Jun 18, 2024 City Council

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SOON AND WELCOME TO TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING. TODAY'S DATE IS TUESDAY, JUNE 18TH, 2024.

TODAY'S INVOCATION WILL BE GIVEN BY PASTOR PHILIP BATTLES OF NEW FAITH HOLINESS CHURCH. IF EVERYONE WOULD PLEASE SILENCE THEIR CELL PHONES. AND IF YOU SO CHOOSE, PLEASE STAND AND REMAIN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AS. THE AFTERNOON. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER AND ALL THE OFFICIALS. LET'S GIVE GOD SOME THANKS FOR THIS MEETING TODAY. WE ALL OUR HEAD. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME TODAY THANKING YOU FOR THE GOODNESS AND THE WISDOM OF THIS MEETING. WE ASK THAT YOU LOOK UPON US RIGHT NOW. MY FATHER, WE KNOW THAT WE CANNOT MAKE NO DECISION WITHOUT YOU. AND AS WE COME TODAY, WE ASK THAT YOU COME INTO OUR MIDST. GIVE US THE GUIDANCE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WE MIGHT HAVE FROM ABOVE. ASK THAT YOU BLESS EACH ONE OF US TODAY. ASK THAT YOU GO WITH US AND STAND BY US AND STAND FOR US. BLESS OUR LEADERS. MY FATHER , THAT THEY MAY MAKE SOME SOLEMN DECISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY. WE BLESS THE MAYOR, THE CITY MANAGERS, THE CITY LEADERS AND ALL THE CITY OFFICIALS. WE ACCEPT YOU GO WITH THEM AND STAND BY THEM AND STAND FOR US. ASK THAT YOU BLESS THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. MY FATHER. GO WITH US AND STAND BY US. AND YOUR SON, JESUS NAME THAT WE PRAY. AMEN AMEN. PUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS . WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR. AMEN. MAY I HAVE ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MAYOR WEST, PRESENT.

MAYOR PRO TEM TURNER. ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DARIO, PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. GOETZ. ABSENT.

COUNCIL MEMBER. SHAW. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. SAMUEL. ABSENT AND COUNCIL MEMBER. NEAL

[PROCLAMATIONS]

[RECOGNITIONS]

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AND 123. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. NEXT WITH 25 YEARS MISS MARY ALEXANDER OF CLINICAL SERVICES. ALL RIGHT. ONE, TWO THREE. GET CLEAN. INTERVIEW. ALL RIGHT.

ARE Y'ALL IN ONE, TWO. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS NEXT, WE'LL GO TO 30 YEARS. AND THAT'S MR. WALTER WALKER OF SEWER COLLECTION AND MAINTENANCE.

GOOD JOB. ONE, TWO AND THREE. ALSO, 30 YEARS, TROY WAGNER OF PATROL.

30 YEARS. BOYD MEYER, A BUILDING CODES. ALL RIGHT.

30 YEARS. RUSSELL GROGAN, TENNIS CENTER.

NEXT 30 YEARS. LIEUTENANT KELLY COLE OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS.

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30 YEARS. SERGEANT YVETTE BARREIRO. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS.

RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. YOU WANT THE BOX? OKAY. WE'LL MOVE UP TO 35 YEARS. WILLIAM WARE, THE THIRD FIRE SUPPRESSION. SEE? SHIFT. ONE. TWO. THREE. 35 YEARS. JULIA DUMAS, HEALTH SERVICES.

AND LAST. BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, DENISE BOUDREAUX. WATER DISTRIBUTION. FIVE YEARS.

OF WE'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THESE EMPLOYEES. BUT INDEED, ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES FOR THE JOB THAT THEY DO. THANK YOU. COUNCIL .

I'M. IT'S A LONG TIME. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE NEXT. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION, BY OUR

[PRESENTATIONS]

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THE FIREWORKS SHOOT OFF AT NINE. OTHER DATES TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR INCLUDE GO SKATE DAY ON JULY OR JUNE 22ND, A SUNDOWN CONCERT ON JULY 11TH, AND JAZZ AT THE LAKE ON AUGUST 8TH.

FOLLOW BEAUMONT EVENTS ON FACEBOOK FOR ALL THE DETAILS THERE. AND FINALLY, WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE CITY'S ANNUAL JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION THIS PAST SATURDAY. IT WAS ANOTHER HUGE SUCCESS, SO THANKS FOR COMING OUT AND CELEBRATING WITH US, AND WE WANT TO REMIND YOU TOMORROW THE CITY WILL BE CLOSED FOR JUNETEENTH AND WE HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THE HOLIDAY. THANK YOU.

[PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA/CONSENT]

PLEASE NOTE THAT, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE CANNOT RESPOND TO YOUR COMMENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT POSTED AT THIS POINT, BUT SOMEONE FROM OUR OFFICE WILL BE CONTACTING YOU. TERESA GOODNESS.

TERESA. GOODNESS 985 19 STREET BEAUMONT, TEXAS, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL. I VOLUNTEER WITH SEVERAL PRESERVATION ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING SERVING AS THE CHAIR OF THE JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION. HOWEVER, MY COMMENTS ARE MY OWN. HERE, I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GILBERT BUILDING, FOUND THROUGH THE RESEARCH OF FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION, ARTICLES IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS REPORTED THE CURRENT GILBERT BUILDING, BUILT BY JOHN AND GILBERT AND DESIGNED BY GALVESTON ARCHITECT GEORGE BARSTOW, WAS COMPLETED SOMETIME IN AUGUST OF 1902. IT REPLACED A TWO STORY BRICK BUILDING AT THE SAME LOCATION, ALSO OWNED BY JOHN GILBERT, WHICH BURNED DOWN OCTOBER 15TH OF 1901. THE FOUR STORY, SULLIVANESQUE STYLE BUILDING, LOCATED ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF BOWIE AND PEARL STREETS, WAS CONSTRUCTED TO INCLUDE STEAM HEAT, ELECTRIC LIGHTS, WATER IN EACH ROOM, RESTROOMS, AND TWO ELECTRIC ELEVATORS. THE STRUCTURE HAD 30 OFFICE ROOMS, TWO LODGE ROOMS WITH KITCHENS, AND A CIGAR STAND ON THE FIRST FLOOR. THE FIRST TENANT OF THE BUILDING WAS THE GULF NATIONAL BANK. ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT IN 1914, THE BUILDING SUFFERED A FIRE CAUSED EITHER BY DEFECTIVE WIRING IN THE ELEVATOR SHAFT OR BY THE EXPLOSION OF A FIRECRACKER. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE BASEMENT BECAUSE LITTLE DAMAGE ON THE FIRST THROUGH THIRD FLOORS. THE FOURTH FLOOR, HOWEVER, WAS COMPLETELY GUTTED, RESULTING IN $50,000 IN DAMAGES, WHICH IS $1.5 MILLION. TODAY. A NEW ROOF WAS INSTALLED IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS, AND REPAIRS MADE TO THE INTERIOR, INCLUDING NEW ELEVATORS. THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED BY MAY OF 1915, WITH MOST OF THE FORMER TENANTS MOVING BACK INTO THE BUILDING. IN 1926, WILLIE GILBERT, EXECUTOR OF THE GILBERT ESTATE, REMODELED THE GILBERT BUILDING AND CONTEMPLATED ADDING FOUR ADDITIONAL STORIES, BUT HE HAD TO ABANDON THOSE PLANS WHEN IT WAS FOUND THE STRUCTURE WOULD WOULD NEED ADDITIONAL REINFORCEMENTS FROM THE GROUND UP. IN 1978, THE BEAUMONT COMMERCIAL DISTRICT WAS LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, AND THE GILBERT BUILDING IS LISTED AS A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE. IN 1998, W.C. GILBERT JR GAVE THE CITY OF BEAUMONT FIVE SIX OF THE BUILDING FOR USE AS A CULTURAL CENTER. IN 2002, ELIZABETH GILBERT FORTUNE BEQUEATHED THE REMAINING ONE SIXTH OF THE BUILDING TO THE CITY AFTER THE CITY DECIDED NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BUILDING AS A CULTURAL CENTER. IN 2007, THE CITY RETURNED THE FIVE SIX OF THE BUILDING TO THE GILBERT ESTATE. THE CITY SOLD THEIR LAST ONE SIXTH INTEREST TO THE CURRENT OWNER IN 2013, WHO THEN OBTAINED THE REMAINING INTEREST IN 2014 FOR 100% OWNERSHIP. AS TO THE CURRENT AGENDA ITEM REGARDING POSSIBLE DEMOLITION OF THIS HISTORIC BUILDING, MY PLEA TO THE COUNCIL IS TO GIVE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO SAVING THE GILBERT BUILDING IF IT CAN

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UNDAUNTED, MR. GILBERT DETERMINED TO REBUILD, AND SO HE DID START CONSTRUCTION OF THE BEAUTIFUL BUILDING THAT IS ITSELF NOW SADLY BURNED WITHIN A MATTER OF TWO MONTHS FOLLOWING THE FIRE WHICH DESTROYED HIS FIRST BUILDING LESS THAN ONE YEAR FOLLOWING THAT, OCTOBER 1901 FIRE, A NEW FOUR STORY GILBERT BUILDING OPENED WITH GULF NATIONAL BANK AS ITS FIRST TENANT ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 3RD, 1902, DESIGNED BY NOTED GALVESTON ARCHITECT GEORGE BESTOW, IT WAS ARGUABLY ONE OF BEAUMONT'S MOST BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS, STILL STANDING IN BEAUMONT'S COMMERCIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT, LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES IN LATER YEARS. MR. GILBERT'S GRANDSON, HIMSELF AN OILMAN WHO LIVED ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, MADE HIS PERMANENT HOME IN BEAUMONT, WHERE HE STATED THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND OPPORTUNITIES ARE BETTER. IN 1979, W.C. GILBERT JUNIOR SPOKE OPTIMISTICALLY OF BEAUMONT AND HIS FIRM BELIEF IN WHAT HE CALLED THE THREE R'S OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA. RENOVATION REJUVENATION, AND ITS RENAISSANCE. THE GILBERT FAMILY'S ONGOING VISION FOR OUR CITY IS NOT UNIQUE. BEAUMONT WAS BUILT ON THE GRIT, DETERMINATION AND INSPIRED FORESIGHT OF ALL OF OUR FOREFATHERS. WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLY RICH HISTORY OF WHICH ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM TODAY CAN BE PROUD. THAT HERITAGE, INCLUDING OUR STUNNING ARCHITECTURAL TREASURES, IS WORTH PRESERVING. LET US ALL BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE BEAUTIFUL CITY THAT HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO OUR CARE BY THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US AND ENSURE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR HISTORIC BUILDINGS AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, PRESERVATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. THEIR COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP WILL PROVE ITSELF PROFITABLE.

THE CATASTROPHIC FIRE IN THE GILBERT BUILDING HAS BEEN AN UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY. I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO IMMEDIATELY ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT A DOWNTOWN HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN IN ITS VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF BEAUMONT AS A MEMBER OF THE PRESERVATION COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. TOM FLANAGAN. MR. FLANAGAN SHOULD PROBABLY RESERVE HIS COMMENTS FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, SINCE IT'S HIS BUILDING THAT'S IN QUESTION.

OKAY. THAT WAY YOU CAN ENGAGE WITH THE COUNCIL. YES, SIR. YOU, SIR. IF ANYBODY WHO'S WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE GILBERT BUILDING, IF THEIR NAME IS CALLED, YOU DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEFER IT. SO THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO HE'S HE'S GOING TO DEFER HIS COMMENTS TO THE PUBLIC, TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. CORRECT? MR. HE WANTED TO SPEAK. NOW, I THINK I'M ASKING, ARE YOU DEFERRING YOUR COMMENTS TO THE PUBLIC HERE? OKAY, OKAY, CHARLIE GARRINGER GARRINGER I'M SORRY. GARRINGER RESERVE. OKAY ROB FUSILEER. CHRISTINA. CRAWFORD. HELLO GOOD AFTERNOON.

COUNCILMAN, I COME BEFORE YOU AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WITNESSED AND BEEN DIRECTLY INVOLVED AND INVESTED PERSONALLY IN DOWNTOWN BEAUMONT OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS, I HAVE SERVED AS A PAST

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I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE BEAUMONT CAMERA CLUB WITH AN INTEREST IN DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY. I AM PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN BUILDINGS IN DOWNTOWN BEAUMONT. I FIRST PHOTOGRAPHED THE GILBERT BUILDING ON JANUARY 21ST, 2013. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS SINCE, INCLUDING INTERIOR SHOTS ON FEBRUARY 19TH, 2016, THE GILBERT BUILDING FIGURES PROMINENTLY IN THE HISTORY OF BEAUMONT FROM SHORTLY AFTER THE LUCAS GUSHER AT SPINDLETOP IN 1901, JOHNNY AND GILBERT USED MONEY HE RECEIVED FROM SELLING AN OIL LEASE TO FINANCE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING THAT BEARS HIS NAME. IT OPENED IN 1902 1902, AND HAS HAD HAD MANY TENANTS INVOLVED IN THE OIL INDUSTRY. THE LAST OCCUPANT OF THE BUILDING LEFT IN 29 2009. IN RESEARCHING THE BEAUMONT CITY DIRECTORIES AND RENTS COLLECTED BY WILL OLDHAM FROM JULY EIGHT, 1902 TO JUNE 8TH, 1906, I HAVE COMPILED A LIST OF TENANTS OF THE GILBERT BUILDING. THE LARGEST GROUP OF TENANTS WERE ATTORNEYS WITH 97. INCLUDED IN THIS NUMBER ARE EDWARD C C MCLEAN, FATHER OF MAURICE MCLEAN AND WILLIAM D GORDON. BROTHER IN LAW OF MAURICE MCLEAN. THEIR OFFICES AND MAURICE MCLEAN OFFICES WERE NUMBERS 310 TO 315, WHILE FRANK JOHN IS MOST FREQUENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SECOND SPINDLETOP BOOM, MAURICE MCLEAN PRESENTED THE IDEA OF DRILLING AROUND THE EDGE OF SPINDLETOP SALT DOME TO YACHT COMPANIES REPRESENTING OIL

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OTHER CATEGORIES ARE INSURANCE AT 26, BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AT 18, ACCOUNTANTS AT 16, CIGAR STANDS AT 11, BARBER SHOPS AT TEN, LUMBER INTEREST AT NINE. THERE WERE TWO SALOONS. IN THE EARLY DAYS, WALGREENS DRUGSTORE WAS REPRESENTED IN THE 1940S. IN THE HISTORY OF THE GILBERT BUILDING, THERE'S ONLY BEEN FOUR PLACES TO EAT IN THE LAST BUSINESS TO LEAVE THE BUILDING WAS CHUCK SANDWICH SHOP, WHICH RELOCATED ACROSS THE STREET EARLY IN THE HISTORY OF THE BUILDING, ELKS, EAGLES AND THE MASONS OCCUPIED THE FOURTH FLOOR OF THE STRUCTURE, A COMPLETE LIST OF THE BUILDING OCCUPANTS IS ATTACHED, SO I GIVE THIS. THANK YOU. THANK. SHELBY BRANNON. SHELBY BRANNON, 6695. KNOLLWOOD. BEAUMONT, TEXAS. I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF BEAUMONT HERITAGE SOCIETY. THE BEAUMONT HERITAGE SOCIETY IS COMMITTED TO USING PRESERVATION TO EDUCATE AND ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY, REFLECTING ON WHAT WE LEARN FROM HISTORY TO CREATE A BETTER FUTURE FOR ONE ANOTHER. THE GILBERT BUILDING HAS SEEN A LOT OF HISTORY IN ITS TIME IN BEAUMONT. BUILT IN 1902, THE STRUCTURE LIVED THROUGH THE SECOND SPINDLETOP OIL BOOM.

WORLD WARS ONE AND TWO ECONOMIC UPSWINGS AND DOWNSWINGS, AND MANY MORE UPLIFTING AND UGLY PERIODS IN OUR HISTORY. PEOPLE HAVE LIVED THEIR LIVES IN ITS HALLS AS A CONTRIBUTING BUILDING TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL DISTRICT. THIS BUILDING HELPS TELL BEAUMONT STORY. OUR STORY, OUR HISTORY, AND OUR SHARED HERITAGE. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE BUILDING ITSELF, IT'S ABOUT WHAT IT REPRESENTS. IT'S ABOUT REMEMBERING WHERE WE COME FROM. A BUILDING WITH THIS MUCH HISTORY OVER 120 YEARS DESERVES MORE THAN A FIVE DAY DEMOLITION SENTENCE. WHILE WE UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR ACTION, WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THE CITY OF BEAUMONT WILL CONSIDER ALL OPTIONS THAT WOULD PROVIDE FOR THE SHORING UP AND REHABILITATION OF THE GILBERT BUILDING IN A REASONABLE TIMELINE. WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPLICATIONS THAT THIS MIGHT HAVE FOR THE SURROUNDING BUSINESSES, COMMUTERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. WE HUMBLY ASK FOR THEIR SUPPORT AS A DEEPER INVESTIGATION OCCURS INTO WHETHER THIS IMPORTANT PIECE OF OUR HISTORY CAN BE SALVAGED. THIS EVENT SERVES AS A STARK REMINDER OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVATION EFFORTS FOR OUR HISTORIC DOWNTOWN, AND WE HOPE THIS EVENT WILL SPUR RENEWED INTEREST IN AND SUPPORT FOR PRESERVATION EFFORTS AS AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY. SO THAT WE DO NOT REPEAT MISTAKES THAT LEAD TO THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR HISTORIC RESOURCES, REGARDLESS OF THE FATE OF THE BUILDING, BEAUMONT HERITAGE SOCIETY REMAINS COMMITTED TO THE PRESERVATION OF OUR CITY. WE ARE READY TO ASSIST THE CITY OF BEAUMONT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, TO ENSURE THAT THE LINKS TO OUR PAST THAT EXIST DOWNTOWN REMAIN STANDING FOR ANOTHER 100 YEARS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ON THE MATTER. THANK YOU, LUTHER HOLMES . HOMES, 930 COLLEGE STREET, BEAUMONT, TEXAS, I'M HERE FOR 24 HOURS. STOPPED BY AND DETAINED BY THE POLICE OFFICER. ACTUALLY, MY DRIVER'S LICENSE AND MY INSURANCE. I SHOWED THEM THAT. AND THEN I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD A WEAPON IN MY CAR, SO THEY ASKED ME TO STEP OUT OF THE CAR, WHICH I DIDN'T HAVE A WEAPON. AND I WAS SEARCHED DOWN BY A FEMALE POLICE OFFICER, THEN I WAS ASKED TO COME TO THE BACK OF THE CAR, AND THEN THEY ASKED IF THEY COULD SEARCH THE CAR. I SAID NO, SO THE DOGS WAS CALLED OUT. THE DOGS CAME OUT ON THE SEARCH, MY CAR. AND THEN THEY SAY THE DOG SMELLED SOMETHING. THEN THEY SEARCHED THE CAR AND THEY THREW STUFF ALL OVER THE PLACE. THEY NEVER FOUND ANYTHING. AND THEN THEY GAVE ME A TICKET BECAUSE I WASN'T APPROACHING A LIGHT TRAFFIC LIGHT. I WAS AT A STOP SIGN. I TURNED THE SIGNAL ON, BUT THEY SAID I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 100FT BEFORE THE STOP SIGN AND TURN THE SIGNAL ON. AND I THOUGHT THAT PERTAINED TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT. SO ANYWAY, THEY LET ME GO AND THEY DIDN'T

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LAST TIME THAT I SPOKE ON BEHALF OF MY MOTHER AND MYSELF, ACTUALLY, MAINLY MY MOTHER FOR THE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUEST, AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES, REASONABLE MODIFICATION TO RULES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO ALLOW MY MOTHER AND MYSELF AS A CAREGIVER FOR HER TO HAVE ACCESS TO BEAUMONT MUNICIPAL TRANSIT PARATRANSIT, PARATRANSIT BUS TO HER BEAUMONT ADDRESS, 6845 TALLOW DRIVE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. SIMPSON, 713. IT IS THAT RIGHT AT THE END, I JUST NEEDED AN ANSWER AND I LEARNED THAT YOU CANNOT GIVE THE YES. APPROVED.

NO. DENIED ANSWER HERE. CORRECT. SO AS I WAS LEAVING AND WALKING OUT, A NICE GENTLEMAN SAID THAT THEY WOULD THEY WOULD, SEND ME A CONTACT ME I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A CONTACT AT ALL SIMPLY BECAUSE I'M HERE IN BEAUMONT CARING FOR MY MOTHER WHILE I CANNOT ANSWER, OR CHECK MY MAILBOX IN WASHINGTON, DC. SO IF ANYBODY SENT A LETTER, I CAN'T READ THAT RIGHT NOW TO KNOW THE ANSWER.

HOPEFULLY THAT IT IS APPROVED AND AS WELL. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A PHONE CALL. MY EMAIL, IF THEY WOULD PLEASE GIVE CORRESPONDENCE TO CHRISTIAN KINDNESS. 1968 AT GMAIL.COM. I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. OR CALL ME AT 2024. I'M SORRY 202439 2023. FOR THAT ANSWER, I NEED THAT ANSWER, AND IT IS HOPED THAT IS A YES APPROVED THE HEADACHES WITHIN NUTRITIONAL SERVICES HAVE BEEN PLENTY. NUMBER ONE, MY MOTHER WAS GIVEN LOCAL ANESTHETIC FOR A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT THAT WE BOTH ATTENDED, AND WE RECEIVED A RUDE PHONE CALL FROM NUTRITIONAL SERVICES. I PUT HER ON SPEAKER PHONE SO THAT THE MEDICAL PEOPLE COULD HEAR AS WITNESS. THEY SAID TO HER VERBATIM, YOU BETTER BE OUT AT THE CURB. NOT I DON'T THINK SHE USED BETTER, BUT SHE'S A YOU NEED TO BE OUT OF THE CURB OR OUTSIDE BY 3:00, OR YOU FIND YOUR OWN WAY HOME. NOW, MY MOTHER HAS A POWER CHAIR. THAT IS A NICE SIZE POWER CHAIR. GETTING UBER LYFT HERE IN BEAUMONT, TEXAS IS SLIM AND NONE . I'VE TRIED IT AND CAN'T IF IT'S POSSIBLE. NOBODY'S TOLD ME A WAY TO GET IT, BUT WE WOULD NEED IT AT CERTAIN TIMES. UBER LYFT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE IN BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR EMERGENCIES FOR ANYONE SO THAT WAS VERY RUDE. THE MEDICAL PEOPLE AGREED THAT IT WAS RUDE AND THERE WAS

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NOW I MEAN, I MEAN, I KNOW WHO I AM, BUT THEN AGAIN, I SEE Y'ALL. AND I KNOW Y'ALL DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT STUFF LIKE THAT BECAUSE, ON THE, ON THE, SEVENTH AND THE 26TH OF 22, I WENT TO THE, DISTRICT COURTHOUSE, EASTERN DIVISION, OVER HERE ON WILLIS STREET, ROOM 104. AND I FILED, A COMPLAINT WITH THEM AGAINST, THIS CHASE BANK AND WELLS FARGO BANK AND ANOTHER BANK. I AIN'T STILL AIN'T GOT NO RESULTS THAT I NEED FOR ONE OF THEM. BUT THEN AGAIN, THIS IS MY MONEY. THAT Y'ALL THAT THAT THEY TAKEN. AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO GO BUT RIGHT HERE TO LET YOU ALL KNOW I DON'T APPRECIATE SOMEBODY TAKING SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T WORK FOR. AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN THIS CITY. PEOPLE IN THE BANKING AND OH, POLICE, OH, POLICE BANKER TOLD ME TO GO TO THE POLICE STATION. I WENT TO THE POLICE STATION. TWO, THREE SEPARATE, TWO SEPARATE TIMES. ONE TIME I CALLED FOR ABOUT SEVEN TIMES FOR A MONTH. THEN I STARTED BACK CALLING AND THEN I STARTED COMING OVER HERE LISTENING TO Y'ALL MEETINGS. ONE TIME, MY OFFICER OUTSIDE THE DOOR, THE ONLY CONTACT THAT I GOT WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS HAVING AN OFFICER OUTSIDE YOUR DOORS. AFTER I DID ALL THIS COMPLAINING AND HE HE GOT A CALL IN AND I GOT A LETTER FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON, APRIL THE 1ST. I GOT THIS LETTER I DID WITH A FEARLESS QUESTIONNAIRE OUT, MAILED IT BACK, AND I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR CHASE BANK CONCERNING MY MONEYS. HOW CAN THIS BE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR CHARLIE CRAB.

GOOD AFTERNOON. MAYOR. COUNCIL MISS WILLIAMS AND STAFF. IT'S ANOTHER NICE DAY IN BEAUMONT.

OUR TOWN, MY NAME IS CHARLIE CRAB. I RESIDE AT 928 EAST EAST DRIVE. AND, WE'VE HAD SOME SEVERAL GOOD COMMENTS BY PEOPLE THAT WERE COMPLAINING. ONE MAN COMPLAINED ABOUT THE POLICE, INCIDENT, WHICH SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED, IF AND, FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY MY GUEST TODAY IS MISS ERIC COURVILLE OF BAKER ROAD. AND, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO , I MADE A COMMENT THAT, SHE DIDN'T NEED A RESURFACING OF HER BAKER ROAD, AND, AND, BUT ANYWAY, I DON'T THINK SHE WAS TOO HAPPY ABOUT THAT. AND THEY RESURFACED THE ROAD, AND EVERYBODY'S HAPPY. AND THANKS TO ALL THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, THANKS TO THE LONG-TERM TERM, EMPLOYEES. THAT WAS A NICE GROUP, IT WAS, IT WAS NICE TO HEAR THE HISTORY OF THE GILBERT BUILDING AND, AND IT WOULD, I HOPE THE OWNER WILL SUBMIT A, A, CONDITION OF THE BUILDING IN ENGINEERING. TO SEE

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AND WE DON'T HAVE A LONG, DRAWN OUT AFFAIR. AND, THANKS FOR EVERYBODY'S SERVICE. AND, MAY WE HAVE A GOOD DAY? AND THAT'S ABOUT ALL I CAN COME UP WITH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR CHRISTOPHER JONES. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I AM CHRISTOPHER JONES, DIRECTOR AND ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH END CHARLTON-POLLARD GREATER HISTORIC COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION HERE IN THE HISTORIC SOUTH END, I AM HERE TO REQUEST THE INCLUSION AND CONSIDERATION OF OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN AND ORCHARD PROPOSAL INTO THE 2024 2025 BUDGETARY PROCESS, THIS PROJECT REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY FOR, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT, AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING WITHIN OUR HISTORICAL NEIGHBORHOOD, OUR PROPOSAL OUTLINES THIS TRANSFORMER TRENDS, THIS TRANSFORMATION OF VACANT, CITY OWNED PROPERTIES ADJACENT TO THE CHARLTON-POLLARD PARK, SOUTHEAST TEXAS FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER AND AT THE REAR OF THE CHARLTON-POLLARD ALUMNI MEMORIAL PARK, INTO A VIBRANT COMMUNITY GARDEN AND ORCHARD.

THE SPECIFIC PROPERTIES ARE INVOLVED OR 660 GRANT 666 GRANT 670 GRANT EIGHT GRANT STREET PROPERTY ID 121889 GRANT STREET 2173 SAINT ANTHONY STREET. 610 NIECY STREET 620 NIECY STREET.

AND THESE PROPOSED COMMUNITY GARDEN AND ORCHARD AIMS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND STUDENTS AND ADULTS TO FOSTER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE HORTICULTURAL PRACTICES, WE BELIEVE THIS INITIATIVE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY, SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS AND SERVE AS A MODEL FOR COMMUNITY DRIVEN AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION TO THE GARDEN AND ORCHARD, WE SEEK BUDGETARY CONSIDERATION FOR THE FOLLOWING ENHANCEMENTS TO THE CHARLTON-POLLARD PARK GROUNDS LEVELING TO ENSURE SAFE PLAY AREAS FOR CHILDREN AND COMMUNAL SPORTS PRACTICES. DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PARKS DIRECTOR HAVE BEEN INITIATED. SPORTS FIELD IMPROVEMENT IDENTIFY IMPLEMENTATION AND BURNING OF BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, FOOTBALL AND SOCCER FIELDS, INCLUDING NECESSARY UPGRADES. DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PARKS DIRECTOR HAVE BEEN INITIATED. CATCH NETS ALONG THE IRVING STREET TO PREVENT OBJECTS FROM ENTERING TRAFFIC LANES, ENSURING PUBLIC SAFETY, THERE IS MORE THAT'S LISTED. AND DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS, I HAVE SUBMITTED ALL OF THIS IN WRITING, INCLUDING THE PROPOSALS AND, THE GRANTS THAT WE, SEEK TO ADDRESS AS WELL. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR, I'M TYRONE THOMPSON. GONNA HELLO TO EVERYONE. I'M BEING HARASSED AT MY HOUSE. MY DAUGHTERS CONTINUE TO CALL THE POLICE, AND NONE OF THEM NEVER VISITED ME. JUST ONE TIME. AND THE POLICE COME TO MY HOUSE AND BREAK MY DOOR DOWN. SCARED ME TO DEATH BECAUSE I'M ALL RIGHT. BUT THEY USING THAT GUYS AS TO CHECK ON ME. BUT WHAT IT REALLY IS, THEY COME TO KILL ME. THERE WERE TWO MORE DAUGHTERS THAT HAVE KILLED THREE OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS. MY MOTHER FOR HER INSURANCE MONEY. THEY BOUGHT HIM TWO LAND ROVERS. THEY BOUGHT.

THEY KILLED THEIR SISTER FOR THE SAME THING. AND ONE MORE PERSON. I CAN'T REMEMBER THEIR NAME AND, OFFICER, I CALLED OFF THE OFFICER D'URSO TO TELL HIM ABOUT IT. OFFICER D'URSO SAID, DO YOU KNOW THOSE PEOPLE? I TOLD HIM, NO, I DON'T KNOW THEM, BUT I WAS SO MESSED UP. I PEOPLE, WHEN

[00:50:05]

WHAT? YOU. WHAT? YOU. YEAH. I'M DOING SOMETHING WRONG TO THEM. I'M IN MY BIBLE, READING MY WORD DAILY. I'M A I'M AN ANOINTED MINISTER OF THE LORD. AND AND THESE PEOPLE HERE COME TO SEEK MY BLOOD FOR INSURANCE. THEY'RE TAKING PICTURES WHERE THEY CAN GO TO THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY AND SAY, HERE HE IS. SO I'M ASKING YOU, CAN I PROTECT MYSELF ? AND HOW DO I STOP THESE PEOPLE FROM ANNOYING ME? THEY SAYS, WELL, THANK YOU, SIR? IS THAT IT? YES, SIR. THANK YOU. BUT WE'RE HERE, WHICH IS A PROOF OF THE BREAKING MY DOORS. AND THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR.

UNLESS THERE'S ANYONE ELSE THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK THAT WHOSE NAME I DID NOT CALL. WHAT'S THE NAME? ARE YOU WANTING PUBLIC HEARING OR JUST ANY. YES, SIR. COME. COME FORWARD. YOU'RE WELCOME. PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, MAYOR. WEST CITY COUNCIL, MY NAME IS HAPPY TO BE HERE. FIRST OF ALL, DEAN, MY NAME IS DEAN TUCKER. I LIVE AT 2550 LONG AVENUE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE GILBERT BUILDING. I WAS TALKING TO MY WIFE THIS MORNING ABOUT IT. AND I RESPECT YOUR DESIRE TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM IT FALLING OR WHATEVER, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. I APPLAUD THAT FOCUS. BUT THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT BUILDING IN FOR BEAUMONT. AND MY WIFE AND I, DOCTOR JUDITH COBERT . LOVE THESE OLD BUILDINGS. AND WE ARE VERY PASSIONATE, PASSIONATE ABOUT SAVING IT, SHE'S BEEN HERE 20, 74 YEARS. I'VE BEEN HERE 33 YEARS. I COME FROM THE DETROIT AREA AND I LOVE IT DOWN HERE. IT'S GREAT. I LOVE THE TEMPERATURE, I DO, THIS MORNING, AS WE TALKED IN THE BATHROOM, WAS SHE IN HER BATHROOM? SHE, SHARED WITH ME THAT THERE'S BEEN A OTHER HISTORIC BUILDINGS THAT WERE CONSIDERED TO BE DEMOLISHED. THE HISTORIC LIBRARY AND ALSO THE SAINT ANTHONY'S CATHEDRAL WAS SCHEDULED. WAS NOT SCHEDULED, BUT CONSIDERED. SO I KNOW YOU'RE CONSIDERING THIS, BUT LET'S TAKE OUR TIME AND LET'S BE A TRAGEDY TO DO IT IN FIVE DAYS SO THAT WOULD NOT LOOK GOOD ON YOU GUYS. SO I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS. AND, I THINK, YOU KNOW, MY FINAL THOUGHT DON'T DON'T LET FEAR RULE YOU. DON'T GO OUT OF ABUNDANCE OF FEAR. LET'S TAKE OUR TIME AND, REALLY LOOK AT THE SITUATION AND GET THE, CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERS. AND BUT IT WOULD BE VERY KIND OF STUPID TO TAKE IT DOWN, I THINK, WITHOUT GIVING MORE TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE SPEAKING WITH YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR. THANK YOU. IS THERE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR

[CONSENT AGENDA]

[00:55:08]

NOT AT ALL. I'M SURE I'M TRACKING NOW. MAYOR. I SECOND, I THINK WE NEED A MOTION. YOU HAVE A MOVE. GETS MOVED. OKAY MOVE TO APPROVE. I SECOND HIS MOTION. ALL RIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I. AYE, THOSE OPPOSED? NO. ALL RIGHT. THE MOTION

[REGULAR AGENDA]

[01:00:03]

IF WE DON'T DO THAT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START ALL OVER WITH OUR POSTINGS AGAIN. IT'LL PUSH IT A COUPLE OF MONTHS OUT. AND FOR CLARITY, I, REQUESTED THAT WE HAVE A REST WEEK AT THAT POINT BEFORE I KNEW THAT BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE TRAVELING TO NEW YORK CITY FOR A CONFERENCE. SO I WAS GOING TO BE ABSENT. BUT IN LIEU OF THAT, I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH US, MEETING BECAUSE SO THAT WE CAN CARRY THE, THE BOND ON SCHEDULE. AND, MAYOR, COULD WE NOT HOLD THE MEETING AND DEAL WITH THAT ONE ITEM? AND MAYOR PRO TEM TURNER COULD HANDLE THE MEETING.

THAT'S. YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. YES YOU COULD. SO, FUN FACT YOU'VE ALREADY APPROVED THAT. SO THAT MEANS THAT THAT REST WEEK IS ALREADY IN, SO WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS YOU NEED TO EITHER VOTE TO UNDO THAT. YEAH CAN THEY VOTE TO UNDO AND THEN SEPARATE LIKE THEY DID ITEM F AND THEN VOTE ON IT SEPARATE. SO I'VE BEEN RIGHT TWICE I SAY YES, NO ABSOLUTELY NOT. SO THE MOTION THE MOTION IS MORE COMPLEX THAN THAT. NICE TRY. BUT THE MOTION IS MORE COMPLEX. THE MOTION WOULD BE TO, REVOTE OR RECONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEM F, SINCE THAT WAS THE MOTION, YOU'LL GET A MOTION AND A SECOND TO THAT. THE NEXT THING YOU'LL DO IS THAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO A VOTE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA, MINUS S, MINUS ITEM F, AND MINUS ITEM B. I GOT A QUESTION, MAYOR. YES, COUNCILMAN, NEILD AND THEN ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS OVER HERE? REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE RESOLUTION SAYS, DOESN'T THE CITY CHARTER ALLOW YOU TO PICK AND CHOOSE WHEN YOU HAVE A MEETING? YES BUT THE COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED A COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE. SO IF COUNCIL WANTED TO AMEND THE COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE, WHICH IS WHAT ITEM B DOES, YOU WOULD NEED TO DO THAT THEN. OTHERWISE COUNCIL WOULD NEED TO HOLD A SPECIAL MEETING SECTION AND YOU COULD DO THAT AT ANY TIME. SO THAT'S ALSO AN OPTION. BUT BECAUSE CAN WE DO A SPECIAL ON THE SIXTH ONLY. CAN WE DO A SPECIAL ON THAT DAY? YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN. LET'S JUST DO A SPECIAL ON THAT DAY I THINK, SURE. I SOLUTION. YES. SO THE MEETING WOULD NEED TO BE ON THE 16TH. IT WOULD JUST BE A SPECIAL MEETING. IT JUST WOULD BE A PART OF THE SPECIAL CALENDAR. I GOT IT, I GOT IT, GOT IT, SHE GOT IT, SHE GOT IT. SO YOU WOULD. SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO DO THE MOTIONS. COUNCIL WILL JUST HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING ON THE REGULAR MEETING DATE. ABSENT THE COUNCIL, CALENDAR. BUT IT'S UP TO YOU. I THINK AT THIS POINT, WE CAN JUST DO A SPECIAL MEETING AND WE CAN CALL. CALL FOR THAT. AND THAT DIDN'T.

THAT WOULD BE THE MOST COUNCILMAN GETS. MAKE A MOTION THAT WE HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING ON JULY THE 16TH. CIRCUIT IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. NO, NO NO, NO. THAT IS NOT A POSTED ITEM. SO THEREFORE YOU CANNOT MAKE A MOTION ON A NON POSTED ITEM. HOWEVER WE HEAR YOU AND IT IS RECEIVED AND STAFF WILL ACT ACCORDINGLY. WELL IF IT'S THE CONSENSUS OF THE COUNCIL, WE WILL POST FOR A SPECIAL MEETING ON JULY THE 16TH. CORRECT DATE. IS IT THE 16TH? JULY 16TH? OKAY.

YES, SIR. I BELIEVE IT IS THE CONSENSUS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NOW LET'S JUST MOVE ALONG. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE? OKAY KEEP UP WITH THE EXCITEMENT HERE, MAYOR. OKAY COUNCIL, APPROVE A RESOLUTION AWARDING HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX GRANT AWARDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 FUNDING. AND YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO MOVED TO APPROVE? SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER TWO. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON. OKAY LET'S DO THIS BECAUSE TINA IS TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH WHO MADE THE MOTION AND DIDN'T HEAR A SECOND. RIGHT. AND COUNCIL MEMBER, YOUR MOTION. THANK YOU. YEAH. GOT IT. OKAY. I'LL MOVE BACK TO IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER TWO, COUNCILMAN TURNER? YES. JUST FOR TRANSPARENCY, I NOTICED MARDI GRAS HAS ZERO ON THERE, AND I'M NOT IN OPPOSITION, BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT WHAT MADE US COME TO THAT CONCLUSION AT THE TIME OF THE COMMITTEE MEETING, ONE OF THE CRITERIA IS THAT THE

[01:05:05]

AND SO ONE OF THE CRITERIA THAT YOU CANNOT, OWE THE CITY BUILDING, OWE THE CITY MONEY. SO THE TIME THE APPLICATION WAS MADE, THE BILL WAS NOT DUE AT THE TIME THE COMMITTEE MET TO AWARD FUNDING. THE BILL WAS PAST DUE. SO AS THE BILL CURRENTLY PAID, ARE WE STILL IN THAT STATE? I DON'T BELIEVE WE RECEIVED, PARTIAL PAYMENT TODAY, OF, OF FROM MARDI GRAS TODAY. IT CAME ACROSS MY DESK AND, THERE'S A MEETING PLANNED TO DISCUSS THE REST OF THE POSSIBLE PAYMENT.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER THREE, PLEASE? COUNCIL, CONSIDER A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING MAINTENANCE OF THE WATER IMPROVEMENTS IN WESLEY ADDITION SUBDIVISION. AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL. ITEM THREE WAS PULLED. WE'RE ON ITEM FOUR. THANKS FOR KEEPING UP. WELL, WE'RE REALLY ON A ROLL TODAY, SENATOR. IT'S GOING TO WORK. IT'S GOING TO EARN MY PAY. THERE YOU GO, MR. CITY MANAGER. MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE? JUST ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY TO BE QUICKER TO. COUNSEL, CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE REPAIR OF TWO PUMPS FOR THE ROYAL STREET UNDERPASS PUMP STATION. AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR? MOVED TO APPROVE? SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE? COUNCIL CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO AWARD A CONTRACT TO UNDERGROUND CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS LLC OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, FOR THE LABELLE PARK WATER LINE EXTENSION I, INTERSTATE TEN LNVA CANAL TO WALDEN ROAD. AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL.

IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER FIVE MOVED TO APPROVE? IS THERE A SECOND FOR APPROVAL? SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER FIVE? PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE PLEASE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER SIX? COUNCIL. COUNCIL, CONSIDER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ACCEPTING MAINTENANCE OF THE STREET, STORM SEWER, WATER AND SANITARY SEWER IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGWOOD SUBDIVISION. SECTION FOUR. AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL. THERE IS A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER SIX MOVED TO APPROVE? SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR ITEM NUMBER SIX. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I HAD A QUESTION, MAYOR. YES, SIR, I NOTICED WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THESE, COME ACROSS OUR AGENDA, WHEREAS WE'RE DOING MORE AND MORE SEWER AND DRAINAGE WORK AT THIS PART OF THE, STRATEGIC PLAN AND SOME OF THE THINGS WE DISCUSSED. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S ALL, YOU KNOW, CONSISTENT. I'M SORRY.

I'M NOT SURE WHAT WHAT THE QUESTION IS, SIR, YEAH. WE'RE DOING MORE AND MORE SEWER WORK IN SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS. IS THIS SOME OF THE PLANS WE PUT TOGETHER ARE. NO, THIS IS A DEVELOPER DOING A SUBDIVISION, SO THEY'VE COMPLETED ALL THE WORK AS PER THE SUBMITTED PLANS FOR THE SUBDIVISION. WE'VE INSPECTED THE WORK THAT THEY'VE PUT IN, AND NOW WE'RE ACCEPTING THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN. SO IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT A CITY PROJECT. IT'S A DEVELOPER DOING A SECTION OF A SUBDIVISION. AND THEN WE'RE ACCEPTING THE WORK. THANK YOU BOARD BECAUSE I JUST DIDN'T REMEMBER. NO PROBLEM. THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING THIS DIDN'T LOOK FAMILIAR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER SIX, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, PLEASE? THANK YOU. MAYOR, COUNCIL CONSIDERING ORDINANCE DENYING TEXAS GAS SERVICE COMPANY PROPOSED RATES. AND IT COMES WITH A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. SO MOVED TO APPROVE. SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR

[01:10:06]

[PUBLIC HEARING]

WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE RESTRICTIONS IN THE STAGES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SEEMED TO CAUSE A LOT OF CONCERN LAST YEAR WAS WHEN WE GOT TO STAGE THREE, THE ABILITY TO WATER WITH HOSE IN SPRINKLERS WAS NOT ALLOWED AT ALL, AND THE REASON FOR THAT WAS AS YOU CONNECT A HOSE IN SPRINKLER, YOUR HOSE, YOU PUT IT OUT IN YOUR YARD, YOU FORGET ABOUT IT AND THEN IT RUNS FOR,

[01:15:05]

IT'S NOT REALLY DUE TO AN INCREASED USAGE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PULL 50 MILLION GALLONS A DAY OFF OF THE RIVER. IT'S THE FACT THAT IN A DROUGHT, THERE'S NOT 50 MILLION GALLONS

[01:20:03]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MADAM CITY CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO, SIR, I DON'T HAVE ANY. OKAY THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED ON THAT, FROM A. YES, SIR. IF IT PLEASES THE COUNCIL, COULD COUNCIL GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS AND VOTE ON ITEM NINE? OR WHAT? THE, DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN BEFORE WE OPEN THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING? YES, SIR. SO COULD YOU, READ AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE? COUNCIL CONSIDER RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE 2024 WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND THE REVISED DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN BY UPDATING AND RENEWING THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO CHAPTER 22, ARTICLE 22 .06 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, ORDINANCES. AND IT COMES WITH A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER NINE? MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE 2024 WATER CONSERVATION PLAN? NOT BAD. MIKE. SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER NINE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER NINE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE, READING OF THE PUBLIC NOTICE? SECOND PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER TWO, COUNCIL TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE COMMENTS RELATED TO THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 328 THROUGH 330 BOWIE STREET AND 486 THROUGH 498 PEARL STREET. AND WE HAVE A BUILDING OFFICIAL, BURT MEYER HERE, AND FIRE CHIEF, ERROL WHITE HERE TO, LEAD THIS DISCUSSION. GOOD AFTERNOON. MAYOR, COUNCIL. CITY MANAGER WILLIAMS. THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP HERE AND SPEAK ON THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO FIRST, JUST DO A QUICK RECAP ON WHAT, OUR TEAM. AND WHEN I SAY OUR TEAM, IT'S BUILDING CODES. FIRE SOMETIMES, PD AND OUR DEMOLITION DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE A TEAM OF INSPECTORS AS WELL. AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR, WORKING TOGETHER WITH US AS FAR AS LONG AS WE HAVE GOTTEN ON THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL SO FAR. WE'RE NOT FINISHED, BUT WE HAVE, WE'VE DONE VERY WELL. OUR TEAM BEGAN A PHASED APPROACH TO INSPECT AND ADDRESS THE UNSAFE BUILDINGS WITHIN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT OF BEAUMONT EARLIER THIS YEAR. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT UNSAFE IS A CLEARLY DEFINED TERM IN OUR ADOPTED CODES, AND THAT IS ALLOWED US TO FOCUS ON SPECIFIC VIOLATIONS. THIS CAN MEAN ANYTHING FROM UNSANITARY CONDITIONS TO MORE DANGEROUS AND URGENT CIRCUMSTANCES. PHASE ONE INCLUDED THE GILBERT BUILDING, WHICH WAS TAGGED AS AN IMMINENT DANGER. ON MARCH THE 27TH, 2024 31ST. THAT TERM TWO IS A SPECIFIC SECTION OF THE CITY'S ADOPTED CODE, WHICH ALLOWS US TO ACT AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE , AND WE HAVE. THIS IS THE SOUTH EXTERIOR UP ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW OF THE GILBERT BUILDING AND THE NORTH EXTERIOR. PRIOR TO THE FIRE. WE PERFORMED THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION ON ON MARCH THE 27TH, 2024. FOR THIS BUILDING AND SENT NOTICES IMMEDIATELY TO THE OWNER ORDERING THE REPAIRS TO BEGIN. WE'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT THE OWNER WAS VERY RESPONSIVE TO US, AND IMMEDIATELY ALLOWED FOR US TO MAKE MORE DETAILED INSPECTIONS, INCLUDING THE INTERIOR OF THE GILBERT BUILDING. ON APRIL THE 17TH OF 2024. THE EXTERIOR VIOLATION SUMMARY, BASED ON OUR INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE, WAS BORN AND SECURE, WHICH IS UNDER THE UNSAFE SECTION. I WON'T GET INTO THE DETAILS. IT WILL TAKE TOO LONG TO READ EVERYTHING, BUT WE WOULD BE GLAD TO HAVE A COPY OF THAT AVAILABLE. ELECTRICAL HAZARDS EXTERIOR SANITATION, ROT AND DETERIORATION, INFESTATION. EXTERIOR UNSAFE CONDITIONS, AND

[01:25:04]

BOY, COULD WE COULD WE GO BACK TO THE LAST SLIDE? THE BLUE BUILDINGS ARE ARE ARE WHAT? THE VACANT BUILDINGS. BLUE BUILDINGS ARE THE ONES THAT RIGHT NOW THAT UP TO PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO THAT WE HAVE DONE AN INSPECTION ON. AND HAVE THEY BEEN, TAGGED AND, AND OWNERS NOTIFIED. WELL, THERE WERE 21 AND OUT OF THE 21, 20 OF THEM ARE, ARE, ONE IS COMPLETE COMPLIANCE OUT ACTUALLY. AND THE OTHERS LETTERS HAVE BEEN SENT OUT AND THEY HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. GOT A QUESTION ON THAT. OUT OF THE 21, HOW MANY DIFFERENT PROPERTY OWNERS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WE'RE PROBABLY APPROXIMATELY TEN, TEN DIFFERENT PROPERTY OWNERS. YES COUNCILMAN GETS, OUT OF THE BUILDINGS THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF DOWNTOWN. HOW MANY OTHER VACANT BUILDINGS ARE THERE DOWNTOWN THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN INSPECTED, PROBABLY APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 6 AND 8 OTHER BUILDINGS THAT WE'RE IN. PHASE THREE. THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE OCCUPIED AS WELL THAT WE'RE DOING OCCUPIED AND UNOCCUPIED BUILDINGS ON OUR SWEEP THROUGH THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.

BUT BETWEEN 6 AND 8 REMAIN VACANT. IN ADDITION TO THESE THAT YOU HAVE LISTED, YES.

CHIEF WHITE, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD, THIS THIS FOOTAGE WAS TAKEN, BY CHANCE.

ABERCROMBIE, FROM OUR DRONE FOOTAGE THAT WE LAUNCHED, IT ALLOWED US TO GET A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT WE WERE HANDLING AT THE TIME. AND NOT PUT, ANY HUMAN LIVES IN DANGER. CHIEF THIS

[01:30:06]

BECAUSE, THE BUILDING THAT WAS BEHIND WE SET UP WHAT WE CALL A WATER CURTAIN TO PREVENT IT FROM JUMPING TO THE NEXT BUILDING. AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE STILL COLLECTING DATA, AND I'M SURE THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE WHILE, BUT IF YOU HAD TO GUESSTIMATE WHAT THIS FIRE COST THE CITY, COULD YOU GIVE A NUMBER? I I'M PUTTING TOGETHER THOSE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS MY DEPARTMENT, THERE WERE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE INVOLVED ALSO IN ADDITION TO MY DEPARTMENT. I'M ONLY PUTTING THE NUMBERS TOGETHER FOR MY DEPARTMENT MANPOWER WATER WISE.

BUT, BART HAS INDICATED THAT WE USED APPROXIMATELY 2 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER. THANK YOU. AM I CORRECT, COUNCILMAN DARIO? THEN COUNCILMAN GETS CHIEF. WHEN THEY MADE THE INITIAL INTERIOR ATTACK, WERE THEY EVER ABLE TO REACH THE SEAT OF THE FIRE OR SEE WHAT FLOOR IT STARTED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? THEY WERE NOT, MULTIPLE POINTS OF ATTACK ON THE FIRE ITSELF. BUT LIKE I SAID, BECAUSE OF THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDING, WE MADE THE DECISION TO PULL THEM OUT. OKAY.

DID THE, WAS THE BUILDING SECURE WHEN THE FIREFIGHTERS GOT THERE? IT WAS NOT. WE THINK THAT THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE INTENSITY OF THE FIRE WITH THE BUILDING NOT BEING SECURE. AND AS FAR AS, LIKE YOU SAID, THE DRY WOOD AND THINGS LIKE THAT, ADDING FUEL TO THE FIRE, YEAH.

THE BUILDING, HEAVY TIMBER THAT HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS AND EVERYTHING, DRY CONDITIONS.

YEAH. OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE. CROSS WINDS AND EVERYTHING CONTRIBUTED TO THE SPREAD OF THE FIRE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. CHIEF. COUNCILMAN GOETZ, THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS THAT YOUR MAN MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO ASBESTOS. IN THE BUILDING, OF COURSE, ASBESTOS ITSELF IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BURN, BUT I GUESS A FIRE INTENSE ENOUGH CAN MAKE IT FRIABLE OR ABLE TO BE EXPOSED AS ANY AIR SAMPLING BEEN DONE. OR DO YOU KNOW OF ANY AIR SAMPLING THAT WAS DONE TO BE ABLE TO SHED LIGHT ON THAT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER? NO, NOT NOT AT THIS TIME. BUT BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE BUILDING, I'M SURE THAT THERE WAS ASBESTOS IN THE BUILDING, BUT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A REPORT, FROM THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING AS TO ASBESTOS REPORT. OKAY AND I ALSO WANT TO APPLAUD THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND ALL CITY SERVICES. ON THE NIGHT OF THE FIRE, I DID GO OUT THERE, AND I SAW HOW WELL ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WERE WORKING TOGETHER, BECAUSE IT WAS QUITE A COLLABORATION, TO MINIMIZE RISK TO PROPERTY AND CERTAINLY TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE AND, CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL THE FIREFIGHTERS AND THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DID AND AS WELL AS THE OTHER CITY SERVICES. AND THEY WERE OUT THERE ALL NIGHT LONG MAKING SURE, TO KEEP THE SITUATION SAFE AS WELL AS OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SO AND CITY DEPARTMENTS AS WELL. SO THANK

[01:35:02]

OKAY IT'S JUST JUST FOR REC FOR THE RECORD, ON JUNE THE 10TH, ON MONDAY, THE FOLLOWING MONDAY AFTER THE FIRE, THE, 328 BOY WAS TAGGED FROM TAKEN FROM ORANGE TAG TO THE RED TAG TO A DANGEROUS STRUCTURE AS BEING UNSAFE AS OUR STANDARD PROCEDURE . AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. IS THERE ANY PRELIMINARY, INVESTIGATION IN TERMS OF WHERE THE FIRE MAY HAVE BEGUN, OR IS IT TOO EARLY TO. IT'S AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION AT THIS TIME. OKAY. COUNCILMAN NEIL, I GUESS I HAD A QUESTION MORE FOR THE FITTS AND SHIPMAN REPORT. IF THESE GENTLEMEN WERE DONE, I HAD A QUESTION FOR CHIEF. ALL RIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT SOME MORE QUESTIONS. COUNCILMAN.

DARIO. COUNCILMAN TURNER AND COUNCILMAN, I THINK THAT YOUR INVESTIGATORS WILL BE ABLE TO GO INTO THAT BUILDING AND INVESTIGATE FURTHER. NOT IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION, AS YOU SAY, IT'S BEEN TAGGED AS AN UNSAFE STRUCTURE, AND THAT'S TO EVERYONE. OKAY IN REGARDING, FITS AND SHIPMAN, WE DO HAVE TERRY SHIPMAN HERE WITH THE ENGINEERING FIRM. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MOVING FORWARD. YEAH. MY QUESTION AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THE INTENT BEHIND WHAT THE CITY IS TRYING TO DO HERE. THIS BEING A PUBLIC SAFETY SITUATION, WHERE I STRUGGLE IS, IS ONLY ALLOWING THE PROPERTY OWNER FIVE DAYS TO MAKE A DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS WHEN THERE'S SOME THINGS IN MR. SHIPMAN'S REPORT THAT I WOULD LIKE HIM TO MAYBE EXPLAIN TO US A LITTLE BETTER, I DON'T KNOW, I'M TAKING IT AS THEY CONTRADICT ONE ANOTHER, AND I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR MR. SHIPMAN, SO I'D LIKE HIM TO RESPOND TO IT. BUT ONE OF THE AREAS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE RECOMMENDATION IS FOR THE BUILDING TO BE DEMOLISHED. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE NEXT SENTENCE DOWN, IT SAYS THAT IT'S SAFE TO OPEN THE ROAD AFTER THE FIRE IS EXTINGUISHED. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO GIVE THE PROPERTY OWNER JUST FIVE DAYS TO MAKE A DECISION ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS. THERE'S NOT A DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THIS BUILDING IS SALVAGEABLE, YOU KNOW, MY FAMILY'S BEEN DOING THIS FOR 100 YEARS IN THIS TOWN ON BUILDINGS LIKE THIS. IT'S GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE AS HELL TO DO IT, BUT IT'S VERY DOABLE, IT'S GOING TO TAKE THE RIGHT ENGINEERS. I KNOW MR. SHIPMAN IS VERY WELL QUALIFIED TO DO A PROJECT LIKE THIS, BUT WHETHER OR NOT THE PROPERTY OWNER WOULD ACTUALLY DO THE PROJECT IS NOT A DECISION, IN MY OPINION, THAT THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO MAKE. IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ALLOW A APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER TO MAKE THE DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD. AND I JUST CAN'T I CAN'T SIT BACK AND LIVE WITH FIVE DAYS. I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE OR FAIR. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO TOM FLANAGAN. I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE FAIR TO ANYBODY ELSE, THAT'S MY $0.02 ON THAT. YEAH MAYOR. YEAH. COUNCIL COUNCILMAN. NEIL, I PROBABLY AGREE WITH YOU, BUT I THINK MAYBE WE WANT TO HEAR THE PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE WE START HAVING, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION ON ON THIS. BUT YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RED TAG. COUNCILMAN TURNER. BOY, I KNOW WE HAD, FIRE IN THE PAST. LIKE WE SAID, WITH THE WORKFORCE BUILDING, IT'S JUST THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAD SOMETHING THAT WE NEEDED TO RESPOND TO THIS EXPEDITIOUSLY, WAS THE WORKFORCE BUILDING IT WASN'T IN THE SAME CONDITIONS AS THIS ONE. OR. THIS IS NORMAL STANDARD, LIKE YOU SAID. BUT HAVE WE DID THIS RECENTLY WHERE WE GAVE THIS FIRM TIMELINE? WE'VE HAD THIS MANY TIMES IN THE PAST, BUT NOT IN THIS BUILDING'S OUT OF THE NORM BECAUSE IT'S A LARGER IT'S A FOUR STORY COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE, BUT WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF IMMINENT DANGERS TO WHERE WE HAD TO MOVE IMMEDIATELY AND GET THE BUILDING TORN DOWN WHEN IT WAS A LEANING AND LISTING, WHETHER IT BE AFTER FIRE DAMAGE OR WHETHER IT BE TERMITES, ROT, TREE DAMAGE FROM THE STORM, THAT WE'VE HAD TO MOVE VERY EXPEDITIOUSLY AND GET THE STRUCTURE DOWN TO PROTECT THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES. YES, SIR. BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE EVER DEALT WITH SOMETHING THIS LARGE. OR WE HAD OTHER INSTANCES WITH BUILDINGS AS LARGE AS THIS ONE. NO, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS LARGE, FROM WHAT I CAN REMEMBER IN RECENT, IN RECENT HISTORY. OKAY.

I APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. CAN WE HAVE MR, SHIPMAN, CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION, CHIEF, I UNDERSTAND IT'S AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION, BUT IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT AT THIS POINT, THE EVIDENCE SEEMS TO INDICATE THE FIRE STARTED ON THE INTERNALLY AND NOT EXTERNAL?

[01:40:01]

THAT IS CORRECT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GETS DO WE HAVE A REASONABLE BASIS TO BELIEVE THAT THE FIRE STARTED BECAUSE OF ARSON AS OPPOSED TO ACCIDENT OR EXTERNAL, NOT? I CAN'T SAY THAT, COUNCILMAN, WE BASE OUR ALL OUR INVESTIGATIONS CONCLUSIVE ON EXCLUSIVE EVIDENCE INDICATING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. OKAY ALL RIGHT. AT THIS POINT, IF WE COULD HAVE MR. SHIPMAN COME UP TO MAYBE, ADDRESS THE REPORT THAT HE PROVIDED. MY NAME IS TERRY SHIPMAN, STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, BEAUMONT, TEXAS, BEFORE YOU ALL START ASKING ME QUESTIONS, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, I LOVE OLD BUILDINGS. ALSO AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH RENOVATION OF A NUMBER OF OLDER BUILDINGS IN DOWNTOWN BEAUMONT, THE STEDMAN BUILDING, THE JEFFERSON THEATER, TERRELL LIBRARY, SEVERAL OTHER BUILDINGS, SO I LOVE TO SAVE THEM TO. SO WITH THAT SAID, I WILL TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. YES, SIR. COUNCILMAN GETS. MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU FIRST FOR YOUR WORK ON ALL THE BUILDINGS THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, AS WELL AS, YOUR REPORT ON THIS BUILDING YOU INDICATED IN YOUR REPORT THAT IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE BUILDING TO BE SHORED UP AND THE EXTERNAL FACADE SAVED, IS THAT CORRECT? YES. BUT THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A MORE THOROUGH INVESTIGATION, AND THE BUILDING WOULD NEED TO BE GUTTED BEFORE THAT. COULD HAPPEN, BECAUSE IT'S VERY UNSAFE TO GO INSIDE THAT BUILDING RIGHT NOW. OKAY DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE? AND I REALIZE THAT I'M CATCHING YOU COLD, BUT, ANY IDEA OF BALLPARK, HOW MUCH A PROJECT LIKE THAT MIGHT POTENTIALLY COST JUST TO SHORE UP THE EXTERNAL FACADE OF THE BUILDING? I DO NOT. OKAY, WHO WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE OF THAT SORT? WELL, FIRST, I THINK IT WOULD NEED TO BE DESIGNED, AND THEN YOU WOULD TURN IT OVER TO A CONTRACTOR TO COME UP WITH A COST. OKAY THANK YOU. YES, COUNCILMAN FALLSHAW. MR. SHOOPMAN, I BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, IS FIRST AND FOREMOST COMMITTED TO THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS. BUT NUMBER TWO, WE'D LOVE TO SALVAGE THIS BUILDING. IF ALL POSSIBLE, SO WE'RE ALL JUST. WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUR MINDS WRAPPED AROUND THIS, AND WHAT CAN OR CANNOT BE DONE. BUT MAYBE WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS THAT YOU CAN'T ANSWER, LIKE, WHAT'S IT GOING TO COST? BUT CAN YOU ANSWER THIS QUESTION OR GIVE ME EVEN KIND OF AN IDEA OF, OF A TIMELINE? WHAT WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT TO GO IN THERE AND GUT THIS BUILDING, THEN GO BACK IN AND INSPECT IT, THEN COME BACK OUT AND SAY, OKAY, IT CAN BE SALVAGED OR IT CAN'T. IS THERE ANY KIND OF A TIMELINE YOU CAN GIVE US? I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE, SEVERAL MONTHS AT A AT A MINIMUM, YOU GOT TO GUT THE BUILDING, THEN SOMEBODY'S GOT TO GET IN THERE AND INSPECT THE, EXTERIOR FACADE , SEE IF THERE'S ANY CRACKING. SEE IF THERE'S. I KNOW THERE'S FIRE DAMAGE, BUT SEE IF THERE'S, DAMAGE THAT, THAT CAN'T BE REPAIRED. I KNOW THERE'S CRACKING ON THE EXTERIOR BECAUSE I SAW IT. AND SO RIGHT NOW YOU'RE SAYING TO US THAT THIS DANGER IS A HAZARD TO OUR COMMUNITY, OR IT'S IT ENDANGERS OUR CITIZENS IN THAT AREA. YES. COUNCILMAN GETS YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE CHICKEN AND THE EGG. YOU SAY IT'S UNSAFE FOR ANYBODY TO GO IN, BUT IT'S ALSO GOING TO BE NECESSARY FOR PEOPLE TO GO IN TO GUT THE INTERIOR. SO HOW DOES ONE DO THAT AND DO IT IN A MANNER WITHOUT RISKING THEIR SAFETY? WELL, THAT'S THE REASON I IN MY REPORT, I SAID THAT WHOEVER GUTS THE BUILDING NEEDS TO BE SOMEBODY VERY QUALIFIED IN DOING THIS TYPE OF DEMOLITION, BECAUSE IT'S VERY POSSIBLE AND MORE THAN MORE THAN LIKELY, SOME OF THE FLOORS THAT HAVE NOT COLLAPSED COULD COLLAPSE. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW A CONTRACTOR WOULD GO ABOUT DOING IT. PERHAPS, GOING FROM THE TOP AND WORKING HIS WAY DOWN, I DON'T KNOW. I'M NOT A CONTRACTOR

[01:45:05]

IT'S NOT THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DETERMINE HOW HE DOES IT AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS HIM TO DO THE PROJECT, BUT IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. LET'S GO FROM ONE TO THE OTHER. YES IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS EVEN A PROCEDURE IN WHICH THAT STEPS CAN BE TAKEN TO PRESERVE. THE BUILDING, SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON OF MY QUESTIONS HERE. DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION, I GUESS MORE OF A COMMENT. I THINK THAT IT'S MORE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DETERMINE A, AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER TO DETERMINE A FEASIBILITY OR DO A FEASIBILITY REPORT TO SEE IF IT'S SALVAGEABLE. AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT IN FIVE DAYS. COUNCILMAN PHIL SHAW AND COUNCILMAN DARIO, AND CLARIFY, I MEAN, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, CITY ATTORNEY, BUT THE FIVE DAYS THAT WAS PUT OUT WAS PUT OUT FOR THE OWNER TO GIVE US, HIS OR HER HIS INTENT AND NOT TO DEMOLISH THE BUILDING IN FIVE DAYS BECAUSE THAT RUMOR WAS OUT IN BEAUMONT. SO THE MEMO IS DRAFTED TO GIVE FIVE DAYS TO TEAR IT DOWN, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION OF ITS SHIPMENT. SO THE FIRE IF YOU LOOK AT THE TIMELINE, THE FIRE OCCURRED ON JUNE 7TH, I BELIEVE IF CHIEF WHITE CAN CORRECT ME, IT WAS STILL SMOLDERING AT LEAST TWO DAYS PRIOR. SO THE FIRE WAS OUT BY JUNE 10TH, TODAY IS JUNE 18TH. WHAT WAS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT? I'M GIVING TIME, BUT FINE. BUT WHATEVER THE PROJECT SAYS. JUNE 6TH. BUT IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. THE FIRE CAUGHT FIRE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN JUNE 6TH AND JUNE 7TH.

REGARDLESS THE FIRE WAS COMPLETELY DISSOLVED OR FIREFIGHTERS WERE REMOVED ON JUNE 10TH, TODAY'S JUNE 18TH. SO YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING CREATES AN IMMINENT DANGER AND THEN GIVE 45 DAYS FOR SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING. I DO KNOW THAT, MR. FLANAGAN AND HIS AND HIS PEOPLE WERE WERE THERE AS MUCH AS OUR PEOPLE WERE THERE INVESTIGATING. SO SAYING THAT THERE'S NOT AN ADEQUATE TIME. THERE'S BEEN TIME TO INSPECT. THERE'S BEEN TIME TO DO WORK. NO ONE'S JUST NO ONE IS ACCUSING ANY THE PROPERTY OWNER OF NOT BEING DILIGENT IN DOING THAT. COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY THAT COUNCILMAN NEAL HAS POINTED OUT. COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE, IF YOU WANT TO USE THAT TIMELINE TO DEMOLISH THE BUILDING OR AMEND THE ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE A AN ACTION PLAN FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER, STAFF MADE A RECOMMENDATION BASED OFF A ENGINEERING REPORT THAT THEY BELIEVED THAT THE PROPERTY SHOULD BE DEMOLISHED. THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.

COUNCIL HAS AUTHORITY TO AMEND THAT, ACCEPT THAT RECOMMENDATION, OR MODIFY OR CHANGE IN ANY WAY THEY SEE FIT AS APPROPRIATE AND NECESSARY, KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE BASED ON , PROPERTY SAFETY, TO CITIZENS AND AGAIN, TO THE BUSINESS OWNERS IN THAT AREA, THE STREET HAS REMAINED CLOSED DESPITE THE RECOMMENDATION TO REOPEN IT BASED ON THE FACT THAT OUR IN-HOUSE STAFF BELIEVES THAT IT STILL CREATES A HAZARD. THE BUILDING IS BOARDED, BUT BECAUSE THERE'S SOME CONCERN ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE PROPERTY, WE CAN WE ARE OVERLY CAUTIOUS IN MAKING SURE THAT THE STREET REMAINS CLOSED UNTIL THERE IS A, SHORING OF THE BUILDING. BUT OUR INTENTION WAS NEVER TO TELL THE OWNER TO TEAR IT DOWN IN FIVE DAYS. THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE. SO YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. YOU YOU HAVEN'T YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING. STAFF HAS MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO YOU. STAFF DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT WITHOUT YOUR APPROVAL. I'M ONLY TRYING TO CLARIFY THIS FOR THE CITIZENS. THE CITY'S POSITION WAS NEVER TO. THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES. SORRY THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES. THE MEMO SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THE PLANNING DIRECTOR, AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THIS INSTRUMENT, IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE PROPERTY BE DEMOLISHED WITHIN FIVE DAYS OF YOUR OF YOUR APPROVAL, OF OUR APPROVAL. BUT JUST TO KICK THE CAN CAN A BUILDING THAT SIZE BE DEMOLISHED IN FIVE DAYS? A BUILDING THAT SIZE CAN HAVE CONTRACTORS AND HAVE PEOPLE THERE. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IF THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED THE DEMOLISHING OF THE BUILDING

[01:50:03]

COMMUNICATION WAS MORE OF, WE NEED YOUR WE NEED THE OWNERS TO GIVE US A PLAN, THEIR INTENTION OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO. AND, BUT THAT'S I GUESS NOT HERE OR THERE. BUT, COUNCILMAN NEAL, I DEFER TO YOUR EXPERIENCE. I MEAN, YOU'VE DONE THIS FOR A LIFETIME. DO YOU FEEL THAT WHAT DO YOU FEEL A BUILDING LIKE THAT COULD BE? I MEAN, YOU MENTIONED THAT WE NEED TO GIVE THE OWNER A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO MAKE A DETERMINATION. WHAT? WHAT DO YOU FEEL THAT TIME WOULD BE? YOU GOT TO GET ASBESTOS TESTING. THEN YOU GOT TO GO THROUGH ASBESTOS ABATEMENT. THEN YOU GOT TO DO DEMO. YOU GOT TO GO THROUGH ALL THE DEMO PHASE. THEN YOU GOT TO GET SOMEBODY LIKE MR. SHIPMAN IN THERE TO RESEARCH WHAT'S THERE, DESIGN A ROOF PLAN, SOME TYPE OF SUPPORT SYSTEM TO THE BARRICADE THIS THING BACK OFF. SO, I MEAN, I THINK TO PUT A GOOD, DETAILED, ACCURATE PLAN TOGETHER, I THINK YOU'RE TALKING 30 OR 45 DAYS. THANK YOU. MAYOR, COUNCILMAN DARIO, THEN COUNCILMAN GOETZ, AND THEN COUNCILMAN TURNER. MR. SHIPMAN, IS IT POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING AS FAR AS THE SAFETY? BECAUSE IF IT'S IN IMMINENT DANGER, IT'S GOING TO BE AN IMMINENT DANGER UNTIL SOMETHING IS DONE, IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO SOME TYPE OF TEMPORARY SHORING OF ALL THE WALLS OF THE BUILDING UNTIL A DECISION CAN BE MADE? OR THEY COULD COME UP WITH A PLAN BECAUSE IT'S AN IMMINENT DANGER RIGHT NOW. SOMEBODY COULD IT COULD FALL DOWN RIGHT NOW. IS IT ANY TYPE OF TEMPORARY SHORING THAT COULD BE DONE THAT COULD PREVENT THAT UNTIL A DECISION IS MADE BY THE OWNER ON AFTER HE GETS HIS PEOPLE TO LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, JUST TO PROTECT THEIR CITIZENS, SOMETHING TO KEEP IT STANDING. ARE YOU ASKING IF THERE COULD BE TEMPORARY SHORING ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING? YES. OR ON THE INTERIOR, WHEREVER IT NEEDS TO BE, TO KEEP IT STANDING? WELL, I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE TO GO AHEAD AND GUT THE BUILDING AND DO, TEMPORARY SHORING ON THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING RATHER THAN ON THE EXTERIOR. ON THE EXTERIOR, YOU'RE GOING TO BE SHUTTING DOWN SOME ADDITIONAL STREETS. I WOULD IMAGINE. OKAY. WELL, AND I WOULD I DON'T I JUST DON'T AGREE IF THE BUILDING IS AN IMMINENT DANGER, AND YOU CAN'T WALK ON THE SIDEWALKS, I THINK THE STREETS SHOULD STAY CLOSED ALSO. I MEAN, YOU CAN'T. I MEAN, IF IT FALLS, IF ONE OF THOSE WALLS FALLS, IT'S GOING TO FALL ON THAT STREET. IF SOMEBODY'S DRIVING BY OR SOMETHING, OR WALKING ACROSS THE STREET OR ANYTHING, THAT AREA SHOULD BE. I MEAN, IT MIGHT BE INCONVENIENT, BUT IT SHOULD PROBABLY BE SHUT DOWN UNTIL SOMETHING IS DONE WITH THAT BUILDING. WELL, OPINION UPON FURTHER CONSIDERATION, I BELIEVE THE STREETS SHOULD REMAIN SHUT DOWN UNTIL THE BUILDING IS MADE SAFE. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN GIBSON. THE CITY'S PLAN, THE STREETS ARE STILL. NO, BUT THEY WERE IN ONE OF THESE REPORTS SAID THAT THEY WAS, THAT THE SIDEWALKS WOULD BE CLOSED, BUT THE STREETS WILL REMAIN OPEN. THEY WOULD OPEN THE STREETS. AND AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE BUILDING OFFICIAL AND THE FIRE, FIRE CHIEF, WE DECIDED TO MAKE SURE THE STREETS WERE STILL CLOSED.

SO THE STREETS ARE STILL CLOSED. THE BUSINESSES ARE STILL OPERATING. PARKING IS AVAILABLE ON THE SIDE AND ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE PROPERTY. SO IT'S BEEN AT LEAST MINIMAL IMPACT TO THOSE BUSINESSES. BUT IT'S JUST OBVIOUSLY DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC IS HAVING TO BE RE DIVERTED. OKAY I THINK OUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN SHOULD BE THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS. NOT NOT IF THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TEAR THE BUILDING DOWN ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT SHOULD BE THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS OR ANYBODY THAT COMES INTO THAT AREA. YOU COULD HAVE A BRICK FALL OFF AND HIT SOMEBODY OR OR HIT LAND ON A CAR, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS. COUNCILMAN DARIO, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GAETZ. AND I AGREE WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN DARIO IS SAYING. AN IMMINENT DANGER IS A VERY SCARY SOUNDING TERM, MR. SHIPMAN, WHAT IS A WORST CASE SCENARIO FOR THAT BUILDING? WHAT COULD WHAT WHAT COULD HAPPEN THAT WOULD JUSTIFY THE TERM IMMINENT DANGER, THE BUILDING COLLAPSE, I THINK THERE COULD BE, DURING A, DURING A HIGH WIND EVENT, SOME OF THE EXTERIOR WALLS COULD COLLAPSE IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION. AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COLLAPSE, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT KIND OF LIKE WE ALL SAW THE TWIN TOWERS. THEY JUST KIND OF FALL STRAIGHT DOWN. OR DO THEY BLOW OUT OR HOW WOULD THAT LOOK, I THINK IT WOULD BE A STRONG, WIND GUST. OR IF WE HAVE ANOTHER HURRICANE, WHICH WE'VE HAD PLENTY OF THOSE, IT COULD KNOCK THE WALL OVER. IT'S NOT GOING TO FALL DOWN LIKE THE TWIN TOWERS. OKAY SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT THE MEMO

[01:55:03]

SO IF WE'RE GOING TO I'M ALL ABOUT I THINK EVERYBODY HERE IS FOR KEEPING HISTORIC BUILDINGS.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT KEEPING HISTORIC BUILDINGS, THOUGH, I KNOW THE CITY HAS NO PLANS TO BE SPENDING MONEY TO MAINTAIN THAT BUILDING OR RESTORE THAT BUILDING, WE WOULD SPEND THE NECESSARY MONEY TO DEMOLISH IT. IF THE OWNER DIDN'T. IF THE OWNER HAS A PLAN AND INTENT TO BE SPENDING MONEY THAT CAN BE PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.

BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY PRESENTATION THAT INDICATES THAT ANYBODY DOES HAVE A PLAN TO SPEND MONEY TO SHORE UP THIS BUILDING AND SAVE THIS BUILDING. IF SOMEBODY HAS THAT PLAN AND IS WILLING TO SPEND THAT MONEY, I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING WE AS A COUNCIL SHOULD HEAR. BUT IN THAT , FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE'RE HERE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH, AND WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT BUILDING IS NOT GOING TO INJURE ANYBODY BECAUSE AS MAYOR, I PERSONALLY DON'T WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE WHEN SOMEBODY DRIVES BY AND THERE'S A HIGH GUST OF WIND AND IT FALLS ON SOMEBODY'S CAR BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, SAVE 133 YEAR OLD BUILDING THAT WE DON'T KNOW IS EVEN GOING TO BE SAVED. SO THAT BEING SAID, AND THEN ALSO KEEPING STREETS CLOSED AND

[02:00:02]

THEY'RE STILL HEAVY COMBUSTIBLES IN THE BUILDING, AND IT'S STILL UNSECURE. THANK YOU MAYOR. YES WELL, NO MATTER WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THE EMERGENCY TEMPORARY SHORING, WHATEVER YOU WANT, CALL IT, THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TODAY. RIGHT NOW, AS SOON AS THEY CAN GET OUT THERE, THEY NEED TO START PLANNING IT. OR WHATEVER, BECAUSE IT'S IF IT'S AN IMMINENT DANGER, IT'S AN IMMINENT DANGER.

RIGHT NOW, WE COULD BE SITTING HERE AND THEY COULD FALL ON SOMEBODY RIGHT NOW. THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, LIKE RIGHT NOW. AND ANYTHING WE COME UP WITH, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE PART OF IT. THAT THAT THE SAFETY, THE TEMPORARY SHORING, THE EMERGENCY SHORING, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, BE DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN DURYEA, THANK YOU. AND GO AHEAD AND HEAR FROM MR. FLANAGAN AND HIS INJURED. YES. AND SINCE, IN TERMS OF FOR OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTY, I WILL DEFER BEYOND THREE MINUTES IN CASE WE HAVE QUESTIONS TO BE ASKING AND GET GREATER CLARITY, SO, SO WITH PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE OWNERSHIP INTERESTS, THEIR, THEIR TIME LIMITS GOING TO BE THREE MINUTES AS WE MAINTAIN THE REST OF THE TIME. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME. NOT AT THIS POINT. NO, THANK YOU, SIR. APPRECIATE YOU. TOM FLANAGAN.

YOU CAN JUST GIVE THEM TO ME. IF YOU HAVE ANY EXPERTS THAT YOU WANT UP HERE WITH YOU JUST. I'LL HAVE A FEW REMARKS AND THEN NONE. I'LL JUST TAKE NONE. I'LL TAKE ONE FOR. SURE.

WELL. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR. AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE ON THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC. AND LOT'S BEEN SAID, AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY TO YOU TODAY. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS, I WANT TO EXPRESS OUR DESIRE, MY DESIRE TO WORK WITH THE CITY AND TO PROGRESS THE CITY FORWARD. I ALSO WANT TO SAY HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO SEE SOMETHING THAT WE VALUE SO MUCH TO GO UP IN FLAMES. THAT WAS A REALLY HARD NIGHT, I WAS ONE OF THE LAST TO LEAVE AND ONE OF THE FIRST TO GET BACK, AND, I DON'T WANT TO LET THIS OPPORTUNITY GO WITHOUT SAYING. JUST HOW INSPIRED I WAS WITH THE YOUNG MEN OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, I SAW COURAGE, I SAW PROFESSIONALISM, I SAW DETERMINATION. I'M NOT SURPRISED TO HEAR DEHYDRATION BECAUSE THESE GUYS WERE PUTTING IT ALL OUT THERE AND, IF THERE'S ANY FIRE CHIEF, I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR THAT. A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY HISTORY. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, MY FAMILY WERE IRISH DOCK WORKER IMMIGRANTS AND WERE AMONG THE FIRST, IN THIS AREA. WE BROUGHT MY GREAT GRANDFATHER AND GRANDFATHER BROUGHT THE FIRST SHIPS HERE. MY GRANDFATHER WAS BORN IN 1875 AND BROUGHT THE FIRST SHIPS. AND WE FLOATED LOG RAFTS DOWN THE NECHES AND SABINE RIVERS AND LOADED THEM ON SAILING SHIPS. AND, WHEN THE PORT OF BEAUMONT WAS FOUNDED IN AROUND 1912, WE BROUGHT THE FIRST COMMERCIAL SHIP IN THE, THE SS NICARAGUA, WITH A LOAD OF LUMBER AND FLOUR AND, I HAVE A LONG HISTORY THAT'S, VALUABLE TO

[02:05:04]

HE SAYS, TOM, I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU TO THE WORST SECTION OF WASHINGTON, D.C. AND AS YOU MAY KNOW, THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS WE DO WITH CRIME, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO WE WENT TO THE OLD NAVY PIER YARDS. IT'S CALLED THE SOUTHWEST WATERFRONT. IT WAS FULL OF BEAUTIFUL HIGH RISE APARTMENTS, BEAUTIFUL HOTELS, MAGNIFICENT RESTAURANTS, COBBLESTONE STREETS, TREE LINED STREETS, FOUNTAINS, THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. AND HE SAID TEN YEARS AGO, THIS WAS THE WORST OF THE CITY. AND I WAS INSPIRED. BUT I WAS WALKING AS I DID. I JUST FELT SADNESS AND I JUST FELT SADNESS BECAUSE I KNEW THAT IF HE CAME BACK AND SAW HOW LITTLE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN THE LAST 40 YEARS DOWNTOWN AND HOW IN MANY WAYS WE'VE SLIPPED BACK. AND, IF YOU GUYS TRULY KNEW WHAT IT TAKES TO TAKE A VACANT BUILDING THAT NOBODY WANTS AND SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN BEAUMONT, TEXAS, AND BRING IT BACK TO LIFE, IF YOU KNEW HOW HARD THAT WAS, YOU MIGHT LOOK AT AT OUR LITTLE GROUP DIFFERENTLY. MAYBE YOU LOOK AT ME DIFFERENTLY, IT'S NOT EASY. AND IF IT WAS EASY, I THINK THERE'D BE A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE. AND SO GETTING GETTING ONTO THE SUBJECT AT HAND , WE ARE THE VICTIMS OF RISING CRIME IN THE CITY. I'M NOT GOING TO DWELL ON THIS. I WANT TO DO THIS AT A LATER DATE. BUT IN IN YOUR FOLDER YOU'LL SEE, REPORT FROM NATIONAL LOSS ADJUSTERS AND WHO ARE SOME OF THE PRIMARY, ARSON INVESTIGATORS. THERE'S FIRE CAUSATION INVESTIGATORS IN THE UNITED STATES, THIS FIRE WAS NOT SET BY THE FACT THAT WE HAD RODENTS OR BUGS OR BROKEN GLASS WINDOWS, THIS FIRE WAS SET BY MAN, BY INTRUSION. AND IT WAS SECURE THAT MORNING. IT WAS BROKEN IN DURING THE DAY. FIRE WAS SET IN TWO LOCATIONS. OKAY.

THIS IS THE SECOND MAJOR FIRE THAT WE'VE HAD DOWNTOWN IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF. THE WORKFORCE BUILDING TOP TWO FLOORS WERE TOTALLY DESTROYED. WE HAVE BEEN TO THE MAYOR COUNTLESS MEETINGS WITH THE MANAGER, SEVERAL OF YOU COMMISSIONERS TRYING TO GET YOUR REALIZATION AND HELP THAT DOWNTOWN IS OVERRUN WITH CRIME, WITH VAGRANTS, WITH HOMELESS,

[02:10:04]

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING. AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE NEXT TO IT A RENDERING OF THE TYPE OF BUILDING THAT WE WANT TO CREATE, WE CALL IT OUR BOWIE STREET PROJECT, AND I VISITED WITH THE CITY OVER THE YEARS ABOUT IT. SO OUR, OUR PLAN IS TO RENOVATE IT INTO UPSCALE APARTMENTS AND THE BUILDING NEXT TO IT, THE MCFADDEN BUILDING. AND WE ALSO OWN THE OLD FIRST NATIONAL BANK TO TURN IT INTO AN ELEGANT, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, ELEGANT BANQUET AND EVENT CENTER IN BEAUMONT CALLED THE NATIONAL HALL. ALL THREE OF THESE BUILDINGS ARE TRULY GEMS. BOWIE STREET, THAT ONE BLOCK OF BOWIE STREET, IF YOU WOULD PICK THE UGLIEST STREET IN THE CITY TODAY, THE SCARIEST STREET AT NIGHT, THAT'S PROBABLY IT. WE WANT TO DO LIKE EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER AND MAKE IT ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL. WIDEN THE SIDEWALKS, PUT ROWS OF TREES ON BOTH SIDES, NEW STREET LIGHTS, AND RENOVATE ALL THREE BUILDINGS BEAUTIFULLY. AND WE HOPE, BACK TO MY COMMENT ABOUT WASHINGTON DC, THE AMAZING THINGS THAT THEY DID IN TEN YEARS. I'LL JUST SAY THIS AND THEN BACK ON POINT. WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME, A MASTER PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN , A MASTER STROKE THAT COULD BRING THE CITY FORWARD FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS. SO I WANT TO INSPIRE YOU. I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU. I WANT TO CHALLENGE US, INSPIRE ALL OF US TO MAYBE HAVE A CHANGE OF HEART AND START WORKING TOGETHER. AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO DO BIG, BOLD THINGS BECAUSE DOING NOTHING, OUR CITY SEEMS TO BE SLIDING BACKWARDS. AND I THINK WE PROBABLY IN OUR HEART OF HEARTS KNOW THAT. BUT MAYBE THE BEST THING WE CAN DO OUT OF THIS DISASTER AND IT IS A DISASTER, IS TO TAKE A NEW LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND DECIDE TO WORK TOGETHER. SO BACK TO OUR, OUR OUR PLANS, IMMEDIATELY TO DEAL WITH THE SAFETY CONCERNS. SO WE HAVE, OUR ENGINEER, WE HAVE OUR ATTORNEY, WE HAVE A CONTRACTOR HERE, BUT HE REALLY SAYS HE DOESN'T WANT TO SPEAK UNLESS QUESTIONS ARE ASKED. BUT WE'VE WE'VE TALKED TO NUMEROUS ENGINEERS. WE'VE TALKED TO NUMEROUS CONTRACTORS. WE ARE REQUESTING JUSTICE, FAIRNESS AND REASONABLENESS. WE'RE ASKING FOR A 30 DAY PERIOD, AND WE WILL HAVE ON THE MAYOR OR THE MANAGER'S DESK OUR PLAN FOR DEMOLITION OR OUR PLAN TO RENOVATE THE BUILDING AND STRENGTHEN IT. AND WE WILL STAY IN TOUCH WITH THE CITY THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS SO THAT NOTHING WE PRESENT WILL BE A SURPRISE. WE UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY OF IT. I, I AM NOT AN ENGINEER, BUT I'M ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE THAT HAVE ACTUALLY RENOVATED OLD BUILDINGS. I HAVE KIND OF A DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF THEM. THEY'RE BUILT REALLY STRONG. THE WALLS OF THIS BUILDING ARE A LOT THICKER AT THE BOTTOM THAN THEY ARE AT THE TOP, AND THEY'RE ANGLED IN SLIGHTLY AND WHERE IF YOU LOOK AT ON BOWIE STREET, THEY LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE COLUMNS. THEY'RE NOT COLUMNS, THEY'RE BUILT AS A STRUCTURAL OUTPOST OF THE WALLS THAT STRENGTHEN THE WALLS AND WIDEN THEM. MUCH OF THE ALL OF THE STEEL UPRIGHT STRUCTURES ARE STILL THERE. TWO ROWS OF STEEL PYLONS ARE STILL THERE. WE BELIEVE THEY MAY HAVE BEEN COATED WITH A FIRE RESISTANT PAINT. WE DON'T AGREE NECESSARILY WITH MR. SHIPMAN'S CONCLUSION. WE DON'T THINK HE COULD HAVE A CONCLUSION THAT THEY'RE THERE. THEY'RE NOT WARPED. THEY'RE STILL STRAIGHT.

WE DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE NECESSARILY DAMAGED. WE WANT TO INVESTIGATE THAT. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE LARGE LAMINATED BEAMS RANGING FROM 12IN TO 18IN. SO THE BUILDINGS ARE RECTANGLES. SO I'M TALKING ABOUT THE LENGTH, THE ALL THE BEAMS ARE STILL THERE AND INTACT. THE UPPER UPPER ONES ARE BARELY CHARRED. THE LOWER ONES ARE CHARGED ABOUT CHARRED ABOUT THIS MUCH. THE REST OF IT IS SOLID WOOD. THERE'S STILL A STRUCTURE IN THERE, ALTHOUGH THE BUILDING IS HIGHLY DAMAGED. AND SO WHAT WE PLAN TO DO IS WORK DILIGENTLY, WITH ALL PROFESSIONALS, STAY IN

[02:15:01]

[02:20:02]

EVERY BUILDING WE HAVE. OKAY. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THAT, IF I MAY. OKAY. SO THIS BUILDING HAS BEEN BROKEN TO AND I'M NOT OVERSTATING IT OVER 100 TIMES.

TWO DAYS AFTER THE FIRE, I WAS THERE AND THERE WERE TWO YOUNG PEOPLE ON A MOPED, AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, MAYBE THEY'RE RETURNING TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. SO I WENT TO TALK TO THEM AND THEY SAID, YEAH, WE USED TO BREAK IN, BUT THERE'S SO MANY HOMELESS THAT CHASE US OUT WITH KNIVES THAT WE DON'T GO IN THAT BUILDING ANYMORE. DOWNTOWN IS OVERRUN, COUNCILMAN, WITH WITH ALL KINDS OF THIEVES, BANDITS. OUR BUILDINGS ARE BEING OVERRUN. SO WHEN WE GOT OUR FIRST TAG, THE TAG SAYS BUILDING COULD BE IMMINENT DANGER. AND IT PUTS NO INFORMATION. CALL THIS NUMBER.

SO I CALL THE NUMBER, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT VIOLATIONS? NO. CAN'T TELL YOU. WHY NOT? YOU HAVE TO COME DOWN. I'LL. I'LL SEND MY TEAM. NO, YOU HAVE TO COME. SO WE GOT KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF TREATMENT. FOR SOME REASON, THEY TURNED OUT TO BE NICE FOLKS. AND WE ENDED UP HAVING A PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION. BUT. BUT WHAT WE ASKED THEM, FOLLOWING THE WORDS THAT YOU CHOOSE FROM THIS MIC OR WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW THAT TO CONTINUE. WELL, JARED, WALK ME THROUGH THIS HERE. AGAIN, WE JUST SAID, YEAH, WELL HERE IT IS. AND, Y'ALL CAN SEE IT. I DON'T WANT TO GET. THIS BUILDING WAS SECURE ON THE FIRST FLOOR. IT HAS MULTIPLE WINDOWS BROKEN OUT BY VAGRANTS AND BANDITS AND THIEVES AND HOMELESS ON THE UPPER FLOORS. IT WAS SECURE THAT MORNING. WE PATROL OUR BUILDINGS EVERY MORNING. WE BELIEVE IT WAS BROKEN INTO. IT WAS BREACHED AND SET ON FIRE INTENTIONALLY. THE FIRST. EVERY FIRST RESPONDER THAT I SPOKE TO THE YOUNG MEN, THAT WERE FIRST THERE, ALL SAID THAT IT HAD TO BE A MAN MADE FIRE. EVEN I WON'T CALL OUT NAMES. EVEN UPPER MANAGEMENT IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID A BUILDING WITH NO UTILITIES, NO ELECTRICITY, NO GAS, WITH NO LIGHTNING STRIKES THAT DAY IN THE AREA DIDN'T SELF IGNITE. SO I'M NOT THROWING ROCKS, BUT I'M ASKING AND BEGGING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS. THIS. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TODAY. BUT SINCE A LOT OF THAT IS ACCUSATORY TOWARD ME, LIKE I DON'T CARE. LIKE WE'RE NOT WORKING EVERY DAY, IF YOU BROUGHT OUR MAINTENANCE CREW IN HERE, THEY TELL YOU A MOUTHFUL. AN EARFUL. OKAY, BUT I WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. BUT AND I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTION, BUT WE UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS. WE DON'T WE DON'T SHARE NECESSARILY BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE, THAT THE BUILDING SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BE TORN DOWN OR EVEN COULD BE TORN DOWN IN FIVE DAYS. WE CAN'T, BUT WE'RE JUST ASKING IF YOU'LL ALLOW US A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME TO PRESENT YOU A PLAN. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN TURNER, THEN. COUNCILMAN GATES, DID YOU HAVE COUNCILMAN DARIO? WE'LL JUST GO DOWN THE LINE. I'M GLAD WE'RE DOING THIS PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE I THINK IT GIVES THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS SOME TRANSPARENCY. THAT'S BEEN GOING OUT THROUGHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA AND IN THE COMMUNITY, MR. FLANAGAN, INSTEAD OF ASSUMING READING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, I'VE ALWAYS LEARNED IT'S ALWAYS BEST TO ASK TO THE HORSE'S MOUTH. RIGHT. SO BUILDING THAT YOU OWN DOWNTOWN, HOW MANY BUILDINGS DO YOU OWN DOWNTOWN AND HOW MANY VACANT BUILDINGS DO YOU HAVE DOWNTOWN? 18 BUILDINGS WE OWN. FOUR ARE VACANT, SO 18 BUILDINGS TOTAL AND ONLY FOUR ARE VACANT.

CORRECT. AND ALL BUT THREE OF THOSE WERE VACANT WHEN WE BOUGHT THEM. OKAY SO WE BROUGHT WE BROUGHT NEW LIFE. IT'S UNQUESTIONABLE. IT'S KIND OF HARD. TO STAND IN FRONT OF COUNCIL AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO FOR 40 YEARS. AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE.

PREVIOUS COUNCILS HAVE RECOGNIZED IT, BUT I KNOW WE KIND OF BEEN OUT OF TOUCH. BUT IT'S NOT LIKE I'M SECRETIVE OR HARM IT. I'M HERE DOWNTOWN EVERY DAY ALMOST, YOU KNOW, AND,

[02:25:02]

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WALTER AND I HADN'T DONE THAT? YOU KNOW, SO THINGS HAPPEN REAL SLOW IN BEAUMONT. IT'S NOT LIKE HOUSTON OR OTHER PLACES. BUT WHEN I SEE THE PARK, I SEE RIPPLE EFFECT.

NOBODY TELLS ME THAT. BUT I KNOW THAT WAS THE WORST CORNER OF DOWNTOWN. YOU KNOW, AND IT. SO I GET QUIET SATISFACTION IN WHAT WE DO. AND I HOPE YOU GUYS KNOW THAT, THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DONE IS, IS BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO BEAUTIFY THIS CITY. YOU KNOW, I'M FROM PORT ARTHUR, AND IN A FEW SHORT YEARS BETWEEN MY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION AND JUST IN A VERY FEW SHORT YEARS, DOWNTOWN TOTALLY COLLAPSED. AND THE WHOLE SOCIETY COLLAPSED WITH IT. THE WHOLE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, THE WHOLE SOCIETY COLLAPSED AND SO AND CHRISTINA, YOU KNOW, I'M WELL, I'M NEAR PORT ARTHUR PEOPLE. WE'RE PORT ARTHUR PEOPLE WITH THAT LESSON AND WE WANT WE WANT THIS HEART OF THE CITY TO THRIVE. AND I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT. BUT LET'S STAY ON THIS BUILDING IF WE CAN. AND MY QUESTION WAS JUST FOR TRANSPARENCY AND NARRATIVE, BECAUSE I KNOW WE SPOKE EARLIER, WE HAD 21 EMPTY BUILDINGS THAT WERE RECENTLY TAGGED, AND WE HAVE ROUGHLY EIGHT MORE TO GO.

SO THAT'LL PUT US AROUND 29 BUILDINGS TOTAL DOWNTOWN. AND OUR COUNT IS 34 THAT ARE VACANT.

YEAH, SO 34. BUT MY TRANSPARENT I WANT TO GET A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE EMPTYING OUT OF 18, ONLY FOUR ARE EMPTY AND VACANT. CORRECT. AND THE GILBERT IS ONE OF THEM. AND THE CITY SOLD IT TO US. VACANT IN POOR CONDITION BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO TOUCH IT. OKAY. COUNCILMAN GETS. TOM, I GREW UP WITH YOU IN PORT ARTHUR. I'VE KNOWN YOU LONGER THAN ANYBODY UP HERE. AND I APPLAUD THE EFFORTS THAT YOU MADE TO THE STEDMAN BUILDING, CROCKETT STREET, AND THE THINGS THAT YOU DID EARLY IN YOUR CAREER. SINCE THEN, YOU AND I HAVE BECOME AT LOGGERHEADS IN SOME RESPECTS, BECAUSE I REMEMBER CONTACTING YOU WHEN I WAS IN ONE OF YOUR BUILDINGS THAT WAS OPEN AND, ACCESSIBLE AND THIS WAS THE OLD TEXAS WORKFORCE BUILDING. I WAS ACCOSTED BY A HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL THAT HAD TAKEN UP RESIDENCE IN THAT BUILDING, ASKING ME WHAT WAS I DOING IN HIS BUILDING, THAT HE WAS CALLING THE POLICE. I INVITED HIM TO DO SO, BUT I CALLED YOU. AT THAT TIME, THE BUILDING STILL HAD ELECTRICITY. IT WAS NOT IN TERRIBLE SHAPE. BUT WHEN HAS THAT BEEN BROKEN? PEOPLE COULD GET INTO IT. YOUR RESPONSE TO ME AT THAT TIME WAS TO LAMBAST ME AND THE CITY FOR NOT PROVIDING ENOUGH SECURITY THROUGH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. YOU CONTINUE TO. I'M GOING TO GET THERE, I GOT IT, I GOT TO ADOPT THIS, SO YOU'RE CONTINUING TO SOUND THAT MANTRA, AND AS IF IT'S TO BLAME THE CITY OF BEAUMONT WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT NOT PROVIDING ENOUGH SECURITY, WE CAN'T PUT A POLICE OFFICER IN EVERY ONE OF YOUR LOBBIES. IT'S NOT PRACTICAL. WHAT WE CAN ASK YOU

[02:30:03]

OKAY? 60 DAYS. OKAY. THERE'S THREE BUSINESSES THAT ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS DECISION.

AND WE ARE HERE TO REPRESENT ALL THE CONSTITUENTS OF BEAUMONT, NOT JUST ONE. SO RIGHT NOW PUBLICLY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THOSE THREE BUSINESSES, REGARDING THE NEXT 60 DAYS AND THEIR LOSS OF REVENUE BECAUSE OF YOUR SITUATION, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM? WELL AGAIN, I'M NOT AN ENGINEER, BUT I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE STRUCTURE. THE LONGITUDINAL BEAMS AND COLUMNS ARE STILL THERE. THE WALLS ARE STRAIGHT. OUR ENGINEER CAN SPEAK TO THAT ISSUE. I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN IMMINENT DANGER OF A COLLAPSE. I DON'T NECESSARILY I DON'T THINK OUR CONTRACTOR THINKS THE WALLS WILL DO THAT VERSUS DO THAT IF THEY DID FALL. BUT WE WORK WITH EVERYBODY. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THIS AND THIS HAS NEVER SAID THOSE BUSINESSES HAVE NO PARKING ZERO PARKING. WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY PARK? THEY PARK ON OUR LOT FOR FREE. WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ALREADY. THEY THEY COULDN'T EXIST. IF I IF THERE'S OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS THAT PUT CHAINS ON THEIR PARKING LOTS DOWNTOWN, I'VE NEVER DONE THAT. WE GIVE THE JEFFERSON THEATER FREE PARKING WITH TWO LOTS, AND WE CLEAN IT UP OURSELVES EVERY MONDAY. SO WE WORK WITH EVERYBODY THAT THAT'S WHERE THEY PARK ON THE CROCKETT STREET ENTERTAINMENT LOT. WE ALSO HAVE A LITTLE LOT NEXT TO THE GILBERT BUILDING. THAT'S WHERE THEIR CUSTOMERS PARK. WE WORK WITH THEM. OKAY. AND I'VE AND I'VE VISITED ONE OF THE SHOPS AND OFFERED MY HAND ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP? FAIR ENOUGH. THANK YOU, MR. FLANAGAN. THANK YOU. MAYOR, I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU DO HAVE PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND SO WE NEED TO BE PRUDENT IN ALLOWING THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, TO SPEAK. AND THEN, OF COURSE, ANYONE WHO'S THEY WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY. WOULD IT BE OKAY IF MY ATTORNEY SPEAKS NEXT? I HAD A QUESTION FOR MR. FLANAGAN. HE BEEN WITH ME. I HAVE BEEN WAITING. OKAY. YOU LET RANDY GO AHEAD OF ME. I THOUGHT YOU HAD POINTED THAT YOU WANTED THEM TO SPEAK FIRST. NO, I JUST WANTED TO ASK MR. FLANAGAN HOW LONG HAVE YOU OWNED THE GILBERT BUILDING? I THINK IT WAS 14, 2014. DID YOU EVER. HAVE YOU SAID YOU WERE PLANNING ON ON HIGH RISE OR HIGH END APARTMENTS. DID YOU EVER HAVE, LIKE, A TIMELINE FOR WHEN YOU WERE GOING TO START ON THOSE APARTMENTS? I KIND OF DID, AND THAT'S THE THING. I'M DISAPPOINTED. THE I THINK YOU HAVE TO ALSO, THE QUESTION THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IS, WHY IS THERE SO MUCH VACANCY DOWNTOWN? WHY IS THERE THE HOMELESSNESS IN THE CRIME AND WHY ISN'T IT ATTRACTIVE? SO YES, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO IT, BUT I DON'T THINK IT SPEAKS NECESSARILY ON THE PROPERTY OWNER, BUT RATHER

[02:35:04]

GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. I'M CHARLIE GEHRINGER, LAWYER AT COMER. I'M REPRESENTED, TOM, FOR A LONG TIME. AND, ANYWAY, I CAN KNOW THAT. I KNOW THAT HE REALLY HAS A LOVE FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. WANTS TO DO GOOD THINGS. BUT AS YOU ALL KNOW, THERE'S GOT TO BE DEMAND. IT'S ALL SUPPLY AND DEMAND. AND THE REAL ESTATE MARKET, IF THERE'S NO DEMAND, NOBODY'S GOING TO SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FIXING UP OLD BUILDINGS. SO WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING TO GET THE DEMAND UP. WELL, AND THAT'S AND THAT'S A JOINT THAT'S A JOINT EFFORT BETWEEN THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND THE CITY. WHAT WE WANT TO STAY ON AS MUCH AS WE CAN. AND WE'VE HAD TROUBLE DOING THAT IS AND THESE ARE GOOD CONVERSATIONS. BUT LET'S STAY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING ABOUT THAT BUILDING, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THE AGENDA ITEM IS REGARDING. WELL, AND I'D JUST LIKE TO ASK FOR THE 60 DAYS, I THINK, I THINK WE CAN COME UP WITH A PLAN IN 60 DAYS TO EITHER, LIKE TOM SAID, DEMO THE BUILDING OR RENOVATE IT. SO I'D LIKE TO ASK THE COUNCIL TO DO THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU, FIRST PUBLIC HEARING. I HAVE ONE PERSON, ROB FUSILEER. YOU JUST HAVE ONE SIGNED UP? YES, SIR. THAT'S IT. THE REST OF THEM HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN. THEY'VE ALREADY SPOKEN. MR. FLANAGAN WAS SIGNED UP. HIS ATTORNEY WAS SIGNED UP. AND NOW MR. GOOD AFTERNOON.

COUNCIL I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO, LISTEN TO WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY HERE, FIRST, I WANT TO SAY THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FIRE, PROBABLY WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS. IT WASN'T THE WEEKEND, BUT CERTAINLY MONDAY, TOM AND HIS TEAM CONTACTED US AT ALLIANCE ENGINEERS. AND BY THE WAY, I'M ROB FUZZIER. I'M PRESIDENT OF ALLIANCE ENGINEERS AND A LICENSED ENGINEER MYSELF, BUT TOM CONTACTED US PRETTY MUCH RIGHT AFTER THE FIRE AND ASKED IF WE CAN HELP THEM OR HELP HIM ASSESS THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE BUILDING AND DETERMINE HELP HIM DETERMINE WHETHER IT'S SAFE OR UNSAFE OR, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. PATH FORWARD. AND SINCE THEN, HE'S BEEN PUSHING US PRETTY HARD EVERY DAY TO DRIVE TO A, TO AN ENDPOINT AND PUT TOGETHER A KIND OF A PRELIMINARY EXECUTION PLAN GOING FORWARD TO, TO RESOLVE IT LIKE, LIKE IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED, YOU KNOW, DEMO IT OR REPAIR IT OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU. SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. CERTAINLY THERE'S A LOT OF DILIGENCE THAT WE'RE SEEING ON HIS SIDE, TO, TO GET INTO AN ENDPOINT ON THE, ON THE SITUATION WITH THE BUILDING. SO, AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED SINCE EARLY LAST WEEK. WE'VE PUT THREE ENGINEERS ON IT AND WORKED THROUGH THIS PAST WEEKEND. AND EVERYTHING'S PRELIMINARY FOR SURE. IT IT DOES TAKE TIME TO GET TO AN ENDPOINT ON THESE KIND OF SERIOUS ISSUES. AND, AND I'LL APOLOGIZE AHEAD OF TIME, FOR NOT BEING, MAYBE AS, FIRM AND CONCLUSIVE AS WHAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY EXPECT OUT OF AN AVERAGE PERSON. BUT AS ENGINEERS, WE'RE DATA DRIVEN.

AND WE YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO QUANTIFY IT BEFORE WE CAN SAY THAT THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, ANSWER A QUESTION. YES OR NO. SO YOU MIGHT DETECT A LITTLE BIT OF FUZZY TALK HERE IN SOME OF THE DISCOURSE. AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS PUT TOGETHER A RECOMMENDATION TO MR. FLANAGAN TO BASICALLY APPROACH THE ISSUE IN FOUR STEPS, NUMBER ONE IS A THOROUGH EXTERNAL INSPECTION OF THE STRUCTURE, CONSIDERING THAT THE INTERIOR CERTAINLY DOES HAVE SOME DAMAGE AND, AND, WE WOULD LOVE TO GET IN THERE, IMMEDIATELY. BUT THERE CERTAINLY HAZARDS THAT WE

[02:40:06]

OTHERWISE WE'RE LEAVING IT TO THREE MINUTES. UNLESS YOU'RE DIRECTLY BE WORKING WITH MR. FLANAGAN ON THIS. YEAH, THAT IS THE CASE. OKAY, SO, THERE'S FOR AS WE SEE THE PATH FORWARD, FROM AN ANALYSIS STANDPOINT, QUANTIFYING THE INTEGRITY OF THE STRUCTURE INVOLVES FOUR STEPS.

AGAIN, THE LASER SCAN EXTERIOR IS UNDERWAY, NEARLY COMPLETE, SECOND STEP WOULD BE AN INTERNAL INSPECTION THROUGH, DRONE. WHETHER IT'S STRICTLY VISUAL OR LASER SCAN DRONE, DEPENDING ON WHAT WE SEE IN THE FIRST, ENTRY INTO THE BUILDING WITH THE DRONE . IDEALLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO GET IN THERE WITH, AND, AND CONDUCT A LASER SCAN OF THE INTERIOR TO, COMPLEMENT THE EXTERIOR LASER SCAN THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE. THAT WOULD BE VERY INFORMATIVE TO THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDING AS IT AS IT SITS RIGHT NOW. THE THIRD IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND, AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW AND ANALYZE THE ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS OF THE BUILDING TO DETERMINE, THE STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS THAT, THAT SHOULD OR THAT HAVE OVER THE 100 YEARS, HELD THE BUILDING TOGETHER. SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME TAPERED, THICKENED, MASONRY STACKED WALL AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, I THINK MR. FLANAGAN, TOUCHED ON THE PILASTERS THAT EXIST AT LEAST ON THE NORTH FACE OF THE WALL. WHAT IS THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION OF THOSE, ELEMENTS? AND, YOU KNOW, IS IT CONCEIVABLE THAT THE EXTERIOR WALLS CAN, CAN FREE STAND WITH SIGNIFICANT WIND LOAD WITHOUT ANY INTERNAL, REINFORCEMENT? OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S REMAINING IN THE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING. THAT'S AGAIN, THE INTERNAL INSPECTION. BUT, THE ORIGINAL DRAWINGS WILL BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL TO DETERMINE THAT. AND THEN IN THE END OF THAT, THE FOURTH STEP WOULD BE TO TAKE THE DIMENSIONAL DATA THAT WE COLLECTED OF THE EXTERIOR, DATA THAT WE COLLECTED ON THE INTERIOR WITH THE WITH A DRONE TYPE INSPECTION, WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, BASED ON THE ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS AND PUT TOGETHER A SOPHISTICATED STRUCTURAL MODEL OF THE BUILDING THAT BASICALLY REPLICATES ITS CURRENT CONDITION ON, WHICHEVER SHEAR WALLS OR FLOORS OR WHATEVER OTHER REINFORCING, MEMBERS ARE STILL IN PLACE, WE CAN THEN SUBJECT THAT OR CREATE THAT IN A, IN A MODEL AND SUBJECT THAT TO ALL THE VARIOUS LOADS. THAT WOULD BE TYPICAL. AND BASICALLY RECERTIFY THE BUILDING OR AT LEAST QUANTIFY WHAT THE BUILDING IS CAPABLE OF IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION. SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR INPUT, AND DIRECTED BY MR. FLANAGAN. OKAY. COUNCILMAN GETS. THANK YOU, MR. FUTSELAAR, BECAUSE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT, SYSTEMATIC PLAN, APPROACH. CAN YOU ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THAT WITHIN 60 DAYS? YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO FIND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE INTERNAL INSPECTION, BUT CERTAINLY THAT WOULD BE TYPICALLY A 60 DAY EFFORT. OKAY, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE MIGHT EVEN BE THE POSSIBILITY YOU'RE GOING TO ASK, IS IT CONCEIVABLE THAT EXTERNAL WALLS CAN STAND WITHOUT SHORING? YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IF IT COULD. BUT IF IT CAN'T, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO SHORE UP EXTERNAL WALLS? AND WOULD THAT SHORING COME FROM INTERNAL INSIDE THE BUILDING? AND IF SO, DO YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE IN SHORING UP, DAMAGED BUILDINGS, THEIR WALLS, LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING HERE? YEAH THE, IDEALLY, WE

[02:45:02]

OKAY DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE? YES, SIR, SEAN MCLAREN. HELLO. MAYOR AND COUNCIL. SEAN MCLAREN, 2105 LIBERTY STREET, I JUST MOVED HERE IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR. I'M HERE BECAUSE OF THE ALARMING NATURE OF THE MEMO THAT I RECEIVED. I STAND WITH YOU, SIR, I FOUND IT VERY OFF PUTTING THAT

[02:50:02]

[REGULAR AGENDA]

[02:55:03]

RIGHT. AND THE SIDEWALKS WERE PREVIOUSLY BARRICADED WITH SOME WATER FILLED BARRIERS. BUT NONE OF THAT IS AN IMPEDIMENT TO SOMEBODY WALKING AROUND OR OVER THOSE BARRIERS AND WALKING INTO THE BUILDING. I WOULD LIKE TO I WOULD LIKE TO, FOR THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THAT THE OWNER FENCE OFF THE PROPERTY DURING THIS TIME TO PREVENT. OKAY, CAN WE GET MR. FLANAGAN TO AGREE TO ERECT CHAIN LINK FENCING OF AT LEAST TEN FEET IN HEIGHT AROUND THE, EXTERNAL PERIMETER OF THE PERIMETER OF THE BUILDING? YEAH. 8 TO 10FT, 8 TO 10. YEAH OKAY. BE HELPFUL IF IT CAME TO THE PODIUM JUST SO WE CAN. YEAH. MAKE SURE IT'S DOCUMENTED ON THE RECORD, BUT IT CAN GO UP TO 12.

I THINK IT'S MR. FLANAGAN. WOULD YOU WOULD YOU AGREE TO, PUT WHAT ? WHAT ARE WE, TEN FOOT, TEN FOOT FENCING, YOU KNOW, HURRICANE FENCING AROUND THE PERIMETER OF YOUR BUILDING. AT THE BASE. I'M SORRY. COULD I COULD FOR. BASE BOX. WOULD IT BE OKAY IF WE WORK IT OUT WITH THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT? WITH WHAT? JARED HAD A MY, TEAM MEMBER JARED MENTIONED A TYPE OF FENCE WITH CERTAIN SORT OF CONSTANT WIRE ON TOP, AND I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT ENOUGH, BUT I THINK IF IT'S, SATISFIED. MAYOR, I PREFER GET WORKED UP NOW. THERE'S ALREADY SOME DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN STAFF AND MR. SO IF WE CAN AGREE NOW WITH.

THIS IS JARED ANDERSON. I'M. JARED ANDERSON WAS PROPERTY MANAGER. THEY MAKE A SIX FOOT CONSTRUCTION TEMPORARY FENCE THAT YOU'VE SEEN IN OUR CONSTRUCTION SITES WITH RAZOR WIRE ON THE TOP OF IT. WE'D ALREADY TALKED THOUGHT ABOUT DOING THIS AND I'D RESEARCHED IT, BUT TEN FEET IS KIND OF NOT SOMETHING THAT'S ON HAND, BUT SIX FEET WITH RAZOR WIRE IS ON HAND. WE CAN GET PRETTY EASILY, BOYD, COULD YOU ADDRESS THAT? YES. TYPICALLY THE SIX FOOT WITH THE RAZOR WIRE IS ACCEPTABLE ON A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION SITES. THE, TO AROUND THE ENTIRE PERIMETER, FROM THE EDGE OF THE MCFADDEN BUILDING, ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE BACKSIDE, TO TIE INTO THE MCFADDEN BUILDING ON THE BACK TO A TOTAL ENCAPSULATED COMPLETELY. SO NOBODY CAN GET IN THERE. I'M GOOD WITH BUILDING CODES. IS AGREEABLE TO THAT. WHAT'S THE TIMELINE FOR THAT, MR. FLANAGAN? WE HAVE TO CHECK WITH THE RENTAL COMPANY. PROBABLY. PROBABLY WITHIN FIVE DAYS. WE WILL BE EXPEDITED AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. REASONABLE. SO WE HAVE, A MOTION TO TABLE IT FOR 60 DAYS. AND WITH THE CONDITION THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER, SECURE THE BUILDING WITH THE SIX FOOT RAZOR FENCE WITHIN FIVE DAYS AND GET WITH BUILDING OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO START A WORK PROGRAM FOR THE BUILDING. DO YOU AGREE TO THAT SECOND, MR. NEAL? AND THEN THE CLARIFYING, I'D SAY FIVE BUSINESS DAYS FOR FENCING. I MEAN, BECAUSE IT'S NOT YOU'RE GOING TO BE AT THE WEEKEND HERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT. YEAH. THAT'S NOT FAIR TO FIVE FIVE BUSINESS DAYS IS FINE. SO

[03:00:02]

[WORK SESSION]

SO, MR. MO, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND YOU ARE GOING TO BE PRESENTING A WORK SESSION REGARDING BEAUMONT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT OPERATIONS UPDATE. I'M EXCITED TO HEAR IT, AND I APPRECIATE YOU STILL BEING HERE. YEAH, WELL THANK YOU. YEAH WE HAVE, JUST RENOVATED THE RUNWAY, THIS YEAR. IT WAS RESEALED, IN DOING THAT, WE HAVE, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE HANGAR RENT, AND I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT PORTION OF IT TO START WITH. THE CURRENT RENT THAT WE HAVE, FOR ALL THE BUILDINGS, $18,740 PER MONTH. NOTE THAT SOME OF THOSE BUILDINGS, SOME OF THOSE HANGARS ARE PAID FOR ONE HANGAR D IS STILL, IN AMORTIZATION. SO THAT'S, NOT FINISHED BEING PAID FOR. SO SOME OF THAT IS CONSIDERED REVENUE FOR THE CITY, THE PRIVATE HANGARS THAT WE HAVE CONSTRUCTED ARE, ARE ONGOING. WE'VE HAD TWO NEW, ACTUALLY THREE NEW PRIVATE HANGARS BUILT IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, IF YOU LOOK. THERE YOU GO. SORRY WE'LL CATCH UP.

THE THOSE TOTAL BUILDINGS THERE WAS THE ASKING IF THERE WAS ANY NEED TO UPDATE THE HANGAR RENT FOR INCREASE, WANT TO NOTE THAT I DID A STUDY ON IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, STUDY, THERE'S, THESE ARE THE NEW HANGARS. THE ORIGINAL HANGARS. I DID A STUDY ON COMPARABLES FOR THE SURROUNDING AREAS, FOR AIRPORTS THAT ARE COMPARABLE TO US. LET'S SEE IF THAT'S ON THE NEXT PAGE.

SO THE T RATE T HANGAR COMPARABLE RATES. JACK BROOKS, WHICH IS A REGIONAL AIRPORT, IT'S NOT A MUNICIPAL LIKE US, IT'S 295 A MONTH. ORANGE. LIBERTY. JASPER AS YOU CAN SEE, SOUTHLAND IS IN LAKE CHARLES, THE HIGHEST ONES ARE 295, WHICH ARE COMPARABLE TO US. THERE ARE OTHERS THAT ARE QUITE A BIT LOWER. SO THE POSSIBILITY OF RAISING THE RATES, THERE'S A TWO FOLD PROBLEM TO THAT. IF YOU RAISE THE RATES, YOU'RE MAKING YOUR MONEY OFF YOUR FUEL SALES.

AND IF YOU RAISE THE RATES IN THE PEOPLE LEAVE THE HANGARS, THEN YOU'RE DECREASING YOUR FUEL SALES. SO YOU'RE DECREASING YOUR ABILITY TO SELL THE HANGARS OR RENT THEM OUT, BUT YOU'RE ALSO DECREASING THAT ABILITY TO SELL THE FUEL. SO IN MY. PERSPECTIVE, IT'S NOT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO RAISE THE HANGAR RATES, BECAUSE IT'S A TWO FOLD PROBLEM. COUNCILMAN HEY. HEY, CHRIS, YOU

[03:05:01]

THE MORE JETS YOU GET IN, THE MORE TURBINES YOU GET IN, THE MORE FUEL CELLS YOU HAVE. JUST NATURE OF THE BEAST OF THAT TYPE OF AIRCRAFT. SO AGAIN, WE CAN RAISE THOSE RATES, BUT YOU RISK THAT POSSIBILITY OF THOSE AIRCRAFT, ESPECIALLY THE HIGHER END AIRCRAFT LEAVING. AND THAT FUEL CELL GETS COMPROMISED. EXCUSE ME. YOU CAN GO ON. WE'LL HAVE TO BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.

THE IF WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE NEW HANGARS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING, PROPOSING A ROW OF TEN HANGARS, A T HANGARS THEMSELVES, AND WE'RE PROPOSING ANOTHER BOX HANGAR. THAT BOX HANGAR WOULD BE NEXT TO BUILDING ONE, AND THAT WOULD COMPRISE MOSTLY OF THOSE TURBINE AIRCRAFT. AND WE ALREADY HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE WANTING TO LEASE SPACE IN THAT FACILITY. SO AGAIN, THE WHOLE PROCESS IS TO TRY AND GET THE PEOPLE IN TO INCREASE THOSE FUEL SALES, WHICH IS WHERE THAT REVENUE COMES FROM . I HAVE A QUESTION. YEAH, NOW, THESE HANGARS, OF COURSE, ARE NOT INEXPENSIVE. WHAT TYPE OF TIMELINE ARE WE LOOKING TO GET OUR MONEY BACK FROM, THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS OF THE NEW HANGARS, WHEN IN TERMS OF RENTAL AND FUEL CELLS, SO SEVERAL THINGS THAT HAPPENED THERE. ONE IS THERE'S GRANT MONEY THAT ARE AVAILABLE AT THIS POINT. THERE IS $1.048 MILLION AVAILABLE, AS GRANT MONEY, THOSE, TWO IIJA GRANTS AND ANOTHER GRANT ARE AT A 9010 SPLIT. SO WE PAY 10% OF THAT COST. AFTER THAT, WE PAY 100. SO IT'S DO WE DO IT NOW? 25. SO EACH YEAR WE GET MORE MONEY IN THAT GRANT. IT BUILDS UP TO A CERTAIN POINT AND THEN IT CAPS OUT. WE'RE CAPPED OUT TO THE 600 ON ONE OF THEM AND WE'VE GOT THREE MORE YEARS TO CAP OUT.

ON THE OTHER. SO POTENTIALLY $2 MILLION WORTH OF GRANT MONEY AVAILABLE FOR THAT. HOW MUCH WOULD THE HANGARS COST THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IN TOTAL, 2.48. I THINK IT'S THE LAST ESTIMATE.

2.48. AND YOU SAY WE CAN GET POTENTIALLY HOW MUCH IN GRANT MONEY, 1.04. IF YOU LOOK AT, A

[03:10:02]

SO YEAH. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON NOW, SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE'RE WANTING TO DO, FOR FUTURE PROJECTS, ONE OF THEM IS THE NEW HANGARS. AND THE MORE YOU GET, THE MORE YOU GET PEOPLE IN, THE MORE IT WANTS TO GROW ON ITSELF. SO IT PERPETUATES IN SOME DEGREE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, EXTENDING THE RUNWAY. WE'RE TALKING WITH TXDOT, TRYING TO GET THAT DONE. THERE IS A CHARTER AIRCRAFT, THE BUSINESS ITSELF, THE INSURANCE REQUIRES THEM TO HAVE 5000FT OF RUNWAY IN ORDER TO CHARTER JET AIRCRAFT IN AND OUT OF AN AIRPORT. IT'S THEIR WHAT WE CALL OPS. THAT 5000 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER THAT ALLOWS HIM TO COME IN. WE DO THAT. WE GET A LOT MORE TRANSIENT TRAFFIC THROUGH THAT PIECE OF THAT'S WHAT'S HOLDING THEM BACK. SO THAT'S ANOTHER LAYER OF THAT. WE'RE WORKING ON A, WE HAVE TALKED WITH LAMAR. WE'RE WORKING ON TRYING TO GET WHAT'S CALLED A PART 141 SCHOOL, WHICH IS A, DEGREE PROGRAM FOR LAMAR IN AVIATION RIGHT NOW, WE NEED, 275,000 NEW PILOTS IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS. WOW. AND SO THERE'S A BIG NEED FOR FLIGHT SCHOOLS LIKE THAT. AND THE FLIGHT SCHOOLS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE OVERLOADED. SO WE WANT TO TRY AND CAPTURE THAT PIECE OF IT AS WELL. YEAH. SO YEAH, THERE IS LONG STORY SHORT, THERE IS A PATHWAY TO GETTING IN THE BLACK. GOOD. THANK YOU. I KNOW THE OTHER ONE. MR. GATES, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT. WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS BEFORE AND WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT ONE, THERE ARE TWO SOME GOOD NEWS. I WISH I HAD ALL GOOD NEWS, WE'RE WORKING ON TWO DIFFERENT PATHS FOR, ITS LACK OF CHARTER BUSINESS, BUT SMALLER AIRCRAFT. TEN PEOPLE, LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN THE SLIDE, AND THAT BEING BOUTIQUE AIR CHOICE ONE, THEY ARE A GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZED OR AIRLINE SUBSIDIZED CARRIER WORKING ON A SCHEDULE, BUT ON A SMALLER SCALE FOR OUR DEMOGRAPHICS. TEN AIRCRAFT OR A TEN PASSENGER AIRCRAFT GOING TO DALLAS, HOUSTON, AUSTIN, A LOT MORE FEASIBLE, IN MY PERSPECTIVE, A LOT MORE PEOPLE COULD USE IT, SO WE'RE TRYING WE'RE GETTING IN

[03:15:07]

OKAY. SO IN 1960, EASTERN AND TRANS TEXAS WERE HERE. THE WRIGHT BROTHERS AS WELL. WAIT, WAIT, ARE YOU SAYING IN 1960 WE DID HAVE COMMERCIAL SERVICE HERE? WE HAD BEFORE 1960 ONCE, JACK BROOKS CAME ONLINE, THEY THE COMMERCIAL SERVICE WENT THERE. RIGHT. AND, MANY OF US MAY REMEMBER THE DAYS OF TREE TOP AIRLINES, TO WHICH BECAME ULTIMATELY, I BELIEVE, CONTINENTAL, YOU KNOW, AND WE, I THINK WE ACTUALLY HAD EASTERN. I THINK WE MAY HAVE HAD BRANIFF AT ONE TIME. YEP, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THEY DEREGULATED THE AIRLINES, YOU COULD FLY ANYWHERE OUT OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, RIGHT. BUT BUT RIGHT NOW, IF WE COULD JUST GET TO DALLAS, AUSTIN, NEW ORLEANS, OR CATCH A RIDE WITH COUNCILMAN NEAL, TO COLORADO. BUT, YOU KNOW. YEAH. WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO ACTUALLY GET THESE, BOUTIQUE AIRLINES? I REALLY THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A STUDY THAT, WE PUT TOGETHER THAT THEY CAN LOOK AT THAT SHOWS THE CAPABILITY OF THAT BUSINESS HERE, OUR DEMOGRAPHICS. WHAT WE HAVE, THE BUSINESSES, THE NEED, IF WE CAN DO THAT, IS THERE AN AIRPORT ITSELF IN TERMS OF RUNWAY LENGTH AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT THEY WOULD NEED, OR THOSE REQUIREMENTS ARE ALREADY BEING MET? YES. OKAY. YEAH. THE LONGER RUNWAY WOULD BE FOR THE JET AIRCRAFT, WHICH WOULD OPEN IT UP QUITE A BIT MORE. BUT BUT THESE ARE, THESE ARE TURBOPROP ANYWAY RIGHT. WELL MR. WILLIAMS, I WOULD ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, STAFF TO WORK WITH MR. MOE TO TRY TO REACH OUT TO THESE, SMALLER CARRIERS AND MAYBE DO WHAT WE CAN TO, YOU KNOW, TRY TO GET COMMERCIAL SERVICE HERE. I KNOW IT WOULD BE VERY VALUABLE TO SO MANY PEOPLE AT LAMAR. AND INDUSTRY THAT WE HAVE AROUND HERE. WE HAVE EXECUTIVES THAT COME INTO THIS AREA ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FLY INTO JACK BROOKS, I MEAN, I GUESS WHAT, IT FLIES TO, DALLAS NOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT THERE IS A NEED FOR HERE. YEAH. WHAT ABOUT WHAT ABOUT THE RELIABILITY OF THESE TYPES OF.

AND THAT'S THAT'S ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT I HEAR ABOUT WHAT IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT JACK BROOKS, ARE THESE DO THEY HAVE DATA THAT SHOWS HOW RELIABLE THAT THEY ARE OR UNRELIABLE? NO, I'M SURE THEY DO, I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA WITH ME. I CAN GET THAT, THEY DO FOLLOW THE SCHEDULE AND THE, THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE AIRLINES IN TERMS OF, PRICING. ALSO, WE'D LIKE TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THAT FOR YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO WOULD IT POTENTIALLY COST TO FLY OUT OF BEAUMONT, AS OPPOSED TO, JACK BROOKS OR GOING TO HOUSTON? YEAH, I KNOW A FEW YEARS AGO, BOUTIQUE AIR WAS RUNNING SOME SIMILAR ROUTES IN THE WEST, PORTION OF THE COUNTRY , SIMILAR DISTANCES. AND IT WAS, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, $100 FOR THE TRIP ONE WAY. YEAH YEAH.

THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN NEIL. THANK YOU. MAYOR. YEAH. I WAS GOING TO SAY, YOU KNOW,

[03:20:05]

BUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A TEN SEAT AIRPLANE WITH A FLIGHT TO AUSTIN OR SAN ANTONIO EVERY DAY, I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ISSUE BOOKING IT. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT TRAVEL THAT WAY ON A DAILY BASIS. MR. CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER GETS MENTIONED, THE CITY MANAGER. SO OUR AIR AIR SERVICE TO THE CITY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE VIABILITY OF CITIES. AND WHEN YOU CAN HAVE A VERY VIABLE METHOD OF PROVIDING AIR SERVICE, IT REALLY IMPROVES WHAT YOU AS A COMMUNITY. SO, WITH OUR NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSON AND OUR CVB AND WE COULD GET WITH CHRIS AND WE CAN SET UP SOME MEETINGS AND SEE IF WE CAN SIT DOWN WITH THESE PEOPLE AND HAVE A CONVERSATION. AND I'D BE GLAD TO PARTICIPATE IN IT MYSELF. OR WE CAN MEET THEM AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND GET INFORMATION AND BRING BACK TO COUNCIL TO TALK ABOUT IT. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? NAH, CHRIS, I WAS ONE OF THE ONES WHO WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE RATES, BUT I GOT A BETTER UNDERSTANDING NOW AND I APPRECIATE YOU GATHERING THE DATA TO KIND OF SHOW US COMPARABLES. THAT'S REAL IMPORTANT WHEN YOU SEE THOSE NUMBERS. YEAH. THANK YOU. YES. WE'D LIKE TO NOTE THE FLY IN.

DID YOU GET THE INVITE THERE ARE ALMOST 1500 PEOPLE, ABOUT 80% FAMILIES. EVERYBODY SOLD OUT ALL THE VENDORS SOLD OUT. WE EVEN HAD THE BEAUMONT PETS ALIVE HAD SIX ANIMALS FOR ADOPTION. FIVE OF THOSE GOT ADOPTED DURING THAT PROCESS. SO I LOVE HAVING THOSE. I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO APPRECIATE Y'ALL LETTING US DO THAT. AND I ENJOYED IT. GOING OUT TO THAT CHRIS. THANKS. YEAH. SORRY I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO NO, NO, I HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE AT MY AIRPLANE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MR. MO. APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, WE'RE

[COUNCIL COMMENTS]

COUNCILMAN GETS. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S WONDERFUL TO HAVE THE, DOG PARK OPEN. THANK YOU, TRACY, FOR, SETTING EVERYTHING IN MOTION LIKE THAT TO HAVE A NICE RIBBON CUTTING AND, EVERYBODY FROM, THE CITY THAT WAS THERE AND, THE CHAMBER, WE REALLY APPRECIATED IT TOOK A LONG TIME, BUT, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY. IT'S GOING TO BE WELL UTILIZED, THE WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, BUT THE, FOLKS THAT DID COME OUT, REALLY ENJOYED IT. THE DOGS SEEM TO ENJOY IT. AND, I THINK IT'S A GREAT ADDITION TO ROGERS PARK AND, APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, MAKING THIS HAPPEN. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TURNER, JUST TOMORROW, I WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE HOLIDAYS OF THE YEAR, JUNETEENTH ON TOMORROW. SO I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO CELEBRATE. I ALSO WANT TO SHOUT OUT, EMILY WHEELER. I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL JUNETEENTH WAS A BIG CHALLENGE. IT ACTUALLY WAS MOVED TO HER DEPARTMENT. AND I DO WANT TO CREDIT HER BECAUSE SHE TOOK IT WITH OPEN ARMS. AND SHE HAS LITERALLY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND. AND I'VE SEEN IT GROW MORE AND MORE. AND THIS YEAR I THINK IT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ATTENDED JUNETEENTH. WE HAD. SO, YOU KNOW, I'M SEEING HER SHINE AND I JUST WANT TO CREDIT HER PUBLICLY BECAUSE SHE IS DOING A GOOD JOB. AND I ALSO WANT TO SHOUT OUT THAT CHARLESTON PILOT COMMUNITY THAT, THEY CALL IT SOUTH END DAY, IT WAS ON THE SAME DAY AS JUNETEENTH, SO TO SAY THAT MANY THINGS HAPPEN AT THE CAPACITY AND THE LEVEL OF PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. AND LASTLY, MR. WILLIAMS, YOU, DONE A GOOD JOB WITH SOME MEETINGS. WE HAD SOME PRETTY INTENSE, TOUGH MEETINGS WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. AND YOUR PATIENCE. AND I ACTUALLY LEARNED SOMETHING ON HOW YOU ACTUALLY ENDURED WITH THEM AND HOW YOU HANDLED THEM, HOW ATTENTIVE YOU WERE. SO I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY SITTING IN MEETINGS, GETTING, YOU KNOW, HAMMERED AND HEARING COMPLAINTS AND I ASKED HIM ONE DAY, HOW IS YOUR DEMEANOR ALWAYS SO CALM? SO I'LL LET YOU KNOW. I APPRECIATE IT. YOU KNOW, AS A YOUNG MAN COMING UP IN POLITICS, I'M LEARNING. SO I JUST WANT TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND LET YOU KNOW I APPRECIATE YOU AND THANK YOU TO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR DEALING WITH THE FIRE. WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS PUT YOUR LIFE ON THE

[03:25:01]

MADAM CITY CLERK, MR. CITY MANAGER. I HAVE ANOTHER INTERN. I'M SORRY. WE DO HAVE AN INTERN.

THAT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S RECOGNIZED. SHE WAS HERE, BUT SHE LEFT. WHAT WAS? WHAT'S HER NAME? MYLES JANELLE? YES BUT MAYBE WE'LL GET TO ANNOUNCE HER OR INTRODUCE HER NEXT TIME. OH, AND I DO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO KEVIN AND PAIGE AND COMMUNICATIONS. THEY WON AN AWARD. AND WHO WAS IT FROM? WAS IT FROM THE PRESS CLUB? YES. YES SEVERAL AWARDS. THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATIONS JUST WANT TO GIVE THEM A SHOUT OUT FOR JOB WELL DONE. RIGHT. THANK YOU, WE'RE CURRENTLY PUTTING TOGETHER A BIT OF A POLICY ON INTERNS. WE WANT TO GROW OUR INTERNSHIPS AROUND CITY HALL. SO THANKS TO STAFF AND CHERRY'S REALLY LEADING THE CHARGE WITH HER INTERNS AND, SO WE HAD A DISCUSSION ON STAFF. SO WE WANT TO GET MORE OF INTERNS TO WHERE WE CAN ADD SOMETHING TO THEM AS THEY START TO DEVELOP THEIR CAREERS. AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO BECOME AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE'RE WANT TO WORK WITH THEM, TO COMMEND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. FIRE DEPARTMENT DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB NOT ONLY ON THAT BUILDING, BUT THE SURROUNDING BUILDINGS. THEY WERE ABLE TO KEEP THAT FIRE CONTROLLED AND THAT'S NOT AN EASY TASK FOR A FIRE DEPARTMENT TO DO SUCH WORK. SO I THINK CHIEF AND HIS, DEPARTMENT, WHAT THEY DID. BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THAT. YOU KNOW, IT'S A TEAM EFFORT IN SITUATIONS LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, POLICE, THEY HAVE A JOB. PUBLIC WORKS IS OFTEN FORGOTTEN IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. THEY HAD A TREMENDOUS JOB. THEY HAD TO KEEP 2 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER FLOWING TO THAT FIRE. YOU KNOW, IF THAT FLOW GETS INTERRUPTED, YOU GOT YOU HAVE REAL PROBLEMS. SO I COMMEND THEM FOR WHAT THEY WERE DOING. WE HAD, BART'S TEAM ENGINEERS ON SITE AND, YOU KNOW, WATER UTILITIES, PEOPLE ON SITE MAKING SURE THAT THINGS FLOWED PROPERLY AND STREETS WERE BLOCKED ACCORDINGLY, RIGHT AWAY. ESTHETICS. COUNCIL MEMBER GATES HAS BEEN DILIGENT ABOUT THE BANDIT SIGNS. I AS MY WIFE AND I DRIVE AROUND BEAUMONT, I THINK WE CAN SEE A MARKED IMPROVEMENT AND I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF OUR CITY AND MAKE SURE IT CONTINUES TO IMPROVE ESTHETICALLY. IT JUST LOOKS SO GOOD AND WE RIDE AROUND BECAUSE SHE'S MY CRITIC. IF SHE SEES SOMETHING, SHE'S GOING TO LET ME KNOW WE'RE RIDING IN THE CAR. SO I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY BIG COMPLAINTS YET. SO I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS IN THAT. AND THANKS FOR YOUR EFFORTS. COUNCIL MEMBER GETS ON THAT, BUDGET DISCUSSIONS ARE GOING ON THERE. INTENSE RIGHT NOW, CHERYL AND JUNE AND ALL OF US AND DUNCAN, OUR NEW PERSON. WE'VE BEEN LOCKED UP FOR DAYS WITH DEPARTMENTS TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET, GETTING RID OF, GETTING READY AND HEARING THOSE REPORTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT. SO, SOME INTENSE WORK THAT'S GOING ON NOW. AND MOST OF US, IF IT TAKES YOU A MINUTE OF THAT GROUP TO GET BACK TO YOU BECAUSE WE'RE LOCKED UP IN THE ROOM WORKING ON BUDGET, FOR SURE. JUNETEENTH WAS EXCITING AND REALLY ENJOYED JUNETEENTH. I HAD FAMILY IN TOWN AND TOOK THEM ALL THERE. IT'S

[03:30:04]

THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK OUR CITY MANAGEMENT AND OUR CITY STAFF FOR YOU. WE'VE HAD A WHOLE LOT GOING ON ALL SUMMER IN THE MIDDLE OF BUDGET SEASON, BUT ALSO WITH THE FIRE AND THE WORK THAT WAS PUT IN ON THAT. AND I KNOW WHEN I WENT OUT TO THE FIRE, I WAS AMAZED AT ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS BEING REPRESENTED AND HOW THEY WERE WORKING, COLLABORATING VERY WELL AND ADDRESSING ISSUES THAT MANY OF US WOULD BE UNAWARE THAT YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS WHEN THERE IS A FIRE. BUT THEY WERE PREPARED FOR IT. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE HAD THE BEST OUTCOME WE COULD GIVEN, A TERRIBLE FIRE AND NOBODY WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. AND CERTAINLY WONDERFUL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND, TWO REALLY LARGE EVENTS THAT WERE VERY WELL ATTENDED, THE SOUTH END DAYS, AS WELL AS JUNETEENTH. AND, THERE WERE OTHER EVENTS HAPPENING IN THE CITY THAT I GOT TO GO BY ON. AND I JUST LIKE TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON, AND YOU CAN ALWAYS CHECK OUR CITY WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION. AND I APPRECIATE THOSE THAT HAVE HUNG ON TILL 503. AND THE PRODUCTIVENESS OF THE MEETING TODAY. AND WITH

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.