[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
TODAY'S MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL.
TODAY'S DATE IS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2026.
UH, IF EVERYONE WOULD PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONE, AND IF YOU SO CHOOSE, PLEASE STAND AND REMAIN STANDING FOR THE PRAYER AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
ALMIGHTY GOD, WE GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THIS DAY AND FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY, FOR THIS COUNCIL TO BE ABOUT THE WORK OF THE CITY.
WE GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THE STAFF, AND WE GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THE PEOPLE OF BEAUMONT.
WE ASK THAT YOU, UH, GUIDE AND DIRECT ALL THAT WE DO.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC.
MAY WE HAVE ROLL CALL PLEASE? MAYOR WEST.
COUNCIL MEMBER TURNER PRESENT.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER SHERWOOD HERE.
NOW'S THE TIME FOR ANY CITIZEN WHO WISHES TO SPEAK FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AND UH, YOU MAY MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS ONE THROUGH THREE OR ANY OTHER TOPIC.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY AT THIS TIME, MAYOR.
AND WE HAVE, UH, NO CONSENT AGENDA.
[1. Council to consider an ordinance accepting the appraised roll and approving the property tax rate for the tax year 2026 (FY 2027).]
WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, TAKE US INTO ITEM NUMBER ONE, SIR.ITEM NUMBER ONE IS TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE ACCEPTING THE APPRAISED ROLE IN APPROVING THE PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR THE TAX YEAR OF 2026 FY 2027.
JEFFERSON COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT SUBMITTED THE CERTIFIED APPRAISAL ROLE ON JULY 20TH, 2026 IN THE AMOUNT OF $11,354,798,325.
BASED ON THIS TAXABLE VALUE, A PROPERTY TAX RATE OF 0.6 8 2 9 3 3 PER $100 OF VALUATION FOR THE TAX YEAR.
2026 IS PROPOSED, WHICH IS GREATER THAN THE CURRENT TAX RATE OF 0.6 5 9 6 6 3, BUT LESS THAN THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE OF 0.6 8 3 9 7 6.
THE TAX RATE WOULD BE APPORTIONED, UH, AT 0.4 6 8 7 5 9 PER $100 VALUATION TO THE GENERAL FUND AND 0.2 1 4 1 7 4 PER $100 EVALUATION TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 26.05.
THE TAX CODE, UH, THE TAX RATE CONSISTS OF TWO COMPONENTS, EACH OF WHICH MUST BE APPROVED SEPARATELY AND THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE.
IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE?
THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER ONE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN TURNER? UH, MR. BOONE, CAN YOU JUST GIVE, UH, BRIEF ANALYSIS AND JUST SOMETHING WHERE THE COMMUNITY CAN BE EDUCATED ON WHY WE'RE VOTING ON THIS AND HOW IT CAME ABOUT? RIGHT.
SO STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT THE TAX RATE BE VOTED ON SEPARATELY FROM THE BUDGET.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE BUDGET, UH, HEARINGS, SESSION WORK SESSIONS, UH, IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE.
UH, YOU MAY RECALL THAT, UM, WE SET A PRELIMINARY TAX RATE, UM, EARLIER ON AND WE BASE THE FY 2027 BUDGET, UM, OFF, OFF A RATE.
AND THEN THIS IS THE, UH, THIS IS THE RATE WHERE, UH, WE'RE FINALLY SETTING THE TAX RATE, UM, AT THIS AMOUNT.
AND AGAIN, AS MENTIONED, A PORTION OF IT GOES TO OPERATING, A PORTION OF IT GOES TO DEBT SERVICE.
UM, AND SO THIS IS, MAN, THIS SEPARATE, SEPARATE, UH, ITEM AND VOTE IS REQUIRED BY STATE, UH, STATE STATUTE.
WE, UH, GET, WHAT IS IT POINT? YEAH.
AMY, DO YOU MIND? POINT SEVEN 6 4 8 1 7 IS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
ALRIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
[00:05:01]
THOSE OPPOSED, OPPOSED, OPPOSED.CAN I SHOW A HAND OF OPPOSED? ALRIGHT.
[2. Council consider a resolution approving the award of a contract for Emergency and Disaster Standby Products, Services and Debris Removal.]
MANAGER, MAY WE HAVE THE READING OF ITEM NUMBER TWO? YES.ITEM NUMBER TWO IS TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE AWARD OF A CONTRACT FOR EMERGENCY AND DISASTER STANDBY PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND DEBRIS REMOVAL.
UH, REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS WERE REQUESTED FOR A PRE-POSITION EMERGENCY STANDBY PRODUCT SERVICES AND DEBRIS REMOVAL CONTRACT, UH, TO PROVIDE THE CITY WITH THE RESOURCES NEEDED IN AN EMERGENCY EVENT.
SPECIFICATIONS ALLOW FOR THE CONTRACT TO BE AWARDED TO ONE OR MORE VENDORS AS DETERMINED BY THE CITY ON A PRIMARY, SECONDARY, AND TERTIARY BASIS.
NOW THE CONTRACT WILL BE FORWARDED FOR A, UH, AWARDED RATHER FOR A THREE YEAR TERM WITH A POSSIBILITY OF TWO ADDITIONAL ONE YEAR EXTENSIONS.
UM, AND I SHOULD NOTE, VENDORS WERE REQUIRED TO HAVE PERFORMED AT LEAST THREE DEBRIS REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL OPERATIONS OF AT LEAST 1 MILLION CUBIC YARDS WITH TWO OF THOSE OPERATIONS PERFORMED AS THE PRIME CONTRACTOR IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.
BIDDERS WERE ALSO ASKED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION OUTLINING THEIR COMPANY'S BACKGROUND, ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, LIST OF SUBCONTRACTORS, TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE, FINANCIAL RESOURCES, TRAINING, AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REFERENCES AND MOBILIZATION PLANS.
AFTER EVALUATION BY THE CITY STAFF, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE COMPANY OFFERING THE BEST VALUE TO THE CITY WAS DRC EMERGENCY SERVICES, LLC OF GALVESTON, TEXAS.
THEY HAVE A BACKGROUND IN DISASTER DEBRIS MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO ENSURE THAT THE EMERGENCY AND DISASTER STANDBY PRODUCTS AND SUBCONTRACTORS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE CITY IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY OR DISASTER.
UH, DRC EMERGENCY SERVICES IS RECOMMENDED AS THE CITY'S PRIMARY CONTRACTOR, A SECONDARY CONTRACT WITH CTC DISASTER RESPONSE OF FAYETTE MISSOURI, UH, IS RECOMMENDED AND WOULD BE UTILIZED IN THE EVENT THAT DRC COULD NOT PROVIDE THE RE PROVIDE THE REQUESTED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
IN ADDITION, A CONTRACT WITH A THIRD VENDOR SERIES ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES OF SARASOTA, SARASOTA, FLORIDA IS RECOMMENDED AS THE TERTIARY CONTRACT.
IN THE EVENT THE ADDITIONAL SERVICES ARE REQUIRED AND THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS RESOLUTION.
IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO? MOTION TO APPROVE.
THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER TWO.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW? UH, I AM VERY MUCH, UH, IN FAVOR OF THIS, UM, NOT TRYING TO CRITICIZE, BUT I WISH WE WOULD'VE APPROVED THIS SOONER AND HAD THESE RESOURCES SOONER.
AND WHILE I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT 80% AND 95% OF THE FIRST PASS MEANS, THE MESSAGING THAT THE CITY HAD WITH DEBRIS CLEANUP HAS BEEN VERY UNDERWHELMING IN MY OPINION.
UH, THE CITY MAKING PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY WERE 80% FIRST PASS AND 95% FIRST PASS WITHOUT TRULY EXPLAINING, THAT LED TO IN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS THAT THEIR YARD HAD BEEN MISSED.
AND FOR THE LAST, THE STORM, IT'S BEEN A MONTH NOW, AND FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS, IT HAS BEEN COMPLAINT AFTER COMPLAINT ABOUT WHY IS, WHY WAS OUR DEBRIS NOT BEEN PICKED UP, THAT THE CITY IS 80% OR 95% DONE? AND WHEN YOU TRY TO EXPLAIN TO THEM, WELL, THAT'S THE FIRST PASS, AND THEY SAY, WELL, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT JUST, I, I THINK WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT A, UH, BETTER.
AND, UH, SO AGAIN, HAPPY WE'RE DOING THIS.
UH, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO SPEND MONEY WHEN WE HAVE A TIGHT BUDGET RIGHT NOW, BUT THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE DIDN'T GET FEDERAL STATE REIMBURSEMENT AND ASSISTANCE, WHICH I THINK IS VERY UNFORTUNATE IN THE FUTURE.
I WISH WE COULD GET THESE RESOURCES MOVING, UH, FASTER AND I WISH WE COULD DO BETTER ON MESSAGING.
ANYBODY ELSE? COUNCILMAN TURNER? MR. BOONE, CAN YOU KINDA EXPLAIN HOW WE COULD POSSIBLY GET IN, WE CAN GET SOME OF THE REVENUE BACK FROM FEDERAL AND STATE AND IN CA IN PAST SITUATIONS WITH STORMS? LIKE HOW DOES THAT PROCESS WORK AND WHEN WE DON'T GET IT AND WE END UP SPENDING THIS KIND OF MONEY, HOW DOES IT IMPACT OUR BUDGET? YEAH, JUST A QUICK SUMMARY AND IF I GET TOO INTO THE WEEDS, I CAN INVITE QUE AND NOBLES WITH THE EOC TO COME UP, BUT, UM, YOU, YOU PROBABLY RECALL WE'VE BEEN THROUGH MANY STORMS, MANY OF WHICH ARE QUITE MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN TROPICAL STORM EDWARD.
AND, UM, YOU MAY RECALL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE MULTIPLE PASSES WITH MULTIPLE CONTRACTORS
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THAT IT MAY TAKE, YOU KNOW, A MONTH TO SIX, SIX WEEKS OR MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO COLLECT ALL THE DEBRIS.BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IT, IN ORDER TO START GETTING, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE A FEMA REIMBURSEMENT, YOU HAVE TO HIT CERTAIN DAMAGED THRESHOLD THRESHOLDS AT THE COUNTY AND STATE LEVEL.
AND SO THOSE THRESHOLDS ARE SET, UM, NOT BY US, NOT BY THE COUNTY.
THEY'RE SET AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS WHERE MAYBE IN DECADES PAST AND STORMS PASS, IT MIGHT'VE BEEN EASIER TO GET HIT THOSE THRESHOLDS AND GET THAT FEDERAL ASSISTANCE, UM, WITH REIMBURSEMENTS ON THE BACK END.
UM, IT WOULD TAKE, TAKE A SIGNIFICANT EVENT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SO THAN TROPICAL STORM EDWARD FOR US TO, UH, DO THAT.
AND SO PART OF, PART OF THE CALCULUS HERE IS IF WE KNEW THOSE MONTHS WERE COMING, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN A LITTLE MORE, UM, AGGRESSIVE IN LOOKING AT TRIGGERING A CONTRACT.
UM, BUT WITH, UM, THE CHANGE IN LANDSCAPE, UH, FROM FEMA ON DOWN IN THE LIKELIHOOD OF US GETTING THAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE, UH, BEING LESS AND LESS, I LIKELY THAT'S ONE, ONE OF THE FACTORS INVOLVED IN OUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
BUT AGAIN, A LOT OF IT'S CONTROLLED OUTTA WASHINGTON.
AND SEE THAT'S WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO, I REMEMBER WHEN OUR BUDGETS WERE PRETTY HEALTHY AND REVENUE BROUGHT BACK FROM SOME OF THOSE STORMS, BUT WE'VE HAD ADMINISTRATIONS LIKE SIMILAR TO COVID FUNDING THAT THE CITY WERE THINKING WE WOULD GET BACK, BUT YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL AT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT THAT ARE HIGHER THAN US.
AND THAT'S THE THING IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU, YOU KIND OF OPERATE BASED ON, UM, THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE AS WELL AS PAST PRACTICE.
AND SO IF WE HAVE AN EXPECTATION, SO WE TALK ABOUT TROPICAL STORM, LAURA AND COVID AND ALL THESE THINGS, AND YOU, YOU HAVE A REASONABLE EXPECTATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET SOME REIMBURSEMENTS AND THEN SOMETIMES YOU DON'T.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE HAVING TO APPROACH THESE THINGS MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVELY.
ALRIGHT, IF THERE'S NO OTHER COMMENTS, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
[3. Council approval to rent equipment and personnel to assist the Solid Waste Division in heavy debris removal]
MR. CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU TAKE ASIN TO ITEM NUMBER THREE? YES SIR.ITEM NUMBER THREE IS TO CONSIDER APPROVAL TO RENT EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL TO ASSIST THE SOLID WASTE DIVISION IN HEAVY DEBRIS REMOVAL.
UH, THE CITY EXPERIENCED AN UNUSUALLY HIGH VOLUME OF HEAVY DEBRIS RESULTING FROM TROPICAL STORM EDWARD.
ALTHOUGH THE SOLID WASTE DIVISION CONTINUES TO MAKE PROGRESS, THE CITY DOES NEED TO RENT ADDITIONAL ROLL OFF DUMPSTER TRUCKS AS WELL AS DRIVERS FROM DRC EMERGENCY SERVICES, LLC TO EXPEDITE THE DEBRIS REMOVAL PROCESS.
UH, FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE SOLID WASTE FUND TO PAY FOR THIS AND STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL UP TO $75,000 FOR THIS EFFORT.
UH, IF WE FEEL LIKE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE NEEDED, WE WILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL.
IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER THREE? MOVE TO APPROVE.
THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER THREE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? JUST ONE QUESTION.
IS IT A REASON I, I SEE THERE ARE SIMILAR, THE REASON THESE ITEMS ARE SEPARATE, IS IT BECAUSE ONE IS DUMPSTER AND THE OTHER ONE IS ACTUAL PICKUP, BUT IS THERE A REASON THAT WE DIDN'T PUT THE RFP TOGETHER? WELL, SO FOR THIS ITEM IT'S SIMPLY FOR, FOR DEBRIS COLLECTION.
SO WE'RE NOT NEEDING, YOU KNOW, GENERATORS AND ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT.
WE REALLY, THIS IS VERY TARGETED TO HELP US CLEAN UP FOR, FOR, UH, EDWARD.
ALRIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM NUMBER THREE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO ITEM ONE BECAUSE CLARIFICATION ON THE MOTION.
SO YOU NEED TO APPROVE THE TAX RATE, BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO APPROVE THE M AND O RATE SEPARATELY.
SO THERE NEEDS TO BE A MOTION AND I'LL, SO TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS.
I'LL ALLOW FINANCE TO PROVIDE THE WORDING.
WE ACTUALLY NEED TWO ADDITIONAL MOTIONS.
THE ONE YOU DID WAS FINE FOR THE TOTAL, BUT WE NEED A SEPARATE ONE FOR M AND O AND A SEPARATE ONE FOR DEBT.
SO TO MAYOR, JUST TO, TO FOLLOW UP WHAT AMANDA MENTIONED, IT WOULD BE AS READ APPORTION 0.4 6 8 7 5 9 FOR GENERAL FUND.
UM, AND THEN THAT WOULD NEED TO BE ONE MOTION.
CAN WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THAT ITEM?
[00:15:03]
IT'S A BREAKDOWN OF ITEM NUMBER ONE IF WE CAN GET THAT BACK TO APPROVE.OKAY, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE SETTING, THE M AND O RATE.
AND UH, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
AND NOW ONTO THE DEBT PORTION? YES.
SO FOR THE INS RATE OR THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, IT WOULD BE 0.2 1 4 1 7 4 PER $100.
ALRIGHT, THERE IS A MOTION ON THE, UH, DEBT PORTION, DEBT SERVICE FUND AND UH, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ITEM REGARDING THE DEBT SERVICE AMOUNT SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? OPPOSED, OPPOSED.
[COUNCIL COMMENTS]
NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS AND COUNCILMAN CRENSHAW? UH, I'M ON MY WAY OUT HERE TO GO TO THE ASTROS GAME.COUNCILMAN DURIO WILL, MY COWBOYS LOST YESTERDAY, BUT I'M GOING TO SEE HIM NEXT WEEK IN PERSON, SO I'M GONNA PULL 'EM THROUGH
MAYOR TEXAN, MR. CITY MANAGER.
ALL RIGHT, WELL I'M HAVE NO COMMENT EITHER.
SO WITH THAT, THE MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED, MAN.