Jul 30, 2024 City Council

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:09]

HONOR AND RECOGNITION IN REMEMBRANCE OF RETIRED CITY OF BEAUMONT FIRE CHIEF CHESTER A PETE SHELTON. CHIEF SHELTON WAS HIRED WITH THE CITY OF BEAUMONT AS A GRADE ONE FIREFIGHTER SEPTEMBER 30TH, 1950. PROMOTED TO FIRE CAPTAIN IN 1960. ASSISTANT CHIEF IN 1966 AND FIRE CHIEF FROM JANUARY FIRST, 1976 TO JANUARY 1ST, 1996. IN 1985, THE CITY COUNCIL ASKED CHIEF SHELTON TO SERVE AS INTERIM CITY MANAGER. DURING HIS 20 YEAR CAREER AS FIRE CHIEF, HE HIRED THE FIRST WOMAN FIREFIGHTER FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT IN 1989, CHIEF SHELTON WAS SELECTED AS A MEMBER OF THE PORT OF BEAUMONT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS. AFTER RETIRING FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY CONVERTED THE AREA AT FIRE HEADQUARTERS AND THE FIRE MUSEUM TO THE KAY PETE SHELTON PLAZA IN HIS HONOR. IN MARCH 2001, CHIEF SHELTON BECAME PORT OF BEAUMONT PRESIDENT, AND IN JANUARY 2007, HE CAME BACK TO THE CITY OF BEAUMONT AS THE INTERIM FIRE CHIEF, AND THEN FIRE ADMINISTRATOR UNTIL RESIGNING. MAY 14TH, 2008. OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THE CHIEF SHELTON'S FAMILY. TODAY'S INVOCATION WILL BE GIVEN BY PASTOR JULIUS WARDLEY. SAINT JAMES UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. AND IF EVERYONE WOULD PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONES AND IF YOU SO CHOOSE, PLEASE STAND AND REMAIN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. LET US PRAY. HOLY ONE, KNOWN BY MANY NAMES AND BEYOND. ALL NAMES. SPIRIT OF LIFE. SPIRIT OF LOVE. SPIRIT OF JUSTICE. WE ASK YOUR BLESSINGS ON THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED TO LEAD THIS COMMUNITY IN WHICH WE LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY. WE PRAY, OH GOD, THAT YOU WILL FILL THEM WITH WISDOM, LOVE AND INSIGHT. WE PRAY THAT THEY WILL ALWAYS SEEK THE WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY, THE GOOD FOR ALL PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN IT. WE ALSO PRAY FOR THE CITY THAT YOU WILL BLESS EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN IT, THAT YOUR LIGHT WILL SHINE THROUGH EACH PERSON, AND THAT YOU WILL GUIDE AND LEAD THEM AS WELL. THIS WE PRAY IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT WE HOLD SACRED AND HOLY, ALL THAT WE HOLD GOOD AND RIGHT AND TRUE. AMEN. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE GUY UNDER GOD WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. MAY I HAVE ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MAYOR WEST, PRESENT MAYOR PRO TEM TURNER PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DAURIO PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. GAETZ. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. FALLSHAW PRESENT. COUNCIL

[PROCLAMATIONS]

[RECOGNITIONS]

AND THEN I GIVE YOU THE. COMPETITION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.

KEEP IT UP. PROUD OF YOU. WELL DONE. GOOD. OH, IS IT REAL? WELL DONE.

[00:05:27]

GOOD EVENING. MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER. CITY ATTORNEY AND OTHER CITY STAFF.

I'D LIKE TO START BY THANKING YOU, MAYOR WEST, FOR THIS RECOGNITION AND OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS EVENING. AFTER YEARS OF TEACHING CHILDREN TO SWIM IN MY BACKYARD, GOD GAVE ME A VISION TO CREATE A YOUTH SWIM TEAM. I REACHED OUT TO VARIOUS PEOPLE IN THE BISD ADMINISTRATION AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. BUT WHEN I REACHED OUT TO COUNCILMAN TURNER, HE WAS ALL IN FROM THE START. HE SET UP A MEETING WITH CITY MANAGER WILLIAMS, COUNCILMAN DICICCIO ATTORNEY REID AND HIMSELF, AND THEY IMMEDIATELY BOUGHT IN AS WELL. AND FALL NINE SWIM WAS CREATED. OUR FIRST PRACTICE WAS ON MONDAY, MAY 3RD AT ALICE KEITH. MANY OF THE 34 KIDS THAT MAKE UP FOR NINE SWIM STRUGGLE TO EVEN MAKE IT HALF THE DISTANCE OF THE POOL, WHICH IS 75FT. THAT DAY. THROUGH HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION, THEY ARE NOW SWIMMING IT MULTIPLE TIMES DURING OUR TWO HOUR PRACTICE. NONE OF THESE KIDS HAD EVER HAD EVER SWAM COMPETITIVELY, BUT ENDED THE SEASON WITH OVER 300 RIBBONS AS A TEAM AND TWO MEDALS FOR PLACING OVERALL. SEEING THEM IMPROVE EACH WEEK AND DOING THEIR BEST HAS BEEN SO REWARDING. THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY SUMMER AND I'M ALREADY EXCITED FOR 2025. LASTLY, I HAVE TO THANK MY GREAT GROUP OF PARENTS THAT'S HERE WITH ME TONIGHT BECAUSE THEY STEPPED UP AND TOOK CARE OF A LOT OF THE NON SWIMMING ACTIVITIES SO THAT ME AND MY ASSISTANT COACHES COULD FOCUS ON THE KIDS IN THE SWIMMING. THANK YOU TO ATTORNEY REID FOR THE WATER DONATION. IT WAS MUCH NEEDED AND APPRECIATED. AND COUNCILMAN TURNER FOR THE COOKIE CAKE TO CELEBRATE THE LAST SWIM MEET. HE'S REALLY ENJOYED IT. ONCE AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVING ME AND THE KIDS IN OUR CITY THIS OPPORTUNITY. I. USED. TO. MY SISTER DIDN'T TELL ME SHE.

ALL RIGHT. NEXT, WE HAVE A RECORD. WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING JULY 30TH, 2024 AS WORLD DAY AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS. ACCEPTING WILL BE CEO AND FOUNDER LISA BOWLER. BOWLER AND HANNAH MORE AND BRITTNEY DELAGARZA.

[00:10:21]

ALRIGHTY. ALL IN ONE, TWO AND THREE. PERFECT. YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND COME UP HERE.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR WEST AND CITY COUNCILMEN. I SO APPRECIATE THIS DAY AND THIS TIME THAT YOU'RE GIVING US TO MAKE THIS PROCLAMATION FOR WORLD AGAINST TRAFFICKING. I REPRESENT HARVEST HOUSE MINISTRY, WHICH LOCALLY IS AN ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS WITH YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS THAT HAVE BEEN EITHER TRAFFICKED OR HAVE BEEN GROOMED TO BE TRAFFICKED, AND ACCORDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS ACCELERATED ACTION TO END SEX TRAFFICKING, CHILDREN REPRESENTED SIGNIFICANT SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF TRAFFICKING WORLD VICTIMS. WHAT WE HAVE DONE LOCALLY IS TO REACH OUT TO CHURCHES AND ASK THEM TO PARTNER WITH US AND SHOW A SLIDE ABOUT WORLD TRAFFICKING DAY. I DO HAVE AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY, OUR ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN REBRANDED AND WE HAVE CHANGED OUR NAME. SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT TODAY WITH EVERYONE, OUR NEW NAME IS CALLED EMBRACING FREEDOM, AND WE'RE EMBRACING A NEW CHAPTER OF OUR MISSION. LOOKING AHEAD. I WOULD LIKE OUR NEW NAME TO BETTER EXPRESS WHAT WE DO AND ALLOW THE NAME TO SPEAK FREEDOM AND HOPE TO OUR SURVIVORS IN OUR CARE. THIS NEW IDENTITY SYMBOLS OUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING A SAFE HAVEN AND A FRESH START FOR TRAFFIC VICTIMS. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND NEXT WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING THE PIONEERING WOMEN OF BEAUMONT. ACCEPTING WILL BE MISS MARLENE GUILLORY, PRESIDENT OF PIONEERING WOMEN. AND YOU CAN BRING ANYBODY THAT'S WITH YOU AS WELL.

THERE YOU GO. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHTY, Y'ALL, YOU CAN LOOK RIGHT HERE. AND ONE, TWO. AND THREE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. EVERY YEAR IN CELEBRATION OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT, WHICH IS THE 104TH YEAR THAT THE 19TH AMENDMENT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW IN THE US CONSTITUTION, WE HAVE A CELEBRATION WHERE WE HONOR WOMEN. AND THIS YEAR, THE SEVEN WOMEN THAT WE ARE HONORING AND WITH. MEGAN, WHERE'D YOU GO? SHE'S ONE OF THEM, WE HAVE MICHELLE MELANSON, JANCEY KIMBLE, TANYA CASTELLAN, MEGAN COLLINS, FABIANA BAUM, GIGI MAZZOLA, AND JUDY BETTIS. EACH WOMAN THAT WE HONOR EACH YEAR HAS EXEMPLIFIED THEIR WORK IN THE COMMUNITY THAT MAKES THE COMMUNITY BETTER. THEY ARE ACTUALLY ROLE MODELS FOR YOUNG GIRLS BECAUSE WHAT THEY DO, THEY DO IT AS NOT ANYTHING THAT THEY GET PAID FOR IS ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT IS REQUIRED OF THEM IN THEIR EMPLOYMENT. SO THEY DO A LOT OF SOCIAL WORK AND COMMUNITY WORK AND IT'S NOT JUST IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, IT'S IN THE ENTIRE GOLDEN TRIANGLE THAT WE SELECT THESE WOMEN. WE HAVE THE LUNCHEON ON THURSDAY THIS THURSDAY, AUGUST 1ST AT 11:30 A.M. I KNOW SOME OF YOU WILL BE THERE AND EVERY YEAR YOU ALL HAVE BEEN SO KIND TO US. Y'ALL GIVE US A PROCLAMATION FOR THAT DAY AND RECOGNIZE THE WOMEN THAT WE SEE ARE DOING GREAT WORKS IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU AGAIN THIS YEAR. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE A CITY OF BEAUMONT

[PRESENTATIONS]

[00:15:08]

SO I'M JUST KIND OF WALK THROUGH HERE, OH. OH, IT'S NOT ON THERE. THANK YOU. IT LOOKS LIKE WE LOST IT HERE. OH, DEAR. GIVE ME ONE SECOND. SO IT SHOWS ON YOUR SCREENS. I APOLOGIZE, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING HERE. IS IT. DID IT POP UP OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT WE GOT HERE IN RED? THAT'S OUR ACTIVE PROJECTS WE'RE GOING ON AS YOU ALL KNOW, RIGHT THERE, NORTH OF PINELAND BAYOU, WE DID AN OVERLAY ON THE MAIN LANES. WE STILL GOT TO DO A POLYMER OVERLAY OF THE BRIDGES AROUND KEEFE LAKE ROAD, COOKS LAKE, MITCHELL ROAD AND TRAM ROAD, WE ARE CURRENTLY JUST FINISHED OVERLAYING THE FRONTAGE ROADS AROUND PARKDALE MALL.

THAT'S IN THIS AREA RIGHT HERE, EXCUSE ME. THIS AREA RIGHT HERE. WE HAVE FINISHED THAT. I DID MENTION THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO FINISH OR GET CLOSE TO FINISH THE MAIN LANES DUE TO THE HEAVY WEATHER THAT WE HAD BACK IN, YOU KNOW, THIS PAST MONTH AND THE PREVIOUS MONTH, WE'VE HAD A LOT

[00:20:02]

I'LL GET IN MORE DEPTH. OF COURSE. YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE EASTEX, RIGHT HERE AND THE CARDINAL DRIVE INTERCHANGE, AND I'LL SHOW A SCHEMATIC AND KIND OF WALK YOU ALL THROUGH WHAT'S GOING IN THAT AREA, THAT'S THE PROJECT GOT GOING HERE, WE GOT THAT'S GOING TO PROBABLY BE COMPLETED IN PROBABLY 2029. BOTH OF THOSE PROJECTS, WE HAVE A PROJECT FROM WALDEN ROAD GOING TO PRETTY MUCH 365 WALDEN, FOUR LANES TO SIX LANES. THAT'S GOING TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR. AND THEN FROM 365 GOING UP TO HAMPSHIRE, OVERPASS. THAT'S GOING TO BE COMPLETED IN ABOUT 2026 AND ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF TO TWO YEARS. SO ABOUT TWO YEARS, WE'LL HAVE PRETTY MUCH THE INTERSTATE UP TO WALDEN ROAD INTO SIX LANE CONFIGURATION, WE DO HAVE WE ALMOST FINISHED THE PROJECT HERE ON FM 365, WHERE IT GOES I-10. TO RIGHT HERE, AND IT'S AN OVERLAY AND WIDEN JOB. WE JUST FINISHED THAT JOB. WE'RE WE'RE STRIPING AND DOING SOME GARFEIN'S NOT SHOWING ON HERE. THERE'S TWO LITTLE DOTS HERE. WE HAVE, WE ARE EXPANDING SOME BRIDGES THERE OVER DITCH CREEK AND PIGNUT GULLY, THAT IS EXPECTED TO FINISH HERE SOMETIME MID NEXT YEAR. WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER PROJECT CONCURRENTLY GOING ON FM 124, RIGHT THERE AT NORTH FORK TAYLOR BAYOU AND WE ARE HOPEFULLY GETTING THAT GOING TO GET THAT COMPLETED, END OF NEXT YEAR, 2025. SO THAT BRIDGE WILL BE WIDENED IN THAT AREA RIGHT THERE. GIVE YOU SOME PROJECTS AS WE HEAD DOWN TO SOUTH COUNTY. I KNOW IT'S KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OUT OF THE BEAUMONT AREA, WE ARE WIDENING. EXCUSE ME. WE'RE OVERLAYING 69 RIGHT THERE IN CENTRAL MALL, THAT SHOULD BE STARTING HERE UP PRETTY SOON, AND IT SHOULD BE FINISHING WITHIN THE IN THE FALL OF THIS YEAR, GOT SOME OTHER PROJECTS GOING ON. AS YOU ALL KNOW, RAINBOW BRIDGE, WE ARE GOING TO REHAB THE RAINBOW BRIDGE. THAT SHOULD START HERE IN A FEW MONTHS, BOTH ALL LANES OF TRAFFIC SHOULD BE PUSHED ON TO, VETERANS MEMORIAL BRIDGE. AND I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T REALLY MANAGE THAT JOB. I THINK THAT'S IN ABOUT A COUPLE OF YEARS THAT JOB WOULD BE COMPLETED, WE HAVE THE TURBINE PROJECT RIGHT THERE. THE INTERSECTION 73 AND 69, THAT IS ANTICIPATED TO BE FINISHED LATE 2027, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE TOOK OUT THE FOUR CLOVERLEAFS AND WE INSTALLED WE'RE GOING TO INSTALL A TURBINE. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A LARGE LOOP KIND OF INTERACTING WITH ALL EACH OTHERS AS YOU GO THROUGH THAT SECTION RIGHT THERE, WE HAVE JUST FINISHED, SH 82 RIGHT IN THIS AREA, WHEN YOU GO OVER. PLEASURE ISLAND, THAT THAT WAS A WIDENING JOB. AN OVERLAY. AND, WELL, EXCUSE ME, WE JUST LET LAST MONTH, WE ARE GOING TO OVERLAY WINNIE ALL THE WAY TO PORT ARTHUR ON SH 73. SO THAT'S A I BELIEVE I CAN'T REMEMBER AROUND, I THINK, $20 MILLION. I GOT TO LOOK AT THE PRICE. WE PUT THE CLICK HERE A SECOND. OH ROUGHLY ABOUT SESAME 27. I THINK IT CAME UNDERNEATH THAT I APOLOGIZE. I DON'T HAVE THAT EXACT COST RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF ME, WE ARE DOING A LITTLE BIT OF BRIDGE ENHANCEMENTS ON 327 THAT SHOULD BE ANTICIPATED TO FINISH THE END OF THIS YEAR, WE ARE DOING A CENTER BARRIER, PROJECT ON STATE HIGHWAY 73. THEY JUST LET A FEW MONTHS. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO START THAT IN THIS MONTH, WE ALSO DOING THE FRONTAGE ROADS RIGHT HERE ON 73, THEY'RE ANTICIPATED TO FINISH THAT IN THE FALL, AND WE ARE DOING 87 HERE IN PORT ARTHUR OVERLAY. AND THAT'S ANTICIPATED TO FINISH, IN THE FALL ALSO. SO THAT IS OUR CURRENT PROJECT GOING ON. I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN EAST TEXAS AND CARDINAL DRIVE. THAT'S THE TWO BIGGEST JOBS THAT WE GOT GOING INSIDE OF BEAUMONT RIGHT NOW. AND I'M GOING TO KIND OF WALK YOU ALL THROUGH, I DON'T KNOW WHY I KEEP ON USING THAT MOUSE. IT DOESN'T WORK HERE. LET'S SEE HERE. SO JUST GIVE YOU A KIND OF HEADS UP. OH, THERE WE GO. SO AS YOU ALL CAN SEE HERE, WE HAVE TWO CONCURRENT PROJECTS GOING ON, THE ORANGE ONE IS THE CARDINAL DRIVE, WHICH WE STARTED A LITTLE BIT OVER A YEAR AGO, AND THEN WE GOT WE JUST LET THE BLUE PART, WHICH WE CALL EASTEX. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE CARDINAL DRIVE. WIDEN THE WASHINGTON OVERPASS CONNECTOR. WE ARE DOING THE WIDENINGS ON SR 124 AS THE 69 SOUTH, AND I'LL KIND OF GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON THAT. AND WE'RE DOING, THE HAMPSHIRE ROAD AND THE, FURNITURE ROADS IN FRONT OF TINSELTOWN, ON EASTEX, IF YOU DIDN'T NOTICE, AS YOU DRIVE DOWN SOUTH, WE ARE CLEARING THE RIGHT OF WAY RIGHT NOW. SO WE'VE GOT A FEW MONTHS OF CLEARING THAT RIGHT OF WAY, AND THEY'RE GOING TO START BUILDING SOME DETOURS ON THE EASTBOUND FRONTAGE ROADS.

AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START THE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS IN THAT AREA. THAT'S GOING TO GO ON FOR ABOUT A YEAR OR SO. AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO ALSO SEE SOME SOME WIDENING EXPANSIONS ON THE

[00:25:04]

WILLIAMS BROTHERS IS BUILDING FOR US AS A CONNECTOR. THE FLYOVER AND, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT SECTION RIGHT THERE. AND AS WE HEAD, GOING OVER TO COLLEGE, WE HAVEN'T DONE VERY MUCH WORK ON THAT. THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO THAT PHASE OF WORK RIGHT HERE.

SO LET ME GET TO, OVER HERE AT 124, AND THIS IS 124 RIGHT HERE, THE JOB ENDS RIGHT THERE AROUND THAT 124 RIGHT BEFORE WE GET THERE. THEY HAVE THEY ARE WORKING ON THE FRONTAGE ROADS, THE BRIDGES AND THE EXPANSION ON 124 AND THE YOU TURN RIGHT HERE AT BNSF RAILROAD. SO THAT'S WHAT WE GOT GOING ON CARDINAL DRIVE, KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH EASTEX, RIGHT NOW THERE'S NOT MUCH CONSTRUCTION GOING ON AT THIS POINT. WE'RE STILL MOVING A LOT OF UTILITIES, ENERGY, STILL WORKING ON THEIR DISTRIBUTION LINES, AND WE'RE WORKING ON A LOT OF FIBER OPTIC LINES RELOCATIONS IN IN THAT SO FORTH. SO KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH ON EASTEX JUST GIVE YOU AN IDEA WHAT THE SCOPE OF THE WORK WE'RE DOING AND IT'S ALL IF YOU ALL WANTED TO WE DO HAVE DISPLAY BOARDS OUT THERE IN THE HALLWAY. WE START FROM THE FRONT DOOR KIND OF WALKING FROM WALDEN ROAD. AS YOU GO TOWARDS THE HALLWAY. THIS WAY IT HEADS TO THE EAST TO, TO 11TH STREET. SO YOU CAN SEE KIND OF THE WHOLE SCOPE OF THAT WHOLE PROJECT. IF I'M TALKING TOO LONG, PLEASE TELL ME. I DON'T KNOW THE TIME LIMIT. THERE IS. SO JUST GIVE YOU A KIND OF IDEA, THE PROJECT DOES START RIGHT THERE AT UPPER HOLLYWOOD OVERPASS. WE GO THROUGH LAUREL, RIGHT THIS AREA RIGHT HERE. I'M TRYING TO SAY AS MUCH INFORMATION AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE. AND AS I ALWAYS SAY, THIS IS THE EASTEX INTERCHANGE, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE. LOOKS LIKE AFTER 2029, PRETTY MUCH. WE'RE CARDINAL AND EASTEX. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SIX LANE FREEWAY GOING EAST AND WEST, AND US 69, THERE'LL BE CONNECTORS OF MINIMUM OF TWO LANES GOING EACH CONNECTOR. RIGHT NOW, ALL YOU GOT RIGHT HERE IS THAT THEY'RE ALL CLEARING ALL THE TREES. YOU CAN SEE THESE. THERE'S TREES RIGHT HERE. AND PRETTY MUCH ALL THOSE TREES HAVE BEEN REMOVED, OR AT LEAST CUT DOWN. AND THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF CLEARING THAT PREP RIGHT AWAY TO START ALL THAT. SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE EAST AND CARDINAL DRIVE. AND IN ABOUT TEN MINUTES, TO THE UPDATE, I'LL LET RICHARD TALK ABOUT OUR FUTURE PROJECTS COMING UP HERE NEXT FOUR YEARS. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK. YEAH. SO I'M RICHARD BRADLEY, I'M DAVE'S ASSISTANT, WORK WITH HIM TO MANAGE ALL OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE AREA, SO LET ME SEE IF I CAN. IF I CAN WORK THIS REAL QUICK. I HAVE TO FORGIVE ME. I'M NOT QUITE USED TO THE TRACKPAD YET EITHER, AM I? GO MANUAL WITH THE BUTTONS HERE. ALL RIGHT, SO, AS DAVE MENTIONED, HE COVERED ALL THE PROJECTS IN RED. THOSE ARE ALL OF OUR ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, THIS ONE DOWN HERE IN BLUE ON 73. IS KIND OF, ACTIVE AND NOT ACTIVE PROJECT AT THE SAME TIME. THIS PROJECT WENT TO LET IN MAY, BUT THE CONTRACTOR HASN'T BEGUN WORK YET, THOUGH I BELIEVE THEY'RE GOING TO BE BEGINNING WORK IN AUGUST. OH. ON THE FIFTH. ALL RIGHT, LET'S SEE.

AND ALL THE PURPLE LINES THAT YOU SEE ON THERE ARE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE COMING UP BETWEEN, FISCAL YEAR 25, WHICH STARTS SEPTEMBER 5TH, OR, EXCUSE ME, SEPTEMBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR, ALL THE WAY THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 28. ALL RIGHT. SO, LET'S SEE RIGHT HERE ON 124, WE HAVE A LIGHT REHABILITATION PROJECT, THIS PURPLE LINE RIGHT HERE. THAT IS GOING TO BE, SOME FULL DEPTH CONCRETE REPAIR. WE'RE GOING TO BE SMOOTHING OUT SOME OF THE, UNDERLYING BASE FAILURES IN THE ROADWAY. DOING SOME REHAB THERE AS WELL AS DOING AN OVERLAY OF THE SURFACE. I BELIEVE WE'RE

[00:30:01]

BOTH DIRECTIONS. WE'RE GOING TO BE CARRYING THAT FROM TRAM ROAD ALL THE WAY UP TO THE SPLIT. SO JUST, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TYING IN RIGHT AT TRAM ROAD JUST TO GIVE, MORE VOLUME GOING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. RIGHT. BUT THAT IS JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE AND WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW, BUT WERE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I COULD FIELD FOR YOU GUYS RIGHT NOW, YES. COUNCILMAN. THEN COUNCILMAN TURNER. YOUR MIC.

CHRIS CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES SIR. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. ON INTERSTATE TEN, I GUESS THAT'S NORTHBOUND BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND, HOLLYWOOD. IT'S LIKE A, OBSTACLE COURSE AS FAR AS THE POTHOLES GO. I MEAN, YOU REALLY GOT TO, YOU KNOW, WHEN Y'ALL GOING TO TAKE CARE OR ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE CARE OF. IS THAT IN THE PLANS? AND ALSO, DO Y'ALL HAVE A NUMBER WHERE FOLKS CAN CALL AND REPORT THAT BECAUSE I ASKED EVEN SOME, LIKE ON THE SERVICE ROAD, PEOPLE BEEN HITTING HOLES AND BLOWING OUT TIRES. IS THERE SOME TYPE OF PHONE NUMBER THEY CAN CALL? YES.

SO YOU CAN CALL MY OFFICE. A LITTLE SCARED TO SAY THAT RIGHT HERE. YES. YOU CAN CALL MY OFFICE. (409) 924-6521, WE DO KNOW THAT THE FRONTAGE ROADS ARE IN VERY POOR CONDITION. THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THIS PROJECT RIGHT HERE. FOR ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, THERE ARE DEFINITELY A POTHOLE RIGHT THERE, WHERE DID I SEE IT? RIGHT THERE. I THINK IT'S COLLEGE RIGHT THERE. LIKE COLLEGE, ACTUALLY. LIKE THREE OF THEM BETWEEN REALLY BIG AND WE'LL GET THE CONTRACTOR TO GET THAT RIGHT. BUT ANYONE, IF ANYONE DOES SEE ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE A SAFETY HAZARD, PLEASE CALL ME. YES, BUT PLEASE CALL ME. WE'LL TRY TO GET GET THAT FIXED NUMBE.

[00:35:07]

MESSING WITH YOU. BUT, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL ROUGHLY THREE YEARS AGO, THE TIMELINE, WE WERE TOLD WAS 20, 28. IS IT THE REASON WE'RE NOW SEEING 2029? WE EXPERIENCING DELAYS? IS IT MATERIAL? YEAH, I WON'T SAY MATERIAL. WE DID HAVE SOME ISSUES ON SOME DESIGN ISSUES.

THERE WAS A DESIGN. WE HAD TO WIDEN THE EXISTING BRIDGE, TO MOVE TRAFFIC OVER FOR FUTURE PHASES, DUE TO SAFETY, SO WE HAD THEM MOVE TO ADDITIONAL. SO THAT ADDS SOME ADDITIONAL TIME TO THAT CARDINAL DRIVE. YES, SIR. AND, LAST TIME YOU GUYS CAME, WE DID INQUIRE. COUNCILMAN FELSHER, I WILL SAY HE BROUGHT THIS UP BETWEEN DOGGETT, FORD AND CLASSIC CHEVROLET. WE REPAVED THAT AREA, AND I NOTICED YOU MENTIONED DRAINAGE EARLIER, BUT THAT AREA FLOODS VERY HEAVILY NORMALLY WHEN WE RAIN AND CITIZENS CAN'T GET IN AND OUT OR USE THAT AREA. I SEE WE REPAVED IT. WE ASKED LAST TIME WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME DRAINAGE. HAVE WE DO WE HAVE ANY UPDATE? NO, I HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THAT JUST YET. I DO APOLOGIZE, WE'RE STILL RESEARCHING THAT. SO I KNOW THOSE THOSE INLETS, THEY'RE OLD. SO THEY HAVE AN OLD METAL CASTING PAN, DESIGN. AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S RUSTED OR SOMETHING, BUT THE CAN HAS FALLEN IN SOME OF THOSE OPENINGS ONLY ABOUT AN INCH AND A HALF. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY GETTING A NEW TO REDO THOSE INLETS. AT LEAST THE ONES THAT HAVE FALLEN. YES, SIR. HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET IT DONE. YES, SIR.

AND THE OVERLAY. SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A HINDSIGHT, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T REDUCE THAT OR, YOU KNOW, THE THROAT OPENING. SO WE MILLED OUT FOR ABOUT THREE FOOT SHOULDER IN THAT CONCRETE WHERE WE TIED THAT ASPHALT TO THE CONCRETE. SO THE OPENING IS STILL THE SAME AS IT IS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THIS IS IT, MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU ALL. THE LAST PRESENTATION IS WE HAVE AN ARTIFICIAL TURF UPDATE FROM MR. KENNETH RAGUET, DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND GREENSPAC. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, SO I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THE ARTIFICIAL TURF. AS WE ALL KNOW, WE HAD THE FIRE THAT DESTROYED 39 ROLES, THE TURF THAT WE HAVE ON HAND NOW IS A PROFESSIONAL GRADE. OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, OUR TURF WAS DONATED, AND, IT'S USED, SO IT'S HARD TO FIND USED PROFESSIONAL GRADE ARTIFICIAL TURF. SO THE CLOSEST THING THAT I COULD FIND IS A COMMERCIAL GRADE, AND IT RUNS ABOUT 25,000 TO REPLACE WHAT WE HAVE NOW, NOT INCLUDING DELIVERY. I STILL SUGGEST THAT WE GO ON WITH HYDROSEEDING, WITH A NATURAL FILL OUT AT THE SPROUT PARK. YOU KNOW, WE HAD NUMEROUS CITIZENS COME UP AND EXPRESS THAT THEY WANTED TO USE THE FIELD, FROM SCHOOL AGE KIDS TO ADULTS, THE ARTIFICIAL TURF THAT WE HAVE IS NOT REALLY MADE FOR ADULT PLAY, BUT IF WE GO AHEAD WITH THIS HIGHER SEEDED, FIELD, EVERYONE CAN ENJOY IT. I THINK WE'LL HAVE A MUCH BETTER FEEL, FEEL THAT WE CAN, BE PROUD OF. I FEEL THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT CAN TAKE CARE OF. WE HAVE A ROBOT STRIPPER. WE CAN KEEP IT ALL STRIPED. AND, JUST READY FOR EVERYONE TO PLAY. AGAIN. IF WE WANT TO GO WITH THIS, WE SHOULD HAVE ACTED WEEKS AGO, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO GET STARTED IF WE WANT TO HAVE THIS FOR THE FALL SEASON. ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN TURNER, WITH THE DELAY IN THE TIME BEING OF THE ESSENCE, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN POSSIBLY RUN INTO IF IT'S DELAYED ANY LONGER, I ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF PARKLAND. WE CAN ACTUALLY STRIPE A FIELD SOMEWHERE ELSE UNTIL WE CAN GET THIS FIELD READY. IT'S BROAD PARK, BECAUSE WE WANT THE GRASS TO BE ADHERED, YOU KNOW, GOOD ROOT SYSTEM. BEFORE WE LET PEOPLE GO OUT AND PLAY ON IT. SO I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY USE ANOTHER PARK IN THE AREA AND BASICALLY PREP IT, STRIPE IT, AND LET PEOPLE ENJOY THAT UNTIL WE CAN GET THAT FIELD PROPERLY INSTALLED. COUNCILMAN DARIO, I THINK WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC, CAN YOU LET THEM KNOW, YOU SAID THE, IF WE GOT SOME MORE ARTIFICIAL TURF, IT WAS GOING TO BE 25,000 THE WAY YOU WANT TO DO IT. HOW MUCH IS THAT GOING TO COST? IS THAT GOING TO ADD SOMETHING TO THE BUDGET OR ABOUT 3000? I HAVE IT IN MY BUDGET. OKAY SO WE CAN, WE CAN DO IT FOR ABOUT $3,000. AND LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, HYDRO CEDAR, STAFF AND THE KNOWLEDGE TO PUT IT IN, WE JUST NEED TO GET IT IN. AND LIKE I SPOKE ABOUT BEFORE, THERE'S A

[00:40:09]

THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST PARKS THAT I WOULD INSTALL SOME TYPE OF PAD, WITH ARTIFICIAL TURF, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE MOVIES IN THE PARKS THERE, AND I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE GREAT, THAT WE CAN ENJOY THAT AREA BASICALLY YEAR ROUND WHEN YOU HAVE THE ARTIFICIAL TURF THERE. THE TURF CAN BE USED IN A LOT OF AREAS, A LOT OF DIFFERENT PURPOSES, WHILE ON VACATION, I WAS ACTUALLY IN NEW YORK CITY, ROCKEFELLER CENTER. THEY ACTUALLY INSTALLED ARTIFICIAL TURF AND HAD YOUR CORNHOLE PLANE AND PICNIC TABLES SET OUT SO WE COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT HERE. WE CAN KEEP A COUPLE OF ROLLS, AT THE WAREHOUSE. AND IF WE HAD SOMETHING GOING ON, AN EVENT CENTER OR DOWNTOWN AND WE WANTED TO PUT SOMETHING OUT LIKE THAT, WE'D HAVE IT ON HAND AS WELL. SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPTIONS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, NO, MAYOR, BUT I THINK WE NEED THE PARKS, NEED SOME TYPE OF DIRECTION BECAUSE THEY'RE KIND OF UNDER A TIMELINE RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS GETTING THAT STUFF IN THE GROUND. WELL WE. YEAH, IT'S NOT A POSTED ITEM. WE CAN, NEXT TUESDAY, WE DO HAVE A MEETING. WE CAN HAVE IT AS AN AGENDA ITEM AT THAT POINT TO ACT. OKAY CAN I ASK A QUESTION, THOUGH, MAYOR? YES. IF THERE'S IF THE MONEY'S ALREADY IN THE BUDGET FOR KENNETH TO PROCEED WITH THE GRASS. TRUE. I MEAN, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OBJECTION TO JUST MOVING FORWARD, THERE DOESN'T EVEN SEEM TO NEED TO BE A VOTE FOR IT. EVERYBODY GOOD WITH THE HYDRA SEED? COUNCIL'S GOOD, MADAM, CITY ATTORNEY, SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT. BUT IF THEY. WE'RE NOT GOING TO LIKE PSEUDO VOTE EITHER. OKAY. BUT, OBVIOUSLY THAT THAT WAS PROPOSED AND THERE'S BEEN NO LIKE OBJECTION FROM COUNCIL. SO HE CAN JUST TAKE DIRECTION FROM HIS ACM ON ON WHAT TO DO NEXT. I WOULD JUST MOVE. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH I GOT THAT. I GOT THAT, YEAH. SO WE DO HAVE DIRECTION.

MAYOR THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU SIR. AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE HERE FOR PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS AND YOU'D LIKE TO LEAVE, NOW IS THE TIME TO DO SO. AND THANK YOU FOR COMING. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CLEAR THE ENTRANCE BECAUSE OF FIRE CODE. BUT WE DO HAVE THE BACK CONFERENCE ROOM WHERE THEY ARE STREAMING, THE COUNCIL MEETING RIGHT NOW. THE AUDIO ISN'T WORKING ON THAT, BUT YOU CAN BRING IT UP ON YOUR PHONE.

BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO STAY IN THE ENTRYWAY. SO THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE DOWN TO THE, CONFERENCE CONFERENCE ROOM, WHICH IS AT THE BACK OF THE BUILDING TO THE RIGHT, CAN THEY COME DOWN THE WALLS? YEAH THERE'S A LINE. ALL RIGHT. NOW IS THE TIME FOR ANY

[PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA/CONSENT]

[00:45:01]

THANK YOU. I AM THE PUBLIC RELATIONS PERSON FOR THE BAPTIST MINISTERS UNION. I'VE BEEN ASKED TO, TO READ THIS LETTER ON BEHALF OF THEM. I'M GOING TO ASK ALL MINISTERS THAT ARE HERE.

THAT'S PART OF THE BAPTIST MINISTERS UNION OR THE MINISTERS ALLIANCE THAT THEY WOULD STAND AT THIS TIME AS WE WOULD READ THIS LETTER. GOOD AFTERNOON. THIS PRESENTATION IS IN RESPONSE TO THE PROCESS FOR A NEW POLICE CHIEF SELECTION, AS IT WAS EXPLAINED TO US, A GROUP OF CONCERNED PASTORS AND CITIZENS. ON MONDAY, THE 22ND OF JULY BY COUNCILMAN PASTOR RANDY FALLSHA.

WHAT WE UNDERSTOOD HIM TO SAY WAS THAT THE CITY MANAGER WAS GIVEN THE UNDERSTANDING TO HIRE A FIRM OR A COMPANY TO CONDUCT A NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR THE POTENTIAL CANDIDATES TO FILL THE POSITION FOR THE NEW POLICE CHIEF. WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS AT LIBERTY TO SPEND UP TO $50,000 WITHOUT CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL, OF WHICH HE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $25,000 OF THE TAXPAYERS DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THIS NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR A REPLACEMENT OF POLICE CHIEF.

WHEN THE SEARCH WAS FINALIZED BY THE FIRM, THE COMPANY NAMES WHO SUBMITTED TO THE PUBLIC TO MEET AND GREET EVENT. WAS EVENT EVEN CONDUCTED BEFORE THE CITY MANAGERS PRESENTED THE CITY COUNCIL HIS SELECTION FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE POLICE CHIEF. AFTER THE CITY MANAGER PRESENTED HIS CHOICE TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR RATIFICATION, THE MEDIA REPORTED THAT HIS CHOICE WAS REJECTED BY A VOTE OF 4 TO 3. THIS IS THE CONCERN WE HAVE BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THE VOTE WAS SPLIT DOWN. RACIAL LINES FOR WHITES AGAINST THREE BLACKS FOR RATIFYING THE CITY MANAGER'S CHOICE, PASTOR PHIL SHAW TOLD US THAT BEFORE THE VOTE, HE WAS TOLD BY FELLOW COUNCILMEN OR A COUNCIL OR COUNCILMAN AND SOME CITIZENS WHO CONTACTED HIM THAT THEY WANTED TO KEEP THE

[00:50:02]

PASTOR. AND I THINK THAT C.L. JOHNSON 25 NINE 2595 LAUREL AVENUE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I WANT TO YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME OR MY TIME TO PASTOR CLARENCE BROWN. HE'S REPRESENTING THE BAPTIST MINISTERS UNION, WHERE I SERVE AS FIRST VICE PRESIDENT. SO I WANT HIM TO FINISH READING THAT LETTER FOR US. YOU CAN FINISH IT WITH YOUR TIME, BUT WE'RE NOT YIELDING TIME TO OTHER PEOPLE. WELL, PEOPLE ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. YOU JUST PICK IT UP RIGHT HERE. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. CITY COUNCIL ALLOWED THE CITY MANAGER TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON A NATIONWIDE SEARCH. A NATIONAL NATIONWIDE SEARCH, WASTING TAXPAYERS MONEY AND PASTOR PHIL SHAW BEING TOLD BEFORE THE VOTE THAT THEY WANTED TO KEEP THE CHOICE LOCAL, APPLIED TO ONLY ONE OF THE FINAL CANDIDATES, OF WHICH HE WAS RACIAL, WHICH HE HAS RACIAL ISSUES WITH. THE BLACK COMMUNITY. ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER, MR. TURNER, WAS ALSO WAS ALSO ATTENDED. THE MEETING SAID HE WAS NOT AWARE OF SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS DECISION TO KEEP THE FINAL SELECTION LOCAL UNTIL LATER IN THE PROCESS. THIS DELEGATION OF PEOPLE STANDING IN CONCERNED CONCERN THAT BECAUSE THE VOTE FOR RATIFICATION WAS SPLIT DOWN, RACIAL LINES AND THE CITY MANAGER'S SELECTION WAS A BLACK MAN, AFTER THE PROCESS WAS

[00:55:04]

WHY WAS THE CITY OR WHY WAS HE THE CITY MANAGER, ALLOWED A FIERCE, FEROCIOUS OF SEARCH THAT WAS NOT GOING TO BE CONSIDERED IF HIS CHOICE WAS NOT LOCAL AND WHITE, AS IT APPEARED. THE MESSAGE THAT THIS PROCESS SENDS TO US IS THAT OUR CITY IS STILL DIVIDED. RACE IS STILL A FACTOR IN PROMOTION AND ADVANCEMENT, AND THE VOICE OF ALL THE CITIZENS IS NOT HEARD ON AN EQUAL BASIS. IT IS ALSO RUMORED THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS PROMOTING TOO MANY BLACK IN MANAGEMENT POSITIONS, IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT, PERCENTAGE WISE, BLACK HOLE, A SMALL MINORITY OF MANAGEMENT ROLE AND POSITIONS. AND WE WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THERE'S ANOTHER ELECTION COMING UP IN 2005. AND THIS PROCESS WILL BE REMEMBERED. THANK YOU. JEROME ALEXANDER. CAN WE PLEASE HOLD APPLAUSE, SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN ORDER IN THE IN THE MEETING? THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISS ALEXANDER. YOU GO RIGHT AHEAD. JEROME ALEXANDER, 1118 AVALON STREET, BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

YES MA'AM. GOOD AFTERNOON. HOW Y'ALL DOING, COUNCILMAN? CITY COUNCILMAN. FIRST OF ALL, MR. WILLIAMS AND MR, DO I WOULD LIKE TO COME APOLOGIZE TO Y'ALL BECAUSE THE WEEK BEFORE WAS THE LAST MEETING, I, I DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE MEETING CONCERNING THE FOOTBALL TURF. AND I CAME HERE AND I MADE SOME ACCUSATIONS WITH. RIGHT, BROTHER. AND I WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO YOUR FACE. I WENT ON MY PAGE AND APOLOGIZED, BUT I APPRECIATE Y'ALL. WHAT Y'ALL DOING FOR THE SPROUT PARK? THE FOOTBALL FIELD. I SEE Y'ALL GETTING UNDERWAY. APPRECIATE IT. APPRECIATE IT, BROTHER, FOR COMING AND LET THEY Y'ALL HAD IN ETCETERA. BUT I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE, WHEN I MENTIONED THE MAYOR WHEN I MET MR. MISTER WEST, I MET MISTER WEST ON MY HOMEBOY TERRITORY, BY THE WAY, HE ASKED ME TO HELP MISTER WEST WIN BECAUSE HE HAD SIGNS. I WASN'T IN THE POLITICS. I WASN'T DEALING WITH IT. I KNOW POLITICS WASN'T DEALING WITH IT, BUT I WAS WORKING AT MISTER BURGER ON LUCAS STREET. SO I WENT TO T. I SAID, MAN, OKAY, I HELPED YOU. SO I WENT AND GOT HIS SIGNS. I MET HIM AT KROGER'S. I WENT AND PUT HIM IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND I KNOW HIM. SO THEN I WORKED AT MISTER BURGER. MR. MOUTON CAN'T SAY. BROTHER, CAN I PUT A SIGN HERE? I SAID, YEAH, YEAH, OF COURSE YOU CAN. SO HE WENT TO TELLING ME ABOUT THE FOUR VOTES THEY NEEDED FOUR VOTES TO GET IN, ETCETERA, ETCETERA. SO I'M TRYING TO GO FASTER. CAME. SO I TOLD HIM, I SAID, WELL HE SAID, WELL I DON'T WE DON'T KNOW NOBODY IN NORTH. THEN I SAID, WELL I KNOW EVERYBODY IN NORTH.

THEN I SAID, BUT YOU GOT TO GO WHERE THE PEOPLE IN ORDER FOR THEM TO SPEAK TO HIM. SO I TOOK IT UP AND THE WHOLE TIME ME AND TERRELL READ, WE WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH. MR. WEST. SO AFTER THE CAMPAIGN, WHEN WE WON. SO WE COME BACK TO THIS ELECTION, HIM EVERYTHING MISTER WEST CAME. HE TOLD ME, SAY, LOOK, BROTHER, I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE FOOTBALL FIELD AND STUFF. DIFFERENT THINGS RUN THIS CAMPAIGN. HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO HELP US DO IT. OKAY. ALL THE THINGS THAT MAYOR MOUTON PUT IN ACTION FOR US AS THE BLACK COMMUNITY TO HELP US FOR THE FOOTBALL FIELD AND SALVATION ARMY, SPROUL PARK AND THE CITY COUNCIL BUILT OUR FIRST FOOTBALL TEAM WITH THE DALLAS COWBOYS. THAT WAS OUR HOME FIELD. BUT I SAY ALL THIS TO SAY THIS, MISTER WEST, YOU CAME INTO OUR COMMUNITY. YOU CAME INTO OUR SCHOOLS, YOU CAME INTO OUR CHURCHES, YOU CAME EVERYWHERE. BUT NOW LOOK AT OUR BLACK COMMUNITY, BRO. IT'S NO, YOU AIN'T CAME. NO, WE AIN'T SHOW NO MORE EFFORT TOWARD THAT. AFTER YOU WON NOTHING. YOU AIN'T HELPED ME GET THE FOOTBALL FIELD OR THE SALVATION ARMY BACK LIKE YOU TOLD ME YOU WAS GOING TO DO IT. YOU DIDN'T GET THE CLOCK FIXED OVER HERE LIKE YOU SAID I WAS GOING TO DO IT. AND I'M A MAN OF LARGE INTEGRITY, MAN. IF YOU TELL ME SOMETHING, BROTHER, ALL WE GOT IS OUR WORD. I EXPECT YOU TO TELL ME WHY YOU AIN'T DID SOMETHING CAME UP WITH THIS AND THAT. BUT YOU NEVER DID. AND NOW YOU'RE THE MAYOR. AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THE WHOLE IS 98% OF THE 99%. COME UP AND VOTE WHEN YOU WANT. I TOLD YOU THAT AT THE CAME WHEN YOU WERE WITH YOUR CAMPAIGN MANAGER, THE LADY RUNNING FOR THE TAX OFFICE. BUT THE NORTHERN BROTHER. IMMA BE HONEST WITH YOU, MAN. THEY WANT AJ FOR THE MAYOR BECAUSE HE CAN GET ALONG WITH THE PEOPLE. HE KNOW THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYTHING. I'M JUST BEING HONEST WITH YOU. I'M A STRAIGHTFORWARD GUY. YOU AND ME AND YOU. STRAIGHTFORWARD. I'M JUST BEING HONEST, BROTHER. THE CITY WANT THIS BROTHER HERE FOR THE MAYOR. AND WE TELLING. I'M TELLING IN FRONT OF THE FACE. WE WANT HIM TO RUN BECAUSE HE GET ALONG WITH THE COMMUNITY AND HE HELP. THANK YOU, MR. ALEXANDER. YEAH. YOU'RE NOT LIKE US. I JUST WANT TO REMIND THE SPEAKERS THAT. PLEASE DON'T CLAP. PLEASE DON'T CLAP. PLEASE DON'T CLAP. THANK YOU. I WANT TO REMIND THE SPEAKERS THAT WHEN ADDRESSING COUNCIL, YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THEM BY THEIR TITLE. IT IS MAYOR WEST. IT IS COUNCILMAN TURNER, SO ON AND SO FORTH. THANK YOU FOR THE OVERFLOW IS NOW SET. SO

[01:00:01]

THANK YOU. NO APPLAUSE PLEASE. GINA TAYLOR, 5735 S.E. LANE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

HELLO. IT'S SUCH AN HONOR TO BE HERE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, I DON'T LIKE THE LACK OF UNITY THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN HERE WHEN SELECTING OUR NEXT CHIEF OF POLICE IN ADDITION, IT'S INCONSIDERATE TO CHANGE YOUR MINDS AFTER AGREEING TO HIRE A FIRM TO FIND THE BEST CANDIDATE FOR THE POSITION. WE, THE TAXPAYERS, PAID A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT TO ENSURE THAT WE GET THE BEST OF THE BEST. THESE CANDIDATES, INCLUDING LOCAL APPLICANTS, ALL UNDERWENT AN EXTENSIVE INTERVIEW PROCESS AND ONE WAS DEEMED THE MOST QUALIFIED TO OUR CITY MANAGER.

THIS WAS A FAIR PROCESS. IT WASN'T BIASED, AND I DON'T LIKE THAT WE'RE WASTING TIME AND MONEY ON PERSONAL PREFERENCE. BEAUMONT DESERVED THE BEST OF THE BEST AND WE INVESTED HEAVILY TO SECURE THAT OUR IN-HOUSE OR OUTHOUSE, EVERY CANDIDATE WAS PUT PUT THEIR APPLICATION IN AND SADLY, SOME DID MAKE THE CUT. I TRUST THAT THE CITY MANAGER DECISION AND BELIEVE THAT IT WASN'T BASED ON POPULARITY, AGE, RACE, GENDER AND I BELIEVE THAT HE WAS NOT INFLUENCED OR MOVED BY ANY OF THE OUTSIDE ENTITY OF POWER IN THIS AREA. IT WAS A IT WAS A BUSINESS DECISION, AND I BELIEVE HE IS WELL QUALIFIED TO MAKE THE BEST DECISION. NOT TO MENTION WE ARE PAYING HIM A PRETTY GOOD PENNY. OUR FOUR WHO WAVERED IN THEIR DECISION. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, BUT I WOULD TRUST AFTER THIS DECISION THAT WE WILL ALL COME ON ONE ACCORD. WE ARE ALL WOMEN AND MEN OF GOD THAT IS STANDING UP HERE. AND SO I PRAY THAT YOU ALL SEEK THE COUNSEL OF THE FATHER BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHAT IS BEST. AT THE END OF THE DAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. ALBERT HARRISON, 1240 ASHLEY BEAUMONT, TEXAS. GOOD AFTERNOON. ALBERT HARRISON, 1240 ASHLEY STREET. MAYOR CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY. EMPLOYEES. OTHER CONCERNED CITIZENS. THE COMMENTS I WANTED TO MAKE HAD PRETTY WELL BEEN MADE ALREADY, SO I WILL DO SOMEWHAT OF A FOLLOW UP. AND THESE COMMENTS ARE BASICALLY FOLLOW UPS TO MY COMMENTS OF THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING. AS IN THAT PARTICULAR MEETING, I EXPLAINED SOME OF MY OBJECTIONS AND REASONS WHY I

[01:05:11]

THANK YOU. CAIN DEAN, 255 COLLEGE STREET, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. EVENING. GOOD EVENING. CITY MANAGER COUNCIL. I'LL KEEP IT BRIEF. I REPRESENT THE BPOA BEAUMONT POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION. I'M THE PRESIDENT. LATE LAST WEEK, ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY, THE BPOA LEARNED FROM LOCAL MEDIA SOURCES. THERE WAS A NEW LIST OF CANDIDATES BEING CONSIDERED IN THE PENDING SEARCH FOR A CHIEF OF POLICE FOR BEAUMONT, THE BEAUMONT POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION WAS EXCITED TO SEE THAT THERE WERE FOUR CANDIDATES FROM THE INTERIOR RANKS OF THE BEAUMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT. THIS ENTHUSIASM, BASED ON LONG TRADITION OF BEAUMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT, HAS BEEN PRODUCING OUTSTANDING LEADERS. LEADERS HAVE BEEN FORGED IN THE FIRES OF NATURAL DISASTERS. THE LOSS OF FRIENDS, MANPOWER SHORTAGES, DAILY LIFE AND OFTENTIMES A VERY DEMANDING AND SOMETIMES THANKLESS JOB. OUR HOPE IS THAT EVERY MEMBER OF THE BEAUMONT POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION SUCCEED BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY IN THEIR LIFE AND THEIR CAREER. ALL FOUR OF THE MEMBERS THAT ARE MORE THAN QUALIFIED, AND ANY ONE OF THEM IS CAPABLE OF STEPPING UP AND BE THE NEXT CHIEF OF POLICE FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. NATURALLY, ONLY ONE CAN MOVE FORWARD AS THE CHIEF. THAT BEING SAID, WE EXPRESS CONFIDENCE WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S DECISION TO SUBMIT CAPTAIN TIM OGDEN AS THE NEXT CHIEF OF POLICE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING THE CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. REVEREND AARON REYNOLDS, JUNIOR, 6945. SOLITA LANE BEAUMONT, TEXAS. MAYOR. COUNCIL. CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY AND THE CITIZENS THAT ARE HERE. I POSE THIS TO THE COUNCIL. HOW CAN YOU SERVE ON THE COUNCIL AND NOT FOLLOW THE CHARTER THAT YOU ARE GOVERNED BY? I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY OFFICERS THAT I HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THAT THE MAYOR HAS APPROACHED THE CHIEF OF POLICE MULTIPLE TIMES IN REFERENCE TO HIM RESIGNING OR STEPPING DOWN. THAT IS A DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE CITY CHARTER. COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO BASICALLY FIRE AN

[01:10:04]

IN MY TIME IN BEAUMONT, MAYOR, I HOPE THIS ISN'T TRUE, BUT IF IT IS, YOU SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND STEP DOWN IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU DON'T, WE WILL REMEMBER THIS IN MAY 2025. GLENDA MCCRAY, 890 NORWOOD DRIVE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON. I HAVE NOTES BECAUSE I DO GET OFF TOPIC. SO AS A TAXPAYER, CONCERNED CITIZEN, I'M CONCERNED AND I'M DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THE ACTIONS OF THIS COUNCIL. WITH THE CRIME RATE OF 50 PER 1000 RESIDENTS, BEAUMONT HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST CRIME RATES IN AMERICA COMPARED TO ALL THE COMMUNITIES OF ALL SIZES. FROM THE SMALLEST TOWNS TO THE VERY LARGEST TOWNS, ONE'S CHANCES OF BECOMING A VICTIM IN EITHER A PROPERTY CRIME OR, OR VIOLENT CRIME IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY OF BEAUMONT IS ONE AND 20. IT SADDENS ME BECAUSE WE ARE NUMBER TWO OF THE DANGEROUS CITIES IN THE STATE OF THE TEXAS, AND I'M A CITIZEN OF THIS CITY FOR ALL MY LIFE, OVER 60 YEARS, AND I LOVE BEAUMONT. SO I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO MY NOTES. SO WHY WOULD THREE COUNCILMEN AND THE MAYOR FIRST, CHOICE FOR POLICE CHIEF, WHY WOULD THEY NOT ACCEPT OR WHY WOULD THEY VOTE AGAINST THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE, CITY MANAGER? I HAVE NO IDEA. I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO SOMEBODY NEW. NOT NOBODY LOCAL, SOMEBODY NEW.

SOME FRESH BLOOD TO CLEAN UP. THIS MESS. I'VE BEEN HERE. IT SADDENS ME. I'M AN EDUCATOR IN THIS CITY. AND IT SADDENS ME WHEN I HEAR OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS AND EVEN OLDER ADULTS COMMITTING CRIMES. WE NEED IT CLEANED UP. AND I WAS LOOKING EXCITED WHEN THEY SAY A NATIONAL SEARCH, I DON'T CARE IF THEY BLACK OR WHITE. I DON'T CARE, I JUST CARE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE SOMEBODY THAT'S GOING TO CLEAN UP THIS MESS, THIS CITY. BECAUSE I WANT TO BE PROUD TO LIVE HERE. I WANT PEOPLE I WANT PEOPLE TO COME BACK HOME AND, THEY'RE NOT WANTING TO WHEN THEY SEE THIS, IT'S DANGEROUS. SO OVER $30,000 OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS WERE USED FOR A NATIONAL CANDIDATE, A CANDIDATE WAS ELECTED, A CANDIDATE WAS PRESENTED, AND THE CHOICE WAS INTERFERED WITH BY THREE COUNCILMEN AND OUR MAYOR STATING THAT THEY WERE AGAINST THE CHOICE AND THEY WANTED SOMEONE LOCALLY. YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT THE FIRST TIME. YOU COULD HAVE SAVED $30,000. WE HAVE. I MEAN, I PAY TAXES, ACCORDING TO ARTICLE FIVE, AND I COULD READ IT. I HAVE EIGHT SECONDS, INTERFERENCE IS NOT ALLOWED BY THE COUNCIL. IT'S PROHIBITED. SO LET'S JUST NOT INTERFERE. THANK YOU. ALLOW HIM TO DO HIS JOB. THANK YOU. CEDRIC EVANS, 2205. I THINK THAT'S LORI LANE, MAYBE. OR LAUREL BEAUMONT, TEXAS. LAUREL. 2325 COLUMBIA STREET. WHOO! 2325 COLUMBIA STREET. OKAY, I DON'T LIVE AT THE CITY OFFICE. OKAY. PRESENT THERE. MY NAME IS CEDRIC EVANS. TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BEAUMONT. GOOD EVENING. THE

[01:15:01]

[01:20:05]

THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT IT. WE WERE HERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND I CLEARLY SEE IN LISTENING TO EVERYBODY TODAY THAT OUR CITY IS DIVIDED, MY HUMBLE REQUEST TO THE COUNCIL GOING FORWARD, THE, THE, THE NEW NAME THAT THAT IS RECOMMENDED. AND THEN WE WILL HAVE OUR VOTE ON IT. AND PLEASE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT OUR CANDIDATE. HE IS OUR LOCAL CANDIDATE. THAT WAS THE PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY WANTED OUR LOCAL CANDIDATE TO BE PROMOTED. ALL FOUR CANDIDATES, AS MR. CAIN SAID, WERE HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND NOW, SINCE WE HAVE ONE OF OUR OWN, CAN CANDIDATE THAT PROMOTED TO BE A CHIEF, BUT THAT WE NEED TO GIVE HIM A FULL

[01:25:04]

BUT WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER. BUT GIVEN CHANCE TO OUR NEW CHIEF, WE WILL BE BETTER. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. RODNEY ROBICHEAUX, 5255 MERLOT, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. HELLO. COUNCIL. MAYOR RODNEY ROBICHEAUX, 5255 MERLOT. BEAUMONT, TEXAS. I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO ALL THESE COMMENTS, AND I HAD A LAUNDRY LIST OF THINGS TO COMPLIMENT ALL OF YOU, BUT I CAN'T TAKE WHAT I'VE HEARD. I'M GOING TO TELL THE TRUTH. I WAS IN THE MEETING WITH THE RECRUITER, 14 OF US, AND WE DIRECTLY TOLD THEM WE WANTED NO ONE FROM CHICAGO, WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA. WE WERE ADAMANT LOCAL WHERE THE CITY MANAGER GOT THAT MESSAGE. I DON'T KNOW, BUT THAT WAS ADDRESSED PERSONALLY. AND SEVERAL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE HERE TODAY AND THEY CAN CONFIRM THAT. I KNOW COUNCILMAN GOETZ MENTIONED THAT FROM HERE. LOCAL. SO ALL THESE PEOPLE SAYING HE DIDN'T KNOW HE MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN THAT THE RECRUITER DIDN'T FORWARD THAT MESSAGE. COUNCIL WON'T GET SAID IT. WE HEARD IT. SO WE KNOW WE ECHOED LOCAL. SO BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS.

YOU KNOW Y'ALL BEEN THROUGH A LOT THAT SITUATION. WE ALL SAW IT. WE SAW IT ON YOUR FACES. THE MEN THAT CARED ABOUT THIS CITY WAS PAINFUL FOR WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY IT HAPPENED. IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. NOT HERE NOT IN PUBLIC. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED AND TAKEN CARE OF. SO I HEAR A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT THE MANAGER. I DON'T KNOW HIM PERSONALLY. I KNOW HE WORKS HARD AND DOES A GOOD JOB FOR THE CITY. EVERYONE CAN DO IMPROVEMENTS, IMPROVEMEN.

IF HE KNEW AND DIDN'T RECEIVE I, THAT'S UP TO HIM. YOU KNOW WHEN A WHEN A CITY MANAGER CALLS A MEETING FOR THE CITY DEPARTMENT HEADS AND YOU'RE LATE CONSISTENTLY. IT'S DISRESPECTFUL TO OUR CITY, TO OUR EMPLOYEES THAT WE, THE PEOPLE ALL PAY. SO THERE'S AREAS THAT WE CAN ALL IMPROVE AND WE SUPPORT THAT. YOU KNOW, WE BRING IT UP TO GET BETTER, NOT TO CONDEMN IT. YOU KNOW, AS AN EMPLOYER, IF THAT HAPPENS IN MY COMPANY, I'M GOING TO ADDRESS IT. THE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW, YOU GOT TO GET BETTER. YOU GOT TO TAKE IT SERIOUS. THE PEOPLE COUNT ON YOU. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU. THERE'S TIGERS THAT SIT ON THIS COUNCIL AND Y'ALL FIGHT FOR US AND PEOPLE CRITICIZE YOU. I'VE HEARD THE CRITICISM. THEY'RE NOT UP THERE. I KNOW YOU GUYS PERSONALLY. I'M WITH YOU. I STAND WITH YOU. RIGHT OR WRONG, WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT THROUGH IT. WE'RE GOING TO GET THROUGH IT BECAUSE WE DO LOVE BEAUMONT. THIS IS OUR HOME. AND I SAID IT LAST TIME. WE GO TO SCHOOL TOGETHER, WE WORK TOGETHER. WE GO TO CHURCH TOGETHER. WE'RE IN THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER, AND WE ALL, EVERY ONE OF YOU CAN COME TO ANYONE IN BEAUMONT THAT CARES. AND WE'RE GOING TO STAND UP AND FIGHT WITH YOU FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. THANK YOU. SEAN WHITLOCK 6470.

PHELAN BOULEVARD, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. SEAN WEBLOG, 6470 PHELAN BOULEVARD. GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL MAYOR, CITY MANAGER, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE. THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT. FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET UP HERE AND SPEAK AND GIVE OUR PIECE FREELY.

MY REQUEST IS THAT AS COUNCIL, AS LEADERS OF THIS CITY, WE'RE ALL LOOKING UP TO YOU FROM OUR YOUTH UP TO YOUR UPCOMING LEADERS COMING THROUGH THIS CITY. EVERYONE IS LOOKING UP TO YOU AS OUR CITY LEADER, CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL AND MAYOR. MY REQUEST IS THAT YOU ALL DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO, WHATEVER YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO DO IN YOUR HEARTS, IN YOUR MINDS, AND BY YOUR GOD TO GET ON ONE ACCORD. BECAUSE WE ARE ALL WATCHING YOU. YOU ALL ARE

[01:30:04]

[01:35:01]

MELISSA BRADFORD 1085 WASHINGTON. WASHINGTON DC. BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

I REBUKE YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY THE 136 DISTRICT JUDGE, THE 172ND DISTRICT JUDGE, AND THESE ATTORNEYS ON 11TH STREET IS BEING ALLOWED TO STEAL NEARLY $87,000 TOTAL FROM ME, INCLUDING THE HOUSTON ATTORNEY DICK LAW FIRM. I'M SURE Y'ALL ARE OKAY WITH ME SAYING THIS NAME. THESE ATTORNEYS THAT THE 136TH DISTRICT JUDGE HAS AWARDED 37,500 AND SOME DOLLARS OF MY MONEY AS ATTORNEY FEES WHILE HE HE KNOWS THAT THEY'RE NOT ENTITLED TO ATTORNEY FEES BECAUSE THEY'RE PRO SE LITIGANT ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING THEMSELVES, AND THAT IS CASE LAW. IT SAYS IT RIGHT HERE. HERE IT IS APPOINTED MUST BE REPRESENTED BY AN ATTORNEY TO SECURE AN AWARD FOR ATTORNEY FEES. THE ATTORNEY FEES MAY BE IN-HOUSE COUNSEL. AND CLEARLY THEY'RE NOT. SO YOU TELL ME, HOW ARE THEY ALLOWED TO STEAL NEARLY $87,000 OF MY FUNDS? AND THEY'RE PRO SE ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING THEMSELVES SO THAT GOES AGAINST CASE LAW. AND FURTHERMORE, THIS THIS JUDGE, THE 136 DISTRICT JUDGE, HE HAS NO SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OVER MY CASE BECAUSE EVEN WITH THE CONTRACT THAT I SIGNED WITH THESE ATTORNEYS, IT HAS A MANDATORY ARBITRATION CLAUSE WHICH MEANS ALL CASES GO TO ARBITRATION AND CANNOT BE HEARD IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING. THIS JUDGE HAS ASSERTED HIMSELF HIS TOP CAMPAIGN DONORS ON 11TH STREET, AND THEY'RE ALSO HIS MUTUAL ACQUAINTANCES, ACQUAINTANCES AND BUSINESS PARTNERS. HE ASSERTED THEM IN MY CASE, IN HIMSELF, TO TRY TO PRETTY MUCH GET THEM TO SUE ME FOR WHATEVER. AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, THEY TRY TO PUT SANCTIONS ON ME TO GET MY MONEY.

THAT WAY THEY TRY TO SUE ME FOR DEFAMATION AND SLANDER. THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO SUE ME DIFFERENT WAYS, AND THE JUDGE IN HARRIS COUNTY, SHE ACTUALLY DID THE RIGHT THING BY DENYING THEM ATTORNEY FEES. AND THIS WAS JUST IN APRIL. FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, THIS 136 DISTRICT JUDGE HAS BEEN TRYING TO AWARD THEM ATTORNEY FEES. CLEARLY BREAKING THE LAW. NOW, I HAVE A COMPLAINT PENDING AGAINST THESE LAWYERS. WITH THE COMMISSION, THEY FINALLY DECIDED TO INVESTIGATE TWO WEEKS AGO. SO WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES. NOW THAT IT'S GOING TO BE HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC AND AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO ASSIST ME. THIS JUDGE WON'T EVEN ALLOW THEM TO EVEN ATTEND MY HEARING, SO THEY CAN GET FAMILIAR WITH MY CASE TO LET ME KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP ME. THEY TRYING TO GET ME TO HAVE MY HEARINGS HELD INSIDE THAT COURTHOUSE. AND I'VE ALREADY MET WITH THE MAYOR ABOUT THAT SITUATION. REGARDING THESE SAFETY CONCERNS, I'VE SENT HIM EVIDENCE OF SAFETY CONCERNS. PEOPLE FOLLOWING ME AROUND EVERYWHERE I GO. WHITE PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR FOLLOW ME AROUND IN HOUSTON AS SOON AS I WALK OUT OF LUBY'S COURT, THE WHITE MAN TAKE HIM A PICTURE AND I WALK RIGHT UP TO HIM AND TOOK HIS PICTURE.

WILLIAM JOHNSON, 1045 MADISON AVENUE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. PRETTY. THE CITY OF BEAUMONT.

MR. MAYOR. COUNCIL. WILLIAM JOHNSON, 1045 MADISON STREET, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. I'M HERE TODAY COMPLAINING I'VE BEEN COMPLAINING EVER SINCE 2022. LOOK, THIS DEBIT CARD, I MEAN,

[01:40:04]

ALL THESE ARE CHARGED TO MY ACCOUNT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO DO IS WALK IN THE BANK AND THE BANKER GIVE WHOEVER SIGNED COME INTO IT $900 OF MY MONEY. $700 IN MY MONEYS, $500 OF MY MONEY. I MEAN, I I'M HERE SEEKING HELP. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN SEEKING HELP, BUT ALL THIS IS OUT IN FRONT. I GOT A BANK. THE BANK. I GOT ONE DEBIT CARD. I'M A BACHELOR, BUT I GOT CHARGES AT WALMART FOR $78 OR H-E-B FOR $90. THIS IS ALL IN ONE WEEK, I COMPLAINED. I GO TO THE POLICE STATION, I GET ALL THE NUMBERS TO CALL. NO ANSWER, 3 OR 4 TIMES. NO ANSWER. I GET A LETTER FROM THE POLICE CHIEF AND I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HIM SINCE. AND THAT WAS ON THE THIRD. AND THE, THE THIRD AND THE SEVENTH. 20 THIS THIS YEAR I'M SEEKING Y'ALL. I'M I'M NEEDING HELP BECAUSE I SEE MY MONEY BEING GONE. I JUST TAKEN I FILED WITH THE US DISTRICT COURT, ALL KIND OF RECORDS BACKING THIS UP DISPUTING OR MY DEBIT CARD OR THEY ARE HOW YOU SAY GO IN YOUR ACCOUNT AND TAKE WHAT YOU WANT WHEN YOU WANT ON THE, THE 12TH AND THE 12TH, SOMEBODY WENT IN MY ACCOUNT AND TOOK $700. ON THE ON THE SEVENTH, ON THE, WHAT WAS THIS? THE FIRST IN THE 20S.

THANK YOU, MISTER JOHNSON. WHO DO YOU SEE? THIS IS JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE SAYING, Y'ALL JUST TAKING. THANK YOU. JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN TAKE. ADIE ALLEN 9695. GROSS BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. WILLIAMS. CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL, MAYOR AND OTHER CITY OFFICIALS. I'M STANDING HERE BECAUSE IN MY BIBLE, ECCLESIASTES SAYS EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE. NOTHING STAYS THE SAME. NOW IN THE BEAUMONT CITY CHARTER, IT SAYS THAT THE CITY MANAGER APPOINTS THE FIRE CHIEF, THE POLICE CHIEF AND SOME OTHERS. THIS CITY MANAGER DID A STRATEGIC PLAN TO FOLLOW. AND EACH ONE OF YOU SAID YES. YES YES. NOW YOU GET TO A POINT OF A CRITICAL POINT IN APPLYING WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, AND THAT'S SOMEBODY THAT YOU HAD A SEARCH GROUP FOR. AND HE CAME. WELL QUALIFIED. YOU KNOW, WHEN A BABY REACHED FOR A MAMA OR A DADDY, THAT'S TRUST.

AND WHAT I SEE NOW IS DISTRUST. IT'S GOT TO STOP. WE LOOK TO YOU TO BE OUR STEWARDS OF THE CITY.

WHY DO WE HAVE TO FLOOD THIS PLACE OUT FOR YOU TO HEAR US? WHY WHY? YOU KNOW, I COME UP

[01:45:02]

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE UNDERSTAND, AND I HATE HOW CERTAIN THINGS GO AND HOW PEOPLE START POINTING THE FINGERS, AND THAT'S ALL IT SHOULD BECOME, A POINTING FINGER TYPE OF THING. I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE PROCESS. AS THE GENTLEMAN SAID EARLIER, THE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, MAYBE I NEED THAT INSIDE CONNECT SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THE INSIDE WHERE HE UNDERSTAND. BUT ONE THING THAT I SAY ABOUT THE PROCESS, IF THAT WAS A SEARCH BOARD THAT WAS DONE, HOW DID IT GET TO THAT POINT? I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A SEARCH PROCESS THAT WAS DONE. THEN, EVEN WHEN THE SEARCH COMPANY GAVE THE NAMES IT WAS PRESENTED, I WOULD ASSUME, AND I'M ASSUMING IT WAS PRESENTED TO SEARCH PEOPLE, DID THE NAME THEY PUT THE NAME IN. CITY MANAGER JUST MADE THE DECISION FROM HOWEVER THE NAMES WERE AND NOW EVERYTHING IS PUT ON HIM THAT IT'S HIS FAULT THAT THE PEOPLE WASN'T PICKED, THE HIGH WAS PICKED, OR HOWEVER IT WAS AND I THINK THAT'S JUST AN ATTACK ON HIS CHARACTER. THE ONE THING THAT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS THE CITY IS RUN BY DEPARTMENT HEADS, IN A SENSE, AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, AND I KNOW JUST AS A CITY, EVEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY IN OUR CITY AND HOW IT'S MADE UP, IT'S NOT VERY MANY DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT'S OF COLOR. AND IT DOESN'T MATTER. I'M ABOUT A PERSON THAT'S MOST QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? BECAUSE I SAY IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO IT IS. IF A PERSON GOING TO DO THE JOB, THEN IT'S WHO'S MOST QUALIFIED. BUT WHEN WE SAY THAT AND EVEN WHEN HE GOES IN AND HIS QUALIFICATIONS AND THE PEOPLE, THAT'S PICKED FOR THE JOB OR GIVEN A JOB THAT'S QUALIFIED, I KNOW PRIOR TO HIS ADMINISTRATION, WE ONLY HAD TWO BLACKS. THAT WAS IN DEPARTMENT HEAD POSITION, I THINK. CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG NOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT MAY BE FOUR.

THAT'S BEEN HIRED. IN THAT SENSE. IT'S JUST THE BEST PEOPLE FOR THE JOB IS WHAT I THINK AND ATTACK MR. WILLIAMS. OUR CITY MANAGER. AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND NOW, HE'S UNDER THE GUN BECAUSE OF NOT MAKING A PICK OF WHOEVER IT WAS. I JUST SAY TO OUR CITY COUNCIL AND TO ALL OF US, WE HAVE TO FIX THE DIVIDE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY. AND IF WE DON'T FIX THE DIVIDE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY, IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. I KNOW IN THE LAST THING IT WAS, EVERYONE SAID THAT THEIR CONSTITUENTS CALLED AND SAID THAT THEY DID NOT LIKE THE PICK. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, IT WAS DIVIDED AT THAT POINT BECAUSE EVERYONE CONSTITUENTS THAT SAID VOTE AGAINST IT WAS JUST HOW IT LOOKS. AND THEN THE OTHER SIDE SAID, VOTE FOR. AND THAT'S WHERE OUR DIVIDE CAME IN. AND IF WE JUST LOOK AT OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE CALLING AND SAYING, THIS IS WHAT THEY FEEL, THEN THAT ALREADY SAYS THAT OUR CITY IS DIVIDED. SO HOW DO WE FIX THAT? WHO ARE THE PERSONS THAT COME IN AND JUST STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT? IT'S NOT ABOUT COLOR BLACK, WHITE. WE ALREADY UNDERSTAND THE MAKEUP OF THIS CITY. I CAN GO BACK AND HOW THINGS ARE WITH THE PAST, BUT IN MOVING FORWARD, IF WE WANT OUR CITY TO GROW AND TO BE BETTER, THEN WE HAVE TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR CITY. PUT ASIDE RACE, PUT ASIDE COLOR AND WHAT'S BEST.

THANK YOU, MR. PROCTOR. AMEN CHRISTOPHER JONES, 1045 DOUCETTE AVENUE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. GOOD

[01:50:08]

OUR COLLECTIVE PRESENCE UNDERSCORES OUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO FAIRNESS, TRANSPARENCY AND INTEGRITY IN OUR CITY'S ADMINISTRATION AND GOVERNANCE. EVERY VOICE IN BEAUMONT DESERVES TO BE HEARD, AND WE STAND TOGETHER TO ENSURE OUR CITY IS LED JUSTLY. TODAY, WE UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF OUR CITY MANAGERS TO OUR EFFORTS TO BRING EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP TO BEAUMONT. THE CITY MANAGER'S PURPOSE PROPOSED A RIGOROUS, TRANSPARENT PROCESS FOR HIRING THE NEXT POLICE CHIEF, CONDUCTING A NATIONWIDE SEARCH TO SECURE THE BEST CANDIDATE OF OUR COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEPLY TROUBLING THAT WARD COUNCIL ONE, WARD COUNCIL TWO AND AT LARGE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR REJECTED HIS RECOMMENDATIONS AFTER SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES WERE INVESTED. THIS IS NOT ONLY THIS NOT ONLY SQUANDERS TAXPAYERS MONEY, BUT ALSO UNDERMINES THE TRANSPARENT PROCESS ESTABLISHED BY THE CITY MANAGER. WE DEMAND THAT THE ALLEGED CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL FULLY SUPPORT THE CITY MANAGER'S DECISION RESPECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE HIRING PROCESS AND THE INTERESTS OF OUR CITY. WE MUST CONFRONT THE ISSUES OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION WITHIN OUR CITY'S LEADERSHIP. WHISPERS AMONG THE AFOREMENTIONED OFFICIAL OFFICE HOLDERS, WHO WERE ELECTED BY A DIVERSE COMMUNITY HAVE QUESTIONED THE CITY MANAGER'S HIRING PRACTICE, PARTICULARLY REGARDING MINORITY REPRESENTATION IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. BEAUMONT'S RICH DIVERSITY SHOULD BE REFLECTED IN ITS LEADERSHIP AND MANPOWER. THE CITY MANAGER IS COMMENDABLY TRYING TO ADVANCE THIS GOAL BY SEEKING TO HIRE DIVERSE AND PROFESSIONAL INDIVIDUALS. OUR LEADERSHIP SHOULD MIRROR AND OUR LEADERSHIP SHOULD MIRROR THE COMMUNITY AND AS WE ADDRESS TO THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, OUR DESIRES TO CORRECTLY TO CORRECTLY ADDRESS THE MAYOR AND SOME COUNCIL'S ENGAGEMENT OR LACK THEREOF WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. WHILE THE MAYOR IS VISIBLE IN THE PUBLIC, THERE ARE THERE IS A NOTICEABLE LACK OF DIRECT COMMUNICATION RESPONSIVENESS AND REPRESENTATION ON THE DAIS OF OUR CONCERNS. MOREOVER, WE KNOW THAT THE MAYOR HAS VIOLATED THE CITY CHARTER BY DIRECTLY ASKING FOR AND RUSHING THE EXITING CHIEF OF POLICE TO RESIGN. AND THAT IS ALARMING TO MANY INDIVIDUALS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. FURTHERMORE THE AFOREMENTIONED MEMBERS COUNCIL MEMBERS UNDERMINING, UNDERMINING, SUPPORT AND SEEMINGLY CORRUPT FAVOR FOR A DIVISIVE CANDIDATE. THE REST OF OUR COMMENTS WILL BE SUBMITTED. FOR THE RECORD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LADONNA SHERWOOD, 52, 65 RICHARD DRIVE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. HOW Y'ALL DOING TODAY? LADONNA SHERWOOD, 52, 65. RICHARD BEAUMONT, TEXAS, TODAY I'M UNHAPPY AND I'M UNHAPPY BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF WHAT'S HAPPENED TODAY WAS UNNECESSARY. IN SOME WAYS, I THINK IF WE COULD ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT IF THE COUNCIL WAS A PART OF THE PROCESS OF CHOOSING THE POLICE CHIEF BEFORE THE PROCESS BEGAN, DID THE COUNCIL KNOW THAT THERE WOULD BE A NATIONWIDE SEARCH AND THAT THERE WOULD BE A FEE? AND I GUESS IF THE COUNCIL TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION THAT BEAUTIFUL BEAUMONT IS, IN FACT 60% MINORITY. I GUESS THE REASON THAT I ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS IS BECAUSE MANY OF YOU RAN FOR OFFICE ON UNIFYING BEAUMONT OR BUILDING A BETTER BEAUMONT, AND I FEEL LIKE THIS ISSUE COULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY AVOIDED WITH HONEST AND TRANSPARENT CONVERSATIONS THAT WOULD NOT BE TEARING THIS COMMUNITY APART THE WAY THAT IT IS. AND IT'S TOTALLY UNFORTUNATE, AND IT'S TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. AND I FEEL LIKE THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF ITSELF ON SOME LEVEL. THE CITY

[01:55:02]

COUNCIL. MAYOR. ATTORNEY CITY MANAGER. I'M TONY PRADOS, 2130. SARAH HERE IN BEAUMONT, I'M HERE REPRESENTING A LOT OF THE SEGMENT OF THE COMMUNITY, WHICH A LOT OF US IS SENIOR CITIZENS.

SO IN MANY ASPECTS, I, WAS GOING TO SAY A LOT, BUT, PASTOR, YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB ON WHAT YOU SAID, SO I'M NOT GOING TO EVEN GO HAVE TO GO BACK INTO THAT ABOUT WHERE A CERTAIN MAYOR WENT TO SOMEBODY'S HOUSE. MORE THAN ONCE, SO EVERYBODY WOULD KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. OKAY WE'RE WE HAVE A, A PLOT HERE WHERE NOW BEAUMONT HAS A 65% MINORITY POPULATION 65% MINORITY POPULATION, 49.6 IS OF A VOTING POPULATION, AND 78% IS OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT POPULATION. ALL WHITE? NOW, I'LL INVITE EVERYBODY TO DO THE MATH. SO 13%, 13% OF THE CITIZENS ARE GOING UNREPRESENTED. WHY IS THA? SO? I WON'T TAKE MUCH OF YOUR TIME. HELLO. I WON'T TAKE MUCH OF YOUR TIME. AND IT'S NOT US AGAINST OTHERS. IT'S ABOUT FAIRNESS. I LOVE THIS CITY. I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE, AND I WENT TO A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS YOU ALL HAVE ATTENDED AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. I HAD CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN THAT ATTENDED THESE SCHOOLS TOO, AND WE'VE WATCHED THEM GRADUATE FROM HERE. THEY MOVED AWAY BECAUSE OF THE UNFAIRNESS OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. WE WERE NOT RECOGNIZANT OF OR AWARE OF WHAT'S BEHIND THE SCENE. WE JUST I TELL PEOPLE, I'M GOING TO COME OFF MY CROSS FOR A MINUTE. I TELL PEOPLE WE HAVE WRITTEN DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING AND MALCOLM X SHOWED US SO LONG WE MADE THEM BOW LEGGED. WE HAVE. WE JUST GOT LAZY. WE JUST LET THINGS HAPPEN TO US. WHY IS THA? WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT ANYMOR. NOW THAT SOME OF YOU ON COUNCIL, WE HAVE NOT SEEN IN OUR COMMUNITIES AT ALL, SOME WE WEAR THEM OUT ALL THE TIME, WE WEAR THEM OUT ALL THE TIME. WE CALL AND THEY ANSWER, THANK GOD, BUT I DON'T. I'M DONE AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, MR. CITY MANAGER, YOU GOT OUR SENIOR CITIZEN SUPPORT. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE YOU. SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE, WE GOT MESSED UP SOMEWHERE. AND I THANK YOU. AND WE ALL THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR OUR POLICE CHIEF WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE VERY LAST WORD. CHIEF SINGLETARY.

MAYOR MR. WILLIAMS, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, I HAVE BEEN IN, BORN AND RAISED IN

[02:00:01]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS HAS GOT TO STOP. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP. THIS HAS HURT US. THIS HAS HURT OUR CITY. WE HAVE. WE HAVE MR. WILLIAMS AND THE COUNCIL HAVE. I MEAN, MR. WILLIAMS HAS COME UP WITH A GOOD MAN. I KNOW THIS MAN. AND HE'S BEEN. HE'S BEEN A POLICE OFFICER OVER 33 YEARS. HE IS A GOOD MAN. I, I HATE, ALMOST HATE THAT HE'S A WHITE MAN. THAT MAKES ME SICK THAT I FEEL LIKE THAT HE IS. HE IS A GOOD MAN. AND HE'LL BE A GOOD CHIEF. WHY DON'T WE GIVE HIM A CHANCE? MR. WILLIAMS HAS GOT A SITUATION IN PLACE. I WOULD LOVE FOR THESE FOLKS THAT HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE BEAUMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT. WOULD HAVE COME TO ME. OR WE HAVE A GOOD PROCESS. I KNOW A LOT OF YOU DON'T TRUST IT, BUT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. WE HAVE GOT A PROCESS IN PLACE. WE'VE GOT A GOOD MAN. THAT'S OUR CANDIDATE. PLEASE LET HIM. LET HIM DO HIS JOB AND LET HIM, GIVE HIM A CHANCE, I KNOW WHAT THESE OFFICERS GO THROUGH EVERY DAY, AND I'M SORRY THAT. I'M SORRY THAT A LOT OF FOLKS, THINK THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH WHITE FOLKS, AND WE NEED TO HAVE A POLICE OFFICER, AND WE NEED TO HAVE MORE, WHITE, MORE POLICE OFFICERS LIVE IN THE CITY. BUT I'M TELLING YOU, I KNOW THESE POLICE OFFICERS. THEY'RE GOOD MEN, AND I CAN. I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY Y'ALL WOULDN'T WANT THEM, LIVE MORE IN THE CITY AND, BUT IT'S NOT. IT'S IT DOESN'T AFFECT THEIR JOB. NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK. WE HAVE GOT TO GIVE THESE GENTLEMEN A CHANCE. I KNOW HOW HARD THESE MEN WORK. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. LET'S GIVE THEM A CHANCE. THANK YOU. CHIEF. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR. OKAY? IS THERE A MOTION AND A SECOND

[CONSENT AGENDA]

[02:05:01]

JUST FOR TRANSPORT. BUT I THINK THEY HAVE TO BE LICENSED OR CERTIFIED THROUGH BEAUMONT TO BE ABLE TO PROCEED. YEAH, I JUST DON'T. IT'S.

I'M OKAY WITH. WELL WE THAT WOULD BE A VOTE. IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION UNTIL CHIEF WHITE GETS HERE. SO IS THAT THE ONLY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. WE'LL WAIT FOR HIM TO GET HERE.

COUNCILMAN TURNER OH, THERE SHE IS. THERE HE IS, CHIEF. MY BAD. CHIEF, ON HAVING YOU SPRINT DOWN HERE. SPRINT DOWN THE HALLWAY. CONCORD, MASS. HAS ASKED TO RUN, TRANSFERS IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. NO EMERGENCY TRAFFIC, CHIEF, THE ONES WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND. WHEN YOU SAY TRANSFERS, NO EMERGENCY TRACKING, YOU GIVE THEM A LITTLE MORE DETAIL, FROM OUR NURSING HOMES AND OTHER FACILITIES TO, LIKE, DIALYSIS OR TO HOSPITAL OR MEDICAL CARE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. NON-EMERGENCY TRAFFIC. JUST DOING TRANSFERS TO HELP OUT WITH OTHER PRIVATE AMBULANCES THAT ARE OPERATING WITHIN THE CITY. THANK YOU. CHIEF. OKAY ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? WHAT YOU SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S ENDS IN A T, NOT A Y. THE FIRST NIGHT WE'LL GET THAT. WE'LL GET THAT ON EM. ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. REMOVING D E M AND N, AND THAT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. NO OTHER DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE GO TO CONSENT AGENDA D? JUST A SECOND. YES, MAYOR. COUNCIL, CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING A CONTRACT FOR THE ADDITION OF A REDUNDANT CHILLER AT THE MUNICIPAL COURT BUILDING LOCATED AT 700 ORLEANS STREET. AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION. IS THERE A MOTION? TO APPROVE. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED, FOR APPROVAL. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN GOETZ, DO WE HAVE A LOT OF BUILDINGS WHERE WE HAVE REDUNDANT CHILLERS AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS IS A BACKUP CHILLER. IN CASE OUR AIR CONDITIONING UNIT GOES OUT AT THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING, MUNICIPAL COURT BUILDING. YOU KNOW, MOST, I THINK THAT'S WHAT $375,000. IS THAT SOMEWHERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, MOST PEOPLE THAT WHEN THEIR AIR CONDITIONING GOES OUT, THEY PAY TO HAVE AN AIR CONDITIONING GUY COME AND FIX IT. I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO SPEND $375,000 JUST TO HAVE SOMETHING ON STANDBY, JUST IN CASE. SOMEBODY EXPLAINED THIS TO ME. PLEASE. I CAN SPEAK TO THAT. I COULD GET, FEES. DON'T OKAY. MEMO. SO I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, SO, WE CAN GET THAT ANSWER FOR YOU JUST A BIT FAMILIAR WITH THE FINANCE. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE STRUCTURE OF THE CHILLER, BUT KENNY SHOULD BE. WELL, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD ALL KINDS OF MONEY, IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE REDUNDANT CHILLERS IN EVERY MUNICIPAL BUILDING. BUT JIMMY WOULD YOU COME AND ADDRESS THE QUESTION ABOUT THE REDUNDANT CHILLER? I'M SORRY. I WAS THE

[02:10:06]

GOOD. SO TYPICALLY ON A BUILDING LIKE THIS, YOU WOULD HAVE A REDUNDANT UNIT ON IT. A LOT OF TIMES WHAT YOU'LL DO IS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, YOU'LL ROTATE WHAT UNIT IS ACTUALLY RUNNING. AND SO A CHILLER IS NOT LIKE YOUR RESIDENTIAL UNIT WHERE YOUR CAPACITOR GOES OUT AT HOME AND SOMEBODY FROM HOME DEPOT CAN COME FIX IT. THESE ARE THESE ARE BIG MOVING PARTS, BIG COMPRESSORS, FAN MOTORS. THERE'S A LOT MORE TO THEM. I UNDERSTAND THAT, COUNCIL MEMBER NEAL, BUT WE HAVE CHILLERS IN OTHER MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS AS WELL, AND WE DON'T HAVE REDUNDANT CHILLERS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, I THINK, WE'VE GOT A CHILLER THAT SERVICES THAT BUILDING. IF THAT IF THAT CHILLER GOES DOWN, OFFICERS CAN BE WARM FOR A WHILE UNTIL WE CAN GET IT FIXED. WE DON'T PUT A REDUNDANT CHILLER THERE. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD WANT A BUILDING LIKE THIS TO NOT HAVE REDUNDANCY. IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN HAVING A GENERATOR. I MEAN, I MEAN, AT THAT POINT YOU JUST SAY, LET THE POWER BE OUT FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT IT'S NICE TO HAVE ON A FACILITY LIKE THIS TO HAVE BACKUP. YEAH. I'M JUST I'M JUST THINKING OF, YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP TOMORROW AND. YEAH, WHAT I BELIEVE IS GOING TO BE A VERY TIGHT BUDGET CYCLE, THAT MAYBE THIS ISN'T THE YEAR TO START PUTTING REDUNDANT CHILLERS OUT THERE. COUNCILMAN DARIO. YEAH, ALSO THE MUNICIPAL COURT BUILDING, THAT'S WHERE 911 IS. THAT'S WHERE OUR, OUR NEW REAL CRIME CENTER IS ALSO. AND CORRECT ME IF I'M MISTAKEN, BUT THOSE CHILLERS KEEP THOSE COMPUTERS AND EVERYTHING COOL AND KEEP THEM FROM MALFUNCTIONING. IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, IT JUST CONTROLS THE TEMPERATURE IN THE BUILDING. JUST. IT'S AN AIR CONDITIONER, IS WHAT WE'RE SAYING. IF ONE OF THEM GOES DOWN AND WE DON'T HAVE ONE, COULDN'T ALL THOSE THAT EQUIPMENT START MALFUNCTIONING IF IT GETS OVERHEATED? ABSOLUTELY. IF IT GETS HOT ENOUGH. OKAY COUNCILMAN. SO JUST FOR THE SAKE OF EVERYONE, COULD YOU JUST COULD YOU MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT ALL IS HOUSED WITHIN THIS BUILDING? WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? 311911. THE NEW RTC, THE POLICE PATROL UNIT AND OF COURSE, MUNICIPAL COURT AND I THINK THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER IS IN THERE, TOO. EOC THE EOC IN THERE. SO IF WE LOSE IT DURING A STORM, THE EOC WOULD BE IN BE A PROBLEM. YES, SIR. RIGHT. AND THAT IT RUNS ON A IT'S, THAT CHILLER WON'T JUST BE SITTING THERE SO IT RUNS ON LIKE A LEAD LAG. SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE NEW CHILLER RUNS. SOMETIMES IT'LL SHUT OFF THE OLD CHILLER. SO YOU'RE, IT'S NOT JUST SITTING THERE WAITING TO BE USED IT IT WILL BE USED THROUGHOUT THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WANT TO RUN FOR A LITTLE WHILE? THEN THE OTHER ONE WILL RUN. IS THIS SOMETHING YOU FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO HAVE? YES, SIR, I DO ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A FIRST AND SECOND ON, ITEM NUMBER D, 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 E UNDER THE CONSENT AGENDA COUNCIL, CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO AMEND RESOLUTION 20 4-131 FOR THE STREET REHABILITATION CITYWIDE PHASE FIVE REBUILD PROJECT AND IT COMES WITH A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM E? I MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER E. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN GATZ, I GUESS THIS QUESTION MIGHT BE FOR BART, BART, THIS IS TO, AMEND THE PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED FUNDS TO, DO SOME WORK AT ONE OF OUR MAINTENANCE FACILITIES. WHAT WHAT HAPPENED

[02:15:07]

CORRECT. SO, THE PUBLIC DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S CITY EMPLOYEES, PRIMARILY. CORRECT. SO WHY ARE WE GIVING A LINE ITEM FOR BARRICADES OF LIKE $5,000? CAN'T WE JUST TELL OUR EMPLOYEES TO AVOID THAT? I MEAN, DO WE NEED TO? WE STILL NEED TO CONTROL TRAFFIC WITH THE FIRING RANGE IN THE BACK OF THE FACILITY. PLUS OUR EMPLOYEES. AND I DID MISSPEAK. THERE ARE SOME COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC OF, NOT JET TRUCKS, VAC TRUCKS TO DUMP TO THOSE DRYING BEDS. SO THERE THERE IS SOME COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC BACK THERE TO THOSE AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR ITEM NUMBER E. 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, ADAM ELM, PLEASE. OKAY.

FIRST, I'D LIKE TO APOLOGIZE FOR STAFF THAT CAN'T BE IN THE ROOM. SO THAT'S WHAT THE DELAY IS. WE HAVE A FULL ROOM TONIGHT, SO SOME OF THEM ARE OUT IN THE, ATRIUM. SO IT'S A DELAY. IF WE NEED THEM. ITEM IN COUNCIL, CONSIDER RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PURCHASE OF A STREET SWEEPER TRACKING SOFTWARE FROM A. WE'RE GOING TO M I'M SORRY. M OKAY, WELL, LET'S TRY. I THINK THERE WERE TWO CORRECTIONS THAT WERE BEING ASKED FOR ITEM M COUNCIL CONSIDER RESOLUTION RESOLUTION CREATING AND APPOINTING MEMBERS TO PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE. MASTER PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE. AND IT COMES WITH A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL. SO WHOEVER MAKES THE MOTION CAN YOU MOTION THAT IT BE WITH THE CORRECTION TO REPLACE JOHN NEILL WITH EMILY COX AND TO, MAKE THE NOTATION THAT THE APPOINTEE IS JANET POEHLER AND NOT JANEY. AND THE FIRST NAME OF MY APPOINTEE IS GAYE RICHARDSON GAYE, NOT GARY. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE CHANGING GNC TO JANET, REMOVING JOHN NEILL AND PUTTING EMILY COX AND CHANGING THE FIRST NAME FROM GARY TO GAYE. IN ALL OTHER ITEMS AND ALL THE OTHER ITEMS. ALL RIGHT. SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND.

COUNCILMAN GAETZ SECONDED. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? CAN WE JUST CONFIRM THE SPELLING? IT'S G A Y. THANKS. YES ALL RIGHT. SO THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR ITEM NUMBER N M. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM IN COUNCIL? CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PURCHASE OF A STREET SWEEPER TRACKING SOFTWARE FROM A COMPANY IN CANADA TO BE USED BY THE STREETS AND DRAINAGE DIVISION, AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR, CONSENT? AGENDA ITEM IN MOVED TO APPROVE. SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR. OH COUNCILMAN TURNER AND COUNCILMAN DARIO MADE THE MOTION. COUNCILMAN TURNER SECONDED, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN GAETZ.

SO, AS I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS TO BE ABLE TO MONITOR WHERE OUR STREET SWEEPER IS GOING AND, IT

[02:20:05]

I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY SOME OTHER BENEFITS OF HAVING THIS AS WELL. THERE'S SOME CAMERA FEATURES AND MAYBE THERE'S SOME OTHER GOOD THINGS THAT TECHNOLOGY IS OFFERING US. BUT AGAIN, WE ARE IN A BUDGET YEAR IN WHICH WE'RE GOING TO FACE A LOT OF CHALLENGES. AND I DO NOT THINK THAT THIS IS THE YEAR TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS. AND MY OTHER CONCERN IS WHO IS GOING TO MONITOR ALL THIS DATA THAT IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE PROVIDED BY THIS SOFTWARE? WHO WHO AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL IS GOING TO BE READING THIS ON A DAILY BASIS TO GLEAN THE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN GET WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY? IS IT GO AHEAD. PARK STREETS HAD REACHED OUT TO IT TO TRY TO BETTER PLAN AND OPTIMIZE THE STREET SWEEPING IN THE CITY. SO WE HAVE WE HAVE SET ZONES THAT THAT WE GO AND SWEEP, BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THOSE ROUTES PROGRAMED IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER. AND SO WE WERE LOOKING INITIALLY TO TRY TO SEE IF WE COULD DO THAT THROUGH CITY WORKS, TO BE ABLE TO, TO MEASURE EACH DAY WITH THE WORK ORDERS, EXACTLY WHICH STREETS WERE SWEPT AND WHICH ZONE, MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALL DONE, AND THEN BE ABLE TO OPTIMIZE THE EFFICIENCY OF THOSE ROUTES. AFTER LOOKING AT IT, THEY FIGURED THAT CITY WORKS COULDN'T DO AN OPTIMUM JOB, AND THEY HAD COME UP WITH THIS SOFTWARE AS AS THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO MEET WHAT WE WERE ASKING FOR. CITY WORKS CAN'T MONITOR WHERE THE STREET SWEEPER GOES EACH DAY. WE HAVE TRACKING THROUGH FLEET SO WE CAN WE CAN DO THAT, BUT WE CAN'T. WE CAN'T GET A REPORTING THAT SAYS THAT SWEEPER A DID 10.4 MILES ON THE DAY. IT'S JUST NOT EASY TO PULL THAT THAT DATA OUT THE WAY IT'S STRUCTURED, AND WE CAN'T PREDICT OR MAP OUT EXACTLY HOW THE ROUTE SHOULD GO EFFICIENTLY WITH THAT SOFTWARE. WE CAN'T ASK THE DRIVER EACH DAY. THAT'S WHAT WE DO NOW. I MEAN, THE DRIVER, THE DRIVER DRIVES THE ZONE TO THE TO THE BEST OF THEIR THEIR KNOWLEDGE. CAN WE DO THAT FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER? WELL WE CAN IF YOU DON'T VOTE FOR THE SOFTWARE. YES, SIR. OKAY THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I HAVE A QUESTION, MAYOR. I GUESS I IF WE CAN OPERATE WITHOUT IT, I GUESS I NEED TO BE HERE. SOMETHING MORE CONVINCING ON WHY TO PURCHASE IT RIGHT NOW. I HAVE A QUESTION TO COUNCILMAN TURNER. AND THEN WE'LL SEE IF. LAURA. SO ARE YOU BASICALLY SAYING OUR EFFICIENCY ISN'T REALLY WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE BASED UPON THIS EQUIPMENT AND THE WAY WE'RE MONITORING IT? ARE YOU SAYING WE CAN ASK THEM EVERY DAY? BUT IS THAT LEGITIMATELY ACCURATE? WELL, AGAIN, WHAT WE WHAT WE STARTED WITH WAS WE WERE LOOKING TO OPTIMIZE OUR EFFICIENCY WITH THE ROUTING OF THE SWEEPERS. AND WE'RE HOPING TO DO THAT WITH THE CITY WORKS PACKAGE THAT WE ALREADY HAD. AND WHEN IT FOUND THAT IT WASN'T CAPABLE OF DOING THAT, THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION THEY CAME UP WITH. SO WE WERE LOOKING TO IMPROVE FROM WHERE WHERE WE OPERATE TODAY. SO YOU FEEL LIKE THE EFFICIENCIES WOULD BE BENEFICIAL BASED ON THE COST IN TERMS OF PRODUCTIVITY FOR THE IT'LL LET US TRACK THE MILES EACH SWEEPER DOES SO THAT WE CAN WE CAN TELL WHAT WAS DONE DURING AN OPERATING SHIFT. WE CAN ACTUALLY REPORT AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE ROADS WITHIN THE ZONE WERE DONE, RATHER THAN HAVING TO GO TRY TO TRY TO SEE THAT, THAT THEY WERE DONE OFF THE MAP WITH THE GPS TRACKING. SO THERE'S SOME FUNCTIONALITY THERE THAT WILL MAKE IT A LOT EASIER FOR US TO MANAGE THE SWEEPERS. COUNCILMAN GETZ, IS THERE SOMEONE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT THAT'S GOING TO MONITOR THAT DATA EACH DAY TO SEE OR. I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, BASICALLY THERE'S A LOG THAT'S CREATED AND THE DRIVER COMES IN AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE LOG.

MAYBE IT'S, YOU KNOW, WRITING IT DOWN ON A ON A PAD OR SOMETHING, BUT THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THEY DO. THEY THERE'LL BE A WORK ORDER THAT SAYS THAT THEY DID ZONE TEN, AND THEN THEY, THEY PUT IN THE NOTES THAT THEY THE ROADS THAT THEY SWEPT WITHIN THAT ZONE. SO YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T REPORT OFF THAT DATA. BUT WE DO MONITOR THAT WITHIN STREETS. WE WOULD MONITOR THIS,

[02:25:01]

WAS IT MONEY ALREADY ALLOCATED IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT? IT WAS BUDGETED FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. YES. OKAY ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER N, IT'S THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE ANY OPPOSED? NO. THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM

[REGULAR AGENDA]

YOU'RE MEETING ME. ALL RIGHT, SO, MR. CITY MANAGER, CAN WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER TWO FIRST? COUNCIL TO CONSIDER CONTINUING THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW POLICE CHIEF. AND IT'S COMING WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION. OUR CITY CLERK, MISS TINA BROUSSARD, IS GOING TO PULL UP A PRESENTATION, A FEW SLIDES, AND I'M GOING TO TALK FROM THOSE SLIDES. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO SAY GOOD, GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND GOOD EVENING TO THE PUBLIC. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST IN THIS POSITION. I THINK WHAT WE DID IN THIS PROCESS IS DONE EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS INTENDED TO DO TO GET PUBLIC INPUT AND FEEL AND HEAR WHAT THE PEOPLE OF BEAUMONT WANTED TO SEE IN THIS POSITION. LIKEWISE GET INPUT FROM THIS COUNCIL AND WHAT YOU WANTED TO SEE IN THIS POSITION. SO BASED UPON THE FEEDBACK FROM THIS COMMUNITY AND THIS COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, WE ARE COMING TO ANOTHER POINT IN THIS PROCESS TO TONIGHT AND IN THAT PROCESS WHERE I'M COMING TO RECOMMEND OR APPOINT RATHER, MR. TIMOTHY HONOCHICK AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE POLICE CHIEF OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, CURRENT SITUATION. WE'VE HEARD A LOT TONIGHT, BUT THE CURRENT SITUATION IS THE FACT THAT THE RETIREMENT OF CHIEF SINGLETARY.

CHIEF SINGLETARY DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB AS CHIEF OF BEAUMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT.

WHILE I'VE BEEN HERE, WE WORK WELL TOGETHER. WE RESPECTED EACH OTHER TREMENDOUSLY, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME THINGS DONE FOR SURE, SO BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, WE'RE IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE NOW ARE APPOINTING A NEW POLICE CHIEF AND GET AND GETTING COUNCIL TO CONSIDER CONFIRMATION OF THE CHIEF, PART OF THE THING THAT'S COMPLICATED, THIS PROCESS IS THE FACT THAT CHAPTER 143 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE IS IN CONFLICT WITH OUR CITY CHARTER, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE STATES THAT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF A ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS THE CITY MANAGER IN THIS CASE, IS TO, APPOINT A CANDIDATE IN THIS PROCESS. AND THE GOVERNING BOARD, WHICH IS A CITY COUNCIL IN THIS CASE, IS TO CONFIRM THAT APPOINTMENT. HOWEVER, OUR CITY CHARTER STATES THAT THE CITY MANAGER MAKES ALL APPOINTMENTS OF, EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY EXCEPT FOR THE DESIGNATED AND THE OTHER STUDENTS DESIGNATED. EXCUSE ME, IN THE CHARTER OF THE MANAGER, NOT THE POINT, WHICH IS THE CITY CLERK, CITY ATTORNEY, AND THE MAGISTRATE JUDGE THERE. SO THERE'S A BIT OF AMBIGUITY IN HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS. BUT AT THIS POINT, WE MADE THE APPOINTMENT AND THEN WE'LL COME TO YOU FOR CONFIRMATION TONIGHT. THE GOALS FOR THE POLICE CHIEF HERE WAS BASICALLY, WE WANT TO DO, THE DEPARTMENT AND ASSISTING, ASSISTING AND OFFERING AN EXCELLENT QUALITY OF LIFE, THERE'S NO REASON THAT THE PEOPLE OF BEAUMONT SHOULD NOT HAVE AN EXCELLENT QUALITY OF LIFE. AND, POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A KEY ROLE IN THAT HAPPENING. AND IN ANY CITY, FOR SURE. TO IMPROVE CRIME RATES, WE HAVE GOOD DEPARTMENT. I'M NOT SAYING WE'RE THAT BAD, BUT ANYTHING CAN BE IMPROVED IN AN ORGANIZATION CAN BE IMPROVED. THE CITY ORGANIZATION CAN BE IMPROVED.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOWARD THAT IMPROVEMENT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS TO DO THAT, AND ALSO INCREASED DEPARTMENTAL EFFICIENCY. YOU KNOW, EFFICIENCY IS NOT JUST THAT, BUT EFFICIENCY IS SOMETIMES WORKING SMARTER, NOT HARDER. WE WANT OUR EMPLOYEES TO BE ABLE TO BE EFFICIENT AND NOT BE OVERSTRESSED AND WORK HARD. SO WE WANT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED TO US. AND AGAIN, AGAIN, OF COURSE, ENHANCED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. YOU CANNOT. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS KEY TO ALL OF US RIGHT NOW. YOU MADE IT A BIG PART OF YOUR

[02:30:07]

SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WITH INTEGRITY FOR SURE. AN OUTSTANDING REPUTATION AND A AND A REPUTATION THAT'S NOT THE SAME AS INTEGRITY. A REPUTATION IS WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF THIS PERSON. AND LOOKING AT THIS PROCESS, I'M LOOKING AT WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF THIS PERSON.

IT'S GOING TO BE IN THIS POSITION. AND WITH BOTH CANDIDATES. I THOUGHT ABOUT, WELL, HOW ARE THE PEOPLE GOING TO LOOK AT THIS POSITION, WILLING TO TAKE THE PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME IN BEAUMONT? YOU KNOW, NO MATTER WHAT WE SAY, REAL OR PERCEIVED, BEAUMONT IS PERCEIVED AS HAVING A REAL CRIME ISSUE, THERE'S NO WAY AROUND IT. YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON TOP LIST. WE'RE ON OTHER THINGS. SO WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF DENIAL AND BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT AND BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT ISSUE. ON THE ABILITY TO WORK COHESIVELY ALONGSIDE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY, BEAUMONT IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, BUT IT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. IT'S ONE OF PROBABLY ONE OF THE TOP DIVERSE CANDIDATES. I MEAN, CITIES IN THE COUNTRY WITH THE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT EXPRESS THIS.

SO YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THEY LIVE IN THE NORTH SIDE OR THE WEST END OR

[02:35:04]

YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE FAMILIES. THEY HAVE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING. THEY DO. AND THEY. AND IT'S A TOUGH JOB. IT'S NOT THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. THE PERCEPTION HAS BEEN REALLY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE WHO WORK IN POLICE DEPARTMENTS. SO WE WANT WHAT'S GOOD FOR THEM. WE WANT GOOD WORKING CONDITIONS. WE WANT THINGS THERE, BUT WE ALSO WANT ACCOUNTABILITY IN DOING THAT. AND THEN EXPERIENCED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, WHICH WE ASKED FOR CAPTAIN OR HIRE EXPERIENCED PERSON, THE PERSON WHO'S BEEN THROUGH THE PRACTICAL SITUATIONS, WHO'S BEEN ON THE STREET, WHO'S BEEN THROUGH THE BEAT, WHO'S BEEN THROUGH SUPERVISION, WHO'S BEEN THROUGH, ADMINISTRATION, A LONGTIME ENFORCEMENT PERSON. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR. AND THEN SOMEONE WHO'S HAD A QUALITY EDUCATION. THAT WAY YOU'RE TAKING PEOPLE NOT JUST WITH PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE, BUT SOMEBODY WHO CAN APPLY THEORY AND WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED AND PUT IT INTO ACTION IN A POLICE DEPARTMENT. NEXT SLIDE. AND THAT PERSON TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE CITY, APPOINT TIMOTHY WAYNE OCHSNER. CHECK.

I THINK THE TWO THINGS THAT TIM IMMA HAVE THE MOST DIFFICULTY WITH TIM IS ONE PRONOUNCING HIS NAME, TWO SPELLING HIS NAME. SO AFTER I GET PAST THAT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, I THINK WE'LL BE OKAY. TIM, IF YOU APPOINT IF YOU'RE CONFIRMED TONIGHT. BUT TIM BRINGS EXTENSIVE, EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE, TO THIS POSITION. HE'S WITH THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE WITH OVER 20 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE HAVING. YEAH HAVING SERVED, AT DIFFERENT FACILITIES, INCLUDING RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE MILITARY OVER 38 YEARS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCE. HE HE HAS 32 IN BEAUMONT, BUT HE HE HAD EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO BEAUMONT WHEN HE WAS IN LOUISVILLE, TEXAS, AS A PATROL OFFICER, FOR SURE, AND A POSITIVE COMMUNITY VIEW. I'VE, DURING THIS PROCESS AND THEN OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS, I'VE TALKED WITH PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND I'M NOT A HUGE SOCIAL MEDIA PERSON, BUT I GLANCED AT IT. I'VE NEVER GOTTEN AS POSITIVE A FEEDBACK ON AN EMPLOYEE AS I HAVE ON TIM HONOCHEK, IT'S BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY, OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE FROM THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY FOR THIS MAN. AND SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT HOW THIS COMMUNITY VIEWS THIS PERSON, FOR SURE. AND HE'S VERY DESERVING OF IT, YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH HE'S A LONGTIME BEAUMONT POLICE OFFICER AND TALKING WITH TIM AND INTERVIEWING TIM, HE HE HAS A WILLINGNESS TO WORK ON SOLUTIONS TO CRIME CONCERNS. HE HAS IDEAS ABOUT NEW THINGS TO DO. YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY JUST IMPLEMENT THE EXISTING, BUT LOOK AT NEW THINGS. HE'S A SMART GUY. SO HE'S HE'S WILLING TO DO THAT. YOU KNOW, HE'S GOING TO WORK WITH THE PEOPLE HE HAS. BUT I FEEL GOOD ABOUT HIM BEING ABLE TO EXPLORE THINGS THAT'S GOING TO WORK FOR THE CITY. AND THEN THERE'S THIS UNCOMPROMISED INTEGRITY, YOU KNOW, HE'S AND I'VE BEEN ACCUSED OF THIS, TOO, OF JUST SOMETIMES BEING TOO HONEST AND SOMETIMES BEING YOU KNOW, GOING TOO FAR WITH THE INTEGRITY THING. AS I MENTIONED TO COUNCIL LAST WEEK AND I SHARED A LETTER WITH YOU THAT EXPRESSED THAT ABOUT ME, BUT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, HE HAS MORALS.

HE HAS VALUES WITH THAT INTEGRITY. AND THAT MEANS A LOT. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS CITY NEEDS AT THIS POINT. SOMEONE WHO HAS THAT INNER ABILITY TO MAKE DO WHAT'S FAIR. BECAUSE BECAUSE SOMETIMES ONE PERSON'S OPINION OF WHAT'S RIGHT IS NOT THE OTHER. IT'S NOT THE SAME. SO I'LL SAY FAIR IN DEALING WITH THAT FOR SURE, HE'S A BEAUMONT CITIZEN. HE'S BEEN HERE A LONG TIME, HE GAVE ME EXAMPLES ABOUT MOWING HIS YARD AND NEIGHBORS COMING THROUGH AND HE'S NOT ABLE

[02:40:02]

I THINK HE WOULD DO US AN OUTSTANDING JOB. I THINK HE WILL LEAD WITH INTEGRITY. I THINK HE WOULD LEAD WITH FAIRNESS. BUT ALSO FIRMNESS. YOU KNOW, WITH HIS MILITARY BACKGROUND, HE'S GOING TO DO THAT. SO I THINK HE UNDERSTANDS THAT HE UNDERSTANDS THIS COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THE PEOPLE OF BEAUMONT WILL GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO PROVE HIMSELF. SO THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO? I MOVE THAT WE, ADOPT A RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE APPOINTMENT OF CAPTAIN TIM OCASEK AS THE NEXT CHIEF OF POLICE OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT.

SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED, TO APPOINT, CAPTAIN TIM HONOCHEK, THE NEW POLICE CHIEF FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN TELSHOR, THEN COUNCILMAN SAMUEL AND COUNCILMAN TURNER. MR. WILLIAMS, YOUR WORDS TONIGHT HAVE BEEN VERY GRACIOUS AND, I BELIEVE THAT PERHAPS THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF BRINGING OUR CITY BACK TOGETHER AND BRINGING HEALING TO A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION. I KNOW THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME FOR THE

[02:45:05]

AND SO I SPOKE TO THE PROCESS AS I UNDERSTOOD THE CITIZENS. NOW, AFTER THE ELECTION, THE FIRST TIME I HEARD FROM OTHER CITIZENS, BUT UP UNTIL THAT POINT, I HAD NOT I HAD NOT HEARD FROM, YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF THE OVERWHELMING RESPONSE I GOT WAS, PLEASE CONSIDER LOCAL. AND SO I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT, THE WAY I VOTED LAST TIME WAS IN NO WISE ME, CHALLENGING YOU OR SAYING, I DON'T SUPPORT YOU BECAUSE I DO, I KNOW THAT THERE'LL BE THERE'S BEEN TIMES THAT I'VE HAD TO VOTE NO OR YES FALLING ON DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE COUNCIL, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T SUPPORT THE COUNCIL. IT JUST MEANS I HAD TO VOTE MY CONSCIENCE. SO I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I DID SPEAK TO THE PROCESS. AND, THAT WAS THE WAY I INTERPRETED THE LAW OF TEXAS. AND I SOUGHT COUNCIL OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL AND OUTSIDE OF BEAUMONT, TRYING TO GET SOMEBODY TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND MY ROLE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THIS PROCESS. AND SO I SOUGHT COUNSEL AND I DID THE BEST I COULD, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, I DO APPRECIATE YOU HEARING THE COUNCIL. HEARING THE CITIZENS. I DO APPRECIATE THAT. AND, I APPRECIATE YOUR SELECTION. I THINK TIM'S A GREAT A GREAT CHOICE. AND I HOPE THAT TONIGHT THERE'LL BE A UNANIMOUS DECISION ON CONFIRMING YOUR SELECTION. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TIM. AND I BELIEVE THAT HE'LL HAVE A SUCCESSFUL TIME HERE AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, YOUR GRACIOUS WORDS TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK YOU DID. AND PLEASE KNOW THAT, I INTERPRETED THE PROCESS THE WAY I DID, THINKING THAT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO BE INVOLVED IN IT, TO HELP BRING BALANCE TO THIS WHOLE PROCESS. AND SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE HARD WORK. MAYOR THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN FALLSHAW. COUNCILMAN SAMUEL, THANK YOU. I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A HIGHER POWER THAT'S IN CONTROL AND ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. I WAS VERY DISTURBED ABOUT THE PROCESS, I APPRECIATE YOU, MR. MANAGER, FROM WHAT I SAW, YOU ATTEMPTED TO MAKE THE PROCESS VERY TRANSPARENT, CLEAR AND PRECISE, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, SOMETIMES IT'S UGLY. MAKING SAUSAGE. IT WAS VERY CLEAR TO ME YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT. YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GET A NATIONWIDE SEARCH. AND THIS IS NOT A DECISION FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE. THIS IS NOT A DECISION FOR THE CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT TO CHOOSE WHO THEY WANT. THE CHARTER IS VERY CLEAR. IT SAYS WE ARE NOT TO INTERFERE WITH THE DUTIES OF THE CITY MANAGER. THIS IS NOT MY FIRST TIME GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS. FORTUNATELY FROM THIS, WE HAVE A GREAT CANDIDATE. I'VE WATCHED.

[02:50:02]

CAPTAIN TIM, OR SHOULD I SAY CHIEF TIM? I'M SPEAKING INTO EXISTENCE. I HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE OFFICERS ALL THE TIME ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF OFFICERS WHO WORK WITHIN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT DON'T LIVE IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, 64% TO BE EXACT, AND THE BUDGET IS 28.9% OF THAT IS THE EXPENDITURES WHEN IT COMES TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH IS THE BIGGEST EXPENDITURE OF OUR BUDGET. SO THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT, I LOOK AT ALL OF THAT BECAUSE WE ALL TALK ABOUT BEING FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE. YOU TOLD ME AS CAPTAIN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO LIVE WITHIN THE CITY THAT YOU REPRESENTED AND THAT YOU OVER THAT SPOKE VOLUME TO ME. YOU SAID YOU WANT YOUR KIDS TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH EVERYBODY ELSE'S KIDS THAT SPOKE VOLUME TO ME. I GO TO ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. I'M UP IN THERE WITH MIKE SOMETIMES CHRIS, SOMETIMES NORTH END WITH ALDERMAN, SOMETIMES YOU'VE BEEN IN ALL OF THEM. CHARLTON PILOT, ALL OF THEM. JUNETEENTH. I LAUGHED BECAUSE YOU WERE OUT THERE IN A FULL UNIFORM, LONG SLEEVES. IT WAS VERY HOT AND YOU WERE COMMUNICATING WITH THE CITIZENS, COMMUNICATING WITH THE

[02:55:05]

SO FIRST AND FOREMOST COUNCIL HAS THE ABILITY TO ACCEPT, REJECT OR ASK FOR ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION AS IT RELATES TO THE CITY MANAGER'S, PROPOSAL OR APPOINTMENT. WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION SEVERAL TIMES, AND I'VE HAD THAT CONVERSATION BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY WITH YOU GUYS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO THE REJECTING OF THE CITY MANAGER'S CHOICE IS NOT A VIOLATION OF THE CHARTER. IT IS WITHIN THE COUNCIL'S AUTHORITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 143.

AND JUST FOR, CLARIFICATION, FOR OUR CITIZENS AND FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO JUST AREN'T REALLY FAMILIAR WITH HIERARCHIES. STATE LAW TRUMPS THE CHARTER. SO EVEN THOUGH THE CHARTER GIVES THE CITY MANAGER THE FULL HIRING AUTHORITY AND DISMISSAL OF AND DISCIPLINE OF DEPARTMENT HEADS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 143 IS ABOVE THAT. AND IT SAYS THAT THE COUNCIL GETS TO AFFIRM THAT APPOINTMENT AS IT RELATES TO INTERFERENCE. I AM NOT AWARE, AND I HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AWARE BY OUR CITY MANAGER THAT ANY ONE COUNCIL PERSON OR INDIVIDUAL OF COUNCIL HAS IMPARTED ON HIM A REQUIREMENT OF HIM TO HIRE A PARTICULAR CANDIDATE THAT, IN MY OPINION, WOULD HAVE BEEN A VIOLATION OF THE CHARTER, THE MAYOR AND I HAD A CONVERSATION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS, AND HE PRESENTED IDEAS, AND I SHARED WITH HIM THAT SOME OF THOSE IDEAS MAY HAVE BEEN OR COULD BE PERCEIVED INTERFERENCE. WHICH HE ACCEPTED. SO WE HAVE BEEN VERY

[03:00:06]

COUNCILMAN TURNER, I DON'T THINK THAT WE I DON'T THINK THAT WE DID ANYTHING WRONG, BUT WHEN COUNCILMAN SAMUEL BROUGHT THAT UP, I FEEL LIKE, LET'S PUT THE ISSUE TO REST AND GET THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO REVIEW IT. WE HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE. AND WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG.

EXACTLY. YEAH. AND I THINK THAT'S FAIR. BUT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING ALL KINDS OF CRAZY STUFF TONIGHT. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING WHEN WE SAY, HAVE WE DID ANYTHING WRONG? WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE AIN'T DID ANYTHING WRONG. RIGHT? PER HOUR. SO, SO WE, AS IN ALL OF US, SO, SO JUST FOR JUST FOR CLARITY, I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR INTO IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT A POSTED ITEM.

BUT ON AUGUST 6TH, WE'LL DISCUSS WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. AND IF AN AG OPINION IS EVEN A VIABLE OPTION, BECAUSE OF AG'S DO NOT GIVE ADVISORY OPINIONS. SO ON AUGUST 6TH, WE'LL DISCUSS THAT AND FURTHER. THIS ISN'T A POSTED ITEM, SO I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR INTO THAT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN, IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER TWO, MAKING TIM AUSTIN, A CZECH POLICE CHIEF OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION IS CARRIED.

I AM VERY APPRECIATIVE. AND I FIGURED I WOULD HAVE TROUBLE COMING UP WITH SOME COMMENTS. SO I MADE A COUPLE OF NOTES, SO I'D PREFER TO JUST SPEAK THEM. I KNOW WE'VE BEEN HERE A WHILE AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I WANT TO THANK THE MANAGER AND THE COUNCIL, FOR THEIR TRUST AND FAITH INDIVIDUALLY AND WITH THE UNANIMOUS VOTE. I THINK THAT SPEAKS WELL TO US. TO ME, TO THE DEPARTMENT, TO THE COMMUNITY. I APPRECIATE THAT. I REALLY WANT TO EXPRESS MY PROFOUND GRATITUDE TO THE COMMUNITY, TO THE COWORKERS, TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE, SHOWN SUCH OVERWHELMING SUPPORT. I PLEDGE MY DEDICATION TO MAKING THIS

[03:05:11]

UNDER CHIEF SINGLETARY'S LEADERSHIP, THIS DEPARTMENT HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES IN IN RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND ON THAT. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CRIME CENTER, THE INTEGRATION OF EXISTING PUBLIC FACING CAMERAS BY THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO ALLOW IT, ARE CRITICAL TO MAKING THIS PROJECT WORK. WE'VE ALREADY HAD PHENOMENAL SUCCESSES USING TECHNOLOGY TO STRETCH OUR MANPOWER AND TO IMPROVE THE SPEED OF INVESTIGATIONS. I WANT TO EXPAND OUR PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPROVE OUR INTERACTIONS AND TRANSPARENCY. I CHALLENGE YOU, THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HELP US RECRUIT AND RETAIN QUALIFIED OFFICERS AND CIVILIANS WITH A SERVICE MENTALITY. THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BE A POLICE OFFICER, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU CHIEF. THE CHECK. ALL RIGHT, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER ONE? CONDUCTING, CONDUCTING ELECTION FOR MAYOR PRO TEM TEMPORE. WHICH RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONDUCT AN ELECTION OF COUNCIL TO SELECT A MAYOR PRO TEM. COUNCILMAN GETS. THERE'S ONLY ONE OF US UP HERE WHO HAS NOT SERVED AS MAYOR PRO TEM, SO FAR. AND WITH THAT, I MAKE A MOTION THAT TYLER NEAL, COUNCIL MEMBER NEAL, BE ELECTED MAYOR PRO TEM. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED FOR, COUNCILMAN TAYLOR NEAL TO BE NAMED MAYOR PRO TEM FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER ONE, 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 AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE. CHANGE ORDER NUMBER TWO, ACCEPT MAINTENANCE AND AUTHORIZE FINAL PAYMENT TO TANKS CO, INC. OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS, FOR THE PRISON GROUNDS STORAGE TANK REHABILITATION PROJECT. AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER THREE? MOVE TO APPROVE. COUNCILMAN NEAL MADE THE MOTION. COUNCILMAN DARIO MADE THE SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER THREE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE? COUNCIL CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE. CHANGE ORDER NUMBER TWO, ACCEPT MAINTENANCE AND AUTHORIZE FINAL PAYMENT TO GULF COAST. A CRANE COMPANY FOR THE STREET REHABILITATION. CITYWIDE PHASE FOUR PROJECT. AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR? MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED, TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER FOUR. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, WE HAVE THE

[03:10:01]

AND THEY'RE RAN BY 501 C THREES WHERE HAVING 24 HOUR ON SITE SUPERVISION WOULD REQUIRE PERSONNEL. THAT'S A RECURRING COST. THE HOPE IS THAT FOR RESIDENTIAL CARE USES THAT ARE MORE RESIDENTIAL IN NATURE VERSUS OTHER ONES, SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, OTHER ONES THAT COULD REQUIRE THOSE, 24 HOUR ON SITE SUPERVISION WOULD BE YOUR HALFWAY HOMES, YOUR, FOSTER CARE, OBVIOUSLY SUPERVISION OF CHILDREN. THERE'S SOME WHERE IT'S MORE RESIDENTIAL IN NATURE.

IT'S NOT VIOLENT INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE, BEING CARED FOR. AND THAT'S WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IT MORE OF A CASE BY CASE BASIS. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER FIVE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED THE MOTION IS CARRIED. SO. AS SHOWN HERE. ALL RIGHT. THERE IS NO PUBLIC HEARING. SO THIS POINT

[COUNCIL COMMENTS]

THAT'S HOW THE PROCESS WORKS. ALSO, I WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT AND FOR ALL YOUR WORDS AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID, BELIEVE ME, I CAN TELL YOU, I'M GONNA SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY UP HERE. IT WAS TAKEN SERIOUSLY. IT REALLY WAS. AND I THINK, AGAIN.

CONGRATULATIONS, CHIEF, I'M PRETTY SURE YOU'RE GOING TO DO NOTHING. I GOT IT RIGHT OF COURSE. I'VE BEEN SAYING IT FOR 30 YEARS. I KNOW HOW TO SAY IT. BUT, HE'S GOING TO DO A GREAT JOB, MR. WILLIAMS. THAT WAS A GREAT CHOICE, AND IT'S TIME FOR US NOW TO MOVE ON, TO THE NEXT DILEMMA, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN DARIO. COUNCILMAN GETZ, I SIMPLY WANT TO CONGRATULATE CHIEF HONOCHEK ON, BEING THE NEXT CHIEF OF POLICE FOR THE CITY. THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN GETS COUNCILMAN TURNER TO MY DAUGHTER. THAT'S WATCHING, TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY.

SHE TURNED SIX YEARS OLD TODAY, SO I WANT TO SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AINSLEY RAY TURNER. I KNOW YOU WATCH ME. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I TOLD YOU AS I PROMISED. SO I'M NOT GOING TO SAY MUCH BECAUSE I'M READY TO GET OUT OF HERE AND GET TO MY DAUGHTER. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TURNER.

COUNCILMAN SHAW. THANK YOU, MAYOR, CHIEF TAM'S WIFE AND DAUGHTERS IN THE BACK. PLEASE KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE YOU STANDING WITH HIM, AND WE UNDERSTAND THE LOAD AND THE BURDEN OF THIS CITY THAT HE WILL CARRY. WILL ACTUALLY COME HOME AT TIMES. SO WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A FAMILY AFFAIR AND IT IMPACTS YOU AS IT WILL IMPACT HIM. SO YOU'RE YOU'RE THAT, UNSUNG HERO BEHIND THE POLICE OFFICERS, THE WIVES AND THE FAMILIES THAT BEAR THAT BURDEN EVERY TIME THEY SEE THEIR LOVED ONES GO OUT. THE DOOR. NOT SURE WHAT THE DAY WILL BRING. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE CITY AND OUR PRAYERS. GO. PRAYERS GO WITH THAT, CHIEF TIM AND ALSO WITH YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SHAW. COUNCILMAN SAMUEL. YES, I'D JUST LIKE TO ALSO CONGRATULATE MR. FORD AND THE FULL 409 SWIM TEAM AND THANK

[03:15:03]

SO IT WAS NOT A UNILATERAL PROCESS. IT WAS VOTED ON BY THE VOTERS, WHICH IS A PART OF THE PROCESS, SECONDLY, RAILROAD CROSSINGS ARE CONTROLLED BY THE RAILROADS. WE CAN REQUEST THEM, WE CAN PETITION FOR THEM, WE CAN CRY AND WE CAN BEG. BUT ULTIMATELY, THE DECISION TO PUT IN PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS ARE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE RAILROADS BECAUSE THEY OWN THAT PROPERTY AND THAT IT'S THEIR PROPERTY, THERE IS A LOT OF, RISK ANALYSIS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT FOR THEM TO DETERMINE IF A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IS SAFE, THEY ALSO DO AN ECONOMIC STUDY TO SEE IF IT'S COST. THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS FOR THEM. BUT, THERE'S JUST NOT A UNILATERAL DECISION BY THIS COUNCIL TO OVERLOOK THE REQUESTS AND CONCERNS FOR CITIZENS AS IT RELATES TO RAILROAD CROSSINGS.

AND NOW THAT THAT'S OUT OF THE WAY, I HAD TO DO A CISCO FADE OUT OF CHIEF SINGLETARY'S RETIREMENT. HE'LL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. SO I HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL HIM CONGRATULATIONS. BUT AS COUNCILMAN NEAL SAID, HE HAS DEDICATED 54 YEARS PLUS, TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, HE HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT CHIEF FOR ME TO WORK WITH AND UNDER. AND I AM SAD TO SEE HIM GO, BUT EXCITED FOR THE NEW CHAPTER FOR BPD, WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF HONOCHEK ALSO MY NEIGHBOR. SHOUT OUT TO TIM, HE HAS BEEN A PART OF MY EMERGENCY EXIT PLAN FOR MY FAMILY, FOR AS LONG AS WE HAVE BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND HE IS GOING TO BE AN EXCELLENT ADDITION AND I'M EXCITED TO WORK WITH HIM. I'M NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THE LONG PHONE CALLS, BECAUSE, TIM CAN KEEP YOU ON THE PHONE WITH A PROBLEM, BUT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING THROUGH SOME SOLUTIONS, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE IDEAS THAT HE HAS TO IMPROVE OUR CITY. SO CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS TO CAPTAIN SHAKE. AND, WE'LL PASS ALONG THAT. THE, ALONG WITH THE FOURTH STREET PROJECT. WE DID WORK WITH THE RAILROAD, AND THEY'VE PLACED THE PANELS TO CONTINUE THE SIDEWALK ON FOURTH STREET OVER BY WHERE THE OLD BEST YEARS CENTER USED TO BE BY THE PARK. AND OUR CONTRACTOR. THAT'S PART OF FOURTH OR A SUB OF THE CONTRACTOR WILL FINISH THE SIDEWALK WORK THERE, AND WE WILL HAVE A RAIL CROSSING FOR BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS THERE. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SO IN THE FUTURE. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO SAY CONDOLENCES TO CHIEF SHELTON'S FAMILY FOR THE MANY, MANY YEARS OF DEDICATION HE HAS GIVEN TO OUR COMMUNITY. I ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE CHIEF SINGLETARY FOR THE MANY, MANY YEARS HE'S DEDICATED TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEN CONGRATULATIONS TO TIM. TIM WOZNIAK, I WANT TO ECHO ALL OF THAT, AND I WANT TO SAY TO CAPTAIN, NOW, CHIEF WOZNIAK, CONGRATULATIONS FOR HIS NEW APPOINTMENT. ALSO, CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH CHIEFS. WE COULDN'T DO BETTER FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. CONGRATULATIONS TO, CHIEF HONOCHEK, I ALSO WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT MY CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, CODE ENFORCEMENT MANAGER LYNN FOOTE, WAS APPOINTED TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF CODE ENFORCEMENT

[03:20:05]

WAVE. OKAY. HE'S BACK THERE, THE DAUGHTER TOO. OKAY. THANK THANK YOU FOR THAT. FOR SURE, THE FALL NINE SWIM TEAM PARTNERSHIP. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD, EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY TO WORK WITH THE PUBLIC AND THEN TO BENEFIT OUR KIDS. IT'S AWESOME. REMINDER OF THE COUNCIL WORK BUDGET WORKSHOP TOMORROW MORNING AT 10 A.M, SO THAT WILL COME AROUND PRETTY QUICKLY. AND, BUT I JUST WANT THIS COMMUNITY TO KNOW WHILE COUNCIL HOLDS ME ACCOUNTABLE, THEY CAN FEEL ASSURED THAT I'M GOING TO HOLD CHIEF ON THE CHECK ACCOUNTABLE. SO WE'RE ALL GOING TO WORK TOGETHER ON THIS. IT'S MORE THAN JUST A CHIEF DOING IT. WE ALL HAVE A ROLE IN THIS THING AND WE'RE ALL GOING TO PLAY THAT ROLE SO THAT THERE WILL BE ACCOUNTABILITY. BUT I WANT TO SHARE THIS AND BE PATIENT. I WANT TO SHARE THIS LITTLE READING HERE OF THIS STATEMENT.

AND IT'S CALLED THE MAN IN THE ARENA. AND IT SAID IT'S NOT THE CRITIC WHO COUNTS, NOT THE MAN WHO POINTS OUT HOW THE STRONG MAN STUMBLES OR WHERE THE DOER OF DEEDS COULD HAVE DONE THEM BETTER. THE CREDIT BELONGS TO THE MAN WHO IS ACTUALLY IN THE ARENA, WHOSE FACE IS MARRED BY DUST AND SWEAT AND BLOOD, WHO STRIVES VALIANTLY, WHO ERRS, WHO COME SHORT AGAIN AND AGAIN, BECAUSE THERE IS NO EFFORT WITHOUT ERROR AND SHORTCOMING. BUT WHO DOES ACTUALLY STRIVE TO DO THE DEEDS? WHO KNOWS? GREAT ENTHUSIASM, THE GREAT DEVOTIONS, WHO SPENDS HIMSELF IN A WORTHY CAUSE, WHO AT THE BEST KNOWS IN THE END THE TRIUMPH OF HIGH ACHIEVEMENT? AND WHO AT THE WORST, IF HE FAILS, AT LEAST FAILS, WHILE DARING GREATLY. SO THAT IS HIS PLACE SHALL NEVER BE WITH THOSE COLD AND TIMID SOULS WHO NEITHER KNOW VICTORY NOR DEFEAT. AND THAT WAS ABOUT THEODORE ROOSEVELT. I WOULD JUST ALSO LIKE TO COMMEND THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO APPLIED THE OTHER CANDIDATES, IT'S NOT EASY, INCLUDING YOURSELF AND PROCESSES, AND PARTICULARLY IN TODAY'S WORLD OF SOMETIMES LACK OF CIVILITY IN PUBLIC DISCOURSE. SO I, I COMMEND TROY PRICE. I COMMEND JASON PLUNKETT, I COMMEND KARA HOPE, I COMMEND OUR OTHER LOCAL CANDIDATES FOR PUTTING THEIR NAME IN THE ARENA. ME AS A CITY MANAGER, KNOWING GO THROUGH THAT, IT'S NOT EASY TO OPEN YOURSELF UP TO SUCH PUBLIC SCRUTINY. SO I THANK THEM FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROCESS.

AND LOOK, WE LOOK FORWARD TO GOING FORWARD. YES, SIR. YES, COUNCILMAN TURNER, MAN, I WOULD BE REMISS TO NOT, SHOUT OUT MY OLDEST SISTER WHO'S IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. SHE'S BEEN IN THE CROWD THE WHOLE TIME. SHE LEAVES. TURNER, CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? SHE MY SISTER IS A COP. YEAH SHOUT OUT TO MY NIECES, ARIANA. SHE'S A DETECTIVE. YEAH. OH, YEAH. STEP IT UP, DETECTIVE. YEAH. SHOUT OUT TO MY NIECES, ARIANA. OMNI THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL STAYING THE WHOLE TIME. I HOPE YOU ALL LEARNED SOMETHING TODAY. OKAY.

THANK YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO COUNCILMAN TURNER'S DAUGHTER. AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE CHIEF SINGLETARY ON, 54 YEARS OF SERVICE AND THANK HIM FOR THAT SERVICE. AND CONGRATULATE, CHIEF TIM MACEK AND HIS FAMILY ON

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.