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I NOW CALL TO ORDER THE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10TH, 2025 AT 5:05 PM ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM AT 5 0 6.
UM, I'M GONNA START OFF WITH CITIZEN COMMENT.
[a. Discuss and take possible action regarding the Municipal Court Judge position.]
DISCUSS AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING A MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE POSITION.MR. JOY LOPEZ, I'M GONNA SWITCH OFF THROUGH THIS AND GO TO ANOTHER PRESENTATION REAL QUICK.
SO I HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO MEET WITH THE COMMITTEE FOR A COUPLE MEETINGS AND WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS.
I'M GONNA KINDA LAY OUT WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT AS FAR AS THE CONSIDERATIONS AND THEN THE, THE TIMELINE THAT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO THE FIRST THING WE DID WHEN WE MET, WE HAD A, A MEETING GROUP OF A FEW DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
WE HAD LEGAL ATTORNEYS, SOME DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE INVOLVED THAT WORKED WITH THE MUNICIPAL COURT TO KIND OF PROVIDE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ALONG WITH THE JUDGE HERSELF TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND DURING THAT WE LOOKED THROUGH SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT NEED TO BE ASSESSED FOR THIS PARTICULAR POSITION.
THE FIRST ONE UP THERE THAT YOU SEE WAS THE JOB STATUS.
RIGHT NOW THE POSITION IS A FULL-TIME POSITION, SO WE LOOKED THROUGH THE SCENARIOS OF A FULL-TIME, PART-TIME OR A CONTRACT POSITION.
AS PART OF THAT, WE LOOKED AT THE EXISTING SALARY RANGE OF WHERE THE POSITION EXISTED, WHICH IS THAT ONE 30 TO ONE 70 RANGE.
WE LOOKED AT, WE TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT RECRUITING METHODS AS FAR AS DO WE WANNA SOURCE THIS IN-HOUSE WITH THE HR TEAM RUNNING THE PROCESS, OR DO WE WANT TO GO WITH THE THIRD PARTY RECRUITMENT FIRM THAT WOULD LEAD THAT ON THE CITY'S BEHALF? AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF INTERVIEWS AND HOW THOSE WOULD BE STRUCTURED AND HOW THEY WOULD WORK AS FAR AS IF WE'RE DOING A MIXTURE OF THE AD HOC LEADING SOME OF THE INTERVIEWS, OR IF WE'RE HAVING ENTIRE ACCOUNT, IF THERE'S A HYBRID APPROACH WHERE ALL THE GROUPS ARE COMING TOGETHER TO FIND THE BEST CANDIDATE AND ULTIMATELY SELECT THE CANDIDATE.
AND THEN WE WORK THROUGH A TIMELINE THAT LEADS US, ULTIMATELY TO A EARLY FEBRUARY DATE WHERE WE WOULD BRING SOMEBODY IN THE TIMING GOING THROUGH THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
SO IN CONSIDERING THAT AND KIND OF HOW WE GET TO THAT FEBRUARY DATE BEFORE YOU HERE IS, UH, THE TIMELINE THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED AND WE HAVE IT POSTED CURRENTLY, AS YOU'RE AWARE FOR THE POSITION RUNS NOVEMBER 24TH.
WE HAVE ABOUT 60 MORE DAYS LEFT UNTIL DECEMBER 26TH WHEN THE POSTING WOULD CLOSE.
SO WE'VE ALREADY STARTED THAT PROCESS.
WE ARE ALREADY, ARE IN THE STAGE OF RECEIVING ABOUT TWO DOZEN APPLICATIONS OR SO FOR IT.
SO WE ARE GETTING GOOD SOURCING FROM IT.
WE HAD SET FOR DECEMBER 29TH, THE WEEK AFTER IT CLOSED, THAT WE WOULD BRING THE AD HOC COMMITTEE BACK AND WE WOULD GO BACK THROUGH SOURCING OF THE CANDIDATES FOR THE INITIAL ONES THAT WERE SUBMITTED AND HAVE THE TOP SELECTIONS OF THOSE CANDIDATES SELECTED AT THAT POINT BY THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.
AND THEN THE WEEK FOLLOWING THAT, WE WOULD START THE INTERVIEW PROCESS THROUGH ZOOM WITH A NUMBER OF THOSE CANDIDATES THAT WERE THE TOP SELECTED ONES FROM THAT FIRST INITIAL ROUND.
AND THEN THE PLAN WITH THE COMMITTEE WAS THEN TO BRING THOSE INTERVIEWS AND THOSE DEBRIEFS FROM THOSE INTERVIEWS TO THE COUNCIL ON DECEMBER 8TH OR JANUARY 8TH TO TALK ABOUT THOSE WITH ALL OF COUNCIL AND THE COMMENTS AND THOUGHTS FROM THOSE.
AND THEN FROM THAT, ALL COUNCIL WOULD MAKE SELECTIONS ON THE REMAIN CANDIDATES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
AND WE WOULD HAVE THE MORE OF THE FINAL LEVEL INTERVIEWS WHERE COUNCIL WOULD COME TOGETHER AND MEET AND INTERVIEW THE FINAL CANDIDATES TO BETWEEN THAT JANUARY 9TH AND 21ST PERIOD.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY WHEN WE COME TO THE JANUARY 22ND COUNCIL MEETING, WE'D HAVE ANOTHER DEBRIEF WITH ALL THE COUNCIL TO TALK THROUGH THOSE FINAL INTERVIEWS AND GET EVERYBODY'S THOUGHTS AND FEEDBACK SO THAT THEN COUNCIL COULD MAKE A DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PARTICULAR CANDIDATE.
AND JANUARY 23RD THROUGH 30TH, THAT PERIOD OF TIME, AFTER YOU MAKE THE SELECTION ON THE 22ND, HR WOULD WORK ON MAKING THE JOB OFFER, GOING THROUGH THE BACKGROUND CHECKS, REFERENCE CHECKS WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO ENSURE THAT THEY MEET ULTIMATELY ALL THOSE FINAL STEPS, WHICH WOULD LEAD US ULTIMATELY TO AN APPOINTMENT DATE ON FEBRUARY 12TH.
AGAIN, THAT'S FLOWING WITH THE TIMELINE OF THE COUNCIL MEETING DATES.
FEBRUARY 12TH WOULD BE THE NEXT ONE THAT COMES AFTER THAT, UNLESS SOMETHING SPECIAL WAS CALLED IN BETWEEN THERE TO MOVE SOONER ON THAT.
SO THAT IS THE ULTIMATE PROCESS THAT WE LAID OUT.
I'LL ASK THE COMMITTEE IF YOU WANNA SHARE ANY COMMENTS ON THOSE THOUGHTS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANTED TO, I'M GLAD TO BE HERE AND HAVE THIS IN FRONT OF ALL COUNSEL 'CAUSE I THINK WE ALL AGREE IT'S IMPORTANT.
THIS PARTICULAR POSITION WE TALKED ABOUT HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK ESCALANTE'S BEEN HERE OVER TWO DECADES AND OUR OUR NEXT JUDGE COULD BE HERE JUST AS LONG AND THAT CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT GO ON IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I I WILL SAY THAT I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF JOEY.
UM, WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST AD HOC MEETING, HE BROUGHT A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THE TABLE THAT DAY, WHICH MADE THIS PROCESS EASIER, UH, FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND SPEARHEAD SUCH A QUICK TIMELINE.
UM, HE AND I WANTED TO TELL Y'ALL WHO, FIRST OF ALL, JUDGE ESCALANTE WAS THERE.
UM, AND THEN WE, HE MENTIONED SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT, THAT WERE IN THERE ALREADY.
BUT IT, IT REALLY WAS, IT CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE COULD ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
UM, IN THAT VERY FIRST MEETING, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WASN'T MENTIONED HERE FOR THIS UPDATE IS THAT, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF STEERING THIS
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TIMELINE IS THE FACT THAT JUDGE ESMONDE IS RETIRING.AND SO THIS POSITION WOULD BE VACANT ON FEBRUARY 1ST.
UM, AND WE ASKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE ASSOCIATE JUDGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT SHE EXPLAINED TO US THAT, UM, YES, THERE'S ASSOCIATE JUDGES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, BUT TYPICALLY THEY ONLY COVER, UM, ONE WEEK AT A TIME.
AND IT'S USUALLY ONLY THE JAIL DOCKET.
UM, OR IF SOMEONE, IF SHE'S GOING ON VACATION, SHE CAN REQUEST ONE, UM, AHEAD OF TIME FOR MAYBE A WEEK.
BUT ONE OF THE REASONS, AND THE REASON I'M BRINGING THIS UP RIGHT AWAY IS 'CAUSE I KNOW THE TIMELINE, UM, I'VE, I'VE HEARD THAT THIS COULD BE A CONCERN.
WE NEED TO HAVE A TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE, UM, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE DOCKETS BACKING UP AND WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE SOMEONE AVAILABLE, UM, QUICK ENOUGH IF, IF WE DON'T FOLLOW THIS TIMELINE TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
FIRST I WANNA THANK SARAH AND, UM, FRANCO LESTER FOR TAKING ON THIS TASK, UH, ON UNPRECEDENTED TASK, UH, OF THIS PROCESS.
UM, I AM ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF A CONCERN ABOUT THE HOW FAST THE TIMELINE IS MOVING.
UM, I, I'VE SPOKEN WITH, UH, MR. REYNOLDS ON IF, IF THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF PERHAPS IF, IF NEEDED, IF JUDGE ANTE COULD SIT AS, I GUESS, INTERIM MM-HMM
DURING THAT TIME, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING SHE'S WILLING TO DO? WE TO, TO MAYBE, SO WE DON'T RUSH THIS PROCESS.
I'M, I'M CONCERNED THAT YEAH, TWO MONTHS TO FIND SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT BE THE JUDGE FOR, YOU KNOW, NEXT 10, 15 YEARS IS, I DON'T WANNA RUSH IT.
AND, AND I KNOW HOW FAST AND TEDIOUS Y'ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING AND COVERING ALL THE, THE, THE RED TAPE THROUGH THIS, BUT, UM, I'M NOT REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TIMELINE, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE NEED SOMEONE AND IF A JUDGE WAS INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS AND WAS OKAY, SORRY, WITH THE TIMELINE, THEN, UM, I'M NOT AS CONCERNED.
UM, PERHAPS, UH, IS SHE GOING TO MAYBE SIT IN SOME OF THE INTERVIEWS AS YOU NARROW DOWN THE CANDIDATES THAT SHE CAN HELP WITH SCREEN? IS THAT NOT SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL DISCUSSED? NO, THAT, THAT WOULD KIND OF BE A, A STRETCH FOR HER TO SIT IN TO ON THAT.
SHE, SHE DID MAKE A LOT OF GOOD COMMENTS AS TO WHAT SHE SAW FOR THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE POSITION.
AND AGAIN, AS SARAH INDICATED THAT HAVING A COUPLE OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS THERE WERE SAYING, WELL, THIS IS HOW WE INTERACT AND THERE ARE SOME OF THE HIP HIP USING DEPARTMENTS, PLANNING, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, SO CODE ENFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITIES AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
MY CONCERN ON THE TIMELINE WAS THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO GET ENOUGH APPLICANTS.
AND IF WE DIDN'T GET ENOUGH APPLICANTS, WE COULD DELAY INSTALL YES.
'CAUSE WE WANT A GOOD SELECTION.
WE GOT 12 INITIALLY, AND JOEY'S INDICATED WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA GET 12 MORE TODAY.
WE STILL HAVE 16 DAYS, SO WE STILL GOT ROUGHLY TWO MORE WEEKS.
SO IF WE GET ANOTHER 10 OR 12 FOR THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS, WE COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE 40 APPLICANTS QUAL AND, AND HR IS TAKING THE APPLICANTS INITIALLY VETTING THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY MEET THE MINIMUM STANDARD THAT WAS POSTED, AND THEN WE GET THEM AFTER THAT.
SO IF WE GET 30 OR 40 QUALIFIED CANDIDATES, AND THEN WE CAN SCREEN THROUGH THEM TO GET TO IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WHERE WE GET TO 10 OR 15 AND HAVE ZOOM DISCUSSIONS, PHONE INTERVIEWS WITH THOSE 10 OR 15 AND NARROW THAT DOWN TO MAYBE THREE TO FIVE TOP CANDIDATES THAT WE CAN BRING TO THE WHOLE COUNCIL SAYS, HERE'S THE WHOLE PACKET, HERE'S EVERYBODY, BUT HERE'S THE THREE TO FIVE THAT WE THINK WE ALL NEED TO TALK TO.
AND, AND THEN GO THROUGH AND SET UP ACTUAL INTERVIEWS FOR ALL OF US TO SIT IN MM-HMM
THAT'S KIND OF THE DIRECTION SHARON AND I VISITED QUITE A BIT.
THAT'S KIND OF THE DIRECTION JAMES AS WELL, THAT WE FELT THAT THE COUNCIL CONSENSUS WISE GAVE US.
SO THAT Y'ALL WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH 40 DIFFERENT APPLICANTS AS WELL.
YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO SEE THEM, BUT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO HONE THAT DOWN TO THE TOP THREE TO FIVE, MINIMUM THREE, I THINK FIVE BY THE TIME WE DO IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS AND FEEDBACK FROM EVERYBODY, THAT'S GONNA TAKE US SOME TIME.
IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH IN THIS TIMELINE, THERE MAY BE A PERIOD THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THE JUDGE SIT IN FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED WITH HER OR NOT, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE THAT STRETCH.
IF IT GETS INTO FURTHER TIME THAN THAT, THEN WE'RE GONNA BE IN A BIND.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE INITIALLY I DID EXPRESS CONCERNS, UM, TO OUR CITY MANAGER BECAUSE I GUESS I, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE INITIAL PROCESS BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS ULTIMATELY JUST GONNA COME BACK TO US AS A WHOLE.
UM, BUT UM, SEEING THE PRESENTATION AND THE WORK THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE BEHIND THE SCENES, I'M NOT AS CONCERNED ANYMORE.
UH, UM, I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT Y'ALL HAVE
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DONE WHAT YOU NEEDED TO DO.UH, I DO WANT, I DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF THE WHOLE 40 IF THAT'S WHAT WE END UP WITH.
UM, BUT UM, IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF VETTED SCREENING BETWEEN HR AND IF MAYBE THE JUDGE PROVIDES A LITTLE BIT OF INPUT HERE AND THERE, ANY RED FLAGS THAT SHE MAY BE SEEING BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN IN THIS ROLE FOR SO LONG.
UM, SO AS LONG AS WE HAVE THAT, THEN I FEEL OKAY WITH ANY STREAMLINED INTERVIEWS THAT WILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL AS A WHOLE.
I WAS GONNA SAY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TO ALL THE APPLICATIONS.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY ACCESS TO ESCALANTE TO SPEAK TO HER IF YOU NEED TO.
UH, WE WERE REALLY JUST TRYING TO DO WHAT WAS TASKED OF US TO BRING THIS TO, TO, TO MINIMIZE ALL THE, THE VARIABLES SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE, UM, SOME GOOD APPLICANTS TO LOOK AT AND MAKE A DECISION AS A WHOLE BODY.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT LEAST FIVE.
I WAS HOPING FOR SOME DIRECTION IN THAT.
I WOULDN'T, MY OPINION, I'D LIKE TO SEE AT LEAST FIVE, NOT THREE, BUT FIVE.
UM, LET ME GO BACK AND SAY THANK YOU.
I THINK YOU ALL DONE AN AWESOME JOB.
AND I, I WILL SAY, ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS HAPPENED DURING THANKSGIVING BREAK ALSO, WE DON'T HAVE THANKSGIVING TOGETHER.
THAT BIG TABLE THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT WAS ON THANKSGIVING, WE ACTUALLY, SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE THE NEW YEAR'S TOGETHER.
BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA, THE, THE INTERVIEW PROCESS ON THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF DISCUSSED IT.
IT MAY BE A TWO TO THREE DAY PROCESS OF US JUST DOING THE INTERVIEWS IN ZOOM.
THAT, AND AGAIN, IT'S THE 29TH, SO THAT WOULD BE RIGHT THROUGH NEW YEAR'S
SO WE MAY BE SPENDING NEW YEAR'S TOGETHER AND POPPING FIREWORKS AT HIS, OH, SORRY.
WE WILL NOT POP FIREWORKS CITY.
SO THAT MEANS, LIKE I WAS SAYING, UM, THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND EFFORT THAT YOU PUT IN, AND I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IT'S TAKING TIME AWAY FROM YOUR PERSONAL LIFE, YOUR JOB, AND EVEN YOUR FAMILY.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME.
AND JOEY AND THE REST OF STAFF WHO GOT YOU ALL, UM, A HEAD START ON IT BY GIVING, PROVIDING INFORMATION, JUDGE ANTE, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT SHE NECESSARILY WOULD'VE HAD TO DONE, BUT TO SEE THAT SHE CARES ENOUGH ABOUT OUR CITY, WHERE THE COURT'S GOING AND WHERE IT'S HEADED TO TAKE TIME TO, UM, KIND OF ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR YOU ALL TO GIVE SOME DIRECTION IS, IS GREAT.
UM, AS FAR AS THE PROCESS, I THINK THAT CAN WE GO GO THROUGH THE YEAH, YEAH.
I, I, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE TIMELINE.
UM, MY, MY, MY THOUGHTS ARE IF WE, IF WE PROLONG IT, WE MAY LOSE SOME GOOD CANDIDATES MM-HMM
AND THAT'S THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO.
I, I THINK WE THINK IT'S STREAMLINED.
I DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S, I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE RUSHING IT.
AND IF YOU ALL ARE GUNG HO ABOUT STAYING ON TASK WITH IT, I DON'T SEE WHY THERE WOULD BE ANY ISSUE WITH THIS.
I THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO GO VERY SMOOTH AND I'M HAPPY.
UM, THIS IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE THAT, SIR.
SO ONE OF THE, ONE OF OUR OTHER CONCERNS FOR KIND OF MOVING THIS UP TOO, I KNOW WE DIDN'T MENTION IT, IS, YOU KNOW, THE JUDGE, THE POLICE SOMETIMES ARE NEEDING WARRANTS.
SO WE, WE, WE DON'T WANT TO, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE THAT AT FEBRUARY, THEM HAVING AN ISSUE GETTING WARRANTS IF THEY NEED TO BE AT LAST MINUTE.
SO THEY, THEY NEED A JUDGE WHO'S AVAILABLE AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE AT THAT TIME.
SO THIS IS, THAT'S ANOTHER TIME IS HOW IT'S GONNA AFFECT OUR POLICE FORCE.
WE JUST, WE JUST TOOK 12 CRIMINALS OFF THE STREET THAT NEEDED TO BE OFF THE STREET.
SO THAT, IT'S A VERY CONCERNING PART ABOUT THAT, ABOUT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.
THAT'S THE OTHER ASPECT FOR US TO TRY TO GET THIS DONE.
AND IN THE SCREEN PROCESS US, LIKE I SAID, WE GOT 12 SO FAR.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU FUNNELED THAT 12 OUT? IF THERE WAS MORE THAN 12 APPLICANTS, I'M SURE THAT WEREN'T QUALIFIED JUST TO GET TO THE 12.
WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA GET YEAH.
I WAS GONNA SAY THIS, UM, THIS REALLY HIGHLIGHTED THE EXPERTISE THAT GOES ON IN THE HR DEPARTMENT BECAUSE, UM, THE QUESTIONS THAT EVERYONE IN THE ROOM WAS ABLE TO ASK OR TO ANSWER FOR US WHEN WE WERE ASKING THEM, UM, JUST, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, UM, I INITIALLY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO GO OUT TO A FIRM AND LET THEM, YOU KNOW, HANDLE ALL THE APPLICANTS AND HR SAID, NO, WE CAN DO THIS.
AND THEN THEY EXPLAINED THAT IF YOU, IF YOU PUT THE, THE JOB POSTING UP TOO LONG, THEN YOU LOSE PEOPLE.
UM, AND IF YOU GO OUT TO A FIRM, UM, I THINK Y'ALL TOLD ME AN ESTIMATE OF MAYBE SIX MONTHS, MAYBE THREE MONTHS IF WE'RE LUCKY.
SIX MONTHS IS THE USUAL, THREE MONTHS IS EXPEDITED WITH A FIRM.
BUT IT WAS REALLY REFRESHING TO HEAR IN, IN OUR CITIES THAT OUR HR DEPARTMENT, THEY CAN HANDLE THIS.
AND THEY, THEY'VE ACTUALLY DONE A FANTASTIC JOB.
UM, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU SAID FIVE APPLICANTS.
I DO WANNA KNOW THOUGH, IF, IF THAT'S THE CONSENSUS OF COUNSEL, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS WE HAD IS IF EVERYBODY WAS OKAY WITH THE TIMELINE AND THEN HOW MANY APPLICANTS DO YOU WANT US TO BRING BACK? UM, SOMEWHERE FIVE, IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER CONCERNS.
I'M OKAY WITH THE FIVE BECAUSE YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT IF WE BRING, LET'S SAY FIVE TO SEVEN, LET'S SAY FIVE, THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CARVE FIVE SEPARATE MEETINGS OUT WITH ALL OF US.
SO TO HAVE, AND YOU KNOW, YOU NEED AN HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF FOR A FINAL INTERVIEW.
45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR AND 10 OR 15 MINUTES IN BETWEEN.
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DAY OR, OR TWO TO THREE DAYS IN A ROW.SO YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE BRING THAT FIVE TO SEVEN, THAT, THAT'S A LOT OF TIME MM-HMM
BUT WE NEED TO SPEND THE TIME WITH THAT OUT.
BUT I THINK FIVE'S A GOOD TARGET NUMBER.
UH, IF WE MAY END UP WITH THAT OR MAYBE A COUPLE MORE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST GOTTA TALK TO 'EM BECAUSE I'M REALLY THINKING WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME REALLY QUALITY PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO VISIT WITH.
NO, I JUST WANTED TO REMIND MAYOR AND, AND MR. CITY ATTORNEY, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I, I THINK I REMEMBER THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF A JUDGE, OUR MAYOR SIGNS ANY WARRANTS.
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I WAS SIGNED WARRANTS, BUT IT IS, IT IS SOME THINGS THAT YEAH, I WOULD HAVE TO DO.
WE HAVE A, WE HAVE THAT YOU WOULD BE ON CALL.
WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET THIS DONE.
I'M ON, ISN'T THAT CORRECT, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, CAN YOU FIND SOMETHING? I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER.
I DO NOT KNOW THAT ANSWER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I CAN LOOK IT UP WHILE WE'RE DISCUSSING AND GET BACK TO YOU.
I ACTUALLY, BUT WE DO, WE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE.
WE, WE DO HAVE, UM, YOU DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UH, TO ELEVATE SOMEONE, TO PRESIDING JUDGE TEMPORARILY OUT OF THE GROUP OF ASSOCIATE JUDGES.
UH, SO THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE MY SUGGESTION.
BUT FOR YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND GET BACK TO YOU THIS EVENING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO EVEN DO THAT.
WELL, MORE THAN 24, BUT DOWN TO 20 WE DID DOWN TO 24 THAT ARE QUALIFIED.
THAT'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A, THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
NO, IN HARRIS COUNTY COMMUNITY AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN COMING TO WORK FOR BAYTOWN.
SO THAT BEING SAID, UM, I GUESS OUR AT THANK YOU.
JUST WANNA CLARIFY 'CAUSE IT WASN'T SPECIFICALLY SAID FULL-TIME FULLTIME FULL, FULL-TIME POSITION FULL WITHIN THE PAY BAND PRESENTED WITHIN THE TIMELINE PRESENTED, UM, AND THE FIVE FINALS.
SO THE PAY BAN THAT WAS PRESENTED IS MINIMAL TO MIDPOINT.
THE ONE 30 TO ONE 70 IS MINIMUM TO MIDPOINT THE AVERAGE, AT LEAST WITH OUR COMPENSATION MARKET, THE AVERAGE IS ONE 50 FOR A JUDGE.
SO WE ARE WITHIN THE COMPETITIVE NATURE OF THAT MARKET.
YEAH, IT WAS INTERESTING GETTING TO HEAR WHAT ALL, UM, WHAT ALL SHE DOES AND, AND HOW THE DOCKET WORKS.
I THINK THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO SHARE ALL OF THIS HELP.
UM, THERE'S A JAIL DOCKET, WHICH RUNS 24 HOURS EVERY, EVERY SINGLE DAY, 365 DAYS.
UM, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO SUBSTANDARD, SHE DOES PD CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT SS STOOD FOR, BUT SHE SAT IT IN OUR MEETING.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S JURY COURT AND, UM, ON FRIDAYS ONLY JAIL DOCKETS.
BUT TO SEE WHAT A COURT OF RECORD LIKE THAT DOES, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THE RIGHT PERSON IN THERE.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH THAT.
UM, I FORGOT WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK.
UM, 45 INTERVIEWS, COUNSEL WOULD BE PRESIDING OVER THOSE FIVE INTERVIEWS.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE FULL ONE QUESTION.
THE FULL COUNCIL HAS TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
[b. Discuss Council Priorities and Strategic Planning Initiatives.]
TO TWO B, DISCUSS COUNCIL PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVES, MR. REYNOLDS.MAYOR COUNCIL, UM, MEANT TO BE, UH, A VERY INFORMAL DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT, UH, TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TIME THAT WE HAVE TOGETHER, UH, WITH TODAY'S MEETING.
I WAS CALLED, UM, I WAS CALLED AND, AND GOT SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, HEY, OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS WE'VE KIND OF SWITCHED UP HOW WE DID SOME OF OUR BUDGET CONVERSATIONS.
AND WOULD IT, WOULD IT BE A GOOD TIME IN DECEMBER TO GIVE SOME SOME INPUT BEFORE THE RETREAT KICKS OFF SO THAT STAFF CAN HEAR FROM COUNCIL WHILE YOU'RE PLANNING FOR THE RETREAT? AND IT WAS A GOOD CONVERSATION AND I, I DO APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION.
AND SO WE'VE KIND OF SET UP A FEW THINGS, UH, PER THE EMAIL THAT I SENT YOU, JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A, A HEADS UP.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF HAS BEEN GETTING READY ALL AT THIS POINT FOR THE FY 27 BUDGET
AND IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE THAT WE'RE ALREADY THREE MONTHS INTO FY 26 AND THAT WE'RE ALREADY PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME TO LIGHT IN THE CONVERSATION, UM, BY ONE OF OUR FACILITATORS AND, UM, INNOVATORS, JAMIE, UH, SHE BROUGHT A QUOTE, I, I THINK IT WAS JAMIE, IF I'M MISQUOTING THE PERSON, PLEASE CORRECT ME.
BUT SHE BROUGHT A QUOTE, UH, THAT I THINK IS VERY FITTING, AND IT SAYS, ALIGNMENT TURNS INTENT INTO PROGRESS.
AND I ASK YOU TO REMEMBER THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER AS A UNIT AND CONTINUE TO BUILD YET ANOTHER BUDGET.
I'M NOT GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT NUMBERS TONIGHT.
I'M NOT GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE FORMULA.
I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR CITIZENS IN YOUR DISTRICT.
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I DO WANT TO BRING ATTENTION THAT SABRINA IS STANDING OVER THERE.SHE WILL BE WORKING ON THIS, UH, PLATFORM THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU AS WE START TALKING AND, AND WALK THROUGH SOME THINGS.
UM, I HAVE A LOT OF WORDS ON PAPER IN FRONT OF ME.
SO IF I'M LOOKING DOWN, I AM READING ALRIGHT.
AND JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M FOLLOW MY, MY, UH, WORDS HERE AND HELP LEAD A GOOD CONVERSATION.
SO WITH ALL THAT SAID, UM, AS YOU KNOW, STAFF SENT OUT A BRIEF QUESTIONNAIRE LAST WEEK, UM, AHEAD OF THIS MEETING WITH TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE, WE WANTED TO KNOW WHERE SERVICE LEVELS ARE BELOW EXPECTATIONS AND WHAT CITIZENS' CONCERNS ARE YOU HEARING ABOUT CITY SERVICES.
AND SO TONIGHT, UH, OUR FIRST STEP IN, UH, IN PREPARATION FOR OUR BUDGET AND FOR THE FEBRUARY RETREAT, UM, WHAT YOU WILL SHARE WITH US OVER THE NEXT 20, 20 MINUTES WILL HELP US SHAPE THE RETREAT, GUIDE THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, AND STRENGTHEN THE TALKING POINTS YOU TAKE BACK TO YOUR DISTRICTS.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE WANT TO DEMONSTRATE TO YOU AND TO OUR CITIZENS, UH, THAT WE HEAR YOU.
AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO BUILDING BUDGETS THAT REFLECTS YOUR NEEDS AND YOUR PRIORITIES.
SO OUR STRUCTURE FOR TONIGHT, FIRST, WE'RE GONNA ASK EACH OF YOU TO PROVIDE INPUT ON SERVICE LEVELS THAT ARE NOT MEETING EXPECTATIONS.
NEXT, WE'LL DISCUSS THE CITIZENS' CONCERNS YOU'RE HEARING MOST OFTEN.
AND FINALLY, WE'LL TAKE A BRIEF MOMENT TO REFLECT ON WHERE ALIGNMENT IS MOST NEEDED AS WE PREPARE FOR OUR NEXT STEPS.
I DO WANNA SUMMARIZE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THAT Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY PASSED ON TO ME OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS AND, AND SOME RESPONSES TO THE EMAIL THAT I SENT TO YOU.
UM, AND WHAT WE SAW WERE A FEW RECURRING THEMES THAT SHOULD BE NO SURPRISE TO YOU OR TO ANY OF OUR CITIZENS.
UM, STREETS AND MOBILITY ARE ALWAYS TOP TIER.
RAILROAD, UM, UH, WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME TO LIGHT.
UH, SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT WE HADN'T HEARD ABOUT BEFORE WAS GENTRIFICATION, UH, AND ZONING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT AS A, AS A BODY.
AND THEN AS ALWAYS, INFRASTRUCTURE IS IN EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE AS A BODY AND AS A COMMUNITY.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THOUGH, THAT WE'RE NOT DEBATING SOLUTIONS TONIGHT.
WE'RE GATHERING YOUR DIRECTION.
STAFF AND OUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS ARE HERE TO LISTEN.
YOUR INPUT WILL DIRECTLY SHAKE THE WORK THAT WE DO BETWEEN NOW AND THE RETREAT AND JULY OF NEXT YEAR.
WE'LL START WITH SERVICE, SERVICE LEVELS WHERE EXPECT EXPECTATIONS AREN'T BEING MET.
SO IN THE EMAIL THAT YOU RECEIVED THE DIRECT QUESTION FOR MATT, OKAY,
IT'S WEDNESDAY NIGHT, UM, TO STRENGTHEN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
WHERE ARE SERVICE LEVELS BELOW EXPECTATIONS? WHAT OR HOW IS THAT SPECIFIC THING FALLING SHORT? AND SO AS YOU START NAMING SOME THINGS, I BELIEVE SABRINA WILL START PUTTING THESE UP HERE AND THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT WHERE THINGS ARE FOLLOWING UP AND WE CAN START ALIGNING PIECES.
SO I AM GONNA GO AROUND AND I WANT TO HEAR FROM EACH OF YOU.
SO PLEASE BE SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE.
WHAT SERVICE, UH, IN WHAT WAY AND WHAT THE IMPACT IS TO YOUR DISTRICT.
I'M GONNA START OFF WITH THIS.
UM, THE SERVICE, UM, TRASH BEING LEFT ON THE STREETS, TRASH NOT GETTING PICKED UP.
AND CUSTOMER SERVICE WHEN IT COMES TO CALLING THE SERVICE PROVIDER CITIZENS OR NOT GETTING RESPONSES BACK.
THIS IS LIKE MY WORST NIGHTMARE IS TYPING IN FRONT OF A GROUP OF EVERYTHING.
I WAS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME.
SO THEY TRY AND GET EVERYTHING DOWN.
AND DIDN'T TRANSPORT HERE FOR A WHILE.
UM, I'M ALSO GOING TO GO WITH SIDEWALKS.
I DO SEE RESIDENTS WALKING IN GRASS IN AREAS WHERE WE DO NOT HAVE SIDEWALKS.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT MORE PEOPLE, UM, WALKING, BIKING TO WORK, ESPECIALLY ON THE NORTH, NORTH OF I 10.
AMERICA NORTH I 10 ASK A QUESTION.
UM, ARE WE PUTTING IN OUR OWN FOR OUR OWN DISTRICTS? I DON'T THE INTENT IS FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT EACH OF YOUR DISTRICTS, BUT AS, AS ALL OF Y'ALL ARE AWARE, YOU DON'T JUST REPRESENT YOUR DISTRICT, YOU REPRESENT THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
SO IF YOU HAVE THINGS THAT ARE FORWARD THE ENTIRE CITY, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO PUT THOSE THINGS AT YOU HERE AS WELL.
BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT PEOPLE CONTACT Y'ALL.
UH, FOR A MULTITUDE OF THINGS.
AND I'M ACTUALLY TALKING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF TALKING TO EVERYONE IN THE CITY.
ME, MYSELF, NO WHERE, WHERE MY BRAIN WAS GOING.
I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF I NEEDED 'CAUSE SIDEWALKS.
I HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC AREA, SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF Y'ALL WANTED SPECIFICS OR LIKE IF THE MAYOR SIDEWALKS.
IS THAT ALL Y'ALL NEED TO KNOW? I WANNA HEAR ALL OF THE INPUT THAT YOU HAVE.
WE WILL CONSOLIDATE A LOT OF IT, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU RIGHT NOW? SO, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND I'M GONNA GO WITH TOWN SQUARE 'CAUSE I'M GETTING A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY IN TOWN SQUARE.
UM, MAINLY WITH, UM, THE YOUTH.
WE CAN FIND A SOLUTION TO CURTAIL YOUTH VANDALIZING
[00:25:01]
AND DOING THINGS OF THAT NATURE.AND THEN, UM, CAN WE GO BACK TO THE MM-HMM
AND DRAINAGE AND WE CAN JUST TRY TO STAY AHEAD OF IT.
WE'RE GROWING CITY AND IF WE SEE, IF WE GET, UM, PHONE CALLS ABOUT AREAS WHERE THEY'RE SEEING THAT IT'S NOT FLOWING, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT IT BEFORE WE GET OUT OF HAND YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
NOT SAYING WE DON'T FOCUS ON THE IT PROBLEM AREAS, BUT IF WE CAN TRY TO GET AHEAD OF SOME OF IT, WE MAY, WE MAY, UM, FIND OUT, PUT OURSELVES IN, IN BETTER SITUATIONS.
AND I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE IT AT THAT BECAUSE I THINK, OH, PARKS AND RI GOTTA SUPPORT PARKS AND REC AT EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO.
THIS IS LOW EXPECTATIONS, NOT HIGH EXPECTATIONS.
WERE THEY NOT MEETING, WE'RE NOT MEETING EXPECTATIONS.
ARE WE FAILING AT ANYTHING? I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT THEY'RE FAILING AT ANYTHING.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT THEY'RE FALLING SHORT AT ANYTHING.
BUT LIKE I SAID, WITH DRAINAGE, IF WE CAN STAY AHEAD OF SOME OF SOME OF THESE THINGS MM-HMM
AND WITH PARKS AND REC, LET'S CONTINUE TO BE INNOVATIVE AND, AND THINGS THAT THEY ARE COMING UP WITH ACTIVITIES.
UM, IF WE LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE YOUTH, MAYBE THERE'S SOME THINGS WE CAN DO IN PARTS AND REC THAT WILL TAKE UP THEIR TIME, HAVE THEM FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS OUTSIDE OF BEING IN CERTAIN AREAS OF TOWN.
VANDALIZING, UM, VANDALIZING PROPERTY.
LEFT OR RIGHT? MAYOR, LET'S GO WITH ONE
UM, SO YOU ALREADY HAVE SOME OF MINE IN HERE, JASON.
'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN TALKING THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
UM, OBVIOUSLY I'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF CALLS FROM GLEN ARBOR, UM, THE RIDGEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE STILL BEEN WORKING ON MOBILITY FOR THE SOUTHWEST EDITION PORTION OF MISSOURI STREET.
AND SO I KNOW WE WERE THINKING ABOUT DOING, UM, SOME SIDEWALKS THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE CROSSWALKS WITH THE LITTLE BUTTON AND EVERYTHING, BUT NO SIDEWALKS.
UM, AND WE'VE ALREADY YES, MA'AM, UH, IDENTIFIED THAT AND HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THAT.
AND SO WE'RE HELPING THAT WE CAN FIND SOME, SOME FUNDING SOMEWHERE.
AND WE KIND OF LOOKED ALREADY AT POTENTIAL FUNDING, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S NOTED EVEN THOUGH WE'VE ALREADY BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT.
UM, WE'VE ALSO BEEN IDENTIFYING SOME, UH, DRAINAGE, UM, ISSUES AS WELL.
UH, MY PORTION NELLI, UM, OFF FULLY DRIVE AND BOWIE, NELIA STREET AROUND THAT AREA.
UM, AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE WE IDENTIFY WHAT ISSUES MAY BE THERE.
I KNOW I, I GOT A RESPONSE TODAY ON THE, THE, ON THE CLICK SERVICE.
YOU CAN'T HEAR, HEAR DIDN'T, I DIDN'T HEAR THE STREET.
BOWIE AND AMELIA STREET OFF OF LEE DRIVE.
SO WE, UM, UH, SOME OF OUR TEAM ALREADY WENT OUT THERE AND, AND LOOKED AT WHAT SOME OF THE ISSUES ARE, BUT IF IT'S RECURRING, UM, THEN I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN EYE ON THAT ONE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UM, THROUGHOUT THE PLY AREA, WE HAVE SEVERAL DITCHES AND SOME OF THEM FILL UP WITH WATER.
AND SO, UM, A LOT OF THIS I'VE TURNED IN, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN EYE ON THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE, UM, SEVERAL, UH, WHAT DO YOU SAY, GRATES WHEN IT COMES TO, THEY DON'T HAVE REALLY A LOT OF INLETS, SO THEY HAVE GREAT GRATES.
UM, AND SOME OF THOSE GET BACKED OFF OF TRASH, WHICH CAUSES, UM, SOME OF THE WATER, UH, INFILTRATION IN THE AREA.
AND, UM, RESIDENTS JUST SAY, I'M JUST GONNA DO IT MYSELF.
AND THEY'RE OUT THERE AND NEED DEEP WATER, JUST TRYING TO BRUSH OFF ALL OF THE, THE TRASH IN THAT AREA.
UM, AND THEN, UM, I REALLY HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING ON, ON PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, I'M, I'M CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT, WHAT WE COULD DO IN REGARDS TO YOUTH, BECAUSE A LOT OF IT, AS WE'VE SEEN AT TOWN SQUARE, THEY JUST START RUNNING AND IT CREATES, YOU KNOW, PANIC.
AND SO, UM, I'M CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT'S GONNA COME OUT OF THAT.
SO, UM, MOBILITY, SIDEWALKS, YOU ALREADY HAVE MY INFORMATION THERE, AND SO I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO CONTRIBUTE RIGHT NOW.
UH, UH, MS. ALVARADO ON GLEN ARBOR AND, UM, RIDGEWOOD, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, UH, JUST SO FOR LIKE
WHAT DOES MEETING EXPECTATIONS LOOK LIKE ON FOR THOSE STREETS OR FOR THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS? I MEAN, YEAH.
SO IT'S, IT, IT'S, IT DRAINAGE AND STREETS ACTUALLY GO HAND IN HAND WHEN IT COMES TO GLEN ARBOR BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF AGING STREETS.
UM, AND BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE STREETS ARE VERY NARROW, UM, CARS ARE PARKING ON THE CURB, AND SO THERE'S NO WATER FLOW.
UM, AND SOME OF THE DEBRIS IS COLLECTING IN THE GUTTERS, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S NO FLOW.
AND SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER WILL BE TO THAT, BUT SOME OF THE AREAS, UM, WE WENT IN AND CLEANED UP SOME OF THE, THE INLETS AND FLUSHED THEM AND THEN IT STARTED FLOWING.
SO IT COULD BE THAT WE NEED TO
[00:30:01]
CONTINUE TO FLUSH THAT AREA.THE STREETS ARE AGING THEMSELVES, THE ROADS.
UM, I'VE BEEN GETTING CALLS ABOUT WHEN ARE WE GONNA BE NEXT? AND, AND I KNOW I TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE AT A COUNCIL MEETING BECAUSE THEY CALLED ME AND SAID, HOW DID ALAN BROOK GET ALL THESE NEW, NEW STREETS WHEN WE WERE HERE FIRST? AND WE STILL HAVE OLD STREETS THAT ARE CRUMBLING.
UM, AND SO I, I THINK THOSE STREETS ARE CAUSING MAYBE SOME OF THE WATER ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING AROUND THERE.
WELL, I MEAN, IT, IT'S JUST A ONE IN, ONE OUT WAY, AND THEY HAVE A BAY BACK THERE.
UM, SO THERE COULD BE SOME FLOODING ISSUES.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT CREEK THAT'S BACK THERE, IT RAISES DURING HARD STORMS AND ESPECIALLY DURING HURRICANES.
AND SO THERE WERE A LOT OF HOMES, UM, THAT WERE FLOODED DURING HARVEY.
UM, AND, UM, SO A LOT OF DEBRIS WITHIN THE RIDGEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, THAT SHOWED UP.
AND SO, UM, ONE OF THE CALLS THAT WE GOT WERE BECAUSE OF DRAINAGE IN THE AREA, SO THANK YOU.
AND THIS NEXT ONE IS FOR, UH, ALL OF ALEXANDER, BOTH SIDES.
I'VE HAD PEOPLE ASK FOR SIDEWALKS ON BOTH SIDES ALL THE WAY DOWN.
UM, BUT WARD ROAD HAS BEEN A BIG TOPIC BETWEEN MAINE AND ALEXANDER, UH, WANTING BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD WITH, UH, WALKABILITY ALL THE WAY DOWN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT DEPARTMENT OR SERVICE YOU WANNA PUT IN THE CENTER, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT USED TO HAVE, BUT IT HAS GONE AWAY.
AND THAT'S GRAFFITI ABATEMENT AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE Y'ALL TO REVISIT THAT BECAUSE, UM, I KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN INCLUDED ON EMAILS ACROSS THE BOARD WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, BUT DISTRICT TWO DEFINITELY HAS HAD ITS OWN SET OF ISSUES WITH GRAFFITI.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT SOME OF IT'S ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, BUT I WOULD LIKE, UM, AS A STAFF AND AS A, AS A COUNCIL FOR US TO, UM, LOOK TO OTHER SURROUNDING AREAS OR MAYBE OUTSIDE OF THAT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN USE HERE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY TO, UM, HELP FIX THAT PROBLEM.
THE OTHER ISSUE THAT I'VE RECEIVED IN DISTRICT TWO, UM, CONTINUES TO BE, UM, DILAPIDATED BUILDINGS, WHICH I KNOW THAT'S ALSO BEEN A DISCUSSION, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT THAT WITH THE CURRENT COUNCIL AND MAYOR SUBSTANDARD HOUSING.
UM, ALSO, UM, AS FAR AS PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, I STILL HAVE A LOT OF, UH, I'M NOT GONNA SAY I HAVE HAD EMAILS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESSES FOR WHATEVER REASON, STILL DO NOT FEEL EMPOWERED, UM, TO TELL PEOPLE WHETHER THEY'RE TRANSIENT, WHETHER THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST THERE DOING SOMETHING THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO, TO GET OFF THEIR PROPERTY OR TO LEAVE.
I KNOW IN THE PAST WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE POLICE GOING IN AND OUT, MAYBE EMPOWERING THOSE, UM, BUSINESS OWNERS WITH SIGNAGE, LETTING THEM KNOW THEY YES, THEY CAN CALL NINE ONE ONE, PLEASE CALL 9 1 1 IF THERE'S AN ISSUE.
BUT, UH, I JUST WANNA CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION.
UH, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT STREETLIGHTS AND, UM, GROWTH OF FOLIAGE ON STREETS.
UH, A LOT OF TALK ABOUT LIKE, IS IT OUR JOB? IS IT CENTERPOINT'S JOB? SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU WANNA PUT THAT ON HERE AS WELL.
UM, AS FAR AS PUBLIC WORKS OR WHERE THIS BELONGS, BUT CONTINUE, UM, ADVOCATING FOR THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES TO ABATE PROPERTIES THAT THEY OWN, WHETHER THAT'S A COMMERCIAL ISSUE OR A CITYSIDE ISSUE.
UM, AND THIS SPECIFICALLY IS GONNA TIE INTO DRAINAGE.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A, A LARGE DRAINAGE ISSUE THAT'S COME ABOUT FROM SEVERAL CITIZENS THAT GO FROM, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACROSS FROM HORSEMAN AND THEN OVER INTO, UH, DISTRICT SIX BY HORSEMAN AND ROSELYN.
UM, I WOULD LIKE Y'ALL TO CONTINUE TALKS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OTHER ENTITIES, BECAUSE Y'ALL ALL KNOW THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH, UM, ACCESS TO, IT'S NOT ON ONE SIDE OF TOWN.
IT'S ACTUALLY OVER IN DISTRICT THREE.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE THAT TO BE A TOPIC.
YOU ASKED FOR, GOSH, I HAVE A CLARIFYING QUESTION FOR THAT ONE.
IS THAT ACCESS TO TAKE CARE OF THE DRAINAGE? YES.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPACTS YOU'RE SEEING WITH THE TRANSIENT AND THE SUBSTANDARD BUILDINGS TO YOUR RESIDENCE OR TO YOUR DISTRICT? UM, WELL, WHEN THE SUBSTANDARD BUILDINGS ARE THERE FOR A LONG TIME, I, I CAN GIVE A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE MM-HMM
UM, THERE'S ONE THAT YOU'VE HEARD AT ONE OF THE LISTENING TOURS, IT'S ON THE CORNER OF MAINE AND GULF, UM, THAT WE'VE HAD CITIZENS COME AND ASK, HAVE SOMETHING, UM, DONE ABOUT THAT.
BUT OUR PHILOSOPHIES, WE HAD, WE HAD A, WE HAD TO MAKE VERY SPECIFIC, UM, DECISIONS WITH A BUDGET AND SUBSTANDARD, UM, CAN BE EXPENSIVE, RIGHT? GETTING RID OF THAT.
SO THEY MOVE IN, UM, TAKE OVER AND, UM, THERE'S TRASH, IT, IT SPILLS OVER INTO HEALTH AND TO, TO A LOT OF YOUR DEPARTMENTS, UM, SO SUBSTANDARD WHEN WE GET RID OF THOSE PROPERTIES OR WE REQUIRE THE OWNERS TO TAKE CARE OF THEM UNDERNEATH OUR, OUR SPECIFIC POLICIES, THEN IT CAN HELP, UM, GET RID OF PEOPLE MOVING IN AND, AND MAKING HOMES OUT OF THEM.
SO, UM, WE'VE HAD PIECES FLY OFF AND HIT OTHER PROPERTIES.
[00:35:01]
HAPPENED AT THAT SAME LOCATION.SO, UH, AND I, I, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I, I APPRECIATE JUST THE INPUT.
IT'S, UH, FOR THE DIRECTORS TO HEAR AND FOR THE CITIZENS TO HEAR JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE TALKED ABOUT ON A WEEKLY BASIS WITH Y'ALL AND ME.
UH, BUT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE TO SEE HOW ALL THIS IS HOW THE, THE CHEESE IS MADE, SO TO SPEAK.
THE CHEESE MAY OR HOW THE CHEESE IS MADE.
UM, AND THE CHIEF, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT HE'S BEEN WORKING WITH GOOSE CREEK, CISD, AND THEY HAVE BEEN, A MAYOR WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THIS.
I CAUGHT HIM, I CAUGHT ALL THE, THE GOOSE CREEK POLICE AT TOWN SQUARE HANGING OUT, JUST HELPING BECAUSE THE LOCAL ENTITIES HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER.
SO THAT'S ONE WAY THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO HELP SPEARHEAD THAT.
I'VE EVEN SEEN THEM PULLING PEOPLE OVER FOR SPEEDING OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL ZONE, YOU KNOW.
I BRING UP ONE THAT I HADN'T HEARD YET.
UH, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS OR A COUPLE OF INSTANCES IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS WHERE PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED WITH THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
THEY GET SENT QUESTIONS, THEY ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS, THEY SEND IT BACK, THEN THEY HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, AND THEY FEEL LIKE THE PERMITTING PROCESS JUST DRAGS ON.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S AN AREA OF SERVICE DELIVERY THAT I THINK WE LOOK AT.
I CAN EDUCATE MYSELF MORE IN THE PROCESS, UM, AND MAYBE PUT INFORMATION OUT THERE.
BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY, UM, ONE, UM, MOWING, UH, MOWING.
WE TALKED ABOUT MOWING PUBLIC AREAS.
DITCH MOWING WAS A, A CHALLENGE THIS PAST SUMMER.
I BROUGHT THAT UP AT OUR LAST BUDGET MEETING.
UM, OVERALL BEAUTIFICATION, UH, OF OUR CITY.
UH, I SAW WHERE SOME, SOMEONE IS BRINGING UP, UH, SOME OF OUR BUSINESSES ALONG CARS ROAD, WHERE, UM, WHERE IN THE PAST LOOKED, UH, OUTSIDE THE OUTSIDE LOOKED GOOD, UH, IN THE PAST WHERE, BUT NOW IT'S OVERGROWN AND IT'S A BAD LOOK.
SO, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY IN REGARDS TO, UM, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF ISSUES COMING OUTTA MY DISTRICT WITH REGARDS TO, UM, UH, SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR.
UH, PEOPLE GOING ON, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT PROPERTIES AND, AND, UM, PEOPLE FEELING LESS AND LESS SAFE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF AN, UH, AN AREA THERE, AN OPPORTUNITY.
UM, ALSO, WE ALSO MENTIONED DRAINAGE.
UM, OUR STREETS, UM, UH, POTHOLES, A LOT OF POTHOLES, A LOT OF, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, STREET SETTER SUB STANDS WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE LAKEWOOD, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT RED BUD AND EVEN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH I KNOW THERE'S A PLAN FOR THAT, BUT LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ROADS LOOKING, UM, A BIT BETTER THAN WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN.
YOU MENTIONED BAYWAY CORRIDOR TO ME, MR. GRIFF, YOU UP? YEAH.
SO ACCESS TO, UM, I LIKE, YOU KNOW, COMPONENTS OF THAT BAYWAY CORRIDOR WHERE ACCESS TO, UH, PEOPLE HAVE, UM, A, UH, A SYSTEM TO, UH, NAVIGATE OUR RAILROADS.
UH, SO I KNOW THERE'S COMPONENTS ON THAT BAYWAY CORRIDOR, UH, THAT WILL ALLOW, UH, PEOPLE COMING FROM LAKEWOOD INTO THE CITY TO NAVIGATE AND NOT GET CAUGHT BEHIND TRAINS.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, SEE THAT HAPPEN.
OR, UM, EVEN, HOW, HOW DOES THAT BAYWAY CORRIDOR IMPACT ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT LIVE ALONG, LIKE, UH, ENHANCING THE BAYWAY CORRIDOR, HOW'S IT IMPACTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, LAKEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD OR SHREK AREA? HOW IS IT IMPACTING THEM? BY US NOT DOING ANYTHING TO IT, OR FOR, OR FOREGOING ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS TO IT, IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR COMMERCE.
IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO, UM, GET EMERGENCY SERVICES TO THEIR HOUSE.
THERE WAS AN INSTANCE WHERE I BELIEVE A FIRETRUCK WAS HEADING, THE FIRE TRUCK THAT WAS ON THAT SIDE WAS ANSWERING ANOTHER CALL MM-HMM
SO WE HAD ANOTHER FIRETRUCK THAT WAS HEADING OVER THERE TO A HOUSE.
AND I BELIEVE THE HOUSE, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED BUT DIDN'T BECAUSE THE OTHER FIRE TRUCK WASN'T ABLE TO GET THERE.
'CAUSE IT GOT STUCK ON THE TRAIN.
SO, I KNOW WE CAN'T CONTROL THE TRAINS, BUT, UM, WE COULD BE SOLUTION ORIENTED.
WHAT WE COULD DO TO HELP, YOU KNOW, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS NAVIGATE THOSE ROADS AND, AND, AND GET THERE AND TIME, UM, MAYBE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE FEATURE MAY BE NECESSARY, UH, TO PASS OVER THOSE.
BUT, UM, DO SOMETHING, AT LEAST WE DO NOTHING.
IT IS KIND OF MY, IT IS MY RESPONSE TO THAT.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A HUGE ONE.
UM, I, I'LL LEAVE IT THAT THOSE THREE, SOME OF THE STUFF MY COLLEAGUES ALREADY MENTIONED, SO, UM, OKAY.
UH, I THINK A LOT OF OURS ARE SOME OF THE, UH, THE, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, DETENTION PONDS AND THE DISTRICT FOUR.
SO JUST GET MAKING SURE A LOT OF 'EM ARE GETTING MAINTAINED BY THE HOAS.
I KNOW WE HAVE ONE THAT'S IN MANED RIGHT NOW THAT LANGDON NEEDS TO FINISH BEFORE THEY CAN TURN IT OVER TO THE SUBDIVISION.
SO WE CAN GET SOME OF THOSE CLEANED UP BECAUSE THOSE ARE, A LOT OF OURS ARE HIDDEN, BUT YOU DON'T GET TO SEE 'EM.
SO THERE'S TWO REALLY BAD ONES THAT YOU CAN'T SEE UNLESS YOU WALK.
SO JUST KIND OF GETTING THAT, THAT HELPS OUT
[00:40:01]
THAT THAT DRAINAGE WILL THEN IN TURN HELP OUT OTHERS ON THAT PART.UM, ON THE DRAINAGE PART A LITTLE BIT, THE STREETS, I KNOW IN ALLEN BROOK AND IN COUNTRY CLUB OAKS, THERE'S SOME STREETS THAT ARE HOLDING A LOT OF WATER AND PONDING, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT'S CAUSING SOME DRAINAGE ISSUES OVER THERE.
UM, WE'LL KIND OF GO THE NEXT ONE.
WHAT'S THE NEXT, WHAT'S THE NEXT, UH, PUBLIC PUBLIC SAFETY.
I KNOW ON, IN ALLEN BROOK, ON CI BROOK AND ON BIRDS, I MEAN, NO, NOT SANDBROOK, BUT ON BIRDSONG AND ON, UH, ALLEN BROOK.
A LOT OF, WE'VE DONE TRAFFIC STUDIES, WE TRIED TO DO WHAT WE CAN, BUT THEY FEEL THERE'S STILL A LOT OF SPEEDERS GOING THROUGH THERE.
UH, SAME THING ON MANOR DRIVE.
I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT WE'RE ADDING, POTENTIALLY ADDING ANOTHER STOP SIGN THERE, WHICH MAY HELP SOME OF THE TRAFFIC FLOW ON THAT ONE.
UM, CINDER BROOK IS A SIMILAR ISSUE.
IT'S CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC AND THEN WE'RE STARTING TO SEE IT ON INDEPENDENCE OF VARDA ALSO NOW.
SO OUR DISTRICT HAS A LOT OF CUT THROUGHS FROM GARTH TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TRYING TO GET OFF OF GARTH.
AND JUST SOME, SOME OF THAT PUBLIC SAFETY PART OF THAT.
UH, I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF, UH, ISSUES WITH THE HOMELESS.
SIMILAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ON THAT PART.
A LOT OF OUR BUSINESSES DON'T KNOW, UH, WHEN I'VE TALKED TO 'EM, I TOLD 'EM, JUST CALL THE POLICE IS NON-EMERGENCY LINE.
AND UH, WHEN THEY GET A CHANCE, THEY CAN SEND AN OFFICER OVER HERE, UH, TO REMOVE THE PERSON BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPEDING SOME OF THEIR BUSINESS.
'CAUSE PEOPLE ARE DETERRED FROM THEM.
SO, UH, IT'S KIND OF GETTING THAT MESSAGE TO THE, TO THE, TO THE BUSINESSES THAT, HEY, HERE'S THE NUMBER TO CALL HERE.
HERE, WE'LL TRY TO GET AN OFFICER.
WE CAN'T, THEY'RE NOT OUR PROPERTY, SO WE DO IT ABOUT IT.
BUT IF YOU ASK US WHO WE CAN, UH, DO YOU KNOW WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE OVER IN ALLEN BROOK OR BIRDSONG? LIKE I, I KNOW THAT WE'VE DONE QUITE A FEW THINGS OVER THERE.
BUT WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE TO THOSE NEIGHBORS? SO WHEN WE, WE, WE REDID ALLEN BROOKS DRIVE AND BUR, SO THAT ENDED UP CAUSING SOME OTHER DRAINAGE USES ON SOME OF THE OTHER STREETS BECAUSE NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT DONE.
AND IT'S, IT'S SOME, SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES.
SO THEY'RE ASKING, WHEN DO WE GET THE OTHER STREETS DONE? I'M LIKE, OKAY, THEY'RE NOT ON THE INDEX, THEY'RE NOT HIGH ENOUGH ON THE INDEX.
THEY ARE PRETTY BAD, BUT THEY'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET THAT PAVING INDEX.
SO THAT PAVING INDEX THAT COMES OUT REALLY HELPS THE, THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE AT IN THE PECKING ORDER.
AND, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS A PECKING, THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE, UNFORTUNATELY.
DID YOU HAVE OTHER THINGS? UH, SCROLL BACK OUT.
SO THE TRAFFIC, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT, UH, NORTH MAIN ON ALAMO DUR IN FRONT OF ALAMO DURING THAT TIME.
THAT'S REALLY BAD IN, UH, STERLING, WHENEVER THEY JUST LET KIDS OUT, PERIOD.
UH, SO THOSE ARE SOME TRAFFIC.
AND OF COURSE EVERYBODY'S COMPLAINING ABOUT THE TRAFFIC AND GUARDS IN NORTH MAINE.
BUT, UH, I TELL 'EM IT'S, IT'S THE BUSIEST PARTS OF THE, THE CITY.
UH, YES, WE DO NEED MORE STREET LIGHTS ON THAT, ON GARTH, BUT THAT GOES TO THE NEXT ONE.
WE HAD A BOND FOR SOME OF THAT.
I THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING NEXT.
I'M READY WHEN YOU I'M TRYING TO GO FAST.
UH, WHAT'S THE NEXT ONE? WE'RE NOT, WE'RE DONE WITH, WE'RE CALL THE CITY.
UH, I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW.
GARBAGE SERVICES, APPARENTLY NO ISSUES WITH ANY GARBAGE SERVICES.
I'VE HAD ONE EMAIL AND THAT WAS ABOUT NOT PICKING UP HIS A PAPER BAG AND EXPLAINED WE DON'T DO THAT.
THAT KINDA GOES BACK TO ALSO, UH, OVER IN COUNTRY CLUB OAKS, THEY HAVE A LOT OF STREETS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT WINDOWS GONNA GET REPLACED AND THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SOME OF THAT.
AND ALLEN BROOK ALSO SOME OF THEIR STREET REPLACEMENTS.
BUT AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO PCI INDEX AND WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO GET SOME OF THOSE DONE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, GARTH ROAD, WHEN YOU EXPEND IT, TOLD HIM, WELL, WE HAD A BOND, UH, SORRY, I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT AGAIN.
UM, MOBILITY SIDEWALKS, 88 SIDEWALKS AND 88.
AGAIN, PEOPLE WERE WANTING MORE SIDEWALKS ON NORTH MAINE AND GARTH ROAD.
AGAIN, THAT WAS A PART OF A BOND.
UM, WE TRIED TO GET THAT FOR Y'ALL AND GET SOME OF THAT PART DONE.
UH, SIDEWALKS, UM, SOME I'M GETTING, UH, OVER IN ALLEN BROOK AND THEN OF COURSE COAST CLUB OAKS, UH, THE OLDER SIDE.
UH, SOME OF THE ONES THAT WERE REPLACED, UH, AREN'T, AREN'T A DA ARE ARE SYNCING AND HAVING SOME OF THE ISSUES, INCLUDING SOME OF THE, THE OLDER ONES AND SOME OF THE NEW ONES THAT WE JUST REPLACED.
UH, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY MUCH TRAFFIC.
AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE LIGHT HOLES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIX ON CENTER, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THOSE NUMBERS TO GET OVER TO CENTERPOINT.
THERE'S THREE OF 'EM THAT ARE PRETTY BAD.
OH, ON THE DRAINAGE, THERE'S NEW PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING IN THAT ARE CAUSING SOME DRAINAGE ISSUES ON HUNT ROAD.
THERE'S ONE THAT'S ON SAN JACIN THAT'S ON SAN JACINTO BEHIND IT THAT'S CAUSING A BIG DRAINAGE ISSUE FOR THE HOMEOWNER BEHIND THEM.
THEY DON'T ALWAYS KNOW YOU'RE WORKING WITH BUILDING BLOCKS OR SOMETHING.
NO, I'M JUST THROWING DOWN SO YOU DON'T HEAR 'EM VIBRATING IN THAT, IN THAT DRAWER ANYMORE.
YEAH, THAT'S, UH, I THINK WE'RE GOOD THERE.
SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO THROW A BUNCH OF NO, YOU'RE FINE.
[00:45:01]
JUSTUM, THE, UM, THE TRUCKS AND THINGS WERE IN THE DISTRICT RECENTLY DOING A LOT OF THE DITCHES AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, WE HAVEN'T HAD A WHOLE LOT OF RAIN THIS YEAR.
MY, MY POND IS ALMOST THREE AND A HALF FEET LOW.
BUT EVEN WITH THE RAIN WE HAD JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WE STILL HAD A COUPLE AREAS WHERE IT'S FLOODING OUT.
SO STAY ON GETTING THE DITCHES DONE.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR MY DISTRICT.
I MEAN, ALL, ALL THE LOWER DISTRICTS, WE HAVE THE SAME ISSUES.
EVERYTHING FLOWS SOUTH TO US AND IT, WE FLOOD OUT QUICK.
SO KEEP ON THOSE DITCHES, KEEP THE, THE GRATES CLEANED OUT SERVICE.
THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG PART OF IT AS WELL.
BUT I CAN ALWAYS TELL WHEN THEY COME THROUGH 'CAUSE IT LOOKS GOOD.
THEY JUST, WE JUST NEED TO STAY ON IT.
UM, NEXT ONE IS WHAT PD? THE PUBLIC SAFETY? YES.
THE, THE, THE HOMELESS INTERVENTION CHIEF AND I WERE HAVING THAT DISCUSSION.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE STARTING TO HAVE BUSINESSES THAT COMPLAIN THAT THEY MAY BE CLOSING DOWN BECAUSE THEY JUST CAN'T HANDLE THE, THE CRIME ISSUES.
AND, AND AFTER DARK, I'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION WITH THE CHIEF AFTER DARK, THEY'RE ON THE WARD ROAD, THE KROGER'S, UM, IT'S, IT'S JUST AN UNCOMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT TO BE IN THE KROGER'S PARKING LOT AFTER DARK.
'CAUSE THEY JUST WALK UP TO YOU ASKING FOR MONEY.
WE, WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING TO ENCOURAGE THOSE FOLKS TO FIND A BETTER PLACE TO BE.
UM, AND AGAIN, I GUESS THAT GOES TO ANY OF THE, ANY OF THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS.
IF YOU HAVE RESIDENTIAL AREAS THAT BACK UP TO THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS MM-HMM
THEY SEE THAT EBB AND FLOW THROUGH THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO NOT DO THAT.
I MEAN, THOSE, THEY'RE PUSHING AROUND THE GROCERY CARTS THAT ARE VALUED AT 200 TO 500 BUCKS A PIECE.
SURELY WE CAN WORK WITH OUR BUSINESSES TO SAY, DO YOU WANT THOSE BACK? BECAUSE IT'S, THAT'S THEFT IF THEY'RE TAKING THOSE AND DOING SOMETHING WITH THEM AND THEY'RE NOT CHEAP.
SO WE JUST ENCOURAGE SOME POSITIVE EFFORTS ON THAT.
AND THE NEXT ONE IS PARKS AND RECREATION.
I, AGAIN, I I, I NEVER HEAR ANY NEGATIVE ABOUT PARKS.
IF, IF I, I'M GONNA GET IN TROUBLE FOR THIS ONE.
IF I HEAR ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT PARKS IS WE DO TOO MUCH IN THE PARKS.
UM, I HEAR THAT I HAVE AN OLDER DISTRICT AND, AND WE HAVE GREAT PARKS IN OUR DISTRICT.
BUT THAT, I HEAR THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING.
IF WE DO TOO MUCH, I, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO BE.
UM, SO CAN I GO FROM THERE? THE NEXT ONE IS WHAT? GARBAGE SERVICES.
I, I HAVE TO GO TO THE MAYOR'S COMMENT.
THE, THE NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT THAT I HEAR IS THAT IF IT, MOST OF MY FOLKS THAT I VISIT WITH UNDERSTAND THINGS CAN GO WRONG.
BUT WHEN THEY CALL THE NUMBER ON THE TRASH CAN MM-HMM.
THEY EITHER NEVER GET TO ANYBODY OR NOBODY EVER CALLS 'EM BACK.
WE ALL UNDERSTAND TRASH IS GONNA GET MISSED.
GARBAGE CANS GONNA GET DUMPED OVER AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET OUT, SWEEP IT UP OR WHATEVER.
BUT WHEN THERE'S A CONCERN OR PROBLEM, OUR CONSTITUENTS CAN'T REACH ANYBODY.
UH, WHAT'S THE NEXT ONE? I BELIEVE WE'RE MOVING TO STREETS.
STREETS, UH, TURNED ONE INTO TO JAY THE OTHER DAY.
CEDAR BAYOU THERE BY CEDAR BAYOU JUNIOR HIGH AS IT GOES TOWARDS THE BAYOU.
THEY WENT AND, AND DID A LITTLE STRIP AND REDID THE ASPHALT ABOUT THREE FOOT WIDE BY ABOUT 15 FEET.
THAT WHOLE STREET IS SLOUGHING OFF INTO THE DITCH.
UM, I SEE THAT ON A COUPLE OF OTHER, THE NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS THAT ARE THE OLD OYSTER ROCK, WHATEVER THE, THE ASPHALT IS ALMOST GONE.
AND NOW ALL THAT'S SHOWN IS THE OYSTER ROCK AND, AND UH, AND I CAN GET SOME SPECIFIC STREETS FOR THAT.
BUT OVERALL WE NEED TO RELY ON THE PCI INDEX.
THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE NEED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT AT THE RETREAT SO THAT IN MY DISTRICT I COULD SEE WHAT THOSE STREETS ARE THAT HAVE LOW PCIS AND I CAN START ADVOCATING TO GET THEM ON THE LIST THOUGH.
I'M WAITING OUR TURN THAT AS LONG AS WE GET A TURN, TAKE I DO THE CONCRETE.
WHAT'S NEXT? THE LAST ONE IS SIDEWALKS, MOBILITY SIDEWALKS AGAIN.
WE TALKED ABOUT, I BELIEVE ON TRI-CITY BEACH ROAD.
WE MAY BE GETTING, WE ARE GETTING SOME HELP THERE.
TEXAS AVENUE, WHICH IS A CONNECTING ROAD TO THAT.
UM, EAST JAMES COULD USE THE SIDEWALK.
I MEAN, IT'S A FOUR LANE ROAD THAT ONLY USES TWO LANES AND THE OUTSIDE LANES ARE USED FOR PARKING PRIMARILY.
UM, WE COULD, WE COULD USE A SIDEWALK THERE.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WALK UP DOWN EAST JAMES.
I MEAN, IT CONNECTS A COUPLE OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
UM, I HAVE PLENTY OF LIGHTS ON EAST JAMES NOW.
IT JUST TOOK US FOUR YEARS, BUT WE GOT THANKS MARTIN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY GOOD DEAL.
SO SIR, LET YOU SHARE BORDER WITH MRS. GRAHAM'S DISTRICT AND SHE MENTIONED SIDEWALKS AROUND ALEXANDER AND, UM, I BELIEVE WARD.
UM, AND SO ARE YOU HEARING FROM YOUR PEOPLE AS WELL THAT THERE'S, UH, A NEED FOR SIDEWALKS ON YOUR SIDE? WE, WE'VE GOT SIDEWALKS ON WARD ROAD ON OUR SIDE, PRETTY MUCH ALL THE WAY UP TO THE KROGER'S FROM KBO ROAD UP TO THE KROGER'S.
THEY, THEY, THEY COULD PROBABLY USE THEM ATTENTION OR REPAIR, BUT WE, WE'VE GOT SOME, IT'S NOT ON BOTH SIDES, IT'S ON ONE SIDE RIGHT THERE BY
[00:50:01]
THE PARK.UM, WE DO HAVE A WHOLE LARGE VOLUME.
AGAIN, WE HAVE TWO APARTMENT COMPLEXES AT THE END OF KILGORE AND WARD, AND, AND THEY WALK UP TO THE, TO THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT ON ALEXANDER QUITE A BIT.
THERE'S ALWAYS FOOT TRAFFIC THERE, BUT WE'VE, WE'VE GOT SOME FAIRLY DECENT SIDEWALKS.
THERE MAY BE A SECTION RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE KROGERS THAT WE NEED TO FINISH UP, BUT, OKAY.
AND WHAT ABOUT ON ALEXANDER ON THE EAST SIDE OF ALEXANDER? THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS THERE, BUT I MEAN, WE WOULD BE, I BELIEVE THAT THE RIGHT OF WAYS IS GONNA BE RIGHT.
THAT'S GONNA BE, AND IT MAY BE THE SAME PROBLEM ON, ON YOUR SIDE OF THE, THE ALEXANDER, THAT THE RIGHT OF WAYS MAY NOT BE THERE LARGE ENOUGH TO GET A SIDEWALK, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
BUT I SEE MORE AS, AS I'M SURE SARAH DOES, YOU SEE MORE FOLKS GOING FROM MAINE ON WAR ROAD FROM MAINE TO ALEXANDER GOING TO THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT, THE, THE WALGREENS CVS AND, AND KROGER'S.
THEY'RE TRYING TO GET TO AND FROM THEIR CRITICAL NEEDS, UH, BACK AND FORTH.
BUT THAT'S ALSO ONE OF, ONE OF THE, THE HIGHEST HOMELESS CORRIDORS WE HAVE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T WALK THAT WITHOUT RUNNING INTO TWO OR THREE.
AND, AND FOR THE MOST PART, THEY'RE, THEY STAY TO THEMSELVES, BUT AFTER DARK IT GETS A LITTLE BIT DICEY.
UM, EVEN I'M UNCOMFORTABLE, UH, AFTER DARK.
SO IT KIND OF TELL YOU THAT YOU HAD A WHOLE NOTHER PAGE.
WELL, THAT KIND OF FILLS IT OUT FOR ME.
ONE THING I FORGOT, WE'LL ASK YOU SKIPPED YOUR TURN.
I'M GONNA GIVE A MR. ONE
PEOPLE ARE P****D OFF BUMPING NORTH MEGAN GARTH ROAD RIDE AT I 10.
WE JUST, WE DON'T GET ENOUGH CALLS FROM OUR CITIZENS, SO WE DO THAT ON PURPOSE SO THEY CAN REACH OUT MORE TO US.
WE'RE DOING, WE'RE DOWN TO ONE LANE.
PEOPLE IN PEOPLE IN THE SPRINGFIELD ARE P****D.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY THAT MAYBE I KNOW, 'CAUSE YOU MENTIONED THE INTERIOR, OUR ARTERIAL FLOWS THAT ARE INTERIOR.
UM, BECAUSE I KNOW I'VE BEEN, UH, UH, PEOPLE HAVE COME TO ME ABOUT, UM, BROOK AS WELL AND WE SUGGEST THAT THEY GO THROUGH THE TRAFFIC STUDY AND ALL OF THAT.
AND THEN TO BE TOLD, WELL, SORRY, IT'S, IT'S AN ARTERIAL FLOW.
BUT, UM, IN THOSE INSTANCES, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE'S A SENIOR HOUSING RIGHT THERE ON BIRDSONG, COULD WE MAKE EXEMPTIONS TO CERTAIN AREA, EVEN THOUGH IT IS AN ARTERIAL LANE THAT'S A CONNECTOR FOR TWO MAJOR ROADS.
COULD WE STILL MAKE AN EXEMPTION TO THAT POLICY? UM, I COULD SEE LIKE MAYBE IF I'M TRYING TO GET, YOU KNOW, UM, SPEED BUMPS LIKE FROM KENTUCKY OVER TO FLORIDA.
'CAUSE THAT'S INTERIOR, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY INTERIOR.
IT'S NOT CONNECTING TO A MAJOR ROAD.
UM, BUT SOMETHING LIKE A ALGEBRA, YOU KNOW, BIRDSONG ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, UH, NORTH MAINE OR THE OTHER PORTION NORTH.
IT'S COMING FROM COMING OFF GARTH, GOING AROUND THE, YEAH.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MAKE AN EXEMPTION FOR? WELL, WE'LL PUT IT DOWN AS SOMETHING TO LOOK AT TO BRING BACK FOR COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION, UM, TO FURTHER DISCUSS.
I, I GOT ONE YOU CAN DO IF YOU'RE GONNA DO THAT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
AND THEN, UM, I, I THINK FOR THE GARBAGE ON, ON MY END, I THINK IT'S MORE PROACTIVE, UM, EDUCATION.
BECAUSE THE ISSUES THAT CAME UP WITH, WITH MINE THAT WE FOUND OUT WAS THAT PEOPLE WERE MIXING GARBAGE THERE, WERE MIXING THEIR REGULAR TRASH WITH HEAVY TRASH.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT BEING PICKED UP.
BUT THERE IS NOT ANY COMMUNICATION FROM, UM, UH, THE TRASH, THE TRASH TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING OR I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S COMING FROM US THAT'S TELLING THOSE RESIDENTS.
AND SO IF WE COULD GET A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT, 'CAUSE I KNOW I DO GET THOSE FILES, BUT THEN I HAVE TO COME BACK AND TELL 'EM AS I SEE THE PICTURES THEY SEND ME, I WAS LIKE, OH, THERE'S, YOU HAVE GARBAGE BAGS MIXED IN WITH, YOU KNOW, HEAVY TRASH AND THAT'S WHY IT WASN'T PICKED UP.
AND SO THEN THEY GO AND SEPARATE IT HESITANTLY AND THEN IT GETS PICKED UP.
AND SO I THINK IF WE CAN GET, DO A LOT MORE, YOU KNOW, OUTREACH TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE SEPARATING THEIR TRASH.
WE KIND OF COVERED OUR BIG CORE SERVICE AREAS OF DRAINAGE, PUBLIC SAFETY PARKS AND REC STREETS, MOBILITY.
UM, AND THEN I WANNA KIND OF SHIFT, UH, AND MOVE TO THE SECOND QUESTION THAT, THAT WE SENT YOU.
AND LOOK AT WHERE ARE WE, WHERE ARE YOU RECEIVING, UH, CITIZEN CONCERNS REGARDING OTHER SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CITY? BECAUSE WHILE THOSE BIG CORE SERVICES THAT WE DO, UM, ARE FRONT AND CENTER FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN THROUGH OUR SUPPORT SYSTEMS OR THROUGH OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE ASPECTS, UH, THAT YOU ALSO HEAR ABOUT.
AND ON YOUR SCREEN, YOU HAVE A FEW EXAMPLES THAT, THAT THIS IS NOT THE END ALL BE ALL.
AND THIS, THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS NOT ON HERE.
THIS IS JUST TRY TO HELP DRIVE A CONVERSATION.
[00:55:01]
TO HEAR, UH, ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT, UH, FROM RESIDENTS ON THESE IDEAS.UM, START THAT IN, THAT GO OUT AS AN EMAIL, TEXT.
I'M SORRY, AN EMAIL FROM, FROM ME BECAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING, I'M NOT SAYING YOU DIDN'T SEND IT TO ME.
I'M JUST SAYING DON'T REMEMBER HAND.
CAN WE START ON THIS HAND? AND AGAIN, UH, I DO WANNA CLARIFY.
THIS IS SOMETHING NEW THAT WE WERE TRYING, THIS WAS FEEDBACK THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME.
THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT THE ONE SHOT, ONE KILL MEETING THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS JUST TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM YOU.
IF WE NEED TO COME BACK WITH A FEW THINGS, WE'LL COME BACK, UM, FOR A FEW THINGS.
UM, AND I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL MENTIONED, UH, UH, JUST TO TRY TO HELP START SOME OF THE CONVERSATION, UH, THERE WAS A, A UTILITY BILLING WEBSITE WAS NOT CUSTOMERS FRIENDLY.
AND THAT WAS MENTIONED TO ME AS SOMETHING THAT WAS A LACKING IN, IN BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE.
UH, MRS. ALVARADO OR MS. ALVARADO, YOU JUST MENTIONED, BETTER OUTREACH FOR GUARD SERVICE AND CAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS FIND OTHER PIECES THAT WE DO? SO I'M JUST TRYING TO HELP SPURSE SOME CONVERSATION WHILE WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
IF WE NEED TO PAUSE, WE WON'T MOVE FORWARD ON THIS, BUT BEFORE, IS EVERYONE, IS EVERYONE READY TO COMMENT ON THIS OR DO YOU NEED TIME TO COME UP WITH SOME THINGS AND THEN WE CAN SEND IT IN TO HIM AS NEEDED? OKAY.
I JUST HAVE TWO THINGS, BUT I CAN WAIT BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE DIDN'T, MAY HAVE OVER SOME MAY HAVE OVERLOOKED AND NOT HAD TIME TO LOOK AT THIS YET.
CAN WE HEAR SOME OF, I MEAN, WE CAN, BUT IF, IF OVERALL WE'RE NOT READY FOR THIS, LET'S BE PREPARED AND THEN COME BACK AND GIVE THE INFORMATION SO WE'RE NOT TAKING UP TOO MUCH OF STAFF'S TIME.
I'M NOT HEARING MANY CONCERNS ABOUT MOST OF THIS MINE.
YOU HEARD THE CONCERNS ON MINE AS FAR AS THE OUTREACH WAS ON THE BONDS, HOW THERE WASN'T A LOT OF, UH, INFORMATION PROVIDED ON HOW ON THE, ON THE MAX GRANT FUNDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT THAT WOULD'VE REALLY HELPED OUT SOME OF THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND MORE OF IT.
I KNOW THAT WE WERE, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE WERE LIMITED, WHAT WE COULD SAY.
SOME OF THE OUT OUTREACH REALLY WOULD'VE HELPED.
UH, THEY, THEY ASKED FOR THAT PART.
UM, AS FAR AS THE, UH, UH, I'M HEARING NOT MUCH ABOUT THE PERMITTING, UH, STATISTICS, PIR, LIBRARY COURTS, NOTHING.
UH, PROGRAMMING WATER BUILDING WAS JUST THE, WE FIXED THE ISSUE WITH GOING TO THE A CH INSTEAD OF THAT PART.
SO THAT WAS CORRECTED ALREADY ON THAT PART.
UH, OF COURSE THE, UH, CONCERNS IS ALWAYS GONNA BE JUST THAT IT'S GOING UP, BUT, YOU KNOW, EXPLAINING TO THE, THE CITIZENS THAT WHY WE'RE GOING UP WHEN WE TELL, WHEN I TELL THEM WHY, THEY KIND OF SEE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THAT.
BUT THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE CONCERNS ABOUT INCREASED, INCREASED RATES AND TO BE FAIR TO THE COUNCIL.
AND SO CITIZENS UNDERSTAND, I DON'T REALLY RECEIVE A LOT OF ISSUES FROM Y'ALL REGARDING THESE ISSUES THAT ARE IN FRONT OF YOU.
IF ANYTHING THAT'S ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW, I, WE HEAR ABOUT PERMITTING AND, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HAD LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS ON.
UH, BUT OUT, OUT OF ALMOST EVERYTHING ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW, I THINK THE UTILITY BILLING WEBSITE WAS THE, THE MOST RECENT FEEDBACK PIECE.
UM, NOT MUCH ON ANYTHING ELSE ON THE SCREEN, HONESTLY.
WELL, I'M GONNA SAY THAT, UM, I'LL WAIT FURTHER TO FINISH THIS.
THERE ARE TIMES WHERE WE'RE NOT REACHING OUT TO CITIZENS ABOUT WATERLINE BREAKS AND OTHER THINGS GOING ON.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF MY CONCERNS COMING IN, UM, JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.
UM, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY IMPROVE OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT WHEN THINGS, WHENEVER THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPEN, CITIZENS SHOULD NOT BE FOUR OR FIVE HOURS AFTER SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS, CALLING ONE OF US TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE NEED, THERE'S AN OP IF A WATERLINE BREAKS OR SOMETHING HAPPENS, THAT GENERAL AREA, A PHONE CALL, TEXT MESSAGE, NOT JUST SOCIAL MEDIA.
SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE SENT OUT MM-HMM
SO THAT THEY CAN BE INFORMED AND THEY CAN PREPARE THEIR FAMILIES FOR, UM, ALTERNATIVES.
AND AS, AS FAR AS PERMITTING, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S COME THAT, THAT'S NEW.
I'M A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK.
THE ONE THING THAT I AM HEARING IS THAT THE PORTAL THAT PEOPLE ARE USING TO TRACK WHAT'S GOING ON IS NOT LATE PERSON FRIENDLY.
MEANING A LOT OF WHAT'S BEING SAID ON THERE, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE VERBIAGE.
AND, UM, IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT IT IN LAY PERSON'S TERMS SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND IT BETTER, THAT MAY ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE PERMITTING ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING BECAUSE THEY COULD BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT'S BEING ASKED AND WHAT'S NEEDED.
YOU KNOW, I HAD SOMETHING FOR A COUPLE THINGS FOR OUTREACH.
UM, I KNOW I'VE DISCUSSED WITH, UM, WITH JAY A FEW MONTHS BACK, IF, IF YOU HAVE LIKE SOME KIND OF A PACKET WHERE SOMEBODY COMES, MOVES INTO THE CITY AND UM, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE NEW TO THE CITY,
[01:00:01]
THEY HAVE SOME KIND OF PACKET OF INFORMATION THEY CONTACT INFORMATION CON, EMERGENCY CONTACT, UM, REGISTERING WITH OUR OUR EOS SYSTEM, UM, SOMETHING TO GET THEM ACQUAINTED WITH OUR, THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE IN THE CITY.SOME TYPE OF PACKET LIKE THAT WOULD, I THINK WOULD BE BENEFICIAL ALSO.
UM, OUTREACH, UM, THE, SOMETIMES THE INFORMATION PUT OUT, UM, PUBLIC AFFAIRS DOES A GREAT JOB, BUT SOMETIMES THE INFORMATION OUT THERE THAT PUTS OUT THERE SOMETIMES ISN'T ALWAYS ACCURATE.
LIKE TIMES AND DATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO MAYBE WE COULD MAKE SURE WE, WE NAIL THAT THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION BEING PUT OUT, UM, BY PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UM, COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE.
I, I WILL SAY WHEN IT COMES TO A MOVING PACKET, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL MANY MOONS AGO, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I SUGGESTED THAT WE WERE DOING FOR A WHILE.
ANYONE WHO WOULD COME, WELL, FOR A NEW WATER SERVICE, RIGHT? THEY HAD SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE GIVING THEM WAS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WERE ASKING FOR CONTACTS, UM, LIKE YOU SAID, REGISTER FOR EOS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, I THINK FOR ME, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO OUTREACH, I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE GARBAGE.
UM, BUT UH, ALSO IN TERMS OF OUR 3 1 1 AND REPORTING, BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, WE OFTEN SEE THOSE POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT THEY'RE NOT REPORTING THINGS.
INSTEAD THEY JUST CHOOSE TO GO OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT WE MAY NOT ALWAYS SEE IT.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, ESPECIALLY IF THEY DON'T, I GUESS OR SOMETHING.
OR AT LEAST I'M NOT SCOURING AND SCOURING.
UM, AND IF SOMEONE TAX ME, WE'LL, WE'LL PAY ATTENTION, BUT, UH, THEY DO HAVE THE RIGHT, DON'T GET ME WRONG, THEY DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO OUT THERE AND VENT.
BUT IF THEY DIDN'T ALREADY PUT A 3 1 1 OR GO OUT AND REPORT IT, AND I'M ASKING WHY INSTEAD OF DOING THAT, IT DOESN'T TAKE A WHOLE LOT OF EFFORT TO DO THE 3 1 1 OR AT LEAST TAG THE CITY.
UM, SO SOMEONE IS SEEING THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO TO ALLEVIATE THAT.
UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE NOT THE ONLY CITY THAT HAS ISSUES LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK IF WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME CREATIVE WAYS, UM, TO, TO TRY TO GET FEEDBACK FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS, UH, ON WHAT THEY'RE SEEING OUT IN THEIR DAY TO DAY, UM, IN TERMS OF WATER BILLING, I STILL CONTINUE TO HEAR THE HIGH WATER BILLS.
EVEN AFTER WE EXPLAIN EVERYTHING AND THE RATES.
AND, UH, MY RESIDENTS AREN'T TOO FORGIVING WHEN THEY, WHEN WE TELL THEM, WELL, THE RATES BEEN UP FROM THE CITY AND SO NOT MUCH WE CAN GO, WE CAN DO THERE.
UM, BUT I DO CONTINUE TO GET THAT.
AND THEN, UM, FOR PERMITTING, THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ASK, BECAUSE THE ONES THAT I GET COPIED ON END UP BEING A CONTRACTOR, NOT COMMUNICATING WITH THE OWNER OR WHOEVER THEY'RE DOING THE JOB FOR.
AND SO IF THEY'RE SETTING UP THEIR ACCOUNT TO GET PERMITS, COULD IT BE A REQUIREMENT THAT THEY ADD CONTACT INFORMATION TO WHOEVER THEY'RE DOING THE JOB FOR? AND THAT WAY THAT PERSON IS ALSO GETTING REAL TIME UPDATES ON, ON WHAT'S HAPPENING.
IF THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING, THEN I'M OKAY.
UM, BUT IF, IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE MAKE IT A REQUIREMENT, SO LIKE I HIRE SOMEONE TO DO AN ADDITION IN MY HOME AND THEY'RE TAKING FOREVER, AND THEN THEY COME BACK AND TELL ME, OH, THE CITY, THE CITY.
BUT THEN I FIND OUT THAT THEY, THEY DIDN'T SUBMIT SOMETHING AND I HAD NO IDEA MM-HMM
AND SO COULD THOSE DEVELOPERS, UM, COULD IT BE A REQUIREMENT FOR THEM TO ADD MY INFORMATION SO I KNOW THAT, HEY, DID YOU TURN THIS IN? DID YOU DO THIS? OR IF THEY COME BACK AND TELL ME, WELL, NO, YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT MIGHT ALLEVIATE SOME OF IT.
UM, BUT IF WE CAN ADD THAT AS A REQUIREMENT.
I THINK THAT WOULD HOPEFULLY HELP.
BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR RIGHT NOW.
ANYONE ELSE? I'LL, I'LL JUMP IN THERE.
THE OUTREACH, I HEAR A LOT THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE MM-HMM
AND I ALWAYS ASK, WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE US TO DO? MM-HMM
IT'S KINDA, WELL, SOCIAL MEDIA, WHEN WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT FACEBOOK PAGES AND, AND THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FOLKS PUT OUT THERE, WE HAVE DIRECT NOTIFICATION IF YOU SIGN UP FOR IT.
BUT THAT TAKES, AS A MAYOR, THAT TAKES AN ACTION ON THE CITIZENS PART TO SIGN UP TO GET CERTAIN TESTS FROM THE UOS SYSTEM, EMERGENCY OPERATION SYSTEMS. SO WE DO QUITE A BIT, UM, IN DEFENSE OF STAFF, SOMETIMES LIKE A WATER BREAK, THE FIRST HOUR OR SO THEY'RE A LITTLE BUSY MM-HMM
AND THEN AFTER THAT INFORMATION STARTS CATCHING UP.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC WORKS GUYS ARE KNEE DEEP IN WATER FOR THE FIRST HOUR OR TWO MM-HMM
AND THEN, AND THEN INFORMATION STARTS TO FLOW.
UM, BUT I, I AGREE WE NEED TO BE AS AGGRESSIVE WITH THAT AS WE CAN, BUT I THINK, I THINK OVERALL WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB.
WE JUST CAN'T MEET EVERYBODY'S NEEDS.
YOU KNOW, IF I DON'T GET A SPECIFIC TEXT, AGAIN, I'M NOT PERUSING, YOU KNOW, FACEBOOK.
SO JUST WHAT, WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS THEY NEED TO DO MORE OUTREACH, IT'S LIKE, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT US TO DO? MM-HMM
WE START NAMING OFF EVERYTHING
[01:05:01]
WE DO.THEY GO, OH, WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
PERMITTING, I HEAR ABOUT PERMITTING ALL THE TIME.
I'VE GOT A, UM, COUPLE OF CONTRACTORS THAT LIVE IN MY DISTRICT AND THEY HAVE NOTHING NICE TO SAY ABOUT THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM.
UM, THAT THEY COMPLIMENT THE STAFF, BUT THEY HATE THE SYSTEM.
UM, IT'S, IT'S JUST DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT EITHER.
NEVER HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT BATTLE STATISTICS.
PRRS, I NEVER HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THAT LIBRARY.
AGAIN, WATER RATES GO UP OR IF THEY HAVE A MISREAD THEY FOLLOW THE PROCESS AND THEY REALLY DON'T GET A POSITIVE RESOLUTION BACK.
AND THAT IF, IF SOMEBODY GOES THROUGH THE ISSUE OF CHALLENGING A READING AND THEY HIRE A PLUMBER AND THE PLUMBER SAYS THERE'S NO PROBLEM WITH THE HOUSE, THEY COME OUT AND THEY CHANGE THE METER AND THERE'S NO PROBLEM WITH THE METER, THEN IT'S LIKE, WELL JUST PAY THE BILL.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SOLVE THAT, THAT A LITTLE BIT.
THAT IF THEY'RE FOLLOWING THE WHOLE PROCESSES MM-HMM
FIGURE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE SOMETHING WENT WRONG.
AND AGAIN, I HAVE AN OLDER DISTRICT AND NORMALLY IT'S THE, THE SINGLE LITTLE WIDOWED LITTLE OLD LADY CALLED ME GOING, MY, MY BILL TRIPLED LAST MONTH AND THE PLUMBER CAME OUT, COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING.
I GOTTA PAY FOR THE METER TO BE RE-READ, YOU KNOW, REDONE OR CHECKED.
AND IT CAME BACK THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE METER, BUT THERE'S NO WAY I USE 10,000 GALLONS IN A MONTH.
WE, WE NEED TO HAVE A SUPERVISORY LEVEL CONTACT AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
TAKE IT OUT OF THE STAFF CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH.
UM, COURT NEVER ANY PROBLEMS WITH THAT PROGRAMMING.
VERY SELDOM HEAR ABOUT THAT, EXCEPT WE DID, I HAVE HAD A COUPLE COMMENTS THAT ON THE, UM, STREET ACCESSES THAT SOME OF THE, THE DISNEY REPAIR.
AND, AND THAT'S WAS ALREADY MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME AREAS HAVE SIDEWALKS AND A DA ACCESSIBILITY RAMPS, BUT THEY'VE BEEN IN PLACE FOR YEARS AND THE SIDEWALKS JUST SHIFT.
AND IT'S KINDA LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NICE TO HAVE THE A DA RAMP AT THE CURB, BUT THERE'S A THREE INCH OFFSET AT THE SIDEWALK WHERE IT CONNECTS AND YOU CAN'T BUMP OVER IT.
SO JUST PART OF THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM WHERE WE GO BACK AND CHECK THOSE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SMOOTH CONNECTIVITY TO THAT.
UH, OTHER THAN THAT, I, I'M PRETTY GOOD WITH THAT.
SO, UM, BASED ON WHAT YOU SHARED TONIGHT OR WHAT YOU'VE SHARED TONIGHT, UM, THE BIG QUESTION HERE IS WHERE IS ALIGNMENT MOST NEEDED? RIGHT.
UM, TO TURN INTENT INTO MEASURABLE PROGRESS.
IN THE PAST, THIS IS WHERE Y'ALL USED TO, WELL MAYBE SARAH AND KEN AND JAMES, BUT, UM, MIKE, MIKE MAYOR AND, AND LAURA, Y'ALL USED TO USE YELLOW DOTS, UM, IDENT.
I DIDN'T PULL, THERE'S NO DOTS UP HERE.
THOSE ARE FOR PRIORIT PRIORITIZING, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE DO NEED TO KIND OF DO.
BUT SABRINA, IF YOU DON'T MIND GOING TO THE OTHER ONES ON THE, ON THE HIGHER FOCUSED STUFF, UM, YOU KNOW, I HEARD A LOT ABOUT SIDEWALKS TONIGHT.
I HEARD A LOT ABOUT SIDEWALKS TONIGHT.
AND, UM, IS THERE ANY AREA AMONGST YOU AS YOU KIND OF REFLECT ON WHAT YOU'VE HEARD THROUGH ALL, ALL OF YOUR MEMBERS NEXT TO YOU, ARE THERE AREAS THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON? WHAT ARE LIKE THE TOP TWO OR THREE AREAS THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO PUT MONEY AT? WE DO HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES.
AND SO AS STAFF STARTS TO REBUILD THE BUDGET, THE SIDEWALKS AS AN EXAMPLE, WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS TAKEN OUT.
AND SO THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM HAS BEEN DIMINISHED BY ALMOST 90%.
SO TO DO, TO FOCUS ON SIDEWALKS, NOW WE HAVE TO RE-ALIGN THE ENTIRE BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO PUT SIDEWALKS BACK IN.
YOU KNOW, SAYING THAT YEAR TO YEAR, THE NEEDS, THE WANTS AND THE NEEDS AND CONCERNS OF OUR CITIZENS ARE GOING TO CHANGE.
AND THE BUDGET SHOULD BE FLEXIBLE TO WHERE, AND WE SHOULD BE FLEXIBLE TO WHERE IF WE SEE SIDEWALKS WASN'T A PRIORITY TWO YEARS AGO, BUT THEY ARE NOW, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
MONEY NEEDS TO BE MOVED TO SATISFY THE CONCERNS OF THE CITIZENS.
UM, DRAINAGE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING, BUT GROWING CITY, SOME PEOPLE ARE BEING MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT DRIVING EVERYWHERE.
SOME PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE A CAR.
SIDEWALKS ARE GOING TO BE A PRIORITY WHEN IF, IF YOU'RE SAYING WE NEED TO MOVE MONEY, WE JUST NEED TO MOVE MONEY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
BUT FOR ME TO MOVE MONEY, I HAVE TO CUT A SERVICE SOMEWHERE ELSE.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS HERE, WHATEVER'S, UM, NOT BEING, NOT BEING TALKED ABOUT MORE, I WOULD THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD TAKE MONEY FROM.
WELL, WHAT WE HEARD A COMMENT, YOU KNOW, AND I AGREE WITH IS ONE DEPARTMENT DOES TOO MUCH.
WELL, YOU DID SAY IT'S JUST GREAT THE WAY IT IS, I THINK.
AND I THINK A LOT OF IT, I I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING, I THINK, AND I'M NOT GONNA BE YEAH.
AND WE DON'T HAVE TO SOLVE THAT RIGHT NOW.
SORRY, I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT ON, LIKE SOLVING THAT RIGHT NOW.
IT'S GOOD TO, TO TALK THROUGH SOME OF THESE THINGS
[01:10:01]
AND, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO SOLVE IT.I'M JUST SAYING WE NEED TO DO WHAT'S BEEN ASKED OF US.
WE MAKE, I CAN'T SAY BIG BUCKS.
I CAN'T, BUT WE WERE ELECTED TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS AND IT, AND IT IS WHAT IT IS.
WELL, AND, AND MAYOR, I, I'LL JUMP IN WITH THE SIDEWALKS.
THERE'S BEEN AN EMPHASIS OVER THE, THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS OR THE LAST 10 OR SO YEARS TO IMPROVE SIDEWALKS IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
WHAT I HEARD TONIGHT IN FROM A COUPLE OF MY COLLEAGUES AND EVEN MYSELF IS THERE'S A REEMPHASIS NOW TO HAVE SIDEWALKS THAT FEED OUR COMMERCIAL AREAS MM-HMM
SO THAT THAT'S CONNECTING FROM RESIDENTIAL TO THE COMMERCIAL AREAS.
SO MAYBE IT'S, WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE SHIFT FROM AN AREA THAT'S COMPLETELY RESIDENTIAL AND WE'RE PUTTING SIDEWALKS IN HERE, LET'S SHIFT AND PUT SOME MORE ACCESSIBLE SIDEWALKS THAT LEAD FROM THAT GENERAL AREA INTO OUR COMMERCIAL AREAS.
BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL WALK TO THE STORE IF IT'S NOT TOO FAR.
THEY'VE GOT GOOD SIDEWALKS AND GOOD RAMPS.
BUT, BUT MAYBE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A SHIFT.
SO MAYBE IT'S NOT MOVING ALL THE MONEY FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER.
MAYBE IT'S SHIFTING OUR PRIORITY TARGET AREAS TO THAT.
AGAIN, BUT YOU'RE CORRECT IS WHATEVER WE SHIFT MONEY TO, THAT MEANS MONEY'S COMING FROM SOMETHING ELSE.
SO WE HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT.
AND I WILL SAY, BASED OFF OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID, IT'S BLOWING MY MIND AWAY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE EMPHASIS WAS ON NEIGHBORHOODS, SIDEWALKS.
THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE REASON WHY I'M SEEING PEOPLE WALKING OUTSIDE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
'CAUSE THEY ARE ABLE TO GET OUTSIDE THE NEIGHBORHOOD NOW.
SO, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT YOU'RE TASKING US WITH, FOR ME, I WANNA LOOK AT, UM, NUMBERS.
SO HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE IMPACTED BY US LOOKING AT, GOING BACK TO A PHILOSOPHY WHERE WE'RE GONNA PUT IN SIDEWALKS, DRAINAGE IN MY OPINION, IS GONNA IMPACT THE MASSES
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA WANNA LOOK AT THAT, BUT I JUST THINK THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AS A COUNCIL, WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UM, HOW MANY GET THE IMPACT OF, OF THE MONEY MM-HMM
THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING IN WHATEVER DIRECTION.
UM, THEN Y'ALL JUST SPARK SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT WHEN WE, UM, LIKE WITH BRIAN AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SINCE THERE IS A SHIFT IN SIDEWALKS AND COMMERCIAL AREAS VERSUS RESIDENTIAL OR EVEN IN RESIDENTIAL WHEN THESE NEW NEIGHBORHOODS AND THINGS ARE BEING BUILT, MAYBE WE CAN GET THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO, UM, TALK WITH SOME OF THESE NEWER BUSINESSES AND SEE IF THEY'RE WILLING TO PUT THEIR MONEY TOWARDS SOME OF THE SIDEWALKS, THE IMPACT, THE MAJOR ARTERIES.
LIKE I, I KNOW THE HOSPITAL, UM, IN HARRIS COUNTY PLAYED A ROLE IN THAT ALONG BARTH ROAD.
UM, SO MAYBE WE COULD TALK ABOUT THAT EVEN ON WARD OR, OR WHEREVER, UM, BAYWAY CORRIDOR, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, SO MAYBE IT'S JUST US THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX EVEN WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BUT I KNOW YOU SAID, NO PUN INTENDED, WE'RE NOT GETTING INTO THE TRENCHES TONIGHT.
I JUST, I THOUGHT YOU WANTED JUST SOME TALKING POINTS.
I DO WANT TO, UH, YOU, BUT YOU ACTUALLY HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
I DO WANT TALKING POINTS, BUT YOU JUST HIT SOMETHING THAT COULD HELP SPUR ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION HERE.
Y'ALL ALL, Y'ALL HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION AROUND SIDEWALKS.
BUT IF, IF THE INTENT IS LIKE STAFF UNDERSTANDS SIDEWALKS ARE IMPORTANT AND CAN TO, TO MR. LESTER'S POINT, CAN WE FIND WAYS THAT HEY, WE NEED TO FOCUS THERE, BUT WE'RE NOT MOVING MONEY THERE.
ARE THERE INNOVATIVE WAYS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT MONEY? I WANT TO FOCUS MONEY ON, TO YOUR POINT, DRAINAGE BECAUSE MORE PEOPLE ARE IMPACTED BY DRAINAGE THAN BY SIDEWALKS.
THAT'S THE CONVERSATION THAT Y'ALL AS A GROUP ARE HAVING.
AND YOU AND MR. LESTER BOTH HAVE KIND OF HIT ON THAT IN DIFFERENT WAYS RIGHT NOW.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT IS A CATALYST FOR ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION.
AND IT DOESN'T ALL HAVE TO BE SOLVED TONIGHT, BUT IT'S A STARTING POINT FOR, FOR HAVING THOSE TYPES OF PHILOSOPHICAL CONVERSATIONS.
LIKE, LIKE SARAH INDICATED, IT DOESN'T DO MY CONSTITUENTS ANY GOOD TO HAVE A NICE SIDEWALK THAT'S THREE FEET DEEP IN STORMWATER.
CUT ON AAND DURING A, IT JUST DOESN'T HELP US RAIN.
YOU COULD WADE DOWN THAT ROAD.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE SO KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS IS DRAINAGE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS NEED MORE MONEY.
YOU NEED A BIGGER PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL BUDGET.
AND WHERE WE GONNA GET THAT BIGGER PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL BUDGET FROM WHAT OTHER PLACE.
SO LIKE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, NOW I'M LEAVING AND NOW YOU'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT.
NOW
I'M, I'M PRETTY SATISFIED WITH, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT I WOULD, I WANT THE CHIEF AND I WANT BOTH CHIEFS TO LOOK AT, BUT OVERALL I'M NOT ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, BUT KNOW THAT HOMELESS, THE HOMELESS ISSUE IS IMPORTANT TO ME.
RIGHT? AND THEN YOU MOVE TO PARKS AND REC HEARD YOU, I DON'T NEED TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE.
THERE'S SOME PIECES THAT ARE, UM, IMPORTANT TO A FEW OF YOU.
SO THOSE THREE PIECES HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED FROM LIKE A CONVERSATION.
AND IF I, FOR ME AS A TAKEAWAY RIGHT NOW, I'M HEARING, I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE MORE FOCUS ON, ON RESOURCES RIGHT NOW TO DRAINAGE AND STREET IS WHAT I HEARD FROM, FROM THE COUNCIL, WHICH IS NOT A BIG SURPRISE.
BUT ALSO YOU ALSO MENTIONED SOME AREAS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU, UM, IS WHAT I TOOK AWAY.
BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE I'M ON THE SAME PAGE WITH Y'ALL AS SIDEWALKS ARE IMPORTANT.
[01:15:01]
WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT MOVING MONEY UNTIL WE CAN ADDRESS.BUT MAYBE THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT CAN BE HAD WITH US INDIVIDUALLY.
AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK ONCE WE GET THAT INDIVIDUAL INPUT AND SEE WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO IN OUR MEETINGS WITH YOU.
WELL, I APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT TONIGHT.
WE DID HEAR EVERYTHING FROM YOU.
UM, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEPS.
HAVING EXHAUSTED EVERYTHING ON THIS AGENDA.