[CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:08]
          AND EVERYONE, THANK YOU FOR COMING. WELCOME TO TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING. TODAY'S DATE IS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH, 2025. TODAY'S INVOCATION WILL BE GIVEN BY PASTOR RICK WHITE, CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CHURCH. AND IF EVERYONE WOULD PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONES. AND IF YOU SO CHOOSE, PLEASE STAND AND REMAIN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. FATHER, WE THANK YOU. FOR THE. DECISIONS, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT. YOU. REPRESENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE LEGISLATIVE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. MAY I HAVE ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MAYOR WEST, PRESENT MAYOR PRO TEM NEAL, PRESENT. COUNCILMEMBER DARIO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER GOETZ PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. TURNER. COUNCIL MEMBER. SHAW AND COUNCIL 
          [PRESENTATIONS]
MEMBER. SAMUEL. HERE. ALL RIGHT. TODAY WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS. AND THE FIRST ONE WILL BE PRESENTED BY THE CITY OF BEAUMONT COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT. MISS TRACY KENNICK IS ON HER WAY UP. GOOD AFTERNOON. IN THIS WEEK'S ANNOUNCEMENTS, IF YOUR GROUP, ORGANIZATION OR BUSINESS IS PLANNING AN EVENT THAT PROMOTES TOURISM AND THE HOTEL INDUSTRY, YOU CAN NOW APPLY FOR A HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX GRANT. THESE GRANTS ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT PROJECTS THAT BOOST TOURISM CONVENTIONS AND THE HOTEL SECTOR WITHIN BEAUMONT CITY LIMITS. THE APPLICATION PROCESS IS NOW OPEN, SO MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE CITY'S FACEBOOK PAGE AND WEBSITE FOR ALL THE DETAILS, AND TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION. IT'S AN ELECTION YEAR FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. OUR GENERAL ELECTION IS COMING UP MAY 3RD. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR MAYOR OR COUNCIL, YOU NEED TO FILE WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE BY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH AT 5 P.M. 
          AND YOU CAN FIND ALL THE NECESSARY FORMS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AT BEAUMONT, TEXAS.GOV/20 25 ELECTION. GOLDEN TRIANGLE DAYS ARE COMING AT THE STATE CAPITOL MARCH 3RD AND FOURTH. REGIONAL LEADERS FROM BEAUMONT AND SURROUNDING CITIES WILL ADVOCATE FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, COVERING IMPORTANT ISSUES LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND WORKFORCE GROWTH. THE COUNCIL'S NEWLY APPROVED LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WILL BE PRESENTED TO STATE LAWMAKERS TO ADDRESS THE REGION'S MOST PRESSING NEEDS. 
          LAST MONTH'S EXTREME COLD TEMPERATURES WERE A GOOD REMINDER TO REGISTER YOUR LOVED ONES WITH STEER. THE STATE OF TEXAS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE REGISTRY, OR STEER, IS A FREE SERVICE THAT PROVIDES LOCAL EMERGENCY PLANNERS AND RESPONDERS WITH INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NEED EXTRA HELP DURING A DISASTER OR EMERGENCY, SUCH AS THOSE WITH DISABILITIES OR LIMITED MOBILITY. SIMPLY CALL 211 TO REGISTER IF YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION IS TO GET FIT. THE THEODORE JONES LIBRARY IS READY TO HELP YOU REACH THAT GOAL. YOU CAN ATTEND A FREE, LOW IMPACT AEROBICS OR YOGA CLASS EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 4 P.M, SO GRAB YOUR WORKOUT CLOTHES AND TENNIS SHOES AND LET'S MOVE OUR WAY TO BETTER HEALTH THIS YEAR TOGETHER. PLUS, THERE'S SOMETHING FUN FOR THE KIDS AND TEENS AT THE LIBRARY AS WELL. EVERY FIRST AND THIRD FRIDAY AT 4 P.M. IS TEEN CORNER AT THE JONES LIBRARY, AND EVERY SECOND AND FOURTH FRIDAY IS SET ASIDE FOR TWEENS AGES 9 TO 12. SO TWEENS AND TEENS, GET YOUR FRIENDS TOGETHER. JOIN US FOR GAMES AND CRAFTS EVERY FRIDAY AT FOUR AT THE THEODORE JONES LIBRARY. AND THAT'S ALL FOR THIS WEEK'S ANNOUNCEMENTS. WE HOPE YOU HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEK AHEAD AND A HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND NEXT WE HAVE AN UPDATE FROM TXDOT ON THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT ARE AROUND TOWN A LITTLE BIT HERE. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. GIVE US JUST A FEW SECONDS. WE'RE GOING TO HOOK UP HERE. IN A BIT. ALL RIGHT I THINK IS EVERYBODY ABLE TO SEE IT? AFTER IT POPS UP ON THE PROJECTOR. OH, THERE WE GO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO KIND OF I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT OUR ONGOING PROJECTS HERE. WE KIND OF GOT A ROUTINE GOING ON HERE WITH Y'ALL. RICHARD'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE JOBS THAT WE COME IN WITH. THIS PROJECTS WITHIN THE BEAUMONT AND SURROUNDING AREA. AS YOU ALL CAN SEE, WE ARE WRAPPING UP A LOT OF PROJECTS WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS. 
          KIND OF START UP HERE, RIGHT HERE, UP THE NORTH. THIS MOUSE. GIVE ME ONE SECOND. OKAY. WE'LL 
          [00:05:06]
ZOOM IN HERE. SO WE'RE FINISHING UP THE OVERLAY HERE AT THE SPLIT OF LUMBERTON. GOING SOUTH. WE PUT A TOM PFC MIX TO HELP TO REDUCE THE WET WEATHER ACCIDENTS IN THAT AREA. AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE DID THE FURNITURE ROADS ALONG THE CITY OF BEAUMONT AROUND PARKDALE MALL. AND THAT IS ALL FINISHED TO. AND WE ALSO FINISHED PAVING ALL THE MAIN LANES UP ON TOP. SO NOW WE GOT SIX LANES OF HIGHWAY FROM GOING ALL THE WAY, PRETTY MUCH FROM TRAM ROAD ALL THE WAY TO DELAWARE. SO THAT IS ALL FINISHED. WE'RE JUST REALLY KIND OF DRESSING UP SOME SHOULDERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. BUT THAT JOB IS PRETTY MUCH FINISHED. I'LL GET TO THE INTERCHANGES HERE JUST A LITTLE BIT. AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THE FURNITURE OUT THERE AROUND LAMAR PRETTY MUCH ON SPUR 93 OR WEST PORT ARTHUR ROAD, GOING ALL THE WAY TO MLK. THAT IS PROJECTED TO FINISH SOMETIME EITHER LATE SUMMER OR EARLY FALL. YOU CAN SEE WE PRETTY MUCH GOT A LOT OF IT POURED. WE'RE KIND OF WORKING ON THE COMPLICATED PARTS NOW WHERE WE'RE WORKING AROUND THE DRAINAGE AREAS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. WE PRETTY MUCH TIED INTO MLK. BUT WE ARE WORKING IN THAT AREA AND THAT IS EXPECTED TO FINISH SOMETIME AROUND LATE SUMMER OR EARLY FALL. SO INTERSTATE TEN, WELL, WE STILL GOT THE BRIDGE WE'RE REPLACING HERE. ONE 124 ON 124 IT'S ON NORFOLK BAYOU. THAT IS SCHEDULED TO FINISH LATE FALL OR NOT. LATE FALL AROUND FALL TIME AROUND SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER AREA. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO FINISH THAT BRIDGE IN THAT AREA. LET'S SEE. HERE. WE ARE ALSO IT'S NOT SHOWN HERE, BUT WE DID FINISH 365 HERE. THAT'S WE TOOK OFF THE LIST THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PAVED. AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE ARE PAVING FROM PRETTY MUCH FROM WINNIE ALL THE WAY TO PORT ARTHUR HERE, ALL FOUR LANES AND SHOULDERS UP IN THAT AREA. THAT'S KIND OF OUTSIDE YOUR AREA AS WE HEAD TO I-10. WE HAVE PRETTY MUCH TWO CONTRACTS GOING. WILLIAMS BROTHERS AND JOHNSON BROTHERS. SO WILLIAMS BROTHERS, THEY'RE FINISHED TO EXPECT. THAT'S FROM PRETTY MUCH FROM HAMPSHIRE ROAD TO FM 365 OR 365. 
          THAT'S GOING TO BE DONE. I THINK AROUND ABOUT TWO YEARS FROM NOW, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF TO TWO YEARS FROM NOW. WE'RE EXPECTING TO DROP 365 BRIDGE, I THINK WITHIN ABOUT A YEAR FROM NOW, EIGHT MONTHS TO A YEAR. MAJOR DRIVE RIGHT HERE OR FROM 365, GOING UP TO WALDEN ROAD ON INTERSTATE TEN. WE ARE EXPECTED TO FINISH THAT JOB PROBABLY AROUND WINTER TIME OF THIS YEAR. 
          SO WE HAD WE OPENED UP SMITH ROAD RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. THAT'S ON THE RIGHT THERE AROUND THE GOODYEAR PLANT, AND WE SHOULD HAVE THAT UP TO SIX LANES GOING HERE PROBABLY AROUND THE END OF THE THIS YEAR. AND THEY'RE CONSTRUCTING BOYETTE ROAD, AS YOU ALL KNOW, RIGHT THERE AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME, WE DROPPED BOYD ROAD OVER THE INTERSTATE. WE HAD THE INTERSTATE CLOSED EAST WESTBOUND FOR ABOUT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THAT WAS EXPECTED TO LAST ALL THREE WEEKEND. SO WE ACCELERATED THAT AND GOT IT DONE IN ABOUT A DAY AND A HALF. SO THEY ARE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT THERE. BOYETTE ROAD DOWN IN THIS AREA AS WE WORK AROUND THE CARDINAL DRIVE RIGHT HERE, THE CARDINAL INTERSECTION. LET ME ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT MORE. AS YOU ALL CAN SEE. YOU CAN DRIVE BY IT. WE ARE STILL CONSTRUCTION COLUMNS AND CAPS. THE BRIDGES ARE SLOWLY GETTING CONSTRUCTED RIGHT HERE FROM WASHINGTON STREET. COMING OVER HERE. WE ARE CONSTRUCTING THE BRIDGES GOING RIGHT HERE OVER HILDEBRAND BAYOU FOR THE CONNECTIVITY OF THE FRONTAGE ROADS. AND WE'RE STILL DRIVING AND CONSTRUCTING THE BRIDGES AND THE FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FRONTAGE ROADS. CONNECTIVITY RIGHT HERE OVER BNSF RAILROAD AND 124. SO THIS JOB IS STILL EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN ABOUT FOUR PLUS YEARS. SO THAT'S WHAT WE GOT GOING ON ON THE CARDINAL DRIVE. 
          AS WE HEAD FARTHER TOWARDS THE NORTH WE'RE GOING TOWARDS LOUISIANA. WE HAVE THE EAST TEXAS INTERCHANGE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AND WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT HERE. WE'VE BUILT A TEMPORARY DETOUR ON THE FRONTAGE ROADS GOING I-10 EAST. SO WE'VE GOT PUSH TRAFFIC A LITTLE BIT OVER, AND WE'RE PLACING THE BOX CULVERTS. WE'RE ADDING SOME DRAINAGE AT A DRAINAGE RIGHT HERE ON THE FRONTAGE ROADS. AND WE'RE COMING AROUND HERE TO TIE INTO THE CULVERT RIGHT HERE. AND THEN AFTER THAT THEY'RE GOING TO START WORKING ON THE FRONTAGE ROADS, GOING EASTBOUND. A COUPLE MONTHS AGO WITH THE CONTRACTOR WE ARE GOING TO SCHEDULE PROBABLY CLOSING THE EASTBOUND DOWN TO ONE LANE HERE. I'LL GIVE YOU ALL PROBABLY THE NEXT PROBABLY THE NEXT TIME WE MEET YOU ALL HERE IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS. BUT THIS WILL BE DOWN TO ONE LANE, AND THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME MAJOR CONFIGURATION RIGHT HERE AT THIS INTERCHANGE. AS YOU GET 69 SOUTH, AS I GET MORE TO THE CONSULTANTS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT IS GOING TO BE RESTRICTED DOWN TO POSSIBLY DOWN TO ONE LANE. SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE LANE GOING I-10 EAST AS IT EXIT 
          [00:10:03]
HERE. THEY'VE GOT TWO LANES GOING I-10 WEST OR 69 SOUTH I-10 WEST. BUT AS WE GET READY TO CONSTRUCT IN THE PHASES, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE DOWN TO ONE LANE RESTRICTION UNTIL YOU GET UP TO RIGHT ABOUT HERE. AND WE'LL GET BACK TO TWO LANES. SO THAT CONNECTOR IS GOING TO GO IN LANE. I DON'T HAVE THE ANTICIPATED DATE YET, BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY GET YOU ALL NOTIFIED PRIOR TO SOMETHING ON THAT. THAT IS PRETTY MUCH IN A NUTSHELL OF THE JOBS WE GOT GOING ON NOW. 
          LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE FINISHED UP THE MAIN LANES OVERLAYS IN FRONT OF PARKDALE MALL AND THE FRONTAGE ROADS ON THAT AREA. ANYTHING ELSE YOU THINK OF? NO, THAT'S THAT'S EVERYTHING. ALL RIGHT. SO I'LL LET RICHARD TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE PROJECTS COMING UP. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU DAVE. 
          SO AS PER USUAL, IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS PRESENTATION BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THE RED REPRESENTS THE ACTIVE PROJECTS. THE BLUE AND THE PURPLE ARE FUTURE PROJECTS WITH THE BLUES BEING THE PROJECTS WE HAVE COMING UP THIS FISCAL YEAR. SO I'LL START WITH THOSE. THERE'S ONLY THREE OF THEM IN THIS AREA. SO RIGHT HERE ON COLLEGE STREET BETWEEN PINCHBACK ALL THE WAY TO I-10. 
          WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING HERE IS WE'RE GOING TO BE INSTALLING PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS. SO PRIMARILY SIDEWALKS AND CROSSWALK IMPROVEMENTS FOR PEDESTRIANS. 
          WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING THAT ON THE EASTBOUND SIDE OF COLLEGE STREET. IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY GOOD PROJECT AIMED AT HELPING THE HEAVY PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC IN THE AREA. THIS PROJECT ACTUALLY GOES TO LET THIS WEEK, I THINK ON THURSDAY, EITHER THURSDAY OR FRIDAY. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE CONSTRUCTION MOVING ON THAT PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MORE TOWARDS TOWARDS THE SUMMER. ONCE ALL THE CONTRACT INFORMATION GETS SORTED OUT RIGHT DOWN HERE, SIMILAR TO THE FRONTAGE ROADS WE HAVE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN FRONT OF LAMAR, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE RECONSTRUCTING THE FRONTAGE ROADS BETWEEN 124 AND FLORIDA AVENUE. THIS PROJECT IS SUPPOSED TO KICK OFF A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, SO IT'LL BE A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE WE SEE ANY ACTIVE MOVEMENT ON THAT. BUT WE ARE GOING TO BE IMPROVING THE BAD CONCRETE RIGHT HERE. WE'RE GOING TO BE RIPPING ALL THAT OUT AND PUTTING IN NEW CONCRETE TO GIVE A MUCH BETTER RIDE. THAT'LL LAST A WHOLE LOT LONGER. OKAY. AND THEN A LITTLE BIT OUT OF THE AREA. BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY CONSTITUENTS OUT TOWARDS THIS WAY, THIS IS THE I-10 FRONTAGE ROAD ACTUALLY OUT NEAR HAMPSHIRE ROAD. IF YOU'VE EVER DRIVEN DOWN THAT SECTION OF FRONTAGE ROAD, IT'S ACTUALLY IN FAIRLY ROUGH CONDITION. WE'RE GOING TO BE RIPPING OUT ALL OF THAT OLD ROADWAY AND THEN PUTTING IN NEW, NEW MATERIAL AS WELL, SO THAT IT TOO WILL LAST A LOT LONGER AND RIDE A LOT SMOOTHER. THAT IS ALL THAT WE HAVE COMING UP THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND WHAT WE HAVE COMING ON IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEARS. SO SIMILAR, STARTING AT THE TOP OF THE COUNTY IN SIMILAR FASHION TO US HAVING PUT DOWN THAT TOM MIX BETWEEN THE LUMBERTON Y DOWN TO TRAM ROAD. 
          WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT, EXCUSE ME, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT EXPANDING THIS SECTION OF HIGHWAY TO FROM TWO LANES, BOTH DIRECTIONS TO THREE LANES, BOTH DIRECTIONS. RIGHT. AND THAT WILL TIE INTO THE REST OF THE 69 CORRIDOR THAT WE'VE ALREADY EXPANDED TO THREE LANES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO KICK OFF IN FISCAL YEAR OF 28. SO IT'LL IT'LL STILL GET A LITTLE BIT OF TIME BETWEEN NOW AND THEN. RIGHT DOWN HERE ON US 90. HEADING OUT OF TOWN ALL THE WAY TO THE COUNTY LINE. WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS WE'RE DOING A VARIETY OF IMPROVEMENTS. WE'RE GOING TO BE IMPROVING THE SHOULDER IN SOME AREAS. THERE'S NOT REALLY A PAVED SHOULDER AT ALL. WE'RE GOING TO BE INCLUDING A PAVED SHOULDER. WE'LL BE DOING FULL DEPTH, FULL DEPTH REPAIRS OVERLAYING THE STRETCH OF ROADWAY. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SIGNALIZING TWO OF THE INTERSECTIONS, ONE AT KEITH ROAD. AND I BELIEVE THE OTHER ONE IS AT WOOTEN ROAD. AND WE'LL ALSO BE LOOKING AT INSTALLING SOME POSITIVE BARRIER. RIGHT. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY ENCOMPASSING PROJECT RIGHT HERE. LET'S SEE I'LL MOVE DOWN. SO THIS ONE'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO SEE BECAUSE OF THE ONGOING CONSTRUCTION AROUND IT. BUT IF YOU LOOK THERE IS A PURPLE LINE IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THESE OTHER COLORFUL LINES. THIS IS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MAIN LANES ON 69. SO, YOU KNOW, IN SIMILAR FASHION TO WHAT WE'VE DONE ON THE NORTH END OF THE COUNTY, WHERE WE HAVE THREE LANES GOING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE EXPANDING THIS PORTION OF 69 INTO THREE LANES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. THIS ONE'S COMING A LITTLE BIT LATER. THIS ONE'S PROJECTED TO BE FISCAL YEAR OF 29 AT THIS POINT. BUT THEY MAY MOVE THAT UP. JUST DEPENDS ON WELL JUST JUST DEPENDS. BUT WE'LL SEE. ALL RIGHT. ALSO RIGHT DOWN HERE ON 124 HEADING OUT OF TOWN. WHAT WE'LL BE DOING RIGHT HERE IS WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A LIGHT REHABILITATION PROJECT. IT'S MORE OF A RESURFACING PROJECT. 
          WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OFF THAT OLD ASPHALT, AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT BACK A NEW SEALCOAT AND ASPHALT ON TOP OF THAT. IT'LL REALLY HELP THE, THE, THE RIDE COMFORT THROUGH THIS AREA AND HELP THE, THE FINAL OR HELP THE HELP PRESERVE THE UNDERLYING ROADWAY RATHER. ALL RIGHT. AND JUST ONE 
          [00:15:09]
MORE PROJECT WE HAVE COMING UP IN THE NEAR FUTURE. JUST RIGHT DOWN HERE. IT'S CLOSER TO PORT ARTHUR, BUT WE'LL BE REPLACING THIS BRIDGE OVER ROAD GULLEY ON FM 365. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'LL BE MAKING A LARGE AMOUNT OF DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS AREA AS WELL. WHEN THEY WHEN THEY REPLACE THAT BRIDGE. BUT IN A IN A NUTSHELL, THAT'S ALL OF THE LARGE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON AND UPCOMING. JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL A QUICK UPDATE. DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR ANYTHING? COUNCILMAN DARIO? YEAH, I HAD A CONSTITUENT ASK, WHAT'S THE EXPECTED IMPACT OF GOING TO ONE LANE AT THE I-10 INTERCHANGE IN WASHINGTON BOULEVARD? SO TRAFFIC DELAYS? YES. YOU ARE GOING TO EXPECT QUITE A BIT OF TRAFFIC DELAYS. 
          THERE'S A LOT I DON'T I DON'T HAVE THE TRAFFIC COUNT IN FRONT OF ME. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH OUR CONSULTANTS RIGHT NOW. BUT PLEASE, PLEASE, WHEN THIS SWITCH WILL GIVE YOU PLENTY ADVANCE NOTICE BEFORE WE DO IT. PLEASE LOOK FOR ALTERNATE ROUTES OR LEAVE A LOT EARLIER. I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, FROM THREE LANES GOING DOWN TO ONE LANE. BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO TO GET PUT IN SOME DRAINAGE AND BUILD SOME FOUNDATIONS FOR THE BIG FLYOVERS THAT'S GOING TO BE IN THAT AREA. YES, SIR. MYSELF, I JUST AVOID INTERSTATE TEN. YEAH. I WOULD SAY SO. IF YOU KNOW OTHER ROUTES. YES, I WOULD SAY THAT. 
          YES, SIR. THANK YOU. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? WELL, I THANK YOU ALL FOR ALWAYS COMING AND ALSO BEING VERY RESPONSIVE WHENEVER WE HAVE QUESTIONS. IN THE MEANTIME, COUNCILMAN TURNER. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. WE HAD A CITIZEN COME ABOUT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, ABOUT SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO SPRAY PAINT THINGS ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. YES, I NOTICED AS YOU CLEAN ONE SPOT, YOU'LL SEE IT APPEAR IN OTHER SPOTS. YOU KNOW, CAN YOU KIND OF SPEAK TO HOW CAN CITIZENS COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY TO Y'ALL? BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS COME TO US ABOUT IT AND WE'RE FORWARDING THE EMAIL, BUT HE KIND OF SPEAK TO HOW TO HANDLE THAT. YEAH. SO PLEASE KEEP FORWARDING IT TO ME. YOU KNOW, MAYOR WEST DID REACH OUT TO ME. WE ARE GOING TO PRESSURE WASH IT. WE STARTED THIS WEEK. I TOLD OUR MAIN SECTIONS TO START AT DOWLEN ROAD AND WORK YOUR WAY SOUTH AROUND 11TH STREET AND THEN I-10 TO REMOVE. AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE FIRST WE'RE JUST REMOVING THE WORDING ITSELF. WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO REMOVE THAT, CLEAN UP THAT WHOLE AREA. SO THEY CAN'T DO ANY MORE GRAFFITI IN THAT AREA. HOPE THEY DON'T USE SPRAY PAINT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THEY'RE ACTUALLY BEEN CLEANING THE RIP RAP, AS WE CALL IT, BUT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REMOVING. BUT IF YOU DO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, PLEASE NOTIFY US. WE'LL GET ON TO IT AND EVERYTHING. THANK YOU. YEAH, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT. YOU GUYS JUST SAID NO INSTEAD OF DOING THE SPOT. WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE WHOLE AREA TO KIND OF ALLEVIATE GOING BACK AND DOING IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. SO THANK YOU. VERY WELCOME. ALL RIGHT. BLESS YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU ALL. YES. AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE HERE FOR THE PRESENTATIONS AND WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE, NOW IS THE TIME TO DO SO. THANK YOU FOR COMING. AND AT THE CLOSE OF THE MEETING TODAY, CITY COUNCIL WILL RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSIDER MATTERS RELATED TO CONTEMPLATED OR PENDING LITIGATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 551.071 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE. THE STATE OF SHIRLEY HARRISON VERSUS JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS. CAUSE NUMBER 24D. CCV2213. AND CALEB FINCHER AND BEAUMONT. PROFESSIONAL. FIREFIGHTERS. FIREFIGHTERS. LOCAL 399 INTERVENORS VERSUS CITY OF BEAUMONT CHRISTOPHER S BOONE, KENNETH WILLIAMS, ROY WEST, EARL WHITE, TAYLOR NEAL, MIKE. GOETZ, AUDWIN SAMUEL, CHARLES DARIO, ALBERT TURNER, AND RANDY SHAW. 
          CAUSE NUMBER B210244. AND ON A MATTER IN WHICH THE DUTY OF THE ATTORNEY TO THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY UNDER THE TEXAS DISCIPLINARY RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, CLEARLY CONFLICTS WITH THIS CHAPTER IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 551.071 OF GOVERNMENT CODE, THE BOND ELECTION. SO WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE INTO PUBLIC COMMENTS. JAMES 
          [PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA/CONSENT]
CALLIS, 5375 ROSEMARY DRIVE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. I'M JAMES CALLIS, I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF BEAUMONT AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I ALWAYS MENTION MY SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY NO LONGER EXIST. THAT'S JUNKER ELEMENTARY AND JUNIOR HIGH AND BEAUMONT HIGH. I AM A GRADUATE OF LAMAR AS WELL, AND MOST OF MY BUSINESS HAS BEEN IN BEAUMONT AND IT HAS BEEN PROFITABLE. 
          [00:20:03]
TODAY I'M HERE TO GIVE COMPLIMENTS TO THE COUNCIL. THE BASICALLY ELECTED OFFICIALS. WE HONOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS, OUR POLICE, OUR ARMY, OUR ARMED SERVICES. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TODAY. I'M THANKING YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION. I TRY TO KEEP UP WITH YOU ON YOUTUBE. 
          IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. SO IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND I AM TRULY THANKING YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION. I'M ALSO HERE TODAY REPRESENTING THE BSA OLD TIMERS ASSOCIATION. OUR 101ST MEETING WILL BE SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH AT THE DISHMAN CENTER. IT WILL BE OUR 101ST CONTINUOUS MEETING. 
          IT ALSO WILL BE THE 115TH ANNIVERSARY OF BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA. THE NAME OF BOY SCOUTS WILL BE CHANGED THAT DAY TO SCOUTING AMERICA, WHICH WE ARE THE OLD TIMERS. WE ARE BSA OLD TIMERS. I BRING THIS OLD HAT TODAY BECAUSE THE OLD TIMERS DOES NOT WANT TO BE A LAST MAN STANDING CLUB. WE HAVE LESS THAN 40 MEMBERS. I'M 76. WE'VE GOT SOME LITTLE OLDER THAN ME AND WE JUST HAVE SOME A LITTLE YOUNGER THAN ME. BUT WE ALSO HAVE A MUSEUM THAT WE'RE BUILDING UP AT CAMP THAT USED TO BE CAMP IRWIN. IT'S NOW CALLED SCOTT SCOUT RESERVATION. WE'RE IN THE DRY. 
          IT'S 14 BY 32, AND OUR FUNDS, WE HAVE NO DEBT, BUT WE HAVE $115 IN THE BANK. SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE THIS A FUNDRAISING HAT. NOT HERE TODAY. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYBODY TO PAY OR TO DONATE, BUT IT IS A WORTHWHILE ORGANIZATION. AND OUR JOB IS WE'RE KEEPING THE HISTORY. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO PRESERVE ANYTHING THAT WAS OLD OR DISTORTED OR EVEN THE STUFF THAT CAME OUT. I CAN TELL YOU MY HISTORY IN SCOUTING HAS BEEN GREAT. IT HAS MADE ME A BETTER PERSON. I REALLY HAVE ENJOYED SCOUTING. AND SO THAT INVITATION IS OPEN TO ANYONE. THERE IS NO DUES, THERE IS NO MEMBERSHIP FEES. WE ARE SEPARATE FROM TRINITY NATURE'S COUNCIL. WE'RE OUR OWN ORGANIZATION AND WE HOPE TO BE AROUND HERE NEXT YEAR. WE ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE PROCLAMATION THAT YOU GAVE US LAST YEAR. IT WAS THE IMPOTENCE. IT WAS THE CATALYST FOR THE MUSEUM. AND THE MUSEUM IS IN THE DRY. AND WE DO HOPE TO GET THAT FINISHED THIS COMING YEAR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. AND I FAILED TO MENTION THAT AFTER THE CITY CLERK CALLS YOUR NAME WHEN YOU COME UP, IF YOU WOULD SAY YOUR ADDRESS, CITY AND STATE, AND YOUR COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES, THE GREEN LIGHT WILL COME ON WHEN YOU WALK UP, AND THE RED LIGHT WILL COME ON WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. AND PLEASE CONTINUE. LARRY GAUTHIER, P.O. BOX 20042, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. 
          MY NAME IS LARRY. FORMERLY 5926 GREENWOOD LANE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. PRESIDENT, 925 DAVILLA STREET, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. BEEN HERE ALL MY LIFE. WORKED HERE IN BEAUMONT 48 YEARS. EXXONMOBIL, MOBIL OIL AND SO ON. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE CITY WATER DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WHEN WE HAD THE FREEZE, WE HAD A PIPE BURST AND I WAS UNDER THE DOCTOR'S CARE, COULD NOT GET OUT AND WAS CONFINED TO THE HOUSE. AND THEY GOT OUT THERE, TURNED THE WATER OFF ON ME. AND I WANT TO THANK THEM PERSONALLY. ALL RIGHT. NOW, I DID COME HERE ABOUT A MONTH AGO, PASSED OUT SOME PAPERS CONCERNING DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH, AND I WAS ASKING CITY COUNCIL, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO COMMENT. BUT MENTALLY JUST THINK ABOUT IT. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A HEAD ON COLLISION OR NEAR A HEAD ON COLLISION? SECOND, HAVE YOU EVER HAD SOMEONE TRESPASS ON YOUR PROPERTY? THIRD, HAVE YOU EVER HAD DIRTY ELECTRICITY, ETC? FINALLY, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ABUSED? THAT IS THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD PUT OUT THERE AND I THOUGHT MAYBE I WOULD GET SOME ANSWERS BACK, BUT I DIDN'T. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AGAIN, THANKS TO THE CITY OF BEAUMONT WATER DEPARTMENT, AND I'LL KEEP CALLING IN THE 311 AND TELLING THEM WHERE THERE'S LEAKS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU SIR. C.J. LINDNER, 9311 NORTH MERIDIAN, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. 
          [00:25:03]
SOMEBODY NEED TO MUTE THEIR PHONE. I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM. OH, I COULDN'T SEE IT. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THE THEME MUSIC FOR THE WALK UP. YEAH. THERE YOU GO. GOOD. MY NAME IS C.J. LINDNER, 93, 11 NORTH MERIDIAN, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING KCG COMPANIES. AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS DURING THE WORKSHOP SESSION REGARDING THE PROPOSED AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AT 5695 CONCORD ROAD, OUR COMPANY IS PROPOSING THE DEVELOPMENT OF RIVA RIDGE AT THAT SITE THAT'S ADJACENT TO THE TARGET OFF CONCORD ROAD. IT'S ABOUT A TEN ACRE PARCEL. WE'RE PROPOSING TO DEVELOP TWO AND A HALF ACRES INTO 63 RENTAL HOMES, COMPRISED OF 40 OR SO STANDARD TRADITIONAL APARTMENTS, THREE STORY WALK UPS AND THEN 8 TO 12 COTTAGE STYLE SINGLE STORY, MORE LOW DENSITY RENTALS. OUR COMPANY, KCG, RECENTLY BROKE GROUND IN NOVEMBER ON A VERY SIMILAR RENTAL COMMUNITY AT 412 412 SOUTH 11TH STREET AT THE CORNER OF 11TH AND HOLLYWOOD. THAT'S PRATO PLACE. THAT COMMUNITY COUNCIL PROPOSED OR WAS PROPOSED TO COUNCIL AND WAS GIVEN A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FROM COUNCIL LAST YEAR UNDER THE SAME STATE PROGRAM FOR FUNDING. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO DEMOLISH THE LONG VACANT AND SOMEWHAT PROBLEMATIC BUILDING THERE AT THE CORNER OF 11TH AND HOLLYWOOD, AND ARE NOW DEVELOPING THAT INTO 56 APARTMENT HOMES. THIS, THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE PROPOSING AT 56, 95 CONCORD WILL BE SERVING A VARIETY OF INCOME LEVELS FOR PEOPLE MAKING ANYWHERE FROM 30% UP TO 60% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME IN THAT INCOME. BAND PEOPLE ON CITY STAFF, PEOPLE WORKING IN LOCAL INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL, RETAIL ALL WOULD QUALIFY. PEOPLE IN THEIR FIRST FEW YEARS TEACHING AT BEAUMONT ISD WOULD QUALIFY. SO THIS IS VERY MUCH ATTAINABLE HOUSING. IT'S A IT'S A BUILDING BLOCK IN THE HOUSING SPECTRUM. AND IT'S A WAY FOR PEOPLE WHO CANNOT YET AFFORD TO PURCHASE A HOME, TO HAVE A HIGH QUALITY, YOU KNOW, NEWLY BUILT, SUSTAINABLY BUILT PLACE TO LIVE. KCG COMPANIES IS A VERTICALLY INTEGRATED FIRM, SO WE'LL DO EVERYTHING FROM THE UPFRONT DEVELOPMENT DESIGN THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND ALSO THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. SO THAT'S THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE PROPOSE AND WHAT WE'RE DOING AT PRATO PLACE. AND WE WILL NOW HAVE A HANDFUL MORE FULL TIME STAFF MEMBERS ON ON SITE AT RIVA RIDGE AS WELL, AND WOULD LOOK TO HIRE ALL LOCALLY FOR THAT. THAT OPERATIONAL SIDE AND FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND UP FRONT END. SO I'LL MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE AT THE END OF THIS MEETING FOR QUESTIONS AND APPRECIATE YOU ALL GIVING ME THE TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. 
          EDDIE ALLEN, 9695 GROSS, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER AND OTHER OFFICIALS. I'M STANDING HERE. BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE YOU HEARD FROM ME, BUT I DID TAKE NOTES, SO I HAVE THEM TODAY. I'M SPEAKING ON FIRST L. I KNOW THERE WAS SOME TIME AGO THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT RIDERSHIP. WITH THE TRANSIT. I SEE ON THE AGENDA, YOU HAVE THE PURCHASE OF FOUR BUSSES. I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN TIMES WHEN THE CITY BUS DRIVERS WERE ON STRIKE BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET A RAISE, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE GOTTEN THAT REPORT THAT I THINK COUNCILMAN GETS ASKED FOR A RIDERSHIP. SO FOUR MORE BUSSES. WHAT'S IT MIGHT BE A GRANT, BUT IS THAT FULFILLING A NEED FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, OR ARE THERE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO PROVIDE BUSSES TO? THE NEXT ONE? CHANGE ORDER TEN. I KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN TURNER AND COUNCILMAN NEAL ASKED FOR SOMETHING, AN ORDINANCE OR SOMETHING ABOUT THE CHANGE ORDERS. AND THIS IS TEN. SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHEN WE HAVE BIDS THAT ARE LET YOU GET THE LOWEST BIDDER AND THEY KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE. I KNOW THAT ONE TIME MONEY WAS GIVEN BACK, BUT THAT'S AN UNUSUAL SITUATION. SO ARE WE STILL GOING WITH ALL OF THESE CHANGE ORDERS? BECAUSE THAT COSTS SOMEBODY MONEY. AND ON THE OTHER ONE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT, I SEE FOR SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS, 
          [00:30:07]
I DID GET A COPY OF A MEMO THAT SAID THAT SIDEWALKS WOULD BE CONSIDERED OVER ON FANNETT IN FRONT OF BEAUMONT UNITED. I THINK I'VE BEEN UP HERE THREE BUDGET PERIODS, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WORDING FOR IMPROVEMENT OR THERE ARE GOING TO BE NOW CONSIDERED SIDEWALKS FOR THAT AREA. NOW, I KNOW WE LAUD THEM AND WE CONGRATULATE THEM WHEN THE GUYS WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS, BUT SHOULD THEY HAVE TO STAND ON THE STREETS TO WAIT FOR THEIR PARENTS TO PICK THEM UP? I KNOW THAT THERE'S POSTS NOW FOR GAS LINES, BUT WHAT ABOUT SIDEWALKS FOR OUR CHILDREN TO BE SAFE, EVEN IF THEY LEAVE BEAUMONT UNITED TO GO TO THE LIBRARY, THEY'VE GOT TO WALK IN THE GRASS. WOULD YOU PLEASE CONSIDER THOSE? AND I'LL JUST WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR SERVING. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU 
          [CONSENT AGENDA]
FOR ALL THE COMMENTS. IS THERE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN GOETZ? MR. MANAGER, WITH REGARD TO ITEM B, WHO IS ACTUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING THE CONTENTS AND IMPLEMENTING THEM OF THIS PROCUREMENT POLICY? I READ THROUGH IT BRIEFLY AND IT'S PRETTY COMPLEX. AND IT RELATES TO A LOT OF OTHER OTHER FEDERAL CODES AND WHO WHO ACTUALLY IS TASKED WITH THAT. OKAY. OUR DIRECTOR OF PLANNING, DEBBIE ENGLAND, WILL ADDRESS THAT. YES, SIR. SO WE CONTRACT WITH TRANSDEV. CLAUDIA SAN MIGUEL IS THE GENERAL MANAGER OVER AT BEAUMONT. SHE MAKES SURE THAT HER PERSONS ON STAFF MAKE SURE THAT THEY GO THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS FOR ANY OF THE CONTRACTS OR PROCUREMENT THAT WE DO, SUCH AS THE BUSSES AND WHATNOT. AND WE ALSO PARTNER WITH THE CITY IN PURCHASING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FOLLOW CITY'S POLICIES AS WELL. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COUNCILMAN NEILL? THANK YOU. 
          MAYOR. SO E IS BACK ON HERE FROM I GUESS A MONTH AGO, DID WE EVER FIND A REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION ON THAT ONE? IT SHOULD BE F. I DON'T KNOW. SO F IS THE NEW REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION FOR THAT ONE. YES, SIR. OKAY. AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS ON E. SORRY G. ARE WE PLANNING ON FINANCING THAT TRUCK WHEN THAT ONE COMES INTO. YES, SIR. WE FINANCE ALL FIVE TRUCKS THAT WE GET. SO IT WILL BE THE SAME PROCESS. SO SHOULD WE NOT GO AHEAD AND DO A REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION FOR THAT ONE? IF WE'RE GOING TO POTENTIALLY FINANCE THAT 1 IN 2028 WHEN IT COMES IN? NO, SIR. WE SHOULD WAIT TILL WE ACTUALLY MAKE THE PAYMENT. WE CAN GET THE REIMBURSEMENT UNTIL WE HAVE PROOF OF PAYMENT. SO WE DO IT CLOSER TO THE TIME THAT THE TRUCKS ARE GOING TO BE PREPARED. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I'M GOOD MAYOR. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. 
          AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OPPOSED. THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING 
          [REGULAR AGENDA]
OF ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE? THANK YOU. MAYOR. COUNCIL, CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE. CHANGE ORDER NUMBER TEN, ACCEPT MAINTENANCE AND AUTHORIZE FINAL PAYMENT TO KING SOLUTION SERVICES, LLC OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, FOR THE CITYWIDE PIPE BURSTING CONTRACT. PHASE ONE. AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE? MOVE TO APPROVE? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER ONE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL. COUNCILMAN NEIL, JUST TO CLARIFY, BECAUSE IT WAS BROUGHT UP BY MISS ALLEN WHEN SHE WAS UP HERE, THIS ONE IS A DEDUCT AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER ANY OTHER 
          [00:35:03]
QUESTIONS. YES. AND FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, JUST FOR THE CITIZENS WATCHING WITH THIS CHANGE ORDER BEING A NUMBER, IT IS THIS PROJECT DID REMAIN UNDER BUDGET. CORRECT. YES, SIR. THREE OF THE THIS WAS A WORK ORDER CONTRACT. SO WE HAD SIX CHANGE ORDERS. AND EVERY TIME THAT WE ADDED A WORK ORDER, WE HAD A PARTLY DEFINED SCOPE THAT WHEN WE BID THE PROJECT, IT WAS STARTED SO WE COULD GET PRICING. AND THEN WE ADDED SUBSEQUENT WORK ORDERS TO THAT CONTRACT UNDER THE TOTAL BID AMOUNT, SO THAT AS WORK CAME FORWARD OR EMERGENCY PROJECTS, WE HAD THE WORK ORDERS AVAILABLE. SO THEY WERE ADDED TO THE CONTRACT BY CHANGE ORDER, AS THE CONTRACT STATED. BUT THREE OF THE CHANGE ORDERS THAT ARE LISTED WERE $0 CHANGE ORDERS. A LOT OF THEM WERE JUST DOCUMENTATION OR AMENDING THE CONTRACT LANGUAGE, WHICH HAS TO BE DONE BY CHANGE ORDER. SO THREE OF THESE WERE $0 CHANGE ORDERS. THE OTHER SIX WERE ADDING WORK ORDERS OR AMENDING THE SCOPE OF THE WORK ORDERS. AND THEN THIS ONE IS THIS FINAL CHANGE ORDER TO CLOSE OUT THE PROJECT IS A DEDUCT IN THE AMOUNT OF $573,000. SO WHAT MOLLY FAILED TO MENTION THOUGH, IS ANY TIME WE DO A CHANGE ORDER, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A IMPACT TO THE MONETARY AMOUNT, BUT ANY TIME THERE IS A CHANGE TO CONTRACT LANGUAGE IS DONE THROUGH A CHANGE ORDER. SO WHETHER THAT'S ADDING OR SUBTRACTING WORK, CLARIFYING LANGUAGE, ADDING ADDITIONAL DAYS, DEDUCTING ADDITIONAL DAYS, ADDING WEATHER DAYS, ALLOWING FOR THAT IT HAS TO BE DONE THROUGH A CHANGE ORDER. TOTALLY UNDERSTAND. JUST WANTED TO STATE ON THE RECORD THAT IT STILL WAS UNDER BUDGET. I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THAT WITH STAFF. IT IS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT PIPE BURSTING IS AN IMPRECISE SCIENCE, AND BECAUSE IT'S ALL UNDERGROUND, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S ALL THERE. SO THIS IS A PRETTY COMMONPLACE WITH PIPE BURSTING PROJECTS. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER TWO? COUNCIL, CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO AWARD A CONTRACT TO CTEX CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION OF BEAUMONT FOR THE FANNETT ROAD SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS, AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO? SO MOVED TO APPROVE SECOND. IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER TWO. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN? GADSDEN. 
          COUNCILMAN DARIA. SO THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN ADVOCATED BY VARIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS GOING BACK TO GET RIGHT WHEN SHE WAS SERVING ON CITY COUNCIL. AND I SUPPORT THE PROJECT. BUT I ALSO SAY THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS, THAT WE NEED TO NOT FORGET ABOUT THE OTHER HIGH SCHOOL THAT WE HAVE SERVING OUR CITY AND BUSD, WHICH IS WESTBROOK, AND THE NEED TO PUT IN A SIDEWALK ALONG PHELAN FOR MAJOR TO DOWLING. LOTS OF APARTMENTS OVER THERE. LOTS OF TOWNHOUSES ARE OVER THERE AND AS I UNDERSTAND FROM THE PREVIOUS PUBLIC WORKS MANAGER, THAT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY THEIR FOCUS AND THEY WERE LOOKING AT MORE OF DOING SIDEWALKS AROUND NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS WITH SIDEWALKS THAT DON'T CONNECT TO OTHER SIDEWALKS SEEM POINTLESS TO ME. WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE SIDEWALKS THAT LEAD TO NOWHERE. ALSO, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS STUDENTS ARE A LOT LESS LIKELY TO BE WALKING. MOST OF THEM ARE TAKING EITHER THE BUS OR PARENTS ARE DROPPING THEM OFF, OR SOMEONE ELSE IS. BUT WE DO FOR A FACT HAVE LOTS OF STUDENTS WALK FROM WESTBROOK TO SOME OF THE APARTMENTS AND TOWNHOUSES THAT ARE OFF OF PHELAN AND DOWLING. SO AS WE GO FORWARD AS A COUNCIL, I HOPE THAT WE CAN CONSIDER PUTTING THAT PROJECT ON THE BOOKS AS WELL. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN GAETZ. COUNCILMAN DARIO. OH, YEAH. JUST FOR MISS ALLEN. THIS SIDEWALK IS GOING TO GO FROM FOURTH STREET ALL THE WAY UP TO SARAH STREET. CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. IT'S GOING TO BE A CONTINUOUS PATH FROM THE SCHOOL TO THE LIBRARY OKAY. AND ALL THE WAY BACK DOWN TO FOURTH AND ALL THE WAY TO FOURTH STREET. YES, SIR. TO CONNECT TO THAT SIDEWALK ON FOURTH STREET. OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TURNER. YEAH, I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE STAFF TO CONTINUE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, 
          [00:40:05]
ALL THE ALL THE SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, SOMETHING TO KIND OF PUT A NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, KIDS WHO ARE WITHIN A ONE MILE RADIUS, THEY DO NOT GET BUS SERVICES. SO LITERALLY, THESE CHILDREN WHO LIVE WITHIN A ONE MILE RADIUS CAN BE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM A BUSY INTERSECTION INTERSECTION. AND THEY DO NOT GET BUS SERVICES. SO I DON'T WANT TO KIND OF LASER IN. I KIND OF WANT TO KEEP THE FOCUS ON THE OVERALL COMMUNITY, EVEN AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL. YOU LOOK AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR COMMUNITY. A LOT OF PARENTS ARE WORKING AROUND THAT TIME, AND I JUST WANT TO KEEP IN MIND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN WHO ARE WALKING AND LESS THAN A MILE, THEY DON'T GET THAT BUS SERVICE. SO I APPLAUD YOU GUYS FOR THE FOCUS. BUT I JUST WANT TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS AND JUST CITE THAT RULE, BECAUSE THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE MAKING THESE DECISIONS ON WHERE WE'RE PUTTING THESE SIDEWALKS. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT INFORMATION I JUST WANT TO PUT OUT THERE FOR STAFF. GOOD JOB. BUT LET'S JUST KEEP A FOCUS THERE. WE ARE CONTINUING OUR INVENTORY EFFORTS FOR ALL OF THE CAMPUSES AND ALSO REACHING OUT TO ALL THE PRINCIPALS AS WELL TO GET MORE OF THEIR STATISTICS OF WHO DRIVES AND WHO DOESN'T, AND COLLECTING THAT INFORMATION SO WE CAN PRESENT A HOLISTIC PLAN TO Y'ALL. COUNCILMAN DARIO, THEN CITY MANAGER, AND JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT WE TRIED TO HAVE A SIDEWALK PLAN LAST BUDGET, BUT WE HAD TO TAKE IT OUT BECAUSE SOME MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WANTED MORE MONEY IN THE RAINY DAY FUND. SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS AND THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO THIS. LIKE I SAID, SINCE GET WAS ON COUNCIL. SO JUST WANT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO. AND WE TRIED TO DO IT LAST TIME AND IT HAD TO BE TAKEN OUT. SO BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET IT DONE NOW. WELL, SORTA LIKE THAT, BUT I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY WE CONTINUE TO BUDGET DOLLARS FOR SIDEWALKS. SO THERE ARE DOLLARS IN THE 2005 BUDGET FOR SIDEWALKS OUTSIDE OF THIS PROJECT FROM. CORRECT. BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO BRING DURING BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, TALK WITH CITY COUNCIL ABOUT A POSSIBLE BUDGET SIDEWALK PLAN WHERE WE CAN HAVE AN ORGANIZED, CONCERTED DISCUSS THEIR FREEDOM ON A PLAN TO INSTALL AND REPAIR SIDEWALKS. IF THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION. ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. 
          AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER THREE? COUNCIL, CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE. ORDINANCE AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET AND A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE AUDIT ORDINANCE. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER THREE? MOVE TO APPROVE. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER THREE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN PHIL, THANK YOU, MAYOR, CITY MANAGER. 
          AND LOOKING AT THIS ITEM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF CATEGORIES AND THERE'S A LOT OF NUMBERS IN THERE. JUST FOR CLARITY, CAN WE WHAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE NUMBER THAT WILL IMPACT OUR DEFICIT BUDGET WITH THESE CORRECTIONS OR THESE AMENDMENTS? I CALCULATED I THINK AROUND 36,000. BUT I THERE'S A LOT OF BIG NUMBERS IN THERE. BUT CAN YOU CAN YOU CAN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT TELL ME WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE TO THAT 3.5 DEFICIT BUDGET THAT WE'RE WE'RE ANTICIPATING? OKAY. ARE YOU ASKING WHAT THE TOTAL OF THIS, WHAT WE'LL ADD, WHAT NUMBER WILL ADD TO THAT DEFICIT BUDGET. OKAY DUNCAN. DO WE HAVE A TOTAL NUMBER FOR THAT? WHAT THESE GENERAL FUND ITEMS ADD UP TO. AND PART OF THEM AGAIN WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF IT BEING THE DEDUCTIONS BUT ALSO SOME OF ITS REVENUE CHANGES. SO AND THAT'S WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE BIT. YEAH. THAT'S WHY I WOULD JUST BUT I'M NOT AGREEING. IT'S A DEFICIT BUDGET OKAY. FIRST OF ALL. SO I DON'T WANT TO GO THERE WITH YOU. WELL I'M JUST I'M JUST GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT THE WHAT THE CHANGE IS IN THE GENERAL FUND. WELL I'M GOING OFF OF THE, THE IN OUR BUDGET REPORT, THERE WAS 3.5 MILLION SHOWING PROJECTED IN OUR OPERATIONAL EXPENDITURES. YES, SIR. SO THE 36,629 NUMBER THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS THE AMOUNT OF EXPENSES THAT WERE INCREASED. BUT YOU HAVE TO OFFSET THAT WITH THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WAS INCREASED ALSO. SO IT'S ONLY AN IMPACT OF 4000 $629,000. IT'S ONLY 4000. YES, SIR. OKAY. AND I ONLY BRING THAT UP AGAIN JUST BECAUSE I, I WENT BACK AND I WAS LOOKING AT OUR BUDGETS ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2019. AND I SAY THIS FOR THE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE 
          [00:45:06]
COUNCIL STARTING AT 19, WE HAD A $50 MILLION FUND BALANCE ENDING. NOW THIS IS A REPORT, NOT A BUDGET. 2020 WAS 5021 WAS 52, 22 WAS 53, 23 WAS 47 AND 24. WHERE IT WE WE'RE SAYING A FUND BALANCE AND THIS IS A BUDGET. IT'S NOT A REAL NUMBER. WE'RE PROJECTING 37 MILLION. BUT WE'RE WE'RE HOPING TO DO BETTER THAN THAT OF COURSE. AND THEN IN 25, WELL THAT 24 THAT REPORT HAS TO COME OUT. BUT WE IN THE END FUND BALANCE IS 37 PROJECTED. BUT WE BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE BETTER ONCE THE REPORT COMES OUT. AND THEN IN 25 WE'RE PROJECTING A FUND BALANCE OF 43. AND IN DECEMBER IT WAS AT 37. SO I JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THE COUNCIL, I'M JUST ESTABLISHING THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A TREND AND I JUST ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO LET US CONTINUE TO PAY ATTENTION AND PARTNER WITH OUR CITY MANAGER AND THE STAFF TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE, BECAUSE TO GO FROM 50 OVER 3 OR 4 YEARS DOWN TO NOW, WE'RE IN THAT LOW 40 AND HIGH 30S. IT'S JUST SOMETHING I THINK, AS A COUNCIL THAT WE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO, BECAUSE EVEN WITH WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THE 14%, IF ACCEPTED BY THE FIREFIGHTERS, WILL IMPACT OUR BUDGET. AND OUR NUMBERS IN THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW DON'T REFLECT THAT. SO AGAIN, NOT TRYING TO BE NEGATIVE, BUT JUST TRYING TO POINT OUT THE FACT THAT THERE'S A TREND. AND THAT'S MY CONCERN WITH THE FUND BALANCE. THANK YOU MAYOR. MR. MAYOR, COUNCILMAN TURNER, MR. MANAGER OR STAFF, I UNDERSTAND WHERE. I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER SHAW SAID, AND I DO AGREE WITH THE TREND. BUT HISTORICALLY IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, OUR FINANCES HAS INCREASED DRASTICALLY AFTER A STORM. SO CAN. CAN YOU GUYS TELL ME WHEN WAS THE LAST MAJOR STORM THAT WE HAD IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT? TO MY UNDERSTANDING, IT WAS AROUND 2017, 2018, BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF STAFF CAN KIND OF SPEAK TO THAT. THAT'S THE LAST MAJOR WOULD BE IMELDA, WHICH WAS 2019. OKAY. SO THAT THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO POINT OUT HISTORICALLY IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, IF YOU STUDY THE FINANCIAL TREND, OUR FUND BALANCE WAS AT THE HIGHEST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE STORM, SIMILAR TO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER SHAW JUST SAID. BUT TO BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT, OUR POPULATION HASN'T GREW AT ALL AND WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY STORMS. AND YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE OUR FUND BALANCE TREMBLE TREND IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S OUT THERE THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING UNIQUE. OUR POPULATION IS DECREASING AND WE HAVEN'T HAD A NATURAL DISASTER. AND HISTORICALLY, THAT'S WHEN OUR FUND BALANCE HAS BEEN THE HIGHEST. I SHARE THE SAME SENTIMENT WITH OUR FUND BALANCE DECREASING, BUT MOST OF THE THINGS IN THE BUDGET CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, MR. MANAGER, THE COUNCIL, WE CONFIRM OR WE CAN DENY WHAT ACTUALLY GOES INTO THE BUDGET. YEAH, CITY COUNCIL HAS TO APPROVE THE BUDGET SUBMITTED BY THE CITY MANAGER, INCLUDING ALL PAY INCREASES WITH FIRE AND SAFETY, AS WELL AS OUR GENERAL STAFF AND THE FOUR STAFF MEMBERS WE SUPERVISE. CORRECT? YES. SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET, WE AS A COUNCIL GOT TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO AS FAR AS A SOLUTION. WE ALL CAN IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM OF WHERE IT'S TRENDING TO. BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING AS A COUNCIL TO TALK ABOUT THE SOLUTION? URGING STAFF IS BRINGING IT TO THEIR ATTENTION. WE ALL SEE IT, BUT I WANT TO GET TO A POINT WHERE, OKAY, IF WE SEE THE TREND, WE AS A COUNCIL GOT TO MAKE DECISIONS ON WHAT WE'RE APPROVING IN THIS BUDGET, INCLUDING SOME OF THESE SALARY INCREASES AND WAGES AND BENEFITS. SO IF WE AS A COUNCIL WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE TREND, WE REALLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO ADDRESS THE TREND. AND I THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT I'M COMPLETELY OPEN TO HAVING IN THE PUBLIC WITH THE COMMUNITY. AND I'LL RESPOND TO THAT. COUNCILMAN NEILL, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN TURNER, I THINK I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY. I THINK WHAT WHAT COUNCILMAN SHAW WAS SAYING, THOUGH, IS WE'RE THE PROBLEM IS WE'RE SPENDING MORE THAN WE'RE MAKING. AND THAT'S WHY THE BUDGET OR THE FUND BALANCE IS, IS REDUCING. I MEAN, WE WENT MANY YEARS WITHOUT HAVING A HURRICANE IN THE FUND BALANCE, STAYED IN THE $50 MILLION RANGE AND NOW IT'S DROPPING. SO IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVE A MONEY PROBLEM HERE. WE HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM IN MY OPINION. YEAH. AND SO HEARD COUNCILMAN SAY MADE THE COMMENT THAT SEVERAL OF US FOUGHT TO HAVE SIDEWALKS REMOVED OUT OF THE BUDGET. AND THAT'S TRUE. WE DIDN'T IN MY OPINION. WE DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO SPEND IT ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT THERE'S LOTS OF THOSE TYPE OF ITEMS, IN MY OPINION, THAT COULD BE CUT. YEAH. THANK YOU. MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT. I JUST THINK AS A COUNCIL, WE ARE WE DO NEED TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS. BUT EVEN A SPENDING PROBLEM IN 20 2019, AN INCREASE WHEN THE STORM HAPPENED. IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE 
          [00:50:01]
OTHER STORMS IN THE PAST, IT DID INCREASE AND IT'S ALSO DECREASED AFTER THE STORM. SO YEAH, I AGREE WITH YOU. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM. BUT AGAIN, WE AS A COUNCIL, WE'RE APPROVING MORE EXPENDITURES TOGETHER. WE NEED TO HAVE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION OR A WORKSHOP AS IN WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO ADDRESS THIS? AGAIN I SAY WE IDENTIFYING A PROBLEM, BUT WE AREN'T REALLY ADDRESSING IT WITH A SOLUTION OR SAYING, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO STOP? WHERE ARE WE GOING TO CUT IT? WHERE ARE WE GOING TO MAKE SOME MORE EFFICIENT DECISIONS? BECAUSE IT HAS TRENDED DOWN HISTORICALLY AFTER EACH STORM? MAYOR, COUNCILMAN. GOETZ AND THEN COUNCILMAN SHAW. WE'LL MOVE, MOVE ACROSS FOR YEARS THE DEFINITION OF OUR BALANCED BUDGET IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT WAS THAT YOUR EXPENDITURES COULD NOT EXCEED YOUR REVENUES. THAT WAS CHANGED. AND THIS WAS ALSO THE SUBJECT OF AN EDITORIAL IN THE BEAUMONT ENTERPRISE ON SUNDAY. THIS PAST SUNDAY AT MY HOUSE, MY DEFINITION OF A BALANCED BUDGET IS THAT MY EXPENDITURES CANNOT EXCEED MY REVENUES, AND I THINK THAT IS A GOOD DEFINITION OF A BALANCED BUDGET. YOU CAN'T NOT CONTINUE OVER THE LONG TERM, BALANCING YOUR BUDGET BY REACHING INTO YOUR RESERVES, WHICH IS THE SAME THING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER AND COUNCIL MEMBER TAYLOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER ARE ALSO SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GOT TO LOOK AT OUR SPENDING AND WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING TO REIN IT IN. WE'RE ABOUT TO START OUR NEXT BUDGET CYCLE. WE'RE ABOUT TO START MEETING AND TALKING ABOUT WHERE WHERE WE'RE GOING. WE HAVE TO BE VERY CIRCUMSPECT IN OUR SPENDING THIS YEAR. WE CANNOT RELY ON NATURAL DISASTERS FOR OUR REVENUE. WE'VE GOT TO LOOK WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO TO INCREASE OUR REVENUE. SO IF WE CAN'T FIND ANSWERS TO THAT QUESTION ABOUT HOW TO INCREASE OUR REVENUE, THEN THE ONLY THING YOU CAN REALLY DO WITHOUT GOING INTO YOUR FUND BALANCE IS TO CUT YOUR SPENDING. COUNCILMAN PHIL SHAW AND I AGREE, COUNCILMAN TURNER. I, FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW THAT 2020 AND 2021 NOW, THIS IS MY UNDERSTANDING AND I COULD BE CORRECTED BY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROMISED US $6 MILLION FOR COVID. WE SPENT THAT 6 MILLION, BUT THEY'VE ONLY REIMBURSED US SO FAR FOR TWO. SO THERE'S 4 MILLION OUT THERE THAT HAS YET TO COME IN. AND WITH WHAT THE NEW ADMINISTRATION IS PROJECTING OF MAKING CUTS IN D.C, THAT MEANS WE MAY NOT SEE THAT 4 MILLION. NOW, I'M NOT A I DON'T HAVE A DEGREE IN FINANCE, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT 4 MILLION THEN WOULD HAVE TO COME OFF OUR FUND BALANCE. AND SO AGAIN, I GET IT THAT WE'RE BALANCING OUR BUDGET. BUT JUST GOING BY THE BUDGET WAS GIVEN TO ME. IT SAYS IN THERE THERE'S A 3.5 DEFICIT, OPERATIONAL EXPENDITURES AND COMPARISON, OPERATIONAL REVENUE. AND SO AGAIN I MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE IS A TREND AND THERE'S OTHER THINGS IN THERE LIKE COVID, MONEY, FIREFIGHTERS, ALL THOSE THINGS I'M ASSUMING IS GOING TO IMPACT OUR FUND BALANCE AT SOME POINT. AND SO I JUST THINK THAT THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF, AS YOU SAID, AND WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BALANCE OUR EXPENDITURES WITH OUR REVENUE BECAUSE GIVEN TIME, THE CITY GOING FROM 50 MILLION DOWN TO LAST DECEMBER, THE REPORT WE GOT WAS 37 MILLION. NOW WE'RE BELIEVING OVER THIS YEAR, 25, WE'RE PROJECTING THAT THE BUDGET IS GOING TO DO BETTER THAN WHAT WE'RE HOPING, AND WE'RE GOING TO HIT 43 OR HIGHER, AND I HOPE WE DO. BUT AS OF DECEMBER, OUR CASH ON HAND WAS 37 MILLION. SO WE'VE GONE FROM A REPORT, NOT A BUDGET FOR 50 MILLION DOWN TO 37. I JUST THINK IT'S A TREND I'M CONCERNED WITH. AND I WOULD WELCOME THE COUNCIL JUST WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BALANCE THAT BUDGET. THANK YOU. MAYOR. COUNCILMAN. NEIL. MR. MANAGER, WHAT IS THE PROJECTED 2025 IMPACT TO THE FIRE CONTRACT? I FIGURED YOU'D ASK THAT QUESTION. OF COURSE WE DID. THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THEM LAST WEEK AND WE ENDED UP WITH A PROPOSAL THAT'S YET TO BE VOTED ON BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND IF THEY PASS IT, IT'S TO BE VOTED ON BY YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL. SO THAT IS A 743 PROPOSAL THERE WITH THE LET ME FIND MY NOTES. WITH THAT AMOUNT TOTALING OVER THE THREE YEAR PERIOD. I'M SORRY FOR THIS NEXT YEAR. BUDGET AMOUNT OF 1,000,003 95559. IS THAT CORRECT? JUNE. THAT'S CORRECT. SO BASICALLY WHAT THAT WOULD EQUAL TO IN YOUR 
          [00:55:04]
BUDGET WOULD BE 1% OF YOUR FUND BALANCE. SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A 25.9. SIX NINE ONE FUND BALANCE ABOVE REQUIRED FUND BALANCE. IT WOULD PUT US AT ABOUT 24.87 WITH THE AGREEMENT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. SO YOU'LL STILL HAVE 5% ABOVE REQUIRED FUND BALANCE AFTER WE PAY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THE ENTIRE CONTRACT FOR THIS YEAR, THE PROPOSED CONTRACT, AND HOW MUCH WILL SO 2025 WILL COST US? 1.3 2026 WILL COST HOW MUCH? APPROXIMATELY JUNE. YOU HAVE THOSE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME. 
          1.576 MILLION. SO THAT'S ANOTHER 1%, RIGHT? MAYBE ACCORDING TO THE BUDGET OKAY. BUT THAT'S BUDGETED EVERY YEAR. YOU DON'T BUDGET FOR THAT. NOW WE ACCOUNT FOR THAT EVERY YEAR. A BUDGET IS A MOVING TARGET. YOU JUST CAN'T SAY WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE. WE'LL HAVE TO BUDGET FOR THE 1.3 THIS YEAR, THOUGH WE ALREADY WE HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE 1.3, AND THAT'S WHAT WE PUT IT AT THE FUND BALANCE AT 24.87. WE DID NOT WANT TO PUT MONEY INTO A BUDGET KNOWING THAT WE WERE NEGOTIATING AND TELLING PEOPLE HOW MUCH WE BUDGETED. SO WE INTENTIONALLY NOT PUT AN AMOUNT INTO THE BUDGET BECAUSE WE WERE IN A NEGOTIATION, YOU DON'T SIGNAL SOMEBODY'S NEGOTIATION THAT, OKAY, WE PUT THIS X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IN HERE, AND THIS IS HOW MUCH YOU CAN START WITH. SO BUT WE'LL STILL HAVE TO DO SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE MONEY I AGREE WITH YOU. IT'S IN THE IN THE FUND BALANCE. BUT WE'LL HAVE TO ROLL THAT INTO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE WILL COME BACK WITH AN AMENDMENT. WHEN THAT'S DECIDED WE'LL DO THAT. YOU WOULD DO AN AMENDMENT TO THE 2025 BUDGET. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GOETZ. AND OF COURSE, I THINK MOST OF US UP HERE ARE AWARE THAT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE IS NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S POLICY, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PRACTICALITIES OF THE SITUATION. WHEN WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH SOMETHING LIKE A MAJOR HURRICANE. MR. BOONE, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAD TO COME UP FRONT WHEN HARVEY CAME THROUGH? I KNOW WE WERE REIMBURSED EVENTUALLY, BUT WHEN THE CITY HAS TO DEAL WITH THE IMPACT OF A MAJOR STORM LIKE HARVEY ABOUT HOW MUCH, HOW MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE WE LOOKING AT COMING OUT OF POCKET UP FRONT? I DON'T HAVE THAT HISTORY. WELL, IN OUR RESEARCH, THE CITY HAS NOT BEEN OUT OF ANY MONEY FOR A HURRICANE. THE CITY AND YOUR FUND BALANCE. YOU NEVER HAD TO SPEND ANY MONEY OUT OF YOUR FUND BALANCE FOR A HURRICANE THAT YOU DID NOT RECOVER. SO WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM? FOR ALL THE OVERTIME THAT WE HAVE TO OUT OF YOUR REGULAR BUDGET? SO. SO YOU'RE SAYING WE BUDGET FOR A MAJOR SCALE DISASTER LIKE THAT. YOU BUDGET FOR PEOPLE TO WORK EVERY DAY AND THERE'S ONLY 24 HOURS IN A DAY, SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ANYWAY. AND THEN WHEN A HURRICANE COMES, THEY'RE WORKING DURING THAT HURRICANE. SO BASICALLY ALL YOU GET REIMBURSED FOR FROM THE STATE OF FEMA IS OVERTIME. YOU DON'T GET REIMBURSED FOR REGULAR TIME IN THOSE SITUATIONS. SO YOU'RE ALREADY BUDGETED FOR IT. SO YOU'RE YOU'RE SAYING THAT THINGS LIKE DEBRIS REMOVAL, THINGS LIKE GETTING YOUR WATER SYSTEM UP TO PAR AND BEING ABLE TO OPERATE AGAIN, ALL OF THAT IS COVERED IN OUR REGULAR BUDGET. NO, I'M SAYING THAT YOU THERE'S OPPORTUNITY COST. YOU GOT TO BE DOING SOMETHING WORKING THAT DAY NO MATTER WHAT THAT TASK IS. SO THE OPPORTUNITY COST COMES WITH YOU WORKING ON THE STORM RATHER THAN YOU WORKING ON REGULAR THINGS. SO YOU'RE DOING WORK THAT DAY. ANYWAY, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMEBODY FROM ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH HOW MUCH WE SPENT UP FRONT ON HURRICANE HARVEY RECOVERY BEFORE WE STARTED GETTING REIMBURSED FROM FEMA, AND PROVIDED ME WITH THAT INFORMATION. COUNCILMAN TURNER, I GUESS THAT THAT THAT KIND OF WAS ONE OF MY CONCERNS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I DO APPRECIATE BRINGING UP, YOU KNOW, DEFICITS. BUT SOME OF THESE DECISIONS WE'RE MAKING UP UP FRONT, LIKE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A DEEPER DEFICIT THAT WE WILL GO IN. SO THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IF THERE'S AN OVERALL CONCERN AND THE OBJECTIVE OF THE COUNCIL, WE'VE KIND OF ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM. BUT I'M LOOKING TO DO A WORKSHOP WITH COUNCIL. I DON'T CARE IF IT'S PRIVATE OFF OUR SITE, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE WHERE WE CAN REALLY GET TO WORK ON WHAT'S THE SOLUTION BECAUSE WE'RE ALL IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM. BUT I'M JUST LOOKING TO COME WITH A FORM OF A SOLUTION, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I THINK WE'RE ALL GOING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. WE NEED TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE ON THE DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO AS FAR AS OUR 
          [01:00:06]
BALANCE, AND WE NEED TO BE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. SO IF I CAN GET A SECOND, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. ON ON CLARITY, THOUGH, THERE WON'T BE A PRIVATE MEETING IF THE PUBLIC'S CONCERNED IT WOULD BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. APPRECIATE YOU MAYOR. WHEN I SAY YEAH, A PRIVATE MEETING ON SITE OR AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION, OF COURSE EVERYBODY IS WELCOME, BUT WE DO NEED TO GET TO THAT AS A COUNCIL BECAUSE WE'RE WE NEED TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE. I'LL SECOND HIS MOTION. ALL RIGHT. 
          ANYBODY ELSE? A COUPLE OF THINGS. STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION IS JUST AS CONCERNED WITH FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS CITY. EVEN MORE SO, YOU KNOW, PART OF OUR GOALS HAVE BEEN TO IMPROVE OUR FINANCIAL STANDING OF THIS CITY. WHEN WE CAME IN TWO YEARS AGO, WE'VE ONLY BEEN HERE TWO YEARS. SO WHATEVER HAPPENED IN ALL THOSE OTHER YEARS, WE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH. SO WHENEVER THAT STARTED HAPPENED, WE'VE JUST BEEN TRYING TO IMPROVE THE FINANCIAL STANDING OF THE CITY. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'VE IMPROVED THE BOND RATING. AND PART OF THE PROVEN BOND RATING IS INCREASING YOUR FUND BALANCES. WE WERE TOLD THAT DIRECTLY BY THE BONDING COMPANIES THAT THAT'S WHAT IMPROVES YOUR YOUR BOND RATINGS AND HAVING THOSE THINGS DONE. IT'S BEEN TAX RATE REDUCTIONS THANKS TO THE STATE OF TEXAS. THEY'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE SINCE 2019 OR SO. DOING TAX REDUCTIONS. BUT YOU HAVE TO DETECT STATE OF TEXAS DO THAT BY BUILDING UP THEIR SURPLUSES AND FUND BALANCES. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST WAYS YOU CAN DO THAT. SO THEY TOOK THAT $38 BILLION AND STARTED TO BUY DOWN THEIR THEIR TAX RATES, EVERYBODY'S TAX RATES. SO WE HAVE A FORMULA IN PLACE TO GET THIS DONE. WE WANT TO GET THAT DONE FOR SURE. WE WANT TO WORK THROUGH THE SAVINGS. WE WANT TO INCREASE SAVINGS. WE WANT TO DECREASE SPENDING. WE WILL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUDGET, WE WILL TALK ABOUT WAYS TO SAVE DOLLARS, NOT JUST SPEND DOLLARS, BUT TALK ABOUT WAYS TO SAVE DOLLARS, WHETHER IT'S. NOT AFTER POSITIONS HAVE BEEN VACANT FOR TWO YEARS, WE'LL ELIMINATE THEM. WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WAYS TO SAVE DOLLARS. SO YOU WILL GET A BUDGET. YOU KNOW THAT'S THAT'S THAT. BUT WHAT WE WERE DOING, WE WERE JUST PLAYING BY THE RULES THAT WE HAD THE DEFINITION OF WHAT YOUR FINANCIAL POLICY IS, WHAT WE DID. OKAY. IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE FINANCIAL POLICY, YOU NEED TO CHANGE THE FINANCIAL POLICY. BUT WE PLAYED WITH THE CARDS WE WERE DEALT THAT YOU SET THE RULES, YOU SET THE POLICY. AND WE JUST PLAYED BY THAT POLICY. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE THIS A VIABLE FINANCIAL ORGANIZATION, CONTINUED SUSTAINABILITY WITH IT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. AND WE CONTINUE EVERY DAY TO MONITOR TO THIS BUDGET. AND JUST A COUPLE OF CORRECTIONS. THERE WAS A COMMENT ABOUT A $37 MILLION FUND BALANCE THAT WAS PROJECTED GOING INTO 2023 BUDGET, BUT THE AUDITED NUMBERS FROM THAT YEAR WERE THE $46 MILLION FUND BALANCE. SO IT WASN'T A 30. IT WAS $46 MILLION AUDITED FUND BALANCE THAT YEAR. AND SO IN THIS YEAR, RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 47 MILLION. SO WE HAVE INCREASED THE FUND BALANCE. THIS THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN HERE. AND THAT'S OUR GOAL. THANK YOU. WELL, AND I THIS HAS BEEN A HEALTHY DISCUSSION. THE ONLY THING I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IS, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE LESS FAMILIAR WITH WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, FIRST OF ALL, THE CITY'S RESERVE BALANCE IS 20%. THAT'S REQUIRED BY COUNCIL. THAT IS IN CHARTER, WHICH IS A LITTLE OVER $33 MILLION. AND AT THIS POINT, WE'RE PROJECTED TO HAVE AT THE AFTER THE 3.5 MILLION, 43 MILLION. SO THEN IT BECOMES THAT $10 MILLION. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE SAVING? FROM MY STANDPOINT, I SIT HERE AND I'M FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE AND I HAVE TO PLAN FOR MY RETIREMENT, AND I HAVE TO CERTAINLY PLAN FOR MY EXPENSES. BUT WHEN I'M NOT SPENDING YOUR MONEY ON THINGS FOR YOU, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF PROBLEM WITH THAT, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, HAVING 50, 60, $45 MILLION IN RESERVE. WHY? I MEAN, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE WENT BELOW OUR 20% RESERVE? WE HAVEN'T. AND SINCE WE'VE HAD THE 20% RESERVE, WE'VE GOT AN EXCELLENT BOND RATING. WE NEED TO MAINTAIN IT AND WE NEED TO STAY INFORMED. BUT WHEN WE USE TERMS LIKE DEFICIT, IT IMPLIES THAT WE ARE NOT FISCALLY RESPONSIBILITY RESPONSIBLE. AND I PERSONALLY TAKE REAL OBJECTION TO IT BECAUSE I VOTED FOR THIS BUDGET. AND I THINK WE HAVE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT FUNDS. WE EXCEED WHAT IS REQUIRED BY OUR CHARTER, BY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY, AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY. OUR STATE, FROM THE LAST BUDGET TO THIS BUDGET, HAS $6 BILLION LESS. BUT NOBODY'S COMPLAINING THAT THEY GOT A $24 BILLION SURPLUS. SO I MEAN, SURPLUSES, ARE THEY REALLY THAT GOOD WHEN IT'S YOUR MONEY SITTING IN THE GOVERNMENT'S POCKET? WE'RE 
          [01:05:05]
TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE NOT GETTING DONE IN THIS CITY. AND I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT WHEN WE HAVE YOUR MONEY SITTING HERE, I THINK WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO GIVE YOUR MONEY BACK TO YOU, FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. SO, YOU KNOW, THE I DISAGREE WITH THE TERM DEFICIT SPENDING BECAUSE IT IMPLIES THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. AND ONE THING ABOUT IT, WE CLEARLY HAVE THE MONEY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY CONVERSATIONS, I JUST WANTED TO CITY MANAGER, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT I YOU KNOW, I USED YOU DIDN'T SEE ME, BUT THE COMMENT WAS MADE ABOUT A DEFICIT. I'M JUST I'M LOOKING AT THE REPORT THAT MR. ELLIS GAVE US AND IT SAYS DEFICIT 3.5. I'M JUST I'M USING THE VERBIAGE THAT'S THAT'S BEEN GIVEN TO ME. AND SO THAT'S IN THE BUDGET REPORT. AND I'M ASSUMING THAT DEFICIT REVENUE IS OPERATIONAL EXPENDITURES IN COMPARISON TO OPERATIONAL REVENUE. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT I'M JUST USING THE VERBIAGE AS GIVEN BY, BY YOUR STAFF. AND I, I DO HEAR YOU THAT IN 24. THAT'S WHY I SAID WE PROJECTED TO HIT 37 MILLION, BUT WE DID BETTER. WE DID 46, YOU DID 40. SO WE DID BETTER. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, I TRY TO BE FAIR AND EQUITABLE WHEN I MAKE MY COMMENTS. AND THE REASON I WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT IS BECAUSE THIS DEFICIT, I DON'T WANT TO PUT OUT MISINFORMATION. 
          I'M TRYING VERY HARD TO BE CLEAR AND CONCISE IN THE THINGS THAT I SAY. BUT AGAIN, I'M ONLY GOING OFF OF THE REPORT THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME THAT THE OPERATIONAL EXPENDITURES IN COMPARISON TO THE OPERATIONAL REVENUE SHOWS A 3.5. AND THAT'S ALL I CAN GO OFF OF NOW. ARE WE HOPING WE'RE GOING TO DO BETTER? YES WE ARE. AND I AND I PRAY WE DO BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO SEE BEAUMONT DECLINE FINANCIALLY IN ANY WAY. AND THEN THE REASON I MENTIONED THE TREND IS BECAUSE, AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING THE SKY IS FALLING. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I JUST SEE A TREND THAT BRINGS CONCERN TO ME. AND I THINK ALL THE COUNCIL SHOULD AT LEAST PAUSE TO CONSIDER THAT CONCERN. 
          THANK YOU. MAYOR. YES, COUNCILMAN. NEIL. I'M GOOD MAYOR. ALL RIGHT, WELL, IF THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEM NUMBER THREE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OPPOSED. THE MOTION ■IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE? THANK YOU. MAYOR. COUNCIL, CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO AWARD A CONTRACT TO BRIGHTSTAR CONTRACTING, INC. OF BEAUMONT FOR THE CATTAIL MARSH LEVEE EMERGENCY REPAIR PROJECT. AND IT COMES WITH A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR? MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER SIX, COUNCIL TO CONSIDER APPROVING AN ORDINANCE CALLING THE GENERAL ELECTION FOR MAY. FIVE FIVE. SORRY, SKIP. I'M SORRY. TOO MANY PAGES. THAT WAS ME APOLOGIZE FOR. ARE WE ON 4 OR 5? FIVE. FIVE. FIVE? I HAVE ASKED FIVE. THAT'S WHAT I HAVE. IS FIVE OKAY, OKAY. SIX. YEAH. 
          HE SAYS SIX. COUNCIL TO CONSIDER APPROVING AN ORDINANCE CALLING THE GENERAL ELECTION FOR MAY 3RD, 2025 TO ELECT A MAYOR. TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS AT LARGE AND FOUR WARD COUNCIL MEMBERS, ONE FOR EACH WARDS ONE, TWO, THREE AND FOUR, AND APPROVING A RUNOFF ELECTION IF NECESSARY ON JUNE 7TH, 2025. IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER FIVE? MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER FIVE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. NOW WE'LL GO ON TO ITEM NUMBER SIX. MR. CITY MANAGER COUNCIL, CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO AWARD A CONTRACT TO C Z CONSTRUCTION LLC OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, FOR THE SEAL ROAD SANITARY SEWER PIPE BURSTING PROJECT. AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER SIX MOVED TO APPROVE? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL 
          [01:10:04]
OF ITEM NUMBER SIX. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, COUNCILMAN NEILL? THANK YOU. MAYOR. MR. MANAGER, HAVE WE EVER USED CONSTRUCTION? APPEARED TO BE A NEW NAME TO ME. YEAH. NO, SIR, WE'VE NOT WORKED WITH THEM BEFORE. WE CHECKED ALL THE REFERENCES THAT THEY SUBMITTED. WE SPOKE TO FOUR DIFFERENT ENTITIES AND THEY WERE ALL VERY HAPPY WITH THEIR WORK. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, MAYOR? YES, COUNCILMAN. DIARRHEA. ONCE THIS CONTRACT IS AWARDED, WHEN WILL THEY BEGIN WORK ON IT? IT WILL TAKE ABOUT THREE WEEKS TO EXECUTE THE CONTRACT. AND THEN FROM THERE, THEIR NOTICE TO PROCEED WILL BE FROM US. UPON EXECUTION OF THE CONTRACT. SO IT'S JUST HOW QUICKLY THEY CAN MOBILIZE. BUT WE CAN ONCE WE GET THE NOTICE OF AWARD BACK TO THEM, WE CAN GET A TIMELINE BACK TO THE MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR YOU. AND THEN. ALSO WILL CAUSE ROAD CLOSURES. I'M TALKING. LOOKED AT THE PIPE BURST. AN EXPERT. HE SAID NO. OKAY. AND COUNCILMAN NEIL, YOU WAS ASKING WHERE WERE SEAL ROAD TAROT PARK AREA RIGHT BEHIND THE GOLF COURSE. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER SIX, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE 
          [PUBLIC HEARING]
US INTO THE PUBLIC HEARING COUNCIL TO CONSIDER CONDUCTING A PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE COMMENTS REGARDING A GRANT, APPLICATION AND RECEIPT OF FUNDS FROM THE FTA'S EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAM? ALL RIGHT. WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS POINT. IS THERE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO, SIR. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF 
          [REGULAR AGENDA]
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN? COUNCIL, CONSIDER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER THE AUTHORITY TO SUBMIT A GRANT APPLICATION AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION TO RECEIVE EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDS FOR THE BEAUMONT ZIP. AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER SEVEN? MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? 
          [WORK SESSION]
THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, WILL YOU TAKE US INTO THE FIRST WORK SESSION? YES. 
          COUNCIL TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE BEAUMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSE TO CALLS. REPORT. WE HAVE CHIEF FAULKNER. CHUCK, COME FORWARD. AND COUNCIL. MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I HAVE A SHORT SLIDE PRESENTATION FOR YOU BASICALLY THROUGH SLIDE TWO. BASICALLY THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S HISTORY. WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CONSIDERED A FULL SERVICE DEPARTMENT, MEANING IF YOU CALL, WE'LL RESPOND. WE RESPOND TO AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 140,000 CALLS A YEAR, OF WHICH MANY ARE MULTI UNIT RESPONSES. BETWEEN THE TIME FOR COMPLETING THE EXTENSIVE PAPERWORK REQUIRED AND RESPONDING TO THE CALLS, OFFICERS HAVE LITTLE FREE TIME TO INITIATE STOPS OR CONDUCT PROACTIVE PATROL. AND THE MOST FREQUENT FEEDBACK I'M GETTING FROM THE COMMUNITY AND SOME OF YOU ALL AS WELL, IS A CONCERN FOR THE WAIT TIME FOR POLICE ARRIVAL AND FOR A LACK OF VISIBILITY. WE ALSO GET FREQUENT REQUESTS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS. IT'S TOUGH FOR OFFICERS TO OVERCOME ALL THESE ISSUES WITHOUT SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO GIVE THEM MORE TIME BETWEEN CALLS. SO, AS YOU CAN SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, THE CALL LOAD IS SO HIGH THAT OFFICERS ARE GOING FROM CALL TO CALL AND THE RESPONSE TIMES ARE ACTUALLY APPROACHING SEVEN MINUTES FOR LIFE THREATENING PRIORITY CALLS. AND OUR GOAL IS TO REVIEW THE PROCESSES TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WAY WE DO THINGS. AND WE AIM TO IMPROVE RESPONSE TIMES FOR PRIORITY CALLS AND TO 
          [01:15:04]
INCREASE VISIBILITY. THAT INCLUDES PATROLLING NEIGHBORHOODS, MAKING WELFARE CHECKS, ENFORCING TRAFFIC LAWS, STOPPING IN AT BUSINESSES AND STORES, AND GENERALLY BEING VISIBLE AND MORE AVAILABLE. WE'VE ALREADY MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO STAFFING AND SOME WORK ASSIGNMENTS TO ASSIST. WE'VE IDENTIFIED EIGHT OFFENSES. WHERE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION IS USUALLY NOT NEEDED, AND IN FACT, WE HAVE AN ONLINE AND PHONE REPORTING SYSTEM ALREADY IN PLACE, REALLY ONLY USED BY ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT WE HAVE IN THIS. THESE CATEGORIES. BUT FOR MOST OF THE INCIDENTS, ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF THEM WERE STILL DISPATCHING OFFICERS TO RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION. WE HAVE CALL TAKERS, YOU KNOW, DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS. BUT QUITE OFTEN WE HAVE OFFICERS OUTSIDE OF THAT TIME, EITHER LATE OR ON WEEKENDS BASED ON STAFFING AVAILABILITY. SLIDE. SO OFFICERS SPENT A LOT OF TIME DRIVING TO LOCATIONS, GATHERING INFORMATION, HAVING TO WRITE THE REPORTS. THESE OFFICERS OFFENSES, YOU KNOW, WERE WERE ON THE SLIDE BEFORE BUT REPRESENT ABOUT 4000 CALLS THAT COULD BE HANDLED WITHOUT AN OFFICER HAVING TO GO TO THEM. THE CASE WILL STILL BE INVESTIGATED, JUST LIKE NORMAL. 
          WE JUST WON'T HAVE AN OFFICER SHOWING UP AT THE SCENE AND THE REPORT CAN BE TAKEN OVER THE PHONE, OR IT CAN BE REPORTED ONLINE. AND WE'RE WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO ENHANCE THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN MULTIPLE WAYS. IN ADDITION TO THE BENEFITS ALREADY REALIZED BY THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER. SO OUR PLAN IS STARTING FEBRUARY 17TH, WE'LL BEGIN PUSHING THESE CALLS TO THE PHONE OR ELECTRONIC MEANS. AND BASED ON THE AVERAGE TIME FOR HANDLING THOSE 4000 RESPONSES SAVED, IT WOULD EQUATE BASICALLY TO THE TIME SPENT BY TWO OFFICERS FOR A FULL YEAR. SO WE'RE HOPING, YOU KNOW, MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AS WE CAN. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE INITIATIVES WE'RE GOING TO TRY. 
          DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN PHIL SHAW THANK YOU. CHIEF, I JUST CURIOUS. YOU MENTIONED THE RESPONSE TIME APPROACHING SEVEN MINUTES AND YOU'RE TRYING TO IMPROVE THAT. 
          WHAT IS THE NUMBER YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? WHAT NUMBER WOULD YOU BE COMFORTABLE WITH? OR IS THERE A NUMBER. IS THAT A FAIR QUESTION? IT'S HARD TO PUT A DEFINITIVE TIME ON IT, BUT SEVEN MINUTES IS TOO LONG. EVERY MINUTE THAT WE WASTE IS, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S LIFE SAVING MEASURES, THAT'S POTENTIAL LIFE SAVING AID THAT THAT ISN'T THERE. SO OUR GOAL IS TO REDUCE IT. I CAN'T PUT A NUMBER ON IT FOR YOU RIGHT NOW. OUR HOPE IS THAT BY MAKING TAKING SOME OF THE WEIGHT OFF THE OFFICERS, MAKING IT SO THAT THEY'RE MORE AVAILABLE, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO CALLS MORE QUICKLY. AND, YOU KNOW, QUITE OFTEN THAT LEADS TO SIX MORE SUCCESSFUL INVESTIGATIONS, MORE, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION AVAILABILITY, MAYBE EVEN WITNESSES THAT HAVEN'T LEFT YET AND SO FORTH. SO OUR GOAL IS TO JUST REDUCE IT RIGHT NOW. AND THEN WHAT WHAT DO YOU THINK CONTRIBUTES TO THAT AMOUNT OF TIME. WHY HAS IT TAKEN US SEVEN MINUTES? WELL CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? WELL, I MEAN, THERE'S LOTS OF REASONS, BUT QUITE OFTEN OFFICERS HAVE TO EITHER BE PULLED OFF ANOTHER CALL OR THEY'RE THERE ON A CROSS TOWN AND THEY'RE HAVING TO BE CALLED SOMETIMES OUT OF ZONE, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF DRIVING TO GET TO CALLS. AND THE LONGER IT TAKES TO DRIVE ACROSS TOWN OR TO GET TO THE CALL, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS HOPEFULLY THEY'LL BE ABLE TO STAY MORE IN THEIR AREA OF ASSIGNMENT, WHICH MEANS A MUCH FASTER RESPONSE TIME. THANK YOU. 
          MAYOR. COUNCILMAN TURNER AND COUNCILMAN DARIO. CHIEF, I'M MORE THAN CONFIDENT THAT YOU GUYS DID SOME RESEARCH WITH OTHER CITIES AND THE SUCCESS RATE OR ON RESPONSE TIME WITH THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION. CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT YOU SEE HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES AND THEN RESPONDING TO SPECIFIC CALLS DIFFERENTLY? SIMILAR TO THIS, I HAVE NOT REALLY LOOKED AT THAT ASPECT. YOU KNOW, I IT'S HARD TO COMPARE RESPONSE TIMES. IT'S HARD TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEIR CALCULATIONS ARE. STATISTICS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO GET IN THAT, THAT TRAIN, UNLESS WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT ACTUALLY WAS PART OF THAT PROGRAM AND THEY, THEY CAN GIVE US REAL TIME ASPECTS. MY BELIEF IS THAT, YOU KNOW, SIX PLUS MINUTES IS JUST TOO LONG GETTING TO CALL. SO OUR 
          [01:20:08]
GOAL IS TO REDUCE THAT. UNDERSTOOD. DO Y'ALL HAVE LIKE SOME FORM OF A PR PLAN TO KIND OF EDUCATE PEOPLE ON WHAT CALLS ARE PRIORITY AND HOW THEY'LL KIND OF BE RESPONDED TO? WE DO OKAY. AND. COUNCILMAN GAETZ AND COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU. CHIEF. THE CATEGORIES OF OFFENSES THAT YOU SAY THAT OFFICERS WILL NO LONGER RESPOND ON SCENE TO. I'M LOOKING AT THEM. AND THE ONE THAT KIND OF IS A LITTLE BIT OF A CONCERN TO ME IS ASSAULT. SO. YES, SIR. HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT'S NECESSARY FOR A POLICE OFFICER TO GO WHEN SOMEBODY IS COMPLAINING ABOUT EITHER THE THREAT OF AN ASSAULT OR ASSAULT IS IN PROGRESS, OR SOMEBODY CALLS IN AND SAYS, HEY, SOMEBODY'S BEATING THE TAR OUT OF SOMEBODY OVER HERE. WHAT WHAT FACTORS GO INTO THAT? WELL, EVERY, EVERY DISPATCH TAKES SOME INFORMATION FROM THE CALL TAKER AND BACK TO COUNCILMAN TURNER'S POINT IS, IT'S NOT JUST EDUCATING THE PUBLIC. IT'S EDUCATING OUR CALL TAKERS, BUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. AND MANAGER EVEN MENTIONED THIS VERY THIS VERY POINT IS SIMPLE ASSAULTS. QUITE OFTEN THERE'S ASSAULTS THAT DON'T HAVE ANY BODILY INJURY. THERE'S NO SUSPECT ON SCENE YET MIGHT BE BY THREATS OR SOMETHING ELSE. SO THE CALL TAKER HAS A SERIES OF QUESTIONS THEY ASK. AND DEPENDING ON THE SERIES OF QUESTIONS, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO SEND SOMEONE. IF IT DOES REQUIRE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION, WE WILL STILL SEND SOMEONE AS WE ALWAYS HAVE. COUNCILMAN DARIO, I MAY HAVE MISSED IT. HOW DID Y'ALL COME UP WITH THIS LIST? BECAUSE, I MEAN, WHEN I SEE ASSAULT AUTO BURGLARY, HARASSMENT, THEFT, I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE HARD GETTING ACROSS TO THE CITIZENS, BECAUSE WHEN THEY CALL FOR 911, THEY'RE EXPECTING A POLICE OFFICER TO SHOW UP. BECAUSE ESPECIALLY IF YOU'VE BEEN ASSAULTED OR SOMEBODY IS THREATENING YOU OR IF YOUR CAR IS STOLEN, THEY'RE GOING TO BE EXPECTING A POLICE OFFICER. SO WHAT ARE WE SAYING WHEN THEY CALL 911? WILL THEY BE GETTING A RECORDING? NO, SIR. SAYING YOU NEED TO. EVERY CALL. 
          EVERY CALL IS MONITORED BY A HUMAN AND EVERYONE'S ASSESSED ON ITS OWN MERITS. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THAT CALL, THESE THESE PARTICULAR EIGHT CALLS ARE WE ALREADY HAVE. YOU CAN GO TO THE POLICE, TO COMMUNITY WEBSITE LINK. AND YOU CAN ALREADY DO THOSE SAME CALLS ONLINE RIGHT NOW. SO I MEAN, THE THAT'S WHERE WE CAME UP WITH THESE CALLS FROM BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY ACCESSIBLE IN OUR CURRENT METHODOLOGY. IS IT BEING USED OR PEOPLE ABOUT A THOUSAND, ABOUT A THOUSAND A YEAR ARE DONE THAT WAY. AND THE REST WE'RE DOING BY SENDING AN OFFICER ACROSS TOWN OR WHEREVER IT TAKES TO PICK UP INFORMATION, BASICALLY, AND ASK THEM THE VERY QUESTIONS WE COULD ASK THEM ON THE PHONE. IS THIS DUE TO, WELL, ARE YOU DO YOU HAVE A STAFFING SHORTAGE? WELL, IT'S, IT'S A TOO MANY CALLS FOR THE STAFF. I MEAN, I GUESS YOU COULD LOOK AT IT AS A STAFFING SHORTAGE OR JUST THE WAY WE'RE DOING BUSINESS NEEDS TO IMPROVE FOR EFFICIENCY. AND THIS IS A WAY THAT THAT DOES NOT COST ANY MORE MONEY, BUT IT MAKES US A MORE EFFICIENT DEPARTMENT. I IN MY OPINION, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO A PRETTY GOOD PR WITH THE CITIZENS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WHEN THEY CALL, THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE AN OFFICER SHOW UP AND THEY MIGHT HAVE TO GO ONLINE TO REPORT THIS KIND OF STUFF BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WHEN THEY CALL 911, THEY'RE EXPECTING TO SEE A POLICEMAN SHOW UP. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE GOING TO. 
          I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD PLAN, A GOOD IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A SURPRISE THAT THAT CONVERSATION WOULD HAPPEN BEFORE THEY GET OFF THE PHONE, SO THEY WOULD ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER AND THERE WOULD BE DISCUSSION OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE THE DISPATCHER HANGS UP THE CALL. OKAY. SO THE DISPATCHER WILL DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO SEND AN OFFICER OR TO HAVE THEM REPORT THIS. IN ESSENCE, YES. AND THERE IS THEY CAN ALWAYS REFER IT TO A SUPERVISOR, BUT TRADITIONALLY 
          [01:25:01]
IT'S THE INFORMATION THAT THE COMPLAINANT WANTS TO PROVIDE OR THE VICTIM WANTS TO PROVIDE THAT THAT DETERMINES WHAT THE RESPONSE IS. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO BUSINESS THE SAME WAY BASED ON WHAT THE COMPLAINANT TELLS US. OKAY. THANK YOU. CHIEF. 
          COUNCILMAN GAETZ, HOW OFTEN DOES THE DEPARTMENT GET REQUESTS FOR CIVIL STANDBYS IN THE EXCHANGE OF MINOR CHILDREN IN A DOMESTIC RELATIONSHIP? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? I DO NOT, SIR, I WOULD. 
          WOULD THIS CHANGE IMPACT THE ABILITY OF CITIZENS TO REQUEST CIVIL STANDBYS? IT DOES NOT. 
          OKAY. AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD I'M SURE THERE'S INFORMATION OUT THERE. I WOULD THINK MOST CITIES OVER 100,000 ARE NOT FULL SERVICE DEPARTMENTS. I CAN GO BACK 40 YEARS WHEN I WAS A POLICE OFFICER IN HOUSTON AND WE DIDN'T PATROL, DID NOT TAKE AUTO THEFT REPORTS. IT WAS DONE ON ON THE PHONE. YOU HAD TO CALL A NUMBER AND WE WOULD GIVE SOMEBODY A NUMBER IF THEY WALKED UP TO US. SO IT IS SUCH IS NOT UNCOMMON. BUT I AGREE WITH YOU. I MEAN, IT IS SOMETHING THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE USED TO, BUT MANY CITIES OF THIS SIZE TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, MUCH LIKE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE GOOD SAM APP, OR HAVE AGREED TO THE GOOD SAM APP FOR THE FIRE TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY. STRETCH, BECOME A MANPOWER MULTIPLIER, AND HAVING POLICE OFFICERS SHOW UP WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED, WHERE AS OPPOSED TO SHOWING UP TO SOMETHING THAT IS SIMPLY A REPORT BEING TAKEN. 
          SO WE'RE JUST COULD THIS. ATTORNEY READ, COULD THIS CAUSE A LEGAL LIABILITY ISSUE FOR THE CITY? IN WHAT WAY? IN WHEN YOU CALLED AND LIKE THEY CALLED 911, NO OFFICER CAME AND IT WAS SOMETHING VERY SERIOUS. SO AGAIN, I THINK THAT THE CHIEF KIND OF ANSWERED THAT THOSE CALLS WILL BE ASSESSED BY A LIVE PERSON. SO EVEN IF THE ASSAULT IS OBVIOUSLY ONGOING, IT'S DONE. 
          BUT MOST OF THESE CRIMES ARE ALREADY DONE. SO A THREAT IS NOT AN IMMEDIATE HARM UNLESS THEY'RE OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE WITH A GUN, THEN IT'S DIFFERENT, RIGHT? A THEFT HAS ALREADY OCCURRED, WHICH MEANS THEY TOOK THE PROPERTY LEFT, WHICH MEANS YOU'RE NO LONGER IN DANGER FOR FORGERY OR FRAUD, IDENTITY THEFT, ALL THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED. WHICH MEANS THERE'S NO INTIMATE DANGER TO THE PERSON. SO I THINK WHAT THE CHIEF IS TRYING TO SAY IS THAT THESE ARE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED, WHERE THE CRIME HAS ALREADY BEEN COMMITTED, AND THE INDIVIDUAL VICTIM IS NO LONGER IN DANGER OR IMMEDIATE THREAT OF DANGER. BUT OBVIOUSLY THEY CALL 911 AND THEY ARE EXPRESSING THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ASSAULTED AND THE PERSON IS STILL THERE, OR THAT THERE'S A ROBBERY IN PROGRESS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF CRIMES WHERE THEY WOULD RESPOND WITH AN OFFICER. SO IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO BE A BLANKET ACROSS THE BOARD. WE'RE NOT SHOWING UP. IS THAT THE CRIME HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED. WE CAN JUST COMPLETE A FORM. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S A THERE'S AN AIR OF LIABILITY. YOU CAN FILE A COMPLAINT. PEOPLE FILE COMPLAINTS ALL THE TIME AFTER A CRIME IS COMMITTED AT THE POLICE STATION. PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY. MOST TIMES THEY DO JUST SHOW UP TO THE POLICE STATION THE NEXT DAY AND SAY, HEY, SOMEBODY STOLE THIS FROM ME, OR THIS HAPPENED, RIGHT? I HAVE THESE TEXT MESSAGES FROM SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN HARASSING ME. SO MOST OF THE TIME THOSE CRIMES ARE REPORTED. I THINK MAKING IT AVAILABLE AND ADVERTISING THAT YOU DON'T NO LONGER HAVE TO CALL 911 FOR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT IMMEDIATE, OR YOU DON'T NEED TO DO IT WITH THE POLICE OFFICER. THAT EDUCATION PROCESS IS GOING TO BE KEY IN THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN TURNER. YEAH. CHIEF, THAT THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN. 
          JUST AN AGGRESSIVE, YOU KNOW, PR CAMPAIGN JUST TO EDUCATE THE CITIZENS. AND SIMILAR TO WHAT MAYOR SAID, THE MAYOR SAID EARLIER, IT IS SOME CITIES THAT ACTUALLY HAVE DONE THIS. AND JUST SPEAKING TO OUR CITIZENS TO KNOW WE LOOKED AT OTHER CITIES AND BEAUMONT IS UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT. BUT I THINK I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE JUST AGGRESSIVE WITH THAT PR BECAUSE WHAT INITIALLY HAPPENED IS PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMPLAIN TO US, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO CALL CANDIDATE AND IT'LL BE FILTERED RIGHT BACK TO YOU GUYS. SO THE BETTER WE CAN GET IT OUT THERE, EVEN IF YOU USE EVEN IF COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN ASSIST WITH THE MESSAGING ONCE YOU GUYS GET IT TOGETHER. SO WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE AND WE'RE ALL PUSHING THE SAME MESSAGE. THAT'LL BE APPRECIATED. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. CHIEF. YES, SIR. 
          MR. CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU TAKE US INTO THE NEXT WORK SESSION? THANK YOU, MAYOR, COUNCIL, TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS REQUESTS FROM DEVELOPERS FOR SUPPORTIVE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS. 
          LOCATED AT 5695 CONCORD ROAD AND 4340 WEST RIDGE LANE. DID I. SORRY. LAST NOVEMBER, I 
          [01:30:10]
BROUGHT TO YOU GUYS A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE SCORING THAT WE WANTED TO IMPLEMENT. WHEN WE ARE RECEIVING APPLICATIONS FROM DEVELOPERS FOR TAX CREDITS. AND SO WE DID IMPLEMENT THAT PROGRAM. IT WENT LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE IN NOVEMBER. AND JUST A REMINDER, THIS WAS THE SCORING MATRIX THAT IS ON OUR WEBSITE UNDER THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CHECK THAT OUT. BUT ESSENTIALLY THIS IS SCORING A DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL BASED ON AMENITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE WITHIN A QUARTER MILE RADIUS TO A ONE MILE RADIUS, WITH ADDITIONAL POINTS. 
          IF MARKET RATE UNITS ARE PRESENT AT THE DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION TO THIS, WE ALSO DETERMINED THAT COUNCIL WANTED TO SHOW PREFERENCE FOR DEVELOPMENTS FOR COTTAGE STYLE OR LOWER DENSITY HOUSING, AND SO THIS MATRIX IS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AFTER THAT HAS BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR. THE FIRST DEVELOPER YOU HEARD FROM EARLIER CG DEVELOPMENT IS PROPOSING RIVA RIDGE. THIS IS ADJACENT TO THE TARGET SHOPPING CENTER AND WOULD FACE CONCORD ROAD, BUT IT IS A 63 UNIT SITE. 
          IT WILL BE A 2.5 ACRE TRACT. THERE WILL BE TWO BUILDINGS THAT ARE COTTAGE STYLE. THEY'LL BE QUADS, SO THERE WILL BE FOUR UNITS AT EACH OF THOSE. AND THEN TWO THREE STORY BUILDINGS. 
          AGAIN, THIS IS AT 5695. CONCORD STAFF SCORED THIS PROPOSAL AND RIVA RIDGE SCORED A TOTAL OF 27 POINTS ON AMENITIES. THE SECOND OH, HERE'S ALSO A LITTLE AERIAL SHOT OF WHERE THAT'S GOING TO BE LOCATED. THE SECOND DEVELOPER THAT HAS PROPOSED A PROJECT IS ITEX. THIS IS A REHAB PROJECT ON AN EXISTING MULTI-FAMILY STRUCTURE CALLED BARTON ARMS. THIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED BEHIND LOWE'S, AND IT IS A THREE STORY, SINGLE UNIT, 100 UNIT MULTIFAMILY STRUCTURE. THEY'RE ALL ONE BEDROOM UNITS. THIS DEVELOPMENT WAS DESIGNED AND BUILT IN 1983, AND BASED ON THE SCORING OF AMENITIES AND THE PROXIMITY OF THIS EXISTING CONSTRUCTION, BATON ARMS SCORED 18 POINTS. I PUT THIS SLIDE IN THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE TDHCA DOES HAVE GRIFFIN PLACE SENIOR VILLAGE LISTED ON THEIR WEBSITE AS AN APPLICANT FOR THE 9% TAX CREDIT. HOWEVER, THE CITY DID NOT RECEIVE A PROPOSAL FROM THIS DEVELOPER AND WE SINCE LEARNED THAT THAT PROJECT IS NOT MOVING FORWARD. BUT WE WANTED TO INCLUDE IT BECAUSE IT IS LISTED ON THE STATE WEBSITE. AND SO THE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE FOR A STAFF. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING EITHER OR BOTH OF THESE PROJECTS, WE WOULD BRING THIS BACK TO YOU ON THE FEBRUARY 18TH MEETING, BECAUSE THE RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORT WILL BE NEEDED BY THE DEVELOPERS TO DETERMINE THEIR APPLICATION IS COMPLETE IN MARCH FOR THE TDHCA DEADLINE. ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN GOETZ AND COUNCILMAN NEILL, WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT IS BEING PROPOSED FOR THE BARTON ARMS PROJECT? I BELIEVE THAT DEVELOPER IS HERE. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. KENNY BALL WITH ITS GROUP. GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN. I'VE COME TO YOU GUYS A COUPLE OF TIMES OVER THE YEARS ON SIMILAR TYPE PROJECTS, SO I APPRECIATE THE TIME AGAIN. SO THE BARTON ARMS PROJECT, AS JESS MENTIONED, 100 UNIT SENIOR DEAL NEAR THE MALL. THIS IS A PROJECT WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE DONE ON OTHER REHABS. SCOPE OF WORK IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE ABOUT 70,000 A DOOR ON THIS ONE. AND SO WHAT WE'LL DO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL BRICK EXTERIOR WITH A LITTLE BIT OF SIDING. IT'S GOING TO NEED TO BE SOME WORK THERE ON THE PROPERTY. WE HAVE SOME CONCRETE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. SIDEWALK WORK, A LOT OF ADA IMPROVEMENTS THERE TO GET EVERYTHING UP TO STANDARD. AND THEN WE'LL GO INSIDE THE BUILDING AND MAKE SURE THAT WE GET ALL THE AMENITIES BACK TOGETHER. THE PROPERTY DOES HAVE A HAVE A KITCHEN, WHICH WAS FROM ITS ORIGINAL 202 SUPPORTIVE 
          [01:35:03]
HOUSING BACK IN 83. SO WE'LL GET THAT FUNCTIONAL. WE'LL ALSO HAVE A GYM THERE WHICH IS WHICH IS NOT THERE AT PRESENT. AND WE'LL, YOU KNOW, JUST MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE AMENITIES THAT ARE NECESSARY ARE RIGHT THERE IN THE DEVELOPMENT. THEN WE'LL GO INTO THE UNITS, WE'LL DO NEW COUNTERS, NEW FLOORING. AGAIN, THERE ARE SOME ADA ISSUES THERE AT THE AT THE PROJECT. SO WE'LL HAVE TO END UP MAKING SURE EVERYTHING IS ADA COMPLIANT FOR THOSE RESIDENTS. SO WE'LL HAVE TO MORE THAN LIKELY KNOCK DOWN SOME WALLS, WIDEN, WIDEN SOME INTERIORS IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE WE'RE UP TO STANDARD THERE. YOU KNOW WE'LL NEW PAINT, NEW APPLIANCES. WE'LL END UP I THINK THE UNITS THERE AS FAR AS AC OR TACK UNITS. SO WE WILL REPLACE ALL OF THOSE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT GOING FORWARD. SO THAT'S KIND OF GENERALLY THE SCOPE OF WORK. WE'RE RIGHT NOW DOING A LOT MORE DUE DILIGENCE ON THE PROJECT. 
          WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF REPORTS GOING AS FAR AS PROPERTY CONDITION ASSESSMENTS AND SUCH, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY NARROW DOWN AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ATTACK EACH, YOU KNOW, PARTICULAR ITEM. DOES OUR TECHS CURRENTLY OWN THAT PROPERTY OR MANAGE THAT PROPERTY, OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT IS. NO, WE DO NOT. YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN MANAGED BY A NONPROFIT FOR YEARS. OUR UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, HAS HAD PRETTY GOOD OCCUPANCY OVER THE YEARS, DID KIND OF RUN INTO A LITTLE HURDLE RIGHT AROUND COVID. SO THEY HAVE HAD SOME DECREASE IN OCCUPANCY. I THINK IT'S COMING BACK AROUND NOW. BUT WE LEARNED VERY RECENTLY THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN IN SELLING THE PROJECT, AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND KIND OF DO WHAT WE ARE GOOD AT AND COME IN WITH THE REHAB AND GET IT BACK, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST AS CLOSE TO TODAY'S STANDARDS AS POSSIBLE GIVEN THE BUILDING. BUT BRING IT UP TO CODE AND GIVE IT SOME MORE USEFUL LIFE. SO ARE YOU, AS OUR TECHS LOOKING AT PURCHASING THIS PROPERTY OR. THAT'S CORRECT. WE HAVE IT UNDER CONTRACT RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE IT UNDER CONTRACT. OKAY. HOW BAD OFF IS THAT PROPERTY? IS IT IS IT SUBJECT TO BEING RED TAGGED? I MEAN, I'VE HEARD OVER THE YEARS SOME PRETTY SCARY STORIES FOR THAT PROPERTY. SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT THERE? I'M UNAWARE OF ANY COMPLAINTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED HERE RECENTLY. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT IS TAGGED FOR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE AT THIS TIME. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD QUALIFY FOR RED TAG. HOWEVER, IT COULD QUALIFY FOR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT EYES ON IT WITH AN INSPECTOR. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL COULD DO? WE CAN. COUNCILMAN NEIL, DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? I DO, THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST WHAT IS OUR PERCENTAGE OF LOW INCOME COMPARED TO THE STATE AVERAGE RIGHT NOW IS TWICE THE PER CAPITA. SO WHY DO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ADD MORE? WELL, WE STILL HAVE A NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THERE ARE WAITLISTS. THERE ARE WAITLISTS FOR HOUSING VOUCHERS. AND I THINK AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS AN ISSUE NATIONWIDE. SO YES, WE DO HAVE TWICE THE STATE AVERAGE. BUT SO I MEAN I GUESS MY THOUGHT IS I THINK LAST TIME COUNCIL HAD A WORKSHOP ON THIS, WE TALKED ABOUT DOING MORE SINGLE FAMILY TYPE PROPERTIES, NOT MORE APARTMENT TYPE COMPLEXES. AND I'LL BE HONEST, I CAN'T SUPPORT EITHER ONE OF THESE. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD REAL QUICK. I KNOW THAT COUNCIL HAS BROUGHT UP IN THE PAST THE AMOUNT OF APARTMENT COMPLEXES ACROSS TOWN OR ACROSS BEAUMONT THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, DETERIORATING OR NEED NEED TENDER LOVING CARE. AND I THINK THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THAT HAPPEN AND ALSO SATISFY A NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSES IN OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY LIMITS OF BEAUMONT. SO THERE'S A COUPLE WAYS TO LOOK AT IT. BUT THAT'S HOW I SEE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED. COUNCILMAN TURNER, MISS PRINCE, CAN YOU KIND OF SPEAK TO THE STANDARD THAT COUNCIL HAS SET WITH HIS SCORING? CAN Y'ALL GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE AND CAN YOU SPEAK TO YOU KNOW, WHAT WE SET WITH SCORING. AND YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE COME UP WITH THIS METRIC. SO YOU'VE PRIORITIZED THE PROXIMITY TO FULL SCALE GROCERY HIGH FREQUENCY TRANSIT QUALIFIED MEDICAL CLINIC OR HOSPITAL, LICENSED DAYCARE, COMMUNITY CENTERS OR SENIOR CARE CENTERS, SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC PARKS WITH SIDEWALKS. AGAIN, AS COUNCILMAN NEAL MENTIONED, YOU'VE PRIORITIZED ENCOURAGING LOWER DENSITY DEVELOPMENT, COTTAGE STYLE DETACHED SINGLE FAMILY THAT CAN ALSO LOOK LIKE A DUPLEX OR A QUAD PLEX. AS LONG AS IT'S SINGLE STORY. AND SO I THINK THE INTERPRETATION OF COTTAGE STYLE IS KIND OF VAGUE, BUT THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY THAT'S LISTED. AND THEN ALL OF THESE 
          [01:40:04]
ADDITIONAL POINTS YOU CAN SCORE ARE ARE BASED ON THAT AFTER THE FACT. YEAH. COUNCILOR MCNEIL, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS I STRUGGLE WITH, I UNDERSTAND 100% WHERE YOU'RE AT WITH THIS PROJECT. BUT ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS I STRUGGLE WITH IS THE CONDITIONS OF SOME OF THE LIVING AREAS THAT WE HAVE CITIZENS LIVING IN, PARTICULARLY THE OLDER PARTS OF TOWN. YOU KNOW, LIKE OUR LAST THREE THAT WE PASSED WERE REALLY IN MAINLY IN MORSE FOR THAT'S ACROSS FROM OUR JONES LIBRARY AND OVER THERE OFF OF 11TH STREET. BUT ONE THING THAT KIND OF STOOD OUT FOR ME, I ATTENDED THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND THE CITIZENS WERE VERY EXCITED TO SEE SOMETHING NEW OR BETTER. LIVING CONDITIONS BE DEVELOPED IN THE NORTH END, AND THAT KIND OF RESONATED WITH ME TO SEE THAT MANY PEOPLE KIND OF SPEAK POSITIVELY ABOUT IT. SO, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THOSE WITH A LOT OF THESE MULTIFAMILY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BUT I DO ALSO KNOW, AND I HEAR THE COMPLAINTS OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN SOME OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, OLDER ONES. AND THE CONDITIONS ARE PRETTY ROUGH, TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST. BUT ONE OF MY CONCERNS BACK ON THAT, COUNCILMAN TURNER, IS IT JUST CREATES BLIGHT IN OTHER AREAS OF TOWN, BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE OUR POPULATION IN BEAUMONT IS GROWING. I MEAN, HECK, THE NUMBER THE NUMBERS YOU ALWAYS USE SAY IT WENT FROM 118 DOWN TO 115,000. AND SO WHERE ARE THESE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE COMING FROM? WELL, THEY'RE NOT COMING HERE. THEY'RE MOVING FROM ONE APARTMENT COMPLEX TO THE OTHER. YEAH. SO AND THAT AND THAT'S WHAT I AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. BUT ONE THING I'M KIND OF BIG ON IS, YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO SEE A LOT OF DEVELOPERS THAT HAVE THESE ESTABLISHMENTS DO SOMETHING TO ACTUALLY KEEP THE RESIDENTS THEY HAVE, NOT JUST KEEP THEM IN THOSE LIVING CONDITIONS. ONE THING I SEE OFTEN IS WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING NEW GO UP AND YOU ACROSS THE STREET AND YOURS DON'T LOOK AS EFFICIENT, A LOT OF TIMES YOU'LL MAKE THE PROPER UPGRADES WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY TRY TO MAINTAIN YOURS. AND I'M BEING HONEST, I HEAR THESE PEOPLE COMPLAIN OFTEN ABOUT THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS. LIKE I GREW UP IN THE NORTH END, ACROSS THE STREET FROM HILBIG AND MEDA AND I, WE GET COMPLAINTS OR SIMPLY JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST DIFFERENT THINGS CUTTING GRASS AND JUST LIVING CONDITIONS, PERIOD. SO I UNDERSTAND, BUT I LOOK AT SOME OF THESE AREAS, THEY'RE IN OPPORTUNITY ZONES, AND I'M HOPING TO SEE DEVELOPERS GO IN AND REHAB THEM AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE. COUNCILMAN DARIO, THEN COUNCILMAN GOETZ. YEAH. ON THESE SCORES, CAN YOU WHAT SCORES DID THESE TWO DEVELOPERS HAVE? 18, 27 AND 27 FOR THE RIVA RIDGE BY CONCORD AND 18 WAS FOR THE BARTON ARMS PROJECT. THE PREDOMINANT REASON FOR THE DIFFERENCE IN THEIR SCORES WERE THE FINAL THREE ON THE TOP AMENITIES SECTION. BARTON ARMS DIDN'T RECEIVE POINTS FOR COMMUNITY CENTER, PROXIMITY, SCHOOL, PROXIMITY OR PUBLIC PARK WITH SIDEWALKS, WHEREAS THE RIVA RIDGE PROPERTY DID GET POINTS FOR ALL CATEGORIES SO THAT A 27 IS A GOOD SCORE. YES. OKAY. AND ALSO, AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE MANAGER WHEN THEY COME BEFORE US AND BRING THESE PROJECTS BEFORE US CAN CAN'T THE COUNCIL MAKE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEVELOPERS LIKE PUT IN A PARK OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SURE, SURE. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF CITIES DO. THEY PUT IN CONDITIONS OF, OF DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, AND CITIES ALL OVER TEXAS ARE WRESTLING WITH THIS ISSUE PROBABLY TODAY BECAUSE IT ALL HAPPENS AT ONCE WHEN THE SCORING CRITERIA COMES IN, HAS TO BE INTO THE STATE OF TEXAS. YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A NEED, THERE'S A NEED. BUT YOU CAN DO THINGS BECAUSE SOMETIMES DENSITY CAUSES SOCIAL PROBLEMS. THE CLOSER PEOPLE, THE MORE PEOPLE YOU PUT CLOSER TOGETHER SOMETIMES CAUSES PROBLEMS. SO SOMETIMES YOU CAN PUT CONDITIONS ON THE TYPE OF HOUSING THAT THEY'RE PUTTING IN TO MAKE IT LESS DENSE, TO MAKE IT MORE CONDOMINIUM, MAKE IT MORE DUPLEXES OR OR THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU STILL GET HOUSING, OF COURSE. IT CUTS THE DEVELOPER'S MARGIN BECAUSE DENSITY WITH MORE DENSITY, THEY MAKE MORE MONEY. BUT IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE IT HELPS YOUR CITY DEVELOP BETTER AND SAFER, BUT STILL PROVIDE HOUSING, YOU CAN PUT IN DIFFERENT CONDITIONS LIKE THAT. 
          THANK YOU. YES, I THINK COUNCILMAN GETZ AND COUNCILMAN FALLSHAW. SO WE ALREADY HAVE ONE OF THESE PROJECTS THAT'S BEING THAT'S BUILT. IT NEEDS REHAB. AND THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE A GROUND UP NEW PROJECT. AND IF WE DON'T PROCEED WITH AWARDING THIS, I UNDERSTAND WE CAN AWARD 
          [01:45:08]
1 OR 2 OR NONE. BUT IF WE DON'T AWARD THE ONE TO BARTON ARMS TO BE REHABBED, THAT PROJECT, THAT COMPLEX WILL CONTINUE TO SIT THERE. AND WHAT IS PROBABLY SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS. CORRECT. 
          AND AT LEAST TO ME, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT WOULD BE EVEN THOUGH IT HAS LOWER SCORING ON THE MATRIX, WOULD BE A BIGGER NEED THAN STARTING SOMETHING NEW FROM THE GROUND UP. COUNCILMAN JESS, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION, BUT BUT MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE CAN. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CONCERNS I'VE ALWAYS HAD ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS, NUMBER ONE, IT NEEDS TO MEET THE NEED, OF COURSE. BUT I WONDER SOMETIMES ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE WORK THAT'S GOING IN BECAUSE THEY THE, THE, THE DETERIORATION CAN BE QUICK AND THEN YOU END UP IT'S THE PROPERTY IS NOT MAINTAINED LIKE IT SHOULD BE. SO WE END UP WITH SOMETHING THAT'S JUST NOT VERY ATTRACTIVE AND NOT SERVING THE CITIZENS. AND SO I GUESS WHEN I'M THINKING OUT LOUD AND MAYBE THE COUNCIL CAN HELP ME WITH THIS IS $70 A DOOR, IS THAT. IS THAT REASONABLE? I DON'T I'M NOT A BUILDER, SO I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER. I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF THEY ARE AWARDED TAX CREDITS, THEN THEY ARE SUBJECT TO MONITORING BY THE STATE FOR 15 YEAR AFFORDABILITY PERIOD. 
          AND THAT'S AN ANNUAL MONITORING. SO THEY ARE DEFINITELY OBSERVING THE PROPERTY QUALITY. OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. TO ADD TO I'M SO SORRY, I WILL ADD TO THAT. THEY DO WHENEVER THEY DO REHABILITATION, OF COURSE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MEET THE STANDARD CODES THAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS THE 2021 IRC AND IBC. SO THEY WOULD ALL CONSTRUCTION WOULD HAVE TO MEET THOSE STANDARDS. COUNCILMAN TURNER, THEN COUNCILMAN GETZ. YEAH. AND COUNCILMAN GETZ, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THAT TERM. SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS, MAN. I LITERALLY CAN RIDE EACH COUNCIL MEMBER AROUND IN THE NORTH END, WHERE SOME OF THOSE LIVING CONDITIONS ARE. AND YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT IN COMPARISON TO THIS OTHER PROJECT. AND I USE THAT TERM SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS. YOU WILL SEE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT. YES. COUNCILMAN GETZ, ARE BOTH OF THESE SENIOR PROJECTS OR IS ONE. NO. THE BATON ARMS PROPERTY IS A SENIOR PROJECT. CURRENTLY, THE RIVA RIDGE WOULD BE ALL AGES. AND THE RIVA RIDGE PROJECT. YOU SAID IT GOT POINTS FOR SCHOOLS. 
          WHAT SCHOOLS DID YOU CONSIDER CLOSE ON CONCORD? WHAT? SMITH ON CONCORD, SMITH ON CONCORD. AND THAT HOW FAR IS SMITH FROM TARGET? IT'S LESS THAN A MILE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DON'T BELIEVE SO. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. IF I COULD IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF FEEDBACK IN TERMS OF IF YOU WANT US TO BRING BOTH OF THEM BACK, ONE OF THEM OR NONE OF THEM, WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR A LITTLE FEEDBACK ON THAT. YEAH. THEY'LL NEED TO COME BACK ON THE 18TH TO MAKE THEIR DEADLINE. IF YOU GUYS WANT TO SUPPORT EITHER ONE. COUNCIL COUNCILMAN, CAN'T WE? I THINK WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST APPROVE BOTH OF THEM, BUT ONLY GIVE ONE OF THEM THE TAX CREDIT. WE DON'T AWARD THE CREDITS OR THE RECORD. WE WOULD JUST YOU WOULD DO RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT. OKAY. COUNCILMAN GETS. BUT IF YOU AWARD IF YOU DO THE RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR BOTH OF THEM AND YOU REALLY WANT TO SUPPORT ONE OVER THE OTHER, YOU WOULD NOT GIVE ONE THE RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT. AND AT LEAST AGAIN, I'LL REITERATE, WE'VE ALREADY GOT ONE PROJECT THAT'S THERE IN SUBSTANDARD CONDITION. IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO ME TO ISSUE A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT IN FAVOR OF THE REHABILITATION OF BARTON ARMS THAN TO, YOU KNOW, OFFER ONE TO THE OTHER ONE, BECAUSE THEN THEY'RE COMPETING FOR THIS IS VERY COMPETITIVE AS I UNDERSTAND. SO IF YOU WANT TO TRY TO FOCUS ON GETTING WHAT WE ALL CAN AGREE IS PROBABLY A SUBSTANDARD PROPERTY AT THIS TIME, THE HELP THAT THEY NEED TO GET THAT BACK ON TRACK. SO IT'S 
          [01:50:09]
NO LONGER IN THAT CONDITION. THE WHAT THE ACTION OF THIS COUNCIL WOULD BE TO ISSUE A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR THAT ONE ONLY. COUNCILMAN TURNER, FOR ME, COUNCILMAN, I WOULD HAVE TO DISAGREE ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT. MY OPINION IF WE WERE GOING TO SUBMIT ONE, I WOULD SUPPORT THE RIVA RIDGE PROJECT SPECIFICALLY OF BEING IN THAT MEETING AT THAT NORTH END NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, LISTENING TO THOSE CITIZENS AND HOW THEY FELT. SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST ME PERSONALLY, I KNOW HOW THAT WARD THREE LOOKS. I KNOW THE LIVING CONDITION OF A LOT OF THE CITIZENS IN WARD THREE. AND I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO SAY SUBSTANDARD, A LOT OF THOSE CITIZENS HAVE A LOT WORSE LIVING CONDITIONS. AND AGAIN, I WOULD INVITE ANY COUNCIL MEMBER TO RIDE WITH ME WHERE I CAN PHYSICALLY SHOW YOU. COUNCILMAN FALLSHAW, THEN COUNCILMAN SAMUEL. AND I GUESS JUST THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE CAN SHOW PREFERENCE TO ONE OVER THE OTHER, IS THERE? YES. YEAH. SO. GO AHEAD. COME TO THE MIC, THOUGH. LET ME TURN THE MIC ON IF YOU DON'T MIND. JUST HIT THE BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM. THERE YOU GO. ONE MORE TIME. THERE YOU GO. 
          GOOD. OKAY. SORRY. JUST TO JUST TO CLARIFY A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST, ON HOUSING NEED IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, IT IS TWO TIMES OVER THE TEXAS AVERAGE, BUT THE TEXAS AVERAGE IS STILL ONE OF THE LOWEST IN THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF THE DEMAND VERSUS THE QUANTITY OF UNITS. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT. SECOND, I PERSONALLY TOTALLY AGREE WITH THE SENTIMENT OF RENOVATIONS BEING EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, IF NOT MORE HIGH PRIORITY FOR OUR CITY AND KEEPING KEEPING EXISTING HOUSING UP TO DATE AND IN GOOD CONDITION. BUT ONE THING THAT DID NOT GET MENTIONED IN THE DISCUSSION THAT IS REALLY CRITICAL TO POINT OUT IS THIS ISN'T JUST A COMPETITION IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. THERE ARE OTHER CITIES THAT WE'RE COMPETING AGAINST. AND BASED OFF OF HOW THE POINTS WITH THE STATE AND WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING STACK UP, SHOULD YOU AWARD ONLY THE RENOVATION AND NOT RIVA RIDGE, THE RENOVATION PROJECT WOULD NOT BE COMPETITIVE WITH A COUPLE OF THE OTHER APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED CITY SUPPORT AND THE CITY OF ORANGE. SO ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, BARRING A MAJOR ERROR ON THE PART OF THE DEVELOPERS IN THAT OTHER CITY, AWARDING ONLY THE RENOVATION PROJECT WOULD RESULT IN NO RENOVATION AND NO NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT. DO YOU ALREADY OWN THE PROPERTY? NO, WE DO NOT. WE HAVE IT UNDER CONTRACT. THANK YOU. THAT'S THAT'S ALL I HAD. IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS. YEAH. MY POSITION IS TO GO WITH THE NEW CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE AS A DESPERATE NEED IN OUR CITY THAT WE, WE HAVE TO ALWAYS BE AWARE OF. AND THAT'S WHY I WOULD BE SUPPORTING THE NEW CONSTRUCTION. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COUNCILMAN SHAW, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND EARLIER? I'M GOOD. MAYOR. OKAY, SO COUNCILMAN DARIO'S POINT IN THE PAST WITH STAFF HAS DONE. 
          IT'S JUST BROUGHT BOTH BACK. AND COUNCIL MAKES A MOTION FOR ONE OR THE OTHER OR BOTH. AND SO THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION IN THIS CASE. AND IF I COULD JUST ADD ON TO THAT, WE CAN BRING THEM BOTH BACK WITH THE FULL AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE YOU COULD OFFER. SO JUST JUST TO RESTATE, I KNOW MOST OF US HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS EVERY YEAR. YOU'VE GOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TWO TIMES THE AVERAGE FOR THEM TO EVEN GET CONSIDERED AT THE STATE LEVEL. BUT AS WE'VE DISCUSSED BEFORE, IF THE IF THE COUNCIL DOES THINGS LIKE OFFERS ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OR WAIVES FEES AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, THEY GET MORE POINTS. AND SO TO ANSWER THE QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED EARLIER, YOU COULD YOU COULD GIVE PREFERENCE CERTAINLY TO ONE OVER THE OTHER. AND AS WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER, ACCORDING TO THE LAST LOOK AT THE STATE'S WEBSITE, THERE ARE TWO OTHER TWO OTHER PROJECTS IN ORANGE THAT ARE IN OUR REGION, FIVE THAT ARE COMPETING AGAINST THESE TWO. THESE TWO PROJECTS. ARE THOSE ORANGE PROJECTS NEW CONSTRUCTION OR RENOVATION? I I'M NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY. DO YOU HAVE SUFFICIENT DIRECTION AT THIS POINT? WE CAN BRING THEM BACK. ALL OF THEM. RIGHT? AT THIS POINT, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE 
          [COUNCIL COMMENTS]
          [01:55:07]
TO COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS. AND I WILL START WITH COUNCILMAN NEILL. NO COMMENT. MAYOR. 
          COUNCILMAN SAMUEL, I HAVE NO COMMENTS. COUNCILMAN SHAW. THANK YOU. MAYOR, I KNOW THIS. I GUESS IT WAS THIS LAST WEEKEND. THE GETTING THE WORD, THE VERBIAGE RIGHT. BEAUMONT HOSTED THE TEXAS YOUTH ADVISORY COMMISSION SUMMIT, 180 STUDENTS, 18 CITIES REPRESENTED TEXAS. CITIES REPRESENTED HERE IN BEAUMONT, AND A ROOM FULL OF YOUNG PEOPLE. AND THIS CAME ABOUT BECAUSE OF MILES HAYNES AND HIS EFFORT TO NOT ONLY ENCOURAGE THEM TO HAVE IT THIS YEAR, BUT ALSO TO LET BEAUMONT HOST IT. SO GREAT DAY, GREAT EVENT. JUST SHOUT OUT TO MILES FOR JOB WELL DONE. THANK YOU MAYOR. YES, SIR. COUNCILMAN TURNER. YEAH, MILES IS PRETTY INTERESTING. I PUSHED ON YOU PRETTY HARD ABOUT THE YOUTH COUNCIL, AND I CAN OPENLY SAY, JUST AS HARD AS I PUSHED ON YOU OPENLY, I'M GOING TO OPENLY COMPLIMENT YOU AND TELL YOU I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF YOU. NOT ONLY DID I PUSH ON YOU ABOUT THE YOUTH COUNCIL ALL LAST YEAR, YOU EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE NOT ONLY DID YOU OVERSEE THE YOUTH COUNCIL, YOU BROUGHT THE CONFERENCE ONE OF THE ONLY CONFERENCES TO THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. SO WE HAD KIDS FROM ALL OVER THE CITY, ALL OVER THE ALL FROM VARIOUS CITIES, ALL OVER, ALL OVER TEXAS, WHO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY TO CAPITALIZE ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE IMPRESSIVE. THEY'VE SEEN OUR UNIVERSITY. SO THAT'S RECRUITMENT. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW KIDS, IF YOU WANT TO FURTHER YOUR EDUCATION AND MOVE TO ANOTHER CITY. BEAUMONT IS AN OPTION. THEY'VE SEEN VARIOUS SPEAKERS THAT WERE SUCCESSFUL AROUND THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. OFTEN WE GET CAUGHT UP IN CHASING FIRES AND TALK ABOUT NEGATIVE THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN BEAUMONT, BUT YOU INTRODUCED THOSE KIDS TO A LOT OF POSITIVE THINGS IN BEAUMONT. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY I APPLAUD YOU PUBLICLY BECAUSE WHEN IT WAS AN ISSUE, I PUSHED YOU AND YOU ACTUALLY WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL. AND I APPRECIATE IT AND I'M PROUD OF YOU. I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY. SO THANK YOU. AND THE SECOND THING IS I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND OUR YOUTH BASKETBALL LEAGUE. THIS WAS AT THE RECREATION CENTER ON GULF STREET. IT'S THE CITY OF BEAUMONT LEAGUE. AND NOT ONLY IS IT A LEAGUE FOR OUR YOUTH TO HAVE SOMETHING POSITIVE TO DO, THE MOST IMPRESSIVE THING WAS IT WAS SO PACKED IN THE GYM YOU LITERALLY COULDN'T SIT DOWN. IT WAS STANDING ROOM ONLY. AND ONE THING THAT A LOT OF PARENTS COMPLIMENTED THE CITY ON WAS THEY WERE ABLE TO WALK IN AND WATCH THEIR KIDS PLAY AT NO FEE OR NO CHARGE. ONE MOM EVEN WENT ON TO SAY TO ME THAT IF I HAD TO PAY TO GET IN, I WOULDN'T BE HERE BEAUMONT TO STEP UP IN THAT WAY AND DO SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR THOSE YOUTH AND GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DO, CAN IT? MR. LEWIS, I JUST WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE, WELL ATTENDED AND I ENCOURAGE EACH COUNCIL MEMBER IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO, YOU SHOULD GO BY THERE AND SEE SOME OF THOSE FAMILIES AND SHAKE SOME OF THEIR HANDS. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TODAY, MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN GOETZ. I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE MILES ON YOUR ADVISORY YOUTH ADVISORY CONFERENCE. I WAS OUT OF TOWN OR I WOULD HAVE COME BY AS WELL, BUT JOB WELL DONE FROM EVERYTHING THAT I'VE HEARD. I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE JASON'S DELI ON THE GRAND REOPENING OF THEIR DOWNTOWN LOCATION AND ROLLING OUT THEIR NEW IMAGE, AND HOW THEIR STORES ARE GOING TO BE REMODELED GOING FORWARD, NOT JUST IN BEAUMONT, BUT ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE 29 STATES THAT THEY'RE LOCATED IN, IT'S EASY TO LOSE TRACK OF THE FACT THAT JASON'S DELI STARTED RIGHT HERE IN BEAUMONT, TEXAS, NEARLY 50 YEARS AGO, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE IN BEAUMONT CAN BE PROUD OF BECAUSE YOU CAN GO AND, YOU KNOW, MANY PLACES IN THE COUNTRY AND SEE A JASON'S DELI AND TRACE ITS ROOTS RIGHT BACK TO BEAUMONT, TEXAS. AND THE CEO OF JASON'S DELI WAS THERE. AND IT WAS IT WAS A GREAT EVENT. SO CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO THEM. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN DARIO. FOR JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. GREAT JOB, MILES, FOR YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND. BUT YOU KNOW MAN GREAT GREAT JOB. VERY PROUD OF YOU. AND ALSO ON LAST FRIDAY I ATTENDED A BANQUET IN PEARLAND. AND MY SON HE'S A PEARLAND FIREFIGHTER AND HE RECEIVED A LIFE SAVING AWARD FOR DOING CPR ON A BABY. AND THEY BROUGHT HIM BACK. AND THE BABY WAS ALIVE TODAY. JUST JUST WANT TO SAY I'M VERY PROUD OF IT. OUTSTANDING. 
          [02:00:01]
ALL RIGHT. PUBLIC WORKS, PLEASE. UNRELATED TO PUBLIC WORKS, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY CONDOLENCES FOR THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF RETIRED FIREFIGHTER MICHAEL SMITH. THANKS. THANK YOU. I'LL ECHO THOSE CONDOLENCES AND THEN ALSO CONGRATULATE MILES. JOB WELL DONE. I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR NEW SOLID WASTE OPERATIONS MANAGER. IF YOU COULD STAND MR. FERNANDO SEDILLO HAS STARTED HERE WITH THE CITY. AS SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY KNOW, MR. BENJIE WILLIAMS HAS OFFICIALLY RETIRED AND IS NO LONGER WITH THE CITY. SO WE'VE HIRED MR. SEDILLO AND WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE HIM ON BOARD. AND HE'S IN A NICE SUIT, BUT YOU KNOW, HE GETS DIRTY OUT THERE. I JUST WANT TO LET HIM KNOW THAT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NO COMMENTS. COMMENTS. MR. CITY MANAGER, I TOO WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE MILES AND THE WORK HE DID WITH THE YOUTH COMMITTEE BEING HERE. ALSO, I'D LIKE TO THANK TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE BECAUSE THEY WERE THE SPONSOR AND THEY GAVE US. HOW MUCH? MILES, 20,000. HOW MUCH? $20,000 TO PUT THAT CONFERENCE ON. AND THAT WAS A BIG DEAL FOR OUR CITY TO GET THAT AND BRING IT TO OUR CITY. THEY WERE OUTSTANDING YOUTH. I WAS OUT THERE FRIDAY AND I WAS OUT THERE THURSDAY MORNING, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME QUALITY KIDS. THEY WERE SO MUCH QUALITY. THEY HAD ME ON THE DANCE FLOOR WITH THEM FRIDAY NIGHT, AND THAT'S THE FIRST TIME SINCE MY KNEE REPLACEMENT, SO THAT WAS QUITE THE CHORE. BUT IT WAS GREAT. GREAT DEAL, GREAT DEAL. BALL AND BEAUMONT PUT AN EXCELLENT FOOT FORWARD WITH LAMAR UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY AND THE WORK THAT THE MILES DID. ALSO I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR NEW CHAIRMAN AT THE CHAMBER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AMY. AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOUR LAST NAME, BUT YESTERDAY SHE WAS INTRODUCED AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HER. AND WE TALKED AND WE'LL BE MEETING AND TALKING ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF OUR STAFF FOR THE FOR THE WINTER STORM, THE THEIR RESPONSE TO PLANNING THE RESPONSE, THE RECOVERY ACTIVITIES. THEY WERE OUTSTANDING. YOU CAN TELL A GROUP THAT'S EXPERIENCED AND HAVING AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND. I COULD JUST SIT THERE AND WATCH THE EXPERIENCE. 
          YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE SOME OF THE BELLS AND WHISTLES OF AUSTIN AND HOUSTON AND THOSE CITIES, BUT YOU CAN'T WIN THE BATTLE WITH BELLS AND WHISTLES LIKE YOU CAN WITH THE EXPERIENCE. I WAS VERY PROUD OF HIM AND IT WAS REALLY A GOOD RESPONSE. WHEN YOU GET VERY LITTLE FEEDBACK AFTER IT'S OVER. AND SO THEY DID A GREAT JOB. I DO LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, WE GET CAUGHT UP IN FUND BALANCES, BUT PART OF THAT BUDGET AMENDMENT WAS PUTTING THAT YOUTH PROGRAM INTO PLACE FOR STERLING PRUITT. YOU KNOW, WE FORGET THE REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS AND THAT ENABLE THAT PROGRAM TO EXIST. AND ALONG WITH THE OTHER THINGS THAT COUNCIL HAD ALREADY PASSED AND WE CARRIED THOSE DOLLARS FORWARD. BUT THAT THAT THAT BUDGET AMENDMENT DID THAT. SO I, TOO, WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO GO OUT THERE AND LOOK AT THAT PROGRAM. IT'S OUTSTANDING. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. AND I'LL ADD TO IT. I WAS OUT AT STERLING PRUITT ON SATURDAY AS WELL. AND I WANT TO SAY IT'S NOT JUST BASKETBALL. THERE WERE I THINK THREE DANCE TEAMS AND THREE CHEERLEADING TEAMS. THERE WERE ABOUT 300 KIDS. I HAD TO WALK TWO BLOCKS FROM THE STERLING PRUITT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PARKING, BECAUSE OF ALL THE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE. AND I I'M EXCITED ABOUT ABOUT THE PROGRAM. I REALIZE WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING TO LOOK AT MORE SPACE BEFORE TOO LONG, BECAUSE THIS IS THIS IS A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE, BUT IT CERTAINLY MEETING A NEED THAT IS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I WANT TO ALSO GIVE THANKS TO ALL OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. BUT WELL BEYOND THAT, OUR CITY STAFF WITH THIS RECENT SNOW EVENT AND BEING UP AT THE EOC, ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE INVOLVED IN THAT AND PRESENT, AND IT IS VERY WELL MANAGED. AND THEN I THINK IT ALL WORKED OUT VERY WELL. AND I THINK THE RESIDENTS OF BEAUMONT REALLY ENJOYED THE FRESH POWDER SNOW THAT WE HAD, AND CERTAINLY NOT BEING A KEEPER OF ALL KNOWLEDGE. YOU KNOW, I HOPE FOR FUTURE CONVERSATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THE RESERVE FUND. YOU KNOW, YOU HAD MENTIONED HOUSTON AND DALLAS OR AUSTIN AND, YOU KNOW, I LOOKED BACK AT HOUSTON, DALLAS, AUSTIN AND WHAT THEIR RESERVE FUNDS ARE, THEY'RE WELL BELOW 20%. SOME OF THEM ARE 
          [02:05:02]
BELOW 10% IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'RE AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE LOWER OURS, BUT WHEN WE HAVE A RESERVE FUND, THAT IS FOR TO PROTECT US IN THE EVENT SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENED WHEN WE ADD TO IT, IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT DOING, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE LOOK AT DOING. BUT WE HAVE IN THE PAST AND I KNOW LOOKING BACK AT WHAT I'VE SEEN, WE'VE NEVER GOTTEN INTO THE 20%. AND THAT HAD BEEN RAISED FROM PRIOR YEARS. SO LOOKING AT THAT AND RATHER THAN JUST HAVING A DISCUSSION AS COUNCIL ON HOW MUCH WE THINK WE NEED IN SAVINGS, LOOK AT WHAT'S THE ACCEPTABLE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING RULES AS WELL AS OUR BOND RATING, BECAUSE I THINK HAVING TOO MUCH IN RESERVE OR TOO MUCH ABOVE RESERVE IS FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE OF OUR COUNCIL PERSONALLY. SO WITH THAT, THE MAYOR. YES, I'M SORRY I DON'T FEEL WELL, BUT I CAN'T LET THIS PASS. MILES, CONGRATULATIONS ON A GOOD JOB. AND STACY, I LOVE SEEING THE STERLING PRUITT. CENTER LIKE IT WAS THIS PAST WEEKEND. EVERYBODY WAS HAVING A GOOD TIME. THAT WASN'T ARGUMENTS. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. NO PARKING, NO PARKING SPACES AVAILABLE. SO ALL OF THAT WAS GOOD. SO I, I MUST SAY CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU AND GREAT JOB, MILES. THAT IS TRUE. AND WITH THAT, WE'RE NOW RECESSED INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. 
          [EXECUTIVE SESSION]
I JUST DON'T FEEL GOOD.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.