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I CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER THE[Call to Order]
BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING.IT'S FIVE 5:03 PM WE ARE IN, UH, BAYTOWN CITY HALL, UH, COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
SO WE HAVE, UM, THREE ITEMS, I BELIEVE, ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING.
THEY'RE ALL PRETTY MUCH RELATED, UH, BUT WE'LL TAKE ITEM ONE EIGHT, UH,
[Item 1A]
DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING THE CITY OF BAYTOWN 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, JULY 4TH, 2020.SO, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF STAFF, IF THERE WAS SOMEBODY WHO WAS GONNA PREFACE, PREFACE THIS ITEM IN ANY WAY, I, I THINK, KEVIN, YOU WANT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD LAST WEEK AND THE CONCERNS TO AT LEAST ME HERE TONIGHT, AND HAVE DISCUSSIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE 4TH OF JULY, 5TH OF JULY.
AND FRANKLY, THE OTHER ACTIVITIES, I KNOW IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT CHANNEL YOU WERE WATCHING ON, ON TV THIS WEEKEND, YOU SEE THE NUMBERS RISING, EVEN IF YOU'RE ONLY WATCHING ESPN WITH THE SPORTS TEAMS THAT WERE TRYING TO OPEN.
AND YOU SAW MANY CAMPS THAT WERE CLOSING.
SO I THINK THE DISCUSSION IS VERY TIMELY.
WE'D LIKE TO TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE 4TH OF JULY, BUT WE'VE GOT THE BIKE RIDE.
WE'VE GOT OTHER THINGS THAT WE PLANNED THIS SUMMER, LIKE THE, THE, UH, POPUP PARKS AND THINGS THAT WE JUST WANT TO GET PHILOSOPHICALLY WHERE Y'ALL STAND ON THAT.
SO I WANNA START BY INTRODUCING OUR HEALTH DIRECTOR, TONY GRAY.
AND TONY'S GONNA MAKE SOME COMMENTS, AND THEN HE'S GONNA BRING UP OUR LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITY, DR.
VERNICK, WHO ARE VERY PLEASED THIS HERE WITH US THIS EVENING.
UH, MR. MAYOR, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY? YES.
VERNICK, JUST A QUICK, QUICK, UH, UPDATE ON TODAY'S CASES.
UM, UM, HARRIS COUNTY REPORTED THIS MORNING, UH, 12,580, UH, CASES, UH, WHICH IS A 2,850 INCREASE FROM LAST MONDAY.
UH, FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, THERE'S 104 CASES THAT ARE ACTIVE AND WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 37 CASES.
UM, NO SURPRISE THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT, UH, DIFFERENT CITIES AND COUNTIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE, AND YOU'LL SEE THE INCREASE, UH, THE PAST TWO WEEKS.
THERE'S BEEN AN UPWARD TREND IN THE CASES, BUT, UH, ALSO AN INCREASED NEED, UH, FOR HOSPITAL BEDS AND THE ICUS.
UM, SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ACTIVE CASES, UM, IS INFORMATION THAT YOU DO NOT SEE, UM, THAT'S TIED INTO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE THAT'S TESTED POSITIVE THROUGH THE, UH, CONTACT TRACING PROGRAM.
AND THAT CAN BE ONE PERSON THAT CAN BE 10 15 OR, OR MAYBE MORE.
UH, AND SO WHEN YOU SEE THE ACTIVE CASES, THERE'S MORE INFORMATION BEHIND THAT, POTENTIALLY, UH, EXPONENTIALLY CREATING MORE CASES.
UH, THERE'S ALSO A TIME LAG IN THE INFORMATION AS WELL.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS SAW THE GOVERNOR'S PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY.
UM, THEIR TASK FORCE IS LOOKING AT THREE DATA POINTS, THE DAILY NEW CASES, THE POSITIVITY RATE, AND THE HOSPITALIZATION RATE.
UM, ALL THREE OF THOSE DATA POINTS HAVE DOUBLED SINCE MAY, AND ACCORDING TO HIM, THE GOVERNOR, UH, SPREADING IS AT AN UNACCEPTABLE RATE RIGHT NOW.
UM, BASED ON ALL THIS INFORMATION AND THE CURRENT TRENDS, UM, NOW IS PROBABLY NOT A VERY GOOD TIME OR THE BEST TIME TO HAVE AN UNCONTROLLED MASS GATHERING EVENT SUCH AS THE FOURTH, UH, NOT ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CITIZENS, BUT ALSO FOR THE SAFETY OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE TO, UH, THAT HAVE TO WORK THE EVENT.
UH, AND, UH, WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY, I'LL NOW INTRODUCE DR. JAMES VERNICK.
UH, HE'S THE LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITY FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
VERNICK ALSO HAS SOME COMMENTS.
UH, I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL AND, UH, THE MAYOR FOR ALLOWING ME TO, UH, SPEAK THIS AFTERNOON.
I, UH, MAINTAIN A PRACTICE IN GERIATRIC PRACTICE ON BAKER ROAD RIGHT NEXT TO ANTONIO'S RESTAURANT.
AND I'VE SERVED AS, UH, THE HEALTH AUTHORITY, THE PHYSICIAN ADVISOR TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR THE PAST 16 YEARS.
UH, I ALSO HOLD AN APPOINTMENT AS A ASSOCIATE CLINICAL PROFESSOR AT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, AND I, UM, SUPERVISE THIRD YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS WHO SPEND A ROTATION OUT HERE IN BAYTOWN.
MY EXPERTISE AS FAR AS, UH, THE LOGISTICS AT BICENTENNIAL PARK INCLUDE SPENDING AT LEAST 25, UH, EVENINGS, UH, WITH MY FAMILY AT, UH, FIREWORK SHOWS, UH, TAKING MY CHILDREN TO AS MANY, UH, UM, 4TH OF JULY CELLAR, UH, PARADES.
AND I HAVE ENTERED, UM, UH, MANY, UM, HEAT WAVE RUNS, UH, FOR FIVE MILES AROUND BICENTENNIAL PARK.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SPREAD OF THE COVID VIRUS.
UH, DURING OUR ANNUAL 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION, UH, AS TONY MENTIONED, DURING THE PAST THREE WEEKS SINCE AROUND MEMORIAL DAY, THE NUMBER OF, UH, NEW CASES HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY,
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UM, UP TO NOW 400, UH, CASES A DAY IN HARRIS COUNTY.AND THIS, OF COURSE, CONCLUDES BAYTOWN.
AND, UH, AS PHYSICIANS, WE ARE AWARE THAT THE, THERE'S BEEN A DOUBLING, UH, SINCE, UM, MEMORIAL DAY OF HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS FOR COVID AND HOSPITAL, UH, ICU ADMISSIONS FOR THOSE WHO ARE SEVERELY, UH, ILL.
AND, UH, THE STATE NOW STATES THAT IN THIS AREA, WE ARE AT AN UNCONTROLLABLE, UH, SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.
UH, I THINK IT'LL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL A CROWD OF SEVERAL THOUSAND AT BICENTENNIAL PARK WITHIN A COMBINED AREA, ESPECIALLY TRYING TO, UH, UH, MAINTAIN A SOCIAL DISTANCE BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES OF, UH, SIX FEET.
WE KNOW THAT ON THE 4TH OF JULY, MANY FAMILIES, UH, SHOW UP, UH, FOR THE 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION.
AND I'M ALSO CONCERNED THAT THESE FAMILIES WILL BE EXPOSED, MEMBERS OF THE FAMILIES WILL BE EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS, AND THEY WILL TAKE THIS EXPOSURE, UH, BACK HOME, UH, TO THEIR FAMILIES.
AS WE KNOW, MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO NOW TEST POSITIVE ARE ASYMPTOMATIC.
THEY, UM, UH, HAVE A POSITIVE TEST, BUT THEY HAVE NO SYMPTOMS. THEY'RE NOT RUNNING A FEVER, THEY'RE NOT HAVING ANY RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS OR NOT HAVING FATIGUE.
AND MANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS DON'T KNOW WHEN OR WHERE THEY ACTUALLY, UH, PICKED UP THE VIRUS.
OUR TEXAS MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, UH, HAS, UH, RECOMMENDED THAT WHEN PLANNING AN OUTDOOR EVENT, THAT THREE QUESTIONS BE, UH, CONSIDERED OR ANSWERS ONE, UH, IN A CROWD, ARE YOU ABLE TO MAINTAIN A SOCIAL DISTANCE OF SIX FEET? NUMBER TWO, HOW LONG IS THIS EVENT? IS THIS JUST A CASUAL, UH, UH, EVENT WHERE, UH, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT RUN INTO SOMEBODY? OR ARE YOU GONNA BE IN A CROWD FOR TWO OR THREE HOURS? AND THEY'RE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE LONGEVITY OF THE EVENT? IS IT JUST FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, OR ARE YOU GONNA BE THERE FOR TWO OR THREE HOURS AND HIGHLY LIKELY TO RUN INTO A NUMBER OF, UH, UH, OTHER INDIVIDUALS? UM, WE KNOW THAT IN MOST INSTANCES, THE VIRUS IS, UH, UH, UH, UH, SPREAD THROUGH RESPIRATORY DROPLETS AND SOMEBODY WHO'S INFECTED COUGHS OR SNEEZES IN YOUR DIRECTION.
UH, WE'VE HEARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT, UH, UH, THAT SOCIAL DISTANCE SHOULD BE, UH, GREATER THAN SIX FEET.
SIX FEET IS AS FAR AS IF SOMEBODY COUGHS OR SNEEZES, THAT THE VIRUS WILL, UH, GO BEFORE IT, UH, FALLS DOWN.
AND, UH, I THINK MEASURES, SUGGESTED MEASURES TO CONTROL.
THE VIRUS JUST WON'T WORK AT, UH, BICENTENNIAL PARK IN A LARGE GROUP.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL ATTENDEES WEARING A MASK OR, UH, UH, CLEANING THEIR LAWN CHAIRS, CLEANING THEIR COOLERS SEVERAL TIMES, UH, DURING THE EVENT.
UM, SOME VIRUSES ARE SPREAD VERY EASILY, OTHERS ARE NOT.
UM, SOME VIRUSES TAKE A LONG TIME OF A LONG PERIOD OF CONTACT WITH AN INDIVIDUAL WHO'S INFECTED, AND ALSO A HIGH VIRAL LOAD AND ALSO A HIGH VIRAL LOAD.
UH, THE CORONAVIRUS, A COVID IS NOT LIKE THAT.
IT IS EASILY SPREAD, AND IT IS SUSTAINABLE.
IT CAN STAY ON, UH, A LAWN CHAIR, STAY ON A COOLER FOR HOURS OR FOR DAYS.
THE CDC, THE CENTER FOR UH, DISEASE CONTROL ALSO HAS COME OUT WITH GUIDELINES FOR, UH, ORGANIZERS OF LARGE PUBLIC EVENTS.
AND THEY SAY THAT THE HIGHEST RISK OF SPREADING THE VIRUS IS WHEN THERE'S A LARGE IN-PERSON GATHERING THAT, UH, AND DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING THE SIX FOOT SOCIAL DISTANCE.
IN ADDITION, THEY SAY THAT, UH, THE MORE INDIVIDUALS, THE MORE PEOPLE THEY ARE AROUND AT AN EVENT, THE LONGER TIME PERIOD THERE AROUND, THE MORE LIKELY YOU ARE TO SPREAD THE VIRUS.
UH, THEY RECOMMEND THAT ORGANIZERS LOOK AT CURRENT CONDITIONS BEFORE MAKING A DECISION, AND THAT'S, UH, UM, UH, BEFORE MAKING A DECISION WHETHER TO PROCEED OR TO, UH, POSTPONE THE EVENT.
UM, THEY ALSO RECOMMEND THAT, UH, THEY KNOW THAT IN AN EVENT LIKE OURS, THERE'LL BE PATIENT OR THERE'LL BE, UH, ATTENDEES FROM OUT OF TOWN WHO WILL COME IN.
AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM AND WHAT THEIR INCIDENTS OF CORONAVIRUS IS IN THEIR LOCATION.
UM, I AM IN FAVOR OF, UH, EXPANDING OUR, UH, BAYTOWN ECONOMY.
I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO OPEN UP RESIDENTS, UH, RESTAURANTS AND, UH, RETAIL SERVICES.
I BELIEVE THAT, UH, PERSONAL CARE VISITS TO HEALTH PROVIDERS, TO BARBERS TO, UH, BEAUTICIANS, UH, SHOULD REMAIN AVAILABLE.
AND THAT OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SUCH AS, UH, OPENING OUR WATER PARKS, UH, RESUMING OUR LITTLE LEAGUE AND SOFTBALL, UH, SEASONS, UH, SHOULD CONTINUE.
I THINK THOSE ARE ALL IMPORTANT.
BUT IN THESE ACTIVITIES, I THINK IT'S MORE EASILY, UH, PROPER TO, UH, CONTROL THE INDIVIDUALS CONTROL THEIR BEHAVIOR.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S POSSIBLE IN A
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LARGE GATHERING ON JULY 4TH AT BICENTENNIAL PARK.AND FOR THESE REASONS, I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD POSTPONE THE EVENT UNTIL 2021.
UM, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT YOU, YOU'RE CERTAINLY, UH, WELL CREDENTIALED AND CERTAINLY YOUR, YOUR, UM, MEDICAL OPINION IS VALUED AND YOU ALWAYS REPRESENTED AS WELL.
ALSO APPRECIATE, I KNOW, UH, AT A TIME WHEN WE WERE NOT GETTING THE RIGHT DATA FROM HARRIS COUNTY, UM, YOUR LETTER ALONG, ALONG WITH MINE, WE WERE ABLE TO GO AND, AND HAVE DATA SO THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY GOVERN, UH, FROM AN ADMINISTRATION STANDPOINT, UM, KIND OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
SO I DO CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR INSIGHT, UM, REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
SO, UM, IT IS ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING, I THINK THERE WAS, UH, SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, THAT WERE CONCERNED.
THEY WANTED TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AS A COUNCIL TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DO WE DO? AND I'M PRETTY SURE THERE'S, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT ANY OF THESE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE IN CANCELING ANY EVENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS.
AND CERTAINLY WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, OUR COUNTRY'S INDEPENDENCE, UH, DAY TO GO AND, AND SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S THIS ANOTHER CASUALTY, BUT IT JUST, IT JUST MAY BE, IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO CONSIDER.
UM, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HERE WANTS TO, TO CANCEL IT, JUST, UH, HAPHAZARD.
UH, BUT ALSO I DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED THAT, THAT WE SHOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE IN SOME OF THESE DECISIONS.
UH, WE DO NEED TO, UM, CONSIDER ALL OPTIONS.
AND SO I WANT TO HEAR FROM COUNCIL, I KNOW THERE ARE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, THAT HAD SOME CONCERNS.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THEM, UH, REGARDING THE 4TH OF JULY, UH, SINCE IT'S, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN GENERAL ON THIS ONE ITEM.
BUT, UH, WHAT IS Y'ALL'S INSIGHT? YES, SIR.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE DOCTOR.
SO, UM, ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS IN THIS THING IS WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING TO PARKS, TO THE POLICE AND TO FIRE, YOU KNOW? AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL HAVE OUT THERE TO PULL THAT EVENT OFF IF WE DID IT, BUT IT'S A LOT.
SO IS THERE ANY WAY, IN YOUR OPINION, I HAVE, I DON'T HAVE ONE.
I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN ANYTHING.
BUT WHAT, WHAT POSSIBLY IF WE EXPOSE THOSE GUYS, FOLKS AND THEY GO BACK TO OFFICES AND THEY GO BACK TO THE SQUAD CAR AND THEY GO BACK TO THE FIRE STATION, ET CETERA, WE WERE ALREADY SEEING AN UPTICK IN POLICE, FIRE AND PARKS.
UM, WHAT'S OUR EXPOSURE THERE? OR IS THERE ANY WAY TO EVEN HAVE AN OPINION ON THAT? OR WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU SEE? I THINK, UM, THE MORE YOU'RE IN A CROWD, THE MORE YOU, UH, CONTACT PEOPLE.
I, I PRESUME THAT THE POLICE WILL BE ENFORCING, UH, SOME RESTRICTIONS AT THE, UH, PARK.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT YOU DO PUT 'EM AT RISK.
I THINK WHETHER IT'S THE POLICE, UH, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION EMPLOYEES, UM, UH, I THINK THAT THAT'S INEVITABLE IN A LARGE, UH, LARGE CROWD.
ONE THING THAT, I MEAN, I, I GO BACK TO MY COLLEGE MATH, YOU KNOW, AND IN THIS DOUBLING, I DUNNO IF TONY, YOU SAID THAT WE'VE SEEN DOUBLING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, IF I KNOW BACK IN SCHOOL WHEN YOU DOUBLED IT, THEN YOU DOUBLED AGAIN.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING DOWN THE ROAD WITH THIS THING.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE MIDDLE OF JUNE.
IF WE CONTINUE THIS DOUBLING FACTOR OR IF WE CONTRIBUTE TO THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S EXPONENTIALLY JUST GONNA GET CRAZY.
I THINK, UM, PART OF THE INCREASE WAS EXPECTED 'CAUSE WE STARTED OPENING UP.
WE JUST HAD TO OPEN UP THE ECONOMY AND, UM, UH, GET, UH, LIKE I SAID, STUDENTS OUT, UH, IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
UH, SO I THINK THAT WAS INEVITABLE THAT WE WERE GONNA SEE AN INCREASE.
I THINK THE AMOUNT OF INCREASE, UH, I THINK HAS SURPRISED PEOPLE AND HOW RAPIDLY IT'S BEEN OVER THE LAST MONTH.
ANYONE ELSE? YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, SO, UH, A COUPLE, A COUPLE TIMES IN YOUR STATEMENT YOU SAID THAT, UM, THE EVENT WOULD BE UNCONTROLLABLE.
UM, SO MY FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE, MAY, MAYBE THIS IS FOR STAFF, ARE THERE MEASURES TO CONTROL IT THAT MAYBE WE WERE NOT TAKING? AND THEN THE SECOND THING YOU MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES WAS THAT BICENTENNIAL PARK WOULD BE MAYBE A BAD LOCATION, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD, YOU, WOULD YOU SUPPORT OPENING PIRATES BAY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IS THERE ANOTHER LOCATION THAT WOULD MAYBE BE A BETTER OPTION? UH, I'LL, I'LL DEFER THAT TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION.
UM, I DO, UH, WORK OUT AND RUN AROUND THE DIFFERENT PARKS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I CAN'T THINK OF, UH, ONE RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, BICENTENNIAL PARK, I JUST CAN'T SEE SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE, UH, SQUEEZING IN THERE AND, UH, TRYING TO CONTROL 'EM.
SO SCOTT, I KNOW AT PARTY ON PENINSULA Y'ALL HAD DRAWN LIKE WHITE CIRCLES ON THE GROUND AND POSITIONED THEM SIX FEET APART AND SAME MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD HAD TO BE IN THAT CIRCLE.
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WELL AS FAR AS CROSS-CONTAMINATION AND PEOPLE SOCIAL DISTANCING OR FOR MOST PEOPLE? THERE WERE A FEW THAT GROUPED UP PRETTY QUICK.UM, ONE OF OUR PLANS WAS TO DO THE CROP CIRCLES, IF YOU WILL, IN FRONT OF THE STAGE BECAUSE TO GET ALL THE PEOPLE THAT CROWD THE STAGE AND TRY TO BREAK EVERYBODY OFF, MOVE, UH, A LOT OF, SOME OF OUR VENDORS OR FOOD, OUR, UH, ARTS AND CRAFT OUT, WE COULD SPREAD PEOPLE OUT ACROSS THE BACK.
BUT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE COMING THERE AND, YOU KNOW, THEY GET UP UNDERNEATH THE TREES AND, AND NO TELLING WHERE ELSE.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING TO THE PARK.
I, I'M LOOKING AT THE, UM, COMPARISON THAT STAFF PROVIDED ON OUR SCREENS AND THE WOODLANDS IS DOING SOMETHING NEAT WITH DRIVE-IN FIREWORKS.
HAVE WE THOUGHT OF JUST SOME ALTERNATIVES TO, TO KEEP SOCIAL DISTANCING IN MIND, BUT STILL CELEBRATE THE EVENT, THE FIREWORKS THAT THEY'RE SHOOT, THEY'RE FIRING.
THEY HAVE A A, A PLACE THAT'S KIND OF IN A WAREHOUSE AREA THAT'S A BIG PARKING LOTS AND THEY'RE GONNA FIRE THE FIREWORKS AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA LET PEOPLE GO OUT AND TAILGATE AND, AND, UH, WATCH FROM THEIR CARS.
SO I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THERE'LL BE A LITTLE BIT OF SOCIAL, NOT DISTANCING IN THAT.
THAT'S WHAT THE, UH, UM, UM, BUT THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING THING THAT THEY WANTED TO DO.
I GUESS AT THE END OF THE DAY, PEOPLE MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES, AND THAT'S CORRECT.
THERE'S, WE NEED, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE PLANNED IT AS WELL AS WE COULD.
AND THE CROP CIRCLE IDEA WAS REALLY WORKING.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NEXT TO US, RIGHT NEXT TO ME WAS FOR LIKE THREE OR FOUR GROUPS THAT IGNORED EVERYTHING AND DID THEIR THING.
SO YEAH, I GUESS WHERE I'M GETTING AT IS I HATE TO THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER.
I MEAN, I, I AGREE THAT IT'S CONCERNING THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SEEING, BUT I'M ALSO CONCERNED JUST ABOUT THE GENERAL ENVIRONMENT.
WE'RE ALL IN SOCIALLY RIGHT NOW WITH HOW NEGATIVE AND DIVIDED AND DARK EVERYTHING IS.
AND, UM, CELEBRATING OUR NATION'S INDEPENDENCE IS ONE OF THE FEW THINGS WE DO EACH YEAR THAT BRINGS US TOGETHER UNDER A COMMONALITY OF JUST BEING AMERICAN.
AND IT'S NOT A RACIST ISSUE OR A POLITICAL ISSUE.
AND SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, AND ON TOP OF THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR THREE MONTHS PEOPLE COULDN'T GO TO CHURCH AND I JUST, I DON'T KNOW, I JUST, I'M HESITANT TO JUST KEEP GETTING RID OF THE THINGS THAT BRING US TOGETHER AS PEOPLE.
AND SO I'M HOPING THERE'S A, A HAPPY MEDIUM WHERE WE CAN, UH, BE SMART AND SAFE, UM, BUT STILL JUST NOT LOSE EVERYTHING THAT MAKES IT WORTH LIVING.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, MA'AM.
AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS AND I'M GLAD YOU TALKED ABOUT THE EVENT ON FRIDAY.
'CAUSE THE PARK STAFF DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB.
YOU KNOW, JUST, THEY'RE JUST TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS BECAUSE THE PARK WAS CLOSED.
WE RESTRICTED HOW MANY PEOPLE COULD COME INTO THE PARK.
THERE WAS ONLY A HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE IN THE CIRCLE.
SO THAT'S A VERY, VERY MANAGEABLE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
WE CAN'T RESTRICT THE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD COME TO BICENTENNIAL.
SO YOU KIND OF GET INTO, YOU'RE AT YOUR OWN RISK KIND OF WHEN THEY COME OUT THERE.
IF YOU HAVE THE EVENT OF THE DAY, IT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER WITH THE FIREWORKS.
'CAUSE YOU COULD HAVE THE FIREWORKS IN A CERTAIN AREA.
YOU COULD ADVERTISE NOT COMING TO BICENTENNIAL BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES YOU CAN WATCH THE FIREWORKS FROM ELSEWHERE AS A POTENTIAL WAY OF DOING THAT.
YOU SEE SEVERAL OF THE PEOPLE ON THE LIST ARE DOING FIREWORKS, BUT AGAIN, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CONGREGATE.
UM, THEY'RE CAN'T SEND POLICE OR THE PARK STAFF AROUND JUST TO KEEP PEOPLE APART.
THEY'RE JUST NOT GONNA DO THAT IF THE NUMBER IS LARGE.
IF IT'S A SMALL SELF-CONTAINED NUMBER, YOU CAN DO THAT.
SO I DO APPRECIATE THE COMMENT 'CAUSE IT IS TRYING TO FIND THAT BALANCE BETWEEN DOING THINGS.
BUT I APPRECIATE TONY'S COMMENT AS WELL ABOUT THE NUMBER OF CITY STAFF THAT'S OUT THERE.
BE IT OUR PARKS, PEOPLE ARE PD THAT WOULD BE WORKING THAT EVENT THAT WOULD BE EXPOSED.
JUST TO, TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT, MAYOR, HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT IN THAT SPIRIT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN EXTENSIVE FIREWORK SHOW AND IT GOES ON FOR, IT'S FAIRLY LENGTHY.
I MEAN, HAVE WE GIVEN ANY CONSIDERATION TO MAYBE SPLITTING IT UP INTO TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND TO, TO MINIMIZE THE, THE CROWD SIZE AND TO SPREAD IT OUT WHERE FOLKS COULD TAILGATE AND, AND IT, IT WOULDN'T BE JUST AT ONE LOCATION, IT WOULD BE MAYBE THREE OR FOUR MINI FIREWORKS SHOW, YOU KNOW, IN VARIOUS PARKS OR, OR VENUES.
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I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF SOME OPTIONS HERE.I THINK AT THIS POINT IT'D BE VERY DIFFICULT TO SPLIT UP THE FIREWORKS BECAUSE THERE'S ONE CONTRACTOR, THE COMPANY, THE CONTRACTORS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE FIRING SHOWS ALL OVER THE STATE AND THEY'RE LIMITED, YOU KNOW, SHOOTERS.
SO I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, BREAKING IT UP AT THIS POINT IN TIME WOULD BE TOUGH.
WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE, FOR OUR CONTRACTOR.
AND I, I MEAN, I LIKE YOUR IDEA.
I MEAN, I WANT TO HEAR SOME OTHER COMMENTS.
YEAH, NO, I WAS JUST, AND I REALLY DO LIKE THAT CHRIS.
AND, UM, I, I REALLY AGREE WITH ALL OF THE COMMENTS AND COUNCILMAN, UH, COUNCILMAN BENTON COURT.
UM, I HAD THE SAME FEELING, BUT I, I FEEL AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE ALL SOCIAL BY NATURE, SO WE'RE GONNA TEND TO CONGREGATE TOGETHER AND WE CANNOT CONTROL THOSE THAT CHOOSE NOT TO WEAR A MASK.
YOU KNOW, BUT WE CANNOT CONTROL THAT.
UM, THE BEST WE CAN DO IS CONTROL OURSELVES, AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA PUT ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL PEOPLE AT RISK, OUR STAFF.
AND, UH, I KNOW FOR MYSELF, WHEN I WAS ASKED, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, I'LL SAVE THAT FOR COUNSEL
BUT I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CALLS CONCERNS ABOUT US HOLDING THE EVENTS THEY, THEY WOULD PREFER FOR US TO, TO CANCEL.
AND SO, UM, I, I WANTED TO BE HERE TO HEAR EVERYBODY'S COMMENTS AND, AND CONCERNS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I'M ONE EXAMPLE AND I'M SURE THAT THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE, BUT YOU KNOW, UM, I LIVE WITH SOMEONE WHO HAD CANCER AND SO THAT'S WHY I HAD CHOSEN NOT TO GO TO SOME OF THESE EVENTS THAT, UM, THEY CALLED ME ABOUT FROM THE CITY.
AND SO IF THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE IN THE SAME SITUATION, THEN WE HAVE TO THINK TWICE ABOUT WHERE WE GO AND, AND HOW WE INTERACT WITH OTHERS.
WELL, I GUESS I'LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO STEP OUT THERE AND SAY THE 4TH OF JULY EVENT.
I, I THINK THE FESTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE THERE, EVEN THOUGH I AGREE WITH WHAT COUNCILWOMAN, UM, HEATHER SAID, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AN EVENT THAT WE REALLY CHERISH, BUT WE CAN'T CONTROL THIS VIRUS.
AND WE HAVE A DOCTOR HERE THAT ADVISES THAT WE SHOULD KEEP, UH, FROM THAT GATHERING.
AND SO WE SHOULD, EVEN THOUGH WE CAN'T CONTROL THE VIRUS, WE CAN CONTROL THE RISK OF THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE'S RISK BY NOT PROTECTING THEMSELVES OR OTHERS.
SO THEREFORE, I THINK THE EVENTS, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PUSH FORWARD.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE FIREWORKS AT ALL POSSIBLE, BUT THIS GOES BEYOND JUST THE PARK DOWN THERE.
WE, WE GOT A PROBABLY ABOUT A, A ONE MILE CIRCLE AROUND THIS EVENT WHERE PEOPLE GATHER TO WATCH THE FIREWORKS THAT GO UP 300 FOOT A THOUSAND FOOT UP IN THE AIR.
SO THERE'S PEOPLE OVER ON DECKER DRIVE AND FOOD TOWN AND ALL THESE PARKING LOTS AROUND HERE THAT ARE WATCHING THIS EVENT.
UH, AND SO WE JUST HAVE TO DO OUR BEST TO, TO CONTROL THE RISK THAT WE, UH, EXPOSE PEOPLE TO.
UH, BUT I THINK WE OUGHT TO KEEP THE FIREWORKS AND KEEP THAT EVENT GOING, BUT JUST MAKE SURE WE, WE PUBLICIZE THAT WE SPREAD OUT A LITTLE BIT.
AND EVEN TO THE POINT WHERE DOWN THERE IN BICENTENNIAL PARK, WE PROBABLY DON'T NEED PEOPLE DOWN THERE.
WE JUST SET OFF THE FIREWORKS DOWN THERE, LET PEOPLE SPREAD OUT ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY TO SEE SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA GO UP A THOUSAND FOOT IN THE AREA ANYWAY.
UH, BUT I DO HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT GATHERING UP ALL THESE PEOPLE IN THE BICENTENNIAL PARK EVEN CLOSER.
UH, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT'S NOT GONNA SHOW UP ANYWAY, JUST SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE RISK.
BUT THERE'S GONNA BE A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA COME HERE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS LIST, SOME OF THESE CLOSE BY CITIES ARE CANCELING THEIR EVENTS.
SO WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY'RE GONNA GO? THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA COME OVER HERE.
SO I THINK WE REALLY OUGHT TO CONSIDER, UH, AND TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THIS.
ANY OTHER? I I, I CAN KIND, HE KIND OF STOLE SOME OF MY, MY THUNDER A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE DON'T WHAT THIS THING, OH, YOU DID
WHAT IF THIS THING SPIRALS OUT OF CONTROL? BOB MENTIONED THE OTHER CITIES AREN'T HAVING THIS, AREN'T HAVING THAT.
WHAT IF NOBODY KNOWS? NONE OF US KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME.
WHAT IF, OH MY GOSH, WE EXPECTED 5,000 AND WE GOT 12.
I MEAN, IF, EVEN IF IT'S A FIREWORKS THING, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, UH, WE'RE COMPRESSING INTO A SINGLE DAY, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
WELL, FIREWORKS WOULD JUST BE A ONE DAY DEAL, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S SCARY TO ME.
AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO EXPOSE THE POLICE AND I WOULD ASSUME THE FIRE IN SOME PARKS, IT, I MEAN, WE CAN HAVE AN EVENT OF BICENTENNIAL PARK.
WE DON'T HAVE STAFF THERE TO, TO, TO KEEP TRACK.
IF WE DO THE FIREWORKS, I'D LOVE TO DO THE FIREWORKS, BUT I DON'T THINK, I THINK IT SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF EXPOSING THE POLICE AND THE, AND FIRE AND AND PARKS.
AND I DON'T THINK IT GETS US BY THAT.
'CAUSE YOU JUST CAN'T PUT ALL, YOU JUST CAN'T TURN THOSE PEOPLE LOOSE AND BUY SATINO PARK AND PRAY.
YOU'RE HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE WALKING AND DOING AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO GO ON.
THAT SCARES ME IF WE, IF WE HAVE IT, IF WE JUST DO THAT.
WE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT THIS BEFORE, UH, IF WE JUST HAD THE FIREWORKS,
[00:25:01]
WE ARE STILL GONNA HAVE TO HAVE, I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE GONNA, ARE GONNA COME AND THEY'RE GONNA PARK AT LEE COLLEGE.THEY'RE GONNA SIT IN THE LAWN CHAIRS SIT LIKE THEY ALWAYS DO.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT COME FROM FIREWORKS THAT YOU DON'T, YOU SEE AT THE, AT THE STAGE WHERE THE MUSIC AND ALL THAT IS, THERE'S TONS OF PEOPLE ALL AROUND THAT JUST PULL UP AND FIND A PLACE TO PARK AND, AND WATCH IT.
AND WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE, WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE STAFF.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A PERIMETER AROUND THE, THE FIREWORKS 500 FEET OR WHATEVER IT IS AROUND THAT YOU CAN'T ALLOW ANYBODY IN.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE SOME STAFF AROUND THAT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE TRAFFIC ISSUES, WHICH MEANS WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE FIRE, UH, POLICE, AND OF COURSE FIRE WILL BE THERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CHANCE OF FIRE AND THEY'RE READY TO GO ALL THE TIME.
SO, AND WHAT IF WE SET THEM OFF OVER THE WATER? YEAH.
NO, I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY, I I, I HEAR YOU.
I I HEAR THAT AND I, I JUST DON'T, THE BALANCE OF EXPOSING OUR, OUR, OUR EMPLOYEES VERSUS THE UPSIDE TO, TO SAY WE'VE DONE THIS OR TO, TO DO THAT.
I, I, I DON'T SEE THE BA I DON'T SEE THE, I DON'T SEE THE NET GAIN.
I, I DON'T, I JUST, I CAN'T SEE IT PERSONALLY.
YEAH, I, I MEAN I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
I, I THINK THE DOWNSIDE CERTAINLY OUTWEIGHS THE UPSIDE AND TO, TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE LATE TO GO BACK TO THE FIREWORK COMPANY AND LOOK AT SOME OPTIONS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I I, I HATE TO SAY THE WORD NORTH MAIN, BUT I TALKED ABOUT SORT OF A, UH, PROCESS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN IMPROVED IN DISCUSSING THAT BEFORE THE HORSE WAS, WAS OUTTA THE BARN SIMILAR.
AND I GIVE KUDOS THAT WE HAD THAT DISCUSSION ON THE WATERPARK, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME WITH WHAT WAS KNOWN ABOUT LARGE GATHERINGS, WE MAY HAVE, SHOULD HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION A MONTH OR TWO AGO.
SO, YOU KNOW, WELL, WE BOOK, WE BOOK ENTERTAINMENT FEBRUARY OR JANUARY, FEBRUARY.
I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS HAS BEEN, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR A LONG TIME BEFORE ALL OF THIS CAME UP.
SO IS IT NON, IS THE, IS THE MONEY REFUNDABLE? HMM? IS IT REFUNDABLE? NOT AT THIS POINT.
WELL, AT WHAT POINT, WHAT POINT WAS IT NON-REFUNDABLE? 30 DAYS.
WE COULD HAVE PROBABLY GOT SOME OF OUR, JUST, WE WOULD'VE LOST OUR DEPOSIT, BUT WE WOULD ALSO WELL, THAT'S MY POINT.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION PREVIOUS TO THE NON-REFUNDABLE DEADLINE.
DOESN MEAN SOMEBODY NEEDS TO SAY THAT.
SO LET ME, LET ME COMMENT ON THAT.
THERE'S NO DOUBT COUNCILMAN IN, IN HINDSIGHT AS FAR AS, AS THINGS UNFOLD, YOU'RE ASKING, I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE ASKING EITHER ADMINISTRATION OR OR, OR WHOEVER ELSE.
I'M NOT SURE PARKS TO GO AND TRY TO HAVE SO MUCH FORESIGHT OF WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.
A MONTH AGO WE WERE REOPENING THE TEXAS ECONOMY.
WE, IT WAS, IT WAS LET'S GO AND SO TO, TO GO NOW A MONTH OR HOWEVER MUCH LATER.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN 30 DAYS WAS OUT, BUT I'M ASSUMING IN EARLY JUNE TO SAY, HEY, WHY DIDN'T, WHY DIDN'T WE HAVE THIS DISCUSSION BEFORE? I, I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S ENTIRELY FAIR.
IN HINDSIGHT, YES, IT'S EASY TO SAY THAT, BUT WHEN WE WERE OPEN, WHEN, WHEN TEXAS WAS REOPENING AND GOING THROUGH, I, I'M ASSUMING PHASE TWO OR THREE OR WHATEVER AT, AT THIS POINT, UM, THERE, THERE WAS THINGS AND THERE WAS CONTRACT THINGS THAT CHANGED.
UM, UH, OUR TALENT, YOU KNOW, OUR TALENT 30 DAYS OUT, UH, CANCELED FOR JULY 3RD.
AND SO I, THAT'S WHEN IT COMPRESSED TO JULY 4TH.
UM, THE NUMBERS WERE NOT THE WAY THEY ARE THIS WEEK.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE TODAY THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE.
I WANNA SAY AT THE TIME, I'M NOT, I DON'T WANT TO GO AND, AND TALK ABOUT SHOULD HAVE, WOULD'VE COULD HAVE.
WHAT WE, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IS WHERE ARE WE AT TODAY WITH THE DATA AND WHAT COUNCIL WANTS TO DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT USUALLY OUR DECISION ON ARE WE GONNA HOLD FORTH IN JULY OR NOT.
'CAUSE WE NEVER HAD THIS TYPE OF ISSUE.
SO THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED IN IN, IN MANY CASES.
UM, I WOULD HAVE A FEW SUGGESTIONS ON ALL WE CAN DO.
I I, I CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN PRETTY OPEN THAT I'D HATE TO CANCEL 4TH OF JULY 'CAUSE IT'S SUCH A BIG PART OF BAYTOWN AND WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN A, A REGIONAL EVENT REALLY FOR BAYTOWN AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
UM, BUT WE ARE, WE ARE AT THE, AT AT THIS POINT NOW TO MAKE A DECISION.
WE'VE HEARD, UH, MEDICAL OPINION OBVIOUSLY, THAT THAT, UM, ANY CONCENTRATIONS OF LARGE GATHERINGS IS CERTAINLY NOT RECOMMENDED, UM, AND STRONGLY NOT RECOMMENDED.
AND SO I, MY SUGGESTION, WOULD WE, WE DO CONTINUE WITH FIREWORKS.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, BY HAVING FIREWORKS THERE, THAT'S GONNA BRING ANY, ANY, WELL, FOR THE MOST PART IT SHOULDN'T HAVE.
UM, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY UNMANAGED CONCENTRATIONS.
PEOPLE WILL, IF YOU SAY THEY'RE GONNA BE
[00:30:01]
FIREWORKS, THEY'RE GONNA GET IN THEIR CAR AND THEY'RE GONNA GO TRY TO SEE THEM.UM, I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
UM, I THINK AS, AS, UH, COUNCILWOMAN BEN, THE COURT MENTIONED, UM, MAYBE IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS ONE YEAR THAT WE DO FIREWORKS OFF BAILIN ISLAND AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
UM, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE MY GUESS.
I, I WOULD HAVE RESERVATIONS, UM, ON HAVING FOOD TRUCKS AND VENDORS BECAUSE, AND OBVIOUSLY CHILD GAMES AND ALL THAT TYPE OF STUFF THAT WE NORMALLY DO.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I WOULD THROW OUT THERE.
IF WE WERE CONTINUING SOME FORM OR FASHION, WE HAVE FIREWORKS.
IT COULD BE AT BICENTENNIAL, COULD BE AT BAYLIN ISLAND.
UM, I, I CERTAINLY WOULD, WOULD SUPPORT WHATEVER THE RIGHT LOCATION IS.
WE ONLY HAVE ONE VENDOR THAT'S PYROTECHNICS AND, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY GO THROUGH A WHOLE SERIES OF, OF A VERY GOOD FIREWORKS SHOW.
UM, WE WOULD STILL COULD DO THE SIMON SIMON CLA CAST OF, UH, MUSIC ALONG WITH THE FIREWORKS.
UH, PEOPLE CAN TUNE INTO, I THINK IT'S 1600 AM OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
BUT AGAIN, IT, IT JUST, MAYBE IT'S JUST A CASUALTY OF, OF WHERE WE'RE AT AND, AND WHERE THIS VIRUS, UM, HAS PUT US THIS, THIS PARTICULAR CASE THIS 4TH OF JULY.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOUR OPINION IS, UH, ON THAT, SCOTT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SAY, WHEN YOU TELL ANY PUBLIC THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A FIREWORK SHOW, THEY'RE GONNA COME.
NOW WE, WE COULD ASK THEM TO STAY IN THEIR CAR, BUT WE CAN'T PREVENT 'EM FROM STAYING IN THEIR CAR.
SO WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T DO THAT AT ANY TIME.
UM, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD PROBABLY PREFER, I GUESS AT THIS POINT.
UM, I'M, I'M NOT SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO CANCEL 4TH OF JULY, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S AT THE PLEASURE OF COUNSEL.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU, I KNOW I WAS AT PARTY AT THE PENCIL ON FRIDAY NIGHT.
UM, I DO WANNA APPLAUD EVERYBODY IN PARKS.
UH, EVERYBODY THAT, UM, THEY WENT, THERE WAS SO MUCH PLANNING AND THIS WAS KIND OF A BETA TEST OF, OF CAN WE ACTUALLY KIND OF CONTROL A CROWD.
AND I THINK THEY DID A, A WONDERFUL, VERY PROFESSIONAL JOB IN, IN THE CIRCLES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HAND WASH STATIONS.
THE FOOD WAS FAR AWAY FROM EVERYBODY.
ENTERTAINMENT OBVIOUSLY WAS EXCELLENT.
I DON'T THINK THEY DID ANYTHING, UM, THAT I COULD EVEN CONSIDER AN ERROR.
THE ONE THING WE CAN'T DO IS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE INDIVIDUALS, EVEN IF YOU THINK THEY'RE GOING TO, UH, STAY IN THEIR CIRCLE.
SOME PEOPLE, WHILE THEY'RE IN THEIR CIRCLE, THEY DIDN'T WEAR MASKS AND THAT'S FINE.
BUT IF THEY GO TO THE BATHROOM, WHATEVER, THEY, THEY MAY NOT PUT THEIR MASK ON.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF HARD TO CONTROL.
BUT FOR THE MOST PART, EVERYONE THERE, IT WAS, IT WAS, I THINK WE HAD ALL THE PROTOCOLS IN PLACE IF PEOPLE WERE TO FOLLOW THEM, EVERYBODY WAS ENTERTAINED.
EVERYBODY HAD GOOD FOOD, GOOD DRINK.
EVEN WITH, WITH, UH, ADULT BEVERAGES ON PREMISE, EVERYTHING WENT VERY WELL.
AND I WANTED TO JUST TELL PARK STAFF THAT Y'ALL DID A REALLY, REALLY GOOD JOB IN, IN THIS, THIS KIND OF BETA TEST.
YOU KNOW, WE EVEN, I THINK THEY EVEN WERE MENTIONING, MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO FOR THE 4TH OF JULY, KIND OF IN THE INNER CIRCLE OF HAVING RESERVED SPOTS, YOU KNOW, JUST SO THAT PEOPLE CAN, CAN WE CAN REALLY GET INTO THE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
BUT, UH, BUT AGAIN, I THINK THEY DID A GOOD JOB AT, AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S TIME TO MAKE A DECISION.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S FUNDS OR RESOURCES THAT WERE LOST BECAUSE OF THIS, IT WASN'T FROM A, FROM A FACTOR OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN'S THE DEADLINE, LET'S MAKE A DECISION.
IT WAS MORE LIKE, WHAT CAN WE DO TO KEEP 4TH OF JULY GOING? UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY CHANGES, EVERY DAY BRINGS A NEW CHALLENGE WITH, WITH THIS, WITH THIS VIRUS.
AND SO WITH THAT, I, I'M WILLING TO ENTERTAIN SOME KIND OF A MOTION.
I I I GOT OF SOME SORT ONE LAST COMMENT ON HOW WE CONTINUE, UH, SOME TYPE OF 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION.
I THINK LISTEN TO THE MEDICAL PEOPLE AFTER WE'VE DONE THAT TO ME, I DON'T EVEN WANNA TALK ABOUT MONEY ANYMORE.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT MONEY ANYMORE, RIGHT? THAT'S DONE.
WHETHER WE, I DON'T EVEN WANNA KNOW HOW MUCH IT IS.
NOBODY'S ASKED THAT ABOUT THE FIREWORKS, BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO ME.
BUT I, I, I'M NOT A FAN OF THAT.
I, I THINK THAT IT'S NOT FAIR AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK POLICE, FIRE AND PARKS TO GO OUT INTO THAT ENVIRONMENT.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE'S COMING FROM THIS.
WE'VE, WE BUILT THIS THING AS A GO-TO PLACE FOR 4TH OF JULY.
WELL RIGHT NOW THAT'S WORKING AGAINST US.
WHAT IF WE GET OVERRAN? WHAT IF, OH MY GOD, EVERYBODY SHOWS UP.
AND TO, AND, AND, AND BRANDON TO, TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD A HUNDRED PEOPLE DOWN AT THAT CONCERT.
WHO WAS IT? BAG OF DONUTS THE OTHER NIGHT AND THEY MANAGED IT GREAT.
MY DAUGHTER WENT, I DIDN'T GO.
BUT TO TAKE THAT AND THEN MAKE A PREDICTION ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH KEEPING THEM IN THEIR CAR IN A REAL CROWD.
A HUNDRED PEOPLE'S, NOT A CROWD.
I MEAN, WE, WE CAN'T MAKE THAT COMPARISON.
THERE'S, THERE, THERE IS NO COMPARISON THERE TO A HUNDRED PEOPLE AND I DON'T KNOW, 5,010, WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND I, I THINK TALKING TO RICK EARLIER TODAY, I THINK I WAS THINKING, YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK WE COULD PULL THIS FIRE FIREWORKS THING OFF.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GONNA CON DO ANYTHING YOU WANT 'EM TO DO OUT THERE.
AND IF WE PUT ENOUGH PEOPLE OUT THERE TO GET 'EM TO ACT LIKE WE WANT
[00:35:01]
TO ACT, WE'VE DEFINITELY DONE THE WRONG THING WITH PAR WITH PARKS FIRING POLICE.AND I, I, I JUST DON'T SEE IT.
I AIN'T, AND I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH MONEY WE LOSE ANYMORE.
JUST TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION THOUGH, THE EVENTS FOR THE CONCERT, THE, THE ENTERTAINMENT IS 150,000 OF WHICH 106 WILL BE LOST.
'CAUSE THE 40 4K FOR DENNIS TO YOUNG, WE WOULD GET BACK THE, THE FIREWORKS ARE 30,000.
SO THE WHOLE DAY IS 180,000 OF WHICH WE WOULD LOSE 136.
'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE 40 4K THAT WE WOULD LOSE FOR DENNIS DE YOUNG.
UM, THE FIREWORKS, MOVING THE FIREWORKS TO UM, OTHER LOCATIONS MAY BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT THAN, AND BAYLAN AND ISLAND WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT SPOT TO SHOOT FIREWORKS.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE A BIG BRIDGE THAT GOES OVER AND A LOT OF FREEWAYS.
AND I THINK WE WOULD YEAH, CREATE A TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE WHEN WE STARTED SHOOTING FIREWORKS UP AND THERE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE STOPPING ON THE BRIDGE WOULD HAVE PROBLEMS AND THE ROAD IS TORE ALL UP.
SO, UM, IT WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO SHOOT FIREWORKS.
UM, I THINK SOME OF THE, SOME OF THESE SMALLER BANDS, UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE DOLLARS ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE IN THE, UH, ROOTS AND BOOTS CONTRACT.
BUT I THINK SOME OF THE SMALLER BANDS, THE OTHER THREE, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING.
REMEMBER THEY HAVEN'T WORKED SINCE MARCH EITHER.
SO WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THEM AT, AT THE NATURE CENTER LIKE WE DID THE OTHER NIGHT.
UH, AND UH, ON DIFFERENT AND NOT COMPLETELY LOSE IT THAT WE'VE ALREADY SPENT THE MONEY, WE MIGHT AS WELL SPEND IT.
UH, BUT I THINK WE CAN WORK SOME DEALS WITH THAT.
UH, JUST, I JUST THOUGHT THAT THE POWER SHOWS IS EITHER THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I COULD JUST RESCHEDULE 'EM, JUST ASK 'EM IF THEY COULD WORK WITH THIS AND YEAH, MAYBE WE CAN GET SOME GOODWILL AND THAT THEY UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS AN UNFORESEEN AND MAYBE THEY'LL WORK WITH THIS SOMEWHAT.
THE BAG OF DONUTS HASN'T WORKED SINCE THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE BEEN BACK.
SOME OF 'EM HAD ALREADY TOLD SOME OF OUR GUYS THAT HEY, THEY HAD TO GO RENEGOTIATE LOANS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, THEY CAN PAY BILLS.
SO I'M SURE THAT THE MARKET WOULD BE WHERE WE COULD DO THAT WITH THEM.
THE SMALLER, WE CAN'T GET THE BOOTS AND ROOTS OR ROOTS AND BOOTS BACK.
UM, BUT UH, UH, THE PYRO SHOWS THE, YOU KNOW, THE FIREWORKS ARE MOVING YOUR FIREWORKS AT THIS LATE.
THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF, UH, STUFF WITH THE STATE OFF FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE.
I WAS GONNA ASK TOO, SO THERE'S A LITTLE MORE DETAILS OTHER THAN THEY JUST, WELL LET'S JUST SHOOT FIREWORKS OUT HERE, UM, TO DO.
AND I DON'T KNOW, IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO DO THAT ANYWAY.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST THEY EITHER SHOOT 'EM WITH FIRE AT BICENTENNIAL PARKER WISH WE WOULD'VE.
WELL I THINK IT MAYBE WHAT YOU DO, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND DAVE'S, UM, A LOT, A LOT OF WHAT COUNCILMAN HESSEL IS SAYING IS, IS UH, PEOPLE ARE USED FROM COMING TO BICENTENNIAL.
WE NEED TO, IF WE ARE GONNA, IF WE GO THROUGH WITH FIREWORKS, BECAUSE I, I STILL THINK THAT WE SHOULD, BUT WE DO GO THROUGH FIREWORKS.
WE JUST SAY STAY IN YOUR CAR, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT.
WHAT DO THEY CALL IT IN SOME OF THOSE CITY MOBILE FIREWORKS? BUT JUST STAY, STAY IN YOUR CAR.
STAY IN YOUR CAR, YOU'RE GONNA WASH 'EM.
I, I THINK IF YOU DO SOMETHING, I MEAN PEOPLE ARE USED TO WHAT THIS ENVIRONMENT IS RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE GETTING USED TO, OKAY, I'M NOT GONNA GO INSIDE A RESTAURANT.
I'M GOING TO GET CARRY OUT OR I'M GONNA DRIVE UP TO THIS FIREWORKS AND WE'RE GONNA WATCH IT FROM THE CAR.
PEOPLE ARE GETTING USED TO THAT BY NOW.
AND, AND SO I THINK IF WE CARRY ON WITH THE FIREWORKS AND JUST LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT, UH, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE IN BICENTENNIAL PARK.
YOU'RE NOT, YOU DON'T NEED TO SIT RIGHT UNDERNEATH WHERE THEY SET 'EM OFF.
'CAUSE IT'S, GOSH, A THOUSAND FEET IN AIR YOU CAN SEE IT.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO RELOCATE.
'CAUSE IF YOU MOVE IT OUT TO BAYLINE ISLAND, YOU'VE CUT DOWN ON THE VIEWING AREA RIGHT NOW THERE'S 360 DEGREE RADIUS WATCHING THESE FIREWORKS.
AND SO YOU JUST HAVE TO MOVE THEM OUT FURTHER AND SPREAD PEOPLE OUT.
SO IT, IT MAKES SENSE AND PEOPLE ARE ARE MORE OR LESS GETTING USED TO THIS TIME THAN WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO TO ADJUST TO THESE THINGS.
AND I LIKE THE IDEA OF RESCHEDULING THE BANDS, UH, THE BEST WE CAN.
I KNOW Y'ALL KEEP MENTIONING BAYLEN ISLAND, BUT WHAT ABOUT OFF THE WATER OFF THE NATURE CENTER AND THEN YOU CLOSE THE NATURE CENTER SO PEOPLE CAN'T DRIVE IN, BUT IT'S STILL VERY VIEWABLE FROM A LOT OF VANTAGE POINTS IN BAYTOWN.
PUTTING THEM ON THE BARGE WOULD BE A, IT'D BE THIS LATE THE GAME.
IT'D BE REALLY DIFFICULT, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, UM, I'D LIKE TO ASK IF, IF THE THOUGHT IS TO DO A, YOU KNOW, COME DRIVE UP, STAY IN YOUR CAR AND WATCH THE FIREWORKS, I WOULD THINK THAT
[00:40:01]
WE WOULD NEED TO DESIGNATE CERTAIN AREAS WHERE PEOPLE AREN'T BLOCKING TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR VEHICLES.I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PARKING IN THAT AREA, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT WE WOULD NEED TO WORK THAT OUT AHEAD OF TIME AS WELL.
I MEAN, I'M SURE THERE THERE'LL BE, I MEAN THERE IS TRAFFIC ISSUES ALREADY JUST UNDER, YOU KNOW, NORMAL 4TH OF JULY MM-HMM
I DON'T SEE HOW YOU WASH FIREWORKS FROM INSIDE A CAR.
UNLESS IT'S A CONVERTIBLE
THEY'RE GONNA GET OUTTA THEM CARS AND I DON'T, I'D LIKE TO HEAR THE PLAN IT'S GONNA TAKE TO MAKE ALL THOSE PEOPLE IN THAT 360 DEGREE VIEWING AREA STAY INSIDE OF THEIR CAR.
I WANNA HEAR HOW WE'RE DOING THAT.
I DON'T DON'T IT'S NECESSARILY STAY IN THE CAR.
I THINK IT'S JUST, I THINK PEOPLE ARE GONNA GET OUT AND GO LAWN CHAIRS AND THEY'RE GONNA DO THE SAME THING.
THEY'RE ALWAYS GONNA DO, THEY'RE STAY IN THE CAR BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE FIREWORKS FROM THE CAR.
SO UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER, I MEAN THERE'S QUESTION OR COMMENTS AND I UNDERSTAND, I RESPECT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, COUNCILMAN HESSEL.
SO WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A DECISION HERE, RIGHT? SO WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A CONSENSUS OF WHAT WE WANNA SEE THE 4TH OF JULY FOR THIS YEAR.
WHAT IS THAT GONNA LOOK LIKE IN BAYTOWN? WELL, I, I WOULD OFFER UP, I THINK THE CONSENSUS IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE, THE CONCERTS.
I THINK THERE'S A CONSENSUS ON THAT.
SO I THINK THE, IS THIS UP FOR ACTION? I'M READY FOR AN ACTION.
IT IS AN ACTION ITEM HE'S READY FOR.
SO CAN WE TAKE 'EM SEPARATELY JUST, OR DO WE NEED TO GO SOMETHING OUT THERE? I MEAN, I, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE CANCEL THE, THE CONCERTS FOR THIS, THE CURRENT 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION FOR CLARIFICATION ON THAT THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER VENUES THERE.
THE SMALL LITTLE TRINKET SALES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO WOULD IT BE MORE, WOULD YOUR MOTION BE MORE DOWN THE LINE OF CANCEL EVERYTHING BUT THE FIREWORKS? YES SIR.
INCLUSIVE OF EVERYTHING BUT FOR THE FIREWORKS.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND, UH, ANY COMMENTS NOW? SO FIREWORKS, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S STILL LIT BY CENTENNIAL.
WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF HEARD THE LOGISTICS.
ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT MR. JOHNSON? ON CANCELING IT ALL EXCEPT THE FIREWORKS.
IT'S NOT WHAT I WANT TO DO, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY.
WE WILL UH, WE WILL MAKE THE FIREWORKS WORK IF THAT'S ALL WE'RE GONNA DO.
AND UH, WE WILL, UH, HAVE A GOOD SHOW AND UM, IF WE, UH, IF WE'RE GOING TO NOT HAVE THE CONCERTS, WE NEED TO NOT HAVE THE FOOD TRUCKS AND ALL OF THAT TOO.
THERE'S NO PEOPLE, THERE'S NO FOOD TRUCKS.
WE NEED TO DO AWAY WITH ALL THAT.
AND YOU STILL HAVE THE POLICE AND THE FIRE AND THE PARKS AS YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, STILL THERE, THERE'S GONNA BE SITE SECURITY.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE THEM OUT THERE.
SO, SO WE TAKE THIS THING AS TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS, ONE THAT THE CONCERT AND THEN GO BACK AND DEC AND DECIDE WHETHER A VOTE WE WANNA DO FIREWORK.
I MEAN THAT WAS THE INTENTION.
I'M JUST TRYING TO NARROW IT DOWN.
BUT THE FIREWORKS, IT'S, WELL YEAH, I KNOW, BUT YOU, IF, IF A PERSON WANTS TO DO THE, THE, THE CONCERT AND OR DON'T WANNA DO THE CONCERT AND DON'T WANNA DO THE FIREWORKS, HOW DOES THE PERSON VOTE? I DON'T KNOW, VOTING AGAINST THERE.
MAYBE WE KEEP DISCUSSING FIREWORKS A LITTLE MORE AND TRY TO THAT'S I'M SAYING CONSENSUS ON FIREWORKS AS WELL.
I MEAN, I DON'T, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU NEED TO SEPARATE THE TWO TO FIGURE TRYING TO, TO DIAL IT IN.
WELL I THINK, I THINK YOU CAN HANDLE IT BOTH.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW THE DISCUSSION IS LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FIREWORKS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO OUT AND PUBLICIZE CERTAIN, CERTAIN THINGS ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA DISPLAY THE FIREWORKS AND HOW YOU SHOW UP.
DON'T COME DOWN TO BICENTENNIAL PARK.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA COME IN THERE.
WHATEVER RULES YOU CAN COME UP WITH TO GET PEOPLE TO SPREAD OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND SO WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AND WORK THE FIREWORKS ISSUE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE A MOTION AND ACTION WE CAN TAKE.
IT'S JUST THE FIREWORKS ISSUE IS THE ONLY THING THAT'S OUTSTANDING AND HOW WE ADJUST THAT AND HOW WE DISPLAY IT.
WE CAN DISCUSS IT NOW AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.
WELL I I'D LIKE TO HEAR HOW WE'RE GOING TO CONTROL THE PARK AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR HOW MUCH STAFF'S GONNA GET EXPOSED TO THIS THING, POLICE FIRING PARKS AND WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE THEN TO DO A FIREWORK SHOW.
HOW, HOW Y'ALL GONNA DO THAT? I MAY HAVE TO, UH,
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN, HOW WE CAN KEEP PEOPLE OUTTA THE PARK.
I MEAN, WITHOUT BEING STAFFED OUT THERE.
THERE'S SEE FOR THE FIREWORKS, I DON'T, I I DON'T KNOW HOW WE COULD DO THAT.
WHAT ABOUT FENCING? THE PARK? A LOT OF FENCING.
THERE'S A LOT OF FENCING AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY, IT GOES ALL THE WAY TO, UM, THE BACKSIDE OF LEE COLLEGE OF GENTRY TO THE, YOU KNOW, PARK OVER THERE.
YOU GOT ANY POINTERS? WELL, I WAS GONNA GO LIKE YOU WERE, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A DIFFICULT SITE TO SECURE FOR THAT.
UM, YOU'D MENTIONED SITE SECURITY AND SUCH.
UH, THERE'S NO POINT IN HAVING IT DURING THE DAY IF THERE'S NO EVENTS DURING THE DAY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T NEED TO PAY ALL THOSE OFFICERS OVERTIME RIGHT.
TO UH, TO BE OUT THERE TO WATCH A BLANK PARK, WHICH IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, SO YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT JUST, YOU KNOW, VISIT THROUGH
[00:45:01]
IT OR DO THINGS.YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT RELATED TO THE 4TH OF JULY FOR CANCELING ALL THE EVENTS.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WALK THROUGH IT AND DO WHATEVER THEY'RE GONNA DO.
UM, AS FAR AS SECURING THE, UH, THE FIREWORKS, I MEAN THERE'S, THERE'S NO WAY OF REALLY PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM THE PARK.
NOT THAT YOU'D REALLY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, IF UH, PEOPLE PARK THEIR CARS IN THE GENERAL AREA, I BELIEVE THAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY GET OUT OF THEIR CARS AND LEAN AGAINST THEM OR DO SOMETHING SO THEY COULD WATCH IT.
BUT IF YOU HAVE A BLANK PARK, UH, IF I WAS DOWN THERE JUST I WOULD GET OUTTA MY CAR AND WALK OUT ONTO THE PARK AND SIT ON THE GRASS OR SOMETHING AND, AND WATCH IF I'M PARKED CLOSE TO IT, I WOULDN'T STAY IN MY CAR NECESSARILY 'CAUSE I GOT A PARKED AGAIN.
SO I DON'T SEE PEOPLE NOT USING THE PARK EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT A LOT OF EVENTS.
I SEE IT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE HAVING THE FIREWORKS, I SEE IT BEING A MASS GATHERING.
I DON'T SEE HOW YOU CAN CONTROL IT IF YOU ASK THEM TO STAY IN THE, IN THEIR CARS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M, THIS IS UNCHARTED WATERS AS YOU SAID.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW I CAN CONTROL THAT HUMAN BEHAVIOR.
UH, IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD EIGHT TO 10,000 PEOPLE I THINK IS WHAT THE COUNT WAS FOR THE EVENTS.
WHEN THE FIREWORKS WERE BEING, UH, DONE.
UH, PEOPLE DO PARK ALL ALONG THE HIGHWAYS, UH, AND ALL, ANY PARKING LOTS, PRETTY MUCH TRAFFIC COMES TO A STANDSTILL DURING THE PARKING THINGS.
AND THEN GETTING ALL THOSE VEHICLES OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE GET CALLS, UH, CONSTANTLY DURING THOSE EVENTS 'CAUSE PEOPLE WILL STOP AND LINE UP ALONG ALL THE 1 46, 3 30, YOU KNOW, ALL ON THE HIGHWAYS.
AND, UH, THEY START BY BLOCKING THE SHOULDER AS BEST THEY CAN AND THEN THEY ACTUALLY MOVE INTO THE ACTUAL LANE OF TRAFFIC, UH, DURING THE FIREWORKS EVENTS.
SO IT'S A, IT IS A TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE.
UH, BUT THERE'S REALLY NOTHING WE CAN DO.
'CAUSE IT'S LIKE UNTIL YOU GET THAT FIRST CAR MOVING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET ANYBODY MOVING.
AND IT USUALLY TAKES, I DON'T KNOW, ABOUT 40 MINUTES AFTER THE EVENT FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN DOWN THERE TO UH, GET THE VEHICLES AND SUCH CLEARED OUT.
'CAUSE EVERYONE'S TRIPLE PARKED.
SO THE GUY THAT WANTS TO GO AWAY THAT WAS PARKING IN SOMEONE'S PARKING LOT, HE'S GOTTA WAIT UNTIL EVERYBODY ELSE MOVES BEFORE THEY CAN START MOVING.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE ANSWER WOULD BE, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, OFFERING AN OFFICER OR TWO WITH THE FIRE MARSHALS, YOU KNOW, TO PROTECT THE FIREWORKS PART, I DON'T KNOW HOW I WOULD REGULATE THE, UH, THE PEOPLE IN THE PARK ITSELF.
CAN I MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT? UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M GETTING, AND I AGREE WITH THE, THE COUNCILMAN, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD BE VERY HESITANT TO EXPOSE MY PERSONNEL TO THAT JUST BECAUSE OF HOW THINGS SPREAD SO EXPONENTIALLY.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT CITY EMPLOYEES.
I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD A HALF A DOZEN JUST FROM WORKING IN THE PARKS ON A NORMAL THING.
'CAUSE THERE'S THAT CAUSE AND EFFECT.
YOU GET ONE PERSON POSITIVE, ALL THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM TAKES 'EM OUTTA WORK CYCLE UNTIL THEY CAN COME BACK WITH NEGATIVE TESTS OR IF THEY ARE SHOWING SIGNS AND THEY GOTTA BE GONE FOR A FEW WEEKS UNTIL THEY GET RID OF THEIR SYMPTOMS. SO IT AFFECTS OUR PERSONNEL QUICK, PRETTY RAPIDLY.
I HAVE JUST A QUICK QUESTION FOR THE PARKS DIRECTOR.
SO SCOTT, I WOULD ASSUME THAT WE'VE BEEN USING HOPEFULLY THE SAME COMPANY FOR QUITE A WHILE ON THE FIREWORKS.
SO IF SO WOULD YOU THINK THERE WOULD BE A LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY WOULD ENTERTAIN THE POSSIBILITY OF WORKING WITH US SOMEHOW? I THINK EARLIER ON THIS, THIS IS A DIFFERENT COMPANY THAT WE'VE HAD BEFORE, BUT WE'VE HAD 'EM A COUPLE YEARS AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRETTY GOOD COMPANY.
AND ACTUALLY WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO 'EM EARLIER, EARLY ON THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, IF WE NEEDED TO RESCHEDULE OR ANYTHING, THEY'D BE GOOD WITH IT.
BUT THIS LATE IN THE GAME, IT MAY BE THEY'D BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO TALK.
I TALKED TO 'EM TODAY ACTUALLY.
THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED AND UH, SO WE CAN TALK TO 'EM AND SEE, HEY, CAN WE POSTPONE THIS TO, YOU KNOW, USE THIS CREDIT FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE, WE WILL TALK TO ALL OF THEM.
DO WE? IF I'M GONNA ASK OR YOU DO SOMETHING, SO LEMME ASK, LEMME ASK, BUT I CAN'T GUARANTEE IT.
DID SOMETHING, DID WE PAY, UM, DID WE PAY, YOU KNOW, DEPOSIT DOWN OR WE PAID THEM IN FULL, SO, OKAY.
I MEAN, WE PAID THE DEPOSIT DOWN, SO YEAH, THEY, THEY HAVEN'T HAD TO PROVIDE A SERVICE.
BUT YEAH, WE, WE PAY 50% DEPOSIT ON ALL OUR, ON ALL OUR STUFF, ALL OF OUR ENTERTAINMENT AND ALL OF THAT STUFF.
FIREWORKS AND SOUNDING LIGHTS AND ALL OF THAT.
SO WHAT I MEAN THE POLICE CHIEF IS HESITANT.
HE OBVIOUSLY, I MEAN HE DOESN'T WANNA EXPOSE HIS HIS OFFICERS IF HE DOESN'T HAVE TO.
SO PEOPLE CAN WATCH FIREWORKS AND I AGREE WITH THAT.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD IT DOES, HOW MUCH, HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU GONNA HAVE TO PUT OUT THERE TO, TO MANAGE THIS THING? WHETHER IT'S, I DON'T KNOW, DOING WHATEVER Y'ALL DO OUT THERE TO PULL THIS THING OFF.
HOW MANY'S OUT IN THE CROWD? HOW MANY'S GONNA GET EXPOSED? POTENTIALLY.
WE GENERALLY HAVE WHAT, 30, ABOUT 30 PEOPLE
[00:50:01]
WORKING, 30 PARKS EMPLOYEES WORKING AT VARIOUS POINTS OF THE DAY.UM, AND UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE OUT IN THE CROWD.
THEY'RE LINING UP FOOD BOOTHS AND ALL OF THAT STUFF AND PICKING UP TRASH AND, AND UH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE DAY LONG.
NOT JUST YOU, YOU DON'T SEE 'EM BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT THERE BUSY.
JUST FOR THE FIREWORKS, HOW MUCH WOULD YOU NEED? I'M GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A, I'LL HAVE TO HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE AFTER WE GOT TO SECURE THE, THE, UH, PERIMETER ON THE PERIMETER.
WE GOTTA SECURE THE PERIMETER AROUND THE FIREWORKS AND WE'LL HAVE PEOPLE THERE.
WOULD YOU STILL HAVE RESTROOMS FOR FIREWORKS? WOULD WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE PORTA CANS OUT.
YOU'LL STILL HAVE TRASH CANS FOR THE TRASH AND TO BE POLICED AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
YOU GOTTA HAVE A STAFF OUT THERE TO, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, HOLD ON, I'M GETTING CONFUSED HERE.
IF WE DO FIREWORKS, IF WE CAN'T CONTROL WHAT PEOPLE, IF THEY WANNA GO SIT AT THE PARK, IF THEY WANNA SIT IN THEIR CAR, THEY WANNA SIT IN FU TOWN PARKING LOT, HOW MUCH ARE WE TRYING TO CONTROL THE, I MEAN, WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO CONTROL HERE? I MEAN THEN WE, IF YOU PUT TO ME, IF YOU PUT PORTA CANS AND TRASH CANS, YOU'RE INVITING, YOU'RE BACK IN.
YEAH, I'M SAYING I AGREE WITH THAT.
WE NEED THE, THE, THE, THE MESSAGES TO BE, WE ARE ON, ON A, IF WE'RE WANT TO JUST DO FIREWORKS.
I UNDERSTOOD COUNCILMAN YOUR MOTION IS WE, WE WANNA DO FIREWORKS IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
WE WANT TO ADVERTISE THIS IN A, IN A MOBILE SETTING.
STAY IN YOUR CAR, STAY NEAR YOUR CAR, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
I'M SAYING WE CAN'T CONTROL WHAT PEOPLE DO RIGHT NOW OUTSIDE CITY HALL.
IF 10 PEOPLE WANT TO GATHER OUT THERE WITH MASKS OR WITHOUT MASKS, WE CAN'T CONTROL THAT.
AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS TRYING TO CONTROL ACTIONS OF PEOPLE.
I DON'T THINK YOU START PUTTING PORTA CANS IN TRASH CANS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
I DON'T WANT ANY OF OUR EMPLOYEES OBVIOUSLY, UM, MORE THAN WE NEED TO SECURE A SITE FOR FIREWORKS.
BUT I, I THINK IF YOU START HAVING CITY TRUCKS OUT THERE AND CITY EMPLOYEES OUT THERE, IT'S GONNA ALMOST INVITE THAT TYPE OF RESPONSE.
WELL, HE'S STILL GOING TO NEED THE PORT OF CANS AND THE TRASH CANS FOR THE EMPLOYEES WORKING THE FIRE PEE ON THE GROUND.
WE, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T NOT, NOT YOU GOTTA HAVE THAT STUFF NOT HAVE PORT CAN.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOU CAN'T, YOU WOULD HAVE A LIMITED, YOU KNOW SOME LIMITED PEOPLE, WE WON'T HAVE AS MANY WE NORMALLY DO, BUT WE CAN NOT HAVE PORTA CANS OUT THERE.
LET ME ASK ONE MORE QUESTION, JUST THIS IS WHERE, I MEAN, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE THINKING OUT LOUD HERE, WHICH PROBABLY ISN'T IDEAL, BUT IT'S ALRIGHT.
COULD, IF, IF SPREADING THE VENUES OUT IS, IS REALLY NOT AN OPTION.
WHAT, I MEAN, WOULD THIS BE SOMETHING TO EVEN ENTERTAIN AS OPPOSED TO DOING IT'S USUALLY WHAT, 20 TO 30 MINUTES CONTINUOUS OF FIREWORKS? WOULD IT MAKE ANY SENSE TO STAGGER IT AND SPREAD IT OUT LONGER TO WHERE AS MANY PEOPLE AREN'T GATHERING AT ONE PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME? AND PERHAPS IT, IT STAGES OUT.
I I MEAN, I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF A VERY SAFE WAY, THE SAFEST WAY WE CAN DO IT IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
WOULD THAT, DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE? OR IS THAT JUST, YOU KNOW, IT DOES, BUT I THINK PEOPLE WOULD JUST STAY IN, WAIT, SO IF YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EVERY HALF HOUR APART, I'M JUST GONNA SIT AND LIKE STAY THE WHOLE TIME.
I MEAN, THE WHOLE THING IS A GOOD IDEA.
I STAY KIND OF QUIET DURING THIS WHOLE TIME, BUT MORE THAN A, ABOUT A WEEK AGO, JUST BEFORE I, I LEFT OUT OF TOWN, THE GOVERNOR HAD GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT ON 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS.
SO WE WERE GOOD TO GO IN, IN JUST LESS THAN SEVEN DAYS.
THINGS HAD HORRIBLY SPIRALED OUT OF CONTROL AS VERY, VERY QUICK.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE EXPECTED IT, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE.
WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH A VERY DIFFERENT SCENARIO THAN WE DID A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
UM, WITH REGARD TO THAT, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL NOTICE ON THIS IS THAT MOST OF THE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW MOST, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THE CITIES THAT WE SURVEYED ARE DOING FIREWORKS.
UH, WE COULD CERTAINLY TRY TO GLEAN FROM THEM WHAT, HOW THEY'RE DEALING WITH THE SAME ISSUES THAT YOU'RE GRAPPLING WITH.
I HAD SUGGESTED TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HESSEL AND, AND, UH, SOME OTHERS, THE MAYOR, UH, THAT WE, UH, WE BROADCAST THE CHOREOGRAPHED MUSIC, UH, COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAVE NO OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE PARK, UH, UTILIZING ALL OF OUR MEANS OF COMMUNICATION.
UM, I THINK THAT YOU CAN'T PREVENT PEOPLE FROM CONGREGATING THAT'S, THAT'S TO BE SURE AT THE PARK.
BUT IF THEY'RE NOT CONGREGATING THERE, THEY'RE GONNA BE CONGREGATING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY'RE GOING TO COME TOGETHER IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, OR MEANS, UH, ON THE 4TH OF JULY.
SO THEY'RE EITHER SPREADING THE VIRUS AND THEY'RE STREET, OR THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE COMING OUT TO THE PARK.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT GIVEN THE ABSENCE OF
[00:55:01]
FOOD TRUCKS, ENTERTAINMENT, OTHER BOOTHS, UM, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LARGE NUMBER AT THE PARK.AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE SOMEWHAT, UH, COOPERATIVE.
WE'VE, WE'VE HAD GREAT COOPERATION FROM OUR CITIZENS SO FAR IN, IN THIS GREAT EFFORT.
AND I THINK IT'S, UH, WORTHY OF CONTINUING TO EXERCISE TRUST AS WE COMMUNICATE TO THEM THAT BICENTENNIAL PARK'S NOT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO VIEW THE FIREWORKS, BUT THEIR FRONT PORCH, NOT JUST THEIR CAR.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN A CAR.
I, WE HAVE, UH, ENOUGH, UH, THE SHELLS THAT WE UTILIZE AND THE, THE HEIGHT THAT THEY REACH ARE VISIBLE FROM MANY DIFFERENT PLACES, INCLUDING HOMES AND PORCHES.
AND, UM, I I THINK WE CAN ENCOURAGE THAT KIND OF VIEWING, UH, AS WELL.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A HAZARD TO STEP OUTSIDE YOUR CAR AND BE WITH YOUR FAMILY.
IT'S THE CONGREGATION OF ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT, CAUSE THAT I THINK PRESENTS THE DANGER.
SO THAT'S WHY I SUGGESTED THAT AS A, AS A COMPROMISE, UH, STILL HAVING THE FIREWORKS.
IT IS APPARENT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING THAT.
SOME ARE ACTUALLY KEEPING FOOD TRUCKS AND CONCERTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
BUT, UH, I UNDERSTAND WHERE THE COUNCIL'S COMING FROM AND IF YOU WANT TO KEEP SOME SEMBLANCE OF THE 4TH OF JULY, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I, I, I THINK THAT, UH, I HAVE A TRUST THAT THAT PEOPLE, UH, WILL NOT CROWD.
THERE'S ENOUGH FIREWORK SHOWS GOING ON IN THE AREA.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA DRAW THE KIND OF PEOPLE OR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT, UH, WE MIGHT FEAR.
THAT'S A CALCULATED ESTIMATION BASED ON THE COOPERATION WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET FROM OUR CITIZENS UP TO THIS POINT.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU.
SO, SO AGAIN, THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO FIREWORKS IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN AND A RESPONSIBLE SAFE, THE SAFEST OR MOST RESPONSIBLE WAY WE CAN, I MEAN, I KNOW THERE HAS TO BE SITE SECURITY.
YEAH, JUST FOR THE FIREWORKS, I'M ASSUMING.
I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY OFFICERS THAT OUT OR HOW MANY PARTS STAFF.
WE WANNA REDUCE THAT AS LIMITED AS POSSIBLE.
I'M ASSUMING ONE FIRE MARSHAL, OKAY.
THEY HAVE, I THINK IF PASSES IT'S THEIR CHORE TO GO COME UP WITH A PLAN ON HOW TO SAFELY PULL THIS OFF.
IT'S NOT OURS TO SOLVE UP HERE, IT'S THEIRS.
I MEAN, AND I DON'T WANNA COMPLICATE THE ISSUE IF WE JUST NEED TO VOTE IT UP OR DOWN, SO BE IT.
BUT I MEAN, WE HAVE A COUNCIL MEETING ON THURSDAY.
COULD WE FORMULATE A PLAN HOW TO PULL THE FIREWORKS OFF SAFELY AND THEN VOTE IT UP OR DOWN ON THURSDAY? UH, IT'S ALREADY VOTED AGENDA.
I THINK WE, TO ME WE HAVE, WE'RE IN AGREEMENT ABOUT FIREWORKS TO THE MOST PART.
I DON'T ENOUGH TO, TO HAVE A VOTE AND THEN MAYBE BY THURSDAY THEY CAN GIVE US AN UPDATE UNDER MANDATORY SO WE DON'T LACK THEN WE CAN TAKE ACTION ON IT.
THEN THEY COULD ALWAYS SEND US INDIVIDUALLY.
WELL AND THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS THE SPIRIT
CAN THEY TALK ABOUT THAT THURSDAY? I'LL HAVE TO REPOST REALLY QUICKLY AND WE HAVE TIME TO REPOST.
MAY WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL HURRY UP IN THE GENERAL MINUTES.
WE WE'RE CONSIDERING VOTING THE CONCERT OR YOU CAN AMEN.
AND THEN KICKING THE FIREWORKS.
IS THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE? NO, EVERYTHING TONIGHT.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING AGAIN? HIS MOTION IS JUST FOR FIREWORKS.
SO EVERYTHING ELSE IS, IS CANCELED AND THEN THEY HAVE TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO PRESENT TO US THURSDAY.
WHAT IF WE DON'T LIKE THE PLAN? WE'RE GONNA CALL THE SPECIAL MEETING AND WE'LL MAKE THE PHONE BE AN ACTIONABLE ITEM ON THURSDAY.
WELL IF IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE AN ACTUAL ITEM ON THURSDAY, THERE'S NO REASON TO TAKE ACTION TONIGHT I GUESS.
WELL THEY NEED AS MUCH NOTICE AS THE CANDLE AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
OF COURSE THE CONCERT AND EVERYTHING.
BUT THE ACTION TONIGHT IS, IS, IS YOU CAN SAY THAT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE CANCELING EVERYTHING BUT FIREWORKS THURSDAY'S ACTION WOULD BE THEY COME UP WITH SOME TYPE OF PLAN AND THEN WE APPROVE THAT OR NOT.
MEANING YOU COULD STILL CANCEL THE FIREWORKS ON FRI ON THURSDAY IF WE DON'T LOCK WHAT WE HEAR.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT YOU SAID AND SHE ONLY HAS 30 MINUTES TO REPOST IT, SO WE NEED TO HURRY AND ADJOURN THE MEETING SO SHE CAN POST IT.
I SECOND CHRIS'S MOTION, BUT WE ALREADY HAD A MOTION, ALREADY HAD A SECOND I MOTION FROM MR. PRESSLEY A SECOND FOR MR.
IF WE HAVE ANOTHER ITEM FOR THURSDAY, WE WILL ADDRESS IT AT THAT TIME.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL COMMENTS THAT YOU THINK YOU WANT TO, DOES THAT TAKE CARE OF A, B AND C OR NO? THAT'S JUST A OKAY.
DO WE NEED TO, I MEAN, CAN THE CITY CLERK, ARE WE GONNA HAVE TIME TO GET THIS REHOST? WE HURRY UP.
[01:00:01]
OKAY, SO UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, SO I'LL NOW, UH, CALL A VOTE.SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF COUNCILMAN HOS COUNCILMAN, UM, PRESLEY'S MOTION TO COUNSEL ALL ACTIVITIES WITH FOURTH OF OUR PREVIOUS SCHEDULED SCHEDULED ACTIVITIES FOR 4TH OF JULY OTHER THAN FIREWORKS.
UM, THEN WE WILL PROCEED WITH THAT AND IF THERE'S AN SEPARATE ITEM ON THURSDAY, WE WILL ADDRESS FIREWORKS ON, ON ON THURSDAY.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, UH, I'LL ASK FOR A SHOW OF HANDS, ALTHOUGH IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL GO MOVE ON TO ITEM
[Item 1B]
ONE B, DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING THE MALL TO MARINA FREEDOM BIKE RIDE SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY JULY 4TH, 2020.YOU WANT ME TO TALK ABOUT IT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO SAME THING I TOLD YOU LAST TIME.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST BASICALLY, I MEAN FIRST OFF, RIDING A BIKE IS, IS IS AN ACTIVITY THAT'S, I'M NOT USING THE WORD EXEMPTED, BUT IT IS NOT PROHIBITED.
UH, EVEN UNDER ANY OF THESE PHASES THAT WE'VE HAD, IT'S PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU STILL, FOR THE MOST PART YOU HAVE TO KIND OF ALMOST SOCIAL DISTANCE UNLESS YOU'RE JUST GONNA RIDE TO TANDEM.
BUT I WOULD SUGGEST AT LEAST FOR THIS, UH, IT'S AN ACTIVITY.
YOU CAN GO TO THE MALL WITH YOUR BIKE, WITH YOUR FAMILY, WHOEVER YOU RIDE FROM THE MALL OF MARINA, YOU FOLLOW OUR TRAILS.
I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD CANCEL THAT, BUT IF COUNCIL WANTS TO DO THAT, THEN I WOULD SAY THEN MAKE A MOTION.
WHAT'S THE CITY'S INVOLVEMENT IN THIS? BECAUSE THIS WAS JUST AN EVENT THAT BRANDON CAP PUT ON LAST TIME AND CITIZENS JOINED.
I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS ON THE AGENDA.
WE SET UP THE SIGNS IN THE MORNING BEFORE Y'ALL START.
UH, WE TAKE 'EM DOWN WHEN YOU'RE DONE AND UH, WE PROVIDE, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE PROVIDING SOME OFFICERS AT SOME INTERSECTIONS AND UM, SO IS IT CO-SPONSORED BY THE CITY THEN OR IS IT CO-SPONSORED BY THE CITY THEN? IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? NO, BECAUSE THAT WOULDN'T BE DONE FOR JUST ANYBODY.
WOULD IT? WAS THERE A REFRESHMENT? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? DISTRICT ONE BIKE RIDE
IT WAS WAY FINDING AND WE SAVED THEM SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BY ANYMORE.
MAY NOT HAVE, SO YOU CAN PUT UP THE SIGNS FREEDOM RIDE ON IT.
I'LL PUT UP THE SIGNS IF I HAVE TO.
I'M PRETTY SURE I COULD PROBABLY PULL SOME VOLUNTEERS, BUT, BUT UM, BUT IT ISN'T JUST ANYBODY.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU, UH, I DO APPRECIATE PARKS AND REC BECAUSE WE DO WANT TO, AS WE'VE, IN MANY MEETINGS WE DI WE DID DISCUSS ABOUT, UM, SHOWCASING OUR TRAILS.
AND SO WHEN MALTA MARINA FINALLY CAME TO FRUITION AFTER, I DON'T KNOW, 15 YEARS, UM, IT IS SOMETHING I WANNA HIGHLIGHT AS THE MAYOR.
AND SO IF INDIVIDUALS WANT TO COME OUT WITH THEIR BIKE WITH VERY LIMITED RESOURCES, UM, I, I ASKED FOR ONE OFFICER WHEN WE HAD A MEETING 'CAUSE THEY ASKED BECAUSE PARKS WANTED TO BE INVOLVED, UM, ON, ON THIS.
AND SO I ASKED FOR ONE OFFICER AT UH, BUSH AND BAKER, IF THEY WANT TO ADD ADDITIONAL OFFICERS, THEN THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE DECISIONS THEY MAKE FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I REALLY DON'T NEED ANY OTHER INVOLVEMENT.
I WAS PRETTY CLEAR, I THINK, UH, UM, FOR THE PARKS FOLKS, I WAS CLEAR.
I SAID THIS IS, I WANT THIS TO BE, UM, UM, AS AT THE LEAST AMOUNT OF COMPLEXITY INVOLVED, IT'S ABOUT RIDING A BIKE FROM POINT A TO POINT B.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN WE DO THAT, WE DO WANT TO PROTECT OUR BIKE, OUR BIKE, YOU KNOW, OUR BIKERS.
AND SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING, UM, THAT UM, THAT WAS THAT, THAT WE WERE INVOLVED IN.
SO IS IS THAT ALL Y'ALL PROVIDE OR DO Y'ALL, THERE'S NO REFRESHMENTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT PROVIDED OR ANYTHING? NO, NO.
I PROVIDE MYSELF AND COUNCILMAN JOHNSON.
UM, I PROVIDED SOME FRUIT AND, AND SO ON.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALVARADO, HOW MANY PEOPLE ATTENDED THE LAST ONE? JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY? THERE WAS A LOT MORE THAN EXPECTED.
IT WAS A PLEASANT SURPRISE OVER, SO I DIDN'T GET TO RIDE, BUT I DID MEET THEM AT THE END.
UM, AS WE MENTIONED, IT WENT PAST MY DISTRICT AND SO WE KIND OF GOT TOGETHER AND SAID, HEY, WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE REFRESHMENTS AT THE END.
SO IT WAS A PLEASANT SURPRISE AT THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP.
UM, BUT I THINK MAYBE THE PICTURE WOULD BE FORGO
THE WHAT, YOU KNOW, THIS TIME THE PICTURE, THE GROUP PICTURE MAY NOT WANNA DO THE GROUP PICTURE, BUT UM, 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WAS WEARING A MASK, UM, AT THE END.
AND SO, UM, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, COME IF YOU WANT TO COME.
WE HAVE PLENTY OF MASKS IF Y'ALL NEED TO.
SO ALSO, UH, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT STRIP THERE ON HU TOE FIXED.
THAT'S SO THEY CAN'T GO DOWN CONSTRUCTION WISE.
WELL THAT'S THE REASON WHY I ASKED FOR THE OFFICER AT THAT ONE INTERSECTION.
IT SHOULD BE FIXED BEFORE AT LEAST ONE SIDE.
[01:05:01]
RAINS LIKE TODAY, YOUR HONOR.I I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THIS ITEM EVEN BEING ON THE AGENDA.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, THIS FRIDAY I HAVE A MEETING WITH THE GLEN MEADOWS NEIGHBORHOOD IN DISTRICT FOUR TO SHOW THEM, UH, PLANS FOR A VISION FOR REDEVELOPING NEW CASTLE PARK.
THIS ISN'T SOMETHING I'M DOING AS HEATHER BETTEN KOTH.
THIS IS SOMETHING I'M DOING AS COUNCILWOMAN HEATHER BETTEN KOTH A PARKS EMPLOYEE WAS INVITED TO ATTEND TO PERSONALLY HEAR THE FEEDBACK, WHICH I GUESS COULD BE CONSIDERED CITY RESOURCES, BUT I'M NOT GONNA PUT IT ON AGENDA FOR Y'ALL TO DISCUSS AND VOTE ON WHETHER I CAN MEET WITH MY CONSTITUENTS AND DISCUSS WITH THEM HOW TO REDEVELOP NEW CASTLE PARK.
SO I, I PUT THIS AGENDA ITEM IN THE SAME ARENA AS THAT AND I I THINK IT'S INAPPROPRIATE THAT IT'S EVEN UP FOR DISCUSSION AND VOTE.
WELL SOMEBODY HAD TO PUT IT ON.
I MEAN, SO THE REASON THAT ITEMS SCENE MANAGER OR THREE COUNCIL, THE REASON ITEMS B AND C WERE PUT ON THERE WAS AS A PROTECTION.
THERE'S SEVERAL EVENTS THAT ARE GOING ON IN AND AROUND FOURTH, 5TH OF JULY, POPUP PARKS THE REST OF THE SUMMER.
AND SOMETIMES THE CONVERSATION GROWS.
AND SO WE AS STAFF TRY TO FIND A WAY TO DOCUMENT AND IN A WAY THAT YOU COULD HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS OF THINGS THAT SOMETIMES GO BEYOND WHAT'S THE ORIGINAL ITEM.
AND SO THAT'S WHY BNC OR THERE TO ALLOW YOU TO TALK THE NEAR TERM.
YOU'RE RIGHT MA'AM, YOUR, YOUR PARK IS NOT ON THERE, BUT THERE'S, THIS IS AN EVENT THAT'S AROUND THE 4TH OF JULY, THE FIFTH AT ROSALYN PARK IS AROUND 4TH OF JULY.
WE TRIED TO ALLOW Y'ALL TO HAVE CONVERSATION ON NUMEROUS EVENTS DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.
I, I FEEL THAT HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
HE'S GONNA DEFINE A LARGE GROUP.
WE'RE GONNA, UM, YOU WILL SPEAK WHEN YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? 'CAUSE WE'RE HAVING THREE OR FOUR CONVERSATIONS.
DID HE ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? BILL, WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO I CAN RECOGNIZE YOU.
YOU KNOW, I, THE BICYCLE THING, I I I THINK THAT ALL GOT IN THERE BECAUSE OF THE COVID.
WE'RE ALL TRYING TO, WHAT EVENTS DO MIGHT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT, LIKE HOW THAT'S HAPPENED.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US SEE THE, THE BIKE THING AS A COVID ISSUE UNLESS ONE OF THE HEALTH PEOPLE DO.
I MEAN, YOU'RE ON A BIKE, YOU'RE FRONT TIRE GETS YOU TWO AND A HALF FEET AND THE OTHER PERSON'S FRONT TIRE GETS THEM TWO OR THREE FEET.
YOU KNOW, I, I I JUST, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE IT AS A, I DON'T THINK IT'S ON THERE 'CAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO STOP IT AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
BUT I THINK, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT DEAL TO ME.
I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T SEE C IN IN THE BIKE DEAL UNLESS, AND, AND, AND Y'ALL COULD, YOU KNOW, TALK AMONG YOURSELVES OUT THERE AND HEY EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, BACK UP A LITTLE BIT OR DON'T DO THAT PICTURE.
OH, YOU DRIVING? I DIDN'T SEE THE PICTURE, SO I DON'T KNOW.
I NOW I CAN SEE IT IN MY MIND THOUGH.
Y'ALL ALL HUDDLED UP WITH NO MASK AND AH, YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T POST THAT, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW, JUST BE THE LEAD BACK RIDER.
AND YOU KNOW, AND WHEN YOU'RE RIDING A BIKE, YOU'RE, YOU GOTTA HAVE DISTANCE OR YOUR WRECK.
I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT, SO, SO LET'S SAY WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS AGENDA AND GET THINGS POSTED.
UM, SO I'M NOT SURE THERE'S AN ACTION TO TAKE.
IT WAS THIS DISCUSSION FOR, FOR THIS ITEM, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
AND WE'VE HAD DISCUSSION, WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE ACTION SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM IF Y'ALL LIKE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA PROPOSE, MAYOR.
[Items 1C & 2]
DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION CONCERNING POP-UP PARK SERIES AND OTHER UPCOMING CITY EVENTS.I'M ASSUMING THIS IS ALL INCLUSIVE ANYWHERE THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME TYPE OF GATHERING THAT COULD TAKE PLACE.
YES, THERE'S, THERE WE HAVE A LOT OF, WE HAVE A LOT OF EVENTS COME UP.
WE BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE ACTUALLY PLAN WELL IN ADVANCE OF EVENTS AND ANY KIND OF ACTIVITIES, UM, IN OUR POP-UP PARKS.
UH, WE'VE CANCELED THE LAST THREE WE STARTED AT MARCH AND WE CANCELED THE LAST THREE, BUT OUR NEXT ONE IS SCHEDULED FOR THE FIFTH, UH, JULY AT ROSELAND PARK WHERE WE GOT RYAN GENTRY PICTURE BOOK BOOKED.
UM, ON AUGUST 2ND, WE HAVE, IT'S A BURGON AND WE HAVE, I'M GONNA MESS UP THIS NAME AT ALL.
GON CONSOLE, I DON'T REMEMBER NAME.
WE HAVE A BAND THAT WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE WEST BAYTOWN.
MM-HMM
WE HAVE OUR BROWN BAG LUNCHES COMING UP IN SEPTEMBER.
WE HAVE FOUR OF THEM AND WE HAVE THEO FEST AND UH, RAMON ALA IS, UH, THE HEADLINER.
AND UH, THEN WE HAVE OTHER EVENTS, YOU KNOW, THE NURTURE NATURE.
UM, I MEAN, THIS ISN'T GETTING ANY BETTER.
[01:10:02]
SO THE, THE VIRUS IS NOT GETTING ANY BETTER AND WE JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT DIRECTION TO GO IN AND THAT'S IT.WELL, SO THERE'S LOTS OF EVENTS YOU DESCRIBED THERE, SCOTT, BUT WE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND, I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE TO TAKE IT ALMOST KIND OF AT LEAST MONTH BY MONTH.
WE DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE, WE, YOU KNOW, SEPTEMBER, SO IT'S GONNA BE HARD.
UM, I WOULD THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, AND I AGREE WITH, WITH, WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS WE WANT TO KNOW WHEN IS THERE A DROP DEAD DEADLINE WHEN WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION WHETHER THERE'S FINANCIAL IMPACT OR WE CAN'T RENEGOTIATE A POSTPONEMENT AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF FOR IN THE FUTURE WHEN THINGS WOULD BE MORE, UH, AVAILABLE, UM, THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO KNOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE POPUP PARK, THAT'S WHAT WE, I THINK LET'S JUST TAKE THAT FOR NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MOST PART, I MEAN, IT, IT CAN DRAW A CROWD, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LARGE CROWD.
I THINK YOU CAN TELL PEOPLE TO KIND OF NO DIFFERENT THAN PEOPLE HAVING A SMALL GATHERING AT A PARK ALREADY.
AND SO I JUST THINK, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO KIND OF TRUST Y'ALL'S, Y'ALL'S JUDGMENT.
I THINK Y'ALL DID A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH THE PARTY IN THE PENINS PENINSULA.
SO I THINK THAT WE, WE JUST, WE JUST TRY TO, YOU KNOW, TRY TO, UH, PUT PROTOCOLS IN PLACE AND, AND UH, HAVE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE TO WEAR MASKS, WHATEVER THEY HAVE TO DO, I THINK WE TAKE IT KIND OF MONTH BY MONTH.
I'M NOT SURE, YOU KNOW, UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING THAT COMES FROM HEALTH OFFICIALS OR HARRIS COUNTY THAT PRECLUDES US FROM DOING ANY OF THAT, I THINK WE KIND OF TAKE THAT AND, AND, AND KIND OF LOOK AT IT ON A CASE BY CASE, UH, BASIS AND ON, ON THE MERIT OF THE EVENT AND WHERE IT'S AT AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN.
YEAH, I I THINK YOU LEARN A LOT FROM THE BAG OF DONUTS DEAL.
SOUND LIKE THAT WENT PRETTY DARN GOOD.
I THINK YOU MY OPINION, YOU KEEP GOING WITH THIS STUFF HERE AND, AND WE LEARN AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SMALLER GROUPS, THEY'RE MANAGEABLE, I THINK.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S ALL DOABLE.
IT WOULD APPEAR TO ME EVEN IN THE COVID WORLD.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU DID YOUR CROP CIRCLES AND YOU GET OUT THERE AND KIND OF MAN TO IT.
I WOULD THINK THE IDEA, THE IDEA OF THE POP-UP PARKS IS TO BRING, UH, EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES AND ALL KIND OF THINGS TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE'LL HAVE A BAND AND WE'LL HAVE SOME, WE MAY HAVE A ZUMBA TEACHER AND WE MAY BE ORGANIZING KICKBALL GAMES OR THAT THE SPRAY PARK WILL BE OPEN AND UH, WE MAY HAVE A LOT OF OTHER GAMES AND THINGS FOR KIDS TO DO.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE NEIGHBORS NIGHT OUT ON STEROIDS IS WHAT WE'D LIKE IT TO HAVE AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BRING NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER.
AND UH, SO YOU NEVER KNOW, WE MAY HAVE 10 PEOPLE THERE, WE MAY HAVE THOUSAND, YOU KNOW, EVENTS LIKE THIS.
YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU GET THERE WHAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE.
SO, JUST WANTED TO THROW ALL THIS OUT BECAUSE IT JUST TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO DO ALL THESE, ALL THIS, UH, THEY DON'T JUST COME TOGETHER, RIGHT? NO, WE, WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE STUFF THE PARKS DOES IS, IS CERTAINLY IT'S PLANNED OUT FAR IN ADVANCE.
UNFORTUNATELY RIGHT NOW WE DON'T KNOW WHAT 30 DAYS LOOKS LIKE FANCY IS RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, I WISH I COULD, I MEAN, I, I HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL, BUT IT, IT'S PRETTY FUZZY AT TIMES.
AND SO I THINK RIGHT NOW I'M JUST TRYING TO GET THROUGH THE 4TH OF JULY
SO LET'S, LET'S TAKE THAT WE'RE TURNING TO THE FIFTH.
WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW THAT LOOKS TOO.
THAT'S, THAT IS, THAT'S, BUT I, MY UNDERSTANDING THOSE ARE A LOT SMALLER SCALE.
NOTHING, PROBABLY EVEN SMALLER SCALE THAN BAG OF DONUTS.
SO, UM, WE'LL KIND OF JUST SEE WHAT THURSDAY LOOKS LIKE AND YOU KNOW, MAYBE BY THEN WE'LL HAVE EITHER A BETTER INDICATION OF WHERE HARRIS COUNTY IS LOOKING AT LOOKING LIKE AT THAT POINT OR NOT.
UM, I WAS ON THE CITY WEBSITE TODAY, YESTERDAY AND UH, I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO EVEN TALK ABOUT THIS EVENTS.
THAT'S NOT ON HERE, BUT THE, THE GOLDEN GROOVE SENIOR DANCE ON THE 10TH AT THE CIVIC CENTER.
GOLDEN GROOVE, SENIOR DANCE JULY 10TH, A SENIOR DANCE.
THAT'S KIND OF SCARY, ISN'T IT? ISN'T THAT OR NOT? I'VE SEEN THEM DANCE TOO.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU PUT THE SENIORS UP, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW.
DAVE, YOU'RE PUTTING A LOT OF MATERIAL OUT THERE FOR ME.
SO WE GOT THE SOFTBALL LEAGUES GOING, THE SENIOR SOFTBALL LEAGUES GOING MA'AM DANCING THOUGH.
ONE QUICK QUESTION, SCOTT, I KNOW THAT THE POPUP PARK AT BERGON IS EARLY AUGUST, SO IF WE MAKE A DECISION AT THE FIRST MEETING IN JULY, IS THAT ENOUGH TIME FOR YOU OR, YEAH, YEAH.
YEAH, WE JUST, YEAH, AND, AND MOST, YOU KNOW, WE JUST, WE JUST GOT BANDS AND YOU KNOW, WE JUST GOTTA GET THEM THERE AND SIGNED UP AND ALL THAT.
BUT, UM, THAT'S THE ONLY ONES.
AND IF THEY'RE, THESE FIRST TWO DON'T COST ALL THAT MUCH, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA GET OUR L BE IT'S NOT, IT'S ONE IN AUGUST AND MM-HMM
SO IT, UH, MAY BE A LITTLE MORE, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, GOOD.
UH, ALL POST AGENDA ITEMS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED, SO THIS MEETING'S NOW ADJOURNED.