[00:00:05]
          WORK SESSION, IT IS MAY 23RD, 2024. AND IT IS 133, WE'RE GOING TO. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONES. AND IF YOU WOULD, IF YOU'RE CHOOSE, PLEASE STAND AS WE DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD. LIBERTY. MAY I HAVE ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MAYOR WEST. PRESENT MAYOR PRO TEM TURNER. COUNCIL MEMBER. DARIO. PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER. GIBBS. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PHIL SHAW. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. SAMUEL AND COUNCIL MEMBER NEIL. ABSENT ALL RIGHT. MR. CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU PLEASE, OPEN THE MEETING? GOOD AFTERNOON. MAYOR AND 
          [1. Strategic Plan Update ]
COUNCIL AND THOSE IN ATTENDANCE, TODAY WE'LL HAVE OUR SECOND BUDGET WORKSHOP WITH CITY COUNCIL, THIS IS PART OF OUR BUDGET FINANCIAL PLAN. PREPARATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2024, 2025, TODAY WE'RE GOING TO START WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, MISTER MILES COME UP BEFORE US AND TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO DO HERE A, SOME FORECAST NUMBERS FOR THE YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 2024. AND THEN THERE ARE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL ITEMS THAT CITY COUNCIL BROUGHT UP IN OUR LAST WORKSHOP THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY. ADDRESS. SO SECOND BUDGET WORKSHOP WILL GO THROUGH THESE ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. TODAY I'LL BE DOING JUST AN UPDATE ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN. SO THE GOAL OF MY PRESENTATION IS JUST TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE AS OF TODAY, WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED REGARDING THE STRATEGIC PLAN IN FRONT OF YOU SHOULD BE SECTION TEN OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN. AND SO THAT GIVES A MUCH MORE OF A DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF WHAT I'LL BE PRESENTING ON. I'M JUST PROVIDING A GENERAL OVERVIEW, THE MORE DETAILED INFORMATION IS IN THAT AND THEN I HAVE THIS BROCHURE THAT WE PROVIDED TO EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT IS A CITIZEN. AND SO TYPICALLY YOU MAY YOU'VE SEEN THESE BEFORE AND YOU CAN GIVE THESE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AS YOU WISH. ALL RIGHT, THE POINT OF A STRATEGIC PLAN. AND I HAD A QUOTE ON THIS FIRST SLIDE. IT SAYS IT'S EASIER TO HIT THE TARGET WHEN YOU HAVE A DIRECTION, BUT IT'S SUSTAINABLE WHEN YOU HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN. SO THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THE INTENTION IS TO PROVIDE SUSTAINABLE ACTION ITEMS FOR THE ENTIRE TEAM. IT'S MORE SO FOR THE STAFF. IT INFORMS THE PUBLIC OF SOME OF OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. AND SO WE WANT WE WANT TO THANK YOU, ONE FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND ALLOWING, STAFF TO KIND OF CARRY THIS TASK OUT. NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL GO THROUGH THE GOALS AND AS I SAID YOU CAN REFER TO SECTION TEN OF THE LEADERS GUIDE. I'M ON PAGE 338 OF THAT PARTICULAR PLAN. I'LL START WITH, GOAL ONE GREAT PLACE TO LIVE OKAY. NEXT SLIDE. SO THE FIRST ONE IS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY STRATEGY. I'LL READ THE ACTION ITEM. SO IT JUST PROVIDES A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY. AND THEN I'LL GO OVER WHAT YOU SEE ON THE POWERPOINT VERY BRIEFLY, IT'S THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY STRATEGY IS THE STUDY COMPLETION, POLICY DIRECTION ACTION PLAN AND FUNDING MECHANISM, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S GOAL ONE, ACTION ONE. THIS IS ASSIGNED TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER CHRIS BOONE, WE'RE AWAITING THE FINAL VERSION OF THE BEAUMONT CHAMBER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STUDY, THE CITY HAS ALLOCATED FUNDS TO THE CHAMBER FOR THAT GRANT LOAN PROGRAM THAT I THINK STEVE DELANEY HAS CAME AND PRESENTED TO YOU GUYS PREVIOUSLY. AND ALSO, WE'VE HIRED, CHRISTINA LOKEY AS A CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, AND SHE'S GOING TO SERVE AS A COORDINATOR TO REVIEW AND DEVELOP NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES. SHE IS AN AUDIENCE TO MY LEFT. SO THAT'LL BE CHRISTINA AND SHE'LL BE HELPING OUT WITH THIS PARTICULAR ITEM HERE. NEXT SLIDE. THE NEXT ONE IS THE WATER PARK FEASIBILITY STUDY, THIS IS ALSO ASSIGNED TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER CHRIS BOONE. THEY'LL BE SEEKING FUNDING IN FISCAL YEAR 25, WHICH IS THIS UPCOMING YEAR BUDGET, I KNOW IT SAYS FY 25, AND WE'RE 2024. I'M STILL LEARNING THESE KIND OF THINGS. SO, IT'LL BE INCLUDED IN THE CIP FOR DESIGN AND FISCAL YEAR 28 AND FOR CONSTRUCTION, THE FISCAL YEAR 29, IT'S A FEASIBILITY STUDIES FOR THE DIRECTION, PARTNER AND FUNDING MECHANISMS. SO OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN SEE THAT'S ON PAGE 339 OF SECTION TEN, AND 
          [00:05:04]
I'LL GO TO THE NEXT ONE. YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH. MILES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT DOING A WATER PARK THAT IS FUNDED, IN TOTAL BY THE CITY OF BEAUMONT? LIKE BAYTOWN DID THEIRS? OR ARE WE LOOKING AT HAVING AN OUTSIDE PARTNER COME IN AND, COLLABORATE WITH THEM WITH SOMEBODY FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR? DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT, MR. WILLIAMS? THANK YOU. OKAY HE DIDN'T TAKE HIM LONG, DID HE, COUNCIL MEMBER GUESTS. I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT. WE WOULD. WE SHOULD BE OPEN TO BOTH OPTIONS. YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP, OR IT COULD BE A DEVELOPER DOING IT OR THE CITY DOING IT. I THINK WE'RE TOO EARLY IN THE PROCESS TO KNOW FOR SURE, WE CAN DO A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS OR PROPOSALS AND AS WE GO ALONG. SO THERE'S STILL QUITE A BIT OF PLANNING TO DO ON THIS, BUT IT WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE, IN THE, STRATEGIC PLAN AS A TOP PRIORITY BY COUNCIL. SO WE'RE GETTING IT GOING. COUNCILMAN TURNER, MR. MANAGER, THIS REPORT THAT MILES IS GOING OVER WITH US, I, I WOULD LIKE A HARD COPY PRINTOUT AFTERWARDS. I SEE IT ON THE SCREEN, BUT I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO MARK IT UP AS WE GO. OKAY YOU WILL. THANK YOU. 
          YOU'LL GET ONE. THANK YOU, ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. AND CAN I ADD THAT THIS IS BASICALLY THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT COUNCIL APPROVED LAST YEAR? THIS IS AN UPDATE ON EVERY ACTION ITEM THAT IS, THAT WAS, PUT IN THE PLAN AND APPROVED BY COUNCIL. SO YOU'RE GETTING AN UPDATE ON THOSE TODAY. THE TIMELINE. UNDERSTOOD. APPRECIATE YOU. IF YOU'LL KEEP REFERRING TO THE PAGE NUMBERS ON THE FIRST DOCUMENT. OKAY. WELL ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO ADD IS OF COURSE THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. AND I'M ALL FOR THE WATER PARK, YOU KNOW, AND GOING FORWARD ON THAT. BUT IN TERMS OF IT BEING A TOP PRIORITY, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT ARE LOW HANGING FRUIT. AND MAYBE WE'VE ALREADY ALLOCATED FUNDING TO THIS, BUT I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE FOOD TRUCK PARK IS SOMETHING THAT IS A LOT EASIER TO ACCOMPLISH, A LOT QUICKER, A LOT LESS MONEY THAN A WATER PARK, AND WILL ALSO BE A BIG THING TO ADD TO QUALITY OF LIFE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT NEEDS TO BE SHIFTED INTO A TOP PRIORITY OR IF THAT'S THE CONSENSUS OF COUNCIL OR WHAT. BUT, WHEN, WHEN WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THAT AND NOT TO BE INCORRECT? I THINK THE FOOD TRUCK PARK IS EITHER A TOP PRIORITY. IS IT A TOP OR HIGH? BUT IT'S YOU. IT'S GOING TO BE A SLIDE HERE ON IT. THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. IT IS PAGE 340 AND THE SECTION TEN. IT'S NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH CONFUSE ANYMORE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CLARIFY TO THE PUBLIC THIS IS THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER, DID GET AN UPDATE FROM THE BEAUMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY'RE ABOUT 90% COMPLETE, THE GRAND OPENING IS SOMEWHAT IN THE MONTH OF JULY 2020 FOR, FURNITURE WAS DELIVERED THIS WEEK. SO EVERYTHING IS ON PACE WITH THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT. ALL RIGHT, I HAVE THE NEXT ONE IS THE YOUR PAGE. IT'LL BE 341. I WON'T SAY IT EVERY TIME, BUT I'LL JUST READ IT. SO YOU GUYS KIND OF FOLLOW ALONG, COMPREHENSIVE CITYWIDE BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAM. 
          BEST PRACTICES, POTENTIAL PARTNER CITY ROLE. AND WE WANT TO REPORT WHAT OPTIONS, DIRECTION AND CITY ACTION, SO AS YOU CAN SEE IN HERE, THIS IS ASSIGNED TO THE, THE PARKS DIRECTOR, MR. KENNETH, TREE PLANTING HAS INCREASED SINCE WE'VE TAKEN ON THIS PARTICULAR, STRATEGIC PLAN ITEM. WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS FOR CLEANUP PERIODICALLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE'VE ALREADY HAD A COUPLE OF CITYWIDE CLEANUPS THAT YOU'VE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH, HE'S PARTNERED WITH THE MAGNOLIA GARDEN CLUB AND THEN THE BEAUTIFICATION FUND TO KIND OF PUSH THAT. AND THOSE ARE PART OF THE DIRECTION TO KIND OF INCREASE BEAUTIFICATION CITYWIDE . NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE AN INDOOR SPORTS SPACE STUDY, THIS IS GOAL ONE, ACTION FIVE. THAT WOULD BE PAGE 343 IN YOUR BOOK OF SECTION TEN, THIS IS ASSIGNED TO MISS FREDDY WILLARD WITH THE CVB. WE HAVE RECEIVED A PROPOSAL FROM THE HUDDLE UP GROUP. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PUT INTO THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET AS A REQUEST. THAT QUESTION WE DON'T HAVE THAT PAGE. WHAT WHAT IS THAT PAGE? OKAY. WHAT IS THIS, INDOOR SPORTS SPACE STUDY. WHAT IS THE CONCEPT FEASIBILITY STUDY, IT WAS IT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT, 
          [00:10:04]
HONESTLY, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU GUYS APPROVED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN. SO I THINK IT'S KIND OF CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT RECREATIONAL TYPE SPACE. I THINK Y'ALL HAD MANY DIFFERENT DISCUSSIONS AROUND IT. AND SO, THIS WAS ASSIGNED TO CVB AND FREDDY WILLARD GOT US A PROPOSAL. OKAY ONE THING I'D LIKE TO KIND OF I I'M A LITTLE SLOW. OKAY YOU WANT ME TO SLOW IT DOWN ON TWO OF THESE? I HAVEN'T FOUND THAT PAGE. I DIDN'T FIND THE PAGE. 339. NOR DID I. WE'RE MISSING PAGES. OKAY? WE DON'T HAVE ANY NUMBER PAGES IN OUR PACKET. OKAY. I'LL MAKE SURE I READ THE ODD NUMBER PAGES OUT LOUD. AND THEN MAKE SURE I GET YOU GUYS A COPY. BUT YOU DO ALREADY HAVE A COPY OF THIS LEADER'S GUIDE, I'LL MAKE SURE I MAKE. I'M REALLY CLEAR. 
          AND READING ON THESE ODD PAGES THAT THE ONES THAT YOU DON'T HAVE. SORRY ABOUT THAT. OKAY. 
          YEAH EVERYBODY SHOULD ALREADY HAVE HAD A LEADER'S GUIDE OF THIS. OR YOU SHOULD HAVE THE STRATEGIC PLAN. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE. OKAY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT ITEM? WELL, IS THIS SOMETHING WE CAN GET COPIES MADE OF? YEAH. WHILE YOU'RE TALKING, WE COULD. I CAN I DON'T SEE IN THE JUNE. WILL YOU CONTACT, SANDRA OR JACKIE? YOU CAN DO IT. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. SECTION TEN. IF IT JUST DIDN'T PRINT THE ODD PAGE. YEAH. 
          HE ONLY HAS TO. WE CAN PROCEED WITH THE EVEN PAGES AND THEN GO BACK TO THE ODD PAGES. IF YOU WANT TO. OKAY, THAT'S. I MEAN, THAT WAY WE WON'T BE WAITING. WAIT WELL, I HAVE EVERY SLIDE THAT. YEAH, THAT IT ADDRESSES ALL THE INFORMATION THAT IS NEEDED TO BE UPDATED TO YOU GUYS, SO. WELL, WE CAN JUST FOR ME, FOR SAKE OF, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. AND WHILE THEY'RE DOING THAT. BUT WE'LL JUST HAVE TO REFER BACK. BUT IF YOU REFER TO OUR PAGE, THERE'S NO WE DON'T HAVE IT. YEAH. AND THOSE PAGE NUMBERS HAVE BULLET POINTS. AND SO ALL THE ACTION ITEMS FROM THOSE BULLET POINTS SHOULD BE ABBREVIATED ON THE SCREEN. SO OKAY, EVERYTHING YOU SEE IN THE POWERPOINT IS THE BULLET POINTS SPELLED OUT. SO THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE PURPOSE OF THE POWERPOINT IS TO KIND OF ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS THAT YOU SEE ON OUR PAGES. SO SINCE YOU DON'T HAVE IT, IF YOU REFER TO THAT, POWERPOINT SLIDE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, IT SHOULD ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. SHOULD ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ARISE. OBVIOUSLY, WE'LL GET YOU A, A PAGE ON THAT. SO I'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE. ALL RIGHT OKAY. THIS IS KIND OF SIMILAR TO THE BEAUTIFICATION BUT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, THE LITTER CLEANUP, THE SHORT TERM ACTION PLAN, THIS IS ASSIGNED TO PARKS DIRECTOR, MR. KENNETH, OBVIOUSLY, THE CONVERSATION AROUND BANDIT SIGNS HAS INCREASED HERE LATELY, COUNCILMAN GEDDIS WOULD HAVE FOCUSED ON THAT. THE CITY MANAGER'S PUT MORE OF A FOCUS ON THAT. AND SO THAT'S THAT'S A PART OF THIS AS WELL. I'M HIGHLIGHTING THAT WE ALSO HAVE DONE CITYWIDE CLEANUPS, BUT THE REST OF THE INFORMATION IS TO KIND OF TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IN THE MEANTIME AS WELL. SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT OR INSIDE THE PARKS CLEANING, FIVE DAYS A WEEK THERE ALONG THE HIGHWAYS, DOING CLEANING, FIVE DAYS A WEEK AS WELL. THEY ARE KIND OF ALONG THE RIGHT OF WAYS. AND SO THEY ALSO DO HAVE CONTRACTERS DO CODE ENFORCEMENT AND THEY PICK UP LITTER AS WELL. THE ULTIMATE GOAL, MR. KENNETH HAS EXPRESSED TO ME IS TO GET THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT A CLEAN COMMUNITY IS A PRIORITY. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE DO HAVE STAFF THAT ARE ALL AROUND THE COMMUNITY SEVEN DAYS A WEEK TRYING TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY CLEAN. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT ONE? YES I'M SORRY. WHAT IS THE, WHERE SHOULD WE ADVISE CITIZENS TO CALL IF THEY ARE PROBLEMS WITH LITTER OR TRASH, BECAUSE JUST THIS MORNING, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF LOCATIONS THAT HAVE CONTINUALLY MENTIONED, AND IT'S BEEN A LITTLE SLOW IN GETTING IT DONE. 
          YES, SIR, 311 IS THE FASTEST WAY BECAUSE IT GOES INTO A DIRECT SERVICE REQUEST TO OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM, AND THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO RESPOND. AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY SITES THAT YOU FEEL IS NOT GETTING ADDRESSED QUICK ENOUGH, THEN YOU GUYS CAN ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, FLOW 
          [00:15:01]
THROUGH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER BOONE, AND THEN IT'LL COME TO ME AND I'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT'S HANDLED. OKAY ALL RIGHT, I HAVE A QUESTION, I GUESS ON MY PAGE UNDER NUMBER FOUR, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY WANT TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL SMALL EMPLOYEE FEES FOR THE FOR THE LITTER CREW DEPARTMENT, DON'T WE HAVE A CREW LIKE THAT ALREADY? AND HE'S ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL PEOPLE OR. I KNOW WE HAVE A CREW. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE WITH US OR THE STATE, BUT THEY GO AROUND AND THEY PICK UP LITTER EVERYWHERE. IS THIS ARE THOSE OUR EMPLOYEES OR ARE WE ASKING FOR US TO HAVE OUR OWN CREW OR WHAT? WHENEVER YOU GUYS ASK ME A QUESTION, I'M GOING TO REFER YOU TO THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT. SO I DON'T THINK I'M TRYING TO AVOID YOUR QUESTION, BUT I'M PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW AND THEN I'M GOING TO SHIFT IT. IF WE GET INTO DETAIL QUESTIONS LIKE THAT, THAT'S FINE. SO WE HAVE, WELL, WE ALSO HAVE, WORK QUEST, WE CONTRACT WITH THEM. SO THEY ASSIST US WHERE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CLEANUPS AND WHATNOT. OKAY. SO PAST BUDGET, WE DID ASK FOR EXTRA PEOPLE TO WORK ON THE LITTER CREWS. WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET, PEOPLE FOR LITTER, BUT WE GOT PEOPLE TO WORK ON TAKING DOWN TREES, YOU KNOW, WE COULD ALWAYS USE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO, WITH OUR LITTER INSIDE OF THE CITY. BUT I WILL SAY, THIS PAST YEAR, I THINK WE'VE GOT A BETTER HOLD ON OUR LITTER, I THINK THE BIGGEST FOCUS WE NEED NOW IS REALLY GETTING OUR CITIZENS TO UNDERSTAND THAT, ANYWHERE INSIDE OF OUR PARKS, YOU HAVE A TRASH CAN. PUT YOUR TRASH IN THE TRASH CAN, ONE BIG FOCUS. I THINK WE NEED IS REALLY TO ADDRESS LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE ESPECIALLY ALONG OUR ROADWAYS BECAUSE THEY CREATE A LOT OF THE LITTER THAT WE HAVE TO PICK UP EACH DAY, ESPECIALLY ON THEIR DAYS WHEN THEY GET THEIR DELIVERIES, IS WHEN WE HAVE THE MOST LITTER COMES OUT THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. SO I DON'T HEAR YOU. SO BUT YOU'RE YOU NEED ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES. I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANY. NOW, THAT WAS OUR LAST BUDGET NUMBER OF 23. YEAH, THAT WAS LAST BUDGET. SO I OKAY FOR YOU OKAY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. 
          I GOT I GOT SOME TO DO. TREES. OKAY. YEAH. THAT'S GOOD. IT'S DOING A LOT OF TREE WORK OUT IN TRAIL PARK RIGHT NOW. ACTUALLY I WAS ABLE TO GET A CONTRACTOR. SO HE'S GOING TO REMOVE ALL THE TREES. IT'LL PROBABLY TAKE HIM TWO WEEKS. SO WE HAVE A CONTRACTOR OUT THERE TAKING CARE OF THAT NOW OKAY. YOU SAY 344. OKAY. WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH WAS ANOTHER ONE OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN ITEMS. GOAL ONE, ACTION SEVEN. THIS WAS ASSIGNED TO MYSELF, I'VE MET WITH DIFFERENT, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WHETHER THAT BE BAPTIST HOSPITAL, MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA, CRYSTA'S, SPINDLETOP, BEAUMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT, BEAUMONT FIRE DEPARTMENT, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND THE COUNTY. AND SO WE MET WITH THOSE GROUPS. AND WE DO HAVE A FOCUS GROUP THAT WE MEET ONCE A MONTH. WE'RE IDENTIFYING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WILL BE NEEDED FROM THE CITY, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SOME OF THEM. I THINK ONE OF OUR MAIN ROLES THAT WILL PLAY IN THIS PARTICULAR GROUP IS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER. IT ALLOWS US TO PARTNER WITH THE REST OF THE CITY, AND IT DOESN'T CHANGE OUR IDENTITY. WE DON'T PROVIDE ANY TECHNICAL, COUNSELING SERVICES, BUT WE CAN SUPPORT THEM IN SOME THE WAYS THAT WE DEVELOP OUR PARK OR DEVELOP THE CITY AND HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH THEM. IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAVE RECEIVED PROPOSALS FROM DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT WORK WITH COMMUNITIES, MAINLY COUNTIES AND CITIES, ON DIFFERENT COMMUNITY HEALTH APPROACHES. AND SO IN THE FUTURE, WE'LL KIND OF REQUEST FOR MORE QUALIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION IN THAT PROCESS. BUT, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE COMPLETED AS OF TODAY. ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN TURNER, COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH. MILES, CAN YOU KIND OF TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ACCOMPLISH, LIKE THE LONG GAME, THE END GOAL, LIKE THE GOAL WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, INSTANCE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO PRIOR TO ALL THE COUNCIL, I JUST WANT TO KNOW KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO WHAT METRIC OR WHAT GOAL WE'RE TRYING TO HIT, LIKE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH IT. YEAH, THAT'S A THAT'S A HARD QUESTION TO ANSWER. I'LL TRY MY BEST, WE'VE WHEN WE'RE TALKING TO THE BEAUMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SEEING THE AMOUNT OF CALLS THAT THEY HAVE TO RESPOND TO, AND SEEING THE TYPE OF CASES WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND MAYBE WE CAN PROPOSE DIFFERENT LEGISLATIVE THINGS THAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE THESE HANDOUTS. I'LL PAUSE AND LET HER. OKAY BUT WE MAINLY WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY WITH THE CITY ROLE IS MOST COUNTIES THAT HAVE TAKEN ON COMMUNITY HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH OR CITIES. THEY TYPICALLY HAVE A COUNSELOR ON STAFF. AND SO BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A COUNSELOR ON STAFF, WE HAVE TO PARTNER AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER TO BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER. WHAT WE IDENTIFIED IS THAT A LOT OF THE GROUPS WORK IN 
          [00:20:01]
SILOS, AND IT'S A GOOD WAY TO ORGANIZE AND BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER. THERE ARE A LOT OF SOLUTIONS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE. WE JUST HAVEN'T BEEN BROUGHT TOGETHER IN A NEUTRAL SETTING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE SUPPORTING ALL THE SERVICES, BECAUSE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS WE SOLVE ARE USUALLY IN A GROUP SETTING. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED SO FAR. YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. WELL YOU GUYS GET YOUR BOOKS. WE'RE ON PAGE 346. 346. THE NEXT ONE IS THE EVENTS REVIEW, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IS THE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF COMMUNITY EVENTS AND FESTIVALS INVENTORY EVALUATION REPORT WITH FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATION, DIRECTION, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, CITY ROLE, AND FUNDING MECHANISM, THIS WAS ASSIGNED TO EMILY WHEELER, AND SHE HAS AND HER TEAM HAS DONE A INTERNAL AUDIT ON CITY EVENTS, LOOKING, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE A SKATE PARK CONCERT. THEY'VE KIND OF TRANSITIONED THE CRAFT BEER FEST TO FLOW FEST. IT ALLOWS TO HAVE MORE, TYPE OF DRINKS AT THESE EVENTS, THEY MOVE THE VIVA HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH TO SEPTEMBER, AND HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, AND THEY'VE ADDED THE KID OCTOBER OCTOBERFEST TO OKTOBERFEST. SO WHEN THEY DID THE AUDIT, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE FINDINGS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO KIND OF FIND TO ENHANCE THEIR EVENTS, THEY ALSO INCREASED PARTNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY FESTIVALS, MURAL FESTIVALS. ONE OF THOSE THINGS HERE RECENTLY, THEY'VE IMPROVED WEBSITE PRESENCE WITH A ONE STOP SHOP PAGE JUST MAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE USER FRIENDLY FOR, INDIVIDUALS TRYING TO FIND EVENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THEY ALSO HAVE A SPECIAL EVENTS ORDINANCE. THAT DRAFT HAS BEEN SENT TO LEGAL, AND THEY'RE, AWAITING THE NEXT STEPS ON THAT PROCESS. THERE'S NO QUESTION. AS I GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. 
          THIS IS A SPECIAL EVENTS ORDINANCE, CALL EMILY AND SHE'LL SPEAK TO IT. OKAY. HI THE SPECIAL EVENTS ORDINANCE IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING FOR ABOUT A YEAR. IT, GIVES THE CITY A MECHANISM KIND OF TO STAND ON WHEN SOMEONE WANTS TO COME IN AND PRODUCE A MAJOR EVENT THAT WE HAVE SOME EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT, THINGS LIKE THE THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SEVERAL UNSANCTIONED EVENTS THAT, SHOULD THERE BE AN EMERGENCY, THEY WOULD STRAP RESOURCES AND WE WOULDN'T BE PREPARED FOR THOSE MOST CITIES OF OUR SIZE THAT PRODUCE AS MANY EVENTS AS WE DO AND WELCOME AS MANY EVENTS AS WE DO HAVE A SPECIAL EVENTS ORDINANCE. AND WHAT IT KIND OF DOES IS ENCOMPASS ALL OF THE ORDINANCES THAT WE HAVE FROM FIREWORKS AND, USE OF A FIRE MARSHAL TO SECURITY PLANNING, TEMPORARY STRUCTURES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND PUTS THEM ALL IN ONE PLACE SO THAT WE CAN REVIEW AND DISCUSS WITH THE EVENT PROMOTER HOW TO PRODUCE A SAFE EVENT SO THAT WE'RE PREPARED IN CASE THERE'S AN EMERGENCY. OKAY. 
          YEAH. EMILY, I KNOW, I KNOW SPECIFICALLY SOME OF OUR EVENTS ARE NOT THE SAME AS PARTNERING WITH PEOPLE SUCH AS MARDI GRAS AND MURAL FEST, IN YOUR ASSESSMENT, ARE YOU GOING TO KIND OF SPEAK TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU FEEL LIKE, CAN MAKE SOME OF THOSE PARTNERSHIPS BETTER? SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU FEEL LIKE WE AS A CITY CAN DO TO OR YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE COUNCIL LOOK TO, TO IMPROVE OR BASICALLY MAKE SOME OF THOSE PARTNERSHIPS BETTER AND SMOOTHER , KIND OF MORE ALONG THE LINES OF HOW, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF CONDUCT YOURS. I THINK THAT WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST YEAR, ESPECIALLY TRYING TO EASE PEOPLE INTO THIS NEW ORDINANCE THAT'S GOING TO REALLY REQUIRE EVENTS LIKE THAT TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION AND GIVE US INFORMATION WAY IN ADVANCE, WE'VE KIND OF BEEN LEANING IN THAT DIRECTION WITH THESE PARTNERSHIPS, BUT AS THEY COME TO THE TABLE, IT DOES GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH PEOPLE. 
          AND SINCE WE CAN'T NECESSARILY GIVE THEM MONEY FROM FROM THE FUND THAT I, YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL FUND, THEY CAN GET HOTEL OCCUPANCY MONEY IF THEY APPLY. BUT FROM THE EVENTS COORDINATION SIDE OF IT, WE CAN GIVE THEM RESOURCES. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS DEFINITELY A VALUE TO THESE 
          [00:25:06]
EVENTS, AND IT MAKES IT ATTRACTIVE BECAUSE WHEN THEY COME IN, IT IS VERY COSTLY TO DO AN EVENT JUST FROM THE GROUND UP. IF WE CAN PROVIDE SOME RESOURCES TO THEM. I THINK IT DOES MAKE US A MORE ATTRACTIVE CITY TO DO EVENTS. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE COULD DO TO ASSIST IN THAT MAGNITUDE. I DON'T THINK SO. RIGHT NOW OTHER THAN PEOPLE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT LATER. OKAY ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME OKAY. OKAY WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THE DOG PARK, IT WAS ASSIGNED TO MR. JIMMY, THE STATUS THAT I HAVE ON THIS IS THE DOG PARK IS COMPLETE, AND THEY PLAN TO OPEN IT ON JUNE THE 10TH. ANY QUESTIONS? LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'RE IN. GO TO FINANCIALLY SOUND CITY PROVIDING EXCELLENT SERVICES OKAY. SO THIS IS THE FIRE EMS. I DID A TOUR OF 901. THAT'S A GREAT PLACE. AND THEY HAVE A GREAT STAFF OVER THERE. SO I'M JUST PROVIDING SOME OF THE UPDATES. I HAPPEN TO SEE THAT. AND I WANTED TO CASTE SYSTEM UPGRADE. IT IS PENDING SOFTWARE AND EQUIPMENT DETERMINATION, THE EMD TRIAGE FOR TIERED EMS SYSTEM IS IN PROGRESS AND CONTINUOUS ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED ARE BEING MADE. THE MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTH SYSTEM, HEALTH CARE SYSTEM OR PROCESS THEY HAVE THROUGH GOODSAM APP, THEY ARE STILL IMPLEMENTING THIS THING THROUGH POLICIES, PROCEDURES, PROTOCOLS, IS ONGOING, PENDING EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE INSTALLATION AND SELECTION TRAINING PERSONNEL. SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT YET IN PLACE, BUT IT IS, THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT. IT'S COMPLETE. THEY COMPLETED STAFF OF SEVEN MADE UNITS TO NINE MED UNITS, TO NINE MED UNITS DAILY. THE FIRE EMS CREDENTIALING IS ONGOING. THEY'RE HIRING INCENTIVES FOR EMS. EMS HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE, THEY HAVE FIVE NEW EMS AMBULANCE IS ON HAND AWAITING TO SCHEDULE FOR AMBULANCE BUILT BY FRAZIER. ESTIMATED TIME IS JULY OF 25 OF JUNE. CORRECTION MAN, I GOT BAD GLASSES. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? OKAY, I'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          OKAY. THIS IS A CITYWIDE STAFFING REVIEW. THIS IS GO TO ACTION TO, CITYWIDE SERVICES STAFFING COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW. AND WE POST A REPORT BACK WITH FINDINGS, DIRECTION AND FUNDING, THAT IS PAGE 351 OF YOUR BOOK IN SECTION TEN, THIS IS ASSIGNED TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT, THIS IS AN ONGOING TASK WITH THE HIRING OF A NEW HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR, THEY ARE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF A THREE YEAR ADJUSTMENT FOR THE COMPENSATION STUDY, I THINK EVERGREEN IS THE GROUP THAT THEY WORK WITH, ALSO, MONETARY INCENTIVES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS WAS PROPOSED IN FISCAL YEAR 25. THAT WOULD BE THIS UPCOMING YEAR BUDGET WITH A RESIDENCY INCENTIVE PAY. AND SO THAT'S THE GOAL OF TRYING TO GET MORE INDIVIDUALS TO WORK IN BEAUMONT ON THE FIRST RESPONDER LINE. THE GOAL IS OBVIOUSLY TO HIRE MORE BEAUMONT RESIDENTS. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? ALL RIGHT. NEXT ONE. OKAY. THIS IS THE PROACTIVE CITY REBRANDING MARKETING PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, BEST PRACTICES AND A REPORT WITH OPTIONS DIRECTION AND FUNDING, THIS IS GO TO ACTION THREE. THIS IS ASSIGNED TO LAUREN DEERY. SHE JUST RECENTLY CHANGED HER LAST NAME. 
          SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I STATE THAT CORRECTLY, THIS WILL INCLUDE THIS WILL BE INCLUDED IN FISCAL YEAR 26 OR 27 BASED ON RECOMMENDATION, AND THE BO BASSADOR PROGRAM IS MORE OF A INTERNAL, AMBASSADOR PROGRAM FOR STAFF AND THE GOAL IS TO BRING STAFF TOGETHER AND HELP SPREAD MORE POSITIVE MESSAGES. ONE OF THE THEIR PR APPROACHES. AND SO THEY THAT HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST IN FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE CITY ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ALIGNMENT, CORE VALUES, DEFINITION, DIRECTION AND ALIGNMENT IN THE PLAN, THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE SLIDES BECAUSE SOME OF THE QUOTES ON HERE, I'VE SEEN KIND OF THROUGH WORKING WITH MR. WILLIAMS AND THE TEAM THAT HE HAS ASSIGNED THROUGH DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS. BUT MY FAVORITE ONE 
          [00:30:04]
IS, YOU KNOW, FINDING POSITIVE SOLUTIONS. DON'T EXCUSES. THIS IS KIND OF BUILT IN SOME OF HIS VALUES THAT HE'S BROUGHT TO THIS ORGANIZATION, REWARDING CREATIVITY AND THAT THAT MESSAGE OF, WE'RE NOT JUST HERE TO MAKE A PAYCHECK. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A BIGGER CONNECTION TO THE TO THE COMMUNITY, AND OUR SOCIETY, OUR REGION. AND SO THAT'S THAT'S BIGGER THAN WORK. AND SO THAT'S ALWAYS HUGE WHEN YOU CAN WORK WITH A LEADER THAT EMPHASIZES THESE KIND OF THINGS, OBVIOUSLY HE'S, ON THIS SLIDE, HE'S IMPLEMENTED A NEW SAFETY POLICY. HE'S CHALLENGED STAFF TO IMPLEMENT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS THAT IS A GROWING CONVERSATION AND IS EMBEDDED IN SOME OF THE WORK PRACTICES AND SOME OF THE TOOLS THAT WE USE. AND HE'S ASSIGNED A COMMITTEE TO LOOK INTO THIS AND FOLLOW UP WITH INFORMATION, HE'S A NEW AND INCLUSIVE DEPARTMENT HEAD GROUP, WITH A MIX OF AGE, GENDER AND ETHNICITY. WE, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME NEW DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT ON THROUGH THE CITY. AND SO, THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE EXCITED ABOUT. THE FOCUS HAS BEEN ON CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING. WE'VE COMPLETED ONE PHASE OF THAT TRAINING AND NEW EMPLOYEES WILL BE GOING THROUGH THE NEXT STAGE OF THAT TRAINING, HE REQUIRES HIGHER STANDARDS AND COLLABORATION. THAT'S HUGE FOR ORGANIZATION, AND SO I'VE SEEN THAT THROUGHOUT MY WORK WITH THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. BUT THAT'S THE UPDATE HERE. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE. ALL RIGHT, CITY COMMUNICATIONS ENHANCEMENT, THIS IS PROACTIVE CITY COMMUNICATIONS ENHANCEMENT BEST PRACTICES REPORT WITH OPTIONS DIRECTION AND FUNDING, THIS IS ASSIGNED TO MISS LAUREN DRURY. HOPE I'M SAYING YOUR NAME CORRECTLY. I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN MY EAR AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT I DIDN'T SAY IT CORRECTLY, BUT, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT SHE'S COMPLETED, THROUGH THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT IS COMMUNICATIONS PROCEDURES AND POLICY GUIDE, ANNUAL EDITORIAL CALENDAR. THEY'VE IMPLEMENTED STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. THEY'VE HIRED MISS TRACY, THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER. THEY HOSTED MEDIA MIXERS, DIFFERENT AV ENHANCEMENTS TO IMPROVE LIVE STREAM AND VIDEO. AND THEIR PRIMARY FUNDING WITH THE PEG FUNDS IS IN FISCAL YEAR 25, THINGS THAT ARE ONGOING, THE MARKETING BEST PRACTICE WORKSHOPS, THE BEAUMONT BEAT VIDEO PODCAST, THE ONE ON ONE DEPARTMENT MEETINGS, AND UPCOMING. THEY HAVE THE ANNUAL MEDIA TRAINING THAT WILL BE IN THE SUMMER. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? ONE? ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT ONE IS FINANCIAL POLICIES, FUND BALANCE POLICIES REVIEW AND REFINEMENT. THIS IS GO TO ACTION SIX. THIS IS ASSIGNED TO MISS CHERYL RAY. AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH GFOA FOR BEST PRACTICES AND OTHER RELEVANT FINANCIAL RESOURCES THAT CONTINUE TO MEET THE 25% FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENT IN THE GENERAL FUND, 25% FUND BALANCE WILL HELP SAFEGUARD CITY ASSETS AND ENSURE FUNDING FOR OPERATIONS, THEY WANT TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LAW AND WITH THE GOAL OF INCREASING THE BOND RATING. THEY HAVE A QUESTION. CITY MANAGER, WHERE IS OUR BOND RATING AT AT THIS TIME? DO WE HAVE THAT? I THINK IT'S A DOUBLE A MINUS I BELIEVE, BUT I DON'T I DID NOT BRING THAT WITH ME TODAY . AND WHERE WERE WE BEFORE WE'VE BEEN THAT FOR A LITTLE BIT. WE DID HAVE A DOWNGRADE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. THAT'S WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO. I'M ASSUMING, AS IT IMPROVED SINCE THEN. NO, NOT YET. HOPEFULLY WITH THE FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENTS GOING UP, WE WILL INCREASE THE BOND RATING. YES, SIR. COUNCILMAN TURNER, NORMALLY WHEN YOU DO HAVE A DECREASE, JUST IF YOU JUST HAD TO GUESSTIMATE, HOW LONG DOES IT NORMALLY TAKE TO KIND OF GET US BACK TO WHAT WE NEED TO BE, WHAT STEPS WE HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE OF THE 25, YOU KNOW, GENERAL FUND BALANCE. 
          LIKE, WHAT ARE SOME OTHER ADDITIONAL THINGS YOU THINK WE COULD DO? THAT'S ON ANOTHER SLIDE THAT WE HAVE COMING UP. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE GOT TO LOOK AT DOING REALLY, IS GROWING OUR POPULATION AND OUR INDUSTRIAL BASE BECAUSE IF WE IF WE DON'T DO THAT, OUR BOND RATING IS NOT GOING TO INCREASE. ME AND YOU ON THE SAME PAGE. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. 
          IF THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS, I'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THE NEXT ONE IS THE WATER FUND BALANCE POLICY REVIEW. GO TO ACTION SEVEN. THIS IS ASSIGNED TO MISS CHERYL RAY, THEIR GOAL 
          [00:35:01]
IS TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE RAISING THE FUND BALANCE FROM 15% TO 25% IN THE WATER FUND. THE FUND BALANCE SHOULD MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT WORKING CAPITAL AND PROTECT THE CITY. CREDIT RATING. 
          IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, I WILL GO TO THE NEXT PAGE. ALL RIGHT. JUST IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING THIS PAGE. 357 THE STRATEGIC PLAN 2023 THROUGH 2028 THROUGH 2038. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE HAVE HAD A STRATEGIC PLAN, THIS IS DEVELOPMENT UP ADOPTION AND ONGOING PROCESS IMPLEMENTATION, WE TALKED ABOUT ADDING OR ENHANCING OUR AGENDA MEMOS TO REFLECT STRATEGIC PLAN TRACKING. WE HAVE CONTINUED DISCUSSION AND STAFF MEETING ON STRATEGIC PLAN. THERE IS A WHITE BOARD IN THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS MEETING THAT HAS ALL THE MAIN STRATEGIC PLAN ITEMS, THE ONES THAT MOSTLY I'M COVERING TODAY. AND WHEN THEY ARE COMPLETED, THEY'RE RACED OFF THE BOARD. SO EVERY DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR GETS A CHANCE TO SEE THOSE GOALS ON A CONTINUAL BASIS , OVER AND OVER, ALSO, COMMUNICATION STRATEGIC PLAN HAS BEEN DONE AT DIFFERENT COMMUNITY EVENTS, WE PROVIDE UPDATES TO COUNCIL AND CONTINUE TO REFINE THE STRATEGIC PLAN. ONE OTHER THING, MILES. WE THE MONTHLY DEPARTMENT MONTHLY REPORTS THIS IS A REALLY GOOD BOOK HERE AND IT PROVIDES MONTHLY UPDATES ON NOT JUST THE STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT ALL UPDATES. BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING OR UPDATE, IT'S IN HERE AND IT'S UPDATED EVERY MONTH. IT'S A GREAT SUMMARY. NEXT SLIDE. ALL RIGHT. CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING , THIS IS A SCIENCE OF THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT, THIS IS GO TO ACTION NINE. AND THIS MANDATORY CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING. THAT'S BEEN A FOCUS SINCE THE CITY MANAGER HAS GOTTEN HERE. FIRST PHASE IS COMPLETED. ALL STAFF HAVE GONE THROUGH TRAINING. THE SECOND PHASE IS NEW EMPLOYEES WILL COMPLETE THE TRAINING, AND THERE WILL BE A THIRD PARTY COMPANY THAT WILL COME IN TO HELP WITH THE CITY CUSTOMER SERVICE. WE ALSO HAVE IN THE WATER CUSTOMER SERVICE AREA. THEY HAVE ATTAINED SOME TRAINING SOFTWARE SO THAT WILL HELP WITH THEIR INTERNAL TEAM AS WELL. MR. WILLIAMS DID REMIND ME OF BACK IN THE DAY WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, I PROBABLY WASN'T BORN IN, I'M NOT SURE, BUT THERE USED TO BE A MOTTO THAT SAYS CUSTOMERS ARE JOB NUMBER ONE, SO I MAKE SURE I INCLUDE THAT ON THE POWERPOINT. MAYBE YOU NEVER HEARD OF THE JOB ONE. I THINK IT WAS A FORD COMMERCIAL OR SOMETHING. YEAH. SO HE LEARNED SOMETHING YESTERDAY. SO YEAH, CUSTOMERS ARE JOB NUMBER ONE. AND SO, IT'S BACK. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. ALL RIGHT. BOND RATING IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS GO TO ACTION TEN ASSIGNED TO CHERYL RAY. THEY'RE WORKING WITH GFOA TO USE THE BEST PRACTICES, USING A THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE FINANCIAL ADVISORS ON BEST PRACTICES AS WELL. AND THE BOND COUNCIL TO DEVELOP BEST PRACTICES TO PROVE, CITY BOND RATING. AND SO THAT'S A GREAT SUPPORT WHENEVER YOUR ORGANIZATION, YOU NEED THOSE THINGS TO HELP YOU GROW. THEY ALSO WANT TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT FUND BALANCE TO MEET BOND RATING AGENCY REQUIREMENTS AND ASSIST IN THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE POPULATION AND GROWTH AND BUSINESS TAX BASE, WHICH SHE MACHOWA JUST STATED. THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGER THINGS THAT THEY'RE SUPPORTING AS WELL. 
          THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS. YOU HAVE A QUESTION, WITH THE TAX BASE, I HATE THAT MR. BOONE ISN'T HERE, BUT ME AND HIM TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE. AS A CITY EVER. YOU KNOW HOW WE DO OUR INDUSTRIAL DEALS AND OUR LOCAL BUSINESS DEALS. HAVE WE EVER LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE. 
          POSSIBLY RESTRUCTURE OF HOW WE DO THOSE TAX BASES OR THOSE BEST PRACTICES RIGHT NOW OR. YEAH, THAT'S, IT'S IRONIC. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. WE'LL BE DURING THIS BUDGET PROCESS, THERE'S GOING TO BE A DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL ABOUT RESTRUCTURING, HOW WE RESTRUCTURE FOR THOSE AGREEMENTS IN THE FUTURE, AND, AND TALK ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT BE WILLING TO DO OR WANT TO DO. SO THAT WILL BE A BIT OF DISCUSSION ON THAT. I'M VERY OPEN TO IT. THANK YOU. OKAY OKAY. NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS GO TO ACTION 11 CITY EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION REVIEW. THIS IS SCIENCE AND HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT. I THINK EVERGREEN WAS A PART OF THIS STUDY THAT PRESENTED TO YOU GUYS. FIRST PHASE IS COMPLETE THAT MOVED THE EMPLOYEES THAT WERE AT $13 OR IN THAT RANGE TO $15, THE NEW MINIMUM, THE SECOND 
          [00:40:06]
PHASE IS 197 EMPLOYEES WILL BE, MOVED TO THE DIFFERENT GRADE, WHICH WILL BE A TOTAL OF ABOUT 373,000. AND THAT WILL BE IN THE FISCAL 25 BUDGET, THIS UPCOMING BUDGET CYCLE, PHASE THREE WILL BE IN FISCAL 20, FISCAL YEAR 26, BUDGET. NEXT SLIDE. THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, LET'S GO TO ACTION 12. IT'S AN AGENDA AND ADVOCACY AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD A SUCCESSFUL PASSING OF HOUSE BILL 5012. THAT IS FOR THE HOTEL PROJECT THAT ALLOWS US TO RECAPTURE DIFFERENT HOT TAX DOLLARS FOR A TEN YEAR PERIOD. SO WE WORK WITH INTERNAL TEAM. WE WORKED WITH HILCO PARTNERS, WHICH WE STILL WORK WITH NOW, IN THE INTERIM, THEY PROVIDE REPORTS TO US ON DIFFERENT LEGISLATIVE THINGS SO THAT WE CAN ALIGN OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES ACCORDINGLY, WE DO MEET WITH DIFFERENT LEGISLATIVE OR LEGISLATIVE REPS IN THE AREA. CHRISTIAN MAYWOOD A FEELING, AND ALSO, WE'RE PREPARED FOR 2025, THE 89TH LEGISLATIVE SEASON. THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS. THAT'S THE NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. THIS IS THE CITY VEHICLES ACTION REDUCTION PLAN. THE REPORT WITH OPTIONS DIRECTION AND CITY ACTION, THIS WAS A ASSIGNED TO ATTORNEY REED, THE CITY ATTORNEY REED. THEY HAVE A UPDATED SAFETY POLICY, THEY IMPLEMENTED THE REVIEW BOARD, WHICH IS ACTIVE. 
          THEY MEET MONTHLY. THEY DISCUSS PREVENTABLE AND NON PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS. AND GOOD NEWS IS THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS HAVE DECREASED. NEXT ITEM. ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT ONE IS MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEE SUCCESSION PLANNING. THIS IS ASSIGNED TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT. THIS WILL BE AN ONGOING ITEM WITH THE NEW HIRE OF A HR DIRECTOR, BUT ALSO WANT TO ADD IS THEY'RE INCREASING CROSS TRAINING, WHICH PROVIDES FOR, GOOD COHESIVENESS AND STAFF AND HELPS INDIVIDUALS STEP INTO DIFFERENT POSITIONS, THAT'S ALL ON THIS ONE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE MOVING TO GOAL THREE VIBRANT DOWNTOWN RIVERFRONT. ALL RIGHT. 
          DOWNTOWN HOTEL. THIS WAS ASSIGNED TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER CHRIS BOONE, THE FINANCIAL ADVISORS WILL PRESENT TO CITY COUNCIL AS WELL AS GARFIELD PUBLIC PRIVATE WILL PRESENT THE PHASE TWO FINDINGS TO COUNCIL IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS OF MAY AND JUNE, FROM THERE, COUNCIL WILL DETERMINE WHETHER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PHASE THREE AND OR OTHER STUDIES, AT THAT TIME FRAME, IT WILL BE IN MAY OF JUNE OF 2024. THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS. WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE DOWNTOWN RIVERFRONT MASTER PLAN COMPLETION, ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. THIS IS ASSIGNED TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER CHRIS BROOM. CHRIS BOONE, THE DRAFT IS APPROVED. IT'S AWAITING HOTEL DECISION TO FINALIZE, THAT DOWNTOWN PLAN ELEMENTS INCLUDE A PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 25 CIP, WHICH ARE THE LAKE DISTRICT RESTROOM, CITY HALL, COURTYARD RENOVATION, MAIN STREET RIVERFRONT EXTENSION 1555 MAIN RIVERFRONT PARK RESTORATION, FOOD TRUCK PARK, CIVIC CENTER RESTORATION, AND NEW POLICE DEPARTMENT. NEW CITY HALL COMPLEX, AND MOST OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL DEPEND ON APPROVAL FROM THE VOTERS, AS THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS. I'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE. FOOD TRUCK PARK THIS IS A SIGN TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER CHRIS BOONE. IT'S INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 24 CIP, IN DOWNTOWN PLAN. THE PRELIMINARY PLANS ARE COMPLETE. THE CHAMBER DID A PRESENTATION, ABOUT THIS. THIS IS INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 25 CIP FOR CONSTRUCTION AND FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. THIS IS THE AT&T BUILDING DEMOLITION, THIS IS A SIGN TO MISTER JIMMY THE START DATE OF THIS PROJECT WAS FEBRUARY THE 6TH OF 2024, THE START OF THE SITE WORK PROJECTED DATE IS JUNE. THE WAS JUNE THE 3RD OR WILL BE JUNE THE 3RD. CORRECTION AND THE COMPLETION DATE ON THIS PROJECT IS JUNE THE 28TH. THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS. GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. ALL RIGHT. GO FOR ACTION. ONE IS ASSIGNED TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER CHRIS BOONE, THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS ON 
          [00:45:01]
HOLD AWAITING DECISION OF THE SUPREME COURT. AND THAT DECISION IS EXPECTED IN JUNE OF JULY. THE CITY DOES CONTINUE TO HELP FUND LOCAL SHELTER, SHELTER AND NONPROFIT AND CONDUCT HOMELESS COALITION TO INCREASE PARTNERSHIPS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT ONE IS THE VACANT LOT POLICY ACTION PLAN DIRECTION. THIS IS A GOAL FOR ACTION TWO ASSIGNED TO CHRIS BOONE. ASSIST CITY MANAGER , STAFF IS RESEARCHING. THIS INCLUDES THE HOME FUNDS TO PURCHASE VACANT LOTS AND DONATE TO HOUSING NONPROFITS WHO ALSO RESEARCHING LIMITING ADDITIONAL MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND DEVELOP NEW INCENTIVES TO INFILL HOUSING , A PINK ZONE. COULD YOU SPEAK TO THE PINK ZONE? DEMI I WANT TO ELABORATE ON THAT. SO PINK ZONES ARE AREAS WHERE YOU CAN IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, IF, GROWTH HAS BEEN STAGNANT OR YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE GROWTH IN THAT AREA, THEN THERE'S AREAS THAT YOU CAN YOU CAN BASICALLY DESIGNATE THEM AND LIFT CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS, IT'S LEAN URBANISM, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WHAT MAKES SENSE SO THAT WE CAN STILL, ACCOUNT FOR LIFE SAFETY AND BUILDING INTEGRITY, BUT REALLY TRY TO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS TO START GROWTH IN THOSE AREAS. ALL RIGHT. IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THE NEXT ONE IS PROACTIVE DOWNTOWN CODE ENFORCEMENT DIRECTION AND FUNDING, THIS IS ASSIGNED TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER CHRIS BOONE. COUNCIL WORK SESSION WAS IN JANUARY, THEY DID A CODE SWEEP UNDERWAY. THEY HAD 20 DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS CITED TO DATE. SOME OWNERS ARE MAKING REPAIRS AND SOME ARE NOT. STAFF ARE WORKING ON THE OVERLAY. 
          ADDITIONAL FUNDING WILL BE NEEDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 25 FOR BOARDING UP SOME OF THE BUILDINGS. QUESTION ADDITIONAL FUNDING WILL BE NEEDED FOR BOARDING UP OF BUILDINGS. WHY AREN'T THE BUILDING OWNERS INCURRING THAT COST? WELL, WHY ARE WE DOING THAT? SO THAT OCCURS WHENEVER WE DON'T GET ANY RESPONSES. AND THEN THE CITY HAS TO, COME IN AFTER DUE PROCESS HAS BEEN OBSERVED. OBVIOUSLY THE, NOTIFICATION TO THE PROPERTY OWNER THAT THEY NEED TO BOARD AND SECURE AND THEN YOU HAVE SO MANY DAYS TO DO SO. SO THAT WOULD BE WHEN THE CITY RECEIVES, APPROVAL, IF THE COST OF THE BOARDING AND SECURING EXCEEDS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PURCHASING THRESHOLD, BUT THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHERE THE CITY WOULD TAKE ON THAT COST. BUT OF COURSE, IT COMES BACK TO THEM THROUGH, MAKING SURE THAT WE FOLLOW ALL THE LEGAL PROCESSES. 
          BUT EVENTUALLY THAT BILL WOULD, WOULD GO BACK TO THEM. YOU'RE SAYING THE CITY EVENTUALLY IS BEING REIMBURSED FOR WHAT WE SPEND ON THAT THAT AND THAT HAPPENS THROUGH, YOU KNOW, AND OF COURSE, CITY ATTORNEY REED CAN SPEAK MORE TO IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS AND WHATNOT TO RECOUP COSTS. OKAY THANKS A LOT, COUNCILMAN TURNER, WITH THE WITH THE DOWNTOWN BUILDING ORDINANCE, WE ALL SAID WE DO SUPPORT IT, SINCE YOU GUYS HAVE GOT STARTED WITH THE BUILDING OWNERS, CAN YOU KIND OF SPEAK TO KIND OF SOME OF THE FEEDBACK AND SOME OF THE ISSUES OR ANY PROBLEMS YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH? YEAH. SO WE DID A WE'RE DOING THESE IN PHASES. WE'VE COMPLETED PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO, WITHIN THAT WE'VE TAGGED, 20 BUILDINGS THAT WHERE THEY NEED TO COME COME INTO COMPLIANCE, ONE OF THOSE WAS, THEY CAME INTO COMPLIANCE RIGHT AWAY. SO THAT ONE'S ALREADY DONE, AND THEN THERE'S A COUPLE WHERE YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO GET SIGN ON TO A WORK PROGRAM, BUT WE HAVE MADE CONTACT WITH A FEW. 
          SOME STILL HAVE NOT RETURNED PHONE CALLS, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET IN CONTACT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. COUNCILMAN, HAVE ANY OF THEM, FOUND, LIKE, NEEDED TO BE DEMOLISHED OR REATTACHED ANY OF THE DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS? NOT AT THIS TIME, THERE WERE TWO THAT WERE TAGGED FOR IMMINENT DANGER, AND THAT WAS MAINLY FOR. AND OF COURSE, BUILDING OFFICIALS. I CAN GET YOU A WELL, IT'S ALSO IN THE MONTHLY REPORT TO YOU GUYS CAN SEE ALL OF THE PICTURES AND EVERYTHING, BUT THERE ARE TWO THAT WERE TAGGED FOR IMMINENT DANGER. AND IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FALL DOWN AT ANY MOMENT IN TIME. I KNOW WE HEAR IMMINENT DANGER, AND THAT'S ALARMING, BUT IT IS, YOU KNOW, THE WINDOWS ARE BROKEN, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S POTENTIAL OF GLASS FALLING AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. SO BOARDING AND SECURING IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT. AND THERE'S TWO THAT WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING A RFP DONE SO THAT WE CAN GO OUT FOR BIDS. SO THOSE ARE THE TWO THAT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM THE FROM THE OWNERS. RIGHT. WELL WE'VE HEARD BACK, BUT NO, NO MOVEMENT OUT OF STAND THAT WHENEVER WE'RE ON THE GROUND FLOOR, YOU BOARD UP A BUILDING 
          [00:50:05]
TO PREVENT ACCESS INTO IT. BUT WHEN YOU GO ABOVE THAT WINDOWS THAT ARE OUT, WE BOARDED UP, THAT COST IS PASSED ON TO THE OWNER. BUT CAN WE REPLACE THE GLASS AND PASS THAT ON TO THEM? BECAUSE THE BOARDING UP OF THESE WINDOWS IS JUST UNSIGHTLY. CAN THAT BE DONE? IT'S. I CAN I CAN RESEARCH THAT, IN THIS MOMENT, I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE, BUT I CAN DEFINITELY RESEARCH AND GET GET THAT ANSWER TO YOU, COUNCILMAN GETS, YOU KNOW, BOARDING AND SECURING THE BUILDINGS ARE GREAT, BUT AS LONG AS THEY SIT THERE VACANT AND UNOCCUPIED AND. IT CONCERNS ME THAT WE AS A COUNCIL ARE TRYING TO GET DOWNTOWN RENOVATED. AND WE STILL HAVE SO MANY OF THESE BUILDINGS THAT ARE JUST BOARDED UP AND EMPTY AND NOT BEING USED. IS THERE SOME STRATEGY THAT WE ARE EMPLOYING OR TRYING TO EMPLOY TO GET THESE BUILDING OWNERS TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING WITH THESE BUILDINGS, BEYOND JUST BOARDING THEM UP? YES, SIR. STAFF IS RESEARCHING THE POSSIBILITY OF A VACANT BUILDING REGISTRY PROGRAM, SO, YOU KNOW, IF THE BUILDING. THIS IS ESSENTIALLY HOW IT WORK. A BUILDING IS VACANT. THE OWNER OF THAT BUILDING NEEDS TO REGISTER. SAID BUILDING, AND THEN ALSO GIVE US A PLAN FOR SIX MONTHS TO ONE YEAR WHAT THE PLAN IS TO GET SOMEONE INTO THAT BUILDING. BUT WE ARE WORKING ON THAT ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW. COUNCILMAN TURNER, MAY I THANK YOU. HAVE WE I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF BUILDING OWNERS DOWNTOWN. WE HAVE SOME THAT OWN THE MAJORITY OF THE BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN. HAVE WE THOUGHT OF MAYBE SOMETHING TO THE MAGNITUDE OF TOWN, OF A TOWN HALL, OR SPECIFICALLY THOSE BUILDING OWNERS TO KIND OF SHOW THEM THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING IN AND THE WHY. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION FOR THE ONES THAT BUY IN, FOR THE ONES THAT DON'T, OF COURSE WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISIONS. WE HAVE TO MAKE. BUT JUST THAT LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION MIGHT EVEN FURTHERMORE ENTICE THEM BECAUSE BELIEVE IT OR NOT, EVEN THOUGH SOME OWN IT LOT, SOME DON'T LIVE HERE, SOME ARE JUST OUT OF TOUCH WITH WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON IN BEAUMONT. SO I MEAN, IF THAT THAT'S AN OPTION, EVEN IF YOU NEED IT, HELP COORDINATE IT. IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW SOME OF THEM, I WOULDN'T MIND EVEN HELPING COORDINATE SOMETHING. JUST TO. THEY CAN'T SAY THEY DON'T KNOW. I WANT TO GO OUT ABOVE AND BEYOND TO JUST BE TRANSPARENT AT THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING IN. SURE, I CAN WORK ON INCREASING COMMUNICATION. YEAH, AND THAT WOULD INCREASE COMMUNICATION AND BE ABLE TO GIVE IT BOTH WAYS FOR SURE. AND DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER SHAW MENTIONED ABOUT GLASS. WE COULD LOOK AT WHAT WE COULD DO LEGALLY AND LOOK AT THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT, IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT METHOD OF GOING ABOUT IT RATHER THAN BOARDING UP, PUTTING GLASS INTO IT, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN LOOK AT THAT, TOO. YEAH. THAT'S, FOR ME, THAT'S PREDICATED ON THE FACT THAT IT'S THAT COST IS GOING TO BE PASSED TO THE OWNER. YOU KNOW, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY UNLESS WE CAN RECOUP THAT MONEY. BUT IF WE CAN, THEN WHY BOARD IT UP? WHY NOT REPLACE THE GLASS? BECAUSE THE OWNER SHOULD DO THAT ANYWAY. BUT THANK YOU. OKAY. AND ALSO, I'LL GO AHEAD. NO. GO AHEAD PLEASE. NO, I WAS JUST GOING TO COMMENT ON A LOT OF THESE. YOU SEE ASSIGNED TO CHRIS BOOM. AND CHRIS IS ONLY ONE CHRIS. BUT THESE THIS WAS PUT TOGETHER DURING THEIR REPORT LAST YEAR. WE HAD NOT DAMAGED IN THERE AND DAMAGE RESPONSIBLE FOR A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS. AND CHRIS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THEM AND OTHER PEOPLE. SO THE RESPONSIBILITY IS SPREAD WIDER SO WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE QUICKER. DEBBIE, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE VACANT BUILDING BEING REGISTERED. ONCE THAT HAPPENS, IT WHAT LEVERAGE IS THERE TO COMPEL THAT OWNER TO DO ANYTHING? I MEAN, SO THEY GET ON A LIST. WELL, OKAY. WHAT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. SO WE HAVE THE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, FIND THEM THROUGH OBVIOUSLY LEGAL PROCESSES, WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT IT, WITH THE REGISTRATION, YOU KNOW, INCREASING FEES EACH YEAR OR EVEN EACH HALF YEAR, AND I'M TRYING TO BASICALLY COMPARE WITH A LOT OF TEXAS CITIES THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED THIS, AND INCREASE THOSE FEES THE LONGER IT STAYS VACANT. SO SOMETHING TO TRY TO COMPEL THEM IN THAT WAY. COUNCILMAN SAMUEL, SO WE HAVE NOT IMPLEMENTED THE REGISTRY 
          [00:55:01]
PROGRAM YET. IT IS NOT YET, BUT THE ORDINANCE IS ALMOST HERE BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE, AND WE KNEW ABOUT THESE BUILDINGS. AND THEY'RE STANDING THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING, AND WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT INCREASING FINES. AND AS I UNDERSTAND, THERE ARE STILL SOME THAT WE FIND THAT HAVE NOT PAID THE FINES IS THAT CORRECT? ALSO, THAT FLOWS THROUGH MUNICIPAL COURT. SO I'M NOT SURE IF THEY HAVE PAID THOSE FINES OR NOT. OKAY. AND, IT APPEARS THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK AT SOME OF THESE BUILDINGS. WHEN THE COUNCILMAN TALKED ABOUT, BEING TIRED OF JUST SEEING BOARDS GOING UP AND REPLACING THE WINDOWS AND HAVE THEM REIMBURSE, IF THERE'S AN IMMINENT DANGER, THEN THAT SHOULD BE, THAT SHOULD BE A WAY, A MEANS OF US EXPEDIATE GETTING REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDOWS AND REPLACING THEM WITH WINDOWS, AS OPPOSED AS OPPOSED TO JUST BOARDING UP. BUT IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WERE MOVING FOR THAT, FORWARD WITH THE REGISTRY PROGRAM, WHICH WOULD BE ABLE TO ENHANCE AND INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF FINES THAT WOULD BE FINED ON THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING IF THEY CONTINUE TO HAVE A BUILDING THAT HAS BEEN REGISTERED AS A, ONE IN NEED, IT COULD ENHANCE THE FINES. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE WAY WE WERE MOVING. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, IS THAT WE GAVE THEM DIRECTION, AND THEN THEY'RE WORKING ON THE ORDINANCE IN ORDER SO THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO EXECUTE THAT PASSED THE ORDINANCE. AND WITH THE BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE JUST GIVEN A DIRECTION FOR. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GIVEN A DIRECTION FOR. SOME TIME AGO. AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT PROCESS OF BEING ABLE TO DO THE REGISTRY. 
          CORRECT? YES, SIR, YES, SIR. I WILL BRING THAT TO YOU AS FAST AS I CAN. OKAY. I THINK IT WAS A CHANGEOVER. I REMEMBER US TALKING ABOUT IT BACK IN 2022. SO, YEAH, I REMEMBER. YEAH, YEAH. COUNCILMAN I DON'T I DON'T KNOW IF COUNCILMAN SAMUEL COMMENTED ON IT, BUT, THE FINES ARE THERE. ARE THE FINES HIGH ENOUGH TO MAKE THEM WANT TO PAY IT? I MEAN, ARE THEY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT OWN THESE BUILDINGS, I MEAN, THEY GOT A LOT OF MONEY. SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HIT THEM WITH A $1,000 FINE, THEY NO BIGGIE. SO I WAS LOOKING AT OTHER, YOU KNOW, SOME SOME CITIES HAVE THEM LOWER, SOME OF THEM HAVE THEM HIGHER, SOME START AT ABOUT $2,500. AND THEN EACH YEAR OR EACH HALF YEAR THAT IT STAYS VACANT. IT DOUBLES, SO THERE, YOU KNOW, IT JUST KIND OF DEPENDS ON, OBVIOUSLY, THE APPROVAL OF COUNCIL IN WHICH DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO ON. THAT BUT THAT THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'M TRYING TO, TO SPREAD ACROSS THE OR RESEARCH ACROSS THE BOARD TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M COMING UP WITH SOMETHING FAIR BUT COMPELLING, SO I GUESS IT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO ALSO HAVE TO GO THROUGH LEGAL TO MAKE SURE IT WOULD. YOU DO HAVE SOMEBODY FROM LEGAL HERE. SO YOU WANT TO RESPOND? NO, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW THAT'S SET BY ORDINANCE. SO CORRECT. IT WOULD BE. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING IS A DRAFT RIGHT NOW THIS THIS OR THIS ORDINANCE IS NOT, ADOPTED AT THIS TIME. THAT'S WHAT WE. RIGHT. WE GAVE THE INSTRUCTION WE WANTED TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION. WELL, I CAN'T SAY THE LETTER HAS GOT SOME BUILDING OWNER'S ATTENTION. I HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY SEVERAL, AND I'VE TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON. THAT'S WHY I WAS SUGGESTING THAT IT'D BE A GOOD IDEA TO A LOT OF THEM. 
          IF THEY SEE DIVISION AND WHAT'S GOING ON, I WOULD HOPE THE MAJORITY OF THEM WOULD BUY IN AND WE DON'T HAVE TO CONTINUE ON, AND WE CAN JUST MOVE FORWARD. BUT IF NOT, WE UNDERSTAND THAT'S THE ONLY OTHER OPTION. YEAH AND YOU KNOW WHEN Y'ALL ARE CONTACTED, WE ARE TRYING TO ACTIVELY SET UP A MEETING AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE WITH THESE OWNERS. SO, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST FLOW THROUGH THE BUILDING OFFICIALS AND WE'LL GET THAT SCHEDULED TO DISCUSS NEXT STEPS AND WHAT'S REQUIRED TO, YOU KNOW, GET THE BUILDINGS UP TO CODE OR TO THE EXISTING BUILDING CODE. YEAH. DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE, SO I AGREE. THANK YOU. OKAY, I'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS THE OLDER HOME REVITALIZATION PROGRAM, DEVELOPMENT GOALS, PROBLEM ANALYSIS NEEDS ASSESSMENT BEST PRACTICES AND SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES WITH THIS ONE. YOU'RE ON PAGE 376 IS EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF OLDER HOME LOTS, THE TAX ASSESSOR CAN AUCTION, BUT ONLY A FEW, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. QUESTION MARK. AND THEN I REFER TO THE POWERPOINT THAT YOU SEE TO KIND OF ADDRESS THIS, PARTICULAR STRATEGIC PLAN. ITS STAFF IS RESEARCHING, INCLUDING USING HOME FUNDS TO PURCHASE VACANT LOTS AND DONATE TO HOUSING NONPROFITS, ALSO RESEARCHING LIMITING ADDITIONAL MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, AND DEVELOP INCENTIVES 
          [01:00:03]
TO INFILL HOUSING WITH A PINK ZONE THAT DEMI REFERRED TO EARLIER. IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, I'LL GO TO THE NEXT ONE. HOME ARP LET US GO FOR ACTION FIVE. THIS IS ASSIGNED TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER CHRIS BOONE, CONTRACTS AWARDED BY COUNCIL. THE DEVELOPER IS FINALIZING THE SALE. LEGACY CDC MAY NEED TO FIND ALTERNATIVE SITE. IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, I'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. THIS IS THE WASTE WATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS. THIS IS ASSIGNED TO MIKE HARRIS. THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY AREAS OF PROBLEMS WITH TELEVISING SMOKE TESTING, DYE TESTING, THIS IS DONE IN-HOUSE WITH CONTRACT. THIS DONE IN-HOUSE AND WITH CONTRACTORS. AND IT'S ONGOING. EACH FISCAL YEAR, DESIGN ENGINEERING CONTINUES TO CREATE WORK ORDERS FOR SYSTEM UPGRADES. THEY HAVE IN-HOUSE CREWS THAT ARE DOING PIPE BURSTING IN MANHOLE REHAB. THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PLAN IS SCHEDULED FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS. I'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. ALL RIGHT, SEWER LIFT STATION PROJECTS COMPLETION AND FUTURE PLAN AND FUNDING MECHANISM, THIS IS ASSIGNED TO MIKE HARRIS, THE HARRIET STATION ON THE HARRIET STREET LIFT STATION. REHAB IS IN THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET OR WILL BE PROPOSED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET. THE WALL AVENUE SEA LIFT STATION. REHAB FISCAL. IT WILL BE IN THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET. PINEY POINT MULBERRY STREET AND WALL STREET LIFT STATIONS, ELECTRIC UPGRADES ARE IN PROGRESS, THE LIFT STATION ASSESSMENT STARTED IN FISCAL YEAR 24. AND THEY'VE ONLY DONE TWO SO FAR IN 23RD STREET IN WEST CALDER AT THE FIG ACRE. SO THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS. I'LL GO TO THE NEXT ONE. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE SEWER MAIN REPLACEMENT REPORT WITH OPTIONS DIRECTION AND FUNDING MECHANISM. THIS IS ASSIGNED TO MIKE HARRIS, THE SEWER MAIN INSPECTION IS CONTINUOUS AND ONGOING, REPLACING AGING INFRASTRUCTURE. AND THIS IS DONE TWO WAYS IN-HOUSE AND CONTRACT AND PIPE BURSTING CREWS, THE PIPE BURSTING SINCE ESTABLISHED, 39,000FT HAVE BEEN REPLACED SINCE MAY OF 23RD MAY OF 2023. AND CONTRACTORS AND IN-HOUSE COST ABOUT 6 MILLION, 5.7 MILLION IN THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET FOR MAIN REPLACEMENT. WITH THESE FIGURES, THEY CHARGE APPROXIMATELY 1 TO 1.4% OF THE CITY SEWER MAINS, THERE'S A SEWER EVALUATION, AND THEY HAVE AN ONGOING CONTRACTS WITH THE CONTRACT AFTER EACH FISCAL YEAR, AS WELL AS IN-HOUSE CREWS DOING SYSTEM EVALUATIONS. IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, I'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. ALL RIGHT. 
          STORMWATER AND DRAINAGE, MASTER PLAN, PROBLEM ANALYSIS. PLAN DEVELOPMENT DIRECTION AND FUNDING MECHANISM. THAT'S PAGE 382, THIS IS ASSIGNED TO MR. BART, AND THEY'RE REQUESTING FEMA, DAC FUNDING AND UPDATING THE DRAINAGE MASTER PLAN. DID I SAY THAT? CORRECT. BART THE FEMA DAC FUNDING IS FOR UPDATING THE DRAINAGE MASTER PLAN. AND THEN UNDER THAT ITEM AS WELL, WE HAD A POINT TO, UPDATE OR CREATE THE DRAINAGE CRITERIA MANUAL. AND WE DO HAVE THAT DRAFT IN HAND, WHICH WE'RE EVALUATING. SO WE'RE PROCEEDING ON THAT. OKAY THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. 
          WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. COUNCILMAN TURNER BOARD, THIS PARTICULAR MASTER PLAN WITH THIS KIND OF LOOK AT SOME OF OUR OLDER AREAS OF TOWN THAT WE'RE KIND OF HAVING SOME OF THE BACK AGING, LIKE SOME OF OUR FREQUENT FLIERS THAT WE MAY BE GETTING EMAILS FROM OR PHONE CALLS LIKE, YEAH, IT LOOKS IT LOOKS A THE ENTIRETY OF THE CITY, THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS PUT TOGETHER WITH AN OLDER, RAINFALL MODEL. AND SO THIS WOULD UPDATE THAT AND IT DOES ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AREAS AROUND TOWN WITH PROPOSED PROJECTS. OKAY OKAY. THIS IS THE INFILTRATION AND INFLOW STUDY COMPLETION DIRECTION AND FUNDING MECHANISM. THIS IS GOAL FIVE, ACTION FIVE ASSIGNED TO MIKE HARRIS, THEY HAVE THE SS, SS OH I PHASE THREE CONTRACT FINALIZING BY THE END OF NEXT 
          [01:05:02]
MONTH. THEY'VE INCLUDED FLOW MONITORING AND SEWER MODEL COMPLETION, THERE'S A SEWER EVALUATION CONTRACTS, AND THAT'S IN-HOUSE SEWER EVALUATION. THEY HAVE THE MANHOLE REHAB, IN-HOUSE CREWS AND MANHOLE REHAB CONTRACT BY THE END OF SUMMER. SO CLEANING SEWER MAINS AND AREAS OF SURCHARGING AND OVERFLOWS. THIS KEEPS THE SEWER MAINS FLOWING AT DESIGN CAPACITY, THEY HAVE INVESTIGATIVE WORK. INCLUDES SMOKE TESTING, CLEANING, TELEVISING, DIE TESTING AND SURVEYING. FLOW LINES. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. THIS IS LIGHTING. FREEWAY UNDERPASS. GO FIVE. ACTION SIX SIX. THIS IS ASSIGNED TO BART, ONE UNDERPASS IS FUNDED, AND THEY'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE ENGINEERING FIRM ON A PROPOSAL FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN WORK. I BOUGHT THE. DID YOU EVER GIVE AN ENERGY ABOUT SAYING THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT OTHER ONE? WE DON'T HAVE ANY PROPOSED FUNDING FROM ENERGY, UNFORTUNATELY, EVEN NUDGING ON DOCTOR TOM A LITTLE BIT AT LAMAR UNIVERSITY AS WELL. 
          YOU KNOW, WE JUST WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. IF YOU CAN FIND IT, WE'LL TAKE IT. OKAY OKAY. IF THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PLAN PROCESS AND FUNDING, THIS IS THE FIVE YEAR PLAN ADOPTION, ONGOING PROCESS AND FUNDING MECHANISM. THIS IS ASSIGNED TO CHERYL RAY GO FIVE ACTION SEVEN CI PROCESS IS UNDERWAY. THEY HAD THE FIRST PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL ON MAY THE 14TH, THE FINAL SIP IS SCHEDULED TO BE ADOPTED BY SEPTEMBER THE 3RD, 2024. THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS. THESE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. CIVIC CENTER UPGRADE AND FUNDING. SOCIETY AND CITY MANAGER. AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS KIND OF CONNECTED TO THE HOTEL PROJECT. SO THIS IS PENDING DECISION ON WHOLESALE AND FINANCING. ALL RIGHT. THE SIDEWALK MASTER PLAN IN FUNDING AND DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS GOAL FIVE. ACTION NINE. THIS IS ASSIGNED TO BART. THIS WAS CUT FROM THE FISCAL 20 FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET. THEY PLAN TO SUBMIT IT IN FISCAL YEAR 25. BUDGET THEY'RE ALSO SEEKING GRANTS FOR FUNDING AND OTHER FORMS OF FINANCING FOR THIS MASTER PLAN. IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, WHICH IS MY FAVORITE PLACE BECAUSE MY KIDS GET TO GO THERE. IT'S KIND OF FUN. I KNOW Y'ALL DON'T ENJOY IT LIKE I DO, BUT GO FIVE ACTION, TEN, THIS IS A SIGN TO THE CITY MANAGER. THE CITY HAS MET WITH THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM AND IS AWAITING THE PROPOSAL. AND OBVIOUSLY WITH THAT BEING THE SITE OF THE CIVIC CENTER AND THE HOTEL, THEY'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO FIND A NEW LOCATION, BUT THE CITY IS MEETING WITH THEM TO WORK ON, THE LOGISTICS OF THAT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. IF YOU HAVE NO QUESTIONS, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. ALL RIGHT. THE ITEM CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MONITORING AND COMMUNICATIONS. GOAL FIVE, ACTION 11, ASSIGNED TO BART, THE CITY IS MONITORING UTILITY WORK RELATED TO THE IT AND CONSTRUCTION, TXDOT HAS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL RECENTLY, AND THEY AGREED TO COME ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, MAYOR, I'VE ACTUALLY SHARED WITH MAYOR AND COUNCIL JUST IMAGES OF OTHER AREAS THAT TXDOT IS DEALING WITH, SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, MOUNT BELLEVUE, THAT EXIT THAT YOU EXIT IN MOUNT BELLEVUE, AND HOW INVITING IT IS. AND CITY COLORS AND JUST THE ESTHETICS THEY HAVE COMPARED TO KIND OF WHAT WE'RE GETTING REPLACED. AND I FEEL LIKE IF WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THESE THINGS RIGHT NOW, I THINK THESE ARE THE TIMES TO KIND OF HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS ON, YOU KNOW, THE ESTHETICS. AND BECAUSE MOUNT BELLEVUE TALKED TO A COUNCIL MEMBER OUT THERE, THEY ACTUALLY HAD MEETINGS AND THEY WERE ABLE TO PICK THE IMAGES, THE COLORS. AND I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE DON'T HAVE THAT SAME ACCESS AS THEY DID WHEN THEY WERE DOING THEIR. I REMEMBER, THE DISTRICT ENGINEER DID COME TO COUNCIL AND THEY OFFERED UP A VOTE. A COMMUNITY VOTE OF WHAT? THE ESTHETICS, PICTURES THAT THOSE UNDERPASSES WOULD BE ON THE EASTEX PORTION. AND THEY ARE GOING TO GO WITH WHAT THE VOTE DECIDED TO PUT A POLE ON THE INTERNET. AND, SO THERE WILL BE SOME ESTHETIC PORTIONS TO THAT 
          [01:10:02]
PROJECT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET OUR FAIR SHAKE AS WELL. OKAY. NEXT SLIDE. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN. OBVIOUSLY REMEMBER TO GIVE THESE OUT TO CITIZENS. THIS IS THE ABBREVIATED VERSION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATES, LIKE MR. WILLIAMS STATED, THERE ARE, MONTHLY DIRECTORS MEETING REPORTS THAT REFLECT SOME OF THESE UPDATES, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WELL DONE. 
          MAYOR, THAT'S JUST A PLAN. YOU MIGHT WONDER WHY WE'RE DOING IT. IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE BUDGETING PROCESS THAT THAT WE WANTED TO GO OVER AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AND SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH COUNCIL WITH UPDATES, SO YOU'RE LIKELY TO SEE A LOT OF THESE ITEMS PROPOSED IN THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. THANK YOU. AND IF YOU'RE READY FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THE PARKS 
          [2. Parks, Recreation, Open Space Master Plan Update ]
RECREATION OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN UPDATE. WE HAVE A PROJECT OF A PARK MASTER PLAN, GOING. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE KENNETH FORGET AND, REPRESENTATIVE OF HALF AN ASSOCIATE ENGINEERING FIRM TO TALK ABOUT IT. MAYOR, COUNCIL. SO, YES, I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE, MR. LEWIS KATAYA, WHO WILL BE CONDUCTING THE PARKS, RECREATION OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN. I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HAVING THIS GO ON IN THE CITY. IT'LL BASICALLY BE THE BLUEPRINT THAT I COULD HAVE IN MY HAND TO BRING THE PARKS AND, OF COURSE, RECREATION, WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE FOR OUR CITY. SO I'LL LET LEWIS COME UP AND, GIVE HIS PRESENTATION TO LET YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY, IF YOU CAN REMEMBER, WE WERE PROBABLY HERE ABOUT 2 OR 3 MONTHS AGO. ONCE Y'ALL APPROVED OUR CONTRACT AND OUR SCOPE OF SERVICES AS WELL. SO HERE TO GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE TO YOU ALL OF JUST WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE PROCESS. SO THE AGENDA JUST BRIEFLY OVERVIEW OF OUR TEAM, WHAT WE'LL BE DOING, WHO WE'LL BE WORKING ON THE PROJECT MOVING FORWARD. A BIT OF THE OVERVIEW OF WHAT IS A PARKS MASTER PLAN, OUR SCOPE AND SCHEDULE. SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, AS WELL AS OVER THE NEXT YEAR LONG PROCESS, OVER THE 12 MONTHS THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON THIS, WE'LL GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH IS THE CRITICAL PIECE OF ANY MASTER PLANNING PROCESS, PARTICULARLY RELATED TO THE PARKS PROCESS AS WELL. WE'LL GO INTO DETAIL ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS, AND THEN NEXT STEPS, AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BEAUMONT MOVING FORWARD AND THE OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY FOR FUTURE BUDGETING AS YOU ALL ARE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW, AS WELL AS GRANT OPPORTUNITIES MOVING FORWARD, I'M ASSUMING. THERE WE GO, SO OUR PROJECT TEAM, MYSELF, IS THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THIS PROJECT MOVING FORWARD AT HALF, WE'RE KNOWN FOR OUR PARKS AND TRAILS MASTER PLANNING WORK. WE HAVE NEARLY 80 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS THAT DO THIS DAY IN AND DAY OUT. WE NOT ONLY CREATE PARK SYSTEM WIDE MASTER PLANS, BUT WE ALSO DO PARK DESIGN. AND SO WE UNDERSTAND THE INTRICACIES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN DESIGNING A PARK. DESIGNING A PARK THAT'S USER FRIENDLY, THAT'S ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY . AND WE HAVE EXPERTISE NOT ONLY FROM THE DESIGN SIDE, BUT ALSO THOSE THAT THAT HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITIES, THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS AND HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AND EXPERIENCES AS PART OF DEVELOPING A PARK SYSTEM THAT IS BENEFICIAL FOR ALL RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL. GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT AS MENTIONED, THIS WILL. THIS PLAN WILL SERVE AS A GUIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PARKS, RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING PARKS, PROGRAMS, RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL AMENITIES FOR CONSIDERATION. THIS PLAN WILL LOOK AT NOT ONLY CURRENT COMMUNITY NEEDS, BUT ALSO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ADDITIONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS THAT IS EXPECTED WITHIN THE CITY. OUR SCOPE IS DIVIDED UP INTO PRIMARILY FIVE TASKS, AND THESE TASKS I'LL GO THROUGH BRIEFLY THROUGH EACH ONE OF THEM. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, AS WE GO THROUGH, JUST PLEASE LET ME KNOW. OUR FIRST TASK IS PRIMARILY PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION. SO THAT'S, MAINLY JUST THE INVOICING AND MAKING SURE ONE, WE'RE STAYING ON SCHEDULE, WE'RE STAYING ON ON OUR ON OUR TASK AND DELIVERABLES AS WELL. SO MOST OF THAT WILL BE ON THE BACK END. THAT'LL BE MYSELF AS WELL AS OUR PROJECT ACCOUNTANT TEAM AND THEN WORKING WITH KENNETH IN THE CITY AS WE CONTINUE TO, COORDINATE. WE DO HAVE BIWEEKLY MEETINGS THAT WE'VE SET UP WITH KENNETH, AS WELL AS OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CITY, TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UPDATES TO YOU ALL THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. SOME OF THOSE DELIVERABLES THAT WILL BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THIS TASK WILL BE UPDATING, MEETING SUMMARIES AS WELL AS, REPORT PLAN AND TEMPLATE BASED MAPS AND INVOICING AS WELL. OUR SECOND TASK INCLUDES OUR THERE YOU GO. 
          OUR SECOND TASK INCLUDES SORT OF PRIMARILY THE BULK OF THE WORK, WHICH IS EXISTING CONDITIONS AND 
          [01:15:04]
NEEDS ASSESSMENTS. SO THIS IS WHERE WE'LL DIVE INTO YOUR PARK SYSTEM. ALL 33 PARKS WILL DO A CONDITION ASSESSMENT. THIS CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT WILL BE BASED ON NATIONAL STANDARDS AS WELL AS STATE WIDE STANDARDS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT. ALL THE CONDITIONS, WHETHER IT'S RELATED TO PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, PARK AMENITIES, LOOKING AT ACCESS TO YOUR PARKS, WE WILL DO AN UNBIASED LOOK AT IT AT EVERY SINGLE PARK IN THE SYSTEM, AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES IN WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN IMPROVE THOSE PARKS. WE'LL LEAN ON THE PREVIOUS PLANS AND STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE. SO REFERENCING THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AS WELL AS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS THAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR THE CITY AS WELL. LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN ATTRIBUTE FROM THOSE PLANS AND BRING INTO OUR PARKS MASTER PLANNING EFFORT . AS PART OF THAT, WE'LL DO A DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS THAT WE'LL LOOK AT AREA WIDE. WHERE ARE THE WHERE ARE THE CITIES GROWING? WHERE IS IT NOT GROWING? WHERE ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT PARK IMPROVEMENT AS IT RELATES TO THE GROWING NEEDS OF THE CITY? AGAIN, THE CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT WILL BE LOOKING AT THE, ALL PARK FACILITIES WITHIN WITHIN THE WITHIN THE CITY AND THEN THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS. WE DO THREE LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS LOOKING AT ACREAGE ANALYSIS. SO DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH PARK ACREAGE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS, BASED OFF OF A LEVEL OF SERVICE NATIONAL AND STATEWIDE AMENITY LEVEL OF SERVICE. SO THINKING ABOUT THE AMENITIES AT THE PARKS, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH AMENITIES AT EACH ONE OF OUR PARKS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITIES AND THEN THE FACILITIES AS WELL? SO THINKING ABOUT RECREATIONAL PROGRAMING, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH FACILITIES THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS AS WELL AS PART OF THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS, WE'LL ALSO BE CONDUCTING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT. THIS NEEDS ASSESSMENT WILL BE DONE SIMILAR TO THE LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS. LOOKING AT A DEMAND ASSESSMENT AS WELL AS AN OPERATION BASED ASSESSMENT. 
          THINKING THROUGH AGAIN, AS KENNETH ALLUDED TO A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, STAFF NEEDS WHAT IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN AND OPERATE THE PARK SYSTEM NOT ONLY NOW, BUT ALSO MOVING INTO THE FUTURE, AS THIS IS A TEN YEAR PLAN HORIZON AS WELL, RELATED TO AN ADDITIONAL TASK AS PART OF OUR SCOPE OF WORK WILL BE SORT OF PUBLIC OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT. THIS IS ALSO A KEY COMPONENT OF THE PLANNING PROCESS, AND I'LL GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH. BUT PRIMARILY WE'LL BE FOCUSED AROUND MEETING THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY'RE AT. AND THAT WILL BE DONE THROUGH TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS. THOSE PUBLIC MEETINGS WILL BE DONE ONE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS TO UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITIES OF THE COMMUNITY. 
          WHAT DO THEY WANT TO SEE OUT OF THEIR PARK SYSTEM? AND THEN ONE WILL BE ALSO CONDUCTED TOWARDS THE END TO DELIVER FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS OR DRAFT FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL. TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, WE'LL HOLD THREE STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS. THOSE STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS WILL BE HELD THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT, ONE TO REVIEW WHAT THE PROJECT TEAM IS, IS LOOKING AT AS WELL AS POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS. WE'LL ALSO HOLD THREE FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS. THESE WILL BE TARGETED FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL ADVOCACY GROUPS AS WELL. AND AGAIN, I'LL TOUCH ON EACH ONE OF THOSE THREE A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE PRESENTATION. AS PART OF THIS PLANNING PROCESS, WE'LL ALSO CONDUCT A COMMUNITY WIDE SURVEY. THAT COMMUNITY WIDE SURVEY WILL HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT WILL ASK THE, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THEIR PARK SYSTEM. AND THIS IS ONE THAT WE DO AS PART OF ALL OUR PARK MASTER PLANNING EFFORTS TO UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND THEN, SIMILAR TO THE DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN, WE'LL ALSO HOLD PROJECT WEBSITE, WHERE ALL THE INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE TO COMMUNITY RESIDENTS, AS WELL AS TO ALL TO YOU, ALL TO REVIEW IN A TIMELY MANNER. AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, THROUGH THIS PLANNING PROCESS, THE TASK FOR, WILL RELATE IT TO WILL BUILD OFF OF TASK TWO AND THREE AS IT RELATES TO THE EXISTING CONDITIONS AND NEEDS AND NEEDS ANALYSIS, AS WELL AS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. SO TASK FOUR WILL BE PRIMARILY A SUMMARIZATION OF ONE WHAT WE HEARD AND WHAT WE WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS. AND SO WE'LL LOOK AT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PARK SYSTEM AND NOT ONLY PARK SYSTEM NEEDS BUT ALSO PRIORITIZATION OF THOSE NEEDS THINKING BOTH SHORT TERM AS WELL AS LONG TERM. FOR THE PARK SYSTEM, WE ARE TASKED WITH DOING CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT, CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS FOR THE PARK SYSTEM. SO BASED OFF OF OUR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, IF THERE ARE PARKS THAT ARE SORT OF A PRIORITY PARK FOR THE RESIDENTS, WE WILL BE DOING SORT OF A DEEPER DIVE LOOK OF WHAT THAT PARK COULD LOOK LIKE. SO WE'LL PRODUCE SOME CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS THAT RELATE TO ONE, WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE PARK, AND BE ABLE TO VISUALIZE THAT IF THIS IS WHAT COULD HAPPEN AT THOSE PARKS. AGAIN, WE HAVE NOT THOUGHT THROUGH SORT OF WHAT THOSE PARKS ARE. WE'RE WANTING TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY OF WHERE SOME OF THOSE PARK NEEDS ARE AND WHERE THE OPPORTUNITIES MAY LIE. OUR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WILL BE PRIMARILY FOCUSED AGAIN AROUND THE TIME FRAME, OF SHORT, MEDIUM AND LONG TERM IMPROVEMENTS AND THEN DEVELOPING ORDER OF MAGNITUDE COST ESTIMATES FOR THOSE PARK IMPROVEMENTS. THESE WILL BE, SLATED, NOT ONLY LOOKING AT THE CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT FOR ALL THE PARKS IN IN THE CITY, BUT ALSO FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL . WE'LL ALSO PROVIDE REGULATORY 
          [01:20:06]
UPDATES. SO THIS AND I'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL REGARDING CITY ORDINANCE POLICIES AS WELL AS THE DESIGN MANUAL. WHAT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED ON THE POLICY SIDE TO HELP IMPROVE THE PARK SYSTEM AS WELL? SOME OF THE DELIVERABLES INCLUDE WHAT I JUST SAID HAD BRIEFLY STATED OVER WITH THE RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY, AS WELL AS PRIORITIZATION CRITERIA MOVING FORWARD. AND THEN OUR LAST TASK WILL BE WRAPPING IT ALL UP INTO A DRAFT REPORT AND FINAL REPORT PROCESS. AND THAT WILL BE DONE IN THE FEBRUARY MARCH TIME FRAME. WE'LL START TO DRAFT THE REPORT AND YOU'LL SEE SECTIONS AND BE PROVIDED UPDATES TO THAT THROUGHOUT THE 12 MONTH PLANNING PROCESS. BUT FROM NOVEMBER TO MARCH, WE'LL START TO DRAFT THAT FINAL DOCUMENT AND THEN PRESENT TO YOU ALL IN THE FEBRUARY MARCH TIME FRAME FOR THAT FINAL REPORT AND APPROVAL AND ADOPTION AS WELL, TO GO THROUGH BRIEFLY WHAT THAT PROJECT SCHEDULE IS. WE ARE A MONTH INTO THE PROJECT, SO I THINK WE'VE HELD OUR KICKOFF MEETING WITH KENNETH AS WELL AS OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CITY, TO GO OVER ONE, THE SCOPE OF SERVICES, AS WELL AS START TO FORMULATE SOME OF THOSE INITIAL TASKS WHICH THE MAIN ONE BEING THE STEERING COMMITTEE. THE STEERING COMMITTEE IS ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE FORMED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS, AND ONE HELPS GUIDE THE PROCESS MOVING FORWARD. SO WE ARE INTO THE MAY TIME FRAME, AND WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE CITY TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL UPCOMING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, BOTH WITH THE COMMUNITY SURVEY GOING LIVE, THE PROJECT WEBSITE BEING LIVE AS WELL, AS WELL AS ATTENDING THE UPCOMING JULY 4TH EVENT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ONE INTRODUCE THE PLAN TO THE PUBLIC AND HOPEFULLY GET FEEDBACK AT THE JULY 4TH EVENT AS WELL. BUT YOU CAN SEE EACH OF THOSE TASKS ARE BROKEN OUT, THROUGH THIS 12 MONTH PROCESS AND HOPEFULLY BY THIS TIME MARCH OF 2025, WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU A FINAL PLAN. 
          AND Y'ALL ARE ABLE TO MOVE SOME OF THAT FORWARD INTO THE BUDGETING PROCESS, FOR BOTH THE SHORT TERM AS WELL AS LONG TERM OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY'S PARK SYSTEM. GOING INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL IN REGARDS TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AND AS YOU ALL, WELL KNOW, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS VITAL TO THE PLANNING PROCESS. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE MET THROUGH THIS, THEIR PARK NEEDS ARE MET THROUGH THIS PROCESS. WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR PARK NEEDS ARE SO THAT WE CAN ALIGN OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WITH WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE OUT OF THEIR PARK SYSTEM. OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS WILL BE TWO OPEN HOUSE STYLE MEETINGS TO GATHER INFORMATION AND THEN DISCUSS PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS. AND AS I MENTIONED, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE ONGOING CITYWIDE EVENTS LIKE SUCH AS THE JULY 4TH, AS WELL, AS I HEARD RECENTLY, OCTOBERFEST, THOSE ARE EVENTS THAT WE PRIMARILY TAG ALONG TO, OR HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO TAG ALONG, TO MEET THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY ARE. WE FIND THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS, IS FAR MORE BENEFICIAL THAN HOLDING A, A PUBLIC MEETING, STANDALONE PUBLIC MEETING AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY WILL ALSO BE LIVE, HOPEFULLY IN THE JUNE TIME FRAME FOR AT LEAST TWO MONTHS TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING. 
          AGAIN, THESE ARE LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT ASK FOR COMMUNITY'S INPUT, AS WELL AS COLLECT INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THEIR PARK SYSTEM, AS WELL AS THE AMENITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AS WELL. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO HAVE OUR STEERING COMMITTEE, WHICH I HAD TOUCHED ON A LITTLE BIT, BEING SORT OF THE VITAL SORT OF PIECE IN THIS PROCESS, THE ONE OF THE FIRST PIECES THAT DOES GET FORMED, THIS STEERING COMMITTEE IS, IS REALLY THE CHAMPIONS OF THE PLAN. AND THOSE THAT WILL BE HELPFUL IN IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS MOVING FORWARD. AS YOU KNOW, A CONSULTANT, WE ARE ONLY HERE FOR THE 12 MONTH PROCESS AND I THINK LEADING FORWARD AFTER THAT 12 MONTH PROCESS, THESE THE STEERING COMMITTEE WILL BE THOSE THAT HELP CHAMPION THESE PROJECTS, MOVE FORWARD AND HELP TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS. THIS IS A 12 TO 15 MEMBER COMMITTEE. THIS COMMITTEE IS PRIMARILY BASED UP, AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME POTENTIAL MEMBERS FOR THAT COMMITTEE, POTENTIAL STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS THERE THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITY AND REPRESENT THE CITY'S COMMUNITY RESIDENTS. THEY'RE PRIMARILY, THERE TO GUIDE THE PLANS DIRECTION. AND SO THEY'LL BE THE FIRST ONES TO VET NOT ONLY THE ANALYSIS THAT'S COMPLETED, THE CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT, BUT ALSO LOOK AT POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND REALLY BE THAT SOUNDING BOARD FOR HOW THE HOW OUR CONSULTANT, YOU KNOW, THE TEAM IS LOOKING AT POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS MOVING FORWARD. AND AGAIN, THIS GROUP IS A INTENDED TO BE A DIVERSE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. AND I THINK WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL VOICES OF THE COMMUNITY ARE HEARD. AND YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THOSE POTENTIAL MEMBERS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE PARK SYSTEM SHOULD BENEFIT EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT GOES NOT ONLY TO OUR RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS WELL AS REGIONAL BODIES AS WELL. HOW CAN WE WORK WITH OUR PARTNER AGENCIES TO, DEVELOP A PARK SYSTEM THAT NOT ONLY BENEFITS RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO THOSE THAT ARE VISITING THE CITY, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS OR FOR EVENTS THAT HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AS PART OF THAT, ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WILL BE 
          [01:25:02]
FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS. AND THOSE FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS WILL BE SIMILAR TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS. THIS PRIMARILY WILL BE TARGETED GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL BE DONE, SORT OF ONE ON ONE CONVERSATIONS OR MORE SMALLER GROUP SETTINGS. THIS WILL BE DONE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS, PRIMARILY DURING THE JUNE AND JULY TIME FRAMES IS WHENEVER WE WILL BE CONDUCTING THESE FOCUS GROUPS. AGAIN. WE'VE LISTED SOME POTENTIAL MEMBERS OF WHO CAN BE INVOLVED IN THESE FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS. AND THIS IS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A DEEPER DIVE INTO SORT OF THE NUANCES OF THE PARK SYSTEM. WHILE THE STEERING COMMITTEE WILL HELP GUIDE THE PLAN THROUGHOUT THE 12 MONTH PROCESS THAT WILL BE SET UP, MEETINGS FOR THE STEERING COMMITTEE, THE FOCUS GROUP WILL BE SORT OF AT THE ONSET TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW CAN WE START TO TAILOR OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH? HOW CAN WE START TO TAILOR OUR POTENTIAL ANALYSIS OF THE PARK SYSTEM AND REALLY GAUGE, FROM THESE FOCUS GROUPS, HOW OUR PROJECT TEAM WILL LOOK AT THE PARK SYSTEM AS A WHOLE? AND AGAIN, THESE FOCUS GROUPS ARE ARE REPRESENTATIVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND WILL BE INVOLVED THROUGHOUT THE PLANNING PROCESS AND CAN TAKE PART, NOT ONLY IN THESE FOCUS GROUPS, BUT HOPEFULLY IN THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH AS WELL IN BOTH THE STEERING COMMITTEE AS WELL AS FOCUS GROUP MEMBERS AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC, ARE TRULY AMBASSADORS OF THIS PLAN, AND WE HOPE THAT THEY'RE CHAMPIONS AND CAN CONTINUE TO ENGAGE AND GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE PARKS MASTER PLANNING PROCESS AS WELL. 
          AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, AS I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WILL ALSO CONSIST OF A PROJECT WEBSITE AS WELL AS A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN. YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE DEVELOPED ON THE SCREEN OR DEVELOPED AS PART OF THIS PLAN. IN THE TOP RIGHT THERE, REPRESENTS SOME OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGERY AND WHAT WE PLAN TO DO AS PART OF THAT PROCESS. WE PLAN TO HAVE A SERIES OF SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS THAT WILL GO OUT, PRIMARILY IN THAT FIRST MONTH LEADING UP TO THE FIRST PUBLIC MEETING, ONE TO GET THE COMMUNITY AWARE THAT A PARKS MASTER PLAN PROCESS IS HAPPENING, AS WELL AS WAYS IN WHICH THEY CAN GET INVOLVED, AS WELL. THIS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE COMMUNITY SURVEY AND RELATE BACK TO THE PROJECT WEBSITE, WHICH WE ARE COORDINATING WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO DEVELOP THAT PROJECT WEBSITE, AS WELL AS PUT UP THE ASSOCIATED INFORMATION WITH THAT, THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLANNING PROCESS AS WELL. IN ADDITION, AS I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE CITY LONG TERM? AND I THINK THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A PARKS MASTER PLAN IS SETTING THAT LONG TERM VISION. WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO WITH THE PARK SYSTEM, REALIZING THAT INVESTMENTS CAN'T BE MADE SORT OF JUST HAPPENSTANCE, OR WE GOT A PHONE CALL. SO HOW DOES THAT HOW DO WE RELATE TO THE FUNDING AND RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE AT THE CITY TO DIRECT THAT LONG TERM VISION, ALIGNING THE BUDGET WITH THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT? AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S CRITICAL TO GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THEIR PARK SYSTEM, WHAT TYPES OF AMENITIES AS WELL AS THE FACILITIES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND THEN START TO ALIGN THE BUDGET WITH SOME OF WHAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS POSE. AND THEN AGAIN, IDENTIFYING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. AS MENTIONED BEFORE, THAT STEERING COMMITTEE WILL BE ONE CHAMPION OF THE PLAN, AS WELL AS THE FOCUS GROUPS WILL ALSO BE ONES THAT WILL LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIP AND FUNDING RESOURCES, AS WELL AS STATEWIDE, LOCAL, REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. YOU CAN SEE THERE IN THE SORT OF RIGHT HAND SORT OF TEXT, THERE ARE HALF, OR HALF EXPERIENCE IN TERMS WE HAVE DO HAVE GRANT MANAGEMENT AND WE HAVE RECEIVED NEARLY 3 MILLION IN TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE GRANTS, 100 MILLION IN TRAIL AND ENHANCEMENT RELATED FUNDING IN NEARLY 250 MILLION IN SUCCESSFUL BOND INITIATIVES FOR PARKS, IN TRAIL INITIATIVES. AND THAT'S ONE THAT WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN, OF NOT ONLY IDENTIFYING THAT VISIONARY ELEMENT FOR THE PARK SYSTEM AND FOR PARKS, IN GENERAL WITHIN CITIES AND JURISDICTIONS WHERE WE WORK. BUT ALSO IDENTIFYING THE FUNDING THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT, REALIZING THAT THERE IS PLENTY OF OUTSIDE FUNDING THAT IS AVAILABLE, AND TAPPING INTO THAT FUNDING IS KEY MOVING FORWARD. AND THAT'S SOMETHING OUR OUR TEAM WORKS WITH OUR GRANT ADMINISTRATION GROUP WITHIN HALF TO ALIGN PROJECTS WITH THOSE FUNDING SOURCES SO THAT YOU ALL, CAN SET UP FOR SUCCESS MOVING THAT FORWARD. AND AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S TWO RENDERINGS THERE AT THE BOTTOM THAT REPRESENTS SORT OF THAT CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT. BOTH OF THOSE ARE CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS THAT WE'VE DONE FOR CLIENTS IN THE PAST THAT HAVE HELPED THEM IN THE PROCESS OF THEIR GRANT FUNDING, TO STATE THAT THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THAT VETTING PROCESS OF WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE. THIS IS WHAT SOME OF THESE PARK SYSTEMS PARK IMPROVEMENTS COULD LOOK LIKE AS WELL. AND AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT'S SIMILAR TO WHAT OUR CONCEPTUAL PLANNING, RENDERINGS WILL LOOK LIKE FOR, FOR THIS PROCESS MOVING FORWARD AND THEN TOUCHING ON A LITTLE BIT, AS I HAD MENTIONED, TASKS FIVE OR TASKS, FIVE IN THE PROCESS WAS RELATED TO RECOMMENDATION ACTIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION TASK FOUR. APOLOGIES WAS RECOMMENDED. RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION. ONE OF THOSE WAS A CITYWIDE ORDINANCE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES TO, IMPROVE THE ORDINANCES AT THE CITY. ONE BEING A PARKLAND DEDICATION ORDINANCE. THIS IS SOMETHING OUR TEAM WILL BE LOOKING AT AS PART OF THIS PROCESS. THIS WILL MORE THAN LIKELY OCCUR TOWARDS THE 
          [01:30:04]
END OF THE PROCESS, AND CREATING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF ONE. WHAT IS IT THAT YOU NEED TO INCLUDE IN THAT PARK? DEDICATION ORDINANCE, AND HOW DO WE GO ABOUT DRAFTING THAT LANGUAGE? WE'VE DONE THIS IN SEVERAL CITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS, OF DRAFTING THAT ORDINANCE LANGUAGE, AND AGAIN, BRINGING IT AS PART OF THE PARKS MASTER PLANNING EFFORT FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD IN THE PROCESS AS WELL. AND AS PART OF THAT, THE PARKLAND DEDICATION INCLUDES SEVERAL MINIMUM PROVISIONS THAT ARE PART OF THAT, INCLUDING PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY, LOCATION AND DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS, FEE AND LOU DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, AND THEN A PARK DEVELOPMENT FEE. SO THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS TO CONSIDER AS WE LOOK AT PARK DEDICATION ORDINANCES, AS WELL AS REVISING ORDINANCES CITYWIDE AS IT RELATES TO THE PARK MASTER PLANNING EFFORT. BUT THESE ARE THE MINIMUM THINGS THAT OUR OUR TEAM WILL BE LOOKING AT. AND AGAIN, THE TASK TWO DEVELOPING SORT OF THAT EXISTING CONDITIONS, THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT WILL SET US UP FOR SORT OF HOW WE DRAFT THAT POTENTIAL PARKLAND DEDICATION, WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE CITY AND WHAT THAT WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THAT PARKLAND DEDICATION WITH THAT. THAT'S SORT OF A BRIEF OVERVIEW. I THINK, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE IN MONTH TWO OF A 12 MONTH PROCESS, AND I THINK WE'RE, HOPING TO FORMALIZE OUR STEERING COMMITTEE HERE PRETTY SOON AND THEN HOPEFULLY BRING TO YOU ALL THE FIRST LINE OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH EFFORTS WITH THE PROJECT WEBSITE, COMMUNITY SURVEY, AND THEN UPCOMING, PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE. I'LL PAUSE AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. COUNCILMAN DARIO AND THEN COUNCILMAN TURNER, YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT YOU MAY COME DOWN FOR, ADVISORS TO COME DOWN FOR A JUNETEENTH AND MARDI GRAS, MATTER OF FACT, JUNETEENTH IS COMING UP, AND WITHIN THE NEXT THREE WEEKS, AND IT'S EASY TO FIND IT'LL BE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE THAT YOU COULD TALK TO AND KIND OF GET A FEEL FOR AND ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE. WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL CHOOSES, OR WOULD THAT BE THE PARKS COMMITTEE, OR HOW WOULD THAT GO? SO WE HAVE WORKED WITH KENNETH TO DEVELOP THAT LIST OF MEMBERS. THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL. WE'VE WORKED WITH ENTITIES IN THE PAST THAT HAVE GONE FORWARD WITH THE STEERING COMMITTEE THAT HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, NOT APPROVED BY COUNCIL, BUT HAS BEEN A DIVERSE GROUP OF REPRESENTATIVES WITHIN THE CITY. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AS A CONSULTANT. COMING IN IS MAKING SURE THAT THAT STEERING COMMITTEE IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDES SOME OF THOSE KEY MEMBERS THAT WILL BE CHAMPIONS OF THE PLAN. MOVING FORWARD. BUT I THINK, KENNETH OR OTHERS CAN PROBABLY SPEAK TO WHETHER THAT NEEDS TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL OR NOT. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE FOR COUNCIL TO BE INVOLVED IN, MAYOR AND MISTER MANAGER IN THAT STEERING COMMITTEE, WE ALREADY HAVE MEMBERS APPOINTED TO THE PARKS COMMITTEE THAT THAT THAT KIND OF DO THIS ALREADY. AND, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO BE INVOLVED IN APPOINTING THAT COMMITTEE. 
          MISTER MAYOR. ALSO, ARE Y'ALL GOING TO DO ANYTHING INVOLVING THE GOLF COURSE AND DRAINAGE AND STUFF LIKE THAT? I THINK WE'VE ALREADY DONE A DRAINAGE STUDY OUT THERE. SO AS IT RELATES TO THE GOLF COURSE, WE WON'T DO A DEEP DIVE INTO THE GOLF COURSE. SIMILAR TO THE AQUATIC FACILITIES. WE WILL NOT BE DOING A DEEP, DEEP DIVE INTO THE AQUATIC FACILITIES JUST BECAUSE, AS YOU MENTIONED, IT REQUIRES A WHOLE NOTHER SET OF LENS. LOOKING AT AT THAT SYSTEM AND THOSE HOW IT INTERRELATES INTO THE PARK SYSTEM. BUT WE WILL BE DOING A HIGH LEVEL LOOK AT IT AND THEN COORDINATING WITH KENNETH AND THE PARKS DIRECTOR TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT'S CURRENTLY BEING DONE. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND INCORPORATING THAT INTO THE PARKS MASTER PLAN AS WELL. OKAY. WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE YOU WORKED IN, AS YOU HAVE? THAT WE COULD MAYBE GO ONLINE AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE STUFF YOU WERE INVOLVED IN. YEAH. SO HALF AGAIN IS KNOWN FOR OUR PARKS AND TRAILS MASTER PLANNING, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH, THE CITY OF BUDA WAS A RECENT, CITY THAT THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR. IT DOES, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE'VE JUST COMPLETED CITY OF PEARLAND PARKS MASTER PLAN, JUST IN HOUSTON, AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, A LOT OF OUR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS DO A LOT OF THE DESIGN WORK FOR PARKS AND ENTITIES. SO WORKING WITH THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD AS WELL AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE'VE WORKED STATEWIDE DEVELOPING A TRAILS MASTER PLAN SO I CAN SEND SOME EXAMPLES TO KENNETH, AND HE CAN SEND THOSE TO YOU ALL AS WELL OF WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MAYOR, EVEN WITH STEERING COMMITTEE, I KIND OF PIGGYBACK OFF CHRIS, I DO THINK SOMETHING THIS BIG. WE LIKE TO AT LEAST KIND OF KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND NOT NOT BE INVOLVED AT ALL IN THE PROCESS, MY SECOND QUESTION IS, I SEEN YOU SAID SURVEY. HOW DO YOU SURVEY THE COMMUNITY? LIKE HOW HOW HAVE YOU DONE THAT IN THE PAST? CAN YOU KIND OF SPEAK TO WHAT'S YOUR STRATEGIES WHEN IT COMES TO THAT? YEAH, SO WE LIKE TO START EARLY. AND I THINK AS I MENTIONED, SORT OF WITH SOME EVENTS COMING UP LIKE JUNETEENTH STARTING TO DEVELOP THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN THAT GOES WITH IT. SO KNOWING THAT THE CITY HAS SOCIAL MEDIA 
          [01:35:02]
AVAILABILITY AS WELL AS HAS OTHER WAYS OF BROADCASTING OUT TO COMMUNITY RESIDENTS, WE PRIMARILY DO IT THROUGH ONLINE SORT OF INTERACTIVE. SURVEY MONKEY IS ONE THAT WE'VE USED AND ONE THAT WE WILL USE MOVING FORWARD FOR THIS SURVEY, BUT WE DO SORT OF MEET THE PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE. SO WE'VE DEVELOPED SORT OF BUSINESS CARDS AS WELL AS FLIERS THAT CAN BE POSTED THROUGHOUT TOWN, CAN BE POSTED IN THE PARKS THEMSELVES AS WELL. SO PEOPLE THAT DO COME AND VISIT THE PARKS, THEY CAN SEE THAT THERE IS A PARK SURVEY GOING ON, AND THEN CONTINUE THAT COMMUNICATION. SO WE'VE DEVELOPED A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN AND COMMUNICATED THAT TO THE CITY TO ONE, GET THE WORD OUT THAT THE PARKS MASTER PLAN PROCESS IS GOING ON, AS WELL AS THERE IS A COMMUNITY SURVEY TO PARTICIPATE. AND I THINK AS PART OF THE PROJECT TEAM, WE DO REALIZE THAT WE'RE IN THE SUMMER MONTHS RIGHT NOW. AND SO I THINK WHILE EVERYONE'S TAKING VACATION , WE TYPICALLY LIKE TO KEEP A SURVEY OPEN FOR 1 TO 2 MONTHS. BUT KNOWING THAT WE'RE IN THE SUMMER MONTHS, MORE THAN LIKELY WE'LL KEEP IT OPEN LONGER. ONE TO GET THAT SORT OF FEEDBACK AND RESPONSE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AS PART OF THIS PLAN. SO AGAIN, STARTING EARLY, HOPEFULLY EARLY JUNE WITH THE COMMUNITY SURVEY AND THEN ENDING TOWARDS THE JULY AUGUST TIME FRAME WITH THAT SURVEY. YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD IN AUGUST. YOU KNOW, WHEN ALL THOSE KIDS GET BACK TO SCHOOL, MAYBE WE CAN UTILIZE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SOME OF OUR, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO KIND OF CATCH THEM WITH THAT EXCITEMENT OF GOING BACK TO SCHOOL. I THINK IT'D BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO CAPITALIZE ON THAT. WITH THAT SURVEY. MONKEY. YEAH. AND I THINK TO YOUR POINT, AGAIN, I THINK THE STEERING COMMITTEE, FOCUS GROUPS AND EVEN YOU ALL HERE TODAY, YOU ALL ARE CHAMPIONS OF THE PLAN MOVING FORWARD. AND I THINK WE ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE SURVEY, ABOUT THE PLANNING PROCESS. AND THEN AS WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE WORD, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ONE, THIS PLAN IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY, THEIR NEEDS AND THEIR WANTS FOR THE PARK SYSTEM, NEXT QUESTION IS WILL PEOPLE BE ALLOWED TO GIVE FEEDBACK ONLINE? AND IT WOULD BE, WILL IT BE LIMITED TO BEAUMONT RESIDENTS? ONE ISSUE WE DEAL WITH A LOT IN BEAUMONT, A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT BEAUMONT DON'T LIVE HERE. SO WE'LL FEEDBACK BE GIVEN ONLINE AND HOW WILL WE MAKE SURE WE TARGETING BEAUMONT RESIDENTS AND JUST NOT PEOPLE SAYING THINGS THAT ACTUALLY IT WON'T IMPACT THE COMMUNITY? YEAH, I THINK I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT WILL BE POSTED ON THE PROJECT WEBSITE. TYPICALLY WE LIKE TO HAVE A QUESTIONNAIRE THERE AS WELL, BUT OUR SURVEY DOES, I BELIEVE, QUESTION 2 OR 3 SAYS, DO YOU LIVE OR WORK IN BEAUMONT OR WHAT IS YOUR SORT OF WHAT IS YOUR REASON FOR BEING IN BEAUMONT? ARE YOU VISITING? ARE YOU JUST HERE FOR AN EVENT? SO WE DO ASK THAT QUESTION AT THE FOREFRONT AND THEN ARE ABLE TO SORT OF AT THE BACK END, START TO LOOK AT THESE ARE THE RESPONSES FROM THOSE THAT LIVE IN BEAUMONT. THESE ARE THE RESPONSES OF THOSE THAT MAY JUST VISIT BEAUMONT. SO WE ARE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT AGAIN. IT'S NOT ALL 100% CORRECT, BUT WE TRY AND CAPTURE IT THE BEST WAY WE CAN BY ASKING THAT QUESTION EARLY IN THE SURVEY. YEAH, JUST A CONCERN. WHEN WE LOOK AT BONDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IT'LL AFFECT THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY LIVE HERE. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A WAY TO IDENTIFY THAT DATA VERSUS, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE SOURCES VERSUS THE END. OF COURSE WE WANT TOURISM. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE BONDS WILL AFFECT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE LOCALLY. YES, SIR. AND PARKLAND DEDICATION ORDINANCE, I KIND OF WANT TO COMPLIMENT JUNE ELLIS BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT WAYS WE CAN, GENERATE MORE REVENUE IN BEAUMONT. WE CAME UP WITH THE BEAUTIFICATION FEE, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE PARKLAND DEDICATION FEE. I'M KIND OF GLAD IT'S COMING UP AGAIN. I WILL SAY MOST OF THE COUNCIL WAS 50 OVER 50 ON IT, BUT MAYBE NOW THIS WOULD BE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT IT BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING I DO SEE ALMOST IN CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES THAT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT. SO I'M GLAD NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE OF A THOROUGH DEEP DIVE. BUT COUNCIL WAS 50 OVER 50 ON IT. I DIDN'T I WOULDN'T SAY NOBODY WAS JUST HARDLY AGAINST IT. WE JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT AS MUCH. SO THIS WOULD BE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE EDUCATED MORE, GET MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK AND SEE WHAT ALL WE CAN DO WITH IT, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE INDUSTRY WE HAVE AROUND HERE. YES, AND I THINK ONE PARTICULAR THING WITH THE PARKLAND DEDICATION, IT CAN GO VARIOUS WAYS. AND THAT'S WHERE I SAY, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT IT TOWARDS THE END OF THE PROCESS WILL HELP US ONE UNDERSTAND WHAT TO PUT IN THAT PARKLAND DEDICATION, BECAUSE I THINK IT WILL START TO SORT OF DETERMINE WHAT IS IN THERE BASED OFF THE NEEDS AND EXISTING CONDITIONS, AND THEN WHAT YOU ALL MOVE FORWARD WITH OR APPROVE MOVING FORWARD WITH AS WELL. AND OUR TEAM HAS DONE THAT IN OTHER CITIES, AS WELL THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS IS WORKING ON THOSE PARKLAND DEDICATION SETTING UP THE CITY TO DRAFT THAT ORDINANCE MOVING FORWARD AS PART OF THE PART OF THE PROCESS, AND THAT PARKLAND DEDICATION FEES AND INCLUDED IN OUR INITIAL FEE OR IS THAT SOMETHING ADDITIONAL THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE IN THE INITIAL FEE? YES SIR. THAT'S A GOOD DEAL. LAST THING, I KIND OF WANT TO CRY THAT WE'RE SAYING IT'S GOING TO TAKE A YEAR BECAUSE THIS, THIS COUNCIL RECENTLY HAS KIND OF UPPED THE BUDGET WITH PARKS AND REC. WE LITERALLY INCREASED IT ALMOST OVER 100. AND TO KIND OF SLOW DOWN FOR A YEAR, I UNDERSTAND THE REASON TO SLOW DOWN, BUT JUST TO KIND OF MAKE THAT PAUSE FOR A YEAR, I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A PUSH BACK 
          [01:40:03]
FROM THE COMMUNITY FROM THAT STANDPOINT. SO THAT WAS ONE OF MY CONCERNS. I TALKED TO MR. RAGUET ABOUT I UNDERSTAND THINGS TAKE TIME, BUT WE JUST REALLY MADE A BIG SPLASH FOR PARKS AS A COUNCIL. AND TO COME BACK THIS BUDGET SEASON AND TELL THEM, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES FOR A YEAR FOR THE MASTER PLAN AT. THAT'LL BE A LOT TO DEAL WITH IN THE COMMUNITY. WELL, AND I THINK THERE WILL BE ONGOING WORK IN THE PARK SYSTEM. YOU KNOW, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, THIS WILL BE THAT LONG TERM VISION. SO WHAT DO WE DO OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS? AND THEN OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WILL START TO LOOK AT THAT 2 TO 3 YEAR TIME FRAME, THE 3 TO 5 YEAR. AND THEN 5 TO 10 YEAR TIME FRAME AS WELL WITH PARKS MASTER PLANS ARE TYPICALLY UPDATED EVERY FIVE YEARS, AND THEN A NEW ONE IS DONE EVERY TEN YEARS. SO THIS ONE BEING SORT OF THAT FIRST PARKS MASTER PLAN THAT WE'LL LOOK AT SORT OF WHAT ARE THE NEEDS, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS? AND THEN IN FIVE YEARS, THAT UPDATE PROCESS WILL SORT OF GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED IN THAT TIME FRAME AS WELL? AND I BELIEVE, WE DID HEAR THAT THERE HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THE PARK SYSTEM, AND I THINK THAT WILL ONLY HELP, AS THE COMMUNITY STARTS TO SEE SOME OF THOSE INVESTMENTS BEING DONE OVER THE NEXT YEAR TO SEE WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE IN THE PARK SYSTEM AS WE BRING IN ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES, OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRANTS FOR THE PARK SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS. APPRECIATE YOU. KEN. I'M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO HOW THAT WILL BE PRESENTED WITH YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING IN COMPARISON TO, YOU KNOW, AS LOGICAL TO LET THE STUDY BE COMPLETE. SO I'M JUST OPEN TO SEE HOW THE CITY PROPOSES US MOVING FORWARD ON THAT. BUT THANK YOU. YOU DID A GREAT PRESENTATION. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ONE COMMENT. MAYOR. 
          FULL DISCLOSURE, I WASN'T A PART OF THE SELECTION COMMITTEE FOR THIS GROUP. THEY JUST HAPPENED TO DO WORK IN BUDA AND, I THERE WAS A COMMITTEE OF CITY EMPLOYEES FORMED, AND THEY SELECTED THEM OUT OF THAT GROUP THROUGH A SCORING PROCESS, AND I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, YOU SAY SO. I'M ON RECORD SAYING SO. WELL, AND I KNOW THAT WE ARE ALREADY MAKING A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR PARKS, BUT I THINK THE, PAUSE IS IN TERMS OF BIG INVESTMENTS IS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM ACROSS THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THERE ARE SUCH LARGE NEEDS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESPONDING APPROPRIATELY. SO WE'RE I THINK WE'RE ALL VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PARK MASTER PLAN. THANK YOU. Y'ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY. YOU TOO. THANK YOU. NEXT MAYOR OF PARKS PROGRAM AND RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS. DURING 
          [3. Parks Programming/Recreational Programs ]
THE LAST WORKSHOP, THERE WAS A COMMENT ABOUT THE RECREATION AND PROGRAMING. SO TODAY WE HAVE, MISTER JIMMY NEAL HERE TO GIVE A REPORT ON THAT FOR COUNCIL. IF YOU SEE ME GRIMACE, IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THIS. I'VE GOT A CHARLIE HORSE IN MY HAMSTRING. I THOUGHT I GOT RID OF MY HAMSTRINGS, I KNOW I HAD THEM ANYMORE. THIS BODY, BUT. SO IF YOU SEE ME START DOING THIS, YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO WHAT WE'VE GOT IS WE'LL JUST KIND OF GO OVER WHAT WE CURRENTLY OFFER. THIS IS REALLY NONE OF THIS IS NEW TO YOU. YOU'VE HEARD THIS A FEW TIMES BEFORE, BUT WE'LL KIND OF REITERATE WHAT WE'VE GOT, WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY OFFERING, THE CITY SOFTBALL LEAGUE. WE DO A SPRING LEAGUE, A SUMMER LEAGUE, A FALL LEAGUE, SARAH RUNS TENNIS LEAGUES MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SOUTHEAST TEXAS PICKLEBALL LEAGUE NOW IS DOING SOME LEAGUES AS WELL OUT AT THE TENNIS CENTER AND THEN THIS SPRING WE HAD A YOUTH BASKETBALL LEAGUE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. WHAT I'VE INCLUDED HERE IS JUST SOME OF THE OTHER LOCAL SPORTS THAT GO ON THAT, THAT ARE NOT CITY SPONSORED. YOU'VE GOT AAU BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT BASKETBALL. I JUST PUT THAT IN THERE BECAUSE PEOPLE PLAY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NOT AAU, BEAUMONT YOUTH SOCCER CLUB HAS BEEN AROUND FOR PROBABLY CLOSE TO 50 YEARS. OTHER SELECT SOCCER CLUBS AS WELL. YOU'VE GOT LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL, YOU'VE GOT SELECT BASEBALL. IF YOU EVER PASS DOWN I-10 AND YOU SEE FORD PARK ON THE WEEKENDS, OBVIOUSLY BASEBALL IS BEING PLAYED A LOT. YOU'VE GOT LOCAL SWIM CLUBS, YOU'VE GOT SOUTHEAST TEXAS YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE. THAT'S ANOTHER ORGANIZATION THAT THAT PLAYS WITH A BUNCH OF SURROUNDING CITIES AS WELL. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. OKAY. YOU LIKE THOSE HOT DOGS? I FIGURED WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUMMER. THIS WOULD BE PRETTY COOL. SO I'M EXTREMELY CREATIVE. SUMMER CAMP. IT'S CERTAINLY PROVEN ACTIVITY CENTER. THAT'S BEGINNING IN TWO WEEKS, WE'VE GOT A SESSION ONE IN JUNE, SESSION TWO IN JULY, BEAUMONT TRACK CLUB. I'M SORRY. SOME WHAT? ALL, DOES THE SUMMER CAMP INCLUDE. I'LL ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITIES, OCCASIONALLY TAKE FIELD TRIPS HERE AND THERE, JUST DEPENDING UPON, WHAT IS OFFERED THAT WEEK, THEY CAN GO OUT TO THE POOLS, THEY HANG OUT IN THE PARK. I MEAN, IT'S THERE'S A LOT TO DO. IT'S HOUSED AT THE PRUITT CENTER, SO IT'S, 
          [01:45:04]
ALL DAY DEAL. SUPERVISED BY. WE'VE GOT RECREATIONAL DEPARTMENT. YES, SIR. WE'VE GOT, REC. WHAT ARE THEY CALLED? REC AIDES. I BELIEVE THAT WORK THAT WORKED JUST THE CAMP OVER THE SUMMER THAT WE HIRE, THAT THAT COME IN AND DO IT, AND WE'VE GOT A PERSON THAT DIRECTS IT, MANAGES, OVERSEES IT, AND WE CAP IT AT 75 KIDS PER SESSION AND USUALLY WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO FULL. HOW MANY SESSIONS? TWO SESSIONS, MONTH OF JUNE IS ONE MONTH OF JULY IS THE OTHER. ALL RIGHT. THEY GET BREAKFAST AND LUNCH AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU SIR. SO WE SAID TRACK CLUB, HAD OUR MEETING THIS PAST MONDAY. THEY'LL BE TAKING PLACE PRACTICES TWO DAYS A WEEK AT WESTBROOK HIGH SCHOOL, ALICE, KEITH AND MAGNOLIA POOLS. WE ALL KNOW WE'VE GOT THOSE TWO POOLS OPEN UP THIS WEEKEND. MOVIES IN THE PARK, WHICH OUR FIRST ONE WAS LAST WEEKEND OR LAST FRIDAY AT WUTHERING HEIGHTS, IF YOU REMEMBER, THE WEATHER WAS AWFUL, SO WE POSTPONED THAT ONE. WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE COMING UP HERE IN PROBABLY, I THINK, THREE WEEKS. I'VE GOT THE FLIER JUNE 7TH, CHARLTON-POLLARD PARK AND THEN THE ONE FROM LAST WEEK THAT WE MOVED IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE ON JUNE 14TH, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, WHICH, WHICH YOU GUYS ALL HEARD A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WHEN WE HAD THE MEETING WITH BISD, WHICH WAS VERY ENCOURAGING TO ME, WAS THEY TALKED ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE OFFERING OVER THE SUMMER, HOW THEY'VE GOT MULTIPLE CAMPUSES, CAMPUS IS OPEN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, OPEN GYM. THEY SAID SOMETHING ABOUT SOFTBALL, BASEBALL. I THINK THERE'S SOME FOOTBALL, THEY'RE SERVING LUNCH. I PROBABLY BREAKFAST AS WELL AT THOSE CAMPUSES. SO BISD IS REALLY KIND OF, IN MY OPINION, STEPPING UP WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BISD, I'D LIKE TO REALLY THANK, JACKIE, SIMEON AND THE REST OF THE STAFF OVER THERE BECAUSE WE REACHED OUT TO THEM EARLY THIS SPRING WITH, WITH LAUREN'S GROUP HERE WITH US, AND ASKED FOR A SURVEY IF THEY COULD SURVEY THIRD THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE PARENTS. AND SO WE HAD A LONG LIST OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT WE SAID IF WE OFFERED THIS, WOULD YOU PARTICIPATE? DO YOU CURRENTLY PARTICIPATE? HAD A LONG LIST OF ITEMS, OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WE SURVEYED, WE HAD 81 PEOPLE RESPOND, AND OF THOSE 81 THAT RESPONDED, I BELIEVE HALF OF THEM SAID THEY CURRENTLY PLAY BASKETBALL. AND WOULD PARTICIPATE IN BASKETBALL. OTHER SPORTS, LIKE WE SAID, TRACK, BASEBALL, FOOTBALL, SOME OTHER OFFERINGS. BUT THAT WAS THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO BEFORE, WITH BISD KIND OF PARTNERING WITH THEM ON THAT THANKFUL AGAIN TO JACKIE, JENNY, ANGELA AND ANGELO AND THEIR GROUP FOR ALLOWING US TO SEND THAT OVER TO THEM. WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM DOING THAT FOR US. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. HERE'S OUR, I GUESS, OUR, LOOKING AT THE YOUTH ACTIVITIES, DON'T WE OFFER A SUMMER YOUTH TENNIS CAMP AT THE TENNIS CENTER? WE HAVE IN YEARS PAST? I DON'T BELIEVE WE DID IT LAST YEAR, AND I'M NOT 100% CERTAIN IF IT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE THIS YEAR OR NOT. YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SO MANY OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE DOING IT. SAID I BELIEVE DOES SOME STUFF AS WELL. SO THEY MAY BE DOING IT SEPARATELY. I'M NOT 100% CERTAIN. COUNCILMAN I THINK WE ARE. WE NEED TO PROBABLY VERIFY AND CHECK ON THAT. SURE, WE CAN DO THAT. AND CAN WE WORK ON GETTING THE METRICS SO THAT WE COULD ALSO PROVIDE THAT TO THE CITIZENS IN TERMS OF OUR SOFTBALL, TENNIS, PICKLEBALL, BASKETBALL, THE TRACK CLUB, IN TERMS OF YEAR OVER YEAR PARTICIPATION, WHETHER SOMETHING'S INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY OR SOMETHING'S DECLINING. AND THEN THAT CAN ALSO HELP US POINT TO, HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GROW PROGRAMS THAT AREN'T GROWING SUFFICIENTLY OR HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND THE PROGRAMS THAT SEEM TO BE GROWING. AND MAYBE THEY'RE CLOSING TOO SOON AND NOT OFFERING, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CAPACITY. SO THAT FOR THE NEXT YEAR WE CAN PLAN THAT. SURE. THOSE THINGS ARE THERE IN OUR MONTHLY REPORTS THAT WE CITE. I'M JUST SAYING IN TERMS OF WE GET A LOT OF MONTHLY REPORTS, AND I DO KNOW THAT INFORMATION IS THERE. AND I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT IT. BUT IN TERMS OF FOR COUNCIL, FOR THE REVIEW. SURE. THANK YOU. MAYOR. JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT THE MAYOR IS SAYING, JUST OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, THE WHICH PROGRAMS WE HAVE, AS YOU SAY, ARE SUCCESSFUL AND WHICH OF THEM NEED SOME MORE WORK. AND DO YOU KNOW, SOME PROBABLY JUST DON'T NEED TO DO ANYMORE? WELL, WE DON'T DO A TON OF PROGRAMING, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, WE NEVER HAVE. WE'VE, WE'VE RUN THE ADULT SOFTBALL LEAGUE FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS, THOSE NUMBERS HAVE GONE DOWN, SOME OF IT DUE TO STORMS. SOME OF IT DUE TO COMPLEX FOR YOU. 
          REMEMBER, THE LIGHTS WERE DOWN FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, SO THAT REALLY CUT OUR NUMBERS BACK , WHAT WE'VE FOUND AND THIS ISN'T A LOCAL ISSUE. THIS IS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, A LOT OF ADULT SPORTS LEAGUES PER SE. THOSE NUMBERS HAVE GONE DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS. IF YOU PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT KIDS ARE DOING , KIDS DON'T JUST GO OUT TO THE BALL PARK ON THE WEEKEND ANYMORE. THEY DON'T JUST GO OUT AND SHOOT BASKETS OR GO OUT AND DO A PICK UP FOOTBALL GAME. 
          EVERYBODY'S ON TEAMS, EVERYBODY'S DOING TRAINING, EVERYBODY'S DOING INSTRUCTION, AND SO IT'S KIND OF CHANGED THE SORT OF THE BLUEPRINT FOR HOW YOU DO THINGS. IT'S KIDS ARE ALL 
          [01:50:10]
PLAYING SPORTS, BUT THEY'RE PLAYING THEM ORGANIZED. THEY DON'T JUST GO PLAY WITH THEIR BUDDIES LIKE THEY USED TO, LIKE WE DID, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES WE'D GO OUT TO THE BALLPARK, AND MOM DIDN'T CARE WHO YOU WERE GETTING WHERE YOU'RE GETTING YOUR WATER FROM. 
          THERE WAS A HOSE SOMEWHERE, AND YOU'RE GOING TO DRINK OUT OF THAT WATER HOSE. YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BRING 20 BUCKS WITH YOU. YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO KNOW WHO WAS GOING TO BE THERE. YOU JUST WENT AND YOU PLAYED ALL DAY AND THOSE THINGS HAVE CHANGED. SO AS FAR AS SAYING WHICH ONES OF OUR PROGRAMS ARE SUCCESSFUL OR NOT SUCCESSFUL, AND I WOULD I WOULD MORE OR LESS YOUTH THAN ADULTS. 
          YEAH MOST OF THE YOUTH PROGRAMING COUNCILMAN HAVE BEEN DONE. IT'S BEEN DONE BY OTHER ENTITIES, YOU KNOW, WE RECENTLY STARTED WITH THE LITTLE DRIBBLERS. IS THAT US? WE DIDN'T DO A LITTLE DRIBBLERS. WE TRIED TO DO A LEAGUE AND THE LEAGUE DID NOT MAKE. AND THEN WE DID A SPRING VERSION OF A LEAGUE THAT WAS DONE BY SOMEONE ELSE, AND THEY CAME AND USED OUR FACILITY, BUT IT WAS THE SAME TEAMS THAT WERE ALREADY TOGETHER, ESSENTIALLY TOURNAMENT TEAMS, AND JUST PLAYED AT OUR FACILITY, WHICH WAS GREAT. THEY GOT THAT OPPORTUNITY AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE WITH THE FLAG. FOOTBALL IS TRYING TO DO THAT FOR STARTING. THIS IS GOING TO BE A CITY PROGRAM. THE FLAG. YES, SIR. YES, SIR, YOU SEE, THE ESTIMATED COST OF $8,000 AGAIN, THAT'S JUST AN ESTIMATE WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST FOR PEOPLE TO REFEREE THE GAMES. ABOUT 2500. AGAIN, ESTIMATED COST FOR EQUIPMENT. BECAUSE WHEN THE WHEN THE KIDS SIGN UP FOR THIS NFL FLAG PROGRAM, THEY GET THEIR FLAG AND EACH TEAM GETS A FOOTBALL. SO THERE'S NOT A TON OF EQUIPMENT AS FAR AS GAMEPLAY EQUIPMENT. WE'VE GOT TO GET PYLONS AND YOU ASSUME WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST TO PAINT THE FIELDS AND DO ALL THE PREP WORK, WE HAVE ENTERED, FOR OUR BUDGET REQUEST, AND YOU'LL SEE THE SAME THING FOR BASKETBALL IN THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'VE ENTERED REQUEST FOR FULL TIME AND PART TIME STAFF THAT WE BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO RUN THIS EVENT OR THIS. HOW'S THE REGISTRATION BEEN GOING SO FAR FOR THIS? NOT GREAT, NOT GREAT. THE NUMBERS ARE DOWN. AND THAT'S HONESTLY THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED THE FIRST TIME YOU DO ONE. IT'S PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BE THE FIRST ONES TO DO SOMETHING. THEY WANT TO SEE HOW IT WORKS. AND UNFORTUNATELY IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THE FIRST TIME, YOU CAN'T SEE THAT. SO THERE, THERE EMAILS. WE'VE POSTN ALL OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, ON OUR WEBSITE, DOING ALL THE COMMUNICATION WE CAN. I'VE HAD TONS OF PEOPLE ASK ME ABOUT IT AND I'VE TOLD THEM ALL IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT, LET'S DO IT. 
          AND PEOPLE TEND TO WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE ANYWAY, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT LAST MINUTE INFLUX OF KIDS COMES IN AND SIGNS UP. COUNCILMAN GETS HAVE YOU CONSIDERED PASSING OUT FLIERS AT THE SCHOOLS WE'VE GIVEN INFORMATION TO THE SCHOOLS EARLIER ON, BUT HAVE YOU ACTUALLY PROVIDED FLIERS THAT CAN BE DISTRIBUTED TO KIDS IN THE CLASSROOMS WE'VE WORKED WITH, LIKE WE SAID, WITH JENNY ANGELO WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS AND SENT THE INFORMATION OVER TO THEM. SO YOU'RE RELYING ON BUSD TO COPY AND DO ALL YOUR PROMOTION WORK? I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT THAT WE'RE RELYING ON SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT. WHEN WE USED TO GIVE THEM FLIERS, WE KIND OF WERE TOLD THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT ANYMORE. SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM THE BEST WE CAN. THEY DON'T WANT TO PASS OUT FLIERS. I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T REALLY ANSWER TO THAT. COUNCILMAN TURNER, JUST JUST SOMETHING THAT I JUST WANT CLARIFY ON. I KNOW WE SAID THE LEAGUE THAT HAPPENED, WE MARKETED IT AS A CITY OF BEAUMONT LEAGUE, AND I WAS JUST SAID I WAS JUST TOLD IT WAS AN OUTSIDE GROUP. SO OUR MOST RECENT LEAGUE THAT THAT WE DID HAVE WITH BASKETBALL WAS AT AN OUTSIDE GROUP OR WAS IT A CITY OF BEAUMONT LEAGUE? IT WAS STACEY LEAGUE, THE BELOVED LEAGUE THAT TOOK PLACE ELSEWHERE. AND THEN THEY USED OUR FACILITY TO PLAY THEIR GAMES. SO MY REASON I'M ASKING THIS IS WE MARKETED THAT AS A CITY OF BEAUMONT LEAGUE, SO IT'S STILL NOT. SO WE'RE SAYING IT WASN'T THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. WE DID IT ON OUR WEBSITE. WE MARKETED IT AS SUCH AND IT DID NOT MAKE NO ONE SIGNED UP FOR IT. SO WE SORT OF RIGGED, GATHERED AND OFFERED UP AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO USE IT. AND THEN THEY USED OUR THEY USED THE GYM. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THAT'S THERE'S THE BASKETBALL LEAGUE THAT THAT WE PUT UP LAST YEAR, THE COST FOR REFEREES THIS IS HIGHER THAN WE ESTIMATED. WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE ABOUT 5000. IT COST US MORE THAN THAT THIS SPRING TO DO IT, SO THERE'S YOUR ESTIMATED $8,000 COST, 5500 FOR EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS BASKETBALLS AND WHATEVER ELSE HAS TO GO ON, TO PREPARE FOR THE LEAGUE. AGAIN, AS I TALKED ABOUT WITH THE LAST SLIDE, STAFF REQUEST OR ENTERED IN FOR OUR BUDGET REQUEST. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND WHAT YOU'VE GOT HERE IS JUST KIND OF A REITERATION OF WHAT WE'VE GOT IN OUR PARK SYSTEM THERE, RECREATION PROGRAM 
          [01:55:05]
OPPORTUNITIES. OBVIOUSLY THE COMMUNITY CENTERS, WE HAD A COUPLE OF DISC GOLF COURSES, HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS, THE SKATE PARK OVER BY THE LAKESIDE CENTER , SPLASH PADS, TEN OF THEM THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND THE STABLES AND BRIDLE PATH OUT AT TRAIL PARK. I BELIEVE THAT'S THE LAST SLIDE. YES, SIR. WHAT'S THE STATUS ON GETTING THE BRIDLE PATHS COMPLETED, MR. RAGUET, DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES FOR YOU OR. WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT. IT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS. YOU KNOW, I WISH WE HAD PEOPLE THAT WE COULD DEDICATE. THAT'S ALL THEY DO. BUT WE BASICALLY GET OUT THERE WHEN WE CAN, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE LOWER BACK AREA, WHICH USUALLY HOLDS A LOT OF WATER. SO WE REALLY CAN'T GET INTO IT. BUT WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON IT, IF YOU'D LIKE, WE CAN GET A BUGGY AND WE CAN RIDE OUT THERE AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE GOT GOING ON OUT THERE. 
          BUT WE HAVE THE GUYS GO OUT THERE. THEY PROBABLY WORK ON IT, NO MORE THAN 3 TO 4 TIMES A MONTH. AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO. AND IT'S WE JUST CAN'T DEDICATE SOMEONE TO STAY OUT THERE TO DO IT. IF, I MEAN, IN ORDER TO FINISH THIS PROJECT, WHICH HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS NOW, WHAT'S IT GOING TO TAKE? I MEAN, WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ANYTIME SOON. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT CONTRACTING OUT, OR, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT. YEAH. DO WE HAVE A BUDGET AS TO HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST? I THOUGHT WE WERE BASICALLY USING MILLINGS FROM WHEN WE, TAKE A STREET AND OVERHAUL IT, AND THEN WE JUST SPREAD THAT OUT. WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? THAT'S WHAT WE USE. BUT IT'S REALLY A SLOW PROCESS. I THINK IF YOU COME OUT THERE AND MEET WITH ME, YOU COULD SEE HOW LONG THE PROCESS TAKES, YOU KNOW, TO EVEN PUT 200FT OUT THERE. YOU'RE BASICALLY SCOOPING IT ONE TIME, DRIVING IT ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE END OF THE ROAD, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD CONTRACT IT OUT, I COULD GET BIDS ON THAT. WE DO HAVE THE MILLINGS ALREADY PILED UP FOR FREE, SO IT'S ALL THERE. IT'S JUST THAT THE MANPOWER TO BE DEDICATED TO DO THAT. MR. MANAGER, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO MAYBE TRY TO LOOK AT DOING? BECAUSE AT THE RATE WE'RE GOING, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME TO FINISH THAT BRIDLE PATH. THAT'S PART OF THE COMMENT. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER OKAY, SO, TALKING ABOUT MAYBE CONTRACT, WE'VE GOT THE MATERIAL THERE, WHAT WE DON'T SEEM TO HAVE IS, ENOUGH DEDICATED LABOR TO GET IT SPREAD . AND WHAT I'M HEARING FROM MR. FRECHETTE IS PART OF THE REASON WHY IS THAT YOU. I GUESS YOU TAKE A BOBCAT AND GET A LOAD OF MILLINGS, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY TO WHERE THE PROJECT IS, YOU KNOW, FINISHED UP TO THAT POINT AND THEN DROP THAT, SPREAD THAT, THEN COME ALL THE WAY BACK AND TAKES A LONG TIME. IS THERE A WAY TO GET THIS DONE FASTER? THE MATERIALS THERE, YEAH. WE HAVE TO EVALUATE IT AND THEN COME BACK AND SAY WHAT THEY NEED AND WHAT WE NEED FOR ITS RESOURCES, AND THEN DECIDE HOW BEST TO GET IT DONE. OKAY WELL, I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS. MR. COUNCILMAN TURNER, BACK TO PROGRAMING. I KNOW WE SAID WE WERE HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH PARTICIPATION. SO AS FAR AS, LIKE, COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS, SPONSORSHIP PARTNERS, HOW DO WE LOOK WITH THAT? LIKE. BECAUSE I GET WE'RE NOT. YOU DIDN'T GET TO PARTICIPATION THE FIRST TWO TO THE FIRST TWO ATTEMPTS WITH FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL. BUT I HAVE CONCERNS. WE'VE ONLY DONE THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME FOR FOOTBALL. FOOTBALL. SO WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS NOW. SO I HAVE SOME CONCERNS GOING FORWARD WITH, YOU KNOW, SUSTAINABILITY OF, YOU KNOW, US TASKING THESE PROGRAMS AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET THE KIDS. I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE SAYING THE LEAGUE OTHER LEAGUE WAS SEPARATE BUT IT HAD THE KIDS WERE WERE THERE. SO AND EVEN WHEN WE SURVEYED BUSD BASED UPON WHAT YOU SAID, THE SURVEY FEEDBACK SHOWED THAT BASKETBALL WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD BE WILLING AND WANTING TO PARTICIPATE, BUT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET THEM WHEN WE DID IT. SO JUST SUSTAINABILITY MOVING FORWARD, WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO GET A DIFFERENT OUTCOME? THE SURVEY RESULTS WERE THAT THEY'RE ALREADY PLAYING. THERE WEREN'T THERE WEREN'T REALLY KIDS THAT THAT DID NOT CHECK THE BOX FOR CURRENTLY PLAYING ON A TEAM THAT SAID THEY WANTED TO PLAY. IT WAS PEOPLE WANTED TO PLAY IF WE RAN A LEAGUE. BUT THEY ALSO SAID THEY'RE CURRENTLY PLAYING AS IS. 
          SO DO WE GET THEM? DID THEY PLAY IN THE LEAGUE? IT'S POSSIBLE. IT'S VERY POSSIBLE. BUT JUST GETTING THE KIDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY NOT PARTICIPATING, IT'S HARD. YOU KNOW, WE TALKED 
          [02:00:05]
ABOUT THIS A WEEK AGO. IF KIDS DON'T SIGN UP, IF KIDS DON'T WANT TO PARTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, IF I KNEW ALL THE ANSWERS ON HOW TO CHASE THEM DOWN, WE'D BE DOING IT. WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THEM TO PLAY. THE WAY I SEE IT PERSONALLY IS THAT THEY MUST ALREADY BE PLAYING. 
          THEY MUST ALREADY BE PLEASED WITH WHAT THEY'RE PRESENTLY DOING. KIDS ARE PLAYING. KIDS ARE PLAYING TONS OF SPORTS. LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT A FEW MINUTES AGO. KIDS ARE PLAYING. THEY'RE PARTICIPATING IN HOW JUST HOW MANY THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING. KIDS ARE THEY'RE NOT SITTING AROUND DOING NOTHING. THE ONES THAT WANT TO PLAY, AND WE'VE OFFERED IT. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO OFFER IT. AND THE ONES THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY PLAYING, HOPEFULLY THEY JUMP IN, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN KNOCK ON DOORS AND GO TRY TO CONVINCE THEM TO LEAVE THEIR HOUSE. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. I'M ALL EARS. I JUST KNOW YOU FROM A YOUTH ENGAGEMENT STANDPOINT. I KNOW THE VOID AND THE NEED IN THE COMMUNITY IF I IF I CAN GO AND DO IT. BUT I JUST. I DON'T WORK, YOU KNOW, I'M THE CITY COUNCILMAN. IF I MAN, IT'S JUST I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SEE A REAL FOCUS ON YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. AND THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, LIKE I SAID, I WENT BY THE GYM. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE WAS THE CITY OF BEAUMONT LEAGUE AND NOT A PRIVATE ENTITY LEAGUE. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M SEEING I'M HEARING SOMETHING DIFFERENT ON TODAY. SO IT'S A LITTLE ALARMING THAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO IT. WE BUDGETED TO DO IT AND WE CAN'T GET IT DONE. COUNCILMAN DARIO, TWO QUESTIONS ON THE FOOTBALL. DO YOU THINK THE PRICE HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE LACK OF INTEREST? I DON'T THINK SO. I NO ONE HAS COMPLAINED THAT $85 IS TOO MUCH TO ME. MOST PEOPLE ACTUALLY LAUGH AT IT WHEN THEY HEAR IT'S 85 BUCKS. THEY DON'T KNOW HOW WE FUNCTION AT SUCH A LOW NUMBER. SAME THING WITH BASKETBALL. THAT WAS WHAT WE OFFERED FOR BASKETBALL. SO NO ONE TOLD ME THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, A BAD NUMBER. AND ALSO, MR. MANAGER, I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION AS COUNCILMAN TURNER THAT THAT WHEN THEY TRIED TO REDO THE BASKETBALL LEAGUE IN THE SPRING, THAT THAT WAS THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. WE HAD A MEETING ABOUT THAT AND WE ASKED HIM, LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN. LET'S GET IT DONE. LET THE CITY OF BEAUMONT DO THAT AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE. NOBODY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS AN OUTSIDE ENTITY DOING IT. I THOUGHT I WAS TOLD, AND I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THAT WAS THE CITY OF BEAUMONT LEAGUE. WE SCHEDULED IT. WE PAID FOR THE REFEREES AND THEY USED OUR FACILITY. BUT THE KIDS DIDN'T SIGN UP THROUGH US. THOSE KIDS WERE ALREADY ON TEAMS. THOSE TEAMS WERE PRE MADE. THE LEAGUE THAT WE WERE TRYING TO RUN IS A LEAGUE THAT YOU SIGN UP TO PLAY, JUST LIKE YOU DO LITTLE DRIBBLERS LIKE YOU DO LITTLE LEAGUE SPORTS THAT YOU DO ANY, ANY OF THESE THINGS. A TRUE RECREATIONAL LEAGUE IS YOU SIGN UP, YOU GET PLACED ONTO A TEAM WITH VOLUNTEER COACHES AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE GRASSROOTS VERSION OF IT, THAT'S THIS THIS IS HAPPENING ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE'RE CITIES AND LEAGUES ARE HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING KIDS TO DO THAT. SOME PLACES KIDS ARE STILL DOING IT, BUT A LOT OF PLACES THEY'RE NOT. THEY'RE THEY'RE PLAYING CLUB SPORTS. THEY'RE PLAYING TOURNAMENT SPORTS, TRAVEL SPORTS WHERE IT'S ORGANIZED AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY YEAR ROUND. WELL, I KNOW, ABOUT THE TRAVEL SPORTS AND THE CLUB SPORTS, AND THAT STUFF IS VERY EXPENSIVE IN BEAUMONT THOUGH, A LOT OF OUR KIDS CAN'T AFFORD TO DO THAT. AND I WOULD HOPE THAT STAFF WILL BE INCLUDING YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RESEARCH OTHER CITIES THAT ARE LIKE US. THAT'S, I MEAN, LOW INCOME, PREDOMINANTLY LOW INCOME. AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING FOR OUR KIDS TO DO, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND OUT HOW THE OTHER CITIES ARE DOING IT, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO IMPLEMENT THAT HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE A REC PROGRAM. AND BUT WE CAN'T GET KIDS TO COME AND DO IT. AND I KNOW I'VE EXPERIENCED THAT CLUB. I RAN A CLUB VOLLEYBALL CLUB BEFORE. MY GRANDKIDS PLAYED CLUB BALL, BUT EVERYBODY CAN'T AFFORD TO DO THAT. IT'S VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE AND I KNOW THEY HAVE A LOT OF KIDS THAT WOULD LOVE TO PARTICIPATE, BUT THEY CAN'T PLAY CLUB BALL. THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO COME IN AND WE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO GET THEM TO COME, AND I KNOW THEY DO IT. THEY DO IT IN OTHER CITIES. THEY DO. I KNOW THEY DO IT IN OTHER CITIES. THEY DO IT IN PORT ARTHUR, YOU KNOW. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO CORRECT THAT AND GET THE AND DO WHAT WE CAN TO GET THESE KIDS, TO PARTICIPATE OR MAKE DO EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY CAN TO GET THEM TO COME AND PARTICIPATE, EVEN IF THAT'S, IF WE CUT THE PRICE OR WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO START BY CONTACTING OTHER CITIES, DOING OUR RESEARCH AND SEEING WHAT THEY'RE DOING, AND TRY TO IMPLEMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, ADJUST IT TO WORK IN BEAUMONT, TEXAS. YEAH. CHRIS. AND ONE OF MY CONCERNS, I JUST LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, SILSBEE, TEXAS, NOT NEARLY THE POPULATION OF US, AND THEY HAVE A LITTLE DRIBBLERS AND 
          [02:05:02]
LITTLE LEAGUE. YOU GOT HAMPSHIRE AND JEFFERSON OUT THERE. THEY HAVE A LITTLE DRIBBLES. LITTLE LEAGUE LUMBERTON, THEY HAVE IT ON JEFFERSON BIG TIME. BUT THAT'S MY POINT. IS HAPPENING. 
          AND SOMETIMES SMALL SMALLER CITIES ARE THE ONES THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL WITH IT BECAUSE THEY'RE SMALLER, TIGHT KNIT GROUPS. AND OFTENTIMES THE BIGGER CITIES ARE THE ONES WHERE YOU SEE THESE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS STARTING TO DWINDLE. IT'S JUST ACROSS THE BOARD, ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS IS HAPPENING. BUT ONE THING I'D LIKE FOR US TO INVESTIGATE, AS YOU POINTED OUT, I BELIEVE THAT WAS STACY LEWIS. I BELIEVE BASKETBALL LEAGUE TEAMS AND COACHES THAT CAME OVER AND PLAYED AT THE STERLING PRUITT CENTER ON THOSE WEEKENDS. AND THAT WAS A, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, STACY IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY, BUT THERE'S ALSO THAT WAS AN OUTSIDE LEAGUE THAT CAME TOGETHER. THERE'S OTHER LEAGUES, WHETHER IT'S FOOTBALL THAT, ARE ORGANIZED THAT HAVE COACHES THAT ALREADY HAVE PARTICIPATION WITH YOUTH, BUT THEY LACK FACILITIES AND THEY LACK MONEY TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE. AND I KNOW BISD WE'VE HAD RECENT CONVERSATIONS WHERE HOPEFULLY THEY'LL CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE RESOURCES AVAILABLE , BUT OFTENTIMES THAT'S HAPPENING DURING THEIR SCHOOL TIME WHEN OTHER BASKETBALL LEAGUES ARE GOING ON. BUT TO BE ABLE TO, ENGAGE WITH THEM BECAUSE THE KIDS THAT ARE ALREADY PARTICIPATING IS REALLY NOT WHO WE'RE GOING AFTER. WE'RE GOING AFTER THE KIDS THAT CURRENTLY AREN'T PARTICIPATING AND THAT ARE LESS SUPERVISED. 
          AND THAT'S A GROWING POPULATION IN OUR CITY. AND WE HAVE, A LOT, YOU KNOW, YOUTH GETTING IN MORE TROUBLE. SO WE WANT TO OFFER THOSE ALTERNATIVES. AND I THINK, AND I'M ALSO HOPING TO HEAR ABOUT WHEN THE STERLING PRUITT MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE OPEN EXTENDED HOURS ON SATURDAYS AND BEING OPEN ON SUNDAY TO ALLOW. YOU SAID I DON'T EXPECT IT TO CHANGE OVERNIGHT, BUT PARTLY IT'S WHEN IT'S NOT AVAILABLE, IT CAN'T BE USED. AND WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING FACILITIES AND I'M ALL FOR HAVING ADDITIONAL FACILITIES ACROSS THE CITY, I JUST WANT TO SEE FULL USE OF THE CURRENT FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE, TO DO ALL WE CAN TO EXPAND THOSE. SO MAYOR. YES, I'LL LOOK INTO THIS CITY, THIS BASKETBALL LEAGUE, BECAUSE IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING IT WAS A CITY SPONSORED LEAGUE. AND SO WE'LL FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON, MR. STACY LEWIS , WHO'S THE CITY EMPLOYEE, AND PART OF HIS JOB IS TO HELP FIND PARTICIPANTS FOR ACTIVITIES. SO I'LL FIND OUT WHAT. AND THEN GET BACK WITH THE COUNCIL. REPORT ON ON THIS LEAGUE. BECAUSE THIS WAS MY UNDERSTANDING. IT WAS A CITY SPONSORED LEAGUE BY THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. IT SOUNDS LIKE WE DID THE CITY DID SPONSOR IT IN TERMS OF PAYING FOR THE REFS. YEAH, WE PAID FOR IT AND IT WAS AT OUR FACILITY AND WE SET THE SCHEDULE AND YOU KNOW, ALL THE ORGANIZATION OF IT. BUT THE DIFFERENCE WAS THESE KIDS DIDN'T SIGN UP THROUGH US, RIGHT? THESE TEAMS WERE ALREADY MADE. AND THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE WERE DESIGNING OUR LEAGUE TO DO. LIKE I SAID IT WAS OURS WAS MORE THE TRUE RECREATIONAL PORTION TO WHERE YOU AGAIN, YOU SIGN UP, YOU TRY OUT OR IF YOU DON'T TRY OUT, YOU JUST THE COACHES GET THEIR TEAMS, THEY PICK THE TEAMS. AND THEN YOU YOU GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS. IT'S NOT A PRE-MADE TRAVEL TOURNAMENT TYPE OF TEAM. WELL, I THINK ONE THING THAT IT DID HAPPEN, IT ALLOWED THESE, THESE KIDS TO BE ABLE TO PLAY MORE BASKETBALL. AND IT WAS ORGANIZED AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE EVIDENTLY BEEN ABLE TO PLAY HAD WE NOT OFFERED THAT. SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPROVEMENT. AND BUT I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IN TERMS OF THE DIFFERENCE. BUT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN, IN TERMS OF DOING THE SAME WITH YOUTH INITIATIVES HERE IN TOWN, HITTING, KIDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY, DON'T, AREN'T INVOLVED IN THOSE ACTIVITIES AND TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO ENGAGE THEM. AND I REALIZE THAT THE CHALLENGE IS GOING TO BE HARD BECAUSE IF THEY'RE NOT DOING IT NOW, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO GET ENGAGED? BUT I KNOW THERE ARE GROUPS AND PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING, WITH A LOT OF THESE YOUTH THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE GOING TO THOSE SCHOOLS AND PROVIDE TRYING TO PROVIDE THOSE ALTERNATIVES AND. AND SIRI AGREES WITH ME. SO I KNOW I MUST BE RIGHT. SO I MEAN, IF WE CAN GET PEOPLE THAT, THAT WANT TO GET KIDS TO SIGN UP FOR STUFF, SEND THEM IN. YOU KNOW, WE LIKE WE SAID A WEEK AGO WHEN WE WERE UP HERE AND COUNCILMAN GAETZ KIND OF SAID THE SAME THING. HE SAID, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE NOT SIGNING UP, THEY'RE NOT SIGNING UP, WE WANT THEM TO WE DON'T WANT TO OFFER SOMETHING WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK, WE WANT THESE THESE KIDS TO SIGN UP, AND WE WANT PARTICIPATION. WE WANT THE VOLUNTEER PARENTS. WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME IN AND COACH THE TEAMS AND OFFER SOMETHING THAT 
          [02:10:03]
THEY CAN DO, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN GO. LIKE I SAID, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN GO BEAT ON DOORS AND FORCE THEM, AND I THINK I DO NOT WANT US BEATING ON DOORS OR FORCING ANYBODY TO DO ANYTHING. BUT I DO THINK USING THE CURRENT, LEAGUES THAT EXIST AND PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING IN THEM, TRYING TO PARTNER WITH THEM TO FIND OUT BECAUSE I GET LOTS OF CALLS WHEN IT COMES TO FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL ABOUT LACK OF, FACILITIES AND LACK OF PLACES FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE FROM THE COACHES THAT ARE TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER THE PROGRAMS. AND THAT'S WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A, A BETTER COLLABORATION. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALSO TALKING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, PLACES. SO WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO DO THIS AND KIDS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE PLACES TO PARTICIPATE. SO WELL, ALSO, MAYOR, I WILL, IF YOU HAVE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE HAVING SUCCESSFUL BASKETBALL SEASON LIKE YOU MENTIONED, I'D LOVE AND WE'LL AND THEY HAVE KIDS COMING TO PLAY. WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. THEY'RE LOCAL. SO AND MAYBE WE COULD PLAY LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE DOING IN THE FALL. WE CAN DO IT IN THE SPRING LIKE WE JUST DID. AND THAT OUGHT TO WORK. AND ALSO, MR. MANAGER AT A LATER DATE, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE SUCCESS OF OUR, SUMMER PROGRAMS, THE, SUMMER CAMP AND STUFF LIKE THAT, AND SEE PARTICIPATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND ONE OTHER THING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT FOR THE FUTURE, BECAUSE CERTAINLY ALL THE LEAGUES DO IT THAT ARE FORMED, WHETHER IT'S WEST AND LITTLE LEAGUE OR THE YOUTH SOCCER IS THEY HAVE SPONSORS AND ALSO SOME OF THESE PRIVATE LEAGUES HAVE SPONSORS TO BE ABLE TO OPEN IT UP FOR PEOPLE THAT WOULD WANT TO SPONSOR TEAMS, BUSINESSES WHERE THEY'RE THEIR NAMES AND LOGOS CAN BE ON THERE. THAT COULD OFFSET COSTS FOR SOME OF THESE TEAMS SO THAT WE COULD, MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO SOME THAT DON'T HAVE THE REVENUE TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S DEFINITELY A DIFFERENT PATH THAN WE'VE EVER GONE IN THE PAST FOR SURE. SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE BEING TASKED WITH DOING, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'LL AGAIN, HATE TO KEEP SAYING THE SAME THING, BUT WE'RE ALL EARS. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. MAYOR. COUNCILMAN TURNER. YEAH. THAT'S, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP SPONSORSHIP. I KIND OF LOOK AT I USE, YOU KNOW, I NOTICED WHEN EMILY, I USE HER AS AN EXAMPLE. 
          YOU LOOK UP AND YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, DEL PAPA AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THAT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE. 
          SHE DOES DO A GOOD JOB GOING OUT AND GETTING SPONSORS. AND THAT CAN BE SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP WITH WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE GOING ON. BUT YEAH, JUST MY CONCERN IS JUST FIGURING OUT SOMETHING WE CAN DO FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. AND THAT'S JUST KIND OF WHERE I'M AT WITH IT. 
          AND THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU. NEXT, MAYOR, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A FINANCIAL UPDATE. WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME FISCAL YEAR 2024, NUMBERS. THIS IS, THESE ARE NUMBERS FROM THE EXISTING BUDGET AND PROJECTED ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR. YOU HAVE AN IDEA ON HOW MUCH MORE TIME? BECAUSE WE MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK IF WE'RE LOOKING AT ANOTHER HOUR AND 45, WE MIGHT WANT TO TAKE FOR THE BREAK, I WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT THERE WILL BE A YOUTH TENNIS CAMPS AT THE BEAUMONT MUNICIPAL TENNIS COMPLEX. AND ALSO THAT BUSD WILL PASS OUT FLIERS. IF YOU, GIVE THEM THE HEADS UP AND GO THROUGH THEIR FORMS TO DO THAT. SO JUST NOTE THOSE THINGS. THANK YOU. 
          [4. Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Forecast thru Year-End ]
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN GATES. MR. CITY MANAGER, ITEM NUMBER FOUR. YES, MAYOR, FISCAL YEAR 2024, FINANCIAL FORECAST THROUGH YEAR END. AND WE HAVE MISS CHERYL RAY, OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, TO GIVE US A REPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. COUNCIL, I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT TO YOU THE FINANCIAL UPDATE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2024. TO DATE. WE'LL START WITH THE TOTAL GENERAL GENERAL FUND REVENUES. AND YOU CAN SEE THE WAY IT'S ORGANIZED. THE FISCAL YEAR 24 CURRENT BUDGET WAS $158 MILLION, FISCAL YEAR 23. AS OF 331, WE HAD, COLLECTED 105 MILLION. AND FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, AS OF 331, WE'VE COLLECTED 106 MILLION, WHICH IS A POSITIVE CHANGE OF 1.57, OUR PROJECTION IS JUST A TAD SHY OF OUR BUDGET AT 158. THE FISCAL YEAR 24 PROJECTION IS ADJUSTED FOR DECREASED SALES TAX REVENUE OF 2.6 MILLION. WE HAVE DECREASED PROPERTY TAX OF 1.7 MILLION, BUT WE HAVE INCREASED INTEREST EARNINGS OF 600,000, INCREASED CHARGES FOR SERVICES 
          [02:15:03]
OF 2.7 MILLION AND $1 MILLION INCREASE IN OTHER REVENUE. AND THAT, 2.7 MILLION OF CHARGES IS PRIMARILY EMS CHARGES AND THEN THE MILLION DOLLARS IS DIFFERENT. THINGS LIKE, EVENTS AND FINES AND FORFEITURES AND SOME OTHER THINGS. SO A PRETTY POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR THE REVENUE FOR THE GENERAL FUND. THE SALES TAX IS DOWN, AS I STATED, WE HAD BUDGETED 52 MILLION. I THINK WE'RE ONLY PROBABLY GOING TO COLLECT JUST SHY OF 50 MILLION, I DID LOOK AT SOME OTHER CITIES. 
          I LOOKED AT BAYTOWN'S. THEY'RE DOWN. SIMILARLY, I LOOKED AT CONROE. THEY'RE ALSO DOWN FOR THE YEAR. IT'S JUST PEOPLE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE DISCRETIONARY FUNDS TO GO OUT AND BUY A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN BUYING BEFORE. OUR PROPERTY TAX IS DOWN A LITTLE BIT, TOO, I'D BUDGETED WE HAD BUDGETED 50.6 MILLION. WE'RE PROBABLY GOING COLLECT AT THIS RATE, 49 MILLION. BUT WE ARE UP 4.18% FROM PRIOR YEAR. SO THAT'S ACTUALLY GOOD. OUR ASSESSED VALUES HAD INCREASED FROM 9.3 MILLION TO 10.5 MILLION FOR THE, FOR 23 TO 24. AND THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE RECEIVED WAS 47.6 MILLION FOR THE YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 24 TOTAL REVENUES EXPECTED TO EXCEED FISCAL YEAR 23 BY 1.4 MILLION, OR 2.9. MR. TURNER, YOU HAD A QUESTION. HE SAID HE HAD NO WAY TO THE AMBULANCE. YOU GET THROUGH IT. ALL RIGHTY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          THE WATER AND SEWER FUND REVENUE IS ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD, WE HAD BUDGETED $15,000,000 MILLION. IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO GET ABOUT $60 MILLION THROUGH SIX MONTHS, WHERE LAST YEAR WE HAD COLLECTED 26.5. THIS YEAR WE'VE COLLECTED 31.2 FOR A POSITIVE CHANGE OF 17.52. AND OUR FISCAL YEAR PROJECTION IS $1.2 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE BUDGET. AND THAT'S 2% HIGHER FOR THE SOLID WASTE FUND REVENUE. WE HAD BUDGETED 15.6 MILLION, TO DATE, LAST YEAR WE COLLECTED 6.5. THIS YEAR WE'VE COLLECTED 8.2. SO IT'S 25.24% HIGHER. OUR PROJECTION IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE 15.8. SO A BIT HIGHER THAN, WHAT WE HAD BUDGETED $1.7 MILLION DIFFERENCE. SO GREAT NEWS THERE. OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, WE HAD BUDGETED 164 MILLION, LAST YEAR, AS OF 331, WE HAD SPENT 67 MILLION. AND FOR 24 WE SPENT 72 MILLION, WHICH IS A CHANGE OF 7, BUT WE'RE ONLY PROJECTING AT THE END OF THE YEAR TO HAVE SPENT ABOUT 157 MILLION. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE BELOW BUDGET, WHICH IS GREAT. MOST EXPENDITURES ARE RIGHT IN LINE WITH BUDGET. SOME DEPARTMENTS MAY BE EXCEEDING THE DEPARTMENT BY SMALL AMOUNTS, BUT OTHERS ARE COMING IN UNDER BUDGET BY SMALL AMOUNTS AS WELL. BUT WE'RE PROJECTED TO BE UNDER BUDGET AND EXPENDITURES BY 6.5 MILLION AS DEPARTMENTS ARE WATCHING THEIR BUDGETS THIS YEAR , AND DUE TO SALARY SAVINGS FROM UNFILLED POSITIONS, THE WATER AND SEWER FUND EXPENDITURES ALSO LOOK TO BE DOWN BY THE END OF THE YEAR. WE'RE PROJECTED TO BE UNDER BUDGET BY ABOUT 1.4 MILLION OR 2.5, AND THAT'S PRIMARILY SO FAR DUE TO LESS SEWER MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND SEWER TREATMENT PLANT EXPENSES. OUR SOLID WASTE. I HAVE A QUESTION. YES, SIR. YOU KIND OF GLOSSED OVER THAT DUE TO SAVINGS BY UNFILLED POSITIONS. YES, SIR. SO I KNOW THAT HISTORICALLY, WE HAVE ALL ALWAYS HAD THE ABILITY TO INCUR SAVINGS BY NOT FILLING POSITIONS. BUT IF THE POSITIONS ARE OUT THERE ALLOCATED, AND I HAVE TO PRESUME THAT WE FEEL THAT THERE NEEDED AND IF THEY'RE NOT BEING FILLED, THEN WHAT ARE WE DOING? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S A PURELY FOR BUDGET PURPOSES OR IS IT BECAUSE WE CAN'T FIND THE PEOPLE THAT WE NEED OR WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT? I THINK THERE IS A COMBINATION. I THINK THERE IS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T FIND THE PEOPLE WE NEED. THERE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, TEMPORARY UNFILLED POSITIONS WHEN YOU KNOW, SOMEONE HAS LEFT AND YOU'RE LOOKING TO HIRE SOMEONE ELSE. BUT THAT IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND IN OUR OUR BUDGET PROCESS, WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO BE LOOKING AT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE WE DON'T NEED TO BE BUDGETING FOR A LOT OF POSITIONS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE FILLED, SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THIS YEAR. OKAY. GOOD. THANK YOU. AND THE SOLID WASTE EXPENDITURES, WE BUDGETED ABOUT $14.5 MILLION, AS OF LAST YEAR, 
          [02:20:06]
WE WERE AT 6.3. THIS YEAR WE'RE ONLY 6.29, SO THE EXPENDITURES ARE DOWN ABOUT 1.3. WE'RE PROJECTING TO BE A BIT UNDER BUDGET AT 14.1 BY THE END OF THE YEAR. OUR PROJECTIONS INDICATE THAT OUR LANDFILL OPERATION COSTS ARE GOING TO BE ABOUT $521,000 OVER BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND THAT'S PARTLY DUE TO THE RENTAL OF EQUIPMENT THAT WE'VE HAD TO DO OUT THERE. BUT COST ASSOCIATED WITH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS WILL BE ABOUT $891,000 UNDER BUDGET. SO THAT'S A NET SAVINGS, ABOUT $370,000 FOR THE YEAR. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS IS A SLIDE OF WHERE WE ARE IN THE DIFFERENT FUNDS. SO THE GENERAL FUND AGAIN WE HAD OUR AMENDED BUDGET REVENUES ARE $158 MILLION. AND BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE'RE PROJECTING 157.7. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE UNDER BUDGET BY $196,700 ON THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES. HOWEVER, ON THE EXPENDITURES, WE BUDGETED 163.6, YEAR IN PROJECTION LOOKS LIKE 157. SO WE'RE GOING TO SAVE ABOUT 6.5 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND ON EXPENDITURES, SIMILARLY, WATER AND SEWER ARE AMENDED BUDGET FOR REVENUES WITH 59 MILLION. OUR YEAR END PROJECTION LOOKS LIKE 60 MILLION. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE ABOUT 1,000,001, AND, OUR EXPENDITURES LOOK LIKE 59 MILLION, BUT WE'RE GOING TO PROJECT 57 MILLION. SO WE'LL BE UNDER BUDGET BY ONE POINT FOR SOLID WASTE, VERY SIMILAR, BUDGET AND PROJECTION. THERE'S A, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE OVER BUDGET BY $146,000. 
          THEIR EXPENDITURES ARE 14.4 MILLION, WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO COME IN AT 14.1. SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO SAVE $370,000. OUR HOTEL TOURISM, WE BUDGETED 3.3 IN REVENUES, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE ABOUT 3.1. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO LOSE A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY IN OUR HOTEL, OCCUPANCY TAX OF 228.5. THE EXPENDITURES WE BUDGETED AT 3.8, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL END UP AT ABOUT 3.7. SO WE'LL SAVE 159,000 THERE. OUR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS. WE BUDGETED, ABOUT 28.6 IN REVENUES THERE. WE'RE GOING TO BE ABOUT 28.2. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE UNDER BUDGET BY ABOUT 387,000. IN THOSE REVENUES. AGAIN, FOR THE EXPENDITURES AS WE BUDGETED, 30.2. LOOKS LIKE WE'LL COME IN AROUND 30. SO WE'LL BE UNDER BUDGET THERE FOR 258,000. AND OUR GENERAL LIABILITY FUND, THE REVENUES WE BUDGETED 1.31.53. 
          LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE 1.56. SO WE ACTUALLY MAY MAKE 30,000 IN THAT. AND THAT'S BASICALLY TRANSFERS. SO, THE AMENDED BUDGET FOR EXPENDITURES IS 1.7. THE URINE PROJECTION IS 1.9. SO YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO LOSE A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY IN THE GENERAL LIABILITY FUND. AND THE FINAL SLIDE, BRINGS IT ALL TOGETHER, SHOWS US THE FUND BALANCE. SO OR IF YOU DON'T MIND, CAN WE GO BACK TO THE NEXT SLIDE? I JUST NEED TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. SEE THAT LAST SLIDE THAT WE'RE LOSING A LITTLE BIT. AND GENERAL LIABILITY. YES. OKAY HOLD ON. A LOT OF THAT IS DUE TO WE CHANGED OVER THIS YEAR TO HTML. SO WE DIDN'T BUDGET NECESSARILY FOR THAT. YOU KNOW WE WERE BUDGETING FOR OUR GENERAL LIABILITIES LIKE THEY WERE BEFORE. WHAT WE NORMALLY DO. YEAH. SO, THAT'S THAT'S PRIMARILY WHY WE'RE GOING TO SHOW THAT OKAY. LOSS THERE. 
          AND WE'LL YOU KNOW, WE WON'T LET THE FUND BE NEGATIVE. WE'LL TRANSFER MONEY IN AS WE NEED TO. 
          SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE PROJECTED REVENUES OF THE FUNDS. THEN THE PROJECTED EXPENSES. SO IT SHOWS YOUR PROJECTED INCOME AND LOSS. SO YOU CAN SEE THE GENERAL FUND SHOULD YOU KNOW, HAVE INCOME OF 580,000 WATER AND SEWER ALMOST 3 MILLION SOLID WASTE, 1.7. WE ARE GOING TO LOSE MONEY IN THE HOTEL TOURISM FUND, THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS AND THE GENERAL LIABILITY. BUT THEN WE SHOW THE FUND BALANCE IS THE BEGINNING FUND BALANCE. OUR PROJECTED FUND BALANCE, WHAT OUR REQUIRED FUND BALANCE IS. AND THEN WHETHER WE'RE OVER OR UNDER OUR POLICY REQUIREMENT. AND THE THING THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO GO TO A 25, FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENT ON THE GENERAL FUND. AND IF YOU LOOK AND SEE, DOWN HERE AT THE BOTTOM AT THE LEGEND 
          [02:25:06]
NUMBER ONE SAYS ACTUALLY AT THE END OF THE YEAR, IF OUR PROJECTIONS ARE CORRECT, WE'LL BE AT ABOUT A 30, WHICH WOULD BE WONDERFUL, SAME WITH WATER AND SEWER. WE'RE TRYING TO GO FROM 15% TO 25, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL BE RIGHT ABOUT 25% AT THE END OF THE YEAR. I'M DOING VERY WELL ON OUR FUND BALANCES. JUST MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING. WE'RE LOOKING AT INCREASING OUR FUND BALANCE. CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION THERE. YES, SIR, OUR POLICY REQUIRES WHAT PERCENTAGE? 25. OUR CURRENT POLICY IS 20. 20. AND BUT OUR GOAL IS 25. CORRECT. AND HOW CLOSE ARE WE GOING TO BE TO OUR GOAL AFTER THIS? THESE PROJECTIONS. YEAH. 30% ON THE GENERAL FUND, 3,030. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE EXCEEDING OUR GOAL. 
          CORRECT MR. CHAIR, WE HAVE SIX MORE MONTHS TO GO AND ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. BUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHERE WE ARE AT THIS TIME. YEAH. MISS CHERYL, ONE THING THAT KIND OF STOOD OUT TO ME WITH, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY TAXES AND SALES TAXES KIND OF BEING DOWN. YES, SIR. INCLUDE TOURISM AND ALL KIND OF FLOWS TOGETHER. YES WITH THAT BEING DOWN, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN POSSIBLY EXCEED THE EXPECTATIONS IS THAT THAT'S A HUGE GAIN. YES. YOU KNOW, FOR THE CITY. YES, SIR. AND I'M KIND OF EVEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE HOW DO WE GET THERE? FAST FORWARD WITH SALES TAX AND PROPERTY TAX DOWN AND TOURISM. RIGHT. WELL, BECAUSE OUR OTHER REVENUES ARE UP, YOU KNOW, OUR EMS REVENUES ARE UP. OUR EVENTS, OUR FINES AND FORFEITURES ARE ALL UP. MAINLY THOUGH, THE CRUX OF IT IS THE WAY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON THE BUDGET THIS YEAR FOR EXPENDITURES IS EVERYONE IS RESPONSIBLE TO STAY WITHIN THEIR LINE ITEMS, AND IF THEY DON'T, THEY HAVE TO TRANSFER MONEY FROM ANOTHER LINE ITEM TO PAY FOR WHAT THEY'RE WHAT THEY'RE WANTING. AND THAT'S HELPING. THE RESULT OF THE ZERO IS HELPING A LOT. YES NOT YET. THAT HASN'T EVEN BEEN FACTORED IN YET. SO IT CAN BE EVEN BETTER. YEAH. WE HAVEN'T DONE WE'RE DOING ZERO BASED BUDGETING COMING UP. SO THAT'S COMING UP. THAT IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, SHOULD SAVE US MONEY BECAUSE YOU KNOW, I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO SAY ANYBODY WAS EVER WASTING MONEY. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S THE CASE. BUT SOME OF THE WAYS WE WERE LOOKING AT BUDGETING MAYBE WASN'T AS ACCURATE AS WE COULD BE. SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE. WE'RE TRYING TO HOLD EVERYBODY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR LINE ITEMS IN THEIR BUDGETS. AND IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING. YEAH. WE'RE REALLY MONITORING EXPENDITURES CLOSELY WITH EXPENDITURES AND SAVE WHAT WE CAN. AND COUNCIL MEMBER GETS AS A PHILOSOPHY. WE'RE NOT WE DON'T WANT TO PUT MONEY IN PERSONNEL COSTS JUST TO MAKE SURE THE BUDGET IS BALANCED. 
          BECAUSE THAT MONEY CAN BE BETTER SERVED SOMEWHERE ELSE. SO WE WANT TO THIS NEXT BUDGET. WE WANT TO GET IT AS CLOSE TO THAT NUMBER AS POSSIBLE UP FRONT, AND PUT THOSE DOLLARS TO WORK SOMEWHERE ELSE. SURE. YES, SIR. SO THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE HAD TO RAISE THE PERCENTAGE OF WHAT THEY PAY ON THEIR WATER BILL. SO THE FUND TO BE SUSTAINABLE. DO YOU FORESEE THAT IN THIS COMING BUDGET IT IS POSSIBLE? WELL, WITH ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE TO FUND WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR BONDS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT FOR, I'M GOING TO BE GETTING WITH OUR CONSULTANT PROBABLY TOMORROW TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT WHERE OUR RATES NEED TO BE. SO IT'S PREMATURE TO SAY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GO UP YET BECAUSE WE'RE DOING VERY WELL. BUT WE'RE PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, WE GOT $60 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS THAT WE NEED TO FUND. YEAH. SO IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT WE MAY HAVE TO DO THAT. AND CHERYL'S GIVING YOU THAT. BUT BASED UPON THE RATE STUDY WE DID LAST YEAR IS, WAS IT'S DUE TO GO UP THIS YEAR. YOU KNOW, THAT NUMBER CAN CHANGE HOW MUCH OR HOW LESS BASED UPON WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW. BUT THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT ALL THOSE CIP PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE FUNDED THIS NEXT YEAR AND OPERATION. SO IT DEPENDS ON THAT, BUT BUT IT'S DUE TO BE A BIT OF AN INCREASE, BUT WE'LL SEE ALSO, YOU MENTIONED, HTML AND HOW WE HAD TO FUND THAT. BUT NEXT YEAR, ONE HTML, WOULD THAT GIVE US A SAVINGS FROM HOW WE USED TO DO IT? ABSOLUTELY OUR DEDUCTIBLES ARE LOWER, OUR PREMIUMS ARE LOWER. EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, SHOULD SHOULD FLOW OUT. IT'S SAVING US QUITE A BIT OF MONEY AND BEING BETTER POLICIES AT THE SAME TIME. SO IT'S A GREAT MOVE. YES, SIR. YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS A BALANCING ACT WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGETS. YES, SIR. AND TALKING ABOUT THE WATER FUND AND THAT WE HAVE A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE, BUT ALSO COGNIZANT OF THE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF PROJECTS THAT WE'RE 
          [02:30:05]
FACING. I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO TRY TO STRIKE A BALANCE WHERE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW WE DID THE SURVEY, BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE SEEING OUR CITIZENS GETTING VERY WEARY OF THESE INCREASED WATER RATES. MAYBE WE SHOULD CONSIDER SLOWING DOWN A LITTLE BIT ON SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT AREN'T ARE NOT IMPERATIVE IN ORDER TO DEFER, GOING UP ON WATER RATES AGAIN, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AFTER LAST SUMMER'S DROUGHT AND THE INCREDIBLE HIGH BILLS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCED, JUST THINK THAT, WE'RE GETTING TO A TIPPING POINT, AND IT CONCERNS ME. SO JUST, JUST JUST MY VIEW. I HAVE TO SHARE SHARE THAT CONCERN. YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY WITH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE INCIDENTS THAT RECENTLY HAPPENED WHEN WE HAD TO GO BACK AND COLLECT, YOU KNOW, I WE'RE STILL TRYING TO REALLY RECOVER FROM THAT, WHETHER WE'VE BEEN A GROCERY STORE OR WHETHER WE'D BE PICKING UP KIDS FROM SCHOOL. I LITERALLY HAD A TEACHER ASK ME ABOUT THAT AND LINE PICKING MY DAUGHTER UP FROM SCHOOL. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO FACE HEAD ON OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY. I DON'T MIND FACING IT, BUT ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO WORK WITH OUR CITIZENS BASED UPON WHAT'S GOING ON WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. YES, AND WE'LL DO THAT. YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH YOU GET THOSE RATES, THEY ARE EVALUATED AGAIN EVERY YEAR. 
          AND SO BEFORE WE PLUG IN THE NUMBER IN THE BUDGET, WE'LL EVALUATE THAT AND SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR SURE. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. JUST JUST ANOTHER QUESTION, THAT I HAD WROTE DOWN, I READ IN AN ARTICLE IN HOUSTON THAT, YOU KNOW, THE AIRBNBS AND RENTING ROOMS ARE REALLY AFFECTING TOURISM. I DON'T KNOW IF MISS FREDDY WOULD BE ABLE TO IF MAYBE WE CAN LOOK AT HOW WE AS A CITY LOOKING AT AIRBNB, IS THAT RENTING ANY PAYING TAXES JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. SO MAYBE IF WE CAN LOOK AT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS DOING RIGHT NOW. SO IF WE CAN LOOK AT OTHER WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, COLLECT THAT, I HAVE LOOKED AT THAT BRIEFLY. I CAN GO INTO IT TOO MUCH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A TON OF THEM HERE. OKAY, I THINK THERE WILL BE A POINT TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF WE KEEP GETTING THOSE THAT WE NEED TO LOOK INTO IT AND TRY TO COLLECT THE REVENUE OFF THAT. BUT RIGHT NOW, I THINK IT WOULD COST US MORE TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO DO THAT THAN WE WOULD COLLECT. SO, YEAH, MISS FREDDY, I'LL JUST KEEP YOU EYE ON THOSE AIRBNBS. ALL RIGHT? BUT IT IS A SOURCE OF REVENUE IF ANYBODY ELSE KNOWS ANY OTHER SOURCES OF REVENUE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING FOR EVERYTHING WE CAN AND WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT AS THIS BUDGET PROCESS. FURTHER GOES ALONG, YOU KNOW, SOURCES OF REVENUE, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT MIGHT BE ATTRACTIVE FOR GOOD FOR THE COUNCIL. YOU MIGHT WANT TO DISCUSS. SO WE'LL BE BRINGING SOME DISCUSSIONS TO YOU ON SOME THINGS. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. I THINK IT'S A GOOD OUTLOOK. SO THANK YOU I'M EXCITED. THANK Y'ALL. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY 
          [5. Update on Fleet Operations for Public Safety Vehicles (Police, Fire and EMS) ]
MAYOR. AND NEXT, UPDATE ON FLEET OPERATIONS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY VEHICLES, POLICE, FIRE AND EMS. THIS WAS ONE TWO THAT WAS MENTIONED BY COUNCIL DURING OUR FIRST WORKSHOP. SO WE'RE BRINGING AN UPDATE AND INFORMATION TO THE COUNCIL ON OUR POLICY WITH, VEHICLES. SO THOSE JEFF'S JEFF HARVILLE'S COMING FORWARD. GOOD AFTERNOON. COUNCIL CITY MANAGER. MAYOR, I'LL TELL YOU, FIRST OFF HOW WE KIND OF DO OUR OUR PROCESS FOR REPLACING EQUIPMENT, THEN WE'LL GO INTO THE ACTUAL EMERGENCY SERVICES ITSELF. SO FIRST PART OF MARCH, I SENT OUT AN EMAIL TO ALL 42 DIVISIONS OF THE CITY, THAT'S HOW MANY PEOPLE OWN EQUIPMENT IN THE CITY. AND THEY ARE TO PUT IN THEIR REQUESTS. AND IT'S DUE BY APRIL FIRST, THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN DOING THAT IS, IS THE AGE OF THE EQUIPMENT, THE MILEAGE AND HOURS. THAT'S ON THAT EQUIPMENT, THE CONDITION THAT IT IS CURRENTLY IN, HOW MUCH HOW MUCH USAGE IT'S DONE THROUGHOUT THAT YEAR, HISTORICAL MAINTENANCE COSTS AND PARTS AVAILABILITY. SO ALL THOSE, THOSE 5 OR 6 ITEMS ARE THE, MAIN FACTORS WHEN WE DETERMINE IF SOMETHING IS, READY FOR REPLACEMENT OR NOT, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE BEFORE THAT, APRIL 1ST DUE TIME, WE GET WITH, 
          [02:35:01]
ALL OF THE EMERGENCY SERVICES, POLICE, FIRE AND EMS, AND WE MEET WITH THEM. MY MYSELF AND MY FLEET OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR MEET WITH CHIEF WHITE, SINGLER AND, MAX FROM EMS. HE'S A EMS MANAGER , AND WE DISCUSS WHAT OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS ARE FOR THE FLEET, NEXT SLIDE IN THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR NFPA STANDARDS, AND IN THAT A FIRE TRUCK, CAN STAY IN FRONTLINE FOR 15 YEARS, AND THEN IT CAN, BE IN A RESERVE UP TO 25 YEARS, YOU HAD ASKED, I BELIEVE, COUNCILMAN TURNER, YOU HAD ASKED. HOW OFTEN DO THEY HAVE TO BE REPLACED, OR SHOULD ARE WE REQUIRED TO BUY ONE EVERY YEAR? AND AS LONG AS THEY FALL WITHIN THAT CYCLE, WE ACTUALLY ARE. AND, AS FOR THE NFPA STANDARDS, I BELIEVE CHIEF SINGLER CAN SPEAK MORE ON THOSE THAN I CAN, THAT'S MORE OF HIS REALM, WE ALSO ABIDE BY THE ISO STANDARDS TO MAINTAIN OUR COMMUNITY INSURANCE RATINGS, AND IN THIS, OUR YEAR, BECAUSE OF COVID SUPPLY CHAIN PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE HAD, IT DIDN'T AFFECT ACTUALLY, WHEN COVID WAS GOING ON. IT'S THE YEARS AFTER THAT IT'S AFFECTED. SO YOU CAN SEE IN FY 21 WE ORDERED A PUMPER IN, FEBRUARY 10TH FOR $675,000. AND, IT TOOK 18 MONTHS TO GET HERE. 
          SO WE COVERED IT REALLY WITHIN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. NOW, WE ORDERED ONE IN FY 24 THAT WAS ORDERED IN JULY 10TH. REASON WE ORDERED IT AT THAT TIME FRAME, JULY 10TH OF 23. IT WAS ACTUALLY BEFORE THE BUDGET YEAR SO THAT WE COULD GET A JUMP ON THE LEAD TIME. IF YOU ALL REMEMBER US DOING THAT KIND OF OUT OF CYCLE LAST YEAR SO WE COULD GET A JUMP ON LEAD TIME BECAUSE IT'S 42 TO 45 MONTH LEAD TIME. NOW SO THAT ACTUALLY WON'T BE PAID FOR UNTIL 26. SO THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE BECAUSE I DID A SURVEY ONLINE AND JUST TO SEE HOW THE CITIZENS FELT, AND I HAD A FEW OF THEM BEAT ME UP ABOUT WE NEED TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO SEE WAYS THAT WE CAN GET OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, BETTER, SAFER, MORE UPDATED VEHICLES. I KNOW THEY WERE ONCE IN THOSE BIGGER, TAHOE TYPE OF VEHICLES, BUT NOW I KNOW IT'S DECREASED DOWN TO IS IT EXPLORER OR SOMETHING A LITTLE SMALLER? CHIEF, YOU PROBABLY CAN HELP ME. 
          I'LL GET INTO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE IN JUST A MINUTE. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. COMING UP. DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING, COUNCILMAN? GOTCHA. I HAD A QUESTION. ALL RIGHT. ON ON THE FIRE. PUMPERS WHEN WE ORDER ONE OF THOSE, THEY HAVE TO MAKE IT. YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU JUST GO ON A LOT AND BUY ONE, CORRECT? OH NO. THEY'RE CUSTOM MADE. EVERY ONE IS CUSTOM MADE FOR A BEAUMONT. 
          EVERY FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS ITS OWN SPECIFICATIONS, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, I'VE WORKED HAND IN HAND WITH CHIEF WHITE, AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY REDUCED THE SIZE OF OUR CAB TAKEN OUT EVERY COST WHERE WE CAN TAKE OUT A COST. WE CHANGED OUR ENGINES IN IT, CHANGED OUR SUSPENSION IN IT, TAKEN OUT WHERE, WHERE THEY USED TO DO LIKE A REFRIGERATOR. WE DO TO A MED COOLER. NOW LIKE EMS USES, WE USED TO USE A GENERATOR ON IT. NOW WE JUST DO A INVERTER ON IT BECAUSE THEY MAKE THOSE BETTER NOW THAN THEY USED TO. AND WE HAVE WE HAVE LITERALLY SPENT YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR REDUCING COSTS, I WOULD SAY, TO THE TUNE OF AT LEAST $100,000 ON A VEHICLE AND THEN PER VEHICLE, AND THEN THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, WHEN IT USED TO COST $676,000, IS THIS YEAR COMING IN AT ABOUT 1.15. I WAS GOING TO ASK WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT PRICE. IT'S THEY. BUT BETWEEN 121 AND 22 THEY JUMPED $250,000 A UNIT IN ONE YEAR. AND I ASKED FOR EXPLANATIONS AND THAT'S JUST WHAT IT IS. AND I COULDN'T GET HIM. AND THE WAIT TIME. RIGHT. AND NOW I KNOW WE USE PIERCE. 
          PUMPERS, BUT WE'VE WE'VE LOOKED AT ROSENBAUER, OUR AND, CHIEF, I OTHER NAMES ESCAPED ME OF DIFFERENT, HE COULD PROBABLY TELL YOU MORE NAMES. I ENDED UP GETTING 4 OR 5 VENDORS OUT, TO LOOK AT OUR, OUR STANDARDS THAT WE USE TO, SHOW ME THE TRUCKS. I EVEN WENT TO LUMBERTON AND LOOKED AT THEIR ROSENBAUER THAT THEY HAVE NEW TRUCK, GOOD LOOKING TRUCK. BUT THE LEAD TIME IS THE SAME. THE PRICE IS THE SAME. SO WE JUST STICK WITH WHAT WE HAVE AND, AND, REALLY FOR A FIREMAN TO GO FROM ONE BRAND TRUCK TO ANOTHER BRAND TRUCK, THEY WOULD BE SET UP DIFFERENT. 
          SO REALLY TO STAY WITHIN WHAT WE KNOW, ANYBODY CAN GET ON ANY TRUCK AND THEY BASICALLY OPERATE THE SAME NEXT, NEXT SLIDE, THIS NOW EMS FALLS UNDER FIRE DEPARTMENT AND IT'S THE SAME THING WITH THEM. WE HAVE DELAYS ON GETTING EQUIPMENT. I HAD ORDERED CHASSIS'S, THREE OF THEM IN OCTOBER OF 22. I DIDN'T RECEIVE THEM UNTIL APRIL OF 24, ALONG WITH TWO MORE THAT I ORDERED IN 2022. ACTUALLY AND WE HAD, I'M SORRY, IN 23 AND WE RECEIVED THOSE. SO I HAVE FIVE 
          [02:40:08]
CHASSIS ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW CALLED FRAZIER. FIND OUT WHEN WE CAN GET THEM IN. THEY SAID WE'LL BE GLAD TO PUT YOU IN IN JULY OF 25. SO I'VE GOT TWO, EVEN THOUGH I'VE GOT MY CHASSIS AND I WAITED 2 TO 3 YEARS TO GET CHASSIS'S, I NOW HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR JUST TO GET THEM INTO THE BODY BUILDERS. SO SO, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT WHEN YOU SAY CHASSIS AND YOUR BODY BUILDERS, WHEN YOU SAY YOU'RE JUST GETTING IN YOUR CHASSIS, WHAT ARE YOU GETTING? JUST A CAPITAL TRUCK. AND THE FRAME, THE CABIN FRAME. IT'S A FORD F ONE, EXCUSE ME, A FORD 4F4 50 CHASSIS, BECAUSE I BUY THE CHASSIS THROUGH FORD FLEET. AND THEN WE SEND THEM OVER TO FRAZIER AND IN HOUSTON TO UP UPFIT THEM AND BUILD. THEY WILL ACTUALLY BUILD A BODY FOR THAT CHASSIS, AND THEY ADD THE BOX ON THE BACK AND ALL THAT, OR IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S THE BODY. YEAH. THEY ADD THE WHOLE AMBULANCE UNIT ON THERE. AND THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE EQUIPMENT. THIS IS JUST THE AMBULANCE. 
          THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S JUST THE BOX ITSELF. AND THEN ONE OF A VEHICLE THAT WE TAKE OUT OF SERVICE WILL MOVE ALL THAT STUFF OVER ONTO THE NEW UNIT. AND THEN, MAXWELL, IF ANYTHING STRETCHER OR WHATEVER THAT NEEDS UPDATED, HE'LL UPDATE THAT INDIVIDUAL EQUIPMENT. WE JUST DEAL WITH THE MOBILE PART. OKAY OKAY. YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. WE DO THE SAME THING WITH PD. WE HAVE A MEETING PRIOR TO THE APRIL 1ST DUE DATE, AND THERE'S A ROOM FULL OF US THAT GET IN THERE MYSELF AND SEAN FROM FLEET GO OUT AND WE MEET WITH ALL THE ASSISTANT CHIEFS. 
          THE CAPTAINS FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS, AND WE SIT AND HAVE A MEETING ABOUT WHAT EVERYBODY'S NEEDS ARE AND THEN COME TO A CONCLUSION. AND WE'VE THESE MEETINGS AREN'T NEW. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ALMOST TEN YEARS, AND I'VE DONE THESE MEETINGS EVER SINCE. I'VE BEEN HERE. IT'S JUST AN ONGOING THING THAT WE DO IS MEET WITH THESE GUYS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MEET THE NEEDS OF THEM. I ALSO MEET WITH, LIKE PARKS AND WATER AND STREETS. MY LARGER DIVISIONS AS WELL. I MEET WITH ALL THOSE GUYS TO KNOW WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE SO THAT WE CAN MEET THEM EVERY YEAR. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, WE DISCUSSED THE FUTURE NEEDS OF THE FIVE POLICE DIVISIONS, THE REPLACEMENTS OCCURS AS OLD OR WRECKED UNITS ARE TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE. I SAY WRECKED BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON, A POLICE CAR IS A WRECK MAGNET. MORE PEOPLE HIT US THAN WE HIT. SO, OLD UNITS ARE STRIPPED, THE EQUIPMENT IN IT IS TESTED AND REBUILT, WE BOX IT UP AND MAKE IT READY FOR A NEW UPGRADE. SO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND, WHEN I GET A POLICE CAR IN, LET'S SAY IT'S AN EXPLORER, IT PRETTY MUCH RESEMBLES THE ONE THAT YOU MAY BUY FROM DOGGETT FORD DOWN HERE. 
          IT'S JUST A POLICE PURSUIT VERSION. WE TAKE EVERYTHING OUT OF IT. A ALL THE LIGHTING IS RUN, THE PARTITIONS ARE PUT IN WHAT'S CALLED A BIOPSY TO PLASTIC SEAT IS PUT IN THE BACK OF IT. THE RADIOS, THE CAMERAS, ALL THAT IS PUT IN THERE. THAT'S ABOUT IF A CHASSIS IS ABOUT OR THE BODY IS ABOUT 50 OR $45,000, WE ADD ABOUT ANOTHER $15,000 WORTH OF EQUIPMENT PER POLICE CAR JUST TO GET IT UPFITTED. SO WE CURRENTLY DO IT, WE'LL TAKE FOUR UNITS OUT OF SERVICE BECAUSE, WE DON'T HAVE REALLY EXTRA, ACTION SYSTEMS. WE DON'T HAVE EXTRA RADIOS, SO WE TAKE UNITS OUT OF SERVICE, STRIP THEM , REBUILD THE EQUIPMENT OVERHEADS. I HAVE OVERHEADS, WE'VE PROBABLY BEEN USING 15 YEARS. WE DO BUY SOME NEW ONES, BUT WE REBUILD THOSE. SO WE TRY TO RECYCLE EVERYTHING WE CAN. IF A EXPLORER WAS A 2017 EXPLORER, I. THAT INTERIOR KIT WON'T FIT INSIDE A 2024 EXPLORER. THEY'RE JUST BUILT DIFFERENTLY. THEY JUST SIMPLY WON'T FIT, SO ALL THAT NEW INTERIOR STUFF HAS TO BE ORDERED, WE DO UPFITTING AT AT OUR FACILITY, WE'VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES WITH PERSONNEL. THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, SO I'VE HAD TO, TAKE THEM UP TO SILSBEE. 
          UPFITTERS UP THERE, AND THEY HAVE BEEN GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO WORK US IN AND GET OUR EQUIPMENT OUT, BUT THAT'S TYPICALLY HAVEN'T HASN'T BEEN WHERE WE DO THAT. WE'VE WE'VE DONE IT ALL OF OUR UPFITTING OURSELVES UP UNTIL THE LAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF. SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, THE AVAILABILITY VARIES GREATLY SINCE COVID AGAIN DUE TO THE SUPPLY ISSUES, IN FY 21, I'D ORDER VEHICLES IN OCTOBER OF THAT OF OCTOBER OF 20, BY DECEMBER, I COULD GET THE VEHICLES IN AND WE COULD START UP FITTING. NOW NOW, SOME I ORDERED IN DECEMBER OF 21, THROUGH THROUGH MARCH. I DIDN'T GET UNTIL JUNE OF 23. I HAD AN 18 MONTH GAP WHERE WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY NEW CARS. THERE WERE NONE TO BE FOUND. I WAS TALKING WITH, SILSBEE UPFITTERS, AND THEY HAD A POLICE OFFICER FROM GEORGIA TRAVELING ACROSS COUNTRY TO FIND VEHICLES. HEY, SILSBEE. 
          [02:45:06]
UPFITTERS. YOU'VE GOT VEHICLES. SORRY, THEY'RE ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR. SO THERE WERE JUST NONE TO BE HAD. SO WE HAVE ACTUALLY HAD TO RUN QUITE A WHILE ON SOME OF OUR VEHICLES AS OF LATE. BUT AGAIN, BACK IN JUNE OF 23, I'D ACTUALLY, HAD PUT IN A PURCHASE ORDER FOR, TEN TAHOES AND NINE EXPLORERS, BUT WE HAD SOME SILVERADOS CHEVY SILVERADOS BECOME AVAILABLE, AND WE JUMPED ON THOSE AND TOOK THOSE SO THAT WE COULD GET NEW STUFF ON THE ON THE STREET. OKAY. FOR THE CITIZENS, WE'VE GOT A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MYSELF AND ALL THE EMERGENCY SERVICES. I TALKED TO HIM PRETTY REGULAR, SO I DON'T I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY, ANYTHING LACKING IN THAT DEPARTMENT. I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE GOT IT. OKAY. OH, THAT'S ALL RIGHT. FY 25, I PLAN FOR 11 MORE REPLACEMENTS FOR, PD. WE'VE GOT, THREE REPLACEMENTS FOR EMS. WE HAVE HAD A EMS TOTALED SINCE. SINCE THEN ARE TOTALED. SO I HAVE TO REPLACE THE CHASSIS. THE BOX WILL BE TRANSFERRED OVER, BUT AGAIN, CHASSIES AREN'T AVAILABLE, SO I'VE GOT THE ORDER OF THE CHASSIS TO PUT IT ON, AND THEN WE WILL ORDER ANOTHER FIRE TRUCK THIS YEAR. BUT IT'S FOR 48 MONTHS OUT. SO, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF GOT WE GOT TO LEAN AHEAD, LEAN FORWARD JUST TO GET THIS STUFF. YOU ALMOST GOT TO DO IT YEARLY BECAUSE YOU'RE WAITING ALMOST TWO YEARS TO RECEIVE IT. 
          FOUR YEARS, FOUR YEARS NOW. FOUR YEARS. OH 48 YEAH. FOUR. OH, WOW. YEAH. SO THE STUFF WE ORDERED IN JULY OF 23, I WON'T SEE UNTIL 26, 27 TIME FRAME, IT'S NOT IT'S A LOT MORE LOGICAL WHY WE'RE DOING IT YEARLY NOW. YEAH, YEAH. SO IT IT REALLY THE MAIN REASON STARTS DUE TO THOSE NFPA, GUIDELINE LAWS THAT SAY YOU, YOU CAN ONLY KEEP ONE IN RESERVE FOR 25 YEARS. SO REALLY DEPENDING ON IF WHAT TIME THE VEHICLE SHOWS UP, WE ACTUALLY WON'T PAY FOR A TRUCK IN 25. SO WE'LL GET A BREAK IN 25 JUST BECAUSE OF THE LAG. NOW RIGHT. SO ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING, JUST ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS I KNOW THAT YOU SAID CHALLENGES WITH PERSONNEL. 
          YOU KNOW, YOU WERE DOING A LOT IN-HOUSE AND NOW YOU KIND OF GOT TO OUTSOURCE TO SILSBEE. 
          UPFITTERS DO YOU THINK IT'S THE MARKET OUT HERE? WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE SOME OF YOUR CHALLENGES? IS IT WITH GETTING PERSONNEL, THE TRUTH OF IT IS, WITHIN A ROCK'S THROW OF ME, AND I GOT IT. THEY'RE PRIVATE INDUSTRY WITHIN A ROCK'S THROW OF ME. THEY PAY $35 AN HOUR. AND I UNDERSTAND THE CITY CAN'T PAY THAT. BUT, PAY HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR BIG CHALLENGES AS. I THINK IT'D BE INTERESTING TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY SPENDING AND OUTSOURCING VERSUS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN ALLOW TO PAY. I THINK THAT COULD BE A GOOD LEG TO STAND ON. WE CAN MAKE THAT ASSESSMENT. WELL, ANYTHING THAT YOU OUTSOURCE IS MORE. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE OUR OWN FLEET DEPARTMENT BECAUSE IT'S IT'D BE TEN TIMES WHAT IT IS NOW IF YOU WOULD HAVE TO OUTSOURCE EVERYTHING. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. I KNOW WE MIGHT BE PAYING LESS, BUT IT MAY MAKE MORE SENSE TO PAY MORE IF WE'RE PAYING MORE ANYWAYS TO OUTSOURCE IT. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANT TO NOW YOU CAN'T ALTOGETHER GET RID OF OUTSOURCE. YEAH, ITEMS, FOR INSTANCE, OUR CATERPILLAR EQUIPMENT, WE CAN I HAVE PROGRAMING, WE CAN ONLY GO SO FAR INTO IT, BUT THEN THEY KEEP ALL THAT STUFF PROPRIETARY AND WE'VE GOT TO CALL THEM ANYWAY. UNDERSTOOD? UNDERSTOOD. 
          SO BUT YEAH, I JUST I KNOW, CHIEF, I JUST WANT TO. I GOT THAT REQUEST. I WANT TO SEE WHAT WE WERE AT WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT ON, YOU KNOW, UPDATE WITH FLEET AND EVEN WITH THE EXPLORERS OR THOSE THE CARS. AND THERE'S A REASON BEHIND IT BECAUSE I LIKE TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ASKED ME. YEAH. YES, SIR, FIRST OF ALL, IF I CAN, I'D JUST LIKE TO BACK UP WHAT JEFF SAID. WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT WORKING RELATIONSHIP. AND ONE THING THAT I KNOW THAT, PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT BECAUSE WHEN THEY THINK OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEIR FLEET, THEY THINK OF THE MACH FRONT LINE UNITS. AND THAT'S REALLY NOT THE BIGGEST PART OF OUR FLEET. WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF VEHICLES IN OUR FLEET. SO I UNDERSTAND AND I KNOW THAT IT'S DISHEARTENING FOR THE FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE WORKING IN UNIFORM WHEN THEY GET TO WORK AT AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, LIKE I WENT DOWN THERE TODAY AND COUNTED. WE'VE GOT 19 CARS DOWN, BUT NOT ALL OF THAT IS MECHANICAL. SOME OF IT IS, IT SOME OF IT IS BECAUSE THEY'RE WRECKED, LIKE YOU SAID. I MEAN, WE DRIVE A MILLION MILES A YEAR AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE INCIDENTS. IT JUST THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THE BUSINESS. SO I WILL SAY THIS, THOUGH, BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH JEFF, WE HAVE A MORE VERSATILE FLEET WITH MORE CHOICES FOR OUR OFFICERS THAN, YOU KNOW, PATROL OFFICERS THAN EVER. YOU KNOW, WHEN I STARTED, YOU HAD YOUR 
          [02:50:01]
CHOICE BETWEEN A DODGE DIPLOMAT OR A FORD CROWN VIC, AND THEY WERE THE SAME CAR. ONE WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT WORSE THAN THAT. AND BUT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SMALLER, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE SMALLER PEOPLE LIKE THE SMALLER SUV, SOME OF THE LARGER GUYS, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT A TRUCK OR A TAHOE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE EQUIPMENT TAKES UP A LOT OF ROOM WITH ALL OF THE IT EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE IN THERE. IF WE LOSE THAT, IF WE LOSE A TABLET, THEN WE'VE LOST, YOU KNOW, THAT CAR. WE CAN'T USE THAT CAR FOR THAT SHIFT. SO I UNDERSTAND WE TRY TO ROTATE THEM IN AND GET THEM IN AND OUT AS QUICK AS WE CAN. IF IT'S WARRANTY WORK, THEN WE'RE RELYING ON A DEALERSHIP TO FIX IT. TAKES TIME. I KNOW IT'S DISHEARTENING, BUT. BUT WE REALLY DO WORK HARD TO KEEP, THE BEST POSSIBLE FLEET THAT WE CAN HAVE. AND AGAIN, MORE OPTIONS THAN THE OFFICERS HAVE HAVE EVER HAD. AND JUST FOR YOUR KNOWLEDGE , IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THESE ARE WHAT ARE CALLED POLICE PURSUIT VEHICLES, A PPV. THERE'S ONLY OUT OF ALL THE VEHICLES THAT THAT ARE THAT YOU SEE ON THE STREET. THERE'S A CHEVY TAHOE AND NOW A CHEVY 1500. THERE'S A FORD EXPLORER AND A FORD F-150, AND THERE'S A DODGE DURANGO. THEY USED TO DO THE CHALLENGER, BUT THEY QUIT MAKING IT FOR THE POLICE PURSUIT. AND IF OFFICERS DON'T HAVE TO BE IN PURSUIT, HE NEEDS THOSE SPECIAL, ATTRIBUTES THAT THOSE VEHICLES HAVE BETTER SUSPENSION, BRAKING, ENGINE, THAT TYPE OF STUFF THAT KEEP THOSE GUYS SAFE SHOULD SOMETHING HAPPEN. BUT THERE'S ONLY FIVE PLATFORMS TO EVEN LOOK AT. WELL, I WILL SAY THIS WAS INSIGHTFUL, I LEARNED SOME THINGS, AND I'M. I AM GLAD YOU CAME AND DID THE PRESENTATION ON THIS. AND EXPLAINED IT BETTER, EVEN WITH THE FIRE UNITS. I HAVE A WAY BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHY EVERY YEAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ONLY CAN KEEP IN RESERVE FOR 25 YEARS, IT'S TAKEN FOUR YEARS TO EVEN GET IT. SO YEAH, I TOTALLY HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND EVEN THE VERSATILITY IN THE FLEET. I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT FROM THE ASPECT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT SOME OFFICERS THAT ARE SMALLER, THEY MIGHT WANT TO BE IN THE SMALLER. SO I LIKE THE FACT THAT WE DO HAVE THE OPTIONS FOR VERSATILITY FOR OUR OFFICERS . SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL. YOU KNOW, WE LEARNED SOMETHING DURING COVID WHEN WE COULDN'T GET PARTS. WE WERE VERY HEAVY IN OUR EXPLORER FLEET. AND THERE'S JUST A PLASTIC GEAR THAT ALLOWS IT TO GO IN ALL WHEEL DRIVE THAT I HAD ABOUT EIGHT CARS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER OVER A PLASTIC GEAR. SO THAT WAS MY WAKE UP CALL TO MAKE OUR OUR FLEET MORE VERSATILE. AND WE DID THAT. AND THESE GUYS WERE VERY RESPONSIVE TO IT. AND I REALLY TRIED TO KEEP YOU TILL AFTER FIVE, BUT SORRY. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DON'T BELIEVE SO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU . MR. CITY MANAGER, WE HAVE 
          [Council member Comments ]
ANYTHING BEFORE WE GET INTO COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS. NO, SIR . ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN DARIO, MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL THE STAFF FOR THEIR PRESENTATIONS. THEY WERE VERY INFORMATIVE, THEY'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH THEIR PRESENTATION, I WOULD NAME THEM ALL, BUT, EVERYBODY OUT THERE, Y'ALL DID A GOOD JOB, AS I LIKE TO SAY, MYLES AND HIS STAFF DID A GREAT JOB. BUT, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, VERY GOOD, VERY INFORMATIVE. AND I APPRECIATE IT. THAT'S ALL. MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GETS ECHO A GOOD JOB, WE'VE BEEN HERE A WHILE, BUT, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH TODAY. AND, REALLY GLAD TO SEE THE BUDGET IS SHAPING UP, AS HEALTHY AS IT APPEARS TO BE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO, ENCOURAGE, AND I'VE MENTIONED IT A COUPLE TIMES, IS, IS THIS FOOD TRUCK PART TRY TO ADVANCE THAT A LITTLE BIT QUICKER TO MAYBE COINCIDE WITH THE, REOPENING OF RIVERFRONT PARK. I THINK THAT'S SOME REAL LOW HANGING FRUIT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO, THROW OUT THERE THAT, COUNCILMAN TURNER SHARED ON HIS FACEBOOK PAGE IS, LIGHTING THE BRIDGE, THE KCS BRIDGE THAT'S OVER THE RIVER. IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE FOOD TRUCK PARK RIGHT THERE, NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO START REACHING OUT TO KCS TO SEE IF THEY WOULD AGREE TO LET US ILLUMINATE THAT BRIDGE LIKE HAS BEEN DONE IN SOME OTHER CITIES, THAT WOULD BE A REAL FOCAL POINT. YOU'D BE ABLE TO SEE THAT FROM I-10. AND OF COURSE, RIGHT THERE AT THE FOOD TRUCK PARK, IT WOULD REALLY BE NEAT, I THINK COUNCILMAN TURNER KNOWS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT WITH, WE'VE ALL SEEN SOME OF THESE BRIDGES THAT ARE IN PITTSBURGH AND OTHER CITIES THAT ARE LIT UP. THAT'S THAT'S NOT REALLY EXPENSIVE TO DO WITH LED LIGHTING, BUT WE'D HAVE TO GET KCS ON BOARD WITH THAT. SO, THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO START MAKING OVERTURES TO THEM FOR THAT PURPOSE. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TURNER. AND IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN, YOU PLAN TO FAIL. SO, I MEAN, THESE BUDGET MEETINGS ARE LONG, BUT THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE TIMES OF THE YEAR BECAUSE AS YOU KIND OF GET 
          [02:55:05]
REJUVENATED ABOUT THE EXCITEMENT OF THE DIRECTION OUR CITY IS GOING IN, AND I KNOW SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE NEW TO US AS A CITY, BUT I'M MORE THAN CONFIDENT IF WE KEEP MOVING LIKE THIS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WE'LL BE FINE. WE JUST GOT TO BE CONFIDENT IN WHAT WE DO AND DELIVER RESULTS. IT'S, THE FOOD TRUCK PARK, I AGREE, YOU KNOW, TIMING. I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THE EXCITEMENT, YOU KNOW, WITH TIMING, ONCE THAT RIVERFRONT PARK IS DONE, YOU GOT TO, BOOM, HIT EVERYBODY WITH WHAT'S NEXT AND KIND OF KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING. AND EVEN IF WE GOT IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE BRIDGE, IT MAY TAKE ALMOST A YEAR TO EVEN GET TO AGREEMENT WITH THAT. 
          SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD TIME TO GET THAT CONVERSATION GOING, BRAD, I'M GOING TO WORK WITH YOU ON DOCTOR, TOMMY LAMAR, WE'RE GOING TO SEE LET HIM SEE HOW MUCH WE SPENDING. AND I'M GONNA SEE IF THEY WILLING TO MATCH US. SO I'M GONNA PUSH ON HIM A LITTLE BIT. SO I PROBABLY NEED YOU TO COME TO A MEETING WITH ME. IF CANDIDATES. THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU, AND MY NEXT QUESTION, THE PARKS PLAN. IT WAS IMPRESSIVE. VERY IMPRESSIVE. BUT I STILL WANT TO PUSH AND SEE IF WE CAN GET THAT 12 MONTHS A LITTLE SHORTER, MAYBE CLOSER TO TEN. AND WITH THE PARKS STUDY, I KNOW WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DOING A STUDY FOR A WATER PARK. WILL THEY KIND OF WILL WE BE ABLE TO GET WHEN WE DO THE STUDY FOR THE WATER PARK? ARE WE GOING TO GOING TO GET FEEDBACK ON LOCATIONS? AND BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED MIKE IN THE PAST, CHRIS, RANDY FORT PARK AREA, THINGS OF THAT MAGNITUDE. MAY WE PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY? ARE WE GOING TO KIND OF GET FEEDBACK ON LOCATION THAT'S WHAT I'D BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING, SOMEONE WHO'S FAMILIAR WITH THE SCOPE OF THAT. CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT, KENNETH OR JUNE SOMEBODY? DO YOU KNOW THE SCOPE OF THAT MASTER PLAN? DOES IT INCLUDE THE. YEAH WE HAVE NO SCOPE AT THIS TIME. WE ARE IN THE VERY INFANCY STAGES OF THAT. SO WHENEVER WE DO GET MORE INFORMATION, WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL IF WE CAN SQUEEZE IN THAT KIND OF LOCATION. YEAH, A LITTLE FEEDBACK. IT'D BE GREATLY APPRECIATE IT, BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, I ENJOYED IT. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, STAFF. APPRECIATE Y'ALL. I KNOW I ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT I JUST LIKE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE. SO THANK YOU ALL. COUNCILMAN SHAW, AS BEEN SAID, CITY MANAGER AND YOUR STAFF. THANK YOU FOR THE REPORTS. WELL DONE, APPRECIATE ALL THE INFORMATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THE BUDGET, HEALTHY BUDGET. YOU'VE HEARD THIS COUNCIL, OUR CONCERN ABOUT A STRONG FUND BALANCE. AND I AGAIN, I JUST APPRECIATE YOU HEARING US AND YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT. AND I ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT OUR OUR POLICE CARS AND JUST I DIDN'T MEAN TO GENERATE AN EIGHT PAGE REPORT, BUT I DIDN'T I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO THAT, BUT I JUST WAS ASKING. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE. I WAS JUST AMAZED AT HOW QUICKLY YOU GOT BACK TO THAT. YOU SAID YOU WOULD LOOK INTO IT AND YOU DID. AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT OVERALL THE 
          [City Manager Comments]
DAY WAS GOOD. THANK YOU. AND MR. CITY MANAGER, I'LL LET YOU HAVE LAST WORDS. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP THROUGH THIS AND ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS. AND I KNOW WE, IT WAS CHERYL. SHE'S NEW A CFO, BUT DID A GREAT JOB MAKING PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS THE OTHER DIRECTORS AND ALSO THE SHARPENING OF THE PENCILS AND, BRINGING US THIS GOOD INFORMATION IS EXCITING AND HELPING US PLAN FOR THIS COMING YEAR ON HOW WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT AND YET MORE EFFECTIVE AS A CITY. SO THANK YOU AND I LIKE TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR YOUR FEEDBACK AND FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND FOR INPUT AND FEEDBACK ON THIS BUDGET. IT'S BEEN JUST TREMENDOUS. IT MAKES IT SO MUCH EASIER WHEN WE CAN HEAR WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU. AND OF COURSE, I THANK STAFF FOR ALL THE WORK THEY'VE DONE. OF COURSE, THEY HAVE A LOT OF MORE HARD WORK TO DO. CHERYL AND HER CREW AND JUNE AND ALL OF THE DIRECTORS. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. JUST A LITTLE BIT ON THE BUDGET CALENDAR, JUNE 13TH THROUGH THE 28TH, WE'LL BE MEETING WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO GO OVER THEIR SUBMITTALS FOR 2425 SO THAT THAT HARD WORK COMES IN THERE AND LOOKING AT THAT, AND THAT'LL BE THE BEGINNING OF THE ZERO BASED BUDGETING PROCESS. 
          WHEN WE DO THAT. JULY 23RD, WE'RE LOOKING AT A PROPOSED THIRD BUDGET WORK SESSION WITH COUNCIL, AUGUST 6TH, WE'RE LOOKING AT A PRESENTATION OF A DRAFT BUDGET TO YOU. AND BY SEPTEMBER 3RD, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT AN ADOPTION OF THAT
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.