Aug 16, 2022 City Council

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:02]

MM. AND WELCOME TO THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BEAUMONT CITY COUNCIL. TODAY IS TUESDAY.

AUGUST 16TH. AND TODAY'S INVOCATION WILL BE GIVEN BY PASTOR TOMMY WILLIAMS OF TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. BEFORE WE STAND, MISS PASTOR WILLIAMS. YOU CAN'T COME TO THE PODIUM. I WILL ASK IF EVERYONE PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONES. PLEASE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNSEL AND STAFF. THANK YOU FOR THE WELCOME. LET'S PRAY LORD REGATHERED TO DO THE WORK OF OUR CITY AND WE THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ELECTED OR APPOINTED TO FULFILL THAT RESPONSIBILITY. GOD WE PRAY YOUR BLESSING ON EACH ONE OF THEM AND ON THE WORK THAT THEY DO THIS DAY. WE PRAY NOT ONLY FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE CITY'S WORK BUT WE PRAY THIS DAY FOR THE WAY IN WHICH THE WORK IS DONE. WE KNOW LORD THAT YOU CARE ABOUT THE WORK AND THE SPIRIT OF THE WORK. SO BLESS EACH COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR STAFF AND THOSE ATTENDING TODAY. TO DO THE WORK AND TRUSTED WITH HUMILITY WITH GRACE WITH INSIGHT WISDOM. WE THANK YOU FOR THE GIFTS OF EACH PERSON SERVING. AND WE PRAY YOU WOULD GUIDE THEM TOWARD WHAT IS BEST FOR ALL OF OUR SUDDEN CITIZENS. HELP THEM TO BE FUTURE FOCUSED, PEOPLE CENTERED TRUSTING IN YOUR SPIRIT TO GIVE THEM PLACES OF AGREEMENT AND UNITY WHERE IT IS MOST NEEDED. GOD WE THANK YOU FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO STEP FORWARD TO SERVE. WE KNOW IT'S AN AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY AND WE GIVE THANKS FOR THE SACRIFICES THEY GIVE EACH AND EVERY DAY TO DO THAT. WE PRAY YOUR BLESSINGS UPON THEM THIS DAY AND ALL THE DAYS OF THEIR LIFE. WE HAD THIS ASKED THIS PRAYER IN YOUR HOLY NAME. AMEN PLEASE JOIN US IF YOU SO CHOOSE. TO THE PLACE. ABOUT NATION'S FLAG. I PLAYED THE LEADERS. UNDERSTATES IN AMERICA. ONE DIVISION. THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE THE ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

PUTIN PRESIDENT PRO TEM DURIO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER GETS PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER, TURNER COUNCIL MEMBER PHIL SHAW, PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER SAMUEL PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL MEMBER,

[Proclamations, Presentations and Recognitions]

AGAIN IT'S DIFFICULT FOR CITY MANAGER. WE'RE THE ONLY ONES IN THE TOWN WITH THAT TITLE, AND

[00:05:01]

STRAIGHT HAND. THEY'RE COUSINS. AND SHE ALSO AUTHORIZED ME TO TAKE THIS ASSIGNMENT, BUT ALL THE BECAUSE IT GETS HER CLOSER TO HER GRANDKIDS OTHERWISE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HARD TO GET HER TO GO ALONG WITH THIS. BUT I THINK HER FOR HER SECOND FIVE. THIS IS WHAT YOU'VE DONE. UH FOR ALLOWING US TO DO THIS BECAUSE IT'S US. WE COME AS A TEAM. BASICALLY IT'S NOT JUST ME. I COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT HER SAYING, OKAY, I'M FINE WITH IT. AH HOWEVER FUN, EFFECTIVE INTRODUCTION. I'VE ASKED A COUPLE OF LONGTIME FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES TO COME AND SHARE A FEW MINUTES WITH YOU ABOUT ME. SOMETIMES SOMEONE ELSE CAN TELL YOUR STORY BETTER THAN YOU, SO I'M GONNA ASK TWO PEOPLE. MR THOMAS, TALLER FROM SALES SPEAKING, SHERIFF, YOU WORDS WITH YOU AND MR BOB KILLED HIM OF LUMBERTON AND MR TYLER WOULD GO FIRST. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. BUT Y'ALL FOR ALLOW ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY ON MR WILLIAM BEHALF. I'LL TAKE CARE OF THE HONOR TO BE ABLE TO HEAR BE UP HERE TO SPEAK TO HIM. TO YOU ALL CONCERNING HIM. I'VE BEEN KNOWING HIM FOR 20 SOMETHING YEARS AND I'M TELLING YOU, I THINK BEAUMONT GONNA BE BLESSED AND HAVE HIM AH! I MEAN, WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET. HEY, DO PUT IN HOW IT WORKS. AND THEY ALWAYS TELL BE HARD WORK PAYS OFF. AND SO I THINK HE'S GONNA BE A GREAT ACCESS TO YOUR COMMUNITY. AND IF YOU EVER NEED MY ASSISTANT I'M RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. UH 25 25 MILES DOWN THE ROAD AND STILL BE WHERE I'M LOCATED. AND UH, YOU KNOW, BACK IN. THANK YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOMEWHERE I CAN BE A LITTLE BIT OFF OF MY YEARS. BUT I THINK YOU KNOW FIVE WE TRIED TO HIRE HIM. OKAY AND WE HAD A SEVEN MORE VOTES TO HEARING AND BY THE TIME HE WENT BACK TO LEFT AND GIVE IT TWO WEEK NOTICE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST MONEY FLEW UP.

WELL SMALL COUNTRY TOWN LIKE SILVER, WE COULDN'T GET OUT THERE. UH, BUT I APPRECIATE HIM.

WHEN HE TRIED WHEN HE DID FLY FOR US. I MEAN, WE WANT HIM, BUT WE JUST COULDN'T PUT THE MONEY OUT THERE AND LOVE CAN UP THE MONEY TO MAKE SURE THEY KEPT HIM HOME. BUT I THINK IT'S GONNA HE'S GONNA BE GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JUST LYING WITH CHANCE TO WORK WITH EVERYBODY. I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A BIG DIFFERENCE. AND, UH, CHRIS, I'VE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH YOU. I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK YOU'VE DONE. AND I REALLY, REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO JUST SITTING BACK AND JUST WATCHING YOU YOU TO OPERATE. I THINK YOU'RE GONNA I THINK THAT TEAM WILL COME TOGETHER WELL, AND THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP HERE AND SPEAK ON WILLIAMS. AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND YOUR THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WELL MADAM MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE. MY NAME IS BOB KILLER. UH SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY NOW, BUT BEEN COACH KILLED THEM ALL MY LIFE JUST ABOUT AH, MATTER OF FACT. UH MR SAMUEL OVER THERE. HIS DAUGHTER KICKED OUR BUTT.

WHEN I WAS COACHING IN LUMBERTON. SHE WAS AT OH, XAN. LOOK AT HIM SITTING BACK THERE LIKE A PROUD DADDY. WELL YOU BETTER BE. SHE'S GOOD. AND UH, BUT I DID HAVE THE HONOR OF COACHING THOMAS TYLER'S DAUGHTER AT SILSBY. ALRIGHT, SO YOU KNOW I'VE SPORTS IS HAS BEEN BIG TO ME. UH, IF IT'S ALRIGHT, I'D LIKE CAN I BRING KENNETH UP HERE FOR JUST A SECOND? SURE. AND I'VE KNOWN KENNETH THE BETTER PART OF 50 YEARS WE WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER. WE GRADUATED 1974 FROM LEFT LEFT IN HIGH SCHOOL. AND WHEN WE PLAYED SPORTS TOGETHER, LUFKIN AND WELD AND YOU KNOW AND IN COLLEGE NOW, BACK THEN. WE WERE SKINNY AS A RAIL. AND WE PROBABLY HAD THE TWO BIGGEST AFROS AND ALL THE SOUTHEAST AND EAST TEXAS. NOW I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

AND LOOK AT US RIGHT NOW. I'VE GOT VERY LITTLE HAIR LEFT. KENNETH HADN'T GOT ANY. ALRIGHT PUT ON ABOUT £60. SINCE THEN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET IN THE KITCHEN. WE WON'T GO THAT FAR.

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I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT HE'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT HE'S DONE. HE WAS A GOOD STUDENT IN SCHOOL. GREAT ATHLETE. BLAME IT OR NOT. UH BUT HE ALSO YOU KNOW, IN OUR MY PROFESSION AS A COACH, WE OVERLAPPED. HE WAS A REFEREE AND I WAS A COACH. GREAT REFEREE EVEN GOT TO REF IN THE STATE TOURNAMENT. WHICH IS AWESOME IN OUR BOOK. HE AND CYNTHIA HAVE BEEN MARRIED. 42 YEARS. IS THAT RIGHT? ALL RIGHT, AND HE'S BEEN A WONDERFUL HUSBAND. WONDERFUL DAD. AND HE'S HE'S DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB AND CITY GOVERNMENTS HAVE. WE'D LIKE TO SAY WE'VE WE'VE STAYED TOGETHER ALL THESE YEARS. AND IT'S KIND OF IRONIC. UH WHEN I RETIRED THE FIRST TIME MOVED TO CENTRAL TEXAS TO BE BY GRANDKIDS ARE AND WE MOVED TO BEAUTY TEXAS BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AND GUESS WHO WENT RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM US? ALL RIGHT, AND, UH HE WAS. HE WAS A PEOPLE AND BEAUTIFUL GREATLY RESPECTED HIM AND LOVED HIM. A MATTER OF FACT I GOT HE GOT ME TO SERVE ON THE FIRST EVER BEAUTY BOND. COMMITTEE AND WE PAY. BUTA WAS THE FASTEST GROWING TOWN IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND Y'ALL DO Y'ALL KNOW WHERE BUTA IS? I KNOW YOU DO NOW, AFTER YOU'VE TALKED TO HIM, PROBABLY ALL RIGHT, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DIDN'T PLAN IT THAT WAY. THE INFRASTRUCTURE WAS NEAR WHAT IT SHOULD BE, SO HE HAD HIS HANDS FULL. BUT HE'S DONE IT TREMENDOUS JOB AND LIKE HE WORKED THERE FOR 14 YEARS, AND I GUESS, AFTER 14 YEARS, YOU CAN CALL ANYTHING BEAUTY AFTER A WHILE, RIGHT? SO, BUT HE'S DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB. AND I'D LIKE TO CLOSE OUT ON ONE THING. THIS IS GONNA SOUND A LITTLE BIT MORBID. BUT I'VE AFRICA HAVE MET SOME WONDERFUL PEOPLE IN MY LIFE. I'VE TAUGHT THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS AND I'M STILL TEACHING. IT COULDN'T HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT NOW. AND I'VE WORKED WITH HUNDREDS OF WONDERFUL PEOPLE. BUT I TOLD KENNETH ONE TIME AND WE KIND OF HAVE A LITTLE PACKED. THAT IF I PASSED BEFORE HE DID, HE'S GONNA BE IN A PALLBEARER IN MY FUNERAL. AND FOR ME, THAT'S INTEGRITY IS VERY BIG. AND HONOR AND IT WOULD BE AN HONOR TO ME. EVEN YOU CAN YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CAN ONLY HAVE A HANDFUL OF THOSE AND HE WOULD CERTAINLY BE ONE FOR ME AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW I LOVE YOU, BROTHER. AND IF YOU GIVE HIM A CHANCE YOU LOVE HIM, TOO. AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING HIM THIS OPPORTUNITY. AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE UP HERE IN FRONT OF YOU. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. BOB AND THOMAS.

I'LL PAY YOU LATER FOR THOSE KINDS. THANK YOU. AH JUST A FEW THINGS BEFORE I SIT DOWN. UH, COUPLE OF MORE COMMENT. AH! I PLAY IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE PEOPLE OF BEAUMONT TO BRING PASSION. TO THE JOB DEDICATION TO THE CITY. LOYALTY TO THIS COMMUNITY. INTEGRITY TO PUT TO THE POSITION TRUST WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION AND FORMING THE BEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY. BUT I CANNOT DO IT ALONE IS GONNA TAKE ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM AND EVERYONE IN THIS REGION WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE US THE BEST. THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL TO PROVIDE THE POLICY AND GUIDANCE AND ALLOWED ME AS A CITY MANAGER TO PROVIDE THE EXECUTION OF STAFF AND RESOURCES. EXCUSE ME TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS. ALSO WON'T STAFF TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE THE KEY. SO WE ARE HERE FOR YOU.

SOME OF THE GOALS I WANT TO EMPHASIZE AMONG THE OTHERS. YOU'VE HEARD ONE EMPHASIZE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND DRIVING ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY, EFFECTIVENESS AND RESPONSE TO CUSTOMER REQUESTS WHILE BEING PROACTIVE INTERNALLY AS WELL AS EXTERNALLY. TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. BAUBLE CITIES HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE IF THEY ARE TO DRIVE IT COMICALLY THRIVE ECONOMICALLY. WE MUST RECRUIT CREATE NEW BUSINESS WHILE RETAINING AND TAKING CARE OF EXISTING BUSINESS AND PARTNERSHIPS. THREE STRATEGIC PLANNING. NOT HAVING A CURRENT PLAN IS HAVING NO PLAN AT ALL. WE WILL WORK WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS. COUNCIL AND STAFF TO STEP ESTABLISHED SOLID PLANS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND FOUR EMPHASIZE A SAFE COMMUNITY, WITH

[00:15:05]

KATHERINE JOHNSON SUCCESSFULLY COMPUTED THE LENDING PARTNERS FROM THE JOHN GLENN AND HIS SUCCESSFUL FRIENDSHIP SEVEN FLIGHT BETTER THAN THE IBM COMPUTER. AFTER THE FLIGHT MISSION COMMANDER HARRISON ASKED CATHERINE IF WE COULD NOW GO TO THE MOON. CAPTAIN. THE ANSWER WAS WAS WE ARE ALREADY THERE. SO FOR THOSE WHO ASK BEAUMONT. CAN WE GO TO THE MOON? MY ANSWER IS WE ARE ALREADY THERE. BLESS LET'S GO FORWARD ENERGY.

OKAY MR WILLIAMS. LET ME CATCH MY BREATH. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND, UM. WE ARE ALREADY ON THE MOON. ALSO I WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT TO THE HAIR SITUATION. MY PASTOR ALWAYS SAID IT JUST LEFT. I WOULD LIKE FOR ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT ARE IN THE AUDIENCE TO PLEASE STAND.

DIRECTORS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS. PLEASE STAND. AND OF COURSE, UM , YOU HEAR US TALK ABOUT ANGIE.

IF YOU CALL DOWN HERE AND YOU'RE GONNA GET ANGIE EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE AN ANGIE AND ANGIE IS TO THE BACK OF THE ROOM AND THE WAVE YOUR HAND. ANGIE IS MY ASSISTANT AND ALSO THE ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER. AND OF COURSE WE HAVE OUR NEW CHAMBER PRESIDENT. THAT'S ALSO IN THE AUDIENCE. WILL YOU PLEASE STAND THANK YOU. YEAH. AND I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER BOBBY PATTERSON. I STARTED WARD FOUR. BOBBY PATTERSON. FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER THANK YOU. SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE THIS MEETING AHEAD. SO NOW IS THE TIME FOR ANY CITIZEN WHO WOULD WISH TO SPEAK ON CONSENT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE. IF YOU HAVEN'T 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 AND SHE WILL CALL YOUR NAME FOR YOU TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM TO SPEAK.

GREEN LIGHT WILL COME ON AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR THREE MINUTES. RED LIGHT WOULD COME ON AT THE INTERVIEW THREE MINUTES. I DON'T HAVE ANY AT THIS TIME, MAYOR. OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO

[2. CONSENT AGENDA]

QUESTIONNAIRE COUNCIL MEMBER CHINA. MR INTERIM FOR ITEM NUMBER D I NOTICED THAT. THE PRICE WAS 189,000 WITH THE BID FROM BITTER AND 349,316 WITH THE BID FROM FORT WORTH. WHAT WHAT DO WE ESTIMATE THE SCOPE OF WORK TO BE IN? YOU KNOW, WHY DID THEY COME IN? IN YOUR OPINION IS THE DISCREPANCY IN THE NUMBER SUCH A BIG AMOUNT. THAT WE HAVE AN ESTIMATION OF WHAT THE COST WOULD BE. KEITH KEITH FOLSOM'S OUR FACILITY DIRECTOR. WHO'S OVER THIS, KEITH, DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THIS ONE. YEAH WE WERE. WE WERE EXPECTING IT TO BE AROUND THE 1 51 60 RANGE SO YOU KNOW, I CAN'T EXPLAIN OR SOMEBODY BEARDS, YOU KNOW 300,000 VERSUS THAT. WE FEEL CONFIDENT MORE SUPPORT IMPROVING, HAS DONE NUMEROUS JOHN'S HORSE IN THE PAST. SO I FEEL CONFIDENT WITH HIS PRICE AND THE WORK THAT WILL BE PERFORMED. OKAY. THANK YOU.

THAT'S ALL I WAS LOOKING FOR. MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBER DURIO ITEM G. IT'S ABOUT THE TASERS A

[00:20:09]

[Review and discuss the proposed FY 2023 Budget]

MAYOR AND COUNCIL. SO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY IS A PRESENTATION WORKSHOP ON THE F Y. 23 BUDGET.

YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET. UM AND JUST SO EVERYONE EVERYONE KNOWS WE'LL HAVE WORK SESSION TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED BUDGET. TODAY WE'LL HAVE A WORK SESSION NEXT WEEK TO DISCUSS IN DETAIL THE CAPITAL PLAN. CSI. AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND NOTE THAT I BELIEVE WE'VE HIT A MILESTONE IN OUR CITY BUDGETING. WE HAVE WE HAVE CROSSED THE $300 MILLION MARK IN OUR BUDGET FOR THE FIRST TIME. AND WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IN SLIDE. ONE IS ESSENTIALLY THE SOURCE OF REVENUES FOR THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND. AND YOU'LL SEE A BREAKDOWN THERE IN THE PIE CHART WHERE THE LARGEST SOURCE OF OUR REVENUES ARE PROPERTY TAXES AND SALES TAXES WITH THE THIRD. THE THIRD HIGHEST AMOUNT IN THE INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS. AND SO HERE, YOU'LL SEE IF YOU LOOK ACROSS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FY 22 BUDGET, WHICH WE'RE IN NOW THE SECOND COLUMN COMPARED TO THE FY 23 BUDGET, WHICH IS OUR PROPOSED BUDGET. YOU'LL SEE INCREASES IN PROPERTY TAXES. AND LATER IN THIS MEETING WILL ASK YOU TO SET A PROPOSED RATE WHICH RELATES TO THAT PROPERTY TAX. SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT MORE IN THE IN THE IN THE COMING SLIDES. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT, OF COURSE, THE PROPERTY TAX VALUES OR ARE TIED TO APPRAISAL VALUES, WHICH THIS THIS YEAR ARE UP. WHICH IS GOOD . YOU'LL ALSO LOOK AT THE SECOND LINE ITEMS, SALES AND USE TAXES IN THE SECOND COLUMN COMPARED TO THE FOURTH WHICH AGAIN YOU'LL SEE. THOSE ARE INCREASED, WHICH AGAIN. IS UP. WE ATTRIBUTE THAT INCREASE. UH. FOR A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE IS, OF COURSE, INFLATION. AFFECTS THIS NUMBER. UM WHICH IS GOOD IN THAT WE GET HIGHER REVENUE. THE BAD NEWS IS AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN A MINUTE. IT AFFECTS EVERYTHING WE DO, JUST LIKE AT OUR HOUSE AT HOME. INFLATION IS KIND OF AFFECTING US ALL. SO THIS IS ON THE REVENUE SIDE, WHICH HELPS BUT WILL ALSO HAVE TO TALK ABOUT HOW IT'S AFFECTING US IN THE EXPENSE SIDE. THE OTHER LINE ITEM I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS IF YOU LOOK DOWN IN YOUR GOVERNMENTAL REVENUES YOU'LL SEE IN FY 22 THE SECOND COLUMN. $3 MILLION. INJECTION THERE AND THEN 22 PROPOSED TO BE $7 MILLION. THOSE ARE RELATED TO THE COVID ART FUNDS. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, IN THE COMING SLIDE. SO AGAIN. THIS IS THE REVENUE SIDE OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET. AND THIS SLIDE IS. ESSENTIALLY YOU'LL SEE THE YEARS OF COURSE LISTED ALONG WITH THE PROPOSED TAX RATE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET TODAY. AND WHAT WILL ASK YOU TO

[00:25:06]

[00:30:11]

YOU CAN SEE ALSO A. A LOT OF THE INITIAL FUNDS WERE GOING TO WATER AND SEWER. SOME OF THAT GOING TO WELL, THE GOOD THING ABOUT THAT IS THE MORE WE WERE ABLE TO USE ART FUNDING FOR WATER AND SEWER, LESS BOND MONEY. WE HAVE TO BORROW. WHICH AGAIN HELPS US TRY TO AVOID A HIGHER WATER AND SEWER RATE INCREASE, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE. THEN YOU'LL SEE THE SECOND TRANCHE OF ART MONEY. HERE AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE WE'RE PROPOSING TO ALLOCATE $7 MILLION TO THE GENERAL FUND. $3 MILLION TO SHORE UP THE COVID 19 FUN. AS YOU KNOW, DURING THE HEIGHT OF COVID WE WE'RE EXPENDING A LOT OF FUNDS, AND WE WERE ATTRIBUTING THEM ALL TO COVID WITH THE HOPE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RECOVER THOSE BUT THERE ARE CONCERNS THAT WITH EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE COUNTRY GOING TO FEMA FOR RECOVERY. WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND SHORE UP THAT FUN. YOU'LL SEE THEIR 2.54 AGAIN. SEWER REHAB AGAIN HELPS WITH OUR WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.

[00:35:04]

EMPLOYEES. AGAIN AS WE WANT TO TRY TO PROVIDE THE BEST SERVICE. WE CAN DO OUR CITIZENS. UM, WE WANT TO BOTH ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE BEST THAT WE CAN AND AS WE KNOW INFLATION IS AFFECTING US ALL. I THINK IT'S BEEN THE HIGHEST WE'VE SEEN IN FOUR DECADES. THINK DEPENDING UPON THE MONTH IT'S HITTING ABOUT 8% AND SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING A 3% INCREASE FOR CIVILIANS. PER THE AGREEMENT WITH FIRE IN THEIR FINAL YEAR OF THE AGREEMENT, 3% AND THEN WE'RE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR POLICE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THEIR NEXT AGREEMENT WOULD BE 4. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT AGREEMENT IS STILL IN NEGOTIATIONS. SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS, UH, FOCUSING ON WATER AND SEWER. FUND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER THAT BEAUMONT IS MORE THAN 180 YEARS OLD. THANKFULLY MOST OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT THAT OLD, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF IT, SO WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 865 MILES OF WATER LINES MEANS 760 MILES OF SEWER LINES. WE HAVE 45,000 WATER METERS. WE HAVE 10,900 MANHOLES, OF COURSE, HAVE WATER PLANT TREATMENT PLANT AND WATER TOWERS. THAT ALL HAS TO BE MAINTAINED. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP IN MIND THAT OUR WATER AND SEWER BUDGET OR SYSTEM IS AN ENTERPRISE SYSTEM, SO IT'S SELF SUSTAINING. AND SO IT. THE RATES THAT WE CHARGE FOR THE SYSTEM.

OR WHAT ARE WHAT ARE NEEDED TO ESSENTIALLY KEEP IT OPERATING LIKE IT SHOULD AND AGAIN. WE'LL BE TALKING SPECIFICALLY NEXT WEEK ABOUT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSED FOR THE WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AS YOU LOOK ACROSS THE WATER AND SEWER TABLE. YOU'LL SEE DEBT SERVICE THERE CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST OF EXPENDITURES. IS IT 17.32 MILLION, AND AGAIN THAT DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT GOES TO, OF COURSE, BONDS. WHICH ARE USED TO FUND THE SYSTEM. IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE EXCESS REVENUES OVER EXPENDITURES YOU'LL SEE GOING BACK TO 2021. WE. WELL LOOKING AT THIS YEAR. LET'S JUST SAY WE'RE THAT 1.8 MILLION. TO THE NEGATIVE IN TERMS OF REVENUES OVER EXPENDITURES. GOING DOWN TO THE NEXT LINE, YOU'LL SEE BEGINNING FUND BALANCE VERSUS ENDING FUN BALANCE. SO HERE IT'S PROBABLY GOOD TO LOOK BACK AT 2021 WHERE YOU SEE WE HAD AN ENDING FUND BALANCE AT 12.7 MILLION. AND THEN PROPOSED HERE, UM YOU KNOW WHERE THEY PROPOSED RATE INCREASE, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND IS $8.6 MILLION. IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THAT NUMBER BECAUSE YOU WE NEED A MINIMUM FUND BALANCE IN THIS CATEGORY OF 15. UM AND SO THIS IS JUST ABOVE THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 16. UM THE THING IS NOT ONLY SHOULD WE KEEP 15% FOR OPERATING IN CASE THINGS HAPPEN. Y'ALL DO RECALL WE HAD THE. THE ICE STORM AND THAT AFFECTS, YOU KNOW, AFFECTED OUR WATER SERVICE. UM THE OTHER THING IS IF WE FALL BELOW THE 15% FUND BALANCE WHEN WE GO OUT TO ISSUE WATER REVENUE BONDS THAT AFFECTS OUR RATES, SO ESSENTIALLY WILL BE PAYING MORE FOR THE MONEY THAT WE BORROW IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM. SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT WE ARE PROPOSING, UH IN THE FY 23 BUDGET. 8% INCREASE. TO WATER AND SEWER RATES. AGAIN THE IDEA IS TO KEEP THAT FUN BALANCE

[00:40:02]

THIS IS A ENTERPRISE FUND, WHICH MEANS IT'S SELF SUFFICIENT, BASED ON RATES CHARGED. AGAIN AFFECTED BY INFLATIONARY PRESSURES, FUEL PRICES, ETCETERA, UM. SO HERE AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE ENDING FUND BALANCE BACK IN 21 2.3. WHERE WE'RE PROPOSING TO BE NOW IS 2.5. BUT THIS IS WITH A PROPOSED RATE INCREASE. AND THE PROPOSED RATE INCREASE IS 1.5. DOLLARS.

SO IT WOULD. ADJUST THE RATE FROM $20.75 TO $22.25. AGAIN AS MENTIONED. LAST INCREASE WAS IN FY 22. THIS WOULD GENERATE AN ESTIMATED $657 1000 DOLLARS RATHER AND AGAIN. THE IDEA IS TO GET THAT FUND BALANCE UP ABOVE. 15% AND AGAIN, HERE'S THE HISTORY OF THE RIGHT INCREASES.

UH, OVER THE LAST MANY YEARS AGAIN, WE DID NOT HAVE AN INCREASE IN 9 10 11 12 15, 17 14,019 OR 2021. AS A COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES. HERE. YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE GARBAGE RATES WOULD DEFINITELY PUT US ON THE HIGHER SIDE COMPARED TO SOME OTHER CITIES. THE. BASED ON AN AVERAGE 6000 GALLON BILLING. IT WOULD PUT US ROUGHLY IN THE MIDDLE. WITH THE PROPOSED RATES.

NEXT SLIDE TALKS. UM, REFERS TO THE BENEFITS FUND. AND SEE HERE WHERE. THE EXCESS REVENUES OVER EXPENDITURES WERE ESTIMATED TO BE QUITE HIGHER THAN NORMAL. WE FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO AND AGAIN WE'RE JUST WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT WE ATTRIBUTE THIS TO A LOT OF ELECTIVE SURGERIES OR A MEDICAL PROCEDURES THAT MAYBE WEREN'T DURING DONE DURING COVID. THAT MAY BE IN A LOT OF THESE ARE BEING DONE NOW. AND SO AGAIN, THE IDEA HERE IS TO TRANSFER.

SOME MONEY IS IN TO SHORE UP THIS FUN. HOWEVER. AS PART OF THIS AGAIN IN ORDER TO. SHORE UP THE FUND. WE ARE, UNFORTUNATELY GOING TO HAVE TO ASK OUR EMPLOYEES TO HELP HELP US WITH THAT EFFORT. AND SO IN ADDITION TO THE MONIES WERE TRANSFERRING IN UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT AN INCREASE IN MEDICAL CONTRIBUTION. 10% DENTAL 3. PROPOSED THE COPAY WOULD INCREASE BY $10. THE DEDUCTIBLES WOULD INCREASE. 2 50. AND THEN THE COPAY WOULD INCREASE BY 2 50. AND AGAIN EVEN WITH THAT, EVEN WITH TRANSFERS IN. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE FUND BALANCE IN THAT FUN IS STILL. IT'S ACCEPTABLE, BUT IT'S LOWER THAN WE'D LIKE IT TO BE. IS MY FINAL.

[00:45:08]

COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL NEXT. PRIOR TO DOING THE BUDGET HEARING. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN WITH OUR MINIMUMS. AND I UNDERSTAND WE'RE DOING 3% ACROSS THE BOARD. BUT WE HAVE MINIMUMS. WE HAVE LABORERS MAKING $11.50. SO JUST SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THERE'S 3% TO SOMEONE MAKING A LIVING DOLLARS AND 50 CENTS CAN YOU KIND OF LET US KNOW WHAT THE BREAKDOWN OF THAT WOULD BE? AND DOLLARS AND CENTS. YES. OR SO WE DID. LOOK AT. WE DID LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WHO EARN THE LOWEST PAY AMOUNT, AND WE DO HAVE APPROXIMATELY WELL WE HAVE 26 IN THE LOWEST AND, UM.

ESSENTIALLY WE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT AND WE FEEL LIKE WE DO NEED TO REVIEW IT TO SEE IF WE CAN INCREASE IT FROM PERHAPS 11 TO 12. SOMETHING A BIT HIGHER THAN THE MINIMUM. AND I THINK WE WILL DO THAT THROUGH THE YEAR. I WILL SAY THAT HMM. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE TALK ABOUT YOU KNOW, YOU SEE CHICK FIL A OR BUCKY'S. AND THESE AND CERTAINLY WE'RE COMPETING WITH THOSE FOLKS. I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND, THOUGH, THAT WHEN YOU HAD THE BENEFITS THAT THE CITY OF BEAUMONT OFFERS THAT THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND AS WELL. BUT HAVING SAID THAT WE DO HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF HOW MANY FOLKS ARE EARNING. YOU KNOW, LESS THAN. WE'VE GOT SOME IN THE 14 13 12 AND $11 RANGE. AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO BUMP THAT UP TO A MINIMUM. SO AGAIN, WE CAN WE CAN STAY. FIRST OF ALL, PAY HIM FOR THE HARD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, BUT ALSO STAY COMPETITIVE. AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP JUST TO FOLLOW UP. UH FOR TWO WEEKS, A SALARY STUDY TO SHOW A COMPARISON OF WHAT WE ARE COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES.

OUTSIDES DON'T 100% COMFORTABLE FIELD. I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING WITHOUT KNOWING THE DATA TO PROVE THAT WE ARE COMPETITIVE. TWO CITIES OUTSIZE , I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IN THE CENTRAL THAT WE HAVE THIS INFORMATION PRIOR TO MAKING THESE DECISIONS. SPECIFICALLY CITIES THAT ARE OUTSIDE AND BIGGER. AND AGAIN. I THINK CHRIS CATALIN IS HERE BUT MAY CAN SPEAK BETTER TO THAT. BUT WE DO HAVE 26 EMPLOYEES MAKING $11.09 EARNING 12 34 EMPLOYEES EARNING 13. 27 EARNING 14. I KNOW. WE THINK CHRIS CHRISTMAS HERE UP THERE. I KNOW. HE, UH THERE ARE SOME OTHER CITIES IN OUR AREA. I THINK BAYTOWN HAD AN $11 PER HOUR. BUT WE HAVE SOME OTHER CITIES THAT WERE HIGHER THAN THAT. AND SO AGAIN. THE IDEA IS TO LOOK AT THOSE TO SEE WHAT MAKES SENSE. BASED ON THAT, UM I THINK, CHRIS WHEN YOU CONTACTED THEM, THEY'RE A LOT OF THE WORK WAS BEING DONE BY CONTRACTORS. ATTEMPTS WHEREAS BUT IF THEY WERE FULL TIME EMPLOYEES, IT WAS A HIGHER IT WAS HIGHER THAN WHAT WE'RE PAYING EXAMPLE. LIKE I KNOW WACO DOES NOTHING LOWER THAN $15 AN HOUR. SO I MEAN, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE JUST REALLY COMPETITIVE CITIES OUTSIDE PRIOR TO MAKING A DECISION, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DROPPING RATES, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE PRIOR TO DOING THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PAYING.

COMPETITIVE WAGES. I WOULD FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE KNOWING THAT PRIOR TO VOTING ON DROPPING THE RATE BEFORE CALLING YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FELL SHORT. I JUST WANT TO PICK IT BACK OFF OF FOOT COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER HAS SAID, IN ORDER FOR US TO MAINTAIN QUALITY EMPLOYEES THAT WILL STAY WITH US. AND WE DON'T HAVE THE MAJOR TURNOVER. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE.

[00:50:07]

UM AND SEE WHAT WE COULD DO. YOU KNOW, WITH SOME OF THE PART TIMERS ARE COMBINING SOME OF THE JOB DUTIES. SO THAT WE CAN BRING THIS MINIMUM WAGE. TO AT LEAST $15 AN HOUR. AND I THINK TO YOUR POINT WE WOULD I'M HEARING IS WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TOURNAMENT TURNOVER, BUT THAT SAID WITH THE INFLATION AND YOU KNOW AGAIN, I AGREE. WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T LOSE LOSE FOLKS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PHIL SHAW AND COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL THANK COUNCIL MEMBER GET CONCERNED, ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE HAVING TO WORK OUTSIDE. UH BUT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CITIZENS JUST AGAIN. REMIND EVERYBODY THAT UH, BUDGETING. A DEFICIT IS COMMON PRACTICE FOR US. ALTHOUGH UNDESIRABLE IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO AND AGAIN, I SOMETIMES I THINK WE GET CONFUSED BETWEEN COUNTY CITY AND APPRAISAL DISTRICT AGAIN. JUST REMIND EVERYONE WE'RE NOT THE ONES WHO RAISED THEIR PROPERTY TAX SO AS FAR AS THE VALUE OF THEIR HOME, I APOLOGIZE. WE DIDN'T RAISE THE VALUE OF THEIR HOME AND THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT THEIR PROPERTY TAX DIRECTLY. BUT THAT WAS SOME SOMETHING TO CITY DID. WE DID NOT RAISE THE VALUE OF THEIR HOMES THAT WAS COMMONLY APPRAISAL DISTRICT. YES, CORRECT AND TO REPEAT THAT THE CITY DOES NOT SET APPRAISALS. THERE'S A SEPARATE BODY ELECTED BODY THAT APPOINTED BODY THAT DOES THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL.

MR SIMONEAU. WE HAVE ONLY GONE UP 27, OR $2.7 MILLION IN TEXAS FOR PROPERTY TAXES LAST YEAR VERSUS THIS YEAR. THAT'S CORRECT . THAT'S BY LOWERING THE RATE TWO CENTS BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE APPRAISED VALUES HAVE INCREASED. OKAY DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE VALUE IS ON THE NEW PROPERTIES PUT ON THE ROAD. I KNOW IT'S 722,000 FOR TAX REVENUE. WHAT'S THE QUESTION? THE VALUE OF THE NEW PROPERTIES PUT ON THE TAX ROLL. SO THE OVERALL VALUE IS 9.47 BILLION. AND LAST YEAR IT WAS 8.8 BILLION, SO THAT'S THE 7.46% INCREASE IN THE PRAISE VALUES. OKAY ALRIGHT. MY NEXT QUESTION IS ON THE WATER AND SEWER RATES. UM PROBABLY HAD MORE HEARTBURN OVER THAT INCREASING I DO ON THE REST OF IT, SO DIGGING A LITTLE DEEPER. WHAT CAN WE DO TO DIG INTO THIS A LITTLE DEEPER TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE CAN CUT RATHER THAN JUST ASSUME WE COULD PASS AN INCREASE ON TO THE CONSUMER. I MEAN, YOU GO BACK AND LOOK OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND WE PASSED AN INCREASE ON AND SOONER OR LATER WE START LOOKING AT THIS THING FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT. SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA MAKE CUTS THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE AREN'T WILLING TO MAKE. BUT SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO MAKE THEM RATHER THAN JUST KEEP PASSING IT ON. UM I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL'S WATER BILLET.

Y'ALL'S HOUSE, BUT MINE'S ALREADY 20 HIGH ENOUGH. AND THEY JUST CONTINUE TO ADD ON AN EXTRA 8% ON THAT AND ADD ON MORE MONEY EVERY MONTH FOR THE TRASH PICK UP, WHICH I THINK BOTH OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. UM BUT I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A DEEPER LOOK INTO IT. IF WE COULD BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT CUTS. JUST FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC. YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT RECORD INFLATION IN FOUR DECADES AND WE TALK ABOUT THE 8 TO 9% THAT'S AN INDEX SO THAT THAT INCLUDES ALL KINDS OF ITEMS. THIS COUNCIL HAS APPROVED CONTRACTS THIS YEAR FOR CHEMICALS THAT ARE IN EXCESS OF 100% INCREASE. SO, YEAH, WE DO. TALK ABOUT RECORD INFLATION AT 8 TO 9% BUT IN ACTUALITY FOR THE WATER AND SEWER FUN. IT'S A LOT HIGHER BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH OUR WATER WITHOUT CHEMICALS, AND IF OUR CHEMICAL COST IS INCREASING IF IT'S A DOUBLING AND COST THAT'S THAT'S A HARD COST TO CURB THROUGH CUTS ALONE, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE CAN I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE COULD PROCEED WITHOUT HAVING SOME TYPE OF INCREASE. ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT WE OWE IT TO THE CITIZENS THE TYPE OF TAKE A DEEP LOOK INTO IT AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MISSING THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF. IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. UM YOU KNOW THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT, ESPECIALLY IN THE GENERAL. FIND THE GENERAL FINE IS 78% PAYROLL. SO A GOOD TOOL IN THE IN THE GENERAL FINEST TO HOLD POSITIONS AS I BECOME BAKED BACON. YOU KNOW, WE HOLD THEM FOR A WHILE BEFORE HE KILLED HIM. BUT IN THE WATER AND SEWER FUND, ONLY 23% OF THE EXPENSES ARE PAYROLL RELATED. SO WHILE WE CAN STILL

[00:55:07]

COUNCIL MEMBER GETS THANK YOU, MAYOR. COUNCILMAN TURNER OVER LUNCH PAID ME A COMPLIMENT. HE SAID THAT YOU KNOW, MIKE, WHEN YOU IDENTIFY A PROBLEM IS ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE ABOUT YOU IS YOU TRY TO PROPOSE SOLUTIONS TO AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PIGGYBACK AND ON WHAT COUNCILMAN? UM NEIL WAS JUST SAYING ABOUT THE WATER DEPARTMENT. I DO THINK THAT THERE'S SOME THINGS WE CAN'T LOOK AT. TALKED ABOUT THEM BEFORE. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT IT WOULD MAKE. BUT ELIMINATION OF FLUORIDE IN OUR WATER SUPPLY, LIKE A LOT OF CITIES HAVE DONE. NOT ONLY SAVES YOU THE COST OF PURCHASING THOSE CHEMICALS. BUT THE CAUSTIC NATURE OF FLUORIDE DENIGRATES OUR. WATER LINES AND HAS COST US IN THE PAST. HMM. MUCH MONEY AND EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. GLOW ROD NOT GOING TO GET INTO THIS TOO DEEP BUT FOR ROUTE WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED TO BE PUT IN MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEMS IN THE FIFTIES BECAUSE IT WAS IDENTIFIED THAT LACK OF FLUORIDE COULD CAUSE CAVITIES. NOW AND AT THAT TIME YOU DIDN'T HAVE TOOTHPASTE WITH FOUR RIGHT AT IT. YOU DIDN'T HAVE MOUTHWASH WITH FLORA. AND NOW YOU DO. SO YOU YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET YOUR FLUORIDE. FROM THE WATER. YOU CAN GET IT FROM TOOTHPASTE. YOU CAN GET IT FROM MOUTHWASH. AND THEN THERE'S A WHOLE ANOTHER BODY OF THAT THINKS FLUORIDE IS HARMFUL TO YOUR BODY, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO THAT DEBATE RIGHT NOW, EITHER, BUT HE'S NEVER SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT THERE'S MANY, MANY, MANY SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT THAT FLUORIDE IS ACTUALLY A CHEMICAL THAT YOU INGEST. AND CAUSES HARM TO YOUR BODY. SO I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO IDENTIFY HOW MUCH WE COULD SAVE BY ELIMINATING FLUORIDE FROM OUR WATER SUPPLY. THAT WOULD BE ONE THING. BECAUSE BLACK COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL SAID MY WATER BILL NOW IS. IT'S REALLY HOT, AND PEOPLE ARE FIXED INCOMES. UM TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT MUCH OF AN INCREASE IS ASKING QUITE A BIT. SO THAT'S THAT'S ONE POINT ON THE WATER DEPARTMENT. ON THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR EMPLOYEES. YES, I AGREE. WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN, TOO. BRING THOSE NUMBERS UP. BUT ONE THING I THINK GETS OVERLOOKED WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO OTHER CITIES THROUGHOUT. TEXAS IS WHAT IS OUR COST OF LIVING HERE? VERSUS THE COST OF LIVING IN THOSE CITIES. BECAUSE OUR PURCHASING POWER IN BEAUMONT.

CAN GO A LOT FURTHER, THEN IT CAN AND BUILDER AND YOU CAN ASK MR WILLIAMS ABOUT HIS HOME SEARCH AND YOU KNOW WHAT? HE'S WHAT HE'S LOOKING AT, AND HOW MUCH HE THINKS IS HOW MUCH ITSELF OR IN BEAUMONT AND SOME OF THE HOMES HE'S LOOKING FORWARD. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? IS WE HAVE A GOOD COST OF LIVING IN BEAUMONT. COMPARED TO AUSTIN. AND SOME OF ITS SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. SO WHEN WE'RE MAKING THAT COMPARISON BETWEEN CITIES AS TO COST OF LIVING. LET'S TRY TO ALSO FACTOR IN IF THERE'S A WAY TO DO SO. WHAT THE PURCHASING POWER IS, YOU KNOW, SO THAT IF YOU'RE MAKING $12 AND BEAUMONT. AH! YOU KNOW? CAN YOU PURCHASE A LITTLE BIT MORE AND A LITTLE BIT BETTER? THEN YOU CAN IF YOU'RE ONLY MAKING $12 IN AUSTIN. THE LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION TODAY IS YOU'RE ASKING US TO SET ATTACKS, RIGHT? I THINK TODAY OF 68 A HALF. IS THAT RIGHT? MR BOONE? OKAY SO HERE'S THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THAT. ONCE

[01:00:06]

WELL WE CAN'T GO UP BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY SET THE PROPOSED RIGHT. AND I DO WANT A LOWER TAX RATE THAT I WOULD NOT VOTE TO LEAVE IT THE SAME I DO WANT TO LORD TAX RATE. BUT I'M URGING US TO LOOK AT IT CAREFULLY. IF WE WANT TO LOWER IT ALL THE WAY TODAY TO 68 A HALF BECAUSE WE CAN BRING IT BACK DOWN TO 68 A HALF AFTER WE'VE GOT THIS BUDGET. BY ANALYZING A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, WE CAN DO IT. BUT WE CAN'T GO UP IF WE NEED IT. SO I'M GONNA SUGGEST TODAY THAT MAYBE WE OUGHT TO CONSIDER INSTEAD OF 68 A HALF 69 A HALF IT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM . NOT MUCH, BUT A LITTLE BIT TO LOOK AT SOME OF THESE THINGS. AND WE CAN GO DOWN. BUT WE CAN'T GO UP. SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING. TO THINK ABOUT MARRIED. CAN I EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC WHY WE CAN'T GO UP AFTER THEY TAKE THE VOTE? ABSOLUTELY SO JUST IN CASE SOMEONE OUT THERE IS LISTENING THAT KNOWS ABOUT THIS. TECHNICALLY WE COULD GO UP BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE SO YOU'RE GONNA TAKE A VOTE TODAY ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE. WE HAVE TO FILE A NOTICE IN THE NEWSPAPER AND WE HAVE ALL KIND OF STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS TO FOLLOW WITH THIS NOTICE. IF THE COUNCIL WAS TO CONSIDER A TAX RATE ABOVE WHAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO THE INTO THE NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD REQUIRE ME TO POST ANOTHER NOTICE. AND WITH THE TIME CONSTRAINTS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE TIME NECESSARY TO MEET THOSE NOTICE REQUIREMENTS SO TECHNICALLY, YOU CAN DO IT. WE JUST DON'T HAVE TIME IN THE BUDGET YEAR TO DO THAT. RIGHT BECAUSE OF THE NOTICE REQUIREMENT IT IN. I DIDN'T WANT TO GET INTO ALL OF THAT. BUT YES, I MEAN, YES. TECHNICALLY WE COULD DO IT, BUT PRACTICALLY WE CAN'T SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING. COUNCIL MEMBER, DORIA. YEAH. ON THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR $15, OR ACTUALLY, I WAS LOOKING AT NUMBERS. WE HAVE 95 EMPLOYEES THAT MAKE LESS THAN $15 AN HOUR. AND WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE COST OF LIVING MIGHT BE CORRECT, MIKE, BUT IT STILL WOULDN'T BE MAKING US COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER EMPLOYERS IN THE AREA AT $15 AN HOUR PEOPLE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET BY ON 12 OR $13 AN HOUR, BUT WHAT KIND OF LIFE. ARE YOU HAVING TRYING TO SUPPORT A FAMILY ON THE WAY OVER $13 AN HOUR? YOU KNOW, WORKING FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT? I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT AND OTHER I WANTED TO ASK, UH, NOTICED DEPARTMENT HEADS HERE. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM . I GUESS IT WILL BE MR HARRIS ON THE FLUORIDE IN THE WATER DEAL. IS THAT, UH, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD SAVE MONEY OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S NOT NEEDED? UH, KIND OF LIKE WHAT? MR GATES ALLUDED TO WE'VE RESEARCHED IT AND YOU CAN LOOK UP ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ON FLUORIDE. RATHER IT SAFE BROTHER . IT'S FEASIBLE BROTHERS NOT FEASIBLE BROTHER SON SITE.

THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT OPINIONS OUT THERE. UM FOR US TO REMOVE THE FLOOR RIDE OUT OF THE WATER. THERE'S A LOT INVOLVED WITH IT. WE HAVE TO NOTIFY T C Q . THAT WE'RE DOING THIS. IT'S DOABLE. IT'S A POSSIBILITY. IT'S DEFINITELY DOABLE. THE EXACT AMOUNT OF HOW MUCH THE FLOOR ODD COST US EACH YEAR. I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER LIKE SAID THAT'S MORE THAN THE PRODUCTION SIDE.

THAT WOULD BE MORE OF A BARK QUESTION. BUT I DO KNOW IT IS DEFINITELY DOABLE. WOULD WHAT THE SAVINGS OF BE ENOUGH FOR US. NOT TO HAVE TO INCREASE OUR WATER RATES. NOT SURE, BUT LIKE I SAID, IT WAS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WORTH LOOKING INTO. TO SEE WHAT WHAT THE SAVINGS WOULD BE. BUT WE CAN GET YOU WE CAN GET YOU AN ESTIMATE BY NEXT WEEK. CANCEL MEMBER GETS AND CANCEL MY RETURN, MIKE, UM REMEMBER. CAN YOU HELP ME? HELP ME? REMEMBER WITH MORE DETAIL?

[01:05:01]

CORROSION CORROSIVE. IT CAUSED A LOT OF CORROSION AT THE INJECTION SITE WORKED ANY DO YOU RECALL BALLPARK WITH THAT COST? DO NOT OKAY. WAS IT WAS IT LESS THAN A MILLION OR MORE THAN A MILLION? LESS THAN A MILLION? OKAY, IT WAS PRETTY COSTLY. AND SO TO MY POINT AND AGAIN MANY DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON IT, AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED FOR MORE INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED. UH THAT CORROSION THAT IT DOES HOLD THOSE METAL PIPES. SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT'S NOT DOING YOUR BODY ANY FAVORS, EITHER. SO I'M JUST SAYING THERE'S A LOT OF SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ON THAT, UH, YOU CAN GET ON THE INTERNET AND YOU CAN GO DOWN A LOT OF RABBIT TRAILS AND SEE. YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE THINK THIS WAY. I KNOW THE AMERICAN DENTAL SOCIETY. THEY THINK ROAR OFF. FLUORIDE YOU KNOW, SAYS, YOU KNOW, AND YEAH, THE LAST TIME WE HAD A DEBATE ON THIS, WE HAD A DENTIST ON COUNCIL AND YOU KNOW, HE WAS BIG ON KEEPING FLUORIDE IN. AH SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE INFORMATION TO MAKE A INFORMED DECISION. AND COULD YOU CHECK ON HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO DO THAT? THANK YOU. SO CANCER MEMBER TURNER. HEY, MR MIKE. THANK YOU FOR COMING UP HERE, AND I THINK IT'S PRETTY ESSENTIAL THAT YOU KNOW, FIRE POLICE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING MUGGED IN THE PARKING LOT BECAUSE WE WANT TO FIRE THE BOARD. I MEAN POLICE DEPARTMENT TO COME OUT AND ADDRESS THAT FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE FIRED AT THE HOUSE. OF COURSE, WE WANT THEM TO KIND OF ADDRESS THAT, BUT IT'S AN ISSUE THAT WE HAVE IN BEAUMONT THAT I ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT THE ELEPHANT IN ROOM. WE DO HAVE BROWN WATER ISSUES FROM TIME TO TIME. YOUR LABORERS. WHAT ARE YOUR LABORERS MAKING LABOR STARTED AT 11 50 AN HOUR. OKAY YOUR LABORERS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE ACTUALLY IN THE HOLE IN THE TRENCHES DEALING WITH THE BUSTED PIPES, ETCETERA, ALRIGHT. AND I JUST WANT TO STRESS IT.

YOU KNOW HERE TODAY THAT THAT IS JUST AS ESSENTIAL. YES SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE WANT DEALING WITH FIRE AND POLICE. SO WHEN WE SAY THIS MINIMUM WAGE, WE KEEP STRESSING IT. THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ARE DEALING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY WITH THE WATER WE DRINK. THE BEARS WOULD GIVE OUR CHILDREN IN AND OURSELF IN WANTS TO REALLY BE MORE CONSIDERATE, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS MINIMUM WAGE IN THE COST OF LIVING BECAUSE THESE GUYS ARE JUST AS ESSENTIAL. AND I WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT BECAUSE I KNOW SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE DO HAVE IN BEAUMONT AND I DO SEE THOSE GUYS DOWN IN THE MANHOLE DOING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING. THANK YOU TO SAY THAT THESE GUYS HAVE WORKED VERY HARD THERE AFTER EVERY DAY, RATHER LIKE A 23 WEEKS AGO, WHEN IT'S 100 203 DEGREES. SAID. THEY DON'T STOP SO AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB, MA'AM. THEY DO. THANK YOU. I WANNA ACTS, MR BENJIE THOMAS IF HE WOULD COME FORWARD BENJI WILLIAMS WILLIAMS AT 70 TIMES. I'M SORRY, BENJI. MR BENJIE WILLIAMS TO COME FORWARD. AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN, UM TO THE PUBLIC? SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT DO THAT'S NOT DONE ANYWHERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU. APARTMENT, ACTUALLY. WE PICKED UP THERE. WE'RE DOING A HAIRY TRASH. GIVE COMPOST DOUBT. WE ARE OPERATING LANDFILL. ONE OF THE BEST LANDFILLS IN THE STATE OF TEXT. MY GUYS WORK. DEMOCRATIC IN THE MORNING. UNTIL THEY COMPLETE THEIR ASSIGNMENT.

THAT MEANS EIGHT O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. TONIGHT MY GUY IS GONNA WORK UNTIL THEY COMPLETE YOUR SALMON FOR THAT DAY. DURING COVID. WE DID THAT THIS ONE DAY. HAVE YOUR GARBAGE NOT BEING PICKED UP. ONE DAY YOU'LL HEAR TRASH GET PICKED UP. AND I LANDFILL WAS OPEN. SO. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE OFFER ONCE A WEEK. HEAVY TRASH PICKUP. NO CITY. THAT I KNOW OF. OFFER. ONCE A WEEK PERIOD TRASH PICKUP. MOST CITIES TWICE A MONTH. I MEAN, I'M SORRY. ONCE EVERY TWO MONTHS . ONCE A YEAR ON THAT AT ALL. WE PICK UP TARIFFS FROM YOUR RESONATE. ALL SURROUNDING CITIES AROUND HERE. DO NOT PICK UP TARIFFS FROM YOUR RESIDENCE. WE DO A LOT OF IF YOU CALL IN THE SAFE I DIDN'T HAVE MY GARBAGE CHOP. WE DON'T FUSS ABOUT IT. WE COME BACK AND PICK IT UP. SO WE GO TO EXTRA MOUTH. MY GUYS DO. WE ARE A FRIENDLY OPERATION. WE TRY TO ASSIST OUR CUSTOMERS THE BEST WE CAN. BUT GOT ANY QUESTIONS CLEARLY ASKING FOR YOU? AND ONE THING I WANT TO SAY

[01:10:08]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DURIO. I JUST WANT TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT. I'VE CONTACTED SO MR WILLIAMS ABOUT TIRES LONG TAIL PARK ROAD. THEY HAVE TIRES ALL DOWN THE ROAD ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE HILDEBRANDT BAYOU. AND I MADE A PHONE CALL AND WITHIN AN HOUR. THEY WERE ALL PICKED UP. WE ALSO WANT TO ASK YOUR OR THE GUYS THAT DRIVE PEOPLE TO DRY OUT YOUR EMPLOYEES TO DRIVE THE TRUCKS OR THEY DO THEY HAVE COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE. YES. AH, EVERYBODY THAT DRIVES COLLECTION SIDE. YEAH AT LEAST CLASS B CDL. MOST OF MY GUYS HAVE PLAYERS A CDL LICENSE.

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

SOMETIMES AT OUR REQUEST WILL SAY, HEY, CAN YOU DO A SALARY SURVEY OF YOU KNOW, PERHAPS YOU KNOW, CDL, AND SO THEY MAY LOOK AT MAYBE OTHER PUB, OTHER SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENTS IN THE REGION . THEY MAY LOOK AT OTHER INDUSTRIES THAT THAT MAY REQUIRE CLASS. B C, D. L LICENSE AND SO THEY'RE CONSTANTLY DOING THAT. AND SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. I MEAN, GENERALLY PAY ADJUSTMENT MAY COME FROM A DEPARTMENT HEAD THROUGH HR AND THEN UP TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THE MANAGER MAKES A RECOMMENDATION DECISION RATHER BECAUSE BACK TO WHAT COUNSEL IN RETURN IS TALKING ABOUT AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT HE'S SAYING, AND I AGREE WITH HIM FOR CERTAIN TYPE POSITIONS. HOWEVER, YOU GOTTA BE CAREFUL SAYING THAT YOU DON'T WANT ANY $11 AN HOUR SALARIES. I MEAN, I CAN THINK OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. SUMMERTIME HELP HIGH SCHOOL KIDS WORKING IN THE SUMMERTIME, SO THERE'S ALWAYS THERE'S ALWAYS A NEED TO HAVE THAT MINIMUM WAGE TYPE CLASS. UM BUT I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK INTO THOSE THIS IS JUST THE

[01:15:03]

ONCE I SEE IT, I WILL FEEL BETTER ABOUT IT. BUT THE REALITY IS I HAVE X TWICE. THE WEEK BEFORE LAST AND THE WEEK BEFORE THAT, TO SEE A SATURDAY STORY STUDY PRIOR TO MAKING A DECISION ON THE DAY AND I STILL HAVE YET TO RECEIVE THE SALARY SAYS WE SAY WE'RE DOING ONE OF THE THINGS BACK TO YOUR POINT ON THAT. SO IF YOU GO TO THE SKILLED CRAFT ALL THE S ONE S TWO S THREE AND S FOUR IF YOU PICK S ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH IS THE LOWER END, SKILLED CRAFT STARTS OUT AT 12 88 AN HOUR. BUT STAFF HAS AUTHORITY UP TO 24 72 FOR THAT ONE POSITION. SO THE MONEY IS ALREADY THE APPROVAL PROCESS FROM A COUNCIL STANDPOINT. BEST I CAN TELL IS ALREADY DONE ONCE THIS BUDGET APPROVED. JUST A MATTER OF WHAT THEY DO WITH THAT STUDY THAT THING THAT THEY RETURNED AND ONE MORE TIME I JUST LIKE TO SEE A STUDY TO COMPARE PROUD OF ME MAKING A DECISION BECAUSE ME BEING TOLD IT TO ME BEING ME ACTUALLY SEEING IT, UH, TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MEMBER GET YEAH. AND COUNCILMAN TERMINAL. I AGREE.

YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T NEED TO HAVE A STUDY TO SEE HOW OUR CITY EMPLOYEES POSITION STACK UP AGAINST. LIKE SIZE CITIES JUST WANTED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE COST OF LIVING AS WELL. BUT IT'S PRETTY MUCH A GIVEN. THAT WHEN YOU WORK IN THE GOVERNMENTAL SECTOR YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE AS MUCH AS YOU DO IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. YOU JUST DON'T YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO WORK AS AN ATTORNEY IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WHICH IS GOVERNMENT JOB. YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO MAKE AS MUCH MONEY AS AN ATTORNEY AND WORKING FOR THE D A S OFFICE IS YOU CAN, UH, YOU POTENTIAL AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR. UH IT'S REALLY NO DIFFERENT HERE, BUT THERE'S A TRADE OFF OF THINGS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER, NEAL SAID. AH THERE'S OTHER BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH THE CITY THAT YOU DON'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS GET. AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR, SO WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THOSE THINGS TO DO. I WANT TO SEE EVERYBODY LIFTED UP TO THE BEST EXTENT THAT WE CAN. YES AND WE NEED GOOD DATA TO DO THAT, SO AH , YEAH. YOU KNOW, I'M SURE WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION SO WE CAN MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DURIAN. JUST TO RESPOND HIM.

DURIO I'M SORRY, RESPONDING, MAYOR I MEAN CONSTANTLY, NEIL. I WAS, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THE THOSE ARE $11 SALARIES FOR DIFFERENT THING. I WAS TALKING ABOUT FULL TIME CITY EMPLOYEES.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT WORK HERE FULL TIME AND ONE OF THE OTHER BENEFITS AS ME AND I CAN SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE BEING A CITY EMPLOYEE. HIS JOB SECURITY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S ONE OF THE OTHER BENEFITS THAT YOU HAVE. WORKING FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT IS JOB SECURITY, BUT WAS, UM ALL THIS STUFF THAT WAS STILL EVEN WHAT YOU WERE SAYING. JUST NOW, MIKE. IT'S ABOUT BEING COMPETITIVE. EVEN THOUGH WE CAN'T MAYBE PAY AS MUCH WE STILL WANT TO TRY TO BE COMPETITIVE TO GET QUALITY FOLKS IN THE IN THE PAY OUR QUALITY FOLKS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE. FAIRLY TO MAKE THEM WANT TO WANT TO STAY HERE AND SERVE THE CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT. THANK YOU. OKAY AND THE REASON I ASKED, UH, BENJI WILLIAMS TO COME OUT BECAUSE ONE OF THE PROPOSED INCREASES IS IN HIS DEPARTMENT. AND SO I WANTED THE CITIZENS TO HEAR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE OFFERED. UM BY BEAUMONT. UM. BUT BY THE DEPARTMENT. BECAUSE I KNOW FOR A FACT AS STATED. IT WAS IN THE NEWS THAT POURED ARTHUR WENT WITHOUT. HAVING THEIR TRASH PICKED UP FOR SEVERAL WEEKS BECAUSE OF THE TRUCKS. BREAKING DOWN. AND SO YOU DON'T EVER WANT TO, UM SKIMP ON QUALITY. AND ABSOLUTELY QUANTITY IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO INCREASE ANYTHING BUT WITH WITH EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE GAS. NO. NOBODY WANTED TO PAY THAT. $4 AND. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT WAS BECAUSE I DIDN'T EVEN PAY ATTENTION TO IT BECAUSE YOU HAD TO HAVE THE GAS. YOU FILLED IT UP AND YOU JUST CRINGED AND FILLED YOUR CAR UP AND KEPT GOING. BUT YOU KNOW, YOU DID PROBABLY LET'S RUNNING AROUND, AND YOU MADE EVERY TRIP THAT YOU MAY COUNT. IT'S JUST THAT, UM ACROSS THE NATION,

[01:20:05]

SINCE 7 70 A HALF. MIKE. I'M AGREEING WITH YOU. I THINK IF WE WOULD DO I HAVE IT WRITTEN DOWN HERE WHEN YOU SAID IT, UH, 69. SINCE AND A HALF. THAT WOULD BE A HAPPY MEDIUM WHERE WE COULD POSSIBLY OFFSET THE WATER RATES. IT COULD HELP WITH THE WATER. NO NO, MA'AM, THAT'S A DIFFERENT FUNDS. SO THE TAX RATES JUST FOR THE GENERAL FUND THAT THE RATE INCREASE IN WATER AND SEWER IS FOR THE WATER TOUR. EXCLUSIVE FROM EACH OTHER. WHAT CAN WE DO TO NOT RAISE THE WATER? SO 8.

INCREASE SO ONE OF THE REASONS WERE WE'RE NEEDING TO INCREASE THE RATE, WHETHER SEVERAL WE HAVE TO HAVE MEAT ARE 15% FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENT. IF WE DON'T WE'LL GET A DOWNGRADE FROM STANDARDS AND POOR AND MOODY'S AND INTEREST EXPENSE WILL BE PASSED ON TO OUR BOND RATING.

BOND RATINGS WILL BE DOWNGRADED THE SECOND ONE IS WE'RE NEEDING TO ABOUT EVERY 18 TO 24 MONTHS.

WE BORROW MONEY THROUGH ISSUING BONDS FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND WE NEED THESE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO PROVIDE QUALITY WATER AND SEWER. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ISSUING $25 MILLION OF BONDS IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. SO THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN FINANCE THAT. THE WAY I THE WAY I AM PROPOSING IS THAT WE FINANCED THAT OVER 20 YEARS. AND THE PAYMENT WOULD BE $1.9 MILLION A YEAR. ONLY BUDGETED $800,000 IN FY 23 BECAUSE WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA ISSUE MID FISCAL YEAR, SO WE WON'T WE WON'T BE DO THE WHOLE 1.9 MILLION THAT YEAR. SO YOU COULD ASK ME. WELL, TODD, WHY DIDN'T YOU PICK 30 YEARS? HMM. AND HAVE THE PAYMENT LESS. SO JUST FOR THE YOUR INFORMATION AND THE PUBLIC'S INFORMATION IF WE FINANCED 25 MILLION OVER 30 YEARS, THE PAYMENT WOULD GO FROM 1.9 MILLION DOWN TO 1.5 MILLION. SO WHAT'S SAVED $400,000 A YEAR? BUT OVER THE LIFE OF THE BOND, THE CITIZENS ARE GOING TO END UP PAYING AN EXTRA $8 MILLION IN INTEREST. SO YOU DON'T WANT TO MORTGAGE YOUR FUTURE AWAY, SO IF WE CAN AFFORD TO DO A 20 YEAR FINANCED AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. COUNCIL MEMBER GETS YOU KNOW IT AGAIN. DAY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. UH ANOTHER WAY. I THINK, MAYOR WHAT CAN YOU DO TO AVOID THE 8? WATER RIGHT. HI. WELL, EITHER. RAISE THE RIGHTS OR YOU IDENTIFIED PLACES WHERE YOU CAN CUT MONEY. AH YOU CAN BE LESS AGGRESSIVE WITH SOME OF YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD WANT TO DO THAT. YOU CAN FIND OTHER PLACES TO CUT. I SUGGESTED LOOKING AT FLUORIDE. THEY'RE GOING TO GET BACK WITH THE NUMBERS ON THAT. AH THAT'S NOT GOING TO GET US EVERYWHERE WE NEED, BUT IT MIGHT HELP A LITTLE BIT. UM, BUT. YEAH IT'S TOUGH, YOU KNOW? SO. LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER UNVEILED. I STRUGGLE WITH THE IDEA OF AN 8% WATER. RIGHT HIKE. I REALLY DO SO IF WE COULD DO ANYTHING TO FIND SOME AREAS TO CUT AND MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE PALATABLE. YOU KNOW, I'D REALLY LIKE TO ENCOURAGE US TO DO THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DURIO MAYOR PRO TEM DURING THANK YOU, AMERICA. HOW

[01:25:02]

AND OUR CURRENT TAX RATE AT 70.5 . THAT'S GOING DOWN TO THE PROPOSED WHAT YOU GUYS ARE ESTIMATING. WILL BE LIKE A ROUGH ESTIMATE OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THE CITY WOULD NO LONGER BE GETTING REVENUE IF WE ACTUALLY WENT DOWN TO THAT RATE. IF WE WENT DOWN TO 68.5 YES, SIR.

THAT'S ALREADY BUILT INTO THE BUDGET THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE BY APPROXIMATELY 2.6 MILLION BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE OF APPRAISED VALUES IF WE KEEP IT IT WHAT IS THAT WHAT WE DO? SO FOR EVERY ONE CENT WE RAISE ABOUT $900,000 OF REVENUE. SO IF YOU KEPT IT UP AT 7.5 CENTS, THAT'D BE ANOTHER 1.8 MILLION. OKAY? OKAY CAN I SPEAK TO THAT MARY? SURE COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL. THANK YOU. BUT BUT VOTING FOR A 70.5% TAX RATE. YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY VOTING FOR A TAX INCREASE TO THE CITIZENS BECAUSE OF THE PROPERTY VALUATIONS THAT SKYROCKETED THIS YEAR AND LAST YEAR. YEAH PROBABLY NEXT YEAR. YEAH, BY A LONG SHOT. I WANTED TO KNOW THE DOLLAR AMOUNT NOT TO SAY I WASN'T IN FAVOR OF IT. BUT I JUST WANT THE ACTUAL NOTE THAT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT TO IT. MY HOPE IS THAT WE COULD START OUT AT, UH, 0.685. WITH THE HOPES OF GOING DOWN EVEN LOWER THAN THAT. WE CAN'T BECAUSE IF WE THEY CAN . WHAT? WE CAN GO DOWN. WE CAN GO DOWN. GO DOWN. GO LET YOU WANT. YES, MA'AM, WE CAN'T GO UP. WELL AFTER THE VOTE. YOU CAN'T DRESS CORRECT. JUST ONE MORE. SIX GUYS GALS THAT MAKE UNDER $15 AN HOUR. PRIOR TO MAKING THIS IF THOSE 96 EMPLOYEES DID MAKE 15 HOURS, OUR WHAT WOULD IT DO TO US? AT THE BUDGETARY STANDPOINT? WHAT DOLLAR AMOUNT ARE WE LOOKING AT? A FEW NUMBERS, SO IF WE RAISED OUR MINIMUM WAGE TO $12 AN HOUR , IT WOULD COST THE CITY 35,000. IF WE RAISED IT TO $13 AN HOUR, IT WOULD COST 110,000. IF WE RAISED IT TO $14 AN HOUR, IT WOULD COST 265,000. AND IF WE RAISE IT TO $15 AN HOUR COST 500,000. KEPT FOR YEARS FOR A YEAR, BUT BECAUSE CIOUS IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO IF YOU'RE GONNA ASK US TO GO TO $15.01 YEAR BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL KIND OF COMPRESSION ISSUES WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY MAKING 15 10 15 20 AN HOUR THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY THAT THEY'RE MAKING THE SAME WAGES. WHO WHATEVER THE BOTTOM POSITION IS THAT THE CITY I THINK IF WE GO YEAR BY YEAR AND TRY TO BUMP IT UP, MAYBE A DOLLAR EACH YEAR. IT GIVES US TIME TO WORK OUT THE COMPRESSION ISSUES WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING PAID MORE THAN THEM. AND I THINK, TODD IN FAIRNESS, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING. WHEN YOU LOOK AT A SALARY STUDY, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A PLAN. TO MAKE IT MORE COMPETITIVE. THERE'S A LOT MORE UNDERSTANDING VERSUS SAYING IT CAN'T HAPPEN AND WE'RE NOT EXPLAINING. THIS IS HOW WE CAN GET THERE. WHAT ACTUAL PLAN? I THINK THERE'S MORE REASONABLE AND UNDERSTANDING. SO APPRECIATE THAT. THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. AND I KNOW CHRIS IS WORKING ON THAT STUDY. SOMETIMES YOU'RE YOU'RE HELD HOSTAGE TO THE PERSON TRYING TO GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION. SO WE DID GET INFORMATION ON SOME CITIES LIKE THE MANAGER SAID OTHER CITIES. WE HAVEN'T HAD THE REPLY YET, BUT I KNOW CHRIS CATALINA'S WORKING ON THAT. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TEM DIARRHEA. 68 A HALF CENTS. THERE'S A CAPITAL PROGRAM MONEY FOR THAT. INCLUDED IN THAT 68, A HALF CENTS. NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THE NOTES THE CAPITAL PROGRAM. YES OKAY, SO IF WE AND I KNOW MYSELF, AND I'M PRETTY SURE EVERYBODY ON COUNCIL PROBABLY HAVE SOME OTHER PROJECTS THAT MIGHT NOT EVEN BE IN THIS CAPITAL PROGRAM RIGHT NOW. IN ORDER TO COVER THAT WITH THE 69 A HALF SINCE. WOULD THAT BE ABLE TO WHAT I'M SAYING IS GO UP A LITTLE BIT TO COVER OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO ADD INTO THIS CAPITAL PROJECT AGAIN. WE'LL HAVE A WORKSHOP ON THAT NEXT WEEK, BUT REALLY THE

[01:30:03]

BUMPING IT DOWN, BUMPING IT UP FROM 68 A HALF TO 69 A HALF. IT GIVES YOU A $900,000 CUSHION.

WHICH AFTER WE HAVE FINISHED THE BUDGET PROCESS NEXT WEEK OF LOOKING AT THE CAPITAL PLAN AND SAYING WHAT THE WANTS AND DESIRES OR OTHER VARIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS WE CAN THEN MAKE A DETERMINATION WHETHER OR NOT WELL THAT'S ALREADY BUDGETED. WE HAVE THE MONEY FOR THAT. YOU DON'T NEED IT TO BE 69 A HALF WE CAN GO AHEAD AND LOWER IT TO 68 A HALF AS YOU ORIGINALLY SUGGESTED, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY. SIMILARLY FOR THE SALARIES OF THE EMPLOYEES, UH YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE A $900,000 CUSHION THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE SOME OF THE WAGE RATE INCREASES THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT TODAY, SO IT JUST GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE BREATHING ROOM AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT I'M NOT TRYING TO LOWER TAX RATE BECAUSE I WANT A LOWER TAX RATE. I JUST THINK THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION. ONCE WE HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION IN FRONT OF US. INSTEAD OF TODAY BECAUSE FOR PRACTICAL REASONS. AS YOU SAID, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GO DOWN LATER. UH YEAH. I MEAN, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GO UP LATER. UH, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS GO DOWN. HAVE A QUESTION FOR TIME RESTRAINTS. DO WE HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE TODAY? CAN'T WE? YES, WE NEED WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE DONE IT LAST WEEK, BUT WE DELAYED IT THIS WEEK BECAUSE WE WANT YOU ALL TO HAVE TIME TO LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET. BEFORE WE CAME AND TOOK A VOTE. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER SAMUEL. OF KIND OF SAT BACK AND LISTEN TO ALL THE COMMENTS. UM. FROM MY EXPERIENCE. THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE YEAR . AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS. WE HAVE TO MAKE IT THIS TIME. OVER THE YEARS. I'VE HEARD A LOT OF US TALK ABOUT WHY WE NEED TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO INFRASTRUCTURE WHILE WE NEED TO PUT MONEY INTO PARKS. I'VE HEARD. A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO. BUT AT THE SAME TIME. WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT DOING THOSE THINGS THAT WILL HELP MAKE BEAUMONT A BETTER PLACE. TO LIVE WORK AND PLAY. BUT NO ONE WANTS TO SEE INCREASE IN TAXES. AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS PREVIOUS YEAR, WE'VE SEEN INFLATION IMPACT. EVERYTHING.

PURCHASES AS WELL AS SUPPLIES, SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH NELL. SO WE NOT ONLY ARE DEALING WITH CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES. WE'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH POLICE. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH FIRE. ALL OF THESE THINGS REQUIRE ATTENTION. AND THEY'RE ALL IMPORTANT TO EACH ONE OF US. UM. I KNOW THAT TODAY'S ISSUES DEALING WITH FIXING THE TAX RATE. WHEN WE COME BACK WITH OUR BUDGET PROCESS, THIS IS GONNA BE A PROCESS. THAT'S GONNA BE LABORING. UP UNTIL OCTOBER. THE NEW FISCAL YEARS OCTOBER 1ST. SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING. WE HAVE MANY OF US HAVE IDEAS WHERE WE WANT TO PUT MORE MONEY. BUT WE CAN'T FORGET ABOUE FREEZE OR DOING TIMES LIKE THE HURRICANE. WHEN WERE SHUT DOWN. THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. HIS ONLY

[01:35:04]

NEXT YEAR NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR. I THINK IT'S THE NEXT YES FISCAL YEAR. 24 25 HAVE HAD WINDS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS. WE'LL GET A REPRIEVE IN 26. RIGHT, SO. I UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY, AND, UH, I'M CONCERNED. BUT I'VE SEEN WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF WE'RE NOT PREPARE.

AND HAVING A GOOD FUN BALANCE TO RESPOND TO THE NATURAL DISASTERS. I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IF I BOND RATING FALLS THE IMPACT IT WILL HAVE ON OUR ABILITY TO GO OUT. AND WE DON'T WANT TO TAX OVERTAXED THE FUTURE GENERATIONS. SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS WE GOT TO THINK ABOUT. AND, UM UM. I JUST SAY BIG CAUTIOUS ABOUT WHAT WE DO NOW AND TAKE VERY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS TO THIS BUDGET PROCESS. AND IT'S THERE FOR A REASON. OKAY COUNCIL MEMBER PHIL SHOW VERY QUICKLY JUST FOR CLARIFICATION. TODD. THE REPRIEVE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN 2026 IS INDUSTRIAL AGREEMENTS. THAT COME TO AN END. YES SIR. WE HAVE, UM, A KIND OF RELIEF IS THAT WE HAVE A TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT WITH ONE OF OUR INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES THAT LITTLE VALUE ACTUALLY COME ONTO THE TAXABLE ROLLS, AND IT SHOULD GENERATE $5 MILLION OF EXTRA REVENUE. BUT THAT'S NOT UNTIL 2020 2026. CAN YOU SPEED THAT UP? WE NEED IT NOW. OKAY, SO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION. SO I'M GONNA CALL FOR. ONE MORE QUESTION. NOW AT THE 68, A HALF PERCENT THAT.

YES HE EQUIVALENT TO INCREASE IN REVENUES. FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, CORRECT. BECAUSE OF THE APPRAISED VALUES THAT HAVE GONE UP. CORRECT IT GENERATES AN EXTRA 2.6 MILLION. PERCENT GOES UP NOW. YES OR 900 TO 9 30. DEPENDING ON THE COLLECTION RATE. BUT ALSO. WHATEVER WE SET THE TAX RATE AT FOUR. RESIDENTS CAN ALSO AFFECT OUR INDUSTRIAL IT DOES SO. INDUSTRIAL VALUES DON'T ALWAYS FOLLOW COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL. THAT'S RIGHT A LOT OF YEARS WHEN COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL VALUES ARE GOING UP, INDUSTRIAL VALUES CAN GO DOWN BECAUSE THEY'RE VALUED AT THE BOOK VALUE OF THEIR THEIR REFINERY, AND THEY DEPRECIATE OVER TIME, BUT THEY ALSO TAKE REVENUE THEIR PROFITS INTO ACCOUNT WHEN THEY WHEN THEY VALUE THOSE SO WHEN WE DO SET A TAX RATE, AND WE LOWER IT TYPICALLY THAT WILL LOWER THE REVENUE WE GET FROM THOSE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT AGREEMENTS. BECAUSE THEIR VALUES AREN'T AS VOLATILE AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE MARKET THE LAST TWO YEARS FROM THE STATE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE MANDATE. SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC THE EFFECT OF AN EXXON MOBIL? WHICH IS ONE OF OUR LARGEST INDUSTRIES. HOW THAT WOULD AFFECT. WHAT'S COMING IN, AS OPPOSED TO WHERE THE TAX RATE IS. WHERE WITHOUT? YOU KNOW, I WASN'T PREPARED FOR THAT QUESTION. BUT BUT OBVIOUSLY IF THEIR VALUE HOLDS THE SAME SOME YEARS IT DOES SOME YEARS AGO WAS DOWN. WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD THE CONFIRMED VALUES THIS YEAR FROM CAPITOL APPRAISAL GROUP THEY COME IN, USUALLY AFTER THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BECAUSE THEY'RE OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS. THEY'RE USUALLY NOT TAXED. SO THEY HAVE MORE TIME TO GET THOSE VALUES IN, BUT WE SHOULD BE GETTING THOSE VALUES WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

ANYWAY IF THEIR VALUE STAYS THE SAME AND WE LOWER THE TAX RATE WE LOSE, WE LOSE REVENUE. OKAY.

[01:40:04]

[Consider establishing and taking a record vote on the "proposed" 2022 tax rate and schedule a public hearing]

WELL I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT A PROPOSED TAX RATE. OF 69, A HALF CENTS $100 VALUATION.

AND KNOWING FULLY WELL THAT AFTER NEXT WEEK I MAY SUPPORT WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS OF 68 A HALF BUT JUST TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY AS WE GO INTO THE CAPITAL PLAN DISCUSSION. I MOVE THAT IT BE SAID THAT THE PROPOSED RIGHT TAX RATE OF 69 A HALF A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SIGNIFY BY CN AYE AH, NO, IT HAS TO BE A RECORD VOTE AND ALSO THOSE WHERE PUBLIC HEARING SO DID YOUR MOTION INCLUDE THE PUBLIC HEARING AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT, OKAY, HERE IS GOING TO BE A RECORD VOTE, SO THE CLERK WILL CALL IN THANK YOU. MAYOR MOUNTAIN YES. TIM DURIO MEMBER GETS YES, RETURNER ? YES. KILSHAW YES, COUNCIL MEMBER, SAMUEL. AND COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THE MOTION CARRIES. OKAY, THAT CONCLUDES. OUR REGULAR

[COMMENTS]

WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT. HERE'S YOUR BEAUMONT HAS SHOWN THAT IF WE WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE PROGRESS. THE CITY EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF CITIZENS DON'T ALWAYS COME IN AND TALK,

[01:45:08]

COURSE THEY CAN. LOOKING FOR THE ENTIRE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT OUR NEW STUDENT MANAGER. AND EVERY OTHER CITY EMPLOYEE. WHAT I DON'T LIKE COMING UP HERE TALKING ALL THE TIME ABOUT WHERE WE ARE. IT'S NOT ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING. WE HAVE A NEW CITY MANAGER. WE HAVE A NEW CITY COUNCIL AND YOU SEE THE ATTORNEY EVERYONE IS CAPABLE. LET'S MOVE OVER CITY FORWARD. SO WE CAN BE PROUD. TEXAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR DURDEN. GLENDA MCRAE, 8 90. NOR WOULD DR BEAUMONT, TEXAS. THIS COULD BE. YOU KNOW, I NEVER SAW HER. THANK YOU, MCCRAE AND PULL IT DOWN. I JUST WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW CITY MANAGER. CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY. MY. THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE STILL WITH MS GETS, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW SHE'S FEELING. BUT I'M STILL KEEPING HER IN MY PRAYERS. I LIVE. UM IN THE WEST. UM UM. WEST THE END AND I'M UPSET ABOUT THE DRAINAGE DITCHES. THEY ARE ONLY BEING MOLD TWICE A YEAR IS WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD WHEN I CALLED 311. ONE SIDE IS MOLD AND IT'S CUT SHORT BUT THE OTHER SIDE IT'S A SMALLER PORTION, AND IT'S NEAR THE FENCE TO THE HOUSES THAT ARE ON NORWOOD. AND THE GRASS IS JUST GROWING AND GROWING AND GROWING, AND IT'S CHOPPY AND IT LOOKS BAD. SO IF. MORGAN CUT HIS TAXES ARE GOING UP AND THINGS ARE GOING UP AND GARBAGE FEES ARE GOING UP AND EVERYTHING IS GOING UP REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR THAT DRAINAGE DISH TO BE KEPT LOW. UM I SAY I SAW THE MOSQUITO PEOPLE SPRAYING YESTERDAY WHEN I CAME IN YESTERDAY EVENING. UM BUT THANK YOU. UM I'M PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN OF BEAUMONT. I'M PROUD OF THE CANOE. IT ER THAT YOU ALL HAVE JUST WANT US ALL TO WORK TOGETHER FOR A BETTER CITY . I SEE A LOT OF THINGS. BUT IF I SEE ANOTHER GAS STATION COME UP, I'M NOT TO BE UPSET BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO BUILD. THANKS FOR YOU KNOW THE YOUNG PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, BUT THESE GAS STATIONS ARE JUST POPPING UP. EVERYWHERE YOU ALL HAVE A BLESSED EVENING.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UM CHARLIE, AND I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE LAST NAME.

BUT HIS ADDRESS IS 9 28 EAST DRIVE BY MY TEXAS. MAYOR BEFORE YOU, CAN YOU CAN YOU MENTION ABOUT THE DRAINAGE DITCH SITUATION OR MR BOONE? THAT IS THAT. STRANGE DISTRICTS CITY OR IS THAT DD SIX? YEAH I'D HAVE TO. IT'S A CONCRETE CONCRETE HAVE TO FIND OUT. OKAY. I'VE GOT THE ADDRESS. OKAY, WE'LL FOLLOW UP. UH HELLO, COUNCIL MAYOR. HIS STAFF. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO BEAUMONT. MY NAME IS CHARLIE CRAB. I LIVE AT 9 28 EAST RIDE. THIS HAS BEEN A VERY INTERESTING MEETING, UH, WITH WITH THE BUDGET PROPOSAL IN THE COMMENTS I'D LIKE TO COME IN ABOUT THE $11. PAY RATE. UM, I'LL LOOK AT IT AS AN ENTRY LEVEL. PAY WHERE YOU'RE COMPETING WITH SURROUNDING BUSINESS IS NOT YOU'RE NOT COMMITTING, UH, COMPETING WITH WACO AND ALL THE OTHER CITIES. YOU MAY COME, COME. COMPETE WITH PORTER, AUTHOR ORANGE AND SMALLER PLACES AROUND, BUT AH! YEAH I THINK IT'S ATTRACTIVE TO COME TO WORK FOR THE CITY DO THIS. THE BENEFITS. AND, UH, YEAH, SURE. I KNOW I LOVED SITTING THE SERVICES OF BEAUMONT. ESPECIALLY THE ONCE A WEEK TRASH. PICK UP. I THINK THAT REALLY MAKES OUR CITY CLEAN WHERE PEOPLE'S TRASH DON'T SET OUT. FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. ON ANOTHER SCHEDULE. AND IT'S ALSO WOULD LIKE TO. COMMENT ON THE $250,000. UH SERVICE PAY THAT FOR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL APPROVED

[01:50:12]

SOME PEOPLE SPEAK 50 TIMES. I DON'T WANT IT TO GO. LOOK AT THE DEAN. THAT'S HARD AND SAMUEL. I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR SO MUCH. FOR SO LONG. WE TRIED TO GET THE STREET TO DR KING. THAT WAS ME.

HE CRIED. AND JOE DESAUTELS WAS TAKING THE BALL TO RUN IT. AT THAT TIME WE WERE TAKING THE NUMBER ONE IN THE COUNTRY. AND WENT AUSTIN. AND THE COUNCIL VOTED ON THE TUESDAY I GOT ON JOE DESA TEL DO YOU FEEL WHAT THE HELL YOU WANT ME TO DO? IT WAS TUESDAY. WE HAD A LITTLE ROUND NOW. ALSO LIKE TO THANK JOE AS YOU CONCLUDE. HIS SERVICE TO US AS A REPRESENTATIVE.

THAT'S WHY I MADE THIS SHIRT. YOU WANT EVERYBODY TO SEE IT. LET US STOP ASKING EVER DO FOR ROUGH. BUT GOD HAS GIVEN BILL 2000 WERE IN FACT, BLACK BIG FOLKS. WE BUILT THIS COUNTRY. I DON'T HAVE TO GET READY TO TALK . BUT I'M GOING TO SUPPORT BLACK FOLKS ARE SUPPORTING ALL MY LIFE. I WAS READING ABOUT PREACHER. EVEN A PREACHER CAN FOOL YOU SOMETIMES. AND I

[01:55:05]

THAT'S ALL I HAVE IN HERE. THANK YOU. SO AT THIS TIME, WE WILL HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENT, AND I'M GONNA START WITH YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MR MANAGER. I JUST WANT TO SEE IF WE CAN KIND OF ADDRESS THE DIRECTION OF FLUSHING PLAN. I KNOW CORONA CAME BACK AND SAID WE NEEDED TO GET ONE I KNOW STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING ON ONE YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD SUGGESTION TO SEE MAYBE A DIRECTION OF FLESH AND PLAYING TASK FORCE PUT TOGETHER WHERE YOU HAVE YOU KNOW SOMEBODY ENGINEERS WORKING WITH MR HARRIS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY COME UP WITH AND GIVE IT A DEADLINE WHERE WE WANT TO GET AT LEAST A PERCENTAGE DONE WITHIN A YEAR AND THE RISK DONE WITHIN THE SECOND YEAR. I THINK YOU KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS, BUT WE DON'T PUT DEADLINES ON THEM AND IT'S KIND OF LEFT OUT THERE AND THEY DON'T NEVER HAPPEN AND I JUST KIND OF WANT TO START A NEW PRACTICE WHEN IT COMES TO THAT. AND IT'S A FEW THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN BEING QUESTIONED ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, AND I SAID I DECIDED TO ADDRESS IT TODAY. A LOT OF PEOPLE COME UP TO ME AND SAID A J. HOW CAN YOU AGREE TO PAY? A BASE OF 250,000. BUT THE REALITY IS AVERAGE CITIES, OUTSIDES. BASE PAY IS ROUGHLY 275,000. SAUDIS ARE FACTS THAT NEED TO BE OUT THERE THAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW. I ASKED IF WE DID A SALARY STUDY AND COMPARES TO CITIES ARE SIZE. WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY PAYING. THE GENTLEMAN IS GOING TO BE OUR NEW CITY MANAGER. HAVE WE LOOKED AT OTHER SALARIES? WHAT IS I COMPARISON? WHAT ARE WE ADDRESSING AND BASED OFF OF SAME THING I ASKED FOR TODAY PRIOR TO MAKING THE DECISION ON EMPLOYEE PAY. AND WE DID NOT CONDUCT THE SALARY STUDY. AND CHRIS DURIO.

UNLESS TWEAK. WHEN WE SPOKE ON IT, HE GAVE SEVERAL SALARY STUDIES THAT ACTUALLY GAVE TO THE COUNCIL THAT WAS PERFORMED TO SHOW THAT WE WERE NOT PAYING A COMPETITIVE BASE RATE COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES. AND HIS CONTRACT NEGOTIATION. HE HE STARTED OFF 123 YEAR AGREEMENT THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY. HE ASKED, WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE INSURANCE THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY.

HE ASKED TO BE ON THE INSURANCE THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY. SO THE REALITY IS, IT'S A LOT OF FACTS TO THIS CONTRACT THAT WENT ON. THAT WENT BOTH WAYS AND A LOT OF THINGS WERE TAKEN AWAY. BUT THAT'S NOT THE FACT THAT'S BEING RELEASED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. CHALLENGED EVERYBODY TO SAY THEY SAY THEY WANT A BETTER BEAUMONT. THEY WANT A BETTER CITY RESEARCH ON YOUR OWN. NOT JUST WHAT YOU HEAR RESEARCH ON YOUR OWN AND LOOK AT THE BASE SALARY FOR OTHER CITY MANAGEMENT. SILLY CITIES, OUTSIZE. LOOK AT THE HELP AND ASSISTANCE THEY GET. I STRESS IT. WE DON'T HAVE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. OTHER CITIES WHO ARE DOING BETTER THAN US THRIVING AND GROWING. THEY HAVE A MINIMUM OF TWO SO PROUD OF MAKING THESE DECISIONS PRODUCT GETTING ON THE INTERNET , PROUD OF READING THINGS. I CHALLENGE EVERYBODY TO RESEARCH THINGS ON YOUR OWN. AND THEN MAKE YOUR DECISIONS BASED UPON THE DATA AND RESEARCH THAT YOU FIND OUT. AND TO PIGGYBACK ON SALARIES. AROUND THIS AREA THAT WE'RE COMPETING WITH. WE ARE COMPETING WITH SALARIES OUTSIDE OF JUST OTHER CITIES. WE'RE COMPETING WITH RESTAURANTS. FAST FOOD. THE WHOLE NINE AND HIS RESTAURANTS RIGHT NOW, TODAY IN THE CITY OF BOTH MY PAYING $19 AN HOUR AND WE HAVE PEOPLE JUMPING IN MANHOLES. FIXING ISSUES GETTING $11.50. SO I DO DO THE RESEARCH AND I CHALLENGE EVERYBODY DO THE RESEARCH. BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT WHEN YOU MAKE DECISIONS. YOU WANT TO GO OFF THAT AND RESEARCH THANK YOU. COUNCIL ATTORNEY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE CORRECTION. THE ORIGINAL ASK WAS FOR MR WILLIAMS AND HIS SPOUSE TO BE, UM THEIR INSURANCE PREMIUM TO BE PAID BY THE CITY. THEY DO HAVE ACCESS TO INSURANCE, JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER CITY APPOINTEES WERE JUST NOT PAYING THE PREMIUM, BUT TO BE CLEAR HE ASKS FOR IT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE DID TAKE OUT CORRECT THE ORIGINAL ASK WHAT'S FOR, UH, FOR THE CITY TO PAY THAT PREMIUM? UM THE COMPROMISE WITH THAT HE'D HAVE ACCESS TO INSURANCE LIKE THAT OTHER CITY AND POINTS WITH BEING PAID BY THEM. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CANCER MEMBER GETS. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND YOU KNOW A COUPLE OF POINTS ALSO WANT TO MAKE NOT TO REVEAL THE VOTE'S BEEN TAKEN SO UM, I WANT TO WELCOME YOU, MR WILLIAMS TO BEAUMONT. YOUR WIFE, CYNTHIA. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. WE HAD A VERY GOOD CONVERSATION YESTERDAY. I THINK WE ARE. WHAT SHARE A LOT OF THE SAME VISION FOR BEAUMONT AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HELPING MIKE BEAUMONT BETTER WITH YOU AT THE HELM. AH! BUT TO

[02:00:07]

WHICH IS KIND OF A SWEET NOODLE DISH. IT'S KIND OF LIKE A DESSERT. VERY GOOD. URGE YOU TO COME OUT THERE AND, UH, HAVE SOME. THANK YOU, MARY. THANK YOU. MM PROTEIN DURIAN. THANK YOU MIRROR BECAUSE I WANT TO WELCOME MR WILLIAMS ALSO AND HIS WIFE AND I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M REALLY BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE ON THIS COUNCIL IS READY TO GO TO WORK WITH MR WILLIAMS AND TO WORK WITH MR WILLIAMS AND I WOULD JUST ASK THE CITIZENS TO BE PATIENT AND TRUST US TO DO THE JOB THAT YOU GUYS ELECTED US TO DO. I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL THE CITIZENS THAT SPOKE UM, ONE OF THEM SAID HE DOESN'T LIKE TO COME UP HERE AND SPEAK, BUT I THINK HE REALLY DOES. ALSO I WANT TO THANK ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT SPOKE TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS FOR US AND STAFF AND EVERYONE FOR PREPARING THE BUDGET. HMM. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL. AND THEY'RE LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO TODD, YOUR STAFF THIS BUDGET I KNOW YOU GUYS PUT IN AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME ON THIS THING THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS AND APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS AND WITH ASSISTANCE, MR BOONE PUT IN ON THIS THING AND ALSO LIKE TO SAY WELCOME TO THE WILLIAMS AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU GUYS. AND, UH, CAN BE, UH, NEW DAY FOR BEAUMONT COMING SO EXCITED TO BE PART OF THE TEAM. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SAMUEL. NO I'M JUST JOINING AND WELCOMING, UH, MISS CYNTHIA AND KENNETH WILLIAMS TO BEAUMONT IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR HELPING MAKE IT MUCH BETTER. WE ALREADY THERE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CANCEL MEMBER FELL SHORT. THANK YOU MAYOR LAST WEEK. THIS COUNCIL.

VOTED TO HIRE MR WILLIAMS IS OUR NEXT CITY MANAGER. I'VE SAID MORE THAN ONCE THAT THIS MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION THAT WE MAKE WHILE SITTING ON COUNCIL THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS WAS 19 YEARS AGO. I JUST WANT TO AGAIN MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC AND ESPECIALLY TO MR WILLIAMS AND HIS WIFE HERE TODAY THAT MY NO VOTE. WAS NOT A VOTE AGAINST THE MAN. IT WAS A VOTE AGAINST CERTAIN COMPONENTS WITHIN THE AGREEMENT THAT I STRUGGLED WITH. MY PROBLEM. IN THE COUNCIL'S PROBLEM IS WE DON'T HAVE A MECHANISM WHEREBY WE CAN VOTE FOR THE MAN. BUT AGAINST THE AGREEMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE THEY'RE LINKED AND SO IT IS A STRUGGLE. ALSO, I WANT MR

[02:05:07]

MORE BROADLY. WELCOME TO BEAUMONT. BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY , I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH MR WILLIAMS FOR A BETTER AND BRIGHTER BEAUMONT. TODAY. MISREAD. THANK YOU. TIRED. YES MA'AM. I'D LIKE TO SAY WE ALL LOVE WHAT BENJI WILLIAMS DOES FOR THE CITY. HE'S STILL SITTING RIGHT HERE. HE MIGHT NOT APPRECIATE ME SAYING THIS, BUT RUMOR HAS IT. HE MIGHT HAVE A YEAR FOR MONTHS AND 16 DAYS LEFT WITH THE CITY. SO IF YOU CAN HELP ME TALK HIM OUT OF RETIRING . I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT ALSO, UM, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU, BENJI. ALSO, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAD A ROUGH YEAR. THIS YEAR. IN THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS, WE LOST THE CITY COMPTROLLER OF 17 YEARS AND LOST MY BUDGET OFFICER, SO I WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY THINK IN THIS MEETING TODAY, IF CHERYL RAYE WOULD STAND UP, SHE'S THE NEW CITY CONTROLLER. SHE'S ONLY BEEN HERE A FEW MONTHS AND HAS ALREADY PROVEN TO BE A GREAT ASSET. AND THEN STEPHANIE HARDY, WOULD YOU STAND UP? SHE'S ALREADY LAUGHED. DOG GONE. SHE WAS HERE EARLIER. SHE'S OUR NEW BUDGET OFFICER. UM SHE BRINGS BRINGS A GREAT DEAL OF TALENT TO THAT BUDGET AREA, AND WE APPRECIATE THEIR WORK ON PUTTING THIS BUDGET TOGETHER, ALONG WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT TOOK THE TIME OUT OF THEIR SCHEDULES TO MEET WITH US THIS YEAR TO GET GET THIS DOCUMENT READY TO PRESENT TO YOU GUYS. THANK YOU, UM. OUR CITY COURT. TINA PERCENT MR AND MRS WILLIAMS . I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE MR WILLIAMS AND WELCOME YOU GUYS TO BEAUMONT. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE THANK YOU. WELL, IT'S DOWN TO ME AND, UH THEY'RE WAITING ON ME NEXT DOOR . I'M A JUDGE FOR THE TASTING FOR SOME OTHER PLACE. AND UH, THEY'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT MEETING IS STILL GOING ON. BUT I'LL BE OVER THERE SHORTLY. BUT, UM IF ANY OF YOU MISSED LAST WEEK, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEETING THAT WAS ONE OF THE BEST MEETINGS THAT. TO SEE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT AND ACTION. UM. THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE AN ISSUE AS BIG AS HIRING A NEW CITY MANAGER YOU WILL GET. YOU WILL GET THAT. I WILL SAY IT WAS A HEALTHY MEETING. AND I WILL SAY, UM GO BACK AND TUNE IN. AND LOOK AT THAT MEETING. I WAS QUITE PROUD OF THE WAY THE MEETING WAS RAN. AND WITH SAYING THAT I WANT TO THANK OUR CITY ATTORNEY. FOR THE BACK AND FORTH AND THE CHANGES AND THE REVISIONS AND THE LATE NIGHTS THE WEEKEND OF WHAT YOU DID TO PULL THAT CONTRACT TOGETHER. SHARON THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK. AND MR WILLIAMS TO YOU AND MISS CYNTHIA. WELCOME TO BELMONT. AND I TRULY TRULY LOOK FORWARD. TO WORK WITH YOU. IRAN ON BUILDING A BETTER ABOUT MINE. AND GOD SAID HE WAS GOING TO SEND ME SOME HELP. AND SO MR HELP. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.

[02:10:09]

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF THAT. SO WITH ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR COMING OUT TODAY AND, AS ALWAYS SAY, SPREAD THE LOVE. THANK YOU FOR COMING AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.