[00:00:02]
[ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2026 5:00 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ]
TO ORDER THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION THURSDAY, AUGUST 27TH, 2026, 5:00 PM IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER.AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM AT 5:02 PM I WAS GOING TO SAY, UH, WHATEVER COUNCIL MEMBERS WEREN'T HERE.
WE WERE JUST GONNA TAKE THE MONEY FROM THEIR DISTRICT AND DIVIDE IT UP BETWEEN THE OTHER DISTRICTS WHO SHOWED UP.
SO FRANCO, I'M GLAD THAT YOU MADE IT IN ON TIME.
[1. CITIZEN COMMENTS Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, prohibits the City Council from discussing, deliberating, or considering, subjects for which public notice has not been given on the agenda. Issues that cannot be referred to the administration for action may be placed on the agenda of a future City Council Session.]
CITIZEN COMMENT.UM, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? YES.
I DON'T HAVE YOUR ADDRESS MEMORIZED YET, SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO ASK YOU TO, UM, STATE YOUR ADDRESS FOR RECORD.
DEFINITELY, UH, 4 6 0 1 DRIFTWOOD DRIVE, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 7 7 5 2 1.
BEFORE YOU START, LET ME READ THE, UM, THE, UM, THE SCRIPT.
SO THAT EVERYONE WILL KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING TO WORK.
I'M PRETTY SURE YOU ALREADY KNOW, RIGHT? YES.
I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, I THINK.
BUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE WHO MAY NOT, THE PURPOSE OF CITIZEN COMMUN IS TO GIVE ALL UN ARRESTED CITIZENS THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR V THEIR VIEWS.
EVERYONE, EVERYONE DESIRING TO SPEAK SHOULD HAVE EITHER SIGNED THE APPROPRIATE LIST AND THE FOUR YEAR, OR EMAILED THE CITY CLERK PRIOR TO THE POSTAL TIME OF THIS MEETING.
EACH CITIZEN SHALL GIVE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A PROPER RECORD OF THESE COMMENTS.
THE RULES ALLOW EACH PERSON ONE MINUTE TO SPEAK.
A CITIZEN MAY PASS HIS OR HER TIME TO ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAS REQUESTED TO ADDRESS COUNSEL.
HOWEVER, NO CITIZEN'S REMARKS SHALL EXCEED THREE MINUTES IN TOTAL.
EITHER THE ONE OF THE THREE MINUTE LIMIT MAY BE EXTENDED BY MAJORITY VOTE OF COUNCIL.
I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE AS BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, COUNCIL CANNOT DISCUSS OR DELIBERATE ON ITEMS FOR WHICH PUBLIC NOTICE HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN ON THIS AGENDA.
UM, AGAIN, I'VE SAID A LOT OF THIS BEFORE AND I WILL REPEAT IT.
UM, I'M ON PAGE 73, UH, LINE 54 0 0 7, WHICH IS UNDER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WHICH IS, THIS LAST YEAR WAS $1,160,000.
THIS YEAR HAS BEEN, UM, BUMPED UP TO $1,260,000.
UM, THERE IS NO EXACT NUMBERS AS TO HOW THIS, THESE, THIS, UM, MILLION DOLLARS IS GOING TO BE SPENT.
UM, THINGS THAT ARE NOT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, UH, THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET IS THE BUS SERVICE.
THE BUS SERVICE WAS CUT LAST YEAR FROM 400,000 DOWN TO 250,000.
SO I'M HOPING THAT EXTRA A HUNDRED THOUSAND WOULD BE PUT BACK INTO THE BUS SERVICE.
I KNOW WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE BRAGGED PUBLICLY ABOUT CUTTING PUBLIC, UH, SERVICES TO THE NEEDY, SUCH AS THE BUS SERVICE.
AND THAT'S NOT THREE MINUTES, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM.
YOU ONLY GET ONE MINUTE FOR CITIZEN COMMENT.
OH, I THOUGHT I WAS ON AGENDA, SO IT WAS THREE MINUTES.
YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU ARE ON AGENDA.
SO, UM, THE UNDERPRIVILEGED IN BAYTOWN RIDE THE BUSES.
THEY HAVE BEEN CUT MORNING HOURS, THEY'VE CUT WEEKEND HOURS.
WE'RE PUTTING IN A WHOLE NEW SHOPPING COMPLEX UP ON GARTH ROAD.
YOU'RE PUTTING IN AN BECK DOWN HERE ON THE END OF TOWN.
WE NEED INCREASED BUSES SERVICES.
WE DON'T NEED TO CUT BUS SERVICES.
AND IT REALLY HIRES ME TO SEE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SAYING, OH, I'M PROUD I CUT BUS SERVICES OR CUT OTHER SERVICES.
UM, AGAIN, THIS DOES NOT BELONG UNDER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
ALSO UNDER THIS THING, IT'S GOT, UM, $200,000 FOR PROJECT VECTOR, WHICH WE PAID 5 MILLION TO HAVE AN ARCHITECT ADVISE US ON THAT.
SO THERE'S AN EXTRA 200,000 THERE IN THIS LINE ITEM.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS EXTRA A HUNDRED THOUSAND THAT IT'S BEEN PADDED WITH AND THE 200,000 FROM VECTOR BE PUT INTO BUS SERVICES.
SO WE CAN ACTUALLY IMPROVE AND EXPAND BUS SERVICES.
PUT IT BACK IN DISTRICT THREE, PUT IT UP AND DOWN, SPUR THREE THIRTIES FRONTAGE ROAD, UH, RUN IT FURTHER UP AND DOWN.
GARTH, BRING BACK MORNING HOURS.
PLEASE INCREASE THE BUS LINE ITEM AND FIX THE REST OF THESE SERVICES BECAUSE I'M SURE A LOT OF IT WAS ACTUALLY ALREADY SPENT.
SO WE NEED DETAILS IN THESE BUDGETS.
THIS IS JUST NOT AN ADEQUATE BUDGET AND I DON'T APPRECIATE CITY COUNCIL
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MEMBERS GOING OUT PUBLICLY SAYING, OH, WE'RE CUTTING SERVICES.AND I'M SORRY I'M RUNNING TO A GIRL SCOUT MEETING.
[a. Discuss the City of Baytown Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Proposed Budget.]
ARE INTO A, DISCUSSING THE CITY OF BAYTOWN FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 20 27, PROPOSED BUDGET.AND WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH, UM, I GUESS IT'S GONNA BE MS. MCKENZIE, OR DO WE HAVE ANYONE UP HERE WITH QUESTIONS? I, OKAY.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UM, WE ARE HERE ALL ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR, UH, ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING YOUR BUDGET.
UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING,
THE GENERAL FUND REVENUE IS 149.4 MILLION IN REVENUE.
OUR OPERATING EXPENSES IS 144.9 MILLION.
UM, ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET IS A WATER AND SEWER IN RATE INCREASE, UH, OF A COMBINED RATE OF 7.9% SUPPLEMENTALS AT 13.3 MILLION.
UM, WE DISCUSSED THE, UM, OVERHEAD CHANGES THAT WE MADE AT THE LAST MEETING, AND THEN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, UH, EQUATE TO 111.3 MILLION.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM ANYONE? I KNOW WE HAVE ONE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT'S GONNA HAVE A FEW AND THIS AND STAFF, IF THIS IS HOW YOU LOOK WHEN YOU'RE ANXIOUSLY WAITING SOMETHING.
ANYONE ELSE WANT TO YIELD ALL OF THEIR TIME TO MR. LESTER
I I HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION BASED OFF OF MS. STANKY'S COMMENTS.
WHY IS THE HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT BUS SERVICE UNDER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, THAT'S SO WHERE THAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT'S HERE, JUST WHERE THEY'RE CAPTURED IN GENERAL OVERHEAD.
THAT'S, WE HAVE, UH, A LOT OF OUR CONTRACTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE LABELED HERE, UM, IT IS LINE ITEM FROM THAT ONE LINE ITEM.
IT'S BROKEN DOWN SO YOU CAN SEE INDIVIDUALLY, UH, WHAT THAT IS.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A BETTER ANSWER FOR YOU EXCEPT THAT'S JUST WHERE IT IS CAPTURED IN STUFF THAT IS NOT INSIDE A DEPARTMENTAL EXPENSE.
AND YOU'VE SEEN GENERAL OVERHEAD INCREASE THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE'VE CONTINUED TO FIND THINGS THAT ARE IN DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS.
AND AS WE'VE BEEN CHANGING THE BUDGET, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, SOME DEPARTMENTS TAKE UNFAIR HITS TO REDUCE THEIR BUDGET BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACCOUNTING FOR A CITYWIDE EXPENSE MM-HMM
AND SO WE JUST MOVE IT INTO THE GENERAL OVERHEAD, WHICH ARE CITYWIDE EXPENSES AND, AND IS CAPTURED THERE.
UM, KIND OF QUICK COMMENT, ALSO A LITTLE BIT QUESTION.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WHOLE, THE CONTRACT WITH THE CONSULTING SERVICE, THE 5 MILLION THAT'S PAID, UH, OR, OR THAT'S NOT PAID ALL FIVE MINUTE FRONT THAT'S PAID IN, IN PAYMENTS AND, AND THEN INCREMENTS AS THE PROJECT IS GOING CORRECT? IT IS NOT ALL AT ONE POINT.
IT IS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME OF THE PROJECT.
SO IT'S NOT AN ALL ENCOMPASSING ONE TIME $5 MILLION PAYMENT.
THEY DRAW PAY APPS, I BELIEVE.
WHAT'S THAT? THEY'RE DRAWING PAY APPS FOR THIS, I BELIEVE PAYMENTS PAYMENT REQUEST.
OH, THEY'RE DRAWING PAYMENT REQUESTS FOR THIS, I BELIEVE.
THAT'S, THAT'S GENERALLY HOW IT WORKS IN THE CONTRACT.
AND THEN I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN REQUESTING FROM HARRIS COUNTY THE BREAKDOWN OF THE, THE TRANSIT SYSTEM AND THEY KEEP REFUSING TO GIVE IT TO US.
UH, IF COUNSEL WANTS A COMPLETE OVERVIEW OF HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT, UM, OUR, UH, A CM JAMIE PRUITT WILL GIVE A FULL BREAKDOWN FOR Y'ALL.
UH, BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY, YES.
WE HAVE ASKED NUMEROUS TIMES FOR A COMPLETE BREAKDOWN OF THE COM OF HOW THE FUNDING IS DISTRIBUTED.
NOT TO JUST BAYTOWN, BUT TO THE REST OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT.
UH, THEY HAVE YET TO PROVIDE IT.
I THINK WE'RE ON YEAR TWO OR THREE OF REQUESTING THAT INFORMATION.
AND, UM, THE INTENT, SO CITIZENS KNOW, IS TO SEE, UM, IF IT'S BEING PROPER, PROPERLY DISTRIBUTED TO ALL THOSE ENTITIES SO THAT BAYTOWN, 'CAUSE BAYTOWN IS PROPPING UP THE HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT SYSTEM, UH, IN OUTSIDE OF BAYTOWN.
WE'RE SUB, WE'RE SUBSIDIZING THE REST OF THE SYSTEM, UH, THROUGHOUT EAST HARRIS COUNTY.
AND SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE LOOKING OUT FOR THE BAYTON THAT DO, UH, USE HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT AND WE NEED THAT INFORMATION BEFORE WE CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
IT'S, WE'VE STILL BEEN NEGOTIATING SINCE
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THEY'VE DONE THAT LAST, UH, CONVERSATION, UM, I GUESS A YEAR AND A HALF AGO OR TWO OVER A YEAR AGO AT THIS POINT.THEN FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THIS, THEY, WE BASICALLY PAY THEM, THEY HAVE THEN APPLY FOR THE FEDERAL GRANT.
IS IT SIX TIMES OR FOUR TIMES THE WHAT WE GIVE THEM? I, I DON'T KNOW OFF THE, OFF OF MY HEAD.
I DON'T WANNA GIVE AN INACCURATE NUMBER.
SO IT'S, IT'S A LARGE AMOUNT THAT'S NOT JUST THE 250 WE'RE GIVING.
THEY GET MORE THAN THAT AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH THE INFORMATION.
SO WE KNOW THAT ALL THE SERVICES ACTUALLY GOING TO BAYTOWN AND THE BAYTOWN RESIDENTS ARE PAYING FOR BAYTOWN SERVICES, NOT FOR HARRIS EAST HARRIS COUNTY SERVICES.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT IS, THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
'CAUSE WE WANNA BE RESPONSIBLE WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR FUNDS AND THEIR MONEY ON THIS PART.
IT'S NOT JUST WE WANT TO CUT IT, WE'RE WE'RE ASKING WHERE, WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING? AND THEY WILL, THEY HAVE NOT SHOWED IT TO US.
AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND ON THIS, WE'RE TALKING TO HARRIS COUNTY, THIS DOESN'T AFFECT PEOPLE THAT NEED TO GET SPECIAL SERVICES BECAUSE OF THEIR DISABILITIES OR ANYTHING THAT IS A SEPARATE SERVICE TO HARRIS COUNTY THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT WE'RE GIVING.
THEY PROVIDE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SERVICE FOR YOU TO CALL OUT AND HAVE SOMEBODY PICK YOU UP FROM HARRIS COUNTY FOR, FOR SPECIAL NEEDS OR DISABILITIES AND EVERYTHING.
AND IF WE DO HAVE THE NUMBER FOR THAT GENTLEMAN, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY TROUBLE GETTING THAT SERVICE, WE, I KNOW JASON HAS THAT NUMBER.
I KNOW WE PASSED IT ON A COUPLE OF CITIZENS ALSO.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT TO THIS.
AND IT'S NOT JUST CUTTING IT BECAUSE IT'S, WE WANT HARRIS COUNTY TO GIVE US THE NUMBERS SO THAT WE CAN A ADEQUATELY FIND WHERE THE MONEY'S GOING AND THEY CAN'T SHOW IT TO US.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF SCARY.
I WANNA JUMP IN AND PIGGYBACK ON SOMETHING YOU SAID BECAUSE Y YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
GETTING NUMBERS FROM HARRIS COUNTY HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST PART OF OUR ISSUES.
AND I, I FIRSTHAND WITNESSED THAT.
UM, I DO HAVE THIS FOR THE CLARIFICATION AS WELL.
UM, AREN'T WE PAYING FOR SOME OF THE TRANSIT THROUGH THE MDD? SO ALL OF THE TRANSIT IS PAID FOR OUT OF MDD.
UM, SO THE MONEY IS TRANSFERRED FROM THE MDD, UH, SALES TAX TRANSFERRED OVER TO THE GENERAL FUND.
IT IS CAPTURED AS AN AGREEMENT.
UM, BECAUSE AS WE WERE LOOKING AT THE CONTRACTS, IF WE, IF IF THE MONEY, IF, IF THE CONTRACT WAS WITH HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT AND THE MDD, IT CREATES SOME LEGAL, UH, COMPLICATIONS.
AND SO THE WAY TO JUST ENSURE THAT IT, IT, IT FUNCTIONS AS IT SHOULD THROUGH THE CITY AND HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT.
THE MONEY IS JUST TRANSFERRED OVER FROM MDD TO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND, AND THEN THE CONTRACT IS WITH THE CITY AND WE JUST PAY FOR THE PAY FOR THE SERVICE THAT WAY.
I, I WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR BECAUSE I REMEMBER, UH, AS A PHILOSOPHICAL POINT, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IF WE'RE GOING TO FUND THAT, THE TRANSIT, IT SHOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
EVERYBODY'S PAYING INTO THAT WITH SALES TAX VERSUS A SMALLER POT, BASICALLY THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND WHERE, YOU KNOW, THAT TAKES ADV TAXES AND IDAS MM-HMM
SO, UM, I, I THINK COUNT, I THINK STAFF IS, IS HAS DONE A GOOD JOB WORKING TOWARDS THAT GOAL.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THEM WORK TOWARDS THAT GOAL TO WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, GET, FIRST OF ALL, GET HARRIS COUNTY ON BOARD WITH, WITH HELPING US AND GIVING US THE DATA WE NEED, BUT ALSO SEEING THAT THAT'S WHERE THE, THE, THAT THAT FUNDS NEED TO GO IS THROUGH THE MDD, THAT THAT'S A SEPARATE CONVERSATION THROUGH THIS BUDGET CONVERSATION.
AM AM I CORRECT? YOU ARE CORRECT.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR FOR EVERYBODY OUT THERE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE NDD IS WHERE THAT, IN MY OPINION, THAT'S WHERE IT SHOULD AND DESERVES TO BE FUNDED IF WE'RE GONNA FUND IT.
UM, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE GONNA TALK ABOUT HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT.
UM, SO IF JAMIE IS GOING TO ELABORATE ON THAT, THAT WOULD BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR ME.
SO, UM, DO I NEED TO STEP AWAY? NO, WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T ASKED.
CAN I JUST STAY, IT PROBABLY BE BEST FOR YOU TO STEP AWAY FROM THE GUYS FOR THIS PARTICULAR CONVERSATION.
SO THAT YOU'RE NOT PARTICIPATING IN ANY OF THE DELIBERATION.
AND OF COURSE, UH, WHY YOU WILL HAVE TO VOTE ON THE, THE BUDGET AS A WHOLE MM-HMM
UM, THAT, UH, WE CAN SHOW YOU IT'S ABSTAINING FOR THAT PARTICULAR PORTION.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER, I'VE GOT A QUESTION THOUGH.
WE LISTED, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET, IF WE'RE GONNA GET IN DETAILS TO TALK ABOUT HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
IS, ARE WE STILL COVERED UNDER THAT BUDGET UMBRELLA? BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY GONNA STRAY FAR AND WIDE HERE REAL SOON.
WE'LL BE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO IT.
UH, BUT AS LONG AS IT'S PART OF THE BUDGET DISCUSSION, IT IS, UH, AN APPROPRIATE AREA FOR YOU ALL TO TAKE QUESTIONS, UH, ASK QUESTIONS OR, AND RECEIVE ANSWERS.
WITH THAT, MR. LESTER, I'LL HAVE MY DIRECTORS GET THEIR EDS REAL QUICK 'CAUSE IT LOOKS
[00:15:01]
LIKE WE MIGHT HAVE SOME FURTHER CONVERSATIONS ON SOME OTHER THINGS.WELL, DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE WANTING INFORMATION ON THE TRANSIT? 'CAUSE IF NOT, WE CAN MOVE ON TO OTHER QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE ONE OTHER COMMENT ON THAT, IF THAT'S OKAY.
I MEAN, ALSO I KNOW THE THING, YOU KNOW, JUST TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT YOU CAN GET USED TO TRANSITS, GIVEN METROS YOU CAN GET ONLINE AND GET METROS FULL, FULL TRANSPARENCY DONE.
UH, THAT'S A WHOLE LOT BIGGER ENTITY AND A WHOLE LOT BIGGER PROBLEM.
AND THAT'S KIND OF, YOU FIGURED OVER TWO YEARS SINCE WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS, THAT THEY COULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
WHAT FOUR BUSES? FOUR ROUNDS? PRETTY SIMPLE.
I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST MAKE A COUPLE OF JUST GENERAL COMMENTS.
I'VE GOT CONCERNS AS MY COLLEAGUES.
DO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T GET THE HARD DATA AND I'M, I'M A DATA DRIVEN TYPE INDIVIDUAL, BUT, UH, CAN'T GET THE HARD DATA.
BUT THEN WE'RE HAVING HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT TRYING TO NEGOTIATE FOR THE CITY, ACTUALLY, IN MY OPINION, WANT TO REDUCE SERVICES DOWN EVEN FURTHER BECAUSE THEY CAN'T, IT'S, IT'S NOT BENEFICIAL FOR 'EM.
AND, AND I THINK WE NEED TO DELVE INTO IT A LOT DEEPER THAN JUST A CASUAL CONVERSATION ON BUDGET ISSUES.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEY KIND OF HOLD THIS HOSTAGE WITH THE, THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AVAILABLE FOR SIDEWALKS AND SO FORTH AND THIS.
SO, BUT THAT'S, YOU JUST LIKE, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE GOING.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT IS THERE EFFICIENT BUS SERVICES AVAILABLE? WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS ACTUALLY, AGAIN, IN MY OPINION, IS TO DIMINISH IT EVEN FURTHER BECAUSE THEY, THEY CAN'T JUSTIFY THE BUS ROUTES AND IT'S CLINIC.
SO WE'RE GETTING PUSHED FROM OUR CITIZENS TO PROVIDE MORE BUSES.
BUT HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT IS SAYING, WELL, IT'S, IT'S NOT EFFICIENT TO DO THAT.
SO AGAIN, WITHOUT OUR DATA, WE, WE WE'RE SHOOTING IN THE DARK HERE.
SO I I AGREE WITH STAFF PUSHING BACK ON THAT.
FUNDED OUTTA MDD, I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE FUNDING SOURCE.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MDD PAYING IT TO THE CITY.
AND THE CITY DISPERSING IT, ADMINISTERING IT BECAUSE IT MAKES IT CLEANER BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO, FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES.
THAT, THAT'S FINE WITH ME AS WELL.
UM, BUT YEAH, I, I, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE RELUCTANCE TO PROVIDE DATA AND, AND AGAIN, IN MY OPINION, IT'S, IT'S, THEY'RE RELUCTANT TO PROVIDE THE DATA BECAUSE THE DATA'S GONNA SHOW THAT WE WERE CORRECT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THAT IT'S NOT AN EFFICIENT SYSTEM THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR.
SO, AND YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME WE TALK ABOUT IT, IT'S GONNA, I HEAR THAT SOME OF THE FUNDS SUPPLEMENT TRANSIT OUTSIDE OF THE CITY AND IT'S KIND OF, BUT IF WE'RE PAYING IT IN, WE SHOULD BE GETTING THE FULL RECOUP AND NOT SUPPORTING OTHER AGENCIES OR OTHER AREAS.
NOT THAT I WANT THEM TO NOT HAVE THE SERVICES THAT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE PAYING FOR IT UNLESS THEY CAN SHOW A DIRECT CORRELATION TO THAT SERVICE TO OUR BENEFIT.
MAYOR, TO YOUR POINT BEFORE JAMIE JUMPS IN AND POSSIBLY DOESN'T HAVE TO JUMP IN THE PREVIOUS DIRECTION THAT, UH, STAFF WAS WORKING UNDER, UH, UNDER THE DIRECTION FROM THE BUDGET MEETINGS IS THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE THIS YEAR TO FINISH NEGOTIATING WITH HARRIS COUNTY TO MR. LESTER'S POINT.
HARRIS COUNTY ALREADY HAS SOME CONCERNS THAT THEY WANT ADDRESSED, UH, FOR SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES OF THE TRANSIT SYSTEM.
UH, THEY ARE TRYING TO FIND ALTERNATE ROUTES TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER TO BAYTOWN AND UNTIL THEN, THEY WOULD KEEP THE CURRENT SYSTEM IN PLACE.
AND THEN FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, UH, JAMIE AND HER TEAM WOULD WORK ON NEGOTIATING WITH THEM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS FEASIBLE FOR BAYTOWN AND FEASIBLE FOR HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE, UM, IF THEY CAN.
AND THAT WAS THE DIRECTION THAT STAFF WAS WORKING AT.
AND THAT'S WHY THE TWO 50 WAS IDENTIFIED FOR, FOR THIS CONTRACT.
YOU KNOW, UM, I REALLY DIDN'T WANNA MAKE COMMENT ON THIS.
I'M GONNA SAY THIS AND THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO, UH, ELABORATE ON IT.
WE CAN DISCUSS IT AT A, AT ANOTHER TIME.
'CAUSE MR. LESTER IS GONNA HAVE PLENTY OF QUESTIONS THAT I'M PRETTY SURE EVERYONE'S GONNA HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO PROVIDING SERVICE FOR OUR BAYTOWN CITIZENS, UM, BAYTOWN CITIZENS, WERE RIDING THESE BUSES TO PLACES OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO WORK AND DOING OTHER THINGS.
SO I I, I WOULD WANT TO SEE WHERE OUR CITIZENS WERE RIDING TO, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WERE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED TO GET TO THEIR, UM, PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT SO THAT THEY COULD COME BACK AND SPEND MONEY HERE THROUGH PROPERTY TAXES, THROUGH SALES TAX AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
I'M NOT JUST CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE RIDING THE BUS WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS.
AND WE ALSO MUST REMEMBER THOSE BUSES WERE BRINGING PEOPLE INTO OUR CITY ALSO.
SO IT GOES A LOT DEEPER THAN HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE GETTING ON THE BUS HERE.
[00:20:01]
THE DATA TO SEE WHERE THEY WERE GOING AND SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY DROP COMING INTO OUR CITY OR EVEN PASSING THROUGH OUR CITY TO CATCH ANOTHER BUS TO GO UP, MAYBE TO HUMBLE OR SOMEWHERE.SO, UM, I, I THINK THE BIGGER PICTURE, IN MY OPINION, SHOULD BE NOT JUST WHO WAS RIDING IN OUR CITY, BUT WHERE THE PEOPLE IN OUR CITY WERE TRAVELING AND WHO WAS TRAVELING INTO OUR CITY TO SEE WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE TO JUSTIFY WHAT WE WERE PAYING.
WE'RE THE THIRD LARGEST CITY IN THE SECOND LARGEST COUNTY IN THE US AND I LOVE BRAGGING ABOUT THAT.
WE SHOULD HAVE MORE PEOPLE RIDING IT JUST OFF OF THAT STAT ALONE.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE PROBABLY NEED TO BE PAYING A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO IT THAN WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE PAYING INTO IT BECAUSE WE ARE, OUR PEOPLE ARE UTILIZING IT MORE.
OR MAYBE MORE PEOPLE ARE COMING INTO BAYTOWN AS A FINAL.
I DON'T WANNA SAY THAT, AS A PLACE WHERE THEY WOULD UTILIZE GOODS AND SERVICES, UM, FROM OUR CITY.
I WAS NOT GOING TO COMMENT ON THIS, BUT NOW I HAVE TO.
I'M SAYING THAT THEY'RE, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD WANNA SEE.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASSUME THAT PEOPLE ARE WRITING INTO OUR COMMUNITY OR OUT OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S THE BIG HEADLINE HERE.
'CAUSE NOBODY WILL GIVE US DATA.
SO I, I DON'T WANNA OPERATE UNDER ANY ASSUMPTION.
I LIKE THE DIRECTION THE STAFF'S GOING.
UM, I LIKE THE FACT THAT EVERYONE THAT'S SITTING UP HERE AND OVER THERE ARE ALL ON THE SAME, ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THIS.
WE CAN SPECULATE AND WE CAN MAKE ALL KINDS OF ASSUMPTIONS.
I THOUGHT I KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON, THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE EASY TO GET THE DATA.
SO I I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHO'S ON THE BUS AND WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
AND UNTIL THEY TELL US THAT I'M PERSONALLY NOT, UM, WANTING TO SPEND ANY MORE OF BAY TOWN'S BUDGET MONEY ON IT UNTIL WE HAVE ANSWERS.
AND WE HAVE GIVEN LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES.
WORK SESSIONS THAT WERE HOURS LONG WITH PEOPLE FROM HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT STILL DIDN'T GET ANSWERS.
UH, ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS, STILL NO ANSWERS.
I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE ARE RIDING IT IN OR OUT OR WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO UNTIL WE KNOW, I I'M GOOD WITH WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH IT.
I, I WANNA MAKE PERFECTLY CLEAR, I WAS LIED TO MY FACE WHEN IT CAME TO GETTING THE DATA MM-HMM
SO IF I WAS LIED TO, I KNOW STAFF IS BEING LIED TO.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT I WANT, I'M NOT SAYING WE NEED TO CHANGE DIRECTION.
I'M SAYING WHEN, IF WE GET THE DATA, THOSE ARE THE THINGS I'M GONNA BE LOOKING FOR.
NOT JUST RIDE SHIP OF BAYTOWN CITIZENS.
LET IS NOT BEING, LET ME CLARIFY WHAT I'M SAYING.
I'M NOT JUST LOOKING FOR WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
AND I'M SAYING IF WE GET THE DATA, THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR BECAUSE IT GOES FAR BEYOND OUR CITY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE IN THE BUDGET? DO WE WANNA GET LAURA BACK? YEAH.
LET'S GET LAURA BACK
UM, AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND LEAD INTO IT.
I'M, I'M THE ONE THAT SPURRED THE CONTACT INFORMATION ABOUT THE, UM, UM, ART LEAGUE AND THE SOFT MONEY SPENT.
UH, AS FOR ARTS AND ENTER, YOU KNOW, ARTS AND LEISURE, UM, WE, I WAS SURPRISED AT THE NUMBERS.
UM, WE SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY, UH, SOFT MONEY AND ACTUAL BUDGET MONEY MM-HMM
ON THE ART LEAGUE, AND THEN THE, UH, HISTORICAL SITE UP ON MAINE, UM, SO FORTH AND SO ON.
AND, AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ART RELATED NON-PROFIT GROUPS IN TOWN.
BAYTOWN LITTLE THEATER IS ONE, UM, THAT BRING A LOT OF STRONG AND POSITIVE NOTORIETY, UM, TO THE CITY.
I MEAN, WAS IT LAST YEAR, YEAR BEFORE LAST, THE, UH, BAYTOWN LITTLE THEATER WAS RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY.
IT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST, UM, LOCAL LITTLE THEATER OR, YOU KNOW, ART THEATERS IN THE NATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST APPROACHED JASON AS FAR AS, UH, OR MR. REYNOLDS AS FAR AS CAN WE BUILD SOMETHING IN, GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, SOME TYPE OF GRANT PROGRAM WHERE THEY CAN APPLY AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT SURE HOW TO DO THAT.
I DON'T WANNA TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM ANYBODY ELSE, BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME PARODY THAT OTHER NONPROFIT ART ORGANIZATIONS CAN, CAN PARTICIPATE.
UM, THE BAYTOWN QUILT GUILD IS ANOTHER ONE.
THERE'S MORE THAN A HUNDRED MEMBERS OF THAT QUILT GUILD.
THEY USED TO HOLD, UM, UM, UH, UH, UH, A SHOW EVERY OTHER YEAR AT LEE COLLEGE, UH, WHERE THEY WOULD COMPETE AND GET, AND GET PLACED.
THOSE THAT PLACED IN THEIR CATEGORIES WERE INVITED TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS TO THE INTERNATIONAL ART SHOW.
THAT'S EVERY YEAR AT GEORGE OR BROWN.
[00:25:01]
AND IF YOU WERE SELECTED, THEN THEY WOULD DISPLAY THE QUILTS FROM BAYTOWN, UH, AND SO FORTH.SO, YOU KNOW, THEY BRING A LOT OF NOTORIETY TO THE CITY.
AND AS WE MENTIONED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TRANSIT WE'RE, WE ARE THE THIRD LARGEST CITY IN THE SECOND LARGEST COUNTY IN THE NATION.
WE NEED TO START BRAGGING ABOUT, WE DO HAVE A STRONG ARTS PROGRAM HERE, NOT JUST THE ART LEAGUE AND WHAT THEY DO, WHICH I THINK IS FANTASTIC.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER AGENCIES OUT THERE COULD USE A LITTLE BIT.
I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE, AGAIN, WE SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY ON THE ART LEAGUE AND OTHERS.
AND FOR THE, UH, BAYTOWN LITTLE THEATER IS LESS THAN 700 BUCKS A YEAR.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO HAVE SOME MORE EQUITY IN, IN THAT PROGRAM.
AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW WE COULD DO IT.
I KNOW THERE'S A PERCENTAGE OF THE HOTEL MOTEL THAT CAN BE SPENT ON ARTS.
WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT IS.
IF WE'RE MAXED OUT, WE JUST NEED TO START THE CONVERSATION.
I, I FEEL THAT, THAT THERE ARE OTHER ART RELATED AGENCIES IN TOWN, NONPROFIT AGENCIES, AND THEY NEED TO, TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET ALL THOSE SUPPORT AND SUBSIDIES FROM TIME TO TIME.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA ACTUALLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW.
AND, AND MR. REYNOLDS INDICATED THAT WE COULD TRY TO CARVE OFF A, PICK A NUMBER, CARVE IT OFF AND SET IT ASIDE, AND THEN HAVE STAFF WORK ON IT.
AND THEN THAT WOULD BE THE TARGET FOR THE FIRST YEAR.
IT COULD GROW OR DECLINE, YOU KNOW, IN THE COMING YEARS OR WHATEVER.
I'M NOT SURE HOW WE WOULD WANT TO DO THAT AS A, AS A CONSENSUS FROM THE COUNCIL THAT I, I JUST THINK THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH OPPORTUNITY OUT THERE TO, TO GET, CONTINUE TO IGNORE IT.
HOW MUCH MONEY IS IN, UM, HOT TAX IT CURRENTLY? UM, WE ARE BUDGETED TO END THE YEAR AT $3.9 MILLION.
UM, AND WE WHAT PAGE CAN WE FIND THAT ON HERE? I ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE A PAGE NUMBER.
UM, WHAT TAB IS IT'S UNDER HOT
UM, BUT THE REVENUE COMES IN ROUGHLY 1.5 MILLION, AND THEN WE ARE BUDGETED TO SPEND 1.6 MILLION.
AND SO THEN YOU HAVE A CAPITAL OUTLAY OF 7 68 AND ANOTHER TRANSFER OUT OF 300 THAT GOES TO THE GENERAL FUND FOR A TOTAL OF 2.69 MILLION, SPENDING DOWN A MILLION MORE THAN WE, UH, BRING IN OR, UH, FROM THE RESERVES.
YOU HAVE IT ON YOUR, IT'S ON YOUR SCREEN.
TRYING TO SPIN THROUGH THAT THING.
CAN YOU JUST GOTTA TAKE THAT THUMB AND JUST SPIN IT LIKE THE PRICE IS RIGHT, BUDDY.
I WISH WE COULD TYPE ON THAT LITTLE THING RIGHT THERE.
OR WE CAN'T, YOU CAN GO UP TO THE BLUE THING AT THE FRONT AND JUST SWIPE THIS OVER AND IT'LL TAKE YOU FARTHER QUICKER.
I DID NOT THINK ABOUT THAT ONE.
SHE PAGES I APPLE CIRCLE APPLE, SIR.
THIS IS THE, TO, I KNOW, KNOW ME, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
OUR MAYOR AND COUNCIL, OUR TOURISM TEAM IS, IS READY IF Y'ALL OH, LET'S GO.
UM, YEAH, THERE, YOU KNOW, I, I GET A LITTLE
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I I I, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES GRANT MONEY HAS BEEN GIVEN OUT AND THERE HASN'T BEEN A, A MUCH RETURN ON THE CITY'S INVESTMENT.
SO I MEAN, I, I MEAN, I'M WILLING FOR, TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION, BUT I I, I GET REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT THE, THE PAY FOR PAY POLITICS THAT COULD COME OUT OF GIVING OUT GRANT MONEY, YOU KNOW, TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
YOU KNOW, ART ALLEY'S AMAZING.
I THINK THEY, I THINK, UH, I'VE HEARD STORIES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER CITIES HOW, UH, ART HAS REVITALIZED A LOT OF CITIES, UH, JUST THROUGH THEIR ART DISTRICTS.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S COULD BE A, IF THERE'S
[00:30:01]
A WAY THAT COULD BE A TRULY, UH, RESIDUAL RELATIONSHIP.SO NOT JUST HANDING OUT 50,000, 6,000 AND SAYING, HEY, HAVE A GOOD TIME WITH IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY'S GONE AND THERE'S NO RETURN ON IT.
AND, AND MORE TIME NOT LETTING THIS TOWN FOR 20 YEARS.
I, I JUST SEEN, UH, THE CITY JUST FLUSH MONEY DOWN THE, DOWN THE DRAIN AND NOT, NOT WITH NO RETURN.
YOU KNOW, THOSE FUNDS HAVE GUIDELINES THAT ARE SET THROUGH THE STATE.
AND I KNOW THIS 'CAUSE I WAS ON COUNCIL WHEN WE HAD SOME, UM, ORGANIZ WHEN, WHEN, WHEN I LEARNED ABOUT HOT, I DID SOME RESEARCH ON IT AND ASKED QUESTIONS.
AND THERE ARE GUIDELINES THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN QUALIFY FOR THE FUNDS.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE WE'VE HAD, UM, SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT MISHANDLED FUNDS, BUT IT'S UP TO US TO HOLD THOSE INDIVIDUALS ACCOUNTABLE WHENEVER.
AND, AND I THINK THAT WE'VE LEARNED OUR LESSON FROM THAT.
UM, GOING FORWARD, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
NOW, AS FAR AS A RETURN, WE, WE, WE, WELL, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ON SAYING THAT BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STATE GUIDELINES, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY SAY THAT, THAT THERE HAS TO BE A RETURN ON THAT.
THIS JUST STRICTLY SAYS THAT HOT FUNDS MUST BE USED AND IT GIVES CERTAIN GUIDELINES FOR HISTORICAL, UM, PORTIONS OF THE CITY FOR ARTS DISTRICT AND FOR OTHER THINGS.
AND THEN IT EVEN GOES AS FAR AS TO SAY WHAT THOSE FUNDS CAN AND CANNOT BE USED FOR.
SO IF WE, IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT, AND I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF, OF LOOKING AT OTHER ART ORGANIZATIONS, THE QUILT GUILD, IT BLEW MY MIND TO HEAR THAT WE HAVE OUT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WHO PARTICIPATE IT AT IT, AT, AT THE HUNDREDS MM-HMM
AND THAT ARE RECOGNIZED AT AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, UM, THAT'S BRINGING NOTORIETY TO OUR CITY FOR THINGS OUTSIDE OF INDUSTRY.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED, THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
WE WANTED TO BRING OUR CITY TO THE FOREFRONT SO IT CAN BE KNOWN FOR, FOR OTHER THINGS OUTSIDE OF INDUSTRY.
UM, I, I THINK THAT IS, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD HAVE A, UM, AN EXTENSIVE CONVERSATION ABOUT TO SEE HOW TO PROCEED FORWARD WITH IT.
BUT I, I CAN'T AGREE WITH MR. LESTER ON THIS AND, AND SAYING THAT IF THERE'S A WAY WE COULD CARVE SOME OUT, HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS, SET SOME GUIDELINES, AND, AND THEN REVISIT IT AND SEE WHAT WORKED AND WHAT DIDN'T, WE CAN ALWAYS TWEAK IT.
THAT'S WHAT OUR JOB HERE IS IN SETTING POLICY.
THAT'S WHAT THE POLICY IS SET FOR.
BUT IF THE STATE IS GOING TO ALLOW IT AND THEY HAVE GUIDELINES, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD JUST SIT BACK AND SAY, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT BECAUSE WE DON'T TRUST PEOPLE.
IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO HOLD THOSE WHO WE GIVE THIS, THESE MONEY, THESE FUNDS TO ACCOUNTABLE FOR USING THE FUNDS.
IF WE DON'T HOLD 'EM ACCOUNTABLE, SHAME ON US.
MAYOR, IF I, IF I MAY, I'VE GOT SOME NEWS AND SOME GOOD NEWS.
UH, THE NEWS IS YOU, IT'S NO SECRET THAT THE HOT GRANTS, THAT PROGRAM ITSELF WAS DISCONTINUED.
AND THE, THE MAJOR DRIVER FOR THAT IS THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT BURDEN OF PROOF, IF YOU WILL, FOR HEADS AND BEDS.
AND IT WAS ALWAYS DIFFICULT TO MAKE THAT CORRELATION.
UH, BUT THE GOOD NEWS AND THE GREAT NEWS IS, UH, THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT IS FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF SUPPORTING THE ARTS.
AND THERE IS SOME ROOM IN OUR BUDGET TO, TO WORK WITH PROGRAMS OUTSIDE MAYBE A FORMAL GRANT PROGRAM, BUT FIND WAYS TO DO PARTNERSHIPS THAT WOULD BE MUTUAL MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL, EXCUSE ME, TO THE CITY AND TO THE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND, AND I THINK THAT WE CAN MAKE A COMMITMENT TO EXPLORE THAT, JUST AS YOU SAID.
WELL, AND I'M SORRY, YOU GO AHEAD.
AND THANK YOU, JAMIE, FOR THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT WAS A BIG ISSUE WITH THE HOP, UH, HOP FUNDS INITIALLY WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAD AN AMAZING TURNOUT MM-HMM
OF PEOPLE, BUT THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF HEADS AND BETS.
AND IT, AND THERE ARE, I THINK, I BELIEVE, AND, AND WE'VE, THE GREATEST NEWS IS WE HAVE EXPERTS ON OUR STAFF AND THERE IS A WAY TO MAKE PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE COMPLIANT.
SO, SO WE WOULD LOVE TO EXPLORE THAT.
AND THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ASK, BECAUSE I KNOW EARLY ON AS WE WERE HAVING OUR, OUR, OUR LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND HOW TO UTILIZE THIS FUND, UM, DIRECTION KEPT CHANGING MM-HMM
UM, AND SO SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT WE'RE APPLYING IS LIKE, LOOK, WE USED TO GET IT, NOW WE CAN'T.
AND THEN WE GO BACK AND FORTH.
AND SO THAT CAUSED A LOT OF CONFUSION.
AND SO I KNOW WITH EVERY POLICY WE SET, THERE IS A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY.
SEE WHAT WORKS, SEE WHAT DIDN'T.
BUT THIS FIRST ROUND KEPT CHANGING SO MUCH, AND SO I AM EAGER TO SEE WHAT WE CAN PUT IN PLACE.
UM, I UNDERSTAND WHAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GRIFFITH IS SAYING.
[00:35:01]
PUT IT JUST RIGHT, UM, AND AS WE'RE WORKING ON POLICY, PROBABLY LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, ROTATING THE GRANTEES IF THEY'VE BEEN IN THERE FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY'VE BEEN GETTING GRANTS.UM, UH, I, I KNOW WE TRIED TO DO THAT WITH CDAC, IT WAS JUST THE FACT THAT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE, ONE APPLIED OR TWO FIT THE PARAMETERS MM-HMM
THAT, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS ASKING FOR.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL DEFINITELY HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
GETTING IT JUST RIGHT IS THE CHALLENGE, BUT WE'RE WILLING TO, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO THIS YEAR.
AND I'LL JUST ADD IN MY POINT IS WITH THE EMAIL THAT JASON SENT OUT, UM, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT ADVOCATING REDUCING ANYBODY'S FUNDS MM-HMM
I'M JUST SHOWING YOU THE DISPARITY AND Y'ALL SAW IT AS WELL.
HOT FUNDS FOR THE ART LEAGUE IS, IS APPROXIMATELY $16,000 A YEAR.
UM, REPUBLIC OF TEXAS IS AROUND $10,000 A YEAR.
UH, THE MUSEUM, UH, ESTIMATED, UH, COST AND IT'S BASICALLY THE COST OF ELECTRICITY IS AROUND $9,000 A YEAR.
YOU GET DOWN TO THE, UH, ART, THE ART ALLEY, WHICH I AGREE IS I THINK PHENOMENAL.
THAT'S ABOUT 500 BUCKS A YEAR.
WE GET DOWN TO BAYTOWN LITTLE THEATER AT $650 ANNUALLY AND THEY'VE TRAVELED THROUGH THE NATION.
AND, AND AGAIN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE KNOWN STATEWIDE, NATIONWIDE, AND THEY BRING A LOT OF NOTORIETY TO US AS FAR AS HEADS AND BEDS, PROBABLY NOT SO MUCH, BUT THEY HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY METROPLEX AREA COMING TO THEIR EVENTS.
SO, SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE IF THERE'S A WAY TO DO IT.
I'M JUST SAYING THERE'S SUCH A LARGE DISPARITY AND WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE ESTIMATED LOSS FOR RENTAL.
IF WE WERE CHARGING ON A MONTHLY BASIS, UM, TO LIKE THE ART LEAGUE, THE BUILDING, WE OWN THE BUILDING, BUT THEY GET IT FREE.
YOU KNOW, WE OWN A LOT OF BUILDINGS.
I DON'T SEE US GIVING THOSE AWAY TO OTHER AGENCIES TO, TO UTILIZE AS WELL.
SO JUST TRYING TO CREATE SOME PARODY.
UM, YOU KNOW, MR. AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S, IT, I'M JUST TRYING TO ENCOURAGE THE, THE THOUGHT AND DISCUSSION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND, AND I WILL SAY THIS ABOUT THE, UM, BAYTOWN LITTLE THEATER.
I'VE SEEN THEM PUT HEADS IN BEDS BECAUSE I'VE ACTUALLY GONE AND WELCOMED THE LEE COLLEGE AUDITORIUM FULL TOP TO BOTTOM WITH, WITH, WITH, UH, TEENS AND KIDS AND THEIR CHAPERONES FROM ALL OVER THE NATION WHEN THEY WOULD HAVE CONFERENCES HERE FOR A WEEK.
I'VE SEEN IT FOR MYSELF WHERE THESE PEOPLE COME AND STAY IN OUR CITY FOR A WEEK.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO, UM, TO LOOK INTO THIS MORE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING BACK TO YOU FOR SURE.
NEXT, EVERYBODY KEEPS LOOKING DOWN HERE.
I KNOW, BECAUSE HE WAS LATE TO GETTING THE BOOK AND EVERYTHING, SO, AND, AND I WAS LATE GETTING THE BOOK 'CAUSE I MISSED, MISSED A COUPLE OF SESSIONS, BUT STAFF, UM, I REALLY HAD, DON'T HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE OVERALL BUDGET.
I THINK THE BUDGETS ARE TIGHT.
THERE WAS SOME GROWTH IN SOME AREAS THAT, THAT I HAD A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN, BUT I'VE LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS A LITTLE CLOSER AND I, I'M GOOD WITH THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
UM, UM, AT, AT THE, I THINK WE COULD DIRECTLY ADDRESS SOME SPECIFIC ISSUES, BUT I THINK WE'LL DO THAT AS, AS THE COMING YEAR AS FAR AS ACTUAL JUST EXPENDITURES AND MOVE MOVING FORWARD.
SO I, YOU DON'T SEE ANY STICKY NOTES IN MY BOOK THIS YEAR? SO, GOOD JOB.
I HEARD SOMEBODY, I NEED TO REWIND
WE HAD, IT'S SOMETHING I HAD ASKED ABOUT AT THE LAST MEETING ABOUT THE, UM, ABATEMENT FUND.
AND WE HAD TALKED, UH, I HAD ASKED THE QUESTION, COULD WE LOOK AT HIRING MORE CONTRACTORS TO DO THE ABATEMENTS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE A BACKLOG? IS THAT POSSIBLE? THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IT.
MAYOR, UH, I KNOW THAT THEY PULLED THE DATA.
I DON'T HAVE THAT ON TOP OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY DID PULL THE DATA.
WELL, WHILE THEY'RE COMING, I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE.
I MEANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM LAST TIME.
THAT WAS MR. OUR FORMER PUBLIC PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, MR. FRANK SEMINO.
I GUESS HE CAME AND DECIDED TO TAKE VACATION IN BAYTOWN DURING BUDGET YEAR SO THAT HE COULD HEAR WHAT WAS GOING ON.
ARE YOU REMINISCING WHILE YOU'RE BACK THERE? RIGHT NOW? I MISSED THIS, BUT IT IS, ARE YOU RENTING A HOTEL ROOM,
DOES THIS QUALIFY FOR A GRANT THROUGH THE HOT TIMES?
[00:40:01]
ARE YOU READY? YES, MA'AM.SO THERE'S, THERE'S TWO QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED.
ONE YOU DID IN THE ONE THAT YOU WERE KIND OF REFERRING TO, AND THE FIRST ONE WAS WHY WE DON'T USE MULTIPLE CONTRACTORS MM-HMM
AND JUST GO OUT TO BID FOR THE ONE.
AND THEN THE SECOND ONE WAS YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE LIENS.
SO MARTIN'S GONNA ANSWER BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, HISTORICALLY WE DON'T GET A TON OF SUBMITTALS FOR, FROM CONTRACTORS TO DO THAT.
THE LOWER THE AMOUNT, THE LESS ATTRACTIVE THAT IS TO OUR LOCAL CONTRACTORS.
AND RIGHT NOW THE CONTRACT AMOUNT IS $50,000.
THEY, THAT'S NOT WORTH THEIR TIME AND EFFORT.
WE, WE, THIS PAST ROUND, WE GOT ONE PROPOSAL.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GET ONE BID THAT THAT'S ALL YOU GOT.
UM, IN TERMS OF WHEN THIS WAS HALF A MILLION DOLLARS A FEW YEARS AGO, WE, WE DID GET MORE OPTIONS.
COULD WE DO IT THAT WAY? YEAH.
I DON'T SEE A REASON WHY WE COULDN'T.
UM, WE JUST NEVER HAVE IN THE PAST.
BECAUSE ONCE WE GET TO KNOW SOMEBODY AND, AND, UM, AS YOU MAY KNOW, MAY KNOW CONTRACTORS CAN BE, UM, UNPREDICTABLE AND SO
UM, BUT, UH, MANAGING THAT BECOMES, UH, A BIT OF A MOVING TARGET.
SO WE WOULD PREFER TO STICK WITH ONE, BUT IF WE WANTED TO DO MORE THAN THAT, WE COULD.
MARTIN, JUST MAYOR, IF YOU DON'T MIND JUST ON THAT, IF, IF WE DID SPLIT IT UP AND WE WENT UP TO 300,000 OR 400,000, BUT WE LET 'EM KNOW IN THE BID THAT YOU'RE ONLY GONNA GET A SMALL CHUNK OF THIS BECAUSE IT'S BEING DIVVIED UP, WILL THAT CREATE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE WITH JUST A $50,000 BID BID PIECE? I BELIEVE IT WOULD.
SO, UH, WHAT I'M ASKING IS IF WE CAN ACTUALLY DO THAT AND SEE IF WE CAN GET MORE, IF WE ONLY HAVE $50,000, I COULD SEE, WHILE ONLY ONE PERSON WOULD BID ON IT, IF IT WAS MORE MONEY AND WE GOT MAYBE TWO OR THREE MORE, THEN WE COULD ACTUALLY NOT HAVE THAT MUCH OF A BACKLOG OF, OF, UM, BUILDINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE ABATED.
PEOPLE COULD ACTUALLY SEE THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS GETTING THOSE BUILDINGS TORN DOWN OR, OR WHATEVER.
ONE OTHER THING HAVING TO DO WITH WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU JUST SAID MM-HMM
THE BACKLOG IS NOT SO MUCH CREATED BY THE NEED FOR SOMEBODY TO DO THE ACTUAL WORK.
THE BACKLOG IS CREATED BY THE LEGAL PROCESS.
WHICH WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO MM-HMM
THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.
SO AGAIN, IF WE HAD MORE CASH WE COULD, LIKE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A BACKLOG BECAUSE WE RAN OUT OF MONEY FOR THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S JUST WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO NEXT YEAR WE'RE SAYING, OKAY, WE KNOW POTENTIALLY WHAT OUR BUDGET IS.
SO WE'VE JUST PUSHED EVERYTHING AFTER OCTOBER 1ST.
SO WE WERE TOLD THAT THE BUDGET WAS REDUCED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE BACKLOG AND IT COULDN'T BE DONE.
THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TOLD AT THE LAST BUDGET MEETING FOR THE YEAR BEFORE.
I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE, MAYOR.
WE, WE REDUCED THE, THE COUNCIL REDUCED THE BUDGET AS PART OF THE EFFORT TO REDUCE THE OVERALL BUDGET AS WE WORKED ON THIS.
WELL THAT'S, WE WENT FROM 500,000 DOWN TO 50,000 OVER TWO YEARS, I BELIEVE.
I WAS GONNA SAY IT HAPPENED THREE YEARS AGO.
WELL I KNOW IN MY NOTES THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION BECAUSE IT TALKED ABOUT THE BACKLOG AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET ALL OF THEM DONE.
SO LET'S REDUCE IT TO THE AMOUNT THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT, IF WE GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE MEETING, THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION, WHY NOT JUST HIRE MORE SO THAT WE COULD GET IT DONE? THAT WAS US ADVOCATING ACTUALLY FOR MORE MONEY BECAUSE OF THE BACKLOG THAT'S BEING CREATED.
'CAUSE WE HAD REDUCED IT SO FAR.
SO YOU WERE, YOU WERE ASKING FOR WE WERE ASKING FOR MORE MONEY.
WELL I'M GONNA ASK THAT WE GIVE 'EM MORE MONEY TO HELP REDUCE THAT BACKLOG.
I MEAN, THE COURTS MAY BE THE REASON FOR IT, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN'T HAVE MORE MONEY TO HAVE MORE OF 'EM BEING DONE IN A YEAR.
HOW MANY DO WE HAVE IN THE BACKLOG? UH, 10.
IT WAS SEVEN RESIDENTIAL AND THREE COMMERCIAL.
AND, AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A HUGE, I SAY DISCREPANCY, NOT DISCREPANCY, BUT A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM, HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO DO A RESIDENTIAL AND HOW MUCH IT IT COSTS TO DO A COMMERCIAL.
A RESIDENTIAL IS LET'S SAY 10 ISH THOUSAND DOLLARS WHERE A COMMERCIAL CAN BE UP TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO THAT'S WHEN WE SAY THERE'S THREE COMMERCIAL THAT ARE PENDING MM-HMM
THOSE COULD BE HIGH DOLLAR ITEMS. YEAH.
SO WHEN WE REDUCED THE BUDGET OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, IT WAS WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD ONLY BE ADDRESSING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
NOW WE ARE SITTING ON COURT ORDERS THAT SAY THESE PROPERTIES NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF, BUT TECHNICALLY THOSE COURT ORDERS ARE DEPENDENT ON EITHER THE PROPERTY OWNER DOES IT OR WE DO IT.
SO THE, LIKE I SAID, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE STILL SITTING OUT THERE AND ALL WE CAN DO IS SAY, WE'RE GONNA PRIORITIZE THESE ACCORDING TO, UM, SAFETY AND DANGER LEVELS AND THEN SAY, OKAY, WE, WE GOT THESE THREE THAT ARE PRIORITY FOR THIS YEAR, SO WE'LL DO 'EM.
AND THEN EVERYTHING JUST GETS PUSHED OUT.
THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE'VE BEEN AT AND I THINK IN THE LAST COUPLE
[00:45:01]
OF YEARS WE'VE HAD SOME PEOPLE DOING CROS MM-HMMTO SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS SO THEY CAN HAVE MORE TIME.
'CAUSE I KNOW I HAD A COUPLE IN MY DISTRICT THAT WERE ASKING ABOUT TROS WHEN THEY WENT TO COURT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT RELATES TO THE DEMO ORDERS.
WELL, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MANY DAYS, UM, TO SAY YES, DEMO IT OR I'LL DEMO IT BEFORE IT GOES INTO SUBSTANDARD.
AND SO IT HAD TURNED OUT WITH ONE PARTICULAR ONE THAT THEY COULD HAVE DONE A TRO TO GET ADDITIONAL TIME TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
DO WE HAVE ANY RIGHT NOW IN THAT PROCESS OR? WE ALWAYS HAVE.
I, I DON'T, SO I THINK I'M MIXING UP THE TERMINOLOGY WE HAVE.
WE ALWAYS HAVE SOME HOPPER THAT ARE ASKING FOR MORE TIME.
I COULDN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY THOUGH.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY THAT ARE IN THE STATE COURTS FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDERS AT THIS MOMENT.
UM, AND JUST SOME OF 'EM HAVE STAYS THOUGH.
I, I THINK GENERALLY I THINK I'M TRACKING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
THERE, THERE'S SOME OF 'EM GET, THEY'RE BASICALLY JUST ASKING FOR MORE TIME.
THAT'S WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT.
THE THE ONES THAT WE HAVE IN THE SYSTEM THAT ARE CONSTANTLY ASKING FOR MORE TIME THAT WE WILL FIX IT, BUT AND DON'T DEMO IT.
SO AS PART OF THE, THE, THE COURT PROCESS, UM, THE HOMEOWNERS AND OR THEIR ATTORNEYS, UH, CAN ASK FOR MORE TIME MM-HMM
UM, THAT IS A DECISION THAT THE JUDICIARY MAKES AND WE LARGELY DON'T HAVE CONTROL MM-HMM
WE OFTEN SEE LOTS OF DELAYS IN THE PROCESS ITSELF BECAUSE YOU MAY HAVE, WELL THIS HAPPENS A LOT.
EITHER THE PRO, EITHER THE PROPERTY GETS SOLD AND THEN WE HAVE TO START OVER MM-HMM
OR, UM, SOMEBODY PASSES AWAY AND THEN IT ENDS UP IN PROBATE OR IT GETS DELAYED AND THEN IN PER THERE JUST, THERE'S A THOUSAND DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS THAT DELAY THESE THINGS SOMETIMES FOR YEARS THAT WE HAVE ZERO CONTROL OVER.
UM, BUT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THEY'LL COME IN AND SAY, HEY, I GOT THIS NOTICE.
AND THE JUDGE IS USUALLY IF, IF THEY CAN SHOW REAL INTENT AND THE MEANS TO ACCOMPLISH IT MM-HMM
THE JUDGE IS USUALLY PRETTY OPEN TO ALLOWING THEM TO HAVE, IT'S USUALLY 90 DAYS AT A SHOT.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT FALLS UNDER A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER, BUT IT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY ASK FOR MORE TIME ALL ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO, SO HOW MANY OF THE RESIDENTIAL OR EMERGENCY RIGHT NOW MM-HMM
WELL THERE ARE SEVEN THAT ARE ON THE WAITING LIST.
I COULDN'T WELL THEY'VE BEEN APPROVED.
THEY HAVE BEEN ANY OF THE ONES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ON THE WAITING LIST MM-HMM
HAVE, HAVE COURT ORDERS TO BE DEMOLISHED.
SO I DON'T, I COULDN'T TELL YOU THE PRIORITY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, SO I GOT YOU.
BECAUSE IF IT WAS SAFETY, THEN I'M GONNA EVEN HAVE, I'M GONNA ADVOCATE MORE THAT WE GO AHEAD AND GET THOSE TORN DOWN IF THEY'RE, IF THERE'S SAFETY HAZARDS IN NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT YOU DON'T WANT KIDS WONDERING IN THERE IS SOMETHING HAPPENING TO A KID OR EVEN AN ADULT OR A VAGRANT.
UM, BUT IF WE HAVE SEVEN OF THEM THAT ARE COURT ORDERED TO BE TORN DOWN AND WE'RE ONLY GONNA DO ONE A YEAR AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FUND IT TO DO MORE, THOSE ARE TAX DOLLARS AT WORK.
THE PEOPLE CAN SEE THEM BEING AT WORK.
UH, COUNSEL, JUST TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, SUBSTANDARD GENERALLY MEANS THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT, UH, THEY, THEY'RE STRUCTURES THAT ARE NOT UP TO OUR CODE.
THAT IS NOT THE SAME AS SOMETHING THAT IS AN IMMINENT THREAT TO LIFE OR YES.
SAFETY, WHICH WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY GO IN AND DO SOMETHING.
SO I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO OKAY.
TO, TO KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY MM-HMM
THAT, THAT WE USE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE STRUCTURES.
SO AT, AT THAT POINT THEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT IS DEEMED UNSAFE AND WE HAVE TO DO IT, DO WE PUT A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY? MAYOR, THAT'S, I WAS GONNA ASK, YOU DID ASK THIS ABOUT LIENS BEFORE AND WE'LL KIND OF ADDRESS IT NOW AND IT IN THE BUDGET, THE BUDGET IS REQUESTING 250,000 AN INCREASE FROM THE 50,000 MM-HMM
ONLY BECAUSE WE DO HAVE 10 HOMES IN THERE.
BUT PART OF THAT PROCESS IS IF SOMETHING COMES UP, WE WILL BRING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL TO POSSIBLY DO A BUDGET.
I'M NOT GONNA USE THE WORD AMENDMENT 'CAUSE SCOTT DOESN'T LIKE THAT.
IT'S SOME KIND OF BUDGET ADJUSTMENT IN THE YEAR, UH, FROM THE RESERVES TO, TO ADDRESS THESE DEMOLITIONS.
SINCE WHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND IS SINCE 1977, WE'VE DONE 798 DEMOLITION LIENS.
THAT, THAT AMOUNTS TO $5.4 MILLION OF PROPERTY TAX MONEY THAT'S BEEN SPENT ON DEMOLITIONS IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
[00:50:01]
WE'VE GOTTEN A MILLION DOLLARS OF THAT BACK.
AND, UH, OF THAT MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE'VE GOT BACK, WE'VE ONLY GOTTEN IT BACK BE, UH, WE'VE GOTTEN BACK 645,000 OF THAT MILLION DOLLARS SINCE 2023.
AND WE'VE GOT, AND I'M GONNA SAY THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THAT BACK BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF THAT PROPERTY UP.
I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WE HAVE A BETTER PROCESS NOW, MAYOR.
SO WHEN, SINCE THE PROCESS IS IN PLACE, IT'S WORKING.
BUT WE'LL ALSO JUST NEED TO, WE, WE JUST NEED TO BE CAREFUL OF HOW MUCH WE BUDGET TO THIS.
I THINK AT TWO 50 IS PROBABLY A GOOD TO GET THIS KICKED OFF AGAIN.
AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT TRENDS TO SEE WHERE THIS GOES.
THAT WAY WE'RE NOT OVER BUDGETING FOR DEMOLITION MM-HMM
AND THEN ALSO JUST CREATING A TON MORE HOLES I UNDERSTAND.
IN THE CITY AS AT THE SAME TIME.
WELL AND CREATING BIG LIENS THAT, THAT HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED.
I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE HOLES BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT, AND I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THAT WHEN THERE IS A HOLE, PEOPLE ARE BUYING THAT PROPERTY.
UM, UH, THE LIENS ARE ANOTHER THING FOR ME.
IF WE CAN CREATE A HOLE, SOMEBODY WANTS TO BUY THAT PROPERTY, PEOPLE ARE BUYING PROPERTY AND FLOODPLAINS IN OUR CITY RIGHT NOW, THAT'S NOT HAPPENING IN VERY MANY PLACES.
AND IF THEY'RE DOING THAT, THIS IS, IT'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR THAT.
UM, I WOULD SUPPORT THE, THE INCREASE, UM, THAT THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I'M SO ADAMANT ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW.
UM, I THANK YOU ALL FOR THE JOB THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE, SINCE 2023 AND SAYING THAT OVER HALF OF THAT MILLION HAS COMES IN THE LAST THREE YEARS IS AMAZING.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE MOMENTUM GOING AND IF WE CAN INCREASE IT, LIKE I SAID, THOSE ARE TAX DOLLARS AT WORK.
PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT HAPPENING.
IS NO, IS NOTHING THEY CAN SAY THAT WE'RE WASTING MONEY WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.
ESPECIALLY WHERE WHENEVER WE'RE ABLE TO RECOUP IT.
SO I KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD ASKED HIM TO GET MORE CONTRACTORS, I THINK NOT MULTIPLE.
WE JUST WANT TO GET, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA GET A BID FOR ONE CONTRACTOR TO DO MAJORITY.
'CAUSE THE MORE THAT HE DOES, THE CHEAPER THE VALUE.
IF YOU'RE GONNA GET SOMEONE THAT'S GONNA SAY, I'M GONNA, OUT OF THE 10 HOMES, THEY'RE ONLY DO, I'M GONNA GET FIVE GUYS TO DO TWO, IT'S GONNA COST YOU TWO 50 TO $3 A SQUARE FOOT.
VERSUS IF YOU GET ONE GUY THAT'S GONNA SAY, I'LL DO ALL 10, HE MIGHT CHARGE YOU A BUCK 50, BUCK 25, YOU'LL GET MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK BECAUSE HE'S DOING IT ALL.
SO I I IT'S, I DON'T THINK IT'S THE BACKLOG.
I THINK IT'S MORE, IT'S WITH THE MONEY, WITH THE TWO 50, YOU'RE GONNA GET A LOT MORE DONE BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ONE CONTRACTOR TO DO ALL INSTEAD OF ONE GUY GOES, I'M NOT $50,000, IT'S NOT EVEN WORTH ME SENDING A, A BACKHOE OUT THERE.
VERSUS ONE GUY'S GONNA HAVE WITH BACKHOE NEEDS TO KEEP DOING IT FOR ABOUT THREE OR FOUR WEEKS AND KNOCK OUT A BUNCH OF STUFF.
I APPRECIATE YOU GOING SAYING, HEY LOOK, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE MONEY.
LET'S SEE HOW THIS GOES THIS YEAR.
AND THEN LOOK AT WHAT WE GOTTA DO NEXT YEAR IF IT NEEDS TO GO UP A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT CONTINUE THIS PROCESS BECAUSE YOU, WE GOTTA LOOK, YOU, YOU GOT SEVEN ON 10, 10 ON BACKLOG THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE REDUCED IT THREE YEARS.
YOU MIGHT ONLY HAVE FOUR NEXT YEAR ON BACKLOG BECAUSE OF THE CORE PROCESS.
SO WE MIGHT NOT NEED TO GO UP, STAY AT TWO 50, MIGHT NEED TO GO DOWN.
WE NEED TO WATCH IT AND FLUCTUATE AND SEE HOW IT GOES.
AND IT COULD, IT'S, IT IS GONNA BE ADJUSTABLE EVERY YEAR DEPENDING ON HOW MANY ARE GOING THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM AND HOW MANY, HOW QUICK YOU COULD GET 'EM TO YOUR PLATE TO GET RID OF THEM.
SO I DO BELIEVE THE, THE RAISED AMOUNT THIS YEAR WILL, WILL CLEAN UP.
I THINK IT'LL ELIMINATE THE BACKLOG.
WE, OF COURSE, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WE'LL GET HIT WITH FROM THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM THIS YEAR.
SO WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT AS WE CAN.
I THINK AS, UM, THE CITY MANAGER REYNOLDS HAS MENTIONED, WE, IF WE GET TO A POINT WHERE WE NEED TO COME BACK IN, WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S IMMINENT, THEN WE CAN COME BACK IN AND, AND LOOK AT ASKING FOR, FOR MORE MONEY TO HANDLE THAT.
BUT WE'LL DO THAT ON CASE BY CASE AT THAT POINT.
UM, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY, I'M KIND OF LOOKING AT BOTH OF Y'ALL 'CAUSE IT'S A LEGAL THING TOO,
UM, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY OR IF AT ALL WE'VE HAD THAT HAVE BEEN, OR THAT THEY'VE HAD PROBATE ISSUES AND BECAUSE YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY DIES AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIND SOMEBODY.
SO LET'S JUST SAY IT'S A COMMON OCCURRENCE.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT GOES BACK TO MAYBE A LACK OF INFORMATION TO OUR CONSTITUENTS AND UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO PROBATE ISSUES.
AND SO I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO PUT SOMETHING OUT MM-HMM
ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M JUST THINKING, UH, SOME SORT OF, UH, INFORMATIONAL THING TO CONSTITUENTS.
ESPECIALLY I KNOW IN MY AREA, I KNOW FOR SURE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ISSUES AND THEY'RE NOT SUBSTANDARD, BUT IT COULD LEAD TO THAT, UH, BECAUSE FAMILIES ARE FIGHTING AND THERE'S NO WILL, ET CETERA.
AND SO I, I, I THINK THAT'S A MAJOR ISSUE, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO SOME OF OUR OLDER POPULATION.
[00:55:01]
UM, RANDOM QUESTION.WHY DID THE DATA CAPTURE START IN 1977? FOR THE, THE, THE MONEY? MM-HMM
AS FAR AS BACK, THEY FOUND A FEW OF US WERE BORN OVER HERE.
MAYBE THIS, I JUST, THAT I JUST, I THOUGHT THAT WAS AN EXTREMELY RANDOM TO JUST START, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT CAME OUT.
THAT'S WHY Y'ALL ARE LAUGHING.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY WE STARTED THAT YEAR.
SO, SO, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF WENT IN, UM, SO, UH, CYNTHIA AND ESMERALDA, UH, AND OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT STAFF WENT IN OVER THE LAST PROBABLY THREE YEARS AND WENT BACK THROUGH ALL THESE RECORDS SO THAT, THAT WE COULD HAVE IT ALL IN THE SYSTEM NOW.
SO WE HAVE IT IN OUR INTER GOV SYSTEM NOW THAT WE'RE KEEPING TRACK OF IT.
MY BET WOULD BE, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN STUFF THAT WAS COLLECTED BEFORE THAT.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS EVERYTHING WE COULD FIND.
AND IT TOOK A SOLID TWO YEARS TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.
BUT WHEN WE ASKED THE QUESTION FOR THE METRICS OF HIS DEPARTMENT, IT CAME BACK IN HOURS BECAUSE ALL THAT DATA ENTRY AND, AND JUST THEIR ATTENTION TO DETAIL ON IT PRODUCES EXACTLY THAT, WHERE WE COULD MAKE DATA DRIVEN DECISIONS.
I WAS SUPER IMPRESSED SINCE 1977.
THERE WAS NO REASON TO CALCULATE THAT.
I GOT, YEAH, THAT'S WHY HE'S MESSING WITH YOU.
ANYTHING ELSE? UH, I HAD, I GUESS ONE THING INVOLVES, UH, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BUT, UM, JUST MAKING SURE I'VE HAD, OVER THE YEAR, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT STRAY DOGS AND GETTING, I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT IT, GETTING, UH, INFORMATION OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, LORD TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN FORM NEIGHBORS THE CONSEQUENCES OF HAVING THEIR DOGS OFF THE LEASH OR, UM, STRAY, WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT? AND HOW WE COULD EDUCATE, UH, OUR CITIZENS WITH OUR, THROUGH OUR EVENTS.
LIKE I THINK THERE'S A, I THINK THERE'S A DOG EVENT COMING UP AT JENKIN PARK.
PCHA PALOOZA, THE PCHA PALOOZA, PALOOZA NATURE VERSUS NURTURES USING THOSE EVENTS TO, UM, EDUCATE THOSE WHILE THEY'RE THERE ABOUT PROPER DOG OWNERSHIP AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT LETTING YOUR DOGS OFF THE LEASH.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WITHIN THE BUD.
WE FIT THAT INTO BUDGET OR MR. UM, UM, REE IS NOT HERE TODAY.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING HE AND I HAVE CHATTED ABOUT, AND HE IS PUTTING A, A PLAN TOGETHER WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S, UH, MONETARILY HE HAS TO CHANGE ANYTHING ON, ON THINGS, ON HOW IT'S SET UP.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT HE HAS TO WORK WITH, UH, THE PR TEAM, UH, PRT TEAM WITH AND HIS, HIS OFFICE.
SO THEY DON'T, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A BUDGETARY ISSUE.
I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE IT TO BE A BUDGETARY ISSUE AT THIS POINT.
ARE WE TO MAKE SURE THEY ALREADY, THOSE ARE GOOD POINTS.
I KNOW LIKE AT NURTURE NATURE, THE, THE, UM, ANIMAL CONTROLS ALWAYS OUT THERE WITH THEIR BIG TRAILER.
AND I THINK THEY, THEY ARE WORKING ON, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT SPECIFICALLY WITH LEASHES, BUT I'VE DEFINITELY SEEN THEM EDUCATING THE, THE NEW, UM, THE NEW DOG OWNERS THAT ARE ADOPTING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
OVER THE, BUT THAT, THOSE ARE GOOD POINTS.
OVER THE YEAR I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF, UM, FEEDBACK FROM CONSTITUENTS, PARTICULARLY IN LAKEWOOD, UM, OF STRAY DOGS AND MM-HMM
THE IMPACT IT'S HAD ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND IN THAT PARTICULAR SUBDIVISION.
SO, AND WE DO HAVE A REALLY AMAZING TRAINING ROOM AT THE ANIMAL.
I WAS JUST GONNA ASK THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE HAVE WHAT? WE HAVE A TRAINING ROOM AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
IT'S A, A ROOM THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SPECIFIC FOR COMMUNITY.
ENGAGEMENT AND TRAINING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR, UM, ANIMAL, UH, THE ANIMAL COMMITTEE.
SEAN WAS DYING TO COME UP HERE AND TALK TO Y'ALL.
SO
I'M A LITTLE UNDER THE WEATHER TODAY.
AND, UH, THANK YOU, MIKE, FOR ALL THE, THE, UH, THE EFFORT AND THE PLANNING THAT WENT INTO THE SHELTER, UM, YEARS, YEARS BEFORE I HAD ANY INVOLVEMENT THAT, THAT, UH, WITH THAT PARTICULAR FACILITY, UM, TO YOUR FIRST POINT, MR. GRIFFITH, UM, OUR STAFF IS, UM, KEENLY AWARE THAT EDUCATION IS FAR MORE BENEFICIAL THAN ANY ENFORCEMENT ACTION WE COULD EVER TAKE.
SO WE HAVE REALLY BEEN PUSHING FOR EDUCATION AT EVERY STOP.
SO WHEN WE GET A CALL OUT TO A, A CITIZEN'S HOME OR A PUBLIC SPACE WITH
[01:00:01]
A STRAY ANIMAL, IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE AND EDUCATE THE, THE CONSTITUENT, EDUCATE THE PROPERTY OWNER, EDUCATE THE, THE CITIZEN WHO JUST HAPPENED TO BE WALKING BY AND SEEING THE DOG ON HOW THEY CAN PROTECT THEMSELVES, HOW THEY CAN PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN, AND THEN WHAT THEY CAN DO TO BE RESPONSIBLE IF IT'S IS IN FACT THEIR OWN PET.UM, WE HAVE VERY SPECIFIC LAWS ABOUT YOUR ANIMAL BEING ON MM-HMM
AND WE TAKE THOSE VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY.
UM, I THINK, I THINK PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT AN ANIMAL WHO COULD BE PERFECTLY CALM AND PERFECTLY, UH, DOCILE NINE 90% OF THE TIME COULD ALL OF A SUDDEN BE IN A, A NERVOUS STATE AND ACT OUT IN AN AGGRESSIVE MANNER, UM, COMPLETELY UNCHARACTERISTIC OF HOW THAT ANIMAL NORMALLY RESPONDS.
SO BEING ON A LEAD AND BEING, UH, CONTROLLED BY A PROPER OWNER, ALWAYS THE RIGHT ANSWER, ALWAYS THE RIGHT ANSWER.
SO, UM, TO YOUR POINT, WE DO TAKE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, THOSE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES VERY SERIOUSLY, AND WE TRY TO DO THAT AT EVERY INTERACTION.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PUBLIC EVENTS, UM, THOSE ARE, THOSE, THAT'S ALWAYS OUR FIRST GOAL.
UH, LIVE OUTCOMES FOR OUR ANIMALS AND THE EDUCATIONAL PIECE.
SO WE ENCOURAGE CITIZENS TO CALL US, COME BY THE SHELTER, VISIT WITH US.
IF YOU HAVE A, A QUESTION ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR ANIMAL BETTER, UNDERSTAND ANIMAL BEHAVIOR IN GENERAL, HAPPY TO WALK YOU THROUGH THAT.
WE HAVE SOME AMAZING STAFF WITH SOME AMAZING TALENTS THERE THAT CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE, THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS.
AND YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THIS FALLS IN LINE WITH THE, THE EDUCATION THAT'S BEEN GOING OUT WITH MOSQUITO CONTROL.
AND I, I DID SEE SOME INITIAL, WELL JUST SPRAY MORE, LIKE IF WE WOULD LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE, SEE IF WE HAVE ANY STANDING WATER, TIRES WITH WATER, ET CETERA, THEN WE MAY NOT NEED TO SPRAY AS MUCH.
AND SO I THINK THE TEAM HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB ON PUSHING OUT, UM, THAT INFORMATION.
YOU AND, UM, YOUR TEAM AND, AND, UH, THOMAS'S TEAM AS WELL.
SO IS THE ROOM BEING USED FOR EDUCATION AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER CENTER? WE DO NOT HAVE AN ACTIVE, UM, OUTREACH PROGRAM AS FAR AS THAT PARTICULAR ROOM IS CONCERNED.
UM, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE IN THE WORKS, UM, STAFF IS JUST AT A, AT A, AT A MAX LEVEL WITH OUR OUTCOMES TEAM AND GETTING THAT DONE.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST WITH YOU, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
UM, WE HAVE, AS YOU MAY KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH A MANAGEMENT SHIFT AT THE SHELTER IN THE LAST YEAR, AND THAT HAS TAKEN UP, UH, A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT AND, UM, AS, AS WE SETTLE BACK INTO A NEW CULTURE AND A NEW ENVIRONMENT THERE WITH STAFF, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
AND, UM, I, I APPRECIATE THIS BODY'S HELP IN, UM, ADVOCATING FOR THE SHELTER AND THOSE, THOSE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, THOSE PUBLIC OUTREACH PIECES.
UM, YOU ALL HAVE FUNDED US, UH, GENEROUSLY, UH, IN THAT REGARD.
AND WE WILL USE THOSE FUNDS WISELY TO DO THAT.
I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FOR SEAN.
DID YOU WANT TO YEAH, I'LL FOLLOW UP AFTER YOU.
I'M JUST WONDERING HOW TNR IS DOING VERY WELL.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE A, AN AMAZING, AMAZING SMALL GROUP OF FOLKS WHO ARE VERY COMMITTED TO DOING THAT WORK, AND IT'S WORKING OUT VERY WELL.
UM, MOVING INTO THIS NEXT CALENDAR YEAR.
THOSE, THOSE SURGERY DATES WILL BE INCREASING MM-HMM
UM, AND WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF BANG FOR OUR BUCK, UH, IN REGARDS TO TNR AND THE, AND THE CCP.
DO WE HAVE A, A PROGRAM FOR MICROCHIPPING? YES, SIR, WE DO.
I, I KNOW WE MICROCHIPPED ANIMALS THAT GO OUT, BUT DO WE EVER DO LIKE, LIKE SOME OF THE, THE EVENTS THAT YOU GO TO? DO YOU HAVE A, A FREE MICROCHIPPING? YES, SIR.
OPPORTUNITY AT THOSE? YES, SIR.
UM, I'VE BEEN AN ADVOCATE OF MICROCHIPPING SINCE IT FIRST CAME OUT, AND YOU KNOW, YES, SIR.
I USED TO MAKE THE COMMENT THAT UNLESS YOU CAN TEACH 'EM TO SPEAK ENGLISH, THE MICROCHIP IS THE ONLY WAY THEY'RE GONNA GET HOME
UM, SO IT IS THE MORE ANIMALS WE GET CHIPPED BECAUSE ANY, ANY DOG, ANY PET CAN GET OUT AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
AND IF THEY'RE CHIPPED, AND I'M ADVOCATING THAT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, IF YOUR ANIMAL IS MICROCHIPPED LANGUAGE, IT'S GONNA BE HOME IN 24 HOURS ONCE IT'S PICKED UP.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE QUICKEST, MOST EFFICIENT WAY OF GETTING THEM BACK HOME.
UH, SO ANYTIME WE CAN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE A A, A FREE MICROCHIP CLINIC OR SOMETHING, JUST THE MORE ANIMALS WE GET CHIPPED, THE BETTER OFF WE'RE GONNA BE.
UM, WE WILL TAKE THIS TIME TO MAKE A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT MICROCHIPS.
UM, WE DO A FREE MICROCHIPPING AT OUR, ALL OF OUR EVENTS AND MICROCHIPPING IS AVAILABLE AT THE SHELTER FOR A DRASTICALLY REDUCED RATE, UM, THAT YOU WOULD FIND, UH, AT A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT.
[01:05:01]
IN NEED OF A, OF A MICROCHIP FOR YOUR PET, UM, PLEASE CONTACT US AND WE CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT AT A VERY, VERY, UM, ECONOMICAL RATE.AND, AND I'LL, I'LL GO ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUE.
I, I THINK THE MOSQUITO CONTROL ADVOCATION YOU'RE DOING, EDUCATION THAT YOU'RE DOING ON FACEBOOK, IF WE CAN ADD SOME OF THE ANIMAL CONTROL STUFF, SIMILAR TYPE STUFF.
I MEAN, ESPECIALLY THE MICROCHIP PROGRAM, I THINK THAT'S JUST EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
BE SURE AND GET THAT ON THERE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT.
YOU GOT ONE LAST QUESTION? I'M SORRY.
I'VE, GOD TALKING ABOUT MICROCHIP AND WHAT'S THE COST, WHAT'S THE FINE IF, UM, A DOLL ASTRAY IS PICKED UP THAT'S NOT BEEN MICROCHIPPED? OH, THAT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
THAT IS A VERY GOOD, THAT GO BABYSIT A CAT AT THE SHELTER OR SOMETHING, RIGHT? OR I THINK, OR TAKE TWO HOME WITH YOU.
I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU THE, THE FINE AMOUNTS, SIR, BECAUSE I WOULD BE, I WOULD BE INCORRECT, BUT, UM, IT'S A LOT MORE THAN I'LL CHARGE YOU TO GET THAT PET MICROCHIP.
I REMEMBER THE DISCUSSION WE HAD UP TO 500.
I WAS THINKING, I WAS THINKING WE STARTED AT TWO 50 AND UP TO FIVE.
SO THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR VERIFYING THAT.
I REMEMBER ONE, IS THERE IMPOUND FEE IF YOU PICK UP A SPRAY, SO THAT'S NOT 2 5500.
IT IS NOT THE, THE IMPOUND FEE, UH, AT THE SHELTER.
SO, SO JUST TO BE VERY CLEAR, ONE IS A SHELTER FEE, THAT, THAT IS A CITY INVOLVED AND THE OTHER IS A COURT FINE.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN THE FEES.
DO YOU KNOW OFFHAND WHAT THE, THE IMPOUND FEE WOULD BE? I BELIEVE IT'S $50 A DAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS THAT, SINCE MIKE SAID HE'S DONE, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR PD? WE HAVE A NEW LIEUTENANT OVER BUDGET AND HE'S HERE AND HE WANTS TO REALLY HEAR FROM Y'ALL TODAY.
AND HE'S EXCITED HE BROUGHT HIS LAPTOP AND HE JUST WANTS Y'ALL TO ASK AT LEAST 10 QUESTIONS.
I, I, I, I DIDN'T KNOW THE CHIEF SUBMITTED A BUDGET.
WELL, SINCE WE ARE, SEEM TO NOT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, HAVEN'T EXHAUSTED EVERYTHING ON THIS WORK SESSION AGENDA, I ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 6 0 9.
WE WILL START THE COUNCIL MEETING, PROP PROMPTLY AT 6:30 PM.