* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [I. Commencement] [00:00:05] NO, THIS IS EVERYBODY ABLE TO A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING. FIND A BUDGET WORKSHOP ON THE FISCAL YEAR 20 22, 20 23 BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF PLUTE TEXAS TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY, AUGUST THE FOURTH, 2022 AT 6:30 PM FROM THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF PLOOP CITY HALL LOCATED AT 1 0 8 MAIN STREET, TEXAS 7 7 5 3 1, AND REMOTELY VIA WEBEX FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE BELOW LIST OF ITEMS. SO THE COUNCIL RESERVED THE RIGHT TO ADJOURN THIS EXECUTIVE SESSION AT ANY TIME DURING THE COURSE OF THIS MEETING TO DISCUSS ANY MATTERS LISTED ON THE AGENDA AS AUTHORIZED BY THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SECTIONS 5, 5, 1 0.07 WOUND CONSULTATION WITH AN ATTORNEY 5 5, 1 0.07 TO DELIBERATION ABOUT REAL PROPERTY, 5, 5, 1 0.07, THREE DELIBERATIONS ABOUT GIFTS AND DONATIONS. 5 5, 1 0.07 FOR PERSONNEL MATTERS. 5 5, 1 0.076 DELIBERATIONS ABOUT SECURITY DEVICES, 5 5, 1 0.087 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, 4 1 8 0.17 5.183 DELIBERATIONS ABOUT HOMELAND SECURITY ISSUES AND IS AUTHORIZED BY THE TEXAS TAX CODE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE SECTIONS 3 21 43 0 2 TO SALES TAX INFORMATION. THE AGENDA AGENDA PACKET AND MEETING LINK INFORMATION ARE POSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AT WWW DOT CLINT, TEXAS.GOV. PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE ALLOWED IN PERSON TO BE A TELEPHONE VIDEO CONFERENCE TO REGISTER, TO SPEAK, OR TO SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS. PLEASE EMAIL AT ROSIE AT CLUTE, TEXAS.GOV, AT LEAST TWO HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING. I'LL PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL OCCUR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING UNDER THE PUBLIC COMMENT ITEM. THE RECORDING OF THE TELEPHONE VIDEO MEETING WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT UPON WRITTEN REQUEST MEETING HAS NOW BEEN CALLED TO ORDER MR. BOND, WOULD YOU CARE TO GIVE US AN INDICATION? GO FOR IT TONIGHT. MESSAGE. YOU CONTINUE TO BE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. WE STILL HAVE THE VIRUS GOING AROUND. LORD. WE JUST ASK THAT YOU WATCH OVER ALL THE, TO . SO JUST KEEP THEM SAFE. THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. NOW HAVE ROLL CALL THE MEMBERS CALVIN SHIFLETT PRESENT KEGLER PRESENT NICOLE MADDOX PRESENT TRAVIS QUINN, FRANCIS VAUGHN PRESENT. OKAY. [II. Workshop Items] FIRST ITEM ON DENIED IS WORKSHOP ITEMS AND IT IS DISCUSSION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET. I BELIEVE MR. SNIPES AND MS. KNOX HAS GOT SOME FINAL NUMBERS IN, ON A BUNCH OF STUFF. AND WE'RE READY TO KIND OF LOOK AT THE FINAL DRAFT OR SEMI-FINAL I WILL, I WILL SAY SEMI-FINAL MAYOR. WE'VE LITERALLY BEEN WORKING UP TO LIKE THE LAST 10 MINUTES PUTTING NUMBERS IN TRYING TO GET PRINTED TO THANK YOU, CHRIS, FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME. I'M SURE SHE'S STARING DAGGERS IN THE BACK OF MY NECK RIGHT NOW. SO SHE APPROACHES ME WITH A KNIFE. I'LL TRUST YOU ALL TO KIND OF GIVE ME A SIGNAL. SO I KNOW WHEN IT DOES, BUT NOW, UH, WE, WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS. ALTHOUGH ONCE WE GET TO THE BOTTOM LINE, THERE WE GO. WE'RE LAUNCHING, UH, IT WON'T LOOK LIKE IT. AND SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE, UH, CHASING YOUR TAIL, UH, MAKING CHANGES. WE'VE MADE MULTIPLE CHANGES IN MULTIPLE BUDGETS, BUT ENDED UP ALMOST BACK IN THE SAME PLACE THAT WE STARTED WITH ONCE WE STARTED TAKING A LOOK AT SOME, SOME FISCAL REALITIES. AND SO WITH THAT, I WILL START OFF BY TALKING ABOUT, WELL, WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT. THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS. LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE BAD NEWS FIRST, ACTUALLY, SOME OF THE MIXED DAYS. UH, SO THE UPDATED MODEL YOU HAD BEFORE YOU, UH, INCLUDES THE REVERENT REVISED REVENUE FIGURES THAT REFLECT ADOPTING THE BUDGET AT THE VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE, WHICH WE USED TO CALL THE ROLLBACK RATE, UH, BASICALLY 3.5% INCREASE IN REVENUE A YEAR OVER YEAR, UH, WHICH WOULD MEAN AN INCREASE IF WE ADOPTED THAT, RIGHT, BUT THAT'S $85,000 VERSUS WHAT YOU SAW AT THE BEGINNING OF JULY. SO THAT'S $85,000 TO THE GOOD, WE CODED THAT GREEN IN THIS PRESENTATION, TAKING A LOOK AT SOLID WASTE. UH, I HAD OVERESTIMATED THE ACTUAL RATE INCREASE THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED THERE. I PLUGGED IN A NUMBER OF 12.5. I DON'T THINK COUNCIL WANTS TO GO THAT HIGH. I DIALED THAT BACK TO 9.5, UH, WHICH [00:05:01] AUTOMATICALLY NETTED A REVENUE LOSS OF $84,000, LEAVING THIS WITH A NET INCREASE OF $1,000 AVAILABLE IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR EXPENDITURES IN THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. LIKE I SAID, SOMETIMES YOU CHASE YOUR TAIL AROUND THE BUSH AND YOU RIGHT BACK UP WHERE YOU WERE. SO, UH, OR MAYBE A LITTLE BIT BETTER TO GET, UH, AND LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE BIGGEST AT THIS POINT OF THE SUMMER, THE BIGGEST TWO VARIABLES FOR US GOING FORWARD ARE HEALTH INSURANCE AND PROPERTY INSURANCE. WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A PRETTY HEALTHY JUMP IN OUR WIND INSURANCE, ALMOST 20%. UH, THAT WAS FACTORED INTO THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SAW BACK AT THE BEGINNING OF JULY. UH, THE NUMBERS YOU SAW IN JULY REFLECTED AN 8% INCREASE IN THE HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS. UH, I'M HAPPY TO SAY, I WOULD LOVE TO TELL YOU THAT ANGEL AND I GOT THE INSURANCE REPS IN A ROOM AND WE WRESTLED THEM TO THE GROUND AND PUT A CHOKE HOLD ON HIM AND THEN DROP THE SUPLEX. AND THEY WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THIS MAGIC NUMBER, BUT HONESTLY, OUR REPRESENTATIVES ALLIANCE DID AN AMAZING JOB, UH, PLEADING OUR CASE FORCE. OUR LOSS RATIO WAS 72.6, WHICH IS THE LOWEST IT'S BEEN IN NOW 10 YEARS. SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. OUR STAFF HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB OF CONTAINING COSTS, UH, AND THEY'VE ALSO, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE WITH BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD, A COUPLING. SO IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD HEALTH AND DENTAL THROUGH BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD. LAST YEAR, WE DID THAT AND NOW WE'VE ADDED THE VISION. WE, UH, HAVE, I THINK, A VERY GENEROUS BENEFITS PACKAGE WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH INSURANCE. UH, IT'S AN 80 20 COPAY, UH, ON IN NETWORK, UH, VISITS. UH, THE, UH, THE DEDUCTIBLE IS FAIRLY LOW, FAIRLY REASONABLE. I THINK, UH, THE DOWNSIDE OF THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEPENDENT COVERAGE. AND I'M GOING TO TOUCH ON THAT IN JUST A MINUTE. UH, BUT THEY DID A GREAT JOB OF ACTUALLY GETTING US A NET ZERO CHANGE TO OUR RATES. SO WE'RE STAYING FLAT AND ADDING SERVICES UNDER BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD THIS YEAR. SO, UH, JASON AND THE GUYS AT ALLIANT ARE MAGICIANS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF PHOTOS THEY HAVE ON THE FOLKS AT BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD. BUT AS LONG AS I KEEP THEM, WE'RE HAPPY WE DID GET IN WRITING. YES, MA'AM, WE'VE GOT A GUARANTEE. SO WE WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. SO THAT REDUCED, UH, THAT GENERATED ABOUT $60,000 IN SAVINGS OVER WHAT WE SAW BACK IN JULY IN TERMS OF PERSONNEL COSTS, WHICH IS VERY, VERY NICE. UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, I I'M CHAIRING OR I'M PRESIDENT OF TC MAY REGION SIX. THIS YEAR. WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING LAST FRIDAY, UH, EVERY, AT THE END OF JULY, WE GET TOGETHER AND WE HAVE OUR BUDGET GROUP THERAPY SESSION. UM, WE TRY AND BRING OUR CLINICIANS AND TALK ABOUT HOW SAD AND UPSET WE ARE. UH, THIS YEAR WE HAD 25 CITIES SHOW UP AND I WAS CAUGHT OFF A LITTLE GUARD CAUSE I PRIDE MYSELF ON KIND OF KNOW WHAT THE INDUSTRY IS DOING AND WHAT EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE. WE WERE THE ONLY CITY IN THE ROOM THAT DID NOT OFFER ANY KIND OF SUBSIDIZED DEPENDENT COVERAGE PERIOD. AND SO THAT KIND OF CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD. UM, WE TALK WITH ALLIANT ABOUT THAT. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A BUYDOWN PLAN FOR THE EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE DEPENDENTS THAT WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE. WE WOULD ASK THEM TO PUT A LITTLE BIT OF SKIN IN THE GAME AND THEN THE CITY WOULD PUT A LITTLE BIT OF SKIN IN THE GAME. IT WOULD NOT BE THE SAME PLAN THAT WE OFFER THE REGULAR EMPLOYEE. AND SO WE JUST STARTED THAT CONCEPT. I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S EVEN DOABLE IN THIS FISCAL CYCLE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE, I THINK WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT BEING COMPETITIVE GOING FORWARD BECAUSE THE NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT WE HEAR FROM OUR CHILDBEARING AGE, UH, OFFICERS, DISPATCHERS STREET FOLKS, EVERYBODY IS, IS IT'S JUST TOO DAMN EXPENSIVE TO PROVIDE DEPENDENT CARE ON OUR PLAN. UH, THAT SET OUR PLAN. I THINK WE'RE PAYING BETWEEN EIGHT AND $900 A MONTH TO KEEP THOSE DEPENDENTS ON COVERAGE. AND SO, UH, IF YOU'RE MAKING $15 AN HOUR, YOU'RE BASICALLY WORKING FOR INSURANCE AT THAT POINT FOR YOUR FAMILY. AND SO WE'RE COGNIZANT OF THAT. UH, WE'VE GOT A PLAN PUT TOGETHER WHERE ANGEL JUST STARTED THIS AFTERNOON, THE QUESTIONNAIRE PROCESS SEEING IF THERE WOULD BE INTEREST IN GOING TO MAYBE A LITTLE BIT LESSER COVERAGE PLAN AND PUTTING SOME SKIN IN THE GAME TO GET YOUR DEPENDENTS A LOWER RATE. SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT THIS FISCAL CYCLE, BUT IT IS SOMETHING WE WILL BE WORKING ON GOING FORWARD. UH, THE OTHER MAJOR CHANGE. WELL, ACTUALLY THERE'S A COUPLE OF MAJOR TRENDS. WE HAVE, WE GOT CAUGHT WITH A CURVE BALL THIS AFTERNOON AND I'LL GET INTO THAT AND JUST A FEW MINUTES, UH, BUT THE OTHER MAJOR CHANGE, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF PERCENT UTILIZATION ON RECYCLING. AND SO WE HAVE GONE BACK AND FORTH INTERNALLY ABOUT EASIER IT OUT. DO WE DO AWAY WITH IT? WE KNOW THAT THE FOLKS THAT DO RECYCLE ARE AVID ABOUT IT. UM, AND SO WE WENT, UH, WE'RE IN THE SAME BOAT THAT LIKE JACKSON IS LIKE JACKSON AND, UH, THE CITY WE'RE TOLD BY OUR PARTNERS AND I'M GOING TO USE THAT TERM EXCEPTIONALLY LOOSELY WHEN IT COMES TO WASTE CONNECTIONS. BUT OUR PARTNERS AT WASTE CONNECTIONS BASICALLY SAID AFTER JUNE ONE OF THIS YEAR, THAT WOULD NOT ACCEPT OUR RECYCLING ANYMORE. WE GOT THEM TO EXTEND THAT OUT TO AUGUST. AND NOW THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT OCTOBER BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SOME OTHER LEVERAGE ISSUES, UH, THAT WE NEED TO TOUCH ON [00:10:01] REGARDING WASTE CONNECTIONS, BUT ESSENTIALLY THEY REFUSED THERE. THEY TOLD US THEY'RE OUT OF IT OUT OF THE RECYCLING BUSINESS. THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY PART OF IT ANYMORE. SO WE'VE KNOWN THAT FOR ABOUT A YEAR. UH, MR. MUNDO AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, WE'VE TALKED TO A NUMBER OF CONSULTANTS. WE'VE TALKED TO A NUMBER OF PROVIDERS, UM, AND WHERE WE ENDED UP OR WHERE THEY KIND OF ENDED UP IN WHERE WE'RE KIND OF FOLLOWING THEM TOO, IS VERNON MATERIALS. UM, VERNER HAS A VOLUME PACKAGE PLAN THAT THEY OPERATE. THEY'RE WILLING TO LEASE US SOME BASE SPACE. AND FOR ABOUT A THIRD OF THE COST THAT WE'RE PAYING RIGHT NOW FOR RECYCLING, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO OFFER THAT SERVICE. UH, THE WAY IT WOULD WORK IS WE WOULD ESSENTIALLY PICK UP YOUR BLUE BAG. WE WOULD TAKE IT TO THE VERNER FACILITY. WE WOULD LEASE A BAY FROM BURNER. THEY WOULD HOLD IT UNTIL WE GOT TO A CERTAIN VOLUME AND THEN THEY WOULD CART IT NORTH TO THE MURPH AT THE WASTE MANAGEMENT SITE FOR US, UH, VERSUS US HOLDING THE MATERIAL OR TRUCKING THE MATERIAL UP THERE EVERY TIME, IF WE WERE TO MAKE A RUN, EVERY TIME WE COLLECTED UP TO THE MURPH IT'S WE ESTIMATED ABOUT $1,130 PER TRIP. UH, AND WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS NOT COST-EFFECTIVE, UH, NOR DO WE THINK IT WAS COST-EFFECTIVE TO LOOK AT TRYING TO HIRE NEW GEN OR ONE OF THE OTHER STRATEGY. UH, OTHER RECYCLING GROUPS THAT COME IN, UH, OUR VOLUME IS EXCEPTIONALLY LOW. SO IN THE BUDGET THAT YOU SAW IN JULY, WE HAD ACTUALLY ZEROED IT OUT. UH, WE PUT THAT BACK IN WE'VE INCLUDED ABOUT 54,000 OR $30,000 BACK IN ON THE SUPPOSITION THAT MAYBE A USER WILL GO UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW. WE'VE BEEN IN THE PROGRAM NOW FOR 12, 13 YEARS, WE'VE BEEN RECYCLING AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER PAID. AND JOHN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE'VE NEVER SURPASSED 20% UTILIZATION HAPPENED. SO I JUST IT'S A NOBLE. BUT THE REALITY IS, IS I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT DIVIDEND TO IT. THE FOLKS AT WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSURED US THAT IT IS STILL A MONEY-MAKING PROPOSITION FOR THEM, WHICH IS CONTRARY TO WHAT WASTE CONNECTIONS TOLD US. BUT I THINK THE REASON THAT IT IS A MONEY-MAKING PROPOSITION FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE FACILITY, THE COLLECTION, THEY CONTROL THE COSTS THEMSELVES, WHEREAS WE'RE AT THEIR BECK AND CALL OR THEIR MERCY TO GET EVERYTHING TRANSPORTED UP THERE, SORTED AND THEN SOLD. SO A LOT OF, A LOT OF THAT ALSO HAS TO DO WITH THE MARKET. QUITE FRANKLY, CHINA'S NO LONGER TAKING 90% OF THE RECYCLABLES THAT THEY WERE A DECADE AGO. INDIA DOESN'T WANT THEM. AND SO IT'S GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO PLACE THOSE THINGS THAT DON'T, CAN'T BE REUSED IN OUR INTERNAL MARKET. SO, UH, IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. SO, UH, WE DID NOT INCLUDE A FEE TO OFFSET THAT $30,000 IN HERE BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY HITTING THE CUSTOMER WITH A RATE INCREASE ON SOLID WASTE. WE DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS FAIR TO DOUBLE THAT UP. SO MOVING INTO WATER, UH, WE DID INCLUDE A 10 AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE IN RATE, UH, THAT COVERS OUR POOL PERCENT RATE INCREASE THAT WE WERE GIVEN BY BWA. UH, WE WILL BE NEEDING TO RAISE RATES INCREMENTALLY, BUT I WOULD NOTE THAT IT'S BEEN SIX YEARS SINCE WE TOUCHED THEM. WE'VE BEEN VERY CONSCIENTIOUS AND DILIGENT ABOUT NOT RAISING RATES BECAUSE OF THE VOLATILITY IN THE MARKETS. I THINK WE WERE GOING TO DO IT IN 2019. UH, AND THEN WE BACKED OFF AND THEN 2020 AND THE CO COVID HIT AND WE DECIDED TO HAVE THE BRAKES ENTIRELY. THEN WE HAVE PERMISSION TO RAISE THAT AS PART OF A WATER WASTEWATER MASTER PLAN. UH, PUC REQUIRES THAT WE DO ONE, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO A SUBSTANTIAL RATE INCREASE AND WHAT I ASSUME, AND I'M NOT THE EXPERT NOT CONDUCTING THE RIGHT STUDIES THAT WE WILL LOOK AT INCREMENTAL INCREASES FROM THIS POINT FORWARD. UH, BUT WE WERE HIT WITH A 12.7% INCREASE BY BWA WHO WERE NOTIFIED OF THAT STARTING OCTOBER ONE. SO WE WILL NEED TO INCREASE OUR RATES JUST TO PASS THOSE COSTS THROUGH QUESTIONS ON ENTERPRISE WATER RATES OR RATES. SO THIS IS THE BOTTOM LINE AS IT LOOKS NOW, AND IT LOOKS WE'RE $7,000 LESS THAN WHAT WE WERE ON JULY 1ST IN TERMS OF DRAW DOWN FROM THE, FROM THE, UH, FROM THE FUND, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF INTO YEAR PROJECTION CHANGE THAT WILL COME AS WELL. I, CHRIS HAS BEEN WORKING FAVORABLY ON THAT, BUT LIKE I SAID, WE DID GET HIT WITH A CURVE BALL LATE THIS AFTERNOON. AND I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT. I KNOW MIKE IS ADVOCATING FOR A LADDER TRUCK. IT'S A GREAT TRUCK. IT WILL HELP US. THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S $1.3 MILLION AND I WILL GIVE CREDIT TO, UH, IS IT THERE? WHAT'S THE NAME? DANA, DANA. UH, I THINK I'VE LOOKED AT 16 DIFFERENT POTENTIAL FINANCE MODELS THIS YEAR, TAKING THE PAYMENTS OUT FROM, UH, SEVEN TO 21 TO 25. WE STILL END UP AT ABOUT 160 TO $220,000 A YEAR IN ADDITIONAL COST. IF WE FINANCE IT THAT WAY, UH, OUR BOND COUNSEL, UH, IS REALLY ADAMANT BECAUSE OF OUR DEBT CAPACITY [00:15:01] AND THE FLOOD, THE VOLATILITY OF THE MARKETS RIGHT NOW THAT WE NOT TRY AND GO ISSUE DEBT THIS YEAR. AND SO THEY REALLY WANT US TO HOLD THE LINE THERE. SO IF COUNSEL, UH, WANTS TO LOOK AT A TRUCK, WE CAN MODEL THAT IN THERE, BUT IT'S NOT MODELED IN THIS YEAR. WE WERE HOWEVER REMINDED. WE AMENDED THE BUDGET BACK IN MARCH, UH, TO PURCHASE THE TANKER TRUCK AND THE RAPID RESPONSE VEHICLE WE HAVE PAID FOR THE TANKER TRUCK. SO THOSE FUNDS ARE GONE. THEY'RE OUT OF THE BUDGET. THEY'RE NOT THERE ANYMORE. UH, WE HAD NOT ACCOUNTED FOR THE $198,000 FOR THE RAPID RESPONSE VEHICLE. THIS FIGURE DOES INCLUDE THAT FIGURE NOW. SO WE WERE A LITTLE BIT LOWER UNTIL ABOUT TWO HOURS AGO. UH, MIKE AND I GOT TO TALKING AND I SAID, MIKE, DID WE PAY FOR THAT TRUCK YET? AND HE AND CHRIS BOTH WERE LIKE, NO, WE HAVEN'T PAID FOR THAT TRUCK. SO WE'VE BEEN COMING TO THOSE BUCKS AND THAT'S REFLECTED IN THIS BUDGET, HOW MUCH WITH THE TANKER WAS RIGHT AT FOUR 30, GIVE OR TAKE SOME TIME. CORRECT. AND SO WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS A GOOD DEAL AT THE TIME WE'VE NEEDED ONE, UH, FOR THE WINTER STORM WAS PAINT MADE IT PAINFULLY APPARENT. IF YOU RECALL, WE HAD TO BRING A TRUCK IN FROM NORTH TEXAS TO PROVIDE WATER DURING THE, UH, DURING THE WINTER STORM TO US. WE DIDN'T WANT TO BE CAUGHT IN THAT POSITION EVER AGAIN. SO I THINK THOSE ARE BOTH BIG NEEDS OF THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE'VE BASICALLY FLIPPED THE FLEET. NOW SINCE 2018, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK, WE'VE GOT TWO NEW ENGINES OF QUINCE, WE'RE OUT OF THE TANKER, WE'VE ADDED THE RAPID RESPONSE VEHICLE. WE SIGNIFICANTLY UPGRADED THE FLEET. AND SO I THINK IT'S NOT FINANCIALLY PRUDENT AT THIS TIME TO ADD ANOTHER $200,000 FOR A TRUCK AT THIS TIME. NOW IN TWO YEARS, WHEN THE MARKET'S A LITTLE BIT BETTER, I THINK WE TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND COME BACK TO IT. AND I KNOW MIKE'S CONCERNED ABOUT COSTS. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT COST AT THAT TIME TOO. AND THE COST OF FINANCE AT THAT TIME MAY BE HIGHER, BUT I JUST DON'T THINK WE'RE IN A POSITION CASHFLOW WISE TO DO THAT THIS YEAR. I THINK WE STICK TO OUR PLAN. WE RETIRE OUR MORTGAGE THAT FREES UP MONEY TO FUND THE GENERAL FUND. AND THEN WE GO FROM THERE. UM, I WILL SAY ALSO ON THE QUESTION OF DEBT AND ON THE QUESTION OF WHERE WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD, UH, AT OUR DEBT STRUCTURE, UH, WE'LL RETIRE TWO NOTES THAT ARE TIED TO OUR DEBT CAP, BUT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR TAX RATE, UH, RELATING TO THE EDC ISSUES BACK IN THE EARLY PART OF THE DECADE. UH, SO WE'RE GOING TO PUT THOSE BOTH TO BED IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WHICH WILL FREE UP SOME MONEY AND SOME DEBT CAPACITY, BUT ARE AFRAID ALMOST ALL OF THAT'S GOING TO BE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BY FACILITIES AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. SO WHEN WE DO A PACKAGE, A, WHAT I'VE ASKED THE TEAM IN SAN ANTONIO TO LOOK AT IS, IS, IS A, A ROLLING PACKAGE, SIMILAR TO WHAT LAKE JACKSON DOES. IF YOU NOTICE LIKE JACKSON ISSUE THAT JUST ABOUT EVERY OTHER YEAR, RATHER THAN HAT COMING DOWN AND HIT AND HITTING THE POPULACE WITH ONE MASSIVE PET ISSUE. I THINK THAT'S THE MODEL WE WANT TO FOLLOW, BUT WE WILL REQUIRE SOME NEW FACILITIES WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE NEW POLICE STATION. THEY'RE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS AND IT'S FALLING APART. UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE US DO A MONUMENTAL TYPE PROJECT AT THE END OF THAT STREET, SO WE CAN CONVERT THE MUNICIPAL COURT. IT'S IN GREAT SHAPE. IT'S STILL FUNCTIONAL, BUT CONVERTED INTO ANOTHER COMMUNITY CENTER, MORE OFFICE SPACE. HOWEVER, WE WANT TO USE IT, BUT TO HAVE A SIGNATURE PIECE THERE AS PART OF A REDUX OR REVAMP OF MAIN STREET, UH, I WAS TALKING LAST NIGHT WITH SOME OF THE GUYS AT CITY, FRESH MARKET. AND ONE OF THE GUYS BEHIND ME IN LINE JOKE, I SAID, WELL, I ASKED THE GENTLEMAN WHO OWNS THE ESTABLISHMENT AND HIS NAME ESCAPES ME AT THE MOMENT HOW BUSINESS WAS. AND HE SAID, WELL, THEY'RE READY FOR SCHOOL TO GET BACK. CAUSE SCHOOL'S A MAGNET. AND I SAID, WELL, HOPEFULLY YOUR POSITION HERE ONE DAY WILL BE A MAGNET BECAUSE THIS IS DOWNTOWN. THIS IS WHERE FOLKS WILL COME AND WANT TO PLAY AND EAT AND STAY. AND THE GUY BEHIND ME LAUGH SAY, WELL, CLUNE, AIN'T GOT NO DOWNTOWN. I SAID, NO, BUT WE WILL. AND I KIND OF TALKED TO HIM ABOUT MY PLAN AND HE WAS LIKE, WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY COOL. I WISH YOU WOULD TELL THE PUBLIC. SO WE PROBABLY NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF EXPLAINING THAT THAT'S ALSO GETS INTO THAT LIVABLE CENTER STUDY THAT WE WILL BE INITIATING THIS YEAR. AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET FOLKS TO BUY IN A LITTLE BIT MORE. SO, UH, THAT IS MY RECAP OF THE BUDGET. I KNOW YOU MAY HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE OR THROW ROCKS AT ME. THAT'S HEALTHY. I WILL SAY THE ONLY THING THAT, THAT I GUESS BOTHERS ME A LITTLE BIT IS ALL THE INCREASES THAT WE HAVE TO DO TO THE PUBLIC. I MEAN, AND THEN I KNOW THE, YOU HAD SAID THE RECOMMENDED RATE THAT WE GO WITH IS 0.5, 9.59. YES, SIR. UM, WHICH, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S A VERY HARD YEAR AND ONE OF THOSE THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT REDUCING THE COLO PER STAFF THAT BUYS US A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY, A LITTLE BIT OF WIGGLE ROOM, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IS WE'RE IN A STATE. [00:20:01] WE DON'T GET A BREAK ON INFLATION, JUST LIKE THE CUSTOMERS KNOW THEY'RE BREAK ON INFLATION AND WE'RE NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHERE WE CAN PRINT ON THE MONEY. NOW I WOULD LOVE TO THINK THAT OUR FRIENDS, OUR FRIENDS IN AUSTIN ARE SITTING ON THAT $23 BILLION TREASURE CHEST RIGHT NOW WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE THE WEALTH, BUT I DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING EITHER. SO, UH, WE'RE IN A POSITION WHERE OUR COSTS HAVE GONE TO INCREMENTALLY UP OR EXPONENTIALLY UP QUITE FRANKLY, IN TERMS OF FUEL. ALTHOUGH NOW THAT THE FUEL PRICES ARE STARTING TO COME DOWN, WE'RE FEELING A LITTLE BIT LESS TENSION, BUT IT COSTS A LOT TO OPERATE. AND SO, UH, THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO WE'VE OPERATED THE UTILITY OR ENTERPRISE FUND THAT A DEFICIT FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, TRYING TO NOT MAKE IT SO PAINFUL, BUT WE'RE AT A PLACE WHERE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO CONTINUE DOING THAT, DOING IT. DID WE GET SOMETHING THAT SHOWED LIKE ON THE ONE THAT WE GOT FOR THE, UM, THE CITY TAX RATE ON PROPERTY TAXES? YES MA'AM. DID WE GET SOMETHING FOR THE WATER INCREASE? HOW MUCH IT WAS GONNA COST ABOUT, UH, OUR AVERAGE PER PERSON WATERVILLE? I THINK WE DID DIDN'T YES. MA'AM. HOLD ON. JUST CONTINUE. I THINK YOU GAVE IT TO US LAST TIME. I THINK IT'S PROBABLY, MAYBE IN, I THINK YOU SAID IT WAS LIKE 10, EIGHT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, ROUGHLY A DOLLAR 20 OR SOMETHING, WHATEVER. IT WAS NOT A LOT AS A DOLLAR ADT. SO, UM, IT WASN'T A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE, BUT IT'S, IT'S STILL A CHANGE. AND IF YOU'RE ON A FIXED INCOME, I TOTALLY GET THAT. IT'S A HARD PILL TO SWALLOW. WHAT IS THE CURRENT CURRENT TAX RATE IS 0.6, TWO, FIVE YEARS A YEAR. SO 62 AND A HALF CENTS WILL BE DROPPING 3 CENTS. IF YOU GO TO THE VAT RATE, WHICH IS A 3% DECLINE. AND AS I'VE EXPLAINED TO SOME OF THE COUNSELORS, THAT THE REALITY IS IS WE CAN REDUCE THE RATE, BUT UNLESS WE ALSO REDUCE THE REVENUE, WE STILL GET A HICKEY IN THE EYE OF THE PUBLIC BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE HAVE TO REPORT WHAT'S QUOTA TRUTH AND TAXATION, I SUPPOSE THEY WERE ACTUALLY REDUCING THE RATE WITH OUR APPRAISAL BY YOU AS WEBS OUR TAX DOLLARS. AND SO THIS, THIS CHART KIND OF SHOWS THE PAST 10 YEARS OR PAST 11 YEARS OF WHAT WE'VE DONE ON 2012. OUR TAX RATE WAS 67 AND A HALF CENTS. AND WE CARRIED THAT RIGHT THROUGH TO 20 16, 20 16, OBVIOUSLY MARKS THE ONSET OF THE EXPANSION OF COLLEGE PARK AND ALSO THE, UH, THE CREATION OF WOODS SHORE AND THAT DEVELOPMENT, WHICH DROVE VALUES HIGHER. AND COUNCIL, IT'S ALWAYS A, IT'S AN INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOTAL VALUE AND TAX RATE. THEY COUNTER PRESSURE EACH OTHER. SO AS YOUR VALUES GO UP, YOUR RATE COMES DOWN AND IN THEORY, YOUR REVENUE SHOULD COME UP AS WELL. AND SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK, WE'VE REALLY DONE A GREAT JOB, UH, 2016 TO 2018, REDUCING OUR OVERALL TAX BURDEN ON OUR RESIDENTS 2019, WE HELD THE LINE AT 62.5 BECAUSE VALUES KINDA DIDN'T QUITE GROW AS FAST AS THEY EXPECTED THEM TO DURING THAT PERIOD. UH, BUT THEN THEY SHOT OFF LIKE A ROCKET BETWEEN 20, 20, 20, 20, AND 2021, ALLOWING US TO REDUCE THAT RIGHT TO 59 CENTS. UH, BUT THEN LAST YEAR, OUR DEAR FRIENDS IN THE MULTI-FAMILY RENTAL MARKET DECIDED THAT THEY COULD MODIFY THEIR VALUES, UH, TAKING PROFIT AND LOSS INTO ACCOUNT. AND THAT HAMMERED OUR VALUE DOWN. WE HAD, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER SEEN A CITY LOSE VALUE IN A YEAR. AND WE LOST ALMOST $70 MILLION IN VALUE IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE. WE GOT MOST OF IT BACK. AND ACTUALLY WE SURPASSED THAT NUMBER AGAIN THIS YEAR. WE'RE BACK TO WHERE WE THINK WE NEED TO BE. AND THAT'S, WHAT'S ALLOWED US TO SUPPRESS THAT RIGHT. 3 CENTS BACK TO THE 59 CENT, RIGHT? YEAH. SORRY. BASICALLY, ANYBODY THAT, ANYBODY THAT DID NOT GET AN APPRAISAL INCREASE, THEIR TAXES WILL BE GOING DOWN. SO THAT WILL JUSTIFY THE, THE WATER IN GREECE. CORRECT. THEY WILL ACTUALLY BE GETTING, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY PLAY IT, PAYING LESS TAXES IF THEIR APPRAISAL DO GO UP, IF THEIR CRIES ARE LIT UP. YEAH. THE DISTRICT, PROBABLY A FEW THERE. THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE THAT MEANING THAT THERE'S, I MEAN, I TALKED TO ONE ON MY OWN AND NOW IT'S JUST LAND, BUT I WAS GOING TO ACTUALLY TALK TO A RESIDENT IN WOODS SHORE WHO WAS SHOCKED BECAUSE HIS APPRAISAL WENT DOWN AND HE WAS A LITTLE, I WAS LIKE IN, WOULD SHORT YOUR APPRAISAL WENT DOWN. AND HE SAID, YEAH, BUT HE DIDN'T. HE THOUGHT HE WAS OVER CAP VALUE LAST YEAR. AND THEY WERE MAKING UP THE DIFFERENCE ON THE PROTESTS THIS YEAR IS KIND OF WHAT HE SAID. HE FELT LIKE IT HAPPENED. SO, YEAH. UM, BASICALLY I PROTESTED MINE AND THEY SENT ME A NICE LONG EMAIL THAT, UH, THAT TOLD ME THAT, UH, BASICALLY THEY, ANY KIND OF PROPERTY THAT YOU OWN WAS BASED ON THE RATE THAT THE PROPERTY WILL SELL IT FOR IN THAT AREA. AND THEN IF YOU HAD A, IF YOUR HOMESTEAD, WHATEVER YOU HAD AS YOUR HOME DID 10%. YUP. YUP. SO, AND I WILL STAY THERE. [00:25:01] THEY, THEY, THIS WAS A RECORD YEAR FOR PROTESTS. THEY STILL HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY GOT ABOUT $10 MILLION WORTH OF VALUE. THEY ESTIMATE A $10 MILLION GAP IN VALUE, UH, TO FINALIZE THE PROTEST ON. UH, BUT I SAY THAT MY NEXT QUESTION WAS BECAUSE I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU. YEAH. I SENT THOSE NUMBERS OUT TO Y'ALL LATE LAST WEEK. I THINK I SHOWED A RATE OF 57 CENTS BASED ON VALUE. UH, WE GOT OUR NUMBERS IN, AT THREE O'CLOCK ON MONDAY AFTERNOON AND I WAS AT TILL FIVE O'CLOCK THE NEXT MORNING TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER THE PACKET THAT Y'ALL GOT THE NEXT DAY TO MAKE IT MAKE SENSE TO ME, BECAUSE I HATE TELLING YOU ONE NUMBER AND THEN HAVING TO COME BACK AND TELL YOU ANOTHER NUMBER. UH, AND I VERIFY WITH THE COUNTY, THE NUMBER THAT WE HAVE IS A GOOD NUMBER. AND THEY SAID THAT THAT 5 74 BY, OR THE 6 74 VALUE WAS THE CORRECT NUMBER THAT WAS SAFE TO GO ON. AND THE 59 CENTS WAS THE SAFE NUMBER TO GO ON AS WELL. SO I HAVE A HARD TIME RATIONALIZING HOW THEY CAN GO. WE CAN ONLY GO THREE AND A HALF, THAT'S IT IT'S TRULY MADDENING. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE ONE YEAR, CORRECT? I MEAN, WE GOT TO HAVE A BOAT. YEAH, YEAH. THIS IS THE ONE YEAR THAT NOT BEING ABLE TO GO, UH, ABOVE THE THREE AND A HALF PERCENT IS REALLY BITING US. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ABLE TO CAPTURE OUR FULL COST. SO I JUST LOST FIVE MINUTES PROTEST. OH, I'M SO SORRY. YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, OUR, YOUR OWN GUN AND EVERYBODY ELSE, THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL PROBABLY HAD MORE WE'RE ALIVE. WE CAN'T GIVE THEM SOME KIND OF THIS YEAR. THIS YEAR HURTS EVERYBODY. I DON'T KNOW. IT'S, IT'S BACK DOWN TO ABOUT WHERE WE WERE AT LAST YEAR. WE WENT UP WHAT, UH, 7.70 CENTS 7 CENTS YESTERDAY, BUT WE GOT HALF OF THAT BACK THIS YEAR. CORRECT. GET THE OTHER HALF BACK NEXT YEAR. HOPEFULLY. YEAH. LAST YEAR I WENT HOME AND CRIED. YEAH. YEAH. IT'S NOT A PLEASANT FUNNY. AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE, WHEN I TALK WITH MY PEERS FROM AROUND, YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE A LOOK AT LIKE, JACKSON HAS A MUCH LOWER ADD MORE RIGHT THAN WE DO, BUT THEY HAVE THE CUSHION OF THE SALES TAX THAT HAS HELPED THEM. UH, THEY'VE ACTUALLY DONE A LITTLE CRIME THIS YEAR BECAUSE THEIR SALES TAX IS DOWN. BUT THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE INTERNET SALES THAT ARE DRIFTED TO OUR SIDE A LOT. UH, SO LIKE I SAID, IN MY, IN THE, IN THE JULY MEETING, I RARELY, UH, I WANT FOLKS TO SHOP LOCAL, BUT DON'T BE AFRAID TO BUY THEM ON TAPE CAUSE THAT KIND OF STUDENTS, SO, ALL RIGHT. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS A PROPOSED RATE. THIS IS NOT THE FIVE RAGE. IT WON'T BE AROUND RIGHT UNTIL WE, IT CAN BE CHANGED UP TILL THE NIGHT THAT WE TAKE OUR FINAL VOTE. IT CAN BE CHANGED THAT NIGHT. IF IT NEEDS TO, THIS IS JUST, THIS IS JUST THE RIGHT BUDGET IS PUT TOGETHER ON TAKE YOUR TIME. THAT CORRECT. THAT IS CORRECT. IF WE ADJUST IT, THEN WE HAVE TO ADJUST. BUT CORRECT. AND THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN THE CONVERSATION. THIS IS OPENED THE CONVERSATION AFTER THE PUBLIC WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN A VOTE IN EARLY SEPTEMBER. THERE'S A LOT OF TIME TO MAKE CHANGES AND MAKE SWINGS. AND WE'RE HERE FOR Y'ALL. CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU WOULD, WHAT, WHICH HILLS Y'ALL WANT US TO CHARGE AND WHICH SHOWS YOU DON'T WANT TO CHARGE A WILL CHARGE OF SILVER, NOT CHARGING THE FIELD SUPPORT. THIS IS WELL, THAT'S A LOT BETTER THAN LAST YEAR. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. NOW IT'S VERY, I DON'T EVER, I THINK I TOLD YOU ALL LAST YEAR, I DON'T EVER WANT TO HAVE TO COME BACK DOWN AND ASK FOR A SIGNIFICANT RATE INCREASE LIKE THAT AGAIN, THAT WAS TOTALLY UNSETTLING. AND I'VE NEVER IN 24 YEARS OF PUBLIC MANAGEMENT EVER HAD VENDOR OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, UH, DISCUSSING RATE, UH, THIS CHART THAT I HAVE UP ON THE SCREEN, LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE IT ON. OKAY. UH, KIND OF DETAILS. THEY KNOW TO TAXES, RIGHT? WHAT WE USED TO CALL THE EFFECTIVE RATE, THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, WHICH AUTOMATICALLY TRIGGERS AN ELECTION. IF WE GO OVER, IF WE GO UP TO IT, WE'RE FINE. IF WE GO OVER, WE DON'T HAVE TO, WE IN THEORY HAVE TO HOLD AN ELECTION. UH, BUT BECAUSE WE'RE UNDER 30,000, WE ALSO FALL UNDER WHAT'S CALLED A RULE. AND THAT ALLOWS SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT SWING. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE DE MINIMIS RATE IS ACTUALLY 63 AND A HALF CENTS. WE'RE NOT ADVOCATING FOR THAT. THAT IS NOT OUR REQUEST. BUT WE DO WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU COULD TECHNICALLY GO HIGHER ONE TIME TO OFFSET THAT, UH, OFFSET THOSE LOSSES. UM, BUT OUR RECOMMENDATION [00:30:01] IS THE VAT OR WHAT USED TO BE CALLED THE ROLLBACK RATE, UH, WHICH IS A HALF STEP BETWEEN THE TWO, OBVIOUSLY AND BELOW THAT YOU CAN SEE THE IMPACT ON THE PROPERTY OWNER. SO A NET DIFFERENTIAL, ROUGHLY OF $20. AND I SEE IT MATH THERE THAT I FAILED TO CATCH, BUT YOU LOOK AT THE RED LINE. UH, SO THE IT'S A $37 DIFFERENCE ON A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR HOME MEAN JUST THE, JUST THE RATE INCREASES OF THE JUUL INCREASE THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE NEXT YEAR. IF THERE THERE'S GOT TO BE AN INCREASE SOMEWHERE CUT SOMEWHERE, BUT THIS ONE ON THE ROLLBACK RATE TECHNIQUE, WE'RE GOING DOWN ON THIS AMOUNT OF TAX EACH JUST THE CORRECT PHRASAL DISTRICT AS INFLATED, EVERYTHING SO BAD. YES MA'AM. SO THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO. WE ZERO CONTROLS. MATTER OF FACT, IT IS ILLEGAL FOR Y'ALL TO GO AS A COUNTY, AS A COUNCIL TO CALL BECAUSE WE'D WANTED TO TALK TO THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. IT IS ILLEGAL FOR US TO ACTUALLY BRING THEM IN AND QUESTION, OH NO, DID NOT KNOW THAT THE STATE SAID YOU CANNOT DO THAT BECAUSE WE WERE SEEN AS BEING BULLIED TO THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. SO THEY'RE IN HERE AND ISOLATED FROM THAT. AND THE CAT THAT STATE CAN CALL UP THERE AND READ THEM THE RIOT ACT. BUT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT IS TO BE CONSIDERED A SEPARATE ENTITY AND BUFFERED FROM US. SO WE HAVE NO CONTROL. WE APPOINT MEMBERS TO THE BOARD, WE APPROVE THEIR BUDGET AND CONTRIBUTE THAT THEY ARE A SEPARATE ENTITY ENTERED THEMSELVES. AND YOU SAID THEY, UM, I HEARD THAT THEY JUST BASE IT ON WHATEVER THE MARKET VALUE IS. THE HOUSE CAN SELL IT. IF YOU HAVE A PIECE OF PROPERTY, THAT'S NOT YOUR HOMESTEAD. THE APPRAISAL IS BASED ON WHAT IT'S SELLING FOR IN THAT AREA. IF THERE'S A HOUSE NEXT DOOR TO YOU THAT THE SAME SIZE AS YOUR, THAT WHEN YOU BOUGHT YOUR HOUSE, YOU PAID A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR IT. AND THAT HOUSE TO SETTLE FOR $200,000, THEN IF IT'S NOT YOUR HOMESTEAD, THEY CAN APPROVE YOUR HOUSE. AND I WILL SAY THAT THE COPS IN THE OLDER PART OF OUT THE SHOT OF THIS YEAR, COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING, WE BE LOT SELL FOR ABOUT FIVE TIMES THE ESTIMATED WHAT WE ESTIMATED THE VALUE OF THE X VALUE. SO THAT IT'S, IT USED TO BE THAT YOU WOULD SEE THAT PRESSURE AND WOULD SHORE AND COLLEGE PARK AND LIKE BEN, RIGHT. IT'S DOWNTOWN NOW. OH YEAH. WHICH SHORTER? WHAT IF I GO, INSTEAD OF GET CRAZY AT DISTRICT AND JUST CRY AND GIVE IT A SHOT. I LED PROTEST AS A WISE. IT WAS A WISE MAN. ONCE SAID, IF YOU DON'T ASK, YOU DON'T GET A DANCE, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHETHER CRIME WORKS OR NOT. SO WILL PROBABLY SHOULDN'T DO AN EMAIL. I WAS GOING TO SAY, CRYING. THEY ARE, THEY ARE GIVEN BY THE STATE, THE STATE SETS THE RULES, THE STATE SETS OF PROCEDURES. UM, THERE WAS A TALK, UH, IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION ABOUT SOME DO YOU WANT TO STAY DAYS? RIGHT? AND SO THEY, UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE WAS SOME TALK ABOUT SOME APPRAISAL REFORM. AND THAT REALLY BASICALLY GOT VERY LITTLE TRACTION IN THE LEGISLATURE. IT'S MUCH EASIER TO TELL CITIES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND COUNTIES CONTEND YOUR TAX RATE AND TO CONTAIN WHAT THE MARKET DOES WITH APPRAISAL. WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THIS MUCH, THE BUDGET THAT THEY SEND US OVER THE YEARS HAS NEVER GONE DOWN. YEAH. WHEN IT'S ROUTINELY GROUND MORE THAN 3.5%. WHEN DOES, CAUSE I KNOW WE VOTED IN MAY ON FOR SCHOOL TAXES FOR IT TO BUMP UP, UH, ON HOMESTEAD TO WAS AT $40,000 TO MAKE THE EXEMPTION OR WHATEVER FOR THE SCHOOL TO GO UP TO 40,000. WHAT DOES DR. WINDOWS? SO YOU WILL SEE THAT ON YOUR NEXT FISCAL CYCLE. OKAY. OCTOBER ONE IS YOUR START DATE, THAT NEW FISCAL YEAR, IT SHOULD SHOW UP ON YOUR, ON YOUR FRONT OUT THE, WHAT THEY'RE ALLOWED OR THAT THEY HAVE, IF IT IS YOUR HOMESTEAD, THEY'LL HAVE THE EXEMPTION ON THERE THAT YOU'RE ALLOWED FOR THE COUNTY, FOR THE ROAD BRIDGE AND THE CITY FOR GLASGOW DRAINAGE. IF THERE IS, I PRINTED MINE OUT JUST BECAUSE I THOUGHT THEY WOULD HELP ME TOO. IF ANYBODY WANTS TO CRY, THEY CAN LOOK AT IT. LIKE I SAID, REAL BOARD IS [00:35:01] THERE THAT THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE TECHNICALLY GOVERNED BY THE STATE. AND WE LIKE TO SAY, I WOULDN'T GO UP THERE AND SAY, WELL, IF WE WANT TO, BUT ALL THE PEOPLE THEY GOT TO ASK IS TO STAY ON UM, THEY'VE ALREADY ADJUSTED. THAT'S OUR DEAR FRIENDS AT WASTE CONNECTIONS HAVE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED A, UH, RATE FEE INCREASE, UH, FOLLOWING CPI, WHICH IS THEIR PREROGATIVE UNDER OUR CONTRACT AS, AS THE PARTNERSHIP. SO THEY'VE ALREADY INCREASED. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE ACTUAL BUDGET FIGURE THAT'S, UH, PROVIDED, LET ME FIND WHAT PAGE THAT IS. UH, WE, THIS YEAR BY DID ABOUT $140,000. WE HAD TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE NICHOLAS COME THROUGH, WHICH INCREASED OUR, OUR PUSH A LITTLE BIT THERE, BUT WE STILL ESTIMATE ABOUT A $500,520,000 UH, TO THE LANDFILL. AND SO, UH, THAT'S SEPARATE APART FROM THE ACTUAL AGGREGATE RECYCLING CHARGE SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT A PAGE 67 AND ACTUALLY GO A LITTLE BIT, I MET THE PAGE 17 WHEN ADAM A FULL 13 45, 7 DAYS CONTRACT SERVICES, AND YOU'LL SEE THEM, YOU KIND OF PUT AN 8.9% INCREASE IN TOTAL EXPENDITURE RELATED TO TICKETS. THAT'S THE SEABREEZE ENVIRONMENT LANDFILL. UH, AND THEN UNDERNEATH THAT WE INCLUDED THE 16 TRIPS WE ESTIMATE OR RECYCLING. THAT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT ON HIGH SIDE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE, OF THE FACILITY TO ABOUT $18,000 NEXT YEAR. AND THAT'S JUST RENTING A BAY, THAT'S RUNNING A BAY AND THEN ALLOWING THEM TO COMPRESS IT AND TAKE IT UP FOR US ONCE IT'S ONCE OUR BASE READY TO GO. DOES HE DO THIS FOR OTHER, HE'S ACTUALLY CONTRACTED WITH THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON, LIKE JACKSON'S GOING TO RENT TWO BAYS. UH, THEY COLLECT AT A ABOUT 25. THEIR AVERAGE IS ABOUT 28% PARTICIPATION. SO ABOUT FOUR TIMES WHAT WE HAVE, UM, IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY THE CYCLE, UH, GOODS ENTERING THE ENTERING THEIR SYSTEM. UH, AND SO THEY KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE HIGHER VOLUME JUST ON PURE PARTICIPATION, NOT TO MENTION PURE NUMBERS. SO GOT TWO BAYS THAT THEY'RE RUNNING. AND I KNOW THAT THEY'VE BUDGETED, UH, ALMOST A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THIS. SO, UM, WE HAVEN'T SIGNED A FORMAL AGREEMENT YET. UH, OUR BEING WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY DO A TWO TO THREE-YEAR CONTRACT. NOT THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MARKET'S GOING TO DO, AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT DISRUPTORS MAY HAPPEN. I KNOW COMPANY DOWN HERE THAT THOUGHT ABOUT CREATING A PLASTICS RECYCLING PROGRAM IN MY MODEL, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE AT WITH THAT PROCESS ANYMORE. I THINK THOSE CONVERSATIONS, IT KIND OF DIED OFF BECAUSE THE MARKET FOR [00:40:01] RECYCLED GOODS IS SO VOLATILE. AND BECAUSE IT'S, SO I DON'T WANT TO USE THE WORD WEIRD, BUT IT IS KIND OF WEIRD. LIKE IF YOU HAVE WATER AND A WATER BOTTLE, CERTAIN THE CYCLERS WILL NOT ACCEPT IT BECAUSE THAT WATER IS CONTENDED, CONSIDERED A CONTAMINANT THAT A PLASTIC LABEL MIGHT BE OKAY, BUT THE WATER IS CONTENTMENT WHERE WE WOULD SEE YOU JUST EMPTY IT OUT AND YOU'RE READY TO GO, BUT THAT'S NOT HOW THEY OPERATE OR HOW THEY THINK. SO, UM, AND YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE FOLKS AT WASTE MANAGEMENT, THE BUYERS VARY IN WHAT THE QUALITY OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR TO RECYCLE VARIOUS AND WHAT GOES INTO EVEN LIKE A WATER BOTTLE LIKE THIS, DEPENDING ON THE CHEMICAL MAKEUP, UH, THIS MAY OR MAY NOT BE RECYCLABLE OR MAY OR NOT, MAY NOT BE DESIRABLE BY A RECYCLER BECAUSE THEY MAY, THERE MAY NOT BE A MARKET DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF POLYMER LININGS ON THE INSIDE OF THE BOTTLE. IT'S THAT SPECIFIC. AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE OLD DAYS WE USED TO COLLECT HANDS AND TAKE THOSE IN, AND THAT WAS THE DEAL, BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE ALUMINUM IT'S NOW YOU'VE GOT A MEMBRANE INSIDE AN ALUMINUM THAT IS A FLAVOR CHAIN OR POLYMER THAT MAY NOT BE RECYCLED AT ALL. AND THEY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BURN THAT OFF. YEAH, YEAH. THE GREEN PIGMENT. AND THAT MAKES IT ALMOST DONE RECYCLABLE. CORRECT. I GUESS IT IS. I HAVE A, I WANT TO SAY IT'S A GOOD DEAL. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT WE GET MORE PARTICIPATION FOR THAT MONEY, BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS. AND WE'VE TALK TO THE FOLKS THAT DO THE HARDCORE RECYCLING AND ARE HEAVY INTO IT. AND TALK TO HIM ABOUT MAYBE TRYING TO SET UP A VOLUNTARY WAYSTATION. BUT EVEN IF WE WERE TO PUT A WAYSTATION IN AND LET THEM BRING IT MANUALLY TO US, WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO SORT IT AND THEN GET IT TO BURNER, OR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE IT AND TRANSPORT IT TO VERNER AND SAY, THIS IS MORE COST EFFICIENT IN THE LONG RUN, BUT YOU'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT 7.3, 7.4% OF YOUR TOTAL CUSTOMER BASE. THAT'S NOT THAT'S USING IT. SO 96% OF OUR CUSTOMERS AREN'T USING IT IT'S CAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE WILL PUT OUT LIKE BOXES WITH THEIR GARBAGE. IS THERE ANY WAY THAT, THAT THE SANITATION CREWS COULD BE TOLD, HEY, YOU SEE A STACK OF BOXES, DON'T GRAB IT AND PUT IT IN THE GARBAGE TRUCKS, LEAVE IT OUT. CAUSE FOR US, I MEAN, IT'S, I WAS GOING TO SAY, THEY'LL TYPICALLY SEPARATE THOSE THINGS. IT CAN BE RECYCLED. THE PROBLEM IS, IS NINE TIMES OUT OF 10, WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS, IS THAT CORRUGATED CARDBOARD IS SOILED EITHER THROUGH GREECE OR OTHER DOMESTIC PRODUCTS OR, AND YOU LEAVE LIKE THE STYROFOAM IN IT THAT WHATEVER WAS SHIPPED IN AT IT AND THINK ABOUT THAT. AND THEN IT HAS TO BE SEPARATED AND THEY WANT, THEY DO THAT. SO THAT'S THE FRUSTRATING PART. IT'S LIKE, I'VE GOT ALL THIS STUFF THAT COULD BE RECYCLED, BUT FOR THE PERSNICKETY NICOTINIC, FOR THE WEIRDNESS OF THE MARKET, YOU CAN DECIDE WHAT, UM, AND DO YOU THINK THAT MORE PEOPLE DON'T RECYCLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO PURCHASE THOSE BAGS? I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S A BARRIER OR NOT. WE COULD DEFINITELY TRY AND DO AN EXPERIMENT AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE BLUE BAGS AND JUST SEE IF FOLKS PARTICIPATED. I THINK QUITE HONESTLY, A LOT OF IT IS, IS JUST FRANKLY IT'S WORK. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU GOT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE A HOUSEHOLD, MY HOUSEHOLD THERE'S 4, 3, 4, 5 OF US, DEPENDING ON WHAT DAY OR WEEK IT IS. IF YOU GET HOME FROM WORK, YOU'RE TIRED, YOU GET HOMEWORK, YOU GET EVERYTHING ELSE GOING ON. AND THEN WHAT AM I GOING TO TAKE THE TIME TO SEPARATE THIS OUT AND REALLY MAKE THAT EFFORT? AND PAPER'S A NO BRAINER. YEAH, I'LL DO THAT FOR PAPER, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT THE PLASTIC? AND THEN IS THIS PLASTIC, ARE WE GOING TO BE RECYCLED OR DOES IT JUST GO INTO A DUMP? WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO IT? I THINK THERE'S A MALAYSIA THERE THAT COMES FROM POSSIBLY JUST THE FACT THAT IT'S A TIME CONSUMING THING TO DO NOW IF YOU'RE RETIRED OR IF YOU'RE YOUNGER AND IT'S REALLY SOMETHING YOU BELIEVE IN REALLY, REALLY STRONG, AND YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THE TIME TO DO IT, BUT I DON'T THINK YOUR AVERAGE FAMILY OF FOUR OR FIVE IS GOING TO DO THAT THESE DAYS. WELL, AND I THINK TOO, MAYBE SOME PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S REALLY BEING RECEPTIVE. UH, AND THERE'S, UH, I WILL, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, FOR A WHILE THERE, THERE WAS, UH, SOME TRUTH TO THAT CONCERN. UM, I HAD A FRIEND THAT RAN THE RECYCLING CENTER WHEN THEY PARKED UP HERE. AND HE SAID THE BIGGEST, THE BIGGEST COST THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH THE SEPARATION THAT YOU HAVE TO DO, NOT THE COMPACTING. AND THERE'S JUST ALL THE SEPARATION THAT YOU HAVE, UH, ALL THE CLEANUP THAT YOU HAVE TO DO. PICKLE SAID, PIPER OUT THERE, LIKE THIS HAS GOT A LITTLE FLIP ON IT. YOU GOT IT, JUST THIS FIGHT THAT YOU SPEND ALL THAT MONEY WHEN YOU GO UP THERE AND YOU GET A THOUSAND POUNDS CJ FOR THE, WOULD [00:45:01] WE BE ABLE TO JUST, AND JUST TO SEE, CAUSE I KNOW MS. UH, MS. VAUGHN GOT A GOOD POINT, IS IT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GO OUT AND BUY A DIFFERENT COLOR BAG? COULD WE USE, OR NEXT TIME GO AROUND, CREATE A PROJECT WITH THE BUDGET OF OUR KEY, KEY, BEAUTIFUL TO PROVIDE BAGS. SURE. SPECIFICALLY FOR RECYCLING. SURE. AT LEAST JUST TO SEE IF, IF WE SEE AN INCREASE IN RECYCLING AND THAT WAY WE DON'T USE THE BUDGET FROM ANYWHERE ELSE, WE CAN USE THE BUDGET FROM KEEP CLEAN. BEAUTIFUL. AND I THINK JOHN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE ORDERED, WE STILL GOT, WE HAVE A BACK IN A FEW YEARS, TWO YEARS, UNLESS IT DID CRISIS. YEAH. UNLESS FOLKS GET REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WAS REALLY WEIRD WAS, AND WE EXPECTED A SPIKE BECAUSE WE GOT SO MUCH FLACK FOR NOT TAKING IT DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT EVEN THAT SPIKE WAS MAYBE TWO WEEKS LONG AND THEN IT JUST KIND OF TRAILED OFF. SO ON THE BLACK, THE REGULAR TRASH BAGS, ARE WE SEEING THE SALES ABOUT THE SAME ON THOSE AS WELL? YES. YEAH. THE SALES THERE IS PRETTY STEADY. WE HAVE, UH, OF COURSE WE DO HAVE THE CARDS FOR LEASE. UH, WE'RE SEEING THE ADOPTION OF THOSE MORE IN THE MASTER PLAN COMMUNITIES AND KEY FOLKS DOWNTOWN, UH, WHICH HAS HELPED OUT, I THINK, REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF PLASTIC BAGS THAT WE'RE SELLING, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN NOTICEABLE YET. CAUSE I THINK WE'VE ONLY CHECKED OUT HOW MANY OF THOSE RELEASE THE ROLL OFF THE CAR TRASH. SO WE'RE ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY THROUGH OUR SUPPLY. UM, AND WE'RE NOT SEEING IT THAT DEEPLY. I KNOW WORDS, UH, A DECREASE IN DEMAND FOR THE BAGS AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE I WAS THINKING OF THE BLACK BAGS ARE SELLING MORE THAN THE BLUE BAGS THAT IT'S, THAT PEOPLE ARE JUST CHOOSING NOT TO. WELL, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN THE, THAT'S GOING TO CLIP SINCE THE TIME OF, WELL, I THINK WE DID TWO BAG ORDERS LAST YEAR, THE BLACK BAGS, AND THEN ON THE SAME BLUE BAG NOW FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. SO, OR THEY DON'T EVEN WAIT UNTIL IT BREAKS AND THEY GO BUY SOMETHING AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE THAN 30 SECONDS TO TAKE CARE OF SOMETHING THERE'S NOTHING. OH YEAH, YEAH. IT'S IT'S IT DOES TAKE A LITTLE LEVER, BUT NOT THAT MUCH. NO, NO, NOT A TON, BUT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, I THINK FOLKS MAKE IT INTO A BIGGER THING IN THEIR MIND AND THEN IT BECOMES A MENTAL BLOCK. WELL, I THINK ERIC'S GOT A REALLY GOOD IDEA AND ACTUALLY WE CAN LOOK AT REFUNDING THAT THIS YEAR, BECAUSE THERE'S TO THAT. YEAH. I WILL SAY ON THE ANIMAL CONTROL PLOT, UH, WE HAD TALKED WITH THE, WE HAD BEEN IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH ANGLETON AND FREEPORT ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN IT IN A FACILITY. UH, WE GET AN EMAIL MONDAY EVENING FROM, UH, ANGLETON. UH, THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT FACILITIES, COST, AND INFRASTRUCTURE, AND BASICALLY, UH, ARE GONNA STAND PAT AT THIS TIME UNLESS WE CAN COME UP WITH A FACILITY ON OUR SIDE AND WE MET WITH SPCA THREE WEEKS AGO. IT'S ALL GOTTEN A LITTLE HAZY NOW, BUT THEY HAVE AGREED TO CONTINUE AT OUR RATE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, ALLOWING US TO CONTINUE THAT RELATIONSHIP AND CONTINUE TAKING THE ANIMALS AND WITHOUT A FACILITIES COST AND WITHOUT ANY CHANGE TO PERSONNEL, I THINK THAT'S OUR BEST BET. AND SO THAT'S, WHAT'S INCLUDED IN WITH LIKE THE BUSINESS BUDGET, BUT WE, WE ARE STILL GONNA HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE THOUGH. WE ARE, BUT THEY, UH, THEY'RE FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT THEY HAVE THE FUNDS IN PLACE TO EXPAND THE FACILITY THERE AND TO RENOVATE AND EXPAND THE FACILITY THAT THEY'RE IN. THAT THEY, I, THEY, I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN PRETTY AGGRESSIVE IN HER FUNDRAISING, BUT THEY FEEL WHEN I TALKED WITH MISS DOM OR CROWD DOWN ABOUT THE, UH, ABOUT THE FUTURE, THEY WANT TO GROW AND THEY WANT US TO GROW WITH THEM. AND SO, UH, WE'LL SEE IF THAT CAN HAPPEN. OKAY. WELL, I GUESS WE'RE LOOKING [00:50:01] FOR A, EVERY WILLING TO SPEND ABOUT FOUR TIMES. YEAH. I WILL SAY THAT, UH, AND SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD WITH THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON, THEY'VE BEEN VERY CANDID ABOUT SOME POTENTIAL BUYERS REMORSE RELATED TO GOING OUT ON THEIR OWN, BUILDING THEIR OWN FACILITY BECAUSE IT IS EXPENSIVE. AND IF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN FACILITY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY THERE PRETTY MUCH ALL THE TIME, THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS ALIGNING. UH, WE HAD A FACILITY IN GOLIAD AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I SPENT WAY MORE TIME ANSWERING OPEN RECORDS, REQUEST THEM WAS WORTH THE OPERATION OF THE FACILITY, UM, JUST FROM EVERYBODY WATCHING WHAT'S HAPPENING. SO AND BE WILLING TO HANG AROUND AFTER A HURRICANE TO MAKE SURE ALL THE ANIMALS ARE DYING HERE AND WATER TO CLEAN UP, CLEAN UP WELL, THE BUDGET FOR ME, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH IT. I BLOCKED IT, BUT I'M COMFORTABLE. WELL, I MEAN, WE'RE A COUPLE THAT WE CAN GET SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THE NUMBERS, SOME OF THE NUMBERS ARE STILL, LIKE YOU SAID, THIS IS, THIS IS OUR FIRST RUN AT THE FINAL. BUT LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THE NUMBERS MAY STILL NEED TO BE TWEAKED A LITTLE HERE OR THERE BASED ON WHAT OUR FINAL NUMBERS ARE BACK TO COMMAND THE GROUP THAT WORKED ON THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW, I KNOW IT HAD BEEN EASY THIS YEAR. I MEAN, EVERY TIME I'VE ASKED FOR THE, FOR THE APPRAISAL AND STUFF, THEY'VE NEVER HAD IT HERE. HI, IT'S CHRIS AND THE, AND THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND JUST THE WHOLE TEAM HAVE BEEN GREAT ABOUT WORKING WITH, THEY'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT. UH, THEY'VE PUT UP WITH ME BEING GRUMPY, UM, AND CHEWING GUM. SO THAT'S ALWAYS A PLUS, BUT NOW THEY, THEY, AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB. NOBODY CAME IN WITH ANYTHING CRAZY THIS YEAR, THERE WERE NO REQUESTS FOR HOT TUBS OR BLIMPS OR SIGNATURE FOOTBALL STADIUMS, OR SEVENTY-FIVE SQUARE NOW, BUT STATUES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO UNFORTUNATELY THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT GOT A LITTLE TASTE OF THEIR OWN MEDICINE THIS YEAR, JUST LIKE THAT THEY HAD MORE, THEY HAD MORE PROTESTS THAN THEY'VE EVER HAD THERE SINCE I BEEN THERE. YOU, WHAT I LEARNED LAST YEAR WAS I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE KNEW THAT THEY COULD. YEAH, THAT'S TRUE TOO. AND THEN WHEN THEY FIGURED THAT OUT, THAT'S WHY THEY JUST, THE WAY IT HIT LAST YEAR. WELL, I THINK, I THINK IT'S A GOOD ACCUMULATION OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS AND EVERYBODY JUST SAW THEIR PROPERTY JUST GO CRAZY. AND I THINK THAT THEY FINALLY JUST SAID, HEY, THIS IS ENOUGH. I'M GOING TO GO ONLINE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT I DO AFTER YOU COULDN'T GO SEE HIM BECAUSE OF THE COVID. YEAH. YEAH. THEY WOULDN'T EVEN LET YOU IN THEIR OFFICE LAST YEAR. YEAH, IT'S HARD. I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, I MEAN, THEY SENT OUT EMAIL THIS YEAR OR SEND OUT LETTERS THAT SAID, DO YOU PROTEST BY EMAIL? WE DON'T WANT YOU TO COME TO THE OFFICE. YOU KNOW, MOTTO. THERE'S A LOT OF YOUNG FOLKS NOW THAT HAVE INTERNET BACK IN BACK A FEW YEARS AGO, WHEN, BEFORE, BEFORE THE INTERNET BECAME AS POPULAR AS IT WAS, EVERYBODY DID IT A PERSON OR BY MAIL. AND THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY THEY DID IT. NOW THAT THE, NOW THAT THE INTERNET IS AS POPULAR AS IT IS, UH, I'M SURE THEY GOT A SHARED, THEY GOT BOB BARTON. YEAH. I'M SURPRISED DIDN'T SHIP IT HERE. AND THEIR WEBSITE. THAT'S GOING TO SAY THEIR WEBSITE. THAT'S PROBABLY WENT DOWN A FEW TIMES AND PROBABLY GOT OVERLOADED. I KNOW THE COUNTY HAS HAD THE ASSESSOR COLLECTOR'S OFFICE. I KNOW HAS HAD SOME ISSUES TOO. AH, WELL, UH, WE DON'T HAVE NO MORE QUESTIONS. WE WILL MOVE OUT [III. Business Items] OF THE WORKSHOP AND THE END OF THE BUSINESS ITEMS AND WHICH IS OUR REGULAR MEETING. AND FIRST ITEM IS CONSIDERATION OF POSSIBLE ACTION TO RECORD A RECORD VOTE FOR A PROPOSED TAX RATE AT 5.59479, WHICH IS A TAX INCREASE OF THREE AND A HALF PERCENT, [00:55:01] WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE TO BE CONSIDERED THAT A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING FOLLOWING YOU, THEY PUBLIC AREAS. AND AGAIN, WANT TO EMPHASIZE, THIS IS A STARTING POINT ONLY. IT'S NOT THE FINAL RATE. THE FINAL RATE WILL NOT CANNOT BE SET THAT WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. AND YES, SO THIS IS LIKE I SAID, THIS, THIS IS WHERE WE WANT TO SAY THAT THIS IS WHAT WE'VE GOT OUR BUDGET BASED ON. AND IF IT NEEDS TO CHANGE, WE'LL CHANGE IT FROM THERE. WE'LL HAVE A MOTION TO, UH, FOR AUTOMATIC BOND. WE'LL HAVE A SECOND. WE WILL HAVE A RECORD TAX VOTE COUNTS WITH CHRIS BECAUSE ABSENT A STRAGGLER. WE HAVE THIS BOND, OKAY. THEN WE WILL MOVE TO ITEM B CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE AND ANNOUNCED DATE, TIME AND LOCATION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING. WE HAVE A RECOMMENDED DATE, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER THE FIRST 2022 AT SIX 30 AT FLUTE CITY. THAT GIVES EVERYBODY APPROXIMATELY A MONTH TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT AND PROPOSE ANY CHANGES. SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO SET SEPTEMBER THE FIRST 2022 AT 6:30 PM FOR THE, UH, PUBLIC AREA AND ON THE TAX RATE, MOVED BY COUNCIL PURCHASE BONDS. THEY GET TO BUY A SECOND COUNCILMAN AGUILAR DISCUSSION HEARING NONE I'LL ENTERTAIN A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR UNANIMOUS. NEXT ITEM WOULD BE CONSIDERATION OF POSSIBLE ACTIONS OF SET SCHEDULE A SET OF PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND ANNOUNCED TIME, DATE AND LOCATION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING. UH, THIS ONE IS RECOMMENDED FOR SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH, 2022 AT 6:30 PM AT, AT, IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS. YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE WEEK LATER IN CASE, UH, IN CASE THERE'S ENOUGH INPUT THAT THE TAX RATE IS ADJUSTED IN ANY KIND OF WAY UP OR DOWN OR WHATEVER, WE'LL HAVE TIME TO RE RE VAMP THE BUDGET. SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO SUCH MOVE BY COUNCIL TO BOND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN AGUILAR, ALL IN FAVOR, AYE, UNANIMOUS. AND THEN THE NEXT ONE WOULD BE, AND SCHEDULE A DATE FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET OR NOTES FOR 2020 TO 2023. AND IT WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH, 2022 AT 6:30 PM. UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION? THIS SUCH, IS THAT RIGHT AFTER THE ONE OR IS IT YEAH, IF YOU RECALL, WE DO IT IN A BIFURCATED MANNER. WE HAVE TO ADAPT. WE HAVE TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE. WE HAVE TO WAIT AT LEAST SEVEN DAYS HAVE THE VOTE ON THE TAX RATE IN THE INTERIM, WE HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING WITH BUDGET, AND THEN WE VOTE ON THE BUDGET. THE BUDGET HAS TO BE ADOPTED BEFORE THE TAX RATE BECAUSE THE BUDGET IS THE DRIVER OF THE TAX BREAKS. SO WHEN WE MEET ON THE EIGHTH, WE WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET. WE WILL GO OVER, I'LL BRING A BANJO AND SOME SOCK PUPPETS. I'M NOT SURE YET, BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET AND THEN WE WILL ADOPT A BUDGET AFTER THAT TIME. AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE WILL GO INTO A REGULAR MEETING WHERE WE WILL ADOPT THE TAX RATE. WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE, ON THE BUDGET AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A, UH, THE ADOPTION OF THE ORDINANCE FOLLOWING THAT. CORRECT. GOTCHA. I THINK THAT DATE IS ON THE, YEAH, IT'S A TYPO IT'S OKAY. SO WE'RE STILL ON ITEM B. YOU NEED A MOTION. YES, NO, THOSE ARE NO, THOSE ARE JUST ANNOUNCEMENTS. THAT'S OUR TIMELINE. THEN WE WILL HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SCHEDULED DATE FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE TAX ARTISTS TO BE HELD. IT SAYS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER THE NINTH, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH. AND IT WILL BE AT 7:00 PM. IT HAS TO BE AT A DIFFERENT TIME. THEY CAN'T BE AT THE SAME MEETING. RIGHT. BUT WE'LL HAVE TO ADJOURN THE BUDGET ORDERS MEETING AND THEN START THE TAX RATE MEETING. YES, SIR. YES, YES. YES. THEY'RE ALL BY CLICK AND HOW WE GOT TO THIRSTY IN THAT SAME WEEK, [01:00:02] I'VE HAD FOUR MONDAYS. I WAS GOING TO SAY IT'S THURSDAY. UH, [IV. Notice of Upcoming Events and Meetings] THEN THE NEXT ITEM WOULD BE NOTICE OF UPCOMING EVENTS. WE WILL HAVE A REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IN AUGUST THE 11TH, ONE WEEK FROM TONIGHT AT 7:00 PM. WE WILL HAVE A REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, THURSDAY, AUGUST 25TH. WE WILL HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER THE FIRST AT SIX 30 CITY OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED ON LABOR DAY. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER THE FIFTH, WE WILL HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR, 2023 BUDGET AT, UH, SIX 30 ON SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH. WE WILL HAVE A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING TO ADOPT THE FISCAL YEAR, 2023 BUDGET ORDINANCE ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC AREA. AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING TO ADOPT THE TAX ORDINANCE RATE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH AND A REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING TO FOLLOW IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SPECIAL MEETING FOR THE BUDGET ORDINANCE. AND THEN WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 22ND. WHERE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET WILL BEGIN. NEXT OUT WOULD BE A GERMAN. HAVE A MOTION. SECOND MOTION BY CAL BOND IN CASE YOU DIDN'T GET ANY DISCUSSION HEARING NONE. I'LL ENTERTAIN A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, MAYBE THERE'S JOURNEY. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.