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[ CALL TO ORDER]
AND WELCOME TO THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BEAUMONT CITY COUNCIL.TODAY IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND, 2022, AND TODAY'S INVOCATION WILL BE GIVEN BY BRETT HOLMES FROM CALDER BAPTIST CHURCH.
PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONES, AND PASTOR YOU'LL COME FORWARD.
EVERYONE AFTER, UH, PASTOR GIVES A PRAYER.
PLEASE, UH, REMAIN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
GRACIOUS GOD, WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THIS DAY AND THANKFUL FOR THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED TOGETHER TO DO THE WORK OF THE CITY AND ITS PEOPLE.
LORD, YOU ONCE TOLD YOUR PEOPLE TO SEEK THE WELFARE OF THE CITY IN WHICH THEY LIVED.
AND LORD, THAT IS WHAT THIS GATHERING IS TO DO.
SO HELP US, OH LORD, IN ALL THAT WE DO TO SEEK THIS CITY'S WELFARE, TO SEEK THE HEALTH, THE WEALTH, AND THE FLOURISHING OF ITS PEOPLE.
THAT WE MAY BECOME A PLACE OF SAFETY AND LOVE FOR ALL.
WE ESPECIALLY LIFT UP THOSE IN COLORADO SPRINGS RIGHT NOW, OH LORD, AS THEY SEEK TO REBUILD THEIR OWN CITY AND COMMUNITY.
HELP US, OH LORD, TO RESPOND IN WAYS THAT MAKE THIS PLACE SAFE AND SECURE FOR ALL.
BLESS THESE PEOPLE IN THE WORK THAT THEY DO, AS IT IS GOOD AND IMPORTANT.
AND HELP US TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE WITH US IN ALL THAT WE DO.
IT'S IN YOUR NAME, WE PRAY CHRIST JESUS, HERE OUR PRAYER.
PLEASE JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OUR NATION'S FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT CHANCE ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN THE AL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
THANK YOU PASTOR HOLMES, AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU.
MAY I HAVE THE ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MAYOR MUON.
COUNCIL MEMBER PHIL SHAW PRESENT.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL PRESENT.
THERE ARE NO PRESENTATIONS OR PROCLAMATIONS OR RECOGNITIONS ON TODAY, BUT AT THE END OF THE CLOSE OF THE BEAUMONT CITY COUNCIL MEETING, WE WILL HOLD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSIDER MATTERS RELATED TO, TO DELIBERATE OF THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE OUR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 5 51 0 72 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO WIT RIVERFRONT PROJECT.
WE WILL ALSO CONSIDER MATTERS RELATED TO CONTEMPLATE OR PENDING LITIGATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 5 51 0 71 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE, CALEB FIN VERSUS BEAUMONT, CITY OF BEAUMONT, CHRIS AS SPOON CAUSE NUMBER B2 44.
AT THIS TIME, 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.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON CONSENT AGENDAS, ITEM ONE THROUGH FOUR, WHEN SHE CALLED YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM.
THE GREEN LIGHT WILL COME ON AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR THREE MINUTES AND IT WILL END WHEN THE RED LIGHT COME ON.
THERE'S SOMEONE YES, FILLING OUT A GREEN SLIP AND ALSO YOU PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONES AS I FORGOT TO SILENCE MINE TODAY.
[ CONSENT AGENDA]
THIS TIME I WILL CALL FOR A MOTION FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA, MOVE TO APPROVE.IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I.
ANY OPPOS? THE MOTION CARRIES.
[1. Consider an ordinance authorizing the issuance of City of Beaumont, Texas, Waterworks and Sewer System Revenue Bonds, Series 2023, and authorizing the Mayor or City Manager and Chief Financial Officer to approve the amounts, interest rates, prices, and terms thereof for both series and to execute all documents related to the sale of the Bonds]
MAY I HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE? THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR COUNCIL, CONSIDERING ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF CITY OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS WATERWORKS AND SEWER SYSTEM, REVENUE BONDS SERIES 2023 AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR OR CITY MANAGER AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER TO APPROVE THE AMOUNTS INTEREST RATES, PRICES AND TERMS THERE OF FOR, FOR BOTH SERIES AND TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE SALE OF BONDS.THIS IS, UH, BASICALLY, UH, FOLLOW UP TO THE WORK SESSION FROM THE BUDGET PROCESS IS THE ISSUANCE OF 25 MILLION FOR WATER AND WASTE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE
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CURRENTLY UNDER THE CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN.AND, UH, BASICALLY, UH, WE HAVE TODD HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ITEM, BUT IT'S FUNDED THROUGH THE WATER UTILITIES FUND AND, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDS, UH, APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE.
YOU'VE HEARD THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER ONE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION MOTION? I'M SORRY, MAY I HAVE A MOTION PLEASE? MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I.
ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES.
[2. Consider approving an amendment to Chapter 22 of the Code of Ordinances, Article 22.03 Industrial Waste Standards ]
MAY I HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE? YES, MA'AM.COUNCIL, CONSIDER RESOLUTION APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 22 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCE ARTICLE 2203 INDUSTRIAL WASTE STANDARDS.
UH, THIS IS ART THAT PROVIDES THE LEGAL AUTHORITY FOR THE CITY TECH COULD EXECUTE ITS INDUSTRIAL PRETREATMENT PROGRAM.
UH, THIS, UH, IDENTIFIES THE PARAMETERS OR POLLUTANTS THAT ARE, ARE, ARE ALLOWED INTO THE WASTE SYSTEM.
UM, WHAT YOU HAVE IN EXHIBIT THAT IDENTIFIES THOSE LIMITS OF THE, UH, TLL BS.
AND WE HAVE, UH, MY CARROTS AND HIS STAFF HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IN REGARD TO THOSE LIMITS AND STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL.
YOU'VE HEARD THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER TWO.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION PLEASE? APPROVAL.
I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I.
ANY OPPOSE THE MOTION CARRIES.
MAY I HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER
[3. Consider approving the purchase of a new long throw sound system for the Julie Rogers Theater ]
THREE, PLEASE? MR. CITY MANAGER? YES, COUNCIL, CONSIDER RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PURCHASE OF A NEW LONGS THROW SOUND SYSTEM FOR THE JEWELER ROGERS THEATER.THAT ROGERS THEATER IS IN NEED OF A NEW SOUND SYSTEM.
KURT ONE IS OUTDATED AND, AND HAS A LOT OF OPERATIVE ISSUES.
WE GOT ONE BACK, UH, ON THAT RFP AND THAT QUOTES IN YOUR PACKET.
THIS WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH THE CAPITAL RESERVE FUND.
THIS ITEM DID COME OVER ABOVE ESTIMATE, SO THE REMINDER WILL BE, UH, WILL COME FROM FUND BALANCE AND STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION.
YOU'VE HEARD THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER THREE.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION? PLEASE MOVE TO APPROVE.
I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION COUNT, UH, MAYOR PRO, TIM DIA.
ONE, WHAT EXACTLY YOU MEAN WHEN THEY SAY, UH, LONG THROW SOUND SYSTEM? THANK YOU.
OUR EVENTS DIRECTOR EMILY WIGGLER, IS COMING FORWARD.
THAT'S JUST A FANCY WAY OF SAYING A SOUND SYSTEM THAT CAN FILL THE ROOM.
SO IT'LL IT'S THE APPROPRIATE SIZE FOR THIS, THE SPACE THAT WE HAVE.
AND WHAT, UH, CAN YOU EXPLAIN ONE Y'ALL THE THIS POINT SYSTEM THAT THEY USE TO APPROVE TO COME TO THIS NUMBER OR TO APPROVE THIS? GOTTA KNOW, I WASN'T SURE WHO WAS ON THE COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT BASICALLY ON, ON THESE TYPE OF DEALS, WE TRY TO DO BEST VALUE FOR THE CITY.
OBVIOUSLY PRICE IS GONNA BE THE, THE MOST CRITICAL PRICE POINT, UH, OF THE EVALUATION.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S AWARDED 40 POINTS.
AND THEN THE PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE ESTIMATES OF WHAT THEY THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA COST.
SO THEY BASICALLY GRADED ON THESE, UM, ON THESE FOR CRITERIA, WHICH IS THE PRICE, THE WARRANTY, AND THE LIFE EXPECTANCY, THE PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH THE VENDOR AND THE TIMEFRAME FOR INSTALLATION.
AND IT'S, LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST A PROCESS WE USE TO TRY TO GET THE BEST VALUE FOR THE CITY.
USUALLY THIS COMES INTO PLAY WHEN WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE VENDOR THAT'S REPLYING, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS ONLY ONE CHOICE IN, IN THIS INSTANCE, SO THAT'S HOW IT WAS GRADED.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER GIS AND COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER.
I ATTENDED THE GODFATHER SCREENING LAST FRIDAY.
IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY BEING MARKED WITH THE SHOWING OF THAT MOVIE IN THE JEFFERSON THEATER.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT THE SOUND TO BE LIKE? HOW WILL IT BE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE WITH OUR SOUND SYSTEM? SO THE, THIS IS FOR THE JULIE ROGERS THEATER AND THE, I'M SORRY.
SO THE CURRENT SYSTEM IN THE JULIE ROGERS THEATER IS 25 YEARS OLD.
MOST OF THE PARTS ARE OBSOLETE.
THE ONES THAT ARE WORKING CAN'T REALLY BE REPAIRED AT THIS POINT.
SO WHAT THIS DOES IS IT, YOU KNOW, IT SETS
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US WHERE WE NEED TO BE, NUMBER ONE.NUMBER TWO, IT ELIMINATES OUR CLIENTS HAVING TO RENT A LOT OF OUTSIDE SOUND TO BRING IN TO MAKE THEIR EVENTS WORK.
THE SOUND SYSTEM SOUNDED GREAT AT THE JEFFERSON, I'LL TELL YOU THAT.
UH, JUST A COMMENT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF INVESTORS COME IN AND DO SHOWS.
I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, EMILY, I APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE YOU ARE ACTUALLY CUTTING SOME COSTS OFF THE INVESTORS AND I THINK OUR COMMUNITY TRULY APPRECIATES THESE SHOWS.
SO I THINK THIS WILL BE AN ENHANCEMENT TO THE CITY OF BEAUMONT.
SO I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE YOU IN GOOD JOB.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I ANY OPPOSE THE MOTION? CARRIES MAY
[4. Consider approving the purchase of security cameras for four City Park/ Community Center parking lots from Infinity Connections, Inc. ]
HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE.THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCIL, CONSIDER RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PURCHASE OF SECURITY CAMERAS FOR FOUR CITY PARK COMMUNITY CENTER PARKING LOTS FROM INFINITY CONNECTIONS INC.
UH, IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND SOME PARKS AND AREAS.
WE HAD GOTTEN FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT THEIR CONCERN OF, ABOUT THIS, UH, ACTIVITY.
AND THERE WAS A, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT WE CONSIDER PARKS FOR, I MEAN, CAMERAS FOR PARKS, I'M SORRY.
AND IN REGARDS TO THAT, I APPOINTED THE COMMITTEE OF STAFF MEMBERS TO EVALUATE AND LOOK AT SOME SITES AND WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO.
AND THEY CAME BACK WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, FOR THE DIFFERENT PARKS HERE AS A PART OF THAT, UH, UH, PROGRAM.
SO STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT SECURITY CAMERAS BE INSTALLED IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS.
UH, ELLIS KEY PARK, CENTRAL PARK IMAGINATION STATION, JOHN PAUL DAVIS CENTER, AND ROGERS PARK.
AND THIS WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH THE CAPITAL RESERVE FUND AND STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION.
AND BEFORE A CALL FOR THE VOTE, UM, IT HAS BEEN A LOT OF ACTIVITIES, UH, IN SEVERAL PARKS AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN EXPAND, UH, THE CAMERAS TO SOME OTHER PARKS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
MAY I HAVE THE MOTION, PLEASE? I'M READY TO MOVE FORWARD.
UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION PLEASE? COUNCIL MEMBER GOETZ AND THEN MAYOR PRO TIM DIO.
I JUST WANT TO COMMEND, UH, OUR CITY MANAGER FOR, UH, LISTENING AND PUTTING TOGETHER A COMMITTEE TO RESEARCH THE, UH, VARIOUS PARKS THAT HAD A NEED FOR THIS.
IT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE WILL ABSOLUTELY HELP, UH, THE DETER CRIME NUMBER ONE, BUT WILL HELP THE POLICE SOLVE ANY CRIMES THAT DO HAPPEN TO BE COMMITTED.
AND WE'VE SEEN THE SUCCESS OF THESE CAMERAS AT THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS, AND I THINK IT'LL ALSO, UH, SHOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT THE PARKS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER PARKS THAT CURRENTLY HAVE CAMERAS OR ARE THESE THE FIRST, THE ONLY OTHER PARKS OR, UM, YOUR BAG? CLIMB PARK, AND THEN THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS.
OH, YOU WERE JUST LOOKING AT ME.
ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I.
ANY OPPOSE? THE MOTION CARRIES.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY.
AND AT THIS TIME, UH, IT'S PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO, PLEASE FILL OUT THE GREEN SLIPS.
[Review and discuss the requirements for speakers and others in meetings of Beaumont City Council and Commission Meetings]
ON THE AGENDA.I'M, I'M NOT IN MY REGULAR, I'M NOT IN MY REGULAR BINDER TODAY.
UM, SO I HAD TO REDO MY BINDER.
WE DO HAVE A WORK SESSION TO REVIEW THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SPEAKERS AND OTHERS IN THE MEETING OF BEAUMONT CITY COUNCIL.
AND MR. CITY MANAGER, IF YOU'LL GO AHEAD AND LEAD US INTO THAT WORK SESSION.
I, I THINK I'LL YIELD TO OUR LEARNER CITY ATTORNEY.
IT WAS REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN UH, GOETZ AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN NEIL THAT WE REVIEW THE SPEAKER AND DECOR RULES FOR COUNCIL.
UM, THE PRESENTATION FOCUSES MOSTLY ON THOSE RULES AS IT RELATES TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT A LOT OF THE CITIES THAT WE LOOKED AT ACTUALLY HAVE A UNIFORM CODE THROUGHOUT THEIR, UM, THEIR SYSTEM FOR ALL PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, IN ATTENDANCE.
SO, OUR CURRENT PRACTICES, WE OBVIOUSLY, WE LIMIT THE SPEAKING TO THREE MINUTES.
UM, ONE OF OUR RULES IS THAT WE CAN EXTEND IT AT THE MAYOR'S JUDGMENT AND THAT WE ONLY ALLOW ONE SPEAKER AT THE PODIUM UNLESS THE TRANSLATOR IS NEEDED.
THAT'S REALLY NOT AN ENFORCEABLE POLICY BECAUSE WE,
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WE ALLOW COSING AND SOMETIMES MORE THAN ONE PERSON AT THE, UH, AT THE PODIUM.UM, SPEAKERS MUST REFER TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY EMPLOYEES AND DEPARTMENTS BY TITLE.
UM, INDIVIDUALS OR BUSINESSES CANNOT BE REFERRED TO BY NAME WHEN SPEAKING.
UH, SPEAKERS CANNOT ADVOCATE OR OPPOSE POLITICAL CANDIDATES OR, UM, AT THE PODIUM.
UM, AND THAT'S USUALLY ENFORCED BY NOT ALLOWING, UH, CAMPAIGN SHIRTS OR CAMPAIGN ATTIRE, UM, BUTTONS AND ET CETERA.
UH, NO PERSON OF COUNCIL SHALL DISRUPT OR INTERFERE WITH THE MEETING AND THOSE WHO FAILED TO COMPLY WITH THE RULES WE WARN ONCE AND CONTINUED POPULATIONS WILL RESULT IN EX FUNCTION FROM CHAMBERS AND A 90 DAY LOSS OF SPEAKING PRIVILEGES.
AND COUNSEL CANNOT RESPOND TO SPEAKERS ON UNPOSTED MATTERS EXCEPT FOR PROVIDING SPECIFIC FACTUAL INFORMATION OR EXPLANATIONS OR POLICY.
AND COUNSELORS MAY NOT DISCUSS PUBLIC COMMENTS BEYOND PROPOSING MATTER TO BE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
AND THIS INFORMATION WAS TAKEN FROM OUR, UH, UPDATED DECOR RULES THAT A COUNCIL ADOPTED IN DECEMBER OF 2019.
UM, I WILL POINT OUT THAT THOSE RULES ARE NOT REALLY POSTED ANYWHERE ONLINE, SO THAT MIGHT IS A JUST CHANGE THAT WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING TO HAPPEN.
UM, WHEN WE, UH, LOOKED AT, UM, PROPOSING SOME CHANGES TO OUR, OUR, OUR POLICIES AND, UM, SPEAKER REQUIREMENTS, WE, UH, LOOKED AT SOME SURROUNDING CITIES AS WELL AS, UH, THE LARGER CITIES TO KIND OF SEE WHERE WE STOOD AND MEASURED UP TO THEM.
THE CITY OF WACO IS PROBABLY OUR, UH, ONE OF THE CLOSER COMPARISONS.
UM, BUT THEY ALLOW FOR OUR REQUIRE REGISTRATION 15 MINUTES UP TO THE MEETING UP UNTIL THE FIRST SPEAKER, UM, BEGINS TO SPEAK.
IF AN ITEM IS PULLED FROM THE AGENDA OR TABLE, THAT INDIVIDUAL LOSES THEIR PRIVILEGE TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
UM, AT THE TOP OF THE SLIDES, YOU CAN SEE THEIR ORDER IN WHICH THEY ALLOW TO SPEAK.
SO IT'S THE READING OF THE CAPTION AND THEY ACTUALLY OPEN IT UP FOR, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY DONE PRIOR TO THE MEETING, BUT THEY ALLOW SPEAKING ON THE ITEM AS IT'S BEING ADDRESSED.
UM, THERE'S A, UH, SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO ONE PRESENTATION, REGARDLESS IF THEY WANNA SPEAK ON ONE ITEM OR SEVERAL.
UM, WHEN SPEAKING, UM, FOR A GROUP, THEY EXTEND THE TIMEFRAME, TIMEFRAME TO 10 MINUTES.
UM, AND THE PROVIDING OFFICER MAY RESTRICT TIME IF THERE IS GONNA BE MULTIPLE PEOPLE SPEAKING ON THE ITEM JUST TO CONTROL THE LENGTH OF THE MEETING.
THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR RIGHT UP THE ROAD, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, A SIMILAR, UH, SPEAKER REQUIREMENT WHERE THEY REQUIRE YOU TO REGISTER FOR THE MEETING, UM, AT 5:00 PM ON THAT THURSDAY PRIOR.
AGAIN, THIS ALLOWS FOR, UM, MANAGEMENT OF THE MEETING.
UH, THEY, THEY OFFER ONLINE REGISTRATION AND IN-PERSON REGISTRATION FOR THEIR INDIVIDUALS.
THEY HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ADDRESS COUNSEL AND THEY CAN EXTEND IT UP TO 20 MINUTES FOR A GROUP PRESENTATION IN THE EVENINGS.
UM, THEY HAVE REGULAR EVENING MEETINGS.
THEY LIMIT THEIR PUBLIC SPEAKING TO FIVE ADDRESSES AND, AND IT'S BASICALLY FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE.
AND ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO ISN'T ALLOWED TO SPEAK AT THAT EVENING MEETING, THEY'RE ROLLED OVER TO THE NEXT, UM, MEETING.
THEY HAVE THE OPTION TO ROLL OVER TO THE NEXT EVENING MEETING OR THE NEXT, UM, MEETING ON THE, UH, JUST THE NEXT PUBLIC MEETING.
SO IF THEY WANNA SPEAK SPECIFICALLY AT THE EVENING BASED ON THEIR SCHEDULE, THEY CAN JUST SAY, I'LL SPEAK AT THE NEXT EVENING MEETING, OR THEY CAN SPEAK AT THE NEXT AVAILABLE COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, THEY ALSO HAVE, UH, RULES NEXT SLIDE FOR POSTPONING AND REMOVING ITEMS THAT'S INCLUDED IN THEIR CHARTER.
SO THEY SPECIFICALLY OUTLINE THE PROCESS FOR REMOVAL OF AN ITEM.
UM, IT'S OUTLINED IN THEIR CHARTER.
UM, THAT'S ONE ITEM THAT WE DON'T, UM, AND OUR CURRENT RULES HAVE IS HOW TO REMOVE AN ITEM FOR AGENDAS.
UH, THAT'S NOT LISTED IN ANY OF OUR RULES OF DECOR.
AND THEY ALSO HAVE A PROCEDURE OUTLINED IN THEIR CITY CHARTER FOR HOLDING AN ITEM.
UM, AND THAT BE THE SAME AS IN ROBERT'S RULES AS TABLING AN ORDER.
AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY OUTLINED IN THEIR CHARTER.
THAT'S ALSO NOT A THING THAT THE COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED.
UM, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT OUR CURRENT, UM, RULES FOR OUR PROCEDURES FOR COUNCIL ONLY ADDRESSES MAKING AND AMENDING A MOTION.
LASTLY, WICHITA FILES, AGAIN, THEY'RE ANOTHER, UH, CITY THAT'S COMPARABLE SIZE TO THE CITY.
THEY, UH, REQUIRE A, A REGISTRATION PRIOR TO, UM, THEY LIMIT, UH, PUBLIC ADDRESSES TO FIVE MINUTES AND A CLEAN LIFT TO 30 MINUTES.
THEY RESTRICT EACH, UM, HAVE A STRICT ONE MINUTE EXTENSION FOR ADDRESSES.
SO, UH, IF THEY'RE GONNA ALLOW TIME TO BE EXTENDED, IT'S ONLY EXTENDED FOR ONE MINUTE, FOR A TOTAL OF FOUR, FOUR MINUTES TOTAL.
UM, THEY HAVE ADOPTED THEIR OWN PRELIMINARY PROCEDURES, UM, AND THEY'RE CALLED TO ORDER, BUT THEY HAVE A SPECIFIC WAY THEY DO PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCREEN.
UM, AND IT'S VERY, UH, LIMITED, OBVIOUSLY.
THEY ALLOW QUESTION TO ANSWER PERIOD BY THE, BY THE COUNCIL, THEN THEY OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR ANY ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS.
AND THEN IT'S CLOSING DELIBERATED, UH, THE CITY.
OUR PARTICULAR COUNCIL DOESN'T HAVE A FORMAL PROCEDURE FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS.
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THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THAT'S THEIR FULL VERSION.BUT THE BREAKOUT FOR THEM AS WELL IS THAT THEY DO HAVE A PRE-REGISTRATION.
THEY DO NOT ALLOW BAGS OR CONTAINERS, UM, IN THEIR HANDS WHILE THEY'RE AT THE PODIUM WHILE THEY'RE SPEAKING.
SO THERE'S NO, UM, PRESENTATION, UM, IN THAT FORM.
AND THEY ALSO, UH, ARE PROHIBITED FROM MEANING OUTBURSTS OR ANYONE SPEAKING FROM THE AUDIENCE IS AUTOMATICALLY REMOVED FROM COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
THE CITY OF DALLAS, AGAIN, ANOTHER CITY THAT REQUIRES PREREGISTRATION.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A THEME HERE.
WE ARE THE ONLY CITY THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE PREREGISTRATION AT OUR MEETINGS.
UM, THEY AS SPEAKERS MESSAGE AS THE PRESIDING OFFICER ONLY, WHICH MEANS THEY CANNOT TALK TO CITY STAFF OR ANY OF THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THEY CAN ONLY TALK TO PROVIDING OFFICER, WHICH IN THIS CASE WOULD BE THE MAYOR.
SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO LIMIT THEIR ADDRESS DIRECTLY TO THE MAYORS.
UM, THEY ALSO HAVE, UM, A PROHIBITION FROM ANYONE WHO VIOLATES THE RULES TO A 30 DAY SPEAKING REQUIREMENT.
SO THE FIRST FIVE REGISTERS ARE PERMITTED TO SPEAK DURING THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD.
UM, THEY WOULD HAVE A, A PRETTY, PRETTY LIMITED WINDOW FOR THAT.
UM, THEY CAN SPEAK ON MULTIPLE ITEMS. WE'LL ONLY GET TO SPEAK ON ONE PERIOD.
HANDOUTS ARE PERMITTED, BUT THEY HAVE TO BE TURNED IN PRIOR TO SPEAKING.
THAT PRES, UH, AGAIN, PRESENTS SOME FROM, UM, WASTING THEIR TIME.
SO THAT INFORMATION IS TURNED INTO THE CLERK PRIOR TO THEM SPEAKING.
IN THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, UM, THEY GET SIX MINUTES TO SPEAK INSTEAD OF THREE.
UM, THAT'S PROBABLY THE, UH, A BIG JUMP.
THEY HAVE THE LONGEST SPEAKING PERIOD.
UM, FOR AN INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER, UM, A PERSON I REMEMBER, A GROUP CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK SEPARATELY AT THE SAME ADDRESS MEETINGS.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS, IF IT, THERE'S SEVERAL PEOPLE GONNA SPEAK AND THEY SPEAK ON A GROUP, THAT PERSON CAN'T SPEAK MULTIPLE TIMES CUZ THEY'RE CONNECTED TO A GROUP.
UM, THEIR PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THE SUBJECT.
THEY'RE SPEAKING ABOUT WHEN THEY IDENTIFY FOR RED.
SO THEY CAN'T, UM, JUST SPEAK ABOUT ANYTHING.
THEY SPECIFICALLY HAVE TO IDENTIFY WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE ADDRESSING COUNSEL ON.
SO JUST PASS THAT UP FOR PLEASES.
WE ARE PROPOSING SOME NEW, UM, CHANGES, UM, TO OUR CURRENT POLICY.
THOSE INFORM THAT THOSE ITEMS BE, UH, MAINTAINED AND, AND REVIEWED REGULARLY, BUT ALSO PUBLISHED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
BOTH THE RULES OF THE QUO AND THE SPEAKER REQUIREMENTS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA ASK COUNSEL TO ADOPT SOME FORM OF ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, OR, UM, COMMIT TO A VERSION OF THEIR OWN THAT ALLOWS FOR TABLING, REMOVING AN ITEM, HOLDING OVER, UM, OR HOLDING OVER AN ITEM AS WELL AS, UM, REFERRING AN ITEM TO, TO THE MANAGER FOR COMMITTEE OR FOR REVIEW.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, CONSIDER ADOPTING A UNIFORM SPEAKING POLICY FOR ALL, FOR ALL THE MEETINGS.
UM, ONE OF THE BIG ONES WOULD BE THE ONLINE REGISTRATION.
THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHANGE WILL REQUIRE ONLINE REGISTRATION.
UM, IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD INDIVIDUALS WHO'VE NOT COMPLETED THE GREEN TIME GREEN CARD IN TIME OR COMPLETELY.
AND THAT DOESN'T ALLOW FOR ACCURATE RECORDING OF MINUTES.
UM, ONLINE YOU CAN REQUIRE THAT THOSE FIELDS BE, UM, BE MANDATORY.
UM, IF YOU NOTICE IN SECTION ONE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT IT REQUIRES THEM TO BE REGISTERED AT A 3:00 PM DEADLINE.
UM, THAT MONDAY PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
AND OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD CHANGE BASED ON IF WE DID THIS FOR A UNIFORM ACROSS THE BOARD, THAT WOULD CHANGE TO 3:00 PM THE DAY BEFORE THE MEETING.
BUT THIS WAS, UH, GENERATED SPECIFICALLY FOR CITY COUNCIL, UM, VISUAL AIDS AND HANDOUTS OR BE REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED AT THE TIME OF THE MEETING.
WE WERE REQUIRED THAT SPEAKERS, UH, ADHERE TO ANY SPEAKER DECOR RULES THAT ARE ADOPTED BY COUNSEL.
ESSENTIALLY NO PROFANITY, NO DISRUPTIONS, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
UM, AND THEN, UH, SECTION FOUR HAS A REMOVAL POLICY THAT WOULD, UH, ALLOW FOR THE PRESIDING OFFICER TO REMOVE AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS DISRUPTIVE, UM, OR VIOLATED THE SPEAKER, UH, POLICIES THAT OBSTRUCTED THE VIEW OF ANY CITIZEN, UM, VIEWING IN THE AUDIENCE.
AND THEN IT WOULD HAVE A 30 DAY SUSPENSION FROM, UH, ATTENDING PUBLIC MEETINGS.
THE OTHER, AND, AND I THINK THE CURRENT ONE IS 90, I THOUGHT 30 DAYS WAS MORE LAX.
CAUSE THAT SEEMED TO BE THE STANDARD ACROSS, UM, SOME OF THE COMPARABLE CITIES.
AND THE NEXT, UH, BIG CHANGE WOULD BE THAT THE INDIVIDUALS, UM, SORRY, THAT IF THEY, UH, WERE REMOVED AND THEY WERE REGISTERED TO SPEED, THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO COME BACK TO SPEAK.
THAT THAT REMOVAL WOULD BE, WOULD FORFEIT THEIR RIGHT TO SPEAK.
AND IF THEY WERE THE REGISTERED PERSON WHO IS SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP, THEN THE ENTIRE GROUP WOULD BE FORFEITED THEIR CHANCE TO SPEAK.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE BIG MAJOR CHANGES.
THOSE ARE CONSISTENT WITH SOME OF THE, UH, THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD ALLOW FOR MORE EFFECTIVE.
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GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER.UH, MY, MY CONCERN IS THIS PRE-REGISTRATION, UH, ME PERSONALLY, I'M A FAN OF GIVING PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS, TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS.
AND WITH THE PREREGISTRATION, I THINK WE CAN LIMIT IT CITIZENS.
UH, MY MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION IS, IS PREREGISTRATION ALSO INCLUDED IN PUBLIC COMMENTS OR IS THIS JUST CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS OR JUST ITEMS THAT MAY BE ON THE TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION? SO, AS ALWAYS, THE PROPOSAL IS JUST A PROPOSAL, BUT THE PROPOSAL WAS THAT IT WOULD BE FOR ANY PERSON WISHING TO SPEAK AT THE MEETING.
UH, THE CITY OF WACO DOES THEIRS 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
SO THEY DO ALLOW FOR ONLINE AS WELL AS IN-PERSON REGISTRATION UP TO 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE START OF THE MEETING.
THE IDEA WAS TO, UM, IF, IF YOU WANTED TO ALLOW FOR, UM, FOR IF IT'S A, A MORE CONTROVERSIAL ITEM AND YOU SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS A BIG IMPORTANT ITEM, WE'RE GONNA EXTEND THE SPEAKING TIME ON THIS ITEM BECAUSE WE SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA SPEAK OR WE'RE GONNA LIMIT THE, THE AMOUNT OF TIME.
SO WE'RE ONLY GONNA ALLOW, UM, SO MANY PEOPLE, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT.
IF YOU KNOW IN ADVANCE HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS ARE WE WISHING TO SPEAK IN, I THINK THAT IT'S ONLY FAIR THAT THE CLERK WOULD HAVE AT LEAST A DAY TO KIND OF GATHER THAT.
BUT AGAIN, THESE, THE PROPOSAL WAS BASED ON WHAT THE, WHAT THE AVERAGE OR COMPARABLE WAS AMONGST OTHER CITIES.
UM, BUT THE, LIKE I SAID, THE CITY OF WACO IS ONE OF THE CITIES THAT DOES ALLOW FOR REGISTRATION UP UNTIL THE START OF THE MEETING.
I JUST, THAT'S JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION.
LIKE, I WON'T ALLOW PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON WHATEVER PARTICULAR TOPIC THEY MAY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES PEOPLE MAY NOT WANNA SPEAK TO AFTER THEY HEAR US DISCUSSING AND THEY COME MENTIONING IN PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO THAT'S JUST, JUST MY SUGGESTION.
SO ONE OF THE, UH, THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THAT IS THAT A LOT OF THE CITIES WHO ALLOW FOR, UH, PRE-REGISTRATION, AGAIN, THEY ALLOW FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO, IF THEY WANNA REGISTER SPEAKING, THEY KNOW THAT THAT'S AN ITEM THEY WANNA SPEAK ON.
THEY DON'T RESTRICT THEM TO SPEAKING BEFORE THE ITEM IS DISCUSSED.
SO IF YOU GO BACK, ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS THEY ALLOW FOR SPEAKING WACO, ONE, THEY ALLOW FOR SPEAKING AS THE ITEM IS BEING ADDRESSED.
SO WHEREAS THE CITY ALLOW, WE CURRENTLY ALLOW FOR SPEAKING BEFORE AN ITEM, UM, BEFORE THE START OF THE, UH, APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, THEY ALLOW FOR THE SPEAKING ON THE ITEM AS IT'S CALLED.
SO AFTER THE, UH, CAPTION IS READ, AND, UH, THE REPORT INFORMATION IS GIVEN, THEY OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE A CHANCE TO HEARD YOU SPEAK ABOUT IT.
THEY THEN GET TO TALK ABOUT IT, AND THEN THE MAYOR CLOSES THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION, AND THEN IT'S AN ACTION ITEM TO BE ADDRESSED.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A, WELL, I, I, I HAVE TO AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER.
UM, IF SOMEONE DECIDES, YOU KNOW, THE MORNING OF OR LATE THAT THEY'RE GONNA COME TO COUNCIL MEETING, UM, AND THEY HAVEN'T PRE-REGISTERED OR NOT AWARE, I JUST WANNA MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE CITIZENS, UH, THAT THEY CAN COME AND ADDRESS US AT ANY POINT IN TIME LIKE THEY DO NOW.
WE CAN CHANGE IT, LIKE IF THIS, IF IT'S THE COUNCIL'S MAJORITY TO HAVE IT REGISTRATION UP UNTIL WE CAN, I MEAN, AGAIN, IT WAS PROPOSED.
I DON'T WANT REGISTRATION AT ALL.
I, I MEAN, I BELIEVE, WELL, WE HAVE A REGISTRATION PROCESS NOW, AND IT'S TO FILL OUT THE GREEN CARD.
THEY HAVE TO FILL OUT THE GREEN CARD.
SO THE REGISTRATION PROCESS IS ALREADY IN PLAY.
UM, THE PRE-REG, BUT IT'S NOT ONLINE REGISTRATION.
IT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT CURRENTLY ONLINE.
YOU HAVE TO BE AT THE MEETING.
YOU HAVE TO COME IN AND FILL OUT THE GREEN CARD.
AND THE GREEN, I MEAN, THE GREEN CARD PROCESS HAS BEEN WORKING.
I JUST DON'T SEE THE PROBLEM WITH THE GREEN, WITH THE GREEN CARD, ESPECIALLY IF YOU COME UP TO THE MEETING AND MAY NOT HAVE EVEN PLANNED TO ATTEND MEETING, BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU COULD COME UP, FILL OUT THE GREEN CARD AND, AND SPEAK ON WHATEVER ISSUE.
COUNCIL MEMBER GETS, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, SAMUEL AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER SHAW.
SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR DOING THE RESEARCH TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING, BUT I KIND OF DO AGREE WITH BOTH THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER, THAT WE SEEM TO BE WORKING PRETTY WELL WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
AND OPERA ONE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE CITIZENS THE OPPORTUNITY, CONTINUE TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN UP THE DAY OF.
HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES IS THEY WANT YOU TO SIGN UP IN ADVANCE.
AND IF YOU SIGN UP 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE, YOU'RE GIVEN TWO AND A HALF MINUTES TO SPEAK.
AND IF YOU SIGN UP, UM, AT THE MEETING, OR I BELIEVE IT'S AT THE MEETING, YOU'RE GIVEN 90 SECONDS.
[00:30:01]
MAYBE IN AN ATTEMPT TO BE A, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, YOU'RE TRYING TO, ON CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS, GET AN IDEA OF HOW MANY SPEAKERS MIGHT BE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.MAYBE ONE THING WE CAN DO IS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK, GIVE THEM THREE MINUTES IF THEY SIGN UP BY A CERTAIN TIME.
AND THEN IF THEY COME HERE AND THE SPIRIT MOVES THEM, UH, GIVE THEM A LITTLE LESS TIME, UH, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T DO THE, THE THREE MINUTES.
BUT I DO FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT TO, UM, GIVE OUR, OUR CITIZENS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS COUNSEL.
AND, UH, I LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN UP AT COUNCIL MEETINGS, BUT MAYBE THEY SHOULDN'T GET TO SPEAK FOR QUITE AS LONG AS PEOPLE THAT TAKE THE TIME TO REGISTER IN ADVANCE.
COUNCIL MEMBER SAMUEL? YES, THANK YOU, MA'AM.
I, UH, WE'VE, THIS IS OPERATED FINE.
UH, FOR THE MOST PART, HOWEVER, I BELIEVE IN BEING CONSISTENT.
UH, IF WE GIVE A PERSON OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, UH, THERE ARE TIMES THAT PEOPLE GO OVER, UH, I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THAT WITH A CHANGE.
AND THAT COULD BE, IF THERE IS SOMEONE THAT PRE REGISTERS BEFORE THE COUNCIL DAY, THEY CAN HAVE ADDITIONAL MORE TIME THAN COMING TO THE PODIUM TO SPEAK.
BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME WHEN IT'S GOTTEN CLOSE TO THE TIME, MOST OF THE TIME IT'S THE PERSON THAT HAS A PRE-PREPARED MESSAGE TO PASS.
SO WE CAN GIVE SOMEONE THAT COMES UP THAT HAS GIVEN NOTICE BY REGISTRATION THE DAY BEFORE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO REQUIRE THAT IF YOU COME TO THE COUNCIL MEETING AND YOU WANNA SPEAK, YOU CAN SPEAK AS THEY'VE DONE, UH, THUS FAR.
SO I, I, UH, I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD VERY MUCH PROBLEMS. THE ONLY THING, I, I THINK WE SHOULD BE CONSISTENT.
IF WE GIVE ONE PERSON THREE MINUTES, UH, THEN WE SHOULD LET THAT BE KNOWN.
UNLESS THEY'VE GIVEN PRE NOTICE AND THEY'VE REGISTERED TO COME IN, WELL, CAN I RESPOND? CAN I RESPOND TO MM-HMM.
BUT, UM, UM, AS CHAIR OVER THIS BODY, WHENEVER SOMEONE HAS GONE OVER THREE MINUTES, IT'S, IT'S BEEN PRETTY MUCH CONTROLLED.
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE IN THE, IF YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR SENTENCE, I'VE ALLOWED PEOPLE AT THE PODIUM TO COMPLETE, UH, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
AND RARELY DOES SOMEONE REALLY GO OVER TO THE POINT WHERE I HAVE TO JUST SAY, OKAY, YOU'VE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND.
AND I, MY ARGUMENT WAS NOT ADDRESSING SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED.
SO THAT'S WHY I SAY IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IS BURNING TO BE CHANGED BECAUSE IT'S WORKED THUS FAR.
SO YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, BUT IN YOUR STUDY AND RESEARCH, DID YOU PICK UP A SENSE OF WHY THE CITIES THAT HAVE CHOSEN TO REQUIRE PRE-REGISTRATION, IS THERE A PURPOSE AND WHAT IS IT THEY'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE? SO AGAIN, MOST OF MY, MOST OF MY FRIENDS ARE CITY ATTORNEYS IN THESE CITIES.
SO WE ACTUALLY DID TALK ABOUT IT FOR THE MOST PART.
A LOT OF THE PREREGISTRATION WAS JUST TO CONTROL, UM, THE LENGTH OF THE MEETINGS, ESPECIALLY IN THE LARGER CITIES WHERE THEY, UH, HAVE LARGER OR LENGTHIER AGENDAS.
IT WAS TO REALLY GIVE A SENSE OF, UH, HOW, HOW TO MANAGE CERTAIN REPORTS OR JUST HOW TO, UM, CONTROL THE, THE AGENDA SO THAT THE MEETING WOULDN'T BE EXTREMELY LONG.
UM, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CITIES LIKE, YOU KNOW, DALLAS OR HOUSTON THAT CAN GO INTO, YOU KNOW, 1:00 AM MEETINGS, UM, MEETING TIMES, AND A LOT OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, CITIES DO MEET IN THE EVENINGS.
SO JUST TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF THE MEETING.
BUT, UM, THE OTHER PART WAS TO, UH, ALSO, UM, THE SPEAK THE, THE CITIES THAT REQUIRE, UH, LIKE THE NO BAGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UH, AND JUST TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS, UH, WE'RE SPEAKING WITH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MEETING FLOW, UH, TIMELY.
SO WHERE THEY WEREN'T WAITING OR LAGGING FOR INDIVIDUALS TO SPEAK, THEY WOULD REQUEST THAT PEOPLE WERE GONNA SPEAK ON THE ITEM, GO AHEAD AND GET TO THE PODIUM AND IDENTIFY THEM IN ORDER, YOU KNOW, TO JUST KIND OF JUST HAVE A MORE ORDERLY MEETING.
SO IT WASN'T NECESSARILY TO RESTRICT, UH, PEOPLE FROM SPEAKING, BUT IT WAS REALLY JUST TO MAINTAIN ORDER AND THE FLOW OF THE MEETING TO RESTRICT IT FROM BEING TOO LONG, WHICH REALLY ISN'T A BIG ISSUE HERE.
UH, AND THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, THE PREREGISTRATION, UM, AGAIN, WAS JUST FOR, TO
[00:35:01]
MAINTAIN A ACCURATE RECORD SO THAT WHEN THEY CAME TO THE PODIUM FOR MINUTE PURPOSES, THEY ALREADY KNEW WHO WAS GONNA SPEAK JUST TO KEEP THE MEETING MOVING.JUST, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY AT THE END OF THE MEETING DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS, UH, THE COUNCIL, WE UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T RESPOND, WE DON'T ENGAGE IN THAT CONVERSATION, BUT WE CAN AS A COUNCIL, UH, GIVE OUT FACTUAL INFORMATION.
IF, IF THERE'S, IF SOMETHING IS SAID THAT'S INCORRECT, CAN WE NOT GIVE OUT FACTUAL INFORMATION TO CORRECT THAT? AND THEN WHO SHOULD BE, DO WE TYPICALLY LOOK TO THE CITY MANAGER TO DO THAT? OR AGAIN, THERE THERE'S BEEN SOME, I I'VE HAD SOME MOMENTS WHERE I FELT LIKE CITIZENS WALKED OUTTA HERE AND WE SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED TO 'EM WITH FACTUAL INFORMATION.
SO AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE PRESIDING OFFICER WHO WILL BE DIRECTED TO GIVE, UM, A RESPONSE REGARDING FACTUAL INFORMATION.
UM, TYPICALLY IF IT'S SOMETHING JUST INVOLVING GENERAL GOVERNANCE OF THE CITY, THE CITY MANAGER WILL RESPOND OR DIRECT A MEMBER OF STAFF TO RESPOND AS A POINT OF ORDER JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RECORD IS CLEAR THAT THE LEGAL ISSUE, OBVIOUSLY THE CITY ATTORNEY WILL RESPOND, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RECORD IS CLEAR.
BUT, UM, MOST OF THE TIME IN SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES, IT'S ONLY AT THE DIRECTION OF THE PRESIDING OFFICER THAT FACTUAL INFORMATION IS GIVEN IN RESPONSE TO A PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO OUR RULES ALLOW FOR, UM, ANY MEMBER OF THE DIETS OR, UM, TO, UH, RESPOND TO A, A CITIZEN ON AN UNPUTED ITEM TO PROVIDE FACTUAL INFORMATION.
AND I KNOW WE HAVEN'T BEFORE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WE'VE ALWAYS HELD BACK FROM ENGAGING, UH, AND, AND LOOKING TO, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I'M LOOKING FOR TO WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE PROTOCOL? SO UNDER OUR CURRENT RULES OF DECORUM, A COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER OR THE MAYOR, ANY, ANY MEMBER OF THE DIET CAN RESPOND IN TO A CITIZEN, UH, ON AN UNPOSTED ITEM WITH FACTUAL INFORMATION.
UM, BUT THE COMMON PRACTICE IS THAT THE PRESIDING OFFICER WOULD DIRECT A MEMBER OF STAFF TO RESPOND TO DO THAT IN OTHER CITIES.
BUT IN, IN OUR, IN OUR, ANY MEMBER OF THE DIET CAN DO THAT.
ANY COUNCIL MEMBER OR CITY? CITY STAFF.
MAYOR PRO TIM, MAYOR PRO TIM, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY I WAS SATISFIED WITH THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS NOW, BUT I DID HAVE A QUESTION.
IF WE WERE TO DO PRE-REGISTRATION, ONLINE REGISTRATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING LIKE, IF IT'S A BIG SUBJECT WITH THE, UH, TINA, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL WOULD HANDLE? WOULD Y'ALL HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET ALL THAT LIST TOGETHER ABOUT WHO GETS TO SPEAK, HOW LONG AND WHO AND ALL THAT? WE SHOULD BE ABLE, EXCUSE ME.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, IF THEY MORE CONVENIENT FOR YOU THAN SIGNING UP AT THE MEETING.
I MEAN, IT WOULD REQUIRE GOING IN AND CHECKING, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER WE SET IT UP, WHETHER IT'S GONNA BE A INBOX OR WHATEVER, IT JUST WILL REQUIRE MONITORING IT FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM WHATEVER TIME TO THE CUTOFF AS RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT WHAT IF WE MISS ONE? OR THAT'S RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WERE TO COME THROUGH WHEN WE DIDN'T GET IT BECAUSE OF WHATEVER REASON.
IT COULD BE A TECHNICAL GLITCH.
I MEAN, SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD HAPPEN AND SOMEONE DID SIGN UP AND WE DID NOT RECEIVE THAT.
SO THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE NOW WITH THE GREEN SLIPS, I THINK IT WORKS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT IF THE SYSTEM WENT DOWN, WHAT IF WE MISSED ONE? AND I'M NOT AT ALL TRYING TO SAY THAT WE SHOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OF COURSE IT WOULD BE AT THE WILL OF COUNCIL TO TRY TO DO, YOU KNOW, PRE-REGISTRATION.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN'T DO IT, BUT WE ALSO SHOULD LOOK AT THE PROS AND CONS AND WHAT IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN THAT WE DIDN'T RECEIVE A GREEN SLIP, THEN WHAT DO WE DO IF SOMEONE DOES SHOW UP AND THEY WANNA SPEAK AND THEY HAVE DONE THE PRE-REGISTRATION AND WE JUST FOR SOME REASON DIDN'T RECEIVE IT, OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN A NOVA SITE ON THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MERIT OF THINGS THAT COULD GO WRONG.
YEAH, WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT NEW SOFTWARE TO MANAGE THE AGENDA MM-HMM.
WOULDN'T HAVE TO MAKE SOMETHING UP AD HOC.
WE COULD HAVE, I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT ALLOW FOR, IF WE WANTED TO DO THAT.
I'M PRETTY, PRETTY CERTAIN WE HAVE A FORMALIZED PROCESS AND AS LONG AS YOU CUT THAT REGISTRATION PERIOD OFF SOON ENOUGH BEFORE COUNSEL, THEN THERE SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE WITH, WITH, YOU KNOW, RENDERING THAT LIST FOR THE CLERK TO GO THROUGH DURING THE MEETING.
BUT ALSO THE REGISTRANT WOULD ALSO GET A CONFIRMATION.
SO IF THERE WAS A, IF THERE WAS A GLITCH ON OUR SIDE, THEY WOULD HAVE A CONFIRMATION SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, I WAS READY.
SO A LOT OF THE CITIES THAT DO OFFER PRE REGISTRATION DO
[00:40:01]
OPERATE ON A SOFTWARE, UM, AGENDA TYPE SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS FOR THAT.SO IT'S KIND OF, I DON'T WANNA SAY THERE'S A BUILT IN FILL PROOF IN TERMS OF IT'S DOUBLE CHECKS AND BALANCES.
AND AS FAR AS LIKE WHEN FOLKS GO OVER THE LIMIT, I THINK WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB, UH, AS TELLING, AS FAR AS TELLING THAT'S, I KNOW ONE OF THE MEETINGS THAT I RAN, UM, ONE OF THE SPEAKERS GOT UP THERE AND HE WAS GETTING A LITTLE LONG WINDED.
I HAD TO TELL HIM A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY PRETTY GOOD ABOUT STOPPING AT THE THREE MINUTES OR, I DON'T KNOW, THREE MINUTES AND 10 SECONDS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
PRETTY GOOD AT IT FORCING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER THEN COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL, THEN COUNCIL MEMBER GETS I DO, I DO LIKE THE FACT THAT IT HAS BEEN INSTANCES WHERE STAFF DOES RESPOND WITH FACTUAL INFORMATION.
I KNOW YOU HAVE DONE IT SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE I THINK IT'S NOT INFORMATIVE WHEN PEOPLE COME TO THE PODIUM AND THEY SAY THINGS THAT ARE INCORRECT AND WHEN IT'S RECORDED AND DOCUMENTED, THEY LEAVE AND IT'S NOT CORRECTED.
IT'S UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT, THAT THAT MAY BE THE FACTS.
SO I DO APPRECIATE IT WHEN STAFF DOES DO THAT.
AND WHEN YOU SAY PRESIDING OFFICER, I'D RATHER BE SPECIFIC.
WHEN WE SAY RESIDING OFFICER, ARE WE SPEAKING IN REFERENCE TO THE MAYOR? SO, YEAH, SO, AND I, I SAID PRESIDING OFFICER BECAUSE IF WE MAKE THIS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE ATTENDED PLANNING COMMISSION YESTERDAY, UM, CHAIRMAN NAJA IS A PRESIDING OFFICER OF THAT MEETING.
SO WHOEVER'S THE CHAIRMAN, BUT IN CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THE CHAIR WOULD EITHER BE THE MAYOR OR THE MAYOR, PRO TIM.
AND SO WE SAY PRESIDING OFFICER BECAUSE IT CAN CHANGE BASED ON WHO'S IN THAT SEAT.
WELL, ALL I ASK IS FOR COUNSEL MAYOR.
MAYOR PROTE, IF IT'S SOMETHING FACTUAL THAT A STAFF, SOMEONE, A CITIZEN COMES UP AND SAYS, CAN WE PLEASE GET STAFF TO ADDRESS IT, TO MAKE SURE IT'S CORRECT INFORMATION LEAVING OUTTA HERE TO REFLECT ON THE RECORD.
I THINK WE'VE DONE IT FOR THE MOST PART, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE DON'T MISS IT WHEN PEOPLE SAY IT.
COME UP HERE AND SAY THINGS THAT ARE INACCURATE.
THE ONLY COMPLAINT THAT I'VE HAD OR BEEN TOLD ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S NOT A POSTED ITEM, THE CITIZENS HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE VERY END OF THE MEETING TO TALK ABOUT IT.
AND MAYBE THERE'S A BETTER WAY FOR US TO STREAMLINE THAT.
CUZ YOU DON'T KNOW IF THESE MEETINGS ARE GONNA BE 30 MINUTES OR IF THEY'RE GONNA BE FOUR HOURS OR FIVE HOURS LONG.
SO SOMETIMES THE CITIZENS THAT COME UP HERE TO, TO MENTION SOMETHING TO US, GOOD OR BAD, DON'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT CAUSE THEY HAVE TO LEAVE FOR SCHEDULING REASONS OR, OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO YEAH, SO THAT, AND I WAS GONNA SAY THAT'S A, THAT'S AN AGENDA, UH, THING.
THERE ARE SOME CITIES FOR THAT EXACT REASON THAT DO ALLOW FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE START OF THE MEETING.
AND LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE, UH, OTHER CITIES THAT ALLOW FOR, UM, SPEAKING FOR THE CITY OF WACA, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ALLOW FOR SPEAKING ON THE ITEM AS IT BECOMES ADDRESSED.
SO THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAILOR THEIR COMMENTS TO THE COMMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE OR TO THE REPORT THAT'S BEEN GIVEN, UM, TO ALLOW FOR THEM TO PROVIDE, I GUESS YOU WANNA SAY A MORE, UH, THOUGHTFUL OR POIGNANT, UM, COMMUNICATION TO COUNSEL BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT THEY HAVE AT THE TIME THAT THE INFORMATION IS PRESENTED AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO SPEAK ON JUST THE ITEM POSTED WITHOUT ANY, UM, BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
SO, UM, A LOT OF THAT, A LOT OF THE, THE INFORMATION AS RELATES TO LIKE THE MEETING STUFF IS, COULD PROBABLY BE RESOLVED WITH, UM, A CHANGE OF THE MEDIA AGENDA COUNCIL BEGINS.
NOT TO BELABOR THIS, BUT KIND OF IN AGREEMENT WITH A COUNCIL MEMBER SAMUEL ON WITH WHAT I SAID EARLIER, I WOULD FAVOR THAT A UH, PERSON WISHING TO SPEAK FOR THREE MINUTES, UH, AT AN OPEN CITY COUNCIL SESSION MUST REGISTER 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE.
AND THAT IF PERSON WANTS TO SPEAK AND IT'S LESS THAN 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE, THEY CAN STILL REGISTER LIKE WE'VE ALWAYS DONE.
BUT THEY, THEY CAN BE GIVEN 90 SECONDS OR TWO MINUTES, A LITTLE BIT LESS TIME, UH, TRYING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REGISTER IN ADVANCE BUT NOT CUTTING OFF COMPLETELY THOSE THAT COME HERE AND DECIDE THAT THEY WANNA SPEAK AND JUST LIMITING THEIR TIME A LITTLE BIT.
I WOULD JUST POINT OUT THAT I'M TAKING NOTES THAT ONE THING THAT HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED IS LIKE PRESENTATIONS, LIKE CURRENTLY COUNCIL DOESN'T HAVE LIKE A, A PRESENTATION WHERE WE JUST, UH, OR A POLICY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO WANNA DO PRESENTATIONS TO COUNSEL OTHER THAN THE ONES THAT ARE PRESENTED BY STAFF.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU GUYS WANTED TO CONSIDER, UM, AS WELL.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, UM, AGAIN, LIKE OUR, OUR CURRENT RULES ARE NOT REALLY, IT'S A, A MODIFIED VERSION OF ROBERT'S RULE, BUT IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE, THE NEED TO TABLE OR REMOVE AN ITEM FROM THE AGENDA.
AND SO IF YOU, IF THE DIRECTION WAS FROM STAFF TO KIND OF, OR FOR MY OFFICE TO GO BACK AND REVAMP THAT, THEN WE CAN DEFINITELY, UM, GO BACK AND LOOK AT THOSE ITEMS
[00:45:01]
AND PROPOSE SOMETHING FOR COUNSEL TO REVIEW.I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY, I, I COULD UNDERSTAND, UM, THE COMPARISONS THAT ARE THAT WERE USED WERE HOUSTON, WHICH IS THE POPULATION IS 2.3 DALLAS, THE POPULATION IS 1.2 AND FORT WORTH, THE POPULATION IS 935,000.
SO WE USE A LARGE AND THE SMALL, JUST TO GIVE A, A BIG COMPARISON, LARGE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE LONGER MEETINGS IN THE NEED FOR, FOR STEP, IT'S MORE ON THE TERMS OF UH, TO CONTROL THE LENGTH OF THE MEETINGS.
BUT WE ALSO USE A SMALLER CITIES JUST TO SHOW THAT THEY WERE DOING IT JUST TO HAVE A MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE MEETING.
SO THE CITY OF WACO, PORT ARTHUR, WHICH IS A LOT SMALLER THAN US AT ALMOST LIKE LESS THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND, BUT THE CITY OF WACO IS CLOSER TO US IN WICHITA FALLS, ARE BOTH IN THE SIMILAR SIZED CITIES.
AND THEIR NEED FOR THAT WAS TO JUST CONTROL, UH, NOT NECESSARILY CONTROL THE LENGTH OF THE MEETING, BUT FOR EFFICIENCY.
SO WE ONLY INCLUDED THOSE LARGER, BIGGER CITIES, UM, KIND OF ALONG WITH COUNCILMAN SHAR WAS SEEING TO SHOW THE VARIANCE AND HOW THAT CAN BE USED TO BOTH HAVE A CONTROL THE LENGTH OF THE MEETING, BUT ALSO TO HAVE A MORE EFFICIENT MEETING.
SO, UM, WE DID WANNA OFFER BALANCE IN THAT, AND I'M FOR EFFICIENCY, BUT OUR SOLE PURPOSE HERE IS TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE GETTING THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED AND THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO COME AND COMMUNICATE WITH US.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, I JUST THINK WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST HAS WORK.
I THINK WE COULD ENHANCE IT BY ALLOWING SOMEONE THAT NEED TO ADDRESS US LONGER THAN THREE MINUTES WOULD PRE-REGISTER.
SO THAT WAY WE WOULD KNOW THAT THERE ARE GONNA BE SPEAKING LONGER AND THAT WAY IT WON'T BE ANY, YOU KNOW, ANY INTERRUPTIONS FROM THEM WHEN THEY COME TO THE PODIUM BECAUSE THEY MAY HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, AN ISSUE THAT, UH, THEY NEED TO EXPRESS TO US THAT WILL TAKE LONGER THAN THREE MINUTES.
AND THAT WAY WE WOULD KNOW IN ADVANCE.
SO IS THERE A, A TIME LIMIT FOR, OR A RECOMMENDATION FOR A TIME LIMIT FOR PRE-REGISTRATION? WOULD IT BE CUZ IF THE, IF THE CURRENT SPEAKERS ARE SPEAKING THAT REGISTER IN PERSON SPEAK FOR THREE MINUTES, WILL WE ALLOW THE PRE-REGISTERED PEOPLE TO SPEAK FOR FIVE? I WOULD SAY FIVE.
I MEAN, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE TO COME UP HERE AND, AND SPEAK.
I MEAN, YOU COULD HAVE 10 PEOPLE COME UP HERE AND SPEAK SIX MINUTES AND THAT'S, YEAH, THAT'S A WHOLE HOUR.
BUT I WANNA ADDRESS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THE, THE CITIZENS AND THEY CAN BE V AND VERBAL TO US.
BUT ANOTHER ISSUE THAT, UM, I THINK COMING INTO, UM, INTO THE COUNCIL CHAMBER WOULD POSTERS AND ANY TYPE OF GADGETS, I MEAN, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE.
I MEAN, IT COULD BE A POSTER IN FRONT OF YOU AND IF YOUR HANDS ARE BEHIND IT, I MEAN, WE CAN'T SEE THAT.
SO, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THE LARGER CITIES, BUT ALSO SOME CITIES, UH, WHICH FALLS, THEY DON'T ALLOW FOR POSTERS UNLESS IT'S DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ISSUE THAT THEY'RE SPEAKING ON.
SO IF YOU HAVE A POSTER OR A VI THEY CALL IT VISUAL AID, ANY VISUAL AID, IT HAS TO BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE TOPIC IN WHICH YOU'RE SPEAKING ON.
SO JUST THE, UM, A FLAT OUT, YOU KNOW, JUST A POSTER THAT JUST SAYS, YOU KNOW, YEAH, BECAUSE I MEAN, WE'VE HAD POSTERS BROUGHT IN HERE THAT'S NOT EVEN ABOUT CITY MATTERS.
SO THEY, THEY, THEY, UM, THEY RESTRICT THEIR, AND THAT, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A CONVERSATION AS IT RELATES TO FREE SPEECH FIRST AMENDMENT, BUT WE ARE ALLOWED TO RESTRICT IT, UM, BASED ON THAT.
BUT THEY RESTRICTED, UH, LIMITED ONLY TO, UM, THE ITEM FORGED THEY'RE SPEAKING ON.
AND THEY REQUIRE THAT ANY HANDOUTS OR VISUAL AIDS BE PREPRODUCED TO THE CLERK SO THAT THAT'S PRE DISTRIBUTED TO, UH, COUNSEL AT THE DS AT THE TIME THAT THEY SPEAK.
CAN I, MAY I JUST ASK, I'M SORRY.
CAN I ASK ONE QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION? IF WE HAVE, CAN WE GO BACK TO THE, IF THERE'S A WORK SESSION OR PUBLIC HEARING, WHAT DID WE SAY, EXCUSE ME, THAT WE WOULD DO WITH SPEAKERS FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS OR DILAPIDATED STRUCTURES? WHAT WOULD THEIR, WOULD THEY STILL NEED TO PREREGISTER AS WELL? SO I, SO THAT PUBLIC HEARING REALLY REFERRED TO KIND OF LIKE IN OTHER MEETINGS, NOT NECESSARILY IN OUR, IN OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS, BUT IT WOULD BE THE SAME PROCESS IF, IF SOMEONE WAS SPEAKING, THEY WANTED TO SPEAK ON A DILAPIDATED STRUCTURE, IF WE DID A PRE REGISTRATION, THEY WOULD PREREGISTER.
IF NOT, IF COUNCIL WAS GONNA KEEP IT THE THING WHERE THEY WOULD JUST FILL OUT THE GREEN CARD OR IF THEY WERE GONNA DO A DUAL SYSTEM, THEN THEY WOULD JUST FILL OUT THE, THE SYSTEM.
[00:50:01]
SOMETIMES WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS AS IT RELATES TO APPEALS FROM OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, RIGHT? AND SO IN THAT CASE, THAT INDIVIDUAL WOULDN'T HAVE TO REGISTER TO SPEAK BECAUSE HE'S ON THE AGENDA.RIGHT? AND SO THE ONLY PERSON WHO, OR PERSONS WHO WOULD BE REQUIRED TO SPEAK WOULD BE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE WHO'S NOT THE APPLICANT OR NOT THE PERSON WHO'S REQUESTING ACTION FOR THE COUNCIL.
THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO REGISTER TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM, BUT NOT THE INDIVIDUAL ITSELF.
YOU COUNCIL MEMBER GETS AM MAYOR PRO TIMIA AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER, PHIL SHALL, I WOULD NOT BE IN FAVOR OF EXPANDING THE TIME TO FIVE MINUTES FOR PEOPLE THAT PREREGISTER, PEOPLE THAT HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT MAY TAKE LONGER THAN THREE MINUTES OFTEN ARE ALLOWED THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE GOTTEN WITH THE MAYOR, AND FOR INSTANCE, IF IT'S, UH, AN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY SUCH AS WE HAD WITH OCI, WE WOULD INVITE THEM TO COME UP AND GIVE A PRESENTATION.
AND IT WOULDN'T BE LIMITED AT THREE MINUTES.
IT WOULDN'T BE LIMITED EXCEPT AT YOUR DISCRETION.
UH, SO I THINK, AGAIN, PEOPLE THAT PRE-REGISTER SHOULD BE ABLE TO SPEAK FOR THREE MINUTES AND PEOPLE THAT REGISTER THE DAY OF, UH, SOMETHING, SOMETHING LESS THAN THREE MINUTES.
ONE OF THE THINGS I DID WANT TO ASK, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY IS WITH REGARD TO 2.3 ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS, IT SAYS, SCIENCE PLACARD, BANNERS OR OTHER VISUAL DISPLAYS THAT HAVE THE EFFECT OF COMMUNICATING A VIEWPOINT TO COUNCIL OUTSIDE THE TIME PERMITTED TO ANY SPEAKER WILL NOT BE ALLOWED IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
WOULD THAT BE EXTENDED TO T-SHIRTS? SO SOME, UM, SOME COUNCILS DO HAVE A DRESS CODE, UM, FOR ATTENDING THEIR MEETINGS.
IT'S TO THE POINT WHERE THEY DON'T ALLOW ANY, UM, ANY DEROGATORY PROFANITY, UM, ALMOST SIMILAR TO WHAT WOULD BE, UH, REQUIRED AT A COURTHOUSE TO SPEAK, NO SHORTS, WHATEVER.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO DO A, UM, DRESS AND YOU COULD EXTEND IT TO PARTICULAR CLOTHES, BUT THIS ONE WAS, UM, ACTUALLY CAME FROM A CITY WHO, UM, THEY HAD A SIGN THAT, UH, WAS UM, ESSENTIALLY, UH, DIRECTING A VERY NEGATIVE MESSAGE, UM, IN REGARDS TO A PREVIOUS COUNCIL VOTE.
AND SO THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, THEY IMPLEMENTED THAT RULE.
SO THAT, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THAT ONE CAME FROM.
AS, AS IT RELATES TO A VIEWPOINT FOR COUNSEL, IT HAS TO BE, YOU KNOW, DIRECT ONLY VISIBLE DURING THEIR SPEECH AND IT CAN'T BE HELD UP THE ENTIRE TIME.
SO IN OUR RULES, IT CAN'T RESTRICT THE VIEW OF ANOTHER, UM, INDIVIDUAL ATTENDING THE MEETING.
WELL, LET'S, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BE CLEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE LED UP TO THIS.
WE'VE HAD SOME CITIZENS, UH, OF LATE THAT HAVE COME IN WITH, UH, DEROGATORY MESSAGES ON THEIR T-SHIRTS, UH, FOR THINGS COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OF OUR PURVIEW, UH, TALKING ABOUT OFFICERS AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT, UH, OR TALKING ABOUT PRIVATE EMPLOYERS.
UM, I, I'M COGNIZANT OF COURSE OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO BE ALLOWED UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
AT THE SAME TIME WHEN SPEAKERS COME UP AND THEY TAKE COUNSEL TIME TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO ANY CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS OR ANY ACTION THAT WE COULD TAKE.
HOW, HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT WITH THE FIRST AMENDMENT? SO WHEN WE CREATE A PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS CREATING A PUBLIC FORUM.
AND SO IT KIND OF BOILS DOWN TO, UM, WHEN YOU CREATE A PUBLIC FORUM, YOU HAVE TO MEET THE TWO PRONGS.
AND ONE OF THE BIG ONE IS, IS IT A MATTER OF PUBLIC CONCERN? UM, AND IF THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES, THEN REGARDLESS IF IT'S THE PROPER PLACE TO ADDRESS THAT FORM, UM, TO ADDRESS THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE, IF IT'S A MATTER OF PUBLIC CONCERN OR IT COULD BE A MATTER OF PUBLIC CONCERN AND YOU'VE CREATED A LET THERE BE LIKE, AND YOU'VE CREATED A, YOU CREATED THAT, THAT PLATFORM, THEN THEY, THEN THEY'RE TITLED TO SPEAK THAT WAY.
AND SO IT GETS, IT GETS KIND OF, UH, MURKY WHEN YOU KIND OF DECIDE LIKE, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN PARTICULARLY DO ABOUT THAT ISSUE, UM, THAT'S NOT THE, THE STANDPOINT IN WHICH A COURT WOULD LOOK AT IT, WOULD LOOK AT IT.
THE, THE STANDARD IS HAVE WE CREATED A PUBLIC FORM WE HAVE, AND IS IT A MATTER OF PUBLIC CONCERN? AND THEN THAT BECOMES REALLY IFFY.
AND SO WE, WE TEND TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION IN OUR OFFICE.
SO I THINK, UM, AGAIN, FOR OUR, FOR OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION, THAT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATELY ACCEPTABLE.
HOWEVER, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET AND THAT PERSON, AND WE ALLOW FOR OUR DISCUSSION LIKE CITY WICKER, THEY ALLOW DISCUSSION ON A PARTICULAR ITEM AS IT'S BEING DISCUSSED AND A PERSON WANTED TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WAS UNRELATED TO THE BUDGET, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, TO RESTRICT THAT SPEECH AT THAT TIME.
BUT NOT DOING A PUBLIC COMMENT.
[00:55:04]
MAYOR PER TIM DIA, IF WE WERE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE A PRE-REGISTRATION WITH THE FIVE MINUTES, WHAT WOULD WE DO ABOUT A GROUP OF SIX PEOPLE COME UP HERE, WOULD ONE LOAN CONTINUOUS SPEECH, YOU KNOW, RIGHT? I'LL FINISH MY FIVE MINUTES, THEN THE NEXT PERSON COME UP WITH ANOTHER FEW PAGE THAT HE WANNA READ MINUTES.SO THAT, THAT IS ADDRESSED BY, UH, SOME CITIES WHO HAVE SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS.
AND WHAT THEY ALLOW IS THEY, THEY GIVE A GROUP, ONE, THAT GROUP IS REQUIRED TO REGISTER AS A GROUP AND APPOINTED REGISTERED SPEAKER.
THAT REGISTERED SPEAKER IN SOME CITIES IS GIVING SOMETIMES 10 MINUTES, 15 MINUTES OR 20 MINUTES.
BUT THEY SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE GROUP.
SO THEY'RE NOT LIKE, AND NOW MY FRIEND AND NOW MY FRIEND, SO IT'S ONE SPEAKER.
UM, BUT THAT'S AGAIN FOR, UM, FOR A GROUP SPEAKING ON A PARTICULAR ITEM.
UM, THERE ARE SOME CITIES THAT DO ALLOW FOR, UH, PRESENTATIONS TO BE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL AND THEY GIVE A A STANDARD FLAT TIME FOR PRESENTATIONS BY COUNCIL.
AND THEY'RE, SOME OF THEM VARI ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY REQUIRED A SOLO SPEAKER, IF THEY'RE ALLOWED FOR MULTIPLE SPEAKERS.
BUT THEY ALL HAD LIKE A CAP ON THE PRESENTATION.
UH, SO RAY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT A MOMENT AGO, DID YOU NOT SAY THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL IN REGARDS TO PRESENTATIONS? AND IF SO, THEN FOR CLARITY, PURPOSE, COULD YOU QUALIFY THAT? CUZ I DON'T, I FELT LIKE WE BLEW PAST THAT WE NEVER ANSWERED.
AND THEN SECONDLY, COULD YOU SPEAK TO THE, UH, PROPOSED CHANGE OF ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER? YES.
SO, UM, WE KIND OF JUST POINTED OUT SOME THINGS THAT WERE KIND OF, UH, GRAY AREAS IN OUR AGENDA, IN OUR RULES OF DECOR.
AND ONE OF THEM IS PRESENTATIONS TO COUNCIL.
CURRENTLY, UM, STAFF KIND OF DICTATES WHO MAKES PRESENTATIONS.
LIKE WE HAVE A GIFT OF LIFE PRESENTATION EVERY YEAR.
IF WE'RE GIVEN A PROCLAMATION, THOSE INDIVIDUALS GET, GET A CHANCE TO DO A PRESENTATION.
IF STAFF HAS A REPORT THAT NEEDS TO BE GIVEN FROM AN ORGANIZATION THAT DID WORK, THAT'S A PRESENTATION.
BUT THERE ISN'T A, A SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT ALLOWS FOR A CITIZEN OR ORGANIZATION TO JUST COME AND PRESENT TO COUNCIL RIGHT NOW.
UM, THEY, THERE'S NO FORMAL PROCESS, RIGHT? SO THEY EITHER HAVE TO GO THROUGH ORGANIZATION, SO THERE'S NOT JUST A WAY FOR THEM TO REGISTER AND SAY, HEY, WE WANNA PRESENT THIS TO COUNCIL UNLESS THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, RECEIVING A PROCLAMATION OR SOME, SOME OTHER AWARD OTHER THAN THEM, UH, COMING UP AND FILLING OUT A GREEN CARD AND SPEAKING TO A PUBLIC COMMENT, IN WHICH CASE THEY'RE STILL LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
SO THERE'S NOT A PRESENTATION REQUIREMENT FOR CITIZEN OR A FORM FOR CITIZENS RIGHT NOW.
AND SO I WAS ASKING IF COUNCIL WANTED TO CONSIDER THAT.
CAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HAVE AS IT RELATES TO ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER.
UH, CURRENTLY, LIKE I SAID, OUR, OUR MOTION OR, UH, POLICIES ONLY A LIMIT FOR MAKING A MOTION AND AMENDING A MOTION.
AND THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES THAT COME UP WHERE COUNCIL WANTED TO TABLE A MOTION OR REFER A MOTION BACK, UM, TO THE CITY MANAGER TO DIRECT STAFF TOGETHER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
AND THERE'S TECHNICALLY NOT A, A FORM OR PROCESS THAT COUNSEL HAS ADOPTED TO DOING THAT.
SO COUNSEL HAS ADOPTED A VERY LIMITED, UM, ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER FORMAT, BUT IT DOESN'T ALLOW FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT ROBERT RULES OF ORDER, UM, ALLOWS FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, CALLING FOR POINT OF ORDER, CALLING FOR THE QUESTION LIMITING TIME FOR DEBATE OR REFERRING AN ITEM TO COMMITTEE OR TABLING AN ITEM, UM, TO A DIFFERENT, A SEPARATE MEETING.
UM, LIKE I SAID, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR HAS THEIRS KIND OF OUTLINED IN THEIR CHARTER.
AND THE CITY OF WICHITA HAS THEIR OWN, HAVE ADOPTED THEIR OWN, UM, PULMONARY PROCEDURES IN THE FORM OF A ROBERTS ORDER.
SO THEY HAVE A VERY, UM, STRUCTURED FORMAT FOR HOW MOTIONS ARE MADE.
MOTIONS ARE AMENDED, AND MOTIONS ARE TABLED, OR, OR ITEMS ARE REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA.
UM, AND AGAIN, AND THAT JUST TO ALLOW FOR EFFICIENCY IN THE MEETING AND FOR CLARITY, WELL, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR PROCEDURE AND DECOR POLICY AND THEN ALSO THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
WHAT ACTION ARE YOU NEEDING FROM US OR YOU WANTING TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO US CONCERNING BOTH OF THESE THINGS? THE PRESENTATION AND, AND THE ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, EXPANDING WHAT WE PRESENTLY HAVE.
HOW, HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE TWO ITEMS? SO IF COUNCIL SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, NO, WE KINDA LIKE IT THE WAY IT IS.
WE DON'T DON'T WANT A PRESENTATION.
IF PEOPLE WANNA MAKE A PRESENTATION, THEY CAN DO IT IN THREE MINUTES AND I NEED NO ACTION.
BUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL, UH, IS INTERESTED IN EXPLORING, THEN WE WOULD JUST NEED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, YES, YOU WANT BEFORE, AND I CAN COME BACK WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OF HOW, AGAIN, WE KIND OF PRESENTED HOW OTHER CITIES HAVE DID IT OR WHAT WILL WORK BEST FOR THE CITY.
IF, UM, COUNCIL WANTS TO, AGAIN, EXPLORE SOME ADDITIONAL ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER PROCEDURES, OR IF YOU'RE SAYING NO, WE JUST KIND OF WANNA WING IT, THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO WRITE AN INFORMAL PROCESS.
BUT WE JUST KIND OF NEED TO KNOW, UH, WHAT YOU WANNA DO AS A CITY ATTORNEY.
ARE YOU RECOMMENDING THAT WE EXPAND OUR PROCEDURE IN DECORUM POLICY NOW? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE US EXPAND IT WITH ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER? A LITTLE?
[01:00:01]
IT'S YES.AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS IT'S, UM, AGAIN, WHEN, WHEN ITEMS ARE, ARE, ARE WANTING TO BE REMOVED AND THERE'S NO FORMAL PROCESS FOR REMOVAL, I THINK THAT THAT KIND OF CREATES OR COULD CREATE SOME TENSION OR SOME CONFUSION FOR COUNSEL.
IF ITEMS ARE BEING REMOVED, UM, OR BEING TABLED, UM, BUT AREN'T REALLY GIVEN SOME DIRECTION ON HOW THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, THAT KIND OF CREATES, AND THEN WHEN YOU HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO'S CALLING FOR THE QUESTION OR FOR A POINT OF ORDER, AND THAT'S NOT OUTLINED HOW THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED OR HANDLED, THEN IT CREATES, AGAIN, SOME MEETING TENSION.
CAN YOU COME BACK WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AS OUR ATTORNEY THAT YOU WOULD, THINGS YOU WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE CONSIDER TO ADD TO OUR PRESENT POLICY? YES, SIR.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE ROBERTS RULES OR THE AUTO PERSPECTIVE, BUT EVEN FROM THE PRESENTATION PERSPECTIVE, UH, YOU DIDN'T SPEAK TO WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS AS FAR AS THE PRESENTATION.
I KNOW YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH.
SO AS FAR AS A PRESENTATION, WHAT ARE, LIKE YOUR THOUGHTS ON SOME OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS, MADAME ATTORNEY? SO JUST BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW COUNCIL SAID IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION WITH, UH, WITH CITIZENS.
ONE, I THINK THAT AGAIN, FOR, UM, THAT WOULD BE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO, TO CONSIDER PRE-REGISTRATION AT ALL, IT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE FOR PRESENTATIONS.
UM, AND IF COUNCIL IS GOING TO ALLOW CITIZENS TO DO PRESENTATIONS, UM, TO COUNSEL, THEN THERE NEEDS TO BE A PRE-REGISTRATION, JUST SO THAT ALLOWS FOR EFFECTIVE PLANNING OF THE MEETING.
BUT ALSO THEY'RE MOST LIKELY GONNA HAVE HANDOUTS AND THEY'RE MOST LIKELY GONNA HAVE VISUAL AIDS THAT'LL GIVE THE CLERK A CHANCE TO, YOU KNOW, COLLECT THOSE AND HAVE THOSE READY FOR COUNSEL PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
UM, WELL, ME PERSONALLY, SIMILAR TO ROBERT DREW'S ORDER, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO KIND OF COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THE PRESENTATIONS THAT YOU REQUESTED.
IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL, I THINK THAT WAY IT COULD BE BETTER SERVED AND WE CAN, WE CAN BASICALLY ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU SET OUT TO DO WITH THIS WORKSHOP.
[Review and discuss the Parks Capital Improvement Plan]
WILL YOU TAKE US INTO OUR SECOND WORKSHOP? THANK YOU, MAYOR.UH, THE SECOND WORK SESSION IS TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE CAPITAL PARKS IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, COUNCIL ALLOCATED, UH, APPROXIMATELY $1.4 MILLION TO BE SPENDING ON CITY PARKS, UH, AT THE, UH, TIME OF APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT LIST, UH, COMPLETED.
SO WE REQUESTED THAT WE BE ABLE TO COME BACK AT A FUTURE DATE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH, UH, THE COUNCIL.
UH, TODAY WE'RE PREPARED TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, THERE'S BEEN INPUT PROVIDED BY, UH, UM, ADVISORY COUNCIL STAFF MEMBERS, AND WE HAVE, UH, SOME, UH, PROJECTS TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY.
UH, OUR PARKS DIRECTOR, MR. JIMMY NES, GONNA COME AND, AND GIVE YOU THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, UH, A LOT OF THOUGHT WAS PUT INTO THIS, BUT WE, WE TRY TO ADDRESS ALL GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF THE CITY, ALL WARDS, AREAS OF THE CITY, ALL THE, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE CITY.
SO, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE MOST USE OUT OF 1.4 MILLION.
AND THE SCHEME OF THINGS, IT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY FOR, FOR PARKS ACTIVITIES.
IT, IT'S A GOOD AMOUNT TO PUT ADEN IN SOME CRITICAL AREAS, UH, BUT TO REALLY LOOK AT REALLY LONG TERM PLANNING AT SOME POINT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME OTHER MECHANISMS TO DO THAT.
BUT TODAY, UH, MR. NEIL'S GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THOSE PROJECTS.
PERFECT DAY TO TALK ABOUT PARKS.
SO, UM, WE'VE CREATED A LITTLE, JUST A SMALL PACKET.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE, UM, WHAT OUR PROJECTS ARE, WHAT WE'VE COME UP WITH, UM, PLUS JUST A, A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION BECAUSE OF ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE NUMBERS FOR ALL OF THEM JUST YET.
UM, WE'VE GOTTA GET MULTIPLE QUOTES, WE'VE GOTTA DO SOME OTHER THINGS.
BUT, UM, WE, WE KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER'S GONNA BE.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT IDEA, UM, OF, OF WHAT THE OVERALL TOTAL IS GONNA BE.
BUT, UM, YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT IN THAT PACKET, AND I'LL GO OVER THAT WITH YOU HERE IN A SECOND.
UM, FIRST WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, IS JUST, JUST THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I MEAN, NORMALLY OUR CAPITAL BUDGET FOR PARKS HAS BEEN ANYWHERE FROM 80 TO ABOUT $170,000 EVERY YEAR.
SO TO HAVE 1.4 MILLION, OBVIOUSLY LITTLE DIFFERENCE.
UM, THIS IS GONNA GIVE US A HUGE, I KEEP REPEATING THE, THE
[01:05:01]
WORD OPPORTUNITY, BUT THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US INTERNALLY.
IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS, UM, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT LOVE THIS CITY TO SEE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO, TO REALLY UPGRADE OUR PARKS, UM, IN, IN CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN THEM.
UM, THIS, AS CITY MANAGER WILLIAMS SAID, UH, CAME FROM SOME SUGGESTIONS FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD, SOME SUGGESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, UM, AND FROM SOME STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION SUGGESTIONS AS WELL.
SOME OF THESE WERE PRETTY RECENT.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF THIS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR HAS COME ABOUT IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS AND SOME OF THIS WE'VE NEEDED FOR FIVE, SIX YEARS.
SO, UH, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL JUST KIND OF GO DOWN THE LIST FOR YOU.
NOT WANNA BORE YOU TO DEATH WITH, WITH READING WHAT YOU HAVE, BUT HERE'S WHERE WE'RE GOING.
WE'VE, WE'VE CHOSEN PARKS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, UM, UNLESS WE'VE GOT EACH WARD COVERED.
LAST YEAR WE REMOVED COMBAT, HAD KIND OF TWO PLAYGROUND STRUCTURES.
WE REMOVED ONE LAST YEAR THAT JUST, IT WASN'T VERY GOOD.
IT WASN'T SAFE, IT WAS NOT A REALLY OLD STRUCTURE, BUT IT WAS ONE THAT WE PURCHASED KIND OF ON A DISCOUNT AND IT JUST WASN'T A GREAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
WE ENDED UP TAKING IT OUT LAST YEAR WITH THE INTENT OF, OF REPLACING IT SOON.
UM, IT'S A SMALLER PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
IT, IT SHOULD BE A PRETTY EASY MOVE.
UM, AND WE'VE GOT, WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR FOR THAT.
THE ATHLETIC COMPLEX, THIS IS ONE OF THE NEW ONES THAT JUST CAME ABOUT.
UM, THE SCOREBOARDS THAT WE HAVE AT THE SOFTBALL FIELDS ARE, ARE PRETTY OLD.
UM, IN ORDER TO RUN OUR SOFTBALL LEAGUE AND A LOT OF THE EVENTS THAT WE RUN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE NEED, WE NEED SIX NEW SCOREBOARDS MINIMUM.
UM, WE INITIALLY SAID WE WANTED TO GET NINE, BUT IN, IN KIND OF HAVING SOME DISCUSSIONS OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS, WE CAN DEFINITELY GET BY WITH SIX.
UH, THE ONES ON COMPLEX FOUR WERE A LITTLE BIT UNSURE OF BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, COMPLEX FOR THE LIGHTS CAME DOWN A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THOSE BACK UP AND RUNNING.
SO WE HAVEN'T USED COMPLEX FOUR IN A YEAR AND A HALF.
UM, BUT WE FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THOSE, THOSE SCHOOL BOARDS ARE GONNA BE GOOD.
SO WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO REPLACE THOSE.
UM, ALSO ON WARD TWO, ROGERS PARK DOG PARK, UM, COUNCILMAN GETS, OBVIOUSLY THIS HAS COME UP OFTEN IN, IN, IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS UP HERE.
UM, WE'VE GOT QUOTES FROM FACILITIES MAINTENANCE.
WE KNOW WHAT, IT'S GONNA TAKE A ROUGH ESTIMATE OF WHAT THE, WHAT THE COST WILL BE.
BABES OF HARS IS ESSENTIALLY JUST A BIG SOCCER FIELDS.
THERE'S 10, 11 SOCCER FIELDS OUT THERE.
YOU'VE GOT A RESTROOM FACILITY, YOU'VE GOT THE BABES HARRYS MUSEUM.
UM, BUT AT THAT LOCATION WE'VE NEVER HAD ANYTHING FOR PEOPLE THAT AREN'T PLAYING SOCCER OR FOOTBALL OR WALKING THE TRACK.
WE'VE NEVER HAD ANYTHING FOR KIDS TO DO OUT THERE IF THEY'RE NOT PARTICIPATING.
UM, SO WE REALLY WANT TO PUT IN A, A PLAYGROUND OUT THERE AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A, A VERY WELCOME ADDITION TO WHAT WE'VE GOT AT THAT PARK.
WELL, JIMMY CAN KIND OF, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM BABES HARAS, YOU HAVE I REED PARK AND THERE IS A PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT OVER THERE.
IS THAT RIGHT? UH, I DON'T KNOW IF I'D CALL IT ACROSS THE STREET WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PLAYING SOCCER.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO ACCESS HOW TO READ THAT EASILY.
YOU'VE GOT THE INTERSTATE TEND TO CROSS.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT TOUGH.
YEAH, I MEAN, COTTONWOODS PRETTY CLOSE TOO.
UM, BUT I THINK TO HAVE IT ON THE GROUNDS AT BABES AREAS WITH AS MANY PEOPLE THAT PLAY SOCCER OUT THERE IN SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT GO ON, WE'VE HAD FLAG FOOTBALL, WE'VE HAD SOME OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE.
I JUST THINK IT WOULD GIVE A, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER KIDS TO UTILIZE IT.
WOULD THAT TAKE AWAY SOME OF THE SOCCER FIELDS? NO, SIR.
THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S ROOM TO PUT ONE.
AND WHEN YOU, UH, TOOK OUT THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AT COMPASS PARK, DID YOU, UH, COME BEFORE COUNSEL FOR THAT OR IS THAT A DECISION YOU MADE IN HOUSE? I DID NOT MAKE THAT DECISION PERSONALLY.
THAT WAS AN ADMINISTRATION DECISION.
YOU SAID IT WAS A SMALL PLAYGROUND SET? YES, SIR.
IN GOOD WORKING CONDITION? NO, NOT A COMPASS.
THAT'S THE ONE WE TOOK OUT CUZ IT WAS, IT WAS, WE WERE HAVING TO, TO DO A LOT OF REPAIRS ON IT AND IT WAS ONE THAT WE BOUGHT, LIKE I SAID, WE KIND OF GOT IT AS A DISCOUNT.
IT WAS FROM A GROUP THAT WE TYPICALLY DON'T BUY FROM AND WE HAVE NOT BOUGHT FROM 'EM SINCE.
IT JUST, IT WASN'T REAL GOOD PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
SO AFTER BABES OF HARRIS, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CHARLESTON POLLARD, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT WE'VE CLOSED THE PLAYGROUND THERE.
UM, WHAT YOU'VE GOT IN YOUR PACKET IS THE CHOICE THAT WE'VE MADE FOR CHARLESTON POLLARD.
UM, THAT IS, WE HAD TWO OPTIONS.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT WE'VE CHOSEN TO GO WITH.
UM, IT'S A, IT'S A VERY GOOD REPLACEMENT FOR WHAT WAS, WHAT'S CURRENTLY THERE THAT NEEDS TO COME OUT.
AND, UH, YOU SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT THERE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S IN, IN WARD THREE CENTRAL PARK.
BEFORE YOU MOVE ON FROM CHARLTON POLL MM-HMM.
IS THIS ONE PIECE OR TWO SEPARATE PIECES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT? YOU'VE GOT THE, THE ONE TALL PIECE IN THE CENTER AND OFF TO THE SIDE YOU'VE GOT THREE OR FOUR SMALLER AMENITIES THAT WHEN YOU PUT IN A PLAYGROUND,
[01:10:01]
YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A FALL ZONE.YOU CAN'T JUST THROW THE PLAYGROUND IN AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PUT IT AROUND THIS.
AND IF, IF THIS WAS A FOOTPRINT HERE, THIS KIND OF, THIS, I GUESS FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, A DIAS THAN I'M LOOKING AT ON, IS THAT WHAT IT REALLY PODIUM.
YOU CAN'T PUT A PLAYGROUND ALL THE WAY TO THE END.
YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE A FALL ZONE.
AND SO YOU CAN'T PUT ITEMS UP AGAINST THE, THE, I GUESS THE CURVE FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM.
THAT'S, THAT'S A STRUCTURE AND THEN SOME OTHER SMALLER THINGS ON THE OUTSIDE THAT, THAT ALLOW FOR KIND OF INDIVIDUAL STUFF.
CAUSE WHAT YOU GET A LOT OF TIMES WITH THESE PLAYGROUNDS IS YOU GET, YOU GET SOME KIDS THAT, THAT DON'T WANT TO PLAY WITH A BUNCH OF OTHERS.
UH, THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO SOME THINGS BY THEMSELVES.
SO WHAT YOU SEE IS A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SAME PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND THE, THE SMALLER THINGS THAT YOU SEE ON THE SIDE.
SO IT'S TWO SEPARATE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT? CORRECT.
IT'S ONE LARGE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PICTURE HERE, THAT WILL SHOW YOU THE YESTER KIND OF SHOWS YOU FROM ABOVE OKAY.
AND YOU SEE THE, THE SURROUNDING KIND OF THE HASH MARKS AROUND IT.
THAT'S YOUR FALL ZONE THAT HAS, THAT'S GOTTA BE MET.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO PUT SWINGS IN EVERY SINGLE PART CUZ EVEN AT MY SIZE, I WOULD STILL LOVE TO GET ON A SWING.
NO ONE WANTS TO WATCH, ACTUALLY PROBABLY EVERYBODY WANTS TO WATCH THAT.
UM, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR ME TO GET ON ONE.
UM, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE A FALL ZONE FOR A SWING.
BUT JUST YOUR NORMAL PLAYGROUND STRUCTURE, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE A ZONES WHERE IF SOMEONE TUMBLES OFF, THEY'RE NOT GONNA HIT THAT CURVE.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET TO THE EDGE.
SO MY QUESTION IS, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH SPACE TO INCLUDE SWINGS? NOT IN THAT SMALL FOOTPRINT.
SO, BUT THERE'S ENOUGH SPACE IN THE PART THAT WE COULD ENLARGE IT.
AND WE'VE DONE THAT AT DIFFERENT PARKS.
WE PUT SOME SWINGS IN AT GUSMAN PARK A FEW YEARS BACK.
UM, WE ADDED SOME SWINGS DOWN AT UH, COLLIERS FERRY PARK A FEW YEARS BACK.
THINGS THAT WEREN'T INITIALLY PART OF THE PLAN.
WHAT WE'VE BEEN TASKED WITH AT CHARLESTON POLLARD IS TO REPLACE THE PLAYGROUND AND TO TAKE THAT PIECE OUT AND REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING NEW.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IN THE PACKET IS A REPLACEMENT FOR THAT.
COULD WE GO IN AND PUT A SWING SET? SURE.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S GONNA COST SOME MONEY, BUT SWING SETS AREN'T THAT EXPENSIVE.
ALSO, UM, WHAT IS THE LONGEVITY OF THIS PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT? THE ONE THAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW IS, NO, NOT THE ONE THAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
WE ALREADY NOW IS 18 YEARS OLD.
UM, SO USUALLY THESE THINGS RUN, I MEAN, YOU'RE DEALING WITH SOUTHEAST TEXAS WEATHER, YOU'RE DEALING WITH HUMIDITY, YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE HEAT, YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE ELEMENTS.
UM, I THINK IDEALLY YOU'RE SHOOTING FOR HOPEFULLY 15 YEARS WITH ALL THESE, YOU CAN GET LONGER DEPENDING ON THE, THE MATERIAL.
UM, SOME ARE NOT GONNA BE THAT LONG.
SO MANUFACTURER SUGGESTION IS 15 YEARS.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD HOPE FOR.
I THINK THEY PROBABLY LOOK AT A 10 TO 15 YEAR WINDOW.
JIMMY, IS THIS SHADE AT THE TOP? MM-HMM.
YEAH, I THINK THAT THAT'S REAL GOOD.
UH, THAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITY, THE REASON, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR BROUGHT UP SWINGS IS THEY HAD MEETS AND THINGS OF THAT MAGNITUDE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING KIND OF SPECIFICALLY THEY ASKED FOR.
I NOTICED LIKE SOME OF THESE SMALLER, UH, PLAY ZONES THAT YOU SAY IS IN THE FALL ZONE, IF THIS INCLUDED IN THE OVERALL PRICES, THIS ADDITIONAL TO THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT PRICE, THAT'S ALL PART OF THE IT'S ALL PART OF THE PACKAGE.
IF WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF THIS FOOTPRINT, KIND OF THE AREA THAT WE SEE THAT WE CLOSED OFF, UM, IF WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF THEIR SWINGS OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, THAT WOULD BE ADDED PRICE.
CUZ THAT'S NOT PART OF WHAT WE PLANNED INITIALLY.
JUST, THAT'S THE ONLY THING I I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SINCE I KNOW THEY ASK FOR IT.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN SURE.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, BUT I'M SURE WE COULD.
YOU KNOW, SWING SETS DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF IT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU CAN HAVE SOME OF THOSE THAT HAVE EIGHT TO 12 BAYS PROBABLY.
IT COULD BE LIKE WHATEVER SIZE OF BUCKIES YOU WANT.
UM, IT WOULD BE PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE CONDENSED.
PROBABLY A TWO AND THEN ANOTHER TWO OUTSIDE OF THAT.
I DON'T WANT TO SIT HERE AND GIVE YOU NUMBERS AND, AND BE WRONG.
I'M NOT, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT THAT.
YOU COULD DO THAT FOR PROBABLY ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 20,000 I WOULD THINK.
BUT THEY SPECIFICALLY DID ASKS FOR SWINGS.
TO ME, I DIDN'T HEAR ANY OF THAT.
SO, AND AGAIN, EVEN IF THEY DID THOUGH, MAYOR, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PUT 'EM RIGHT THERE IF WE PUT SWINGS RIGHT IN THAT LOCATION.
YOU COULDN'T, YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD TAKE UP SO MUCH OF THE SPACE.
UM, YOU'D HAVE TO PUT IT IN THAT SIDE PORTION WHERE WE'VE PUT THE, THE BIGGER UNIT RIGHT THERE.
SWINGS CAN BE PLACED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK A LOT EASIER.
[01:15:02]
RIGHT.AND THAT PARK HAS PLENTY OF SPACE.
IT, DOES IT HAVE ENOUGH SPACE FOR SWINGS? THAT'S IT.
SO YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE.
WHAT IS THE, UM, THE PLAYGROUND SET? WHAT IS THAT SITTING ON? WHAT IS THIS MATERIAL? THIS BROWN STUFF IN THE PICTURE? THAT IN THE PICTURE? WELL THAT'S, THAT'S JUST MANUFACTURED, UM, WOOD FIBER.
THAT'S WHAT'S WE CALL, WE CALL IT KITTY CUSHION.
AND I'M, UH, SINCE I ALREADY HAD PICTURES HERE, UM, UNDER WARD FOUR, YOU SAID THE, UM, SHELTER, SPR PARK SHELTER, IS IT GONNA BE COMPARABLE TO THIS SIZE OR IT'S GONNA BE BIGGER OR I DO NOT KNOW.
YOU DON'T, I'M REALLY NOT SURE THAT'S, THIS WAS SOMETHING, THIS WAS SOMETHING YOU, YOU ASKED FOR.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY SPECS AS FAR AS THAT GOES.
WE DISCUSSED THAT LAST WEEK AND DECIDED THAT WE WOULD ADD THAT, UM, AS ANOTHER OPTION.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MORE THAN LIKELY IS GONNA BE DONE THROUGH OUR FACILITIES MAINTENANCE.
THEY'LL GO OUT AND GET THE QUOTES AND FIGURE OUT WHAT IT'S GONNA BE.
I KNOW THERE'S TWO SHELTERS AT, UH, CHARLESTON POLLARD.
THERE'S THE ONE RIGHT THERE THAT YOU SEE IN THE PICTURE.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE THAT'S FURTHER OVER THE STREET.
IF WE ARE GONNA BUILD ONE, AND, AND I'M PROBABLY GONNA BE OUTTA LINE KEITH FOR SAYING THIS, UM, OR NOT GIVE AN ACCURATE NUMBER, I WOULD THINK WITH WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT TO ENSURE AND GET WINDSTORM AND ALL THOSE, YOU'RE LOOKING OVER $200,000 AT LEAST TO BUILD SOMETHING OF THAT SIZE AT ANOTHER PARK.
I MEAN THAT, THAT STRUCTURE AT CHARLTON POLLARD IS HUGE.
AND THERE'S TWO OF THEM THERE, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE VERY MANY OTHER LOCATIONS, BUT THAT IS A, THAT IS A BIG, BIG SHELTER THAT YOU CAN FIT A LOT OF STUFF UNDER THERE AND PEOPLE USE IT LIKE CRAZY.
SO, UM, THESE SUGGESTIONS, DID THIS COME FROM, WAS THIS A COMBINATION OF YOU AND THE PARKS COMMITTEE? DID THEY ACTUALLY GO OUT AND LOOK AT SOME OF THIS STUFF AND COME UP WITH SOME OF THIS? WE'VE SPOKEN WITH PARKS, PARKS AND REC ADVISORY BOARD, CITY COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN OURS IN-HOUSE AS WELL.
WELL, THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH MAYOR PRO.
THAT DIDN'T COME OUTTA MY MOUTH.
CHRIS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, FELLOW SHOP.
JIMMY, THE MATERIAL THAT YOU REFERRED TO THE WOOD CHIPS.
IS THAT CORRECT? UH, THEY ALSO HAVE A MATERIAL THAT'S LIKE CHIPPED UP RUBBER, THE LITTLE BLACK, UH, I KNOW THE LONGEVITY OF THAT.
IT'S, IT'S, SO MY QUESTION IS, IS GO INTO A MATERIAL LIKE THAT? IS THAT JUST COST PROHIBITED? UM, IT WOULD COST A LOT MORE.
WE, WE HAVE THE, THE KITTY CUSHION IN HOUSE.
UM, AND IN ONE ADVANTAGE TO WHAT WE DO HERE, THERE'S A LOT OF CITIES THAT WHEN THEY GO IN AND TAKE OUT THAT PLAYGROUND STRUCTURE AT CHARLESTON POLLER, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CONTRACTOR DOES IT IN, IN MANY CITIES.
THE CONTRACTOR PULLS IT OUT, CONTRACTOR REMOVES ALL THE WOOD FIBER, THE CONTRACTOR PUTS THE NEW STRUCTURE IN AND THEN PUTS ALL THE NEW FIBER DOWN.
WE'LL PULL THE OLD STRUCTURE OUT, WE'LL TAKE OUT THE MATERIAL THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OUT, GET IT LEVELED OFF SO THEY CAN COME IN AND DO THE INSTALL.
AND THEN WE'LL PUT THE WOOD FIBER BACK IN.
SAVES US A LOT OF MONEY AND IT ALSO GIVES US A CHANCE TO ADD A FEW MORE LITTLE AMENITIES HERE AND THERE.
SO IF WE INCORPORATE SWINGS, UH, AT CHARLTON POLLARD, CAN IT BE IN THE SAME PROXIMITY WITH THE PLAYGROUND THAT'S BEING PROPOSED? UM, AS CLOSE AS WE COULD.
I MEAN, WE'D NEED TO, WE'D NEED TO LOOK AT THAT.
UM, WE DON'T WANT TO PUT IT FAR ON THE OTHER END OF THE PARK.
YOU DON'T WANT IT SO SEPARATED BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE KIDS OF DIFFERENT AGES AND SIZES, OR EVEN IF THE PARENTS WOULD LIKE TO GET ON THE SWING, YOU WANT 'EM TO BE THE MEMBERS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IF WE'RE GONNA WATCH PARENTS ON THE SWING, WE SEE THAT.
WELL, I WOULD AND I'M A GRANDPARENT.
SO ANYWAY, UM, IF IT WAS IN THE SAME CLOSE PROXIMITY AND OF COURSE OF YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE FALL SPACE.
BUT JUST SO THAT IT COULD BE SPACE THAT YEAH.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE SMALLER THE SWING, THE LESS THE FALL ZONE REQUIREMENT.
UM, BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA PUT SWINGS OUT THERE, YOU DON'T WANT JUST SWINGS FOR, YOU KNOW, TWO TO SIX YEAR OLDS.
I THINK YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SWINGS THAT SOME OF THE OLDER KIDS COULD GET ON, OR EVEN AGAIN, THE PARENTS COULD DO IT OR GRANDPARENTS.
UM, SO THAT, THAT REALLY EXPANDS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO REQUIREMENT WISE TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THAT FALLS END.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SAMUEL, NOW I'M BACK TO THE QUESTION OF, UH, THE WOOD CHIPS VERSUS THE RUBBER MM-HMM.
[01:20:01]
CORRECT? YES, SIR.AND AS FAR AS REPLACEMENT, HOW, HOW LONG, UM, WOULD THE WOOD CHIPS, UH, NECESSARILY BE BEFORE HAVING TO REPLACE IT LASTS.
AND WE, WE REFILL IT AT DIFFERENT POINTS DURING THE YEAR.
WHEN IT STARTS TO GO DOWN OR IT GOES AWAY, IT BLOWS AWAY.
WE CAN HAVE TONS OF RAIN AND IT CAN GO OUT, IT CAN DRAIN.
SOME KIDS WILL TAKE IT WITH 'EM.
I'VE SEEN KIDS PUT 'EM IN THEIR WAGONS AND PULL 'EM OFF TO GO BUILD AND OTHER PLACES OF THE PARK.
SO WE HAVE TO KIND OF REFILL THOSE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UM, IT'S JUST ONE THING WE DO THROUGHOUT OUR PLAYGROUND SYSTEM WHERE WE'VE GOT TO ADD MORE MATERIAL.
KIDS COME DOWN SLIDES AND KIDS SWING AND THEY KICK IT OUT.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOT TO REPLACE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
DOES IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RUBBER AND THE, UH, WOOD CHIPS AS FAR AS, UH, THE POTENTIAL FOR ARM TO THE CHILDREN? THEY'RE BOTH SAFE.
I MEAN, THEY'RE BOTH APPROVED BY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE GERMS ISSUE WOULD BE IN, IN THE WOOD CHIPS.
WE'RE NOT GONNA WORRY ABOUT THE GERMS. WE'RE JUST GONNA BRING SOME IN SANITIZER AND CLEANUP.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE DON'T, AS LONG AS THEY DON'T EAT 'EM.
BUT YOU NEVER, I SAID THEY DISAPPEAR, SO YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW.
IF SOMEBODY DROPS THEIR LOLLIPOP, THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA FIVE SECOND RULE, THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA GET A LITTLE BIT OF WOOD CHIP ON THEIR LOLLIPOP.
CAN WE RUN THROUGH THOSE SO WE KIND OF KNOW WHAT MONEY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? LIKE ON COMPASS PARK? WHAT IS THE PLACE PLAY GROUND REPLACEMENT, UH, LOOKING TO COST? WELL, HONESTLY, MR. WILLIAMS, I'VE, I, YEAH.
AND I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU AT THE DIAS.
WE'RE RELUCTANT TO TALK ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW PUBLICLY CAUSE OF BIDDING AND ISSUES.
BUT WE'LL GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION AND IF WE HAVE SOME COPIES, WE CAN GET SOME COPIES.
AND WE'LL GET YOU THAT INFORMATION COMING FROM OKAY.
ON, ON THE PROPOSED ESTIMATES.
AND THEY'LL STRICTLY INSTRUMENTS RIGHT NOW.
I'VE GOT A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THE RANGE IS.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE ALREADY MET WITH CONTRACTORS ABOUT IT, SO WE KNOW IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A SMALLER PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE A SUPER LARGE TECHNOLOGY.
WELL, THE REASON, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT 1.4 MILLION AND YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF HAVE TO HAVE IDEA.
I MEAN, WE, WE, AND WHEN WE MET UPSTAIRS, WHEN, WHEN THIS HAS BEEN MONTHS IN THE MAKING, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SO MANY EMAILS AND DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS.
THIS ISN'T A WHIM, THIS ISN'T A, HEY, LET'S GET TOGETHER TOMORROW AND THROW THESE THINGS OUT.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO INCLUDE HERE, UM, THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE DONE.
IT'S, THERE'S JUST NO WAY POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD.
AND WELL MAKE SURE YOU SAVE THE 200,000 FOR YEAH.
SO WE'LL JUST, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH, MUCH SAY SO.
NOW, OF COURSE, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, WE WILL TOSS THE NUMBERS OUT.
IT'S UP TO YOU IF THAT'S WHAT, WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
WELL, I MEAN, I'M GONNA, YEAH, I KNOW OUR CITY ATTORNEY RECOMMENDED.
WE, WE, WE NOT, BUT JUST, JUST ONLY BECAUSE AGAIN, WE WANNA, YOU KNOW, MAINTAIN THE, THE INTEGRITY OF THE BIDDING PROCESS AND ENSURE THAT THE CITY GETS THE, THE BEST, UM, VALUE.
IT'S HARD TO DO IF, IF WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF GIVEN THE CONTRACT THE KEYS.
SO I'VE HEARD, I GUESS THAT THE PURPOSE WAS JUST TO KIND OF GIVE COUNSEL BACKGROUND TO KIND OF SEE WHERE YOU ARE.
JUST KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME, SOME FINANCIAL A STUDENTS IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
AND WHEN IT COMES BACK TO COUNSEL AFTER IT'S BEEN PROPERLY BITTED, YOU'LL SEE, UM, THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'VE DONE OUR DUE DILIGENCE.
YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME THINGS WHEN YOU GET THROUGH THIS LIST THOUGH, THAT I, I KNOW PERSONALLY I'D LIKE TO SEE US CONSIDER WHETHER IT MEANS ELIMINATION OF SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, OR NOT.
BUT, UH, THERE ARE DEFINITELY THINGS THAT I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE BE CONSIDERED BY THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE.
AND, UH, SO YOU, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THIS IS A GREAT LIST.
UH, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, UH, A LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT I WANNA SEE.
IT'S, UH, BUT IT, BUT IT'S A GOOD LIST AND, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO JUMP IN WITH SOME OF THE OTHER IDEAS.
WELL, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT, THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA GET EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS NO WAY.
I MEAN, IT'S, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT WE HAD ON A LIST THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT.
SO WHAT WE'VE HAD TO DO IS, IS REALLY TRY TO SORT OF THROW SOME NUMBERS TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW IS GONNA FIT.
WE'VE, WE LEFT PROBABLY ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS CONTINGENCY.
SO SOME OF THESE THINGS END UP GOING A LITTLE BIT OVER.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THESE THINGS COULD COME IN LESS AND IT'S GONNA GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD SOMETHING.
UM, BUT AGAIN, FOR YEARS, AS I'VE SAID, I'M USED TO GETTING 80 TO 150, $160,000.
[01:25:02]
THIS IS A LOT DIFFERENT.YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR COST MORE THAN WHAT WE WERE GETTING IN TWO AND THREE YEARS.
SO IT'S, IT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO IT.
AND THE LONGER WE WAIT, THE LESS CHANCE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.
I'LL, I'LL COME TO YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL, BUT I HAVE A QUESTION.
ALL OF THE ITEMS, ARE WE AT THE 1.4 MILLION OR WE'RE JUST A LITTLE BIT A LITTLE BELOW IT RIGHT NOW? IF EVERYTHING COMES IN WHERE WE EXPECT IT WILL, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT BELOW IT.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE THAT CONTINGENCY COMES IN, RIGHT? THAT WE KNOW THERE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT OF LEEWAY HERE AND THERE.
UH, AND ONE OTHER THING, WHEN WILL ALL OF THIS START? WILL IT STORE IT BEFORE THE YEAR END? ONCE WE GET APPROVAL, WE'LL START MOVING ON IT.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN'T, I CAN'T VERY WELL HAVE A GO INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH A CONTRACTOR WHEN WE DON'T HAVE APPROVAL TO MOVE ON IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF GETTING IN.
SO ONCE WE GIVE THE FINAL OKAY, THEN YES MA'AM.
THAT ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.
JUST WANTING TO KNOW, UM, IF THIS ALL FIT WITHIN THE $1.46 MILLION BUDGET, UH, MY NEXT QUESTION WAS ON THIS DRAINAGE STUDY FOR THE GOLF COURSE.
IS IT THE DESIRE OF THE COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT? OR IS THIS JUST GONNA BE ANOTHER STUDY WE GET AND PUT ON THE SHELF? CUZ THIS IS GONNA BE, I MEAN WE BEAT THIS DEAD HORSE A THOUSAND TIMES ALSO.
WHAT IS THE COST FOR IT? WELL, WELL THIS IS ONE THAT WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE A QUOTE FOR.
WE'VE GOTTEN TWO AND WE DON'T NEED TO NECESSARILY GET A THIRD BECAUSE IT'S FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING WE, WE STARTED WORKING ON, I BELIEVE IN 2019.
WE HAD A FIRM COME IN FROM HOUSTON, AND THEN LAST YEAR I MET WITH ANOTHER GROUP THAT GAVE US ANOTHER NUMBER.
WHAT THIS IS, IS THEY'RE GONNA GO IN AND DO A STUDY OF THE GOLF COURSE AND SHOW US, WE KNOW DRAINAGE IS OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM.
UM, THE RAIN THAT WE'VE HAD EVEN TODAY, WHICH PROBABLY IS ALMOST IMMEASURABLE.
UM, WE CLOSE THE GOLF COURSE OR IT WOULD MAKE IT TO WHERE IT'D BE CART PATH ONLY.
IF YOU'RE NOT A GOLFER, YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
BUT IF YOU PLAY GOLF, THAT MEANS YOU, YOU CAN'T DRIVE YOUR PATH, YOUR CART OFF OF THE PATH.
AND FOR THE MAJORITY OF GOLFERS, ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS, IF IT'S CAR PATH ONLY, THAT MEANS YOU'RE STAYING HOME.
YOU CLOSED IT TODAY FOR JUST THIS LITTLE RIDE.
IT WOULD CLOSE TO WHERE IT BE CAR PATH, ONLY CAR, BUT JUST OFF OF THIS RAIN WITH THE RAIN WE HAD YESTERDAY IN ADDITION TO TODAY AND WHAT WE HAD SATURDAY, IT'S 100%.
I CAN GUARANTEE IT'S CAR PATH ON, BUT WE ALREADY KNOW THAT'S THAT, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
THIS STUDY WOULD GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ALLOW US TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I MEAN, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE STUDY'S GONNA TELL US WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, BUT THE PROBLEM IS, ARE WE GONNA DO ANYTHING WITH THAT STUDY? I WOULD WISH MY FINGERS WOULD BE CROSSED THAT WE WOULD.
UM, AND, AND I'M GONNA GO OUT ON A LIMB AND SAY PROBABLY NOT.
I DON'T WANNA SAY THAT UP HERE.
UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY THAT BUT WELL, BUT THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY IS SO THAT WE COULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND I'M SORRY.
SO WE KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE.
WELL, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL'S CONCERN BECAUSE THAT'S MY CONCERN TOO, BECAUSE IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A LITTLE NUMBER EITHER.
NO, IT WOULD BE A VERY LARGE NUMBER AND IS THAT PRIORITY FOR RIGHT NOW.
AND SO FOR ME, NO, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AS A COUNCIL AND SEE IF IT IS PRIORITY.
AND I'M SURE FOR GOLFERS, WELL YEAH, WE WOULD LOVE IT.
WE TO SAY GOLFERS, IT IS A PRIORITY.
WE WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE IT WOULD GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE OPEN ESSENTIALLY YEAR ROUND.
BUT THAT'S NOT A DECISION UNFORTUNATELY, THAT THAT'S NOT A DECISION WE GET TO MAKE.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT MY STAFF GETS TO JUST SAY, LET'S DO IT, IT WE, WE NEED DIRECTION FROM, FROM YOU GUYS.
SO, UM, BUT GETTING THIS STUDY DONE IS DEFINITELY THE FIRST STEP FOR US.
FINDING OUT, FOR US, SEEING WHAT IT REALLY IS GONNA TAKE IT.
IT MAY SHOCK US THAT IT'S LOWER THAN WE THOUGHT.
I MEAN, WHAT IS NOTHING NOWADAYS IS LESS THAN YOU ANTICIPATE.
BUT IF IT WERE TO BE THAT WAY, I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO FIND OUT.
AND WHAT IT'S GONNA SHOW US IS REALLY WHERE OUR DEFICIENCIES ARE.
WE CAN WALK OUT THERE AND TELL YOU THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE RAISED UP OR WE NEED TO DIG A DITCH HERE.
BUT AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, THIS GOLF COURSE WAS DESIGNED BY THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
IF YOU KNOW THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, THEY'RE NOT KNOWN FOR THEIR GOLF COURSE DESIGNING.
IT'S THE ONLY GOLF COURSE TO MY KNOWLEDGE THEY EVER BUILT.
UM, SO WHEN THEY BUILT IT, THEIR, THEIR THOUGHT WASN'T, HEY, THIS COURSE IS GONNA LAST 70 A HUNDRED YEARS AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET 30,000 ROUNDS A YEAR OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
COURSE THEY JUST PROBABLY NEEDED SOMETHING TO DO WITH OPEN SPACE.
AND THEY PROVIDED US WITH A VERY FUN GOLF COURSE.
IT'S THE FIRST PLACE I EVER PLAYED.
[01:30:01]
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT HAMSTRUNG WHEN WE DO HAVE ROUGH WEATHER AND SINCE COVID, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAVE BEEN PLAYING GOLF.AND WHEN THE WEATHER COOPERATES, WE'VE SEEN THAT OUR COURSE GETS INCREDIBLE NUMBERS.
AND, UM, WHEN WE HAVE THOSE COUPLE OF MONTHS WITHOUT RAIN, WE'RE BREAKING RECORDS.
BUT WHEN IT RAINS, WE'RE BACK GOING THE OTHER DIRECTION.
HAS, HAS THERE EVER BEEN A STUDY DONE? NO MA'AM.
THERE'S NEVER BEEN A DRAINAGE STUDY LIKE THIS DONE AT THAT GOLF COURSE.
SO DO WE HAVE THE ORIGINAL PLANS FROM THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS WHEN THEY BUILT THE THE GOLF COURSE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, SO THAT WE COULD GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT RATHER THAN IT'S BEEN IN THE LARGE NUMBER THAT IT'S GONNA REQUIRE TO FIX IT.
BECAUSE IF WE HAVE THE BLUEPRINT OF THE GOLF COURSE WHEN IT WAS BUILT, THAT WOULD GIVE SOME INDICATIONS OF YOUR HIGHS AND YOUR LOWS.
MY GUESS WOULD BE THAT WHEN THEY BUILT IT IN THE 1930S, THEY PROBABLY WEREN'T REALLY THAT CONCERNED WITH IT.
UM, BUT IF WE CAN FIND THAT, IT'D BE, IT'D BE GOOD INFORMATION TO HAVE AND, AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE CURRENT SURVEY.
UM, I BELIEVE THE STUDY BECAUSE OF THE, THE CHANGES THE STUDY HAD LIDAR, UH, YOU KNOW, SURVEY OF THE GROUND AND YOU'VE GOTTA KNOW WHERE THE SLOPES ARE, WHERE YOU CAN BRING THE WATER OFF TODAY.
AND AS WE KNOW, SOIL CHANGES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS, THINGS SUBSIDE.
SO YOU'VE GOT, BEFORE YOU GO IN AND YOU START UNDERTAKEN TO PULL THE WATER OUT, YOU HAVE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU'VE GOT TO PUT CHANNELS AND DRAINAGE, UH, FOR IT.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A STUDY FOR TODAY.
SO MY, MY THOUGHTS ON THIS THING KIND OF MOVING FORWARD, AND I KNOW EVERYBODY HATES TO HAVE ADDITIONAL MEETINGS, BUT WITH THIS KIND OF BEING THE INITIAL WISHLIST AND REALLY NO COST ASSOCIATED YET FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SEE, IS FOR US TO GET THE PROPOSED AMOUNT FOR EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY AND THEN THEN HAVE SOME TYPE OF JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND THE PARKS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
CUZ I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THOSE GUYS INPUT IN THIS CUZ I MEAN THEY DEDICATE A LOT OF TIME TO THIS AS WELL AND FOR US TO JUST KIND OF ASSIGN SOME TYPE OF NUMBERING SYSTEM TO THIS SO WE CAN TRY TO GET AS MUCH DONE AS POSSIBLE COLLECTIVELY, ACTIVELY COUNCIL MEMBER GETS MAYOR PRO TIM, COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER.
MY UNDERSTANDING WITH REGARD TO THE GOLF COURSE IS FOR DECADES WE DIDN'T HAVE A DRAINAGE ISSUE OUT THERE.
AND IS IS THAT CORRECT OR IS IT BEEN SINCE THE 1930S THAT WE'VE HAD DRAINAGE PROBLEMS OUT AT TERRELL PARKER? DO YOU KNOW? I DO NOT KNOW.
I MEAN, I'VE, LIKE I SAID, I'VE, I'VE TO SAY I'VE PLAYED GOLF OUT THERE FOR FOUR YEARS.
THAT'S WHEN I STARTED PLAYING GOLF.
BUT WAS I OUT THERE ALL THE TIME? NO SIR, I WAS NOT.
BUT I KNOW THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, SINCE I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY, WHICH IS OVER 11 YEARS, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A HUGE ISSUE.
OH, SO I'VE HAD GUYS, THESE OLDER GUYS THAT HAVE BEEN PLAYING OUT THERE FOR YEARS, I EVEN HAD A COUPLE OF 'EM STOP BY MY HOUSE AFTER THEY FINISH PLAYING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE DRAINAGE.
THAT'S, THAT'S A KNOWN PROBLEM OUT THERE.
THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GOLF COURSE, WE MIGHT AS WELL DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
MIGHT NOT BE A PRIORITY, BUT EVENTUALLY, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE AND MAINTAIN THE GOLF COURSE, WE SHOULD STRIVE FOR IT TO BE ONE OF THE BEST GOLF COURSES IN THE AREA.
AND YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHY, WHY DON'T DO IT HALFWAY? IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT, LET'S DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
ALSO, UM, THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPPED THE OTHER PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT LIKE COMBAT PARK, CENTRAL PARK.
SO THAT CENTRAL PARK, IS IT GONNA BE SIMILAR TO CHARING PILOT, THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT? PROBABLY NOT.
UM, WHAT WE WOULD LOVE TO DO AT, AT CENTRAL PARK IS SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UH, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS YOU CAN DO.
IT'S A PRETTY GOOD SIZE FOOTPRINT OUT THERE AT CENTRAL PARK.
SO IDEALLY WHAT WE WOULD LOVE TO DO IS KIND OF TAKE ONE PORTION OF IT AND MAKE IT SORT OF YOUR TYPICAL PLAYGROUND STRUCTURE THAT'S THAT'S, UM, 80 ACCESSIBLE AND, AND MEETS ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF COURSE.
UM, BUT THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, MAKE IT MORE OF A, AN ACTIVITY BASED TYPE OF STRUCTURE.
WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IS A VERY, VERY LARGE FOOTPRINT.
MY OPINION IS THAT IT'S A LITTLE BIT LARGER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE.
SOME OF THOSE, THOSE PORTIONS WE COULD PROBABLY JUST PUT GRASS DOWN AND BE OKAY AND, AND KIND OF CENTRALIZED WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT IS A, IT'S A VERY BIG STRUCTURE.
WHAT'S CURRENTLY THERE IS GIGANTIC.
UM, AND WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANT TO PUT SOMETHING ELSE THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE THAT.
WE WANNA DO SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE MODERN, SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE FUN.
AND ALSO, UM, I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MANNE ON INVOLVING THE PARKS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
[01:35:01]
IN THESE DECISIONS.THEY, THEY'RE OUT THERE AND THEY GO TO THESE PARKS AND UH, I HEAR FROM 'EM QUITE OFTEN.
ASSOCIA, THEY SHOULD BE INVOLVED.
ONE OTHER THING, IT'S NOT ON THE LIST.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.
I'VE GOTTEN MORE THAN ONE PERSON ASKED ME ABOUT WHEN WE SPOKE ABOUT, UM, PUTTING ARTIFICIAL TURF ON A FEW OF THE, UH, FIELDS OUT AT THE ATHLETIC COMPLEX CAUSE OF THE, THE RAINOUTS.
I'M PRETTY, I DON'T KNOW TODAY WHAT THE RAIN WE HAD YESTERDAY AND TODAY.
COULD THEY PLAY A TOURNAMENT OUT THERE UNDERWATER? EXACTLY.
THOSE FIELDS ARE COMPLETELY UNDERWATER.
I WAS OUT THERE LAST NIGHT, THEY WERE STANDING WATER EVERYWHERE WHEN THEY HAVE TOURNAMENTS THAT'S SCHEDULED FOR THOSE WEEKENDS AND WE HAVE, THEY BRINGING IN HUNDREDS OF TEAMS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND THEN THEY GET DOWN HERE AND THEY HAVE TO CANCEL.
WELL, WE'VE GOTTEN SOME QUOTES TO TURF THREE IN FIELDS AND IT'S, WE'RE LOOKING AT LOW END, $1.1 MILLION LOW END.
SO, UM, THAT'S JUST TURF IN THE INFIELD.
THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY GUARANTEE THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO PLAY.
I MEAN, IF THE OUTFIELDS UNDERWATER AND THAT'S JUST DOING THE TURF, YOU'D, YOU'D HAVE TO REALLY KIND OF DO SOME MORE WORK OUT THERE.
SO YOU'RE, IT'S A PRETTY BIG NUMBER.
JUST SPEAKING TO SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT ACTUALLY PLAY, GIVE THOSE TOURNAMENTS.
THEY'VE SAID IF THEY COULD, THEY WOULD AND NOT SO MUCH WORRIED ABOUT THE OUTFIELD.
IF THEY GET THE INFIELD TO WHERE THEY COULD PLAY ON IT, THEN THEY COULD CONTINUE WITH THOSE TOURNAMENTS.
AND I'M, I'M PRETTY SURE I'LL GET, UM, MR. WILLIAMS TO FIND THAT MONEY FOR YOU.
WELL YOU WERE JUST FULL OF MONEY, AREN'T YOU? WE NEED TO HANG AROUND WITH, WITH COUNCIL MANDU.
I THINK MAYOR PRO TIMUR HAS HAD HIS TURKEY ALREADY.
I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT ONE CAUSE HE'S FULL OF IT.
HEY, OIL FORCE SHOULD BE PROUD CHRIS ASKING FOR ALL THE BUDGET.
YEAH, BUT I, I WILL SAY MAN, YOU KNOW, AND 2021, THIS COUNCIL SAT IN THIS CHAMBERS AND WE HAD A WORKSHOP AND WE IDENTIFIED, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CONSIDERED WHILE OUR TOP 10 PARKS IN THE AREA BASED UPON TRAFFIC.
THEN WE WENT ON TO SAY WE WANTED THE PARKS ADVISORY BOARD TO BE MORE INVOLVED.
AND I THINK THE WHOLE COUNCIL SAID THIS UP FRONT AND WE MADE THE SUGGESTION THAT THE PARKS COMMITTEE WOULD GO OUT, OBSERVE THE PARKS, COME BACK AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AS A WHOLE TO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO KNOW.
WAS IT THE RESULT OF THAT DIRECTION OR IF, AND IF NOT, WHAT TOOK PLACE TO GET US AWAY FROM THAT? SOME OF IT WAS, SOME OF IT.
I'VE GOT AN EMAIL FROM THE ADVISORY BOARD PRESIDENT OR CHAIRPERSON, UM, THAT INCLUDED SOME OF THESE THINGS ON THIS LIST.
AS I SAID WHEN WE STARTED THAT THIS IS A COMBINATION OF PARKS AND REC ADVISORY BOARD SUGGESTIONS, SOME OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND SOME OF OUR SUGGESTIONS.
THERE'S, THERE'S ONLY NINE THINGS.
IT COULD BE THREE, THREE AND THREE.
I MEAN, IT'S, SOME OF THEM ARE A COMBINATION.
SOME OF THEM WERE, WE WANTED IT, PARKS BOARD WANTED IT.
UM, NO COUNCIL MEMBERS SINGLED OUT CENTRAL PARK IMAGINATION STATION BECAUSE YOU KNEW HOW MUCH WE WANTED IT.
UM, BUT I THINK AS A COUNCIL YOU PROBABLY WOULD WANT THAT TO BE DONE.
UM, SO TO SAY THAT ONE PERSON SHOWS THAT I THINK WOULD BE INACCURATE BECAUSE THE BOARD WANTED IT.
WE WANTED IT, YOU GUYS WANTED IT.
SO IT KIND OF MEETS ALL THE CRITERIA.
SO HOW DID THE BOARD GET TO THIS POINT? DID WE GO OUT AND OBSERVE THE PARKS OR DID WE JUST, ARE YOU SAYING WE SENT THE NO, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WANNA KNOW.
DID WE DO WHAT WE GAVE THE DIRECTION? WE DID NOT DO THAT.
UM, WE PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THESE PARKS.
HAVE WE DONE IT AS A COMMITTEE? NO, WE HAVE NOT.
WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN EVERYBODY INTO A BUS OR A VAN TO GO AND LOOK AT THESE PARKS.
UM, WE USUALLY HAVE THREE, MAYBE FOUR PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE THAT SHOW UP AT THE MEETINGS.
THOSE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTIVE.
WHEN WE SEND OUT EMAILS, WHEN WE SEND OUT THE MONTHLY REPORT, THOSE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT RESPOND.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THAT BOARD THAT HAVE NEVER ATTENDED A MEETING AND HAVE NEVER RESPONDED.
SO MY PERSONAL OPINION IS IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH MAKING THESE DECISIONS THAT HAVE NEVER PARTICIPATED, I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHY WE WOULD GO THAT ROUTE.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTIVE, THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE EMAILS THAT I'VE GOTTEN FROM THE ADVISORY BOARD, RECOMMENDED SOME OF THESE SAME THINGS.
AND I THINK THAT'LL BE GOOD FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO KNOW.
IF YOU HAVE APPOINTMENTS THAT AREN'T SHOWING UP THAT AREN'T ACTIVE, I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE TO WHOEVER OVERSEES THAT, LET US KNOW.
BECAUSE THE REALITY IS YOU MAY HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS UP HERE WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT THEIR ATTENDEES AREN'T ATTENDING.
I'M IN CONTACT WITH MY APPOINTMENTS.
BUT IF, IF COUNCIL MEMBERS WAS UNAWARE, THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT WHAT WE INSTRUCTED AS EVERYBODY TO TAKE PLACE DIDN'T TAKE PLACE BECAUSE OF ATTENDANCE.
[01:40:01]
LET ME FOLLOW UP ON THAT, MAYOR, BECAUSE WELL GO, GO AHEAD.I MEAN, THERE WERE PEOPLE AT THE LAST ADVISORY BOARD, MEANING THAT DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHERE SOME OF THESE PARKS WERE.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU THAT SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE ADVISORY BOARD HAVE NEVER EVER ATTENDED A PARKS ADVISORY BOARD COMMITTEE MEETING.
SO YES, AJ, I I MEAN I OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T MAKE ANY COUNCIL MEMBER DO ANYTHING WITH REGARD TO THEIR APPOINTEES, BUT IT IS, UH, DIFFICULT TO HAVE OPINIONS FROM THROUGHOUT THE CITY BECAUSE EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER IS ENTITLED TO APPOINT TWO PEOPLE, UH, ON THE BOARD.
IF SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS APPOINT THESE JUST NEVER SHOW UP.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT BEING REPRESENTED.
THAT PART OF THE CITY'S NOT BEING REPRESENTED.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, SAMUEL, AND THEN I'LL SPEAK AFTER THAT.
WELL I HAD A CITIZEN THAT IS WATCHING AND, UH, THE QUESTION, HOW MANY OF THE PARKS DO NOT HAVE RESTROOMS? I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER FOR YOU.
THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO KNOW BECAUSE THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT PINE TREE PARK.
WELL, IT, IT'S PINE TREE PARK IS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK MM-HMM.
UM, THERE IS A CITIZEN THAT HAS CALLED ME MULTIPLE TIMES ABOUT THAT OR A COUPLE OF CITIZENS AND I'VE EXPLAINED THAT TO THEM AND THEY'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING.
THEY UNDERSTAND THE, THE DEFINITION AND KIND OF THE, THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PARKS THAT HAVE DIFFERENT NO, THEY DON'T.
AND I DON'T MEAN TO BE RUDE TO INTERRUPT YOU.
PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK VERSUS A COMMUNITY PARK AND THAT QUESTION CAME UP LAST NIGHT AT AT, THEY DON'T KNOW AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING LAST NIGHT.
SO WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU PLEASE YES.
DEFINE THE DIFFERENCE? THE DIFFERENCE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT ALL A PARK, ALL PARKS ARE THE SAME.
WELL, WHEN THEY'VE CALLED ME, I'VE EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S A DERELICTION OF DUTY FOR ME NOT TO HAVE A DEFINITION IN FRONT OF ME OR THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM.
UM, BUT THERE'S DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE EXPECTED.
A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK IS MORE ONE THAT IT'S EXPECTED THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA WALK OR RIDE YOUR BICYCLE TO, UM, AND NOT RIDE YOUR BICYCLE, MEANING A SIX OR SEVEN MILE RIDE.
BUT NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE STREET, DOWN THE STREET, KIND OF.
AND WHEREAS A COMMUNITY PARK IS A LITTLE BIT MORE, IT'S, IT'S SIMILAR TO WHERE WE HAVE OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY JOHN PAUL DAVIS IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT'S AT A LIBRARY.
THERE'S NO PARK THERE, BUT CENTRAL PARK, ROGERS PARK, ALICE, KEITH PARK, THOSE ARE ALL COMMUNITY PARKS.
UM, THEY'VE GOT RESTROOMS, THEY'VE GOT OTHER AMENITIES AS WELL.
BUT THOSE ARE MORE, I DON'T WANNA SAY, I DON'T WANNA USE THE TERM DESTINATION PARKS BECAUSE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT INACCURATE, BUT THAT'S KIND OF, I GUESS A LITTLE BIT OF THE DEFINITION OF IT.
THAT WAS A BIG MAJOR QUESTION LAST NIGHT AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING.
WELL, AND I'VE, I'VE HAD IT, THEY'VE, THEY'VE CALLED ME AND, AND EVERYONE THAT'S CALLED TO ASK ABOUT IT AT PINE STREET ESPECIALLY, THEY'VE BEEN VERY RECEPTIVE AND VERY POLITE.
THANKFULLY THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT CALL US THAT ARE NONE OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, BUT THE, THE WOMEN THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO HAVE BEEN GREAT.
THEY, THEY UNDERSTAND WHEN I EXPLAIN IT TO 'EM AND THEY, SO IT MAKES SENSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE EXPECTED TO KIND OF WALK OVER THERE, YOU CAN PROBABLY WALK BACK TO THE RESTROOM.
UM, SO IF I WERE TO SAY, WELL YOU CAN JUST GO DOWN TO COLLIERS FERRY.
NO, IF YOU WALK TO PINE STREET, WHY WOULD YOU WALK TO COLLIERS FERRY? IT'S PROBABLY CLOSER TO WALK TO YOUR HOUSE TO GO TO THE RESTROOMS. SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, BUILDING RESTROOMS IN THESE PARKS, YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING, I WOULD GUESS A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS TO BUILD A RESTROOM FACILITY.
AGAIN, THAT'S KEITH'S AREA OF EXPERTISE MORE SO THAN MINE.
AND THEN THEY HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED, SIR, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED.
THEN THE RESTROOM COSTS MORE THAN EVERYTHING IN THE PARK IN THE AMENITIES.
THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT GOES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK.
COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER, JIMMY, THIS ONE CAME UP AS WELL LAST NIGHT AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, MEANING ABOUT RESTROOMS, UH, MAGNOLIA PARK.
BUT I KNOW WE DO HAVE A POOL THAT HAS RESTROOMS. IF, IF THE RESTROOMS AT THE POOL OPEN DURING PARK HOURS, YOU JUST GUYS ONLY OPEN IT UP DURING POOL HOURS? NO, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ACCESSIBLE FROM THE OUTSIDE.
SO IT ACTUALLY IS OPEN DURING PARK HOURS.
PLUS DURING PARK HOURS, THE FOOD CENTERS FOOD CENT PR CENTER CLOSES EIGHT OR NINE O'CLOCK AND PARKS ARE, ARE SUPPOSED TO CLOSE AT 9:00 PM UM, PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS FOLLOW THAT, BUT PARKS ARE ESSENTIALLY CLOSED AT 9:00 PM EASIER IN THE SUMMERTIME FOR PEOPLE TO BE THERE A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT I MEAN, RIGHT NOW IT'S DARK BY FIVE 30.
SO, UM, YEAH, WE TRY TO GET THOSE TO WHERE THEY HAVE THE ACCESS.
UM, MAGNOLIA PARK IS ONE WHERE YOU CAN STILL ACCESS THE RESTROOMS. SO THE, THE PARK TIME DOESN'T CHANGE WITH THE CHANGE OF NO MA'AM.
[01:45:01]
MA'AM.IT'S ESSENTIALLY, WE USE THE TERM SUN UP TO SUN, UP TO SUN DOWN.
BUT BY DEFINITION, I BELIEVE THE ORDINANCE STATES THAT THEY CLOSE AT 9:00 PM UM, WE'VE GOT THAT AT CERTAIN PARKS WHERE WE KNOW PEOPLE TEND TO FREQUENT AT NIGHT AFTER DARK.
WE'VE PUT SOME SIGNS UP THAT SAY THAT ROGERS PARK, IT'S GOT IT UP.
UM, JUST REMINDING PEOPLE, HEY, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE OUT HERE PAST NINE O'CLOCK.
UM, WHEN THEY'RE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE DEFINITELY GONNA DEAL WITH THAT YOU GET CITIZENS THAT WILL CALL AND SAY, HEY, THEY'RE OUT PLAYING TENNIS OR BASKETBALL ARE RUNNING AROUND AT NINE 30 AT NIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS YOU DEAL WITH.
UM, I'LL FINISH THE LIST IF IT'S OKAY.
UM, JUST SO EVERYONE CAN HEAR THE OTHER LOCATIONS THAT WE, WE'VE TALKED, WE'VE COVERED ALL THESE IN OUR DISCUSSION.
UM, CENTRAL PARK, UM, REPLACING IMAGINATION STATION, HENRY HARBOR GOLF COURSE, DRAINAGE STUDIES, SPR PARK AND COVERED SHELTER.
PART OF THE 6 MILLION THAT COUNTS THAT, UH, MAYOR PRO TIM WANTS.
UM, AND ALSO WHAT WE DID, UH, LAST YEAR AT ROGERS PARK BY RESURFACING THAT BASKETBALL, SURFACING THE BASKETBALL COURT.
WE WANNA DO ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE.
YOU KNOW, I LISTED, YOU SEE HERE MAGNOLIA ARE CENTRAL.
THERE'S PROBABLY A FEW OTHERS WE COULD CONSIDER.
UM, I THINK THOSE TWO REALLY JUMP OUT AT ME.
WE'RE WILLING TO TAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON ALL THAT.
COUNCILMAN TURNER, OBVIOUSLY YOU KIND OF SPEARHEADED THAT LAST YEAR AND, AND IF YOU WANNA STAY ON THAT, THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE.
UM, CITY MANAGER WILLIAMS MENTIONED THAT WE WANT TO PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THERE.
THAT WAY WE CAN FINISH PUTTING GLASS BASKET BLAST GLASS BACKBOARDS SHOULDN'T BE THAT HARD TO SAY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO THAT ANYWAY.
UM, IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET SYSTEM, WE'RE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING TO BE ABLE TO DO BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO I DON'T THINK WE'LL HAVE TO DIG INTO THIS 1.4 MILLION, BUT IF WE NEED TO, IT'S THERE FOR THAT AS WELL.
BUT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO RESURFACE ANOTHER COURT.
UM, AS WE'VE SEEN WHAT'S GONE ON AT ROGERS, IT'S DONE REALLY WELL AND, AND PEOPLE HAVE REALLY TAKEN TO IT.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I THINK MAYBE WE HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS.
UM, JIMMY, I DO HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, AND IT'S, AND I GUESS IT'S NOT A PARK, BUT AT THE TENNIS FACILITY, THE BASKETBALL COURT THERE MM-HMM.
SO DOES THAT FALL THE TENNIS FACILITY OR DOES IT FALL UNDER PARK? WE CONSIDER IT AS PART OF THE ATHLETIC COMPLEX.
THAT'S JUST, THAT WHOLE ENTIRE AREA IS CONSIDERED ATHLETIC COMPLEX.
LIKE WHEN YOU PULL INTO THE TENNIS CENTER, IT SAYS BEAUMONT ATHLETIC COMPLEX, I BELIEVE.
UM, AND SO IT'S ALL KIND OF FITS UNDER THE UMBRELLA.
IF SOMEONE WANTS TO PLAY BASKETBALL OUT THERE, THEY SAY WE'RE PLAYING AT THE COMPLEX, JUST WHATEVER THEY SAY, WE REPLACE THOSE GOALS, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE NOW THE, THE GLASS BACKBOARDS.
UM, SO, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
BUT THE RESURFACING, BECAUSE THAT BA IF YOU DRIVE DOWN COLLEGE STREET, THAT BASKETBALL COURT IS USED CONTINUOUSLY.
AND AND A LOT OF THEM ARE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, FOR WHATEVER REASON CENTRAL PARK IS, IS THET CAPITAL OF BASKETBALL VIDEOS.
ANYTIME I'M OUT THERE, SOMEONE'S OUT THERE HAVING PEOPLE FILM 'EM DOING THEIR DUNKS OR WHATEVER IT IS.
THERE'S A GUY OUT THERE THAT LOOKS WAY BETTER THAN I DO THAT'S OUT THERE WITH HIS SHIRT OFF OVER THE SUMMER AND HIS, ONE OF HIS FRIENDS IS VIDEO AND EVERYTHING HE DOES.
AND IT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE, GUY'S.
UM, THANKFULLY HE HASN'T RIPPED IT DOWN YET, BUT, UM, THERE PEOPLE USE IT.
I MEAN, THERE'S NOT A, THERE'S NOT A COURT I CAN THINK OF THAT DOESN'T GET ANY USE AND WE ONLY HAVE A BUDGET TO RESURFACE ONE OTHER.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING BECAUSE AS WE DID, AND Y'ALL REMEMBER, UM, WHEN WE DID ROGERS PARK, THAT WASN'T A BUDGETED ITEM.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT RIGHT COUNCIL GOT TOGETHER ON AND WELL, THIS WOULD BE NOW ONE THAT WE WOULD BUDGET IT IN THIS, THIS PARKS ENHANCEMENT, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL PLAN.
WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO INCLUDE THAT.
SO WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA GET IT DONE THIS YEAR.
UM, IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF EXACTLY WHICH COURT WE WOULD CHOOSE.
AND WE WOULD KIND OF DEFER TO YOU ON THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER THEN COUNCIL MEMBER SAMUEL.
I LIKE BOTH THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
Y'ALL HAVE, UH, THE PARKS, UH, THE RESURFACES OF THE COURT.
I LIKE THE FACT THAT IT'S AN OPEN CONCEPT AND TO BRING A LOT OF ATTENTION FROM THE ROAD.
SO I THINK YOU GUYS DID A GOOD JOB WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THAT KID THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, HE HAS A DEAL WITH NIKE AND HE DOES SLAM DUNK CONTACTS ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES WITH ESPN ON ESPN.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING BE PROUD OF.
HE'S RIGHT HERE FROM BEAUMONT, BUT I THINK HE'S ASKED ME FOR POINTERS A COUPLE OF TIMES.
IT'S NOT HARD TO JUMP OVER THIS, BUT, BUT I THINK IT'S ONE THING WHAT WE NEED TO DO, SINCE I THINK IT'S ONE THING THAT I THINK THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL HAS KIND OF DISCUSSED THAT'S NOT ON HERE, AND WE ALMOST HAVE EVERY SPORT TAKEN CARE OF WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FOOTBALL.
AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE KIDS, SOMETIMES WE'LL SEE 'EM PRACTICING ON THE SOCCER FIELD.
SOMETIMES WE'LL SEE 'EM IN FRONT OF WESTBROOK, AND WE HAVE ONE FIELD THAT WE HAVE SOMEWHAT STRIPED, AND THAT'S OVER THERE AT SPROUT PARK.
[01:50:01]
I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF IT WAS OF ANY INTEREST OF THIS COUNCIL SINCE THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE REALLY DON'T HAVE.WE HAVE PLENTY ATTENDANCE FACILITIES, BASKETBALL, WE GOT A BASEBALL COMPLEX, BUT THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE ANYWHERE FOR, YOU KNOW, OUR KIDS TO WORK ON THOSE SKILLS.
AS FAR AS FOOTBALL, I KNOW SPROUT PARK, WE, WE STARTED IT, BUT MAYBE THEY COULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL MAY WANT TO LOOK AT SINCE WE DISCUSS FUNDING THAT WE'RE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE WE WOULD DEDICATE TO CERTAIN PLACES.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE NEED TO CONSIDER AS A COUNCIL, BECAUSE WE LITERALLY HAVE EVERYTHING ELSE COVERED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF DEBT.
SO I'M GONNA PIGGYBACK OFF OF COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER, BECAUSE WHEN I SAT AS WARD FOUR COUNSELOR, UH, THE BUDGET DID NOT, UH, WELL, THERE WAS NO BUDGET TO INCLUDE THAT.
AND I'VE SPOKEN TO MAYOR PRO, TIM DUO AS RECENT AS YESTERDAY ON THE SAME SUBJECT.
UH, I LOOK AT OUR CITY THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY NAMED THE FOOTBALL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, AND WE, AS COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER SAY WE HAVE EVERY SPORT DOWN HERE EXCEPT FOR FOOTBALL.
AND I EVEN SPOKE TO THE CITY MANAGER STATING THAT SPOT PARK IS USED, UM, PRIMARILY FOR, UH, THE LILLY FOOTBALL, UM, TEAMS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, ONE IS GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL THIS WEEKEND, AND I, THE, OR I GOT A PHONE CALL THAT THEY'RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL THIS WEEKEND AND THEY USE THAT FACILITY.
AND I FOUGHT TO GET THAT ONE SET OF BLEACHERS OUT THERE.
THERE'S NO LIGHTING AND WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY GET THAT FEEL STRIPED.
SO WITH OUR PREVIOUS HISTORY OF FOOTBALL, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY FEELS FOR THE KIDS TO PRACTICE ON SOME WAY, SOMEHOW WE NEED TO GET THAT DONE IN THE WARD FOR.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER SAMUEL, I'M GONNA COME BACK TO YOU, BUT I'M GONNA GO BACK TO MAYOR PRO TIM, SO HE COULD SPEAK ON THAT AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER GETS OH, THANK YOU.
MARY SAID EVERYTHING THAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU INCLUDED THE LIGHTS, STRIKES THE LIGHTS, STRIPES, LIGHTS, AND SOME MORE BLEACHERS.
THAT'S WHAT ACTUALLY, WE'VE HAD LITTLE LEAGUE COACHES COME TO US AND ASK US FOR THAT FOR HELP.
I MEAN, THEY NEED SOMEWHERE TO PRACTICE AND PLAY.
I KNOW THEY'RE SAYING I'M ASKED FOR A LOT, BUT ALL OF THESE ARE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
SOME, SOME FOLKS, AS THE STREETS ARE, YOU KNOW, AND WE WANT, WE WANT TO IMPROVE BEAUMONT, WE WANT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR BEAUMONT.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO ENJOY BEING HERE AND HAVE THINGS TO ENJOY DOING WHILE THEY'RE HERE.
WELL, WE WANNA DO IT FAR YOUTH FOR THE YOUTH.
THESE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, LIKE THE RIVERFRONT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
THESE ISSUES ARE FOR PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE, YOU KNOW, THAT LIVE IN NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT.
LIKE YOU SAID, A PARK YOU COULD RIDE YOUR BIKE TO OR WALK TO AND ALL THESE, THAT'S WHAT THESE ISSUES ARE.
AND, UH, I WOULD, AND, UH, I REALLY BELIEVE COUNCILMAN, I MEAN, COUNCILMAN
I'D BE LYING TO YOU IF I SAID WE DON'T WANT THAT, BUT WE CAN'T SPEND MONEY WE DON'T HAVE.
YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE TO HAVE LIGHTS OF BABES OF HAIRS.
I'D LOVE TO HAVE LIGHTS AT THE MULTI-USE FIELD AT THE ATHLETIC COMPLEX THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY TURN INTO TWO FOOTBALL FIELDS SIDE BY SIDE.
I'D LOVE TO HAVE LIGHTS AT, AT ALL KINDS OF PLACES.
UM, I'D LOVE TO PUT A NET ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT TERRELL PARK SO PEOPLE CAN HIT GOLF BALLS AND NOT DRILL 'EM AT CARS.
BUT ALL THESE THINGS TAKE MONEY.
UM, WHEN I PLAYED, I PLAYED FOOTBALL TOO.
I LOOKED MORE LIKE A FOOTBALL PLAYER NOW THAN I DID.
UM, BUT WHEN I WAS AT WESTBROOK, EVERYONE PRACTICED OUT FRONT OUTSIDE OF WESTBROOK HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, PEOPLE PRACTICED AT VINCENT MIDDLE SCHOOL, AMELIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ANYWHERE YOU COULD FIND A PLACE TO PRACTICE, YOU PRACTICED.
WE JUST FIND A PLACE, IF WE CAN FIND ENOUGH ROOM, WE JUMP OUT THERE AND GET IT.
UM, WE ASK FOR, IN THIS, THIS PAST BUDGET YEAR, WE ASK FOR A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT CALLED A TURF TANK.
WHAT A TURF TANK DOES IS IT SETS UP THROUGH GPS.
[01:55:01]
A REALLY COOL LITTLE ROBOT, AND IT, IT CAN GO OUT AND IT CAN CHALK A FIELD, IT CAN SPRAY PAINT A FIELD, A FOOTBALL FIELD WITH A HUNDRED YARD FOOTBALL FIELD WITH STRIPES EVERY FIVE YARDS IN, I THINK AN HOUR WITH YOU POUR THE, THE 10 THE PAINT INTO IT.AND IT DOES IT, IT DOES IT ALL BY ITSELF.
YOU PROGRAM IT ON AN IPAD AND IT CAN KNOCK IT OUT.
WE'VE HAD 'EM COME OUT AND GIVE US DEMONSTRATIONS, UM, AT THE ATHLETIC COMPLEX, KIND OF DID LIKE A 20 YARD FOOTBALL FIELD.
IT CAN DO A SOCCER FIELD, BASEBALL FIELD, YOU NAME IT.
UM, AND IT COSTS SOME MONEY TO GET IT, BUT IT KEEPS US FROM HAVING TO, TO BRING THREE OR FOUR MEMBERS OF THE STAFF OUT THERE TO SPEND AN ENTIRE DAY PAINTING A FOOTBALL FIELD, UM, USING ALL THE CANS OF PAINT USING, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY EXPENSIVE.
UM, AND WHEN YOU STRIPE A FIELD AND THEN YOU MOW IT, OFTENTIMES THAT FOLLOWING WEEK, YOU'VE GOTTA STRIPE IT AGAIN.
UM, SO YEAH, ALL THESE THINGS SOUND GREAT.
THERE'S NO WAY I COULD SIT UP HERE AND GO, NOPE, WE DON'T WANT THAT.
WE WOULD WANT EVERY SINGLE THING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT COUNCIL MANDU, I'M MAYOR PRO TEDU.
I ALWAYS CALL YOU THE WRONG THING, KIND OF.
I JUST NEED YOUR WALLET, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GONNA GIVE US ALL THIS, MY WALLET,
AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER GETS, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I REALIZE, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF DREAMS. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE'D LIKE TO HAVE.
UH, BUT, UH, WE HAVE TO BE FISCALLY PRUDENT.
UH, NOBODY WANTS TO RAISE TAXES, UH, BUT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THE THINGS THAT WE GET.
UH, NOW MY MY QUESTION WAS, UM, DO WE, WE STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS TO COME IN AND MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR PARKS, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND DO, DO WE HAVE ANYONE, HAVE WE HAD ANY CORPORATIONS FROM BEAUMONT TO MENTION THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE? HAVE WE EVEN ASKED, WE HAVEN'T PUT THAT OUT THERE.
NO, WE'VE NEVER BEEN PRESENTED TO ME TO, TO GO OUT AND ASK.
OKAY, WELL THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
UH, BECAUSE I DO KNOW, UH, I KNOW TWO CORPORATIONS IN BEAUMONT THAT HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY, UH, UM, GENEROUS IN WORKING WITH THE CITY.
UH, YOU HAVE NOT, IF YOU ASK NOT CLOSED MILES, DON'T GET FED.
HOW ABOUT THE SAMUEL LAW FIRM? ARE THEY WILLING TO DONATE
NOW I KNEW YOU'D SAY YES, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, IT, IT'S, BUT THAT'S REAL BECAUSE I KNOW, UM, CORPORATIONS THAT HAVE INDIVIDUALS ON SOME OF OUR COMMITTEES, AND THEY ARE OPEN TO WORKING WITH THE CITY, SO WE JUST HAVE TO BEGIN TO ASK.
SO, UH, THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION, UH, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE, UH, THEY HAVE MANY TIMES THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO WRITE SOME THINGS OFF.
I'LL BE ASKING, I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO CALL.
I'M NOT GONNA CALL ANY NAMES, BUT, UH, THEY'RE LISTENING.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT HAVING LIGHTS AT THE FOOTBALL FIELDS, BUT, UH, I COMPLETELY AGREE THAT IT'S, HE'S, THAT'S LOW HANGING FRUIT TO STRIPE, A FOOTBALL FIELD.
UH, PEARLSTEIN PARK, FOR INSTANCE, HAS LOTS OF AREA NOT BEING USED THAT COULD BE STRIPED AND, UH, A FOOTBALL GROUND COULD BE PUT OUT THERE IN A MILLION.
I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT NOT ALL SPORTS ARE REPRESENTED THOUGH.
UM, WE DO NOT HAVE A PLACE, AND I THINK BEAUMONT IS THE LARGEST CITY IN TEXAS THAT DOES NOT HAVE PUBLIC RACQUETBALL COURTS.
UH, NELAND HAS PRA BALL COURTS GROWS, HAS PUBLIC RACA BALL COURTS.
AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT THAT.
AND I THINK A LOGICAL PLACE TO PUT IT IS THAT THE, UH, MUNICIPAL, UH, TENNIS CENTER, BECAUSE THEY COULD CHECK IN THROUGH THE, UH, THE PRO SHOP THAT PEOPLE GO THROUGH.
NOW, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO BUILD RESTROOMS BECAUSE THERE'S RESTROOMS IN THE PRO SHOP.
THERE'S PLENTY OF PLACE AT THE BACK OF THE TENNIS COURTS TO PUT TWO RACQUETBALL COURTS OUT THERE.
AND I THINK YOU COULD DEFINITELY GET SOME, UH, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, UH, TO HELP WITH THAT.
WE USED TO HAVE THE DOWNTOWN Y M C A THAT WAS, UH, UH, THE FISHER KOOS, UH, UH, RACQUETBALL CENTER.
JUDGE FISHER WAS A, A FEDERAL JUDGE HERE FOR 40 PLUS YEARS.
AND THE KOOS FAMILY, WE HAD A MAYOR KOOS, WE HAD A COUNCIL MEMBER.
KOOS, YOU KNOW, THEIR FAMILIES ARE STILL HERE.
[02:00:01]
THINK YOU COULD GET SOME CONTRIBUTIONS TO HELP FUND THAT, BUT I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING, AND I HAVEN'T PLAYED RACQUETBALL IN 30 YEARS, BUT MAYBE THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S NO PLACE TO PLAY RACQUETBALL.ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, I ALSO WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT, UH, MR. NEIL IS, UH, IT'S NOT ON YOUR LIST, BUT THE MAGNOLIA SWIMMING POOL, JUST TO SHOW YOU THAT I'M NOT ALL FOR ABOUT THINGS IN WAR II, UM, THAT THAT POOL HAS HAD A
AND AT THE LAST PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD, WE LEARNED THAT THERE'S SOME REAL PROBLEMS WITH THE FILTRATION SYSTEM.
AND YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF CITIES ARE GOING TO, UH, THE IDEA OF SPLASH PADS AND NOT, UH, MAYBE TAKING OUT SWIMMING POOLS.
YOU TAKE OUT THAT SWIMMING POOL IN THAT COMMUNITY AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A, A MUTINY ON YOUR HANDS.
UH, YOU, YOU'VE GOT TO, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE, UM, THE POOL THAT'S, THAT'S WORKING IN A PROPER ORDER AND NOT JUST BANDAID PUT TOGETHER.
IT'S, IT'S GOT TO, WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, A QUALITY POOL FOR THE KIDS THAT, THAT LIVE OUT THERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF HOMES IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE FOR US TO THINK ABOUT AS A USE FOR SOME OF THIS MONEY.
UM, I WAS, UH, OUT THERE AND NOTICING THAT, AND THIS IS GONNA SOUND WEIRD COMING FROM A TENNIS PLAYER, BUT THERE ARE TWO TENNIS COURTS OUT THERE, THERE, AND IN TALKING TO STAFF OUT THERE, THEY'RE ALMOST NEVER, EVER USED.
AND, AND IN THAT COMMUNITY, TENNIS TAKES A BACKSEAT TO BASKETBALL.
IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT IT WOULD BE REAL EASY TO REMOVE THE TENNIS COURT NETS AND SURFACE THAT AS BASKETBALL COURTS TO PROVIDE FOR ADDITIONAL BASKETBALL OUTSIDE.
BECAUSE INSIDE AT THE PRUIT, YOU'VE GOT LEAGUES GOING ON.
YOU'VE GOT FREE PLAY GOING ON.
YOU, YOU MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY GET PEOPLE INSIDE THAT ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO PLAY, BUT THEY COULD PLAY OUTSIDE.
AND I WOULD TAKE THE CURRENT EXISTING OUTSIDE BASKETBALL COURTS AND I WOULD MAKE THOSE GOALS CUT DOWN FOR LITTLE KIDS, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S RIGHT THERE BY THE PLAYGROUND.
NO, THAT'S, THAT'S EASY TO DO.
GUYS ARE GONNA RIP THOSE DOWN.
KIDS ARE GONNA NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
I'M, I'M TALKING ABOUT IF YOU PUT A, IF YOU PUT A LOW GOAL, LET'S COUNCILMAN TURNER, YOU KNOW THAT'S TRUE.
THOSE KIDS THAT HAVE NO BUSINESS PLAYING ON THAT ARE GONNA RIP THAT THING DOWN SO QUICKLY.
WELL, I WOULD HOPE NOT, BUT WE GOT TO ALSO PROVIDE FOR THE SIX AND SEVEN YEAR OLD KIDS THAT MIGHT, MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO THROW BASKETBALL UP TO THE 10 FOOT LEVEL.
YOU, YOU COULD TAKE THE BASKETBALL COURT, THE TENNIS COURTS, AND YOU COULD PUT TWO FULL LENGTH BASKETBALL, UH, COURTS ON THOSE.
AND, AND IT'S GOT A VIEWING PAVILION RIGHT THERE.
THOSE COURT, THOSE TENNIS COURTS ARE RARELY USED.
BUT EVERYONE UP HERE, LET'S MAKE SURE WE JUST HEARD COUNCILMAN GETZ REQUESTING TO REMOVE TENNIS COURTS.
BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT BEING USED AND THEY'RE NOT SURFACED FOR TENNIS RIGHT NOW.
I'M JOKING WHEN I SAY OBVIOUSLY, CAUSE I KNOW HOW SERIOUS YOU ARE ABOUT TENNIS.
I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT IN COUNCILMAN TURN.
MAYBE THAT'S THE ROUTE WE GO WITH THAT RESURFACE.
I MEAN, I'M SURE IT'S GONNA COST MORE MONEY, OBVIOUSLY, TO PUT TWO COURTS THERE, BUT THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY PLACE IN THE CITY WHERE WE'VE GOT TWO BASKETBALL COURTS SIDE BY SIDE OUTSIDE.
THE OTHER THINGS THAT I WANTED TO HIT REAL QUICK IS, UH, YOU KNOW, NOW I'M GETTING BACK TO BEING A TENNIS PLAYER.
WE NEED TO PROVIDE MONEY SOMEWHERE TO HAVE THE TENNIS COURTS AT THE ATHLETIC CENTER RESURFACED BECAUSE A TENNIS COURT SURFACED HAS TO BE RESURFACED EVERY FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
AND YOU, YOU NEED TO HAVE THEM IN A ROTATION SO THAT AS, AS THEY START WEARING OUT, YOU HAVE MONEY PUT ASIDE TO RESURFACE THEM.
THOSE TENNIS COURTS ATTRACT, LIKE THE SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE, TENNIS TOURNAMENT ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO WE WANT TO KEEP ATTRACTING THOSE TYPES OF TOURNAMENTS.
BUT THERE WERE COMMENTS MADE AT THE LAST ONE THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE TO START LOOKING ELSEWHERE BECAUSE THE SURFACE OF SOME OF THOSE TENNIS COURTS HAD DETERIORATED TO THE POINT WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT NOT MEET THEIR STANDARDS TO HAVE A SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT THERE.
AND SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO RESURFACE THOSE.
I THINK YOU SAID SOMETHING LIKE $25,000 A COURT TO RESURFACE.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET OTHER BIDS THAN THE VENDOR THAT YOU USE.
LAST THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, UH, AGAIN, NOT IN WAR II, BUT VERY IMPORTANT TO ME,
[02:05:01]
UM, THE EQUESTRIAN TRAILS OUT AT TERRELL PARK, UH, WE NEED TO FINISH THAT.I KNOW THAT YOU'VE HAD A SHORTAGE OF ASPHALT THAT YOU COULD USE, BUT WE'RE ABOUT TO MILL FOUR STREET AND YOU'RE GONNA GET A, A LOT OF ASPHALT, UH, OUT OF THAT PROJECT.
SO I HOPE THAT IS, UH, REPURPOSED TO BE USING AT THE EQUESTRIAN TRAILS TO EXTEND THAT OUT THERE.
IF, IF WE GET THE MILLINGS, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE USED IT FOR.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE'VE, WE'VE MAXIMIZED WHAT WE CAN DO THERE TO THIS POINT.
AND, UH, WE'RE WILLING TO CONTINUE TO DO SO WHEN WE GET THE, THE PROPER MATERIAL.
I, I SAID LAST NIGHT, THERE WAS ONE THING I OVERLOOKED, OKAY, AND THIS IS A LITTLE OUTSIDE THE BOX, BUT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT AS A COUNCIL BEFORE.
UM, AND THAT'S THE IDEA OF EXTENDING A LINEAR PARK FROM CROCKETT STREET TO THE LAKESIDE CENTER.
YOU KNOW, WAY BACK IN THE DAY, THERE WAS HOPES AND TALKS, UH, WAY BEFORE I GOT ON COUNCIL, BY THE WAY OF PUTTING A WATERWAY DOWN FROM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE LEARNED IS GONNA BE WAY TOO EXPENSIVE TO DO.
YOU'VE GOT INFRASTRUCTURE UNDER THE STREET, UH, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DUG UP.
UH, IT'S COST PROHIBIT PROHIBITIVE, BUT A LINEAR PARK, AND I THINK I GOT THAT TERM FROM CHRIS BOONE, WHERE YOU HAVE, UH, A, A WALKWAY WITH SOME WATER FEATURES THAT WOULD GO ALL THE WAY FROM CROCKETT STREET TO THE EVENT CENTER.
THERE'S ALREADY THE PATH ALREADY LAID OUT.
IT WOULD BE, UH, PAST THE ROTARY FOUNTAIN, YOU KNOW WHERE I'M TALKING ABOUT.
AND ALONGSIDE THE FRONT OF THOSE BUILDINGS WHERE COPES USED TO BE, WE SHUT OFF THAT PART OF CROCKETT STREET TO BE USED AS A PARKING LOT ANYWAY, SO IT'S NOT A THROUGH STREET THERE.
IT'S NOT THAT LONG, IT'S JUST A FEW BLOCKS, BUT IT WOULD BE AN ATTRACT WITH ALL THE THINGS WE'RE ABOUT TO DO DOWNTOWN, A LINEAR PARK WITH SOME WATERWAY FEATURES OF FOUNTAINS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT WOULD BE REALLY, UH, A NICE TOUCH FOR DOWNTOWN.
I SPOKE TO A MEMBER OF MY, ONE OF MY REPRESENTATIVES ON THE PARK COMMITTEE, AND YOU HAD A GOOD IDEA WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ELIMINATING THOSE, UH, TENNIS COURTS, UH, I GUESS AT MAGNOLIA PARK, RIGHT, MIKE, MAYBE THAT, I MEAN, YOU'RE A BIG TENNIS ENTHUSIAST, MAYBE INTRODUCING SOME OF THOSE KIDS OUT THERE TO TENNIS, INTRODUCING THEM TO PICKET BALL A YEAR AGO.
I ASKED WHAT'S PICKLE BALL NOW? I KNOW IT'S VERY POPULAR NOW.
DID YOU PLAY YET? NO, I HAVEN'T, BUT I'VE SEEN PEOPLE PLAY AND THEY SEEM TO ENJOY IT.
YOU NEED TO PLAY IT, BUT IT JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE SOMETHING NEW THAT THEY COULD INTRODUCE THE KIDS IN, UH, IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TOO.
THEY MIGHT, THEY MAY EXCEL IN IT.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING NEW, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY COULD TRY AND, AND MIKE, YOU CAN, YOU CAN BE THE COACH.
AND WE DID, UH, AND IT WAS, IT WAS WELL RECEIVED, UH, BECAUSE YOU HAD A, A PROGRAM GOING THERE AT THE STERLING PRUIT ALREADY.
AND SO WE INCORPORATED, UH, TENNIS INTO THAT EXPERIENCE.
BUT, UH, MIGHT BE A PROGRAM Y'ALL START, I THINK THERE WAS KIDS IN SUMMER CAMP.
AREN'T TENNIS COURTS ALSO AT SPR PARK? THERE'S TENNIS COURTS AT SPR PARK.
KNOW KIDS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE CAN INTRODUCE THEM TO.
WE CAN'T EVER TELL SOMETHING NEW.
BUT MAYOR PARTEM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALSO HAVE TO TELL YOU IS THAT RIGHT NOW THAT'S JUST A CONCRETE SLAB WITH SOME LINES THAT ARE SO FAINT.
IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THOSE TENNIS COURTS AT MAGNOLIA PARK AS TENNIS COURTS, THEY NEED TO BE SURFACED AND STRIPED.
UH, LAST THING, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING AND OF COURSE WE ALL WANT A LOT OF THINGS, BUT FUNDING IS AN ISSUE.
AND I SPOKE TO LARRY PERIODS OUT IN ORANGE COUNCILWOMAN OUTTA WACO.
THEY'RE CAPITALIZING A LOT OF THEIR PARK IMPROVEMENTS AND, UM, THEIR COMMUNITY CENTERS WHERE THEY DOING NEW REC CENTERS FOR KIDS, THEY'RE GETTING GRANT FUNDING FOR THESE THINGS.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW ME AND YOU HAVE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS ON.
I KNOW JIMMY HAS WENT FOR SOME GRANTS PRIOR TO THIS MEETING.
I KNOW WE DISCUSSED IT, BUT YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO SEE US BE A LOT MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH GRANT FUNDING.
CUZ I MEAN, WHEN WE GOT THIS KIND OF MONEY AND THIS MATCHES OUT THERE AND THINGS OF THAT MAGNITUDE, I THINK WE'RE MISSING OUT ON FREE ACCESS THAT'S ALREADY AVAILABLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU SEE COMMUNITIES RIGHT DOWN THE STREET WITHIN 30 MILES,
[02:10:01]
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT.YOU KNOW, I WANT BEAUMONT TO BE THE COMMUNITY, EVERYBODY WATCHING, TRY TO REPEAT AND GO AFTER BEING THE BIGGEST.
SO I DEFINITELY WANNA SEE US DO MORE OF AN EMPHASIS ON GRANT FUNDING, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO PARKS.
UH, ANOTHER THING IS, UH, I KNOW WE HAVE CDBG FUNDING ALSO AVAILABLE THAT WE CAN USE IN LOW TO MODERATE INCOME AREAS, AND THEY CAN ALSO BE FUNDING THAT CAN BE UTILIZED FOR PARK.
AND WE CAN SEE STAFF COLLABORATE AND SEE HOW CAN WE PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER.
WE GOT MONEY THAT'S JUST SITTING ON THE TABLE THAT WE'RE NOT UTILIZING.
IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, SENSE SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS.
THAT'S A NEED WHEN IT COMES TO QUALITY OF LIFE.
SINCE WE'RE NOT UTILIZING THE MONEY AND IT'S SITTING THERE, WE SHOULD UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS IN THOSE LOW TO MODERATE INCOME AREAS.
AND LASTLY, WE'D SAY RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
I KIND OF LIKE TO KIND OF GO OVER IN THE FUTURE SOME OF MY RECREATIONAL THINGS WE HAVE FOR OUR KIDS.
YOU KNOW, WE SEE OUR YOUTH GETTING IN A LOT OF TROUBLE THESE DAYS.
AND I THINK THAT RECREATIONAL OPTION MAY BE A LATER WORKSHOP TO SEE HOW WE CAN PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER WITH JIMMY AND WHAT KIND OF THINGS WE COULD COME UP WITH.
WE GOT THE GYM INSIDE OF THE RECREATIONAL FACILITY, OR MIKE WAS SAYING, THE LIFESPAN OF THE TENNIS COURSE OF FOUR TO FIVE YEARS.
THE LIFESPANS OF BASKETBALL COURTS FOR GUYS WHO ACTUALLY PLAY BASKETBALL, IT'S THREE TO FIVE YEARS AND YOU SEE BS D THEY'RE DOING THEIR GYM FLOORS ALMOST EVERY TWO YEARS.
THE LAST TIME, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, JIMMY, THAT WE ADDRESSED THE RECREATIONAL FLOOR ON GULF STREET WAS IN 2008 BASED UPON, YOU KNOW, RESEARCH AND QUESTIONS.
I'VE REQUIRED LD ACTUALLY BEFORE JIMMY WAS THERE.
SO I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING WE ALSO CAN LOOK AT AS LOW TO MODERATE INCOME FUNDING THAT WE HAVE CDBG FUNDING FOR THAT AREA WOULD FALL UNDERNEATH THAT.
SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I I PLAY BALL EVEN ME PERSONALLY, I, I WON'T PLAY ON THAT COURT AT THE WRECK RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I'M TOO OLD TO SLIDE AND TAKE A CHANCE OF GETTING HURT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A LOT OF GUYS THAT PLAY PROFESSIONAL BALL.
WE GOT KIDS WHO PLAY ON THOSE COURTS AND YOU'RE LITERALLY SLOTTING AND TO PARKS AND RICK'S CREDIT.
Y'ALL MAINTAIN IT AS WELL AS Y'ALL CAN.
BUT THE REALITY IS, YOU KNOW, THOSE COURTS HAVE A LIFESPAN OF ROUGHLY FIVE YEARS.
YOU JUST RESURFACE IT, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST DO THE PROPER MAINTENANCE AND TREATMENT ON IT.
BUT LIKE YOU SAID, WITH A BUDGET OF WHAT YOU'VE HAD, IT IS RARE THAT YOU CAN EVEN ADDRESS THOSE THINGS.
IT'S, IT'S IN THE, THE NORMAL BUDGET FOR THE YEAR FACILITIES MAINTENANCE IS, IT'S GONNA BE DONE THIS YEAR.
SO YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE BEEN ASKING, SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT.
JUST FOR THE GYM, THE PRUITT CENTER GYM, GYM FLOORS GONNA BE REDONE.
ALL RIGHT, I'M BEING QUIET NOW.
YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING
COUNCILMAN, I DIDN'T MEAN TO WAKE YOU UP.
UM, THE CITY MANAGER, UH, MAY I JUST LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL FOR THIS DISCUSSION.
THIS IS A TYPE OF DISCUSSION WE WE NEEDED TO HAVE AND, AND, AND THIS BROUGHT A LOT OF THINGS OUT.
UH, WHEN I FIRST OPENED UP, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I MENTIONED WAS THAT WE WERE GONNA TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS, BUT AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA NEED MORE DOLLARS TO DO THINGS HERE IN THE CITY TO MAKE A REAL IMPACT IN THIS, IN OUR, IN OUR PARK SITUATION.
UM, WE JUST HAD A 1.4 MILLION, BUT I'VE, I'VE HEARD TODAY, LIKE I'VE COUNTED PROBABLY 15 MILLION WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AT THIS TABLE,
BUT I THINK WHAT YOU DID IS YOU KINDA IDENTIFIED SOME LONG TERM GOALS.
WE'RE WE'RE TALKING SHORT TERM GOALS TODAY, BUT YOU'VE DEFINITELY IDENTIFIED SOME LONG TERM GOALS.
AND, AND YOU'LL SAY, I PROBABLY PLAN TO DEATH AND DO, BUT AT SOME POINT WE MIGHT NEED A PARKS PLAN TO IMPLEMENT ALL THESE DIFFERENT IDEAS.
WE GOTTA PUT A PLAN TOGETHER AND HAVE A COORDINATED EFFORT, AN OUTLINE ON HOW IT'S GOING TO GET DONE.
OTHERWISE WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO TALK, TALKING ABOUT IT.
SO THAT COULD BE SOMETHING WE CAN PLAN FOR IN THIS NEXT BUDGET YEAR.
UH, GRANT WRITERS, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I PRELIMINARY IDENTIFIED AS WHAT THE CITY NEEDS AND FOR THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET IS GETTING A GRANT WRITER TO WHERE WE CAN HAVE AN IMPACT TO GO OUT AND SEEK THOSE DOLLARS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
WHAT WE DO IS KIND LIKE EVERY DEPARTMENT GOES OUT AND ACTIVELY DUST IT ON THEIR OWN RIGHT NOW.
UH, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT'S DONE COMPREHENSIVELY, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE, WE HAVE TALKED WITH ORGANIZATIONS.
WE CAN'T SAY WHAT ORGANIZATIONS WE TALK TO.
IT'S UP TO THEM TO RELEASE THAT INFORMATION.
NOT US, BUT WE ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH ORGANIZATIONS TO SEEK DOLLARS, UH, FOR PARKS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES.
AND SO WHEN THEY GET READY TO TELL YOU, THEY'LL BE GLAD TO TELL YOU.
UM, YEAH, A LOT OF THINGS HERE.
[02:15:01]
BE GLAD TO SHARE MORE INFORMATION, WHICH AS WE GO TO HELPING YOUR DECISION MAKING PROCESSES.WE'VE STARTED THE CONVERSATIONS TODAY AND, AND AS WE GO ALONG, SOUNDS LIKE I HEARD THAT YOU WANT MORE FEEDBACK FROM THE ADVISORY PARTS ADVISORY BOARD.
AND, UH, THEN AT THAT POINT, WE'LL BE READY TO COME BACK TO YOU FOR ANOTHER DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION OF SOME SORT ON GETTING THESE ITEMS DONE SO WE CAN GET 'EM IMPLEMENTED AND THEN GET MORE DOLLARS IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
MY GOAL FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET IS TO HAVE THIS LIST FINALIZED BEFORE YOU APPROVE THE BUDGET.
AND IT, IT, IT ELIMINATES THESE TYPE OF OF TIME CONSUMING DISCUSSIONS.
WE'LL DO IT DURING THE BUDGET, BUT AT LEAST WE, WE'LL HAVE IT DONE AND BE ABLE TO JUST IMPLEMENT ONCE THE BUDGET GETS DONE.
JIMMY'S GOT MORE THAN ENOUGH TO WORK WITH
AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, WHEREVER YOU THINK THIS MONEY'S GROW ON THESE TREES, WE'LL WE'LL FIND THAT IF IT'S OUT THERE.
BUT THANKS, THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK AND, AND, AND WE'LL START WORKING ON THIS ONE.
ONE OTHER LITTLE COMMENT I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT IS THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME OF THE KIDS IN THE CHARLTON POLL AREA OR IN THE AREA, UH, WHETHER PLAYGROUND IS GONNA GO AT CENTRAL PARK TO LET SOME KIDS LOOK AT THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE PLAYING ON.
YOU KNOW, WE GOT A LOT OF ADULTS THAT ARE CHOOSING PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT FOR CHILDREN.
AND OF COURSE IT'S A BIG MAGAZINE, BUT I PROMISE YOU, I BELIEVE IF YOU GET A GROUP OF KIDS TO LOOK AT SOME THINGS, THEY CAN COME UP, ESPECIALLY IF YOU GO TO CHARLTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THEY COULD CHOOSE SOME CHILDREN TO LOOK AT THE BOOK AND LOOK AT THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT TO CHOOSE THE EQUIPMENT THEY WANT TO PLAY ON.
AND I'M GONNA CLOSE OUT WITH THAT.
JIMMY, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
IT'S BEEN A GREAT, GREAT HEALTHY DISCUSSION.
UH, A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION HAS COME OUT OF THIS AND ENOUGH INFORMATION THAT WILL KEEP YOU AND THE CITY MANAGER BUSY FOR, FOR A WHILE.
WELL, WE KNOW, BUT IT WAS GREAT THOSE GUYS.
SO YEAH, WE BROUGHT IN THE SUNSHINE, SO, BUT IT WAS A GREAT DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU GUYS, APPRECIATE YOU.
OKAY, SO THAT DOES CONCLUDE BOTH OF OUR WORKSHOPS, UH, AT THIS TIME.
UM, NOW'S THE TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
[Public Comment]
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.THE GREEN LIGHT WILL COME ON AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR THREE MINUTES, AND THE RED LIGHT WILL COME ON AT THE END OF, UH, YOUR THREE MINUTES.
UH, JAMES, I THINK IT'S CALLUS.
53 75 ROSEMARY DRIVE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS.
CERTAINLY WAS AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION ON OUR PARKS.
I'VE BEEN IN BEAUMONT ALL MY LIFE AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT I HAD A REED PARK DOES NOT HAVE A RESTROOM.
THERE'S A SCOUT OUT THERE THAT'S BEING MOVED AND SEEMED LIKE THE CITY COULD MAYBE AT LEAST PUT PORT-A-POTTIES IN THE PARKS WITHOUT RESTROOMS. SO I AM JAMES CALLIS.
I'VE BEEN THROUGH THE BEAUMONT SCHOOLS.
I'M CURRENTLY A, UM, BONDED BUILDING CONTRACTOR.
I'M A LICENSED MASTER PLUMBER.
I'M A LICENSED, REGISTERED AC TECH.
AND I'M A FORMER HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHER AT HEBERT HIGH.
THE ONLY REASON I LEFT FIRST CHILD, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY TO PAY FOR THE CHILD.
POSTMAN WERE MAKING TEN FIVE, I WAS MAKING SEVERAL THOUSAND LESS THAN POSTMAN, SO I MOVED IN CONSTRUCTION.
BEAUMONT HAS BEEN GOOD FOR CONSTRUCTION FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND IT'S VERY GOOD RIGHT NOW, ALTHOUGH INFLATION HAS AFFECTED IT.
I'M HERE TODAY, UH, AHEAD OF THE DECEMBER 6TH MEETING WHERE DELANCY WOOD WILL BE PRESENTING 60 RED TAG HOUSES.
I HAPPEN TO HAVE THREE OF THE RED TAG HOUSES, NOT BY MY CHOICE.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON 'EM, BUT THE ONE THAT'S PARTICULARLY CLOSE TO MY HEART IS ANNA'S HOUSE.
NOW, ANIME'S HOUSE IS A HOME FOR HOMELESS WOMEN ON MAGNOLIA.
MY FAMILY ACQUIRED IT IN 1936, SO THAT MEANS WE'VE HELD IT ABOUT 86 YEARS NOW.
AND IT IS A VERY SIMPLE PLACE ON A SMALL LOT.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GOT A GOOD ROOF.
THE ROOF'S ABOUT 85% COMPLETE.
I HAD IT IN AN ORANGE TAG POSITION AND THEN FOR WHATEVER REASON IT SLIPPED INTO A RED TAG POSITION.
SO I'M NOT GONNA SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THAT, BUT THAT'S THE HOUSE I'M CONCERNED.
WHEN WE HAD OUR SCOUT HUNT AND SCOUT MEETINGS OVER AT I REED PARK, HOMELESS WOMEN WOULD COME BY
[02:20:01]
AS WELL AS HOMELESS MEN.I MUST TELL YOU, HOMELESS WOMEN ARE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO BEING HOMELESS.
I'VE SEEN SOME THINGS THAT WOULD JUST TEAR YOUR HEART UP, BUT WHEN YOU'RE A WOMAN ON THE STREET, IT'S QUITE A BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHEN YOU'RE A MAN ON THE STREET.
SO ANIME'S HOUSE IS FOR HOMELESS WOMEN.
UM, I'M NOT REQUESTING ANY FUNDS, I'M JUST REQUESTING SOME MORE TIME NOW.
I MUST TELL YOU, I'M AN ACTIVE SENIOR GOING INTO MY 74TH YEAR, I STILL GET ON ROOFS.
I GO IN ADDICTS, I GO UNDER HOUSES.
NOW, THE PROBLEM IS, IS JUST ME, ALL MY FRIENDS WHO ARE ABOUT MY AGE GROUP, THEY'VE AGED OUT OF THIS.
THEY DON'T GET ON ROOFS, THEY DON'T DO A LOT OF THINGS.
SO THAT'S MY MAIN REASON FOR BEING HERE.
THE OTHER THING IS OUR CITY HAS SHRUNK.
I WAS REALLY DOING SOME GREAT BUILDING DURING THE SEVENTIES WHEN WE WERE THE 14TH LARGEST CITY IN TEXAS.
NOW WE'RE SOMEWHERE AROUND 35TH.
SO HOPEFULLY, UH, WITH ALL THE GOOD DISCUSSION TODAY AND ALL YOU FIND COUNCIL PEOPLE AND THE CITY STAFF, ALL OF Y'ALL HAVE REALLY, I REALLY WORK A LOT WITH THE STAFF.
BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND, UH, I WANT TO END WITH ONE THING IF I CAN.
WHAT IS A MAN THAT HAS NOT MADE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE? WHAT IS A CITY IF IT IS NOT MADE ITSELF A BETTER PLACE FOR ITS INHABITANTS TO LIVE AND THRIVE AND PROSPER? THANK YOU, SIR.
BELINDA GEORGE, 9 65 EAST LUCAS DRIVE BY MY TEXAS.
THOSE IN FRONT OF ME, THOSE FROM MY LEFT AND RIGHT, THOSE BEHIND ME.
WHAT I JUST TRIED TO MODEL WAS INCLUSION AND UNITY.
UM, I HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS VISION FOR TWO YEARS.
I'M NOT FROM HERE, BUT I'VE BEEN HAVING THIS VISION.
I CAN'T SHAKE IT AND I DON'T WANT IT TO DIE WITH MY BODY.
SO I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU, I'VE BEEN HAVING THIS VISION FOR, UH, THE HIKING BIKE TRAIL ON DELAWARE TO HAVE A UNIFIED EASTER EGG HUNT.
I TALKED TO, UM, UH, AJ ABOUT IT.
UH, I JUST HAVE, I HAD A NEPHEW AND ONE YEAR I WAS TAKING HIM FROM ONE TO ONE TO THIS ONE TO ALL OVER TOWN BECAUSE THEY DISPLAY THEM.
SO OF COURSE, KIDS WANTS TO WANNA GO.
I WANNA PROPOSE TO HAVE ONE AT THE HIKE AND BIKE AND TRAIL WITH THE HELP OF THE CITY AND SUPPORT WHERE WE HAVE MORE MONEY USE, UH, FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TIMES PARENTS CAN'T GO BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE TRANSPORTATION.
I LIKE THE REASON WHY I PROPOSE A HIKE AND BIKE BECAUSE YOU CAN PUT ALL THE EGGS ON TOP AND THEY ROLL DOWN.
UH, I PROPOSE ALL OF THE FOOD TRUCKS.
I ALREADY HAVE PEOPLE THAT SAY THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO ASSIST DONATING EGGS, SPENDING THEIR TIME.
OF COURSE, IT WOULD BE FREE TO THE COMMUNITY.
ALSO, I WOULD LIKE MAYBE LATER IN THE FUTURE TO HAVE A BEAUMONT NIGHT OUT EASTER EGG HUNT FOR ADULTS WITH A GLOW IN THE DARK EASTER EGG HUNT AS WELL FOR ADULTS.
BUT I RECENTLY ATTENDED A GROVES NIGHT OUT AND I WAS MARVELED.
I SHARED IT ON FACEBOOK HOW ALL OF THE LOCAL BUSINESSES AND CHICK-FIL-A AND CREDIT UNIONS AND BANKS WERE OUT THERE GIVING OUT THINGS FOR KIDS.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE MORE CITIZENS THAN GROS, BUT WE HAD WAY MORE ATTENDANCE AT, AT ONE EVENT IN GROVES AND WE DO AT BEAUMONT.
AND I JUST THINK THAT AS A CITY, ALL OF YOU GUYS DO A WONDERFUL JOB DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
BUT I KNOW THAT YOU CAN MAKE MY VISION HAPPEN.
I JUST WANNA SEE BEAUMONT BEAUMONT UNIFIED.
WE WRITE A GOOD GAME, BUT I DON'T THINK THE KIDS SEE IT.
AND I LIKE TO CLOSE BY SAYING, THE KIDS ARE ALWAYS WATCHING US, WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT.
THEY LEARN THEIR WORDS, WORDS FROM US.
THEY LEARN THEIR BEST WORDS FROM US AND THEY WATCH HOW WE REACT.
AND IF WE DON'T START CREATING A COMMUNITY THAT BUILDS UNITY, OUR COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE A HIGH RATE OF CRIME.
WE NEED TO SHOW OUR KIDS NOW THAT WE CARE ABOUT THEM NOW, SO THAT IN THE FUTURE THEY CARE ABOUT CARE ABOUT US.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE ME NOW'S THE TIME, UM, FOR A
[Councilmembers/City Manager/City Attorney comment on various matters ]
COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENT.UH, WELL, LAST EVENING, UH, AT COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, TURNER, UH, WORKED WITH THE NORTH END NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND QUESTION WAS POSED TO ME.
AND UM, I'D LIKE TO GET SOME INFORMATION SO I CAN ANSWER THAT.
[02:25:01]
UH, FROM LUCAS TO, UM, GILL EAST GILL, IT'S FOUR LANES.AND THEN ONCE YOU GET TO EAST GILL, IT BECOMES THREE LANES, TWO LANES WITH A BICYCLE PATH ON EACH SIDE AND ONE LANE IN THE MIDDLE FOR TURNING.
UH, IT WAS ASKED TO ME, UM, ONE IS WHY IS IT, UH, IT'S DIVIDED THAT WAY? AND SECONDLY, UH, WELL, I TOLD THEM I THOUGHT IT WAS A RESULT OF TRAFFIC STUDY THAT WAS DONE ON THAT PORTION OF MAGNOLIA.
AND THAT WAS, UH, UH, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO CONTROL, UH, SOME OF THE SPEED.
UH, I'M NOT SURE, UM, IF THAT WAS IT OR NOT.
SO I'D LIKE TO GET, UH, AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY IT'S, UH, THAT WAY, WHY IT'S DIVIDED, AND, UH, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UH, WELL AS IT RELATES TO SAFETY AND AS IT RELATES TO SPEED.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FOUR-LANE TRAFFIC AND THE THREE-LANE TRAFFIC? AND HAVE WE, UH, IF THIS WAS DONE TO FACILITATE BICYCLE TRAFFIC, UH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THAT'S, IF THAT WAS A REASON.
SO I'M JUST ASKING, UH, SO THAT I CAN RESPOND.
UH, THE LADY WAS VERY, UM, ENERGETIC AND, UM, SHE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND I SAID, HOLD, HOLD.
SO COULD YOU PLEASE GET THAT INFORMATION TO ME SO THAT I CAN RESPOND TO HER? OH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL AWARE THE TRAGEDY THIS LAST WEEKEND, SUNDAY MORNING, TWO OR THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING WHERE THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING SOME TEENAGERS AND A YOUNG LADY PASSED AWAY.
UH, WE REMEMBER WE ONLY HAD THREE TELEVISION STATIONS, 12, SIX, AND FOUR.
AND AT 10 O'CLOCK IT WOULD COME ON EACH NIGHT, THE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WOULD SAY, DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE? MM-HMM.
I WANT TO ENCOURAGE ALL THE PARENTS THAT WERE WATCHING GRANDPARENTS HERE AND WATCHING ONLINE LATER.
I PLEASE, LET'S KEEP AN EYE ON OUR KIDS AT THAT AGE.
THEY'RE NOT IN A PLACE TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS.
AND IT'S SO TRAGIC TO KNOW THAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, WERE INVOLVED IN THIS ACCIDENT AND THAT YOUNG LADY LOST HER LIFE.
SO I JUST LEAVE THAT WITH YOU TODAY.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE? AND NUMBER TWO, UM, I JUST WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
IF YOU'RE TRAVELING, PLEASE BE CAREFUL.
IF YOU'RE FLYING, THEN GOOD LUCK, BUT HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING.
THANKS RANDY
YEAH, I THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATE MY PRAYER GOES OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND OUR PARENTS WHO DEALING WITH SOME OF THESE STRUGGLED YOUTH.
UH, THE MAYOR ACTUALLY CALLED ME BECAUSE THAT INCIDENT WHERE A KID ACTUALLY LOST THEIR LIFE, IT STARTED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I SEEN THE KIDS ON THE RING CAMERA PULLING ON MY WORK TRUCK, TRYING TO GET IN MY TRUCK AT THREE IN THE MORNING WHEN I FOUND OUT IT ACTUALLY ORIGINATED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY WERE TRYING TO BREAK IN CARS.
SO LIKE, LIKE RANDY SAID, I THINK MESSAGING, WE TALKED ABOUT JOINT MESSAGING.
I THINK IT'S TIME TO START PUTTING OUT SOME PRETTY STRONG MESSAGING IN REFERENCE TO THE YOUTH.
UH, ONE THING THAT ALSO BEEN COMING UP CONSISTENTLY IS A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO KNOW THE INITIATIVES THAT HIT HOME TO 'EM.
THE IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA KNOW STREETS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE DRAINAGE MONEY WE SPENT, SOME OF THE MOST MONEY WE EVER SPENT IN THE HISTORY OF BEAUMONT TOWARDS DRAINAGE.
BUT THE COMMUNITY IS ASKING TO KNOW, OKAY, WHAT'S HAPPENING? WE'RE SEEING THE BROWN WATER IMPROVING, BUT YOU KNOW, JUST SOME VIDEOS OR SOME IMAGES TO SHOW WORK THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY DOING IN THE COMMUNITY.
SOME TANGIBLE THINGS THAT THEY CAN FEEL.
UH, I KNEW MARKETING DEPARTMENT IS DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT WHEN PEOPLE ASKING THESE QUESTIONS, I THINK IT'LL BE REAL GOOD THAT WE START PUTTING OUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT HIT HOME TO SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT THEY'RE FACING.
BECAUSE AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING LAST NIGHT, THANK YOU ALLING, THANK YOU ROBIN, FOR BEING PRESENT.
BUT WHEN WE PASSED OUT LIST OF THINGS THAT WE WERE DOING, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SHOCKED, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT MUCH WAS GOING ON.
SO I THINK ALL ACROSS THE WORLD WOULD BE PRETTY IMPORTANT TO SHOW PHYSICALLY SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING ON OUR, ON OUR WEBSITE AND OUR SOCIAL MEDIA.
UH, ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I LIKE TO SEE RESEARCH, UH, FOR A CITY OUTSIDE SIZE, YOU KNOW, BASED UPON OTHER CITIES IN THE COMMUNITY, WHAT'S A REASONABLE PARK BUDGET? YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE NOT SHOOTING FROM THE HIP.
UH, I KNOW IN THE PAST JIMMY SAID WE GAVE HIM ROUGHLY ANYWHERE FROM 70,000 TO 170,000.
BUT YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST, TO ME THAT'S A SMALL BUDGET FOR A CITY OUR SIZE WHEN IT COMES
[02:30:01]
TO PARKS.SO I THINK IT'LL BE A GOOD THING TO KNOW BEFORE WE DO ANOTHER BUDGET TO KNOW COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES, WHAT DO WE, WHERE DO WE STAND? WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO BE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL.
UH, EVEN WHAT OUR PARK EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS THE CITY OF BEAUMONT BASKETBALL COURT I JUST HEARD OF.
WE HAVE CITY OF BEAUMONT COLORS.
AND I DON'T THINK THE COMMUNITY KNOW OUR COLORS.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB BRANDING IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE PARK EQUIPMENT, IF WE CAN CHOOSE COLORS, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY WISE TO START UTILIZING THE CITY OF BEAUMONT COLORS.
EVEN WITH OUR BASKETBALL GYM, OUR COLORS ARE BLUE AND GREEN, BUT WE HAVE ORANGE AND THINGS OF THAT MAGNITUDE.
SO FROM A BRANDING STANDPOINT, I THINK THAT WOULD HELP WITH THE PRIDE AS WELL AS TAKING CARE OF YOUR COMMUNITY.
WE TOOK MORE PRIDE IN BRANDING OUR COLORS.
AND LASTLY, FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, THESE ARE THINGS THAT CAME UP THAT I ASSURED THE COMMUNITY WE WOULD ASK, THEY ASKED FOR A STOPLIGHT OR A STOP SIGN OR SOME TYPE OF TRAFFIC STUDY FOR STILLTON AND ARTHUR.
THEY SAID A LOT OF WRECKS HAPPEN AT THE INTERSECTION OF STILLTON AND ARTHUR.
THEY WANT TO KNOW, UH, CAN WE DO SOME TYPE OF TRAFFIC STUDY TO THAT MAGNITUDE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET EITHER A STOP SIGN OR A STOPLIGHT THERE.
BART? UH, THE NEXT THING IS BENNETT ROAD.
UH, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, THEY SAID IT STARTED WITH ASPHALT.
THE ASPHALT IS LAID, BUT IT'S NO DIVIDERS LIKE THE REFLECTION DIVIDERS AT NIGHTTIME TO HELP CITIZENS KNOW WHICH SIDE OF THE ROAD, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S PRETTY DARK.
AND THE LAST THING IS, MOST OF THE LIGHTS ARE OUT ON PINE STREET.
SO A LOT OF COMMUNITY WANTS TO KNOW, CAN WE GET THOSE LIGHTS OR CAN WE GET WITH, UH, ENERGY, GET THOSE LIGHTS REPLACED? AND IF IT NEEDS TO BE ADDITIONAL LIGHTING, MAYBE DO ANOTHER STUDY THERE.
BECAUSE THOSE, THAT ROAD ON PINE IS PRETTY THIN.
AND IF YOU MAKE ONE WRONG TURN, YOU ARE IN A DITCH.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE SURE THE LIGHTING'S STRONG THERE.
OUTSIDE OF THAT, MR. WILLIAMS, I APPRECIATE YOU HEARING OUR REQUESTS.
I KNOW SOME OF US ARE PRETTY AGGRESSIVE.
I KNOW I'M ONE OF THEM, BUT YOU, YOU'RE DELIVERING, MAN, I APPRECIATE YOU HEARING OUR REQUEST, MAN, IT FEELS GOOD TO BE ACKNOWLEDGING THE COMMUNITY.
SEE WE HAVE IN HEALTHY CONVERSATIONS TO MOVE THIS CITY FORWARD.
UH, LAST NIGHT WE HAD A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING IN THE WEST END AS WELL AS, UH, THE ONE THAT WAS IN THE NORTH END.
WE COMBINED THE MEADOWS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS THE AREA AROUND WESTBROOK HIGH SCHOOL, ALONG WITH THE DOWN WEST.
AND I WANT TO, UH, THANK OUR CITY MANAGER, KENNETH WILLIAMS, FOR BEING OUR SPEAKER.
UH, YOUR COMMENTS WERE WELL RECEIVED AND UH, PEOPLE WERE VERY HAPPY TO GET A CHANCE TO MEET YOU IN PERSON.
AND UH, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE JAMAYA THAT WAS PREPARED.
UH, SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND ON A UH, UH, PERSONAL NOTE ON NOVEMBER THE EIGHTH, UH, IN 2000, I'M SORRY, NOVEMBER THE 22ND, 2008, UH, MY WIFE ALICE AND I STOOD UNDERNEATH THE HIPPA AT TEMPLE EMMANUEL AND WE EXCHANGED OUR WEDDING VOWS.
AND, UH, 14 YEARS LATER, UH, I LOVE HER MORE THAN, UH, I'VE EVER DONE BEFORE.
SO A HAPPY ANNIVERSARY SWEETHEART.
DION, FIRST HAPPY ANNIVERSARY.
YOU AND YOUR WIFE, RIGHT?
AND TWO, COULD WE GET THE MINUTES FROM THOSE MEETINGS? CAUSE SOME OF US AREN'T ABLE TO MAKE ALL THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
IF WE COULD GET THE MINUTES, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
OUR CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF THE TRAGEDY THAT HAPPENED THIS PAST WEEKEND.
ALSO, WANNA TELL EVERYBODY TO BE CAREFUL.
THERE'S A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION GOING ON RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY ON INTERSTATE 10.
IT'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND I GO THROUGH IT EVERY DAY GOING HOME SINCE FROM THAT ROAD, IT'S STILL NOT OPEN.
WATCH THE SIGNS AND, AND WATCH FOR THE TRAFFIC.
UM, BUT ONE OTHER THING I AGREE WITH EXACTLY WHAT CONSTABLE SAM SAID.
SO EVERYBODY HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING MR. CITY MANAGER.
UH, UH, AND THAT'S ONE THING WE WANT TO DO IS BE ABLE TO RECORD OUR ATTENDANCE AT OUR BOARD MEETINGS.
I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE A PART OF OUR POLICY AND YOU SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE SOME LIMITS ON ATTENDANCE, ABSENCES, HOW MANY PEOPLE, WHAT THEY'RE HAVING.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS I DID WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE GODFATHER SHOW THE OTHER NIGHT AND I ENJOYED THAT.
[02:35:01]
THE MAYOR WAS THERE TOO AND UH, I THINK IT GOT A BIT LONG AND CYNTHIA WAS LIKE, IS IT TIME TO GO YET? BUTI FORGOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE MEMBERS OF THAT CAMERA COMMITTEE.
THAT WAS CHRIS BOONE AND BART.
UH, AND, UH, JIMMY, JIMMY NE AND, AND CHIEF SINGLE TERROR OR, OR HIS DESIGNEE.
I'M NOT SURE IF CHIEF SHOWED UP CHIEF.
UM, CHRIS IS GONNA GIVE YOU, CHRIS, I THINK YOU HAVE YOUR DOWNTOWN DASHBOARD.
IF WITH YOU, IF YOU CAN KINDA GIVE THAT WHEN I THINK IT'LL COME AROUND TO YOU.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THE MAYOR'S GONNA ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, UH, FOR THAT COUNSEL, UH, ENJOYS THAT.
BUT LASTLY, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, UH, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE.
I'LL DEFER MY TIME TO CHRIS BOONE.
UM, YEAH, JUST REAL QUICKLY, UM, SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR PACKET THE UPDATED DASHBOARD.
UH, JUST A COUPLE CHANGES ON IT.
ONE THING YOU'LL NOTICE IS AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER, WE'LL PUT THE DATE SO YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE MOST CURRENT AND IN TERMS OF LITTLE, UH, CHANGES, YOU'LL SEE THE DOWNTOWN, UH, PLAN HAS TICKED UP A LITTLE BIT CUZ WE DO HAVE OUR FIRST MEETING SCHEDULED.
AND THEN ON THE FOURTH, UH, IS 1 25 MAGNOLIA RFP.
UH, THAT'S GOING OUT, UH, I BELIEVE THIS WEEK.
UH, SO WE SHOULD HAVE THAT, UH, DUE BACK DECEMBER 15TH.
SO, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I WISH EVERYBODY A HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
THE STREETLIGHTS ARE MAINTAINED BY ENERGY, UM, FOR THE CITY.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE CITIZENS, UH, IF THEY CAN, THEY CAN CALL ENERGY OR GO THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE OR USE THE ENERGY APP TO REPORT STREETLIGHTS THAT ARE OUT.
THE BENEFIT TO CITIZENS, IF THEY DO REPORT IT DIRECTLY, IS IF WE RUN INTO SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES LIKE WE ALL ARE, ENERGY WILL CONTACT BACK TO WHOEVER REPORTS THAT LIGHT BEING OUT, GIVING THEM A STATUS UPDATE ON WHEN THE LIGHT WILL BE REPAIRED.
IF WE SUBMIT THE REPORT TO ENERGY, THAT WE GET THAT BACK SO THAT CITIZEN DOESN'T GET THAT, UH, REPORTING BACK AND FORTH WHILE THEY'RE WORKING ON REPAIRING THE LIGHT, WHICH THEY WILL IF THEY REPORT THE LIGHT DIRECTLY.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE CITIZENS TO, TO LOOK AND IF THAT WORKS FOR THEM.
OTHERWISE, IF THEY CALL THREE 11, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL REPORT IT OURSELVES AND WORK IT.
WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE THE ENERGY INFORMATION? I DON'T HAVE THE PHONE NUMBER ON HAND, BUT THE, YOU CAN HIT GOOGLE, I'M SURE AND FIND IT REAL QUICK.
NOW, IF, IF YOU HAVE DOWNLOADED THE APP, BECAUSE THERE'S A MAP THAT'S WITHIN THE APP AND IT ACTUALLY SHOWS THE STREETLIGHT AND YOU CAN JUST CLICK ON IT WITH YOUR FINGER WHERE IT IS ON THE MAP.
SO IT'S VERY INTUITIVE THROUGH THE APP.
THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD WORK WITH THAT.
IT'S IF YOU, IF YOU SEARCH ENERGY ON THE, ON THE APP STORE, IT'LL FIND IT FOR YOU.
WELL, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THAT MONEY, I, I LOOKED OVER IT, I LOOKED OVER IT TOO AND I THOUGHT OVER THERE WITH RICHARD, I HAVE A LOT OF TEXT.
HE DOESN'T FALL OUTTA HIS SEAT.
I HAVE A LOT OF TEXT MESSAGES FROM MY STAFF.
SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA BE BUSY ALREADY FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
JUST LIKE TO WISH EVERYBODY A HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER GETZ AND ALLISON, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY.
WELL, IT'S DOWN TO ME AND UH, THE FIRST THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS I WANNA SEND CONDOLENCES, UH, TO THE FAMILY OF THE YOUTH.
AND IT'S SO UNFORTUNATE, UH, WHAT HAPPENED AND COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, TURNER, WHEN I CALLED HIM, UH, HE EXPLAINED TO ME, HE SAID, I'M IN IN THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW TALKING TO MY NEIGHBORS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.
AND IT WAS BECAUSE SOMEONE GOT UP AROUND 3:00 AM MADE THE PHONE CALL TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE OFFICER JUST HAPPENED TO BE NEARBY IN THE AREA AND ANSWERED THE CALL.
AND FROM THERE, UM, WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS JUST, UH, SOMEONE GOING INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD, IT TURNED OUT TO BE SOMETHING MUCH, MUCH MORE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FELL SHAW, I HATED THAT COMMERCIAL.
WHEN IT SAYS, DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE? BECAUSE THAT WAS OUR SIGNAL TO GO TO BED.
[02:40:01]
IF YOU HEARD THAT IT WAS TIME FOR YOU TO GO TO BED AND I MEAN, IT CAME ON EVERY NIGHT LIKE CLOCKWORK.AND SOME OF YOU, I'M SURE YOU, YOU THINK WE'RE CRAZY CUZ YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT THIS CAME ON EVERY NIGHT AT 10 O'CLOCK.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE? AND IT'S SO UNFORTUNATE, UM, THAT YOU MAY THINK YOU DO KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE AND IT'S PROBABLY THE WORST PHONE CALL A PARENT WOULD EVER, EVER WANT TO GET.
AND SO PLEASE KEEP THEM IN PRAYER DURING THIS TIME.
ALSO, UM, CONDOLENCES, UH, TO UM, ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN COLORADO, UM, THAT WAS GUNNED DOWN, UM, IN THAT CLUB.
AND IT SEEMS TO CONTINUE AND UM, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S JUST THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
UM, AGAIN, UM, KUDOS TO EMILY FOR, UM, A GREAT NIGHT.
UH, THE 50TH SHOWING OF THE GODFATHER.
I THINK I WAS PROBABLY 12 WHEN IT ORIGINALLY SHOWED.
SO I DIDN'T GET TO SEE IT AND HAD NEVER SEEN IT.
THAT WAS MY FIRST TIME SEEING IT.
THAT WAS MY FIRST TIME EVER SEEING IT.
AND SO I HAD BEEN OUT ALL DAY.
I THINK, UM, MR. WILLIAMS AND I HAD BEEN TO THREE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, ONE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
I MEAN, IT WAS JUST BACK TO BACK TO BACK MEETINGS.
I BELIEVE I GOT HOME AT ABOUT SIX 15.
THE MOVIE STARTED AT SEVEN, I GOT THERE AT SEVEN 15, SO I MISSED THE FIRST 15 MINUTES.
SO I'M CALLING OTHER PEOPLE TO GET CAUGHT UP ON IT, BUT IT WAS A GREAT, GREAT SHOWING.
AND I DID SEE YOU WHEN YOU GOT UP WITH YOUR HAT ON AND YOU WENT TO THE CONCESSION STAND AND SAW MR. WILLIAMS AFTER THE SHOW.
BUT IT WAS, IT WAS A GREAT SHOW.
UM, THERE WAS A BIG, I MEAN YOU COULD STAND UP AND HAVE YOUR PICTURE MADE WITH THE CHART AND THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I WANT TO HAVE MY PICTURE MADE WITH THAT CHART OF HOW TALL I AM.
SO EMILY AND TO HER STAFF, THANK YOU CUZ THEY DID A GREAT JOB.
AND UM, ALSO CONGRATULATIONS TO WEST TABERNAC A CHURCH.
THEY CELEBRATED 118 YEARS OF BEING IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THEY HAD AN EVENT ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, UH, WITH, UM, SEVERAL CHURCHES THAT ATTENDED.
AND, UM, IT STARTED AT THREE AND WE WERE OUT OF THERE BY 5 45, SO THAT WAS PRETTY GOOD FOR 118 YEARS CELEBRATION.
BUT, UM, IT WAS A GREAT CELEBRATION.
AND, UM, I CAN REMEMBER THE CHURCH BEING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE IT WAS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE ONLY POOL ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN THAT IS NO LONGER THERE.
UH, IN ADDITION, UM, BEAUMONT IS REALLY, REALLY MOVING AND BEAUMONT IS GROWING.
I HAD FOUR RIBBON CUTTINGS LAST WEEK, AND SO GOT TO SEE A LOT OF THE, THE CHAMBER AND, UM, A LOT OF GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
ALSO GOT A VISIT, UH, LAST WEEK FROM, UH, THE REGIONAL MANAGER FROM MAIN STREET.
SHE CAME UP TO THE OFFICE, UH, MET MYSELF AND MR. WILLIAMS AND, UH, OUR CITY ATTORNEY.
UH, THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT OPENING UP AND SO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT HAPPENING.
UH, TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, UH, THE MAIN EVENT WILL BE OPENING.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, WE WILL NOT HAVE A MEETING, UM, TUESDAY.
SO, UM, FOLLOWING THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.
AND, UM, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS THAT CITY MANAGER AND I ATTENDED WAS THE RETIREMENT SURPRISE PARTY, UH, FOR BUR MASTER.
UM, AND SO HE SAID THIS TIME, UH, HE'S TRULY, UH, RETIRING, BUT IT WAS A GREAT LITTLE CEREMONY.
HE THOUGHT HE WAS COMING IN TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT, UM, DRIVING SAFE AND, UM, TRAFFIC TICKETS AS A WHOLE.
BUT HE GOT, HE GOT SURPRISED AND HE WAS REALLY CAUGHT OFF GUARD.
AND, UH, I SAW A DIFFERENT SIDE OF HIM OTHER THAN HIM STANDING UP WRITING A TICKET FOR ME.
BUT, UH, HE WAS, HE WAS REALLY SURPRISED.
AND SO IT WAS A GOOD SURPRISE.
AND I'M GONNA CLOSE WITH, UH, PLEASE ENJOY YOUR FAMILY.
UM, HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING, BE SAFE
[02:45:01]
AND GO OUT AND SPREAD THE LOVE.[EXECUTIVE SESSION ]
TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.