[Call to Order]
          [00:00:10]
          HEARING ON OUR BUDGET. AND TODAY'S DATE IS JULY 31ST. AND WELCOME, EVERYONE. AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. SO IF YOU WOULD PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONES AND ALSO, PLEASE STAND. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
          INDIVISIBLE 13. MAY WE HAVE ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MAYOR WEST, PRESENT. MAYOR PRO TEM TURNER PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DORIO ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. GOETZ. PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER. FALLSHAW PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. SAMUEL. ABSENT AND COUNCIL MEMBER NEAL ABSENT. 
          [1. Presentation and Discussion of Fiscal Year 2025 Proposed Budget]
ALL RIGHT. MR. CITY MANAGER, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE SOME OPENING REMARKS. OKAY. DO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION READY TO PUT UP? FOR SURE. GOOD MORNING. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE. WELCOME TO COUNCIL. WELCOME, STAFF. THEY'RE LOOKING ALL BRIGHT AND CHIPPER OUT THERE THIS MORNING. NOT REALLY. YOU'RE NOT REALLY LOOKING BRIGHT AND CHIPPER. I THOUGHT I'D SAY THAT, BUT THEY ARE HERE. THANKS FOR BEING HERE, WE'LL CONTINUE WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS THIS MORNING. YOU KNOW, WE HAD A PREVIOUS BUDGET WORKSHOP. NOW IT'S TIME TO WHERE WE'VE, PUT STAFF. CHERYL AND HER STAFF AND, PUT TOGETHER A LOT OF THE NUMBERS. AND WE HAVE OUR FIRST DRAFT OF A PROPOSED BUDGET READY TO PRESENT TO YOU. YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN, LOOKED AT WITH THE ZERO BASED BUDGETING IN MIND WHERE WE STARTED FROM. ZERO AND STAFF MEMBERS, DIRECTORS HAD TO JUSTIFY THEIR EXPENDITURES. 
          IT WAS A NEW PROCESS FOR THEM, IT'S TAKEN AN ADJUSTMENT PERIOD. BUT WE GOT THROUGH THE FIRST YEAR WITH THAT. THAT DID GIVE US SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO WORK WITH IN THIS BUDGET. SO WE'RE PROUD OF THAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH THIS BUDGET HAS THE STRATEGIC PLAN IN MIND, DEPARTMENTS, AS THEY PUT THINGS INTO THE BUDGET, ARE IDENTIFIED THINGS. WE LOOK AT THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND REVIEW THAT AND SAY, OKAY, LET'S BUILD IT AROUND THAT. SO WHAT YOU SEE THROUGH THIS DOCUMENT IS A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN. YOU HEAR PRESENTATIONS FROM DEPARTMENT HEADS TODAY. EACH ONE WILL GET UP AND GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THEIR DEPARTMENT, A SHORT OVERVIEW OF THEIR DEPARTMENT, BASED ON WHAT THEY'VE TALKED WITH AND PUT TOGETHER WITH FINANCE STAFF AND MYSELF, FOR SURE, YOU ALSO HEAR ABOUT THE FISCAL NUMBERS, THE DOLLARS OUT THERE, REVENUES VERSUS EXPENDITURES, ETC. I WILL SAY THAT FOR ANALYSIS, THIS BUDGET DOES AN EXTENSIVE LOOK AT FEES AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN CHARGING, WHICH WE HAVEN'T BEEN ADJUSTING AND LOOKING AT FOR TEN, 20 YEAR PERIOD. NEXT SLIDE. A BIT OF A TIMELINE. TODAY'S WORKSHOP. THEN WE'LL COME BACK ON, AUGUST 20TH WHERE I'LL MAKE A PRESENTATION OF THE BUDGET. YOU WON'T CONSIDER APPROVING IT ON THAT DATE. THE ACTUAL APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET WILL BE SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2024. SEPTEMBER 17. WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADJUST AND MAKE CHANGES UP TO THAT TIME. SO THIS IS DEFINITELY A WORK IN PROGRESS. NEXT SLIDE. I TALKED ABOUT STRATEGIC PLAN ALREADY. SO I WON'T MENTION THAT, BUT THIS AS IT'S PROPOSED TODAY IS A BALANCED BUDGET BASED UPON THE DEFINITION OF OUR FINANCE POLIC, AND THERE MIGHT BE A SLIDE IN HERE THAT GIVES YOU THAT DEFINITION. I'M NOT SURE FOR SURE. IT'S BASED UPON THE EXISTING TAX RATE OF 0.68148. THIS DOESN'T CALL FOR A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, ALTHOUGH WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN OUR FINAL PROPERTY TAX NUMBERS FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. I DON'T THINK WE'VE GOTTEN THEM YET, HAVE WE, CHERYL? YEAH SO WE HAD TO BASE IT UPON OUR BEST ESTIMATE. AND WHAT IS GOING TO BE SO WE SHOULD BE GETTING THOSE ANY DAY. SO THAT COULD ADJUST REVENUES UP AND DOWN EITHER WAY, ONE OF THE THINGS IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED WAS, STRENGTHENING OUR FINANCIAL, SITUATION WITH THE CITY, STANDARD AND WITH THIS 
          [00:05:06]
BUDGET WE'RE PROPOSING AT THIS POINT TO EVEN INCREASE THE FUND BALANCE, LAST YEAR, WHEN WE ALL SAID AND DONE WHAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU WAS A 22%, FUND BALANCE, POLICY IS A 20% REQUIREMENT FOR FUND BALANCE. AND AS OF THIS POINT RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS YOU HAVE ABOUT A 24.54%, WHICH IS ABOUT POSSIBLY 25% FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENT, WHICH IS AN ADDITIONAL 7 MILLION, 7.7 MILLION ABOVE LAST YEAR'S FUND BALANCE. SO THAT'S A WILD GOAL. ONE OF OUR GOAL AND STRATEGIC PLAN IS TO BECOME STRONGER FINANCIALLY AS AN ORGANIZATION. AND WE'RE GOING TO SLOWLY BUILD THAT UNTIL IT'S A STANDARD WHERE WE CAN ADJUST AND ADJUST THE POLICY FROM 20% UP TO 25%. GET COUNCIL TO APPROVE THAT FORMALLY. BUT WE'RE WORKING TOWARD THAT INFORMALLY, I MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FEES AND INCREASING REVENUES THROUGH FEE ADJUSTMENT, WE HAVE LOOKED AT THAT. SO A LOT OF THIS BUDGET AND A LOT OF WHAT'S BEEN BALANCED IS, IS YOU HAVING TO MAKE A DECISION ON SOME FEE INCREASES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. IT'S JUST NOT WATER OR SEWER, ETCETERA. BUT IT'S THROUGHOUT THE CITY. OUR HEALTH CARE COSTS DID INCREASE. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT TODAY, THAT CONTINUED TO SKYROCKET. MIGHT BE A GOOD TERM, BUT REALLY GO UP, LAST YEAR WE DID A RATE STUDY, AND THAT RATE STUDY WOULD CALL FOR THIS YEAR'S RATES ON WATER. AND, AND SEWER TO GO UP 4% AND WATER 10% PROPOSED ON THAT RATE STUDY OF LAST YEAR. OF COURSE. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT. AND WE WILL SAY THI. THE CHALLENGE IN GETTING TO THIS POINT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE GENERAL FUND. IT'S BEEN, QUITE THE TASK. IT'S BEEN, STRAINED TO SAY THE LEAST. BUT WE'VE GOTTEN TO A GOOD POINT TO WORK THROUGH THE NEXT STEP. AND BUT HOWEVER, THE WATER FUNDS AND THESE OTHER FUNDS, SOME OF THE OTHER FUNDS BECOME MUCH MORE STABLE AND LOOKING BETTER, FOR SURE. NEXT SLIDE. AND I GUESS THAT'S THE END OF MY, NOW, MAYOR, WE START HEARING FROM THE DIRECTORS FROM DEPARTMENTS ON WHAT, TALK ABOUT THEIR PARTICULAR BUDGETS, WHICH I'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A SHORT OVERVIEW AND GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE OF THEM. AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO START WITH PLANNING AND ZONING. IT'S OH, IT'S YOU. OKAY. WELL, WE'LL GO TO CHERYL. THANKS. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, IT'S A PLEASURE TO STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY AND PRESENT OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. BEFORE I BEGIN INTO THE SLIDES, I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE MY STAFF, AMY SCHMIDT, WHO'S OUR BUDGET MANAGER. SHE HAS DONE A FABULOUS JOB THIS YEAR. WE HAVE NEW SOFTWARE, WHICH HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE, TO SAY THE LEAST. BUT SHE HAS WORKED THROUGH DILIGENTLY TO GET US TO WHERE WE ARE. AND SHE'S DONE A FANTASTIC JOB. WE ALSO HAVE DUNCAN BROWN. HE IS OUR NEW ASSISTANT CFO. 
          HE'S ONLY BEEN HERE A COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT HE HAS ALREADY PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE BATTLE READY. READY HE'S A SPREADSHEET GURU AND HE'S JUST A GREAT ASSET TO THE CITY, SO I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THEM FIRST. FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK, WE SPENT MANY, MANY HOURS IN A WAR ROOM TOGETHER, TO COME UP WITH THIS. AND I THINK YOU'LL BE PLEASED WITH WHAT WE'VE COME UP WITH. SO OUR FIRST SLIDE DISCUSSES OUR FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET VERSUS ESTIMATE. YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT FUNDS THERE. THE GENERAL FUND WE BUDGETED $157 MILLION WORTH OF REVENUE. WE ESTIMATED THE END OF YEAR TO BE ABOUT 160 MILLION. SO WE SHOULD BE UP ON REVENUES, OUR EXPENSES, WE BUDGETED 164 MILLION, AND WE EXPECT THOSE TO BE ONLY 161 MILLION. SO A VARIANCE THERE OF 2,200,000. SO THAT'S VERY GOOD FOR THE GENERAL FUND, WATER FUND. WE BUDGETED $59 MILLION OF REVENUE. WE ANTICIPATE $62 MILLION WORTH OF REVENUE. SO WE'VE INCREASED REVENUE THERE ABOUT $3 MILLION. OUR EXPENSES FOR WATER, 59 MILLION WAS BUDGETED. WE EXPECT ABOUT 59 MILLION. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PRETTY FLAT ON EXPENDITURES, SOLID WASTE. WE BUDGETED 15.7 MILLION FOR REVENUES. WE ANTICIPATE 16.5. SO WE SHOULD BE UP A LITTLE BIT ON THOSE REVENUES. THE EXPENSES WE BUDGETED 14.4. AND WE SHOULD BE AT 13.7. SO AGAIN ANOTHER 
          [00:10:09]
SAVINGS. AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE THE ZERO BASED BUDGETING AND THIS IS WHERE THIS YEAR WE, YOU KNOW, REQUIRED EVERYBODY TO LET US KNOW IF THEY'VE OVERSPENT IN AN ACCOUNT. THEN THEY HAVE TO TRANSFER MONEY FROM SOMEPLACE ELSE. SO I THINK THAT HAS HELPED TREMENDOUSLY IN IN GROWING OUR REVENUES AND SHRINKING OUR EXPENSES, WHICH IS THE WAY WE WANT TO GO, THEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS OTHER FUNDS. YOU CAN SEE THAT FOR THE MOST PART, WE'VE DONE VERY WELL ON EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND, WHICH WE'LL DISCUSS IN MORE DETAIL LATER. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS IS A DISCUSSION OF THE 24 ENDING FUND BALANCE. AND AS YOU SAW IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, FOR MOST THINGS WE'VE INCREASED REVENUE AND DECREASED EXPENSES. SO FOR MOST OF THESE FUNDS WE LOOK TO BE MUCH MORE OVER OUR REQUIRED FUND BALANCE THAN WE HAVE BEEN IN PREVIOUS YEARS. AND THE GENERAL FUND, WE PROJECT AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 46.1 MILLION. OUR REQUIRED FUND BALANCE AT 20% IS ONLY 32 MILLION. SO THAT'S THAT'S NOT RIGHT. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE 7.7% OR 7.7 MILLION OVER POLICY, WATER FUND ARE ENDING. PROJECTED FUND BALANCE IS 8.9 MILLION. SO WE'RE OVER POLICY WHICH OUR POLICY THERE IS 15% WILL BE OVER 5.7 MILLION. SOLID WASTE IS, YOU KNOW, FLATTER, SO, YOU KNOW, WE MAY, MAY NEED TO STILL SHORE THAT UP A BIT, THE OTHERS DON'T HAVE A REQUIRED FUND BALANCE, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE POSITIVE PROJECTED FUND BALANCE, EXCEPT FOR THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND. NEXT SLIDE. SO FOR FISCAL YEAR, FISCAL 25, ENDING FUND BALANCE, OUR GENERAL FUND, THERE'S THE $7.8 MILLION THAT WE ANTICIPATE BEING OVER OUR POLICY. WATER FUND, 12.5 OVER AND SOLID WASTE 2 MILLION OVER AND AGAIN. THE OTHER FUNDS DON'T HAVE A POLICY. SO WE'RE BUT WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE. AND MOST OF THE FUNDS HOTEL OCCUPANCY HAS A SLIGHT LOSS, WE'LL PROBABLY TRANSFER SOME MONEY OUT TO SHORE THAT UP. 
          SO THAT ALL FUNDS BALANCES ARE POSITIVE. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE LAST YEAR. WE STARTED OUT WITH SOME NEGATIVE FUND BALANCES. SO WE NEED TO CORRECT THOSE BECAUSE WHEN WE COME TO AUDIT TIME YOU KNOW WE'LL GET DINGED FOR ANY NEGATIVE FUND BALANCES THAT WE HAVE. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE ARE, YOU KNOW, SHORED UP. NEXT SLIDE. HERE'S AN ANALYSIS OF OUR REVENUES BY TYPE IN THE GENERAL FUND. YOU CAN LOOK AT THE SALES TAX. WE BUDGETED 52.1 MILLION. WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY RECEIVING 52.6 MILLION. WE BUDGETED FAIRLY FLAT FOR THIS NEXT YEAR BECAUSE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR OUR REVENUES WERE DOWN A LOT, BUT THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THEY'VE REBOUNDED. SO WE FEEL, YOU KNOW, FAIRLY POSITIVE. BUT STILL WE WANT TO BE CONSERVATIVE ON WHAT WE BUDGET FOR SALES TAX, PROPERTY TAX, WE'RE BUDGETING 50, 49 POINT I'M SORRY, 51.785. 
          LAST YEAR WE BUDGETED 50.6. AND OUR ESTIMATE THOUGH IS ONLY 49. OUR TAX REVENUES WERE DOWN A LITTLE BIT THIS YEAR. SO AGAIN WE DO NOT HAVE OUR RATES YET. WE SHOULD GET THOSE I THINK TODAY OR TOMORROW. SO WE ANTICIPATE POSSIBLY THAT NUMBER CHANGING. HOPEFULLY IT'LL GO UP. BUT UNTIL WE GET THOSE RATES WE DON'T REALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THAT'S GOING TO HEAD. I DID DO I USED OUR RATE, OUR CURRENT RATE, PLUS ANY NEW PROPERTIES THAT WE GOT. AND, ADDED THOSE IN. SO THAT SHOULD BE CLOSE, INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS ARE FAIRLY FLAT YEAR TO YEAR. WE BUDGETED THIS YEAR EXACTLY THE PAYMENTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED. AND WE HAVE A SCHEDULE OF INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS THAT WE USE. SO IT SHOULD BE UP JUST A SLIGHT BIT. OUR UTILITIES IN LIEU OF TAX. THOSE ARE STANDARD PAYMENTS FROM SOLID WASTE AND SANITATION. AND SO THOSE SHOULD STAY THE SAME. OUR GROSS RECEIPT TAXES THOSE ARE OUR FRANCHISE TAXES. WE'RE BUDGETING 9.2 MILLION LAST YEAR. WE BUDGETED 9.4. BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ONLY GOING TO HIT ABOUT NINE. HOWEVER, I HAVE CONTRACTED WITH A COMPANY WHO'S GOING TO LOOK AT OUR FRANCHISE TAX FEES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RECEIVING EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO RECEIVE, CHARGES FOR SERVICES, HAS GONE UP. WE HAVE RECEIVED 6.7 MILLION TODAY. THAT INCLUDES AN AMBULANCE, CHARGES AND OTHER TYPES OF SERVICE TYPE CHARGES, BUT PRIMARILY AMBULANCE CHARGES. OUR LICENSES AND PERMITS, THEY'RE FAIRLY CONSISTENT, BUT 
          [00:15:07]
WE WE'RE ANTICIPATING A PRETTY GOOD INCREASE WITH THE RATE INCREASES THAT WE'RE PROPOSING FUNDS AND FORFEITURES, WE BUDGETED 1.688. LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HIT 1.8, WHICH IS GOOD. 
          SO WE'RE BUDGETING KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE IN CASE, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T COME IN AS GOOD THIS NEXT YEAR AS THEY DID THIS PAST YEAR. CULTURE AND RECREATION. THOSE ARE OF COURSE, ALL OF OUR EVENTS AND THINGS. SO LAST YEAR WE BUDGETED 1.5. OUR ESTIMATE FOR THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE 1.8. AND WE AGAIN ARE GOING UP TO 2.5 BECAUSE OF SOME FEE INCREASES ON SOME OF OUR, AMENITIES LIKE THE LAKESIDE CENTER AND THINGS THAT HAVE THE FEES HAVE BEEN THE SAME FOR A LONG TIME. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO UP ON THOSE, AND THEN WE JUST HAVE SOME MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE INTEREST AND OTHER FINANCING, WHICH AGAIN IS SOME TRANSFERS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE BEFORE YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THE PROPERTY TAXES. YES SIR. I'VE HEARD FROM MANY CONSTITUENTS, A LOT OF GRUMBLING BECAUSE THEIR PROPERTY TAXES WENT UP, WHY IS OUR REVENUE SHOWING A LOSS THERE. 
          YEAH. I WAS SURPRISED THAT WE DIDN'T GET IN MORE TAX REVENUE THIS YEAR. I JUST WONDER, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL TAXES, MOST PEOPLE AREN'T PAYING FOR THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR. I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE THOUGHT, WELL, I JUST DON'T HAVE TO PAY MY TAXES OR WHAT, BUT THE REVENUES ARE DOWN, SO AND IT'S STRICTLY WHAT WE GET FROM THE TAX OFFICE. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THAT BASED UPON COLLECTIONS WAS. YES, SIR. COLLECTION RATE. IT WASN'T COLLECTED FOR SOME REASON. WELL, IT'S A COLLECTION RATE. ANY SIGNIFICANT. WELL IT HAD BEEN ABOUT 98%, BUT NOW I THINK IT'S PROBABLY 94 OR SO. SO IT'S DOWN FAIRLY SIGNIFICANTLY FOR US. SO WISH MY WIFE WERE STILL THERE. I KNOW WE ALL DO. BUT, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, WE'LL RECEIVE OUR TAX, RATES PROBABLY TODAY OR TOMORROW BECAUSE THEY'RE DUE THEY'RE DUE IN. YES, SIR. DO WE WANT TO WAIT AND SEE IF WE GET THROUGH ALL THE SLIDES AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS AND JUST MAKE NOTES, OR DO WE WANT BECAUSE SOME OF THIS I'M ASSUMING WE MIGHT GET CARRIE. COVERED LATER IN THE SLIDE PRESENTATION. POSSIBLY Y'ALL OKAY WITH JUST MAKING NOTES AND AT THE END ASKING QUESTIONS. NOTICE IN WHAT SLIDE? IT'S ON. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS IS THE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES BY DEPARTMENT, IT'S THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET. THEN OUR ESTIMATE FOR THIS YEAR AND THEN THE 25 BUDGET. AND SO YOU CAN SEE LAST YEAR'S, FOR INSTANCE, ANIMAL CARE WAS 1.5 MILLION, THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO SPEND ABOUT 1.428, WE'RE GOING TO BUDGET 1.597 NEXT YEAR BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD WITH THEM, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT AND APPROVED. 
          AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT PARTICULARLY IN THE GENERAL FUND, PEOPLE SUBMITTED WHAT WE CALLED SUPPLEMENTALS, WHICH WERE, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL REQUESTS, NEW REQUESTS FOR EITHER EQUIPMENT OR, YOU KNOW, COULD BE TRAINING CLASSES, COULD BE ANYTHING THAT WAS OVER ABOUT $800. I WILL TELL YOU THAT A LOT. NOT VERY MANY SUPPLEMENTS WERE APPROVED IN THE GENERAL FUND. I THINK ABOUT 1.3 MILLION WERE APPROVED. AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE TOTAL I THINK IT TOTAL WAS ABOUT 10 MILLION. THAT WAS SUBMITTED. SO WE WERE VERY CAREFUL THIS YEAR. AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T GET SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY REQUESTED. BUT WE DID TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAD THE THINGS THAT THEY NEEDED, WE DID COMMUNICATE BACK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS. THIS WAS A TOUGH YEAR. I'M NOT GOING TO LIE. IT WAS HARD. SO WE COMMUNICATED BACK TO THE DEPARTMENTS, MADE SURE WHAT THEY COULD LIVE WITH, WHAT THEY COULD DO WITHOUT, AND THEY WERE VERY GRACIOUS. AND BUT WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO OPERATE THE CITY, SO I WON'T GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE EXPENDITURE CATEGORY. JOE, COULD I MAKE A NOTE HERE, THIS DOES, THOUGH, THAT YOU SEE AT THE BOTTOM. IT DOES ACCOUNT FOR A 2% COLA FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES. CORRECT. AND IT ALSO ACCOUNTS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO THEIR CONTRACT, AMOUNT THAT'S THERE. AND WHILE WE HAVEN'T INPUTTED ANY DOLLARS TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING TO, THE, FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE ARE AWARE. YES, WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT. AND, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, ONCE 
          [00:20:04]
WE KNOW WHAT OCCURS WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL PUT THOSE EXPENDITURES IN. YOU'LL SEE IF YOU LOOK AT FIRE, THEY'RE UNDER BUDGET, FOR THE YEAR. AGAIN, THEIR EXPENSES PROBABLY WILL INCREASE IN THE 25 BUDGET OR IT MAY BE, DEPENDING ON WHEN NEGOTIATIONS END, IT COULD BE IN THE YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE TO AMEND THE BUDGET. SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS THERE. BUT WE ARE AWARE WE DO HAVE ENOUGH IN FUND BALANCE TO PAY FOR THAT. ANYTHING THAT YOU KNOW COMES OUT OF THAT. SO WE'RE AWARE OF THAT. AGAIN, WE WERE VERY, VERY CAREFUL THIS YEAR IN WHAT WE PROVIDED, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY'S GOT ABSOLUTELY WHAT THEY NEED TO HAVE. SO IF YOU COMPARE 20 FOUR'S BUDGET TO 20 FOUR'S ESTIMATE, THEY SPENT LESS, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND LESS. AND THEN SO 25 OF COURSE THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE 2% RAISE IN THERE. WE DO HAVE THEY WERE GRANTED SOME SUPPLEMENTAL THINGS THAT THEY NEEDED. SO IT WENT UP JUST SLIGHTLY, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE CITY, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IT ON A SHOESTRING. ALL RIGHT. NEXT SLIDE. 
          TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. DOES SHE NEED SOME PAPER? I'VE GOT PAPER OKAY I THINK. 
          SO THIS IS A PIE CHART OF THE REVENUES BY CATEGORY. AND SO THE GREEN IS THE SALES TAX YOU KNOW, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE LARGEST PART OF OUR REVENUE, THE BLUE IS OUR PROPERTY TAX WHICH COMES IN RIGHT AFTER THAT, THEN OUR INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS ARE THE LARGE ORANGE SLICE. AND THEN OUR UTILITIES IN LIEU OR THE PALE BLUE OF 10 MILLION, 10.4 MILLION. AND OUR GROSS RECEIPTS OF 9.3 MILLION IS THIS IS WHERE WE GET OUR REVENUE. THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE SMALL, SMALLER FUNDING SOURCES. INTEREST, MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE. EVEN OUR CHARGES FOR SERVICES. SO THAT'S JUST A REPRESENTATION, A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF WHAT OUR REVENUES LOOK LIKE. NEXT SLIDE. 
          HERE'S OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENSES BY CATEGORY. AND OF COURSE WE THE PALE BLUE IS POLICE AND THE DARK GREEN IS FIRE. THE LIME GREEN IS PUBLIC WORKS, AND THE LARGER ORANGE SLICE IS, I BELIEVE, PARKS. I'M SORRY. THAT'S TRANSFER. OKAY, SO THOSE ARE TRANSFERS AGAIN. JUST A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE DIFFERENT EXPENSES BY CATEGORY, NEXT SLIDE. AND THESE ARE TRANSFERS OUT, FOR OUR BASE FOR 24. AND THEN OUR PROPOSED FOR 25, WE KEPT THEM, MOSTLY FAIRLY SIMILAR EXCEPT FOR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, WE HAVE TO TRANSFER AN ADDITIONAL $4.65 MILLION TO OUR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND, TO SHORE IT UP. THAT'S NOT ALL. FROM THIS YEAR, SOME OF THAT, AGAIN, WAS FROM LAST YEAR. HAD A NEGATIVE FUND BALANCE. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S NOT OCCURRING AGAIN. SO WE ARE HAVING TO TRANSFER A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY OVER TO EMPLOYEE BENEFITS. AND WE DID FUND A FEW NEW POSITIONS THIS YEAR FOR SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE REALLY IN NEED, ANIMAL CARE GOT A COUPLE OF PEOPLE A FIELD SUPERVISOR, SUPERVISOR AND A KENNEL AND OFFICE ASSISTANT. THE CITY ATTORNEY GOT A PART TIME LEGAL CLERK. SHE'S DOING SOME RESTRUCTURING IN HER DEPARTMENT. EVENT SERVICES. THEY GOT A COUPLE OF EVENT MAINTENANCE WORKERS. AND IN FINANCE, WE ARE HIRING A GRANTS COORDINATOR, WHICH I'M EXCITED ABOUT, AND A BUYER TO WHICH WE DESPERATELY NEEDED, TERI'S BEEN WORKING WITH ONLY THREE BUYERS IN THERE, AND SO MANY DEPARTMENTS, SO THIS WILL DEFINITELY ASSIST HIM, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RECEIVED AN INVENTORY CONTROL COORDINATOR TO TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT IS ACROSS THE 
          [00:25:02]
CITY, ALL OF THE COMPUTERS AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DO, THE LIBRARIES, THEY GOT A PROGRAM COORDINATOR SO THEY CAN CONTINUE THEIR PROGRAMING THAT THEY'RE DOING ACROSS THE CITY, FOR, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS THAT THEY REALLY ENJOY THOSE PROGRAMS, PUBLIC WORKS GOT SOME STREET LABORERS AND, RECREATION RECEIVED A LAKESIDE FACILITY, ASSISTANT MANAGER AND A PROGRAM COORDINATOR TO ASSIST WITH ALL OF THE RECREATION PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING ON. NEXT SLIDE. SO, YES, I'M NOT MISSING SOMETHING. I THOUGHT WE HAD TWO WITH THE POLICE. WE DO. YES. THOSE CAME IN AT THE LAST MINUTE. WE ADDED YES SIR. THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER. AND, WHAT'S THE OTHER ONE? THE CRIME ANALYST THANK YOU. I KNOW THERE WAS ANOTHER. YES, SIR. SO WE NEED TO ADD THOSE TO THE SLIDE. I APPRECIATE THAT. ALL RIGHT. WATER FUND. WE'RE DOING PRETTY WELL IN THE WATER FUND, IF YOU CAN SEE OUR REVENUES, WE'RE GOING TO BE OVER OUR PROJECTIONS, AND THEN NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO BUDGET 65.5 MILLION FOR REVENUES AND OUR EXPENDITURES AGAIN, THEY STAYED FAIRLY FLAT, THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT ON EXPENDITURES NEXT YEAR. NEXT SLIDE. SOLID WASTE. ALSO DOING WELL, THE REVENUES ARE ARE UP QUITE A BIT FROM OUR 24 BUDGET, WE'RE THOUGH NOT PROJECTING QUITE AS LARGE A REVENUES LAST NEXT YEAR, BUT, A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN LAST YEAR. OUR EXPENDITURES ARE COMING IN GOOD. LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOWN ABOUT $1 MILLION. AND, THEIR EXPENDITURES FOR 24 AND THEN 25 IS FAIRLY SIMILAR TO 24 NOT GOING UP, HARDLY ANYTHING ON THEIR EXPENDITURES. SO THEY'RE DOING QUITE WELL AS WEL. 
          AND THEN, I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS. GO AHEAD. COUNCILMAN TURNER, I NOTICED WE SAID THE COLLECTION RATE IS DOWN, ONE THING I'M REAL BIG ON IF THE REVENUES AREN'T RIGHT, WE'RE SEEING THE COLLECTION RATE IS DOWN. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE REALLY ACCURATE WITH THAT, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT AND WHO DO? WHO DO WE HOLD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE JUST STATED SOMETHING THAT'S VERY ALARMING TO ME. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE MAY FEEL THAT WAY, BUT WE SAID WE'RE OPERATING THE CITY ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET, AND I SEE EXPENSES GOING UP AND REVENUE ISN'T GOING UP. SO AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS. 
          WELL, WE ARE GOING UP ON REVENUE. WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, THE RATE, THE RATE INCREASES THAT WE'RE PROPOSING ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO HELP WITH THE BUDGET. ALSO AS FAR AS THE PROPERTY TAXES GO, I MEAN, WE'RE WE'RE BASICALLY AT THE MERCY OF THE TAX OFFICE. THERE THEY ARE. OUR TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR. THEY COLLECT ALL OF OUR TAXES. WE PAY THEM A FEE TO COLLECT THOSE TAXES, AND THEY REMIT THEM TO US. SO, I MEAN, I CAN CONTACT THE TAX OFFICE AND SEE IF THERE'S BEEN SOME SORT OF ERROR, BUT, GENERALLY WE'RE YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST AT THEIR MERCY. 
          SO WE DO CONTRACT WITH THE TAX OFFICE TO COLLECT TAXES, AND THEY CONTRACT, A SUBCONTRACT OUT WITH LINEBERGER TO GO AFTER UNCOLLECTED TAXES. AND SO IT IS A, I GUESS, EXTENUATING PROCESS. 
          THEY SEND OUT THE BILLS, THEY TRY TO MAKE THE EFFORTS AND ONCE IT GOES INTO, DELINQUENCY, THEN THEY TRANSFER THOSE ACCOUNTS OVER TO LINEBERGER TO DO THE ADDITIONAL COLLECTION. I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S STILL WHO THEY'RE WORKING WITH. THAT'S RIGHT. TO LINEBERGER TO DO THOSE ADDITIONAL COLLECTIONS. SO TO DATE, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTICES OF ANYONE BEING DELINQUENT OR ANY, CIVIL ACTION BEING TAKEN TO, TO COLLECT. BUT WE CAN FOLLOW UP. YES. YEAH AND THAT'S A GOOD POINT. COUNCIL MEMBER, WE NEED TO SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND FIND OUT, BECAUSE A TYPICAL COLLECTION RATE IS GOING TO BE AROUND 99, HIGH 99 OR FOR SURE. AND IF IT'S 94, SOMETHING'S REALLY OUT OF SORTS. SO WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM. AND CHERYL SAYING THIS IS SHOESTRING, BUT THE BUDGET INCLUDES EVERYTHING WE NEED TO HAVE, WE'RE STILL GETTING THINGS AND EVEN ABLE TO GET SOME NEW THINGS IN HERE AND BUILD UP ON FUND BALANCE. BUT WE'RE JUST BEING FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE. YEAH ONE OF MY MAIN THINGS IS ALMOST EVERY MEETING I GO IN THE COMMUNITIES HAS BEEN PRETTY ADAMANT ABOUT THE PROPERTY. 
          TAXES HAVE WENT UP AND EVERYONE'S PAYING THEM. EVEN MY MYSELF, WITH MY, YOU KNOW, SITUATION. THEY HAVE WENT UP. AND TO KNOW OR TO HEAR TODAY THAT WE'RE AT 94% AND THE CITY WE BASICALLY REALLY SURVIVE. IF YOU LOOK AT OUR REVENUE, OUR PROPERTY TAX AND SALES TAXES, 
          [00:30:04]
AND WE ARE UNDER THE PROJECTIONS AND AT THAT PERCENTAGE, WE SHOULD NOT BE CONTENT. OKAY ABOUT THAT. YEAH, I TOTALLY AGREE. WE ARE SET UP A MEETING WITH THEM TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON. YES. I COULDN'T AGREE MORE TO, IN FACT, I HAD SOMEBODY WORKING ON THE WALKING FORWARD OUR DELINQUENCIES TO SEE WHAT'S PAID. THAT PERSON IS NO LONGER WITH THE CITY, SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO START BACK OVER AGAIN ON THAT. BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY INTEND TO DO. 
          COUNCILMAN GETS YOU SAY THAT, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED, BUT, THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER, WHICH WE'RE ALL EXCITED ABOUT AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE ONLY HAVE THREE EMPLOYEES OVER THERE. SO THAT'S NOT ABLE TO BE STAFFED 24 OVER SEVEN. ARE THERE PLANS TO INCREASE THAT GOING FORWARD? BECAUSE THAT TO ME IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO IN THE CITY GOING FORWARD TO HELP WITH OUR CRIME RATE. AND WE KNOW THAT IT WILL HAVE AN INCREDIBLE IMPACT. RIGHT. BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO DO MUCH GOOD IF NOBODY'S IN THERE STAFFING IT. RIGHT? WELL, LIKE I SAID, WE GAVE THEM A CRIME ANALYST AND WE DID GIVE THEM TWO, PERSONNEL FOR THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER WE HAD. WE DID MAKE SOME VERY HARD DECISIONS THIS YEAR. AND COUNCIL MEMBER, MYSELF AND THE NEW CHIEF ARE GOING TO MEET THIS WEEK TO TALK ABOUT THAT AND THE STAFFING OF THAT. SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT ALL ALTERNATIVES. HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO STAFF THAT, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO KNOW MORE AFTER WE TALK THIS WEEK. OKAY. AND I AGREE WE'RE GOING TO YESTERDAY WE WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT THIS WEEK. OTHER QUESTIONS. YEAH. CHERYL, I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT ON THE GENERAL FUND. THE INCOME WAS 159 MILLION. AND THEN WE'RE PROJECTING 166. NOW, THAT'S NOT A HUGE NUMBER. IT'S NOT A HUGE INCREASE WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE OVERALL BUDGET, BUT YOU DO FEEL LIKE THAT'S A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE THAT WE'RE NOT REACHING TO COME UP WITH THAT NUMBER. OH, NO, WE'RE NOT REACHING TO COME UP WITH THOSE. WE WERE VERY CONSERVATIVE IN OUR PROJECTIONS, YOU KNOW, I'M ALSO AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, I'VE HIRED PEOPLE, LIKE I SAID, TO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO CHECK OUR FRANCHISE TAX REVENUES, PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE HIM CHECK SOME OTHER REVENUES WHILE HE'S HERE, WE ALREADY HAVE A CONTRACT IN PLACE WHERE THEY CHECK OUR TELECOM PAYMENTS OUT, ALL OF BECAUSE WE PAY A LOT IN PHONE BILLS AND SUCH. INTERNET. 
          BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE SOME PEOPLE COME BACK BEHIND THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO OR NOT, NOT OVERPAID, ANY OF OUR BILLS. 
          ALSO, IT'S MY INTENT TO HIRE SOMEONE TO AUDIT OUR HEALTH CARE COSTS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY RUNNING OUT OF CONTROL ON THE HEALTH CARE COSTS. AND AGAIN, WE'LL PRESENT IN A FEW MINUTES SOME MORE SLIDES THAT DISCUSS, THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING ESSENTIALLY ALL THAT WE CAN TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT PAYING OUT MORE THAN WE NEED TO, AND THAT WE'RE RECEIVING ALL THE REVENUES THAT WE CAN RECEIVE. AND THEN YOU MENTIONED THE AND IF YOU ALLUDED TO THIS AND I MISS IT, I APOLOGIZE. YOU SHOWED THAT THE FIRE WAS, IN THE RED BY 2.1 MILLION. AND HAVE WE IDENTIFIED THAT? AND HOW DO WE PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN? YEAH, THEY'RE NOT REALLY IN THE RED. THEY'RE JUST DOWN, LET'S SEE, WE FIND THAT SLIDE. ON FIRE. SO THAT YOUR YEAR END VERSUS BUDGET IS JUST IT'S PROJECTING, THE BUDGET OF 43 MILLION. AND THEN THEIR ESTIMATE OF 45 MILLION, MOST OF THAT, THAT $2 MILLION IS OVER TIME THAT THEY SPENT THIS YEAR. OKAY. AND THEN YOU MAY NOT HAVE THIS NUMBER IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT WHAT ARE WE BUDGETED FOR ON THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES VERSUS HOW MANY WE, WE HAVE EMPLOYED? WE DO HAVE A VACANCY RATE IN THERE. WE ALL KNOW THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, AND THEN THE VACANCY, NORMALLY, OUR VACANCY IS AROUND 90 SOMETHING A MONTH. SO, YOU KNOW, AND WE EMPLOY CLOSE TO 1400 PEOPLE, SO ABOUT 100, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO 100 PEOPLE A MONTH IS OUR VACANCY RATE. WE ALSO DID A VACANCY RATE IN THIS, YOU KNOW, IN OUR PROJECTIONS TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IF THESE PEOPLE ACTUALLY AREN'T PAID. SO WE'RE GOING TO YOU KNOW, TAKE AN AMOUNT OFF FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALWAYS VACANT FOR POSITIONS THAT ARE ALWAYS VACANT. THANK YOU. SURE. YEAH. CALLED IT A SALARY SAVINGS, IF YOU WILL. COUNCILMAN TURNER, MY LAST, CONCERN WAS I WAS LOOKING AT OUR. NUMBERS FROM LAST YEAR. AND WITH FIRE, WE WERE AROUND 
          [00:35:05]
26.4% PROJECTED. AND I SEE IT'S I MEAN, 26.6%. AND I SEE HE'S COMING IN AT 26.4%, BUT POLICE WERE AT 28.9% AND IS COMING IN AT 29.1%. AND YOU CAN KIND OF I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN TODAY, MAYBE PREPARE SOMETHING FOR THE COUNCIL AND KIND OF SPEAK TO THE NUMBERS BASED UPON WHAT IT IS LAST YEAR AND WHAT IT IS NOW. YES OF COURSE, A LOT OF THAT IS RAISES, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY HAVE CONTRACTUAL RAISES THAT ARE ABOVE, YOU KNOW, THE PERCENTAGE THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVING CIVILIANS. SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY THERE'S THIS HIGHER. AND I CAN TELL YOU OVERTIME IS A BIG PART OF THE INCREASES AS WELL. YEAH. I JUST THINK WE NEED TO TAKE MY ANALYSTS IN A DEEP DIVE, EVEN WITH OVERTIME AND ONE BEING 2 MILLION OVER, WE KIND OF NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF WE COULD COME WITH A STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PLAN WITHIN STAFF TO ADDRESS THOSE NUMBERS, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR NUMBERS BEING KIND OF FLATLINED. I KNOW WE'RE SAYING WE'RE SLOWLY INCREASING, BUT HONESTLY, IN MY OPINION, IT'S KIND OF FLATLINED. YEAH, YEAH. FAST BASICALLY. AND THAT'S FOR THE YEAR 20 EXISTING YEAR 24. AND IT'S BASICALLY OVERTIME. YES. IT'S THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT'S IMPACTING THE FIRE. NEXT YEAR IS FAIRLY FLAT AS OF RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH CONTRACTUAL THINGS YET, BUT THAT NUMBER WHAT IT WAS MORE THAN LIKELY WILL GO UP BASED UPON THOSE CONTRACT DISCUSSIONS, IF YOU LOOK AT POLICE, IT'S ALREADY WE'VE INCREASED IT OVER $2 MILLION FROM 24 TO 25. SO WE ARE BEING MINDFUL OF THESE DEPARTMENTS FOR SURE, AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE HAVING THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED. YEAH, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO SUPPORT THEM, MAKE SURE WE HAVE WHAT THEY NEED, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE WE CAN AFFORD IT. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE. AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING AND YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE WHAT THEY ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE, BUT NOT MORE THAN THAT. AND THAT'S HARD. THAT'S HARD FOR US. YOU KNOW IT'S HARD FOR THEM. SO YEAH THOSE TWO COMPRISE ABOUT 55% OF THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND BUDGET. YEAH. SO AS OF THIS POINT, WHICH WILL PROBABLY GO UP RIGHT. COUNCILMAN SHAW, CITY MANAGER, I'M ASSUMING THE OVERTIME WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS PRIMARILY WITH THE EMS ISSUE. IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT? YES. AND THEN HOW ARE WE PROGRESSING ON RESOLVING THAT ISSUE? DO WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE MAKING HEADWAY? WELL, WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH CHIEF AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO BECOME MORE PERMANENT RATHER THAN SOLVE THINGS WITH OVERTIME. AND THAT'S ONE THING WE'RE LOOKING AT. AND HOW HE CAN DO SOME STAFFING, THINGS FOR SURE, AND ALSO WE'VE JUST I'VE GIVEN HIM A MANDATE. WE'VE GOT TO REDUCE OVERTIME. 
          YOU KNOW, IT'S YOUR DEPARTMENT. Y'ALL GOT TO FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE THAT'S WAY TOO MANY DOLLARS THERE. AND WE HAVE CHIEF SINGLER HERE. CHIEF. CHIEF WHITE OUTFITS, CHIEF SHELTON'S SERVICE, BUT HE CAN ADDRESS SOMETHING, TOO. IF I MISS SOMETHING, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD FOR, I KNOW FOR ME, THE FIRE POLICE AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ARE MUCH MORE DEEP DIVE BREAKDOWN IN TERMS OF HOW, YOU KNOW, WE AND WE UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEMS, BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS? BECAUSE OTHERWISE NEXT YEAR WE MAY BE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. SO I JUST WANT TO HAVE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE APPROACHING THESE AND PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT OUR RESIDENTS EXPECT, BUT ALSO BE ABLE TO CONTROL COST AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE EFFICIENCIES IN THERE. AND I UNDERSTAND WITH EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, THERE ARE THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED ACROSS MANY INDUSTRIES THAT I'M FIRSTHAND FAMILIAR WITH THAT CAN SAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND STILL PROVIDE EXCELLENT EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, AND MAKING SURE THAT, ALL THOSE ARE BEING EXPLORED. BUT I WOULD LIKE A, I'D LIKE A DEEP DIVE ON ALL THREE OF THOSE. NOT JUST TODAY. 
          AND I'D LIKE SOMETHING IN WRITING, AND I WOULD LIKE ALL OF THE SLIDES PROVIDED IN, PAPER FORM TO US, TO, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW OUTSIDE OF THIS MEETING. SURE. YEAH. IT'S A LOT TO DIGEST. AND JUST A FEW MINUTES. SO CAN WE GET AN UPDATE FROM ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? IS IT POSSIBLE JUST TO THE EMS ISSUE BECAUSE I GET THERE'S THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE FOR SOME TIME, AND I KNOW THAT THE INSURANCE THE BENEFIT PACKAGE ISSUE THAT THAT'S A THAT'S A MARKET THING TOO. I KNOW, I KNOW IN MY LINE OF WORK WITH THE HEALTH INSURANCE IS AN ISSUE ACROSS THE MARKET. I KNOW WITH ME AND MY, MY BUSINESS, IT'S A MAJOR ISSUE. GOOD MORNING, YES, I KNOW AFTER WE TALKED BUDGETING THAT CAME BACK AS FAR AS THE NUMBER THAT WE WANT TO TRY TO 
          [00:40:04]
HIT, WE'RE DEFINITELY KNOWING BEING OVER $2 MILLION, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY NOT ACCEPTABLE. SO WE HAVE BEEN, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO. AND AGAIN, NUMBER ONE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE'RE PROBABLY AT 5 OR 6, 5 TO 6% AS FAR AS NEEDING TO HIRE EMPLOYEES. I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY ABOUT AROUND 12 SHORT, WHICH WILL HELP. THE OTHER THING IS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK INTO MINIMUM STAFFING AS FAR AS THE DAY. THAT'S ALSO A BIG DRIVING FACTOR, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE'RE MAKING ABOUT 30,000 CALLS A YEAR, 20,000 OF THOSE BEING MEDICAL. SO AGAIN, WE'VE HAD TWO PEOPLE NOT IN AMBULANCES AND SERVICE TO BE PROVIDED, YOU KNOW, A GOOD SERVICE TO OUR CITIZENS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE THERE TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THE MEDICAL ISSUES. SO, THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME, MINIMUM STAFFING WE WANT ALSO, OTHER FACTORS TO BE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS HOW WE, YOU KNOW, VACATION AND BENEFITS AND DIFFERENT THINGS, WE WANT TO LOOK AS FAR AS ALSO, JUST OUR LEAVE. THAT'S ALSO ANOTHER FACTOR THAT ALSO DRIVES UP INSURANCE. OUR OVERTIME. SO, WE AFTER GETTING THE NUMBER AS FAR AS WHAT WE NEED TO TRY TO HIT NEXT YEAR, CHIEF WHITE IS HAVING US WORKIN, AND WE HAVE BEEN MEETING AS FAR AS TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE SURE WE STAY UNDERNEATH THAT, BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, CHIEF, THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS? OTHER THAN GETTING, YOU KNOW, THAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS WE'RE ABLE AT THIS POINT, I THINK THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. AND I'LL BE BACK FOR A LITTLE BIT TO TALK ABOUT THE INSURANCE. YES, MA'AM. 
          [2. Water and Sewer Rate Model and Proposed Rates for Fiscal Year 2025]
NEXT WE HAVE THE UPDATE ON OUR WATER AND WASTEWATER RATE FEES. WE HAVE MR. GRADY, READ FROM. IS IT DR. GRADY? YES, SIR. HDR, GRADY CAME LAST YEAR AND TALKED WITH YOU. WE DID OUR, I GUESS, ONE OF THE RECENT WATER RATES, WATER AND SEWER RATE STUDIES. AND HE'S BACK AGAIN TO TALK ABOUT. SO, SO GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AS, AS MR. WILLIAMS SAID, MY NAME IS GRADY READ. I'M A SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER WITH HDR ENGINEERING, I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN WITH THE SAME COMPANY FOR 25 YEARS NOW, AND BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, SO OVER THAT TIME, I'VE, I'VE PERFORMED, YOU KNOW, WATER AND WASTEWATER RATE STUDIES ALL ACROSS TEXAS AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND, GET TO SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, I'M GOING TO KIND OF ECHO WHAT WHAT YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ALREADY BEFORE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN, TRYING HOW, HOW, HOW IMPORTANT FINANCIAL HEALTH IS TO THE CITY, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S, THAT'S TRUE WITH THE WATER AND WASTEWATER UTILITY AS WELL, I THINK LAST YEAR WE TOOK A BIG STEP FORWARD, WITH THE WITH THE UTILITIES AND TRYING TO ACHIEVE BETTER FINANCIAL HEALTH. FOR THEM, AND YOU'VE CERTAINLY SEEN THAT REFLECTED IN INCREASED REVENUES FROM THOSE UTILITIES, AS WELL AS HIGHER FUND BALANCES. AND YOUR UTILITIES ARE, ARE IN A MUCH BETTER FINANCIAL POSITION THIS YEAR, THAN THEY WERE AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE THAT HOPEFULLY, AND JUST TRY TO MOVE THEM FORWARD JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE, SO IF WE LOOK AT YOUR UTILITY FUND AS A WHOLE, SO WATER AND WASTEWATER, YOU ARE MEETING YOUR OWN INTERNAL REQUIREMENTS, THE FUND BALANCE HAS NOT REALLY MEETING THE INDUSTRY STANDARD REQUIREMENTS, WHICH FOR A WATER AND WASTEWATER UTILITY IS ABOUT 25% OR THREE MONTHS WORTH OF RESERVES, THERE ARE SOME UTILITIES, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THAT THEY HAVE A FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENT, MORE SO ON THE WATER SIDE THAN WASTEWATER, BUT THEY'LL TRY TO HIT A SIX MONTH, RESERVE OR A 50%, FUND BALANCE ON, ON WATER JUST BECAUSE THOSE REVENUES TEND TO VARY A LITTLE BIT MORE A YEAR, YEAR TO YEAR BASED ON, WEATHER CONDITIONS. BUT REALLY, RIGHT NOW, THE INDUSTRY STANDARD IS KIND OF 25% OR THREE MONTHS. YOU'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET, BUT YOU ARE MEETING YOUR YOUR INTERNAL REQUIREMENTS, WHICH I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THE CASE LAST YEAR. WHENEVER, WHENEVER WE WERE HERE, TOTAL PROPOSED BUDGET EXPENSES FOR THE UTILITY AS A WHOLE ARE $58.5 MILLION. AGAIN, AS SHERYL SAID, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH FLAT OVER THE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR, WE DO HAVE, ALWAYS SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE THAT ARE NEEDED TO KEEP THE UTILITY RUNNING AND TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS, ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS IN 2025 WERE BEING FUNDED THROUGH DEBT THAT IS JUST RECENTLY ISSUED, OR IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING ISSUED, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SOME LIMITED GRANT FUNDS FUNDING SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS AS WELL. SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE NO NEW DEBT BEING ISSUED IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR FOR THE FOR THE WATER AND WASTEWATER UTILITY. WE DO HAVE ADDITIONAL DEBT ISSUES OF AROUND 
          [00:45:03]
$26 MILLION A YEAR. IT VARIES A LITTLE BIT, BUT RIGHT AROUND THAT NUMBER IN 26, 27, 28 AND THEN ANOTHER DEBT ISSUE OF ABOUT $18.8 MILLION IN 2029. AGAIN, THE EXACT TIMING OF THOSE DEBT ISSUES, YOU MAY CHOOSE TO KIND OF DOUBLE UP ON THOSE. YOU'RE NOT ISSUING DEBT EVERY YEAR AND EVERY OTHER YEAR, BUT, JUST FOR MODELING PURPOSE, WE'VE ASSUMED ADDITIONAL DEBT ISSUES EVERY YEAR MOVING FORWARD, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. SO, IF WE KIND OF LOOK AT YOUR THAT'S LOOKING AT YOUR, YOUR UTILITY AS A WHOLE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TRY TO DO IS WE, WE TRY TO SPLIT THAT UTILITY OUT INTO WATER PIECES AND WASTEWATER PIECES, SO WE'RE ALMOST DOING TWO KIND OF MINI RATE STUDIES, IF YOU WILL, WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE LARGER UTILITY AS A WHOLE, THE REASON THAT WE TRY TO DO THAT IS BECAUSE WHILE YOUR UTILITY FUND IS ONE AND WATER AND WASTEWATER IS, IS CONTAINED WITHIN THAT, WHAT WE REALLY WANT IS FOR ALL OF THE WATER REVENUE TO FULLY FUND THE WATER AND OPERATIONS AND EXPENSES OF THE CITY, AND THE SAME FOR WASTEWATER. IN OTHER WORDS, WE DON'T WANT CROSS-SUBSIDISATION BETWEEN THE TWO UTILITIES. AGAIN, THAT'S JUST THE INDUSTRY NORM. THAT'S THE RECOMMENDED PRACTICES, SO WE TAKE YOUR UTILITY BUDGET AND YOU'RE INCLUDING YOUR REVENUES AND ALL OF YOUR EXPENSES, AND WE TRY AS BEST WE CAN TO SPLIT THOSE INTO WATER EXPENSES AND WASTEWATER EXPENSES, ON THE WATER SIDE, THOSE TOTAL PROPOSED EXPENSES ARE ABOUT $30.4 MILLION. OF THAT 58.5 MILLION THIS UPCOMING YEAR, THAT'S TO SERVE ABOUT 48,000. CONNECTIONS. AND WE'RE PLANNING ON A TOTAL BUILD WATER USE OF ABOUT 5 BILLION GALLONS THIS UPCOMING YEAR. I WILL SAY PLANNING AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, PLANNING REVENUE ON ON THE WATER SIDE IS SOMETIMES TRICKY. 
          BECAUSE IT'S DRIVEN SO MUCH BY WEATHER, 2023 WAS DRY, THIS YEAR HAS NOT BEEN DRY, AND SO THAT, THAT HAS A PRETTY BIG FLUCTUATION ON, ON THAT REVENUE WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD, WE TRY TO PLAN AS BEST WE CAN FOR AN AVERAGE YEAR, OR WHAT THAT AVERAGE CONSUMPTION IS PER CONNECTION OVER A LONGER TERM PERIOD, KNOWING THAT OUR ACTUAL REVENUES ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BOUNCE AROUND A LITTLE BIT AROUND THAT AVERAGE, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH RAINFALL WE'RE GETTING AND WHAT THE TEMPERATURE IS, ALSO, MOVING FORWARD, WE DO HAVE PRETTY LIMITED GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF CONNECTIONS. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY GROWTH IN CONNECTIONS FOR 2025 FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR, AFTER THAT, WE'RE ASSUMING A HALF A PERCENT PER YEAR GROWTH FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS. AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE'RE ASSUMING 1% GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF CONNECTIONS. SO WE DO HAVE GROWTH COMING, BUT FOR RIGHT NOW THAT THAT GROWTH IS, IS PRETTY LIMITED, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT AS WELL. JUST BECAUSE WE ARE FOR PLANNING PURPOSES AND FORECASTING PURPOSES, WE ARE ASSUMING THAT YOUR COST, YOUR O&M COST BASICALLY INCREASE ABOUT 3% A YEAR, NOW, THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. AS CHERYL SAID, YOUR EXPENSES THIS YEAR ARE RELATIVELY FLAT, BUT MOST TIMES THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE USE MOVING FORWARD. SO IF YOU HAVE LIMITED GROWTH AND WHAT THAT PRODUCES IS A SCENARIO IN WHICH YOUR COST ARE INCREASING AT A FASTER RATE THAN YOUR REVENUES ARE JUST DUE TO GROWTH. SO YOU TYPICALLY HAVE TO TRY TO MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE THROUGH, THROUGH SOME RATE INCREASES, AND WE DO HAVE THOSE. SO YOU CAN SEE OUR EXPENSES THERE INCREASING, TO ABOUT $38.3 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 2029. MOST OF THAT THERE IS SOME INFLATIONARY FACTORS IN THERE, BUT MOST OF THAT IS DUE TO INCREASING DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS AND GO TO THE NEXT, NEXT SLIDE, SO THIS IS THE WATER CIP, AS YOU CAN SEE FOR 2025, THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN DIFFERENT COLOR THERE, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE ARE INCLUDED IN THE BOND THAT IS BEING ISSUED NOW, WE HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR THOSE COSTS BY PUTTING THAT DEBT SERVICE PROJECTION INTO OUR RATE MODEL. SO THOSE PROJECTS ARE ALL ARE ALL IN HERE, FUTURE YEARS OF THOSE PROJECTS, IF IT'S A YEAR THAT'S BEING FUNDED OVER MULTIPLE YEARS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE PINE STREET TREATED WATER RESILIENCY LINE, WE'VE ASSUMED THAT THE PROJECT FUNDING FOR THAT IN 2025 IS FROM THE BOND THAT'S BEING ISSUED NOW, THE REMAINING FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT WOULD COME, AT A LATER BOND ISSUE IN 2026, BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN JUST KIND OF SEE THOSE PROJECTS. THERE ARE SOME GRANT FUNDED PROJECTS AS WELL OVER THE TOTAL FIVE YEAR PERIOD ON THE WATER SIDE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALMOST $130 MILLION, WORTH OF CIP PROJECTS AND GO TO THE NEXT, NEXT SLIDE, ON THE WASTEWATER UTILITY, WASTEWATER AS A WHOLE IS A HISTORICALLY JUST NOT PERFORMED AS WELL FINANCIALLY, AS THE WATER UTILITY, JUST REVENUES ARE NOT ARE NOT COVERING CURRENT EXPENSES. EVEN WITH THE RATE INCREASE LAST YEA, WE'VE MOVED SIGNIFICANTLY 
          [00:50:05]
FORWARD. BUT WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET, BASICALLY ASSUMING ALMOST THE SAME AMOUNT OF WASTEWATER CONNECTIONS AND A TOTAL BUILD USE OF AROUND 3.7 MILLION GALLONS ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE, SAME GROWTH RATE ON WASTEWATER AS, AS FOR WATER. SO NO GROWTH IS UPCOMING YEAR AND THEN LIMITED GROWTH AFTER THAT, OUT OF THAT 48 OR $58.5 MILLION, THE TOTAL PROPOSED WATER EXPENSES IN THIS UPCOMING YEAR ARE $28.1 MILLION. AND AGAIN, THAT'S THAT'S MAKING SOME ASSUMPTIONS AND SPLITTING SOME OF THOSE COSTS OUT. BETWEEN BETWEEN WATER AND WASTEWATER. WE WOULD EXPECT THAT THOSE, THOSE, EXPENSES WOULD INCREASE TO ABOUT 32.7 MILLION. AND AGAIN, MOST OF THAT IS REALLY DUE TO INCREASED DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS. AND WE DO HAVE, CHEMICAL COSTS GOING UP AT A HIGHER RATE OF INFLATION THAN, THAN ALL OF THE OTHER EXPENSES. AS WELL. GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          THESE ARE THE WASTEWATER CIP PROJECTS TOTAL OVER THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD IS NOT NOT NEAR AS HIGH AS WATER AT ABOUT $65.6 MILLION, AGAIN, THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN 2025 AND THAT DIFFERENT COLOR, WE'VE ASSUMED THAT THOSE THOSE ARE GOING TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BOND THAT IS BEING ISSUED NOW, AND THERE'S SOME GRANT FUNDING, AS WELL FOR SOME OF THESE, WASTEWATER PROJECTS AS WELL AS SOME FUTURE DEBT THAT WOULD BE ISSUED, FOR, FOR THOSE PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD TO THE NEXT SLIDE. SO, SO, SO RATE RECOMMENDATIONS, I THINK MR. WILLIAMS KIND OF STOLE MY THUNDER IN ONE OF HIS SLIDES FOR THIS, THAT'S ALL RIGHT. BUT THE BAD NEWS IS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN. SO, SO ON THE ON THE WATER SIDE, THIS YEAR, WE WOULD RECOMMEND A 4% ACROSS THE BOARD RATE INCREASE, BASICALLY A 4% RATE INCREASE. SO IF YOU'RE A CUSTOMER THAT'S USING 5000 GALLONS OF WATER, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER THAT'S USING 5000 GALLONS OF WATER, THAT'S ABOUT $1.53 PER MONTH. THAT IS RIGHT IN LINE WITH WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR. WHEN I WAS STANDING BEFORE YOU. I SAID, I THINK I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT ABOUT A 4% RATE INCREASE FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. AND THAT'S KIND OF RIGHT WHERE WE LANDED, ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE, WE WOULD RECOMMEND A 10% INCREASE ON WASTEWATER, THAT'S ABOUT A $3.21 PER MONTH, LAST YEAR WE HAD PROJECTED THAT THAT RATE INCREASE WOULD BE 12%, SO WE'RE ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT LOWER. ON THAT RATE INCREASE THAN WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE I'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE SPLIT THESE EXPENSES INTO WATER AND WASTEWATER, AND THAT'S, THIS IS WHY WE DO THIS. SO WE CAN DO THESE DIFFERENTIAL RATE INCREASES BETWEEN THE UTILITIES SO THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE WASTEWATER UTILITY CAUGHT UP, IF YOU WILL, SO THAT IT'S DOING A BETTER JOB OF SUPPORTING ITSELF, AND NOT USING WATER REVENUES TO PAY FOR WASTEWATER EXPENSES, IF WE LOOK AT THIS TOTAL INCREASE, IT'S, IT'S $4.74 PER MONTH OR ABOUT A 6.8%, INCREASE WHEN WE AVERAGE THE, THE TWO TOGETHER, AND AGAIN, THE GOAL HERE, AS YOU ALL HAVE SAID, AND IS IN YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN, IS REALLY JUST TO HAVE A, A UTILITY THAT IS FINANCIALLY HEALTHY, AND ISN'T BEING OPERATED ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET OR THAT YOU HAVE RESERVES SHOULD YOU NEED THOSE FOR, FOR WHATEVER REASONS. AND SO OUR GOAL HERE WITH THESE RATE INCREASES IS STILL TO SLOW THAT REVENUE LOSS. CERTAINLY ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE, AND THEN YOU WILL BE STARTING TO, TO GENERATE THIS POSITIVE REVENUE, BUILD THAT FUND BALANCE WHILE YOU'RE MEETING YOUR OWN TARGETS, I'D PERSONALLY LIKE TO SEE YOU A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THAT 25% INDUSTRY NORM, AT LEAST FOR THE WATER AND WASTEWATER UTILITY, AND WITH THIS, WITH THESE RATE INCREASES, I THINK YOU COULD POTENTIALLY BE THERE BY BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2025, IF NOT, YOU SHOULD BE WELL ON YOUR WAY TO, TO GETTING THERE BY 2026. GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT, NEXT SLIDE. SO THIS JUST SHOWS WHAT THE BILLS WOULD BE. AND OUR PROJECTIONS KIND OF MOVING FORWARD. I'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE PROJECTIONS HERE IN JUST A SECOND. BUT AGAIN YOU CAN SEE FOR A RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER THAT'S USING 5000 GALLONS OF WATER AND 5000 GALLONS OF SEWER, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THE WATER USE IS TYPICALLY GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THAT DURING THE SUMMER. AND SO 5000 GALLONS OF SEWER MAY BE A LITTLE HIGH, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE USING AS YOUR TYPICAL CUSTOMER, SO THEIR BILL WOULD GO UP THAT $4.74, OR ABOUT 6.8% GO TO THE NEXT, NEXT SLIDE, THIS JUST KIND OF SHOWS OUR PROJECTIONS FOR THE FOR THE WATER UTILITY, THE STACKED BARS ARE THE ARE THE EXPENSES. AND THEN THE DASHED LINE AT THE TOP IS THE PROJECTED REVENUE, THE, THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT ON THIS SLIDE IS THAT THE RED AT THE TOP, THAT'S THE INCREASED DEBT SERVICE. SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE 
          [00:55:01]
THAT COMING ON AS WE GO FORWARD. AND WE'RE ASSUMING, THESE DEBT INCREASES COMING ON OR THESE DEBT ISSUES STARTING AGAIN IN 2026, YOU DO LOSE SOME DEBT IN 2029. SOME SOME DEBT IS RETIRED. 
          SO THAT HELPS YOU A LITTLE BIT AS WELL, I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS, I HAVE PROJECTED WATER RATE ADJUSTMENTS, RIGHT NOW, THOSE ARE RUNNING, I THINK, AROUND 4 TO 5%. LOOKING FORWARD, HOWEVER, I WILL SAY YOUR UTILITY HAS BEEN OVERPERFORMING A LITTLE BIT ON ON THE REVENUE SIDE, AND SO WHILE I CERTAINLY THINK IT'S PRUDENT TO ADJUST YOUR RATES 4% THIS YEAR AGAIN, AND I'M BEING I TRY TO BE A LITTLE BIT CONSERVATIVE IN MY PROJECTIONS BECAUSE I WOULD MUCH RATHER, IF I'M HERE NEXT YEAR AT THIS TIME, I WOULD MUCH RATHER SAY, WELL, LOOK, WE TOLD YOU IT WAS GOING TO BE FOUR AND IT'S, IT'S 2 OR 1 INSTEAD OF, OH, WE TOLD YOU IT WAS GOING TO BE FOUR. AND IT'S TEN, SO I THINK THOSE FOUR AND 5% RATE INCREASES MOVING FORWARD AND STARTING IN 2026 ARE PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT ON THE HIGH SIDE. I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED TO SEE THOSE COME DOWN. BUT AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO BE A LITTLE BIT CONSERVATIVE IN MY PROJECTIONS, TO KIND OF GIVE YOU THAT'S PROBABLY AN UPPER END OF WHERE I WOULD SEE THOSE, SEE THOSE MOVING FORWARD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, SO THE SAME THINGS ON ON WASTEWATER AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE DEBT COMING ON AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THE TAKEAWAY FROM THIS SLIDE IS THAT, AGAIN, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO PLAY A LITTLE BIT OF CATCH UP ON, ON THE WASTEWATER UTILITY, I HAVE 12% SHOWN IN THERE AS MY PROJECTION ON WHAT THAT RATE INCREASE WOULD BE NEXT YEAR. 
          AGAIN, I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT IT I THINK IT COULD BE LESS THAN 12%. I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE ZERO, I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING AT, PROBABLY ONE IF NOT TWO MORE YEARS OF A LITTLE BIT HIGHER WASTEWATER RATE INCREASES. THAN YOU ARE WATER RATE INCREASES. AND SO THAT'S KIND OF THE TAKEAWAY THERE. IT'S NOT WHAT THOSE ACTUAL NUMBERS ARE. IT'S JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF, OF WHERE WE'RE GOING. AND YOU'RE LIKELY GOING TO NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A LITTLE BIT MORE INCREASE ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE MOVING FORWARD. YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS JUST SHOWS KIND OF EVERYTHING TOGETHER, AND AGAIN, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT FINANCIAL HEALTH AND TRYING TO ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE REVENUE COMING IN. TO COVER ALL TO COVER ALL OF OUR UTILITY EXPENSES, AS WELL AS KIND OF BUILDING A LITTLE BIT OF FUND BALANCE AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD. GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. SO THIS IS YOUR, KIND OF WHERE WE SEE YOUR, YOUR OPERATING RESERVES, AGAIN, THAT 2025, THIS ISN'T QUITE SHOWING THAT YOU WOULD BE AT 25% AGAIN, WHICH IS NOT YOUR INTERNAL TARGET. THAT'S JUST THE KIND OF INDUSTRY STANDARD, BUT I DO THINK YOU'LL CERTAINLY BE ABOVE 20%. AND DEPENDING UPON HOW THIS YEAR GOES, THE REST OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF YOU'RE NOT, IF YOU'RE NOT PRETTY, PRETTY CLOSE TO THAT 25% AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2025, CERTAINLY, IF WE HOPE FOR A HOT, DRY SUMMER WHERE PEOPLE HAVE JUST ENOUGH HOPE THAT IF THEY KEEP WATERING THEIR YARDS, THEY'LL THEY WON'T DIE, SO I THINK MOVING FORWARD, YOU'RE GOING TO BE YOU'RE GOING TO BE RIGHT AROUND THAT, THAT BETWEEN THAT 20 AND 25% OF, OF OPERATING RESERVES, WHICH IS, WHICH IS HEALTHY, AND WRITING KIND OF IN LINE WITH INDUSTRY STANDARDS. THE NEXT SLIDE. SO, WE TALK, WE, I THINK I SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS LAST TIME AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT PEOPLE ALWAYS WANT TO SEE IS KIND OF HOW DO WE BENCHMARK AGAINST AGAINST OTHER CITIES, SO EVEN WITH THESE RATE INCREASES, WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP YOU KIND OF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK, AS FAR AS YOUR, YOUR, CITIES THAT WE WOULD THAT WE WOULD COMPARE YOU, COMPARE YOU AGAINST, WACO, PORT ARTHUR AND ORANGE ARE HIGHER, WITH THE REMAINING CITIES A LITTLE BIT BELOW YOU, I WILL SAY THAT THIS THESE BILLS, FOR THESE CITIES, THIS IS THEIR CURRENT RATES, A LOT OF THEM ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS THAT Y'ALL ARE WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE UPDATING THEIR RATES MOVING FORWARD AS WELL, AND SO SOME OF THEM COULD, COULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT RATE INCREASES THEMSELVES DEPENDING ON DEPENDING ON WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON. BUT I THINK THE GOOD NEWS IS, EVEN WITH THESE RATE INCREASES, YOU'RE CERTAINLY NOT THE HIGHEST, COMPARED TO YOUR PEER CITIES. YOU'RE KIND OF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE. AND THIS IS THE IT'S THE SAME ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE. IF WE LOOK AT COMMERCIAL RATES AND WHERE OTHER PEOPLE ARE ON THEIR COMMERCIAL BILLS, CAN YOU PLEASE GO BACK A SLIDE? I HAVE A QUESTION. THE RATES HERE FOR SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES, LIKE NEDERLAND AND GROVES, FOR THEIR WATER RATES, SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER 
          [01:00:06]
THAN WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IN BEAUMONT OR WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN BEAUMONT. WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT TO? SO THAT'S WHY I ALWAYS HATE SHOWING THIS SITE, THIS SLIDE, BECAUSE I ALWAYS GET ASKED THAT QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. I'M GOING TO BE HONEST. I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT NEDERLAND OR GROVES. RIGHT, IT COULD BE THAT THEY'RE CLOSER TO THEIR SOURCE OF SUPPLY, AND SO IT'S CHEAPER FOR THEM TO, TO GET WATER TO THEM. IT COULD BE THAT THEIR SYSTEM I, IS FAILING AROUND THEM AND THEY'RE NOT MAINTAINING IT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA, WELL, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WITHIN THE PARAMETERS WE NEED IN TERMS OF, MAKING SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH REVENUE TO COVER OUR EXPENSES, THAT THAT'S YOUR JOB. THERE ARE GEOPOLITICAL FACTORS THAT WE AS A COUNCIL HAVE TO ALSO CONSIDER. AND THIS SLIDE BRINGS THAT TO BEAR. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON OVER THERE. I DON'T SEE PORT NECHES IN HERE. DOES ANYBODY KNOW. DO THEY BUY THEIR WATER FROM THE LNVA. AND WE, WE GET OURS FROM THE NECHES. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A FACTOR. BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME ANSWERS TO SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE AS A CITY HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH, AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB, IS THIS PERCEPTION THAT THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH OUR WATER, WE'VE GOT BROWN WATER, WE'VE GOT DISCOLORED WATER, ACTUALLY, WE KNOW THAT ACCORDING TO T-C-E-Q, WE HAVE A SUPERIOR RATED WATER SYSTEM IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, STILL, THAT PERCEPTION IS OUT THERE AND WE HAVE AGGRESSIVELY GONE OUT TO TRY TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS. AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, BUT I HAVEN'T HAD A SINGLE DISCOLORED WATER COMMENT FROM ANY CITIZEN THIS YEAR. SO I THINK WE YOU KNOW, MADE SOME PROGRESS IN THAT AREA. NEVERTHELESS, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON HERE. IF THERE'S SOMEBODY IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT THAT CAN HELP US ANALYZE THAT AND TRY TO GET AN ANSWER FOR THAT, I'D APPRECIATE IT. COUNCILMAN TURNER, JUST A PIGGYBACK ON THAT ANALYSIS, ONE THING I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS JUST THE PERCEPTION OF THE REALITY. I THINK IN THESE KIND OF SITUATIONS, IT'S OKAY TO HAVE SOME UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WHERE WOULD IT BE? OUR MAJOR EMPLOYERS? WOULD IT BE BSD? WOULD IT BE EXXONMOBIL? WOULD IT BE THE CITY OF BEAUMONT? WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WORK WITHIN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, BUT THEY TRAVEL TO THESE AREAS WHERE THE RATES ARE LOWER AND THE MAJORITY OF THE REVENUE THEY MAKE, WHICH IS THE GOOD PAYING JOBS, THEY GO TO THESE OTHER AREAS AND THEY PAY, CONTRIBUTE TO THESE RATES, WHICH PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE NOT GETTING THE PROPERTY TAXES AND WE'RE NOT GETTING THE REVENUE THAT THESE AREAS ARE GETTING TO OFFSET THIS COST. RIGHT HERE. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK INTO. AND IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING, WE NEED TO SPEAK TO IT AND NOT TALK AROUND, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S AFFECTING US FINANCIALLY. 
          THERE'S OF COURSE YOU CAN'T MAKE ANYBODY LIVE HERE, BUT WE AT LEAST NEED TO KNOW IF THAT'S A GOOD CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO WHY THEY'RE ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH RATES, WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH WHY THEY'RE ABLE TO HAVE RATES THIS LOW. NEIGHBORING US AND WE'RE KIND OF I KNOW WE'RE SITTING IN THE MIDDLE, BUT IT'S PROJECTED THAT WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF BE HIGHER THAN ALL THESE OTHER CITIES SURROUNDING US, THAT WE'RE COMPARED TO. IN THESE SLIDES, WE'LL ALSO BE AVAILABLE TO US IN PAPER COPY AS WELL. YEAH, WE'LL GET A PRESENTATION TO YOU. 
          MAYOR, IF I MAY ASK GRADY A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, GRADY, YOU ONE OF YOUR SLIDES HAD QUITE A STEEP RATE INCREASE. AND, OF COURSE, THE EARLY YEARS OF MIDDLE YEARS. COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE, ONE WITH THE CHARTS? WELL, YEAH, THAT THAT ONE WILL DO. LIKE THE TEN AND 12% AND THE OTHER ONE. COULD THERE BE MORE OF A SMOOTHING OVER THE TERM OF THE FIVE YEARS TO WHY WE WON'T GET THERE AS FAST, BUT WE CAN GET THERE. THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION MOVING FORWARD, AS WELL. 
          SO, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD TAKE THAT 12%, 7%, THAT TWO AND THAT TWO, AND WE COULD WE COULD TRY TO AVERAGE THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT. EVERY YEAR WE DO AS WE'RE UPDATING THE RATES, WE DO LOOK 
          [01:05:04]
AT YOUR PROJECTED FUND BALANCES. AND SO THE ONLY THING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE SURE OF IS IF WE LOWERED THAT 12 DOWN TO SOMETHING WHERE WE WERE TRYING TO SMOOTH THAT OUT, THAT YOU WOULDN'T FALL BELOW, A FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENT TO DUE TO LESS REVENUES, COMING IN. YEAH. 
          AS I KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS NOT SO PALATABLE FOR COUNCIL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO LOOK AT TEN AND 12% RATE INCREASES. AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT. SO IF THAT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DELIBERATE, IT'S ALWAYS MORE ATTRACTIVE. ALSO, COMMERCIAL RATES SOMETIMES IT'S BETTER TO LOOK AT THE COMMERCIAL RATES A LITTLE HARDER THAN RESIDENTIAL RATES BECAUSE RESIDENTIAL PEOPLE HAVE, YOU KNOW, MORE A LITTLE MORE HARDSHIP, HAVE WE LOOKED AT MAYBE DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE INCREASE ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE RATHER THAN THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE? WE DID NOT LOOK AT THAT SPECIFICALLY. THIS YEAR, AS PART OF OUR RATE STUDY, LAST YEAR WE DID DO WHAT IS CALLED A COST OF SERVICE. ANALYSIS AND WHICH WE NOT ONLY TOOK YOUR EXPENSES AS A UTILITY AND SPLIT THOSE INTO WATER AND WASTEWATER, BUT THEN WE EVEN FURTHER SUBDIVIDED THOSE EXPENSES DOWN INTO WE THINK THESE ARE EXPENSES THAT ARE BEING PLACED UPON THE UTILITY BY RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS AND MULTIFAMILY CUSTOMERS, WE THEN COMPARED THAT AGAINST THE REVENUE BEING BROUGHT IN BY THOSE CUSTOMERS. I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I DON'T MISSPEAK, I DO THINK THAT COST OF SERVICE STUDY SHOWED THAT ON THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL SIDE, THAT THE REVENUES BEING BROUGHT IN WERE RELATIVELY CLOSE TO THE, THE EXPENSES THAT THEY WERE PLACING ON THE SYSTEM. WITH THAT SAID, A COST OF SERVICE STUDY IS, IS JUST IT'S A GUIDE, TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT GROSSLY OVERCHARGING OR UNDERCHARGING. ONE CUSTOMER GROUP WITHIN THE UTILITY, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT AS WELL, EITHER THIS YEAR OR EVEN JUST MOVING FORWARD, WE COULD LOOK AT COMMERCIAL RATE INCREASES VERSUS A LITTLE BIT LESS ON THE RESIDENTIAL. IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAKES IT MORE PALATABLE FOR COUNCIL, I JUST WANT TO ECHO I AGREE WITH THAT. I THINK WE REALLY EVEN THIS CURRENT YEAR, IF WE COULD DO THAT, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE. OKAY THANK YOU. OH. 
          NO. GO. COUNCIL MEMBER. WELL, I HAD THE SAME QUESTION AS THE CITY MANAGER AVERAGING OUT. I HAD. SO WE'RE ALL THINKING THE SAME THING BECAUSE THE CITIZENS. THAT IS A STICKER SHOCK TO THEM, YOU KNOW, TO GET THOSE HIGH BUMPS LIKE THAT. BUT YOU KNOW, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. WHEN THEY CALL ME, I'M BLAMING YOU. WELL, NO, I COUNCIL MEMBER, I CERTAINLY I CERTAINLY DO UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I KNOW THAT LAST YEAR THERE WAS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT RATE INCREASE ON WASTEWATER AS WELL, AGAIN, WHAT REALLY WHAT WE'RE FACING ON THE WASTEWATER UTILITY IS WE'RE TRYING TO PLAY CATCH UP, WE CAN DRAG THAT OUT OVER A LITTLE BIT LONGER PERIOD OF TIME, AND, AND I THINK I THINK CERTAINLY NEXT YEAR, I THINK YOU WOULD PROBABLY BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO START TRYING TO DO THAT AND MAYBE SLOW THAT DOWN, LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR, WE REALLY HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON JUST TRYING TO HAVE BETTER FINANCIAL HEALTH FOR THE UTILITY, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT, THAT MEANS BRINGING IN MORE MONEY, TO COVER THOSE EXPENSES AND TO BUILD THAT FUND BALANCE. SO, I MEAN, WE COULD LOOK AT DROPPING THAT THIS YEAR, BUT I THINK THIS YEAR YOU WOULD TRY TO WANT TO MOVE SOMETHING. YOU KNOW, HOW WE APPORTION THAT? AGAIN, IF WE WANT TO LOOK AT APPORTIONING THAT DIFFERENTLY BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, I THINK THAT'S FINE. 
          BUT I THINK FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT WE TRY TO HOLD YOUR TOTAL REVENUES WHERE WE HAVE THEM NOW, AND THEN LET'S SEE WHERE YOU WHERE YOU END 20, 25. MOVING FORWARD, COUNCILMAN TURNER AND I UNDERSTAND WE'RE SAYING WASTEWATER EXPENSES ARE NOT COVERING CURRENT, CURRENT EXPENSES. BUT WHEN WE SAY WE'RE TRYING TO PLAY CATCH UP, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN WE HAVE TO SPEAK TO CITIZENS ABOUT SOME OF THESE INCREASES. WE HAVE TO SAY WHY WE'RE TRYING TO PLAY CATCH UP. LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO PLAY CATCH UP. BUT WHY, A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT SPECIFICS SPECIFICALLY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MONEY AND THINGS RAGING. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SPEAK TO WHY WE'RE HAVING TO PLAY CATCH UP THIS SIGNIFICANT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. YEAH. AND IT'S AND AGAIN, IT'S REALLY JUST BECAUSE, AGAIN, I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT THE WHAT THE NUMBERS WERE. MAYBE JUNE COULD, COULD HELP ME. BUT I THINK WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS LAST YEAR, THE UTILITY WAS SITTING AT SOMEWHERE AROUND 
          [01:10:02]
A 10% RESERVE, IT WAS YEAH, IT WAS, IT WAS PRETTY, PRETTY LOW, AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS JUST IT'S LIKE IN OUR OWN PERSONAL LIVES HAVING KIND OF AN EMERGENCY FUND, IF YOU WILL, WHERE WE HAVE FUNDS SET ASIDE. SO THAT SHOULD SOMETHING UNEXPECTED OCCUR, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE A LARGE, ON THE, ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE. IT COULD BE A LARGE, INTERCEPTOR BREAK, IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PRONE TO HURRICANES HERE. IT COULD BE A HURRICANE COMING AND TAKING OUT A WASTE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OR OR DAMAGING THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT TO THE POINT WHERE IT NEEDS SIGNIFICANT REPAIRS. THAT THE CITY HAS TO UP FRONT THAT MONEY BEFORE GETTING REIMBURSED, SO IT'S REALLY JUST TRYING TO PROVIDE SOME OF THAT FINANCIAL STABILITY, WHEREAS SOMETHING UNEXPECTED WERE TO HAPPEN, THAT THE CITY IS ABLE TO, TO TAKE CARE OF THAT IN A TIMELY MANNER, LIKE I SAID, THE INDUSTRY NORM IS 25% OF RESERVES. I'M NOT I'M NOT A BIG PROPONENT OF TRYING TO CARRY A LOT OF A LOT OF CASH ON HAND ABOVE THAT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT DOES START TO RAISE THE QUESTION OF, WELL, WHY ARE MY RATES SO HIGH WHEN YOU'RE SITTING ON ON ALL OF THIS MONEY? THAT'S JUST KIND OF SITTING THERE, SO I THINK IT'S JUST TRYING TO BALANCE, BALANCE THOSE OUT AS BEST WE CAN IF THAT MAKES SENSE, WHERE YOU DON'T WANT TO BE OPERATING ON, ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET. BECAUSE IF SOMETHING BAD DOES HAPPEN, WE WANT TO HAVE THAT MONEY, TO, TO FIX IT, ALSO, IT IMPACTS CAN IMPACT YOUR ABILITY TO GO AND ISSUE DEBT FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE NEEDED, THOSE THAT ARE GIVING YOU MONEY, THEY ALSO WANT TO SEE THAT YOU'RE OPERATING A UTILITY IN A SOUND AND SOUND MANNER FINANCIALLY, SO THAT THEY ARE REASSURED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET REPAID, ON THE DEBT THAT THEY'RE ISSUING. YOU, COUNCILMAN GETS WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT MAKING SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH REVENUE COMING IN TO COVER OUR EXPENSES. YOU KNOW, ON OUR PERSONAL LIFE, WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH REVENUE COMING IN, WE CUT THINGS. WE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I DON'T NEED THAT NETFLIX SUBSCRIPTION ANYMORE, THINGS LIKE THAT. I HAVEN'T HEARD A LOT OF, COMMENTS ABOUT EXAMINATION OF OUR EXPENDITURES TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY AREAS THAT ARE WANTS INSTEAD OF NEEDS. IS THERE ANY, ANY ATTEMPT BEING MADE TO, LOOK THROUGH OUR EXPENDITURES TO SEE IF EVERYTHING THAT IS, BEING ASKED FOR IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO RIGHT NOW. REALLY? I CAN ANSWER THAT, MR. GAETZ. YES. THIS YEAR WE DID ZERO BASED BUDGETING, WHICH IS BASICALLY EVERYBODY HAS TO PROVE OUT EVERY ACCOUNT THEY HAVE TO LIST EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT IN EVERY ACCOUNT. AND WE DID WE HELD THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE COMPLETELY. AND I EVEN WENT BACK TO SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS AND ASKED THEM TO CUT THINGS. SO WE DEFINITELY HAVE TRIED TO MINIMIZE EXPENSES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AND I THINK THE ZERO BASED BUDGETING IS REALLY HELPED IN THAT REGARD, BECAUSE IT REALLY JUST SHOWS THIS IS WHAT I NEED AND ITEMIZES IT SO THAT WE CAN ANALYZE IT AND SAY, WELL, WHY? YOU KNOW, WHY IS THIS GOING UP? SO MUCH? AND YOU PUT THIS IN HERE, DO YOU REALLY NEED THAT? SO WE WERE VERY CAREFUL THIS YEAR, TO TRY TO MINIMIZE EXPENSES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. OKAY. THANK YOU. MAYOR, FROM A YES POINT, MR. REED MENTIONED ABOUT THE BOND RATING. WE SHARED THAT REPORT WITH THE THIS YEAR. 
          WE ISSUED THAT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DID DING US ON WAS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A LARGE ENOUGH FUND BALANCE IN OUR WATER, WASTEWATER, FUND BALANCE. AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD LOOK AT WOULD POSSIBLY INCREASE OUR BOND RATING WAS TO HAVE A LARGER, RESERVE IN THAT PARTICULAR BALANCE, AS ONE OF THE THINGS. YES, MR. CITY MANAGER, I READ THAT AS WELL. AND I THINK, THE COST OF MONEY AND CLEARLY WE ARE PROJECTING TO BORROW MORE MONEY. THE COST OF THAT MONEY, INTEREST RATES, WE DON'T CONTROL. BUT OUR BOND RATING WE DO. AND WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD IS THAT WE ARE BELOW INDUSTRY STANDARDS CURRENTLY. 
          AND YOU'RE ENCOURAGING US TO GET TO THOSE INDUSTRY STANDARDS. AND ALTHOUGH I CERTAINLY AGREE INDIVIDUALLY, WE CAN CUT OUT NETFLIX, WE CAN CUT OUT GOING OUT TO DINNER OR STARBUCKS WATER AND SEWER, WHICH IS THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LIMITED TO. THESE ARE IMPORTANT AREAS. AND I KNOW THAT MY PHONE RINGS A LOT BECAUSE OF WATER SEWER ISSUES, AND WE HAVE MADE GREAT IMPROVEMENTS, BUT WE 
          [01:15:02]
HAVE MORE TO MAKE. AND I THINK BECAUSE WE HAVE UNDERFUNDED THIS AS A CITY AND, AND NOT CHARGE THE RATES THAT WE WANT. I UNDERSTAND IT'S UNPOPULAR. I MEAN, I GET IT, BUT ALSO I UNDERSTAND THAT WE OUR BOND RATING MAY BE, DECLINING AND WE STILL WANT TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT SERVICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS, WHETHER IT'S WATER OR SEWER AND UNACCEPTABLE SERVICE. AND THAT IS PAID FOR FROM THESE FUNDS. IT DOESN'T COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND. SO I THINK I APPRECIATE IT, AND I THINK WE DO NEED TO CONTINUE TO ANALYZE IT. AND I KNOW WE THROUGH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, WE ARE FINDING EFFICIENCIES TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS FROM MEETINGS. I'VE BEEN A PART OF, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE GREATER ONES. BUT I MY CONCERN IN TERMS OF PUTTING OFF RATE INCREASES IS IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE COST OF MONEY. AND IN ONE WAY WE'RE SAYING, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO BE SAVING THE CITY MONEY, BUT IN FACT, WE WON'T BE SAVING THE CITY MONEY IN THREE YEARS FROM NOW. THE CITY WILL BE IN WORSE SHAPE. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE'RE JUST IN A POSITION THAT WE HAVE TO, DEAL WITH WHERE WE ARE NOW BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TALKING NETFLIX. WE'RE NOT TALKING STARBUCKS. WE'RE NOT TALKING, MCDONALD'S. WE'RE TALKING WATER AND SEWER. SO THAT'S MY THOUGHT. YES, SIR. SO HOW MUCH MONEY OUT OF THE WATER AND SEWER FUND DOES GO BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND? I CAN LOOK. AND HOW IS THAT CALCULATED? SO I KEPT THE SAME AMOUNT THAT'S BEEN, GOING BACK, THEY PAY. $7 MILLION BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND. BUT WHAT'S THAT BASED OFF OF? THAT WAS A HISTORICAL NUMBER. IT'S BASED ON. YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL FUND DOES A LOT. YOU KNOW, ALL THE OVERHEAD. THAT'S THAT'S DONE, ALL THE ACCOUNTING, ALL THE ADMINISTRATION, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS THAT THAT ARE DONE. BUT THAT IS A HISTORICAL NUMBER. I DID NOT CHANGE IT. IS THAT A NUMBER WE COULD GET FIRMED UP ON IN TERMS OF COST, OR IS THERE A WAY TO PROJECT THAT BETTER SO I CAN SPEAK I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT, AS WELL, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT ME TO, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THAT TRANSFER TO THE GENERAL FUND IS INTENDED FOR. IT'S TO COVER. IT'S TO COVER GENERAL FUND SERVICES LIKE CITY ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, HUMAN RESOURCES, LEGAL, ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING. THEY'RE SPENDING TIME AND THEY'RE SPENDING THINGS THAT THEY HAVE ON DOING UTILITY FUNCTIONS, IT CAN ALSO INCLUDE BASICALLY A FRANCHISE FEE SOMETIMES FOR THE WATER AND WASTEWATER UTILITY, WHICH THEIR LINES ARE LOCATED IN CITY RIGHT OF WAYS, AND SO IF YOU'RE ANY OTHER UTILITY, YOU WOULD PAY A FRANCHISE FEE. AS FAR AS THE SECOND PART OF THAT QUESTION, IT'S INTERESTING THAT I'M DEALING WITH THIS WITH ANOTHER CLIENT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'RE THEY'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT THEIR GENERAL FUND TRANSFER, I WOULD LOVE TO TELL YOU THAT THERE IS A TRIED AND TRUE METHODOLOGY FOR DETERMINING WHAT THAT TRANSFER SHOULD BE, AND ONE DOES NOT EXIST. HOW WE HAVE TYPICALLY TRIED TO DO THAT IN THE PAST IS, IS MAKE SEVERAL ASSUMPTIONS AND WE IN WHICH WE JUST LOOK AT THESE OTHER FUNDS, THESE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THESE GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS, WE LOOK AT WHAT THEIR BUDGETS ARE AND THEN SIT DOWN WITH THEIR STAFF, AND TRY TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH OF THEIR TIME THEY'RE SPENDING ON WATER AND WASTEWATER FUNCTIONS, THAT'S NOT PERFECT, AND THAT IS VERY ASSUMPTION LADEN. I WOULD NEED TO DO THE MATH, Y'ALL ARE TRANSFERRING 7 MILLION OUT OF. I BELIEVE IT'S CLOSE TO 60 SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE, THE INDUSTRY NORM, FOR THAT TRANSFER IS PROBABLY SOMEWHERE AROUND 7 TO 11%. SO Y'ALL WOULD PROBABLY BE AT THAT HIGH END OF THAT. BUT IT'S NOT, I HAVE SEEN SOME, SOME UTILITIES THAT ARE TRANSFERRING 25% OF THEIR REVENUE TO THE GENERAL FUND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT NOT BASED ON WHAT THOSE COSTS ARE, BUT THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE CITY CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT. LIKE I SAID, I, I WISH THAT THERE WAS A TRIED AND TRUE, METHODOLOGY FOR THAT. BUT REALLY SHORT OF HAVING YOUR STAFF TRACK ALL OF THEIR TIME OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, YOU'RE STILL GOING TO END UP MAKING MAKING SOME ASSUMPTIONS THERE. AND 
          [01:20:02]
WOULD IT BE DIFFICULT TO GET US THAT INDUSTRY, AVERAGE? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT COMPARING WATER RATES, BUT IN TERMS OF, WHAT IS RETURNED TO GENERAL, FUNDS FROM THE WATER AND WASTEWATER FROM THESE FROM VARIOUS CITIES, MUNICIPAL MUNICIPALITIES HERE IN TEXAS. SO THAT'S SOMETHING I CAN LOOK AT, I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THAT SAME REQUEST FOR, FOR THIS OTHER CLIENT AT THE SAME TIME. COUNCILMAN GOETZ. SO, CLEARLY, IF WE WERE TO TRANSFER LESS MONEY INTO THE GENERAL FUND FROM THE WATER FUND, WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THAT REVENUE UP SOMEWHERE IN THE GENERAL FUND, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THAT IN THE GENERAL FUND THAN THERE IS IN THE WATER AND SEWER. BUT WE DO, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, NEED TO BE PRETTY MUCH IN LINE, WITH WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING. YOU SAID WE'RE PROBABLY ON THE HIGHER END BY SEVEN, BY THAT $7 MILLION TRANSFER. THAT IS, OF COURSE, A PLACE WHERE WE CAN FIND SOME RELIEF TO OUR WATER CUSTOMERS. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE NOT TRANSFERRING AS MUCH MONEY OUT. 
          YOU DON'T NEED THAT. YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T NEED THAT, REVENUE. IT STAYS WITHIN THE, ENTERPRISE FUND. SO. YEAH. PLEASE LOOK AT THAT. SURE. WE CAN LOOK AT THAT. WE CAN. WE CAN TRY TO PULL THESE OTHER CITIES BUDGETS AND JUST SEE WHAT THEIR LEVEL OF TRANSFER. AND IF I MAY ADD, AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW THE NUMBER IN OUR POLICY, BUT TYPICALLY THAT PERCENTAGE IS TRANSFERRED IS SET BY COUNCIL. AND IN CITIES IT'S TYPICALLY SOMEWHERE IN YOUR POLICY THAT YOU SAY WE CAN TRANSFER UP TO 7% OR 11% OR WHATEVER. SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT OUR, POLICY FINANCIAL, I WILL SAY AS, AS CHERYL REITERATED, THAT NUMBER HAS NOT GONE UP. SO AS YOUR REVENUES HAVE INCREASED, SO MORE THAN LIKELY IT'S PROBABLY SET BY A POLICY THAT WAS ADOPTED BY A COUNCIL. HOW MUCH YOU TRANSFER. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT A STAFF UNILATERALLY DOES. YEAH. SO THAT TRANSFER AMOUNT HAS REMAINED CONSTANT AS REVENUES AND EXPENSES HAVE GONE UP. I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW LONG HAVE THAT ALLOTTED TRANSFER BEEN SET AT THAT YOU KNOW, WE SAID IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CERTAINLY DO. I'M INTERESTED IN HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN OPERATING UNDER THIS PRACTICE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OFF TOPIC, BUT HOW MANY FUNDS LIKE THIS DO WE HAVE THAT WE TRANSFER TO THE GENERAL FUND OUT OF A FUND LIKE THIS. SO IT WOULD TYPICALLY JUST BE YOUR YOUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS, WHICH ARE WATER, SEWER, POTENTIALLY SOLID WASTE, THOSE TYPES OF FUNDS AND AN ENTERPRISE FUND, YOU HAVE TO THINK OF THAT AS IT'S A BUSINESS, I MEAN, THAT'S BASICALLY YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL FUND IS NOT A BUSINESS, WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICE IS A BUSINESS. AND SO THAT THAT TRANSFER, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT TRANSFER IS AS ACCURATE AS IT COULD BE. AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS, WHICH INCLUDES THE COST OF GENERAL FUND ACTIVITIES THAT ARE PROVIDING A SERVICE TO THE WATER AND WASTEWATER, YOU COULD ALMOST THINK OF THEM IF YOU'RE IF YOU OWN A BUSINESS AS AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR, THAT THEY'RE COMING IN AND THEY'RE DOING WORK FOR THE FOR THE UTILITY, SO WE JUST WANT TO ALWAYS KEEP THAT IN MIND THAT ENTERPRISE FUNDS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE GENERAL FUND, AND THAT AND THAT YOU ARE PROVIDING A SERVICE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS. THOSE THOSE CUSTOMERS ARE PAYING FOR THAT SERVICE. AND THOSE IN THAT UTILITIES ARE THEY'RE BASICALLY A BUSINESS ACTIVITY, OF THE CIT. SO I KNOW THAT DIDN'T EXACTLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, BUT THAT'S JUST THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND AS WELL AS WE KIND OF LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE HERE, I AGREE WITH YOU, 100%, BUT IT'D JUST BE EASIER TO JUSTIFY THAT. 
          WE KNEW WHAT THAT $7 MILLION REALLY WAS. THAT'S JUST AN ARBITRARY NUMBER RIGHT NOW. 
          YEAH, WE DO ALSO TRANSFER 2.4 MILLION FROM THE SOLID WASTE FUND TO THE GENERAL FUND. AND BASICALLY THEY'RE CALLED PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF TAXES. SO IF IT WERE A BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE PAYING, LIKE YOU SAID, FRANCHISE TAXES. AND TAXES INTO THE CITY. WELL, WE COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT 2.4 IS BASED OFF OF. AND THAT'S 7 MILLION. I THINK THAT WOULD HELP. ME. 
          ANYBODY ELSE? DO YOU HAVE MORE? DID YOU GET THROUGH IT? THAT'S THAT'S IT. THAT'S ALL THAT I 
          [01:25:05]
HAD. I'M JUST ANSWERING QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL. NEXT. SAY SOME UTILITY EXPENSE. SO SUSAN AND I ARE HERE IN PLACE OF 
          [3. Discussion on City Health Insurance Costs]
HOLMES. MURPHY. PRESTON HAD A FAMILY EMERGENCY, SO THEY PREPARE SOME SLIDES FOR US. SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO PRESENT THOSE SLIDES FOR YOU TODAY. THIS IS THE TOTAL MEDICAL PHARMACY HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS FOR THE CITY. AND CURRENT YEAR TO DATE THROUGH JUNE. AND YOU CAN SEE THE MEDICAL AND THE PHARMACY, THE TOTAL PAID INCREASING EVERY YEAR, TOTAL PAID IN 2120 2.7 MILLION 2220 6.2 MILLION 2320 7.8 MILLION. AND YEAR TO DATE 21.8 MILLION. SO OBVIOUSLY, I MEAN, I THINK EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, IS IN THE SAME BOAT EVERYWHERE THAT MEDICAL EXPENSES ARE JUST GOING UP AND UP AND UP, BUT WE'RE GOING TO WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT SOME THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT ARE GOING TO TRY TO HELP. AND LIKE I SAID, I'M GOING TO ALSO HAVE SOMEBODY COME IN AND START AUDITING OUR MEDICAL EXPENSES. NEXT SLIDE. SO THESE ARE OUR TOTAL HIGH COST CLIMATE HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS. IN 21 WE HAD 21 CLAIMANTS THAT HAD EXPENSES OVER $100,000, WHICH TOTALED 4.6 MILLION IN MEDICAL AND ONE POINT MILLION, 1 MILLION IN PHARMACY IN 22. THAT NUMBER FOR MEDICAL WAS 6.8 MILLION AND PHARMACY 1.5. AND WE HAD 38 CLAIMANTS THAT YEAR. AND IN 23 WE HAD 37 CLAIMANTS. MEDICAL 7.2 AND PHARMACY 3 MILLION. AND THEN YOU SEE THE YEAR TO DATE NUMBERS. FORTUNATELY, THIS YEAR WE ONLY HAVE 14 CLAIMANTS. BUT YOU KNOW, WE CANNOT PREDICT THAT. THAT'S TOTALLY UNPREDICTABLE AND OUT OF OUR CONTROL IS HOW MANY CLAIMANTS WE HAVE. YOU KNOW, WITH HIGH MEDICAL COSTS. WE ARE, YOU KNOW, PUTTING IN PLACE ALSO A PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, LIKE A WHAT DO YOU CALL YOUR PROGRAM? WELL, THE HEALTH, THE, THE EMPLOYEE HEALTH PROGRAM THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT IN PLACE $47,000 FOR. OKAY TRY E EMPLOYEES MORE HEALTHY SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE SO MANY HIGH COST. SO WE HAVE A PLAN. NEXT SLIDE. WE GAVE IT TO YOU. INDIVIDUAL STOP LOSS HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE. STOP LOSSES. YOU KNOW OUR INSURANCE THAT IN 21 WE HAD A STOP LOSS LEVEL OF 225. 
          BUT WE'VE RAISED IT TO 275 TO TRY TO BRING THOSE PREMIUMS DOW. YOU SEE THE PREMIUMS INCREASING. 
          BUT IN THIS CASE WE DO GET REIMBURSEMENT, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME OF THOSE PREMIUMS, PAID. SO AND ACTUALLY WE'VE DONE WELL IN 23 AND 24, WITH OUR REIMBURSEMENT. BUT YOU SEE, THE STOP LOSS RATIO GOING UP AND UP AND UP. NEXT SLIDE. THESE ARE LARGE CLAIMANTS OVER 200,000 PAID YEAR TO DATE FOR THIS YEAR. SO YOU SEE WE HAVE YOU KNOW ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF DISEASES. 
          CAN'T PEOPLE WITH CANCER UNFORTUNATELY PEOPLE YOU KNOW WITH INJURY OR POISONING OR OTHER OTHER THINGS. SO ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON THAT JUST COST, YOU KNOW, LOTS IN PHARMACY, LOTS OF MEDICAL COSTS THAT WE HAVE TO PAY. NEXT SLIDE. THERE'S NO HEADING ON IT. BUT THIS IS, A BUDGET OF, YOU KNOW, CURRENT YEAR TO PRIOR YEAR OR TOTAL MEDICAL AND DENTAL COSTS ARE WE BUDGETED 21.9 MILLION AND 24, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO END UP AT 23 MILLION. SO, YOU KNOW, A LARGE INCREASE THIS YEAR, TOTAL MEDICAL. WE BUDGETED 18.2. AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN 19.2. SO A LARGE INCREASE IN 24, 23 C WAS THE SAME WAY. SO THEIR MITIGATION STRATEGIES, THEY DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY CO-PAY OR DEDUCTIBLE ADJUSTMENTS THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE DID ADJUST LAST YEAR, THEY ALSO ARE NOT RECOMMENDING BUT THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW, ARE POTENTIAL THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN TO GO TO AN HMO OR SOMETHING WITH DEEPER DISCOUNTS. 
          [01:30:03]
BUT, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE THING THAT KEEPS EMPLOYEES HAPPY AND KEEPS EMPLOYEES HERE IS THE GOOD BENEFITS THAT WE PROVIDE. SO THEY'RE ALSO VERY IMPORTANT. AND YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO OVERSTRESS THE EMPLOYEES WITH, HIGH DEDUCTIBLES, HIGH COPAY ADJUSTMENTS, THEY ARE PLANNING TO GO TO AN INTERNATIONAL PHARMACY, WHICH THEY'RE SAYING COULD POTENTIALLY SAVE US 500,000 TO $1 MILLION, DEPENDING ON THE MEDICATIONS INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM AND HOW MANY PEOPLE USE IT, BUT WE ARE PLANNING TO MOVE TO LIVIDITY, AND THERE WILL BE A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL ON THAT VERY SHORTLY, THEY ALSO WANT TO DO A QUALIFIED SPECIALTY CARE, WHICH IS A NETWORK OF SPECIALTY DRUG INFUSION PROVIDERS AND SUPPORT SERVICES. AND THAT COULD POTENTIALLY SAVE US 400 TO $500,000 PER YEAR, THEY ALSO ARE IMPLEMENTING. IT'S CALLED SURGERY PLUS. AND, IT'S GOING TO IT'S LIKE A CERTAIN SURGERY CENTER YOU CAN GO TO. THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A COPAY FOR THAT, SO HOPEFULLY EMPLOYEES WILL, YOU KNOW, GO TO THAT SURGERY CENTER TO HAVE THEIR SURGICAL PROCEDURES DONE AND SAVE THE CITY MONEY, SAVE THEMSELVES MONEY, SO THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION OF SOME STRATEGIES TO MITIGATE COSTS. AND THANKS, SUSAN HAD LITTLE INFORMATION. I KNOW CHERYL ALREADY MENTIONED IT, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DID COME UP IN LAST YEAR'S COMPENSATION STUDY WAS WHAT RETAINS EMPLOYEES HERE AT THE CITY BENEFITS. I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT, OUR GOAL IS OF COURSE, TO KEEP EVERYTHING AFFORDABLE TO OUR EMPLOYEES THAT OFFER A GOOD COVERAGE, AND WE TRY TO DO THAT EVERY YEAR, WE DO HAVE SOME NEW THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN 2025 FOR THE EMPLOYEES, AS FAR AS THEIR BENEFITS, OUR CURRENT VENDORS FOR OUR VOLUNTARY PLANS, WE ARE CHANGING OUR CARRIER. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BETTER COVERAGE PLAN FOR OUR EMPLOYEES THAT ELECT TO DO THAT. AT THE SAME COST. SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO INTRODUCE A WHOLE LIFE POLICY HERE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. SO WHEN THEY ACTUALLY SEPARATE SERVICE, THEY CAN TAKE A WHOLE LIFE POLICY WITH THEM WHEN THEY WALK OUT THE DOOR. CURRENTLY, WE DO NOT OFFER THAT, I DO WANT TO TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT PHARMACY COSTS AT THIS POINT. WE DO HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THE AUGUST 6TH MEETING, WE DID GO OUT FOR RFP AND IT LOOKS VERY PROMISING FOR NEXT YEAR, WE DO WANT TO ENCOURAGE OUR WELLNESS, I DID NOT KNOW THAT THAT WAS APPROVED. IT WAS A SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST AND THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. SO IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT WE STILL HAVE IT IN THERE. BUT WE WERE GOING TO DO A KICK OFF CAMPAIGN TO KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES BETTER, HEALTHY, HEALTH WISE HABITS. IT'S ALSO GOING TO INCLUDE A SAFETY PIECE. SO IT'S A COORDINATION BETWEEN SAFETY AND HEALTH. IT'S GOING TO HAVE A HYDRATION CAMPAIGN AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE GET YOUR STEPS IN. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IMPLEMENTING THAT HERE AT THE CITY TO KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES HEALTHY SO THAT WE HOPEFULLY WILL OFFSET SOME OF OUR COSTS. WE OFFER BCSA FOR WOMEN'S BREAST EXAMS. WE'RE GOING TO BE OFFERING AN ANGIO SCREEN AT THE END OF AUGUST FOR EMPLOYEES TO GET SCANNED AND HOPEFULLY, EARLY DETECTION WILL HELP WITH OFFSETTING ADDITIONAL COSTS THERE AS WELL. WE ALSO ENCOURAGE OUR EMPLOYEES LOCAL GYM MEMBERSHIPS, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY HABITS, LIKE SHE MENTIONED, WE ARE LOOKING AT SURGERY PLUS FOR NEXT YEAR TO HELP OUR EMPLOYEES WITH THEIR OUT OF POCKET COSTS FOR IF THEY DO HAVE TO HAVE A MEDICAL PROCEDURE, ONCE AGAIN, THAT IS VOLUNTARY. SO IF OUR EMPLOYEES CHOOSE NOT TO ELECT TO DO THAT, THEY DON'T HAVE TO, AND JUST FUTURE CONSIDERATION. NEXT YEAR WE WILL BE GOING OUT FOR RFP FOR OUR MEDICAL AND DENTAL. 
          SO WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT OUR FISCAL YEAR 26 WILL LOOK LIKE AT THIS POINT UNTIL AFTER THAT PROCESS IS COMPLETED, BUT FOR 2025, OUR BENEFITS ARE STAYING THE SAME. BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIEL, ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION. IN TERMS OF. AND Y'ALL MAY HAVE THIS INFORMATION AVAILABLE NOW, OR YOU MAY BE SOMETHING THAT'S REQUIRES A LITTLE RESEARCH. I KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS VERSUS EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS, OFTENTIMES WITH EMPLOYERS YOU CAN FIND SIGNIFICANT, DECREASES IN HEALTH CARE COSTS BY GETTING PEOPLE TO USE, HAVE A PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR THAT IS AFFORDABLE TO THEM AND AVAILABLE TO THEM. AND ALSO 
          [01:35:04]
INCENTIVIZING THEM TO GO BECAUSE THEN MAYBE CONDITIONS DON'T GET WORSE, THEY DON'T NEED AS MUCH MEDICATION AND THEY DON'T END UP IN THE SAME POSITION. AND IS THAT SOMETHING WE HAVE STUDIED? AND TO SEE HOW SUCCESSFUL AND ALSO, I KNOW, WITH THE COMPANY THAT I WORK FOR IN MY PRIMARY JOB, THEY OFFER FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE PROGRAMS BECAUSE IT'S SAVING THE COMPANY MONEY TO, FOR PEOPLE TO BE HEALTHIER. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT IS SOMETHING WE'VE EXPLORED. AND ALSO TRACKING HOW MANY PEOPLE DO HAVE PRIMARY CAREGIVERS VERSUS A, VISIT EMERGENCY ROOMS FROM YEAR TO YEAR? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, THIS PROBLEM, THE BEST WAY FOR IT TO GET BETTER IS FOR US TO HELP THEM BE MORE HEALTHY AND USE HEALTH CARE. THE LESS EXPENSIVE HEALTH CARE MORE OFTEN, RATHER THAN END UP IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM, WE HAVE LOOKED INTO OFFERING A PROGRAM AND WHAT THE COST WOULD BE TO THE CITY, HOW IT WOULD IMPACT IF WE HAD LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO NAME ANY VENDOR NAMES BECAUSE WE'VE JUST LOOKED AT THEM TO TRY TO OFFSET SOME OF THE OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS, KEEP PEOPLE GOING TO THE PHYSICIANS AND GETTING THEIR ANNUAL EXAMS, PHYSICALS, BUT WE DID NOT BRING THAT TO 2025 BUDGET BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE AN RFP PROCESS. COUNCILMAN FALLSHAW, AGAIN, I YOU DID NOT RECOMMEND A INCREASE ON THE DEDUCTIBLE. INDIVIDUAL THOUSAND FAMILY 15 I THINK 100. WHAT'S THE DEDUCTIBLE NOW? OUR OUT OF POCKET DEDUCTIBLE FOR AN EMPLOYEE ONLY IS $1,000. OUR MAXIMUM OUT OF POCKET FOR AN EMPLOYEE IS $6,000. FOR DEDUCTIBLES. OKAY, I MISUNDERSTOOD IT THEN. THANK YOU, FOR ME, I STRUGGLE, I STRUGGLE WITH WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THINGS OF THIS MAGNITUDE, WE TALK ABOUT THE 2% STRAIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD. AND I KNOW YOU KNOW, THE MEDIAN INCOME IN BEAUMONT IS $31,000 PER HOUSEHOLD. SO I LOOK AT IT FROM AN ASPECT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT MAY BE AFFORDABLE TO SOME OR NOT AFFORDABLE TO MOST SPECIFICALLY, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MEDIAN INCOME, YOU KNOW, I JUST IT'S JUST TOUGH FOR ME TO LOOK AT THE ASPECT OF SOME OF THESE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE MAKING THE RATES THAT THEY'RE MAKING EVEN HAVE TO DEAL WITH A DEDUCTIBLE TO THAT MAGNITUDE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FINANCIALLY, LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, OUR BUDGET IS TIGHT. SO IF OUR BUDGET IS TIGHT AS A CITY, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW BUDGETS ARE. AND HOUSEHOLDS. SO I JUST WANT US AS A COUNCIL TO REALLY TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT INCREASES IN STAFF AND SALARIES AND COUNCILOR MCNEIL, WE TALK ABOUT THIS ALL THE TIME. IT'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TOP HEAVY AND, YOU KNOW, JUST THE AVERAGE, YOU KNOW, CITIZEN WORKER FOR BEAUMONT. SO I HOPE WE REALLY TAKE TRUE CONSIDERATION IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IN 2025, OUR PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS FOR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS WILL BE INCREASING FOR DENTAL AND MEDICAL IN 20. FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR, OUR INCREASE IN, WHAT THE EMPLOYEES PAY WAS 10% THE YEAR BEFORE WAS 10%. THIS YEAR, WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP IT UNDER 10% FOR THE PAYROLL CHANGES. THAT WILL BE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST OF 25, BECAUSE WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT WITH THE INCREASE IN OFFICE CO-PAYS, DEDUCTIBLES, IN YOUR OUT OF POCKETS AND YOUR PAYROLL, INCREASING, UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE PREMIUMS INCREASE, THAT, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND ESPECIALLY OUR RETIREES THAT PAY A PERCENTAGE OF THE COBRA RATES. THOSE RATES ARE ALSO GOING UP, AND THOSE PEOPLE AREN'T FIXED INCOMES. SO WE DO KEEP ALL THAT IN MIND WHEN WE LOOK AT RATES EVERY YEAR AND, TRY TO KEEP THEM MANAGEABLE. SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY HUGE INCREASES. THANK YOU. KIND OF SPEAKS TO THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE. SO I APPRECIATE THAT WE KEEP THE EMPLOYEES IN MIND ALL THE TIME. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M DEMI ENGMAN. I'M GOING TO SPEAK FOR THE 
          [4. Presentation by Department/Divisions of FY 2025 Proposed Operating Budgets]
PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE BUDGET REQUESTS, FIRST, SOME HIGHLIGHTS OVER THE COURSE OF FISCAL YEAR 24, WE ARE OVER 5000 PERMITS ISSUED. THE DOWNTOWN PROACTIVE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM HAS BEEN UNDERWAY. YOU ALL HAVE BEEN RECEIVING WEEKLY UPDATES. THAT UPDATE SHOULD COME TODAY, SORRY FOR THE DELAY, DEMOLITION. WE'VE COMPLETED, 99 
          [01:40:07]
STRUCTURES AND HAVE 345 PROPERTIES OR STRUCTURES IN THE PIPELINE, BEAUMONT CIB, WE CONTINUE TO UPGRADE AND ENHANCE, CODE ENFORCEMENT INSPECTIONS. SO THAT'S YOUR LITTER JMV, WEEDS, NUISANCE. WE HAVE COMPLETED 18,731 TO DATE, FOR ALSO FOR COMPLIANCE. WE HAVE SPENT $779,605 YEAR TO DATE. LOOKING FORWARD TO FISCAL YEAR 25. WE'RE GOING TO APPLY TODAY, ACTUALLY, FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OR FUNDING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THROUGH THE GLO, THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, THROUGH THEIR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES PROGRAM, LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING THE VACANT BUILDING REGISTRY FOR Y'ALL'S CONSIDERATION NEXT MONTH. 
          IMPROVED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES. BEEN WORKING WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER. IN IN BRINGING THAT ALSO IN 25 AND ALSO IMPROVING OUR CODE OUTREAC, THE PROPOSED REQUEST TODAY, FOR DEMOLITION, BOARDING, BOARDING AND SECURE A TOTAL OF 340,000. SO DUE TO THE INCREASED, DOWNTOWN ENFORCEMENT THAT WE HAVE BEEN OR THAT IS ONGOING, IT MAY POSSIBLE DEMOLITION POSSIBLE BOARDING AND SECURING OF BUILDINGS SHOULD THE OWNERS NOT COME INTO COMPLIANCE, WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE LARGER BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN, WE RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, QUOTES. IT COULD BE ANYWHERE, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING. IT VARIES GREATLY, BUT YOUR LARGER BUILDINGS COULD BE ABOUT 400,000, A LITTLE LESS TO DEMOLISH. OR IT COULD BE MORE IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, DEPENDING ON SIZE, SAME THING FOR BOARDING AND SECURING, IT CAN RANGE ANYWHERE FROM 25,000, MAYBE LESS, ALL THE WAY UP TO 100,000, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING. AGAIN, SO THAT'S WHERE THAT THAT LARGE NUMBER OF 340,000 IS COMING INTO PLAY. OF COURSE, IF WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND ALL OF THAT, WE WOULD NOT, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO PREPARE FOR THAT, AND THAT'S ALSO, IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS A HIGH PRIORITY FOR PROACTIVE CODE ENFORCEMENT, NEXT IS A CDBG HOUSING ASSISTANCE REQUEST, THIS WOULD BE A REQUEST FOR A POSITION IN FISCAL YEAR 24. CDBG AND HOME FUNDS WERE DISTRIBUTED FROM 12 ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR TO 25 ORGANIZATIONS THIS YEAR. SO THAT DOUBLED, THE AMOUNT OF DOCUMENTATION RECORDING THAT WE HAVE TO DO, OR PROVIDE TO HUD EVERY SINGLE YEAR, SO THEY WOULD ASSIST IN THAT. TO OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES MANAGER, AND ALSO THEY WOULD, WE WERE TRYING TO INCREASE EFFORTS TO ADVERTISE OUR GRANT FUNDED PROGRAMS, PUBLIC OUTREACH, ELEVATE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE. ALSO ADDRESS ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE STANDPOINT TO ASSIST IN ANY COORDINATION, PUBLICATION, ETC, TO THIS EFFORT. THIS WOULD ALSO IMPROVE OUR DIVISIONAL AND DEPARTMENTAL EFFECTIVENESS, THIRD 250,000 TOWARDS HOMELESS INITIATIVES. IN FISCAL YEAR 24 THIS YEAR, Y'ALL HAD SET ASIDE, 250,000, OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS PUT ON PAUSE, THAT WAS FOR THE SHELTER. POSSIBLE CLEANUP, POSSIBLE STORAGE OF PERSONAL ITEMS THAT, THAT KIND OF OR THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, THAT MONEY HAS NOT BEEN SPENT, AS THAT WAS PUT ON PAUSE TO THAT CASE. BUT I DO BELIEVE IN THE NEXT MONTH, WE'LL BE DOING A WORKSHOP TO GET A BIT MORE DIRECTION TO SEE WHICH WAY Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ON. THAT, LAST REQUEST. COMMUNITY LIAISON, YOUTH PROGRAMING WERE REQUESTING 25,000, THAT IS FOR, LITERACY PROGRAMS, TUTORIALS, AFTER SCHOOL FUNCTIONS, STRAIGHT TALK SYMPOSIUMS. AND IF THE BUDGET WOULD ALLOW POSSIBLE, ATHLETIC PROGRAMS. SO ON THIS SLIDE, THIS IS OUR THE FEES, BUILDING CODES. THIS IS THE BUILDING PERMIT FEES SLIDE AND ALSO TRADE PERMITS. WE HAVE TONS OF FEES. SO THIS IS NOT LISTING ALL OF THEM. IT'S JUST THE ONES THAT I FELT WERE A GREATER CHANGE THAN THE OTHERS. SO THE LAST TIME THE FEES WERE ADJUSTED WAS 2010. CANVASED. COMPARABLE CITIES AND WHAT THEIR FEES ARE AND PROPOSED ADJUSTMENTS CONSISTENT TO THOSE CITIES, TO QUICKLY HIGHLIGHT NEW COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY PERMIT FEES ARE CALCULATED BY VALUATION OF THE PROJECT, I WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE THE BASE 
          [01:45:02]
FEE BY 40% AND CHARGE AN ADDITIONAL DOLLAR PER $1,000 OF THE VALUATION, SO 40% SOUNDS LIKE A, A HIGH NUMBER. SO TO GIVE SOME PERSPECTIVE TO THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY, I PRINTED IN FONT SIZE SIX, BUT ONE MOMENT I HAVE READERS. IF YOU NEED. SO FOR, LET'S SAY A PROJECT IS 50,000, OR VALUED AT 50,000. THE BASE FEE IS 293. SO I WOULD BE PROPOSING. YEP. I WOULD BE PROPOSING THAT THAT WOULD INCREASE TO $410 AS THE BASE FEE. AND THEN ANY. SO LIKE LET'S SAY THAT IT'S 52,000, ANY ADDITIONAL THOUSAND BEYOND 50 WOULD BE, SORRY WOULD BE $6. AND $0.20 ADDED ON TO THAT FEE. SO JUST TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, THE NEXT ONE, FOR RESIDENTIAL, I WOULD LIKE TO INSTEAD OF CHARGING THEM BY SQUARE FOOTAGE, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GET INTO MORE OF FLAT FEES THAT WAY. IT'S STREAMLINED, FOR CONTRACTORS WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO GIVE QUOTES A LOT OF THE CONTRACTORS WILL CALL MY, PERMIT CLERKS AND THEY'LL ASK, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH IS THIS PERMIT GOING TO COST AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO I'M TRYING TO STREAMLINE THAT PROCESS A BIT MORE, MESQUITE IS DOING THIS RIGHT NOW, THEY CHARGE 1100 PER UNIT, SO WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE FOR SINGLE FAMILY, IF YOU'RE BUILDING A NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOME, IT'S AN $800 PERMIT THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE YOUR TRADE PERMITS, YOU KNOW, GRADING DRIVEWAY MAY IS SOLD SEPARATE, BUT THAT WOULD BE FOR YOUR YOUR BASE, I DO HAVE MY WONDERFUL PERMIT MANAGER WITH ME TODAY. 
          WHAT IS THE AVERAGE, RESIDENTIAL, SINGLE FAMILY, NEW CONSTRUCTION PERMIT? THE BUILDING PERMIT? HELLO. SO, BASED ON A 1200 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $470 FOR YOUR BUILDING PERMIT FEE, $125 FOR YOUR ELECTRICAL. 121 FOR YOUR PLUMBING, 37 FOR YOUR GAS, AND 145 FOR YOUR HVAC SYSTEM. SO AVERAGE WITH THAT. YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT PROBABLY 8 TO $900. THANKS AND THEN, YES, SIR. I'VE GOT TO STOP BECAUSE. SO ARE YOU PROPOSING THAT PEOPLE THAT BUILD A 1200 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE PAY THE SAME FEE THAT SOMEBODY THAT BUILDS A MCMANSION OF 3500FT■!S, IS THAT EQUITABLE? IS THAT RIGHT? I WAS TRYING TO GO TO FLAT FEES. I SEE YOUR POINT, THOUGH, AND WE COULD ALWAYS SCALE IT WHERE, YOU KNOW, 1500 OR LESS OR 1500 SQUARE FEET OR LESS. YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE FLAT FEE FOR THAT. AND THEN WE CAN TEAR IT IF YOU'D LIKE. I'M NOT SURE THAT IT'S NOT OKAY THE WAY IT IS, WHY ARE WE WHY ARE WE TRYING TO CHANGE THAT? I UNDERSTAND THAT IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO JUST TO HAVE A FLAT FEE. IT IT MAKES IT CONVENIENT, BUT THAT DOESN'T SEEM EQUITABLE TO ME. SURE. YEAH AND AGAIN, IT WAS MORE SO FOR THE STREAMLINED PROCESS OF, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACTORS CALL, WE SPEND AT LEAST TEN MINUTES. AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY HAVE TO WAIT ON HOLD BECAUSE OF THE CALL VOLUME. AND THEY'RE WAITING ON US TO GIVE THEM A QUOTE OF WHAT THAT THAT WOULD COST PERMIT WISE SO THAT THEY CAN THEN TURN AROUND. I'M ASSUMING, FOR THE QUOTE TO GIVE TO THEIR CLIENT. ANOTHER QUESTION IS ANNUAL CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION. WHAT IS THAT EXACTLY GOING TO BE? YEAH. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I SAW SOME OTHER CITIES DO. I COULDN'T FIND FOR WACO AND I COULDN'T FIND FOR TYLER, BUT I SAW MESQUITE DOES IT, BASICALLY THEY THEY HAVE ANNUAL OR ANNUALLY THEIR GENERAL CONTRACTORS REGISTER WITH THE CITY. SO ANY TIME THAT ANYONE PULLS A PERMIT, THEY HAVE TO BE BONDED WITH THE CITY, TYPICALLY THOSE BONDS EXPIRE AFTER A YEAR. SO IT WOULD BE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IS THEY COME TO THE COUNTER SOMETIMES THEY MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN TO UPDATE THEIR, THEIR BOND IF THEY WERE TO REGISTER OUR SYSTEM ALLOWS WHERE THAT THAT CONTRACTOR WHEN YOU KNOW AND WE JUST HAVE TO MESS WITH THE DATES AND WHATNOT IN OUR OWN SYSTEM ADMINISTRATIVELY. BUT YOU KNOW, IF TWO MONTHS IS COMING UP TO WIN THEIR, BOND EXPIRES, THEN 
          [01:50:02]
WE CAN SEND THEM A REMINDER TO UPDATE THAT BOND, AND THEN THAT WAY, WHENEVER THEY COME IN AND PULL A PERMIT, THEY'RE NOT DELAYED OR HAVING TO GO AND HOW BROAD OF A SPECTRUM ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CONTRACTORS? I MEAN, WHAT IS THAT JUST, YOU KNOW, JOE THE HANDYMAN THAT'S GOING TO COME IN AND DO SOME DRYWALL WORK FOR YOU? OR IS THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE H.B. NEIL THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE GOING TO DO A MASSIVE. YEAH. SO IF YOU'RE HOMESTEADED, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE BONDED. AND I CAN HAVE LINDSAY COME UP AS WELL, TO SPEAK ON THIS. SHE IS, THE PERMIT MANAGER. YOU DON'T HAVE IF YOU'RE HOMESTEADED, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE BONDED, YOU CAN GO AHEAD. HI. AGAIN YEAH. SO IF YOU ARE HOMESTEADED AND YOU OWN YOUR PROPERTY AND YOU LIVE THERE, WE DO NOT REQUIRE YOU TO BE BONDED WITH THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. YOU CAN PULL ANY TYPE OF PERMIT THAT YOU WANT TO. SO BUILDING ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL, PLUMBING, HVAC, IRRIGATION, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. WE JUST REQUIRE THAT YOU OBVIOUSLY FOLLOW OUR CODES THAT WE'VE ADOPTED AND YOU CALL FOR PROPER INSPECTIONS, WHAT IF YOU'RE WORKING ON A RENTAL PROPERTY? SO YES, WE DO REQUIRE YOU TO BE BONDED. IF YOU'RE WORKING ON YOUR OWN RENTAL PROPERTY, THAT IS STUFF THAT IS BEING TALKED ABOUT INTERNALLY, BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, YES. AND WHAT IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT HIRING SOMEBODY TO WORK ON YOUR OWN PROPERTY? YOU'RE NOT DOING IT YOURSELF, BUT YOU'RE HIRING JOE THE HANDYMAN TO COME IN AND, DO SOME WORK FOR YOU. JOE HAS TO BE BONDED. OKAY AND WOULD THEY ALSO HAVE TO WOULD JOE ALSO HAVE TO START REGISTERING NOW? YES. SO THE CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION IS SOMETHING THAT I HAD BROUGHT UP TO DEMI. DO I THINK CONTRACTORS WILL APPRECIATE IT? PROBABLY NO. I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW I'M NOT I KNOW, I KNOW, YOU JUST GOT MAYOR. MAYOR PRO TEM. YOU GET MORE MONEY. NOW. I MEAN, IN IN THE ONLY REASON WHY IT WAS BROUGHT UP, IS BECAUSE WE CAN HAVE ANYWHERE FROM ONE CONTRACTOR REGISTER A DAY TO TEN CONTRACTORS REGISTER A DAY, JUST DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON OUTSIDE THE OFFICE OR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUMONT, IT IS TIME CONSUMING FOR MY CLERKS TO DO THAT. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT. PLUS, IT WOULD BE FOR US TO, LIKE DEMI SAID, TO CONTACT Y'ALL WHEN YOUR BOND IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE. THAT WAY YOU WOULD KNOW. AND THERE'S NO HEADACHES WHEN YOU GET THERE, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE FRUSTRATIONS IS THEY'RE PAYING THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY. 
          THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY IS SUPPOSED TO MAIL US A BOND. EITHER THEY DIDN'T MAIL IT TO U, IT WENT TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED YET. SO BY THE TIME THEY GET TO US, THEY'RE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PULL THEIR PERMIT AND THEY NEED TO START THEIR JOB RIGHT NOW. 
          BUT THAT'S THEIR LIVELIHOOD. THAT'S THEIR JOB. TO I MEAN, THEY NEED TO KEEP UP WITH THAT, RIGHT? THAT'S HOW THEY MAKE THEIR LIVING. ARE YOU ASKING MY OPINION IF THEY SHOULD KEEP UP THEIR BLINDS? AM I WRONG? I MEAN, DON'T SAY IT. DON'T SAY IT. I MEAN, IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT ANYBODY WANTS, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND, BUT IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT WAS BEING TALKED ABOUT. I MEAN, IF I, IF I LEFT WHEN I WAS PRACTICING LAW, IF I LET MY BAR LICENSE EXPIRE AND I TRY TO GO TO COURT AND THE JUDGE SAYS, YOU STILL A MEMBER OF THE BAR, AREN'T YOU? NOW WELL, I THINK I MEAN, HOW DOES THAT WORK? THEY COME TO THE COUNTER TO PULL THE PERMIT. IT SAYS THEY'RE NOT IN OUR PERMITTING SYSTEM WHEN THEY GO TO PULL THEIR PERMIT, THEY'LL CALL US AND WE'LL SAY, WELL, YOU'LL NEED TO HAVE YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY EMAIL US THE BOND. AND THEN IT JUST STARTS THIS RIPPLE EFFECT OF, WELL, NOW MY ELECTRICIAN CAN'T PULL A PERMIT. WELL, NOW MY PLUMBER CAN'T PULL A PERMIT. I HAVE TO STOP MY JOB TOMORROW. BUT IT. 
          SIMILARLY, WHEN BUILDING CODES MADE THE CHANGE WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR SOME OF OUR CODES THAT THEY MADE THE CHANGE WITH DUE TO US VOTING THEY HAD LIKE THESE TOWN HALLS AND THESE COMMUNITY MEETINGS WHERE THEY ACTUALLY BROUGHT PEOPLE IN AND KIND OF EDUCATED THEM ON THE PROCESS AND WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO, EVEN WITH THE DOWNTOWN STRUCTURES AND THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING IN, I KIND OF REQUESTED THAT WE DID THAT. AND I KNOW YOU TOLD ME Y'ALL DID AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, BUT I THINK IT'D BE VERY IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, TO JUST GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM SOME OF OUR PEOPLE. WE DO A LOT OF BUSINESS WITH IN BEAUMONT, AND LET'S JUST KIND OF SEE HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT SOME OF THESE THINGS. YOU GOT A CONTRACT UP HERE ON THE COUNCIL. HE JUST SAID HE WASN'T PAYING. SO I'M JUST SAYING LIKE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY GET SOME FEEDBACK WHAT WE CAN ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE. I'M ALL ABOUT MOVING FORWARD, BUT I JUST DON'T LIKE TO HIT THEM OFF GUARD OR BLINDSIDE THEM. I LIKE TO KIND OF KNOW IT'S COMING, AND I DO WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THIS IS NOT FOR OBVIOUSLY FOR ADOPTION TODAY. THIS IS JUST TO THE PROPOSED AND TO GET FEEDBACK. SO IT SEEMS ANNUAL CONTRACT REGISTRATION MAY NOT BE A 
          [01:55:01]
FEASIBLE ONE. SO WE CAN STRIKE THAT FOR SURE. BUT, YOU KNOW, TEARING OFF OF SQUARE FOOTAGE. 
          THAT MAKES SENSE, SO I CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT. AND WHENEVER THIS COMES BACK, YOU KNOW, I'LL SHOW YOU, MORE IN DEPTH AS WELL, BUT SHOW YOU THE, THE SCHEDULE. IF WE GO BACK TO THE PROPOSED AMOUNT FOR DOWNTOWN PROJECTS, DEMOLITION, BACKSLIDE. INCREASED ENFORCEMENT DOWNTOWN MAY RESULT. 
          POSSIBLE DEMOLITION. $340,000, WELL, LET'S TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE GILBERT BUILDING. CAN THAT BUILDING BE DEMOLISHED FOR $340,000? WE RECEIVED A QUOTE FOR 396,000. SO IT WAS EARMARKED, FOR IN, OF COURSE, THIS IS ALL PRELIMINARY, AND IT MUST BE ADOPTED BY Y'ALL AT A FUTURE DATE, WE WERE EARMARKED FOR 500,000 I'M ASKING FOR. AND THAT'S FOR OUR NORMAL DEMOLITION CASES. LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE ALREADY DEMOED 99 STRUCTURES, SO THAT IS COVERING THAT. THAT'S COVERING, CERTAIN CLEANUPS, THAT'S COVERING, BOARDING AND SECURING THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. 
          AND I'M REQUESTING AN ADDITIONAL 340,000 WITHIN THAT ACCOUNT TO ACCOUNT FOR POSSIBLE DEMOLITION, BOARDING AND SECURING OF THE LARGE BUILDINGS, BECAUSE THOSE WILL BE GREATLY THOSE WILL BE EXPONENTIALLY MORE THAN, THAN A RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE LIKE THE ONES THAT WE TYPICALLY SEE. AND WE'RE COORDINATING WITH LEGAL OR WHOEVER IS GOING TO BE TRYING TO PASS THOSE CHARGES ON TO THOSE BUILDING OWNERS TO RECOVER THAT MONEY. OF COURSE. THERE. YES DEMI, I'M ASSUMING THIS NEVER HAPPENS. BUT IN THE CASE WHERE PERHAPS WE ISSUE A STOP WORK ORDER AND IT'S PROVEN THAT WE WERE IN THE WRONG, I'M ASSUMING IF WE HAD THAT $500 FEE, THAT THAT FEE WOULD BE REFUNDED. 
          YEAH. WE IF WE WERE EVER CAME UP IN THE WRONG THEN NO, THAT THAT FEE WOULD NOT BE CHARGED. AND AGAIN, THAT NEVER NEGATES, THE BUILDING OFFICIAL AND OUR BUILDING INSPECTORS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY'LL, THEY'LL GO TO A JOB AND THEY'LL NOTICE THAT SOMETHING WASN'T COVERED UNDER THEIR PERMIT. WE TELL THEM, YOU KNOW, HEY, YOU NEED TO GO TO CITY HALL. YOU NEED TO APPLY FOR YOUR BUILDING PERMIT BY X TIME. NORMALLY, IT'S VERY, VERY REASONABLE. THEY NEED TO, YOU KNOW, AND THEY NORMALLY COME DOWN TO CITY HALL PRETTY QUICKLY. AND WE GET THAT RESOLVED. AND WE THERE'S NO STOP WORK ORDER NECESSARILY ISSUED BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO BY AMENDING THEIR BUILDING PERMIT. SO IT WOULD NEVER NEGATE THE ABILITY FOR THE BUILDING OFFICIAL TO WORK WITH THE CUSTOMER OR THE CITIZEN. WHAT IS THE USAGE FEE? YES. SO THAT IS RIGHT NOW OUR ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING FEE. WHENEVER I WAS LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES, IT LOOKED TO BE MUCH HIGHER, RIGHT NOW, WE DID IMPLEMENT, CITY WORKS, WHICH IS AN ONLINE PERMITTING SYSTEM, THAT COMES AT A COST, THE $2 WAS IN PLACE PRIOR TO 2020 WHEN THAT CAME INTO EFFECT. SO INCREASING $10 IS COVERING THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING AND ALSO THE ONLINE PERMITTING. A COUPLE MORE TO HIGHLIGHT. AND THEN I CAN MOVE. WELL, UNLESS YOU GUYS HAVE ONE LAST ONE. SURE. A MOVING PERMIT RESIDENTIAL. WHAT IS WHAT IS THAT ANYTIME A STRUCTURE IS MOVED WITHIN THE CITY. YEAH. AND THE REASON I PLACED THAT ONE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER IS THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WEIGHT ONTO THE ROADS, IT DAMAGES ROADS SO THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE, THAT NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR. I MEAN, YOU SAID YOU HAD DEMOLISHED 99 STRUCTURES. IS THAT LAST YEAR? THAT'S THIS FISCAL YEAR, THIS FISCAL YEAR. AND THAT'S RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL. SO MOST RESIDENTIAL, SOME COMMERCIAL. OKAY AND WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE DOING FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. SO IF YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT WHAT, DEMOLITION HAS SPENT OR WILL SPEND BY THE END OF FISCAL 24 OR WHAT WE PREDICT TO IS, $300,000, I BELIEVE WE WERE EARMARKED FOR 400,000. AND THAT THAT MONEY IS SPENT, AS I WON'T SAY EXPEDITIOUSLY, BUT THE DEMOLITION PROCESS THAT TAKES TIME, YOU HAVE TO NOTIFY THE PROPERTY OWNERS. YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM TIME TO, BRING THEIR, THEIR STRUCTURE INTO COMPLIANCE. IF THEY DO, IF THEY DON'T HAS TO GO THROUGH THE LEGAL PROCESS, THEY CAN FILE TROS AFTER THAT. SO IT COULD GET BOGGED DOWN, TO GIVE A DEFINITE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW MANY STRUCTURES WILL DEMOLISH OR THIS IS HOW MUCH WE'LL SPEND NEXT YEAR. IS TOUGH, BUT WE CAN ONLY ACCOUNT FOR WHAT WE FEEL WOULD BE NECESSARY. AND 345 STRUCTURES ARE IN THE PIPELINE TO BE DEMOLISHED. SO, WHAT ARE YOU. WHAT IS THE AVERAGE COST FOR, SAY, LIKE YOU'RE USING A 1200 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING THAT NEEDS TO BE DEMOLISHED? RESIDENTIAL? THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION. I BET MY DEMOLITION MANAGER WOULD KNOW THAT APPROXIMATELY 4 TO 5000 4 OR 5. YES I'M LOOKING AT THESE PLAN REVIEW. SO WHEN YOU BRING 
          [02:00:15]
IN A WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET SOME SORT OF A PERMIT TO DO ANYTHING. 
          RIGHT. AND YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT. BUT THEN ONCE YOU'VE GOTTEN YOUR PERMIT, AT SOME POINT YOU'RE GOING TO PRESUMABLY HAVE AN ARCHITECT OR SOMEBODY, DROP SOME PLANS. RIGHT NOW, Y'ALL DON'T CHARGE TO LOOK AT. WE DO NOT NOT FOR RESIDENTIAL. WE DO FOR COMMERCIAL, THOUGH. 
          OKAY. AND WHAT'S THE THINKING ABOUT GOING TO, A FEE FOR LOOKING AT IN REVIEWING PLANS? BECAUSE TO ME, I'M JUST THINKING THAT PART OF THE WHOLE ISSUANCE OF THE PERMIT, DOES THAT INVOLVE REVIEWING PLANS ALSO? ABSOLUTELY. SO A CUSTOMER WANTS TO BUILD A HOME, THEY SUBMIT FOR AN APPLICATION, THEY DROP OFF THE PERMITS, WHICH IS NOW ONLINE. SO THEY ATTACH IT, PDF FORM, AND FROM THERE, THE OR OUR ADMINISTRATION. SO MOSTLY OUR PERMIT CLERKS, THEY WILL PROCESS THE PERMIT, IT WILL GO OUT FOR REVIEW. SO THAT THOSE REVIEWS FOR RESIDENTIAL INCLUDE PLANNING AND ZONING, ENGINEERING AND BUILDING CODES, SO EACH REVIEW, PLANNING IS A LITTLE BIT LESS TIME. I WOULD SAY IT'S PROBABLY ANYWHERE BETWEEN 30 TO 45 MINUTES. BUILDING CODES, BECAUSE IT'S ALL ARCHITECTURE THAT THEY'RE OR THE STRUCTURE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT. 
          THAT COULD TAKE 1 TO 2 HOURS ENGINEERING. THEY HAVE TO CALCULATE FOR DRAINAGE AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. BUT I COULD PROBABLY TALK BETTER TO EXACTLY WHAT ENGINEERING LOOKS FOR. BUT I KNOW THAT THAT TAKES AT LEAST AN HOUR, IF NOT MORE, SO WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOUNT FOR THE STAFF TIME THAT IT TAKES TO REVIEW THESE PLANS. AND AGAIN, IT LOOKS, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE BOARD, EVERYONE IS CHARGING A FEE. YOU KNOW, IT'S RANGING FROM $141 TO 25% OF THE BUILDING PERMIT TO WACO AT A FLAT FEE OF 50. SO TRYING TO GO RIGHT SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT 28% CAN VARY GREATLY, DEPENDING ON THE, THE PERMIT, TRYING TO GO IN AT ABOUT 150. AND THAT MOSTLY IS THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR BUILDING PERMIT FEES, I'M SORRY, TRADE PERMITS, DOWN IN THE RIGHT CORNER, I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO FLAT FEES RIGHT NOW, LIKE, TAKE OUR ELECTRICAL PERMIT FOR EXAMPLE, WE BASICALLY NICKEL AND DIME FOR EVERY SINGLE PLUG, BUZZER, BELL WHISTLE, THEY ALL THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO TYPE IN, HOW MANY YOU'RE DOING OF EACH ONE. I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR IT TO BE A FLAT FEE, I LOOKED HARD INTO WHAT I SHOULD CHARGE, FOR THESE OR WHAT I SHOULD ASSESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, DROPPING IN REVENUES ON THAT, FOR A MINIMUM PER PERMIT, LIKE, ELECTRICAL WOULD BE LIKE FIVE DEVICES OR LESS, SO IT'S YOUR VERY MINIMAL, BASIC WORK FOR A RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION, GOING IN AT ABOUT 150 FOR COMMERCIAL FLAT FEE TO 300 MULTIFAMILY TAKES A LONG TIME FOR, ON THE INSPECTION SIDE, SO ASSESSING $100, FEE PER UNIT. COUNCILMAN FALLSHAW THEN COUNCILMAN NEILL. JIMMY, YOU TALKED ABOUT STREAMLINING THE PROCESS. IT SOUNDS LIKE, FOR YEARS NOW, I'VE HEARD CONTRACTORS SAY TO ME, I DON'T WANT TO BUILD IN BEAUMONT. YOUR PERMITTING PROCESS IS COMPLICATED, CONVOLUTED, HARD TO DEAL WITH. I GO TO MID COUNTY, I GO TO LUMBERTON. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT'S PERCEPTION. 
          HOW MUCH OF THAT'S REALITY. I DON'T KNOW, BUT I GUESS WITHIN WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, DO YOU FEEL THAT THERE'S ROOM FOR, THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT? AND LOOKING AT OUR OVERALL PROCESS AND TRYING TO SIMPLIFY OUR PERMITTING PROCESS AND BE PRO-BUSINESS AND PRO CONTRACTORS TO ATTRACT MORE BUILDING IN THE CITY LIMITS, THAT'S THE GOAL, NOW, I WILL SAY THIS IS A PORTION OF THE ANSWER. IT'S NOT THE FULL ANSWER, BUT THIS IS A STEP IN IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S THE FULL ANSWER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OTHER CITIES AROUND OR SURROUNDING US IN OUR IMMEDIATE AREA ARE NOT ON THE SAME, CODES AS WE ARE. THEY'RE NOT ON 2021. 
          SOME OF THEM ARE, SOME OF THEM ARE FAR INTO THE PAST OF THEIR CODES. AND THAT'S JUST THROUGH ADOPTION, SO WHENEVER THEY WHENEVER BUILDERS DO COME HERE, SOMETIMES THEY FEEL THAT IT'S, IT'S, HARD TO BUILD IN BEAUMONT BECAUSE OF THESE CODES THAT WE HAVE ADOPTED AND THESE CODES ARE 
          [02:05:02]
LIFE SAFETY. IT'S ASSURING OR TRYING TO DO AS BEST AS WE CAN TO ENSURE LIFE SAFETY. AND THAT THAT BUILDING WAS, WAS BUILT TO THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL CODE, SO WHENEVER THEY'RE WORKING, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO LIST LIST A CITY, BUT WHENEVER THEY'RE WORKING OUTSIDE OF THAT AND THEY'RE WORKING ON A CODE THAT'S FROM THE 90S OR, YOU KNOW, THE EARLY 2000, IT'S GREATLY DIFFERENT, SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE MORE RESTRICTIVE, BUT WE ARE JUST SIMPLY FOLLOWING THE CODES THAT WE HAVE ADOPTED. WELL, AND I WOULD NEVER SUGGEST THAT WE DO ANYTHING TO ENDANGER, YOU KNOW, OUR CITIZENS. BY NO MEANS. WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO PROVIDE THEM WITH, YOU KNOW, SECURITY AND SAFETY, BUT I JUST WAS CURIOUS. I MEAN, IF OUR CODE BOOK IS THIS THICK, IS THERE ROOM TO TRIM THAT DOWN? WE'RE JUST MORE BUSINESS FRIENDLY, BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE WANT TO ATTRACT BUSINESS TO BEAUMONT, BUT YET NOT COMPROMISE OUR OUR SAFETY. BUT JUST CURIOUS, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU YOU YOU SEEM TO BE LOOKING AT IT THROUGH THAT OPTIC OF TRYING TO SIMPLIFY AND STREAMLINE THINGS, TO BE MORE PRO-BUSINESS. SO YES, SIR, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN NECESSARILY LESSEN THE CODES. WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY OUR CODES, BUT IF WE CAN MAKE IT EASIER IN OTHER WAYS, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY OUR GOAL. ABSOLUTELY. COUNCILMAN NEILL, SO ON THE NEW COMMERCIAL, WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE BASE FEE NOW? YES. LET ME GRAB THIS ONE. 
          SO LIKE A $50,000 VALUED PROJECT, THE BASE FEE IS $293, AND I AM PROPOSING A 40% INCREASE FROM THAT BASE FEE. SO THAT WOULD BE $410. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN WHAT'S THE COMMERCIAL PLAN REVISION. SO YOU DON'T CHARGE THAT UNTIL AFTER THE THIRD REVISION. SO THAT IS DUE, WHEN THEY APPLY FOR A PERMIT THAT IS DUE IMMEDIATELY, YOU CAN COME UP AND SPEAK. PROBABLY BETTER TO THIS. SHE'S GOT IT LIKE THE BACK OF HER HAND, BUT THAT'S DUE, 65% OF WHAT THE TOTAL PERMIT WILL BE. THAT'S DUE, PRIOR TO REVIEWS. ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT THE PLANE CHECK FEE OR ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT THE REVISION FEE? SO THE COMMERCIAL PLAN REVISION, THE SECOND LINE ITEM DOWN UNDER COMMERCIAL MULTIFAMILY. OKAY. SO RIGHT 50 TO 400. WHEN DOES THAT 400 GET CHARGED? AFTER THE THIRD SUBMITTAL. CORRECT. YEAH OKAY. SO NOW IT IS IN PLACE. ONCE YOUR PERMIT HAS BEEN REVIEWED AND IT'S BEEN ISSUED AND YOU'VE PAID FOR IT AND YOU'VE STARTED THE WORK, SOMETHING DIDN'T WORK OUT THE WAY YOU THOUGHT IT WAS. SO YOU SEND A REVISION IN FOR US TO REVIEW. ONCE THE REVISION IS COMPLETED, WE CHARGE YOU $50 NOW. SO IT'S $50 EACH TIME YOU DO IT. THIS IS STATING THAT WE WILL GIVE YOU, I'M ASSUMING TWO THREE. SO YEAH, IT WILL COME WITH A REVISION. SO THIS WOULD BE ASSESSED ON THAT THIRD REVISION. AND THE REASON THAT IS, IS THAT WHENEVER THESE REVISIONS COME IN, IT TAKES NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN. IT'S A FULL STAFF REVIEW. AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ADJUSTING WHERE THE BUILDING IS BEING SET. THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE PLANNING, ENGINEERING, IF ANYTHING HAS TO BE ALTERED TO THE STRUCTURE, THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE ANOTHER BUILDING CODES REVIEW, PROBABLY FIRE, IT'S VERY, VERY IN-DEPTH. 
          SO, BEING ABLE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE STAFFING THAT IT'S TAKING FOR THIS THIRD REVISION, BUT IT IS THE IS THE DRIVEWAY FEE BUILT INTO THE ORIGINAL PERMIT FEE OR IS THAT ADDITIONAL? IT IS NOT. 
          IT'S ADDITIONAL OKAY. SO NEITHER IS THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. WELL THAT SO CERTIFICATE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY IS THESE ARE ALL FEES. THE ONES THAT ARE THERE EXCEPT FOR THE ONES THAT I ASTERISKED THOSE ARE EXISTING FEES AND THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE NOT BUILT INTO THE ORIGINAL PERMIT FEE THAT YOU GET THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY IS. OKAY. SURE SO THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY THAT YOU SEE RIGHT HERE THAT WE'RE WANTING TO INCREASE FROM 75 TO 125 IS YOUR ALREADY ESTABLISHED BUILDINGS IN BEAUMONT. SO THIS IS TAKE YOU HAVE A BUILDING OVER ON CALDER THAT YOU'RE MOVING A TENANT INTO FOR A LAW OFFICE, IT'S ALREADY THERE. NO WORK HAS TO BE DONE. 
          THEY JUST WANT TO MOVE IN. THAT'S THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY FOR THAT. IF YOU'RE BUILDING A NEW CONSTRUCTION OR AN ALTERATION OR AN ADDITION, YES, YOUR YOUR CO CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY IS BUILT INTO THAT PERMIT FEE ALREADY. SO ARE Y'ALL SENDING SOMEBODY OUT TO REINSPECT THAT EXISTING BUILDING. YES. OKAY AND IT GOES BASED ON WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESS YOU'RE PUTTING IN THERE. I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS THE GOAL TO JUST FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH MORE WE CAN CHARGE THE CITIZENS? NO, SI. NO, SIR. THE GOAL IS TO ACCOUNT FOR THE STAFF TIME THAT IT TAKES TO ENSURE LIFE SAFETY, TO ENSURE PLAN REVIEW, TO ENSURE ALL THE THINGS THAT THAT MAKES THE CITY FUNCTION, THAT THAT'S THE GOAL. IT'S NOT TO INCREASE JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO INCREASE. BUT AGAIN I WOULD YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS IS SIMPLY THE PROPOSAL I WOULD LOVE TO GET FEEDBACK ON, YOU KNOW, IF IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE TODAY, BUT ANYTIME IF THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE, WE NEED TO LESSEN 
          [02:10:05]
THAT. WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, INCREASE THAT. WE NEED TO STAY WHERE WE'RE AT. I'M OPEN TO THAT FEEDBACK. ABSOLUTELY. I'M NOT SAYING I'M AGAINST THE FEES INCREASING. THE ONLY ONE THAT REALLY STANDS OUT THE MOST TO ME IS A CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION FEE. THAT'S GOTCHA. I'VE ALREADY STRUCK THAT OFF MY LIST. I WOULD STRUGGLE WITH THAT FINE. DOUBLE IT. BUT IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS, I WILL GO ON TO THE PLANNING FEES. I KNOW THIS MY DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY HAS A TON OF FEES, SO FEES CONTINUED. THESE ARE FOR PLANNING FEES AND SUBDIVISION APPLICATIONS. SO, THE LAST TIME THAT WE ADJUSTED THIS LOOKS LIKE IT WAS 2004, AGAIN, CANVAS COMPARABLE CITIES, STAYING WITH THE PACK ON THE PROPOSED FEES, NEW FEES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO IMPLEMENT ARE ASSESSING A PUBLICATION AND PROPERTY OWNER NOTICE FEE TO APPLICABLE APPLICATIONS BEFORE I MOVE FORWARD. WE ALREADY DO THIS WITH SUBDIVISION APPLICATIONS, BUT I'M ASKING THAT WE, IMPOSE OR APPLY THAT TO PLANNING FEE OR PLANNING APPLICATIONS THAT REQUIRE IT. IF IT DOESN'T REQUIRE IT, THEN IT WOULD NOT BE THERE, LIKE SPECIFIC USE PERMITS WERE REQUIRED BY LAW TO PUT IN A NEWS NOTICE THAT COSTS MONEY TO THE EXAMINER AND THE ENTERPRISE. THE MAILING OF THE PROPERTY OWNER NOTICES, PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 200FT HAVE TO RECEIVE A NOTICE, SO TRYING TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT COST AS WELL, OKAY, VARIANCE OR WAIVER REQUESTS ON SUBDIVISION APPLICATIONS RIGHT NOW WE DON'T CHARGE ANYTHING, THIS REQUIRES A MORE IN-DEPTH VIEW BY PLANNING AND ALSO ENGINEERING. POSSIBLY WATER OTHER, OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE TYPE OF, OF DEPARTMENTS, I'M ASKING THAT WE ASSESS $150 PER REQUEST. SIDEWALK WAIVERS. WE DON'T, CHARGE ANYTHING FOR THAT RIGHT NOW, IT DOES NOT REQUIRE PUBLICATION OR PROPERTY OWNER NOTICES, THOUGH, SO THAT THOSE FEES WOULD NOT BE APPLIED, BUT I AM ASKING THAT WE ASSESS A $350 FEE FOR THOSE, ANNEXATION BY PETITION OR ETJ RELEASE TO BE $1,000 AND ASSESS A FEE FOR SUBDIVISION INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN, REVIEW OF $1,500 AND BEGIN ASSESSING A FEE OF 500 AT SUBMISSION OF THE THIRD REVISION. AND EACH REVISION THEREAFTER. THOSE SUBDIVISION INFRASTRUCTURE PLANS ARE MASSIVE SETS, AND NOT NECESSARILY THAT PLANNING IS LOOKING AT THEM, BUT MORE SO PUBLIC WORKS LOOKS AT THOSE. THAT TAKES A LOT OF STAFF TIME. AND CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, THERE THERE'S NO FEE ASSESSED WITH THAT. THOSE WERE THE, THE MAIN ONES, THE ESTIMATED INCREASE IN REVENUE, IT APPEARS TO AT LEAST BE $50,000. IT SHOULD THESE FEES GO, GO INTO EFFECT. COUNCILMAN PHIL SHAW, IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE WE. AND THEN SUDDENLY WE HIT. WE GET HIT WITH ALL THESE NUMBERS, LIKE ONE, ONE HEARS FROM 0 TO $1500. I MEAN, IT'S JUST IT'S KIND OF A SHOCKER FOR US TO, I'M ASSUMING, MOVING FORWARD, OUR PLAN IS NOT TO WAIT 20 YEARS AGAIN BEFORE WE DO THIS, TO MAYBE DO A INCREASE YEAR BY YEAR OR EVERY OTHER YEAR, INCREMENTAL TO WHERE IT'S NOT SUCH A HARD HIT. I'M ASSUMING THAT'S THE PLAN. YES SIR. THAT IS THE PLAN. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ALL FEES. AND THEN THAT WAY, THESE DON'T HAVE TO BE THIS BIG OF A SHOCK, DID YOU DO ANY COMPARISON TO, CITIES CLOSER TO BEAUMONT OTHER THAN NONE OF THESE ARE REALLY CLOSE TO BEAUMONT? YEAH. SO PORT ARTHUR RIGHT NOW, THE CLOSEST ONE THAT I COULD THINK OF THAT IS SOMEWHAT COMPARABLE, THEY PRETTY MUCH ASSESSED FEES. THE SAME THAT WE DO RIGHT NOW, BUT A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, THEY FOLLOW SUIT WITH WHAT WE DO. COUNCILMAN TURNER, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING OR DID YOU HAVE MORE SLIDES? I DON'T, THAT'S IT. YEAH, I DID HAVE SOME, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GOT THROUGH IT, ONE THING I'M LOOKING AT IS WHAT? OUR LICENSE AND PERMITS. REVENUES. IT WAS LIKE 1.4%. AND I NOTICED WE'RE SAYING REVENUES ARE REAL LOW. SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO PUT THE EXTRA BURDEN OF TAX ON CITIZENS OR DEVELOPERS. BUT WITH US BEING WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE BUDGET, I DO UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE LOOKING AT OTHER AREAS AND WHAT WE CAN DO THAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING THAT WE ARE NOT DOING. SO I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ESTIMATED LAST YEAR TO GET ROUGHLY $2.7 MILLION IN LICENSING AND PERMITS AND WE HAVE SO MANY UPCOMING EXPENSES, IT'S JUST NOT A LOT OF REVENUE COMING IN. SO I AM OKAY WITH THAT OPTION. MY NEXT THING IS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. I THINK IT'S GREAT 
          [02:15:04]
THAT YOU'RE MAINTAINING AND COME UP WITH THE BUILDING CODES DOWNTOWN AND DOING WHAT THE COUNCIL IS PUSHING YOU TO DO. BUT FOR ME, I THINK YOU'RE A GREAT VISIONARY. I LIKE TO PUSH YOU TO SHOW US, LIKE, YOUR VISION AND SOME OF THE THINGS YOU THINK WOULD BE GOOD FOR US IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE, YOUR YOUR MINDSET, YOUR PROGRESSIVE THINKING, I JUST WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU TO KIND OF SHOW US WHAT YOU ENVISION CAN HAPPEN DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE I MEAN, THAT DIRECTOR TITLE, I SEE THAT AND I SEE YOU SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, DOING SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE REQUIRING YOU TO DO DOWNTOWN. I JUST SEE A MORE OF A SKILL SET THAN THAT. SO I WANT TO EMPOWER YOU AND PUSH YOU TO PRESENT THAT AND DO THAT MORE AND PRESENT IT TO THE CITY MANAGER. YES, SIR. AND MY LAST THING IS, COMMUNITY LIAISON YOUTH PROGRAMS. I SEE IT WAS A BUDGET OF 25,000. ONE THING I WILL SAY, AND THIS IS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE MANAGER, YOU KNOW, MY FRUSTRATION AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, THIS PARTICULAR YEAR, ONE OF MY BIGGEST THINGS I ADVOCATE CATERED FOR SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL WAS YOUTH. 
          AND I WATCHED OUR YOUTH COUNCIL NOT TAKE PLACE THIS YEAR. I WATCHED OUR POOLS BE OPEN, NOT OTHER EVERY OTHER WEEKEND, AND I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT UNTIL A CITIZEN TOLD ME. I WATCHED OUR YOUTH BASKETBALL LEAGUE WASN'T ABLE TO GET THAT DONE. I WATCHED OUR YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET THAT DONE. SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY LIAISON, YOUTH PROGRAMING. WHAT IS THE GOAL? WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? BECAUSE OUR YOUTH IS SOMETHING I FEEL LIKE WE ARE TREMENDOUSLY NOT REALLY DOING AS GOOD OF A JOB AS WE COULD IN BEAUMONT, AND IF WE'RE DOING PROGRAMING OR WHATEVER IT IS, I LIKE TO KNOW MORE INTEL AND EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING, ESPECIALLY WITH PUTTING A BUDGETARY NUMBER TO IT. AND WHEN WE DON'T GET PROGRAMS DONE, LIKE WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP? DOES THAT FUNDING GO TO SOMEWHERE? I JUST I JUST NEED A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE AT WITH THAT? BECAUSE MY BIGGEST FRUSTRATION IS I JUST DON'T THINK WE GOT IT DONE. AS FAR AS YOUTH THIS PARTICULAR YEAR. 
          WELL, THEY MAY HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS PARTICULAR POSITION AND WHAT IT'S IDENTIFIED TO DO. I'LL ACTUALLY I'LL INVITE, STACY LEWIS UP. HE IS OUR COMMUNITY LIAISON, AND LET HIM EXPLAIN SOME OF THESE INITIATIVES. YES WE CAN PASS THEM AROUND. PRESENTATION. YEAH. OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, MR. MANAGER. BEFORE YOU, I HAVE A IT'S A HANDOUT. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A SLIDESHOW. AND, THIS IS BASICALLY MY PRESENTATION. IF YOU TURN TO THE SECOND PAGE, IT'LL TELL YOU, THE THREE STEPS, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, ADDRESS O, FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD DOWN, THE PLAN IS TO SERVE, AND IT IS OUR PLAN TO SERVE, THE COMMUNITY BY INCREASING NOT ONLY RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, BUT ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS AS WOULD BE ALLOCATED BY THE BUDGET IN WHAT WE WOULD DEEM UNDERSERVED AREAS. BY ME SAYING UNDERSERVED AREAS, I WOULD SAY THAT IT WOULD NOT BE NECESSARILY, FROM AN ECONOMICAL STANDPOINT, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AREAS THAT CERTAIN PROGRAMS DON'T EXIST IN MEANING, SAY IN THE WEST END, THEY DON'T PLAY AS MUCH BASKETBALL THAN THEY MIGHT DO AS THE NORTH END THAT WE ARE TRYING TO INTEGRATE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS ACROSS THE CITY. SECONDLY, WE LIKE TO PROVIDE STUDENTS AND STUDENT ATHLETES A POSITIVE OUTLET THAT CHANNELS ENERGY THAT PRODUCES HEALTHY OUTCOMES AND MAINLY THROUGH ORGANIZED TEAM ATHLETICS, THIRDLY, AND FINALLY, WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND PROGRAMS, 
          [02:20:04]
TO OTHER SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES THAT WILL SERVE ALL THE CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT. LET'S GO TO OUR NEXT PAGE. IF WE COULD. IT'S JUST A STATEMENT THAT EVERY ACCOMPLISHMENT IT STARTS WITH THE DECISION TO TRY. BUT CONTINUE TO FLIP THROUGH THE SLIDES. AND YOU SEE FLAG FOOTBALL. OKAY AND YOU SHOULD BE TO THE PAGE WHERE THE LITTLE GIRL HAS THE MOUTHPIECE IN ALL RIGHT. SO THIS IS A GREAT TEAM SPORT. IT IS A VARIANT OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL. BUT INSTEAD OF TACKLING THE PLAYER MUST, THE DEFENSIVE TEAM MUST REMOVE A FLAG. IF THE FLAG IS REMOVED FROM THE BALL, THEN THE CARRIER WILL END AT THAT DOWN OUR LIST OF RULES, ETC. BUT I WON'T BORE YOU WITH THOSE TODAY. YELLOW PAGE WILL TELL YOU THAT THE START DATE IS TO BE DETERMINED AND THE END DATE IS TO BE DETERMINED, ALSO, LOCATION I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING, THIS COUNCIL AND STAFF, ABOUT MARKING FIELDS AND TURF DOWN AND PLAYS OF THAT NATURE. ANY, AND THE CITY ALSO HAS A SMALL FOOTBALL FIELD. IF YOU GUYS DID NOT KNOW THAT OUT IN, AT THE ATHLETIC COMPLEX, I BELIEVE THAT STILL EXISTS. IT BELONGS TO THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. AND, A FEW YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS DOING YOUTH FOOTBALL, WE WERE ABLE TO PLAY OUT THERE. SO I ALSO KNOW THAT THAT CAN BE A LOCATION. ALL RIGHT. OUR TARGET WOULD BE BOYS AND GIRLS, AGES SIX U TO EIGHT U. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FLAG FOOTBALL, THE PROGRAM CAN BE VARIED, RIGHT? MEANING I CAN PUT ON TOURNAMENTS, OR LEAGUES, TOURNAMENTS CAN BE ONE DAY OR THEY CAN EXPAND FOR A WEEKEND. 
          AND THIS DEPENDS LARGELY ON WHAT THE TARGET AUDIENCE IS AND WHAT THE FORMAT IS. MEANING SINGLE, DOUBLE ELIMINATION, EVEN POOL PLAY. ALL RIGHT. NOW THE LEASE, THEY CAN RUN ANYWHERE FROM 4 TO 8 WEEKS OR IT CAN BE BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF GAMES THAT EACH TEAMS PLAY. ALL RIGHT. WHATEVER SPORT IT IS THAT I ENDEAVOR OR I DO, IT CAN BE MIMICKED, MIRRORED OR DUPLICATED TO SERVE BOYS AND GIRLS COED AND ADULTS. AND BASELINE COST HERE THAT YOU SEE $7,500. THAT'S SIMPLY FOR, EQUIPMENT AND EFFICIENT, OFFICIALS. IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, AND SOME AWARDS, LET ME MENTION ABOUT STRAIGHT TALK. REAL TALK AND THE KEY, PHRASE IS, KEEPING IT 100 OR LIKE WE SAY, OR THE CHILDREN SAY, KEEP IT IN THE BOOK. SO JUVENILE GUIDANCE, THE JUVENILE CRIME RATE HAS, HAS SEEN EXPONENTIAL GROWTH DURING THE LAST 4 OR 5 YEARS. THE OFFENDERS THEY ARE YOUNGER AND THE OFFENSES, THEY'RE MORE HEINOUS. THIS SITUATION IS NOT UNIQUE TO URBAN AREAS AS IT HAS PERMEATED ALL FACTORS OF OUR SOCIETY. AND THIS WAVE OF ERRATIC AND LESS THAN DESIRABLE BEHAVIOR IS NOT OF AN EVENT, A SITUATION, NOR A CONDITION. ETHNICITY OR GENDER. 
          IT'S HERE IN BEAUMONT, TEXAS, AND IT IS ALIVE AND WELL. SO WHAT OUR AIM IS TO CONFRONT THIS PROBLEM BY EDUCATING OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSETS, WE WANT TO ARM THEM WITH TANGIBLE, INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCES AS LIVED AND RESEARCHED THROUGH OUR PRESENTERS. SO LET ME TALK ABOUT THAT. JUST A SECOND. TOPICS OF DISCUSSION FOR THE STRAIGHT TALK SYMPOSIUM WOULD BE ABSTINENCE AND STDS. OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR HAS PRESENTED, FOR US. I'D SAY KENNETH, EVERY YEAR I'VE EVER HAD IT. RIGHT. SO WE GET TO THE EXPERTS AND WE TALK ABOUT THE REAL THINGS THAT'S GOING ON THAT WE ENCOURAGE ABSTINENCE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT, HERPES, SYPHILIS, HIV AND AIDS, 
          [02:25:02]
THEN WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT PRESENT, THE BENEFITS OF GOOD EDUCATION. THERE ARE GOOD CHOICES, AND THERE ARE BAD CHOICES, SIMPLY PUT, SOMETIMES, THREE MINUTES CAN GET YOU 30 YEARS AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO PREVENT, THE INTRODUCTION INTO THE, PENAL SYSTEM AND THEN CERTAINLY TRYING TO PREVENT RECIDIVISM, WE ALSO, USE REAL PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE, LIVED A LIFE OF, OF CRIME OR THOSE THINGS OF MALCONTENT, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO COME AND GIVE THEIR TESTIMONIES. THIS IS WHAT I DID. AND AS A RESULT, HERE IT IS. BUT THIS IS HOW WE'RE MOVING NOW, IT'S NOT SUITS AND TIES. IT'S REAL PEOPLE. IT'S STRAIGHT TALK. IT'S REAL TALK. THEN. THEN THERE'S A GENERAL ASSEMBLY. AND THAT'S WHEN WE ALL GATHER. AND YOU HEAR A KEYNOTE SPEAKER OF THAT. THEN WE ALSO, WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CREDIT AND HOW TO ESTABLISH, BANK ACCOUNTS AND CHECKING ACCOUNTS, YOU KNOW, REAL LIFE THINGS OF THAT NATURE. WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT PAGE. AND FOR THE STRAIGHT TALK. REAL TALK, WE TARGET 12 TO 18 YEAR OLDS. TYPICALLY, WE MIGHT NEED TO BACK THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE THERE ARE RAMPANT PROBLEMS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, START DATE WOULD BE, DETERMINED. AND HERE HOW IT LOOKS, WE'LL START AT 8 A.M. TO 840, AND THEY'LL HAVE, REGISTRATION. THERE'S NO FEE TO ATTEND, WE'LL DO CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST. AND FROM 845 TO 9, THERE'S A PROGRAM OVERVIEW. WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND THEN THOSE KIDS, ARE BROKEN DOWN INTO GROUPS, AND EACH WILL HAVE A PROCTOR AND OR A GUIDE AND SO TYPICALLY IF THERE ARE 4 OR 5 TRACKS, THAT'S INVOLVED, IN THE SYMPOSIUM, THIS GROUP SAY MR. WILLIAMS IS LEADING THE GROUP, MR. D'ORIO, MR. GETZ, MR. TURNER ARE LEADING GROUPS. YOU'LL TAKE YOUR GROUP TO, SAY ABSTINENCE AND STDS. THIS OTHER GROUP WILL GO TO ANOTHER ACT, AND THEN AFTER 45 MINUTES, THERE'S A BELL, THE PROCTOR REMAINS. EXCUSE ME? THE INSTRUCTOR OR THE PRESENTER? THEY REMAIN THE SAME. THEY STAY IN THE SAME CLASSROOM AREA, AND THEY TALK ABOUT THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER. JUST EACH GROUP ROTATES. AND SO IF THERE'S FIVE TRACKS, YOU'LL GET A MINIMUM OF FOUR. KEY POINTS NECESSARY ENGAGEMENT AS I SPOKE OF, WILL FEATURE 3 TO 4 TRACKS. 
          SOMETIMES CAN BE 4 TO 5 GROUPS. ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE GENERATED THROUGH THE PRE-REGISTRATION AND WE'LL DO A NEEDS ASSESSMENT. AND THAT IS GATHERED THROUGH PARENTAL INPUT, AND A MESH WITH THE BEAUMONT INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT COUNSELORS. YOU KNOW WHAT? WE MIGHT BE DEEMED NOT ONLY AT RISK BUT PROBLEMATIC CHILDREN. SKIP THE I CAN HELP. WE'RE DOWN TO THE PROPOSAL. 
          WE'RE. LOCATION IS KEY. SIMPLY, YOU NEED A PLACE THAT YOU HAVE FOUR ISOLATED CLASSROOMS, THE LARGE ASSEMBLY AREA. THIS PLACE WOULD NEED WI-FI, PROJECTOR, SOUND, A SEATING AREA. SUCCESS IS THE KEY. REACHING OUT TO OUR YOUTH CAN HELP WITH EDUCATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL PURPOSES, ENABLING YOUNG PEOPLE TO MEET WITH THEIR PEERS, SOCIALIZE, AND BECOME PART OF THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH THEY THEY LIVE. IS IMPERATIVE. IT IS NOT OPTIONAL. WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE MOVE FROM ADOLESCENCE THROUGH ADULTHOOD, THEY NEED TO BE CONCERNED WITH THE NURTURING OF PERSONAL GROWTH AND ACTIVITIES THAT DEVELOP VALUES AND ETHICAL NORMS. AND PROJECTED COSTS. WE DID IT QUARTERLY $2,500. IF YOU DID IT FOUR TIMES A YEAR. WE ESTIMATED ABOUT $10,000. FINALLY, WITH YOUR EXPANSION AND AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, TOURNAMENTS, THAT'S YOUTH 
          [02:30:03]
FOOTBALL. YOU CAN DO A TOURNAMENT NEXT WEEK IF THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. ALL RIGHT. 
          AND THAT'S WITH NOT ONLY YOUTH, BUT WE CAN DO ADULT. AND THEN I MOVED ON FOR THE EXPANSION. 
          WE'VE DONE, OUR OFFICE HAS DONE YOUTH BASKETBALL. I THINK WE HAD PRETTY GOOD SUCCESS WITH THAT. 
          BUT I THINK THERE'S MORE TO OFFER THAT YOU CAN DO, ADULT BASKETBALL CITY EMPLOYEE BASKETBALL, INDUSTRIAL LEAGUE BASKETBALL. I MEAN, I THINK YOU CAN JUST STRETCH IT ACROSS THE GAMUT. AND IF YOU SEE AT THE BOTTOM WE'RE SPEAKING FUTURISTIC WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EXPANSIONS AS FAR AS TRACK AND FIELD IS CONCERNED, LAST COUPLE OF PAGES WILL BE SOME PICTURES. 
          OF WHAT WE'VE ABLE TO ACCOMPLIS. FILL ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AT THIS TIME. ANY QUESTION? COUNCILMAN DIPS. THAT'S A LOT. STACY. ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUTH BASKETBALL, ADULT BASKETBALL, FLAG FOOTBALL, TRACK. THESE ARE TRADITIONALLY AREAS THAT HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DONE THROUGH OUR RECREATION DEPARTMENT, PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS NOW SEPARATED INTO TWO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. WHY ARE WE NOW TRYING TO MOVE THIS STUFF AWAY FROM RECREATION INTO. OR MAYBE THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU I DON'T IS THIS A STANDALONE THING OR IS THIS AWAY FROM RECREATION IN ADDITION TO RECREATION? WHAT WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? MAYOR, IF I COULD JUST COMMENT ON THAT, WE HAVE, BASICALLY THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT HISTORICALLY HAS RUN THESE KINDS OF LEAGUES. AS YOU KNOW, MR. LEWIS IS NOW OUR COMMUNITY LIAISON. SO, RECREATION IS CONTINUING TO DO PROGRAMING. BUT IS NOW PARTNERING WITH THE COMMUNITY LIAISON TO REALLY HELP RECREATION DEPARTMENT, MARKET THE PROGRAM, HELP IN OPERATING THE PROGRAMS LIKE THE, THE SPRING BASKETBALL LEAGUE, MR. LEWIS HELPED THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT IN MAKING THAT A SUCCESS, FLAG FOOTBALL, I THINK WE RECREATION DEPARTMENT MADE A RUN AT THAT. AND, AGAIN, IT'S A NEW SPORT FOR OUR AREA. SO AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY, THE THOUGHT IS THE COMMUNITY LIAISON CAN HELP, ASSIST RECREATION DEPARTMENT IN PARTNERING TO MAKE THAT SUCCESSFUL. WELL, CHRIS, FORGIVE ME, BUT I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT RECREATION IS DOING THEN, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE MR. LEWIS IS DOING THE WORK. WELL, NO, SIR, I MEAN, SO THE RECREATION MANAGES AND OPERATES THE FACILITIES. RECREATION HELPS AND TIME KEEPING RECREATION HELPS AND FACILITATING THE OPERATION OF LEAGUES. MR. AND AGAIN STACY CAN COMMENT, BUT HE IS MORE, HELPFUL IN TERMS OF MARKETING THE PROGRAMING, HAVING DIRECT CONTACTS WITH PLAYERS FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY, GETTING THOSE TEAMS SET UP, HELPING US, ONE OF THE ISSUES WE HAVE IS, IS GETTING OFFICIALS. AND SO, MR. LEWIS HAS HELPED US, GET OFFICIALS, SO AND I CAN LET STACY OR JIMMY ALSO COMMENT ON THIS, BUT AGAIN, IT'S A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT UNITS OF THE CITY COUNCILMAN, SAMUEL. SO I'VE HEARD, COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER, OVER THE PAST YEAR CONTINUALLY, ASKED ABOUT THE PROGRAMING, IS THIS WHAT WE'RE SEEING? A, AN EFFORT TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE OFFERING TO THE COMMUNITY RATHER THAN WAITING FOR THE COMMUNITY TO COME INTO OUR REC CENTER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IS THAT BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING? WE'RE TRYING TO JUST NOW FOCUS ON THE PROGRAMING FOR OUR CITIZENS THROUGHOUT THE CITY? YES, SIR. SO I AGAIN, RECREATION DEPARTMENT DOES A GREAT JOB OF OPERATING FACILITIES, DOING A LOT OF PROGRAMING. IT'S JUST WE'VE HAD SOME INSTANCES OF WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY GET OUR NUMBERS UP, GET BETTER PARTICIPATION. SO STACY, AS THE COMMUNITY LIAISON FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, IS HELPING US MAKE MAKE THAT MORE SUCCESSFUL. I, I KIND OF THINK OF IT IN TERMS OF HISTORICALLY LIKE EVENT 
          [02:35:04]
FACILITIES, GOING BACK TEN PLUS YEARS AGO, IT WAS MORE LIKE WE OPERATE AND OWN THESE FACILITIES. IF YOU WANT TO RENT THEM, THAT'S GREAT. WHAT THEY DID IS THEY THEN STARTED PARTNERING WITH, OTHER GROUPS LIKE THE CVB NONPROFITS AND THEN GETTING MORE AGGRESSIVE IN DEVELOPING THEIR OWN EVENTS. SO BASICALLY IT'S WHEREAS REC IS MORE OPERATING THE FACILITIES AND DOING PROGRAMING. MR. LEWIS IS AGAIN AS, AS ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE CITY IS HELPING TO MAKE THOSE EVENTS MORE SUCCESSFUL. OKAY. AND YOU'RE ALSO IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU YOU GAVE THE PERSPECTIVE COST, WITH VARIOUS PROGRAMS. I SEE A NUMBER. SO YOU'RE GIVING US OPTIONS. AND TO ADD ON TO THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE EXISTING NOW, WHICH IS RELATIVELY LOW, SO THESE IS THIS ALSO, PLACED YOU'RE LOOKING TO PUT THIS INTO THE BUDGET NOW? YES, SIR. IS THAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, IF I'M AT LIBERTY, IT'S JUST A PASSION. I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS 35 YEARS CLOSER TO 36. AND, THIS IS WHAT I DO, ORGANIZE ATHLETICS, TRY TO FIX, SOLVE PROBLEMS. AND AS A LIAISON, I THINK THERE'S A BRIDGE OR GAP IN BETWEEN. THE MANAGER HAS, UTILIZED ME IN AREAS AS SUCH, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY IN THE HALLWAY, HE HAD, ANGRY PEOPLE, BUT WANTING TO TALK RIGHT THERE WHEN YOU GUYS WERE TRYING TO GET IN THERE, YOU KNOW, I GET WITH THOSE CITIZENS AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY FOR THEM NOT TO BE HERE AT 130 ON TUESDAYS, AS PART OF, I WOULD SAY THE EXTENSION OF MY OFFICE, WHAT I PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY IS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF WHAT WAS ALLOCATED TO ME AND WHAT I CAN DO. BASED ON THOSE NUMBERS, THAT'S AS CLEAR AS I CAN BE WITH THAT. WELL, MAYOR, YES, MY QUESTION IS, EARLIER WE WERE GETTING PRESENTED POSITIONS AND THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT, IT WAS SAYING WE NEED TO HIRE A PROGRAM DIRECTOR. AND IT SEEMS LIKE BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH ALL THESE INSTANCES. HE'S DIRECTING THESE PROGRAMS. SO WE'RE ALREADY IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE SAYING THE BUDGET IS TIGHT AND WE'RE SAYING WE'RE GOING TO HIRE THIS, BUT WE'RE ALREADY TECHNICALLY DOING IT WITH MR. LEWIS. EVEN THE EXPANSION OF PROGRAMS WITH RECREATION, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I THINK. NOT ONLY ME, BUT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP WITH WE WANT THESE PROGRAMS DONE. WE WANT TO GIVE YOU THE RESOURCES TO DO THEM. 
          LET'S GO OUT AND GET THEM, GET IT DONE. I KNOW WE ALLOCATED FUNDING TO RECREATION FOR SOME OF THESE SPORTS PROGRAMS. SO WE LEAVING THE FUNDING THERE AND MOVING IT TO HIM OR AS WE HOW ARE WE DOING THIS. BECAUSE I'M KIND OF CONFUSED BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAPPING. YEAH. 
          CORRECT. AND THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE SOME COORDINATION OF THE TWO AND THE COORDINATION OF THE PROGRAMS. AND WHAT I'M SEEING FOR SURE. SO WE'VE GOT TO SIT DOWN. AND AS A MANAGEMENT TEAM AND COORDINATE THESE ACTIVITIES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS, SOME OF THE PERSPECTIVE POSITIONS AND RECREATION ARE BEST ARE BASED UPON HOW WE STRUCTURE THIS ACTIVITY. YOU KNOW, IT'S NO GUARANTEE IT'S GOING TO GO THAT WAY OR WHATEVER. IT'S BASED UPON WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND IT WAS BASED UPON US CREATING NEW PROGRAMS, THOSE POSITIONS. SO WE PUT THEM IN THERE FOR POSSIBLE FUNDING, BUT NOT REALLY KNOWING HOW IT WAS GOING TO BE STRUCTURED AT THE TIME. BUT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO STRUCTURE THAT PROJECT AND, AND WE WILL SIT DOWN AND IDENTIFY HOW THAT'S GOING TO LOOK AND, AND HOW IT'S GOING TO GO BETWEEN THE TWO ACMS AND THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. 
          AND ETC. OR CHRIS'S DEPARTMENT. AND MY LAST CONCERN WAS, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO GET MORE RECREATIONAL PROGRAM, THE COUNCIL BROUGHT TO YOU LAST BUDGET SEASON THAT WE HAD MORE OF A FOCUS ON. WE WANTED MORE RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS, AND WE SEPARATED PARKS AND RECS WITH THE HOPE TO GET THAT WITH THE SEPARATION. NOW WE'RE ADDING MORE TO THAT AS A RESULT OF WHERE WE WHERE WE ARE, WHAT WE'RE GETTING. I'M JUST REALLY CONCERNED WITH IT. I KNOW WE 
          [02:40:03]
SAID YOU GUYS NEED TO SIT DOWN, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S MORE OF A SENSE OF URGENCY THAT WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND ALL GET ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THIS PROCESS. SPECIFICALLY, BEFORE WE GO HIRE A PROGRAM DIRECTOR, WHEN IT KIND OF IS PERCEIVED LIKE HE'S DIRECTING THE PROGRAMS. YEAH, THERE'S THIS AGAIN, THIS IS ALL PROPOSED TO WE IF YOU WANT MORE PROGRAMING, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO NEED PEOPLE TO DO IT, THERE HAD BEEN A CONVERSATION ON EXACTLY WHERE THAT WAS COMING FROM. BUT ME AS A MANAGER, I WAS PUTTING THOSE POSITIONS INTO THE BUDGET BASED UPON HOW WE CREATED THE YOUTH PROGRAMING AND, AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE SOME PEOPLE TO DO IT BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING PROGRAMING QUITE A BIT. AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE MAYBE SOME PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE WE DO IT PROPERLY. COUNCILMAN GATES AND COUNCILMAN DARIO AND COUNCILMAN CHERYL, WHEN YOU WERE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET, I SAW TWO POSITIONS IN RECREATION, BUT I THOUGHT YOU SAID THAT THOSE HAD ALREADY BEEN ADDED OR THOSE PROSPECTIVE, OR ARE THOSE POSITIONS THAT WE'VE ALREADY ADDED? WELL, THIS IS THE PROPOSED BUDGET. SO IT'S IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET OKAY. SO THOSE POSITIONS ARE THERE HAVE NOT BEEN FILLED. NO. OKAY. SO THEN I UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT OF THE COMMENTS BETTER THAN I GUESS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ALSO TALKED ABOUT, MR. LEWIS, IS, I I'LL USE THE TERM MENTORSHIP A BIG PART OF YOUR PROPOSAL WAS NOT JUST ATHLETIC EVENTS, BUT MENTORSHIP. YES, SIR. CLEARLY THERE IS A NEED FOR THAT IN PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          MENTORSHIP. THERE ARE TOO MANY YOUTH THAT DO NOT HAVE MENTORS IN THEIR HOME. THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE FATHERS. THEY THEY MIGHT BE BEING RAISED BY OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS. IT SEEMS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO FILL A VOID, A GAP THAT IS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT OUR YOUTH NEED. THAT'S COMMENDABLE. YOU KNOW, WHEN I GREW UP, A LOT OF THAT WAS, COVERED THROUGH, YOU KNOW, CHURCH BOY SCOUTS, CUB SCOUTS, YMCA, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITIES, THINGS THAT HAVE, DIMINISHED IN THEIR USAGE, CERTAINLY IN, PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A WIDE BEAUMONT, WE HAVE ALMOST NO SCOUTING PROGRAM IN THE NORTH AND SOUTH ENDS OF BEAUMONT, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO. I WOULD URGE, URGE YOU TO TRY TO EXPONENTIALLY EXPAND YOUR EFFORTS BY COLLABORATING WITH THESE OTHER EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO TRADITIONALLY WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO HERE, THINGS LIKE DRUG AWARENESS, CONSEQUENCES OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, THINGS LIKE THAT ARE ALREADY DONE BY SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS. BUT AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO FINDING LEADERS. YOU KNOW, IT'S A CHALLENGE TO FIND LEADERS, SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN YOU DO OUT OF YOUR OFFICE AS A LIAISON, COMMUNITY LIAISON TO HELP US FIND LEADERS AND COLLABORATE WITH SOME OF THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS BY COMMEND YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN DARIO. THEN COUNCILMAN FALLSHAW, THEN COUNCILMAN. YEAH, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. GIVE ME THE MONEY THAT YOU HAD ASKED FOR IN THE BUDGET. WAS IT FOR THESE PROGRAMS THAT STACY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? SO THE STRUCTURE RIGHT NOW IS THAT, STACY REPORTS TO, EXECUTIVE OFFICES. HOWEVER, HE DOES FLOW THROUGH PLANNING. SO IN ORDER TO DO THESE OR THE RESOURCES COME THROUGH THE PLANNING BUDGET. AND THAT'S WHY I WAS ON MY SLIDES, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THE STRAIGHT TALK, THE ALL ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, THAT WAS THE PROPOSED 25,000, THAT WOULD BE WITHIN PLANNING, BUT IT WOULD BE STACY'S FUNDS TO CONDUCT THESE PROGRAMS. OKAY. ALSO, I NOTICED A FEW OF YOUR PROGRAMS HAD A DATE TO BE DETERMINED. I THOUGHT FLAG FOOTBALL. I SAW THE SIGNS ALL OVER THE CITY ABOUT REGISTRATION, AND I KNOW REGISTRATION WAS EXTENDED AT ONE 
          [02:45:03]
TIME, WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE FLAG FOOTBALL, WASN'T MY ENDEAVOR, AND SO I DON'T. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, I'M WHAT I, I WANT TO BE CAREFUL WHAT I'M STANDING HERE IS. THIS IS STACY LEWIS, THE COMMUNITY LIAISON. YOU KNOW WHAT? ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT IS? IS NOT DOING. 
          THAT'S THAT'S NOT ME. YOU KNOW, I'M I'M I'M ADVOCATING FOR WHAT I KNOW I CAN DO. YOU KNOW WHAT'S PROVEN IN TERMS OF I KNOW I CAN PUT A FLAG FOOTBALL PROGRAM TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, I CAN DO BASKETBALL. I CAN DO ALL THIS IF THAT'S THE, ADEQUATE ANSWER THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FROM ME, WE'VE HEARD FROM STACY. I THINK IT BEHOOVES US TO HEAR FROM JIMMY AT SOME POINT IN RECREATION ABOUT WHAT HE HAS PLANNED, SO WE CAN KNOW WHAT HE HAS PLANNED OR NOT. THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT WHERE WE WANT TO GO WITH IT. BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD HIS PLAN YET. AND JUST FOR EVERYBODY, WE'RE ON NUMBER ONE OF 20 PRESENTATIONS. YEAH SO THERE ARE THOSE PRESENTATIONS COMING, BUT WE ARE ON NUMBER ONE OF 20 PRESENTATIONS FOR TODAY. SO THANK YOU STACY SHORTEN MY COMMENT I'LL JUST SAY MR. LEWIS, I DO PRAY GREAT SUCCESS AS YOU TAKE THIS, ISSUE WE HAVE IN BEAUMONT STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER. AND THAT'S OUR YOUTH. AND SO I HOPE AND PRAY COMPLETE SUCCESS. BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. I FEEL THE SAME WAY. I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE, AND I LIKE. A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE, YOU CAN. YOU'VE BEEN IN THIS COMMUNITY MOVING, MAKING THINGS HAPPEN. WE NOW HAVE A NEW POLICE CHIEF, YOU CAN WORK WITH THE PROGRAMING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THERE CAN BE. THIS CAN BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT. 
          WE KNOW WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF CRIMES BEING COMMITTED BY YOUNG PEOPLE. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LOSING OUR YOUTH. SO MAYBE IT'S TIME THAT WE LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO BE INTERDEPARTMENTAL, HAVING DEALING WITH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, WE TALK ABOUT VISIBILITY. WE TALK ABOUT, CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY ITSELF. THIS MAY BE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. AND SO I, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WAS AT FIRST, BUT, SOMETIMES LIGHTS GO ON AND WE SEE NEW LIGHT, AND I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAKE GREAT STRIDES INTO THE COMMUNITY, INCREASE THE VISIBILITY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS AND HAVE THEM WORKING TOGETHER. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. WE NEED SOME UNITY IN OUR IN OUR CITY AND IT SHOULD START RIGHT HERE AT CITY HALL. AND THAT'S RIGHT. NOW WE HAVE THIS MONEY INTO THE PROPOSED BUDGET, AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT HOW THAT'S GOING TO LOOK OR IF IT NEEDS THE EXPANSION TIMETABLE, ETC. AND I JUST PERSONALLY WANT TO SAY I'VE, BEEN WATCHING, MR. LEWIS OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS WITH, I LOVE THE BASKETBALL AND TRACK, AND I'VE ATTENDED SEVERAL EVENTS THAT ARE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. AND HE'S HE'S ALREADY HAS A LOT OF, MENTORS AS A PART OF THOSE GROUPS THAT BRING THOSE KIDS, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, ONE PERSON CAN'T DO IT. IT TAKES IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO DO THAT. AND HE SEEMS TO HAVE THOSE, RELATIONSHIPS. AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN, BUT I CERTAINLY WANT TO LOOK AT EFFICIENCY WITHIN OUR CITY ON HOW TO WORK THIS OUT SO THAT WE AREN'T BEING REDUNDANT IN AREAS WE DON'T NEED TO BE REDUNDANT. BUT, I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. APPRECIATE YOUR SUCCESS HERE IN THE CITY WITH ABBY LOVE. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE ALL RIGHT WITH THAT? THE END OF YOURS? DEMI. YES. I WANT TO APOLOGIZE. I TOTALLY BLEW MY 3 TO 5 MINUTES. YEAH YOU REALLY DID, SO WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LUNCH BREAK AND WE'LL GIVE TILL 120. AND, I WOULD SAY SET YOUR ALARM FOR A LATE AFTERNOON EVENING AT THIS ? 
          [02:50:03]
SHE'S ALL CHOKED UP. IT'S EMOTIONAL. CHEESECAKE IS REALLY HARD TO SWALLOW, ISN'T IT? WEST PRESENT. MAYOR PRO TEM TURNER, PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. DAURIO PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. GOETZ. 
          PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. FALLSHAW PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER SAMUEL AND COUNCIL MEMBER. NEAL. 
          ABSENT. MAYOR. CITY MANAGER. WE'LL CONTINUE WITH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, CHRISTINA. 
          LOKI AND I JUST ASK DIRECTORS, PLEASE MOVE US ALONG AS EXPEDIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. BUT WITHIN THE LIMITS OF COUNCIL. COULD BE FUN AND QUICK, SO, FIRST OF ALL, JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE, THE CITY OF BEAUMONT STRATEGIC PLAN THIS IS UNDER THE POLICY IS A TOP PRIORITY, SO WE WILL BE DOING IS DEVELOPING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY THAT ALIGNS WITH THE PRIORITIES OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE AND CITY COUNCIL, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO IMPLEMENT AN ACTION PLAN FOCUSED ON ATTRACTING NEW BUSINESSES TO BEAUMONT WHILE ENHANCING AND EXPANDING BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION PROGRAMS. WE HOPE TO CREATE AND OFFER TARGETED INCENTIVES TO PROMOTE GROWTH AND INVESTMENT. AND WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING EFFORTS ON DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL HOTEL PROJECT AND ALIGNING WITH THE BEAUMONT VISION 2035 FOR COMPREHENSIVE DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION. NOW, THE MOST IMPORTANT IS WE WILL BE LEVERAGING NEW ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES TO IMPROVE THE CITY'S APPEAL, DIVERSIFYING BEAUMONT'S ECONOMIC BASE AND POSITIONING IT AS AN ATTRACTIVE LOCATION FOR INNOVATIVE AND FORWARD THINKING ENTERPRISES. SO WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN STARTED AND WE'RE SO EXCITED BECAUSE WE HAVE THE DOWNTOWN HOTEL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL ACTUALLY COMES OUT TOMORROW, AUGUST FIRST, 2024. AT THE SAME TIME, WE'LL BE INNOVATING THE BEAUMONT VISION 2035 WEBSITE SO THAT THE PROPOSAL FOR THE HOTEL WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE INVIGORATED DOWNTOWN RIVERFRONT MASTER PLAN. WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON NEW INCENTIVES, EXPANDING NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT ZONES, AND POLICY UPDATES WITH CHAPTER 312 AND 380 AGREEMENTS, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE EVEN MORE NES ZONE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE COMING IN. 
          WE JUST RECEIVED ANOTHER ONE TODAY. SO REALLY EXCITING TO SEE PEOPLE MOVING ON OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE CREATING NEW PROGRAMS TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES TO THE AREA AND RETAIN EXISTING ONES, WE'LL ALSO INCLUDE TRAINING AND EDUCATION AIMED AT IMPROVING THE SKILLS OF THE LOCAL WORKFORCE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF EMPLOYERS AND ENHANCE EMPLOYABILITY. THAT'S ONE QUESTION. COUNCILMAN PHIL SHAW, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I JUST I'M SORRY. NO, I JUST YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ALL HAVE SO MANY. YOU ALL HAVE SO MANY THINGS TO HEAR ABOUT, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A WORK SESSION WITH Y'ALL TO BE DETERMINED A LOT MORE OF THE PRIORITIES OF THIS COUNCIL. GREAT. JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION. OKAY ABOUT PROGRAMS TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES. CAN YOU GIVE ME ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU WOULD DO THAT? YES, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE BEEN INTERESTED INTERESTED IN FOR YEARS. WELL, NO ONE JUST REALIZES I DON'T WANT TO TALK TOO LONG, BUT HERE'S THE DEAL. WE ARE. SO LOCATION IS EVERYTHING, AND THERE'S SO MANY NEW AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE COMING TO OUR AREA. SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS IN US TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES IS GETTING US OUT THERE. WE'VE NEVER HAD AN EDC BEFORE, SO THERE'S SO MANY CONFERENCES AND DIFFERENT TYPES THAT ALLOW FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PROMOTE BEAUMONT AS A DESTINATION TO BRING THEIR BUSINESSES HERE. SO FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE'RE GOING TO BE CREATING MARKETING APPROACHES TO ALLOW FOR PEOPLE TO REALIZE THAT BEAUMONT IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS. I'VE BEEN WAITING ON THAT FOR YEARS BECAUSE SO WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT THERE TO GET THE BUSINESS INSTEAD OF WAITING ON THEM TO FIND US 100%. YOU GO GIRL. YES SIR, TWO THINGS. ONE, HOW MUCH MONEY YOU NEED TO BUDGET DEAL, SO INITIALLY ALL OF THE REQUESTS WERE ACCEPTED. WE ARE STARTING WITH THE $198,000. WE'VE DIVIDED IT INTO DIFFERENT TYPES OF MARKETING AND PROMOTION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, ALSO TO INCLUDE SOME ACTUAL DEVELOPER INTERACTIONS. YOU SAID IT YOURSELF. IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ENCOURAGING THESE DEVELOPERS WHO ARE ALREADY WITHIN OUR AREA. SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS IS TO BE ABLE TO TALK WITH THEM, DISCUSS WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE, WHAT INCENTIVES WOULD COME INTO PLAY FOR THEM AS WELL, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTIVELY WILLING TO INVEST IN BEAUMONT. AND SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO NOT ONLY PROVIDE THOSE INCENTIVES, INCENTIVES, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, BE ABLE TO ENCOURAGE THAT THE CITY IS HERE TO HELP THEM AND NOT BE AGAINST THEM. ONE OTHER THING. YEAH, YOU TALKED ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ATTRACTING PEOPLE TO BEAUMONT. I'VE BEEN SPEAKING TO PEOPLE. IT REALLY IS A NEED FOR A GROCERY STORE AND A PHARMACY IN SOUTH PARK PEAR ORCHARD AREA. THAT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD HELP WITH? YES. SO ACTUALLY PLANNING AND ZONING IS DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB. WE HAVE ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED ALREADY WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT ZONES. SO THOSE ARE SIX ZONES THAT ARE ALREADY ALLOW 
          [02:55:01]
FOR FREE INCENTIVES, INCLUDING TAX ABATEMENTS FROM 3 TO 10 YEARS. SO WHAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED AS DIFFERENT AREAS THAT HAVE THOSE FOOD DESERTS, SO THAT WHEN WE REACH OUT TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF GROCERY STORES OR, PHARMACIES LIKE YOU AND JUST ASK FOR AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THEM, HEY, NOT ONLY WILL YOU BE ABLE TO BRING YOUR BUSINESS HERE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU TAX ABATEMENTS FOR 3 TO 5 YEARS. WE'RE GOING TO ALSO ENCOURAGE ALL OF THE PERMITS TO BE WAIVED. AND BECAUSE YOU'RE USING IT IN THIS AREA, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO WATCH AND OFFER, POTENTIALLY BE ABLE TO OFFER EVEN COUNTY INCENTIVES BECAUSE THE DOWNTOWN AREA IS A FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONE, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE'S FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING THAT IS AVAILABLE THAT WE'VE NEVER ACTUALLY ATTRACTED FOR. OKAY. THANK YOU. THIS IS LIKE LISTENING ON AN AUDIBLE BOOK TWO TIMES SPEED LIGHT. YEAH YOUR ENERGY HAS WOKE ME UP FROM LUNCH. TWO QUESTIONS. ONE WAS, I KNOW COUNCILMAN NEIL PROBABLY WOULD ASK THIS IF HE WAS HERE BECAUSE WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION ALL THE TIME WITH THE FUNDING WE GIVE TO THE CHAMBER, WE DIRECTING FUNDING TO OUR OWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNER, BUT WE'RE GOING TO STILL DO THE SAME PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHAMBER. WELL, WELL, THEY SUBMITTED A SEPARATE REQUEST THAT I THINK IT'S OUTSIDE OF, CHRISTINA'S BUDGET, OF A LIST OF ITEMS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO, TO SUPPORT, BUT WE'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THEM A SET AMOUNT OF DOLLARS. IF THERE'S A COUPLE OF PROJECTS THEY WANT US TO CONSIDER PAYING FOR, WE'LL ENTERTAIN THAT. BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME. LET'S GIVE THEM $85,000. OKAY, COOL. YEAH, THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE ALWAYS HAVE. AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS WITH THE RFQ FOR THE HOTEL, ME AND COUNCILMAN GUEST HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS SEVERAL TIMES, THE TIMELINE. DO YOU THINK 30 DAYS IS SUFFICIENT IF YOU MIGHT HAVE A BIG INVESTOR FROM, LET'S SAY, CALIFORNIA WHO HAPPENED TO COME ACROSS IT, DO YOU THINK THAT'S ADEQUATE TIME FOR THEM TO REALLY PUT TOGETHER A STRONG PROPOSAL FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT? OKAY, SO JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE, IT'S A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. IT ACTUALLY GOES OUT ON AUGUST THE 1ST AND THE DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER THE 26TH. SO THERE IS A SOLID AMOUNT OF TIME NOW AT THE SAME TIME WITH TERRY WHO'S HERE WHO CAN CONFIRM WHAT I'M SAYING? WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO SEE HOW MANY QUESTIONS START COMING IN FROM THE DIFFERENT DEVELOPERS. IF THERE IS A WHOLE LOT OF QUESTIONS OR MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, WE'RE ALWAYS ABLE TO PUT AN ADDENDUM TO THAT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE. AND THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING ABOUT THIS, IS THAT THIS IS JUST THE BASE. WE'RE REALLY PUTTING IT OUT THERE. WE'RE SAYING WE HAVE 8.25 INCREDIBLE ACRES OF LAND RIGHT ALONG THE RIVER, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE WILLING TO OFFER. AND THESE ARE SOME INCENTIVES THAT WE'RE WILLING TO HELP. AND IF ANY OF THE DEVELOPERS ARE ARE EXCITED AND WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT, THEN LET'S TALK AND BRING A PROPOSAL TO THE TABLE. THE REASON WHY IT'S AN RFP AND NOT AN RFQ IS BECAUSE HONESTLY, WE NEED TO SEE WHAT WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE NECESSARILY COULD BE QUALIFIED, BUT MAY NOT BE PROPOSING WHAT THE CITY NEEDS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING ABOUT THIS RFP PROPOSA, IS THAT IT IDENTIFIES NOT ONLY THE CITY'S NEEDS AND WANTS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHAT WE'RE HOPING FOR TO IGNITE THE ENTIRE DOWNTOWN RIVERFRONT MASTER PLAN. 
          AND SO ALL OF IT KIND OF COINCIDES TOGETHER BECAUSE IT'S EXCITING FOR A DEVELOPER TO SEE THAT THERE IS FUTURE GROWTH OR FUTURE HOPES FOR DOWNTOWN AS WELL AS THE HOTEL COUNCILMAN GETS. OF COURSE, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING FOR A WHILE WITH ONE DEVELOPER WHO'S PRETTY MUCH PUT OUT THERE, SOME PROPOSALS. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO TRY TO REACH OUT TO ALL THE VARIOUS POTENTIAL DEVELOPERS AROUND THE COUNTRY? HOW IS THAT GOING TO HOW IS THIS RFP GOING TO BE MARKETED? WELL, I THINK WHAT'S, FIRST OF ALL, WE ALREADY HAVE ABOUT A LIST OF AROUND 30 TO 45 DEVELOPERS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE EVEN REACHED OUT TO KENNETH AND SEVERAL PEOPLE THROUGH OUR PURCHASING DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS PURCHASING USES AN ONLINE DATABASE CALLED ION WAVE THAT IMMEDIATELY SENDS OUT TO ANYBODY WITHIN THAT DATABASE TO ALLOW THEM TO KNOW THAT THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL IS AVAILABLE. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THINK IT'S TIME FOR US TO TARGET SPECIFIC COMPANIES AND BRANDS. MARRIOTT, FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S A BRAND NEW COMPANY THAT THEY HAVE BOUGHT OUT THAT'S CALLED ELEMENT. IT IS A FULL SERVICE HOTEL, BUT IT IS NOT BOUGIE. IT IS A VERY LOW END AND IT'S JUST RIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO FIND AND IDENTIFY THESE DEVELOPERS WHO ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND AND NOT NECESSARILY THE HYATTS, BECAUSE AS MUCH AS I PERSONALLY WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A HYATT HERE, THAT'S PROBABLY TOO UP TOO HIGH. LUXURIOUS OF A HOTEL TO MAINTAIN FOR DOWNTOWN. AND THAT'S NOT BECAUSE TO SAY THAT DOWNTOWN DOESN'T NEED THAT. 
          IT'S BECAUSE WE WANT THE HOTEL TO REACH AN 80% OCCUPANCY. WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE OUTSIDE OF THE PRICE POINT. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGE HOTEL COST WITHIN OUR CITY, IT'S TYPICALLY AROUND 104 TO $106 AND EVEN LOWER WHEN YOU START INCLUDING ALL OF THE HOTELS, ESPECIALLY THE BUDGET FRIENDLY ONES. SO WITH THAT, YOU DOWN TO $87 AVERAGE DAILY RATE AND ANYTHING OVER THAT IS GOING 
          [03:00:03]
TO SEEM A LITTLE BIT PREPOSTEROUS IN THE SCHEME OF OUR HOTEL MARKET SURVEY. I FORGOT TO BREATHE. NOW, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY I TRIED TO SIT DOWN? SORRY ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, BUT THE HOTEL THAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO A CONVENTION TYPE HOTEL, THOSE ROOMS ARE GOING TO COST A LITTLE MORE. OH, ABSOLUTELY. AND THE CONVENTION SPECS ARE INCLUDED IN THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 14,000 SQUARE FOOT OF MEETING SPACE THAT MUST BE INCLUDED. BUT I JUST HOPE THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS MUCH ROOM, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY AND WE SHOULD KEEP IT UP FOR THE PROPOSAL TO ALLOW FOR THESE DEVELOPERS TO BRING THAT OPPORTUNITIES TO THE TABLE AND ALLOW FOR WHAT THEY FEEL WOULD BE PROFITABLE. AND THAT MAY INCLUDE THE CIVIC CENTER AND MAINTAINING AND MANAGING THE CIVIC CENTER AS WELL. EXACTLY. AND IT IS IDENTIFIED AS THE BEAUMONT CONVENTION CENTER IN THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. AND AS WELL AS THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE PETITIONED THROUGH THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. THANK YOU. OH, YES. I'M SORRY I WAS LATE COMING BACK IN, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU YOU DID MAKE MENTION OF THE EVAPORATION THAT'S TAKING PLACE IN THE NORTH END, FOOD DESERT AS WELL AS WE'RE SEEING BUSINESSES LEAVING. WE KNOW WE'VE SEEN WALGREENS MOVING. SO I UNDERSTAND YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT ASSISTING IN DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTH END AREA. SO SOMETHING NEW THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO BRING UP. AND OBVIOUSLY, OVER TIME, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT IT IS REQUEST FOR INTEREST, THERE'S ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENT AREAS THAT NEED THAT HAVE SUBSTANTIAL NEEDS TO BE ZONED IN, SUCH WHETHER IT'S A PHARMACY OR IF IT'S A BODEGA, FOR A FOOD DESERT. SO WHAT IT ALLOWS FOR US IS TO BE ABLE TO SAY, AS A CITY OF BEAUMONT, WE ARE LOOKING FOR A PHARMACY TO SPECIFICALLY GO WITHIN THIS AREA OR REGION. AND IF YOU, AS A DEVELOPER ARE INTERESTED IN COMING TO BRING THAT HERE, THESE ARE THE INCENTIVES THAT WE WILL PROVIDE. AND SO THAT'S WHAT'S SO EXCITING ABOUT HAVING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE CITY, IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THESE PARTNERSHIPS AND BE ABLE TO WORK TOWARDS ALLOWING FOR THESE NEW TYPES OF BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE HOPING TO GAIN TO COME IN AND BE ZONED AT WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE. OKAY, WELL, I'VE RECEIVED NUMEROUS CALLS OVER THE PAST WEEK BECAUSE THIS IS THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED WHEN, HEB LEFT AND, FOLKS WERE ASKING, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? AND, WE COULDN'T DO TOO MUCH. AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE HEARING AND SEEING THE SAME THING NOW WITH THE WALGREENS AND, I WANT TO KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN DO BETTER OR WHAT IS IT WE CAN DO TO HELP? WELL, I THINK, FIRST OFF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL A WALGREENS OR A MAJOR, CONGLOMERATE CORPORATION FROM CLOSING DOWN IN OUR CITY. BUT THIS JUST PROVES, EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHY THESE MOM AND POP OR, LIKE, WHY THE LOCAL PHARMACIES ARE JUST SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR AREA. AND SO I THINK THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HERE IS FOR PEOPLE TO START REALIZING SALES TAX AND THE SALES TAX NUMBERS THAT CHERYL'S CONTINUES TO EMPHASIZE IS THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MONEY IS BEING SPENT IN BEAUMONT, WHETHER THAT IS TARGET, NOT JUST SHOP LOCAL, SHOP BEAUMONT. BECAUSE WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TARGET OR WALMART, THOSE SALES TAX IS STILL STAYING WITHIN THE CITY. BUT EVERY TIME WE GO ON AMAZON AND CONSISTENTLY GET 10 TO 15 BOXES OUTSIDE OF OUR HOME, THOSE TAX DOLLARS ARE ACTUALLY LEAVING THE CITY. SO, YOU KNOW, WE I THINK IT'S MORE OF BEING AWARE OF WHERE OUR MONEY IS GOING. AND THEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, BEING ABLE TO KEEP THOSE BUSINESSES STRIVING SO THAT A WALGREENS DOESN'T CLOSE DOWN. BUT I'M WITH YOU. I SEE, AND I THINK PLANNING AND ZONING REALLY HAS IDENTIFIED SEVERAL AREAS THAT ARE FOOD DESERTS AND THAT TRULY NEED, EVEN IF IT'S A SMALLER BODEGA OR SMALLER FOOD MART. BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY AREAS OF BEAUMONT THAT NEED THIS. YES. AND AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THERE'S A CAUTION THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH THEM, BECAUSE I RECALL WHEN WE HEARD ABOUT A MAJOR, CHAIN MOVING ONE OF THEIR LOCATIONS TO ANOTHER PART OF TOWN, AND THAT WAS, A LITTLE BACKLASH ABOUT IT. THEY SAID, WELL, OKAY, WE CAN LEAVE THE CITY. AND, SO ANYWAY, I'M LOOKING FOR WAYS TO DO THAT. WE DON'T WANT TO CAUSE MORE DAMAGE, BUT, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO PREVENT, AREAS OF OUR CITY FROM JUST TOTALLY DYING. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING. COUNCILMAN DARIO, I WANTED TO ASK CHERYL A QUESTION PERTAINING TO SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST SAID. WHEN WE BUY SOMETHING ON AMAZON AND PAY 
          [03:05:05]
TAXES ON IT, THAT SALES TAX DOES NOT COME HERE. NO, I DON'T BELIEVE IT DOES REALLY? FROM THE POINT OF SALE, FROM WHEREVER IT'S SOLD. OH, THEY GET IT. IT'S JUST MESSED UP. MY FAVORITE STORE, MY. IF 20% OF OUR RESIDENTS, TOOK $100 INSTEAD OF SPENDING IT $100 A MONTH AT AMAZON AND SPENT IT IN OUR LOCA, WHETHER IT'S WALMART OR TARGET, I WANT TO SAY SHOPPING IN BEAUMONT SPECIFICALLY, IT WOULD INCUR AN ADDITIONAL $556,000 IN OUR SALES TAX REVENUE. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. IT'S PART OF THE PLAN. YOU ALL SEE IT IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WHEN WE DO A WORK SESSION TOGETHER. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NEXT WOULD BE EVENT SERVICES OR EXECUTIVE OFFICE WORK. OKAY. WELL, I'LL GIVE UP DO LIST. OKAY ALL RIGHT. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUDGET INCLUDES THE CITY MANAGER, CITY COUNCIL AND SPECIAL PURPOSE DEPARTMENTS, THE SPECIAL PURPOSE DEPARTMENT IS A DEPARTMENT THAT REALLY INCLUDES AREAS THAT, WERE EXPENSES ARE NOT PARTICULARLY ASSOCIATED WITH A PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT, SUCH AS OUR COSTS FOR ANNUAL PROPERTY APPRAISALS THAT WE PAY JEFFERSON COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT, OUR LEGISLATIVE FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANT. THIS IS ALSO WHERE WE PAY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OUT OF THE SPECIAL PURPOSE BUDGET, THE ITEM ONE ITEM ADDED TO OUR BUDGET FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR IS BEAUMONT BOTANICAL GARDENS. A CONTRACT WITH THEM I HAVE BEEN MEETING, AS WELL AS STAFF WITH BECKY, BRENDA BEADLE, AND WE HAVE SECURED A VERBAL CONTRACT WITH THE BOTANICAL GARDENS AT $1,500 A MONTH BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST. THEIR EXISTING CONTRACT, WHICH IS ENDS NEXT MONTH, IS $0. THE CITY ISN'T PAYING THEM BASED ON THE THREE YEAR CONTRACT. IT INITIALLY STARTED OUT AT 3500 A MONTH LAST YEAR WAS 1500 A MONTH. THIS FISCAL YEAR IS ZERO PER MONTH, AND WE MET WITH THEM AND SPOKE WITH THEM, AND THEY'RE SATISFIED WITH THE 1500 A MONTH THAT WE ARE ABLE TO AFFORD. AND WE DID LET THEM KNOW THAT WE WILL COME BACK EACH YEAR DURING BUDGET AND SEE WHAT LEVEL OF FUNDING IS AVAILABLE TO ADJUST THAT. IF THE FUNDING IS IN THE CITY'S BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. SO I INCLUDED A TABLE OF, OUR NUMBERS IN THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE AND JUST, AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR EXPENSES WENT DOWN. PART OF THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO ZERO BASED BUDGETING, WHERE WE ACTUALLY WENT IN AND LOOKED AT EVERY INDIVIDUAL LINE ITEM IN CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET, AND IN SPECIAL PURPOSE. SO OUR, FISCAL YEAR 2025 PROPOSED BUDGET NUMBER DECREASED FROM WHAT WE'RE ESTIMATING THIS FISCAL YEAR BY $95,501. THAT IS MAINLY AS A RESULT OF CITY COUNCIL NOT MOVING FORWARD WITH THE GARFIELD FEASIBILITY STUDY PHASE THREE. 
          THAT WAS, IT WAS PART OF THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT WE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH PHASE THREE. 
          AND THAT WAS A REALLY LARGE AMOUNT. AND ALSO THE TERS CONSULTANT FUNDING IS NOT IN NEXT FISCAL YEAR SINCE WE PAID THAT MONEY OUT OF THIS FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET. SO THAT IS THE, THAT MAKES UP THE LARGE DECREASE IN SPECIAL PURPOSE. SO OVERALL BETWEEN CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER AND SPECIAL PURPOSE FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR, OUR NUMBERS DECREASED BY $108,136. THAT'S IT FOR THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUDGET. ANY QUESTIONS COUNCILMAN TURNER. SO CITY MANAGER THIS BASICALLY, IS IT STAFF UNDER UNDERNEATH THE CITY MANAGER IS IT. WELL, IT SAYS CITY MANAGER. ANYONE WHO WORKS THERE WORKS THERE. AND OPERATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT. ALL RIGHT, INCLUDING THE SUPPORT, THE STAFF ASSISTANCE, ETCETERA, ETCETERA. WELL, YOU KNOW, ALL I WOULD ASK WITH YOU KNOW, AND I ASKED THIS DIRECTLY TO KEN, AND I KNOW HE'S THE ONE THAT'S EMPLOYED BY US. IF, YOU 
          [03:10:05]
KNOW, COUNCILS HAVE THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. I KIND OF FRESH MY FRUSTRATIONS EARLY WHEN IT COMES TO YOUTH INITIATIVES, LIKE IF WE SET THESE GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND WE SAY THESE ARE THE THINGS WE WANT TO HIT, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE COMMUNICATION LEVEL IS THERE. IF WE DIDN'T HIT IT AND WHY WE DIDN'T HIT IT. AND MAYBE AN UPDATE OF WHEN WE PROPOSED TO TACKLE THOSE TASKS. THAT'S MY, YOU KNOW, MY ONLY DISSATISFACTION. HONESTLY, I JUST LIKE MORE OF AN UPDATE. IF WE WERE NOT ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING AND THE REASONS WHY, OKAY. SPECIFICALLY WITH YOUTH. COUNCILMAN GETS WHY IS THERE A CHANGE OF ANY KIND ON THE CITY COUNCIL BUDGET? WHAT ARE WE I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GETTING A RAISE. 
          WE'RE NOT. SO YEAH. AND AGAIN, THAT GOES BACK TO, US REALLY DRILLING DOWN AND LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS. WHAT I NOTICED WAS THAT WE IN THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET OVERESTIMATED FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE ALLOWANCE THAT WE PAID CITY COUNCIL. WE HAVE MORE BUDGETED THAN, THAN WE WILL PAY OUT. SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE THERE. THAT 11,002 57 OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. MISS CITY CLERK, MADAM CITY CLERK. SO I HOPE WHEELHOUSE WITH THIS, BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE IT MY BEST SHOT. STOP. SHEREE. SO BASICALLY I DID NOT ASK FOR ANYTHING IN THIS UPCOMING PROPOSED BUDGET. WE PRETTY MUCH KEPT OUR NUMBERS AS THEY WERE FROM LAST YEAR. WE DID GO LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM, AS CHERYL STATED, WE DID DO A BUDGET WITH, SIT DOWN WITH EACH, THEY DID A SIT DOWN WITH US AND WE WENT THROUGH ALL OF OUR ITEMS, LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM. SO THERE WERE A FEW THINGS THAT I, I WAS ABLE TO, ELIMINATE ON SOME AREAS. SO WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE SOME MONEY IN MY OVERALL BUDGET COMPARED TO WHAT WE SPENT OR WHAT WE WERE BUDGETED LAST YEAR, AS YOU CAN SEE, IN 2024 IT WAS 473. AND I THINK THAT'S 900. AND THEN THE PROPOSED FOR 24, WE WENT OVER A LITTLE BIT ONLY BECAUSE WE HAD TO GO IN AND MAKE CHARTER AMENDMENT CHANGES ON THE WEBSITE FOR OUR ORDINANCES. AND THEN WE HAD TO HAVE NEW CHARTER BOOKS PRINTED, AND THEN FOR 2025, WE WERE ABLE TO GO IN LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE. SO WE OUR TOTAL BUDGET OR PROPOSED AMOUNT FOR 2025 IS I THINK THAT'S 465 663. SO WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF BRING OUR TOTAL BUDGETED AMOUNT FOR 2025, FOR THE CLERK'S OFFICE, BRING THAT TOTAL DOWN. AND AGAIN, I DID NOT HAVE ANY CHANGES IN OUR BUDGET, WE DID BUDGET LAST YEAR FOR THE ELECTIONS. I THINK WE BUDGETED 94,000. WE LEFT THAT IN FOR 2025. AND I THINK FOR THE 2023 ELECTION, WE SPENT RIGHT AT 80,000. I THINK WE SPENT A LITTLE OVER I THINK IT WAS LIKE CLOSER TO A LITTLE OVER 77,000. AND THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO SPLIT WITH THE WITH BISD AND WITH THE PORT OF BEAUMONT FOR THAT ELECTION. ANY QUESTION? COUNCILMAN GOETZ, WHAT CONTRACT SERVICES DID YOU HAVE THIS PAST YEAR FOR? WE DID THE. DID THE YEAH, WE DID THE SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THE CHARTER AMENDMENTS. OKAY. AND THE OTHER THING IS THE ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION. WHAT IS WHAT IS THAT? THAT'S ALL OF OUR PUBLICATIONS THAT WHEN WE DO RFPS, MY OFFICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THOSE PUBLICATIONS THAT WE PUT IN THE PAPER. AND SO THAT'S WHAT THOSE THAT'S WHAT THAT'S FOR THE ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS IS FOR THAT. GOT IT. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO KEEP MY SEAT. WE'RE GOING TO WALK OUT THERE. I'M NOT IN THE INTEREST OF TIME AND JUSTICE. I'M GOING TO STAY RIGHT HERE. SO, THERE'S BEEN NO OVERALL INCREASE INTO MY BUDGET AS WELL. WE DID GO THROUGH. WE'VE STOPPED SEVERAL SUBSCRIPTIONS, JUST BECAUSE IT'S MORE FEASIBLE TO DO ONLINE STUFF, BUT I DID REQUEST TWO PART TIME, LEGAL ASSISTANCE THAT WAS APPROVED. AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THE PURPOSE BEING THAT WE ARE REORGANIZING OUR OFFICE 
          [03:15:03]
TO STREAMLINE WITH THE COUNCIL'S STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE FOCUS MORE ON RISK MANAGEMENT. SO, CURRENTLY, THE CITY WENT SELF-INSURED BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 23 FOR LIABILITY. BUT WE'RE STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR PROCESSING CLAIMS, THAT FALL WITHIN THAT TWO YEAR STATUTE. SO THAT PUSHES US BACK UP TO NOVEMBER 2025, WHERE THE CITY WILL STILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SELF-INSURED CLAIMS, BUT A LOT OF THOSE THINGS CAN BE HANDLED ADMINISTRATIVELY. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO TRANSITION OUR LIABILITY ADMINISTRATOR TO THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER THAT WAS APPROVED IN FY 24 AND THEN REASSIGN SOME OF HER ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES AND PROCESSING SOME OF THOSE CLAIMS TO, A LEGAL ASSISTANT. THE SECOND LEGAL ASSISTANT WILL, WORK IN THE POLICE LEGAL ADVISOR'S OFFICE, CURRENTLY WHEN THE TRANSITION OF OUR OFFICE, ASSUMING DIFFERENT DUTIES AND DOING DIFFERENT WORK, SHE DOES NEED SOMEONE TO HELP HER WITH DRAFTING DOCUMENTS AND FILINGS IN THAT OFFICE. THAT'S IT. ANY QUESTIONS? YES, COUNCILMAN TURNER, WHAT IS ADDITIONAL STAFF HELP WITH? YOU KNOW, MAYBE I GUESS, THE MINDSET OF WHEN IT COMES TO SOMETIMES THE COUNCIL A LOT OF CASES, WE MAY SETTLE THEM BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSES AND THINGS OF THAT MAGNITUDE. YOU KNOW, SINCE MY TENURE, I KIND OF IF I FEEL LIKE WE'RE NOT WRONG OR IF WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG, I'M MORE OPEN TO ACTUALLY TRYING THOSE CASES BECAUSE WE SOMETIMES DON'T SEE THE TRUTH OF WHATEVER WE MAY BE ACCUSED AT. THAT'S JUST MY PERSPECTIVE. BUT I HAVEN'T ASKED YOU TO SETTLE A CASE IN OVER SIX MONTHS. OKAY? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T PRACTICE THAT. YOU HAVEN'T SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, BUT IT HAS BEEN. SO WE DO NOT SETTLE CASES. OR WE DO NOT TRY CASES. WHEN THE CITY IS AT FAULT. AND UNFORTUNATELY, 99.9% OF THE TIME WE ARE, SINCE IMPLEMENTING OUR, RISK MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES WITH OUR ACCIDENT REVIEW BOARD AND SOME OF OUR OTHER SAFETY POLICIES THAT MY OFFICE PRODUCED AT THE DIRECTION OF COUNCIL TO INSTRUCT ME TO, QUOTE, STOP PAYING. SO MANY CLAIMS. WE, WE IMPLEMENTED THAT PROGRESS SINCE THEN AND WE CAN PROVIDE THOSE NUMBERS. I THINK WE PROVIDED IT LAST YEAR DURING MY REVIEW, AND I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT AGAIN. THIS YEAR. 
          WE'RE ABLE TO CUT OUR COSTS ALMOST IN HALF, BY THAT. AND SO THESE TWO NEW POSITIONS WON'T NECESSARILY FOCUS ON THAT. I THINK THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE ARE ALREADY WORKING. 
          WHAT IT WILL ALLOW FOR US TO DO THE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE HAVE PLANNED, TO FURTHER MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING SAFETY PROCEDURES, HAVING A SAFE WORK PROCESS, THAT ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE, THAT ARE DRIVING OUR VEHICLES, HAVE VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE, JUST THOSE LICENSE CHECKS, JUST SOME OF THOSE OTHER THINGS, THAT COUNCIL SAID THAT THEY WANTED TO SEE. 
          IT'LL HELP WITH THAT, COMING UP WITH, WITH POLICIES, DOING AUDITS OF PROCEDURES. IT'LL ASSIST WITH THOSE IN THOSE AREAS. WELL, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN STATED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T SELL THE THINGS UNLESS WE HAVE SOME FAULT. I'M GLAD YOU DID STATE THAT BECAUSE WE HAD SOME ISSUES AS PEOPLE SAID OTHERWISE. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT AND CORRECT, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. I THINK THE NEWER CASES WOULD GET IT NOW. TWO HTML WILL COME INTO PLAY. YES. SO ANYTHING POST NOVEMBER 2023 FOR LIABILITY. THE OUR IT WILL BE COVERED BY BY HTML. ANYTHING PREVIOUS TO NOVEMBER OF 2023 OR RIGHT AT THAT NOVEMBER 2023 DATE, WE ARE STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR IN THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS IS TWO YEARS. SO COUNCILMAN GETS SO WITH THE CITY GOING INTO THE HTML RISK POOL INSTEAD OF BEING SELF-INSURED, WILL IT NOW BE UP TO HTML TO DECIDE TO DEFEND THE CASE OR SETTLE OR. YES. AND SO THE CITY WAS PREVIOUSLY SELF-INSURED WITH HTML LIKE IN THE 80S. AND WE LEFT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO, THEIR TEAM WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHY DO WE LEAVE IT? I WAS LIKE, WELL, WE DON'T LIKE THAT. Y'ALL HAVE SO MUCH CONTROL. 
          WELL, THEIR MINDSET IN THAT PROCESS HAS CHANGED TREMENDOUSLY. I WAS VERY ADAMANT ABOUT THE ATTORNEYS THAT I WANTED TO WORK WITH, SO FAR THAT HAS NOT BEEN A PROBLEM. I LIKE OUR LOCAL COUNCIL, THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH IN THE PAST THAT WE HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO SATISFY THAT REQUEST BECAUSE THEY WORK WITH THOSE ATTORNEYS AS WELL, AND IN, IN WORKING WITH THEM, I'VE EXPRESSED MY HOW I LIKE MY CASES HANDLED. AND SO FAR WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY COMPLAINTS, THEY DO HAVE DISCRETION IN SETTLING CASES. 
          [03:20:05]
OBVIOUSLY, THEY GET TO WEIGH THE RISK FACTORS THE SAME AS WE DO, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S WORTH IT TO FIGHT IT OR WORTH IT TO SETTLE, SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE. BUT, THEY'VE BEEN VERY, ACCOMMODATING AND UNDERSTANDING THE CITY'S STANDPOINTS ON SOME OF THOSE ISSUES. UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE AT FAULT A LOT. SO AND IF I MAY AD, ALSO, MY HISTORY WITH THEM, TOO, IF IT'S A CASE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SETTLE, TYPICALLY THEY'LL COME AND CONSULT WITH THE CITY AND GET THE CITY'S OPINION ON WHETHER OR NOT TO SETTLE IT. THEY DEFINITELY WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY BEFORE THEY DO THAT. SO WE ALSO STILL HANDLE CLAIMS, THAT ARE UNDER $10,000 AS A HANDLE IN-HOUSE. THOSE WE PAY IN-HOUSE, AND SO AGAIN, LIKE CLAIMS THAT FALL WITHIN THAT FRAME WILL COME TO US AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. 
          EXCELLENT SO OUR AMBULANCE FEES ARE SCHEDULED TO INCREASE BY ABOUT $2.4 MILLION. WE HAVE NOT INCREASED OUR FEES SINCE 2010. THERE'S A SCHEDULE THERE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. BASIC LIFE SUPPORT TRANSPORTS ARE INCREASING FROM 725 TO 1193, ETC. ALL INCREASES ARE REIMBURSABLE UNDER MEDICARE AND MEDICAID AND STANDARD INSURANCE. HOWEVER NEXT SLIDE. SO WE ALSO HAD ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A BUYER TWO POSITION. CURRENTLY WE ONLY HAVE WE HAVE A BUYER THREE AND WE HAVE TWO BUYER TWOS, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, REALLY PUTTING A TON OF WORK ON JUST A FEW PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY DO THE PURCHASING FOR THE ENTIRE CITY. SO THIS WILL ALSO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND TURNAROUND OF CONTRACTS FOR GOODS AND SERVICES. IT CENTRALIZES SOLICITATION AND PRICING BETWEEN THE PURCHASING DIVISION. AND IT INCREASES NEUTRALITY IN VENDOR SELECTION AND COST SAVINGS FOR THE CITY. ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE PROPOSING TO HAVE A GRANT COORDINATOR AND ADDED GRANT COORDINATOR POSITION WILL ASSIST IN THE COORDINATION, DOCUMENTATION AND REPORTING ON THE CITY'S GRANT FUNDING ALLOCATIONS AND ASSOCIATED PROJECTS. THEY WILL SERVE AS A LIAISON BETWEEN ALL DEPARTMENTS TO IDENTIFY NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, ENSURE THE CITY OF BEAUMONT SEEKS ADDITIONAL REVENUE THROUGH GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, AND ASSIST DEPARTMENTS IN REVIEW AND SUBMISSION OF PRE-AWARD DOCUMENTS. SO, AT THE CURRENT TIME, YOU KNOW, OUR GRANT REPORTING IS SOMEWHAT DIVERSIFIED THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WHICH IS OKAY. I MEAN, POLICE HAVE CERTAIN GRANTS THAT THEY DO AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER DEPARTMENTS, ENGINEERING, PUBLIC WORKS, THEY DO A LOT OF GRANTS. BUT I THINK THAT THIS WILL DEFINITELY HELP US IN SEEKING OUT NEW GRANT FUNDING AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE AND AID US IN REPORTING FOR THAT. WELL, THE GRANT COORDINATOR ACTUALLY BE SOMEBODY THAT KNOWS HOW TO WRITE GRANTS. AND WILL THAT BE SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DO, PROBABLY TO SOME EXTENT. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME GRANTS THAT ARE EASY FOR A GRANT WRITER TO WRITE. THERE ARE OTHER GRANTS THAT REQUIRE A LOT OF SPECIALIZED, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE. AND SO POSSIBLY SOME OF THOSE MAY GO OUT OF HOUSE STILL, LIKE, BIG GRANTS, SOME OF THE BIG CDBG GRANTS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, SOMETIMES THOSE ARE BETTER SERVED TO GO OUTSIDE. THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE I'M AWARE THAT TEXAS PARKS AND, WILDLIFE, OFFER A LOT OF GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, THAT I'M NOT FAMILIAR, THAT WE'RE EVEN APPLYING FOR. RIGHT, WHO WHO WOULD BE THE PERSON WITH THE CITY THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THESE GRANTS? YES I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD FALL. YOU KNOW, IN, IN THIS AREA, THOSE USUALLY COME OUT AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. THERE ARE 50, 50 GRANTS. SO, THEY'RE GENERALLY THEIR APPLICATIONS ARE NOT EXTREMELY COMPLEX. SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AN IN-HOUSE PERSON COULD DEFINITELY DO THOSE. AND MOST GRANTS AN IN-HOUSE PERSON COULD DO, BUT THERE ARE A FEW THAT ARE VERY SPECIALIZED THAT MAY WANT TO WE MAY STILL WANT TO GO OUT TO AN ADMINISTRATOR. JUST ENCOURAGE US TO TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE. ABSOLUTELY. I'M ENCOURAGING EVERYBODY. THEY'LL PROBABLY SAY, I WISH THEY WISH I WOULD BE QUIET ABOUT IT, SO ALSO, WE, ANTICIPATE THAT SOME OF OUR STAFF IS GOING TO GO TO THE OPENGOV, WHICH IS OUR NEW BUDGET 
          [03:25:01]
SOFTWARE, WANTS TO GO TO THAT CONFERENCE. SO, TRAVEL AND LODGING, WE WOULD PAY FOR, THEY ACTUALLY GOT SOME SCHOLARSHIPS, THROUGH OPENGOV, TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE, SO WE WON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REGISTRATION. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. ANY QUESTION, JUST A COMMENT. I KIND OF AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN GUEST WHEN IT COMES TO. I JUST FEEL A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE WITH US HAVING A GRANT WRITER ON STAFF VERSUS CONTRACTING SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO IT, BECAUSE THEY REALLY ONLY MAKE THE REVENUE BASED UPON WHAT THEY PRODUCE. LIKE, I HAVE TO SAY, I AGREE, WHEN IT COMES TO HAVING SOMEBODY IN-HOUSE THAT REALLY CAN GO OUT TO FREE MONEY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE KIND OF STRAPPED FOR CASH. AND WE'VE BEEN LIKE THIS THE LAST FEW YEARS. YEAH. AND THAT'S HOW I ENVISION THIS POSITION, TO BE A PERSON TO SEEK GRANTS AND OKAY, AFTER GRANTS, AND I THINK BOTH OF THESE POSITIONS, THIS AND THE BUYER ADDS VALUE TO THE CITY. THIS VALUE ADDED, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING DIVISION. YOU KNOW, WE GOT TERRY. BUT YEAH, IT'S QUITE A TASK GETTING OUT, PURCHASING ITEMS AND BIDS AND ETC. AND THAT SLOWS THINGS DOWN AND SLOWS THINGS DOWN. COMING FOR YOUR APPROVAL. AND THEN THIS GRANT CARD THAT CAN GO OUT AND ASSIST IN FINDING MONEY, YOU KNOW, GRANTS ARE NOT AS HARD TO WRITE WITH. I NOW AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE YOU CAN JUST TELL CHAT BOT TO WRITE THE GRANT AND CHAT BOT. BOT AND OTHER COPILOT WILL WRITE A GRANT FOR YOU NOWADAYS, AND IN ONE MINUTE. SO AND YOU JUST TELL IT WHAT YOU WANT, WHAT YOU WANT IN IT. SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT ALL THOSE TYPE OF THINGS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE DICE. I'M CARMEN WILLIAMS, THE NEW HR DIRECTOR. AND THE CHANGES THAT YOU WILL SEE, TO THE BUDGET THIS YEAR CENTER AROUND THE FACT, PART OF THE DISCUSSION I HAD WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER DURING MY INTERVIEW WAS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO HAVE STAFF THAT ARE UP TO DATE AND CURRENT IN OUR FIELD BECAUSE THINGS ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING. SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF INCREASE IN TERMS OF, TRAINING CERTIFICATIONS. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS. AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT HERE. SO ON THE PERSONNEL CONTRACTS, JUST DUE TO INFLATION AND RENEWALS OF SOME OF OUR CONTRACTS, THAT AREA HAS INCREASED BY $10,000. PERSONNEL ADVERTISING, ADVERTISING JOB LISTINGS ON VARIOUS SITES AND DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT THE POSITION IS TECHNICAL, SOMETIMES THERE ARE CERTAIN SITES THAT YOU NEED TO OPERATE. I MEAN, POST ON IN ORDER TO GET THE ATTENTION OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY BE QUALIFIED. ALSO, WE REALIZED DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT HAD A SEPARATE LINE ITEM ITEM FOR ADVERTISING, AND THAT REALLY JUST SHOULD COME UNDER HR AND WE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THAT FOR EACH OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS. SO THEREFORE WE HAD AN INCREASE IN THAT AREA UNDER ADMINISTRATION, OPERATING SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT, EQUIPMENT DUE TO THE INCREASE OF THE RISING PRICES OF, OF COURSE, TONER PAPER BADGES, BECAUSE WE HANDLE ALL THE BADGES FOR THE, FOR THE CITY, AS WELL AS COMBINING BENEFITS, OPERATING SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT, WHICH WAS A SEPARATE LINE ITEM. BENEFITS, OF COURSE, IS A PART OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSE TOGETHER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE OVER THE LAST FIVE WEEKS WITH MISS SUSAN, AS THE ADMINISTRATOR FOR ME, FOR BENEFITS. SO WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR BUYING AND OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR EMPLOYEES ALWAYS PRIORITY. NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. THANK YOU, UNDER ADMINISTRATION, WE ARE DOING OUR CONTINUING EDUCATION THROUGH CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS, SEMINAR, WEBINARS IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA. THE HR DIRECTOR AND THE HR MANAGER, FALL UNDER THAT. I CURRENTLY HOLD APPROXIMATELY FOUR CERTIFICATIONS THAT REQUIRE ME TO RENEW EVERY THREE YEARS, FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION. OUR HR MANAGER ALSO HAS LICENSE AND CERTIFICATION, IN THE AREA OF WORKERS COMPENSATION. AND SO THOUGH, IN ORDER FOR US TO KEEP UP WITH THOSE LICENSES TO STAY CURRENT AND ON TOP OF TRENDS AND BEST PRACTICES, WE'RE ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL MONIES FOR TRAINING. AND ON THE PERSONNEL TRAVEL AND 
          [03:30:06]
TRAINING. WHAT I DISCOVERED IS THAT WE HAD A BUDGET OF MAYBE A 2 TO $3000 FOR TRAINING, AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW. SO MANY PEOPLE, COULD BE IN THE DEPARTMENT. AND YET WE ONLY HAD $3,000 FOR TRAINING. AND SO WHAT I'VE ENCOURAGED DAY ONE, WHEN I CAME, I WAS IN THE BUDGET MEETING, AND SO I WAS LIKE, OKAY, THERE ARE SOME CHANGES I'D LIKE TO MAKE. AND THESE ARE THOSE SUPPLEMENTAL THINGS I'M ENCOURAGING ALL OF MY STAFF TO DO CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE AREA OF HUMAN RESOURCES, SO THAT EVENTUALLY MY ULTIMATE GOAL IS FOR US TO BE CROSS TRAINED. ALSO FOR ME TO LOOK AT A SUCCESSION PLAN TO PREPARE PEOPLE FOR OUR FUTURE SO THAT TODAY OR TOMORROW, WHEN I'M NOT HERE, YOU ARE NOT HERE, THAT THE DEPARTMENT WILL GO ON AND WE'LL HAVE PEOPLE IN POSITION WHO ARE ACTUALLY QUALIFIED WHEN THOSE VACANCIES COME UP. AND SO I'VE PUSHED THAT, AND THE STAFF HAS REALLY BEEN PLEASED WITH THAT. AND THEY WERE LIKE, MISS CARMEN, CAN EVERYBODY GO TO TRAINING? AND I WAS LIKE, YES, WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME THAT? THEY WERE SAYIN, BECAUSE DEPENDING ON YOUR POSITION, YOU WERE NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO ATTEND TRAINING. AND MY THING IS I WANT PEOPLE WHO ARE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT LEARNING WHO ARE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT SERVING OUR EMPLOYEES, HERE WITHIN THE CITY. AND THAT IS A POSITIVE PLACE TO COME, AND THAT THE INFORMATION THAT YOU GET IS ACCURATE AND UP TO DATE. AND IF WE DON'T KNOW, I'VE ALREADY TOLD THEM IT'S OKAY TO SAY I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'M GOING TO FIND THE ANSWER AND MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW UP. AND SO I'M ENCOURAGING THAT THROUGH ALLOWING THEM TO GO TO TRAININGS, PROFESSIONAL FEES, I REALIZED THAT WE WERE NOT A MEMBER OF SOME ORGANIZATIONS IN PARTICULAR IN MY DISCUSSIONS BEFORE COMING HERE WITH SOME OF MY COHORTS, IN VARIOUS CITIES, AS WELL AS HTML. THEY WERE EXCITED THAT WE JOINED HTML AGAIN THROUGH THE RISK MANAGEMENT AREA. I PERSONALLY SAT ON THE BOARD FOR THE MHRA FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND I HAD ONLY MET ONE PERSON IN THAT WHOLE TIME, THAT I'VE BEEN ATTENDING. TO MHRA CONFERENCES FROM THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT WITH THE SIZE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE. SO WE ALSO HAVE A MEMBER THAT'S ON THE BOARD OF, TEXAS PRIMA, WHICH IS THE RISK MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION. SO THOSE ARE THE INCREASES THAT YOU SEE IN TERMS OF DUES, FEES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS. AND I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. YES SIR. JUST ONE COMMENT. SIMILAR TO CRISTINA'S COMMENT EARLIER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME WE SHOP AT AMAZON AND WE SPEND MONEY OUTSIDE, THE REVENUE ISN'T COMING BACK TO THE BEAUMONT. I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT WE TRULY, WE TRULY, TRULY, TRULY TALK TO OUR HIRES. WE CAN'T FORCE THEM, BUT WE TRULY TALK TO OUR HIRES ABOUT LIVING IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT AND BEING A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY. I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT'S JUST A DIRECTION, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND I WOULD HOPE SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT AS WELL. ABSOLUTELY COUNCILMAN GOETZ, HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, BOTH IN ADMINISTRATION AND IN PERSONNEL? IT'S A TOTAL I HAVE 13, BUDGETED POSITIONS, BUT I HAVE 12. YOU HAVE 12. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU ALL. 
          I GAVE YOU PRINTED COPIES BECAUSE BETWEEN MY COMPUTER AND THE FINANCE COMPUTER, THE COLORS CHANGED, AND IT BOTHERS ME. SO YOU GET THE PRETTY COPIES. AND I PROMISED YOU AT LUNCH THAT I'D BE BRIEF, SO I'M GOING TO SKIP SOME SLIDES, SO IF WE CAN SKIP THAT ONE. YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT WE DO, BECAUSE YOU CAN READ IT LATER. OKAY? THEY'RE PERFECT. OKAY. NEW SERVICES AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS FISCAL YEAR WITH THE COMPLETED BUILD OUT OF THE THIRD FLOOR AT THE EOC BUILDING, WE'VE INCREASED OUR CUSTODIAL OPERATIONS BY 20,000FT■!S. WE ARE ALSO FOCUSED 
          [03:35:06]
ON ENHANCING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. WE KNOW THAT THAT'S A TOP PRIORITY OF THE COUNCIL. 
          AND IN DOING SO, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH VARIOUS FESTIVALS SUCH AS THE CRAWFISH FEST. WE ALSO COLLABORATED WITH LAMAR UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR HISTORY THIS YEAR, AND WE DID A SHOWING OF APOLLO 13, WHERE WE WORKED WITH THEM TO BRING IN DOCTOR JENNIFER ROSS FROM THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, AND SHE SPOKE TO THE CROWD ABOUT WORKING MISSION CONTROL DURING APOLLO 13. SO JUST SOMETHING UNIQUE TO FURTHER ENRICH OUR COMMUNITY'S CULTURAL EXPERIENCES AT THE VENUES WE ALSO, INTRODUCED TWO NEW EVENTS. THIS YEAR. WE HOSTED THE HANUKKAH MENORAH LIGHTING AND A LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MARDI GRAS, WE'VE ALSO EMBRACED THE ROLE OF THE FILM, FRIENDLY PERMITTING, AND WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH FIVE FILM PRODUCERS THIS YEAR, WE KNOW THAT YOUTH ENGAGEMENT IS A TOP PRIORITY OF THE COUNCIL. AND, WE ALSO REALIZED THAT OUR ANNUAL CITY EVENTS HAVE BECOME CHERISHED TRADITIONS FOR MANY FAMILY CALENDARS. SO TO ENHANCE THESE EXPERIENCES, COUPLED WITH THE COUNCIL GOAL OF YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, WE ADDED A PERFORMING ARTS STAGE TO THE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION AND WE FEATURED JONATHAN WILLIAMS FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS. WE ALSO ADDED KID TOBERFEST TO OKTOBERFEST, WHICH WAS A GREAT ADDITION FOR KIDS. I'M EXCITED TO REPORT THAT WE ALSO SUCCESSFULLY RAISED OVER $64,000 IN SPONSORSHIPS FOR OUR EVENTS THIS YEAR, AND AN ADDITIONAL $50,000 IN EVENT INCOME, AND BOTH OF THOSE THINGS HELP OFFSET THE CITY BUDGET FOR SPECIAL EVENTS. ONE EXCITING THING THAT WE ARE ADDING THIS UPCOMING YEAR IS WE ARE GOING TO START DOING SOME INCLUSIVE PROGRAMING AT CLASSIC MOVIE NIGHTS, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE OFFERING SENSORY FRIENDLY SCREENINGS ONCE A QUARTER. THESE SCREENINGS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A SAFE, QUIET AND BRIGHTER ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE THAT HAVE SENSORY NEEDS, SUCH AS PEOPLE WITH AUTISM AND YOUNG CHILDREN, SO THAT THEY CAN ENJOY FILMS COMFORTABLY AND THIS IS SOMETHING NEW THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. NEXT SLIDE INCLUSIV, MOVIE NIGHTS. WHAT ARE YOU UNDERSTOOD ABOUT AUTISM AND EVERYTHING? WHAT WHAT ALL DOES THAT INCLUDE THOUGH THAT THERE'S SENSORY FRIENDLY SO THAT PEOPLE THAT HAVE SENSORY NEEDS, SUCH AS THOSE WITH AUTISM OR EVEN YOUNG CHILDREN WHO MAYBE HAVEN'T BEEN TO A THEATER BEFORE THESE SCREENINGS WILL. SO ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, WE'LL SHOW THE REGULAR MOVIE NIGHT LIKE WE ALWAYS DO. AND THEN ON SATURDAY WE WOULD SHOW A MATINEE THAT IS SENSORY FRIENDLY. IT'LL HAVE BRIGHTER LIGHTS, LOWER VOLUME ON THE SOUND, WE PROVIDE A SAFE, QUIET ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO LEAVE THE ROOM. IF IT GETS TOO OVERWHELMING FOR THEM. AND THERE'S JUST OTHER LITTLE ASSETS THAT WE WOULD PUT FORTH AND PUT SOME EFFORT INTO SO THAT PEOPLE WHO CAN'T EXPERIENCE A MOVIE, MAYBE LIKE WE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO, WOULD BE ABLE TO JOIN US. IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN UTILIZE ONE OF THE GREATEST ASSETS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY MORE FREQUENTLY, WHICH IS THE ROBERT MORTON WONDER ORGAN? AND I'M THINKING OF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HAVING IT BE AVAILABLE BEFORE THE MOVIES START, JUST PLAYING MUSIC FOR PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME IN AND GATHER BEFORE THE MOVIE STARTS, I THINK THAT WOULD ENHANCE THE THEATER GOING EXPERIENCE THERE AND BRING YOU BACK TO THE CLASSIC, YOU KNOW, BEGINNINGS OF THE JEFFERSON THEATER. AND I'VE TALKED TO YOU PREVIOUSLY ABOUT MAYBE EXPANDING OUR FOOD AND BEVERAGE CHOICES AND PERHAPS REACHING OUT TO THE FOOD TRUCK VENDORS TO HAVING SOMEBODY, PARKED OUTSIDE AND ALLOWING, MOVIE PATRONS TO COME IN AND BRING BRING THE FOOD OFF THE FOOD TRUCK. SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT OTHER THAN JUST POPCORN. WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK AT? WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE YOUR COMMENT ABOUT THE ORGAN. ONCE WE RECEIVED THE ABILITY TO USE THE ORGAN AGAIN, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO, WE DID PUT IN THE BUDGET, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE ORGAN CONCERTS, WHICH WE DID THREE TIMES, WHICH WAS WHAT WE WERE BUDGETED FOR. THEN THERE WAS THE APPROVED EXPANSION TO THE ORGAN THAT WAS OFFERED TO US BY A GRANT, NOT A GRANT THAT WE WENT OUT FOR, BUT ONE THAT WE WERE GIVEN. AND SINCE THAT TIME, THE ORGAN HAS BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION. AND THAT'S WHY YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ANY ADDED PROGRAMING. BUT WE DID OFFER THE ORGAN BEFORE MOVIE NIGHTS, AS WELL AS THE THREE CONCERTS LAST YEAR. WHEN IS THE, ORGAN SUPPOSED TO BE SLATED FOR COMPLETION? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE'S NOT A COMPLETION DATE, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD PROBABLY ASK BUILDING SERVICES WHEN THEY COME UP. I JUST HAVEN'T BEEN GIVEN A DATE. 
          OKAY. THANKS OKAY. NEXT SLIDE. SO WE ARE PROPOSING, LET ME JUST START BY SAYING THE CIVIC CENTER. RATES HAVE NOT INCREASED SINCE 2014. SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THE GATE, BUT WE ARE PROPOSING A 30% INCREASE ON ALL VENUE RENTAL FEES. SO THIS IS JUST THE RENT, AT ALL VENUES, 
          [03:40:09]
WHICH WOULD INCREASE OUR REVENUE BY $185,000 ANNUALLY. AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT EVEN WITH THE 30% INCREASE, THIS IS A FAR CRY FROM WHERE MOST TEXAS OWNED VENUES ARE. I'M A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS VENUES ASSOCIATION AND OBVIOUSLY HAVE DONE A QUERY ON WHAT THEY CHARGE. WE'RE STILL PRETTY FAR, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT WE DO NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHEN WE DO THESE INCREASES, JUST BECAUSE OUR FACILITIES ARE PRIMARILY USED FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS, I DON'T SEE US, YOU KNOW, HAVING 150% INCREASE. SO I'M PROPOSING A 30% INCREASE RIGHT NOW ON THE RENTAL OF THOSE FACILITIES. OUR LAST INCREASE ON SOME OF THE VENUES WAS IN 2019. 
          AND MY THE ONLY OTHER FEE THAT I WANTED TO PROPOSE IS WE HAVE A BRAND NEW STATE OF THE ART SOUND SYSTEM THAT YOU ALL APPROVED FOR THE JULIE ROGERS THEATER, AND AS OF LAST WEEK, WE CAN OFFICIALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH USING IT. AND IT'S PRETTY STANDARD TO CHARGE FOR THE USE OF A SOUND SYSTEM. 
          SO I'M PROPOSING A $500 PER EVENT FEE TO USE THAT SYSTEM. NEXT SLIDE. OKAY HERE'S THE I ASK FOR MONEY PART. I KNOW THAT THIS WAS IN CHERYL'S PRESENTATION EARLIER, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE A COORDINATOR AT THE CIVIC CENTER. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR MANY YEARS. 
          AND WITH THE FACILITY BEING RENTED OVER 120 PER DAY AT 20 DAYS PER YEAR, IN ADDITION TO THE OPERATIONS DAYS, WE DO NEED SOMEONE TO OVERSEE THAT FACILITY AND THEN WE COULD NEVER HAVE ENOUGH MAINTENANCE WORKERS. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE ALL THE ACTION HAPPEN. THEY'RE ALSO OUR CUSTODIAL OPERATORS. THEY SET UP AND TEAR DOWN EVENTS AND THEY WORK CITY FESTIVALS. TO DATE, WE ARE JUST NOW BACK TO OUR 2019 PERSONNEL LEVELS, AND WE'VE SEEN SINCE 2019 A 51% INCREASE IN EVENTS. WE'VE TAKEN ON TWO MAJOR FESTIVALS, JUNETEENTH AND VIVA FEST, IN ADDITION TO 40,000FT■!S OF ADDED CUSTODIAL OPERATIONS, WE'VE SEEN A MAJOR INCREASE IN OUR WORKLOAD, BUT OUR PERSONNEL RATE HAS STAYED LOWER THAN OR AT WHERE WE WERE AT IN 2019. THE NEXT ONE IS THE BIG ONE, SO THE CURTAIN AND RAIL SYSTEM AT THE JULIE ROGERS THEATER. THIS WOULD BE A BUDGETED ITEM. WE WERE APPROVED $400,000 FOR IT LAST YEAR, AND WE WENT OUT FOR BID, AND IT CAME BACK AT $790,000. THE ORIGINAL BUDGET WAS BASED OFF OF A 2022 ESTIMATE. THAT DID NOT INCLUDE SOME OF THE PARTS THAT WE NEED, AND THERE HAS ALSO BEEN SOME ADDITIONAL DETERIORATION SINCE THAT TIME. BUT FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T FAMILIAR, THIS IS THE MAIN CURTAIN AT THE JULIE. AND THEN ALL OF THE MECHANICS MOVING BACKWARDS. IF YOU EVER LOOK UP IN THE CEILING, IT'S EVERY PART THAT MAKES THE STAGE WORK. THE DRESSING ROOM FLOOR IS AT THE JEFFERSON THEATER. NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY'RE IN DISREPAIR. I COULDN'T TELL YOU WHEN THEY WERE PUT IN, BUT THEY'RE A TRIPPING HAZARD AND FALLING APART. CLEAR-COM ACCESSORIES ARE TO SUPPORT THE CLEAR-COM SYSTEM THAT YOU ALL APPROVED FOR THIS PREVIOUS YEAR, WHICH WE INSTALLED. AND IT'S JUST TO GET RID OF OLD PARTS THAT ARE OBSOLETE AND GET US FULLY UP TO DATE ON THAT. AND THEN THE GARBAGE RECEPTACLES AT THE EVENT CENTER PATIO ARE NOW 12 YEARS OLD, AND THEY ARE WOODEN AND THEY'RE FALLING APART. AND WE'D LIKE TO REPLACE THEM WITH SOMETHING MORE DURABLE. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. COUNCILMAN TURNER. EMILY, I JUST REALLY WOULD LIKE TO COMPLIMENT YOU ON LISTENING TO THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL AND ACTUALLY ALIGNING SOME OF THE THINGS YOU DO WITH THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL. I APPRECIATE THAT, ONE THING YOU'VE INCLUDED WAS YOUTH INITIATIVES AS WELL AS EVENTS YOU TOOK ON A LOT MORE THAN WHAT YOU ORIGINALLY TAKING. 
          TAKING ON. AND ONE THING THAT KIND OF STANDS OUT TO ME, WHEN I MET ALL THESE EVENTS AND I COME OUT WITH MY KIDS, I ALWAYS SEE YOU OUT THERE SWEATING, WORKING HARD, WORKING HARD WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY COME OUT AND CELEBRATE THE EVENTS. AND I RESPECT LEADERSHIP THAT'S HANDS ON. SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, I WANT TO COMPLIMENT YOU ON THAT BECAUSE YOU REALLY, REALLY PHYSICALLY HANDS ON YOUR DEPARTMENT. AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT CONFIDENT IN WORKING WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE OUT THERE WORKING WITH THEM. SO I JUST WANTED TO COMPLIMENT YOU ON THAT. THAT KIND OF STOOD OUT TO ME. AND I FEEL LIKE WHEN PEOPLE DO A GOOD JOB, YOU SHOULD YOU SHOULD SAY IT PUBLICLY, NOT PRIVATELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WEST CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. CITY MANAGER WILLIAMS AND THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE, OF COURSE, YOU ALL KNOW I'M FREDDIE WILLARD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE BEAUMONT CVB. NEXT SLIDE. WE'RE 
          [03:45:04]
A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY BECAUSE WE ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THERE ON THE SCREEN EXACTLY HOW MUCH THAT THE CITY COLLECTS. OVERALL, 15% IN THE AREA OF THE 7% THAT THE CITY RECEIVES, WE GET OUR PORTION FROM. THAT'S WHERE OUR BUDGET COMES FROM. SO I DID WANT TO MENTION THAT, THAT IS MONEY THAT IS COMING FROM OUTSIDE THE CITY THAT ACTUALLY STAYS HERE, OF THAT MONEY THAT WE RECEIVE, THERE'S GUIDELINES ON HOW WE CAN USE THAT MONEY. SO WITH THAT SAID, JUST KIND OF WANTED TO GO OVER THAT AGAIN. WE PROMOTE THE CITY AS A VIABLE DESTINATION TO VISIT AND LIVE. OUR EFFORTS ARE THOSE TO ATTRACT GROUPS TO COME TO BEAUMONT FOR CONVENTIONS, MEETINGS AND TOURNAMENTS. WE WORK WITH OUR HOSPITALITY PARTNERS AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT. WE ARE IN THE COMMUNITY CREATING RELATIONSHIPS TO HELP ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE, AND WE ALSO SUPPORT THE ARTS, MUSEUMS AND LOCAL EVENTS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. NOW WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT OUR BASE BUDGET. 
          AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE DID RECEIVE A REDUCTION. BUT I DO WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT, OUR OVERALL GOALS DOES INCLUDE MANAGEMENT OF FOUR DIFFERENT VENUES, TWO OF WHICH THAT DOUBLE AS A VISITOR CENTER. THAT'S THE BEAUMONT CVB OFFICE AND THE BABE ZAHARIAS MUSEUM. WE ALSO MANAGE CATTAIL MARSH WETLANDS EDUCATION CENTER AND TERRELL PARK NATURE CENTER. NOW MOVING FORWARD, EVEN WITH THE REDUCTIONS, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN SEVERAL INITIATIVES THAT WE CURRENTLY, MANAGE, AND THAT'S TO ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE, BUT ALSO GIVES THE LOCALS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT AND ENJOY THINGS TO DO IN OUR CITY. ONE OF WHICH IS THE BOAT CYCLES GEOCACHING, DIGITAL PASSPORTS THAT ACTS AS SCAVENGER HUNTS AND ALLOWS EVERYBODY TO GET OUT AND SEE WHAT BEAUMONT HAS TO OFFER. HIGHLIGHTING OUR HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND ATTRACTIONS. 
          THAT'S DEFINITELY IMPORTANT. SO WE WILL HOST SMALL EVENTS THROUGH NATIONAL TOURISM WEEK AND RESTAURANT RESTAURANT WEEK, WHICH IS NOVEMBER 4TH THROUGH THE 11TH. AND THIS WILL HELP GIVE EXTRA EXPOSURE. AND IN AN EFFORT TO BRING IN MORE VISITORS AND TO CREATE MORE OVERNIGHT STAYS, OUR PROGRAMS ARE GEARED TOWARDS SPEAKING POSITIVELY ABOUT BEAUMONT AND ENCOURAGING LOCALS TO GET INVOLVED IN OUR MISSION, AND BASICALLY THAT IS TO GROW BEAUMONT THROUGH MEETINGS AND TO GROW THE HOT TAX FUND. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. NOW YOU CAN SEE SOME OF OUR THINGS THAT WE'RE PRETTY PROUD OF. THOSE ACCOLADES AND TRAVEL MEANS BIG BUSINESS. LAST YEAR WE HOSTED 128 MEETINGS AND EVENTS, 78 ORGANIZATIONS. AND THAT GENERATED OVER 65,000 VISITORS THAT CAME INTO BEAUMONT THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS. TERRELL PARK RECEIVED THE MURAL SIDEWALK, A POCKET GARDEN. AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE MORE TO COME. NOT ONLY THIS FALL, BUT NEXT SPRING. YOU'LL SEE MORE ADDITIONS TO TERRELL PARK AND THE NATURE CENTER AREA, BECAUSE OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE MAGNOLIA GARDEN, ROTARY CLUB OF BEAUMONT AND FUNDS RECEIVED THROUGH GRANTS, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER, VISIT BEAUMONT WEBSITE WILL HAVE A NEW LOOK. THE REDESIGN WILL BE COMPLETED AND THIS WILL ACCOUNT FOR A LARGE PART OF OUR BUDGET. 
          WE HAVE HOPE TO HAVE MORE ONLINE TRAFFIC THERE, STAND ON A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND PLANNING TRIPS TO BEAUMONT. THE REGIONAL VISITORS GUIDE. THE NEW ONE WILL BE ALSO ON THE WEBSITE AND IT WILL BE INTERACTIVE AND TO HELP ASSIST OUR BUDGET, WE WILL LEAN HEAVILY ON COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. AS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE RECENTLY HAD A REALLY GREAT MEETING WITH LAMAR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY TO DISCUSS PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND THEY WANTED TO STRENGTHEN THEIR OUTREACH GOALS SO THIS IS GOING TO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THEM AND PROVIDE MORE VOLUNTEERING, AND WE'LL GET MORE SPONSORSHIPS AS WELL, TO HELP ASSIST OUR BUDGET, WE ARE ALSO GOING TO RELY HEAVILY ON GRANTS. WE'RE NOT GOING TO FILL TWO POSITIONS. AND, WE'RE GOING TO RELY HEAVILY ON IN-HOUSE MARKETING ALSO. FINALLY WE ARE HAPPY TO SEE THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR THROUGH BOOK 
          [03:50:03]
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
          SO WE'RE WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. ALSO, WE, A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO GET INTO THE FOOD TRUCK BUSINESS, BUT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S ALL INVOLVED. SO WE STARTED, WE CONSTRUCTED THIS STARTER GUIDE TO ASSIST THEM FROM A TO Z. WHAT'S ALL INVOLVED? IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING GETTING INTO THE FOOD TRUCK INDUSTRY NEXT SLIDE. AND WITH IMMUNIZATIONS, WE CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH BISD TO INCREASE THE VACCINATION RATE AMONG OUR SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, 
          [03:55:06]
WE CONTINUE TO OFFER AND PROVIDE VACCINES FOR TEXAS CITIZENS WHO ARE UNINSURED, UNDERINSURED, AND ON MEDICAID. AND SO WHEN THAT SAYS TEXAS CITIZENS, SINCE WE GET STATE SUPPORTED VACCINES. SO AS LONG AS YOU LIVE IN TEXAS, YOU CAN COME TO US AND GET VACCINES. AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE GRAPH AT THE BOTTOM, 48% OF PEOPLE THAT COME TO US FOR CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS LIVE OUTSIDE THE CITY. AND THAT'S FOR A LOT OF REASONS. AND ONE AND THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON IS THE QUALITY OF SERVICE WE PROVIDE. AND SECONDLY, IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS, WE'RE THE ONLY CLINIC OR THE ONLY HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT PROVIDES TRADITIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES FIVE DAYS A WEEK. SOME OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS DON'T OPERATE FIVE DAYS A WEEK OR PROVIDE THESE SERVICES. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE CITY THAT COMES TO US FOR CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS FROM JUNE OF LAST YEAR THROUGH JUNE OF THIS YEAR. 
          WE'VE ADMINISTERED OVER 6000, VACCINATIONS. NEXT SLIDE. HEALTH PROMOTION. WE DO HAVE A DIABETES WELLNESS CLASS AND IT'S FREE TO THE CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT. AND IT'S HELD EVERY WEDNESDAY, AT THE LAKESIDE CENTER AT 10:00 IN THE MORNING. IT'S FREE. WE LISTENED TO THE COMMUNITY ON PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS, AND WE RESEARCHED EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY HEALTH OUTCOMES. AND WE PARTICIPATE IN HEALTH FAIRS. WE ALSO SPONSOR HEALTH FAIRS, RIGHT NOW WE'LL BE HOSTING A BACK TO SCHOOL HEALTH FAIR AUGUST THE 3RD, WHICH WILL BE THIS SATURDAY FROM 9 TO 1 AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT LOCATED AT 3040 COLLEGE STREET. ON THE DATA AS WE LOOK AT, THE DEATH RECORDS AS WE LOOK AT THOSE DEATH RECORDS, WE LOOK AT THE TOP TEN CAUSES OF DEATH IN THE CITY. AND WHAT THAT DOES THAT HELPS US TARGET THE EDUCATION AND THE COMMUNITY THAT WE NEED TO BE EDUCATING ON. ALSO, WHEN OUR STI SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTION, THAT HELPS US WITH THE EDUCATION, THE TARGET AUDIENCE AND THE LOCATIONS TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY HEALTH OUTCOMES. AND THEN, SINCE AUGUST OF 23, WE'VE SEEN 2304 PATIENTS, COME TO OUR CLINIC. AND OF THOSE, 35% ARE FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. AND AGAIN, THE QUALITY OF SERVICE AS WELL AS WE'RE THE ONLY CLINIC IN THE AREA THAT HAS A FIVE DAY CLINIC AND ALSO WE, WE POST A LOT OF PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION TO OUR FACEBOOK PAG. SO WE'RE JUST ASKING EVERYONE TO LIKE US ON FACEBOOK, BEAUMONT PUBLIC HEALTH, FACEBOOK. AND THAT'S WHERE WE KIND OF, INFORM THE COMMUNITY OF WHAT'S GOING O. NEXT SLIDE. WE HAVE AN EPIDEMIOLOGY AND SURVEILLANCE. 
          DIVISION. AND IN TEXAS YOU HAVE 120 PLUS, COMMUNICABLE DISEASES THAT HAVE TO BE REPORTED BY LAW. 
          AND SO WHAT WE DO, WE RECEIVE THESE REPORTS. THAT'S, THAT'S FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK OUT AND SEE WHAT EMERGING THREATS MAY BE HAPPENING IN OTHER AREAS. AND THAT HELPS US PLAN AHEAD IN THE EVENT THAT WE MAY HAVE ONE OF THOSE INFECTIONS COME HERE. NOW, THIS NEXT BULLET IS WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT. THIS IS NEW TO THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. IS THIS WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE AND THIS. YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. TINA, THIS WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE HAS THE POTENTIAL AND WOULD ALLOW US TO PROVIDE, EARLY DETECTION OF DISEASES ALLOWING FOR TIMELY AND TARGETED PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION. AND SO WITH THIS WASTEWATER, IT'S JUST ANOTHER FORM OF SURVEILLANCE. AND TYPICALLY, RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TO WAIT ON HOSPITALS TO REPORT TO US WHAT'S IN THE HOSPITAL, WHAT MAY BE IN THE STANDALONE URGENT CARE CENTERS. BUT IN WASTEWATER, WE'RE PARTNERING WITH, MIKE HARRIS AND HIS TEAM. AND, WE'RE ABLE TO ABLE TO DETECT ANY AND ALL TYPES OF VIRAL PATHOGENS IN WASTEWATER. AND SO THIS ALLOWS US TO, BE TO BE ABLE TO DETECT WHAT'S CURRENTLY WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THAT HELPS US, PLAN HELPS US TO PUT IN PREVENTION STRATEGIES. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED TO, TO WORK WITH THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ON THIS WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE. SO THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS THE NEW GAME, 
          [04:00:04]
WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE. NEXT SLIDE. NOW, THIS IS PROPOSED FEES AND I. AND THAT'S WHY I PUT IN THERE HOW MANY PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY ACTUALLY ACCESS OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT? AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR CURRENT STI FEES ARE $20. AND I THINK THEY'VE BEEN MAYBE $20. I KNOW FOR SURE TEN PLUS YEARS. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE COMPARE THEM TO OTHER CITIES, CLOSE TO US. BAYTOWN IS 76, GALVESTON IS TEN. AUSTIN'S 20, WACO IS 45 TO 120, AND ABILENE IS $25. AND SO WE'RE JUST PROPOSING TO INCREASE IT BY $5. AND THEN WE GO UP TO $25 ON THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS WE SEE PER YEAR, WE CAN, BRING IN $60,000. AND YOU LOOK AT YOUR IMMUNIZATION FEE. YES, SIR. 
          THERE EARLIER YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE COME TO OUR CLINIC, FROM OUTSIDE THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. SHOULD WE CONSIDER CHARGING A LITTLE BIT HIGHER RATE LIKE WE DO FOR OTHER SERVICES FOR CITIZENS THAT COME FROM OUT OF TOWN? WE TALKED ABOUT IT INTERNALLY, AND, WE JUST CAME TO A CONCLUSION. WE JUST INCREASED IT JUST ACROSS THE BOARD AND HAVE A STANDARD RATE. BUT THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE CONSIDERED BECAUSE WE DID DISCUSS IT, THAT WE COULD CHARGE A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR PEOPLE THAT'S COMING FROM THE OUTSIDE, BECAUSE IN OUR STI DEPARTMENT, 35% OF OUR PATIENTS ARE FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CITY. I, FOR ONE, WOULD SUPPORT THAT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AT THE, TENNIS FACILITY, WE CHARGE MORE FOR OUT OF TOWN PEOPLE TO COME PLAY ON OUR COURTS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT FOR THE LIBRARIES OR NOT, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF BEAUMONT FIRST. I AGREE, AND, I WOULD SUPPORT A LITTLE BIT HIGHER RATE FOR PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE AREA. I THINK THE LIBRARY FEES ARE THE SAME, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE LAKESIDE CENTER WAS PROPOSED, THAT WE CHARGE, INDIVIDUALS WHO WEREN'T CITIZENS. AN ADDITIONAL FEE TO USE THE FACILITY. SO IT IS A STANDARD PRACTICE THAT THE CITY HAS IMPLEMENTED. I SUPPORT IT AS WELL. YEAH. OKAY IF YOU GO DOWN TO IMMUNIZATIONS, WE CHARGE $10, AND THAT'S REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY VACCINATIONS YOUR CHILD NEEDS, IT'S $110, AND WE'RE PROPOSING $13 FOR THE FOR ONE SHOT AND $30 FOR THREE OR MORE ON THE AVERAGE CHILD COME IN. ON THE AVERAGE, A CHILD MAY NEED FOUR VACCINES ON AN AVERAGE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WHAT OTHER PLACES CHORES THEY MAY CHARGE $13 FOR THE FIRST ONE AND $5 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL DOSE. AND THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY A LOT OF PEOPLE COME TO US, BECAUSE WE FLAT $10. YOUR CHILD MAY NEED EIGHT VACCINES AND IT'S $10. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE PROPOSING, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING ADULT VACCINATIONS. WE CHARGE $15 REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY YOU NEED, SO WE'RE PROPOSING TO GOING UP TO 25. AND AGAIN, THESE, VACCINES, THE PRICES, THE CHARGES HADN'T BEEN UPDATED. I KNOW, FOR TEN PLUS YEARS, IMMUNIZATION RECORD, CURRENTLY WE CHARGE $5. THAT'S IF YOU LOSE YOUR CHILD SHOT RECORD. NOW YOU NEED A REPLACEMENT. AND SO WE'RE PROPOSING GOING UP TO TEN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. THIS IS A LATE FEE FOR TEMPORARIES. RIGHT NOW WE CHARGE $15 FOR LATE FEE ACROSS THE BOARD. AND THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT A DETERRENT FOR PEOPLE BEING LATE APPLYING FOR THEIR PERMITS. AND WE SEE THAT A LOT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE DO, FOR EXAMPLE, I'LL DO THE TASTE OF THE TRIANGLE. YOU MAY HAVE 50 TO 60 VENDORS THERE. AND WE ASKED HIM TO APPLY FOR THE PERMIT AT LEAST 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY HAS TO BE INSPECTED, THIS LAST EVENT, I THINK THEY APPLIED FOUR DAYS PRIOR TO THE EVENT AND THEY JUST PAID THE $15. SO IT WAS NOT A DETERRENT. AND SO WE'RE PROPOSING EVERY DAY YOU'RE LATE, IT'S $30 PER DAY. THEN AFTER THREE DAYS, YOUR PERMIT COULD BE DENIED BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF PLANNING. RIGHT. WHEN WE DO THE TASTE OF THE TRIANGLE, BIG EVENTS LIKE THAT, THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THEIR NORMAL JOB DUTIES. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE PROPOSING THESE RATES. AND SO THAT'S THE PROPOSED RATES THAT WE HAVE. BUT THE BEST NEWS OF THE DAY FROM PUBLIC HEALTH IS IN TERMS OF BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR 
          [04:05:03]
TO THE PROPOSED OF 25, I'M REDUCING MY BUDGET BY $235,763. AND THAT'S THAT'S DUE BECAUSE IN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE DO RECEIVE A LOT OF GRANTS EVERY YEAR. AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO DO TRAVEL AND TRAINING FROM GRANT FUNDS. WE'RE ABLE TO, BUY SUPPLIES. WE'RE ABLE TO GET, COMPUTERS AND IPADS, SO FORTH. AND SO ON FOR GRANT FUNDS. SO, THAT'S HOW I'M ABLE TO REDUCE WHAT WE USE FROM THE CITY. QUESTIONS OUTSTANDING. OKAY. THERE'S NO QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I DON'T WANT IT TO GO UP. WE LIKE IT THERE. MAYOR AND COUNCIL I'M EXCITED BY THE OPPORTUNITY JUST TO BE HERE TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY. SO I GUESS FIRST SLIDE IS, TALKING ABOUT HOW BUSY WE ARE, AND Y'ALL KNOW THIS. SOME OF IT'S IN OUR ANNUAL REPORT THAT'S BEEN PUBLISHED. OUR DISPATCH OFFICE 911. COMMUNICATION IS TAKEN IN, USUALLY BETWEEN 330 TO 350,000 CALLS A YEAR, OF WHICH ABOUT HALF OF THEM ARE DISPATCHED TO THE FIELD. SO THAT TELLS YOU WHAT KIND OF WORK LOAD IS BEING DONE. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE BIT. JUST, SOME OF THE STATS ON, HOW MANY VACANCIES WE HAVE, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IS A TOUGH PIECE. AND WE'LL HEAR ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH, WE JUST DID A, WE GOT A RAIN OUT OUR ALEX KEITH PARK, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS, WE HAD ALL THE CREW THERE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT CAME A DELUGE. AND, WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THE RAIN, BUT IT'S, IT WAS INCONVENIENT THAT DAY, SO WE'RE WE'RE RESCHEDULING THAT. BUT WE'VE DONE, ABOUT FOR A YEAR LATELY. THE TRUNK OR TREAT. YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS UP THERE. IT'S VERY WELL RECEIVED. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE FUN DAY IN THE PARKS IS TRYING TO FOCUS NOT JUST ON THE BIG EVENTS, LIKE SOMETHING AT THE CIVIC CENTER, BECAUSE WHEN THOSE ARE POSTED, WE GET LOTS OF PEOPLE, SOMETIMES THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE AREN'T EVEN FROM BEAUMONT. WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO HIT NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC, FUNCTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN NETWORK WITH PEOPLE AT THE RESIDENTIAL LEVEL. 
          SO THAT'S OUR GOAL WITH THAT. THERE'S A LOT OF PROGRAMS ON OUR WEBSITE, SMALLER PROGRAMS THAT ARE, PRESENTATIONS THAT WE DO, COMMUNITY ACTIVE SHOOTER. YOU KNOW, WHAT DO THE PUBLIC, THE BUSINESS EMPLOYEES, THE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE A CHURCH GOER, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO WHEN YOU'RE FACED WITH AN ACTIVE SHOOTER PROGRAM? SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT WE GET CRIME PREVENTION AND OTHERS, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BLUE SANTA IS ALSO VERY WELL RECEIVED AND VERY WELL SUPPORTED THROUGH DONATIONS. SO WE'RE VERY THANKFUL ABOUT THAT NEXT SLIDE. 
          OPERATION CEASE FIRE. Y'ALL HEARD SOME COMMENTS ON THAT. BUT, IN A VERY SHORT SPAN OF TIME, YOU CAN SEE THE STATS AND, WHAT TARGETED, POLICING CAN ACCOMPLISH, THAT'S A LOT OF FIREARMS TO TAKE OFF THE STREET IN A TINY BIT OF TIME. THESE ARE VIOLENT OFFENDERS, THIS IS NOT MISDEMEANOR CRIME WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. AND IT AND IT MAKES A DENT WHEN YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE, A TEAM, FEDERAL AGENCIES, THE DA'S OFFICE, SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. THIS ISN'T JUST A ONE, FOCUS. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS. CODE ENFORCEMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND SO FORTH. TO TRY TO OVERCOME SOME OF THESE SPOT ISSUES. AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE DOING THAT, TRAINING. YOU CAN SEE THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT WE PUT INTO TRAINING WE'RE WORKING ON, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO DE-ESCALATION, DE-ESCALATION, MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING. OUR GOAL IS TO GET 100% OF OUR OFFICERS CERTIFIED. WE'RE OFFERING, 2 TO 3 COURSES A YEAR. IT'S A WEEK LONG COURSE, SO IT'S NOT A SIMPLE TASKING WITH ALL THE OTHER MANDATES, BUT WE'RE MAKING SURE WE GET 2 TO 3 A YEAR. WITH A GOAL OF 100% CERTIFIED. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO 
          [04:10:03]
THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER, JUST GRAND OPENING, JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE SUPPORT WE'VE GOT FOR THAT. THERE'S SOME SIGNIFICANT SUCCESSES SINCE THE, SOFTWARE AND SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED STARTING JANUARY THE 22ND, THIS CONSTRUCTION IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT. THE TECHNOLOGY, THE TRAINING AND SO FORTH. THIS HAS TAKEN MANY YEARS. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SOME OF THE, PARTNERSHIPS, LITERALLY FOR OVER 15 YEARS. AND WE'VE HAD SILOED APPROACHES TO DOING THINGS THAT NOW THROUGH TECHNOLOGY, WE'RE ABLE TO REALLY INTEGRATE AND WE'RE ABLE TO STRETCH OUR MANPOWER. AND WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE IN SOME VERY PROACTIVE STAFF, FROM SOME DEDICATED REAL TIME CRIME CENTER STAFF TO THE FIELD OFFICERS WHO HAVE UTILIZED THIS TECHNOLOGY AND WITHIN, FOR INSTANCE, THE, PEDESTRIAN FATALITY AT, COLLEGE IN DALEN IN A SPACE OF TEN MINUTES, THEY WERE ABLE TO HAVE VIDEO EVIDENCE OF A CASE THAT VERY LIKELY COULD HAVE GONE UNSOLVED WITHOUT, THE SUPPORT OF TECHNOLOGY. SO THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US GETTING THIS ON. Y'ALL HAVE BEEN THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. TWO YEARS SINCE WE FIRST APPROACHED Y'ALL ABOUT THIS. AND WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, LAST NIGHT, BUT I KNOW THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE MANAGER'S KEY THINGS. 
          AND THE REASON IS, IS BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN FACED WITH A LOT HERE, AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF HURRICANE SEASON, BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS HURRICANES. WE'VE BEEN FACED WITH A LOT OF DISASTERS. WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING FIVE DIFFERENT DISASTERS, MOST RECENTLY BURRELL. SO BACK TO HARVEY. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PROGRESS THAT'S COME OUT BENEFITS THAT HAVE COME FROM DISASTER. GOOD DOES COME FROM THAT, YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, JUST BEHIND THIS BUILDING, RIVERFRONT PARK, THAT PROJECT ALONE AND SEVERAL OTHER MAJOR ONES LIKE, PROVIDING SOME BACKUP WATER SYSTEM TO THE CITY HAS COME FROM THE BENEFITS OF DISASTER. SO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S, OUT THERE. POWER OUTAGES. YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T JUST DURING BURRELL, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK A WEEK OR TWO BEFORE THAT, WE HAD HAD SOME POWER OUTAGES. AND THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT MAKE SURE THAT OUR, HOMEBOUND PEOPLE, PEOPLE THAT THAT NEED SUPPORT AND MAY HAVE ISSUES WE REACH OUT BETWEEN A WHOLE BUNCH OF DEPARTMENTS OF YOUR CITY, OUR CITY, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE OKAY, EVEN WHEN IT MEANS HAVING A RESPONDER GO TO THEIR HOUSE AND CHECK ON THEM, SO A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON IN GRANTS AS WELL. DISASTER RECOVERY, AS YOU KNOW, BOTH FUNDING AND IN TRYING TO, HELP MEET THE TIGHT FISCAL REQUIREMENTS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEAS. SO ONE OF OUR, OUR BIG GOALS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WE REALLY NEED TO BUILD AND DEVELOP, IS IN LINE WITH THE CITY PLAN, WITH THE MANAGER'S EXPECTATION, WITH YOUR AND THE COMMUNITY'S EXPECTATIONS. WE'VE, WE HAVE SOME PLANS ON THAT, EXPANSION OF OUR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. THERE'S A LOT OF NEW LAWS OUT THERE, AND THE CASE LAW AND THE LEGISLATIVE, THINGS THAT HAPPEN AREN'T NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, EVERY TWO YEARS OR WHATEVER. THEY'RE THERE'S CHANGES THAT ARE COMPARABLE, CONSTANTLY GOING ON BEST PRACTICES THAT COME FROM LESSONS LEARNED AND SO FORTH. 
          ACCREDITATION IS A BIG, IMPETUS. AND THAT'S ALSO BENEFICIAL FOR BUILDING TRANSPARENCY AND MAKING SURE, YOU CAN EQUATE QUALITY, ACROSS BOTH THE STATE AND THE NATION BECAUSE YOU KNOW, AND YOU CAN LOOK AT, COMPARISONS AND THAT TYPE OF THING. SOME OF THESE PRACTICES HAVE BEEN IN EFFECT, WE JUST AREN'T ACCREDITED. BUT, WE NARROWLY HAD BEEN REQUIRED BY SEPTEMBER OF 2026 TO BE ACCREDITED. AND THAT WAS VETOED BY THE GOVERNOR, THERE WAS SOME ISSUES WITH OR MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUE, AND I'M SURE OUR CITY ATTORNEY COULD SPEAK MORE ABOUT THIS, BUT BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, IT WAS GOING TO BE A HUGE UNDERTAKING TO HAVE EVERY SINGLE POLICE 
          [04:15:03]
DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE, ACCREDITED BY THAT TIME. SO IT'S EXPECTED FROM WHAT WE'RE HEARING, THAT ANY DEPARTMENT OVER 50 PEOPLE MAY AS RECENTLY AS THIS NEXT SESSION, BE REQUIRED TO BE ACCREDITED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. SO WE WANT TO BE AHEAD OF THE CURVE, NUMBER ONE. 
          NUMBER TWO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMPLIANT WITH THE REGULATORY REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. THE EXPECTATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING. SO THAT'S A BIG ISSUE, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND THOSE ARE EVER EXPANDING. AND, SOME OF THE MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATIVE UPDATES, FOR INSTANCE, OUR TRAINING REQUIREMENTS OVER THE NEXT BIENNIUM HAVE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY, WHICH OF COURSE DRIVES, A LOT OF OUR TRAINING REQUIREMENTS AND COSTS THERE. SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO YOU KNOW, BUDGET REQUESTS ARE OBVIOUSLY TIGHT THIS YEAR. BUT WHAT WHEN WE BUILT OUR BUDGET, WE BASED IT ON THE NEW BUDGET GUIDELINES. NUMBER ONE ZERO BASED BUDGETING. 
          NUMBER TWO OUR PROPOSALS WERE SPECIFICALLY REFLECTIVE OF THE CRIME REDUCTION IN PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY ON THIS CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN. SO WE'RE LISTENING. WHAT Y'ALL ARE SAYING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, WE'VE BEEN, REALLY REMINDED ABOUT THE GOAL TO REDUCE CRIME, TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY. AND YOU'LL SEE THAT REFLECTED, NOT JUST AS SOMETHING THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND WITH FINANCE STAFF FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW. TO THAT END, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEVERAL PROPOSALS IN HERE, THE FIRST OF ALL IS A RECLASSIFICATION OF A POSITION THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US. TO ENSURE EQUALITY WITH THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND PAY OF SIMILAR POSITIONS ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY. ADDITIONALLY WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ANALYST, PUBLIC SAFETY ANALYST POSITIONS, WHICH WAS OUR FIRST PHASE IN A FOUR YEAR PLAN TO STAFF THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER. I KNOW THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED A LITTLE BIT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SPENT YEARS THROUGH GRANTS AND CITY FUNDS TO BUILD OUT THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER IN THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER, PROCURE EQUIPMENT, TECHNOLOGY AND EVEN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TRAINING. 
          BUT IT TAKES PEOPLE TO OPERATE THIS AS A COUNCILMAN SAID EARLIER, WE NEED THE OFFICERS TO STAFF IT. WE WANT TO USE CIVILIAN SPECIALISTS INSTEAD OF HAVING SWORN. HAVE TO BE IN THIS POSITION BECAUSE WE NEED THE SWORN OUT, OUT IN THE FIELD AND DOING, DUTIES THAT REQUIRE, A SWORN POLICE OFFICER. WE HAVE OUR CORE STAFF. WE NEED TO EXPAND THAT. WE BELIEVE WITH 16, ANALYST EVENTUALLY TO DO A 24 OVER SEVEN, 365 DAY COVERAGE. SO WE'VE ASKED FOR A STRATEGIC OR A PHASED PLAN. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE MANAGER AND THE FINANCE SECTION, AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH US ON THAT. WE UNDERSTAND, THE BUDGETARY CONCERNS. WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH THE CITY, BOTH, JEFF HARVILLE AND THE OR THE FLEET MANAGER AND THE CFO AND THE CITY MANAGER WITH REGARD TO OUR, OUR FLEET, WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE TRANSPORTATION. NUMBER ONE, WE GOT TO HAVE VISIBILITY. AND IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES OUT THERE, THEN WE HAVE TO COMBINE PEOPLE. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT FIELD ASSETS. THESE ARE ONES THAT ARE FRONT LINE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ON THIS BUDGET REQUEST THAT'S PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY. THE STATUS OF THE FLEET IS AN INTERNAL CONCERN AS WELL. 
          THE OFFICERS NEED A SAFE, VEHICLE TO DO SOME OF THESE, REPAIRS TAKE TIME. THE FLEET ORDERS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, YOU DON'T. SOMETIMES YOU'RE LUCKY. AND THE CAR SITTING THERE ON THE LOT. SOME OF THESE THINGS WE ORDER TAKE TIME TO, OUTFIT AND BUILD AND FIND TO PURCHASE. SO, WE NEED ENOUGH VEHICLES TO DO THAT. WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM, AND WE NEED TO KEEP THE VEHICLES FROM EXCEEDING REASONABLE MILEAGE STANDARDS AND STRENGTHENED OFFICERS AND CITIZENS SAFETY ON THAT. WITH REGARD TO 911, OBVIOUSLY, I GAVE YOU ALL THE STATS OF HOW WHAT 
          [04:20:05]
THEIR WORKLOAD IS. YOU KNOW, THAT CALL LOAD IS MANAGED WITH A MINIMUM MANPOWER OF, REQUIREMENT OF FIVE PEOPLE. SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MANY CALLS THAT IS A DAY, THEY'RE WORKING 12 HOUR SHIFTS, THEY'RE NOT SITTING AROUND EVER, THAT PHONE IS CONSTANTLY RINGING. THEY'RE CONSTANTLY HAVING TO COORDINATE. RESPONSES AND, REQUESTS CONCERNS AND, DISPATCH OF FIELD OFFICERS. 
          WE, WE HAVE A TOUGH TIME MAINTAINING A FULL STAFF, AND WE TRADITIONALLY HAVE ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR POSITIONS VACANT EITHER, BECAUSE WE CAN'T ATTRACT OR WE CAN'T RETAIN QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. EIGHT OF THE TEN SURROUNDING AGENCIES OFFER OFFER CERTIFICATION PAY. SO THIS IS ONE WE'RE NOT ASKING TO RAISE THEIR THEIR THEIR BASE PAY RIGHT NOW. WE UNDERSTAND THE COMPENSATION STUDY HAS BEEN DONE. AND THAT'S THAT'S A WORK OF ART AND A WORK IN PROGRESS. 
          HOWEVER WE DO, ASK FOR THIS BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A COMMON, PROVISION BY OTHER AGENCIES THAT IT WILL WE BELIEVE IT WILL HELP US, RETAIN PEOPLE AND HELP US RECRUIT AS WELL THE SWORN OFFICERS DO GET CERTIFICATION PAY AS AN INCENTIVE, THE SAME CERTIFICATION INTO THE, TEXAS COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER STANDARDS IS THE SAME CERTIFYING ENTITY FOR DISPATCHER PAY. SO WE'RE ASKING FOR THAT. WE ALSO WORKED WITH, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND THE CFO FOR THE PARALEGAL POSITION THAT'S GOING TO SUPPORT OUR, CONSTANT OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS AND LEGAL REVIEWS, EVIDENCE SHARING REQUESTS. AND SO FORTH. WE, WE APPRECIATE THAT CONSIDERATION. I KNOW THAT, OUR CITY ATTORNEY ALREADY ADDRESSED THAT, AND THEN WE'VE WE'VE DISCUSSED, SOME, FUNDING FOR AND WE HAVE SOME I DON'T SEE IT UP THERE, BUT WE HAD SOME REVISIONS LATE LAST NIGHT. I THINK WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LEXIPOL THAT, PROVIDES POLICY MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE TO ENSURE CASE LAW REGULATIONS AND LAW CHANGES ARE CONSTANTLY UPDATED. SO, OUR MANPOWER NUMBERS HAVE BEEN STAGNANT FOR MANY YEARS, BUT OUR WORKLOAD IS INCREASING. WE REMAIN A FULL SERVICE DEPARTMENT. YOU CALL, WE COME. WE HAVE AN INCREASING WORKLOAD FROM EVIDENTIARY REQUIREMENTS, EVENT SECURITY AND MANAGEMENT, OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS, COMMUNITY AND MANAGEMENT EXPECTATIONS. SO MAKING ENDS MEET JUST THROUGH THE USE OF OVERTIME IS STRETCHED OUR PERSONNEL TO A MAXIMUM. WE REALIZE FUNDING IS TIGHT THIS YEAR. WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT HARD TO FIND ADDITIONAL FUNDING STREAMS AND FIND WAYS TO STREAMLINE OUR OPERATIONS, STRETCH MANPOWER. THE TECHNOLOGY IS AN EXAMPLE. THIS DEPARTMENT BRINGS IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR IN GRANT FUNDING, PROJECTS ARE OFTEN BENEFITING OTHER DEPARTMENTS, NOT JUST THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF REIMBURSEMENT AND OVERTIME, BOTH FOR THROUGH, FEE, REIMBURSEMENTS AND GRANTS FOR OVERTIME AND SOME OF THE FEES MORE THAN REIMBURSED. THE COST OF MULTIPLE POSITIONS. SO WE WE'VE IMPLEMENTED, AS YOU ALL HAVE HEARD, CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY TO STRETCH OUR TIME, GREAT. CAN WE KIND OF STICK TO THE SCRIPT HERE A LITTLE BIT? BECAUSE WE GOT TO GET THROUGH THIS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S ON HERE IS ALREADY IN YOUR BUDGET, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO JUSTIFY IT. OKAY. I'VE ALREADY PLUGGED IN THESE DOLLARS, AND YOU AND I ARE GOING TO MEET THIS WEEK BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SPECIAL REQUESTS. AND WE'LL PROBABLY REWORK THIS YES SIR THING SO Y'ALL CAN SEE THERE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. THE CYBER SECURITY GRANT MATCH. THAT'S A CITY CITYWIDE PROJECT. THE RADIO MAINTENANCE CITYWIDE PROJECT IS ACTUALLY A REGIONAL PROJECT. COVERS FOUR COUNTIES. AND THAT WE DO HAVE A PORTION OF THAT, THE FUZE GRANT MATCH. WE'RE HOPING TO GET THAT COVERED AT LEAST 75% THIS YEAR. AND YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER, COSTS THERE THAT ARE FOR, I.T. SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE FOR THESE DIFFERENT, TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE. SO I GUESS THAT'S A COMPLETION. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LENGTH, NO, NO, NO, I GOT WELL, LET ME LET ME ADD A COUPLE OF THINGS. THANKS, TIM. YES, SI, AND AGAIN, I HAVE TO MEET. WE HAVE TO MEET BECAUSE HE'S GOING TO HAVE PRIORITIES THAT WE 
          [04:25:03]
HAVEN'T HEARD BEFORE. SO WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO BUILD HIS PRIORITIES INTO THIS BUDGET FOR SURE. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE CRIME CENTER AND WHAT THAT MEANS, BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO TACKLE THAT. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TACKLING IT IN THE RIGHT WAY, SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT MIGHT BE SOME EXISTING PERSONNEL THAT COULD WORK IN THERE TOO. SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING IT RIGHT. I HAVE NO PROBLEM GIVING HIM FOUR IF HE NEEDS IT OR WHATEVER, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING IT CORRECTLY. THE ACCREDITATION, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS DEPARTMENT NEEDS. I WAS SURPRISED TO REALIZE IT HASN'T BEEN ACCREDITED. IT'S SOMETHING THE DEPARTMENT SHOULD HAVE ACHIEVED. I KNOW SOMETIMES IT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT TAXING GOING THROUGH THE EXERCISE OF DOING THAT, BUT SO WE DID. AND IT'S NOT LISTED ON THIS SCREEN WITH ALEXA POLL. DEAL THAT PAYS FOR THE ABILITY FOR US TO GET ACCREDITED. BUT THAT'S ALSO DOLLARS. WE'RE PUTTING INTO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TOO. SO THE, THE ACCREDITATION. AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO MEET AND REHASH HIS AND HIS BUDGET COULD LOOK DIFFERENTLY AFTER THIS WEEK. OKAY COUNCILMAN TURNER, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE MEETING THIS WEEK, SO IT'S JUST A FEW THINGS I'D LIKE TO KIND OF POINT OUT. THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I AND MOST OF THE COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, WOULD IT BE WESTON NORTH END, SOUTH END? THEY'RE ALL SAYING THEY WANT MORE OF A PHYSICAL PRESENCE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT THROUGHOUT THAT COMMUNITY. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH STRAIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. IT'S BEEN SAID, I'M PRETTY SURE YOU CAN ATTEST TO IT. MIKE. CHRIS, I'M PRETTY SURE YOU CAN ATTEST TO IT AS WELL. EVERYONE'S SAYING THEY WANT MORE OF A PHYSICAL PRESENCE, ME, KENNETH, I SUPPORT STAFFING WITH THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER. WE, WE ACTUALLY PAY A FEE YEARLY, WHETHER IT BE INTERNAL, READY TO BE REALLOCATION, OR HOWEVER YOU NEED TO GET IT DONE. AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I DO SUPPORT THAT, ONE THING I WANT TO FOCUS ON, IT'S A TOPIC WE PAY FOR A STUDY, AND WE REALIZE THAT 64% OF OUR OFFICERS WORK IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT AND LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT BY LAW, OF COURSE, WE CAN'T REQUIRE THEM TO LIVE IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, BUT ANY TYPE OF WAY WE CAN INCENTIVIZE THEM OR ANY TYPE OF WAY WE CAN UNDERSTAND IT AND, PUT THAT INTO THE BUDGET THAT CAME OUT. OKAY. WELL I WANTED THAT IN TOO. WE'LL LOOK AT THAT. OKAY I JUST WANT BECAUSE I MEAN, WE TALKED ABOUT IT LAST YEAR AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET IT IN THERE THIS YEAR AND JUST ATTRACTION AND RETENTION RETAINING PLAN. I LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, SEE IT AND SEE IF IT'S ANY WAY I CAN HELP YOU GUYS IN THAT AREA BECAUSE I KNOW, TIM, YOU SAID THAT WOULD BE A FOCUS FOR YOU. SO I'M MORE THAN SUPPORTIVE TO SEE IF I CAN HELP YOU ALL IN ANY WAY. SURE COUNCILMAN GOETZ, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CHIEF MENTIONED WAS, YOU KNOW, HE'S, IF I HEARD YOU RIGHT, YOU'VE GOT SWORN PERSONNEL THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE FILLED BY CIVILIAN POSITIONS IN THOSE SWORN PERSONNEL COULD THEN BE PUT OUT IN THE FIELD, WHICH WOULD ENHANCE WHAT, COUNCILMAN TURNER JUST SAID. MORE OF A PRESENCE, DID I UNDERSTAND THAT ACCURATEL? THAT'S. THEY CAN BE PUT INTO DOING DUTIES THAT ARE NEEDING TO BE DONE BY A SWORN. WE WANT TO SEPARATE THE DUTIES THAT CAN BE DONE BY A CIVILIAN. AND BE, EFFICIENT WITH HOW WE'RE USING OUR, OUR OFFICERS BECAUSE SOME OF OUR DUTIES RIGHT NOW CAN BE CONDUCTED BY A CIVILIAN. WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE CIVILIAN TO DO THE JOB. SO THAT'S WHAT OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE AS MUCH VISIBILITY AS POSSIBLE. THERE ARE STILL INVESTIGATIONS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN, SOME OF THESE POSITIONS WOULD SUPPORT, PREVENTING HAVING TO PULL OFFICERS IN TO DO THOSE THINGS. WELL, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO LEVERAGE THAT, MR. WILLIAMS TO, ALLOW SWORN PERSONNEL TO BE DOING DUTIES THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BE DONE BY SWORN PERSONNEL, BUT NOT HAVING THEM DO DUTIES THAT CIVILIANS CAN DO. SEEMS TO ME TO BE SOMETHING WE WOULD WANT TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, CIVILIANS DON'T GET PAID WHAT SWORN PERSONNEL DOES, SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I THINK WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO THANK YOU. AND JUST AS, A POINT OF INFORMATION, I WAS JUST AT A TRAINING THAT POINTED OUT AS CITIES IMPROVE WITH THEIR, CRIME, OFTENTIMES CRIME STATS GO UP AND IT REQUIRES ACTUALLY ADDITIONAL STAFF BECAUSE AS YOU'RE MORE EFFICIENT AND SUCH AS THESE SYSTEMS AND YOU'RE ABLE TO CATCH MORE, IT APPEARS THAT YOU HAVE A BIGGER PROBLEM WHEN IN FACT YOU DON'T HAVE A BIGGER PROBLEM. YOU'RE JUST BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS IT. BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS IT, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT PERSONNEL ON THE GROUND. SO I THINK WE ALL NEED TO BUCKLE UP FOR THE FACT THAT THIS REAL TIME CRIME CENTER IS ROLLING OUT, AND IT MAY APPEAR THAT CRIME HAS GONE UP, WHEN IN FACT 
          [04:30:04]
IT'S THE SAME AMOUNT OF CRIME, IT'S JUST THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CATCH MORE OF IT AND RESPOND TO MORE OF IT. BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE THAT RESOURCES. SO CERTAINLY KNOW YOU'VE GOT A BIG TASK AHEAD, BUT WE KNOW YOU'RE UP FOR IT. GLAD TO HAVE YOU. THANK YOU SIR. THANKS. GOOD AFTERNOON. COUNCIL CITY MANAGER'S CITY EXECUTIVE STAFF. TWO OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS THE LEXIPOL POLICY THAT MR. WILLIAMS REFERRED TO. THIS IS A STANDARDIZED DEAL TO GET OUR INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE BOARD, FAMILIAR WITH OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, AND IT CAN LEAD TO REDUCED LITIGATION COSTS. THE INITIAL COST IS, AS YOU SEE, 68 EIGHT, 74 AFTER THAT, A $21,000 ANNUAL FEE ON THE LEXIPOL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND THAT WOULD HELP WITH LITIGATION FOR LEGAL STAFF. ALSO AND THE PHARMACEUTICAL INVENTORY CONTROL VENDING MACHINE, AS YOU KNOW, WE RUN, NINE MED UNITS EVERY DAY AND WE ARE REQUIRED BY DEA TO TRACK ALL OUR MEDICATION. THIS IS, IF YOU GO TO THE HOSPITAL, YOU'VE SEEN THE VENDING MACHINES THAT THE NURSES USE FOR MEDICATION. THIS ALLOWS US TO BETTER TRACK THE NARCOTICS THAT WE USE. AND IF WE'RE AUDITED BY, DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, WE CAN PRODUCE THOSE SO THAT WE'RE ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY BIT OF OUR MEDICATIONS UTILIZED. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. ANY QUESTIONS AS YOU CAN. AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS AN OVERALL, BUDGET. AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT IF YOU'LL LOOK AT THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER, WE'VE CUT AS BEST AS WE CAN AND WE'VE ONLY LOOKING FOR AN INCREASE OF 3.2% IN OUR ENTIRE, BUDGET. IN FACT, SOME OF OUR LINES WE'VE ACTUALLY MANAGED TO DECREASE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE. THE ONLY THING THAT HAS INCREASED IN THOSE LINES, AS YOU SEE, IS THE BENEFITS. AND THE SECOND CONTRACT SERVICES THAT THAT IS IN MY LINE ITEM BUDGET THAT IS FOR, ANY LITIGATION, GENERATED FROM GRIEVANCES AND LOSSES, THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT THE ONLY INCREASE IN THOSE LINES WERE WAGES AND BENEFITS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND THIS IS CHIEF SINGLER WHO IS THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OVER THE OPERATIONS DIVISION. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE THAT THIS COMING YEAR BY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT A LITTLE BIT AMOUNT GOING FROM 32 5 TO 31 THREE. ANY QUESTIONS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ONE OF OUR PLANNING DIVISIONS OKAY. A LITTLE BIT OF DECREASE IN THAT DIVISION. THE WAGES AND BENEFITS IS NOT, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONTROL. THAT IS SOMETHING CONTRACTUAL, WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS UNION. 
          OKAY. NEXT SLIDE, OUR LOGISTICS DIVISION, A LITTLE BIT OF, INCREASE IN THAT BECAUSE OF INCREASED IN COST, AGAIN, WAGES AND BENEFITS IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN REALLY CONTROL, BUT A LITTLE BIT OF INCREASE IN THAT, THE LOGISTICS SERVICE BRANCH DIVISION, THAT DIVISION ACTUALLY SUPPORTS ALL THE FIRE STATIONS AND MED STATIONS. ANY REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, THOSE THINGS ARE TAKEN FROM THAT DIVISION. NEXT SLIDE. AND THE SUPPORT BRANCHES, OUR COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION, THAT IS MANNED, 365 DAYS A YEAR, WITH PERSONNEL FOR PERSONNEL DURING THE DAY AND TWO PERSONNEL, AT NIGHT. THE 911 CENTER ACTUALLY ROLLS THOSE CALLS OVER TO OUR COMMUNICATION DIVISIONS. AND WE WIND UP DISPATCHING BOTH FIRE AND EMS SERVICES OUT OF THAT DIVISION. 
          NEXT SLIDE. AND THE EMS DIVISION. WHICH FOR THE MOST PART, I THINK NOW WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 27 CIVILIAN PERSONNEL, ALLOTTED IN THAT POSITION BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS HAVE BEEN TURNED INTO SWORN POSITIONS. IN FACT, EARLIER THIS YEAR, 12 OF THOSE POSITIONS WAS CONVERTED TO SWORN FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS. ANY QUESTIONS? NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND AS YOU, LOOK 
          [04:35:05]
HERE, THIS IS WE'RE RUNNING 12, ENGINES STAFFED BY THREE FIREFIGHTERS, THREE DEPUTY CHIEFS, THREE DISTRICT CHIEFS AND A SUPPORT UNIT ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE OPERATION DIVISION ON THE EMS SIDE, NINE MED UNITS. EVERY DAY WE'RE RUNNING NINE MED UNITS, STAFFED BY TWO CERTIFIED EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL, SOME OF THOSE UNITS, WE RUN A TIERED SYSTEM OF BLS BASIC LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM. ALS ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM, AND WHAT WE CALL A MIC UNIT. THOSE UNITS ARE RESERVED WITH, FOR PARAMEDICS TRYING TO ADMINISTER NARCOTICS. AND THERE WE TRY TO KEEP THEM IN RESERVE FOR OUR HEART ATTACK STROKE PATIENTS. THOSE REALLY, REALLY BAD CAUSE, LIKE, THE OTHER DAY, WE HAD A SEVERE WRECK THAT REQUIRED FIVE OF OUR MED UNITS. WE TRANSPORTED A TOTAL OF OVER NINE PERSONNEL TO EMERGENCY SERVICES. SO, IT IS VERY IMPERATIVE THAT WE KEEP NINE FRONTLINE MED UNITS IN SERVICE WITH THOSE FIVE MED UNITS BEING TIED UP. THAT ONLY LEFT US WITH FOUR MED UNITS FOR OTHER CALLS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE, CITY DURING THAT THREE HOUR PERIOD. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, MAX AND CHIEF SINGLER HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB ASSURING OUR INCREASED, CALL VOLUME, MUCH LIKE PD, WE FIELD A NUMBER OF 911 CALLS, AND TRYING TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC THAT SOME OF THESE CALLS MAY NOT BE NECESSARY. WANT YOU TO CALL, BUT SOME OF THESE CALLS MAY NOT REACH THE LEVEL OF EMERGENCY THAT REQUIRE MED UNIT OR FORCE TO RESPOND. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO ON AN AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN OF EDUCATING THE PUBLIC THAT SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT YOU'RE CALLING FOR, ACTUALLY DON'T RAISE TO THE LEVEL OF, REQUIRE EMERGENCY SERVICES. YES, SIR. WE'VE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT PREVIOUSLY. HAVE HAS THAT NOT BEEN ROLLED OUT YET WHERE WE WERE GOING TO DO SOME SORT OF A TELEMED OR SOMETHING WHERE, WHERE ARE WE ON? THAT WAS A GOOD SAM APP AND WE'RE CURRENTLY, GOING TO BE INTERVIEWING TWO CLINICAL NAVIGATORS. IN FACT, MAX WENT OVER TODAY AND LOOKED UP 911 DISPATCH FOR THAT LOCATION. FOR THOSE, NAVIGATORS TO COME IN AND THOSE ARE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THOSE CALLS AND WE'RE GOING TO, SCAN THEM. AND IF IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A MED UNIT OR ENGINE TO RESPOND, WE'RE GOING TO SEND THEM TO TELEMED OR MAYBE SOMEONE ELSE THAT CAN HELP THEM, AND DON'T REQUIRE RESPONSE. YES SIR. WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY WORKING ON THAT. THAT WAS APPROVED, BUDGET YEAR LAST YEAR. AND THIS YEAR. WHEN WILL IT BE IMPLEMENTED, WE'RE CURRENTLY GOING TO BE MAX IS WORKING ON THE ACTUAL, GUIDE TO HIRE TWO CLINICAL NAVIGATORS WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. I ANTICIPATE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSIONS TO BE ABLE TO INTEGRATE FIRE INTO THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER FOR, ALL THE DIFFERENT RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THAT, THAT MAY BE USABLE TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE EVENT OF ACCIDENTS AND OTHER EMERGENCIES THAT OCCUR, AS WELL AS POSSIBLE, MED CALLS AND STUFF. YEAH. THE GOOD SAM APP WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO THE 911 CENTER. AND FOR YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A PLAN TO MOVE FIRE DISPATCH, WHICH IS BEING MANNED BY SWORN PERSONNEL OVER TO THE 911 CENTER. HOWEVER, THERE WAS LITIGATION, THAT THE UNION INSTITUTED THAT YOU COULDN'T REPLACE SWORN PERSONNEL WITH CIVILIANS. SO THE PLAN DOWN THE LINE IS TO MOVE FIRE DISPATCH WITH SWORN PERSONNEL OVER TO THE 911 CENTER. SO WE DON'T HAVE THOSE DUPLICATED SERVICES, THAT ANGIE IT WHEN WE BUY SOFTWARE FOR 911 OVER AT PD, THEY'RE HAVING TO BUY SOFTWARE FOR 911 OVER AT FIRE. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING TO TRY TO INTEGRATE AND HAVING ALL ONE CENTER. YES, SIR. CHIEF, WHEN, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO START THIS INTEGRATION PROCESS, PUTTING EVERYBODY TOGETHER, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO APPROACH. THE CITY MANAGER ON, THERE IS ENOUGH ROOM OVER THERE CURRENTLY, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO WORK WITH IT AND EVERYTHING AND GET EVERYTHING MOVED OVER THERE, ALONG WITH PERSONNEL ALSO. AND THESE CLINICAL NAVIGATORS ARE THEY'RE GOING TO BE SWORN PERSONNEL OR ARE THEY GOING TO BE CIVILIAN, EMTS OR WHAT? THEY'RE GOING TO BE CIVILIAN PARAMEDICS, THEY'RE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE DISPATCHING. THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE TAKING THOSE CALLS IN AND DECIDING WHAT TO DO. AND DECIDE IF THEY NEED TO BE DISPATCHED, AND THEN THEY'LL SEND THEM OVER TO THE NINE ONE, ONE SWORN PERSONNEL TO DISPATCH. OKAY THANK YOU. YES, SIR. AND ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT NEXT SLID? 
          [04:40:03]
SLIDE, PLEASE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE WE PUT THIS IS ON THE FAR SIDE, OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE HAVE, ACTUALLY GONE UP. THEY'VE, THEY'VE ALWAYS GOING TO GO UP AND WE'VE BROKEN IT DOWN INTO CALLS BY YEAR. AND CLASSIFICATIONS AND EVERYTHING. THE MAJORITY OF OUR CALLS, PROBABLY OVER 80%, INVOLVE SOME TYPE OF EMERGENCY SERVICE MEDICAL CALL. SO WE'RE REALLY CONCENTRATING ON THAT BY MAKING SURE WE'RE GETTING OUR PERSONNEL TRAINED UP FROM THE BASIC LIFE SUPPORT LEVEL TO THE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT LEVEL. NEXT SLIDE. ANY QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. YEAH. 
          YEAH, CHIEF. JUST JUST MORE SO CONCERNS SIMILAR TO WHAT I TOLD POLICE CHIEF AUSTIN. I'M LOOKING AT THE PERCENTAGES, SO I'LL FIGHTER 75%, YOU KNOW, WORK IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT AND LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. I JUST WANT TO PUT AN EMPHASIS, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW LEGALLY WE CAN'T REQUIRE PEOPLE JUST TO PUT MORE OF AN EMPHASIS TO SEE WHAT CAN WE DO TO ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, OFFICERS ACTUALLY LIVING HERE. BECAUSE WHAT I DO APPRECIATE ABOUT YOU, YOU CAME UP HERE IN YOUR BUDGET. IT WAS PROJECTED TO BE MORE THAN A DECREASE. SO I TRULY APPRECIATE THE FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE NESS. YES, SIR. YOU KNOW, SOME WENT UP BUT CHOSE TO DECREASE. BUT I JUST THINK THAT'S A BIG CONCERN. AND ANOTHER THING IS YOU KNOW, I GUESS WITH STAFF AND CITY MANAGER, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING BUT LITIGATION IT'S BEEN LIKE A CONSISTENT THING. AND IT'S KIND OF HARD TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THINGS IF WE'RE ALWAYS MAKES IT DIFFICULT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. AND WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH PROJECTS WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. YES, SIR. AND THAT'S THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT, DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, IT'S ALMOST BEEN CONSISTENT. WE'VE THE CITY IS NEVER INSTIGATED LITIGATION. IT IS SITUATED LITIGATION AGAINST I UNDERSTAND CONSTANTLY ON THE DEFENSE. YEAH THAT'S MY POINT THOUGH BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO NEGOTIATING AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE INSTANCES, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT TYPE OF THING PER VICE. MY CITY MANAGER HINDERS THAT, AND YEAH, I HAVE PEOPLE CONTACT ME, BUT I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, GET INTO THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THIS LITIGATION GOING ON. AND I KNOW THAT OUR CFO KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT IN THE MIDDLE. IT'S REALLY HARD FOR US TO PUT TOGETHER A BUDGET IF WE HAVEN'T NECESSARILY BEEN ABLE TO OPEN LITIGATION WHERE WE WERE PREPARED TO DO THAT, THIS WEEK ACTUALLY, AND FOR REASONS I'VE DISCUSSED WITH YOU, THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE, IT JUST DIDN'T WORK OUT THAT WAY. AND THE CITY WAS INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTED BY THAT BECAUSE WE DID WANT TO BE ABLE TO PRODUCE, A CONTRACT AND A SOLID BUDGET TO COUNSEL, FOR APPROVAL BY OCTOBER 1ST. AND I'M JUST NOT CONFIDENT THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN. THIS TIME. AND THAT'S A CONCERN OF MINE WITH US BUDGETING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT PREPARED TO DO THAT WITH THE TIGHT BUDGET. WE ACTUALLY HAVE. SO AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, MR. MANAGER, I'VE BEEN KIND OF HAMMERING IT TODAY. I JUST WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BE PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THESE BUDGETARY ISSUES. BUT UNFORTUNATELY RIGHT NOW WE CAN'T WITH A BUDGET THIS TIGHT, I REALLY THINK WE WOULD NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING LIKE. 
          BUT UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN'T. AND EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO OVERTIME, LIKE, YEAH, CHIEF DROVE IT DOWN. BUT JUST WAYS WE CAN FIGURE OUT TO REDUCE THAT OVERTIME AS WELL. I HIGHLY APPRECIATE IT. YES, SIR. WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT. WE'VE, MY STAFF AND I HAVE BEEN IN TALKS ABOUT HOW TO REDUCE THAT OVERTIME. TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERN AS FAR AS HIRING LOCAL, WE DID ADD MORE POINTS TO THE CIVIL SERVICE ENTRANCE TEST. THE THING WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE JOINT BISD COUNCIL MEETING WAS GROW YOUR OWN, WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT THAT PRETTY MUCH LAID OUT. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO ROLL IT OUT THIS YEAR BECAUSE VICE DID ALREADY SET THEIR CALENDAR. BUT IN THE FISCAL YEAR 25, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KICK THAT OFF FOR THEIR 26 SCHOOL YEAR. TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GIVING BUSD STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS OF BEAUMONT THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO WORK AT THE BEAUMONT FIRE RESCUE. THANK YOU, CHIEF, AND SAME AS I TOLD YOU WITH POLICE, I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO SUPPORT ANY TYPE OF INCENTIVES, ANYTHING TO KIND OF INCENTIVIZE OUR FIREFIGHTER FIREFIGHTERS WHO WORK HARD FOR US TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, RESIDE IN OUR CITY, IT'S KIND OF TOUGH THAT 75% IS PRETTY ALARMING. AND IT IS TOUGH BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, WE RECENTLY HAD THE GILBERT BUILDING FIRE. A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF OUR PERSONNEL LIVE OUTSIDE THE CITY, TO CALL THEM IN, ON OVERTIME TO HELP WITH SECOND ALARM FIRES IS A DELAYED RESPONSE TO GETTING PERSONNEL 
          [04:45:03]
HERE TO MAN RESERVE EQUIPMENT. THANK YOU, CHIEF. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN FALLSHAW. SO, CHIEF, JUST IN REGARDS TO THE EMS SITUATION AND THE DEBATE OVER HIRING PRACTICE AND THE NUMBER OF BOXES ON THE STREET, THE GIFT THAT JUST KEEPS ON GIVING. YES SIR. THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH FOR SOME TIME. YOU FEEL LIKE OVERALL, IT'S IMPROVED. WE'VE TURNED THE CORNER. WE ACTUALLY HAVE. OF COURSE, AS WE TALKED BEFORE WITH COUNCIL AND MANAGER AND LEGAL, TO RIDE THE BOX BY FIREFIGHTERS WAS NOT A DESIRED ASSIGNMENT. HOWEVER BECAUSE NOW THEY JUST DO IT. NOW IT HAS GOTTEN BETTER. WE DON'T, AS MUCH HOOPLA BEING ASSIGNED TO THE MED UNIT. I'M NOT SAYING THEY LIKE IT, BUT THEY GO OUT AND PERFORM THEIR DUTIES ADMIRABLY, WHETHER THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO A FIRE TRUCK OR MED UNIT. SO IT HAS, YOU SEE, A LOT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. I DO I REALLY, REALLY DO. I INTERVIEWED, WE'VE BEEN HIRING CONSTANTLY, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I ASKED THE POTENTIAL FIREFIGHTERS, WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT WE DO HERE? AND THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THEM UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE IN THE FIRE ACADEMY AND EMT ACADEMY, THEY'VE BEEN LED TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING MED CALLS, WHETHER IT'S ON A FIRE ENGINE OR ON A MED UNIT. AND THEY KNOW, CHIEF, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING. OKAY. 
          THANK YOU CHIEF. SO I THINK THAT WE'VE A LITTLE BIT TURNED THE CORNER. YES, SIR. CHIEF I'M LOOKING AT THIS CHART HERE. IT SAYS UNDER STRUCTURE FIRE. GENERAL 1018 FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, 1018. STRUCTURE FIRES. WELL YOU GOT TO REMEMBER, THAT COULD BE A TRASH CAN INSIDE A STRUCTURE. 
          IT'S STILL CLASSIFIED AS A STRUCTURE FIRE. OH, IT COULD BE A SMALL FIRE IN A STRUCTURE. 
          IT'S STILL CLASSIFICATION WISE. IT'S STILL CLASSIFIED AS A STRUCTURE FIRE. OKAY. VERY FEW OF OUR FIRES BECAUSE WE HAVE GREAT RESPONSE AND A GREAT FIRE PREVENTION PROGRAM OR FULL BLOWN FIRES BLOWING OUT THE WINDOWS WHEN WE GET THERE, HAVING TO PULL LINES AND EVERYTHING. THE GILBERT BUILDING IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE THAT WHAT CAN HAPPEN BUT DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN HERE. 
          THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING, BECAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER HAVING THAT MANY FIRES A YEAR. IT STILL HAS TO BE CLASSIFIED AS A STRUCTURE FIRE BY NFPA STANDARDS AND REPORTED TO THE STATE. YES, SIR. 
          THANK YOU CHIEF. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DON'T BELIEVE SO. THANK YOU CHIEF. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A TEN MINUTE RECESS. WE'RE GOING TO START BACK SO I'M TOLD. COLORADO MAYOR WEST PRESENT MAYOR PRO TEM. TURNER. COUNCIL MEMBER. DORIO. COUNCIL MEMBER. GAETZ. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. FALLSHAW STILL HERE. MEMBER SAMUEL PRESENT AND COUNCIL MEMBER. NEAL. ABSENT CITY MANAGER. CONTINUE TO BE ALL RIGHT. HELLO, MAYOR. COUNCIL I'M GOING TO SKIP OVER THE FIRST TWO SLIDES JUST TO MAKE IT GO A LITTLE BIT FASTER. I'M GOING TO START WITH, OUR NUMBERS HERE IN A SECOND. SOMETHING THAT'S DIFFERENT THIS YEAR. I DID GET RID OF ONE POSITION IN MY OFFICE THAT WASN'T NEEDED. SO TO KIND OF SAVE A LITTLE BIT ■OF MONEY, WE DID GET RID OF ONE OF OUR POSITIONS. AND YOU'LL SEE THAT ON OUR NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF A DECREASE IN, CERTAIN BUDGET ITEMS. OUR FULL TIME WAGES WENT DOWN ABOUT 215,000, OUR OPERATING SUPPLIES ABOUT 1000, PRINTING 2100 TRAVEL AND TRAINING. THAT ONE'S KIND OF FUNNY, BUT IT'S $25. YEAH. PROFESSIONAL FEES AND DUES 1700. MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT, $9,500. 
          I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING EXTRA THIS YEAR, SO THAT'S ABOUT IT ON THAT ONE. OUR NEXT SLIDE. 
          THIS YEAR WE DID AN AMNESTY PROGRAM AND A WARRANT ROUNDUP. IT WAS OUR FIRST YEAR TO DO AN AMNESTY PROGRAM. WE HAD DURING OUR AMNESTY PROGRAM THAT RAN FROM MARCH 19TH TO APRIL 2ND. 
          THERE WAS 99 CASES THAT WERE RESOLVED, WITH 34,000 OF THAT BEING PAID IN FULL. THAT WAS JUST BASED ON AMNESTY PROGRAM. THAT WAS NOT, ANY OTHER REGULAR BUSINESS. ON APRIL 3RD, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WORKED WITH US AND DID A WARRANT ROUNDUP ON THAT WARRANT ROUNDUP. JUST THE BEAUMONT PD STATISTICS WHERE, 95 TOTAL STOPS, 18 OF THEM WERE PAID IN FULL, 16 ARRESTS WITH 
          [04:50:01]
46,000 SERVED WARRANTS AT THAT TIME THAT SAME DAY, IN MUNICIPAL COURT STATISTICS, 62,000 WAS RESOLVED, 70 DEFENDANTS AND 225 WARRANTS WERE CLEARED, GOING INTO 2025, WE ARE GOING TO DO THE AMNESTY PROGRAM AGAIN IN THE FALL, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO DO A WARRANT ROUNDUP IN THE SPRING. 
          WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF SEPARATE THEM. SO WE CAN SEE REALLY WHICH ONE'S WORKING, THE BEST AND TRY TO HIT TWO DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR TO BRING, BRING IN MORE, REVENUE. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. SO THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TURNER. JUST CAN YOU KIND OF EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT THE AMNESTY PROGRAM IS? YES, SIR. SO DURING OUR AMNESTY PROGRAM THIS YEAR, WE OFFERED, DEFENDANTS TO COME IN. AND IF THEY CAME IN TO SEE THE JUDGE, WE WOULD WAIVE THEIR WARRANT FEE. SO THERE WEREN'T FEES. COULD BE $50. THEY COULD BE 150, $100. IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW MANY TIMES THEY WENT INTO WARRANT. SO WE WOULD COMPLETELY WAIVE THAT FEE AND GET THEM OUT OF WARRANT. WE WOULD SET THEM UP ON A PAYMENT PLAN AND DO A PAID AND FULL COMMUNITY SERVICE, SO ON AND SO FORTH ON THAT. I COMPLIMENT Y'ALL ON THE WARRANT. WARRANT ROUNDUP. AND THAT PROGRAM, I HAD PEOPLE LITERALLY CALLING ME LIKE, I CAN WAIVE THEIR WARRANT, WAY THEY FEAST AND I COULDN'T. SO IT ACTUALLY WAS VERY EFFECTIVE BECAUSE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY LITERALLY CONTACTED ME IN REFERENCE TO IT. SO THANK YOU GUYS. I THINK THIS YEAR TOO, THE REASON WE WANT TO DO IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IS BECAUSE WE WERE DOING THE AMNESTY PROGRAM AND THE WARRANT ROUNDUP ALL TOGETHER. THERE WASN'T SUCH A SURPRISE FACTOR. SO NEXT YEAR OR THIS THIS YEAR COMING UP, WE DO WANT TO HAVE THAT WARRANT ROUNDUP STILL AS A SURPRISE FACTOR. YOU KNOW, IN THE SPRING. BUT WE STILL WANT TO OFFER THE COMMUNITY THE AMNESTY PROGRAM AND HAVE THEM COME IN AND WORK WITH THEM. I SUPPORT THAT. GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN FALLSHAW. I'M JUST CURIOUS. I DON'T NEED EXACT NUMBERS, BUT THE 225 WARRANTS CLEARED. IN COMPARISON TO WHAT IS STILL OUTSTANDING, IS THIS MAKING A DIFFERENCE, OR IS IT LIKE TRYING TO CHIP AWAY AT A MOUNTAIN? SO, I MEAN, THERE IS WE HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVE WARRANTS. I MEAN, THERE IS THESE THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE TRY TO GET RID OF THEM. WE ALSO HAVE OUR COLLECTION AGENCY THAT WORKS. YEAH SO JUST A LOT LEFT TO DO. THERE IS A LOT. YEAH YEAH THERE IS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AWESOME THANK YOU. Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD DAY. AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON I AM GOING TO HIT THE HIGH POINTS. AND THEN Y'ALL CAN ASK WHAT QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. SO FOR OUR 311 CALL CENTER, WE ONLY HAD ONE SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST, WE'VE TALKED A LOT IN THE PAST ABOUT I AND WHAT I CAN DO FOR THE CITY, AND ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT OTHER CITIES ARE IMPLEMENTING AND THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW, IS A CHAT BOT. AND WHAT THAT WILL DO IS IT WILL ALLOW CITIZENS TO HAVE AN ACTUAL CONVERSATION, LIKE A CHAT CONVERSATION, AND WE CAN FEED ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEEDED TO GIVE TO CITIZENS. 
          BACK, SO IT WILL REVIEW EVERYTHING OFF OF OUR WEBSITE. IT WILL REVIEW EVERYTHING OFF OF OUR, SOCIAL MEDIA. AND SO A CITIZEN CAN, INSTEAD OF CALLING IN OR, CALLING BUILDING CODES AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT BUILDING PERMIT THEY NEED, WE CAN, ASK IF THEY CAN ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND WE CAN LEAD THEM THE BEST WE CAN INTO A FLOW CHART, IT'S NOT GOING TO GIVE QUITE AS MUCH AT THIS TIME THAT, BUILDING CODES WANTS, BUT THAT'S IN THE FUTURE. WE CAN, WE CAN BUILD ON IT AS WE GO. BUT A LOT OF CITIES ARE ALSO PUTTING IT IN PLACE OF, WE GET A LOT OF MESSAGES. I KNOW CITY COMMUNICATIONS GETS A LOT OF MESSAGES ON, LIKE, FACEBOOK MESSENGER AND INSTAGRAM MESSENGER, THESE THIS WOULD TAKE THE PLACE OF THAT. WE WOULD JUST SET UP A MESSAGE THAT AUTOMATICALLY REPLIES SAYING WE NO LONGER TAKE MESSAGES AT THIS LOCATION. PLEASE CONTACT US AT AND GIVE DIRECT THEM TO THE CHAT BOT. AND THEN THE CHAT BOT CAN WORK THROUGH WHERE THEY NEED TO GO. IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY CREATE, TICKETS ON THE CITY, WORK SIDE. IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY DIRECT CITIZENS WHERE THEY NEED TO GO, IT WILL ALSO BENEFIT PEOPLE, STAFF INTERNALLY AS WE CAN BUILD OUT A STAFF CHAT BOT AS WELL. THAT'LL DO THE SAME THING. BUT ANYTHING RELATED TO WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN OUR IN OUR SYSTEM, OUR SYSTEMS, AND THEN SO FOR THREE AND ONE, THEIR CALLS FOR SERVICE, SO FAR FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR, THEY GO CALENDAR YEAR, WE HAVE 50,143 CALLS FOR SERVICE. AND THEN COMPARED TO 52,567 OF 
          [04:55:04]
LAST YEAR AND THAT INCLUDES, I THINK IF YOU ADD UP THE NUMBERS ON THE SCREEN, THAT'S NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE THIS THESE NUMBERS INCLUDE OUR REQUEST FOR INFORMATION AND OUR 811 LOCATE CALLS. SOME OF OUR TOP TEN SERVICE REQUESTS FOR THREE AND ONE ARE SEWER ANIMAL CARE, WATER AND CODE ENFORCEMENT. NEXT SLID, FOR FY 25, WE ARE PROBABLY, BECAUSE WE ARE CENTRAL. IT, EVERYBODY REQUESTS FROM US AND THEN WE PUT IN THE RESEARCH AND WE PUT IN THE REQUESTS FOR, THE SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST FOR TECHNOLOGY, SO WE PROBABLY HAD THE MOST, SUPPLEMENTAL REQUESTS THIS YEAR, PROBABLY EVERY YEAR, AND WE, WE TRY TO WORK REALLY HARD WITH FINANCE, TO ONLY, TO GET WHAT WAS ABSOLUTELY NEEDED, SO ONE OF THOSE THINGS FOR IT, WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY NEW STAFF, SINCE I STARTED IN 2011, BUT OUR TECHNOLOGY HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY, WE'VE ASKED FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET ANY HIGHER LEVEL STAFF, SO WE WENT BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND DETERMINED THAT ONE THING THAT WOULD HELP ALL OF OUR GROUPS IS IF WE HAD SOMEBODY THAT COULD HANDLE OUR INVENTORY FOR US, AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE INVENTORY CONTROL COORDINATOR CAME FROM. THAT WILL FREE SEVERAL OF US UP TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE, TECHNICAL THINGS, WHERE RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORRYING ABOUT, HANDLING, PURCHASING AND REPLACEMENT OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE, AS ALWAYS, WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY, EQUIPMENT, LIFE CYCLE REPLACEMENTS, OUR LIFE CYCLE REPLACEMENTS, ARE ANYWHERE FROM, FIVE YEARS TO, TEN YEARS THAT WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS, THERE ARE SOME PRINTERS THAT HAVE LASTED US 20 YEARS, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, COMPUTERS ARE REPLACED EVERY FIVE YEARS, SERVERS EVERY EIGHT YEARS. AND PROJECTORS EVERY TEN YEARS, WHICH ACROSS ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS, IS $950,779, THAT THE ONES YOU SAW? I BELIEVE TIM HAD SOME ON HIS SLIDE THAT'S INCLUDED IN HERE. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE KIND OF A DUPLICATE, WE'RE GOING TO ADD SOME SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS FOR WATER, THE FASTER SOFTWARE, IS END OF LIFE AND IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE FUNCTIONAL. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE IT WITH ITS, ITS NEWER VERSION, SOLID WASTE CURRENTLY HAS BODY CAMS, WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEM, OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. THEY JUST THEY'RE NOT GOOD QUALITY. SO WHEN WE STARTED HAVING A COUPLE OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS INTERESTED IN GETTING THEM, WE LOOKED FOR A NEW COMPANY TO REPLACE THEM THAT HAS OTHER CITIES HAVE SAID WORK VERY WELL FOR THEM, SO SOLID WASTE AND WATER CUSTOMER SERVICE, ARE GOING TO BE GETTING BODY CAMS, THE CITY WORKS ASSET MANAGEMENT REFRESH IS MOSTLY JUST RETRAINING, FOR OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT SIDE OF CITY WORKS. AND THEN THE DOOR SECURITY FOR WATER. THEY'VE WE'VE GONE AHEAD AND WERE ABLE TO DO THAT THIS YEAR SO THAT CAN ACTUALLY BE REMOVED. THE AUDIO VIDEO UPGRADE FOR THE TRAINING ROOM AT WATER IS SO THAT THEY CAN DO THEIR TRAINING COURSES. AND HOLD THEIR MEETINGS, AND HAVE AUDIO VIDEO CAPABILITIES AND THEN, FIRE HAS EQUIPMENT, MOTOROLA RADIO EQUIPMENT THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE REPLACED FOR $290,000. NEXT SLIDE, JUST A FEW UPDATES TO WHAT Y'ALL APPROVED LAST YEAR AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS YEAR, OUR MY TELEPHONE SYSTEM UPGRADE, OUR MY TELEPHONE SYSTEM IS END OF LIFE. THAT, PROJECT IS, EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER. THE ZITRON ALERTING SYSTEM FOR FIRE, ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT IS IN PLACE. ALL WE'RE WAITING ON IS JUST THE TIE IN FROM OUR DISPATCHING SYSTEM. AND THAT WILL BE COMPLETED, THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER, AS ALL SEEN, WAS A HUGE UNDERTAKING FOR TECHNOLOGY, IT'S ESTIMATED TO BE COMPLETE IN AUGUST. WE JUST HAVE A FINAL COUPLE OF THINGS THAT STILL NEED TO BE DONE BY THE VENDOR THERE. NOTHING THAT'S PREVENTING IT FROM DOING ANY FUNCTIONALITY. 
          FINANCE BUDGET SOFTWARE AS YOU'VE YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT IT SEVERAL TIMES TODAY. I BELIEVE, IS NEW. WE DID USE IT THIS YEAR, IT WAS DIFFERENT. SO IT DID PROVIDE US SOME CHALLENGES, BUT 
          [05:00:05]
I THINK IT WILL BE GOOD IN THE LONG RUN, WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF PIECES TO THAT. IT'S ESTIMATED TO BE COMPLETED IN AUGUST. THE ITRON WATER METER REPAIRS ARE ESTIMATED TO BEGIN IN AUGUST. WE HAD OUR KICKOFF MEETING LAST WEEK, THE NETWORK RING UPGRADE. UPGRADE IS MOSTLY COMPLETE. 
          THERE'S TWO MORE DEVICES REMAINING TO BE INSTALLED. SHOULD BE COMPLETE IN AUGUST, GOOD. SAM IS THE TECHNOLOGY PORTION OF WHAT YOU DISCUSSED WITH, CHIEF WHITE? AND, THAT IS ESTIMATED TO BEGIN IN AUGUST, COUNCIL APPROVED IT. I'D SAY ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO, TO PURCHASE, THEIR MAIN COMPANY IS, IN ANOTHER COUNTRY. SO WE HAVE HAD SOME CHALLENGES IN THE PURCHASING SIDE OF IT, THAT HAS BEEN RESOLVED, AND WE ARE READY TO SCHEDULE OUR KICKOFF MEETING FOR THE GOOD SAM APPLICATION. SAFELY WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL LAST NIGHT, SO WE WILL BEGIN IN AUGUST ON THAT ONE, WE IMPLEMENTED SOME NEW EMAIL SECURITY, WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN OCTOBER. AND NOTEWORTHY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024, THE CITY MANAGER, DESIGNATED ME TO CHAIR AN I COMMITTEE. THAT IS, PLANNING FOR I POLICY, AND IMPLEMENTATIONS THROUGHOUT CITY DEPARTMENTS. ANY QUESTIONS? SO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. TRY IT OUT. MAYOR. 
          CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER. CITY ATTORNEY, MY NAME IS KENNY SMITH, AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF FACILITY MAINTENANCE, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO START WITH, PRAISING THE FACILITY MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT. THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB THIS PAST YEAR. A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE BUDGETED, THEY WERE ACTUALLY COMPLETED THIS YEAR. SO SOME OF OUR SUCCESSES THIS PAST YEAR WAS, OVERSEEING THE BUILD OUT OF THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER. ALSO, THE COMPLETION OF THE ROGERS PARK, DOG PARK. THEY INSTALLED SOME FENCING, WATER FOUNTAINS AND OBSTACLE COURSE FOR OUR FURRY FRIENDS HERE. SOME ITEMS THAT ARE NOTEWORTHY THAT I DIDN'T MENTION ON MY SLIDES. 
          OTHER SUCCESSES WERE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW PAVILION AT SPROUT PARK, INSTALLATION OF NEW PERIMETER FENCING AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, COMPLETION OF THE SIDEWALKS AT THE BOTANICAL GARDEN AT TERRELL PARK, NEW FENCING AT THE FLEET FACILITIES, INSTALLATION OF NEW LIGHT POLES AT THE JULIE ROGERS THEATER, AND, REPLACEMENT OF ALL EXISTING EXTERIOR LIGHT POLES AND LIGHTING FIXTURE WITH LED ZEPPELIN. SOME OF THE CURRENT PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON THIS FISCAL YEAR THAT ACTUALLY PLAN ON FINISHING BEFORE THE END OF 24 WAS, INSTALLATION OF GENERATORS THAT, WATER UTILITIES, PARKS, AND THEN THE FIRE STATION SIX AND THEN ALSO IS GOING TO BE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW PAVILION AT ROGERS PARK, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. SO I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE PROPOSED FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS FOR FY 25. 
          ONE THAT WE DISCUSSED AT LAST NIGHT'S, COUNCIL WAS THE MUNICIPAL COURT REDUNDANT CHILLER, BE ABOUT 370,000. THAT WAS SOMETHING WE DISCUSSED, LAST NIGHT. THIS WAS THE JULIE ROGERS STAGE RIGGING CURTAIN AND RAIL SYSTEM. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT, EMILY COVERED IN HER PREVIOUS SLIDES. IT'S ABOUT $800,000. WE'RE GOING TO OVERSEE THE CONSTRUCTION, DEMOLITION AND RENOVATION OF THAT PROJECT, WE HAVE A PROJECT AT THE CIVIC CENTER SOUTH, WALL MASONRY RESTORATION AND WINDOW CAULKING. THAT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT 56,700, IT INVOLVES DOING SOME TUCKPOINTING AT THAT FACILITY, FIXING SOME MASONRY SO WE CAN REDUCE THE WATER INTRUSION AT THAT FACILITY. AND THEN, OUR OTHER PROJECT IS, PAINTING, DOING INTERIOR PAINTING AT THE ALICE KEEFE, JOHN PAUL DAVIS AND ROGERS PARK COMMUNITY CENTER. THAT'S AROUND 54,900, OUR TOTAL PROJECTS THAT WERE, PROPOSING FOR THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE $1,281,600. AND THOSE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR APPROVAL, NOT APPROVAL. BUT, SUGGESTION FOR THIS YEAR, FOR FY 25. OKAY. AND YOU MIGHT KNOW NOT KNOW THE ANSWER. SO I DON'T BUT MAYBE WE CAN FIND OUT ABOUT THE BALCONY AT THE, I KNOW AT SOME POINT THAT WAS UNDER WAY AND I THINK IT HAD BEEN REORDERED. IS THERE. SO THERE WERE SOME, I GUESS, SPECS YOU CAN COME ON UP, JIMMY. WE'RE GOING TO LOVE THIS. 
          BUT THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS AS TO LIKE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE WORK, THAT WAS SUBMITTED. AND SO IT HAD TO BE REDONE, THERE WERE SOME, IF YOU JUST WANT TO KNOW THE FULL HISTORY, THE ARCHITECT RECOMMENDED A GLASS THAT THAT WASN'T SUSTAINABLE, DIDN'T WORK. SO WE HAD TO GO THROUGH THEIR 
          [05:05:03]
INSURANCE TO GET THAT CORRECTED. WE DID THAT. THE GLASS CAME IN. WE NEEDED TO MATCH THE WORK THAT WAS PROVIDED WASN'T ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY. SO WE WENT BACK AND FORTH AND WE WERE ABLE TO NOW GET TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE, MOVING FORWARD WITH GETTING THAT DONE. GOOD SUMMARY. THAT'S CORRECT. THEY STARTED YESTERDAY INSTALLING THE GLASS. SO WE MAY HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH HAVE THE BALCONY WHERE IT CAN OPEN AGAIN. OH YES, SIR. OUTSTANDING. COUNCILMAN GATES, YOU LOOK CONFUSED. I DO NOT, WE'LL SEE. WE DON'T ALWAYS BOTHER YOU WITH THE SMALL THINGS, BUT THE BALCONY'S BEEN CLOSED FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, SO. YEAH. PHEW. YEAH. MAYOR, MAY I HAVE SAID THAT BETTER? SURE IT'S A SMALL THING. JUST TO SEE, THE JOHN PAUL DAVIS AND ROGERS PARK COMMUNITY CENTER IS ACTUALLY BEING REPAINTED. I'M AND ALICE KEITH. I'M SORRY. ACTUALLY, BEING REPAINTED. YOU ACTUALLY, I REALLY LIKE THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO TAKE PRIDE IN WHAT WE HAVE. IF YOU CAN'T KNOCK IT DOWN AND GO NEW, LET'S MAKE IT LOOK AS PRESENTABLE AS WE CAN. AND IN THE FUTURE, EVEN OUR RECREATIONAL CENTER ON GULF STREET, IT'S KIND OF
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.