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TO ORDER THE CITY COUNCIL[ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2026 5:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ]
WORKS SESSION ON THURSDAY, MAY 14TH AT 5:30 PM ANNOUNCEMENT, ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER AT 5 33.I'M GONNA START OFF WITH CITIZEN COMMENT.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO, SIR.
[a. Receive a presentation regarding the regulation of gas stations.]
DISCUSSIONS, RECEIVE A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE REGULATIONS OF GAS STATIONS.UM, SO WE'RE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE, UM, THERE, UH, UH, CITY COUNCIL'S WISH TO PUSH NOTHING BUT ELECTRIC CARS ACROSS THE, I'M JUST KIDDING.
UM, DON'T, DON'T WRITE THAT DOWN.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS, THAT WAS NOT TRUE RECORD.
UM, SO WE'RE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CONCERNS EXPRESSED ABOUT HOW MANY GAS STATIONS ARE IN BAYTOWN, THE PROLIFERATION GAS STATIONS, HOW MANY GAS STATIONS ARE AT PARTICULAR INTERSECTIONS, HOW DO WE BEST REGULATE THAT? SO, UM, WHAT WE WANT TO DO TONIGHT IS WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A, UM, OF A HEADS UP ON KIND OF WHAT IT IS WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, AND THEN TRY TO GET SOME DIRECTION ON SOME CONSENSUS FROM THE COUNCIL TO SAY, OKAY, THIS IS WHERE WE WANT YOU TO GO WITH IT, OR WE'RE OKAY WITH WHAT'S ALREADY THERE.
SO, UM, AGAIN, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 70 GAS STATIONS IN BAYTOWN THAT IS, AND I SAY SOMEWHERE AROUND BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON WHETHER YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UM, PARTICULAR RECORDS AND WHETHER THEY'RE ACTUALLY INSIDE BAYTOWN OR JUST A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE OF BAYTOWN.
AND WE DO SEE APPLICATIONS FOR NEW GAS STATIONS ALL THE TIME.
UM, THEY ARE CURRENTLY ALLOWED IN ALL OUR COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS AND OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS, AND SOME OF THE MIXED USE DISTRICTS AS WELL.
THE FORM-BASED CODE, UH, ONES THAT LIKE, UM, UH, THE SAN JUSTINO, UM, DISTRICTS AND THE DOWNTOWN, UH, THE ARTS DISTRICTS, THOSE DO NOT ALLOW, OR IF THEY DO, THEY HAVE EXTRA, UM, EXTRA REGULATIONS ON THEM.
UM, MUCH LIKE WHAT WE TALKED, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT SHORT TERM RENTALS, THAT SORT OF THING.
NOT THAT WE'RE DONE WITH THAT, BUT WE DID TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T BAN THESE USES OUTRIGHT, UH, BUT WE CAN TIGHTEN UP THE REGULATIONS SO THAT, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH GAS STATIONS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC WELFARE.
SO, UH, TRAFFIC, ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS, ANY KIND OF NEIGHBORHOOD COMPATIBILITY.
THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS WE CAN CONSIDER WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT TIGHTENING UP THOSE REGULATIONS.
AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, STAFF IS SEEKING DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL TONIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, OR AGAIN, IF EVERYBODY IS IN, UH, AGREEMENT THAT IT'S OKAY THE WAY IT IS, THEN THAT'S ALSO ONE OUTCOME.
SO, JUST TO SHOW YOU, THIS IS, UH, OBVIOUSLY A MAP OF BAYTOWN.
YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, GREEN DOTS.
AND THE YELLOW DOTS ARE WHERE, AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE THAT, SOME OF THAT DEPENDS ON WHICH SOURCE YOU LOOK AT.
UM, THOSE ARE THE GAS STATION LOCATIONS AND, UH, THAT IS OVERLAID ON THE ZONING MAP FOR THE CITY.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT ALMOST ALL OF THOSE ARE E EITHER IN, UH, RED OR OR ORANGE.
AND THOSE ARE COMMERCIAL ZONES AS GENERAL COMMERCIAL OR FREEWAY COMMERCIAL, UH, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE PURPLE, WHICH IS THE MIXED USE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO JUST TO GET KIND OF AN IDEA OF WHERE THOSE ARE CURRENTLY, ANYWHERE THERE IS RED OR ORANGE OR SOME OF THE PURPLE, YOU CAN PUT MORE GAS STATIONS THERE NOW BY RIGHT.
WE CAN'T TELL 'EM NO, AS LONG AS THEY MEET OUR CRITERIA.
SO YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT CITY COUNCIL HAS DONE SOME DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS IN THE PAST.
SO THESE ARE NOT GAS STATIONS, WE'RE GONNA GET TO THAT.
BUT THIS IS JUST, AGAIN, FOR A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY AND CONTEXT.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT ONES.
ONE IS, UH, FOR ANY REZONES FOR MULTIFAMILY.
SO ANY KIND OF APARTMENTS OVER 50 UNITS HAVE TO BE AT LEAST HALF A MILE AWAY FROM EXISTING MULTIFAMILY.
THAT IS A CITY COUNCIL POLICY, NOT A ZONING REGULATION.
UM, I, I WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF THOSE BECAUSE THEY'RE A LITTLE HARDER TO ENFORCE.
AND, UM, I'M NOT SURE LONG TERM IF THOSE ARE, ARE THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
UM, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THOSE POLICIES, SO WRITTEN INTO THAT.
ONE IS THAT IF IT'S IN A PUD OR IF CITY COUNCIL DECIDES THIS ONE'S OKAY, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL RIGHT WITH THIS, THEN YOU CAN JUST SORT OF IGNORE THE POLICY, TAKE A VOTE AND MOVE ON WITH, WITH THAT.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A, WHAT STARTED AS A CITY COUNCIL POLICY AND THEN WAS LATER PUT INTO THE ULDC WHEN THE, WHEN THE NEW ONE CAME IN ONLINE LAST YEAR, THAT SELF STORAGE, UH, FACILITIES HAVE TO BE LOCATED AT LEAST ONE MILE FROM EXISTING SELF STORAGE.
SO THIS ONE'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO WITH THE REZONE, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE USE ITSELF.
SO ONCE AGAIN, IT WAS A POLICY WE INCORPORATED INTO THE ULDC BECAUSE WE FELT THAT WOULD BE MORE ENFORCEABLE
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THAT WAY.CURRENTLY IN THE ULDC GAS STATIONS ARE REGULATED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE PUMPS THEMSELVES HAVE TO BE AT LEAST A HUNDRED FEET FROM RESIDENTIAL AND AT LEAST 15 FEET FROM THE STREET FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, THERE ARE SOME OTHER SPECIFIC BUFFERY YARD REQUIREMENTS HAVING TO DO WITH LANDSCAPING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS ABOUT THE PUMPS THEMSELVES AND NOT ABOUT THE GAS STATION OVERALL.
SO IT WOULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CONVENIENCE STORE, UM, ENTRANCES, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO I WANT TO KIND OF GO THROUGH WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE FOR REGULATING GAS STATIONS.
AND AGAIN, WE MAY GET TO A POINT WHERE CITY COUNCIL SAYS, UM, THIS IS TOO MUCH, OR MAYBE THERE'S SOME, UM, HAPPY MEDIUM HERE.
UM, SO WHAT YOU CAN DO IN TERMS OF THESE METHODS FOR REGULATING SPACING, YOU CAN IMPOSE A DISTANCE REQUIREMENT BETWEEN GAS STATIONS THEMSELVES.
UH, AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY, IF WE WANTED TO TAKE GAS STATIONS AND SAY, OKAY, RIGHT NOW THEY'RE ALLOWED IN ALL OUR COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS AND MULTI-USE, YOU COULD PAIR THAT BACK TO SAY, OKAY, WE DON'T WANNA ALLOW IN MULTI-USE, UM, OR MIXED USE.
UH, WE DON'T WANNA ALLOW 'EM IN INDUSTRIAL.
WE ONLY WANNA ALLOW THEM IN GENERAL COMMERCIAL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I WOULD BE WARY OF RESTRICTING IT TOO MUCH BECAUSE YOU GET INTO, UM, ISSUES OF, OF POSSIBLE TAKINGS, UM, IN DOWN THE ROAD IF SOMEBODY SAYS, WELL, I BOUGHT THIS PROPERTY BECAUSE I'M GONNA PUT A GAS STATION ON IT AND NOW I CAN'T.
SO JUST BE REALLY CAREFUL ABOUT THAT.
UM, YOU CAN IMPOSE MINIMUM GAS DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS, UH, BETWEEN GAS STATIONS AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS OR SCHOOLS, WHICH AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, UM, THAT'S ALREADY SOMETHING THAT'S IN OUR CODE.
UM, THIS WOULD BE SPECIFICALLY REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY IMPACTS.
UH, YOU CAN MANDATE THAT THE FUEL PUMP ISLANDS AND THE CANOPIES THEMSELVES ARE A SPECIFIC DISTANCE FROM PROPERTY LINES RIGHT AWAY, UM, RESIDENTIAL, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
UH, OR YOU COULD ALSO JUST SAY, OKAY, YOU CAN, NO, YOU CAN NO LONGER HAVE A GAS STATION ON ANYTHING WITH A LOT SIZE LESS THAN TWO ACRES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
RIGHT NOW, A GAS STATION, UH, TYPICAL GAS STATIONS, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A QUARTER ACRE AND AN ACRE, ACRE AND A HALF TOPS.
UM, BUCKY'S OBVIOUSLY BEING THE, THE, THE DIFFERENCE, YOU KNOW, THE, THAT ONE'S NOT JUST A GAS STATION.
SO, UM, SO ANYTHING I'M TALKING ABOUT IGNORE BUCKY'S 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S A DIFFERENT ANIMAL ALTOGETHER.
SO SOME OTHER METHODS, UM, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH OUR SPECIAL USE PERMITS.
WE COULD DO A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR EVERY GAS STATION IF WE WANTED TO.
UH, YOU COULD AT THAT TIME ANALYZE
I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL SHAKING HIS HEAD.
UM, I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, BUT IT IS A THING.
UM, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO ANALYZE LOCATION, THE TRAFFIC AND HOW CLOSE IT IS TO OTHER GAS STATIONS BEFORE MAKING ANY APPROVALS.
UH, AND THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT DO THAT.
UM, AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY BUFFERS.
UM, TCEQ DOES ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS, BUT WE CAN ADOPT ORDINANCES THAT ARE OVER AND ABOVE THAT IF WE WANT TO.
BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME SOLID, UM, STUDIES AND IT WOULD TAKE A LOT MORE TIME AND, AND, UM, RESEARCH TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE DOING THIS TO REDUCE THAT EXPOSURE TO ANY ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS.
SO WE TOOK A LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES, UM, IN THE AREA AND IN TEXAS TO SAY, OKAY, WHAT ARE OTHER COMMUNITIES DOING? SO RIGHT NOW, SAN ANTONIO, SAN ANTONIO, UM, LIMITS THE LOCATION OF GAS STATIONS, UM, FROM RESIDENCES, SCHOOLS, DAYCARES, ASSISTED LIVING HOSPITALS, UM, AND IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE SIZE OF HOW MANY GALLONS THEY STORE.
UM, AND THAT'S EITHER A HUNDRED FEET OR 200 FEET DEPENDING.
UM, MISSOURI CITY ALLOWS GAS STATIONS IN THEIR COMMERCIAL ZONES AND THEN, AND THEN IF A SITE DOES TOUCH A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, THEN THEY HAVE TO, THAT TRIGGERS A, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
AND THEY ALSO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL RULES, UH, REGARDING SOME INTERSECTION PLACEMENT AND DENSITY OF THE GAS STATIONS THEMSELVES.
UH, THE CITY OF FATE, UH, HAS IN THEIR CODE THAT YOU CAN HAVE A MAX MAXIMUM OF TWO GAS STATIONS PER INTERSECTION.
SO ONCE YOU HIT THAT, ANYBODY ELSE IS, UH, NO BUENO AFTER THAT.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A MINIMUM OF 500 FOOT SPACING BETWEEN THE GAS STATIONS AND A MINIMUM OF 400 FEET, UH, FROM SCHOOLS, PARKS OR, UM, CHURCHES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, LEAGUE CITY IS ONE OF THE CITIES THAT DOES A SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPROVAL FOR EVERY SINGLE NEW GAS STATION.
SO IF YOU SEE A GAS STATION IN LEAGUE CITY BEING BUILT, IT HAD TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT TAKES
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THREE TO FOUR MONTHS TO GET THROUGH AND CAN BE, UM, A BIT OF A DRAIN ON NOT JUST US, BUT YOU GUYS AS WELL.AND THEN THE LAST ONE I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU IS, UM, THE CITY OF MISSION.
UM, THEY HAVE A LARGER MINIMUM LOT SIZE.
IT'S A TWO ACRE LOT MINIMUM LOT SIZE FOR GAS STATIONS.
AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE, UH, ADDITIONAL SETBACK AND DRIVEWAY SPACING REQUIREMENTS, UH, FOR ANY NEW GAS STATION.
SO AS I MENTIONED A COUPLE OF TIMES, STAFF IS SEEKING DIRECTION FOR CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT.
KIND OF TELL US WHICH WAY YOU'RE KIND OF THINKING WE SHOULD HEAD WITH THIS SO WE CAN, UH, START TO, UM, POTENTIALLY WRITE SOME, SOME NEW CODE.
UM, THE TIMELINE IS WE'RE THINKING A MONTH, MAYBE TWO MONTHS TO DEVELOP NEW REGULATIONS.
UM, WE WOULD LOOK AT REVIEWING THIS AT PNZ EITHER IN JULY OR AUGUST.
AND THEN, UM, CITY COUNCIL WOULD BE THE MONTH AFTER THAT.
SO EITHER AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER, UH, FOR ANY NEW REGULATIONS THAT WE MIGHT, UM, THINK ARE APPROPRIATE.
UM, AND THIS IS GOOD TO NOTE AND KEEP IN MIND, THE NEW REGULATIONS AREN'T GONNA AFFECT ANY EXISTING GAS STATIONS.
THIS IS ONLY FOR NEW GAS STATIONS.
THE EXISTING STATIONS, IF THEY WERE TO TEAR DOWN AND REBUILD, THEN WE COULD PROBABLY, UM, UM, ENFORCE THE NEW REGULATIONS ON THEM.
BUT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN.
SO FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, THIS IS ONLY NEW GAS STATIONS GOING FORWARD.
AND WITH THAT, THAT IS MY PRESENTATION.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
WELL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT SINCE I WAS SWORN IN LAST YEAR.
'CAUSE I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF RESIDENTS ASKED THE QUESTIONS, WHY ARE WE ALLOWING FOUR GAS STATIONS AT EVERY INTERSECTION? AND IF YOU LOOK BACK, CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT MAP? MAYBE? THERE WE GO.
UM, SOME OF THESE INTERSECTIONS YOU CAN SEE I 10 AND GARTH, SOME OF THEM HAVE THREE.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT ON GARTH AND NORTH MAIN.
WE HAR HARDLY HAVE ANY ON THIS SIDE OF TOWN HERE.
IF YOU EVER NEED TO GO TO A GAS STATION NEAR CITY HALL, YOU'RE DRIVING ALL THE WAY TO ALEXANDER OR ALEXANDER ROAD AND TEXAS AVENUE OR
PARK STREET, WE HAVE MISSOURI.
SO, UM, GETTING A LOT OF PHONE CALLS ABOUT IT AND I, I WAS THE ONE ASKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A DISTANCE REQUIREMENT LOOKING AT WHAT WE DID WITH, UM, APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
AND THEN WE ALSO DID THAT WITH OUTWARD FACING AC MOTELS.
AM I CORRECT? YEARS AGO? THERE IS, THERE IS NO DISTANCE REQUIREMENT ON, WE ACTUALLY, WE DON'T ALLOW MOTELS ANYMORE.
JUST, OKAY, WELL THAT'S WHAT IT WAS THEN.
WHEN IT COMES TO, I THINK MISSOURI CITY WAS THE ONE THAT SAID THAT WAS LOOKING AT THE AMOUNT OF GASOLINE THAT THEY STORE, WHY WOULD THEY DO, UH, SAN SAN ANTONIO? SAN ANTONIO, IS THAT AN ENVIRONMENTAL REASON OR YES.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? UH, I THINK THE BIGGER, THE MORE YOU'RE STORING, THE MORE HAZARDOUS IT BECOMES AND THE, THE BIGGER AREA IT MIGHT, UM, IT MIGHT AFFECT.
AGAIN, THAT'S, I'M, I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON THAT MM-HMM
I'M JUST KIND OF ASSUMING THAT'S WHAT THE, WHAT IT IS.
AGAIN, IF WE, IF WE HAD TO GO INTO ANYTHING THAT HAD TO DO WITH ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE GOOD BACKUP FOR THAT MM-HMM
SO THAT, THAT RESEARCH HAS NOT BEEN DONE YET.
AND THE OTHER REASON, IF A GAS STATION GOES OUT OF BUSINESS, THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SOMEONE TO PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY AND PUT SOMETHING ELSE THERE, THE COST CAN BE A LOT OF MONEY.
AND A LOT OF TIMES YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT WON'T HAPPEN.
I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN LUCKY WITH RACETRACK WITH WHAT'S GOING IN THERE.
AND ALSO AT THE CORNER WHERE DUTCH BROTHERS IS ONCE SALATA WAS, WAS IT? NO SALAD AND GO, WERE AT, AT THE CORNER OF THEY, UM, BUT YOU RARELY SEE THAT HAPPEN NOWADAYS WITH THE PHASE ONE, ESPECIALLY THE PHASE TWO AND THE REMEDIATION OF THE TANKS AND THE SOIL.
SO LET'S SAY THESE GAS STATIONS ARE POPULATING THE AREA RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY GO OUT OF BUSINESS, WE MAY NOT NEVER SEE ANYTHING ELSE GO THERE BECAUSE OF THE COST.
AND, AND IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND TOO, THAT AS WE THINK ABOUT THE NEW REGULATIONS, IF THERE'S A GAS STATION SOMEWHERE AND IT GOES OUTTA BUSINESS, IT CAN SIT FOR UP TO 12 MONTHS WITHOUT HAVING ANYTHING IN IT, AND THEN JUST COME BACK AND DO ANOTHER GAS STATION OH, REALLY? WITHOUT HAVING TO UPDATE ANY, ANY OF THE REGULATIONS.
SO, YEAH, THAT'S, UM, A, AN ABANDONED NON-CONFORMING USE HAS TO STAY THAT WAY FOR OVER 12 MONTHS TO BE CONSIDERED ABANDONED.
UM, I DUNNO WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE OLD SEVEN 11 OVER AT NORTH WIND, BUT WE DEVELOPED THAT ONE
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UM, SO I THINK AT ONE POINT, DID WE NOT DISCUSS, UM, SHOULD A GAS STATION, UM, ABANDON OR SELL THE PROPERTY OR WHATEVER, THAT THEY AT LEAST HAVE TO GO TO LEVEL ONE REMEDIATION? DIDN'T WE DISCUSS THAT AT ONE POINT? UM, I, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S A CITY REGULATION.I THINK THAT'S A TCQ REGULATION.
I, I DON'T, IS IT, I DON'T KNOW THAT IF WE HAVE ANY ABILITY TO AFFECT THAT.
I, I LOOK FROM A USE AND, YOU KNOW, FROM A LAND USE AND PLANNING STANDPOINT AND I, I, I'M JUST NOT SURE CAN WE LOOK INTO THAT? UM, BECAUSE IF, I MEAN, SOMEONE ELSE WANTS TO DO SOMETHING ON A PROPERTY AND THEY CAN'T AFFORD REMEDIATION.
I MEAN, AS YOU CAN TELL HERE, WE'VE GOT TONS MM-HMM
MAYBE WE CAN SHARE THE WEALTH WITH CO UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL IF HE WANTS SOME MORE IN HIS AREA.
IF THE GAS STATION HAS GONE OUT OF BUSINESS AND THE NEW BUSINESS COMING, CAN'T AFFORD TO REMEDIATE MM-HMM
WHO PAYS FOR THAT? WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? LIKE, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M ASKING, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING.
I MEAN, BECAUSE IT WOULD, IT WOULD SIT THERE UNTIL SOMEBODY COULD AFFORD TO RERE.
IT WOULD JUST SIT THERE AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT OLD SEVEN 11 WAS EVEN REMEDIATED.
UM, DID IT HAVE A GAS STATION? IT, IT'S BEEN ABANDONED OR SO LONG, MANY YEARS AGO.
SO WAS IT EVER REMEDIATED? IS IT JUST STILL ALL UNDERGROUND? IT'S STILL OUT THERE.
I REMEMBER THEM DIGGING IT, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING, THEY DIDN'T, NO, THEY NEVER TOOK IT OUT.
THEY BUILT ANOTHER GAS STATION ACROSS THE, THE STREET.
I THINK THAT PROPERTY IS JUST TOO EXPENSIVE.
NO, THE SEVEN 11 DOESN'T HAVE ONE ACROSS THE STREET.
THE OLD ONE, THE OLD SEVEN 11 AT NORTHWOOD AND GARTH, THEY HAVE NEXT TO THE LAUNDROMAT.
IS THAT ONE NOT A GAS STATION NOW? NO, NO.
IT'S ABANDONED WITH JUST THE, WAS THERE.
I ACTUALLY THOUGHT Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ONE A LITTLE FARTHER DOWN IN FRONT OF THE, UM, I WAS GONNA SAY THE OLD RANDALL'S, BUT WHAT IS IT NOW? WELL, THAT ONE TOO.
THAT'S BEEN ABANDONED FOR, FOR QUITE A WHILE.
ALSO THE ONE ON GARTH AND, UM, SPRAY THREE 30, THERE WAS AN EXXON ON GARTH'S SQUARE 30.
WHERE THE SUBWAY AND IT'S BAND.
AND THEN LIKE A HUNDRED FEET DOWN, THERE'S ANOTHER GAS STATION.
SO THEY NEED BOTHER REMEDIATING.
THEY JUST PUT ANOTHER GAS STATION, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE IF THEY ABANDONED THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE THE NEED REMEDIATION AS WELL.
SO THE, THE SHORT ANSWER IS I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, AGAIN, I, I WOULD LOOK AT IT TO SAY WHO'S PAYING FOR THAT.
UM, ORDINARILY WE WOULD LOOK AT NEW BUSINESSES, NEW DEVELOPERS WHO COME IN, THEY HAVE TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO THEIR COSTS SOMEHOW MM-HMM
AND HOPEFULLY THEY'RE GETTING A GREAT DEAL ON THE LAND.
SO THEY CAN AFFORD TO DO SOME OF THAT REMEDIATION.
BUT WE AS, UM, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE IN THAT, IN THAT PART.
CAN WE GO BACK TO WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AGAIN? SURE.
YOU KNOW, I, I DO LIKE WHAT THE CITY OF FAY IS DOING.
TWO GAS STATIONS PER INTERSECTION, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S A HIGHWAY THERE, YOU CAN HAVE ONE ON ONE DIRECTION.
THE OTHER COMING THE OTHER DIRECTION.
UM, THE ONLY THING I THOUGHT ABOUT WAS A DISTANCE REQUIREMENT, MAYBE A MILE OR A HALF A MILE.
IF THERE'S ALREADY AN EXISTING ONE THERE, NOTHING ELSE IS ALLOWED TO GO THERE TO PUT IT OUT IN AREAS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE GAS STATIONS.
BUT I'M OPEN TO WHATEVER YOU ALL ARE OPEN TO.
I, I THINK THE, THE FARTHEST SPACING THAT I FOUND WAS THIS 500 FOOT, 500 FOOT, UM, YOU SAY HALF OF MINE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FIVE TIMES THAT MM-HMM
SO, UM, AGAIN, I KIND OF LOOKED ILLEGAL ON WHETHER THAT WOULD BE REASONABLE OR NOT.
WE, WE'D PROBABLY HAVE TO DO SOME, SOME RESEARCH ON THAT AS WELL.
UH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW SOME INFORMATION ON THAT.
AND, UM, IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE TO KNOW HOW MANY GAS STATIONS WE HAVE IN A SQUARE MILE COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES OUR SIZE ALSO, BECAUSE I I, YOU TRAVEL TO OTHER CITIES AND YOU IN THE AREA, YOU JUST DON'T SEE THREE GAS STATIONS AT AN INTERSECTION.
WE'RE UNIQUE WHEN IT COMES TO THAT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE AN INFLUX OF TRAFFIC DURING THE WORK WEEK.
SO THAT ALONE, YOU KNOW, I THINK MAKES UP FOR HAVING SO MANY.
AND I, AND I'D SAY AT, UM, AT LEAST AT DRC LEVEL, MAYBE NOT APPLICATIONS, BUT DRC REVIEW, SO THAT'S THAT HIGH LEVEL DEVELOPMENT REVIEW THAT WE DO, WE PROBABLY SEE A NEW ONE
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MINIMUM EVERY TWO OR THREE MONTHS THAT, THAT OFTEN MM-HMMTHEY, NOT MANY OF THOSE HAVE COMPLETED THE PROCESS OR ACTUALLY GONE TO APPLICATION STAGE MM-HMM
BECAUSE THEY ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE PROBLEMS THAT THEY CAN'T OVERCOME, UM, WITH THE CODE ITSELF.
BUT, BUT WE DO SEE NEW APPLICATIONS ALL THE TIME.
CAN YOU REPEAT IT? THEY ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WHAT? WITH THE EXISTING CODE.
NOT, NOT NECESSARILY A SPACING REQUIREMENT, BUT OTHER THINGS HAVING TO DO WITH PARKING ENTRANCES, UM, STUFF LIKE THAT.
IF, IF SOMETHING STUCK OUT TO ME, TO ME AS WELL, WAS WITH FATE, I DON'T WANT TO OVERLY REGULATE GAS STATIONS, BUT IF SOMETHING WAS, THE MORE REASONABLE ONE WOULD BE BE WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH TWO MAXIMUM STATIONS PER INTERSECTION.
I THINK ABOUT WAY OUR CITY'S LAID OUT NOW.
UM, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT WITHIN THE CITY.
I SEE MORE THAN TWO GAS STATIONS, BUT I KNOW AS YOU GET TOWARDS THE BUSIER AREAS PER THREE 30 AND I 10, THAT THAT CHANGES.
SO, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THOSE PURPLE AREA ZONES, I, I, I WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA BUILD A GAS STATION, YOU SAID THEY'RE GONNA BUILD A GAS STATION, BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I'LL ENTERTAIN PERHAPS WHAT CITY OF FAITH'S DOING, UM, I WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ON, UH, RE REMEDIATION AND IF WE COULD, IF WE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UH, IF, IF WE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT WHEN WE DID IT FOR THE, THE BATTERY STORAGE FACILITIES THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAD AN EXTRA STRATEGY WHERE THEY WOULD'VE TO REMEDIATE SOME IN SOME SHAPE OR FORM.
I LIKE TO SEE THAT, UH, BE PUT INTO PLACE HERE IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE GAS STATION, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S LAND THAT'S JUST SITTING THERE AFTER IT'S BEEN USED AND BECOMES VACANT AND CREATES BLIGHT.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING, IT, IT'D PROBABLY ALONG THOSE LINES, I, I WILL JUST REMIND YOU TOO THAT, UM, I KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT, BUT REMEMBER THAT EVERYTHING WE PUT INTO PLACE NOT ONLY HAS TO BE REASONABLE, THERE HAS TO BE A REASON BEHIND IT.
WE, IF IT COMES OFF LOOKING ARBITRARY, THEN WE CREATE PROBLEMS FOR THE CITY.
AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S MINE AND SCOTT'S JOBS TO MAKE SURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
UM, I, I MEAN MY COMMENTS, I, I DON'T THINK WE NEED ANY ADDITIONAL REGULATION ON GAS STATIONS.
UM, I, I MEAN, I CAN'T THINK OF TOO MANY INTERSECTIONS WHERE WE HAVE MORE THAN TWO ALREADY.
UM, LIKE Y'ALL SAID, WHERE THAT MAY EXIST IS I TEN THREE THIRTY.
HONESTLY, I WOULDN'T WANNA LIMIT THOSE AREAS THAT'S FOLKS PASSING THROUGH THAT STOP AND GET GAS AND WE GET SALES TAX OFF OF 'EM AS THEY PASS THROUGH TOWN.
UM, SO I WOULDN'T WANT TO LIMIT, UH, OUR ABILITY TO, TO GET, YOU KNOW, TO GET THAT REVENUE FROM FOLKS THAT ARE PASSING THROUGH.
WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE FROM CITIZENS.
UM, SO I, AND I THINK THE MARKET IS FOR THE MOST PART, IS GONNA REGULATE ITSELF.
I MEAN, WE, WE CAN NAME ALL THE NEW GAS STATIONS WE'VE SEEN AND, AND I CAN THINK OF FIVE OR SIX THAT HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS.
I MEAN, IT THERE, I THINK THERE'S A NATURAL LIFE TO IT.
UM, I, I COULD THINK OF FIVE OR SIX AND THERE'S MORE.
I MEAN, Y'ALL WERE NAMING EVEN MORE THAT I HADN'T THOUGHT OF.
SO, UM, I THINK THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER ISSUE IS WHERE DO WE STOP, RIGHT? I MEAN, I'VE HEARD A, A FEW PEOPLE SAY LIKE, WE HAVE TOO MANY GAS STATIONS, BUT THEN THREE OTHER PEOPLE CHIME IN WITH AND TOO MANY MATTRESS STORES AND TAQUERIAS AND NAIL SALONS.
SO ARE WE GONNA LIMIT ALL OF THOSE TWO? UM, I READ ALL THEIR COMMENTS LAYING ON MY MATTRESS I BOUGHT IN BAYTOWN.
SO, UM, NO, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO.
I I THINK THE MARKET IS NATURALLY GOING TO, UM, CONTROL THIS.
UH, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO OVER-REGULATE.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I AM ON IT.
AND MY GAS LIGHT'S ON, SO I GOTTA GET GAS ON THE WAY.
I WAS JUST GONNA SHARE, I, I LOOKED UP SOME STUFF REAL QUICK ABOUT FATE, TEXAS, AND I JUST FOUND THIS INTERESTING THERE.
THEY TWO GAS STATIONS PER INTERSECTION AND WE'RE 37 SQUARE MILES.
AND ACCORDING TO GOOGLE, THEY'RE ONLY 12 SQUARE MILES AND THEY HAVE 32,000 PEOPLE AND WE'RE PUSHING 85,000.
SO REALLY THEIR TWO GAS STATIONS IS STATISTICALLY A LOT MORE THAN US IN THE SQUARE MILES.
SO JUST THOUGHT I'D THROW THAT OUT THERE.
WELL, THE, THE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MATTRESSES, TACO, RIBS, AND NAIL SHOPS WHEN THEY GO OUT OF BUSINESS, THEY CAN EASILY BE REOCCUPIED SOME OF THE ONES, SOME OF THE GAS STATIONS WE JUST NAMED NORTHWOOD.
YOU LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC OUT THERE, THEY COULD PROBABLY HAVE ANOTHER BUSINESS GO IN THERE NICER IF
[00:25:01]
THAT PLACE COULD BE REMEDIATED.UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT SPUR THREE 30, UH, THE GAS STATION THAT WAS THERE WITH THE SUBWAY, THAT COULD PROBABLY BE REMEDIATED AND HAVE SOMETHING ELSE GO THERE.
SO THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT ONCE THESE THINGS GO A PHASE ONE, PHASE TWO, WE ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER PROPERTY WHERE A COMPANY WAS GONNA COME IN AND DO A PHASE TWO.
THEY WERE GONNA CLEAN IT AND PUT A WAREHOUSE THERE, AND WE CAN LOOK AT HOW MANY OTHER OPTIONS ARE WANTING TO GO THERE.
AND ONE OF THOSE OPTIONS WOULD PROBABLY BE A TRUCK STOP.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T WANT IN OUR CITY.
AND WE CHOSE TO REGULATE THOSE, EVEN THOUGH THOSE ALSO BRING IN REVENUE FOR OUR CITY TOO.
WHEN PEOPLE PASS THROUGH HERE, ESPECIALLY WITH 99 COMING, UM, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PLENTY MORE TRUCKS PASSING THROUGH THERE.
BUT WE CHOSE TO REGULATE TRUCK STOPS.
WE CHOSE TO REGULATE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND WE CHOSE TO BAN MOTELS EVEN THOUGH THEY BRING PEOPLE IN TO STAY IN OUR CITY TO SPEND MONEY IN OUR CITY.
ANYONE ELSE? UH, I'LL JUMP IN.
UM, I KIND OF AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE THAT I'M A LITTLE LEERY AS FAR AS TRYING TO PUT SOME ONEROUS REGULATIONS ON THE GAS STATIONS.
IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE MAP, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO IT.
IF YOU LOOKED AT THE MAP, THERE'S A HIGHER CONCENTRATION OF THE GAS STATIONS IN OUR MAJOR COMMERCIAL AREAS.
UM, I AGREE WITH MAYBE IF WE WANNA LOOK AT SOMETHING TO KEEP 'EM OUT OF THE MIXED USE ZONING AREAS OR ANYTHING CLOSER TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS THAT MAY BE REASONABLE.
BUT IF IT'S A COMMERCIAL DISTRICT OR LIGHT INDUSTRIAL, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT 'EM.
UM, AS FAR AS MORE THAN ONE OR TWO AT AN INTERSECTION, IF IT'S A HOTSPOT AND THE MARKET SAYS IT CAN SUSTAIN ONE ON EVERY CORNER, IT OUR CITIZENS GET A BENEFITED OUT OF THAT.
UM, I WAS TELLING THE CITY MANAGER THE OTHER DAY THAT ONE OF THE, UH, BEST DECISIONS THAT, THAT ONE OF OUR PREVIOUS COUNCILS DID WAS AFTER A COUPLE OF HURRICANES, UH, WE REQUIRE THAT, UH, GAS STATIONS HAVE SOME TYPE OF SECONDARY POWER TO THE PUMPS.
UM, AND THAT WAS AFTER A HURRICANE WHEN, WHEN TWO THIRDS OF THE CITY DIDN'T HAVE ELECTRICITY AND THERE WAS, EVERYBODY WAS OUTTA GAS, THERE WAS PLENTY OF GAS IN THE TANKS, BUT NOBODY COULD GET 'EM.
AND THERE WAS NO PLUGS OR ANY WAY TO, TO, TO ELECTRIFY THE PUMPS.
COUNCIL CAME IN AND SAID ANYTHING NEW COMING IN HAS GOTTA HAVE SECONDARY POWER.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS A GREAT REGULATION THAT BENEFITED EVERYBODY.
UM, I, BUT I'M NOT REAL KEEN AS FAR AS TRYING TO LIMIT THE NUMBERS AT AN INTERSECTION.
I, I MIGHT BE RE RECEPTIVE TO DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS FROM RESIDENTIAL AREAS OR SCHOOLS.
UM, BUT WE JUST NEED, THAT'S A REAL SLIPPERY SLOPE.
SOMETIMES WE GET INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA THINK ABOUT THE FAR REGION SIDE OF IT.
BUT AGAIN, THE MAP, I, I WAS EXPECTING TO SEE A PROLIFERATION THIS SHOTGUN PATTERN, BUT IT, IT'S STRAIGHT UP OUR MAJOR COMMERCIAL DISTRICT AREAS.
AND I THOUGHT THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE IT SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, ALONG I 10 ON THREE 30 UP GARTH ROAD UP MAIN, YOU KIND OF START SEEING SOME OF THE STUFF UP ON SLANDER 1 46 GOING UP AND IT'S KIND OF, THAT'S WHERE WE WANT THOSE TYPE OPERATIONS.
SO I I, I JUST THINK MAYBE A LITTLE MORE DISCUSSION, BUT WE JUST, I JUST FEEL WE NEED TO BE REAL CAUTIOUS ABOUT STARTING TO LIMIT BUSINESS.
IT'S THIS, WE JUST NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THAT.
I HEAR YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, AND, AND I AGREE, YOU KNOW, WHEN A BUSINESS GOES OUT, IT CREATES PROBLEMS. UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING IN INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT REGULATING, UM, NEWER GAS STATIONS OR, OR, OR NEW BUILDS, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, UM, OUT OUTSIDE OF THIS DISCUSSION TO, UM, PUT INTO PLACE WHERE IF, IF THERE IS SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN THE GROUND, THEY HAVE TO, IF THEY GO OUTTA BUSINESS, THEY HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP.
I MEAN, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE COULD ENFORCE, UM, LET THOSE BUSINESS ARE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS? 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY.
SO THIS IS, THAT'S AN EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION THAT IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, I MEAN, THEN, THEN WHO PAYS FOR IT? THEN WE END UP PAYING FOR IT.
THAT'S THE ONLY OTHER OPTION I THINK.
AND I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO TAKE ON THAT KIND OF, UH, EXPENSE OR LIABILITY.
SO I I, IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE A, IT'S, NO, I KNOW IT'S JUST A THOUGHT OUT THERE, LIKE A THING THAT YOU THINK DO, UM, MAYBE THAT DOESN'T WORK.
WE WANT YOU TO FIX THIS, BUT YOU'RE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS.
IF IT WAS EASY, IF YOU COULD JUST GET OUT THERE WITH A HOSE AND HOSES THAT MEAN YOU'RE GOOD.
SHOULD, UM, A NEW BUSINESS THAT COMES IN THAT IS NOT A GAS STATION AND THEY WANNA OPEN UP AT THAT GAS STATION AT, UH, NORTHWOOD AND GARTH, AND WE SEE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THERE, COULD WE ASSIST WITH
[00:30:01]
SOME SORT OF INCENTIVE OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD KIND OF CUT THEIR COST JUST A LITTLE BIT IN REMEDIATION? LIKE THAT WOULD BE UP TO YOU AND, AND KATIE, I MEAN, IT'S JUST AN IDEA.UM, I THINK YOU CAN PROVIDE ANY KIND OF INCENTIVE FOR REMEDIATION LIKE THAT, THAT YOU WANTED TO, WHETHER FINANCIALLY THAT'S SOMETHING THE CITY WANTS TO TAKE ON.
MAYOR COUNSEL THAT'LL COME TO US.
IF SOMEBODY'S LOOKING AT PURCHASING A LOT, THEY WILL GIVE US THE FINANCIAL GAP THAT THEY NEED AND THEN WE'LL BRING THAT TO YOU ALL FOR CONSIDERATION EACH TIME.
UM, CAN YOU GO BACK A COUPLE BEFORE THE CITIES, I THINK WE HAD, UM, UH, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? WE HAD, UM, PUT A REGULATION, BUT THAT, YOU SAID IT WAS A COUNCIL, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS.
THAT IT WAS JUST A COUNCIL REGULATION.
THE APARTMENT DISTANCING IS, UH, A CITY COUNCIL POLICY AND THE SELF STORAGE WAS CITY COUNCIL POLICY WE INCORPORATED INTO THE ZONING CODE.
NO, IT, IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE.
AND I, I THINK MY QUESTION WAS LIKE, IF IT WAS HARD TO REGULATE IT, IT WAS A POLICY THAT WE CREATED, BUT IT'S HARD TO REGULATE HOW MANY HAVE COME IN, YOU KNOW, OVER THAT REGULATION.
DID IT HAVE TO COME TO US? IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE.
SORRY, WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE SUVS WHEN HE JUST SAID HOW LONG THEY TAKE? AND I THINK SO, UM, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE FIRST SLIDE? SURE.
UM,
I DON'T KNOW SAYING, I WAS JUST THINKING HOW MANY ACTUALLY CAME IN IF HE SAID IT WAS HARD FOR US TO REGULATE.
SO I, I THINK SO IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY KIND OF CHANGES TO HOW WE HANDLE AS A CITY, THESE TYPES OF USES, I THINK THAT THE, THE SMART BET IS TO PUT IT INTO THE CODE.
I THINK WHEN YOU START GETTING INTO LAND USE STUFF LIKE THAT, WE START CROSSING STREAMS A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF THE CITY COUNCIL POLICY VERSUS A REGULATION.
AND, AND I THINK WE ALL KIND OF THROW OUT, THREW OUT, UM, SOME ITEMS HERE.
AND I, I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY COME TO A MEDIAN AND I THINK I WOULD BE OKAY WITH MAYBE ENACTING SOMETHING WHERE IF IT'S CLOSE TO A SCHOOL OR RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, THAT I WOULD BE OKAY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO, TO LIMIT OR REGULATE.
UM, BUT I DO AGREE, GOING DOWN MAJOR CORRIDORS COMMERCIAL, THERE'S NOT MUCH WE CAN DO THERE IF A BUSINESS IS GOING TO WANNA COME IN AND DO BUSINESS.
LIKE IF THERE'S MONEY TO BE MADE.
SEE LAURA, I THINK THE, THE COMMENT THAT, UH, THAT WAS MADE WAS IT WAS BASED ON THE CITY COUNCIL POLICY.
WITH EXCEPTIONS IS DIFFICULT FOR STAFF TO, TO ENFORCE.
BECAUSE THEY COULD LOOK AT THE POLICY AND ENFORCE THAT POLICY, BUT THEN WE HAVE EXCEPTIONS MM-HMM
AND SO IT'S, THAT REALLY PUTS STAFF IN A TOUGH POSITION WHEN THEY'RE NEGOTIATING WITH BUSINESSES AND STUFF.
LIKE I THINK I, I, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WHAT YOU ALLUDED TO IN YOUR COMMENT.
AND I THINK LONG TERM, THOSE ARE JUST TOUGH TO, UM, WE'VE NEVER BEEN CHALLENGED, BUT SHOULD WE GET CHALLENGED? WILL IT HOLD UP? I'M, I'M NOT SURE.
LIKE I SAID, I DIDN'T SAY IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T WORK.
I'M JUST SAYING IT MAKES ME NERVOUS.
UM, AND I WOULD RATHER, WHATEVER CHANGE WE MAKE, PUT IT INTO THE CODE ITSELF, THAT WAY WE HAVE A VERY CLEAR PATH TO, UM, APPEALS, VARIANCES, ANY KIND OF CHANGES.
SO WE'VE HAD, UM, THE POLICY IS FOR APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
IT'S NOT FOR, IT'S NOT FOR, IF IT'S ALREADY ZONED FOR APARTMENTS, THEN WE HAVE, WE THIS THAT DOESN'T APPLY.
UM, I WAS JUST THINKING WHEN YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU MIGHT BE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING AS FAR AS A DISTANCE WITH CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS, I IMMEDIATELY PUSH BACK AND DON'T WANNA DO THAT BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT HOW THAT WOULD HINDER GROWTH ON MARKET STREET, ON THIS SIDE OF TOWN, BECAUSE I THINK OF THE SCHOOLS, SAN JACINTO LEE HIGH SCHOOL, FOLLOWED BY A FEW CHURCHES IMPACT.
AND SO, AND THIS IS AN AREA THAT WOULD NEED THAT, THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE GAS STATIONS AVAILABLE.
UM, AND SO YOU, BECAUSE YOU WERE SAYING EARLIER, WE GOTTA GO ALL THE WAY TO ALEXANDER
[00:35:01]
IN TEXAS, AND, AND I, I KNOW THAT TRUTH EVERY SINGLE DAY.AND SO, UM, I JUST, I WORRY BECAUSE WHERE, WHERE YOU, WHERE WE SEE SO MANY OF THEM IS ALONG THOSE MAJOR CORRIDORS, AND IF, IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD'VE BEEN DISCUSSED, YOU KNOW, MANY MOONS AGO, IT, IT MIGHT HAVE MADE A BETTER IMPACT ON THE PROBLEMS THAT THAT, THAT YOU'VE POINTED OUT.
BUT NOW, IF WE ENACTED SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I THINK IT WOULD HURT THE AREAS THAT WE NEED, NEED THE GAS STATIONS.
WELL, MY, MY THINKING WAS THAT IF WE DID DO A DISTANCE REQUIREMENT, IT WOULD DRIVE THEM TO THIS SIDE OF TOWN BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY MORE GOING.
WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE COMPLAINING SAYING THERE'S NOT ENOUGH GAS STATIONS ON THE SIDE OF TOWN WHERE I LIVE.
WE'RE HEARING ABOUT THIS SIDE.
AND THIS WOULD ACTUALLY PUSH THEM, PUSH THEM TO THIS SIDE.
NO ONE ON MY SIDE OF TOWN IS SAYING, WE NEED MORE GAS STATION.
THEY'RE SAYING, WE HAVE TOO MANY.
Y'ALL, AND ON THIS SIDE OF TOWN, MAN, WHY CAN'T WE GET A GAS STATION WITH MAYBE AN AT TM OR SOMETHING IN IT, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM
MAYOR, CAN WE GET DIRECTION RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SIX MEMBERS UP HERE AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S VERY SPLIT.
AND, UM, I THINK WE, I THINK MOST OF US ARE OKAY WITH LOOKING AT SOME DISTANCES.
IF YOU ALL CAN COME UP WITH SOME THINGS FOR THAT.
AND WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS SCHOOLS AND, AND, UM, AND ZONING.
I BRING THAT BACK TO US AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THOSE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
IS THAT THE CONSENSUS OF COUNSEL? I, I, UM, I THINK I WANT TO BE IN THE MIDDLE.
I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I, I AS ALWAYS, YOU'VE ALWAYS SAID YOU DROP A PIN AND MM-HMM
WE HAVE MISSOURI AND 1 46, UM, WHERE THERE'S A GAS STATION, IF THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER ONE THAT COMES IN AND MAYBE THEY GO AT 1 46 AND AND 90.
UM, IS THERE ONE PLAN FOR THAT? DO WE KNOW OF ANY 1 46 AND 99? YEAH.
NINE ALEXANDER ACROSS FROM THE SCHOOL, THE JUNIOR HIGH ACROSS FROM, YEAH.
I MEAN THAT COULD, I KNOW THERE'S A, YEAH, I WILL DISCUSS WITH Y'ALL LATER.
AND SO WE HAVE THOSE THREE POTENTIAL AND THEN IF WE WANNA GET ONE ON MARKET FURTHER OUT, LIKE FU TOWN USED TO BE IN ALL THAT AREA.
I THINK WE, WE CAN'T LIMIT THE ONES ON THE COMMERCIAL.
AND IF WE WANNA DO MAYBE A 200 SCHOOLS AND, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS, DEPENDING ON THEIR SIZE.
SO IF IT'S GONNA BE A HUGE GAS STATION WITH LOTS MORE GAS IN IT, I WOULDN'T WANT THAT RIGHT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, CAN I MAKE A, A RECOMMENDATION? YEAH.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I MENTIONED THAT YOU GUYS HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT IS LIMITING TO LESS, UH, ZONING DISTRICTS.
THAT WOULD BE A PRETTY EASY, THAT WOULD BE A PRETTY EASY WAY TO LIMIT THEM AND WOULD BE VERY DEFENSIBLE IN TERMS OF THESE DON'T FIT IN NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL, THEY DON'T FIT IN MIXED USE.
MAYBE ONLY GENERAL COMMERCIAL AND FREEWAY COMMERCIAL, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THAT WOULD BE A PRETTY EASY WAY TO DO IT.
AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO LIMIT ANYTHING ALONG WELL, IT'S NOT GONNA LIMIT ANYTHING ALONG GARTH.
IT WILL LIMIT NORTH MAIN AND WILL LIMIT, UM, AT NORTH ALEXANDER.
WELL, AND WELL, THAT'S WHAT I MEANT BY TAKING A LOOK AT THE ZONING BECAUSE I KNOW MIKE MENTIONED MIXED USE.
UM, THE PLACES THAT YOU THOUGHT IT, THAT IT WOULD FIT.
UM, TAKING A LOOK AT EVERYTHING ELSE TO SEE IF WE LIKED IT THERE.
WE JUST, MAYOR, I'M, I'M SORRY.
WE JUST HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THAT 'CAUSE LIKE THE COMMENT YOU MADE, WELL IF WE, IF WE RESTRICT OR REGULATE IN SOME AREAS, IT, IT WOULD QUOTE FORCE THEM TO COME TO OTHER AREAS WHERE THERE'S NOT ANY, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
THAT'S A MARKET THAT'S MARKET DRIVEN.
IF THEY COULD MAKE MONEY THERE, THEY'D BE THERE NOW.
SO JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN'T BUILD SOMEWHERE ELSE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BUILD SOMEWHERE AND NOT MAKE MONEY.
UM, SO WE, WE JUST NEED TO BE CAREFUL WITH THAT.
I, I DON'T MIND LOOKING AT, AT RESTRICTING, MAYBE TIGHTEN UP ON WHAT ZONES THEY CAN BE IN.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I THINK WE, WE WE'RE JUST GONNA STEP ON OUR FEET.
UH, WE'RE A GROWING COMMUNITY.
70, APPROXIMATELY 70 GAS STATIONS IN TOWN.
A POPULATION OF 85 TO 90,000, 37 SQUARE MILES.
THAT'S NOT OVER PROLIFERATION, UH, OF GAS STATIONS.
NOW I'VE HEARD THE SAME COMMENTS.
WELL, THERE'S ONE ON EVERY CORNER.
'CAUSE NAT CREATES PRICE COMPETITION
[00:40:01]
AND SO FORTH AND SO ON.I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GETTING PRICE COMPETITION NOW THOUGH.
AND SO, BUT I THINK IT MAY SEEM LIKE, I MEAN, YEAH, THERE'S A LOT, BUT SINCE SO MANY OF THEM ARE COMING ONLINE SO QUICKLY, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT'S GETTING MORE PEOPLE'S ATTENTION AS WELL.
SO, SO I HAVE THREE OF Y'ALL THAT ARE OKAY WITH LOOKING AT THE ZONING.
SO WE'LL BRING BACK THE ZONING CONVERSATION, MAYOR.
AND DO Y'ALL HAVE A TIMELINE OR JUST THAT? WHEN STAFF'S READY? WHEN STAFF'S READY.
ANOTHER, UH, ANOTHER WORK SESSION.
NEXT WE'LL RECEIVE A PRESENTATION
[b. Receive a presentation regarding hurricane preparedness.]
REGARDING HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WITH MR. DAVID ALAMI.CAN WE REGULATE THOSE
THE HURRICANE OR THE PREPARED ZONE.
UH, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE AGAIN.
UM, I'M GONNA BE QUICK WITH THIS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS, WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, HOW WE'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN PREPARING FOR THIS HURRICANE SEASON.
WE'LL ALSO GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH A UPDATE ON THE SEASONAL FORECAST THAT WE GOT CURRENTLY ON WHAT THE MODELS ARE INDICATING.
WE'LL BRIEFLY GO OVER SOME OF OUR DISASTER CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, UM, AND SOME OF OUR RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE TO HELP US DURING AN INCIDENT RESPONSE.
UM, SO I COME BARE AND GREAT AND GOOD NEWS.
UM, WITH, UH, THE HURRICANE SEASON FORECAST.
ACCUWEATHER, UH, THE HURRICANE CENTER NEXT WEEK WILL ISSUE THEIR OFFICIAL FORECAST.
UM, BUT ALL OF THE MODELS ARE CURRENTLY INDICATING THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE A BELOW NORMAL ACTIVITY WITHIN THE ATLANTIC BASIN.
UM, LAST YEAR'S REPORTS WERE INDICATING WE WERE GONNA HAVE A VERY ACTIVE HURRICANE SEASON, AND WE DIDN'T SEE THAT.
UM, SO MY MESSAGE HERE WITH THIS IS THE MODELS ARE ONLY MODELS AND WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE PREPARED AND READY FOR ANY HURRICANE.
UM, 'CAUSE IT ONLY TAKES ONE TO MAKE IT A VERY BUSY SEASON, UM, FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
UM, BUT ACCORDING TO COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY, THEY'RE EXPECTING 13 NAMED STORMS IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN.
SIX, UH, HURRICANES, TWO OF WHICH MIGHT BE MAJOR.
AGAIN, THOUGH, THE REPORT IS INDICATED WITHIN THE TEXAS AND THE GULF COAST, UH, BASIN.
UH, VERY LOW ACTIVITY AND THERE'S TWO CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR THAT.
UM, EL NINO AND, UM, COOLER WATERS OUT IN THE ATLANTIC.
SO VERY, UM, DELIGHTFUL NEWS IN TERMS OF THOSE REPORTS.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING WITHIN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN? HOW ARE WE PREPARING OUR DEPARTMENTS? EVERY YEAR? WE UPDATE THE PLANS THAT ARE LISTED IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, THEY'RE AVAILABLE, UM, FOR YOUR, UH, REVIEW AS WELL.
WE CAN SEND THOSE OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS IF YOU'D LIKE TO READ THOSE.
UM, WE GO THROUGH A H MINUS ONE 20 TIMELINE, UM, AS WELL AS A CONDENSED VERSION OF THAT IF WE GET SOMETHING THAT RAPIDLY INTENSIFIES OUT IN THE GULF AND CUT IT DOWN TO 36 HOURS.
AND REALLY IT'S AN ACTION LIST, A CHECKLIST FOR US TO GO THROUGH THAT CITY BY DEPART CITY, DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT, ON WHAT ACTIONS WE NEED TO TAKE, UM, DURING THAT TIME PERIOD TO MAKE SURE WE PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS.
WE HAVE EVACUATION PLANS THAT ARE IN PLACE.
BASICALLY, WE BECOME GREYHOUND FOR A DAY AND PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE.
UM, SO WE HAVE A MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT PLANS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE THAT WE CURRENTLY REVIEW, UM, AND HAVE IN PLACE.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAD, WE HAD A TWO YEAR STUDY DONE.
SO WE HAVE SOME NEW EVACUATION CLEARANCE TIMES FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED.
THERE'S A QR CODE THERE AS WELL.
WE CAN READ MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
WE'VE DONE EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF EXERCISES AND TRAINING THIS YEAR.
I WANT TO GIVE A GREAT SHOUT OUT TO OUR HUMAN RESOURCES, UH, CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
THEY WORKED WITH US LAST YEAR TO DO A LOT OF PROCESS IMPROVEMENT AS WELL AS OUR CHIEF STRATEGIC OFFICER, UM, TO REALLY HONE IN ON SOME IMPROVEMENTS WE CAN MAKE DURING DISASTERS.
UM, A RESULT OF THIS IS WE'VE HAD TRAINING WITH A LOT OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, FACILITIES MAINTENANCE.
WE'VE ALL COME TOGETHER AND HAD TRAINING ON DEBRIS REMOVAL, UH, DAMAGE ASSESSMENT COURSES.
WE ACTUALLY JUST FINISHED UP OUR SECOND DAMAGE ASSESSMENT COURSE TODAY.
AND THEN WE'VE ASSIGNED DIFFERENT ONLINE COURSES FOR ALL OF OUR SUPERVISORS AND TIMEKEEPERS TO HELP US MAXIMIZE OUR REIMBURSEMENT ON OUR TIME AND EFFORT WHEN WE ARE, WHEN WE'RE OUT THERE IN THE FIELD WORKING.
WE HAVE A LIST HERE AS WELL OF SOME DIFFERENT EXTERNAL EXERCISES.
WE PARTICIPATED IN, UM, REGIONAL MASS CARE EXERCISES LAST YEAR.
WE PARTICIPATED IN CENTER POINTS, HURRICANE EXERCISE, AND VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE THEM HERE TO GIVE US UP UPDATE ON THEIR RESILIENCY EFFORTS, DISASTER CONTRACTS.
I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
UM, WE DO HAVE SEVERAL EMERGENCY CONTRACTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE,
[00:45:01]
SOME OF WHICH ARE COMING UP FOR EXPIRATION IN 2027.BUT WE'RE DILIGENTLY WORKING WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND PROCUREMENT TO UPDATE ALL OF THESE RFPS AND RQS IN THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, OUR DEBRIS HAULER, WE MET WITH THEM IN PERSON.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY AT OUR DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND DEBRIS TRAINING COURSES.
UM, THE DEBRIS MONITOR WE HAVE IN PLACE AS WELL TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE FOLLOWING ALL THE COMPLIANCE RULES.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLIES AND CATERING SERVICES THAT CAN COME INTO PLAY DURING A CATASTROPHIC SITUATION.
WEATHER STATIONS, UH, THAT WAS A BIG ONE FOR US LAST TIME IN BUR, UM, A LOT OF OUR WEATHER EQUIPMENT AND STUFF THAT WAS OUT THERE FROM FLOOD CONTROL AND SOME OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS, UM, ACTUALLY WERE DAMAGED.
AND SO WE WENT AHEAD THROUGH SOME DONATIONS.
WE RECEIVED THROUGH COVESTRO TO INSTALL THREE NEW WEATHER STATIONS THAT OUR CITY MAINTAINED AND OPERATED.
NOW ONE AT OUR SOUTH COMMAND CENTER, A NEW ONE AT OUR EMERGENCY OPS CENTER AND A NEW ONE AT 9 1 1 CENTER.
WE ADDITIONALLY HAVE ONE AT OUR FIRE STATION.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE NOW.
RESOURCES, WE HAVE, UH, RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE STORED IN OUR DISASTER SUPPLY WAREHOUSE, UM, WHICH INCLUDES RES AND WATERS.
UH, WE JUST UPDATED OUR ENTIRE STOCK OF SHELTER SUPPLIES, SO WE'RE READY TO GO IN THE NEXT EVENT.
WE HAVE, UH, A NEED TO HELP OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR HIGH WATER VEHICLES.
OUR FLEET WITHIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY OUR MECHANIC SHOP.
UM, AND THEY HAVE EVERYTHING UP AND RUNNING ON THE SEVEN THAT WE HAVE WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE TWO THAT ARE WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, ARE DEPLOYABLE AS WELL.
WE DO HAVE SOME NEW DRONE CAPABILITIES WITHIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT WE CAN DEPLOY FOR DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS AND HELP US OUT WITH SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ALONG WITH THE FLEET OF OUR OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING PD, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, HEALTH, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITH DRONE CAPABILITY GENERATORS.
UM, TWO THINGS ON THE GENERATORS.
UH, WE DO MAINTAIN IN OUR SUPPLY WAREHOUSE AS WELL.
UM, SOME PORTABLE GENERATORS THAT WE CAN DEPLOY OUT TO CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT MAY NEED THEM OR FOR FIELD OPERATIONS.
UM, AND OUR FACILITIES MAINTENANCE TEAM IS DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB MAINTAINING OUR GENERATORS AND ARE OUT THERE INSPECTING THEM, MAINTAINING THEM, AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF RENEWING THEIR MAINTENANCE CONTRACT AS WELL.
SO A BIG SHOUT OUT TO OUR PWE TEAM.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE TWO FUEL DEPOTS.
EVERY TIME WE ACTIVATE THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, WE GET WITH THE FLEET MANAGER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TOP OFF EACH ONE OF OUR FIELD DEPOTS, BOTH AT PUBLIC SAFETY AS WELL AS THE ONE AT THE PW UH, BUILDING AS WELL.
SO WE ARE READY TO GO IN TERMS OF RESOURCES, WE'VE MADE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S PREPARED, WE'RE RENEWING OUR CONTRACTS WHERE NEEDED, AND WE HAVE THOSE THAT ARE IN PLACE FOR EXECUTION.
AND JUST OPEN UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS, UM, BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO CENTERPOINT.
WITH THAT, WE'LL LIKE TO INVITE CENTERPOINT AND ONE OF OUR EXCELLENT PARTNERS HERE TO GO OVER SOME OF THE UPDATES THEY'VE HAD, UM, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND HOW THEY'RE MAKING IT MORE RESILIENT.
TOM JACOBUS, UH, FROM CENTERPOINT EN ENERGY, I'M THE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE OPERATIONS THERE AND HAVE BEEN WITH THE COMPANY ABOUT A YEAR.
UH, SO THE COMPANY'S BEEN INVOLVED IN, UH, IMPROVING STORM PREPAREDNESS, HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS, UH, REALLY SINCE, SINCE BARREL.
AND SO I'M GONNA TALK THROUGH THREE PRIMARY AREAS.
I HAVE A NUMBER OF SLIDES, BUT I'LL TALK THROUGH THREE PRIMARY AREAS.
ONE IS GRID HARDENING, UH, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THE INVESTMENT WE'RE MAKING IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO WITHSTAND A STORM, UH, AND TO MAKE IT SIMPLER TO RESTORE.
I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SITUATION AWARENESS AND OUR ABILITY TO FORECAST, UH, DAMAGE AND FORECAST, UH, THE WEATHER AND SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS WE'VE MADE THERE.
AND I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE TRAINING AND PREPAREDNESS WE'VE DONE, UH, WITHIN CENTERPOINT.
SO, UH, AND THEN I'LL END WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN GO IN AND LOOK AND SEE WITHIN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, WHAT IMPROVEMENTS HAVE WE MADE TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, OVER THE LAST YEAR, UH, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE EXACTLY WHERE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS ARE AND WHAT THEY ARE.
SORRY, I'M TRYING TO, I'M TRYING TO GET TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO OVERALL, YOU KNOW, SO FAR TO DATE, WE'VE INSTALLED FROM AN INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT, 55,000, UH, FIBERGLASS POLES, WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND, UH, THE WIND AND BE STRONGER, UH, THAN WOODEN POLES.
UM, INSTALLING AUTOMATION DEVICES ON OUR SYSTEM, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO, UH, THE GFI DEVICE.
THAT'S MAYBE BY YOUR, UH, BATHROOM SINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN DRYING
[00:50:01]
YOUR HAIR MAYBE.AND, UM, THAT BUTTON POPS OUT.
UH, EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
THE BUTTON POPS OUT, THE POWER CUTS OFF, YOU PRESS THE BUTTON BACK IN.
THESE DEVICES WORK, UH, IN A VERY SIMILAR WAY.
SO WHAT THEY DO IS WHEN THERE'S A FAULT ON THE LINE, UH, MAYBE TEMPORARY, WHAT THIS DEVICE DOES IS IT, BEFORE IT, IT'LL POP OPEN AND IT'LL RE-CLOSE AND SEND, UH, A TEST BOLT OF ELECTRICITY DOWN THE LINE TO SEE IF THE FAULT'S GONE.
IF THE FAULT'S GONE, IT STAYS CLOSED.
IF THE FAULT'S STILL THERE, MAYBE THE WIRE'S DOWN, OR, YOU KNOW, A TREE HAS COME THROUGH IT, IT WILL POP BACK OPEN AND STAY DE-ENERGIZED.
SO WHAT THAT, THAT WHOLE OPERATION TAKES PLACE, YOU KNOW, INCREDIBLY QUICKLY.
SO IF YOUR LIGHTS FLICKER AND STAY ON, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A TRIP SAVER, UM, THAT ACTIVATED AND THE FAULT CLEARED AND THE LIGHT STAYED ON.
SO WE'VE INSTALLED THOSE, UM, REMOVING HAZARDOUS VEGETATION.
SO WE'VE CLEARED 8,000 MILES OF VEGETATION FROM AROUND OUR LINES, AND WE'VE, UH, UNDERGROUNDED OVER OVER 430, UH, MILES OF LINE, WHICH MAY NOT SOUND LIKE A LOT, BUT IT IS, UH, COMPLEX TO DO.
UM, IT WILL PAY DIVIDENDS, UH, IN THE LONG RUN.
UH, SO INCREDIBLY COMPLICATED WORK TO DO.
AND, UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO THAT.
I WON'T TALK SO MUCH ABOUT THAT.
I THINK, UH, WHAT I'LL HIT NEXT IS, SO IN TERMS OF SITUATION AWARENESS AND THAT'S BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WEATHER'S DOING.
CENTERPOINT'S HIRED A COUPLE OF METEOROLOGISTS, SO WE HAVE OUR OWN IN-HOUSE METEOROLOGISTS NOW.
WE'VE ALSO INSTALLED, UH, ABOUT 150 WEATHER STATIONS ACROSS THE REGION, WHICH ENABLE THEM TO, TO HAVE A BETTER FEEL FOR WHAT THE WEATHER IS ACTUALLY DOING AT A PARTICULAR LOCATION.
AND WHERE WE MAY WANNA, UH, DISPATCH CREWS.
WE'VE ALSO INSTALLED CAMERAS THROUGHOUT THE REGION, UH, WHICH ARE GREAT AT DETECTING WILDFIRE.
UH, THAT'S OSTENSIBLY WHY WE'VE, UH, INSTALLED THESE.
BUT OUR METEOROLOGISTS ALSO FIND THEM HELPFUL IN ANALYZING THE CLOUD COVER IN CERTAIN AREAS, AND THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACTUALLY HELP US DEPLOY OUR CREWS, UH, MORE EFFECTIVELY BETWEEN THE WEATHER STATIONS AND THE CAMERAS, UNDERSTANDING WHERE THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS GONNA MOVE ACROSS OUR TERRITORY AND HAVING FACTS TO BACK UP, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHICH WAY TO, TO MOVE OUR CREWS, UH, TO RESPOND.
UM, FROM A A SITUATION AWARENESS STANDPOINT, UM, YOU KNOW, DAVID, UH, MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, HE WAS AT OUR EXERCISE LAST YEAR.
WE ALSO CONDUCTED, UH, JUST TODAY.
UH, WE'RE ALL VERY TIRED AT CENTER POINT TODAY BECAUSE WE, WE HAD A FULL SCALE EXERCISE, UH, FOR ALL DAY LONG, HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES INVOLVED, UH, WHERE THE SCENARIO WAS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE, UH, COMING ASHORE, UH, IN THE REGION, RESULTING IN 2 MILLION OUTAGES.
AND OUR CREWS HAVING TO WORK WITH STAGING SITES, UH, WORK WITH OUR, OUR FIELD RESOURCES, WORK WITH, UH, THE CITIES AND COUNTIES, UH, IN THE STATE.
UM, SO VERY DETAILED SCENARIO.
HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES INVOLVED, UH, TESTING OUR PROCESSES, PRESSURE TESTING OUR ASSUMPTIONS.
UM, AND OF COURSE WE'VE INVITED, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE CITIES AND COUNTIES THAT WE SERVE TO COME AND PARTICIPATE OR COME AND OBSERVE.
UH, SO THAT WE'RE, HEY, WE'RE GET, IF, IF WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO MEET, UH, AHEAD OF TIME LIKE MET DAVID, WE DON'T WANT TO BE EXCHANGING BUSINESS CARDS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE THERE'S A HURRICANE SPINNING IN THE GULF, WE WANNA MEET AHEAD OF TIME.
WE'VE ALSO ENGAGED IN, UH, VARIOUS COMMUNITY, UH, PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS, UH, TO SHARE WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING, WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO, HOW RESTORATION WORKS, UH, ET CETERA.
AND THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE, UM, SOME OF THE STATS.
SO YOU KNOW, WHAT WE THINK WE MIGHT NEED IN A MAJOR HURRICANE, LIKE A CATEGORY THREE 20,000 WORKERS.
WE'VE GOT 46 STAGING SITES SET UP, UH, IN THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
AND WHILE I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE WERE LOOKING, UH, STRATEGICALLY AT WHERE ALL OUR STAGING SITES ARE, WE NOTICED WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, OR MANY IN THIS AREA.
UH, SO BAYTOWN IS AN AREA WHERE, OR A REGION WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING, UH, FOR STAGING SITES.
A STAGING SITE MIGHT BE A 20 ACRE, UH, PARKING LOT OR, UH, SCHOOL
[00:55:01]
PARKING LOT, HIGH SCHOOL, FOOTBALL STADIUM.UM, AND WHAT WE DO IS THESE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE COMING IN, THESE 20,000 WORKERS, UH, WE WOULD HOUSE THEM THERE, WE WOULD FEED THEM THERE, UH, ET CETERA.
WELL, THEY ARE STAGED TO GO OUT AND DO WORK IN THE AREA.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, I'LL PROBABLY BE TALKING WITH DAVID AFTERWARDS, UM, TO IMPROVE OUR STAGING SITE CA UH, CAPACITY IN THIS AREA SO THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO TRAVEL, UH, TOO FAR TO GET TO THE WORK.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THE SITUATION AWARENESS.
SO WEATHER IS, UH, ONE COMPONENT OF IT.
THE OTHER IS, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD IMAGINE THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
YOU HAVE HUNDREDS OF SYSTEMS, OR MAYBE YOU HAVE HUNDREDS OF SYSTEMS. YOU HAVE DOZENS OF SYSTEMS, CERTAINLY, UH, IT SYSTEMS DATABASES THAT YOU USE TO RUN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS CENTER.
CENTERPOINT'S ARE NO DIFFERENT.
WE'VE GOT DOZENS OF SYSTEMS. THEY, THEY'RE NOT ALL INTEGRATED, THEY DON'T TALK TO EACH OTHER.
SO WE'VE PARTNERED UP WITH TECHNOLOGY VENDORS LIKE PALANTIR TECHNOLOGY WHERE THEY TAKE THE KEY PIECES OF INFORMATION FROM VARIOUS SYSTEMS AND ENABLE US TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY CREWS DO WE HAVE AT THIS PARTICULAR STAGING SITE.
WHERE ARE OUR CREWS PHYSICALLY, UH, AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT IN TIME? UH, HOW MANY WORK ORDERS ARE, ARE ASSIGNED TO ENABLE US TO BETTER MANAGE AND BETTER, UH, HAVE BETTER LINE OF SIGHT INTO, UH, AT A VERY GRANULAR LEVEL, UH, WHERE OUR CREWS ARE, WHAT OUTAGES ARE, UH, WHAT THE SPEED OF RESTORATION IS, WHAT THE PRODUCTIVE TIME OF THE CREWS ARE.
UM, ANOTHER, UH, TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'VE INVESTED IN IS, UH, DAMAGE MODELING AND OUTAGE MODELING.
I MENTIONED THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AND THAT'S FROM RUN OF THE MILL STORMS, UH, OR THUNDERSTORMS THAT WE WOULD SEE THIS TIME OF YEAR TO, UH, A CATEGORY, YOU KNOW, TO A HURRICANE OR A NAMED STORM.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS MIGHT BE BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOCK UP RESOURCES EARLY, UH, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE GULF.
'CAUSE ESPECIALLY IN A HURRICANE, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE THE ONLY COMPANY, UH, IN THE MARKET FOR, UH, WORKERS.
SO WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SEE IT COMING EARLIER AND, UH, MAKE THOSE RESOURCE DECISIONS AHEAD OF TIME OR AS FAR IN ADVANCE AS WE CAN BASED ON THE CONFIDENCE IN THE FORECAST.
UM, CLIMATE VISION IS ANOTHER, UH, TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'VE INVESTED IN.
IT'S A HIGH RESOLUTION WEATHER MODEL.
WE HAVE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, THE NORTH AMERICAN MODEL, THE EUROPEAN MODEL.
AND THIS, UH, HIGH RESOLUTION WEATHER MODEL IS TUNED SPECIFICALLY, UH, FOR THIS, FOR THIS SPECIFIC AREA AND PROVIDES US GREAT INSIGHTS.
AND JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW RESTORATION WORKS.
SO YOU GET ALL THOSE RESOURCES.
HOW DOES IT WORK? WELL, WE PRE-STAGE 'EM, UM, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE THE IMPACTED AREA WITHIN A COUPLE HOURS, DRIVE TO OUR SERVICE TERRITORY.
'CAUSE WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT 'EM RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE IMPACT.
UH, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET 'EM IN AN HOUR OR TWO AFTERWARDS.
THEN JOB ONE IS INSPECT AND REPAIR, UH, WEATHER RELATED DAMAGE.
SO OUR CREWS ARE OUT LOOKING AND GETTING A FEEL FOR, UH, WHERE THE, WHERE THE DAMAGE IS HEAVIEST, WHERE IT'S LIGHTEST.
UM, AND FROM THAT THEY'RE FORMULATING WHAT THE RESTORATION STRATEGY IS TO, UH, TO GO AFTER WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET THE MOST CUSTOMERS ON THE FASTEST.
UH, AND THEN RESTORING THE POWER, PRIORITIZING KEY FACILITIES.
YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE THE PRIORITIES THAT BAYTOWN HAS COMMUNICATED TO US.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA UP, WE UPDATE THAT ANNUALLY.
UH, SO THAT GOES INTO THE PRIORITIZATION DECISIONS.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'RE DOING RESTORATION, WE HAVE, UH, A LIAISON OFFICER FUNCTION THAT WOULD BE TAKING PRIORITIES, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY COME UP, UH, OR EMERGENCE, YOU KNOW, EMERGENT ISSUES THAT MAY COME UP FROM A CITY LIKE BAYTOWN.
UH, SO THAT WE CAN PRIORITIZE THOSE AND GET THOSE ADDRESSED, UM, IF IT'S AN ESCALATED NEED.
'CAUSE WE ALL UNDERSTAND, YOU'VE COMMUNED YOUR, YOU'VE COMMUNICATED YOUR PRIORITIES TO US.
UH, AND THE WAY MY LIFE WORKS IS, HEY, THESE ARE THE TOP PRIORITIES, BUT THEN THIS STORM WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO YEAH, NOW WE HAVE A DIFFERENT NEED, UM, AND WE NEED TO GET THAT ADDRESSED SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT AS WELL.
UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE COMMUNICATE.
SO, UH, LAST YEAR CENTERPOINT UPDATED ITS OUTAGE TRACKER APPLICATION.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HERE HAS USED IT.
I USE IT MYSELF, UH, TO GET A SENSE OF I'M NOT IN THE OFFICE.
[01:00:01]
HOW ARE WE LOOKING? UM, WE'VE GOT A DEDICATED EMERGENCY, UH, EVENT WEBSITE.AND ONE THING I'LL STUMP FOR IS, UM, OUR POWER ALERT SERVICE.
SO IF, IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR IT, UH, YOUR CITIZENS IN MAYTOWN, I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO SIGN UP FOR IT.
UH, I CAN PROVIDE INFORMATION TO DAVID, UH, BECAUSE IT'S TREMENDOUSLY HELPFUL.
IT'S ANOTHER COMMUNICATIONS AVENUE.
IT'S GRANULAR INFORMATION TO PROVIDE PEOPLE, UH, THE ABILITY TO PLAN.
SO IF I KNOW MY POWER IS GONNA BE OUT FOR, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER FEW DAYS, I, I MAY DECIDE TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, OTHER ARRANGEMENTS, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT I CAN, UH, AS WELL AS RADIO NEWS, UH, AND DEDICATED OPERATIONAL BRIEFINGS THAT WE'LL BE PROVIDING, UM, TO SHARE INFORMATION AS WELL AS SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO ALL CHANNELS ALL THE TIME, MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY IS WHEN WE'RE GONNA BE COMMUNICATING.
UH, I THINK I MENTIONED OUTAGE TRACKER.
UH, THERE'S POWER ALERT SERVICE AND I'M JUST GONNA JUMP IF I CAN HERE, UH, TO THIS WEBSITE, WHICH THIS IS A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE WEBSITE.
HERE'S SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE, UH, IN BAYTOWN.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE, UH, CLICK ON THAT 914 STORM RESILIENT POLES AND EQUIPMENT, UH, REPLACED.
HERE'S ANOTHER ONE, 301, UM, AUTOMATED, UH, 11 AUTOMATION AND INTELLIGENCE DEVICES.
THOSE ARE LIKE THOSE TRIP SAVERS THAT I TALKED ABOUT.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE PROGRESS OF WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'M GONNA PAUSE, UH, 'CAUSE I COULD TALK FOR A LONG TIME AND, UH, OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
WHERE'S THE NE YOU SAID WE DON'T HAVE ANY STAGING AREAS CLOSE BY.
WHAT'S THE NEAREST STAGING AREA? UH, I'D HAVE TO PULL THE MAP BACK UP, BUT IT'S, IT'S WELL OUTSIDE OF, IT'S, WELL OUTSIDE OF BAYTOWN, IT'S, IT'S AT LEAST A HALF HOUR AWAY.
THAT INCIDENTS WE'VE USED, UH, STADIUM FOR STAGING CENTER POINT AS WELL AS THE OLD MALL AREA.
AND THEN PASADENA, THE CONVENTION CENTER SERVED AS ANOTHER FOR THE SERVICE AREA MANAGER,
AND SO AGAIN, I'VE BEEN WITH CENTER POINT FOR ABOUT A YEAR, BUT WHEN WE'RE, THE DISCIPLINE THAT WE'RE APPLYING TO THE PLANNING NOW IS WE'RE ONLY COUNTING A STAGING SITE IF WE'VE GOT LIKE A CONTRACT FOR USE IN HAND.
UH, SOME OF THE CONTRACTS WE HAVE HAVE DIFFERENT PROVISIONS.
UH, FOOTBALL'S A BIG DEAL HERE AND SOME OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, WILL SAY, HEY, THERE'S A CARVE OUT FOR THIS, UM,
SO THERE COULD BE A PLACE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT AS AFFECTED SO THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND.
BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR, UH, BAYTOWN, IS TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL STAGING SITES.
QUESTION, UM, ON YOUR TREE TRIMMINGS, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A, A PRETTY HUGE WAIT LIST OR A TIMELINE FOR GET THE, UH, FOR GETTING THE TREE TRIMMED.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE BAYTOWN STANDS RIGHT NOW? UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS HAVE ASKED ABOUT THAT AND THEY'VE BEEN TOLD THEY'RE, THEY'RE LIKE, THEY'RE FOUR MONTHS OUT.
UM, SO UNFORTUNATELY I, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
UM, BUT I CAN TAKE THAT AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP.
ANYONE ELSE? YEAH, I GOT A QUESTION.
OUTSIDE TREE TRIMMING, LIKE GENERAL LINE MAINTENANCE, UH, YOU KNOW, DEBRIS, EXTRA HANGING CABLES THAT MAY CAUSE A PROBLEM DURING STORMS, UH, WHO MAINTAINS THAT? UH, SO WHO MAINTAINS, I'M ASKING BECAUSE THERE'S AN AREA IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE'S, THERE'S STILL SOME DOWN POLES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE FROM LAST.
AND THERE'S SOME LINES, UH, THAT THEY'RE JUST HANGING DOWN INTO THE BRUSH AND OKAY.
I JUST WANNA KNOW LIKE, WHO, WHO MAINTAINS THAT? UH, THAT WOULD BE OUR LOCAL DISTRICT OFFICE.
UH, SHELTON MITCHELL AND I CAN TAKE THAT BACK AS WELL.
AND, AND IF, IF HE COULD CONTACT YOU, RIGHT.
UH, TO GET THE EXACT, UH, EXACT LOCATIONS, RIGHT.
SO CONTACT LIST FOR, FOR THINGS LIKE THAT.
[01:05:01]
UH, ONE OF THE ISSUES IN MY AREA.THIS KEEPING THOSE AREAS MAINTAINED, UH, AND CLEANED JUST IN CASE THE STORM COMES, SO, OKAY.
COULD BE OLD CABLE LINES AS WELL.
YEAH, I, I, A LOT OF 'EM IN, IN MY AREA AND WE JUST CONTACTED THE SERVICE PROVIDERS AND THEY CAME AND CLEANED THOSE UP.
SO BECAUSE THOSE, I WOULD SEE THE ONES HANGING.
IF IT'S A POWER LINE THAT'S HANGING, THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER ISSUE.
WELL, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TELL.
SO JUST A HEALTHY CONTACT THAT THAT'S, THAT'S RELIABLE FOR YEAH.
AND WE'RE HAPPY TO GO LOOK, WE'RE NOT EXPECTING, UH, FOLKS TO, TO KNOW RIGHT.
IF IT'S COMMUNICATIONS OR A POWER LINE.
[c. Present a proclamation designating May 3-9, 2026, as Hurricane Preparedness Week.]
PROCLAMATION DESIGNATED MAY 3RD THROUGH THE NINTH AND 2026 AS HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK.I WILL SAY, AFTER WE DID THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE FIRE STATION, I POPPED MY HAND IN TO ATTEND THE HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS MEETING.
AND WE HAD WHAT, A HUNDRED OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE, JASON, AROUND THAT? YES.
AND THAT WAS A BIG IMPROVEMENT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
I HEARD THERE WERE MAYBE 10 TO 15.
SO WHATEVER STAFF DID TO GET THE WORD OUT, IT WAS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
SO PROCLAMATION, CITY OF BAYTOWN NATIONAL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK, WHEREAS HURRICANES ARE THE MOST POWERFUL NATURAL WEATHER EVENT ON EARTH.
AND WHEREAS HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORMS HAVE OCCURRED WITH GREATER FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY CAUSING ADVERSE IMPACTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND THE CITY OF BAYTOWN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
AND WHEREAS THE HIGH WIND STORM SURGE AND INLET FLOODING ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS THREATEN THE LIVES AND PROPERTY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES WILL HELP TO REDUCE DAMAGES AND LOSSES OF BAYTOWN RESIDENTS.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF BAYTOWN IS DEDICATED TO MITIGATING THE EFFECTS OF HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS BY INFORMING THE PUBLIC OF PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF BAYTOWN HELD THE ANNUAL BAYTOWN HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP ON THURSDAY, MAY 7TH, 2026, AT THE BAYTOWN COMMUNITY CENTER FROM 5:00 PM TO 7:00 PM NOW.
THEREFORE, OUR CHARLES JOHNSON MAYOR OF BAYTOWN DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 3RD THROUGH NINTH, 2026 AS NATIONAL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, AND URGE ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES TO BEGIN THEIR HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES TODAY AND WORK TOGETHER TO FOSTER A PREPARED, SAFE AND RESILIENT DAY TOWN.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
DO Y'ALL WANNA COME DOWN HERE AND GET IN THIS PICTURE? GET YOU THIS WAY, WAY, WHEREVER YOU NEED ME.
SO I HAVE AN EXHAUSTED EVERYTHING ON THIS WORK SESSION AGENDA.
I NOW ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 6:42 PM AND WE WILL START THE COUNCIL MEETING IN ABOUT SIX MINUTES.