* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020 6:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 Due to the COVID 19 Disaster and the CDC's recommendation regarding social distancing measures, the public may not be allowed to be physically present at this meeting, as there is a limited amount of space when maintaining the required 6-feet separation from others. For those members of the public that cannot or do not wish to be physically present at the meeting, they will be able to participate through two-way communications. For video conferencing, use the following website www.zoom.com, click on "join a meeting" on the top right hand corner, and input the following Meeting ID: 882 5470 4244. For telephone conferencing please use the following toll-free number: 1-888-788-0099, Meeting ID:882 5470 4244. Any person, who is participating through video/teleconferencing and is interested in speaking on any item on the agenda, must submit his/her request via email to the City Clerk at cityclerk@baytown.org. The request must include the speaker's name, address, and phone number that will be used if teleconferencing as well as the agenda item number. The request must be received prior to the posted time of the meeting. The agenda packet is accessible to the public in both HTML and PDF formats at the following link: https://www.baytown.org/city-hall/city-clerk/agendas-minutes. City Council Meetings are broadcast on the City's Municipal Channel, Channel 16 and on the website at: https://www.baytown.org/city-hall/public-affairs/baytown-tv-public-service-announcements. After the meeting, a video recording of this meeting will be made available to the public at https://www.baytown.org/city-hall/city-clerk/agendas-minutes. For more information or questions concerning the teleconference, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at 281-420-6504. AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM PLEDGE AND INVOCATION Council Member Laura Alvarado, District No. One ] [00:00:03] SO, AND I'LL CALL THIS MEETING OF THE BAYTOWN CITY COUN REGULAR MEETING OF THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL ORDER. IT'S THURSDAY, JULY 23RD, 6:30 PM WE ARE IN, UH, BAYTOWN CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UH, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM, AND WE WILL BE LED IN OUR PLEDGE AND INVOCATION BY COUNCIL MEMBER LAURA ALVARADO, DISTRICT ONE, JOIN FIVE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO, TO THE REPUBLIC. FOR RICHARD, IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. AND NOW OUR TEXAS FLAG. I HONOR OUR TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD. ONE AN INDIVISIBLE. PLEASE BOW YOUR HEAD. FATHER, DURING THIS MEETING, WE PRAY FOR YOUR BLESSINGS AND YOUR GUIDANCE. THERE ARE ACTIONS TONIGHT AND ALWAYS BE MOTIVATED BY THE DESIRE TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THOSE THAT LIVE AND WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE KNOW THAT AS LEADERS, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OUR WORK IS INCLUSIVE WITH EVERY PERSON AND EVERY INTERACTION IN EVERYTHING WE DO EVERY DAY. FOR THE FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THE VIRUS, WHETHER THROUGH ILLNESS, DEATH, OR FINANCIALLY, INCLUDING THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY SINCE THE START, WE ASK THAT YOU PROTECT OUR OFFICERS, EMT, AND FIREFIGHTERS AS A FACE, MANY UNKNOWNS EACH DAY. PLEASE DRAW NEAR AIR AND BE, UH, OUR SAFETY AS THE STORMS APPROACH THIS WEEKEND AND THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. ALL THIS WE ASK OF YOU, LORD. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. [1. MINUTES] ALRIGHT, WE HAVE ITEM ONE A CONSIDER APPROVING THE MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION, WRITTEN, REGULAR MEETING HELD ON MAY 28TH, 2020. I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. MOVE TO APPROVE. ONE A SECOND WE HAVE A MOTION. SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR INTENTIONS? ALL THOSE IN FIRES. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MINUTES. UM, AS WRITTEN, PLEASE SAY, AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? OKAY. MOTION, UH, MINUTES PASS. UH, [2. RECOGNITIONS AND CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS] ITEM TWO, A, RECOGNIZE CITY OF BAY EMPLOYEES FOR THE YEARS OF SERVICE. MS. FLINT. GOOD EVENING. WE ARE STARTING OFF THIS EVENING WITH OUR FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE, AND FIRST UP IS ZACHARY HUNTER. HE IS A FIREFIGHTER WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. NEXT WE HAVE JEREMY ETT. HE IS ALSO A FIREFIGHTER FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. JUAN PAULA PALOMO. HE IS WITH OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND HE IS AN EQUIPMENT SPECIALIST. JOSHUA LESTER, FIREFIGHTER FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. KAREN RODRIGUEZ, MUNICIPAL COURT CLERK FROM OUR MUNICIPAL COURT, JESSICA ORTEGA. SHE IS A CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST, ONE FROM OUR UTILITY BILLING DEPARTMENT. AND THEN WITH 15 YEARS OF SERVICE, WE HAVE ALFRED DURAN FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. HE IS A LIEUTENANT. MOVING ON TO 20 YEARS OF SERVICE. WE HAVE SUSAN MCDONALD. SHE IS A DETENTION OFFICER WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. NEXT WE HAVE DAVID HOLLAND. HE IS A PATROL OFFICER ALSO WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, AN EDITOR, ELIZONDO PATROL OFFICER WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH 25 YEARS OF SERVICE. WE HAVE RONALD MULLIN. HE IS A WASTEWATER THREE OPERATOR FROM PUBLIC WORKS. AND THEN 30 YEARS OF SERVICE. WE HAVE JAMES BURGESS. HE IS A FIRE EQUIPMENT OPERATOR WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. HEY, BAYTOWN, ON MAY 31ST, 1990 AS A PROBATIONARY FIREFIGHTER, HE ATTENDED HIS BASIC FIRE ACADEMY AT LAMAR UNIVERSITY AND OBTAINED HIS BASIC FIREFIGHTER CERTIFICATION FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON FIRE [00:05:01] PROTECTION. JIM LATER RECEIVED HIS EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION THROUGH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES. HE PROMOTED TO EQUIPMENT OPERATOR ON FEBRUARY 2ND, 1995, AND IS CURRENTLY ASSIGNED AS DRIVER OPERATOR OF ENGINE SIX ON B SHIFT. THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, JIM HAS OBTAINED SEVERAL OTHER PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS, INCLUDING HIS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION THROUGH THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON FIRE PROTECTION ON APRIL 18TH, 2005. DRIVER OPERATOR PUMPER CERTIFICATION ON APRIL 12TH, 2006, ADVANCED FIREFIGHTER CERTIFICATION ON JUNE 14TH, 2007, FIRE SERVICE INSTRUCTOR, ONE CERTIFICATION ON NOVEMBER 19TH, 2009, AND FIRE OFFICER ONE CERTIFICATION ON JUNE 7TH, 2011. IN ADDITION, JIM WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL HAZMAT TECHNICIANS FOR THE REGIONAL HOMELAND SECURITY HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TEAM. JIM AND HIS WIFE SUSAN, ARE RESIDENTS OF BAYTOWN AND ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. JIM IS A DEDICATED EMPLOYEE WHO HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN KEEPING THE FIREFIGHTERS AND CITIZENS OF BAYTOWN SAFE FOR OVER 30 YEARS. AND WE ARE THANKFUL THAT HE IS PART OF OUR TEAM. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU MS. FLINT. WE'LL MOVE [a. Consider an ordinance approving the Baytown Crime Control and Prevention District Fiscal Year 2020-21 Proposed Budget.] ON TO ITEM THREE A, CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE APPROVED IN THE BAYTOWN CCPD FISCAL YEAR 2021. PROPOSED BUDGET. YES, SIR. THANK YOU MR. RAM. I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD TO THIS. YOU'VE ALREADY CONSIDERED THIS BUDGET. A PREVIOUS MEETING HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A PUBLIC HEARING AND NO AMENDMENTS HAVE MADE TO THAT BUDGET. OKAY, APPROVE ITEM THREE. A SECOND WE MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ITEM THREE AS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. ITEM THREE B, [b. Consider an ordinance approving the Baytown Fire Control, Prevention, and Emergency Medical Services District Fiscal Year 2020-21 Proposed Budget.] CONSIDERED AN ORDINANCE, THE BAYTOWN FIRE CONTROL PREVENTION EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES DISTRICT FISCAL YEAR 2021. PROPOSED BUDGET. SAME. COLE? THIS THE PREVIOUS ITEM, MR. MAYOR? OKAY. UH, I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION ALSO ON THIS ITEM. MOTION TO APPROVE THREE. LEAVE. SECOND. SECOND. MOTION TO SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR IS OF THE BUDGET IS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. THOSE OPPOSED? ITEM THREE [c. Consider an ordinance approving the Baytown Area Water Authority Fiscal Year 2020-21 Proposed Budget.] C, SAME THING THREE. FOR MERIT. PROPOSED BUDGET? YES SIR. I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR, UM, ITEM THREE C. MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM THREE C. SECOND. SECOND. WE MOTION IN MULTIPLE SECONDS. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE ITEM THREE C IS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? ALRIGHT. UH, MOVING ON TO ITEM [a. Consider an ordinance authorizing the Fourth Amendment to the Agreement for Professional Services and Employment as City Manager with Richard L. Davis.] FOUR A CONSIDER ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE FOURTH AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND EMPLOYMENT OF THE CITY MANAGER, MR. RICHARD L. DAVIS AND THEN HAS MY NAME. SO WHAT I'D, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO ON THIS ONE, IF I MAY, JUST, UM, MS. HORNER, WOULD, WOULD YOU MIND AT LEAST, AT LEAST ANY KEY KEY THINGS THAT WERE ADDRESSED IN THIS KIND OF REALLY JUST AN UPDATE OF MR. DAVIS'S, UM, CONTRACT WITH THE CITY? IS THERE A FEW PIECES YOU CAN JUST EXPRESS IN KEY SUMMARY? SURE. IN SUMMARY, UM, SO WE REVISED SEVERAL PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT, WHICH I HAD SENT TO YOU ALL, UM, SOME POSSIBLE UPDATES. AND THOSE INCLUDED THE COMPENSATION. IT ALSO INCLUDED THE TERM FOR A TWO YEAR TERM. SO AFTER THIS YEAR, UH, AT YOUR NEXT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, YOU WOULD BE REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE GOING TO EXTEND THE AGREEMENT FOR ONE MORE YEAR. SO EVERY TIME THAT HE HAS A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, IT EITHER BE HE WAS GOING TO CONTINUE FOR THE END OF HIS TERM OR HE GETS IT ONE MORE YEAR. IF HE DOES NOT GET THE EXTENSION OF A YEAR, HE HAS THE OPTION OF, UM, OF RESIGNING AND GETTING THE SEVERANCE AS SPECIFIED IN THE, IN THE, IN THE CONTRACT. UM, AND THOSE ARE REALLY THE, THE BIG THINGS. THERE'S ALSO SOME CHANGES ON WHAT IS TERMINATION WITH CAUSE BY THE CITY. SOME CHANGES THERE. UM, AS FAR AS, UH, SOME ETHICS INDICATIONS IN INSUBORDINATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT HAVE BEEN EITHER TAKEN OUT OR ADDED. SO THOSE ARE THE, THE MAJOR THINGS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I SENT THOSE ALL TO YOU ASKING IF ANYBODY NEEDED ANYTHING, HAD ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. UM, I'D BE GLAD TO TRY TO ADDRESS ANY OF THOSE. RIGHT. AND, AND I THINK THE ONLY ADDITIONAL, I GUESS, COMMENT ON THE CONTRACT WAS, UH, AT LEAST LAST MEETING COUNSEL, THEY DID INSTRUCT AT LEAST, UH, FOR HIS COMPENSATION TO BE IN LINE WITH ALL NON-CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES, UH, WHATEVER IN, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASE WOULD BE THAT IS WHAT, WHAT THE C MEASURE WOULD BE ENTITLED TO. SO IN THIS, IN THIS CONTRACT, AS IT'S DRAFTED, IT WAS A 3% INCREASE. BUT HE HAS THE OPTION AT YOUR PLACE. YOU'LL SEE THERE WAS A CHANGE SINCE I SENT YOU ALL A CHART OF CHANGES, WHICH ALLOWS HIM TO, UH, REJECT THAT IF HE SO DESIRES, HE DOESN'T HAVE TO TAKE THE INCREASE. YEAH. IF, IF IT'S HIS, IF HE VOLUNTARILY REJECTS IT, THERE'S SOME LANGUAGE, BUT IT DOES WHAT IT DOESN'T DO. THERE'S SOME PROVISIONS WHERE IF HE HAD A RE THERE WAS A ORIGINAL OR, OR ALREADY AN ESTABLISHED PROVISION WHERE IF THERE WAS A REDUCTION IN THE CITY MANAGER'S COMPENSATION, IT GO, IT THROWS A, A WHOLE TYPE [00:10:01] OF, I THINK, UH, THE CITY, I THINK IT'S CALLED A TERMINATION, NOT TERMINATION, BASICALLY LIKE CITY MANAGER IS RESIGNING IF, IF BASICALLY WE REDUCED HIS PAY, BUT THAT IT'D BE ON HIS, IT'D BE ON HIS, HIS VOLUNTARILY, VOLUNTARILY DOING THAT. BUT THAT'S IN THE CURRENT CONTRACT. NOW THAT WAS IN HIS CURRENT ONE. SO THAT'S NOT A CHANGE FROM WHAT HE CAN HAVE. IE IF COUNSEL WERE TO REDUCE HIS PAY TO SOMETHING, WHATEVER IN ANY AMOUNT, UH, BUT THAT, THAT IT WOULD, IT WOULD ACTUALLY, UM, BEGIN, BEGIN A PROCESS. AND THIS WOULD, THIS WOULD ADDRESS THAT IF, IF HE WERE TO NOT, UH, IF HE VOLUNTARILY CHOSE NOT TO RECEIVE A PAY INCREASE THAT COUNSEL, UM, DID AWARD HIM. CORRECT. SO IF HE VOLUNTARILY CHOSE NOT TO ACCEPT THE 3% RIGHT. WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO COME BACK AND AMEND THE CONTRACT. HE COULD JUST GIVE THE MAYOR NOTICE THAT HE'S DECLINING HIS 3%, THEN HE WOULD GET THE SAME AMOUNT AS HE'S CURRENTLY PAID UNDER THE THIRD AMENDMENT. THIS IS THE FOURTH AMENDMENT, RIGHT? RIGHT. YES. SO AS FAR AS ANY COUNCIL DECREASING HIS PAY, THAT'S ALREADY IN THE CONTRACT, THAT THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A CAUSE FOR TERMINATION AND HE COULD GO AHEAD AND GET A SEVERANCE OF THAT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO REALLY IT WAS JUST A, A LOT OF, A LOT OF WHAT WAS THERE WAS BASED WHEN WE, WHEN HE WAS ORIGINALLY HIRED. AND SO THERE WAS MOVING EXPENSES. THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT, THAT JUST GOT, UM, IN A SENSE CLEANED OUT. I THINK IT'S JUST KIND OF A FRESH CONTRACT WITH, WITH, UH, WITH, UH, SOME TERMS ASSOCIATED MM-HMM . UH, COMPARED TO, TO THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT. I THINK IT WAS THREE YEARS. AND THEN JUST INDEFINITE IN A SENSE THAT, ALRIGHT. OKAY. SO WITH THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE HIGHLIGHTS. I MEAN, IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON, ON THAT, BUT, WELL, MAYOR, I, I HAVE A COMMENT. SO I SEE WE'RE EXPECTED TO VOTE ON IT TONIGHT. THE FOURTH AMENDMENT IS IN FRONT OF US. HOWEVER, I'VE RECEIVED SEVERAL CALLS TODAY FROM CONSTITUENTS THAT WANTED TO READ THE CONTRACT AND SEE THE CONTRACT, AND ONE OF THE CONSTITUENTS ACTUALLY GOT IN TOUCH WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AT 4:00 PM AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WASN'T READY. AND THERE'S, IT WASN'T ATTACHED ON THE LINK. AND I JUST THINK IF IT'S IN THE, IN THE NAME OF TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT, IF THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TOLD THEM BUT WASN'T READY AT 4:00 PM WE SHOULD POSTPONE THIS, POST IT PROPERLY, AND THEN VOTE ON IT AT THE NEXT MEETING IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT. MM-HMM . OKAY. YEAH. AND WE DO, I, WE DO HAVE A SYSTEM WHO'S SIGNED TO SPEAK, BUT JUST WANTED TO AT LEAST HERE, AT LEAST START WITH, WITH AT LEAST WHAT, WHAT WAS THE SUMMARY OF CHANGES IF YOU WANT TO CONSIDER CHANGES, BUT IT'S MAINLY AN UPDATE. OKAY. WITH THAT, LET'S HEAR FROM OUR CITIZEN AND THEN WE CAN GET INTO DISCUSSION OR ANY OTHER ACTIONS. UH, WE HAVE MR. BECK, WHO WAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM FOUR A. I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN A WHILE HERE, BUT IF YOU GO AHEAD, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YES, SIR. UH, MR. AARON, COUNCIL MEMBERS BYRON BECK, 47 27 BLACKSTONE STREET. UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT. UH, I, I SHARE THE SAME CONCERN MR. PRESLEY HAS IS THAT, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN THIS AMENDMENT IF IT'S GOOD, BAD, AND DIFFERENT. UM, I WAS JUST A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT THERE'S A REASON THAT THERE'S A LAW THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A 72 HOUR POSTING REQUIREMENT, AND THAT'S FOR THE CITIZENS TO INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL. UM, SO AS FAR AS I COULD TELL, YOU'RE ABOUT TO VOTE ON A DOCUMENT TONIGHT THAT COULD HAVE A FISCAL IMPACT THAT INVOLVES STAFF, THE CITY MANAGER PAY RAISES, AND THE PUBLIC HASN'T HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT AND WEIGH IN ON IT. UM, I, I'M ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AS A, AS AN ISSUE OF TRANSPARENCY. UH, I I, I'M NOT EXPRESSING AN OPINION ON, ON MR. DAVIS OR NOT ON WHETHER OR NOT HE SHOULD GET A RAISE. I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT REALLY ANY EMPLOYEES GETTING, UH, RAISES THIS YEAR WHEN THERE'S MILLIONS OF PEOPLE UNEMPLOYED. YOUR TAXPAYERS ARE ON UNEMPLOYMENT, UH, WE AREN'T GETTING RAISES. SO I DO HAVE CONCERNS OF THAT IN GENERAL. UH, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT AT LEAST WE SHOULD HAVE THE TIME TO GO AHEAD AND REVIEW THE DOCUMENT AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE DO WANT TO PROVIDE YOU INPUT WITH. I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS GIVE IS THAT THEY DON'T HEAR FROM THE CITIZENS ENOUGH. MM-HMM . WELL, THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY YOU DON'T HEAR FROM THE CITIZENS IS BECAUSE WE'RE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE SOME THINGS ARE BEING, SOME PEOPLE WILL SEE IT AS YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO SLIP SOMETHING THROUGH IN THE DARK OF NIGHT AND HOPING NOBODY CATCHES IT. I, I KNOW THAT'S MAY NOT BE THE CASE, BUT THERE IS A PERCEPTION OF THAT. UM, SO I WOULD ASK THAT YOU AT LEAST TABLE THIS MOTION UNTIL YOU CAN PUBLICLY POST, UH, THE INFORMATION AND YOU CAN GET INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC BEFORE YOU DO THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU MR. BECK. ALRIGHT, COUNSEL, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? DOES, DOES OUR POSTING VIOLATE A LAW? ONLY IF THAT'S MS. WARNER. SO THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT REQUIRES THAT WE POST THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE ITEMS THAT COUNCIL IS [00:15:01] GOING TO CONSIDER AT ITS MEETING. SO THE CITY HAS DONE THAT. SO YOUR POSTING TONIGHT IS CORRECT ON YOUR AGENDA. THE CITY GOES OVER AND ABOVE THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT WHERE WE POST OUR PREFACE, WE DESCRIBE EACH ITEM IN DETAIL, AND WE ATTACH ORDINANCES AND CONTRACTS AND THINGS AS THEY'RE READY. SOMETIMES WE DON'T HAVE THINGS READY AT THE TIME OF POSTING AND WE SEND THOSE OUT TO COUNSEL, UM, BEFOREHAND, BUT, SO OUR POSTING IS IN LINE WITH THE LAW. OKAY? YES, SIR. AND, AND THAT'S FINE. AND IF IT'S IN THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW, THAT'S FINE. MY ISSUE IS, WE, WE TOOK THIS ISSUE UP TWO WEEKS AGO, SO WE'VE HAD OVER TWO WEEKS TO, TO DRAFT IT AND FINISH IT. I JUST FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE CITY CLERK ISSUES AN OFFICIAL EMAIL SAYING THAT IT'S NOT READY YET. BY SOME COINCIDENCE, IT'S READY BETWEEN 4:00 PM AND 6:30 PM AND THERE'S A PAPER COPY AT OUR DAIS. SO THAT'S MY ISSUE, NOT THE LETTER OF THE LAW. IT'S ABOUT TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT AND, AND RECEIVING A, A PROPER RESPONSE WHEN, WHEN ASKED FOR. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SO WITH, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UH, MS. PRESSLEY, IF, IF, I MEAN, IF THERE'S, IF YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION FOR SOME TYPE OF, SO I, I WOULD'VE MOVED TO TABLE AND POSTPONE TO THE NEXT MEETING AND PROPERLY POST IT. MEANWHILE, IN CONFORMANCE WITH THE LAW, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE, WHETHER THAT'S TO POST THE CONTRACT OR NOT, BUT, BUT, WELL, IT WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT AND, AND POSTPONE IT. ONE MEETING. I'LL SECOND THAT. YEAH. SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND. AND, AND SO IT WOULD BE, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS ALREADY A LEGAL POSTED AGENDA ITEM. UM, I WANNA BE CLEAR, IT WOULD BE THAT AND WITH A COMPLETED CONTRACT THAT COUNCIL WOULD BE CONSIDERED. SO I WOULD ASSUME OUR NEXT MEETING, UH, WHICH WOULD BE FIRST MEETING IN AUGUST 13TH, IS THAT IT? 13, 15TH, 13TH, AUGUST 13TH. SO, UM, SO THERE'S A MOTION, UH, FOR THAT POSTING, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE ATTACHED CONTRACT SO CITIZENS COULD GO AND HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND REVIEW AND PROVIDE COMMON IF NEEDED. YES, SIR. OKAY. SO, AND I WOULD ASK FOR A REVIEW OF THE, THE RESPONSES THAT ARE GIVEN TO CITIZENS. IF SOMETHING IS READY OR NOT, PLEASE. UH, I WOULD JUST LIKE IT LOOKED INTO. I'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT. SO A MOTION A SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON, ON THAT WITH THAT? ALRIGHT, SO WE, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION IS PRESENTED. PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. OKAY, SO MOTION CARRIES. UH, SO WE WILL GO AND AGAIN, AUGUST 13TH, WE'LL GO AND WE'LL, WE WILL TAKE THIS, UM, ITEM BACK UP WITH POSTING OF THE COMPLETED CONTRACT. ALRIGHT, UH, WE MOVE [b. Consider an ordinance authorizing an Interlocal Agreement with Harris County for the Preliminary Engineering Services for the Market Street Revitalization Project.] ON TO ITEM FOUR B. CONSIDERED ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH HARRIS COUNTY FOR THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR MARKET STREET REVITALIZATION PROJECT. MR. SEMINO. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THIS ITEM, UH, CONSIDERS AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH HARRIS COUNTY FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF MARKET STREET. THE CITY APPLIED TO HARRIS COUNTY FOR GRANT FUNDS, UH, THIS PAST JANUARY AND MARKET STREET WAS SELECTED FOR AWARD OF, UH, GRANT. UH, THE PROJECT CONCLUDES THE LIMITS OF MARKET STREET FROM BAYWAY ALL THE WAY TO, UH, STERLING AVENUE. AND IT'S INTENDED TO TRANSFORM THE COR, TRANSFORM THE CORRIDOR FROM THE EXISTING FOUR LANE SECTION TO A PEDESTRIAN CYCLIST FRIENDLY CORRIDOR. CONSISTENT WITH THE VISION OF THE MARKET STREET CORRIDOR STUDY PROJECT WILL ALSO STUDY ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF EARHART WEST MAIN LEE AND TEXAS. THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT COVERS PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING ONLY. UH, THE COUNTY AND CITY STAFF BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE TOO MANY POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO ESTIMATE THE COST OF FINAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION AT THIS POINT. SO THE, THE AGREEMENT ALSO, UH, INCLUDES THE EQUAL SHARING OF PRELIMINARY DESIGN COSTS UP TO $624,000 FOR EACH PARTY. AFTER PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING IS COMPLETED, STAFF WILL BRING AN AGREEMENT TO COUNCIL FOR FINAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE DESIGN PROCESS AND ALTHOUGH HARRIS COUNTY WILL TAKE THE LEAD ON THE PROJECT, THE CITY WILL BE AN ACTIVE PARTNER IN THE PROJECT. STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MS. SIMINO. I WILL FIRST ENTERTAIN A MOTION MS. UH, ALVARADO ON ITEM FOUR B. MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM FOUR B. SECOND, HAVE MOTION. SECOND, UM, ON THIS ITEM, AND, AND AGAIN, I, I DO WANNA THANK MR. SIMINO AND, AND PUBLIC WORKS FOR REALLY PUTTING TOGETHER A REALLY GOOD PACKAGE TO HARRIS, HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER, UH, PRECINCT TO A ADRIAN GARCIA. UH, AND THEN SELECTION OF THIS PROJECT. I THINK IT'S, IT WAS A, AN EXCELLENT CHOICE. UH, YOU HAVE A LOT OF STRONG PACKAGES. I THINK YOU SUBMITTED FOUR IN TOTAL. YES, SIR. AND, UH, I DID GET, I DID GET, UM, SOME FEEDBACK FROM PRECINCT TWO THAT THEY, ALL OUR PACKAGES WERE VERY STRONG. AND SO, UM, THIS, THIS IS CERTAINLY A GOOD, UM, A GOOD PROJECT FOR BAYTOWN. AND SO ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING ITEM FOUR [00:20:01] B? JUST SOME COMMENTS, MAYOR. YES, MA'AM. AND, AND REALLY JUST TO KIND OF REITERATE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID, I THINK STAFF THESE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB IN, IN TRYING TO FIND OTHER FUNDING SOURCES. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS MARKET STREET PROJECT FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND, UM, WE DIDN'T THINK, EXCUSE ME, THAT WE WOULD GET A LOT DONE THIS QUICKLY. AND BECAUSE OF THIS FUNDING, WE'LL BE ABLE TO EXPEDITE THAT. UM, I KNOW THAT WE WANT, WE HAD GREAT PLANS ABOUT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN PROCESS AND ALL OF THAT, BUT DUE TO CURRENT SITUATIONS, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO DO SOME OF THOSE VIRTUALLY. UM, BUT, UH, I JUST WANTED TO THANK ALL THE STAFF WHO WAS INVOLVED IN PUTTING THE PACKET TOGETHER AND REALLY PUSHING FOR THESE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING METHODS. UM, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT PROJECT AND REALLY TO COINCIDE WITH THE, THE NEW ELEMENTARY THAT'S COMING UP. I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A YES, MA'AM. VERY, VERY GREAT ADDITION. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO WITH THAT, UM, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER COMMENTS, I GUESS I'LL DO A FAVOR. ITEM FOUR B IS PRESENTED. PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. ALRIGHT, ITEM CARRIES. [c. Consider an ordinance repealing Ordinance No. 14,437, which set the time date and place of the public hearing on the City of Baytown Fiscal Year 2020-21 Proposed Budget, and setting a new date, time and place for the public hearing on such proposed budget.] WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR C. CONSIDER ORDINANCE FOR APPEALING ORDINANCE NUMBER 14 4 3 7, WHICH IS WHICH SET THE DATE, TIME, AND PLACE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN FISCAL YEAR 2021, PROPOSED BUDGET AND SETTING A NEW DATE, TIME, AND PLACE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON SUCH PROPOSED BUDGET. YES, SIR. THANK YOU, MR. RAM. MAYOR AT THE, UH, BUDGET WORKSHOP LAST MONDAY. UH, I BELIEVE NICK DREW THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT WE WERE PROPOSING TO POSTPONE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THE BUDGET, WHICH WAS TO TAKE PLACE THIS EVENING. UH, AND THE MAJOR DRIVER FOR THAT HAS BEEN, UH, THE COMPLEXITIES ADDED TO THE CALCULATION OF THE PROPERTY TAX RATES AS A RESULT OF SENATE BILL TWO. UH, THIS WILL GIVE US SOME TIME TO RECEIVE FURTHER DATA FROM HARRIS COUNTY, PARTICULARLY, UM, UH, ON THE RULE, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WHEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TAKES PLACE ON THE 13TH, WE ARE AS UP TO DATE AND ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE ON THE ESTIMATES OF PROPERTY TAX. OKAY, THANK YOU. SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM FOUR C. MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM FOUR C, SECOND MOTION TO SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ITEM FOUR C IS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? OKAY, I ITEM FOUR C, UM, PASSES ITEM FIVE, [5. PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS] A CONSIDER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN PUBLICATION OF THE NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE COMBINATION TAX AND REVENUE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION SERIES 2020 FOR WATER, SEWER AND ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS AND RELATED EQUIPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND AUTHORIZING ADVANCED FUNDING. YES, SIR. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED AT THE TWO BUDGET WORKSHOPS. UH, THIS IS THE START OF THE FORMAL PROCESS. IT DOES NOT COMMIT US TO ANYTHING AT THIS STAGE, BUT, UH, WE NEED TO, UH, COMMENCE, UH, THE PROCESS OF, UH, ALLOWING US THE ABILITY TO DRAW DOWN FUNDS TO, TO, UH, PAY FOR THE SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL INVESTMENT PLAN THAT, UH, THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR BUDGET. UH, SO THIS WOULD ALLOW US IF THE BUDGET IS APPROVED, AND IF INDEED WE DECIDE AT A LATER DATE THAT WE WISH TO BOND, THAT WE CAN BOND UP TO 42 MILLION, UH, DOLLARS. UH, 37 OF THAT WILL COME FROM, UH, WATER AND SUR AND THE REMAINDER WILL COME FROM PROPERTY TAX. THIS WILL COME WITH NO INCREASE TO EITHER TAX OR UTILITY CHARGES. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU, SIR. WE ALSO HAVE, UH, MR. BECK, HE DID SIGN UP FOR ITEM FIVE A. SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME AND AGAIN, RESTATE, STATE YOUR NAME AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY YOUR ADDRESS AND YOUR COMMENTS. BYRON BECK, 47 27 BLACKSTONE STREET. AND, UH, I DO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT REMOVING MY HAT, BUT I'M NOT VERY GOOD AT CUTTING MY OWN HAIR. SO , UM, MY, MY MOTHER WOULD BE EMBARRASSED FOR ME. SO, , UH, YOU, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE ISSUES ON, ON THIS ITEM ARE VERY MUCH THE SAME AS WHAT AS ALWAYS CONCERNED ME AND, AND WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE LAST ISSUE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, UM, DOING THE RIGHT THING. UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, I, I, I PRETTY MUCH DON'T REALLY MESS WITH YOU GUYS A WHOLE LOT, MR. ME, YOU KNOW, I'VE GIVEN YOU SOME TIME TO, GETS YOUR LEGS UNDER YOU AND EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, AND, AND REALLY JUST VIEW ME AS THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE. I, I'M TRYING TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE PUBLIC THAT YOU MAY NOT BE HEARING, BECAUSE I'M CONNECTED TO A LOT OF FOLKS AND I HEAR A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. UM, THE ISSUE WITH THE, THE COS OR THE CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS, IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT A MA IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF WHAT, IT'S A QUESTION OF HOW WE, WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO GET DONE. YOU KNOW, MR. HOSKINS, I REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT ALL THE PROBLEMS WITH THE SEWER PLANT. WE KNOW THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED WITH THE SEWAGE RUNNING OUT AND GETTING FINES AND EVERYTHING. UH, WE SEE THE [00:25:01] PROGRESS THAT'S BEING MADE ON GARTH ROAD AND I 10 THROUGH TDOT. UM, WE SEE THE, THE PATCHWORK REPAIRS ON MAIN STREET. UM, SO, BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETHING IS GETTING DONE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF PROGRESS TO THAT. IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE. UH, BUT THE, THE ISSUE IS, IS WHEN WE DO THESE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION ATTENTION, THERE WAS, THESE WERE ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO BE STOPGAP MEASURES FOR E EMERGENCY ITEMS, UNFORESEEN THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, SUCH AS A DISASTER, THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO BRING THIS TO THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR INPUT. UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THIS SEEMS TO BE A REGULAR WAY OF FUNDING EVERYTHING. NOW, UH, FROM THE, THE BAY LAND BOONDOGGLE TO THIS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT SEEM TO BE HAPPENING. AND THE, RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY, THERE'S A LOT OF PERCEPTION OUT THERE THAT WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE OLD WAYS OF WHERE, UH, CITY COUNCIL'S A, A RUBBER STAMP FOR STAFF AND, AND OTHER INTERESTS WE'RE HAVING CONCERNS THAT THE CITY'S SIDESTEPPING THE CITIZENS AND DOING THINGS TO BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID OF THEIR VOTE. WELL, WE KNOW THAT THEY WON'T SUPPORT THIS, SO WE GOTTA SEE HOW WE CAN SIDESTEP 'EM. THAT SHOULD CONCERN EVERYONE. I'M JUST HERE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S A CONCERN. AND I'M CONCERNED TOO. I, I'M NOT NECESSARILY SPEAKING A AGAINST OR TRYING TO STOP THIS PROJECT BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NEEDED, AND I KNOW THERE'S DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES, BUT I WANT US TO START CONSIDERING HOW WE DO THINGS WITH MORE TRANSPARENCY. THIS IS A MUCH LESS TRANSPARENT PROCESS WHEN YOU DO A CO THAN PUTTING IT FORTH BEFORE THE PUBLIC. SO PLEASE JUST CONSIDER HOW YOU DO THINGS LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE. YEP. APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS. SO I, I GUESS I'LL, I'LL MAKE A FEW COMMENTS BASED OFF OF THAT. SO OBVIOUSLY WITH, WITH THE CI OBLIGATIONS AND, AND ADDRESSING GARTH ROAD AND OTHER THINGS. SO FIRST OFF, JUST THE COMMENT ON RUBBER STAMP. I WOULD, I WOULD THINK, ACTUALLY SINCE I WAS THERE AT THE COUNCIL RETREAT, IF ANYTHING, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE AS A COUNCIL, PEOPLE WHO DULY ALL DULY, I THINK EVERYBODY HERE, UM, WAS DULY ELECTED IN THEIR COUNCIL DISTRICTS TO REPRESENT THE BEST INTEREST OF BAYTOWN. UH, MYSELF, I, I LIKE TO FIX THINGS. I LIKE TO FIX ROADS. I LIKE TO FIX DRAINAGE. I LIKE TO FIX STREETS AND SIDEWALKS AND IT COSTS MONEY. THERE'S NO DOUBT. UM, IN THAT RETREAT, UM, WHAT IT WAS, WAS THIS COUNCIL DIRECTED THAT STAFF, MR. CITY MANAGER, MR. PUBLIC WORKS ALL THAT TO GO, LIKE, HOW DO WE ADDRESS GARTH ROAD? HOW DO WE ADDRESS REQUIREMENTS, UH, AND MANDATES FROM TCEQ RIGHT? THAT WE'RE REQUIRED. IF NOT, THEN THE CITIZENS OF BAYTOWN GET FIND. SO, SO TO GO AND, AND TAKE IT FROM A PERSPECTIVE, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY BE CONNECTED WITH SOME CITIZENS OR WHOEVER THE CASE MAY BE. THE IDEA OF A RUBBER STAMP, I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY, I, I'VE BEEN HERE A WHILE. I WOULD SAY IT'S KIND OF OPPOSITE. I, I THINK WE DIRECT STAFF, HE HAS SEVEN BOSSES. HE CHOOSES TO HAVE SEVEN BOSSES. AND IN OUR, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR MEETINGS, WHICH ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, WE'VE DIRECTED STAFF TO DO THINGS. WE SAID, WE ARE GONNA BE THE COUNCIL THAT'S GONNA DRAW THE LINE IN THE SAND AND TAKE AND, AND, AND PRETTY MUCH ADDRESS OUR THROAT ADDRESS DRAINAGE ADDRESS, UH, REQUIREMENTS OF TCQ TO BE AHEAD OF, OF, OF THINGS AND NOT BE BEHIND. 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN PAYING CATCH UP, WE'VE BEEN PLAYING CATCH UP ON A LOT OF THINGS. UM, 20 YEARS, OVER 20 YEARS. YES. I MEAN, I HEARD, I COULD TELL YOU I HEARD FROM COUNCILMAN HESSEL, YOU WANTED COVERED PAVILIONS AT BASKETBALL COURTS IN THIS BUDGET, THERE'S COVERED PAVILIONS ON BASKETBALL COURTS. EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER HERE VOICED WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE THE DIRECTION BASED OFF A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WAS, WAS BASED FROM CITIZEN'S INPUT OF HOW DO WE CONDUCT OURSELF FOR THE NEXT FIVE OR 10 YEARS. SO THAT'S WHAT I SEE NOW. I WISH THAT WAS, I WISH THAT WAS MORE APPARENT. IT'S NOT THAT IT, IT IS NOT TRANSPARENT. IT JUST MAY NOT BE AS IN A SENSE AS, UM, UH, IT'S SOMETIMES IT'S JUST NOT OF INTEREST FOR FOLKS, RIGHT. UNTIL WE GET TO THESE TYPE OF ITEMS. BUT, UH, A RUBBER STAMP, I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY OPPOSITE. I'VE, I'VE SEEN, I'VE SEEN SITUATIONS LIKE THAT IN THE PAST, BUT I THINK, UH, MYSELF AND COUNSEL, I THINK WE ARE ACTUALLY DIRECTING IN LINE WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN FROM THE CITIZENS IN LINE WITHIN, WITHIN OUR FINANCIAL BOUNDARIES AND MEANS, UH, THE LAST BUDGET SESSION, UM, I WAS ACTUALLY IMPRESSED. THERE WAS A LOT OF DATA THAT SHOWED OUR DEBT TO REVENUE RATIO WAS IN LINE WITH, WITH EVERYTHING WITHIN, UH, GOVERNMENT FINANCE TYPE GUIDELINES. NOTHING WAS OUT OF BOUNDS. I MEAN, THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS I KNOW FROM, FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY TRANSPARENT. WE TRY TO POST EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN. WE ARE IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY. WE HAVE A FINANCE, FINANCE COUN, UH, FINANCE COUNCIL THAT LOOKS AT THESE THINGS, UH, WITH DCOS THAT WENT THROUGH OUR SY OUR, UM, OUR, UH, STRATEGIC PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF CITIZENS TO GO AND LOOK LIKE THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO, UH, WITH, COS THERE'S REVENUE THAT COMES IN THROUGH PROPERTY TAX, THROUGH SALES TAX, THROUGH IDAS, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY [00:30:01] BE. AND IS IT IN LINE WITH THE LAW THAT GOES THROUGH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL? EVERY BOND THAT WE SELL HAS TO GO THROUGH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. IS THAT CORRECT? EVERYTHING HAS TO BE MET. SO I WOULD SAY I DO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT MR. BECK. I I TOTALLY GET IT. I, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND. UH, IF I CAN INVOLVE EVERY CITIZEN AND EVERY DECISION THAT COUNCIL MAKES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO RELY ON, ON CITIZENS. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE GET FEEDBACK FROM THEM. AND WHEN WE SAY WE WANT TO ADDRESS GARTH ROAD AND WE WANNA ADDRESS DRAINAGE, AND IF IT'S WEST TEXAS, IF IT'S DAN DUBNA, IF IT'S MIDDLETON ROAD, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, THEY SAID, YES, I WANT YOU. IF YOU'RE FIXING THINGS AND MAKING BAYTOWN BETTER, THEN WE'RE ON BOARD. SO THAT'S WHAT I HEAR TOO, IN A SENSE. BUT I WANNA BE AS FULL, AS TRANSPARENT AS WE POSSIBLY CAN BE. AND I THINK WE, I THINK WE, WE DO, UH, OUR BEST ATTEMPT IF THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, I KNOW I SPOKE WITH YOU ON SOME INITIATIVES. IF THERE'S OTHER THINGS WE CAN DO TO, TO EVEN BE MORE, MORE, UH, MAYBE NOT TRANSPARENT IS, I GUESS, MORE APPARENT. YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO PUT OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN OUT ONLINE SO EVERYBODY CAN SEE WHAT'S TAKING PLACE IN WHAT YEAR AND HOW IS IT FUNDED. UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I SEE. I, I JUST, I, I GUESS I TAKE A LITTLE OFFENSE TO RUBBER STAMP BECAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T SEE, I DON'T SEE THAT, BUT THAT'S JUST MY PERSPECTIVE. WELL, AND THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS I WOULD, I THINK THAT'S THE WAY THAT, THAT THEY MAY FEEL. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T EXACTLY RUBBER STAMP EVERYTHING TONIGHT ON THIS AGENDA. IT WAS JUST THE OPPOSITE ON ONE ON ONE ITEM IN PARTICULAR. SO THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF A, A STRETCH. BUT, UH, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S THE WAY SOME PEOPLE FEEL AND THEY TRY TO GET INVOLVED IN GOVERNMENT AND THEY, THEY RECEIVE ERRONEOUS INFORMATION OR INFORMATION THAT'S QUESTIONABLE, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S YEAH. THAT AFFECTS THE WAY THEY FEEL. IT'S A PERSPECTIVE. SURE. ABSOLUTELY. IT'S A PERCEPTION AND, AND THINGS THAT THEY EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT LEADS THEM TO THAT CONCLUSION. BUT IT, IT'S A BIT OF A STRETCH TO TO SAY, I KNOW EVERYONE UP HERE PERSONALLY AND VERY WELL. I DON'T, I DON'T, THERE'S A RUBBER STAMP IS A LITTLE BIT OF A STRETCH. AND, UH, I, SO, BUT IT DOESN'T OFFEND ME. I THINK EVERYBODY'S ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINION AND SURE. WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE IN PUBLIC OFFICE, YOU CAN'T TAKE OFFENSE AND YOU TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM AND PERHAPS THERE'S A LITTLE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING THE LETTER OF THE LAW IS ONE THING, BUT TAKING AN EXTRA STEP TO, TO SATISFY FOLKS AND GIVE 'EM THAT LEVEL OF TRUST SURE. AND RESPECT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S A LITTLE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT ON THE TRANSPARENCY ISSUE OF IT, NOT SPEAKING FROM THE LEGAL STANDPOINT. SO THAT'S, NO, I AGREE. I MEAN, I, I, IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO BE EVEN MORE TRANSPARENT THAN, THAN WE ALREADY DO. WE, WE ADVERTISE. WE PUBLICIZE, WE DO. I MEAN, WE, WE'VE PUT THIS IN THE LOCAL PAPER, ALL THAT. YES SIR. , WELL, SOME OF THIS REBEL RUBBER STAMP STUFF, IT DOES OFFEND ME BECAUSE WE START PREPARING FOR THESE ITEMS ONE BY ONE WEEKS IN ADVANCE, MONTHS IN ADVANCE. ME FOR ONE, I'VE DISCUSSED SEVERAL OF THESE ITEMS WITH OUR CITY MANAGER, WHO IS OUR EMPLOYEE. THAT'S WHO WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TALK TO. I'M PREPARED BY THE TIME IT GETS HERE FOR US READY TO VOTE. SO WE SPEND A FEW MINUTES OF DIALOGUE HERE, OR WE VOTE ON IT AND IT HAS THE APPEARANCE OF BEING A RUBBER STAMP, EVEN THOUGH WE PREPARED FOR THAT ITEM FOR MONTHS ON END BEFORE WE VOTE ON IT, WE KNOW ABOUT IT. THAT'S THE WAY WE DO. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO UP HERE. THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, THE ITEM OF THE, THE HOTEL CONFERENCE ROOM BOONDOGGLE, THAT'S VERY OFFENSIVE TOO, BECAUSE WE GET THOSE REPORTS. EVERY ONE OF US UP HERE HAS A, A REPORT ON THAT, ON THE STUDY OF HOW VIABLE IT IS. IT'S NOT GONNA AFFECT THE, THE TAXPAYERS, THE, THE, THE RESIDENTS AND THEIR HOME VALUES ARE, ARE NOT GONNA IMPACT THAT ON THE TAX VALUES. IT'S, IT'S GONNA WORK OUT GREAT, BUT NOT ONCE, AS I'VE HAVE, I SEEN ANY CITIZEN COME DOWN THERE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE HOTEL, THIS BUDGET, ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING. SO WE HAVE PLENTY OF PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR ANYBODY TO COME UP AND SPEAK, AND NOBODY SHOWS UP TO TALK ABOUT THAT. SO THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY. THEY'RE NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT. YEAH. AND I AGREE WITH THAT. THAT'S A GOOD ONE. THEY SAID THEY SIT ON THE SITE LINE, AND YOU CAN COUNT ON ANY TIME WE DO SOMETHING. THERE'S SIX PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN THAT ARE VERY DEROGATORY ABOUT ANYTHING WE DO. AND YOU CAN COUNT ON 'EM COMING OUT THERE ON FACEBOOK OR WHEREVER AND MAKING THEIR, THEIR DEROGATORY REMARKS. THIS IS, THIS IS A GOOD BUDGET WE'RE WORKING ON. WE HAVE GOOD PROJECTS THAT'S COMING IN THAT'S VIABLE FOR THE CITY. THE CITY PEOPLE HAVE ASKED US TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS HERE TO MAKE IT NOT LOOK LIKE BAYTOWN DID 20, 30 YEARS AGO. WE'RE DOING THINGS. AND SO I FIND IT OFFENSIVE THAT SOMEBODY COMES UP HERE AND SAYS, WE'RE RUBBER STAMPING THINGS AND NOT DOING OUR JOB. 'CAUSE WE ARE. YEAH. JUST MAYOR, REAL QUICK TO ADD TO THAT, AND YES, SIR. WHEN SOMEONE DOES TAKE THE TIME AND THE EFFORT TO COME DOWN HERE AND SPEAK TO US, REALLY, WE, WE GIVE THAT A LOT OF CONSIDERATION. SO I MEAN, WE, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YEAH, YOU, YOU, THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE TIME AND THE EFFORT TO COME DOWN HERE, KIND OF, SORT OF WHAT HAPPENED TONIGHT, SO TO SPEAK. THAT WAS A PRIME EXAMPLE. AND I THINK THAT WE ARE, UH, [00:35:01] WE DO LISTEN WHEN THEY DO TAKE THE TIME AND EFFORT TO COME DOWN HERE, AND IF, IF, IF YOU DON'T TAKE THE TIME OUTTA YOUR DAY OR, OR DON'T CARE ENOUGH TO COME DOWN HERE AND, AND SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING YOU FEEL SO PASSIONATELY ABOUT, THEN, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT IT IF THEY'RE NOT PASSIONATE ABOUT IT ENOUGH TO COME DOWN HERE AND SPEAK ABOUT IT. SO THAT'S A GOOD POINT. AND I AGREE, YOU KNOW, EVEN, EVEN IF IT'S, IF IT'S WORDS IN OPPOSITION, I, I ALWAYS APPRECIATE ANYBODY THAT COMES DOWN HERE AND, AND AT LEAST VOICES THEIR, THEIR, THEIR PERSPECTIVE. AND SO, UM, I WOULD GET IT, WHATEVER THE CASE BE REGARDLESS. I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED THAT. UM, THERE'S NO DOUBT. ONE, ONE OTHER THING, IF I MAKE THE WAY WE, WE FINANCE THINGS LIKE THESE CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS, WE'VE BEEN OPERATING THAT WAY FOR SEVERAL DECADES NOW, AND IT WAS ALLOWED BY THE, THE CITIZENS OF THIS, THIS TOWN AS TO HOW WE OPERATE TO A CERTAIN DEBT LEVEL. ANYTHING BEYOND THAT DEBT LEVEL. IF, IF WE WANT TO FUND SOMETHING, WE DO HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTER FOR OUR APPROVAL FOR BONDS OR WHATEVER IT IS TO COVER THAT MM-HMM . BUT AS LONG AS WE STAY BELOW THAT DEBT LEVEL, THEN WE CAN ISSUE THESE CERTIFICATE OBLIGATIONS TO GET THINGS DONE AROUND HERE. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING AS APPROVED BY THE CITIZENS OF BAYTOWN. SO WE'RE DOING IT IN THE RIGHT WAY. OH, I MEAN, I, I DO AGREE WITH YOU. BUT ANYWAY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS I GUESS ON THIS ITEM? I JUST WOULD ECHO WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE SAID. ONLY SHORTER . WELL, CAN I AGREE WITH A SENTENCE? I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING. YOU, YOU FOLKS HAVE SAID EVERY SINGLE, AND YOU'RE, AND YOU'RE BEING HONEST AND YOU'RE BEING FORCED RIGHT ABOUT IT. AND IT'S VERY TRUE. WE NEED MORE PEOPLE TO COME DOWN AND STAND RIGHT OVER THERE FOR THREE MINUTES AND TELL US HOW THEY FEEL AND THEY DON'T. SO THEY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, YOU ALMOST LOSE THE RIGHT TO BRING IT UP THE NINTH HOUR, BUT EVERYTHING YOU SAID IS RIGHT. AND I I REPEAT THE SAME THING, ONLY SHORTER. NO, I MEAN, AND I, AND I WILL TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT, I MEAN, I WILL TELL YOU, I, I THINK ALL AS AN ORGANIZATION, AS A CITY, OBVIOUSLY AS A COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION, THAT WE ARE, WE HAVE DONE A, WE, AND I'M GONNA SAY EVERY, EVERYBODY INCLUDED IS, IS WE HAVE A PLAN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, HOW WE GO ABOUT THINGS, UH, COMPARED TO, TO HOW WE'VE DONE THINGS BEFORE. IT HAS BEEN SO HELPFUL TO HAVE A ROADMAP THAT WE CAN KIND OF STICK TO. AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THINGS CHANGE. WE HAVE SOME DEVIATIONS, WE HAVE PANDEMICS THAT TAKE PLACE, AND SO WE ADJUST. BUT HAVING, HAVING A, A TRUE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE CITIZENS OF BAYTOWN, FROM THE CITIZENS OF BAYTOWN, I THINK IT HELPS MYSELF GOVERN, IT HELPS CITY COUNCIL GOVERN. IT CERTAINLY GIVES DIRECTION, UH, TO ADMINISTRATION. AND, UH, I, I SPEAK ABOUT IT WHEN I DO GET OPPORTUNITIES, UH, OF HOW, HOW IT OPERATES. AND, AND I, AND I, IT'S UNFORTUNATE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE MR. TURNBACK IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT FROM A, FROM SOME, FROM, FROM SOME PERSPECTIVES. IT COULD, IT COULD CERTAINLY APPEAL. IT CERTAINLY, HEY, THERE'S A $217 MILLION BUDGET, BOOM, IT GOT PASSED. BUT THERE WAS THIS, THIS PROCESS STARTED, YOU KNOW, SIX PLUS MONTHS AGO WITH LOTS OF INPUT, UH, LOTS OF INPUT. AND SO IT'S, UM, AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. YES, I UNDERSTAND. BUT IT IS A PROCESS AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD, I COULD TELL YOU FROM, FROM, FROM BEFORE TO NOW, IT'S OF A LOT MORE INPUT. AND IT'S REALLY, I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND. IT'S A, IT'S A TOP DOWN. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE, THESE ARE THE CITIZENS. THERE'S SEVEN OF US THAT REPRESENT THE ENTIRETY OF BAYTOWN. AND SO IT'S A TOP, IT'S A TOP DOWN. WE GIVE THEM DIRECTION. OKAY? AND SO, UM, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. I DO APPRECIATE YOU, MS. BECK, AND BEING INVOLVED, AND WE'LL WORK, IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO MAKE THINGS MORE APPARENT, UH, THEN WE WILL CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CERTAINLY TRY. HAPPY TO HELP. YES, SIR. HAPPY TO HELP. OKAY. THANK YOU SIR. ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM TO THE ACTUAL, UM, ITEM ITSELF, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER COMMENTS, BUT DID WE ENTERTAIN A MOTION YET? NO. MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM FIVE, A SECOND. SECOND. HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? PROBABLY NOT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY. ALL RIGHT. ITEM [a. Receive the City of Baytown's Quarterly Financial and Investment Reports for the Quarter Ending June 30, 2020.] CARRIES ITEM SIX A REPORTS WE HAVE FIRST RECEIVED THE CITY OF BAY TOWN'S QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INVESTMENT REPORT FOR QUARTER ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2020. THANK YOU, MR. RAMIR. I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT YOUR THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL MONITORING REPORT. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY ON TUESDAY TO TALK IN SOME DETAIL WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, UH, ABOUT THAT. AND I WON'T DWELL ON THOSE DETAILS THIS EVENING. WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS GIVE YOU A FEW HIGHLIGHTS. UH, ON THE REVENUE SIDE, UH, OUR POSITION IS RESILIENT AND ROBUST. IT'S QUITE REMARKABLE IN THESE TIMES THAT OUR SALES TAX, UH, REMAINS CONSTANT. UH, OUR REVENUE FROM IDAS IS ALSO STRONG ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE. WE ARE SLIGHTLY UNDER BUDGET. YOU'LL BE GLAD TO KNOW. AND THAT'S A RESULT OF TWO, UH, FACTORS. ONE, UH, AND THAT'S, UH, STRENGTHENED FISCAL CONTROL WITHIN INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS, PLUS THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD TO DELAY SOME PROJECTS BECAUSE OF THE EFFECT OF COVID-19. UH, ONE OF THE SPECIFICS I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION, UH, IS THE AQUATICS FUND. AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT. UH, WE SPENT SOME TIME HERE RECENTLY TALKING ABOUT THE EFFECT IN THE CURRENT, UH, YEAR, UH, FROM COVID-19. [00:40:01] UH, THAT HAS BEEN DEVASTATING AND THAT WAS REFLECTED IN YOUR MONITORING REPORT. WE HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO FUND THE DEFICIT ON THE AQUATICS FUND IN THE CURRENT YEAR FROM THE GENERAL FUND. UH, BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS. UH, YOU REMEMBER THAT THE BUDGET THAT YOU'VE, UH, ALREADY LOOKED AT SEVERAL TIMES AND WILL CONSIDER AGAIN ON THE 13TH OF AUGUST INCLUDES REVISED BUDGET FOR THE AQUATICS FUND FOR NEXT YEAR, WHICH SHOWS A SURPLUS, NOT JUST A SURPLUS. IT ACTUALLY MAKES A CONTRIBUTION TO GENERAL FUND TO REPAY IT FOR ITS INVENTION THIS YEAR. MOREOVER, IT ACTUALLY PAYS FOR WATER FOR THE FIRST TIME. I HAVE TO SAY, MR. MERIT HAS HATS OFF TO MR. TROLLER, TO SCOTT AND TO THE TEAM IN AQUATICS FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. I WANT TO MAKE MUCH OF THAT, PARTICULARLY. THANK YOU. UH, AND THAT MOVES ME ON JUST FOR A MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE, AS I SAY IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR BUDGET PROCESS. UH, YOU'VE ALREADY MENTIONED IT. YOU HAVE AN EXTREMELY FAR REACHING AND AMBITIOUS STRATEGY. UH, I WOULD SUGGEST IT IS UNDERPINNED BY A, UH, FORWARD LOOKING AND DARE I SAID, AGGRESSIVE FINANCIAL PLAN. IT'S ALL ABOUT INVESTING IN CRUCIAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE. IT'S ACTUALLY ABOUT POSITIONING THIS CITY FOR GROWTH. AND IT'S PREDICATED UPON TWO UNDERLYING PILLARS, TARGETED TAX REDUCTIONS, AND THE FREEZE ON UTILITY PRICES THAT SIR, I THINK IS PHENOMENAL IN THE CURRENT CLIMATE. UH, BUT I DON'T WANT US TO GET TOO CARRIED AWAY AND BE TOO, UH, PLEASED WITH OURSELVES BECAUSE THINGS ARE BAD OUT THERE. I WANT TO CONTINUE TO COUNSEL CAUTION, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE LOOK AT THE REVENUES, THE EFFECT ON THE GLOBAL ECONOMY FROM THIS PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS IS BREATHTAKING AND IT WILL CAST A VERY LONG SHADOW. WE, HOWEVER, ARE I WOULD SUGGEST IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION THAN SOME OF OUR PEER CITIES, EITHER IN THE STATE, IN THE NATION, AND INDEED IN THE WORLD. UH, AND I THINK YOU SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR THAT, MR. ME, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE, THE ADDITIONAL INSIGHT. OKAY. SO THAT, MR. MAYOR, IF I CAN MAKE A COMMENT? YES, SIR. UH, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS RECEIVED A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION AND ONE THING THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID AND NOTED IS THE FACT OF WHAT HE SAID, THAT WE NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS IN THE NEAR FUTURE BECAUSE OF THAT. SURE. AND ONE THING THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS ASKED IS, IS THERE A PLAN TO COVER THAT IN THE, FOR THIS ENSUING YEAR? AND THEY DO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE, WHICH IS PLEASING TO KNOW THAT, UH, WE WILL HAVE DIRECTION ON THIS TO TAKE CARE OF THE WOVES FROM THIS PANDEMIC. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. ANY YES, SIR. RICK, DID YOU, UH, TELL ME TODAY THAT WE HAD STRETCHED THE RESERVES, NOW I REMEMBER THE ONE 20 NUMBER WE'RE 120 DAYS OUT WE COULD GO, WASN'T IT? YOU YOU MENTIONED IT'S NOW 1 25. IS THAT, IS THAT AROUND NOW? IT'S BEEN 1 25. I THINK THIS BUDGET PROJECTS A 90 DAY, A 90 DAY, 90 DAY. BUT KEEP IN MIND WHAT WE BUDGET FOR IN TERMS OF FUND BALANCE ISN'T NECESSARILY WHAT WE WIND UP WITH. AT THE END OF THE YEAR. THAT NUMBER WILL GO UP. AND AT THE END OF THE LAST YEAR, WE WENT UP TO 125 DAYS. IT'S, UH, IT'S NOT UN UH, PROBABLY LIKELY THAT WE, WE WILL GO UP FROM 90 DAYS. UH, ONCE AGAIN, OUR, UH, OUR AMENDMENT, WE ARE, OUR TARGET IS RIGHT AROUND 90 DAYS. UH, IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME IF WE WIND UP AT THE END OF THE YEAR RIGHT BACK WE'RE, UH, PRETTY CLOSE TO WHERE WE WERE BEFORE, WHICH TO, TO HIS POINT IS, IS PHENOMENAL TO GO THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC. NOT ONLY THAT STILL, BUT UH, WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR CONTINGENCY TO 1%. THAT'S ANOTHER INSULATOR YOU HAVE. MM-HMM. A THIRD INSULATOR YOU HAVE IS THE FACT THAT WE'RE SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY ON ONE TIME CAPITAL. WE ARE NOT PROGRAMMING THE MONEY, AS WE'VE, WE'VE DISCUSSED. WE HAVE TO FIND A USE FOR EVERY DOLLAR. BUT WHAT USES WE'RE FINDING THIS YEAR ARE INVESTMENTS IN CAPITAL, WHICH ALLOWS US TO AVOID DEBT. AND, UM, AND IT, AND AGAIN, CREATES A BUFFER, ALLOWS US A BUFFER THAT IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, AND WE'RE STAVING OFF CAPITAL, UH, EQUIPMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, UNTIL THE FIRST OF THE YEAR. SO THAT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, EVEN PAST OCTOBER TO SEE WHAT, WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR US. SO WE HAVE THREE LINES OF DEFENSE THAT, THAT ALLOW US TO GO INTO 2021 AND, UH, AMPLE RESERVES, AMPLE CONTINGENCY, AND THEN THE BUFFER OF ONE TIME CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, UH, ABOVE OPERATING EXPENDITURES. SO THE CITY'S IN GREAT SHAPE FINANCIALLY. IT'S ABOUT WE NEED TO TELL THE CITIZENS THAT IT NEEDS TO BE ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE SUN. WELL, WE, WE TRY. IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST NOT A VERY, YOU KNOW, INTERESTING ITEM. FOR SOME, FOR SOME REASON THEY LIKE DRAMA. YEAH, YEAH, I KNOW. I MEAN, DRAMA SELLS PAPERS. THAT'S IT. NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE FIXING ROADS, WE'RE YOU, AND WE'RE GETTING STUFF DONE AND WE'RE IN GREAT SHAPE. I KNOWS IT'S AWESOME. THE NAME OF THE, WELL, I TRY, I TRY TO TELL EVERYBODY I CAN MAN, BUT I DO TOO. HELP ME. I AM TRYING. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO WE'LL, UH, WE'LL RECEIVE, WE'LL CONSIDER, UH, ITEM SIX A AS RECEIVED [b. Receive the 2020 Certified Ad Valorem Anticipated Collection Rate and the Certified Excess Debt Collections from the City of Baytown Tax Assessor/Collector.] AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX B. RECEIVE THE 2020 [00:45:01] CERTIFIED AVALOR ANTICIPATED COLLECTION RATE AND THE CERTIFIED EXCESS DEBT COLLECTIONS FROM THE CITY OF BAYTOWN TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR MR. RAM. THIS IS THE ANNUAL FORMALITY OF YOU RECEIVING CERTIFICATION FROM THE CITY'S TAX ASSESSOR. OKAY? YES. ALRIGHT, SO ANY CONSIDER RECEIVED? ALRIGHT, [7. CONSENT All Consent Agenda items listed are considered to be routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Council Member requests, in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda.] UH, CONSENT, UH, ITEMS WE HAVE SEVEN A THROUGH F UNLESS THERE'S ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE PULLED OR IS NOT READY, MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. ALRIGHT, THAT'S ITEM SEVEN EIGHT THROUGH F. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CASE AGENDA AS AS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? [8. MANAGER'S REPORT Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 551.0415 of the Texas Government Code, the City Council of the City of Baytown may receive a report about items of community interest from City staff and/or a member of the City Council, but no action or possible action shall be taken or discussed concerning the subject of such report, except as provided by Section 551.042 of the Texas Government Code.] ALRIGHT, MR. MANAGER. YES, MAYOR AND COUNSEL. JUST WANNA CONGRATULATE DETECTIVE TROY CRAWFORD FOR RECEIVING HIS MASTER MASTERPIECE OFFICER CERTIFICATE EFFECTIVE JULY 20TH. SO THAT WAS JUST A FEW DAYS AGO. I WANNA CONGRATULATE HIM ON TAKING THIS NEXT STEP AND A VERY IMPORTANT STEP IN HIS CAREER AND BEING PART OF OUR TEAM. YEAH, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND THIS, UH, ANOTHER, I WAS, UH, I THINK SATURDAY I WAS AT, AT, UH, A LOCAL HARDWARE STORE AND AS USUAL A CITIZEN APPROACHES ME AND IT'S ALWAYS AS, AS YOU EXPRESS, UH, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR GOOD STORIES FROM OUR CITIZENS. UH, HE DIDN'T TELL ME THE NAME OF THE OFFICER, BUT HE, THE GUY HAD A FLAT AND ONE OF OFFICERS WAS READY TO HELP AND, AND, AND ASSISTED, UH, ASSISTED THIS, UH, UM, I'M, I'M, I DON'T WANNA CALL HIM AN ELDERLY GENTLEMAN, BUT WE'LL JUST SAY HE'S A SENIOR IN A SENSE AND IT ASSISTED HIM AND IT'S JUST, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD WHEN CITIZENS COME UP AND, UH, AND CERTAINLY, UM, TELL US ABOUT EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE WHEN, WHEN WE KNOW THAT OUR OFFICERS ARE OUT THERE TO TRULY PROTECT AND SERVE. AND SO, UH, IT'S, I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS THAT HE DIDN'T TELL ME THE NAME OF THE OFFICER, BUT, BUT HE WAS CERTAINLY GRATEFUL THAT, THAT HE WAS ABLE TO BE HELPED. SO AGAIN, NO GOOD [9. EXECUTIVE SESSION] STORY. ALRIGHT, UM, WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION. I'M ASSUMING I HAVE A SCRIPT. SO WE'LL NOW RECESS IN, IN TWO AND CONVENE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF THE CITY'S ATTORNEY REGARDING PENDING OUR, UH, CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION INVOLVING THE CITY OF BAYTOWN AND SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 TO DELIBERATE AND EXCHANGE AND OUR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES. SO NOW WE WILL, UM, WE WILL NOW CON UM, RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. DOUBLE SET DOUBLE CHECK. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO NOW RECONVENE OUR OPEN MEETING OF THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL AND ANNOUNCE THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 5 5 1 0.102 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, NO ACTION WAS TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO WITH THAT, UH, LET'S SEE. THERE'S NO ACTION ITEMS TO TAKE FROM, UH, THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO, UH, NOW THAT CITY, UH, THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL'S ADDRESSED, ALL POSTED AGENDA ITEMS AS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED HERE A DAVE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.