Jun 03, 2026 City Council Budget Work Session

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:08]

TODAY'S SPECIAL MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL. TODAY'S DATE IS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3RD, 2026. IF EVERYONE WOULD PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONE AND IF YOU SO CHOOSE, PLEASE STAND FOR A PRAYER AND REMAIN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. GRACIOUS AND LOVING GOD, WE GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THIS DAY AND FOR THIS CITY COUNCIL AND THIS CITY ADMINISTRATION AND ALL THE DIRECTORS THAT ARE HERE, AND ALL THE HARD WORK THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN TO THIS BUDGET SEASON. WE ASK THAT YOU BLESS THIS TIME AND BE WITH US IN ALL OUR DISCUSSIONS. ASK THIS IN JESUS NAME. AMEN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND FOR WHICH IT STANDS.

MAY I HAVE ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MAYOR WEST, PRESENT. MAYOR PRO TEM TURNER.

COUNCIL MEMBER. DARIO. COUNCIL MEMBER. HILLIARD. COUNCIL MEMBER. WILLIAMS. COUNCIL MEMBER. SHERWOOD. ABSENT. AND COUNCIL MEMBER. CRENSHAW. THANK YOU. AT THIS POINT, THE MEETING

[ Opening Remarks – Chris Boone, City Manager   1. FY 2026 Financial Update, Year-End Forecast, and Projections 2. Public Safety Updates and Discussion]

THIS PAST MONDAY MARKED THE ONE MONTH. FOR ME AS THE CITY MANAGER OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT.

AND AS PROMISED, I'VE SPENT A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME, ALONG WITH THE FINANCE STAFF, REVIEWING OUR FINANCIAL POSITIONS AND PROJECTIONS AS WE LOOK FORWARD IN A MOMENT. AMY SCHMIDT, OUR BUDGET MANAGER, ALONG WITH OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, WILL MAKE THEIR PRESENTATIONS. I DO APOLOGIZE FOR MAYBE STEALING A LITTLE BIT OF THEIR THUNDER, BUT I WANTED TO STRESS A FEW POINTS THAT WILL BE MADE IN THE PRESENTATION IN THE UPCOMING MOMENTS. NUMBER ONE, FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE CONTINUOUSLY DIPPED INTO OUR GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS OUR RAINY DAY FUND, TO COVER THE GAP BETWEEN HOW MUCH WE ARE SPENDING VERSUS OUR REVENUES. DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS, THE FUND BALANCE HAS DROPPED FROM $53.5 MILLION IN FY 22 TO A PROJECTED $35.2 MILLION AT THE END OF FY 26, WHICH IS A REDUCTION OF MORE THAN 18.3 MILLION. THAT'S AN APPROXIMATE REDUCTION OF 34.34%. THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, GFOA, RECOMMENDS THAT CITIES KEEP A MINIMUM OF TWO MONTHS OPERATING FUNDS IN RESERVE, WHICH IS ABOUT 16.5%, WHICH IN THE CASE OF BEAUMONT, DEPENDING ON THE YEAR, WOULD BE ABOUT $30 MILLION OF FUND BALANCE. OUR ADOPTED POLICY IN OUR BUDGET IS THAT WE KEEP A 20% ANNUAL RESERVE, BECAUSE EXPENDITURES HAVE OUTPACED REVENUES SINCE 2022, AND WE HAVE CONTINUED TO DIP INTO OUR FUND BALANCE. WE EXPECT OUR FUND BALANCE TO BE AT OR BELOW 20% WITHIN 90 DAYS. IF THINGS DO NOT CHANGE BELOW THE GFO RECOMMENDED RATE OF 16.5% IN FY 27, AS LOW AS 7%, IT COULD BE IN FY 28, ETC. WE WILL KNOW MORE AS THE BUDGET PROCESS CONTINUES. BUT AS FOR NOW, PLEASE BE AWARE THAT WE WILL PROBABLY BE PROPOSING TO REDUCE THE MINIMUM GENERAL FUND BALANCE RESERVE AS OUTLINED IN THE BUDGET. AGAIN, WE WILL KNOW MORE SOON. I POINT THIS OUT NOT TO BE ALARMIST, BUT TO STRESS THAT WE NEED TO REDUCE OUR EXPENSES AND CERTAINLY NOT INCREASE THEM THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR AND BEYOND. APART FROM OUR FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS A KEY METRIC, THE SIMPLE FACT IS THAT OUR REVENUES ARE NOT GROWING AS FAST AS OUR EXPENSES. EVEN IF WE HOLD OUR EXPENSE LEVELS. AT THE CURRENT BUDGET YEAR FY 26 LEVELS, WE WOULD HAVE TO HOLD THEM THERE UNTIL 2029 FOR THE REVENUES TO CATCH UP. AT THE CURRENT PACE. THE CHALLENGES THAT MANY OF THE COSTS ARE ALREADY BUILT IN AND THEY ARE DIFFICULT, DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ABOUT 7,172% OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS PERSONNEL. SO AS WE GO INTO THIS PRESENTATION, I KNOW THAT WE WILL WE ARE STILL

[00:05:06]

BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE ADD TO SPENDING WILL NEED TO BE MET WITH A CUT SOMEWHERE, OR A FURTHER DIP INTO THE GENERAL FUND. FUND BALANCE. AND REMEMBER, EVEN IF WE HOLD AT CURRENT SPENDING LEVELS, ALLOWING REVENUES TO CONTINUE TO GROW, WE WOULD NEED TO HOLD OUR EXPENSES AT THIS CURRENT BUDGET YEAR UNTIL 2029 TO AVOID CERTAIN CONSEQUENCES.

BUT WITH THAT, I WILL TURN THE PRESENTATION OVER TO OUR BUDGET MANAGER, AMY SCHMIDT. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL STAFF THIS MORNING, WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE A FINANCIAL UPDATE AND AN OVERVIEW OF OUR FY 26 PROJECTIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING, FOLLOWING UP MR. BOONE HERE, THAT WE DO FACE SEVERAL CHALLENGES AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PROCESS. HOWEVER, WE DO REMAIN CONFIDENT THAT THROUGH THIS PLANNING AND RESPONSIBLE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, THE CITY WILL ACHIEVE A BALANCED BUDGET WHILE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID. IS THAT GOOD? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH THE CITY'S WORKFORCE. SO THIS IS THE THE SORRY, THE POSITION COUNT FROM FY 23 TO FY 26 THAT YOU CAN SEE IN FY 25, WE DID START INCLUDING PART TIME PERSONNEL INTO THAT CALCULATION. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE GROWTH THERE IN 23 WAS 13, 29, 24 WAS 1342 FY 25. WE DID GO TO 1421. BUT AGAIN THAT INCLUDES PART TIME PERSONNEL. WE HAD NOT INCLUDED PART TIME PERSONNEL PREVIOUSLY. AND THEN FY 26, WE WERE AT 1447. AND THOSE ARE BUDGETED POSITIONS IN THE CITY. PERSONNEL COST. THAT ACCOUNTS FOR APPROXIMATELY 71% OF THE GENERAL FUNDS BUDGET. SO SO MAKING EVEN MODEST INCREASES IN WAGES AND BENEFITS ARE HIGHLY IMPACTFUL. AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS CHART, POLICE AND FIRE WAGES AND BENEFITS ARE ESTIMATED AT AROUND 62% OF THAT OF THE OF THE WORKFORCE. AS A RESULT, CONTRACTUAL WAGE ADJUSTMENTS, ALONG WITH INFLATIONARY PRESSURES ON BENEFITS SUCH AS HEALTH CARE AND PENSIONS, SIGNIFICANTLY DRIVE OVERALL BUDGET GROWTH BECAUSE A LARGE PORTION OF EXPENSES IS TIED UP IN THE PERSONNEL OF THE CITY, THE CITY HAS LIMITED FLEXIBILITY IN ORDER TO ABSORB THESE INCREASES. SO NOW WE DID A WE WENT THROUGH AND DID A FIVE YEAR TREND ANALYSIS FROM FY 24 AND PROJECTING OUT TO FY 28 TO KIND OF GIVE AN OUTLINE OF WHERE WE HAVE GONE AS A CITY AND WHERE WE WOULD BE HEADING, WHERE WE WOULD HEAD IF WE IF THE TRENDS CONTINUE. SO IN THIS FIRST CHART, YOU CAN SEE OUR ACTUALS.

WE HAVE FY 24 ACTUALS AND ARE ENDING OUR FUND BALANCE AT 27%. OUR ACTUALS FOR FY 25 ARE. FUND BALANCE ENDED AT 25%. AT THAT TIME. OUR PROJECTIONS CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW AND AGAIN THESE ARE PROJECTIONS RIGHT NOW THE NUMBERS ARE STILL ALWAYS ARE ALWAYS ARE CHANGING. WE'RE WE WERE PROJECTING ENDING FY 26 AT A 20% FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS EXACTLY AT OUR MINIMUM THAT WE THAT WE REQUIRE. FY 27. LOOKING FORWARD IN PROJECTIONS TO DEVELOPING THIS FY 27 BUDGET.

REVENUES ARE PROJECTED TO INCREASE TO THE. 173 MILLION ARE. EXPENDITURES CURRENTLY ESTIMATED ARE AT 183 MILLION. SO WHICH WOULD DIP IN WHICH OUR FUND BALANCE WOULD BE ENDING AT THAT 14%? LOOKING AHEAD INTO FY 28, IF WE DID THE REVENUE, WE DID A 2% INCREASE ON REVENUE BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF THE TREND. EACH YEAR, WE USUALLY INCREASE ABOUT 1 TO 2%. SO 2% INCREASE IN THAT REVENUE. AND THEN THE EXPENDITURES, THIS EXPENDITURE PROJECTION OR ESTIMATION HERE INCLUDES THE CONTRACTUAL WAGE INCREASES THAT WE HAVE FOR POLICE AND FIRE THAT WE KNOW WE WILL HAVE TO DO IN FY 28. THAT BRINGS OUR EXPENSES. JUST THAT ALONE BRINGS OUR EXPENSES TO 180 188 MILLION, WHICH WOULD MEAN OUR FUND BALANCE WOULD BE 7%. AND AMY, NOT TO INTERRUPT YOU REAL QUICKLY, I KNOW THESE ARE KIND OF HARD TO SEE AND I APOLOGIZE TO THE PUBLIC. OUR SCREEN IS NOT WORKING, BUT Y'ALL DO HAVE HARD COPIES OF THESE SLIDES IN FRONT OF YOU. AND I WILL JUST RESTATE WHAT AMY SAID REAL QUICKLY. THESE ARE PROJECTIONS

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JUST TO KIND OF REITERATE THAT OUR REVENUES ARE NOT GROWING AT THE SAME RATE AS OUR EXPENSES, WHICH IS THE DECLINE CAUSES THE DECLINE IN YOUR FUND BALANCE. THIS NEXT ONE SHOWS THE FUND BALANCE. THAT $30 MILLION LINE IS THE IS THE REQUIRED MINIMUM THAT THAT THE CITY OF BEAUMONT SHOULD HAVE. THAT IS MR. BOONE HAD SPOKE ABOUT. SO YOU CAN SEE BY FY 27, WE'LL BE BELOW THAT MINIMUM. SO WE DID DO ANOTHER SCENARIO WITH THIS TREND ANALYSIS. SO WE USED THE EXPENSES THAT WE KNEW THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO DO FOR 26 ADDITIONAL TRANSFER. THE $3.2 MILLION TRANSFER. WE THE CONTRACTUAL WAGES THAT WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO FOR FIRE AND POLICE. AND THEN WE ADDED A SAVINGS IF WE DID A HIRING FREEZE. SO FOR FY 27, IF WE IF WE DID A HIRING FREEZE, THAT WOULD APPROXIMATELY SAVE ABOUT $3.7 MILLION. AND THESE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT IT WOULD SHOW IF WE DID THAT, IF WE DID NOT FEEL ANY CURRENT VACANCIES AND WE WOULD, WE WOULD BE AT THE 20% IN FY 26. BUT FY 27, IT RAISED THAT FUND BALANCE TO 16.

WE'RE STILL NOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE. AND THEN PROJECTION OUT TO FY 28 WOULD BE 11%. AGAIN, WE'RE STILL NOT AT THAT 20, AT LEAST AT THE 20% WHERE WE NEED TO BE. THAT'S JUST ONE SOLUTION THAT WE HAD THAT WE FACTORED INTO THIS SLIDE, BUT IT STILL SHOWS THAT WE WERE STILL BELOW OUR MINIMUM. AMY, DOES THAT INCLUDE HIRING FREEZES FOR PUBLIC SERVICE? NO, EXCLUDING PUBLIC SERVICE, I APOLOGIZE. I SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT EXCLUDING PUBLIC SERVICE. YES. JUST CIVILIANS. THIS CHART SHOWS, AGAIN, THE THE DIFFERENCE IN HOW THE EXPENDITURES ARE INCREASING AND OUR REVENUES ARE NOT KEEPING UP WITH THOSE EXPENDITURES. IT SHOWS THAT GAP.

AND THIS AGAIN SHOWS THE FUND BALANCE BASED OFF THAT SECOND SCENARIO. AGAIN, WE'RE CLOSER TO THE MINIMUM IN 27, BUT WE'RE STILL NOT QUITE THERE IN 28. WE'RE STILL BELOW. ALL RIGHT.

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR GENERAL FUND, OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE, OUR BUDGETED REVENUE FOR FY 26 IS 169 MILLION. OUR PROJECTION IS GOING TO IS 171. SO WE DO HAVE A SLIGHT INCREASE OF 1.28%.

AND THAT'S JUST A LOT OF DIFFERENT OFFSETS AND DIFFERENT AREAS. WE'RE REVENUES CAME IN HIGHER THAN OTHER SALES TAX CAME IN A LITTLE BIT HIGHER. AND IT KIND OF JUST OFFSETS. WE HAD WE HAD HIGHER INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS THAT CAME IN THAT WE WEREN'T ANTICIPATING. SO THAT KIND OF MADE THAT THAT JUMP. BUT THEN WE HAD SOME AREAS WHERE THEY WERE PROJECTED TO BE A LITTLE BIT LOWER. SO THAT OFFSET ENDED UP BEING ABOUT 1.2 28% HIGHER. MR. MAYOR, MAY I ASK A QUESTION ON THE LAST TIME WE HAD A PROJECTED BUDGET, REVENUES AND EXPENSES. IT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED THAT THERE MIGHT BE A 6 OR $7 MILLION DEFICIT. BUT THEN I THOUGHT

[00:15:02]

BUT LIKE SO, BUT SPECIFICALLY, LIKE WHAT, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WAS THE DIFFERENCE. WE JUST EMPLOYEE BENEFITS THAT THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND, THEIR EXPENDITURES CAME IN WAY OVER BUDGET. SO WE HAVE TO, AND THEY'RE, THEY WENT INTO NEGATIVE FUND BALANCE. SO IN ORDER TO SHORE UP THAT FUND BALANCE, WE'RE HAVING TO INCREASE THAT TRANSFER. OKAY.

AND THEN THE SAME WITH TRANSIT. TRANSIT WENT INTO A NEGATIVE FUND BALANCE. SO IN ORDER TO SHORE UP THAT FUND BALANCE, WE'RE HAVING TO INCREASE THAT TRANSFER. OKAY. SO WE CAN'T CONTRIBUTE THIS SPECIFICALLY TO WAGES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I MEAN, IT DOES FACTOR IN AS WELL BECAUSE WE DID DO 11% TOTAL INCREASE FOR FIRE IN 26. AND THEN WE HAD A AND THEN POLICE HAD THEIR INCREASE OF 4%. SO YEAH, NO, I GET THAT. BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET BUDGETED. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY WE HAVE A BIGGER DEFICIT THAN WE WERE PREDICTED.

IT'S PRIMARILY THE INCREASE IN TRANSFERS INCREASE IN TRANSFERS. AND I AND I GET THE IDEA OF THE TRANSFER. I JUST I IS SOME PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION SPECIFICALLY WHAT THAT DIFFERENCE IS. AND I KNOW YOU SAID THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS IN TRANSIT, BUT IS THERE SPECIFIC NUMBERS BROKEN OUT SO WE CAN SEE WHAT THAT IS. IT. HOPEFULLY THERE IS. IT WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. IF NOT, THEN WE CAN WE CAN WE CAN GO BACK. WE CAN READDRESS IT AGAIN. IF THERE'S MORE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE AT THE END. OKAY. COUNCILMAN TURNER, AND WHAT WAS THOSE NUMBERS ONE MORE TIME? TRANSIT WAS WHAT EMPLOYEE BENEFITS WAS WHAT TRANSIT INCREASE IS 1.7.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS INCREASE IS 1.5. AND YOU SAID EVERY YEAR WE BUDGET FOR THESE PARTICULAR AREAS. YES, SIR. AND IS THERE A REASON THIS YEAR IT WAS THAT FAR OFF. I CAN'T NECESSARILY SPEAK NECESSARILY FOR FOR TRANSIT. IT'S JUST THERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEY HAVE GRANTS THAT COME IN FOR THEIR REVENUE TO. THEY JUST HAD AN INCREASE IN EXPENSES. AND IT WASN'T FULLY OFFSET BY THE GRANTS THAT THEY GET IN THAT THEY THAT THEY RECEIVE IN EMPLOYEE BENEFITS IS COMPLETELY AN INCREASE IN HEALTH CLAIMS, HEALTH CLAIMS, PRESCRIPTIONS AND STOP LOSS. AND I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT THERE IS SO WE DON'T WE DON'T GO OUT FOR RFP FOR THE HEALTH BENEFITS, CERTAIN CONTRACTS UNTIL LATER IN THE BUDGET YEAR. SO THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PART OF IT ALSO. SO THERE ARE CERTAIN NUMBERS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO GUESS AT. GIVE OUR BEST GUESS BECAUSE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR HEALTH BENEFITS DON'T START UNTIL IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST, IT JUST COME IN OVER BUDGET AND CERTAIN AND THERE ARE HIGHER UTILIZATION OR, YOU KNOW, JUST VARIOUS FACTORS, HEALTH EMPLOYEE BENEFITS,

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BUDGET FOR SALES. TAX REVENUE IS 50,000,214. THE PROJECTION IS 57,000,237 FOR SALES TAX. SO SALES TAX IS COMING IN OVER BUDGET WHICH IS GREAT. IT'S 1.82 APPROXIMATELY 1.1.8 2% HIGHER THAN BUDGETED. OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE BUDGETED IS 52,000,418. OUR PROJECTION IS 48,000,612. SO THAT IS THAT PROJECTION IS UNDER WHAT WE HAVE BUDGETED PRIMARILY THAT WHEN WE DID THE BUDGET, WE WERE BUDGETED AT 100% COLLECTION RATE, WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE, AS YOU KNOW. SO THIS YEAR WE'RE WE'RE FOR FY 27. WE'LL BE BUDGETING AT A 70 OR 97% COLLECTION RATE. OKAY. AND YOU CAN SEE THERE OUR RATES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND FY 21, IT WAS 0.5, 24 WAS 0.49, 25, 25 WAS 0.48. AND THEN 26 IS 0.47. WE DON'T HAVE 27 YET. THE 26 IS WE DON'T HAVE 27 YET. SO YOU CAN SEE KIND OF HOW THAT RATE OVER THE YEARS HAS DECREASED.

SO THIS IS A CHART SHOWING OUR REVENUES THAT ARE BROUGHT INTO THE GENERAL FUND. THE PERCENTAGES HERE. YOU CAN SEE SALES AND USE TAX. BRINGS IN ABOUT 33%. PROPERTY TAXES BRINGS IN ABOUT 29% OF OUR TOTAL REVENUE. INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS MAKES UP ABOUT 14%.

AND UTILITY IN LIEU OF IS ABOUT SEVEN, ABOUT 8% AND SO FORTH. KIND OF SEE HOW THAT HOW THE REVENUES MAKE UP GENERAL FUND. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR SALES TAX AND OUR PROPERTY TAX, OF COURSE, IS OUR MOST IS OUR HIGHEST REVENUE DRIVER. SO NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT EXPENDITURES.

OUR FY 26 PROJECTS OR FY 26 BUDGET EXPENDITURES IS 175 MILLION 157 OUR PROJECTIONS ARE 178 178 MILLION JUST OVER AS OUR FY 26 PROJECTIONS AS OF NOW. SO IT'S ABOUT 3 MILLION HIGHER THAN BUDGET. AND AGAIN, THAT'S CONTRIBUTED PRIMARILY TO THOSE TRANSFERS OF 3.2. THAT WAS NOT BUDGETED THAT WE'RE HAVING TO INCREASE TO SUPPORT THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS AND TRANSIT FUND. THERE'S ALSO IN OUR EXPENSES, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WITH THE ECONOMY, THERE'S INCREASES IN COST OF FUEL DAILY, DAILY, JUST DAILY OPERATIONAL MATERIALS. IT'S WE ALWAYS HAVE OVERTIME INCREASES WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY. AND THEN WHENEVER WE HAVE OVERTIME PROJECTIONS FOR FICA AND PENSIONS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE HIGHER THAN BUDGETED AS WELL.

AND THIS IS ANOTHER CHART THAT SHOWS WHAT MAKES UP OUR EXPENDITURES IN THE GENERAL FUND. YOU CAN SEE FIRES 28% POLICE IS 2020 7.83%. PUBLIC WORKS IS AT 8%, TRANSFERS ARE AT 7%. SO THAT JUST KIND OF YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THERE WHAT DEPARTMENTS DROP MAKES UP A MAJORITY OF OUR EXPENSES AS WELL. THOSE LARGER PUBLIC SAFETY, OF COURSE, PUBLIC WORKS IS THE THIRD LARGEST. AND THEN THAT THE TRANSFERS. SO THEN TO BREAK IT DOWN EVEN MORE AND

[00:25:06]

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT BUDGET CHALLENGES AND PAST PRACTICES THAT HAVE LED US TO THIS CURRENT POSITION. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS INCLUDE YEARLY WAGE INCREASES AS WELL AS INCREASED CERTIFICATE PAY FOR POLICE AND FIRE. FIRE INCREASES. FY 25 IS A 7% INCREASE. FY 26 WAS A 4% INCREASE. FY 27 IS A 3% INCREASE. POLICE INCREASES FY 25. WE DID 3% 4% IN FY 26. AND THEN FY 27, WE'RE CONTRACTED FOR 5% FIRE PENSION INCREASE FROM 20% IN FY 25 TO 23% IN FY 27. WE ALSO HAVE A ANNUAL VACANT POSITION CONTRIBUTION FOR THE FIRE PENSION THAT WE DO AN ANNUAL PAYMENT FOR, AND FUNDING THOSE VACANCIES. AMY, THAT 3000 NUMBER FOR VACANCIES, THAT VARIES. CORRECT. IS THAT JUST THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE DOING? THAT'S JUST THE ONE PAYMENT WE'VE MADE ALREADY. AND THEN ANOTHER ONE WILL BE CALCULATED IN JULY. YEAH. SO THE PAYMENT ISN'T DUE UNTIL THE SEPTEMBER 30TH. AND IT'S BASED ON THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE ON THE SEPTEMBER 30TH DATE. CORRECT. JUST MAKING SURE COUNCIL IS AWARE FOR THAT AND THAT AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM THAT WAS DIRECTED BY THE PENSION REVIEW BOARD IS BEING REVIEWED BASED ON THE NEW CADET PROGRAM. SO COUNCIL WILL NOW GET CREDIT FOR THE CADETS WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE PENSION AND WILL PAY THE DIFFERENCE. SO THAT NUMBER WILL ACTUALLY BE LOWER, BECAUSE WE HAVE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS WHO CAME IN WITH THEIR CERTIFICATION WHO QUALIFIED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PENSION.

YOU'RE NO CERT OR INDIVIDUALS WHO DON'T HAVE THAT CERTIFICATION AREN'T CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE FOR THE PENSION. THERE IS SOME STILL DISCUSSION WITH THE UNION AND THE PENSION BOARD ON THOSE, BUT THE INDIVIDUALS WHO QUALIFY AND ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE PENSION, WE ARE TAKING OUT OF THEIR PAYCHECK FOR CONTRIBUTIONS. THE CITY WILL GET CREDIT, SO YOU'LL SEE A REDUCTION IN THAT. AND WHEN THEY BECOME FULL FIREMEN, WHERE THEY ARE RECEIVING THEIR FIRST YEAR ROOKIE SALARY, THAT WILL NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED A VACANCY. BUT IT'S NOT CONSIDERED FILLED UNTIL THEY COMPLETE THAT THAT CERTIFICATION AND BECOME FULL FIREFIGHTERS. SO JUST CLARIFICATION ON THAT NUMBER. I THINK THAT'S THE LATEST AS OF FRIDAY. YES. I THINK WE HAVE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WHO'VE BEEN HIRED, WHO COMPLETED. SO I THINK THAT VACANCY NUMBER, THE CHIEF IS HERE. HE CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK THE VACANCY NUMBER IS LOWER. I THINK WE MAY BE CLOSER TO 12. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER WE'VE HAD SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS RETIRE AS WELL. WE JUST HAD A. A DISTRICT, A DEPUTY CHIEF AND A DISTRICT CHIEF TEST THAT WHICH ALSO CREATE VACANCIES. SO AS INDIVIDUALS RETIRE, WE PROMOTE UP. THAT CREATES VACANCIES IN OUR LOWER LEVEL. BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS FROM WHEN WE DID THAT VERY BIG TEST. WE STILL HAVEN'T EXHAUSTED THAT LIST. WE HAVE A COUPLE CANDIDATES WHO'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS AS WELL, AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR FOR HIRE. SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS ON THE LIST, EVEN THOUGH THEY TOOK THE TEST AS A NO CERT, THEY COMPLETED THEIR CERTIFICATIONS AND THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS. SO THEY'LL BE IN, IN, IN DIFFERENT VARYING STAGES. SO WE ARE CLOSER TO FILLING THAT 50 NUMBER. BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO STILL CONSIDER THE VACANCIES THAT COME AVAILABLE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE, WE'RE CHASING TWO, TWO PATHS. WE HAVE THE, THE 50 THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO FILL, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE EXISTING VACANCIES THAT COME WITH RETIREMENTS AS WELL. THANK YOU. SHERRY. CIVILIAN WAGE INCREASES AS A RESULT OF A SALARY SURVEY THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, EVERGREENS, WHICH IS THE, THE, THE COMPANY THAT PROVIDED THE SALARY SURVEY FOR US, THEIR ESTIMATED IMPACT COST FOR YEAR TWO AND YEAR THREE, WHICH WE COMPLETED IN FY 26, WAS 1.1. AND THAT'S OVER THE TWO YEARS. SO IT'S NOT ONE YEAR COST. CIVILIAN COST OF LIVING INCREASES. THERE WAS A 2% FY 24, A 2% FY 25, AND A 3% IN FY 26.

COST OF LIVING INCREASES. THERE'S A 5%. THEY HAVE A COST OF LIVING INCREASE OF 5% IN 26 AND A 3.5% IN FY 25 THAT WERE OBLIGATED TO HONOR INCREASED OVERTIME DUE TO VACANCIES AND ADDITIONAL SERVICES. HEALTH, EMPLOYEE HEALTH, EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS HEALTH CLAIMS CONTINUE TO TREND UPWARD, REQUIRING INCREASED GENERAL FUND SUPPORT TO THE EMPLOYEE

[00:30:01]

CORRECT. THANK YOU. ONGOING CAPITAL NEEDS, PARTICULARLY FLEET REPLACEMENT AND PRIOR YEARS, FLEET HAS BEEN FUNDED BY OPERATING CASH OUT OF THE CAPITAL RESERVE. A 3.1 TAX NOTE WAS ISSUED FOR FLEET TO KEEP FUND BALANCE HIGHER IN FY 26 FY 26. THE GENERAL FUND TRANSFER TO CAPITAL RESERVE IS BUDGETED AT 2.9 FOR CAPITAL EQUIPMENT, SO THAT'S MINUS THE FLEET. THAT 2.9 IS SUPPORTED ACTUAL CAPITAL EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS A LOT OF THE FIRE AND POLICE EQUIPMENT, IT EQUIPMENT, THINGS OF THOSE NATURE. THESE FINANCING DECISIONS WILL CARRY FORWARD IN FY 27 OBLIGATIONS AS WELL AS WE LOOK FORWARD. ONGOING INFLATION CONTINUES TO DRIVE INCREASES IN THE COST OF GOODS AND SERVICES ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS. INFLATION IS ABOUT 3.8% ANNUALLY AS OF APRIL 26TH. NOT ASSESSING FULL VOTER APPROVAL OR GREATER TAX RATE. IT'S ABOUT A $3 MILLION MISSED REVENUE FOR FY 26. THE CITY HAS INITIATED AN RFP FOR AN ERP SYSTEM THAT WILL REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT UPFRONT INVESTMENT AND ONGOING IMPLEMENTATION COSTS. THE MOST CURRENT PROJECTED COST FOR THE ENTIRE SYSTEM WOULD BE 1.7. PHASE ONE IS ESTIMATED TO BE AT ABOUT 705,000. THAT'S THE UTILITY BILLING PORTION. AND ALONG WITH THE FINANCE PORTION.

SO AMY, JUST TO CLARIFY, IS THAT NUMBER INCLUDED IN YOUR PROJECTIONS? NO, THIS IS A SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST. THIS IS NOT EVEN INCLUDED IN ANY PROJECTIONS. AND TO BE CLEAR, ALL THE PROJECTIONS FOR FY 27, DO THEY INCLUDE ANY SUPPLEMENTAL NO. SUPPLEMENTALS FOR FY 27? GENERAL FUND TRANSFER GROWTH FROM 8.4 AND 24 TO 14.8 PROJECTED FOR FY 26, REFLECTING SIGNIFICANT INCREASES TO SUPPORT OTHER FUNDS AND OPERATIONS. SO NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS. ADOPTING AN OW RATE OF AT LEAST THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. THIS WOULD HAVE RAISED 3 MILLION ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR THE GENERAL FUND IN FISCAL YEAR 26. LIMIT SUPPLEMENTAL REQUESTS FOR FY 27 HIRING FREEZE FOR NON PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL. THIS WOULD BE A COST SAVINGS OF APPROXIMATELY AROUND 3.5 MILLION. TRAVEL FREEZE FOR NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL. LIMIT FLEET AND EQUIPMENT PURCHASES TO ESSENTIAL ONLY. REVIEW ALL RATES AND FEES CHARGED BY THE CITY, INCLUDING SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL OUTSIDE CITY WATER RATES. ADD A SUPPLEMENTAL HEALTH BENEFIT TO REDUCE OVERALL HEALTH CARE COSTS ON PRIMARY CARE AND EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS. EVALUATE INTERFUND TRANSFERS ONLINE TRAINING FOR ONLY REQUIRED CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS WHEN AVAILABLE. LEASE VEHICLES INSTEAD OF PURCHASING AT DISCOUNT FEE TO UNPAID WATER ACCOUNTS. A FEE IS CURRENTLY BEING CHARGED BUT IS BEING HELD AS A DEPOSIT RATHER THAN BEING KEPT AS A CITY FOR REVENUE. ELIMINATE SOME CITY SPONSORED EVENTS TO REDUCE OVERTIME COSTS AND ELIMINATE FEE WAIVERS FOR NON CITY EVENTS.

REVIEW CITY SERVICES FOR EFFICIENCIES OUTSIDE VARIOUS TASKS THAT CAN BE DONE MORE EFFICIENTLY OR MORE OR MORE COST EFFECTIVELY. AND THEN OF COURSE ALWAYS CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR GRANTS AND CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS. SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE OVERVIEW OF

[00:35:15]

ARE EXPENSE OR REVENUE BUDGETED IS 65 MILLION. OUR PROJECTIONS FOR 26 TO 72 MILLION, SO FAVORABLE OF 6.4 EXPENDITURES BUDGETED WAS 72 MILLION. WE'RE PROJECTING 67 MILLION. SO UNDER AS WELL AT 4.5 WATER FUNDS DOING REALLY WELL. SOLID WASTE BUDGETED REVENUES AT 16.7.

PROJECTION REVENUES OF 16.6. SLIGHT VARIANCE THERE. EXPENDITURES BUDGETED AT 16.7.

PROJECTIONS ARE AT 16.9. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND. OUR BUDGETED REVENUES WERE 29.7. PROJECTION REVENUES IS 31.6. AND THEN EXPENDITURES IS 29.6. EXPENSES IS 33.3 FOR THAT UNFAVORABLE OF 3.6. GENERAL FUND. YES. WHAT WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 6.7 WE'RE SAYING AND THE 2.9 AT THE TOP OF YOUR GENERAL FUND? THIS SAYS AN UNFAVORABLE OF 2.9. BUT I THOUGHT WE HAVE 6.7 AND 6.7 MILLION. AND COMING OUT OF THE RESERVE FUND FOR 2026, THAT'S FROM BUDGETED TO BUDGETED AND PROJECTIONS. JUST YOUR THAT'S JUST YOUR EXPENDITURES DIFFERENCE. OKAY, SO OUR DEFICIT IS NOT 6.7 FOR 2026. YES, IT WILL BE. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT IT'S THAT'S THE ESTIMATION. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S JUST YOUR FAVORABLE AND UNFAVORABLE FROM WHAT WE BUDGETED AND WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING ON YOUR EXPENDITURE SIDE. I CAN GO BACK. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'S THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, WHILE WE FACE SEVERAL CHANGES IN THE 27 BUDGET, WE DO REMAIN COMMITTED TO A SOUND FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP AND PROACTIVE PLANNING BY CAREFULLY MANAGING OUR RESOURCES AND ADDRESSING THESE CHALLENGES STRATEGICALLY, WE ARE CONFIDENT IN THE ABILITY TO ACHIEVE A BALANCED BUDGET WHILE STRENGTHENING OUR FUND BALANCE, AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK ALL THE STAFF, ALL DEPARTMENTS. THEY PUT A LOT INTO THIS BUDGET AS WELL. IT'S NOT JUST FINANCE, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THEIR HARD WORK AND WORKING WITH US AND GETTING THE CITY TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE. ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION. SO ON THE ON THE HIRING FREEZE, HAVE WE PROJECTED WHAT OVERTIME IS GOING TO BE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE OVER FOR THE JOBS THAT AREN'T REPLACED? SO IF IF YOU DON'T HIRE IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT AND THEY'RE SHORT 15 PEOPLE, SOME, THE WORK'S NOT GOING TO STOP. SO YOU'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY INCREASE OVERTIME BECAUSE THEY'LL HAVE TO PICK UP THE SLACK FOR THE MISSING POSITIONS. SO DID WE FACTOR THAT INTO THIS AT ALL? AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS THE HOT TAX THAT'S PAST DUE FOR A LOT OF SOME OF THESE HOTELS. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO COLLECT THAT AND WHAT IS WHAT IS WHAT IS PAST DUE ON OUR HOT TAX COLLECTIONS? I DON'T HAVE THE I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER. SO ON THE FIRST QUESTION, IN TERMS OF OVERTIME, THAT IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'RE CORRECT. YOU CAN'T JUST SIMPLY SAY, OKAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO OR WE'RE GOING TO HOLD FILLING THESE POSITIONS. THE REALITY IS WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING MORE WITH LESS. BUT THE REALITY IS THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY HOURS IN THE DAY. SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A COMPLETE SAVINGS BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO IN SOME CASES, WE WILL HAVE TO BACKFILL WITH ADDITIONAL FOLKS FOR OVERTIME. BUT THAT IS THAT IS GOING TO BE THE, THE, THE CALCULATION THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE. BUT AGAIN, WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS AS WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THE BUDGET, WE'LL HAVE DEPARTMENT MEETINGS, OUR FINAL DEPARTMENT MEETINGS THE WEEK AFTER NEXT. AND THEN OF COURSE, AS I MENTIONED, JULY 15TH WILL BE ANOTHER WORK SESSION. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A WORK IN PROGRESS. BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN ABSOLUTE SAVINGS ACROSS THE BOARD. THE SECOND QUESTION WAS REGARDING THE CVB AND OUR BASICALLY UNREALIZED REVENUE, AND I WILL DEFER TO THE CITY ATTORNEY ON THAT. SO WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF OUTSTANDING BALANCES WITH INDIVIDUALS. I BELIEVE THERE'S

[00:40:03]

BUT SOMEBODY GETS SICK, SOMEBODY GETS HURT, SOMEBODY GETS INJURED. SOMEBODY YOU KNOW, GETS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. ALL OF THOSE IMPACT YOUR CLAIMS AND YOUR COSTS AND YOUR PREMIUMS WITH YOUR INSURANCE. SO I THINK THAT'S AN UNFAIR QUESTION BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY OTHER FACTORS AND VARIABLES THAT GO INTO THAT WHEN YOU'RE CALCULATING OVERTIME BACK PAY, AND THEN THE OVERALL COST THE CITY PAYS FOR CONTRIBUTIONS. OKAY, I WAS ASKING, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT WAS THE MOST SAVINGS. THAT'S IT'S ALMOST SOUND LIKE BREAKS EVEN. YEAH, IT DEPENDS ON IT DEPENDS ON THE POSITION AND THE EMPLOYEE. RIGHT. SO IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE PAYING, IF YOU'RE, IF THE POSITION IS BEING FILLED BY SOMEBODY WHO'S PART TIME, OBVIOUSLY THEY DON'T GET THE BENEFIT OF OVERTIME RATE OR GET THE BENEFIT OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEIR RETIREMENT RATE BECAUSE THEY'RE PART TIME. BUT IF YOU'RE FILLING IT WITH THE POSITION, AND IN SOME CASES, YOU DON'T EVEN GET TO DECIDE IT'S WHO'S AVAILABLE. SO ON USING, AGAIN, THE WATER CREW, YOU COULD BE FILLING IT. MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON CALL ARE FOREMANS, SO THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY BEING PAID AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE IN THE FIRE SYSTEM.

YOU COULD EASILY BACKFILL A GRADE ONE POSITION AND BE BACK FILLING IT WITH A DEPUTY CHIEF OR A DISTRICT CHIEF. AGAIN, WAY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN A GRADE ONE, YOU KNOW, FIREFIGHTER. SO THE THE SITUATION IS THAT'S A REALLY HARD THING TO CALCULATE BECAUSE YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW AT WHAT RATE. SO YOU COULD BREAK EVEN, YOU COULD SPEND SUBSTANTIALLY MORE OVERTIME.

IT'S IT'S EXPENSIVE. I WAS WONDERING WAS NOT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN THEY WERE DECIDING WHICH POSITIONS TO FILL AND WHICH POSITIONS TO FILL WITH OVERTIME AND WHICH POSITIONS TO ACTUALLY HIRE A PERSON FOR. WELL, AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A POTENTIAL SOLUTION.

NOTHING'S BEEN DECIDED UPON YET. THERE'S EVERYTHING IS STILL IN THE WORKS. WE STILL NEED TO TALK THROUGH, DO RUN NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT WOULD MAKE MOST SENSE. AND AS MENTIONED, THE IF THERE IS A POTENTIAL FREEZE, IT DOESN'T APPLY TO PUBLIC SAFETY. AND EVERY POSITION WILL BE REVIEWED TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PROVIDING SERVICES THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE TO THE PUBLIC. SO EACH ONE WILL BE LOOKED AT. BUT AGAIN, WE'RE EARLY IN THE PROCESS, BUT THAT WILL ALL BE LOOKED AT. AND CRENSHAW, I WAS TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YOU WERE THE DIFFERENCE. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WHAT YOU'RE ASKING NOW. SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN PROJECTED OR BUDGETED EXPENDITURES AND WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING EXPENDITURES TO BE TO GET OUR OVER, UNDER OR UNDER REVENUE IN THE BUDGET THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH YOU CONSIDER AS A DEFICIT, YOU HAVE TO TAKE REVENUE MINUS YOUR EXPENDITURES. CORRECT? OKAY.

IT'S THE OVERALL REVENUE MINUS YOUR OVERALL EXPENDITURE. SO IF YOU ADDED THE THE OTHER 3

[00:45:04]

SO BASICALLY, POLICE STILL RESPONDED TO CALLS AND FIRES, STILL RESPONDED TO THEIR CALLS, AND THEY WOULD HAVE DONE THAT REGARDLESS OF COVID. SO THOSE BIGGEST EXPENSES THAT THE CITY HAD WAS THOSE OPERATING COSTS AND THOSE OPERATING EXPENSES, AND THOSE ARE BEING DENIED.

THEY DID RECOVER. AND I THINK CHIEF IS HERE. HE WAS THE EOC AT THE TIME. THEY ARE COVERING COSTS FOR THOSE EXPENSES. BUT THE LARGEST COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT WERE FOR PERSONNEL AND OVERTIME COSTS FOR OPERATING THE EOC. AND THEY SAID THEY'RE NOT REALLY COVERING FOR THOSE. SO THE CITY IS IN A TOUGH POSITION IN A TOUGH SPOT. WE NEED TO DECIDE IF WE WANT TO APPEAL. THERE'S TWO. AFTER YOU SUBMIT YOUR THINGS TO FEMA, THEY REVIEW IT AND THEY EITHER GRANT OR DENY IT. THEY CAN APPROVE IN PART AND DENY IN PART, JUST LIKE ANY

[00:50:01]

ARBITRATION IS A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT IT'S ALSO QUICKER. AND IT'S THROUGH AN IMPARTIAL BOARD. NOW THAT THE ARBITRATION BOARD IN THAT CASE HAS ONE STANDARD, THEY REVIEW ONLY FEMA FOLLOW THEIR POLICIES AND THEIR RULES. AND ARE THEY BEING CONSISTENT WITH THEIR APPLICATION. AND SO I'M LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OTHER CASES THAT HAVE BEEN REVIEWED UNDER COVID.

THEY ARE DENYING THEM PRETTY CONSISTENTLY. SO IT IT MAY BE THAT THE CITY HAS TO REALIZE THAT THAT MONEY ISN'T COMING BACK, JUST BASED ON WHAT'S HAPPENED IN PREVIOUS CASES WITH FEMA. DONE WITH THOSE, I WILL HAVE DIFFERENT THAN THAT ON THE PROPERTY TAX, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT WE'RE GOING FROM, I GUESS LAST BUDGET, WE ASSUMED 100% COLLECTION RATE. THAT WAS THAT.

I THINK THAT WAS IN THE IS THAT I MEAN, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A WAY TO BUMP THE NUMBERS. I MEAN, I WOULD THINK WE NEVER HAVE 100% COLLECTION CORRECT. WHICH WE USUALLY SEE, WHICH IS TYPICALLY CORRECT, WHICH IS TYPICALLY YOU TO DO 9,798%. WHAT DO YOU KNOW WHERE WE USUALLY LAND? I MEAN, HISTORICALLY COLLECT COLLECTION LIKE WHAT WE ACTUALLY COLLECT.

I'D HAVE TO GET THAT NUMBER FROM THE TAX COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S 697. DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? BUT 97 SHOULD GET US CLOSER TO WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO USE FOR PROJECTIONS FOR 27. OKAY. COUNCILMAN TURNER, THEN COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW. I'M KIND OF GLAD COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS BROUGHT UP THE 97%, BECAUSE THE LAST FOUR BUDGET CYCLES, WE WERE AT ROUGHLY 90. I MEAN, 97%. AND WHAT WAS STATED IS STAFF WOULD SIT DOWN WITH THE COUNTY AND FIGURE OUT WAYS TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO SEE IF WE CAN RAISE IT. MY QUESTION IS, HAVE WE, AS STAFF, SAT DOWN WITH THE COUNTY TO SEE IF HIS WAYS WE CAN, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS THAT OR SEE THE RECOVERY CAN BE INCREASED? WE KIND OF DISCUSSED IT A FEW TIMES AND I'M ASKING, OKAY, IT'S ALMOST BEEN THREE YEARS STRAIGHT. HAVE WE SAT DOWN AND HAD THAT MEETING? THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE GETTING ARE COMING.

THAT 96, 97% COLLECTION RATE IS PRETTY STANDARD ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THAT THAT'S A PRETTY I DON'T I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO ANY BETTER THAN THAT. WE PROBABLY WORK WITH A TAX ATTORNEY. I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT IS YET. THAT WILL GO AFTER GUYS WHO DON'T LINE BARBER. YES, THAT WILL GO AFTER. AND THEN WE HAVE A SEPARATE BUDGETED LINE ITEM FOR DELINQUENT TAX. SO WHEN THOSE ARE COLLECTED IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS IT GOES INTO THAT. BUT WE DON'T GO BACK AND RE RECOGNIZE IT FOR THE YEAR THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COLLECTED. IT'S JUST A DELINQUENT LINE ITEM IN THE YEAR THAT WE DO GET IT. BUT HAVE WE SAT DOWN WITH THE COUNTY AND DISCUSSED IT, DISCUSSED TRYING TO GET THEM TO COLLECT 100%. WELL, ANY ANY WAYS THAT IT CAN BE HELPED BECAUSE EVEN COUNCILMEMBER GAETZ SAID WHEN HIS WIFE WAS THERE, THE COLLECTION RATE WAS HIGHER. AND IT'S NOT A SHOT AT THE COUNTY. BUT I'M ASKING, HAVE WE AS STAFF BECAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS NUMBER AND I GET THE STATE AVERAGE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN STRIVE TO DO BETTER. I LOVE IT, BUT HAVE WE SAT DOWN AND AT LEAST HAD A CONVERSATION? I HAVE NOT THAT I'M AWARE, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF. NO. WE CAN CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY HAVE THAT TALK WITH THEM, COUNCILMAN. WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN. THANK YOU. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR. THANK YOU, MR. BOONE. I APPRECIATE YOU, LADIES. MY NEXT QUESTION WAS THE $2 MILLION IN OVERTIME, SPECIFICALLY WITH FIRE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT OVERTIME, YOU LOOK AT YOUR THREE BIGGEST DEPARTMENTS. SO MY CONCERN IS FIRE, POLICE AND PUBLIC WORKS, SO THAT IF THAT OUR THREE BIGGEST, THREE LARGEST DEPARTMENTS, WHAT IS THE PROJECTED OVERTIME INDIVIDUALLY FOR ALL THREE? I CAN GET YOU THAT NUMBER. I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I CAN GET YOU. OKAY. AND ALSO, COUNCILMAN, I JUST POINT OUT THAT CHIEF WHITE IS GOING TO GIVE A PRESENTATION A LITTLE BIT LATER ON THE FIRE NUMBER, AT LEAST. YEAH. THE FIRE OVERTIME WILL GET BETTER WITH THE CADET PROGRAM AND WITH THEM FILLING THEIR POSITIONS. SO THE FIRE OVERTIME IS PROJECTED TO TO GET BETTER. WE WON'T SEE THAT. WE WON'T SEE THAT UNTIL FY 27 BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE FOUR MONTHS LEFT THIS FISCAL YEAR.

SO WE WON'T SEE THAT POSITIVE IMPACT UNTIL 27. BUT IT WILL HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT. FILLING THOSE VACANCIES. AND, MR. BOONE, I KNOW THE FOCUS IS ON FIRE BECAUSE IT'S THE LARGEST, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR US TO KIND OF LOOK AT OUR THREE LARGEST DEPARTMENTS AND

[00:55:03]

THE OTHER APPOINTEES ARE, I BELIEVE, TWO PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVES THAT ARE VOTED ON BY THE BOARD, AND THEN INDIVIDUALS FROM THE FIRE SERVICE THEMSELVES WHO SERVE ON THE BOARD AS WELL. I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT DO THAT. I BELIEVE MR. ELLIS IS THE REPRESENTATIVE, AND I BELIEVE HE ALSO SERVES ON THE CITY SIDE. SERVE ON IN THAT CAPACITY, MR. ELLIS BEING THE MAYOR'S APPOINTEE AND MISS YVETTE BEING THE CFO FOR THE CITY AS REQUIRED TO SERVE. SO THOSE INDIVIDUALS SIT THERE. SO THE THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WAS MANDATED BY THE STATE PENSION REVIEW BOARD. AND SO THAT WAS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE FIRE PENSION REVIEW BOARD AS WELL. AND SO THAT THAT SAYS THAT ONE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO FILLING THE 50 VACANCIES OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. AGAIN, AS YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN THE CITY COMMITTED TO THAT ORIGINALLY OR WHEN THAT CAME UP ORIGINALLY, THERE WASN'T A WRITTEN DOCUMENT TO SAY HOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN. THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE NOW KIND OF OUTLINES THAT. AND THEN THE NEXT STEP IS THAT HOW WE ENSURE THAT THEY THEY MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE UNDER THEIR THE STATE REQUIRES THAT THEY BE ABLE TO FUND THEIR BALANCE FULLY. I BELIEVE AT 20, I THINK IT WAS 30 YEARS. AND NOW IT'S DOWN TO 25 YEARS. AND THEY CONSISTENTLY MOVE IT DOWN. SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE THEY ARE WITH THE CITY'S PROJECTED PLAN, GOING TO BE ABLE TO REALIZE THEIR AND STAY WITHIN THE FUNDING REQUIREMENT OF BEING UNDER SO THAT THEY'RE NOT AT INFINITY ANYMORE. SO THAT WHAT THAT DOES IS THAT A AS WE HIRE PEOPLE THAT DO THAT. BUT WE ALSO COMMITTED TO PAYING FOR THE VACANCIES IN ORDER FOR THEM TO MAINTAIN THAT. IT WAS ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT WE INCREASE OUR CONTRIBUTIONS, WHICH WE DID.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ALSO RECOMMENDED TO DECREASE THEIR BENEFITS RATES. SO INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE NOT GRANDFATHERED IN NEW HIRES, I BELIEVE IN 20. 17, 2017, 2018, THE NEW HIRES IN THAT YEAR RECEIVED A DIFFERENT BENEFITS. SO THEY NO LONGER VEST AT 20 YEARS, THEY VEST AT 25 YEARS. AND SO THEIR BENEFIT PACKAGE IS DIFFERENT. THAT ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE FACTOR. SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH, ALL OF THAT'S INCORPORATED INTO THE DOCUMENT, ALL OF THAT. SO THINGS. SO IT'S BEEN A LONG STANDING PROCESS, BUT I THINK THE DOCUMENT WE HAVE NOW, AND IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE UNDER REVIEW AGAIN TO ALLOW THE THE CITY TO GET CREDIT FOR THE THE CADETS WHO ARE PAYING INTO IT WOULD ALSO DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF OUTPOURING THAT WE WILL BE PAYING THE DIFFERENCE, AS OPPOSED TO THAT LUMP SUM FOR VACANCIES. AND I BELIEVE THE CHIEF. WE HAVE AT LEAST SEVEN, NINE, NINE NEW HIRES THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE VACANCY RATE, AND THAT PUTS US AT. NO. FIVE VACANCIES. OKAY. THANK YOU.

THAT'S DOWN FROM 27 OR 21. SORRY. THAT'S DOWN FROM 21. SO WE'RE NOW AT FIVE. AND I THINK WE STILL HAVE SOME INDIVIDUALS ON THE LIST. SO WE HAVEN'T EVEN EXHAUSTED ALL THE LISTS FROM IT.

WE HAD A A DUAL CERT LIST, A SINGLE CERT AND TWO SINGLE CERT LIST. AND THEN WE HAD A NO CERT LIST. AND SO I BELIEVE WE'VE NOW ENTERED INTO THE NO CERT LIST. CORRECT. WE'RE ON THE NO CERT LIST. AND SO WE STILL HAVE VIABLE CANDIDATES ON THE NO CERT LIST. WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN WHO ARE IN THE PROGRAM, WHO ARE IN THE FIRE CADET PROGRAM, WHO ARE IN THE EMT PROGRAM. I THINK WE JUST GRADUATED A CLASS. WE HAD SOME SUCCESS RATE, SOME VERY POSITIVE RESULTS FROM BOTH THE FIRE AND THE EMS. RIGHT. WE HAD A VERY HIGH RATE. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME. THAT WAS A BIG INVESTMENT FOR THE CITY. SO THE TRAINING OFFICE AT FIRE SPENT A LOT OF TIME REINFORCING WHAT THEY WERE LEARNING. SO THEY BASICALLY HAD STUDY HALL. THAT WAS AN EXPENSE, BUT IT WAS WORTH IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THE INVESTMENT THAT WE DID FOR THAT. SO ALL OF THAT'S GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT. AND LIKE I SAID, WE STILL HAVE WE HAVE FIVE VACANCIES THAT WE STILL HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO QUALIFY ON THE LIST TO EITHER GO INTO ONE OF THOSE OTHER PROGRAMS. SOME SOME, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE PROACTIVE AND DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. SO THEY'LL GRADUATE AND BE ABLE TO GO TO WORK, AND SOME WILL GO ON EITHER ONE OF THOSE TRACKS. SO THAT WILL REDUCE THE THE NUMBER AS WELL. SO YOU'LL HAVE YOU HAVE THAT. BUT WE'RE ALSO, LIKE I MENTIONED TO COUNCILMAN HILLIARD, WE'RE ALSO COMPETING WITH ANOTHER FACTOR, THE VACANCIES FOR TO MEETING THE 50. BUT ALSO INDIVIDUALS CONTINUE TO RETIRE. SO SO THE FIVE THAT WE HAVE LEFT IS, IS, IS A COMBINATION OF RETIREMENT, BUT ALSO TO THAT. 50. WE ARE CLOSE TO THAT NUMBER, THOUGH. YEAH. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS JUST US BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN

[01:00:04]

AND SO TO YOUR TO YOUR POINT, ARE WE COGNIZANT OF THAT AND AWARE OF THAT? YES. BUT WE ARE STILL LOCKED IN FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS. YES. YES, SIR. AND AND THAT'S ONE THING I UNDERSTAND. MY AGAIN, I'M JUST AT SOME POINT WE WOULD. AND IT'S AGAIN, UNCOMFORTABLE. IT WOULD HAVE TO MAYBE BE SOME CUT SOMEWHERE BECAUSE I JUST DON'T WANT US TO GET TOO OUT OF LINE WITH STATE AVERAGE. AND I'M NOT SAYING CUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT, BUT MAYBE SOMEWHERE ELSE TO BALANCE THINGS OUT. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CORRECT. WE WE DO, I THINK, A GOOD JOB OF LOOKING, YOU KNOW, PER CAPITA AS A GOOD OR EVERY CITY IS DIFFERENT. SO IT'S A IT'S A GOOD STARTING POINT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS OUR PUBLIC WORKS EXPENDITURE AS PART OF THE GENERAL FUND, YOU KNOW, PER CAPITA, BUT THEN YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT WELL PER SQUARE MILE BECAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE A VERY DENSE POPULATED CITY THAT DOESN'T HAVE AS MANY HUNDREDS OF MILES OF STREETS AND WATER AND SEWER LINE. THAT MAY BE A NEWER CITY THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE. WE DON'T HAVE THE SOIL TYPE AND THE WEATHER CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE. SO WE WE ALWAYS START WITH THOSE KIND OF BASIC METRICS TO SEE HOW WE'RE DOING, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY ALWAYS APPLES TO APPLES. BUT YES, TO YOUR POINT, WE, WE START WITH THAT. IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT'S, WHAT IS THAT PERCENTAGE? AND

[01:05:03]

[01:10:04]

WHAT HAVE WE COME UP WITH OTHER THAN THE 3.5 MILLION IN ESTIMATED SAVINGS FROM A HIRING FREEZE, HAVE WE COME UP WITH IF THESE OTHER SUGGESTIONS ARE IMPLEMENTED, WHAT THAT WOULD GET US ON OUR PROJECTION FOR 27? NO, SIR. AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS THAT WE WILL LOOK AT IN THE COMING DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS WHILE WE'RE DEVELOPING, WHILE WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE 27 BUDGET PROCESS DEVELOPMENT, WE JUST DID A TAX NOTE FOR SOME VEHICLES, WHICH WAS KIND OF A NEW CONCEPT FOR US. I DON'T THINK I SEEN A TAX NOTE PREVIOUS TO THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL. HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY OTHER EXPENSES FROM 2026 THAT COULD BE USED FOR THAT? WE COULD USE A TAX NOTE FOR THAT WOULD BRING THIS DEFICIT DOWN. SO I MEAN, AS A CITY WE DO ISSUE DEBT. SO WHEN YOU'RE A TAX NOTE IS ISSUING ISSUANCE OF DEBT. SO I'M AWARE OF THAT. BUT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT SOME WAY TO NOT PUT US IN A POSITION TO HAVE TO RAISE TAXES BY DOING A TAX NOTE, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THIS DOOMSDAY PROJECTION OF OUR FUND BALANCE BEING AT 7%. SO YOU CAN ALWAYS ESSENTIALLY LOOK AT WHAT YOU CAN, WHAT YOU CAN ISSUE DEBT FOR. BUT YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AS A CITY AS WITH THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE AS YOU ISSUE DEBT, THAT ALSO AFFECTS YOUR BOND RATING. AND SO IT'S JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE, I'M WELL AWARE OF THAT, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT WE HAVE SOME TAX ABATEMENT PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE LARGE INDUSTRY THAT HAS NOT BEEN PAYING ANY TAXES, AND THOSE AGREEMENTS ARE ENDING.

AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL REVENUE COMING IN THAT'S GOING TO, I THINK, HELP OUR BUDGET IN THE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. AND SO MY THEORY IS AND STOOD INSTEAD OF US HAVING THIS DOOMSDAY PROJECTION OF A 7%, IF WE COULD IDENTIFY SOME FLEET OR OTHER NECESSARY EXPENSES RIGHT NOW, THAT WE COULD DO A TAX NOTE FOR. THAT TO ME, MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE THAN HAVING TO PREPARE NEXT YEAR TO TELL VOTERS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RAISE TAXES, WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE ANYONE ON THIS COUNCIL WANTS TO DO. SO, AMY, JUST TO CLARIFY, THE PROPOSED PROJECTIONS YOU'VE GOT HERE DON'T INCLUDE ANY FLEET. IS THAT CORRECT? SO TO YOUR POINT, IF WE WANT TO BUY ANY VEHICLES NEXT YEAR AND NOT MAKE THESE NUMBERS WORSE, THAT MAY BE AN OPTION LIKE WE DID THIS FISCAL YEAR, IS TO LOOK AT A TAX NOTE, WHICH I THINK WAS SEVEN YEARS INSTEAD OF PAYING CASH. RIGHT. AND I'M JUST TRYING TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO QUICKLY AND TEMPORARILY TO ALLEVIATE HAVING A $6.7 MILLION DEFICIT THIS YEAR. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM BUYING THOSE FLEET VEHICLES WITH THAT TAX NOTE THAT WE JUST APPROVED YESTERDAY. I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY WE'RE NOT TRYING TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL. I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE SPENT A LOT OF TIME FIGURING OUT THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, GO OUT AND TRY TO GET CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS FOR THE CITY, WHICH IS NOT VERY PLEASANT BECAUSE YOU GO AND YOU ASK A BUSINESS AND BUSINESSMEN THAT ARE ALREADY PAYING TAXES, YOU KNOW, TO, TO GIVE MORE MONEY TO THE CITY. BUT, YOU KNOW, I DID THAT LAST WEEK. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ELIMINATING CITY SPONSORED EVENTS. YOU KNOW, WE GOT A LOT OF EVENTS THAT ARE QUALITY OF LIFE EVENTS THAT I WOULD HATE TO TELL PEOPLE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ELIMINATE WHEN IN REALITY, IF IT MAKES SENSE, WHY DON'T WE GO OUT AND DO ANOTHER TAX NOTE TO GET THIS BUDGET ACTUALLY BALANCED, AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO PAY THAT OFF IN A COUPLE OF YEARS WHEN SOME OF THESE OTHER INDUSTRIAL TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAMS COME BACK ONLINE. RIGHT. BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE AT YOUR HOME, IF YOU KNOW, ALL YOUR EXPENSES ARE X AND YOUR INCOME IS Y, AND YOU'VE GOT A GAP, YOU DON'T WANT TO KEEP TAKING OUT LOANS TO PAY

[01:15:01]

WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT WAITING TILL OCTOBER 1ST OF 26 AND THE FY 27 BUDGET TO START TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN CLOSE THAT GAP. WE'RE DOING THAT. WE'RE DOING THAT NOW, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE CONTINUING TO MEET NEXT WEEK TO COME UP WITH STRATEGIES ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEET THAT. I HEAR THAT I JUST, YOU KNOW, WE VERY EASILY DID THE TAX NOTE YESTERDAY THAT SEEMED TO BE, YOU KNOW, JUST, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST, I WONDER IF WE'RE DOING IT FOR THOSE FLEET PURCHASES. WHY SOME OF THIS OTHER STUFF WE CAN'T DO IT FOR AND, YOU KNOW, BUT JUST ONE, ONE THING TO ADD TO THAT, MR. CRENSHAW, WE'RE WE'RE ACTUALLY NINE MONTHS INTO THE FISCAL YEAR, SO WE REALLY ONLY HAVE THREE MORE MONTHS LEFT. AND I BELIEVE WE'VE ACTUALLY PURCHASED ALL OF THE LARGE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT LIKE THE FLEET YESTERDAY. I MEAN, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK FOR THE NEXT OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, BUT I BELIEVE THE LARGE PURCHASES HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE HAVE IN INVESTED RIGHT NOW? DON'T WE HAVE A BUNCH OF THE CITY MONEY INVESTED? YES, SIR. AND HOW'S THAT DOING? YOU KNOW, I THINK PRETTY WELL. DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS IN THE STOCK MARKET, YOU KNOW, OR SAY IT'S GREAT PART OF IT? YEAH. ONE OF THE REVENUE ITEMS IS PROCEEDS FROM OUR INVESTMENTS. AND SO WE DO HAVE AN INVESTMENT POOL THAT WE PARTNER WITH TEX POOL AT THE STATE AND SOME OTHER INSTRUMENTS. SO WE ARE WE ARE GETTING REVENUE FROM EQUITIES. SO WHAT WAS THAT PROJECTED TO BE FOR 2026. AND WHAT ARE WE AT RIGHT NOW IN 2026. BECAUSE THESE ARE PLACES, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE PLACES I WANT TO MAKE MONEY AND NOT RAISE TAXES. YEAH. IF YOU GIVE US A SECOND, I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO GET THAT.

YOU HAVE TO GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU. I MEAN, I THINK IT'S JUST IT'S BEEN PRETTY STANDARD ACROSS THE GOVERNMENT ENTITY. LIKE I'M, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF LIKE IT'S GOING TO FLUCTUATE WITH THE MARKET. SO WHAT DO WE HAVE INVESTED LIKE 20 MILLION OR I MEAN, ACROSS OUR QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT? I MEAN, WE HAVE IT'S, IT'S OVER $100 MILLION. BUT, BUT THAT IS ALSO, I MEAN, THAT, THAT COVERS EVERYTHING. WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING GENERAL FUND. WE'RE TALKING THIS IS MONEY THAT THAT IS, YOU KNOW, SITTING IN DIFFERENT FUNDS FOR. UNDERSTOOD.

I'M JUST CURIOUS OF THE $100 MILLION INVESTED, WHAT IN 2026 DID WE PROJECT WAS GOING TO BE OUR REVENUE FROM THE INTEREST OR GAINS FROM THOSE INVESTMENTS? AND WHAT IS IT ACTUAL TODAY? I MEAN, WE KNOW WHERE WE'VE MISSED THE MARK ON EXPENSES. I'M TRYING TO LOOK FOR SOME SILVER LINING HERE SO WE CAN TELL PEOPLE, WELL, LOOK, YOU KNOW, YES, WE CAME OUT 6.7 MILLION ON HERE. BUT GOOD NEWS IS OVER HERE. WE ONLY THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO MAKE 4 MILLION ON OUR $100 MILLION IN INVESTMENTS. BUT IN FACT WE MADE 5.5 MILLION. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT MAYBE SOME ADOPT FOR THE ADOPTED BUDGET IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, THE PROJECTED INTEREST IN THE GENERAL FUND ONLY IS 1.9 MILLION, 1.9 MILLION THAT WAS PROJECTED. AND WHERE ARE WE AT? WHAT WAS ADOPTED WAS ONE ADOPTED. BUDGET ADOPTED WAS 1.9 MILLION. AND DO WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT? ARE WE AT WHAT UP TO LOOK AND SEE. I DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF ME. OH PULLING IT UP TO SEE. WHILE THEY WERE LOOKING AT THAT. DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? NO. COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD. SO MAYBE, I MEAN, I, I WORK TODAY, BUT SO MY QUESTION IS, DID WE SEE THIS COMING DOWN THE PIPE BECAUSE I SAT IN ON A BUDGET NEWLY ELECTED. AND I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT WE'RE PROJECTING A DEFICIT OF 6.7, 6.7 MILLION. AND LAST YEAR, DID WE SEE THIS OR DID WE NOT SEE THIS? SO YES AND NO. SO OBVIOUSLY EXPENDITURES HAVE CONTINUED OVER THE YEARS TO TO INCREASE. AND THAT'S DUE TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS. INFLATION, COST OF GOODS, YOU KNOW, JUST EVERYTHING WAGES CONTRACTUALLY. THAT'S ALL THAT WE'RE OBLIGATED TO DO. THAT ALWAYS MAKES YOUR EXPENDITURES INCREASE. IT'S PRETTY MUCH BEEN KNOWN THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR REVENUES ARE NOT TRENDING ALONG WITH THOSE EXPENDITURES. SO SO YES, BUT THEN NO, THE ADDITIONAL THE ADDITIONAL TRANSFER TO EMPLOYEE BENEFITS WAS NOT EXPECTED. SO THAT WAS A HUGE PART OF IT. YOU KNOW, YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW WHAT THE HEALTH PLANS ARE GOING TO BE. SOME OF THAT IS UNPREDICTABLE FOR THE MOST PART. SUSAN DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH WITH TRYING TO PREDICT THAT. SO SO

[01:20:04]

SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE A CONTRACT WITH LIKE A STANDALONE. URGENT CARE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND SO FOR A CERTAIN MONTHLY COST, ANYTHING EMPLOYEES WENT AND DONE THERE WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THAT MONTHLY, WHICH COULD END UP SAVING US A LOT OF MONEY.

AGAIN, WE ARE STILL IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES OF LOOKING INTO THIS. OKAY. I'M JUST ASKING, YOU KNOW, THE INSURANCE AGENT IN ME SAYS, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HEALTH BENEFITS, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S MY LANE. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT BRINGING IN A DOCTOR OR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL THAT WILL COME AND SEE PEOPLE HERE? THAT ULTIMATELY REDUCES THE COST OF THEM GOING OUT THERE. I GET THAT THAT'S WHAT I'M WHEN YOU SAY SUPPLEMENTAL HEALTH BENEFIT, DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE SAY, FOR AN EXAMPLE, I KNOW AT THE COUNTY WHEN I WORK THERE, THEY HAD A PRACTITIONER THAT WOULD COME IN AND DO SICK CALL OR WHATEVER. YOU KNOW, YOU DIDN'T GO TO THE DOCTOR, YOU WENT TO THE COUNTY OR WHATEVER. SO YEAH, WE'RE JUST BASICALLY WE ARE EXPLORING A LOT OF OPTIONS, BUT THAT IS ONE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP IN PREVIOUS CONFERENCES THAT WE'VE BEEN IN THAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING, BECAUSE HEALTH CARE COSTS ARE SKYROCKETING. I MEAN, FOR EVERYONE. YEAH, I'M GLAD THAT WE BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE THAT MAY BE A GOOD BECAUSE IF HEALTH CARE COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE AND WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT, LIKE YOU SAY, OUT OF THE BOX WAYS OF, OF, OF ADJUSTING WHAT WE'RE SPENDING THAT MATTERS.

HEALTH CARE IS A BIG DEAL. WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT POINT. I DIDN'T NOTICE IN THIS POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS WAYS TO MAYBE EITHER MERGE POSITIONS OR DEPARTMENTS OR MAYBE I MEAN, I'M PRETTY SURE WE'RE LOOKING AT EFFICIENCY OR WAYS TO. BUT I MEAN, ARE THERE HAVE WE ACTUALLY GOT DOWN TO THE NUTS AND BOLTS, MAYBE OF. SO, SO JUST TO ANSWER THAT, ONE OF THE POINTS IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS IS EFFICIENCIES. AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING NOW IS LOOKING AT WHETHER IT'S DUPLICATIONS, DOING MORE WITH LESS ET-CETERA.

WE'RE ENGAGED IN THAT NOW. WE'RE NOT WAITING TILL OCTOBER 1ST TO TO REALIZE SOME SAVINGS BECAUSE AGAIN, THE GAP IS THERE. GOING BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION, DID WE SEE THIS COMING? JUST JUST AGAIN, I'LL RESTATE THAT THE GAP BETWEEN REVENUES AND EXPENSES. IN OTHER WORDS, OUR EXPENSES WERE HIGHER THAN OUR REVENUES GOING BACK TO FY 24. THAT GAP IN THE ADOPTED BUDGET? WELL, ACTUALLY THE ACTUALS WAS 3.6 MILLION IN 2425. THAT GAP WAS 2.58 MILLION. THE BUDGETED GAP FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR WAS 4.5 MILLION. BUT AS WE JUST DISCUSSED, IT'S NOW BEEN TRENDING. IT'S NOW GONE UPWARD TO THE 6.8 MILLION SIX POINT. OKAY, POINT 2 MILLION. I GOT ANOTHER QUESTION I NOTICED ON THE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS IS IT LOOKS FOR GRANTS AND CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS. HOW MANY PEOPLE DO WE HAVE WORKING ON GRANTS CURRENTLY? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY DOING THAT. SO WE HAVE WE HAVE A COUPLE DIFFERENT GRANT POSITIONS. SO LIKE JANICE IS LIKE OUR GRANT, A GRANTS MANAGER THAT DOES CBG. SHE'S PRIMARILY WITH THAT. SKY DOES POLICE ALL THE POLICE GRANTS. BUT WE DO HAVE HALIMA THAT WORKS IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

AND HER GOAL, HER ROLE IS GRANTS COORDINATOR. SO SHE THAT'S HER JOB. SHE WORKS ON GRANTS ALL DAY, EVERY DAY TO TRY TO GET. AND IT'S THROUGH CITYWIDE. SO SHE WORKS ON ALL THE ON ANY KIND OF GRANT TRYING TO GET FOR THE CITY. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. WE HAVE SEVERAL SEVERAL. THERE'S SEVERAL. THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST. WE HAVE OUR GRANTS ACCOUNTANT. AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT LIKE, IF WE'RE, WE GOT THIS ON HERE

[01:25:05]

BUT THERE IS LIKE HALIMA WHO WORKS IN FINANCE, WHO KIND OF WORKS COLLECTIVELY FOR THE CITY TO LOOK FOR GRANTS AND TO HELP SOURCE THOSE. BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THERE'S NOT JUST ONE PERSON, EVERYBODY. THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE DEPARTMENT HEADS, AT LEAST ONE PERSON WHO WHO'S DEDICATED TO THAT. AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE PROJECTION IS 1,000,850. 1.8. BUDGET IS 1.9. WE BUDGETED 1.9 MILLION IN REVENUE AND WE ONLY HAVE 1.8.

WE'RE PROJECTING TO BRING IN 1.8. SO WE'RE COMING IN UNDER BUDGET ON OUR INVESTMENTS.

THAT'S THE PROJECTION AS OF NOW. ALL RIGHT. WHAT I'D LIKE FOR SOMEONE IN STAFF TO DO WHAT DO WE HAVE A CERTAIN COMPANY THAT HANDLES OUR INVESTMENTS TAX POOL. YEAH. WELL WE SO WE HAVE OUR ADVISOR. SO WE DO HAVE A COMPANY THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, HELPS US MANAGE OUR INVESTMENTS.

BUT WE HAVE INVESTMENTS. WE HAVE, WE HAVE IT'S, IT'S DIVERSIFIED. SO WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT HOLDINGS. SO FINANCIAL ADVISORS. YEAH. BUT WE DO HAVE A FINANCIAL ADVISOR THAT CONSOLIDATES EVERYTHING, GIVES US, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DIRECTION WHEN WE NEED IT OR HELPS FACILITATE CD PURCHASES OR, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF HELPS GUIDE US INTO, I KNOW WHO HE IS. OKA UNDERWHELMING, UNDERWHELMING. SO MAYBE WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. YOU KNOW, WHY ARE OUR INVESTMENTS NOT DOING BETTER WHEN SO MANY INVESTMENTS ARE DOING GREAT? YEAH. WHY DID THAT COME IN UNDER UNDER OUR FINANCIAL POLICY AND UNDER THE STATE RULES WE HAVE WE THERE ARE CERTAIN OBVIOUSLY RISKIER INVESTMENTS OF GREATER RETURN.

WE'RE BECAUSE WE'RE GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, WE'RE RESTRICTED ON SOME OF THAT. BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY GET A REPORT IN TERMS TO THE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF HOW IT'S PERFORMING YEAR TO DATE.

AND THEN WE CAN ALSO CERTAINLY COMMIT TO GO BACK AND SAY IS, ARE THERE THINGS WE COULD DO BETTER? YEAH, GREAT. THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING. YES. GOOD QUESTION. YOU OKAY? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? OKAY. SO, MR. TURNER, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ON OVERTIME. POLICE OVERTIME IS PREDICTED TO PROJECTED AT 2.9. AND THEY'RE RIGHT AT WHAT WE PROJECTED ON BUDGET 2.9. WILL YOU REPEAT THAT 2.9 TIME. YOU'RE ASKING THE OVERTIME RATE FOR POLICE AND PUBLIC WORKS. SO OVERTIME IS AT TWO. THEIR PROJECTION RIGHT NOW FOR 26 IS 2.9. PUBLIC. YES. NO THAT'S JUST FOR POLICE. SO 2.9 THAT'S THEIR TOTAL OVER TIME. SO FIRE THE 2 MILLION. THE REASON WHY IT WAS MENTIONED BECAUSE FIRE IS 2 MILLION OVER THAN WHAT WE HAD BUDGETED. SO THEY'RE THERE EVERY FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS THEY'VE BEEN COMING IN OVER OVER CONSISTENTLY OVER WHAT IS BUDGETED, WHAT IS WHAT ARE THEY, WHAT WERE THEY BUDGETED FOR FOR 2026? I GET THAT NUMBER. I'LL HAVE TO LOOK IT UP. 2.5 YOU'RE SAYING FIRE WAS BUDGETED FOR LESS THAN POLICE ON OVERTIME. THAT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT. THEY'RE HAVING TO BACKFILL ON THE UNITS AS WELL. AND WHEN YOU BACK. SO SO SO BASICALLY BASICALLY IF I IF I'M FOLLOWING YOU CORRECTLY, LET'S JUST SAY IT'S A BUDGET OF 3 MILLION FOR FIRE AND POLICE FOR OVERTIME, HYPOTHETICALLY.

SO FIRE IS COMING IN 2 MILLION OVER THE 3 MILLION ALREADY BUDGETED. SO THAT'S 5 MILLION TOTAL IN OVERTIME, IF I'M FOLLOWING YOU CORRECTLY. OKAY. FIRES BUDGET WAS 2.8. THEY'RE COMING. YEAH. THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET THEIR THEIR THEIR BUDGETS 2.8. AND THEN THEIR PROJECTION IS 5.5 TOTAL. AND THAT'S FOR FIRE. THAT'S FOR FIRE. PLACES. POLICE'S BUDGET.

DID YOU SAY. YES. THAT'S ACTUALLY TWO POINT, MR. BOONE IF YOU DON'T MIND CAN YOU.

[01:30:03]

PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET IS 586,000. THEIR PROJECTION IS 592,000. SO THAT PRETTY MUCH IN LINE.

CORRECT. OKAY. SO THAT BASICALLY WE'RE LOOKING AT 3 MILLION OVER TIME. YEAH. AND AND FOR THOSE AND FOR THOSE THREE DEPARTMENTS, IF WE CAN DO A, A FIVE YEAR ANALYSIS SHOWING WHAT WAS IT FIVE YEARS AGO IN COMPARISON TO WHAT IT IS TODAY AND NEXT YEAR? GIVE US A FINANCIAL FORECAST SO WE CAN SEE IF THE TREND, HOW LONG IT'S BEEN GOING ON. YES, SIR.

EARLIER WASN'T IT PRESENTED THAT IT WAS A $2 MILLION LIKE OVERAGE OVERAGE ON BUDGET.

THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS. BUT THE NUMBERS YOU JUST GAVE US WOULD WOULD INDICATE A 2.7. I MEAN WELL I MEAN THAT'S CORRECT. WELL WE MET WE JUST THOSE NUMBERS WERE DONE A WHILE AGO, BUT WE MET WITH WE JUST MET WITH FIRE YESTERDAY. SO. OH OKAY. AND SO THEY, IT PROBABLY IT CHANGED A LITTLE BIT I'M SURE, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY SOLID THAT THE 5.5 IS CORRECT.

THAT IS THE THAT IS THE CURRENT PROJECTION. THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE. THAT'S THROUGH THE END OF 2026. CORRECT. THAT'S EVERYTHING WE'VE INCURRED TO DATE PLUS THREE MORE. CORRECT.

YES, SIR. COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS, JUST ON THE POLICE OVERTIME. I'M WONDERING, DID SOME OF THAT INCLUDE LIKE EVENTS AND THINGS THAT THEY'RE FORCED TO WORK LIKE? THAT'S NOT DUE TO STAFFING OR, YOU KNOW, ISSUES LIKE THAT, OR THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO SHOW UP AT. YES, SIR. I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO BACKFILL. YES, SIR. YEAH. OKAY. AND I WILL. WELL, POLICE AND FIRE BOTH BE UP IN A SECOND IF YOU ALL HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. YEAH. I GUESS I'M JUST TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THIS. EARLIER, WE WERE TOLD THAT OUR ORIGINAL 2026 BUDGETED DEFICIT WAS 4.5 MILLION, AND IT'S GOING TO BE 6.7 BECAUSE OF TRANSFERS. ONE WAS TRANSIT AND THE OTHER WAS EMPLOYEE BENEFITS. YES, SIR. WHERE DOES THE 2.7 MILLION IN OVERAGE ON FIREFIGHTER OVERTIME COME INTO PLAY IN THAT DEFICIT? I MEAN, IT'S ALL TAKEN AS A WHOLE IN THE GENERAL FUND. THOSE ARE ALL NOT EVERYTHING. IT'S THE QUESTION IS IS THE EXPENDITURE INCLUDE IS THAT OVERTIME INCLUDED IN THE PROJECTED EXPENDITURE. YES.

OKAY. THANK YOU. YES. BECAUSE SOME ITEMS MAY BE BELOW BUDGET. SO IT KIND OF ALL ACCOUNTING CLASSES AT BAYLOR. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EXACT BECAUSE IT'S A WHOLE. AND AS YOU HAVE SOME THAT MAY COME IN UNDER AND YOU HAVE OTHERS THAT COME IN OVER, IT KIND OF DOES THIS. BUT IF YOU LOOK FOR KEY INCREASES, IT WILL BE YOUR IT WOULD BE YOUR TRANSFERS. THAT'S THE MAIN KEY.

I GET THAT. BUT IF WE'RE SAYING OUR OUR DEFICIT THIS YEAR HAS GONE FROM 4.5 TO 6.7. AND IT'S BECAUSE OF TRANSIT AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS. BUT WE'RE 2.7 MILLION OVER BUDGET IN OVERTIME FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS. I JUST WHAT HOW HOW IS THAT 2.7 NOT FACTORED INTO THE 6.7? BECAUSE THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE CAME IN UNDER BUDGET. SO YOU GOT TO LOOK AT IT AS A WHOLE. SO IT KIND OF GIVES AND TAKES. OKAY. SO FIREFIGHTERS SAW SAVINGS IN OTHER AREAS OR OTHER DEPARTMENTS, OTHER DEPARTMENTS, GENERAL FUND, ESPECIALLY AS A WHOLE WITH OUR VACANCIES. SO IF THERE ARE VACANCIES, SO WE SAVE ON THOSE WAGES, WE SAVE ON THOSE BENEFITS THAT OFFSETS THE OVERTIME. NOW. GOT IT. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. MY QUESTION IS MAYBE IT'S IN THE LANGUAGE BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING THAT THE TRANSIT TRANSFERS AND THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ARE THE BULK OF IT.

WHEN YOU GOT 2.7 COMING FROM FIRE, SO YOU'RE LIKE, SO IS IT JUST THAT THE TRANSFERS AND THE HEALTH BENEFITS ARE MORE SO OR, OR THE NUMBERS KIND OF THE SAME? IS IT 2 MILLION IN TRANSFERS? IS IT 2 MILLION IN EMPLOYEE BENEFITS AND IS IT 2 MILLION IN FIRE. AND YOU'RE WEIGHING IT DIFFERENTLY OR OR THE NUMBERS ASTRONOMICALLY MORE. THIS IS WHY YOU GAVE THAT LANGUAGE.

THAT BULK OF IT IS COMING FROM. I THINK WE'RE JUST PICKING OUT KEY ITEMS. AND SO WE'RE JUST SHOWING YOU WHAT OUR KEY ITEMS. BUT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AS A WHOLE, LIKE HER NET NUMBERS ARE

[01:35:02]

IF WE COULD HAVE A. QUICK ROLL CALL JUST TO ESTABLISH THAT WE'RE ALL BACK.

MAYOR PRESENT MAYOR PRO TEM TURNER COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER. HILLIARD. COUNCILMEMBER WILLIAMS, COUNCIL MEMBER. SHERWOOD AND COUNCIL MEMBER. CRENSHAW HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. NEXT, WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY UPDATE AND DISCUSSION. AND LOOKS LIKE FIRST WE'RE GOING TO HAVE CHIEF EARL WHITE. WE HAVE A FIRE HAND OUT AS WELL. OKAY.

GOOD MORNING CHIEF. DOES COUNCIL MAYOR. YES. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL GO TO THE SECOND SHEET AND I'LL LET MAX EXPLAIN. CALLS FOR SERVICE. WE'LL LOOK AT THE CHART. THANKS, MAYOR. COUNCIL.

SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS THE ANALYSIS OF NUMBER OF UNITS THAT OPERATE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR. I MEAN FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR AS COMPARED TO THE NUMBER OF CALLS FOR SERVICE FOR EACH OF THE YEAR STARTING BACK IN 2019. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE TRENDING GOING FROM 19,000 CALLS A YEAR OPERATING WITH A SIX AMBULANCES. AND THIS WAS BEFORE THE FIRE MERGER WITH EMS IN YEAR TWO. IN 2020, OF COURSE, COVID HIT. WE LOST QUITE A FEW EMPLOYEES. WE WERE OPERATING AT FIVE AMBULANCES CAPACITY AT THAT POINT WITH THE CALL SOMEWHAT REMAINS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AT 19,000. HOWEVER, IN 2021, IT SPIKED UP TO ALMOST 19 AND 700, GIVE OR TAKE, OPERATING WITH A 5.3. AND WHEN WE SAY 0.3 SIMPLY THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE YEAR, NOT ALL OF AMBULANCES ARE OPERATING AT SIX, FOR EXAMPLE. SO LET'S SAY WE SAY 0.3, THEN PROBABLY ABOUT FOUR MONTHS THAT WE OPERATED WITH SIX AMBULANCES COMPARED TO FIVE AMBULANCES. THEN IN 2022, THE CALL EASED UP A LITTLE BIT, GOING DOWN TO 19,400, OPERATING AT 5.5, WHICH IS SIX MONTHS. WE OPERATED SIX AMBULANCES. THIS IS WHEN THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE HELPING OUT FILLING THOSE VACANCIES OR STAFFING THE RESOURCES, IF YOU WILL, IN 2023, THE CALL VOLUME SPIKED UP TO ABOUT 2331. THAT'S WHEN WE ADDED ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES TO SUPPORT THE CALL VOLUMES GOING UP BETWEEN OPERATING BETWEEN 9 AND 8 AMBULANCES. OF COURSE, THAT WOULD INCUR A LOT OF OVERTIME DUE TO THE MANPOWER. SO IN 2024, WE TRY TO CURTAIL THAT BY DECREASING IT DOWN TO ABOUT EIGHT TRUCKS UNITS PER DAY FOR THAT YEAR. HOWEVER, THE CALL VOLUME CONTINUED TO INCREASE. AS YOU CAN SEE, FROM 24 TO 25. AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE PUT IN PLACE TO TRY TO DEAL WITH THE HIGH CALL VOLUME WAS THE TELEHEALTH, AND IT'S PAID SOME DIVIDENDS. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THE CALL VOLUME STILL REMAINS HIGH. BUT IT DID GIVE SOME RELIEF ON THE CALL VOLUME. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM, WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY TO

[01:40:02]

AND IT HAS MAINTAINED A STEADY PATTERN. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE CALL VOLUME. JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION CHIEF. AND 2019 YOU KNOW, BEFORE IT WAS COVID, IT WAS PRETTY LOW FROM LIKE, LET'S JUST SAY 2013 TO 2019. IT JUST WAS IT KIND OF STAGNANT LIKE THAT FLAT. THAT'S THAT WAS THE YEARS THAT THEY WERE STANDALONE OVER AT BEAUMONT HEALTH. AND THEN WHAT HE SAID, LIKE 2021, WHEN THE EMS DIVISION CAME UNDER FIRE, AND THEN COVID CALLS INCREASED, AND THEN WE STARTED BACKFILLING THOSE POSITIONS WITH FIREFIGHTERS, WHICH WERE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER RATE AND STILL STRUGGLING TO GET EMPLOYEES, EVERYBODY SCRAMBLING FOR EMPLOYEES DURING COVID AND POST COVID ALSO DO THE INCREASE IN CALLS. IS THAT DO WE THINK THAT HAS A RESULT OF PEOPLE JUST GOT MORE USED TO CALLING EMTS FOR HEALTH CARE ISSUES DURING THE COVID PERIOD, OR ARE THEY RUNNING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CALLS NOW THAT THEY'RE UNDER RUNNING THE SAME TYPES OF CALLS? WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS, IS THAT THERE'S A TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT. ALSO, MEDICARE, MEDICAID CUTS, CUTS IN INSURANCE. PEOPLE USING FIRE AND AIR. AS A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN. THEY'RE GOING TO GO TO THE E.R. THAT'S THAT'S A GIVEN. SO THE CUTS THAT ARE COMING ON BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL HAS A TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT. THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE SUPPORT SOME OF THE LOCAL HEALTH CLINICS THAT PREVENT THEM FROM MAKING THOSE CALLS TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. YES, SIR. WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT PAGE. OKAY.

NEXT PAGE. OKAY. YEAH. YEAH. LET'S GO BACK TO THE. YEAH, TO THE NEXT PAGE. PROJECTED OVERTIME SAVINGS. YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND, CHIEF, YOU WANT TO TALK TO THIS ONE? YES. THIS THIS WILL BE THE IMPACT FOR THE NO START HIRING AS FAR AS THE CADET PROGRAM AS FAR AS THOSE PERSONNEL WILL BE PUTTING ON SHIFT. IT JUST SHOWS THE IMPACT AS FAR AS SAVINGS AND OVERTIME.

ONCE THEY'RE GETTING TO THE OPERATIONS DIVISION. THE FIRST NUMBER IS WE HAVE NINE FIREFIGHTERS THAT HAVE PASSED BOTH CERTIFICATIONS, AND THERE ARE NEW EMPLOYEE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW, AND THEY'LL BE GOING ON SHIFT ABOUT MID JULY. ONCE THOSE NINE PERSONNEL GET ON SHIFT, THEY'LL BE APPROXIMATELY SAVING FISCAL YEAR YS OF $1.41 MILLION. LET ME INTERJECT HERE THAT THOSE NINE HAVE ALREADY TESTED AND ARE NOW FIREFIGHTER EMTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SWEAR IN TOMORROW AND THEY'LL BE GOING. THEY'RE ALREADY CURRENTLY IN WHAT WE CALL THE ORIENTATION PERIOD. SO THAT'S WHAT CHIEFS TALKING TO THAT THEY'LL BE GOING ON SHIFT ACTUALLY MID JULY, WHICH WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE OVERTIME BUDGET BECAUSE THE CADET PROGRAM, AGAIN, OUR PROBLEM IS ACTUALLY MAKING SURE WE STAFF OUR OPERATIONS DIVISION, INCLUDING KEEPING EIGHT UNITS IN SERVICE EACH DAY. SO IT REALLY DON'T REALLY AFFECT AS FAR AS HELP THE BUDGET UNTIL THEY GO ACTUALLY ON ASSIGNED TO THE OPERATIONS DIVISION. NEXT STEP IS PROBABLY SOMEWHERE AROUND MID AUGUST. WE'LL HAVE SIX EMTS ASSIGNED TO OPERATION, OUR CIVILIAN CIVIL SERVANTS. WE HAVE WE'VE HIRED SIX. AND THAT'S ALSO IMPACT WHEN THEY

[01:45:03]

AND NOW THEY GOT TO COMPLETE THE TRAINING AND DO THE FIRE CAMP FOR THE SECOND. SO WE GOT SEVEN OF THOSE, PROBABLY SOMEWHERE OF MID FEBRUARY OF 2027. ONCE THEY GET PUT IN, THEY'LL BE AN ADDITIONAL REDUCTION OF 1.09 MILLION TO THE OVERTIME TOTAL WITH THOSE LISTED RIGHT THERE. THAT'S A 3.9 MILLION APPROXIMATELY. ALSO FISCAL YEAR 2027. YEAH. GOING FORWARD AT THAT POINT ALSO, WE HAVE FIVE OPENINGS RIGHT NOW. WE DO HAVE A GOOD NO CERT LIST WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. WE HAVE FIVE OPENINGS.

WE SHOULD FILL THOSE AND START THEM IN PROBABLY THE EMPTY ACADEMY STARTING IN AUGUST. NOW THOSE FIVE TO START, THEN IT'LL TAKE THEM ALL THE WAY TILL MAY OF NEXT YEAR TO GET COMPLETE TRAINING, BUT THAT'LL DEFINITELY HAVE EFFECT AT THAT POINT. YES, BUT IT'LL TAKE A YEAR TO GET THEM CERTIFIED BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY TWO SEMESTERS AT LIT. SO THE DIRECT IMPACT ON 2027 PROPOSED 3.9 REDUCTION IN OVERTIME ON THAT. SO THE FIRE CADET PROGRAM IS PAYING DIVIDENDS THAT WE'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT THIS FISCAL YEAR, BUT A LOT NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AND I'M ASSUMING THAT'S BEEN PROJECTED IN IN OUR EARLIER NUMBERS. YES. YES, SIR. CORRECT.

YES, SIR. THE SAVINGS HAS BEEN PROJECTED FOR. SO THE 5.5 MILLION FOR FUTURE FOR THE NEXT YEAR, FOR THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE IMPACT ON THIS YEAR'S BUDGET BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY NINE MONTHS INTO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, AND REMIND COUNCIL THAT WE KNEW THAT THE FIRE CADET PROGRAM WOULD TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 12 MONTHS TO ACTUALLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE OVERTIME. AND WE ARE PROCESSING CANDIDATES RIGHT NOW TO FILL THE VACANCIES AND TO ALLUDE TO WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY TALKED TO. WE DON'T PROJECT ANY OPENINGS BY SEPTEMBER 26TH THAT WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE A FIRE PENSION PAYMENT TO, BECAUSE THOSE OPENINGS WILL BE FILLED IN. CURRENTLY PROCESSING 15 IN THE HOPES OF GETTING. FIVE. RIGHT. BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME FAILURE RATE ON POLYGRAPHS, ON PHYSICALS, BACKGROUNDS, DRIVING RECORDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE'RE PROCESSING 15 WITH HOPES OF GETTING FIVE. THAT'D BE FULLY STAFFED AT THAT POINT. YES. THAT'D BE OUR POSITION FOR QUITE SOME TIME. YES. BUT THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME RETIREES IN OCTOBER. IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOME TURNOVER. I GOT YOU. YEAH. HOW MANY RETIREES ARE YOU EXPECTING FOR 26. 27. PROBABLY 7 TO 8. 7 TO 8. BUT WE WILL HAVE THAT LIST IS GOOD UNTIL DECEMBER THE 1ST THAT WE CAN STILL PROCESS CANDIDATES FROM. THE UNFORTUNATE THING IS THAT IT IS A NO CERT LIST, WHICH WILL COST A LITTLE MONEY TO SEND THEM TO SCHOOL AND GET THEM CERTIFIED, BUT WE'RE PAYING THEM $4,000 A MONTH, NOT THE FULL FIREFIGHTER GRADE ONE SALARY. SO AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE ANOTHER TEST AS FAR AS A FULL CERT OR DUAL CERT TEST.

WE'LL CONTINUE TO GIVE A DUAL CERT SINGLE CERT TEST IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR STAFFING. OKAY.

I THANK COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS. I MEAN, JUST FROM LOOKING AT THE SHEET. SO WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE CADET PROGRAM, IT PRETTY MUCH CURBS THE OVERTIME ISSUE. YES, SIR. FULLY. YES SIR.

SHOULD ADDRESS FULLY. NOW, OF COURSE, YOU CAN'T ANTICIPATE HOW MANY OPENINGS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE. COUNCILMAN, CAN YOU TURN ON YOUR MIC, PLEASE? MIKE, YOU HEARD ME. YOUR DUAL CERTS

[01:50:03]

ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S REALLY COOL, COUNCILMAN TURNER. YEAH, JUST. MR. BOONE, IF YOU CAN PROVIDE ME WITH WHAT WE WOULD BE SPENDING IN WAGES AND BENEFITS COMPARED TO WHAT? BEING FULLY STAFFED COMPARED TO THE OVERTIME. I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN HOW IT WAS BENEFICIAL. IF YOU CAN EMAIL IT TO ME. YES, SIR. YES. COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I I'M JUST GOING TO GO ON AND SAY IT. I FEEL LIKE I'M HAVING A BIT OF DÉJA VU HERE. IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN I FIRST STARTED PAYING ATTENTION TO THE FIREFIGHTER BUDGET AND THE OVERTIME SITUATION AROUND JANUARY OF 2025, WE THEN HAD A BUDGET PRESENTATION. CHIEF WHITE, FROM YOU IN AROUND THIS TIME LAST YEAR. AND IT SEEMED LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CADET PROGRAM THEN AND GETTING IT IMPLEMENTED AND THAT THESE NUMBERS WERE GOING TO GET BETTER. AND HERE WE ARE IN 2026, AND THE NUMBERS ARE STILL AWFUL ON OVERTIME. AND WE STILL HAVE THESE PROJECTIONS. AND I UNDERSTAND IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET THE CADET PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED. BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR OF THESE. HUGE OVERTIME OVERRUNS. AND, YOU KNOW, I HOPE NEXT YEAR AT BUDGET, WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY SEE THE PROJECTED SAVINGS ACTUALLY HAPPEN. BUT IT IS CONCERNING THAT IT'S TAKEN THIS LONG TO GET THE CADET PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED. YOU KNOW, I DON'T I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT TOOK FOUR YEARS OF US DOUBLING OUR OVERTIME BUDGET, OVERTIME BUDGET FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. RIGHT NOW, THAT EQUALS NEARLY THE ENTIRE DEFICIT OF THE CITY, 5.5 MILLION FOR OVERTIME FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WITH A PROJECTED DEFICIT OF 6.7 MILLION. AND I JUST I FEEL LIKE I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, GREAT THAT WE HAVE SOME PROJECTED OVERTIME SAVINGS ANALYSIS, BUT TAXPAYERS ARE. VERY CONCERNED THAT IT TOOK US THIS LONG TO GET HERE. AND WHY THIS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED YEARS AGO. WE WERE IN THE MIDST OF NEGOTIATIONS ALSO WITH THE FIRE UNION AND INITIALLY. WE LOOKED AT THE PASS FAIL RATE OF THE NATIONAL REGISTRY EMT, AND WE COULD NOT TAKE THE CHANCE OF PAYING A FULL SALARY TO OUR CADETS. AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IS THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY SUPPLEMENTED INSTRUCTIONAL ON OUR FIRE CADETS AND EMT CADETS, AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE HAD SUCH A GREAT PASS RATE, BECAUSE WE'VE ACTUALLY INVESTED IN THEM NOT ONLY TIME, BUT BACKED UP THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL THAT THEY WERE RECEIVING IN BOTH ACADEMIES. OKAY. IN MY LAST COMMENT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO HOPE AND PRAY THAT OUR PROJECTED OVERTIME SAVINGS ANALYSIS TURNS OUT TO BE ACCURATE, BUT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, CHIEF, IF WE'RE AT 5.5 MILLION IN OVERTIME FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IT'S IT'S IT'S GOING TO JUST BE UNACCEPTABLE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE TO YOU KNOW, I WILL PERSONALLY HAVE TO DEMAND CHANGE FROM THE CITY MANAGER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. BUT LET'S HOPE IT WORKS OUT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU CHIEF. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL. NEXT, WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION BY POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE'LL HAVE CHIEF TIM. MAYOR AND COUNCIL. ONE OF THE. I THINK I'LL REVISE THE

[01:55:03]

WE GOT THE VIOLENT CRIME TASK FORCE STOOD UP. THAT IS, OTHER PEOPLE COMING IN AND HELPING US DO WORK WITHIN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, WITHIN, YOU KNOW, TARGETING CRIMINALS THAT ARE CAUSING PROBLEMS HERE IN THE CITY, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY LIVE, IF THEY DO BUSINESS IN THE CITY, WE'RE TACKLING THAT. AND WE'RE WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF OTHER HELP THAT AIN'T COSTING THE TAXPAYERS OF BEAUMONT TO PROVIDE FOR THAT. ADDITIONALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD AN ATF AGENT EMBEDDED IN THE OFFICE ON A, YOU KNOW, 40 HOUR WORKWEEK KIND OF THING, DAY IN, DAY OUT. FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. WE'VE ADDED TWO FBI AGENTS AS WELL. SO THAT'S WITHOUT THE TAXPAYERS HAVING TO, TO FUND NECESSARILY THREE ADDITIONAL OFFICERS, SO TO SPEAK. WE HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL FEDERAL AGENTS, MULTIPLE TASK FORCE OFFICERS. AND THE ADVANTAGE OF STRETCHING OUR MANPOWER WITH THE TASK FORCE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF UNITS. THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHO DOES GRANTS. WE HAVE ONE DEDICATED GRANT PERSON, BUT WE HAVE SEVERAL UNITS THAT MANAGE GRANTS, WHETHER IT'S AUTO THEFT RELATED OR TRAFFIC DOT RELATED. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT RELATED. BUT WE'VE SUBMITTED ALREADY THIS YEAR ABOUT $3.6 MILLION IN REQUESTS, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN BACK ABOUT 1.7 MILLION SO FAR. AND THEN WE WE HAVE, AS MOST OF Y'ALL ARE AWARE, POTENTIAL EARMARK FOR PUBLIC SAFETY TECHNOLOGY. THAT'S LOOKS FAVORABLE, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE MIGHT HEAR FROM THAT. THAT MIGHT BE IN THE NEXT

[02:00:05]

UPDATED COST FOR THE ACADEMY ATTENDANCE. EVERY ACADEMY WE WERE LOSING PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD TO TAKE THE PAY CUT FOR FIVE MONTHS. AND SO SOME OF THE STEPS THAT THAT Y'ALL HAVE HELPED US WITH IS MAKING THIS AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO WORK. THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE DEPARTMENT, AND WE'RE GETTING SOME GOOD PEOPLE AND. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS COME UP IN A COUPLE CONVERSATIONS, EVEN RECENTLY, IT DEALS WITH WHERE PEOPLE ARE SIGNED. I KNOW VISIBILITY IS A BIG DEAL. ARE ARE WE DO WE HAVE PEOPLE WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD? AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO CONSTANTLY MINIMUM ONCE A YEAR, BUT ALMOST CONSTANTLY WE'RE LOOKING AT AT STAFFING ASSIGNMENTS, AT WORK SCHEDULES THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT, TRYING TO PUT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT SPOTS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE FOCUS IS OPERATIONS, FIELD OPERATIONS. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALSO HELPING WITH THE TECHNOLOGY. SOME OF THE AXON BUNDLE THAT Y'ALL APPROVED IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR IS ALLOWING US TO, TO STRETCH OUR MANPOWER WITH TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER IN A MINUTE. BUT SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE WORK, IF WE CAN TAKE THAT OFF THE PEOPLE, IT GETS THEM BACK ON THE STREET FASTER. IT HELPS US DO OUR JOB MORE SMARTLY. THE.

REAL TIME CRIME CENTER. IT'S REALLY PAYING OFF. AND I KNOW THAT'S A. YOU LOOK AT COST BENEFIT IN A LOT OF PROGRAMS, AND WE'VE HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT DOUBLE DIGIT DECREASES IN VIOLENT CRIME. WHAT'S EVEN MORE UNUSUAL, THOUGH, ACROSS THE NATION IS, IS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PROPERTY CRIMES AND PARTICULARLY MOST NOTABLE IS PROBABLY A SINCE ITS INCEPTION, ABOUT A 43% DECREASE IN AUTO THEFTS. HUGE INCREASE IN ATM OR DECREASE RATHER IN ATM THEFTS AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS. THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT ONCE THEY START GETTING CAUGHT BEFORE THEY GOT BACK TO HOUSTON, THEY BECAME A LITTLE MORE RELUCTANT TO RUN OVER HERE AND STEAL ATMS AND AND CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. A LOT OF THAT THEFT WAS COMING FROM TEAMS WORKING OUT OF OUT OF HOUSTON, BUT HUGE BUNCH OF SUCCESS. AND A LOT OF THAT'S BASED ON THE PARTNERSHIPS WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE ALMOST 7000 OR 4000 CAMERAS THAT ARE REGISTERED FROM CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES, AND ANOTHER 3700 CAMERAS THAT ARE FULLY INTEGRATED TO WHERE THEY CAN BE OBSERVED IN OUR REAL TIME CRIME CENTER OR BY THE OFFICERS ON THE STREET. WE, THE CENTER'S ASSISTED ON MORE THAN 700 CASES AND 7000 CALLS FOR SERVICE. THEY DON'T INVESTIGATIVE WORK, BUT A LOT OF IT'S REAL TIME

[02:05:04]

BUT CAN YOU KIND OF TELL US HOW IN THE IN THE LAST THREE SHOOTINGS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PARKS, HOW DID THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER HELP WITH THE INVESTIGATION AND, AND THE APPREHENSION OF THE, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT PULLED THE TRIGGER? AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE BASED ON THE CAMERAS? HAD YOU NOT HAD CAMERAS TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SHOOTERS? AND THEN, WELL, YOU BRING UP SEVERAL POINTS AND I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN GIVE YOU ALL THE ANSWERS THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR, BUT THE REAL TIME ASPECT OF SUCH A COMPLEX SITUATION WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE, A BUNCH OF PEOPLE RUNNING AROUND, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU COULD PULL UP ON YOUR PHONE AND BE ABLE TO SEE. I THINK THE PARKS PROJECT, YOU KNOW, SOME CAMERAS ARE IN PLACE, VERY CRITICAL, BUT THERE'S SOME GAPS, YOU KNOW, AND THOSE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED. I THINK PHASE THREE OF THE CAMERA PROGRAM TO PUT IN THE PARKS. WE DEFINITELY WOULD ADVOCATE THAT. I, I KNOW MONEY'S TIGHT, BUT AGAIN, THE ABILITY FOR SOMEBODY IN AN OFFICE ENVIRONMENT TO BE ABLE TO PULL IT UP ON BIG SCREEN AND LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AT, AT A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE VERY QUICKLY WHILE THE OFFICERS ARE RESPONDING AND BE ABLE TO POINT THEM TO SPECIFIC PEOPLE OR SPECIFIC VEHICLES IS JUST SUPER CRITICAL. AND THE FASTER WE GET ON THAT, THE LESS CONFUSION WE

[02:10:02]

[02:15:03]

AND I DO ALSO REALIZE, I THINK IT'S THE AXION SYSTEM THAT WE APPROVE THE BUDGET FOR. THE UPGRADE IN THE SYSTEM NOW ALLOWS THE OFFICERS TO USE AI TO HELP THEM WRITE THEIR REPORTS, WHICH IS AWESOME. AND SO MAYBE THAT'S GOING TO HELP WITH THAT. BUT WHERE I'M GOING WITH ALL THIS BUDGET WISE AND OVERTIME WISE IS I WANT OUR OFFICERS OUT THERE ON THE STREETS, AND I DON'T WANT OUR OFFICERS ON OVERTIME FILLING OUT PAPERWORK. AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO HEAR FROM OUR RANK AND FILE IS THAT WITH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST THE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM AND THE EFFORTS TO GET THAT DONE, OR IF IT'S JUST THE CHANGE IN TIMES OR CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP. BUT THE GUYS FEEL LIKE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, A BIT OVERWHELMED WITH THE, THE, THE RECENT DEMANDS IN MORE REPORT WRITING. AND SO I JUST CAUTION YOU ON THAT, THAT IF THAT'S WHAT OUR OVERTIME IS BEING SPENT DOING IS, YOU KNOW, FILLING OUT PAPERWORK, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO, TO ALLEVIATE THAT. WHILE THE ACCREDITATION IS IMPORTANT, WE HAVE A REAL PROBLEM RIGHT NOW IN THIS COMMUNITY WITH YOUTH VIOLENCE. AND TO ME, THE URGENCY IS THERE AND NOT WITH, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE FUTURE BENEFITS OF AN ACCREDITATION PROGRAM. AND I WOULD LIKE TO I JUST FELT IT WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE THAT POINT. SO WITH THAT SAID, AGAIN, OVERALL, CONGRATS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM. YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK GREAT NUMBERS WISE AND BUDGET WISE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU.

I'D LIKE TO RESPOND A COUPLE THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP. YOU KNOW, CLEARANCE RATES STILL MEAN SOMETHING HAPPENED. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS AN ANGLE THAT Y'ALL HAVE HEARD, BUT I BELIEVE WE'RE SEEING A DETERRENT EFFECT. I BROUGHT UP THE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN PEOPLE GET CAUGHT BEFORE THEY GET BACK TO HOUSTON, THEY APPARENTLY ARE SEEMING RELUCTANT TO COME BACK AS FREQUENTLY. SO I THINK, YES, WE TOUT CLEARANCE BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE SOLVING CRIME. BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT I BELIEVE IT'S IT'S PROVIDING A DETERRENT EFFECT, WHICH IS REDUCING WORKLOAD. WE'VE WE'VE REDUCED THE WORKLOAD, THE PAPERWORK REQUIREMENT HAS GONE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY. THERE'S A NUMBER OF WEB BASED SYSTEMS. NOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT TRAFFIC ACCIDENT REPORTING AND SOME OF THE DWI STUFF, THERE'S A NUMBER OF OF

[02:20:05]

AND I'M CONCERNED THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE DOING THAT ON OVERTIME OR THEY'RE FILLING OUT ALL THAT PAPERWORK AND, AND AGAIN, MAYBE THERE'S A GOOD POLICY BEHIND IT, BUT IT'S THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT CONCERN ME. IF OUR GUYS AREN'T OUT THERE ON THE STREETS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE WAS A AND THAT'S SUPERVISORY PAPERWORK TOO. THAT'S NOT A PATROLMAN DOING IT.

SO THAT THAT SOME OF THAT IS FOLLOWING INDUSTRY STANDARDS, CASE LAW RULES. BUT I TAKE THERE WAS SOME CHANGE. THERE WAS SOME RECENT CHANGE. CHANGE IS GOING TO DRIVE A CONCERN, BUT WE'RE I APPRECIATE IT AND I'LL MAKE SURE WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK INTO IT. THANK YOU.

CHIEF. I COUNCILMAN AND COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN SHERWOOD. SORRY, CHIEF. EARLIER YOU MENTIONED A A BONUS OF 5000 PER YEAR. WHAT WAS THAT FOR? PRIOR SERVICE? PRIOR SERVICE THAT QUALIFIES UNDER OUR CONTRACT. OUR CONTRACT DEFINES WHAT QUALIFYING SERVICES ARE.

BUT IF YOU QUALIFY IN SERVICE LIKE YOU WORK FOR ANOTHER MUNICIPAL AGENCY OR STATE AGENCY, YOU CAN BE UNDER OUR CURRENT CONTRACT PAY CONTRACT. YOU CAN COME IN WITH A PAY RATE THAT'S EQUITABLE TO THAT YEAR SERVICE. SO IF YOU'VE HAD THREE YEARS SOMEWHERE, YOU COME IN AND YOU'RE PAID AS A THREE YEAR OFFICER, YOU'RE STILL IN SENIORITY WISE, YOU'RE STILL LOW IN SENIORITY, BUT YOU'RE PAID AS A THREE YEAR OFFICER, AND WE'LL PAY YOU AN ADDITIONAL FIVE TIMES THREE. SO $15,000, OKAY. SO $5,000 FOR EVERY YEAR OF SERVICE THAT YOU HAVE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME OVER AND WORK FOR US. AND THAT EXPERIENCE UP TO A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS UP TO FIVE. AND THE, THE BENEFIT IS QUITE OFTEN, NUMBER ONE, YOUR, YOUR SEASON, YOUR TENURE, YOU HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE. WELL, YOU KNOW, WE CAN LOOK AT AT THE WHAT YOU'VE GAINED. THE OTHER THING IS IT SHORTENS THE FTO PROGRAM. WE HAD THE GUY THAT CAME BACK FROM

[02:25:05]

WE'RE. YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT WE UNDERSTAND SOMETIMES THERE'S YOU JUST GOT TO HAVE GOOD JUDGMENT AND COMMON SENSE. BUT WE WE'RE SEEING ABOUT A 50% COMPLIANCE RATE VERSUS MAYBE 10% THAT WE WERE GETTING BEFORE. IS THAT DISPATCHERS THAT DECIDE THAT THERE'S A PROCESS, BUT THE DISPATCHERS HAVE BEEN GIVEN GUIDANCE ON HOW TO, TO HANDLE IT. AND THEN THE SUPERVISORS CAN ALWAYS SUPPORT THAT OR OVERRIDE IT, DEPENDING ON WHAT WHAT THE ISSUE IS. BUT TO A LARGE EXTENT, THE CALL TAKER CAN MAKE THAT DECISION. AND I HEARD YOU MENTIONED DRONES. YES, SIR. SO Y'ALL SEND DRONES OUT ON CALLS. WE DON'T HAVE THEM INSTALLED YET, BUT IT'S PART OF THE AXON BUNDLE. AND WE HAVE THEIR SITES ARE GETTING INSTALLED RIGHT NOW. THEY'VE BEEN DESIGNED AND THEY'VE BEEN, THEY'RE BEING INSTALLED. AND ONCE THEY'RE INSTALLED, WE'LL START IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM.

OKAY. IT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. AND HOW DOES THAT HOW DOES THAT WORK? THEY ACTUALLY, I MEAN, YOU SEND A CALL TO COME IN, YOU DON'T HAVE AN OFFICER AVAILABLE OR SOMETHING. THEY'LL SEND A DRONE OUT TO THE AREA. THEY COULD DO THAT. OR MAYBE IT'S A HIGHWAY EVENT, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU GET A BIG TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY. IT'S HARD TO GET PEOPLE UP THERE BECAUSE IT'S JAMMED, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONSTRUCTION ZONES. YOU CAN GET UP THERE AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AND DIRECT PEOPLE WHERE THEY NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, HEY, THEY SAID IT WAS AT PINE STREET. WELL, IS IT ACTUALLY PINE STREET OR IS IT THE NECHES RIVER BRIDGE? IS IT IS IT MAGNOLIA? IS IT, YOU KNOW, MLK, THAT KIND OF THING? SO THERE'S THERE'S A LOT OF USES OF IT. AND OUR GUYS ARE BEING TRAINED AND BEST PRACTICES ARE BEING EMPLOYED. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILWOMAN. OKAY. WELL, CERTAINLY WANT TO APPLAUD YOU. I KNOW IT'S IT'S BEEN ALL THE TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN A FORCE MULTIPLIER. AND IT IS ALSO A LOT FOR THE OFFICERS TO BE LEARNING THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY AND IMPLEMENTING IT.

BUT WE'VE CERTAINLY I KNOW WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN IN A REDUCTION IN CRIME AND AN INCREASE IN CASE CLOSES. SO THAT'S THAT'S AWESOME. AND I THINK THAT DRONE TECHNOLOGY TO HAVING READ ABOUT SOME OF IT AFTER WE TALKED ABOUT IT, IT'S HAD, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WHETHER IT'S EVEN SOMETHING THAT OFFICERS ARE BEING DISPATCHED TO, THE DRONE MAY GET THERE SOONER AND BE ABLE TO GIVE THE OFFICERS VERY USEFUL INFORMATION ON WHAT THEY'RE ROLLING UP TO, WHICH HELPS KEEP THE PUBLIC SAFE AND OFFICERS SAFE. YEAH. SO, YES, COUNCILMAN

[02:30:04]

YEAH. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S A GOOD MCGRUFF. YES. LET ME KNOW. WE'RE IN FOR THE NEXT SPONSORSHIP. MY COMMENT WAS MORE ABOUT COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW'S PROPOSAL TO INCREASE OVERTIME TO 20%. AND WHILE I DON'T SHARE HIS ENTHUSIASM ON THAT, AND I KNOW THAT WE NEED TO CURB CRIME, IF SOME OF WHATEVER OVERTIME MONEY HE'S PROPOSING COULD PROBABLY BE USED FOR THAT, THEN MAYBE THERE COULD BE A WIN WIN ON SOME OF IT. THAT WAS MY THOUGHTS. I ALSO JUST WANT TO REMIND COUNCIL THAT THIS HAS THEIR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND SO A LOT OF WHAT HAPPENED WHEN COUNCILMAN TURNER WAS IN SCHOOL WAS AT THAT TRANSITION, THAT TIME WHEN YOU SAW DEER LEAVING CAMPUS, WHICH YOU SAW WAS BISD COPS ENTERING CAMPUSES. AND SO CURRENTLY WE PARTNER A LOT WITH POLICE AND FIRE WITH THE RURAL PROGRAM, WITH THE COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS. MR. BOYD, WHO I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW, SHE SHE GETS US TO COME READ, BE READ AT MULTIPLE SCHOOLS. SO WE PARTICIPATE. BOTH OUR POLICE AND FIRE PARTICIPATES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, OUR FIRE STATIONS, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SO THAT THEY PARTICIPATE WITH

[02:35:04]

THERE'S ONE FOR THE CITY AND THERE'S ONE FOR THE STATE. SO IF YOU'VE COMPLETED IF YOU COMPLETED TWO, YOU'RE UP TO DATE. NOW THERE'S NO I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD HAVE TO DO AI

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.