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SO I'LL NOW CALL THIS MEETING OF THE
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BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORK SESSION TO ORDER.WE ARE IN BAYTOWN CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
UM, WE WILL, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.
AND TODAY'S, UH, ONLY ITEM IS TO DISCUSS THE CITY OF BAY TOWN'S FISCAL YEAR 20 20, 20 21.
I'M ASSUMING WE'LL HAVE A KICKOFF HERE FROM MR. WOOLERY.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
UH, AS Y'ALL KNOW, YOU RECEIVED YOUR BUDGET FROM THE CITY MANAGER LAST THURSDAY, AND IT GAVE SOME HIGH LEVEL, UH, SUMMARIES.
WHAT WE WANNA DO TODAY IS A, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, GET INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS WITH YOU.
UM, YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, WE'RE GONNA GIVE ANOTHER LITTLE OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET, GET INTO SOME OF THE FUN SUMMARIES, UM, GIVE YOU SOME PRETTY GOOD DETAIL ON THE CIP, UM, PROBABLY SOME DEPTH THAT YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED BEFORE.
UM, AND THEN ALLOW YOU AS MUCH TIME AS YOU NEED TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS, GIVE US ANY FEEDBACK.
UM, AND I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA GET INTO A LOT OF DETAILS IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE VERY END TO ASK QUESTIONS.
IN FACT, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, UH, AS WE'RE PRESENTING, PLEASE STOP AND ASK SOMETHING AT ANY TIME.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY, UM, WE WANT TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS AS WE MOVE ALONG.
SO, UM, BEFORE I JUMP INTO TO THE DETAIL, I DO WANT TO, AGAIN, PROVIDE A LOT OF THANKS TO OUR FINANCE STAFF.
UM, DURING A NORMAL YEAR, THE BUDGET TAKES A LOT OF TIME, A LOT OF HOURS PUT INTO IT, UM, TO MAKE SURE EVERY LITTLE NUMBER YOU SEE ADDS UP.
UM, THE THOUGHTS OF COUNCIL HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE BUDGET.
THE THOUGHTS OF THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE, INTO THE BUDGET.
YOU THROW IN COVID-19 ISSUES THAT HAVE IMPACTED ALL OF OUR STAFF, INCLUDING FINANCE.
UM, YOU THROW IN THE FACT THAT WE HAD A TRANSITION OF FINANCE DIRECTORS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE, THE PROCESS.
AND, UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S BEEN A LOT OF EFFORT PUT IN BY OUR STAFF.
THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF, UH, CLEANUP WORK AND REALLY JUST WANT TO COMMEND THEM.
UM, TWO, TWO PEOPLE ARE IN PARTICULAR, UH, GINA OBVIOUSLY WAS, UH, RUNNING THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IN THE INTERIM AS WE STARTED THE, THE BUDGET PROCESS AND HAS PUT IN SO MUCH TIME.
AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE THIS, THIS DOCUMENT WHERE IT IS WITHOUT HER, UH, MANO WHO, WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TONIGHT, IS ALSO DESERVES A A TON OF THANKS.
UM, HE'S ONE OF THESE GUYS WHO YOU ALL DON'T SEE UP HERE TOO OFTEN, BUT, UH, WE WOULDN'T BE WHERE WE WERE FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT WITHOUT HIM.
AND SO A LOT OF THANKS TO HIM.
MONICA'S ALSO OUT IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY.
OBVIOUSLY, VICTOR IS, UH, BEHIND ME AS WELL.
AND SO REALLY CAN'T GET INTO ANY OF THE PRESENTATION WITHOUT THANKING THEM FIRST.
SO WHAT I WANNA DO REALLY QUICKLY BEFORE WE GET INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS IS AGAIN, KIND OF OF HIT THE SUMMARY THAT YOU RECEIVED LAST WEEK.
UM, NOTHING ADDITIONAL TO ADD.
UH, THE ONLY THING I'LL ADD ON THIS SLIDE IS TO SAY THAT THAT BOTTOM BULLET POINT THERE, UM, IN THE PAST WE WOULD BUDGET ROUGHLY 350,000 IN CONTINGENCY THIS YEAR.
WE FELT LIKE WITH, YOU KNOW, THE UNCERTAINTY WITH COVID, I, UM, THAT IT MADE SENSE TO INCREASE THAT CONTINGENCY.
AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT A BAD IDEA, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, TO KEEP THAT AT 1% MOVING FORWARD.
UM, JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON FOR THAT INCREASE, UM, IN THIS BUDGET.
UM, AND THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO ADD HERE ON THIS, THIS SECOND SLIDE, UH, RICK MENTIONED THAT WE'D BE HOLDING CAPITAL PURCHASES UNTIL JANUARY ONE.
UM, THAT'S ALSO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IF FOR SOME REASON COVID HITS US HARD FROM A REVENUE STANDPOINT IN THE EARLY MONTHS OF THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR, THAT WE HAVE SOME OF OUR EXPENDITURES THAT ARE, THAT ARE HELD.
AND SO THOSE WOULD BE PRIMARILY EQUIPMENT AND, AND VEHICLE PURCHASES.
UM, THERE'S OVER, I THINK, OVER $2 MILLION IN THIS BUDGET THAT HIT THAT CATEGORY.
SO IF WE'RE, IF WE GET INTO OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND WE'RE LOOKING FINE, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START MAKING THOSE PURCHASES.
BUT THAT'S JUST KIND OF A, UH, ANOTHER CAUTION FOR US WITH, WITH THE COVID ISSUES.
SO A FEW MORE DETAILS AS WE GET INTO THE, THE FIVE, UH, STRATEGIC DIRECTIVES FROM IMAGINE BAYTOWN.
UM, AND THE ONES THAT ARE IN, IN BLACK, WE'LL GET INTO A FEW MORE DETAILS ON.
SO THE INFRASTRUCTURE PAINTING, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS ASKED FOR DURING, UH, THE LAST, UH, COUNCIL RETREATS THIS YEAR.
AND SO WE'VE GOT $25,000 THAT WILL GO TOWARDS CLEANUP OF BRIDGES, UM, YOU KNOW, PAINTING THE SIGNAL POLES, UM, TO BLACK.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS'LL, THIS WON'T GET US A LOT, BUT IT'LL, IT'LL LET US MAKE A PRETTY GOOD DENT IN BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS. UM, PUBLIC ART FUNDING
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IN THE PAST, WE'VE FUNDED THAT SOLELY OUT OF THE HOT FUND.AND THE HOT FUND HAS SOME LIMITATIONS TO WHAT CAN BE SPENT ON.
SO WE'VE STILL GOT THE FUNDING IN HOT AND WE'VE JUST ADDED A LITTLE BIT EXTRA FOR PUBLIC ART INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THEN THE LAST ITEM THERE, UM, SO SAN JACINTO BOULEVARD, OBVIOUSLY THAT PROJECT KIND OF ELEVATED THE STANDARD OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE ONLY CHALLENGE WITH THAT IS IT'S GOTTA BE MAINTAINED LONG TERM.
AND SO UP UNTIL THIS YEAR THAT ROADWAY WAS, UH, MAINTAINED THROUGH THE ACTUAL PROJECT ITSELF.
UM, MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE A COMMITMENT THE TOURS HAS PUT INTO THEIR BUDGET FUNDING TO, UH, CONTRACT OUT THE MAINTENANCE OF THAT ENTIRE CORRIDOR HERE MOVING FORWARD.
ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY, ANY OF THOSE ITEMS? YEAH, NICK, I HAD A QUESTION.
THE, UH, ADDITIONAL PUBLIC ART FUNDING FOR 25 GRAND, IS THAT JUST FOR THE GARTH ROAD AREA, OR IS THAT JUST COMMUNITY WIDE? IT'S COMMUNITY.
IT DOES NOT COUNT ANY OF IT ON THE GARTH PROJECT WILL DO ITS OWN PUBLIC ART.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS EXTRA ON TOP OF THAT.
UM, 'CAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WHEN WE GOT INTO THE BUDGET.
WHAT, WHERE IS THAT AT? I COULDN'T FIND IT IN THERE.
WHERE IS THAT LINE ITEM AT? THE 25,000 FOR THE PUBLIC ART? 25,000.
UM, IS IT GENERAL FUND OR IS IT IN JAMIE'S? IT'S IN, IT'S IN MY, OKAY.
SO INFRASTRUCTURE MOBILITY, ACTUALLY NOT GONNA GET INTO ANY OF THE DETAILS ON THIS BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA GO INTO ALL THE CIP PROJECTS, UM, HERE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
AND EVERYTHING ON THIS SLIDE IS, UH, INCLUDED IN ONE OF OUR CIP PROJECTS.
UH, ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY AMENITIES ITEMS ARE ACTUALLY WITHIN A CIP PROJECT.
UM, SO WE'LL HIT THOSE A LITTLE BIT LATER.
NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY, UH, HIT ON A FEW OF THESE BECAUSE THERE'S SEVERAL NEW ITEMS IN THE BUDGET, UH, THAT HIT NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, PROGRAMS AND EVENTS.
AND THEN THE, THE EVENTS AND CELEBRATIONS FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER ELSE MIGHT TAKE PLACE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
WHAT I DID WANNA MENTION ON BOTH OF THOSE IS I DON'T THINK ANY OF US HAVE ANY IDEA EXACTLY HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA NEED FOR EITHER OF THOSE.
SO I WOULD KIND OF LOOK AT THAT AS WE HAVE 50,000 FOR BOTH OF THEM.
IF ONE TAKES 15 AND THE OTHER TAKES 35, THAT'S FINE.
WE WILL, WE'LL MAKE THAT WORK.
UH, JUST DON'T WANT, YOU THINK TO THINK THAT WE'RE LIMITED TO EXACTLY THOSE AMOUNTS.
I WOULD KIND OF LOOK AT THOSE AS A, A COMBINATION, UH, EXPENDITURE THERE.
HAVE YOU GOT YOUR COMMITTEE TOGETHER? THE NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT GRANT PROGRAM IS A, A BRAND NEW PROGRAM THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ROLLING OUT.
UH, I THINK IT REALLY HITS THE INTENTIONS OF, UH, WHAT CITIZENS WANTED IN IMAGINE BAYTOWN AND KINDA WHAT COUNCIL'S BEEN ASKING FOR.
AND THERE'S SOME, SOME MODEL PROGRAMS IN OTHER CITIES, UH, PARTICULARLY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO AS WE START WORKING WITH NEIGHBORHOODS AND, UM, THEY COME UP WITH AN IDEA TO IMPROVE THEIR, THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT COULD BE SOMETHING REALLY SMALL LIKE A CROSSWALK.
IT COULD BE SOMETHING LIKE A PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION, IT COULD BE WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
UM, THIS IS REALLY A CHANCE FOR THEM TO MAKE LITTLE IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND HAVE US KIND OF SET ASIDE MONEY, UM, FOR THAT TYPE OF IMPROVEMENT.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN ACTUALLY REQUIRES THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO MATCH IT, SO THEY WON'T INVEST MONEY UNLESS THE NEIGHBORS, UH, CHIP IN MONEY.
WE DON'T HAVE IT SET UP THAT WAY, ESPECIALLY HERE AT THE BEGINNING.
THIS IS A GREAT CHANCE, AS YOU KNOW, UM, HEATHER, YOU KNOW, ENGAGED, UM, YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THIS PAST YEAR, AND THAT'S THE PERFECT EXAMPLE WHERE THEY COME TOGETHER AND THEY HAVE WAYS TO IMPROVE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND WE'VE GOT SOME SPECIAL FUNDING THAT CAN SERVE AS, AS GRANTS FOR THEM.
I, NICK I COULD SAY I, I CAN THINK OF TWO, UM, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I THINK HEATHER MENTIONED GLEN MEADOWS AND, AND, UH, RECENTLY WE WERE IN, IN, UH, WELL, I GUESS IT'S OAKWOOD IS WHAT IT SAYS, BUT WE WERE IN OAK OAK EDITION, AND WHEN WE WERE THERE FOR, UH, JUNETEENTH, UM, WE WERE, WE WERE ASKED THAT THAT, UH, IF WE COULD GO AND, AND IF THE CITY COULD HELP OUT IN ANY WAY.
AND I COULDN'T THINK OF A, YOU KNOW, A BETTER PLACE TO GO AND, UM, AND REALLY SHOW THAT COMMUNITY CONNECTION.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S BEEN SOME CHURCHES THAT, THAT HAS REACHED OUT TO ME.
THEY'D LIKE TO PROVIDE THE LABOR TO DO THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO WE COULD REALLY KIND OF PARLAY A LOT OF THIS, THIS FUNDING FOR THOSE TYPE OF SMALL INITIATIVES FOR, FOR NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT TYPE MM-HMM
NO, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE'VE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT, UH, ACTUALLY BEFORE THE, THE MEETING THERE WE HAD IN OAKWOOD.
SO THAT'S KIND OF BEEN IN THE WORKS A LITTLE BIT INFORMALLY BEFORE THEN MM-HMM
BUT IF WE COULD MAKE IT HAPPEN YEAH, THAT'D BE GREAT.
AND NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THAT ARE PERFECT.
THEY DON'T EXACTLY HAVE A LOT OF JUST DISCRETIONARY MONEY
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SITTING AROUND TO, TO MAKE, EVEN IF IT'S A $5,000 IMPROVEMENT.AND THAT'S, THAT'D BE A PERFECT USE FOR, FOR THIS FUNDING.
UM, THE ANIMAL CONTROL MOBILE VET SERVICES, UH, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA ASK TONY TO COME UP AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, WHAT THAT IS INVOLVED.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNSEL.
UM, JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT THIS IS.
UH, IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET, UH, THE EXISTING BUDGET, WE HAVE ABOUT HALF OF THAT AMOUNT CURRENTLY TO FUND THE ANIMAL CONTROL MOBILE VET CLINIC.
UH, AND WHAT THAT CLINIC DOES, IT COMES TO OUR SHELTER ABOUT TWO TIMES A MONTH, EVERY TWO WEEKS.
AND WE USE IT, UH, TO SPAY AND NEUTER A LOW COST SPAY NEUTER PROGRAM FOR ALL THE ANIMALS IN OUR SHELTER THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND UP FOR ADOPTION.
UM, WITH WHAT WE PROJECT OR ESTIMATE WITH THE INCREASED AMOUNT OF 72,000, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, INCREASE THE FREQUENCY OF THE VISITS TO THE SHELTER, AS WELL AS, UH, INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT WE HAVE SERVICED.
UM, BASED ON OUR ESTIMATES, WE, WE WOULD HOPE TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE THAT TO ABOUT 1100 ANIMALS APPROXIMATELY, UM, SERVICED WITH THIS ADDITIONAL, UH, 36,000 TO MAKE UP THE 72 IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET.
IS THAT PER MONTH, TONY? 1100 PER MONTH? NO, MA'AM.
THAT, THAT WOULD BE TOTAL, TOTAL.
UM, THE COST, UM, AVERAGE COST IS 60 TO $65 FOR THE SERVICES, UH, BECAUSE IT'S BASED ON THE, OBVIOUSLY THE SPECIES AND THEN THE, THE WEIGHT OF THE ANIMAL MM-HMM
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A ROUGH ESTIMATE OF 1100 PLUS OR MINUS, UH, ANIMALS PER YEAR.
UM, AS A, AS A SIDE NOTE OR A SIDE BENEFIT TO THIS MOBILE VET CLINIC THAT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR SHELTER EVERY TWO WEEKS, IT ALSO PROVIDES A LOW COST SERVICE TO OUR CITIZENS AND THEIR PETS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN COSTS WHEN THEY BRING THEIR ANIMALS THERE, BUT IT'S, UH, IT'S KIND OF A TWOFOLD, UH, BENEFIT NOT ONLY FOR THE SHELTER AND THE ANIMALS THAT WE ADOPT OUT, AND OBVIOUSLY TO THE NEW PET OWNERS, BUT FOR THE, FOR THE, THE CITIZENS THAT HAVE A NEED, UM, FOR LOW COST VET SERVICES.
IT'S A, IT'S A REALLY, UH, I THINK IT'S A SUCCESSFUL AND, UH, A GOOD BENEFIT TO HAVE.
UH, AND OBVIOUSLY ONCE WE HAVE THE NEW SHELTER IN PLACE, UM, THIS WOULD BE, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO THIS IN-HOUSE.
UM, BUT AT THE TIME, UH, THIS, THIS SEEMS TO BE A, A GOOD USE AND A GOOD BENEFIT, UM, OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND THE, THE LAST THING YOU SEE ON THERE IS, UH, UH, REVITALIZATION OF THE LIBRARY MEETING ROOM, UH, AS, AS WELL, RIGHT NOW, IT'S PROBABLY NOT THE BEST TIME 'CAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF MEETINGS IN THE CITY, BUT, UM, PREVIOUS TO COVID, THE LIBRARY HAS REALLY BECOME A, A PLACE FOR MEETINGS.
OUR INNOVATION ROOM HAS PROBABLY BEEN THE, THE CATALYST FOR THAT.
IF YOU'VE BEEN IN THE MEETING ROOM, IT'S, UH, VERY OUTDATED AND IT HOSTS A LOT OF PROGRAMS, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UH, THIS IS A, A FAIRLY MINOR, UM, INVESTMENT TO KIND OF GET THAT ROOM REVITALIZED, MAKE IT A A LITTLE BIT MORE MODERN AND, AND FRIENDLY TO THE, UM, VISITORS THAT COME IN THERE AND, AND UTILIZE THAT SPACE.
I'LL BE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT
AND ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS SLIDE BEFORE I MOVE FORWARD? SO THE, THE LAST STRATEGIC DIRECTIVE OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, UH, TWO THINGS THAT I WANTED TO CALL OUT ON THIS SLIDE.
UM, THE TOURS BOARD ALSO, UM, ADOPTED IN THEIR BUDGET SOME FUNDING TO DO A TOURS AREA MASTER LAND PLAN AND MASTER DRAINAGE PLAN.
AND THIS, THIS IS A REALLY CRITICAL INITIATIVE TO KIND OF TAKE THE AREA AROUND SAN JACINTO BOULEVARD, AROUND JOHN MARTIN, UM, AND, AND REALLY MAKE, UM, PROGRESS HAPPEN.
THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT KIND OF LIMIT IT FROM HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE DRAINAGE ISSUES IN THAT AREA.
UM, AND THE OTHER IS YOU'VE GOT DIFFERENT LANDOWNERS THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE DEVELOPERS.
AND SO THE CITY AND THE TOURISTS HAS A LOT OF INTEREST IN THAT AREA.
AND SO WHAT THE TOURISTS WILL FUND THIS YEAR IS THE CITY HIRING A, A LAND PLANNER, AN ENGINEER, TO REALLY KIND OF SET THE COURSE FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE WANT THAT AREA TO LOOK LIKE.
UM, AND THEN FROM A DRAINAGE PERSPECTIVE, HOW DO WE OVERCOME ALL THE OBSTACLES? SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE, THE TURS HAS INCLUDED IN THEIR BUDGET AND SOMETHING THAT, THAT THEY'LL BE WORKING ON THIS YEAR.
UH, THE OTHER ITEM IS, UH, JUST ANOTHER REMINDER THAT WE WILL FUND THE REMAINDER OF THE SECOND SET OF BUNKER GEAR FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM,
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NICK, FOR THE INTER DRIVE PERMITTING SYSTEM MM-HMMUM, ARE WE ABLE TO GET A DEMO FOR THAT? OR IS THERE A LINK OR SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET, JUST SO I CAN SEE THAT? SO IT'S NOT, WE DON'T HAVE IT LIVE YET.
UM, IT'S STILL IN THE WORKS, UH, BUT ONCE IT'S GETTING CLOSE TO GOING LIVE, THEN YEAH, I'M SURE WE CAN, WE CAN SET UP A DEMO FOR YOU TO SEE HOW IT'S GOING.
I'M VERY INTERESTED TO SEE HOW THIS ONE WORKS COMPARED TO THE ONE WE SAW IT, UM, TML, SO SURE.
HEY, NICK, ON THE, UH, COMPLETION OF THE FACILITIES MASTER PLAN IS, IS THAT IN ADDITION TO THE, THE, UH, I GUESS THE CONTRACT THAT WE APPROVED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHERE WE BEGAN THE FACILITIES MASTER PLAN? IS THIS IN ADDITION TO THAT? OR IS THIS JUST FINISHING THAT SAME, SAME EXPENDITURE? IT'S, YEAH.
SO IT'S NOT AN ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE? NO.
NO, JUST MAKING SURE IT, IT IS A CRITICAL ONE FROM AN OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE STANDPOINT, SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU KNEW THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S FULLY FUNDED ALREADY.
SO, JUMPING INTO THE FUND SUMMARIES, WE'LL START WITH THE GENERAL FUND.
COUPLE, UH, KEY POINTS TO JUST FOR YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND FROM A REVENUE STANDPOINT, WE DID INCLUDE THE RE THE REDUCTION IN REVENUE FROM THE INCREASE TO THE SENIOR AND DISABLED PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION.
UM, YOU'LL REMEMBER FROM SB TWO, WE, WE NOW HAVE THIS VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE AND IT WENT DOWN FROM 8% TO 3.5%.
SO WE ARE BELOW THAT THRESHOLD.
UM, IT DOES ASSUME NO COVID-19 RELIEF.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON HARRIS COUNTY PROVIDING SOME ASSISTANCE TO THE CITY UP TO, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY $4 MILLION.
WE ARE NOT BANKING ON RECEIVING ANY OF THAT MONEY.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY WITH THAT.
SO WE HAVEN'T BUDGETED FOR ANY OF THAT.
IF WE GET SOME, UM, THAT'LL BE GREAT FOR THE BOTTOM LINE, BUT AS OF NOW, WE'RE NOT, NOT BUDGETING THAT.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT THOUGH, NICK.
'CAUSE FOR COUNSEL'S INFORMATION, SO THE IDEA IS THAT, UM, THE, THE CARES, I THINK IT'S CALLED CARES ACT FUNDING.
SO THE DISTRIBUTION, I THINK TO THE COUNTY, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON WILL RECEIVE THEIR, THEIR ALLOCATION SEPARATELY.
AND THEN THERE'S, I BELIEVE, $426 MILLION THAT WOULD GO TO HARRIS COUNTY TO GO AND DISTRIBUTE.
AND SO YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD, UH, A LOT OF THE CALCULATION WAS BASED OFF A PER PERSON, UM, ALLOCATION OF $55 PER PERSON.
SO WITH THAT, YOU HAVE IN UNINCORPORATED HARRIS COUNTY, UM, THAT OBVIOUSLY WOULD HAVE, UM, A POPULATION TO, TO RECEIVE FUNDING.
BUT OUTTA THE OTHER 33 REMAINING CITIES IN, IN HARRIS COUNTY, UH, MYSELF AND, AND OTHER MAYORS, WE CERTAINLY WANT A VERY EQUITABLE AND FAIR DISTRIBUTION OF, OF, UM, OF THE ALLOCATION.
AND SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR THAT, UM, THE CITIES ARE IN NEED.
THERE ARE SOME CITIES THAT, UH, HAVE ALREADY EXCEEDED, EVEN IF THERE WAS AN EQU EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION, UM, THEY'VE EXCEEDED EVEN THEIR ALLOCATION JUST BECAUSE OF, OF DIRECTLY RELATED COVID FUNDING.
AND SO, UM, HARRIS COUNTY, MARYLAND COUNCILS WILL BE SENDING A LETTER, UH, TO JUDGE HIDALGO, UH, CERTAINLY, UM, INQUIRING OF, UH, BECAUSE IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT JUDGE HIDALGO WILL, WILL BE THE OFFICE RESPONSIBLE FOR DISTRIBUTION OF THESE FUNDS AND THE, AND THE CALCULATION OF HOW THAT'S DONE.
AND SO WE WANT TO JUST ENSURE THAT THE OTHER 33 CITIES IN HARRIS COUNTY RECEIVE A FAIR AND EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION, UH, OF THESE, UH, SORELY NEEDED FUNDS.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I GO ON RECORD, UH, AND THAT, AND FOR COUNSEL'S INFORMATION APPRECI SURE.
I'M NOT SAYING WE DON'T, BUT WHAT WE NEED IS A FAIR AND EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OUT OF HARRIS COUNTY.
UH, A COUPLE OTHER THINGS TO NOTE ON THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, IT DOES INCLUDE A, A TRANSFER OF $6.1 MILLION FOR CASH FUNDED CIP PROJECTS.
AND IT DOES PUT THE FUND BALANCE AT THE COUNCIL POLICY MAXIMUM, WHICH IS 60 TO 90 DAYS.
UM, THIS WOULD HAVE US FINISHING AT 90 DAYS.
SO COUPLE SLIDE, COUPLE PIECES OF INFORMATION I WANTED TO GIVE YOU.
UM, I KNOW CONVERSATIONS AROUND TAX RATE OF COME UP, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL THE PAST TWO YEARS HAS LOWERED THE TAX RATE.
AND THEN THIS YEAR, UM, DID THE INCREASE FOR SENIOR AND DISABLED ON THEIR EXEMPTION.
AND SO I WANTED TO SHOW YOU BASED ON ALL OF THAT HAPPENING.
UM, SO I THINK RICK GAVE YOU A SIMILAR CHART A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE TAX BURDEN ON AN AVERAGE HOMEOWNER? SO WE LOOKED AT THE CITIES THAT WE COMPARE IN THE REGION THAT HAVE SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS TO US IN EITHER POPULATION OR THE LEVEL OF GROWTH.
AND THAT'S LEAGUE CITY, SUGARLAND, MISSOURI CITY AND PEARLAND, AND LOOKED AT WHAT IS THE TAX BURDEN ON THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER.
SO THIS IS BASED ON THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME
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IN THESE COMMUNITIES.IT ASSUMES ALL OF THEIR CURRENT TAX RATES.
IT DOES INCLUDE THE OPTIONAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, WHICH MAKES A HUGE IMPACT.
AND THAT'S WHY THE CITY ON THE RIGHT IS SO FAR UP THERE.
UM, THEY HAVE A TWO AND A HALF PERCENT HOMESTEAD.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT, UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION IN THE PAST IS, WELL, BAY TOWN'S MEDIAN HOME VALUE IS SO LOW.
SO WHAT WE THREW IN HERE WAS A BAYTOWN TWO.
AND IT'S NOT A FAIR COMPARISON.
IT ACTUALLY MAKES US LOOK WORSE THAN THE OTHER CITIES.
BUT I WANTED TO SHOW YOU EVEN MAKING US LOOK WORSE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY STILL IN LINE WITH THOSE BOTTOM TWO CITIES.
UM, BAY TOWN'S AVERAGE SALES PRICE RIGHT NOW IS ROUGHLY 188,000.
SO IF WE DID THAT FOR THOSE OTHER CITIES, THEIR NUMBERS WOULD JUMP UP TOO.
UM, BUT JUST KIND OF WANTED TO SHOW YOU, GIVE YOU DIFFERENT, UM, KINDA MILESTONES THERE.
SO THIS IS THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER.
I WANNA SHOWCASE WHAT A SOMEBODY WHO'S SENIOR OR DISABLED, UH, WOULD LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF TAX BURDEN.
SO THIS ADDS IN THAT $60,000 EXEMPTION AND WE GO EVEN LOWER
AND EVEN OUR, OUR, UM, BAYTOWN TWO WOULD STILL BE AT THE LOWEST OF ALL THE FIVE CITIES.
SO JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU BASED ON THE DECISIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE MADE THE PAST THREE YEARS NOW, WHAT THAT'S DONE TO, UH, TAX BURDEN ON A HOMEOWNER IN BAYTOWN.
SO NOW I WANNA JUMP INTO THE, UH, GENERAL DEBT SERVICE FUND.
UM, AND THIS IS THE, THE FUND THAT PAYS ALL OF THE, UH, DEBT SERVICE FOR THE CITY, UM, OUTSIDE OF, UH, WATER AND SEWER.
SO WHAT THIS FUND ASSUMES IS THE ISSUANCE OF $35 MILLION IN TAX SUPPORTED DEBT, UH, THROUGH, UH, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION THAT WOULD BE $28 MILLION FOR STREETS, PRIMARILY GARTH ROAD AND, UH, SOME OF OUR STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
AND THEN $7 MILLION FOR WATER AND SEWER.
YOU'LL REMEMBER ON ONE OF THE INTRO SLIDES IT SAID 42 MILLION IN COS THE OTHER SEVEN WOULD BE PAID FOR BY WATER AND SEWER RATES.
UM, THIS IS A, A LITTLE UNIQUE, UM, IN FUNDING SOME WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS FROM TAX SUPPORTED DEBT.
WHAT IT ACTUALLY ALLOWS US TO DO IS, UM, KEEP OUR WATER AND SEWER RATES STEADY FOR THIS YEAR AT LEAST, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
UM, AND IT ALSO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE PROJECTS LIKE ANNEXATION UTILITIES, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY FIT INTO NORMAL CATEGORIES FOR WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS.
AND SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY NOT A BAD PROJECT TO FUND WITH TAX SUPPORTED DEBT.
UH, YOU'LL SEE ON THE SLIDE, WE, WE LOOKED AT THE DEBT PER CAPITA, UH, A LITTLE OVER $1,200.
WE DON'T HAVE A CHART BECAUSE SOME OF THAT DATA IS A LITTLE, UM, A LITTLE TOUGHER TO VERIFY.
UM, BUT IN LOOKING AT THOSE SAME BENCHMARK CITIES, WE'RE RIGHT IN LINE.
UM, AND THERE'S A COUPLE THAT ARE QUITE A BIT HIGHER THAN US.
THE DEBT TO TAXABLE VALUE, IF YOU INCLUDE OUR INDUSTRIAL VALUE MM-HMM
UM, PUTS US BY FAR AT THE BOTTOM OF ALL THE BENCHMARK CITIES.
WE WANT TO BE AT THE BOTTOM BY THE WAY.
UM, THAT'S A VERY LOW RATIO OF UNDER 1% THERE.
THE OTHER THING, UH, THAT THIS BUDGET DOES, IT, UH, MAINTAINS A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE IN OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND, AND IT ALSO KEEPS A SUSTAINABLE DEBT LOAD.
AND I'LL, I'LL SHOW YOU ON THIS NEXT CHART.
UM, AND THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, BECAUSE AS COUNCIL LOOKS AT NOT ONLY THE CURRENT NEEDS, BUT AS WE GET INTO THE CIP DISCUSSION IN A LITTLE BIT, UM, AND YOU'VE GOT A, A CHART IN FRONT OF YOU OF THE FIVE TO 10 YEAR PROJECTS, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF NEEDS OUT THERE.
AND SO WHAT THIS CHART SHOWS IS WE HAVE A LOT OF DEBT.
I MEAN, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DEBT ROLLING OFF THE CITY'S BOOKS OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO NINE YEARS.
UM, THIS IS REALLY, REALLY CRITICAL.
IT, IT, UM, IT'S A GREAT THING FOR THE CITY TO LOOK AT.
UM, IT ALLOWS COUNCIL TO FACTOR IN A LOT OF THINGS MOVING FORWARD, WHETHER IT'S PROJECTS, WHETHER IT'S LOOKING AT THE TAX RATE, UM, THIS CHART IN PARTICULAR, UM, GIVES THE CITY TONS OF FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY HERE MOVING FORWARD.
NICK, CAN I MAKE A, I WANNA MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT TOO.
UM, I DON'T SERVE ON FINANCE, BUT UH, I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN, IN THE MEMBERS THAT DO, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE LOOK AT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THE, ALTHOUGH THE NUMBERS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT AN INDIVIDUAL, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR HOUSEHOLD TYPE BUDGET, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DEBT THAT COULD BE GOING DOWN, UH, OR THAT IT, THAT APPEARS TO BE GOING DOWN.
I MEAN, I'VE SEEN THIS TYPE OF CHART EVEN 10 YEARS AGO, 15 YEARS AGO.
[00:25:01]
DIDN'T HAVE THINGS TO DO, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE AN, AN AGED INFRASTRUCTURE OF WATER AND, AND SEWER, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS AND OBVIOUSLY STREETS THAT WE NEED RECONSTRUCTED, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES YOU GO, I REMEMBER THE CONVERSATION.YOU, YOU LOOK AT THAT AND YOU SAY IN, IN FIVE, SEVEN YEARS, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST GONNA BE ALL THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT WE, AND, BUT I THINK THE CITY HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF WE, WE PLAN, AND ESPECIALLY NOW WITH OUR CIP PROGRAM THAT THAT WILL ROLL OUT OF, OF, OF ENSURING THAT WE ARE MEETING INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
WE, WE ARE, WE ARE AT THAT, I THINK WE'RE AT THAT TIME I, WHERE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE BECOMES CRITICAL, CERTAINLY OUR, OUR WATER AND SEWER AND THEN EVEN THE NEW GROWTH AREAS.
UM, SO I JUST WANT COUNCIL TO, TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
I KNOW IT LOOKS ATTRACTIVE WHEN YOU SEE KIND OF THESE, THE DEBT THAT'S GOING DOWN, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, BUT ENSURING THAT WE ALSO MEET INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS IF WE DIDN'T HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE, IT'D BE REALLY NICE.
BUT I THINK WHAT WAS TOLD TO ME, IF WE ACTUALLY WANTED TO DO EVERYTHING WE NEEDED TO DO, UM, IT'D BE LIKE A 300 MILLION, $300 MILLION, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
IF WE COULD DO THAT AND FUND IT TODAY, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T DO THAT.
BUT, UH, BUT I DO WANNA BE MINDFUL, UM, FIVE OR 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD THAT WE ARE PLANNING FOR THAT AND THAT WE ARE CERTAINLY ADDRESSING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE I THINK THIS, THIS IS AS MUCH A CHART THAT SHOWS DEBT CAPACITY.
AND I MEAN, AND THEN A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK AT THAT CHART AND THEY'LL SAY, WELL, YOU HAVE CAPACITY TO, TO DO THINGS WITH THE TAX RATE AND YOU CAN, AND WE HAVE, BUT IT, YOU HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF, OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
'CAUSE I'VE SEEN, I WILL SAY WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, IN 2005 IT WAS ON THE HILLS WHERE WHEN YOU DON'T ADDRESS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A WHILE, YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA PAY DEARLY.
AND, AND I, AND I, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, NOBODY LIKES, NOBODY LIKES ISSUING DEBT IN A SENSE.
BUT ALSO WE DON'T LIKE CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO I JUST WANT, I WANT COUNCIL TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT BECAUSE IT BECOMES ATTRACTIVE.
DON'T GET ME WRONG, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THIS SLIDE, I MEAN, THAT ALL LOOKS GREAT, YOU KNOW, BY 2037, DON'T OPEN ANY NOTHING BUT THIS SLIDE TO LOOK LIKE.
THAT ASSUMES WE'RE NOT GONNA BORROW ANY MORE MONEY OR DO ANYTHING IF YOU LAYER ALL THAT IN ON TOP OF THAT.
YOU GOTTA BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL.
I MEAN, IF WE, IF WE BORROW NOTHING, THAT'S IT.
BUT WE'RE, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
SO THIS SLIDE TO ME DOESN'T, DOESN'T REALLY PAINT THE RIGHT PICTURE.
WELL THAT, AND THAT'S MY POINT IS THAT I, I DON'T WANT, DOESN'T, I'VE SEEN THIS SLIDE DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO ME.
UM, BUT I WANT US TO BE MINDFUL.
'CAUSE I'VE SEEN IT BEFORE 10 YEARS AGO WHERE IF WE, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS $300 MILLION, THAT, UM, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE ENSURE THAT OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR CITIZENS IS ALWAYS INTACT.
BUT ALL THOSE, AND I'LL TELL YOU, IT TOOK US 10 YEARS TO CATCH UP.
AND SO I DON'T WANT US TO, TO LOSE FOCUS ON THAT.
I'M ALL ABOUT SPIN ON INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT ALL THOSE BARS ARE GONNA GO UP OVER ALL THE YEARS.
I MEAN, MY, ACTUALLY MY OTHER QUESTION, RIGHT? I WILL TELL YOU NICK, I I LIKE THE PREVIOUS LINE.
WHAT I LIKE ON IT IS THAT, UM, IF YOU CAN, UH, THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, I LIKE THE, UH, THE PER CAPITA BENCHMARK.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT WE ARE FI UM, WE ARE IN LINE WITH EITHER FINANCIAL PRACTICES AND, AND OTHER GUIDELINES IN A SENSE, ALMOST LIKE A DEBT CEILING, UH, TYPE, SOME TYPE OF GAUGE OF HOW, HOW ARE WE MANAGING OUR DEBT VERSUS OBVIOUSLY REVENUE.
AND I THINK OBVIOUSLY IT, IT SHOWS THAT IT'S, THAT IT'S, UH, IN LINE, BUT I I I DO, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S FINANCE, WHOEVER TO ENSURE THAT, THAT WE CAN SHOW OUR CITIZENS THAT YES, WE DO HAVE DEBT, UM, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A VERY GOOD STRONG, UH, BOND RATING FOR THE MOST PART.
AND SO WE'VE ALWAYS MANAGED THAT WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE DEBT, YOU'RE ACTUALLY, YOUR BOND RATING WILL ACTUALLY HURT.
SO, UM, WHEN YOU DO NEED TO BORROW, IT WILL COST YOU MORE.
BUT THAT'S IN COMPARISON TO CITIES THAT ARE THE SAME SIZE OF BAYTOWN.
NOT THOSE AROUND US THAT ARE VERY SMALL TOWNS THAT WE KEEP GETTING COMPARED TO JUST COMPARING APPLES TO GRAPES.
YEAH, NO, I MEAN, I, I CAN, I'LL USE, UH, I DON'T WANNA SAY THE NAME, BUT I'LL USE A, UH, A CITY, UM, NOT AS BIG AS US, BUT SIMILAR, BUT THEY HAVE BASICALLY VERY LITTLE GROWTH MM-HMM
AND SO WHEN YOU'RE NOT GROWING, YOU, YOU ONLY HAVE TO BASICALLY MAINTAIN AND MAINTAINING IS ONE THING.
GROWING LIKE US WITH NEW LIFT STATIONS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, NEW ROADWAYS THAT HAVE TO BE, UH, MADE SOMETIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF, YOU KNOW, RICE PATTIES IN A SENSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF, I JUST DON'T WANNA STICK TO GET A, A MISPERCEPTION OF THAT, THAT CHART YOU JUST SAW.
BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE WILL GET A BIG MISPERCEPTION OF THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR A QUICK COMMENT AND NOW IS REWINDING, BUT THE HITCHHIKE ON BOBS COMMENT, UH, I WAS LOOKING BACK AT THE SLIDES OR THINKING BACK A FEW MINUTES AGO, ALL THE TOWNS THAT YOU COMPARED US TO AND STUFF, UM, WHAT IF, HOW WOULD THAT LOOK IF WE COMPARED US TO ONLY PICKED OUT TOWNS THAT WERE HEAVY INDUSTRIALIZED, THAT WERE HEAVILY DRIVEN BY IDAS, PUT TEXAS CITY ON THAT SLIDE.
PUT NAME ME SOME OTHER TOWNS, PASADENA, MONT, PASADENA, ALL THOSE THINGS.
[00:30:01]
UP A LOT OF THAT TAX STUFF 'CAUSE THEY LIVE IN THE SMOKE STACKS AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF.AND I THINK WE, WE CHERRY PICK THE TOWNS THAT ARE, WOW, THOSE ARE BEAUTIFUL SUGAR LANDS AND ALL THAT STUFF.
THEY'RE NOT IDA TOWNS AND THEY'RE NOT ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO THAT SLIDE'S KIND OF, KIND OF TWISTED JUST A LITTLE BIT IN MY OPINION.
THOSE, THOSE TOWNS ARE OUR GENERAL BENCHMARK CITIES THAT WE UTILIZE BECAUSE IN TERMS OF THEIR GOVERNANCE, THEIR STRUCTURE, THEIR LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT THEY PROVIDE THEIR CITIZENS, THEY'RE THE ONLY FOUR OTHERS THAT ARE REALLY SIMILAR TO BAYTOWN IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
AND YOU CAN TELL A, A TOWN LIKE PASADENA, I'LL JUST TAKE FIRE SERVICE FOR EXAMPLE.
COMPLETELY APPLES AND ORANGES TO US.
FIRE SERVICE IS A VERY BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO.
SO WE TRY TO, WE TRY TO PICK CITIES, UH, PARTICIPATE IN BENCHMARKING WITH CITIES THAT ARE STRUCTURALLY, UH, AND UH, AND IN OTHER WAYS, UH, SIMILAR TO US.
BUT THE STRUCTURE ALSO INCLUDES THAT WOULD BE MORE APPLES TO APPLES IF IT WAS, UH, HEAVILY BASED ON INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS.
AND, AND THEY DERIVED SUCH A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THEIR INCOME AS WE DO SO.
AND THE GROWTH POTENTIAL, I MEAN, ON ONE HAND WE CAN AFFORD TO DO MORE FOR THE, THE HOMEOWNERS AND THE, AND THE, AND WE SHOULD THE BURDEN ON THE PROPERTY TAX PAYER IN THIS CITY.
SO THE, THE OTHER THING BEFORE I MOVE, MOVE OFF OF THIS, UM, DID WANNA LET YOU KNOW BECAUSE OF, UM, REQUIREMENTS IN TRUTH AND TAXATION, THE NOTICE OF INTENT FOR THE COS DOES HAVE TO COME TO COUNCIL AT YOUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
SO PART OF WHY WE WANT TO REALLY GET INTO THIS SLIDE AND REALLY HAVE A GOOD DISCUSSION ON DEBT BECAUSE WE, WE DO HAVE TO BRING THAT TO YOU NEXT THURSDAY, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER THE NOTICE OF INTENT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO DO ANYTHING, IT'S JUST THE, THE SETTING, UH, POINT OF THAT PROCESS.
BUT IT WILL INCLUDE THIS 35 MILLION AND THEN THE 7 MILLION ON THE WATER AND SEWER SIDE.
AND AS I MENTIONED, THE, THE CO PROJECTS WOULD INCLUDE GARTH ROAD, UH, PHASES A AND B, UH, STREET RECONSTRUCTION.
AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE THOSE PROJECTS COMING UP, UM, ARE SOME OF OUR ANNEXATION WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS.
AND THEN, UH, WATER AND SEWER LIFT STATIONS.
YOU SAW AN EXAMPLE LAST MEETING OF A VERY LARGE LIFT STATION THAT WE'RE WORKING ON TRYING TO BRING DOWN THAT COST.
UH, BUT LIFT STATIONS IN GENERAL ARE, ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.
GENERALLY THREE, THREE TO $5 MILLION.
SO WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THOSE THAT WE HAVE TO DO FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
SO, UM, WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU HAD THAT HEADS UP THAT IT IS COMING NEXT, NEXT THURSDAY TO START THAT PROCESS.
YEAH, SO MOVING ON TO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE DEBT SERVICE FUND? OKAY, SO HOTEL MOTEL, UM, THIS FUND, UH, WAS VERY HEALTHY FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, IT'S UH, WE'VE STARTED BRINGING DOWN THE FUND BALANCE TO GET THE HOTEL CONVENTION CENTER READY TO GO.
AND THEN THIS YEAR WE ACTUALLY STARTED THE YEAR REALLY STRONG THROUGH FEBRUARY.
AND THEN AS YOU KNOW, HOTELS IN GENERAL TOOK A HUMONGOUS DIVE INCLUDING OUR HOTELS.
SO THIS YEAR ACTUALLY WASN'T TERRIBLE, BUT WE HAVE A VERY CONSERVATIVE REVENUE PROJECTION, UM, FOR FY 21 DUE TO COVID-19.
UM, THERE IS CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE HOTEL CONVENTION CENTER PROJECT IN THIS BUDGET.
AND THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE CALLED OUT, WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION DURING MDD, WE ARE GONNA SEEK SOME LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, UM, THIS NEXT YEAR TO INCREASE THE FLEXIBILITY AND THE TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WE CAN FUND OUT OF HOT.
UH, THE ONE EXAMPLE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY WAS THE, THE TURFING OF THE FIELDS AT WAYNE GRAY.
UM, THERE'S SOME CITIES THAT CAN PAY FOR THAT OUTTA HOT.
'CAUSE ONCE YOU DO IT, YOU START BRINGING IN TOURNAMENTS, PUTS HEADS IN BEDS.
IT'S A PERFECT PROJECT, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE CARVED OUT TO DO THAT AND WE'RE NOT CARVED OUT AT THIS POINT.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT HERE IN THIS NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AQUATICS FUND, UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'VE TAKEN A BIG HIT IN AQUATICS THIS YEAR.
UM, IT HAS MORE THAN DEPLETED THE FUND.
IN FACT, DURING THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WE HAVE A TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE AQUATICS FUND TOTALING $2.5 MILLION.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE TO COVER, UH, THE LOSSES DUE TO COVID-19 AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET SOME OF THAT BACK, UH, THROUGH THE HARRIS COUNTY FUNDS.
UM, BUT AS OF NOW WE'RE, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY BANKING ON THAT.
WHAT THIS BUDGET DOES DO IS IT INCLUDES AN INITIAL PAYBACK OF THAT 2.5 MILLION OVER 10 YEARS, THAT'D BE 250,000 A YEAR TO THE GENERAL FUND.
IT ALSO INCLUDES SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN DONE IN HERE BEFORE THAT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE.
[00:35:01]
WATER PARK ACTUALLY PAYING FOR ITS WATER.UM, SO OUR WATER AND SEWER FUND IS ALSO AN ENTERPRISE FUND AND DON'T LIKE TO SUBSIDIZE OUT OF THOSE FUNDS.
SO THIS KIND OF GET SETS THAT RIGHT.
UM, SO THEY'LL NOT BE PAYING FOR THEIR WATER.
I WILL SAY, UM, KEVIN AND THE PARKS AND REC STAFF HAVE PUT IN A TON OF TIME TO MAKE THIS SCREEN EVEN LOOK AS GOOD AS IT DOES.
BUT, UM, TO LOOK EVEN AS GOOD AS IT DOES, THEY PUT IN A TON OF TIME AND THE AQUATIC STAFF IS REALLY GETTING CREATIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAXIMIZE THAT REVENUE LINE.
THAT'S WHERE WE'VE STARTED TAKING A HIT THE PAST COUPLE YEARS IS REVENUE AND MANAGING THOSE, THOSE EXPENSES AS MUCH AS THEY CAN.
HEY NICK, IF I CAN, YEAH, JUST, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY TO, TO JEN ANDOR STAFF.
SO CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.
WHEN WE HAD THE TRANSFER THAT HAD TO BE MADE BECAUSE OF THIS YEAR, THEY SAT DOWN AND LOOKED AT EVERY SINGLE LINE ITEM IN THE AQUATICS FUND LOOKING AT EVERY SINGLE WAY WE COULD INCREASE REVENUE, LOOKING AT ALL THE EXPENDITURE LINES AND YOU SEE A LINE THAT SHOWS UP THERE THAT WE ACTUALLY PROJECT, AND THIS IS NOT POLLYANNA PIE IN THE SKY, THAT WE COULD BE BLACK NEXT YEAR IN THE BLACK NEXT YEAR.
THIS IS A LOT OF WORK THAT JEN AND HER STAFF HAS DONE.
NOW WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CARRYOVER OF COVID-19 WILL DO, BUT ALL CREDIT TO THE AQUATIC STAFF.
AND JENNA, JUST THANK YOU FOR THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT Y'ALL HAVE PUT INTO THIS AND THAT, THAT 250,000, WE WILL PROBABLY SAVE THAT TILL THE END OF THE YEAR NEXT YEAR.
JUST TO, JUST TO BE SURE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WATER PARK'S GONNA LOOK LIKE NEXT YEAR.
HOPEFULLY WE'RE, WE'RE BACK AND AND DOING REALLY WELL, BUT, UM, YEAH.
BUT AS KEVIN SAID, KUDOS TO OUR STAFF ON THIS BUDGET.
ANY QUESTIONS HERE BEFORE I MOVE FORWARD? YOU KNOW, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN CAUGHT UP IN THIS PRIVATE VERSUS PUBLIC APPROACH TO HOW WE RUN OUR LIVES AND OUR BUSINESSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND IT, AND IT IS JUST A, AN OBVIOUS EXAMPLE OF HOW, AND I'M ALL FOR TRANSFERRING AND DO THIS.
I'M, I VOTE YES FOR THAT TONIGHT, BUT IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE.
THE AQUATICS FUND GETS IN TROUBLE AND UH, WELL WE JUST GO TO THE GENERAL FRONT AND SLACK ALL OVER TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
WHAT IF IT WAS PRIVATE BUSINESS? WHAT WOULD THEY BE DOING? LAYING PEOPLE, LOT OF BUSINESS STRUGGLE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE REST OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN IS DEALING WITH.
SO WE GOTTA BE CAREFUL, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THIS, IT'S LIKE A, IT'S LIKE THIS POCKET LEFT POCKET OF THE RIGHT POCKET.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S LIKE NEVER ENDING THIS, THIS MONEY TREE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, AND WE NEED TO OPERATE AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
LIKE WE'RE RUNNING A, A PRIVATE OR A PRIVATE BUSINESS THAT HAS TO STAND ON ITS OWN AND WE REALLY NEED TO TRY THAT WITH EVERYTHING WE DO TO SAVE MONEY FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS TOWN.
I THINK A PRIVATE WATERPARK WOULD'VE GOTTEN, UH, COVID RELIEF FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHEREAS UNFORTUNATELY WE DIDN'T QUALIFY.
SO I THINK THEY'RE GONNA STAY AFLOAT BECAUSE OF THAT MAYBE.
YEAH, SO HOPEFULLY WE GET THAT HARRIS COUNTY FUNDING AND IT'LL BE SIMILAR.
YEAH, IT'S JUST SO EASY FOR US, BUT IT'S SO HARD FOR THE TOWN.
IT'S JUST, YOU CAN APPLY THIS TO A, ANYTHING, ANY BUSINESS, A RESTAURANT, ANYTHING HEATHER, THE SAD PART, BUT THE COMMENT ON THE PRIVATE SIDE GUYS ARE WATCHING ALL THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE PARKS THAT ARE OUT THERE, MANY OF WHICH ARE OPEN, OPEN TO CAPACITY PEOPLE PACKING IN THE PARK.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE.
WHAT THEY'RE NOT REPORTING IS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SICK AND OUT AND WHAT THEIR TURNOVER OF STAFF IS.
SO WE'VE HAD TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS HERE BASED ON COVID-19 THAT DON'T ALWAYS APPLY EQUALLY ON THE PRIVATE SIDE.
OH, YOU MEAN THERE'S BEEN NO CONTACT TRACING TO WATER PARKS
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE DOING REPORTING.
UH, NEXT IS THE WATER AND SEWER FUND.
UM, THIS, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE A RATE INCREASE.
UM, THERE ARE SOME MINOR FEES, FEE INCREASES PROPOSED.
UM, WE'LL COVER THAT HERE ON THIS NEXT SLIDE, JUST KIND OF GIVING YOU A HEADS UP OF WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE.
UM, THIS DOES ASSUME THE ISSUANCE OF $7 MILLION FOR RATE SUPPORTED DEBT, UH, THROUGH COS AS I DESCRIBED EARLIER.
IT ALSO INCLUDES A TRANSFER OF $5.6 MILLION FOR CASH FUNDED CIP PROJECTS AND SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT ON THIS FUND.
UM, THE HOW WE HAVE IT TODAY IS NOT SUSTAINABLE MOVING FORWARD.
I MEAN WE'VE GONE A COUPLE YEARS WITHOUT RATE INCREASES.
UM, I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT THIS YEAR TO NOT INCREASE RATES WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON.
UM, BUT TO FUND THE PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE FUNDED AND PRETTY MUCH IF YOU LOOK AT THE PROJECTS WITHIN WATER AND SEWER, NONE OF THEM ARE WANTS, THEY'RE ALL ABSOLUTE NEEDS.
AND SO TO FUND THOSE, THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE WAYS TO DO THAT.
THERE'S, THERE'S REALLY THREE WAYS TO DO THAT.
[00:40:01]
INCREASE RATES.TWO IS TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AT THE RIGHT LEVEL ON IMPACT FEES AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT CONVERSATION THIS FALL.
AND THREE IS POTENTIALLY SUPPORT THOSE PROJECTS THROUGH ANOTHER MECHANISM.
SO $7 MILLION I MENTIONED EARLIER IS GONNA BE TAX SUPPORTED DEBT TO DO WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS.
SO THOSE ARE REALLY KIND OF THE THREE MECHANISMS TO BE ABLE TO FUND YOUR WATER AND SEWER FUND.
UM, THE CONVERSATION, IT'S REALLY NOT A GOOD CONVERSATION FOR TODAY.
AND WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO WITH CASH FUNDED PROJECTS, UH, TAX SUPPORTED DEBT, THIS $7 MILLION IN COS IS UM, KIND OF PUSH THAT CONVERSATION OUT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT THIS FALL WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH COUNSEL IS BRING YOU A, A DISCUSSION THAT LOOKS AT THE RATES AND THE IMPACT FEES AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT UH, I DON'T THINK YOU ALL HAVE EVER HAD THE CHANCE TO, TO DO.
YOU'VE LOOKED AT ONE AT ONE TIME AND ONE AT THE OTHER.
AND THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THE IMPORTANT THING THERE IS THAT IF IT'S A DEVELOPMENT RELATED PROJECT, IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE FUNDED BY THAT DEVELOPMENT AND NOT BY OUR EXISTING RATE PAYERS.
SO THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE'LL HAVE THIS FALL.
UM, NOT ONE WE NECESSARILY NEED TO HAVE TODAY, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT LOOKING FORWARD THAT UM, YOU CAN SEE EVEN LOOKING AT, AT OUR NET, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NET NEGATIVE 3.8 MILLION THIS YEAR AND PART OF THAT IS A LOT OF CASH FUNDED PROJECTS.
UM, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO REALLY LOOK AT THIS WATER AND SEWER FUND, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
SO THE FEES, UM, I'M GONNA ACTUALLY ASK GINA TO COME UP AND DESCRIBE THESE FEES A LITTLE BIT, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT FEES THAT WILL BE SEEN BY THE AVERAGE RATE PAYER.
I'LL LET GINA DESCRIBE THAT A LITTLE BIT.
SO GOOD AFTERNOON, UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO WE WOULD LIKE YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER, UM, ALLOWING US TO INCREASE THESE FEES.
THEY WILL NOT BE FEES THAT WILL BE ASSESSED BY HE SAID, YOUR TYPICAL, WHICH BASICALLY YOUR LAW ABIDING CITIZENS.
THE MAJORITY OF THESE FEES ARE TO HELP US COMBAT THOSE THAT ARE VIOLATING OUR PROCESSES, OUR PROCEDURES, DAMAGING THE EQUIPMENT AND DOING THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THE BROKEN LOCK DEVICE, BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU HAVE A CUSTOMER, THEY RECEIVE A BILL, THEY RECEIVE A BILL AND IT'S BLUE.
THAT BLUE BILL ALLOWS THEM 14 DAYS TO COME AND PAY THAT BILL.
AFTER THE 14TH DAY THERE'S A 10% PENALTY AND THEN THEY HAVE 12 ADDITIONAL DAYS.
WHEN THE BILL BECOMES RED, THE BILL BECOMES RED, THEY HAVE 12 DAYS TO PAY.
AND THEN IF THEY FAIL TO DO SO, THERE IS A $35 FEE THAT'S ASSESSED TO THEIR ACCOUNT FOR FAILURE TO PAY THEIR BILL.
AND THEN THEY GO INTO DISCONNECT STATUS.
SO WE DO DISCONNECTIONS ON TUESDAY AND SO ON TUESDAY WE GO OUT AND WE DISCONNECT THOSE SERVICES THAT HAVE FAILED TO PAY THEIR BLUE BILL AND THEIR RED BILL.
WE GO IN, WE TURN 'EM OFF THE FOLLOWING WEEK WE GO BACK OUT TO ENSURE THAT THAT METER IS STILL TURNED OFF.
IF WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A PAYMENT, WE GO OUT, IT'S STILL OFF, EVERYTHING'S FINE, WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED A PAYMENT.
WHAT HAPPENS IN MANY CASES WHEN WE GO BACK OUT THAT FOLLOWING WEEK, IT'S BACK ON AGAIN.
SO WE HAVE TO GO ON BACK OUT, WE'RE THERE, WE TURN IT BACK OFF AND THEN WE GO BACK INTO THE NORMAL COURSE OF BUSINESS.
NOTATE NOTATE THE ACCOUNT, WE GO BACK THE FOLLOWING WEEK BECAUSE THEY STILL HAVE NOT PAID IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT METER IS STILL OFF.
AND YOU WILL DETERMINE THAT IN SOME CASES IT IS BACK ON AGAIN, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE GONE FINDING DEVICE AND THEY'VE TURNED THEIR WATER BACK ON THEMSELVES.
GRANTED, YES, THE METER IS STILL RUNNING, WE'RE STILL ACQUIRING FOR THE CONSUMPTION, BUT THEY'RE STILL NOT PAYING AFTER THAT TRIP.
THEN THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, WHICH WE CAN LOCK THE METER OUT, WHICH PROHIBITS THEM FROM BEING ABLE TO PUT THE DEVICE AND TURN IT, WHICH IS WHAT WE DO.
BUT THEN THEY'LL GO AND CUT THAT LOCK OFF, WHICH IS WHERE YOU'LL SEE THE BROKEN LOCK FEE.
WE ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO PULL THAT METER BECAUSE NOW YOU'VE DEMONSTRATED THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA ABIDE BY THE LAW.
AND SO WE NOW HAVE TO PULL THAT METER OUT OF THE GROUND.
IN MANY CASES, THE GROUND HAS SHIFTED DEPENDING UPON THE RAIN AND THE AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE BOX.
YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DIGGING IT OUT IN ORDER TO REMOVE THAT METER SO THAT NOW YOU CANNOT RECEIVE WATER AT ALL.
WE LEAVE A TAG INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICER TO COME AND PAY.
YOU WILL THEN SEE AN ITEM ON HERE THAT SPEAKS TO, UM, PULL A STRAIGHT LINE.
SO TO PULL A STRAIGHT LINE, WHICH MEANS NOW WE'VE PULLED THAT METER AND THEY HAVE BECOME
[00:45:01]
VERY CREATIVE TO WHERE THEY WILL INSTALL PIECES OF PVC PIPE DOWN IN THE HOLE, STRETCH IT THROUGH, AND NOW THEY'RE ABLE TO GET WATER STILL THROUGH THIS PVC PIPE.SO THE WATER PRESSURE IS LOW, HOWEVER, THEY ARE STILL ABLE TO RECEIVE WATER.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ONCE WE GO OUT AND YOU HAVE TO PULL THE STRAIGHT LINE, NOW WE HAVE TO CALL THE POLICE BECAUSE NOW THEY HAVE TRULY VIOLATED THE LAW AND THE DA WILL ACCEPT CHARGES FOR THAT.
SO IN DOING THAT NOW WE CALL THE POLICE, WE'VE PULLED THEM OFF FROM REGULAR CRIME TO COME IN BECAUSE THE DA OFFICE REQUIRES FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SAY, YES, I SAW THIS OCCUR AT THIS PROPERTY WITH THIS ADDRESS AND THIS ACCOUNT HOLDER.
SO I'M EXPLAINING TO YOU THE PROCESS WITHOUT JUST GOING THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE LINE BY LINE JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE TIME THAT IT TAKES.
HOW WE GO THROUGH A VERY THOROUGH PROCESS TO ENSURE WE'RE NOT JUST GOING OUT AND TURNING PEOPLE OFF JUST BECAUSE AND WE'RE NOT PULLING THEIR METER.
THERE IS A PROCESS AND THEY ARE PROVIDED MANY OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE WE GET TO THE POINT TO WHERE THEIR METER IS PULLED FROM THE GROUND.
SO THESE FEES WILL, THE MAJORITY OF THEM WILL BE ASSESSED TO THOSE CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE CAUSED US TO HAVE TO GO TO THESE GREAT LENGTHS TO GET THEM TO COME IN AND PAY THEIR WATER BILL.
SO THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL SEE THE BROKEN LOCK, THE PULLED STRAIGHT LINE, THE POOL METER.
SOMETIMES THEY WILL DAMAGE THE METER BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE IF THEY CRUSH THE SCREEN, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GET THE READING BECAUSE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S DIGITAL AND IT'S COMING THROUGH THE WIRE.
SO THEY WILL STILL, THOSE METERS ARE $216 A PIECE.
AND YOU'LL SEE RIGHT NOW WE ARE CHARGING $35, SO WE'RE NOT RECOUPING ANY OF OUR EXPENSES FOR THIS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE MAJORITY OF THESE ARE.
UM, YOU WILL SEE AN INCREASE IN THE TAG DOOR AND IT SAYS COMMERCIAL.
SO THIS CITY HAS A PRACTICE THAT WE WILL REACH OUT TO COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS TO GIVE THEM A TAG TO ALLOW THEM OPPORTUNITY TO TURN TO COME AND PAY BEFORE WE TURN OFF THEIR WATER.
WE RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY PROVIDE TO OUR CITY.
SO WE TRY TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND PAY BECAUSE ONCE WE TURN THAT WATER OFF, BEFORE WE DO THAT, WE HAVE TO NOTIFY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BECAUSE IF THEY SERVE FOOD, THINGS LIKE THAT, HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS TO BE NOTIFIED AND THEN THEY HAVE TO COME IN AND SHUT 'EM DOWN.
WE TAKE ALL OF THOSE THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND SO WHAT YOU WILL SEE IS THAT INSTEAD OF US TURNING THEM OFF LIKE THE OTHER CITIES DO, AND ALL OF THIS INFORMATION I HAVE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES, WE ARE RIGHT IN LINE OR OTHER CITIES DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE THINGS THAT WE DO BECAUSE OF OUR DEMOGRAPHICS.
AND SO WHEN WE TAG THE DOOR, THAT'S OUR WAY OF SAYING, OKAY, COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER PLEASE COME AND PAY US.
AND THEY SHOULD TECHNICALLY BE TURNED OFF JUST LIKE OUR TAX PAYING CITIZENS, BUT WE DO NOT.
SO WE ARE ASKING TO INCREASE THAT TAG DOOR FEE SO THAT THEY WILL BECOME MORE PROACTIVE IN PAYING THEIR BILL ON TIME.
THE LAST TWO YOU'LL SEE IS, UM, TEMPORARY SERVICE ON, AND THIS IS KIND OF LIKE A, UM, A CHARGE IN ORDER TO ALLOW A PROPERTY OWNER TO BASICALLY MAKE THEIR PROPERTY READY, YOU KNOW, AN APARTMENT.
THEY, THEY WILL GO AND GET THEIR APARTMENT READY FOR THE NEXT TENANT TO MOVE IN WITH THE SAME WITH YOUR HOME.
EXCEPT RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE TO COME IN, SET UP THE ACCOUNT JUST TO GET THE WATER IN ORDER TO MAKE THEIR HOUSE READY FOR SALE.
SO THIS WOULD ALLOW, I SEE YOU NODDING YOUR HEAD.
SO THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO JUST HAVE A FEE WHERE THEY TEMPORARILY OR JUST GETTING WATER JUST FOR THE DAY OR THE WEEKEND OR WHATEVER IT IS IN ORDER TO GET THE, THE UNIT READY FOR THEM TO RENT OUT TO THEIR NEXT TENANT.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE VACANT UNAUTHORIZED USE.
AND BASICALLY THAT'S VACANT WITH CONSUMPTION.
TWO THINGS GENERALLY HAPPEN WHEN WE HAVE TO, TO ADMINISTER THIS FEE AND WE DON'T HAVE ONE AT ALL NOW.
SO IF YOU MOVE INTO A HOUSE AND WHEN YOU GET THERE, THE WATER IS ALREADY ON, YOU THINK IT'S A GIFT, SO YOU JUST CONTINUE TO USE IT.
AND SO WE, THAT'S UNAUTHORIZED USE.
YOU DO NOT HAVE AUTHORIZATION TO USE THIS WATER BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED AN ACCOUNT WITH THE CITY.
THE OTHER SCENARIO IS THAT YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE CUSTOMERS WHERE WE HAVE GONE AND TURNED IT OFF AND YOU'VE TURNED IT BACK ON AND WE'VE TURNED IT OFF AND YOU'VE TURNED IT BACK ON, WHICH
[00:50:01]
MEANS THE METER IS STILL RUNNING, YOUR ACCOUNT HAS BEEN CLOSED, AND YOU DO NOT HAVE AUTHORITY TO GET OUR WATER WITHOUT PAYING AND YOU'VE TURNED IT ON YOURSELF AND CONTINUE TO GET IT UNTIL WE PULL IT.SO THIS IS JUST ANOTHER FEE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO PAY FOR IT, HOPEFULLY THE FIRST TIME.
BUT IF YOU FAIL TO DO SO, THEN YOU WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO PAY IT THE NEXT TIME BECAUSE WE'VE ASSESSED A PENALTY FOR YOU STEALING THE WATER.
SO IF YOU, IF I MAY, ON THE BROKEN LOCK AND DEVICE, I MEAN IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE A CAT AND MOUSE TYPE STORY, RIGHT? AND SO I'M ALMOST IN FAVOR OF EVEN INCREASING IT MORE THAN $50, BUT I GUESS I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE.
HOW OFTEN DOES THIS HAPPEN? MONTHLY, LET'S SAY.
SO I WOULD SAY AT LEAST 30% OF THE TIME.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS, UM, UNIQUE, AND THIS IS NOT A PLACE WHERE WE WANT TO BE UNIQUE, YOU KNOW, THE FRONT RUN FROM THE OTHER CITIES, BUT OTHER CITIES DON'T HAVE TO, SO THEY DON'T HAVE A NUMBER FOR US TO COMPARE TO BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY THEIR, THEIR CUSTOMERS JUST PAY OR IF YOU TURN 'EM OFF, THEY JUST STAY OFF UNTIL THEY PAY.
AND, UM, BUT OUR DEMOGRAPHICS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
AND SO BETWEEN US AND MAYBE LAPORTE ARE THE ONLY TWO CITIES THAT TRULY HAVE TO WORK AROUND A METHOD BY WHICH TO, TO GET OUR CUSTOMERS.
WELL, THEY'RE A LOT DIFFERENT AND SOME, SOME OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS ARE DIFFERENT.
LIKE MINE FOR INSTANCE IS LIKELY ONE OF THE MAIN CULPRITS ACTUALLY IF WE GO DISTRICT BY DISTRICT.
SO, AND I AGREE WITH THAT AND YOU KNOW, IF THIS, IF IF THIS WAS STRAIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASES, I, I WOULDN'T BE IN FAVOR OF IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, RIGHTS RIGHT AND WRONGS WRONG MM-HMM
SO I WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME OPPOSING IT.
HOWEVER, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT, YOU KNOW, GUYS, WE HAVE THESE INCIDENCES BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU IN MY DISTRICT I'VE GOT A LOT OF POOR FOLKS AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT HONESTLY IS TO FLUSH A TOILET OR, OR GET A DRINK OF WATER.
I MEAN, SOME OF IT IS, IS TRULY THE DIFFERENCE IN LIFE AND DEATH.
I MEAN SERIOUSLY, OR, OR SANITATION AND HEALTH.
SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THAT RIGHTS RIGHT AND WRONGS WRONG, WHETHER YOU'RE RICH OR POOR OR IN BETWEEN, I GET IT.
YOU KNOW, HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS I DON'T KNOW, I WOULD CHARACTERIZE 'EM AS, AS CRIMINALS, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THEY, WHEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S THEIR LAST RESORT SOME FOLKS.
SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO NOTE.
AND UH, LIKE I SAY, I, I AGREE WITH IT FOR THE MOST PART.
WHAT I, I JUST WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT, UM, COUNCILMAN PRESLEY IS THAT WE ENSURE OUR CUSTOMERS THAT THEY HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS BEFORE WE GET TO THIS POINT PAYMENT PLAN.
AND IT, AND IT IS EXTENDED TO THEM AND THEN WE WILL HELP THEM TO THE FULLEST EXTENT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO AND ADD ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT WILL HELP THEM DO THAT.
SO THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE WE JUST GO AND TURN 'EM OFF BECAUSE WE DON'T CARE.
AND ABSOLUTELY THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO GET THERE BEFORE WE TURN 'EM OFF BECAUSE WE WILL GIVE THEM A PAYMENT PLAN AND CONTINUE TO EXTEND THAT AS LONG AS THEY CONTINUE TO KEEP THEIR WORD AND PAY ON IT.
AND I, I AGREE IF WE CAN EDUCATE THEM MORE ON THAT, WE HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY RECEIVED THAT SERVICE.
AND THAT'S WHY I SAID THAT FOR THE MOST PART, I, I, I WOULD AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID AND I ACTUALLY EXCHANGED A COUPLE OF EMAILS WITH THE CITY MANAGER A MONTH AGO OR SO AND OR MAYBE LESS WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, WERE GOING BACK TO DISCONNECTS MM-HMM
AND I, I WAS, UH, I WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE ON THE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS AND SOME OF THE NONPROFIT CONTACT NUMBERS, SIR, THAT WE COULD YES, SIR.
POINT 'EM TOWARDS SIR AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, E EVERYTHING IS, UH, IT'S PROBABLY MORE SO A, SOME OF THESE THINGS IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT AND WRONG AND IT'S THAT EASY.
BUT IN MY DISTRICT AND PROBABLY PART OF LAURA'S OR HONESTLY PART OF OTHER DISTRICTS AS WELL.
IT'S SOMETIMES THERE'S JUST MORE TO THE STORY WHEN YOU TALK TO THE FOLKS AND YOU KNOW 'EM AND YOU VISITED WITH THEM AND YES.
I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT CAN'T PAY THEIR REGULAR WATER BILL AND YOU HAVE ALL THESE FEES AND YOU'RE INCREASING THEM TO $50, $200, HOW ARE THEY GONNA PAY THAT TOO? SO IF, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY IT TO BEGIN WITH, WHAT'S THE SUCCESS RATE OF RAISING THESE UP? REAL HIGH.
THE ONLY ONES THAT'S GONNA PAY, THESE ARE THE ONES THAT CAN AFFORD TO PAY THE WATER BILL ANYWAY.
SO WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THAT IS JUST BECAUSE IN MY EXPERIENCE, JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T PAY THE BILL IS NOT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T.
SO IN MY EXPERIENCE, I'VE DEALT WITH THEM FOR A LONG TIME.
[00:55:01]
I HAVE A CONVERSATION, AND, UM, A LOT OF THE TIMES WHEN THEY ARE COMPLETELY UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING, ONCE YOU TALK TO 'EM, THEY'LL JUST SAY, OKAY, I'LL JUST GO PAY IT.AND THEY'LL WALK OUT THE DOOR.
SO THEY'RE PURPOSELY, THEY'LL GO, THEY'RE NOT PAYING SOMEBODY.
SO TO ME, IN MY EXPERIENCE, JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T PAID DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY CAN'T PAY.
SOME PEOPLE JUST FEEL LIKE THE CITY HAVE MONOPOLIZED, WHICH THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE THAT THEY CAN GET THE WATER.
SOME PEOPLE TRULY HAVE HARDSHIPS AND THEY ARE FEES.
SO WE CAN'T CHANGE WATER RATES, BUT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE OUR JUDGMENT WHEN DEALING WITH THE CUSTOMER.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE TRULY IS A NEED.
THESE FEES, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO REDUCE OR WAIVE.
SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FEE AND AN ACTUAL RATE.
WE HAVE FLEXIBILITY WITH THIS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU JUST START GIVING EVERYTHING AWAY, BUT YOU HAVE SOME LEEWAY IN ORDER TO ASSESS, ASSESS THE SITUATION.
BUT EVERYONE THAT DOESN'T PAY DOESN'T MEAN THEY CAN'T PAY IN MY EXPERIENCE.
WELL, THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO ADD.
I, I THINK THIS REALLY CAN HAPPEN CITYWIDE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HEAVILY IN SOME DISTRICTS.
BUT I THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT MAY HAPPEN CITYWIDE.
UM, I, I KNOW I, I LIVE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE THAT, YOU KNOW, I GO THERE AS MUCH AS I CAN
BUT I, I'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE AT WORK, AND I, AND I HONESTLY FEEL THAT THEY DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO WORK WITH, UM, THE RESIDENTS TO SET UP PAYMENT PLANS.
AND I MEAN, SOMETIMES WE ARE PUTTING IT OUT THERE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE THAT SAY, I DIDN'T KNOW.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA GET THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS OFTEN AS WE CAN CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE, THAT'S ALL WE CAN DO.
I DID TALK TO RICK ABOUT POSSIBLY ENTERTAINING, UM, SOME SORT OF LIKE A, A DIFFERENT WATER FUND
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME NONPROFITS THAT ALREADY DO THAT.
UM, BUT IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ADD TO, UM, TO MAYBE ENTERTAIN THAT.
I KNOW HE SAID HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
IS IT, WOULD IT BE FEASIBLE? WOULD WE JUST NEED TO RAMP UP WHAT SOME OF OUR NONPROFITS ARE ALREADY DOING? BUT FOR THE MOST PART, I THINK PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS GONNA SAY, I DIDN'T KNOW.
SO WE CAN LEAD 'EM THE WATER, WE CAN OFFERING THEM AS MUCH HELP THAT WE CAN TO PAY THE BILL.
BUT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL WE CAN DO.
SO THE OTHER THING I JUST WANNA MENTION IS SOMETIMES THESE ARE SQUATTERS AS WELL.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS REALIZE, BUT WE DO HAVE PEOPLE, WHETHER THEY ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY OR THEY ARE PASSING THROUGH BY, BUT THEY WILL WATCH AREAS OF TOWN.
SO THIS ISN'T JUST IN D ONE AND D TWO, THIS IS ALL OVER THE CITY, WHERE THEY WILL GO THROUGH AND THEY WILL SEE A HOUSE THAT'S DARK AND THEY WILL ALSO SEE THAT THERE'S NEWSPAPERS OR SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE DRIVEWAY THAT WAS THERE YESTERDAY AND THE DAY BEFORE.
IT'S A, IT'S A CRIME OF OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO THEY'LL JUST GO BY AND SEE IF THEY CAN TURN THE WATER ON AND THEN THOSE ARE SQUATTERS.
SO THIS WOULD ADDRESS THAT AS WELL.
AND PD PD NEEDS TO BE THE FIRST CALL ON THOSE.
AND THEY ARE, BUT THAT'S THE OTHER THING.
THE TIME THAT WE'RE USING IN ORDER TO PULL THEM AWAY FROM THAT IS WHY WE'RE BUILDING IN THOSE AMOUNTS INTO THESE FEES.
I'M SURE WE WRAP THIS THING UP.
UM, EVERYBODY ON THERE, I'M TOLD I'M, I'M FOR ALL THIS, DO ALL THE FEES.
YOU KNOW, THE FIRST GUY WENT TO LOWE'S AND GOT A BOLT CUTTERS AND CUT ALL THAT OFF THAT OTHER GUY.
AND THE THIRD LINE, THEY WENT TO LOWE'S AND GOT A 12 PACK AND A PVC AND FITTINGS AND DID ALL THEIR DEAL.
AND THEN THE NEXT GUY DAMAGED THE METER WITH A PIPE WRENCH AND GO FOR IT.
'CAUSE THIS, THIS FUND NEEDS TO STAND ON ITS OWN.
I DON'T WANT TO PAY EVERYBODY ELSE'S WATER BILL.
I JUST WANNA PAY FOR MY OWN WATER BILL.
EVERYBODY'S GOTTA DO THEIR OWN DEAL.
THEN I HAD A QUESTION ON THAT TOP ONE, THE BROKEN LOCK DEVICE.
Y'ALL SAID YOU HAD TO GO BACK OUT AND, AND CHECK AND SEE IF THEY CUT THE LOCK BACK OFF THE SECOND OR THIRD TIME MM-HMM
TO SEE IF THEY'RE STEALING WATER.
SO DOESN'T THE SMART METER CAN'T YOU COULDN'T Y'ALL, IF IT'S 30% OF THE PEOPLE DOING THAT MM-HMM
WOULDN'T THE SMART METER SHOW YOU MOVEMENT THROUGH THE METER? COULDN'T YOU LIKE HAVE A FLAG OF THE COMPUTER WHERE ALL THESE ONES THAT ARE LOCKED OUT, IF THE COMPUTER SEES MOVEMENT, IT TRIGGERS IT AND YOU RUN OUT THERE INSTEAD OF GOING AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY DID IT INSTEAD OF GOING CHECKING 'EM ALL? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
I'M SO GLAD, SIR, BECAUSE THAT'S A SYSTEM THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO GET TO AT SOME POINT.
THAT IS, THAT IS A SYSTEM THAT HAS A A, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE
[01:00:01]
WHERE THERE'S A TOWER AND IT'S REAL TIME AND IT SENDS THE SIGNAL.SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO PHYSICALLY GO.
IT IS REAL TIME AND IT'S IN YOUR OFFICE AND YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THAT ON A SCREEN.
THAT IS NOT WHERE WE ARE AT THIS TIME.
OUR GAUGES,
HOW MUCH IS THE A MI SYSTEM? A LOT OF MONEY.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER.
'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE IT IN THIS BUDGET.
THE COMMERCIAL, HOW, HOW MANY BUSINESSES ARE WE HAVING A TAG IN A MONTH? SO WE HAVE TWO CYCLES.
UM, I WOULD SAY AVERAGING ABOUT 30 30 BUSINESSES OR 30%? NO, 30 BUSINESSES.
WHY DON'T WE JUST CUT THE WATER OFF? BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE CUSTOMER FRIENDLY.
IT IS NOT ABOUT BEING CUSTOMER FRIENDLY.
WHEN YOU OWN A BUSINESS AND YOU'RE TAKING, YOU'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT.
I CAN UNDERSTAND, GIVEN SOME CITIZENS SOME LEEWAY, BUT IF YOU OWN A BUSINESS AND WE'RE JUST TAGGING YOUR DOOR, THERE ARE PLENTY, PLENTY OF CITIZENS OF WHICH WE WOULD JUST TAG THEIR DOOR.
JUST BEING HONEST ABOUT IT INSTEAD OF RAISING THE FEE.
UM, WHEN IS THE DOOR TAGGED AGAIN? THE DOOR TAGGED IS ON THE TUESDAY WHEN WE GO OUT TO TURN OFF.
ONCE THEY'RE A RED BILL? YEAH, ONCE THE RED BILL THEIRS IS THE SAME AS RESIDENTIAL.
SO THEY GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT INSTEAD OF TURNING THEIRS OFF, WE JUST, INSTEAD OF TURNING THEIR THEIRS OFF, WE TAG THEM, SIR.
WHY DON'T WE JUST TURN THE WATER OFF? AND IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT.
WE WOULD, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS WOULD DIRECT US TO AND WE WOULD START DOING THAT.
IS THIS SOMETHING WE, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY SHOULD CONSIDER, BUT OR IF THEY ARRANGED A PAYMENT PLAN, WE WOULD WORK WITH THEM, CORRECT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT SHE JUST SAID.
BUT THESE ARE REPEAT OFFENDERS.
IT'S THE SAME 30 BUSINESSES I UNDERSTAND UNDERST YEAH.
MAYBE, MAYBE, MAYBE THE POINT WOULD BE THAT WE WILL, LET ME REPHRASE IT THIS WAY.
OUT OF THE 30 THAT YOU MAY DO, IF THEY ARE SOME BASICALLY PERPETUAL REPEAT OFFENDERS, I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL IS PROBABLY THEN, THEN WE MAY NOT BE APT TO WORK WITH THEM.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE STRUGGLING BUSINESSES AND ALL THAT WE UNDERSTAND.
SO THERE IS DISCRETION COUNCILMAN, I I WOULD ASSUME, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS, I'VE ALWAYS HEARD, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN IT, WHEN IT COMES TO A CITIZEN OR EVEN A BUSINESS OWNER AND UTILITY BILLING, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY UNDERSTANDING.
NOW, IT MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU WANNA PAY, BUT THEY HAVE ALWAYS MADE EVERY ATTEMPT WITHIN REASON TO TRY TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS.
NOW, REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT MAY BE.
AND SO I, I THINK LET'S, FOR NOW WE ARE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA INCREASE THE FEE.
OBVIOUSLY THE PENALTY IS GET, GET YOUR BILL PAID AND WE CAN MOVE ON.
WE WANT THAT BUSINESS TO CONTINUE OPERATION IF THEY'RE A RESTAURANT, OR IT COULD BE A, A HEALTH, UH, IT COULD BE A HEALTH FACILITY, WHO KNOWS WHAT THE CASE MAY BE.
BUT WE, WE WANT, WE WANT THE DISCRETION PROBABLY WITH, WITH OBVIOUSLY YOU UB, UM, STAFF AND SO ON.
BUT I GUESS MY TAKE ON IT WOULD BE, I AGREE WITH THE FEES.
UM, THE BROKEN LOCK I THINK IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT BROKEN LOCK, PULL STRAIGHT LINE, THOSE TWO ARE JUST BLATANT AND THE VACANT UNAUTHORIZED USE, THOSE ARE JUST BLATANTLY, THERE'S DISHONESTY AT THAT POINT.
THE OTHERS, I UNDERSTAND, I AGREE WITH, WITH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE, IT'S HARD TIMES WHATEVER, THE DISCONNECT CUTOFF.
I THINK THAT FEE STATE WITHIN REASON IN A SENSE.
I I UNDERSTAND THAT COUNCILMAN.
UM, BUT I THINK THESE OTHER ONES ARE PEOPLE.
UM, LIKE YOU SAID, IT MAY NOT BE THE INABILITY TO PAY JUST, IT, IT BECOMES MORE OF A CAT AND MOUSE.
MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'S MORE OF A CAT AND MOUSE TYPE SCENARIO.
I MEAN, I, I REALLY HAVEN'T, EVEN WITH MY COMMENTS, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYONE OPPOSE THESE.
I MEAN, I THINK I WAS PROBABLY THE MOST NEGATIVE AND I SAID FOR THE MOST PART I'M OKAY WITH THEM.
SO, BUT IT'S NOT SHANNON SENSE THAT WE HAVE, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY I DON'T THINK THERE'S A CONSENSUS.
THERE'S PEOPLE WHO ARE OBVIOUSLY SENSITIVE TO, TO, YOU KNOW, UM, THE BUDGET YEAR, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, WHATEVER THE SITUATION MAY BE.
BUT THEY'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO WORK WITH THEM.
SO I, I DON'T THINK THAT, I THINK ALL THE FEES ARE IN LINE IN A SENSE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THIS IS JUST FOR OUR INFORMATION.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD HAVE TO SAY ON THAT? MS. GUILLORY? THANKS, GINA.
SHE WAS SORT OF HINTED AT THIS, BUT, UM, WE, WE REALLY ARE KIND OF A STANDARD FOR OTHER CITIES IN THE REGION IN TERMS OF UTILITY BILLING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE ARTICLES A COUPLE YEARS AGO MAY NOT HAVE HINTED AT THAT, BUT, UM, THE OTHER CITIES REALLY DO LEAN ON US FOR GUIDANCE.
AND WHEN I SAY LEAN ON US, I MEAN WE LEAN ON GINA.
SO, UM, SO YOU REALLY IS AN EXPERT IN THIS FIELD AND WOULD NOT HAVE BROUGHT ANY OF THESE UNLESS THEY WERE VERY THOUGHT OUT.
SO, NO, I THINK THEY'RE JUST FINE.
SO THE SANITATION FUND, UM, ALSO NO RATE, RATE INCREASE THIS YEAR.
UM, WHEN WE BROUGHT THE LAST, UH, RATE INCREASE TO YOU, WE DID LET YOU KNOW THAT THE PLAN WAS TO DO NO ROOT RATE INCREASE THIS YEAR, BUT BASED ON THE WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTRACT INCREASES, WE WILL MOST LIKELY NEED ONE IN FY 22.
SO IT'S KIND OF JUST GIVING YOU THE HEADS UP ON THAT.
[01:05:01]
SEE HOW THIS NEXT YEAR GOES, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED AS MOST LIKELY.UM, HOW MANY YEARS LEFT ON THAT CONTRACT? YOU, IT'S A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT, SO WE'VE GOT TWO YEARS LEFT.
SO THE CITY OF PEARLAND IS ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH A PROCESS.
THEY ALSO USE WASTE MANAGEMENT.
THEY ARE IN THE LAST YEAR OF THEIR CONTRACT AND THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A PROCESS TO SEE WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE.
UM, SO WE WILL BE WATCHING THAT CLOSELY TO SEE WHAT THEIR ANALYSIS LOOKS LIKE.
UM, THEY'RE DOING A PRETTY, PRETTY IN DEPTH ASSESSMENT.
THEY'VE GOT SIMILAR ISSUES TO US.
UH, THE RATES CONTINUE TO CLIMB PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT LEVEL OF SERVICE DO THEY WANT TO SEE.
SO VERY SIMILAR SITUATION TO WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE.
UM, SO YEAH, WE'VE GOT TWO YEARS FROM THIS FALL TO MAKE SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS.
SO WE CAN PROBABLY LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING QUITE A BIT AS THAT CONTRACT COMES TO A CONCLUSION ABOUT LEVEL OF SERVICE.
I, I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED IN FIVE YEARS OR WILL HAVE CHANGED IN FIVE YEARS.
AND, UH, I KNOW I HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH SOME OF YOU ABOUT, UH, RECYCLING FREQUENCIES, METHODOLOGIES, UH, JUST THE CURRENT LEVEL WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS THE RICHEST
I MEAN, IT REALLY IS A CADILLAC.
ALRIGHT, NICK, SO WE ARE, IF I'M CORRECT, WE ARE NOW ON, I GUESS ABOUT SLIDE OR PAGE 15 OR THE, UH, CIP PROGRAM.
I THINK THE, I THINK STORMWATER IS THE LAST FINE.
SO LEMME HIT STORMWATER REAL QUICK.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST MAKING NOTE THAT WE ARE ON PAGE 14 OF A 45 PAGE CORRECT SUMMARY, JUST CORRECT, YES.
GIVEN SOME INDICATION OF WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHERE WE CAN MOVE TO.
HOPEFULLY WE DIDN'T SAY THIS WOULD BE SHORT.
UH, SO REAL QUICK, STORMWATER FUND, UH, NO RATE CHANGE HERE.
UM, WE DO HAVE BUILT IN SOME, SOME FLEXIBILITY TO DO SOME CASH FUNDED PROJECTS.
UM, AND IT ACTUALLY ALLOWS US, UH, SO TRAIL WOOD AND BAYOU OAKS, UH, THERE ARE SOME DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED IN THAT AREA.
UH, THIS FUND DOES SUPPORT THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
IT ALSO ON WEST TEXAS AVENUE SETS US UP TO DO ONE OF TWO THINGS.
UM, IT SETS US UP TO PAY FOR A LOAD AND NO INTEREST LOAN FROM THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD FOR A LARGER DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
OR IF WE DON'T GET THAT AND THERE'S STILL SOME OTHER MINOR IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED, UM, WE WOULD HAVE THE CASH TO DO THO TO DO THAT TYPE OF PROJECT.
SO IT ACTUALLY GIVES US A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY.
UM, WE SHOOT BIG, IF WE DON'T GET IT, WE CAN COME BACK AND DO SOMETHING A LITTLE, A LITTLE MORE MODEST.
SO IF THAT, WE HAVE THAT ABILITY HERE IN THE STORMWATER FUND.
UH, WITH THAT, WANTED TO ASK COUNSEL.
SO THE NEXT NUMBER OF SLIDES IS ON THE CIP AND WE DO WANNA LET YOU KNOW THE PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA BE FUNDED THIS YEAR.
DO YOU WANT TO JUMP IN AND DO THE CIP AND THEN ASK GENERAL QUESTIONS AT THE END? OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO YOUR GENERAL BUDGET QUESTIONS NOW THAT ARE NOT PROJECT RELATED? I, I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO YOU GUYS.
I, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU LOOK AT THE CIP AND THEN GO TO GENERAL BUDGET.
BECAUSE IT MAY, I MEAN, SOME OF IT'S GONNA ANSWER SOME OF THEIR QUESTIONS.
I WOULD THINK SOME OF THEIR QUESTIONS MOST LIKELY.
UM, SO WE'VE TALKED FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST THE CITY'S CIP WAS KIND OF A, A ONE YEAR THING, MAYBE TWO YEARS THING.
UM, WE'RE REALLY, REALLY REVAMPING HOW WE DO THAT.
UH, THERE'S SO MANY NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU WOULD CALL SOME, SOME WANTS, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE REC CENTERS AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND THE ONLY WAY TO DO ALL THOSE PROJECTS IS TO LOOK BEYOND THE CURRENT YEAR THAT YOU'RE IN.
AND SO FROM A STAFF LEVEL, UM, YOU, YOU PROBABLY WON'T EVEN SEE IT TODAY, BUT JUST LIKE THE BUDGET, THERE HAS BEEN A TON OF EFFORT, UH, PUT INTO THIS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A NEW TEAM, PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING WAS MERGED THIS PAST YEAR.
UH, FRANK HAS PROVIDED SOME INCREDIBLE LEADERSHIP.
UM, ANDREA CAME ON MANAGING OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
MATT JOHNSON'S BEEN OUR INTERIM CITY ENGINEER.
THEY'VE PUT IN TONS OF TIME TO GET US TO A PLACE WITH OUR CIP WHERE WE CAN KIND OF LOOK BEYOND WHAT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF US TODAY.
AND THAT'S GONNA PAY HUGE DIVIDENDS FOR OUR COMMUNITY, FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
SO WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M GONNA SHOW YOU TODAY IS WHAT I WOULD CALL A HUGE STEP IN
[01:10:01]
THE RIGHT DIRECTION.WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH COUNCIL OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS IS WORK WITH BOTH THE A AND E COMMITTEE AND THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO DO A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE IS REALLY FLESH OUT THE FIVE TO 10 YEAR CIP.
UM, YOU SEE, YOU HAD A, A SHEET OF ALL OF THE FIVE TO 10 YEAR PROJECTS THAT WE KNOW OF TODAY.
WELL, A COUPLE OF THINGS WILL MAKE THIS LIST A LITTLE BIT LARGER.
UM, ONE IS THAT WE'RE FINISHING A FACILITIES MASTER PLAN THAT WILL HAVE FACILITIES IMPROVEMENTS, UM, TO GET THEM UP TO CODE.
YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, RECONSTRUCTING FIRE STATIONS ARE, ARE GONNA BE NEEDED IN THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS.
NONE OF THAT IS INCLUDED IN HERE.
WE'RE FINISHING OUR STORMWATER MASTER PLAN.
UM, WE HAVE SOME PROJECTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, BUT IT MAY IDENTIFY SOME ADDITIONAL, WE HAVE A PARKS AND REC MASTER PLAN THAT'S BEING WORKED ON RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE HAVE A SIDEWALK MASTER PLAN THAT'S BEING WORKED ON RIGHT NOW.
SO THIS INCLUDES THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE TO DATE.
AND MARY, YOU MENTIONED $300 MILLION EARLIER THAT WAS TRANSPORTATION RELATED.
THE, I KNEW I WAS, UH, CITYWIDE TOTAL IS, UH, 900, I SAY 9 49, 40 9 MILLION.
UM, NOW THAT LOOKS OUT 10 YEARS.
IT ALSO INCLUDES PROJECTS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, CEDAR BY CROSSING, WHICH IS PROBABLY GONNA BE OVER $100 MILLION.
AND WE WOULD NOT DO UNLESS WE GOT OUTSIDE FUNDING.
SO THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT OUR TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR ALL THESE PROJECTS, IT'S JUST THE TOTAL.
SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS IS HAVE A AND E REALLY LOOK AT THE PROJECT LIST AND MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD ON THAT.
AND HAVE FINANCE, YOU KNOW, VICTOR IS AND HIS TEAM ARE GONNA DO SOME REALLY THOUGHTFUL WORK WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO DO FIVE YEAR LONG TERM FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS.
AND WHAT THAT WILL ALLOW US TO DO IS KIND OF MERGE BOTH OF THOSE AND LET COUNCIL LOOK AT, OKAY, NOT ONLY WHAT PROJECTS DO WE NEED THIS YEAR, BUT HOW DO WE MAKE THE BIG PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO THAT'S ALL WORK THAT'S COMING OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE TODAY, THE SHEET YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, ALL OF THE 2021 PROJECTS HAVE FUNDING DEDICATED TO THEM.
UM, THE PROJECTS THAT YOU SEE BEYOND 2021, UM, DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE FUNDING.
UM, AND THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY GONNA BE DONE IN THE YEAR THAT YOU SEE ON THE SHEET.
THIS WAS OUR BEST GUESS CURRENTLY WISHFUL THINKING.
THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL WORK ON WITH COUNCIL.
UNDERSTAND, CERTAINLY IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY A WISH WISHLIST, BUT YOU HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING ON PAPER WITH, WITH SOME KIND OF ESTIMATE MM-HMM
AND THAT'S OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
WHAT WE'LL DO IS REALLY KIND OF REFINE THIS.
UM, I THINK THE NEXT, NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET WILL, YOU KNOW, SHOW WHAT'S ACTUALLY POSSIBLE HERE IN THESE OUT YEARS.
I WOULD LIKE TO 0.1 OUT, JUST, JUST, UH, UH, IN DRAINAGE, YOU KNOW, I THINK SINCE, SINCE MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR WITH E EMAILED AND SO ON THE PART, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, UM, AND SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS TOO WITH THE, THE DRAINAGE TASK FORCE MEETINGS AND SO ON, AND SOME IN PARTICULAR, SOME HOT SPOTS OR LOW SPOTS.
REALLY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK THEY'VE BEEN A REMARKABLE JOB OF TRYING TO ADDRESS KEVIN HARVILLE AND ALL THE CREWS FRANK SIMO WITH TRYING TO ADDRESS SOME, SOME, UH, SOME DRAINAGE ISSUES.
MIDDLETON, UH, AND EVEN IN DISTRICT THREE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WERE, WE WENT AND KIND OF DID A KIND OF A MACRO LOOK AT THESE HOTSPOTS, BUT I LIKE, I'M ASSUMING A MACRO LOOK AT IT, BUT AT THE MACRO LEVEL, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL SOME, SOME LARGER SCALE STUFF.
WE'RE DOING A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT ON WEST TEXAS AVENUE.
UM, I WANT PARTICULARLY POINT OUT, I KNOW MYSELF AND COUNCILMAN HESSEL, UH, WE MET WITH SOME FOLKS IN, IN THE DINA AREA AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS, THERE, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES SOME, SOME ENGINEERING AND IT TAKES SOME LOOKS AT IT.
OBVIOUSLY IT TAKES SOME DOLLARS TO GO AND, AND, AND ADDRESS THESE THINGS.
SO WE ARE AWARE, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S ALWAYS TIME AND FUNDING AND, UH, WE, WE TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE, BUT IT WAS A REALLY GOOD COUPLE OF FOLKS THAT WE, THAT WE TALKED TO.
AND SO WE JUST WANT TO TO, TO LET THEM KNOW, YOU KNOW, UH, I THINK THIS EVENTUALLY WILL BE IN A SENSE MORE WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN GO IN AND REALLY LOOK AT SOME OF, SOME OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT'LL BE MADE.
LIKE, WHERE, WHERE ARE YOUR TAX DOLLARS GOING? AND, AND THIS IS EXACTLY, THIS IS A ONE BIG LIST WHEN IT COMES TO INFRASTRUCTURE OF WHERE, WHERE IT'S GOING.
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY, REALLY GOOD AND, AND WHAT CITIZENS WILL SEE NEXT YEAR.
AND I'M GONNA SHOW, SHOWCASE THE MAP TO COUNCIL HERE AT THE END.
UM, WHAT CITIZENS WILL SEE NEXT YEAR AND KIND OF A FULLY FLESHED OUT CIP IS NOT JUST THE LIST OF PROJECTS, BUT THE ACTUAL DETAIL, SORT OF WHAT I'M GONNA SHOW YOU TONIGHT.
UM, THEY WILL SEE THAT IN AN ACTUAL CIP BOOK.
SO IN THE FUTURE, YOU WON'T JUST HAVE YOUR BUDGET THAT YOU'LL ADOPT, YOU'LL, YOU'LL ALSO ADOPT AN ACTUAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM.
UM, THAT'S A HUMONGOUS UNDERTAKING.
IT COULD NOT BE DONE BY THIS YEAR.
UM, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON WITH Y'ALL OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS TO KIND OF GET THAT
[01:15:01]
READY FOR NEXT YEAR.SO THIS ALSO GONNA HELP US WHEN, WHEN THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, MATCHING OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND OTHER THINGS.
THIS IS, THIS IS GONNA BE HELPFUL.
SO, AND I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA GO PROJECT BY PROJECT.
AND A NUMBER OF 'EM THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE ARE US DOING DESIGN WORK.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE WILL GET POTENTIAL MATCHING MONEY IS TO DO THAT DESIGN WORK.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN WEAK ON IN THE PAST, AND WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY STRENGTHEN THAT.
'CAUSE THERE IS OTHER MONEY OUT THERE MM-HMM
UM, BUT YOU CAN'T JUST GO AND SAY, HEY, WE REALLY WANT THIS.
YOU REALLY NEED TO SHOW A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT.
SO, UM, AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION OF PROJECTS, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT BETTER BAYTOWN AND BAYTOWN ENGAGE, WHICH IS A NEW PROGRAM THAT WE'LL BE ROLLING OUT AND WE WILL REALLY TIE INTO OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM.
SO I WANNA START WITH THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS, AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE PROJECTS IN THREE CATEGORIES, EITHER IN DESIGN, AND THIS IS OVER THE COURSE OF FISCAL YEAR 21.
SO, UH, FROM THIS OCTOBER TO NEXT SEP SEPTEMBER, IT'S PRIMARILY GONNA BE IN DESIGN OR PRIMARILY IN CONSTRUCTION, OR WE'RE SEEKING OUTSIDE FUNDING.
UM, AND I'LL TALK THROUGH KIND OF THE SPECIFICS ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS.
SO FIRST ONE IS SOUTH MAIN DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.
WON'T TALK MUCH ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT DID COME TO COUNCIL, UM, A COUPLE MEETINGS AGO THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, THE LOW BID WENT TO ANGEL BROTHERS TO DO PHASE ONE.
UH, AND WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE THE MONEY TO DO PHASE TWO.
THAT ONE IS ACTUALLY IN DESIGN.
SO WE'LL CONSTRUCT PHASE ONE THIS YEAR, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO PHASE TWO FOLLOWING THAT.
BUT IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, SAY SOMETHING AND, AND STOP ME.
LINCOLN CEDARS, UH, THIS IS ANOTHER ONE WE GOT A-C-D-B-G GRANT FOR, AND IT WILL BE IN CONSTRUCTION THIS YEAR.
THIS IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT, UM, CALLED KIND OF A, A, A DOUBLE WHAMMY IN A, IN A POSITIVE WAY.
SO WE HAVE IT LISTED AS A DRAINAGE PROJECT, BUT THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS WILL BE RECONSTRUCTED.
SO YOU CAN ALSO PUT IT ON THE, ON THE STREET LIST AS WELL.
UM, BUT ALL OF THE, UM, DITCHES WILL BE, UH, FILLED.
WE'LL, WE WILL REPLACE THE STREETS WITH CONCRETE STREETS.
UM, THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS PRETTY CONTINUOUS FLOODING ISSUES AND MM-HMM
UM, FORTUNATELY WE WERE ABLE TO GET A-C-D-B-G GRANT FOR THIS JULIAN VILLA.
UM, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN BOTH OF THOSE PROJECTS LISTED TOGETHER.
UM, 'CAUSE THEY WERE UNDER THE, THE SAME, UM, GRANT HARVEY GRANT, UM, THIS IS NOT QUITE AS EXTENSIVE, UH, AS LINCOLN CEDARS, BUT THERE WILL BE, UM, SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, IMPROVE THE UNDERGROUND DRAINAGE.
THERE'LL BE A NEW DRAINAGE OUTFALL, SOME PAVING IMPROVEMENTS, AND THEN REGRADING OF, OF ANOTHER DRAINAGE DITCH.
UM, THIS IS FUNDED AND WILL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION THIS NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND, AND SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DRAINAGE AND, AND KIND OF A VARIETY OF INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES CITYWIDE.
SO Y'ALL MAY NOT BE AWARE OF ALL OF THESE, WHICH IS WHY WE KIND OF WANTED TO GO PROJECT BY PROJECT.
UM, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT CAME UP, UH, THAT REALLY IMPACTS BOTH OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
YOU SEE TRAIL WOOD ON THE LEFT THERE AND THEN, UH, BAYOU OAKS ON THE NORTH OR ON THE, THE TOP THERE.
AND THAT AREA IN BLUE DRAINS NATURALLY TO CARRIES BAYOU, BUT YOU CAN SEE IT'S, IT'S INTERRUPTED.
UM, AND SO WE NEED TO COME UP WITH SOME IMPROVEMENTS, UH, TO RELIEVE SOME FLOODING IN BOTH OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO WE WILL, WE'LL DO THAT CONSTRUCTION HERE THIS YEAR.
WEST TEXAS, I MENTIONED THIS A LITTLE BIT AGO.
WE DID A PHASE ONE, UH, RIGHT THERE BY THE OAK TREE.
AND PHASE TWO, IF WE CAN GET THE, UH, LOW TO NO INTEREST LOAN FROM TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD WOULD INCLUDE NOT ONLY, UM, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE UNDERGROUND DRAINAGE, UM, UPSIZING THOSE LINES, BUT ALSO, UH, RECONSTRUCTING TEXAS AVENUE ALONG THOSE TWO BLOCKS.
SO THIS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT WOULD BE KIND OF A, A DOUBLE WHAMMY IN A GOOD WAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GET GOOD STREET RECONSTRUCTION OUT OF IT AND MAKE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A POSITIVE.
IF WE DON'T GET THAT MONEY, LIKE I SAID, WE DO HAVE SOME CASH AVAILABLE IN STORMWATER THAT WE CAN MAKE SOME OTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO DRAINAGE IN THAT AREA.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN A HUGE RAIN EVENT YET.
UM, WE'VE HAD SOME MODEST RAIN EVENTS AND SO FAR THE, THE PHASE ONE IMPROVEMENTS HAVE HELD UP REALLY WELL.
UM, WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT HAPPENS DURING A YEAH.
HEAVY RAIN EVENT TO SEE IF IT, IT HOLDS UP.
BUT SO, SO FAR SO GOOD ON THAT PROJECT.
SO DANINA AREA, UM, THIS ONE IN THE NEXT ONE IN WEST BAYTOWN, WE DO NOT HAVE FUNDING FOR TODAY.
THESE WERE TWO PROJECTS THAT CAME OUT OF THE STORMWATER
[01:20:01]
MASTER PLAN.UM, WE ASKED, UH, THAT CONSULTANT TO COME UP WITH PROJECTS THAT COULD, UH, POTENTIALLY COMPETE FOR CDBG GRANTS, UH, FOR HARVEY.
UM, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MENTIONED THIS A LITTLE BIT AGO.
A LOT OF MEETINGS WITH THE RESIDENTS OUT THERE.
UM, THERE ARE FLOODING ISSUES.
WE, WE DO NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO ADDRESS 'EM.
UM, THIS WOULD BE A LARGE SCALE IMPROVEMENT TO THAT AREA.
UM, AND SO WE'LL SEE IF WE GET THE FUNDING, GREAT.
IF WE DON'T, THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND, AND SEE WHAT OTHER LOWER COST, UH, IMPROVEMENTS MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.
'CAUSE THIS IS A, A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT COST FOR THIS PROJECT.
IT'S REALLY KIND OF AN AREA DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
NOTHING THAT WE COULD FUND JUST OURSELVES, UM, AS A CITY.
AND SO WE'RE ALSO, UH, SEEKING A CDB GEW GRANT FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND SAME THING, IF WE DON'T GET THE MONEY, WE'LL LOOK TO SEE WHAT SMALLER IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE IN ADDITION TO THE ONES THAT WE'VE BEEN MAKING THE PAST FEW YEARS.
SO AS I MENTIONED, THIS LIST BY NEXT YEAR WILL PROBABLY GROW A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE HAVE QUITE A FEW FACILITIES THAT ARE IN CONSTRUCTION.
UH, FIRST ONE OR WILL BE IN CONSTRUCTION CITIZENS BANK.
UH, Y'ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROJECT, UH, WILL BE, UH, CONVERTING THE EXISTING BANK INTO UTILITY BILLING.
UM, YOU SEE KIND OF A LITTLE SKETCH, UM, ON THE SCREEN THERE.
UH, THIS HAS GOT A, A VARIETY OF SOURCES.
IT HAD SOME INITIAL FUNDING FROM MDD AND THEN WE'LL BE FINISHING THE FUNDING THIS YEAR THROUGH GENERAL FUND AND WATER AND SEWER, CIP CASH PUBLIC SAFETY.
ANOTHER ONE THAT Y'ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, UM, FUNDED THROUGH THE, UH, ENTERPRISE EDA.
AND, UM, NOTHING MUCH TO ADD TO THIS EXCEPT THAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING THE CONSTRUCTION HERE IN FISCAL YEAR 21.
BAYLAN ISLAND HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER.
ANOTHER ONE, NOT MUCH TO SAY ON THIS ONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU ALL IN THE MDD IN EARLY 2021 TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT THE, THE PATH FORWARD.
UM, BUT THE PLAN RIGHT NOW IS TO DO THE CONSTRUCTION OR AT LEAST START THE CONSTRUCTION IN FY 21 ANIMAL SERVICES AND ADOPTION CENTER.
UH, THIS WILL BE THE ONE THAT STARTS THE SOONEST.
UM, WE'LL BE STARTING ON STARTING CONSTRUCTION ON THIS PROJECT VERY SOON.
AND, UM, TOTALLY NEW FACILITY.
AND IT'S, I THINK GONNA BE A, UM, YOU KNOW, A REALLY POSITIVE PROJECT AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 21.
THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES CENTER.
THIS WAS ACTUALLY A PROJECT THAT WAS FUNDED IN THE CURRENT BUDGET.
UM, IT'S SOME, SOME MINOR RENOVATIONS TO THE, THIS IS WHERE PUBLIC WORKS IN ENGINEERING ARE LOCATED, UH, RIGHT DOWN THE STREET.
UM, WE DO NEED SOME SPACE FOR, UH, ADDITIONAL STAFF.
WE'RE AT COMPLETELY AT CAPACITY BEYOND CAPACITY RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT'LL ADD A BREAK AREA, UH, RELOCATE A CONFERENCE ROOM, AND PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANTLY MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HVAC SYSTEM ON THAT SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
UM, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, DUE TO COVID-19 ISSUES, WE DECIDED TO HOLD ON THIS AND JUST, UM, USE IT AS SAVINGS DURING THIS YEAR.
SO THIS IS BASICALLY ADDING IT BACK INTO THE BUDGET NEXT YEAR.
SO, UM, CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, UH, WHAT THIS WOULD BE IS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A STATION OUT IN CHAMBERS COUNTY, UH, LOCATION TO DETERMINE, UH, THAT WOULD SERVICE, UH, INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL AND, AND RESIDENTIAL NEEDS.
PRETTY MUCH PRIMARILY OUTSIDE OF, OF CITY LIMITS, UH, BUT WITHIN THE CITY'S ETJ AND CHAMBERS COUNTY.
SO, UM, CHIEF CAN CAN TALK A LOT MORE ABOUT THIS, BUT THE, WHEN OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES AGREEMENTS WERE INITIALLY SET UP WITH CCIS ONE, TWO, AND THREE, IT WAS, UM, A NICE REVENUE SOURCE FOR THE CITY AND WE DIDN'T HAVE MANY CALLS FOR SERVICE AT THIS POINT.
WE'RE GETTING UP TO ENOUGH CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT IT'S PULLING OUR UNITS OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS.
AND SO THE, THE RISK INSIDE CITY LIMITS IS BECOMING AN ISSUE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
SO THERE'S ENOUGH CUSTOMERS OUT THERE THAT WE BELIEVE THERE'S A WAY FOR THAT STATION TO BE FUNDED WITHOUT CITY OF BAYTOWN TAXPAYERS FUNDING IT AND OPERATING IT.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON HERE IN THE COMING
[01:25:01]
YEAR.ALL OF THOSE AGREEMENTS EXPIRE IN JUNE OF 2021.
SO, UM, ALL, ALL THE AGREEMENTS.
SO IN THE AGREEMENTS, THERE'S, THERE'S THERE, THERE'S FUNDING THAT, THAT THEY DO PROVIDE, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND WHAT IS THAT TOTAL IN A GENERAL, DO Y'ALL HAVE AN IDEA WHAT THAT TOTAL MAY BE THIS YEAR? YES.
SO THIS YEAR THE, THE TOTAL FUNDING FOR THE THREE CC IDS IS ABOUT 600,000 BUCKS.
THAT DOESN'T GO FAR FOR A NEW FIRE STATION.
YOU HAVE THE, WELL, YOU HAVE THE, THE STATION AND THEN YOU HAVE THE OPERATIONAL COST.
NO, AND, AND WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THE, THE EXISTING INCOME WILL NOT DO IT.
THE EXISTING AGREEMENTS ARE NOT, UM, UM, NOT TO THE LEVEL OF THE SERVICE THAT THEY'RE GETTING, UH, FOR THE PROTECTION THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING.
THAT AMOUNT OF PAYMENT IS, IS REALLY NOT ADEQUATE.
AND SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS LOOK AT EITHER REDOING THEIR, THEIR ESAS AT A HIGHER LEVEL OR POTENTIALLY DOING AN EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT.
SO IF, YOU KNOW, NORTH OF I 10, UM, ALL OF THE AREAS OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS RECEIVE CITY OF BAYTOWN FIRE SERVICE.
THEY'RE IN EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT 75, UM, AND THEY JUST PAY THE CITY, UH, CONTRACTED FOR THE SERVICE.
SO THAT'D BE ANOTHER OPTION IS LOOKING AT DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT MAKES, IT MAKES SOME A LOT MORE SENSE.
SO THIS YEAR WOULD BE BASICALLY DOING, DOING THE STUDY OF HOW, HOW COULD IT BE PAID FOR.
UM, AND WHAT LEVEL OF SERVICE DO THOSE INDUSTRIES WANT OUT THERE TO GIVE YOU KIND OF A ROUND IDEA? I THINK THE LAST TIME I TALKED TO THE CHIEF, WHAT WE'RE GETTING RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT 20% OF WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO FULLY STAFF EQUIP AND, AND RUN A FIRE STATION.
AND ONE THING THAT THEY HAVE GOING FOR THEM OUT IN TERMS OF AN ESD, IS THE FACT THAT THEIR BASE IS BROADENING AT SUCH A RATE THAT ACTUALLY THE, IT, IT COULD, WE HAVEN'T RUN THE NUMBERS, UH, ALTOGETHER YET, BUT IT, IT COULD BE VERY FEASIBLE FOR THEM TO COME TOGETHER AND FUND THAT HIGHER LEVEL OF, OF FIRE SERVICE.
AND, AND IF STATION EIGHT WAS BUILT, WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO, UM, I GUESS UTILIZE THE ISO ONE RATING OF OUR PROGRAM ITSELF? WELL, YES.
SO THERE COULD BE SOME SAVINGS, I WOULD ASSUME TO SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
DO THEY GET OKAY, THAT'S WHAT MM-HMM
SO THIS WOULD BE PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, CHAMBERS COUNTY MUD THREE, WHICH Y'ALL APPROVE THAT AGREEMENT ON A FEW MONTHS BACK.
UM, THEY'VE REQUESTED OUR SERVICE AND SO THEY WOULD POTENTIALLY BE IN THE ESD, THE RESIDENTIAL IN CHAMBERS COUNTY MUD ONE RIGHT NOW, IF THEY DON'T GET ANNEXED INTO THE CITY, UM, RIGHT NOW THEY RECEIVE MONT BELLEVUE VOLUNTEER PROTECTION AND IT'S, HOW MANY MILES IS THAT STATION AWAY? ABOUT FIVE
YEAH, IT'S ABOUT FIVE MILES AWAY.
SO THAT'S NOT THE GREATEST LEVEL OF SERVICE.
WE HAVE A STATION LITERALLY RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THEM.
UM, SO IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR THEM TO JOIN THAT ESD, BUT, SO THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS HERE MOVING FORWARD, BUT THIS IS JUST KIND OF GETTING IT ON THE RADAR THAT IT'S A, A PROJECT HERE MOVING FORWARD.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, MAYOR.
UM, SINCE WE'RE BRINGING UP IO ONE, AND I'M, I'M GLAD TO SEE THIS IS IN HERE FOR FAR EIGHT, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE GOTTEN THE REPORT BACK FOR, UM, THE SERVICE.
I THINK IT STANDARD OF COVER, YES.
BUT IF THEY COME BACK AND SAY, OKAY, WE, WE NEED TO MOVE THIS HOUSE OR THAT HOUSE FURTHER, OR THIS ONE NEEDS TO MAKE SO MANY AMENDMENTS OR, UH, ADJUSTMENTS.
I, I DIDN'T REALLY SEE, I MEAN, WHAT TIMELINE ARE WE GIVEN TO MAKE ANY UPGRADES? BECAUSE I KNOW I DIDN'T SEE ANY IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE REPORT YET, I'M ASSUMING, BUT WHAT IF SOMETHING CAME BACK OF OUR EXISTING STATIONS RIGHT.
FOR EXISTING STATIONS? SO THE, THE IDEA THAT I'VE HAD IN MIND FOR A WHILE IS, AGAIN, YOU REMEMBER WE SAW THAT DEBT KIND OF COMING OFF.
AND IT, IT'S REALLY A STRATEGY OF REUTILIZING CURRENT DEBT SERVICE TO MM-HMM.
AND I THINK IN, IN, IN A FEW YEARS, IT WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO ADDRESS THOSE, UH, THOSE STATIONS MM-HMM
IN TERMS OF THESE NEW STATIONS THAT WOULD NOT COME OUT OF OUR EXISTING, UH, CAPACITY.
CHIEF YOU WANNA TALK TO? YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA MENTION ON THE STANDARD OF COVER, UM, IT, IT'S BEEN A LITTLE SLOW GOING, UH, WORKING THROUGH THE DATA NOW WITH COVID AND ALL OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET THAT, THAT COMPONENT COMPLETE.
AND WHEN THAT DOCUMENT'S DONE, THAT'LL GIVE US AN IDEA, A GENERAL IDEA OF, UH, OUR CURRENT STATION LOCATIONS AND HOW THEY FIT INTO WHERE THE DEMAND IS.
SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF FUTURE PLANS ON IF WE'RE GONNA REBUILD AND WOULD WE SHIFT THE STATION TO ANOTHER LOCATION.
OBVIOUSLY OUR, OUR, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST NEEDS RIGHT NOW IS, UH, STATION TWO, SIMPLY BECAUSE, UM, IT REALLY DOESN'T FIT THE APPARATUS AND THE PERSONNEL IS TOO SMALL.
[01:30:01]
YEAH.COULD BE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE KEEP IT, WE RE UH, REBUILD RIGHT THERE, BUT RIGHT.
WE'LL HAVE, AND I KNEW THAT WE HAD BEEN WAITING ON THE REPORT AND SO IT, IT'S BEEN DELAYED AND I KNOW IT'S NOT ANYTHING ON YOUR END CHIEF
ALRIGHT, SO MOVING ON TO PARKS AND RECREATION.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS IN DESIGN AND IN CONSTRUCTION.
SO RUSSELL PARK, UM, THE KIND OF THE SITE PREP AND THE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, THIS IS ONE THAT WILL BE IN DESIGN IN FY 21.
UM, AND IT'S REALLY KIND OF DESIGNING OUT WHAT ARE THE PREPARATIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE NEEDED, WHETHER IT'S SITE GRADING, DETENTION, UTILITIES, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF THAT INITIAL ROADWAY CONSTRUCTION, UH, WITHIN THE PARK.
UM, WE'LL ALSO COORDINATE WITH THE EQUESTRIAN PROJECT THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE IF ANY OF THOSE THINGS OVERLAP THAT WE'VE GOT KIND OF THOSE TWO COORDINATED TOGETHER.
AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE PARK IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE IN, IN DESIGN IN 21, KIND OF GETTING IT READY FOR FUNDING IN 22, REPLACEMENT OF THE CONCESSION STAND, UPDATING THE RESTROOMS TO MEET CURRENT STANDARDS AND ALSO RECONSTRUCTING THE PRESS BOX.
MAKE SURE THIS, IF THERE'S ANY OTHER A DA, UH, STANDARDS THAT NEED TO BE MET, THAT WE MEET THOSE, THIS IS PROBABLY THE PROJECT.
IF WE HAD EXTRA MONEY, UH, THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE LIKE THE NEXT ONE ON THE LIST THAT WE WOULD WANT TO FUND.
UM, ANYBODY WHO'S BEEN OUT THERE KNOWS IT'S TIME TO DO THIS.
UM, SO IF SOMEHOW WE HAVE A MAGIC TREE THAT GIVES US AN EXTRA MILLION DOLLARS, UM, THIS IS, WE'LL FIND A TREE, RICK, GIMME THAT TREE, THEN YOU GO FIND ANOTHER TREE
DEPENDS ON WHAT KIND OF TREE
ANYWAY, SO WE, WE WOULD TRY AND MOVE THIS UP IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO.
CHANDLER ARBORETUM BEEN A DISCUSSION FOR A WHILE NOW AND, UM, IT'S REALLY TIME TO GET IT STARTED.
AND SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IN FY 21 IS START WITH JUST THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, WHICH IS KIND OF SAYING, OKAY, WHAT'S THE RIGHT SITE? UM, YOU KNOW, DOING KIND OF THE, THE INITIAL BASIC ENGINEERING TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS GONNA BE? UM, ANY PROJECT OF THIS TYPE, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY NEED TO START WITH THAT PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.
UM, AND THAT'LL KIND OF DICTATE HOW THINGS MOVE FORWARD.
SO THIS IS, OUR PLANS ARE, ARE ALSO TO HAVE SOMETHING CEREMONIAL, UH, FOR MRS. CHANDLER, UH, IN TERMS OF SHOWING A DESIGN AND HAVING KIND OF A LITTLE KICKOFF, UH, BEFORE WE START INTO THIS ALSO.
THAT'S, THAT'S PART AND PARCEL TO THIS WHOLE THING.
NO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S GREAT.
UM, SO, BUT I'M LOOK IN HERE ON THE MAP IT SAYS CHANDLER PARK, I, I MEAN I SEE THE ARBORETUM, BUT THEN I SEE THERE'S A, A GREEN STAR AR YEAH, YEAH.
SO Y'ALL JUST RE HAS IT BEEN RENAMED ON? NO.
SO WHAT IS, AND THAT'S WHY WE DO A PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING BECAUSE
THIS, THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS JUST ONE THING.
SO CHANDLER ARBORETUM, THE LAND IS NOWHERE NEAR HERE THAT WAS CONVEYED TO THE CITY.
SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THESE TWO.
SO PLEASE SOMEBODY EXPLAIN THAT TO ME.
BUT THIS MAKES MORE SENSE FOR AN ARBORETUM THAN THE LAND THAT WAS DONATED MANY YEARS AGO.
THE, UH, THE RIDGE, THE, THE PROPERTY THAT THEY GAVE US 50 ACRES OR SO IS OFF OF CEDAR, CEDAR VALLEY, LYNCHBURG LANDER, IT'S CROSBY, I THINK IT'S CROSBY, CEDAR VALLEY, CRO CROSBY, ONE OF THOSE UP THERE.
AND IT'S VERY NARROW, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT RIGHT.
PIECE OF PROPERTY TO WORK WITH ON THIS.
UM, WHEN THE, WE, WHEN THE LITTLE LEAGUES MOVED OUT OF HERE, UM, THIS IS A BETTER SPOT AND IT'D BE PART OF THE INSIDE OF THE NATURE CENTER AND, UM, SO WE CAN KIND OF CONTROL THE GROWTH AND ALL OF THAT.
SO, UM, IT'LL BE ARBORETUM'S HERE.
I THINK THE OTHER WILL BE JUST CHANDLER PARK.
IT IT, IT'S WAY MORE PRUDENT THAN, THAN WHERE THE LAND THAT WAS DONATED, UM, WHERE IT'S LOCATED.
SO LET ME ASK, WITH, WITH THE FOOTPRINT OF CHANDLER PARK, THAT WOULD, WOULD THAT LEAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR POSSIBLE RELOCATION OF OTHER CITY, CURRENT CITY FACILITIES THERE? YES.
IT'LL STILL BE PROBABLY, IT'S, IT WAS DONATED TO CHANDLER ARBORETUM AND PARK, SO WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO DO SOME NAME CHANGE, BUT, BUT THE FAMILY, THE CHANDLER FAMILY IS, IS GOOD WITH MOVING, UH, THE PROJECT TO HERE.
[01:35:01]
PART WILL PROBABLY BE CHANDLER GEORGE AND FREE TO CHANDLER PARK.AND, AND SO MAY I ASK, SO THE SOONER THE BETTER, RIGHT? SO WHAT, WHAT, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING NICK ABOUT HAVING SOME KIND OF, SOME KIND OF EVENT.
I MEAN, WHEN WOULD WE FORESEE THAT WE CAN DO IT? JUST ABOUT ANY TIME.
I THINK IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DAUGHTER AND THE SON, UH, I WANNA MAKE THAT SENSE FALLS LIKE A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR HER.
SO MS. CHANDLER CAN SHOW I, I HAVEN'T SEEN HER IN A WHILE, BUT, BUT YES.
AND IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS, PART OF THIS WAS MORE OR LESS A LAND SWAP THAT LONG STRIP OUT NORTH OF TOWN TO SOMETHING THAT'S MORE REASONABLE? NO, I THINK IT'S WAY BETTER.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT STRIP NORTH OF TOWN LINES UP PERFECT WITH, UH, EITHER A THURSDAY MAKING A PARK OR THERE'S A THOROUGHFARE THAT COMES THROUGH THERE THAT GOES TO THE OTHER SIDE OF CEDAR BOW.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, IN TALKING WITH, UH, DR. O'BRIEN, THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE SAME DEAL THEY HAVE WITH THE WETLANDS THERE FOR CLASSES TO SHOW UP THERE AND DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THEY DO WANT TO HELP OUT AND CONTRIBUTE.
AND LEE COLLEGE HAS SOME INTEREST, BUT HAVEN'T GOT A COMMITMENT FROM THEM YET.
I MEAN, WHEN I, WHEN I SAW THIS, WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THAT ARBORETUM IN A LONG TIME AND THAT'S WHY WHEN IT CAME UP I WAS WONDERING WHAT, WHAT THE, WHAT THE, WHAT, WHAT WAS THE INITIATED THIS, SO THAT'S FINE.
I TALKED, I DID TALK TO STEVE CHANDLER RIGHT BEFORE, ACTUALLY THE WEEK BEFORE EVERYTHING STOPPED.
THE WORLD STOPPED BACK IN MARCH AND, UH, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL THINGS ABOUT THIS AND, UH, I HAVEN'T TALKED TO HIM SINCE.
'CAUSE EVERY JUST, NOTHING'S HAPPENED SINCE, BUT I WILL CONTACT HIM SOON.
UM, AGAIN, Y'ALL ARE, ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROJECT, UM, JUST INDICATING THAT IT'LL BE A, A PROJECT IN CONSTRUCTION, UM, AND FY 21 AND WE WILL TRY AND GET SOME MONEY BACK FROM FEMA.
AGAIN, WE'RE NOT BANKING ON IT, BUT WE WILL, WE'LL AT LEAST ATTEMPT TO WHOLE FACILITY.
UH, GINGER CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD PARK AGAIN.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WAS FUNDED OUT OF MDD.
UM, THIS IS JUST INDICATING THAT IT WILL BE A PROJECT THAT WILL BE CONSTRUCTED, UH, DURING THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
SO THIS WAS ONE THAT TYPICALLY WOULD BE A PROJECT FUNDED OUT OF MDD.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT IN THIS UPCOMING MDD BUDGET, BUT AS WE'VE LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF, OF EVENTS, ALL THE MARINA EVENTS THAT ARE GOING ON, AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET AS MUCH OF THE TRAIL DONE AS POSSIBLE AND MAKE IT AS SAFE OF A ROUTE AS WE CAN.
DOING THIS NEXT PHASE IS REALLY CRITICAL.
SO WE WERE, WE'VE, UM, IDENTIFIED SOME FUNDING OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, CIP, UM, TO DO PHASE SEVEN, WHICH IS WHAT YOU SEE IN GREEN.
SO IT'LL TAKE IT FROM BAKER UP TO THE, UH, LITTLE, UH, CORRIDOR THERE TO THE WEST AND THEN CONNECT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THE YELLOW IS WOULD BE THE FINAL PHASE AND WE WILL BE COORDINATING WITH, UM, HARRIS COUNTY.
SO THEY'RE DOING THE CEDAR BIO LYNCHBURG PROJECT.
WE JUST TALKED TO 'EM LAST WEEK.
UM, MADE SURE THAT THAT'S GONNA BE INCORPORATED IN THAT PROJECT.
AND SO IT WILL RUN ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CEDAR BY LYNCHBURG 10 FOOT TRAIL, AND THAT'LL GET PEOPLE SAFELY CONNECTED OVER TO SAN JACINTO BOULEVARD.
THEY CAN CROSS AT THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING THERE, AND THEN THAT'LL BE THE FINAL CONNECTION, TRUE CONNECTION TO THE TRAIL.
I'M STRUGGLING GETTING MY BEARINGS.
SO THE TOP OF THE YELLOW IS SAN JACINTO AND THEN HANGING LIKE A LEFT ON CEDAR BAYOU.
YOU COME SOUTH ON SAN JACINTO AND YOU HIT THE CORRIDOR.
AND THEN WHAT'S THIS LITTLE GREEN ARM THAT SHOOTS OFF? WHAT IS THAT? TO UH, WHICH DIRECTION? TO THE LEFT.
SO THAT CONNECTS OVER TO COUNTRY CLUB CO COVE, I BELIEVE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE'S THE LITTLE ENTRANCE THERE.
SO IT CONNECTS IT OVER TO THAT ENTRANCE AND CONNECTED THE REST OF THAT TRAIL OFF, OR YOU GO DOWN AND THEN WHAT'S THIS LITTLE ARM TO THE RIGHT THAT IS, UM, MANOR DRIVE AND THERE'S A LITTLE CONNECTION.
I'M NOT AS FAMILIAR, BUT THERE'S A LITTLE CONNECTION BETWEEN, THERE'S SOME SIDEWALK CONNECTION THAT'S NEEDED THERE.
AND THEN IT, IT ENDS, WHAT IS THAT RIGHT THERE WHERE IT ENDS? UH, BAKER.
AND FROM THAT POINT TO THE WEST TO EMMETT HU I BELIEVE IT'S ALREADY 10 FOOT SCOTT.
SO THESE ARE THE FINAL, FINAL PIECES NEEDED TO, TO MAKE IT REAL.
SO THE GREEN IS WHAT WE'LL ACTUALLY CONSTRUCT IN FY 21.
[01:40:03]
JENKINS PARK PERFECT TRAIL.UM, ALSO HAD THIS DISCUSSION IN MDD.
UH, JUST WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE, UH, MAP ON THE SCREEN OF WHAT THAT PROJECT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
UM, AND, UH, I KNOW THERE WAS THE, THE DISCUSSION ON THE LIGHTING AND, UM, PARKS IS READY TO KIND OF JUMP IN TONIGHT AND TALK ABOUT THAT IF YOU GUYS WANT TO.
THEY'VE KIND OF GOT A COUPLE DIFFERENT SLIDES THAT THEY CAN SHOWCASE.
SO IF YOU WANT, I'LL, I'LL ASK THEM TO, TO COME UP HERE AND RUN THROUGH THIS IMAGE.
AND THEN THE, THE IMAGE OF WHAT THE LIGHTING IS AND WHAT THAT COST IS GONNA LOOK LIKE.
REMEMBER, IT'S AN MDD PROJECT, SO NOT NECESSARILY A DECISION THAT WOULD BE MADE BY COUNSEL, PROBABLY MDD, BUT WE CAN AT LEAST TALK ABOUT THAT HERE.
SO, UH, WHAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU HERE IS WHAT WE, UH, BROUGHT TO MDD.
UM, THERE'S THREE COMPONENTS TO THE PERFECT TRAIL.
IT'S REALLY LIGHTS, CAMERAS, AND SIGNAGE.
THE, UH, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT THE SIGNAGE WENT THROUGHOUT BOTH JENKINS AND DOWN THE TRAIL TO HOLLOWAY.
THE SIGNAGE WAS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WAS A LITTLE OVERLOOKED BEFORE THIS.
UM, TO GIVE YOU LIKE A SAFER FUEL ALONG THE TRAILS.
IT'S GONNA GIVE YOU 9 1 1 LOCATIONS.
IT'S GONNA GIVE YOU MILE MARKERS FOR RUNNERS.
UM, AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO GONNA GO THROUGH AND DO WAVE FINDING, SIGN WITH MAPS EVERY TIME A TRAIL INTERCEPTS, ANOTHER ONE.
DO ALL KINDS OF REALLY COOL STUFF WITH SIGNAGE.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, THERE'S CAMERAS IN THE PARKING LOT AREA, SO YOU CAN SEE WITH THE YELLOW CIRCLES.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THESE, UH, SOLAR LIGHTS.
AND THESE ARE LIKE THE ONE THAT'S OUT THERE NOW.
IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO GO OUT THERE, IT WAS ACTUALLY IN THE NEWSPAPER TODAY TOO.
UM, BUT, UH, BUT THOSE ARE THE SOLAR LIGHTS.
UM, THAT, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT'S HOW EVERYTHING WAS PRESENTED AT, UM, AT MDD.
AND THEN THE, UH, THE NEXT IMAGE HERE, HERE, THIS IS IF WE ADDED, WE, WE WERE ASKED AT MDD TO COME BACK WITH A, WITH A PRICE, UM, TO, UM, TO ADD, UM, LIGHTING FROM THE, UH, WHAT, WHAT WILL BE LIGHTED BY, UM, SOLAR LIGHTS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO HOLLOWAY.
UH, WE, WE REACHED OUT TO BOTH THE, UH, SOLAR PEOPLE AND THE, UM, THE ELECTRICAL AND UH, THE ELECTRICAL PRICE TO RUN EVERYTHING WITH IS, IS HERE ON THE, THE TOP RIGHT OF YOUR SCREEN.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ELECTRIC RAN IN THE GROUND.
UH, IT WAS ACTUALLY CHEAPER THAN PUTTING IN THE SOLAR AFTER, YOU KNOW, CLEARING OUR ROOM AND MAKING SURE THE SOLAR HAD ENOUGH LIGHT AND WIND AND THINGS LIKE THAT AS WELL.
SO, UM, THIS IS, YOU GUYS ASKED THAT HOW MUCH IT WOULD BE TO, TO CONNECT THE TWO TRAILS AND, AND THIS IS WHAT WE FEEL IS THE BEST SOLUTION, CLIFF, IS THAT THE, UH, LONG TRAIL TO HOLLOWAY OR THE SHORT TRAIL FROM JENKINS? DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT, UH, SHORT.
IT'S THE SHORTEST TRAIL TO, TO JENKINS AND HOLLOWAY.
THE, UH, IF YOU NOTICE THOUGH, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE, OF THE, UH, FLOOD CONTROL AREA HAS A FEW SOLAR LIGHTS THERE.
UM, AND THAT'S PART OF THE ORIGINAL PACKAGE.
UM, AND THAT, THAT ORIGINAL PACKAGE INCLUDED THAT 'CAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE LIKE A CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT.
UM, OR LIKE, IT'LL HAVE A BUNCH OF LITTLE THINGS FOR CHILDREN TO DO ALONG THAT LITTLE LIGHTED TRAIL TOO.
SO THIS CONNECT TO THAT AS WELL.
I THINK THIS LIGHTING IS GOING TO BE GREAT.
SO THERE'S A PORTION OF THIS THAT GOES UP NORTH AND MAKES A LOOP AROUND.
THIS'S NOT EVEN GONNA GET ANYTHING, RIGHT? IT'S GONNA GET SIGNAGE, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA GET ANY LIGHTING THOUGH.
WHERE DO YOU LOOK? THE, THE, THE THOUGHT PROCESS TO BEGIN WITH, WITH THE LIGHTING IS TO CREATE A LOOP TRAIL.
UH, SO YOU CAN JOG AT NIGHT AND, UH, WE WERE GONNA USE THAT TO, UH, TEST OUT THE SOLAR LIGHTS AND ALL THAT AS WELL.
JUST DON'T TAKE ROUTE AT NIGHT.
THE EXTENSION WILL GET YOU TO JENKINS PARK, BUT IT WON'T GO ALL THE WAY UP INTO THE TRAILS.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS, IS PRESENTED AS A PILOT PROGRAM, SO WE CAN PILOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY, IF SUCCESSFUL CAN THEN MOVE TO OTHER PARKS AND EVEN EXPAND ON THIS.
RUSSELL PAREX EQUESTRIAN TRAIL.
OKAY, SO THE EQUESTRIAN TRAIL, UM, THIS WOULD BE, UH, ALSO FUNDED OUT OF MDD.
THERE'S NOT A, NOT A TON OF MONEY IN THERE, BUT THIS WOULD BE KIND OF THE, THE INITIAL EQUESTRIAN TRAIL.
IF YOU'VE SEEN THE MASTER PLAN FOR RUSSELL PARK, IT CALLS FOR LIKE A $4 MILLION EQUESTRIAN FACILITY, OBVIOUSLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THAT.
UM,
SO, UM, WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED IN 21, AS I MENTIONED.
WE'LL, WE'LL WANT TO COORDINATE WITH THE OTHER SITE PREP JUST IN CASE THERE'S ANY DRAINAGE ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.
[01:45:01]
THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE, UM, SITE THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN THERE.UM, WE HAVE ENOUGH PROJECTS THAT GOT DESIGNED ON ONE SLIDE AND THEN CONSTRUCTION ON THE OTHER.
SO WE'LL START WITH PROJECTS THAT ARE IN DESIGN.
UM, A LOT OF THESE, UM, WAS MENTIONED EARLIER.
THEY'RE VERY STRATEGIC AND THAT WE NEED TO GET DESIGN GOING TO POTENTIALLY GET OTHER FUNDING DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, THIS ONE IS NOT NECESSARILY THAT EXAMPLE.
UM, THIS ONE WE DO HAVE FUNDING DEDICATED TO IT.
SO THIS IS THE DESIGN FOR GARTH ROAD RECONSTRUCTION AND WIDENING.
UM, WE WILL LOOK TO DESIGN BEYOND PHASES A AND B.
AND THAT IS STRATEGIC IN THAT IF WE CAN GET GOOD COSTS AND GOOD DESIGNS AND GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING, IT ALLOWS US TO MOVE THE PROJECT FURTHER A LITTLE BIT QUICKER.
YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
UH, GINGER CREEK STREET RE RECONSTRUCTION.
SO THIS WAS ON THE LIST TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN FY 22.
SO WE NEED TO DO THE, UM, DESIGN IN FY 21 MARKET STREET REV REVITALIZATION.
UM, REALLY WANT TO TALK THROUGH THIS PROJECT 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK ALL OF COUNCIL HAS HEARD MUCH ABOUT THIS YET.
SO THERE WAS THE MARKET CORRIDOR PLAN, UM, WHAT, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO MAYBE.
AND IT REALLY IDENTIFIED SOME REALLY UNIQUE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT ENTIRE CORRIDOR, UM, THAT COULD IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THIS AREA.
AND SO IN WORKING WITH COMMISSIONER GARCIA, UM, THEY HAVE AGREED TO PARTNER WITH US ON THIS PROJECT.
UH, THE DESIGN WOULD BE SPLIT 50 50 AND THE CONSTRUCTION WOULD BE SPLIT 60% CITY, 40% HARRIS COUNTY.
UM, WE'RE GONNA DO THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING IN FY 21, AND THAT'S A REALLY CRITICAL COMPONENT TO THIS PROJECT BECAUSE THERE'S MANY OPTIONS IN TERMS OF HOW YOU DO A REDESIGN OF, OF MARKET STREET.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO MOVE FORWARD TOO FAST WITHOUT GETTING THE DESIGN RIGHT, BRINGING THE CITIZENS BACK INTO THE, THE CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT KIND OF THE VISION OF THE AREA WOULD BE THAT 2.35 MILE STRETCH FROM BAYWAY ALL THE WAY TO STERLING.
UM, THIS DOES CROSS THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
UM, IT WOULD REALLY REDESIGN MARKET STREET.
AND THE IDEA IS IF YOU LOOK OUT THERE ON A NORMAL DAY, YOU CAN GO MINUTES WITHOUT SEEING A SINGLE CAR PASS BY.
SO IT WAS DESIGNED FOR, UH, A PREVIOUS, UH, GENERATION'S EXPERIENCE ON MARKET, UM, THAT WE DON'T HAVE TODAY.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF RIGHT OF WAY OUT THERE.
SO WE CAN DO SOME UNIQUE THINGS TO MAKE IT MORE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY, BIKE FRIENDLY.
AND SO THAT'S THE IDEA TO INCORPORATE BOTH OF THOSE.
UM, IMPROVE THE AESTHETICS, IMPROVE THE SAFETY.
UM, THE LITTLE CIRCLES YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN WOULD BE CHANGES FROM STREETLIGHTS, UM, FROM TRAFFIC SIGNALS TO ROUNDABOUTS.
SO YOU'D HAVE A ROUNDABOUT AT ERHART, MAINE.
UM, LEE AND TEXAS GOING BACK TO THE ROUNDABOUT AT TEXAS.
UM, AND THOSE REALLY DO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, IT IS SAFER, AND TWO, IT, IT ACTUALLY GIVES YOU A CHANCE TO IMPROVE THE AESTHETIC.
AND SO THIS PROJECT, UH, IT ALSO REVITALIZE THE, THE STREET ITSELF.
UM, THE STREET NEEDS IMPROVEMENTS TODAY.
WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON THE, THE STREET NO MATTER WHAT.
UM, THE OTHER THING THIS PROJECT DOES IS IT WOULD MAKE THE RAILS TO TRAILS IN THIS AREA OF TOWN POSSIBLE.
SO WE ARE WORKING WITH UNION PACIFIC.
THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO GETTING THAT DESIGNATED AS OFFICIALLY ABANDONED.
UM, THEY HAVE CERTAIN TERMINOLOGY THEY USE, BUT THEY HAVE COMMITTED THAT TO US.
AND SO THIS WOULD FUND THE ACTUAL TEARING OUT OF THE, THE TRACKS, UM, GETTING THE CROSSINGS THAT ARE OVER THE ROAD TAKEN OUT, UM, AND TURNING ALL OF THAT INTO A TRAIL.
THAT'S THE AREA THAT YOU SEE IN YELLOW ON THE SCREEN THAT INCLUDE THE BRIDGE OVER GOOSE CREEK, UH, OVER GOOSE CREEK.
SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE TRAIL.
WILL YOU CORRECT THE BRIDGE? WE NEED IT.
UNLESS WANNA SWIM? UM, THIS WOULD TAKE US ALL THE WAY TO THE GRAND PARKWAY.
I THINK THE IDEA LONG TERM AND UP HAS ALREADY ABANDONED THE STUFF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF GRAND PARKWAY, BUT THAT BRIDGE WAS TAKEN OUT.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACTUALLY GET ACROSS GRAND PARKWAY AT THIS POINT.
BUT SLINGSHOT, THIS PROJECT WOULD JUST TAKE ZIP, TAKE US TWO GRAND PARKWAY, GOOD ZIPLINE OPPORTUNITY AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET IT FIGURED OUT FROM THERE.
SO THIS IS A, THIS REALLY IS A GAME CHANGING PROJECT FOR THIS SIDE OF THE COMMUNITY.
[01:50:01]
TOOK MANY YEARS TO GET TO THIS POINT.IT'S, AND, AND IT REALLY CAME OUT OF THE VISION OF, OF THE CITIZENS WHO, WHO PUT IN THEIR INPUT.
UM, WE'LL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH LEE COLLEGE, WITH GOOSE CREEK.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY SOME FACILITIES RIGHT NEAR HERE, UM, NEAR ONE OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS THAT, UM, WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS TYPE OF PROJECT.
IN FACT, UM, HOPEFULLY AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING WE'LL HAVE THE FIRST AGREEMENT WITH HARRIS COUNTY TO DO THE DESIGN.
UM, SO WE'VE, WE HAVE PLUGGED IN SOME MONEY, NOT ONLY FOR THE DESIGN, BUT FOR PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION END OF THIS BUDGET.
UM, BUT MORE TO COME ON THIS AND WE WILL, UH, BE HEAVILY INVOLVING CITIZENS IN THE DESIGN AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THIS.
WHEN DID WE GET THE FINAL, OR WHEN DID WE GET THE, UH, KIND OF THE CLEARANCE FROM UP ON THE ABANDONMENT? WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE CLEARANCE YET.
THEY'VE COMMITTED, THEY KNOW THAT THIS PROJECT IS BECOMING REAL.
AND SO WE HAVE MET, WE'LL SAY, WELL, I KNOW WE STARTED TALKING.
WE'VE NOT ONLY MET IN PERSON, BUT THEY'RE YEAH.
THEY'RE, THEY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE.
WE STARTED TALKING TO 'EM TWO CITY MANAGERS AGO WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL.
SO WHAT THEY IN 2013? SO WHAT THEY DECIDED TO DO WAS FOCUS ON THAT SOUTHERN PIECE ACROSS GRAND PARKWAY FIRST.
THEY DID ABANDON THAT SECTION.
UM, AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA COME ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE NOW.
I THINK IT, IT WILL MOVE FORWARD.
IT APPEARS LIKE EVEN THOUGH THEY WILL, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THEY'LL LIKELY EVER USE IT.
THEY GET REALLY CAUTIOUS ABOUT YEAH.
'CAUSE THEY'VE, THEY'VE TAKEN AWAY THEIR ACCESS OTHER SIDE.
BRIDGE CALLED, SO, I MEAN, LITTLE THINGS HAD A FALL IN IT.
IT'S MORE JUST PROCEDURAL AT THIS POINT.
THEY HAVE A PROCESS WITH THE GOVERNMENT TO GO THROUGH.
THEY'RE ALWAYS VERY RELUCTANT TO ABANDON LINE.
THEY DON THEY DON'T LIKE TO USE THAT TERMINOLOGY.
AND THERE'S, THEY RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REUTILIZE.
IT IS A VERY UNIQUE, I, I'M REALLY FASCINATED, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NUMBER OF TRACKS THAT WENT THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS IN BOTH OF YOUR DISTRICTS IS DOWN THE STREETS.
BUT, UM, IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE REALLY NEAT GETTING THOSE TAKEN UP.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CROSSINGS THAT ARE STILL THERE THAT ARE JUST UGLY AND THEY WON'T TAKE OUT ANY OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE UNTIL IT'S FULLY ABANDONED.
SO, CEDAR BIO LYNCHBURG, UH, THIS IS A COUNTY PROJECT, BUT IT'S OF GREAT INTEREST TO US.
SO WE HAVE, UH, TAKEN A LITTLE MORE ACTIVE ROLE ON IT.
THIS WOULD RECONSTRUCT AND WIDEN THE ROADWAY ALL THE WAY FROM GARTH TO WADE ROAD FROM TWO TO FOUR LANES WITH THE CENTER TURN LANE.
UM, AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, FROM GARTH TO SAN JACINTO BOULEVARD, IT WOULD HAVE THE 10 FOOT TRAIL ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE.
UM, THEY'RE CURRENTLY DOING THEIR PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.
THEY HAVE INCORPORATED US INTO THAT PROCESS, UH, WHICH IS GOOD, MOST LIKELY.
SO THE COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT RIGHT NOW, SO MOST LIKELY TO GET IT DONE, ESPECIALLY THAT SECTION IN GREEN, WHICH GOES FROM GARTH TO JOHN MARTIN.
WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO PARTICIPATE AT SOME LEVEL.
UM, IT'S ALSO THE ONLY PORTION OF THAT SECTION.
THE STREET ITSELF IS STILL NOT IN THE CITY LIMITS, BUT EVERYTHING AROUND IT IS IN CITY LIMITS.
AND THEY'RE NOT OVERLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
AND IT'S REALLY NOT THE, THE BEST PRACTICE.
SO WE'VE COMMITTED TO THEM THAT ONCE THIS PROJECT HAPPENS, WE WILL COME BACK AND ACTUALLY ANNEX THE ROAD INTO THE CITY.
SO WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT THAT WAY.
SO WE'VE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT NO, THERE'S LOTS OF FUNDING MECHANISMS POSSIBLE.
YEAH, I KNOW, UH, I KNOW WE, WE MET WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, WE MET WITH COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND SOME, AND SOME OF HIS OTHER LEADERSHIP AND, AND SO WE THINK THAT, UM, THAT THERE COULD BE HOPEFULLY A VERY OPTIMISTIC PATH FORWARD TO GET THIS AT LEAST THE FIRST PHASE BETWEEN GARTH AND JOHN MARTIN COMPLETED.
UM, AND THEY SEEM LIKE THEY'RE VERY WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IF THE FUNDING COMES, COMES, BECOMES AVAILABLE.
AND SO, UM, I HOPEFULLY WE HEAR SOMETHING BACK ON THAT MM-HMM
BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT CERTAINLY NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT SANTO IS COMPLETED.
IT'S GONNA CERTAINLY HELP, UH, TRAFFIC FLOWS IN THOSE AREAS.
CEDAR BIO CROSSING, UM, THIS ONE IS, UH, ONE THAT HASN'T MOVED IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THESE THAT IF WE DON'T TAKE SOME STEPS NOW, IT'S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN.
AND SO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT AREN'T FAMILIAR, UM, THIS WOULD BE AN EXTENSION OF HUNT ROAD.
SO IF YOU'RE AT HUNT AND YOU GOT TO MAINE AND YOU KEPT GOING TO THE EAST, UM, IT WOULD TAKE YOU ALL THE WAY ACROSS A LOT OF GREEN SPACE FOR A WHILE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MENTIONED THE CHANDLER ARBORETUM IS MM-HMM
UM, THIS WOULD TAKE YOU ALL THE WAY ACROSS CEDAR BAYOU YEP.
[01:55:01]
KILGORE PARKWAY.SO IT WOULD MOST LIKELY BE A FOUR LANE BOULEVARD.
IT DOES CROSS TWO RAILROAD LINES.
UH, IT'S A, IT'S A MONSTER PROJECT.
IN FACT, EVEN IN THE, THE HGAC TIP PROCESS, IT'S NOT EVEN TO THE LEVEL OF A GARTH ROAD.
UM, MORE SIMILAR TO A TECH STOP PROJECT.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO THIS NEXT YEAR, AND THE FUNDING IS DEDICATED TO IT, IS, IS ACTUALLY DO THE ALIGNMENT STUDY, START THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.
UM, WE HAVE TO DO BOTH OF THOSE TO DO, TO MAKE ANYTHING HAPPEN ON THIS PROJECT.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE OUR PLANS FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHAT, WHAT COMES OF THAT.
I MEAN, I THINK IT, IT WILL ONLY HAPPEN AS A FUTURE TIP PROJECT OR SOME OTHER FEDERAL FEDERALLY FUNDED PROJECT.
SO, SO NICK, LET ME ASK JUST ON THIS, UM, THERE, THERE'S CERTAIN AREAS ON THIS PROPOSED, UH, PATH, I GUESS THAT, YOU KNOW, LAND ACQUISITION WOULD, WOULD PROBABLY BE EASIER, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE, THERE'S A FEW AREAS THAT BECOME, I MEAN, THIS IS LOOK LIKE THE MOST PRUDENT PATH.
UM, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN, WE, WE, WE DESIGNATE THAT AS A, AS A, AS THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN SO THAT IF THERE'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES TO THE AREA, HOW WE CAN PROTECT THAT? BECAUSE MY, MY ONE CONCERN WOULD BE, 'CAUSE THERE WAS THREE OPTIONS TECHS DOT DID IN THEIR STUDY AS FAR AS LOCATIONS OF CROSSING.
UM, MY CONCERN WOULD BE WE WOULD LOSE AN OPPORTUNITY WITH FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE TRY TO GO AND IS THIS IN THE THOROUGH FAIR PLAN RIGHT NOW? IT'S IN THE THOROUGH PLAN RIGHT NOW.
AND MAYOR TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
YOU CAN'T WHEN READY, BUT YOU UNDERSTAND MY CONCERN, CORRECT? YES.
UH, THE FIRST STEPS THAT WE'RE TAKING WITH THE ALIGNMENT STUDY, THAT WOULD ESTABLISH THE CORRIDOR, SO WE WOULD PUT THAT INTO THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN, AND THAT WOULD BE CARVED OUT SO THAT ANY FUTURE PLATTING, ANY FUTURE DEVELOPMENT WOULD HAVE THIS, NEED, THIS RIGHT OF WAY NEED, UM, SHOWN.
SPECIFICALLY WITH THE ALIGNMENT STUDY.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, UM, SOMETIMES IT'S GOOD, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT.
BUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT COULD BE HELPFUL IS THIS IS MULTI, UH, JURISDICTIONS IN HERE.
SO WE HAVE HARRIS COUNTY, CHAMBERS COUNTY, TDOT, BEAUMONT DISTRICT, TDOT HOUSTON DISTRICT.
SO SOMETIMES BY HAVING MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS, UH, CERTAINLY WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO GO AND, AND, UM, COBB TOGETHER, I GUESS FUNDING AND, AND SUPPORT.
UM, I, I WOULD LIKE FOR THIS TO CONTINUE TO PROCEED.
IT IS A MONSTER PROJECT, BUT IF WE DON'T START MOVING FORWARD, IT'LL NEVER, WE'LL NEVER GET DONE AND WE'LL LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OF, OF THIS PATH.
UH, NEXT IS JOHN MARTIN RECONSTRUCTION AND WIDENING.
UH, THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE CEDAR BY LYNCHBURG PROJECT, UM, IN THAT RIGHT NOW IT WOULD BE DESIGNATED AS A COUNTY PROJECT.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE THIS ONE ON THEIR RADAR.
BUT ANYBODY WHO LIVES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF BAYTOWN, NORTH OF I 10, KNOWS THAT GARTH AND MAINE ARE NOT ENOUGH.
UM, JOHN MARTIN REALLY NEEDS TO BE WIDENED.
AND SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IN FY 21 IS AGAIN, DO THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.
UM, THAT REALLY SETS OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THE PROJECT NEED TO LOOK LIKE, UM, WHAT RIGHT OF WAY IS NEEDED, ALL THOSE FACTORS.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT FUNDING IS AVAILABLE.
IN FACT, WE, WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH THE TURS BOARD, UM, LAST MONTH, AND THEY ARE INTERESTED IN, UM, IF, IF COUNSEL DESIRES TO ANNEX SOME LAND INTO THE TURS, ESPECIALLY THE LAND THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED THERE ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF I 10 AND JOHN MARTIN.
UM, THAT WOULD PROVIDE SOME INCREMENT THAT COULD HELP FUND A PROJECT LIKE THIS.
UM, THERE'S BEEN RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS PROPOSED UP IN THIS AREA.
THOSE COULD POTENTIALLY, UM, HELP SUPPORT THIS CONSTRUCTION.
SO NUMBER OF WAYS THAT IT COULD GET FUNDED.
BUT IF WE DON'T DO THE INITIAL PRELIMINARY ENG ENGINEERING, THEN NONE OF THAT WILL BE POSSIBLE.
UM, THE OTHER IDEAL SCENARIO, UM, IS WHEN YOU GET UP TO VILLE, IT KIND OF DEAD ENDS THERE AND YOU HANG A RIGHT AND THEN FRIENDSWOOD IS RIGHT OFF TO THE LEFT.
IDEALLY WE WOULD FIND A WAY TO CONTINUE THAT GOING NORTH AND CONNECT THOSE TWO SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO A LITTLE JAUNT THAT'S NOT SAFE AT ALL.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE THE, THERE'S A PRIVATE LANDOWNER THAT'S IN THE WAY.
SO THAT'LL BE PART OF OUR PER PROCESS AS WELL, AS WELL AS FIGURING OUT WOULD THERE BE THE POSSIBILITY OF WORKING WITH THAT LANDOWNER TO ACQUIRE SOME OF THAT PROPERTY.
NICK? YEAH, GOING BACK TO THAT, IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN START CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LIGHTING THAT STRETCH OF ROADWAY? BECAUSE THERE
[02:00:01]
ARE NO LIGHTS THERE AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT.SO IT'S A, IT'S A CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S A HARRIS COUNTY ROADWAY.
SO WITH IT NOT BEING IN CITY LIMITS OR EVEN A CITY MAINTAINED ROADWAY, UM, WE TYPICALLY WOULDN'T BE INVOLVED IN THE LIGHTING.
SO, WELL, WE COULDN'T HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH 'EM AND LET THEM KNOW I WERE CONCERNED.
OH, NO, WE CERTAINLY COULD DO THAT.
YEAH, AND WE WILL, WE'LL, WE'LL DO THAT.
SO BAKER ROAD RAIL CROSSING SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, UM, THIS WAS A GRANT FROM TXDOT.
UH, THIS IS, YOU SEE KIND OF EXXON OFF THERE TO THE LEFT.
UM, THIS WOULD BE A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, INSTALLING MEDIANS AT THE CROSSING APPROACHES, UM, AND ALSO INSTALLING ACTIVE FLASHING, ADVANCED WARNING SIGNS, WHICH IS BASICALLY WHEN YOU'RE OFF AT A DISTANCE, YOU KNOW, IF THE, UH, TRACKS ARE CROSSED AT THAT POINT, YOU CAN TAKE A DIFFERENT ROUTE.
UM, OUR DISCUSSIONS WAS THE WARNING LIGHT WOULD BE DOWN ALL THE WAY DOWN F BAYWAY DRIVE.
YEAH, THERE SHOULD BE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS.
SO, UM, THE PHASE WE'RE GONNA BE IN RIGHT NOW IS THE DESIGN AND IT'LL, IT'LL DETERMINE WHERE ALL THOSE LOCATIONS WOULD BE.
SO, UM, THIS WAS ACTUALLY LISTED AS A TOP 100 SAFETY, UH, PROJECT BY TDOT.
SO THIS IS DEFINITELY AN INTERSECTION THAT NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED.
SO, UM, THIS IS FULLY FUNDED BY TDOT, BUT THE CITY WILL BE DOING THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, SO WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE SOME SAY IN THAT PROCESS, MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE PLACED AT THE RIGHT LOCATIONS.
I 10 INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS IS ANOTHER, UH, DESIGN AND FY 21.
WHAT WE'LL DO IS, UH, LOOK AT I 10 AND THOMPSON, JOHN MARTIN NORTH MAIN AND SLANDER.
UM, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO ANY OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS, I WOULD SAY WE'RE ALREADY AT CAPACITY.
UM, TYPICALLY THOSE WOULD BE TDO IMPROVEMENTS.
THEY HAVE NO, NOTHING ON THEIR RADAR TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AT THOSE INTERSECTIONS.
SO WE KIND OF NEED TO DO SOME WORK TO GET THAT MOVING.
UM, WE HEARD CONVERSATIONS WITH RESIDENTS OUT AT SHO, UM, OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED THERE.
UM, NORTH MAIN DURING RUSH HOUR IS YES, REALLY BAD.
SO ALL FOUR OF THESE REALLY HAVE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED.
SO THIS WILL BE DOING THE, THE DESIGN WORK, UM, STUDY WORK AT ALL FOUR OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS THIS YEAR TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED.
AND THEN FROM THERE, OUR FIRST STOP WILL BE TO TXDOT TO SAY, LOOK, THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED.
HERE'S THE DATA, HERE'S THE COST, PLEASE GET 'EM FUNDED.
UM, MOST LIKELY THEY'LL SAY, WE NEED TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO, UM, BUT WE CAN'T EVEN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS UNTIL WE TAKE THEM SOMETHING REAL.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS, UH, THIS YEAR.
SO CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ON THE TRANSPORTATION SIDE FIRST IS BROOK.
UM, THIS IS THE FIRST ONE THAT YOU'LL SEE HAPPENING.
IT'S GONNA START CONSTRUCTION HERE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
UM, TOTAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE PAVEMENT, STORM DRAINAGE SIDEWALKS, WATER LINE.
UM, IT ALSO INCLUDE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE STREET LIGHTING AND THE MEDIANS AND THE TURN LANES.
UM, ANYBODY WHO DRIVES IN THIS AREA, THE LOCATION OF THE MEDIANS AND THE INTERSECTIONS IS A LITTLE FUNNY.
AND SO THIS WILL IMPROVE THOSE.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, THIS WILL BE WELL INTO CONSTRUCTION.
BY THE TIME WE GET TO 21 BAY OAKS HARBOR STREET RECONSTRUCTION, WE ACTUALLY HAVE FOUR OF THE LOOP STREETS THAT WE NEED TO GET DONE.
AND SO, UM, WE WILL GET ALL FOUR OF THOSE CONSTRUCTED IN FY 21.
UH, ALLEN BROOK, WE'VE GOT, UH, ALLEN BROOK AND EDGEBROOK SLATED FOR CONSTRUCTION.
THOSE ARE BEING DESIGNED RIGHT NOW.
AND SO WE WILL FULLY CONSTRUCT BOTH OF THOSE STREETS IN FY 21.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN, UM, PLUMWOOD, WE'VE GOT, UH, PORTIONS OF NAR SEAL AND PORTIONS OF COLBY.
UM, SAME THING, UH, FULL RECONSTRUCTION OF THOSE STREETS THAT WILL ALSO BE IN FY 21.
UM, AND IF YOU'RE WONDERING, THESE ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT, SOME PORTIONS OF THOSE STREETS ARE ACTUALLY IN MUCH, MUCH BETTER SHAPE.
AND SO WE DON'T NEED TO NECESSARILY DO THE ENTIRE STREET FAIRWAY.
UM, THIS IS A BIG ONE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE, THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA.
UM, IT'S IN VERY POOR CONDITION.
AND SO WE WILL DO FULL RECONSTRUCTION OF, UM, FAIRWAY AND FY 21.
[02:05:02]
VE ANOTHER ONE THAT, UM, IS READY FOR FULL RECONSTRUCTION.AND SO THAT'S BEING DESIGNED NOW, AND WE WILL DO THAT FULL RECONSTRUCTION.
UM, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, CLARIFICATION ON THE, THE LENGTH OF THE PROJECT.
UM, IT WAS ORIGINALLY NOT GONNA GO THE WHOLE SPAN, UM, BUT WE DID REASSESS IT AND IT, IT DOES NEED TO GO THE FULL SPAN, SO WE'LL PROBABLY NEED A LITTLE MODIFICATION TO THE, UM, CONTRACT WITH THE ENGINEER TO GET THAT DONE.
AND THEN WE WILL GET THAT WHOLE STRETCH RECONSTRUCTED IN FISCAL YEAR 21.
IT, IT, ALTHOUGH IT'S GOT, UH, HOUSES ON IT, IT SERVES A LITTLE MORE AS A, A COLLECTOR FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO IT'S, IT DEFINITELY A MAJOR, YOU WEAR A SEATBELT ON THAT ROAD TO KEEP IN CAR, IT WILL THROW YOU OUT.
I, I KNOW WE TRY TO DO ALL THE REPAIRS WE CAN, BUT IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE ROADS, IT'S CONCRETE, BUT IT'S JUST IN BAD, BAD SHAPE.
THAT WATER INTRUSION UNDERNEATH, IT'S IN BAD SHAPE.
AND HARVEY DID NOT HOPE IT WILL SERVE.
I WILL SAY IT'S A GOOD, GOOD STREET TO A RESIDENTIAL STREET.
IT WILL SERVE A LOT OF, UH, ETONIANS MM-HMM
UM, WE ARE STILL FINISHING THE ACTUAL SIDEWALK MASTER PLAN, BUT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS AT LEAST GET SOME FUNDING INTO IT TO GET IT GOING.
SO, UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVE $200,000 PLUGGED INTO THE GENERAL FUND, CIP CASH, UM, TO AT LEAST GET SOMETHING STARTED.
AND SO WHAT THAT WILL DO IS WE, AS WE IDENTIFY NEEDS, IT'LL EITHER REPLACE EXISTING DAMAGED SIDEWALKS OR A DA RAMPS, OR IT WILL ADD NEW SIDEWALKS OR A DA RAMPS WHERE THEY DON'T EXIST.
MOST LIKELY IT'LL BE THE LADDER.
UM, IT'S HARD TO SEE ON THE MAP, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE OLDER PARTS OF TOWN THAT WERE CONSTRUCTED WITH NO SIDEWALKS.
AND IN FACT, WE STILL HAVE SOME MAJOR, UM, STREETS ON THE, ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF TOWN THAT DON'T HAVE ANY SIDEWALKS.
SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
200,000 WON'T GET US NEARLY WHERE WE NEED TO GET, BUT IT'S JUST KIND OF THAT INITIAL INFUSION.
WE DO ALSO DO, UM, SIDEWALKS IN-HOUSE AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE AS MUCH PROGRESS WITH OUR IN-HOUSE RESOURCES AS WE CAN AS WELL.
I WOULD LOVE A LONGER DISCUSSION MAYBE IN A WORK SESSION WITH A REALLY BIG MAP THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UH, SOME KIND OF WISHLIST TIMING.
LIKE, WE WOULD LOVE TO DO THIS SECTION IN THIS YEAR, AND WE THINK THIS SECTION WOULD COST THIS MUCH, AND, AND THEN GIVE US A CHANCE TO GET FEEDBACK, GIVE Y'ALL SOME FEEDBACK.
I LOVE SEEING THIS AND THAT WE'RE JUMPING RIGHT INTO IT.
JUST I'D WANT MORE TIME TO LOOK AT IT WITH YOU GUYS.
YEAH, I, I, UM, I WOULD AGREE THAT, UM, I KNOW I GET A FEW COMMENTS FROM, FROM CITIZENS EVERY NOW AND THEN, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO SCHOOL CHILDREN AND, AND GETTING ON BUSES WHEN THEY DO GO TO SCHOOL.
UM, IN PERSON, UM, BEING ABLE TO GET PEOPLE SAFELY FROM THEIR HOMES TO EITHER A BUS STOP, BUS STOP TO A, A MAJOR CORNER.
SO WE ALWAYS WANNA HAVE THE SAFE, SAFE ROUTES TO, TO SCHOOL TYPE INITIATIVE, YOU KNOW, MINDSET.
SO ONCE IT DEVELOPS, I WOULD ASK EACH COUNCIL MEMBER TO REALLY LOOK, YOU KNOW, YOUR DISTRICT'S, UM, UM, AND, AND REALLY LOOK AT SOME CONNECTIVITY, UH, INCLUDING, UM, SAFE ROUTES FOR, FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN.
AND, UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I GET A FEW COMMENTS EVERY NOW AND THEN, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER EVERY STREET.
THAT SHOULD ALSO BE KIND OF A FACTOR WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT.
WE, WE ARE DOING, SO WE ARE DOING A PROJECT WITH BE WELL BAYTOWN MM-HMM
UM, IT'S ACTUALLY SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS AND PARKS.
AND SO SOME OF THAT I THINK WILL IDENTIFY SOME GOOD PROJECTS AS WELL THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO I'M ON THAT COMMITTEE AND I KNOW, UH, KEVIN AND I HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS ALREADY, SO I THINK IT'LL BE A GREAT PROGRAM.
UH, SIMILAR ACTUALLY, UH, A WAY FOR US TO, UH, MAKE A LITTLE QUICKER PROGRESS IS THE HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT SIDEWALK PARTNERSHIP.
SO WE HAVE FUNDING AVAILABLE, UM, FROM HARRIS COUNTY TRANSIT.
THE ONLY, UH, CRITERIA IS IT'S GOTTA BE NEW SIDEWALKS OR A DA RAMPS WITHIN A HALF MILE OF A TRANSIT STOP.
UM, AND THE IDEA IS TO SAFELY CONNECT PEOPLE TO THE TRANSIT SYSTEM.
AND SO WE HAVE A LITTLE DIFFERENT MAP WHERE WE KIND OF LOOK AT THOSE ROUTES.
UM, AND AGAIN, ESPECIALLY IN OUR SOUTHERN, SOUTH, SOUTH OF 1 46, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF GAPS THAT NEED TO BE FILLED.
SO WE WILL EASILY SPEND ALL THE MONEY THAT THEY HAVE FOR US.
WELL, MAYBE YOU COULD BRING THIS MAP TO, TO THE OTHER MAP MEETING TWO LARGE MAPS, SO I CAN SEE.
YEAH, WE, AND WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS WITH THEIR FUNDING IN THE PAST.
UM, A LOT OF GARTH ROAD, BAKER NORTH MAINE WAS DONE THROUGH THIS MONEY.
UM, BUT THERE'S STILL A, A LOT OF GAPS NEEDED HERE.
[02:10:03]
SO MOVING ON TO UTILITIES, THIS IS OUR LAST SEC SECTION.UM, SO WE'VE GOT SOME IN DESIGN, SOME IN CONSTRUCTION.
FIRST IS I 10 LIFT STATION WON'T GET INTO A TON OF DETAIL BECAUSE FRANK GAVE A GOOD EXPLANATION AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, UM, THAT WE NEED TO DO SOME STUDYING ON THIS, UM, BEFORE WE PUT ANY ADDITIONAL EFFORT INTO IT, BECAUSE IT'S A, IT'S A MONSTER PROJECT RIGHT NOW.
UH, LANNY LIFT STATION, UM, THIS IS AN UPSIZING OF A LIFT STATION ALONG 1 46.
IT SERVICES WEST CHAMBERS COUNTY, UM, INCLUDING CCID TWO.
IT'S ONE OF OUR MAJOR CUSTOMERS OUT THERE.
UM, AND IT FLOWS TO THE NORTHEAST PLANT.
UM, THIS WOULD BE DESIGN AND FY 21, UM, FOR THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
TEXAS AVENUE LIFT STATION, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS DESIGN, UH, DESIGNING THE REPLACEMENT AND UPSIZING OF THE PUMPING CAPACITY, UM, THAT SERVICES THE CENTRAL DISTRICT WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT SERVICE AREA.
UM, IT'LL REPLACE ELECTRICAL PIPING AND VALVES.
THIS IS A, A NEW PROGRAM THAT, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS YEAR TO DO OUR FIRST DESIGN WORK ON AND STUDYING ON.
AND THAT IS REPLACEMENT OF, UH, TRANSI PIPE WATER LINES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, THE MOST CRITICAL OF WHICH IS PROBABLY ALONG BAYWAY.
UM, SO THIS WOULD REPLACE THOSE WATER TRANSMISSION LINES, UH, WITH MORE MODERN, RELIABLE MATERIALS.
UM, THESE AREAS, ESPECIALLY BAYWAY, HAS QUITE A FEW WATER LEAKS AND OUTAGES DUE TO THE TYPE OF MATERIAL AND JUST THE AGING, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE THERE.
SO THIS WOULD BE DESIGNED FOR, UM, CONSTRUCTION IN FY 22 BAKER ROAD LIFT STATION.
UM, WE WOULD CONSTRUCT THIS IN FY 21.
THIS IS PART OF OUR AGREEMENT WITH TCEQ.
SO IT IS A, A REQUIREMENT THAT WE DO THIS, UM, THIS ENLARGES AND REHABILITATES, THIS LIFT STATION, UH, TO BETTER SERVICE THIS AREA AND REDUCE OVERFLOWS THE FIRST OF TWO OF OUR ANNEXATION UTILITY AREAS.
UM, THIS IS THE EASTERN PORTION, SLANDER CROSBY, CEDAR BA, BAROO.
UM, THIS WOULD BE THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION OF THOSE SANITARY SEWER AND WATER, UM, LINES IN THOSE AREAS.
AND ALSO INCLUDES THE CONSTRUCTION OF A LIFT STATION AT, AT BLUE HERON.
AND THEN THE OTHER ANNEXATION AREA, UM, TO THE WEST, THE, WHAT WE CALL THE CONNOLLY AREA.
UM, THIS WOULD BE, AGAIN, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THOSE UTILITY LINES.
UM, THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO SERVE AREAS ALONG, UH, SAN JACINTO BOULEVARD AND FUTURE GROWTH ALONG JOHN MARTIN.
SO THIS KIND OF SETS UP THAT, UM, THAT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AS WELL.
NICK, UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT, AT LEAST FOR THESE TWO, THE TWO PAST SLIDES WITH THE, UH, THE BARCLAY ANNEXATION, UH, AREAS AND THE CONNOLLY.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO OBVIOUSLY THESE, THESE AREAS WERE IN THE COUNTY UNTIL THEY WERE ANNEXED INTO THE CITY IN 2017.
UM, LET'S, LET'S MAKE SURE WE COMMUNICATE AS BEST WE CAN TO THESE PARTICULAR AREAS OF WHAT'S TAKEN PLACE.
AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE WAS SOME, SOME, UM, DITCH CLEAN OUT THAT TOOK PLACE TO HELP WITH, WITH ANY KIND OF DRAINAGE.
THE, AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE ON JOHN MARTIN, YOU KNOW, THESE AREAS PROBABLY DIDN'T HAVE, THEY PROBABLY DON'T HAVE ANY STREETLIGHTS EVEN AT, AT, AT SOME OF THE CORNERS.
SO JUST KIND OF REALLY TAKE A, AN APPROACH TO THESE NEWLY ANNEXED AREAS, UH, BESIDES UTILITIES, JUST HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A PLAN ON INCREASING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THESE, FOR THESE AREAS.
UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UH, THE WEST DISTRICT WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT'S SECOND FEED, UM, THIS IS ALSO CRITICAL FROM A GROWTH PERSPECTIVE.
UM, SO THIS WOULD INCREASE THE SEWER CAPACITY ON THE NORTH SIDE OF BAYTOWN.
IT REDIRECTS TWO OF OUR 30 INCH, UH, SANITARY SEWER MAINS THROUGH THAT THOMPSON 10 DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU SEE THERE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THOMPSON ROAD.
AND IT TERMINATES AT THE WEST DISTRICT WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN THAT WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED THIS NEXT YEAR.
UM, IN TERMS OF NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS ON THE SANITARY SIDE, OAKWOOD, UM, WE'LL GET SANITARY SEWER REHAB THIS YEAR.
AND BASICALLY WHAT THAT IS, IS, IS PIPE BURSTING OF ALL OF THE SANITARY SEWER LINES.
UM, AND THEN REHABBING ANY OF THE SEWER MANHOLES WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THE ACTUAL LAST SECTION, WASTEWATER TREATMENT, WE'VE GOT TWO PROJECTS.
THERE'S ONLY TWO PROJECTS, ONLY 7 47, BUT, OKAY.
UM, SO CONSTRUCTION THIS YEAR WILL BE OUR PHASE ONE HARVEY REHAB FOR OUR EAST DISTRICT WASTEWATER PLANT.
UM, VERY SIGNIFICANT PROJECT SIMILAR TO OUR CENTRAL PLANT, WHICH WAS, UH, FLOODED DURING IKE.
UM, WE WILL ACTUALLY CONSTRUCT A TWO
[02:15:01]
STORY OFFICE BUILDING TO HOUSE OUR STAFF AND LABORATORY.UH, THIS ALSO INCLUDES IMPROVEMENTS TO THE IN FLUENT LIFT STATION AND THE SCADA SYSTEM.
AND THEN PHASE TWO, UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY, OR WILL BE SEEKING ADDITIONAL CDBG MONEY FOR PHASE TWO.
UM, THE TOTAL IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED AT THIS PLANT ARE MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN WE CAN GET IN ROUND ONE.
AND THIS INCLUDES, UH, ELECTRICAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IN ADDITION TO IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MOTOR CONTROL CENTER AND THE BELT PRESS.
AND WITH THAT, UH, TWO THINGS I WANT TO FINISH WITH ON THE CIP ONE IS, UH, BETTER BAYTOWN.
SO YOU'VE SEEN THAT THAT BRANDING HAS STARTED, UH, COMING OUT.
YOU SEE THE LOGO THERE ON THE TOP RIGHT OF THE SCREEN.
CAN WE PLAY THE VIDEO AGAIN? THE VIDEO? NO, I'M JUST, NO, NO, WE'RE GOOD.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA LAUNCH, FOLLOWING YOUR ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET, UM, IN A FEW WEEKS IS A STORY MAP.
AND THAT WILL LET ANY OF OUR RESIDENTS GO ONLINE AND VISUALLY KIND OF SEE WHAT PROJECTS ARE EITHER IN, IN DESIGN CONSTRUCTION, OR WE'RE SEEKING GRANT FUNDING.
SO ALL THE PROJECTS THAT I JUST HIGHLIGHTED FOR YOU WILL BE SHOWN VISUALLY ON A MAP.
AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU IT IN JUST A SECOND.
UM, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND GET A, IN KIND OF AN EASY TO REMEMBER WEB ADDRESS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, BETTER BAYTOWN.COM OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
UM, SO AS YOU'RE OUT TALKING TO RESIDENTS AND YOU WANT TO TELL 'EM THE CIP PROJECTS WE'RE DOING, YOU CAN GIVE 'EM THAT QUICK ADDRESS AND IT'LL TAKE 'EM TO THIS MAP.
UM, THE SECOND THING THAT WE'RE ROLLING OUT IS, AND THIS ISN'T SPECIFICALLY FOR CIP PROJECTS, UM, BUT IT WILL BENEFIT THEM.
AND THIS IS GONNA BE A, A DIGITAL PLATFORM TO ENGAGE RESIDENTS, UH, DURING THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF PROJECTS.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA SHOW YOU AN EXAMPLE FROM ANOTHER CITY.
UH, IT'S REALLY A REALLY COOL WAY TO MAKE SURE CITIZENS ARE ONE INCLUDED DURING THE DESIGN PHASE AND TWO KEPT INFORMED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE.
UM, AND WE WILL INTEGRATE THAT INTO OUR CITY WEBSITE AND OUR BETTER BAYTOWN STORY MAP.
SO LET ME SEE IF I CAN PULL THOSE UP HERE.
SO THIS IS OUR BETTER BAYTOWN CIP STORY MAP.
SO ANY RESIDENT CAN GO ON THE SEVEN CATEGORIES THAT YOU SAW TODAY.
UH, A RESIDENT CAN GO ON, THEY CAN LOOK THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND SEE WHAT THE CITY IS WORKING ON, IF THEY'RE CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE STREET PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON.
THEY CAN GO IN AND SEE, ALRIGHT, I LIVE IN GINGER CREEK AND IT APPEARS THAT THE CITY IS WORKING ON THAT.
UM, THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, GET A FEEL FOR WHAT IS THE PROJECT.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OVER TIME, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, TIMELINES FOR THE PROJECT, YOU KNOW, WHAT PHASE WE'RE IN, UM, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO IN FACT, ONCE THE BUDGET GOES LIVE, THAT PROJECT STATUS THERE WILL CHANGE TO DESIGN.
SO A RESIDENT CAN GO ON AND SEE, ALL RIGHT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DESIGNING THE RECONSTRUCTION OF MY STREETS.
UM, YOU'VE GOT IT VISUALLY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO IF YOU'RE JUST KIND OF CURIOUS, ALL RIGHT, WHAT ARE THEY DOING UP HERE? YOU CAN GO ON THERE AND CLICK IT AND SEE WHAT THE CITY'S DOING ON JOHN MARTIN.
UM, SO REALLY COOL TOOL FOR, UH, RESIDENTS TO GET A FEEL FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT INVESTMENT IS BEING MADE WITH THEIR TAX DOLLARS.
SO WHAT IF I'M NOT IN LIKE THE FACILITIES TAB AND I JUST ZOOM INTO THE AREA I LIVE IN? CAN I SEE ALL THE PROJECTS OR DO I HAVE TO GO TO THE TABS TO SEE? SO YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THEM.
UM, LIKE PICK A JUST PICK A NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE UP IN THIS AREA, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF 'EM.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE COLOR CODED IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, THE ONLY WAY TO CLICK ON IT IS IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY IN THAT CATEGORY, IN THE TAB.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN KEEP WORKING ON TO SEE IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
BUT YEAH, ANYTHING THAT'S COLOR CODED IS SOME SORT OF PROJECT.
SO THIS IS GINGER CREEK, SO A RESIDENT HERE CAN SEE THAT WE'VE GOT A PARK PROJECT, WE'VE GOT STREET PROJECT, AND JUST DOWN THE STREET THEY CAN SEE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON ANOTHER STREET PROJECT HERE.
UH, WE'VE GOT UTILITY PROJECTS HERE.
SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S A REALLY NEAT TOOL FOR CITIZENS TO, TO GET A FEEL FOR WHAT'S GOING ON.
THIS IS KIND OF STILL IN THE WORK, SO IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE MAKING IT BETTER OVER TIME, BUT JUST TRYING TO INCREASE THE, THE TRANSPARENCY WITH PEOPLE AND LET 'EM SEE WHERE THEIR DOLLARS ARE GOING.
SO WE WILL, AS THIS GOES LIVE, WE'LL, WE'LL GET YOU THAT INFORMATION SO YOU CAN COMMUNICATE IT OUT.
[02:20:01]
THING TO HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE FEEL, THIS IS THE CITY OF EDINA, MINNESOTA, AND THIS IS A, A TOOL THAT WE WILL BE BRINGING ON BOARD.UM, AND THEY BRAND THEIR ENGAGEMENT SITE CALLED BETTER TOGETHER, ADINA.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT, YEAH, BAYTOWN ENGAGE AS, AS A BRAND, BUT THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE OF FROM A CIP PERSPECTIVE.
THEY HAD A MAJOR STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
SO YOU CAN ENVISION LIKE THE MARKET STREET PROJECT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
YEAH, THIS WOULD BE A GREAT TOOL FOR THAT.
YOU CAN GO ONLINE, YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, WHO'S THE KEY STAFF MEMBER, YOU CAN GET NOTIFIED WHEN THERE'S PROJECT UPDATES, UM, KEY DATES, UH, THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE PROJECT, VIDEO UPDATES, UM, ALL THE DOCUMENTS FROM THE PROJECT.
AND A REALLY NEAT TOOL THAT THEY HAVE IS THIS MAPPING FUNCTION.
SO DURING THE DESIGN PROCESS, THEY WORKED WITH THE CITIZENS TO GO IN AND ALLOW THEM TO MAKE COMMENTS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE STREET ON THINGS THEY WANTED TO SEE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY WENT IN AND SOMEBODY COMMENTED THAT IT SHOULD INCLUDE A BIKE LANE, UM, AND A SIDEWALK.
SO IT ALLOWS DIFFERENT FUNCTIONALITY LIKE THAT WHERE WE CAN REALLY ENGAGE CITIZENS FROM A DIGITAL PERSPECTIVE.
UM, WHICH NOWADAYS, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE ALL TRIED TO HOST IN-PERSON MEETINGS EVEN BEFORE COVID.
AND IT'S DIFFICULT SOMETIMES TO GET PEOPLE TO SHOW UP.
SO COMBINING THE IN-PERSON WITH SOME DIGITAL TOOLS LIKE THIS SOUNDS GOOD.
UM, WE THINK WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO THIS IS ANOTHER TOOL THAT WE'LL BE ROLLING OUT HERE THIS YEAR.
AND WITH THAT, UM, THAT IS ALL WE HAVE PREPARED AND OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION, FEEDBACK FROM COUNSEL.
SO I WILL SAY THAT I, I DO THINK IT'S GREAT, UM, WITH, WITH THE OVERVIEW YOU DID IS MAINLY IT WAS A LOT OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND, AND OBVIOUSLY SOME FUN SUMMARIES, BUT, UM, VERY GOOD.
I MEAN, YOU COULD SEE WHERE, WHERE THE INVESTMENT IS BEING MADE IN OUR COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT BAYTOWN.
AND I THINK IT TOUCH, IT CERTAINLY TOUCHES EVERY ASPECT AND IT'S ALSO VERY FORWARD LOOKING.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT CEDAR BIO, A NEW CROSSING OF CEDAR BIO LYNCHBURG AND OTHERS, I MEAN, IT MEANS THAT WE ARE NOT JUST STANDING STILL AND WE'RE TRYING TO NOT REACT TO JUST NEEDS, BUT WE, WE ARE PLANNING AS FAR AS WE CAN INTO THE FUTURE.
AND SO I DO DO THINK STAFF AND, AND, AND EVERYONE WHO HAS PUT THIS PROGRAM TOGETHER, UH, CERTAINLY FINANCE AND, AND EVERYBODY WHO HAS DEALT WITH THE BUDGET TO THIS POINT, A LOT OF HARD WORK TO GET TO TO, TO THIS.
AND NOW WITH TECHNOLOGY, UH, THE CIP PROGRAM TO PROVIDE OUR CITIZENS THE ABILITY TO SEE, SEE THESE PROJECTS, UM, EITHER IN CURRENT YEARS DESIGN OR EVEN IN FUTURE YEARS.
UM, AND THEN THE ENGAGEMENT I THINK IS REALLY GONNA BE HELPFUL.
CERTAINLY, LIKE YOU SAID, EVEN PRE COVID, IT WAS, IT IS VALUABLE, BUT I THINK EVEN AFTER THAT, IT, WE DON'T, IT'S GONNA EVEN SERVE THE, OUR CITIZENS EVEN BETTER.
SO WITH THAT, ALRIGHT, SO YOU'VE SEEN THE BUDGET, YOU'VE HAD IT, WE, WE CAN WORK THROUGH SOME QUESTIONS ON, ON GENERAL, I THINK ON, UH, THE GENERAL FUND, IT IS 7 55.
I DON'T THINK YOU WANT TO STAY HERE EXTREMELY LONG, BUT WE'LL JUST KIND OF FIRST KIND OF DO A FIRST PASS.
I'LL JUST START AT ONE END AND KIND OF GO THE OTHER, IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND, AND, AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY COMMENTS TO START OFF WITH.
AND THEN WE CAN GET THROUGH SOME QUESTIONS.
MR S OH, STARTING ON MY END, UM, YOU TALK ABOUT THE, THE BIG THICK BOOK, RIGHT? YES.
YOU KNOW, I WAS A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED WITH THE INCREASES THAT WE'VE GOT.
UH, UH, I LOOK BACK AND COMPARED A LOT OF THINGS TO 2018 ACTUALS AND STUFF.
AND THEN I LOOKED AT WHERE WE WERE AT TODAY, AND I HAD A, LIKE A 16.2% INCREASE IN THE TOTAL VERSUS 18 AND 19.
AND I THOUGHT, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW WE ACTUALLY GOT THERE, UM, AND HOW THAT WAS SUSTAINABLE.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, ON THIS ONE SECTION HERE, 101 MILLION, 102 MILLION AVERAGE, AND NOW WHERE THE BUDGET'S AT 118 MILLION.
UM, I WENT LINE BY LINE, UM, AND JUST LOOKED AT ACTUALS OF 2018 19 THAT THE PROPOSED.
THEN I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT 2000, 1920 NUMBERS, AND THERE ARE UP SOME, I SEE THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, IT WAS HARD TO LOOK DOWN THAT THING AND NOT SEE ANY LINES THAT VERY, VERY FEW OF THEM WENT DOWN.
I MEAN, I, I DIDN'T, UH, I DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THAT.
UH, WE GO FROM OPERATING IN 2018, IT, YOU KNOW, ON, ON TOTAL SERVICES IS SEVEN, UH, MILLION 780,000.
WE GO IN 19 OR IN 2021 TO 11 MILLION.
[02:25:01]
UM, I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S JUST SO MANY LINES COMMUNICATION LINE.I JUST PICK ONE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I KNOW I'M SKIPPING BACK, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE USE $662,000 IN THAT, ON THAT LINE, AND THEN WE JUMPED TO NINE 40, WHICH IS A 42% INCREASE.
AND I JUST, I JUST WENT UP AND DOWN THE PAGE WITH A CALCULATOR AND JUST, AND JUST LOOKED, AND MAN, WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY.
I WENT INTO OVERTIME AND DOVE INTO THAT.
AND IN MY BUSINESS, IT'S, MAN, YOU'RE RUBBING TWO NICKELS TOGETHER TO GET 11 CENTS OUT OF IT, YOU KNOW, AND I SEE OVERTIME RATES, YOU KNOW, AND I, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I LOOKED AT WAS FROM, LET'S SEE, WHAT'D I WRITE? A 62% INCREASE ON SOMETHING HERE, UH, OVERTIME WENT UP, WAS GONNA BE BUDGETED TO BE AT 4.3%, AND WE DID A 2.9 IN 2018, 19.
YET WE JUST SEEM TO BE, IT JUST CREEPS AWAY AT US SO MUCH.
SO I THOUGHT, WELL, I MEAN, HOW DO WE DO THAT? AND I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
THEN I LOOKED AT, FOR INSTANCE, UH, EXTRA HELP, TEMPORARY HELP ON THIS ONE LINE HERE.
YOU KNOW, IN 2018, 19, WE USED $3,294.
SO I'M WONDERING WHY OVERTIME ALMOST DOUBLED.
AND SO I THOUGHT, WELL, LET'S LOOK AT THAT EXTRA TEMPORARY LINE.
WELL, IT WENT FROM $3,294 ACTUAL TO $40,000 BUDGET IN 2021.
AND I JUST SEE SO MANY BIG JUMPS AND I MEAN, IT'S JUST, UH, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M NOT AN EXPERT AT GOING THROUGH THESE, THESE LINES AND BUDGETS LIKE Y'ALL ARE.
BUT I DON'T KNOW, I JUST GET CAUGHT UP IN THIS PUBLIC PRIVATE THING IN MY MIND AND HOW IT'S, IT, IT, IT'S SO MUCH EASIER SITTING IN THIS CHAIR, YOU KNOW? AND I DON'T KNOW, I, I THINK WE, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS BUDGET AND ASK OURSELVES, ARE WE DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THE CITIZENS? AND WE, I CONSIDER ALL NIGHT, I MAKE STICKY NOTES EVERYWHERE IN THIS THING.
I ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH THIS WHOLE THING AND I GOT, UH, HIGHLIGHTERS AND MARKS AND I DON'T KNOW, I WAS JUST HAVING FUN WITH IT.
BUT
MY NUMBERS ARE ALMOST THAT BIG, BUT SALES, NOT EXPENSES, BUT ANY RATE, UH, WOW.
SPECIAL SERVICES, 1,000,009 TO 3,000,004.
IT JUST, IT JUST, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT STUFF IS, BUT I JUST SEE THE INCREASES ADVERTISING, YOU KNOW, 2018, 1960 7,000, AND WE'RE PLANNING ON SPENDING $207,000.
EDUCATION TRAINING IS 5 49, AND WE'RE GONNA SPEND 900, 1000.
I MEAN, ARE WE ALLOWED, CAN WE SPEND LIKE THAT AND STAY, AND STAY AFLOAT? I MEAN, IF WE HAD A WAY OF CONTROLLING JUST SOME OF THIS STUFF, UM, WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT WE COULD DO? I JUST DON'T SEE ANYTHING GO DOWN.
I DON'T KNOW, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW.
IT ACTUALLY JUST KIND OF SCARES ME A LITTLE BIT.
AND I HAVE, AND I, I'M NO EXPERT AT THIS.
I, I Y'ALL ARE, BUT I JUST DON'T SEE THAT, UM, THAT, UH, WHAT COULD WE DO IF WE COULD CONTROL JUST SOME OF THIS, YOU KNOW? SO, I DON'T KNOW.
I WENT THROUGH IT AND I I DID, I GOT MARKS EVERYWHERE.
YOU DON'T WANT ME TO DO THAT, SO, SO WHAT IF I CAN MAKE A SUGGESTION, THEN I WOULD SAY, CAN, CAN YOU PICK A FEW, CAN, UH, CAN YOU PICK, PICK A FEW THIS EVENING AND THEN GET THE STAFF MAYBE? SURE.
THEY CAN EXPLAIN A FEW TO YOU.
I, I KNOW WE CAN SIT DOWN AND LOOK THROUGH THE BOOK.
I MEAN, I GOT, I GOT STUFF ON EVERY PAGE.
OKAY, WELL, HERE'S ONE I, I LOOKED AT, DIDN'T WE DO AN ALARM, NEW ALARM PROGRAM? WE'RE GONNA LIKE CHARGE PEOPLE.
WE WILL, IF WE RAN AN 8,000 ACTUAL NUMBER, WHY IT COST US $8,000 IF WE'RE GONNA COLLECT FEES FOR THEM, RIGHT.
WELL, WHY DO WE BUDGET TO SPEND 20,000 ON THAT NOW? I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.
I THOUGHT WE WERE, WE WERE GONNA COVER SOME OF OUR COSTS, BUT YET WE'RE BUDGETING TO, FOR IT TO GO THROUGH THE CEILING ON EXPENSE.
MAYBE IT'S INSTALLATION OF IT.
IT'S JUST LOTS AND LOTS OF LINES.
I SHOULD, I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE READ IT.
I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE READ IT.
THE ALARM PERMITTING PROCESS IS HANDLED OUT OF MY OFFICE CURRENTLY, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY SEPARATE LINE ITEM RELATED TO THE ALARM PERMITTING PROCESS.
IT'S INCLUDED IN OUR REGULAR, UM, OPERATING COSTS.
SO I THINK WHATEVER YOU'VE IDENTIFIED IS SEPARATE IN THE PART FROM THE ALARM PERMITTING PROCESS THAT WE CURRENTLY, IT'S THE FALSE ALARM.
THE PROGRAM THAT'S GONNA PENALIZE PEOPLE FOR AND, AND FIND THEM.
I IS THE WORD FI, IS THAT RIGHT? RIGHT.
[02:30:01]
THAT MIGHT BE REVENUES THAT WE'VE MANAGED TO COLLECT FROM THE FALSE ALARMS, BUT WE DON'T, THIS IS NOT REVENUE.THIS IS AN EXPENSE REVENUE BE IN PARENTHESES.
THIS IS, THIS IS HOW MUCH WE'RE PUTTING ON IT COSTS AS, AS THE MAYOR SUGGESTED, WE DON'T NEED TO GUESS WHAT LINE HE'S ON.
WE PROBABLY NEED TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE HIM.
OH, ASK FOR A COUPLE AND REVIEW.
OR WE COULD HAVE A SECOND SESSION IF THEY YEAH, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA, I, I THINK WE'RE GONNA BEGIN HAVE A SEPARATE SESSION.
SO, BUT HE SENT YOU, I WANTED BROUGHT HIGHLIGHTS.
I MEAN THE CITY CLERK LINE RIGHT THERE, AND I MEAN, 2018 19 MM-HMM
AND YOU CAN WATCH THE PROGRESSION COST US 824,000, 2020 21.
WHAT CHANGED? WHAT CHANGED? DO THE MATH ON THAT STUFF.
I JUST, I JUST SEE THIS JUST, I DON'T KNOW, PICK ANY OF 'EM.
SO THERE, UM, IF YOU NOTICE THE $40,000 THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE THAT WE HAVE NOW, THAT IS A PART OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL THAT WAS ADDED LAST YEAR, WHICH IS THE TEMPORARY HELP THAT WE WERE GIVEN TO WORK ON THE LASER FISH RECORDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT.
SO THAT AMOUNT IS USED FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES THAT ARE COMING IN TO WORK SPECIFICALLY ON THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT.
AND THE 40, $40,000 INVESTMENT THAT YOU GAVE ME FOR THIS YEAR THAT I'M REQUESTING FOR NEXT YEAR HAS, IS IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING THE HUMAN RESOURCES PROJECT, WHICH IS MOVING ALL OF OUR HUMAN RESOURCES, UH, PERSONNEL FILES, ACTIVE AND INACTIVE FROM PAPER TO ELECTRONIC FORMAT.
IT HAS HELPED ELIMINATE AN ENTIRE OFFSITE STORAGE, UH, BIN, WHICH IS, UM, RECURRING SAVINGS FOR US.
SO WE ARE TAKING WHAT WAS GIVEN TO US AND ARE ACTIVELY, UM, WORKING ON PROJECTS.
THE VITAL STATISTICS PROGRAM IS NOW COMPLETELY, UM, DIGITAL, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, ACTIVE AND INACTIVE PERSONNEL FILES WILL BE COMPLETELY DIGITAL BY THE END OF AUGUST.
WE'VE ALSO, UM, ARE, UH, WORKING ON OTHER PROJECTS, IDENTIFYING IT THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO WHERE WE WILL ELIMINATE THE PAPER, UM, THE PAPER COMPONENTS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE UNNECESSARY.
SO THE INVESTMENT NOW WILL LEAD TO, UH, COST SAVINGS THAT WE'RE ALREADY GOING TO SEE, UM, IN OUR OFFSITE RECORD STORAGE.
UH, AND, AND, AND I HEAR ALL THAT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND I GOT YOU, AND, AND I'M SURE YOU'RE CORRECT, BUT EVERYTHING IS GOING CRAZY.
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
I CHALLENGE Y'ALL, IF Y'ALL HAVEN'T LOOKED THROUGH THE BOOK, I CHALLENGE YOU TO GO THROUGH IT, GET THROUGH SOME OF THESE PAGES, GO BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED BETWEEN 18 AND 19 ALL THE WAY UP TO 2021 AND YOUR JAW WILL DROP.
SO CA COUNSEL, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S TWO THINGS THERE.
AND THAT KIND OF BRINGS THAT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICE IS A GOOD POINT.
UM, ONE, THERE WERE QUITE A FEW POSITIONS ADDED IN THE FY 20 BUDGET, THE CURRENT BUDGET WE'RE IN.
SO THAT'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA CREATE AN INCREASE IN THE BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN SHIFTED FROM ONE AREA OF THE BUDGET TO ANOTHER.
THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT IS ONE IN PARTICULAR.
SO ALL THE STREET LIGHTING IN THE CITY IS MANAGED OUT OF PLANNING.
IT USED TO BE IN A KIND OF A GENERAL BUDGET.
IT JUST IS IN A DIFFERENT SPOT.
SO, AND I, AND I HEAR THAT, BUT I I I, I HAVE A, I CAN'T HARDLY FIND ANYTHING ANYWHERE THAN WENT DOWN.
IF IT LEFT AND WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE, SOMETHING ELSE WOULD'VE WENT DOWN.
BUT I CHALLENGE YOU TO FIND SOMETHING.
I MEAN, I REALLY DO
IF YOU JUST LOOKED AT INFLATION, IT'S GONNA GO IN MY, IN MY CAREER, I, I'M NOT SURE I'VE SEEN A LOT.
UH, THINGS COST, REMEMBER THAT THE CITY IS A PURCHASER IS A VERY BIG PURCHASER OF THIRD PARTY SERVICES AND MATERIALS.
AND, AND, UH, WHILE YOU MAY NOT CONSIDER US AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WE, WE ACTUALLY PURCHASE, OBTAIN EVERYTHING WE HAVE FROM THE, FROM THE MARKET.
AND SO COSTS DO GO UP THAT, THAT'S FOR SURE.
I THINK THAT THERE'S NOT ONE LINE ITEM.
WE, WE CAN'T SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND, AND EXPLAIN WHERE THAT COMES FROM.
WE DON'T EXPECT, I'VE NEVER EXPECTED MY ELECTED BODY TO KNOW OF THE THOUSANDS OF LINE ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET.
BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN EACH ONE OF THEM MOMENT.
BUT IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHEN WE COULD EXPLAIN THOSE, WHAT WE REALLY WANT YOU TO DO IS LOOK AT WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE PLAN? ARE WE DELIVERING ON THAT PLAN? ARE WE DOING IT WITHIN OUR FISCAL CAPACITIES OR CAPABILITIES? UH, AND UH, ARE WE DELIVERING A RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR OUR CITIZENS? AND I THINK, UH, WHAT NICK PRESENTED HERE TONIGHT WAS, UM, BREATHTAKING IN TERMS OF THE ROI THAT WE'RE DELIVERING, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON PARTICULAR ONES, WE DON'T EXPECT YOU TO HAVE THE ANSWERS.
[02:35:01]
WE PROBABLY WON'T SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT WE NEED TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND WE'LL CLARIFY ANY LINE ITEM QUESTION THAT YOU HAVE.WELL, YEAH, BUT NO, SOME OF THIS MR. CITY MANAGER, JUST REAL QUICK, I KNOW WE'RE GOING IN ORDER, BUT SOME OF THIS JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT EXACTLY LOOKING FOR ANSWERS.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT SOME OF THIS ARE OUR OPINIONS AS ELECTED OFFICIALS AND YOU KNOW, EVERY NOW AND THEN OUR OPINION IS GONNA BE OUR OPINION AND NOT ALL OF IT CAN BE ANSWERED AWAY WHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF OUR OPINIONS, SO TO SPEAK.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE LOOK FOR YOU TO DO, IS TO, IS TO CREATE POLICY.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU WANT US TO STOP DOING OR YOU DON'T THINK WE NEED TO BE DOING X, Y, Z, WE USE THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS A GUIDE GUIDELINE, OUR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, YOUR GOALS, AND UH, INITIATIVES THAT YOU IDENTIFY.
AND IF, UH, WE NEED, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO ANY OF THOSE ANYMORE OR YOU DON'T THINK THOSE ARE NECESSARY, WE CERTAINLY CAN STOP DOING THOSE.
ONLY ONLY COMMENT I WANNA MAKE WHEN, WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT COUNCILMAN HENSEL ISS LOOKING AT.
'CAUSE HE, HE'S, WHAT HE'S LOOKING AT IS ACTUAL FOR 1819 IN IN MOST, IN ALMOST EVERY CASE.
WHEN, WHEN YOU COMPARE ACTUAL 1819 VERSUS A PROPOSED, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S WHAT HE'S LOOKING AT MM-HMM
BUT WHEN I, WHICH ARE, THOSE ARE OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME PRETTY GOOD DIFFERENCES IN SOME NUMBERS.
HOWEVER, WHEN YOU LOOK AT BUDGET OF 1920, LET'S SAY, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I LOOK AT, I LOOK KIND OF A YEAR TO YEAR KIND OF WHERE, WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT THIS YEAR, THEN THE NUMBERS COME WAY MORE IN LINE, UM, IN THAT.
SO MAYBE YOU WANT, WELL IF, IF YOU, IF YOU ACCEPT THAT YOU'RE GONNA SPEND AT THAT RATE, THEY DO.
YEAH, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S MY WHOLE QUESTION.
AND SO ALSO WHAT THE RATES OF EXPENSE AND HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH, HOW FAST WE'RE SPENDING THE MONEY AND I CAN SEE ANYTHING GO UP SO MUCH.
SO WHAT I'M, I GUESS ONLY I WANNA BRING THAT UP IS, SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE IF YOU FIRST HAD A COLUMN, LET'S JUST SAY FOR DISCUSSION, WHOEVER WANTS TO SIT DOWN WITH, WITH ADMINISTRATION, IF YOU HAVE BUDGET FOR 1819, THAT WAY YOU KNOW WHAT WAS BUDGETED.
AND ACTUAL 'CAUSE WHAT HAPPENED, THIS IS JUST ME, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE I'M WRONG.
SO YOU HAVE ACTUAL, YOU HAVE BUDGET THEN IF THE BUDGET'S A BIGGER NUMBER AND YOU DON'T ACTUALLY SPEND IT, BUT YOUR, IT WAS YOUR ACTUAL EXPENDITURE, THAT'S WHERE WE GET INTO WHERE WE BUDGET 90 DAYS OF, OF, OF, UM, OPERATING DAYS FUND BALANCE.
THAT'S WHERE THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACTUAL AND BUDGET.
AM I, AM I A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO WHAT COULD BE HAPPENING OR WHAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES? TYPICALLY, YEAH.
SO 1920 IS UNIQUE BECAUSE WE HAD COVID, SO WE HAD TO COME BACK TO YOU FOR A BUDGET AMENDMENT, BUT TYPICALLY WE'RE GONNA SPEND LESS THAN WAS BUDGETED.
THAT NUMBER IS ARTIFICIALLY LOW ON THE 1819 RIGHT.
SO YEAH, SHOWCASING THE 1819 BUDGET WOULD PROBABLY BE A BETTER COMPARISON.
BUT YOU HAD A COLUMN THERE THAT SAID BUDGET 18, 19, THEN YOU CAN SEE THEY BUDGET FOR X AMOUNT AND MAYBE IN MOST CASES THEY DON'T SPEND THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE SOMETIMES WE HAVE CARRYOVER IN INTO OTHER FUTURE BUDGET YEARS.
IEI DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR FUND BALANCE, WHAT ONE DAY IS WORTH, BUT I'M GONNA ASSUME, I DON'T KNOW, $200,000 OR SOMETHING.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MAY BE.
SO WHEN WE BUDGET FOR 90 OR 70 OR WHATEVER THE CA CASE MAY BE, AND WE WIND UP WITH 123, THAT'S THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WAS BUDGETED AND WHAT AN ACTUAL EXPENDITURE.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF A GOOD CASE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IT WITHOUT THAT CALL.
WHAT, WHAT I'M, I'M LOOKING AT OR WHAT I, WHAT KIND OF STICKS IN MY MIND IS TOTAL GENERAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH IT GOES DOWN FROM GENERAL, FROM GENERAL ADMINISTRATION TO PLANNING TO HR, CITY CLERK COURT, ALL THAT STUFF.
2018 ACTUAL TOOK TO RUN THAT CITY AND THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE WAS 20 MILLION.
AND NOW WE'RE GONNA SAY IT TAKES 28 MILLION TO RUN THAT, RUN THAT THING.
AND THAT TAKES OUT POLICE FIRE, THAT TAKES OUT PUBLIC, THAT TAKES OUT EVERYTHING.
HEALTH AND WELFARE WORK, ALL THAT STUFF.
I DON'T KNOW, I JUST, IT'S JUST CRAZY TO ME AND I JUST HAVE TO QUESTION IT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, COUNSEL.
UM, I'LL RESERVE MY COMMENTS TILL A LATER DATE.
I, I WOULD RECOMMEND A SECOND MEETING BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ON VACATION TILL THIS MORNING.
SO I'M SEEING THIS, THE DETAILS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THE FIRST TIME RIGHT NOW.
SO, UH, I'LL, I'LL, YOU DID TAKE YOUR BUDGET BINDER WITH YOU.
NO, I, IT'S A SHAME ON YOU AND I DIDN'T ANSWER MY PHONES AND, UH, SOUND LIKE A SHORT TIMER.
UM, I KNOW, I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL.
THIS IS THE THIRD ONE I'VE LOOKED AT AND EVERY TIME I LOOK AT IT, I FEEL A LITTLE STUPID OR LIKE MAYBE LIKE I SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING AND I'M NOT SEEING IT, SO I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, BUT I TRY TO, UH, PICK OUT THE THINGS THAT I KNOW THAT I'VE TOLD THEM IS IMPORTANT TO DISTRICT FOUR AND THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND SEE IF I CAN FIND THEM AND IF THEY'RE FUNDED.
UM, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL, BUT I THINK BACK TO THE RETREAT AND ALL THE THINGS THAT EACH OF US RATTLED
[02:40:01]
OFF THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE.AND I CAN SAY THAT PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THE DISTRICT FOUR WANTED IS EITHER IN DESIGN OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN THIS BUDGET.
AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY DIDN'T RAISE ANY TAXES TO DO IT, UM, THAT'S EVEN BETTER.
AND IN ADDITION, THEY'RE PUTTING MORE OF THE, UH, UH, REVENUE THAT WE GOT, UH, TOWARDS OUR DEBT PAYOFF.
AND SO, UM, I, I WAS ACTUALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
UM, I'M, I'M REALLY FOCUSED ON WHAT I SAW FOR DISTRICT FOUR AND I'M, I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL MY CONSTITUENTS WHAT IS IN THIS BUDGET.
SO I, I WAS ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE BUDGET.
UM, THE FEW LITTLE, UH, QUESTIONS I HAD WERE JUST CLARIFICATIONS, WHICH I COULD TOTALLY DO AT THE NEXT MEETING.
I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND, WE'VE GOT THIS CARRYOVER FOR RUSSELL PARK, BUT DON'T FORGET WE HAVE THE 300,000 IN MDD.
SO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE JUST A LITTLE OVER HALF A MILLION BUDGETED, CORRECT? YEAH.
JUST WANTED TO, SINCE YOU KNOW THEY'RE SEPARATED, I HAVE TO MAKE A MENTAL NOTE SO I CAN KEEP TRACK OF IT.
SO YOU GAVE HIM A MENTAL NOTE.
CAN I SEE MY MENTAL NOTE ON COUNCILMAN? WELL, I'M RIGHT THERE WITH YOU, DAVE, TO SEE THE INCREASE AND I THINK THIS IS LIKE MY FOURTH OR FIFTH ONE.
UM, IT AMAZES ME AS COUNCILMAN BENTON COURT SAID THAT WE LOWER TAXES, BUT WE ARE ABLE TO STILL PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE IN SOME AREAS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND.
IN THAT BEING SAID, I CALLED RICK ABOUT THIS AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN SIT DOWN AND GET SOME ANSWERS AND TALK ABOUT IT.
THE ONE THING THAT I DIDN'T SEE, MAYBE BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN ITEMIZED BUDGET, BUT ONE THING THAT I'M REALLY LOOKING FOR IS IMPROVE, WELL, MORE TRAINING FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE AREA OF MENTAL ILLNESS, DEESCALATION AND DIVERSITY TRAINING FOR ALL OF STAFF.
I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT NEED TALKING ABOUT CAPITAL.
I WOULD HOPE THAT CAN BE BROUGHT FORTH TO BUILD CAPITAL WITH OUR CITIZENS.
AND WHEN I SAY CAPITAL, CAPITAL, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE TRUST.
IF WE COULD DO SOME OF THOSE, ALL OF THOSE IMPROVE TRAINING IN THOSE THREE AREAS, IT WILL BUILD CAPITAL TO WHERE WE CAN GAIN THE TRUST OF OUR CITIZENS AGAIN, ON THE LEVEL THAT WE EXPECT TO HAVE WITH THEM.
UM, 4TH OF JULY, IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN BUILD, WRITE SOMETHING INTO THE CONTRACTS TO WHERE WE CAN RECOUP SOME, IF NOT ALL OF THE MONEY THAT'S BEEN SPENT TO BRING ENTERTAINMENT IN? WHAT IF WE HAVE ANOTHER PANDEMIC? WHAT IF AN ASTEROID HITS AND WE CANNOT HOLD 4TH OF JULY EVENTS? HOW MUCH MONEY WAS SPENT ON 4TH OF JULY THIS YEAR WHEN THEY SAID 150? ONE 50 AND ONE 70? I THINK ONE 50 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, WE HAD A HUNDRED AND, UH, 30,000 IN, UH, ENTERTAINMENT AND 30,000 IN OUR FIREWORKS.
UH, I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO RECOUP MOST OF THE FIREWORKS FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOME RESTOCKING.
UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR ON MAYBE REPROGRAMMING SOME OF THE BANDS TO OTHER SPOTS.
UH, SO WE'LL PROBABLY GET MOST OF THE MONEY BACK IF WE WEREN'T ABLE TO REPROGRAM.
LET'S SAY THIS COVID THING KEEPS GOING AND WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE GATHERINGS OF MORE THAN A HUNDRED OR MORE THAN 50.
HOW MUCH MONEY WOULD WE LOSE FROM ENTERTAINMENT? IT DEPENDS ON WHEN WE CANCELED.
UH, THE BAND, THE ONE BAND THE STICKS OR, UH, DENNIS DE YOUNG CANCELED BEFORE WE DID.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET THEIR DOLLARS BACK.
BUT WE WAITED TOO LATE TO CANCEL.
WE WERE WAY OUT IN 30 DAYS AND WERE, SO WE'RE ON THE HOOK FOR THE WHOLE AMOUNT.
SO, BUT WE WAITED, GOING BACK TO WHAT WAS, WE WERE TRYING TO SEE WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ALLOWING US TO, UM, HOLD FESTIVITIES OR NOT.
[02:45:01]
CORRECT.WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE A, WE DO HAVE A PART IN OUR CONTRACTS IF WE HAVE A HURRICANE COMING IN MM-HMM
UH, WITHIN WHAT, THREE DAYS? IS THAT CORRECT? A NATIONAL EMERGENCY OR HURRICANES COMING IN, UH, THEN IT ALL, ALL IS OFF AND WE GET OUR MONEY BACK 'CAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO DRIVE DOWN FOR A HURRICANE.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CANCELED AT THE LATE DATE IS WHAT REALLY PUT UP THE HURT ON THIS, THIS YEAR.
WELL, I, IF, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO, UM, AFTER WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR TO WORK SOMETHING INTO THE CONTRACTS TO DEAL WITH A PANDEMIC ON ASTEROID, STRIKE ONE END OF THE SPECTRUM TO THE OTHER, I THINK THAT WOULD BE WISE.
I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE WISE FOR US TO DO THAT FOR THE SIMPLE FACT WE'RE SHOWING CITIZENS AT THAT POINT THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT AFTER OUR EXPERIENCE, THEIR TAX DOLLARS AND WHAT IT'S GOING TOWARDS.
AND I'M GONNA REITERATE WHAT I STARTED WITH.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT, 'CAUSE I, I'M LOOKING AT THE BUDGET FOR TRAINING FOR PD AND I BELIEVE IT WENT UP $40,000.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THAT $40,000 IS GONNA BE SPENT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I BROUGHT UP MAYBE A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO, ACTUALLY, WHEN IT COMES TO MORE TRAINING, NOT NECESSARILY FOR SUPERVISORS, BUT FOR OUR PATROL OFFICERS AND DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
ALSO, AGAIN, TRAINING WITH DEESCALATION AND DIVERSITY TRAINING WITH ALL OF CITY STAFF.
I MEAN, I HAVE, UM, MAYBE TWO OR THREE VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT SOME LINE ITEMS, BUT I THINK THAT CAN BE COVERED AT A, AT A LATER DATE.
UM, I, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION ACTUALLY.
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY, VERY THOROUGH AND I THOUGHT NICK DID A, A GREAT JOB AND IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND IT ANSWERED, YOU KNOW, JUST ABOUT ALL THE QUESTIONS, UH, AT A, AT A HIGHER LEVEL.
AND I AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN BETTENCOURT THAT I, I DO GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT THAT
WAS, WAS TOUCHED UPON, AND THAT'S, THAT'S TO THE CREDIT OF ADMINISTRATION MOSTLY.
AND, UH, SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS VERY NICE TO SEE.
AND, UH, SO MY PERSPECTIVE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THESE DAYS AND I JUST, JUST IN ANY SORT OF JUSTIFICATION IN, IN ANY WAY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS, AND WHEN YOU GET KIND OF TOWARDS THE END OF THE ROAD, YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, HOW HAVE YOU DONE BALANCING THE VARIOUS NEEDS, THE NEEDS OF THE ORGANIZATION, THE NEEDS OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS, THE VARIOUS FOLKS THAT CALL YOU AND SEND YOUR THINGS VIA EMAIL OVER THE YEARS.
AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I AGREE WITH DAVE BECAUSE MY, MY BACKGROUND IS IN SMALL BUSINESS AND IT'S JUST SO MUCH DIFFERENT THAT, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO TRANSFER MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WITH FOUR VOTES IS, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THAT'S, IT'S, UH, VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE BACKGROUND THAT I COME FROM.
AND WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, I WAS, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, KINDA LONG-WINDED HERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I FELT LIKE DAVE DID.
YOU WOULD LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS AND YOU WOULD THINK, HOLY MOLY, THE CITY SPENDS MONEY.
THIS IS JUST OUTTA CONTROL SPENDING.
AND, UH, BUT WHAT YOU COME TO SEE AND LEARN OVER THE YEARS IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DO A PROJECT, HONESTLY, THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
AND REALLY THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT IS FIRST CLASS AND TO, TO DO IT IN A WORLD CLASS FASHION.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE DO THAT WITH ALL OF OUR MAJOR PROJECTS.
HOTEL, PUBLIC SAFETY, BUILDING ANIMAL CONTROL, THE UTILITY BUILDING DEPARTMENT, UH, THE NEW BUILDING FOR THAT DEPARTMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I LOOK AT ALL ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM AND I CAN TELL YOU I'VE, I'VE VOTED FOR EVERY SINGLE WATER AND SEWER INCREASE.
I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT IT AND OF, OF COURSE I QUESTIONED IT AT THE TIME, BUT I'VE ALWAYS VOTED FOR THE INCREASES.
I VOTED FOR EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE RAISE THAT WAS PUT BEFORE COUNCIL IN SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS.
I VOTED FOR EVERY ONE OF THEM.
UM, I WAS HAPPY THAT WE DID THE TWO PENNIES, UH, ON THE TAX RATE MM-HMM
OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I WAS HOPING FOR A LOT MORE.
I, I WISH WE COULD HAVE DONE MORE, BUT CERTAINLY GRATEFUL THAT WE, WE'VE DONE SOMETHING IN TOWARDS THAT DIRECTION.
UM, I'M, I LIKE THE, THE, THE EXEMPTION FOR THE DISABLED THIS YEAR.
AND I THINK THAT WAS A GOOD THING.
UM, THE FIRE STATION THAT WAS BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE VOTING ON THAT TONIGHT, I WOULD VOTE AGAINST THAT.
I I WOULD HAVE TO, AND THEN THIS MAY, YOU KNOW, IT MAY EXCEED
[02:50:01]
BY MY TENURE REMAINING, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO SEE SIGNIFICANT PARTICIPATION OR A, ANOTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT OR SOMETHING IN THAT REGARD TO SUPPORT A FIRE STATION BECAUSE NOT ONLY THE CAPITAL COST, BUT THE M AND O, THEY'RE JUST MM-HMM.I NEVER KNEW HOW EXPENSIVE IT WAS TO BUILD AND OPERATE A FIRE STATION I GOT ON CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UH, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M AT.
I THINK OVERALL IT WAS A GOOD BUDGET.
I'M, I'M PROBABLY NOT LIKELY NOT GONNA SUPPORT THE, THE INCREASE ON SALARIES THIS YEAR.
IT'LL BE THE FIRST YEAR THAT I'VE TAKEN THIS POSITION.
AND THE, THE, MY RATIONALE IS I JUST THINK THAT TIMING IS, IS NOT GOOD WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD.
AND LIKE I SAY, I, I TALK TO MY CONSTITUENTS ON A DAILY BASIS AND, AND I KNOW THE HARDSHIPS THEY FACE AND, AND, UH, I'M, I'M PROBABLY NOT GONNA SUPPORT THAT THIS YEAR.
AND MAYBE I'M THE ONLY WAY THAT FEELS THAT WAY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST, YOU LOOK AT YOURSELF AND YOU TRY TO BALANCE THE NEEDS OF, OF, OF EVERYONE THAT WORKS FOR THE CITY AND YOU TRY TO DO RIGHT BY THEM.
AND YOU TRY TO DO RIGHT BY THE FOLKS THAT YOU KNOCK ON THEIR, THEIR DOOR AND YOU TALK TO IN PERSON AND, AND TELL 'EM YOU WANT TO HELP CONTROL THE SPENDING AND THAT SORT OF THING ALSO.
SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF WHERE I'M AT.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY I WOULD PROBABLY FEEL DIFFERENT IF COVID WASN'T HERE AND WE HAVEN'T HAD THE PANDEMIC OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS AND, AND FACE THIS UNCERTAINTY THAT WE STILL FACE.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE BIG THINGS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY MAJOR ISSUES.
LIKE I SAY, I THINK EVERYTHING WAS IN THERE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION OVERALL.
UM, WELL, BEING THE LAST PERSON, I ECHO
I HAD A WHOLE LOT OF STICKIES AND HIGHLIGHTS.
I EVEN BROUGHT 'EM WITH ME IN CASE SOMETHING ELSE CAME UP.
BUT, UM, A LOT OF THIS STUFF HAD ALREADY BEEN ANSWERED.
I THINK THE PRESENTATION I, THIS I THINK HAS BEEN THE BEST WORK BUDGET SESSION THAT I'VE HAD.
UM, I REALLY ENJOYED GOING THROUGH ALL THE CIP PROJECTS.
UM, I DO WANNA ADD THOUGH, YOU KNOW, I, I AGREE ABOUT THE DIVERSITY TRAINING, BUT I THINK WE, WE ALSO NEED TO MOVE MORE TOWARDS HAVING EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES, NOT JUST WITHIN STAFF, BUT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AND SO WE CAN BEGIN WITH DIVERSITY, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO END WITH THE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES.
I MEAN, THAT IS REALLY WHAT'S GOING TO SET THE BAR, UH, WHERE WE ARE AS, AS A COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
UM, I, I DO CREDIT A LOT, UM, TO A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING, THINGS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN DONE TO, TO THE PIKE PROGRAM.
I, I THINK THAT THAT IS REALLY, UM, SHOWN THE INNOVATION THAT THE STAFF, UM, HAS PUT INTO A LOT OF THE PROJECTS.
I'M JUST GONNA NAME A COUPLE OF 'EM, WHICH IS, UM, THE DRAINAGE PROJECT THAT HAPPENED OVER AT WEST BAYTOWN.
AND WE WENT OUT THERE TO LOOK AT IT AND CHEWY, I IMMEDIATELY SAID, NO, WE CAN DO THIS, SO WE CAN DO THAT.
AND IT WAS LIKE, BOOM, IT WAS DONE.
UM, BUT IT, I, I WOULD'VE NEVER THOUGHT THAT THE ISSUE WAS BECAUSE THE WATER WAS ABOVE THE OUTLET, UM, THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING, YOU KNOW, THAT THE WAY THAT WAS BUDGETED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DIDN'T IMPACT THE, THE, THE CONSTITUENTS.
AND THEN EVEN JUST RECENTLY, UM, WE'VE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE ALLEYWAYS IN WEST BAYTOWN AND THAT THEY'RE SO DARK.
AND OF COURSE OUR, UM, PROVIDER CENTER POINT IS LIKE, WELL, THERE'S NO INFRASTRUCTURE THERE.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, ADD ANYMORE.
AND THEN JUST WITH US TALKING, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, WHAT ABOUT THE SOLAR LIGHTS THAT ARE GOING UP AT JENKINS? CAN'T WE TRY SOME OF THAT? YOU KNOW? AND YOU KNOW, RICK, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT BROUGHT IT UP.
SO I THINK JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX WHERE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS BEFORE MAY HAVE JUST BEEN A NO, IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE.
RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO, AREN'T GONNA GO THROUGH WITH IT.
AND SO I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE BY STAFF AND ENSURING THAT OUR PROJECTS THAT WE TALKED AT OUR RETREAT ARE REALLY COMING TO FRUITION.
UH, I'LL JUST MAKE A FEW COMMENTS.
I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, THE BUDGET'S WELL PREPARED.
UH, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THESE ARE NUMBERS THAT COULD BE STAGGERING.
THERE'S NO DOUBT COUNCILMAN THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, AT THE PROGRESSION OF NUMBERS AND WHEN I, WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL, THE, THE BUDGET WAS NOWHERE NEAR THIS AMOUNT.
BUT, UM, I WILL SAY I, I'VE BEEN THROUGH ADMINIS ADMINISTRATIONS WHERE YOU AS A COUNCILMAN, YOU COME UP OR A COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER AND YOU, YOU COME UP WITH, I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS HAPPEN.
[02:55:01]
LIGHTING AND JENKINS.I WOULD LIKE DRAINAGE IN TEXAS AVENUE.
I WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT STUFF THAT TAKES PLACE.
ALL THE THINGS YOU ASK FOR, COST, MONEY, NONE OF IT'S FREE.
RIGHT? AND SO, I WILL TELL YOU THIS, ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF, I THINK THEY BEND OVER BACKWARDS TO ENSURE THAT WE MEET THE NEEDS OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.
'CAUSE IF YOU'RE THE VOICE OF YOUR CITIZENS, UH, YOU COME FORTH WITH THOSE PROJECTS TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF LIFE TO, TO ENRICH LIVES AND BUILD COMMUNITY.
I THINK THIS, I THINK WHAT YOU SAW WITH THAT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WHICH IS ALMOST A, IN A SENSE, YOU SAW THAT ONE SPREADSHEET'S ALMOST A BILLION DOLLARS, THAT WE COULD DO EVERYTHING THAT WE THINK WE NEED THROUGHOUT THE NEXT 10 OR 20 YEARS.
I THINK THAT THAT IS OUR, OUR, THAT'S THE PLAN.
THAT'S PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE DO.
SO WHEN WE BUDGET THESE ITEMS, IT DOES COST MONEY.
THIS IS, THIS IS, UH, BIG BUCKS.
I WISH THINGS WERE CHEAPER FOR SOME REASON.
YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN CITIES BUY THINGS, IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT THE SAME THING THAT YOU SEE IN, IN, IN NORMAL RETAIL, UM, SOLAR LIGHTS, YOU KNOW, UH, TO GO.
AND I THINK WE, WE, WE ASKED WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE IN DOLLARS? AND IT CAME BACK.
SOME OF THAT I THINK IS WITHIN REASONABLE BOUNDS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, WE WENT THROUGH COUNCIL RETREATS, WE'VE HAD THESE, THESE COMMENTS, RIGHT? WE ALL, WE ALL WANT THINGS IN OUR DISTRICT AND THEY PUT 'EM IN THERE, BUT IT COSTS MONEY.
AND SO, UM, I'VE BEEN THROUGH ADMINISTRATIONS WHERE THE FIRST RESPONSE IS NO.
AND SO WE WE'RE DOING THINGS, THAT'S YOUR JOB.
YOU'RE COMING HERE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER AND VOICE IN WHAT, WHAT DO OUR CITIZENS NEED? UM, BUT I STILL THINK WE'RE DOING, WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB OF BEING GOOD STEWARDS WITH THAT, RIGHT? SO THE PAST FEW YEARS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LOWER OUR TAX RATE.
WE GO AND WE, WE WE'RE, WE'RE VERY MINDFUL OF OUR DEBT.
WE ARE, UH, CONTINUING TO PASS ON ANY KIND OF TAX, UM, TAX, UH, DECREASE TO OUR CITIZENS.
WE'VE, WE'VE TAKEN AN INCREMENTAL APPROACH, WHICH I AGREE WITH.
UM, AND, AND WE CONTINUE TO REALLY ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR CITY.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I REALLY DO THINK THIS IS A GOOD, A GOOD BUDGET.
THERE'S SOME THINGS WE CAN WORK ON.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S UNCERTAINTIES IN THE WORLD.
UM, AND I BELIEVE WHEN IT, WHEN IT COMES TO THE REVENUES AND EXPENSES THAT, UM, THAT, THAT THEY HAVE BEEN MINDFUL OF THAT MM-HMM
AND SO, UM, I WOULD SAY, UH, WHEN YOU DO THINK ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, NOT ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES ARE AT THE VERY TOP OF THE HELM.
BUT, BUT WE HAVE A MAJORITY OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE PUBLIC WORKS FOLKS AND ALL THEM WHO ARE, WHO, THEY'RE NOT ANYWHERE NEAR THAT TOP.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT I WOULD, I WOULD CONSIDER SOME ALTERNATIVES IF THEY WERE PRESENTED, BUT I WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME FOR PEOPLE LIKE THE CHEWY'S AND OTHERS THAT, THAT REALLY BUSTED EVERY DAY.
UM, I WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME, UH, NOT PROVIDING THEM SOME LEVEL OF INCREASE, UH, FOR, FOR THE THINGS THAT THEY DO FOR OUR CITIZENS.
THIS IS MAINLY OUR, OUR NON-CIVIL SERVICE, UH, EMPLOYEES.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S A DISCUSSION TO HAVE.
I NO DOUBT, BUT I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DO TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE ALWAYS HAVE, I'VE SEEN IT IN OH EIGHT AND OH NINE.
WE, WE MADE SURE EVERYBODY WAS ABLE TO GO BACK HOME TO THEIR FAMILY WITH A PAYCHECK.
CAN I JUST ONE QUICK COMMENT, MAYOR TO THAT? YES, SIR.
SINCE IT KIND OF COINCIDES AND I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT ACTUALLY.
AND I, I WOULD SUPPORT SOMETHING ON, ON THE LOWER LEVEL EMPLOYEES AND, AND, AND THOSE SORTS OF FOLKS.
AND, UH, I, I WOULD, WOULD LOVE TO REALLY SEE SOME SORT OF OPTION LIKE THAT.
I, I AGREE WITH THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
AND UH, YOU KNOW, IT IS JUST IMPORTANT THOUGH NOT TO OVERLOOK THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I AGREE, MAYOR ON EVERYTHING YOU SAID, AND EVEN THE HOTEL CONFERENCE CENTER AND BIG PROJECTS LIKE THAT, I CAN TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, MY CONSTITUENTS, THEY TELL ME, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA EAT AT THAT FIVE STAR RESTAURANT AND I'M NOT GONNA STAY IN THAT HOTEL ROOM.
BUT I'VE REALLY BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST SUPPORTERS OF THE HOTEL CONFERENCE CENTER, BECAUSE YOU LOOK AT THE CITY AS A WHOLE AND, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S A BALANCING ACT.
DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE, DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND, AND DOING WHAT THOSE FOLKS THAT, THAT VOTED FOR YOU AND PUT YOU IN OFFICE BELIEVES ARE IN THEIR BEST INTEREST AS WELL.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB.
AND I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB BEING THE MAYOR.
AND WHEN YOU KNOCK ON A LOT OF DOORS AND TALK TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AND MAKE A LOT OF PROMISES AND TRY REAL HARD, IT'S, IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY.
I, I WOULD SUPPORT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IF THERE WAS AN OPTION LIKE THAT.
AND, AND I'LL TELL YOU, I WANT, I WANNA TELL Y'ALL, UM, AS, AS I'M CERTAINLY VERY HONORED TO SERVE AS YOUR MAYOR, BUT I'M SO PROUD OF MY COUNCIL.
I WILL TELL YOU, I TALKED TO OTHER MAYORS AND I, WE HAVE AGREEMENTS, WE HAVE DISAGREEMENTS AND ALL THAT, BUT WE WORK THROUGH 'EM.
AND, AND NOT EVERY COUNCIL IN, IN THIS AREA WORKS, I WOULD SAY TOGETHER AS MUCH.
WE CAN BUILD A CONSENSUS WITH WHAT'S BEST FOR BAYTOWN.
SO I ENJOY A COUNCIL THAT, THAT IS ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND I'LL ALSO, I I, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT CITY STAFF AT THE END OF THE DAY.
[03:00:01]
PROUD OF OUR EMPLOYEES.I'M PROUD OF, OF THE COUNCIL THAT WE HAVE HERE.
WHEN I LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, CITIES IN THE AREA, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO EVEN HAVE A CON UH, TO EVEN HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A HOTEL, A FIVE STAR HOTEL CONFERENCE CENTER, AND BRINGING THE BATTLESHIP AND MALL REDEVELOPMENT.
YOU, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY TIMES YOU SEE A MALL GO AND DISMANTLE FROM BEING A MALL? YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE AGREEMENTS ARE.
IF YOU HAVE AN, YOU NEED TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW, HOW MALL AGREEMENTS WORK.
BUT TO DISMANTLE A MALL TO GO THAT YOU CAN REDEVELOP, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
USUALLY MALLS JUST BECOME AN ALBATROSS IN SOMEBODY'S NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IT CAN HAPPEN IN, IN FLUENT AREAS IN OUR COUNTRY.
RETAIL IS CHANGING IN FIVE YEARS.
WE HAVE LOTS OF STUFF ON OUR, ON OUR, ON OUR PLATE, UH, AND, UH, WE WORK THROUGH IT.
AND I THINK BEING GOOD LEADERS AND LISTENING TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, I ASK YOU TO DO THAT EVERY DAY.
AND, AND, AND COME HERE WITH, IF IT'S YOUR PHILOSOPHY, IF IT'S YOUR OPINION, I, I CERTAINLY RESPECT THAT.
BUT I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE A GOOD TEAM AND, AND I THINK WE'RE ALL, WE'RE CERTAINLY ON THE RIGHT PATH.
I THINK WHAT WE DO IS, UH, WE'RE GONNA NEED ANOTHER, WE'RE GONNA NEED ANOTHER WORK SESSION.
UM, IF THERE'S ANY CLOSING COMMENTS AND WE KIND OF JUST GET TIMELINE FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS TONIGHT.
UM, I THINK IT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION TOO.
NICE JOB, MAYOR FOR THE COUNCIL.
SO WE DO HAVE A WORK SESSION SCHEDULED.
YOU ALL ADOPTED ONE FOR JULY 20TH.
SO, UM, WE CAN MEET THAT EVENING.
UM, WE DO ALSO HAVE SOME TIME SCHEDULED ON THE WORK SESSION ON JULY 23RD.
THERE IS ANOTHER ITEM ON THAT AGENDA THOUGH, SO THERE WON'T BE A TON OF TIME FOR BUDGET.
SO ARE Y'ALL STILL GOOD GETTING TOGETHER? FIVE 30 ON THE 20TH? YES.
MONDAY, UM, JUST A REMINDER THAT THE MONDAY, YEAH, MONDAY, THE AGENDA ON THE 23RD WILL INCLUDE THE NOTICE OF INTENT FOR THE COS.
UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET ADOPTION, UM, YOUR EARLIEST POSSIBLE DATE WOULD BE JULY 23RD.
AND YOUR LAST POSSIBLE DATE IS REALLY SEPTEMBER 24TH.
BUT, UM, THAT WOULD BE PUSHING IT A LITTLE BIT.
SO, UM, AND THEN SETTING UP THE TAX RATE, UM, MOST LIKELY THE TIMEFRAME WOULD BE, UM, AUGUST 13TH FOR A, FOR A PUBLIC HEARING THERE.
SO, UM, JUST KIND OF LAYING OUT THE TIMEFRAME MOVING FORWARD.
SO, AND IF YOU DO HAVE SPECIFICS, UM, PLEASE GET THOSE TO US AND WE'LL DO SOME RESEARCH, UH, BEFORE MONDAY AND GET THOSE ANSWERS OUT TO EVERYBODY.
I'LL SCHEDULE HOW DO, HOW DO YOU WANNA RECEIVE THAT? YEAH, LIKE SEND IT TO RICK.
ALL OUR COMMUNICATIONS, GO TO RICK.
WE CAN DO IT A COUPLE OF, COUPLE OF WAYS.
UH, IN SOME CASES MIGHT BE, WELL JUST TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND, AND HAVE OUR FINANCE STAFF THERE AND JUST DISCUSS YOUR QUESTION, JUST ANSWER 'EM ALL THERE.
IF YOU CAN'T DO THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU CAN FORWARD YOUR QUESTIONS TO ME AND THEN I WILL GET AS THOROUGH OF AN ANSWER IN WRITING AS I CAN BACK TO YOU.
UH, SO IT, IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR LEVEL OF, UH, TERMS, THE BUDGET UNDERSTANDING.
TOMORROW I CAN BE DONE BY EMAIL.
SO I THINK FOR, FOR THIS EVENING, WE, WE ARE DONE.
UM, I THINK IT WAS A GOOD WORK SESSION.
I WORKED THROUGH A LOT OF ITEMS. SO WITH THAT, THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.