Dec 02, 2025 City Council

BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

KNOW WHAT KINDS OF SERVICES WERE AVAILABLE IN ANY OF THOSE CITIES.

NICE TO SEE YOU.

THANKS, MILES.

I DON'T KNOW THAT I NEED TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE AFTER THAT.

SO, UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR.

MAYOR PROTE, COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY MANAGER.

UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING US TIME TO SHARE CARES TODAY.

AND SOMETIMES, ESPECIALLY AS I SAW ALL THESE AMAZING THINGS YOU'RE DOING FOR THE HOLIDAYS, SOMETIMES IT'S EASIER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO WITH A STORY.

SO IF YOU'LL INDULGE ME, I'LL JUST SHARE MINE AND IT'LL PROVIDE YOU CONTEXT FOR WHAT CARLAS DOES.

I, I WAS A KID WHO WAS WITH A FAMILY THAT WAS CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.

MY DAD WAS A VETERAN.

HE STRUGGLED WITH PTSD, HE STRUGGLED WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE.

HE NEVER GOT FROM FOOTING.

UM, MY MOM WAS BORN IN PENNSYLVANIA.

HER, UM, HER DAD, HE WAS A FIRST GENERATION ITALIAN HERE.

SHE NEVER LEARNED ENGLISH UNTIL MUCH LATER.

AND SHE STRUGGLED.

SHE STRUGGLED WITH THE INSECURITIES OF HAVING LIVED IN 22 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.

MY DAD WAS ALWAYS IN SEARCH OF WHERE COULD HE FIND A JOB, WHAT COULD HE DO? SO MY BROTHER, MY TWO SISTERS AND I, WE'D GET PILED INTO A CAR.

AND, UH, BEFORE I WAS 15, WE SERIOUSLY LIVED IN 22 DIFFERENT PLACES.

AND WHERE WE LIVED WERE SHELTERS, CARS, UM, CHURCHES, UH, THANK GOD.

AND, UH, WITH COUCH SURF, FLOOR SURF WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

ALL THE WHILE MY PARENTS DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN.

THEY DIDN'T

[00:15:01]

UH, WE WOULD TURN WHEN WE NEEDED SOME MONEY TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, THAT THAT'S WHERE MY PARENTS THOUGHT SOCIAL SERVICES CAME FROM.

AND SO WE LIVED A LIFE UNTIL I WAS 15 OF JUST THIS CONSTANT MOVEMENT.

AND AT 15, UH, DAD PUT US IN A U-HAUL, AND WE DROVE FROM HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA TO LAS VEGAS AND STOPPED AT A REST STOP.

AND THAT BECAME HOME.

IT HAD A BATHROOM, AND WE LIVED IN THAT U-HAUL.

AND THANK GOD, OTHERWISE I WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY.

THANK GOD OUR LIVES CHANGED.

I WAS 15 AND I LOOKED ACROSS THAT DESERT AND SAW A MCDONALD'S AND SAID, I'M GOING TO GET A JOB.

AND WALKED ACROSS TO MCDONALD'S AND THE MANAGER, FOR WHATEVER SETS OF REASONS, DIVINE INTERVENTION GAVE ME A JOB.

AND THAT BROUGHT ME DIGNITY, AND IT BROUGHT MY FAMILY FOOD, AND IT BROUGHT MY PARENTS EVEN A WAY TO UNDERSTAND BANKING, BECAUSE FOR THEM, CASHING MY CHECK MEANT GOING TO BINION'S BIG WHEEL, MY MOM SIGNING IT AND GIVING UP SOME MONEY TO CASH A CHECK.

AND I SAY ALL THIS BECAUSE HERE IN BEAUMONT, THERE'S STILL PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN CARS.

THERE'S KIDS GOING TO SCHOOL THAT YOU DON'T KNOW.

NOT A SINGLE TEACHER KNEW THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A HOME.

PEOPLE KEEP THESE SECRETS DOWN DEEP.

THERE'S STILL A HUGE STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.

THERE'S A STIGMA AROUND SUBSTANCE ABUSE.

AND JUST AS IT WAS THEN, YOU KNOW, 25 YEARS AGO, MY, WHEN MY PARENTS WERE STRUGGLING, IT IS NOW IT'S NOT TRANSPARENT OR EASILY ACCESSIBLE.

PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND ELIGIBILITY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, DON'T UNDERSTAND HEALTH INSURANCE.

SO HOW ARE THEY GONNA FIND A RESOURCE? AND THAT'S WHAT CARALA DOES.

AND IF I CAN, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE THAT, BY THE WAY, IF I CAN FIGURE IT OUT.

WHAT, WHAT CARALA DOES IS WE'RE A HUB INSIDE OF COMMUNITIES, AND WE HAVE 24 7, 365 ACCESS TO OUR CARE COMPANIONS WHO WILL DO ALL THE NAVIGATION ON BEHALF OF YOUR RESIDENTS.

SO THAT MIGHT MEAN THAT SOMEBODY NEEDS A BED.

THAT MIGHT MEAN THAT FRED NEEDS TO HAND OVER A CASE TO US FOR LONG-TERM CARE.

THAT MIGHT MEAN JUST LIKE WE HAVE, WE, WE REPRESENT STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW THE NEWS ON SUNDAY, BUT THERE WAS A HORRIBLE SHOOTING OF THREE CHILDREN AND 10 PEOPLE IN STOCKTON.

AND THAT MIGHT MEAN THAT TODAY IN STOCKTON, WE'RE HELPING THE MOM OF ONE OF THOSE CHILDREN AND A SIBLING GETTING THEM INTO CARE.

IT MIGHT MEAN THAT SOMEBODY NEEDS A HOME AND WE'RE HELPING THEM FIND A HOME.

IT MIGHT MEAN THAT THE FIRST RESPONDERS ARE TRYING TO DECIDE, IS THIS AN INVOLUNTARY PSYCHIATRIC HOLD, OR DO I CALL CARE SOLACE? SO EVERYTHING IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT AND IN THE COUNTY, ALL OF YOUR SOCIAL SERVICES, ALL OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS GET AGGREGATED AND THROUGH ONE PHONE CALL TO US, WE CAN GET THEM INTO CARE.

WE'LL NAVIGATE THE INSURANCE, WE'LL MAKE THE APPOINTMENTS, WE'LL DO THE FOLLOW UP, AND WE WILL TRACK ALL OF THAT DATA ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.

WE WERE, UM, WE'RE REALLY DELIGHTED, UH, TO SAY THAT THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS SELECTED US AS A BEST PRACTICE, UM, INITIALLY FOR OUR WORK IN MYRIAD OF CALIFORNIA.

AND I LAUGHED BECAUSE I TOLD, UM, MILES LAST WEEK WE WENT TO CITY COUNCIL IN BEAUMONT, CALIFORNIA AND .

SO THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD.

SO I, I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, TEXAS IS BETTER THAN CALIFORNIA.

BUT, UM, BUT, UH, THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS DID SELECT US.

AND FOR US, THAT'S A BIG, WE THINK, UH, A BIG TESTAMENT TO THE FACT THAT WE'RE DRIVING CHANGE.

WE'RE NOT A STARTUP BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION.

WE'VE GOT 25 MILLION PEOPLE ON THE PLATFORM.

BUT THE KEY TO WHAT WE DO IS WE STARTED THE COMPANY FIRST 12 YEARS AGO BY FINDING EVERY PROVIDER.

OUR OWN FOUNDER STRUGGLED WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE.

HIS FAMILY COULD NOT FIND CARE FOR HIM.

SO WHEN HE CAME OUT OF REHAB, HE SAID, I'M GONNA FIND EVERY MENTAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDER IN THE COUNTRY, AND I'M GONNA KNOW WHAT INSURANCE THEY TAKE, WHAT LANGUAGES THEY SPEAK, WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED, UM, WHO, WHAT AGE GROUPS DO THEY HELP, WHAT KIND OF THERAPY DO THEY OFFER? HOW MANY BEDS DO THEY HAVE? SO WE HAVE THE LARGEST NETWORK OF MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN THE COUNTRY WITH ALMOST 700,000 OF THEM.

WE KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM, AND WE CAN MAKE APPOINTMENTS WITH THEM.

THEY KNOW US.

I, I'M MOST PROUD AS YOU LOOK AT THAT SLIDE, THAT HALF OF THE PEOPLE WE HELP AREN'T JUST LOOKING FOR THERAPY.

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A BED, OR THEY'RE LOOKING FOR MEDICATION, OR THEY'RE LOOKING FOR HOSPITALIZATION.

SO ABOUT HALF OF THE WORK WE DO IS FOR THESE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT CASES.

AND PROUDLY, NOW THAT YOU KNOW, MY STORY, ABOUT HALF OF WHAT WE DO IS IN SUPPORT OF PEOPLE WHO EITHER DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE OR WHO ARE ON MEDICAID.

SO WE ARE ABLE TO HELP EVEN YOUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND GET THEM INTO CARE WITH ONE PHONE CALL.

WE DO HAVE A FOOTPRINT HERE IN

[00:20:01]

TEXAS.

WE HAVE ABOUT HALF A MILLION PEOPLE CURRENTLY, UM, UH, USING THE PLATFORM HERE, PRIMARILY IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

BUT I'M LITERALLY LEAVING HERE TO GO TO A, A MEETING IN FORT WORTH TODAY.

SO I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW THAT GOES.

AND AGAIN, UM, WE'VE PROVIDED ALMOST A MILLION SUPPORTS FOR, UH, FOLKS HERE IN TEXAS.

WE DO THAT, AS I SAID, WITH CARE COMPANIONS HERE IN TEXAS.

OF THOSE 670,000 PROVIDERS, WE HAVE MORE THAN 42,000.

AND WE CONTINUE TO GROW THAT NETWORK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, PARTICULARLY AS WE GET INTO SOME OF THE MORE RURAL POPULATIONS WITH THE RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMS, UM, THAT ARE COMING THROUGH TEXAS AS WELL.

FIRST RESPONDERS AND, UH, ANY OF THE AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS CAN ACCESS US THROUGH WHAT WE CALL A WARM HANDOFF SIMPLY BY GIVING THAT QR CODE THAT YOU SAW FROM THE CONFERENCE.

MAYORS TO ANY RESIDENT AND ANY RESIDENT CAN CALL US ANYTIME.

OUR CARE COMPANIONS SPEAK MORE THAN 200 LANGUAGES.

AND WE HAVE LIVE TRANSLATORS FOR ANY LANGUAGES THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE NATIVE SPEAKERS FOR.

UM, I, I HAD TO DROP A CARD IN WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE, BUT, UH, BASICALLY THE MAYORS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, EVERYBODY WHO WORKS FOR THE CITY, AND BY THE WAY, YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE ELIGIBLE AS WELL.

SO THIS COMPLIMENTS YOUR EAP PLATFORM.

BUT WE MAKE UP CARDS AND WE CANVAS THE CITY AND WE DO ENGAGEMENT, AND WE LET ALL THE RESIDENTS KNOW.

AND THEN WE EQUIP YOU WITH, WITH FLYERS AND BUSINESS CARDS AND EVEN, UM, WITH SOME OF THE CITIES ON THE, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE AN AIRPORT HERE, DO YOU? BUT ON THE BACK OF PUBLIC DOORS WHERE THEY HAVE THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING, THEY HAVE THE QR CODE THAT SAYS, HELPS AVAILABLE.

SO WE DO ALL OF THE SCREENING FOR THE RESIDENT, WE GET THEM MATCHED, WE BOOK THEIR APPOINTMENT.

IF THEY DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION, OUR CARE COMPANIONS, BOOKS AN UBER TO MAKE SURE THEY GET TO THAT FIRST APPOINTMENT, THEN WE CHECK IN, WE MAKE SURE THEY'RE OKAY.

AND I SAY THAT FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PIECE, BUT IT'S THE SAME FOR NAVIGATING.

WHETHER IT'S AN UNHOUSED INDIVIDUAL LOOKING FOR A BED, WHETHER IT'S WITH SPINDLE TOP, ANY PART OF YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE, WE ARE GONNA NAVIGATE PEOPLE INTO IN THE IN FOR SOCIAL SERVICES.

SO BASICALLY, AS COMPLEX AND CRAZY AS THIS SLIDE LOOKS, WE TRY TO HELP BECOME A GLUE FOR BEAUMONT, A GLUE THAT SERVICES EVERY RESIDENT YOU HAVE, WHETHER THEY'RE UNHOUSED, WHETHER THEY'RE FINE THEMSELVES, AS MY PARENTS DID WITH A A, A SUBSTANCE PROBLEM OR A DEPRESSION.

WHETHER THEY'RE PART OF THE COURT SYSTEM, WHETHER A BUSINESS, YOUR SMALL BUSINESSES, MAYBE THEY NEED HELP FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES.

YOU CAN OFFER THAT AS AN ECONOMIC REASON FOR BEING HERE IN BEAUMONT.

OFFER IT TO EVERY BUSINESS SO THAT THEIR EMPLOYEES ALSO HAVE ACCESS.

BUT EVERY RESIDENT IN THE CITY WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO OUR CARE.

I KNOW I PROMISED, I DON'T KNOW HOW HE THOUGHT AN ITALIAN COULD DO THIS IN 10 MINUTES, BUT, UM, BUT UH, BUT THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT OUR PROVIDERS LOOK LIKE.

I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM.

I KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE 42,000 TREAT ANXIETY, THEY'RE ALL GEO LOCATED.

I KNOW WHAT KIND OF SERVICES THEY OFFER.

I KNOW WHAT INSURANCE THEY TAKE.

I KNOW IF THEY DO TELETHERAPY AND FRANKLY, A LOT OF THE YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR THAT.

NOW, WE DO ALL THE CUSTOM ENGAGEMENT.

THIS IS JUST THE EXAMPLE OF THE CITY OF STOCKTON AND SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.

BUT WE'LL DO FLYERS FOR YOU.

WE'LL DO COMMUNITY EVENTS.

WE'LL COME SUPPORT THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING.

WE'LL, UH, WORK WITH BLUE SANTAS, WHATEVER IT TAKES.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY RESIDENT KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE THIS AVAILABLE TO THEM.

SO WE BECOME VERY MUCH A PART OF THE COMMUNITY.

BUT THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHERE I THINK YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS MOST IS WE CREATE DATA THAT'S ACTIONABLE.

AND MY DREAM ULTIMATELY IS TO INFLUENCE PROGRAMS AND, AND ULTIMATELY POLICY.

BUT FOR EVERY MATCH WE'RE CAPTURING DEMOGRAPHIC DATA.

WE'RE CAPTURING DATA AROUND WHAT ARE THE PRESENTING NEEDS WE'RE CAPTURING WHETHER OR NOT IT IS, UM, WHAT, WHAT THE ETHNICITY IS.

WE'RE CAPTURING ACROSS GENERATIONS.

WE'RE CAPTURING THE CLINICAL NEED AND TREATMENT TYPE.

AND WE LOOK AT THIS MONTH OVER MONTH.

SO NOW YOU CAN START TO TREND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUMONT.

SHOULD WE BE TARGETING PROGRAMS FOR SADLY, UH, A REALITY CHECK HERE, YOUNG WOMEN, 11 TO 14 WHO ARE, WHO ARE CONDUCTING SELF-HARM, WHO ARE CUTTING THEMSELVES.

WE, WE ARE NOW EVEN INTRODUCING SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTIONS BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN INTRODUCED INTO THE, THE, UH, MENTAL HEALTH CATALOG OF, OF CONDITIONS.

SO EVERYTHING THAT YOU THINK ABOUT, ONCE A MONTH I COME BACK, WE'LL PRESENT THE DATA, WE'LL WORK IT THROUGH AND DETERMINE WHERE DO WE SEE GAPS, WHERE, HOW CAN WE HELP WITH GAPS? WHAT ELSE CAN WE BE DOING? WHAT DO WE SEE IN TERMS OF TRENDS? AND WE DO ALL THAT.

AND WE'RE FUNDED TYPICALLY IN CASE YOU ASK, USING OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS.

SO WE QUALIFY UNDER SECTION E.

AND IF EACH OF THE CITIES THAT I'VE WORKED WITH HAS HAS LOOKED AT THEIR OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS AND SAID THIS WOULD BE A GREAT WAY FOR US TO HELP PEOPLE GET ACCESS, WHETHER THEY'RE UNHOUSED STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTIONS,

[00:25:01]

OR SIMPLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SOCIAL SERVICES INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO THAT'S WHO WE ARE, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.

I'M DELIGHTED.

I, UM, HAVE TO TELL YOU, I WORKED FOR TEXAS COMMERCE BANK FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE MY FEEDBACK ON THE GROUND IN TEXAS.

SO THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TODAY AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

BUT I KNOW I'VE ALREADY TAKEN MORE OF YOUR TIME THAN CITY MANAGER.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MA'AM.

GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSELORS AGE.

THANKS.

NOW FOR EVERYBODY HERE THAT WAS HERE FOR THE PRESENTATIONS AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE, NOW'S THE TIME TO DO SO.

AT THE CLOSE OF THE MEETING TODAY, CITY COUNCIL WILL ADJOURN INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSIDER MATTERS RELATED TO CONTEMPLATED OR PENDING LITIGATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 5 5 1 0.07, ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO WIT, UH, MARINO, FUENTES, UH, AND ALSO SHAINA WILLIAMS. AND NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE

[PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA/CONSENT]

INTO PUBLIC COMMENTS.

AND IF THERE'S ANY CITIZEN WHO WISHES TO SPEAK, UH, YOU MAY MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS ONE THROUGH EIGHT ARE ARE ANY OTHER TOPIC.

ITEMS NINE THROUGH 13 HAVE ALREADY BEEN HEARD THROUGH PUBLIC HEARING.

THEREFORE, CITIZENS CANNOT SPEAK ON THOSE ITEMS. CITIZENS WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 14 WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT, THAT IN A PUBLIC HEARING THAT WILL BE BEFORE THAT.

UH, THE CITY CLERK WILL CALL YOUR NAME WHEN IT'S YOUR TIME TO SPEAK.

WHEN YOU APPROACH THE PODIUM, PLEASE SAY YOUR ADDRESS, CITY AND STATE.

IF IT WASN'T ANNOUNCED, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.

THE GREEN LIGHT WILL COME ON WHEN YOU APPROACH THE PODIUM AND THE RED LIGHT WILL COME ON WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP.

ERIC PETRI, 37 0 5 EAST LUCAS DRIVE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

THAT'S ME.

AJ ROY WEST CHRIS CITY MANAGER LAA, COREY CRENSHAW.

THANK Y'ALL FOR KEEPING ME INFORMED FOR THE PEOPLE THAT'S COMING TO OUR CITY, KEEPING ME LOCKED IN ROY WEST AND JEFF RENICK.

I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR HELPING THE FOLKS OUT IN BAD WEATHER.

WHEN I CALL YOU GUYS, Y'ALL STEP UP AND HELP ME OUT.

THANK YOU ALL LOT.

NOW HERE'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.

I AM THE GOAT AND I LOOK OUT FOR EVERYBODY THAT NEED HELP.

THAT'S MY AGENDA.

I WANNA SAY GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN, COUNSELOR.

I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN OF COUNCILMAN HILLARD AND WILLIAMS. IT'S NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY PER THE CITY CHAPEL FOR ANY COUNCILMAN MEMBER TO CALL FOR RESIGNATION OF ANY EMPLOYEE OTHER THAN THE FULL POSITIONS THAT ARE HIRED BY THE COUNSELOR.

BUT IF TWO OF YOU GUYS KNOW YOUR POSITION, YOU WOULD HAVE ALREADY KNEW BEFORE MAKING A RIDICULOUS SUGGESTION PUBLICLY AND LETTING THE ENTIRE CITY KNOW YOU GUYS DOESN'T UNDERSTAND ALL YOUR POSITIONS.

JUST BECAUSE THE FIRE UNION SUPPORT YOUR CAMPAIGN DOESN'T MEAN THEY GET TO CALL THE SHOTS ON YOUR BEHALF.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, JUST WANTED THE CITY TO KNOW THIS ABOUT THE FIREFIGHTER UNION AGENDA.

ALWAYS TRYING TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN BOSS.

NO ONE GETS TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN BOSS.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

THANK YOU SIR.

FRED JACKSON.

I THINK FRED ALREADY MADE THE PRESENTATION.

OKAY, I'M SORRY.

DYLAN RICHARDSON, 45 75 NORTH MAJOR DRIVE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

I WANNA START BY QUOTING TWO PRESS RELEASES THAT ARE ATTRIBUTED TO ONE OF YOU.

FIRE DEPARTMENT STAFFING SHORTAGES ARE UNPRECEDENTED.

WITH ROUGHLY 30 VACANT POSITIONS, THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FAILURE HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC.

OVER 1500 CALLS FOR AMBULANCE SERVICE HAVE GONE UNANSWERED BY THE BEAUMONT FIRE AND EMS IN THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS ALONE.

JUST LAST NIGHT, EVERY AMBULANCE IN THE CITY WAS ON AN EMERGENCY AND SIX PEOPLE WERE LEFT WAITING FOR HELP IN A TIME OF DESPERATE NEED.

THE BLAME LIES NOT ON THE BACKS OF THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE BEAUMONT FIRE AND EMS. THAT IS THE PRICE OF FAILED LEADERSHIP, ALL BECAUSE CITY LEADERSHIP IGNORES THE PLEASE OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS BEGGING

[00:30:01]

FOR MORE FRONTLINE WORKERS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY THEY SERVE.

AVERAGE RESPONSE TIMES FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE HAVE GONE UP, NOT DOWN.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU EVER NEED AN AMBULANCE? THE PRESENT CITY LEADERSHIP WON'T ANSWER THE CALL, BUT OUR FULLY STAFFED FIRST RESPONDERS BACKED BY NEW LEADERSHIP CERTAINLY WILL.

WHILE YOU MAY BELIEVE THIS TO BE MIKE WILLIAMS OR JOEY HILLIARD, THIS WAS POSTED ON MARCH 22ND, 2023 BY MAYOR ROY WEST, WHO IS NOW SCOLDING HIS CONSTITUENCY ON COUNCIL FOR ADVOCATING FOR THE NECESSARY MOVES THAT WILL ENACT THE VERY CHANGE HE PROMISED TO INSTILL OVER TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO.

THERE'S A WORD THAT DESCRIBES THE MAYOR'S RECORD.

THE WORD IS DISHONEST, IS CAMPAIGNING ONE WAY, BUT GOVERNING ANOTHER.

ETHICAL IS LYING TO THE CITIZENS.

YOU TAKE AN OATH TO SERVE ETHICAL.

AND I'M GONNA READ THE TITLE OF THE SECOND ONE.

ROBIN MUTAN, WHO IS OUR FIRST BLACK FEMALE MAYOR IN THE HISTORY OF OUR CITY, SPENT THOUSANDS ON EXOTIC TRIPS.

MAYOR WEST, YOU INSINUATED THAT OUR YOUR PREDECESSORS STOLE TAX DOLLARS TO PAY FOR VACATIONS, TO DRINK, TO GAMBLE.

YOU LIED DEFAMED AND BESMIRCHED REPUTATION OF A BLACK WOMAN TO SIT IN THE VERY SEAT YOU ADMONISHED OTHERS FROM TODAY.

THAT IS UNETHICAL.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THE WORDS OF OUR MAYOR THAT I READ HERE TODAY WERE POSTED ONTO FACEBOOK SOCIAL MEDIA, A COMMUNICATION MECHANISM THAT OVER HALF THIS COUNTRY USES FOR THEIR PRIMARY SOURCE OF NEWS.

AND WHILE THE COLLECTIVELY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ARE SPENT BY MUNICIPAL POLITICAL CANDIDATES ON SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING ON CAMPAIGN TRAILS, WHEN ONE USES IT AS A VEHICLE TO COMMUNICATE TO ONE'S BASE AFTER THE FACT, IT'S A PROBLEM AND ETHICS ARE CAUGHT INTO QUESTION.

GIVE ME A BREAK.

MAYOR PRO TIMM TURNER, I APPLAUD YOU FOR THE PROJECTS YOU'VE SPEARHEADED THAT HAVE GENERATED REVENUE FOR THIS CITY.

BUT I CHALLENGE YOU AND COUNCILMAN DARRIO WHO HAVE HELPED OVERSEE A FIRE CHIEF WHO HAS WASTED NEARLY $15 MILLION IN OVERTIME OVERRUNS DURING YOUR TENURE ON COUNCIL.

WELL, I DON'T HOLD THE TWO OF YOU TO BLAME FOR THAT.

I DO EXPECT YOU TO HOLD THE FIRE CHIEF ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS FAILURES REGARDLESS OF HOW ENTRENCHED HE MAY BE.

HE IS A ROGUE AND POINT APPOINTEE WHOSE RECORD AND VERY CONDUCT HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED AS UNETHICAL BY 85% OF THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT.

AND WHILE HE IS MEETING THAT VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE WITH RETALIATION, AS OPPOSED TO THE REFORM REQUIRED TO FIX THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THIS SELF-GOVERNING BODY, WHICH IS TO IMPOSE ETHICAL STANDARDS UPON THEMSELVES.

THANK YOU MR. RICHARDSON.

IN AN ATTEMPT TO SLIDE OTHERS, SPARE ME.

THAT'S ALL.

MAYOR.

ALRIGHT, IS THERE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? MAYOR, THERE'S SOME OTHER FOLKS THAT WANTED A CHANCE TO SPEAK OUT THERE.

OKAY, SORRY ABOUT THAT.

UM, CHARLO PAUL, 56 15 PHELPS ROAD.

BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

SORRY.

CHARLES PAUL.

YEAH, HOW Y'ALL DOING? MY NAME'S CHARLES PAUL BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

I'M A, UH, RETIRED FIREFIGHTER AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT EARL WHITE AND CHRIS ENGLER.

I KNOW THEY'RE BOTH TWO STANDUP GUYS.

THEY'RE TRUSTWORTHY AND DEPENDABLE.

I'M KIND OF EMBARRASSED THAT THE UNION IS, UH, DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

I'M NOT SURE WHAT ALL THE IN AND OUTS OF WHAT, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

I SEE THE STUFF ON THE INTERNET IS PRETTY STUPID TO ME FOR, UH, ALL OF US TO BE MESSED UP THAT A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE SAY THEY DON'T WANT TO BE IN BEAUMONT BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOLS, THE CRIME.

NO, IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS DIVIDE.

IT'S ALWAYS US AGAINST THEM, THEM AGAINST US.

IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING, SOME KIND OF ISSUES.

A LOT OF IT IS RACIAL, BUT A LOT OF TIMES WE DON'T SAY NOTHING.

I GOT ON AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN 1984.

I RETIRED IN 14.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURES ON THE WALL, THERE WAS NO BLACK FIREMEN, I THINK BEFORE, UH, THE SIXTIES.

SO THEY USED TO HAVE TO HIRE LOCALLY IN BEAUMONT.

YOU COULD IMAGINE ME A LITTLE GUY RAISED IN BEAUMONT.

I GOT TO HELP, UH, PEOPLE THAT I KNOW THAT I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH, MY NEIGHBORS, MY FRIENDS PARENTS, MY CLASSMATES, MY CLASSMATES CHILDREN.

I HAD A LOT OF PRIDE GOING IN INTO THEM HOMES IN THE SCHOOLS BECAUSE I AM FROM BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

AND YOU WORK REALLY HARD WHEN YOU KNOW THAT'S SO AND SO, OR THAT'S SO AND SO.

OR YOU COULD TALK TO 'EM IF YOU'RE A POLICE OFFICER.

HEY SON, I KNOW YOUR MAMA JUST LIKE THE COACHES AT THE SCHOOLS, BUT YOU GOT PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN THAT BE LIKE, HEY MAN, WE CAN HURT THEM.

IT DON'T MATTER.

WE COULD DO WHATEVER WE WANNA DO.

THAT'S WHY YOU SEE AROUND THE NATION, THOSE POLICE JUMPING ON PEOPLE, LOT OF 'EM DON'T KNOW 'CAUSE THEY DON'T LIVE IN THE CITY.

THEY DON'T CARE.

THEY JUST WANT TO GET PAID.

THAT'S THE WAY I FEEL.

IT MAY NOT BE, AND ALL OF 'EM NOT BAD, YOU KNOW? BUT I'M JUST SAYING, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT EARL WHITE,

[00:35:01]

THE COUNCIL.

WE GOT NEW PEOPLE HERE THAT'S BEEN TRYING TO HELP GROW THIS CITY.

Y'ALL WANNA VOTE AGAINST STUFF? WE'LL NEVER GROW.

WE'RE GONNA ALWAYS BE A LAUGHING STOCK.

THIS THE UNITED STATES, AMERICA, BEAUMONT, TEXAS HAS GOT PEOPLE THAT'S FAMOUS ALL OVER THE NATION.

ALL OVER THE WORLD, YOU KNOW? AND I DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE JUST, WE CAN'T GET ALONG.

YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE SAY, WE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.

IF WE GOT A PROBLEM, WE CAN STRAIGHTEN IT OUT OR TRY TO STRAIGHTEN IT OUT.

BRING ANOTHER WIT, GET A WITNESS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL I GOTTA SAY.

IT JUST KIND OF P****D ME OFF THE WAY THINGS GOING.

AT THIS POINT WE'LL MOVE INTO THE CONSENT AGENDA.

I HAVE ONE MORE.

CARLTON SHARP, 51 50 PLANT ROAD, BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

IF THERE IS ANYBODY ELSE THAT'D LIKE TO SPEAK, IF YOU COULD RAISE YOUR HAND AND WE'LL GET YOU A GREEN SHEET.

OKAY, MAYOR, COUNCIL STAFF, FELLOW CITIZENS, I COME TO YOU, UH, BEFORE YOU TODAY, NOT ONLY AS A CONCERNED MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY, BUT AS A SPIRITUAL LEADER WHO HAS WITNESSED FIRSTHAND HOW THE DIRECTION OF LEADERSHIP, WHEN MISALIGNED CAN SHAPE THE TONE OF OUR CITY EITHER FOR GREATNESS OR FOR DECLINE.

RECENTLY WE'VE SEEN BEHAVIOR, DECISIONS AND RHETORIC THAT LOOK FAR TOO MUCH LIKE THE OLD ERA OF CONTENTIOUS AND FRACTURED GOVERNMENT.

AN ERA THAT HAS NEVER LIFTED OUR COMMUNITY TO HIGHER.

WE ARE TEETERING ON THE EDGE WHERE DIVISIVENESS IS BEING SEW LIKE SEEDS IN A DRIVE FIELD.

BUT LET ME BE CLEAR, THIS PATH HAS NEVER MOVED OUR CITY FORWARD AND IT NEVER WILL.

JESUS TAUGHT US IN MARK CHAPTER THREE, VERSE 25, IF A HOUSE BE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF, THAT HOUSE CANNOT STAND.

THAT TRUTH IS NOT ONLY BIBLICAL, IT IS ALSO PRACTICAL.

BUT THERE IS ANOTHER CONCERN THAT DESERVES TO BE SPOKEN PLAINLY.

WE MUST GUARD AGAINST THE TEMPTATION TO SERVE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS ABOVE THE PEOPLE'S INTERESTS.

US COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SWORN AN OATH TO UPHOLD THE CHARTER THAT GOVERNS THIS CITY.

THAT CHARTER IS MORE THAN A DOCUMENT.

IT IS THE LEGAL AND ETHICAL BOUNDARY THAT PROTECTS FAIR GOVERNANCE, ENSURES ACCOUNTABILITY AND KEEPS YOUR DECISIONS ROOTED IN THE PUBLIC TRUST.

WHEN LEADERS BEND THOSE BOUNDARIES TO ACCOMMODATE SPECIAL INTERESTS, PERSONAL ALLIANCES AND POLITICAL AGENDAS, YOU NOT, YOU NOT ONLY BETRAY THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE, YOU VIOLATE THE VERY FRAMEWORK THAT GIVES THIS COUNCIL LEGITIMATE LEGITIMACY.

ANYTIME A LEADER ALLOWS EXTERNAL PRESSURES, PRIVATE INFLUENCES, AND SELECTED FAVORITISMS TO GUIDE THEIR JUDGMENT, ESPECIALLY IF IT CONFLICTS WITH THE CHARTER, YOU WEAKEN THE FOUNDATION ON WHICH THIS COUNCIL STANDS.

BEAUMONT CAN'T AFFORD TO GO BACKWARD.

NOT NOW, NOT WHEN WE HAVE RESIDENTS ASKING FOR BETTER STREETS, STRONGER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SAFER NEIGHBORHOODS, GREATER INVESTMENTS IN OUR YOUTH AND UNITY IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY.

I WANT TO CHALLENGE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ON COUNCIL TO BE MINDFUL OF YOUR WORDS AND YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.

THE LANGUAGE YOU CHOOSE EITHER BUILDS TRUST OR BREAKS IT.

IT EITHER UNITES US OR DIVIDES US.

AND RIGHT NOW OUR CITIZENS NEED TO SEE LEADERS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO BUILDING AND NOT TEARING DOWN.

WHEN YOU CELEBRATE FAILURE, EVEN INDIRECTLY, YOU DIMINISH NOT ONLY THE PROGRESS WE COULD HAVE MADE, BUT ALSO THE UNITY THAT THIS CITY SO DESPERATE NEEDS.

WHEN ONE FAILS, IT'S NOT THEIR LOSS, IT'S OUR LOSS.

IF ONE PROJECT STALLS, IT IMPACTS ALL OF US BECAUSE WE RISE OR FALL TOGETHER AS A CITY LEADERS LEAD.

AND NOW IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO PERFORM.

IT'S, IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO PROVE TO THE CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT THAT YOU CAN EXECUTE.

SHOW THE PEOPLE THAT PROGRESS IS STILL POSSIBLE.

DEMONSTRATE THAT THIS COUNCIL CAN DELIVER RESULTS WITH TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND EXCELLENCE.

LET US NOT BECOME A CITY DIVIDED BY POLITICS AND PERSONALITIES OR PRIDE.

LET'S BECOME A CITY UNITED BY PURPOSE.

BECAUSE WHEN BEAUMONT WINS, EVERYBODY WINS.

THAT'S ALL.

MAYOR, IF THERE'S NO ONE ELSE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS,

[CONSENT AGENDA]

IS THERE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? I MAKE A MOTION.

WE APPROVE.

COUNCILMAN HILLIARD AND HIS MIC WASN'T ON.

SHE MIGHT HAVE HAD, YOU'VE GOT A MOTION.

THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

ITEM ONE, I'M GONNA TAKE, UH, THE AFTER ITEM ONE.

BEFORE WE MOVE INTO AGENDA

[00:40:01]

I'M GOING TO TAKE THE PUBLIC HEARING WITH ITEM NUMBER 14 TO BE THE SECOND ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY.

BUT AT

[1. Council to consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Beaumont Police Officers Association (BPOA).]

FIRST WE'LL DO, UH, MR. CITY MANAGER MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER ONE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

AND THE SCREENS ON THE DI ARE WILL NOT BE USED TODAY FOR THE AGENDA ITEMS. SO, UH, IF YOU'LL FOLLOW YOUR PRINTED COPIES, YOU HAVE THAT.

SHARE THIS WITH YEAH, I GOT SOME MORE.

JUST GOT ONE.

WE'LL GET, WE'LL GET YOUR PRINTED COPY OF THE INITIAL AGENDA BECAUSE SHE WON'T BE ABLE TO GET IT ON SCREEN.

I'M SORRY.

YOU DO IS LIKE YOU SAID.

EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY WHO DOESN'T HAVE A PACKET.

HOW MANY DO WE NEED? I GOT ONE.

ONE, OKAY.

ME TOO.

TWO WE SHARING.

BUT HE CAN HAVE MINE.

I SHOW THREE WE NEED OF THE SUMMARY SHEETS FOR SURE.

THE FIRST AGENDA, ITEM NUMBER ONE IS COUNSEL TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, CBA WITH THE BEAUMONT BEAUMONT POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, BPOA.

AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION.

IS THERE A MOTION? IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE TO APPROVE? SECOND.

THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER ONE.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN TURNER? UH, JUST TO THE BPOA, UH, ASSOCIATION, I JUST WANNA THANK Y'ALL FOR Y'ALL PROFESSIONALISM AND THE WAY YOU HANDLE EVERYTHING.

IT IS REALLY APPRECIATED TO BE ABLE TO APPROVE THIS ON TODAY AND HOW YOU GUYS CONDUCTED BUSINESS.

I JUST WANT TO SHOUT YOU OUT PUBLICLY AND LET YOU KNOW AS A COUNCILMAN, BUT I APPRECIATE THE WAY YOU GUYS HANDLED IT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH Y'ALL IN THE FUTURE.

THANK YOU COUNCILMAN.

ANYONE ELSE? COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW? UH, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR.

I WANNA ECHO WHAT, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM TURNER SAID.

UH, THANK YOU BPOA FOR, UH, THE EXCELLENT, UH, WORK YOU'VE DONE IN, UH, GETTING THIS CONTRACT PREPARED, UH, FOR COUNCIL TO, UH, VOTE ON THANK YOU TO THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF FOR, UH, WORKING WITH BPOA TO GET THIS, UH, EXECUTED, UH, AND, UH, JOB WELL DONE.

AND, UM, THAT'S ALL.

UH, COUNCILMAN DURIO.

WELL, SAME THING.

I JUST WANT TO THANK THE, UH, BPOA CITY MANAGER, OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND STAFF THAT WORKED TO GET THIS DONE IN A VERY PROFESSIONAL WAY.

AND, UH, IT'S VERY APPRECIATED OF ALL Y'ALL.

THANK YOU MR. CITY MANAGER.

YEAH, I TOO WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BPOA FOR THE WORK AND ALSO OUR CITY ATTORNEY FOR, FOR THE WORK THERE.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PRESIDENT OF THE POMAN POLICE OFFICER ASSOCIATION, MR. AARON LOON.

IF, IF YOU STAND, MR. LO THANK WE.

YES, COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD.

LET'S GIVE HIM A HAND.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR, YOUR TEAM'S EXCELLENT WORK AND FOR CHIEF EK FOR, FOR ALLOWING Y'ALL TO NEGOTIATE LIKE THAT IN GOOD FAITH.

AND SO NOW WE HAVE A, UH, BASICALLY A, A FIVE YEAR AGREEMENT WITH THE NEGOTIATIVE 2030.

THANK YOU AS WELL.

IT'S ALWAYS, UM, A GOOD DEAL WHEN WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AND GET THINGS DONE.

SO I AM SUPER EXCITED AND PLEASED ABOUT THAT CONTRACT NEGOTIATION AND THE SIMPLICITY OF IT ALL.

UH, IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR BEAUMONT.

I APPRECIATE YOU AND THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE.

THANK YOU ATTORNEY TEAM.

UH, APPRECIATE Y'ALL.

GOOD JOB.

ANYBODY ELSE? WELL, BEFORE I CALL THE VOTE, I, I, I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE BPOA AND OUR CITY ADMINISTRATION FOR WORKING SO EFFECTIVELY AND, UH, BRINGING THIS BEFORE US TODAY.

AND I'M EXCITED THAT IT WAS, UH, 10 MONTHS BEFORE THEIR CONTRACT, UH, I BELIEVE WAS GONNA EXPIRE.

SO WE'RE WELL AHEAD OF THE GAME.

SO WITH THAT, UH, IF THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE A.

MR. CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU TAKE US US INTO THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE TAX ABATEMENT? YES MA'AM.

[ Council to conduct a Public Hearing to receive comments regarding a Tax Abatement with Beaumont Bulk Solution LLC, (BBS)]

BOTTOM 14 ON YOUR AGENDA, COUNSEL TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE COMMENTS REGARDING A TAX ABATE ABATEMENT WITH BEAUMONT BULK SOLUTION LLC, UH, BBS.

AND CHRIS, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY LEAD INS TO THAT, WE'D APPRECIATE IT.

UH, YES.

UM, I KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS ITEM BEFORE, BUT THIS IS A PUBLIC

[00:45:01]

HEARING WHICH IS REQUIRED BY STATE, UH, STATUTE FOR US TO ENTER INTO A, INTO THE PROPOSED, UM, ABATEMENT, WHICH IS, UH, OUTLINED IN THE, UH, NEXT AGENDA ITEM.

ALRIGHT, DID ANYBODY SIGN UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING? NO, SIR.

ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.

MAY I HAVE THE READING

[14. Council to consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into a Tax Abatement Agreement with Beaumont Bulk Solution LLC (BBS).]

OF ITEM NUMBER 14, PLEASE COUNSEL TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION.

AUTHORIZE THE CITY, CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT WITH BEAUMONT BULK SOLUTION L-L-C-B-B-S.

AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOR COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION.

IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER 14? MOVE TO APPROVE.

THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 14.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER 14, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

ALRIGHT,

[2. Council consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute Change Order No. 4 to the contract with Norman Highway Constructors, Inc., for the Bridge Repair Project – Various Locations Citywide (REBID).]

AND NOW, MR. CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU TAKE US INTO ITEM NUMBER TWO? COUNCIL CONSIDER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER.

EXECUTE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER FOUR TO THE CONTRACT WITH NORMAN HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTORS, INC.

FOR THE BRIDGE REPAIR PROJECT.

UH, VARIOUS LOCATIONS CITYWIDE REBID AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION.

IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO? MOVE TO APPROVE.

THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND.

THAT WAS COUNCILMAN HILLIARD IF YOU DIDN'T GET IT.

UH, FOR APPROVAL.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER TWO? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU TAKE US INTO THE, UH, WOULD YOU READ ITEM NUMBER THREE? COUNCIL CONSIDER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER FOUR TO THE CONTRACT WITH KING SOLUTION SERVICES, LLC OF HOUSTON FOR THE GRAND AVENUE AND MAGNOLIA AVENUE PIKE BURSTING CONTRACT PHASE ONE.

MR.

[3. Council consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute Change Order No. 4 to the contract with King Solution Services, LLC, of Houston, for the Grand Avenue & Magnolia Avenue Pipe Bursting Contract – Phase I.]

AND IT COMES WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION.

MOVE TO APPROVE.

THE MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER THREE, MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN HILLIARD.

UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER THREE? COUNCILMAN TURNER, UH, TO STAFF, PARTICULARLY PROBABLY MS. MILEY, CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE THE BENEFIT OF THE PIPE BURSTING AND WHAT WE'RE DOING? CERTAINLY THIS IS A TRENCHLESS SWAY TO REPLACE THE OLD SEWER LINES THAT ARE IN THIS AREA THAT ARE ALLOWING RAINWATER TO BE COLLECTED INTO THE, UH, SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM.

IT OVERWHELMS THE SYSTEM AND THEN, UH, CAUSES RESIDENTS TO NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE SERVICE, UH, DURING AND AFTER RAIN EVENTS.

AND SO WE LOOK, WE DURING THE COURSE OF THE PINE STREET WATERLINE PROJECT, AS WELL AS THE, UH, PIPE BRUSHING WE'RE DOING IN THIS AREA, WE FOUND THAT THIS A, THIS AREA ALONG TEXAS AVENUE, PINE STREET, PRIMER STREET, AND SIMMONS AVENUE THAT AFFECTS OUR PRIMER STREET LIFT STATION COULD GREATLY BENEFIT FROM THIS ADDITIONAL WORK.

AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE PRESENTED IT TO COUNCIL TODAY.

YES, MA'AM.

AND, AND A FOLLOW UP, CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN TO CITIZENS, I KNOW WE CAN SOMETIMES HAVE ISSUES WITH 3 1 1, BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF REPORTING ISSUES, THE 3 1 1, SO WE CAN USE THE HOTSPOTS TO DICTATE WHERE THE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE? ABSOLUTELY.

SO THE CALLS THAT GO, UH, TO, TO OTHER CHANNELS OUTSIDE OF 3 1 1, UH, MAY NOT GET TRACKED, BUT WE USE THAT DATA THROUGH THAT'S COLLECTED THROUGH 3 1 1 TO CREATE A MAP, A HEAT MAP THAT SHOWS WHERE THE MOST FREQUENT CALLS ARE SO THAT WE CAN PRO THAT HELPS US PRIORITIZE THE WORK SO THAT THE MOST URGENT AREAS ARE ADDRESSED, UH, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

SO JUST AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE DON'T MIND TAKING THE CALLS, BUT IT IS, IT'S VERY ADVANTAGEOUS TO PUT IT ON 3 1 1 SO WE CAN TRACK THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS AND WE CAN KNOW THESE IS WHY THESE ARE WHERE OUR PROBLEMS ARE AND THEY CAN HELP US MAINTAIN AND KIND OF KEEP A GOOD EYE ON WHAT OUR ISSUES ARE.

SO THANK YOU.

ABSOLUTELY.

ANY OTHER? YES, COUNCILMAN? UM, IS THERE A PROJECTION OF COMPLETION FOR THIS PROJECT? YES, MA'AM.

SO CONTRACTUALLY, BASED OFF OF THE PROPOSED CHANGE ORDER, THAT WOULD SET A COMPLETION DATE OF JUNE THE 12TH OF 26, UH, THIS CONTRACTOR IS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.

I DON'T WANNA OVER PROMISE AND UNDER DELIVER.

UM, BUT WE DO HOPE THAT THEY WILL BE DONE BY THE LATE SPRING.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER THREE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER THREE?

[00:50:02]

MANAGER, WOULD YOU TAKE US IN TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE? COUNCIL, CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AN ACCEPTANCE, ACCEPTANCE OF THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT OF TEXAS GAS SERVICE COMPANIES, TGS OR COMPANY 2025 BASE RATE CASE, AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE.

MR. CITY

[4. Council consider an ordinance authorizing the acceptance of the proposed settlement of Texas Gas Service Company's (TGS or Company) 2025 base rate case.]

IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR? MOVE TO APPROVE.

THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN DURIO? SO COULD I EXPLAIN THIS PLEASE? 'CAUSE LOOKING AT THIS AS ARE WE APPROVING A RATE INCREASE? SO ACTUALLY NO, THEY REQUESTED THE RATE INCREASE AND THIS IS A, A PARTIAL SETTLEMENT TO THAT.

SO WE'RE APPROVING IN PART OF THE SETTLEMENT AND THE OTHER PART IS GONNA STILL GO BEFORE THE COMMISSION.

AND SO JUST FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY, UM, THE DEADLINE FOR TO REJECT IT, UH, WOULD'VE BEEN THE, THE 17TH.

UM, BUT WE ARE PART OF A STEERING COMMITTEE AND SO MORE THAN HALF THOSE CITIES ACCEPT IT, IT KIND OF GOES FORWARD ANYWAY.

SO, UM, WHERE WE ARE IN THIS PART IS LIKE WE'RE GONNA ACCEPT THE SETTLEMENT AND WE'RE GONNA AGREE TO ALLOW IT TO GO FORWARD WITH THE, WITH THE OTHER HALF TO GO BEFORE THE RATE CASE OF THE, UH, PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT WE ARE ON THE TIMELINE.

YOU ARE WELCOME.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

I AYE.

MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY YOU, WILL YOU TAKE US INTO THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE, COUNSEL TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION ADOPTING AN ETHICS POLICY RULES OF CONDUCT FOR CITY OFFICIALS AND THERE IS NO RECOMMENDATION.

[5. Council to consider a resolution adopting an ethics policy: Rules of Conduct for City Officials.]

ALRIGHT, IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER FIVE? MOVE TO APPROVE.

THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION AS COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD? UM, I NOTICED IN READING THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT MAYBE PERHAPS NEEDED TO BE ADDED TO THIS.

UM, AS FAR AS, UH, RULES OF CONDUCT FOR CITY OFFICIALS.

I KNOW, I KNOW THAT SOME OF IT EXTENDED TO FAMILY MEMBERS AND, UM, BUT MAYBE WE SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE HANDLERS OR CAMPAIGN MANAGERS.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT LANGUAGE COULD BE ADDED.

PEOPLE THAT ARE OFTENTIMES RELATED TO CAMPAIGNS THAT ALSO MAY BE ACTING BAD ACTORS.

SO THE ISSUES AS IT RELATES TO, UM, FAMILY MEMBERS A A APPLY TO THEM RECEIVING, UM, GIFTS AND FUNDS.

SO, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE MARRIED TO SOMEONE, SOMEONE WANTS TO GIVE YOU A GIFT, BUT THEY GIVE IT TO YOUR SPOUSE, IT WOULD STILL BE UNETHICAL.

UM, THE, I WANNA REMIND COUNSEL THAT THE, THIS DOCUMENT WAS COMPRISED A LOT FROM PULLING THINGS THAT WERE, UH, DICTATED BY OUR CHARTER AS WELL AS THE STATE ETHICS ON COMMISSION.

SO IT WASN'T JUST KIND OF THINGS THAT WE PULLED OUT THE AIR, WE ALSO LOOKED AT SEVERAL OTHER CITIES IN COMPARISON TO THAT.

SO THE, THE RULE, UH, AS RELATES TO EXTEND TO SPOUSE AND CHILDREN IS ACTUALLY THE STATE POLICY ETHICS POLICY AS RELATES TO THAT.

SO THAT'S A LAW.

SO WE COULD, IF COUNCIL WANTED TO MAKE IT MORE STRINGENT, WE COULD EXTEND THAT.

BUT THIS, UM, WE DIDN'T MAKE ANY CHANGES, UM, PRIOR, LIKE AFTER WE PRESENTED IT TO COUNCIL IN JULY.

SO THIS IS THE EXACT, UM, PRESENTATION, BUT IF YOU, IF THERE'S RECOMMENDATIONS TO CHANGE IT OR MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO IT, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.

ANY OTHER COUNCILMAN DURIO? YES, UH, MADAM ATTORNEY, CAN YOU EXPLAIN FOR THE PUBLIC EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS AND HOW IT ACTUALLY AFFECTS THE PEOPLE SITTING UP HERE? OKAY, I CAN TRY.

UM, SO ESSENTIALLY, UH, COUNSEL IS A SELF-GOVERNING BODY.

UM, UH, YOU ARE, UH, HELD TO THE STANDARD OF THE CHARTER, UH, AT THE REQUEST OF COUNCILMAN, UM, I'M SORRY, MAYOR PRO, TIM TURNER.

UM, AND YOURSELF.

MY OFFICE DRAFTED AN ETHICS POLICY, WHICH WAS INTENDED TO, UH, GIVE COUNCIL SOME GUIDELINES, SOME RULES ON HOW TO SELF GOVERN THEMSELVES, UM, WHAT WAS ESSENTIALLY EXPECTED.

THIS POLICY ALSO DOES EXTEND TO ANY, ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO IS APPOINTED BY COUNCIL TO SERVE ON A BOARD OR COMMISSION.

UM, IT'S INTENDED, OR ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE, WAS TO CREATE MORE TRANSPARENCY, MORE ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, BUT ALSO TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WHO IS SERVING ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OR AN ELECTED OFFICIAL FOR THE CITY, UM, UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S

[00:55:01]

EXPECTED OF THEM.

GREAT QUESTION, MAYOR.

COUNCILMAN TURNER.

AND JUST FOR THE ATTORNEY, JUST TO GET SOME OF THE HISTORY, THIS WASN'T SOMETHING WE JUST RECENTLY BEEN WORKING ON.

ABOUT HOW LONG, I KNOW YOU'VE DONE A FEW DRAFT, BUT THIS WAS REQUESTED HONESTLY DURING THE PREVIOUS COUNSEL AND WE'RE ALMO WE'RE JUST GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE FINALIZING IT, CORRECT? YES, SIR.

SO THIS WAS RE REQUESTED, UM, PROBABLY ALMOST A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.

JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S OUT THERE.

AND SO, UH, THE, I GUESS THE TIMELINE FOR, FOR WHAT HAPPENED, UH, THERE WAS A COUPLE, INITIALLY THERE WAS SOME, A COUPLE OF REQUESTS THAT WERE MADE AND, UH, THAT WANTED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE POLICY.

WE DID SOME RESEARCH AND DECIDED THAT THAT WAS, UM, NOT THE BEST FIT.

THERE WAS ORIGINALLY A REQUEST BY COUNCILMAN DORIA, I BELIEVE, TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT AN ETHICS COMMISSION WAS SOMETHING.

AND WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO FIND MAYBE TWO CITIES IN TEXAS THAT WERE REALLY OPERATING WITH AN EXIT COMMISSION, AUSTIN AND SUGARLAND, AND HOW THOSE WORKED.

UM, AND THEN JUST IN, JUST IN LIKE ROUND TABLE AND, AND DISCUSSING IT, UH, WITH OTHER CITY ATTORNEYS, UM, IT WAS KIND OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT, THAT THAT WOULD ONLY CREATE MORE PROBLEMS. 'CAUSE YOU HAVE A, A ETHICS COMMISSION THAT ESSENTIALLY IN SOME CASES WORKS DISAPPOINTED BY COUNCIL, BUT WORKS OVER COUNCIL.

UM, AND THERE WAS A CONCERN AFTER WE, UH, RUN THAT BACK, THERE WAS A CONCERN THAT MAYBE THAT WOULD DIMINISH, UH, COUNCIL'S ABILITY TO FULLY GOVERN IF THEY WERE ESSENTIALLY ANSWERING TO SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT.

SO WE DID GO THROUGH A COUPLE OF DRAFTS BEFORE WE GOT, UH, TO SOMETHING, UM, THAT WE FELT COMFORTABLE, UM, PRESENTING AT THAT TIME.

WE PRESENTED IT TO THE CITY MANAGER, UM, TO GET FEEDBACK TO HIM ON SOME THINGS, UH, AND ROUND TABLED IT INTERNALLY, UM, AND THEN PRESENTED IT TO COUNCIL IN JULY.

I JUST WANT TO SHOW THE HISTORY OF THE CONTEXT.

IT JUST DIDN'T COME UP TO SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN WORKING ON ANY OTHER DISCUSSION.

UH, YES, UH, CRENSHAW.

UM, SO POLICIES LIKE THIS ALWAYS SOUND GREAT, BUT THEN THE EXECUTION OF THEM, UH, ALWAYS SEEMS TO GET DIFFICULT.

SO HOW DOES THIS WORK? YOU EARLIER WAS MENTIONED, SPOUSES AND GIFTS.

SO IF A PERSON OR A ENTITY THAT HAS BUSINESS BEFORE THE CITY GIVES A GIFT TO A SPOUSE OF A COUNCIL MEMBER, HOW WILL THE PUBLIC KNOW SO THAT WE KNOW IF IT VIOLATES THE ETHICS POLICY? THEY WON'T.

SO UNLESS SOMEONE, UM, EITHER WITNESSES THE GIFTS OR CAN MAKES A REPORT OR CONCERN THAT, UM, YOUR VOTE, UH, WAS IMPACTED BY THE FACT THAT YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER RECEIVED A GIFT AND THEY REPORTED THAT, UM, THIS POLICY ALLOWS 'EM TO REPORT THAT TO THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR TO UH, REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION.

AND IF IT'S DETERMINED THAT THAT GIFT WAS RECEIVED AND ESSENTIALLY DID IMPACT YOUR VOTE, UM, THEN THERE'S ACTIONS CAN BE TAKEN NOTHING IN THIS POLICY.

AND LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THEM, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, COMMISSIONS, THE ONES I BELIEVE IN, EVEN AUSTIN SUGARLAND CAN'T EVEN CALL FOR A RECALL VOTE.

WE DID NOT PUT THAT IN THIS.

SO THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING IN OUR POLICY THAT, THAT ALLOWS FOR, UM, A MEMBER TO BE REMOVED OR, OR ANY OF THAT.

IT REALLY IS A SELF-GOVERNING SITUATION WHERE COUNCIL CAN HOLD A PUBLIC CENSURE.

UM, FOR THAT, FOR THAT EXAMPLE THAT YOU GAVE, IF A SPOUSE DID RECEIVE A GIFT AND THAT GIFT WAS INTENDED TO PERSUADE A VOTE, THAT WOULD BE A CRIMINAL ALLEGATION.

SO IN ADDITION TO THE MAYOR HAVING TO SAY THAT THEY WILLING TO DO A PUBLIC CENSURE, THEY WOULD ALSO, YOU KNOW, REPORT THAT TO THE POLICE.

WERE CLOSER TO US AND HAVE SIMILAR THINGS.

BUT YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT, UH, CERTAIN ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, HAVE A, UH, REPORTING REQUIREMENT ON GIFTS.

CORRECT? I BELIEVE THAT'S A REQUIREMENT OF THE LAW.

YEAH.

AND SO WHY WOULD, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS POLICY, AND THESE ARE THINGS WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT, WHY WOULD WE NOT REQUIRE THE REPORTING OF GIFTS? SO I'M GONNA AGAIN SAY THAT THIS ISN'T MY POLICY.

THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT MY OFFICE SAID THAT WAS REQUIRED.

I WAS GIVEN DIRECTION BY TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DRAFT A POLICY, WHICH I DID.

I WASN'T GIVEN A DIRECTIVE BY THE MAYOR TO ADD IT TO THE AGENDA.

SO ASKING ME WHY SOMETHING WASN'T INCLUDED IN A POLICY IS, IS NOT REALLY BENEFICIAL BECAUSE IT'S NOT SOMETHING I DRAFTED MYSELF.

LET ME REPHRASE THEN IN YOUR RESEARCH OF WHAT OTHER CITIES DO IN TEXAS, UH, CAN YOU JUST GIMME A BALLPARK ABOUT HOW OTHER CITIES SIMILAR SIZE TO BEAUMONT HAS A POLICY SIMILAR TO THIS? SO THERE ARE A COUPLE, WE DIDN'T REALLY LOOK AT LIKE HOW MANY ARE COM A COMPARISON IN SIZE.

WE JUST LOOKED AT WHAT THEY WERE DOING.

BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL CITIES THAT DO HAVE SIMILAR POLICIES.

GRAND PERRY WAS ONE THAT'S, UH, NOT NECESSARILY CLOSE IN SIZE, BUT SIMILAR TO CITY OF BEAUMONT ADDISON, ANOTHER ONE SIMILAR THAT ARE CLOSER THAT WE USE AS COMPARISON CITIES.

UM, SUGARLAND WOULD BE ANOTHER COMPARISON CITY, UM, JUST BASED ON THEIR POPULATION, BUT OBVIOUSLY, UM, EVERY CITY'S UNIQUE IN SIZE.

SO THERE WASN'T, UM, MOST, LIKE I SAID, MOST OF THE METROPLEX CITIES HAVE SOME VERSION OF IT, BUT WE TRIED TO KEEP IT TO ONES THAT, UM,

[01:00:01]

UH, THE OTHER I THINK POINT TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE POLICY THAT'S INDEED STILL REQUIRES THEM TO, OR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ANYONE WHO'S APPOINTED TO, UH, FOLLOW STATE LAW.

SO WHATEVER THE LAW IS, THE CHARTER IS, IT DOESN'T CONFLICT OR COMPLY WITH THAT.

UH, YEAH, NO, COMPLETELY AGREE.

DO YOU KNOW ANY OF THOSE OTHER CITIES THAT YOU LOOKED AT THAT THEY HAD A GIFT REPORTING REQUIREMENT? MOST OF THEM JUST KIND OF SAID THAT IT'S LIKE, UH, COMPLIANT.

SO I BELIEVE THAT, UM, GRAND PRAIRIE HAD ONE AND I BELIEVE THAT BUDHA ONE AS WELL.

BUT YOU SAID, YOU SAID THAT STATE LAW THAT GOVERNS THIS, WOULDN'T IT BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MEMBER TO EITHER RETURN THE GIFT OR TO REPORT IT THEIRSELF? YES, IT WOULD.

SO THAT WITH THE STATE LAW, THAT THAT COVERS THAT, THAT PART.

SO THE STATE LAW AS IT RELATES TO THAT JUST SAYS THAT YOU CAN'T BECAUSE ESPECIALLY IN A CITY LIKE BEAUMONT, RIGHT? SO IF, IF SOMEONE HAS A BUSINESS AND, UM, AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, GIVING FRIENDS WITH SOMEONE ELSE AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA GIVE THIS TO SOMEONE'S SPOUSE, NOT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BUSINESS BEFORE THE CITY JUST BECAUSE SHE'S, YOU KNOW, BEEN VERY FAITHFUL TO OUR ORGANIZATION AND OUR PROGRAM, AND THIS GIFT IS FOR HER.

THERE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR THAT.

BUT THERE'S ALSO A SEPARATE SITUATION WHERE I'M GOING TO GIVE THE GIFT TO YOUR SPOUSE BECAUSE I CAN'T GIVE IT TO YOU, BUT I WANT YOUR SPOUSE TO TELL YOU HOW I WANT YOU TO VOTE.

SO OBVIOUSLY IN THOSE SITUATIONS, LIKE THERE'S THOSE ELEMENTS, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'RE GETTING CAUGHT UP ON THE GIFT PART BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT A, WE DIDN'T GO HIGHER THAN WHAT WAS ALREADY REQUIRED BY THE STATE ETHICS COMMISSION.

I BELIEVE THAT THAT PORTION IS WHERE THAT CAME FROM.

UM, SPECIFICALLY WE DIDN'T PULL, UM, ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT'S ALREADY REQUIRED.

WELL, NO, I'M NOT GETTING CAUGHT UP ON THE, ON THE GIFT CARD.

AT LEAST I'M NOT TRYING TO, WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT'S OUR ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY SITTING UP HERE TO DO THE RIGHT THING, YOU KNOW, AND WE SUPPOSED TO REPORT THAT, OR WE'RE SUPPOSED TO RECUSE OURSELF FROM THE VOTE THAT'S ALREADY UNDERSTOOD.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER FIVE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? OPPOSED, OPPOSED.

MOTION CARRIES.

I MR.

[6. Council consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute Change Order No. 10 to the contract with ALLCO, LLC, of Beaumont, for the 48-Inch Pine Street Raw Water Line Project.]

CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU READ ITEM NUMBER SIX, COUNCIL CONSIDER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER 10 TO THE CONTRACT WITH ALCO, LLC OF BEAUMONT FOR THE 48 INCH PINE STREET WA RAW WATER LINE PROJECT.

AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION.

MOVE TO APPROVE.

THERE IS A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD FOR ITEM NUMBER SIX.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? THERE IS A SECOND.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER SIX? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER SIX, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, COUNSEL TO ACCEPT THE BE WELL GRANT FOR THE PERIOD PERIOD OF JANUARY 1ST, 2026 TO AUGUST 31ST, 2027.

MR. CITY

[7. Council to accept the BeWell Grant for the period of, January 1, 2026, to August 31, 2027]

AND THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO ACCEPT THE GRANT AWARD FROM BE WELL.

ALRIGHT.

IS THERE A MOTION, UH, FOR ITEM NUMBER SEVEN? MOVE TO APPROVE.

THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, COUNCILMAN TURNER? CAN, CAN STAFF GET SOME CONTEXT, UH, A LITTLE HISTORY BEHIND THE BE WELL PROGRAM? I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN PUT INTO PLACE FOR SOME TIME, AND I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR SOME TIME, BUT FOR CONSTITUENTS WHO MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT IT, CAN Y'ALL GIVE US A LITTLE BACKGROUND AND UPDATES IN REFERENCE TO IT? SURE.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S PUT ON THROUGH MD ANDERSON, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EXXONMOBIL LOCALLY.

MILES HANES HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS, ALONG WITH MYSELF AND, AND A FEW OTHER, UM, STAFF MEMBERS.

SO WE'VE APPLIED FOR THIS GRANT.

UM, IT'S A 10 YEAR, 10 YEAR PROCESS.

UM, THERE'LL BE THINGS GOING ON SUBSEQUENT YEARS FROM THIS.

WE'VE BEEN APPROVED FOR $70,000 FOR THE PERIOD, UM, JANUARY 1ST OF 26TH THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST OF 27.

UM, WE'VE GOT A FEW THINGS THAT WE, WE WILL DO IN ORDER TO ACCEPT THIS.

WE'RE GONNA PUT ON A FEW EVENTS IN,

[01:05:01]

IN SOME OF THE PARKS.

UM, WHETHER IT'S ACTIVATING THE PARK, HAVING SOME TYPE OF EXERCISE EVENT TO, TO PROMOTE WELLNESS, WHETHER IT'S, UH, SOMETHING OUTSIDE WHERE YOU'RE GONNA PROMOTE, YOU KNOW, SUNSCREEN, PEOPLE WEAR SUNSCREEN, THERE'S SUN AWARENESS, A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO MEET THEIR CRITERIA.

OBVIOUSLY WITH IT BEING PUT ON THROUGH MD ANDERSON, THERE'S A CANCER PREVENTION, REALLY A LEAN THAT DIRECTION.

SO WE'VE BEEN APPROVED FOR THAT.

THERE'S, EXCUSE ME, UM, NUMEROUS OTHER ENTITIES LOCALLY IN, IN BEAUMONT, AIR BEAUMONT AREA THAT ARE GETTING GRANTS AS WELL.

SO THERE'S A, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT PROBABLY AFTER 2027 THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO GET MORE.

UM, IT COULD CHANGE, MAYBE WE GO LESS, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING, LIKE I SAID, IT'S A 10 YEAR PROCESS, SO THERE'S GONNA BE SOME DIFFERENT THINGS GOING, KIND OF COMING DOWN THE PIPE THROUGHOUT THAT PERIOD.

UH, JUST TO FOLLOW UP, MR. NEIL, I KNOW IT'S A HEALTH AND WELLNESS INITIATIVE.

CAN YOU KIND OF TALK TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED OR WE, WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO WITH SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS? WELL, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO ACTIVATE THE PARK.

ONE OF THEM COULD BE, UM, WE DO LIKE AN EXERCISE DAY.

LET'S SAY WE CHOSE, AND I'LL JUST RANDOMLY PICK CENTRAL PARK.

WE GO OUT TO CENTRAL PARK AND WE SAY FOR THREE HOURS ON A SATURDAY, WE'RE GONNA HOST THIS EVENT AND WE'RE GONNA BRING PEOPLE OUT THAT CAN TEACH YOGA, STRETCHING, TAI CHI, UM, DIFFERENT TYPE OF EXERCISES.

AND WE'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT DO THESE, THESE CLASSES AT THE LAKESIDE CENTER, SO WE'LL LEAN ON THEM A LITTLE BIT.

ALSO, WE CAN GET OTHER PEOPLE THAT WORK IN OTHER PLACES IN THE CITY THAT CAN COME AND DO SOME INSTRUCTION AS WELL.

SO IT'LL GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME PARTICIPATE, BUT ALSO WE'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE OUT INFORMATION, UM, MAKE IT JUST KIND OF A FUN EVENT IN THE PARK WHERE WE, WE COULD HAVE A DJ OUT THERE.

WE CAN HAVE, UM, FOOD TRUCKS OR OTHER THINGS THAT WE CHOOSE TO DO IF, IF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WITH THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GIVEN.

YES, SIR.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

ANYTHING ELSE? I DON'T BELIEVE SO.

THANK YOU, SIR.

THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, COUNSEL TO CONSIDER AMENDING THE ORDINANCE CONTAINING THE MASTER FEE SCHEDULE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RATES.

[8. Council to consider amending the ordinance containing the Master Fee Schedule for Environmental Health rates.]

AND, AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE AMENDED ORDINANCE.

ALRIGHT, IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER EIGHT? I'LL MAKE A MOTION SECOND.

THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND.

COUNCILMAN HILLIARD, I BELIEVE WAS FIRST, BUT Y'ALL CAN FLIP A COIN IF YOU'D LIKE.

UH, ALRIGHT, THERE IS A MOTION, UH, THERE AND A SECOND FOR ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YES.

COUNCILMAN DURIO.

SO THESE AMENDED RATES, HOW'S THAT GONNA AFFECT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET AS FAR AS TO TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM YOUR BUDGET? OR IS IT GONNA ADD MONEY TO YOUR BUDGET? IS IT GONNA MAKE YOU, WHAT I'M ASKING IS GONNA MAKE YOU HARD TO OPERATE BY LOSING THESE FUNDS OR IS GONNA MAKE IT EASIER BECAUSE YOU'LL BE GAINING FUNDS? WELL, IT'S NOT GONNA NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, TAKE AWAY FROM THE OPERATION OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

THOSE, UH, TIERED RATES GONNA BE? SO TO ANSWER, GO BACK AND ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.

ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WELL, UM, AGAIN, WITH THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL 10 0 8, UM, AS I STATED IN THE WORK SECTION, OCTOBER THE SEVENTH, IT'S JUST DUE TO, UM, AGENCIES, WE CAN NO LONGER PERMIT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DEPARTMENT IS LOSING ROUGHLY AROUND $40,000 IN REVENUE PER YEAR.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS, IT'S, IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE LOSING ANYTHING, IT'S JUST WITH THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL 10 0 8, WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.

IT'S JUST THE LAW.

SO WE JUST SUBMIT THIS IS TO, UM, DO WHAT SENATE BILL EIGHT'S TELLING US TO DO.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THIS.

IT'S TO ADJUST TO THE, WELL THE SENATE BILL.

IT, IT, IT LETS YOU KNOW, AS I STATED BEFORE, THIS IS THE FEES THAT THE STATE CHARGES.

MM-HMM .

WE COULD GO ALIGN WITH THE STATE OR WE CAN GO LOWER WITH THE STATE.

AND SO THIS IS TO, UM, I GUESS FIND THAT MEDIUM GROUND TO, TO HELP BUSINESSES, UH, BE ABLE TO OPERATE AS WELL.

AND, AND SO JUST WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE

[01:10:01]

UH, IN A PREVIOUS COUNCIL SESSION, COUNCIL APPROVED THE INCREASE OF FEES, UM, ESSENTIALLY A NEW PERMITTING FEE, UM, THAT WAS APPLIED ACROSS THE BOARD.

UM, AND THEN AT THE REQUEST OF COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW AND COUNCILMAN HILLIARD, THE ITEM WAS BROUGHT BACK AND REVISITED.

AND AT THAT TIME IT WAS ASKED THAT, UH, STAFF CONSIDER, UM, A MORE A BUSINESS FRIENDLY APPROACH SO THAT IT WAS NOT HARMFUL, UM, TO INDIVIDUALS SPECIFICALLY, UM, BUSINESSES WHO HAD EXISTING PERMITS AS WELL AS, UM, BUSINESSES WHO ARE PARTICIPATING AND, UM, VENDOR EVENTS FOR CHARITY.

SO, UH, THAT BEING SAID, WE, UH, DISCUSSED CHANGING THE TIER FEES.

SO NOW A BUSINESS WHO PAYS FOR A PERMIT FEE THAT IS NOW INCLUDED IN THEIR, THE INSPECTION COST IS NOW INCLUDED IN THEIR PERMANENT FEE.

SO THE PERMITTING FEE DID INCREASE BY $75 TO ACCOMMODATE THE INSPECTION COSTS.

ANYONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE A PERMIT WILL NOW PAY A INSPECTION COST OF ONE 50.

SO WHAT THAT DOES IS IT ALLOWS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WHO, WHO'S APPLIED FOR A PERMIT TO ALREADY INCLUDE THAT SERVICE IN THERE, THAT INSPECTION SERVICE IN THEIR PERMITTING COST FOR SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE A PERMIT, THEY WILL PAY ESSENTIALLY A HIGHER COST BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T INSPECTED THEIR BUSINESS, WE DON'T RESPECT THEIR BUSINESS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

WE DON'T PERMIT THEIR BUSINESS.

THEY'LL PAY HIGHER COSTS FOR AN INSPECTION.

SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT IT DOES.

THE SECOND THING IS IT, UH, ALLOWS FOR A TIERED PERMITTING FEE AT THE REQUEST OF COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW WHO SAID IT'S UNFAIR FOR SOMEONE WHO'S PARTICIPATING IN A 10 DAY LONG EVENT TO PAY THE SAME THING AS SOMEONE WHO'S, UH, PARTICIPATING IN A ONE DAY EVENT.

AND SO NOW THE TIERED FEES FOR THAT IS ANYONE WHO'S PARTICIPATING IN AN EVENT, UM, THAT'S BETWEEN ONE AND FIVE DAYS WILL PAY $22.

ANYONE PARTICIPATING BETWEEN FIVE AND 10 DAYS EVENT WILL PAY $32.

AND ANYONE PARTICIPATING IN AN EVENT LONGER THAN 10 DAYS WILL PAY $52.

I'M LOOKING THAT WAY BECAUSE I DON'T DO MATH THAT WELL, .

AND SO I'M TRYING TO, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE DEDUCTION AND THE FEES.

YEAH.

SO I BELIEVE THAT, THAT, I BELIEVE THAT THOSE ARE RIGHT.

SO IT'S NOW A TIER FEE SCHEDULE.

SO SOMEONE WHO'S PARTICIPATING, LET'S SAY AT THE FAIR, WHICH IS A TWO WEEK, UH, EVENT, MOST CASES RIGHT, WILL PAY $52 AND SOMEONE WHO'S PARTICIPATING, UM, IN THE TASTE OF THE TRIANGLE, FOR EXAMPLE, WILL PAY 22.

AND THOSE ARE FOR THE PERMITS THAT THOSE FEES, THOSE, THOSE ARE THE PERMANENT FEES? YES, SIR.

AND, AND LIKE AT THE FAIR, NOW THE, THE STATE IS GONNA COME IN AND DO THE INSPECTIONS.

NO, NO.

CITY OF BEAUMONT WOULD STILL DO THE INSPECTION.

THEY WILL, YES, SIR.

SO WHAT DID THE EXACTLY, Y'ALL, SO THE STATE, WHAT EXACTLY DID THE STATE TAKE OVER DOING? THE STATE, THE STATE, WHAT THE STATE TOOK AWAY IS SPECIAL EVENT PERMITTING, SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS AND AGENCIES THAT IS GOVERNED BY THE STATE.

FOR EXAMPLE, DAYCARES, NURSING HOMES, ASSISTED LIVING HOMES.

THEY'RE REGULATED BY THE STATE.

SO SINCE THEY'RE REGULATED BY THE STATE, THEN THE STATE OVERSEES THAT INSPECTION NOW, BUT THE STATE, BUT NOW, IF ONE OF THOSE NURSING HOME CALL US TO DO AN INSPECTION ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS FOOD ESTABLISHMENT RULE, WE CAN CHARGE THEM $150 FOR AN INSPECTION FEE.

SO WHY WOULD THAT HAPPEN, FOR EXAMPLE? SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE INSPECT, THE SCHOOLS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE PERMITTED, BUT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE AN INSPECTION.

SO SCHOOLS WHO DO NOT HAVE PERMITS WILL PAY ONE 50.

A DAYCARE OR A NURSING HOME MAY REQUIRE A LOCAL INSPECTION, MEANING THEY REQUIRE ONE FROM THE CITY AND THE STATE FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES.

AND SO IT, IN THOSE CASES, BECAUSE WE DON'T PERMIT THEM, THEY WOULD ALSO PAY ONE 50.

HOWEVER, A RESTAURANT LOCATED IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT THAT ALREADY IS PERMITTED WILL ONLY PAY A PERMIT FEE FOR THEIR PERMIT FEE.

TO CHARGE GIRLS HAVEN, NOR ANY OF SAY, THE INDIVIDUAL GUMBO VENDORS FEES? YEAH, WE DO HAVE SOME CLARITY ON THAT.

ALL RIGHT.

COUNCILMAN KHAW? UH, THANK YOU.

AND THANK YOU, ADE.

YOU DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF EXPLAINING THAT.

AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THE, UH, AMENDED CHANGES AS THEY, UH, THEY REFLECT, UH, UH, ALL OF MY, UH, CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED BY SOME OF OUR, UH, LOCAL, UH, RESTAURANT, UH, INDIVIDUALS.

AND, UH, MY ONLY, UH, CLARIFICATION IS ON, UM, CHARITY EVENTS, UH, LET'S SAY ON, UM, THE, UH, GIRLS HAVEN GUMBO EVENT.

THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, I THINK, UH, VERY SOON, MAYBE THIS WEEKEND.

UM, MR. COLEMAN ARE, UH, ARE WE NOW CLEAR THAT, UH, THE CHANGE IN THE STATE LAW DOES NOT ALLOW THE CITY

[01:15:01]

UH, AND I RECEIVED THE EMAIL, AND I'M GONNA READ IT THIS MORNING OR THIS AFTERNOON, FROM, UH, THE STATE AND IT READS UNDER DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, EACH TEMPORARY EVENT ESTABLISHMENT, EXAMPLE, BOOTH 10 UNIT OPERATOR SHALL OBTAIN A PERMIT, A TEMPORARY FOOD ESTABLISHMENT OPERATOR THAT IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IS EXEMPT FROM PERMITTING FEES UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT OPERATE TEMPORARY FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS AT AN EVENT, SOCIAL GATHERING, SPORTING EVENT, UH, OTHER SPECIAL EVENT ORGANIZED BY A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS OR NOT EXEMPT FROM PERMITTING FEES.

SO THE CITY THEN IS GONNA PREPARE TO CHARGE VENDORS AT, UH, THE GUMBO COOKOFF AN INSPECTION FEE, $22.

SO, UH, THE DISTINCTION WOULD BE, LET'S SAY THE FAIR.

UH, YOU HAVE A NONPROFIT THAT PUTS ON THE FAIR YMBL, AND THEN YOU HAVE VENDORS THAT COME TO THE FAIR RIGHT? TO SELL THEIR FOOD FOR PROFIT.

MM-HMM .

UH, SO CLEARLY THE VENDORS AT THE FAIR HAVE TO PAY THE TEMPORARY FEE, UH, BUT FOR, UH, TEAMS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE GIRLS HAVEN GUMBO, UH, OBVIOUSLY GIRLS HAVEN IS A NONPROFIT, AND THESE ARE TEAMS THAT ARE VOLUNTEERING TO SUBMIT THEIR GUMBO IN THE GUMBO COOKOFF.

UH, AND THESE ARE NOT FOR PROFIT TEAMS. SOME OF THEM ARE WELL, BUT YOU DON'T PAY FOR THE GUMBO AT THE GIRLS HAVEN GUMBO EVENT.

I'M JUST, I'M JUST READING FROM THE STATE.

SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY MADE A DISTINCTION.

SO WE SPECIFICALLY ASKED, UM, THE STATE WHETHER OR NOT A VENDOR PARTICIPATING AT A NONPROFIT EVENT HAD TO GET A PERMIT.

AND THE, THE RESPONSE WAS, UNLESS THAT VENDOR IS A NONPROFIT, THEN YES, THEY DO.

SO EXXONMOBIL PARTICIPATING AT THE GIRLS HAVEN, COOKOFF OR VALERO PARTICIPATING AT THE GIRLS HAVEN, COOKOFF WOULDN'T MEET THE DEFINITION.

SO THEY WOULD REQUIRE A PERMIT, BUT A CHURCH OR UNITED WAY PARTICIPATING, BECAUSE UNITED WAY IS A NONPROFIT WOULD NOT.

AND SO IT'S GONNA BE A HODGEPODGE IN ESSENTIALLY LIKE A, A DISTINCT DIFFERENCE BECAUSE A NONPROFIT, REGARDLESS OF THEY'RE OPERATING AS THE HOST OF THE EVENT OR A PARTICIPANT AT THE EVENT, IS NEVER GONNA BE REQUIRED TO GET A PERMIT BECAUSE THAT'S THE RULES THAT THEY CREATED.

BUT A INDIVIDUAL WHO IS NOT A NONPROFIT WOULD, BUT COULDN'T WE AS A CITY TAKE THE POSITION THAT IF THE PERSON, THE VENDOR AT THE EVENT IS NOT CHARGING FOR FOOD AND NOT MAKING ANY MONEY, THAT THEY ARE BASICALLY DONATING THEIR TIME AND THEIR FOOD TO MAKE THE NONPROFIT EVENT SUCCESSFUL, THAT THAT WOULD NOT REQUIRE THEM TO BUY A PERMIT SINCE THIS IS BASICALLY THEM DOING SOMETHING THAT IS A GIFT TO A NONPROFIT.

UH, AND IT'S A CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN AN EVENT PUT ON BY A NONPROFIT LIKE THE FAIR, WHERE PEOPLE ARE CHARGING INDIVIDUALS TO GET FOOD.

UH, WOULD ANYTHING IN THE LAW STOP THE CITY FROM THEN TAKING THE POSITION THAT WE CAN ALLOW EVENTS LIKE THE GIRLS HAVEN GUMBO TASTE OF TRIANGLE THAT ARE PUT ON NON BY NONPROFITS, WHERE THE INDIVIDUAL VENDORS DO NOT CHARGE A FEE OR RECEIVE ANY MONEY BECAUSE THEY ARE BASICALLY GIVING THEIR TIME AND THEIR FOOD FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE NONPROFIT EVENT, THAT THOSE EVENTS WILL NOT RECEIVE A FEE.

WHAT I THINK THAT THAT'S A, A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GIRLS HAVEN EVENT AND THE TASTE OF TRIANGLE, BECAUSE YOU PAY TO GET INTO THE TASTE OF THE TRIANGLE.

YOU DON'T, I THINK YOU ALSO PAY FOR TICKETS TO THE, UH, GUMBO.

YOU PAY FOR BOTH.

YES.

WELL THEN, THEN IT IS A, IT IS THE SAME THING.

IT'S A FAIR, EVEN IF YOU WENT TO THE FAIR AND THEY SAY THAT NO, YOU, ITS A FREE DAY, YOU'RE PAYING FOR THE FOOD, BUT TO ANSWER, WELL, YOU PAY TO GET INTO THE FAIR, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO PAY, PAY SEPARATELY FOR THE FOOD.

THEY DO A FREE DAY.

THIS IS, THE FOOD IS GIVEN AWAY.

IT'S, IT'S PART OF THE EVENT TO MAKE THE NONPROFIT EVENT SUCCESSFUL.

THE RESPONSE FROM THE STATE IS THAT THEY SHALL HAVE A PERMIT.

SO THE IT, I DIDN'T REALLY SEE A LOT OF LEEWAY IN THEM SAYING THAT, THAT THEY DIDN'T, IT SAID A NONPROFIT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE ONE AND A, FOR ANYBODY ELSE THAT DOESN'T MEET THE DEFINITION SHALL HAVE ONE.

SO IF YOU'RE ASKING IF THERE'S SOME, SOME, SOME LEEWAY, THEN I THINK WE MAY BE IN CONFLICT WITH WHAT THEY, THEY'RE A REQUIRING US TO DO.

BUT I MEAN, COUNSEL ASKED FOR A, AN OPINION FROM THE STATE, AND THAT WAS THEIR OPINION IS THAT NONPROFITS DON'T HAVE TO, BUT IT, EVERYONE ELSE DOES.

[01:20:01]

$22.

AND IT'S NOT AN INSPECTION, IT'S A PERMIT.

IT'S PERMIT YOU THAT'S BUT I'M SORRY.

OH, IT'S NOT AN INSPECTION FEE.

IT'S A TEMPORARY PERMITTING FEE, WHICH IS WHATEVER THE $22.

WELL, I WANT IT TO BE, TO BE CLEAR.

'CAUSE THE INSPECTION FEE IS ONE 50 FOR, FOR LIKE A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR A BUSINESS, IT'D BE ONE 50.

UM, WHICH IS NOT WHAT'S BEING CHARGED FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

IT'S A PERMANENT FEE FOR THE, I GUESS THE TASTE OF TRIANGLE AND THE GIRLS HAVEN WOULD BE 22 BECAUSE IT'S A ONE DAY EVENT.

UM, LIKE THE GIRL, UH, GUMBO COOKOFF, AND BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE WHEN I WAS AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

AND DO Y'ALL NOT INSPECT FOR CLEANLINESS AND SAFETY? YEAH, WE STILL, WE STILL HAVE TO INSPECT, THEY STILL HAVE TO FOLLOW THE, UH, THE GUIDELINES FOR FOOD SAFETY.

IT'S OUR JOB TO PROVIDE THEM ALL THE GUIDELINES OF FOOD SAFETY.

THAT'S I WANT TO, SO WHAT ABOUT THE, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THE GUM, IF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STILL HAS A GUMBO, UH, OR PARTICIPATES IN GIRLS HAVEN? I KNOW THEY USUALLY DO.

ARE THEY CHARGED WITH A, UH, FEE? SO THE FIRE MUSEUM IS A NONPROFIT.

SO IF FIRE FIRE MUSEUM DOES THAT, IF THE FIRE MUSEUM PARTICIPATES, NO.

IF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATES, YES.

HOW IS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT A FOR-PROFIT ENTITY? THE CITY'S NOT A, THE CITY OF BEAUMONT IS IN A 5 0 1 C3.

SO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ISN'T THEIR STANDALONE THING.

THEY'RE THEIR DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE, THEIR DIVISION WITHIN THE CITY.

SO THEY'RE NOT SEPARATE FROM THE CITY.

THE FIRE MUSEUM IN AND OF ITSELF IS A, IS A NONPROFIT.

THE FIRE MUSEUM ITSELF IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT'S LOCATED INSIDE THE FIRE MUSEUM.

SO THEY ARE SEPARATE, BUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE OTHER CITY DIVISIONS ARE DIVISIONS AND DEPARTMENTS, SUBSIDIARIES OF THE CITY.

AND THE CITY IS NOT A NONPROFIT.

WE DON'T MEET THE DEFINITION.

I WOULD, I WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT.

YOU, YOU CAN MAKE A DONATION TO A CITY AND RECEIVE A DEDUCTION FOR THAT.

THE STATE GIVES A DEFINITION OF WHAT THEY BELIEVE A NONPROFIT TO BE, IF I CAN.

AND YOU DON'T MEET THE DEFINITION OF A NONPROFIT, A ANY CIVIC OR FRATERNAL ORGANIZATION, CHARITY, LARGE ASSOCIATION, PROATIVE CORPORATION OR CHURCH, NOT MEETING THE DEFINITION OF A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION SHALL OBTAIN A PERMIT.

AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD NOT MEET THAT DEFINITION.

I BELIEVE MR. COLEMAN HAS THE, THE FULL DEFINITION.

BUT, BUT WE DON'T MEET THE DEFINITION.

SO IT'S, IT'S NOT A IF THEN, OR IT'S, WE JUST DON'T MEET THE DEFINITION IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE IT'S NOT ITS OWN OWN STANDALONE THING.

IT DOESN'T, IT IS NOT A LEGAL ENTITY.

IT LE LEGALLY DOES NOT EXIST WITHOUT THE CITY.

IT LACKS THE CAPACITY TO OPERATE ON ITS OWN, THEREFORE, IT HAS TO STAND ON THE UMBRELLA OF THE CITY WOULD NOT BE THE DEFINITION OF A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION.

NEITHER DOES THE CITY.

NOW YOU DO HAVE SOME NONPROFITS THAT'S PARTICIPATING IN THE GIRLS HAVEN, COOKOFF, BUT THEY'RE NOT BEING CHARGED.

THE ELK'S LODGE IS NOT GONNA BE CHARGED BECAUSE THEY MEET THE DEFINITION PROVIDED BY THE STATE.

WHAT IS A NONPROFIT? WELL, MR. COLVIN, I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT WITH ALL THESE NEW CHANGES THAT WE ARE STILL DOING OUR JOB TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT BY INSPECTING FOR SAFETY, SAFETY AND CLEANLINESS.

THAT'S, THAT'S THE PRIMARY GOAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH.

TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION.

IT, TO ME, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE FEES, IT'S ABOUT THE HEALTH AND THE SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT, IN AMERICA, ACCORDING TO CDC, YOU HAVE 48 MILLION PEOPLE GET SICK PER YEAR.

128,000 END UP IN A HOSPITAL.

AND WE TALKING ABOUT ROUGHLY AROUND 3000 PEOPLE DIE PER YEAR FROM FOODBORNE ILLNESSES.

SO TO ME, IT'S ABOUT THE HEALTH AND THE SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS.

THAT'S MY PRIMARY GOAL.

EXPECTS ARE TO PREVENT THAT.

OF COURSE, IT IS, IT IS TO ENSURE FOOD INTEGRITY.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, SIR, WITH ALL THIS NO SIR.

CHANGES GOING ON.

COUNCILMAN GRENSHAW AND, AND I, I HOPE MY COMMENTS ARE NOT CONSTRUED TO THINK THAT I'M IN ANY WAY DISCOURAGING FOOD SAFETY OR INSPECTIONS.

MY ISSUE IS, IS THE PREVIOUS PLAN OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS TO GO FROM CHARGING $200, $220 LAST YEAR FOR TASTE OF TRIANGLE TO NEARLY $4,700 THIS YEAR.

AND THAT CREATES A DISINCENTIVE FOR LOCALS, BUSINESSES, AND RESTAURANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN TASTE OF TRIANGLE.

IF THEIR FEES NOW GO FROM 200 TO NEARLY $5,000, I THINK THAT THAT IS WRONG.

AND THAT WAS THE POINT OF MY INQUIRY IS BECAUSE THAT DISCOURAGES THOSE EVENTS AND MAYBE MAKES INDIVIDUALS NOT PARTICIPATE IN THEM.

AND I DO NOT THINK THAT THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THE CHANGE IN THE LAW WITH THE STATE WAS TO DRASTICALLY INCREASE THE FEES.

THE CHANGE IN THE LAW WAS PUSHED BY THE

[01:25:01]

THE TASTE OF THE TRIANGLE IS PUT ON BY THE SABINE AREA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, A DIVISION OF THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION.

SO IT MAKES NO SENSE FOR THIS LAW TO HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED IN PASSED AT THE REQUEST OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S NOW GONNA HAVE THEIR FEES FOR A SMALL EVENT IN BEAUMONT GO FROM $200 TO $5,000.

YOU CAN STILL PUT ON THAT EVENT, AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CAN INSPECT IT AND PROVIDE THAT SERVICE SO THAT THE FOOD IS SAFE FOR EVERYONE TO EAT WITHOUT INCREASING THE FEES FROM $220 TO NEARLY 5,000.

IF, IF, IF, IF, IF I MAY GO AHEAD, MR. COLEMAN, BACK IN OCTOBER WHEN I CAME BEFORE THIS COUNCIL TO DO THE WORK SESSION ON THE CHANGE WITH TEXAS SEND BILL 10 0 8.

AND WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT PERMITTING AND FEES, LOCALS JURISDICTIONS CANNOT HAVE A PERMIT THAT THE STATE NO LONGER HAVE THE TASTE OF THE TRIANGLE.

PRIOR TO TEXAS SENATE BILL 10 0 8 PASSING, THEY WOULD COME AND APPLY FOR WHAT WE CALL A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT.

AND SO THE TASTE OF THE TRIANGLE WOULD APPLY FOR THE PERMIT, AND THEN ALL THE VENDORS WOULD FALL UNDERNEATH THAT ONE PERMIT THAT NO LONGER, WE CAN NO LONGER DO THAT.

THE STATE NO LONGER OFFERS ONE PERMIT TO COVER A WHOLE EVENT.

SO IT'S NOT US THAT CHANGED.

IT'S THE LAW THAT CHANGED.

AND THE LAW STATES THAT IF YOU ARE NOT, BY DEFINITION IS A NONPROFIT, AND IT GIVES THE DEFINITION OF A NONPROFIT THAT YOU HAVE TO APPLY FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL PERMIT.

AND SO YOUR FIGURES, IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE GOING FROM 200 TO 5,000, IT'S JUST THAT EACH RESTAURANT THAT PARTICIPATES IN A TASTE OF A TRIANGLE, EACH INDIVIDUAL BOOTH WOULD PAY $22 FOR A PERMIT.

BUT YOU WANTED TO DO 52, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE STATE CHARGES.

WE WERE JUST BENDING LOT WITH THE STATE MADE.

YOU SOLD THAT TO US AS SAYING THAT WE, THE CITY HAD TO CHARGE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE STATE SAID.

AND THAT'S NOT WHAT THE STATE SAID.

NO, THAT'S, THANK YOU.

WELL, COUNCILMAN TURNER, JUST MAN THE COUNCIL, WE, OUR JOB IS TO GIVE DIRECTION, RIGHT? STAFF IS EXECUTION.

I APPRECIATE THE EXECUTION OF THE DIRECTION GAVE BY SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.

UH, WE MADE ADJUSTMENTS, COUNCIL MEMBERS MADE SUGGESTIONS.

WE GETTING TO A LANDING SPOT.

AND I SEE THE FEE HAS DECREASED AT ROUGHLY HOW MANY VENDORS IS IT IN? TASTE THE TRIANGLE? UH, ANYWHERE BETWEEN 40 TO 45.

ALL RIGHT.

SO FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WITH THE NEW FEE CHANGES, YOU KNOW, SHOUT OUT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.

WE ARE LOOKING AT ABOUT, I'D JUST SAY ROUGHLY 43 AT $22.

THAT'S ABOUT 946.

SO IT DID DECREASE IT SIGNIFICANTLY.

I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT COUNCIL GAVE WELL, COUNCIL GAVE DIRECTION AND STAFF WENT EXECUTED IT.

AND I APPRECIATE BOTH SIDES WORKING TOGETHER.

I'M JUST LOOKING TO GET A SOLUTION TO MOVE ON.

YES.

THANK, THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD, I DON'T WANNA BELABOR THE POINT, BUT LET US BE CLEAR.

ORIGINALLY THIS $52 THAT YOU PRESENTED TO US, WHO VOTED TO APPROVE THAT IS, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY RECORD OF THAT? ORIGINALLY IT WAS UNANIMOUS.

I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR ON THAT.

NOW, ARE WE READY TO VOTE? THERE'S NOT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS? ALRIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER NINE, COUNCIL, CONSIDER REQUEST TO AMEND CHAPTER 18.

[9. Council consider a request to amend Chapter 18, Article 18.03 Hotel Occupancy Tax, Section 28.03.023 Permitted Uses and adopt Section 28.04.009 Short-Term Rentals (STR) into the City of Beaumont Code of Ordinances.]

ARTICLE 18.03, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX SECTION 28.03, 0.023, PERMITTED USES AND ADOPT SECTION 28.0 4.009, SHORT TERM RENTALS, STR INTO THE CITY OF BEAUMONT CODE OF ORDINANCES.

AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE ALL APPROVED.

THERE IS A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD TO APPROVE, UH, ITEM NUMBER NINE.

LEASES AT, UH, RESIDENTIAL HOMES, BUT, UM, IF IT, BASICALLY THE DEFINITION OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL IS 30 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OR LESS.

THERE IS A MOTION IN A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER NINE.

AND COUNCILMAN TURNER, YOUR QUESTION, I HAD A CITIZEN CALL ME PRIOR TO THE MEETING AND THEY INQUIRED ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE OPENLY PROMOTING RENTING ROOMS IN THEIR HOMES.

IT MAY NOT BE ON AIRBNB, BUT THEIR RENTING ROOMS IN, IN NEIGHBORHOODS.

DOES THIS APPLY TO PEOPLE RENTING ROOMS OR JUST AIRBNB? THE CITY DOESN'T GET INTO

[01:30:01]

SO ANYTHING BEYOND 30 DAYS WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A SHORT-TERM RENTAL.

UM, IF THEY'RE LEASING, UM, A ROOM IN THEIR HOME, WE WOULDN'T BE INVOLVED IN, IN THAT.

YEAH.

SO THE, THE FAMILY CODE DOES ALLOW FOR UP TO, I BELIEVE, FOUR UNRELATED INDIVIDUALS.

THREE, THREE AND UNRELATED INDIVIDUALS.

SO LIVE EACH OTHER.

THIS WOULD BE LIKE A ROOMMATE SCENARIO.

SO WE WOULDN'T, THAT WOULD FILE OUTSIDE OF OUR, THE CITY'S PURVIEW TO REGULATE.

AND JUST THE FOLLOW UP ON THAT CITIZEN'S CONCERN IS WHEN THEY BUY HOMES AND RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT LOOKING TO BE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY'RE RAISING THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR KIDS.

AND YOU GOT PEOPLE WHO ARE RENTING OUT ROOMS AND, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE RANDOM PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, HEAVY TRAFFIC CONSISTENTLY.

SO THAT'S A CONCERN THAT I GOT.

AND I SAID I WOULD ASK ABOUT IT AND ADDRESS IT, BUT IF THE CITY, IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO IN REFERENCE TO THAT? UN UNFORTUNATELY, , THE FAMILY CREW IS KIND OF VERY STRICT ON THAT IN THE CITY.

UH, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS OFFLINE IF YOU LIKE.

THE CITY WAS INVOLVED IN SOME VERY HEAVY LITIGATION, UM, SURROUNDING A SIMILAR ISSUE.

SO, UM, SOMEONE'S INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL PROPERTY, THEIR HOMESTEAD IS, IT'S, IS THEIR PREROGATIVE ON HOW TO USE IT, OBVIOUSLY.

UM, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT AN ILLEGAL USE, RIGHT? SO, UM, YOU WANNA RENT A ROOM, GREAT.

YOU WANNA BUILD A METH LAB, NOT GREAT.

UM, SO, SO WE'RE LIMITED IN HOW WE GET TO REGULATE AND, AND, AND, AND LOOK AT THAT.

UM, AND SO, UH, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN ABOUT LIKE NOT WANTING TO LIVE NEXT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, A, A NON WOULD, SOMEONE WOULD SAY NON-TRADITIONAL FAMILY, RIGHT? IF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHO'S MOVING NEXT DOOR, IF THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A CYCLE OF PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT ON, ON A REGULAR BASIS.

UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY HAS A FULL STRONG NUMBER BECAUSE IT WOULD BE, UH, CONFLICTING WITH THE STATE LAW.

SO EVEN IF IT'S SIMILAR TO A HALFWAY HOUSE SITUATION, AND I KNOW WE PROBABLY COULD TALK ABOUT IT MORE OFFLINE, BUT LET'S ABOUT THAT ONE OFFLINE.

COOL.

THAT ONE'S REAL SENSITIVE TO ME.

UH, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT ONE OFFLINE.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS, THEN COUNCILMAN HILLARD, AND THEN COUNCILMAN DURIO.

SO JUST TO BE ANYTHING BEYOND 30 DAYS WOULDN'T GET COLLECTED THEN.

I MEAN, IF SOMEONE SIGNS UP BEYOND 30 DAYS WOULD BE CONSIDERED, UM, A HOTEL OR IT WOULD BE, UM, A, UH, LIKE A LEASE.

LIKE A SHORT, LIKE A SHORT TERM LEASE? YEAH.

A RENT A PLATFORM THAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.

RIGHT.

SO, UH, IF LET'S JUST SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ARE GONNA COME AND YOU, AND DO, LET'S JUST USE GALVESTON, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THAT'S A, A GOOD CONCEPT.

SOMEONE GOES OUT THERE AND THEY'RE GONNA STAY THERE FOR THE WEEK FOR, FOR EACH WEEK.

THAT'S ONE THING.

AS OPPOSED TO THEM, I'M GONNA WORK OUT THERE AND I'M GONNA LIVE THERE FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, RIGHT? SO NOW IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT AVENUE.

I'M, I'M GONNA DO A SHORT TERM LEASE AS OPPOSED TO, OR MAYBE JUST MAYBE NOT TWO YEARS, THREE MONTHS, AS OPPOSED TO JUST KIND OF GOING OUT THERE FOR, FOR VACATION.

SO SAME THING WOULD BE IN BOWMAN IF SOMEONE CAME AND THEY'RE GONNA BE HERE FOR MURAL FEST AND THEY'RE GONNA STAY IN THE WEEKEND IN SOMEONE'S, UM, HOME FROM MURAL FEST, AS OPPOSED TO THEY'RE GONNA COME, YOU KNOW, DO WORK AT THE REFINERY FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN HILLIARD? UH, DEMI, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.

I, I KNOW Y'ALL WORKED HARD ON THIS AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

UM, MY QUESTION IS WHEN, WHO, WHO COLLECTS THE FEES AND, AND WHO ARE THEY SENT TO? UH, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT HOT TAX FEES OR PERMIT FEES PER WELL, THE HOT TAX, HOT TAX FEES WOULD BE UNDER FINANCE AND, UH, THE CVV.

UM, SO I'LL LET THEM, UH, I'LL, I'LL DEFER TO THEM ON THAT, BUT PERMIT, UH, COLLECTION THAT WOULD HAPPEN AT THE SECOND FLOOR.

UM, AND WE HAVE AN ONLINE PORTAL, SO EVERYTHING TYPICALLY OUR, OUR CASH HANDLING IS ONLINE.

ALL OF OUR TAX DEPOSITS COME FROM THE COMPTROLLER, GENERALLY SPEAKING, AND THE, THEY'RE JUST DIRECT DEPOSITED THAT WAY.

SO WHEN WE, ON THESE AIRBNBS, WHEN WE COLLECT THE TAX, THEY'LL PAY THE TAX DIRECTLY TO THE STATE COMPTROLLER AND THE COMPTROLLER WILL THEN SEND IT TO US? YES, YES, YES.

I DON'T, OH YES.

I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S ANY DIFFERENT THAN SALES TAX.

AND LOVELY, UM, JUDICIAL ORDERS AS IT RELATES TO THOSE.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS.

SO, UH, DEMIO, WHAT DO YOU KYLE, ABOUT WHAT COUNCILMAN TURNER WAS TALKING ABOUT? 'CAUSE I RECEIVED CALLS ALSO.

DOES THIS APPLY OUT TO BOARDING HOUSES? LET'S TALK ABOUT IT OFFLINE.

YEAH, HAPPY TO, HAPPY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.

IT WOULD, IT WOULD'VE TO FALL IN THAT DEFINITION OF LESS THAN 30 DAYS.

YES.

UM, GROUP HOMES, BOARDING HOMES, SOBER HOUSES ARE REGULATED COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY.

UM, AND THERE'S SOME EXTENSIVE, UM, LITIGATION AND, UM, DO, DO THEY HAVE TO BE REPORTED TO THE CITY IF THEY'RE OPERATING? THAT'S ONE OF THOSE.

THERE'S LITIGATION AND CONSENT DECREES

[01:35:01]

AND I'M HAPPY TO, TO SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH YOU AND COUNCILMAN TURNER, UM, TO DISCUSS THOSE AT LENGTH.

YEAH, IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA TO DISCUSS ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER NINE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER 10? COUNCIL, CONSIDER SPECIFIC USE PERMIT TO ALLOW DUPLEX WITHIN AN RES RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT FOR A PROPERTY LOCATED AT 6 9 8 SHELL ROAD AND IT WAS APPROVED BY P AND Z ON THE NINE OH VOTE WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITION.

MR. CITY MANAGER,

[10. Council consider a Specific Use Permit to allow a duplex within an R-S (Residential Single-Family Dwelling) District for property located at 690 Shell Road.]

CONSTRUCTION PLANS MUST MEET ALL REQUIREMENTS FOR WATER, UTILITIES FOR WATER AND SANITARY SEWER SERVICES, INCLUDING ANY REQUIREMENTS OF THE CITY'S BACKFLOW PRE-TREATMENT AND OUR FALL PROGRAM.

ALRIGHT, IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER 10? MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

IS THERE A SECOND FOR ITEM NUMBER 10? SECOND.

THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR ITEM NUMBER 10.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER 10, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER 11? COUNCIL, CONSIDER REZONING FROM RAS RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT TO GC MD TWO.

THE OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS CARRIED.

[11. Council consider a Rezoning from R-S (Residential Single-Family Dwelling) District to GC-MD-2 (General Commercial Multiple-Family Dwelling-2) District for property located at 5430 Concord Road.]

GENERAL COMMERCIAL MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLING TWO DISTRICT FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 54 30 CONCORD ROAD AND IT COMES WITH THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION OR APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE.

MOVE TO APPROVE.

SECOND, IT IS BEEN MOVED.

AND SECOND TO APPROVE.

UH, ITEM NUMBER 11, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 11? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER 11, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER 12, COUNCIL CONSIDERATE A REZONING FROM AR, AGRICULTURAL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT TO RS RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1 2 4 30 KEITH ROAD.

BE OPPOSED.

THE MOTION IS CARRIED.

MR. CITY

[12. Council consider a Rezoning from A-R (Agricultural-Residential) District to R-S (Residential Single-Family Dwelling) District for property located at 12430 Keith Road.]

AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE.

IS THERE A MOTION FOR ADAM? NUMBER 12 APPROVAL.

IS THERE A SECOND FOR ITEM NUMBER 12? SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR ITEM NUMBER 12.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPRO.

ITEM NUMBER 12, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

MR. CITY MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER 13? COUNCIL CONSIDER RESULTING FROM RS RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT TO GC MD TWO, GENERAL COMMERCIAL MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLING TWO DISTRICT FOR TIES LOCATED AT 32 0 9, 32 11, AND 32 13 SHANNON AVENUE.

[13. Council consider a Rezoning from R-S (Residential Single-Family Dwelling) District to GC-MD-2 (General Commercial Multiple-Family Dwelling-2) District for properties located at 3209, 3211 and 3213 Shannon Avenue.]

AND IT COMES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE.

IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER 13? MOVE TO APPROVE.

THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 13.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER 13, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

GONNA DO COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS AND, UH, COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW, NO COMMENT.

ALRIGHT, AT THIS POINT WE'RE

[COUNCIL COMMENTS]

THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD.

UM, I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, POLICE HIRING THAT RECENTLY OPENED UP.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY, UM, DEADLINES OR DATES ON WHEN THE NEW HIRES WILL BE TAKING PLACE FROM THE NEW POLICE APPLICANTS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED.

DO WE HAVE ANY UPDATE ON THAT? I'LL HAVE TO CHECK ON THAT.

LOT OF, UH, DRAINAGE PROJECTS AND PIPE BURSTING PROJECTS, INCLUDING ON GRAND STREET, MAGNOLIA STREET, AND PINE STREET.

UM, OUTSIDE OF THAT, CONGRATULATIONS WARD THREE.

WE ARE MAKING SOME PROGRESS AS FAR AS DRAINAGE IS CONCERNED.

UM, THERE ARE A

[01:40:01]

SO I'M EXCITED TO, UM, TALK ABOUT THAT.

WE DID GET SOME EXPECTED COMPLETION DATES AS EARLY AS JUNE OF 2026.

SO GOOD, GOOD JOB.

WHAT THREE, HERE WE GO.

HERE'S TO MOVING FORWARD.

UM, ON ANOTHER NOTE, I'D LIKE TO SAY THIS.

SO SINCE I GOT ON COUNCIL, I'VE BEEN, UM, INTERESTED IN WORKING TOGETHER WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND MOVING PAST ANYTHING PETTY AND COMMUNICATING WITH MY COLLEAGUES TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE THAT I MAY BE ABLE TO BE OF.

AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES AGAINST THE BEHEST OF SOME OF MY BASE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT REAL LEADERSHIP ISN'T JUST WITH GOING WITH THE BASE, BUT OFTENTIMES MAYBE HAVING THEM SEE IT, SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

MAYBE THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT WRONG.

MAYBE I NEED TO OFFER THEM SOME PERSPECTIVE ON LOOKING AT THINGS ANOTHER WAY.

SO BEFORE I ACTUALLY BEGIN MY COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS, I'D LIKE TO KIND OF ASK THIS COUNCIL AND THIS COMMUNITY A FEW THINGS.

WHEN DID GOOD BECOME BAD? WHEN DID PROGRESS SUDDENLY TURNED INTO A PROBLEM? AND TELL ME, WHEN DID THE EMPLOYEES GET TO START TELLING THE BOSSES WHAT TO DO? IN MY LINE OF WORK? MY, MY EMPLOYEES DO NOT TELL LADONNA SHERWOOD WHAT TO DO.

OKAY? NOW LET ME BE CRYSTAL CLEAR.

THAT'S RIDICULOUS AND IT'S BACKWARDS AND EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM KNOWS THAT.

SO I AM GRATEFUL THAT WE DISCUSSED ETHICS AND DECORUM TODAY BECAUSE HONESTLY, I THINK SOME OF US HAVE FORGOTTEN WHAT EITHER ONE OF THEM LOOKS LIKE.

AND THERE'S BEEN SOME RECENT GRANDSTANDING AND CALLING FOR THE RESIGNATION OF THE FIRE CHIEF AND ASSISTANT CHIEF.

AND THAT'S NOT COURAGE AND THAT'S NOT ACCOUNTABILITY.

AND IT'S PURE AND SIMPLY A DISPLAY OF WILLFUL IGNORANCE ABOUT THE RULES, THE LAW, THE CITY CHARTER THAT ACTUALLY GOVERNS THIS BODY.

AND LET'S BE CLEAR, A CALL FOR SOMEBODY'S RESIGNATION OR FOR THEM TO BE FIRED.

THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE BOTH PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY.

IT'S NOT OKAY.

WE DON'T GET TO WAKE UP AND REWRITE THE CHARTER BECAUSE WE'RE IN OUR FEELINGS OR BECAUSE WE'RE DOING OTHER PEOPLE'S BIDDING.

WE DO NOT GET TO SOW SEEDS OF CHAOS BECAUSE WE WANT ATTENTION.

AND WE CERTAINLY DO NOT GET TO DRAG EMPLOYEES THROUGH THE MUD BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROGRESS THAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM.

INSTEAD OF SAYING, GOOD JOB OR CONGRATULATIONS, OR LET'S KEEP PROGRESS GOING.

SOME OF US CHOOSE TO LIGHT A MATCH AND SET THE ROOM ON FIRE, CREATING DRAMA AND DIVISION AND CHAOS AND NONSENSE THAT THIS CITY DID NOT ASK FOR AND DOES NOT DESERVE.

IT'S UNFORTUNATE.

IT'S UNTHANKFUL, IT'S UNHOLY, IT'S UNGODLY, AND IT'S COMPLETELY OUT OF ORDER.

AND THAT'S NOT LEADERSHIP, THAT'S NOT PROFESSIONALISM, AND THAT'S NOT SERVICE.

IN FACT, I THINK IT'S MALPRACTICE, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

SO I'VE EXTENDED GRACE THE FIRST TIME THAT I WAS ASKED TO BE A FOURTH VOTE, THAT GRACE HAS BEEN EXPIRED.

SO I'M GOING TO SAY THIS UNAPOLOGETICALLY.

I'M CALLING FOR THE CENSURE OF MIKE WILLIAMS AND JOY HILLIARD FOR OUR CONDUCT, UNBECOMING OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.

THE ACTIONS HAVE VIOLATED THE SPIRIT OF THE CHARTER, THE EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR OFFICE, THE BASIC STANDARDS OF DECORUM THAT ACTUALLY KEEP THIS GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONAL.

THE PEOPLE OF BEAUMONT EXPECT BETTER THAN CONFUSION AND ATTACKING EMPLOYEES.

UM, SO MOVING FORWARD, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD LEAVE OUR FOOLISHNESS AT THE DOOR AND PICK UP DISCIPLINE OVER DISORDER, SOLUTIONS OVER STUNTS, SERVICE OVER SPECTACLE BECAUSE THE CITY CAN'T GROW WHEN ITS LEADERS ARE TOO BUSY BURNING DOWN THE PROGRESS THAT'S IN FRONT OF THEM.

SO NOW I MAKE A MOTION TO CENSOR THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ADD THAT TO THE DECEMBER 16TH COUNCIL AGENDA.

YOU CAN EMAIL THAT IN.

WE'RE OKAY.

WE'RE NOT TAKING ANY MOTIONS AT THIS TIME.

SECOND COUNCILWOMAN, COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS. THANK YOU.

WELL, I GUESS I'LL START AT THE BOTTOM OF MY LIST.

UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE MADE A COMMENT YESTERDAY AND, AND I DON'T BELIEVE IT DID VIOLATE THE CITY CHARTER.

AND, AND I WILL SUBMIT MY POST TO RE AND AND I'D BE HAPPY TO GET HER OPINION AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, RESPECT WHAT SHE SAYS.

UM, THERE'S NOTHING PERSONAL ABOUT WHAT I SAID.

THERE'S NOTHING PETTY.

IT, IT'S, UH, ROOTED IN YEARS OF FACTS OF REALITY, OF SHORT STAFFING, OF, UH, OVERWORKED MEN AND WOMEN THAT

[01:45:01]

PROTECT US WITHIN THE CITY.

AND THAT'S WHERE IT CAME FROM.

AND WE SAW A CHANGE IN POLICY THAT HAD BEEN BEGGED FOR, FOR YEARS THAT WAS PRESENTED TO PRIOR COUNCILS AND IGNORED PUT INTO PLACE AND WORK IMMEDIATELY.

UM, I MEAN, WE LIVE IN A CITY WHERE THERE WAS OUTRAGE OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PAYMENT, UH, TO A BOND CONSULTING FIRM.

WE SHOULD BE DANCING IN THE STREETS OVER MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN OVERTIME SPENT.

AND THAT'S WHY I CALLED FOR THE CHIEF AND THE ASSISTANT CHIEFS FOR RESIGNATION.

AND I STAND BY THAT TODAY.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

COUNCILMAN TURNER? UH, YEAH, SHOUT OUT TO THE CITY OF BEAUMONT.

WE JUST RECENTLY COMPLETED OUR FIRST, UH, CITY OF BEAUMONT'S YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE.

UH, WE, WE, WE RARELY HIGHLIGHT THE POSITIVE THINGS IN THE CITY, AND WE ALWAYS FOCUS ON SOME OF THE NEGATIVE THINGS IN THE CITY.

UM, I'M JUST REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN WHAT WE ARE AS A COUNCIL.

WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO, IT WAS STATED THAT THIS COUNCIL WAS DYSFUNCTIONAL.

YOU HAD COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT CONSISTENTLY WENT AT EACH OTHER.

AND TO THINK THAT WE WERE MOVING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

THAT'S NOT TRUE.

AND IT'S NOT TRANSPARENT.

WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WE SAY, WE'RE GONNA CONDUCT THE THINGS A CERTAIN WAY.

WE'RE GONNA WORK TOGETHER, WE'RE GONNA TALK THINGS OUT.

AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

WE, WHEN I ASKED ABOUT OVERTIME YEARS AGO, I WAS INSTRUCTED THAT YOU HAVE TO EVALUATE AND ASSESS ALL DEPARTMENTS, NOT JUST SPECIFICALLY POINT OUT ONE, BECAUSE THAT ISN'T THE ONLY PART DEPARTMENT THAT HAS OVERTIME ISSUES.

AND IT'S DOCUMENTED WAS A MEETING AND ALL THE MINUTES AND EVERYTHING WAS DISCUSSED.

AND STAFF HAS BEEN PUTTING ON PLANS IN PLACE IN ORDER TO GET THINGS TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO JUST CALL OUT YOUR PAST COUNCILS, BECAUSE WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, I HONESTLY HAD THAT MENTALITY.

AND I REALIZED EVERY TIME YOU CALL OUT PEOPLE THAT YOU SAY YOU WANNA WORK WITH, YOU DON'T MAKE PROGRESS.

YOU SIT DOWN WITH 'EM, YOU DISCUSS 'EM, YOU LOOK 'EM IN THE FACE LIKE MAN, AND YOU TRY TO COME WITH A SOLUTION.

I MADE THAT SAME MISTAKE WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL.

AND I'M SAYING WITH GRACE, THAT WAS A MISTAKE I SHOULDN'T HAVE MADE.

I GOTTA LOOK PEOPLE IN THE EYES, SIT DOWN WITH 'EM, TALK WITH 'EM, AND SEE IF WE COULD COME WITH A SOLUTION TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.

AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE WHERE WE'RE AT, BUT IT'S POLITICS.

I WAS VERY HOPEFUL, UH, WHAT DIRECTION WE WERE GOING IN WHEN WE GOT A NEW COUNCIL.

I ASKED AT ONE OF THE FIRST MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE A YOUNGER COUNCIL, LET'S SHOW THE CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT THAT THEY DIDN'T MAKE A MISTAKE BY LETTING US YOUNGER PROFESSIONALS LEAD THIS CITY.

AND ON TODAY, I HAVE TO SAY, I DON'T THINK WE'VE BEEN DOING AS GOOD AS THE JOB AS A YOUNGER PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR AS WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

WHAT'S STARTING TO HAPPEN IS EVERYTHING IS LITERALLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WE HANDLE BUSINESS RIGHT HERE ON THE DIETS AS SIMPLE AS TODAY, INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN BY COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH FEES, STAFF WENT, EXECUTED THE VISION AND INSTRUCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL, AND WE CAME BACK AND VOTED AND APPROVED ON IT.

AT SOME POINT, WE GOTTA BE ABLE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER AND WORK WITH EACH OTHER, AS WE ALL SAID WE WERE GONNA DO DURING THE CAMPAIGN, SAYING WE GONNA DO SOMETHING AND WORK TOGETHER.

THEN GRANDSTANDING ON THE INTERNET AND SAYING THINGS ABOUT EACH OTHER AND SHOOTING EACH OTHER BEHIND OUR BACK AND TRYING TO ONE UP EACH OTHER TO SAY, I'M DOING BETTER THAN THIS ONE THAT'S NOT WORKING TOGETHER.

I PLAY SPORTS ALL MY LIFE.

THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO TO A PROGRAM OR A TEAM IS YOU TAKE A PLAYER THAT'S ON THAT TEAM AND THEY GET ON THERE AND DO AN INTERVIEW AFTER THE GAME AND SAY, YEAH, BECAUSE OF ME, I WON THE GAME.

YOU THINK THAT TEAMMATE GONNA WANT TO PASS YOU THE BALL AFTER THAT? YOU THINK THAT TEAMMATE GONNA WANT TO GO TO WAR WITH YOU AFTER THAT? NO, IT'S OKAY TO FIX WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN BROKEN.

WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP OPERATING THIS WAY.

BUT THE REALITY IS, IN POLITICS, YOU GOTTA BE ABLE TO ADJUST.

YOU CAN BE NICE AND FRIENDLY AND COOL, BUT IF YOU KEEP GETTING RAN OVER, YOU GOTTA BE ABLE TO

[01:50:01]

TURN THE CHEEK AND GET ON THE SAME LEVEL AS THE PEOPLE WHO HANDLE YOU THAT WAY.

I WANT TO BE CORDIAL, I WANT TO BE FRIENDLY, I WANNA WORK TOGETHER, BUT I'M WILLING TO OPERATE AND DEFEND MYSELF AND WORK WHATEVER WAY WE HAVE TO.

AS A COUNCIL, WE GOT A CHOICE TODAY.

WE CAN KEEP OPERATING THE WAY WE'VE BEEN OPERATING.

ALL WE CAN DO WHAT WE COMMITTED.

WHEN I HEARD ALL OF US CAMPAIGNING ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER, RIGHT NOW THE GRANDSTANDING ON THE INTERNET IS NOT WORKING TOGETHER.

AND I ASK THAT WE PLEASE STOP.

COUNCILMAN HILLIARD.

LEMME START BY THANKING DEMI AND THE CITY FOR THEIR HARD WORK.

THANK YOU ON ON THE PROPOSALS, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

I APPRECIATE Y'ALL.

BUT ON THIS, THIS OTHER NOTE, YOU KNOW, I WAS, I RAN AND I BELIEVE MOST OF THE NEW PEOPLE ON HERE RAN ON CHANGE.

BRINGING CHANGE TO BEAUMONT, BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, $14 MILLION WOULD FIX A LOT OF DITCHES.

$14 MILLION WOULD FIX A LOT OF SEWAGE.

$14 MILLION WOULD FIX A LOT OF DRAINAGE.

BUT EVIDENTLY IT'S, THAT'S TOO BIG OF A DEAL.

WE LOOKED AT IT FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT, WE SAID THAT FOUR YEARS, I MEAN, WE DON'T EVEN GIVE A COACH, BUT TWO YEARS IN, IN ANY CITY.

AND SO WE HAD FOUR YEARS TO FIX A PROBLEM.

I WAS ON, UH, ON THE INTERNET.

I READ THAT THERE WAS A TWO YEAR PLAN THAT THE COUNCIL WAS A PART OF.

I WAS NOT A PART OF THAT TWO YEAR PLAN THAT WOULD'VE COST THE CITY.

I'M ESTIMATING ANOTHER $12 MILLION.

MY JOB IS TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.

MY JOB IS TO LOOK OUT FOR THE 25,000 PEOPLE I REPRESENT THAT PUT ME HERE BASED ON CHANGE.

AND TO SAY THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS NOT WORKED TOGETHER.

LOOK AT THE ACHIEVEMENTS WE'VE HAD, BUT IT'S ONLY WHEN WE REALLY GET INTO THE MEAT AND POTATOES THAT EVERYBODY GETS UPSET.

THIS IS NOTHING BUT A A, A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE THING THAT WE DID.

$14 MILLION.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY TO YOU, BUT IT'S AN AWFUL LOT OF MONEY TO ME.

AND SO WE LOOKED AT IT AS FROM A BUSINESS P AND O STANDPOINT, AND WE SAID, IT'S NOT ENDING.

IT GETS WORSE EVERY YEAR.

IT WAS GETTING WORSE.

SO WE AS A COUNCIL STEPPED UP, IMPLEMENTED A PLAN, AND IN EIGHT DAYS WE HAD OVER 300 PEOPLE FROM THIS CITY AND OUR SURROUNDING CITIES APPLY TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION.

WE HAD 160 SHOW UP AND TAKE THE TEST.

WE SOLVED THE OVERTIME PROBLEM, WE SOLVED THE, NOW IT MAY TAKE A YEAR, BUT IT'S STILL GONNA SAVE US AT LEAST SIX TO $7 MILLION.

SO TO SAY THAT WE DON'T WORK TOGETHER.

WE WORK TOGETHER.

WE HAVE GOTTEN A LOT, WE ENDED THE, THE LAWSUIT ON THE FIRE.

WE FROZE WATER RATES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS.

WE HAVE DONE A LOT IN SIX MONTHS.

SO IT, IT, IT REALLY BREAKS MY HEART FOR US TO SIT UP HERE ON OUR HIGH HORSES AND SAY THAT WE'RE NOT WORKING TOGETHER BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER.

IT'S ONLY THE THINGS THAT THEY FEEL ARE IMPORTANT THAT WE WORK ON.

AND I'M SORRY, THAT'S NOT WHAT I RAN ON.

I'M NOT A POLITICIAN.

I'M A BUSINESSMAN.

AND WHAT I DID AND WHAT I'M DOING IS TO SAVE YOUR MONEY.

YOU VOTED ME IN HERE TO BE A GOOD STEWARD OF YOUR MONEY THAT YOU WORK HARD FOR.

YOU GET UP EVERY MORNING AND GO TO WORK AND YOU EARN AND IT GETS TAKEN FROM YOU.

AND WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD STEWARDS.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.

AND THAT IS WHAT MOTIVATED THIS.

AND IT'S, IT'S IT'S NUMBERS.

IT'S A BUSINESS.

WE ARE A BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT SITS OVER A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION AND IT HAS TO BE RUN THAT WAY.

WE'VE GOT TO STOP LOSING MONEY BECAUSE WE ARE TAXED TO DEATH.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CALL IT WHATEVER YOU WANT, BUT THE FACT IS, IS THAT WE AS A COUNCIL HAVE TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I AM TRYING TO DO.

SO YOU CAN ATTACK ME, YOU CAN CENSOR ME, BUT I'M DOING THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE THAT PUT ME IN OFFICE.

I SAID, I'M GONNA CHANGE GOVERNMENT.

I'M GONNA DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO CHANGE GOVERNMENT.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M DOING.

IT, IT, I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST MR. WHITE.

I THINK HE'S A AN AMAZING MAN.

I HAVE A LOT OF GOOD FRIENDS THAT ARE AMAZING PEOPLE.

BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WHEN THEY ARE NOT GOOD LEADERS OR THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO LEAD THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO, THEN AS A BUSINESSMAN, YOU MAKE A CHANGE.

85%, 85% OF 250 FIREMEN SAID, WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN OUR DEPARTMENT.

WE HAVE $14 MILLION IN OVERTIME.

THAT'S, THAT WASN'T BUDGETED THAT WE'RE PAYING.

THAT SHOULD MAKE YOU UPSET.

THAT SHOULD MAKE YOU GO, HEY, SOMETHING'S WRONG.

BUT TO SAY WE DON'T WORK TOGETHER, WE WORK TOGETHER AS LONG AS IT'S THE THINGS THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO WORK.

BUT IF WE JUMP OUTTA LINE ONE BIT,

[01:55:01]

BAM, HERE IT IS.

PEOPLE COME TALK, WE GET HAMMERED ON COUNCIL.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M GONNA STAND HERE AND I'M GONNA SAY I DID WHAT I SAID I WAS GONNA DO.

I HAVE FOLLOWED EVERYTHING THAT I CAMPAIGNED ON AND I WILL CONTINUE TO CUT WASTE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS, THIS CORPORATION RUNS SMOOTHLY FOR THE CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT AND THAT WE ARE GOOD STEWARDS OF YOUR MONEY THAT YOU WORKED HARD FOR.

THEN WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.

COUNCILMAN DURIO? YES.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

I WANTED TO PUT, UH, JUST MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS IS A DIVIDED COUNCIL.

COUNCILMAN HILLER SAID IT MORE THAN ONCE.

HE JUST SAID WE, UH, FROZE THE SENIOR CITIZENS WATER RATE.

NO, THAT WAS DONE BEFORE HE GOT ON COUNCIL.

HE'S ALWAYS ON ONLINE SAYING, MYSELF AND MIKE AND COREY, WE THE ONE THAT GOT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S HIRING PRACTICE.

NO, THAT WASN'T WORK BEFORE YOU EVEN GOT ON COUNCIL.

WE GAVE HIM A TIMELINE.

HE STUCK TO THE TIMELINE.

AND OF COURSE IT'S GONNA, UH, TAKE SOME MORE TIME BEFORE IT'S FULLY COMPLETED.

BUT THE, UH, CHIEF WHITE STUCK TO IT.

SO HE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, HE IS ME AND MIKE AND COREY, WE DIDN'T WANT THE AT AND T BUILDING.

THAT WAS THE OLD COUNCIL THROWING US UNDER THE BUS.

ME AND MIKE AND COREY, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T WANT TO FIX THE, UM, THE RIVERFRONT PARK.

WE DIDN'T WANT TO IMPROVE IT.

THAT WAS THE OLD COUNCIL CHUNKING US UNDER THE BUS ALL THE TIME AND, AND GRANDSTANDING, YOU KNOW.

AND LOOK WHAT I DID, LOOK WHAT I DID.

NOTHING ON THIS COUNCIL CAN BE DONE WITHOUT FOUR VOTES.

NOTHING.

SO THREE PEOPLE CAN'T GET ANYTHING DONE AT ALL.

SO NO, THEY, THEY WE'RE NOT WORKING TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SAYING WHAT THEY WANT AND TAKING CREDIT FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE DO ON THIS COUNCIL.

THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

THAT AND, AND THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT BECAUSE OF US THAT WERE ON HERE ALREADY BEFORE, WE DID A LOT OF HARD WORK.

WE DONE A LOT OF GREAT THINGS WHILE WE'VE BEEN ON THIS COUNCIL.

SO TO, TO KEEP THROWING, UH, THE OLD COUNCIL, BASICALLY SAYING OLD COUNCIL DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.

IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT.

AND LIKE, UH, COUNCILMAN TURNER SAID, WE GET, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE CORDIAL, WE WANT TO GET ALONG, BUT I MEAN, IF, IF YOU PUSH US BACK IN THE CORNER, SHOOT, I AIN'T NO PUNK.

I'M GONNA FIGHT BACK BOTTOM LINE.

THAT'S WHAT HAVE TO BE DONE.

YOU KNOW? SO, AND, AND, AND, UH, AND LIKE I SAID, CONSTANTLY SAYING STUFF LIKE THAT, MAN, ANOTHER THING, CHIEF WHITE IS AN EXCELLENT CHIEF.

I'VE, I'VE, CHIEF WHITE HAS BEEN, I'VE BEEN IN FIGHTING FIRES WITH CHIEF WHITE INSIDE.

IF ONCE YOU GO INSIDE A BURNING BUILDING AND ANOTHER PERSON IS WITH YOU AND YOU LOOK TO YOUR SIDE AND YOU STILL FIGHTING THAT FIRE AND THEY STILL STAYING THERE, YOU DON'T FIND A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE THAT THAT GO INTO DANGEROUS SITUATIONS LIKE THAT WITH YOU.

AND, AND YOU CAN DEPEND ON HIM.

HE'S VERY DEPENDABLE AND HE'S VERY PROUD, YOU KNOW, AND HE'S GONNA DO HIS JOB.

HE'S GONNA DO HIS JOB AND HE GONNA DO A GOOD JOB.

BUT I'M, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ONE CALL IN FAVOR OF WHAT Y'ALL WANT TO DO.

NOT ONE.

ALL OF THEM ARE VERY MUCH AGAINST IT.

SO I'M, I CAN'T GO WITH, I WON'T GO WITH THAT.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU WANT TO, UM, IF YOU WANT TO, YOU, YOU EVEN TRYING TO THROW ME UNDER THE BUS, MAN, WHEN YOU SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THAT NEW HIRING PRACTICE WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR CHIEF WHITE AND COUNCILMAN DURIO TO GET HIRED, THEN I AIN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR EVERYBODY ELSE INSINUATING THAT WE WERE SOMEHOW AGAINST THAT MAN.

THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT MAN.

AND THAT'S NOT WORKING TOGETHER.

THAT'S NOT BEING A TEAM PLAYER.

YOU WERE IN THE ARMY, YOU KNOW ABOUT BEING A TEAM PLAYER.

YOU KNOW, I, I WAS IN THE MILITARY, I KNOW ABOUT BEING A TEAM PLAYER, BUT OF COURSE WHEN I WAS THERE, THEY DIDN'T HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA.

AND IT'S NOT ABOUT USING SOCIAL MEDIA, IT'S ABOUT WHAT YOU SAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHEN YOU DO THINGS LIKE THAT, WHEN YOU DO DIVISIVE STUFF, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S BAD ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA.

'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGH, I CALL 'EM, UH, SOME PEOPLE CALL 'EM KEYBOARD WARRIORS.

I CALL 'EM KEYBOARD COLLARS.

THEY GONNA SAY WHATEVER THEY WANT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

BUT WHEN YOU GET AND ASK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I DO, I DON'T ASK 'EM, I ASK ABOUT IT WHEN IT TO THEIR FACE, OH, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT, CHRIS.

NO, AH, NAH, I DIDN'T MEAN THAT.

YOU KNOW? SO THAT'S SOCIAL MEDIA.

IT HAS ITS OWN PURPOSE, BUT THERE'S ALSO CONSEQUENCES TO USING IT.

SO THE, UM, HOLD UP, JUST PUT IT LIKE THIS HERE.

COUNCILMAN DOESN'T SPEAK FOR ALL OF COUNCIL.

WE ALL HAVE OUR OPINION.

WE ALL WORK HARD UP THERE AND WE WANT TO WORK TOGETHER.

WE WANT TO, 'CAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT THIS THING IS GONNA WORK.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF NOT MAN, IT'S, IT'S GONNA FALL APART.

I'VE HAD FOUR PRIOR COUNCIL PEOPLE CALL ME AND SAY HOW THEY EMBARRASSED AND THEY ASHAMED OF SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE BEING MADE BY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, SAY THEY, AND THAT WAS PROBABLY 50 OR 60 YEARS WORTH OF COUNSEL EXPERIENCE THAT SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THAT IN THEIR LIFE.

ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

A COUNSELOR DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN THEIR LIFE.

NEVER.

SO, HEY, WE GOTTA DO BETTER.

WE GOT, WE GOTTA DO BETTER.

IF, IF Y'ALL REALLY AGREE WITH, UM, AGREE, IF Y'ALL REALLY AGREE WITH IMPROVING THIS COUNCIL,

[02:00:01]

AND I, I ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS THAT THIS COUNCIL DOES.

SO, UM, ARE DISCUSSIONS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION CONFIDENTIAL? THAT'S FOR ME, YES.

SO IS THAT A, A DISCUSSION BETWEEN COUNSEL AND THEIR ATTORNEY? THE PURPOSE OF EXECUTIVE SESSIONS SPECIFICALLY IS FOR YOU TO CONSULT WITH YOUR ATTORNEY.

SO YES.

SO THEY, THEY'RE PRIVILEGED.

CORRECT.