Feb 12, 2026 CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION

[ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2026 5:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ]

[00:00:03]

I NOW CALL TO ORDER THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH, 2026 AT 5:30 PM IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER CITY HALL, AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM AT 5:33 PM I'M GONNA START OFF WITH CITIZEN COMMENT.

DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO, SIR.

GOOD DEAL.

WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO

[a. Receive a Presentation from the 2025 General Obligation Bond Committee Chairperson.]

WELL, THOMAS, I AM NOT THE SHEPHERD, BUT THANK YOU FOR CALLING ME UP FOR JUST ONE SECOND.

BEFORE WE INVITE GILBERT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF THE LAST BOND INITIATIVE, I WANTED TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT COUNCIL KNEW THAT NEXT WEEK AT OUR RETREAT, WE WILL BE TALKING IN DETAIL ABOUT, UH, YOUR, UH, INTEREST IN CONTINUING CERTAIN BOND COMMITTEES AND THE, UH, INVOLVEMENT OF NOT ONLY 2025 BOND, BUT ALSO FUTURE BONDS.

SO THAT DISCUSSION WILL BE PART OF THE RETREAT NEXT WEEK IN CASE THERE ARE QUESTIONS THAT COME UP.

CERTAINLY GILBERT CAN ANSWER THEM, UH, UH, IS WITH REGARDS TO HIS PRESENTATION.

AND I JUST WANTED TO ASSURE COUNSEL THAT WE WILL HAVE AMPLE TIME TO DISCUSS IT, UH, AT THE RETREAT NEXT WEEK.

SO WITH THAT, I WILL BRING GILBERT UP AND HE'LL GIVE YOU THAT DEBRIEF, UH, OF THE 2025 BOND.

THANK YOU.

WELL, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY MANAGER REYNOLDS.

UM, I'M GONNA TELL YOU RIGHT OFF THE BAT, I DO NOT HAVE A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION FOR YOU.

SO THIS WILL NOT BE ABOUT NUMBERS AND STATISTICS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.

I BASICALLY, I'M GONNA TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, UM, I'M GONNA START TALKING.

I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT I'M GONNA SAY, BUT WHAT I, WHAT I PROMISE YOU IS, I'M GONNA BE HONEST, I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE THE TRUTH IN, IN, IN, IN MY THOUGHTS.

I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE SOME AREAS OF, OF CONCERN AND IMPROVEMENT, AND I'M JUST GONNA GIVE YOU MY IMPRESSION OF THIS THING FROM START TO FINISH AND FINISH BEING THE END OF THE ELECTION.

SO, WITH THAT, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I, I DO APPRECIATE, I, I WROTE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR.

I THINK MR. HOLLIS CALLED ME, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE ELECTION THE NEXT DAY, AND HE WANTED TO TALK TO ME ON THE PHONE, AND I WOULDN'T TALK TO HIM.

I WAS STILL PROCESSING WHAT TOOK PLACE ON ELECTION DAY.

UH, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I'VE NOT BEEN PART OF SOMETHING THAT LOST.

AND SO FOR ME, TWO OUT OF SIX WAS NOT A WIN.

IT WAS A FAILURE FOR ME.

AND SO I HAD TO, TO PROCESS A LITTLE BIT.

SO THE NEXT DAY I DID, I DID WRITE A STATEMENT AND IT, IT WENT, THEY PUBLISHED IT THE NEXT DAY.

I WAS THANKFUL TO YOU GUYS FOR INVITING THE COMMUNITY IN TO PARTICIPATE.

I WAS THANKFUL, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FOLKS WHO PARTICIPATED ON THE COMMITTEE.

I WAS THANKFUL FOR THE, THE FOLKS WHO VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSITIONS.

AND I WAS THANKFUL FOR THE FOLKS WHO VOTED AGAINST BECAUSE THEY DELIVERED A MESSAGE.

BUT WHAT I ALSO SAID IN THAT MESSAGE WAS, WHAT DO WE DO NOW? APPARENTLY SOME OF THE COMMUNITY JUST HAVE A LITTLE ISSUE WITH CITY COUNCIL AND WHAT'S GOING ON AT CITY HALL, AND NOW THEY'VE GOT AN ISSUE WITH CITIZENS AND WHAT THE CITIZENS HAVE PUT TOGETHER.

SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? SO I WAS STRUGGLING WITH THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST RIGHT AFTER THE ELECTION.

SO I'VE HAD SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT.

AND I WANNA PUT IT THIS WAY.

I THINK THE SUCCESS OF ANY PROJECT OR ANY ENDEAVOR STARTS WITH THE PLANNING AND THE DETAILS UPFRONT.

IF YOU DON'T GET THAT RIGHT, THE END RESULT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH YOU EXECUTE, HOW MUCH YOU PERFORM, HOW MUCH YOU COMMUNICATE.

IF YOU DON'T GET IT RIGHT UPFRONT, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN ON THE BACK END.

AND SO, AGAIN, I'M NOT CRITICIZING ANYONE, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS DIDN'T START OFF THE RIGHT WAY.

FIRST OF ALL, IT HAD BEEN 18 YEARS SINCE THE CITIZEN HAVE, HAVE BEEN INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS, 18 YEARS.

AND I THINK I SAID BEFORE, THAT'S 18 YEARS OF VOTERS WHO HAVE COME OF AGE AND ARE 36 YEARS OLD AND FINALLY GOT A CHANCE TO VOTE FOR A CITY GEO BOND ELECTION.

THAT'S 18 YEARS OF CITIZENS WHO HAVE VOTED FOR OTHER THINGS, BUT HAVE NOT VOTED ON THE TAX, UH, DEBT THAT, THAT THE CITY INCURS.

SO, TO ME, EARLY ON, IT, IT WAS A, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING COS AND IT'S, YOU'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK FOR THE CITY.

I TRIED TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO FOLKS.

THIS ISN'T ANYTHING NEW.

YOU'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK.

THIS WORK HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR THE LAST, YOU KNOW, 12, 14 YEARS SINCE THE LAST GEO BOND.

SO IT'S NOTHING NEW.

IT'S JUST A NEW WAY OF THE, OF, OF ACQUIRING THE DEBT, RIGHT? SO I STRUGGLED WITH HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE TRANSLATE THAT INTO THE CITIZEN'S INVOLVEMENT NOW? AND I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE UPFRONT IT WAS PROPERLY COMMUNICATED TO THE CITIZENS.

WHAT THE ATTEMPT HERE TO DO WAS.

UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT, THAT, UH, UH,

[00:05:01]

BUT I GO BACK TO LIKE, WHEN THIS WAS PLANNED, UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE WILLING TO BET NOT EVERYBODY ON CITY COUNCIL AGREED ON THE PATH FORWARD FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

I THINK THERE WERE CONCERNS THAT, RIGHT THERE WAS AN INDICATION THIS WASN'T GONNA GO WELL.

I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU OPENING UP TO THE CITIZENS OF YOUR DISTRICTS WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS.

UH, AND YOU SELECTING TWO FOLKS FROM EACH OF YOUR DISTRICTS, AND THE MAYOR GETS THREE, AND YOU GET US TOGETHER AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GO DELIVER A PRODUCT WHEN WE'RE REALLY NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT THE CITIZENS THAT SIGNED UP KNEW WHAT THEY WERE SIGNING UP FOR, KNEW WHAT WAS EXPECTED OF THEM, AND EVEN HAD THE SKILLSET, AND I DON'T MEAN THE INTELLIGENCE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THE SKILLSET TO, TO PARTICIPATE IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

WE HAD FOLKS THAT SHOWED UP ON OUR COMMITTEE.

ONE, ONE PERSON SHOWED UP AFTER TWO MEETINGS, NEVER CAME BACK.

WE HAD SOME FOLKS THAT CAME IN AND THEY WERE LITERALLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GREAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING.

IF YOU WERE AT THESE ME EARLY MEETINGS, YOU, YOU SAW THAT WE HAD SOME FOLKS THAT CAME IN, DUG IN THEIR HEELS, WERE DUG IN.

I'M NOT, I'M NOT FOR ANYTHING.

I'M NOT FOR ANYTHING.

WELL, WE'RE NOT VOTING FOR THE CITIZENS.

WE'RE SUPPOSED TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER FOR THE CITIZENS TO VOTE ON.

SO I CAN TELL YOU THE REASON WE TOOK 10 MEETINGS IS BECAUSE RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX, WE WERE HANDICAPPED.

AND WHEN I WAS ASKED TO PARTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA PARTICIPATE IN SOMETHING THAT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH.

BUT WHEN I GOT HERE, IT WASN'T ANYTHING I WAS FAMILIAR WITH.

AND I MET WITH CITY MANAGER REYNOLDS, AND I TOLD HIM UP FRONT, I SAID, IF YOU WANT ME TO BE A PART OF THIS, I'M GONNA HAVE TO DO IT MY WAY.

AND IT'S A WAY, IT'S NOT MY WAY.

IT'S A WAY THAT'S BEEN PROVEN IN THE PAST.

IT WAS PROVEN PROCESS WITH THE CITY IN 2007, OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED FIVE OF THE SIX BONDS, WHICH BY THE WAY, I'LL TAKE A SIDE NOTE.

THE ONE BOND THAT WAS NOT APPROVED IN 2007 IS THE REASON TEXAS AVENUE IS ALL JACKED UP RIGHT NOW, AND YOU'RE PAYING FIVE TO EIGHT TIMES MORE TODAY THAN WHAT IT WOULD'VE COST BACK THEN.

OKAY? THAT ONE PROPOSITION WOULD'VE TAKEN CARE OF, OF FIVE BLOCKS OF TEXAS AVENUE.

AND TODAY YOU'RE JACKING AROUND WITH TWO OF 'EM PAYING EIGHT TIMES MORE THAN WHAT IT COST.

THEN I'M JUST, SO IF ANYBODY COMPLAINS, TELL 'EM, THE VOTERS IN 2007 DIDN'T VOTE FOR IT.

SO, BACK TO WHAT I WAS SAYING, WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND, AND WE QUICKLY HAD TO SHIFT.

AND, AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, THOSE THAT HAVE, HAVE WORKED WITH ME AND SERVED WITH ME IN THE PAST, AND, AND SOME OF 'EM ARE HERE, IT'S BEEN A VERY FINELY TUNED, FINELY PLANNED, DETAILED PROCESS, RIGHT? AND THIS DIDN'T START THAT WAY.

SO WE HAD, WE HAD TO SHIFT, AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I, I TOLD A FEW PEOPLE, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN WHEN I SHOWED UP TO A MEETING.

I JUST HAD TO SEE WHERE EVERYBODY WAS, HAD TO PLAN HOW WE WERE GONNA MAKE PROGRESS.

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, GO LOOK AT THE VIDEOS OF THE MEETINGS.

I DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE BEING RECORDED, BUT I STARTED LOOKING AT THE RECORDINGS SO I COULD SEE HOW PEOPLE WERE RESPONDING OVER HERE WHEN I WAS LOOKING OVER HERE.

AND I COULD SEE HEADS NODDING OVER HERE ON THE CAMERA, EVEN THOUGH I COULDN'T SEE 'EM WHEN I WAS IN THE ROOM.

SO SOME PEOPLE, WHEN I'D TELL 'EM, I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THINGS, AND THEY GO, YOU READING MY MIND? I'M LIKE, YEAH, KIND OF.

RIGHT? SO I WAS USING EVERYTHING AVAILABLE.

I HAD TO GET TO GET A FEEL FOR THE ROOM.

AND I TELL YOU, I'M NOT GONNA SPEND TIME TALKING ABOUT ALL THE 10 MEETINGS THAT WE WENT THROUGH AND HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE'RE AT.

BUT, BUT I THINK GETTING 10 FOLKS OR, UH, THIR, WHAT DID WE END UP WITH? I DON'T REMEMBER 14 FOLKS TO, TO AGREE ON WHAT TO BRING YOU WAS A MONUMENTAL TASK.

NOT EVERYONE AGREED ON EVERYTHING.

WE SHARED THAT WITH YOU.

I TOLD YOU WHO IN YOUR DISTRICT OR YOUR DISTRICT DIDN'T AGREE WITH ONE OR TWO PROJECTS HERE AND THERE.

RIGHT? AND IF YOU WANTED TO GO TALK TO THEM, THEY'D TELL YOU SOMEBODY DIDN'T VOTE FOR ANYTHING THAT DIDN'T PUT CONCRETE IN THE GROUND.

THEY WERE OPPOSED TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT FROM DAY ONE.

BUT THEY AGREED TO THE PACKAGE THAT WE DELIVERED, UH, FOR THE CITIZENS TO CONSIDER.

SO THAT WHOLE PROCESS STARTED HANDICAPPED.

IT, IT STARTED IN THE WHOLE, AND I'M NOT CRITICIZING ANYBODY'S PLAN AND HOW IT ALL STARTED, BUT, BUT I JUST KNEW IT WASN'T GONNA WORK IN BAYTOWN, TEXAS.

AND I CAN TELL YOU HAD WE HAD FOUR MEETINGS AND DONE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TWO PROPOSITIONS PASSED.

SO ALL THAT WORK SQUEEZED OUT A COUPLE OF PROPOSITIONS.

AND I'M GONNA TRY TO TAKE THAT AS A WIN.

I'M GONNA TRY TO TAKE IT AS A WIN.

BECAUSE IN TODAY'S CLIMATE, THAT'S A WIN.

YOU KNOW, BONDS ARE SUFFERING, YOU KNOW, THE TAXPAYERS ARE, ARE TIRED OF, OF, OF SPENDING MONEY.

THEY'RE AGAINST EVERYTHING.

SCHOOL DISTRICT BONDS HAVE FAILED.

CITY BONDS HAVE FAILED ACROSS THE, THE REGION.

SO YEAH, IT WAS, IT WAS A CHALLENGE FOR ME.

I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE MOST TANGIBLE, TRANSPARENT, MOST DEFINITIVE WAY THAT YOU COULD SHOW THE PUBLIC WHAT WAS NEEDED, WHAT IT COST TO DO IT, AND IT WAS GONNA GET DONE.

NO, NO LACK OF TRANSPARENCY.

NO BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF, NO FUNNY GAMES, NO SWITCHING PROJECTS, NO PET PROJECTS.

[00:10:02]

NOW, YOU MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH ALL THE PROJECTS, BUT THEY WERE THERE.

THEY CAME FROM YOUR, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

UH, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE PRIORITIES OF THE CITY AND, AND, AND, UH, UH, DRAINAGE AND, AND STREET REPAIRS AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT AREAS.

I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW WE COULD HAVE SPENT $151 MILLION ON STREETS, RIGHT? WE COULD HAVE SPENT $151 MILLION ON DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.

SO WHAT WE TRIED TO DO WAS TOUCH ALL THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY, LET ALL THE CITIZENS KNOW WE'RE TAKING CARE OF SOMETHING EVERYWHERE.

SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT GET A STREET PREPARED, SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT GET THEIR DRAINAGE IMPROVED, BUT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE CITY, EVERYTHING WAS BEING TOUCHED.

AND WE TALKED ABOUT PARKS AND REC, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE VALUE TO CITIZENS AND THE AMENITIES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO CITIZENS.

SO, IN THE END, WHEN WE BROUGHT THAT PACKAGE TO YOU, I WAS PRETTY DARN PROUD THAT, THAT OUR, OUR COMMITTEE AGREED NOT BY VOTING, BY CONSENSUS.

THIS WAS THE PACKAGE TO BRING TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.

I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED AT THE OUTCOME OF YOUR VOTE TO SEND THIS TO THE CITIZENS.

I THOUGHT YOU WERE VOTING ON SENDING THE CITIZENS AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE.

I DID NOT KNOW YOU WERE VOTING ON THE PROJECTS THEMSELVES.

SO WHEN A, A DIVIDED COUNCIL SENT THE MESSAGE TO THE CITIZENS, YOU WEREN'T GONNA GET A UNITED COMMUNITY, RIGHT? IT JUST STARTED OFF.

SO WE WERE, WE WERE FACING THESE BATTLES ALL THROUGH THE PROCESS.

IT JUST GAVE FOLKS, YOU KNOW, WELL, IF SO-AND-SO'S NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS, WHY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I NEED TO LOOK AT IT CLOSER.

THERE WAS DOUBT PUT IN PEOPLE'S MIND.

AND SO, AND I KNOW OUR OWN COM, OUR OWN, UH, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, WERE, WERE OUT THERE SAYING WHAT THEY DIDN'T LIKE AND WHAT THEY DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT IT.

SO WE, WE WERE JUST SORT OF STRAPPED FROM THE, FROM THE GET GO.

SO, ALL I CAN TELL YOU, IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING.

UH, MIKE WILSON DID A GREAT JOB WITH THE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE AND, AND GETTING FOLKS GET, RAISING MONEY AND GETTING SIGNS AND GETTING COMMUNICATIONS OUT THERE.

THE CITY DID A GREAT JOB OF DELIVERING THE INFORMATION, FACTUAL INFORMATION.

HERE'S WHAT YOU GET.

WE TRIED TO SAY, HERE'S WHAT YOU GET, BUT HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T DO IT.

RIGHT.

SO IT WAS FRUSTRATING.

SO I'M BEING HONEST IN SHARING THAT FRUSTRATION WITH YOU TODAY.

NOT, NOT TO BEAT UP ANYBODY OR TO CRITICIZE ANYONE, BUT JUST TO SAY THAT'S HOW IT FELT GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

YOU ASKED CITIZENS TO COME TOGETHER, AND IT'S NOT JUST BLINDLY ACCEPTING WHAT THE CITIZENS BROUGHT YOU, BUT WE BROUGHT YOU A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT CAME FROM YOUR LIST.

WE DIDN'T DEVELOP THE PROJECTS.

NO ONE HANDPICKED, NO ONE SAID, DO THIS, DO THIS, DO THIS.

WE DECIDED, WE, THE CITIZENS DECIDED FROM THE 28 PROJECTS, YOU GAVE US WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD HELP THE CITIZENS OF BAYTOWN WITHIN A, AN AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT DIDN'T IMPACT THE TAX RATE.

WE SAID, FROM DAY ONE, IN THE VERY FIRST MEETINGS WE HAD, IT IS A TAX INCREASE.

IT IS A TAX INCREASE.

IT IS A TAX INCREASE.

WE SAID AT EVERY MEETING, EVERY JASON, EVERY MEETING, WE SAID, THIS IS A TAX INCREASE, BUT YET IT STILL GOT TWISTED AND TURNED AROUND.

I STILL COME FROM THE TIME WHERE FOLKS LIKE ME AND MIKE AND MIKE AND OTHERS WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND OTHER CAPACITIES, AND YOU KNOW, I, I HAD PEOPLE CALL ME AND SAY, HEY, YOU'RE ON THAT COMMITTEE.

I'M VOTING FOR IT.

RIGHT? THEY JUST RESPECTED THE TIME AND ENERGY, THE KNOWLEDGE, THE EXPERIENCE PEOPLE HAD SERVING AND LOOKING AT THINGS.

I TRUST YOU.

I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS.

'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE WATCHING OUT FOR US.

WELL, TIMES ARE DIFFERENT.

THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS OUT THERE WHO DON'T CARE WHAT I DO, WHAT I SAY, OR ANYONE ELSE.

THEY SIT OUT THERE, THEY, THEY THROW THEIR COMMENTS OUT THERE, UM, AND THEY, SOME GET CHALLENGED, SOME DON'T.

AND THEN IT JUST CONTINUES TO SPREAD.

I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS MAN RIGHT HERE, MR. ISAACS, WE, WE, WE'VE HAD OUR CONVERSATIONS.

IF YOU SHOWED UP TO ANY OF OUR MEETINGS, HE CAN TELL YOU THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD.

AND I SAT AND MET WITH HIM AFTER ONE OF OUR LEE COLLEGE MEETINGS.

AND HE, WE, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT.

HE ASKED ME ABOUT THE CITY.

HE ASKED ME ABOUT ALL KINDS OF THINGS.

HE WANTED TO INTERVIEW ME ON A PODCAST.

I SAID, ABSOLUTELY NOT.

I'M NOT GONNA SUBJECT MYSELF TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND PEOPLE THROWING ROCKS AT EVERYTHING I SAY.

AND EVEN THOUGH EVERYTHING I SAID WAS FACTUAL, WELL AGREEING TO TERMS AND, AND TIMING, AND I SAT DOWN WITH MR. ISAAC.

WE HAD ABOUT AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTE CONVERSATION PODCAST ABOUT THE GO BOND ELECTION.

AND IT WAS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE EXPLANATION I COULD HAVE GIVEN ANYONE AT ANY TIME.

EVEN MORE THAN I COULD TELL YOU IN AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES.

WE TALKED ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM START TO FINISH.

I WAS SURPRISED THAT MR. ISAAC ACTUALLY SUPPORTED THE GO BOND ELECTION, RIGHT? I ENDORSED IT.

HE DID.

HE ENDORSED IT BECAUSE WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN.

AND FOLKS WHO WATCHED HIS PODCAST, WHICH I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO FIND

[00:15:01]

YOU EXPLAINED IT.

THE CITY'S ON THE RIGHT PATH.

IT MAKES SENSE.

THE PROJECTS ARE RIGHT.

YOU CAN KIND OF PICK AND CHOOSE, BUT HEY, THAT MANY PROJECTS, AND ANOTHER GROUP OF 14, 15 PEOPLE WOULD COME UP, I THINK WITH ALMOST ALL THOSE, MAYBE A FEW REPLACEMENTS HERE AND THERE, RIGHT? MR. EDDIE GRAY TOLD ME, I WATCHED THE PODCAST, WHAT HE SAID, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION.

YOU KNOW, SO THERE WAS HOPE THAT, THAT THIS INFORMATION WAS GETTING OUT THERE.

BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER PART OF SOCIAL MEDIA THAT I DON'T, I DON'T GET INTO, AND IT'S EVERYONE ELSE, RIGHT? I DON'T GET INTO THAT.

HINDSIGHT IS MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE REACHED OUT TO A FEW OF THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE BECOME VERY INFLUENTIAL IN SOCIAL MEDIA AND, AND SAT DOWN FACE TO FACE AND OFFERED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION OR MAYBE OFFERED SOME INFORMATION ONLINE.

AND MAYBE THAT WOULD'VE MADE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE.

I DON'T KNOW.

BUT I, I THINK IT COULD HAVE.

SO THERE'S SOME THINGS, A LOT OF THINGS I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENT.

I DIDN'T ADJUST PERSONALLY.

I DID NOT ADJUST TO TODAY.

I WAS STILL BACK IN THE MODE OF WE'VE DONE IT RIGHT? IT'S BEEN PUBLIC.

WE DIDN'T TAKE THREE OR FOUR MEETINGS.

WE TOOK 10 MEETINGS, THREE MONTHS.

WE WORKED IT HARD.

WE DISSECTED, WE ADDED PROJECTS, TOOK 'EM OUT.

WE, WE, WE TWEAKED SCOPES, WE TWEAKED COST, YOU KNOW, CITY STAFF'S PROBABLY TIRED OF US ASKING QUESTIONS.

I FELT WE DID IT RIGHT, BUT IT WASN'T ENOUGH.

AND I DIDN'T ADJUST.

RIGHT? I DIDN'T ADJUST.

YOU GUYS ARE MORE IN TUNE WITH THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACE IN THIS CITY TODAY THAN I AM BECAUSE I'M STILL IN, I'M STILL IN OF THE MINDSET THAT IF, IF YOU PARTICIPATE, YOU GIVE YOUR TIME AND YOUR ENERGY AND YOUR TALENT, YOUR EXPERIENCE, THAT IT SHOULD BE VALUED, NOT JUST BLINDLY ACCEPTED, LIKE I SAID, BUT IT SHOULD BE VALUED.

THAT, THAT, THAT THE EFFORT WAS PUT INTO IT.

SO WHEN I CAME OUT OF THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, MY WIFE ASKED ME, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO NOW? I'M LIKE, WELL, WE GOT TWO PROPOSITIONS TO GO GET DONE.

BECAUSE WHAT I DID TELL YOU WHEN THIS WAS PRESENTED WAS WHAT COMES WITH IT IS A CITIZENS BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO FOLLOW.

RIGHT? AND TO ME, IT DIDN'T MATTER IF 5 MILLION PASSED OR 151 MILLION PASSED, UH, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO STILL SHOW THE CITIZENS WHAT THE PROCESS IS.

AND IT MAY NOT BE CLEAR TO YOU WHAT THAT COMMITTEE DOES AFTER A BOND ELECTION.

THERE'S AN ENTIRE CHARTER THAT WAS WRITTEN MM-HMM .

A SCOPE OF WORK AND, AND WHO, WHO'S ON IT, YOU KNOW, UH, AND WHAT YOU DO AFTERWARDS.

IT'S NOT THE CITIZENS TELLING THE, THE ADMINISTRATION WHAT TO DO OR COUNCIL, WHAT DO YOU GUYS HAVE THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY IN MAKING DECISIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY? THIS, THIS CITIZENS BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE WOULD JUST BE PARTNERING WITH ADMINISTRATION AND WITH YOU GUYS TO PROGRESS WHAT THE VOTERS VOTED FOR.

IT'S NOT OVERSIGHT, IT'S NOT AUDIT, IT'S NOT, WE'RE WATCHING YOU.

IT'S PARTNERING WITH YOU AND LETTING THE CITIZENS KNOW THEY'RE STILL A PART OF THE PROCESS.

I CAN TELL YOU MY EXPERIENCE WITH GOOSE CREEK IN 2005 WAS $240 MILLION BOND PASSED.

AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT, HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA HIT THE GULF COAST.

AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT PROJECTS RIGHT OUTTA THE BOX, RIGHT OUTTA THE BOX, BIG REPLACING HIGHLANDS, UH, JUNIOR HIGH WERE COMING IN WAY OVER BUDGET.

ALL THE BIDS WERE COMING IN WAY OVER BUDGET, RIGHT? I MEAN, RIGHT OUTTA THE BOX.

AND, AND IT WASN'T GONNA GET ANY BETTER ANYTIME SOON.

WE HAD TO GO, WE WENT TO, TO THE, THE SCHOOL BOARD AND SAID, AS CITIZENS, WE, WE ENDORSE THE ADMINISTRATOR'S RECOMMENDATION TO TAKE THIS BID.

THAT'S $3 MILLION OVER BUDGET, RIGHT? AND, AND WITH BONDS, YOU DON'T HAVE MORE MONEY.

YOU CAN'T GET MORE MONEY, RIGHT? IT IS WHAT IT IS.

YOU GOT X AND THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO DO IT.

SO WE WERE CHALLENGED, BUT WHAT THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE OFFERED TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TO THE, THE SCHOOL BOARD WAS A VOICE THAT SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE NEED TO SHIFT SOME OF THE SCHEDULES, MOVE SOME OF THE NON-INSTRUCTIONAL, UH, PROJECTS OFF SOAR STADIUM, BUILD A NEW AUDITORIUM, MOVE THOSE OUT IN THE SCHEDULE AND, AND FOCUS ON THE INSTRUCTIONAL SEATS.

AND ALL I'M TELLING YOU IS THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE CITIZENS ALLOWED THE ADMINISTRATION TO GO TO CITY TO, TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE BELIEVE WE NEED TO DO.

AND I WOULD STAND THERE AND SAY, AND THE CITIZENS BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE ENDORSES THIS RECOMMENDATION.

AND THEN THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED BUDGETS THAT WERE, THAT, THAT WERE, THEY APPROVED, UH, UH, CONTRACTS THAT WERE EXCEEDING THE BUDGET.

AND NOBODY SAID A WORD.

THE COMMUNITY DIDN'T SAY A WORD BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY WAS INVOLVED AND WE WERE COMMUNICATING.

SO YOU DON'T HAVE THAT SITUATION HERE TO THAT BIG A SCALE, BUT THAT'S WHAT A, A CITIZENS GROUP CAN HELP YOU DO.

KEEP THE CITIZENS INVOLVED UNTIL THE NEXT CYCLE AND THE NEXT CYCLE AND JUST BE A PART OF IT.

UH, WE'VE NEVER BEEN IN A POSITION TO TELL ANYBODY WHAT TO DO.

WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST THERE OFFERING SUPPORT.

SO I THINK THE GOAL FOR ME TODAY IS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU GUYS WANT TO DO MOVING FORWARD.

I WILL TELL YOU PERSONALLY,

[00:20:02]

WE'RE NOT IN, WHAT DO YOU THINK MODE WE'RE IN GET IT DONE MODE.

WE'RE NOT IN WHICH PROJECT TO DO MODE.

I THINK HOWEVER YOU DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A CITIZEN'S ADVISORY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION SIDE IS TO KIND OF CONSIDER WHO YOU, WHO YOU MIGHT PUT ON THERE AND HOW YOU ATTRACT PEOPLE.

YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY A SENIOR LEVEL EXECUTIVE PROJECT ENGINEERING MANAGER, RETIRED FROM EXXONMOBIL, LIVING IN OUR COMMUNITY, IS PROBABLY A GOOD GUY TO HAVE ON THAT COMMITTEE.

HE ACTUALLY SERVED ON THE 2007 BOND COMMITTEE AS WELL WHEN HE WAS STILL WORKING.

AND HE'S A YOUNG GUY.

HE'S NOT OLD, BY THE WAY.

UH, THERE, THERE ARE OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT, THAT HAVE COME TO ME AND SAID, HEY, I WANNA BE A PART OF THIS.

I I WANNA HELP THE CITY GET THIS DONE.

WE WERE, WE WERE THINKING 151 MILLION OVER ABOUT FIVE YEARS.

RIGHT? BUT THEY STILL WANTED TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE THEY HAD.

SO I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO CONSIDER WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE.

UH, I THINK WE PROPOSE THAT YOU HAVE A CITIZEN BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOLLOW IT.

UH, IT, IT COULD BE LIMITED.

WE COULD PILOT, UH, WHAT A BIGGER COMMITTEE MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

BUT THE POINT IS, I THINK THE CITIZENS SHOULD STILL BE INVOLVED.

UM, I AM STILL, I CAN TELL YOU WHEN I WALKED UP HERE AND STARTED TALKING, I WASN'T SURE HOW I WAS GONNA END THIS.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU I'M STILL ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT MOVING THE CITY FORWARD.

I'M STILL EXCITED ABOUT PROGRESSING WITH THE NEEDS OF BAYTOWN.

I THINK WE'VE GOT A DIVERSE COMMUNITY, AND I THINK WE HAVE A LOT MORE STRUGGLES THAT, THAT WE NEED TO, TO ADDRESS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

I'VE HAD A BUSINESS FOR 47 YEARS, AND THE ONLY WAY I'VE SURVIVED IS TO ADAPT.

I'M STILL IN BUSINESS TODAY BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ABLE TO ADAPT.

I KNOW AT SOME POINT I'M GONNA SAY ENOUGH OF THIS CRAP.

RIGHT? WELL, I'M NOT THERE RIGHT NOW WITH THE CITY EITHER.

THIS IS MY HOME.

IT'S BEEN MY HOME ALL MY LIFE.

UH, I'M, I'M PROUD OF BAYTOWN.

I'VE, I'VE SERVED BAYTOWN IN EVERY CAPACITY I COULD.

I WAS ON THE CHURCH BOARD FOR 20 YEARS.

I, I'M STILL ON ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS, BUT APPARENTLY Y'ALL DON'T HAVE ANY BUSINESS FOR US.

'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T MET IN A WHILE.

I MEAN, I'M STILL, I STILL LOVE THIS CITY AND I STILL WANNA BE A PART OF SOMETHING AS LONG AS I CAN, AS LONG AS I CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN WHAT I DO.

IF I'M NOT EFFECTIVE, IF I'M NOT ABLE TO, TO HELP CORRECT ANYTHING, THEN I, I DON'T NEED TO SPEND MY TIME WITH IT.

I, I GOT, I GOT A LOT OF OTHER THINGS I DO AND I ENJOY DOING.

AND, UH, BUT I JUST, I JUST WANNA STILL SEE US MOVE FORWARD.

AND I HAD TO LISTEN TO WHAT JASON TOLD ME.

HE SAID, HEY, IT'S A WIN.

WE GOT TWO OF THEM, RIGHT? IT'S A WIN, RIGHT? LET'S TAKE THIS WIN AND LET'S BUILD ON IT.

AND I WAS LIKE, YEAH, BUT WE DIDN'T GET FOUR OF 'EM.

YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE LET FOUR GET AWAY FROM US, FOUR IMPORTANT ONES.

AND HE SAID, BUT IT'S A WIN.

HIS PERSPECTIVE'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN MINE.

BUT I'M ADJUSTING MY PERSPECTIVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT WAS A WIN.

WE SQUEAKED IT OUT.

BUT SOMETIMES SOME OF YOUR RACES ARE SQUEAKED OUT, RIGHT? BUT YOU'RE STILL HERE AND YOU'RE STILL WORKING FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.

SO I FEEL LIKE EVEN THOUGH THE TWO PROPOSITIONS BARELY GOT THROUGH, I STILL THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD THAT WE CAN DO MOVING FORWARD.

SHOW THE CITIZENS, LISTEN, THIS IS WHAT IT COULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE.

LET'S DON'T HAVE TEXAS AVENUE DUG UP EIGHT YEARS, 18 YEARS LATER BECAUSE WE DIDN'T APPROVE A SEWER PROJECT OR A DRAINAGE PROJECT OR A ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA KEEP HAPPENING.

WE JUST KEEP PUSHING IT DOWN THE ROAD AND IT JUST DISRUPTS THINGS LATER AND IT COSTS MORE MONEY LATER AND CITIZENS ARE GONNA GRIPE ABOUT IT ANYWAY.

SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET IT DONE.

SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES, MA'AM.

JUST SOME COMMENTS.

AND, UM, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND, AND JUST KIND OF LAYING IT OUT AND SEEING WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE.

BUT I APPRECIATE YOU AND, AND MIKE AND MIKE , UM, FOR YOUR WORK AND BEING HERE TO, TO SUPPORT THE NEXT STEP AND, AND WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.

AND SO YEAH, WE DO HAVE SOME WORK CUT OUT FOR US.

AND, AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOUR SENTIMENTS.

UM, BUT WE'RE AT THE POINT IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, LET'S, LET'S MOVE FORWARD.

HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER? AND UH, WE WILL DEFINITELY BE WORKING WITH COMMUNICATIONS.

AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS JASON AND, UM, SEEING WHAT WE NEED TO DO BETTER OR, OR DIFFERENT, UM, FOR THE NEXT, UH, GO AROUND.

BUT, AND, AND WE DID TALK A LOT ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF, IF WE DID IT AND THEN HOW MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE PROJECTS WILL BE.

AND SO I APPRECIATE THE INSIGHT ON TEXAS AVENUE.

'CAUSE I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT, BUT THAT'S THE PRIME EXAMPLE.

I HAVE VERY PRIME EXAMPLE.

YEAH.

AND SO I JUST APPRECIATE THAT.

WELL, THANK, YEAH.

I THINK SOME OF THE UPFRONT WE COULD HAVE SHARED WHAT THE 2007 BOND DID FOR BAYTOWN IN ALL AREAS.

PIRATES

[00:25:01]

SO WE DID THINGS OTHER THAN JUST $30 MILLION OF STREET RECONSTRUCTION.

WE DID HAVE $6 MILLION TO PARTNER WITH TXDOT AND GET THE FLYOVERS ON 1 46 AND THREE 30 COMPLETED.

IT WAS A VERY DIVERSE GROUP OF, OF, OF, OF, UH, PROJECTS.

JUST LIKE WHAT WE DELIVERED THIS TIME.

YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE FOCUSED ALL THE MONEY BACK THEN ON IN ONE AREA AS WELL.

MM-HMM .

AND I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THAT'S JUST NORMAL WORK FOR CITIES AND THIS IS HOW IT GETS FUNDED.

AND LIKE I SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU, YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, YOU'VE BEEN DOING ALL THIS WORK ALREADY.

YOU'VE JUST BEEN FUNDING IT A LITTLE DIFFERENT WAY.

STILL ON THE TAXPAYER'S DOLLAR.

RIGHT? BUT IT'S ALL BEEN HAPPENING.

I'VE GOT ALL YOUR CO BONDS THAT YOU'VE APPROVED.

I KNOW WHAT THE PROJECTS WERE FOR.

I KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE LEFT.

I MEAN, IT'S NORMAL BUSINESS, NORMAL BUSINESS FOR CITIES TO DO THIS.

SO I JUST THINK WE JUST HADN'T SEEN IT IN A WHILE AND WE NEEDED TO PREPARE A LITTLE BETTER UPFRONT.

ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU.

ANYTHING? NO.

WELL, I WAS GONNA WORK ALL THE WAY BACK DOWN THIS WAY.

GO AHEAD.

ANYTHING FROM ANYONE HERE? I LET MIKE GO FIRST.

NO, YOU'RE GONNA GO, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND GO.

WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA WORK OUR WAY DOWN.

THAT'S FINE.

GO AHEAD.

OKAY, FINE.

ALRIGHT.

YOU KIND ALREADY KNOW WHERE, WHICH ONES I'M GONNA GO TO.

DON'T YOU? .

SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK Y'ALL DID, MIKE, MIKE AND, AND, AND, AND IN EVERYTHING Y'ALL DID FOR THIS AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE BOND, UM, I'M, I SAID THIS AT MY, AT MY, AT MY LAST, UH, PUBLIC PUBLIC MEETING, I LOOKED IN THE MIRROR.

I DIDN'T DO MY JOB AS A COUNCILMAN TO GET OUT THERE AND PUT THE MESSAGE OUT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE SPOT.

SO I LOOKED MYSELF IN THE MIRROR AND I, I TOLD EVERYBODY THERE, IT'S MY FAULT TOO.

'CAUSE WE DIDN'T, I, I KNOW HOW TO BLOCK WALK AND I KNOW HOW TO GET DOOR, DOOR TO DOOR.

DID THAT, I'VE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE I WAS, I'VE WORKED ON MULTIPLE CAMPAIGNS SINCE 2006.

RIGHT? SO I KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.

I DIDN'T DO THAT FOR THIS BOND.

SO THAT'S ON ME.

BUT I WILL SAY THIS, IT IS A LITTLE UPSETTING TO US THAT ON CIP COMMITTEE, THAT NOBODY LOOKED AT OUR MEETING ON MARCH, WHERE WE LITERALLY STATED AND WENT THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT WAS OVER UP TO 500 MILLION.

AND WE CUT IT DOWN AND WE PAINSTAKINGLY CUT IT DOWN TO UNDER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.

NOBODY LISTENED TO THAT.

WE SAID IT IN THAT MEETING.

THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO BECAUSE WE WANTED TO GET THE PUBLIC'S TRUST.

WE DIDN'T, WE WANTED TO PUT PROJECTS ON THE GROUND THAT WOULD BE DONE WITHIN THREE YEARS, NOT DONE IN SIX YEARS.

NOT THAT THERE WAS, THERE WAS PROJECTS THAT WERE 14, WHAT? 12 MILLION, 10 MILLION.

AND MIKE ASKED TO CUT IT DOWN.

WHAT DO YOU NEED RIGHT NOW? WELL, WE, WE JUST NEED FOR THE ENGINEERING.

OKAY.

THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT'S GONNA BE IN THIS BOND.

WE'LL GO FOR THE BOND AFTER THE ENGINEERING'S DONE.

WE'LL GO FOR THE BOND NEXT FOR THE PRODUCT, PRODUCT ITSELF.

BECAUSE WE WANTED TO SHOW THE PUBLIC THAT WE WERE ONLY GONNA DO PROJECTS THAT WERE GONNA BE DONE IN THREE YEARS.

AND THAT'S IT.

THEN WE COME BACK AND WE'RE SITTING THERE GOING, WAIT A MINUTE.

WE'RE WHY DID THIS, HOW DID THIS GET TO THIS AMOUNT? HOW DID, HOW, WHY ARE THEY LOOKING AT 500 MILLION? WE ALREADY WENT THROUGH THAT WHOLE PROCESS AS THE CIP ON WHAT TO GIVE THE, THE COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYTHING WE DID JUST GOT OPENED RIGHT BACK UP.

SO WE STATED, AND I STATED THIS NEEDED MORE TIME.

IT WAS RUSHED.

I SAY IT WAS RUSHED.

WE, WE WHAT IN MARCH, I BELIEVE IS WHEN THEY CAME AND TOLD US AND LIKE, WELL, WE, WE NEED TO HAVE A BOND COMMITTEE.

WELL, IT'S MARCH.

WE'RE JUST NOW GETTING A BOND COMMITTEE.

NOW THE BOND COMMITTEE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FORMED IN, IN SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER THE YEAR BEFORE.

Y'ALL NEEDED MORE TIME TO GET OUT THERE.

AND RIGHT NOW IN THE CLIMATE WE'RE IN, IT IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

IT HAS CHANGED A LOT IN THE LAST SIX YEARS.

I CAN TELL YOU EVERYTHING THAT, THAT I WORKED ON SIX YEARS AGO TO GET WORKING, TO GET, TO GET THINGS ELECTED, PEOPLE ELECTED OR BONDS COULD PUSH THROUGH IS DIFFERENT THAN IT IS TODAY BY FAR.

DOOR TO DOOR IS THE WAY TO GET THINGS PASSED.

PEOPLE DON'T GO TO MEETINGS ANYMORE.

THEY DON'T GO TO TOWN.

ME AND MIKE ARE SITTING ON A COMMITTEE THAT WE'RE WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO SHOW UP FOR US, FOR, FOR, FOR THE KIDS.

IT'S THE SAME PEOPLE.

AND LUCKILY WE CAN MAKE SOME CONNECTIONS TO HELP OUT.

BUT THERE'S, THERE'S COMMITTEES OUT THERE THAT PEOPLE, WE, WE, IT'S NOT THE SAME.

THE POLITICAL CLIMATE HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED IN THE PAST FIVE, SIX YEARS.

I, I, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING Y'ALL DID.

I'M STILL GONNA, ALWAYS GONNA BE SOMEONE WHO'S FOR GEO BOND.

I WANT THE PUBLIC TO VOTE ON IT.

I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD EVER NOT HAVE A GEO BOND.

I DON'T NOT LIKE HAVING CO BONDS.

I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES TO THE, TO MY LEFT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY TOO.

I CAN STATE THAT.

ME AND HIM HAVE NEVER VOTED ON THE CO VII APPRECIATE ALL Y'ALLS WORK.

WE ARE GONNA DO THIS AGAIN PROBABLY.

AND WE, THIS TIME I WILL COMMIT MYSELF THAT I WILL BE THE PERSON OUT THERE BLOCK WALKING FOR Y'ALL.

MY DISTRICT WILL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS BOND.

I WILL INFORM THEM EVERY BIT BECAUSE I OWE Y'ALL THAT.

AND I DID NOT GIVE THAT TO Y'ALL.

AND I APOLOGIZE.

[00:30:04]

UM, I JUST, I MEAN, I KNOW EVERYONE'S SAID IT, BUT I WANNA SAY IT AGAIN.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK Y'ALL PUT IN ON THIS.

UM, I I SHARE YOUR, UH, FRUSTRATION THAT YOU'VE FELT THAT YOU EXPRESSED AND DISAPPOINTMENT IN EVERY OTHER WORD YOU CAN THINK OF.

RIGHT? UM, BUT, UM, I AGREE WITH WHAT JAMES SAID.

YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T DO ENOUGH UP HERE.

UM, WE NEEDED TO, TO ME, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THAT VOTE THAT EVENING WAS MORE ABOUT SENDING SOMETHING TO THE VOTERS, NOT ABOUT THE, THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS ON THE BALLOT.

UM, AND SO I WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN A MORE UNIFIED FRONT FROM COUNCIL.

MM-HMM .

JUST SAYING, CITIZENS WE'RE GIVING YOU, WE'RE GIVING YOU A CHANCE TO VOTE.

RIGHT? AND TO ME, THAT'S WHAT THIS PROCESS WAS ABOUT ALL ALONG.

AND THAT'S WHY I'VE PUSHED TO GO TO GOSS.

IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T GO THE WAY I, I WOULD'VE LIKED TO IT, IT TO HAVE GONE.

BUT, UM, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK Y'ALL PUT IN.

UM, AND YEAH, I WANNA SEE US, WE'RE GONNA GIVE IT ANOTHER GO.

UM, IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT.

AND, UH, I THINK WE'VE LEARNED FROM IT.

UH, I HOPE WE'VE ALL LEARNED FROM IT, UM, ON HOW WE CAN, HOW WE CAN DO THIS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME.

UM, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT, THAT ALL OF Y'ALL PUT IN ON THIS GILBERT, UH, AGAIN, MIKE.

MIKE, UH, THANK YOU.

AND TO THE COMMITTEE AS A WHOLE, UM, WHEN, WHEN WE FIRST FORMED THAT COMMITTEE, I GOT SOME PUSHBACK.

IT'S, UH, IT'S THE SAME OLD PEOPLE, BUT LIKE YOU ELOQUENTLY DESCRIBED, YOU'RE RIGHT, IT IS SOME OF THE MORE SENIOR INDIVIDUALS IN THIS COMMUNITY.

BUT THAT'S A BENEFIT BECAUSE YOU'VE SEEN SO MUCH.

YOU'VE SEEN THE CITY GROW, YOU'VE SEEN ALL THE ACTIVITIES, YOU'VE PARTICIPATED.

IT'S A DIFFERENT CLIMATE.

THEY DIDN'T LOOK AT Y'ALL'S EXPERIENCE AND EXPOSURES AS A POSITIVE.

THEY REFLECTED IT WAS A NEGATIVE.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO DEAL WITH.

'CAUSE IT'S KIND OF LIKE IN THIS COMMUNITY, THE THREE INDIVIDUALS ARE SITTING HERE IS KIND OF LIKE EVERYTHING YOU'VE SEEN AND AND DONE AND THE DETAILS THAT Y'ALL HAVE HAD SHOULD BE USED AS A RESOURCE AND NOT AS A DETRIMENT.

MM-HMM .

SO THE FRUSTRATION I CAN SEE WAS THERE, THERE WASN'T A COMPLETELY UNITED FRONT ON THIS COUNCIL WHEN WE VOTED TO, TO GO FORWARD.

UM, THAT'S REFLECTIVE OF A LOT OF DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE UP HERE ON DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES WHEN STAFF HAS TO FULFILL THE REQUIREMENT AND THEY DON'T GET A CONSENSUS, A MAJORITY CONSENSUS UP HERE, OR IT'S A FOUR THREE VOTE STAFF IS PUT IN THE SAME POSITION WE PUT OUR CITIZENS IN.

AND IT'S KIND OF, WELL, IF IT'S NOT UNIFIED UP HERE, HOW CAN WE BE UNIFIED? SO THAT'S A LEARN THE LESSON THAT WE NEED TO BE, UH, AWARE OF.

I APPRECIATE THE COMMENT THAT WE NEED.

THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO WHAT WAS TOLD TO THE PUBLIC FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON ESSENTIAL PRIORITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, AND WE'RE GONNA GET IT DONE IN A THREE TO FIVE YEAR PERIOD.

AND THEN WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND DO IT AGAIN BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU, WE CAN DO WHAT WE SAID WE'RE GONNA DO.

THERE'S STILL MONIES LEFT OVER FROM 2007 BONDS 17 YEARS AGO.

THERE'S STILL FUNDS AND SOME OF THOSE ARE AVAILABLE.

WE CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE.

IF WE GO OFF OUR BOND.

WE NEED TO GET IT BUILT WITH CITIZENS INPUT AND OVERSIGHT, IF YOU WILL, OR WORKING WITH US AS YOU INDICATED TO SHOW OUR COMMUNITY THAT NO, WE VOTED FOR THIS AND THEY GOT IT DONE WITH US WATCHING AND MAKING COMMENTS.

I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT.

UM, BUT YEAH, WE LEARNED SOME LESSONS.

UM, BUT IT, IT, SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORT THAT THE ENTIRE COMMITTEE DID.

I LOOK FORWARD TO CREATING THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO WORK WITH US GOING THROUGH THIS.

THAT'S WHAT WE SAID WE WERE GONNA DO.

WE NEED TO FULFILL THAT.

AND IT'S A BENEFIT.

IT REALLY IS A BENEFIT TO SHOW THE CITIZENS THAT YES, THEY, WE VOTED FOR IT AND THEY'RE GONNA MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS THE WAY WE VOTED FOR IT.

MM-HMM .

SO I SUPPORT IT.

AND AGAIN, I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH.

UH, YOU BROUGHT A LOT OF LEADERSHIP TO THAT COMMITTEE.

UM, BELIEVE ME, I, I HEARD THROUGH THE BACK CHANNELS THE 10 MEETINGS THAT, THAT Y'ALL WERE STRUGGLING TO WRITE UP FRONT.

BUT WITH YOUR GUIDANCE AND LEADERSHIP, THEY, THEY PULLED THROUGH AND CAME UP WITH A GOOD PRODUCT.

UH, IT WAS A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

WISH WE COULD HAVE GIVEN YOU MORE, BUT WE NEEDED TO MOVE IT FORWARD.

Y'ALL DID A HER HERCULEAN JOB, SO I APPRECIATE IT.

AND, AND DAN, THAT WAS, THAT WAS ON US FOR NOT GIVING YOU ENOUGH TIME.

WE, WE, WE SHOULD HAVE.

THAT'S YOU, YOU WERE NOT GIVEN THE APPLE AMOUNT OF TIME ON THAT.

WELL, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR, YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE, THE NEXT GO ROUND.

I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, I FELT APPRECIATED.

I NEVER DOUBTED THAT.

RIGHT? UH, I DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS SHORT.

I THINK, I THINK IT WAS SHORT TO START WITH, BUT WE HAD ENOUGH TIME TO STRETCH IT OUT.

10 MEETINGS FOR THE SCOPE OF WORK WE WERE LOOKING AT, TO ME WAS, WAS FAIRLY ADEQUATE.

BUT, UH, WE DID WRAP UP RIGHT BEFORE

[00:35:01]

LIKE, DON'T HAVE A CLUE, BUT WE'LL FINISH BEFORE WE HAVE TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL, RIGHT? THAT'S ALL I KNEW.

AND, AND ALL I'M SAYING ABOUT THE PROCESS IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAD THE DIVERSE OPINIONS, YOU KNOW, I SIT ON A BOARD WHERE I'M ONE OF NINE, I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES TO GET EVERYONE TO LOOK IN THE SAME DIRECTION.

AND NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE, BUT ENOUGH, AGREE ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THAT IT AT LEAST IS GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

WE HAD, WE HAD A, A COMMITTEE THAT WAS SO DIVERSE AND SO OPINIONATED.

MIKE IS ONE OF THEM.

MIKE, MIKE BEARD, HE'S AN OPINION.

YOU GUYS KNOW HIM? NEVER.

HE WAS LIKE, NO WAY.

HE, HE WAS NOT IN FAVOR OF THE SIDEWALKS.

Y'ALL GOT MONEY, YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT.

LET THEM DO IT ALREADY.

HE WAS, YOU WERE AGAINST THE SIDEWALK PROJECT.

BUT WHEN THEY CAME RIGHT DOWN TO IT, HE WAS OKAY WITH PUTTING THE SIDEWALK PROJECT IN THE PACKAGE THAT WE BROUGHT YOU.

RIGHT? SO WE DIDN'T AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT ON EVERYTHING, BUT WE DID AGREE THAT WHAT WE WERE BRINGING YOU AND TO GO TO THE CITIZENS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS REASONABLE.

UH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE PROJECT STUFF UP FRONT.

WE WERE GIVEN A LIST OF PROJECTS AT ABOUT $300 MILLION.

ONCE THEY GOT FINE TUNED, THE PROJECTS DIDN'T GO AWAY.

WE WERE DOWN ABOUT TWO 80.

SO WE STARTED AT TWO 80 AND WITHOUT ANY GUIDANCE FROM Y'ALL AT A HUNDRED MILLION, WE CAME IN AT 1 51, WHICH THE GOAL WAS TO NOT TRIGGER A TAX RATE INCREASE.

AND WE COULD HAVE GONE ANOTHER 20, $30 MILLION AND NOT TRIGGERED A TAX RATE INCREASE.

WE KNEW THAT, BUT WE ALSO FELT THAT THAT NUMBER WAS A REASONABLE NUMBER.

THE LAST BOND WAS $82 MILLION.

AND SO IF, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT BEING IN 2007, WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WE WERE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN.

YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUST SORT OF ESCALATED UP AND, AND SIMILAR PROJECTS.

SO ANYWAY, UH, ALL THAT TO SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK THESE FOLKS HERE ARE STILL WILLING TO PARTICIPATE AND HELP US MOVE FORWARD.

THERE ARE SOME, THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD YOUNG FOLKS THAT WERE ON THIS COMMITTEE THAT, THAT WE NEED TO, TO BRING ALONG AND CULTIVATE AND, UM, AND, AND, AND BE A PART OF THIS PROCESS MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA BE ME AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE MIKE AND MIKE FOR MUCH LONGER, RIGHT? AND, AND SO THERE WAS SOME GOOD THAT CAME OUT OF THIS.

UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND EVEN THE FOLKS WHO WERE DEAD SET DISAGREE, LET'S VOTE ON EVERYTHING UP OR DOWN.

THAT JUST SEPARATES YOUR COMMITTEES THAT YOU DIVIDE.

YOU KNOW, YOU DIVIDE THE COMMITTEE WHEN YOU VOTE AND THE MAJORITY WINS.

AND THAT'S NOT THE MODE WE WERE IN.

WE NEEDED TO ALL BE UNITED.

BUT, BUT JUST LIKE YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, THE VOTE WENT, IT WENT TO THE PUBLIC, BUT NOT EVERYBODY AGREED WITH EVERYTHING.

AND SO WE, WE'VE GOTTA DO A BETTER JOB ON OUR SIDE AND THE, ON THE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AND THE FOLKS INVOLVED, AND GET THEM TO AGREE THAT WHAT WE'RE OFFERING IS A GOOD, IS A GOOD PRODUCT.