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TALK.[ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2020 6:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 Due to the COVID 19 Disaster and the CDC's recommendation regarding social distancing measures, the public may not be allowed to be physically present at this meeting, as there is a limited amount of space when maintaining the required 6-feet separation from others. For those members of the public that cannot or do not wish to be physically present at the meeting, they will be able to participate through two-way communications. For video conferencing, use the following website www.zoom.com, click on "join a meeting" on the top right hand corner, and input the following Meeting ID: 848 9253 3345. For telephone conferencing please use the following toll-free number: 1-888-788-0099, Meeting ID: 848 9253 3345. Any person, who is participating through video/teleconferencing and is interested in speaking on any item on the agenda, must submit his/her request via email to the City Clerk at cityclerk@baytown.org. The request must include the speaker's name, address, and phone number that will be used if teleconferencing as well as the agenda item number. The request must be received prior to the posted time of the meeting. The agenda packet is accessible to the public in both HTML and PDF formats at the following link: https://www.baytown.org/city-hall/city-clerk/agendas-minutes. City Council Meetings are broadcast on the City's Municipal Channel, Channel 16 and on the website at: https://www.baytown.org/city-hall/public-affairs/baytown-tv-public-service-announcements. After the meeting, a video recording of this meeting will be made available to the public at https://www.baytown.org/city-hall/city-clerk/agendas-minutes. For more information or questions concerning the teleconference, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at 281-420-6504. AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM PLEDGE AND INVOCATION Council Member Heather Betancourth, District No. Four ]
THIS MEETING OF THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL ORDER.IT IS 6:34 PM WE ARE IN CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
WE WILL BE, UH, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.
WE WILL BE LED IN OUR PLEDGE AND INVOCATION BY COUNCIL MEMBER HEATHER BEN COURT, UH, DISTRICT FOUR.
PLEASE RECITE THE PLEDGE WITH ME.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
FOR ALL, HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, TEXAS, ONE STATE UNDER GOD.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE PRAY THAT YOU WATCH OVER OUR COMMUNITY DURING THIS TIME AS WE STRUGGLE WITH DISEASE OF BOTH THE BODY AND THE HEART FOR OUR BODIES.
BLESS THE DOCTORS AND NURSES WHO HELP US HEAL AND THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY KNOW HOW.
AND BLESS AND BRING COMFORT TO THOSE OF US WHO SUFFER AND ARE SICK.
WE ALSO PRAY THAT YOU SOFTEN OUR HARD HEARTS AS WE TOO OFTEN TURN AGAINST OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS OVER PETTY QUARRELS AND SHOULD REMEMBER THAT YOU, LORD, CREATED US ALL IN YOUR IMAGE.
BLESS THOSE OF US WHO AIM TO LEAD OUR COMMUNITY THIS EVENING, AND MAY WE DO SO WITH WISDOM AND PRUDENCE.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL HAVE ITEM ONE, A RECOGNITION OF CITY
[a. Recognize City of Baytown Employees for their Years of Service.]
OF BAYTOWN EMPLOYEES FOR THE YEARS OF SERVICE.SO, AS Y'ALL ARE AWARE, WE HAVE NOT DONE SERVICE AWARDS IN, UM, A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S, YOU DO THAT.
I CAN TALK WHILE I'M NOT TALKING
UM, SO WE HAVEN'T DONE SERVICE AWARDS IN A LITTLE WHILE.
WE WERE HOPING EVERYTHING WOULD BE BACK NORMAL AND WE WOULD BRING, BE ABLE TO BRING OUR EMPLOYEES BACK IN HERE FOR RECOGNITION.
WE REACHED A POINT WHERE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, SO WE WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND PROCEED AND, AND RECOGNIZING THOSE EMPLOYEES WITH Y'ALL.
SO WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER A VIRTUAL PRESENTATION THAT WE WILL ALSO BE POSTING ON OUR INTERNET WEBSITE SO THAT OUR EMPLOYEES CAN ALSO ACCESS IT AND SEE IT AS WELL, AND, AND ALSO HAVE THAT RECOGNITION.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL GET STARTED AND Y'ALL WILL SEE ME, UH, THE NEXT COUPLE OF MEETINGS CATCHING UP ON ALL THE ONES THAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE ABOUT 52 EMPLOYEES TO RECOGNIZE.
SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SERVICE AWARDS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SO STARTING OFF TONIGHT, WE WILL START WITH FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE AND FIRST UP WE HAVE MICHELLE GARCIA, WHO IS WITH OUR FIRE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
NEXT WE HAVE CHRISTIAN CARILLO, WHO ALSO HAS FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE, AND HE'S WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND OUR LAST ONE WITH FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE IS A POLICE OFFICER ROAMING BY AND THEN MOVING ON TO 10 YEARS OF SERVICE.
FIRST WE HAVE OMEGA JONES FROM OUR CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
WE ALSO HAVE KEVIN HARVILLE FROM OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, 10 YEARS OF SERVICE.
JOHN HUGHES FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, EDWARD BASE, BAYLESS, ALSO FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT SERVING 10 YEARS, AND ALSO ANTHONY ROBLEDO FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
NEXT UP WE'RE GOING TO 20 YEARS OF SERVICE AND WE HAVE KENNETH HAMPTON FROM OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
NEXT WE HAVE RAY DARRINGTON FROM OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND DAVID OILER ALSO FROM OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE HAVE DANIEL DANEK FROM OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HE HAS A BIO AND BECAUSE WE ARE, UM, POSTING THIS ON OUR WEBSITE, WE ARE DOING OUR BIOS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
SO I WILL GO AHEAD, UM, AND LET THAT BEGIN.
WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE DANIEL J DANK FOR 30 YEARS OF SERVICE.
DAN GRADUATED FROM CROSBY HIGH SCHOOL IN 1983.
HE CONTINUED HIS EDUCATION AT LEE COLLEGE IN BOTH GENERAL STUDIES AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRAINING.
DAN WENT ON TO SECURE POSITIONS WITH THE CITY OF LIBERTY
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AS A FIREFIGHTER EMT AND PART-TIME FIRE INVESTIGATOR.HAVING GRADUATED FIRE AND ARSON TRAINING ACADEMIES.
IN 1990, DAN BECAME EMPLOYED WITH THE BAYTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HAVING ALREADY ATTENDED THE LIBERTY COUNTY SHERIFF'S LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY, DAN HAD NO TROUBLE MOVING SWIFTLY THROUGH THE FIELD TRAINING PROGRAM AND ONTO A PATROL SHIFT.
WHILE IN PATROL, DAN BECAME A FIELD TRAINING OFFICER AND AN ADVANCED ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR IN RECONSTRUCTIONIST IN 1997, DANIEL WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL FOUR BAYTOWN OFFICERS CHOSEN TO ATTEND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY NORTH AMERICAN ROADSIDE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INSPECTION SCHOOL.
IN 1998, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE FIRST DOT TRAFFIC UNITS RESPONSIBLE FOR FATAL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS, DOT AND TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
DANIEL WAS A LEVEL 1D OT INSPECTOR AND HOLDS AN ARRAY OF CERTIFICATIONS.
HE'S CURRENTLY ONE OF THE DEPARTMENT'S APPOINTED CORPORALS AND ASSIGNED TO THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE UNIT.
DAN HAS MORE THAN 2,900 HOURS OF SPECIALIZED TRAINING AND HOLDS A MASTERPIECE OFFICER CERTIFICATE THROUGH THE TEXAS COMMISSION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.
HE HAS RECEIVED MORE THAN 30 LETTERS OF APPRECIATION AND COMMENDATIONS FROM CITIZENS ORGANIZATIONS AND SUPERVISORS.
DEPARTMENTAL AWARDS INCLUDE TWO EMERGENCY SERVICE RIBBONS TO CHIEFS UNIT CITATIONS, MEDAL FOR EXCELLENT SERVICE, FOUR, HONORABLE CONDUCT MEDALS.
HE HAS ALSO RECEIVED MULTIPLE AWARDS RELATING TO HIS LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICE, INCLUDING PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER OF THE YEAR AND OFFICER OF THE QUARTER TWICE.
DAN IS A COMMITTEEMAN OF THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO SAFETY COMMITTEE AND PAST CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSTON COUNCIL OF SAFETY PROFESSIONALS.
FINALLY, DAN SERVES AS A DEACON IN HIS CHURCH.
HE AND HIS WIFE HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 28 YEARS, HAVING TWO SONS, 19 AND 21 YEARS OF AGE.
AND THAT IS ALL WE HAVE FOR THIS EVENING AS THERE YOU GO.
AND CERTAINLY THANK YOU FOR ALL OUR DEDICATED BAYTOWN EMPLOYEES AND EVERYTHING THEY DO FOR OUR CITIZENS.
[2. GATEWAY 10 BUSINESS PARK]
TWO A, B, C, AND D MISS CITY CLERK.IS THERE ANY COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE ON THIS BEFORE WE GET STARTED? ITEM TWO A, YOU HAVE ONE SPEAKER ON ZOOM AND IT'S, UM, RIGHT.
AND THEY ARE UNMUTED AND THEY CAN SPEAK FOR THEIR THREE MINUTES.
'CAUSE SHE, SHE DOES, SHE DID SIGN UP FOR ITEM TWO SINCE THERE'S A, B AND C AND D SHE WANTED, UM, JUST SPEAK ON ITEM.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UM, LET'S LET HER SPEAK IF WE CAN.
SHE DID SIGN UP AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO, TO THE OTHER ITEMS. AND WE HAVE SOME OTHER PEOPLE WHO SPOKE.
THEY ALSO SPOKE ON ITEM JUST TWO, BUT THERE IS FOUR ITEMS, BUT, BUT I THEY ARE, THEY ARE ALL RELATED.
SO IT, IT WOULD BE GENERAL COMMENTS FOR YES, SIR, FOR THE, UH, THE, THE SUBJECT MATTER.
UH, MS, IS IT RO ROLAND? ROLAND, YES.
UM, I DID SPEAK AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING WHERE THE ZONING WAS, UH, UH, DEBATED AND I LISTENED TO THE DEVELOPER AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE, THAT THEY SAID, UH, WAS A VERY BIG CONCERN.
UM, OF COURSE ONE OF 'EM IS, DO THEY, DO THEY HAVE A TENANT COMMITTED? I ASKED THIS QUESTION AT THE LAST MEETING, AND I BELIEVE THAT I GOT A LONG ANSWER AND THE ANSWER WAS NO.
AND I'M JUST LOOKING TO SEE IF THE, IS THE ANSWER STILL THE SAME? DO WE, IS THERE ANYBODY COMMITTED? UM, AND THEN GOING ON TO THE OTHER ITEMS, THE FLOODING IS A MAJOR CONCERN, CONTINUES TO BE.
UM, I KNOW THAT CHEVRON HAS, HAS FLOODED IN AT LEAST TWO TIMES IN MY RECENT, IN MY MEMORY, UH, FLOODING AT SHO FLOODING OVER AND, AND ALL IN THIS AREA.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A DRAINAGE QUESTION ASKED BY ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WHICH WAY DOES THAT, WOULD IT BE GRADED TO, OR THE WATER WOULD FLOW TO? AND THAT I, I DON'T, UH, RECALL HIM GETTING AN ANSWER.
UH, WOULD IT BE WHO THE EASTER TO THE SOUTH THERE, IF IT IS GOING TO BE EITHER TO EITHER LOCATION, THE DITCHES WILL NEED TO BE WIDENED AND COLORS WILL NEED TO BE ADDED AND ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UM, THAT CURRENT, THAT PROPERTY CURRENTLY WAS, SERVES AS A NATURAL WATER HOLDING AREA.
UM, IT IS A, IT IS A GOOD DRAINAGE AND IT, AND IT IS NATURAL.
UM, AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF HAS THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT LOOKED AT THE EFFECT OF PUTTING THIS IN THERE, OF THE HOMES IN THIS AREA? UM, AND IF IT IS GONNA BE DRAINED TO THE EAST, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A REAL POSSIBILITY OF FLOODING TO THE, TO THE HOME, REGARDLESS OF A, OF A RETENTION POND.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT ISSUE, OF COURSE, IS THE TRAFFIC ON SHO ROAD.
UM, I STILL BELIEVE IT WILL HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT.
YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THE 9 1 1
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ADDRESS WILL SHOW UP ON THE GPS AND THE, AND IT'LL BE ALL THE TRAFFIC ROUTES TO SHO ROAD.UM, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE ISSUE OF NOT HAVING AN ENTRANCE ON SHO LAND ROAD.
UH, WE, AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A TRAFFIC STUDY DONE BECAUSE I SAW THE WIRE ACROSS SHO LAND, BUT THAT WAS, WE NEEDED STUDY DONE BEFORE THE, THE COVID AREA LEVELS.
UM, THE TRAFFIC ON NINE TENS ALREADY, IT'S STILL A CONCERN.
WILL ONE ENTRANCE BE ADEQUATE? UM, IT STATED IN THE LAST MEETING, THEY, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO IT WAS, BUT THE DEVELOPER SAID THAT THEY WOULD ONLY ALLOW SMALLER TRUCKS INTO THIS LOCATION.
UM, IT, WHO'S GONNA POLICE THE SMALLER TRUCKS AND SENDING A SMALLER TRUCK IN, YOU'RE GOING IN TO DELIVER THEIR CARGO.
IT'S GONNA FURTHER LIMIT THE TENANTS AND THEN ALSO IT WILL DRIVE ITS COST UP.
UM, THERE'LL BE TRUCK TRAFFIC ON SHO BOBTAIL AND 18 WHEELER FREIGHT TRUCKS AND NORMALLY 18 WHEELERS.
UH, THEY, THEY, THERE'S BOX TRUCKS, BUT MOST OF THE TIME THEY'RE, THEY'RE 18 WHEELERS OR 15 OR WHICH, WHICHEVER THE BOX HEIGHTS ARE THE SAME.
YOU CAN LOOK THAT UP ON GOOGLE WITH THE DIMENSIONS UP.
UM, THEY HAVE TO GO AND OF COURSE WHEN THEY GET ON SHO UNDER, THEY'LL HAVE TO GO MAKE U TURN IN NORTH MAIN AND COME BACK MS. ROLLIN.
AND THEN WHAT'S GONNA, MS. ROLLIN CAN, CAN YOU GO AHEAD? YOUR TIME IS UP, BUT I'LL ALLOW YOU TO, UH, ASK ONE MORE QUESTION.
YOU HAVE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS, THAT'S WHY, UM, CAN YOU GO AHEAD AND ASK YOUR LAST QUESTION AND MAKE YOUR CLOSING COMMENT PLEASE? OKAY.
IF THE ZONING, IF THE ZONING IS, UM, IT, GOSH, THAT WAS SHORT.
IF THE ZONING IS GRANTED, UM, THAT, OF COURSE THE HARRIS WHO'S GONNA POLICE THIS SINCE IT'S HARRIS COUNTY BAYTOWN, AND THE TEXAS DOT WILL HAVE TO ZONE OR HAVE TO APPROVE THESE, UH, IMPROVEMENT TO MAINTAIN THE DEED REQUIREMENTS, UM, I THINK THAT THE ENFORCEMENT WILL BE A NIGHTMARE.
AND ALSO, UM, I, I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT THE DEVELOPER HAD A GOOD PLAN AND HE CHANGED IT FOR, IN A MATTER OF A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SO IT IS NOT A CLEAR, A CLEAR PLAN FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THIS AREA.
THANK YOU MS. ROWLAND FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
THERE IS A SERIES OF QUESTIONS.
I'M NOT SURE WE'LL, WE'LL TRY TO ANSWER THEM.
UM, WE CAN EITHER ANSWER THEM NOW IF WE CAN.
SOME OF THEM MAINLY WERE FOR THE DEVELOPER.
SO WHEN THE DEVELOPER COMES TO SPEAK, I THINK SOMEONE IS REPRESENTING THE DEVELOPER LATER.
UM, WE WILL ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS.
IS THAT FAIR? IS THAT FAIR, MS. ROWLAND? THANK YOU.
'CAUSE YOU HAD, UH, AT LEAST FIVE QUESTIONS, OR AT LEAST FIVE CONCERNS.
AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE WHEN, WHEN, UH, FOR THOSE THAT ARE HERE SO THAT, THAT, UM, THAT WE TRY TO GET YOU AT LEAST SOME ANSWERS, UM, FROM THE ONES I'VE WRITTEN DOWN.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S, UH, THREE, EXCUSE ME, FOUR INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
THREE, I BELIEVE ARE ARE RELATED TO THE DEVELOPER, BUT I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE CITIZENS FIRST BEFORE WE ADDRESS THESE OTHER FOUR ITEMS. SO, MR. PARENT, WOULD YOU MIND COMING AND, AND, AND, UH, MAKING SOME COMMENTS? UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU, UH, THAT YOU MAY HAVE BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR COMMENTS.
THE DEVELOPER'S NOT GONNA DO THEIR PRESENTATION FIRST.
WELL, UH, THE FIR THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN IS THAT OUR FIRST ITEM IS JUST A, UH, DECLARATION OF COVENANTS.
THE NEXT ONE WILL BE, UH, BASICALLY, UH, INCLUSION OF INTO THE MUD.
THE THIRD WOULD BE AMENDMENT TO THE MUD AND THE AGREEMENT ITSELF.
AND THEN THE FOURTH ITEM WILL ACTUALLY BE ACTUALLY A, THE ZONING DECISION.
SO, UM, THEY CAN, THEY CAN DO THE PRESENTATION FIRST IF YOU LIKE, AND THEN YOU CAN MAKE YOUR COMMENTS FROM THAT.
SO, UM, WE HAVE THREE INDIVIDUALS THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
UM, BUT UH, IF THEY'RE MAKING A PRESENTATION, THEN THEY GO THROUGH THAT, I'M ASSUMING? CORRECT.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO THAT FIRST.
IS THERE A TIME LIMIT ON THIS, UM, AT ALL? YOU'RE ASKING THEM TO DO A PRESENTATION THEN? YEAH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE.
UM, WHOEVER'S GONNA REPRESENT THE DEVELOPER, UH, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND THEN BEGIN YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND THEN, THEN THE THREE INDIVIDUALS THAT SIGNED UP, UM, WOULD HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES EACH.
UH, GREG THOMPSON, 39 0 2 LEE STREET, ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA, UH, PRESIDENT OF RATCLIFFE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO GO THROUGH OUR PRESENTATION.
UH, MY ONLY ASK IS I WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO WHATEVER COMMENTS MR. PARENT MAY HAVE.
UM, WE PREPARED A-A-P-D-F OF THIS PARTICULAR PRESENTATION, AND I'M NOT SURE IF I'M REQUIRED TO, UH, START THAT OR HOW DOES THAT WORK, BRETT,
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HERE WE GO.A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, THE REASON THAT, UM, THAT WE CHOSE THIS PROJECT WAS, UM, TRANSPORTATION TO, TO INTERSTATE 10.
UH, YOU DON'T, UH, PUT BUSINESS PARKS IN THE BACK OF RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS FOR TRAFFIC REASONS.
UH, WE WANTED A SITE THAT HAD CLEAR ACCESS TO THE INTERSTATE, UH, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
WE WANTED A LOCATION THAT WAS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE CHEVRON PHILLIPS REFINERY.
UM, WE WANTED A LOCATION THAT WOULD AFFORD TRANSPORTATION ROUTES BOTH EAST AND WEST.
WE LOOKED UP AND DOWN INTERSTATE 10, WE SETTLED ON THE SHO SITE.
A PART OF THE REASON THAT WE CHOSE THIS SITE IS BECAUSE OF THE CITY'S FUTURE LAND USE PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019, WHICH CALLED FOR A BUSINESS PARK IN AND AROUND THIS PROPERTY.
UM, A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE ON OUR COMPANY.
UH, WE, THIS IS NOT OUR FIRST, UM, LAND DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS PARK DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
WE'VE, WE'VE HAD TWO SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS SO FAR.
AND, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THIS OUR THIRD.
THERE'S A, A SLIDE HERE ON AN ITEM THAT THE COUNCIL VOTED ON BACK IN SEPTEMBER.
UH, AS PART OF OUR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ON WHY WE CHOSE THIS LOCATION, UM, A COPY OF THE ORDINANCE, UH, THERE ARE A, A NUMBER OF ITEMS, UH, I WOULD CALL THEM MISCONCEPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED INTO THIS PROJECT.
UM, SO I THOUGHT I WOULD ADDRESS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE HEARD ABOUT IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
UH, NUMBER ONE, THIS IS NOT A LOGISTICAL WAREHOUSE.
UH, THAT IS NOT WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING.
THAT'S NOT OUR BUSINESS MODEL.
UH, NOR WOULD WE WANT TO COMPETE WITH THE HALF A MILLION SQUARE FEET WAREHOUSE PROJECTS AT POND TE'S PORT 10 PROJECT.
IT WOULD NOT BE FEASIBLE TO HAVE A DEVELOPMENT THAT LOOKED ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BECAUSE JUST FROM AN ECONOMY OF SCALE STANDPOINT, YOU, YOU, YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE THAT WORK.
AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE, WHAT WE DO.
UH, THIS IS NOT A 24 HOUR FACILITY WITH, UM, AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF EXCESS LIGHTING AND NOISE.
THIS IS NOT A HIGH TURNOVER TENANT BASE WHERE YOU HAVE MULTI-TENANT BUILDINGS WHERE PEOPLE ARE IN AND OUT ON 12 MONTH OR 24 MONTH LEASES.
THESE ARE FREESTANDING BUILDINGS.
ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME THEY'RE OWNED BY THE COMPANIES THAT OCCUPY THESE BUILDINGS.
AND, AND THE EMPLOYERS THAT HAVE PEOPLE THAT WORK IN AND OUT OF THEM ABOUT THE OTHER HALF OF THE TIME, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BUILDINGS THAT ARE BUILT WITH LONG-TERM LEASES IN PLACE.
BUT, UM, DEVELOPERS DON'T BUILD BUILDINGS LIKE THAT WITH SHORT-TERM LEASES BECAUSE THE ECONOMICS DON'T WORK.
UM, AND THE OTHER MISCONCEPTION IS THAT THIS IS AN UNRESTRICTED BUSINESS PARK.
THIS IS A HIGHLY RESTRICTED BUSINESS PARK.
THE RESTRICTIONS ON THIS PARK ARE GREATER THAN WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IN MOST GENERAL COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS.
AND WE'LL GET INTO SOME OF THOSE THINGS DOWN THE ROAD.
UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS IS A LAND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
UH, WE ARE A, A HORIZONTAL LAND DEVELOPER.
UH, WE ARE ALSO A VERTICAL BUILDING DEVELOPER, BUT OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS TO PUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE WHERE EMPLOYERS CAN LOCATE IN A BUSINESS PARK IN THE CITY.
CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, IF SOMEONE WANTED TO LOCATE THEIR BUSINESS HERE, THEY WOULD EITHER GO FIND A ONE-OFF PIECE OF PROPERTY, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE, THE ADJOINING, UM, LANDOWNERS.
AND THEY WOULD LOOK TO HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL REZONING CASE IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL.
AND YOU'D HAVE TO DEAL WITH THOSE ONE AT A TIME, AND I'M SURE YOU PROBABLY HAVE SEEN PLENTY OF THOSE.
UM, OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE A BUSINESS PARK WITH A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PARCELS IN IT, WITH A CERTAIN CRITERIA OF RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON IT SO THAT THOSE COMPANIES CAN HAVE A PLACE TO LOCATE AND DO BUSINESS IN AN ENCAPSULATED ENVIRONMENT THAT'S CONTROLLED.
UM, THE VERTICAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION IS DEMAND DRIVEN.
UH, IT'S NOT WHAT WE CALL SUPPLY DRIVEN.
SO WE'RE NOT THE TYPE OF DEVELOPER THAT GOES OUT THERE AND BUILD 15 BUILDINGS AT ONE TIME.
UH, WE USUALLY BUILD ONE, MAYBE TWO, JUST TO SEE AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR ASSUMPTIONS AND THE DATA THAT WE'RE GATHERING IN THE MARKET IS ACTUALLY AGREED TO BY THE BUSINESSES THAT WANNA LOCATE THERE.
UH, SO WE CALL THAT DEMAND DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT.
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TIMELINE WILL CERTAINLY BE OVER A THREE TO FIVE YEAR PERIOD.IT TAKES AT LEAST A YEAR TO FINISH THE PERMITTING AND PUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE JUST TO HAVE THE, THE FINAL PLAT APPROVED.
UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT QUALITY PRODUCTS AND TENANTS THAT WE LOOK TO RECRUIT INTO OUR BUSINESS PARKS.
IF IT'S GONNA BE A COMPANY THAT, THAT MY COMPANY INVESTS MONEY IN A BUILDING FOR, IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE EITHER A GLOBAL OR A REGIONAL CREDIT.
WE, WE, WE DON'T DO DO ONE-OFF DEALS.
UH, AND WE'VE GOT IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE BEING DONATED ALONG WITH THIS PROJECT.
OUR PREFERRED TENANT PROFILE IS A PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANY WITH INVESTMENT GRADE CREDIT, THAT THAT'S WHAT THE RATCLIFFE COMPANIES LOOK FOR.
UH, WE LIKE A MEDIUM TO LONG-TERM LEASE OF GREATER THAN SEVEN YEARS, NOT INTERESTED IN, IN SPENDING A COUPLE, $3 MILLION FOR A 36 MONTH LEASE.
UH, OF COURSE, WE DO MAKE LAND AVAILABLE TO SELL FOR INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES IF, IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN OWNING THEIR OWN SPACE.
AND, AND THERE ARE COMPANIES LIKE THAT.
AND, AND OUR TARGETED COMPANY FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT IS A PLANT SERVICE COMPANY WHERE MOST OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO IS ACTUALLY INSIDE THE PLANT.
THEY JUST NEED A BASE OF OPERATIONS THAT'S CLOSE BY WHERE THEY CAN RESPOND IN THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY AGREEMENTS WITH THE PLANTS, REQUIRE THEM TO RESPOND IN.
UM, I'VE GOT A LIST OF TENANTS THAT WE'VE DONE BUSINESS WITH IN THE PAST.
UM, THERE WAS A QUESTION EARLIER BY THE CALLER ABOUT DO WE HAVE A PARTICULAR TENANT FOR THIS, FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT? UH, I DO NOT YET.
AND THE REASON I DON'T, I, I DON'T HAVE ONE IS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A DEVELOPMENT YET.
I CANNOT GO TALK TO A TENANT UNTIL AFTER THE LAND INFRASTRUCTURE IS COMPLETED AND WE HAVE THE STREETS IN AND WE HAVE THE WATER IN, AND WE HAVE THE SEWER IN BECAUSE I CANNOT DELIVER THEM ANYTHING FOR THE NEXT EIGHT TO 10 MONTHS.
UM, BUT THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF COMPANIES THAT ARE IN AND AROUND YOUR CITY THAT WE ALREADY DO BUSINESS WITH.
UM, THE LIST OF POTENTIAL TENANTS FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT IS, IS, IS PRETTY LONG.
WE HAD, UM, AT LEAST THREE PAGES OF INTERESTED PARTIES IN THE LAST PROJECT THAT WE HAD IN BAYTOWN FROM OUR MARKETING TEAM AND RECENT REPORTS FROM OUR MARKETING GROUP, WHICH IS, UM, JONES LANG LASALLE OUT OF HOUSTON.
THEIR INDUSTRIAL TEAM IS WHO REPRESENTS US ON THE MARKETING SIDE.
THE MESSAGE THAT I'VE BEEN GIVEN AS, AS EARLY AS YESTERDAY IS THAT THE, IN RESPONSE TO THE CURRENT COVID ENVIRONMENT, THEY ARE SEEING AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR CONSOLIDATION OF OFFICE SPACE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FIELD UNITS INSTEAD OF HAVING A SATELLITE OFFICE FOR THEIR FIELD UNIT AND AN OFFICE SPACE IN HOUSTON.
THOSE ARE WHITE COLLAR JOBS THAT THE CITY, I'M SURE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TO SEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE IN, IN YOUR, UH, IN YOUR JURISDICTION.
PHASE ONE IS A LAND DEVELOPMENT.
I'VE ATTACHED THE LATEST VERSION OF THE SITE PLAN, WHICH WE HAVE GIVEN TO THE CITY, UH, AT THE REQUEST OF NATHAN DIETRICH TO A ADDRESS, A COUPLE OF COMMENTS THAT WERE ADDED IN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AS A RESPONSE TO THINGS THAT SOME OF THE LOCAL FOLKS AND THE CITY ASKED FOR, WHICH WE WERE AMENABLE TO PUT INTO THE DOCUMENT.
SO WE HAD TO CREATE A DIFFERENT SITE PLAN TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE DOCUMENT AND THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS IN IT.
THERE'S NO ACCESS TO SHO LAND ROAD.
THERE'S STILL A 9 1 1 GATE, WHICH WILL, UM, ALLOW YOUR CITY EMERGENCY SERVICES ACCESS TO THE, THE BUSINESS PARK IN THE EVENT THAT, THAT YOU, YOU NEED TO, UH, TO DO.
SO, WE'VE GOT ADEQUATE STORMWATER RETENTION POND ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO DO TWO THINGS.
ONE, IT'S DESIGNED TO CREATE A STORMWATER RETENTION.
AND I HEAR A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT FLOODING AND A LOT OF ISSUES ABOUT STORMWATER.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT SOMETHING THAT I THINK GETS PASSED OVER.
THERE ARE THREE SEPARATE JURISDICTIONS THAT REVIEW THIS, THE STATE OF TEXAS, HARRIS COUNTY, AND THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
WE DON'T HAVE TO AGREE TO IT BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY ON THE BOOKS.
THIS PROJECT CANNOT CREATE ANY STORM WATER RUNOFF GREATER THAN WHAT CURRENTLY EXISTS ON A VACANT PIECE OF LAND.
NOW, THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND.
I, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN AND I AGREE IT IS A PROBLEM.
IT'S A PROBLEM ALL ALONG THE GULF COAST, BUT OUR RETENTION POND HAS TO BE DESIGNED AND REVIEWED BY AT LEAST THREE SEPARATE JURISDICTIONS TO MAKE SURE IT COMPLIES WITH THAT REQUIREMENT.
NOW, THE POND WILL DRAIN ULTIMATELY TO THE SOUTHEAST, BUT THE, THE RATE OF THAT FLOW IS CONTROLLED AT THE JUNCTION OF THE STORMWATER RETENTION POND.
AND I'VE DISCUSSED THIS AT LENGTH WITH OUR ENGINEERS IN REVIEW OF SOME COMMENTS THAT I'VE RECEIVED.
[00:25:01]
THOSE GUYS GO THROUGH A VERY STRINGENT REVIEW PROCESS AT THE JURISDICTIONAL LEVEL, AND THEY ALSO GO, GO THROUGH A VERY STRINGENT PROCESS AT THE CERTIFICATION LEVEL, AND THEY HAVE A PEER REVIEW THAT LOOKS AT EVERYTHING THEY DO IF THERE'S EVER A PROBLEM.AND SO THEY TAKE THEIR WORK VERY SERIOUSLY.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A PIPELINE THAT CROSSES THIS PROPERTY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY WELL AWARE OF THAT, AND WE, WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT IS REQUIRED TO ACCOMMODATE THE, UM, THE LEASE AGREEMENT THAT PIPELINE HAS.
UH, WE'VE GOT BUILDINGS THAT CONSIST WITH THE LANGUAGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE GIVEN THE CITY.
THESE, THIS PARTICULAR SITE PLAN HAS WHAT IS OUR PROTOTYPICAL BUILDING, WHICH IS A, A 15,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING THAT CAN BE USED FOR LIGHT MANUFACTURING OR, UH, SOME TYPE OF, OF, OF OFFICE, UM, PROJECT.
THAT'S NORMALLY WHAT WE BUILD.
UH, WE HAVE AGREED TO LIMIT THE SIZE OF THESE BUILDINGS TO 30,000 SQUARE FEET, NO MORE THAN THAT.
UM, I'VE GONE THROUGH OUR LIST OF REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS FOR PROJECTS IN TEXAS AS WELL AS LOUISIANA, AND WE DON'T REALLY HAVE VERY MANY THAT ARE BEYOND THAT SIZE.
THE, THE 15 TO 30 SEEMS TO BE A STANDARD, UM, DATA SET.
UH, IN THE EVENT THAT WE HAD A REQUEST FOR A LARGER SIZE BUILDING, OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT REQUIRES US TO COME BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR A MODIFICATION OR A VARIANCE.
UM, THE LANG ACTUALLY, THE LANGUAGE SAYS THAT IT HAS TO BE AGREED TO BY THE CITY.
THE CITY'S INTERNAL POLICY SHOULD DICTATE THAT WE HAVE TO COME IN FRONT OF EITHER A VARIANCE AND APPEALS BOARD OR THE CITY COUNCIL FOR, FOR THAT TYPE OF, OF DOCUMENT ON THE SITE PLAN.
WE'VE GOT TWO BUILDINGS THAT FRONT INTERSTATE 10.
UH, WE HAVE LIMITED THE SIZE OF THOSE BUILDINGS TO NO, NO MORE THAN 50,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT WOULD BE OUR DESIRE TO SEE SOME TYPE OF A ENGINEERING COMPANY THAT COULD LOCATE THERE.
I DO NOT AT THIS TIME HAVE ANYONE THAT I'M TALKING TO BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DELIVER.
UH, IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
UH, RIGHT NOW, I CANNOT TELL YOU DEFINITIVELY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THERE.
I CAN ONLY PUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO ALLOW IT TO MANIFEST ITSELF AT THE TIME THAT THESE PARTICULAR COMPANIES SEEK THIS TYPE OF SPACE.
UM, AS A RESULT OF OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY, WE HAVE MODIFIED THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS ON THOSE TWO LOTS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR GENERAL COMMERCIAL ZONING.
UH, WE HAVE AGREED TO ELIMINATE ANY REQUIREMENT OR, OR ABILITY TO HAVE A LAY DOWN YARD CONJUNCT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THOSE TWO BUILDINGS.
AND EFFECTIVELY WHAT THAT DOES IS IT, IT, IT KEEPS IT MORE OF A GENERAL COMMERCIAL TYPE BUILDING.
AND WE'LL HAVE, WE HAVE SOME ARCHITECTURAL RENDERINGS IN THE, IN THE NEXT SLIDE OVER WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THERE.
UM, THIS IS A, A RENDERING OF WHAT I WOULD HOPE TO BUILD THERE, UH, WHICH IS A OFFICE BUILDING THAT'S 50,000 SQUARE FEET ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ENTRYWAY.
IN THE BACK, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE SMALLER BUILDINGS THAT, UM, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BUILD.
AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER, YOU KNOW, THESE, THIS PARTICULAR, THESE TWO PARCELS OF LAND ARE, ARE GOING TO BE TARGETED FOR A CORPORATE ENGINEERING OR, OR SOME TYPE OF OPERATIONAL OFFICE BUILDING.
THE PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT THAT WE WOULD WANT FOR THIS DIRT WILL NATURALLY LEND ITSELF TO THAT TYPE OF UTILIZATION, AND IT WILL PROHIBIT A LARGE NUMBER OF, I THINK WHAT WE WOULD ALL AGREE WOULD BE NOXIOUS USES, UH, JUST THROUGH THE ECONOMICS OF, OF WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO, TO HAVE FOR THOSE TWO PARCELS.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS A RENDERING OF WHAT THIS PROJECT WOULD LOOK LIKE FROM THE SLANDER ROAD SITE.
YOU'VE GOT LANDSCAPING BARRIERS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE STORMWATER RETENTION POD.
OH, AND, AND I'M SORRY, I SKIMMED OVER SOMETHING THAT I MEANT TO SAY EARLIER.
UH, THE SECOND THING ABOUT THE THE STORMWATER RETENTION POND IS ITS LOCATION IS DESIGNED TO CREATE A, A LARGE BUFFER ZONE BETWEEN SLANDER ROAD AND THIS PARTICULAR BUSINESS PARK.
WE PUT IT THERE, NOT BECAUSE IT'S THE OPTIMUM PLACE FOR IT, IT'S ACTUALLY NOT, UM, IT'S, IT THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY SOME OF THE MOST VALUABLE REAL ESTATE EXCEPT FOR THE I 10 FRONTAGE IN THE BUSINESS PARK.
BUT WE PUT IT THERE AS A, A WAY TO CREATE A BUFFER ZONE BETWEEN SHO LAND ROAD AS PART OF OUR AGREEMENT TO NOT ACCESS SHO LAND ROAD THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE BUSINESS PART.
UH, ALL THE LAY DOWN YARDS THAT ACCOMPANY EACH ONE OF THESE BUILDINGS WILL REQUIRE AN EIGHT FOOT OPAQUE VISUAL BARRIER.
AND I HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF AN AERIAL PICTURE OF WHAT THAT
[00:30:01]
LOOKS LIKE IN ANOTHER SLIDE.UH, THAT LANGUAGE HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
UH, WE HAVE AMENDED OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT TO ADD A DEED RESTRICTION AGAINST BULK DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES THAT WAS ADDRESSED TO US.
AND IT'S AN EASY ASK FOR ME BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT WE DO, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE IN INTENDING TO DO HERE.
UH, WE'VE AGREED TO A MAX BUILDING EVE HEIGHT OF 35 FEET, AND I'VE GOT SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE, IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES.
UH, I WENT AROUND AND, AND TOOK A COUPLE OF PICTURES OF SOME BUILDINGS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR GENERAL COMMERCIAL ZONE, AND I COMPARED IT WITH SOME OFFICE WAREHOUSE BUILDINGS THAT WE'VE BUILT IN SOME OF OUR OTHER PROJECTS.
UM, WE'VE AGREED TO ELIMINATE ANY TRUCK LOADING FACILITY, IE UH, ROLL UP DOORS.
UM, WE'VE AGREED TO ELIMINATE ANY OF THOSE FROM FACING INTERSTATE 10 OR SLANDER ROAD.
UM, I CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT THROUGH SOME SITE PLAN RESTRICTIONS.
UH, AGAIN, WE'VE AGREED TO, UM, LIMIT ACCESS TO SHO ROAD, UH, AND WE'VE ALSO AGREED TO MAKE SOME, UM, NEEDED, UH, OR MAKE SOME FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO A TURN LANE ON NEEDLE POINT DRIVE, WHICH I UNDERSTAND THE CITY IS, UM, IS, IS GETTING READY TO DO.
UH, JUST FOR SOME COMPARISON PURPOSES, I PUT TOGETHER A COUPLE OF PICTURES.
UH, ON THE LEFT IS THE HEB ON GARTH ROAD.
THAT'S AN 87,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING IN A GENERAL COMMERCIAL ZONE.
THE EVE HEIGHT ON THAT BUILDING, COINCIDENTALLY, IS 35 FEET, UM, NOT THE CANOPY.
THE, THE, THE, THE EVE ON THE LEFT HAND CORNER OF THE BUILDING.
UH, ACROSS THE ROAD FROM IT IS, UM, IS THE ACADEMY.
UH, COINCIDENTALLY IT'S GOT A 35 FOOT EVE HEIGHT, UH, AGAIN ON THE WALL, NOT THE PARAPET WHERE THE ACADEMY ACADEMY SIGN IS, BUT THE WALL ITSELF, IT'S 35 FOOT.
THAT BUILDING IS, UH, 75,600 SQUARE FEET.
THIS SLIDE IS A PROJECT THAT WE BUILT OVER ON THOMPSON 10.
IT'S 15,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING.
IT'S GOT A 28 FOOT EVE HEIGHT.
IT'S TYPICALLY TYPICAL OF WHAT WE WOULD BUILD.
UH, THE REASON THAT WE, WE ASK FOR A COUPLE EXTRA FEET IS EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU HAVE A REQUIREMENT FROM AN, AN EMPLOYER AND A USER THAT REQUIRES MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE CRANE HEIGHT, UH, ON THE BRIDGE CRANE THAT THEY WANNA PUT INSIDE.
AND YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE EAVE HEIGHT TO SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE HOOK HEIGHT OFF OF, OFF OF, OF THE CRANE.
UH, BUT THIS PROJECT IS, IS ONE THAT, THAT WE BUILT LAST YEAR, OR WE COMPLETED IT LAST YEAR.
AND, UH, IF YOU'LL NOTE, THE, UH, THE ACTUAL RENDERING OF THE BUILDING IS EXACTLY THE BUILDING THAT WE BUILT.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THIS IS THE BUILDING THAT WE LIKE.
UM, COLOR SCHEME'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, AND WE HAD SOME INTERESTING BACK AND FORTH IN MY OFFICE OVER THAT.
BUT THE EVE HEIGHT ON IT IS, UH, IS 28 FOOT AND THE SIZE IS 15,000 SQUARE FEET.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS A PROJECT THAT WE BUILT IN THE CAL INDUSTRIAL PARK IN SULFUR, LOUISIANA.
I CHOSE THIS SLIDE BECAUSE OF THE FENCE THAT GOES AROUND THE CONCRETE YARD.
NOW, THIS WAS A CUSTOM PROJECT FOR A COMPANY CALLED FERGUSON WELLESLEY THAT WANTED TO CONSOLIDATE TWO OF THEIR OPERATIONS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA INTO A BUILDING THAT, UM, THAT THEY CAN OPERATE OUT OF.
UH, THEY WANTED A COMPLETE CONCRETE LAY DOWN YARD.
AND SO OUR RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS THAT MANAGE THIS PARTICULAR INDUSTRIAL PARK REQUIRES AN EIGHT FOOT OR SIX FOOT HIGH, I'M SORRY, EIGHT FOOT HIGH OPAQUE VISUAL BARRIER ON ANY TYPE OF A LAY DOWN YARD THAT REQUIRES STORED MATERIAL.
AND SO TO COMPLY WITH THAT, THEY HAVE, UH, AN EIGHT FOOT HIGH FENCE WITH SLAT FENCING ALL THE WAY AROUND IT.
AND FROM STREET LEVEL, YOU CANNOT SEE ALL THE MATERIAL THAT THEY HAVE, UM, IN, IN THEIR, THEIR STORAGE AREA.
UH, THIS BUILDING HAS A 26 FOOT EVE HEIGHT, AND IT IS 23,000 SQUARE FEET.
AND THE LAST PICTURE IS A BUILDING THAT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE ONE THAT I JUST SHOWED YOU.
UH, THIS WAS A CONSOLIDATION FOR A COMPANY CALLED TEAM INDUSTRIAL.
UM, THEY'RE, THEY ALREADY LOCATE AND OPERATE HERE IN BAYTOWN.
THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING ONLY HAS A 26 FOOT E HEIGHT.
UH, IT'S KIND OF A, AN INTERESTING DESIGN AND A LITTLE BIT OF A, AN OPTICAL ILLUSION, THE WAY WE OFF-CENTERED THE PEAK OF THE ROOF.
BUT WE DID THAT FOR SOME ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER.
UH, THIS BUILDING IS ONLY 15,000 SQUARE FEET.
UH, IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO, TO DEVELOP HERE SO THAT FOLKS CAN OPERATE OUT OF THIS BUSINESS PARK.
UM, OF COURSE, THIS BUILDING IS SCALABLE.
UH, WE DESIGN ALL OUR BUILDINGS WHERE THEY COULD BE EXPANDED.
UH, THE BUILDING THAT WE BUILT ON THOMPSON 10 WAS THE SAME WAY.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I ADDRESS ALL THE COMMENTS THAT I HEARD ON THE CALL EARLIER.
UM, THE STORM DRAINAGE WILL BE TO THE SOUTHEAST.
UH, IT IS A SPECULATIVE LAND DEVELOPMENT.
AND, UH, THERE WAS A QUESTION IN
[00:35:01]
THERE ABOUT ENFORCEMENT.RIGHT? UH, SO THE ANSWER TO THAT IS, UH, WE HAVE EXECUTED AND DELIVERED.
MY ATTORNEY HAS DELIVERED TO THE CITY ATTORNEY A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FOR THIS PROPERTY THAT IS CONTINGENT ON CITY COUNCIL'S VOTE FOR OUR ZONING REQUEST.
UH, ALL THOSE DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN SIGNED.
THEY'VE BEEN SIGNED BY THE CURRENT LANDOWNER.
THEY'VE BEEN SIGNED BY THE PARTNERSHIP, UH, THAT WILL OWN THE PROPERTY.
THEY'VE BEEN SIGNED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OR THE DEVELOPER, WHICH IS MYSELF.
UH, THOSE DEED RESTRICTIONS ARE FILED OF RECORD ON THE LOT, UH, THE AS SOON AS AS, AS TOMORROW IF, IF NECESSARY.
ONCE THOSE DEED RESTRICTIONS ARE FILED, THEY CANNOT BE UNDONE WITHOUT THE CITY COUNCIL'S VOTE.
UM, ENFORCEMENT IS, IS, IS HANDLED THROUGH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S HANDLED AT THE CITY COUNCIL OR THE CITY LEVEL.
SECONDLY, IT'S HANDLED THROUGH WHAT'S WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE ADMINISTRATOR, WHICH IS MY COMPANY, RADCLIFFE DEVELOPMENT, UH, AS THE DEVELOPER OF RECORD.
IT'S ALSO HANDLED THROUGH A LANDOWNER, UM, A LAND OWNERSHIP PROGRAM CON, CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU WOULD CALL AN HOA, UH, EXCEPT IT'S A, IT'S AN LOA, IT'S A LANDOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
AND I WILL BE THE AUTHORITY ON THAT PARTICULAR INSTRUMENT UP UNTIL THE POINT THAT WE NO LONGER OWN 50% OF THE PROPERTY.
ONCE THAT HAPPENS, THE DOCUMENTS ARE TRIGGERED, AND, AND EVERY PERSON THAT BUYS LAND IN THIS BUSINESS PARK AS PART OF THAT TRANSACTION, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO BE A MEMBER OF THAT ASSOCIATION.
AND THEY, THEY HAVE TO PAY THE DUES THAT IT TAKES TO, TO HANDLE THE MAINTENANCE LONG TERM FOR ANYTHING THAT IT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR.
AND UP UNTIL WE CONTROL 50% OF THE LAND, I'M RESPONSIBLE MYSELF PERSONALLY.
AFTER THAT, THE ASSOCIATION DOCUMENTS CALL FOR A BOARD TO BE MADE UP OF LANDOWNERS WHO HAVE SPENT THEIR MONEY IN THIS BUSINESS PARK.
AND SO THE BATON HAS PASSED TO THAT BOARD TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN SOME ISSUES IN SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE.
UH, AND THE ISSUES HAVE, HAVE ALWAYS REVOLVED AROUND, HEY, WAIT A MINUTE.
WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY HERE AND THIS IS WHAT WE HAD TO DO.
AND I HEAR THIS GUY'S NOT GONNA DO THE SAME THING, AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY HE GETS A FREE PASS.
WELL, THE ANSWER IS HE DOESN'T.
THE DEED RESTRICTIONS GO WITH THE LAND WHEN HE TAKES TITLE TO IT.
SO THERE'S PLENTY OF ENFORCEMENT PROTOCOL THAT'S BUILT IN INTO THE PROJECT.
UM, THE LAST SLIDE IS WHAT I CALL THE BOTTOM LINE.
THIS IS A FLEXIBLE DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT ALLOWS FOR DEMAND DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT AND INCREASE VALUE IN, IN DRIVING QUALITY TENANTS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR QUALITY FRONTAGE ALONG THE INTERSTATE 10 CORRIDOR.
UH, THERE IS NO POTENTIAL FOR INCREASE IN STORMWATER RUNOFF.
THERE ARE THREE JURISDICTIONS THAT THAT, UH, REVIEW.
THAT TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS REPORT THAT WAS COMPLETED ON THIS PROJECT, UH, INDICATES THAT IT WILL NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT YOUR TRAVEL NETWORK, UH, TO THE POINT TO WHERE NO MODIFICATION IS EVEN REQUIRED TO THE RED LIGHT THAT'S ON SHO ROAD.
UM, ACCORDING TO THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER, THERE WILL BE SIX CARS IN THE MORNING THAT WILL TURN RIGHT, SIX ADDITIONAL CARS THAT WILL TURN RIGHT OFF OF SHO OFF OF THE FRONTAGE ROAD ONTO SHO LAND ROAD.
UH, I HEARD A CALLER EARLIER, UH, REFERENCE A COMMENT ABOUT TRAFFIC COUNTS DURING COVID-19.
UH, THEY DO PUT OUT, UM, EQUIPMENT TO COUNT TRAFFIC, BUT A TRAFFIC ENGINEER IS REQUIRED TO TAKE A LARGER DATA SAMPLE THAN JUST WHAT THAT TRAFFIC SURVEY WAS.
THEY WILL GO BACK AND LOOK AT HISTORICAL DATA IN, IN SUBMITTING THEIR REPORT.
SO IF IT WAS JUST A BAD DAY, UH, IT DOES NOT REFLECT IN IN THE REPORT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO, UH, TO SUBMIT IT.
A FULLY EXECUTED DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT THAT CANNOT BE REVISED WITHOUT CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL AND A DEED RESTRICTED PROPERTY TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE CITY.
AND I, UM, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I RECOGNIZE THAT THESE ARE CONTENTIOUS ISSUES AND GOVERNING THE GROWTH OF A CITY IS NOT AN EASY MATTER AND I RESPECT YOUR AUTHORITY.
SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, UH, I'M, I'M HERE TO ANSWER 'EM.
UH, I THINK IT WAS A GOOD PRESENTATION.
I THINK YOU COVERED, I WANNA MAKE SURE MS. ROLLINS QUESTIONS WERE COVERED.
SOME OF 'EM WERE VERY SIMILAR IN NATURE.
UH, BUT YOU DID ADDRESS DRAINAGE.
UM, UH, ANY FLOODING CONCERNS THAT THERE'S THREE, THREE JURISDICTIONS THAT WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
[00:40:01]
ROAD, OBVIOUSLY IT'S ONLY FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES.UH, BUT THERE WILL BE NO, IN A SENSE, NORMAL, THERE WILL BE NO THROUGH TRAFFIC OR NORMAL TRAFFIC THAT WOULD BE ACCE ACCESSING SHOWN ON THE ROAD FROM THIS PROPERTY.
UM, ENFORCEMENT, UH, SHE HAD A, A LOT OF STUFF ON THAT, BUT MAINLY TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
YOU DID DO, UH, A TRAFFIC, UH, IMPACT ANALYSIS.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT'S ALSO ON RECORD SOMEWHERE IN, IN, UH, IT'S BEEN AT LEAST FORWARDED TO US BEFORE.
THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT I WROTE DOWN OF CONCERN.
I THINK THE ADDITIONAL ONE WAS JUST IF THERE'S ANY, UH, ANY TENANTS THAT HE HAS THAT IN A SENSE WERE, UM, IN A SENSE, UH, WILLING TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND I THINK HE EXPLAINED HIS, HIS, HIS, UH, SITUATION WITH THAT.
SHE'S UNHAND, UH, SHE'S UNMUTED.
WELL, UH, AT LEAST THE RECORD CAN SHOW AT LEAST THAT I BELIEVE ALL HER CONCERNS FROM THE ONES I WROTE DOWN AT LEAST.
UM, I THINK THEY WERE ALL ADDRESSED IN SOME FORM OR FASHION.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL HAVE, UH, MR. PARENT COME IN AND MAKE HIS COMMENTS AND THEN, UM, WE'LL SEE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER DEVELOPERS THAT, OR PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP IF THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO COUNCIL UM, COUNCIL COMMENTS DISCUSSION? YES, SIR.
69 0 3 HUNTERS WAY LANE BAYTOWN.
UH, OBVIOUSLY I'VE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE HERE, UH, REGARDING THIS DEVELOPMENT, UH, ALL THE WAY BACK INTO OCTOBER, NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR WHEN IT WAS FIRST PROPOSED AT PLANNING AND ZONING.
UH, AT, AT THAT TIME, I WAS ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO THE PROJECT AND, UH, YOU'LL RECALL BACK IN MAY, I CAME OUT IN SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE, UH, THE SUBSEQUENT AGREEMENT THAT WAS RELEASED IN MID-MAY.
UH, THERE WERE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THAT AND, UH, I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT THOSE CONCERNS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.
UM, I'VE BEEN IMPRESSED WITH THE DEVELOPER AGAIN, HOW HE HAS REALLY, UH, ALMOST BENT OVER BACKWARDS TO MAKE THIS PROJECT WORK.
AND HE'S BEEN VERY ACCOMMODATING OF THE CONCERNS, UH, THAT, UH, MYSELF AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE, HAVE, UH, BROUGHT UP.
SO I, I THINK IT'S A GOOD PROJECT.
UH, THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS I WOULD HOPE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WILL LOOK AT THIS CORRIDOR IN GENERAL SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OFF SITUATIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO ESTABLISH A NICE SOLID COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR THROUGH I 10 IN THIS AREA.
BUT I THINK THIS PROJECT, AS IT'S CURRENTLY CONFIGURED, WILL SUPPORT THAT.
ALRIGHT, MR. PERRON, I APPRECIATE THAT.
I THINK ONE THING TOO, IF I MAY, UM, NOT FOR YOU, UH, THANK YOU THOUGH.
UM, I, I BELIEVE THERE WAS SOME FENCING OF, UH, THAT WAS REQUESTED MORE OF A RESIDENTIAL LOOK WITH SOME KIND OF SOME STACK STONE AND THEN KIND OF, I DON'T KNOW, A HUNDRED FEET OR SO OF, OF, UM, KIND OF RESIDENTIAL WOOD FENCING.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT WAS ALSO PART OF, UH, OF YOUR APPROVAL THAT YOU'D BE COMMITTED TO, UH, I THINK ON THE SHO SIDE.
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, WELL, MAYOR, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, OR IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION YEAH.
THAT, UM, SOMEONE HAD ASKED FOR THAT.
UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS, UH, AT, AT THE TIME THAT IT HAD, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE DOCUMENTS HAD ALREADY BEEN EXECUTED AND DELIVERED.
AND THE LANGUAGE IS VERY SPECIFIC IN THERE REQUIRING A, UM, SIX FOOT BLACK COATED VINYL CHAIN LINK FENCE WITH TWO ROWS OF LANDSCAPING.
SO, UH, CITY ORDINANCE REQUIRES ONE ROW OF LANDSCAPING AS A BUFFER.
AND WE HAD AGREED TO ADD A SECOND ROW OF LANDSCAPING, UH, FOR ADDITIONAL SCREENING.
I'VE HAD, UH, OVER THE WEEKEND I HAD, UM, A FENCING CONTRACTOR GIVE ME A QUOTE ON WHAT THE PRICE WOULD BE IN, IN TO CHANGE THAT OUT WITH A, UM, A WOOD FENCE WITH SOME, SOME BRICK COLUMNS ALONG APPROPRIATE, UM, LENGTHS.
UH, WE'RE FINE WITH WHATEVER THE CITY WANTS TO DO.
UM, IF THE CITY THINKS THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE A, A MORE OF A RESIDENTIAL LOOK FENCE, UM, WE CAN DO AWAY WITH THE VINYL FENCE AND WE CAN DO AWAY WITH THE SECOND ROW OF LANDSCAPING AND THE COST IS NEUTRAL.
UH, IT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT OF A MAINTENANCE PROBLEM LONG TERM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT ANYWAY.
AND IT'S THE ASSOCIATION'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN IT.
SO, UM, BECAUSE THE DOCUMENTS HAD ALREADY BEEN EXECUTED, RIGHT.
UH, I SAID, WELL, WE'LL JUST, LET'S GO TO THE COUNCIL AND WHATEVER THE COUNCIL WANTS TO DO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE IT WORK.
AND, AND, AND CERTAINLY IT WAS, IT WAS KIND OF A, UH, YOU KNOW, ALMOST AT, UH, THE FINISH LINE REQUEST.
UM, BUT IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION AND SO I DID FORWARD IT TO BRAD AND, AND, AND YOURSELF.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE LARGE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE AREA, THEY, THEY JUST RECENTLY PUT IN SOME TYPE OF ADDITIONAL FENCING.
UM, WELL AGAIN, WITH THE STACKED STONE OR BRICK COLUMNS AND THEN A FEW HUNDRED FEET OF, OF WOOD FENCING.
[00:45:01]
AND SO THE MATERIAL, I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA FOCUS ON, BUT THE IDEA WOULD BE TO, TO KIND OF PRESENT A STANDARDIZED CORRIDOR IF THAT'S ON NEEDLEPOINT, IF THAT'S ANY, ANYTHING THAT COULD DEVELOP IN FRONT OF HUNTER'S CREEK.UH, AND THEN ON SHO LANDER THAT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS A PLAN, KIND OF ALMOST A MASTER PLAN OF FENCING AND, AND KIND OF THE AESTHETICS.
AND SO I WOULD ASK THAT, UM, AT LEAST THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE COMMITTED TO TO, TO WORKING WITH THE CITY AND, AND I KNOW WE HAVE LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS AND, AND SO ON, BUT I THINK THE IDEA WAS TO PRESENT A VERY PRESENTABLE AESTHETICS APPEAL TO, UH, THE SHO LAND CORRIDOR FROM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, UM, I BUDGETED $50,000 FOR FENCING ALONG SHO LANDER AND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR, FOR LANDSCAPING ALONG SHELL LANDER.
UM, THE, THE UPCHARGE ON THE, THE WOOD FENCE IS ABOUT $46,000.
SO IF WE DO AWAY WITH THE SECOND ROW OF LANDSCAPING AND WE DO AWAY WITH THE VINYL FENCING, IT, IT ENDS UP BEING ABOUT THE SAME.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING TOO, UH, SO THERE WILL BE A SIDEWALK AFTER ALL, THAT WILL BE, I GUESS FROM THE BACK OF THE CONVENIENCE STORE, UH, AND IT WILL GO TO THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROJECT ON SHO LAND OR AFTER ALL THAT'S CORRECT.
WHAT WE HAD DISCUSSED AND WHAT WE HAD AGREED TO IS TO ESCROW THE FUNDS, BUT CITY STAFF SAID THAT THEY NEED THE SIDEWALK.
AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, ESCROWING THE MONEY ARE BUILDING IT IS ALL THE SAME, UH, POINT.
IN FACT, I'D RATHER BUILD IT 'CAUSE I'M PAYING PRESENT VALUE YEAH.
COST FOR THE SIDEWALK, NOT FUTURE VALUE COST.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED, THAT WAS SINCE, SINCE, UH, MR. PERRIN DID BRING IT UP, UM, I DID WANNA, UH, TOUCH THE FENCING, UM, THE FENCING ASPECT OF IT.
AND THEN I THINK ON THE COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR, MR. PARENT, UM, I WOULD AGREE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THE ULDC WAS, WAS DEVELOPED, UM, THE IDEA WAS TO ANY, ANY PROPERTY WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU ONLY HAD THREE, UH, CLASSIFICATIONS AND YOU'RE BRINGING IN OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS, THE IDEA WAS THAT THE CITY WOULD PUT THE MOST RESTRICTIVE, WHICH WAS OPEN SPACE, UH, RECREATIONAL.
AND SO THROUGH, SO THROUGH ANNEXATIONS, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, PROPERTIES ARE BROUGHT IN OPEN SPACE RECREATIONAL, UH, WHAT THAT PRESENTS SOMETIMES IS A CONTENTIOUS, UM, ENVIRONMENT, UH, BOTH FOR, UH, DEVELOPERS FOR THE CITY TO MANAGE PLANNING AND ZONING TO MANAGE CITY COUNCIL TO MANAGE.
AND SO, UM, I BELIEVE IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, THAT, UH, CONSIDERATION OR REVIEW OF FROM, I THINK IT'S CROSBY, CEDAR BAYOU TO, TO SHOLAN OR KIND OF LOOK AT THAT FRONTAGE CORRIDOR OF I 10 AND THEN, UH, DEVELOP MAYBE WHAT WOULD BE BEST AS A, AS A BROAD, UM, ZONING, UH, APPLICATION TO EITHER LOOK AT GENERAL COMMERCIAL, UH, BELIEVE THE WAY THE COVENANTS WORK ON THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST 350 FEET OF THE PARTICULAR PROPERTY ON THIS CASE ITSELF.
IT WILL BE, UH, WILL BE BY, BY AGREEMENT WILL BE, UM, FOR A GE GENERAL COMMERCIAL USE.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT IS, THAT IS A, A, A VERY GOOD APPROACH FOR THIS PROPERTY AND EVEN FOR THE COURT OR TO ADDRESS YOUR, YOUR CONCERN.
WE HAVE THREE OTHER DEVELOPER, EXCUSE ME.
WE HAVE TWO OTHER DEVELOPERS BESIDES, UH, MR. THOMPSON, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK NOW, UM, ARE YOU WANNA WAIT TILL YOU'RE GOOD? OKAY.
I CAN'T TELL IF YOU'RE SMILING OR, OR SAD, BUT ANYWAY, THUMBS UP.
ALRIGHT, SO WITH THAT, UM, I WOULD ENTERTAIN AT LEAST A MOTION FOR DISCUSSION.
I BELIEVE WE CAN TAKE, UH, THESE FOUR ITEMS. IS THAT CORRECT, MS. CITY CLERK.
SO, UM, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEMS TWO A THROUGH D FOR DISCUSSION.
SO WE, WE CAN GET INTO OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
SO CAN THE MOTION INCLUDE IF YOU DO WANT THE REVISED FENCING THAT WOULD, THAT'S NOT PRESENTED IN YOUR DOCUMENT TONIGHT, SO THAT WOULD NEED TO BE A PART OF YOUR MOTION.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, WE'LL MAKE THAT COMMITMENT.
AND, AND I, WE'LL ASK THAT, THAT, UH, IF THIS, IF THIS IS APPROVED THAT THE DEVELOPER AND OUR CITY STAFF, OBVIOUSLY, WHY PUT A FENCE AND HIDE LANDSCAPING THAT'S REQUIRED.
SO LET'S BE REASONABLE AND HAVE SOME COMMON SENSE HERE, PLEASE TO, TO, TO FIGURE OUT.
WE, WE DO WANT SOME LANDSCAPING, BUT WE MAY NOT NEED AS MUCH.
UM, NOW THAT THERE'S SOME FENCING, I THINK THE IDEA OF THE FENCING WOULD BE CLOSER TO SHO.
UM, AND SO IT WOULD ACTUALLY KIND OF PRESENT MORE OF A, UM, A CURTAIN, I GUESS, TO, TO, TO NOT SEE SOME WHATEVER MAY BE BEHIND THAT.
UM, BUT YOU'D HAVE A SIDEWALK AND YOU WOULD STILL HAVE SOME, SOME TYPE OF LANDSCAPING.
SO I WOULD ENTERTAIN, ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR DISCUSSION, UH, TO INCLUDE, UM, UH, A, A, A FENCE, UM, I GUESS WITH SOME TYPE OF, UM, BRICK COLUMN AND, UH, WHAT OTHER MATERIAL, UH, WOULD BE BEST AND I GUESS EASY TO MAINTAIN, UM, UH, BY THE DEVELOPER ALONG THE SHO LAND CORRIDOR TO GO THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROPERTY THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TONIGHT.
CAN I GET A, A MOTION FOR ITEMS TWO A THROUGH D MOVE TO DISCUSS ITEMS TWO A THROUGH D WITH THE DEFENSE MODIFICATIONS THAT THE MAYOR JUST MENTIONED? SECOND.
CAN WE HAVE A MOTION IN TWO SECONDS? OKAY.
[00:50:01]
UM, I WILL, I WILL START, UM, I'LL START WITH YOU MS. NCCO, IF YOU'D LIKE.THIS IS YOUR DISTRICT, OR DO YOU HAVE AN OPTION IF YOU JUST WANNA WAIT AND HEAR SOME OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS? I'LL WAIT.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR QUESTIONS FOR, UM, THE DEVELOPER? UM, MAYOR? YES MA'AM.
I, I, I REALLY, UM, APPRECIATE THE, THE LENGTH THAT THE DEVELOPERS HAVE GONE THROUGH TO MEET SOME OF THE STANDARDS THAT NOT ONLY THE CITY WAS WANTING, BUT ALSO THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
I THINK IT'S, UH, VERY IMPORTANT THAT AS WE BRING IN, UH, BUSINESSES THAT THEY DO, UM, HAVE A COHESIVENESS WITH THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO APPRECIATE, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A DAUNTING TASK, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, BUT WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS.
ANY OTHER QUESTION OR COMMENTS? I GUESS A FINAL YES, SIR.
IT'S ACTUALLY A, A FAIRLY TOUGH ECONOMY OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, AND ESPECIALLY IN THINGS THAT ARE ENERGY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATED IN THOSE ASSOCIATED SERVICE SECTORS.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY GOOD TO SEE SOME CONTINUED INVESTMENT AT THIS, IN THIS CURRENT CLIMATE, AND SOME FOLKS THAT ARE WILLING TO, TO TAKE THOSE RISKS AND, AND MAKE THOSE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN THIS CLIMATE.
MS. HOSKINS, I'VE TALKED TO MANY PEOPLE THAT LIVE OUT THERE OFF SHO LAND ROAD, AND THEIR, THEIR CONCERN IS, UH, A LOT OF, OF ABOUT WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN TALKED ABOUT, THE FLOODING AND THE TRAFFIC AND THE, THE LIGHTING THAT'S GONNA BE COMING FROM THERE.
AND HOW IS THIS GONNA BE SECTIONED OFF A WAY WHERE, UH, IT DOESN'T LOSE, THEY DON'T LOSE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE? UH, THERE'S A LOT OF RESIDENTIAL RIGHT ON THE EAST SIDE OF SHO LAND ROAD.
UH, I'VE HEARD THE PROJECT AND, AND YOU GENTLEMEN HAVE DESCRIBED A PROJECT WHERE YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUMPING THROUGH ALL KINDS OF HOOPS TO MAKE THIS THING HAPPEN AND MAKE IT WORK.
AND LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE, UH, AND WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE.
I THINK MOST OF US HAS HEARD, HEARD THOSE CONCERNS AS WELL.
BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY COMPLAIN OR TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT ITSELF.
THE TRAFFIC THAT'S THERE NOW IS GONNA EXIST WITH OR WITHOUT THIS PROJECT.
THE FLOODING ALREADY EXISTS WITH OR WITHOUT THIS PROJECT, 'CAUSE IT'S FLOODING OVER THERE NOW.
AND WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING HERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF IMPROVEMENT TO BOTH OF THOSE.
THEY'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THE FLOODING THAT DOES FLOW THROUGH, AND THEY'RE GONNA RE, THEY'RE GONNA DETAIN IT, NOT TAIN IT.
THEY'RE GONNA DETAIN IT FOR A WHILE AND THEN RELEASE IT LATER.
SO IT'S GONNA HELP THE AREA OUT.
BUT MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE RESIDENTIAL THAT'S GONNA BE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
AND, UH, ONCE AGAIN, NOBODY HAS SAID ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THE PROJECT.
THEY JUST TALKED ABOUT WHAT ALREADY EXISTS IN THAT THINKING THAT THIS PROJECT IS GONNA MAKE IT WORSE.
I CAN'T SEE THAT IT'S GONNA MAKE IT WORSE.
AND LATER ON, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
WE SLANDER SHO LANDER IN THE NEAR FUTURE, CAN'T RE CAN'T STAY A TWO LANE ROAD.
WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT.
HARRIS COUNTY HAS TO HELP US WITH IT.
WE'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THERE THAT'S GONNA OPEN UP THAT WHOLE CORRIDOR THROUGH THERE.
AND THE MAIN CONCERN IS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT'S BEEN LIVING THERE FOR 20, 30, 40 YEARS, UH, THEIR LIFE IS GONNA CHANGE WITH THIS PROJECT.
UH, WHEN THOSE PEOPLE MOVED OUT THERE, BAYTOWN WAS PROBABLY 30, 40, 50,000 PEOPLE.
WELL NOW WE'RE PUSHING 80,000 PEOPLE THAT'S IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
GROWTH IS COMING AND IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING THAT'S LOOKING REAL NICE OR COULD BE A REAL NICE ACCIDENT TO THAT CORNER DOWN THERE.
AND PLUS THE PROJECT GROUP ARE TRYING TO DO WHATEVER THEY CAN.
SO I'VE TRIED TO LOOK AT THIS PROJECT AND SAY, LET'S NIX IT.
BUT EVERY TIME I LOOK AT IT, IT WEIGHS IN ON THE SIDE THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GONNA BE A GOOD PROJECT HERE.
NOBODY'S COMPLAINING ABOUT THE PROJECT ITSELF.
SO I SAY, I THINK WE NEED TO GO WITH THIS.
COUNCILMAN, MR. HESSEL? ANY COMMENTS? YEAH, I, I GO EVERYBODY ELSE'S.
I, I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE HOW FAR THIS THING'S CAME.
AND I THINK A LOT OF THAT IS DUE TO THOSE, THOSE FOLKS THAT LIVE OUT THERE, THEY WERE VOCAL AND THEY'VE GOT A LOT BETTER DEVELOPMENT COMING.
AND LIKE BOB JUST SAID, DEVELOPMENT IS COMING AND IT'S JUST PART OF, PART OF WHAT WE DO.
BUT IF THEY WOULDN'T HAVE DONE WHAT THEY DID IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD OUT THERE, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE GOT, UH, A MUCH, MUCH IMPROVED, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW? SO, UH, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING.
I THINK IT, I THINK IT'LL WORK.
COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN? YEAH, SO I JUST, UM, WANTED TO SAY, UH, THANK YOU TO MR. THOMPSON AND THE REST OF YOUR TEAM.
[00:55:01]
UM, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH, UH, MR. PARENT FOR A CHANGE WHEN HE SAID THAT, UH, YOU GUYS BENT OVER BACKWARDS BECAUSE YOU REALLY HAVE, AND I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER, UH, SEEN A DEVELOPER BEND OVER BACK BACKWARDS TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY CONCERNS THE WAY YOU DID AND, UH, COUNCILMAN HEEL'S.UM, THIS ENDED UP BEING, UM, A MUCH BETTER PROJECT, UM, IN THE END, UH, THAN IT STARTED WITH.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ALL THE CITIZENS SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF.
UM, I'VE SEEN SIMILAR, UH, DEVELOPMENTS TO THIS ALONG I 10 AND KATIE.
SO I THINK ADDING A BUSINESS PARK, UM, WITH THESE TYPE OF INDUSTRIAL SERVICES AND SOME I COULD SEE BEING ENGINEERING AND WHITE COLLAR, UH, PROFESSIONAL JOBS IS AN EXCELLENT, UM, ADDITION TO THAT AREA.
MR. THOMPSON, UH, SAID A KEY WORD DURING HIS PRESENTATION THAT I JUST WANNA REITERATE.
AND THAT IS CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT.
SO EVEN THOUGH THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS AS BEING AN LI THE DEED RESTRICTIONS AND COVENANTS ARE SO RESTRICTIVE, THE LI DESIGNATION IS ALMOST MOOT AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND SO TO, TO NOT APPROVE IT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M KIND OF, YOU KNOW, HEARING A, A DIFFERENT CONSENSUS, WE WOULD, WE WOULD NEVER HAVE AS MUCH CONTROL OVER THIS PROPERTY THAN WE DO RIGHT NOW.
AND I CAN'T IMAGINE ANOTHER DEVELOPER AGREEING TO THIS LEVEL OF RESTRICTIONS THAT THIS DEVELOPER IS AGREEING TO.
UM, THE IDEA OF JUST ZONING THAT LOT TO, UH, GENERAL COMMERCIAL AND THEN HOPING FOR THE BEST WOULD BE A DISASTER.
UM, IF YOU HAVE GENERAL COMMERCIAL, IT COULD BE A MOTEL SIX, IT COULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, A CAR WASH, A BANK WITH TWO POINTS OF ENTRY FOR SURE.
SO, UM, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY, UH, SUPPORT THIS PROJECT AND AGAIN, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE TO MEET THE CITIZEN'S, UH, CONCERNS ON THIS.
AND, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOU BEING A PART OF BAYTOWN.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, YOU HAVE SOME COMMENTS JUST FOR THE RECORD, MAYOR, THE LAST PROJECT THAT I REMEMBER DISCUSSING AT THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION, I BELIEVE I RECOGNIZED THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER.
AND IT WAS ACTUALLY NOT HUNDREDS BUT THOUSANDS OF MULTI-FAMILY UNITS.
AND IF, IF SO, IN THAT REGARD, JUST KEEP IN MIND WHAT THE LAST PROJECT THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THIS LOCATION WAS AND HOW THIS IS VASTLY DIFFERENT THAN THAT SCENARIO.
UNLESS MR. DIETRICH, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? IF NOT, I'LL MAKE MY, I'M GONNA MAKE MY CLOSING COMMENTS AND WE'LL MOVE FORWARD.
I JUST HAVE, DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU DECIDE TO DO, I JUST HAVE ONE SMALL, UH, CONDITION TO ADD.
IS THAT IN, UM, UH, THERE WAS AN ADJUSTMENT THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE TO THE SITE PLAN? IT'S A SMALL ADJUSTMENT THAT I'VE ALREADY TALKED TO MR. UH, THOMPSON.
UH, MR. THOMPSON BOAT AND, UH, HE'S GONNA HAVE HIS ARCHITECT FIX IT IN THE MORNING.
UM, BUT WE'LL JUST ADD THAT SITE PLAN TO, TO WHATEVER YOU GUYS DECIDE TO DO.
I DO APPRECIATE YOUR ADDITIONAL COMMENT THEN.
SO, WITH THAT, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE, SO THERE WAS A, MR. WILSON AND MR. LEAPER SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU STILL ARE NOT CHOOSING TO SPEAK.
ALRIGHT, SO I'LL MAKE MY CLOSING COMMENTS.
UM, I THINK I'LL, UH, I WILL REITERATE A LOT OF WHAT Y'ALL HAVE EXPRESSED, BUT THIS PROJECT HAS COME A LONG WAYS FROM, I, I WOULD SAY FROM LAST FALL, I WAS, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME YOU HEAR LI AND YOU THINK OF, UH, LARGE SCALE WAREHOUSING, THAT IS CERTAINLY NOT WHAT WE WANT IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN IN THIS CORRIDOR, THIS PARTICULAR CORRIDOR.
UM, THE WHOLEI ZONING AS, AS, UH, COUNCILWOMAN BEN COURT MENTIONED, IS REALLY NEGATED BY, UH, THE RESTRICTIONS AND COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS THAT WILL, THAT WOULD, COULD BE APPROVED HERE SHORTLY.
UH, IN FACT, THIS, THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY, UM, WILL HAVE MORE RESTRICTIONS THAN EVEN THE GENERAL COMMERCIAL THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE NOW.
SO IT'S BECAUSE IT'S PART OF A MUD, WE HAVE THE ABILITIES THAT, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE, UH, TO MAKE THESE TYPE OF AGREEMENTS.
IF THIS WAS A GENERAL COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN THE ENTIRETY, UH, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT PRESENT MASONRY REQUIREMENTS.
UH, YOU'D HAVE A 50 FOOT, UH, EVE HEIGHT, I BELIEVE, UH, REQUIREMENT ARE UP TO 50, EXCUSE ME, N-L-I-N-L-I, NO, N GC GC ALSO ALLOWS, I THINK, 50 FEET.
SO, UM, SO WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE EIGHT FOOT, UH, YOU KNOW, SCREEN FENCING, UM, THE RESIDENTIAL FI FENCING, A LOT OF THIS HAS BEEN REALLY THE, THE DEVELOPER, UH, REALLY TRYING TO BE THE BEST NEIGHBOR.
HE, HE, HE REALLY, OR THEY REALLY PERSONALLY CAN.
UM, THE, THE ABILITY TO, UH, NOT HAVE ACCESS TO SHO LAND.
WE DID HEAR FROM MS. ROLAND, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THE FOLKS ON, ON SHO LAND WITH THE TRAFFIC THAT'S THERE, IT'S CURRENTLY THERE.
UM, IF THIS ROAD WAS EVER EXPANDED FROM TWO CURRENT LANES AS, AS IT IS NOW TO FOUR LANES, I BELIEVE THE TRAFFIC WILL GET WORSE.
IT WILL BECOME MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR
[01:00:01]
PEOPLE TO USE THAT IF YOU HAVE A FOUR, YOU KNOW, FOUR-LANE ROAD.AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR A CITY TO, TO HAVE THE TYPE OF GROWTH THAT WE WILL SEE.
BUT THAT'S WHY THIS IS, THIS IS VERY CHALLENGING, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MANAGE THE GROWTH THE BEST WE CAN AND STILL RESPECT PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER RIGHTS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, I BELIEVE THIS, THIS PARTICULAR OWNER OF THIS PROPERTY HAS HAD THIS PROPERTY FOR MANY YEARS.
UM, AND THERE'S BEEN AT LEAST TWO, TWO USES, UH, THAT WE'LL SAY DIDN'T WORK OUT.
UH, ONE WAS, I THINK A THOUSAND UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX AND 1500, EXCUSE ME, 1500, 1500, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE A TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT CERTAINLY WAS SOMETHING THAT AT THE TIME, UM, CITY COUNCIL WAS NOT WILLING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I THINK, UH, WITH, WITH THE ADDITIONAL AMENDS THAT THEY'RE BRINGING IN THE RIGHT HAND TURN, LANE OFF NEEDLE POINT, OR AT LEAST THE FUNDING FOR IT, THE SIDEWALK KIND OF TO NOWHERE RIGHT NOW, BUT THE SIDEWALK WILL BE THERE.
UM, I DO APPRECIATE ALL THAT, UH, THAT THE DEVELOPER'S DONE, MR. THOMPSON AND, AND THE TIME.
UM, WE'VE HAD SOME CONFERENCE CALLS EVEN WITH SOME CITIZENS.
UH, ONE THING THAT WAS DISHEARTENING TO ME DURING THIS PROCESS WAS A LOT OF CITIZENS SAYING THAT THEY HAD NO VOICE IN THIS PROCESS.
AND I GUESS I LOOK AT IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
I THINK I, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE CITIZENS HAD ABSOLUTE VOICE.
UM, SOME WERE MORE VOCAL THAN OTHERS, BUT I, I THINK THAT EVERYTHING, EVERY REASONABLE REQUEST, EVERY REASONABLE ASPECT, UM, CERTAINLY FLOODING IS ANYWHERE IN OUR CITY IS AN ISSUE.
TRAFFIC ANYWHERE IN OUR CITY IS AN ISSUE.
UM, BUT A LOT OF VOICES WERE HEARD, AND THEY, AND I THINK REALLY THE PROJECT AS IT IS TODAY, AS IT'S PRESENTED TODAY, IS REALLY THE, THE OUTCOME OF THOSE VOICES.
SO I I, I FULLY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT.
I I WILL ALWAYS TELL ANY DEVELOPER, UH, NOW YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA DO.
YOU HAVE TO BUILD WHAT YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA BUILD.
UM, THAT'S HOW, UH, WE BUILD TRUST AMONGST THE CITY, UH, AND ADMINISTRATION AND OBVIOUSLY COUNCIL, UH, AND DEVELOPERS.
AND I HOPE THAT THIS, THIS IS SUCCESSFUL AND THAT YOU HAVE OTHER PROJECTS IN BAYTOWN, UH, THAT YOU CAN GO AND, AND, UH, ALSO BRING TO FRUITION, UH, THE CORRIDOR ITSELF.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE COMMERCIAL, UH, THE MARKET.
I'VE TALKED TO MANY DEVELOPERS AND RETAILERS.
UH, THE FURTHER IT'S ALMOST EVERY FEW HUNDRED FEET YOU MOVE WEST OF THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY, THE MARKET CHANGES OF WHAT COULD COME HERE.
AND THERE'S DEVELOPMENT ALREADY HAPPENING, UH, ON BOTH SIDES OF, UH, INTERSTATE, EVEN EVEN EAST OF GARTH ROAD.
UH, THERE'S, THERE'S LAND BEING CLEARED.
THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT IS CERTAINLY GONNA BECOME A BAY TOWN.
UM, BUT THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY, I THINK THIS IS A, THE BEST USE FOR THIS PROPERTY.
I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A, A DEVELOPMENT THAT WE COULD BE PROUD OF IF IT'S BUILT, UH, AS IT'S PRESENTED.
SO WITH THAT, UM, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR A VOTE.
WE HAD A MOTION BE AMENDED, SIR, BECAUSE IT WAS PURELY FOR DISCUSSION.
SO I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF ITEMS A THROUGH D TO DOES, DO THEY, SO DO THEY SEW ANYTHING, INCLUDE THE AMENDMENT OF THE FENCING APPROVE? YES.
SO, UH, MS. VENTOR, WOULD YOU MIND MAKING THE MOTION, UM, TO INCLUDE THE, THE FENCING THAT A MOVE TO APPROVE ITEMS TWO A THROUGH D WITH THE AMENDED FENCING? THE AMENDED FENCING, THEY'LL WORK WITH STAFF AND ALSO THE AMENDED SITE PLAN, PLEASE.
UH, MR. DIETRICH WILL HANDLE THAT PERSONALLY AND THE AMENDED SITE PLAN.
UM, MS. CITY CLERK, YOU, YOU PICK ONE A.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE ITEMS? ITEMS, UH, TWO A THROUGH D AS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[3. CITY OF BAYTOWN NOVEMBER 3, 2020, MUNICIPAL ELECTION]
UH, NOVEMBER 3RD, 2020 MINUTES, SCHOOL ELECTION.WE HAVE ITEM THREE A THROUGH CI BELIEVE WE CAN TAKE, UM, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UM, FOR THAT, FOR THOSE THREE ITEMS. MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM THREE.
WELL, UH, CAN YOU DO THREE A THROUGH C? THEY CAN BE ALL TAKEN TOGETHER.
MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS THREE A THROUGH C.
SECOND, YOU HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE ITEMS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[4. CITY OF BAYTOWN BURGLAR / FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS AND CODE]
FOUR A AND BI.CAN THOSE BE, UM, ALSO TAKEN TOGETHER? YES, SIR.
UM, WE CAN GET SOME DISCUSSION.
IS THERE ANYTHING TO PRESENT, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW WE, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
CHIEF DALBY, UH, WOULD GIVE A BRIEF, BRIEF OVERVIEW IF IT PLEASES THE COUNCIL.
AND THEN WE'LL THEN WE'LL GO, WE'LL MOVE ON TO A, A, A MOTION.
IF Y'ALL RECALL, LAST SEPTEMBER, STAFF PRESENTED AN OVERVIEW OF THE BURGLAR AND, UH, FIRE ALARM PERMIT AND FALSE ALARM PROCESS.
UH, THE DATA FROM WAS PRESENTED WAS FROM 2010 TO 2019, AND IT, AND THE, IT SHOWED THAT THE CURRENT PROCESS WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR RESPONDERS, BUSINESS OWNERS AS WELL AS RESIDENTS AND STAFF RECOMMENDED MOVING TO A THIRD PARTY, UH, CONTRACTOR.
[01:05:01]
RECOMMENDATION WAS TO MOVE FORWARD AND BEGIN THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCESS.STAFF DEVELOPED A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AND CITY ADVISED AND RECEIVED TWO PROPOSALS.
THE STAFF, UH, THE STAFF COMPRISED OF POLICE, FIRE, CITY CLERK'S, OFFICE, AND THE PURCHASING AND REPRESENTATIVE REVIEWED THE PROPOSAL AND FOUND THAT PMAM CORPORATION MET THE NEEDS AND, UH, DESIRES OF THE ORGANIZATION.
UH, THEY'VE GOT A PROVEN TRACK RECORD AND SINCE 2004 AND 20 AND SERVICE 28 CITIES IN TEXAS, UM, THE, THE COMPANY'S ENHANCED CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND THEY'VE PROVEN THAT THE CITIES THAT THEY'VE, UH, GONE TO WORK FOR AND SERVICE HAVE INCREASED COMPLIANCE TO THEIR ALARM PERMITS, UH, REQUIREMENTS AND REDUCTION IN FIREARM, UH, FIRE ALARMS. UM, STAFF HAVE RECOMMENDS AND APPROVAL, AND WE'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THAT YOU HAVE.
ALRIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF ALBE? MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM FOUR A SECOND.
CAN YOU, UH, ADD ITEM B TO THAT? I DID SAY BA.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEMS? UH, FOUR A AND B, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[a. Consider an ordinance amending Chapter 90 "Taxation," Article II "Ad Valorem Taxes," Section 90-27 "Exemptions," Subsections (a) "Disabled adults" and (b) "Adults 65 years or older" of the Code of Ordinances, City of Baytown, Texas to (i) increase the exemption from taxation for disabled adults to $60,000 and (ii) to increase the exemption from taxation for adults sixty-five (65) years or older to $60,000, for residential homesteads.]
UH, I THINK THIS WE HAVE TAKE THESE INDIVIDUALLY.ALRIGHT, ITEM, UH, FIVE A CONSIDER ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 90 10, UH, TAXATION ARTICLE TWO AT TAXES SECTION 90 THROUGH 27 EXEMPTIONS.
UM, THIS ITEM WILL INCREASE EXEMPTION, UM, FROM FOR DISABLED ADULTS, UH, TWO 60,000 FROM I BELIEVE 50,000.
SO WITH THAT, UH, AND 65 YEARS OF OLDER MM-HMM
AND ADULTS 65 YEARS OR OLDER TO 60,000 IN ADDITION TO THAT.
SO THERE'S TWO PARTS FOR RESIDENTIAL HOMESTEADS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. RAM MAYOR, THE OUTSET.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR TURNING THEIR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER AND FOR WORKING WITH THE FINANCE TEAM TO COME TO THIS RECOMMENDATION THAT THIS BEFORE YOU TONIGHT.
ITS ORIGINS LIE IN THE DECISIONS THAT WERE TAKEN BY PREVIOUS, BY THE CITY COUNCIL LAST YEAR AND THE YEAR BEFORE TO REDUCE THE HEADLINE TAX RATE.
UH, THIS TIME AROUND THE COMMITTEE DECIDED TO FOCUS ON A TARGETED, UH, EXEMPTION TO, UH, HELP PROPERTY TAX PAYERS IN THE OVER 65 AND DISABLED BRACKET.
AND THEY ARE, UH, ABOUT A QUARTER OF YOUR TOTAL TAX BASE.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE HITTING 25% OF YOUR TAX PAYERS WITH A REDUCTION OF $80 AND, UH, A YEAR.
UM, THE OVERALL COST, THE GENERAL FUND IS ABOUT HALF A MILLION, WHICH IN FACT IS THE SAME AS A 1 CENT REDUCTION IN THE HEADLINE TAX RATE.
SO THIS JUST USES THE SAME MONEY IN A SLIGHTLY MORE TARGETED WAY.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, THERE ARE, UH, LEGISLATORS RESTRICTIONS ON THE LEVEL OF GENERAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO PURSUE THAT'S NOT ON THE CARDS TONIGHT.
THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, UH, IT IS ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE DRAFT BUDGET THAT WILL BE COMING BEFORE YOU NEXT MONTH.
UH, SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT TO YOU.
SO WE DO HAVE, UH, UM, A, DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THAT? NO.
EVERYBODY'S READY FOR THAT ONE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO I DO HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION ON THAT.
SO WHEN WILL THIS BECOME EFFECTIVE? I'M ASSUMING IN TAX YEAR NEXT YEAR? CORRECT.
I'LL GO UNLESS ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON IT, YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? MY ONLY THING IS, UH, I, I'M REALLY PROUD OF WHAT THE FINANCE GROUP HAS DONE FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
NOW WE'VE, WE'VE COME TO THE CITY, THIS COUNCIL HAS GONE, HAS MADE IT, UH, AN AMBITION TO REDUCE TAXES FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE STILL GETTING IT DONE IN SPITE OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AROUND HERE.
SO I'D LIKE TO THANK THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THIS COUNCIL FOR DOING THINGS LIKE THIS FOR THE CITIZENS OF, OF BAYTOWN.
ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ITEM FIVE A IS PRESENTED FOR THIS, UH, TAX REDUCTION, UH, FOR, UH, 25% OF OUR CITIZENS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[b. Consider an ordinance authorizing an emergency expenditure as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2019-20 budget due to unforeseen expenditures necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.]
B CONSIDERED ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED AN EMERGENCY EXPENDITURE AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE FISCAL YEAR 20 19 20 BUDGET DUE TO UNFORSEEN EXPENDITURES NECESSITATE NECESSITATED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.OKAY, MR. MAYOR, UH, I'VE GIVEN YOU THE GOOD NEWS NOW FOR THE BAD.
WE'RE ALL ACUTELY AWARE AT THE MOMENT OF THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF COVID-19, BOTH IN TERMS OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND, UH, THE HAVOC THAT HAS BEEN WROUGHT TO THE GLOBAL ECONOMY, UH, THAT IS AFFECTING US DIRECTLY.
UH, YOU HAVE ALREADY CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE AQUATICS FUND, UH, AT A RECENT MEETING WHERE WE WERE LOOKING AT FIGURES OF AROUND 2 MILLION, UH, EVEN IF WE NEVER OPENED, UH, PIRATES BAY THIS YEAR.
UM, THAT BEING, SO WE HAVE LOOKED IN DETAIL AT THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET.
[01:10:01]
NEXT YEAR, UH, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WHERE WE WILL END THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF OUR FUND BALANCES.CURRENTLY, UH, I AM NOT CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN END THE YEAR WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WERE SET BY LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.
I'M ASKING FOR 3 MILLION TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE TO THE CONTINGENCY THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO OFFSET THE COSTS SUCH AS THE AQUATIC FUND, SUCH AS INCREASED COSTS IN EMS, UH, AND REST.
THE GOOD NEWS, HOWEVER, IN ALL OF THIS IS WE HAVE ASKED FOR HELP FROM HARRIS COUNTY WHO HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING UNDER THE CARES ACT.
UH, AND WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL GET SOMETHING I HAVEN'T ACCOUNTED FOR.
THAT 3 MILLION I THINK IS YOUR WORST CASE.
I'M HOPING WE WILL NOT NEED TO USE IT.
ALRIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS? I DO NOT ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR FIVE B.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR STAFF? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ITEM FIVE B IS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[c. Consider awarding a construction contract to Angel Brothers Ltd, for the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery-funded South Main St Drainage Improvements Project.]
CONSIDER AN AWARD IN A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT TO ANGEL BROTHERS LIMITED FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDED SOUTH MAIN, UM, STREET DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT.THIS IS A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT AWARD FOR THE SOUTH MAIN DRAINAGE PROJECT.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP HERE, IT'S ROUGHLY BOUNDED BY, IT'S A TWO BLOCK PROJECT, ROUGHLY BOUNDED BY TEXAS AVENUE, WHERE ROOSTERS IS A LANDMARK THERE ON THE CORNER AND GULF AVENUE WHERE OUR CITY EMS BUILDING IS ALSO ANOTHER LANDMARK AT THAT INTERSECTION.
SO WE RECEIVED ABOUT $1.8 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR DRAINAGE FOR THIS PROJECT.
AND BIDS HAVE COME IN VERY FAVORABLY.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATE WAS ABOUT 1.5 MILLION AND THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT AWARD WILL BE IN THE AMOUNT OF 1.2 MILLION, PARDON ME, 1,237,528 AND 65 CENTS.
AND THAT WILL GO TO ANGEL BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION.
SO WE HAD A LOT OF COMPETITION ON THIS PROJECT.
EIGHT BIDDERS AND ONE BIDDER CHOSE TO WITHDRAW HIS BID BECAUSE OF AN ERROR.
SO THAT MADE THE APPARENT LOW.
UM, ANGEL BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION.
I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UH, MR. PRESLEY, IF I CAN FOR ITEM FIVE C.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT? QUICK COMMENT, MAYOR.
OF COURSE, THE SMALLER OF THE TWO PROJECTS THAT WERE PLANNED HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
BY ALL INDICATIONS, IT LOOKS VERY, VERY PROMISING THAT IT WILL BE EFFECTIVE.
AND I KNOW THIS, THIS LARGER PROJECT OF THE TWO IS, IS LOOKED FORWARD TO BY A NUMBER OF FOLKS IN THAT VICINITY.
AND IT'S SO NICE THAT IT WAS GRANT FUNDED AS WELL.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
I, I'LL TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GRANT FUNDING THAT TOOK PLACE AND JUST REALLY ADDRESSING TWO, TWO POINTS OF, OF, OF, UH, SOME FLOODING.
UH, IT WAS THIS PARTICULAR CORNER AREA.
AND THEN, UH, ALSO, UH, FURTHER DOWN, I GUESS THAT WOULD BE OAK TREE, UH, NORTH, A LITTLE BIT MORE NORTH ON TEXAS AVENUE, I THINK.
IS THAT COM THAT'S COMPLETED FOR THIS FIRST PHASE? CORRECT.
SO THIS IS THE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SECTION AROUND THE OAK OAK TREE THAT IS COMPLETED AND THE ROAD IS OPEN.
BUT YES, SO IT WAS GOOD THAT THESE TWO POINTS, SO THAT, THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME HOT, I CALL 'EM SOME HOTPOTS WITH FLOODING, UM, THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED OR ONE HAS BEEN ADDRESSED AND THIS ONE WILL BE ON ITS WAY.
SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT WE ARE BESIDES LOOKING AT, AT THE CITY AND THE DRAINAGE, UH, ACROSS, UH, THE, THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
BUT THERE ARE SOME HOTSPOTS THAT ARE BEING ADDRESSED AND I THINK, I THINK WE'VE DONE REALLY GOOD ON, ON THAT.
SO I DO APPLAUD PUBLIC WORKS AND, AND STAFF ON, ON ALL THOSE EFFORTS.
SO WITH THAT, UH, APPROVE, UH, ITEM, UH, ITEM FIVE C, ALTHOUGH WE'LL PAY FOR THE ITEM, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ALRIGHT, UH, SIX A, RECEIVE THE
[a. Receive the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Budget for the Baytown Fire Control, Prevention, and Emergency Medical Services District.]
FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET FOR THE BAYTOWN FIRE CONTROL PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES DISTRICT.MR. MAYOR, I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD TO THIS ITEM THAT YOU'RE JUST BEING ASKED TO RECEIVE AT THIS STAGE, THEN I WOULD CONSIDER IT RECEIVE.
[7. CONSENT All Consent Agenda items listed are considered to be routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Council Member requests, in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda.]
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING, WE ON OUR CONSENT, WE ARE GONNA PULL ONE ITEM SEPARATELY, WHICH IS ITEM SEVEN.SO SEVEN G WILL BE PULLED, BUT I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR CONSENT ITEMS. OH, I'M SORRY, MAYOR, CAN I, WE ALSO PULL SEVEN E WE CAN.
SO, UM, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO MAKE A MOTION FOR ITEM SEVEN A THROUGH D, F, AND H THROUGH K, MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM SEVEN A THROUGH K, SAVING ITSELF G AND E.
ALL THOSE, UH, PROVEN THOSE ITEMS AS, AS DIS AS, UM, DISCUSSED OR OUTLINED, PLEASE SAY AYE A AYE.
ALRIGHT, SO NOW WE WILL GO ITEM E FIRST CONSIDER ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED TO CHANGE ORDER NUMBER ONE TO
[e. Consider an ordinance authorizing Change Order No. 1 to increase the total contract amount of the Annual Concrete Work Contract.]
INCREASE THE TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT[01:15:01]
OF ANNUAL CONCRETE, UH, CONCRETE WORK CONTRACT.MR. CNO, UNLESS MR. PRESLEY HAS A QUESTION, UH, JUST A QUICK EXPLANATION OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
SO THIS, UH, IS TO INCREASE THE AUTHORIZED AMOUNT WITH THE CONTRACT WITH TEAMWORK.
UM, WE HAVE VERY, VERY FAVORABLE PRICES, UNIT PRICES ON THIS CONTRACT.
WE, AS YOU KNOW, WE USED A LOT OF THE CONTRACT ON OUR NORTH MAIN PROJECT, AND SO THE CAPACITY HAS BEEN USED ON, UH, ON THAT.
SO WE HAVE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE USE IT FOR AND WE'D LIKE TO EXTEND THE PRICE, THE PRICES THAT WE HAVE ON THIS WITHOUT REBIDDING AT THIS TIME.
YEAH, SO IDEALLY IT, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A, A, A LITTLE MORE PRACTICAL TO MAKE THIS CHANGE BEFORE THE NORTH MAIN WORK COMMENCED.
BUT, UH, I WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR CATCHING THE OVERSIGHT AND MAKING THE CORRECTION.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR ITEM SEVEN E, MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM SEVEN E, SECOND MOTION TO SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE ITEM, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[g. Consider an ordinance renewing the Contract for the Collection of Delinquent Taxes and Payment in Lieu of Taxes with Randall B. Strong.]
NOW, UH, SEVEN G, CONSIDER ORDINANCE RENEWING THE CONTRACT FOR THE COLLECTION OF DELINQUENT TAXES AND PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES WITH RANDALL B.MR. STRONG, DO YOU HAVE AT YOUR PLACES, UH, THE INFORMATION DATA THAT MR. STRONG SENT YOU? I THINK WE DO HAVE THE SLIDES TOO.
DO, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET TO 'EM AT THIS POINT, BUT, UH, AND, AND GOOD EVENING.
UM, UH, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME APPEAR KNIGHT.
I'M HERE TO, UH, REQUEST RENEWAL OF THE CONTRACT THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOR ME TO CONTINUE AS THE TAX ATTORNEY FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
I HAD MET WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TUESDAY AFTERNOON, AND IN THE COURSE OF THAT DISCUSSION, UH, WAS EXPLAINING THE THINGS I'D DONE.
AND WHILE I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD RENEW THE CONTRACT, I DID OBSERVE I HAD NOT BEEN GOOD ABOUT COMING BEFORE THE FULL CITY COUNCIL AND KEEPING YOU UPDATED.
AND, AND I OFFERED TO DO THAT AND, UH, I EVEN HAD A COPY OF MY ANNUAL REPORT, ONE OF THE MEETING I GIVE TO THE CITY.
UH, HAPPY TO GO OVER THAT AND DO A GOOD PRESENTATION.
I I'M GONNA TELL YOU ABOUT THAT.
I BELIEVE IT WAS MS. BETTEN COURT SAID IF I COULD PREPARE FOUR OR FIVE SLIDES,
UH, SO THIS WILL BE A VERY SHORT PRESENTATION.
I JUST, SO THE COUNCIL WILL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, THE FIRST SLIDE, THAT'S LAST BUDGET YEAR, THE LAST FULL YEAR, THE ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2019.
UH, AND FOR PURPOSES OF, OF THE CONTRACT, WHAT WE DID, UH, WE COLLECTED $755,361 IN THE BASE TAX AMOUNT.
THAT IS NOT PENALTY AND INTEREST FOR PURPOSES OF OUR CONTRACT.
ALL THE TARGETS AND GOALS ARE, ARE FIT AROUND THE BASE TAX.
UH, AND, UH, THAT WAS, SO THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF BASE TAX.
AND YOU SEE A LITTLE STAR BY THAT BECAUSE THAT IS ONLY DELINQUENT TAXES.
AND IN THE WAY THAT THE CITY HAS ALWAYS DONE THIS, GOING BACK EVEN BEFORE ME, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CURRENT YEARS TAXES, RIGHT NOW THERE ARE 2019 TAXES.
THEY'RE DELINQUENT, THEY WENT DELINQUENT FEBRUARY 1ST, AND I WORKED TO COLLECT THOSE TWO.
BUT IT, ANY OF THAT MONEY I COLLECT DOES NOT COUNT TOWARDS MY GOAL FOR THE YEAR.
THAT'S STILL CONSIDERED CURRENT COLLECTIONS.
SO FOR ALL THESE NUMBERS YOU, YOU LOOK AT WHEN IT SAYS DELINQUENT TAXES, COLLECTED BASE, THAT IS EVERYTHING BUT THE CURRENT YEAR.
UH, BUT JUST FOR PURPOSES OF C THE KIND OF NUMBERS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO THE AMOUNT OF DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTED LAST YEAR IS 7 55.
UH, WE ALSO COLLECTED ANOTHER NEARLY 400,000 IN PENALTY AND INTEREST.
UH, SO WITH THAT COMBINED REVENUE OF OVER 1,000,001, UH, AND I THREW AT THE BOTTOM, THERE WAS ALSO $491,000 ON TAXES THAT WENT DELINQUENT FEBRUARY 1ST LAST YEAR.
BUT THEY WERE COLLECTED BEFORE SEPTEMBER 30TH.
SO FOR PURPOSES OF THE CONTRACT COLLECTIONS, THEIR CURRENT COLLECTIONS, BUT AGAIN, I, I CLAIM SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE AND, AND THAT'S WHY I BRING THAT UP.
UM, AS FOR COMPARISON, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE SO FAR THIS YEAR.
WE'RE ONLY EIGHT MONTHS THROUGH THE YEAR.
UM, THE BASE TAX COLLECTIONS OVER 500,000.
UH, AGAIN, SOME PENALTY IN INTEREST COLLECTED.
IT'S NOT AS MUCH AS EARLY IN THE YEAR.
UH, AND THEN ALSO ALMOST ANOTHER 130,000 IN DELINQUENT TAXES WENT DELINQUENT FEBRUARY 1ST, BUT THEY'RE 2019 TAXES.
SO THEY DON'T COUNT TOWARDS THE GOALS.
UH, SO I, I AND MY STAFF, WE ARE OUT THERE, WE ARE SENDING LETTERS.
WE ARE CALLING PEOPLE, ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO DO PAYMENT
[01:20:01]
AGREEMENTS, COME IN, PAY THEIR TAXES, AND EVEN THOUGH THE COURTHOUSES ARE SHUT THEM UP, WE ARE STILL FILING A LOT OF LAWSUITS FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE.WE'RE STILL WORKING AND TRYING TO COLLECT THE MONEY FOR THE CITY.
SOME THE LAWSUITS MAY NOT GO TO JUDGMENT FOR A FEW MONTHS.
AND WHAT I POINT OUT TO THE COUNCIL IS ALL THIS IS AT NO COST TO THE CITY.
UNDER THE WAY THE TEXAS PROPERTY TAX CODE IS SET UP.
UH, YOU HAVE APPROVED, UH, COLLECTION PENALTY IS ASSESSED AGAINST DELINQUENT TAXPAYERS.
AND SO WHEN I'M COLLECTING THIS MONEY ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, THAT COLLECTION PENALTY IS A PART OF THAT.
AND THAT MONEY IS WHAT THE CITY USES TO PAY ME.
SO THE CITY DOESN'T PAY ME ANYTHING.
THE DELINQUENT TAXPAYERS OR WHO PAYS MY FEES, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL 'EM.
UH, SO, WHICH IS ALSO A LOT OF MOTIVATION FOR ME.
IF I DON'T COLLECT ANY MONEY, I DON'T GET PAID ANY.
UH, SO I ALSO POINT OUT, I THINK SOME OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE BROUGHT THIS UP IN ADDITION, DELINQUENT TAXES UNDER THE CONTRACT.
UM, THE CITY IS ALSO, UM, RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING DELINQUENT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT PAYMENTS.
THOSE DON'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN, UH, BUT IT HAS, UH, AND AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THEY ALSO TREATED LIKE TAXES.
AND WE GET TO ASSESS A COLLECTION PENALTY.
I'M ALSO REQUIRED OR ASKED TO REPRESENT THE CITY IN ALL THE BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS THE CITY MAY BE INVOLVED IN WHEN PEOPLE WHO OWE BANKRUPT AND OWE THE CITY DIFFERENT AMOUNTS.
THAT INCLUDES DELINQUENT WATER BILLS, SEWER BILLS, GARBAGE COLLECTION, STORM WATER FEES, AMBULANCE FEES, UTILITY BILLS, LIBRARY FINES, MOWING LIENS WHEN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S MOWED PROPERTY, ALL THOSE THINGS.
I'M ALSO TRYING TO COLLECT FOR THE CITY.
NOW THERE'S NO COMPENSATION OR FEE WORKED INTO THOSE NO PERCENT.
YOU KNOW, I DO THAT FOR THE CITY AND THAT'S JUST PART OF WHAT I'M REQUIRED TO DO, TO COLLECT, TO GET PAID UNDER THE TAX MONEY.
UH, SO I CONSIDER MYSELF A COLLECTOR FOR THE CITY FOR ALL KINDS OF THINGS, UH, AND FOR MY PRIMARY PURPOSE TONIGHT.
UM, IF YOU UNDER THE CONTRACT EVERY YEAR THE FINANCE DIRECTOR AND I ARE SUPPOSED TO SIT DOWN AND SET A GOAL ON BASE TAX COLLECTION.
AGAIN, WE DON'T WORRY ABOUT PENALTY INTEREST.
UH, IF YOU LOOK THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE 20 17 18 BUDGET YEAR, UH, THE GOAL WAS 448,000.
AND AGAIN, THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE PENALTY INTEREST OR ANYTHING.
THAT NUMBER'S DOWN AT THE BOTTOM IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT.
20 18, 20 19, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE GOAL WAS REDUCED.
UH, THAT DOESN'T CHANGE MY ATTITUDE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE STILL COLLECTED ALMOST THE SAME AMOUNT EVEN IN THE REDUCED GOAL.
AND IN THIS CURRENT YEAR, THE GOAL WAS UP SUBSTANTIALLY TO 625,000.
UH, AND AS OF THE END OF MAY, WE'VE COLLECTED 528,000.
SO WE'RE TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE YEAR AND WE'VE COLLECTED ABOUT 84% OF OUR GOAL FOR THE YEAR.
SO, YOU KNOW, MY GOAL IS TO GET BACK UP AROUND THE 770 800,000 'CAUSE IT'S ALL GOING TO THE CITY.
AND AGAIN, SELFISHLY, THE MORE I COLLECT, THE MORE I MAKE.
SO I'M MOTIVATED, I WANNA HELP THE CITY.
I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND I'D BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND DO A MUCH LONGER REPORT AND TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO AND PROCEDURES, IF THE COUNCIL'S INTERESTED.
'CAUSE I'M, I'M HERE TO SEARCH.
THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE SLIDES.
ALRIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. STRONG? I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A MOTION.
I MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM SEVEN G, SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THOSE OF THE ITEM SEVEN G, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM, UH, EIGHT A DISCUSS
[a. Discuss and take appropriate action regarding the City of Baytown Fourth of July Fireworks Event.]
AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING THE CITY OF BAYTOWN 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS EVENT.MR. JOHNSON, I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO HAVE TO COVER, UH, COME IN BEHIND MR. STRONG.
SO, UH, TO CONTINUE OUR DISCUSSION FOR MONDAY, UM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A MAP.
UM, OUR PLAN WAS OUR PARKS CREW WILL HAVE EIGHT OR 10, EIGHT TO 10 GUYS WORKING, UH, TO MAN THE PERIMETER, UH, P POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE TWO CARS WORKING, UH, TO MONITOR THE AREA.
UH, FIRE WILL HAVE ONE FIRE MARSHAL, UH, FIRE ENGINE AT THE FIRE WORKS LOCATION AND ONE NEAR THE IMPACT CENTER, UH,
[01:25:01]
BUILDING.UM, THERE'S GONNA BE PEOPLE IN THE PARK.
THERE'S NO WAY TO GET AROUND IT.
UM, THERE'LL BE PEOPLE AT THE, AT BICENTENNIAL, THEY'LL BE AT LEE HIGH SCHOOL PRACTICE FIELDS, THEY'RE GONNA BE AT CARVER PARK.
THERE'S ALWAYS A BIG GROUP AT CARVER PARK.
THERE'LL BE AT GOOSE CREEK PARK, THERE'LL BE AT, UH, ALL OVER TOWN.
UM, YOU CAN'T JUST SIT IN THE PARKING LOT AT LEE COLLEGE AND WATCH THE FIREWORKS.
REMEMBER THERE'S BIG TREES PLANTED ALONG THAT STREET.
UM, ONE CONCERN THAT WE HAVE IS THAT ON THE REGULAR 4TH OF JULY, LEE DRIVE IS SHUT DOWN.
MARKET STREET SHUT DOWN, YOU CAN ON THE FOURTH THIS YEAR WILL NOT BE SHUT.
PEOPLE WILL BE CROSSING THE STREET AT DARK WITH KIDS.
AND WE'RE VERY NERVOUS ABOUT THAT.
SO WE RECOMMEND THAT WE DO NOT HAVE FIREWORKS.
IS THAT THE END OF YOUR PRESENTATION? MM-HMM.
SO I THINK AT THIS POINT, COUNSEL, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH A CONTINUATION OF, OF, UM, MONDAY'S DISCUSSION.
WE GO FROM ONE POINT TO OTHER POINT.
UH, I, I, I SUPPORT SCOTT'S ASK RIGHT THERE.
I, UH, I JUST DON'T SEE US OPENING THAT THING UP AND THEN NOT PROVIDING FULL BLOWN COVERAGE, YOU KNOW, POLICE, FIRE, ET CETERA.
THAT THING WITH THE KIDS AND THE STREETS OPEN AND THINGS LIKE THAT JUST SCARES ME TO DEATH.
AND I THINK THE DOWNSIDE FAR UP SEEDS, THE UPSIDE ON THIS DEAL AND THE, THE, WHETHER IT'S THE COVID EXPOSURE OR WHATEVER IT IS, I JUST DON'T SEE WHY WE WOULD RISK ALL THAT.
I JUST TO, TO BE ABLE TO SAY WE'VE DONE FIREWORKS IS, IS ALL THAT'S LEFT TO DO.
JUST WE, WELL, WE DID IT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW REALLY WHAT WE'RE PROVIDING.
I MEAN, WE EITHER GO ALL IN AND GET EVERYBODY OUT THERE AND DO IT RIGHT, AND CLOSE THE STREETS AND GO THROUGH ALL THAT.
OR, OR, OR, OR WE DON'T DO IT AT ALL.
I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD RISK IT.
UH, TWO POLICE CARS OUT THERE IS, IT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A JOKE.
SO MAYOR, I, I MADE THE MOTION, UM, AT THE LAST MEETING TO TRY TO SALVAGE THE FIREWORKS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE FIREWORKS, THEY, THEY'RE IN MY DISTRICT AND IT'S REALLY ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS AND THE COOLEST THINGS THAT HAPPENS IN MY DISTRICT EACH YEAR AND REALLY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY FOR THAT MATTER.
SO, YOU KNOW, BUT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, YOU KNOW, THINGS CONTINUE TO EVOLVE.
LIKE WE MENTIONED LAST TIME, AND THE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO ESCALATE JUST OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, ICU IS NOW CLOSE TO FULL CAPACITY.
UM, I READ AN ARTICLE IN THE PAPER, I THINK THERE'S A CHRONICLE THAT IF THE CURRENT TREND CONTINUES IN THE HOUSTON AREA, THAT THE HOUSTON AREA COULD BE THE NEXT NEW YORK CITY AREA.
SO, LIKE I SAY, I MEAN, IT'S WITH GREAT PAIN TO, UH, TO SAY THIS, BUT PERSONALLY, I, I JUST CAN'T DUTIFULLY AND, AND FAITHFULLY ENDORSE, UH, AN EVENT THAT WOULD ENCOURAGE NOT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE TO CONGREGATE AND GATHER, BUT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO CONGREGATE AND GATHER AND, YOU KNOW, OUR CITIZENS AND, AND OUR NEIGHBORS AND, AND OUR FRIENDS.
AND I AGREE WITH DAVE THAT JUST, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH UPSIDE THAT, THAT, THAT OUT RULES THE DOWNSIDE.
SO I'VE HAD A CHANGE OF HEART AND I THINK THE PRUDENT THING TO DO WOULD, WOULD TO NOT HAVE IT THIS YEAR AND HAVE A BIGGER AND BETTER ONE, HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR.
UM, HONESTLY, MY, MY COMMENTS HAVE REALLY NOT CHANGED FROM THE LAST TIME THAT WE MET.
UM, I WAS REALLY, UH, AGAINST US HAVING ANYTHING AT ALL.
AND SO I I, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PRESERVE THE SAFETY OF NOT JUST OUR STAFF, UM, AND ALSO ADHERE TO THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT TO OUR PUBLIC THAT MAY STILL WANT TO, I MEAN, OUR FIREWORKS HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, A, A GREAT SITE TO SEE YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND SO PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WANNA GRAVITATE TO SEE WHAT WE HAVE IN, IN LINE FOR THIS YEAR.
AND SO I, I REALLY CANNOT, UH, SUPPORT US GOING THROUGH WITH THE FIREWORKS THIS YEAR, UNFORTUNATELY.
[01:30:01]
ALL RIGHT, I'LL MAKE MY COMMENT.UM, I GUESS ONE THING THAT I DO, I, I HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, SOME OTHER AREA MAYORS, UM, PARTICULARLY PASADENA LAPORT, YOUR PARK MORGAN'S POINT.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE, THE PARKS RECOMMENDATION AND, AND I KNOW EVEN OUR HEALTH OFFICIALS, WE CERTAINLY RESPECT ALL THAT.
UM, I JUST, I, I'M A LITTLE BIT, UH, I HAVE SOME MIXED OPINION ON IT.
UM, WE DON'T WANT TO, WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO GO AND INTRODUCE OUR STAFF TO, YOU KNOW, ANY KIND OF CROWDS.
UH, AND, AND CERTAINLY WHEN IT COMES TO SECURING THE SITE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAVE LARGE SCALE FIREWORKS, LIKE WE'VE DONE, WE'VE ALWAYS DONE AN EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT DISPLAY.
UM, BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT PEOPLE ARE GONNA WANT TO GATHER.
UH, WHAT I, WHAT I STRUGGLE WITH IS, IS WHERE DO WE STOP? UM, AT WHAT POINT DO WE REALLY STOP MOVING FORWARD WITH AN OPEN AND FREE SOCIETY? UH, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I, I CERTAINLY I'LL, I'LL WEAR A MASK.
I'LL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO PROTECT MYSELF, TO PROTECT OTHERS AROUND ME.
UM, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN WE GO AND CONTINUE TO JUST ERODE AND DECAY, ESPECIALLY ON THE ONE DAY THAT, THAT WE ALL AS AMERICANS CELEBRATE FREEDOM AND LIBERTY, I JUST, I'M VERY DISHEARTENED WITH THAT.
IT'S THE ONE COMMONALITY THAT WE HAVE REGARDLESS OF RACE, COLOR, CREED, OR RELIGION.
WE COME TOGETHER AND JUST TO GO AND LOOK AT FIREWORKS.
UM, I UNDERSTAND STAFF'S RESERVATIONS AND I RESPECT THAT.
UM, UM, I, I WOULD LIKE US TO HAVE A FIREWORK SHOW, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE CONDITIONS, I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE CANCELED SO MANY THINGS.
WE'VE CANCELED, YOU KNOW, UIL SPORTS FOR PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, ARE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
WE CRA WE CANCELED SO MANY LIFE EVENTS.
WE'VE HAD FUNERALS OF PERSONAL FAMILY MEMBERS, UH, SOME, SOME THAT EVEN, UH, SERVED HERE IN THIS, IN THIS CHAMBER WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE FUNERALS WITH, WITH LIMITED PEOPLE WHERE EVEN WHEN LOVED ONES CAN'T EVEN EXPRESS THEIR LAST CONDOLENCES.
AND SO I'M JUST DISHEARTENED THAT, THAT, UM, ALTHOUGH IT IS REALISTIC, I I RESPECT THAT I'M DIS I'M JUST DISHEARTENED THAT EVEN THIS 4TH OF JULY THAT A SIMPLE FIREWORKS DISPLAY, UM, THAT, THAT WE DON'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
BUT I WILL GO WITH COUNSEL'S WISHES IF THAT'S WHAT THE CASE WILL BE.
UM, I, I PERSONALLY, UH, DON'T KNOW WHERE IT WILL STOP.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE.
I HEAR THE NUMBERS ARE TRENDING BACK DOWNWARD.
IF YOU LOOK AT CERTAIN ASPECTS OF, OF WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE WHEN IT COMES TO HOSPITALIZATIONS AND THE THE SEVERITY OF CURRENT CONFIRMED CASES AND, AND SO ON.
I DON'T KNOW IF MR. RAY COULD PROBABLY GIVE US AN UPDATE.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S GONNA CHANGE ANYTHING, BUT IF YOU CAN AT LEAST GIVE US KIND OF THE LATEST UPDATE TODAY.
COULD I ADD SOMETHING BEFORE HE STARTS? YES, SIR.
UM, ON TUESDAY WHEN I STARTED LOOKING AT THE SITE AND OUR, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE COMING ACROSS AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR.
AND, UH, THAT'S, I DIDN'T THINK MUCH ABOUT IT.
AND THEN I REALIZED THAT THE STREETS WERE GONNA BE OPEN AND NOT CLOSED.
AND THAT'S WHEN I GOT IN THE DARK AND THAT'S WHEN I WENT GONNA HAVE KIDS AND PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS THE STREET AND THERE, THERE'S, WE CAN'T STOP THAT.
AND THAT'S THE AT DARK AND WE WERE REALLY CON I WAS REALLY CONCERNED WITH THAT.
AND WE HAVE SIX GUYS OUT WITH COVID.
IT'S HIT HOME THIS WEEK FOR US.
AND THAT HAS CHANGED MY OPINION OF THIS TOO.
SO, SO I KNOW IT WAS MENTIONED, IF I MAY, SCOTT, I KNOW IT WAS MEANT, IT WAS MENTIONED LIKE IF, IF WE DID IT IN A SECURE SITE, LIKE THE NATURE CENTER, 'CAUSE THERE WE CAN CLOSE OFF THE PUBLIC, YOU COULD STILL HAVE YOUR, YOUR DISPLAY.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S PERMITTING INVOLVED WITH THAT TYPE OF DISPLAY IN THE LOCATION.
SO I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN WITH OUR STAFF AND CERTAINLY SITE SECURITY.
I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR POLICE FOLKS, OUR FIRE MARSHALS AND SO ON.
WE, IT'S NOT THAT I WANNA JEOPARDIZE ANYBODY AND, AND, AND INCREASE RISK.
UM, BUT I WOULD HATE TO GO AND TAKE, TAKE REALLY ONE, ONE OF THE, WE'RE A REGIONAL DRAW WHEN IT COMES TO FIREWORKS.
UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER CITIES MAY BE DOING IT, BUT THEY DON'T DO IT TO THE SCALE THAT BAYTOWN DOES.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY WHY I'M, I'M PRETTY, UM, PRETTY ADAMANT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE FIREWORKS.
IF WE COULD HAVE A, A, A DIFFERENT LOCATION THAT COULD BE SECURE WITHOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, EXPOSING ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S UNNEEDED, THEN I WOULD BE CERTAINLY ENTERTAIN THAT.
I CAN TALK TO THE, BY THE WAY, I TALKED TO THE CONTRACTOR THAT, AND, UH, THEY'RE WILLING TO WORK WITH US ON NEXT YEAR'S CREDIT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S NOT AS BIG A HIT AS WE WERE AFRAID EARLIER BY, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT.
UM, THERE'S SOME, UH, PERMITTING THINGS, PUTTING IT ON THE POINT AND JUST NOT LETTING ANYBODY OUT THE NATURE CENTER AND JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE OUT ON BAYWAY AND YOU CAN SEE THE FIREWORKS.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE, I CAN, I CAN CHECK AND SEE IF WE CAN MOVE 'EM THERE.
UH, BUT THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION.
BUT, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PEOPLE DRIVING, WALKING, THE PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS THE STREET REALLY
[01:35:01]
WORRIES ME.AND I, I GET IT AND I SAYING I SORT RESPECT ALL YOUR COMMENTS AND, AND I, AND I GET THAT, BUT I JUST, THAT WAS JUST MY FEELINGS.
WE ALL HAVE OUR OPINIONS UP HERE AND HOW WE LOOK AT IT.
IT'S NOT A ONE PERSON DECISION IN ANY WAY.
IT'S, IT'S A TEAM DECISION HERE.
AND SO WE'LL JUST SEE WHERE THAT GOES, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE ALL THE FACTS AT, AT HAND.
UM, MR. GRAY, UM, GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND COUNSEL, UH, SINCE I LAST SPOKE TO YOU ON MONDAY, UM, THE TREND IS STILL RISING.
UM, THE POSITIVITY RATE HAS INCREASED TWO PERCENTAGE POINTS.
I THINK IT WAS 9.76 ON MONDAY.
THE CASES TODAY SET AND BROKE ANOTHER RECORD FOR THE ALL TIME HIGH IN THE STATE.
IT'S CONTINUING TO INCREASE, UM, THE HOSPITALIZATION RATE.
UH, TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER IS SUPPOSEDLY DOING A MODEL, UH, A TWO WEEK MODEL.
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'LL BE, UH, AT A HUNDRED PERCENT, THEY WILL MET THEIR CAPACITY FOR ICU SPACE.
UM, SO EVERYTHING IS STILL TRENDING UPWARD.
UM, THAT'S THE DATA THAT THE STATE LOOKS AT THOSE THREE DATA POINTS.
UM, SO NOTHING IS, NOTHING HAS IMPROVED.
BARNICK, UH, YESTERDAY AFTER THE, THE STATE CONFERENCE CALL, WE HAVE A, A WEEKLY CONFERENCE CALL WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES.
UM, HIS, HIS THOUGHT WAS, WHY, WHY WOULD WE CONTINUE TO DO AND WANT TO DO THE FIREWORKS, UM, IF WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE ADEQUATE STAFF? AND IF WE DO HAVE THE STAFF, THEN IT SETS UP A, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN EVENT IF YOU BLOCK EVERYTHING OFF.
AND SO, UM, HIS THOUGHT WOULD BE TO, YOU KNOW, JUST CANCEL THE WHOLE THING INSTEAD OF TRYING TO DO IT PIECEMEAL, SO TO SPEAK, AND NOT DO IT.
IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT, WE SHOULD DO IT RIGHT, NOT JUST, UM, JUST GET BY WITH IT.
SO WITH THAT, SO THE WAY THIS IS GONNA WORK IS I'M GONNA ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
Y'ALL FILL A MOTION OUT THERE.
MOTION TO CANCEL 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS DISPLAY.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO CANCEL THE FIREWORKS DISPLAY FOR THIS YEAR.
AND I JUST WANT TO, WELL, FINAL COMMENT, MAYOR.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I THINK, YOU KNOW, MOST FOLKS KNOW ME IS VERY SELDOM DO I GO BACK AND FORTH ON AN ISSUE AND, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO HAVE THEM, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS YOU DID FRANK, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THE FACTS CHANGE AS THEY HAVE JUST OVER THE LAST THREE DAYS, YOU KNOW, MY POSITION CHANGES AND I JUST BASED ON THE EVIDENCE, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON THAT I'VE CHANGED MY POSITION.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE DRIVER AT THIS POINT.
NO, BUT, BUT I, I RESPECT THE FIREWORKS.
IT'S, IT, IT'S THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENS IN DISTRICT TWO EACH AND EVERY YEAR AND IN OUR CITY.
SO IT, IT, I MEAN, IT PAINS ME AS IT DOES YOU, BUT WE JUST, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE NEED TO LIKE LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE ABOVE ALL ELSE.
UM, I'VE GONE BACK AND FORTH WITH THIS.
I WASN'T AT THE MEETING MONDAY, BUT I'VE HEARD ALL ABOUT IT.
AND I WAS ACTUALLY THINKING, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET THE FIREWORKS GO OFF.
TELL PEOPLE THEY CAN WATCH IT FROM WHEREVER THEY ARE IN THE CITY AND WE CAN GO FROM THERE WITH IT.
WHILE I WAS THINKING THAT WE HEARD THE NEWS OF POSSIBLE INFECTIONS AT PIRATES BAY, AND I WAS SAYING BEFORE THIS EVEN HAPPENED, WE WERE SENDING MIXED MESSAGES.
HOW CAN WE OPEN PIRATES BAY? BUT THEN AGAIN, WE TURN AROUND AND WE STOP 4TH OF JULY, AND NOW WE'RE CONSIDERING ALLOWING THE FIREWORKS BASED OFF OF WHAT I WAS SAYING, I HAVE TO HOLD MYSELF ACCOUNTABLE FOR MY OWN WORDS.
WHY WOULD WE SEND MIXED MESSAGES CLOSE PIRATE BAY? BECAUSE WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS, OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE STOP FOR 4TH OF JULY, BUT THEN HOLD THE FIREWORKS AT THE SAME LOCATION.
MR. SCOTT THOUGHT BROUGHT UP SOMETHING I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT OF.
PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS THE STREET WITH CHILDREN AT NIGHT WITH NO ONE BASICALLY ABLE TO STOP TRAFFIC FOR 'EM.
THAT'S ANOTHER SAFETY CONCERN BASED OFF OF THAT, I HAVE TO CHANGE MY MIND.
I'M LIKE, YOU, CHRIS, I WAS REALLY GOING FOR IT AT FIRST.
NO LIE, I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO LOOKING UP IN THE SKY AND MAYBE COUNTING SOME FIREWORKS WITH MY KIDS.
BUT AFTER THAT, IT'S NOT ABOUT JUST ME AND MY CHILDREN AND WHAT I WANT, IT'S ABOUT THE SAFETY AND CONCERN THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR CITIZENS.
AND NOT SENDING MIS MIXED MESSAGES, BUT BEING CONGRUENT WITH WHAT WE SAY WE, WE ARE ABOUT.
AND THAT'S THE NO, FIRST AND FOREMOST SAFETY.
[01:40:01]
THAT'S ALL I HAVE.NO, I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, COUNCILMAN.
I, I WOULD, I WOULD, I GUESS MY PERSPECTIVE, UM, SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS AND OBVIOUSLY THE PUBLIC HEALTH OF OUR CITIZENS IS ALWAYS A PRIORITY FOR US.
HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S A FEW THINGS, PARTICULARLY THIS TIME OF YEAR WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GOING TO PIRATE BAY IS A PERSONAL YEAH.
THEY BUY A TICKET AND THEY ENTER WITH WHATEVER RISK.
THEY MAY EVEN, EVEN, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE RISK MAY BE.
SAME THING FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WANTS TO GO AND TAKE THEIR FAMILY WHEREVER YEAH.
UH, TO VIEW FIREWORKS AND THAT'S STILL A PERSONAL CITIZEN FREEDOM THAT THEY HAVE.
AND SO THAT'S JUST THE RESERVATION I HAVE.
AND, AND SO WITH THAT, UNLESS THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, I'M GONNA CALL FOR A VOTE BY A SHOW OF HANDS ON THE MOTION TO CANCEL FIREWORKS IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
SO WITH THAT MOTION, ALL IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION, PLEASE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
SO, UH, THIS YEAR WE WILL NOT HAVE THE FIREWORKS.
UM, I DID THOUGHT THE ALTERNATIVE LOCATION WAS A POSSIBILITY.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE DO SOMETHING FOR NEW YEAR'S OR, OR WHEREVER THE CASE MAY BE, WHEN AGAIN, WHEN, UH, HEALTH CONDITIONS WOULD ALLOW US TO.
WITH THAT, UM, WE'LL MOVE ON, UH, TO THE MANAGER'S REPORT.
OF COURSE NOT BECAUSE OF THE NEXT THING,
ALRIGHT, SO WITH THAT, UH, WE HAVE ADDRESSED ALL, UM, I'LL POST AN AGENDA ITEM.
SO THIS MEETING IS NOW, NOW ADJOURNED.