY THAT WE'RE BEING TRANSPARENT. UM, BUT I THINK THIS IS A GREAT START 'CAUSE AT LEAST GIVES US SOMETHING TO REFERENCE BACK TO AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, LIKE AS A CITY, THIS IS HOW WE WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT. SO IF WE HAVE THAT PERSON ACCUSE US OF NOT BEING TRANSPARENT, WE CAN KIND OF GO BACK TO THAT, TO THIS DOCUMENT AS A BASELINE AND SAY LIKE, WELL, WELL TELL ME HOW WE'RE NOT DOING THAT. MM-HMM . MM-HMM . UM, AND SO YEAH, I THINK HOW WE EVALUATE, THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA, IT, IT'LL CHANGE OVER TIME. WE MAY FIND SOME GAPS IN IT, BUT IT AT LEAST GIVES US THAT STARTING POINT THAT WE CAN ALWAYS REFERENCE BACK TO. AND SO, UM, REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW IT EVOLVES OVER TIME OR, OR, OR JUST HOW WE'RE ABLE TO USE IT AND, AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING THAT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? UH, I'M GONNA KIND OF PIGGYBACK ON. I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS COMING BACK. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN ALWAYS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, ABOUT TRYING TO BE OPEN AND, AND, AND HONEST WITH THE PUBLIC AND FOLLOWING MY COLLEAGUE. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE SOMETIMES CANNOT TALK ABOUT YET THAT I WISH WE COULD. UH, IT WOULD ANSWER A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S, THERE'S SOME LEGAL ISSUES WE CAN AT THE MOMENT, YOU KNOW, AND WE ASKED FOR TRANSPARENCY FROM PEOPLE WE, WE GIVE MONEY TO, AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN TRANSPARENT WITH US AS WE, WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW. WE WISH THEY WOULD BE TRANSPARENT AND GIVE US THE DOLLAR, DOLLAR, DOLLAR VALUES THAT WE'RE GIVING THEM. UH, AND THEY'RE MATCHED FUNDS FROM THEIR FEDERAL GRANTS THAT WOULD HELP US OUT TO MAKE A BETTER DECISION FOR PEOPLE. UM, BUT THEY'RE NOT SO , IF THEY WOULD GIVE THAT TO US, WE COULD PROBABLY EASE A LOT OF THE, THE, UH, COMMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN THE CITY ABOUT, ABOUT A CERTAIN ISSUE GOING ON. UM, BECAUSE THEY DO GET SIX TIMES WHAT WE GIVE 'EM, AND THEY'RE NOT GIVING US SIX TIMES WHAT THEY'RE GIVING US. SO WE, WE WISH THAT THEY WOULD BE MORE TRANSPARENT LIKE WE ARE BEING, AND WE APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING FOR US. THANK YOU. YEAH. AGAIN, YEAH, THOMAS, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR, UM, PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND, UM, I FELT LIKE I WAS, I WAS HURT ON SOME THINGS AS FAR AS, UM, IS, IS TRANSFORMATION CONCERNED IS, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF VICTORIES, BUT SOMETIMES WHEN WE HAVE THOSE SETBACKS, TO BE HONEST ABOUT THOSE SETBACKS MM-HMM . AND I BELIEVE WE LIVE IN A CITY OF, OF, OF FORGIVING PEOPLE. WHEN WE'RE WE COME, WE EMIT THOSE SETBACKS AND TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT I I I BELIEVE I, I'VE KNOWN THESE PEOPLE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY FORGIVING. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MEASURE IS TRANSPARENCY BEING SUCCESSFUL? YOU KNOW, I, I'D LIKE TO THROW OUT THERE IS, IS THE BYPRODUCT OF TRANSPARENCY IS, IS A BETTER PUBLIC TRUST. SO, AND A WAYS WE CAN MEASURE THAT PUBLIC TRUST WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, BUT I THINK TO MY, MY COLLEAGUE'S POINT IS WE'RE IN A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN PROVIDING THAT, THAT THAT FRAMEWORK FOR, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TO, TO PIN INTO THIS AND REALLY GET A, A CLEAR PICTURE. SO, GOOD JOB. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU FOR THIS. UM, I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHEN IT'S ROLLED OUT WHAT THE, WHAT OUR CITIZENS SAY ABOUT IT. UM, AND WHATEVER FEEDBACK WE GET, UM, I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE GOING TO LISTEN AND TWEAK IT TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER FOR, FOR THE CITIZENS. I THINK THIS IS A GREAT START AND, UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET THIS THING DONE. I NEED A MOTION. SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? WE ARE [7. CONSENT All Consent Agenda items listed are considered to be routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Council Member requests, in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda.] ON TO CONSENT AGENDA. THANK YOU MR. REEVES. DOES ANYONE NEED TO PULL ANY ITEMS? ALRIGHT, GOOD DEAL. I NEED A MOTION MOVE TO APPROVE ITEMS SEVEN A THROUGH J. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. IN THE OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES. [a. Consider a resolution nominating two (2) representatives to serve on the Board of Directors of the Harris Central Appraisal District.] WE ARE ON TO APPOINTMENTS. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION NOMINATING TWO REPRESENTATIVE TO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTOR DIRECTORS FOR THE HARRIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT. MR. LAMONT? YES, COUNSEL. UH, THERE ARE TWO HCA MEMBERS WHOSE TERMS EXPIRE ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2025. THEY ARE MARTINA, LAMONT, DIXON AND MELISSA NORIEGA. UH, HCA HAS ADVISED US THAT WE CAN NOMINATE UP TO TWO PERSONS TO SERVE ON THE BOARD AND THIS ITEM WILL COME BACK TO YOU, UH, AFTER THOSE NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN PROCESSED. AND, UH, WE WILL BRING IT TO A VOTE AT THE TIME OF THE VOTE. UH, THE CITY WILL HAVE SIX TOTAL VOTES IN THE ELECTION. [02:00:03] GOOD DEAL. THANK YOU MR. LAMONT. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I NEED A MOTION WILL BE APPROVED. NOMINATION. HMM? YOU NEED A NOMINATION? YOU NEED A NOMINATION? WELL NEED NOMINATION. WELL, SO IT'S THE TWO POSITIONS. WE ONLY HAVE TWO. YES. ON HERE. SO, UM, SO I WILL MOVE TO APPROVE THE TWO NOMINEES, UH, FOR THE HARRIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT COURT. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES ON TO [b. Consider a resolution authorizing three (3) appointments to the Animal Control Advisory Committee.] A B. CONSIDER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THREE APPOINTMENTS TO THE ANIMAL CONTROL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. UH, WE HAVE THREE INDIVIDUALS SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT AND WE HAVE LISA, LISA LITTLE FOR DISTRICT THREE AND BIANCA VILLA REAL FOR DISTRICT THREE ALSO. SO THAT'S, BOTH OF THEM ARE NOT QUALIFIED. MM-HMM. WELL, THEY'RE NOT QUALIFIED FOR ANIMAL WELFARE. ANIMAL WELFARE. MM-HMM . BUT THEY'RE, SO I NEED A, UM, I NEED A MOTION. DO WE WANT TO JUST NOMINATE NAMES AND THEN TAKE ONE MOTION WITH ALL OF 'EM? WELL, THEY ALL SEEK REAPPOINTMENT AND SO, SO WHO'S UP FOR IT? WHO'S UP FOR EMPLOYMENT? YOU HAVE, THEY'RE ALL UP. ALL OF THEM. APPOINTMENT CONTRERAS, GRAHAM AND HOLLOWAY. OKAY. BUT TONY GRAHAM'S GOTTA TAKE BECAUSE SHE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT'S QUALIFIED FOR THAT. THAT PART. WELL, NOT, AND I WAS GONNA RENOMINATE HER, BUT YOU HAVE IT. I WAS JUST WAITING TO SEE WHAT ORDER Y'ALL WERE GOING. YOU WANNA JUST KNOCK THAT ONE OUT FIRST? YEAH. DO YOU WANT ME TO DO THE WHOLE MOTION OR LET'S DO IT ALL? WELL, IS ANYBODY GONNA REPLACE ANYBODY? YEAH. ARE WE TALKING ABOUT REPLACING ANYBODY HERE? I'M NOT. I, I'M WILLING TO PUT ELLEN HOLLOWAY AND I WANTED TO KEEP HER AND I WANTED TO KEEP TONY GRAHAM, WHICH SHE AND EVERYBODY OKAY. WITH ALBERTO CONTRERAS. HMM. YES. LET'S DO IT. IS EVERYBODY OKAY? YEP. UH, MOTION TO APPROVE A ITEM EIGHT B. KEEPING ALBERTO CONTRERAS, TONY GRAHAM AND ELLEN HOLLOWAY. AND THEIR CURRENT POSITION SERVING ON ANIMAL CONTROL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. [c. Consider a resolution authorizing four (4) appointments to the Baytown Police Advisory Committee.] C CONSIDER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FOUR APPOINTMENTS TO THE BAYTOWN POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. WE HAVE EVERYONE SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT EXCEPT MR. VALIER. HE DOES NOT SEEK REAPPOINTMENT. HE'S MOVING OUT OF TOWN. YEAH. HE'S NOT SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT AND HE IS IN DISTRICT SIX. I'M NOT READY TO YOU'RE NOT READY. OKAY. SO WE'LL LEAVE THAT ONE OFF. WHAT ABOUT DISTRICT ONE AT LARGE? UM, I WILL BE KEEPING MR. ORTEGA BE SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT IN JUST LIKE I BELIEVE WITH MS. TONY GRAHAM. THEY'RE NEWLY REELECTED, NEWLY ELECTED, SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO WORK IN THAT COMMITTEE. GOT YOU. AND I'M GONNA KEEP MR. SPRINGER AND, UM, MARGA MATTHEWS, DISTRICT THREE. I'LL BE KEEPING MARGA. GOT YOU. WELL, I NEED A MOTION. UH, IF I COULD KINDA MAKE ONE COMMENT REAL QUICK. YES, SIR. BUT MR. VALIER, HE'S BEEN A, A PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY. WE HATE TO SEE THEM LEAVE DISTRICT FOUR. UM, WE WISH THEM THE BEST AND PRAY FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY, UH, 'CAUSE THAT'S KIND AND, AND WHAT'S GOING ON. AND, UH, HE'S, HE'S A, HE'S BEEN A GREAT MENTOR TO TALK TO AND A GREAT CHRISTIAN MAN THAT I'VE, AND GROWN TO, TO APPRECIATE. AND I HATE TO SEE HIM LEAVE MY DISTRICT AND UNDERSTAND. BUT HE HAS BEEN. UH, BUT I UNDERSTAND WHY HE'S LEAVING AND I PRAY FOR HIS FAMILY. GOOD. SO A MOTION. YOU NEED A MOTION? YES. SO I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT, UH, MR. GER AND MS. MATTHEWS AND MR. SPRINGER. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. NOW WE ARE ON [9. MANAGER'S REPORT Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 551.0415 of the Texas Government Code, the City Council of the City of Baytown may receive a report about items of community interest from City staff and/or a member of the City Council, but no action or possible action shall be taken or discussed concerning the subject of such report, except as provided by Section 551.042 of the Texas Government Code.] TO MANAGER'S REPORT. YES, MAYOR COUNCIL. THANK YOU. I'M GONNA START BY THANKING PARKS FOR CONTINUING TO DO, UH, PAST FEW EVENTS, UM, UH, THIS MONTH AND, UM, OVER THE SUMMER. AND WE'LL ANNOUNCE A FEW MORE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE GOING ON. SO, UM, ON SEPTEMBER 20TH, UH, HOME DEPOT, HOME DEPOT VOLUNTEERS PARTNER WITH PARKS AND RECREATION AND TOURISM TO INSTALL A NEW PLAYGROUND AT NATIONAL LITTLE LEAGUE PARK. THEIR FOURTH PROJECT WITH US SINCE APRIL, FOLLOWING SUPPORT AT THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS VILLAGE LANE SOCCER PARK AND MURDOCH PARK, A BIG THANK YOU TO THE VOLUNTEERS AND STAY TUNED FOR PROJECTS TO COME. PARKS, REC AND TOURISM ARE, UH, HELPING BRINGING G***O FEST 2025 [02:05:01] TO LIFE AS A FULL WEEKEND OF FUN FOR BAYTOWN AND OUR VISITORS. THINGS GET STARTED ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3RD WITH THE PRE-DO PARTY AT TOWN SQUARE, HOSTED BY ACE COUNCIL. IT'S FREE TO ATTEND AND KICKS OFF AT 6:00 PM WITH PERFORMANCES FROM, UH, LOS, UH, BALLET FOLK FOLKLORICO AND MARIACHI HU LATIN ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4TH. YOU CAN EXPLORE LOCAL EATS DURING A SELF GUIDED TOUR FROM 12 TO TWO BEFORE HEADING OUT OVER TO BICENTENNIAL PARK FOR G***O FEST ITSELF, WHICH OPENS AT 4:30 PM THE FESTIVAL IS FREE AND FEATURES LIVE MUSIC FROM DAVID, UH, MATTERS BAND AND AL CARTEL DE NUEVO AND LOS, OH MY GOODNESS. LOS HEAD OF HEAD OF DE, HEAD OF DEO. WE'LL ALSO HAVE SEVERAL CONTESTS AND GAMES THIS YEAR WITH LOTS OF PRIZES UP FOR GRABS. PLEASE COME OUT AND ENJOY A GREAT NIGHT WITH COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, CLIFF. I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. . THAT'S IT. HEY, YOU TRIED. HE TRIED. I MEAN, JUST, YOU CAN JUST SAY THE HEIRS. JUST SAY THE HEIRS AND THAT WOULD'VE BEEN, THAT'S IT. IT'S THE HEIRS. THE HEIRS. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS, . ALRIGHT. WE ALSO HAVE THE FOLLOWING UPDATES AND SHOUT OUTS FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICERS. NAVARRO AND SPENCER WERE RECENTLY RECOGNIZED BY A COMMUNITY MEMBER FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING RESPONSE TO A BURGLARY. HERE'S WHAT THE CITIZEN WROTE. UH, HERE'S WHAT THE CITIZEN WROTE IN I, DEAR PAT DOWN, POLICE CHIEF AND BAYTOWN CITY MANAGER. I'M WRITING THIS LETTER TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION AND RESPECT TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO ASSISTED ME ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH. THAT AFTERNOON, I, I HAD MY FRONT DOOR KICKED IN AND SEVERAL FIREARMS STOLEN ONCE I CALLED 9 1 1. AND OFFICER NAVARRO RESPONDED WITHIN MATTERS, UH, WITHIN A MATTER, EXCUSE ME, A MATTER OF MINUTES AFTER THE DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUCK, OFFICER NAVARRO AND ANOTHER OFFICER WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE TRUCK AND ITS LOCATION USING, USING THE CITY'S FLOCKS, CAM FLOCK CAMERAS. THIS ALLOWED OFFICER SPENCER TO MAKE THE SPOT, OR MAKE THE SPOT AND RETRIEVE THE STOLEN FIREARMS AND OTHER ITEMS. EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT GET ALL THE NAMES OF THE OFFICERS INVOLVED, I STILL WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM AND EXPRESS MY, UH, GRATITUDE, UH, TOWARDS THEM. THIS EVENT HAS STRENGTHENED MY FAITH AND RESPECT FOR THE BAYTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ITS ABILITY TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF BAYTOWN. I'M THANKFUL THAT I HAVE THE ACCESS TO AND TRAINING WITH TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS THEM WELL WITH GREAT PRECISION TO ACT WITH GREAT PRECISION. SORRY, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME READING. ALL OF A SUDDEN I HOPE TO SEE THE DEPARTMENT GROW AND OFFICERS LIKE OFFICER NAVARRO AND SPENCER ALSO IN TECHNOLOGIES THAT ENABLE THEM TO, TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES MORE EFFICIENTLY. SO, UH, THE INDIVIDUAL ASKED TO NOT HAVE HIS NAME READ OUT, BUT HE DID SAY THANK YOU. AND CHIEF POLICE PASSED THAT ON TO THE OFFICERS. YES. AFTER MONTHS OF EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATIVE WORK, THE BAYTOWN, THE BAYTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION, EXECUTED A SEARCH WARRANT AT A PROPERTY LOCATED ON EAST JAMES STREET. THE OPERATION LED BY DETECTIVE, UH, AVITIA CULMINATED IN THE ARREST OF THREE INDIVIDUALS IN THE, IN THE SEIZURE OF A SIGNIFICANT QUANTITY OF ILLEGAL NARCOTICS FIREARMS IN US CURRENCY. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONALISM AND HARD WORK. AND FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO SHOUT OUT OF, UH, LIKE TO SHOUT OUT TO OFFICERS JEREMY STEVENS, JEFF SPENCER, TERRY THOMPSON, JUSTIN ROUGE, AND MICHAEL NUGENT FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING RESPONSE TO A RECENT NINE ONE ONE CALL INVOLVING A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATION. THE CALLER REPORTED, UH, THAT THE, THAT THEIR ABUSER HAD UNLAWFULLY ENTERED THE HOME, BARRICADED THE VICTIM INSIDE, AND WAS HIDING IN THE BEDROOM WITH THEIR CHILDREN. THE OFFICERS ACTED WITH URGENCY AND PROFESSIONALISM AND SUCCESSFULLY DEESCALATED THE SITUATION. THEIR, THEIR QUICK ACTIONS ENSURED THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN AND THE VICTIM AND THE SUSPECT WAS SAFELY TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. THIS INCIDENT REFLECTS THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF COURAGE AND COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY SAFETY. WE'RE PROUD TO HAVE OFFICERS LIKE YOU OUT IN THE FIELD. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. APPRECIATE IT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. MAYOR COUNCIL, COUNCIL [a. Receive a report from Council Member Laura Alvarado regarding projects, programs and events in District No. 1. ] MEMBER REPORT. MR. LAURA, THIS IS LAURA ALVARADO . THANK YOU MAYOR. BEAR WITH ME EVERYBODY. UM, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW UPDATES. UH, SO FIRST MARKET STREET CONTINUES TO MOVE ALONG. WE ACTUALLY HAVE TIMETABLES NOW, BUT I CAN'T SHARE 'EM YET, . SO, UM, IT STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH APPROVALS WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER'S COURT. THAT SHOULD HAPPEN IN, UH, OCTOBER. ONCE THAT, UM, GETS APPROVED, WHICH WE REALLY HOPE IT DOES, THEN UM, WE CAN COME BACK AND, AND START GIVING SOME TIMETABLES OF WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE GROUND IS START IS GOING TO START, UH, TO MOVE. UM, WE DO HAVE SOME BUSINESSES STILL CURRENTLY UNDER INSPECTION. AND, UM, THAT'S MOUNT CAVALRY BAPTIST CHURCH OVER IN CENTRAL HEIGHTS ON ATLANTIC STREET. UM, THE ROLLING BRICK CENTER BUILDINGS A AND B, WHICH IS 1901 ROLLING BROOK. UM, A WASTER AT 31 35 GARTH ROAD. AND THEN, AS Y'ALL ALL SHOULD KNOW, THE OLD DAYS OF ALL THE COURT APARTMENTS, UH, IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN BY THERE, THEY [02:10:01] HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY AT REMODELING, UM, THE, UM, ALL OF THE STRUCTURES. AND SO, UM, RIGHT NOW IT'S ACTUALLY LOCATED IN 1900 WEST TEXAS AVENUE. THEY'RE ABOUT 59% COMPLETE. UM, ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL, PLUMBING PERMITS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ISSUED AND ROUGH AND, AND ELECTRICAL SERVICE INSPECTIONS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. SO FOR THOSE WANTING TO RENT A UNIT, THEY'RE ALREADY STARTING TO TAKE, UM, RENTERS. UM, SO YOU CAN CONTACT OAK LOOP PROPERTIES AT 7 1 3 5 6 5 17 28. PLEASE PASS THAT ALONG. I ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT PEOPLE NEEDING TO RENT, UM, A HOME OR THOSE MOVING IN. UM, THIS WILL BE SOME NICE NEW UNITS THAT THEY'RE REVITALIZING. THE COMMUNITY CENTER IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE NEW PROGRAMS AND HIGHLIGHT, UH, RECENT ACTIVITIES, WHICH IS THE CHAIR VOLLEYBALL, WHICH BEGINS NOVEMBER 5TH, UH, FROM ONE TO 3:00 PM AND SO THIS FUN AND ACCESSIBLE GAME USES A BEACH BALL AND A LOWER NET TO ENCOURAGE ACTIVE PLAY FOR ALL. UH, MEDITATION AT THE LAMBERTH WILL LAUNCH THIS FALL LED BY A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR. UH, THIS FREE MONTHLY SATURDAY CLASS WILL OFFER GUIDED USE OF LAMBERTH, UH, USE OUTSIDE OF THE CENTER. SO IT'S ACTUALLY RIGHT OVER HERE. UM, SO WE ARE WORKING ON DOING ADDITIONAL GUIDED SESSIONS, WHETHER IT BE YOGA, WHETHER IT BE, UM, SOME MENTAL HEALTH RELIEF FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS THAT THEY GO THROUGH SO MUCH AND SEE SO MUCH. THIS IS A WAY FOR THEM TO DECOMPRESS AND TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT AND, AND MEDITATE. UM, THIS IS THE CITY OF BAYTOWN LAMBERTH. UM, THE, UM, TRINITY, TRINITY EPISCOPAL HAS THEIR OWN LAMBERTH AND THEIR OWN WELLNESS PROJECT, SO YOU CAN VISIT BOTH OF THEM AS WELL. UM, AND ON SEPTEMBER 13TH, THE 14TH, THE CENTER HOSTED THE EASTERN FUNNY BOOK AND VINTAGE CON, UM, AND FEATURED COSPLAY AUTHORS PANELS, UM, AND PROVIDING FAMILY FUND FOR ALL AGES WHEN THIS WAS HOSTED. UH, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS JUST, JUST YET FOR THIS ONE, BUT WHEN THEY DID IT AT, UM, GCM, THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THEY'VE HAD OVER 1300 PEOPLE THAT ATTEND THAT EVENT. UM, AND SO, UM, HOPE TO SEE SOME GOOD NUMBERS OUT OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER. I DO WANNA FORMALLY WELCOME GATES OF PRAISE CHURCH AT 27 0 1 WEST MAINE. MM-HMM . UM, I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH A PASTOR AND HIS WIFE. AND, UM, IT'S, I AM VERY GLAD TO SEE THAT THAT CHURCH STILL REMAINS THERE. UM, THERE WAS ANOTHER CHURCH THAT MOVED OUT, AND SO AS OF JUNE, THEY'RE THERE NOW. UM, SO, UM, I ALSO, AS WE WELCOME ONE, UH, UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE TO, TO SAY GOODBYE TO ANOTHER MINISTRY THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 82 YEARS. UM, AND SO ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH IS GETTING READY TO HOLD A SERVICE OF HOLY CLOSURE. AND, UM, THEY'VE HAD MANY YEARS OF MINISTRY, FAITH AND SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. THE CEREMONY WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER THE 26TH. UM, AND THEY'RE LOCATED AT SEVEN 12 SHILLING. SO I WELCOME YOU TO JOIN US AS MYSELF AND MAYOR WILL BE, WILL BE THERE. UM, TO HONOR THE CONGREGATION. UM, THE CHURCH WILL ACTUALLY BE GIFTED TO, UH, LIVE LOVE METHODIST CHURCH, WHICH WILL ENSURE THAT A PLACE OF FAITH WILL REMAIN WITHIN THAT MM-HMM . COMMUNITY. MM-HMM . UM, BACK TO SCHOOL, UH, THE BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT BY WEST BAYTOWN CIVIC ASSOCIATION WAS HELD UP BERGERON PARK, AND WE JUST WANNA GIVE THANKS TO BAYTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR BEING THERE AND COOKING UP SOME HOT DOGS. UH, WE ALSO HAD OUR CITY MANAGER THAT STOPPED BY AS WELL AS A REP FROM JUDGE BATES'S OFFICE. WE REALLY HAD A GREAT, UM, TURNOUT, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY DO EVERY YEAR. UM, THROUGHOUT THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, UM, I'VE ACTUALLY, UH, BEEN WORKING WITH STAFF AND ALONG WITH MY COUNCIL MEMBER HERE, UH, SARAH GRAHAM, TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT PROJECTS, UM, WITHIN THE CITY THAT THE PORT IS INTERESTED IN INVESTING IN. AND THE, THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT WE HAD ON OUR MASTER PLAN. UM, THEY REACHED OUT TO ME, UM, WHEN WAS IT? LIKE A MONTH AGO, TWO MONTHS AGO. TWO MONTHS AGO. UM, INTERESTED IN TRYING TO INVEST AND, AND THEY'RE LIKE, WE ALREADY HAVE THE PROJECTS. I'M LIKE, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHAT PROJECTS? AND SO THERE WERE ACTUALLY PROJECTS FROM OUR MASTER PLAN, UM, AND SOME OF THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED. UH, AND SO THERE ARE OTHERS THAT THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT. SO WE'LL BE HAVING A CALL WITH THEM, UM, [02:15:01] JUST TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT PROJECTS THEY'RE INTERESTED IN AND, AND WHAT ELSE WE CAN HIGHLIGHT, UM, WITHIN THE CITY. THANKS TO PUBLIC WORKS FOR COMPLETING THE IDAHO STREET REPAVING, WE HAD A REALLY GREAT, UM, RESIDENT THERE THAT KEPT CHAMPIONING THAT PROJECT. AND I APPRECIATE HER. AND, AND AGAIN, THANKS TO A PUBLIC WORKS. I DON'T KNOW, FRANK IS NOT HERE ANYMORE, BUT , THANKS FRANK FOR, FOR WORKING WITH US AND GETTING IDAHO STREET REPAVED WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, UM, WE'LL BE HOSTING A MEETING, UM, WITH TXDOT, UM, AND, AND STAFF, UM, CITY, UH, MANAGER TO DISCUSS POTENTIAL GRANT FUNDING FOR RAILROAD SAFETY. UM, AND, UM, THEY WILL THEN, UM, CONNECT OUR NEEDS TO, UH, UNION PACIFIC TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A CO COHESIVE PARTNERSHIP. UM, THIS ACTUALLY CAME ABOUT BECAUSE ONE OF, UM, THE STATE REPS REPRESENTATIVE WAS AT A LISTENING SESSION AND THEY HEARD ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE FEEDBACK ABOUT RAILROADS AND LONG LINES AND STOPPING. AND YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ALSO SOME FEDERAL MONEY MONIES ALLOCATED FOR RAILROAD SAFETY. AND SO WITH HIM BEING THERE PRESENT, UM, THEN WE HAD THAT GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET FIRST FIRSTHAND GLANCE AT, AT THE GRANT APPLICATION AND SEE WHERE THAT WOULD GO. AND THANKS TO THOMAS, UM, FROM OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UM, DEPARTMENT, HE ALREADY HAS A LIST OF RAILROAD AREAS THAT WE MAY NEED TO TARGET. AND SO, UM, IT WON'T BE AN OVERNIGHT THING. UM, AGAIN, IT'S JUST A GRANT APPLICATION. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, AT FIRST I THOUGHT, OKAY, HOUSTON'S GONNA TAKE ALL THE MONEY, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE GONNA GET? AND THEY, AND THEY ACTUALLY TOLD ME THAT WE'RE AHEAD OF THE GAME BECAUSE WE'RE, WE INQUIRED ALREADY EARLY ON. UM, SO WE HOPE TO HAVE, UH, MORE INFORMATION ON THAT. AND I ACTUALLY SUBMITTED, UM, THE WADE AND BAKER, UM, AS ONE POTENTIAL. AND SO, UM, I HEAR A LOT ABOUT THAT. YEAH. UM, THAT, THAT AREA. UM, SO TOGETHER WITH ANOTHER, ANOTHER PARTNERSHIP WITH DISTRICT TWO, UM, WE ALL KNOW, UM, THAT FOOD TOWN IS, IS LEAVING, UM, THAT WOULD LEAVE THIS AREA IN A FOOD DESERT. IT, IT DOES BELONG IN DISTRICT TWO. HOWEVER, IT SERVICES BOTH OF OUR, OUR DISTRICTS AND, UM, IT, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER WITH, UM, THE EC OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM. AND THERE IS A FOOD MARKETPLACE THAT IS VERY INTERESTED AND WE HOPE TO HAVE THEM HERE SOON FOR A SITE VISIT. AND THEN WE WILL JUST GO FROM THERE. UM, A SITE VISIT DOESN'T MEAN YES THEY'RE GONNA COME, BUT, UH, BRIAN FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS WORKING, UH, VERY, VERY, UH, WELL AT, UM, TRYING TO REFILL THAT SPOT ALONG WITH THE, THE BUILDING OWNERS OBVIOUSLY. UM, I'VE HAD SOME CITIZENS REQUESTING BETTER LIGHTING AROUND, UH, FOOT PARK, ALONG THE TRAIL BEHIND WHERE CALYPSO COVE IS AS THEY WALK ALONG, UM, THE AREA, THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE. AND THEN OF COURSE OUR, OUR NEW PICKLE COURT, THAT PICKLEBALL COURT THAT'S THERE, A LOT OF PEOPLE EITHER FORGOT OR DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S THERE 'CAUSE WE HAVE THAT BLACK COVERING AROUND IT. AND I UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE THE COVERING 'CAUSE A LITTLE BALL CAN GET THROUGH THERE. BUT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER WITH CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO, TO GET SOME BETTER LIGHTING IN THE AREA. UM, STEWART CAREER, UM, I HOSTED THEIR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION TODAY. UM, SO I APPRECIATE THAT THIS IS THEIR SECOND YEAR, UM, HOSTING THIS. AND THEN, UM, JUST LAST WEEK I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MC A FASHION SHOW IN BENEFIT OF CHURCH WOMEN UNITED CHILDCARE CENTER. AND SO WE HAD 10 MODELS. OUR LAST ONE WAS ACTUALLY CINDERELLA. UM, SO THEY WORE APPARELS DIRECTLY FROM THE BAYTOWN THRIFT CENTER THAT'S LOCATED AT 1410 LOUISIANA STREET. SO, UM, TAKE SOME TIME TO GO DOWN THERE, CHECK IT OUT. THEY HAVE CLOTHES, THEY HAVE NIT KNACKS AND EVERYTHING THAT IS PURCHASED THERE GOES DIRECTLY TO THE CHILDCARE CENTER, WHICH IS THE ONLY SLIDING SCALE CENTER IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN. AND SO THE MORE, UM, MONIES WE SHOP AT THE THRIFT CENTER, UM, SOME OF THE ITEMS WERE NO MORE THAN $20 THAT THEY WERE WEARING AND THEY WERE VERY NICE DRESSES. UM, SO I REALLY ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO STOP BY AND JUST CHECK IT OUT. AND LASTLY, YOU MENTIONED IT ALREADY, DON'T FORGET TO GO TO RITO FEST. UM, OCTOBER 3RD AND THE FOURTH. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. UM, WE HAD A LOT TO SAY AND, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD NIGHT. [02:20:01] ON MY REPORT. . AND IT [11. EXECUTIVE SESSION] IS NOW 9:36 PM AND WE WILL RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 5 5 1 0.071 TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEYS REGARDING PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION AND 5 5 1 0.087 TO DISCUSS REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS AND NOW RECONVENE OUR OPEN MEETING OF THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL AT 10:36 PM AND ANNOUNCED THAT NO DECISION AND THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION SECTION 5 5, 1 0.0102 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, NO ACTION WAS TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. HAVE AN EXHAUSTED EVERYTHING ON THIS AGENDA. I NOW ADJOURN THIS MEETING. * 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.