[CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:12]
          CITY COUNCIL. TODAY'S DATE IS TUESDAY, MAY 19TH, 2026. TODAY'S INVOCATION WILL BE GIVEN BY PASTOR RICK IVEY OF WESLEY METHODIST CHURCH. IF EVERYONE WOULD PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONE AND IF YOU SO CHOOSE, PLEASE STAND AND REMAIN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. LET US PRAY. ALMIGHTY AND GRACIOUS GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY AND FOR THIS TIME IN WHICH WE CAN COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY. WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE LEADERS THAT ARE HERE, FOR THIS COUNCIL, FOR THE DECISIONS THAT THEY MAKE THIS DAY ARE ONES THAT REACH INTO OUR COMMUNITIES, CLASSROOMS AND LIVING ROOMS AND KITCHENS AND DINERS AND SO MUCH MORE. WE LIFT UP TO YOU, OUR POLICE, OUR FIREMEN, AND OUR SERVICE PEOPLE. WE PRAY AND ASK YOUR BLESSINGS UPON THEIR SAFETY AND ON THEIR FAMILIES THIS DAY. BE WITH THIS GROUP TODAY. MAY THE DECISIONS THAT THEY MAKE BE PLEASING UNTO YOU AND GUIDE AND LEAD THIS CITY IN A WAY THAT HONORS YOU. ALL THIS WE PRAY AND ASK IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. AMEN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE. HAVE ROLL CALL, PLEASE. MAYOR WEST. PRESENT. 
          MAYOR. PRO TEM. TURNER. ABSENT. COUNCIL. DURIO. HERE. COUNCIL. MEMBER. HILLIARD. COUNCIL. 
          MEMBER. WILLIAMS. COUNCIL MEMBER. SHERWOOD. ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. CRENSHAW. HERE. 
          [ Communication Update]
THANK YOU. TODAY WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM OUR CITY OF BEAUMONT COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT. GOOD AFTERNOON. IN THIS WEEK'S ANNOUNCEMENTS, REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR BEAUMONT ADULT SOFTBALL, WITH LEAGUES RUNNING FROM JUNE 15TH THROUGH AUGUST 31ST. WHETHER YOU'RE JOINING WITH FRIENDS OR COWORKERS, IT'S THE PERFECT WAY TO STAY ACTIVE AND HAVE FUN ALL SUMMER LONG. REGISTRATION IS OPEN THROUGH JUNE 11TH. FOR LEAGUE SCHEDULES AND MORE INFORMATION, VISIT TEAM SIDELINE.COM/BEAUMONT. GET YOUR TEAM READY FOR GAME DAY. 
          COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUSINESS PARTNERS, AND CITY OFFICIALS ARE INVITED TO HELP WELCOME BEAUMONT ISD'S NEW SUPERINTENDENT, SANDY MASSEY, DURING A SPECIAL MEET AND GREET ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 27TH FROM 8 A.M. TO 9:30 A.M. AT THE DOWNTOWN EVENT CENTER. THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SUPERINTENDENT MASSEY AND HEAR HER VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF BEAUMONT ISD. GRAB YOUR SUNSCREEN AND GET READY TO COOL OFF AT BEAUMONT'S TAN SPLASH PADS AND TWO PUBLIC POOLS AT MAGNOLIA PARK AND ALICE KEITH PARK. THEY OPEN FOR THE SEASON BEGINNING MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, MAY 23RD, AND RUN THROUGH LABOR DAY WEEKEND, SEPTEMBER 6TH. FOR POOL HOURS, LOCATIONS AND MORE INFORMATION, VISIT BEAUMONT, TEXAS.GOV SLASH. A REMINDER BEAUMONT CITY OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY, MAY 25TH IN OBSERVANCE OF MEMORIAL DAY. 
          HOWEVER, SOLID WASTE COLLECTION WILL RUN ON ITS NORMAL MONDAY SCHEDULE WITH NO INTERRUPTIONS. 
          THE CITY ENCOURAGES THE COMMUNITY TO TAKE TIME TO HONOR AND TO REMEMBER THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE AND SERVICE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR NATION. 
          LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT MONTH, THE CITY IS PROUD TO LAUNCH. SO IT'S SUNDAYS. THIS IS A FREE, FAMILY CENTERED COMMUNITY INITIATIVE AT THE STERLING PRUITT ACTIVITY CENTER. IT STARTS SUNDAY, JUNE 7TH AND WILL RUN FROM 1 TO 7 P.M. EACH WEEK. SO IT'S SUNDAYS IS MEANT TO BRING FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER THROUGH RECREATION, FELLOWSHIP, MENTORSHIP, GAMES AND POSITIVE SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT IN A SAFE AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT. CHILDREN UNDER 12 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT, BUT RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES ARE ENCOURAGED TO JOIN US EVERY SUNDAY AT THE STERLING BEGINNING ON JUNE 7TH. MUSIC, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY WILL TAKE CENTER STAGE AS THE CITY'S JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION RETURNS TO DOWNTOWN BEAUMONT ON SATURDAY, JUNE 20TH FROM 4 TO 9 P.M. INSIDE THE BEAUMONT CIVIC CENTER. ADMISSION IS FREE AND EVERYONE IS INVITED TO COME OUT AND CELEBRATE AN EVENING OF MUSIC, FUN AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT. 
          A FEW DAYS LATER, SKATERS CAN ROLL INTO BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN SKATE PARK ON THURSDAY, JUNE 25TH FOR GHOST GATE, BEAUMONT. THIS IS A FREE SKATE COMPETITION CELEBRATING NATIONAL GO SKATE DAY. SKATERS WILL COMPETE FROM 5 TO 8 P.M. AND WHETHER YOU'RE SKATING OR JUST WATCHING THE ACTION, IT'S SURE TO BE A FUN NIGHT IN DOWNTOWN BEAUMONT. AND FINALLY, GET READY FOR A STAR SPANGLED NIGHT AT THE HISTORIC JEFFERSON THEATER. JOIN THE CITY OF 
          [00:05:04]
BEAUMONT ON SATURDAY, JUNE 27TH FOR THE STAR-SPANGLED SPECTACULAR, A FUN FILLED CELEBRATION OF AMERICA'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY. THE NIGHT WILL FEATURE PATRIOTIC MUSIC, SING ALONGS, AND A SPECIAL SHOWING OF THE SILENT FILM THE GENERAL, ALONG WITH LIVE ORGAN MUSIC. 
          DOORS OPEN AT 6:00. THE SHOW STARTS AT SEVEN. TICKETS ARE JUST $10 AND AVAILABLE THROUGH TICKETMASTER OR THE BEAUMONT CIVIC CENTER BOX OFFICE. SO BRING THE FAMILY AND CELEBRATE AMERICA IN ONE OF BEAUMONT'S MOST ICONIC VENUES. AND THAT'S ALL FOR THIS WEEK'S ANNOUNCEMENTS. THANK YOU. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. SO IF YOU SIGNED IN, WE'LL CALL 
          [PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA/CONSENT]
YOUR NAME. IF YOU DIDN'T, WE HAVE THE ABILITY FOR YOU TO SIGN IN. YOU'RE ABLE TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR OR ANY OTHER TOPICS. ANY CITIZEN WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM FIVE WILL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO. DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SPEAK AT BOTH, THOUGH. THE CITY CLERK WILL CALL YOUR NAME WHEN IT'S YOUR TIME TO SPEAK. WHEN YOU APPROACH THE PODIUM. IF YOU'RE ADDRESS WASN'T SAID, PLEASE STATE YOUR ADDRESS. CITY AND STATE. 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. PLEASE NOTE THAT WHILE YOU'RE AT THE PODIUM, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO YOUR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. AND UNLESS IT'S POSTED AGENDA ITEM, WHICH WE'LL DO AT THAT TIME. SO WITH THAT, JOYCE MOORE, 2445 LOUISIANA STREET, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. 
          SOMETHING THAT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION, ESPECIALLY AS I WAS DRIVING HERE. I WANTED TO SPEAK ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IN THE WORK SECTION AND THE ABATEMENT POLICIES. BUT THE THING THAT'S REALLY CONCERNING TO ME IS THAT WE WANT TO DEVELOP AND KEEP HAVING THE BEAUTIFUL OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND WHAT'S HERE IN BEAUMONT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR BUILDINGS AND OUR HERITAGE THAT'S HERE IS TAKEN CARE OF. AND AS WE ALL KNOW, TOM FLANAGAN IS A CITIZEN WHO HAS A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BUILDINGS THAT HE NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF HERE IN THIS AREA. AND I'M CONCERNED THAT I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TRIED TO GIVE CONSEQUENCES TO HELP PUSH HIM TO TAKE CARE OF THAT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES, BUT HOPEFULLY AS A BODY, YOU GUYS CAN SPEAK TO HIM MORE OR DO SOMETHING TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON HIM TO TAKE CARE OF HIS BUILDINGS, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOW BECOMING MORE OF A NUISANCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY HERE IN DOWNTOWN. AND IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE DON'T NEED TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE BEAUTY THAT'S ALREADY HERE, THAT'S BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG. WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT'S ALREADY HERE. I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT LIKE HAVING ACCOUNTABILITY, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE TO MAKE PEOPLE MORE ACCOUNTABLE. OF COURSE, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO HAVE THAT WITHIN US, THAT MOTIVATION. BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO SPEAK TOWARD THEM OR TO PUT MORE PRESSURE, I WISH YOU'D BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. JOSEPH TRAHAN, 2620 ASHLEY STREET, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. 
          MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. I'M HERE TO EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT HOW WE TREAT EMPLOYEES. 
          FAIRNESS IN HIRING AND MAKING DECISIONS THAT RUN COUNTER TO CITY NEEDS. TAKE THE BEAUMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT AS AN EXAMPLE. WE ALL RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR QUALIFIED OFFICERS AND THE EXISTING VACANCIES. HOWEVER, THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ALREADY TRAINED, CREDENTIALED AND PART OF THIS COMMUNITY WHO ARE BEING DISREGARDED. SOME DECISIONS RELY ON A STRICT READING OF POLICY WITHOUT CONSIDERING HOW A SITUATION IS ULTIMATELY RESOLVED. POLICIES SHOULD NOT BE APPLIED MECHANICALLY OR IN A WAY THAT IGNORES CONTEXT, MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES, AND ULTIMATE OUTCOMES. TOTALITY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES, IN A NUTSHELL. 
          IN SOME CASES THAT RESULTS IN QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS BEING PUSHED OUT OR PERMANENTLY BARRED FROM EMPLOYMENT WITH THE CITY. IRONICALLY, A PROFESSION ENTRUSTED WITH UPHOLDING DUE PROCESS AND THE RULE OF LAW SOMETIMES FAILS TO EXTEND THE SAME CONSIDERATION INTERNALLY WHEN MATTERS ARE ULTIMATELY DISMISSED BY THE COURT IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE. THAT IS A DIFFICULT SITUATION FOR ME TO RECONCILE WITH FAIRNESS, SOUND JUDGMENT OR THE CITY'S STATED NEED FOR QUALIFIED OFFICERS. UNDER THE CHARTER, THIS BODY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO ASK QUESTIONS, SEEK CLARITY AND, WHEN NECESSARY, INITIATE A REVIEW INTO MATTERS AND WORK THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER TO RESOLVE THEM. THAT RESPONSIBILITY IS NOT SYMBOLIC. 
          COUNCIL WORKS THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER AND THAT STRUCTURE SHOULD BE RESPECTED UP TO A 
          [00:10:03]
POINT. BUT RESPECT FOR PROCESS SHOULD NOT MEAN PASSIVITY OR BLIND ACCEPTANCE OF INVIDIOUS DECISIONS THAT RAISE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ABOUT FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE. I UNDERSTAND THE CHARTER LIMITS DIRECT COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT IN DAILY OPERATIONS, BUT THAT DOES NOT INSULATE DEPARTMENT HEADS, THE CITY MANAGER OR THE CITY ATTORNEY FROM SCRUTINY, ACCOUNTABILITY OR THE EXPECTATION OF RESPONSIVENESS TO THIS BODY. IF ANYONE THINKS OTHERWISE, THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED. MY FAMILY HAS GIVEN NEARLY 100 YEARS OF COMBINED SERVICE TO THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. NOW, THAT MAY NOT MATTER TO SOME PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, AND THEY'VE PROVEN THAT WITH THEIR ACTIONS. BUT IT MATTERS TO ME AND TO THE MANY CITIZENS WHO KNOW AND RESPECT MY FAMILY'S SERVICE. WHEN WE SENSE INJUSTICE, WE PERSIST, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO ONE OF OUR OWN. I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT FAIRNESS, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND DOING RIGHT BY PEOPLE. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBERS TURNER, SHERWOOD AND CRENSHAW DO AND THEIR ACTIONS. I HOPE THE REST OF THIS COUNCIL DOES AS WELL, AND I HOPE AND SUSPECT THAT YOU DO. IT WILL CERTAINLY BE A PRIORITY OF MINE IF ELECTED TO THIS BODY NEXT CYCLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GINA TAYLOR, 5735 SC LANE, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS GINA TAYLOR. MANY PEOPLE COME BEFORE THIS COUNCIL TO SPEAK ABOUT DRAINAGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND BEAUTIFICATION AND ROADS AND THE PHYSICAL NEEDS OF OUR CITY. BUT THOSE THINGS MATTER. BUT AFTER ATTENDING THE MAYOR'S COALITION, SOMETHING SHIFTED IN ME, AND IT MADE ME WANT TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING TO MAKE THIS CITY A BETTER PLACE. I REALIZED THAT WHILE WE WORK TO BUILD OUR CITY, WE MUST CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR PEOPLE AND INVEST IN OUR CHILDREN. AND I ALSO REALIZED SOMETHING ELSE THAT I DON'T NEED TO HOLD A POSITION. I DON'T NEED TO BE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO HAVE A GREATER IMPACT IN THIS CITY. AND SO I WANTED TO PUT BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT THE PEOPLE IN OUR CITY WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE VIOLENCE AND OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. SO IT LED ME TO DEVELOP AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE VILLAGE. ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO MENTION BEFORE I TALK ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION IS THAT I LITERALLY COME FROM NOTHING. MY MOTHER WAS AN ALCOHOLIC, A DRUG ABUSER. I HAD TO RAISE FOUR KIDS OF MY SIBLINGS, AND I LITERALLY CLIMBED FROM NOTHING IN ORDER. AND TO BE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OWNER FOR THE LAST 11 YEARS, GENERATING MILLIONS FROM MY SALON RIGHT THERE ON CALDER. I ALSO BUILD ENTREPRENEURS, WOMEN, WOMEN AND MEN ALIKE TO HAVE THEIR OWN BUSINESSES, BUILD FAMILIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME. SO I DO HAVE THE BACKGROUND TO SAY THAT I COULD DO THIS. SO I DEVELOPED THE ORGANIZATION CALLED THE VILLAGE. THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER ORGANIZATION OR ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WILL START OFF STRONG AND THEN END AND FADE AWAY. I ALWAYS BEEN CONSISTENT AND PERSISTENT WHEN IT COMES TO DOING SOMETHING THAT I STRONGLY BELIEVE IN. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GOD HAS GIVEN ME TO DO. AND WHEN THE FATHER IN HEAVEN TELLS ME TO DO SOMETHING, I DO IT. AND I DON'T STOP UNTIL HE TELLS ME TO END. SO WHAT I NEED FROM THE CITY IS THE RESOURCES. ANYTHING THAT WOULD HELP TO BRING THIS ORGANIZATION TO LIFE. I'VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING I REALLY WANTED TO PUSH OUT FURTHER ALONG IN THE CITY TO GET THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS NOT JUST RELATED JUST TO BEAUMONT, ALTHOUGH THAT THE FOUNDATION IS BEAUMONT BECAUSE I LOVE BEAUMONT, ALTHOUGH I WASN'T BORN HERE, I RESIDE HERE FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS AND I'M NOT LEAVING BEAUMONT, SO I NEED YOUR HELP. WHATEVER RESOURCES THAT YOU ALL CAN GIVE ME, ANY KNOWLEDGE OR ANYTHING THAT CAN HELP REGARDING THIS ORGANIZATION, I WOULD LOVE TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT MORE. I ONLY GOT THREE MINUTES, SO MY INFORMATION IS WITH THIS YOU ALL. SO JUST LET ME KNOW ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALBERT HARRISON 1240. ASHLEY BEAUMONT, TEXAS. MAYOR, COUNCILMAN, OTHER. CITY STAFF. OTHER CONCERNS THAT ARE PRESENT. I WOULD FIRST OF ALL LIKE TO THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TURNER, FOR BRINGING UP THE ISSUE PERTAINING TO WATER BILLS THAT SENIOR CITIZENS RECEIVED. I WILL SAY 
          [00:15:01]
THAT I'M TIRED OF BRINGING THIS ISSUE TO Y'ALL. REALLY, I AM, AND THE THING THAT I SEE IS THAT THE PRESENT READING OF THE WATER BILL AND THE PAST DUE, WHEN YOU ADD THEM UP, IT COMES OUT TO A PERCENTAGE THAT YOU USE. NOW I'M BEING TOLD ACROSS THE HALL BY THE WATER DEPARTMENT THAT I SHOULD BE RECEIVING SOMEWHERE 1200 THOUSAND OR 20,000 GALLONS OF WATER. I DON'T SEE THAT THE READING IS THE SAME. IF THE IF I'M RECEIVING THAT, IT SHOULD BE DEDUCTED FROM THAT TOTAL AMOUNT. BUT I'M NOT SEEING THAT IN THE BILL IS NOT REFLECTING THAT. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT I'M NOT ASKING FOR A DOLLAR AMOUNT. I'M JUST ASKING FOR THE END RESULT OF WHAT OF WHAT WHAT I'M GETTING. AND EVERY SENIOR CITIZENS BILL SAYS THIS ACCOUNT RECEIVES A SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT, BUT YOU DON'T SEE IT. SO FOR OVER ALMOST TWO YEARS, I'VE BEEN BRINGING THIS ISSUE TO Y'ALL AND IT HASN'T GOTTEN CORRECTED YET. SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT WHOLE PICTURE? SECOND THING I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO APOLOGIZE TO ONE OF YOU& CITY EMPLOYEES ON MAY 13TH. THE INDIVIDUAL WAS REPAIRING A POTHOLE ON THE CORNER OF EWING AND AVALON, AND ALSO AVALON AND FOREST. WHEN I SAW THE TRUCK, I WENT OUT. THE TRUCK HAD WENT DOWN TO THE FOREST STREET LOCATION. I CALLED MR. ALEXANDER. SO DO YOU MIND TELLING THOSE THAT TRUCK TO COME BACK DOWN HERE AND GET THIS ROCK THAT'S BURNING UP OUT OF THIS GROUND? THE TRUCK DID COME BACK DOWN THERE. WHEN I EXPLAINED HIM, I SAID, WHY ARE YOU NOT GETTING OUT OF THE GROUND? HE SAID, HE TOLD ME HE DIDN'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO DO IT, BUT I GOT A PHONE CALL THE DAY BEFORE FROM THE SUPERVISOR TELLING ME SPECIFICALLY THAT THEY WILL BE REMOVING THAT ROCK OUT OF THE GROUND. AND WHEN I EXPLAINED THAT TO HIM, HE PURPOSELY SAID, YOU'RE NOT MY BOSS. I SAID, I'M YOUR BOSS TODAY. THANK YOU SIR. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? IS THERE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR 
          [CONSENT AGENDA]
APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? MAKE A MOTION. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I. ANY OPPOSED. THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU 
          [1. Council consider a resolution appointing members to the Audit Committee.]
TAKE US INTO THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER ONE? YES, SIR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, ITEM NUMBER ONE IS TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPOINTING MEMBERS TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON OCTOBER 15TH, 2024. BY RESOLUTION 24-263, THE CITY COUNCIL CREATED THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND APPOINTED THREE INITIAL MEMBERS. AUDIT COMMITTEE COMMITTEE MEMBERS SERVE TWO YEAR TERMS WITH NO LIMIT ON REAPPOINTMENT TO ENSURE CONTINUITY. MEMBERS TERMS ARE STAGGERED WITH CURRENT EXPIRATIONS ON OCTOBER 25TH OR EXCUSE ME, OCTOBER 15TH, 2025, OCTOBER 15TH, 2026 AND OCTOBER 15TH, 2027. CURRENTLY, COUNCILMAN COREY CRENSHAW'S CURRENT TERM ON THE COMMITTEE HAS EXPIRED AND MUST BE REAPPOINTED OR REPLACED. AND THE THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION. IS THERE A MOTION. 
          FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE. AND ARE WE NEEDING TO. WE WOULD NEED TO NAME ONE. YES, SIR. YOU NEED TO APPOINT SOMEONE. SO THE MOTION IS TO INCLUDE A NAME. OKAY. ANYBODY INTERESTED? YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. SO DO I NEED TO CHANGE MY 
          [00:20:18]
MOTION. NO, WE JUST NEED TO ADD. SO YOUR MOTION WOULD NEED TO INCLUDE A NAME. SO YOU DON'T NEED TO CHANGE IT. JUST AMEND IT TO INCLUDE A NAME. AND COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW'S VOLUNTEERING TO SERVE ANOTHER TERM. OKAY. I MAKE A MOTION THAT I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE REAPPOINT COREY CRENSHAW TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE. ALL RIGHT. AND I HAD A QUESTION, TOO. ALL RIGHT. SO IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. NOW DISCUSSION. AND COUNCILMAN TURNER, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, IF SOMEONE OUGHT TO AUDIT COMMITTEE CAN'T FULFILL THE TERM, DO WE WAIT TILL THAT TIME COMES? YES, SIR. IT HAS TO BE VACANT IN ORDER. SO YOUR TERM HASN'T EXPIRED YET. SO AT THE TIME WHEN YOU VACATE THE COUNCIL IN JANUARY, THEN YOUR TERM POSITION WILL BE FILLED BY ANOTHER MEMBER. OKAY. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER ONE WITH COREY CRENSHAW ON THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU TAKE US INTO 
          [2. Council to consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to approve an agreement between the City of Beaumont Public Libraries and the Southeast Texas Food Bank for a summer Children's Food Backpack Program.]
ITEM NUMBER TWO? YES. ITEM NUMBER TWO IS TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO APPROVE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS FOOD BANK FOR A SUMMER CHILDREN'S FOOD BACKPACK PROGRAM. THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS FOOD BANK HAS FOR SEVERAL YEARS CONDUCTED A FREE BACKPACK FOOD PROGRAM AIMED AT REDUCING THE FOOD INSECURITY FOR CHILDREN. DURING THE SUMMER. THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS FOOD BANK, SEEKS TO LEVERAGE THE LIBRARY'S SUMMER PROGRAMING TO REACH CHILDREN WITH LIMITED NUTRITION OPTIONS. ALL PREPARATION AND DELIVERY OF FOOD BAGS WILL BE HANDLED BY THE FOOD BANK, WITH DISSEMINATION OF THE BAGS BY LIBRARY STAFF, APPROVED HEALTH SAFETY, STORAGE AND HANDLING GUIDELINES WILL BE FOLLOWED BY BOTH ENTITIES. ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS RESOLUTION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO? MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER TWO. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE. OKAY. COUNCILMAN TURNER, MR. BOONE, CAN YOU KIND OF EXPLAIN FOR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, HOW CAN THEY PARTICIPATE? I KNOW I SEE A FORM, BUT JUST CAN YOU EDUCATE THEM ON HOW KIDS CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT? YES, SIR. I'M GOING TO INVITE PAUL EDDIE, WHO'S OVER OUR LIBRARY PROGRAM, TO COME FORWARD AND GIVE US A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THE PROGRAM. COUNCIL. THIS PROGRAM WAS BROUGHT TO US BY THE FOOD BANK, AND THEY USUALLY WORK THIS THROUGH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. BUT DURING THE SUMMER, THEY HAVE COME TO US ASKING US TO USE OUR INFLUENCE DURING THE SUMMER PROGRAMING THAT WE DO. WE'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE 2 TO 300 OF THE BAGS EVERY WEEK OR TWO. IT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE A FIRST FOR US, BUT WE THINK THAT WE CAN HANDLE IT VERY EASILY. WE DO HAVE PROBING PROGRAMING ALL THROUGH THE SUMMER, AND THAT'S THEIR GOAL, IS TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THOSE CHILDREN THAT WE HAVE IN OUR PROGRAMING. WE WILL BE ALSO TRAINED BY THE FOOD BANK AND SAFETY HANDLING OF ALL OF THE FOODS. THEY ARE IN A LIKE A CLEAR BAG THAT THEY WILL DELIVER TO US. AND THEN WHEN WE HAVE A PROGRAM, ANYBODY THAT BASICALLY COMES IN, WE WILL HAND THEM A BAG. SO IT IS A VERY SIMPLE PROGRAM, BUT EVERYTHING WILL BE FOLLOWED. WE'VE ALSO TALKED TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND WAS GIVEN APPROVAL FOR THE THE HANDLING OF THE FOODS COUNCIL. WE HAVE AND ARE CONTINUING TO PROMOTE OUR SUMMER PROGRAMS, BUT WE CAN ALSO CROSS PROMOTE THIS WITH THE FOOD BANK TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS AWARE HOW TO HOW TO SIGN UP. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I. ANY OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES. MR. CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU TAKE US INTO ITEM NUMBER THREE? YES. 
          [3. Council consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to accept maintenance, and authorize final payment to Norman Highway Constructors, Inc., of Orange, for the Bridge Repair Project – Various Locations Citywide (REBID).]
ITEM NUMBER THREE IS TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT MAINTENANCE AND AUTHORIZE FINAL PAYMENT TO NORMAN HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTORS, INC. OF ORANGE FOR BRIDGE REPAIR PROJECT AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS CITY WIDE. ON 
          [00:25:04]
NOVEMBER 19TH, 2024. BY RESOLUTION 24302, CITY COUNCIL AWARDED A CONTRACT TO NORMAN HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTORS IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,679,207 FOR THE BRIDGE REPAIR PROJECT. PREVIOUS CHANGE ORDERS NUMBER ONE THROUGH FOUR IN THE AMOUNT OF $86,231.48 ARE ATTACHED FOR YOUR REVIEW. THE PROJECT HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY THE ENGINEERING DIVISION AND FOUND TO BE IN COMPLETE ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS AND TERMS SET FORTH IN THE CONTRACT, ACCEPTANCE OF MAINTENANCE AND THE FINAL PAYMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $88,275.45 IS RECOMMENDED AND THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM. OKAY. THANK YOU. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER THREE? MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER THREE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER THREE PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED. THE MOTION IS CARRIED. 
          [4. Council to consider an amendment to Resolution 26-061-A.]
MR. CITY MANAGER WOULD YOU TAKE US INTO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE? YES, SIR. ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS TO CONSIDER AN AMENDMENT TO RESOLUTION 26-061A ON APRIL 7TH, 2026, COUNCIL APPROVED RESOLUTION 26061 A AMENDING THE ORIGINAL RESOLUTION TO INCLUDE TEX DOTS REQUIRED WORDING IDENTIFYING THE CITY'S FUNDING SOURCES AND COMMITMENT TO ALL COST OVERRUNS. 
          THE RESOLUTION REFERRED TO THE DRAFT AGREEMENT. THUS, TEXT TEX DOT IS REQUESTING AN AMENDMENT OF THE LANGUAGE. THE. THE. THE AGREEMENT IS RELATED TO THE MLK PROJECT, WHICH CONSISTS OF UPGRADING EQUIPMENT AND IMPLEMENTING ADAPTIVE SOFTWARE TO ADJUST SIGNAL TIMING AND PHASING IN REAL TIME BASED ON TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. THE ADVANCE FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH TECH AGREEMENT WITH TEX DOT IS REQUIRED TO INITIATE THE PROJECT AND ESTABLISH THE TERMS FOR FEDERAL PARTICIPATION. THE TOTAL PROJECT ESTIMATE IS $849,554. THE CITY SHARE IS $81,686, WITH FEDERAL FUNDS PROVIDING $651,120.30 IN STATE FUNDING, PROVIDING A $116,737.70. THE CITY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR 100% OF OVERRUNS DURING THE. 
          CONSTRUCTION. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THIS PROJECT IN THE CERTIFICATE AS A CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION, AND THE ADMINISTRATION IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR? SO MOVED. SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION IN A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, MOLLY, THIS WILL BE ALL THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS BETWEEN CARDINAL DRIVE AND I-10 ON MLK WILL BE ADAPTIVE OR SMART SO THAT THEY ARE TIMED AND TRAFFIC WILL FLOW MORE EFFICIENTLY. AND IT WILL ALSO IMPROVE THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS FROM THE CROSS STREETS THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE COMPLAIN. THEY SIT ON MLK FOREVER WITH NO TRAFFIC ON THE CROSS STREETS. THIS WILL ADDRESS ALL OF THAT WONDERFUL. 
          ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY MANAGER, 
          [ Council to conduct a Public Hearing finding and ratifying the determination of the Public Health Director that public health nuisances exist on the property owned by DZR INVESTMENTS LLC and JMC SOLUTIONS LLC at 2355 Buchanan St, with a legal description of PINECREST L6 TR 1 BLK 120 and order the owner to abate public health nuisances within 10 days. If property owner fails to comply within 10 days, staff is requesting City Council authorization to abate said property without further notification to the property owner of City Council action.]
WOULD YOU TAKE US INTO THE PUBLIC HEARING? YES, SIR. WE NOW ASK YOU TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING TO FINDING AND RATIFYING THE DETERMINATION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR THAT PUBLIC HEALTH NUISANCES EXIST ON THE PROPERTY OWNED BY DZR INVESTMENTS LLC AND J. M C SOLUTIONS LLC AT 2355 BUCHANAN STREET, WITH LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PINE CREST, LOT SIX, TRACT ONE, BLOCK 120, AND ORDER THE OWNER TO ABATE PUBLIC HEALTH NUISANCES WITHIN TEN DAYS. IF THE PROPERTY OWNER FAILS TO COMPLY WITHIN TEN DAYS, STAFF IS REQUESTING CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZATION TO ABATE SAID PROPERTY WITHOUT FURTHER NOTIFICATION OF THE PROPERTY OWNER OR CITY OF THE OR FURTHER ACTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL. WE ASK THAT YOU OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. YES, MA'AM. PLEASE PROCEED. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE JUST A FEW SLIDES. THIS NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THIS IS MARY ALEXANDER WITH PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. OH. I'M SORRY. YES. THE HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY ON APRIL 23RD. 
          ENVIRONMENTAL RECEIVED A NOTICE OF THE PROPERTY. JUSTIN JACKSON WENT OUT AND IT WAS DECLARED A GENERAL NUISANCE THE SAME DAY. IT'S IN VIOLATION FOR STANDING STAGNANT SEWER WATER. ON MAY 4TH, THE PROPERTY OWNER WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE PROPERTY WOULD BE BROUGHT BEFORE A 
          [00:30:01]
COUNCIL, WHICH IS NOW. JUSTIN HAS GONE OUT TWO ADDITIONAL TIMES MAY 11TH AND MAY 15TH FOR A FOLLOW UP INSPECTIONS WITH NO IMPROVEMENT, AND THEN AGAIN ON YESTERDAY WITH STILL NO IMPROVEMENT. AND THOSE ARE THE PICTURES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. HAS ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. YEAH. JUST TIME FOR ME TO ASK MY QUESTION. 
          WHAT ARE ALL OF Y'ALL GOING TO DO TO ABATE IT? SO WHEN COUNCIL DECLARES A PROPERTY A PUBLIC NUISANCE, WHAT PUBLIC HEALTH DOES AT THAT POINT IS THAT THEY SENT OUT A A OFFICIAL LETTER TELLING THEM THEY NEED TO DO THAT WITH. THIS ALSO DOES IS IT AUTHORIZES COUNCIL TO TAKE CIVIL ACTION AGAINST THEM. SO YOU'RE ALSO AUTHORIZING ME TO FILE A LAWSUIT ON THEIR BEHALF. 
          THE AUTHORITY FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT COMES FROM STATE STATUTE THAT GIVES THEM THE AUTHORITY TO BASICALLY INITIATE A LAWSUIT AND TAKE THE NEXT STEP ONCE COUNCIL HAS DECLARED IT A PUBLIC NUISANCE. SO AFTER THIS, THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE THERE WOULD BE A LETTER SENT OUT TELLING THE PROPERTY OWNER, COUNCIL HAS DECLARED THIS A PUBLIC NUISANCE. YOU HAVE THIS MANY DAYS. I THINK WE USUALLY DO TEN DAYS TO ABATE THE NUISANCE. IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, IF WE DON'T HEAR ANY CORRESPONDENCE BACK, BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE DO COME BACK AND SAY, I HAVE A PLUMBER COMING, I NEED ADDITIONAL TIME. BUT IF THEY'RE NON-RESPONSIVE, WE DO TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO FILE A LAWSUIT. BEFORE WE DO THAT, WE GET THIS A UNIQUE CASE. WE'LL NEED TO GET PERMISSION TO ENTER THE PROPERTY TO GET BIDS FROM A PLUMBER AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S PLUMBING WORK. 
          SO WE'LL NEED TO GET PERMISSION TO ENTER THE PROPERTY ABOUT A WARRANT OR OTHERWISE TO GO ON THE PROPERTY TO GET QUOTES, BECAUSE WE TYPICALLY FILE OUR LAWSUITS, MOST OF THE ONES I'LL DECLARE PUBLIC NUISANCE HAVE TO DO WITH LITTER. AND SO THEY'RE ABLE TO VISUALLY GIVE US A QUOTE ON HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO BE CLEANED UP. THIS ONE I'M ASSURING THE PLUMBER WOULD NEED TO GO OR THE VENDORS WOULD NEED TO GO ON THE PROPERTY. WE USUALLY LIKE TO FILE OUR EMOTIONS WITH ADEQUATE NOTICE TO THE COURT OF HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST FOR THE CITY TO ABATE THE NUISANCE, BECAUSE THEY ENTER THAT, IN THEIR JUDGMENT, AGAINST THE PROPERTY OWNER, AND WE PUT A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY. OKAY, SO THIS IS A PLUMBING PROBLEM. YES. STANDING WATER AND ALL. IT'S NOTHING ELSE BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME WHEN Y'ALL DECLARE PUBLIC NUISANCE, IT'S A TRASH PROBLEM. SO SOMETIMES IT'S TRASH, SOMETIMES IT'S RODENTS, SOMETIMES IT'S A VARIANCE OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT CAN SOMETIMES LIKE PEOPLE KEEP LIKE WE'VE DONE ONE WITH A POOL WHERE IT WAS LIKE STANDING WATER AND POOL. THE POOL WAS AND CLEAN. IT WAS CREATING MOSQUITOES OR ANYTHING. IT'S ANYTHING THAT CREATES A DANGER OR HEALTH TO PUBLIC SAFETY. SO THEY VARY. THIS WILL BE OUR FIRST ONE OF THIS NATURE IN A WHILE. THANK YOU. YES, COUNCILMAN TURNER, HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN IN THESE CONDITIONS? WE WERE FIRST NOTIFIED APRIL 23RD. OKAY. YES. COUNCILWOMAN. TYPICALLY, I GUESS SINCE THIS IS WE HAVEN'T DONE ONE LIKE THIS IN A WHILE. THERE'S BEEN NO CONTACT WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER. SO ARE THEY ARE THEY EVEN AWARE OR. I'M CONFUSED. THEY'VE BEEN CONTACTED. BUT. SO I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY. SO AS RECENTLY AS THIS MORNING, HE EMAILED ME AND SAID THAT HE HAS A PLUMBING COMPANY THAT'S SCHEDULED TO COME OUT ON THE 21ST BETWEEN 8 AND 830. SO IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE TO FIGURE OUT WHO AND WHERE THEY WERE, BUT I FOUND THAT OUT, SO I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THEM. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? IF THE NUISANCE IS REMEDIED BY THE PLUMBING COMPANY ON THE 21ST, THAT WILL RESOLVE THIS AND A LAWSUIT. SO I GUESS I WOULD JUST ASK THAT WE WAIT BEFORE WE SPEND THE MONEY ON A LAWSUIT TO SEE IF THE IF IT GETS REMEDIED. WE DON'T FILE THE LAWSUIT UNTIL LIKE NOW, SO WE WOULDN'T FILE IT WHILE LIKE AFTER IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING. SO BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS Y'ALL DECLARE NUISANCE. WE SEND THEM NOTICE THAT THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN DECLARED A NUISANCE UNTIL MAYBE TEN DAYS. IT SEEMS LIKE HE'S ALREADY DONE IT. SO WE'LL JUST SAY THE PROPERTY, IF IT APPROVES TODAY, WE WOULD NOTIFY THEM THAT THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN DECLARED A NUISANCE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, HE NEEDS TO ABATE IT. SO IF THE PLUMBER GOES OUT AND SAYS, HEY, IT'S GOING TO BE THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY TO FIX IT, HE DECLARES THAT HE DOESN'T WANT TO FIX IT. THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL TO DECLARE A NUISANCE AGAIN, AS OPPOSED TO THIS STEP WHERE IT'S DECLARED A NUISANCE, AND IF THE GUY DECIDES NOT TO ABATE IT WITHIN THAT TIME FRAME. OR MAYBE THE PROBLEM IS, IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO START THE WORK, YOU HAVE TO START DOING THE WORK. YOU DON'T HAVE TO FINISH IT, BUT YOU HAVE TO START ATTEMPTING TO ABATE THE PROBLEM WITHIN THE TEN DAY TIME PERIOD. IT JUST GIVES A AUTHORITY TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO DIRECT AND TO OUR OFFICE TO FILE THE NUISANCE CASE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DISCUSSION. 
          [00:35:08]
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND WOULD YOU TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE? 
          [5. Council to consider an ordinance finding and ratifying the determination of the Public Health Director that public health nuisances exist on the property owned by DZR INVESTMENTS LLC and JMC SOLUTIONS LLC at 2355 Buchanan St, with a legal description of PINECREST L6 TR 1 BLK 120 and order the owner to abate public health nuisances within 10 days. If property owner fails to comply within 10 days, staff is requesting City Council authorization to abate said property without further notification to the property owner of City Council action.]
YES, SIR. ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE FINDING AND RATIFYING THE DETERMINATION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR THAT PUBLIC HEALTH NUISANCES EXIST ON THE PROPERTY OWNED BY DZR INVESTMENTS LLC AND JMC SOLUTIONS LLC AT 2355 BUCHANAN STREET WITH A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PINE CREST, LOT SIX, TRACT ONE, BLOCK 120, AND ORDER THE PROPERTY OWNER TO ABATE PUBLIC HEALTH NUISANCES WITHIN TEN DAYS. IF PROPERTY OWNER FAILS TO COMPLY WITHIN TEN DAYS. STAFF IS REQUESTING CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZATION TO ABATE, SAID PROPERTY WITHOUT FURTHER NOTIFICATION TO THE PROPERTY. OWNER OF THE CITY COUNCIL ACTION, THE ADMINISTRATION IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THIS ORDINANCE. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER FIVE? SO MOVED TO APPROVE? SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND SECOND, FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER FIVE PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I, I. ANY OPPOSED. THE MOTION IS CARRIED. MR. CITY 
          [ Council to review and discuss a potential extension of the Zip S. 11th route and bus shelter.]
MANAGER WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE US INTO THE FIRST WORK SESSION? YES. WE'RE GOING TO CONDUCT A WORK SESSION TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS A POTENTIAL EXTENSION OF THE ZIP BEAUMONT TRANSIT, ZIP SOUTH 11TH ROUTE AND BUS SHELTER. AND WE DO HAVE MISS DEMI INGMAN TO PRESENT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M BEFORE YOU TODAY TO DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL EXTENSION OF THE SOUTH 11TH BUS ROUTE TO SERVE THE ABIDING GRACE APARTMENT COMPLEX, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 4390 WEST CARDINAL DRIVE. IN EARLY APRIL, THE CITY DID RECEIVE A PETITION SIGNED BY SEVERAL RESIDENTS OF THE ABIDING GRACE COMPLEX REQUESTING FIXED ROUTE BUS SERVICES TO THEM. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. OH, THERE YOU GO. DURING A COUNCIL MEETING HELD EARLIER THIS APRIL, I DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF INSTALLING A BUS SHELTER AT THE EXISTING STOP LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE THEODORE JOHNS LIBRARY, TO SERVE RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA. 
          THAT PROPOSAL WAS CONTINGENT UPON THE CITY RECEIVING THE ARP GRANT, WHICH WAS SUBMITTED IN MARCH. WE LEARNED EARLY MAY THAT THE. THAT WE WERE NOT AWARDED THE GRANT. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, THE BUS STOP I'M REFERRING TO IS REPRESENTED BY THE YELLOW STAR ON YOUR SCREEN. 
          HOWEVER, AFTER FURTHER REVIEW, THAT PROPOSED STOP WOULD PRIMARILY SERVE THE PLACE OF GRACE COMPLEX RATHER THAN THE ABIDING GRACE COMPLEX. SO AT THE TIME I HAD THE LOCATIONS GEOGRAPHICALLY REVERSED IN MY MIND WHEN COMMUNICATING THIS TO COUNCIL, SO I DO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. ALTHOUGH PLACE OF GRACE AND ABIDING GRACE SHARE THE SAME PROPERTY OWNER, THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY INTERCONNECTIVITY IN BETWEEN THE COMPLEXES THAT WOULD ALLOW ABIDING GRACE TO ACCESS THE EXISTING STOP AT THE THEODORE JOHN'S LIBRARY OFF SARAH STREET. 
          IN REVIEWING THE CURRENT TRANSIT SYSTEM, THE SOUTH 11TH ROUTE CURRENTLY LOOPS AT THE FINET ROAD EXIT, WHICH IS SHOWN BY THE GREEN LINE ON THE LEFT OF YOUR SCREEN. ONE OPTION WOULD BE TO EXTEND THE ROUTE FURTHER EAST TO LOOP AT THE SOUTH FOURTH STREET EXIT. THIS IS REPRESENTED BY THE RED LINE ON YOUR SCREEN. THIS PROPOSED EXTENSION WOULD ADD APPROXIMATELY 2.08 MILES TO THE ROUTE IN TOTAL. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THE ROUTE CURRENTLY OPERATES 30 TRIPS PER DAY MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND 14 TOTAL TRIPS ON SATURDAYS. THE AVERAGE TIME FOR RIDERS WAITING ON A BUS TO ARRIVE IS APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES. IF THE SOUTH 11TH STREET, OR IF THE SOUTH 11TH ROUTE WERE EXTENDED, THE SERVICE FREQUENCY WOULD DECREASE FROM 30 DAILY TRIPS TO APPROXIMATELY 24 TRIPS MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SATURDAY SERVICE WOULD ALSO DECREASE FROM 14 TRIPS TO APPROXIMATELY 11 TRIPS. AND BY TRIPS I MEAN THEY RUN ON AN INFINITY LOOP. SO THE AMOUNT OF TIMES THAT THEY CAN RUN THAT INFINITY LOOP WOULD DECREASE. IN ADDITION, THE ROUTE EXTENSION WOULD INCREASE RIDER WAIT TIMES BY APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES DEPENDING ON TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. FROM A BUDGETARY STANDPOINT, THE REDUCED NUMBER OF DAILY TRIPS COULD RESULT IN A OPERATIONAL COST SAVINGS FOR THE CITY. HOWEVER, IT IS LIKELY THAT A BUS SHELTER WOULD ALSO BE REQUESTED IF THE ROUTE EXTENSION WERE TO BE TO MOVE FORWARD. SO JUST BE AWARE OF THAT. THE ESTIMATED COST FOR A COMPLETE BUS SHELTER RANGES FROM APPROXIMATELY 30,000 TO 40,000. THIS WOULD INCLUDE A CONCRETE BOARDING PAD, PREFABRICATED SHELTER, INFORMATION BOARD, SOLAR LIGHT BENCH, TRASH RECEPTACLE AND CONTRACTOR INSTALLATION COSTS. THIS ESTIMATE DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY ADDITIONAL SITE MODIFICATION THAT MAY BE NECESSARY TO MEET ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS, SO THAT THAT COST COULD INCREASE IF THAT WERE REQUIRED. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT THE ROUTE IS ONE OF THE. THE SOUTH 11TH ROUTE IS ONE OF THE CITY'S MOST HEAVILY UTILIZED ROUTES, PROVIDING APPROXIMATELY 49,000 RIDES ANNUALLY AND RANKING SECOND IN 
          [00:40:02]
OVERALL RIDERSHIP. AS A RESULT, THERE ARE BOTH ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES TO EXTENDING THE ROUTE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL WAIT TO PROCEED WITH THE EXTENSION OR INSTALLATION OF A BUS SHELTER THERE UNTIL WE RECEIVE SOME FEEDBACK FROM Y'ALL. AND I DO HAVE CLAUDIA SAN MIGUEL, OUR GENERAL MANAGER OF VISIT WITH US AND HER TEAM FOR ANY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION. ANY QUESTIONS, COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS, BY EXTENDING THE ROUTE, HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE DO YOU EXPECT TO SERVE OR IS IT GOING TO INCREASE THE I BELIEVE THE APARTMENT COMPLEX ITSELF HAS OVER 60 UNITS, I WOULD SAY. 
          AND THAT'S THAT'S A CONSERVATIVE TAKE ON IT. SO YOU COULD AT LEAST SAY 60 PEOPLE. 
          BUT IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO THE PICTURE, I THINK IT'S ON SLIDE TWO. YEAH. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S SEVERAL BUSINESSES TO THE SOUTH ON WEST, CARDINAL OR SOUTH OF ABIDING GRACE. SO WE WOULD PROBABLY INSTALL SOME BUS STOPS ALONG THAT ROUTE. AND CLAUDIA MAY BE ABLE TO GIVE SOME MORE DETAIL ON THAT. BUT ALSO AS YOU GO NORTH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ON THE NORTH SIDE OF WEST CARDINAL WHERE THERE'S SOME COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES THAT COULD BE SERVED AS WELL. OKAY. 
          AND COUNCILMAN TURNER, YOU HAD A QUESTION AND I KNOW YOU SAID EARLIER WITH PLACEMENT, IS IT A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHILE WE'RE LOOKING AT ABIDING GRACE AND OR THE SIDE WHERE IT IS BY THE LIBRARY OR PLACE OF GRACES, I DIDN'T. SO WE WERE LOOKING AT THE FOR THE AARP GRANT OPPORTUNITY THAT BECAME AVAILABLE. THAT WAS A $15,000 GRANT. WE WERE ABLE TO COMBINE SOME THINGS TO MAKE THAT WORK. IF WE WERE AWARDED IT, WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT LOCATION BECAUSE OF THE LIBRARY BEING THERE. IT IS UTILIZED. ALSO, THERE'S THE TWO SENIOR COMPLEXES THERE. AND AGAIN, WHEN I WAS COMMUNICATING THAT I WAS AT THE TIME ABIDING GRACE RESIDENTS CAME BEFORE YOU GUYS TO SPEAK. I HAD THAT IN MY MIND. WHEREAS REALITY IS THAT WAS ACTUALLY PLACE OF GRACE UP THERE. AND ABIDING GRACE IS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER SOUTH. SO I JUST HAD THEM GEOGRAPHICALLY FLIPPED, BUT WE DID TRY TO CONTACT THEM TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERCONNECTIVITY TO SEE IF, YOU KNOW, WE DID MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT SHELTER, IF THEY COULD HAVE ACCESS TO THAT THROUGH A, YOU KNOW, THE PARKING LOTS OR THE SIDEWALKS. BUT WE DIDN'T GET MUCH TRACTION THERE. SO WHEN YOU TRY TO CONTACT THEM, AND I UNDERSTAND MUCH TRACTION, BUT YOU COULDN'T REACH ANYBODY THAT YOU. AND THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. DO WE NEED I HATE TO SAY IT LIKE THIS. WE NEED TO PUT YOU GUYS IN CONTACT WITH THE OWNER. YEAH, I THINK WE CAN. I KNOW THAT WE TALKED TO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. ASSURED THAT THEY WOULD RELAY THAT INFORMATION. WE'VE NEVER RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION FROM THE OWNER. BUT IF YOU HAVE THOSE DETAILS I'D BE HAPPY TO CONTACT. YEAH, DEFINITELY. WE CAN GET THEM IN TOUCH WITH THEM BEFORE WE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SHUT THAT OPTION DOWN. AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I SEE WHAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE COST EFFICIENT AND MORE UTILIZED, UTILIZED IF WE CAN GET IN CONTACT WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER AND COORDINATE THAT. THAT WAS KIND OF. COUNCILMAN, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER TO SEE IF THEY CAN MAKE A WAY FOR THEM TO USE THIS BUS STOP ON? SARAH. THAT'S, THAT'S TOO FAR FOR THE FOLKS THAT LIVE TO HAVE TO WALK ALL THE WAY ACROSS THEIR PROPERTY, ALL THE WAY ACROSS PLACE OF GRACE TO GET TO, TO THE LIBRARY. THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A REAL THAT'S A LONG WAY. AND MOST OF THOSE FOLKS THAT LIVE OVER THERE ARE ELDERLY FOLKS. IT IS SENIOR CITIZEN COMMUNITIES RIGHT THERE. YEAH. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST TOO FAR. SO ANOTHER THING, YOU KNOW, I KNOW Y'ALL REALIZE THAT RIGHT NOW, IF YOU GO DOWN CARDINAL PAST THE BOY SCOUT PLACE IS CLOSED, YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE THAT U-TURN RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION. THEY REALLY I DON'T KNOW IF THE BUSSES I GUESS THEY STOPPED. THEY HAD TO STOP CLOSED. RIGHT. CURRENTLY WE LOOP AT THAT ROAD. 
          SO WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME OPTIONS. AND IF THAT MEANT A DELAY, WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH TEXDOT TO UNDERSTAND WHEN THAT WOULD OPEN BACK UP. BUT IF THAT MEANT A DELAY TO THE EXTENSION, THEN WE WOULD WORK AROUND THAT. AND SINCE THIS BUS STOP WOULD BE ON 69, I GUESS YOU'D CALL IT, WE HAVE TO TALK TO TEXDOT ABOUT THAT. I DON'T BELIEVE SO, BUT IT WOULDN'T HURT TO SEE IF. I MEAN, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE IN CONTACT WITH THEM FOR ANY, LIKE TRAFFIC CONGESTION NOTICES OR IF THEY'RE GOING TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE SOMETHING OR CLOSE A LANE. 
          I KNOW THAT WE WE DO TRY TO STAY IN CONTACT WITH THEM FOR THAT. BUT AND YOU SAID YOU MAY PUT SOME OTHER STOPS BETWEEN FOURTH STREET AND FOURNETTE ROAD IF YOU RUN THAT. OKAY. 
          YEAH, THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. I PASSED BY THERE A LOT AND I KNOW SOME FOLKS THAT LIVE IN 
          [00:45:01]
THERE. THAT'S JUST THAT'S JUST TOO FAR TO WALK FROM BASICALLY TO WALK FROM CARDINAL DRIVE TO SARAH STREET. YEAH. AND SO IF WE DID, AND I KNOW I TALKED ABOUT, I DON'T MEAN TO BE REDUNDANT IN THE SLIGHTEST, BUT IF WE WERE TO EXTEND THE ROUTE WITH THAT RED LINE, IT THE THE NEGATIVE IMPACT WOULD BE THAT WE INCREASE THE RIDER OR THE RIDERS WAIT TIME BY ABOUT 15 MINUTES. RIGHT NOW THE AVERAGE IS ABOUT 30 MINUTES. SO EACH RIDER WOULD BE WAITING APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES. THE POSITIVE IS THAT IT WOULD BE AN OPERATIONAL COST SAVINGS BECAUSE LESS TRIPS PER DAY. ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN EXTENDED A LITTLE BIT, IT STILL IS LESS TRIPS PER DAY. AND SO WHY WOULD THE WITCH WAIT? TIME IS GOING TO BE EXTENDED TO WHERE THE STAR IS. THAT WAIT TIME. SO TRIPS, BASICALLY AN INFINITY LOOP AND CLAUDIA JUMP IN IF IF I GET IT WRONG, BUT AN INFINITY LOOP HAPPENS WHERE? AT THE DANNENBAUM STATION. THAT'S THE THE HUB WHERE YOU CAN CHANGE BUSSES AND WHATNOT. THAT INFINITY LOOP GOES FOR, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THE AMOUNT OF MILES OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, BUT ON THE SOUTH 11TH ROUTE, IT'LL GO ALL THE WAY OUT. AND BY THE TIME IT COMES BACK TO THE DANNENBAUM STATION, THAT'S ONE TRIP. AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S ABOUT AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES TOTAL. AND THEN THERE'S SEVERAL BUS STOPS IN BETWEEN. SO IF THERE'S SOMEONE THAT IS AT A BUS STOP, YOU KNOW, ON FINETTE ROAD WAITING FOR THE SOUTH 11TH, ONE BUS TO GET THERE, JUST KNOW THAT SOUTH 11TH BUS IS COMING FROM THE DANNENBAUM STATION, MAKING TRIP STOPS ALONG THE WAY. SO THEY HAVE TO WAIT THAT AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THAT BUS TO GET THERE. SO CURRENTLY THAT WAIT TIME IS ABOUT 30 MINUTES. WHAT WE CAN ANTICIPATE AN INCREASE OF 15 MINUTES TO THAT TIME. SO INSTEAD OF EXTENDING THIS PARTICULAR BUS ROUTE, CAN WE JUST CREATE ANOTHER ONE THAT WOULD SHORTEN THE TIME THAT WOULD YOU YOU COULD, BUT IT WOULD NEED MORE RESOURCES TO DO THAT. IF WE WANTED TO GET LIKE MORE BUSSES ON THE, ON THE LOOP. OH, YOU'D HAVE TO GET ANOTHER BUS TO DO SO. LET ME JUMP IN HERE REAL QUICKLY. SO I KNOW IT'S ALWAYS SO TRANSIT AND CLAUDIA CAN HELP US AS WELL. TRANSIT'S A BALANCE, OF COURSE, BETWEEN SERVICE AND TIME AND MONEY. AND SO WE TALK ABOUT IF WE DID THE ADJUSTMENT ON THE RED, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO INCREASE THE HEADWAY TIMES BY 15 MINUTES. AND THAT MIGHT WHILE WE WHILE WE WOULD BE INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, REALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROBABLY SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. THE DOWNSIDE IS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE LONGER WAIT TIMES. AND SO YOU MIGHT LOSE LOSE RIDERS ON THE OTHER PART OF THE ROUTE. SO IT'S ALWAYS A BALANCE. I WILL ADD THAT. AND WE CAN ALWAYS RUN THE NUMBERS AND PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE. BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ADDING ADDITIONAL BUSSES AND DRIVERS TO REDUCE THE WAIT TIME OR EXTEND A ROUTE, YOU KNOW, IT QUICKLY GETS INTO SIX FIGURES TO ADD A AND SOMETIMES 100, SOMETIMES $200,000 TO ADD. SO WE CERTAINLY CAN RUN THOSE ESTIMATES AND PROVIDE THAT. BUT IT'S JUST I JUST WANTED TO RAISE THAT ISSUE. YES. COUNCIL COUNT. WELL, COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD, I'LL GET BACK TO YOU, COUNCILMAN TURNER. OKAY, SO I'VE GOT A QUESTION BECAUSE I'M FAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA, RIGHT? THERE'S A THERE'S A ROUTE THAT COMES DOWN VIRGINIA THAT HAS A BUS STOP OVER HERE IN THE CORNER. IF ANYBODY. I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT A PART OF THIS OF EXTENSION 11TH STREET BUS ROUTE EXTENSION. BUT IT MAY BE WOULD SEEM SENSIBLE TO ADD EXTEND THAT ROUTE, THAT FOURTH STREET. 
          SARAH STREET BACK HERE. VIRGINIA STREET ROUTE TO INCLUDE THAT LITTLE LOOP INSTEAD OF THAT'S THAT CAN'T ADD THAT MUCH TIME IF ANYBODY. YEAH. CAN WE MAKE THIS BIG. I'M SORRY. LOOK I DIDN'T I DON'T HAVE MY GLASSES. I NEED TO MAKE. YEAH. IT'S. YEAH. AT ANY ROUTE I KNOW THAT VIRGINIA STREET DEAD ENDS TO THE SLIDE TWO. I THINK THAT IT IS CHRIS. YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO SHOW Y'ALL ALL THE ROUTES BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT AN ADJACENT ROUTE, COUNCILMAN SHERWOOD. SO I WANTED JUST TO SHOW THE WHOLE ROUTE SYSTEM. YEAH, IT'S THE PEAR ORCHARD ROUTE. OKAY. IT'S THE ORCHARD ROUTE THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. BUT IF WE JUST RAN A LOOP BACK AROUND. BECAUSE IF I'M LOOKING AT THIS ROUTE, IT LOOKS LIKE IT STOPPED. I CAN'T MAKE THIS BIG ENOUGH, BUT FROM WHERE I'M LOOKING, IT STOPS RIGHT THERE. MAYBE THAT MAY. I'M JUST. MY QUESTION IS, DID WE LOOK AT AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE INSTEAD OF THE 11TH STREET ROUTE? WE HAVE OUR GENERAL MANAGER. WE ALSO HAVE MISS GILBERT. SHE IS VERY WELL VERSED IN THE ROUTE, SO I'LL LET THEM TAKE THE MIC. OKAY. YEAH. SO BASICALLY THE WAY THIS PROJECT STARTED WAS WITH SOUTH 11 AND THAT BASICALLY WHERE WE CONCENTRATED ALL THE ATTENTION AND TRY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN WITH SOUTH 11. GOTCHA. OBVIOUSLY WE HAD THAT OTHER OPTION AND WE 
          [00:50:02]
CAN SEE IT ON THE ORIGINAL MAP THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT. IT'S YOU CAN SEE THE TIP THERE. 
          EITHER WAY, I GUARANTEE YOU WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO INCREASE SOME MILES. WE CAN EITHER DO IT TO SOUTH 11 OR DO IT TO WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE ADDED MILEAGE. YOU CAN SEE THAT ON THE RIGHT AT THE TOP. IT'S KIND OF FURTHER OUT. WE CAN WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN ON EITHER OR. I BELIEVE JUST BY LOOKING AT THE DRAWING, THE MILEAGE, THE INCREASED MILEAGE IS GOING TO BE ABOUT THE SAME. ABOUT TWO MILES, TWO MILES AND A HALF PER TRIP. SO NOW WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS PER ARCHER IS A LOWER RIDERSHIP ROUTE. SO WE'RE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ON A VERY BUSY ROUTE. MAYBE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GIVE US MORE TIME. WE CAN COME BACK WITH ANOTHER OPTION AND LOOK AT ARCHER. YEAH. SO THE IMPACT IS GOING TO BE LESS. AND I'M ALWAYS GOING TO SAY YES TO WHATEVER THE WISHES OF THE COUNCIL ARE. MY RECOMMENDATION IS ALLOW US TO COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION ON ARCHER. THE IMPACT IS GOING TO BE LESS AS FAR AS THE RIDERS ARE GOING TO BE, AND MAYBE TIME WISE AND. MAYBE THINK I WILL SAY, I THINK NO MATTER WHAT, IF YOU DO INCREASE THE THE LENGTH OF THE ROUTE, IT WILL ADD SOME MINUTES, BUT MAYBE IT'S LESS THAN THE 15 MINUTES, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. AND SO MY QUESTION IS, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THIS PEAR ORCHARD ROUTE I'M LOOKING AT THE MAP. SO WHAT WHAT ROUTE IS IT THAT'S COMING OUT VIRGINIA STREET. IS THAT NOT ON THE PEAR ORCHARD ROUTE? BECAUSE THIS IS SHOWING THAT WEST VIRGINIA STREET IS A LITTLE BIT LOWER. BUT I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE A BUS STATION RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF VIRGINIA MANOR. WHAT ROUTE IS THAT ON? THAT'S ON. THAT'S ON ORCHARD. OKAY. I JUST SAW THE BLUE WAY UP THERE. I JUST FROM VIRGINIA TO YOU SAYING TO SARAH, OKAY, OKAY, OKAY. GOTCHA. I JUST WAS WONDERING. BUT YEAH, I THINK THAT MAY BE HELPFUL. I DON'T KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE ONE THAT RUNS UP VIRGINIA TO FOURTH STREET. YEAH, THEY DO. THEY SAY THAT, BUT IT'S JUST NOT HIGHLIGHTED ON IT TURNS ON YOU SAYING OH, IT TURNS ON YOU SAYING YEAH. BACK TO SARAH BY OLDHAM, BY SPRY PARK. YES. 
          COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW AND FROM THE THE CITIZENS FROM ABIDING GRACE THAT CAME TO COUNCIL THAT WANTED THIS ROUTE INDICATED THAT SENIOR CITIZENS NEEDED ACCESS TO THE GROCERY STORE. SO MY QUESTION IS, DO BOTH THE PEAR ORCHARD ROUTE AND THE 11TH STREET ROUTE BOTH STOP AT. AT EITHER. WHAT ARE THE. WHAT'S THE. I'M ASSUMING HE BE ON COLLEGE AND DO 11 DOES SOUTH 11TH DOES. SO TO ME, THE REASON WHY SOUTH 11TH WOULD BE MORE IMPORTANT WOULD BE IF A SENIOR CITIZEN, ABIDING GRACE WANTS TO GO TO H-E-B ON SOUTH 11TH, SHE WOULD HAVE TO. OR HE WOULD HAVE TO RIDE TWO BUSSES IF IT WAS THE PEAR ORCHARD, BECAUSE THEY'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE HUB AND GET ON THE BUS TO GO TO SOUTH 11TH. SO IF WE KEPT SOUTH 11TH, IN THEORY, THEY COULD SAY ON ONE ROUTE TO GO TO H-E-B TO BACK. OKAY, GREAT. AND THEN WHERE AND I KNOW I MISSED IT, AND I KNOW IT HAS TO DO WITH THE RED LINE. WHERE IS THE SHELTER GOING TO BE IF WE APPROVE THIS? YOU GAVE ME THE THE GOLD STAR, WHICH I APPRECIATE, BUT I WISH I HAD A PROPOSED STAR ON THE ROUTE. WHERE IS IT GOING TO BE? SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE ABIDING GRACE, IT'S TITLED ON YOUR SCREEN, RIGHT? IT'LL GO RIGHT BY THE DRIVEWAY, ESSENTIALLY WHERE IT MEETS CARDINAL. OKAY. DOWN THERE. AND YOU WERE DENIED THE AARP GRANT, BUT IF YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE AARP GRANT, YOU'RE GOING TO USE THAT GRANT NOW FOR THE ABIDING GRACE. OR IF YOU HAD THE GRANT, YOU'RE STILL GOING TO DO THE GOLD STAR. SO I PUT IN A BUDGET REQUEST. 
          AND OF COURSE, THAT'S GOT TO GO THROUGH THE GANTLET. RIGHT. AND IN RETROSPECT, WITH EVERY EVERY OTHER REQUEST IN THE CITY. BUT I DID PUT IN A REQUEST TO INSTALL BOTH. IT WOULD BE THE SHELTER AT THE THEODORE JOHNS LIBRARY, WHICH ALSO IS GOING TO INCLUDE SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS, CROSS OR MARK CROSSINGS. AND THAT WOULD BE COMBINED WITH LIKE A COMBINATION OF CDBG FUNDS, TRANSIT FUNDS. AND THEN FOR ABIDING GRACE, I PUT IN ANOTHER SEPARATE REQUEST SHOULD THE COUNCIL WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS ROUTE EXTENSION SO THAT WE CAN ALSO ACCOMMODATE A BUS SHELTER IF THAT IS THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL? SO IN FRONT OF THE JOHN'S LIBRARY, IT ALREADY HAS A STOP. IT JUST DOESN'T HAVE A SHELTER. YES. OKAY. IT HAS A POLE THERE FOR ABIDING GRACE. YOUR PROPOSAL IS TO ADD BOTH A STOP AND A SHELTER. OKAY. AND IF YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE GRANT, IF YOU ALREADY HAD ALL THE OTHER BUDGETING NECESSARY TO GET THAT DONE WITH FOR THE CASE OF GRACE ONE. YES, FOR THE PLACE OF GRACE. OKAY. IF YOU GOT GRANTS FOR BOTH. SO THAT'D BE A TOTAL OF 3000. YOU HAVE THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS YOU NEED THROUGH TRANSIT AND ALL THAT TO, TO GET BOTH SHELTERS DONE. SO FOR GOT TO THINK ABOUT THEM SEPARATELY FOR THE PLACE OF GRACE ONE OR LET'S SAY THE THEODORE JOHN'S LIBRARY, 
          [00:55:01]
BECAUSE THAT'S ULTIMATELY THE SIDE THAT IT WOULD BE ON. THERE WAS IT'S, IT'S A SEPARATE PROJECT. SO THAT ONE WOULD HAVE PAVED MARKINGS ACROSS THE ROAD FOR SAFE PASSAGE. RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NONE. AND THAT WOULD BE TO SERVE PLACE OF GRACE. AND THEN I, I BELIEVE THAT'S GRACE LAKE TOWNHOMES RIGHT TO THE RIGHT OF IT. THAT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE A LINEAR SIDEWALK THAT WOULD CONNECT FROM THAT MARK CROSSING TO THE PLACE OF GRACE COMPLEX, BECAUSE THERE'S NONE RIGHT NOW. AND THEN ON THAT SOUTH SIDE FOR ABIDING GRACE, THAT'S A SEPARATE PROJECT. I WAS ABLE TO FUND OR FIND FUNDING FOR THE PLACE OF GRACE ONE OR THE THEODORE JOHN'S LIBRARY ONE THROUGH A COMBINATION OF CDBG AVAILABLE CDBG GRANT MONEY, THE AARP FUNDING, I BELIEVE MOLLY COMMITTED TEN 000. OF COURSE, THAT MAY CHANGE FROM THE SIDEWALK FUND. THAT MAY CHANGE IN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR. AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO SOME LEFTOVER MONEY IN THE TRANSIT FUND FOR THAT STOP. IF IF WE WERE AWARDED THAT AARP GRANT, WHICH WE WERE NOT. SO NOW WE'RE SHORT $15,000. SO THE BUS SHELTER TO THE SOUTH AT ABIDING GRACE SEPARATE PROJECT THAT IS GOING TO RANGE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 30,000 TO 40,000 CURRENTLY. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IF THERE NEEDS TO BE ANY KIND OF SITE MODIFICATIONS TO MEET ADA STANDARDS, THEN THAT MAY INCREASE A LITTLE BIT. BUT I DID PUT IN FOR A BUDGET REQUEST TO INSTALL A SHELTER FOR THAT, THAT AMOUNT OF FUNDING TO BE IN THE TRANSIT ACCOUNTS FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. SO I KNOW THAT THAT WAS A LOT OF WORDS, AND I HOPE THAT I WAS CONCISE ENOUGH. IT WAS. AND SO IF YOU HAD THE $15,000 GRANT FROM AARP, YOU'RE READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SHELTER ACROSS FROM JOHN'S. YES. OKAY. SO MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE THAT WE, FOR NOW, GO ON AND ADD THE STOP ON THE SOUTH 11TH STREET ROUTE FOR ABIDING GRACE. AND THEN I'M GOING TO REACH OUT TO HEB ENERGY, MAYBE SOME OTHER PARTNERS, AND SEE IF I CAN'T HELP Y'ALL RAISE THAT 15 GRAND FOR THE SHELTER AT JOHN'S. AND MAYBE NEXT YEAR IF WE FOR WHATEVER REASON WITH THE BUDGET, WE DON'T GET ENOUGH FUNDS FOR THE ABIDING GRACE SHELTER. 
          WE'LL AT LEAST HAVE A STOP TO HELP THOSE SENIORS. AND WE CAN LOOK AT MAYBE TRYING TO DO TRY TO RAISE SOME MONEY FOR AN ADDITIONAL SHELTER THERE. BUT IF YOU WERE ABLE TO GET THE COMMITMENTS ON THE 15000, YOU COULD START ON THE SHELTER SOON. COULD. YES, BUT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT PRODUCTION AND WHATNOT. SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY ACCOMMODATE FOR CONTRACTOR INSTALLATION, BUT THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS THERE. CHRIS, I'LL GET YOU OR. I'M SORRY, MR. BOONE. I'LL GET YOU THE BREAKDOWN. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TURNER. THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN. THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES PRIOR TO GETTING TO ANTIOCH. I SEE WE RIDE BOMB. IS THAT ALREADY A STOP OR THAT YOU DON'T? WE DON'T STOP IT, THOUGH. SO THE RED LINE WOULD BE NEW. 
          THAT WOULD BE ALL NEW. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND REALLY LOOK AT WHERE THOSE BUS STOPS NEED TO BE. AND YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED THAT, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT WHERE BUS STOPS ARE NEEDED OUT THERE. I CAN TELL YOU, I DID NOT PUT IN FUNDING OR A REQUEST FOR ACTUAL BUS SHELTERS. THOSE WOULD BE POLL SIGNS. HOPEFULLY WE CAN GO OUT FOR ANOTHER GRANT. NORMALLY, THE FTA DOES CALL FOR PROJECTS ANNUALLY, AND WE DO APPLY EVERY YEAR FOR THE BUS AND BUS FACILITIES PROGRAM, BUT WE HAVE NOT BEEN AWARDED OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS THAT I'M I KNOW OF. SO WE ARE TRYING TO GET MORE FUNDING TO INSTALL BUS SHELTERS. 
          IT'S JUST BEEN DIFFICULT. SO, MISS EAMONN, HOW MUCH IS JUST THE STOP WITHOUT THE BENCHES AND EVERYTHING? HOW MUCH DID YOU SAY THAT WAS? OH, THAT'S A POLL SIGN. JUST A POLL SIGN. 
          YEAH, THAT'S. YEAH. SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING. THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX. I KNOW IT'S A NEW ROUTE, BUT WHEN I JUST JUST THINKING PROACTIVELY, WHEN WE START PASSING BY, THAT ONE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS NOT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX IS COMING. I DON'T I'M NOT SAYING I DON'T WANT TO OVERDO IT, BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THERE WAS A THOUGHT PROCESS, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT THE VOLUME AND THE RIDERS AND I KIND OF UNDERSTAND, I DON'T WANT TO ADD MORE BUSSES BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND TRANSIT ISN'T SOMETHING WE DO PROFITABLE. IT'S JUST A SERVICE TO THE CITY. SO THAT'S CORRECT. THE FTA SUBSIDIZES OUR BUDGET BY ABOUT HALF, AND THEN THE REST IS FROM THE TRANSIT. YEAH. SO WE CAN I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS FEASIBLE. YEAH. AND ABSOLUTELY. AND YOU KNOW, CLAUDIA CAN HELP HERE. BUT THE DRIVERS ALSO PLAY A ROLE IN THIS. IN OTHER WORDS, IF THEY SEE A STOP THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, NEW CONSTRUCTION, NEW APARTMENT COMPLEX, YOU KNOW, THIS MAY BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR A NEW STOP. OR IF WE'RE NOT GETTING ANYONE USING A PARTICULAR STOP. SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, APPROXIMATELY 600 PLUS STOPS CITYWIDE. SO THOSE ARE EASY TO KIND OF CHANGE AROUND. AS WE KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SHELTERS, THOSE CAN START TO LOOK LIKE $20,000, $30,000 A PIECE. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY A, A POPULAR HIGH VOLUME STOP BEFORE WE INVEST IN ONE OF THOSE. YEAH. 
          [01:00:06]
AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IN THAT AREA, PROBABLY IT MAY BE ONE OF OUR WORST AREAS AS FAR AS CONSTRUCTION WITH TEXDOT. SO I UNDERSTAND, BUT I'M OPEN TO IT. IF WE PASSING BY IT, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A SHELTER. BUT YOU KNOW, JUST THOSE APARTMENTS, THOSE WERE PEOPLE MORE THAN LIKELY NEED THE MOST SERVICES. COUNCILMAN HILLIARD, THEN COUNCILMAN DARIO. SO I HAVE A QUESTION. IT'S KIND OF A TWO PART. HOW'S OUR HOW'S OUR WRAP PROJECT GOING WITH THE BUSSES, THE SELLING THE ADVERTISEMENTS ON THE SIDE? OR HAVE WE HAD PRETTY GOOD LUCK WITH THAT. AND, AND THEN MY SECOND PART OF MY QUESTION IS, IS IF IT'S WORKING, WHY CAN'T WE SELL ADVERTISING INSIDE THE, THE, THE STOPS WHERE PEOPLE ARE WAITING. I MEAN, IT WOULD BE A WAY TO GENERATE MONEY. I, YOU SEE THEM IN OTHER CITIES. SO I CAN ANSWER QUESTION NUMBER ONE. 
          WE HAD ONE, I BELIEVE IT'S A CLINIC THAT HAS PRETTY MUCH COMMITTED. WE SIGN A CONTRACT. 
          WE'RE WAITING ON PRODUCTION. SO WE ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT ONCE EVERYBODY SEES THAT ONE BUS RUNNING WITH. ADVERTISEMENT, I'M REALLY HOPING THAT THE REST ARE GOING TO START COMING IN. 
          SO WE HAVE ONE ADVERTISEMENT ALREADY SOLD. WE'RE JUST WAITING ON PRODUCTION. THE SECOND QUESTION ABOUT ADVERTISEMENT ON CITY BENCHES OR ON THE SHELTERS, IT'S OBVIOUSLY AN OPTION THAT WE CAN CONSIDER. WE'LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH APPROVALS WITH YOU ALL TO TO PURSUE THAT PROJECT. ABSOLUTELY, YES. ONE FACTOR WITH THAT IS THAT OUR SIGN CODE DOES PROHIBIT SIGNAGE WITHIN OUR RIGHT OF WAY. SO WE MAY JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS TO ACCOMMODATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO GENERATE MONEY. AND I, I COULD SEE BENCH SEATS THAT SAY CALL CRENSHAW. YES, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED. DON'T CALL US. SO YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST OUTSIDE THE BOX. AND I, I, YOU KNOW, YOU DID A GREAT JOB WITH THE WRAPS. AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIG THING AND HELP CIRCUMVENT SOME OF THE THE MONEY THAT WE'RE LOSING, SO TO SPEAK. AND THEN ADVERTISING WOULD BE ANOTHER WAY THAT WOULD GENERATE MONEY TO BUILD MORE BUS STOPS. SO ABSOLUTELY, LIKE DEMI MENTIONED, I MEAN, THERE COULD BE AN AMENDMENT TO THE EXISTING ORDINANCE. SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PROCEED AND, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS COME BACK AND, AND JUST LIKE WE PRESENTED THE, THE ADVERTISEMENT ON THE BUSSES, WE CAN COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION AND PROPOSAL AND THEN MOVE FORWARD. IT, IT MAKES IT MORE ACCESSIBLE. THE BUS WRAPS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE FOR THE PRODUCTION AND ALL THAT, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY MUCH CLINICS OR BIG COMPANIES GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD BENCH OR SHELTER. ADVERTISEMENT IS LESS COST PROHIBITIVE. SO THAT OPENS THE DOOR FOR SMALLER BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE DOCTORS AND, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT LOCALS OR EVEN FRANCHISES THAT WANT TO ADVERTISE BUT ALSO BE A LOT MORE WELCOMING. A GOOD WAY TO. COUNCILMAN DARIO NEXT. SO IF WE WANTED TO GET THE THE SHELTER AT THE ABIDING AT THE PLACE OF GRACE AND ABIDING GRACE, TOTAL WAS GOING TO BE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 30 AND 60 TO DO BOTH OF THEM, 30,000, 60,000. PLACE OF GRACE. THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF 15,000 RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET THAT GRANT. AND THEN ABIDING GRACE IS GOING TO BE 30,000 TO 40,000 AGAIN, THAT COULD GO UP IF THERE'S ANY MODIFICATIONS THAT MORE MODIFICATIONS THAN JUST THE CONCRETE LANDING PAD OR BOARDING PAD, THAT TO MEET ADA ACCESSIBILITY. AND I DON'T KNOW IF MOLLY CAN SPEAK BETTER TO IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST BEING ABLE TO GET ONTO THE, THE BOARDING PAD WITH EASE AND MEET THE CODE, ESSENTIALLY, YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE BUDGET REQUESTS FOR THE WHOLE PROJECT OR JUST ONE OF THEM, OR I INSERTED A BUDGET REQUEST FOR BOTH, JUST, JUST IN CASE. AND I CAN ALWAYS TAKE THEM OUT. IF YOU DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE FORWARD. GOT MORE COVERAGE? DO YOU PLAN ON GETTING YOUR PRESSURE WASHING COMPANY TO WRAP AROUND A BUS? THEIR JOY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SO WE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THEN THE MAYOR'S MORTGAGE, WE COULD ALL BUY ONE. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. 
          ONE OTHER THING. SO Y'ALL COME HERE FOR DIRECTION. THAT'S WHAT THIS WORKSHOP IS FOR TO SEE WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO. OR YOU CAN ALWAYS COMMUNICATE IT THROUGH. MR. OKAY. MORE TIME. 
          ALL RIGHT. I LIKE WHAT SHE'S SAID. SHE WAS GOING TO COME BACK WITH US WITH HER, SEE WHICH ROUTE IS IF THE WASHINGTON ROUTE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SAVE SOME MONEY OR TIME. BUT IT WAS POINTED OUT BY COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE TWO BUSSES TO GET TO. OH, THAT'S TRUE, THAT'S TRUE. OR WHATEVER GROCERY STORE THAT WAS. YEAH. 
          [01:05:01]
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IS KEEPING IT AS THEY PROPOSED IT IS THEY GET TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE. AND EVEN IF IT'S A HOUR AND 15 MINUTE WAIT, THAT'S PLENTY ENOUGH TIME TO BUY YOUR GROCERIES. YEAH. AND YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR GROCERIES TO A DIFFERENT BUS. YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK THAT'S A HUGE PAIN. I KNOW. YEAH. 
          THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. SO MY TAKEAWAY IS THERE SEEMS TO LEANING TOWARDS THE 11TH STREET. 
          THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WOULD YOU TAKE US INTO THE NEXT WORK SESSION PLEASE. YES, SIR. MAYOR 
          [ Council to review and discuss the City’s economic development and abatement policies.]
AND COUNCIL, OUR NEXT WORK SESSION IS TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE CITY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ABATEMENT POLICIES. OKAY. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE AN OVERVIEW, KIND OF A ONE ON ONE, ONE ON ONE IN TERMS OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS AS WELL AS OUR ABATEMENT POLICIES. SO WE'LL START OUT AT A HIGH LEVEL. AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE ABATEMENTS EVEN OFFERED? SO OF COURSE, IT'S TO ATTRACT NEW AND EXPANDING BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRY TO GROW IN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS NEXT POINT MAY BE CONTROVERSIAL WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS, BUT I WOULD PREFER NOT TO HAVE TO EVEN OFFER THEM. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT TAX ABATEMENTS AND FAIRNESS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT LATER IN THE PRESENTATION. BUT THE REALITY IS, AND BECAUSE WE ARE COMPETING WITH OTHER STATES AS CLOSE AS 30 MILES TO OUR EAST, WE'RE COMPETING WITH MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, OTHER PARTS OF TEXAS. IT'S A FEDERAL QUESTION. AND SO UNLESS YOU ADDRESS IT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AS WE SAY, IF YOU WANT TO BE IN THE GAME, YOU HAVE TO PLAY THE GAME. AND SO ESSENTIALLY, WE WE NEED TO AT LEAST STAY IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ABATEMENTS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND AS I MENTIONED, IT IS A JUST TO OUR EAST, YOU KNOW, WE ARE COMPETING WITH OTHER PROGRAMS LIKE THE LOUISIANA'S ITEP PROGRAM, WHICH HAS SOME BASIC INCENTIVES BUILT IN. SO I KNOW WE HANDLE A LOT OF THESE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, ALTHOUGH EVERY PROSPECT IS INDIVIDUAL AND IS TREATED AS SUCH, WE DO WE DO LOOK AT THESE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE EAST, YOU HAVE SOME BASIC ABATEMENT INCENTIVES ALREADY BUILT IN, AND PROSPECTS KNOW THAT. AND THAT, AGAIN, WE'RE COMPETING WITH THOSE FOLKS. SO AGAIN, WE CAN TALK ABOUT ARGUMENTS FOR ABATEMENTS AGAIN TO GROW THE ECONOMY, CREATE JOBS, BOTH CONSTRUCTION AND PERMANENT. I WILL POINT OUT ABOUT 14 TO 15% OF THE JOBS IN BEAUMONT PORT ARTHUR AREA ARE LINKED TO THE PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY, AND THIS IS PULLED OFF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS. THIS CHART, AND AGAIN, THIS IS FOR THE MINING LOGGING CONSTRUCTION SECTOR, WHICH A LOT OF THAT IS REFLECTED IN PETROCHEMICALS. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF THOUSANDS OF JOBS GOING BACK TEN YEARS TO THE LEFT, JUST UNDER 20,000 JOBS ARE IN THAT SECTOR. OF COURSE, YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED DURING COVID, BUT YOU CAN LOOK AFTER COVID, WHERE THERE'S A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBERS OF PETROCHEMICAL JOBS. OF COURSE, REVENUE IS A IS AN ARGUMENT FOR THE PARTICIPATION IN ECONOMIC AND AND INCENTIVES. AND THAT COMES IN THE FORM OF PROPERTY TAXES OR PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES, IN THE FORM OF INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS, ARGUMENTS AGAINST ABATEMENTS. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S A FAIR QUESTION TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE ARE THE ARE THESE FOLKS PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE WHEN A LOT OF BUSINESSES, A LOT OF HOMEOWNERS, WHEN THEY BUILD A HOME OR THEY OPEN A BUSINESS, THEY MAY NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OR BE ELIGIBLE FOR ABATEMENTS. SO IT'S A VALID QUESTION TO ASK IS, ARE THEY PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE? AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF RECENT DISCUSSION ABOUT LOST REVENUE FROM ABATEMENTS AND ABATEMENT PER JOB. AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT IS A FAIR QUESTION, AND IT CERTAINLY SHOULD BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. BUT ONE ISSUE IS SOME OF THAT DISCUSSION ONLY SHOWS ONE PART OF THE EQUATION. IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU'RE ONLY FOCUSING ON LOST REVENUE OR ABATEMENTS PER JOB, THAT'S GREAT. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE REVENUE AND JOBS? HAD THE ABATEMENT NOT BEEN OFFERED IN THE PROSPECT NOT BEEN LANDED? 
          [01:10:08]
THE ISSUE WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IS SOMETIMES YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHETHER OR NOT A PROSPECT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO LOCATE IN YOUR MARKET, BUT MANY TIMES YOU DON'T KNOW. AND SO AGAIN, AS WE MENTIONED, WE NEED TO STAY IN THE GAME. AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, IF YOU DON'T LAND A PROSPECT, IF YOU ONLY FOCUS ON THE REVENUE SIDE OR LOST REVENUE SIDE, YOU DON'T YOU AREN'T REALLY CALCULATING FOR AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT REALLY POSSIBLE. BUT HOW MANY JOBS, HOW MANY INDUSTRY PROSPECTS ARE YOU LOSING TO ADJACENT STATES OR ADJACENT CITIES SO QUICKLY? WE'LL GO OVER THE TYPES OF ABATEMENTS THAT THE CITY OF BEAUMONT CURRENTLY OFFERS. OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE LOCAL EMPOWERMENT ZONES. AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE CITY OF BEAUMONT ARE NOT. WE DO NOT HAVE A FOR A, FOR A OR FOR B COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WHERE WE TAKE A PORTION OF OUR SALES TAX AND USE THAT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO WE SOMETIMES HEAR ABOUT BUSINESSES, EVEN SMALLER BUSINESSES IN OUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY MAY GET DIRECT ECONOMIC INCENTIVES. WE DO NOT HAVE FOR A FOR B SALES TAX. IN ORDER TO DO SO, YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS. AND WE DID GO TO THE VOTERS, I BELIEVE, IN THE LATE 80S, AND THE VOTERS DECIDED THAT WE DID NOT WANT TO GO THAT ROUTE. SO I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT ZONES, WHILE IS NOT THEY'RE NOT AS POWERFUL AS A CDC WITH DIRECT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SALES TAX. THEY. 
          IT IS ONE MORE TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT'S MORE ON A SMALLER SCALE. SO YOU LOOK AT RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, THOSE KIND OF INCENTIVES. THREE 80S. 
          THESE ARE COMMERCIAL OR SPECIAL ABATEMENTS WHERE YOU CAN REBATE AND INVEST IN FOR PROJECTS, USUALLY WITHIN A CITY. NOW WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INDUSTRIAL ABATEMENTS, TYPICALLY THEY'RE GOING TO FALL UNDER THE NEXT TWO CATEGORIES AND THAT'S 312 AND INDUSTRIAL. THREE, 12, 12. 
          TYPICALLY WITHIN THE CITY. WE'LL TALK HERE IN A MINUTE ABOUT OUR. THREE OUR INDUSTRIAL POLICY, OUR 312 POLICY, WHICH HAS TO BE ADOPTED EVERY TWO YEARS BY STATE LAW. AND WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT IN JUST A MINUTE. AND THEN THE FINAL IS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS. AND THESE ARE. AGAIN, THESE ARE AGREEMENTS FOR IN MOST CASES, INVESTMENTS IN OUR ETJ EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS. SO THESE ARE NOT LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY, AS WE KNOW, GROUPS LIKE EXXONMOBIL. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT MANY OTHERS HERE SOON. THESE ARE ENTITIES THAT WE OFFER WHAT ARE CALLED PILOTS OR PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES IN EXCHANGE FOR REDUCED SERVICES AND IN EXCHANGE TO AGREE TO NOT ANNEX THEM. SO THESE ARE THE TYPES OF ABATEMENTS THAT WE OFFER. AGAIN, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IDA'S. AS I MENTIONED, THEY'RE LOCATED OUTSIDE THE CITY. THERE ARE AGREEMENTS FOR REDUCED SERVICES THAT THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR IN EXCHANGE FOR A REDUCED PAYMENT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE PAID. IN TERMS OF TAXES, I WILL SAY THAT RECENT LEGISLATION OUT OF AUSTIN HAS REDUCED SOME OF OUR ABILITY TO. HAVE THAT LEVERAGE IN TERMS OF A THREAT OF ANNEXATION, BUT MANY OF OUR ETJ ARE IN OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, SO WE STILL HAVE THAT ABILITY. 
          WE DO HAVE ABOUT 30 IDA'S CURRENTLY. MANY OF THESE ARE, AS YOU'RE AWARE, THEY GO BACK FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND DECADES. I WILL POINT OUT THAT IDA'S INDUSTRIAL AGREEMENTS, THEY BRING IN ALMOST 12% OF OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE. THESE IDA'S. WE TYPICALLY NEGOTIATE EVERY SEVEN YEARS. THEY'RE ON A SEVEN YEAR CYCLE. AND THE CYCLE TYPICALLY LOOKS LIKE THIS. SO YEARS ONE THROUGH THREE, WE ASK FOR 80% OF THE. WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE CITY TAXES PAID HAD THEY BEEN WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. AND THEN IT SCALES DOWN TO 75% FOR YEARS, FOUR THROUGH SEVEN. AND I WILL SAY THAT MOST OF OUR IDEAS HAVE BEEN RENEGOTIATED WITHIN THE LAST FEW YEARS. SO MOST OF THEM ARE EXPIRING IN THE NEXT IN THE COMING YEARS, BUT WE START TO RENEGOTIATE THEM IN 2028. SO QUICKLY TALKING ABOUT THE ABATEMENT PROCESS. AGAIN, WE CONSTANTLY ARE MARKETING THAT. WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND LOOKING FOR PROSPECTS. WE DO 
          [01:15:02]
THAT BOTH THROUGH OUR LOCAL MARKETING AS WELL AS THROUGH THE STATE. THE STATE WILL CONTACT US ON PROSPECTS AS WELL, TYPICALLY BECAUSE MOST OF THESE LARGER PROSPECTS ARE LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, THEY WILL START WITH THE COUNTY AS THE BASIS AND THEN WILL APPROACH US IN SHORT ORDER. IF THEY ARE WITHIN OUR INDUSTRIAL OR ETJ. AS YOU KNOW, THE PROPOSALS, IF THEY MEET THE GUIDELINES, WE WILL BRING THEM FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL FOR REVIEW AND AWARD. 
          AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THEY ALL ARE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. WE DO USE OUR GUIDELINES AND OUR 312 POLICY, BUT EVERYONE IS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. TYPICALLY, FOR YOUR LARGER PROJECT, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS A TEN YEAR ABATEMENT. THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT'S OFFERED, BUT IT CAN BE LESS, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, AS IF THEY'RE UNDER AN IDA OR AS THEY KIND OF GO PAST THEIR TEN YEAR ABATEMENT PERIOD, THEY WILL ROLL INTO AN IDA. AND THAT'S WHERE YOU GO INTO THIS BREAKDOWN OF SEVEN YEAR CYCLES. AND AS I MENTIONED, WE RENEGOTIATE THOSE EVERY SEVEN YEARS. SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR USUAL 312 INDUSTRIAL ABATEMENT POLICY ELIGIBLE PROJECTS, OUR INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING FACILITIES, DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS, CENTRAL ADMIN, OFFICE SERVICES PROPERTIES UNDER T C, E Q CLEANUP PROGRAMS. STANDARD ABATEMENT SCHEDULE. THIS COMES RIGHT OUT OF OUR CURRENT 312 POLICY. THIS IS JUST THE THE TIERS, IF YOU WILL, OF EXPECTED ABATEMENT OFFER BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT. AND YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF THE ONES WE BRING FORWARD ARE WELL ABOVE THIS AMOUNT. YOU CAN SEE THIS IS 5 MILLION. BUT WE'RE WE'RE FORTUNATE IN OUR REGION TO HAVE ABATEMENT PROSPECTS THAT ARE IN THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS AND EVEN BILLIONS PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE OUTLINED IN THE CURRENT 312 POLICY. 
          EXISTING AND NEWLY CREATED JOBS MUST BE MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE ABATEMENT TERM IF THEY ARE INCLUDED IN AN AGREEMENT. CONSTRUCTION MUST BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE ALLOWED CONSTRUCTION PERIOD AND GENERALLY NOT GO BEYOND A SECOND TAX YEAR. PROJECT MUST BECOME OPERATIONAL WITHIN SIX MONTHS AFTER CONSTRUCTION PERIOD. THE FAILURE TO COMPLETE, COMPLETE, OPERATE, CREATE, MAINTAIN, REQUIRE JOBS OR CONTINUED SHUTDOWN FOR SIX MONTHS CAN TERMINATE AN ABATEMENT. TALK ABOUT COMPLIANCE AND RECAPTURE AGAIN COMING OUT OF THE POLICY. 
          IF THE OWNER BECOMES DELINQUENT ON TAXES OR PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF TAXES, OR VIOLATES THE AGREEMENT AND FAILS TO CURE WITHIN 60 DAYS, THE CITY MAY TERMINATE. TERMINATE THE AGREEMENT, AND THEN PREVIOUS ABATED. TAXES MAY BE RECAPTURED AND MUST BE PAID BACK WITHIN 60 DAYS. TERMINATION. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT HERE THAT A LOT OF TIME, THE TAX ABATEMENT IS BASED ON INCREMENTAL TAX VALUE. SO YOU'VE GOT YOUR BASE YEAR VALUE. 
          AND SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS IF YOU'RE GOING TO INVEST $100 MILLION, IT'S OBVIOUSLY GOING TO GROW THE VALUE. SO THAT'S WHAT THAT INCREMENTAL VALUE IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ABATING INITIALLY. AND SO DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD WE'RE NOT REALLY ABATING TOO MUCH AS THEY GET CLOSER TO OPERATIONS. THAT'S WHEN THE THE ABATEMENTS KICK IN AGAIN FROM OUR POLICY, LOCAL PURCHASING, LOCAL LABOR MONITORING. THE OWNER MUST FILE QUARTERLY REPORT SHOWING LABOR MATERIALS, VENDORS, AND WHETHER SPENDING WAS LOCAL OR NON-LOCAL. CITY MAY TERMINATE OR REDUCE ABATEMENT IF THE OWNER OR CONTRACTORS FAIL TO COMPLY, AND IT REQUIRES REPORTING ON LOCAL BIDDING OPPORTUNITIES. LOCAL PREFERENCE, JUSTIFICATION FOR NON-LOCAL PURCHASES AND CERTIFIED LOCAL SPENDING TOTALS. SO JUST THIS IS A FEW OF OUR RECENT LARGER ABATEMENTS. I'M JUST GOING TO TOUCH ON A FEW OF THEM, JUST TO GIVE KIND OF A SENSE OR A FLAVOR OF WHAT'S BEEN OFFERED IN THE PAST. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL OCI GOING BACK TO 2011. THIS WAS THE OLD MOTHBALLED EASTMAN PLANT, AND IT'S AGAIN LOCATED OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS. IT WAS ABOUT $300 MILLION IN INVESTMENT TO RESTART THE PLANT. THE IDA EXTENDED THROUGH 2015. 80 JOBS WERE INCLUDED, AND IT LED ULTIMATELY TO NAT GAS AND SOME OTHER INVESTMENTS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND, 2014. FAST FORWARD AGAIN LOCATED OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS 2 BILLION IN GREEN METHANOL, 2700 WORKERS. THESE ARE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AT THE PEAK, 141 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES. AGAIN, THE IDA AGREEMENT WAS FOR THE 
          [01:20:01]
INCREMENTAL VALUE WAS 100% FOR TEN YEARS. THE ABATEMENT EXPIRED AND NAT GAS IS NOW PAYING US THE CITY DIRECTLY. THREE ACTUALLY, IT'S MORE THAN $3 MILLION IN TAXES. THIS IS A LITTLE MORE RECENT OCI, MERCURY AND DEEP BLUE. YOU MAY RECALL THE BIO METHANOL 1.7, THE DEEP BLUE BLUE AMMONIA 2.4 BILLION TO 2.8 BILLION INVESTMENT 2000. CONSTRUCTION JOBS 120. FULL TIME JOBS. 15 YEAR IDA PROJECT. LINDA IS RELATED TO THOSE. YOU'LL SEE THAT HELIUM PRODUCTION, 300,000,020 FULL TIME JOBS. AND THESE ARE OTHERS, ALTHOUGH PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL. 
          EXXON POLYETHYLENE BLADE PROJECT AND SUEZ. SO THIS LAST ONE, BEAUMONT BULK SOLUTIONS, YOU RECALL THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. IT'S LOCATED AT THE PORT OF BEAUMONT. 
          AND AGAIN, THIS GIVES YOU A FLAVOR FOR THE KIND OF NEGOTIATIONS THAT THE CITY IS ABLE TO DO. ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. AND SO FOR THIS AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT, 130 TO 150,000,074 FULL TIME JOBS, THE COUNCIL REQUIRED THAT 15 MUST BE RESIDENTS OF BEAUMONT. FAILURE TO MEET THE JOB COUNTS RESULT IN REDUCTION OF THE ABATEMENT. 
          AND THEN ALSO THIS ONE HAD AN ADDITIONAL PROVISION WHERE THE COMPANY WOULD PAY THE CITY'S $200,000 A YEAR FOR THREE YEARS TO HELP WITH SOME IMPROVEMENTS DOWNTOWN. SO AGAIN, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE WHERE IT WASN'T NECESSARILY JUST A STRAIGHT TEN YEAR, 100% ABATEMENT. THIS IS A MAP SHOWING THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ABATEMENTS. IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO READ THE THE HATCHED LINE THERE IS THE CITY LIMITS, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, MOST OF THEM ARE IN THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT OF THE CITY. THE DIAMONDS THERE, BLUE DIAMONDS ARE THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS. SO YOU CAN SEE AGAIN, MOST OF THEM ARE ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY LIMITS. 
          THIS IS JUST A LIST OF THOSE TRANSLATED BETWEEN IDA'S 300 SECONDS AND 312. THIS. WE WON'T HAVE TO GO TOO FAR INTO THESE UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. THESE ARE IDA AGREEMENTS. AND AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE COLUMNS AT THE TOP THERE, THOSE CELLS, THE FY 23 ON OUT. YOU CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, MOST ARE IN THAT WE'RE NOW IN FY 26. YOU SEE FY 2526. SO THEY'RE NOW STEPPING DOWN FROM THE 80% PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES TO THE 75% RATE. AND I CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE A COPY OF THIS TO COUNCIL IF Y'ALL WANT THIS. SO AND AGAIN, JUST SHOWING YOU ALL HOW THE THAT TIERED SYSTEM WORKS. AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS OUR GENERAL FUND THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST WEEK IN OUR BUDGET MEETING. SO YOU SEE THE GENERAL FUND REVENUE SOURCES, SALES TAXES, PROPERTY TAXES AT THE BOTTOM, BUT THEN THE INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS. ORANGE, THESE ARE RELATED TO THESE. AND AS I MENTIONED, IT'S ALMOST 11% OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET. AS I MENTIONED, REPORTING IS REQUIRED. SO I PULLED THIS. 
          PROJECT. THIS IS A RECENT REPORTING FROM THE BEAUMONT PNEUMONIA. AND AGAIN THIS IS SHOWING BASICALLY THEIR HIGHER HIRING REPORTS THEY SEND TO THE COUNTY AS WELL AS THE CITY. 
          THIS I'VE REDACTED, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE SPEND FROM A QUARTERLY REPORT. AND IF YOU LOOK TO THE BOTTOM LEFT, WHICH IS JUST A COPY OF OF WHAT'S BEEN REDACTED THERE, YOU CAN SEE. A TOTAL SPEND OF $92 MILLION FOR THE PERIOD OF FOURTH QUARTER. SO AGAIN, A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT. AND IF YOU LOOK TO THAT COLUMN TO THE RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE WHERE THESE THESE VENDORS ARE LOCATED. SO YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF BEAUMONT'S LISTED THERE. AND THEN I WILL POINT OUT BRIEFLY IF THEY IF THEY ARE NOT SPENDING LOCAL, THEY HAVE TO JUSTIFY WHY THAT IS. SO AS WE LOOK TOWARDS POSSIBLY IMPROVING OR CHANGING OUR POLICIES. 
          BECAUSE AGAIN, THE STATE REQUIRES THAT WE UPDATE OUR POLICY EVERY TWO YEARS AND WE ARE DUE TO DO THAT AGAIN THIS SUMMER. AND SO THESE ARE JUST SOME IDEAS THAT STAFF AND I HAVE DISCUSSED AS WE BEGIN THAT PROCESS. AND SO WE HAVE SOME TIERING IN OUR POLICY, BUT WE 
          [01:25:04]
THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE WISE TO HAVE MAYBE A CLEARER TIERED SYSTEM FOR ABATEMENTS. WE HAVE BEEN KEEPING AN EYE ON THE COUNTY AND THEIR ADJUSTMENTS TO THEIR POLICIES. AGAIN, WE TRY TO TRY TO STAY ALIGNED WITH THE COUNTY TO THE EXTENT WE CAN, BECAUSE MANY AS I MENTIONED, A LOT OF THESE PROSPECTS ARE LOOKING IN THE COUNTY. AND SO IF YOU START TO HAVE TOO MANY LAYERS OF DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS, IT BECOMES A DISINCENTIVE FOR THE PROSPECT. 
          SO BUT AGAIN, THE COUNTY, I THINK, IS REQUIRING A THIRD PARTY ECONOMIC IMPACT REVIEW. 
          BUT ALSO INCLUDE A BUT FOR ANALYSIS. SO BASICALLY AN ANALYSIS FROM A THIRD PARTY ECONOMIST SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT FOR THE INCENTIVES, YOU KNOW, WOULD THIS PROJECT HAPPEN HERE ANYWAY, ALSO HAVE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT CLEARER CLAWBACK AND RECAPTURE PROVISIONS IN OUR POLICY. WE TALK ABOUT WE'LL JUST CANCEL THE AGREEMENT. BUT REALLY, WE PROBABLY NEED TO STRENGTHEN THAT POLICY TO SAY, WELL, WE WANT TO RECAPTURE SOME OF THE LOST REVENUE. IF THEY FAIL TO PERFORM CLEAR JOB COMMITMENTS AGAIN, MIGHT BE SOME HIGHER BURDENS, ESPECIALLY FOR DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY. I MENTIONED THE BULK PROJECT AT THE PORT, AND THAT WE HAD SOME LOCAL HIRE REQUIREMENTS THERE, BUT WE WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND MAYBE STRENGTHENING THAT. AND THEN ONE, ONE IDEA IS UP TO COUNCIL IS TO POSSIBLY HAVE THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE REVIEW. THOSE QUARTERLY REPORTS COULD BE DONE THROUGH THAT COMMITTEE. IT COULD BE DONE THROUGH A STAFF REPORT SUMMARIZING IT TO COUNCIL TO SAY BASICALLY A PERFORMANCE REPORT AS TO IN TERMS OF THE LOCAL SPEND AND THE LOCAL HIRE FOR WHAT'S BEEN OFFERED. BASICALLY KIND OF A, A, A REPORT CARD ON HOW THEY'RE DOING. AND THEN IN ADDITION, I MENTIONED THREE 80S AS ONE TOOL. WE HAVEN'T USED IT TOO MUCH. WE TYPICALLY USE IT WHERE WE HAVE, IT'S BEEN WITHIN THE CITY, BUT WE MAY WANT TO TRY TO ENHANCE USING THOSE A LITTLE BIT MORE. 
          THOSE YOU CAN OFFER REBATES OF CITY TO SALES TAX FOR LOCAL PROJECTS. AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, THE IDAS THERE ON THIS SEVEN YEAR CYCLE, WE'RE GOING INTO OUR PERIOD WHERE WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT RENEGOTIATING. AND ONE OF THE THINGS IS EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF TRYING TO SMOOTH THOSE PAYMENTS OUT, BECAUSE, AS I MENTIONED, THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF THE GENERAL FUND, WHEN YOU HAVE A TIERED SITUATION, IT CAN REDUCE THAT. 
          AND THEN. AGAIN, JUST REVIEWING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, JUST TO GIVE EVERYONE A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, THE CITY LARGELY RELIED ON THE CHAMBER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. AND SO, AGAIN, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM AND SIT DOWN WITH THEM. 
          BUT TO SEE WHAT WHAT, WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR BOTH PARTIES MOVING FORWARD. AND WITH THAT, THAT IS. THAT IS THE PRESENTATION. SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH. COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS, SPECIFICALLY ON LIKE THE IDAS. AND YOU SAID THAT THEY AREN'T IN THE CITY LIMITS. 
          IF THOSE AGREEMENTS DIDN'T EXIST, WHAT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN THEN? LIKE WHO WOULD PROVIDE THEM? WOULD WE STILL PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED OR WE WOULDN'T? ESSENTIALLY, WE WE AGREE AGAIN, WE AGREE TO PROVIDE REDUCED SERVICES. SO WE MIGHT HAVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE. 
          IT MIGHT HAVE TO GO THROUGH MUTUAL AID. BUT IN TERMS OF LIKE BUILDING ZONING, ALL THE THINGS, ALL THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE THROUGH THE REST OF THE CITY, IN MANY CASES, THE INDUSTRY DOES NOT WANT BUILDING CODE INSPECTIONS. THEY DON'T REALLY WANT THAT. AND SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A MUTUAL AGREEMENT WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY AGREE TO PAY, GO AHEAD AND PAY WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE PAID FOR THE TAXES IN EXCHANGE FOR THE REDUCED SERVICE AS WELL AS THE AGREEMENT, NOT FOR THE CITY TO ANNEX THEM, BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IS IF IT ALL FELL APART. THEY WOULDN'T GET THOSE SERVICES. AND CONCEIVABLY WE WOULD EITHER HAVE TO ANNEX THEM OR THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY US. SO I MEAN, LIKE ON THE NAT GAS THAT YOU PUT UP THERE, THEN WE WOULDN'T BE GETTING THAT $3 MILLION A YEAR NOW, POTENTIALLY. THAT'S RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. 
          COUNCILMAN HILLIER. SO TURN YOUR MIC AGAIN. FILL OUT REPORTS. BUT WHEN WE SAY YOU'VE 
          [01:30:05]
GOT TO HIRE 15 OR 20 OR 50 LOCAL WHO'S OVERSEEING THAT? I MEAN, I KNOW THEY TURNED YOU'RE SAYING THEY THEY TURNED THE PAPERWORK IN, BUT WHO'S ACTUALLY OVERSEEING THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE. WELL, SO TO TO BE CLEAR, MOST OF THESE ARE WHEN THEY'RE IN THAT PHASE, CONSTRUCTION PHASE, ESPECIALLY MOST OF THESE ARE IN A COUNTY. 
          AND SO WE TRADITIONALLY HAVE RELIED ON THE COUNTY. NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT THEM. BUT, YOU KNOW, TO BE CLEAR, I THINK WE COULD DO MORE TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. AND THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED WHETHER IT'S STAFF PROVIDING A REPORT TO COUNCIL OR HAVING THE FINANCE OR BOND COMMITTEE TAKE A LOOK AT THEM, I, I THINK IT'S A FAIR STATEMENT TO SAY WE COULD WE COULD TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THEM. WE COULD EVEN WORK WITH THE LABOR COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO TELL US WHO IS ACTUALLY HIRING OUR LOCAL PEOPLE, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S NO SENSE IN GIVING THE ABATEMENTS IF THEY'RE LIKE, YEAH, SURE. BUT THEN THEY DON'T ACTUALLY FOLLOW IT AND NOBODY HOLDS THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. YEAH. AND AGAIN, WE DO KIND OF RELY ON THE COUNTY BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE COUNTY. THE COUNTY HAS, I BELIEVE, A NINE COUNTY TRADE AREA THAT THEY PULL AND THEY DETERMINED TO BE LOCAL. YOU KNOW, SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEAUMONT PROPER, IT'S A LITTLE BIT TRICKIER BECAUSE IF YOU SAID, OKAY, YOU CAN ONLY HIRE BEAUMONT FOLKS, WHICH WE CERTAINLY WANT. IF YOU STARTED TO DO THAT OUT IN THE ETJ OR THE PLANNING OR THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, IT BECOMES A BIT TRICKIER BECAUSE AGAIN, IF IN MANY CASES THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE FINDING HIRING FOLKS OR FINDING FOLKS IN TERMS OF WHEN THEY'RE AT PEAK CONSTRUCTION. AND SO WE JUST HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT. BUT CERTAINLY, LIKE IN THE BEAUMONT BULK THAT THIS COUNCIL APPROVED RECENTLY, IF THEY'RE IN THE CITY, IT'S EASIER TO TRACK AND SAY, HEY, WE WANT THIS PERCENTAGE TO BE LOCAL IN BEAUMONT, FOLKS. YES, SIR. PERFECT. COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD, I'M I'M GLAD THAT WE ARE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN THE SOURCE OF SOME QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED. I NOTICED ON ONE OF THE SLIDES IT SAYS, IF YOU WANT TO BE IN THE GAME, YOU HAVE TO PLAY THE GAME. AND I GUESS I GET THAT. BUT IF WE'RE PLAYING, WE NEED TO PLAY TO WIN. SO I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS TALK. ONE PORTION THAT YOU WERE ADDRESSING IS WHAT THEY CONSIDER LOCAL VERSUS NON-LOCAL. AND I GUESS IF WE FOLLOW THE COUNTY, I'D WANT TO KNOW IS THAT YOU SAID NINE COUNTIES ARE CONSIDERED LOCAL, SO NOT NECESSARILY LOCAL TO WHERE WE ARE, BUT IN AND AROUND SURROUNDING AREAS. I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHAT THE NINE COUNTIES ARE, JUST SO THAT I CAN KIND OF VERIFY IF IT'S LOCAL OR NOT. SO LOCAL AND MAYBE IN OURS WE CAN BE KIND OF MORE SPECIFIC ON OUR VERSION OF LOCAL. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A THING OR NOT, BUT I'D BE INTERESTED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S CONSIDERED LOCAL AND NON-LOCAL, AND ALSO TO KIND OF SPEAK TO WHAT COUNCILMAN HILLIARD WAS SAYING. IF THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE CERTIFYING THE NUMBERS OR THE REPORTING THAT THEY'RE DOING WHATEVER, WE PROBABLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT A GOOD LOOK AT THEM CERTIFYING THEIR OWN REPORTS TO US. THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT. AND IF THERE'S A, A RUBRIC FOR PROJECTS OR THINGS THAT MAY CHANGE OR NOT HAPPEN, RIGHT? BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE COME IN AND THEY SAY, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO BUILD THIS OR DO THAT, AND THEN THE PROJECT GETS CANCELED. HOW DOES THAT ACTUALLY FIT INTO WHATEVER JOBS OR WHATEVER WAS BEING PROPOSED? IF THAT PROJECT DOESN'T COME TO FRUITION, OR IF THERE ARE CHANGES TO THE PROJECT THAT ACTUALLY CHANGE THE NUMBERS IN HIRING OR WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE PRODUCING OR DOING? YES, MA'AM. SO YOU'LL SEE IN OUR AGREEMENTS WHERE IT SPELLS OUT WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING TO DO IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT, AMOUNT OF JOBS, TYPE OF INVESTMENT. AND THERE THERE'S ALWAYS LANGUAGE ABOUT IF, IF NOT, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU RISK YOU RISK HAVING THE ABATEMENT AGREEMENT CANCELED. 
          OF COURSE, THEY HAVE A ABILITY TO, TO CORRECT IT. BUT. BUT AS MENTIONED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT PHASE, IT'S BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. I MEAN, THINGS HAPPEN. AND SO IF IT STARTS TO LOOK LIKE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO THE FULL SCOPE, THEN YOU WE CAN CERTAINLY BRING THAT BACK AND REVISIT IT. THE OTHER THING WE'VE DONE FOR SOME OF THESE JUMBO PROJECTS IS BROKEN THEM DOWN INTO PHASES. SO IT'S LIKE IF PHASE ONE, YOU'LL GET THIS PHASE TWO, YOU'LL DO THIS BECAUSE USUALLY, SOMETIMES THE INITIAL DECISION POINT, THEY MAY HAVE NOT DECIDED ON THE PHASES. SO YEAH. AND, AND ONE THING I LIKE THAT YOU SAID, NOT NECESSARILY 
          [01:35:02]
DISSOLVING AN AGREEMENT, BUT MAYBE CLAWING BACK OR OTHER THINGS THAT CAN CHANGE. WE DON'T WANT TO. YOU DON'T. I'M YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T BE INTERESTED IN YOU GOING AWAY, BUT IT MAY COST YOU SOME THINGS IF THINGS START CHANGING. I LIKE THAT. CORRECT. COUNCILMAN TURNER. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR GETTING THIS TOGETHER. I JUST WANT TO CLEAR UP SOME MISUNDERSTANDING AND MISDIRECTION. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S EVEN GOTTEN TO THAT POINT WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE. AND WITH THE MINDSET OF COUNCIL LOOKING TO GET RID OF INDUSTRIAL AGREEMENTS, I HAVEN'T HEARD OR TALKED TO ONE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO SAID THEY WERE GETTING RID OF INDUSTRIAL AGREEMENTS OR IN FAVOR OF GETTING RID OF THEM. 
          SO HONESTLY, WHOEVER SPREAD THAT NARRATIVE, I LIKE TO KIND OF CHECK IT RIGHT HERE ON THE DYESS, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT TRUE. THE SECOND THING IS, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE A 15 YEAR DEAL. AND, YOU KNOW, NOW WHEN YOU GET EXPERIENCE, YOU KIND OF GET RELATIONSHIPS AND OTHER AREAS. AND LIKE I SAID, I TALKED TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM WACO, SOME FROM CORPUS CHRISTI AREA. AND, YOU KNOW, 15 YEARS AT 100%, YOU KNOW, ALMOST EVERYONE I TALKED TO SAID IT WAS EXTREMELY GENEROUS. YOU KNOW, MOST 15 YEAR DEALS TO THAT CAPACITY ARE A PHASED APPROACH WHERE IT MIGHT START OFF IN THE FIRST YEAR, THIS PERCENTAGE, SECOND YEAR MIGHT GO DOWN THE SECOND SET OF YEARS, 25%. THEN MAYBE YOU END THE LAST FIVE YEARS WITH 1,550%. MY CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE NEGOTIATING THESE AND STAFF BRING US A RECOMMENDATION, ARE WE MAKING THESE SAME CONTACTS? BECAUSE THE REASON I STARTED REACHING OUT TO FOLKS IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF THESE AGREEMENTS, AND I STARTED GETTING QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND I WANT TO COMPARE IT TO SOMETHING VERSUS JUST, YOU KNOW, SHOOTING FROM THE HIP. 
          AND WHEN I SEEN MOST PROJECTS THAT GET 15 YEAR ABATEMENT WAS A TIERED PROCESS, I WANT TO KNOW WHY THAT WASN'T RECOMMENDED TO US. YES. SO 15 YEARS IS VERY RARE. I KNOW WE'VE DONE ONE IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, BUT IT'S VERY RARE. AND WE TYPICALLY IT'S TEN YEARS, IN FACT, THREE, 12 AGREEMENTS BY STATE LAW, YOU CANNOT GO OVER TEN. AND SO TYPICALLY WE'RE NOT GOING TO RECOMMEND THEY MAY ASK, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO RECOMMEND ANYTHING MORE THAN TEN. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT WE DID IT. AND AND WE DIDN'T GET A RECOMMENDATION TO DO ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF THAT. SO WHEN I KIND OF STARTED TO DIG, I WANT TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD THAT WE DON'T GET TOO OUT OF LINE OF WHAT ANY CITIES OR LIKE SIZED CITIES ARE DOING. AND FROM A COUNCIL MEMBER'S STANDPOINT, WE DON'T DO DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. SO WE'RE NOT IN THE WEEDS NEGOTIATING, ACTUALLY FINDING OUT THE INFORMATION ABOUT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IF IT'S BROUGHT TO US, I JUST REALLY LIKE IT TO BE THOROUGHLY VETTED AND MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT DOING NOTHING TOO FAR OUTSIDE OF WHAT WE SEE, LIKE SIZED CITIES DOING. MY SECOND THING WAS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE SAYING HAVING TROUBLE WITH HIRING, WE'RE GETTING THIS INFORMATION FROM INDUSTRY. BUT THE INDUSTRIES WHO ARE BENEFITING FROM THESE TAX ABATEMENTS, WHAT IS IN PLACE TO ACTUALLY TRAIN AND GET PEOPLE QUALIFIED TO GET PEOPLE READY FOR SOME OF THESE JOBS THAT WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE IN OUR AREA, YOU KNOW, SUPPLYING EMPLOYMENT. ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES IN MY TO ME IS THE MEDIAN INCOME IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. THE WORK IS HERE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE GIVING THE ABATEMENTS, BUT WHAT DO WE HAVE TIED IN AS FAR AS WORKFORCE READINESS, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, EVEN SOME OF THESE LOWER LEVEL JOBS TO GIVE PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT? I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT. I THINK IT'S VERY EASY TO SAY, WELL, WE CAN'T HIRE THEY CAN'T PASS A DRUG TEST. BUT IF STAFF ISN'T GIVING US REPORTS TO VERIFY THAT, APPROVE THAT, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO GO OFF OF JUST BESIDES SOMEONE'S WORD? IT'S NOT AN ATTACK AGAINST INDUSTRY. BUT STILL, YOU GOT TO UNDERSTAND, WE'RE OUT HERE IN THE COMMUNITY DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE QUESTIONING US ABOUT THESE TAX ABATEMENTS AND THE MINDSET OF JUST WE'RE JUST KIND OF SAYING THAT AND WE CAN'T PROVE IT WITH DATA. WE CAN'T SHOW THEM SOMETHING PHYSICAL. I JUST STRUGGLE WITH THAT MOVING FORWARD. NOW THAT I UNDERSTAND IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, AND EVEN WITH THE CLAWBACK RECAPTURE, I'M GLAD WE'RE CLARIFYING IT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT SAYS IT. BUT IF ANY ONE OF US WAS ASKED TO EXPLAIN, HOW WOULD IT WORK? WE HAVE THE LANGUAGE, BUT IT'S NOTHING. AND FINE TUNE. IF I CAN INTERRUPT JUST ON THAT QUESTION RIGHT THERE. IS THE CITY EVER HAD TO RECAPTURE? HAS THAT BEEN SOMETHING YOU MAY NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO IT? I CAN'T SAY EVER. I DON'T RECALL IN OUR TIME. AND USUALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS A PROJECT JUST DOESN'T GO FORWARD. AND SO THERE'S NO NEED TO AFTER THAT, THERE'S REALLY NO NEED TO ABATE THE INCREMENTAL VALUE BECAUSE THERE ISN'T AN INCREMENTAL VALUE. 
          RIGHT? AND YOU KNOW, THE TERMS, THE BOTH SIDES, THE TERMS FROM THE CITY AND OBLIGATIONS FROM 
          [01:40:03]
THE CITY, THE OBLIGATIONS FROM THE PROSPECT, IT JUST IT BASICALLY JUST ENDS. SO AND ONE OF MY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND ONE OF MY ANOTHER QUESTION WAS, HAS THE CITY EVER YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY FULL TIME ON STAFF THAT FOCUS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE DEPENDENT ON THE CHAMBER IN THE PAST, AND WE FUNNELED A LOT OF MONEY THROUGH THE CHAMBER IN THE PAST, AND WE DIDN'T REALLY HIT THE BOAT AS FAR AS WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR AS FAR AS UNDERSTANDING THIS. AND I KNOW WE HAD AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AND, AND JUST KIND OF THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT. WE, WE, MY, MY THOUGHTS OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR IS SOMEONE BEING ABLE TO REPORT THE DATA TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH INDUSTRIAL AGREEMENTS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. CORRECT. AND I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO STAFFING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND AS YOU MENTIONED, AS WE MENTIONED HISTORICALLY, GOING BACK, YOU KNOW, MANY YEARS AGO, THE CITY, I WOULD SAY, LARGELY RELIED ON WELL, THEY RELIED ON THE CHAMBER. I MEAN, I DON'T WANT TO DISCOUNT WHAT THE STAFF WORK THEY DID, BUT THERE WAS A RELIANCE ON THE CHAMBER. BUT AS YOU KNOW, IN RECENT YEARS, WE HAVE TRIED TO RAMP UP THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORK THAT WE DO INTERNALLY. AND SO WE WE HAVE AND ARE COMMITTED TO STAFFING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE CITY. YES, SIR. AND THEN WHEN WE SPEAK OF, YOU KNOW, LOCAL HIRING, WHETHER IT BE THE CONTRACTOR OR THE GC THAT MAY BE DOING THE WORK, YOU KNOW, DO WE KIND OF EVALUATE THE SUBS? I KNOW A LOT OF SUBS WHO DO PARTICULAR THINGS, WHETHER IT BE CONCRETE, WHETHER IT BE SOMETHING OUTSIDE PLUMBING, BUT THE GC NORMALLY GETS TO DEAL WITH THE SUBS THEY WANT TO DEAL WITH. DO WE HAVE A READILY LIST AVAILABLE OF SUBS THAT EXIST WITHIN JEFFERSON COUNTY? I UNDERSTAND IT'S NINE COUNTIES, BUT WITHIN JEFFERSON COUNTIES, DO WE KIND OF HAVE SOMETHING WHERE SOME OF OUR PROCESS, WHERE OUR SUBS WHO ARE BONDED AND QUALIFIED, HOW DO THEY GET ACCESS TO THE WORK? BECAUSE OFTEN THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION WE DEAL WITH WHEN WE'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. THE WORK IS HAPPENING, BUT PEOPLE WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO DO THE WORK, EVERYBODY DOESN'T HAVE THAT ACCESS. YEAH, I THINK THERE'S DEFINITELY ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. I DO KNOW THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE WOODSIDE AND SOME OF THESE RECENT THEY HAVE THEY MAKE A POINT TO HOLD VENDOR FAIRS AND OUTREACH TO MAKE SURE THAT. AND I AND I THINK THE I DO THINK THEY MAKE REAL EFFORT TO PLUG INTO THAT LOCAL SUB, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S SUBCONTRACTORS, VENDORS OR WHATEVER. SO I KNOW THAT GROUPS LIKE THAT, THEY DO MAKE A REAL EFFORT. YOU KNOW, CAN WE IN TERMS OF TRACKING AND REPORTING AND, AND ENHANCING THAT? I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT THERE. BUT YEAH, AND JUST LASTLY, I KNOW I JUST WACO IN PARTICULAR, THEY HAVE A THIRD PARTY GROUP THAT NEGOTIATES THE DEALS PRIOR TO IT GETTING TO COUNCIL. AND THAT SAME GROUP ACTUALLY LOOKS AT REPORTING AND THAT. WELL, THAT'S JUST IT IS WE TALKED ABOUT BETTER, YOU KNOW, BETTER REVIEW OF REPORTING, WHICH MIGHT, YOU KNOW, INCLUDE MORE OF AN AUDIT SITUATION INTERNALLY. YOU KNOW, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU GIVE US THE REPORTS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT IT. BUT THE OTHER THING IS. YOU KNOW. YEAH, I THINK THERE'S THERE'S DEFINITELY ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT THERE. YEAH. I WOULD JUST BEING SUPPORTIVE OF MAYBE A THIRD PARTY GROUP LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE DEALS, WHETHER WE APPOINT THEM TO PRIOR TO IT COMING TO COUNCIL, BECAUSE AGAIN, JUST DOING RESEARCH, I'M LOOKING AT SOME OF THE DEALS THAT WE'RE DOING. I'M TALKING ABOUT LOCAL PEOPLE WHO ARE KIND OF SIMILAR TO CVB. 
          THEY'RE THEY'RE IN THIS PARTICULAR LANE TO LOOK AT THIS AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL. WHEN WE DID TALK ABOUT IN TERMS OF RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE A THIRD PARTY DO THE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS. SO KIND OF THE. BUT FOR ANALYSIS TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, LET'S LOOK AT. LET'S LOOK AT. TAKE A THIRD PARTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOOK OR AN ECONOMIST RATHER LOOK AT IT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THESE NUMBERS LOOK GOOD. THEY LOOK RIGHT. AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO INCLUDE. SO BOTH ON THE FRONT END IN TERMS OF THAT. BUT FOR ANALYSIS, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ANALYSIS BY AN ECONOMIST THIRD PARTY, BUT ALSO ON THE BACK END. SO YOU COULD HAVE SOMEBODY ON STAFF AS WELL AS A THIRD PARTY REVIEW IN THOSE AUDIT REPORTS, A COMMITTEE. YEAH. I FIND WITH A COMMITTEE AS WELL COMMITTEE. AND WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY 
          [01:45:03]
ABOUT AN OUTSIDE. YOU KNOW SOMEONE. YEAH. WE KNOW PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMITTEE FROM THE COUNCIL WHO HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. YEAH. EVERYTHING OUT. THEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT WORK IN THIS INDUSTRY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO. LIKE, WELL, I'LL TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY. I THINK WHEN WE APPOINT COMMITTEES, I'M, I'M COMPLETELY FOR THAT. BUT IF PEOPLE, IF IT NEED, I THINK THEY NEED TO BE A PART OF A BUSINESS THAT DOES THAT. I MEAN, WE'RE ON OUR BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I MEAN, WE HAD FIVE OUT OF OUR 19 APPOINTEES SHOW UP AT THE SECOND MEETING, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAD ANY MORE SHOW UP AT THE FIRST MEETING. SO WE'RE NOT HAVING OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHOW UP AT THE MEETING SO WE CAN CREATE A COMMITTEE THAT REALLY MIGHT MAKE US FEEL BETTER UP HERE, BUT IT DOESN'T TRANSLATE TO. AND I WOULD JUST BE CURIOUS ON THERE. THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME OTHER ECONOMIC INDICATORS. AND I HADN'T FORGOT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE'S CLEARLY A REDUCED COST AT HIRING LOCAL. I MEAN, WHEN YOU'RE HIRING PEOPLE FROM OUT OF THE AREA, YOU'VE GOT TO PAY MORE. OFTENTIMES THERE'S PER DIEM COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. SO CONTRACTORS, IT DRIVES UP THEIR COST. BUT AND I, SO I WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, AS COUNCILMAN TURNER WAS TALKING ABOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE ANALYTICS, I THINK IT COULD GIVE US SOME PEACE TO ONE WAY OR THE OTHER TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THE RESIDENTS, BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX DIFFERENCES WITH LOUISIANA, CLEARLY THERE'S THERE ARE PROPERTY TAX DIFFERENCES, BUT THEY ALSO, I BELIEVE CORPORATIONS PAY 5.5% INCOME TAX IN LOUISIANA. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S EVER ANY ADJUSTMENT FOR THAT FOR THEM, BUT JUST COMPARING DOLLARS TO DOLLARS, BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU'RE SAYING, WELL, THEY'RE CUTTING IT BY $0.50 AND WE GOT TO CUT IT BY $0.50. BUT IF THEY'RE GETTING MORE REVENUE OVER HERE, THEN WE WOULD GET FOR THEM. YOU KNOW, IT MAY NOT MATTER, BUT I, IT WOULD BE IT WOULD JUST BE CURIOUS TO ME, I WOULD THINK THEY WOULD WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE LOCAL HIRING BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD REDUCE COST. BUT COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD, I, I PIGGYBACKING ON MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN TURNER BUT. BACK TO HIRING LOCAL AND TRAINING. I THINK COUNCILMAN TURNER MENTIONED THAT. ARE THEY PREPARING THE WORKFORCE LOCALLY FOR THIS INDUSTRY? BECAUSE AGAIN, WE TOUT THE BOOM AND THE PROJECT AND THE ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HERE. BUT IS OUR WORKFORCE READY? AND WHO'S, YOU KNOW, NECESSARILY RESPONSIBLE? BECAUSE, I MEAN, WE'RE DEALING WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS ON THIS COUNCIL, PARTICULARLY YOUNG PEOPLE AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED. THIS COULD, YOU KNOW, GIVING SOMEBODY SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO AND STRIVE FOR AND HOPE IS A BETTER DETERRENT THAN SOMETIMES PUNITIVE BEHAVIOR. SO I WOULD ARGUE THAT THIS COULD HELP US SOLVE SOME PROBLEMS BY GIVING SOME PEOPLE SOME INCENTIVES TO GO TO WORK, I MEAN, AND BEING PREPARED. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR OUR PART IS IN THAT. BUT IF THE IF WE COULD INCENTIVIZE THEM PREPARING YOUNG PEOPLE, THAT GIVES THEM HOPE AND HAVING SOMEWHERE TO BE AND SOMETHING TO DO WHICH COULD HELP US GREATLY. AND WE DEFINITELY NEED IT. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN, COUNCILMAN HILLIARD, COUNCILMAN DARIO, AND THEN COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW. WELL, I, I WILL SAY AND I'LL PIGGYBACK TOO, BUT I'M PROUD OF THIS COUNCIL BECAUSE WE HAVE OVER TIME, WE'VE WE'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH LIT AND WITH BISD AND AND NOW WE ARE CLOSER WORKING WITH SABINE AREA LABOR TO GET THESE TRADES IN OUR SCHOOLS AND BEGIN TO FEED OUR INDUSTRIES. AND SO THIS COUNCIL, I MEAN, PEOPLE DON'T SEE IT, BUT BEHIND THE SCENES WE'VE ALL BEEN WORKING TO TRY TO GET THESE INTO THE SCHOOLS, TO BEGIN TO TRAIN OUR STUDENTS FOR THE JOBS THAT WE HAVE HERE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF US HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT, BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING. 
          AND I'M PROUD OF THIS COUNCIL FOR DOING IT. AND SO I THINK THAT'S ONE STEP THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE TO BE ABLE TO, TO MEET THE THE UPCOMING INDUSTRIES. AND SO I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A NEAT THING. I REALLY THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A GOOD THING. THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN, THIS ONE, COUNCILMAN TURNER WAS SPEAKING ABOUT HAVING A COMMITTEE TO GO OVER THESE THESE ABATEMENT DEALS BEFORE IT COME TO US. AND THEN, MAYOR, YOU SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU BOND OVER TWO THIRDS OF THE PEOPLE NOT EVEN COMING. ARE THERE WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO HAVE A CONSULTANT FIRM TO LOOK OVER FOR US? I KNOW HOW SOME PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT CONSULTANTS, BUT THEY'RE PROFESSIONALS, YOU KNOW, AND THEY CAN BASICALLY SAVE US MONEY. SO I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THERE ARE CONSULTANT FIRMS THAT DO THAT. 
          BUT I MEAN, THEY GOT THEM TO DO EVERYTHING ELSE. AND WE WE'RE IF WE'RE NOT GETTING THE PROPER 
          [01:50:06]
INFORMATION OR NOT UNDERSTANDING THE INFORMATION OR NOT EVEN KNOWING IF WE'RE MAKING A GOOD DEAL, THEN WE MIGHT WANT TO GET PROFESSIONALS THAT THAT COULD ADVISE US ON THAT. BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, I MEAN, IT'S GOOD. I'M PRETTY SURE THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT COULD BE ON A COMMITTEE THAT CAN DO THAT, BUT FOR THEM TO BE FULLY COMMITTED, THE ONE THING YOU KNOW, THE COMMITTEES IS NOT IT'S A COMMITTEE, BUT THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS COMMITTED FOR THE FULL TERM AS LONG AS THEY'RE NEEDED. ALSO, BY US NOT HAVING AN EDC, DOES THAT HURT US AS FAR AS COMPETING WITH CITIES LIKE ORANGE AND PORT ARTHUR THAT DO HAVE A EDC? YES, SIR. AND DOES THAT THEY THEY GET THE EDC AND THEY STILL DO THE ABATEMENTS AS WELL? YES THEY DO. SO WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE ADVANTAGEOUS TO US TO LOOK INTO, TO TRY TO GET ON A BALLOT AGAIN AT A LATER DATE? THE CHALLENGE IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CAPPED AT EIGHT AND A QUARTER IN TERMS OF SALES TAX, AND WE'RE ALREADY THERE. SO THERE'S NO WIGGLE ROOM. THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL YOU THEORETICALLY COULD SET ONE UP AT THE VOTERS APPROVED IT, BUT YOU'D HAVE TO BASICALLY TAKE IT OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. SO AND THEN GOING BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, I JUST DO NEED TO POINT OUT THE PROSPECTS. WHEN THEY COME TO US, THEY'RE LOOKING AT OTHER MARKETS. AND SO DISCRETION IS CRITICAL. AND SO, AS WE ALL KNOW, WE WILL HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS THESE PROSPECTS BECAUSE THEY DON'T. 
          SO WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT A COMMITTEE, THEN IT BECOMES A LITTLE BIT PROBLEMATIC. NOW ON THE BACK END, AS WE MENTIONED, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REVIEWING QUARTERLY REPORTS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY IT'S ALREADY PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. AND SO THAT'S OKAY. 
          ON THE FRONT END, THOUGH, WE TALKED ABOUT A THIRD PARTY ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT OR REPORT FOR THE PROJECT. THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN EXPLORE, BUT IT WOULD BE ON THE ON THE FRONT END. SO THAT AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WOULD THAT BE COME UNDER OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AS FAR AS LOOKING AT THESE AGREEMENTS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT? WELL, WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT AS A BASE LEVEL BASED ON THE THE THE CRITERIA SET FORTH OUT IN THE GUIDELINES. BUT WHAT YOU COULD SAY IS FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS, MAYBE AT A CERTAIN THRESHOLD, IN ORDER TO GET THAT ABATEMENT OR THOSE INCENTIVES, YOU'RE GOING TO REQUIRE AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, OKAY, BY A THIRD PARTY THAT COULD BE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL, AS YOU ALL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO WE WANT TO OFFER INCENTIVES OR WE DON'T WANT TO OFFER INCENTIVES SO THAT STAFF STAFF WOULDN'T DO THAT. BUT YOU COULD AND PUT PUT IT ON THE THE OBLIGATION, THE APPLICANT TO PROVIDE THAT. COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW. YES. SO I JUST THINK TODAY'S POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT REQUIRES US TO REVAMP OUR TAX ABATEMENT POLICY AND TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THIS. 
          VOTERS ARE GROWING MORE AND MORE AND MORE HOSTILE TO PROPERTY TAXES. AND AND RIGHTFULLY SO. AND I THINK THAT RIGHT NOW YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT THE CHANCE THAT AT LEAST PROPERTY TAXES ON HOMESTEADS MAY END UP BEING ELIMINATED. AND I HOPE THAT THEY ARE. BUT FROM THAT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND SOME WAY TO, TO, TO BALANCE THAT REVENUE. 
          AND SO WHETHER THAT'S A CONSUMPTION TAX THAT IS GOING TO BE PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE AND ALLOW US TO FILL UP THAT FUNDING GAP THAT WAY, OR THEY'LL ALLOW US TO INCREASE THE SALES TAX, WHICHEVER WHICHEVER WAY WE'VE GOT TO FIND ADDITIONAL REVENUE STREAMS TO, TO MAKE OUR CITIES WORK, BUT ALSO PROVIDE SOME RELIEF TO PROPERTY OWNERS. SO I SEE US TAKING A LOOK AT THESE TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAMS AND REVAMPING THEM, NOT NECESSARILY AS BEING ANTI TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAMS, BUT JUST BEING REALISTIC T ARE SO HOSTILE TO PROPERTY TAXES. AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE'RE DOING THESE AGREEMENTS. AND I'M FOR THEM. 
          BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THAT WE THESE 100% ABATEMENT GUIDELINES REALLY NEED TO BE LOOKED AT. AND I DON'T KNOW IF 100%, YOU KNOW, REALLY MAKES SENSE IN THE FUTURE, BUT BUT THEY DEFINITELY HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMPONENT AND THEY DO HELP DRIVE INDUSTRY TO CERTAIN AREAS. SO I THINK WE NEED TO DO THEM. BUT I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO BE SMARTER ABOUT THEM. AND WE WE NEED TO REVAMP THEM. SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THE COUNTY HAS REVAMPED ITS POLICY, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE DETAILS OF WHAT THAT POLICY IS AND, AND WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT IT AND WHAT WE DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT. AND MAYBE WE DO THAT AND ADOPTING. I ALSO REALLY LIKE 
          [01:55:05]
THE IDEA OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE HAVING BEING AN AVENUE TO REVIEW THESE, BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY GOT ONE ESTABLISHED. AND WHILE IT IS AN ADDITIONAL TIME COMMITMENT, I DO BELIEVE THAT MAYOR PRO TEM TURNER AND THE MAYOR AND I ARE ABLE TO TO TO GIVE SOME ADDITIONAL TIME TO THOSE. AND SO THAT MAY MAKE SENSE THAT WE WE KEEP IT THERE. AND THEN LASTLY, MY COMMENTS ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER POSITION. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME TYPE OF A HYBRID POSITION WITH CVB, THE CHAMBER WHERE THAT POSITION IS MAYBE MORE FUNDED FROM HOT TAX TO THE CERTAIN EXTENT THAT THE LAW ALLOWS US TO DO THAT AND THAT IT'S LESS FUNDED FROM THE FROM THE GENERAL FUND, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT POSITION IS IMPORTANT, AND I DO WANT TO TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT IS DEDICATED TO THAT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S MY OPINION THAT WHAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I THINK IT HAD GOOD INTENTIONS AT THE BEGINNING, BUT I THINK, AT LEAST FROM WHO I'VE SPOKEN TO IN THE COMMUNITY AND VOTERS, THERE'S BEEN A REAL CONCERN AS TO WHAT TAXPAYERS HAVE GOTTEN FROM THAT POSITION. SO I'M ALL FOR, YOU KNOW, FINDING WAYS THAT WE CAN PARTNER AND AND ACHIEVE THE SAME GOAL WITHOUT A COMPLETELY SEPARATE POSITION THAT'S FUNDED FROM THE, FROM GENERAL REVENUE. SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOMETHING WITH CVB, THE CHAMBER, AND THEN MAYBE SOMEONE ELSE ADDITIONAL ON STAFF THAT ALREADY, OF COURSE IS ON STAFF. SO THEY'VE GOT THEIR DUTIES, BUT POSSIBLY THEY HAVE AN INCREASE IN THEIR PAY BECAUSE THEY'RE TAKING ON A DIFFERENT ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND I WOULD THINK THAT THAT'S A A BETTER WAY TO SPEND THAT MONEY THAN HAVING ITS OWN SEPARATE DEPARTMENT SPENDING, YOU KNOW, 2 TO $300,000 A YEAR, WHATEVER THAT BUDGET IS. AND WITH THAT SAID, I, I'M GLAD TO HEAR WE'RE REVAMPING THIS. I THINK IT DOES NEED TO BE LOOKED AT, BUT I JUST WANT THE FOLKS AT HOME TO KNOW, NO, WE'RE NOT DOING AWAY WITH THESE AGREEMENTS AT ALL. BUT WE ARE ALSO NEED TO BE DILIGENT AND RESPOND TO THE TO THE TO THE TIMES. AND I THINK THE THE CURRENT CLIMATE WITH PROPERTY TAXES AND WITH THESE AGREEMENTS NECESSITATE US TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THEM. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ONE LAST QUESTION, COUNCILMAN TURNER. MR. BOONE, DO WE HAVE SWORN ANNUAL REPORTS LIKE INVESTMENT TO DATE, JOBS, PAYROLL. AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAVEN'T GOT INTO THE LOCAL THING. I THINK WE DISCUSSED NINE COUNTIES, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW FROM THE CITY STANDPOINT, WHAT THE NINE COUNTIES CONSIST OF. AND HOW DID THAT TERMINOLOGY BECOME LOCAL WITH IT? YEAH, WE CAN CONFIRM THAT WITH THE COUNTY. AGAIN, THEY'RE LOOKING AT A BROADER TRADE AREA. WE CAN CONFIRM CONFIRM THE NINE AND THEN SEE SEE KIND OF WHAT THEIR THINKING IS ON THAT. OKAY. WELL, I THANK YOU FOR THIS DISCUSSION. AND I THINK I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A REPORT BACK IN THE SUMMER. 
          I KNOW WE SAY SUMMER, BUT CAN YOU GIVE US A MORE TIGHTER TIMELINE A MONTH? LIKE WHAT MONTH IN THE SUMMER? IT'S ACTUALLY NOT. I THINK IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY EXPIRE UNTIL MAYBE THE FALL, BUT WE WANTED TO KIND OF ACCELERATE THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST, SO THERE'S NO REASON WE CAN'T DO IT EARLIER. BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I WOULD LIKE TO LIKE TO TRY TO GET SOMETHING BACK TO YOU BY JULY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE THIRD PARTY REPORTING. JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, DO ANY OF THE COMPANIES WE'VE GIVEN ABATEMENTS TO HAVE ANY OF THEM PROVIDED THIRD PARTY REPORTING ALREADY? YES, SIR. AND THAT I THE COUPLE SLIDES I SHOWED YOU, ONE WAS THE THE VENDORS AND THE EMPLOYEE THAT ACTUALLY IS A A RECENT AS OF A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, A QUARTERLY REPORT FROM ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS. SO. YES SIR. AND PAID FOR BY THE BY THEM. YES, SIR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU. SO WITH THAT, THE WORK SESSION, WE HAVE COME TO 
          [COUNCIL COMMENTS]
THE CONCLUSION OF THOSE. AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS. AND I WILL START WITH COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW. I WOULD LIKE TO. SEE STAFF LOOK INTO THE COMPLAINT THAT WAS MADE TODAY REGARDING THE SITUATION WITH MR. TRAHAN'S BROTHER THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY A 
          [02:00:04]
POLICE OFFICER WITH THE CITY OF BEAUMONT AND IS NO MORE, AND I BELIEVE WAS TRYING TO BE REHIRED. AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE UPSET. SO I WOULD LIKE FOR STAFF TO LOOK INTO THAT AND PROVIDE SOME DETAILS TO COUNCIL AS TO WHY THAT EMPLOYMENT WAS DENIED, AND WHAT POLICIES AND THINGS WE CAN DO TO TO ADDRESS THAT SITUATION. MR. TRAHAN, PREVIOUSLY, I, YOU KNOW, SAW HIS TENURE AS A POLICE OFFICER. HE WAS ALSO A MARINE AND WAS AN EXCELLENT POLICE OFFICER, ARRESTED A LOT OF MY CLIENTS AND DID A DID A GOOD JOB WITH THAT. SO I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO SEE HIM BACK, BACK ON OUR FORCE. GLEN OAKS ON DOWLEN IS AN APARTMENT COMPLEX. I THINK TODAY THEY GOT A VISIT FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT REGARDING A RODENT INFESTATION, AND WE NEED TO GET THOSE RESIDENTS OVER THERE SOME HELP. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING HOW THE RODENT INFESTATION INSPECTION WENT AND WOULD LIKE FOR STAFF TO PLEASE SEND US SOME DETAILS ON THAT, SO THAT WE CAN FOLLOW UP AND BE SURE THAT THOSE PEOPLE LIVING OVER THERE HAVE A SAFE AND CLEAN ENVIRONMENT FOR THEIR FAMILIES. AND I'M STILL WAITING ON ENERGY TO TEXT ME BACK ON. THEY CAN HELP US GET THAT BUS SHELTER BUILT, BUT I'LL. I ALSO PLAN TO REACH OUT TO HEB AND MAYBE SOME OF OUR LOCAL CAR DEALERSHIPS, MAYBE CLASSIC AND DOGGETT AND SEE IF THESE GUYS WANT TO HELP CHIP IN. SO WITH THAT SAID, THANKS SO. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD, IN THAT SAME VEIN, YOU KNOW ME, I'LL REACH OUT. 
          I'LL BE EMAILING EXXON MOBIL TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO AS WELL. HOPEFULLY, STAFF CAN REACH OUT TO MISS GINA ABOUT HER VILLAGE INITIATIVE WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT CITY CAN HELP. I DIDN'T, I CAUGHT SOME OF IT, BUT IF IT'S SOMETHING TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE, YOU KNOW I'M ALL FOR IT. IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN BE OF SERVICE TO HER PROJECT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I'D ALSO BE INTERESTED IN THE OUTCOME OF THE ISSUES THAT JOSEPH TRAHAN BROUGHT UP AND MENTIONED, IN REFERENCE TO HIS BROTHER BEING HIRED. I'M NOT A FULLY AWARE OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS MENTIONED, BUT I'D BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING THE OUTCOME. I'M GRATEFUL TO THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS FOOD BANK FOR HELPING FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER MONTHS. 
          IT'S A BLESSING TO HAVE ORGANIZATIONS PITCH IN AND HELP OUT BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE NEED IT, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT. AND WHILE WE ARE NOT AGAINST TAX ABATEMENTS, I CAN'T STATE IT ENOUGH. WE WELCOME THE ECONOMIC BOOM. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO ANY INDUSTRY THAT WANTS TO COME HERE TO BEAUMONT. LET'S DO IT. WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT ECONOMIC BOOM IS ACTUALLY HITTING OUR LOCAL KITCHEN TABLES. SO WE'RE HERE FOR IT. I'M EXCITED. IT'S ANOTHER GREAT DAY IN BEAUMONT. TOMORROW IS GRADUATION DAY FOR A LOT OF US PARENTS TODAY AND TOMORROW. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE 2026 GRADUATES, PARTICULARLY MY BABY KAYLEE. IF YOU'RE WATCHING, I'M SUPER EXCITED AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE PARENTS OF 2026 GRADUATES. WE DID IT AND I'M EXCITED FOR Y'ALL. NO COMMENT. COMMENT. COUNCILMAN TURNER. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. I WE RECENTLY DID A. LISTENING SESSION WITH SOME YOUNG PEOPLE, AND I WAS PRIVILEGED TO SIT IN WITH THE MAYOR. AND ONE THING FROM MOSTLY EVERY YOUNG PERSON WE TALKED TO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT CRIME AND VIOLENCE, THEY SAID, WE GO OUT FOR THESE JOB INTERVIEWS AND WE NEVER GET HIRED. AND WE'RE ALWAYS TOLD BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE EXPERIENCE AND WE CONTINUOUSLY SAY HOW GOOD THE ECONOMY IS DOING WITH THE ECONOMIC BOOM. 
          BUT THIS IS THE SENTIMENT OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT, THAT ARE HAVING SOME OF THESE ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. SO I HOPE PEOPLE HEAR US ON HOW SERIOUS WE ARE, ON TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO GET THESE YOUNG PEOPLE PREPARED FOR THE WORKFORCE TO ACTUALLY BENEFIT FROM THE ECONOMIC BOOM THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN THE COMMUNITY. AND THE SECOND THING IS WHAT OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I'M MORE THAN SUPPORTIVE OF. 
          PEOPLE MISS THREE CONSECUTIVE MEETINGS. THEY NEED TO BE WE NEED TO PROBABLY REVISIT OR REAPPOINT SOMEONE. I THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING, BUT IF WE'RE NOT KNOWING THAT OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS AREN'T GOING, HOW CAN WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? SO 
          [02:05:06]
YEAH, ME PERSONALLY, I WOULD IF MY IF MY APPOINTMENTS ON COMMITTEE, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM ONGOING OR THEY CAN'T MAKE IT OR DON'T HAVE THE TIME, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM CALLING THEM, LETTING THEM KNOW I GOT PLENTY OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO WANT TO HELP. 
          THAT HAS THE TIME, AND I DON'T MIND REPLACING THEM. SO I DON'T WANT TO GET DISCOURAGED WITH COMMITTEES BECAUSE OF ATTENDANCE, BECAUSE WE GOT TOO MANY TALENTED PEOPLE IN BEAUMONT WHO WANT TO HELP, SO I'D RATHER REPLACE THEM. THE NEXT THING IS CONGRATULATIONS TO MY OLDER SISTER. SHE'S A DETECTIVE WITH THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. 
          SHE GRADUATED TODAY. I'M ACTUALLY MISSING IT RIGHT NOW, BUT I JUST WANT TO LET HER KNOW I LOVE HER AND CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE GRADUATES, OUR WESTBROOK, BEAUMONT, UNITED, KELLY, OUR PRIVATE SCHOOLS, ALL OUR SCHOOLS THAT HAVE THESE UPCOMING GRADUATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS. WE HAVE PARENTS WHO CONSISTENTLY WORK HARD TO GET THEIR KIDS ACROSS THAT FINISH LINE, AND SOME PARENTS WHO DIDN'T GET THE EXPERIENCE BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE SOMETHING POSITIVE TO THOSE. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING CONSISTENT WITH THE VIOLENCE COMMITTEE. I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF MEETINGS. IT'S A LOT OF TIME COMMITMENT, BUT I'VE WATCHED YOU DO IT AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE YOU. I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE KEEP GOING. AND THE LAST THING IS MARKETING THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS FOOD BANK PROJECT WITH THE KIDS. I THINK IF WE CAN FORMULATE SOMETHING WHERE WE CAN SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY, I APPRECIATE IT. AND I HAD SOME PEOPLE ASK ABOUT NIGHTTIME MEETINGS. DO WE DO IT ONLY ON THE FIFTH TUESDAY? HOW DOES THAT WORK? HOW DO WE DECIDE WHEN WE DO IT? IT'S TUESDAY. SO COUNCIL CHANGED THEIR MEETING CALENDAR. SO YOU NOW INSTEAD OF MEETING ON THE FIFTH, Y'ALL, WHEN Y'ALL ADOPT THE CALENDAR, Y'ALL CHANGED IT. SO IT'S NOW INSTEAD OF MEETING ON THE FIRST, THIRD AND FIFTH, YOU MEET ON THE FIRST AND THIRD. AND WHEN THERE IS A FIFTH TUESDAY IN THE MONTH, THAT THIRD TUESDAY IS THE SECOND. I'M SORRY, THE THIRD TUESDAY WOULD BE A NIGHT MEETING. SO NEXT MONTH WE HAVE FIVE TUESDAYS IN JUNE. SO WE WILL HAVE AN EVENING MEETING NEXT MONTH. IN THE MONTH. THEN WE DIDN'T HAVE A NIGHT MEETING. WE DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING. WE DIDN'T HAVE A YOU DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING AT NIGHT. YOU DIDN'T HAVE A QUORUM. WE DIDN'T HAVE A QUORUM. WE DID. WE DID HAVE A WE DID. OKAY. WELL, SO ANYWAY, I JUST, I, I WAS ALWAYS TOLD WE ALWAYS HAD A NIGHT MEETING THE THIRD. AND THE REASON WE CHANGED THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THE POSTING REQUIREMENTS. IT PUTS TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON US TO TRY TO GO FROM ONE MEETING TO THE NEXT. AND THAT WOULD MAKE US HAVE TWO MEETINGS BACK TO BACK, AND POSTING WAS IMPOSSIBLE SINCE WE HAVE TO POST 72 HOURS BUSINESS DAYS INSTEAD OF JUST 72 HOURS LIKE WE DID PRIOR. I JUST HAD A FEW PEOPLE BEEN REACHING OUT ASKING ONE OF THE NIGHT MEETINGS, WHAT'S THE COORDINATION? I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO REVISIT. AS FAR AS MAYBE NOT THE FIFTH TUESDAY, MAYBE WE MIGHT DO EVERY FIRST, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I JUST DON'T WANT TO IGNORE PEOPLE'S REQUESTS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BECAUSE WE MEET AT 130 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY. SO IF ANYBODY'S OPEN TO THAT, MAYBE WE CAN JUST LOOK INTO AT LEAST GIVING IT ONCE A MONTH. WELL, PEOPLE ALSO COMPLAIN ABOUT NOT HAVING NIGHT MEETINGS. AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO OUR LOWEST ATTENDED MEETINGS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE ONE NEXT MONTH. WE WILL HAVE AN EVENING MEETING NEXT MONTH. IF YOU CAN LET ME KNOW THAT DATE, I WANT TO POST IT SO I CAN KIND OF LET PEOPLE KNOW AHEAD OF TIME. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN HAGER. SO I, I WILL REEMPHASIZE THE GLEN OAKS. ME AND COREY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THAT. AND LIKE YOU SAID, PEOPLE DESERVE A A DECENT PLACE TO LIVE WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT RODENTS OR OTHER THINGS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE, WAS IT THE, THE RODENT VIRUS THAT'S ON THE SHIP? SO HANTAVIRUS. YES, SIR. AND TRAIN HORNS. HOW ARE WE GETTING CLOSE? WE STILL SCHEDULED. HOW DID TUESDAY'S TODAY'S WORK GO? MOTHER NATURE WAS KIND AND HELD THE RAIN OFF, SO THEY WERE ABLE TO POUR CONCRETE. TODAY. THEY ARE SCHEDULED RIGHT NOW AT MAY 29TH AS SCHEDULED. I RECEIVED TODAY AND I ALSO AM IN COORDINATION WITH THE RAILROAD THERE. 
          ACTUALLY, BECAUSE OF THEIR CALENDARS, THEY'RE STARTING TO LOOK NOW FOR THEIR WHEN WE CAN SCHEDULE THE FINAL INSPECTION SO THAT WE CAN PROCESS THE PAPERWORK. SO THEY, THEIR CONSULTANT IS BEING VERY PROACTIVE. SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE STEAMING ALONG TO HAVE THE. YES. FOR EVERYTHING. THANK YOU. ALSO, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT THE 50 5490 NORTH CIRCUIT. I'M STILL GETTING A LOT OF COMPLAINTS. NOW. I BELIEVE RACCOONS HAVE MOVED IN. SO COULD WE POSSIBLY GET OUT THERE AND LOOK AT THAT AGAIN, MAYBE INVOLVE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT? THE VILLAGE? AS COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD SAID, I WOULD LIKE US TO LOOK INTO THAT. 
          ANYTHING THAT HELPS OUR CHILDREN IS IS AMAZING. AND I'LL ECHO THE. MR. TRAHAN, I 
          [02:10:05]
KNEW HIM. HE'S A HE'S A GOOD MAN. AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WHAT TRANSPIRED ALSO. AND OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S JUST LIKE THE GRADUATES. THAT'S A BIG DEAL. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE PARENTS. IT IS A BIG DEAL TO GET YOUR KID ACROSS THAT STAGE. AND SO CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE AND THANK YOU, STAFF, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO TO MAKE US ALL LOOK GOOD. SO THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN ON THE GRADUATES, I THINK THEY SENT AN EMAIL OUT CAME FROM PD. 
          WHEN IS GRADUATION? IS IT WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. TODAY AND TOMORROW. GO EARLY BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE SOME CLOSED STREETS AND A LOT OF TRAFFIC. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE GRADUATING FIVE, 600, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND EACH ONE OF THEM GOING TO BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY WITH THEM. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF TRAFFIC OVER THERE BY LAMAR. SO JUST PLAN APPROPRIATELY. COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD, YOU PROBABLY NEED TO GO STRAIGHT THERE FROM HERE. YEAH, YEAH. ALSO, WE HAD THE MAYOR'S VETERANS COALITION THIS MORNING AND IT WAS IT WAS GREAT. I MEAN, THIS THING IS IS TAKING OFF. WE GOT THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE AND THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. AND WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT BELONG. I MEAN, THE AMERICAN LEGION, THE VFW, THE VA, I MEAN, IT'S PROBABLY TEN, AT LEAST TEN DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE MEMBERS ON THAT BOARD. AND THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. IT WAS ALWAYS VERY WELL ATTENDED. AND STAFF VIRTUE AND. COMMUNICATIONS. TRACY. BUT NO, SHE WASN'T THERE THIS MORNING. OH, FRANCIS. FRANCIS. YEAH. FRANCIS. SHE WAS THERE TAKING PICTURES AND THEY DID A GOOD JOB. SO IT WAS, IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED. ALSO, I THINK THE LADY'S NAME WAS JOYCE MOORE. WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN AN UPDATE ON THE BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN. WE USED TO GET THE UPDATE EVERY SO OFTEN ON IF THEY'RE FOLLOWING, DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR BUILDINGS ARE SECURE AND, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FIXED OR SOMETHING, MAKING THEM LOOK BETTER. THEY'RE BRINGING US DOWN. BUT WE USED TO GET UPDATES ALL THE TIME. I DON'T THINK WE GOT ONE SINCE BO LEFT AND WENT TO SALT LAKE. SO, SO WE MIGHT NEED TO. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE US START GETTING THOSE AGAIN. WE HAVE RECEIVED. WE HAVE. OKAY, OKAY. BUT. OH, AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE GWENDOLYN. HER BIRTHDAY IS TOMORROW AND I WANT TO JUST SAY THAT OUT LOUD FOR. THAT'S IT. VERY GOOD. OH, CONGRATULATIONS TO MY GRANDDAUGHTER. SHE'S GRADUATING TO. YUP. ONE. ONE MORE. BUT THIS LAST ONE, THE GRAND TWINS ARE GRADUATING TOMORROW FROM PRE-K. OH, CHARLIE AND CHARM. OH, SO THAT'S IT. GOOD JOB. PAUL. SO, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, JUST A FEW THINGS ON MR. TRAHAN SITUATION. 
          HE HAS RETAINED COUNSEL. AND SO IF COUNSEL WOULD LIKE A BRIEF ON THAT, I CAN GET WITH OUR PD DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO PROVIDE YOU THE NOTICE OF CLAIM THAT WAS FILED WITH OUR OFFICE, AND WE CAN DISCUSS THAT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, IF THAT'S THE WILL OF COUNSEL, BECAUSE I DID HEAR MORE THAN ONE COUNCIL PERSON REQUEST THAT. SO YEAH, I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT ON EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR NEXT TIME. OKAY. I'LL SECOND. THE NEXT THING IS IN REGARDS TO THE THE ATTENDANCE AT COMMITTEE MEMBERS, MOST OF YOUR YOUR COMMITTEES DON'T REALLY HAVE AN ATTENDANCE. 
          MOST OF THEM AREN'T. THEY DON'T TAKE ATTENDANCE BECAUSE THEY ARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THEY TYPICALLY JUST HEAR PERMISSION. FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, YOU DO HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THEY DO CALL FOR ATTENDANCE, PLANNING, ZONING BECAUSE THEY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. THEY ACTUALLY VOTE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU. AND THAT'S THE BOND COMMITTEE. BUT WE HAVE HAD SOME OTHER COMMITTEES THAT ARE ADVISORY IN NATURE WHO, WHO FEEL LIKE THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING REQUIRES THEM TO HAVE FULL PARTICIPATION FROM COUNCIL APPOINTEES IN ORDER TO MAKE GOOD AND SOLID RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY. AND SO WE HAVE HAD AT LEAST ONE REQUEST TO CHANGE THE ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE A ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO FOR THE BOND COMMITTEE. AND THAT WOULD BE IF A COMMITTEE PERSON MISSES THREE OR MORE MEETINGS WITHOUT PROPER NOTIFICATION, SAYING, I WON'T BE ABLE TO MAKE IT, OR I WAS SICK OR SOMETHING TO THAT NATURE WITHOUT A VALID EXCUSE THAT THEY BE REMOVED AND REAPPOINTED. AND SO WE ARE CONSIDERING BRINGING THAT TO COUNCIL. JUST CONSIDERING THAT RIGHT NOW, WE DO HAVE A A PROVISION IN THE ORDINANCE THAT 
          [02:15:05]
SAYS THAT A PERSON CAN ONLY SERVE ON A MAXIMUM OF TWO COMMITTEES. SO THAT MAY START TO GET KIND OF CHINTZY ON WHO WE CAN APPOINT AND WHO WE CAN WHO CAN SERVE. AND COUNCIL MAY WANT TO CONSIDER HAVING EXTENDING THAT TO THREE COMMITTEES AS OPPOSED TO JUST TWO. BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY DO A WORKSHOP OR TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IF COUNCIL IS INTERESTED AS WELL. AND I DID HEAR AT LEAST TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY THAT THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THAT. SO WE WILL LOOK TO BRING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL. THE NEXT THING IS WE DO HAVE NIGHT MEETINGS RESERVED FOR THAT THIRD TUESDAY, WHEN WE HAVE A FIFTH TUESDAY IN THE MONTH. I DID HEAR COUNCILMAN TURNER SAID THAT HE WOULD PREFER TO DO IT MAYBE IN THE FIRST TUESDAY, RIGHT NOW THAT THE FIRST TUESDAY IS DESIGNATED FOR PROCLAMATION. SO COUNCIL WOULD MEET IN THE MORNING TO DO PROCLAMATIONS AND HAVE A CONSIDERABLE BREAK FOR THAT NIGHT MEETING, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL WANTED TO CONSIDER. JUST CONSIDER, LIKE THE THE STAFF RESOURCES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT AS WELL. WHEN WE DO THE PROCLAMATIONS IN THE MORNING, WE DO HAVE A BEE AND TECH HERE. AND SO IF WE DID IT AGAIN, AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT BREAK IN THE DAY FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY DOABLE. I JUST WANTED COUNCIL TO BE AWARE OF LOGISTICALLY HOW THAT WOULD LOOK TO DO THAT. SOMETIMES WE HAVE SEVERAL PROCLAMATIONS, SOMETIMES NOT SO MANY, BUT THAT WOULD KIND OF INCREASE STAFF TIME. YES, MA'AM. PUBLIC WORKS. SORRY. ONLY REPORT IS THAT I HAVE IS WE DID HAVE A MEETING OF THE BOND FACILITY COMMITTEE LAST WEEK, AND I WILL BE PREPARING A MEMORANDUM TO DISTRIBUTE TO THE COUNCIL, JUST BRINGING THE COUNCIL UP TO SPEED ON WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED TO DATE AND PROGRESS ON PARTICULAR PROJECTS. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. FOR THE DOWNTOWN CODE ENFORCEMENT REPORT. BO DID DO THE LAST ONE IN OCTOBER, BUT AT THE OCTOBER MEETING AT THAT TIME, THEY WERE QUARTERLY. AND Y'ALL GAVE DIRECTION TO MOVE THAT TO TWO TIMES PER YEAR. SO I DID A REPORT IN JANUARY. I THINK COUNCILMEMBER DARIO FORGOT THAT ONE. AND THE NEXT ONE'S DUE IN JULY. THAT'S FAIR MA'AM. MAYOR, REAL QUICKLY I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THIS IS NATIONAL EMS WEEK. IT'S AN ANNUAL WEEK LONG CELEBRATION HONORING EMTS, PARAMEDICS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONDERS WHO ARE WORKING TO SERVE US DAY AND NIGHT. AND THEN FINALLY, I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE DEMI ENGMAN FOR BEING NAMED ONE OF THE NATION'S GOVERNMENT CHAMPIONS BY THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AS PART OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, 2250 RATHER PROGRAM. SO JUST CONGRATULATIONS TO JENNY. WELL, WE'VE HAD GOOD PARTICIPATION AT BOTH OUR MAYOR'S COALITIONS AGAINST VIOLENCE. AND THIS THIS LAST MEETING HAPPENED FIVE DAYS AFTER THE SHOOTING AT PEARLSTEIN PARK. AND AND THE MOTHER OF THE YOUNG MAN THAT WAS KILLED CAME TO THAT MEETING. SO IT WAS. AND SHE SPOKE AT THE END. SO. WE I WANT TO WE WILL HAVE UPCOMING MEETINGS. AND WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME PROGRAMS TO, TO BE WORKING WITH. AND I'M GOING TO ALSO FOLLOW UP WITH GINA, WHO SPOKE EARLIER. I WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT IT IS EARLY VOTING UNTIL FRIDAY AT 7 TO 7 EVERY DAY. AND THEN NEXT TUESDAY IS THE ELECTION, WHICH IS 7 A.M. TO 7 P.M. AND IT'S CERTAINLY IMPORTANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS. I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF OPINIONS, BUT WHEN YOU GO TO THE POLLS, YOU CAN REALLY MAKE AN IMPACT ON ON THOSE OPINIONS. AND CERTAINLY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE GRADUATES IN PARTICULAR, GRADUATION. CONGRATULATIONS TO COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD ON THE GRADUATION OF HER DAUGHTER. AND I RECEIVED SOME CONTACT ASKING. AND WE ARE STILL THE SEXUAL ORDINANCE PREDATOR ORDINANCE IS BEING REVIEWED. I THINK SOME SOFTWARE IS ALSO BEING CONSIDERED TO BE ABLE TO TRACK THAT. SO THAT'S THAT'S IMPORTANT. ALSO TODAY WITH THE TONY HILL BUILDING, THERE WAS SOME OF THE FACADE THAT FELL OFF AND THEY ARE WORKING ON GETTING THE SIDEWALK CLOSED, AND THERE IS ADDITIONAL STEPS BEING TAKEN AND BEEN CONTACTED ABOUT THAT. AND I ALSO AGREE WITH ABOUT GLEN OAKS. IT'S THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF 
          [02:20:03]
CALLS THERE A YEAR WITH FIRE AND POLICE, AND THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE MAKING ANY PROGRESS OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. AND I THINK THERE. I THINK THEIR VACANCIES HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. AND IT'S BECOME QUITE THE EYESORE OVER THERE. SO AND I WASN'T AWARE OF THE RATS, BUT NOT SURPRISED BY THAT EITHER. AND CERTAINLY WANT TO COMMEND COUNCILMAN HILLIARD AND ON THEIR LEADERSHIP ON THE VETERANS COALITION, BECAUSE IT. I'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL OF THE VETERANS AND THE ORGANIZATIONS ON HOW PLEASED THEY ARE WITH IT. AND IT WAS THROUGH SEVERAL OF THEM BRINGING IT TO MY ATTENTION THAT IT HAPPENED. AND SO I, I GIVE THEM ALL THE CREDIT BECAUSE IT WAS SOMETHING THEY REALLY WANTED, AND IT'S PROVED THAT THEY REALLY WANTED IT. SO THAT'S AWESOME. AND, AND I CERTAINLY ALSO WANT TO EXTEND MY BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUR WONDERFUL WIFE. AND WITH THAT, THE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.