[CALL TO ORDER]
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GOOO THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BEAUMONT CITY COUNCIL. TODAY IS TUESDAY, MAY 10TH GIVING OUR INVOCATION TODAY IS PASTOR DONNIE FLIPPO OF GOSPEL CENTER CHURCH. EVERYONE PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONES AND IF YOU CHOOSE, PLEASE STAND. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS, ALLOWING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REALIZE THAT OUR CREATOR IS WATCHING ALL OUR ACTIONS AND THE THINGS THAT WE DO SO THANK YOU, FATHER. THANK YOU. FOR THIS DAY WE COME TO YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE AND YOUR MERCY. WE THANK YOU FOR LIFE. WE THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL CITY. THANK YOU FOR THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY. THANK YOU, LORD, THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US WISE COUNSEL, THOSE THAT SET UP ON THE PLATFORM TODAY THEY'RE HERE TO SERVE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE. I WANT TO THANK YOU, LORD FOR THEIR TIME AND COMMITMENT THAT THEY TAKE FROM THEIR FAMILY THEIR CAREER TO COME AND TORS. , LORD, I'M REMINDED OF THE SCRIPTURE. YOU SAID IF HE THAT LACKS WISDOM. LET HIM ASK OF THE LORD. SO TODAY WE'RE ASKING FOR WISDOM WISDOM INTO MAKING THIS SOUND DECISIONS THAT WOULD AFFECT THIS CITY THAT WOULD HELP THE PEOPLE THAT IT MAY LIFT THE BURDENS AND NOT BECOME A BURDEN.
AND IT MAY GIVE INSIGHT AND THEY GIVE ENCOURAGEMENT AND SHRINK. FATHER. PRAY FOR YOUR COUNSEL.
YOU SAID IF ANY, YOU TELL US IN YOUR WORD THAT IF WE SHOULD LEAN NOT TO OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING, BUT IF IN ALL OUR WAYS WILL ACKNOWLEDGE YOU YOU WILL DIRECT OUR PATH. SO WE ASKED TODAY THAT YOU DIRECT OUR PATHS IN THE DECISIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE IN JESUS' NAME. AMEN. AMEN.
PLEASE JOIN US IN OUR NATION'S FLAG. THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE THE ROLL CALL, PLEASE. MAYOR MARTIN PRESENT. TIM SAMUEL PRESIDENT, COUNCIL MEMBER, NEIL COUNCIL MEMBER GETS PRESENT MEMBER TURNER HERE. BALSHAW PRESIDENT AREA. THANK YOU AND I HAVE ONE
[Proclamations, Presentations and Recognitions - Redistricting Presentation (*A portion of this item is unavailable*)]
PROCLAMATION TODAY, AND THE PROCLAMATION IS FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK. AND I WILL READ IT AS FOLLOWED. WHEREAS AMERICANS OF THIS GREAT NATION OR SERVED EVERY SINGLE DAY BY PUBLIC SERVANTS AT THE FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY AND CITY LEVELS. WHEREAS THE CITY OF BOWMAN HAS MORE THAN 1300 EMPLOYEES IN 13 OPERATING DEPARTMENTS WHO SERVE OUR CITIZENS IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES. MANY OF WHOM FACE DAILY CHALLENGES SUCH AS WHAT DO UTILITIES STREETS AND DRAINAGE PERSONNEL AND THERE ARE THOSE WHO RISK THEIR LIVES DAILY? PARTICULARLY OUR FIRE POLICE AND E. M S PERSONNEL. TO PROVIDE NEEDED AN EMERGENCY SERVICES TO OUR CITIZENS. AND THERE ARE THOSE IN THE MILITARY WHO RISKED THEIR LIVES TO SERVE OUR NATION ACROSS OCEANS. TO PROTECT THE FREEDOM OF ALL CITIZENS. WHEREAS WITHOUT THESE PUBLIC SERVANTS AT EVERY 11 COMMUNITIES WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE IN A DEMOCRACY THAT REGULARLY CHANGES ITS LEADERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS. WHEREAS CITY OF BEAUMONT EMPLOYEES ARE DEDICATED EACH DAY TO SERVING OUR CITIZENS AND FULFILLING OUR MISSION. TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICES IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. NOW THEREFORE I ROBYN MARTIN, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. I AM PROUD TO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 9TH THROUGH THE 13TH OF 2022 AS PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK. IN BEAUMONT AND ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS TO RECOGNIZE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AT ALL LEVELS. FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY AND CITY. ACCORDINGLY I HAVE HERE IN TO SET MY HAND AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE CITY TO BE A FIX. SIGN. ROBYN MARTIN MAYOR BEAUMONT TODAY MAY 10TH 2022 ACCEPTING THIS RECOGNITION AND PROCLAMATION. CHRIS CATALINA CITY OF PERSON, CIA. BOWMAN PERSONNEL DIRECTOR. THANK YOU. PLEASE COME FORWARD AND BRING YOUR TEAM MEMBERS WITH YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SIX.[00:05:34]
GOOD AFTERNOON. MAYOR COUNCIL APPRECIATE THE PROCLAMATION. WE HAVE A GREAT WORKFORCE HERE AT THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. MANY MANY GREAT EMPLOYEES, AND IT'S A GREAT THING TO DO, AND HONOR HONOR THEM. THIS WEEK, WE HAD STAFF PUT TOGETHER A LOT OF FUN EVENTS BEGINNING MONDAY AND THROUGH FRIDAY. WE HAVE ICE CREAM THIS AFTERNOON. UM JACKIE GUNNER AND PERSONNEL COORDINATED THE ENTIRE WEEKS. I APPRECIATE HER AND THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I'LL LET HER SAY A FEW SHORT WORDS ABOUT THE WEEK. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN. THANK YOU. MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE RECOGNIZING PUBLIC SERVICE WEEK, ALTHOUGH THE ACTUAL WEEK WAS THE FIRST WEEK IN MAY WE WANTED TO DO IT THIS WEEK AS WE CELEBRATE THIS EVERY OTHER YEAR. SO THERE ARE NEW MEMBERS CHARGED COMMITTEE THAT NEVER ACTUALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ESPECIALLY DUE TO COVID, AND WE WANTED THEM TO ACTUALLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO COME AND BE RECOGNIZED HERE IN COUNCIL TODAY. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE REST OF THE EVENTS FOR THE WEEK. IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US JUST TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES THAT WORKED HARD THIS LEE UM, FOR THE CITY, AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO BECAUSE WITHOUT OUR FIELD EMPLOYEES WITHOUT ALL OF US, WE ALL ARE IN THIS TOGETHER, SO WE ALSO HAVE A GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL. THANK YOU. QUESTION.MAYOR WHO HAD THE IDEA OF DECORATING THE DOORS. I'VE SEEN TWO OF THEM WHAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO HAVE THE DOOR SEPARATED BECAUSE THEY'RE CUTE. SO WE HAVE A FEW DEPARTMENTS HERE IN CITY HALL. WE HAVE CENTRAL COLLECTIONS. WATER CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE DOOR IN HR ON THE FIRST FLOOR. WE HAVE ENGINEERING AS WELL AS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ON THE SECOND FLOOR AND THEN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND FINANCE HAVE THEIR DOORS DECORATED OUTSIDE. WE HAVE OH, I'M SORRY. EXECUTIVE OFFICE TO I'M SORRY. WE ALSO HAVE OUTSIDE. WE HAD THE FLEET DIVISION THAT PARTICIPATED AS WELL AS WATER QUALITY WATER. THING AND RECREATION AND PARKS, SO FEW OTHER. OH MUNICIPAL COURTS AND EVENT FACILITIES. SORRY OF THE IDEA. I'M SORRY.
THE IDEA. WE HAD SOME, IT WAS A COMMUNITY, UH, COMMITTEE EFFORT , BUT LARISSA ALI FROM RECREATION SAID. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. THAT WAS A COMPETITION WITH THE CENTERPIECES, AND IT SEEMS THAT ONE DEPARTMENT HAD A LEG UP OVER OTHERS. SO WE WERE LIKE, HEY, EVERYBODY HAS A DOOR, SO WE'LL SEE WHAT WORKS. GOOD JOB. GREAT IDEA. ANY OTHER COMMENTS. WELL, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DAILY THAT YOU DO DAILY, BECAUSE, AS WE SAID, UM, PEOPLE RISK THEIR LIVES ON THE DAILY BASIS AND WITHOUT PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS.
UM, CITIES WOULD BE NOTHING. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO, AND YOU'RE GREATLY APPRECIATED. MAYOR BEFORE YOU GO. THE DOOR CONTEST IS A CONTEST. YOU CAN VOTE FOR IT ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE. LEGAL DEPARTMENT DOES HAVE THE BEST STORE. I WANT TO ENCOURAGE ALL THE CITIZENS TO GO IN BOAT. FOR THAT. WELL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND AGAIN THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. KIND OF CONTEST IS HEATING UP. YEAH, IT LOOKS LIKE THIS CONTEST IS HEATING UP. BUT WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION TODAY. AND I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ASK FOR YOU TO PLEASE COME FORWARD. WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR THE REDISTRICTING. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR, MILTON CITY COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF SEE ATTORNEY IN ITS CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT. MY NAME IS RESIN, PULLEM AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD HEADS LAW FIRM. UM FIRM THAT YOU GUYS ENGAGED TO HELP CONDUCT THIS REDISTRICTING PROCESS FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT ? ONE THING AT THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, I COULD SAY I WOULD PROBABLY COME DOWN HERE FOR FREE OF CHARGE. THAT'S BECAUSE THE FOOD IS SO GOOD. SO I REALLY DO LOVE THE FOOD HERE.
IT REMINDS ME OF BACK HOME WHERE I'M FROM. I'M FROM TYLER, TEXAS, AND, UH, A LOT OF THE SAME KIND
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OF COMMUNITY VIBES AND DOWNTOWN LOOKS MUCH THE SAME. YOU SEE HERE, MY BIO. JUST QUICK AND SHORT. I GRADUATED LAW SCHOOL FROM THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOOL OF LAW. OH YEAH. I HOPEFULLY GET SOME SUPPORT ON BUT ALSO WENT TO UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, WHERE I RECEIVED MY BACHELOR'S DEGREE.AND I'VE BEEN A SERVING AS AN ATTORNEY AND A PART OF TEXAS CITY ATTORNEY ASSOCIATION. ONE THING THAT I WAS ABLE TO DO THAT KIND OF GET GAVE ME SOME EXPERIENCE IN ELECTION LAW IN THIS FIELD WAS BE A PRESIDING JUDGE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS FOR HARRIS COUNTY. AND A FEW OF THEIR SPECIAL ELECTIONS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. SO TRY TO TRY TO EXPERT THAT KNOWLEDGE IN THIS FIELD. TODAY. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE REDISTRICTING FORD CITY OF BEAUMONT. SO ON OUR AGENDA FOR THIS PRESENTATION, WHAT WE'LL BE COVERING IS YOU KNOW WHAT IS REDISCOVERING HOW AND WHY WE DO IT. AND THEN WE'LL ALSO DISCUSS THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS THE CITY'S EXISTING DISTRICTS. AND THE NUMBERS FROM THE APRIL 1ST 2020 CENSUS DATA LAID UPON THOSE DISTRICTS. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE RESOLUTIONS THAT WILL NEED TO BE PASSED THAT ESTABLISHED THE CRITERIA FOR THESE THREE DISHES IN PROCESS. IT'S A CARVED OUT OF THE CASE LAW AND A LOT OF THE COMPONENTS IN WHICH WE ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW UNDER THE LAW. SO FIRST, STARTING WITH WHAT REDISTRICTING IS, IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE REDRAWING OR CHANGING OF THE ELECTORAL WARD BOUNDARIES. THIS OCCURS AT EVERY LEVEL OF FEDERAL STATE AND OBVIOUSLY THE LOCAL LEVEL. IT'S BASED ON THE U. S CENSUS THAT'S TAKEN EVERY 10 YEARS AND THE MOST RECENT ONE WAS TAKEN ON APRIL 1ST OF 2020. SO WHAT THEY DID IS TRY TO GET THE APPROXIMATION OF THE POPULATION OF EACH CITY AND COUNTY, EACH RESIDENT AND ALL THE CITIES AND GIVE THAT DATA TO THE CITY SO THEY'RE ABLE TO CREATE EQUAL PROPORTIONAL DISTRICTS TO GIVE EVERYBODY THE SAME VOTING POWER UNDER THESE ELECTORAL SYSTEMS. WHAT IT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, SOME OF THE VETERANS IN REDISTRICTING OR THAT'S BEEN A PART OF COUNCIL AND SAY IT'S ABOUT MATH. IT'S ABOUT NUMBERS OR LINES ON THE STREET, EVEN ABOUT STREETS, BUT REALLY WHAT IT'S ABOUT. IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE. IT'S ABOUT THOSE OF YOU WHO ELECTED THESE REPRESENTATIVES BEING ABLE TO HAVE A NEIGHBOR REPRESENTS YOU AMONGST THIS BOARD AND COUNCIL AND TO JUST BE ABLE TO, UM SPEAK FOR YOURSELF, BUT ALSO HAVE THOSE SPEAK FOR YOU MAKING SURE THAT THEIR NEIGHBORS AND CONSTITUENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO REPRESENT YOU, SO IT'S VERY MUCH ABOUT THE PEOPLE. THERE ARE FIVE BASIC LEGAL PRINCIPLES THAT GOT THIS REDISTRICTING PROCESS AND THOSE ARE THE PRINCIPLES THAT WE WILL FOLLOW STRICTLY WHILE WE CONDUCT THIS THE FIRST BEING YOUR HOME RULE CHARTER.
THAT'S GOING TO DETERMINE HOW MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE BEING ELECTED. HOW MANY DISTRICTS WE HAVE, AND THEN ALSO JUST, YOU KNOW THE VOTING SYSTEM THAT'S CURRENTLY IN PLACE FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. SECOND YOU HAVE THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE OF ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE THAT REQUIRES RELATIVELY EQUAL POPULATION AMONGST THE DISTRICTS, AS I SAID EARLIER. AND WE'LL GET A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THAT. AS A SLIDE GOES ON. YOU ALSO HAVE SECTION TWO OF THE U. S VOTING RIGHTS ACT. THERE'S A LOT OF POWER AND THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT IT DOES IS GUYS THIS REDISH IN PROCESS SO AS TO GIVE MINORITY VOTERS THE SAME ABILITY TO ELECT REPRESENTATIVES AS ANY OF THEIR NEIGHBORS. FOURTH. WE HAVE THE SHAWL VERSUS RENO LINE OF CASES , WHICH ALLOWS US TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION RACE BUT NOT SO MUCH AS TO WHERE IT SUBJECTS THE TRADITIONAL REDUCTION CRITERIA AND SUBORDINATES THAT AT THE EXPENSE OF RACE WHILE WE WILL USE RACE AS ONE OF THE MEASURES OR ONE OF THE TOOLS AND HELPING REDISTRICT THE CITY OF BEAUMONT . IT'LL BE DONE WITH, UM OTHER TRADITIONAL CRITERIA THAT HAS BEEN OBSERVED. ADD BY CASE LAW AND OTHER CITIES, AND THAT WILL BE IN YOUR RESOLUTIONS IN WHICH YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT BEFORE YOU VOTE ON THEM BEFORE THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. LASTLY WE HAVE THE TEXAS ELECTION LOSS. THE ELECTION CODE REQUIRES US TO HAVE, UM, ANY ELECTORAL SYSTEM OR PLAN IN PLACE AT LEAST THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE NEXT ELECTION, IN WHICH IT WOULD BE USED. FOR THIS CASE OF THE ABSOLUTE DRIFT. UH DROP DEADLINE DATE WOULD BE AUGUST 8TH. BUT WE'RE PLAYING TO WRAP THIS PROCESS UP WELL BEFORE THEN, TO GIVE US TIME TO LET THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, CONSTITUENTS
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AND EVEN INCUMBENTS KNOW WHERE THEY'RE RUNNING FROM BEFORE THAT KIND OF FILE A PLACE FOR A BALLOT ON THE APPLICATION. I JUST SAID IT'S STARTING WITH YOUR CITY CHARTER. WHAT IT REQUIRES IS, UH, SIX COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR, SO EVERYBODY GETS A VOTE. IT'S COMPOSED OF FOUR WARDS IN WHICH ONE COUNCIL MEMBER IS ELECTED FROM EACH OF THOSE WARDS AND THEN TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS ELECTED AT LARGE. THE ONE PERSON ONE VOTE. UH CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE IS DERIVED FROM SUPREME COURT CASES OF BAKER VERSUS CARR AND REYNOLDS VERSUS SIMS. AND AS I SAID, ESSENTIALLY REQUIRES THAT EACH OF THESE WARDS THAT ARE COMPOSED OF ARE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL POPULATION. THIS ALLOWS FOR EVERYBODY'S VOTE TO COUNT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME EITHER NOT HAVING ONE DISTRICT OR ONE WARD THAT HAS, UH, A NORMAL AMOUNT OF POPULATION AND THEIR VOTES ARE GETTING WATERED DOWN AS COMPARED TO AWARD THAT MAY BE SMALLER. AND HAVE LESSER PEOPLE TO VOTE SO EACH VOTE COUNTS MORE. THIS DOESN'T REQUIRE EXACT POPULATION OR EXACTLY EQUAL POPULATION, BUT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL AND THE WAY THAT WE MEASURE THAT IS A TOOL OR MEASUREMENT CALLED THE TOTAL MAXIMUM DEVIATION. BY CASE LAW AND THE CRITERIA THAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED. YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE A DEVIATION OF MORE THAN 10% FROM YOUR LARGEST DISTRICT AND YOUR SMALLEST DISTRICT. WHAT WE COMPARE THAT TO IS AN IDEAL SIZED WARD, AND THAT'S ESSENTIALLY TAKING YOUR TOTAL POPULATION AND DIVIDING IT BY THE NUMBER OF WARS THAT YOU HAVE, WHICH WOULD BE FOR AND YOU'LL SEE THE NUMBER AS WE GO THROUGH AND SOME OF THE CHARTS AND TABLES THAT WE'VE PREPARED. HERE WE HAVE SECTION TWO, AND ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, IS GIVING EACH OF THE MINORITY GROUPS AND DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS FOR THAT MATTER AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS. EVERYBODY'S VOTE IS COUNTING THE SAME AND EVERYBODY'S HAVING THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT OR ELECT REPRESENTATIVES FROM THEIR OWN COMMUNITY AND OLD NEIGHBORHOOD. EVEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE MUST AVOID, IS THE TERMS CALLED CRACKING AND PACKING, ALSO REFERRED TO AS FRACTURING UNDER THE US VOTING RIGHTS ACT. WHAT THAT IS THE PRACTICE OF DRAWING THESE LINES IN A WAY THAT IT WOULD, UM, PUT A MINORITY GROUP IN A POSITION TO WHERE THEY CAN ACHIEVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF I WOULD SAY. ABILITY TO ELECT REPRESENTATIVES . IT'S TWO DISTINCT WAYS IN WHICH WE'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT AND YOU'LL SEE IN THESE NEXT FEW SLIDES. NOW THIS IS JUST ONE OPTION OF HOW DISTRICTS COULD BE DRAWN. AS YOU SEE, THERE'S FOUR DISTRICTS. THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY THE PERFECT SCENARIO , BUT IT'S JUST AN ILLUSTRATION OF HOW IT COULD BE DRAWN. WHAT YOU WILL NOTICE AND ALL OF THESE NEXT THREE SIDES OR NEXT TO SLIDES. IS THAT THE COLOR OF THE SHIRTS AND THE PEOPLE, THEY REMAIN IN THE SAME PLACE, BUT WHAT YOU'LL SEE WILL CHANGE IS THE ACTUAL DRAWING OF THE LINES IN THE DISTRICTS TO KIND OF ILLUSTRATE WHAT CRACKING AND PACKING LOOKS LIKE UNDER SECTION TWO OF THE U. S VOTING RIGHTS ACT. SO CRACKING AS YOU COULD SEE IF YOU'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE RED MINORITY GROUP, WHICH IS REPRESENTED BY 15 PEOPLE.YOU'RE SAYING THAT RATHER THAN KIND OF BEING PUT IN A DISTRICT OR DRAWN IN A WAY TO WHERE THEY COULD POSSIBLY HAVE A PLURALITY OR MAJORITY AMONGST THAT DISTRICT. THEY'RE FRACTURED AMONGST ALL THE DISTRICTS, THEREBY DILUTING THE VOTING POWER. FROM THAT GROUP. IF UM, CHALLENGES TO COME TO THE REDISTRICTING PLAN AND THE COURTS LOOK AT WHY YOU'VE DRAWN THE DISTRICTS IN THAT WAY, IF THEY DETERMINE THAT IS PREDOMINANTLY RACE THAT IS USED THAT WILL INVALIDATE THAT REDISTRICTING PLAN. SO WE MUST AVOID CRACKING ANY OF THE MINORITY POWERS ACROSS THESE WARDS. SORT OF THE OPPOSITE. WE HAVE PACKING. AS I SAID, NONE OF THE POSITIONS OR COLORS OF THE SHIRTS CHANGED, BUT RATHER WHERE THEY ARE DRAWN ON THIS MAP AND ILLUSTRATION. HERE YOU'RE SEEING RATHER THAN KIND OF BEING SPREAD OUT WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE A PLURALITY OR MAJORITY AND ONE OR TWO DISTRICTS, THE FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION OF THE RED SHIRTS IS IN THIS ONE GREEN DISTRICT UP HERE. THEREBY IN SOME WAY, REDUCING THE POWER THAT IT COULD HAVE HAD ACROSS MULTIPLE WARDS. SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH EACH MAP THAT WE PRODUCE, WE MAKE SURE TO LOOK AT THESE DATA DEMOGRAPHICS LOOKING AT HOW THEY CHANGE FROM THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT TO WHAT IS THE POPULATION IN EACH OF THE DISTRICTS. BY EACH OF THE
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DEMOGRAPHICS SO THAT WE'RE MAKING SURE NOT TO REDUCE IF THERE'S A MAJORITY MINORITY GROUP AND AWARD AND MAKING SURE THOSE POWERS ARE MAINTAINED. AS I SAID THE SHAW VERSUS RENO LINE OF CASES THAT ALSO GUIDE THIS PROCESS STAND FOR THE NOTION THAT RACE MAY BE CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE MANY FACTORS IN THIS REDISTRICTING PROCESS, HOWEVER, AT THE MOMENT THAT IT BECOMES THE PREDOMINANT FACTOR, IT'S UM IT'S UNDER STRICT SCRUTINY SHOULD IT BE CHALLENGED BY ANYBODY AND TAKEN UP INTO THE COURTS. ONE THING THAT KIND OF YOU KNOW, ILLUSTRATES THAT TYPE OF, UM. THAT TYPE OF CONSIDERATION WOULD BE BIZARRELY SHAPED WARDS. IF THEY'RE WEIRD, THEY'RE NOT CONTIGUOUS IF THEY'RE JUST DRAWING PICKING UP ISLANDS SO AS TO PICK UP A POPULATION OR A CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC. THOSE MIGHT BE REASONS FOR CHALLENGING OR LOOKING AT THIS TYPE OF THIS TYPE OF CHALLENGE. JUST TAKING A BASIC LOOK AT THE TEXAS CENSUS STATISTICS. YOU'RE SAYING THAT COMING IN RIGHT AT THE UNDER 30 MILLION TEXAS IS GROWING. YOU'RE SEEING SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS HAS ARE CHANGING. AH NAMELY WITH HISPANIC POPULATION OF, YOU KNOW , SLOWLY CREEPING GOT TO BECOME A PLURALITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. MORE SPECIFICALLY HERE IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. YOU'RE SEEING A TOTAL POPULATION OF ABOUT 115,000. THAT'S A SLIGHT DECREASE FROM THE 2010 SENSES, WHICH HAD YOU AT ABOUT 118,000 PEOPLE. THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP.IT'S SHOWN AS HERE SAYING ABOUT 28.23% WHITE POPULATION 17.8 HISPANIC POPULATION. 46.8 AND BLACK POPULATION AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. IN EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES IS, UH, JUST SHOWING THAT SPECIFIC. AH RACE OR DEMOGRAPHIC ALONE, SO WHITE MEANS WHITE AND NON HISPANIC. IF WE LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWNS OF EACH OF THE WARS, YOU CAN SEE HOW BIG EACH WARD IS IN COMPARISON TO THE TARGET SIZE OF AN IDEAL WAR. NOW THAT TARGET SIZES 28,807 CITIZENS PER WARD.
YOU'RE ABLE TO SEE THAT WAR TWO IS THE LARGEST WARD AND WARD FOUR IS THE SMALLEST. SO THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GONNA SEE MOST OF THE CHANGE THE GOOD THING ABOUT THE WAY THAT CITY OF BEAUMONT IS CONSTRUCTED. WAR TWO AND WARD FOUR OR NEAR EACH OTHER, SO THEREFORE SOME OF THE POPULATION WILL BE COMING OUT OF TWO. EXCUSE ME. AND GOING INTO WARD FOUR. NOW YOU WILL PROBABLY SEE SOME CHANGE IN WARD ONE AS WELL, BECAUSE IF WE WERE TO JUST LEAVE THAT BY ITSELF, EVEN WITH THE CURRENT MAKEUP DISTRICTS ONE AND THREE WOULD BE OVER THAT TOTAL DEVIATION OF 10% LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT SO YOU'LL SEE PROBABLY SOME OPTIONS WHERE EACH OF THE WARDS ARE CHANGING. AND, UH YOU KNOW, WE'LL VOTE ON WHATEVER IS THE DESIRE OF THE COUNCIL. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER REPRESENTATION OF THOSE NUMBERS AND STATISTICS AND HOW THE WARDS ARE STACKED UP AGAINST EACH OTHER. AND AGAINST THAT 28,000 NUMBER, WHICH IS THE IDEAL SIZED WARD. WITH ALL OF THIS INFORMATION. WHAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER IS THAT MEASUREMENT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE BEGINNING, WHICH SHOWS THE TOTAL DEVIATION CANNOT BE MORE THAN 10% OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. CURRENT TOTAL DEVIATION. AS IT IS NOW IS 29.23% SO WE HAVE TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF SHIFTING AND CHANGING TO WHERE WE CAN GET UNDERNEATH THAT 10% PERMISSIBLE VALUE. SO WHAT? NOW? WE ACTUALLY DO WHAT I CONSIDER IS THE FUN PART. IT'S UH, THE PASSING OF THE CRITERIA AND THEN BEGINNING WITH THE MAP, DRAWING, UM FIRST, THOUGH, LIKE I SAID, THE CRITERIA THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER IN THE RESOLUTIONS WILL HELP GUIDE AND ESTABLISHED A PROCESS FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THESE, UH, ST CHANGES IN DISTRICT OR WAR CHANGES. UM WE'VE PROVIDED A DRAFT OF THAT AND YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT. SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD OR TAKE OUT OF THAT. THEN NEXT, AS I SAID, WELL, WE'LL SEND OUT AN ILLUSTRIOUS MATH. WE DO HAVE THE FIRST ILLUSTRIOUS AVAILABLE AND YOU WILL BE RECEIVING THAT THIS WEEK. IT WILL JUST BE OUR INITIAL ATTEMPT AT TRYING TO REDRAW THE DISTRICTS AND ABIDE BY ALL OF THOSE CRITERIAS WHICH WILL BE SET IN THOSE RESOLUTIONS THAT WE PASSED. FROM THERE, UH, THE CIVIC APPROACH. THIS IS A VERY, UH, CIVIC INVOLVED PROJECT AND PROCESS SO DETERMINING HOW WE POST NOTICES WHETHER WE DO TOWN HALL MEETINGS WHERE WE HAVE, YOU
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KNOW, ONE OR TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS. THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKING SURE THAT CITIZENS ARE AWARE OF THIS PROCESS THAT'S GOING ON. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, THE MAP DRAWN ARE DEMOGRAPHER THAT WE HAVE ON STAFF IS HAS THE SOFTWARE THAT'S VERY INTUITIVE. WE ALSO OFFER DEMOS IN CASE YOU WANT TO SEE HOW IT WORKS AS HE GOES IN AND CHANGES THE STREETS AND DISTRICTS. YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS POPULATING AND UPDATING SO YOU CAN SEE THE EFFECT. THAT EACH OF THESE CHANGES WILL HAVE LIVE AND IN REAL TIME. UM AFTER WE'VE CONSIDERED A FEW OF THE DRAFT MAPS WILL OBVIOUSLY PUT IT UP FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION AND VOTE FOR THAT TO BE ADOPTED.AFTER ALL OF THIS IS CONSIDERED WHAT OUR FIRM OFFERS IS A FINAL REPORT. CONSISTING OF ALL OF THE CORRESPONDENCE, ALL THE MEETINGS AGENDAS EVERYTHING THAT WE DO FROM DAY ONE UNTIL THE VERY LAST DAY SO THAT YOU HAVE A FILE ON HAND. THAT TELLS YOU EXACTLY WHAT WE CONSIDER WHAT WE'VE DONE. AND SOMETHING THAT'S LEGALLY DEFENSIBLE SHOULD ANY CHALLENGES ARISE. BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALSO DONE IN THE PLACE OF , UM SECTION FIVE OF THE US VOTING RIGHTS. IT WAS. THERE WAS A TIME AND WHERE YOU HAD TO CLEAR ALL OF YOUR, YOU KNOW, ANNEXATIONS MOVEMENTS, REDISTRICTING PROCESSES HAS BEEN STRUCK DOWN BY THE COURT CASE. UM I BELIEVE IT IS COUNTY VERSUS HOLDER AND IT DOESN'T REQUIRE US TO SEND IN THOSE, UH, PRECLEARANCE PLANS TO THE GOVERNMENT ANYMORE, BUT AS A FIRM, WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS MAKE SURE WE STILL ABIDE BY THOSE PRINCIPLES, THE SAME TYPE OF REPORT THAT WE WOULD HAVE PROVIDED FOR PRECLEARANCE IS THE TYPE OF REPORT THAT WE'RE PROVIDING TO THE COUNCIL. JUST TALKING BRIEFLY ABOUT THE REDISTRICTING CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE TYPICALLY PUT IN THE RESOLUTIONS. YOU SEE THAT ONE OF THE MAIN FOCUSES IS OBVIOUSLY THE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST. MAINTAINING THOSE HAVING DISTRICTS AND NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, BEING REPRESENTED BY. THE WARS THAT THEY WERE HISTORICALLY REPRESENTED BY, UM, TAKING IN THE CONSIDERATION PARKS, SCHOOLS , THINGS OF THAT NATURE. WE TRY AS BEST WE CAN TO KEEP WHOLE VOTING PRECINCTS WHEN POSSIBLE, THE SMALLEST LEVEL IN WHICH WE CAN MANIPULATE THE STREETS. IS AT A CENSUS BLOCK LEVEL. THE NEXT BIGGEST WOULD BE THE VOTING PRECINCT LEVEL. WE TRY OUR BEST TO USE VOTING PRECINCTS RATHER THAN THE CENSUS BLOCKS, BUT THERE ARE TIMES IN WHICH IT'S NOT FEASIBLE TO USE THE WHOLE BLOCK. WE HAVE TO GO AND USE THE SMALLER SENSES. WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS COMPACT AND CONTINUOUS AS NEW AS POSSIBLE, NOT HAVING THOSE ISLANDS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT NOT DRAWING COUNCIL MEMBERS OUT OF THEIR DISTRICTS. OBVIOUSLY NOT CRACKING OR PACKING AND THEN GETTING BELOW THAT 10% MAXIMUM DEVIATION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. FOR THE CITIZENS. UH WE JUST REQUIRE THAT ANYTHING THAT THEY SUBMIT AS FAR AS A MAP WOULD BE WRITTEN AS BEST AS POSSIBLE. THEY TRY TO SHOW THE TOTAL POPULATION AND VOTING DEMOGRAPHICS THAT WE ALSO WOULD PROVIDE. THERE WILL BE AN ESTABLISHED DEADLINE FOR WHEN THOSE MAPS WOULD BE, UM, NEED TO BE SUBMITTED, BUT THAT DOES NOT RESTRICT HOW THE CITIZENS CAN COMMENT AND PUT HAVE INPUT ON THESE MAPS. WE ASK THAT THEY REDISTRICT THE ENTIRE CITY. SHOULD THEY SUBMIT A MAP THAT THEY WOULD WANT THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER, WHEREAS YOU KNOW, YOU COULD DO YOUR FAVORITE WARD OR THE WARDS YOU LIVE IN THAT HAS AN EFFECT AMONGST THE WHOLE CITY. AND SO WE WOULD ASK THAT TRY TO REDISTRICT THE ENTIRE CITY. NOW LIKE I SAID, WITH OUR DEMOGRAPHER, WE'VE LITERALLY TAKEN A CRUDE MAP AND IT'S SOMEBODY TOOK AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF OURS AND JUST DREW RED LINES ON IT, WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEEN THE DISTRICT'S CHANGES. WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT AND SHOW THEM WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, AS FAR AS THE DATA AND DEMOGRAPHIC, SO WE'RE PRETTY FLEXIBLE AND WORKING WITH ANY TYPE OF COMMENTARY OR SUBMISSION THAT CITIZENS MIGHT HAVE. AS I SAID THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. UH, WE'RE BIG ON MAKING SURE NOTICES ARE POSTED APPROPRIATELY AND END THE RIGHT PLACES UTILIZING THE CITY'S SOCIAL MEDIA AND WEBSITE. MAKING SURE THAT THE NOSES, MAPS AND CRITERIA ARE ALL UP ON THERE. IN THE PAST, I HAVE DONE TOWN HALL MEETINGS WHERE YOU KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED AND DONE THIS SIMILAR TYPE OF TRAINING FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC. SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW YOU MIGHT CONSIDER AS FAR AS HOW WE INVOLVE ALL OF THE CITIZENS AND MAKE SURE THIS PROCESS IS AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE. THIS IS A ROUGH TIMELINE THAT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. BUT IT HITS THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DATES THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THE FIRST PROPOSED FOR US, UH PROPOSED FIRST PUBLIC HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 28TH THE
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LATEST DAY THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT ADOPTION OF THIS MAP WOULD BE JULY 19TH. THAT'S A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THAT FIRST DAY TO FILE FOR A PLACE ON THE BALLOT. SO EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS INCUMBENTS OR JUST CANDIDATES KNOW WHERE THEY'LL BE RUNNING FROM? AS I SAID THAT, UM , ABSOLUTE DROP DEAD DATE AUGUST 8TH BY THE ELECTION CODE IN WHICH THE PLAN HAS TO BE ADOPTED. YES, SIR. LIKE TO GO BACK TO THIS ONE PLACE ON THE BALLOT LAST DATA. OKAY YES, SO THEY'LL BE ADOPTED OR CHANGED TO REFLECT THAT MAY, UH, TIMELINE. THIS IS IN THE INCIDENTS THAT IT WAS IN NOVEMBER. I THINK WITH THAT BEING THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION FOR YOU KNOW THINGS OUTSIDE THE CITY. IT'S STILL BE A GOOD DATE OR TIMELINE TO FOLLOW JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IN PLACE. FOR THAT NEXT MAY ELECTION. THIS TIMELINE IS OBVIOUSLY AND, UH, DEPENDS ON YOU KNOW THE NUMBER OF MAPS REQUESTED. WE'VE TALKED WITH CITY STAFF AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY MORE MAPS ARE WANT IT RATHER THAN MORE MEETINGS AND WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT IS ALSO DEPENDS ON THE WILLINGNESS TO HAVE SPECIAL MEETINGS AND THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC HEARINGS WE PLAN TO HAVE . AS OF RIGHT NOW WE'VE SCHEDULED FOR ONE. BUT YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON INVOLVEMENT, WE CAN SCHEDULE MORE. AND AT THIS TIME I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. THE COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY HAVE. ANY QUESTIONS? I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT NOVEMBER ELECTION WAS TO APPROVE LIKE THE REDISTRICTING MAPS, NOT FOR ELECTION PURPOSES. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS IF THAT MEANS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A MADE IN NOVEMBER ELECTION. I THINK HE WAS PURPOSE TO APPROVE THEIR REDISTRICTING MAPS NECESSARILY TO APPROVE LIKE TO ELECT YOU GUYS FROM MIDTERMS. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION. I JUST SIMPLY WANTED TO SAY PRESERVE, PROTECT. PASS IT ON A GREAT JOB WITH YOUR PRESENTATION. YES, SIR. THANK YOU JUST TO CLARIFY. I KNOW HE MENTIONED THE CITIZEN MAPS DO OUR DUE ON JUNE 3RD. WE DID SEND THOSE LETTERS OUT TO COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND THEN WHERE WILL BE APPROVING RESOLUTIONS THAT CRITERIA AT THE MAY 17TH MEETING? OKAY? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GREAT JOB. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, AND WE'LL TAKE YOU UP ON ON THE FOOD. SOUNDS GOOD. THAT DOES CONCLUDE OUR PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO READ. AT THE CLOSE OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THE COUNCIL WILL HOLD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSIDER MATTERS RELATED TO CONTEMPLATE IT ARE PENDING LITIGATION. IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 551.71 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE. TORY FRASER VERSUS CITY OF BEAUMONT. CAUSE THE NUMBER E 206919. AND ALSO TO CONSIDER MATTERS RELATED TO THE DELIBERATION OF THE PURCHASE, EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 551. THAT 072 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE. TWO, WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES LAND OWNED BY THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. AT 701-555 MAIN BEAUMONT, JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS. AND TO DISCUSS AND OR DELIBERATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 551.8. OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO HIS SPECIFICALLY PROJECT. RIVERFRONT. I HAVE A QUESTION. YES. ON THE RIVERFRONT EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE REQUEST THAT UNLESS WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TEAS AND SEAS OF A CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS DOWN HERE IN THE PUBLIC THERE. I AGREE WITH COUNSEL MEMBER NEIL IF WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT POP 55 MAIN STREET. OTHER THAN THE CONTRACTUAL PROVISIONS THAT MAY EXIST. THIS INVOLVES.MILLIONS OF PUBLIC TAXPAYER DOLLARS. AND JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE SOMETHING IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. DOES IT MAKE IT ALWAYS THE RIGHT THING TO DO? AND IN THE INTERESTS OF TRANSPARENCY. I THINK THAT DISCUSSION SHOULD BE HELD DOWNSTAIRS AS WELL. CAN I
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CLARIFY MY REQUEST? BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I DON'T KNOW. HE WAS SAYING THE SAME THING THAT I SAID. IMITATE E AND C OF A CONTRACT AND I HAVE NO ISSUE HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS UPSTAIRS. BUT AS FAR AS THE PLAN AND THE VISION AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT UP IN THE PUBLIC. NOW WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. OKAY SO ARE YOU MAKING EMOTION? I DON'T KNOW THE PROPER PROCEDURE FOR THAT. SOME MARRIAGE JUST TO CLARIFY IS THAT FOR TODAY'S EXECUTIVE SESSION OR MOVING FORWARD, I WOULD SAY FOR TODAY AND MOVING FORWARD. SO COUNCIL.SO I GUESS OUR QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANYTHING BEING DISCUSSED THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? OR IS THIS PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON VISION AND SO FORTH, SO JUST TO CLARIFY THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S EXECUTIVE SESSION IS TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE SALE AND OR LEASE OF CITY PROPERTY, INCLUDING DISCUSSIONS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. SO. AGAIN YOU DON'T YOU COULD DO THAT KIND OF DISCUSSION IN PUBLIC, BUT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO IT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE IDEA BEHIND THAT IS IN THE CITY ATTORNEY CAN CAN WEIGH IN THIS ON THIS AS WELL. IS WHEN YOU'RE DISCUSSING THE TERMS OF THE POSSIBLE SALE OR LEASE OF PROPERTY. THAT COULD IMPACT IMPACT YOUR BARGAINING POSITION AS YOU MOVE FORWARD, UM, THAT COULD IMPACT NEIGHBORING PROPERTY. AND SO THE REASON BEHIND THAT, I BELIEVE IS THE WISDOM BEHIND. WHY WHY THE STATE LEGISLATURE ALLOWS US TO MEET AN EXECUTIVE ON ITEMS LIKE THIS. IS SO THAT Y'ALL CAN DISCUSS IN PRIVATE ABOUT ESSENTIALLY OFF YOUR OFFERS OF SALE OR LEASE OF CITY PROPERTY NOW, EVENTUALLY, IT WOULD IF, IF THE ISSUE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD, OF COURSE IT WOULD BE, UH, LET'S SAY A LEASE OR SALE OF CITY PROPERTY THAT WOULD BE IN PUBLIC, OF COURSE.
BUT THE PURPOSE OF THIS AND YOUR ABILITY TO DO IT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION IS TO ALLOW YOU ALL TO DISCUSS THESE TERMS. THE POTENTIAL OFFER, UM THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE SALE IN IN IN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION IN PRIVATE, SO IMPACT YOU IN ANY WAY. YEAH. I MEAN, I JUST WAS THAT CHANGE YOUR POSITION AT ALL? NO, IT DOESN'T CHANGE MY OPINION. THE MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT YOU KNOW, THIS THING CONTINUES TO GO BACK AND FORTH AND HAS GONE BACK AND FORTH FOR FAR TOO LONG. AND I THINK THAT THE CITIZENS DESERVE TO KNOW WHERE WE AS A COUNCIL STAYING ON THIS THING, AND I DON'T SUPPORT CONTINUING TO HAVE THESE EXECUTIVE SESSION DISCUSSIONS.
WHENEVER WE HAVE A LEGAL RIGHT TO HAVE THEM DOWN HERE IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC. THERE. AND SO.
COUNCIL MEMBER NAILED AP APPRECIATE WHAT YOU JUST SAID, AND I AGREE THE WHOLE DEAL HERE IS THAT A FEW WEEKS AGO. THERE WAS A VOTE TAKEN. I WASN'T HERE. MY WIFE WAS IN SURGERY. THERE IS ABOUT TAKING TO PROCEED WITH ISSUING A DEMOLITION CONTRACT. FOR THE FORMER A T AND T BUILDING. AND THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THEN. AH! YEAH, THERE HAS BEEN UH HUH. PEOPLE COME OUT. AND MAKE OVERTURES TO THE CITY. AND. THE STAFF ADMINISTRATION. NEEDS TO KNOW CONSENSUS OF COUNCIL WHETHER OR NOT. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE ALONG THE PATH, DEMOLISHING THAT BUILDING. THAT THERE IS STILL A CONSENSUS TO DO THAT. OR IF BASED ON CIRCUMSTANCES. THAT HAS CHANGED. AND THAT'S A DISCUSSION THAT THE PUBLIC IS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLY INTERESTED IN. IT INVOLVES MILLIONS OF THEIR DOLLARS. AND I DON'T HAVE TO NAME NAMES OF POTENTIAL INVESTORS AND I'M NOT BUT THAT IS A DISCUSSION THAT IS APPROPRIATE TO BE HELD DOWNSTAIRS AND WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE IT DOWN HERE. AND IF WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION OR IF YOU'RE MAKING EMOTIONAL SECOND, IT NO, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO PUT THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA TO BE DISCUSSED TODAY. IN REFERENCE TO, UM. THE 55 MAIN THAT WAS PUT ON BY STAFF. AT THE REQUEST OF COUNCIL AND ASKING FOR A REVIEW OF THE CONTRACT. AND WE DID REACH OUT. UM. TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER IN REGARDS TO A PROVISION THAT WOULD WOULD HAVE PREVENTED COUNSEL FROM DOING ANYTHING OTHER THAN HERE IN THE BUILDING DOWN, SO THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS TO DISCUSS THE COUNTER OFFER THAT WAS RECEIVED. BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER IS RELATED TO THAT PROVISION OF THE CONTRACT, SO THAT ONE ISN'T TO TALK ABOUT THAT ONE IS A CONTRACTUAL MATTER SUPPORT HAVING THAT DISCUSSION UPSTAIRS, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. COULD YOU GIVE US DIRECTION ON YOUR RECOMMENDATION, NOT KNOWING WHAT ALL IS GOING TO BE SAID. AS OUR ATTORNEY, CAN YOU TELL US IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION? WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND? I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN NEIL TRANSPARENCY IS ALWAYS APPROPRIATE. ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS DIVISION. EXCUSE ME. VISION AND DEVELOPMENT. BUT IN
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THIS SITUATION WHAT IS YOUR RECOMMENDATION RELATES TO THE ITEMS THAT DEAL WITH THE A T AND T BUILDING AGAIN? THAT IS A CONTRACTUAL MATTER. AND I RECOMMENDED THAT WOULD BE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION JUST BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPMENT. WE'RE JUST TOTALLY TALKING ABOUT ON THAT ONE CONTRACTUAL PROVISIONS THAT COUNCIL ACT STAFF TO TRY TO RENEGOTIATE. UM AND SO THAT WAS . THERE WAS SOME COUNTERS PRESENTED IN THAT DISCUSSION.THAT COUNCIL MAY WANT TO COUNTER BACK THAT INDIVIDUALS ATTORNEYS PRESENT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO HAVE WAVE YOUR ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION OUT FRONT. UM AND THEN, SECONDLY, WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THE RIVERFRONT PROJECT ENTAILS. YOU KNOW, AS A CITY MANAGER ALLUDED TO THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL MAY NOT WANT TO. DISCUSS PUBLICLY AS IT RELATES TO TAX INCENTIVES OR DEALS OR BREAKS OR WHATEVER THAT COULD BE OFFERED OR ARE IN SUDAN THAT PROPERTY AS IT RELATES, I GUESS COUNCIL MILK ISRAELIS TO DESIGN AND I GUESS THE SPENDING OR SPINACH IS OF MONEY THAT YOU GUYS ARE TOTALLY ENTITLED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. TELL YOU , BUT AS IT RELATES TO ANYTHING THAT COULD POTENTIALLY IMPACT NEGOTIATION POWERS, I WOULD ALWAYS RECOMMEND THAT WE DISCUSSED UPSTAIRS. THERE. THANK YOU COUNT. COUNCIL MEMBER. PASS ON, UM MM. MISREAD. SO TO MY WAY OF THINKING UNLESS THERE'S SOME DIRECTION GIVEN TO THE ADMINISTRATION TO GO. IN A DIFFERENT WAY. WE DON'T EVEN NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE CONTRACTUAL MATTERS BECAUSE AS IT SITS RIGHT NOW, THE LAST INSTRUCTION THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WAS GIVEN WAS TO PROCEED WITH DEMOLITION. WE ALL KNOW THAT IT'S A MATTER OF PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE THAT IN THE CONTRACT TO BUY THE BUILDING BACK FROM MR FLANAGAN, THERE WAS A PROVISION PUT IN THERE, SAYING THAT IF THE CITY DOES NOT DEMOLISH THE BUILDING HE HAS A RIGHT. TO PURCHASE THE BUILDING BACK FOR THE SAME AMOUNT WE PAID FOR IT. THAT'S THAT'S OUT THERE.
SO THAT'S THE CONTRACTUAL PROVISIONS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. BUT WE DON'T EVEN NEED TO REACH THAT UNLESS THERE'S AT LEAST FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS. THAT ARE WANTING TO LOOK AT GOING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION ON DEMOLISHING THE BUILDING WITHOUT DISCUSSING ITEMS THAT WERE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION STAFF WAS DIRECTED BY UM OR STAFF TO RECEIVE A DIRECTION BY COUNSEL TO LOOK AT GETTING THAT POSITION REMOVED TO SEE IF IT WAS BENEFICIAL TO EVEN CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS. AND SO THAT'S THAT WAS THE PURPOSE FOR DOING THAT. SO WE DIDN'T UM SO THAT'S WHY WE DID RECEIVE A CONSENSUS OF COUNCIL AND WE WERE WE AND WE HAVE HEARD BACK AND WE IN THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT ALL THAT UPSTAIRS BUT AGAIN. THERE'S NOT REALLY A PURPOSE TO TALK ABOUT THAT UNLESS YOU KNOW, WE DECIDED OKAY, WELL, I BELIEVE THERE IS REASON TO DISCUSS IT, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL COUNCIL MEMBER GETS THAT WE WANT TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE. WE WANT TO DO IT IN PUBLIC, AND I WOULD DEFINITELY SUPPORT DOING DESIGN AND MOVING FORWARD PUBLICLY AGAIN. THIS IS TAXPAYERS DOLLARS . THESE ARE NOT OUR DOLLARS. WE WANT TO DO IT TOO. MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON. WHAT'S HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. AND HOW ARE WE SPENDING THESE DOLLARS? BUT AT THIS POINT FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. UH, CONTRACTUAL ITEMS. I WOULD DEFINITELY YIELD TO, UM OUR ATTORNEY COUNSEL TO HAVE IT, UH, IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. MET A MAN. COUNCIL MEMBER, SAMUEL UM. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THE DECISION ABOUT WHAT TO BE DONE WITH THE PROPERTY. THAT DECISION HAS BEEN MADE. THAT WAS A VOTE ON THAT THERE WAS A DIRECTION OF COUNSEL TO FIND OUT IF THE TERMS OF THE CONTRACT COULD BE AMENDED. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS EXECUTIVE SESSION IS REGARDING. THE CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT THAT WAS MADE AND WHETHER THAT HAS BEEN CHANGED IS THAT CORRECT? YES THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION NOT TO DISCUSS THE PARAMETERS OF THE BUILDING ITSELF. BUT THE CONTRACT YES, SIR. SO THEY'RE AS MR COUNCILMAN GETS MENTIONED. THERE'S AN ARTICLE IN THE CONTRACT THAT PROHIBITS THE CITY FROM, UH, SELLING THE PROPERTY OR DOING ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAN DEMINING IT WITHOUT THE PROPERTY, REVERTING BACK TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER. AND STAFF WAS DIRECTED TO REACH OUT TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER TO GET THAT THAT
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PROVISION. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING. YES THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR DOWNSTAIRS THAT IS FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE THAT IS CONTRACTION. CORRECT MAYOR IF I MAY. THIS IS FOR YOU MISREAD. IF WE'RE GOING TO DEMOLISH THE BUILDING. THAT CONTRACTUAL PROVISIONS DOESN'T EVEN COME INTO PLAY BECAUSE THAT CONTRACTUAL PROVISIONS ONLY COMES INTO PLAY. IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO DEMOLISH THE BUILDING, SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE LOGICAL THING THAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS DECIDE. ARE WE GOING TO DEMOLISH THE BUILDING OR NOT? COUNCIL MEMBER, SAMUEL SAID.WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON IT. WELL THERE WAS ABOUT TO ISSUE A CONTRACTOR DEMOLISH THE BUILDING. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT CONTRACT HAS NOT YET BEEN SIGNED, AND WE CAN ALWAYS RESCIND. A CONTRACT. YEAH BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WAS IT WAS AWARDED. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE LIKE, SEND IT OUT BASED ON THE PRICK, THE OTHER, I GUESS, LIKE INCONSISTENT DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL TO KIND OF LOOK AT THIS PROVISION, SO IT HASN'T BEEN PURCHASE ORDER HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED. BUT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN GIVEN THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL, WHICH IS BRING THE BUILDING DOWN. THAT'S WHERE WE STAND. AND SO WITHOUT CHANGING. THAT. DECISION OF COUNCIL AND HAVING THAT DONE PUBLICLY SEE WHERE TO SEE WHERE WE ALL STAND. THE ADMINISTRATION IS GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH ITS LAST MARCHING ORDERS IF THERE'S GOING TO BE NEW MARCHING ORDERS GIVEN BASED ON A CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES. THEN. WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND I AGREE WITH COUNSEL MEMBER NEIL THAT CONVERSATION NEEDS TO BE DOWNSTAIRS. IN FAIRNESS. WE COULDN'T EVEN EVEN WITH THE WAY IT'S POSTED. WE COULDN'T VOTE ON. YOU GUYS COULD DISCUSS IT, BUT THERE WOULDN'T BE. IT WOULDN'T BE APPROPRIATE FOR A VOTE. I UNDERSTAND. I UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T VOTE ON IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT POSTED THAT WAY. BUT IT CAN BE DISCUSSED IN A AND THE ADMINISTRATION CAN SEE IT. THERE IS A CONSENSUS TO GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, I GUESS LIKE TALKS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHAT? WHAT THE I GUESS THE FUTURE OF THE BUILDING IS YOU COULD OBVIOUSLY DO THAT PUBLICLY , BUT I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND DISCUSSING ANY OF THE CONTRACTUAL TERMS DOWN DOWN HERE . BUT IN ORDER TO DISCUSS IT, IT'S GOING TO COME INTO CONVERSATION. THE CONTRACT, LET'S JUST PUT THE BABY IF COUNCIL WANTED TO GO UPSTAIRS AND TALK ABOUT THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS AND WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, AND IF YOU LIKE. BUT LIKE THOSE TERMS ARE FAIR AND YOU WANT TO GO AND ACCEPT THAT, AND THERE WAS A SHIFT IN THE COUNCIL SAYING THAT NOW THEY HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITIES AND YOU WANT TO COME BACK DOWNSTAIRS AND HAVE AN OPEN DISCUSSION ON AN ITEM AS IT RELATES TO WHAT TO DO WITH THE BUILDING NEXT. YOU COULD DO THAT. YOU JUST COULDN'T VOTE RIGHT? BECAUSE OUR DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD OR EXCUSE ME THE DECISION TO NOT TEAR DOWN THE BUILDING IS TOO IS CONTINGENT UPON THIS. THAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING NOW. NO BUT NO, NO, NO. THEY'RE CONNECTED IS WHAT I'M SAYING. YES THEY'RE CONNECTING CONNECTED. WE CAN'T MAKE A DECISION WITHOUT FIRST HEARING WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND YOU MAKING A DECISION WITHOUT HEARING FIRST. BUT MY POINT WAS WAS AND I THINK THIS IS JUST PROVING MY POINT. THERE'S A LOT MORE TO THIS THING AND THEN TEASING SEEDS OF A CONTRACT. THAT I THINK IN FAIRNESS TO THE TO THE CITIZENS THAT THESE DISCUSSIONS NEEDED TO HAVE DOWN HERE. WELL. I DO AGREE THERE'S A LOT MORE THAN JUST PAYS AND BEES OF THE CONTRACT.
HOWEVER. A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE. AND IT WASN'T MADE UPON ANY CONTINGENCY UPON WHETHER THE CONTRACT COULD BE AMENDED OR NOT . THERE WAS SOME FOLKS WHO WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY. TO GET OUT OF THE CONTRACT THAT DID NOT STATE THAT WAS A MOVE. OR A CONSENSUS FROM THE COUNCIL TO CHANGE OUR DIRECTION BASED ON WHETHER THAT WAS DONE. WE ALL.
I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. BUT THIS IS CLEAR. IT'S CLEAR THAT. UNTIL IT'S DONE. THERE WILL BE A FIGHT UNTIL THE FINISH BY SOME IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT, AND YOU WANT WE CAN DISCUSS IT DOWNSTAIRS. IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME, BUT THIS IS JUST ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY. FOR SOMEONE TO ATTEMPT TO GET WHAT THEY WANT. AND THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE. BUT IF THIS COUNCIL WANTS TO ENTERTAIN THAT SO BE IT. SO AT THIS 0.1 MORE THING, PLEASE. YOU KNOW WHAT I WANT? I WANT WHAT I HOPE EVERYBODY ELSE WANTS. I WANT DOWNTOWN TO BE ABLE TO FLOURISH. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE RESTAURANTS DOWNTOWN. I
[00:50:02]
WOULD LIKE TO SEE PEOPLE LIVING DOWNTOWN. WE HAVE AN OPERA. DON'T WE HAVE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOW. WITH A POTENTIAL INVESTOR. TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. AND THAT HAS COME ABOUT IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. SEE NOW WE'RE DISCUSSING SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE AGENDA. I I'M I'M DISCUSSING SOMETHING THAT INVOLVES 55. MY MAIN AND I'M SAYING THIS IS SOMETHING WE ALL WANT TO SEE HAPPEN IF WE WANT TO DISCUSS THAT DOWN HERE, LET'S MAKE THAT DECISION. BUT THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S NOW WE'RE BECAUSE NOW WE'RE IN A DISCUSSION. FOR THE QUESTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL HAS SAID SO AT THIS POINT RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. THAT IS SCHEDULED FOR TODAY. AND. AT THIS POINT. WE NEED TO DECIDE IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH TODAY'S EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE CONTRACT AGREEMENT. OR ARE WE GOING TO CANCEL IT? AND THEN COME BACK. AND THEN DO IT PUBLICLY MALL FOR TALKING ABOUT THE T S AND SEEDS OF THE CONTRACT UPSTAIRS, BUT I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ALL THIS OTHER STUFF UP THERE. ABSOLUTELY PUBLIC. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A CONTRACT TODAY. THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ORDER IS FOR THE CONTRACT AGREEMENT. CASE IN CLOSE ABOUT ALL THE REST OF THIS STUFF, THEN PROBLEM. CAN WE ASKED THAT AN AGENDA ITEM BE PREPARED FOR NEXT WEEK, PERHAPS TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF EVERYTHING OTHER THAN THE CONTRACT. LET'S GO UPSTAIRS AND TALK ABOUT THE TEASING CAESAR. THE CONTRACT WILL COME BACK DOWN HERE AND DO IT TODAY. I'M OKAY WITH THAT. LET'S DO THAT. OKAY? IS THAT EMOTION OR I THINK IT'S GOOD CONSISTENCY TO GO UPSTAIRS. IT'S PUBLICLY POSTED. SO IF YOU GUYS WHEN YOU ADJOURNED IF YOU WANT TO COME GO UPSTAIRS AND COME BACK DOWNSTAIRS. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO SO. SO OKAY. YOU JUST NEED TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT. THAT COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS DOWNSTAIRS AND THEN COME BACK AND DISCUSS THAT I DON'T WANT TO HOLD THE PUBLIC TO US GOING UPSTAIRS BECAUSE WE NEVER KNOW HOW LONG THAT'S GOING TO BE. SO LET'S GET THROUGH THE AGENDA TODAY GO UPSTAIRS FOR THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND THEN IF WE NEED TO, WE CAN COME BACK DOWN. OKAY? YOU HAVE TO TELL THEM IF WE'RE GONNA COME BACK DOWN BECAUSE FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO STAY, THEY'RE ENTITLED TO STAY. SO IF WE'RE IF WE'RE GONNA COME BACK DOWN FOR DISCUSSION, I HAVE A QUESTION TO SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK DOWN FOR DISCUSSION BECAUSE THEY'RE ENTITLED TO BE HERE FOR THE ABSOLUTELY FOLLOWING PROPER PROCEDURE. IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO COMPLETE THE AGENDA AS PRINTED AND PUBLISHED AND WE CAN THEN GO UP AND THERE'S NOTHING NO ACTION ITEM, SO THERE WILL BE NO NO REASON FOR US TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND COME BACK DOWN, SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE POSTED LATER FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT BUILDING AND MY CORRECT DISCUSS THAT AND WE CAN POST IT IF YOU WANTED TO DO FURTHER DISCUSSION, BUT WHAT COUNCILS ACCIDENTS THAT IF WE DISCUSS ANYTHING OUTSIDE THE TEASING SEEDS IF YOU WANT IT BECAUSE IT'S POSTED FOR DISCUSSION. IN EXECUTIVE SESSION IS POSTED. CONTRACT OR CONTRACT . YES YEAH, THAT'S FINE. WE'RE GOING UPSTAIRS TO DISCUSS THE CONTRACT. ONLY WE WILL NOT BE COMING BACK DOWNSTAIRS. OKAY THANK YOU WERE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE GENDER AS PRINTED. WE WILL NOT DISCUSS THIS LAST PART OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. YES WE WILL. RIVERFRONT. WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THAT ALSO. WE ARE GOING TO CONTRACTUAL PORTION OF IT. POSTED DIFFERENT EXECUTIVE SESSIONS DISCUSSION. THEY HAD ONE ABOUT 701 TO 5 ABOUT THE PROPERTY, AND THEN THEY HAD THE LAST ONE UNDER IT ABOUT PROJECT RIVERFRONT. WHICH THEY ALL COINCIDE WHAT THEY'RE SAYING THEY DON'T WANT TO DISCUSS ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROJECT RIVERFRONT, SO WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS IT UP THERE OR NOT. NOT DISCUSSING IT UPSTAIRS. WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS THE CONTRACT.THE CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT BOTTOM AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE BOTTOM ONE. WE WILL NOT TALK ABOUT COMING BACK DOWN HERE AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION I'M TALKING ABOUT NO, WE WILL NOT.
NOT THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT ON OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. I DON'T I DON'T. I DON'T AGREE THAT OKAY. MY QUESTION IS, IS THIS PROJECT RIVERFRONT IS THAT DEALING WITH 555. YES, SIR. BUT. YOU CAN. YOU CAN DO THE DISCUSSION OF THE CONTRACT IN EXECUTIVE TODAY, JUST UNDER THE FIRST ITEM. SO IF YOU WANT TO STRIKE THE SECOND ITEM, THAT WOULD BE FINE. IT WAS
[00:55:04]
STILL ENCOMPASS EVERYTHING WE NEED TO DISCUSS TODAY. I DON'T WANT TO STRIKE THE SECOND ITEM.I LIKE TO HAVE IT DISCUSSION DOWNSTAIRS. I MEAN, IT'S PROJECT RIVERFRONT. WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AT 555 MILLION. IS THAT WHAT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE? PROJECT RIVERFRONT ARE IS A PER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL, WHICH INCLUDES 555 MAIN, SO IT ENCOMPASSES 555 MAIN, HOWEVER, IF THE CONSENSUS IS TO ONLY DISCUSS THE CONTRACT THE PROPOSED. CONTRACT FOR THE POSSIBLE LEASE OR SALE OF CITY PROPERTY, THEN THAT COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED IN EXECUTIVE UNDER THE FIRST ITEM ONLY. OKAY WELL, MAYOR, I'M OKAY WITH TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING OUTSIDE OF THE CONTRACT DOWNSTAIRS. SUPPORT THAT THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN AND WHETHER IT'S TODAY OR NEXT WEEK DOESN'T MATTER. BUT I DO THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT AND IT'S NOT FAIR FOR THE ADMINISTRATION NOT TO BE GIVING CLEAR. DIRECTION ON WHAT THE CONSENSUS OF COUNCIL IS, IF THAT CONSENSUS HAS CHANGED. THEN THEY NEED TO KNOW BECAUSE OTHERWISE. THEY'RE GONNA NEED TO GO FORWARD WITH, YOU KNOW, ISSUING THE CONTRACT AND DEMOLISHING THE BUILDING? WELL I BELIEVE STAFF DID WHAT WAS REQUESTED OF THEM. IT'S JUST THAT ONCE I READ THIS AND WE GOT UP HERE. COUNCIL CHANGE. I DON'T THINK STAFF CHANGED STAFF DID WHAT WAS REQUESTED. SO. COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL SAID THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO DISCUSS. FIVE MILLION IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF RIVERFRONT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND MY CORRECT. YOU SAID YOU WILL NOT DISCUSS DEVELOPMENT.
THINK THAT WE THINK WE'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THESE MEETINGS UPSTAIRS AND THAT THE CITIZENS DESERVE TO KNOW WHERE WE AS A COUNCIL STAND ON THESE ITEMS, AND IF IT'S NOT A T AND SEE THE CONTRACT, I WANT TO HAVE THE DISCUSSIONS PUBLICLY. NO PROBLEM. BUT EFFECTIVE. AT THE END OF THE COUNCIL MEETING. WE WILL DELIBERATE AND EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT. CORRECT. CORRECT. THAT ONLY. NOT THE DEVELOPMENT. HERE'S THE RIVERFRONT PART, ONLY THE CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT. HERE'S WHERE I STRUGGLE, MAYOR BUT YOU'VE YOU'VE ALREADY TOLD US MIKE SEVERAL TIMES WHERE YOU SEND YOU WHERE YOU STAND TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD. WE HAVE AUDIENCE SITTING HERE. WAITING FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD. SO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT. CORRECT EVERYONE ONLY ONLY. SO THE ONLY QUESTION WAS, DO WE COME BACK DOWN TO DISCUSS THE DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR DO WE POSTPONE THAT, TOO? ANOTHER DAY WE'LL JUST POSTPONED IT TO ANOTHER DAY. BECAUSE, ACCORDINGA STICK WITH CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT LAST PART. WHY CAN'T I'M NOT TRYING TO BE DIFFICULT, BUT THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT AGENDA ITEMS. AND IF ONE OF THE FIRST WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DISCUSS ANYTHING DOWNSTAIRS THAT WE WANT AND THE RIVERFRONT PROJECT RIVERFRONT. IT'S AT THE BOTTOM. BUT WHY COULDN'T WE DISCUSS THAT DOWNSTAIRS? BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK DOWN AFTER WE RECESS FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION. IT CAN BE MOVED. TO OUR NEXT MEETING. OKAY? SO THAT IT CAN BE PUBLICLY DISCUSSED AS YOU WANT. AS COUNCIL MEMBER, NEIL ONCE, OKAY? SUPPORT THE PUBLIC AS WELL. AND I DO SUPPORT PUBLICLY. ADDRESSING IT. IN PUBLIC. SO THAT THE CITIZENS WILL NO. OKAY, THANK YOU. OKAY. WE GOT THAT SOLVED. OH, MY GOD. YEAH.
[01:01:01]
THING I BELIEVE THAT HAS BEEN SETTLED YET. YOU KNOW THERE AND I RESPECT YOU IMMENSELY, BUT I JUST HEARD COUNCIL MEMBER SAMUELS. HE'S OKAY WITH DOING IT, COUNCIL MEMBER DEALS SAYS OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER SAID HE'S OKAY. I'M DEFINITELY OKAY. NOT SURE WHERE THE OTHER TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE. YOU SAID YOU WERE OKAY WITH DISCUSSING THINGS DOWNSTAIRS. OKAY, WE HAVE A MAJORITY. LET'S DISCUSS IT DOWNSTAIRS. NO, THE MAJORITY IS TOO DISCUSS THE CONTRACT.UPSTAIRS. AND WE ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT WE WANT. THE PUBLIC TO KNOW. WHAT'S GOING ON WHERE WE STAND. HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF RIVERFRONT. BUT TODAY, ACCORDING TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE WILL BE MOVING UPSTAIRS TO EXECUTIVE SESSION. I'M GOING TO MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT. NOW IS THE TIME FOR ANY CITIZEN WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON AGENDA ITEMS NUMBER ONE THROUGH THREE. IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO PLEASE FILL OUT THE GREEN SLIPPED TO THE BACK OF THE ROOM. HANDED TO THE CLERK TO THE FRONT OF THE ROOM. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. THE GREEN LIGHT WILL COME ON AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR THREE MINUTES AND THE RED LIGHT AT THE END OF YOUR THREE MINUTES. PLEASE ADHERE TO THE SIGNALS. THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY MAYOR. OKAY WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS SO AT THIS TIME UM MR CITY MANAGER ASKED FOR THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER ONE PLACE MARY. DID WE DO THE CONSENT TO
[CONSENT AGENDA]
PROVE AND IMPROVE THE CONCERN OF GENDER SECONDED? HAVE EMOTION AND THE SECOND ON THE FLOOR FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA ALL IN FAVOR . PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING, AYE. ANY OPPOSED. THE MOTION CARRIES[1. Consider authorizing the Interim City Manager to award a contract to Pro Pipe, Inc. of Houston for the 4th Street Storm Sewer Inspection Project]
MAY HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER ONE PLACE. YES, MA'AM MAYOR AND COUNCIL ITEM NUMBER ONE ON THE AGENDA IS TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY INTERESTED ANY INTERIM CITY MANAGER TO AWARD A CONTRACT TO PRO PIPE INC OF HOUSTON. THE FOURTH STREET STORM SEWER INSPECTION PROJECT CONSISTS OF TELEVISION VIDEO INSPECTION AND, IF REQUIRED, CLEANING AND REMOVING ANY DEBRIS FOUND IN THE STORM SEWER SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PLANS ISSUED WITH A CONTRACT THE WORK WILL BE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS STARTING AT THE INTERSECTION OF FOURTH STREET IN NORTH ST UH TO THE INTERSECTION OF FOURTH STREET AND HIGHWAY 69. ON APRIL 21ST 2022 4 BIDS WERE RECEIVED FOR FURNISHING ALL LABOR MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE PROJECT. THE ENGINEERS ESTIMATE WAS 415,000. THE BID TOTALS ARE INDICATED IN THE TABLE IN YOUR STAFF MEMORANDUM. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL PROGRAM, AND THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS COURT. THANK YOU. YOU'VE HEARD THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER ONE. MAY I HAVE A MOTION, PLEASE? SECOND MOTION IN THE SECOND ON THE FLOOR AND THE DISCUSSION. ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE, ANY OPPOSED THE MOTION CARRIES THEY HAVE THE LEADING OF ITEM NUMBER TWO,[2. Consider authorizing the Interim City Manager to execute Change Order No. 8, accept maintenance, and authorize final payment to ALLCO, LLC, for the Sewer Plant Pump Replacement and Renewal Project]
PLEASE. YES MA'AM. ITEM NUMBER TWO IS TO AUTHORIZE INTERIM CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER EIGHT EXCEPT MAINTENANCE AND AUTHORIZED FINAL PAYMENT ALL CO CO LLC FOR THE SEWER PLANT PUMP REPLACEMENT AND RENEWAL PROJECT. ON MARCH 1920 19 BY RESOLUTION 19-63 CITY COUNCIL AWARDED A CONTRACT ALLCO BEAUMONT IN THE AMOUNT OF $974,960. FOR THE SEWER PLANT PUMP REPLACEMENT AND RENEWAL PROJECT. PREVIOUS CHANGE ORDERS ONE THROUGH SEVEN IN THE AMOUNT OF 164,409 OR INCLUDED IN YOUR STAFF MEMORANDUM. THE PROPOSED CHANGE ORDER NUMBER EIGHT IN THE AMOUNT OF NEGATIVE 48 4 60 IS REQUIRED TO ADJUST THE ESTIMATED QUANTITIES AND THE CONTRACTS TO[01:05:06]
REFLECT THE ACTUAL QUANTITIES USED. IN THE COMPLETION OF FROM THE PROJECT IF APPROVED THE ADJUSTMENT IN QUANTITIES, WITH THE RESULT IN A FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF 1,090,991. THE PROJECT HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY WATER UTILITIES AND FOUND TO BE COMPLETE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS IN TERMS SET FORTH IN THE CONTRACT. WITH THE ACCEPTANCE OF CHANGE ORDER NUMBER EIGHT. MAINTENANCE AND FINAL PAYMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $54,549.55 IS RECOMMENDED. THE PROJECT WAS FUNDED THROUGH THE CAPITAL PROGRAM, AND THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM. THANK YOU . YOU'VE HEARD THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER TWO. I HAVE A MOTION, PLEASE. MOVED UP PROOF. SECOND MOTION AND SECOND ON THE FLOOR. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE, ANY OPPOSED THE MOTION CARRIES THE RENA ADV.[3. Consider authorizing the purchase of a new Mustang CAT Generator and related appurtenances for the City of Beaumont Prison Water Tanks and Lift Station]
ITEM NUMBER THREE, PLEASE. YES, MA'AM. I REMEMBER THREE IS TO AUTHORIZE THE PURCHASE OF A NEW MUSTANG CAT GENERATOR AND RELATED APPURTENANCES FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT PRISON WATER TANK AND LIFT STATION. THE CITY MAINTAINS AND OWNS THE PRISON WATER TANKS AND LIFT STATION FACILITY LOCATED NEAR THE JEFFERSON COUNTY CORRECTION FACILITY. THE NEW PERMANENT GENERATOR WILL REPLACE A TEMPORARY GENERATOR AND PROVIDE BACKUP POWER TO THE SITE.PRICING FOR THE GENERATOR AND RELATED APPURTENANCES WAS OBTAINED FROM MUSTANG CAT OF HOUSTON. MUSTANG CAT IS THE SOLE SOURCE SUPPLIER FOR THE GENERATOR TO HAVE CONTINUITY THROUGH THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM IN THE CITY. THE TOTAL COST OF PURCHASE, IF APPROVED, WOULD BE 175,354. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE WATER UTILITIES FUND. THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL THANK YOU. YOU'VE HEARD THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER THREE AND HAVE A MOTION.
PLEASE MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION. SECOND THE MOTION AND SECOND ON THE FLOOR IN THE DISCUSSION COUNCIL MIRROR, NEIL , MR MANAGER. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE'RE PAYING FOR THE TEMPORARY GENERATOR THERE NOW? UM. PART OF THE CITY ON GENERATOR. IT'S JUST NOT A PERMANENT INSTALLATION. THANK YOU JUST NOTED THAT THE NEW GENERATORS A YEAR OUT YES, SIR.
WE HAVE THE WE HAVE THE GENERATOR. THAT'S THERE NOW. WHAT BECAME READILY APPARENT, PARTICULARLY DURING THE RECENT ICE STORM WAS THAT IT'S NOT SIZE TO ACCOMMODATE BOTH THE SEWER OPERATIONS THAT ARE AT THAT SITE AS WELL AS THE WATER OPERATIONS. UM SO WE WITH AHEAD WITH THE WORK TO SIZE OF PERMANENT GENERATOR THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE EVERYTHING AT THE SITE WHEN POWER THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION COUNCIL MEMBER DIARRHEA? UM PRISON WATER TANK DOES THAT SERVICE I'LL SEE YOU. IT'S BY JEFFERSON COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES IS JUST FOR THEM. WHAT DOES THE SERVICE STATE FEDERAL EVERYTHING THAT'S OUT THERE OR WHAT SERVICES THE PRISONS AS WELL AS A LITTLE BIT AWAY FROM THE PRISONS THERE. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF POPULATION THAT AREA, BUT IT WAS PRIMARILY PUT IN FOR THE PRISON. OKAY? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION. YOU KNOW THE DISCUSSION. PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING, AYE AYE, ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU
[Public Comment]
NOW IS THE TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE, SO PLEASE FILL OUT THE GREEN SLIP TO THE BACK OF THE ROOM HANDED TO THE CLERK TO THE FRONT OF THE ROOM AGAIN. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. THE GREEN LIGHT WILL COME ON AT THE BEGINNING AND THE RED LINE WILL COME ON AT THE END. THANK YOU. MALALA JOHNSON, 40 20. CHERYL STREET. BEAUMONT, TEXAS. THANK YOU, MISS JOHNSON. YEP I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT OUTBURST. THANK YOU. BUT ANYWAY , THERE WAS A SAYING WHEN I WAS COMING UP AS A CHILD, IT'S 10 O'CLOCK. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE? DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THAT? SURE SEE THAT ANYMORE. RIGHT NOW. WE'RE DEALING WITH COMING OUT OF A PANDEMIC AND GOING INTO THE EPIDEMIC WITH OUR CHILDREN WITH GUNS. UM WE STAY OFF MAJOR DRIVE . MY HUSBAND JUST RECENTLY HAD AN ALTERCATION WITH A 12 YEAR OLD. WHERE THE CHILD THREATENED TO SHOOT HIM WITH A GUN. WE DID CALL THE POLICE, BUT IT BY THAT TIME THE KID WAS GONE. AND MY HUSBAND WAS LIKE, OK, WHAT? WE'RE JUST GONNA, YOU KNOW, CALL NEXT TIME. IF HE COMES, THERE'S NOWHERE FOR OUR CHILDREN TO GO. THE SUMMERTIME IS SLOWLY APPROACHING AND THERE'S REALLY NOT A LOT. WE HAVE TO INVEST INTO OUR CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT. OUR OUR NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. OUR NEXT PEOPLE[01:10:01]
TO TAKE CARE OF THE HOMELESS AND THE SENIOR CITIZENS. AND THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON RIGHT NOW. AND I KNOW A FAMILY THAT HAS A BLUEPRINT FOR, UH. FOR A MULTIPURPOSE CENTER, AND I WANT TO GIVE ONE OF THESE TO EACH ONE OF YOU GUYS SO THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT IT WHILE I'M TALKING. AND UM, WE REALLY NEED SOMEWHERE FRIED CHILDREN TO GO. I HAVE A 12 YEAR OLD SON. I'M OLDER PARENT. HE'S BEING RAISED BY OLDER PARENTS. I'M AROUND FOR MY KIDS. THESE OTHER KIDS HAVE NOBODY. MY GOAL IS TO TEACH MY SON TO KNOW THAT THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD. YOU ONLY GET TO USE THE SWORD. ONE TIME. THE PEN HAS A LOT OF INK. YOU GOT A LOT OF WRITING TO DO. AND THIS SUMMER.I'M TEACHING MY SON WHO OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES OR WHO ARE MARRIED IS WHO ARE COMMISSIONERS ARE SO THAT HE CAN KNOW THAT HE HAS A BETTER CHOICE THAN GOING OUT THERE AND DOING SOME THINGS THAT HE DOES NOT NEED TO DO. WE NEED MORE TRUANCY OFFICERS. THERE'S A LOT OF KIDS THAT I HAVE BEEN SEEING THAT ARE WALKING AROUND. AND THEY'RE NOT IN SCHOOL. LIKE I SAID, WE'RE COMING OUT OF A PANDEMIC INTO THE EPIDEMIC BECAUSE, UM CHILDREN ARE USING GUNS. NOW WHEN YOU SEE A GROWN MAN, MY AND MY HUSBAND HAS A LOUD VOICE. MY HUSBAND IS A MANLY MAN. AND EVERY KID CAN TELL MY HUSBAND. HE'S GONNA SHOOT HIM WITH A GUN. THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON THAT WE NEED TO GET A HANDLE ON SO PLEASE. WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT OUR KIDS, AND MY GOAL IS TO COME HERE EVERY TUESDAY AND TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING IN THE COMMUNITY LIKE OUR PARK, OUR IMAGINATION STATION. IT'S HORRIBLE RIGHT NOW. THERE'S NAILS THE WOOD. THE KIDS CAN GET SPLENDORS IN THEIR HANDS, AND THERE'S ALSO LIKE COUNTRIES THAT ARE JUST OUT IN THE OPEN, AND THERE'S NOTHING BEING DONE ABOUT IT. I'LL BE BACK NEXT TUESDAY. THANK YOU.
ONE MOMENT BEFORE YOU LEAVE. I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT AND THE ONLY REASON WHY I'M GOING TO COMMENT ON THIS BECAUSE IMAGINATION STATION WAS IN THE NEWS AND AS OF YESTERDAY, THE PROBLEM WITH THE NAILS AND THE MISSING BOARDS. ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN CORRECTED. THANK YOU, AND I EVEN CALLED THE CITY MANAGER TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE NEWS MEDIA THAT REPORTED ON THAT UH, GOT AN UPDATE. ON THE REPAIRS NATION STATION. AND, UM BECAUSE I WAS READY TO SHUT THE PARK DOWN. BECAUSE I DID SEE THE PICTURES AND I DID SEE THE NAILS AND I SAW THE DETERIORATION AND IT WAS ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. I SAY SOMETHING I KNOW I'M OUT OF MY THREE MINUTES WHICH JUST HAPPENED TO GO THERE YESTERDAY. I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS ON THE NEWS. IT WAS IT WAS. IT WAS ON THE NEWS AND IT WAS CORRECTIVE MEASURES WERE TAKEN. THOSE PROBLEMS ARE FIX, HOWEVER, WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH WOOD, YES, YOU CAN GET SPLINTERS. BUT WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH PLASTIC BECAUSE OF THE HEAT IF YOU SLIDE ON THE SLIDE EVEN METAL. AND WITH OUR HEAT INDEX AS IT IS ALREADY IN MAY AT 95 96 DEGREES. IT CAN BE VERY, VERY DANGEROUS SO I WOULD ADVISE EACH ADULT TO MAKE SURE BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR CHILD IN THE PARK. AND JUST ALLOW THEM. TO RUN ON THEIR OWN . MAKE SURE THAT YOU AS AN ADULT AND A PARENT IS IT'S GOING BEFORE THEM AND CHECKING THOSE THINGS BECAUSE AN ACCIDENT CAN HAPPEN, EVEN IF IT'S NOT DAMAGED JUST FROM THE HEAT, RIGHT. SO THANK YOU. AND I'M QUITE FAMILIAR WITH COACH RITO. HE'S MY CLASSMATE, SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE PROGRAM. IT IS AN AWESOME PROGRAM. BUT WITH ANY PROGRAM, IT'S ALWAYS FUNDING.
HUGE ISSUE, BUT I THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT. AND, UM, I WILL LET COACH RITO? NO. OKAY, I'LL LEAVE ONE MORE. THANK YOU. LATASHA GIGGLES. 93 35 GROWTH STREET. BEAUMONT, TEXAS. BIT NERVOUS, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME. DON'T WORRY . OKAY TALK ABOUT A CORRUPT JUDGE AND SOME COOL OF LAWYERS.
MA'AM I CANNOT ALLOW YOU TO COME TO COUNCIL AND CALLED ANYONE'S NAMES, SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO SPEAK, NOT GONNA SAY THEIR NAMES, I KNOW BETTER IF YOU JUST SPEAK ABOUT A SITUATION BUT IF YOU DO, I WILL INTERRUPT YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. I ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES, OF COURSE. SO I'M JUST GOING TO READ OUT SOME COMMENTS IN THE COURT TRANSCRIPTS. AND I RAN ACROSS
[01:15:05]
THE STREET COURT TRANSCRIPTS FROM THE DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICE THERE WERE ACCIDENTALLY MIXED IN WITH ANOTHER DOCUMENT BY ACCIDENT. AND I'M JUST GOING TO READ OUT LOUD. SOME OF THE COMMENTS AND THIS IS COMING FROM ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS IN QUESTION. HE'S SAYING, YOUR HONOR AND FRANKLY, JUDGE, THIS IS AN IDEA. I JUST HAD I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S THEORETICALLY POSSIBLE OR APPROPRIATE. FILED THIS LAST MINUTE BECAUSE THERE IS JUST NO DOUBT ABOUT MIND THAT WOULDN'T BE SUCH AND SUCH GETS THIS DOCUMENTARY IS GOING TO SEND OUT A TWEET ABOUT IT. SO I FILED IT YESTERDAY. I WILL BE HERE AND IT'S A TYPE OF THIS MORNING COMPLAINING ABOUT LAST NIGHT'S TWEET. BECAUSE THE JUDGE CONSIDER A QUOTE ORDER. AND DO SOME RESEARCH, SO NO PARTIES AND NO LAWYERS ARE ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT THE CASE AND THEN THE PUBLIC FORUM. BECAUSE YOU KNOW THERE IS SUCH A HOT TOPIC RIGHT NOW IN SOCIETY IN GENERAL. AND. HE'S ASKING IF MY ATTORNEY OR MY COUNSEL WOULD BE OPPOSED TO A GAG WATER TO SILENCE ME TO KEEP PEOPLE GOING PUBLIC WITH THE STORY. AND OF COURSE MY ATTORNEY IS SAYING HE DON'T THINK YOU CAN AGREE TO IT. AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS JUDGE SAYING YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A POTENTIAL TO MAKE THIS WORSE. THEY WERE SPEAKING OUT THE RECORD. AT LEAST THEY THOUGHT THERE WAS SPEAKING OF THE RECORD, BUT THE MACHINE WAS STILL RECORDING. OBVIOUSLY. IN THE JUDGES SAYING HE WENT ON TO SAY YOU ALREADY MENTIONED WHAT'S GOING ON NATIONALLY. AND I THINK WHAT'S BEING DONE? IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.IT'S GONNA MAKE THINGS WORSE. AND I'M AFRAID WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO THAT WITH THIS SITUATION HERE. LIKE I WAS CLASSICAL AT ADULT. AND I THOUGHT ALL LAWYERS ARE BEGINNING TO WONDER WHAT WAS BEING TAUGHT AFTER I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL, BUT THE CURE FOR FREE SPEECH YOU DISAGREE WITH IS MORE SPEECH NOT LESS. SO I'M JUST INCLINED NOT TO DO THE GAG ORDER , AND I DON'T EVEN THINK I DON'T EVEN LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT TERM, BUT I DON'T BLAME YOU FOR USING. I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. SO YOU HAVE A SITTING JUDGE. THIS BASICALLY THREATENED TO MAKE MY SITUATION WORSE THE WAY HE WAS CLASSICALLY TOLD OUT THE LAW SCHOOL AND THESE ATTORNEYS THEY THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO STOP ME FOR A LOT OF MONEY OVER $16,000. BUT JUST ONE MONTH OF SERVICES AND WOULDN'T EVEN SEND ME AND MY CURRENT ATTORNEY OF BUILDING STATEMENT DEMANDED THROUGH MEDIATION, AND IT WAS ALL BOGUS $16,000. AND IT'S I MEAN, IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATE AND RATHER SAY IT. ALL MY TIME IS UP. WELL AND I KIND OF INTERRUPTED YOU. BUT THE ONE THING I WANT TO ASK. IS THIS A CITY? YES, IT IS. IT'S NOT COUNTY. IT'S THIS IS WITH THE CITY MUNICIPAL COURT. RIGHT HERE DOWNTOWN. WE'LL SEE CIVIL COURT. THAT'S COUNTY THAT'S NOT CITY. OKAY? THAT'S DISTRICT COURT, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT THE DISTRICT CLERK IN THE DISTRICT COURT. THAT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CITY OR CITY COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT. I'M SORRY COULD COME HERE AND, YOU KNOW, SPEAK ON THE MATTER. RIGHT? SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO PRESENT YOUR YOURY COMMISSIONERS COURT. WELL I THOUGHT A COMPLAINT WITH THE COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL CONDUCT AND THEY'RE SAYING HE SHOULD HAVE RECUSED HIMSELF FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS. AND HE'S STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. I GOT THE LAST UPDATE LETTER LAST WEEK. AND OF COURSE, WE CAN'T COMMENT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, EVEN IF IT WERE IN OUR JURISDICTION, BUT IT'S NOT AN HOUR. IT'S NOT IN THE CITIES, JURISDICTIONS TRUE, BUT LIKE I SAID, I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD STILL COME HERE AND DISCUSS THE MATTER. AND YOU CAN. I MEAN, I DIDN'T ALL I WANTED TO DO THAT. THAT WAS SMALL INTENT. YES, MA'AM. SO I'LL BE BACK NEXT TUESDAY FOLLOWING THANK YOU. RICHARD BURTON, SENIOR 3 10 EAST PITKIN STREET. BEAUMONT, TEXAS. GOOD AFTERNOON. MAN COUNCILMAN. OFFICERS. MY NAME IS RICHARD LAWRENCEBURG AND SENIOR AND I'VE BEEN IN THIS TOWN ALL BY LIFE. I'M 77 YEARS OLD. MY CONCERN IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE RAISED THREE CHILDREN. AND TWO GRANDCHILDREN AT MY RESIDENCE. MY CONCERN IS MY RESIDENT THREE VALUE OF IT. THE SPEEDING THE SPEEDING ON THAT STREET. GOT AN OUTRAGEOUS.
JUST LAST WEEK THEY HAD A WRECK. RICK PROUD OF THAT THEY HAD DIRECT WEEK PRIOR TO THAT ONE, THEY HAD AN INCIDENT. WHERE IN A LITTLE KID WITH RIDING A LITTLE SCOOTER. RANDALL THIS IS ON
[01:20:01]
ADAMS STREET. SO MY CONCERN IS THE PEOPLE. AND IT'S GONNA GET WORSE DURING THE SUMMERTIME WHEN THEY'RE OUT OF SCHOOL. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO PRESENT TO THIS. COUNCIL. SO I DON'T NEED NO TWO MINUTES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR BURTON. MR BURTON. IF YOU HOLD ON AFTER THE MEETING, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A TALK WITH YOU FOR A BIT, OKAY? ALRIGHT. MICHAEL FENNELL. 30 TO 55. CARTWRIGHT, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. 30 TO 50. EVERY TIME WE TURN OUR HEADS TO THE OTHER WAY WHEN WE SEE FLAWED LAWS. WHEN WE TOLERATE WHAT WE KNOW TO BE WRONG. WHEN WE CLOSE OUR EYES AND EARS TO THE CORRUPT BECAUSE WE ARE BECAUSE WE ARE TOO BUSY OR FRIGHTENED. WHEN WE FAIL TO SPEAK UP AND SPEAK OUT. WHEN WE STRIKE A BLOW AGAINST FREEDOM, DECENCY AND JUSTICE ROBERT F. KENNEDY. I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN ME UP HERE BEFORE RECENTLY, UM NO. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE JUDGES, BUT IT DOES AFFECT THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE I AM AFRICAN AMERICAN, AND WE HAVE A COMMUNITY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS. I WAS TOLD BY MY JUDGE THAT UM, ARE SUPPOSED TO RESOLVE MY SITUATION BY FINDING ANOTHER JOB. WELL I LIKE TO STAND HERE IN FRONT OF THE COMMUNITY AND TELL THE JUDGE THAT GOD MADE ME AFRICAN AMERICAN. I HAD NO CHOICE. YOU'RE TELLING ME TO RUN? I'LL BE RUNNING FOREVER BECAUSE RACISM IS GOING NOWHERE. I PROMISED ALL OF YOU THAT I WILL EXPOSE THE CITY AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED. UM AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THE YOUNG LADY. THIS IS NOT JUST HAPPENING IN THE MUSIC HAPPENING ALL OVER THE PLACE. UM THERE'S A GENTLEMAN THAT I SPOKE TO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN ACTIVIST, BUT I'M DISAPPOINTED. UH HE'S BUSY GOING AROUND TALKING ABOUT NAMES ON DIFFERENT PLACES. WHAT WE HAVE AFRICAN AMERICANS AND MINORITIES. EATING CRAP AND HAVE TO ACT LIKE IT'S ICE CREAM IN OUR WORK. PLACE. I'M GOING TO COME BACK NEXT WEEK. THIS WAS GIVEN TO ME BY SOME GROUPS AND WASHINGTON, D. C AND VIRGINIA AND I WILL EXPLAIN THIS TO EVERYONE. UM THE ENERGY IN WHICH I'M TALKING ABOUT WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH WHAT THEY DID TO MY FAMILY AND A 13 YEAR OLD CHILD, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE CHILDREN AND TO HAVE ADULTS. TO BEHAVE IN THIS WAY AND ATTACK CHILDREN IS UNNECESSARY AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE GONE. AND IT'S NOT GONNA THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET AWAY WITH IT. I HAVE INFORMATION. I HAVE EVIDENCE, HAVE YEARS AND YEARS OF DOCUMENTATION THAT WILL BE, UM, AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AFTER AUGUST OF THIS YEAR, AND YOU NO OTHER CITY WILL BELIEVE WHAT YOU HEAR, SEE? AND WHAT YOU WILL FIND OUT WHAT THIS CITY IS ALL ABOUT, AND I'M DISAPPOINTED. AND I'M I'M DONE. I'M DISAPPOINTED IN THIS CITY, THE CITY OFFICIALS, THE COMMISSIONERS AND EVERYONE WHO KNOWS WHAT THE CITY HAS DONE TO THE MINORITY. THE MINORITIES AND THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO BE ACCEPTED IN ORDER TO UM, GET EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORKPLACE IN DIFFERENT SCENARIOS IS JUST IS UNACCEPTABLE AND WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THAT. I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE CHANGED. WE'RE LOOKING AT ME. OH, THIS AND THAT THAT CRAZY STUFF THAT EXPERT THAT THE EX EMPLOYER TRIED TO PLAY. WE'RE GONNA WE'RE GONNA SHOW SOME THINGS AND YOU'RE GONNA BE DISAPPOINTED. OH HOW FAR THEY WENT TO SABOTAGE ME AND MY FAMILY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR FOR NOW. STEVEN HOFFMAN, 70 45 BLARNEY STREET. BEAUMONT, TEXAS. MADAM MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL STAFF. THE PLANNING SESSION THIS AFTERNOON THIS MORNING. WAS VERY GOOD. VERY ATTENDED AND I'VE GOT GOOD INFORMATION WHICH THAT ALWAYS COME EASY THESE DAYS. AND AS FAR AS WHAT? WHAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS. I'VE NOTICED RECENTLY. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S CODE WORDS BEING USED AND WHAT THE SESSION IS GOING TO BE DISCUSSED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, COLOR NAMES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. IT'S HARD TO FIGURE OUT JUST WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. FROM THAT KIND OF CONCERNING UM , I KNOW THAT THIS IS HIS TEXAS YOU KNOW HOW THAT GOES. AND THERE WAS SOME GROUPS BACK WHEN[01:25:06]
YOU TALK. THEY TALK ABOUT BUYING THE 18 T BUILDING, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS EXPENSIVE AND THEN IN THE COUNCIL VOTED TO TEAR IT DOWN. THEY WERE UPSET. THEY'RE ALREADY MAD ABOUT THEIR WATER.BIG TIME, MAN. IN THE WAR ASIO NEXT DOOR. THEY'RE RESEARCHING. IN THIS CASE IN THE CHARTER. HOW DID YOU RE COMPETITIONS? SO I MEAN, THIS IS YOU KNOW? WE NEED TO BE PUBLIC AND BEING LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. MAKE IT A POINT TO BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING. I ASK YOUR QUESTIONS. I KNOW MOST OF YOU ALL. AND YOU KNOW YOU SEE ME COME COME TO YOU AND ASK QUESTIONS AND GET EXPLANATIONS AND MAKES SENSE. I'M NOT HEADED ONE THING THAT YOU HAVE TOLD ME THAT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE THAT IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. BUT SOME PEOPLE THEY PICK UP BITS AND PIECES AND THEY CONNECT THEM. HOWEVER, THEY WANT TO AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE CONSPIRING AGAINST THE PUBLIC. AND I DON'T SEE THAT IN ANY ONE OF YOU. BUT THAT'S BEST FOR ANOTHER DAY. BUT ANYWAY, I DO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE THIS EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS IN DISCUSSION. YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE BATTLESHIP TEXAS IN THE I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A POSITIVE IT I KNOW THAT THERE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO SUGGESTED IT. THAT'S THAT TO ME . I DON'T CARE LONG AS IT SOLVES THE PROBLEM, AND I THINK THAT THE END IT'S GOOD FOR THE CITY.
BUT THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. YOU KNOW, YOU'LL HAVE YOUR OPINIONS. BUT IF WE GET THE REAR FRONT AND MAKE IT FUNCTIONAL AND IF WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE US KIND OF A SPECIAL CITY. THAT'S GOING TO DRAW PEOPLE. AND WHEN THINGS WHEN YOU WHEN YOU DO A BUSINESS PLAN YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY ASK YOU IN THE BANK WHEN THEY GIVE YOU A LOAN. IS WHAT'S THE HOW MANY PEOPLE COME THROUGH THIS LOCATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING TO SPEND THIS IN WORDS? WHAT? WHAT'S THE FOOT TRAFFIC? AND IF WE CAN BRING A SHIP IN AND THAT BRINGS FOOT TRAFFIC DOWNTOWN CAN'T HELP BUT PROSPER FROM IT. YOU KNOW, AND YOU SPEND SOME MONEY TO MAKE SOME MONEY. MY DAD TOLD ME THAT WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID, MY GRANDFATHER TOO. HE WAS KIND OF GERMAN. SO HE'S GOT TO TELL YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT TO, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT. BUT I MEAN, IT'S JUST WHERE I MET AND I'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO TELL YOU THE HONEST ANSWER. GIVE YOU GOOD FEEDBACK.
BECAUSE IN ALL IN ALL THAT GETS US THE BETTER PLACE AND GET THERE FASTER. SO I MEAN, THAT'S JUST MEAN. AND I DO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND I ESPECIALLY THIS LAST PART ABOUT TRYING TO DISCUSS THINGS MORE OPENLY IN PUBLIC. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING NOWADAYS. THANK YOU. MR HOFFMAN. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THE ONE THING I WILL SAY IS THAT YOU ARE VERY, VERY ACTIVE AND YOU'VE ALWAYS ATTENDED CITY COUNCIL MEETING. SO YOU'RE VERY INFORMED AND, YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? BECAUSE YOU'RE HEARING YOU HEAR IT, SO THANK YOU. SO THAT IS ALL OF OUR
[COMMENTS]
PUBLIC COMMENTS. SO AT THIS TIME , I WILL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS AND I'LL START WITH YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. SAMUEL. COUNCIL MEMBER PHIL SHAW.COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER. YES MA'AM, HAVE A COMMENT. A UH, CITY MANAGER, CAN YOU KINDA WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE, HE EMAILED ME AND WHAT WE DO THE PROCESS OF YOU KNOW, HOW WOULD I PARTS WE GO AROUND AND REVIEW THE STATUS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PARKS ONCE WHOEVER'S DOING THE REVIEWING WHO THEY ACTUALLY REPORTED TO ONCE THE REPORT IS TURNED IN. CAN WE KIND OF KNOW? WHAT ARE THE FINDINGS OF THE REPORT? CAN WE SEE A RECORD RECOMMENDATIONS WERE MADE TO FIX CERTAIN THINGS , AND I JUST THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE JUST HAD AN INCIDENT. IT IS NOT ALICE KEYPORT AT THE IMAGINATION STATION AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING ALL PREVENTIVE MEASURES POSSIBLE THAT THE CITY NEVER GETS IN LIABILITY DUE TO YOU KNOW, NATE LEONARD NEGLIGENCE OF THE PARK SO EXCELLENT THING. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU CAN GET ME THAT INFORMATION AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE REPORTS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GOODS. THANK YOU.
MAYOR FOR THE SECOND WEEK IN A ROW. THE JEFFERSON THEATER WAS ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF ORGAN MUSIC. TWO WEEKS AGO, WE HAD PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, NOT THE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER VERSION, BUT THE ORIGINAL SOLID FILM THAT CAME OUT IN 1925 AND IT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY AN ORGANIST PLAYED NONSTOP FOR 2.5 HOURS LIKE THEY USED TO DO. WITH SOLID MOVIES, AND IT WAS INCREDIBLE THAN THIS PAST WEEK THEY HAD A ANOTHER MOVIE THAN ANOTHER ORGANIST PERFORM FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF. AGAIN NONSTOP AND PRIOR TO THE MOVIE. HE JUST DID A RECITAL OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SONGS. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION, THOUGH, IS THAT THE ORGAN, THE ROBERT MORTON ONE TO OREGON, WHICH WAS INSTALLED IN THAT THEATER, 1927. NEEDS TO BE EXERCISED. AND PLAYED EVEN FOR 15 MINUTES. ON A REGULAR BASIS REGULAR WEEKLY BASIS AND SO I'M
[01:30:07]
HOPING THAT WE HAVE SOMEBODY HERE IN THE CITY THAT CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT, BECAUSE DUST COLLECTS IN THE PIPES. KEY STARTS, STICKING HUMIDITY CHANGES, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS CAN AFFECT THE ABILITY OF THE OREGON TO DO ITS BEST, AND WE'VE SPENT SO MUCH TIME EFFORT AND MONEY. GETTING THE ORGAN UP AND RUNNING AGAIN. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S PROPERLY MAINTAINED ON A WEEKLY BASIS. SO IF YOU COULD LOOK INTO THAT, MR MANAGER, I'D APPRECIATE IT.THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, DORIA YES. MAYBE I JUST WANT TO SAY THERE ARE SOME SOME SUMMER PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO KIDS HAVE SOME ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE HAVE SOME ON THE CITY'S FACEBOOK PAGE, MR MARCELO AND OVER AT PARA STREET WELLNESS CENTER OLD MELTING Y. THEY HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT HE'S BEEN WORKING WITH THE SETUP SUMMER PROGRAMS ALSO, SO WE COULD HAVE SOMETHING FOR THOSE KIDS TO DO HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MR RETO. THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO BUY THIS PROPERTY FOR A WHILE. HOPEFULLY THEY WILL BE ABLE TO BUY IT. AND I THINK ONE MR LA DO YOU STILL MAKE TAMALES? I'M GONNA GET SOMETHING FROM BECAUSE THEY'RE GOOD. ALSO THE PARADE SOONER. BRUCE AND ALSO THAT'S ALL. OKAY MS. COUNCIL MEMBER DURIO. THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER.
NO COMMENT. THANK YOU. AND CITY ATTORNEY. WELL UM I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU FOR COMING, AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO COMMENT THAT THIS PODIUM. UM. IT'S ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR ANY CITIZEN. WE WILL NOT STOP A CITIZEN UNLESS IT'S MISCONDUCT FROM MAKING YOUR COMMENTS. WHEN I MADE THE COMMENT OF DISTRICT COURT VERSUS MUNICIPAL COURT. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO EXPLAIN THAT THE CITY AND CITY COUNCIL IS RESPONSIBLE AND OUR JURISDICTION ITS MUNICIPAL COURT. UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE JUST MAKING A VERBAL UH, PUBLIC STATEMENT BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO MAKE YOUR STATEMENT PUBLICLY. AND AT A PODIUM THAT ADDRESSES UH, THE CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT, WHICH YOUR WHICH YOU ARE ALLOWED TO IT'S JUST THAT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE AWARE THAT BEAUMONT MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. THAT IS NOT OUR JURISDICTION, BUT AS LONG AS YOU SPEAK DECENT AND IN ORDER. THAT IS NOT A PROBLEM TO ALWAYS COME TO THE PODIUM. IN ADDITION, UM. THERE WAS THERE WERE COMMENTS MADE CONCERNING OUR YOUTH AND THE CRIME THAT IS FLOODING OUR CITY. AND PLEASE STAY TUNED BECAUSE THERE WILL BE SOME DISCUSSIONS. AS TO UM INVOLVEMENT. WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND WHERE WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED. WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT. IT WILL ALL BE, UM. HOW CAN I SAY, UM WITHIN THE LAW? WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LAW IS IN FORCE. BUT WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH JUVENILE'S AND YOU'RE DEALING WITH UH, JUVENILES THAT ARE. NOT ADHERING TO THE LAW. THERE'S JUST CERTAIN THINGS AS I MEAN, THERE'S A PALLET E THAT CAN BE ENFORCED. BUT WITHIN THE LAW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL CITIZENS ARE PROTECTED. AND EVERY CITIZEN IS GOVERNED BY THE LAW. SO WITH
[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
THAT BEING SAID, WE WILL RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY AND REMEMBER TO SPREAD THE LOVE. THANK YOU.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.