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E********D.I NOW CALL TO ORDER THE JOINT MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN AND THE MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT ON THURSDAY, APRIL 23RD, 2026 AT 6:30 PM IN THE COUNCIL OF CHAMBER CITY HALL.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM AT 6:54 PM WE WILL NOW HAVE THE PLEDGE AND INVOCATION GIVEN BY COUNCIL MEMBER LAURA ALVARADO, DISTRICT ONE.
UM, THANK YOU MAYOR AND IF YOU'LL INDULGE ME FOR A MOMENT, UM, I'VE INVITED THIS EVENING, PASTOR RAMO GONZALEZ FROM CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH, UH, OUT IN PELLY, WHO WILL BE DOING OUR INVOCATION AFTER THE PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
FOR ALL HONOR, HONOR, TEXAS FLAG, I ALLEGIANCE TO TEXAS, ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE INDIVIDUAL.
WE GIVE YOU GLORY, HONOR AND PRAISE.
AND FATHER, WE THANK YOU, LORD FOR THIS DAY THAT YOU PROVIDED FOR US FATHER GOD AND THE OPPORTUNITY LORD, TO, TO COME TOGETHER.
AND LORD, WE JUST WANT TO COME BEFORE YOU AND WE WANNA RAISE THIS COUNCIL TO YOU.
FATHER GOD, BE WITH THE MAYOR.
BE WITH EACH OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
FATHER GOD IS THEY, THEY, UH, TAKE CARE OF THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY.
FATHER GOD, WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE PUT ALL LEADERS IN THEIR POSITIONS, FATHER, AND WE'RE JUST LIFTING THEM UP TO YOU, FATHER GOD.
YOU WOULD GIVE THEM GUIDANCE THAT YOU ALLOW THEM LORD, TO DISCUSS THE TOPICS, FATHER GOD, IN A WAY THAT WILL HONOR YOU, FATHER GOD, AND IN A WAY THAT THEY WILL LEAD THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY.
FATHER GOD, WE THANK YOU LORD FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE LOVE AND THE MERCY AND THE GRACE YOU GIVE US.
AND LORD, WE ASK LORD, THAT YOU WOULD MOVE IN THIS PLACE.
START OFF WITH CITIZEN COMMENT.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGN UP TO SPEAK? MOVING ON TO
[a. Consider a resolution authorizing funding for the continued engagement of Husch Blackwell LLP to advise on economic development and general legal matters.]
ITEM TWO A, CONSIDER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FUNDING FOR CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT OF THE HUSH BLACKWELL, LLP TO ADVISE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND GENERAL LEGAL MATTERS, MR. MORAN? YES.UH, MR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, BOARD DIRECTORS.
SO THIS ITEM, UM, IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL FUNDING FOR A HUSCH BLACKWELL.
THEY PROVIDE SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE, UH, PARTICULARLY FOR OUR LARGE SCALE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MATTERS, PARTICULARLY PERTAINING TO INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT AGREEMENTS AND OUR CHAPTER TWO 12 AGREEMENTS.
AND THEY'VE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL, UM, IN THOSE TO NAME A FEW WITH CP CHEM, TENANCY MATERIALS, WALMART, UM, ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS.
AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF RENEWING APPROXIMATELY 25 IDAS AND TWO, UH, NEW TWO TWELVES.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I NEED A MOTION.
[a. Present a proclamation designating April 12 - 18, 2026, as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.]
NOW MOVE INTO CITY COUNCIL ITEMS AND WE ARE GOING TO START WITH RECOGNITIONS AND CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS.Y'ALL ARE IN LUCK TODAY 'CAUSE WE HAVE SOME PROCLAMATIONS.
SO COUNSEL, I'M GOING TO ASK THIS ONE TIME AFTER WE GIVE EACH PROCLAMATION, IF YOU ALL WOULD JOIN US DOWN TO TAKE SOME PICTURES.
ARE Y'ALL WILLING TO DO THAT? SURE.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
FIRST, WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATOR.
ME CHIEF, YOU WANNA ON THIS? UM, OF COURSE I'LL LET YOU READ THAT.
AND THEN, UH, JUST VERY QUICKLY, OUR TELECOMMUNICATORS ARE OUR DISPATCHERS.
THEY ARE THAT CALM, QUIET VOICE ON THE OTHER END OF THE LINE ON SOME, SOME OF OUR CITIZENS WORST DAY OF OUR, THEIR LIVES.
AND THEY'RE A LIFELINE FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS WHEN THEY'RE OUT THERE ON THE STREET.
THEY SET THE TONE FOR PROFESSIONALISM THROUGHOUT THE CALL AND WE'RE INCREDIBLY APPRECIATIVE OF THEM.
THANK YOU COUNCIL AND MAYOR FOR RECOGNIZING OUR TELECOMMUNICATORS PROCLAMATION, CITY OF BAYTOWN NATIONAL PUBLIC COMMUNIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS WEEK, WHEREAS THE PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS OF BAYTOWN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION CENTER, WHO PROCESS ON
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AVERAGE OVER 500 TELEPHONE CALLS EACH YEAR, SERVE AS THE FIRST AND MOST CRITICAL POINT OF CONTACT BETWEEN OUR CITIZENS AND EMERGENCY SERVICES.AND WHEREAS THE SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND PARAMEDICS DEPEND UPON THE QUALITY AND ACCURACY OF INFORMATION OBTAINED BY THESE HIGHLY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS FROM THOSE WHO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE.
AND WHEREAS THE PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS OF THE BAYTOWN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION CENTER PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE APPREHENSION OF CRIMINALS, THE SUPPRESSION OF FIRES, AND THE PROVISION OF LIFE-SAVING MEDICAL RESPONSE AND THEIR TIRELESS EFFORTS IN ANSWERING CALLS, DISPATCHING EMERGENCY SERVICES, AND PROVIDING CRITICAL INSTRUCTIONS TO HELP SAVE LIVES AND PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS THE WORK OF PUBLIC SAFETY, TELECOMMUNICATORS REQUIRE EXCEPTIONAL SKILL, UNWAVERING COMPOSURE, AND DEEP COMPASSION AS A CALMLY AND EFFICIENTLY MANAGE HIGH PRESSURE SITUATIONS WHILE PROVIDING REASSURANCE AND GUIDANCE DURING TIMES OF CRISIS.
NOW THEREFORE, OUR CHARLES JOHNSON MAYOR OF BAYTOWN DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF APRIL 12TH THROUGH THE 18TH AS 20 AND 2026 AS NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS WEEK AND IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN ENCOURAGE ALL INDIVIDUALS TO RECOGNIZE, HONOR AND EXPRESS THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THE DEDICATION AND SERVICE OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS PICTURE.
WHERE THAT LIGHT? OH, I'M GETTING IN A WINDOW.
USUALLY THERE'S SOMEBODY IN FRONT OF ME, SO, OKAY, SURE.
NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK, WHEREAS THE CITY OF BAYTOWN RECOGNIZES THAT PUBLIC SERVICE PROFESSIONALS PLAY AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN MAINTAINING THE SAFETY, HEALTH, AND OVERALL WELLBEING OF THE COMMUNITY.
THEIR DAILY COMMITMENT ENSURES THAT ESSENTIAL SERVICES ARE DELIVERED EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY TO RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND WHEREAS EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN DEMONSTRATE DEDICATION, INTEGRITY, AND PROFESSIONALISM IN SERVING THE PUBLIC ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF DEPARTMENTS AND FUNCTIONS, THEIR WORK OFTEN GOES UNSEEN.
YET IT IS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE CITY'S QUALITY OF LIFE AND CONTINUED GROWTH.
AND WHEREAS PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO EXPRESS APPRECIATION FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO DEVOTE THEIR CAREERS TO PUBLIC SERVICE, IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND THE SHARED RESPONSIBILITY OF BUILDING A STRONG AND THRIVING COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF BAYTOWN RECOGNIZES THAT STRONG PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS DEPEND ON THE CONTINUED RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND SUPPORT OF SKILLED PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE AND RESPONSE SERVICE, RESPONSIVE SERVICE INVESTING IN THE THESE PROFESSIONALS, THE CORE OF BAYTOWN LIFE ENSURES THE LONG TERM RESILIENCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
NOW, THEREFORE, OUR CHARLES JOHNSON MAYOR OF BAYTOWN DUE, HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 3RD THROUGH MAY 9TH, 2026 AS PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, AND ENCOURAGE ALL INDIVIDUALS TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE DEDICATION AND CONTRIBUTION OF OUR PUBLIC SERVICE.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC SERVICE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY? LOTS.
WOULD YOU, WELL, WOULD YOU MIND JOINING US UP HERE FOR THIS PHOTO? LET'S GO.
I AM CLIFF, TRACY, KEVIN, LET'S BE SURE WE GET THE LIBRARY IN THIS ALSO.
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JASON.EVERYBODY KEEP THEIR EYES WIDE OPEN.
[b. Present a proclamation designating April 24 - 26 as Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) Heroes Weekend.]
ARE GOING TO HAVE BACA THAT'S BIKERS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE.WE DO THIS ONE YEARLY AND THEY ARE ALREADY HERE.
WOULD YOU ALL MIND COMING UP? AND IS THERE ANYONE THAT'S GOING TO SPEAK SAFETY WORDS? LET'S DO IT.
BACA BIKERS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE EXIST WITH THE INTENT TO CREATE A SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR ABUSED CHILDREN.
WE EXIST AS A BODY OF BIKERS TO EMPOWER CHILDREN TO NOT FEEL AFRAID OF THE WORLD IN WHICH THEY LIVE.
WE WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH LOCAL AND STATE OFFICIALS WHO ARE ALREADY IN PLACE TO PROTECT CHILDREN.
AND BECAUSE OF WHAT THESE KIDS GO THROUGH IS WHY WE ASK FOR THIS PROCLAMATION FOR HEROES WEAKENED.
THEY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE IN WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH.
THEY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE IN GOING THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS AND HOW, HOW LONG THAT TAKES.
BUT BECAUSE THEY WILL PERSEVERE AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO STAND THERE WITH THEM THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, WE'LL GO INTO COURT WITH THEM.
FROM THE TINIEST LITTLE TODDLER TO THE TEENS THAT AGE OUT BECAUSE OF THE TIMEFRAMES, THEY ARE AMAZING.
AND WE JUST REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS TAKING THE TIME TO ALLOW US TO BE HERE AND TO RECOGNIZE APRIL AS WELL AS CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MONTH.
JUST REMEMBER, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.
PROCLAMATION CITY OF BAYTOWN BACA HEROES WEEKEND.
WHEREAS THE CITY OF BAYTOWN IS PLEASED TO JOIN BIKERS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE INC.
AND CELEBRATING THE LAST WEEKEND OF APRIL, 2026 AS BACA HEROES WEEKEND IN TEXAS.
AND WHEREAS BIKERS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE IS AN INTERNATIONAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO PROVIDING SUPPORT AND HEALING TO CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN ABUSED, THESE YOUNG VICTIMS ARE KNOWN AMONG THE ORGANIZATION'S MEMBERS AS HEROES.
AND WHEREAS THIS EXEMPLARY ORGANIZATION HAS INSTITUTED A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES TO CHAMPION THE VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE, INCLUDING EMPOWERMENT CEREMONIES, WHERE AN ABUSE CHILD IS WELCOME INTO THE BIKERS AGAINST AMERICA'S CHILD ABUSE FAMILY.
AND WHEREAS IT IS TRULY FITTING THAT A WEEKEND BE SET ASIDE TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE BRAVERY AND DETERMINATION SHOWN BY THE VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE IN FACING AND OVERCOMING THEIR TRAUMA.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF BAYTOWN COMMENDS THE MEMBERS OF BIKERS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE INC.
ON THEIR IMPORTANT WORK AND COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING THE VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE AND EXTENDS TO THEM BEST WISHES FOR SUCCESSFUL BACA HEROES WEEKEND.
NOW, THEREFORE, I CHARLES JOHNSON, MAYOR OF BAYTOWN DUE, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 24TH THROUGH THE 26TH.
2026 AS BACA HEROES WEEKEND AND ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS TO JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANT WORK OF BIKERS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE INC.
AND IN HONORING THE COURAGE AND RESILIENCE OF THE CHILDREN THEY SERVE.
OKAY GUYS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
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I'M NOT GONNA ASK ANY[d. Present a proclamation designating May 3 - 9, 2026, as Municipal Clerks Week.]
QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GONNA SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THIS NEXT ONE.MUNICIPAL CITY CLERKS WEEK, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HOLD, I'M GONNA SAY ANY OF OUR MEETINGS IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
THEY TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF US AND PROVIDE US WITH CANDY IN OUR CANDY DRAWERS.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CANDY.
I APPRECIATE THE COORDINATION OF THE MEETINGS AND THE EVENTS THAT THEY HELP US PUT ON FOR THE PUBLIC.
PROCLAMATION CITY OF BAYTOWN MUNICIPAL CLERKS WEEK.
WHEREAS THE PROFESSION OF MUNICIPAL CLERKS IS ESSENTIAL PLAYING A VITAL ROLE IN THE FOUNDATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TEXAS THROUGH THE PROMOTION OF TRANSPARENCY, THE ASSURANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THE SUPPORT OF EFFICIENT MUNICIPAL SERVICE DELIVERY.
AND WHEREAS TEXAS MUNICIPAL CLERKS ARE COMMITTED TO UPHOLDING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF NEUTRALITY AND PROFESSIONALISM, SERVING AS A VITAL CONNECTION BETWEEN RESIDENTS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND VARIOUS LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
AND WHEREAS MUNICIPAL CLERKS ARE ENTRUSTED WITH MAINTAINING OFFICIAL RECORDS, MANAGING VITAL DOCUMENTS, OVERSEEING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, RESPONDING TO PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS WHILE SERVING AS THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, AND ENSURING ADHERENCE TO APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS THROUGHOUT THE TEXAS COMMUNITIES.
AND WHEREAS THESE DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATE INTEGRITY, EXPERTISE, AND A STRONG COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE CONTRIBUTING SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE EFFECTIVENESS AND CONTINUITY OF LOCAL GOVERNANCE.
AND WHEREAS MUNICIPAL CLERK CLERKS WEEK OFFERS A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MUNICIPAL CLERKS AND TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR INDISPENSABLE ROLE IN SUPPORTING THE OPERATIONS AND SUCCESS OF CITIES ACROSS TEXAS.
NOW, THEREFORE, OUR CHARLES JOHNSON MAYOR OF BAYTOWN DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 3RD THROUGH NINTH, 2026 AS MUNICIPAL CLERKS WEEK IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, AND ENCOURAGE ALL INDIVIDUALS TO JOIN US IN RECOGNIZING THE VALUABLE SERVICES PROVIDED BY MUNICIPAL COURT CLERKS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
[e. Present a proclamation designating May 3 - 9, 2026, as National Correctional Officers Week.]
CITY OF BAYTOWN NATIONAL CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WEEK.WHEREAS CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN MAINTAINING PUBLIC SAFETY BY SUPERVISING INDIVIDUALS IN CUSTODY AND ENSURING SAFE, SECURE, AND ORDERLY OPERATIONS.
AND THEIR WORK OFTEN OCCURS BEHIND THE SCENES, YET REMAINS ESSENTIAL TO THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND WHEREAS CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS DEMONSTRATE PROFESSIONALISM, INTEGRITY, AND RESILIENCE WHILE WORKING IN CHALLENGING AND SOMETIMES DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THEY MUST BALANCE SAFETY, SECURITY, AND THE TREATMENT OF THOSE IN THEIR CARE.
AND WHEREAS THESE DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS CONTRIBUTE TO POSITIVE OUTCOMES BY FOSTERING STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENTS, SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTIVE PROGRAMS, AND ENCOURAGING ACCOUNTABILITY, THEREBY HELPING INDIVIDUALS WORK TOWARDS SUCCESSFUL REINTEGRATION INTO SOCIETY.
AND WHEREAS IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE SACRIFICES MADE BY CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND TO HONOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES AND SERVING WITH DISTINCTION.
NOW, THEREFORE, OUR CHARLES JOHNSON MAYOR OF BAYTOWN DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 3RD THROUGH NINTH, 2026 AS NATIONAL CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WEEK IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, AND ENCOURAGE ALL INDIVIDUALS TO JOIN ME IN EXPRESSING APPRECIATION AND FOR THE DEDICATED SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTION OF CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS.
WAS LAST ONE RIGHT FOR EVERYBODY? EVERYBODY.
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IS THIS SEE RECOGNITION THE PARKS? OH, I GUESS IS THIS THOUGH, ARE THEY HERE? GOOD DEAL.[f. Receive recognition from the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool (TMLIRP) for the City of Baytown's implementation of their R.O.A.D. Ready Program in the Parks, Recreation, & Tourism Department.]
NOW F RECEIVE RECOGNITION FROM THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, INTER GOVERNMENTAL RISK POOL, T-M-L-I-R-P FOR THE CITY OF BAY TOWN'S IMPLEMENTATION OF THEIR ROAD READY PROGRAM IN THE PARKS, RECREATION AND TOURISM DEPARTMENT.IT'S ALWAYS GREAT WHEN WE GET TO RECOGNIZE EMPLOYEES, BUT TONIGHT WE GET TO RECOGNIZE AN ENTIRE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYEES FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE AND THE HARD WORK THEY'VE DONE.
SO WITH ME, I HAVE AVA HUDL, SHE'S PART OF OUR RISK MANAGEMENT GROUP, AND I HAVE MANNY TREJO, WHO'S PART OF THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, AND I'M GONNA HAVE AVA SHARE A FEW WORDS ABOUT WHAT THIS PROGRAM WAS.
AND THEN MANNY'S GONNA ACTUALLY PRESENT THE AWARD TO PARKS DEPARTMENT, THE PARKS, RECREATION AND TOURISM DEPARTMENT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN REALLY TRYING TO DO THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION IS PUT A GREATER EMPHASIS ON SAFETY OVERALL, JUST TO TRY TO COMBAT ISSUES LIKE EMPLOYEE INJURIES AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
SO ONE OF THE WAYS WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH IS TO DO THINGS LIKE THE ROAD READY PROGRAM.
AND SO TODAY I AM SUPER EXCITED TO GET TO PRESENT THIS AWARD TO OUR PARKS, RECREATION, AND TOURISM DEPARTMENT.
AND SO I'M GONNA ASK EVERYONE FROM THE DEPARTMENT THAT IS COMING TO ACCEPT THE AWARD, IF YOU DON'T MIND COMING TO JOIN US IN THE FRONT.
AND THEN MANNY FROM TML IS GONNA REACH OUT A LETTER HERE IN JUST A SECOND.
WHO IS THAT GUY? LEONARD GRAHAM.
DOES ANYBODY KNOW? THAT'S LEONARD GRAHAM, THE INFAMOUS LEONARD GRAHAM MEETING? THE THE LEONARD GRAHAM.
WE'RE THRILLED TO EXTEND OUR HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CITY OF BAYTOWN FOR SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING ALL FIVE DIGITAL BADGES OF THE ROAD READY PROGRAM.
THIS NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENT IS A TESTAMENT TO THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS AND DEDICATION OF YOUR TEAM WORKING ON OR NEAR ROADWAYS.
ROADWAYS CREATES THE POTENTIAL FOR CATASTROPHIC ENCOUNTERS WITH OTHER VEHICLES WHERE THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE OR INJURY IS NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO FAULT.
THE ROAD READY INITIATIVE WAS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ENSURE ALL STAFF ARE AWARE OF THESE POTENTIAL HAZARDS AND EXPOSURES.
THE CITY OF BAYTOWN PARKS, RECREATION AND TOURISM DEPARTMENT HAS EXEMPLIFIED A PROACTIVE APPROACH, SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING MAJOR ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROAD READY PROCESS.
THE ENCLOSED CERTIFICATE RECOGNIZES THE ORGANIZATION'S COMPLETION OF THE FIVE ROAD READY BADGES IN THE DEDICATION OF ALL STAFF TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND HEALTHY WORKPLACE.
THIS EFFORT IS PARAMOUNT TO THE PARTNERSHIP THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE AND GOVERNMENTAL RISK POOL SEEKS TO CREATE WITH ITS MEMBERS.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO CON TO CONTINUE PARTNERSHIP AND LOSS PREVENTION AND RISK MANAGEMENT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN ON THIS REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT THAT'S I'M NOT STANDING.
YOU REALLY WANNA GO TAKE A PICTURE WITH ME? NOT SO FAST,
[a. Conduct a public hearing for a proposed text amendment to Chapter 111, Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) of the Baytown Code of Ordinances to revise Division 2.3 and 10.2 of the ULDC, regarding Short-Term Rental operations within Residential and Mixed-Use Zoning Districts.]
WE WILL NOW GO INTO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.THE PUBLIC HEARINGS TODAY ARE BEING HELD FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING ALL INTERESTED INDIVIDUAL INTERESTED PERSONS THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS REGARDING THE SUBJECT OF THE PUBLIC HEARING.
EVERYONE DESIRING TO BE A PART OF TODAY'S HEARING SHOULD HAVE EITHER SIGNED THE APPROPRIATE LIST IN THE FOYER OR EMAIL THE CITY CLERK PRIOR TO THE POSTED TIME OF THIS MEETING.
EACH PARTICIPANT SHALL GIVE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE PROPER RECORD OF THESE HEARINGS.
THE RULES ALLOW EACH PERSON THREE MINUTES TO PRESENT INFORMATION.
HOWEVER, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE AS BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE.
IF YOU ARE A GROUP OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS COUNSEL ON THE SAME SUBJECT, PLEASE SELECT A SPOKESPERSON TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION.
AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DIRECT THEM TO ME FOR A CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING.
FOR THE, FOR A PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 1 1 1, UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE OF THE BAYTOWN CODE OF ORDINANCES TO REVISE DIVISION 2.3 AND 10.2 OF THE ULDC REGARDING SHORT-TERM
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RENTALS, RENTAL OPERATIONS WITHIN RESIDENTIAL AND MIXED MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICT.IT IS NOW 7:19 PM AND I CALLED TO ORDER THIS PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING THE PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 1 1, 1 OF THE UNIFIED LAND LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE TO UPGRADE, TO UPDATE REGULATIONS FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS, OPERATIONS IN RESIDENTIAL AND MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICTS.
I WOULD LIKE NOW TO REQUEST STAFF TO SUMMARIZE THE SUBJECT OF THIS HEARING.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, UH, CALVIN ABRAM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AS OUR MAYOR HAS IDENTIFIED, UM, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS PRESENTING TO YOU, UH, I MEAN A TEXT AMENDMENT FOR OUR UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
UH, A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
IN 2014, UH, THE 2014 ULDC DID NOT IDENTIFY SHORT TERM RENTALS WITHIN THE UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT.
THAT ESSENTIALLY MEANS THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED IN ANY ZONING RESIDENTIALS DISTRICT.
OUR 2025 UPDATE TO THE UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE ALLOWS SHORT TERM RENTALS WITHIN ZONE IN WITHIN RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS.
HOWEVER, THROUGH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROCESS SINCE 2025 JANUARY, 2025 TO THIS DATE, WE'VE ONLY HAD ONE SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION.
AND THAT WAS AN APPLICATION THAT WAS AT ASHWOOD DRIVE.
THAT APPLICATION WAS APPROVED BY BOTH THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AS WELL AS THE CITY COUNCIL.
BUT THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL THINGS.
THE LENGTH OF THE PROCESS TOOK, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL MONTHS TO GET THROUGH.
IT APPEARED TO BE SUBJECTIVE WITH SOME GAPS THAT WAS IN THERE.
SO THROUGH THAT, UM, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD LIKE US TO REEVALUATE THE PROCESS THAT WE WERE USING WITH THE SHORT TERM RENTAL.
AND THROUGH, UH, THAT PROCESS, WE LOOKED AT 12 CITIES WITHIN PROXIMITY AND THE, UH, STATE OF TEXAS TO WHAT THEY WERE DOING, UM, WHAT WORKED FOR 'EM, WHAT DIDN'T WORK, AND WHAT WOULD THEY LIKE TO DO DIFFERENTLY.
WE'VE TOOK ALL THAT FEEDBACK, COMPILED IT, AND CREATED THE TEXT AMENDMENT THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU.
AS OF THIS MOMENT, UH, AS I IDENTIFIED, WE'RE REQUESTING ESSENTIALLY TWO TEXT AMENDMENTS.
ONE IS TO ESSENTIALLY A CLEAN UP OF THE UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
IN SOME AREAS WE IDENTIFY SHORT TERM RENTALS AS LESS THAN 28 DAYS.
AND OTHER PLACES WE IDENTIFY SHORT-TERM RENTALS AS LESS THAN 30 DAYS.
SO WE'RE GONNA CLEAN THAT UP AND MAKE IT CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THE UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE TO BE LESS THAN 30 DAYS.
UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT SHORT-TERM RENTALS, THERE'S ESSENTIALLY THREE TYPES, UH, THAT'S HOSTED OWNER OCCUPIED, WHERE THE OWNER LIVES AND WITH WITHIN THE RESIDENCE.
AND, UH, DOES A SHORT TERM RENTAL FOR, UH, ROOMS WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT INTO WI WITHIN THE DWELLING UNIT.
AND THEN THE UNHOSTED WHERE THE OWNER ISN'T THERE, PEOPLE GO ONTO A PARTICULAR APP AND RENT THE ENTIRE ENTIRE DWELLING UNIT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE VACATION RENTALS AS IDENTIFIED.
UH, CURRENTLY OUR SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE COMPLAINT DRIVEN.
SOMEONE COMPLAINS TO GET THINGS TO MOVE FORWARD, THEN THEY GO THROUGH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
IT TAKES LONGER TO DO IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SU UH, WE DON'T HAVE A WAY TO TRACK THOSE.
AND, UH, COMPLIANCE IS KIND OF DIFFICULT TO DO.
OUR CURRENT REGULATIONS, WHAT THE REGULATIONS IDENTIFY THAT THE, UH, SHORT TERM RENTALS HAVE TO PAY HOT TAXES OR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES, WE IDENTIFY THE LENGTH OF THE STAY IN THERE AND THAT, THAT THEY HAVE TO MEET THE EXISTING RESIDENTIAL, UM, CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT HAVING A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON IT.
UM, SO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, UM, WE DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER DATA FROM THE, UH, SHORT TERM RENTALS.
WE AREN'T COLLECTING THE HOT TAXES FOR THEM.
OUR CURRENT CASES ARE ESSENTIALLY THROUGH SUP, WHICH IS A LONG, UH, PROCESS.
AND AS YOU HAVE SEEN THROUGH, UM, SEVERAL COMPLAINTS FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT IT APPEARS TO BE SUBJECTIVE.
AND THEY AT TIMES THAT SHARED THAT THE SAFETY AND DECISIONS ON WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED, UH, AND THEIR DEEDS MAY NOT BE APPRECIATED.
UH, HENCE WHY WE ARE PRESENTING THIS TEXT AMENDMENT.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANNA BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THESE SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND PLACE 'EM ON OUR GIS MAP.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO COLLECT OUR HOTEL, UH, OCCUPANCY TAXES.
UH, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, UH, MAKE CERTAIN THE, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTALS REGISTER AND THEY'RE IN COMPLIANT.
AND WE HAVE SOME TYPE OF REGULATIONS THAT WERE CAPTURED.
THE SAFETY AND INSPECTION FOR THOSE SHORT
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TERM RENTALS, UH, WHICH YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, I'M NOT GONNA ADDRESS ALL OF THESE, BUT ONE THING IN TERMS OF REGISTRATION, UH, THERE WILL BE, ACCORDING TO THE TEXT AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, THERE WILL BE A YEARLY PERMIT FEE AND INSPECTION.UM, WE WILL ALSO CAPTURE HOT TAXES.
UM, THERE WILL BE SAFETY INSPECTIONS AS WELL BY A DESIGNEE OF THE CITY.
THERE WILL BE, UM, POSTINGS WITH INTERNAL TO THE SITE IDENTIFIES WHO'S THE 24 HOUR CONTACT.
UH, IN TERMS OF, UM, UH, OCCUPANCY LIMITS WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED TO YOU IS ESSENTIALLY TWO PEOPLE PER, UH, ROOM THAT'S RENTED OUT PLUS TWO.
SO IF IT'S A, UH, THREE BEDROOM HOME, THEY CAN HAVE THREE TIMES TWO, WHICH IS SIX PLUS TWO ADDITIONAL.
SO EIGHT PEOPLE CAN, UH, STAY IN THE UNIT.
IN ADDITION TO THE PARKING, WE'RE RECOMMENDING ONE PARKING SPACE PLUS ONE FOR EACH ROOM THAT'S RENTED OUT.
UM, I WON'T READ OVER THIS SLIDE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, ONE THING I WANT TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE SHORT TERM RENTALS PROPOSED REGULATIONS, WHAT WE THINK THIS WOULD DO FOR, UH, THE CITY.
IT WOULD ALLOW THE CITY TO BE PROACTIVE TO ADDRESS THE CHANGING MARKETS AND SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS FOR PROPERTY OWNERS AND RESIDENTS.
IT WILL, IT WILL CAUSE THE, UH, PROPERTY OWNER WHO HAS THE SHORT TERM RENTAL TO BE MORE IN COMPLIANCE AND REACH OUT TO THEIR HOAS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH WHATEVER THEY HAVE AT THAT POINT.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY ARE MORE SELF-REGULATED AND WE FIND A WAY TO TRACK THESE SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND, UM, BE MORE CONSISTENT WITH OUR REGULATIONS.
UM, THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION HEARD THIS, UM, TAX AMENDMENT, UH, THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED DENIAL OF THE PROPOSED TAX AMENDMENT, UH, STAFF, BASED ON OUR RESEARCH, THE, UH, INFORMATION THAT WE'RE PROVIDING TO INCLUDE THE, UH, AMENDMENTS, UH, FOR THE 2025 ULDC, WE'RE RECOMMENDING APPROVAL FOR THE SHORT TERM RENTAL.
AND WITH THAT, I CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
SO KINDA LOOKING AT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, TO GO BACK TO SLIDE, YOU'RE DOING A THREE, THREE BEDROOM HOUSE TIMES TWO PLUS TWO, THAT'S EIGHT OCCUPANTS IN A HOUSEHOLD.
UM, WE, WE, A LOT OF OUR SHORT TERM RENTALS GENERALLY HERE ARE NOT, NOT FOR VACATION.
SO GENERALLY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE EIGHT GENTLEMEN THERE WITH EIGHT DIFFERENT VEHICLES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT AREN'T DESIGNED, REALLY WEREN'T PLANNING ON HAVING THAT LARGE, MANY PEOPLE PARKING IN THE DRIVEWAY.
GENERALLY A NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THREE CARS, MAYBE FOUR CARS.
NOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE EIGHT, WHICH IS GONNA PUT A BIG BURDEN ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD, EMERGENCY VEHICLES GETTING THROUGH THERE.
THE, THE HOMEOWNERS ON THAT OTHER PART AND, AND IT'S REALLY NOT PROPER PARKING THAT WE'RE NOW PUTTING ON THE STREET.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME STREETS AND SOME SUBDIVISIONS WHERE YOU CAN'T PARK ON THE STREET AND GET EMERGENCY VEHICLE THROUGH.
YOU GOT OTHER ISSUES WHERE THERE'S SOME PLACES THAT THEY CAN'T PARK ON THE STREETS, SO THEY'RE PARKING ON THE GRASS, WHICH THEN WE HAVE THE ISSUE OF THE GRASS BECOMING THEM CONTAMINANTS LEAKING INTO THE GAS GRASS, WHICH THEN CAUSES SEWER ISSUES AND WATER, WATER ISSUES.
SO IT, IT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES THAT I'VE, I'VE ALREADY ADDRESSED AND, AND TALKED ABOUT THIS AND HOW A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS.
I, I JUST, I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF THEM, OF WHAT THEY'RE COMING AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO SOME OF OUR SUBDIVISIONS.
AND I GET, WE HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS AND HOA RESTRICTIONS THAT THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, COMPLY WITH.
BUT THAT'S NOT US TO, TO COMPLY WITH IT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, I JUST, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S ENOUGH.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE BASICALLY LICKING A THREE BEDROOM HOME, PUTTING EIGHT GROWN PEOPLE LIVING IN THERE IS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA END UP HAVING.
AND THAT'S, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY SAY, OKAY, WELL, I I, I CONVERTED MY GARAGE INTO A, TO ANOTHER ROOM.
SO NOW THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S NOT WHAT THE ORIGINAL DWELLING WAS MEANT TO, IT'S NOT WHAT THE ORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT WAS MEANT FOR, WAS NOT MEANT FOR THIS.
AND, AND THAT'S A BIG CONCERN FOR ME.
UH, AND I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS IN TERMS OF THE PARKING, UH, THE WAY THE TEXT AMENDMENT IS WRITTEN, UH, THE PARKING HAVE TO BE OFF STREET PARKING STALLS.
SO IF THE APPLICANT WHO HAS THE SHORT TERM RENTAL CANNOT, DOES NOT HAVE THE SPACE TO ALLOW PARKING IN THE DRIVEWAY, UM, THEY WILL BE DENIED THE SHORT TERM RENTAL.
SO, BUT WHEN YOU'RE SAYING PARKING, THE PARKING'S GONNA BE BASED ON HOW MANY OC PEOPLE ARE STAYING IN THERE, OR HOW MANY BEDROOMS? IT'S, IT'S BASED ON HOW MANY ROOMS CAN BE ADVERTISED TO BE RENTED OUT.
SO YOU'RE, IF IT'S TWO BEDROOMS, SO YOU'RE ADVERTISING THREE BEDROOMS, AND IF YOU HAVE A NORMAL, IN A NORMAL SUBDIVISION,
[00:35:01]
LIKE FOR INSTANCE, IN MINE, YOU COULD PUT THREE CARS ON THE, ON THE STREET, BUT THAT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR THE OTHER GENTLEMEN THAT ARE ALSO COMING WITH IT TO MAKE IT FIVE MORE VEHICLES.SO YOU'RE GETTING THREE CARS PARKED.
BUT YOU HAVE FIVE MORE THAT ARE STILL COMING.
BUT IT'S PER BEDROOM, NOT PER PERSON.
I, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT GENERALLY WHAT, WHAT A LOT OF OUR SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE FOR WORK, WE DON'T GET A LOT OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS FOR VACATION.
SO YOU GET SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND YOUR, YOU'RE GONNA GET SIX, SEVEN GUYS STAYING IN A THREE BEDROOM HOUSE AND THERE'S GONNA BE SIX VEHICLES.
DID THEY SUPPLY THAT DATA? LET'S, LET'S BE REAL.
THIS IS KINDA WHAT'S GOING ON IN, IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING FOR A VACATION.
YEAH, TO YOUR POINT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE DATA FOR THAT.
JUST TO SAY THAT, TO BE REALISTIC, IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
BUT FOR ME, IT BECOMES CONVOLUTED.
NOW WE'RE COLLECTING A HOT, A HOT, A HOT TAX.
SO BY DEFINITION, THAT FACILITY BECOMES BASICALLY A GENERAL COMMERCIAL FACILITY IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT DOESN'T FIT INTO THE ZONE ZONING MAPS.
I MEAN, HOW, HOW DOES THAT, I GUESS IT BECOMES A STICKY SITUATION, MR. YEAH, I MEAN, WHAT IF WE'RE COLLECTING HOT CHECKS? IS THAT THAT, IS THAT DEFINED IT AS A, A GENERAL COMMERCIAL BUSINESS? NO, SIR.
UNDER STATE LAW, IT'S RESIDENTIAL PERIOD.
UM, ALL OF THE CASES THAT HAVE DISCUSSED SHORT TERM RENTALS DISCUSS IT IN THE CONTEXT OF INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTIAL OWNERSHIP, THAT THE HOT TAX ISSUE DOES NOT IMPACT THAT ANALYSIS.
AND, AND ALSO IN ADDITION, EVEN IF, UM, PLANNING DEPARTMENT WASN'T BRINGING THIS TAX AMENDMENT FORWARD, UM, OUR CURRENT 2025 ULDC REQUIRES SHORT TERM RENTALS TO PAY A HOT TAX.
THANK YOU'ALL FOR EVERYTHING Y'ALL DID TO PUT INTO THIS.
I DID GET TO ATTEND ONE OF THE P AND Z MEETINGS A WHILE BACK.
I THINK THERE WERE SIX MONTHS AGO WHEN THIS CONVERSATION FIRST STARTED UP AGAIN.
UM, CAN, CAN WE REALLY AND TRULY, LEGALLY PUT A LOT OF BOUNDS ON, ON AIRBNBS OR, OR SHORT TERM RENTALS ANYWAYS, I MEAN, I, TO ME, THESE ORDINANCES ARE GOOD TO SET UP.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE CAN DICTATE WHO'S PARKING IN STREETS AND NOT PARKING IN STREETS AS LONG AS THEY'RE WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE LAW OF THE, THE ON A PUBLIC STREET.
I, I MEAN, WHERE I LIVE IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN, THAN SOME OF THE AREAS IN DISTRICT FOUR.
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE'RE DOING IS, IS WITHIN OUR LEGAL JURISDICTION, I GUESS IS THE WAY TO WORD THAT.
SO, COUNSEL, I'LL, I'LL ANSWER THAT QUESTION THE SAME WAY THAT I DID WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE SUP.
AND THAT IS TO SAY THAT, UM, TO RE TO TO ELIMINATE SHORT TERM RENTALS ENTIRELY IS ALMOST CERTAINLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
WE CAN, UH, PLACE REASONABLE RESTRICTIONS UPON, UH, SHORT TERM RENTALS.
BUT THE, THE, THE, THE BOUNDARIES, THE LEFT AND RIGHT BOUNDARIES OF THAT HAVE NOT BEEN DECIDED BY THE COURTS.
SO, UH, THIS BODY, PNZ STAFF LEGAL, UH, CAN WORK TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN TO DETERMINE WHAT WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH.
BUT THERE IS NO, UH, FIRM GUIDANCE, UH, FROM ANY COURT, UH, COURT OF APPEALS OR THE SUPREME COURT ON WHAT THOSE, WHAT, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE REASONABLE.
SO I, UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT THE CITIZENS WANT, BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, BAYTOWN IS NOT OPERATING OR TRYING TO SET A PRECEDENT THAT I, I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS OUR BATTLE IS, IS WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT WE, I I LIKE WHAT Y'ALL DID.
I, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO PERMIT TO, TO, UM, I'M READING ALL OF THESE REALLY QUICKLY.
ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU SAID.
I WON'T REITERATE ALL OF THEM, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW.
FRANKO, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS OUR BATTLE.
I MEAN, THINK ABOUT CORNER OF HOUSTON AND HAYFORD.
YOU GOT, THAT'S A THREE BEDROOM HOUSE.
YOU GOT SE SEVEN PEOPLE, THEY'RE GONNA PARK ON THERE.
WHERE ARE THEY GONNA PARK? CAN PARK ON THE STREET.
CAN WE LEGALLY TELL PEOPLE THEY CAN'T PARK ON THE STREET? YOU CAN'T.
BUT YOU, YOU CAN CHANGE, INSTEAD OF HAVING THE MA THE PARKING LIMITATIONS, YOU CAN, YOU CAN ADJUST YOUR PARKING LIMITATIONS.
YOUR PARKING LIMITATIONS ARE BASED ON THREE ON THREE.
[00:40:01]
SO IF THERE'S THREE ROOMS, THEY CAN HAVE FOUR VEHICLES, THERE'S THREE ROOMS. THEY, THEY HAVE, ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS PROVE THAT THEY HAVE THREE PARKING SPOTS IN ALL OUT OFF THE STREET, IN THE DRIVEWAY, IN THE DRIVEWAY.DRIVEWAY IN THE DRIVEWAY HAVE TO PROVE THEY HAVE THREE PARKING SPOTS IN THE DRIVEWAY.
BUT YOU'RE GONNA GET MORE THAN THREE PEOPLE THERE.
WELL, COMMISSIONER, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, SHARE, UM, IN TERMS OF ONE, UM, THE CITY OF BAYTOWN SETTING PRESIDENT, THE, UM, THE TAX AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU ARE THINGS THAT CITIES AROUND US ARE CURRENTLY DOING.
WE'VE ONLY LOOKED AT WHAT CITIES AROUND US ARE DOING AND OTHER CITIES WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND WE'VE TAKEN PORTIONS OF IT THAT ARE APPLICABLE TO THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
SO NONE OF WHAT WE ARE PRESENTING ARE NEW OR PRESIDENT SETTING.
THESE ARE ALREADY ESTABLISHED IN CITIES AROUND US AS OF THIS MOMENT.
NO, I JUST TO BE CLEAR, I WAS AGREEING WITH YOU AND I, I'M CONCERNED WITH IF WE START LIMITING PARKING AND THINGS ON PEOPLE, THE, THE, THE PARALLEL TO THAT, NO PUN INTENDED.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, OKAY.
SO I, I'VE BEEN THROUGH OTHER CITIES WHERE, UM, THEY LIMIT PARKING TO JUST ONE VEHICLE, REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF, OF BEDROOMS, AND REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THERE, THEY LIMIT IT TO JUST ONE VEHICLE AND THAT'S IT.
UM, NOW THAT MIGHT BE EXTREME.
UM, BUT I THINK EVEN STAYING WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT YOU CAN HAVE WITHIN THE DRIVEWAY, IF YOU CAN FIT TWO VEHICLES IN THERE, THREE VEHICLES, THAT'S ALL YOU GET.
UM, I, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE GONNA GO AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THEIR OWN VEHICLES, BUT THEY HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE RULES OF THE SHORT TERM RENTAL.
THEY'RE SIGNING THAT CONTRACT.
THE STATES I WILL ONLY HAVE EXCEPT X THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES AND YEAH.
BUT WE CAN, WE CAN ONLY REGULATE WHAT'S IN THE DRIVEWAY.
YOU CAN PARK IN THE STREET ALL YOU WANT.
AND I GET THAT AND UNDERSTAND, BUT I MEAN, THAT CAN BE PART OF THE CONTRACT.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS AND, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO, TO SAY ANYTHING BAD.
WE'RE LOOKING AT GRAHAM AND ASSOCIATES FOR A LOT OF OUR HELP TO HELP US IN WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.
THAT'S THE MAYOR OF ARLINGTON.
ARLINGTON DOES NOT ALLOW SHORT TERM RENTALS, PERIOD.
SO, I MEAN, I GET, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE CITIES AROUND US, BUT WE, THERE'S OTHER CITIES THAT ARE JUST COMPLETELY SAY NO.
THE LAWYER JUST TOLD US THAT I, THERE WAS NO, BUT THERE'S NO LEFT OR RIGHT THAT SAYS YES OR NO FOR SURE.
NO, BUT YOU SAID ARLINGTON HAS THEM BANNED.
WHICH, WHICH IS, IT IS BANNED IN ARLINGTON.
IT'S BANNED YET TO BE CHALLENGED.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS CITIES THAT BAN STRS.
BUT YET TO BE CHALLENGED, BECAUSE THE STATE HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR TO STAFF LAWYERS THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, THAT IT IS COMING FROM THE STATE SOON, THAT CITIES WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MESS WITH STRS.
SO, SO I KNOW THE DISCUSSIONS ON SHORT TERM RENTALS, BUT WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE HAVE A RENTAL HOME THAT MM-HMM
BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW IS I HAVE A RENTAL HOME.
IT'S A ONE YEAR LEASE, AND THEY HAVE 10 CARS PARKED EVERYWHERE.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE REGULATE ONE AND NOT THE OTHER, AND WE LIMIT IT TO THE DRIVEWAY.
I DON'T, NO ONE WANTS THAT KIND OF, OF, UM, THAT AMOUNT OF VEHICLES PARKED OUT THERE.
I JUST, WHO, WHO, WHO'S GOING TO, UM, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU'RE HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE, WITH THE ONE YEAR LEASE, YOU'RE OPENING THE PANDORA'S BOX TO EVERYBODY NOW, BUT WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH PEOPLE PARKING ON THE STREET WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE PURCHASING HOMES.
I ACTUALLY OH, AND TURNED ON THE CORNER THE OTHER DAY AND COULDN'T, AND THE BUS COULDN'T GET DOWN MY STREET TO DROP KIDS OFF.
BECAUSE PEOPLE WEREN'T PARKING IN THEIR DRIVEWAYS.
MY, MY, MY QUESTION IS GOING TO BE, WHAT'S TO STOP SOMEONE FROM HAVING A CAR? THEY PARK IT ON THE STREET, AND WHEN SOMEONE KNOCKS ON THEIR DOOR, THEY JUST SAY, IT'S NOT MY AUTOMOBILE.
I MEAN, AT THAT POINT, WELL, THAT'S WHY I SAID, WHO'S GONNA ENFORCE IT? HOW, HOW CAN WE ENFORCE THIS MAYOR AND COUNSEL? THAT WOULD BE MY ADVICE TO Y'ALL, IS Y'ALL TALK THROUGH THESE REGULATIONS.
UM, WHAT, WHAT CALVIN AND, AND THE PDS TEAM IS BROUGHT TO Y'ALL, OUR REGULATIONS THAT ARE, THAT ARE AROUND FROM OTHER CITIES MM-HMM
THE, THE PARKING PIECE, HOW IT'S DESIGNED.
AND CALVIN, PLEASE STEP IN IF I'M SAYING THIS INCORRECTLY, HOW IT'S DESIGNED, IT'S ONLY REGULATED AT THE VERY BEGINNING IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
AND SO THEY ONLY LOOK AT IT DURING THE PERMIT APPROVAL.
DO YOU HAVE A TWO CAR GARAGE AND TWO SPACES IN THE DRIVEWAY? YOU DO HAVE FOUR.
YOU MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT.
THE ISSUE IS FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT WILL BE IN THE CODE, THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE FOUR PARKING SPACES.
[00:45:01]
SAY THAT THERE HAS TO BE FOUR PARKING SPACES AND TO MR. FRANCO'S 0.8 PEOPLE SHOW UP, AND THEN THE CITIZENS CALL TO REPORT IT, HOW IS THAT? AND WE WON'T KNOW WITH EACH, SAY A HOME IS A SHORT TERM RENTAL AND THEY RENT OUT 300 DAYS OUTTA 365 DAYS TO A DIFFERENT FAMILY FOR 300 DIFFERENT DAYS, WE WILL NOT KNOW WHO'S COMING IN EACH AND EVERY DAY.AND SO AS YOU LOOK AT THESE REGULATIONS, I WOULD ASK YOU TO CONSIDER, IS IT REALLY ENFORCEABLE? AND IF IT'S ENFORCEABLE, UH, GREAT.
IF IT'S NOT ENFORCEABLE, I WOULD, I WOULD ADVOCATE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE TOO MANY ORDINANCES IN THE, IN THE, UH, IN OUR, WE HAVE TOO MANY ORDINANCES THAT ARE UNENFORCEABLE AT THIS POINT.
AND IT CREATES CONFUSION, NOT FOR JUST STAFF, BUT FOR THE CITIZENS AS WELL.
AND THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING THE QUESTION, HOW ARE WE GONNA ENFORCE IT? BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT, WHAT'S THE USE OF HAVING IT, UH, JUST TO SAY YOU'RE GONNA CHECK A BOX TO GET IT APPROVED? I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT.
IF WE CANNOT ENFORCE IT, WELL, WELL, MAYOR, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, AND WHAT SEVERAL OTHER CITIES DOES, THEY WORK TO HIRE A THIRD PARTY, UM, CONSULTANT.
AND THAT THIRD PARTY, UM, CONSULTANT IS THE ONE THAT TRACKS THINGS, TAKE COMPLAINTS, RESPOND COMPLAINTS, REPORT IT TO THE CITY, AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE OWNER OF THE SHORT TERM RENTAL TO, UH, IMPROVE WHATEVER DEFICIENCIES THEY HAVE.
IN ADDITION, UM, WITHIN THE TEXT AMENDMENT, THERE'S REVOCATION, UM, AUTHORITY THAT THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR HAS.
UM, CURRENTLY IT IDENTIFIES IF THERE'S THREE ENFORCEMENT OR THREE, UM, INSTANCES WHERE A PROPERTY OWNER IS NOT COMPLIANT.
THE, UM, PLANNING DIRECTOR HAS THE ABILITY TO REVOKE THEIR, UH, PERMIT FOR SHORT TERM RENTAL.
SO MY QUESTION NOW IS GOING TO BE, WE JUST HAD A WORK SESSION WHERE WE DISCUSSED, WE HAVE ZERO LATITUDE IN OUR BUDGET.
WHAT IS IT GONNA COST TO HIRE A THIRD PARTY
UM, WHEN WE LOOKED AT WHAT, AT LEAST TWO, UH, CONSULTANTS WHO DO THESE TYPE OF THINGS IN TERMS OF TRACKING AND, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH THE RATE THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING FOR PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS THAT WOULD PAY THE AMOUNT FOR THOSE SHORT TERM RENTALS WOULD PAY FOR THE THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL TALKING AND THERE'S FURTHER THINGS TO SORT OUT, BUT AT THIS POINT, IT APPEARS THAT THE CITY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF POCKET IN ORDER TO HIRE THE THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT.
THAT'S THE INTENT TO BE CLEAR.
THAT'S ON THE ADMINISTRATION, THAT'S NOT ON ENFORCEMENT FROM STAFF, THAT'S ON ADMINISTRATION.
THAT WAS GONNA BE MY NEXT QUESTION.
IF WE DID NOT PASS THIS ORDINANCE, WOULD WE BE STOPPING SHORT TERM RENTALS IN BAYTOWN? NO, YOU WOULD NOT.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROCESS.
AND AS I SHARED, UH, CURRENTLY WE BELIEVE THERE ARE OVER 80, UM, SHORT TERM RENTALS.
SO EVENTUALLY, IF CITIZENS COMPLAIN THEY GET A CODE ENFORCEMENT, HENCE WE SAW IN ASHWOOD DRIVE, THEN WE WOULD HAVE A VOLUME OF THOSE THAT COMES THROUGH TO US, THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL TAKING THREE PLUS MONTHS FOR ONE SUP AND I, I THINK YOU CAN, BUT THE, WE WOULD HAVE NO WAY TO STOP THE RENTAL ANYWAYS DURING THAT TIME.
UH, TH THIS BODY COULD ULTIMATELY DENY THE SUP, BUT COULD THIS BODY STOP A HOMEOWNER FROM RENTING OUT THEIR HOME AS A SHORT TERM RENTAL DURING THAT TIME? NOT, NOT LITERALLY DURING THE TIME, BECAUSE THEY WOULD ALREADY BE DOING IT.
HOWEVER, WHEN THEY COME TO THIS BODY, AND IF THIS BODY DENIES THE SHORT TERM RENTAL, THEN THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE GONNA STOP.
IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T MEAN IT COUNTS.
UH, THERE MAY BE OTHER ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS. I DON'T THINK, UH, A PUBLIC SESSION IS THE TIME TO DISCUSS LEGAL STRATEGY.
BUT IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU WANNA DISCUSS AND EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
I WAS SAYING THAT OUT LOUD BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A PERCEPTION THAT IF DUE TO SOME CITIZENS CONTACTING ME ABOUT THIS, THAT THERE'S A PERCEPTION THAT IF WE DON'T PASS THIS, THAT IT SOMEHOW JUST STOPS ALL SHORT TERM RENTALS IMMEDIATELY.
AND IF WE DO PASS IT, THERE ARE CITIZENS THAT THINK THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS JUST SAYING THAT OUT LOUD AND GETTING THAT RESPONSE.
THERE'S ALREADY 80 OPERATING SUVS WILL HAVE
[00:50:01]
TO COME ONE AT A TIME OR TWO AT A TIME OR WHATEVER.AND IT WOULD BE A VERY LONG DRAWN OUT PROCESS WITH LITIGATION INVOLVED.
HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE WE HAD ABOUT FOUR SHORT TERM RENTALS OUTSIDE OF ASHWOOD.
WE ONLY HAD ONE THAT ACTUALLY MOVED FORWARD TO ENFORCEMENT AND, UM, HAD A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FROM IT.
WELL, I, WE'RE STILL IN PUBLIC HERE.
DO WE HAVE FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? YEAH, BUT I WANT TO DO THIS.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
WELL, I'VE GOT SOME YOU'VE GOT ON HERE PROPERTY LIMITATIONS.
SO IF SOMEBODY, IF THIS WAS PASSED, WE WOULD NOT ISSUE A PERMIT IF THEY HAD DEED RESTRICTIONS OR COVENANTS WITH AN HOA.
SO THAT PUTS US IN AN ENFORCEMENT POSITION OF NO, THAT I DON'T THINK THAT'S BEING RECOMMENDED.
UM, WHAT WE WOULD, WHAT'S WRITTEN WITHIN THE TAX AMENDMENT, WE ARE ENCOURAGING THE PROPERTY OWNER TO REACH OUT TO THEIR HOA TO, UM, IDENTIFY IF THAT IS AN ALLOWED USE.
WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT TAKING WHAT COULD BE PERCEIVED AS AN ENFORCEMENT POSITION.
OF DEED RESTRICTIONS OR HOA COVENANTS MM-HMM
'CAUSE I TELL YOU, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I'M GONNA OPPOSE THAT.
AND I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO AN ENFORCEMENT POSTURE TRYING TO ENFORCE DEED RESTRICTIONS OR HOA LIMITATIONS.
SO, SO THAT'S MY FIRST CONCERN.
AND IF YOU'VE WRITTEN THAT INTO THE RULES, I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.
PARKING, UM, ONE PARKING SPACE PER BEDROOM PLUS ONE I, I THINK IS A LITTLE TIGHT, BUT REASONABLE.
ANNUAL INSPECTIONS, WE REQUIRE AN ANNUAL INSPECTION FOR THE PERMIT AND AN ANNUAL INSPECTION FOR SAFETY.
AND SO IN SOME WAYS, I AGREE WITH P AND Z THAT THE, THE, WHAT Y'ALL HAVE PROPOSED IS A LITTLE RESTRICTIVE.
NOW I AGREE WITH REGULATION MM-HMM
BUT LET'S NOT BE, AND I'LL GO BACK TO A COMMENT THAT WAS MADE WHEN MY FIRST TERM, WELL, WE'RE DOING IT BECAUSE WE CAN, WE GOTTA BE REAL CAREFUL WITH THAT.
NOW, IF IT'S A REASONABLE REQUIREMENT OR REGULATION, I'M GOOD WITH IT.
BUT LET'S NOT BE TOO RESTRICTIVE.
UM, GUESS MANAGEMENT SOUND MONITORING.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT RULES OR REGULATIONS ARE YOU GONNA PUT ON THAT? UH, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE IT.
UM, THAT WOULDN'T BE A ENCOURAGE IT.
AND HAVING IT AS A REQUIREMENT IN THE PERMIT PROCESS IS TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO IF YOU'VE WRITTEN IN THERE THAT, THAT THERE'S GONNA BE SOUND MANAGEMENT OR MONITORING, WHAT RULES ARE YOU GONNA APPLY TO THAT? THE STANDARD RULES WE HAVE WITH THE CITY SO THAT MY NEIGHBORS GETS ALLOWED IN THE SAME ISSUES? OR ARE WE DOING MORE STRINGENT ISSUES WITH SHORT-TERM RENTALS? UH, AS I MENTIONED, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE IT.
UH, THE PROPERTY THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, THE ASHWOOD, THEY ASHLEY VOLUNTEER TO HAVE A CONDITION WITH SOUND MONITORING.
AND, BUT YOU'RE WRITING IT INTO THE RULES.
THESE ARE PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGES.
WE, WE ARE NOT REQUIRING THAT.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE ENCOURAGING SOMETHING AGAIN, UNENFORCEABLE MM-HMM
SO WE HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS WITH THAT.
UM, SOUND MONITORING ANNUAL INSPECTIONS, AGAIN, TWO, TWO INSPECTIONS A YEAR.
UM, BUT TWO, I MEAN AN ANNUAL INSPECTION FOR PERMITTING PROCESS.
YOU'RE GONNA DO THE, THE HOPEFULLY YOU, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE FIRE EXCHANGERS, CON MONOXIDE REQUIREMENTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
THIS, THIS AS YOU WOULD FOR, UM, APARTMENT COMPLEX INTERNAL SIGNAGE.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT'S MM-HMM
REQUIRED FROM SOME OF THE AIRBNB STUFF.
SO THAT'S MY CONCERN IS, UM, THAT, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REGULATE IT OUT OF EXISTENCE AND THAT'S WHERE WE CAN GET INTO TROUBLE, UM, WITH, WITH LEGAL ISSUES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, SINCE NUMBER OF OCC OCCUPANCY LIMITS, NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS, IS THAT MINUS ONE PARTY OR MULTIPLE? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
HUH? IT COULD BE EITHER OR ONE PARTY OR MULTIPLE PARTIES THAT WOULD BE ON THE, THE PROPERTY OWNER, HOW THEY DO THEIR, UM, APPLICATIONS AND, AND OR CONTRACTS.
I'M WOULD ARGUE THIS TO UNENFORCEABLE ORDINANCE.
BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T KNOW EACH DAY WHO WOULD, WE WOULDN'T WHO WOULD RENT IT'S YEAH.
AND AND NOR SHOULD WE DO THEY GET AN ANNUAL PERMIT, THEY GO WITH IT.
UH, I LIKE THE IDEA OF CHARGING THE HOTEL MOTEL 'CAUSE IT'S JUST LIKE AN APARTMENT.
WELL THE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE TRANSIENT PLANT WORKERS JUST LIKE THAT.
[00:55:01]
I DON'T KNOW OF ANY TURNAROUND THAT HAPPENS IN 30 DAYS.AND IF IT'S 31 DAYS, THIS DOESN'T APPLY.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE NOT A MAJOR TOURIST DESTINATION POINT.
NOW I DID HAVE SOMEBODY BRING UP THE ISSUE THAT, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE EVENT CENTER GETS FINISHED OFF AND BUILT, THAT THIS MAY BECOME MORE OF AN ISSUE FOR THE AREAS SURROUNDING THE EVENT CENTER BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL COME AND RENT FOR A WEEK OR 10 DAYS IF THERE'S MAJOR MM-HMM
PROGRAMS OR WHATEVER GOING ON THAT.
I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT OF THAT FOR TEAMS. SO, SO THAT'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING, BUT YOU KNOW, FOLKS DON'T COME HERE TO SIT ON THE BEACH FOR TWO TO THREE WEEKS.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT A MAJOR TOURIST DESTINATION POINT.
SO IT WOULD BE FOR SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE AT, AT, AT OUR PARKS OR WHATEVER.
BUT THEY'RE GONNA BE HERE FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME.
BUT HOW DO WE KNOW WHO ROTATES IN, WHO ROTATES OUT? SO AGAIN, UNENFORCEABLE ISSUES, I'M JUST, AGAIN, I HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS AS CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE P AND Z THAT THIS WAS A LITTLE BIT OVERREGULATION.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S MY COMMENTS.
AND AS FAR AS PARKING, AGAIN, ONE PARKING SPACE PER BEDROOM, TYPICALLY IF YOU HAVE A THREE BEDROOM HOUSE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A TWO CAR GARAGE.
YOUR DRIVEWAY'S GONNA HOLD TWO.
YOU MEET THE STANDARD, IF THEY HAVE FRIENDS OR GUESTS COME AND, AND VISIT OR WHATEVER, THEY'RE GONNA PARK IN THE STREET JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.
UH, SO IT KIND OF, AND HOW WOULD WE REGULATE, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO GET Y'ALL INVOLVED IN LOOKING AT EVERYBODY'S CONTRACTS FOR RENTING A HOUSE FOR 10 TO 15 DAYS.
UH, Y'ALL HAVE PLENTY TO DO WITHOUT THAT.
UM, AND IF YOU DON'T, I'M SURE WE CAN FIND SOME STUFF FOR YOU.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY MANAGER TELLS ME HOW BUSY Y'ALL ARE ALL THE TIME AND I AGREE THAT Y'ALL ARE BUSY.
SO THOSE, THOSE ARE MY CONCERNS.
AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY HAS, HAS CONCERNS, UM, BUT POTENTIALLY 80 IN TOWN AND WE'VE ONLY HAD ONE COME TO US AND THAT'S THE ONE THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH NOW.
I, I JUST, IF, IF IT WAS 10 OR 15 OR 20 COMPLAINTS AND OR DIFFERENT ADDRESSES AND MAJOR PROBLEMS AND THAT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STORY.
BUT AT THIS POINT I THINK IT'S KIND OF AN, I WON'T SAY A NON-ISSUE, BUT IT'S JUST WE'RE SPENDING A WHOLE LOT OF TIME ON SOMETHING THAT'S NOT A MAJOR ISSUE.
I'M GONNA GET THIS TO THE ATTORNEY ONCE SOMETHING YES, COUNSEL.
I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE, UH, AND, AND WE DISCUSSED THIS DURING THE SUP MATTER, UM, THAT, UM, THE CITY CANNOT, DOES NOT, AND WILL NOT ENFORCE DEED RESTRICTIONS OR OTHER PRIVATE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN CITIZENS CAN'T DO THAT.
AND THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS ORDINANCE IS DESIGNED TO DO.
I THOUGHT OF A QUESTION
SO IF YOU HAD A A, IF I'M DOING ALL THE MATH RIGHT, IF YOU HAD A THREE BEDROOM HOUSE, IT WOULD BE ABLE TO HOLD, UH, EIGHT PEOPLE, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
COMMISSIONER, THE PARKING LIMITATION WAS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF ROOMS, BASED ON THE NUMBER OF RENTABLE ROOMS. RENTABLE.
SO IT WOULD BE THAT SAME HOUSE, THREE BEDROOM WOULD HOLD EIGHT PEOPLE AND WOULD WOULD NEED HOW MANY PARKING SPACES? FOUR PARKING SPACES? FOUR.
SO IF IT ONLY HAD THREE PARKING SPACES, WOULD WE SAY THEY COULD ONLY LIST THE THREE BEDROOM HOUSE FOR A MAX OF SIX PEOPLE? WOULD, WOULD, WOULD WE SAY THAT ONE ROOM IS UNUSABLE OR HOW WOULD THAT, OR YOU JUST DENY IT ALL TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PARKING? LIKE HOW WOULD THAT WORK? YEAH, THEY WOULD BE A DENIAL.
WHAT THEY WOULD DO, SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATION FOR A PERMIT AND WE WOULD REVIEW, OR THE THIRD PARTY WOULD REVIEW THE APPLICATION BASED ON WHAT THEY HAVE BEFORE THEM.
IF THEY HAVE A THREE BEDROOM, BUT THEY CAN ONLY SHOW TWO PARKING STALLS OR THREE PARKING STALLS, THEN IF THEY'RE SAYING THREE BEDROOMS, THEN THEY WOULD BE DENIED OF THAT APPLICATION.
IF THEY SAID TWO, THEN THEY WOULD BE APPROVED OF THAT APPLICATION.
SO THEY JUST UPDATE THEIR APPLICATION TO LIST ONE LESS ROOM? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND THEN CHANGE IT ONLINE TOMORROW.
SO THEY WOULD KEEP UP WITH WHEN THE SHORT TERM RENTAL IS RENTED, THEY WOULD KEEP UP WITH HOW MANY ROOMS ARE BEING RENTED.
SO THEY WOULD TRACK ALL OF THAT DATA.
UM, I GUESS WHERE I'M AT ON THIS IS I DON'T DISAGREE WITH PUTTING REGULATIONS IN PLACE TO SOME EXTENT.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, IF OUR NUMBERS ARE RIGHT, THE ROUGH ESTIMATES, RIGHT? WE HAVE
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80 SHORT-TERM RENTALS OUT THERE AND WE'RE AWARE OF ONE OF THEM.SO I MEAN, WE HAVE 79 UNREGULATED SHORT-TERM RENTALS RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO I'M, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO PUTTING SOME LEVEL OF REGULATIONS IN PLACE.
IT MAY NOT GO AS FAR AS WHAT SOME PEOPLE WANT TO SEE, BUT I MEAN, I THINK 79, YOU KNOW, HALFWAY REGULATED IS BETTER THAN 79.
NOT AT ALL UNREGULATED, UH, SHORT TERM RENTALS.
UM, BUT I THINK BEFORE I WOULD APPROVE, UM, THIS CHANGE, I, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM ONE OF THESE, UH, ADMINISTRATION COMPANIES YOU'RE TALKING TO.
I'D, I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW THEY'RE DOING THIS IN OTHER CITIES.
LIKE WHAT ARE THEY ACTUALLY ENFORCING? UM, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND WHAT CAN WE REALLY DO THAT, YOU KNOW, AT A NET ZERO COST TO THE CITY? UM, YOU KNOW, IS IT THE FEES AND THE, THE, THE HOT TAX, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, IS THAT ENOUGH TO COVER THIS ENTIRE SERVICE? AND DO THEY REALLY HAVE THE TEETH TO ENFORCE WHATEVER WE PUT IN HERE? UM, I THINK I'D LIKE TO HEAR, AND MAYBE THERE'S SOME OTHER CITIES AROUND US THAT ARE ALREADY DOING IT, MAYBE THAT COULD COME AND SHARE MAYBE SOMEONE FROM THEIR PLANNING DEPARTMENT FROM A NEIGHBORING CITY WOULD BE WILLING TO COME SHARE WITH US.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THIS ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW DO WE ACTUALLY PUT THIS INTO EFFECT? I MEAN, IT'S GREAT TO, TO PUT SOME REGULATIONS IN PLACE, BUT IF IT, IF IT'S UNENFORCEABLE LIKE WE'VE SAID OR OVERBEARING, I MEAN THERE YOU CAN GO EITHER WAY WITH THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T REALLY WANT TO, I DON'T WANNA PUT A BAD ORDINANCES IN PLACE JUST FOR THE SAKE OF RUSHING THIS THROUGH.
UM, I, I THINK I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM SOME OF THESE, UM, THESE CONTRACTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL 'EM AND, AND HOW ARE THEY REALLY WORKING WITH OTHER CITIES AND, YOU KNOW, SHARE THEIR DATA WITH US AND, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IF IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
UM, COUNCIL, UM, AND UH, IN DEFERENCE TO COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, THE CITY MANAGER SAYS I WORDSMITH THINGS TOO MUCH, BUT, UH, I THINK THAT'S PART OF MY, MY JOB DESCRIPTION.
UM, JUST SO THAT THE PUBLIC IS AWARE, I THINK WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER MEANT IS THAT WE HAVE 79 NON-COMPLIANT USES RIGHT NOW.
UM, THEY'RE JUST NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CURRENT ULDC.
KEEP WORDSMITHING, WORDSMITHING.
I'M GONNA REITERATE THE QUESTION THAT CAME FROM THE MAYOR.
WHAT'S THE COST OF THE THIRD PARTY? I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GONNA COVER THAT WITH THE 80 PROPOSED, BUT WHAT IF WE PASS THIS ORDINANCE IN 40 OF 'EM SAID WE'RE NOT DOING IT ANYMORE.
WE'RE JUST GONNA DOUBLE THE FEE TO COVER THE COST.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE COST OF THE THIRD PARTY IS.
WELL, FROM WHAT WE LOOKED AT, UM, THE, THE COUPLE OF THIRD PARTIES THAT WE LOOKED AT, THEY PROVIDE MORE OF A, AN A LA CARTE SERVICE.
UM, FOR WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN THIS, THE FEES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, WOULD COVER WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE WERE LOOKING AT APPROXIMATELY $300, UM, 200 FOR THE PERMIT AND 100 FOR THE ANNUAL INSPECTION.
WHAT'S, AND THAT'S WHAT THE CONSULTANT'S GONNA COST US? NO, THAT'S HOW MUCH THE PERMIT AND ANNUAL INSPECTION WOULD COST.
AND THAT WOULD COVER THE FULL COST OF HIRING THE CONSULTANT.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT ANSWERING MY QUESTION.
HOW MUCH IS THE CONSULTANT POTENTIALLY GONNA COST US? WELL, RIGHT NOW, UNTIL WE GET A CONTRACT IN FRONT OF THEM AND WE CAN SOLIDIFY THE, THE OPTIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, WE CAN'T GET A SOLID PRICE UNTIL WE GET THAT INFORMATION.
BUT IT WAS BELOW THE 24,000 THAT WE WOULD COLLECT IS, FROM WHAT I REMEMBER, IF WE HAVE 80 PROPERTIES AND THEY PAY $300 A YEAR FOR THIS PROCESS, THAT'S $24,000.
AND SO I BELIEVE WHEN WE CHATTED, I, Y'ALL WERE LESS THAN 24,000.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE SPECIFIC NUMBER THAT'S, BUT IT WAS LESS THAN 24,000.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M SHOOTING FOR.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE QUESTION THE MAYOR ASKED.
AND IT, AND SO, SO AGAIN, IF IT'S LESS THAN 24,000 AND WE HAVE 80 AND 40 OF 'EM DROP OFF, IF 40 OF 'EM DROP OFF, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF HAPPY HOMEOWNERS.
WELL, BUT HE SAID ALL LA CART BE ABLE PAY FOR THE CONSULTANT.
BUT IF HE ALL LA CART, THEN IF 40 DROP OFF, THEN YOU ONLY PAY FOR 40.
INSTEAD OF US SPECULATING WHAT THE COST WOULD BE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST IF WE COME BACK WITH A CONSULTANT AND TALK THROUGH ALL THOSE THINGS BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY DOES GROW A LITTLE BIT DEPENDING ON THE SERVICE THAT YOU'RE ASKING THEM TO DO.
AND, AND THE OTHER THING IS, LIKE WE JUST TALKED ABOUT LAST COUNCIL MEETING, THE FEES, RIGHT? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR INSPECTION FEES AND EVERYTHING, AND WE JUST RAISED THOSE UP.
IF YOU'RE, YOU'RE TAKING $300 TO CUT, SAY $24,000,
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HOW MUCH DOES IT COSTING US TO DO? ALSO, YOU GOT 70, 80 INSPECTIONS AND WE HAVE OUR INSPECTORS GOING OUT FOR TWO HOURS, THREE HOURS, BUT THAT AIN'T COVERING IT EITHER.SO THIS NEEDS TO BE ABOUT ALMOST A THOUSAND TO $1,500 A HOME.
FOR OUR YOU GOTTA FIELD OUR COST.
NO, OUR INSPECTORS, OUR INSPECTORS WOULD NOT BE DOING IT.
THE CONSULTANT'S GONNA DO THE HEALTH INSPECTION PARTY AND EVERYTHING, AND, AND DO ALL THAT STUFF.
THEY HAVE THE JURISDICTION TO GO LOOK AT, TO DO ALL THOSE STRUCTURAL INSPECTIONS AND EVERYTHING.
FOR THREE, MAN, WE, WE'VE LOOKED AT KNOW WHAT THEIR NUMBER IS 'CAUSE WE'VE LOOKED, LOOKED AT, UH, TECHNOLOGIES THAT THEY COULD USE TO, UH, BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS VENTURE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WOULD BE UTILIZING.
SO WE HAVE PEOPLE FOR SIGNED UP.
UH, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GO AND GIMME A QUESTION AND DO, UM, WE HAVE MR. DAVID QUARTER SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, AND WE HAVE MRS. MARIE ROSKI WHO'S GIVEN HIM.
WHO'S PASSING TIME TO MR. QUARTER? IT'S THE, WELL, I'M JUST READING HOW IT IS HERE.
SO WE ARE GONNA HAVE MS, MR. QUARTER GIVEN TIME TO MRS. DREWNOWSKI.
MRS. DREWNOWSKI, YOU ARE GONNA HAVE SIX MINUTES, AND IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE STATE YOUR ADDRESS FOR RECORD.
I'M MARIE JANOWSKI, 4 7 0 5 BURNING TREE, BAYTOWN, TEXAS, PRESIDENT OF COUNTRY CLUB, OAK CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO READ THE ARTICLE THAT COUNTRY CLUB, OAK CIVIC ASSOCIATION SHARED REGARDING SHORT TERM RENTALS IN TEXAS TOWNS.
I ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK INTO ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON THIS ISSUE.
I'VE DONE MY OWN RESEARCH AND REACHED OUT TO OFFICIALS IN KINGWOOD, ARLINGTON, FORT WORTH, DALLAS, AND LEAGUE CITY.
THEY OFFERED USEFUL INSIGHTS AND A RANGE OF APPROACHES TO MANAGING SHORT TERM RENTALS.
ONE KEY TAKEAWAY IS THAT THOUGHTFUL REGULATION TAKES TIME.
FOR EXAMPLE, DALLAS SPENT SEVERAL YEARS FROM 2019 TO 2023, GATHERING COMMUNITY INPUT, CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN HOLDING MULTIPLE MEETINGS BEFORE FINALIZING ITS ORDINANCE.
THIS WAS NOT A PROCESS COMPLETED IN JUST A FEW MONTHS ACROSS THE BOARD.
THESE CITIES TREAT SHORT-TERM RENTALS AS BUSINESSES AND COLLECT HO HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES ACCORDINGLY.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO SHARE TWO EXAMPLES FROM COUNTRY CLUB THAT ILLUSTRATE THE REAL IMPACT SHORT TERM RENTALS HAVE HAD ON A NEIGHBORHOOD.
IN ONE CASE, A PROPERTY GENERATED REPEATED DISTURBANCES WHENEVER IT WAS RENTED.
LOUD MUSIC, EXCESSIVE NOISE, CARS, BLOCKING STREETS AND DRIVEWAYS IN SIGNIFICANT LITTER LEFT BEHIND, INCLUDING TRASH BOTTLES AND EVEN DIAPERS.
THERE WERE ALSO INCIDENCES INVOLVING GUNFIRE.
THE HOMEOWNER WHO STAYED ON SITE IN A TRAVEL TRAILER DID NOT INTERVENE, LEAVING LAW ENFORCEMENT TO MANAGE THE SITUATION.
IN ANOTHER INSTANCE, A LARGE DINNER WITH 20 TO 30 GUESTS, ALONG WITH HIRED STAFF, CAUSED SIMILAR DISRUPTIONS.
PARKING, AGAIN, BLOCKED ACCESS TO STREETS AND DRIVEWAYS AND LARGE AMOUNTS OF TRASH WERE LEFT BEHIND.
OVERFLOWING BIDS SAT ON THE STREET FOR DAYS, FOLLOWED BY EMPTY CONTAINERS, LEFT OUT EVEN LONGER.
THIS GATHERING WAS NOT HELD AT THE HOST'S OWN HOME.
THEY BROUGHT THE IMPACT INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND RESIDENTS WERE LEFT WITH THE INCONVENIENCE AND AFTERMATH OF THE DINNER.
THE CITIES I SPOKE WITH HAVE HAVE TAKEN CREATIVE APPROACHES TO LIMIT OR DENY SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AREAS, AND HAVE EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY INPUT.
SINCE THE CURRENT BAYTOWN PROPOSED REGULATIONS WERE DEVELOPED WITHOUT COMMUNITY INPUT, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONS TO THAT, DEFINED BED BEDROOMS STRICTLY BASED ON ORIGINAL HOUSE PLANS.
NO CONVERTING LIVING SPACES SUCH AS DENS, LIVING ROOMS OR SUN ROOMS INTO SLEEPING AREAS.
LIMIT EACH PROPERTY TO ONE RENTAL UNIT.
ASHWOOD CURRENTLY OPERATES TWO SHORT-TERM RENTALS ON THE PROPERTY, IMPLEMENT PERMIT FEES, RENEWAL FEES AND INSPECTION FEES TO HELP OFFSET ENFORCEMENT AND MONITORING COSTS.
CLEARLY DEFINED PARKING RULES, WHICH YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, WHETHER LIMITED TO DRIVEWAY OR IF STREET PARKING IS ALLOWED, REQUIRE POSTING OF EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS, HOUSE EVACUATION, ROUTES AND EXCEPTION DOCUMENTATION INSIDE THE HOUSE.
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CLEAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENFORCEMENT, INCLUDING HANDLING VIOLATIONS, SUSPENSIONS, AND REV, UH, REVOCATIONS, WHO IS CALLED WHEN THERE IS A VIOLATION OF THE POLICY CAP, THE NUMBER OF SHORT TERM RENTALS PER NEIGHBORHOOD, OR SUBDIVISIONS TO TWO TO PRESERVE COMMUNITY CHARACTER.REQUIRE BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR ALL ADULT RENTERS.
RECOGNIZE THAT BAYTOWN IS NOT A RESORT DESTINATION AND TAILOR REGULATIONS TO THE TYPICAL USE AND CLIENTELE.
PROVIDE HOAS AND CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS WITH AN UPDATE LIST OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES, INCLUDING OWNER NAMES AND CONTACT INFORMATION.
COUNTRY CLUB OAK RESIDENTS DO NOT WANT SHORT TERM RENTALS IN OUR SINGLE FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL AREA, NEIGHBORHOOD, OR IN ANY OTHER SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD IN BAYTOWN.
THERE ARE OTHER AREAS OF BAYTOWN THAT SHORT TERM RENTALS WOULD MAKE A BETTER FIT.
THIS COULD EASILY BE FIXED BY LIMITING SHORT TERM RENTALS TO MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND COMMERCIAL ZONING AREAS THAT WOULD ELIMINATE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
GIVEN THE SCOPE AND IMPACT OF THIS ISSUE, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND POSTPONING ANY VOTE ON THIS MATTER UNTIL FURTHER RESEARCH IS CONDUCTED AND ADDITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS ARE NOTIFIED SO RESIDENTS CAN PROVIDE MEANINGFUL INPUT.
AND TALKING ABOUT WHERE A LOCATION WOULD BE, I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS AND WITH THE NEW BUILDING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA CALL IT, THE EXXONMOBIL BUILDING AND ITS PROXIMITY TO MARKET STREET, THAT AREA DOWN THERE WITH BY THE PARK AND EVERYTHING WITH THOSE HOUSES WOULD BE AN IDEAL SPOT TO HAVE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
THEY COULD COME IN, RENOVATE THEIR HOUSES, MAKE THEM LOOK NICE, RENT THEM OUT, PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS, SHORT ACCESS TO GOING TO LEE COLLEGE, GETTING A BASKETBALL GAME, GOING SWIMMING, GOING TO THE NEW CONVENOR, TO THE NEW CENTER, EXXONMOBIL CENTER.
UH, THERE ARE BARS DOWN THERE.
THERE IS THAT SPEAKEASY DOWN THERE, A PLACE TO WALK.
THAT WOULD BE AN IDEAL PLACE INSTEAD OF PUTTING THEM INTO RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
WELL, SHE PRETTY MUCH COVERED IT.
MY CONCERN ALSO IS WITH, WELL, UH, OKAY, SORRY.
AND I'VE, WE'VE HAD, EVEN WITH LONG TERM RENTALS, HAD SOME PROBLEMS ON THAT STREET AND EVERYTHING.
AND AS I SAID, WE NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE BE VETTED AND HOW WITH THE SHORT TERM RENTALS, HOW CAN THEY BE VETTED? WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH PEOPLE NOT BEING VETTED AND BACKGROUND CHECK ON LONG-TERM RENTALS.
AND THERE'S BEEN PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
EVEN HAD EVEN HAD 'EM COME, SOMEBODY COME OVER AND POUR, POUR A HAIR DYE ON THE MAILBOX, THAT KIND OF THING.
I FINALLY KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND SAID, I WILL BE CALLING THE POLICE BECAUSE WE HAD TEENS AND PRE-TEENS UNSUPERVISED, WANDERING AROUND THE STREET AT NIGHT.
MY OTHER CONCERN IS THE, UM, UH, HAVING ABSENTEE LANDLORDS, THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS SOME OTHER CITIES HAVE IS THEY SAY, OKAY, HERE IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS RENTAL PLACE, YOU CAN CALL THIS COMPANY.
AND THEN THEY'LL JUST GET A, YOU KNOW, A TRANSFERRED TO AN OUTSTATE NUMBER AND NO HELP AT ALL, I BELIEVE ON THIS.
THIS, UH, LLC THAT YOU GRANTED THE SUP FOR, IS IT, IS HE, WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER LOCAL? DO YOU CONSIDER LOCAL IS SOMEWHERE IN TEXAS? DO YOU CONSIDER LOCAL? THE UNITED STATES? THIS MAN HERE, UH, SANDE, I BELIEVE HIS NAME WAS, HE'S LISTED AS BEING LEANDER.
MY VIEWPOINT, MAYBE IT IS IN YOURS.
HE'S ALSO LISTED AS BEING IN CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS HIS WHAT WHAT'S HIS LOCATION? I MEAN, IS THAT GONNA BE PART OF WHAT YOU, UM, ALSO DO? ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PERSON WHO'S RENTING THIS IS LOCAL AND AVAILABLE FOR ANY ISSUES? IT, IT'S JUST, I, I THINK WE ALL KNOW, UH, AND YOU'VE GOT PROBLEMS LIKE HOUSTON HAS PROBLEMS WITH THEIRS, UH, BECAUSE OF, JUST, JUST MEAN YOU SEE ALL THESE KIND OF PROBLEMS. YOU JUST, IF YOU DO ANY KIND OF LOOKING ABOUT THIS, THEY, THEY, HERE'S THE SHORT TERM RENTALS IN HOUSTON.
HOUSTON HAS A BIG PROBLEM 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE
[01:15:01]
ZONING THAT BAYTOWN DOES.SO THEY, THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO.
THEY HAVE, THE THING IS THE RISING NOISE, VIOLENT CRIME, NEIGHBORHOOD DISRUPTIONS, UM, THE OKAY.
AND IT'S AFFECTING THE RENTAL, MAY CONTRIBUTING AS THEY SAY, TO A LACK OF, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND YOU HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH MONITORING.
THEY, THEY'RE HAVING THE HERE, AS I SAID, WITH THE CALLING, THEY KEEP GETTING ALL OUTTA CENTER CALL CENTERS WHEN THEY CALL, SOMEBODY CALLS TO COMPLAIN.
AND, AND IF I HAD KNOWN, I COULD HAVE GIVEN YOU MORE TIME.
I LIVE AT TWO 11 POST OAK DRIVE IN LAKEWOOD.
UM, I WAS NOT PREPARED TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THIS MEETING UNTIL LATE THIS AFTERNOON.
CROSSED PATHS WITH THE MAYOR HERE AT CITY COUNCIL, THIS A OR IN CITY HALL.
DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS MEETING WAS GOING ON TONIGHT.
THE, THE SHORT TERM RENTALS WAS ON THE AGENDA.
BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR A LONG TIME.
IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
HEARD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY TALK ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT I'M ALSO A REAL ESTATE APPRAISER WHO HOLDS A BROKER'S LICENSE.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND I DON'T QUITE KNOW THAT THIS ROOM IS HEARING THE, THE NOISE.
MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF A UNDER TO, BUT IT'S CONCERNING TO ME THAT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S BEING REALLY LISTENED TO AND CONSIDERED.
I KNOW EVERY ONE OF YOU WILL PROBABLY ARGUE THAT AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT IS A REAL ISSUE.
UM, JUST TO COME SPEAK THIS EVENING, FIRST THING I THOUGHT OF, I'LL MAKE A LIST REAL QUICK.
UM, THIS CAME TO MY ATTENTION BACK WHEN CHARLES WAS, WHEN YOU WERE MY COUNCILMAN MM-HMM
WE HAD A MEETING HERE AT CITY HALL MM-HMM
AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE THINGS.
THE REASON I KNOW THAT TIMESTAMP WISE WAS BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN COVID HIT.
WE HAD TO PUT THAT MEETING OFF BEFORE WE COULD MEET, AND THAT, THAT GOT LINED OUT.
SO WE FINALLY DID HAVE THE MEETING, AND THEN WE ADDED ANOTHER TWO PROPERTIES TO THAT LIST OF FOUR ALREADY.
THESE, THESE PROPERTIES ARE UNDERGROUND.
THEY'RE NOT ADVERTISING VERY MUCH.
NOW THERE'S SOME THAT ARE ON VRBO AND AIRBNB, BUT THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF THESE THAT ARE UNDERGROUND.
JUST LIKE PEOPLE SAY, WELL, HOW DO THEY FIND OUT ABOUT THESE? WELL, HOW DO THEY FIND OUT ABOUT THE HOUSES THAT ARE FROM RENT? AND THE WORD GETS OUT, PEOPLE GET IT IN IT'S UNDERGROUND.
I DON'T SAY IT'S WORD OF MOUTH TO MOUTH AND NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR, BUT THERE'S AN ELEMENT OF THAT.
I CAN TELL YOU NOW, THERE'S A LOT MORE THAN 80 SOMETHING PROPERTIES THAT WOULD FALL INTO SHORT TERM RENTALS.
I DON'T WANNA SAY IT'S DOUBLE THAT, BUT IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME IF, IF IT WAS DOUBLE THAT THERE'S A LOT, UM, HADN'T EVEN, UH, TO GET TO A LIST OF ISSUES AND THINGS THAT I'VE CONSIDERED JUST MADE A LIST.
FIRST OFF, DESTRUCTION OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
'CAUSE I'M NOT LOOKING, I UNDERSTAND THESE WILL WORK FINE AND MOST, MOST, A LOT OF BAYTOWN SHORT TERM RENTALS WILL PROBABLY FINE.
THERE'S SOME NEIGHBORHOODS, AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT THE CITY'S JOB TO ENFORCE DEED RESTRICTIONS.
BUT WHERE THOSE DEED RESTRICTIONS ARE IN LINE WITH OUR ZONING OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, SF ONE TYPE NEIGHBORHOODS, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENT RESIDENTIAL ONLY.
I THINK CONSIDERATION OUGHT TO BE MADE.
IT'S LIKE, OKAY, CITY COUNCIL PLANNING AND ZONING, LOOK AT WHERE THOSE ZONING ORDINANCES MATCH UP WITH THE DEED RESTRICTIONS.
IT'S DEED RESTRICTED ON TO SINGLE FAMILY ONLY, AND ALSO ZONED SINGLE FAMILY ONLY.
THERE'S BEEN SOME CHANGES IN ZONING.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER TOPIC FOR ANOTHER DAY THAT I'M READY TO TALK ABOUT HERE REAL SOON, BECAUSE WE CHANGED SOME ZONES THAT LACK ALL COMMON SENSE.
I DON'T HAVE IT JUST A MINUTE LONGER.
IS IT YOU NEED A MINUTE LONGER.
I'LL, I'LL WRAP IT UP REAL QUICK.
I NEED A MOTION TO EXTEND MR. THIS TIME BY ONE MINUTE.
I'LL TRY TO WRAP IT UP REAL QUICK.
UH, IN REFERENCE TO THOSE DESTRUCTION OF A NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S JUST THE START.
AND SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ALREADY HAVE SOME SERIOUS IMAGE ISSUES AND SOME THINGS UNDERMINING NEIGHBORHOODS.
NOT THAT THAT'S IN YOUR GERMANE, I MEAN, BUT IT'S ISSUES.
IN FACT, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT ONE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THIS TOOK PLACE ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT.
I DUNNO IF IT'S THREE YEARS AGO OR FOUR YEARS AGO.
BAYTOWN POLICE WAS CALLED AFTER A GUNSHOT.
THEY DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A SUICIDE, WHICH IS WHAT I, I NEVER DID HEAR THE FINAL STORY ON IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A SUICIDE OR A MURDER, BUT THE BAYTOWN POLICE SHOWED UP
[01:20:01]
READY FOR A MURDER.AND THE NEIGHBORS, NONE OF THE NEIGHBORS KNEW HOW MANY POLICE CARS WE HAD IN THIS TOWN UNTIL THAT HAPPENED THAT EVENING.
ANYWAY, WHERE I'M GOING WITH THAT IS THERE'S A LOT OF SERIOUS ISSUES THAT COME WITH THESE THINGS BECAUSE OF A PARTY THAT WAS GOING ON AT THAT PROPERTY.
I'VE GOT A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT, BUT, UH, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU.
IT, IT'S NOT THAT IT'S THAT SOPHISTICATED OF A CONVERSATION, ALRIGHT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, THERE BEING NO ONE ELSE DESIRING TO SPEAK, I CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING AT 8:15 PM UM, CONCERNING THE PROPOSED TEXT AMENDED AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 1 1, 1 OF THE UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE TO UPDATE REGULATIONS FOR SHORT TERM RENTAL OPERATIONS AND RESIDENTIAL AND MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICTS.
[b. Consider an ordinance for a proposed text amendment to Chapter 111, Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) of the Baytown Code of Ordinances to revise Division 2.3 and 10.2 of the ULDC, regarding Short-Term Rental operations within Residential and Mixed-Use Zoning Districts.]
ARE ON TO FOUR B.CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE FOR A PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 1 1 1 UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE OF THE BAYTOWN CODE OF ORDINANCE TO REVISE DIVISION 2.3 AND 10.2 OF THE ULDC REGARDING SHORT TERM RENTAL OPERATIONS WITHIN RESIDENTIAL AND MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICTS.
ANYTHING ELSE? NO, I'M, THAT IS COMPLETE.
SO WHAT I'M GONNA SAY IS I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE READY TO, I, I, I BELIEVE WE NEED MORE TIME.
UH, MS. KOWSKI, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND I CAN'T AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID IN NOT RUSHING THROUGH THIS AND TAKING OUR TIME.
SO, UM, I AM GONNA NEED A MOTION, BUT I AM OPEN TO RECEIVING A MOTION TO MAYBE TABLE THIS OR SUSPEND IT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE TIME TO DISCUSS THIS.
I'M, I'M 60 DAYS, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
60 DAYS MOVE TO SUSPEND FOR A MINIMUM OF 60 DAYS OR FOR, LET'S SEE, THAT'S MADE BY THE SEC TO BRING IT BACK BY THE SECOND MEETING IN JUNE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DISCUSSED, AND ONE OF WE HEARD FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS WAS GETTING THAT COMMUNITY INPUT WITHIN THAT 60 DAYS, WE CAN HAVE, ARE WE ABLE TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER TO GET THAT COMMUNITY INPUT? MAYBE WE CAN DO A WORKSHOP OR SOMETHING.
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACHIEVE? HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE AND IF THEY SAY BAN IT, ARE WE GONNA BAN IT? WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I WAS GETTING TO, RIGHT? WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE CONVERSATION YES, SIR.
ABOUT THEY MAY SUGGEST SOMETHING AND IT MAY NOT, IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE LEGAL.
BUT THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA KNOW THAT IS IF WE HAVE DIALOGUE WITH THEM AND CITY ATTORNEY CAN ADVISE US ON SOME THINGS.
WHAT ARE WE DOING OUTSIDE OF THAT? IN THE 60 DAYS? THERE WAS NO CONSENSUS GATHERED ON WHAT YOU WANT TO CHANGE IN THE ORDINANCE.
I'M NOT REALLY CLEAR ON WHAT WE WANT EITHER.
I KNOW WE WANT MORE TIME MM-HMM
BUT I, I, THAT'S ACTUALLY, I WAS GONNA ASK FOR CLARIFICATION.
WHAT, WHAT ARE WE ASKING STAFF TO DO? ARE WE ASKING THEM TO AMEND THIS OR ARE WE ASKING THEM TO COME BACK? LIKE, I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE'RE ASKING AT THIS POINT OTHER THAN WE WANT MORE TIME.
I I WAS ASKING FOR MORE TIME SO THAT THEY COULD COME AND TELL US.
I LIKE SOME OF THE POINTS THAT SHE MADE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE WAS TAKING NOTES ON IT, BUT THAT WOULD GIVE THEM, THAT WOULD GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE, TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS FOR US TO HEAR MM-HMM
AND THEN STAFF CAN GO BACK, WORK, WORK IT, WORDSMITH IT, WHATEVER, BRING IT BACK TO US AND WE CAN SAY, OKAY, WE LIKE THIS OR WE DON'T LIKE IT AND GET IT APPROVED.
THAT'S GONNA BE FOUR MEETINGS.
I BELIEVE WE CAN PUT SOME TIME ASIDE IN A WORKSHOP OR BRING IT BACK FOR DISCUSSION IN THE MEETING.
UM, WE ARE ACTUALLY ONLY HAVING ONE MEETING IN MAY BECAUSE OF GRADUATIONS.
NO, WE'RE WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND HAVE TWO GRADUATIONS.
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD, IS GONNA BE THE WEEK BEFORE.
UM, AND, AND I THINK WE ALREADY HAD, UM, UH, MR. POWELL, UH, MENTIONED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE WANTED TO HEAR, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WAIT FOR.
UM, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM.
YEAH, I, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM ONE OF THESE CONSULTANTS TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND LIKE, WHAT DO THEY TYPICALLY DO RIGHT WHEN THEY WORK WITH CITIES? I, I, I DO HEAR Y'ALL ON THINGS, BUT ONE MEMBER ASKING TO HEAR SOMETHING DOES NOT GIVE ME DIRECTION ON WHAT COUNCIL WANTS.
AND SO I WOULD NEED FOUR OF YOU TO AGREE ON WHAT YOU WANT SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE BRINGING BACK.
AND I'M NOT TRYING TO PUSH BACK, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET CLARITY.
[01:25:01]
IT BACK FOR DISCUSSION SO THAT WE CAN HEAR FROM THEM AND THEN WE CAN GIVE DIRECTION FROM THERE ON WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE BROUGHT BACK WITHIN THAT 60 DAY PERIOD.SO WE'RE JUST HAVING AN OPEN Q AND A WITH THE SAME ORDINANCE THAT'S CURRENTLY IN PLACE.
NO, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M SEEKING CLARITY.
I THINK WE ALL WANT SEE WHAT THE CONSULTANT'S OFFERING, WHAT THAT COST IS GONNA BE, HOW WE'RE GONNA INCUR WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT ENFORCE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS, CAN'T EVEN BE DONE.
BUT WHY WOULD WE DO THAT IF WE'RE NOT EVEN ACCEPTING THIS ORDINANCE? I DON'T, BECAUSE WHY DO, WHY WOULD I ACCEPT THE ORDINANCE IF I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH THE COST IS GONNA BE AND IF THEY CAN EVEN ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE COUNSEL? IF, IF, IF I MAY, WITH REGARD TO ANY DISCUSSION WITH A CONSULTANT WHO IS NOT CURRENTLY UNDER CONTRACT, I WOULD ASK YOU TO AVOID THAT.
UM, I THINK STAFF CAN PROBABLY COME UP WITH INFORMATION FOR YOU IN THAT REGARD.
BUT, UH, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU, UH, AVOID HEARING FROM ANY POTENTIAL VENDORS UNTIL WE READY BRING A CONTRACT TO YOU.
YEAH, BECAUSE I THINK Y'ALL CAN, YOU CAN GET SOME OF THE KIND OF THE PARAMETERS, WHAT THEY OFFER KIND OF, UH, BROCHURES AND HOW THAT'S ALL GONNA COME TOGETHER.
YOU CAN PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER FOR US.
WE, WE ALREADY HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WE USE TO COME UP WITH THE PRICING.
I MEAN, SOMETHING WE CAN SEE WITH THE BROCHURE KIND OF SEEING, HEY, THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE GONNA OFFER.
THIS IS ALL THIS, ALL, EVERYTHING THEY'RE OFFERING ALREADY ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
WELL, UM, MAYOR, IF I MAY GO AHEAD AND MR. CITY ATTORNEY, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS WHAT YOU WERE, UH, ALLUDING TO.
IF WE LOOK AT ONE FLYER OR BROCHURE, I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD, YOU CAN PUT IT TOGETHER, POTENTIALLY NEED TO BID.
AND SO WE CAN'T JUST BE TARGETING ONE PARTICULAR VENDOR.
I MEAN, YOU CAN KIND OF LOOK AT ALL, YOU CAN LOOK AT SIX FLYERS AND KIND OF PUT A PRESENTATION TOGETHER ON YOUR C ON THE CITY'S BEHALF SAYING THIS IS WHAT THINGS CAN BE OFFERED AND, AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
I I THINK STAFF CAN PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER FOR YOU WITHOUT RUNNING AFOUL OF ANY PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS.
AND THEN GOING BACK TO THIS, THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT WE CLEARLY SAID WE DIDN'T LIKE.
SOME THINGS SAID THAT WE WERE OPEN TO READJUST, BRING IT BACK TO US.
THAT'LL GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET MORE CITIZENS TO SHOW UP AND BE INVOLVED WHERE THEY CAN HEAR AND WE CAN GET SOME FEEDBACK.
I'M JUST NOT, I'M TRYING TO CLARIFY WHAT EXACTLY YOU'RE GETTING FEEDBACK ON OTHER THAN JUST HAVING AN OPEN Q AND A SESSION.
WE'RE GETTING FEEDBACK ON THE THINGS THAT, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT SHE MENTIONED.
I I I, I WOULD WANT TO SEE IF THAT'S EVEN POSSIBLE.
WE, WE CLEARLY SAID THERE WAS SOME THINGS IN HERE WE DIDN'T LIKE BECAUSE IT WAS GONNA BE TOO STRINGENT OR IS UNENFORCEABLE.
SO REDO IT, BRING IT BACK TO US SO WE CAN DISCUSS IT.
BUT THAT'S MY QUESTION TO Y'ALL.
Y'ALL DID NOT GIVE A CONSENSUS ON WHAT YOU DON'T AGREE WITH.
I LIKE WE NEED TO LIST MAYOR, LIKE, OKAY.
YEAH, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING THAT I UNDERSTAND, I'M REALLY NOT CLEAR ON WHO LIKED WHAT.
I KNOW THERE WAS THINGS ABOUT PARKING, THINGS ABOUT, BUT MM-HMM
I DIDN'T, I COULD TELL THAT IT LOOKED LIKE WE DIDN'T AS A GROUP SUPPORT THIS, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE WE WANTED TO GO EITHER.
AND THEN AS FAR AS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT THERE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING THAT EITHER, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN, I MEAN, UM, MR. THI TALKED ABOUT BEING HERE SIX YEARS AGO AND TALKING ABOUT THIS, AND WE'VE, SEVERAL PNC, WHENEVER WE HAD E WHENEVER WE TALKED ABOUT IT SIX YEARS AGO, WE WERE BASICALLY TOLD WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE.
UH, NOW THAT WE KNOW, I JUST WANT A CLEAR GOAL FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WELL, LET'S GO AROUND AND SAY THE THINGS THAT WE DID OR DIDN'T LIKE TO GIVE THEM SOME DIRECTION.
UM, I DON'T, CAN YOU PUT IT BACK PLEASE? YEAH.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE SPINNING OUR WHEELS HERE OR REALLY IRONING OUT WHAT WE REALLY WANT.
UM, I, I'VE ALREADY MET, I ALREADY BROUGHT UP THE ONLY THING THAT I, I JUST THINK THAT WE'RE ALLOWING TOO MANY CARS.
BUT, UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I, TOO MANY CARS, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY ISSUES.
I MEAN, I WOULD, I, I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN, UH, POWELL THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THE FIGURES AND THINGS THAT THE CONTRACTOR CONSULTANT WOULD REALLY BE ABLE TO DO, UM, IF THIS IS WHAT THE CONSULTANT WILL DO.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO BRING IT BACK.
SO I'M JUST, THAT'S WHERE I'M AT.
WELL, MIKE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED, WOULD YOU GO BACK OVER SOME OF THOSE? SURE.
AND, AND I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US HAVE AN OPEN WORK SESSION WITH THE ACTUAL PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
SO I CAN SEE WHAT'S SPECIFICALLY IN THERE.
'CAUSE AGAIN, I'M LOOKING AT THE CHART THAT YOU PROVIDED, AND THE BOTTOM ONE SAYS PROPERTY LIMITATIONS,
[01:30:01]
DEED RESTRICTIONS, COVENANT RULES.AND THEN, AND THEN THE COMMENT IS, WELL, WE'RE GONNA ENCOURAGE 'EM TO DO THAT.
I WANT TO HAVE A WORK SESSION THAT SHOWS ME THE CODE, BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO USE TO MAKE IT ENFORCEABLE.
AND, AND IF IT'S LIKE, WELL, IT'S REALLY, IT, IT'S IN THERE, BUT WE'RE JUST RECOMMENDING THAT'S, THAT'S NOT A CODE.
UM, SO AGAIN, MY CONCERNS WERE SOUND MONITORING HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THAT.
I AGREE WITH, WITH THE, THE, UM, I CAN'T THINK OF MR. KOWSKI, MS. JANOWSKIS COMMENT.
IT NEEDS TO BE REAL CLEAR WHO'S GOING TO ENFORCE THIS.
WHICH IS, GOES BACK TO IT'S UNENFORCEABLE.
A THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATIVELY CONSULTANT CAN'T ENFORCE IT.
THEY COULD PROBABLY SEND IT OVER TO US AND SAY, WELL, THEY'RE IN VIOLATION.
SO WE HAVE 1300 EMPLOYEES WHO'S GONNA GO OUT THERE AND ENFORCE THAT.
AND IF IT, IF IT COMES BACK TO STAFF, WELL, THAT'S AN EXTRA BURDEN ON STAFF.
SO, BUT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT.
DO WE THEN ASK TO WRITE AN ORDINANCE TO BAN AIR? THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING IS LIKE, IF WE, I THINK WE'LL GET IN TROUBLE IF WE TRY TO BAN IT.
THAT'S WHERE I WAS, I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN, AND I CAN'T FIND THE WORDS TONIGHT.
THINK WE JUST NEED TO GO THROUGH THE CODE AND SAY, HERE, HERE ARE THE CHANGES.
AND WE CAN SAY, WELL, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT PART WE DON'T AGREE WITH OR AGREE WITH LISTENING TO OUR, OR OUR CITIZENS ARE CONSTITUENTS OUT THERE IN GENERAL.
AND COMING BACK, WE HAVE ONE COUNCIL MEMBER'S CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES.
I, I, I THINK THE RULE IS, IS TOO TIGHT.
UM, SO, AND THEN THE TWO INSPECTIONS, WE HAVE A PERMANENT INSPECTION, AND THEN WE HAVE A SAFETY INSPECTION.
I, I THINK THAT'S TOO STRINGENT.
LET'S HAVE A INSPECTION, ANNUAL INSPECTION THAT COVERS ALL THAT.
IS THAT WRITTEN SPECIFICALLY IN THE CODE? OR IS IT TWO SEPARATE INSPECTIONS? SO YEAH, THE COST, AGAIN, I KNOW WE CAN'T HAMMER THE COST DOWN SPECIFICALLY, BUT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE A CHART OF HERE'S HERE'S THE MENU OF ITEMS THAT IF WE GET THE CONSULTANTS TO DO THIS, THE COST IS APPROXIMATELY X.
I MEAN, THAT'S, WE GET, OH, MAN, I'M GONNA GET IN TROUBLE HERE.
WE, WE MAKE DECISIONS ON INFORMATION THAT'S PROVIDED.
I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION.
AND IT'S TOUGH TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
'CAUSE I MEAN, LOOKING AT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THE, THE, THE RULE RIGHT HERE, LIKE SEVEN, IT SAYS THE PROPERTY OWNER AND OR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT MUST COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING RULES.
IT THEN SAYS THAT SEVEN D THE OWNER IS RESPONSIBLE.
BUT THEN YOU GO TO SEVEN G SAYS, THE USE OF INTERIOR MONITORING DEVICE IS ENCOURAGED TO HELP ENSURE COMPLIANCE.
BUT IT'S SAYING AT THE TOP, THE FOLLOWING RULES, YOU'RE KIND OF GRAYISH A LITTLE BIT THERE.
SO AGAIN, I, I'D LIKE TO WORK.
SO WE CAN WALK THROUGH THOSE SECTIONS ONE BY ONE.
COUNSEL, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
UM, I, I KNOW YOU, I KNOW YOU DIDN'T GET THE, UM, IT WAS AVAILABLE IN THE DOCK, THIS, THIS DRAFT, BECAUSE, UH, CALVIN AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT, BUT EXHIBIT A MM-HMM
TO THE STAFF REPORT IS THIS DOCUMENT.
SO THE CHANGES SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN EXHIBIT A.
THE, THE DOCUMENT WAS PROVIDED.
I DIDN'T, DIDN'T MEAN TO MISLEAD THAT THAT WAS PROVIDED, BUT I THINK A VERBAL WORKSHOP WORKING THROUGH THIS SO WE CAN, 'CAUSE WE FEED ON EACH OTHER'S QUESTIONS SOMETIMES.
I MIGHT READ SOMETHING AND THINK THAT'S OKAY.
MY COLLEAGUE MAY BRING UP A CONCERN OF THAT.
AND ALL OF SUDDEN IT BRINGS UP A CONCERN FOR ME AS WELL.
WE JUST HAD THAT OPEN DISCUSSION THOUGH.
I MEAN, THERE WAS REALLY NOT VERY MANY QUESTIONS FROM THIS DIOCESE ON THIS ITEM.
WELL, I'M NOT GONNA SAY IT WASN'T VERY MANY QUESTIONS.
I THINK IT WAS, UM, I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE PROPERTY LIMITATIONS.
I HAVE A ISSUE WITH THE OCCUPANCY.
CAN'T WE AMEND IT RIGHT NOW? YES.
I MEAN, CAN'T WE, JUST A MINUTE.
I, IF WE GO AND WE DO A WORKSHOP AND WE DO ALL THIS, I, I JUST, Y'ALL JUST NEED MORE TIME.
IS THAT JUST TO AMEND WHAT'S ON HERE? BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE OPTIONS.
WE AMEND WHAT WE SEE TO THE THINGS THAT WE LIKE OR WE DON'T LIKE, OR WE ARE SAYING WE DON'T WANT AN ORDINANCE AT ALL, AND WE GET A BUNCH OF SUVS AND WE GO FROM THERE AND, OR WE BAN SHORT TERM RENTALS.
I FEEL LIKE THERE'S LIKE THREE BIG TICKET ITEMS WE CAN DO.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA BAN SHORT TERM RENTALS BECAUSE, WE'LL, IT MAY COME BACK ON US.
UM, SO WORKSHOP TO AMEND TO, TO DISCUSS EACH ITEM AND THEN AMEND AND TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO.
THIS WAS, UH, JUST FOR, FOR THE COUNCIL.
THIS WAS ACTUALLY MEANT AS A WORKSHOP ITEM TODAY.
[01:35:01]
ONLY BECAUSE THE WORKSHOP BEFORE THIS WAS TWO HOURS MM-HMMAND WE'RE BOOKED SOLID FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
AND SO WE WERE TRYING TO PUT IT IN THE COUNCIL AGENDA JUST AS A OPEN DISCUSSION.
UM, JUST SO Y'ALL KNOW, THAT'S HOW BOOKED WE ARE WITH LIKE THINGS Y'ALL WE'RE GONNA HAVE, IF WE WANNA DO THIS IN JUNE, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED TO START AROUND FOUR TO HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP ON THIS TO DO, UM, A ANOTHER DISCUSSION.
THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN AN HOUR.
SO WHAT ABOUT FUTURE AGENDAS? ARE WE BOOKED UP ON FUTURE AGENDAS? NOT ON FUTURE AGENDAS, MAYOR? NO, THIS, WE JUST PUT IT ON THIS ONE BECAUSE WE, WE ALREADY KNEW THAT WORKSHOPS WERE GONNA BE, Y'ALL HAD ASKED US TO BRING THIS BACK, UH, BY MAY.
AND SO WE DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE TO PUT IT ON THE WORKSHOPS.
AND SO WE BROUGHT IT INTO THE AGENDA.
I THINK TO APPEASE MY COLLEAGUES AND IF THEY WANNA GIVE IT SOME MORE THOUGHT, UM, I WOULD BE OKAY TABLING IT FOR 60 DAYS AND SEE IF WE GET ANY FURTHER ON THIS.
I JUST NEED TO KNOW IF STAFF NEEDS TO DO ANYTHING IN BETWEEN.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE ONLY CLARITY I'M SEEKING.
I'M, I'M HAPPY TO DO WHATEVER Y'ALL WANT.
I JUST NEED TO KNOW IF THE TEAM NEEDS TO WORK ON ANYTHING.
WOULDN'T WE HAVE BY, BEFORE THE AGENDA IS CREATED TO SUBMIT ANYTHING FOR THIS AGENDA ITEM FROM THE CITIZENS, FROM, FROM US, FROM US.
LIKE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA AMEND OR ADD OR CHANGE, OR IF MR. POWELL IS ABLE TO GET INFORMATION OR WE'RE ALL ABLE TO GET INFORMATION, ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, UM, THEN WE CAN JUST COME TO YOU DURING OUR OR YES, MA'AM.
BEFORE THE AGENDA IS SET AND GIVE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
DO Y'ALL TRUST ME THAT TO USE MY JUDGMENT TO, IS THAT IF YOU HAVE FOUR OR NOT, I TRUST YOU.
WOULD MY QUESTIONS ARE JUST GONNA BE AROUND WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE TO ACTUALLY, UH, IF WE PASS IT TONIGHT, WHAT HAPPENS TOMORROW? LIKE HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ENFORCE IT THAT, THAT'S THE QUESTION I'D LIKE TO HAVE MORE CLEAR CLARITY AROUND.
I, I WILL GIVE Y'ALL MY EXPERIENCE OF THE CONSULTING FIRM THAT WILL PROBABLY BE USED IF, IF THIS GOES FORWARD, WHAT THEY DO, AND CALVIN TALKED ABOUT THEY USE A DIGITAL, MOST OF IT IS DONE FROM A DESK.
ALMOST EVERY PIECE OF IT IS DONE FROM A DESK.
THE, THEY LOOK AT THE PICTURES THAT ARE POSTED ONLINE.
THEY SEE IF THE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS IN THE PHOTOS.
THEY SEE IF THE, THE, THE MAPS ON THE DOOR.
THEY SEE IF YOU HAVE A PARKING, IF YOU HAVE A GARAGE OR PARKING SPACES.
ALMOST ALL OF IT IS DONE ONLINE.
I'M, I'M GIVING YOU PAST EXPERIENCE ON THAT'S WHY THE COST IS SO CHEAP, RIGHT.
TO MR. FRANCO'S POINT, HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO DO THIS FOR, YOU KNOW, $300 A, A UNIT AND DO INSPECTIONS? BECAUSE HE'S RIGHT.
IT COSTS MORE THAN THAT FOR OUR WORKERS TO DO AN INSPECTION.
SO A MAJORITY OF THIS STUFF IS DONE ONLINE AND IT'S, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CONSULTING FIRM EVEN IS.
THE, THE CRUX OF THE PERMIT IS BECAUSE ALL OF THAT IS DONE BY AND LARGE AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT NOBODY GOES AND CHECKS FOR LIFE SAFETY IN THE HOUSE.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT, BUT A MAJORITY OF IT IS DONE FROM THEY APPLY ONLINE.
THEY SAY, HERE'S A PHOTO OF MY HOUSE, HERE'S A PHOTO OF THE INTERIOR.
UM, DOES IT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS? DOES IT HAVE, IF IT'S A THREE BEDROOM HOME, DOES IT HAVE TWO CAR GARAGE AND TWO CARS IN THE, IN THE DRIVEWAY? IT MEETS THE PARKING LIMITATIONS.
UM, DOES IT HAVE THREE BEDROOMS? OKAY.
ON YOUR PERMIT SAYS YOU CAN ONLY HAVE EIGHT PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE.
THAT'S WHAT THE, THAT'S HOW IT GOES.
AND THEN THEY GET A PERMIT AFTER THEY GET A PERMIT IF ANY COMPLAINTS COME IN.
IT'S FOR STAFF TO STILL GO OUT.
AND IT IS FOR PD ACTUALLY TO GO OUT AND ADDRESS THE COMPLAINTS.
IT'S NOT FOR ANYBODY ELSE BECAUSE WHEN THEY CALL, IT'S A NINE ONE ONE CALL BY AND LARGE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING AND PD GOES AND CHECK IT, CHECKS IT JUST LIKE YOU WOULD A HOUSE PARTY.
THE ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF ON THE PDS SIDE IS JUST GETTING THE PERMIT ISSUED.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION OR NOT.
I KNOW THERE'S MORE TO YOUR STUFF, BUT THAT'S
AND, AND MAYOR, IF I CAN ADD TO THAT AGAIN, THIS IS WHY WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THIS SECTION.
FIVE A SAYS THAT THEY HAVE TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO SCHEDULE A FIRE MARSHALS INSPECTION OF THE PROPERTY FOR THE INITIAL YES.
OR, OR, OR HIS DESIGNEE OR HIS, THEY, WELL, OBVIOUSLY, OR HIS, HIS DESIGNEE.
AND THEN IN SEVEN, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER TALKS ABOUT THEIR PROPERTY OWNER'S RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLYING WITH ALL APPLICABLE
[01:40:01]
RULES, COVENANTS, AND RESTRICTIONS OF ANY HOMEOWNER OR HOA OR SIMILAR SUBDIVISION OF MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION.AGAIN, THAT'S, I'M LEERY OF ENFORCING DEED AND HOA, THAT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE FOR US TO GET INTO.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHY IF WE HAVE A WORK SESSION, WE GO THROUGH THIS, I, I THINK WE COULD RESOLVE FOR STAFF AS WE GO THROUGH THESE.
NOPE, I'M NOT GONNA GO WITH THAT.
WHAT AGAIN? LET'S, LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE AWARE OF WHAT THE FEES ARE GONNA BE.
UM, REVOCATION ISSUES, YOU KNOW.
SO THE, THEY COULD HAVE THEIR PERMIT REVOKED IF THEY'RE NOT FOLLOWING ALL THESE RULES AND REGULATIONS.
SO IF THEY'RE NOT COMPLIANT WITH HOA, ARE THEY, THEY'RE GONNA GET THEIR PERMIT REVOKED.
WE, WE SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED WITH THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY I KEEP GOING BACK TO, IT'S KIND LIKE, LIKE IT, IT'S INFERRED AND IT'S KIND.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE GET THIS CLEAN IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
AND IF, IF THE REST OF THE COUNCIL'S OKAY WITH THAT AND WE WANT TO BRING IT BACK TO A WORK SESSION JUST TO GO LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM 'EM, LIKE MR. LESTER'S SUGGESTING WE CAN DO THAT.
I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT COUNCIL WANTS AS A WHOLE TO DO.
SO MY TEAM IS TELLING ME WE CAN POSSIBLY GET THIS IN ONTO AN EARLY WORK SESSION FOR JUNE 11TH.
UM, AND THAT WILL BE THE, THE ONE WHERE IT WAS COME BACK AND WE WOULD GO LINE BY LINE FROM THIS.
AND SO THERE'S, I'M JUST CLARIFYING, THERE'S NO EXPECTATION FOR PDS TO GO DO ANY ADDITIONAL WORK AT THIS POINT OTHER THAN MAYBE UP TO BE BRINGING MORE INFO ON HOW THE INSPECTION PROCESS WORKS, WORKS OUT.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THAT WORK SESSION ADDRESSING THE CONSTITUENTS, WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR, WHAT WE CAN DO, WHAT WE CAN'T DO, AND WHY WE CAN'T DO IT TO, TO RIGHT.
UNDERSTAND THAT TO WHAT EXTENT, LIKE EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY WANTS, OR ARE THERE A FEW THINGS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UM, BASED ON WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO US BY OUR CONSTITUENTS? OKAY.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE AND, AND WHAT THEY'RE EXPECTING FOR US.
I WANT THOSE, THOSE CONCERNS ADDRESS AND WHAT THEY THINK WE COULD DO VERSUS WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO AND WHY WE CAN'T DO IT.
SINCE THAT, LIKE, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE KIND OF WHAT ME AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, RIGHT? MM-HMM
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAD A, WE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION.
WE TALKED ABOUT AND BROUGHT UP SOME LEGAL CASES, RIGHT? SO, UH, WE'RE STILL, WE, WE KIND OF, I UNDERSTAND.
SEE THAT PART, RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WANT THAT ADDRESSED.
SOME OF THAT'S ALSO BEEN DISCUSSED AT THE P AND Z MEETINGS IN GREAT LENGTHS BEEN TWO P AND Z MEETINGS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S ALSO A RESOURCE THAT WE CAN GIVE SOME OF THE CITIZENS THAT, THAT THEY CAN SEE SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED ALREADY.
THERE'S, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE AN OPINION THAT WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GETTING THE BEST, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING WE ARE.
I, I BELIEVE WE ARE, BUT WE'RE NOT GETTING THE BEST LEGAL ADVICE.
BUT WE WANT TO SHOW THEM, HEY, THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T DO IT LEGALLY, UH, IF TO ADDRESS CERTAIN ISSUES.
WELL, I THINK WE'RE GETTING PHENOMENAL LEGAL ADVICE.
YOU KNOW, THE BIKERS GUY, THE BIKERS COME OUT.
I FEEL THAT I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT, WELL, SOME OF IT COULD BE A LEGALITY, SOME OF SOME OF THEM, BUT ON THE OTHERS, THOSE ARE THE WANTS OF A NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND SOME OF THE THINGS ARE THE WANTS OF A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE CAN'T GO IN THERE AND SAY, NO, YOU CAN'T HAVE THIS.
UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE ANOTHER OTHER NEIGHBORS, MAYBE THEY'RE OKAY WITH IT OR THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT IT.
SO, UM, AND, AND NOT TO DISCREDIT THE MEMBERS THAT HAVE COME HERE AND, YOU KNOW, I APPLAUD THEM FOR COMING AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY CONSISTENT AND I TRULY APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN A WIDESPREAD NEED FOR, FOR FURTHER REGULATION.
AND IF THERE IS MAYBE THIS NEXT WORK SECTION, WORK SESSION WOULD GIVE US THAT.
AND SO ARE WE TAILORING EVERYTHING ON ONE PARTICULAR AREA? I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE'RE TAILORING EVERYTHING TO ONE PARTICULAR AREA.
UH, THE PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP HELP MAKE DECISIONS.
AND THESE INDIVIDUALS SHOW UP.
OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOW UP, BUT MOST PEOPLE DON'T SHOW UP UNLESS IT'S, UH, A NUISANCE OR SOMETHING THAT'S NEGATIVELY AFFECTING THEM.
UM, AND WE WENT THROUGH THAT IN 2017 WITH THE, WITH THE ANNEXATION.
AND THE PEOPLE WHO DID SHOW UP, WE MADE A DECISION NOT TO ANNEX THEM 'CAUSE THEY SHOWED UP AND SPOKE UP.
[01:45:01]
AND NOW WE'RE HEARING BACK FROM OTHER PEOPLE ON, ON ANOTHER ISSUE.SO THE PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP, THEY HELPED MAKE THE DECISION.
AND, UM, UM, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT WE'RE TAILORING IT FOR ONE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT WE'RE HEARING FROM CITIZENS AND WE'RE MAKING OUR DECISIONS BASED OFF OF THE ONES THAT WE'RE HERE FROM, WHICH IS WHY I MENTIONED THAT COULD BE DONE IN THE WORKSHOP THAT MR. LESTER MENTIONED.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A WORKSHOP.
WE'RE GONNA GO LINE BY LINE, LOOKING AT EVERYTHING, AND THEN MAKE A DECISION ON JUNE 11TH SET.
CAN IT BE IN A WORKSHOP? AND THEN, OR THEY'LL NEED MORE TIME TO REDO THE ORDINANCE.
SO IF YOU SUBMIT IT, COULD WE VOTE ON IT THAT NIGHT TOO? ON JUNE 11TH? YES, MA'AM.
EVERYBODY AGREE? YEAH, WE'RE DONE.
WE GOT A, WE STILL GOT A MOTION ON THE TABLE? YES.
NO LATER THAN THE SECOND MEETING IN JUNE 2ND.
THIS SAID JUNE 11TH, RIGHT? JUNE 11TH.
JUNE, WELL SECOND NO LATER THAN THE SECOND MEETING IN JUNE.
WERE YOU SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR? YES, I WAS SECONDING.
ANY OPPOSED? NO MOTION CARRIES.
MR. CALVIN ALVIN AT THE REQUEST OF THE APPLICANT FOUR C AND FOUR D HAVE BEEN PUSHED.
[a. Discussion regarding closed session agenda items.]
DISCUSSIONS FIVE, A DISCUSSION REGARDING CLOSED SESSION AGENDA ITEMS. MR. KENRICK GRIFFIN.UM, I KNOW IT'S GETTING KIND OF LATE.
DO WE, IS THERE A WAY WE COULD PUSH THIS DISCUSSION FOR ANOTHER TIME? OR WE GOT ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING? OR Y ARE Y'ALL OKAY WITH GOING ON? I'M HERE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK JASON REYNOLDS FOR, UM, PUTTING THIS DISCUSSION ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
WANNA DISCUSS THE WAY WE, WE, UM, WE POST OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION IN CLOSED SESSION ITEMS. UM, AS I LOOKED IT UP, TML ALLOWS US, UH, A LITTLE LEEWAY TO, TO POST THESE SESSIONS TO WHERE, UM, THE LANGUAGE IS RATHER BROAD.
UM, BUT I WAS WANTING TO SEE HOW COUNCIL FELT ABOUT, UM, POSTING CLOSED SESSIONS ITEMS IN A MADAM THAT'S MORE, UH, SPECIFIC, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT APPLIES TO OUR LITIGATIONS.
UM, TML REC, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDS BEST PRACTICES, UH, FOR TRANSPARENCY AND, UM, PUBLIC TRUST TO POST THE NATURE OF LITIGATIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY VERSUS JANE DOE, OR, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO BE THE LANGUAGE TO BE MORE POINTED.
UM, I BELIEVE, UH, POSTING THE NATURE OF OUR, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSIONS COULD HELP BOLSTER TRANSPARENCY.
I KNOW THE CITY'S DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB OVER THE YEARS, OVER THE LAST YEAR, UM, PROVIDING A TRANSPARENCY PIECE.
AND I THINK THIS IS, UH, A STEP TOWARDS THAT BUILDING TRUST BUILDING, BUILDING THE PUBLIC TRUST WITH, UH, WITH HOW WE, UH, PUBLICIZE OUR CLOSED MEETINGS.
I ALSO WANT TO HEAR FROM OUR, OUR CITY ATTORNEY WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO.
AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, TML YOU KNOW, THAT THEY RECOMMEND THAT MOST CITIES ARE DOING IT THIS WAY.
WE HAVE OUR, UH, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, THEY KIND OF, UH, THEY, UM, POST THE NATURE OF THEIR MEETINGS.
UM, I KNOW WE DO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REAL PROPERTY, WE, UH, WE ACTUALLY, I NOTICED THAT IS ON OUR AGENDA THAT IS SUPPOSED TO REAL PROPERTY, UH, OUR, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, CLOSED SESSIONS.
I LIKE TO SEE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE POINTED, UH, WHAT ECONOMIC IN, IN TERMS OF WHAT IS IT TO OUR HOTEL? IS IT, UH, THE MARKETPLACE, WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO I JUST WANNA OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION ON THAT AND, UH, SEE HOW, UH, STA UH, HOW COUNCIL, UH, WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH POST AND CLOSED SESSIONS, OUR CLOSED SESSIONS IN A MANNER THAT, UH, REALLY HELPS OUR PUBLIC TRUST.
SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES AND LEGAL IF NEED BE.
ANY COMMENTS, ANY QUESTIONS? MR. CITY ATTORNEY, COULD YOU, UM, GIVE US SOME INPUT ON WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS WOULD BE IF WE WERE TO BE MORE APPOINTED IN COUNCILMAN GRIFFITH'S WORDS
[01:50:01]
AND HOW WE LIST OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS? I THINK, UH, IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A A, AN ACCURATE ANSWER, WE'D HAVE TO DISCUSS THOSE ITEMS SPECIFICALLY.THERE'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL ANSWER.
UH, THE, THE FIRST ITEM THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GRIFFITH HAD, UH, BROUGHT UP WAS LITIGATION.
UM, REMEMBER THERE THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF THINGS WE DISCUSS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LITIGATION.
WE TALK ABOUT PENDING CASES, AND, AND IF THE DESIRE OF COUNSEL IS TO NAME PENDING CASES THAT WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS, I, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.
THE, THE SECOND, UH, TYPE OF MATTER THAT WE DISCUSS IS CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION.
UM, IT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT WHEN WE DISCUSS CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION, IT IS NOT DISCLOSED IN ANY PUBLIC MANNER, BECAUSE THAT WOULD LEAD TO US DEFINITELY GETTING SUED WHEN WE'RE WONDERING WHETHER WE'RE GONNA GET SUED OR IT'S GONNA INTERFERE WITH OUR TRA OUR TRIAL STRATEGY WHEN WE THINK SOMEONE HAS DONE US HARM.
UM, THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE DISCUSS ONCE WE GET BACK THERE ARE STRATEGY ISSUES.
AND I WOULD NEVER WANT TO DISCUSS STRATEGY ISSUES RELATED TO EITHER PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION IN PUBLIC.
SO THAT IS, UH, AND, AND I WILL GO BACK AND SAY, REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE BASED ON PRIVILEGES THAT EXIST IN THE LAW.
SO THE WAY THE PUBLIC INFORMATION, UH, I'M SORRY, THE, THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT IS WRITTEN TO ALLOW US TO DO THESE CLOSED SESSIONS IS BASED ON EXISTING LAW REGARDING ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE, ATTORNEY WORK, PRODUCT PRIVILEGE, INVESTIGATORY PRIVILEGE, UM, AND ALSO ATTORNEY ETHICS REQUIREMENTS.
SO, UH, SINCE THIS IS KIND OF A LONG ANSWER TO RECAP, I HAVE NO PROBLEM DISCLOSING THE NAMES OF PENDING LITIGATION IN OUR, UH, AGENDA.
I WOULD NOT DISCLOSE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION, AND I WOULD NOT DISCLOSE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT STRATEGY WITH REGARD TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THERE ARE SOME MATTERS THAT WE DISCUSS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT ARE, UH, GENERAL AND, AND WILL NOT HARM US TO, TO NAME SOMETHING LIKE, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER BUILDING A SPORTS FACILITY.
UM, WHEN WE START TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC ITEMS, UH, WE RUN, RUN THE RISK OF, UH, HAVING OTHER CITIES, UH, WIN THOSE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEMS. WE RUN THE RISK OF OFFENDING OUR PARTNERS WHO HAVE PROVIDED PROPRIETARY CONFIDENTIAL TRADE SECRET INFORMATION.
AND REMEMBER, THOSE THINGS ARE PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL UNDER THE LAW.
AND DISCLOSING EVEN THE NAME OF THOSE PARTNERS BEFORE A DEAL IS DONE CAN SUBJECT US TO LIABILITY.
UM, OFTENTIMES OUR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INVOLVE CONTRACT TERMS, WHICH I WOULD NEVER DISCLOSE PUBLICLY UNTIL A CONTRACT IS DR HAS BEEN EXECUTED BY THE PARTIES AND APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.
UH, OFTENTIMES, UH, IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS, WE HAVE TO DISCUSS THE PURCHASE OF REAL PROPERTY.
AND, UH, IF THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION IS OUT IN THE PUBLIC, IT WOULD INEVITABLY LEAD TO US SPENDING A LOT MORE TO PURCHASE PROPERTY AS LAND SPECULATION, UH, STARTS TO INCREASE, UH, BASED ON WHAT PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE GATHERED FROM OUR, OUR MEETINGS.
AND THAT LEADS, OF COURSE, TO DISCUSSIONS OF REAL PROPERTY.
UH, I, I WON'T GO BACK AND REITERATE THAT, BUT THAT'S THE REASON THE REAL
[01:55:01]
PROPERTY, UH, UH, CONFIDENTIALITY PROVISIONS EXIST.UM, I'M NOT SURE IF I ADDRESSED EVERYTHING YOU BROUGHT UP COUNCIL MEMBER GRIFFITH, BUT THOSE ARE THE BIG ONES.
AND THEN, AND I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH RAIL PROPERTY, RAILROAD PROPERTY AND HOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, HOW IT'S LISTED EVEN TONIGHT ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
I HAVE NO, I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH THAT.
AND, AND, AND THAT REMINDS ME, REMEMBER, WE ALWAYS TAKE ACTION IN PUBLIC SESSION.
WE ALLOW FOR PUBLIC DEBATE, WE ALLOW FOR CITIZEN INPUT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE ARE DISCUSSING A REAL ESTATE DEAL IN A CLOSED SESSION, WE DON'T CONSUMMATE THE TRANSACTION UNTIL LATER ON IN A PUBLIC MEETING.
AND I, AND I DO UNDERSTAND ALL THAT, AND WE DON'T WANT TO, UM, IN TERMS OF LITIGATION TALK STRATEGY, UH, WE, WE DON'T WANT THAT LANGUAGE IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT JUST A GENERAL LAYOUT OF WHAT CASE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
I DO HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE DON'T WANT TO PUT OUT THERE.
UM, UH, JUST IF THERE'S AVENUES WHERE WE COULD BE MORE TRANSPARENT, UM, WITHOUT, UM, DIVULGING OFFENSIVE INFORMATION.
WE DON'T WANT THE PUBLIC, PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, TO HEAR OR GET INTO THE WRONG EARS.
UH, I THINK WHATEVER WE COULD DO AS A, AS A COUNCIL WOULD BE IN, IN THE, THE BEST INTEREST OF THE, OF BUILDING PUBLIC TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY STAFF IS HAPPY TO GO BACK, REEVALUATE, UH, LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UH, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, UH, ON, ON WAYS TO, TO TWEAK THAT AGENDA.
UH, SOMETHING ELSE THAT CAME TO MIND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU MENTIONED THIS, BUT PERSONNEL MATTERS ARE DISCUSSED, UH, IN EXECUTIVE SESSION UNLESS AT THE SOLE DISCRETION OF THE EMPLOYEE, UH, IS DISCUSSED IN PUBLIC SESSION.
UH, TYPICALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NON-MANAGEMENT LEVEL EMPLOYEES, WE DO NOT NAME THOSE EMPLOYEES IN OUR AGENDAS.
ALTHOUGH WE MIGHT REFER TO A POSITION, UH, WITH RESPECT TO MANAGEMENT LEVEL EMPLOYEES AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
UH, WE EITHER DISCLOSE THE NAME OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR THE INDIVIDUAL'S TITLE.
UH, AND THAT IS PER THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S, UH, UH, OPINIONS, UH, IN REGARD TO HOW AN AGENDA IS CREATED FOR A PERSONNEL MATTER.
ANYBODY ELSE GOT ANYTHING? YES, SIR.
THIS IS A, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OFF TACT, IF IT IS, YOU CAN CUT ME OFF QUICK.
I, I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE WAY WE DO EXECUTIVE SESSIONS AT THIS TIME OR, OR POST EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
I WOULD LIKE A CONSENSUS OF THIS COUNCIL TO HAVE A, A REVIEW OF HOW WE GET ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, I'M NOT UPSET WITH THE CITY MANAGER, I'M NOT UPSET WITH MY COLLEAGUE, BUT WE HAVE PROCEDURES THAT WE'VE ALL AGREED TO TO GET THINGS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT AS AN INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER, THERE ARE ISSUES SOMETIMES THAT I'D LIKE TO HAVE ON THE AGENDA MM-HMM
BUT I KNOW IT'S NOT GONNA GO, GO WELL WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
AND SO I LET IT RIDE OR I VISIT WITH YOU TO TRY TO CONVINCE YOU AS MAYOR MM-HMM
SO I, I'D JUST LIKE TO GO BACK AND REAFFIRM OUR PROCESSES AND I'LL BE QUITE CLEAR IF, IF COUNCILMAN GRIFF HAD COME TO ME AND SAID, HEY, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS, I'D ASSIGNED AS, AS A MEMBER OF THREE MM-HMM
TO GET IT ON THE AGENDA, BUT FOR AN INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER TO REQUEST IT.
AND I'M NOT UPSET WITH JAY, BUT I AM SCOLDING THEM.
A LITTLE BIT RECEIVED, UM, THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY.
GET TWO MORE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
AND AGAIN, I WOULD ASSIGN THE, THE REQUEST 'CAUSE I, I THINK IT'S ABOUT IT, IT HAS VALUE TO DISCUSS IT, BUT I'M, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROCESS AND I JUST WANNA REAFFIRM WHAT OUR PROCESS IS.
AND, AND I, I, I, I, I WANNA STEP IN THERE, UH, BECAUSE IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I, I, I BROUGHT UP TO THE CITY MANAGER AND HE DECIDED TO PUT IT ON HERE.
SO, UM, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND, AND, AND, UH, IT'S NOTED, BUT, UM, IT WASN'T, I WASN'T THINKING IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS, I WAS GETTING THROWN ON THE AGENDA LIKE THAT, BUT HERE WE ARE.
[02:00:01]
YOU'RE SAYING.UH, BUT, AND, AND I'M, I'M, AND THE CITY MANAGER DOES HAVE DISCRETION CODE.
AND, AND I'M WILLING TO, AND ON THE AGENDA, WILLING TO PUT THINGS ON THE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES, WHETHER I AGREE WITH THEM OR NOT, BECAUSE I, I AGREE WITH OUR ABILITY TO DO THAT, BUT WE HAVE A PROCESS AND I'D LIKE US TO STAY A LITTLE MORE ATTUNED TO THAT PROCESS.
WELL, PART OF THE PROCESS IS THE CITY MANAGER IS ALLOWED TO PUT THINGS ON EACH.
I I, I, I HAD THE CONVERSATION WITH JAY ALSO, AND, UM, MY QUESTION WAS HOW DOES IT GET ON THE, AND HE TOLD ME HOW IT HAPPENED AND, UM, I'M NOT SCOLDING YOU AT ALL.
IT, IT'S, BUT I RECEIVED IT'S OKAY.
I I WAS JUST, HOW, HOW DID THIS GET HERE? IT'S TOUGH WITH SEVEN BOSSES
AND IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN SEND SOMETHING NOW REMINDING OF THE PROCESS, THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR OR CITY MANAGER.
UM, WHEN I, WHEN HE TOLD ME HE PUT IT ON, I SAID, OKAY, THAT'S FINE.
I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT, IT WENT THAT WAY.
UH, BUT, UM, IT WAS A DISCUSSION ITEM.
I'M GONNA SAY THANK YOU FOR DOING IT.
'CAUSE NOW WE HAVE CLARIFICATION ON WHY WE CANNOT LIST SOME OF THESE THINGS ON HERE BECAUSE IT WOULD ACTUALLY HURT THE CITY.
IT WOULD HURT US IN NEGOTIATIONS.
AND THAT'S ONE THING WE DON'T WANT, WE'RE OUT HERE LOOKING FOR, WE'RE OUT HERE LOOKING OUT FOR THE CITY TO DO THE RIGHT THING TO GET THE BEST DEAL.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO.
I HAVE A QUESTION ONCE YOU'RE FINISHED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
THANK YOU MR. CITY ATTORNEY FOR PUTTING THAT OUT THERE.
SO EVERYONE WILL HEAR IF THERE IS, IF THERE WAS ANY DOUBTERS, NOW THEY KNOW WHY WE DON'T LIST THINGS VERBATIM WHEN WE'RE GOING TO.
UM, I, I ALSO JUST GOT ONE THING TO SAY IS, IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A, AN AGENDA ITEM PUT ON A MONTH AGO, A STAFF WORK WITH ONE CITY COUNCILMAN TO PUT YEAH.
COUNCILMAN TO PUT, UH, AN AGENDA ITEM ON BECAUSE, SO THIS, THIS ISN'T ANYTHING THAT'S OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
SO I I, I REALLY YES, MA UNDERSTOOD.
THAT'S WHAT MY COMMENT WAS GOING TO BE,
AND SO, UM, BECAUSE IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, IT'S EITHER THREE THE MAYOR YEAH.
UM, AND SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA MENTION IS LIKE I HAD AN AGENDA ITEM PUT ON, AND NOW JAY COULD HAVE SAID, NO, I DON'T THINK THIS IS PERTINENT.
AND I WOULD'VE BEEN OKAY WITH THAT.
UM, OR I COULD HAVE JUST SAID, HMM, I DISAGREE, I'M GONNA GET TWO SIGNATURES, OR I'M GONNA GET WITH THE MAYOR.
SO I I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT GOING TO JAY AND HE HAVING THAT DISCRETION OF WHETHER HE'S GONNA PUT IT ON OR NOT.
I I, I'LL JUST, SHE STOLE THE WORD RIGHT OUTTA MY MOUTH.
I I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I JUST MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT BECAUSE HE PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKS TO ALL OF US ALL THE TIME THAT HE JUST SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING WE SHOULD PUT ON THE AGENDA AND, AND DISCUSS.
I DIDN'T, WELL THAT'S, AGAIN, THAT'S SOME OF THE, THE, THE BURDEN WE PUT ON THIS GUY.
I CAN GO VISIT WITH HIM FOUR DAYS A WEEK AND IN EMPHATICALLY STRESS CERTAIN ISSUES THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE ON THE AGENDA.
AND I'M SURE AS BEING ONE OF HIS BOSSES, HE WOULD PROBABLY ACQUIESCE AND PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, BUT THAT'S NOT FAIR TO HIM.
WE HAVE A PROCESS THAT IF, IF A INDIVIDUAL WANTS COUNCIL MEMBER WANTS SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA, WE GET TWO OTHERS TO SAY, HEY, YEAH, WE SUPPORT PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA.
AGAIN, WHETHER I AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH WHAT IT IS, GIVE ME A CALL SOMETIME.
BUT THAT'S NOT FAIR TO JAY BECAUSE NOW I'M GOING, OKAY, HE AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL ISSUES.
I DON'T SEE HIM ON THE AGENDA, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR NEXT CONVERSATION, MR. LIST.
SO, SO AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETIMES WE GOTTA REALIZE THAT MAN'S GOT SEVEN BOSSES IF HE DOES EVERYTHING HE CAN TO GIVE US WHAT WE WANT, BUT WE HAVE TO DISCIPLINE OURSELVES TO STAY IN THE RULES.
WELL, I DIDN'T SEE AS HIM, WELL, WE WERE, WE WERE WITHIN THE RULES.
NO, I DIDN'T SEE IT AS HIM GET GETTING WHAT SOMEONE WANTS.
I THOUGHT AS HE THOUGHT THIS WAS A VALID DISCUSSION AS CITY MANAGER FOR ALL THIS, PUT IT ON MAYBE OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR YEARS OF THESE, HEARD SEVERAL OF US MENTION IT AND THOUGHT, OH, WELL, SO I'LL, I'LL JUMP IN REAL QUICK.
WE WERE IN, WE IN THE CITY COUNCIL RULES.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW MR. LESTER, I APPRECIATE THE SCOLDING, I APPRECIATE THE WORDS, UH, OF UNDERSTANDING OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AS WELL.
OH, UH, MAYOR, I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HAD DISCUSSING THIS, GETTING STUFF ON AS WELL.
[02:05:01]
UM, WHEN THINGS GET ON, I AM USING MY BEST JUDGMENT FROM WHERE I THINK IT'S GONNA GO WITH COUNSEL.IF THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF BLOW BACK, IF THERE'S GOING TO BE, UM, I THINK I'M VERY, I I, I KNOW I'M VERY HONEST WITH Y'ALL WHEN Y'ALL BRING SOMETHING AND I SAID, HEY, YOU PROBABLY NEED TO GO FIND TWO MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
UM, I, I GREATLY APPRECIATE MR. LESTER'S, UH, POINT ON LIKE, FOLLOW THE COUNCIL PROCESS AND KEEP ME OUT OF THE, THE, THE FRAY.
UM, THE, THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT THAT I WANT TO PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, MR. GRIFFITH AND I HAVE HAD A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP THAN A LOT OF THE OTHER MEMBERS ON THIS BOARD.
AND MR. GRIFFITH AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO BUILD A BETTER RELATIONSHIP AND I WANNA PUBLICLY LIKE SAY THAT.
AND SO PART OF THIS PIECE IS TRYING TO WORK WITH Y'ALL.
WELL, I WORK WITH ALL OF Y'ALL AND I WORK WITH ALL OF Y'ALL A LOT.
AND I AM TRYING TO DO MY BEST WHEN THERE ARE, UM, PERCEIVED TO MR. LESSER'S POINT, HAVING SEVEN BOSSES IS VERY CHALLENGING BECAUSE OVER TIME IT SEEMS THINGS ARE SKEWED FROM YOUR VIEWS.
UM, IF I'M, IF I'M APPEAR TO BE FAVORING ONE MEMBER OVER OTHER MEMBERS OR A GROUP OF MEMBERS OVER THE WHOLE COUNCIL, AND, UM, MR. GRIFFITH AND I HAVE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE AND TRYING TO FIND THINGS THAT I KNOW WILL BE DISCUSSION ITEMS THAT CAN GO, I'M USING JUDGMENT TO SEE IF THEY CAN GO ON THERE, BUT ALSO TRY TO MEND RELATIONSHIPS AND HAVE BETTER WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL OF YOU.
AND THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE INSTANCES, AND IF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO GO AND LIKE, HEY, WE ONLY ARE GOING TO DO THIS AND STAY AWAY FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR PUTTING SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA, I FULLY RESPECT THAT.
AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE IT DOES TAKE IT, WHEN I PUT SOMETHING ON LIKE THIS, IT APPEARS AS SOME KIND OF POLITICAL ASPECT AND IT PUTS ME IN THE POLITICAL ARENA.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT MR. LESTER WAS GETTING AT, UH, FROM THAT PIECE.
UM, BUT A LOT OF THIS WAS ALSO TRYING TO MEND RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
I MEAN, I'M NOT GONNA SAY YOU HAVE SEVEN KIDS, YOU HAVE SEVEN BOSSES THAT CAN ACT LIKE KIDS FROM TIME TO TIME AND GRUMPY OLD MEN.
GRUMPY OLD MEN, GRUMPY OLD MEN.
UM, SOME OF US OLDER, SOME OF US YOUNGER, BUT WOMEN TOO.
AND WOMEN, I'M, AND INDIVIDUALS IS WHAT I WILL SAY.
AND, UM, I DON'T, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF REMEDIAL AND ELEMENTARY TO SAY YOU WOULD HAVE A FAVORITE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
I MEAN, I, I'M NOT SAYING THAT I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH HOW THINGS ARE PUT ON, I THINK IT'S DONE FAIRLY BECAUSE I WOULD PROBABLY SAY SOMETHING, IF YOU'RE PUTTING SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA, EVERY AGENDA ITEM EVERY, EVERY, EVERY MEETING, AND YOU'RE DOING TWO OR THREE THINGS FROM TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEN, YOU KNOW, COME ON MAN, WE NEED TO SLOW DOWN ON THAT.
AND I CAN RESPECT THAT YOU TOOK THE TIME TO LISTEN TO A COUNCIL MEMBER AND PUT SOMETHING ON, AND I THINK OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD, UM, APPRECIATE IT IF IT WAS SOMETHING NEAR AND DEAR TO THEIR HEART THAT YOU FOUND, UM, WORTHY ENOUGH TO GET ON THERE.
[a. Consider a resolution granting the petition for the proposed annexation of approximately 202.48 acres of land, located on the north and south sides of Battlebell Road and the east side of John Martin Road, and sections of Battlebell and Jones Road.]
TO PROPOSE RESOLUTIONS SIX A CONSIDER A RESOLUTION GRANTING THE PETITION FOR THE PROPOSED ANNEXATION OF APPROXIMATELY 2.0 202.48 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF BATTLE BE ROAD, AND THE EAST SIDE OF JOHN MARTIN ROAD, AND SECTIONS OF BATTLE BE AND JONES ROAD.WHAT DO YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS A PROPOSED ANNEXATION AS THE MAYOR IDENTIFIED THE PARAMETERS OF THIS, UM, ANNEXATION.
UH, IT'S APPROXIMATELY 202 ACRES.
UM, STAFF IS BRINGING THIS BEFORE YOU FOR A REQUEST TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, UM, SERVICE PLAN.
UM, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MR. MAYOR? UM, BEFORE YOU ALL DELIBERATE, THE CITY MANAGER BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE ITEM AND THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, SAY EAST SIDE OF JOHN MARTIN, IT SHOULD BE WEST.
SO THAT I, I WOULD ASK THAT WHOEVER MAKES A MOTION, UH, AMEND IT TO, UH, REFER TO THE WEST SIDE OF JOHN MARTIN ROAD.
[02:10:01]
CAN I JUST REREAD IT? OR WE COULD DO IT WHEN THE MOTION IS MADE.ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? REMEMBER WHEN YOU DO THIS AS THE WEST SIDE, AS ICE CUBE WOULD SAY, AND NOT THE EAST SIDE
I GOTTA PHYSICALLY TURN MY FINGERS.
I GOTTA TWO ARE IN THE NINETIES.
I MEAN, THAT'S IN THE NINETIES, BUT I CAN'T, I GOTTA PHYSICALLY DO IT.
BUT YOU DON'T HAVE, UH, 20-YEAR-OLD HANDS ANYMORE.
NOW I CAN'T GET THAT WHOLE ALBUM OUTTA MY HEAD.
MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM SIX A ON THE WEST SIDE OF JOHN MARTIN ROAD.
[7. CONSENT All Consent Agenda items listed are considered to be routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Council Member requests, in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda.]
WE WILL MOVE INTO CONSENT AGENDA, UM, ITEMS A THROUGH I.ANYONE WISH TO PULL ANYTHING? GOOD DEAL.
IF I NEED A MOTION, MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM SEVEN A THROUGH I ALL IN FAVOR? SECOND.
[8. MANAGER'S REPORT Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 551.0415 of the Texas Government Code, the City Council of the City of Baytown may receive a report about items of community interest from City staff and/or a member of the City Council, but no action or possible action shall be taken or discussed concerning the subject of such report, except as provided by Section 551.042 of the Texas Government Code.]
TO MANAGER'S REPORT.MR. JASON REYNOLDS, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, UH, THANK YOU, UH, FROM FOUR MEMBERS OF OUR PDS TEAM RECENTLY EARNED THEIR ICC CERTIFICATIONS, LORENA PORTILLO, UH, STEPHANIE BLANCHE, UH, ALEX GILES, AND DALLAS EDWARDS.
CONGRATS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I LIKE THE PHOTOS WITH THE TREES.
OUR, UH, THE CITY OF BAYTOWN HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A TOURISM FRIENDLY TEXAS CERTIFIED COMMUNITY.
THIS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS OUR COMMITMENT TO GROWING TOURISM AS A KEY DRIVER OF ECONOMIC IMPACT.
OUR FOCUS IS ON CREATING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS TO OUR PUBLIC SPACES, PROGRAMS AND EVENTS, ENHANCING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS WHILE IMPROVING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
WE WILL CONTINUE PROMOTING THE UNIQUE ASSETS THAT MAKE BAYTOWN SPECIAL.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TEAM AND COMMUNITY FOR THIS ACHIEVEMENT.
AND JUST F ARE THEY GOING TO TEXAS TRAVEL ALLIANCE? CLIFF? SOME OF THEM.
SO BAYTOWN WILL BE MENTIONED THERE, JUST FYI.
THEY'RE GONNA DO A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IN BAYTOWN.
UH, AND JEFF WILLIAMS IS GONNA, UH, DO A WHOLE THING ABOUT THAT.
SO MORE PEOPLE KNOWING ABOUT BAYTOWN.
THREE OF OUR DEPARTMENTS WERE RECENTLY RECOGNIZED DURING, UH, NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATORS WEEK, NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WEEK, AS WELL AS FAIR HOUSING MONTH.
I WANT TO THANK EACH OF THESE TEAMS FOR THEIR INCREDIBLE WORK THEY DO EVERY DAY.
OUR ORGANIZATION WOULDN'T BE WHAT IT IS WITHOUT YOUR DEDICATION AND COMMITMENTS.
SO, UM, PLEASE SPREAD OUR THANKS AND THANK YOU, UM, FOR PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER AND, UH, IT'S GREAT TO SEE.
STERLING BEAVER PRESENTED AT THE DESIGN BUILD INSTITUTE OF AMERICA.
LAST WEEK, HE JOINED THE COROLLO AND BGE TEAMS TO SHARE INSIGHTS WITH THE BAWA EAST SURFACE WATER TREATMENT PLANT EXPANSION.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING OUR ORGANIZATION.
STERLING AND S STERLING ALSO HAD A A, A BIG WEEK AS WELL.
WE DID THE, THE GROUNDBREAKING, UH, FOR AB BWA EAST.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE COUNCIL, UH, SHOWING UP FOR THAT GROUNDBREAKING.
AND I HOPE, UH, STERLING AND THE REST OF THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM IS EXCITED TO, TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT.
UH, MR. LESSER, DO YOU WANNA READ THIS ONE? THE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE
THE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE EVENT WAS A GREAT TURNOUT WITH 69 TIRES COLLECTED AND 278 VEHICLES COMING THROUGH.
A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED WHO HELPED MAKE THIS EVENT A SUCCESS.
I WAS THERE FROM ABOUT 10 15 TO 10 45.
THEY'D ALREADY DONE OVER A HUNDRED VEHICLES, AND THE LINE WAS AROUND THE BLOCK.
THE ONLY NEGATIVES THAT I HEARD FROM FOLKS WAS IT JUST TOOK FOREVER.
AND IT'S KINDA LIKE, THAT IS A GOOD THING.
'CAUSE IT WAS SUCH A SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
SO AGAIN, KUDOS TO THE PUBLIC WORKS CREWS AND THE CREWS THAT WERE THERE WORKING IT.
THERE WAS A FEW DISCONNECTS BETWEEN WHAT WE PUT OUT ON THE FLYER AND, AND THE WEBPAGE AND WHAT WAS ACTUALLY POSTED ON THE SIGNS ON SITE.
BUT STAFF WORKED TO THAT QUITE WELL, CALMED EVERYBODY'S CONCERNS AND TOOK CARE, TOOK CARE OF EVERYBODY.
IF, IF Y'ALL HAVEN'T GONE TO ONE OF THOSE, YOU NEED TO, NEXT TIME THEY HAVE IT, GO BY AND SEE.
AGAIN, IT WAS AROUND THE BLOCK FROM NS R THERE WAS PROBABLY 60 CARS IN QUEUE THE WHOLE TIME.
UH, WE ALSO HAD THE EXXONMOBIL BAYTOWN EVENT CENTER PUBLIC
[02:15:01]
MEETING LAST WEEK.UH, THE COMMUNITY RECEIVED A PRESENTATION FROM OUR CONSULTING TEAM, AND THEN PARTICIPATED IN MULTIPLE FEEDBACK ACTIVITIES.
THERE WAS A SURVEY FOR THOSE THAT WERE UNABLE TO MAKE IT.
YOU CAN FIND THE SURVEY ON BAYTOWN.ORG, UH, SLASH VAC.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM AS MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS AS WE CAN AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE STAFF THAT MADE THE PUBLIC MEETING HAPPEN.
AND THANK YOU TO THE RESIDENTS AND COUNCIL FOR SHOWING UP AND, UH, GETTING INVOLVED.
UM, I'M TOLD WE HAD 165 TOTAL PEOPLE THERE, AROUND 165 TOTAL PEOPLE THERE WITH, UH, 117 OF THOSE BEING RESIDENTS.
THEY DID, UM, UH, TAKE PART OR THEY DIDN'T ENGAGE WITH THE, THE, THE LITTLE EXERCISES.
AND, UH, WE WILL BRING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL.
AND, UH, WE HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC MEETING, I BELIEVE IN JULY.
UM, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO OUTREACH AND DISCUSS, UH, BECK AS THIS MOVES FORWARD.
SO MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
BEFORE WE GO INTO THE DISTRICT, OH, OH, OH, SORRY.
BAYTOWN VOICE MAGAZINE IS OUT.
UH, PLEASE GO, UH, CHECK IT OUT.
THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION ON BUILDING A GREENER BAYTOWN.
UH, A TON OF GREAT INFO ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UH, AND ALL OF THE, UH, UM, GREEN SPACES THAT WE HAVE AROUND, UH, BAYTOWN.
AND A BIG THANK YOU TO THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS TEAM AND EVERYBODY THAT'S INVOLVED WITH PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
[a. Receive a report from Council Member Laura Alvarado regarding projects, programs and events in District No. 1. ]
WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE A, A REPORT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICT ONE, MS. LAURA ALVARADO.I WAS SITTING BACK BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE GONNA DO YOUR LIBRARY BIT
I LOVE THE LIBRARY, BUT THAT'S WHY I WAS JUST KIND OF WAITING.
UM, SO I'M JUST GONNA RUN THROUGH THESE.
UM, SO I'M JUST GONNA GO THROUGH SOME OF THE NEW, UH, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GOING ON IN DISTRICT ONE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE, UM, UH, FIRE STATION TWO.
UH, MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN, UH, A LOT OF THE TREES ARE COMING DOWN.
WE DID HAVE TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, RETENTION, UM, UM, OUT THIS WAY.
UM, BUT I HAVE BEEN ASSURED THAT AS WE REMOVE TREES, WE'LL FIND OTHER AREAS TO PUT ADDITIONAL TREES.
SO, UM, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT PROJECT, UH, COMPLETED SOON.
UH, BURY HOMELESS, UH, SERVICES, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WELL UNDERWAY AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ISSUING THE PERMITS TO THAT FOR THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR CONSTRUCTION.
THEY'RE AT 34 0 4 WISCONSIN, UM, ST.
UM, CHURCH IS BEING REMODELED.
THEY'RE AT 1907, UM, CAROLINA STREET, AND THEY'RE WORKING TO GET IT BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL HISTORIC AREA.
I WANNA THANK MIKE, UM, FOR, FOR HIM, UH, WORKING ON, UH, ENSURING THAT WE GET THE PERMITS PROCESSED AND BRINGING THOSE TO LIGHT.
UH, THE BAYTOWN PRIMARY MEDICAL CENTER, 28 0 2 GARTH ROAD.
UM, ROLLING BROOK CENTER, 1901.
ROLLING BROOK, UH, DRIVE BUILDING A, UH, MOUNT CAVALRY MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH CONTINUES, UM, TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND OF COURSE, OUR NEW CITY OF BAYTOWN TRAFFIC CONTROL BUILDING RIGHT OVER HERE AT 2123 AT MARKET STREET SUITE, OR UNIT C.
WE HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO HOST THE VETERANS JUDO, UM, USA TOURNAMENT ON AUGUST THE 29TH AT THE BAYTOWN COMMUNITY CENTER.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO GET, UH, MAYBE ABOUT 80 ROOM NIGHTS OVER AT THE HYATT THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF THIS PROGRAMMING.
UM, BAYTOWN RECENTLY WELCOMED A REGIONAL CAT SHOW, UM, THAT WAS HOSTED.
UM, IT WAS HOSTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CAT ASSOCIATION AT THE HYATT REGENCY BAYTOWN HOUSTON.
AND IT, UM, WAS SUPPORTED BY OUR PARKS AND REC AND TOURISM TEAM, WHICH RESULTED IN 103, UM, HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS.
UM, AND, UH, TEXAS PARK AND WILDLIFE'S.
MARCH, 2026, SURVEY OF THE BUDDY MCBRIDE, UH, MCBRIDE BOAT RAMP FOUND HIGHER RECREATIONAL USE WITH 15 GROUPS OBSERVING.
13, UH, 15 GROUPS OBSERVED, UH, 13 FISHING.
SO ANGLERS VISITING FROM EIGHT COUNTIES AND 65 FISH CAUGHT ACROSS SEVEN SPECIES INDICATING STRONG, UH, REGIONAL USE AND CONTINUED PRODUCTIVE FISHING ACTIVITY.
THE COMMUNITY CENTER CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE STRONG PARTICIPATION AND ENGAGEMENT ACROSS WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMS. AND, UM, FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE MONTH, YOU CAN GO SEE
AND THIS GROUP WILL ACTUALLY, UM, ALSO, UM, PERFORM AT THE UPCOMING DOLLAR TACO NIGHT AT TOWN SQUARE.
[02:20:02]
UM, AND, UM, I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT FIRE STATION TWO.AND SO, UM, THEY'RE WORKING, UH, IN THE COMING WEEKS TO SHIFT EXCAVATION AND SOIL SAMPLING ALONG WITH GRADING AND STABILIZING THE BUILDING PAD.
SO, MORE TO COME ON STATION TWO.
I'M GOING TO, UM, I WANNA SAY SOMETHING ABOUT SOMETHING I SAW THIS MORNING AT ABOUT EIGHT 30.
NO, HAD TO BE ABOUT BETWEEN 8 45 AND NINE O'CLOCK THIS MORNING.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN ALEXANDER ROAD, HEADED TO A MEETING AND I SAW AN OFFICER WITH TWO INDIVIDUALS IN A CAR.
NOW I GOT THE, I DIDN'T STOP TO GET THE NIGHT 'CAUSE I WAS RUNNING LATE, BUT I DID GET THE LICENSE PLATE OF THE VEHICLE THE OFFICER WAS DRIVING.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY I WAS PROUD TO SEE WHAT I WAS SEEING.
THIS OFFICER WAS ACTUALLY CHANGING SOMEONE'S TIRE.
HE, HE HAD TAKEN THE TIME TO STOP, CHANGE THEIR TIRE AND WAS GETTING READY TO BE ABOUT ON HIS WAY.
BUT I'VE HEARD THE STORIES ABOUT OFFICERS DOING THINGS LIKE THAT, AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I GOT TO WITNESS IT FIRSTHAND, AND IT MADE ME PROUD TO SEE IT.
SO, UH, CHIEF, I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT LICENSE PLATE, AND IF YOU WOULD JUST TELL HIM THANK YOU.
I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THEY SAID IT, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE IT, IT, IT WAS A MOMENT THAT I WAS ABLE TO WITNESS FIRSTHAND AND IT MADE ME PROUD.
NOW, COUNCILMAN FRANCO SAID HE WANTED TO RECOGNIZE SOME OFFICERS ALSO.
AND I THINK CHIEF KNOWS ABOUT THIS ONE
UM, SO LAST WEEK, UH, AT JASON'S DELI, UM, OFFICER RASH AND OFFICER LEWIN, UH, WERE THERE, UM, OFFICER LEWIN WAS OFF DUTY AND OFFICER RASH WAS NOT IN UNIFORM.
UM, WHILE A GENTLEMAN OUTSIDE, THEY HAD A LITTLE ROAD RAGE AND DECIDED TO BRANDISH A WEAPON.
UH, THERE WAS TWO ASSAILANTS, UM, OFFICER LEWIN BEING IN STREET CLOTHES WITH NO BODY ARMOR AND NO GUN STOOD BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AT JASON'S DELI.
AND THOSE ASSAILANTS AS THEY MEANT HE WOULD NOT, I WAS RIGHT THERE WITNESSING IT.
HE WOULD NOT, UH, HE WOULD NOT LOWER HIS HANDS FOR A LONG TIME.
IT WAS A LITTLE TENSE THERE, KNOWING IF HE WAS GONNA ACTUALLY WOW.
SO, UH, I COMMEND OFFICER LEWIN AND OFFICER RASH FOR THEIR QUICK RESPONSE WHILE NOT BEING ACTUALLY ON DUTY AND, UH, ESPECIALLY OFFICER LEWIN FOR PUTTING HIS LIFE IN, IN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH NO PROTECTION.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT SIGN FOR YOUR OFFICERS.
AND THE, THE PEOPLE AT JASON'S DELI REALLY APPRECIATE THEY, THEY SAID IT WAS THE SAFEST LUNCH THEY'D EVER HAD AFTER THAT BECAUSE THERE'S NOBODY WAS COMING IN TO DO ANYTHING.
UH, BUT, UH, I KNOW YOU'VE RAED ON, YOU'VE PICKED ON OFFICER RASH A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT, BUT YEAH, HIS, HE WAS HOLDING THE GUN STEADY.
UH, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS A, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE THE OFFICERS IN ACTION AND THEN, AND THEN PUTTING THEIR LIFE ON LINE FOR THE FOR, FOR CITIZENS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RECOGNIZING THAT.
[10. EXECUTIVE SESSION]
WE ARE GOING TO RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT OF TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 5 5 1 0.012 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE TO DELIBERATE THE PURCHASE AND EXCHANGE LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY.[a. Consider an ordinance to exchange tracts of land located at 1004 Market Street, 1006 Market Street, 1010 Market Street, and 1011 West Texas Avenue, with Lee College for tracts of land 909 Decker Drive and 2 Price Street. ]
UM, THIS IS THE PROJECT THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.IF YOU WOULD LIKE FOR ME TO GO OVER IT IN THE PUBLIC AT THIS POINT.
I CAN, IF YOU, AFTER THIS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE COMMENT, BUT HE HAS, WE'RE ALLOWING HIM TO EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON AND THEN I NORMALLY OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, UH, WHAT THIS, UH, EXCHANGE WILL BE IS, UH, LEE COLLEGE DID A, UH, RESOLUTION, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO, WHERE THEY AUTHORIZED THE EXCHANGE OF THESE PROPERTIES, UH, WITH THE CITY OF BAY TOWN'S PROPERTIES THAT ARE ON MARKET STREET THAT WERE RECENTLY PURCHASED, AND ONE THAT'S ON, UM, TEXAS AVENUE.
THE CITY WOULD WORK WITH LEE COLLEGE EXCHANGE, THE, UH, DAYCARE AREA AND THE, UH, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BUILDING THAT'S ON THE FRONT PART ON THE INTERSECTION OF DECKER, UH, MARKET AND TEXAS AVENUE.
UM, IN EXCHANGE, THE CITY WOULD HAND OVER THE PPSI BUILDING THAT'S THERE, UM, AND THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AS NECESSARY FOR THEIR NEEDS.
UM, AND IT'S NOT OUR PLACE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT LEE COLLEGE WANTS TO DO, UH, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE THAT AREA AND WOULD SAY IT'S A, AN EQUAL SWAP OF LAND.
[02:25:01]
UH, BOTH PARTIES WORK TO DO AS, AS FAIR AND AS EQUIVALENT AS POSSIBLE.AND THIS WOULD BE FOR THE, UH, EXXONMOBIL EVENT CENTER.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE AT THIS TIME, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS WE ARE GONNA HAVE, WE HAVE ONE PERSON SIGN UP TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR ADDRESS FOR RECORD.
MOST OF YOU KNOW I'M AN OPTOMETRIST RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THIS PROPERTY.
I MEAN, MY OFFICE IS, I LOOK OUT MY FRONT DOOR AND I SEE THE BIG LEE COLLEGE BUILDING.
THAT THING IS GONNA COME DOWN AND JUST CREATE HAVOC.
A WORKING DAYCARE CENTER IS GOING TO BE COMING DOWN TO CREATE MORE SPACE FOR THIS TERRIBLY PROPOSED PROJECT VECTOR THAT'S GONNA BE ON DECKER DRIVE.
THE EQUIPMENT, THE HEAVY EQUIPMENT'S GONNA RIP UP DECKER DRIVE.
EVEN WORSE, THE NOISE IS GONNA BE CRAZY IN MY OFFICE, AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM ME SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST, TERRIBLE LOCATION, NO HOTELS NEARBY.
I JUST THINK THE WHOLE THING SHOULD BE TRASHED FROM THIS AREA.
I, I DON'T WANNA SEE THE CONSTRUCTION AT MY OFFICE FOR THREE YEARS.
FIRST THE COMING DOWN, THEN THE GOING BACK UP.
THE HEAVY MACHINERY NOT CONDUCIVE FOR MY BUSINESS.
WE GET, YOU KNOW, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE EMS WORKERS COMING DOWN WITH, WITH SIRENS BLA BLARING DOWN, UH, STERLING STREET.
BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE NONSTOP NOISE.
JUST NOT, NOT GOOD FOR BUSINESS.
I DON'T THINK THE WHOLE PROJECT IS GOOD FOR BAYTOWN.
IT'S NOT, YOU DON'T HAVE HOTELS NEARBY FOR TOURISM.
IT'S JUST, JUST POORLY PLANNED.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE A, A, A CITIZEN'S COUNCIL TO PLAN THIS LOCATION.
IT WASN'T ON ANY, I MEAN, I, I'M SURE YOU SAY, OH, WELL EXXON'S GIVING US THE MONEY, BUT IS EXXON'S NOT GIVING US THE MONEY? THEY'RE TAKING $75 MILLION OUT OF OUR TAX DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE NAMING RIGHTS.
THIS WHOLE THING SHOULD HAVE BEEN A STADIUM UP NEAR INTERSTATE 10.
SO YOU AT LEAST WE COULD GET HOPE.
HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES, WHERE IT'S GOING IN NOW, PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA WANNA GO UP GARTH, THEY'RE GONNA JUMP ON 1 46 AND GO DOWN TO LAPORTE AND THEY'RE GONNA GET OCCUPANCY TAXES.
THE WHOLE THING SHOULD BE GUTTED AND IT'S JUST GONNA KILL OFF DECKER DRIVE IN MY BUSINESS.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 11 A SECOND WITH THE OH, YES, THE, UM, COUNSEL, IF WE COULD, UH, AMEND THE MOTION TO INCLUDE, UH, WEST DIRECTION THAT, UH, WE ENTER INTO A CONTRACT AS DISCUSSED DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION.
A WI TO INCLUDE, TO INCLUDE ITEMS ON THE CONTRACT THAT ARE YET TO BE NEGOTIATED AS DISCUSSED, AS DISCUSSED AS DISCUSS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
HAVING EXHAUSTED EVERYTHING ON THIS AGENDA, I NOW ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 9:44 PM WE ARE THE SECOND TIME.