[ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 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: 810 6536 8177. For telephone conferencing please use the following toll-free number: 1-888-788-0099, Meeting ID: 810 6536 8177. 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. 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. AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM PLEDGE AND INVOCATION Council Member Chris Presley, District No. Two ]
[00:00:06]
SO, AND I'LL CALL THIS MEETING THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL, A REGULAR MEETING, UH, TO ORDER.IT IS 6:32 PM WE ARE IN BAYTOWN CITY HALL COUNCIL OF CHAMBERS.
WE WILL BE LED IN OUR PLEDGE AND INDICATION TONIGHT BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHRIS PRESLEY OF DISTRICT TWO.
IF YOU'LL PLEASE FACE THE FLAG AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH ONE? NATION WITH LIBERTY, JUSTICE, CARL, NOW THE TEXAS PLEDGE HONOR.
I PLEDGE WITH MR. TEXAS ONE STATE 105.
DEAR LORD, WE ARE GRATEFUL TO BE HERE THIS EVENING TO DISCUSS THE AFFAIRS OF OUR COMMUNITY, HELP GUIDE OUR MEETING SO THAT IT IS FULL OF PRODUCTIVITY, RICH AND WISDOM AND RESPECTFUL OF ONE ANOTHER.
HELP US TO NOT BE JUDGMENTAL, BUT INSTEAD INSIGHTFUL AND DISCERNING.
WE ALSO ASK YOU, BLESS THE SICK AND THE ELDERLY, AND ALL THOSE WHO PROTECT AND SERVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS.
[1. MINUTES]
SO WE HAVE APPROVAL OF SOME MINUTES AND WE HAVE ITEMS ONE, A, B, C, D, E, AND F.UH, WE CAN TAKE ALL, ALL THESE ITEMS. UH, MS. CITY CLERK? YES, SIR.
THERE'S FOUR PEOPLE THAT'S BEEN ABSENT AND PART OF IT, SO IF YOU EXCLUDE OR THOSE THAT HAVE TO VOTE, NO, YOU WON'T HAVE ANYBODY HAVE A QUORUM THERE TO VOTE FOR IT.
THEN WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THIS.
YOU READY? I, I ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM ONE A AS WRITTEN.
PLEASE SAY, UH, ARE THOSE IN FAVOR OF THAT PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? I IS THERE ANY ABSTENTIONS? YOU GOTTA HAVE A MOTION.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR ITEM ONE? A MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM ONE.
ANY QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION, OR ABSTENTIONS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEM ONE A.
AS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
ITEM ONE, B, MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM ONE B.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR ABSTENTIONS? ALL.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE ITEM AS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED? ITEM ONE C, MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM ONE C.
SECOND, WE HAVE MOTION TO SECOND.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR ABSTENTIONS? YEAH, I'M RUNNING OUT OF ITEMS HERE.
UH, COUNCILMAN, SO I'M JUST WONDERING, BUT THE ONE I, THE ONE I WASN'T THERE IS MY NEXT ONE.
SO I CAN'T VOTE ON ENTERTAIN MOTION.
DO WE GET ONE? NO, I NEED A VOTE ON C.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ONE C AS WRITTEN, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
ITEM 1D, MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM ONE.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR ABSTENTIONS? I'M ABSTAIN.
THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN OTHERS TOO, BUT, OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEMS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
UH, ITEM ONE E, MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM WE SECOND.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR ABSTENTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR OF THE ITEM AS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
AND ITEM ONE F, MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM ONE, F SECOND.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR ABSTENTIONS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE ITEMS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE.
WE NEED TO EXPLAIN THE RULES ON THAT SO PEOPLE WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
[2. RECOGNITIONS AND CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS]
ITEM TWO A.RECEIVE THE 2020 CITY OF BAYTOWN PARKS RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT, MR. JOHNSON.
THE PARKING RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD IS PROUD TO PRESENT THE 20 19 20 20 PARKING RECREATIONAL ANNUAL REPORT.
THIS HAS BEEN A YEAR, THIS DIVIDED INTO THE FIRST HALF WAS GREAT, HIGHLIGHTED BY THE GROUNDBREAKING OF THE BLUE HERON CROCKETT PARK TRAIL, THE RIBBON CUTTING AT ROSALYN PARK AND THE BE WELL BAY ON SHADE STRUCTURES IN THE OPENING OF THE NINJA CROSS AT PIRATE BAY.
CREW PARKS ALSO COMPLETED THE TEXAS PARK AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT RECREATIONAL TRAIL GRANT IN THE CAREY GRANT, PHASE THREE AT JENKINS PARK FEST CHRISTMAS PARADE IN SNOW DAY, THEY ALL WENT GREAT.
THE, THEN THE COVID CAME AND EVERYTHING STOPPED, BUT THE PARK RECREATION DEPARTMENT KEPT ON GOING.
[00:05:01]
CREWS SWITCHED FROM PLANNING EVENTS IN SPORTS TO SANITIZING PLAYGROUNDS TO COLORFUL CHALKS ART AND INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES ON TRAILS ACROSS THE CITY.OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM HOSTED THE ANNUAL NURTURE NATURE FESTIVAL IN THE SPRING, AND IN THE SPRING PROVIDED VIDEOS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR SCIENCE TEACHERS.
THE AQUATICS DIVISION HAS STRUGGLED WITH THE CHALLENGES OF COVID, BUT ARE EXCITED WITH THE NEW NINJA CROSS AND ARE EAGERLY PLANNING FOR THE 2021 YEAR.
WE DID HAVE A GREAT YEAR DESPITE THE CHALLENGES IN TURNOVER AND MANAGEMENT TEAM AND THE CODE.
UH, WE WON TWO EAST REGION TEXAS RECREATION AND PARK SOCIETY AWARDS FOR THE DOLLAR TALK TODAY.
AND THE, UH, PARKS AND REC ACTIVITY GUIDE JENNA STEVENSON WAS RECOGNIZED FOR THE SEPTEMBER, 2019 AQUATICS PROFESSIONAL OF THE MONTH.
AS CARMEN MENTIONED, WE COMPLETED THE BLUE HERON CROCKETT PARK CONNECTING TRAIL.
IT TURNED OUT REALLY NICE BY THE WAY.
UH, WE HAD FIVE, WE HAD BUILT FIVE NEW PLAYGROUNDS.
UH, THE HOLLOWAY PARK PARKING LOT WAS COMPLETED.
UH, WE GOT THE TRAIL HEADS IN ON THE GOOSE CREEK TRAIL.
AND FINALLY THE NEW PARK SERVICE CENTER IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND NEW ROSELAND PARK LEE AND IS IN DESIGN.
AND WE SHOULD HAVE THAT OUT BID AROUND CHRISTMAS FOR I UNDERSTAND.
WE ALSO WORKING ON OUR, UH, 2030 MASTER PLAN.
AND BY THE WAY, IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO, PLEASE GO AND FILL OUT THE SURVEY.
UH, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, UH, BAYTOWN.ORG AND IT'S ON THE FRONT PAGE THERE AND HAVE ALL YOUR FRIENDS.
WE'VE, WE'RE ALREADY AT 1500, UH, SURVEYS IN.
WHEN IS THERE A DEADLINE FOR THAT? UH, SEPTEMBER THE 12TH.
BUT MOST OF ALL, I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES DURING THE PANDEMIC.
I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT A SECTION, UH, STARTING ON PAGE EIGHT THAT REFERENCED THE, UH, PANDEMIC RESPONSE.
OUR TROOPS NEVER BLINKED AS THEY PROVIDED CLEAN, WELL-MAINTAINED PARKS OF FACILITIES.
OUR WRECK SENT OUR REC, UH, CREW SANITIZED PARK EQUIP EQUIPMENT.
UH, LIFEGUARDS ACTUALLY PULLED WEEDS AND MEDIANS AND NATURE CENTER ASSURING THAT THEY WILL ALL GO TO COLLEGE AND GET A DEGREE.
UH, AND OUR CREWS, DESPITE THAT ARE CONTINUING TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK WITH ALL THIS.
UH, AND IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEE IF WE CAN ANSWER.
MR. MAYOR AND COUNSEL, IF I CAN, I, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY TO THE PARKS BOARD AND TO SCOTT AND CLIFF AND JENNA AND TRACY AND KYLE AND ALL THE CREW.
WHAT A PHENOMENAL JOB NOW, PARKS AND REC STAFF HAVE DONE IN SOME REALLY, REALLY CHALLENGING TIMES AS ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS HAVE.
BUT THE ANNUAL REPORT THAT YOU'VE GOT IS 73 PAGES CHOCK FULL OF A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS.
SO THANK YOU TO THE PARKS BOARD, SCOTT, TO YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE STAFF.
YES, THANK MS. TORRES AND, AND LY, UH, SCOTT, YOU KNOW, YOU CONTINUE FROM A, FROM A PARKS PERSPECTIVE, NOT JUST SO YOU AWARD WINNING, BUT YOU KNOW, THE CITIZENS OF BAYTOWN, WE HAVE, IS IT 50 PARKS NOW? 51.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO GO AND, AND, AND PROVIDE THESE AMENITIES, UH, AND KIND OF PLAYING CATCH UP.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS BOOK IN THE PAST YEAR AND OBVIOUSLY COVID AND, AND THAT SITUATION, BUT OUR PARKS HAVE JUST, I MEAN, I'VE JUST SEEN SO MANY PEOPLE DURING THIS TIMEFRAME THAT THEY'RE GOING, THEY'RE TAKE, THEY'RE GETTING OUT, THEY'RE RIDING THEIR BIKES.
IT'S HARD TO FIND A BIKE IN BAYTOWN.
IT'S HARD TO FIND BIKE PARKS IN BAYTOWN RIGHT NOW.
AND SO WE'RE LUCKY THAT WE DO HAVE A GREAT PARK SYSTEM.
UH, WE, WE THINK EVERYONE THAT SERVES ON OUR PARKS BOARD, UH, OBVIOUSLY MS. RES, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON IT TOO.
UH, I'M EXCITED THERE'S A PAGE HERE AND IT SHOWS ALL THE STUFF WE'RE GOING TO DO.
UH, AND SO AGAIN, WE JUST CONTINUE TO EXPAND THE QUALITY OF LIVING, UH, HERE FOR BAYTON.
AND SO WITH THAT, CERTAINLY PROUD WITH, WITH THIS ANNUAL REPORT.
SO IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UH, COUNSEL REGARDING WHAT YOU SEE HERE IN THIS REPORT? OKAY.
IF NOT, UH, AGAIN, WE THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR YOUR REPORT.
WE ALSO HAVE NOW ITEM TWO B, RECEIVE RECOGNITION OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, UH, TEXAS CHAPTER FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICE AWARD FOR 2020.
MR. SEMINO, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
TONIGHT WE RECOGNIZE, LEMME GET THE GUYS TO COME UP TONIGHT.
[00:10:01]
RECOGNIZE THE CITY OF BAY TOWN'S TRAFFIC DIVISION, THEIR AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION.THEY WERE NOMINATED FOR THEIR WORK ON THE INNOVATIVE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CALLED CINCO GREEN.
UH, CINCO GREEN HAS BEEN INSTALLED ON OUR MAJOR CORRIDORS OF GARTH NORTH MAIN AND STATE HIGHWAY 1 46.
IT WORKS BY DETECTING HOW MANY VEHICLES ARE PASSING AN INTERSECTION EACH DIRECTION ALONG THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR, AND ADJUST THE TIME OF THE GREEN LIGHT TO THE DIRECTION THAT HAS MORE TRAFFIC IS A SYSTEM THAT LARGE TRAFFIC PATTERNS AND ADJUSTS SIGNAL TIMING TO GET THE OPTIMAL TRAFFIC FLOW.
THE SYSTEM IS COMPLEX AND REQUIRES THE STAFF WILLING TO INVEST TIME AND TRAINING.
BAY TOWN'S TRAFFIC DIVISION IS A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION STRIVING FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
SINCE 2017, THE CORRIDORS HAVE SEEN A 17% DECREASE IN TRAVEL TIME.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL GIVE THIS TO MR. KEVIN HILLIARD, OUR SUPERINTENDENT FOR TRAFFIC, AND, UH, AGREE THAT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, TEXAS CHAPTER, IS PRESENTED TO 2020 SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES AWARD FOR SU SUSTAINABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CREATIVE IDEAS, PROCESSES, OR SYSTEMS THAT ENHANCE PUBLIC WORKS GOALS TO THE CITY OF BAY TOWN'S TRAFFIC DIVISION.
AND WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR ITEM TWO C.
RECOGNIZED CITY OF BAYTOWN EMPLOYEES FOR THE YEARS OF SERVICE.
MR. SCOTT, I KNOW WE'RE, ARE WE DOING THIS VIRTUALLY STILL? YES, SIR.
BEFORE I, UH, START THIS PRESENTATION, I JUST WANT TO, UH, MENTION A COUPLE THINGS.
UM, THE FIRST THING IS WE, UM, THIS IS OUR LAST CATCH UP, UH, PRESENTATION.
THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, EVERYONE, UM, IT WILL BE THEIR AUGUST, UM, SERVICE, UH, SORRY.
UM, BUT THEN THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT, SO WE STARTED DOING THIS VIRTUALLY, UM, TO ACCOMMODATE FOR, UH, SOCIAL, UH, DISTANCING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE FINDING IS THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE REALLY ENJOYING THIS.
UM, WE'RE GETTING CALLS EACH WEEK FROM EMPLOYEES, HEY, HEY, I HAVE A, UM, AN ANNIVERSARY COMING UP.
UM, CAN I TAKE THE PICTURE IN FRONT OF MY FAVORITE PROJECT? CAN I INCLUDE MY DOG? CAN I HOLD MY FAVORITE TOOL? UM, BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING I USE EVERY DAY.
WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS EMPLOYEES IS SHOWING SEEING A LOT OF, UM, UH, PRIDE IN WHAT THEY DO HERE AT THE CITY, AS WELL AS WE'RE FINDING OUT THINGS THAT, UM, THEY DO OUTSIDE THE CITY.
SO, UM, THEY'RE REALLY ENJOYING THIS AWESOME.
FIRST ONE IS OUR VERY OWN CITY MANAGER.
WHERE'S YOUR BANJO? I MEAN, IT'S A LITTLE ICON.
I GUESS SLIMMY LOOKS IN THAT PICTURE.
HOW OLD IS THAT? PIC BELOW THAT? YEAH.
WE HAVE MR. TEVY AND COWANS, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION.
IF HIS TRADEMARK BUN SEAT IN A REFLECTION.
WE HAVE TANG LAMAN PUBLIC WORKS S TALKING ABOUT REALLY ENJOYS HIS JOB.
THAT IS WE HAVE, BUT TROY CATON COMMUNICATIONS THERE YOU SEE A PICTURE OF HIS, UH, OF THE, ONE OF THE DEPARTMENT DOGS, DAISY.
THIS GIRL, WE HAVE FIVE 10 YEAR EMPLOYEES.
WE HAVE MR. BRANDON CARVER HOLDING HIS FAVORITE TOOL.
AND BRANDON, HE'S IN FIRE AND HE'S A MECHANIC.
PICK A SMALLER WRENCH RIDING A HARLEY.
WE HAVE MR. JUSTIN HOSPITAL PARKS AND RECREATION.
REALLY? WE HAVE MR. NICK WOOLERY ADMINISTRATION.
I HEARD YOU REALLY CAN'T PLAY BASKETBALL.
HE MISSED THAT SHOT BY THE WAY.
[00:15:07]
WE HAVE TRACY WOOLSTON.WE HAVE TWO 15 YEAR EMPLOYEES.
WE HAVE MS. LIANA GONZALEZ FROM PD, WE HAVE OFFICER JEFFREY SPENCER FROM PD.
ANOTHER NOT POSED PICTURE AT THE BOTTOM.
WE'VE GOT TWO 20 YEAR EMPLOYEES.
WE HAVE MS. KATHY SHEPHERD HEALTH.
WE HAVE MR. DONALD DUCK, CURRY PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING 1 25 YEAR EMPLOYEE.
AND THERE'S A BIO THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS ONE.
DALE HUGHES WAS BORN IN ORANGE, TEXAS, BACK WHEN THERE WERE ONLY 49 STARS ON THE US FLAG.
IN 1970, HIS FAMILY MOVED TO BAYTOWN.
DALE BEGAN HIS CAREER AT THE CITY IN 1995 AS A SURVEY PARTY CHIEF.
AFTER 17 YEARS AS A SURVEYOR IN ENGINEERING, HE MOVED INTO THE ROLE OF SENIOR PROJECT COORDINATOR TO MANAGE A MULTITUDE OF PROJECTS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF BAYTOWN.
DALE CURRENTLY SUPERVISES FIVE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTORS WHO INSPECT ALL ENGINEERING PROJECTS AS WELL AS PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
PUBLIC SERVICE RUNS DEEP IN THE HUGHES FAMILY.
JENNY CURRENTLY WORKS IN THE CITY'S IT DEPARTMENT AND HAS OVER 11 YEARS OF SERVICE.
HIS SON COLTON, SERVES IN THE US NAVY AS AN INFORMATION SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN.
HIS GRANDDAUGHTER, KEELEY, IS TAKING JUNIOR HIGH PRE-AP CLASSES WITH AN INTEREST IN ENGINEERING JUST LIKE HER GRANDPA AND DALE'S BROTHER MIKE RETIRED FROM THE CITY AS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AFTER 30 YEARS.
THAT'S OVER 66 YEARS OF COLLECTIVE FAMILY SERVICE WITH THE CITY OF BAYTOWN AND STILL GOING.
WHEN ASKED ABOUT HIS FAVORITE PROJECT, DALE REPLIED, AFTER 25 YEARS OF SERVICE IS DIFFICULT TO SELECT ONE PROJECT THAT STANDS AS THE ONE I'M MOST PROUD OF.
I'M GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN PART OF SO MANY PROJECTS THAT HAVE IMPROVED BAYTOWN.
I OVERSAW THE SAN JACINTO BOULEVARD CONSTRUCTION BOW EAST SURFACE WATER PLANT, AND BRUNSON THEATER RESTORATION JUST TO NAME A FEW PROJECTS.
BUT AFTER 25 YEARS OF SERVICE, WHAT I TREASURE MOST ABOUT MY YEARS OF EMPLOYMENT, HANDS DOWN HAS BEEN MY CITY OF BAYTOWN COWORKERS THROUGHOUT ALL DEPARTMENTS.
OVER A QUARTER CENTURY, I HAVE MET AND WORKED WITH SO MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE.
IT HAS BEEN MY PLEASURE TO WORK WITH EVERYONE, AND I'VE TRULY BEEN BLESSED IN MY CAREER AT THE CITY OF BAYTOWN FOR THE MANY MEMORIES AND FRIENDSHIPS MADE AMONG OTHER HONORS.
DALE WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE ROTARY CLUB OF BAYTOWN IN 2000 AS THE EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR.
DALE'S BEEN MARRIED TO HIS LOVELY WIFE, DEBBIE, FOR OVER 36 YEARS, AND ENJOYS ORGANIZING AND ATTENDING CLASSIC CAR SHOWS, ELECTING NOSTALGIC MEMORABILIA AND TRAVELING.
LET'S ALL TAKE A MOMENT TO HONOR DALE IN HIS 25 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
AND THE LAST ONE, WE HAVE ONE 30 YEAR EMPLOYEE, MR. KEVIN KP POWELL, PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING.
KEVIN POWELL, ALSO KNOWN AS KP, WAS BORN AND RAISED IN BAYTOWN.
HE ATTENDED GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER ELEMENTARY FOREST BAND JUNIOR HIGH, AND ROBERT E. LEE HIGH SCHOOL FOR GRADUATING IN 1979.
KP JOINED THE CITY OF BAYTOWN IN JULY, 1990 AS A UTILITY CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN WHERE HE WORKED UNTIL 1992 WHEN HE WAS PROMOTED TO THE STREETS AND DRAINAGE DIVISION AS A GRADE CHIEF.
TWO YEARS LATER, KP WAS PROMOTED AGAIN THIS TIME TO A HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR POSITION WITHIN THE DRAINAGE DIVISION.
IN 1998, KP TRANSFERRED TO THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AS A CONSTRUCTION INSPECTOR.
HE SPENT THE NEXT NINE YEARS THERE UNTIL BEING PROMOTED TO A SENIOR CONSTRUCTION INSPECTOR OVERSEEING COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
IN ITS CAREER WITH THE CITY, KP HAS INSPECTED MILES OF SEWER MAIN REHABILITATION, NUMEROUS LIFT STATIONS, AND A HOST OF SUBDIVISIONS.
ITS MOST MEMORABLE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS INCLUDE THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE CENTER BUILDING, BAYTOWN WETLAND CENTER, BAYTOWN NATURE CENTER, HIRED BAY WATER PARK FIRE STATIONS FIVE, SIX AND SEVEN ITS NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.
THE FIRE TRAINING FACILITY, THE BRUNSON TOURISM CENTER AND BUCKY'S.
LEAD DRIVE, MARKET STREET, NORTH BURNETT DRIVE, CALDWELL STREET, GARTH ROAD, RIGHT TURN LANES, SAND DE CENTER, BOULEVARDS, PHASES ONE AND TWO.
[00:20:01]
CAR RESTORATION, COOKING AND FISHING.JOIN ME IN CELEBRATING KPS 30 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME EVERYONE.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR OUR DEDICATED EMPLOYEES AND IT'S CERTAINLY GOOD THAT THAT, UH, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SHOWCASE SOME OF THE STUFF THAT THEY DO.
SO THAT, THAT'S CERTAINLY HELPFUL.
[a. Conduct a public hearing concerning a request to amend the City of Baytown official zoning map to rezone approximately 1.07 acres in the 1500 Block of Barcelona Way, legally described as Lots 39 - 52 of the Colony Madrid Subdivision, Harris County, Texas, from a Mixed Use (MU) Zoning District to a Mixed Residential at Low to Medium Densities (SF2) Zoning District.]
ON TO ITEM THREE A, CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING A REQUEST TO AMEND THE CITY OF BAYTOWN OFFICIAL ZONING MAP TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY 1.07 ACRES IN THE 1500 BLOCK OF BARCELONA WAY LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS LOTS 39 52 OF THE CONY MADRID SUBDIVISION, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, FROM MU ZONING DISTRICT TO TO MIXED RESIDENTIAL AT LOW TO MEDIUM DENSITIES OF SF TWO ZONING DISTRICT.UH, WITH THIS, THERE WAS SOMEONE AN ORIGINALLY, I WANNA MAKE SURE I OPEN THE HEARING FIRST.
I'M GONNA, YEAH, I WAS GONNA DO THAT, BUT IS THIS PERSON, HE'S ONLY IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR ME, SIR.
SO THIS PUBLIC HEARING TODAY IS TO BE HELD FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING ALL INTERESTED PERSONS THE RIGHT TO SPEAK AND BE HEARD.
EVERYONE DESIRING TO SPEAK AT TODAY'S HEARING SHOULD HAVE EITHER SIGNED THE APPROPRIATE LIST, THE FOYER EMAIL, THE CITY CLERK PRIOR TO THE PROPO POST, PRIOR TO THE POSTED TIME OF THIS MEETING.
EACH SPEAKER SHALL GIVE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A PROPER RECORD OF THE HEARINGS.
THE RULES ALLOW EACH SPEAKER THREE MINUTES TO PRESENT INFORMATION.
HOWEVER, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE AS BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE.
IF YOU'RE A GROUP OF PERSONS WISH TO ADDRESS COUNSEL ON THE SAME SUBJECT, PLEASE SELECT A SPOKESPERSON PERSON TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION.
AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DIRECT THEM TO ME.
SO NOW CALL, CALL TO ORDER THIS PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING AND REQUEST THEM IN THE CITY'S OFFICIAL ZONING MAP TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY 1.07 ACRES OF LAND IN THE, IN THE 1500 BLOCK OF BARCELONA, AWAY FROM MU TO MIXED RESIDENTIAL, LOW TO MEDIUM DENSITIES SF TWO ZONING DISTRICT.
SO I WOULD LIKE NOW FOR STAFF TO SUMMARIZE THE SUBJECT OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
MS. FOSTER, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNSEL AGAIN.
UH, THIS IS A, A PRETTY INTERESTING ZONING CASE WHERE WE HAVE, UH, LAND THAT WAS ACTUALLY ZONED AS MIXED USE BACK IN 2013 WHEN THE ENTIRE CITY WAS ZONED AND IT WAS VACANT LAND.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY PLOTTED BACK IN 1972 FOR, UH, TOWN HOMES, ACTUALLY 14 TOWNHOME SITES.
IT STAYED VACANT UP UNTIL THIS POINT, UH, IN JUST A LOCATION.
THIS IS JUST EAST OF BEAUMONT STREET, NEAR MAX BOWL.
SO THERE'S, UH, SOME TOWN HOMES, THE FRONT RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM MAX BOWL, UM, BOWLING ALLEY.
SO, UM, A NEW DEVELOPER HAS COME IN WHO HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CAME IN AND PURCHASED THIS AND HAS REPLANTED THIS TO NINE LOTS TO DEVELOP SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED HOMES.
AND AS SUCH, YOUR ZONING CODE PROVIDES FOR WHEN PROPERTIES THAT ARE ZONE MIXED USE AND THEN ARE, ARE TURNING INTO A DIFFERENT USE SUCH AS THIS INTO RESIDENTIAL, THAT THEY GO THROUGH THE REZONING PROCESS AND, UH, ZONE IT TO A MORE APPROPRIATE, UH, DISTRICT, WHICH IS SF TWO.
YOU HAVE SF TWO, UM, RIGHT TO THE EAST OF THOSE PROPERTIES, WHICH IS HERE.
AND THEN YOU STILL HAVE MIXED USE, UH, WHERE THOSE EXISTING TOWN HOMES ARE.
SO, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THE ONLY PERSON THAT WAS SIGNED UP BY ZOOM IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IS MICHAEL FOLEY.
I'M ASSUMING THAT PERSON IS, IS IT EITHER AN ATTORNEY OR, EXCUSE ME, A DEVELOPER? CORRECT.
SO, IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, IS THIS COUNCIL DISTRICT SIX, MR. HESSEL? JUST BARELY.
SO I GUESS THIS HAS BEEN GREEN SPACE FOR A LONG TIME.
JUST LITTLE BITTY TOWN HALL ON 1.7007.
UM, YOUR ZONING CODES ALLOWS FOR NINE UNITS TO THE ACRE.
IT'S SET THERE SINCE 70 OR 72.
IT'S A GREAT YEAR, BUT IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
SO WITH THAT, THIS IS JUST PUBLIC HEARING, BUT JUST, JUST, UM, JUST, I MEAN, IT'S GOOD.
THERE'S NEW CONSTRUCTION IN DISTRICT SIX AND SO THAT, THAT'S GOOD TO, YEAH.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. FOLEY.
DOES ANYONE ELSE? NO, JUST A COMMENT, MAYOR.
SO I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN HIM, SO IT'S NICE TO SEE THIS INFILL AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN FIND HIM SOME MORE INFILL LOTS THERE.
AND SINCE HE'S ON THE URGE, THE, I GUESS ON THE, UH, EDGE OF DISTRICT TWO IN DISTRICT DISTRICT TWO.
ALRIGHT, SO, UH, BEING, UH, NO ONE ELSE DESIRING TO SPEAK ON, I CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING THE REZONING OF APPROXIMATELY 1.07 ACRES OF LAND IN THE 1500 BLOCK OF BARCELONA WAY FROM MU ZONING DISTRICT TO SF TWO ZONING DISTRICT.
[b. Consider an ordinance to amend the City of Baytown official zoning map to rezone approximately 1.07 acres in the 1500 Block of Barcelona Way, legally described as Lots 39- 52 of the Colony Madrid Subdivision, Harris County, Texas, from a Mixed Use (MU) Zoning District to a Mixed Residential at Low to Medium Densities (SF2) Zoning District.]
ITEM, UM, THREE B, CONSIDER ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CITY OF BAYTOWN OFFICIALS ZONING MAP TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY 1.07 ACRES OF THE ADDRESS I JUST DESCRIBED LEGALLY DESCRIBED[00:25:01]
AS LOTS 39 TO 52 OF THE COLONY MADRID SUBDIVISION, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS FROM MU TWO SF TWO.SO I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN HESSEL REGARD TO ITEM THREE B, MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM THREE B.
SECOND, WE HAVE MOTION TO SECOND.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEM THREE B IS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO
[a. Conduct a public hearing regarding the City of Baytown Fiscal Year 2020-21 Proposed Budget.]
ITEM FOUR A.I DO HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL, UH, EXCUSE ME, I WANNA MAKE SURE BEFORE WE PROCEED.
MS. MATTHEWS, THEY FIRST HAD YOU SIGNED UP ON ZOOM AND THEN YOU SIGNED THE, THE LIST, THEN IT SCRATCHED OUT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE SOMEBODY THAT I DON'T KNOW, UM, SHE'S ON, SHE'S ON THE LIST.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE SOMEBODY DIDN'T COME BY AND JUST SCRATCH YOUR NAME OUT.
SO, SO, UM, I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN I'LL ASK YOU TO COME, UH, COME SPEAK.
I CAN, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL WING IT.
SO, SO TODAY WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2021 PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO I'LL READ THE SAME THING THAT I READ EARLIER.
SO, PUBLIC HEARING TODAY IS FOR, IS BEING HELD FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING ALL INTERESTED PERSONS THE RIGHT TO SPEAK AND BE HEARD.
EVERYONE DESIRED TO SPEAK AT TODAY'S HEARING SHOULD HAVE EITHER SIGNED THE APPROPRIATE LIST IN THE FOUR YEAR, OR EMAILED THE CITY CLERK PRIOR TO THE POSTED TIME OF THIS MEETING.
EACH SPEAKER SHALL GIVE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A PROPER RECORD OF TODAY'S HEARINGS.
THE RULES ALLOW EACH SPEAKER THREE MINUTES TO PRESENT INFORMATION.
HOWEVER, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE AS BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE.
IF YOU ARE A GROUP OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE COUNSEL ON THE SAME SUBJECT, PLEASE SELECT A SPOKESPERSON, PRESENT THE INFORMATION.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DIRECT THEM TO ME.
SO THEN I'LL CALL TO ORDER, UH, THIS PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE 2021 PROPOSED BUDGET OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
SO WITH THAT, UH, IS THERE ANY STAFF SUMMARY THAT WE NEED TO GO THROUGH? IF NOT, I'LL ASK MS. MATTHEWS TO COME IN AND, OR COME UP TO THE PODIUM, UH, IF YOU MAY, AND, UH, STATE YOUR ADDRESS AND, UM, I GUESS WHATEVER COMMENTS YOU HAVE FOR US.
MY ADDRESS IS 1512 ECCLES BAYTOWN, TEXAS.
GREETINGS MAYOR CAPTIO AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AS YOU'RE DISCUSSING BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS INSTEAD OF AWARDING THREE, 3% PAY INCREASES DURING THESE FINANCIALLY STRAPPED TIMES OF COVID.
I'D LIKE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO SOME MUCH NEEDED TANGIBLE IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTRICT SIX.
ON FEBRUARY 21ST, 20, A GROUP OF CONCERNED RESIDENTS MET WITH MAYOR CAP PATILLO, COUNCILMAN HESSEL, AND BAYTOWN PD, ASSISTANT CHIEF ALFORD.
I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF THE INFAMOUS HERBERT LHIN'S ALEXANDER DRIVE VIDEO.
THIS VIDEO SHOWS THE DETERIORATION OF DISTRICT SIX WITH EVIDENCE OF GUNSHOT ACTIVITY IN ROSELAND PARK, A FAMILY PARK ON THE BAYONE CITY WEBSITE.
THERE IS INFORMATION AND A SURVEY FROM EACH DISTRICT SHOWING THE IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED.
DISTRICT SIX RESIDENTS SINCE 2017 REQUESTED IMPROVEMENTS REGARDING SAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY, ROADS, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND CRIME PREVENTION.
THE SURVEY WANTED THE CITY TO FOCUS FUTURE RESOURCES TO ENHANCE THE COMMUNITY.
TO THIS DAY, SINCE 2017, SURVEY WAS COMPLETED, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVES THAT SUPPORT AND APPLIED DIRECTLY TO THE REQUEST.
DISTRICT SIX HAS BEEN NEGLECTED TO THIS DAY.
BEAUTIFICATION IS ONE OF THE MOST REQUESTED ITEMS BY RESIDENTS IN EACH DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
WE IN DISTRICT SIX WOULD LOVE FOR THIS BEAUTIFICATION TO BE APPLIED TO OUR AREA SINCE ALEXANDER DRIVE COULD BE THE MAJOR TRAVEL CORRIDOR TO THE PROPOSED HOTEL CONVENTION CENTER.
THE 1968 AGREEMENT BY TDOT STATES THAT THE SIDEWALK CURB MAINTENANCE BELONGS TO THE CITY, NOT TDOT.
THERE HAS BEEN AN OVERSIGHT IN THE CITY IMPLEMENTING CODE VIOLATIONS ON SEVERAL VACANT BUILDINGS.
ARTICLE NINE DEALS WITH THE PERIODIC AND FOLLOW UP INSPECTIONS BASED ON VIDEO EVIDENCE.
IT SEEMS THAT THEY ARE NOT BEING IMPLEMENTED ON VACANT BUILDINGS.
ALL OPENINGS AND VACANT BUILDINGS AND DWELLINGS SHALL BE CLOSED AND SECURED FROM UNLAWFUL ENTRY BY THE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF APPROPRIATE LOCKING DEVICES AND INTACT DOORS AND WINDOWS, WHICH ARE PROPORTION ON SECURELY AND COMPLETELY FIT THE OPENINGS.
ALTERNATIVELY, OPENINGS MAY BE SECURED ON ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 18 DASH 1310.
THIS CODE HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED ON SEVERAL VACANT BUILDINGS AT OUR DISTRICT SIX.
I DO NOT, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND THESE EXPENDITURES.
A 70,000 EXPENSE FOR TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING, WHO DOES THAT GO TO, TO QUOTE OUR LEGISLATOR? ACCORDING TO THE 2019 WPA INTELLIGENCE SURVEY
[00:30:01]
OF REGISTERED VOTERS IN TEXAS, 91% OPPOSED USING TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO FUND LOBBYISTS WITH 80% SAYING THEY STRONGLY OPPOSE IT.617,708 FOR ERRORS IN OMISSIONS.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 30,000 NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT GRANT PROGRAM.
WHICH NEIGHBORHOODS DOES THAT IMPROVE? 2.5 MILLION IN AQUATICS PHONE SUBSIDY.
IS THAT FOR A CURRENT WATERPARK OR ANOTHER? UH, MS. MS. MATTHEWS, UM, YOUR, YOUR TIME IS UP.
IF YOU CAN MAKE YOUR CLOSING COMMENTS.
DUE TO THE COVID VIRUS PANDEMIC, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LAID OFF AND BUSINESSES ARE CLOSING.
WE, THE PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF BEING TAXED TO DEATH.
AND ON TOP OF THIS, HARRIS COUNTY WANTS A BIGGER PIECE OF THE TAX PIE.
BAYTOWN HAS BECOME ONE OF THOSE HIGHER TAX CITIES.
WHERE ARE THE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR NEW RESIDENTS COMING INTO BAYTOWN? RESIDENTS WANT LOWER TAXES.
WE WANT GOOD TRANSPARENT GOVERNANCE WITH BOTH COMMUNITY AND THE CITY WORKING TOGETHER.
WE HAVE MR. BECK THAT HAS ALSO SIGNED UP.
STATE YOUR ADDRESS, YOU KNOW THE DRILL.
UH, MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS BYRON BECK, 47 27 BLACKSTONE STREET, BAYTOWN.
UM, LET'S START WITH THE GOOD.
UH, I SEE THERE'S A INCREASE IN THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR THE OVER 65 AND PLUS.
UM, I KNOW WE'RE KIND OF CAPPED OUT ON SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE THE EX EXEMPTION EXTENSION ON, BUT, UH, THAT'S DEFINITELY MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY I JUST WANT BRING AWARENESS TO, UH, THE BUDGET'S AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 7.8 MILLION.
UH, EVEN THOUGH THE RATE HASN'T RISEN, THE INCREASE IN TAX REVENUES ABOUT 1.7 MILLION THAT THE CITY'S GOING TO TAKE IN, I'M ASSUMING FROM APPRAISAL CREEK, NEW ADDITIONS TO THE TAX ROLL, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, I'M STILL WAITING ON SOME INFORMATION FROM TML, BUT THE MORE RECENT INFORMATION.
BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE STILL HAVE, UH, THE, ONE OF THE HIGHEST PER DEBT, UH, PER CAPITA DEBT, UH, OF ANY CITY OUR SIZE, AND ALSO ONE OF THE HIGHEST TAX RATES STILL.
UM, I, I'D LIKE THAT TO BE A FOCUS WHEN WE DO ITEMS LIKE THE BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN REALLY, WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS I'D LIKE TO GET BACK TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF, OF GOVERNMENT AND GOOD FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
AND THAT STARTS WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU GUYS AREN'T THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
YOU CAN'T PRINT YOUR OWN MONEY.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT YOU CAN'T SPEND A SINGLE DOLLAR THAT YOU DON'T TAKE FROM SOMEBODY THAT EARNED IT.
UM, WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR THEY DON'T LIKE IT, WHATEVER.
UH, AND ESSENTIALLY IT'S THROUGH THE FORCE OF THE GUN IS WHAT THE GOVERNMENT DOES.
AND, UH, IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, DON'T PAY YOUR TAXES AND EVENTUALLY SOMEBODY WITH A GUN SHOWS UP TO YOUR HOUSE.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HAVE THAT MINDSET WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE SPENDING YOUR DOLLARS, UH, OR THE PUBLIC'S DOLLARS.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS IS THE $70,000 ON THE TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING, UH, FOR NEXT SESSION.
UH, IF PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE, UH, EVERY SURVEY THAT'S COME OUT SHOWS WIDE OPPOSITION TO TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING.
AND THE CITY USED THAT MONEY LAST SESSION TO, UH, LOBBY AGAINST, UH, CERTAIN LEGISLATIVE ITEMS LIKE THE, THE PROPERTY TAX, UH, CAP.
UM, IT'S USING THE PUBLIC'S TAX DOLLARS AGAINST THEM IN, IN MY VIEW, UH, THERE'S HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, IF NOT MILLIONS IN SUBSIDIES AND GRANTS IN THE BUDGET.
I, I THINK IT'S JUST, UH, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE DURING THIS TIME THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY HAS A JOB.
UH, NOT EVERYBODY'S GETTING AUTOMATIC PAY RAISES.
UM, A LOT OF BUSINESSES ARE CLOSING DOWN.
AND I THINK IF, IF WE VIEW THAT FROM THAT MINDSET, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO THE PUBLIC.
ALRIGHT, SO THOSE ARE THE TWO, UH, CITIZENS THAT WE, THAT WE HAD, UH, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
SO I'LL NOW CLOSE THIS, UH, PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING THE 2021, THE 20 20, 20 21, UH, PROPOSED, UH, BUDGET.
[b. Consider adopting or postponing the adoption of the City of Baytown Fiscal Year 2020-21 Municipal Budget.]
TO ITEM FOUR B, WHICH IS CONSIDERED ADOPTING OR POSTPONING THE ADOPTION OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN FISCAL YEAR 2020 AND 2021 MUNICIPAL BUDGET.UM, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR DISCUSSION ON ITEM FOUR B, MOTION TO DISCUSS.
SECOND, WE HAVE MOTION, UH, TO DISCUSS MOTION, AND SECOND TO DISCUSS.
UM, SO ALL THAT WITH THAT, UH, YES.
UM, ANY, ANYTHING THAT, JUST A QUICK COMMENT.
[00:35:01]
WE HAVE A DEADLINE OF THE END OF SEPTEMBER.SO, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON AND WE HAD A LITTLE PARTICIPATION TONIGHT, UH, I WOULD, I GUESS I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT IN A RUSH.
WE'RE NOT UNDER THE GUN TO, TO PASS IT TONIGHT.
AND I WOULD, UH, THINK THAT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO GIVE EVERY SINGLE PERSON AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME DOWN HERE AND, AND, AND SPEAK FOR THE RECORD IF THEY SO CHOOSE.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD JUST PUSH IT BACK AT LEAST ONE MORE MEETING INSTEAD OF VERSUS ADOPTING IT TONIGHT.
ALRIGHT, I DO APPRECIATE THE, THE INPUT.
COUNCILMAN, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS ITEM FOR DISCUSSION? AT LEAST IT'S FOR DISCUSSION.
WE CAN TAKE ACTION WITH ANOTHER MOTION HERE IN A SECOND, BUT I'LL MAKE A, A, A FEW THINGS.
SO, UM, WHAT WAS ALLUDED TO IN SOME OF THE COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS, SO LET ME JUST KIND OF JUST PAINT AN OVERVIEW OF, OF, OF THIS, THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET.
UM, SO AS IT WAS, UM, ALLUDED TO, UH, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR, THE STATE, UH, LEGISLATURE, UH, THEY DID PASS, UH, SENATE BILL TO, UH, WHICH WAS A 3.5%.
UM, BASICALLY WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY CALLED IT AS A VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE.
WHAT THAT DID USUALLY WITH, WITH, UH, APPRAISAL CREEP AND, AND, UH, TAX RATE REVENUE, UH, INCREASES, UH, THEY DID CAP, IT WENT FROM 8% TO A CAP OF 3.5.
THIS, THIS BUDGET HERE IS INTENDED TO MEET THAT AND BE UNDERNEATH THE 3.5 CAP THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO.
UH, SO THAT DOES PUT THIS BUDGET IN A VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE USING THE TERMINOLOGY THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, UH, DID PASS IN THE LAST SESSION, UH, IN THIS BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROUD THAT THERE IS NO WATER RATE INCREASE, UH, IN THIS, UH, VERY CONSERVATIVE BUDGET.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO PERSONNEL, WE DO AGREE THAT WE, WE SHOULD BE VERY CAUTIOUS AND CONSERVATIVE WHEN WE GO AND LOOK AT THIS BUDGET.
UH, THERE IS ZERO HEAD COUNT ADDITION, WHICH IT DOES TROUBLE ME WHEN IT COMES TO PARTICULARLY PUBLIC SAFETY WITH FIRE AND EMS. BUT, UH, I BELIEVE OUR, OUR CHIEFS, UH, THEY UNDERSTAND WE DO HAVE VACANCIES.
SO WE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THOSE SERVICES OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, BUT THE YEAR, NEXT YEAR, THE YEAR AFTER THAT, I WILL BE CONCERNED, WE'RE A GROWING CITY.
WE HAVE MORE SQUARE MILES TO GO AND PATROL AND PROVIDE SERVICES, EMERGENCY SERVICES TO, UH, OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE CAN, WE CAN, WE CAN PROBABLY WEATHER, UH, A BUDGET WITH ZERO HEADCOUNT, BUT WE'RE A GROWING CITY.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S IN PARKS, PUBLIC WORKS, ALL THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
UH, THEY CONTINUE TO GROW BECAUSE OUR CITY CONTINUES TO GROW.
SO WE SHOULD DO, DO SO IN A, IN A, UH, VERY PRUDENT, UH, PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE MANNER.
BUT THIS BUDGET HAS ZERO HEAD COUNT IN, YOU KNOW, ADDITION.
THERE'S ALSO VERY MODEST FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
MAJORITY OF OUR EMPLOYEES, WE HAVE ABOUT ROUGHLY 900 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND SOME PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.
YOU SAW SOME OF THEM EARLIER, UH, IN HERE, YOU SAW THE RESUMES AND THE MANY YEARS OF DEDICATION THAT THEY HAD TO THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
AND SO THOSE EMPLOYEES, THEY HAVE FAMILIES TOO.
UH, THERE COULD BE SOME OF THOSE FAMILIES THAT DID HAVE A LOSS OF JOBS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY OF A MODEST 3% FOR OUR NON-CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES TO GO AND PROVIDE THE BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR THOSE FOLKS.
IT'S A 3% IN GENERAL ACROSS THE BOARD.
UH, EACH SUPERVISOR WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADJUST THAT.
MAYBE SOME SLIGHTLY MORE, SOME SLIGHTLY, YES, A LITTLE BIT LESS, BUT, UH, 3% I BELIEVE IS VERY MODEST.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, ZARIN IN ANY WAY.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT THIS IN IS, IN THIS BUDGET, AS YOU ALLUDED TO.
UH, WE'RE VERY PROUD THAT REALLY FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, I BELIEVE WE'VE BEEN VERY FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, VERY TRANSPARENT AND, AND MANY OF OUR ACTIONS, UH, FOR TWO YEARS, WE, WE LOWERED THE TAX RATE ITSELF.
THIS YEAR, UH, WE DO AN ADDITIONAL TAX, UH, TAX, UM, EXEMPTION, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY INCREASE.
UH, SO THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL $10,000 EXEMPTION FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE, UH, APPLIED WITH THE COUNTY, UH, FOR THE APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK FOR 65 PLUS.
UH, I BELIEVE WE ARE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT, RIGHT DIRECTION WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, TAX RATE AND TAX, UM, INCENTIVES OR EXEMPTIONS FOR OUR CITIZENS.
UH, BUT ALSO WHAT I'M MORE PROUD OF IS, IS WHAT WE'RE REALLY ADDRESSING IN THIS BUDGET.
UM, I LIKE TO GET THINGS FIXED.
THIS COUNCIL LIKES TO GET THINGS FIXED IN THIS BUDGET.
WE ARE ADDRESSING, UH, WHAT I CONS, WHAT I CALL THE BEAST, ALTHOUGH I KNOW THAT THE FRESHWATER EAST PLANT IS CALLED THE BEAST.
BUT GARTH ROAD IS BEING ADDRESSED IN THIS.
UH, THERE'S MANY, UH, PROJECTS ACROSS EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT, CERTAINLY ACROSS THE CITY AND DISTRICT ONE, WE ARE LOOKING TO GO AND REVITALIZE MARKET STREET CORRIDOR, DISTRICT TWO, WE ARE ADDRESSING STREETS AND DRAINAGE AND DISTRICT TWO AND DISTRICT THREE,
[00:40:01]
YOU HAVE BAYWAY DRIVE AND SOME INITIATIVES ACROSS, UH, DISTRICT THREE AND DISTRICT FOUR.YOU HAVE STREETS THAT ARE, THAT WILL BE ADDRESSED, UH, IN FAIR FAIRWAY AND, AND OTHER STREETS LIKE THAT TO GO AND BEGIN THE PROCESS OF REPAIRING ROADS THAT ARE CERTAINLY IN DIRE NEED OF REPAIR.
THERE'S DRAINAGE, THERE'S STREETS, AND CERTAINLY IN DISTRICT SIX.
UM, I WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
I THINK MS. MATTHEWS HAD MENTIONED SOME STUFF IN DISTRICT SIX.
UM, I, I'LL GET TO SOME OF THOSE DETAILS, BUT THE ROSE ROSELAND PAVILION THAT WAS TAKEN OUT, UH, DURING, UH, IKE.
AND SO GOING AND, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE BE, WE WILL BE BREAKING GROUND HERE SOON.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO GO AND RETURN THAT PAVILION BACK TO BACK TO THE CITIZENS IN A SENSE, UH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT, UM, BUDGETARY ITEM TO GET TO THAT POINT.
THEY DESERVE, UH, REALLY, UM, THE VERY BEST OUR PARKS AND, AND THAT OUR BUDGETS CAN, UM, ADDRESS, PARTICULARLY IN DISTRICT SIX.
I WILL SAY, UH, I HAD, I, I WAS THERE IN FEBRUARY WHEN WE HAD A MEETING WITH, UH, A GROUP OF CITIZENS, UH, THERE IN THE ALEXANDER CORRIDOR AREA.
IT WAS A VERY, I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING.
THEY PRESENTED ALL THE, UM, REALLY WORST OF THE WORST.
WHEN IT COMES TO ALEXANDER DRIVE.
I WILL TELL YOU, I, I DON'T NEED ANY CONVINCING.
I'M SURE, UH, COUNCILMAN HESSEL DOESN'T NEED ANY CONVINCING THAT ALONG THE ALEXANDER DRIVE CORRIDOR, UH, IF IT'S A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, IT MAY HAVE THINGS AS FAR AS, UH, 18 WHEELERS WITH FLAT TIRES THAT BEEN SITTING THERE FOR DECADES OR YEARS.
WE DID DO AN AUDIT OF BASICALLY NON-COMPLIANCE AND HEALTH CODE VIOLATIONS.
WE WANNA WORK WITH EACH OF THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS.
THEY ARE, SOME OF THEM ARE STRUGGLING FROM, FROM, FROM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT, UM, STATUS, MAYBE WHERE THEY ARE FINANCIALLY AS A BUSINESS OWNER.
BUT WE WANTED TO COME ACROSS, NOT HEAVY HANDED FIRST, GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND CLEAN UP THEIR PROPERTIES, THEIR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ALONG THE ALEXANDER CORRIDOR, AND THEN, UH, WORK WITH THEM, COME UP WITH A PLAN OF HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE IN ADDRESSING ALEXANDER DRIVE.
IT WILL BE A VERY IMPORTANT CORRIDOR UPON THE COMPLETION OF, OF HIGHWAY 99.
UM, I BELIEVE THIS WILL BE A VERY, UM, JUST AS YOU JUST SAW WITH THE, THE NINE ADDITIONAL SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT THAT WILL BE DEVELOPING.
I THINK THIS WILL BE A, A VERY GOOD TARGET FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
UH, AND SO WE NEED TO KIND OF START, BEGIN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING OUR BEST FACE FORWARD, UH, BOTH FROM THE, THE, UH, PRIVATE BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE CITY, I'VE ASKED THE CITY TO ALSO LOOK KIND OF AUDIT OUR CURVES AND OUR, UM, OUR CULVERTS, OUR SIDEWALKS, OUR MEDIANS.
WHAT CAN WE DO FROM 1 46 TO 99? WHAT DO WE, WHAT DO WE WANNA LOOK LIKE? UM, ALTHOUGH IN THIS BUDGET, IT DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY ALEXANDER CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
WE HAVE MONEY ALLOCATED IN OUR, IN OUR BUDGET, UH, THROUGH DIFFERENT INITIATIVES AND DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES TO TRY TO ADDRESS AND, AND PLAN FOR THESE TYPE OF MAINTENANCE REPAIRS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
UM, SO WE MET WITH THE CITIZENS, UH, COVID, UM, RIGHT, IT WAS PRE COVID WHEN WE MET WITH THEM.
DOESN'T MEAN THINGS WEREN'T TAKING PLACE.
I KNOW THAT, UH, PLANNING AND ZONING, WE HAVE A, A LAUNDRY LIST, A PUNCH LIST OF THINGS TO ADDRESS.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DECADES OF DECAY, DECADES OF NEGLECT, UH, FROM BASICALLY AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S PROPERTY OWNERS.
WE WILL, I WILL SAY, WE COULD COMMIT THE CITY FOR OUR PROPERTIES AND TRY TO MAKE 'EM THE BEST THAT THEY CAN BE.
BUT WE ALSO ASK THE SAME FROM OUR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS, AND I, OBVIOUSLY OUR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS.
SO I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH DAVE HESSEL UNTIL HIS LAST DAY OF SERVING ON COUNCIL.
AND THEN I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH WHOEVER IS ELECTED OUT OF DISTRICT SIX TO CONTINUE THIS INITIATIVE.
I DON'T WANT TO REALLY, I DON'T WANNA WAIT TILL SOMEONE'S ELECTED.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT I WILL WORK WITH DAVE AND THEN WHOEVER IS SEATED IN DISTRICT SIX, I WANT TO CONTINUE THAT INITIATIVE.
THE EAST SIDE AND ALEXANDER CORRIDOR IS VERY IMPORTANT, UH, FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
SO WITH THAT, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
UH, I DO APPRECIATE, UH, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT SPOKE UP.
UH, I WILL TELL YOU, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING, YOU KNOW, I CAN, YOU KNOW, I COULD GIVE YOU PLENTY OF EXAMPLES.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU, I CAN'T READ 8,000 BILLS.
MAYBE MR. BECK CAN, MAYBE MS. MATTHEWS CAN, I CAN'T READ 8,000 BILLS, UH, THAT ARE FILED EACH YEAR OR EACH O EACH, UM, EVERY OTHER YEAR, UH, IN AUSTIN.
UH, SO WE DO HAVE TO SEEK OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS.
UH, I CAN TELL YOU BOTH IN, IN AUSTIN, UH, WHEN I'VE, WHEN I, UH, WHEN I TRAVELED, UH, AND REPRESENTED THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, ALONG WITH CITY MANAGEMENT, BOTH IN AUSTIN AND WASHINGTON DC THESE CONSULTANTS, THEY TELL US, YOU KNOW, THESE BILLS, THEY'RE HELPFUL TO CITIES.
UH, THEY COULD HURT US IN, IN, IN DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
UM, WITH THAT, WE GO MYSELF AS MAYOR, CITY ADMINISTRATION.
WE VISIT WITH OUR LAWMAKERS AND WE GO AND WE, WE ARE THE ONES, I WOULDN'T USE THE WORD LOBBYING, BUT WE, THERE, WE ARE THERE TO EDUCATE THEM ON THE
[00:45:01]
IMPACT OF LEGISLATION.AND SO, UM, OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS, THEY DON'T ENTER THE ROOM WITH US, OR AT LEAST EVERY TIME I'VE ENTERED, UH, THEY WILL GO, THEY'LL WALK US THROUGH THE DOOR, THEY WILL MAKE THE APPOINTMENTS FOR US.
WE'LL GO FROM CORRIDOR TO CORRIDOR SITE TO SITE.
UH, IF IT'S SENATOR CRUZ, IF IT'S SENATOR CORNY, THEY GO AND THEY HELP US SO THAT WE CAN REPRESENT BAYTOWN.
I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN LEGISLATION.
I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN CONTACTS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE MEET, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE, SPEND 30 MINUTES WITH THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY COMMISSION, AND THEN WE'LL BE IN SENATOR CORNYN'S OFFICE, UH, ADVOCATING.
I KNOW THE LAST TIME WE WERE THERE, UH, WE WERE ADVOCATING FOR THE SAN JACINTO RIVER BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION 'CAUSE IT'S DIRELY NEEDED.
AND SO, UH, I WILL SAY INDIVIDUALS COULD HAVE PERCEPTIONS OF WHAT THEY CONSIDER TAX PAYER FUNDED LOBBYING.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU, FOR THE CITIZENS OF BAYTOWN, FOR THE MONEY THAT'S ALLOCATED, UH, 70,000, I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT IS IN THIS BUDGET.
THAT IS WHAT, WHAT IS BEING PURCHASED.
UH, IT'S, IT'S IT'S EXPERTISE THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN WHEN WE GO OUT FOR, UH, SPECIAL ENGINEERING OR SPECIAL CONTRACTORS TO DO CERTAIN THINGS.
THAT IS WHERE THAT MONEY GOES.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE ON STAFF.
AND SO THIS ALLOWS US AT A REDUCED RATE TO GO, UH, GO AND ALL, UM, ALLOW THESE INDIVIDUALS TO EDUCATE US SO THAT WE CAN GO AND, AND CERTAINLY IN PERSON SPEAK TO OUR LAWMAKERS AND, AND CERTAINLY PLEAD OUR CASE ON WHY, UH, CERTAIN BILLS MAY BE HELPFUL OR WE NEED SUPPORT, UH, OR NOT.
ONE IN PARTICULAR I'LL TELL YOU WAS, UM, UH, UH, REPRESENTATIVE MILTON, HE DID PRESENT A BILL, UH, THAT WOULD HAVE DIVERTED TRAFFIC FROM 1 46, THE HIGHWAY 99, TO TRY TO REDUCE THE 18 WHEELER, UH, TRAFFIC COUNT.
UH, THERE'S LOTS, THERE'S A SCHOOL, THERE'S, UH, MANY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES THAT DIDN'T EXIST WHEN 1 46 THROUGH THAT AREA, UH, WAS DEVELOPED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT DID, WE WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL.
BUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, OUR LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANTS, THEY HELPED US TRY TO GET THE BILL OUT COMMITTEE.
IT DID NOT, WE WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL, BUT WE CERTAINLY TRIED.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE PUBLIC IS CLEAR.
UH, WHEN WE HEAR WORDS OF TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING, IT'S NOT, UM, IT'S NOT, UH, TO GO AND WORK AGAINST THE TAXPAYER.
UH, IN FACT, IT'S TRYING TO GO AND REALLY, UM, BUILD ON WHAT, HOW WE CAN BE A STRONGER BAY TOWN.
AND I DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE, COUNCIL DOESN'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE, AND ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T HAVE IT.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY, UH, GOES.
UH, THE WORD LOBBYING, I'M SURE IS USED SOMETIMES IN A, IN NOT THE RIGHT CONTEXT, BUT FOR US, WE, WE, WE DO HAVE TO, UH, LEAN ON, UH, LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANTS.
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SPILL ON THAT.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, UH, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, COUNSEL.
THAT IS MY PERSPECTIVE AS MAYOR, WE CONTINUE TO, TO ADDRESS STUFF.
OUR CITIZENS, I MEAN, YOU, YOU'VE SEEN THE CITIZEN SURVEY FOR MANY YEARS.
THE NUMBER ONE ITEM ON THE CITIZEN SURVEY WAS GARTH ROAD.
AND WHAT HAS THIS COUNCIL DONE? WE'VE DRAWN THE LINE IN THE SAND IN JANUARY AND WE SAID, WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS GARTH ROAD 'CAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA GET ANY CHEAPER AND IT'S NOT GONNA GET ANY LESS TRAFFIC.
SO, UH, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, I WOULD AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN, UH, PRESLEY, UH, WE HEARD FROM OUR CITIZENS.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US TO CONSIDER.
UH, WE CAN APPROVE THE BUDGET TONIGHT IF Y'ALL ALSO WISH, OR WE COULD POSTPONE.
BUT IT'S CERTAINLY, UH, THE WILL OF COUNSEL AT THIS POINT.
JUST FOR A FEW THOUGHTS, IF I MAY.
THEN, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE TAXPAYER FUNDED AND THE LOBBYING THERE, UH, THE LOBBYING IN A SENSE IS NOT LIKE IT WAS IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES WHERE YOU GO DOWN TO HAWAII AND TALK ABOUT THESE BILLS THAT'S, UH, NO LONGER ALLOWED ANYMORE.
WHEN WE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE LOBBYISTS THAT WE BRING INTO THE, THE MIX, IT'S, AS THE MAYOR SAID, IT IS CONSULTANTS, MOST OF THE TIME WE JOIN FORCES WITH DEER PARK, UH, PASADENA, MORGANS POINT, BAYTOWN, WE HAVE ALL THE CITY GROUPS IN THIS DISTRICT OVER HERE TO JOIN FORCES.
SO WE MIGHT GET A LOBBYIST THAT WOULD NORMALLY CHARGE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND WE DIVIDE THAT BY FIVE DIFFERENT CITIES.
SO WE GET A, WE GET A BIG BANG FOR OUR BUCK WHEN WE DO THAT.
BUT THE MAIN THING IS, IS THEY'RE GUIDING AND THEY'RE OUR EAR IN AUSTIN THAT HELPS US OUT.
IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN WE HAVE TO ADD STAFF TO GO UP THERE AND WE HAVE TO PAY PER DE 'EM FOR SOMEBODY TO STAY UP THERE DURING THE SESSIONS.
BUT WE ACTUALLY HAD TO SPEND, UH, ALMOST TWICE AS MUCH ON SALARIES, UH, PENSIONS OR, OR THE, UH, UH, OTHER BENEFITS THAT WE THROW IN THERE TO HIRE SOMEBODY TO DO THE SAME THING.
SO IT'S NOT REASONABLE THAT YOU SAY, JUST CUT OUT ALL THE, UH, TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING.
WE HAVE TWO REPRESENTATIVES UP THERE IN THE STATE THAT HAVE A CLOUDED VERSION OF WHAT THAT IS.
AND I DISAGREE WITH BOTH OF 'EM WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
[00:50:01]
GOT TO DO BETTER THAN THAT.AND WE DO NEED THAT IN THE BUDGET, SIMPLY BECAUSE AS THE MAYOR SAYS, WE CAN'T SPEND ALL OUR TIME UP THERE TAKING CARE OF THAT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY UP THERE THAT CAN CONVEY MESSAGES TO THESE LEGISLATORS FOR US AND CAN HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON UP THERE AND BRING THINGS TO OUR ATTENTION THAT IS SADLY NEEDED.
AS FAR AS THE CITY OF BAYTOWN AND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AND OUR TAX RATE, UH, I HEAR THIS A LOT ABOUT BAYTOWN HAVING THE HIGHEST TAX RATE.
AND THIS COUNCIL HAS TAKEN UPON ITSELF, UH, WHERE WE HAVEN'T BEEN THE HIGHEST TAX RATE IS PUBLICIZED.
WE'VE DECIDED THAT WE'RE GONNA DECREASE THAT.
WE, AND FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, WE'RE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
WE'VE ASKED FOR SEVERAL REPORTS OF LIKE, CITIES, WE ARE NOT THE HIGHEST TAX RATE IN THE LAND.
AND WHEN YOU MORE SPECIAL, WHEN YOU CAN CON COMPARE, UH, A TOWN OF 75,000 THAT'S IN THE INDUSTRY SECTOR AND OTHER 75,000 POPULATION THAT'S IN THE INDUSTRY SECTOR.
WE ARE SITTING REAL GOOD THERE.
AND WE KEEP GETTING, COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES AROUND US IN CLOSE PROXIMITY, WHICH IS THE SAME THING AS COMPARING A WATERMELON TO A GRAPE.
WE ARE DOING THE, THE, THE PRUDENT THING AND DOING WHAT'S RIGHT TO OUR CITIZENS IN THEIR TAX RATE.
AND SO I, I THINK WE'RE SITTING REAL GOOD ON THIS BUDGET.
I THINK WE'RE DOING EXACTLY WHAT THE CITIZENS ARE ASKING US TO DO.
THEY'RE WANTING US TO IMPROVE THIS CITY, BUT WHENEVER WE DO THINGS TO IMPROVE THIS CITY, WE GET THE SAME SIX PEOPLE THAT COME IN AND VERY DEROGATORY ABOUT IT AND CUT IT DOWN SO WE CAN CUT EVERYTHING OUT COMPLETELY AND GO BACK TO LIKE WE WERE IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES WHERE WE HAD THERO WORST ROADS IN, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
BUT I THINK WE DES WE DESERVE BETTER THAN THAT.
AND THE CITIZENS OF BAYTOWN DESERVE BETTER THAN THAT.
BUT I AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN PRESLEY, THAT IF WE WANT TO DELAY THIS TO ALLOW MORE PEOPLE TO COME IN AND SPEAK, LET'S GIVE ON THAT OPPORTUNITY.
UH, AND ONCE AGAIN, THIS BUDGET IS INCREASED OVER LAST YEAR SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH THAT WE'VE HAD IN THIS AREA.
THE GROWTH IS WHAT THE INCREASE IS, AND WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THAT.
PLUS WE'RE CUTTING THE, THE TAXES ON THAT.
SO WE'RE DOING THE PRUDENT THING AND WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
UH, AND SO I, I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN PRIESTLEY.
SINCE WE DID HAVE TWO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT GRANT, I WAS WONDERING IF MAYBE MR. WOOLERY OR SOMEONE ELSE FROM STAFF COULD EXPLAIN THAT, BECAUSE I REALLY THINK THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY IS ONE OF THE MOST CITIZEN-CENTRIC USES OF THE FUNDS, UM, THAT I'VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME.
SO MAYBE THE, UM, TITLE IS MISLEADING.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST EXPLAIN IT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
YEAH, REALLY IT'S, IT'S PRETTY OPEN-ENDED AND I THINK YOU'RE THE, THE NAME ACTUALLY FITS WELL BECAUSE IT'S, IT IS EMPOWERING NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO AS GROUPS LIKE THE ONE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT COME FORWARD AND DEVELOP IDEAS THAT CAN IMPROVE THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, THIS IS A POT OF MONEY THAT'S SPECIFICALLY SET ASIDE TO THAT.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY DEDICATED TO ONE TYPE OF EXPENDITURE OR ANOTHER BECAUSE IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT THE NEEDS ARE FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, UM, YOU COULD ARGUE THAT 30,000 IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.
I'M SURE THAT THOSE CITIZENS WOULD PROBABLY SAY THAT.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY OPEN-ENDED AND I THINK WE'RE, WE'LL KIND OF FEEL IT OUT OVER TIME, BUT IT REALLY IS BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT'S GONNA BE BASED ON WHAT THOSE CITIZENS TELL US.
AND IF WE TAKE THAT AWAY, WHAT REVENUE OR, OR WHAT, UH, WHAT COULD THE CITIZENS GO OUT AND GET IF WE TAKE THAT AWAY? WHAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO 'EM IF WE, IF WE TAKE IT AWAY? SO IT JUST BEEN SUGGESTED TAKE IT AWAY.
YOU MEAN, WHAT WOULD IT DO TO WHAT AVENUE WOULD IT, WOULD THE POOR LADY OVER HERE IN THE OLD, OLD, UH, DISTRICT ONE THAT NEEDS TO REPLACE A SIDEWALK OUT FRONT? 'CAUSE IT'S ALL BUSTED UP.
SHE'D BE TOLD THERE'S NO FUNDING.
SO, SO JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON, ON THAT TOPIC, ACTUALLY, SO I CAN TELL YOU REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO AND 30,000 IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT FIGURE WOULD ACTUALLY INCREASE IN THE NEAR TERM AND THE LONG TERM.
AND, AND THAT'S VERY CREATIVE AND I'M A SUPPORTER OF THAT.
AND LIKE I SAY, 30,000 IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH, AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT FIGURE GROW.
YEAH, IT, AND IT REALLY CAME SPECIFICALLY FROM IMAGINE BAYTOWN.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT, WHAT SHE WAS BRINGING UP FROM 2017.
IT SPECIFICALLY CAME UP FROM IMAGINE BAYTOWN.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT NUMBER IS, MAINLY BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF A PILOT THIS YEAR.
SO MY HOPE IS NEIGHBORHOODS DO REALLY ENGAGE WITH US AND COME UP WITH CREATIVE IDEAS.
AND NEXT YEAR WHEN WE COME TO YOU WITH THE BUDGET, THAT THERE'S ENOUGH IDEAS OUT THERE THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED MORE MONEY FOR IT.
[00:55:01]
AND, AND I, I MEAN, I WAS GOING JUST, THERE'S TWO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT IT, IT'S SIMPLE SIGNAGE TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS IN DECAY.UH, ONE I THINK IS GLEN MEADOWS.
AND I THINK THE OTHER IS, I'VE GOT YOUR APPLICATION RIGHT HERE.
OAKWOOD, ALSO KNOWN AS OAKS EDITION, BUT, UH, OAKWOOD.
AND SO, UH, PASTOR GRAY, WHEN WE, WHEN WE WERE THERE, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE VERY, THEY'RE READY.
AS SOON AS FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE, THEY'RE READY BECAUSE THEY, THEY'RE PROUD OF, OF, OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY DON'T HAVE AN ASSOCIATION OF ANYTHING.
AND SO REALLY FOR VERY, VERY SMALL LIMITED FUNDING, IN FACT, THERE'S SOME CHURCHES THAT ARE WILLING TO GO AND PROVIDE THE LABOR.
SO WE'RE JUST PURCHASING MATERIALS.
AND, AND SO FOR, UM, OAKWOOD, UH, BEHIND LEHIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HOPE THAT THEM AND GLEN MEADOWS AND AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS STEP UP FOR THESE SMALL BA BASICALLY MICRO GRANTS JUST FOR SMALL IMPROVEMENTS.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE CAN'T, WE DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, GET GRANTS SLAMS TO IMPROVE A NEIGHBORHOOD.
SOMETIMES IT CAN BE JUST A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS AND IT'S A CIVIC PRIDE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WE'RE VERY PROUD OF BAYTOWN, BUT THERE'S SOME THINGS WE CAN DO.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO TAKE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
SO, UH, ANYWAY, THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS I GUESS, OR QUESTIONS ON, ON THIS? UM, SO I GUESS I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR POSTPONEMENT OF THIS ITEM FOR APPROVAL, BUT I DO NEED A DATE WITH THAT MOTION OR SOMETHING.
WE CAN CONTINUE TO PUT IT ON THE NEXT BUDGET, OUR NEXT AGENDA.
AND WE DECIDED TO DO HONOR OR BEFORE THE SEPTEMBER.
MOTION TO POSTPONE UNTIL THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
ALL THOSE, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL SO FAVORS FOR POSTPONEMENT OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN FISCAL YEAR 20 20, 20 21.
MUNICIPAL BUDGET TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR C,
[c. Consider an ordinance amending Chapter 98 "Utilities" of the Code of Ordinances, Baytown, Texas, to update certain service fees and add new service fees related to utility services provided by the City of Baytown.]
CONSIDERED ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 98, UTILITIES OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, BAYTOWN, TEXAS TO UPDATE CERTAIN SERVICE FEES AND TO ADD NEW SERVICE FEES RELATED TO UTILITY SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.MS. GIL, IT DOESN'T SAY MS. GIL HERE,
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE DISCUSSED THIS DURING ONE OF YOUR BUDGET WORKSHOPS.
AND WE RECOMMENDED, UH, APPROVAL DURING THAT TIME AND WE STILL RECOMMEND APPROVAL.
ANY QUESTION? YOU GOT US ALL ON BOARD AT THAT TIME.
YOU GOT US ALL ON BOARD AT THAT TIME.
SO ARE YOU GUYS STILL ON BOARD? YES.
WELL, WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT HERE IN A SECOND.
SO, UM, I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM FOUR C, MOTION FOUR C.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEM FOUR C AS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[a. Consider an ordinance authorizing the Fourth Amendment to the Agreement for Professional Services and Employment as City Manager with Richard L. Davis.]
A, WHICH IS GONNA BE CONSIDERED ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED IN THE FOURTH AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND EMPLOYMENT, UH, OF THE CITY MANAGER, MR. RICHARD L. DAVIS.UH, WE DO HAVE ONE CITIZEN THAT IS, THAT WAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
SO IF YOU CAN COME UP TO THE PODIUM, RESTATE YOUR ADDRESS, AND THEN YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
27 BLACKSTONE STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS.
YOU'RE STILL THERE? I I'M STILL THERE, HAVEN'T YOU? OKAY.
UM, JUST, JUST A POINT OF INFORMATION TOO, MR. MAYOR, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO READ 8,000 BILLS AND EVERYTHING IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, TML GIVES YOU A VERY GOOD LEGISLATIVE ALERTS AS, AS DO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TOO, JUST IN, IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW.
UM, I DON'T READ THAT ONE EITHER, BUT RIGHT.
UM, UH, MR. DAVIS, UH, I, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR.
I, I'VE GOT, UH, I, I HAVE NO CONCERNS ABOUT YOU.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT I TRUST AND RESPECT, UH, SAY THAT YOU, YOU'RE DOING A FINE JOB.
UM, YOU KNOW, MY CONCERNS AREN'T ANYTHING PERSONAL OR, OR IN ANY WAY TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, PUT A MARK ON YOU.
UM, I THINK YOU'D DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
I'M SURE IF I LOOKED AT EVERYTHING, THERE'S SOME THINGS I'D AGREE WITH, SOME THINGS I WOULDN'T DIS OR I WOULD DISAGREE WITH.
UH, I JUST REALLY, AGAIN, I WANNA PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE.
UH, WITH THIS, UH, 3% INCREASE THIS YEAR, UH, AFTER A 3.5% INCREASE LAST YEAR, UH, ESSENTIALLY YOUR SALARY IS ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILLION.
UM, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, THE MAYOR OF THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY, MAYOR TURNER, IS PAID LESS THAN THAT.
UM, THAT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE THAN GOVERNOR ABBOTT GETS PAID.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S KIND OF PAR FOR THE COURSE.
IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR CITY MANAGERS FOR TEXAS, BUT TEXAS ALSO HAS SOME OF THE HIGHEST PAID CITY MANAGERS IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, YOU'RE ROUGHLY GETTING PAID ABOUT THE SAME AS WHAT THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY GETS PAID, UH, WITH, UH, THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN.
[01:00:01]
I WOULD SAY IS THAT IT'S REALLY KIND OF THE OPTICS OF EVERYTHING.AUTOMATIC PAY RAISES FOR EVERYONE.
UM, IT SEEMS TO BE A CONCERN, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE OUTTA WORK, AND I, I NEVER GET AUTOMATIC PAY RAISES.
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T GET AUTOMATIC PAY RAISES, AND I, I WOULD JUST SIMPLY SAY, UH, THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, REFUSING THE, THE RAISE.
I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE A FAIRLY GOOD STATEMENT TO THE STAFF UNDER YOU, UH, IF YOU DID THAT, OR, UH, IF YOU OPTED TO DONATE THAT TO LOWER PAID STAFF UNDER YOU OR FIRST RESPONDERS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAD ON THAT.
AND SO, JUST A FEW THINGS ON IT.
UM, SO A LOT OF THE CITIES YOU THAT YOU DID, UH, MENTION, THEY ARE A DIFFERENT FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAN WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
UH, SO FAR AS CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, WE OPERATE UNDER A COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
SO COUNCIL, WITH ALL OUR SALARY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE, WE HAVE THE CITIZENS THAT SERVE ON TOP.
WE ANSWER TO THE CITIZENS, THEN COUNCIL, AND THEN MR. DAVIS.
AND HE'S AT THE, THE TOP OF THE HEAT, UH, IN THE, IN THE STRONG MAYOR CITIES THAT YOU MENTIONED TOO, UH, MENTIONED AS FAR AS HOUSTON OR NEW YORK OR WHEREVER THE CASE MAY BE, UH, THE ELECTED OFFICIAL, THE MAYOR IN THOSE CITIES, UH, THEY MAY MAKE A CERTAIN AMOUNT.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE STAFFED.
I HAVE, I DON'T HAVE, UH, THE CREDENTIALS ARE OUR MASTER'S IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, LIKE SOME OF OUR PERSONNEL.
AND SO, UM, IN THOSE CITIES, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY EX EXPERTS AND EXPERTS AND CREDENTIALS.
UM, MR. MR. DAVIS HAS SERVED AS CITIZENS.
WELL, I'VE SERVED UNDER FOUR CITY MANAGERS IN MY TENURE.
UH, EACH OF THEM HAVE THEIR PROS AND CONS AND, AND THEY ALL BRING THEIR, UH, ATTRIBUTES AND PERFORM, I THINK VERY WELL.
MR. DAVIS, UM, I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR, HE HAS PROBABLY BEEN THE MOST CITIZEN CENTRIC CITY MANAGER, WHERE HIS FIRST, HIS FIRST RESPONSE IS GONNA BE, LET'S ASK THE CITIZENS, LET'S FORM A COMMITTEE.
LET'S, LET'S GATHER THAT, LET'S TAKE IT TO COUNSEL.
AND THEN FROM COUNSEL, HE HAS SEVEN BOSSES.
HE CHOOSE TO HAVE, HE CHOOSES TO HAVE SEVEN BOSSES.
UH, AND WE GO AND WE COMMUNICATE TO HIM THE POLICY DIRECTION.
AND THEN HE IMPLEMENT, HE IMPLEMENTS IT AMONGST HIS STAFF, THE REST OF THE EMPLOYEES.
HE'S OUR ONLY EMPLOYEE BESIDES, UH, OUR MUNICIPAL JUDGE.
UM, HE CONTINUES TO BE A VERY STRATEGIC MANAGER, WHICH IS, UM, FOR US AS A COUNCIL AND CERTAINLY US AS OUR CITIZENS, IT IS VERY HELPFUL IN PROVIDING CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT CLEAR DIRECTION OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
IF IT'S FIXING STREETS, IF IT'S FIXING OUR, OUR WATER SYSTEM, IF IT'S, IF IT'S IMPROVING OUR PARKS.
UH, WE HAVE DONE A VERY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ON, ON WHERE WE WANT TO BE OVER THE NEXT FIVE, 10, AND X AMOUNT OF YEARS.
SO, WITH THAT, I THINK, UM, DEALING, DEALING WITH DIFFERENT CITY MANAGERS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, UH, MR. DAVIS SPRING, HE'S, HE'S CERTAINLY BROUGHT A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THAT.
AND HE, HE LISTENS TO COUNCIL AND THEN WE DIRECT HIM.
UH, IT, IT'S BEEN, IT'S NOT ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE, I WILL SAY.
SO WITH THAT, UM, WE DO HAVE AN ITEM AND, UM, WE HAD, I THINK JUST ONE CITIZEN THAT WAS SIGNED UP.
SO, UH, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM FIVE A.
WE CAN GET DISCUSSION, BUT WE HAVE A MOTION.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND FRIDAY, FIVE A.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? YES, SIR.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IT'S NOT FAIR COMPARING THE SALARY OF OUR CITY MANAGER TO THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, OR TO THE CITY, UH, OF NEW YORK CITY'S MAYOR.
IT WOULD BE MORE FAIR TO, TO LOOK AT NEW YORK CITY AND THAT EXECUTIVE BRANCH, EXECUTIVE MANAGER THAT THEY HAVE THERE AND WHAT HIS SALARY IS.
SAME THING WITH THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF TEXAS AND HIS EXECUTIVE STAFF THERE.
THAT'S, IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE SALARIES, IT'S, UH, FAR BEHIND HERE.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY FAIR TO COMPARE THAT WE HAVE A, A, A GUY HERE THAT'S DOING A FANTASTIC JOB.
WE LOOKED WHEN WE FIRST GOT HIM ON BOARD AS TO WHAT THE MEDIUM SALARY IS FOR SOMEBODY, UH, IN A SIZE OF THIS TOWN.
AND, UH, I, I THINK IT'S ONLY FAIR THAT IF HE'S DOING A GOOD JOB, WE COMPENSATE OR MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WE KEEP HIM HERE.
'CAUSE WE GOT A LOT TO DO AND HE'S CARRYING THE SCEPTER FOR US AND MAKING SURE SOME THINGS GET DONE.
SO THAT IS WHY WE'RE, WE'RE KEEPING HIM HERE.
THAT IS WHY WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT KIND OF RAYS DO WE NEED TO KEEP HIM HERE AND REWARD HIM FOR THE WORK THAT HE, THAT HE'S DOING, AS WELL AS WHAT THE CITY IS DOING ITSELF.
SO I THINK IT IS WITHIN THE FAIR LIMITS THAT WE CONSIDER THAT THERE'S OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS IN THIS, THE GREATER BAYTOWN AREA WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES ARE DOING GOOD.
THERE'S SOME, UH, SO TO SAY THAT AREN'T DOING SO GOOD.
[01:05:01]
DO GET BETTER IS THE, THE ECONOMY OPENS BACK UP.BUT JUST BECAUSE THE CITY OF BAYTOWN IS IN GOOD SHAPE AND ALL DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T CONSIDER THIS AND LOOK AT THIS.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE NEED TO GO.
ALSO, I WANNA, UM, AT LEAST FOR COUNCIL'S INFORMATION, YOU, YOU SEEN, I'M ASSUMING YOU SEEN, UH, THE CONTRACT ITSELF.
UH, IT'S NOT REALLY A LOT OF BELLS AND WHISTLES ACT, IT'S A LOT OF CLEANUP.
'CAUSE IT, IT, IT WAS ACTUALLY, UH, A LOT OF HIS ORIGINAL CONTRACT WHEN HE WAS FIRST HIRED, UM, THE, THE, THE AMOUNT OF RAISE OF 3% FOR THIS, THIS, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, WAS BASED, UH, ON THAT 3% WAS THE, THE RAISE THAT WAS GIVEN TO EMPLOYEES.
SO HE'S GETTING NOTHING MORE, NOT A PENNY MORE THAN ANY OTHER IF APPROVED ANYTHING OTHER MORE THAN, THAN OUR, ALL OUR EMPLOYEES.
SO ANYWAY, JUST, JUST TO BE CLEAR ON THAT.
WELL, I GET, I'M GONNA MAKE MY COMMENT, MAYOR, BECAUSE I'M FOR BETTER, SOMETIMES FOR WORSE, I RECEIVE SOME OF THOSE PHONE CALLS THAT ASK ME HOW HE'S DOING.
AND, AND I, I HEAR A LOT OF, UH, COMMENTS AND THE, THE COMMENTS RUN THE GAMUT.
AND YOU KNOW, I I, I ALWAYS TELL FOLKS ON THE PHONE WHEN THEY CALL ME THE SAME THING I SAY IN PUBLIC.
AND THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE WORDS I USE THAT, THAT HE'S DOING A PRETTY, PRETTY DOGGONE GOOD JOB.
AND, AND I MAINTAIN THAT HERE TODAY.
UM, I HAD FOLKS TELL ME THAT HE WAS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE TOP PAID CITY MANAGERS IN THE STATE.
SO I ACTUALLY, I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON CITY MANAGERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND IT DOES APPEAR HE IS IN THE TOP 25% POSSIBLY, BUT HE IS CERTAINLY NOT IN THE TOP FIVE OR 10% IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO IT, IT IS NOT AN ABSURD SALARY WHEN IT COMES TO BEING COMPETITIVE.
UM, SO I THINK HE'S DOING A PRETTY DOGGONE GOOD JOB.
HE HAS MY SUPPORT AND WHAT THE CITIZENS DON'T KNOW, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY BECAUSE THEY SEE THIS AS AN AUTOMATIC RAISE, BUT JUST SO THEY KNOW WHEN, WHEN THIS THING WAS NEGOTIATED, THE WAY IT'S STRUCTURED IS IF WE DO NOT AT A MINIMUM GIVE THE RAISE THAT THE EMPLOYEES RECEIVED IN THAT FISCAL YEAR, THEN TECHNICALLY THAT IS DEFINED AS TERMINATION BY THE CITY WITHOUT CAUSE.
AND HE WOULD BE ENTITLED TO 12 MONTHS, OR I GUESS IT WAS 11 MONTHS WE'RE, WE'RE INCREASING THAT THE 12, BUT HE WOULDN'T BE ENTITLED TO THE FULL SEVERANCE PACKAGE PLUS CAR ALLOWANCE, PLUS INSURANCE.
SO IT'S NOT EXACTLY AUTOMATIC, IT'S, IT'S THE MINIMUM THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO DO TO, TO KEEP HIM HERE IN A SENSE.
AND, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T, EVERYBODY DOESN'T KNOW THAT.
I'VE TRIED TO EXPLAIN IT TO A COUPLE OF FOLKS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST AUTOMATIC IN THAT REGARD.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DO THAT'S CONTRACTUAL.
AND YOU KNOW, TO HIS CREDIT, HE, HE NEGOTIATED THAT AND COUNSEL AGREED TO IT.
AND, UH, THAT WAS SOMETHING WE FELT WE NEEDED TO DO TO GET THE PERSON THAT WE WANTED FIVE YEARS AGO.
SO THAT'S THE WAY IT'S STRUCTURED, THAT'S THE REASON.
WHILE IT APPEARS TO BE AUTOMATIC, IT'S NOT EXACTLY AUTOMATIC, IT'S CONTRACTUAL.
UM, I'M OKAY WITH THE 3% BECAUSE I THINK HE'S DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB.
MY, MY OPINION IS WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, I WOULD PROBABLY FAVOR THE, THE 2% AS A SYMBOLIC GESTURE, SO TO SPEAK.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UH, I, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA VOTE AGAINST IT, YOU KNOW, JUST DUE TO THAT, DUE TO THAT FACT ALONE.
SO I I, I COULD GO EITHER WAY ON THAT 2% OR 3%.
WELL, BUT AS YOU SAID, THEN IT, IT PUTS US INTO A DIFFERENT CONDITION OF CONTRACT IN HIS CURRENT CONTRACT.
SO THE WAY I ACTUALLY GOT WITH HR, BECAUSE I THINK THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ON THE TWO TO THREE, RIGHT? YEAH.
BECAUSE I THINK, OKAY, THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION.
SO WE WERE UNDER THE, UNDER THE, THE IMPRESSION FALL, THE IMPRESSION THAT THE CONTRACT WAS LOOKING FORWARD, THAT HE WOULD BE ENTITLED TO THE MINIMUM RAISE THAT THE EMPLOYEES RECEIVED IN THIS BUDGET.
THAT'S NOT THE WAY THE CONTRACT IS WRITTEN, THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT'S STATED.
HE'S ENTITLED TO THE MINIMUM RAISE THAT THEY RECEIVED IN THAT FISCAL YEAR.
WE EVALUATED HIM IN THE, IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, NOT THE FISCAL YEAR THAT WE'RE GOING TO, TO HOPEFULLY APPROVE HERE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
SO TECHNICALLY HE, HE IS DUE A MINIMUM 2% RAISE.
AND, AND IT'S NOT AUTOMATIC, IT'S CONTRACTUAL.
AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T FAULT TO HIM FOR NEGOTIATING THAT.
AND IF I THOUGHT I WAS DOING A PRETTY DOGGONE GOOD JOB, I WOULD PROBABLY EXPECT
[01:10:01]
2% AS WELL.'CAUSE THAT, THAT THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ON THAT.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL THOMPSON MENTIONED THERE.
WELL, WE BROUGHT IN HR CLASS WHEN WE HAD THE EVALUATION, SO WE TOOK THE, I TOOK THE, UH, EXTRACURRICULAR EFFORT TO CLEAR IT UP.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YEAH, YOU KNOW, I'VE RECEIVED SOME PHONE CALLS FROM CITIZENS THIS PAST WEEK, AND THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT SOME PEOPLE, SOMEONE HAD GIVEN SOME INACCURATE INFORMATION THAT WE WERE GIVEN MR. DAVIS A 7% INCREASE.
I DON'T KNOW WHO DID THE MATH ON THAT, BUT, UM, THAT'S FUZZY MOUTH.
AND MY QUESTION WAS GOING TO BE, TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION TONIGHT, IF HE IS DUE THE 2% OR THE 3% SO THAT WE CAN GET IT RIGHT.
I DON'T WANT TO HAVE SOMEONE CALLING ME BECAUSE THEY REVIEW IT AND THEY FIND SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT.
AND WE'VE HAD ALMOST TWO, THREE WEEKS TO BE SURE THAT WE GET IT RIGHT.
SO IF WE CAN GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT, THAT WOULD HELP.
WELL, I THINK, I'M NOT SURE, I DON'T SEE MS. FLINT, BUT, UH, WAS MR. SCOTT IS HERE.
AND, AND AGAIN, I THINK Y'ALL HAVE SUMMARIZED IT CORRECTLY, FROM MY KNOWLEDGE, I WASN'T IN THE ROOM, UH, NOR WOULD I BE, BUT IT'S WHAT YEAR YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
AND I THINK CAROL AND RICK BOTH ANSWERED THE QUESTION CORRECTLY.
SO THIS CURRENT YEAR IS FY 20 EMPLOYEES GOT TWO NEXT YEAR, THE PROPOSED BUDGET FY 21, THE EMPLOYEES WERE PROPOSED THREE IN THE BUDGET.
SO THE QUESTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN WHEN YOU'VE, GIVEN THE CITY MANAGER HAS RAISED, WHAT YEAR ARE YOU LOOKING AT? TO MY KNOWLEDGE, YOU'VE ALWAYS LOOKED FORWARD TO THE YEAR THAT YOU PROPOSED, WHICH WOULD BE THREE.
THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, BUT THAT'S WHERE THE ISSUE IS.
WELL, YEAR VERSUS THE PART, IT'S IN JULY.
CONTRACTUALLY, IT'S IN JULY WHEN HIS, IN A SENSE, HIS REVIEW AND AND AND SO ON IS CONDUCTED, WHICH IS IN BETWEEN BOTH FISCAL AND BUDGETARY YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE QUESTION, YES.
NOW THAT BEING SAID, WHEN WE DISCUSSED IT, I'M RIGHT HERE WITH EVERYONE ELSE.
GINGER CREEK IS GONNA GET THEIR PARK
WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH 3%? THAT HAS A LOT.
I'M SORRY, BUT THAT, THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH IT.
I KNOW THEY'RE HAPPY CAMPERS AND I'M A HAPPY CAMPER BECAUSE OF IT.
UM, AND I'M GOING TO BE IN SUPPORT OF IT.
BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD HAVE ACCURATE INFORMATION GIVEN OUT, UM, TALKING BACK TO THE 7% THAT I RECEIVED FROM SOME PHONE CALLS OF, AND IT JUST BLEW MY MIND AWAY.
'CAUSE I COULD HAVE 7% NEVER EVEN CROSSED ANY OF OUR MINDS IN THE DISCUSSION.
LET LET ME, UH, WITH THAT, LET ME ASK, SO THE CITY ATTORNEY, SO CAN YOU CLARIFY THIS FOR US CONTRACTUALLY? SO THIS, THIS CONTRACT AMENDMENT THAT YOU'RE APPROVING, IF YOU APPROVE IT TONIGHT, HAS THAT CLARIFICATION IN IT.
SO WE MADE IT SO THAT IT'S FOR THE FISCAL YEAR IN WHICH THE REVIEW IS GIVEN.
IT HASN'T SAID THAT IN THE PAST.
SO THAT'S THE CLARIFICATION THAT WE HAVE IN THIS, THIS AMENDMENT.
BUT, BUT COUNCILMAN JOHNSON WAS CORRECT.
COULD WE TWO NUMBERS ON DURING THE EVALUATION, BECAUSE TWO AND THEN A 3%, WE WERE, I GUESS MAYBE WE JUST ASSUMED IS THE POLITE WAY TO PUT IT.
WE ASSUMED THAT THE MINIMUM IS THREE, BUT ACTUALLY THE MINIMUM IS, IS TWO CONTRACTUALLY.
SO WE JUST WANT TO CLEAR THAT UP.
I'LL JUST, UH, PUT DOWN MY RUBBER STAMP WHILE I ECHO WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS SAID AND, AND, UM, AGREE THAT, UH, RICK DAVIS IS A HIGH CALIBER PROFESSIONAL AND DOES DESERVE A RAISE.
HE'S GETTING 3% LIKE ALL THE OTHER EMPLOYEES BECAUSE, UM, THIS BODY DID TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I ALSO BELIEVE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES, UM, DESERVE THAT 3% RAISE.
THEY'VE WORKED VERY HARD, UM, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
AND WHILE MANY OF US WERE, UM, STAYING AT HOME AND SHELTERING IN PLACE, IF YOU WILL, THEY WERE STILL PICKING UP BRUSH AND FIXING POTHOLES AND REPAIRING WATER MAIN LINES.
AND TO NOT REWARD THEM, I THINK IS AN INSULT.
AND, UM, OUR CITY MANAGER IS ALSO ONE OF THESE EMPLOYEES AND HE'S GETTING THE SAME AS EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND SO I STAND BY THE DISCUSSION WE ALL HAD SEVERAL WEEKS AGO WHERE WE ALL AGREED THAT THIS WAS THE PATH FORWARD.
[01:15:01]
YOU, MA'AM.SINCE WE'RE A RUBBER STAMPING, I MIGHT AS WELL GO TOO.
YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE HERE ALL NIGHT.
YOU KNOW, I'M A BIG RICK FAN AND HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB.
AND I CAN'T IMAGINE ANY TIME IN THE CITY'S HISTORY WHERE A CITY MANAGER HAS HAD TO DEAL WITH THE COMPLEX ISSUES.
AND MOST OF YOU FOLKS OUT THERE RUNNING DEPARTMENTS KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
BUT THE PROJECTS AND THE THINGS GOING ON THIS CITY HAS TO BE GREAT, GREATER COMPLEXITY THAN THE CITY'S EVER HAD IN ITS HISTORY.
AND WE'RE IN GREAT SHAPE FINANCIALLY.
AND THAT'S 'CAUSE WE HAVE SOMEBODY AT THE HELM WHO IS TRULY A PROFESSIONAL CITY MANAGER.
AND WE SPENT HOURS BACK THERE DISCUSSING THESE VERY TOPICS AND THAT, AND WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE RICK HERE DOING THAT.
AND THE FACT THAT HE'S LEADING US THROUGH THESE THINGS AND THESE ISSUES, IF SOME OF THESE THINGS YOU GET INVOLVED IN WHEN YOU SIT BEHIND THE SCENES AND LISTEN, WHETHER IT'S BUILDING PROJECTS OR THESE MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS AND ALL THESE THINGS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE COMPLEXITY THAT WE DEAL WITH.
AND WE'RE VERY, VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE RICK LEADING US THROUGH THOSE THINGS.
AND ONE FINAL, QUICK, QUICK BLURB, MAYOR.
AND ALSO, JUST SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY THIS, IF LOOK, THERE'S GONNA BE HICCUPS FROM TIME TO TIME IN, IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
AND I CAN TELL YOU SOMETIMES WHEN THERE'S HICCUPS, IT, IT MAY, THE BLAME MAY APPEAR TO FALL ON HIS SHOULDERS, BUT I JUST WANT THE, THE PUBLIC TO KNOW.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE COUNSEL, THAT SOMETIMES THERE'S A LITTLE BLAME TO GO AROUND.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE.
AND I'M, I'M, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT SMART ENOUGH, BUT SAVVY ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE THAT.
AND, UH, SO LIKE I SAY, THAT'S WHY MR. BECK WAS ONE OF THE, IT'S ACTUALLY MORE THAN SIX THIS TIME THAT CALLED ME MM-HMM
BUT, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON WHY I TELL FOLKS AND I MAINTAIN THAT HE'S DOING A PRETTY DOGGONE GOOD JOB.
SO WE STILL HAVE THIS OUT ON THE THREE AND TWO IS ALL
IF EVERYBODY'S SAYING SOMETHING, UM, I, I REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH ELSE THAN, UM, EVERYBODY ELSE.
BUT I DO WANNA COMMEND RICK ON, YOU KNOW, I HAD SOME REALLY HEFTY GOALS WHEN, UM, I CAME ON COUNCIL AND WHETHER IT WAS HIM DIRECTLY OR, UM, STAFF, UM, THAT HE HAD ASSIGNED TO WORK WITH ME HAVE REALLY COME THROUGH ON A LOT OF ISSUES.
AND WHEN WE HAD THE, UM, THE HURRICANE AND I HAD, UM, STREETS FLOODING, UH, HE WAS OUT THERE IN THE RAIN WITH ME, UM, LOOKING AT ALL THE STREETS, AND WE COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN KNEE DEEP.
UM, BUT I, I THINK OVERALL, I, I REALLY THINK THOSE, UM, RESIDENTS WHO HAVE COME FORWARD, UM, AND SPOKEN AND TAKEN AN INTEREST AND, AND QUESTIONED, BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
UH, WE DO NEED PEOPLE TO, TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND, AND REALLY SPEAKING UP FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.
UNFORTUNATELY, NOT A LOT OF COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE CITY, UM, HAVE CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS OR HOAS.
AND, UM, SO IF YOU WERE UP HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF YOUR COMMUNITY, I JUST, UM, I COMMEND YOU FOR IT MM-HMM
UM, BUT OVERALL, I, I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF WEIGHT THAT'S PUT ON, UM, RICK'S SHOULDERS FROM ALL OF US.
AND I THINK THAT HE HAS DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB ON, UH, EITHER BALANCING OR, OR SPREADING, SPREADING THAT OUT AMONG THE, THE STAFF.
SO, NO, I DO APPRECIATE THAT, MS. ALVARADO.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, BASED OFF DISCUSSION, WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS, UM, THE NUMBER WAS 3% AND UPON APPROVAL FORWARD LOOKING, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MATTER OF MONTHS, RIGHT? SO HE'S LIKE IN BETWEEN ONE BUDGET YEAR AND THE OTHER.
I DON'T THINK A TWO TO 3% DIFFERENCE IS REALLY GONNA MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? UM, SO I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM, WE HAVE A MOTION FOR DISCUSSION.
SO WE HAVE TO DECIDE ON THE 3%.
SO, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING WOULD BE THAT IN OUR, AND WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS IN DRAFT FORM, 3% WAS A NUMBER, CORRECT? YES.
SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN MUCH DISSENT ON TWO VERSUS THREE.
WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, WELL, I WILL SAY THERE WAS CONFUSION ON OUR PART.
SO, UM, SO WITH THAT, BUT 3%, IT WOULD PUT 'EM IN LINE STILL WITH, WITH WHAT, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN HERE OR COULD HAPPEN HERE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WITH OUR EMPLOYEES.
SO, SO I THINK WE MOVE FORWARD WITH 3% AND, UM, WE HAVE A MOTION.
SO AT THAT POINT, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER COMMENTS, LET'S VOTE ITEM FIVE A.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR AS PRESENTED WITH A 3% RAISE FOR MR. RICK DAVIS AND HIS CONTRACT, UH, WITH THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
[b. Consider an ordinance repealing Chapter 14 "Animals" of the Code of Ordinances, Baytown, Texas (the "Code") and amending and updating the Code to include a new chapter to be numbered and entitled Chapter 14 "Animals" to include new definitions, micro-chipping requirements for certain animals, restricting the sale of animals from public property, and allowing certain animals to be maintained within the City if specific distancing is satisfied.]
MOVE ON TO ITEM FIVE B.CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE FULFILLING CHAPTER 14, ANIMALS OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, BAYTOWN, TEXAS, AND AMENDING UPDATING, UH, THE CODE TO INCLUDE A NEW CHAPTER TO BE NUMBERED AND ENTITLED CHAPTER 14, ANIMALS TO INCLUDE NEW DEFINITIONS, MICROCHIPPING
[01:20:01]
REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN ANIMALS, NOT COUNCIL MEMBERS, RESTRICTING THE CELL OF ANIMALS FROM PUBLIC PROPERTY, AND ALLOWING CERTAIN ANIMALS TO BE MAINTAINED WITHIN THE CITY IF SPECIFIC DISTANCING IS SATISFIED.UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
UH, IT'S BEEN THREE WEEKS, UH, SINCE WE WERE LAST HERE.
AND I UNDERSTAND YOU GUYS HAVE THE RED LINE VERSION OF THE ORDINANCE.
I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S ONE AT OUR PLACE.
BEFORE I, UH, BRING THE MEMBERS OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY, UH, COMMITTEE UP HERE, I JUST WANT TO SAY A FEW THINGS, UM, UH, TO COUNCILMAN HOSKINS.
THE, UH, THE ISSUE THAT YOU BROUGHT FORTH, UH, THREE WEEKS AGO.
UH, I'VE BEEN OUT TO THE SITE THIS WEEK AND THERE ARE SOME CONDITIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING, UH, SOME, UH, ACTION ON AND, UM, AND, AND DEALING WITH IT AND ADDRESSING IT.
UM, THE PEOPLE OF MARVIN ROAD WILL APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, THE OTHER THINGS TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION, UM, ON YOUR RED LINE VERSION, THERE'S ACTUALLY THREE, UM, MINOR, UH, ADJUSTMENTS THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE.
UM, THE, THE FIRST ONE IS ON PAGE 10, AND IT'S THE COUNTING SECTION.
IT'S, UH, 14 DASH EIGHT MM-HMM
THE, WE HAD TO REVISE THE WORDING IN THAT SECTION.
UM, AS YOU MAY RECALL, UH, RECENTLY YOU GUYS AMENDED THE ULDC TO ALLOW BARNES AND RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS, UH, PROVIDED THE SPACING REQUIREMENTS IN CHAPTER 14, UM, WERE, WERE SATISFIED.
SO BASICALLY IT, IT USED CHAPTER 14 TO ESTABLISH THAT.
SO WITH THAT CHANGE TO THE ULDC, WE, WE TOOK ANOTHER LOOK AT THE SECTION, UM, ATTRIBUTING POINTS PER ACRE FOR CERTAIN ANIMALS.
AND SO BASED ON THAT REVIEW, UH, WHICH WAS DONE WITH LEGAL AND THE, THE PLANNING, UH, DIVISION, WE REMOVED THE REFERENCE TO ZONING DISTRICTS AND REPLACED IT WITH REFERENCES TO PROPERTY THAT IS HELD, USED OR ZONED FOR NON NON-COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.
UH, WE ALSO REMOVED THE DEDUCTION CALCULATION AND INSTEAD REDUCED THE NUMBER OF POINTS ALLOWED PER ACRE FROM 100 POINTS TO 50 POINTS AND REMOVED, UH, ANY POINTS, UH, ATTRIBUTED TO, UH, PIGS 'CAUSE THEY'RE PROHIBITED.
UM, THE SECOND ADJUSTMENT IS ON PAGE 12.
UH, IT'S IN THE PUBLIC NUISANCE SECTION.
WE ADDED, UM, TWO WORDS, REALLY.
THE, UM, PUBLIC NUISANCE, UH, WHERE IT SAYS OFFENSIVE BY REASON OF ODOR.
WE ALSO INCLUDED OR DUST, UH, TO CREATE A CONDITION THAT'S A BREEDING PLACE AND BASICALLY BECOME A POTENTIAL FOR A NUISANCE.
THEN IN PART C, WE ALSO ADDED, UH, AS YOU READ THE, THE LAST PART OF THAT SENTENCE, THE, UM, THE LACK OF, OF, UH, IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF AN ANIMAL OR ANIMAL WASTE TO BETTER CLARIFY, UH, CONDITIONS THAT, UH, HELP, UH, HELP US BE ABLE TO ENFORCE A NUISANCE TYPE VIOLATION.
UM, THE THIRD IS ACTUALLY A CHANGE.
UH, COUNCILMAN HESSEL MAY RECALL THIS, UH, FROM MARCH, 2019, THE LIABILITY, UH, INSURANCE REQUIREMENT FOR A DANGEROUS DOG, UH, WAS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, WE HAVE PUT IN HERE FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR REVIEW, UH, AN INCREASE TO $300,000 FOR LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR A DECLARED DANGEROUS DOG.
UH, THE, THE INSURANCE POLICIES GO UP IN INCREMENTS OF 200,000.
SO IT WENT FROM BASICALLY ONE TO THREE TO 500,000.
UM, AND THOSE ARE THE ADJUSTMENTS AND, UH, SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS FROM THE RED LINE VERSION THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, UM, AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP, UH, THE ANIMAL CONTROL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I UNDERSTAND WE DON'T, I WENT ON ZOOM, DR.
I DID, I ASKED FOR ANYBODY FROM THE ANIMAL CONTROL COMMITTEE.
TO LET, AND MR. PARK TO NO ONE.
SO THAT LEAVES, UH, MR. GARRETT, JAY GARRETT, AND OUR CHIEF.
UM, I'LL ASK, UH, JAY TO COME UP AND SPEAK AND, UH, THEN IF THE CHIEF WANTS TO SPEAK, AND THEN WE'LL, UH, WE'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, SO WE, DID YOU SAY WE WERE GONNA HAVE JAY AND THEN COUNSEL QUESTIONS? OR SIR, DID YOU WANNA HAVE J MR. GARRETT AND THEN COUNSEL OR, OR, YES, THAT'S WHAT HE SAID.
I DIDN I DIDN'T HEAR, I'M SORRY.
[01:25:01]
GOOD EVENING.SO, I GUESS ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE, UM, THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS CHANGE IS TO ALLOW US TO VACCINATE ANIMALS UPON INTAKE AND BE A RESPONSIBLE CITY, UH, ENTITY AND CARING FOR THE ANIMALS THAT COME THROUGH OUR FACILITY.
UH, WE ARE SEVERAL YEARS BEHIND THAT, UM, FROM A MUNICIPAL PERSPECTIVE, UH, BEHIND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, AND SEVERAL OTHER DISTRICTS AND MUNICIPALITIES.
THAT LANGUAGE THAT ALLOWS US TO DO THAT IS DESIGNATED CARETAKER.
THIS ALSO ALLOWS US TO MICROCHIP ANIMALS, WHEREAS PREVIOUSLY WE WERE NOT.
THIS HELPS IDENTIFY ANIMALS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH THE SHELTER SYSTEM REGULARLY.
UM, WHICH SAVE COSTS, SAVES MANPOWER, ALLOWS ANIMALS TO GET HOMES SOONER.
UM, ONE OF THE LARGEST HIGHLIGHTS IS THAT WE'RE CLOSE TO 40 YEARS BEHIND FROM A LEGISLATIVE PERSPECTIVE IN UPDATING THESE ORDINANCES.
AND THE LONGER WE CONTINUE TO WAIT, THE MORE BEHIND WE GET.
AND THAT'S ABOUT 70 TO 80% OF THESE LAWS ARE, ARE BEHIND IN THAT REGARD.
UM, THE COPY THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, EXCUSE ME, IS A, IS A SUMMARIZED COPY, IS A CLEANED UP COPY.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL OF THE UPDATES THAT WE WANTED TO DO.
UM, BUT THAT IS BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING OFF OF SEVERAL YEARS OF DOCUMENTATION AT THIS POINT, THAT IS, UM, INCREDIBLY LABOR INTENSIVE TO KEEP UP WITH FROM A COMMITTEE PERSPECTIVE AS WELL AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE PERSPECTIVE.
UM, I KNOW THAT THIS HAS GONE TO LEGAL SEVERAL TIMES.
THIS HAS COME TO Y'ALL SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND AS A COMMITTEE, WE WANT TO GET TO A POINT TO WHERE WE CAN GET TO AN UPDATED VERSION AND CONTINUE TO WORK, UM, AND IMPROVE UPON THAT VERSION GOING FORWARD.
BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT AS A MUNICIPALITY TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THE COMMUNITY CAT ISSUES, TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS NUISANCE AND DANGEROUS DOG ISSUES, UM, AND TO CONTINUE, CONTINUE TO IMPROVE ADMINISTRATIVE ENFORCEABLE PROCESSES AS WELL AS ANIMAL WELFARE, UM, PROGRAMMING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UH, WE NEED TO DEFINE THE TERM EUTHANASIA AND HOW THAT IS USED AS A MUNICIPAL ENTITY IN CARING FOR ANIMALS WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE TO EUTHANIZE AND WHEN IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO EUTHANIZE.
UM, SO THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON AS A COMMITTEE, UM, AND WE HOPE THAT Y'ALL WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH APPROVING THIS COPY TO PROVIDE US WITH A NEW CLEAN COPY THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK FORWARD ON.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COUNSEL? SOME WAKE.
SOMEBODY, YES, MR. JOHNSON? I'M SORRY, I'M GONNA INTERRUPT ONE MORE TIME AND I APOLOGIZE,
BUT ONE OTHER CONCERN THAT WE HAVE IS, IS COUNSEL.
WE, WE'VE PRESENTED THIS TO Y'ALL SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST YEARS AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE BEEN PRESENTED WITH AS A COMMITTEE IN REVIEWING THIS AND AS A STAFF, UH, ROTATING STAFF, UM, FROM A CITY OF BAYTOWN ANIMAL CONTROL PERSPECTIVE, UM, WE HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND TO CONTINUE TO TRY AND, UM, INFORM Y'ALL AND, UM, EDUCATE AND UH, AS WELL AS THE STAFF AS WELL.
UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL SHELTER MANAGERS COME THROUGH.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL STAFF AT BAYTOWN ANIMAL CONTROL COME THROUGH.
AND THE LAST THING THAT WE WANT TO HAPPEN IS TO HAVE A NEW CITY COUNCIL COME UP THIS FALL AND CHANGE.
AND NOW WE ARE BACK IN THE SAME BOAT REVIEWING ADDITIONAL CONCERNS AND ISSUES AND HAVING TO ESSENTIALLY PRESENT NEW INFORMATION TO A BRAND NEW COUNCIL.
WHEREAS NOW WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS TO A WELL-FORMED, UH, COUNCIL AS A WHOLE.
UM, SO WE HOPE THAT Y'ALL WILL TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS WELL WITHIN YOUR DECISION TO APPROVE THIS, UM, AND ALLOW US AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD BEFORE SOME OF YOUR SEATS CHANGE OVER.
I THINK EVERYBODY TO THE RIGHT WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT FOR YOU.
'CAUSE THEY'LL STILL BE HERE, RIGHT?
IT'S JUST LIKE A CAT IS GOING TO GET ON MY CAR OR BE IN MY GARDEN AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT ISSUE.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE FUTURE.
I WOULD HOPE IT IS CONSIDERED IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
DID YOU EVER WATCH TOM AND JERRY? I'M JUST ASKING.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ARE YOU READY? YOU READY? FOR WHOEVER QUESTION, WELL JUST GO AHEAD.
UH, IN, IN REVIEWING THE DOCUMENT, I GOT QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS, IF I MAY.
NUMBER ONE, IS IT ANIMAL CONTROL OR IS IT ANIMAL SERVICES? IT'S GONNA BE ANIMAL SERVICES NOW.
SO THERE WAS A FEW STRIKEOUTS ON HERE WHERE YOU'RE SAYING ANIMAL SERVICES AND YOU STRIKE OUT CONTROL, BUT THERE'S
[01:30:01]
OTHER PLACES ALL THROUGH THE DOCUMENT THAT IT STILL SAYS ANIMAL CONTROL.SO IT JUST NEEDS CLEANING UP THERE.
IF WE'RE GONNA CALL IT ANIMAL SERVICES, IT NEEDS TO BE ANIMAL SERVICES.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE REFERRING TO ANIMAL CONTROL AUTHORITY, WHICH IS A, A SEPARATE TERM.
UM, KAREN MAY GIVE, I'VE SEEN, I'VE SEEN BOTH.
IT'S OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S GONNA ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
SO WE WENT THROUGH AND LOOKED TO MAKE SURE WE USED THE DEFINED TERMS. SO IN THE, IN THE BEGINNING OF THE CHAPTER, WE TALKED ABOUT ANIMAL CONTROL AUTHORITY, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE ANIMAL CONTROL.
UM, UH, ON THE, THE CORRECTED COPY, PAGE EIGHT ARE WE REMOVE REMOVING SECTION C ONE, UM, WHERE IT SAYS NO PERSON SHALL, THEN IT GOES THROUGH SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS, UH, WHICH TAKEN AWAY CERTAIN THINGS WITH, DOES THAT TAKE AWAY THE REASON OF CRUELTY? UH, AND CAN THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER NOT ISSUE CITATIONS FOR THAT ANYMORE? WHAT, WHAT ARE WE COMPENSATE FOR? WE, WE TOOK IT OUT.
SO IF WE KNOW THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT'S, UH, COMMITTING THE ANIMAL CRUELTY OFFENSE, IS THERE ENFORCEMENT THERE FOR YOU AVAILABLE SOMEWHERE ELSE? I'M NOT SURE WHICH, UH, SECTION OR PAGE YOU'RE REFERRING TO.
UH, ITEM B, NO PERSON SHALL DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.
THIS IS THE, THE COPY THAT WAS OUT THERE ON THE INTERNET.
YOU SEE WHERE I'M AT? UH, SECTION 14 DASH FOUR.
C ONE, UH, OR SECTION B, COMMERCIAL DISPLAY AND TRANSPORT AND MOTOR VEHICLES.
AND THEN IT SAYS, NO PERSON SHALL, AND THEN IT, WE STRUCK OUT, UH, A FEW THINGS THERE THAT DEAL WITH CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, ALL THE ITEMS LISTED.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? YES.
THE C ONE SECTION C ONE, TWO, AND THREE? NO, I, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO PURSUE, UM, IF, IF SOMEBODY WAS, BUT YOU, YOU, THE WORDING THERE, YOU TOOK OUT, WE STRUCK OUT.
SO IS THERE SOMETHING THERE THAT I MISSED THAT WE'RE TAKING? WE CAN TAKE ITS PLACE AND YOU CAN ISSUE CITATIONS FOR SOMEBODY THAT HAS COMMITTED THE CRUELTY TO ANIMAL ACT.
I'M, I'M NOT FOLLOWING YOU, I'M SORRY.
UM, THE, THE VERSION THAT I'M LOOKING AT IS THE, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY RED LINES ON THAT PARTICULAR SECTION.
THE LATEST VERSION OR NOT, THOUGH.
IT WAS WHAT WAS PUBLICIZED TO THE PUBLIC.
WELL, I'LL LEAVE THESE NOTES WITH YOU'ALL SO Y'ALL CAN LOOK AT 'EM, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THERE'S, THERE'S A FEW OTHER THINGS.
I APPRECIATE YOU LEAVING THE POINTS IN THERE.
SO WE PUT THAT BACK UP IN LACK OF PROPER CARE INTO 14 DASH FOUR.
IT TALKS ABOUT THE PRIVATE ANIMAL, SUFFICIENT, GOOD UN UH, WHOLESOME FOOD, ET CETERA.
SO IT'S IN, SO IT'S JUST BEEN MOVED.
SO WE DO HAVE SOMETHING TO LEAN OUR OKAY, VERY GOOD.
UH, ON TO SECTION 14 DASH 13 ENFORCEMENT.
UH, PAGE 15, LARGE ISSUE IS ANIMALS NOT BEING PROPERLY KEPT OWNER, DOG AND CATS CAPTURED.
UH, NOW IS A PROBLEM IN HOW TO ID THE OWNER AND TRACK THIS OUT.
SO IT'S, UH, MAINLY THE MICROCHIPPING.
UM, SO WE ARE, WE ARE MICROCHIPPING EVERYTHING THAT COMES IN AND OUT.
EV EVERYTHING THAT'S ADOPTED OUT FROM THE SHELTER WILL BE MICROCHIPPED.
ALRIGHT, ON TO SECTION TH 14 DASH 38 REDEMPTION OR ADOPTION OF ANIMALS.
UH, WHY ARE WE REDUCING THE TIME FROM FIVE DAYS DOWN TO THREE? UH, CITY POLICY, CITY COUNCIL, WE, WE, WE UPPED IT NOT LONG AGO FROM THREE TO FIVE, SO NOW WE'RE REDUCING IT BACK TO, UH, TO THREE DAYS.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE, THAT WE COVERED IN THE, IN THE WORK SESSION.
THE KIND OF THE LOGIC BEHIND THAT, THE STATE CODE IS THREE DAYS.
WE DON'T COUNT THE DAY OF IMPOUNDMENT.
SO IT'S REALLY TECHNICALLY FOUR DAYS.
IF, IF YOU DON'T COUNT THE DAY THAT IT'S IMPOUNDED, UH, IT PROVIDES A QUICKER TURNAROUND, UM, SO THAT IT CAN GET OUT OF THE SHELTER QUICKER.
UM, JUST LOOKING BACK AT THE NOTES ON THAT, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE TAKING AWAY OPPORTUNITY FOR THE OWNER TO CLAIM THE ANIMAL.
SAY AGAIN? YOU'RE TAKING AWAY, YOU'RE TAKING AWAY DAYS FOR THE OWNER TO CLAIM THE ANIMAL.
WELL, I MEAN, I GUESS THAT'S ONE WAY OF LOOKING AT IT.
THE, WE WANNA PROVIDE THE CARE, TAKE CARE OF THE ANIMAL, UM, AND, AND AT THE SAME TIME BE ABLE TO PLACE IT, UM, IN A REASONABLE TIME AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE OVERCROWDING AND POTENTIALLY, UH, THE SPREAD OF ANY TYPE OF DISEASE.
UH, NEXT PAGE ON SECTION 14 DASH 39, UH, EUTHANASIA ISSUE.
SO I TAKE IT WE'RE TRULY BECOMING A NO KILL SHELTER
[01:35:01]
HERE.THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE STILL, THAT'S OUR GOAL AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO.
WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S DEFINITELY THE INITIATIVE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REACH BY 2025.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS.
UH, AND I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
SO I JUST WANTED SOME CLARIFICATION ON A FEW POINTS.
I THINK Y'ALL ARE, Y'ALL HAVE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB AND I'LL HAVE TO COMPLIMENT YOU AND YOUR STAFF, WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW DOWN THERE WITH THE ANIMALS.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S WONDERFUL WHAT Y'ALL ARE, UH, UH, DOING.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE, WE STARTED WORKING ON SEVERAL ISSUES IN THAT AREA.
UH, PREDECESSOR HELPED OUT YEARS STEPPING IN THERE AND PICKING UP THE BALL AND RUNNING WITH IT.
AND THE, THE PEOPLE WE HAVE DOWN THERE, WE GOT THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON THE BUS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS ANIMAL ISSUE.
AND I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.
ANY ADDITIONAL? YEAH, I GOT A COUPLE REAL QUICK.
SO I APPRECIATE THE BUMP IN THE LIABILITY INSURANCE TO 300,000.
I WOULD JUST CAUTION US A LOT OF THESE FOLKS THAT HAVE THESE DANGEROUS ANIMALS, THEY WON'T DO THAT UNLESS WE MAKE THEM DO THAT.
THEY WON'T MAINTAIN THAT INSURANCE UNLESS WE FOLLOW UP AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THAT, AND THAT STILL MAY NOT BE ENOUGH.
BUT I HAD THE UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES OF SPENDING ALL DAY MONEY IN COURT IN GALVESTON ON THIS.
AND, UM, MY, MY QUESTION IS ON REQUIREMENTS FOR THE OWNERS OF A DANGEROUS DOG, UM, IS THERE ANYTHING IN THERE WHERE IF THERE'S A HUMAN BITE THAT THEY COULD BE REQUIRED TO REPORT THAT? AND HOW WOULD THAT WORK? UM, IF, IF THE DOG IS ALREADY DECLARED DANGEROUS AND IT GETS OUT? YEAH.
WELL, WELL, IT, I SPENT ALL DAY IN COURT MONDAY ON THAT EXACT THING, AND THERE WAS A BITE 26 DAYS PRIOR TO LINDSAY'S MOLLY.
AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.
TOTALLY AVOIDABLE, RIGHT? NO, I I I I'M, I'M, I'M SORRY THAT THAT HAPPENED TO YOU, TO, TO YOUR DAUGHTER.
AND SO, I MEAN, THIS HITS CLOSE TO HOME.
AND JUST MONDAY, I SPENT ALL DAY IN GALVESTON ON THIS MM-HMM
AND, UH, 26 DAYS BEFORE SHE WAS MAULED THIS DOG, BIT ANOTHER HUMAN.
AND IT WASN'T REPORTED ON A PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO UNDER REQUIREMENTS, WHAT, WHAT COULD FORCE THEM? IS THERE ANY WAY TO MAKE THEM REPORT BITES THAT ARE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY? HOW COULD THAT, HOW COULD WE DO THAT AS A, AS A, AS A CITY? WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A CHALLENGE BECAUSE IF NO ONE IS GONNA REPORT IT, IT'S GONNA BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, WE WOULD HOPE THERE WOULD BE A WITNESS, UH, IF IT, IF THEY GO TO THE HOSPITAL, WE'LL FIND OUT ABOUT IT.
IF IT'S IN, IN BAYTOWN DOESN'T, OKAY, IT'S REQUIRED TO BE, UH, REPORTED.
DOES THAT NEED TO BE IN HERE SOMEWHERE? WERE THEY'RE REQUIRED TO DO THAT, OR REQUIREMENTS OR OF EVEN AN ANIMAL BITE.
THERE WAS A KILLING BY THAT SAME DOG WHERE IT KILLED ANOTHER DOG, WHICH WASN'T REPORTED.
BUT THE FOURTH HUMAN ATTACK, YOU KNOW, THE HOSPITAL SHOOTING, RIGHT? THE HOSPITAL'S REQUIRED TO REPORT THE DOG BITES TO THE LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITY OR THE, THE ANIMAL CONTROL PART, OR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE REQUIRED TO REPORT IT.
THE, THE PERSON THAT'S AFFECTED, UH, MOST OF THE TIME THEY WILL CALL, UH, IF THEY, IF THEY, IF THEY LOSE A ANIMAL TO A, A DOG ON DOG OR, OR, OR WHATEVER THE OTHER ANIMAL MAY BE.
UH, BUT THAT THE, THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY IS, IS MY TOP PRIORITY.
I KNOW THAT IT'S COUNCIL'S, UH, AND YOUR, YOUR, YOUR PLAN, YOUR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR 1920, UH, I THINK IT'S UNDER NUMBER FOUR IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY, UH, TO ENHANCE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY AND VIGOROUSLY ENFORCE THE CODES AND REDUCE LOOSE ANIMALS.
AND THAT'S YOUR PRIORITY, IS MY TOP PRIORITY.
I, I DON'T WANNA SEE THAT HAPPEN.
AND I'LL DO EVERYTHING, UH, IN, IN MY, UH, CAPABILITY OR POWER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, THAT WE DO STAND ON THAT AND, AND TRY TO PROTECT EVERYONE.
YOU, THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE, UH, AS WELL AS OTHER ANIMALS FROM, FROM THESE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS, UH, DOGS.
UH, SO NO, I, I, I SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU AND, AND I'LL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO, TO REDUCE LOOSE ANIMALS AND, UM, TRY TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM 'EM.
COUNCILMAN SEL, IF I CAN JUST SIGN IN BECAUSE EVERYBODY FEELS VERY BAD ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE EXPRESSING HERE.
RICK HAS SAID SINCE DAY ONE WHEN HE GOT HERE, THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS PEOPLE.
AND IT'S HOW AGGRESSIVELY WE CONTROL WHAT'S ON THE
[01:40:01]
STREETS.IT'S WHAT TONY AND I TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIMES.
SO RICK, THROUGH ALL OF US, AND TONY'S JUST NOT GIVING YOU LIP SERVICE.
IT'S WHAT WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME.
NOBODY WANTS TO SEE ANYBODY CONFRONTED BY AN AGGRESSIVE ANIMAL AND, AND FEEL THREATENED THAT THEY CAN'T WALK OR JOG OR BICYCLE ON OUR STREETS.
AND TONY'S BEING ABSOLUTELY HONEST WITH YOU, WE'LL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS ON THE STREET.
I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE COMMENT.
I MEAN, I'VE SEEN THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, UM, INDIVIDUALS RIDING BIKE, I MEAN, JUST RIDING A BIKE, IT IS JUST THE, THE OUTCOME AND, AND THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE FROM DOGS AND IRRESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS, IF THERE IS AN, EVEN IF THERE IS A, IS EVEN ONE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT IS CERTAINLY PRUDENT THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GET THIS RIGHT TO TRY TO PREVENT ISSUES THAT THAT HAPPENED THAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING AND OBVIOUSLY THAT OTHER CITIZENS HAVE EXPERIENCED.
SO, UM, WE WANT TO GET IT RIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND START WITH A CLEAN SLATE AND, AND THE, I THINK THE HEADWAY WE'VE MADE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, UH, ALTHOUGH 2025 IS AROUND THE 2025 IS JUST AROUND, AROUND THE CORNER, BUT WE HAVE MADE SIGN, I DIDN'T THINK WE'D BE THIS FAR DOWN THE PATH AT, I MEAN, IN ALL, IN ALL HONESTY, I DID NOT THINK WE WOULD BE THIS FAR DOWN THE PATH OF, OF GETTING TO THE POINT OF NO KILL AND, AND CERTAINLY ADDRESSING THESE, THIS TYPE OF ORDINANCE, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO GET IT RIGHT.
COUNCILMAN AND I, I WILL SAY I DO APPRECIATE BOTH OF Y'ALL TAKING THE TIME TO, TO GO AND THOROUGHLY, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THIS AND INQUIRE AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DO SO.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE, COUNCILMAN HESSEL? NO, I'M GOOD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. GRAY? JUST REAL QUICK, IT WAS ONE THAT COUNCILMAN HOSKINS TOUCHED ON IF, AND YOU KNOW, I, I HEARD YOUR ANSWER, BUT IF THE OBJECTIVE IS TO, YOU KNOW, FOR AN OWNER TO, TO RECLAIM THEIR ANIMAL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, 72 HOURS, THREE DAYS DOES SEEM, UH, A LITTLE QUICK.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT, IT JUST, YOU KNOW, INTUITION SAYS, YOU KNOW, THE LONGER OPPORTUNITY THEY HAVE TO, TO RECLAIM IT, THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE, THE HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF THAT HAPPENING MAY BE.
BUT I MEAN, ARE WE SURE THAT THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THREE DAYS IS BETTER THAN FIVE? WELL, TECHNICALLY IT'S, IT'S REALLY FOUR DAYS IF YOU, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT COUNTING THE DAY OF IMPOUNDMENT.
UH, AND THEN IT'S THREE DAYS FROM THERE.
UM, IT'S JUST THE WAY IT'S WORDED.
BUT YOU WOULD, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE FURTHER DOWN IT, IT SAYS THE, THE IMPOUNDMENT DAY IS NOT COUNTED.
SO WITH THAT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY, WE CAN GET THIS DONE BEFORE DECEMBER.
SO I WOULD SAY, I, I THINK WE HAVE A MOTION THAT CORRECT? NO, SIR.
MOTION TO SECOND FOR ITEM FIVE B AS PRESENTED WITH ALL THE, THIS IS A FINAL DRAFT AT THIS POINT, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR.
SO I'LL ENTERTAIN, I WOULD, UH, AT THIS POINT, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEM FIVE B AS WRITTEN AND PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE A AYE.
SO ITEM CARRIES, UH, GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU MS. KURT.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU YOU MR. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.
[a. Consider establishing a policy regarding the number of City boards, committees, commissions, and task forces a person may be appointed to by the City Council and serve at the same time.]
SIX A, CONSIDERING ES ESTABLISHING A POLICY REGARDING THE NUMBER OF CITY BOARDS, COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS, AND TASK FORCES, A PERSON MAY BE APPOINTED TO BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND SERVE AT THE SAME TIME, MS. BRI AND MS. HOR.SO AT YOUR RETREAT WE HEARD THAT WE WANTED TO TRY TO, UH, LIMIT THE NUMBER OF, OF PE LIMITED NUMBER OF, OF COMMITTEES THAT ONE PERSON CAN SERVE.
IT BASICALLY LIMITS IT TO THE NUMBERS TWO.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT THE PFC AND THE MDD ARE GONNA BE CONSIDERED ONE FOR PURPOSES OF THIS POLICY AS WELL AS THE TERMS AND THE BRA WILL BE CONSIDERED ONE.
UM, OTHERWISE A COUNCIL CAN WAIVE THE RULE IF, UM, THEY DECIDE TO, THAT'D BE JUST A MAJORITY VOTE, NOT A MAJORITY VOTE, YOU HAVE TO MAJORITY VOTE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO NOT JUST THOSE PRESENT, BUT OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, AND, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
ANY QUESTIONS? UM, ON ITEM SIX A, SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, CITIZENS, I GUESS THROUGH ATTRITION, UH, THE MOST THAT THEY CAN SERVE, UH, AT ANY GIVEN TIME, BESIDES THE, THE, THE BOARDS THAT WAS, UM, DISCUSSED THAT ARE PRETTY MUCH ASSOCIATED IN A SENSE, UM, IT WOULD BE TWO BOARDS GAIN THAT CAPACITY.
SO WITH THAT, I GUESS, UM, I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM SIX A MOTION APPROVE.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ARE THOSE IN FAVOR? OF, OF THIS ITEM, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[b. Consider approving a resolution nominating Covestro LLC to the Office of the Governor, Texas Economic Development Bank, for designation as a qualified business and an Enterprise Project under the Texas Enterprise Zone Program.]
RESOLUTION NOMINATING CONVENTIONAL LLC TO THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BANK FOR DESIGNATION AS A QUALIFIED BUSINESS AND AN ENTERPRISE PROJECT UNDER THE TEXAS ENTERPRISE ZONE PROGRAM.[01:45:01]
GOOD EVENING AGAIN.UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, MEMBERS REPRESENTING COVESTRO THAT HAVE SIGNED UP ON ZOOM JUST IN CASE THERE ARE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT THIS ITEM IS TO NOMINATE COVESTRO FOR, UM, UH, PARTICIPATION IN THE STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BANK FOR AN ENTERPRISE PROJECT.
UH, IF WE DO PROVIDE A NOMINATION TO THEM, THEN THEY CAN GET SOME BENEFITS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UH, WITH THE INVESTMENTS THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING TO DO HERE LOCALLY, THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE INVESTING OVER $800 MILLION, UM, IN THEIR COVESTRO PLANT HERE LOCALLY OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UM, IN THAT PROJECT, THEY'RE GONNA BE UPGRADING SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THEY ALREADY HAVE, BUT FOR US, OR OUR BENEFIT HERE AT THE CITY, THEY'RE ALSO GONNA RETAIN OVER A THOUSAND JOBS AND THEN ADD ON AT LEAST 50 NEW JOBS.
AND SO FOR THAT, UH, WE DO RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO, TO NOMINATE COVESTRO.
SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT'S PRESENTED FOR ITEM SIX B, MOTION SIX, MOTION FOR ITEM SIX B SECOND.
YOU GOOD MISS CITY CLERK? YES, SIR.
UM, HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEM SIX B IS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE.
AS OPPOSED, WE HAVE ITEM SEVEN
[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.]
A PER N, EXCUSE ME, BUT THERE IS ONE I'M TRYING TO MAKE YOU ONLY SIGNED UP IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ON HIS ITEMS. IS THAT AN N OR AN M THOUGH? I JUST DIDN'T KNOW.I'M SORRY ABOUT MY HANDWRITING.
ALRIGHT, SO, HEY MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO, UH, YES, DISCUSS SEPARATELY.
SO I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION THEN MR. PRESLEY FOR ITEMS A THROUGH N EXCLUDING D AND F MOVE TO APPROVE A THROUGH N, SAVE AND ACCEPT D AND F MOVE SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE CONSENT FOR THOSE ITEMS, UH, PLEASE SAY AYE.
FOR THOSE OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, NOW WE WILL TAKE ITEM D, CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FOR THE USE OF CITY OWNED DETENTION FACILITIES WITH PDG, BAYTOWN, LLC, MR, I MEAN SEAT, SOME OF THOSE HERE, BUT SINCE YOU PULLED IT.
YEAH, I GUESS HE'S HERE FOR YOUR, ANY QUESTIONS? GOOD ASK.
HE'S HERE TO TRUMP ME, I GUESS.
ALL RIGHT, SO I'M HERE FOR QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, I READ IT AND I UNDERSTAND IT.
UM, I, I GUESS TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I KNOW OF THAT WE'VE ALLOWED A, A PRIVATE ENTITY, FREE LAND IN A SENSE, AND TO USE CITY DETENTION FACILITIES.
UM, IT, IT ESSENTIALLY NO COST.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE TO DIG IT OUT FOR ADDITIONAL CAPACITY TO MEET THE DETENTION CAPACITY THEY WOULD'VE NEEDED ON SITE FOR THEIR PROJECT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE TO USE MASONRY ON ALL FOUR SIDES AS WELL.
HOWEVER, IT JUST, UH, I MEAN, IS THAT THE BEST WE CAN DO? I MEAN, IT'S A, IT'S A BIG DETENTION POND AND PROPERTY AROUND GARTH ROADS, YOU KNOW, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, $12 A SQUARE FOOT.
UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, IN THE SPIRIT OF, UH, TRYING TO GET THE BEST DEAL FOR THE CITY IS, IS, YOU KNOW, BRICK ON ALL FOUR SIDES AND, AND ONE OR TWO LITTLE OTHER THINGS THE BEST WE CAN DO IN THAT REGARD.
I MEAN, IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT DEAL FOR THEIR PROJECT.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE TO USE ANY LAND AND THEY CAN, THEY CAN DEVELOP MORE UNITS AND JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE'RE MAKING THE BEST, BEST BUSINESS DEAL WE CAN FROM, FROM THE CITY SIDE OF THE LEDGER.
IN FACT, THE PROPERTY'S NOT DEVELOPABLE DEVELOPABLE AT ALL WITH, WITHOUT, UH, THAT DETENTION.
IT'S, IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S WHAT, SEVEN OR EIGHT ACRES? WHY WOULD IT NOT BE DEVELOPABLE THERE, THERE WOULD BE NOWHERE TO, FOR THAT PROJECT TO DO.
THIS IS REALLY THEIR ONLY OPTION.
MAY I EXPLAINED SOMETHING? SURE, PLEASE.
UM, THE DETENTION'S ACTUALLY BEEN PROVIDED FOR THAT, THOSE TWO DETENTION PONDS THAT WE MAINTAIN AND OWN THOSE, THE DETENTION FOR THAT LAND HAS ALREADY BEEN PROVIDED IN THERE.
WHAT THEY'RE ASKING TO DO IS, UM, TAKE CARE OF THEIR FLOODPLAIN MITIGATION, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS IF YOU BUILD IN THE FLOODPLAIN, YOU HAVE TO TAKE AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF VOLUME OUT FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO MM-HMM
SO THEY'LL BE, UM, DOING US A REALLY BIG FAVOR OF TAKING OUT ALL THE SILT THAT'S BUILT UP OVER THE PAST 13 YEARS AND CLEANING IT UP AND MAKING THE VOLUME IN THERE GREATER.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA DISCHARGE ANY MORE THAN THEY WERE ALREADY, AND THEY ALREADY HAD THE DETENTION IN THERE.
SO, SO THEIR SITE IS IN THE FLOODPLAIN, UH, LIKE
[01:50:01]
A LITTLE BITTY PIECE OF IT, A A LITTLE PIECE OF IT, BUT THEY'RE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL MITIGATION AND ADDITIONAL VOLUME TO US IN THAT DETENTION POND.UM, FOR, AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE TRADE OFF.
THEY'RE INCREASING THE VOL DETENTION VOLUME FOR US.
AND WHAT THEY'RE GETTING OUT OF IT IS THEIR FLOODPLAIN MITIGATION, BUT THEY CANNOT DEVELOP UNLESS THEY GET THIS CORRECT.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE, THE FLOODPLAIN MITIGATION BEFORE THEY CAN DEVELOP.
WELL, WELL, I APPRECIATE THE ANSWER AND LIKE I SAY, I JUST, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND MAKE SURE WE GET THE BEST DEAL WE CAN.
AND IF, IF YOU GUYS SAY THAT'S THE BEST DEAL WE CAN NEGOTIATE, UH, TRUST YOU.
LOOK WHAT WE'RE, UH, WE'RE, UH, AT LEAST PROCEEDING TO DO IN TERMS OF THE DRAINAGE OUT ALONG SAN JACINTO, UH, BOULEVARD CORRIDOR AS WELL.
SO, I MEAN, IN THAT CASE, THE TOURS IS MOVING FORWARD TO DEVELOP DRAINAGE TO FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT IN THAT AREA.
JUST THE BEGINNING OF THIS KIND.
IF I MAY ASK THAT THIS AT THIS POINT C OR EXCUSE ME, PDG BAYTOWN, LLC, WHAT EXACTLY IS THEIR BUSINESS? WHAT DO THEY DO? APARTMENTS.
IS THAT WHAT THEY'RE DEVELOPER, MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPER? YEAH, JUST ASKING.
SO WITH THAT, UM, ENTERING A MOTION FOR SEVEN D, WE, UH, MOVE TO APPROVE SECOND A.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AFTER, AFTER WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEM SEVEN D PLEASE SAY AYE.
A ALL THOSE OPPOSED MOVE ON TO ITEM SEVEN F CONSIDER ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING RENEWAL OF THE ANNUAL HOT MIX ASPHALT CONTRACT WITH CENTURY ASPHALT LIMITED.
SO I'M NOT PICKING ON ANY ANNUAL RENEWAL HERE, BUT JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
WE, WE DO THESE ANNUAL RENEWALS ALL THE TIME FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST QUESTION, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE AT ANY POINT IN TIME, UH, INSTEAD OF RENEWING IT INDEFINITELY THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY PUT IT BACK OUT TO BID JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S STILL COMPETITIVE IN THE OPEN MARKET.
AND, AND I'M NOT SAYING THIS WAS NOT, I'M SURE THEY'D PROBABLY BE THE LOW BIDDER, RIGHT? IF WE DID THAT, BUT JUST AS A CHECKS AND BALANCES AND TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ANY OF THESE ANNUAL RENEWALS DON'T GET OUT AHEAD OF MARKET PRICE.
WOULD, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING, UH, GOOD CHECKS, CHECKS AND BALANCES EVERY FEW YEARS? I, OUR FIRST DEPARTMENT DOES THAT PERIODICALLY WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE RENEWAL, THEY'LL, THEY'LL CONSIDER THE MARKET PRICES.
SO THEY, THEY STILL SHOP IT, BUT WE DO SHOP THE RENEWALS.
I MEAN, WE CAN ALWAYS LOOK OUT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN ALWAYS LOOK OUT AND SEE WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE GOTTEN FOR SIMILAR SERVICES.
AS LONG AS WE'RE ON TOP OF IT, FRANK.
WE JUST DON'T WANNA WIND UP FINDING OUT WE ARE GETTING THE SHORT END OF THE STICK.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE ALWAYS CHECK.
UH, ITEM SEVEN F APPROVE, APPROVE.
MOTION TO SECOND QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ITEM SEVEN F PLEASE SAY AYE.
[a. Consider seven (7) appointments to the Charter Review Committee]
NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM EIGHT A CONSIDER SEVEN APPOINTMENTS TO THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE.SO MS. BRI, IF THERE'S ANY COMMENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE NOW, SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, SO WE WILL BE CONVENING A CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE? YES, SIR.
TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU, UM, WE PUT THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA UNTIL SUCH TIME AS ALL SEVEN APPOINTMENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
THEN WE WILL WORK WITH THOSE APPOINTMENTS TO SET UP THEIR FIRST MEETING AND BEGIN.
WE'LL SET UP THE, THEIR RECURRING MEETINGS, THE PROCESS, THE CALENDAR, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO SINCE WE JUST APPROVED THE, UH, REQUIREMENTS FOR, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN TWO BOARDS MM-HMM
UM, I DO HAVE, UM, AN APPOINTMENT, UM, THAT WAS SET TO RENEW, BUT NOW I AM NOT READY TO MAKE A REPLACEMENT YET FOR HIM.
SO, UM, SO WHAT I'LL DO THEN IS I'LL JUST SCOPE BY, I'M JUST GONNA GO FROM THIS SIDE TO THIS SIDE SO YOU'RE NOT READY RIGHT? FOR AN APPOINTMENT.
UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT NUMBER FIVE IS APPOINTING WAI MAYO.
AND AS WE RECEIVE APPLICANTS FOR THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE, WE WILL FORWARD THOSE ON TO YOU VIA EMAIL.
SO, SO FOR TONIGHT WE WILL GO AHEAD AND, AND APPROVE MR. MAYO FROM DISTRICT FIVE.
AND WE'LL PUT THE ITEM ON THE NEXT AGENDA.
BUT WE'LL PUT, WE'LL PUT OUR ITEM FOR US THAT ARE, ARE NOT FOR THE REMAINING TONIGHT, THE REMAIN.
SO I'LL, UH, FOR DISTRICT FIVE, PA MAYO, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, I NEED A MOTION ATE PA MAYO FOR TO REPRESENTING DISTRICT SECOND YOU? NO MOTION TO SECOND.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR MR. HOSKINS? I GUESS IF NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[b. Consider one (1) appointment to the Planning and Zoning Commission.]
EIGHT B, CONSIDER ONE APPOINTMENT TO THE PLANNING ZONING COMMISSION.[01:55:01]
THIS IS, UH, AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE CITY MANAGER FOR A PERSON TO SERVE ON THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION THAT, THAT, UH, RESIDES IN OUR ETJ.UM, IT IS MR. KEVIN FOXWORTH AND, UH, HE WILL, NO, I'M SORRY.
IT, HE WILL TAKE OVER THE, THE SEAT LEFT BY MR. KEVIN FOXWORTH.
MS. HELEN, WHO, UM, MR. DAVIS MET AND HAD A DISCUSSION WITH, AND HE'S, UM, HE'S VERY HAPPY WITH, UH, BRINGING THE NAME FORWARD FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT.
SHE BRINGS A GREAT DEAL OF, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE, PARTICULARLY AT A COUNTY LEVEL.
AND, UH, I THINK SHE SERVED 27 YEARS WITH, UH, HARRIS COUNTY AND, UH, TOUCHED A LOT OF THINGS IN HARRIS COUNTY, INCLUDING, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA READ, RIGHT?
UM, AND, UH, I THINK SHE WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT ADDITION TO OUR PNCI KNOW THAT NAME, BUT ANYWAY, OKAY, SO NAME IS MS. HELEN BOROUGH.
AND SO THAT IS THE CITY MANAGER'S APPOINTMENT.
SO, UH, WITH THAT APPOINTMENT, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION OF THE CITY MANAGER'S APPOINTMENT, UH, TO THE P AND Z.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALRIGHT.
UM, SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE, UM, INDIVIDUAL NOMINATION, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED, UH, WE HAVE OUR MANAGE REPORT
[9. 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.]
AND THEN WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.WELL, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, UH, COUPLE THINGS I WANNA BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.
UM, UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT, UH, UH, NICK IS A YOUNG 35 TODAY, SO JUST WISH HIM ABOUT, UH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
AND, UH, I KNOW HE WAS HOPING YOU WOULD SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HIM, BUT NO, YOU SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THE BANJO.
I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THE BANJO.
HEY, BEYOND THAT, UH, ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT THING ABOUT THIS THAT, UH, BESIDES, HE, HE JUST GOT HIS 10 YEARS AND IT IS HIS BIRTHDAY, SO PUT THE MATH TOGETHER.
HOW OLD WAS HE WHEN HE STARTED? 56, 12.
I'D HAVE TO TELL YOU WHAT BIRTHDAY IT IS.
ANYWAY, UH, THE OTHER SIGNIFICANT THING HAPPENING, THIS IS TIFFANY'S LAST COUNCIL MEETING WITH YOU AND OH NO, I HOPE YOU, I HOPE, REALLY HOPE YOU REALIZE HOW FAR MM-HMM
UH, OUR DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS COME IN THE FIVE YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE.
UH, I REMEMBER FIRST GETTING HERE AND, AND TIFFANY WILL TELL YOU, THIS IS MY PHONE.
IT'S, UH, A LOT MORE, UH, SEAMLESS, MORE PROFESSIONAL, UH, IN FACT, UH, AND, AND OF COURSE SHE'S DONE.
I THINK THAT THE BEST JOB SHE'S DONE IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF HER STAFF.
A VERY, UH, FUNCTIONAL GROUP NOW THAT WORKS VERY WELL TOGETHER.
AND WE'RE GONNA MISS HER CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL.
UH, AND THIS FIRST KUDOS GOES TO HER DEPARTMENT.
THIS WAS ACTUALLY FROM, UH, DR. HORTON, WHICH NOTED THE EASE, UH, OF PROCESSING, BUILDING PERMITS THAT, UH, OUR DIGITAL APPROACH HAS BROUGHT AND IT'S TIFFANY'S DIGITAL APPROACH.
UH, THEY SAID IN A NOTE TO US, UH, WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR TEAM'S HARD WORK, ESPECIALLY THE PERMITTING, DIGITAL IMPROVEMENTS, THE OVERALL PROCESS IS SMOOTH AND EFFICIENT.
WE DO GET GOOD, UH, GOOD WORDS FROM, UH, FOLKS AND APPRECIATION FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS WE'RE MAKING.
WE HAVE THINGS IN THE MILL RIGHT NOW, AND I TOLD TIFFANY, IF YOU JUST HANG ON ONE MORE YEAR, UM, SEE WHAT INTER GOV IS GOING TO DO FOR US,
UH, YEAH, HONESTLY, BUT, UH, VERY MUCH RESPONSIBLE.
UH, SHE AND OTHER STAFF WERE BRINGING THOSE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS TO THE FOREFRONT THAT REALLY WE GOT TO A POINT IN TERMS OF PROCESS.
AND WE TALKED PIPE TRAINING AND, AND TIFFANY WAS ONE OF THE FIRST, UH, IN THE WATER WHEN IT CAME TO PIPE AND, UH, PROCESS IMPROVEMENT.
UH, WE TOOK THOSE PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS SO FAR.
AND THEN WHAT WE NEEDED WAS TECHNOLOGY TO LIFT IT EVEN FURTHER.
AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT, UH, WE AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET.
UH, HER DEDICATION TO MAKING OUR PROCESSES EFFICIENT HAVE BEEN RELENTLESS.
AND WE WILL, I PROMISE YOU, TIFFANY, CONTINUE YOUR LEGACY AND THAT RELENTLESSNESS IN IMPROVING OUR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
WE'VE COME A VERY, VERY LONG WAY.
AND FORTUNATELY FOR ALL OF US, WE STILL HAVE A VERY LONG WAY TO GO, IS THERE'S A WIDE FRONTIER OUT THERE IN TERMS OF IMPROVING, UH, OUR PROCESSES
[02:00:01]
AND SYSTEMS. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO HER FOR A RETIREMENT WELL EARNED AND FOR LEAVING HER IMPRINT INDELIBLY UPON OUR, OUR CITY.UM, DID WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO CORPORAL DAN DANEK.
UH, HE ACTUALLY, SOMEBODY SAW SOMEBODY IN DISTRESS, UH, AND HE BLOCKED THE TRAFFIC TO ENSURE MM-HMM
THAT ACCORDING TO THIS, UH, LADY LAKEISHA PERCY, TO ENSURE THAT NO ONE GOT TOO CLOSE AND ASSISTED ANOTHER GOOD SAMARITAN IN GETTING MY TRUCK BACK UP AND GOING.
AND TO TOP IT OFF, HE MADE SURE MY TRUCK MADE IT TO THE CLOSEST TRUCK STOP AND OUT OF TRAFFIC, SHE SAYS, I THANK YOU AGAIN, OFFICER DANEK, YOU ROCK.
UH, FINALLY, ALYSSA MCDANIEL, UH, RECEIVED HER ADVANCED PEACE OFFICERS CERTIFICATE, EFFECTIVE JULY 13TH, 2020.
AND MA MLA AGUILERA RECEIVED HER MASTER'S PEACE OFFICER CERTIFICATE EFFECTIVE JULY 28TH.
SO, CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF THESE OFFICERS, UH, FOR TAKING THE INITIATIVE AND THE DISPLAYING THE DEDICATION TO ADVANCE THEIR CAREER.
UM, WITH THAT MAYOR AND COUNSEL, THAT IS ALL I HAVE TONIGHT.
UH, I WOULD HAVE TO ECHO AT LEAST, UH, ALL THE SENTIMENTS AS FAR AS MS. FOSTER, AND OBVIOUSLY SHE'S AN ASSET TO ORGANIZATION.
UNFORTUNATELY, SHE'S LEAVING US, BUT WE DO WISH HER THE BEST IN HER RETIREMENT ENDEAVORS.
UH, ALTHOUGH SHE HAS A MASK ON, I THINK SHE'S STILL SMILING, IS, I CAN KIND OF SEE THAT
UH, I HAVEN'T KNOWN HER, UH, OTHER THAN IN THE CAPACITY OF, OF A COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, BUT IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME.
UH, MY DAD HAD THE FORTUNATE, UH, UM, I GUESS, UM, ABILITY TO SERVE ALMOST ON A JURY WITH HER MOTHER, BUT SHE DID SHOW ME A, A NICE PICTURE OF A STERLING STAR AT ONE TIME THAT MS. FOSTER DID SERVE HERE.
AND SO WE DO WISH HER THE BEST.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE.
YOU WERE PRE, YOU WERE PRE ULDC, AND THAT IS A, A HUGE OBVIOUSLY, UM, ENDEAVOR THAT THE CITY TOOK ON, AND YOU WERE THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
SO WE DO APPRECIATE ALL YOUR EFFORT THAT YOU'VE DONE TO THE CITIZENS OF BAYTOWN, UH, AND, AND CERTAINLY WITH ULDC AND FOR YOUR KNOWLEDGE THAT IT'S GONNA BE A LOSS OF KNOWLEDGE.
SO, UH, WE HOPE THAT CERTAINLY, UM, EVERYTHING WORKS OUT WELL FOR YOU IN RETIREMENT.
AND PLEASE DO NOT FORGET US, AND PLEASE VISIT US FROM TIME TO TIME.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THE SAME THING.
HE TOOK THE WORDS OUTTA MY MOUTH.
SO, TIFFANY'S DONE A GREAT JOB, THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, AND SOMETIMES CITY COUNCIL'S, YOU KNOW, NOT QUITE THE EASIEST TO WORK WITH, BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS TELL WHEN TIFFANY AGREES WITH YOU.
'CAUSE SHE'S SMILING AND SHE KIND OF NODS HER HEAD.
AND EVEN WHEN SHE DOESN'T AGREE WITH SHE'S SMILING, SHE'S, SHE'S STILL SMILES.
AND, UH, I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST, SHE'S BEEN THE CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL AND SHE'S, SHE'S, UH, DONE A GREAT JOB AND WE'LL MISS HER.
UM, I DID HAVE, UM, THE PLEASURE TO, TO MEET, UM, TIFFANY BEFORE COUNSEL.
AND, UM, WHEN I GOT ON COUNSEL, UH, I WAS JUST OVERJOYED THAT I WOULD GET TO WORK WITH HER IN A BIGGER CAPACITY.
AND I, I CALLED HER A FEW DAYS AGO TO TRY TO GET HER TO STAY
AND THAT DAY THAT I CALLED HER, I, I JUST WANTED TO WISH HER WELL.
AND SHE GOES, IS THAT IT? I HAVE MY PEN AND PEN PENCIL ALREADY.
YOU KNOW, WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT SPIRIT.
UM, AND, UM, YOUR, YOUR ETHIC IS, UM, BY FAR, UM, THE GREATEST I'VE SEEN, UM, AND WORKED WITH, AS I'VE MENTIONED IN THE PAST.
I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK, UM, IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY WITH MANY CITIES AND MANY DEPARTMENTS.
AND, UM, I JUST APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE, UH, FOR MY DISTRICT AND FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.
[10. EXECUTIVE SESSION]
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 10 A.SO WE WILL NOW RECESS AND INTO AND CONVENE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 5 5, 1 0.071 AND 5 5 1 0.087 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE TO LIBERATE THE OFFER OF A FINANCIAL OR OTHER INCENTIVE TO A BUSINESS PROPO PROSPECT.
AND TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY ON LEGAL MATTERS RELATED THERE TOO.
SO I NOW RECONVENE OUR OPEN MEETING IN THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL AND ANNOUNCE IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 5 5 1 0.102 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.
NO ACTION WAS TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO BEING THAT BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL HAS ADDRESSED ALL POSTED AGENDA ITEMS, UH, THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.