Nov 18, 2025 City Council

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:10]

AFTERNOON EVERYONE. WELCOME TO TODAY'S MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL. TODAY'S DATE IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH, 2025. TODAY'S INVOCATION WILL BE GIVEN BY PASTOR BRETT HOLMES, SENIOR PASTOR, CALDER BAPTIST CHURCH. AND IF EVERYONE WOULD PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONE. AND IF YOU SO CHOOSE, PLEASE STAND AND REMAIN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. PASTOR. THANK YOU MAYOR, IF YOU WILL JOIN ME AS WE PRAY TOGETHER. CREATOR GOD, YOU WHO CHARGE US TO SEEK THE WELFARE OF THE CITY, STRENGTHEN US. WE PRAY TO WORK FOR THE GOOD OF OUR NEIGHBOR.

THE HEALTH OF INSTITUTIONS THAT SUSTAIN OUR CITY, AND THE VITALITY OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE WELL-BEING OF ALL PEOPLE, PEOPLE HERE IN THIS PLACE. SO THAT THE LIFE OF OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN BEAUMONT MIGHT BECOME A REFLECTION OF YOUR LIFE GIVING KINGDOM, AND LEAD TO THE FLOURISHING OF ALL PEOPLES. ALLOW THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE TODAY TO SEE THEIR CALLING TO THIS ROLE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOVE AND SERVE THEIR NEIGHBORS, WORKING FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF EVERYONE IN THIS CITY, SUCH THAT THE DIFFERENCES THAT SO OFTEN ARE USED TO DIVIDE US ARE INSTEAD SEEN AS A GIFT THAT ENRICH OUR LIVES AND OUR COMMUNITY. ALLOW ALL THOSE PRESENT HERE TODAY, O LORD, TO SPEAK WITH KINDNESS, GRACE AND LOVE. TO LISTEN WITH CHARITY AND UNDERSTANDING, AND TO PREFER WORKING TOGETHER OVER WORKING AGAINST. ENSURE THE SAFETY OF ALL IN THIS COMMUNITY. THAT ALL WHO CALL BEAUMONT HOME WILL BE ABLE TO EAT, SLEEP AND FIND THEIR BASIC NEEDS MET SO THAT THE WORK WE ARE CALLED TO DO EACH AND EVERY DAY AS WE AWAKE, IS TO ENJOY ONE ANOTHER AND THE BEAUTY OF YOUR CREATION. WE PRAY ALL THIS IN YOUR GOOD AND HOLY NAME. AMEN. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR. YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU. MAY I HAVE ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MAYOR WEST, MAYOR PRO TEM TURNER, COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER. HILLIARD.

COUNCILMEMBER. WILLIAMS, COUNCIL MEMBER. SHERWOOD AND COUNCIL MEMBER. CRENSHAW. HERE.

[ Communication Update]

IT'S OUR NEW CITY BOT. IT'S A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT, AND IT NOW LIVES RIGHT HERE ON THE CITY OF BEAUMONT'S WEBSITE. WE KNOW THAT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OUTSIDE OF BUSINESS HOURS, OR YOU JUST WANT QUICK ANSWERS WITHOUT HAVING TO MAKE A CALL. AND THAT'S WHERE THE CITY BOT COMES IN. IT'S DESIGNED TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS 24 OVER SEVEN, GUIDE YOU TO THE RIGHT DEPARTMENT, AND EVEN TRANSLATE INTO 70 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. SO MORE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY CAN GET THE INFORMATION THEY NEED. LET ME SHOW YOU HOW IT WORKS.

RIGHT HERE ON OUR HOME PAGE YOU'LL SEE THIS CHAT ICON. JUST CLICK IT, TYPE IN YOUR QUESTION AND THE CHATBOT WILL GIVE YOU ANSWERS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF I WANT TO ATTEND A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, I CAN GO IN AND ASK IT WHEN IS THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING? AND IT WILL THINK FOR A LITTLE BIT, AND THEN IT WILL COME UP AND SHOW ME THE DATE, THE TIME AND THE PLACE OF THE UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETING. AND THEN IT WILL ASK YOU, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I CAN HELP YOU WITH? IT CAN ALSO GIVE YOU IDEAS OF DIFFERENT EVENTS HAPPENING AROUND TOWN, SO I CAN SAY WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND TOWN, AND IT WILL GIVE ME LOTS OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS ABOUT EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES, FESTIVALS, ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING WITHIN THE CITY THAT'S UPLOADED TO OUR WEBSITE. IT'S LIKE HAVING A HELPFUL CITY STAFF MEMBER RIGHT AT YOUR

[00:05:02]

PEARL HARBOR DAY IS COMING UP DECEMBER 7TH. IT'S ONE OF THE FEW DAYS OF THE YEAR WHERE THE TEMPLE TO THE BRAVE IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THE MUSEUM AT 1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE WILL BE OPEN FROM 2 TO 5 P.M. AND WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO STOP BY. BUILT IN 1932, THE TEMPLE IS DEDICATED TO HONORING THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY. PEARL HARBOR DAY REMINDS US OF THE COURAGE SHOWN ON DECEMBER 7TH, 1941, AND THE MANY SACRIFICES MADE BY OUR VETERANS. SO BRING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND TAKE A QUIET MOMENT TO LOOK AROUND AND HELP US HONOR THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED OUR GREAT COUNTRY, AND FINALLY GET INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT AT THE CITY'S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING. HERE'S A PREVIEW OF THAT FOR YOU. GET INTO THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT AT THE EIGHTH ANNUAL CITY OF BEAUMONT CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING. JOIN US WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3RD AT 5 P.M. AT THE DOWNTOWN EVENT CENTER LAKE FOR AN EVENING OF FESTIVE MUSIC, DAZZLING DRONE SHOWS, DELICIOUS FOOD TRUCKS AND HOLIDAY FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY, THIS FREE COMMUNITY EVENT IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY HEB. DON'T MISS THE MAGIC VISIT BEAUMONT EVENTS.COM FOR ALL THE DETAILS. MAYBE THE ONLY TIME YOU SEE SNOW THIS YEAR IN TEXAS.

SO AGAIN, THAT'S WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3RD AT 5 P.M. AT THE DOWNTOWN EVENT CENTER LAKE. AND THAT'S ALL FOR THIS WEEK'S ANNOUNCEMENTS. THANK YOU. AND NEXT WE HAVE PRESENTATION OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT SERVICE AWARDS. AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS THERE WILL BE A RECEPTION ON THE FIRST FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM WHICH IS DOWN THAT HALL FOR SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. AND AS THE MAYOR JOINS ME. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT. THIS IS ONE OF OUR MOST PLEASURABLE EVENTS WE DO EVERY YEAR. AND THAT'S WHEN WE PRESENT SERVICES AWARD. TODAY, WE WILL RECOGNIZE PEOPLE THAT ARE ABOVE 25 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. ON TOMORROW, WE WILL HAVE A SERVICE AWARD BREAKFAST AT 7:30 A.M. AT THE CIVIC CENTER. SO WE INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN US. BUT TODAY WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE THE PEOPLE WITH 25, 25 YEARS AND ABOVE. SO IF THE MAYOR WOULD JOIN ME WHEN I CALL OUT YOUR NAME, COME FORWARD AND WE'LL GET A PHOTOGRAPH WITH MYSELF AND THE MAYOR. THANK YOU.

FIRST IS MICHAEL CROCKER, FIRE CAPTAIN, 25 YEARS. AND THE APPROPRIATE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT. NEXT IS AARON WASSER, POLICE OFFICER 25 YEARS.

RONALD WALKER, CREW LEADER, 30 YEARS.

[00:10:27]

SO. OKAY, WE HAVE AN UPDATED LIST. WE HAVE MISTER BRANDON LEE, FIRE CAPTAIN, 25 YEARS. THREE. OKAY. NEXT IS KRISTEN BORDELON, DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF, 30 YEARS.

TINA LEWELLYN, POLICE OFFICER 30 YEARS.

NEXT, 30 YEARS MICHELLE GILBERT. ONE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE.

AND CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, BUT LAST BURT MOORE, POLICE SERGEANT 35 YEARS.

AND I'M GOING TO ASK ALL THE RECIPIENTS TO COME UP FRONT AND GET A PICTURE WITH THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL. IF YOU GET IN FRONT OF THE DICE FOR A PICTURE. OKAY.

OKAY, OKAY. SHOULD WE SQUEEZE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE, MAYBE DO OKAY. OKAY.

I CAN SEE IT RIGHT HERE. ONE. TWO THREE. AND THE RECEPTION IS NOW GOING TO BE HAPPENING DOWN THE HALL IN THE FIRST FLOOR. CONFERENCE ROOM FOR SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS AND THEIR

[00:15:01]

AT THE CLOSE OF THE MEETING TODAY, CITY COUNCIL WILL ADJOURN INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS AND DELIBERATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 551.087 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE, TO WIT, SPECIFICALLY PROJECT RIVERFRONT AND THE DOWNTOWN HOTEL PROJECT, AND THEN CONSIDER MATTERS RELATED TO CONTEMPLATED OR PENDING LITIGATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 551.071 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE. CIVIL ACTION NUMBER 124 CV 00085 MJ IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, BEAUMONT DIVISION, LYNN AND BASS VERSUS JOSHUA JACKSON. AND WITH THAT, NOW

[PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA/CONSENT]

HOWEVER, I'VE STOOD HERE, I GUESS, OVER TWO YEARS TALKING ABOUT. AUTOMOBILE ALARM SYSTEM.

AND GRANTED, I DID GET A NOTICE FROM STAN WHEN THERE WAS A HURRICANE WARNING. I SLEPT RIGHT THROUGH IT, YOU KNOW, SO IF IT HAD, YOU KNOW, MANIFESTED ITSELF, ME AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN HARM'S WAY. SO I WOULD JUST APPEAL TO YOU THAT IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU CAN DO, WOULD YOU PLEASE DO IT? BECAUSE STAN IS NOT ENOUGH? IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR CELL PHONE ON OR LIKE MOBILE COMPANIES TELL ME, I NEED TO TURN MINE OFF SO THEY CAN REBOOT. IF THAT OCCURRENCE HAPPENS, THEN YOU'RE SHOT IN THE FOOT OR IN THE KNEE. I'M WEARING A KNEE BRACE. SO SHOT IN THE KNEE. SO BOTTOM LINE, IF YOU CAN, IF YOU WILL, IF YOU MIGHT. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU MA'AM. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. MAYOR.

ALL RIGHT. IF THERE'S NO ONE ELSE HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, WE'LL MOVE ON. TO THE CONSENT

[CONSENT AGENDA]

[1. Council consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute Change Order No. 1, accept maintenance and authorize final payment to Elite Contractors for the Laura Addition Drainage Improvements Project.]

[00:20:03]

SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER ONE. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE

[2. Council consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute Change Order No. 2, accept maintenance and authorize final payment to Vortex Companies for the West Lucas Drive Subsurface Void Repair with Grout Injection Project.]

[3. Council consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute Change Order No. 2, accept maintenance, and authorize final payment to Preferred Facilities Group for the Neches Street Quiet Zone Median Reconstruction Project.]

[4. Council consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute Change Order No. 2, accept maintenance, and authorize final payment to King Solution Services, LLC, of Houston, for the Street Rehab Phase V Sewer Line Replacement Project.]

[5. Council consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute Change Order No. 9 to the contract with ALLCO LLC, of Beaumont, for the 48-Inch Pine Street Raw Water Line Project.]

[00:25:06]

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S MY JOB AS THEIR ELECTED OFFICIAL TO SPEAK ON IT. RIGHT. AND AND WE DO TRY TO ANTICIPATE THE ISSUES AS THEY COME ALONG, BUT WE CAN ONLY CLOSE SO MUCH OF PINE STREET AT A TIME, AND WE CAN ONLY OPEN UP SO MUCH OF PINE STREET AT A TIME TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THAT GROUND. AND SO THIS, THIS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT HAS BEEN UNDERWAY FOR OVER 18 MONTHS. AND SO WE'RE WE ARE CONTINUING TO FIND CHALLENGES. WE CONTINUE TO PUSH THE CONTRACTOR TO LOOK AHEAD SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY SURPRISES. AND WE DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN. ALL RIGHT. AND THE ONLY THING I'D LIKE TO ADD BEFORE WE HAVE A VOTE ON THIS IS THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF PASSING ORDINANCES. WHEN WE START ADDRESSING CHANGE ORDERS.

THERE IS NOBODY ON THIS COUNCIL. I DON'T BELIEVE RIGHT NOW THAT HAS ANY EXPERIENCE PUTTING IN 48 INCH RAW WATER LINES. AND WE DO HAVE A ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT THAT REVIEWS THAT, AND THEY ARE OUR STAFF. AND WHEN THEY'RE BUILDING THESE JOBS, AS WE CAN SEE HERE, WE SAVED $8.2 MILLION. AND IF WE LIMITED THE NUMBER OF CHANGE ORDERS, IT COULD AFFECT WHAT WE COULD RECOVER. AND IT CAN AFFECT WHAT WE'RE CHARGED. BUT MORE TIMES THAN NOT, IT AFFECTS WHAT WE REDUCING BILLS. AND WHEN WE DO RUN INTO THESE UNEXPECTED CHALLENGES IN A CITY WITH AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT GOES BACK TO THE 1800S AND JUST ON SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN REPAIRS TO A WATER OUTFLOW LINE THAT WAS PUT IN IN 1890, SO THEY'RE GOING TO RUN INTO SURPRISES AT THAT TIME. SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT. BUT IF THE COUNCILMAN.

YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT TO THESE FIRST FOUR THAT WE DID, THOSE ARE ALL FINISHING PROJECTS, RIGHT. THEY'RE COMPLETE. YES, SIR. THESE WERE PROJECT CLOSEOUT CHANGE ORDERS AND THEY CAME IN LESS MONEY. I JUST WANT TO HOPE THAT SITTING OUT THERE, JUST BECAUSE IT SAYS CHANGE ORDER, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE CHARGING US MORE. A LOT OF THESE, WE END UP PAYING LESS. BUT YOU HAVE TO DO A CHANGE ORDER FOR THAT. SO I JUST WANT TO LET THEM KNOW THAT.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. IF THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER FIVE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I. ANY OPPOSED, THE MOTION IS CARRIED.

[6. Council to consider an ordinance providing for the reimbursement of capital expenditures incurred prior to the closing of financing.]

[00:30:04]

[WORK SESSION]

JUSTICE COMING TO DO THAT? GOOD AFTERNOON. SO THE PURPOSE OF THE WORK SESSION TODAY IS JUST TO GIVE YOU GUYS A BRIEF OVERVIEW ON OUR HOUSING TAX CREDITS. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY ISSUES, BUT WE DO HAVE APPLICANTS EACH YEAR THAT ARE APPLYING TO THE STATE. AND SO THEY NEED THE COUNCIL SUPPORT IN ORDER TO DO THAT. I WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW. WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT HOUSING TAX CREDITS ARE. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE NEW TO COUNCIL, WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS THE UPCOMING DEADLINES AND THE TIMELINE THAT'S ANNUAL FOR THIS PROGRAM WITH THE STATE. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT OUR EXISTING PROCESS AND THE EXISTING SCORING MATRIX THAT IS IN PLACE THAT WE ADOPTED LAST YEAR. AND THEN I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THE HIGHEST SCORING PROJECT FROM LAST YEAR, AND WHAT PROGRESS THEY HAVE MADE TO DATE. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HOPEFULLY GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON WHAT THIS COUNCIL'S PREFERENCES FOR THE SCORING IN THE UPCOMING PROGRAM YEAR. SO REALLY QUICKLY, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT MAY NOT BE AWARE HOW TAX CREDITS WORK, I DID GIVE YOU THIS HANDOUT JUST FOR YOUR OVERVIEW, BUT TAX CREDITS ARE SOMETHING THAT THE GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES ANNUALLY TO THE STATES. THEY COME FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AND THEY ARE CLAIMED BY ANY RECIPIENT OVER A TEN YEAR PERIOD. SO WHEN YOU HAVE A DEVELOPER THAT APPLIES TO THE STATE FOR THESE TAX CREDITS, AND IF THEY ARE AWARDED, IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING BASED ON A SPECIFIC GUIDELINE THAT THE STATE CREATES. AND WE HAVE IT'S A VERY COMPETITIVE PROCESS, AND THEY'RE ALLOCATED REGIONALLY. SO IN OUR STATE AND IN OUR REGION, FOR EXAMPLE, A DEVELOPER THAT WANTS TO DO A PROJECT IN BEAUMONT MAY BE COMPETING AGAINST A DEVELOPER THAT WANTS TO DO A PROJECT IN ORANGE. YOU'RE VERY LIMITED AS TO HOW MANY PROJECTS PER REGION.

AND REALLY THE WAY THAT THE TAX CREDITS WORK, YOU CAN THINK OF THEM AS A FINANCING MECHANISM.

SO THE CREDITS ARE SOLD TO INVESTORS, AND THEN THOSE INVESTORS TURN AROUND AND RECEIVE THE TAX BENEFIT, AND THAT HELPS TO REDUCE THEIR CONSTRUCTION COSTS. OVERALL.

THE MAIN POINT OF THIS IS AFFORDABILITY, BECAUSE IN EXCHANGE FOR THE TAX CREDITS, THEY'RE SETTING ASIDE A PERCENTAGE OF THE UNITS AT THESE MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS FOR HOUSEHOLDS THAT THAT HAVE LOW INCOME RESIDENTS. SO THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF CREDITS.

THERE'S A 9% AND A 4%. AND TYPICALLY WHEN WE SEE AN APPLICATION AND THEY'RE COMING TO COUNCIL FOR SUPPORT WITH THE RESOLUTION, IT IS THE 9% PROJECT. THERE ARE SEVERAL KEY BENEFITS TO HAVING THESE PROJECTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. ONE OF THEM IS THAT IT INCREASES OUR HOUSING SUPPLY. I'M NOT GOING TO READ ALL OF THAT TO YOU, BUT YOU'VE GOT IT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU. THE SECOND BENEFIT IS THE LOWER RENTS, AND THE THIRD IS PRIVATE INVESTMENT.

SO IT'S LEVERAGING PRIVATE CAPITAL TO ADDRESS A PUBLIC NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S GOOD FOR US BECAUSE IT'S REDUCING THE RELIANCE ON DIRECT GOVERNMENT FUNDING AND SPENDING FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, WHICH, AS YOU KNOW, WE RECEIVE A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF. SO LASTLY, BEFORE WE GET INTO THE SLIDESHOW OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW, I JUST WANT TO EXPLAIN WHY THESE DEVELOPERS HAVE THE MANDATE TO GET SUPPORT FROM COUNCIL ON ANY APPLICATION. THE CITY OF BEAUMONT HAS MORE THAN TWICE THE STATE AVERAGE PER CAPITA OF THESE AFFORDABLE

[00:35:02]

THERE'S ONE UPDATE TO THIS PROGRAM. WHEN LEGISLATION WAS PASSED IN JULY OF 2025 THIS YEAR, THAT WITH THE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL IMPLEMENTED A PERMANENT 12% INCREASE ANNUALLY FOR THESE PROJECTS. AND SO FOR THE 9% HOUSING TAX CREDIT, WHICH WE SEE MOST OFTEN, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ANNUAL PERMANENT INCREASE OF 12%. AND THAT BEGINS IN 2026. SO WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL RECEIVE APPLICATIONS THIS YEAR FROM LOCAL DEVELOPERS. AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND SHOW YOU. AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE, IT STATES THAT OUR DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 1ST. THAT'S AN INTERNAL DATE FOR COUNCIL. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE THESE PROJECTS ARE DUE TO THE STATE IN MARCH. AND SO WE NEED TO GET THEM BACK TO YOU FOR ANY SORT OF A RESOLUTION OF APPROVAL IN FEBRUARY. SO THEIR DEADLINE TO APPLY TO US AND LET US KNOW ABOUT WHAT POTENTIAL PROJECT THEY MAY BE CONSIDERING IS DECEMBER 1ST. AND SO WE HAVE JUST A FEW ACRONYMS. THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, THEY ARE THE STATE AGENCY THAT'S OVERSEEING THIS PROGRAM AND THAT'S HANDLING THIS SCORING. AND THEN LIHTC LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS. AND SO YOU'VE GOT MOST OF THE VERBIAGE OF THIS ON YOUR PRINTOUT, BUT IT EXPLAINS THE PURPOSE OF THESE CREDITS. SO LAST YEAR WE BROUGHT TO COUNCIL A NEW SCORING SYSTEM. LIKE I MENTIONED THE CITY HAS AN EXCESS OF THESE MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS. AND SO THE PRIOR COUNCIL EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN INCENTIVIZING THESE DEVELOPERS TO DO LESS MULTI-FAMILY AND MORE COTTAGE STYLE OR DETACHED DESIGN. THAT WAS NOT MANDATED, BUT IT WAS EXPRESSED AS AN INTEREST. AND SO WE IMPLEMENTED THAT LAST YEAR. SOME OF THE DESIGN PRIORITIES THAT WE USED TO SCORE THESE APPLICATIONS ARE PROXIMITY TO GROCERY, WALKABILITY. AGAIN, THE DETACHED SINGLE FAMILY DESIGN AND ACCESS TO PARKS AND PUBLIC TRANSIT. NOW, THOSE ITEMS THAT I'VE JUST MENTIONED AND THAT YOU'LL SEE ON THE NEXT SLIDE IN OUR MATRIX, WHERE EACH ALLOTTED A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF POINTS, BUT IN ADDITION TO THOSE POINTS, IF THE DESIGN WERE DETACHED AND IF THE LOCATION WAS CONSIDERED ATTRACTIVE, AND IF THEY INCLUDE MARKET UNIT RENTS AND NOT JUST LOW INCOME UNITS, THEN THERE WERE ADDITIONAL POINTS ALLOWED. THERE WAS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF CASH IN LIEU OF PARK IMPROVEMENTS. AND PLEASE DO NOTE THAT THE COUNCIL HAS THE OPTION NOT TO SUPPORT ANY APPLICATIONS IN A GIVEN YEAR IF THAT IS YOUR DECISION, BUT AGAIN, THEY CANNOT APPLY WITHOUT THE COUNCIL'S SUPPORT IN A RESOLUTION. SO THIS IS WHAT OUR CURRENT SCORING MATRIX LOOKS LIKE. AGAIN, WE IMPLEMENTED THIS LAST YEAR. ON THE FAR LEFT YOU CAN SEE THE AMENITIES AGAIN, THE FULL SCALE GROCERY ACCESS TO TRANSIT, HOSPITALS OR URGENT CARE, LICENSED DAYCARE, COMMUNITY SENIOR CENTERS, GREEN SPACE AND SCHOOLS. AND SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SITE THAT THEY ARE PROPOSING AND THE DISTANCE IT IS FROM ANY OF THOSE AMENITIES.

AND SO THEY SCORE MORE POINTS THE CLOSER THOSE AMENITIES ARE TO THEIR PROPOSED SITE. AND THEN WITH THE MARKET RATE UNITS, IF YOU LOOK FOR THE MIXED INCOME PROJECT TABLE, THEY CAN RECEIVE POINTS ON THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT THEY'RE ALLOCATING. AND SO THAT'S WHAT OUR CURRENT APPLICATION OR SLIDESHOW ON THE WEBSITE IS IN A NUTSHELL. THAT'S IT. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF LAST YEAR'S SCORING I'M SORRY HIGHEST SCORING PROJECT. IT'S CALLED RIVA RIDGE. IT'S LOCATED NEXT TO TARGET SHOPPING CENTER ON CONCORD. AND AND THAT'S THEIR SITE PLAN. THEY SCORED A 27. GIVEN THEIR PROXIMITY TO ALL OF THOSE NEW ITEMS THAT WE IMPLEMENTED IN OUR SCORING MATRIX. AND THEY DID, OF COURSE, HAVE VERY HIGH SUPPORT FROM THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THERE, BUT THEY'RE DOING 63 UNITS IN THAT LOCATION. AND SO WHAT WE WANT TO DETERMINE FROM YOU TODAY IS WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO MAINTAIN THIS EXISTING

[00:40:04]

YES, COUNCILWOMAN, A REASON THAT WE WENT WITH A COTTAGE STYLE DEVELOPMENT. WHAT WAS THE REASONING BEHIND THAT? THE PRIOR COUNCIL JUST PRIORITIZED THAT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT. THEY FELT THAT WE HAD AN ABUNDANCE OF MULTIFAMILY, AND THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ANY DEVELOPMENTS, ASIDE FROM THE OLD COTTAGES NEXT TO WALMART ON OLD DOWLEN. THAT'S THE THE LONE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS THE COTTAGE STYLE DETACHED UNIT. SO THEIR FEELING WAS JUST THAT THEY WANTED TO INCENTIVIZE MORE OF THAT TYPE. I WILL SAY THAT RIVA RIDGE, THIS THIS LATEST AWARD, THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL. THEY HAVE RECENTLY PULLED PERMITS AND THEY DID PAY 50,000 TO THE PARKS FOR THAT, FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT. THEY'RE BREAKING GROUND SOON AND THEY DO PLAN TO APPLY FOR THIS NEXT FUNDING CYCLE. THEY HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED THE SITE HERE, BUT THEY DO PLAN TO APPLY. AND THEY ALSO APPLIED THE PRIOR YEAR. YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IT. IT'S IN COUNCILMAN DARIO'S WARD AND IT'S ON 11TH STREET. AND AND THAT THAT'S ALMOST COMPLETED, ACTUALLY. BUT.

YES. YES. COUNCILMAN TURNER YEAH. AT THIS TIME, IT'S PROBABLY GOOD FOR US TO KIND OF GET SOME FEEDBACK ON WHAT DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO IN. IN THE PAST, THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL, WE WANT TO KIND OF STRATEGICALLY SAY WHAT WE WANTED THESE DEVELOPMENTS TO GO VERSUS THEM ALL PILING UP ON MAJOR DRIVE. SO WE TRIED TO BALANCE THEM OUT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITIES. SO THAT'S WHY WE KIND OF GOT TO THIS POINT TO WHERE HOW WE WANT TO DO IT.

MOST PEOPLE COME BECAUSE IT'S ADVANTAGEOUS TO THEM TO DO IT. AND A LOT OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OLDER APARTMENT COMPLEXES WHEN PEOPLE MOVE OUT OF THEM AND TRANSITION, AND THEY CAN SOMETIMES BE LEFT TO BE AN EYESORE IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY. SO AT THIS TIME, IT'S KIND OF GOOD FOR US TO CHIME IN. THE REASON WE SAID MORE COLLEGE STYLE IS BECAUSE IT TOOK MORE AWAY FROM APARTMENT FEEL AND MORE SINGLE LIVING. SO NOW THAT WE'RE A NEW COUNCIL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF LET YOU GUYS KNOW, TO CHIME IN AND GIVE SOME FEEDBACK ON WHAT DIRECTION Y'ALL THINK WE SHOULD GO INTO THE CITY, BECAUSE THIS IS A NEW COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS, THANK YOU. YOU SAID THAT WE HAD TWICE THE STATE AVERAGE. HOW MANY OF THESE TYPE UNITS DO WE HAVE? I COULDN'T SAY. OR DO YOU KNOW HOW IT COMPARES TO, YOU KNOW, OTHER I MEAN, IF WE'RE TALKING APARTMENTS, HOW MANY DOORS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I BELIEVE WE'VE HAD FOUR DEVELOPED. BUT I, I PRIOR TO ME, I THINK THAT THAT WAS A STATISTIC. YEAH. I'M NOT SURE THAT WE CAN GET THE EXACT NUMBER OF UNITS, BUT THE NUMBER OF COMPLEXES IS PROBABLY 12 TO 15. SO I MEAN, IF WE'RE TWICE THE STATE AVERAGE AND I MEAN, YOU SAID THAT WE HAVE AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF THESE TYPE, HOW IS IT STILL FEASIBLE? I MEAN, WHAT MAKES THIS BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE A GREAT NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING HERE. AND OUR DEMOGRAPHICS ARE AGING, SO THE NEED IS NOT GOING AWAY. BUT BUT WE DO HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLE THE STATE AVERAGE. YES.

COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD, I THINK FOR ME, BECAUSE OUR DEMOGRAPHIC IS AGING IN THIS COTTAGE STYLE, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS, BUT IT'S A FLAT LEVEL SINGLE STORY. OKAY, WELL, THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ELDERLY PEOPLE GOING UP AND DOWN SO THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW. ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT I GET FROM THESE SENIOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FACILITIES THAT ARE THE THE MULTIFAMILY AND THE MULTI LEVEL IS THE ELEVATORS, RIGHT? I MEAN, MAYBE THREE CALLS THIS WEEK ABOUT ELEVATORS. THE GOOD NEWS IS APPARENTLY RAIN CONTRIBUTES TO THE ELEVATOR PROBLEMS. AND WE HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF RAIN LATELY. BUT I, I ALSO GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE ANTI THE CONSTANT EXPANSION

[00:45:08]

NOW LAST YEAR, ONE OF THE APPLICANTS THAT THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL INITIALLY DID SAY THAT THEY WOULD BE DOING EIGHT UNITS OF THE COTTAGE STYLE ON SITE, WITH THE REMAINING BUILDINGS BEING MULTIFAMILY. WHEN THEY TOOK THAT UP TO TO THE BANK, THEY ESSENTIALLY DETERMINED THAT THEY COULDN'T DELIVER THAT. SO THEY ENDED UP ONLY DOING THE MULTIFAMILY ON THAT SITE. 11 NO RIVER RIDGE NEXT TO CONCORD. SO. EVEN IF THEY ASPIRE TO TO DELIVER THOSE SORT OF UNITS, IF THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO DO IT, THEN THEY WON'T. THAT WAS MY QUESTION. SO COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD AND COUNCILMAN TURNER, SO THAT WAS MY QUESTION. IF THEY SAY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO WE GIVE THEM THIS EXTRA POINTS TO DO THE COTTAGE STYLE, AND THEN THEY GO AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THE COTTAGE STYLE. IS THERE ANY PUSHBACK FROM US THAT THEY DID NOT DELIVER ON THE COTTAGE STYLE? AND NOW WE'RE NOT AT THIS TIME THERE COULD BE.

BUT AT THAT POINT THEY'VE ALREADY APPLIED TO THE STATE, THEY'VE HAD THE COUNCIL SUPPORT AND THEY'VE BEEN AWARDED THE CREDITS. AND SO THERE'S REALLY NOTHING FOR US TO TAKE AWAY. I GOTCHA, THAT'S MY QUESTION. SO WE CAN'T ENFORCE THIS COTTAGE STYLE. IT'S JUST IN THEORY WE LIKE IT. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN. SO COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY DID PUT IN THEIR THEIR SUPPORT RESOLUTION THAT THEY WOULD DO IT. AND I THINK IT WAS RIVA RIDGE THAT THEY WOULD LEND ALL OF THEIR THEIR SUPPORT INSTEAD OF DIVIDING THEIR SUPPORT BETWEEN APPLICANTS, BUT THEY WOULD GIVE ALL OF THEIR SUPPORT TO ONE PARTICULAR APPLICANT IF THEY MADE A DONATION TO PARKS. AND SO COUNCIL COULD, IN THEIR SUPPORT RESOLUTION, ADD LANGUAGE THAT SAYS THAT IF THEY ARE UNABLE TO DELIVER THE ALLOTTED COTTAGE STYLE UNITS, THAT AN ADDITIONAL DOLLAR AMOUNT BE CONTRIBUTED TO PARKS. NOW, WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IS THEY WOULD JUST PUT IN THE COTTAGE STYLE POTENTIALLY, AND BE PREPARED AND BUDGET FOR THE ADDITIONAL MONIES, BUT YOU AT LEAST GET MONEY. YEAH. OKAY. BUT YEAH. AND IN TERMS OF THE STATE APPLICATION ITSELF, THERE IS NO INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO DO THAT DEVELOPMENT. THEY DON'T THEY'RE NOT SCORED ON THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN DARIO THEN COUNCILMAN TURNER. SO IF THEY'RE UNABLE TO DO THE COTTAGE STYLE, THAT DOES NOT DISQUALIFY THEM FOR APPLYING FOR THESE TAX CREDITS. NO. THAT'S JUST IT'S JUST A CITY PREFERENCE POTENTIALLY. SO THEY CAN STILL BE GRADED. THEY JUST WON'T HAVE THAT GRADE FOR THE THE COTTAGE STYLE. CORRECT. AND AT THE END OF THE PROCESS, AFTER THEY'VE SUBMITTED THEIR APPLICATIONS IN DECEMBER, STAFF HAS SCORED THEM AND THEN PRESENTED THEM TO COUNCIL POTENTIALLY IN FEBRUARY. IF YOU SEE THAT THEY AREN'T SUGGESTING COTTAGE STYLE AND YOU DETERMINE NOT TO SUPPORT THEIR APPLICATION, THEN THEY CAN'T APPLY. GOTCHA. WELL, DURING THIS PROCESS, THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN REQUIRE OF THEM FOR THIS TAX CREDIT. ALSO IF I'M STAKING, WE DID ONCE, BUT WE APPROVED TWO APPLICANTS, BUT WE ONLY GAVE ONE OF THEM THE TAX CREDITS. WELL, WE DON'T AWARD THE TAX CREDITS. BUT BUT I BELIEVE WHAT WE DID, ONE SUGGESTION WHAT WE DID WAS WAIVE THE $500 FEES FOR ONE AND NOT THE OTHER. BUT WE IN TERMS OF THE TAX CREDITS, WE DON'T

[00:50:07]

SO THEN SOMETIMES A DEVELOPER IN THE REGION WILL JUST PULL THEIR APPLICATION AND IT'S SORT OF PUSHES SUPPORT TOWARD ANOTHER. SO WE ONLY HAD ONE WHEN IN OUR REGION LAST YEAR FOR THE BEAUMONT RIVA RIDGE. AND LASTLY, JUST AN APPETITE FOR LOCATION. LIKE THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS HAVE STAFF GOING THROUGH THE WEEDS OF DOING THE WORK. AND COUNCIL ALREADY HAVE THEIR MIND MADE UP THAT WE DON'T WANT CERTAIN THINGS IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH STAFF UP FRONT. AND AND THAT'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT PIECE OF IMPLEMENTING THE SCORING SYSTEM, BECAUSE PRIOR TO THIS WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PARAMETERS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PREFERENCES FOR THE PROXIMITY TO TRANSIT OR GROCERY OR CHILDCARE. AND SO THAT CERTAINLY HELPED US IN, YOU KNOW, WEIGHING EACH OF THE APPLICATIONS. AND WE DON'T RECOMMEND GETTING RID OF THE SCORING IN ANY CAPACITY. BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDITIONAL AMENITIES INCLUDED, WE WE'D CERTAINLY LIKE FEEDBACK ON THAT. YES, YES, COUNCILMAN WAITLIST THAT HAS THE 4 OR 5000 PEOPLE. ARE THOSE ALL CURRENT BEAUMONT RESIDENTS OR NO. SO VOUCHERS TRAVEL WITH THE PERSON. SO THERE'S NOT 4000 FAMILIES IN BEAUMONT. THERE ARE ON BEAUMONT HOUSING AUTHORITY'S WAITLIST. I CAN'T SPEAK TO THEIR CURRENT RESIDENCY, BUT THE VOUCHER TRAVELS. AND SO THERE THE OTHER TYPE OF ASSISTANCE IS SPECIFIC TO THE UNIT IN THIS CASE FOR THESE DEVELOPMENTS, IF YOU HAVE A MIXED UNIT MIXED INCOME, YOU MAY DESIGNATE 30% OF THE UNITS. FOR EXAMPLE, AT RIVA RIDGE, FOR THE LOW INCOME. THAT MEANS THAT THOSE UNITS THEMSELVES ARE DESIGNATED AND NOT NOT THE THE FAMILY LIVING THERE. SO THEY MAY NOT HAVE A VOUCHER, BUT THE RENT WILL BE LOCKED IN AT THAT 30%. OKAY. COUNCILMAN DARIO, ON THIS SHEET AND YOU MAY HAVE I MAY HAVE MISSED IT, BUT YOU SAID THAT LEGISLATION PASSED IN 2025. THIS SAYS THERE WILL BE A PERMANENT 12% INCREASE TO THE ANNUAL ALLOCATION OF 9%. SO IS THAT AN ADDITIONAL 12%? NO. SO THE LEGISLATION PASSED IN JULY, BUT IT WON'T GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL 2026. AND WHAT IT'S DOING IS INCREASING THE 9% TAX CREDIT BY 12%. SO IT'S IT'S ADDING MONEY TO THAT PROGRAM, A PERMANENT INCREASE. SO IT'S GOING TO BE 21%. THE 9% IS A PROGRAM. AND THEY'RE ADDING MORE FUNDING TO THE 9% PROGRAM IS A 12% INCREASE IN MONEY OR

[00:55:01]

NEXT SLIDE. WE TAILORED OUR FOCUS ON THREE AREAS GOVERNANCE AND INTERNAL CONTROLS, STAFFING AND TRAINING IN THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY. NEXT SLIDE. SO FOR GOVERNANCE AND INTERNAL CONTROLS, WE DISCOVERED THAT THE DIVISION WAS VERY LIMITED IN THEIR SOGS, WHICH ARE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. THE CURRENT WRITTEN POLICIES THAT THEY HAVE ON FILE WERE LEAK ADJUSTMENTS, ABSENTEEISM AND TARDY. THE LEAK ADJUSTMENT POLICY WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAD BEEN FORMALLY ADOPTED BY COUNCIL. IT WAS JUST AN INTERNAL POLICY THAT THEY USED.

THEY HAD SOME KIND OF THIS IS HOW WE DO BUSINESS TYPE THINGS. THEY WERE JUST KIND OF INFORMAL PRACTICES THAT HAVE JUST BEEN LONG TERM AND LONGSTANDING. BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY GENERAL POLICIES REGARDING REGULAR DAILY OPERATIONS. SOME OF THEIR PRACTICES, WE NOTICED, DID NOT ALIGN WITH CITY ORDINANCES, SPECIFICALLY THOSE THAT DEALT WITH COLLECTING THE COLLECTING DEPOSITS, AS WELL AS GIVING NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS WHO ARE FACING DISCONNECTION ON THEIR RIGHT TO HAVE A HEARING POST AUDIT. MY OFFICE DID RECEIVE DRAFT SOPS LAST FRIDAY. WE'VE ALREADY STARTED REVIEWING THEM AND ARE LOOKING TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THAT DIVISION LATER IN THE WEEK. SOME OF THOSE POLICIES INCLUDE A BODY CAM POLICY, PAYMENT PLANS, LEGAL ADJUSTMENTS, CROSS TRAINING, BILLING, CAR RETENTION AND CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHICH ARE SOME OF THE KEY AREAS THAT WE IDENTIFIED. NEXT SLIDE. STAFFING AND TRAINING. WE DIVIDED INTO THREE AREAS VACANCIES TRAINING AND THEN FIELD OPERATIONS. SO THERE ARE SEVERAL VACANCIES IN WATER CUSTOMER SERVICE, SPECIFICALLY IN THE META SHOPS THAT ARE IMPACTING FIELD OPERATIONS. WE ALSO NOTICED THAT SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE TRAINED VERY WELL AND THEIR SPECIFIC ROLES, THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY CROSS TRAINING ACROSS THE BOARD. HAVING LIMITED CROSS TRAINING ABILITY IN YOUR DIVISION LIMITS OPERATIONS IN THE FACT THAT IF THAT ONE PERSON WHO DOES THAT ONE JOB IS OUT, IT GETS BACKED UP AND DOESN'T HAPPEN. YOU ALSO HAVE THE THEORY OF WHAT HAPPENS IF SO-AND-SO GETS HIT BY A BUS, RIGHT? SO LIMITED CROSS TRAINING DEFINITELY IMPACTED THEIR OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES.

AND SO WE RECOMMENDED THAT AS WELL. AND AS IT RELATES TO FIELD OPERATIONS, THERE WERE NUMEROUS VACANCIES IN THE META SHOP. THOSE ARE THE GUYS WHO BASICALLY READ AND REPAIR METERS AND THOSE THE NECESSITY TO GET THOSE REPAIRS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE ACCURATELY DETERMINED WATER BILLS HAVE BEEN SHIFTED TO WATER UTILITIES, WHICH IN MOST CASES REQUIRED THAT DIRECTOR TO REALLOCATE RESOURCES UNPLANNED OR PULL CREWS FROM OTHER JOBS TO KIND OF ASSIST IN THAT DEPARTMENT. POST AUDIT, WE DID MOVE ALL FIELD OPERATION EMPLOYEES TO WATER UTILITIES. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR QUICKER RESPONSE TIME AND BETTER PLANNING. NOW THOSE CREWS ARE SPECIFICALLY ASSIGNED TO METER REPAIRS AND METER READING OPERATIONS, SO THEY'RE NO LONGER BEING PULLED FROM. PRIMARY WATER UTILITY JOBS. THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY ASSIGNED FOR THAT NEXT SLIDE. SO THERE'S NO REALLY LIKE NICE WAY TO SAY IT. BUT THE TECHNOLOGY IN THIS

[01:00:02]

THIS WOULD BE PURCHASING COLLECTIONS. ANY OF OUR FINANCIAL DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE $1.8 MILLION. AND THAT'S JUST FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION. THE ANNUAL BUDGET EXPENSE WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE A LOT LOWER. TO ONLY DO WATER CUSTOMER SERVICE WOULD BE $800,000. AND SPEAKING WITH IT AND SOME OTHER OTHER CITIES, THEY DON'T RECOMMEND USING MULTIPLE DIFFERENT MULTI FINANCIAL SOFTWARES JUST BECAUSE IT CAN CAUSE SOME ERRORS AND SOME SOME COMPLICATIONS DOWN THE LINE. WE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE SOFTWARE THAT WE DO HAVE WAS UNDERUTILIZED IN THE SENSE THAT THE SOFTWARE CURRENTLY ALLOWS FOR. THE USER TO INPUT NOTES ABOUT THE ACCOUNT. AND WE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF USE OF PAPER NOTES, LIKE STICKY NOTES AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, WHICH OFTEN LED TO ERRORS AND CONFUSION BECAUSE THERE WERE NO NOTATIONS IN THE FILE, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO TRACK DOWN THE STICKY NOTE TO FIND OUT WHO WROTE THE STICKY NOTE. JUST KIND OF DATED LIKE 1994 DATED. SO THAT WAS. THAT WAS A PROBLEM. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF A CUSTOMER WAS ON A PAYMENT PLAN, SOMETIMES THAT INFORMATION WASN'T NOTATED IN THE NOTES. IF THAT PERSON HAD CALLED ABOUT A PARTICULAR ISSUE, SOMETIMES THAT WAS NOT NOTATED IN THE IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE FILE. SO THOSE TYPE OF THINGS LED TO ERRORS. AND AGAIN YOU WOULD HAVE TO EITHER RELY ON THAT PERSON GETTING THE SAME CUSTOMER SERVICE REP OR SOMEONE HAVING HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE OF THAT PARTICULAR CASE FOR THEM TO APPLY THAT TO THAT CITIZEN. SO THE INCONSISTENT USE OF TECHNOLOGY KIND OF COMES IN WITH OUR BODY CAMERAS. WE HAVE BODY CAMERA FOR OUR FIELD EMPLOYEES. THAT'S MOSTLY FOR THEIR PROTECTION. WE WANT THEM TO RECORD THEIR ACTIONS ON THE FIELD. THERE ARE TONS OF TIMES WHEN THERE'S INTERACTIONS WITH THE CITIZENS AND IF THEY'RE BODY CAMS ARE ON, WE CAN AUDIT THAT VERY QUICKLY TO DETERMINE WHAT'S HAPPENED TO RESOLVE THAT ISSUE QUICKLY. BUT THIS ALSO JUST RELATES BACK TO INCONSISTENT OR THE LACK OF SOPS NOT HAVING A CONSISTENT POLICY AND HOW THAT'S USED. NEXT SLIDE. SO MOST IF NOT ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE ALREADY IN PROGRESS. LIKE I SAID, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED DEVELOPING SOPS IN WORKING WITH HR TO ESTABLISH A CROSS-TRAINING POLICY. THERE IS A SOP FOR THAT AS WELL. LIKE I SAID, MOST OF THE METER READERS ARE THE FIELD OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED UNDER WATER UTILITIES, AND THEY'RE MAKING THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS IN THEIR CREWS AND IN THEIR WORK SCHEDULE TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE NEEDS. AND THE MANAGER HAS INDICATED THAT INCREASED OUR IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY WILL BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR FY 27, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAXIMIZE THE USE OF OUR EXISTING TECHNOLOGY IN THAT AREA, WHICH INCLUDES JUST USING MORE NOTES IN THE FIELD. BUT SO THIS CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AUDIT. I WILL ADD THAT WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE AVERAGE WAIT TIME FOR A CUSTOMER, WHICH IS ABOUT WE LOOK FROM AUGUST 1ST TO SEPTEMBER 29TH, WHICH IS ABOUT ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THE AUDIT BEGINNING, AND THEN THE MONTH OF THE AUDIT. AND THE AVERAGE WAIT TIME BEFORE A CALL WAS ANSWERED. IT WAS ABOUT ONE MINUTE AND 51 SECONDS. THAT DATA DID NOT DETERMINE HOW LONG A CUSTOMER WAS ON THE PHONE, OR IF THE CUSTOMER HAD TO BE PUT BACK ON HOLD FOR THEIR ISSUE TO BE RESOLVED. SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO COLLECT DATA TO DETERMINE HOW LONG A PERSON ACTUALLY HAD TO TALK TO SOMEONE BEFORE THEIR ISSUE WAS RESOLVED. BUT WE DID WANT TO POINT THAT OUT. BUT THIS COULD STUFF LIKE THAT COULD ALSO BE INCLUDED IN IN CALL NOTES CUSTOMER CALL REGARDING THIS ISSUE, WHICH AGAIN RELATES TO THE UNDERUTILIZATION OF TECHNOLOGY. WE DO HAVE THE ASSISTANT DEPARTMENTS HERE TO ANSWER ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT YOUR OPERATION, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER AS MANY AS I CAN ABOUT THE AUDIT. AND JUST AS A POINT OF REFERENCE, BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT THIS, I'LL SAY I'VE ONLY BEEN ON COUNCIL TWO AND A HALF YEARS, AND EVERY YEAR THIS HAS COME UP

[01:05:02]

AND WE WILL CERTAINLY BE ABLE TO GET A LOT BETTER MEASUREMENT FROM THAT. BUT YES, COUNCILWOMAN, ONE OF MY BIG QUESTIONS IS WITHIN IN THE SAME VEIN OF UPDATED TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION, WHATEVER DO WE NEED UPDATED METERS OR NEW METERS? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK INTO AS A COUNCIL INVESTING IN? NOT JUST TECHNOLOGY, BUT THE ACTUAL METER? SO I THINK WE DID DO AN OVERALL METER. A COUPLE YEARS AGO. RIGHT. I'M GOING TO BRING MIKE UP BECAUSE THIS THIS IS HIS AREA. BUT WE DID INVEST IN SOME NEW METER READER TECHNOLOGY. AND WE DO CONTRACT WITH A COMPANY TO HELP REPAIR THOSE METERS. THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT THAT CONTRACT TYPICALLY EXPIRES QUICKLY BECAUSE LIKE METERS ARE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO REPAIR AND REPLACE. QUITE OFTEN THEY'RE IN THE GROUND SO PEOPLE CAN DAMAGE THEM JUST BY CUTTING THE GRASS OR OTHER THINGS. BUT I'M GOING TO LET. YEAH. SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILWOMAN, WE HAVE IN PROBABLY ABOUT THE LAST TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS, GOING TO A MORE TECHNOLOGY FRIENDLY METER, WE'RE MOVING AWAY FROM THE BRASS MECHANICAL METERS THAT YOU TYPICALLY SEE. WE'RE GOING TO WITH THE ULTRASONIC METER, WHICH IS ACTUALLY ALL DIGITAL.

AND IT READS THE WATER THROUGH ULTRASONIC. THERE'S NO MOVING PARTS ON THE INSIDE OF IT. SO LIKE I SAID, WE'VE HAVE IN THE LAST ABOUT 2 OR 3 YEARS ACTUALLY TRIED TO REPLACE THE METERS. WHAT WE'RE GOING WITH, WITH WITH NEW METERS COALITION. HOW MANY METERS HAVE WE REPLACED AND HOW MUCH METERS DO WE HAVE TO REPLACE? STILL? I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT FOR AN EXACT NUMBER, BUT WE WE PROBABLY REPLACE SOMEWHERE 50 TO 80 A MONTH, SO WE DON'T REPLACE THE METER. LIKE IF IT'S AN EXISTING BRASS METER, WE DON'T REPLACE IT UNTIL IT'S LIKE END OF LIFE. SO IF IT BREAKS AND WE HAVE TO GO OUT. SO WE'RE NOT JUST REPEATEDLY GOING OUT, GOING INTO SOMEONE'S NEIGHBORHOOD, DIGGING IT UP. ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT IS DESIGNED, IMPLEMENTED WITH THE NEW METER. SO ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT YOU'LL SEE WILL HAVE THE NEWER METERS AND THE NEWER AREAS. SO ANYTHING BUILT WITHIN THE LAST 2 OR 3 YEARS WILL HAVE THE NEW METERS, ANYTHING COMING ONLINE, BUT ALSO ANY REPAIRED METERS ARE REPLACED WITH THE NEW METERS. OKAY, PERFECT. AND ALSO A LOT OF TIMES IF THERE'S A METER ISSUE, THE METER MAY BE FINE, IT MAY BE JUST A BROKE REGISTER. IN OTHER WORDS, THE GLASS BROKE ON TOP, WHICH IS AN EASY FIX WHERE THEY JUST UNSNAP THE REGISTER AND PUT A NEW REGISTER IN. SO, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A METER ISSUE, IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY WARRANT REPLACING THE WHOLE ENTIRE METER. YEAH. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT BECAUSE IT'S EXPENSIVE, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT REPLACING LIKE IF THERE'S A MAJOR REPAIR TO METER WE'RE GOING TO JUST PULL IT AND REPLACE IT. BUT IF IT'S NOT MECHANICAL IT'LL REMAIN INTACT. SO REPLACING THE GLASS ON THE METER WOULDN'T CONSTITUTE A METER REPLACEMENT. OKAY, I HAVE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS. SO WE NOTICED THAT WE HAD ERRORS. BUT DO WE ROUGHLY HAVE ANY ESTIMATE ON HOW MANY ERRORS THAT WE HAVE OR HAVE HAD? ONE AND TWO. ARE WE DOING ANYTHING RETROACTIVELY IN THE WAY OF CORRECTING SOME OF THESE ERRORS? I HAD A CONSTITUENT RECENTLY TELL ME THAT HE HAD LIKE ADJUSTMENTS THAT HAD BEEN DENIED FOR SEVERAL PROPERTIES AND IT COULDN'T BE VERIFIED, AND IT TURNED INTO ALL THIS KIND OF DISASTER. BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHEN WE FIND OUT OR WE LOSE THESE PAPERS, OR WE DON'T HAVE THE NOTES OR THE STICKY NOTES, GET LOST AND ALL OF THAT, DO WE GO BACK AND CORRECT THESE THINGS FOR OUR PEOPLE OR WE JUST BECAUSE THIS PERSON FEELS LIKE THEY KIND OF JUST GOT LOST IN THE SAUCE, BUT HOW DO WE UPDATE HOW MANY ERRORS WE HAVE AND ALL WE CORRECTING THEM? AND WILL WE INTO THE FUTURE, GO BACK AND RETROACTIVELY CORRECT SOME ERRORS? SO FOR LEGAL REASONS I'LL PREFER TO ANSWER THAT OFFLINE. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN HILLIARD, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? I DID, I DID.

THAT. THE METER THING IS A IS A KIND OF A BIG DEAL. IN FACT, MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT I'VE FIELDED IS BECAUSE THEY WENT OUT AND THE METER WAS BROKEN. PEOPLE HAD SEVEN, $800 WATER BILLS, AND IT TOOK AN INTERVENTION BY ME TO TO GET THAT WATER BILL. SO IT'S GOOD TO KNOW. BUT I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF THEM THAT ARE BROKEN AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT, AND THEY JUST CONTINUE TO PAY. SO I NEED TO ASK, YOU SAID THAT THE IT DEPARTMENT DOES NOT RECOMMEND US UPGRADING. NO, THEY DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING A PARTIAL UPGRADE. SO IF COUNCIL WAS TO SAY THAT THEY WANTED TO UPGRADE THE SYSTEM, THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO

[01:10:04]

[01:15:04]

WHEN IT COMES BACK TO US, WE CAN KIND OF GET AN ANALYSIS OF OPTIONS. IF OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING IT, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. THE SECOND THING IS THE AMOUNT OF WATER LOSS HAS INCREASED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. IF WE CUT BACK ON CHEMICAL USAGE AND POSSIBLE MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT USAGE WITH THE MAINTENANCE, CAN IT POSSIBLY SAVE MONEY? SINCE WE'VE BEEN LOSING WATER USAGE, THE LESS WATER USE, THE LESS CHEMICAL USE WHICH WHICH CREATES MORE COSTS. YOU KNOW, THE MORE CHLORINE YOU HAVE TO PUT INTO THE WATER, THE MORE WATER YOU PUMP. SO IT'S ADVANTAGEOUS FOR US TO LOWER WATER LOSS. AND IT'S IT'S KIND OF LESS CRITICAL IN THE AREA THAT'S NOT DROUGHT PRONE TO DROUGHT LIKE WE ARE HERE. WE GET HIGH RAIN. SO PEOPLE TEND NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT AS MUCH. BUT WATER IS SCARCE. YOU REALLY TIGHTEN DOWN. BUT WE HAVE REQUIREMENTS BY. AS FAR AS WATER LOSS, AND WE HAVE TO REPORT TO THEM YEARLY ON OUR AMOUNT OF WATER LOSS. YEAH. THE CONSTITUENT THAT ACTS, THAT'S WHAT HE DID. HE SENT ME THE DATA SHOWING PRIOR TO THE MEETING HOW MUCH WATER WE'VE LOST OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS FROM THE REPORT, AND MAYBE THE NEW EQUIPMENT AND THE DATA CAN ACTUALLY HELP US CAPTURE SOME OF THAT. AND MY LAST QUESTION WAS, DOES THE SOFTWARE PROVIDE THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY USING, PROVIDE REAL TIME DATA LIKE. NO, NO, NO. WOW. THAT'S NOW BUT IT WAS BEFORE I GOT HERE. BUT I THINK PART OF OUR SYSTEM IS THAT OUR SYSTEM IS AN AUTOMATED METER READING SYSTEM, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT COME WITH THOSE PACKAGES. AND I'M NOT SURE IF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT PURCHASED ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS. LIKE I COULD SIT AT HOME AND WATCH MY METER AND TELL IF IT'S LEAKING, IF IT'S RUNNING, WHATEVER. FROM SITTING RIGHT HERE. I'VE BEEN IN PLACES LIKE THAT, AND I'M NOT SURE SOME OF THOSE COMPONENTS OF THAT WHICH WERE AVAILABLE IN THOSE PACKAGES IF THEY WERE PURCHASED OR NOT. AND MY LAST THING IS TWO THINGS COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD MENTIONED EARLIER, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE THE ADJUSTMENT FORM, WE GET A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT END UP PAYING THE BILL THAT CAUSES EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY, AND WE GO BACK AND RESEARCH IT. IF IT WAS WRONG ON OUR END, WE WOULD GIVE THEM A CREDIT. AND WE'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF PUSHBACK AND ISSUES WITH THAT, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE, WHEN IT'S THEIR MONEY AND THEY PAID IT AND SOMETHING WENT WRONG ON OUR END, THEY WANT THAT MONEY BACK. SO, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER THING IS THE THE HEARINGS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST THE TRANSPARENCY AND HOW PEOPLE CAN COME TO ADDRESS THESE THINGS WHEN IT HAPPENS. BECAUSE THE LAST THING WE WANT IS CITIZENS FEELING LIKE THEY'RE UNHEARD OR THEY DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS WHAT THEY EXPERIENCED AND WENT THROUGH. ALSO, THOSE METERS ON TOP OF THE IN THE FRONT LAWN, THE LITTLE BLACK SQUARE. YEAH, A LOT OF PEOPLE GET THOSE DAMAGED, SPECIFICALLY OUR SENIORS, YOU KNOW, THEY PAY PEOPLE TO CUT THEIR GRASS AND THE STAFF HAS DONE A BETTER JOB, IN MY OPINION, WORKING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE DAMAGED THEM. MAYBE THE FIRST TIME I'M THINKING THEY'LL WAIVE THE FEE. BUT THE TOUGH PART IS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR SENIORS, THEY GET THESE PEOPLE TO COME IN AND CUT THEIR GRASS. THEY CAN CONSISTENTLY KEEP HAPPENING AND I CAN SEE IT BEING A THING. SO IF WE CAN KIND OF LOOK INTO IF THAT'S EFFICIENT OR NOT, THAT'S AN ORDINANCE THAT COUNCIL ADOPTED. I CAN GIVE ME A SECOND, I'LL PULL IT UP FOR YOU. BUT MOST OF WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ON HAS TO DO WITH SOPS. AND SO WE ARE REVIEWING THOSE, THE LEGAL ADJUSTMENT POLICY BEING ONE OF THEM. AND WE CAN ADD IN THAT. BUT THAT IS AN ORDINANCE THAT COUNCIL ADOPTED THAT DEALS WITH TAMPERING OR DAMAGING THE WATER METER. SO NOT ENFORCING THOSE PROVISIONS WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF ORDINANCE. I THINK WE NEED TO REVISIT IT IF COUNCIL IS OPEN TO I SECOND. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW, THANK YOU,

[01:20:09]

[01:25:02]

MAYBE THEY'RE HAVING PROBLEMS OR THEIR WATER IS BEING TURNED OFF, AND PROBABLY THE PERSON CALLING IN MAYBE ISN'T TOO HAPPY. SO I GET THAT IT'S PROBABLY NOT FUN PHONE CONVERSATIONS ALL THE TIME, BUT I HEAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT ATTITUDES OF PEOPLE OVER THE PHONE WITH WATER CUSTOMER SERVICE QUITE FREQUENTLY. AND I WOULD JUST ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE THAT SO THAT WE CAN GO BACK TO OUR CONSTITUENTS AND SAY, YES, WE HEARD THOSE COMPLAINTS. AND YES, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY IS TRYING TO IMPLEMENT. AND MAYBE THIS IS GOOD TIMING WITH THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THAT DEPARTMENT CHANGING. LASTLY, I WOULD ASK, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT IN THE FUTURE, AS PART OF EITHER OUR SOPS OR WHATEVER, THAT WATER NOT BE DISCONNECTED WITHOUT TWO SIGNATURES. SO THE PERSON THAT PREPARES THE LIST AND THEN IT GETS REVIEWED BY THE MANAGER OF CUSTOMER SERVICE OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE. I WAS TOLD BACK IN THE DAY THAT KYLE HAYES USED TO GET A LIST EVERY DAY OF EVERYONE'S WATER THAT WAS GOING TO BE TURNED OFF, AND THAT THAT LIST SOMETIMES WAS SHARED WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL TO THE WARDS SO THAT THEY COULD SEE IF THEY KNEW NAMES, MAYBE A CALL COULD BE MADE OR, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE. IT WAS EITHER INADVERTENT, OR MAYBE SOMEONE WAS GOING THROUGH A TOUGH TIME AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER WAS AWARE OF IT. I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT THAT ON THE BACKS OF MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT I WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE TO SEE A LIST OF DISCONNECTS FOR WARD ONE WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO HAPPEN, BECAUSE MAYBE THERE WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO TRY TO REACH OUT TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND SEE IF, YOU KNOW, OTHER ARRANGEMENTS COULD BE MADE SO THAT WATER ISN'T DISCONNECTED, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW, ARE KIDS OR OR HAVE KIDS OR, OR THE ELDERLY. SO JUST SOME THINGS THERE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE FUTURE WITH OUR WATER CUSTOMER SERVICE, IMPLEMENT POLICIES THAT IMPROVE THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SO THAT HOPEFULLY OUR COMPLAINTS GO DOWN AND INDIVIDUALS HAVE A BETTER VIEWPOINT OF WHAT'S GOING ON AT CITY HALL, AND THAT WE PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. COUNCILWOMAN, ONE THING THAT I'D LIKE TO ADD AS WELL, WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL, IT WAS A BIG DEAL THAT I HAD TO PHYSICALLY COME DOWN HERE TO PAY A BILL IF IT GOT DISCONNECTED OR SOMETHING TO THIS EFFECT. AND I HAD A COUPLE THEY WERE ELDERLY AND THE SON WAS PAYING THE BILL AND MAYBE IT GOT DISCONNECTED. AND THERE'S A THING WHERE YOU HAVE TO PHYSICALLY COME HERE. WE I DON'T KNOW IF WE EVER LOOKED INTO THAT, BUT THAT IS STILL AN ISSUE. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME ONLINE PROCESSES WHERE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO PHYSICALLY COME HERE TO DO THAT, BECAUSE THAT CAN BE A LITTLE IT'S HAPPENED TO ME. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN. COUNCILMAN.

MISTER MANAGER, I WANT TO ASK YOU AGAIN. BRING THIS UP. NOW. YOU SAID OUR WATER FUND IS HEALTHY. YES. AND THE REASON I'M ASKING THIS, BECAUSE THIS SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE RIGHT NOW AND NOT WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT, THE NEXT BUDGET AND DO MAKE. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN TOLD IF WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BUDGET ALL THE TIME, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO WAIT ON. WELL, AND OUR OUR PERSON OUT HERE, IT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE SOME TIME TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY. SO WE WOULD NEED TO DO AND IT WOULD IT BE HAVE TO BE RFP, RFQ OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. AND WE OBVIOUSLY NEED TO GO OUT FOR BID. SO IT TAKES A WHILE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS ANYWAY. SO IT COULD BE SIX MONTHS BEFORE YOU WOULD BE READY TO PAY FOR IT ANYWAY. POSSIBLY. WELL, I AGREE, LET'S IF IT'S GOING TO TAKE SIX MONTHS, LET'S GO ON AND GET IT STARTED BECAUSE THIS IS SPENDING THAT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, DIFFICULT FOR US, BUT IT'S WELL WORTH IT, ESPECIALLY IF IT DELIVERS A BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE FOR THE CONSTITUENTS. OKAY. AND TAMMY, COME FORWARD AND SPEAK TO A TIMELINE. SO ON THE TIMELINE IT'S GOING TO TAKE, ONCE WE FINALLY AGREE AND SIGN OFF ON A CONTRACT, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A MINIMUM OF 18 MONTHS TO GET THE WHOLE THING DONE.

PROBABLY. THAT'S JUST IF WE JUST DID WHAT OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE BILLING, UTILITY BILLING, IF WE DO THE ENTIRE PROJECT, IT'S CLOSER TO THREE YEARS. SO WE COULD GET IT MOVING STARTED NOW. BUT I WAS JUST SAYING IT TAKES TIME TO IMPLEMENT SUCH PROJECTS.

ABSOLUTELY. AND WE CAN STAGE IT SO THAT THE WATER CUSTOMER SERVICE UTILITY BILLING IS ON

[01:30:02]

SO TYPICALLY IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS ARE BASED ON AN UPFRONT COST FOR THEM TO BUILD OUT THE SOFTWARE. AND THEN IN STAGES AS, AS JAMIE MENTIONED IN STAGES BASED ON THAT 1.8 WOULD BE SPREAD OUT OVER THE THREE YEARS. OKAY. AND SINCE WE'RE GOING TO DO WATER FIRST, WE COULD MAKE THAT PAYMENT. THE FIRST PAYMENT OUT OF THE ENTERPRISE FUND. THAT'S FINANCE, BUT POTENTIALLY YES. CORRECT. YES. CORRECT. AND WHY DON'T WE JUST GET THAT RFQ PROCESS STARTED IF THAT'S THE BEGINNING OKAY. OR CAN WE CAN WE LOOK AT IT AND COME BACK WITH YOU ON A REPORT NEXT COUNCIL MEETING WITH A POSSIBLE TIMELINE ON HOW THIS COULD BE DONE. SO WE CAN LOOK AT IT AND MAKE SURE IT'S NOT CONFLICTING WITH SOME OTHER PROJECTS OR WHATEVER THAT'S OUT THERE. OKAY. AND ONE OTHER QUESTION, DON'T WE HAVEN'T WE IMPLEMENTED. I'M THROUGH WITH THAT. FOR YOU. HAVE WE IMPLEMENTED CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING FOR OUR. YES WE DO. WE DO ANNUAL AND QUARTERLY CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING IN-HOUSE WITH OUR HR TEAM.

EVERY EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE HAS TO COMPLETE THE TRAINING. SO WHEN THEY'RE HIRED ON, THEY COMPLETE THE TRAINING. AND DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS THAT DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE PUBLIC ARE REQUIRED TO CONTINUE CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. OKAY. AND THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED WHEN I GOT HERE. I AGREE IT WAS CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS ONE OF THE TOP THREE THINGS LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE IS I IDENTIFIED SO MUCH SO THAT IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICE. SO WE HAVE MANDATORY CUSTOMER SERVICE. WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO.

STILL LONG WAYS TO GO, BUT THERE MATTER OF FACT THERE'S A MANDATORY CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING COMING UP IN A FEW WEEKS. DECEMBER DECEMBER FOR FOR CITY EMPLOYEES. SO IT'S A IT'S AN ISSUE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING IT AND WILL CONTINUE TO ADDRESS IT UNTIL WE GET IT RIGHT. COUNCILMAN TURNER THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN DARIA. YES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER, I DON'T THINK WE TOUCHED ON TODAY, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT THE BILLING CYCLES, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR IT TO BE MAYBE FIRST THROUGH THE FIFTH, OR DOES IT HAVE TO BE WHENEVER THEY TURN THEIR WATER ON? I GUESS I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, BUT YEAH, THE, THE BILLING, THE THE CITY BILLING CYCLES ARE PRETTY CONSISTENT.

LIKE THERE'S, I THINK TEN BILLING CYCLES. AND SO EVERYBODY NOT EVERYBODY IN THE CITY IS, IS BUILT ON THE SAME CYCLE. AND THAT'S JUST BECAUSE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, LIMITED PEOPLE TRYING TO INPUT THOSE BILLINGS. SO IT'S A CONTINUOUS BASIS. SO IT IS LIKE BILLING CYCLE YOU GO INTO IS IS BASED ON A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT FACTORS. A WHERE DO YOU LIVE? AND B WHEN DID YOU SIGN UP FOR FOR SERVICE? I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCIL WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO HEAR, AND IT MAY REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT OF STUDY, IS WHAT WOULD IT COST TO BE ABLE TO GET TO A MORE TIGHT BILLING SCHEDULE FOR THE ENTIRE CITY? NOW, I REALIZE FEASIBILITY COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUT AT LEAST KNOWING TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF BILLING CYCLES. YES, AND THAT THERE'S A MORE COMMON TIME, YOU KNOW, THAT THINGS ARE DUE BETWEEN EVERYBODY'S DUE DATES THE FIRST THROUGH THE FIFTH. SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE. SO THE THE SIMPLEST ANSWER TO THAT IS MONEY. BUT AGAIN HOW MUCH MONEY AND WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, YOU WOULD ESSENTIALLY NEED MORE PEOPLE BILLING. SO OBVIOUSLY THE SOFTWARE, ANY SOFTWARE UPDATE MAY ASSIST IN THE METER READING SOFTWARE COULD ASSIST WITH THE EFFICIENCY OF THAT. BUT YOU ALSO NEED SOMEONE WHO'S WHO'S REVIEWING THE BILLS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE CORRECT AND THEN PROCESSING THOSE BILLS OUT. RIGHT. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDING NOT NECESSARILY LIKE JUST INCREASED TECHNOLOGY, BUT ALSO TALKING ABOUT ADDED PERSONNEL. AND I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU. MY ONLY POINT IS THAT WE'VE BROUGHT THIS UP SEVERAL TIMES. AND IF THIS IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO THE COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT DOING IT. BUT WE JUST IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT COST WOULD BE AND WHETHER IT'S WHETHER IT'S WORTH IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, I ALSO THINK WITH THE SOFTWARE, I REALIZE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A QUICK PROCESS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK THE SIGNIFICANCE OF UPGRADED SOFTWARE, I MEAN, I JUST LOOK AT MY BUSINESS AND OUR SOFTWARE HAS CHANGED EXPONENTIALLY IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, SO I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW MUCH IT CAN CHANGE HOW THINGS WORK CURRENTLY. I KNOW MY STAFF,

[01:35:07]

SO WE WILL NEED TO LOOK AT THAT SYSTEM TOO, AND SEE WHAT IT MEANS AND SEE HOW WE CAN ADD TO IT AND ADD SOME OF THOSE COMPONENTS. MAYBE THAT COUNCIL CONSIDER ADDING THAT SAYS, I CAN SIT HERE AND READ MY METER FROM HOME, OR TELL IF IT'S GOT A LEAK OR, OR WHAT'S THE CONSUMPTION DOING THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE'LL TAKE A QUICK GLANCE AT THAT TOO AND PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME NUMBERS. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON. SO JUST BEFORE WE CLOSE I DEFINITELY WANT TO THANK MY STAFF, SPECIFICALLY ROBIN SHAW, WHO DID THE MOST OF THE LEGWORK FOR THE AUDIT, AS WELL AS MIKE HARRIS'S GROUP FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN HR AS WELL FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN THIS. THE. THE ABBREVIATED PRESENTATIONS YOU SAW TODAY THAT WE ACTUALLY DID LOOK AT SEVERAL OTHER COMPONENTS FOR IMPROVED EFFICIENCY. BUT WHAT WE LOOKED AT SPECIFICALLY WAS JUST TO PRESENT TO COUNCIL WAS OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES, SINCE THAT WAS THE PRIMARY CORE OF THE CONCERN. SPECIFICALLY, COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW'S CONCERNED ABOUT DISCONNECTION NOTICES AND HOW HOW DO THOSE MISTAKES HAPPEN. BUT WE DID DO A COMPREHENSIVE AUDIT OF OF THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT, SOME OF WHICH CONTAINS SENSITIVE INFORMATION THAT ISN'T APPROPRIATE TO DISCUSS PUBLICLY.

SO I'M HAPPY TO MEET WITH COUNCIL INDIVIDUALLY TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS. WE DID LOOK AT THE ITRON SYSTEM IN THE DOLLARS NEEDED FOR THAT. LIKE I SAID, COUNCIL DOES APPROVE AN ANNUAL MAINTENANCE CONTRACT FOR THOSE, BUT IT'S DETERMINED THAT THERE MAY BE NEED ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO TO REMAIN CONSISTENT AND COMPETITIVE TO INVESTMENT. AS A MANAGER MENTIONED, THE PACKAGE THAT THE CITY HAS WAS NOT THE MOST EXTENSIVE PACKAGE. AND SO IF COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN THAT, LIKE IT'LL IT'LL COST MORE DOLLARS. SO TO ANSWER THE MAYOR'S QUESTIONS LIKE WHAT CAN WE DO MORE. YEP. IT'S JUST HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU WANT TO SPEND. RIGHT. AND GETTING THAT NUMBER.

YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT WORK SESSION. COUNCIL TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT INSPECTION FEES. THIS ITEM WAS REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW AND COUNCILMAN HILLIARD. AND SO WE WILL YIELD TO THEM TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THEY HAVE. SO DO Y'ALL. IN TERM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REVIEW AND DISCUSS HEALTH DEPARTMENT INSPECTION FEES. Y'ALL REQUESTED A WORK SESSION. YES. THAT'S MY FIRST PAGE. WILL, CAN WE HAVE THE HEALTH DIRECTOR COME UP. YEAH, YEAH OKAY. MY CONCERN WAS THAT I HAD SEVERAL LOCAL RESTAURANTS REACH OUT TO ME THAT INDICATED THAT THEY RECEIVED A LETTER FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT STATING THAT CITY COUNCIL RAISED THEIR FEES. SO, NUMBER ONE, I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO DEFEND WHEN I DO SOMETHING THAT INCREASES SOMEONE'S BILL. BUT IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, YOUR DEPARTMENT CAME BEFORE US AND ASKED US TO CHANGE RATES TO BE MORE IN LINE WITH THE STATE. I

[01:40:03]

[01:45:05]

SO NOW WITH THE TASTE OF TRIANGLE, WE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE BUSINESS FRIENDLY, OKAY.

BUT WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE RULES. WE'VE NEVER STOPPED THE TASTE OF THE TRIANGLE FOR OPERATING. LAST YEAR, WE HAD WHAT WE CALL A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT, WHERE THE TASTE OF THE TRIANGLE ORGANIZERS WOULD COME AND APPLY FOR ONE PERMIT, AND EVERYBODY FELL UNDERNEATH THAT ONE PERMIT. THEY STILL HAD TO BE INSPECTED. WITH THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL 1008, WE NO LONGER CAN ISSUE A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT. IS THAT IS THAT THE INTERPRETATION OF THE STATE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION? YEAH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE I HAVE THE EMAIL FROM THE STATE RIGHT HERE.

OKAY. AND THEY SAY THAT YOU CANNOT HAVE A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT. CANNOT. WE CANNOT WITH THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL 1008, NO LOCAL JURISDICTION IN TEXAS CAN ISSUE A PERMIT THAT THE STATE DOESN'T ISSUE. SO WE HAVE TO BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE. WE CAN'T ISSUE A PERMIT, AND WE CAN'T CHARGE FEES ABOVE WHAT THE STATE CHARGES. SO OUR FEES HAVE TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE STATE OR THEY CAN BE LOWER THAN THE STATE. OKAY. SO YOU'VE SEEN THESE EMAILS IN BETWEEN THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION AND THE CITY. WE ACTUALLY DON'T AGREE WITH ME THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A CONFLICT OF OPINION. WELL, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE STATE. WELL, WE SENT HER EMAIL TO THE STATE, TO THE TO THE FOOD ESTABLISHMENT DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. WE SENT HER EMAIL TO THEM TO GIVE US THE RIGHT INTERPRETATION. AND THEY DO NOT HAVE ONE PERMIT BECAUSE BASICALLY WHAT SHE WAS REQUESTING IS REALLY LINES UP WITH ANOTHER SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT WHERE ONE PERSON APPLIES FOR THE PERMIT, THEN EVERYBODY OPERATES UNDER THAT PERMIT. THAT'S THE WRONG INTERPRETATION OF THE NEW SENATE BILL. NOW, WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU WAS THE OWNER AND RESPONSIBILITY OF MULTIPLE FOOD BOOTHS AT ONE EVENT, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO ONLY APPLY FOR ONE PERMIT. BUT IN THIS CASE, YOU GOT DIFFERENT VENDORS COMING IN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TASTE OF THE TRIANGLE. OKAY. SO WHAT WHAT WHAT'S WHAT'S YOUR LATEST POSITION? THE TASTE OF TRIANGLE CAN'T CAN'T HAPPEN. NO NO NO. YEAH. IT'S JUST THAT EACH FOOD VENDOR THAT PARTICIPATES IN THE TASTE TRIANGLE HAVE TO APPLY FOR A TEMPORARY FOOD PERMIT. OKAY. AND WHAT'S THE FEE FOR THE TEMPORARY FOOD PERMIT? $52. OKAY. AND IN THE PAST, WHAT WAS THE OVERALL FEE THAT HAD TO BE PAID FOR? TASTE OF TRIANGLE 221 222. RIGHT. BECAUSE THEY FELL UNDER THE SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT.

OKAY. AND DO YOU JUST OFFHAND RECALL HOW MANY PARTICIPANTS THERE WERE LAST YEAR? LAST YEAR? I HAVE THAT LIST. I THINK IT WAS ANYWHERE BETWEEN. 40 TO 45. OKAY. SO 40 TO 45 USED TO PAY 250. AND THIS. NO, NO, NO, NO TASTE OF THE TRIANGLE. ORGANIZERS WOULD PAY THE ONE TWO 2220. RIGHT. SO THE CITY IS GOING TO GO FROM A ONE FEE OF 220 TO 40 TO 45, ASSUMING THAT'S ACCURATE AND THAT'S THE SAME NUMBER THIS YEAR TIMES 52, NOT THE CITY. TEXAS BILL.

SENATE SENATE BILL 1008. WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, OKAY. AND YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. THAT

[01:50:04]

CORRECT. SO WHY CAN THE CITY THEN? IF THIS IS OUR MONEY, WHY CAN WE NOT CHANGE THAT? AND I GET WE CAN'T MAKE IT MORE, BUT WHY CAN'T WE MAKE IT LESS? THEN BASICALLY. THE STAFF WILL BE WORKING FOR FREE. AND I'M NOT SAYING I'VE NEVER PROPOSED ANYTHING FOR FREE, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN COST FOR THE EVENT. LET ME SAY THIS, COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE ARE THE COMPANIES THAT PARTICIPATE IN THIS CASE ARE TRIANGLES. JASON'S DELI, JAY WILSON'S 1701 LANES, MODELOS, JUST TO NAME A FEW. NOW, I DON'T THINK ME PERSONALLY, I DON'T THINK JAY WILSON'S IS GOING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT $52 AND THEY MAY NOT. BUT OVERALL, THE THEORY WAS THAT THE FEES WERE INCREASING AND SIGNIFICANTLY FOR THIS EVENT. AND YOU SEE THAT GOING FROM THE 220 TO THE I'M TERRIBLE AT MATH, WHAT'S $52 TIMES 45? IS THAT 10,000 23, 2320, 300,300. SO YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING UP 43 IS THE MEDIAN. YEAH OKAY. MAYBE I KNOW MONEY. YEAH. SO THE THE RESTAURANT, THE LOCAL THE SABINE AREA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, THE LOCAL ASSOCIATION JUST, YOU KNOW, HAD CONCERNS AS TO, YOU KNOW, WHY THERE WAS THIS SUDDEN INCREASE. AND I GET IT PART OF IT'S FROM, FROM THE STATE. BUT IT'S NOT ALL THE STATE. I THINK THAT THE CITY HAS SOME WIGGLE ROOM HERE TO MAKE AN EVENT LIKE THIS. AGAIN, THAT $52 IS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR A 14 DAY EVENT. THIS IS A ONE DAY EVENT. IT'S ACTUALLY LIKE A THREE HOUR EVENT. AND YOU KNOW, I GET 52 HERE FOR JOHN WILSON MAYBE ISN'T A BIG DEAL, BUT FOR A MOM AND POP OPERATION, YOU KNOW THAT CHUCK SANDWICH SHOP RIGHT OVER HERE. YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S COST PROHIBITIVE FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN. TASTE A TRIANGLE. AND IT WOULD BE ONE THING IF THE FEES WERE SIMILAR OR RELATED TO WHAT WE HAVE CHARGED IN THE PAST. BUT, YOU KNOW, NOW WE ARE PUTTING A COST THAT'S 100 TIMES WHAT IT WAS LAST YEAR OR WHATEVER THAT IS. AND SO ANYWAY, IT'S JUST THESE ARE THINGS THAT I HEAR AND I HEARD A LOT FROM OUR RESTAURANT OWNERS LAST WEEK. TWO'S COMPANY.

THAT'S RIGHT HERE AT ART MUSEUM. THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO CALL TO TELL ME HOW UPSET THEY WERE ABOUT THE INCREASE FROM THE 250 TO THE 400 FOR THEM TO BE INSPECTED.

WELL, WE DIDN'T INCREASE PERMIT FEES AT ALL. WE ADDED AN INSPECTION FEE. RIGHT. YOUR PERMIT FEE STARTS IN JANUARY. YOU PAY FOR YOUR PERMIT OR RENEWAL. YOUR INSPECTION MAY NOT BE FOR ANOTHER SIX MONTHS. RIGHT. BUT LET ME, IF I CAN SHARE THIS WITH YOU, WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THE DEPARTMENT MAKES OVER A YEAR. OKAY. WHEN WE LOOK AT YOUR BRICK AND MORTAR, YOUR STANDALONE RESTAURANTS, YOUR TEMPORARIES AND YOUR FOOD TRUCKS, WE MAKE ROUGHLY ABOUT 56,008 57 THAT'S HOW MUCH MONEY THAT DEPARTMENT MAKES ON PERMIT AND FEES. WITH THE NEW SENATE BILL. 1008 AND WHAT WHAT WE CAN'T INSPECT ANYMORE AS OF SEPTEMBER 1ST, WE'RE $40,000. NOW, WHEN YOU ADD FOOD TRUCKS, WHICH WHICH GOES INTO EFFECT IN JULY OF NEXT YEAR, THAT'S ANOTHER POTENTIAL $12,300 THAT THE CITY WILL BE LOSING, BECAUSE IN THAT

[01:55:08]

GIRLS HAVEN GUMBO COOK OFF IS COMING UP. THEY'VE BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS. AND SO I JUST WONDER, COULD WE TAKE A CERTAIN APPROACH WITH NONPROFIT EVENTS, WITH EVENTS THAT ARE PUT ON BY NONPROFIT PROFITS, LOWERED FEE, A WAIVED FEE? THE WAY THE NEW SENATE BILL READS? I KEEP GOING BACK TO THAT. WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO CHARGE NON-PROFITS. SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT GIRLS, HAVEN GIRLS, HAVEN ITSELF IS NOT BEING CHARGED ANYTHING BUT THE INDIVIDUAL BUT THE INDIVIDUAL VENDORS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT NONPROFIT. BUT WE COULDN'T LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, THIS IS A NONPROFIT EVENT AND WRITE SOMETHING IN A CERTAIN WAY TO. THAT'S ABOVE MY PAY GRADE.

COUNCIL. COUNCIL APPROVES FEES IN YOUR IN YOUR MASTER FEE SCHEDULE. AND SO THE APPROVAL OF FEES ARE JUST STRAIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD IN YOUR MASTER FEE SCHEDULE. SO WHAT YOU'RE ASKING TO DO IS TO HAVE SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT. SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING. WHAT YOU'RE ASKING TO DO IS TO HAVE SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT. AND WHEN YOU HAVE OBJECTIVITY OR SUBJECTIVITY, EXCUSE ME. IN YOUR ORDINANCES, YOU DO OPEN YOURSELF UP TO SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU YOU'D HAVE TO PUT ENOUGH QUALIFIERS IN THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT A, SOMEONE WHO WAS BEING EXCLUDED DIDN'T MEET THE CRITERIA IN ORDER TO PROTECT FOR ENFORCEMENT. ALSO TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES AND PREVENT THAT. ONE THING COUNCIL CAN CONSIDER IS HAVING TIERED FEES. OBVIOUSLY, THE THE STATE LAW PROHIBITS YOU FROM HAVING FEES IN EXCESS OF THEIRS, BUT YOU COULD IMPLEMENT A TIERED FEE SCHEDULE FOR EVENTS LASTING LONGER THAN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DAYS. THEY WOULD BE AT THE MAX SCHEDULE FOR EVENTS LASTING LESS THAN THAT, THEY COULD BE AT A DIFFERENT SCHEDULE, SO THERE ARE SOME AVENUES IN THERE TO WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO IMPLY SUBJECTIVITY OR INTERPRETATION FROM AN EMPLOYEE, WHERE YOU COULD JUST BE IF YOU MEET THESE CRITERIA, YOU'RE HERE. IF YOU MEET THESE CRITERIA, YOU'RE HERE. SO FOR A LONGER MULTI-DAY EVENT LIKE THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS FAIR, MAYBE YOU DO HAVE A HIGHER PERMIT FEE AT $52 FOR A SMALLER SHORT TERM EVENT LIKE THE TASTE OF THE TRIANGLE, WHERE IT'S JUST FOR A DAY, ONE DAY, MAYBE YOU HAVE A LOWER EVENT. THAT WOULD BE A MORE REASONABLE OPTION IN MY OPINION. OKAY. THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN, I THINK I MISSED IT, BUT WHEN DID THE FEE CHANGE TO $52 THAT BE IMPLEMENTED? SEPTEMBER 1ST. WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL FOR SEPTEMBER 1ST WON'T GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL JANUARY? NO, THAT'S ALREADY IN EFFECT. IT STARTED SEPTEMBER. SEPTEMBER 1ST? YES, MA'AM. COUNCILMAN HILLIARD, YOUR MIC.

SO ON TO TO FOLLOW UP WITH WHAT MIKE SAID, I HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PUTTING ON THE GIRLS HAVEN THAT THEY WERE TOLD BY THE CITY THAT THEY WON'T EVEN RECEIVE THEIR PERMIT TILL THE DAY OF THE, OF THE EVENT. AND THEN THEY WERE ALSO TOLD THAT THEY DIDN'T NEED ONE BECAUSE IT'S ON PUBLIC PROPERTY. SO THEY'RE THEY'RE VERY CONFUSED AND, AND YOU KNOW, ARE WORRIED THAT THEY WON'T GET THEIR PERMIT UNTIL THE ACTUAL DAY OF THE THE DEAL. CAN YOU.

[02:00:01]

WE'RE JUST ENFORCING THE RULES THAT WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY. RIGHT. AND JUST ONE MORE FOLLOW UP.

OTHER CITIES SURROUNDING CITIES. WE DON'T HAVE TO GET INTO THE NAMES, BUT CITIES THAT ARE VERY CLOSE TO BEAUMONT, SOME CITIES DON'T EVEN HAVE A HEALTH INSPECTION THAT ACTUALLY EVEN GOES OUT TO THE RESTAURANT. RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE CITIES WITHIN A 5 TO 10 MILE RADIUS.

THAT DEPENDS ON THE COUNTY TO GO OUT AND DO INSPECTIONS VERSUS US BEING A LARGER CITY, WHICH IS THE HUB. WE ACTUALLY HAVE OUR OWN DEPARTMENT. SO WE HAVE SURROUNDING CITIES THAT DEPEND ON THE COUNTY TO DO INSPECTIONS THAT ARE THE HEALTH AND FOOD OF WHAT THEIR CITIZENS EAT EVERY DAY. CORRECT? CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MISTER COLEMAN. SO WITH THAT, IT SOUNDS LIKE WHETHER WE WANT TO REVIEW STAFF CREATING A STAGGERED PERMIT FEE FOR TEMPORARY AND LOOK AT WHAT THAT COST WOULD BE. AS SUGGESTED. WELL, MAYOR, I'M IN FAVOR OF I KNOW TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS BROUGHT IT UP. I'M IN FAVOR OF ANY SOLUTION THAT WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS, TO KIND OF REACH THE COMMON GOAL. SO I WOULD PROPOSE RESCINDING THE $150 INSPECTION FEE AND JUST DOING AWAY WITH THAT. AND THEN WE KEEP THE $52 TWO WEEK FEE MANDATED BY THE STATE. BUT THEN WE HAVE A SINGLE ONE DAY TEMPORARY PERMIT FEE OF, SAY, $5 OR. YES, MISTER, JUST TO BASED ON WHAT COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW IS PROPOSING. JUST GUYS, KEEP THIS IN MIND. IF WE RESCIND THAT $150 FEE, THAT HAS TO BE ACROSS THE BOARD. NOW, HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK, BECAUSE SCHOOLS HAVE THEY'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE AN INSPECTION TO MEET THEIR FOOD PROGRAM BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN DAYCARES CALL US, THEN WE CAN CHARGE AN INSPECTION FEE IF THEY CALL BECAUSE THEY'RE REQUIRED BY THE LAW TO HAVE SOME INSPECTIONS AS WELL. SO I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RESCINDING THE $150 INSPECTION FEE. YOU JUST GOT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND. BUT THIS FEE DIDN'T EXIST BEFORE. SCHOOL. SENT A LETTER TO ALL RESTAURANTS SAYING CITY COUNCIL JUST CREATED A NEW $150 FEE. SO WHAT ARE WE LOSING IF WE DIDN'T HAVE IT BEFORE? WE'RE NOT REQUIRE YOU BY THE STATE ANYMORE TO INSPECT. 501 C STATUS, AS WELL AS ORGANIZATION THAT'S GOVERNED BY THE STATE DAYCARES AND ALL THAT. BUT THE

[02:05:06]

THAT'S THAT'S NOT MY DECISION. WELL, I GET THAT, BUT I'M TRYING TO I'M TRYING TO SATISFY YOUR CONCERN WITH ALSO NOT MAKING THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY HAVE BEEN FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, PAYING $250 A YEAR NOT TO MAKE THEM NOW HAVE TO PAY 400. AND WE DIDN'T RAISE THE PERMIT FEES, BECAUSE WHEN YOU WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF CHAIRS OR STOOLS AT A RESTAURANT, THAT'S HOW WE COUNT OR DETERMINE THE COST OF THE PERMIT FEE. THE STATE OF TEXAS LOOK AT REVENUE. OKAY. SO FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS FOR A PERMIT FOR A RESTAURANT THAT MAKES IN EXCESS OF 150,000 PER YEAR, THEY PERMIT FEE IS $773. RIGHT. AND SO IN MY MIND, I'M THINKING OF THE PAPPADEAUX AND THE CHEDDAR'S AND SO FORTH AND SO ON. THEY PERMIT FEE IS $350 IN BEAUMONT. SO WE DIDN'T RAISE THE PERMIT FEE. OKAY. HERE'S YOUR EMAIL OR YOUR DEPARTMENT'S EMAIL. THE NEW FEE STRUCTURE INCLUDES AN ADDITIONAL INSPECTION FEE. YES OKAY.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH PAPPADEAUX. OKAY. MY CONCERN IS TWO IN COMPANY OVER HERE AT THE ART MUSEUM, WHICH IS A VERY SMALL MOM AND POP OPERATION AND CHUCK SANDWICH SHOP. WE WENT FROM 250 A YEAR TO 400 A YEAR. YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME, RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHAT YOUR EMAIL SAYS. AN ADDITIONAL FEE OF 150 PER INSPECTION, NOT THE PERMIT. BUT IF YOU ADDING THE INSPECTION FEE IN A PERMIT FEE, YES. SO WOULD IT BE WOULD IT BE OKAY WITH YOUR GUIDELINES AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE? IF WE SAY THAT IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING FOOD PERMIT, THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY THE $150 INSPECTION FEE, THAT WOULD STILL ALLOW YOU TO CHARGE THE INSPECTION FEE TO SCHOOLS THAT DON'T HAVE A FOOD PERMIT.

THAT'S NOT MY DECISION. THAT'S UP TO COUNCIL. BUT FOR CLARITY, WE WEREN'T CHARGED. WE WEREN'T CHARGING THEM INSPECTION FEES IN THE PAST. WE WERE JUST CHARGING THEM THE 250. SO THE NEW 150 IS NEW FOR THEM. SO IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DID WANT TO DO BY ACTION BY COUNCIL IN TERMS OF IF SOMEBODY HAS A PERMIT, I MEAN IT DOES AFFECT OUR REVENUE, WHICH WE CERTAINLY NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF, BUT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT. YEAH, THAT'S UP TO COUNCIL. YEAH. YEAH. PLEASE. OKAY. SO AND WHILE I UNDERSTAND LOCAL BUSINESS I'M A SMALL LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER. I GUESS MAYBE THIS IS NOT TO YOU. MAYBE IT'S TO YOU WHAT THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE OF INCREASING THESE FEES, INSPECTION FEES. HAVE YOU PERMIT FEES, WHATEVER WAS TO GENERATE SOME REVENUE, RIGHT. OR WAS IT WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS. SO THE IMPLEMENTATION IS, IS THAT IF WE'RE NOW REQUIRED TO INSPECT CERTAIN BUSINESSES, IS THAT THE THE CITY CAN'T BASICALLY GIVE AWAY SERVICES. YEAH. WE HAVE TO CHARGE FOR YOUR SERVICES. SO IF IT'S IF IT'S THE AND STAFF MADE THE RECOMMENDATION TO JUST CHARGE WHAT THE STATE WAS CHARGING TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY. SO IF IT'S THE 150 THAT'S THE CHIEF CONCERN FOR COUNCIL. COUNCIL HAS SEVERAL OPTIONS. COUNCIL CAN SAY WE WANT TO INCREASE PERMIT FEES BY X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS TO INCLUDE THE COST OF INSPECTIONS. WE DON'T WANT THAT FEE TO EXCEED X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS. CALCULATE WHAT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN EFFICIENT OPERATIONS, BUT ALSO PROVIDE INCREASED SERVICES TO CITIZENS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW SAID IS THAT ANYONE WHO IS PAYING FOR A PERMIT, THEIR PERMIT COST, SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE THE COST OF INSPECTION, WHICH MAY REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE TO THE TO THE PERMIT FEE. BUT THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE DISCOVERED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THE THE COST OF INSPECTION IS ACTUALLY COVERED IN THE PERMIT FEE. AND THEN ANYONE WHO DOES IS NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE A PERMIT FEE BE CHARGED X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS, WHETHER IT'S 150 OR 75 WHATEVER,

[02:10:02]

WE GOT TO GET ONE WIN, STICK WITH IT. ARE WE WORRIED ABOUT CREATING PLACES TO CREATE MONEY TO PAY FOR SERVICES, OR WE JUST WORRIED ABOUT GIVING THINGS AWAY FOR FREE? BUT EITHER WAY, WE CAN'T BE CONSERVATIVE SOMETIMES AND RUN IT UP OTHER TIMES. I DON'T KNOW, BUT WE NEED TO KIND OF GET ONE WAY AND STICK WITH IT. ARE WE GOING TO WHATEVER, WHATEVER WE COME UP WITH? EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1ST, WHICH I GUESS SOME OF US WERE JUST NEWLY ELECTED, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF WHAT THE FEES ARE GOING TO INCLUDE. SO THAT SO I THINK THE CONCERN FOR COUNCIL AND WHAT I HEAR COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW SAYING IS THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME CONSIDERATION FOR, FOR BUSINESSES OR WHAT THEY'RE ALREADY PAYING, AND WE NEED TO NOT TRY TO TAX OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, WHICH IS UNDERSTOOD.

SO IF IT'S THE DESIRE OF COUNCIL FOR THERE TO BE, AGAIN, A TIERED SYSTEM IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS, WHERE AGAIN, IF SOMEONE WHO ALREADY HAS A PERMIT FEE IS REQUIRED TO HAVE A PERMIT FEE, THAT WE FACTOR IN HOW MUCH IT COSTS FOR THEM TO ALSO HAVE AN INSPECTION, KEEPING IN MIND THAT THAT FEE SHOULD NOT EXCEED $150, THAT'S DOABLE. SO WE WOULD JUST NEED TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN ORDER FOR AN EFFECTIVE INSPECTION TO BE DONE AND NOT IMPEDE HEALTH. AND I THINK WHAT COULD BE HELPFUL IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE CLEARLY, WHAT I'M HEARING IS IF PEOPLE AREN'T CLEAR WHEN WE'RE DOING AN INCREASE, WHAT THAT'S GOING TO MEAN TO THE BUSINESSES OR INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, WE JUST WE NEED TO CLARIFY THAT. AND BEFORE WE PASS ORDINANCES JUST SO THAT WE'RE WE'RE MINDFUL OF. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THIS WILL, YOU KNOW, INCREASE WHETHER IT'S RESTAURANTS OR WHETHER IT'S WATER RATES, HOW THE AVERAGE IT WILL AFFECT. THE PEOPLE THAT IT'S AFFECTING IN TERMS OF COST. YES. COUNCILMAN TURNER THEN COUNCILMAN DARIO, THEN I'LL GO TO CITY MANAGER UNLESS YOU NEED TO ADD SOMETHING BEFOREHAND.

CITY MANAGER I CAN WAIT ON THEM. ALL RIGHT. YEAH, YEAH, I THINK I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. MAYBE AS A COUNCIL, WE KIND OF DO SOME FORM OF A WORKSHOP. AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH FINANCIALLY. BECAUSE ONE OF MY FEARS IS I KNOW WE HAVE DID THINGS. WE'VE GOT RID OF CERTAIN FEES AND PERMITS, AND WE RECOMMENDED THINGS LIKE BUS RIDES. AND IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL, WE'RE INCREASING SALARIES AS WELL. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE ON HOW ARE WE GOING TO AFFORD IT, HOW WE CAN AFFORD IT. YEAH. AND I DON'T MIND DOING ANYTHING TO HELP OTHERS, BUT I JUST WANT US TO BE MINDFUL. WE ARE PULLING AWAY REVENUE, BUT WE ARE INCREASING EXPENDITURES WHEN WE DO RAISES AND THINGS OF THAT MAGNITUDE. THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN. AND THEN, MR. COLEMAN, YOU SAID YOU LOSING 47 TO 50 SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR. WHAT WAS THAT MONEY BEING USED FOR? WHAT IS IT GOING STRAIGHT TO YOUR BUDGET? GENERAL FUND. SO DID Y'ALL COME UP WITH A WAY TO REPLACE IT? THEY WERE JUST RESPONDING TO THE STATE LAW THAT WAS PASSED THAT WENT INTO EFFECT. WELL, I WAS JUST ASKING THAT BECAUSE HE'S ALREADY LOSING MONEY. AND THEN NOW THEY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF US WANT TO LOWER YOUR FEES OR ELIMINATE THE FEES THAT'S GOING TO COST YOU EVEN MORE OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. THANK YOU. BECAUSE WE HAVE A HEALTHY GENERAL FUND. RIGHT. THANK YOU.

CITY MANAGER, MAYOR, MOST OF THE CITIES OF TEXAS ARE PROBABLY DISCUSSING AT THEIR COUNCIL MEETING TODAY. I GOT A CALL FROM THE CITY MANAGER OF VICTORIA, TEXAS, AND THEY HAVE IT ON THEIR AGENDA TODAY. THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT INSPECTION FEES DUE TO HOUSE BILL 1008. SO EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THIS AND COME UP WITH A GOOD SOLUTION FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL CITY. SO IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE MORE THOUGHT, A LITTLE MORE THOUGHT. AND WE COULD COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY AND THAT DISCUSSION.

SO I KIND OF RECOMMEND WE TAKE SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN FROM YOU AND THEN COME BACK. AND WITH THE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE AGAIN, EVERYBODY'S WRESTLING WITH IT. SAME THING WITH THE HOUSING TAX CREDITS. THE STATE TOSSES THESE

[02:15:02]

SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME THOUGHT TO WHAT WE CAN GET TO WORK, COUNCIL MEMBER CRENSHAW WANTS, BUT ALSO MAYBE WORK WITH MR. COLEMAN. YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. COLEMAN. I

[COUNCIL COMMENTS]

AND SORRY THAT I BUGGED YOU ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON. YEAH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN TURNER. YEAH, JUST I GOT A FEW PEOPLE IN THE WEST END. NORTH END. THEY'RE CALLING ABOUT QUIET ZONE. SO I JUST. IF WE CAN SEE SEE WHERE WE'RE AT. THEY STILL CALLING, LIKE, ONE GUY, LITERALLY PUT IT ON SPEAKER AND WANTED ME TO HEAR IT. AND I'M LIKE, ALL RIGHT, I GET IT. YOU KNOW, LIKE, BUT JUST JUST HEADS UP. THAT'S SOMETHING YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEALING WITH. THAT'S A PHONE CALL. AND MAN, I DON'T KNOW IF WE GOT TO DO A VIDEO WITH, BUT I'M STILL GETTING TEXT MESSAGES ABOUT THIS LIGHT AT 11TH STREET OVER THERE BY BRUCE'S BARBECUE.

AND I THINK IT'S WASHINGTON, MAN. MISS MOLLY, I KNOW YOU DIDN'T EXPLAIN IT A MILLION TIMES, BUT PLEASE, IF WE CAN GET SOME TYPE OF THING WHERE WE CAN GET IT OUT THERE, BECAUSE ALMOST. I WAS IN HEB THE OTHER DAY AND SOMEBODY HELD ME UP FOR 30 MINUTES TALKING ABOUT IT, AND I DON'T MIND TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT I KEEP TELLING THEM. I EVEN POINTED THEM TO YOUR LAST COUNCILMAN BECAUSE I GOT IT IN MY NOTES WHEN YOU EXPLAINED IT. BUT IF WE CAN GET A VIDEO, MAYBE PARTNER WITH TRACY AND GET IT ON THE CITY'S PAGE, I THINK IT WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. AND I THINK THE AUDIT WAS GOOD. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO TAKE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, YOU KNOW, JUST COMING FROM THE BUSINESS SECTOR, WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH PEOPLE, YOU GOT TO BE A BIG BOY WHEN YOU'RE IN POLITICS AND WHEN YOU WORKING IN CUSTOMER SERVICE, YOU GOT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. SO I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT WE CAN HAVE DIALOG AND WORK TOGETHER AND MOVE ON. YOU KNOW, I'M ONE OF THEM PEOPLE. I CAN HAVE A DISAGREEMENT WITH SOMEBODY AND THE NEXT DAY I'M BACK. GOOD. I'M READY TO GO.

YEAH. MY WIFE LAUGHING AT ME ALL THE TIME. SHE READY TO BE MAD FOR A FEW DAYS. I'M READY TO HUG YOU RIGHT AFTER WE FINISH ARGUING. SO I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STAY POSITIVE, TRY TO WORK TOGETHER AND LET'S GET SOME SOLUTIONS, MAN. LET'S GET SOME WINS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN HILLIARD. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'M GOING TO REMEMBER THAT I'M GOING TO REACH OVER AND GET A HUG NEXT TIME. YOU'RE YOU'RE A MAN. SO I JUST HAVE A FEW THINGS. WE'VE GOT SOME CONCERN FROM CITIZENS ON RFD ROAD THAT RUNS ADJACENT TO 105, AND POSSIBLY SOME KIND OF TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM THERE, A LIGHT. I KNOW THAT WE WERE PLANNING ON PUTTING A ROAD THROUGH TO 105, SO I KNOW WE HAD TO HAVE DONE SOME KIND OF LIGHT OR TRAFFIC STUDY AT THAT TIME. BUT BUT IT'S IT'S BECOMING A DANGEROUS SITUATION. AND I WOULD RATHER US BE PROACTIVE THAN REACTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO THAT. ALSO, I, I'M RECEIVING LOTS OF SPEEDING CONCERNS FOR THE CIRCUITS AND THAT AREA. AND, YOU KNOW, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY'RE THEY'RE TRYING TO DO THEIR BEST, ALONG WITH OTHER THE OTHER FIVE OTHER LOCATIONS THAT THEY NEED TO DO. I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE WE CAN DO SOMETHING MORE ABOUT THAT, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, SET SOME KIND OF ASSIGNMENT UP WHERE INSTEAD OF TWO TRAFFIC OFFICERS WORKING ONE LOCATION, SEPARATE THEM. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, BUT BUT I'M REALLY GETTING A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE SPEEDING AND THE RACING AND THE THINGS. AND SO I DON'T WANT US AS A COUNCIL TO HAVE TO GIVE CONDOLENCES TO A FAMILY BECAUSE WE DROPPED THE BALL ON SOMETHING HAPPENING IN ONE OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS TO ONE OF THE KIDS THAT WE HAVE, TWO SCHOOLS THAT THAT MEET UP TO THAT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. ALSO, I WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER. WE STILL ON TRACK FOR THE CADET PROGRAM AT LIT FOR JANUARY. YES. PERFECT. NOW WHEN WILL THE TESTING BE ADMINISTERED? I CAN'T SAY EXACTLY WHEN THE TESTING WILL BE ADMINISTERED, BUT WE HAD A MEETING WITH LIT ON YESTERDAY WITH DOCTOR VALENTINE AND HIS PERSON. THAT'S OVER THE ACADEMY. SO ALONG WITH THE FIRE CHIEF AND HIS DEPUTY. SO WE ARE

[02:20:03]

AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN DARIO. YEAH. MAYOR, COUNCILMAN TURNER SOUTH THEN THEY WANT. QUIET ZONES ALSO I KNOW AT THE TOP OF THE LIST RIGHT. AND ALSO LIKE I SAID EARLIER ABOUT THE AGENDA, IT WAS QUITE A FEW PROJECTS THAT WERE COMPLETED TODAY. AND THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD THING. AND ALSO. THE MAYOR'S VETERANS COALITION MET TODAY. I COULD BE THERE. I GOT THERE RIGHT AT THE END, BUT IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL FOR WHAT I UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU, JOEY, FOR HANDLING THAT. AND WE GOT A LOT WAS ACCOMPLISHED. SO WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT, GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT MEETING. AND LET ME LOOK AT MY NOTES. I THINK THAT'S IT THOUGH. ALL RIGHT. SURE. BECAUSE. THAT'S IT. ALL RIGHT, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, I GUESS I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT EVEN THOUGH DEPARTMENT AUDITS ISN'T A GENERAL FUNCTION OF MY OFFICE, I WANT TO COMMEND MY OFFICE ON THE JOB THAT THEY DID. IT DEFINITELY WAS A LARGE UNDERTAKING, AND THE FOCUS WAS ON WAYS THAT WE CAN BE BETTER FOR OUR CITIZENS AND FOR OUR CUSTOMERS. SO HAPPY TO HAVE ASSISTED IN THAT. AND THEN ALSO WANT TO SHOUT OUT MY DADDY FOR SITTING THROUGH COUNSEL WITH YOU ALL TODAY. SO SHOUT OUT TO TO MY DADDY THE BEST DADDY. THANK YOU. PUBLIC WORKS PLEASE. WE'RE ALSO APPLAUDING YOU BECAUSE WE KNOW SHE HAD TO BEEN A HANDFUL OF RAISINS. SO. THAT'S A PART OF MY COMMENT WORKS. YES. IN REFERENCE TO THE WESTON QUIET ZONE, THE PRECONSTRUCTION MEETING WITH THE CONTRACTOR AND UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD IS SCHEDULED FOR LATER THIS WEEK, SO WE'LL HAVE A SCHEDULE FROM THEM. THERE'S A VERY, VERY COMPLICATED LEVEL OF COORDINATION THAT IS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE, BUT THIS PROJECT IS CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PRECONSTRUCTION MEETING. SO GLAD TO MENTION THAT THAT SIGNAL ON WASHINGTON ON 11TH STREET, THAT PREEMPTION, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THE CITY WANTED TO HAVE TO INSTALL. THAT WAS A FEDERAL RAILROAD REQUIREMENT. WE WILL PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING TO HELP EXPLAIN HOW THAT SIGNAL WORKS. BUT YES, IT IS. IT IS IMMENSELY FRUSTRATING. WE DEFINITELY COMMISERATE WITH WITH THE CITIZENS. WE HAVE KICKED OFF THE CONCRETE REPAIRS ON PHELAN BOULEVARD, SO YOU WILL NOTICE INTERMITTENT LANE CLOSURES AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS TO IMPROVE THE RIDING CONDITIONS ON PHELAN BOULEVARD AND ON RFD ROAD, THERE IS AN ONGOING STUDY OF HIGHWAY 105 THAT IS WITH THE ENGINEER. AND SO THEY ARE CONTINUING THAT STUDY. BUT IT'S STILL GOING TO BE A FEW MONTHS. BUT COUNCIL, IF YOU'LL RECALL THAT Y'ALL APPROVED THE.

CONSULTANT FOR THE CITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE CONSULTANT FOR THAT STUDY. AND THAT IS ONGOING.

PERFECT. THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER BOONE. NO COMMENT. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER ELLIS OKAY. YES, CFO. REAL QUICK, I WANTED TO THANK JESS PRINCE FOR THE WORKSHOP TODAY ON THE TECH CREDITS, THE LOW INCOME HOUSING. SHE'S ALREADY UNDERWAY WITH UPDATING THE POLICY ON THE

[02:25:02]