[00:00:06]
[I. COMMENCEMENT]
GIVEN OF A BUDGET WORKSHOP TO BE HELD THURSDAY, JULY THE 25TH, 2024 AT 6:30 PM IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF KLUT CITY HALL, LOCATED AT 1 0 8 MAIN STREET, KLUTE, TEXAS 7 7 5 3 1.FOR THE BELOW LISTED ITEMS, CITY COUNCIL RESERVES ARRIVE TO ADJOURN INTO 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, SECTION 5 5 1 0.071.
CONSULTATION WITH AN ATTORNEY, 5 5 1 0.072 DELIBERATION ABOUT REAL PROPERTY, 5 5 1 0.073 DELIBERATION ABOUT GIFTS AND DONATIONS.
5 5 1 0 7 4 PERSONNEL MATTERS.
DELIBERATION ABOUT SECURITY DEVICES 5 5 1 0 8 7.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 4 1 8 1 7 5 1 8 3 DELIBERATIONS ABOUT HOMELAND SECURITY ISSUES AND IS AUTHORIZED BY THE TEXAS TAX CODE, INCLUDING NOT LIMITED TO SECTION 3 2 1 0.3022 SALES TAX INFORMATION.
THE AGENDA MEETING PACKET OF VIDEO LINK ARE POSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE@WWW.CLUTEXAS.GOV.
TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS AND GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT FORM MUST BE COMPLETED AND PRESENTED TO THE CITY CLERK BEFORE THE START OF THE COUNCIL MEETING.
SPEAKERS MUST OBSERVE THE FIVE MINUTE TIME LIMIT.
THE RECORDING OF THE VIDEO MEETING WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE UPON WRITTEN REQUEST OF THE PUBLIC IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEETINGS ACT MEETING HAS NOW BEEN CALLED TO ORDER.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER DAY AND WE AGAIN, WE JUST WANNA BLESS YOU.
WE JUST ASK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO WATCH OVER.
WE KNOW THERE'S, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GOING AROUND.
ALL THE CITY WORKERS ARE INVOLVED.
IT JUST TAKES A LOT TO MAKE THE CITY WORK AND WE HARD THE BEST THEY CAN DO.
LORD, WE JUST ASK FOR ALL YOUR BLESSINGS.
DO YOU WANT US SEND THE PLEDGE, PLEASE? PLEDGES TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, AND LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
NEXT ITEM WILL BE ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS.
[II. BUSINESS ITEMS]
TONIGHT'S FIRST ITEM IS BUSINESS ITEMS. AND FIRST ONE WE WOULD BE A BRIEFING ON DEBRIS PICKUP BY DRC EMERGENCY SERVICES AND GOODMAN MILLS KAYWOOD, GMC REPRESENTATIVES.UH, MY NAME'S CLIFF KENNEDY WITH DRC EMERGENCY SERVICES.
CHARLES CRAFT WITH DRC EMERGENCY SERVICES.
SO AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, DRC IS THE DEBRIS REMOVAL CONTRACTOR.
AND THEN GMC IS THE DEBRIS REMOVAL, UH, MONITOR.
UH, WE JUST WANTED TO REALLY OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS MAY HAVE TO DATE.
WE'VE REMOVED, UM, ALMOST 40,000 CUBIC YARDS INCLUDE, WE'RE RUNNING 10 OF OUR, UH, BIG DOUBLE DEBRIS, UH, DEBRIS REMOVAL TRUCKS.
UH, WE THINK THAT FIRST PASS OF, OF ALL THE CITY WILL BE DONE PROBABLY THIS WEEKEND.
AND THEN, UM, WE'LL GO INTO, WE'LL DO A SECOND PASS THROUGH THE CITY AS WELL.
DO, DO YOU GUYS HAVE, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? UH, THINGS ARE RUNNING REALLY SMOOTH.
UH, WE'RE TAKING ALL THE DEBRIS TO, UM, THE BURNER MATERIAL SITE, UM, WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE, UH, BURNING THE MATERIAL THERE.
AND ANY CONSTRUCTION, DEMOLITION DEBRIS WILL DIRECT HAUL IT TO THE LANDFILL.
UH, I SAW SOME SMOKE AND FIRE OUT THERE TODAY, DIDN'T THEY? YES, SIR.
WE GOT THE, THE APPROVAL TO START BURNING, UH, YESTERDAY MORNING OR SO.
[00:05:02]
I I THINK THE MOST COMMON QUESTION WE GET IS WHAT'S THE METHOD TO THE BADNESS AND WHAT PILES GET PICKED UP AND WHAT DON'T, CAN YOU KIND OF EXPLAIN THAT PROCESS? THAT'S RIGHT.I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UM, WE, WE, WE, OUR TRUCKS WORK IN ZONES.
WE HAVE THE, THE CITY BROKEN INTO FOUR ZONES.
SO THEY'RE, THOSE TRUCKS STAY IN THOSE ZONES.
IF, IF YOU SEE A PILE THAT GETS MISSED, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THEY MISSED IT, DIDN'T SEE IT.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES THEY WILL, IF THERE'S A CAR PARKED TOO CLOSE TO THAT PILE, THEY'LL MOVE PAST IT AND COME BACK AND GET IT ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER TIME.
IF THERE'S LOW HANGING LIMBS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT THEY CAN'T REACH IT, UH, WE'LL HAVE TO GET A SMALLER PIECE OF EQUIPMENT TO PULL IT OUT CLOSER TO THE STREETS SO THOSE TRUCKS CAN PICK IT UP.
SO WE RUNNING AROUND THE CITY THAT'S CONSOLIDATING FILES THAT THE TRUCKS CAN'T REACH BECAUSE THEY'RE UNDER BRANCHES.
SO IF THE MISSED PROBABLY STUDENT'S GONNA GET PICKED UP.
THEY ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF REACH, I PRESUME.
'CAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S A ONE ON MY STREET WHERE THEY GOT THE, THE PILE WAS LONG ALONG, ALONG THE DRIVEWAY, NOT ACROSS THE DRIVEWAY.
AND THEY GOT ABOUT HALF OF IT.
SO THEY HAVE TO STAY AT THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND AS FAR AS THE GRAVEL CAN REACH, THAT'S HOW FAR THEY, I GUESS ARE WE GOING TO TRY TO PUSH THAT OUT TO THE ROAD? OR DO THEY WE NEED TO GIVE THEM A MESSAGE TO GET IT OUT TO THE ROAD, OR WE'RE CONTINUING TO ASK PEOPLE TO PUSH IT FORWARD AS A CITY AND THE CONTRACTORS, THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER A PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO EVERYTHING HAS TO BE IN THE CITY RIGHT AWAY TO BE PICKED UP.
WELL THIS, THIS IS A PRETTY BIG PILE WITH SOME PRETTY BIG CHUNKS IN IT.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT JUST YOU, IT'S NOT JUST LIMBS.
THESE, THESE HAVE GOT, THEY LOST ALMOST EVERY TREE IN THEIR BACKYARD.
CAN YOU PUT SOMETHING OUT ON FACEBOOK THAT WE CAN ALL SHARE TO, TO GET THE WORD OUT TO PEOPLE LIKE, YOU KNOW, OKAY, THEY'VE MADE THEIR FIRST PASS AND, AND IF YOU SEE MORE OR IF YOU HAVE MORE, AND MAKE SURE YOU PUT IT OUT FAR ENOUGH WHERE THEY CAN GET IT.
UM, OR YOU, YOU HAVE A REALLY GOOD WAY OF WORDING THOSE THINGS.
SO I WAS GONNA SAY, MICHELLE HAS A REALLY GOOD WAY OF WORDING.
AND IF SOMETHING WAS MISSED, IT WILL GET PICKED UP.
SO ON OUR END, WE WILL MAP THE ZONES AND WE SIGN 'EM OFF THAT THE ZONE IS CLEAR.
FIRST PASS, SECOND PASS, FINAL PASS BEFORE ANY TRUCKS WOULD EVER RELEASED.
DO Y'ALL HAVE LIKE A PROJECTED TIMELINE OF WHEN EVERYTHING WILL BE DONE? OR IS IT AS MORE PEOPLE ARE PUTTING STUFF OUT, Y'ALL ARE JUST GONNA CONTINUE TO? SO RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, WE PICKED UP A LOT ON FIRST PASS.
HOWEVER, THERE'S STILL A LOT IN YARDS IN THE BACKYARD THAT'S NOT COMING BACK OUT AT ALL.
SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO SAY A LARGE PORTION OF WHAT'S BEEN PICKED UP NOW IS WHAT WAS PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WAS ACTUALLY IN THE ROAD.
PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE TO PUT IT OUT.
AND IT'S RAIN SINCE THE HURRICANE
UH, EVEN IF THEY HAVE A PLACE TO TO, TO PUT IT, THEY, THEY PROBABLY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET IT OUT THE BACKYARD JUST BECAUSE IT'S SO WET.
BUT, AND THIS MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR CJ, BUT IS THERE GONNA BE A, LIKE A TIMELINE WHERE WE SAY, HEY, YOU HAVE TOLD THIS DATE TO PUT EVERYTHING OUT, OR, RIGHT.
SO TYPICALLY WE ANTICIPATED TWO TO THREE PASSES.
AND THEN PROBABLY AFTER THAT THIRD PASS WE'LL SAY, OR THAT SECOND PASS, IF IT, IF WE THINK WE'VE HIT THE 85 TO 90 MARK, WE'RE GONNA TELL FOLKS, LOOK, ONE MORE PASS TO GO AND THIS IS IT.
WE'LL, WE'LL DO A SECOND PASS THROUGH THE WHOLE CITY.
AND THEN, UH, THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, THROUGH YOU GUYS OR, UM, CITIZENS CALL IN AND SAY THEY HAVE A, YOU KNOW, THEY BROUGHT MORE DEBRIS OUT.
UH, WE'LL SCALE BACK THE AMOUNT OF TRUCKS THAT WE'LL HAVE HERE FOR THAT THIRD PASS.
AND WE'LL JUST HAVE MORE LIKE A HOT SHOT GOES OUT AND PICKS UP CERTAIN PILES THAT HAVE BEEN CALLED IN CJ I KNOW, ON OUR STREET ALONE.
WELL, RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO, TO US WITH THAT EMPTY LOT.
AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS LARGE TREES AND THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S ONE AT THE END OF OUR STREET THAT IS RIGHT ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE WHOLE FRONT YARD.
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE THEM? YEAH.
AND WE, WE'VE TRIED TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO MOVE AS FAST AS THEY CAN.
AND IF THEY ASK FOR HELP, LIKE WE'VE GOT SOME FOLKS THAT LIVE ON
WE'VE TRIED TO GET THEM POINTED AT UNITED WAY AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT COULD COME OUT AND DO THAT.
UH, AND THOSE PARTICULAR, ESPECIALLY THAT LARGE LOT, UM, WE WILL, I'LL TRY AND REACH OUT TO THOSE GENTLEMEN.
DID THEY JUST LIVE AROUND THE CORNER? OH, DID, NO, I THOUGHT, DID THEY? YEAH.
[00:10:01]
WELL THEN, YEAH.YEAH, THEY LIVE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.
I MEAN, WE CAN, THEY JUST LET THEIR KIDS COME PLAY ON IT.
THAT'S FROM THAT TIME EVERYBODY GOT TYPHOID.
WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEND ME A LETTER.
I HAVEN'T TOUCHED
YOU LITERALLY CAN'T, I SHOULDN'T DRIVE.
AND I, I WAS GONNA SAY WHAT WE'VE SEEN EVERYBODY GOT OUT THAT FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS 'CAUSE OF WEATHER WAS OKAY.
AND THEN IT HAS JUST BEEN, IT HAS RAIN TO RAIN AROUND.
WELL, HERE, HERE'S A, A QUESTION.
AFTER WE MAKE THE SECOND PASS, LIKE I SAID, 'CAUSE IT'S SO WET, PEOPLE CAN'T, PEOPLE CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT, THIS NEXT WEEK IS SUPPOSED TO BE A, A DRYER WEEK, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE A WHOLE WEEK FOR THE STUFF TO DRY OUT GOOD ENOUGH TO EVEN GET ON.
AND THEN IT MAY START RAINING AGAIN.
SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GONNA ADDRESS THAT? SO BASICALLY IT'S GONNA BE FEEL, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE HOW MUCH WE THINK IS, HAS MOVED OUT THAT NEEDS TO BE MOVED OUT.
AND WE'LL KEEP GOING UNTIL WE GET TO THAT 90, 95% NUMBER.
HOPEFULLY IT DOESN'T COME TO THAT.
UH, BUT WE'LL GET, WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE FOLKS ADEQUATE SPACE BECAUSE YEAH.
THE WEATHER HAS JUST BEEN HORRIBLE.
I HAD ASKED CJ ABOUT A, OF WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING, THEY LITERALLY SKIPPED A WHOLE SECTION OF OUR STREET THAT'S SMALL AND UP THESE BIG GIANTS AND THEY NEVER BACK A, WE HAVE FOUR FOOT DITCH, BUT THEN THEY JUST, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WASTE UP STACK THEM BECAUSE I DON'T BLOCKING DRAINAGE AND THEY JUST LIKE ME AND MY NEIGHBOR AND THEY WENT DOWN AND PICKED UP A BEER.
DON'T MAKE NO SENSE TO DO THAT.
THE ONES THAT I SEEN LIKE THAT, THEY SEEM TO BE LEAVING PILES WHERE THE CABLE, THE WIRING ESPECIALLY THEY, LIKE ON MARION, YOU SEE WHERE THEY SKIPPED, BUT THEN YOU LOOK UP AND THERE'RE JUST WATER WIRES.
SO THINKING, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S RELEVANT, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE THOSE, UH, THAT WHEEL LOADER THAT'S GOING AROUND THE CITY, CONSOLIDATE BY.
WE HAVE THAT COME BY AFTER THE, WAS IN THE BIG TRUCK.
AND HE DID SCOOT SOME STUFF UP, PILE SOME OTHER STUFF UP IN PILES.
BUT THERE WAS VERY SIMPLE LOT OF AREAS PICKED UP.
I, BECAUSE I DROVE AROUND SEVERAL AROUND MY AREA, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY, EVEN THE CITY VEHICLE COME BY TALKING, TEARING.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE MORE CAREFUL, I THINK IN THE, THE OPERATOR.
BUT TO SKI THREE, MOVE ON SOMEWHERE ELSE, A JOB FINISH AREA.
I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT STREETS YOU'RE ON THREE BLOCKS AWAY FROM BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE.
DO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN THAT YES, SIR.
WE, I WAS TRYING, 'CAUSE WHEN I ASKED HIM THE SAME QUESTION, IT'S MY HUSBAND
I ASKED HIM THE SAME QUESTION AND, AND, AND I WAS, HE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE, THE POWER LINES, OR IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT.
BUT I I, I DON'T THINK THERE WERE ANY LINES WAS MESSING AROUND SOME BIGGER STUFF CLOSER TO THE LITTLE CROSS WIRE ANYWHERE ELSEWHERE.
UM, WE GET PAID, OUR TRUCKS GET PAID BY THE CUBIC YARD.
SO TO ADDRESS THE, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND WE'LL, WE'LL ADDRESS THAT.
BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT A TIME AND MATERIALS DEAL.
SO YOU'RE NOT PAYING MORE THE LONGER WE TAKE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
YOU, YOU GOTTA COME ALL THE WAY BACK.
[00:15:01]
IT'S INEFFICIENT.WITHOUT SEEING IT, WE, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE AN EXPLANATION FOR THAT.
BUT WE LOOK AT IT, AND I WILL SAY THAT THEY'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF MAPPING WHERE THOSE HAZARDS ARE.
UH, WE MET YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AND THEY'VE BEEN KEEPING A PRETTY DILIGENT LOG OF WHERE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A POWER LINE, IF THERE'S A TREE OR A A POLE DOWN, IF THERE'S A GAS METER, IF IT'S A HIGHER HYDRANT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEY'VE MAPPED IT OUT SO THEY KNOW THOSE HOTSPOTS HAVE TO GO BACK THROUGH AND TRY AND GET THAT.
IS THAT WHAT THE MONITORS DO? YES.
LIKE I SAID, SOME, LIKE I SAID, SOMEONE COME THROUGH AND GOT THE TREES OFF OF THE POWER LINE OVER THERE, OR THE COMMUNICATION LINE OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
THEY GOT 'EM OFF AND PICKED IT UP, HAULED IT OFF.
IS THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING Y'ALL ARE DOING? OR IT WAS ON THE POWER LINE? IT WAS ON THE COMMUNICATION LINE.
I DON'T THINK IT WAS POWER LINES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET.
TYPICALLY IT'S ON THE LINE AND WE WON'T, THEY WON'T CUT IT.
SO CENTER POINT HAS CONTRACTORS THAT ARE FOLLOWING IN BEHIND WHERE IT'S ON THE, LIKE ON STRAT RIDGE, WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE YOU HAD SEVERAL POLES DAMAGED.
THE POWER LINES ACTUALLY WEREN'T, BUT THE, UH, COMMUNICATION LINES.
COMMUNICATION LINES WERE, AND IN MY DISCUSSIONS WITH XFINITY AND COMCAST AND, OR I GUESS THAT'S THE SAME COMPANY, BUT, UH, COMCAST AND AT AND T, UH, THEY'VE BEEN WAITING ON CENTERPOINT TO SEND THEIR CON THE SECONDARY CONTRACTORS OUT TO COME AND CLEAR THOSE LINES.
SO, UH, FOR SOMETHING ELSE TO INVESTIGATE CENTER, CENTERPOINT.
BUT I CAN, I, I CAN ALREADY TELL YOU THAT, UH, THE AT AND T AND CENTER OR COMCAST CONTACTS ARE, UH, BUT I MEAN THAT WAS ONE, ONE REASON WHY I HADN'T EVEN STARTED OVER THERE.
BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GONNA BE LEFT OF THAT.
AND UH, BUT, UH, I KNOW CENTER PORT OR XFINITY COMCAST WAS WORKING ON THAT MOST OF THE DAY YESTERDAY AND ALL DAY TODAY, TRYING TO GET ALL THAT CLEANED OUT.
THEY, THEY PRETTY MUCH GOT EVERYTHING OVER THERE.
THEY LEFT ONE VINE ACROSS IT AND, UH, A A ACROSS THE ROAD AT NO, ACROSS THE LINE THEY LEFT.
THEY LEFT ONE RIGHT BY IT GOES LIKE THIS.
LIKE DRAPES OVER IT GOES ALL THE WAY GROUND ON BOTH ENDS.
AND THE OTHER THING I WOULD NOTE IS I KNOW, UH, IN MY DISCUSSION WITH MY, UH, NEW COLLEAGUE AT CENTERPOINT, UH, IF IT'S NOT STORM RELATED, THEY'RE TRYING NOT TO AFFECT THOSE REPAIRS, WHICH MAKES NO SENSE.
BUT I GUESS IT'S ABOUT HOW THEY CHARGE THEIR TIME.
BUT THE BIG PECAN TREE, THERE'S STILL SOME LIMBS.
THEY CUT SOME LIMBS ON IT, BUT THERE'S STILL SOME THAT ARE STICKING OVER THE LINE.
IF YOU CUT 'EM, THEY'RE GONNA HIT THE LINE.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA HANG ON IT, BUT THEY'RE HIT IT.
AND THAT WAS PART OF MY DISCUSSION.
THAT AND REPLACING SOME POLES THAT SHOULD COME DOWN.
AND PLUS THERE'S, PLUS THERE'S A POLE THAT'S SPLITTING THE, THE BUTT BUTT STICKING UP LIKE THIS, THE POLE STICKING IN THE GROUND LIKE THIS.
THEY, UH, ACCORDING TO, ACCORDING TO THEM, UH, POLL WORK POLE REMEDIATION, THAT WASN'T, THEY WILL BE MAKING THOSE, BUT THEY'RE, THAT'S SECONDARY OF THEIR CONCERN FOR GETTING POWER RESTORED WAS HIS ANSWER TO ME.
SO WE HAD A DO HAVE TRUCKS GOING AROUND AS WELL, CUTTING HAZARDOUS LIMBS OUTTA THE TREES THAT ARE TWO INCHES OR ABOVE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY OR ANY HAZARDOUS TREES TO DATE, WE'VE REMOVED LIMBS.
I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT I, THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING IF Y'ALL WERE, IF Y'ALL DID THOSE BECAUSE OF THE, IF THEY'RE IN A POWER LINE OR VERY CLOSE, TYPICALLY THE CONTRACTOR WON'T, IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE.
SAY THOUGH, IT WAS SUNDAY NIGHT, MONDAY MORNING.
I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA SOUND LIKE WE'RE COMPLAINING.
AND, UM, IF WE'RE ON A LOT OF BIG SMILES OUT WHEN WE STARTED SEEING THOSE TRUCKS, I CAN TELL YOU, I CAN ASSURE YOU THOUGH, I SIGN OFF THAT THE ZONE CLEAR IN THE PAST.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD NOTE, UH, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE WE'VE POPPED A WATER METER OR WE'VE HIT SOMETHING ELSE AND THEY HAVE BEEN REALLY JOHNNY ON THE SPOT ABOUT MAKING SURE SOMEBODY GETS BY THERE TO GET IT REPAIRED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE HAVEN'T HAD TOO MANY LINGERING ISSUES.
WELL, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S SO MANY PLACES AROUND HERE THAT JUST HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO, TO EVEN PLACE ANYTHING.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I WAS, I WAS WONDERING OUT HERE, THEY PUT ALL OF IT ON THE SIDEWALK OUT HERE.
[00:20:01]
OF, THAT KIND OF BACKWARD PUT A THOUGHT IN MY HEAD LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS, THIS IS CITY STUFF AND WE PUT IT ON THE SIDEWALKAND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE OKAY.
FOUR FOOT BACK AND WE'RE PEOPLE CAN STILL WALK, NOT GET IN THE STREET.
THEN THEY CAN'T REACH YOU WITH A ARMS
THEY COULD, THEY COULD REACH THAT.
'CAUSE THERE'S STILL A BUS TO PICK UP, SIR.
THE NEXT ITEM WOULD BE CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 46 DASH 2024 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF CL TEXAS REQUESTING STATE INVESTIGATION INTO CENTER POINT ENERGY STORM PREPARATION AND RESPONSE.
AND IT WOULD BE RESOLUTION NUMBER 46 DASH 2024.
I JUST READ THE CAPTION SO I'M NOT GONNA READ IT AGAIN.
AND I'M NOT GONNA READ THE WHOLE THING.
THIS IS JUST BASICALLY SAYING THAT WE'RE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN INVESTIGATION TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED.
MR. AGUILAR, UH, ACTUALLY CRAFTED THIS ONE, UH, BASED AROUND THE FRUSTRATION I THINK WE'VE ALL HAD WITH THE, WITH OUR PARTNERS AT CENTERPOINT.
I THINK, UH, I THINK IF YOU, IF YOU READ IT, I MEAN, YOU'LL SEE THE FRUSTRATIONS THAT I THINK NOT ONLY I, BUT I THINK THE CITY WENT THROUGH, WHETHER IT BE COMMUNICATION, UM, RESPONSIVENESS, PREPAREDNESS OF CENTER POINT.
AND UM, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE JOBS THAT WE HAVE AS, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS IS TO GIVE A VOICE TO THOSE THAT VOTED FOR US.
AND I THINK I'VE HEARD THAT, UM, AROUND THE CITY IS, UM, WHAT I WROTE DOWN SO WELL, THEY WERE ON THE NEWS WHEN I LEFT THE HOUSE.
WELL, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? WE HAD A HURRICANE.
IT CAME IN HERE ON THE EIGHTH.
AND WHEN WAS MOST OF THE POWER PUT BACK ON? WE HIT, UH, WE HIT 50% FIVE DAYS LATER, OR FOUR DAYS LATER.
AND 90% ON THIS PRE PRECEDING TUESDAY.
SO, SO THAT WOULD BE 15 DAY, UH, LESS THAN THAT.
SO LESS THAN A TWO WEEK VACATION.
AND PEOPLE ARE UPSET 'CAUSE THE, THE PEOPLE THAT HAD ALL THIS, ALL THIS DAMAGE WITH ALL THESE OTHER POWER COMPANIES USING THEIR POLES, EVERYBODY BUYS THIS CHEAP ELECTRICITY.
AND OUR SHORT PATIENCE MEANS WE CAN'T WAIT 14 DAYS.
WELL, THE HEAT, THIS JUST SOUNDS RIDICULOUS.
KEEP IN MIND IN THAT THE TEMPERATURE TO, I THINK WE'RE JUMPING ON A POLITICAL BANDWAGON HERE IS WHAT IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE.
WELL, I DON'T SEE THIS AT ALL.
I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE AROUND THE CITY AND THEY THINK IT'S A MIRACLE WE GOT POWER ON AS SOON AS WE DID.
WELL, BUT THAT'S JUST ONE OPINION ITSELF.
WELL, ALL OF THE BY PIECE, ALL OF THE POWER COMPANIES THAT SELL POWER, THEY HAVE TO PAY THEIR POINT OF FEE.
BUT THING OUT HERE WORKING ON THE POLLS.
LIKE IN MOST CASES, IT'S COMING UP THE PEOPLE TO DO IT.
IN OUR CASE, WE DON'T HAVE THE ROOM TO DO IT.
LIKE YOU SAID, THEY CAN'T EVEN SET POLE TRUCKS UP.
I WAS MOVING LIMBS OUT OF ONE OF MY HOUSES AND PUT IT ACROSS THE STREET.
A LADY CALLED THE POLICE ON ME 'CAUSE I WASN'T PUTTING IT ON MY SIDE OF KYLE ROAD.
'CAUSE IT'S ONLY ABOUT TWO FOOT A CURB AND THERE'S FOUR FOOT ON THE OTHER.
THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME WE HAD A NATURAL DISASTER.
AND I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE YOU'RE GONNA JUMP ON A BANDWAGON.
14 DAYS FOR THE AMOUNT OF DESTRUCTION WE HAD WAS OUT LINE.
I I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
I'M GUESSING THAT MEANS MAYBE 60 SECONDS IS TOO LONG TO WAIT FROM AN EMAIL.
I GUESS MAYBE THAT'S WHERE IT COMES FROM.
I THINK A LACK OF PREPARATION BEFORE THE STORM.
BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TREES HAVE FALLEN.
THESE POWER LINES SHOULD NOT HAVE FALLEN ON THE POWER LINES.
THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN CUT BACK.
AND CENTERPOINT IS IN CHARGE OF THAT.
SOME OF THE TREES THAT ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF.
I COULD SEE SOME ON OLD ANGLETON ROAD.
THEY LITERALLY ARE LIKE THIS BECAUSE CENTERPOINT OVER TIME HAS CUT THEM SO MUCH.
DID YOU KNOW THAT 80% OF OUR TREES FELL, FELL BECAUSE OF THE WIND TURNED THE GROUND INTO THE MUSH AND THAT THEY DIDN'T BREAK AND THE ROOTS WASN'T RIGHT.
WELL, NO, THAT, THAT I DO KNOW.
AND YOU WONDER WHY BECAUSE I DID.
AND THE THE REASON BEING THE TREE PA WAS SAID, WE HAD WINDS FOR AN EXTENDED TIME AND THE BACK AND FORTH LITERALLY TURNED THE DIRT AROUND IT INTO OATMEAL.
[00:25:01]
OFF.WELL, TREES ARE GONNA GROW, HOWEVER TREES ARE GONNA GROW.
BUT WHERE THEY'RE BEING PLANTED IS A PROBLEM.
I DIDN'T TELL YOU IN WOOD SHORE, THEY, THERE'S OAK TREES THAT HAVE BEEN PLANTED UNDER, IT JUST STARTED IN 20 15, 20 16.
THERE'S OAK TREES THAT ARE RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE POWER LINES.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD PLANT THEM RIGHT UNDER POWER LINES, BUT THAT'S A PROBLEM QUESTION.
WELL, MAYBE THEY'LL PULL 'EM ALL UP.
I WOULD RATHER THAT THAN HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN.
BUT ACTUALLY I, ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD NOTE IS IN OUR THREE 80, WE REQUIRED A CERTAIN NUMBER OF TREES TO BE PLANTED.
ONE OF THE THINGS I DISCUSSED WITH MR. KANAKA WAS STOP PUTTING THEM IN THE RIGHT OF WAY PLEASE.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY A POWER LINE ISSUE, IT'S STREET MAINTENANCE, SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE.
I DON'T FRONT YARD'S ONE THING, BACKYARD'S GREAT, BUT IN THE RIGHT OF WAY IS A PROBLEM.
SO, OR PLANT DIFFERENT TYPES OF TREES.
'CAUSE YOU CAN GO ON AND CENTER POINT SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, PLANTING LIKE CREPE MYRTLES AND STUFF LIKE THAT DON'T MESS WITH.
'CAUSE THEY'RE, THEY DON'T HAVE THE DEEP ROOTS AND STUFF.
THEY HAVE LIKE FEATHERY ROOTS, YOU KNOW.
I MEAN THE SYSTEM THAT, THE SYSTEMS THAT CENTERPOINT USES TO SHOW OUTAGES AND SHOW PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE WHERE THE AREAS THAT THEY'RE LOCATED ON, WHAT IF THEY'VE COME BACK TO POWER? I MEAN THEY REPORTED THAT IT WASN'T WORKING MONTHS BEFORE THE HURRICANE.
THAT THEY DIDN'T FIX IT MONTHS BEFORE THE HURRICANE.
AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE FACED IN ONE OF THE APARTMENTS.
THE WILD MA THE WILD MAINOR SHOWED THAT IT WAS ON, IT HAD POWER, BUT REALLY IT DIDN'T.
SO IT TOOK US WHAT CJ MAYBE TWO, THREE DAYS OF CALLING CENTER POINT.
HEY, THESE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE POWER, BUT YOU SHOW THEY DO.
AND THEY SHOWED UP MAYBE THREE DAYS LATER SAYING, OKAY, THEY REALLY DON'T HAVE POWER.
BUT I THINK, LIKE I SAID, I THINK SOME OF THE ISSUES, YOU KNOW, MY BIGGEST ISSUE WITH THEM, THE WHOLE THING IS THEY'RE ON, THEY'RE ON TELEVISION ADVERTISING THAT THEY'RE WORKING 24 7, 7 DAYS A WEEK TILL THEY GET IT OP TILL THEY GET EVERYTHING BACK IN OPERATION.
WELL, AT SIX O'CLOCK THEY PULLED THE METER OUTTA MY DAUGHTER'S HOUSE AND WALKED OFF.
DIDN'T COME BACK TILL LIKE 10 O'CLOCK THE NEXT DAY.
THEY DID THAT ON DIXIE DRIVE TOO.
THEY STOPPED WORKING, THEY WORKED ABOUT FIVE HOURS AND THEN THEY STOPPED, WENT HOME WITH THE NIGHT, CAME BACK.
WE ACTUALLY TALKED TO THEM AND THEY SAID THAT THE CREWS WERE WORKING, THE CREWS WERE ACTUALLY WORKING 12 TO 16 HOURS.
THE CENTER POINTS ON TELEVISION SAYING THEY'RE WORKING TWENTY FOUR SEVEN TO ME ANSWERING PHONES IS NOT WORKING TWENTY FOUR SEVEN.
AND IT SEEMED LIKE THEY DIDN'T EVEN START DOING ANYTHING UNTIL TWO DAYS INTO IT.
THAT WAS ANOTHER THING I THINK IS FRUSTRATING PEOPLE ARE THEY UNION SOME, SOME OF 'EM I'M SURE.
WELL, I'M SURE THAT YOU CAN GUARANTEE THEY AIN'T WORKING 24 HOURS A DAY THEN.
I WILL SAY MY, MY PROBLEM IS MY PROBLEM ISN'T WITH YOU HAVE THE LINE WORKERS NOT YEAH.
MY PROBLEM IS WITH UPPER MANAGEMENT, WITH, YOU KNOW, THEIR ADMINISTRATION, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THAT THEY HAVE AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF COMPANY.
YOU KNOW, I THINK SO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, $6.2 BILLION IN PROFIT LAST YEAR.
SO FOR THEM TO SAY, OR FOR THEM TO NOT BE ABLE TO FIX ONE OF THEIR MAIN SYSTEMS DURING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.
I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT.
I'VE SAT THROUGH HURRICANES SINCE THE 1960S.
AND I HAVE NOT SEEN ONE AS BAD AS THIS ONE.
BUT THEY'RE ALSO GONNA POP US.
'CAUSE ON MY, IT WAS NOT ON MY RESIDENTIAL BILL, BUT IT WAS ON MY, UM, COMMERCIAL BILL FROM MY AGENCY THAT MY BILL FOR JANUARY OF THIS YEAR WAS NORMALLY IS ABOUT 120 BUCKS.
IT WAS $500 AND IT WAS ALL CENTER POINT RECOUPING THEIR MONEY FROM THE FREEZE IN 21.
AND A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE GONNA GET POPPED, THEY WEREN'T EVEN ABLE TO OPEN FOR DAYS AND DAYS AND LOST MONEY.
WELL THAT WAS SOME OF THE DISCUSSION I HAD WITH MY, AND I APOLOGIZE Y'ALL, I CAN'T SEE, UH,
SO I FEEL LIKE I'M TRYING TO LEAN OVER.
UH, BUT THE, UH, YOU CAN STAND UP
UH, THE ONE OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT I HAD WITH MR. DAVENPORT WAS THE FACT THAT WE DO HAVE SEVERAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE WITHOUT POWER RELATED TO A TRANSFORMER POLE.
[00:30:01]
TO, IT'S NOBODY, IT'S EVERYBODY'S FAULT.IT'S THE ELECTRICIAN, IT'S THE OWNER, IT'S EVERYTHING ELSE.
BUT THE, THE, I GUESS WHAT THE, THE LACK OF, UH, INTEREST HAS BEEN GLARING IN SOME SEGMENTS.
NOW, I WILL SAY THAT WE HAD, THEY WERE QUICK TO RESPOND, BUT WE'VE HAD TO FIGHT AT ROYAL WILDWOOD.
WE HAD TO FIGHT ON DIXIE DRIVE.
WE'VE HAD TO FIGHT AT THE SHOPPING CENTER.
AND IT FEELS LIKE IT'S, THEY'RE LOOKING AT A SCREEN AND THEY'RE NOT LISTENING TO WHAT WE'RE TRIALING THEM OR WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEIR CUSTOMERS ARE TELLING THEM.
AND IN REGARD TO THE TDU RATE SETTING, THAT'S GONNA BE ONE OF THE ISSUES.
I HADN'T READ THE AGENDA OR HEARD ANY OF THE TESTIMONY 'CAUSE I THINK THE HEARINGS BEGAN TODAY.
UH, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE, THE, THE FOLKS IN AUSTIN ARE TALKING ABOUT IS YOU WERE GIVEN MONEY FROM THE STATE TO HARDEN THE SURFACE, HARDEN THE SYSTEMS, AND PREPARE THE SYSTEMS FOR A STORM.
WHAT HAPPENED? WHY WASN'T THAT MONEY SPENT THE WAY IT WAS GIVEN TO YOU BY THE STATE? AND THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHAT LED TO THE PUC REJECTING THAT INITIAL CLAIM ON THAT $2.3 BILLION PLAN BECAUSE IT WAS GONNA ASSESS THAT COST BACK TO THE CUSTOMER WHEN THE STATE HAD ALREADY GRANTED THE MONEY.
SO, SO IS THAT WHERE THE MONEY, MY HUGE BILL THOUGH, WENT, IF YOU RECALL IT, THEY, THEY INSTITUTED A TDU CHARGE FOR THAT AND THEN THEY HAD TO DRAW IT BACK BECAUSE WE FILED OUR, APPEAR WE IN OTHER CITIES, NOT JUST A CLUE, BUT MO OTHER JURISDICTIONS ALL ONE OF, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS IS THEY TOLD US WE HAD WHAT, 16 OR 18 TRUCKS WORKING IN THE CITY OF CLU.
I DROVE AROUND, BURNED ABOUT A HALF TANK OF GAS AND I MIGHT HAVE SEEN SIX DIFFERENT TRUCKS.
I HAD TO GO LOOKING FOR THEM BECAUSE CJ SAID, OH NO, THEY'RE OUT THERE.
I'M LIKE, I HAVEN'T SEEN ONE GO DOWN DIXIE DRIVE IN THREE DAYS.
AND ON THAT WEDNESDAY I FINALLY GOT IN MY CAR AND JUST STARTED DRIVING AROUND JUST TO PROVE TO MYSELF THEY REALLY WERE THERE.
WELL, I MEAN THAT'S, THEY DIDN'T SHOW UP ON MY STREET FOR ABOUT, THEY DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP ON MY STREET TILL THE, LIKE THREE DAYS AFTER THE, AFTER THE HURRICANE.
THERE WAS A POWER LINE JUST HANGING DOWN OVER DIXIE DRIVE AND IT HAD HUNG THERE FOR THREE SOLID DAYS.
AND THE GUYS, THEY JUST DIVERTED TRAFFIC AROUND IT.
I'M LIKE, IT'S A POWER LINE DOWN AND Y'ALL JUST LEAVING IT THERE.
AND THE GUYS THAT WERE ON MY STREET WERE FROM MISSOURI AND THEY WEREN'T AUTHORIZED TO DO ANYTHING EXCEPT FIX SOMETHING THAT WAS BROKEN.
THEY COULDN'T TURN ON NO POWER.
ALL THEY COULD DO IS FIX ANYTHING THAT THEY COULD SEE THAT WAS PHYSICALLY DAMAGED.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, JEFF, I UNDERSTAND YOUR, YOUR POINT OF VIEW IS JUST, WELL I THINK THEY DID A MIRACULOUS JOB.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN SEEING IN THE NEWS COVERAGE WITH ALL THEIR PRESS CONFERENCES IS THAT THEY KEEP SAYING, THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT HOUSTON, THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT HOUSTON, THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GONNA FIX THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE IN HOUSTON.
HOW THEY'RE GONNA FIX EVERYTHING IN HOUSTON WHEN THE HURRICANE HIT HERE.
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD CLUE IN THERE? YEAH.
I'VE BEEN WATCHING NEWS FOR A LONG TIME.
WELL, NO, BUT BUT UNLESS, UNLESS SOMETHING VERY BAD THAT ON THAT TOKEN, ERIC, THE BRAZORIA COUNTY IS CONSIDERED GREATER HOUSTON AREA
BUT I THINK WHENEVER THE, THE POINT OF THIS IS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S KNOWN THAT A LOT OF, MORE OF THE DAMAGE THAT WAS HAPPENED IS DOWN HERE.
WELL, AND WE'VE GOT IT PRETTY LIGHTLY.
IF YOU WANT TO GO WEST 20 MILES.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S A, WELL, I MEAN IT WASN'T, I GET BOTH SIDES OF IT.
AND IF WE THINK WE HAVE A PROBLEM, WE HAVE THINK A PROBLEM, THEN NO DISRESPECT.
BUT THE FACT OF I QUESTION, ARE WE JUMPING ON THE NEWS BAND MATTER IF WE ARE? I'M NOT FOR THAT.
WELL, NO, BECAUSE I EXPERIENCED IT, LIVED IT.
EVERYTHING IS TALKING ABOUT YES.
IT GUESS I DIDN'T EXPERIENCE INJURIES.
DO YOU HAVE A GENERATOR ON YOUR HOUSE OR SOMETHING? I HAD POWER.
GOT MAIL I HAD POWER IN FOUR DAYS.
WELL, I HAD A FRIEND, I HAD A FRIEND THAT HIS POWER CAME ON.
HE WAS THE MONDAY, THE, WHEN THE, WHEN THE STORM HIT, THE POWER WENT OUT.
HE WAS GOING OUT TO THE GARAGE TO GET HIS GENERATOR OUTTA THE GARAGE.
AND HIS POWER CAME ON WHILE HE WAS IN THE GARAGE.
SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, LIKE SIX HOUSES CAME ON.
BUT WE JUST NEED, HE WAS, HE'S PROBABLY SOMEWHERE NEAR THE HOSPITAL GRID.
IT MUST NEEDED THAT CONVENIENCE STORE OPEN.
THE BEER WAS GONNA BE COVERED MORE
[00:35:01]
AFTER THE, AFTER THE HURRICANE.I WAS GONNA SAY IF, IF, UH, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO KNOW A TRUE HORROR STORY, LISTENING TO THE RECOUNTS FROM THE FOLKS THAT ARE TEXAS NEW MEXICO POWER CLIENTS, UH, WE HAD IT GREAT.
THEY TEXAS, PEOPLE THAT WERE DEALING WITH TEXAS NEW MEXICO HAD A WHOLE LOT ROUGHER.
I I THINK THAT THEY NEED TO BE ADDED TO THE SUIT OR I, I STILL HAVE COWS WITHOUT WATER.
STILL GOT COWS DOWN AND ALL IT IS IS THE BREAKERS TRIP.
BUT I'M THAT FAR DOWN THE LINE BECAUSE THERE'S MORE IMPORTANT THINGS.
I MEAN, ONCE AGAIN, IT WAS JUST A HURRICANE.
IT WAS A, NOT CATA CATASTROPHIC, BUT IT WAS PRETTY ROUGH.
WELL, I MEAN, THEY DON'T HAVE TO, THEY DON'T HAVE TO SEND A BUCKET TRUCK DOWN THERE TO DO THAT.
THEY CAN SEND A, THEY CAN SEND A THREEQUARTER TON TRUCK WITH THE, WITH THE SIDE, WITH THE SIDE THING.
PULL A POLE OUT THERE AND STICK THE, BUT THAT'S HONEST.
IF SOMEBODY HEARD THESE COWS IS GETTING WATER IN MY HOUSE, DON'T HAVE ELECTRICITY, THAT AIN'T GONNA GO UP REAL WELL.
BUT YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, CENTER POINT.
I DON'T KNOW TEXAS, NEW MEXICO.
WELL, I MEAN THEY PULLED LIKE, SAID, I THINK CJ NAILED IT ON THE HEAD.
I'LL JUST GO ON AND STEP ON MYSELF LIKE I NORMALLY DO IS A COMMON FACTOR IN THE WORKFORCE NOWADAYS.
SO YOU'RE DEALING WITH A MULTIFOLD SITUATION.
OH, WITHOUT GOING TO THE TRUST ME.
I KNOW, BUT ON THE SAME TOKEN, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THE, THEY, THEY PULL THE METER CAN OUT OF MY DAUGHTER'S HOUSE.
WE A, WE ASK ALL THE LINEMEN THAT WHY WOULD THEY PULL THE METER CAN OUT.
THEY SAID THE ONLY TIME THEY EVER PULL A METER CAN OUT IS IF THERE'S DAMAGE TO THE SUPPLY.
THEY HAD PEOPLE, THEY HAD PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY WERE DOING.
I COULD PROBABLY THE WORKFORCE, LIKE YOU SAID, STAND ON THAT.
YEAH, BUT THEY PASSED THE TEST.
THEY GOT A LICENSE KINDA LIKE DRIVERS.
THEY GOT A LICENSE, BUT THEY DON'T MEAN THEY KNOW ANYTHING.
ANYWAY, SERGEANT, SORRY TO SLOW IT DOWN.
JUST ONE INDIVIDUAL, ONE BUSINESS OWNER'S OPINION OF WELL, ARE WE, ARE WE, ARE WE MAKING SURE WE'RE HITTING IT FOR THE RIGHT REASON? WELL, LET'S, LET'S GET BACK IN.
LET'S GET BACK IN THE, IN THE GROOVE HERE.
HAVE A MOTION BY, BY COUNCILMAN LOPEZ IF WE PASS THE RESOLUTION.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
MADS, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? JUST DON'T THROW NOTHING AT ME.
A FOR FOUR OR ONE AGAINST, UH, THE NEXT ITEM I WOULD CONSIDER A MOTION TO TABLE BECAUSE THERE'S SOME FURTHER RESEARCH THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO CLARIFY THE, UH, APPROPRIATE TIMELINES INVOLVED WITH THE PROCESS.
OH, YOU NEED A, UH, YOU NEED A MOTION TO MOTION TO TABLE? YEAH, I THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST GONNA TABLE.
I'LL, I'LL SECOND HAVE MOTION.
COUNCILMAN AGUILAR MADE THE MOTION.
AND COUNCILMAN CHRIS MADE THE SECOND PENDING.
[III. WORKSHOP ITEMS]
WE'LL NOW MOVE INTO THE WORKSHOP ITEMS AND DISCUSSIONS OF THE SUBJECT.CAN YOU HEAR ME RIGHT ONE? AND I WILL GO AHEAD AND ANNOUNCE BEFORE CJ STARTS THAT THE COUNTY DID NOT GET THE INFORMATION THAT, THAT I HAD ASKED FOR AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING.
SO WE WILL HAVE TO GET THAT UPDATED LATER.
YEAH, WE'RE STILL ON PINS AND NEEDLES AS REGARDS TO THE, UH, FINAL VALUE.
WE KNOW WE'VE GOT SEVERAL CHALLENGES STILL GOING ON.
UH, AND, UH, I, WE DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CHECK THE MAIL TODAY.
AND I HAD, I THINK THEY WERE AFFECTED BY THE, UH, THE OUTAGE.
THE OUTAGE, RIGHT? YEAH, THEY, THEY, THEY WERE A LITTLE BIT, UM, I I THINK THAT THAT DELAYED SOME OF THE NUMBERS, BUT WE DIDN'T GET NOTICE ABOUT A DELAY.
SO TODAY IS ACTUALLY THE LEGISLATIVE DEADLINE TO, TO GET THAT SUBMITTED.
SO, UH, BUT WE, WE WILL, AS SOON AS WE GET THOSE NUMBERS IN, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW AND, AND WE'LL SEND OUT OUR PROGNOSTICATION.
UH, THERE IS A LITTLE BIT, UH, ON A SIDE NOTE, UH, WE WERE GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS TOWARDS THE END, BUT WE, I WILL SAY WE'VE HAD TO ADJUST OUR SCHEDULE
[00:40:01]
A LITTLE BIT, UH, BECAUSE, UH, THE ACTUAL RATE CALCULATIONS WON'T BE READY UNTIL AUGUST 7TH FROM THE COUNTY.SO, UH, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT HOLDING A PRELIMINARY VOTE ON THE TAX ON AUGUST 1ST.
UM, AND UNLESS WE'RE TIME TRAVELERS, UM, AND WE'RE, I WISH WE WERE, BUT WE'RE NOT, UH, WE'LL HAVE TO REDO THAT.
SO, UH, OUR ASK IS THAT WE HOLD OFF ON THE REGULAR VOTE OR THAT INITIAL VOTE ON THE PRELIMINARY TAX RATE TO THE 15TH TO HAVE A WEEK.
ONCE WE GET THE ACTUAL RATES TO GET EVERYTHING LINED OUT AND GET EVERYTHING PUT TOGETHER, THE, SO ROSIE CAN PUT THE NOTICES OUT.
UH, SO IT'S GONNA ADJUST OUR SCHEDULE OR OUR CALENDAR A LITTLE BIT.
UH, INSTEAD OF ADOPTING ON THE, UH, WERE WE GONNA ADOPT ON THE NINTH ORIGINALLY? UM, I CAN'T, WE'VE SLEPT.
EVERYTHING HAS TO BE DONE BY WHAT THE 17TH.
NO, UH, REAL ACTUALLY, IT'S GOTTA BE DONE BY THE 30TH.
TECHNICALLY, OUR GOAL IS ALWAYS TO BE DONE WELL BEFORE THAT.
SO OUR GOAL HAD BEEN TO CLOSE EVERYTHING OUT THAT FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER.
WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY PUSH INTO THAT SECOND WEEK OF SEPTEMBER.
UM, SO, BUT WE'LL YOU'VE GOT MAIL, JEFF'S GOT MAIL.
UM, ONCE WE GET THE, UH, ONCE WE GET THE, UH, ONCE WE GET THOSE NUMBERS, THE FACTS AND FIGURES, WE'LL GO BACK THROUGH THOSE WITH YOU GUYS AND I'LL GET THOSE OUT EVEN IF WE DON'T MEET.
SO YOU'RE WELL AWARE OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE BEFORE WE GET TO THAT POINT.
SO WITH THAT SAID, UH, WELCOME TO THE ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET PART DUE AS THE FRENCH SAY.
UH, AND TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO COVER, OH WAIT, WE GOT A LITTLE, OH, HEY.
UH, WELL IT MAY NOT BE THERE 'CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS HIDDEN.
AND THAT'S NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING 'CAUSE THAT'S ALREADY IN P DRIVE AND THIS IS NOT CONNECTED.
SO, UH, TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA COVER, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, POLICE, FIRE MARSHAL CODE, ANIMAL FOR ANIMAL CONTROL, FIRE EMS, AND THEN EVERYBODY'S FAVORITE TOPIC.
UH, GRAB YOUR PILLOWS, GENERAL GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION.
SO, UH, ALL THE FUN PART, UH, ALL THE GLITZ AND ALL THE GLAM.
UH, WITH THAT SAID, CHIEF, YOU READY TO JOIN US? I GUESS I'M GONNA TURN THIS, THIS, THIS, UH, NO, IF YOU WANT.
YEAH, I DIDN'T HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS.
WE'RE SO WELL PREPARED HERE, FOLKS.
DID YOU WANT I DO WANT IT, YES.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT REAL QUICK.
UH, TUESDAY EVENING, UH, NEGATIVE FOUR 20 MORE.
UH, IF YOU'LL FLIP DOWN, THIS IS WHERE WE STAND TODAY.
UH, WHILE WE WERE DOING AN AUDIT, UH, GOING THROUGH LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM, UH, WE NOTICED THAT WE HAD OMITTED OVERTIME AND WORKERS' COMP COVERAGE IN SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS,
SO WE'VE MADE SOME MODIFICATIONS, WE'VE CUT BACK ON CONTINGENCY, TRYING TO GET THAT, TRYING TO GET THOSE NUMBERS INTO BALANCE.
UH, SO THAT'S WHAT THE CHANGE IS NOW.
UH, SO WE ALSO HAD THE, UH, CONTRACT COSTS FOR POLICE THAT WERE, WERE MISSING THAT WE THOUGHT THEY'D BEEN MOVED INTO ONE DEPARTMENT THEY HADN'T.
AND SO, LIKE I SAID, WE DID REDUCE THE CONTINGENCY AND AN EFFORT TO MITIGATE THOSE EMISSIONS.
UH, WITH THAT WE ARE READY TO MOVE INTO POLICE.
AND SO IF YOU WILL PULL UP, AM I ALLOWED TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT YES, MA'AM.
WAS THE, UM, I THINK IT'S IN THE, JEFF, I'M GONNA
UM, WHAT ARE, I GUESS IT'S IN THE GENERAL FUND AND IT JUST SAYS BANK CARD FEES AND BANK FEES.
SO THOSE, THOSE ARE, WHAT ARE, THE BANK CARD FEES ARE 45,000.
SO THAT'S WHEN YOU GO TO PAY YOUR WATER BILL OR PAY YOUR COURT FINE.
OR PAY, I'M SORRY, WHEN YOU GO TO PAY YOUR WATER BILL OR PAY YOUR COURT FINE OR BUY A PERMIT, WHATEVER.
EVERY TIME YOU SWIPE THAT CARD, WE ARE CHARGED THAT MONEY BY THE BANK AS THE PROCESSOR.
AND THEN WE COLLECT A PORTION OF THAT MONEY TO PAY BACK TO THAT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO THERE SHOULD BE AN OFFSETTING FEE, BUT I DON'T THINK IN SOME CASES WE DON'T GET THE ENTIRETY OF THAT MONEY BACK.
'CAUSE WE PAY LIKE, WELL, THERE'S LIKE A CONVENIENCE FEE, RIGHT, BUT THERE'S ALSO LIKE A DOLLAR 25 PROCESSING FEE.
HOW MUCH IS, SO WE'RE CAPPED BY THE STATE LAW AT 3% OF THE TOTAL FEE.
SO, SO THE 45,000 IS WHAT WE ARE SHOULDERING AFTER OTHER, AFTER PEOPLE, WHEN THEY PAY THEIR WATER, THEY PAY A LITTLE PORTION.
THERE IS A, THERE'S A REVENUE LINE ITEM THAT WILL WASH THAT.
I THOUGHT THIS WAS LIKE OUR CREDIT CARDS OR SOMETHING.
NO, WE, I'M LIKE, HOW LONG ARE WE TAKING TO PAY OUR BILLS?
VERY EXPLANATORY ON THE BANK CARD FEES.
[00:45:02]
OKAY.AND THAT'S THE OFFSET TO, BECAUSE IF YOU NOTE THAT'S CREDIT CARD PROCESSING FEES COMING, THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT APARTMENTS.
SO THAT'S THE OFFSET TO THOSE, THOSE AGGREGATES.
THAT WAS MY, THAT WAS ONE THING I SAW THOUGH.
THAT'S THE REVENUE THAT COMES, THAT'S WHAT WE ESTIMATE THE 3% TO BE.
AND THEN WE COVER WHATEVER THE DIFFERENCES QUESTION.
IF THEY USE A DEBIT CARD, THERE'S NO FEE.
ANY, NO, ANY PROCESSING REQUIRES THAT FEE.
SO THE, THE COMPANY THAT WE USE, UM, WHICH IS DEBIT, SHOULD BE FREE.
WELL, IT SHOULD BE, BUT WE'RE NOT A, WE'RE NOT A BANKING OR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.
SO THERE'S A CHARGE BACK TO US AS THE MERCHANT.
SO WE STILL HAVE TO EAT OF THAT CHARGE.
SO IF YOU GO, IF LIKE IF YOU'RE TIED WITH, UH, CHASE AND YOU GO USE YOUR DEBIT CARD, YOU'RE NOT PAYING THAT 1% OR WHATEVER IT IS.
WE STILL GET CHARGED BY OUR PROCESSOR FOR THAT.
BECAUSE I DON'T, YOU DON'T CHARGE, YOU'RE NOT CHARGED THAT.
I'M NOT, IF SOMEONE USED A DEBIT CARD, I'M NOT CHARGED AND WE DON'T CHARGE THEM.
BUT YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE CHARGED.
THAT'S ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE USING DEBIT VERSUS BECAUSE WE CHARGE, AND IT MAY BE BECAUSE YOU'RE A COMMERCIAL.
THAT'S WHY I ASKED, BECAUSE TYPICALLY, TYPICALLY IF, IF YOU USE A DEBIT CARD, THERE'S NO FEE RIGHT.
TO YOU AS THE, AS THE, BUT I THINK MAYBE ON A, MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING BETWEEN THIS, BUT YEAH, WE PAY A PROCESSING FEE, WHETHER IT'S DEBIT OR CREDIT, THAT'S WHY WE PREFER TO PROBABLY HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IN CODE.
AND YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, THEY CHARGE US TOO, SO DON'T WORRY.
WE CATCH IT COMING THREE WAYS.
EDCO PROBABLY CHARGES IT TO US.
SO WE NEVER BREAK EVEN WITH THAT.
BUT IT'S NOT AS BAD AS IT USED TO BE.
SO I MEAN THAT 55,000, 55,000 OF DOLLARS OR WHATEVER ON PROBABLY WHAT, $3 MILLION WORTH OF FINES AND REVENUE.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT A LITTLE, BUT IT'S NOT A LOT EITHER, I GUESS IS THE BEST WAY TO PUT IT.
NO, AND I GOT THE WRONG BALANCE AGAIN.
THE REVENUE THAT'S COMING IN THAT, THAT $55,000 GETTING CHARGED TO IS PROBABLY THREE TO $4 MILLION I WOULD IMAGINE.
ANY OTHER ANCILLARY BEFORE WE JUMP INTO
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE POLICE
CHIEF LOOKS LIKE HE COULD USE SOME GATORADE
SO WE CAN SEE NOW, BUT I CAN'T SEE Y'ALL.
UH, IN TERMS OF ADJUSTMENTS THIS YEAR, UH, SALARY WISE, WE DID INCLUDE THE, UH, THE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE ENDED UP CALLING IT, BUT IT'S THE PATROL TWO.
SO, SO WE'VE HAD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS WHAT WE LABELED A PATROL TWO POSITION.
AND THIS IS WHERE WHEN WE WOULD HIRE SOMEBODY WITH EXPERIENCE, INSTEAD OF THEM STARTING AT THE SAME THING AS SOMEBODY STRAIGHT OUTTA THE ACADEMY, IT WAS SOMETHING, BUT THERE WAS NEVER A MECHANISM FOR CURRENT EMPLOYEES TO MOVE FROM PATROL ONE TO PATROL TWO.
UM, AS WE WENT THROUGH THIS, UH, WE, WE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE LOOKED AT IS CURRENT.
UH, RECENTLY WE HIRED THREE OFFICERS FROM ANOTHER AGENCY.
UH, AND THEY TOOK PRETTY DECENT PAY CUTS TO COME TO CLUT.
AND, UM, EVEN WITH THAT PATROL TWO WHERE IT WAS AT.
SO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPETITIVE WITH THAT PATROL TWO TO POTENTIALLY, UM, STEAL A FEW MORE, UH, WITH EXPERIENCE, UM, AND BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPETITIVE THERE.
PLUS WHAT THE NUMBER THAT WE'VE, WE DECIDED TO GO WITH IS ONCE YOU HIT THREE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, YOU WOULD MO MOVE TO THE PATROL TO, AND THE REASON, UM, WE LOOKED AT IS THAT QUITE HONESTLY IS WHEN PEOPLE'S EYES START WANDERING TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS, SEEING WHAT THEY CAN.
AND THE THOUGHT PROCESS IS IF WE BUMP 'EM TO THAT PATROL TOO, MAYBE WE, UH, TRAP THEM INTO MAKING TOO MUCH TO LEAVE AND LET'S, YOU KNOW, LET'S BE HONEST, IT'S CHEAPER TO RETAIN THAN IT IS TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN.
[00:50:01]
THAT UP.NOW OF COURSE, THE IT CREATED, YOU BUMP THAT ONE UP, THEN IT CREATES THAT DOMINO EFFECT OF EVERYTHING ABOVE THAT HAVING TO BE BUMPED AS WELL.
SO, UM, THIS WILL, UH, ANGEL, WERE YOU ABLE TO, OKAY, WE WERE, LOOK, WE WERE LOOKING, WE WERE TALKING, WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE A NUMBER FOR YOU TONIGHT, UM, AS TO WHAT OUR RETENTION RATE WAS TO WHERE IT IS NOW.
UM, I, I'D LOVE TO TELL YOU A NUMBER, BUT I CAN TELL YOU IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN WHAT IT USED TO BE.
AS WE'VE GOTTEN OUR, OUR PAY A LOT MORE COMPETITIVE WITH THAT.
SO, UM, THE THREE OPENINGS I HAVE NOW, UH, THAT I, I THINK THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE WE'LL FILL THOSE ONCE COME OCTOBER AND WE HAVE THIS CHANGE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE SALARY ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE LOOKED AT.
WELL, I WOULD ALSO NOTE WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF COMPRESSION OCCURRING.
BETWEEN THOSE FIRST AND THIRD YEAR OFFICERS AND NEW HIRES AND SENIOR OFFICERS.
WE HAD A SITUATION WHERE WE HAD A INDIVIDUAL THAT I THINK WHEN THEY TRANSITIONED TO A HIGHER RANK WAS WHAT, A 4 CENT DIFFERENCE IN PAY.
SO WE HAD TO SPREAD THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
SO BASICALLY THE PROJECTED BUDGET THIS YEAR IS ROUGHLY A HALF A MILLION MORE THAN LAST YEAR PROJECTED BUDGET? UH, 10%.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH PRICE FUEL AND, AND THIS AND THAT, THE INCREASE IN UTILITY COST AND YEAH, I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKING AT A NET.
WE, IT'S A NET SEVEN AFTER WE'VE MADE CUTS.
BUT THE REALITY IS, IS IF YOU FACTOR IN THE CPI, WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR WINDSTORM AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE PAYING FOR WINDSTORM AFTER THIS, WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR ELECTRICITY AND FUEL HERE AND THE HEALTH INSURANCE AND THE WHOLE NINE YARDS.
AND WE'RE STILL ARGUING THE HEALTH INSURANCE CASE, BUT YEAH, IT'S COMPOUND AND COMPOUND AND COMPOUND IN VERY LITTLE WAY TO MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE.
SO I MEAN, THIS, I'VE BEEN HERE, THIS IS MY 19TH YEAR, AND THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET HAS ALWAYS BEEN AROUND $4 MILLION.
SO I MEAN, YOU KNOW, EVEN BACK IN THE EARLY DAYS IT WAS 3 6, 3 8.
SO, I MEAN, WELL, THE OTHER THING I WOULD NOTE IS YOU'VE COLLAPSED ANOTHER DEPARTMENT INTO THIS DEPARTMENT THIS YEAR BY MOVING CODE, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT INTO THE FIRE MARSHAL FIRE.
I KNOW 'EM THREE OR FOUR ANYWAY, UH, THE FIRE MARSHAL INTO THIS DEPARTMENT.
NOT TO, NOT TO SPEAK ILL, BUT I DON'T SEE ANY REASON TO BEAT THIS HORSE BECAUSE IT'S, I MEAN, TO ME IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S IN LINE.
UM, I DID WANT TO POINT OUT A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS. UH, WE HAVE THE, UH, WELL MAYBE WE DO.
SO ONE QUICK QUESTION ON THE, THE PATROL TWO, THAT'S THREE YEARS, THAT'S IF YOU HAVE THREE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND UP OR YES, SIR.
AND THEN RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO ALSO IS ONCE OUR ROOKIES THAT HIT THREE YEARS, WE'LL GET MOVED UP TO THAT.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE, THE CERTIFICATE PAY TO HELP BALANCE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND THEN IF THEY'RE BILINGUAL, THERE'S A BONUS, NOT A, NOT A BONUS, BUT A, AN, UH, INCENTIVE.
AND WHAT ABOUT F FTOS? I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME KIND OF INCENTIVE FOR THAT, OR AT AT LEAST SOME TYPE OF INCREASE FOR THAT.
UM, THEY, THEY, THEY ARE ACTUALLY COMPENSATED.
UM, THEY GET A AN HOUR OF STRAIGHT TIME PER THAT.
SO THEY, THERE IS SOME COMPENSATION FOR OUR FTOS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THAT? FIELD TRAININGS? FIELD TRAINING OFFICER.
SO, SO ONE THING IN THE PAST, JUST BEING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AS WELL AS ONE THING THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED IS BECAUSE AGENCIES WERE SO WORRIED ABOUT STARTING PAY IS YOU HAD YOUR THREE YEAR OFFICER TRAINING THE NEW OFFICER, AND HE'S TRAINING HIM ONLY MAKING LIKE 20 CENTS MORE AN HOUR THAN HIM.
UH, SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE THERE WAS KIND OF SOME MORALE ISSUES GOING ON THERE.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S HAPPENING HERE NOW, BUT I THINK THAT'S JUST FROM EXPERIENCE.
I THINK IT USED TO, IT'S BEEN PREVALENT.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO TACKLE.
CHIEF'S DONE A GREAT JOB OF ADVOCATING FOR HIS TEAM TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STAYING COMPETITIVE AND ON THE, TOWARDS THE EDGE, UH, WITH OUR COMPENSATION.
WELL, BACK IN THE BACK, IN THE EARLY DAYS, OUR POLICE OFFICERS INCLUDE, WERE PROBABLY GETTING 12 BUCKS AN HOUR, 60% OF WHAT WAS BEING PAID IN AROUND THE AREA.
I DON'T THINK IT'S, I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT BAD ANYMORE.
WHERE WHERE DOES INCLUDE RANK BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, LAKE JACKSON, FREEPORT? I HEARD FREEPORT IS IN THE PROCESS OF, OF, UH, YEAH, CJ DOESN'T WANT, WANT ME TO ANSWER THIS?
[00:55:01]
THEY KNOW THIS, UH, COPS TALK AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY BEHIND LAKE JACKSON.BUT LIKE I SAID, I, I MEAN, I JUST KIND OF THREW THEM OUT THERE,
UM, BUT WE, WE HAVE GOTTEN OFFICERS THAT HAVE LEFT FOR MORE, THAT FOR LESS MONEY.
SO I, I'VE GOTTA GIVE, GIVE MY FOLKS CREDIT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY ENJOY WORKING FOR KLUT.
THEY, THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN GO OTHER PLACES AND POTENTIALLY MAKE MORE MONEY.
WE'RE TRYING TO DO THINGS FOR THEM TO KEEP THEM FROM LOOKING AS MUCH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE, THE FUNNY PART IS, IS THAT, LIKE RIGHT NOW, I DON'T HAVE ANYBODY THAT'S ELIGIBLE TO MOVE TO PATROL TWO BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY MM-HMM.
UH, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT EXPERIENCE.
UH, ANGEL BROUGHT, SO IN 22, 23, WE ACTUALLY HAD 16 PEOPLE LEAVE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE BROUGHT THAT NUMBER DOWN QUITE A BIT.
SO WE, WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THOSE THINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ANGLETON MOVED TO THE SAME PAY SCALE AS THE COUNTY.
UM, HOW THEY'RE ABLE TO AFFORD THAT, I, I, WHO KNOWS? UH, BUT THERE'S, WE, WE, WE WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE BEHIND.
AND SO WE TRY TO JUST GET A, A WAY TO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE GOT A GOOD FAMILY.
I BELIEVE I SAW, I SAW PEARLAND WAS GIVING OUT $10,000 BONUSES.
SO, SO INTERESTING THAT, THAT YOU SAY I I'M NOT A BELIEVER IN, UM, SIGN ON BONUSES.
I, I, I, I MEAN I ABHOR THEM BECAUSE YOU'RE PAYING SOMEBODY TO COME WORK FOR YOU AN EXTRA 10 GRAND, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED THERE FOR THE 10 YEARS GET NOTHING.
YOU KNOW, AND SO I, I, YOU KNOW, I GET IT BEING COMPETITIVE, BUT YOU'RE PUNISHING THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY WORK FOR YOU.
WE ARE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT, AND, UM, TRYING TO, AND, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS MAYBE EVEN CITYWIDE OF DOING A, UM, WHAT I CALL A HIRING BOUNTY TO WHERE WE COULD ACTUALLY GET, THEY, THE OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES COULD GET STIPENDS FOR RECRUITING PEOPLE.
AND THE WAY THAT WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WORKING IT IS YOU RECRUIT SOMEBODY, THEY GET HIRED, MAYBE THEY GET A $500 STIPEND AFTER THEY'VE FINISHED THEIR PROBATION, THEY GET AN ADDITIONAL 500 BECAUSE NOW THEY'VE GOT AN INVESTED IN THEM SUCCEEDING AS AN EMPLOYEE, NOT JUST BRINGING SOMEONE OFF THE STREETS TO TRY TO FILL SOME OF THESE POSITIONS.
I LIKE THAT TYPE OF THING BETTER THAN THE SIGN ON BONUS.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
KNOW, UPS WAS DOING THAT FOR A WHILE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING TO TRY TO HELP RECRUITING VERSUS, VERSUS THAT.
SO, UM, YEAH, I'LL SAY THAT PART OF THAT SEVEN WAS, UH, NOT VOLUNTARY THERE.
THERE'S SOME THAT WE, WE, UH, HELPED ALONG THE WAY, SO YEAH, I REMEMBER THAT.
BUT I THINK IT, IT SAYS A LOT THAT YOU HAD THREE COME FROM A NEIGHBORING AGENCY AND TOOK A PAY CUT.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT SAYS A LOT.
AND I, AND I, QUITE HONESTLY, I THINK THAT THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE NOT JUST FROM THAT AGENCY, I'VE HEARD FROM A COUPLE OTHER AGENCIES THAT ARE KIND OF WATCHING THOSE TO SEE HOW THEY LIKE IT, LETTING THEM TEST THE WATERS.
AND SO I THINK, I THINK THAT, THAT WE'VE, UM, GOT SOMETHING GOOD GOING HERE.
WE'VE JUST GOTTA DO WHAT WE CAN TO TAKE IT TO THAT NEXT STEP.
WELL, I KNOW A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF THE OFFICERS THAT ARE, OR A LOT OF THE OFFICERS THAT ARE IN LAKE JACKSON CAME FROM KLU TO START WITH.
WELL, YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE THAT CAME.
I, I, I WILL TELL YOU, I A LOT OF PEOPLE, WHEN THE, WHEN THE NEW SHERIFF GOT ELECTED, I LOST FIVE TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU, I TOOK THAT AS A COMPLIMENT THAT THEY WERE RECRUITING FROM US NOT GOING, HEY, WE DON'T WANT YOUR PEOPLE.
SO I ACTUALLY TOOK THAT AS A COMPLIMENT WHEN PEOPLE ARE RECRUITED FROM US.
UH, THE OTHER MAJOR PERSONNEL CHANGES, UH, AS WE TALKED ABOUT THE ABSOR ABSORPTION OF THE FARM AL CODE, THIS, UH, WE INCLUDED A PART-TIME ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER TO KIND OF COVER THOSE PERIODS WHEN THERE'S NOT DE'S NOT AVAILABLE.
AND SO WE'RE, WE HAD TO AT ONE TIME, BUT WE HAD TO, WE HAD TO GIVE 'EM UP BECAUSE OF THE, THE DE THE, NOT THE DEPRESSION, THE RECESSION
AND, AND, AND WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK, LAKE JACKSON, I THINK HAS THREE, FREEPORT HAS TWO.
UM, AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THAT LIKE, IT, IT JUST TAKES OFFICERS OFF THE STREETS WHEN
[01:00:01]
THEY'RE GETTING THESE ANIMAL CONTROL.AND, AND QUITE HONESTLY WHAT HAPPENS A LOT OF TIMES IS ON THE WEEKENDS, THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE ARE HOME.
AND THEY SEE THINGS A LOT MORE.
AND SO THEY'RE CALLING, AND SO THE OFFICERS ARE ACTUALLY GOING OUT AND DOING THE ANIMAL CONTROL.
AND THEN WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THEN THEY HAVE TO LOAD THEM UP, TAKE THEM TO LAKE JACKSON, BRING 'EM BACK.
IT'S JUST TAKING AN OFFICER OFF THE STREET.
SO IF WE CAN FIND A PART-TIME, IT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT'S THE REASON THAT, THAT'S THE REASON THAT WE PUT THE SECOND ONE ON BACK THEN.
BECAUSE ON THE WEEKENDS, OUR OFFICERS WERE BASICALLY ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS AS WELL.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEN HALF THE TIME YOU HAVE EQUIPMENT'S.
LET'S FACE IT, MOST OF THE MOST CRIMINAL ACTIVITY HAPPENS ON THE WEEKENDS.
IT DON'T HAPPEN ON, IT DON'T HAPPEN ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT WHEN PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CHURCH
AND, AND INITIALLY IN OUR TALKS, WE TALKED ABOUT A SECOND FULL TIME, BUT IN LOOKING AT THE FULL BUDGET AND MONEY, IT WOULD THEN MEAN ANOTHER VEHICLE.
AND SO WE'D HAVE TO HAVE TWO ANIMAL CONTROL VEHICLES.
AND SO PART-TIME, WE CAN GET BY WITH ONE AND, AND WORK IT THAT WAY.
AND WE DID IT WE WAY, WE WAY WE SET THAT UP THEN IS WE HAD, UH, THEY WERE WORKING, I THINK FOUR DAY SHIFTS AND THEY WERE OVERLAPPING ONE DAY A WEEK.
SO WE HAD TWO, TWO OFFICERS, TWO, TWO ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS ONE DAY A WEEK.
AND THEN THE REST OF THE TIME, WE ALWAYS HAD ONE.
YOU SAID, WE'VE GOT STAGGERED, RIGHT? SO HOW MANY, YEAH, SIR.
SO HOW MANY DOES THIS INCLUDE? THIS NUMBER PART-TIME? IT'S JUST ONE PART-TIME, AC UH, ONE EXTRA.
LIKE, AS FAR AS PERSONNEL, THE ONLY PERSONNEL ADS THAT I'VE ASKED FOR IS JUST THE PART-TIME, A CO NO MORE, NO FURTHER OFFICERS AT THIS TIME, I WANT TO, I WANT TO GET FULL STAFFED BEFORE I COME ASK YOU FOR MORE OFFICERS.
NOW, IT DOESN'T INCLUDE, WE HAVE SOME VACANCIES, A CID VACANCY IN TWO PATROL.
NOW I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE, OR WAS THE FIRE MARSHAL.
OKAY, SO, SO THERE'S THE, THERE'S THE FIRE MARSHAL.
I STILL NEED TO FILL THE ASSISTANT FIRE MARSHAL.
UH, SO THAT NUMBER, IT'S GOING INCLUDE THAT NUMBER INCLUDES THAT ALREADY.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THAT, THAT WAS TRANSFERRED FROM ANOTHER DEPARTMENT INTO THIS DEPARTMENT.
SO, SO IT'S NOT ACTUALLY ADDING, IT'S NOT ACTUALLY ADDING ANYTHING.
DID I SEE 2 84? I CAN'T SEE IT NOW.
WHERE'D HE GO? IF YOU GO DOWN CJ? YEAH.
THAT INCLUDES HOW MANY PEOPLE IS WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
OH, THE TWO 80, THAT WAS THREE PEOPLE.
NOW THERE ARE THREE POSITIONS HAVE BEEN ABSORBED INTO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ONE OF THOSE IS CURRENTLY VACANT DO.
AND TWO, WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED, I AM, AS I'VE TAKEN ON THESE, THESE NEW RESPONSIBILITIES, I'VE LEARNED A LOT.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, SO FREEPORT HAS KIND OF DONE THE SAME THING.
THEY JUST TOOK CODE ENFORCEMENT, MOVED IT UNDER THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
SO I'VE BEEN TALKING TO THEIR CHIEF TO, SHE'S A LITTLE AHEAD OF ME IN THIS GAME.
UM, BUT I'VE LEARNED THEY'VE ACTUALLY GOT FOUR CODE ENFORCEMENT SLASH HEALTH INSPECTORS.
WE'VE GOT ONE, AND THEN FIRE MARSHAL HELPS.
SO EVENTUALLY I'D LIKE TO ADD ANOTHER POSITION THERE IN CODE ENFORCEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING, WE, THE, THE CALLS THAT COME IN ARE CODE ENFORCEMENT, PEOPLE'S NOT MOWING THEIR GRASS.
PEOPLE ARE DOING THOSE, YOU KNOW, NOT DOING THOSE THINGS, WHICH ARE ALL IMPORTANT.
BUT, AND, AND TO, TO QUOTE IRENE, SHE'S VERY BIG ON THE HEALTH SIDE OF IT.
SHE'S LIKE, NOBODY'S EVER DIED FOR TALL GRASS, BUT THEY HAVE FROM FOOD POISONING.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'VE GOT TO WORK YOUR, THOSE TWO THINGS OUT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THOSE HEALTH INSPECTIONS, BUT ALSO DOING THE CODE.
AND SO IT'S JUST A LOT FOR THEM TWO TO HANDLE.
SO EVENTUALLY WE'LL WANT TO ADD A, ANOTHER POSITION INTO THE CODE AND CODE SLASH HEALTH, UH, PORTION.
AND I WILL SAY I DID, HE ASKED, MADE THAT REQUEST THIS YEAR, AND I PULLED THAT OUT.
SO, AND THEY WORKED MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, EIGHT TO FIVE.
IS THAT THEIR HOURS OR, YES, SIR.
UM, NOW THE FIRE MARSHAL IS OBVIOUSLY ON CALL.
UH, OTHER THAN THAT, SO, AND THEN THE VACANT ONE IS THE ASSISTANT FIRE MARSHAL.
AND WE THINK WE HAVE A CANDIDATE AND WE DO HAVE A CANDIDATE.
UM, AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, UM, WHEN, WHEN ROCKY CAME ON THE, BECAUSE WE HOLD THE POLICE COMMISSION OF THE FIRE MARSHAL AND ASSISTANT FIRE MARSHAL, HIS TRAINING WAS KIND OF TOUGH BECAUSE HE WAS DOING BOTH THAT HE WOULD DO A COUPLE DAYS AS FIRE MARSHAL, HE'D COME OVER AND DO FIELD TRAINING WITH US FOR A COUPLE DAYS, AND HE WAS JUST BACK AND FORTH.
WITH THIS, I'M GONNA INTERVIEW, UH, THE CANDIDATE NEXT WEEK, AND IF
[01:05:01]
IT WORKS OUT, WE'RE GOING TO PUT THEM THROUGH A FULL FIELD TRAINING FIRST BEFORE THEY MOVE OVER TO FIRE MARSHAL.IT, THEY GET THE FULL TRAINING AND THEN MOVE OVER.
IS THIS LIKE A, LIKE A PATROL FIELD TRAINING OR, YES, SIR.
WE, WE GO AHEAD AND, AND BECAUSE, UM, THERE ARE TIMES THAT THEY BACK US UP AND, AND THAT TYPE OF THING ON CALLS IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
YOU GOT DOCUMENTED TOO, SO ABSOLUTELY.
UH, THE OTHER THING, WE CHIEF SKIPPED VEHICLES, I GUESS TWO YEARS OR ONE YEAR, UM, TWO YEARS AGO.
AND THEN LAST YEAR, LAST YEAR WE GOT JUST TWO.
AND SO WE'RE IN NEED OF TURNING THE FLEET.
UM, SO WE'VE PUT FOUR, UH, VEHICLES.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE YET.
NOW WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TO THE POINT AND IT'S, IT'S LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE WITH VEHICLES AND WE'RE GONNA, WHATEVER WE CAN GET OUR HANDS ON IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DRIVE.
YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO FIND FORD TRUCKS.
SO WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE GIVING THEM A TRY, UM, WITH THE, Y'ALL SEE THE, THAT WE'RE GOOD TO GO WITH FOUR VEHICLES.
UM, WE MAY LOOK AT SOMETHING ELSE.
I I, THE, THE CURRENT STATE OF OUR NEWEST TAHOES, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL GO BACK TO TAHOES, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE JUST HAVING SO MANY ISSUES WITH THEM.
UH, BUT AGAIN, IT'S WHAT YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON.
AND TAHOES, THEY'RE SAYING THEY'RE TWO YEARS OUT ANYWAY.
SO IS IT ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT Y'ALL ARE SEEING OR IT'S, UH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.
YEAH, THERE'S, THE QC HAS BEEN REALLY, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS MOVE TO, WHAT IS IT, THE FORDS, THE EXPLORERS, THE, THE FORD, THE, THE, THE FORD, UH, VEHICLES.
UM, FORD INTERCEPTOR, IT, THE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK AT.
I I WILL GO TO THAT BEFORE I WILL GO TO THE DODGE DURANGOS.
SO, UM, BUT WE'LL JUST, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE THE DODGES WE'VE HAD REALLY BAD TROUBLE WITH IN THE PAST.
AND SO IT'S A MATTER OF JUST WHAT WE, IF ELON WANTED TO COME OFF AND JUST GIVE US A WHOLE FLEET OF TRUCKS.
YOU COULD ALWAYS, YOU GOTTA SUFFER.
IF HE JUST WANTED TO TRY A BETA, I'D TAKE THAT AT THIS POINT.
SO I WAS GONNA SAY, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT HAVE MOVED, LIKE THEIR CID TO TESLAS.
UM, AND AT SOME POINT WE MIGHT LOOK AT THAT FOR A PURSUIT VEHICLE, YOU CAN'T GET ANY BETTER, ALTHOUGH THEY RUN OUTTA JUICE PRETTY QUICK.
THAT'S THE ONLY, ONLY DOWNSIDE.
YOU ARE GONNA BE AT THE, AT THE STOCK FOR TWO DAYS.
BUT IF, IF THEY GO ON SOME OF THESE CHANGES LIKE WE'VE BEEN ON HERE IN THE PAST YEAR OR SO, WE YEAH, THEY'D BE SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD
SO, SO WHEN IT, WHEN IT COMES TO VEHICLES, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, UH, FOUR VEHICLES.
UM, AGAIN, I JUST HAD TO, UM, DOWN ANOTHER VEHICLE THIS WEEK THAT IS JUST BEYOND REPAIR.
THEY'RE TELLING US IT NEEDS A WHOLE NOTHER ENGINE AND IT'S JUST NOT WORTH PUTTING $6,000 INTO.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT FOUR, FOUR VEHICLES.
UH, THE A CO TRUCK IS TOPPED, I THINK 130,000 AND IS JUST KIND OF ON ITS LAST LEG.
SO WE, UH, WE'RE WE NOW WITH THE A CO TRUCK, WE'RE NOT GOING FULL FLEDGED A CO IT IS JUST ANOTHER PICKUP TRUCK WITH BOXES, YOU KNOW, WITH THE KENNEL BOXES IN THE BACK.
WE'RE NOT DOING THE AC UNITS, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE LIFT BED OFF THE OLD ONE, PUT IT ON THE NEW ONE.
IT IS NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND CRAZY AMOUNTS OF MONEY ON A HUGE BOX, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
UM, AND THEN THERE IS A, FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT WITH THE CHANGE OF PEOPLE, UH, SHE DOESN'T HAVE A VEHICLE.
SO, UH, GETTING HER VEHICLE, WHAT KIND OF BOX? REAL, REAL QUICK MILEAGE THAT THE TAHOES ARE COMING A APART OF THE KNOW, OH, WE START SEEING ISSUES AT LIKE, WHAT, 30,000 MILES? ALMOST THESE NEWEST, THESE NEWEST ONES THAT WE GOT TWO YEARS AGO.
WE HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH THEM 30,000 MILES IN.
I MEAN, A LOT OF IT'S WARRANTY WORK AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE 'EM BACK AND GET WARRANTY WORK, BUT WE'VE BEEN, WE, I, I, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE CHEVROLET WILL BLAME A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING AND, BUT WE'RE JUST NOT SEEING THE QUALITY FROM THIS LAST BATCH OF TALKS THAT WE HAD.
THE OLDER ONES WHO ARE RUNNING BETTER THAN ARE NEW, NEWER.
I THINK THAT'S SAID ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS THOUGH.
I THINK WE WERE JOKING WITH JP AND THEM THAT
[01:10:01]
THE CHARGERS WERE SO BAD AND THESE ARE APPROACHING THAT LEVEL OF WE'VE GOT THE, EVERYBODY'S GOT TASERS, EVERYBODY'S GOT YES.UH, VEST, EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY'S GOT EVERYTHING THEY NEED.
WE JUST, AND ACTUALLY WE JUST UPGRADED TO A, UH, NEWEST, WELL, NOT THE DOUBLE TASERS, BUT YEAH.
TO A, TO A DIFFERENT TASER MACHINE.
EVERYBODY'S GOT A TWO PACK NOW, HUH? YEAH, PRETTY MUCH
AND THEN WE DID INCLUDE, UH, 95,000 FOR CAPITAL BUILDING AND GROUNDS.
UH, WE
SO, YES, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTANDING, UM, IF Y'ALL, IF Y'ALL NOTICED I ADDRESS DIFFERENTLY LATELY, UH, THE, THIS SIDE OF THE BUILDING, UH, DOESN'T HAVE AC HADN'T HAD AC FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW.
UH, THAT'S BEEN LONGER THAN THAT TWO MONTHS FOR PATROL.
WE BROUGHT IN A SMALL LITTLE UNIT AND IT KEEPS IT COOL ENOUGH IN THERE.
UM, I WILL ONE DAY GET BACK TO MY BUTTON DOWN STREETS
SO, UH, WE, WE'VE GOTTA GET THAT AC FIXED AT SOME POINT.
DID YOU HAVE ANYBODY LOOK AT IT? NOT YOU.
WE'VE HAD, UH, WE'VE GOT, WE'RE ON WAITING ON OUR THIRD QUOTE TO COME IN RIGHT NOW.
SO, UH, J L'S TAKING A LOOK AT IT, UH, HARLAN PRATHER.
AND WE'RE WAITING ON E THREE TO SEND SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO THINK WE ANY INDICATION OF WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT STARTED OUT AS A CONTROL BOARD AND AFTER THE STORM, THEN THEY SAID IT'S SOMETHING ELSE.
WELL, I GUESS THAT UNIT IS PROBABLY ABOUT 15 YEARS OLD.
HUH? THIS IS ONE OF THE NEW CARRIERS WE PUT ON THERE.
I WOULD NOTE THAT EVERY UNIT EXCEPT FOR ONE, TWO, FROM THAT TRANSITION HAS HAD EITHER A, A, A CONTROLLER UNIT GO OUT, A BLOWER MOTOR, A A BAD PANEL.
WELL, YOU PROBABLY JUST JINX IT.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO, I DID GONNA HAVE TO CALL TOM.
I WILL NOT, UH, I WILL, I WON'T.
YOU THINK IT'S LOW? WE, I MEAN THAT WE, WE, I DO THEM PROBLEMS ARE LOW VOLTAGE WITH THAT A MAYBE THAT'S WHAT IT'S, I I JUST FEEL LIKE WE ARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO GET CARRIED TO STEP UP TO THEIR FIVE YEAR WARRANTY AND THEY'RE CONSTANTLY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS IS BURNOUT? IT'S A SERIOUS THING TO CONSIDER, BUT EVERYTHING YOU'VE TOLD ME, LOW VOLTAGE, LOW VOLTAGE CAUSES ALL OF THAT, ESPECIALLY WITH NO MORE AGE IN WHAT THEY HAVE.
SO JEFF WILL BE COMING OVER AND FIXING THAT FOR YOU.
WANT TO FIX, I PROMISE THAT CONTROL BOARD'S 200.
AND IF YOU CAN GET 'EM, 'CAUSE THAT'S THE OTHER THING.
THAT, AND THAT'S WHERE WE WERE AT.
HE, UH, WE HAD A DELIVERY DATE OF JULY 11TH FOR THE CONTROL BOARD AND WE, SO I'M SURE GOOD TIMES.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR POLICE? THANK YOU, CHIEF.
NEXT UP, WE'LL GO TO FIRE AND CHIEF D FIRST OFF, THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE NEW FIRE STATION? NOT YET.
I MEAN, THERE'S SO MUCH STORM DAMAGE.
I GOT MATCHES READY,
THE, THE CODE WORD IS MARSHMALLOW AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WELL, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW.
UH, NOW AFTER THE LAWSUIT, THEY MIGHT, YEAH, THAT'S VERY TRUE.
UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, BENEFITS, WE INCREASE, WE DID THE MOD, THE SLIGHT INCREASE UP TO THE, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER NOW, THE MODIFIER FOR THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
UH, WE'VE ALSO INCREASED, YOU'LL SEE MARKEDLY THE TRAINING BUDGET, UH, AND THE HOPES THAT THE NEW RECRUITS, UH, CAN BUY IN AND GET A LITTLE BIT OF ADDITIONAL TRAINING GOING FORWARD.
AND PLUS THE NARROW HANG, THE, UH, TUITIONS ARE GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE IN NARROW HANG.
UM, SUPPLY WISE, NOTHING SIGNIFICANT HAS CHANGED.
I'M SORRY, I'M STEALING YOUR THUNDER.
I MEAN, THAT'S FAR THE EXPECT IN NARROW HANG THE, UH, SUPPLIES AND EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO, UH, REPLACE ONTO THE TRUCKS.
YOU KNOW, ANY KEEPING COMPLIANCE WE ADD ONTO THERE.
AND THEN, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, HOLD ON, LET ME GET DOWN HERE TO WHAT I GUESS THE MEAT AND POTATOES, WHICH IS THE CAPITAL OUTLAY FOR THIS
[01:15:01]
YEAR.OH, MAYBE, UH, WE BROKE THIS UP INTO TWO PIECES.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA MAKE A BUNKER PURCHASE AND, UH, CYLINDER PURCHASE PARTIALLY THIS YEAR.
AND THEN THE REMAINDER WILL COME IN NEXT YEAR.
AND THIS WILL HAVE EVERYBODY TURNED OVER BRAND NEW FOR 30 YEAR.
THE CYLINDERS ARE GONNA BE GOOD.
UH, YEAH, WE, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO WITH THE, UH, NEW MODERN CYLINDERS.
AND THEY, THEY GENERALLY IN NARROW HAND GOOD FOR ONLY 10 YEARS, UH, FOR A REPLACEMENT.
THERE ARE NEW CYLINDERS OUT NOW THAT THE, UH, MANUFACTURERS ARE WARRANTING THEM AND THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO USE FOR 30 YEARS NOW.
AS LONG AS YOU KEEP ON TESTING THEM, THEY THE, UH, AND HAVE THEM IN, UH, COMPLIANCE THAT WE CAN GET LONGER LIGHTS OUT OF THOSE CYLINDERS.
AND, UH, WE, WE HAD ALL THE OTHER CYLINDERS IN THEIR LANGUAGE FIRE AND AS FAR AS THEIR LIFESPAN, AND IT WOULDN'T GONNA COST TOO MUCH MONEY TO REFER, REFER FROM THEM TO BE ABLE TO MAKE EVEN ANOTHER 10 YEARS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE WENT THIS ROUTE.
AND WERE SOME OF THE, UH, FIRST ONES THAT, UH, DOING IT IN THE COUNTY AND, UH, OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS OF THE FARM THROUGH WITH THIS ALSO PRETTY LAME? YES.
YEAH, WE, AND WE DID AS FAR AS THE, UH, WE DID SOME, UH, CUTTING AND STUFF ONTO THERE AS FAR AS THE ADDITIONAL, UH, CONCRETE AND EVERYTHING THAT WE WANTED FINDING, TRYING TO FIND OTHER, UH, METHODS AND EVERYTHING.
MAYBE WE HAVE A CONCRETE FARM ROOF.
WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING AS FAR AS WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO, AND THEY'LL HANG ON THE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE STORM, WE DID HAVE A, UH, ONE OF OUR COMMAND VEHICLES DOWN.
SO WE'VE, UH, I THINK THE CLAIMS ADJUSTER WAS IN FOR THAT.
AND SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THAT, UH, FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IN TERMS OF REPLACEMENT FOR THAT PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, WE DID HAVE SUSTAINED DAMAGE AT STATION ONE WE ALL KNOW ABOUT.
UH, AND THEN AT STATION TWO WE HAD, UH, SOME MINOR DAMAGE.
MINOR DAMAGE, AND THEN STATION THREE AND EVERYTHING WITH ELECTRICAL QUALITY.
THE MAST HEAD WAS PULLED COMPLETELY OFF IN THE METER BOX.
SO, UM, WE'RE WAITING TO GET THAT.
THOSE SHOULD BE ON INSURANCE THOUGH, RIGHT? YES, YES.
HAVE WE GOT THE BRUSH TRUCK WHERE WE DRIVE IT YET? YES.
THE RAPID RESPONSE VEHICLE? YES.
UH, WHAT WAS THE FORWARD SHUFFLE GOING ON? WHAT CAUSED THAT? AM I CALLING THE RIGHT VEHICLE? THE RIGHT THING? THE BRUSH TRUCK, THE BRAND NEW ONE.
IT JUST RUNNING, IT MADE MAJORITY OF TWICE THE AMOUNT OF COST.
WHAT THEY DO ABOUT THE FRONT END UNDER, OH, AS FAR AS THE, OKAY.
THE SHAKING AND STUFF OVER THERE, THAT IS STILL IN AND THEY HANGING AS FAR AS WE'RE WAITING FOR THE, UH, MANUFACTURER.
SO IT'S STILL NOT FIXED BECAUSE AT 45 MILE AN HOUR YOU'RE LONG FOR A RIDE.
THEY CHANGED THE, UH, REPRESENTED THROUGH HE OF THIS AREA FROM THE MANUFACTURER.
AND MATTER OF FACT, I'VE GOT AN EMAIL FROM YOU,
IT'S A LOT OF MONEY FOR THAT TRUCK NOT TO DRIVE.
YES, WE DO DRIVE A, HE AS FAR AS ON CALLS IN AS FAR AS THAT, UTILIZE IT THROUGH THE CITY AT THE LOWER SPEEDS, BUT IT WAS THE MAIN APPARATUS THAT WE RAN THROUGH ALL 85% OF THOSE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? FIRE? NOT THAT MANY.
MS SO, UH, THE MAJOR CHANGES IN EMS, UM, SORRY, WE'RE NO, SORRY.
CHANGES DMS? UH, WE DID, UH, GO AHEAD AND TRY INSTITUTE GET PAID TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN OUR BASIC IMMEDIATE PARAMEDICS.
AND ALSO WE TRIED TO MOVE THE, SO IT'S NOT AS COMPRESSED AS IT HAS BEEN IN GROUP FOLKS.
UH, GINGER BEEN A CHAMPION ABOUT TRYING TO
[01:20:01]
MITIGATE COSTS AND CONTAIN COSTS WHERE SHE CAN, UH, SHE DID ASK FOR STRETCHER UNITS.WE LOST ONE DUE TO A CLIENT DURING THE STORM.
UM, WE WANTED TO, UH, THEY STOLE IT.
OH, IT WAS, UH, YOU DONE WHAT GOTCHA.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY HELP THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CALL FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WHAT IS THE CAPACITY ON THESE THINGS? LIKE 607, 700 FOR MANUFACTURER.
THESE ARE THE, LIKE ELECTRONIC THEY GOT THE, BUT HYDRAULICS ARE SUPPOSED TO GO ONE DIRECTION.
BUT THANKFULLY I HAVE KEPT SOME OF OUR OLDER STRETCHERS AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE, WELL, WE'LL HAVE BETTER UNIT COMING FROM THE YES.
JUST TO GET SOME MINOR WORK DONE.
WE'LL, ALL THREE UNITS BACK UP AND RUNNING, UM, AFTER THE GALLON INCIDENT.
AND THEN, UM, I HAVE THREE STRUCTURE ON THEM.
SO I PULLED THE REQUEST, UH, FOR THE STRUCTURE.
WE WEIGHT, UM, THE DECOMPRESSION WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO ME, SO, UH, GIVEN THE SALARIES WHERE I FELT THE GUYS NEEDED TO BE.
SO I PULLED ALL CAPITAL REQUESTS.
SO THIS YEAR WE, I'M NOT ASKING FOR HOW MUCH IS THE STRETCHER, SO THEY, TO GET THE AMOUNTING FOR THEM AND A STRETCHER, UM, YOU'RE LOOKING RIGHT UNDER 80,000.
SO THAT'S ALL THE EQUIPMENT THOUGH.
SO THEY'RE REQUIRED BY THE STATE TO BE SECURED TO A BOX THAT REQUIRES A SPECIAL PLATE AND THEN A SPECIAL AMOUNT AND THEN STRUCTURE.
SO THE STRUCTURE THEMSELVES ARE ABOUT FOUR TO 50,000 DEPENDING ON, UM, THE, THE BRAND THAT YOU BUY.
THERE'S, I NEED TO GO ALL IN ALL INSTALLATION IS UNDER 80,000.
SO IT'S NOT ABOUT TRUCKS SL THE BED CHEAPER.
SO WHEN I REQUESTED IT, I ACTUALLY GAVE THREE OPTIONS.
ONE WAS FOR ONE REPLACEMENT, ONE WAS FOR TWO, ONE WAS FOR THREE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THE SALARIES WERE MORE IMPORTANT TO ME.
SO WELL PULL ALL THE REQUESTS AND WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING ELSE, ARE WE? SO, SO TELL US ABOUT THE SALARIES, GINGER, WHERE ARE OUR EMS? UH, WHERE SHOULD THEY BE? WHERE ARE THEY? AND WHAT, WHERE DO WE AVERAGE IN THE COUNTY? SO IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, YOU CAN GO AND LOOK AT WHAT PEOPLE MAKE AN HOUR.
WE GET PAID ON AN 80 HOUR A WEEK AND, UH, NOT, NOT LIKE FIRE OR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS DIFFERENT WHERE YOU CAN PAY THEM OVERTIME, WHERE WE'RE ON AN 80 HOUR, ANYTHING OVER 80 HOURS OF OVERTIME.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT HOURLY, WE'RE BEHIND SOME OF OUR, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THEY MADE A YEAR WE'RE NOT.
AND SO IT WASN'T REALLY ABOUT SO MUCH THAT WE WEREN'T PAYING THEM ENOUGH.
IT WAS ABOUT HOW COMPRESSED THEY WERE AND HOW, WHERE THEY WERE IN COMPARISON TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY MM-HMM.
SO WE WERE JUST TRYING TO MAKE THAT LOOK A LITTLE BETTER, THAT IF YOU WENT TO SCHOOL FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS, I WAS GONNA SAY, IF YOU LOOK AT AGGREGATE SALARY, OURS DEPARTMENT IS ABOUT 3% AHEAD OF THE ENTIRE REGION.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY SALARY STRUCTURES WITHIN THE CITY WHERE WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT COMPRESSION IN COMPARATIVE ISSUE IN TERMS OF TRAINING SKILLS, ABILITY VERSUS WHAT? CAPABILITY.
BECAUSE THAT, I KNOW FOR A WHILE THE EMS INDUSTRY OR PROFESSION WAS LIKE, IT'S, IS IT STILL LIKE THAT? YES.
AND WE TALKED TODAY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, I ASKED, I REMEMBER WHAT YOUR COMMENT WAS ABOUT BEING MORE SCARED ABOUT WHAT'S WALKING IN THE DOOR.
SO I, I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UM, UNFORTUNATELY RECRUITING IS A BIT SCARY.
UM, WE ALSO AGREED TO JUST NOT RECRUIT UNTIL APRIL, WHICH WILL HELP THE CITY BE OVERALL THE MONEY THAT WE'RE SPENDING.
TAKES A LITTLE STRESS OFF OF ME WITH SOME OF THE ONES WE'RE SEEING AND TRYING TO TRAIN AND THEM NOT MAKING PROBATION WASTED.
LAST ONE WHO HAD GRADE TECHNICAL BACKGROUND, BUT HE'S THE ONE THAT WALKED IN AND COULDN'T
[01:25:01]
UNDERSTAND.WE LOOKED OUT, WE HAVE POLICY.
SO JUST, UH, IT'S WHAT RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE JUST NOT, YOU'RE REALLY NAIVE.
THAT SOLE PURPOSE IS TO HACK, LIKE YOUR PHONE, IT CAN HACK R ANY RFID MATERIAL CAN BE, UH, CREDIT CARDS OUTTA YOUR WALLET.
UH, AND INCLUDE OUR KEY CODES.
UH, YOU CLONE THEM, YOU COULD CLONE THEM IF HE, IF THAT'S WHAT HE CHOSE TO DO.
AND HE MADE, I GUESS, THANKFULLY THE MISTAKE OF FIRING IT UP IN THE STATION AND AUTOMATICALLY SET BECAUSE THEY NOTICED THEIR PHONES WERE TRYING TO BE CONNECTED INTO THIS DEVICE.
NOT SURE WHAT HIS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE MEANT,
NOBODY SHOULD HAVE THESE THINGS.
I'VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF THAT.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY, THEY'RE ACTUALLY PRETTY CHEAP.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY PRETTY CHEAP.
WELL, I WORK IN CYBERSECURITY, SO YEAH, WE, YEAH.
I'M WATCHING MY PHONE AROUND YOU NOW.
I'M GONNA GIVE A LITTLE SPECIAL WALLETS.
IS OUR BILLING BILLING, IS OUR BILLING PROCESSING STILL WORKING GOOD? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, AND I SEND IT TO THEM EVERY MONTH.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR MONTHLY, WHAT, WHAT THEY BRING IN, THEY, THEY DO FANTASTIC.
AND YOU CAN GO BACK AND LOOK ALL THE WAY FROM WHEN WE GOT IN 2016.
AND ACTUALLY THEY'RE, THEY'RE BRINGING IN MORE, I THINK, NOW THAN THEY WERE BEFORE.
AND THEY'RE RESPONSIVE AND, YOU KNOW, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
WELL, I KNOW THAT IN THE PAST THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF OUR BIG ISSUES.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DIDN'T, WASN'T RESURFACING THAT KIND OF THE BILLING PROCESS.
INSURANCE USED TO BE ALMOST 40%.
UM, ON THE BUILDING, GET IT, UH, FINISHED.
I DIDN'T ASK FOR ANYTHING, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT BUILDING WILL EVER BE FINISHED.
WE THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA LOSE IT IN THE STORM CLASS.
WELL, THAT MIGHT BEEN A BLESSING.
IF YOU WERE THERE THAT NIGHT, UM, AND WE LOST IN THE NOISES THAT THAT BUILDING WAS MAKING.
I WASN'T TOO SURE, BUT IT, IT, I MEAN, WE LOST
I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT, WITH ALL THE WOOD THAT THEY PUT IN THAT BUILDING.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD, I FIGURED IT WOULD BE BLOWN AWAY.
ONLY THAT'S THE ONLY, IT'S CRAZY.
YEAH, NO, I'M JUST, I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT IS GONNA BE LIKE THE INCENTIVE FOR THEIR TRAINING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
LIKE HOW, HOW'S THAT GONNA WORK? OKAY, SO IT'S TIERED.
SO IF YOU'RE, OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU'RE BASIC, NOT A BASIC WORKING AS A MEDIC, UH, BUT IT'S THREE, FIVE FEET OR 500,000.
I, AND WHAT IS THAT? WHAT IS IT? SO IF YOU'RE, SO FOR AN ETB UHHUH, YOU'RE GONNA GET 500.
WHEN YOU GO TO THAT NEXT LEVEL, WHICH IS A PARAMEDIC, YOU GET A THOUSAND AND THEN YOU GO TO INTERMEDIATE.
AND DOES THAT GET SPLIT INTO THEIR CHECK? YEAH.
IS THAT WHAT THE PD IS? IS IT SIMILAR? UH, IT'S, IT'S ON THE SAME STRUCTURE.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UH, BASIC, IT TAKES ONE COLLEGE SEMESTER.
UH, YOUR ADVANCE TAKES TWO, UM, TO BE A PARAMEDIC TAKING SQUAD.
BETWEEN YOUR, AND THERE WASN'T ANY OF THAT BEFORE.
THAT WAS, I MEAN, THERE WAS, THEY GOT A DIFFERENT PAY.
OBVIOUSLY, BUT THERE WAS NO, UM, THERE, THERE WAS NO UNC.
NOW MAYBE THERE WILL BE, OTHER THAN LIKE, IF WE SEND SOMEBODY THROUGH PRIMARY SCHOOL, THEY SIGN A CONTRACT WITH US, WE'LL PAY FOR LEAST LIKE WE DO WITH POLICE OFFICERS.
AND THEN THEY GET THE THREE OF SERVICE WHEN WE, I THINK THAT'S GREAT, ACTUALLY.
SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A HIGH VULNERABLE RATE.
MY GUYS, I HAD BEEN WITH ME ALMOST SINCE I TOOK THIS
MOST OF THEM, UM, THE NEW ONES DON'T COUNT BECAUSE NOT NONE OF THEM
ONE OF THEM STILL WORKS WORK CONFERENCE AND HE HELPS, HE
[01:30:01]
HELPS UP A LOT.SO HOW MANY PEOPLE ON STAFF DO YOU HAVE, SIR? HOW MANY PEOPLE ON STAFF DO YOU HAVE? SO, AS OF AUGUST 1ST WE HAVE, UH, 10 AUGUST 1ST.
SHE, SHE WILL START AUGUST 1ST.
SO WHEN I'M FULL STAFFED, THERE'S 13, INCLUDING ME.
I THOUGHT THERE WAS LESS OF Y'ALL.
I GUESS I ONLY EVER SEE ONE CREW.
CAN YOU TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK? LET'S TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
YOU BETTER, LIKE THEY'RE BURST.
YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S NEVER THOUGHT YOU ABOUT THAT.
I, WE'RE NOW THE MOST EXCITING COURSE BY THE BUDGET AND THAT OF COURSE IS, UH, GENERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDS.
UH, WE'LL START WITH, UH, NON, PUT MY GLASSES ON SO I CAN ACTUALLY SEE NUMBERS INSTEAD OF, UH, IN TERMS OF DEBT SERVICE.
WE WILL SERVICE ABOUT $360,000 THIS YEAR OF DEBT THAT IS TIED TO SALES TAX.
OVERALL, OUR DEBT OBLIGATION THIS ENTIRE YEAR IS 1.2 MILLION.
THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS COMING OUT OF, UH, EDC ENTERPRISE FUND.
UH, AND THEN, UH, WE DO HAVE ONE SMALL ISSUE COMING OUT OF THE, OUT OF FUND OH FIVE.
UH, BUT THIS IS WHERE, UH, THE TRANSFERS COME IN.
SO IN 2005 WHEN WE INITIATED THE EDC, THE CITY, I GUESS OBLIGATED SALES TAX, I'M SORRY, PROPERTY TAX TO THE PRELIMINARY ISSUE TO HELP PAY FOR, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE PARKS BUILDING.
THIS BUILDING MAY, THE STARTER TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR FIRE STATION WE'RE ON OUR LAST PAYMENT.
THAT'S WHAT'S REFLECTED IN THIS TRANSFER IN HERE FOR, IT SAYS PRINCIPAL, UH, PRINCIPAL INTEREST ON
I'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT BIG PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, MAINLY THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUILDING, MAYBE TRY AND FIND A SPOT FOR PUBLIC WHERE, UH, WE HAVE A DEBT CAPACITY RIGHT NOW, AND I CAN'T THROW IT UP ON THE SCREEN.
UM, BUT WE HAVE DEBT CAPACITY.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABOUT $22 MILLION RIGHT NOW.
SO THE GAP IS TINY IN 2026 AND 2027.
WE'VE GOT TWO SIGNIFICANT NOTES THAT WILL FALL OFF, WHICH WILL GIVE US SOME ING SPACE.
AND WE'LL ALSO GAIN SOME BREATHING SPACE AS WE INCREASE OUR VALUE.
SO IF WE TOP, UH, $1 BILLION, UH, THAT'LL OPEN UP AN ADDITIONAL THRESHOLD WITH DEBT IF WE DECIDE TO DO THOSE LARGE PROJECTS.
BUT IT'S DEBT AND IT COMES WITH A COST AND IT DOESN'T COVER OPERATIONS.
SO, UH, WE'RE ALWAYS CAREFUL ON HOW WE APPLY AND HOW WE LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH
SO, UH, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT OF IT? NO.
UH, WHAT'S THE WOOD? YOUR DHK SUB? THAT'S, IS THAT THE THREE 80? THAT A, THAT'S ANOTHER THREE 80 AGREEMENT.
THAT'S A SUB THREE 80 AGREEMENT THAT WAS DONE IN 2017 OR 16, 20 17.
UH, IT'S NEVER BEEN CLAIMED BECAUSE THERE'S NO PRODUCTIVITY ON THAT SITE BECAUSE THERE'S NO COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY ON THAT SITE.
I JUST SAW WOOD SHORE AND WAS THINKING NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT IS, THAT IS THE COMMERCIAL PORTION OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
NICK, LIKE THESE TWO, EXCUSE ME, I DON'T LIKE YOU, I DON'T EVEN LOOK AT ME.
UH, LOOKING AT, UH, THE TRANSFERS ARE THE TRANSFERS IN AND OUT BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS, UH, WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE TO
THIS IS A LITTLE SKEWED IN THE FACT THAT WE, UH, IF YOU'LL CALL, WE ALLOCATE OUR SALARIES OVER A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT FUNDS.
UM, MYSELF, ROSIE, UH, COREY ARE ALL PAID BY GENERAL FUND, ENTERPRISE FUND AND E SEE OTHER FOLKS LIKE DIANE AND RANDY ARE PAID PRIMARILY BY,
[01:35:01]
UH, ENTERPRISE AND GENERAL FUNDS.SO THIS NUMBER LOOKS LOWER THAN IT ACTUALLY IS FOR SALARIES.
THE AGGREGATE SALARIES A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
UH, WE ALSO, THIS YEAR INCLUDED FUND 4 0 5, UH, AND I GOT CONFUSED EARLIER.
THIS FUND, 4 0 5 IS THE IT DEPARTMENT.
UH, BUT BRANDON SALARY IS STILL ASSIGNED IN 4 0 1.
SO IF HE SHOWS UP HERE, IF YOU GET DOWN THERE, AND THEN THANKFULLY, IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, HE'S NOT HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE HE HAD, UH, I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
SO WE DECIDED NIGHT OFF, UH, BENEFITS AS I, UH, AS WE DISCUSSED IN THE OPENING MEETING, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT A 15% INCREASE, ALTHOUGH WE HEARD IT MIGHT BE 14 AND APRIL TRYING DOWN 12% INCREASE ON HEALTH INSURANCE.
UH, THEY HAVE AN ADDITIONAL, UH, I GUESS SUITOR FOR OUR BUSINESS.
UH, IS IT CI OR CIGNA? CIGNA, UH, CAME IN WITH A QUOTE.
THE PROMISE IS, WE CAN'T TELL WHAT THE ACTUAL, WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO UNPACK IT AND SEE WHAT'S ACTUALLY IN THERE IN TERMS OF BENEFITS FOR THE EMPLOYEE AND IF IT'S SITUATION, UH, AND THEN WE'LL BE LOOKING ALSO AT ADDITIONAL HMO POSSIBLE OPTION TO SEE IF WE CAN REDUCE COSTS FURTHER FOR OUR FOLKS.
BUT WE'LL SEE WHAT WE COME BACK WITH.
UM, OUR GOAL THOUGH, WE BUDGETED FOR 15.
WE KNOW WE, WE HOPE WITH THAT INCREASE.
SO DOES THAT, IS THAT FOR EMPLOYEES WHO MAINLY HAVE LIKE THEIR FAMILY ON THE PLANT OR NO, THAT IS, THAT IS EVERYBODY ACROSS THE BOARD? ACROSS THE BOARD.
I THINK THERE'S FOUR OF US THAT PAY FOR A FAMILY.
TWO OF US THAT PAY FOR FAMILY.
EVERYBODY ELSE IS STRICTLY THE EMPLOYEE THAT TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE COVERAGE BECAUSE THEY'RE FREE.
THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY A F*****G EMPLOYEES FREE.
BUT THAT MEANS THE CITY IS GONNA PAY 14% MORE THAN WHAT THEY'RE PAYING NOW.
AND THEN, UH, MAYBE 16
WELL, HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY NOT THAT MUCH.
UM, SO THAT, UH, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT IN TERMS OF BENEFIT CHANGES.
UH, THERE'S A MINOR LOOKING AT A MINOR CHANGE TO LONG TERM OR SHORT TERM DISABILITY PLANS.
WE CURRENTLY OFFER A, UH, A, UH, INHOUSE IN, DON'T WANNA SAY INHOUSE BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER HOUSE.
IT'S, BUT A SUBSCRIBED SYSTEM THROUGH, UH, FRANKLIN.
UH, YOU TALKING ABOUT THE, YOU, YOU COULD DONATE SOME OF YOUR TIME TO SOMEBODY THAT'S SICK.
KIND OF LIKE THE AFLAC DEAL OR SOMETHING.
WELL, WE, WE OFFER AFLAC AND WE OFFER OFFER HARTFORD.
UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT GONNA OH, THANK YOU.
UH, THE, UH, UH, HARTFORD HAS BEEN KIND OF DIFFICULT TO ADMINISTER.
AND SO, UH, WE'VE HAD REALLY GOOD LUCK WITH AFLAC, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A DIRECT DEPOSIT OR A TAKEOUT FOR AFLAC THAT'S DIRECT SUBSCRIPTION BETWEEN THE EMPLOYEE.
THERE'S ANOTHER COMPANY THAT HAS BEEN TRYING TO TALK TO US ABOUT THE SHORT TERM DISABILITY HOSPITALIZATION, THOSE KIND OF POLICIES, ANCILLARY POLICIES.
UH, BUT THEY, UH, WANT US BASICALLY TO BE A, THEY WANT EXCLUSIVITY.
AND WE, I DON'T THINK THAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
THEY WANT, UH, IN ORDER FOR US TO GO WITH THEM, THEY WANT US TO KICK AFLAC TO THE CURB.
AND WE'RE NOT SURE THAT THAT'S IN, LIKE I SAID, THE BEST INTEREST AFLAC OFFERS SHORT TERM DISABILITY.
UM, WHICH THE OTHER ONES DON'T.
UM, AND SO THAT'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THE ONES THAT HAVE AFLAC HAVE SHORT TERM DISABILITY.
AND SO WE'RE NOT REAL KEEN WITH SWITCHING TO 'EM, BUT YET THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO PULL RATES FROM OTHER CARRIERS AS WELL.
SO THEY CAN GET A SHORT TERM DISABILITY THAT YOU WORK WITH COMP AFTER LIKE TWO WEEKS IF IT'S, IF IT'S WORK, IF IT'S RELATED TO A WORK MARKET.
SO, BUT IF YOU GET LIKE, YEAH, WHATEVER, HURTING A TV ACCIDENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT'S NOT, YEAH.
OR LIKE PREGNANCY, IF YOU GO OUT, 'CAUSE YOU CANNOT WORK BECAUSE YOU'RE PREGNANT.
OR IF IT'S ANOTHER ONE OR OLD AND SLIP GETTING OUTTA THE SHOWER, COMING DOWN THE STAIRS OR LAYING THE WRONG WAY IN BED OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
UM, MY RUBS OVER YOUR TOE WITH YOUR CAR.
THAT, THAT, THAT'S HAPPENED TOO.
UM, OR YOU HAVE A, WELL, NO, THAT WASN'T WORK RELATED WHERE THE, UH, AIR COMPRESSOR GOT, WE WON'T GO THERE.
SO, UM, ANYHOW, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT BENEFITS OR THAT KIND OF STUFF? 'CAUSE WE REALLY DIDN'T DO A DEEP DIVE ON IT THE OTHER NIGHT.
UM, LOOKING, UH, THROUGH OTHERWISE, UH, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE SERVICE COST APPEARS TO HAVE GONE WAY DOWN.
UH, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY TRUE.
WE SHIFTED THOSE COSTS INTO, UH, IT, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE, AND I'LL DROP DOWN REAL QUICK TO
[01:40:01]
IT SOMEWHERE THERE.AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE SERVICE COSTS HERE, UH, A LOT OF IT IS COPY MACHINE RENTAL.
UH, AND THEN ALSO ALL THE LICENSING FOR ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, UH, THEIR SOFTWARE, HARDWARE, ET CETERA.
THE YEAH, THE, THAT'S EXPENSIVE.
THAT IS LIKE HOLY, THAT'S, WOW.
UM, BUT EVERY LAST BIT OF IT, UH, MAKES US MARGINALLY MORE EFFICIENT OR HOPEFULLY MORE EFFICIENT.
UH, THE BIG CHANGE, THE INITIAL CONTRACT WITHIN CODE, PROBABLY, WE'VE BEEN ON IT NOW, WHAT, 10, 12 YEARS? WE'VE BEEN ON IT.
I THINK THE ADDITIONAL CONTRACT WAS LIKE 300 GRAND INITIALLY.
SO, UH, WE ARE LOOKING, UH, WE'RE ONE OF, THEY'VE ONLY GOT 8% OF THEIR CUSTOMER BASE STILL ON THE SAME PACKAGE THAT WE'RE ON IN CODE NINE.
THEY'RE GOING TO STOP SUPPORT WITHIN THE NEXT 24 MONTHS.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT UPGRADING TO 10, WHICH IS THE MOVING TO THE CLOUD.
THAT PROCESS WOULD START BUT WOULD NOT FINISH FOR 18 MONTHS.
18 MONTHS, ALLEGEDLY, UH, I'M GONNA SAY 24 PROBABLY, JUST TO BE REALISTIC.
UH, BUT THAT FIRST INITIAL CHANGE IS THIS LINE ITEM RIGHT HERE.
THAT $60,000, UH, EXPENDITURE.
UM, UM, IN THEORY, UH, LIKE I SAID, ONCE WE MAKE THAT MOVE, UH, IT'S GOING TO STREAMLINE OUR ABILITY.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, LET'S SAY YOU'VE GOT A TRANSACTION IN PARKS, UH, THAT TRANSACTION ACTUALLY HAS TO BE PHYSICALLY OR, OR MANUALLY RECONCILED AND THEN BROUGHT OVER AND THEN ENTERED.
I HAVE TO ENTER IT AGAIN, AND THEN SHE HAS TO ENTER IT AGAIN.
AND SO WE'VE GOT TWO STEP PROCESSES ALL ACROSS OUR CASH MANAGEMENT AND PAYMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHICH MAKES IT RIGHT FOR NOT JUST INEFFICIENCY, BUT FOR MISTAKES TO BE MADE, LOSSES TO HAPPEN, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA CLEAN THAT UP.
THE OTHER THING IS, IS WE'RE SPENDING PROBABLY ABOUT EVERY OTHER YEAR, ABOUT $40,000, 20 TO $40,000 ON SWITCHES AND SERVERS RELATED TO MANAGING THE FINANCIAL, THE FINANCE SYSTEM AND THE OPERATING.
UH, BASICALLY THE CITY'S OS UH, THAT COST WILL GO AWAY WITH THIS BECAUSE WE'LL BE MOVING INTO THE CLOUD.
SO, UM, WHICH WE THINK IS PROBABLY GONNA SAVE US SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND THE COMPONENTS, UH, WORK, THE WORKABILITY, THIS, UH, THIS SUITE THAT WE'RE WORKING IN, UM, FOR YOU, SOFTWARE NERDS.
UH, HEY, UH, THE, UH, THIS, THIS SOFTWARE PLATFORM WAS BUILT IN THE, ACTUALLY THE LATE SIXTIES.
IT'S BASED OFF THE OLD PEACHTREE SYSTEM.
UH, I KNOW I'M GETTING WAY OFF IN THE WEEDS HERE.
UH, BUT BASICALLY IT'S THE MOST ANCIENT PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE STILL IN USE, UH, LIKE OLDER THAN DOS.
AND SO THIS WILL BRING US INTO AN AGE WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY FUNCTIONING WITH NEW CODE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE MORE ELEGANT AND, AND DEFINITELY MORE FRIENDLY, USER FRIENDLY.
SO EVEN THE REPORTS AND STUFF ARE GONNA BE SO MUCH WHERE NOW WE HAVE TO EXPORT OUT AND PUT IN EXCEL AND YOU KNOW, SORT AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
UM, IT JUST IS MORE TIME CONSUMING.
THIS ONE, YOU KNOW, YOU CLICK ON IT AND IT PROVIDES YOU EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED IS SO MUCH MORE ADVANCED.
UH, CORY SPENDS PROBABLY WHAT, TWO HOURS PRO, YOU KNOW, DOING, PROCESSING THE VOUCHERS AND FOLDING THEM AND PACKAGING 'EM UP TO GIVE TO THE DEPARTMENTS WHERE WITH THIS PROGRAM IT'LL EMAIL THEIR, UM, VOUCHERS OUT TO 'EM.
SO IT AVOIDS THE COST OF THE ENVELOPES, THE TIME THAT SHE SPENDS, YOU KNOW, FOLDING ALL OF THEM AND PUTTING 'EM, STUFFING 'EM AND EVERYTHING.
SO HER BILLS CAN BE DONE AACH H SO WE DON'T HAVE TO BE WRITING CHECKS ANYMORE.
WHICH IS ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE AND QUITE FRANKLY, A LIABILITY.
SO I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU ALSO HAD THE RIGHT CHECKS, SIR.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW Y'ALL STILL HAD TO WRITE CHECKS.
AND MAIL 'EM AND MAIL 'EM AND ST.
SO YOU PROBABLY LIKE THAT THE EFFICIENCY OF IT WILL, WILL BE, BE WELL WORTH THE MONEY.
I THINK WE HAVE MORE TIME TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.
UH, I WOULD ALSO NOTE THAT ONE OF THE OTHER BIG CHANGES WE'RE MAKING IN, UH, IN THIS BUDGET, WE CURRENTLY OUTSOURCE KEY CONTROL, UH, TO OF OUR BUILDINGS, TO JOHNSON CONTROLS.
AND THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS JOHNSON CONTROLS COMPONENTS, BUT IT'S ALSO REALLY BAD BECAUSE JOHNSON CONTROL ONLY LETS LICENSE INDIVIDUALS COME WORK ON 'EM AND TRYING TO GET THOSE GUYS TO COME OUT.
IT'S LIKE TRYING TO FIND A HINTS TOOTH.
AND OUR SYSTEMS HAVE HIT AN AGE OR IN BUILDINGS THAT ARE IN LESS THAN PERFECT CONDITION.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO MOVE
[01:45:01]
TO A SYSTEM CALLED UBIQUITY.AND UH, WE'VE DONE THAT IN-HOUSE PD, I THINK IS THE FIRST BUILDING THAT HAS MADE THE SWITCH.
UH, AND IT'LL GIVE US MORE FLEXIBILITY ABOUT HOW WE CONTROL WHO GOES AND WHO COMES, WHEN THEY CAN GO WHEN THEY COME.
AND ALSO OVERALL TRACKING, UH, OF TIME AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE WANNA TRACK.
UH, AND IT'S ALL DONE THROUGH A SMALLER RFID FOOTPRINT.
SO WHERE IF YOU MAY HAVE THE BIG THICK CARD, YOU CAN STILL KEEP A THICK CARD, WE'LL GET YOU ONE OR YOU CAN PUT IT ON YOUR PHONE OR YOUR WATCH OR ANY OTHER SMART DEVICE THAT YOU WANNA DO, AND THEN YOU JUST FLASH THAT.
SO YEAH, IT'LL BE A LITTLE STICKER THAT CAN GO ON THE BACK THAT'LL GIVE YOU ACCESS.
AND WE'LL DO THAT FOR A THIRD OF THE COST THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY PAYING TO JOHNSON CONTROLS.
SO, UH, WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND, AND THEN THE OTHER, THE, THE OTHER MAJOR CAPITAL ITEM HERE IS THE, UH, THE OUTLAY FOR ENHANCED, UH, CAMERA SYSTEMS AT PARKS, PD, CITY HALL, EMS, AND THE SERVICE CENTER AND THE LIBRARY.
UH, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS LIKE THE KIDS WHO BORROWED THE, UH, A TV FROM THE PARKS LAST YEAR THAT WE HAD NO IDEA HOW TO IDENTIFY 'EM.
THIS WILL ACTUALLY GIVE US CRYSTAL CLARITY OUT TO, I THINK IT'S 200 YARDS, SO IT'S PRETTY, PRETTY STEEP, PRETTY SNAZZY.
SO, AND AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER IN-HOUSE UBIQUITY PROJECT.
UH, LANDON ACTUALLY 3D PRINTED THE, UH, WEATHERPROOF CASES.
WE FOUND THAT DESIGN ONLINE AND SAVED OURSELVES ABOUT $30,000.
SO IT'S PRETTY, PRETTY AWESOME.
SO ON THE BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT, WHAT, WHAT IS THE INCREASE OR WHAT IS THAT FROM? OR IS THAT JUST, I'M SORRY.
OH, UH, BUILDING A CODE ENFORCEMENT.
HOLD ON, LET ME PULL THAT OPEN JUST REAL QUICK.
WAS THAT THE ANOTHER PERSON? OH, THAT.
SO, UH, WE ARE REALIGNING STAFF AND LOOKING TO BRING IN AN ASSISTANT TO, OR AN APPRENTICE TO TAKE THAT TORCH ON.
SO THIS HAS THE TRANSITORY TIME FROM HIRING THAT INDIVIDUAL, MAKING SURE THEY'RE TRAINED AND THEN OFFLOADING OR SEEING THE TRANSITION THE TORCH GET PASSED FROM WHO'S IN THERE NOW TO THE NEW PERSON? OH, THAT'S FOR JERRY.
SO, UH, WE WILL MODIFY, ONE OF THE POSITIONS WILL BE GOING AWAY IN THERE AS PART OF THE REALIGNMENT.
UH, AND THEN JERRY WILL, WILL HIRE SOMEBODY TO STEP INTO HIS ROLE.
SO I DIDN'T SAY THAT WELL AT ALL, DID I? NO, SORRY.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON BUILDING AND CODE OR BUILDING PERMITS? NO.
UH, THERE'S A FEW, UH, CAPITAL ITEMS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.
UH, BASICALLY LOOKING AT UPGRADING SECURITY OVER THERE.
UH, AND THEN WE ARE HOPING TO, UH, HE WAS GONNA MAKE A FEW SMALL MODIFICATIONS TO THE BUILDING.
OTHERWISE EVERYTHING ELSE IS BASICALLY STAYED THE SAME.
LEGAL SERVICES, UH, MR. DUNCAN HAS NOT INCREASED HIS RATE IN TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS I GUESS.
SO, UH, BASICALLY STAYING FLAT, ALTHOUGH WE DO ANTICIPATE, UH, LITIGATION UNDERTAKE UNDERTAKING LITIGATION ON A COUPLE OF BIG FRONTS THIS YEAR.
SO, UH, THAT MONEY HAS STAYED IN THERE.
AND THEN LEGISLATIVE, UH, WHERE YOU GUYS ARE LOCATED, UH, BASICALLY WE'VE CARRIED EVERYTHING ALMOST FLAT, STRAIGHT ACROSS THE TRAINING.
MONEY STAYS THE SAME, YOUR PAY STAY THE SAME, THE BENEFITS STAY THE SAME.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE CONTRACTUAL STUFF, UH, BUT WE BASICALLY LEFT THOSE AS THEY WERE.
YOU CAN, UH, WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT Y'ALL WANTED ME TO HIT ON? OH, CITY HALL.
UH, WE'VE GOT OUR INITIAL QUOTES IN, UH, FOR THE, UH, ROOF REMEDIATION OR REPLACEMENT.
UH, WE'VE GOT TWO QUOTES, WE'RE WAITING ON A THIRD, BUT THE AGGREGATE I HAD PLUGGED IN 250.
LOOKS LIKE WE MAY COME IN A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN THAT.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE'LL GET IT DOWN TO THAT NUMBER.
UH, BUT THEY'VE, BOTH FOLKS HAVE TAKEN A LOOK IN THE SUB ROOF AS WELL AS THE ROOF HAS GOTTA COME UP.
SO, AND THIS IS GOING BACK WITH A FLAT NO, WELL,
[01:50:01]
WHAT WE'RE ASKING 'EM TO SPEC FOR US IS NOT A FLAT ROOF.UM, TRYING TO GET SOMETHING WITH SOME KIND OF PITCH TO IT.
SO WE'RE NOT IN THIS MESS AND CONTIGUOUS LOOP WHERE WE GO UP, WE WORK ON SOMETHING, WE REACH IT, WE HAVE A LEAK, AND THEN THE LEAK EXPANDS AND RUNS THROUGHOUT THE, THE ENTIRETY OF THE BUILDING.
SO, SO IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT 150, YOU SAID? WELL, ONE OF THE QUOTES WAS 1 60, 1 OF 'EM WAS ONE 90, SO WE THINK IT'S GONNA BE RIGHT IN THAT RANGE.
AND I HAD, I HAD BUDGETED TWO 50 FOR IT.
HAVE YOU LIVED IN TO SEE IF INSURANCE WOULD PAY FOR ANY OF IT? WE'RE GONNA TRY AND MAKE THAT ARGUMENT.
I MEAN, I, THERE IS SOME DAMAGE.
WE KNOW WHAT IS OUR DE DO WE HAVE, WHAT'S OUR DEDUCTIBLE? UH, IT DEPENDS ON THE BUILDING AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT VECTOR, I WANNA SAY IT'S $10,000.
SO IT'S NOT, BUT THAT'S PER CLAIM, SO, CORRECT.
SO, UH, BY THE TIME YOU TAKE A LOOK AT REPLACING THE ROAD VENT, THE OTHER DAMAGES WE'VE HAD THAT THE OTHER FACILITIES, I, I WILL DO OUR BEST, BUT THEY'RE ALSO GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE THAT SOME OF THIS DAMAGE HAS BEEN HERE FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
SO HOW LONG WAS THERE GUARANTEE? THE GUARANTEE THAT WE GOT WAS 10 YEARS, OR NO, SORRY, FIVE YEARS ON THE, ON THE MATERIAL AND 10 YEARS ON LABOR.
SO, UH, IF WE WANT TO GO WITH THE FLAT ROOF AND HAVE THEM COME OUT AND SERVICE IT, THAT'S BEEN THE OTHER ISSUE IS GETTING THEM TO ACTUALLY COME AND SERVICE IT.
UH, WE, THE GUYS ACROSS THE STREET HAVE BEEN PRETTY GRACIOUS ABOUT JUST COMING OVER AND, AND MAKING REPAIRS AS WE NEED 'EM BECAUSE TRYING TO GET THE GUYS OUTTA DALLAS, I REMEMBER, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE GUY'S NAME, REALLY SWEET GUY.
THE GUY THAT HIRED HIM AND CAME DOWN AND MADE ALL THOSE PROMISES TO US IN THAT MEETING, HE'S NO LONGER WITH HIM.
SO WE'RE DEALING WITH, UH, IS THERE ANY KIND OF LEGAL RECOURSE THERE? THERE MAY BE, BUT I, I'D DEFER TO THE ATTORNEY.
I MEAN, AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY'RE GONNA SAY IT'S FORCE MAJEURE ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, I THINK WE, I MEAN IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT LIKE WE HADN'T HAD PROBLEMS SINCE THEY, SINCE THEY DID IT.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
SO, BUT THAT'S ALSO ONE OF THOSE WHERE WE PROBABLY END UP SEEING THEM DECLARE BANKRUPTCY AND THEN WALK AWAY.
SO LET ME TAKE US OUT REAL QUICK TO, WE HIT THE ENTERPRISE FUND THE OTHER NIGHT.
DID ANYBODY HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THERE? CONCERNS, UH, EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT A DRAW DOWN OF ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
UH, WE'VE GOT 3 MILLION IN THE BUDGET THAT'LL LEAVE US WITH ABOUT TWO LEFT IN RESERVE, UH, FOR THE CO YEAR UPCOMING, UH, SIDEWALK STREETS AND DRAINAGE.
UH, I WILL UPDATE COUNSEL NOW.
WE HAD A VERY, UH, TERRIBLE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON WITH, UH, WITH FREEZING NICHOLS AND UH, CSRS.
UM, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO TURN BACK MONEY ON THE HAZMAT AS IT RELATES TO THE FLAG LAKE PROJECTS BECAUSE THERE'S A FOUR INCH WATER LINE THAT RUNS DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THE DITCH ABOUT FOUR INCHES SUBSTRATE FROM WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO CUT ON THE WEST SIDE, WHICH HANDLES THE MAJORITY OF THE FLOW FOR THAT SYSTEM.
AND I WILL REMIND YOU GUYS THAT 99% OF THE BENEFIT FOR THAT SYSTEM IS BUILT IS FELT BY LAKE JACKSON.
LAKE JACKSON HAS COMMITTED THEIR FUNDING TO ANOTHER PROJECT AND THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO TURN BACK SOME MONEY.
UH, AT ONE POINT I, THEY HAD THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE GONNA BE TRYING TO CONVEY THAT MONEY AND THAT GRANT THAT THOSE GRANT FUNDS OVER TO US, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND SO, UH, ONCE WE PUT PENCIL TO PAPER AND CALCULATED THE COST OF RELOCATING THAT LINE, IT WAS, UH, ALMOST 30% OF THE ACTUAL REPAIR COST TO THE DITCH.
AND I DON'T THINK WE CAN JUSTIFY THAT MONEY.
SO, QUICK, QUICK, GO AHEAD, SIR.
WHICH DITCH? THIS IS THE, UH, WEST SIDE OF FLAG LAKE DRIVE, WHAT WE WOULD CONS, WHAT WE WOULD CALL THE LAKE JACKSON SIDE, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY IN OUR RIGHT OF WAY.
AND THEY'VE GOT A, UH, THEY'VE GOT A WATER MAIN THAT RUNS RIGHT INSIDE THE DITCH.
UH, JUST NOT EVEN TOO, TOO DEEP.
AND IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE REMOVED AND REPLACED.
THEY KNEW THEY HAD THAT WATER REMAINING THERE ALL THIS TIME.
AND WE THINK THAT'S WHY THEY OPTED NOT TO TRY AND PUT THEIR MONEY TOWARDS IT 'CAUSE THEY KNEW HOW EXPENSIVE IT WAS GONNA BE.
THIS IS BACK ONE YOU SAID WE HAD DRAWN DOWN ON THE EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT.
ARE WE STILL FUNDING IT? WE, THIS YEAR, UH, THIS BUDGET AS PROPOSED RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE HELD BACK PAYMENTS THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE ARE TAKING SUCH A HIT ON THE STORM RESIDUAL.
UH, THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT $250,000.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN PAID BACK NORMALLY.
SO IF COUNSEL WANTS US TO PUT THAT MONEY BACK IN THERE, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.
[01:55:01]
GIVEN THE CASH STRAP OR THE CASH HIT THAT WE WERE HITTING, PAYING OURSELVES BACK MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST I IDEA THIS YEAR.SO, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN KIND OF TAKEN A WHACK AFTER, HAVE WE? YES SIR.
SO, OH, I CAN'T, NOT ON MY, NOT ON MY MACHINE, BUT YEAH, I'VE GOT A SPREADSHEET THAT I TRACK WHAT THE PAYMENTS ARE DUE TO DUE FROM.
AND SO AS WE TRY AND CATCH THAT BACK UP, WE RETAIN BACK 10% A YEAR.
SO, UH, THAT'S THAT TWO 50 THAT I TALKED, THAT TWO 50 FIGURES ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD BE.
SO BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S COMING REAL HANDY.
OH, IT'S COMING VERY, VERY HANDY.
UM, AND IT'S ONE OF SO TO DO, I'D HATE TO SEE US WHITTLE IT DOWN TO THE POINT OF WHERE WE CAN'T DO THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY I'VE ASKED, LIKE THE INITIAL ASK FOR CAPITAL EQUIPMENT THIS YEAR WAS ABOUT THREE TIMES WHAT Y'ALL ARE SEEING.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO CONSERVE IT AND MAKE IT A MANAGEABLE NUMBER FOR US.
AND THAT MAKES THINGS MORE AVAILABLE BY HAVING THAT.
SO THAT'S ALSO LOOKING AT FUND OH FIVE, UM, YOU'VE GOT A VERY, VERY HEALTHY NUMBER THERE.
AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO HELP GET MORE OPERATIONAL, LIKE FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE WAY THAT THE CHARTER'S WRITTEN THIS ANTICIPATED, I THINK BUILDING NEW ROADS AND BUILDING NEW STREETS AND WE ARE PRETTY MUCH DONE BUILDING NEW ROADS AND BUILDING NEW STREETS.
IT'S TIME TO GO BACK AND REBUILD THE ROADS AND REBUILD THE STREETS.
AND SO, SO WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE BALANCE OF THE EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT FUND CURRENTLY CUR CURRENTLY, UH, $2.3 MILLION.
WE WERE, WE WERE ALWAYS TRYING TO KEEP IT.
WELL, WE WERE TRYING TO KEEP IT AT LEAST 2 MILLION IN THERE ALL THE TIME.
EVEN BACK WHEN WE COULDN'T FUND IT.
WE WERE TRYING, WE JUST TRIED NOT TO DRAW IT DOWN BELOW 2 MILLION.
I WAS LOOKING AT WHAT WE LAST, I'M SORRY, YOU'VE GOT THREE, 3.2, NOT 2.3, JUST WHAT WE BOUGHT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
WELL, I MEAN, 500 YOU BUY, YOU BUY A GARBAGE TRUCK, YOU BUY A FIRE TRUCK, YOU BUY YOU MONEY, YOU, WELL THAT'S, SO WE BACK, YOU BUY, YOU BUY TWO GARBAGE TRUCKS AND A FIRE TRUCK.
YOU SPENT OVER A MILLION DOLLARS
SO WE BACKED OUT, THERE WAS A REQUEST IN JOHN'S BUDGET FOR A REAR LOADER AND A FLATBED.
AND WE PULLED THOSE OUT AND LOOKED AT EQUIPMENT THAT WAS RELATED TO DITCH REPAIR.
AND I, I'VE BEGGED AND PLEADED TO MAKE SURE THAT, 'CAUSE WE DID HAVE ONE SIDE LOADER LAST YEAR THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.
WE REPLACED, WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN LIMP THROUGH AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR WITH THE REAR LOADER.
AND THE DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF, I GUESS, HORSE TRADING, UH, AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT OVER ASKING.
WHICH IS WHY FETCH, SO, SO OUR PROJECTED BALANCE FOR 24 WOULD BE ALMOST TWO AND A HALF MILLION.
WE'LL, WE'LL COME OUT OF THIS YEAR WITH TWO AND A HALF MILLION, AND THEN WE'LL END THAT IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR WITH 1.4.
UH, IF WE DON'T REPAY ANY, ANY PORTION OF THAT BACK, I'D HATE TO SEE IT GO BELOW TWO.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST, IT'S A REALLY, I MEAN, WE JUST, LIKE I SAID, I'M JUST REPEATING MYSELF.
WE, WE'VE BEEN DRAWING OUT OF IT.
WELL, WE CAN, I CAN PUT THAT, THOSE THAT REPAYMENT BACK IN AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
WELL, I MEAN, I KNOW YOU HAD A REASON FOR DOING IT.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S NOT A GOOD REASON.
I JUST HATE TO SEE IT GO AWAY.
AND THAT'S, LIKE I SAID, WE'VE TRIED TO MITIGATE WHAT WE ACTUALLY ASKED FOR THIS YEAR AND MAKE SURE IT'S ACTUALLY A NEED.
JOHN AND I GOT INTO A, HE WANTED AN F THREE 50 AND WE TALKED HIM INTO A MAVERICK.
WILL WANTED AN F-150 WE TALKED THEM INTO, AND NEXT YEAR WE MIGHT HAVE SAME.
I I, WELL, I DON'T SEE THIS STUFF GOING DOWN.
AT ONE TIME WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT FUND, THEY HAD STUFF IN THERE LIKE TYPEWRITERS, CALCULATORS, THEY HAD ALL KINDS OF STUFF IN THERE, IN THERE.
NOT GONNA GET YOU MUCH AS HOLDING A VALUE, YOU KNOW? WELL, I MEAN, HOW MANY TYPEWRITERS YOU GOT TO BUILDING? NONE
'CAUSE I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I LEARNED THIS, I LEARNED THIS FROM BEING HERE.
AND IT HAS SAVED ME AND MY BUSINESS.
WELL, AND THAT'S, IT'S BEEN BUT IT'S EASY TO WANT TO DRAW OUT OF.
BUT IT'S THE, IT'S THE, IT'S HARD TO PUT IT BACK.
IT, WELL, IT'S THE CONSISTENCY OF DOING IT.
IT'S NOT THE AMOUNT IN MY CASE, BUT I MEAN YEAH.
NO, IT DEF IT DEFINITELY DOES.
I'M SORRY, THAT IS NOT MY ONLY QUESTION.
SO WE'RE SPENDING A LITTLE LESS THAN A MILLION OUT OF IT THIS YEAR, CORRECT? WELL, UH, WE'RE BUDGETED FOR RIGHT AT ONE, BUT FOR THIS YEAR WE'RE MUCH LESS UNDER, UH, MUCH LESS UNDER ME.
UH, I, HEY, TRUST ME, I'VE TRIED TO PUSH THOSE TWO, BUT I GET A LOT OF
SO BY ELECTRIC, CAN WE DEPEND ON CENTER POINT? WELL, THAT'S
[02:00:01]
THAT'S A GREAT POINT.NOW HE DOES WANT CENTER POINT
THAT'S ANOTHER, THAT'S ANOTHER TOUCHY SUBJECT.
UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE THEY MADE ANY KIND OF EFFORT TO LOOK AT THE FRANCHISE FEES? OH, WELL, IF YOU RECALL, THE STATE BASICALLY ELIMINATED OUR FRANCHISE FEES AND NOW SAYS THAT THEY GET TO PAY BASED ON THE VALUE THAT THEY HAVE IN OUR RIGHTS AWAY.
SO, UM, ON THE GAS SIDE, NO, THEY WON'T BUDGE OFF 2% UNLESS WE SURRENDER OUR ORIGINAL JURISDICTION, WHICH IS THE ONLY CARD WE HAVE LEFT IN THAT FIGHT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE HELD THAT CARD.
AS LONG AS WE CAN HOLD THAT CARD.
I MEAN, NOW THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO NEGOTIATE THAT 10 YEARS AGO, CORRECT? CORRECT.
THEY KEEP, I THINK THEY KEEP WAITING US OUT UNTIL THEY GET A LEGISLATURE THAT IS GONNA TELL THEM THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY WENT UP ON THE RATES.
HOW COME THEY CAN'T GO UP ON OUR, ON OUR PERCENTAGE? YEAH.
UH, THE ONLY TIME I'VE EVER SEEN THEM COME UP IS WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO INTRODUCE SOME COMPETITION INTO THE MARKET.
WE WERE ABLE TO BRING IN SEA AND VIRO OR SEA GAS, SEA POWER, UH, AND THEY ACTUALLY RAN GAS LINES AND THAT FINALLY GOT CENTERPOINT'S ATTENTION.
UH, I'VE REACHED OUT TO MY CONTACT AT SEA AND HE SAID THEY'RE 10 YEARS AWAY FROM BEING IN BRAZORIA COUNTY.
SO COMPETITION'S A GOOD THING WHEN YOU CAN, CAN GET IT.
WELL, I MEAN, COMCAST MOVED TO LAKE JACKSON, BUT THEY'RE STILL PAYING, PAYING THEIR FRANCHISE FEE.
WELL, THAT'S 'CAUSE THEY'RE PAYING FOR THE WIRE AND EVERYTHING IN THE GROUND.
UH, I, I, I THINK TOO, NOT TO GET TOO FAR OFF INTO THE WEEDS, BUT I THINK THE, THE STRUCTURE, THERE'S A PLUS AND A MINUS TO THE WAY THE STATE RESTRUCTURED THAT WHOLE RELATIONSHIP FOR US.
AND THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY THE ACTUAL VALUE OF THE EQUIPMENT INSIDE THE CITY.
IT'S NOT JUST A PER USER FEE ANYMORE.
UH, BUT THE DOWNSIDE OF THAT IS, IS THERE'S ZERO LEVERAGE.
NOW, WILL ANY OF THESE NEW FIBER OPTIC CABLES HAVE A POSSIBILITY TO BE A REVENUE MAKER? THEY'LL, UH, THEY WILL BE IN THAT, THE INVESTMENT, THE INVESTEE COST.
THEY'LL PAY A PORTION OF THAT TO US IN RIGHT AWAY, WHAT THEY CALL RIGHT AWAY LICENSE.
UH, BUT WE WON'T SEE, LIKE IN THE OLD DAYS WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBED TO CABLE, NOW YOU'RE STILL PAYING THAT FEE.
I DON'T WANNA SAY THAT YOU'RE NOT, BUT THAT FEE GOES SOMEWHERE ELSE NOW INSTEAD OF COMING DIRECTLY TO THE CITY.
'CAUSE SOME OF THESE ARE DETAIL AND OH YEAH.
AND SOME OTHERS, YOU KNOW, SO I MEAN, IF THEY START, THEY START SELLING OUR CITY, THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO PAY NOTHING.
THEY PAY FOR THE INFRAS THE ACTUAL VALUE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S IN THE GROUND AND THE SWITCHES AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE INSTALLED.
SO, BEAT TAILS IN THE CITY, THEY'RE COMING IN.
THEY, THEY WENT TO FREEPORT JONES CREEK.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY, THEY'RE RUNNING LINES DOWN 2004.
AND THUS FAR MUCH BETTER, UH, AIM THAN AT AND T.
THEY GOT A BETTER AIM THAN AT T.
BETTER AIM THAN AT AND T SO FAR NO WATER LINES FOR THEM YET.
THEY DID A GAS LINE, BUT ONLY ONE.
SO NO GEYSERS? NO GEYSERS YET.
I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR DUE RIVER DAMAGE.
AND I WAS LIKE, I THINK THE STATE FS UPON THAT YOU HAD AN IDEA.
AND I DON'T RECALL WHAT IT WAS FOR NOW.
IT WAS AN EXCESS CHARGE, UH, FOR SOMETHING, BUT IT'LL COME TO ME.
SO THAT'S NOT ENOUGH TO RING A BELL FOR ME.
THE SLEEP DEPRIVATION AT THIS POINT IS, IS REAL.
SO IF THIS WAS A GAME SHOW, WE WOULD LOSE.
WE WOULD, WE WOULD BE VERY BAD.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT.
IS IT HAD, MAN, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS, BUT IT'S LIKE, I THINK THE STATE WOULD REALLY FROWN UPON THAT.
WELL, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW SOURCES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS, IDEAS? YOU THINK WE'RE GONNA, YOU SAID, I KNOW THERE'S NO WAY TO OBJECT THIS OF WHAT POSSIBLY THIS STORM COULD COST US AS FAR AS LOST BUSINESS.
I'VE TALKED BUSINESSES, I'M SORRY.
UH, SO THIS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE.
I, I WOULD SAY FOR A FACT, WE KNOW WE'VE LOST, UH, STORM RELATED OR LOSS, A POWER RELATED.
WE'RE GONNA LOSE TWO ON DIXIE.
WE'RE LOSING A THIRD ON DIXIE, BUT THAT'S BAD MANAGEMENT AND THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER BALL OF WAX.
UH, BUT I'VE TALKED TO AT LEAST FOUR OTHER,
[02:05:01]
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE SAID BASICALLY WITH THE INSURANCE CLAIMS AND THE DAMAGE TO THEIR BUILDING, THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR BUSINESS.HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING ACROSS THE STREET, UH, FROM MS. VARGAS OR FROM, UH, RED TOP? NO, HE CAME OUT AND WAS AS FLUMMOXED AS I WAS ABOUT THE DAMAGE, BECAUSE IF YOU TAKE A LOOK, THE AWNING IS STRIPPED AWAY, BUT THE ROOF IS JUST FINE.
UM, AND THEN THEY GOT WATER IN THE BACKSIDE, SO, UH, BUT HE HAS NOT, THEY CAME DOWN, TOOK A LOOK AT IT.
I, I STEPPED OVER THERE FOR A SECOND, SAID HELLO.
AND I WAS LIKE, HOW DID THIS? AND HE WAS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW.
AND HE SAID THEY WERE GONNA SEND INSURANCE, BUT THAT'S BEEN THE LAST I'VE SEEN FROM HIM.
I WILL SAY JULIA'S DONUTS, UNFORTUNATELY, OUR STAFF HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF KEEPING THEM IN BUSINESS, WHICH IN TURN HAS KEPT MY PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY IN BUSINESS AND MY DOCTOR REALLY UNHAPPY.
SO I'VE HEARD THEY'RE PRETTY GOOD.
NO, THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
ESPECIALLY FRESH, WARM IN THE MORNING.
THAT IT, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT, SIR.
UNLESS YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR ME.
I GOT ANY QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR NOT TONIGHT.
I DO, I WANNA GO BACK TO THE OTHER NIGHT.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE AUTONOMOUS MOWERS.
DID WE PURCHASE THOSE? WE HAVE A REMOTE CONTROL MOWER THAT WE BOUGHT FOR, UH, FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT A SECOND ONE.
UH, WE WOULD IDEALLY, IN TALKING TO OTHER CITIES, JERSEY VILLAGE ACTUALLY WAS ONE OF THE FIRST GROUPS THAT JUMPED ON THIS PRETTY QUICK.
SO THEY'VE ALMOST GOT FIVE, SEVEN YEARS EXPERIENCE NOW WORKING THEM.
AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND A SMALLER ONE ON THE MARKET YET.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING YES, MA'AM.
AND THEN THE GOAL WOULD BE TO AUGMENT THAT SO THAT WE COULD, BECAUSE IN THEORY YOU COULD OPERATE TWO AT THE SAME TIME WITH ONE OPERATOR.
BUT, BUT THEY WERE LIKE, YOU NEED ONE FINE MOWER AND ONE BULK MOWER WORKING IN TANDEM.
AND THEN WE PUT THE, WE DID INCLUDE, UH, BOTH IN WILL AND JOHN'S BUDGETS, THAT FLEXIBLE LINE ITEM.
SO IF IT'S GOATS OR ROPE ROBOT MOWERS OR DRONES THAT MOW OR HIRING GUYS WITH NAIL CLIPPERS TO GO OUT AND TRIM, THERE'S MONEY IN THERE FOR THAT FLEXIBILITY.
AND WE DID, UH, CONVERT THAT ONE LINE ITEM FROM A PURCHASE OF THE BACKHOE TO A CAPITAL EQUIPMENT RENTAL LINE ITEM.
I I THINK IT WOULD, I THINK IT WOULD BEHOOVE US.
NO, AND THAT'S THE MORE WE THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, ESPECIALLY WITH, YOU CAN ASK MIKE ALL THE, ALL THE NEW EQUIPMENT THAT YOU GET NOW, IT'S ALL COMPUTERIZED.
AND YOU'RE MECHANICS AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT.
WE GOT, WE GOT, WE GOT AN OLD COMPRESSOR.
HAVE WE LOOKED AT THE COMPRESS THAT THE SHOP, THEY GOTTA COME OUT AND CLEAR, CLEAR IT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE OR IT JUST, IT WON'T CRANK.
CJ DO WE KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA COST TO RENT ONE? TO RENT? YEAH.
UH, WE THINK IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT 2,500 A WEEK FOR THE BACKHOE.
SO IF WE'RE NOT IN USE THEN THAT MONEY STAYS PUT IF WE'RE IN, WHEREAS IF WE PAY THE PACK CAPITAL EQUIPMENT.
SO WE'LL JUST BE RENTING IT FOR WHENEVER WE NEED IT.
IT COULD BE, UH, JOHN AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT IT COULD BE SKI STEER.
I THINK WE COULD NEGOTIATE SOMETHING BECAUSE I UNDERSTOOD IT WAS GONNA BE LIKE A YEARLY TYPE DEAL.
I TOLD JOHN TO GET IT, GET A LIST, PUT A LIST TOGETHER OF ALL THE EQUIPMENT THAT HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT USE.
WE'VE GOT SOME DITCHES THAT OBVIOUSLY GET AWAY FROM US.
HOWEVER, THAT WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF VERY SOON.
WE'VE GOT, UH, SEVEN PEOPLE SIGNED UP RIGHT NOW STAFF WISE THAT WILL BE GOING AND GETTING THEIR APPLICATORS LICENSES.
AND THEY'RE GONNA DO THE CURB ON MAIN STREET.
I JUST WONDERED THAT BECAUSE TIME AND, AND YEAH.
NO, IT WOULD SAVE US A TON OF TIME.
UH, SOME PEOPLE, WELL, NO, YOU STILL HAVE TO MOW, BUT IT RETARDS THE GROWTH AND SLOWS THE GROWTH DOWN.
AND SO, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE HAD SOMEBODY THAT WAS A LICENSED APPLICATOR BACK IN THE DAY THEY DEPARTED.
AND IT JUST, THAT SKILL WAS NEVER YEAH.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CHEMICAL LICENSE.
WELL, HOW THOUGHT YOU SEE THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT AROUND A LOT.
MAYBE THAT WAS A CO-OP THING OR SOMETHING.
OR YOU COULD WENT OUT, COULD CHANGE.
WELL, SOME OF THE DITCHES BELONG TO THE DRAINAGE.
OR THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE SOME OF THE DITCHES THAT ARE RUN THROUGH THE CITY.
THE, THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT HAS TO MAINTAIN
CHRIS, NOW YOU TELL US TEMPLE.
[02:10:01]
NO, IT'S, YEAH, WE CAN'T THAT CHEMICAL, WE CAN'T EVEN GET A BLADE DOWN IN THERE TO CUT.UM, RIGHT NOW YOU TAKE THE CLASS AT THE AG EXTENSION AND NOW YOU HAVE TO, AND YOU USED TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE TEST AT THE AG EXTENSION.
NOW YOU HAVE TO GO TO A AND M TO TAKE THE CLASS, I THINK, RIGHT? WELL, NO, THEY, TES IS BRINGING THE CLASS TO US.
GOOD ENOUGH PEOPLE TO COME DOWN.
DON'T WANT
I JUST WONDER IF THAT YEAH, NO, THAT'S, YEAH, NO.
THE PROBLEM IS, IS WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY LICENSED TO OPERATE OR BE AN APPLICATOR THAT'LL BE TAKEN CARE OF NEXT MONTH.
WELL WE HAVE A, WE HAVE SO MANY DITCHES THAT THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN, THAT YOU CAN CONTROL 'EM BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ACCESS TO TO, TO DO ANY SLUM BOARD OR ANYTHING.
DID WE EVER HEAR BACK FROM THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT WHEN YOU REACHED OUT TO THEM? UH, OTHER THAN THEY WERE JUST AS OVERWHELMED AS WE ARE AND JUST AS TRYING TO SCRAMBLE THE SAME WAY WE ARE.
SO ANOTHER QUESTION THAT BRINGS IS ME IS THE GOAT, I MEAN, HAVE WE CHECKED IN TO BRING 'EM BACK? YEAH, YEAH.
THEY'RE COMING SCHEDULED TO BACK.
THEY'RE COMING BACK AT THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER.
UH, THEY'LL BE DOING THE PARK PROPERTY AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TRY AND RUN 'EM THE FIRST TIME.
YOU KNOW THAT DITCH THAT RUNS BEHIND VANDERBILT? VANDERBILT ON STRAT? JUST OFF STRAT BRIDGE.
THAT'S GONNA BE A DRY RUN TO SEE HOW THEY HANDLE THE DITCH WORK.
SO YOU SAID THEY'RE GONNA DO A PARK, THEY'RE GOING TO FINISH OFF MILSTEAD, THEN WE'RE GONNA BRING 'EM OVER, HAVE EM WORK IN STRAT EDGE, HAVE 'EM WORK IN THE MIDDLE PARK AND THEN TRY, LIKE I SAID, STRIKE TRY WHERE HAVE, SEE HOW THEY DO IN DITCHES.
UH, THE GUY THAT, UH, AND I CANNOT REMEMBER HIS NAME, THAT SAVED MY LIFE.
UM, ANYWAY, THE GENTLEMAN THAT RUNS IT, UH, WAS LIKE, THEY REALLY DON'T LIKE TO GET THEIR FEET WET, BUT THEN THEY WERE REALLY GETTING AFTER IT IN THAT DITCH OFF WILMINGTON.
AND SO HE WAS KIND OF SURPRISED TO SEE THAT.
SO MUST HAVE BEEN SOME KIND OF GOOD GRASS DOWN THERE THAT THEY LIKED.
I WAS LIKE, MAN, WE GOT ALL KINDS OF GOOD GRASS.
THE OTHER THING, THE OTHER THING WE DIDN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT IS THE POOL.
UH, THE POOL WE HOPE WILL BE IN OPERATION BY FY 26.
UM, I CAN, WE'RE, I'M STILL WAITING ON CLARIFICATION, FOLLOWING SOME PERSONNEL CHANGES AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UH, BUT IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THEY PLEDGED, UH, THE REMAINDER OF THAT BOND MONEY, WHICH IS ABOUT 6 MILLION TOWARDS THE RENOVATION AND RECONSTRUCTION OF THE POOL ITSELF.
BUT WE WON'T HAVE OPERATIONAL COSTS 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE EVERYBODY TWO YEARS TO GET THAT REDONE.
SO REAL QUICK, BACK TO THE GOATS.
HAVE WE HAD, HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO GO BACK AND PASS THROUGH WHAT THEY DID? OR HAS THERE NOT BEEN A NEED FOR THAT? UH, IN TERMS OF MOWING? YEAH, IN TERMS OF MOWING, UH, I, WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED IT SINCE THE RAIN STARTED.
UH, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I HAVEN'T, I NEED TO GO BACK AND DRIVE THAT AREA.
UH, BUT I WAS DOWN THERE THE OTHER DAY, BUT I WAS PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO DEBRIS THAN THE DITCH, SO.
WELL YEAH, THEY'RE SUCH PRETTY GOOD, I MEAN, ON THE VERY BOTTOM, THE GRASS IS COMING BACK UP, BUT, BUT THERE'S TREES IN THERE THERE PRETTY TALL.
BUT THE SIDES ARE STILL PRETTY GOOD.
WE, WE DROVE THROUGH THERE TOO.
AND YOU DID MENTION THAT IT, THAT THE OVERTIME THAT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE OVERTIME 'CAUSE YOU IT GOT, BUT IT GOT PUT IN THERE.
THAT'S WHAT BUMPED OUR NUMBER UP IN THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, AGAIN, THAT WAS THE, A CJ NOT PAYING ATTENTION OR TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH AT ONCE, UH, ISSUE.
UH, AND IT WAS KIND OF LIKE THE MAGIC, UH, GARBAGE TRUCK THAT KEPT SHOWING UP.
WE FINALLY GOT IT ERADICATED, SO, OH, I'M IN THE WRONG BUDGET.
THAT'D BE HELPFUL IF I PUT MY GLASSES ON.
ACTUALLY, NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT, I'M GONNA GO SEE IF THAT DANG THING POPPED BACK IN THERE.
AND WHAT'S THE, I GUESS WHAT'S THE BASE RAISE FOR EVERYBODY IN THE CITY? UH, 4% FOR THE COLA.
WE'VE TRIED TO MAINTAIN THAT LINE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT A 3.3 CPI AND IT PUTS US JUST AHEAD OF IT.
SO, UH, I WOULD NOTE, WHAT IS LAKE JACKSON DOING IN THEIR 4% AS WELL? THEY'RE DOING 4% AND THEN THEY'RE DOING TWO TO THREE MERIT ON
[02:15:01]
TOP OF THAT.WAIT, DID THAT TRUCK NO, IT'S GONE ABOUT RIGHT? YEAH, IT'S GONE.
AGAIN, IF YOU FIND THREE QUARTERS OF A MILLION DOLLARS LAYING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WE ARE HAPPY TO NAME THE FACILITY OF YOUR CHOICE AFTER YOU.
UM, IT WASN'T A LOTTO OUT THERE WASN'T A LOTTO.
SO COUNT A HUNDRED PERCENT IF YOU PLAY, THAT'S THE, YOU CAN'T WAIT IF YOU DON'T PLAY.
SO ONCE THE STATE ALLOWS CASINOS, WE NEED ONE DOWN THE STREET.
SO I HAD A GREEN THE OTHER NIGHT I WANTED, I DONATED A MILLION DOLLARS AGO AND NOW YOU, WE WERE, WHICH, WHICH FACILITY DID YOU CHOOSE? HMM.
WHAT FACILITY? 'CAUSE WE'LL NAME ANY FA YOU DONATE, WE'LL MAKE A NO, WE'LL DONATE.
WE'LL WE'LL CHANGE THE NAME OF THE FACILITY FOR YOU.
WELL, DID I JUST CHANGE THE NAME OF THE CITY? OH, WE GOT SHIP.
NO OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I FORGOT WE WERE STILL IN THE MEETING.
[IV. NOTICE/ANNOUNCEMENTS OF UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS]
NOTICING ANNOUNCEMENTS OF UPCOMING EVENTS.I THINK WE GOT A CHANGE OR TWO IN THERE.
I'M GONNA LET CJ NOTE THE CHANGES.
SO, UH, WE HAD PLANNED TO MEET NEXT WEEK ON THE FIRST TO HANDLE THE PRELIMINARY VOTE AND SET THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE BUDGET.
UH, UNLESS YOU GUYS WANNA GET TOGETHER, UH, WE WILL FOREGO THAT PROCESS, UH, WAIT TILL WE HAVE ACTUAL NUMBERS IN HAND AND THEN BRING THOSE BACK TO YOU SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY HOLD THAT VOTE ON THE 15TH.
UH, WE WILL DO, UH, OUR REGULAR MEETING AND JOINT PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE EIGHTH.
AND IF YOU NEED ME TO TACK ON SOME BUDGET STUFF ON THERE, I WE WILL ADD THAT IN AS A, AS A CATCHALL.
UH, DO WE WANT TO KEEP OR CANCEL THE MEETING ON THE 22ND? BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE MEETING A LOT YEAH.
SO, UH, IF WE CAN GET ALL THE BUSINESS KNOCKED OUT ON THE EIGHTH AND HANDLE BUSINESS IN EARLY SEPTEMBER, ARE YOU OKAY IF WE CANCEL THE 22ND? YEAH, I'LL, OKAY.
I'M NOT ASKING FOR A VOTE JUST TO IF YEAH, THAT'S, I'M GOOD.
SO, UM, AND THEN THE UH, LABOR DAY HOLIDAY WILL BE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2ND.
WE WILL MOVE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET AND THE TAX RATE AT THE SAME MEETING.
UH, ROLL CALL VOTES ON THE BUDGET, AND THEN A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THE TAX RATE, UH, ON SEPTEMBER 12TH AT SIX 30.
AND THEN WE'LL DO A REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO FOLLOW, IF YOU RECALL, THE STATE HAS THAT WEIRD THING WHERE WE HAVE TO ADOPT ONE AND THEN THE OTHER AND CAN'T DO ONE BEFORE THE OTHER.
AND THEN, UH, WE'LL HAVE A REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON THE 12TH AND THEN OUR NEXT REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING AFTER THAT IS SEPTEMBER 26TH.
AND I KNOW WE'LL ALL BE EXCITED TO KICK OFF THE NEXT ROUND OF BUDGET AND, UH, COUNT DOWN THE DAYS YOU'RE GONNA WORK ON NEXT YEAR'S.
AND COUNT DOWN THE DAYS TO DEER SEASON.
SO NO, WE'RE NOT MEETING ON THE FIRST, IT'S THE 15TH.
YEAH, NO MEETING ON THE FIRST UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY WANT ONE.
SO THE ONLY THING THAT'S CHANGING IS WE'RE NOT HAVING A MEETING ON THE FIRST OR THE 22ND.
YOU'RE NOT MEETING ON THE FIRST, YOU'RE NOT MEETING ON THE 22ND AND YOU WILL BE MEETING NOW ON THE 15TH IN ADDITION TO THE EIGHTH.
I KNOW THAT'S AS CLEAR AS MUD.
WELL THAT'S KIND OF AN IMPORTANT MEETING.
THIS IS CANCELED CHANGED TODAY.
SO WE WON'T BE MEETING ON THE FIFTH.
WE WILL BE MEETING ON THE 12TH.
SO WE'RE STILL ON THE, NORMALLY THE, WE'RE ON THE EIGHTH.
THE EMAIL I GET 5TH OF SEPTEMBER EIGHTH, 15TH.
THEN THE 12TH AND THEN THE 26TH SEPTEMBER.
OKAY, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MEETING ON AUGUST 15TH.
AND WE'LL SEND OUT REMINDERS, EMAILS, CARRIER PIGEON SMOKE SIGNALS.
WELL, WE'LL HAVE A SIGNAL, WE'LL HAVE A MEETING BEFORE THE, BEFORE THE 15TH.
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE IT'S, IT'S CLARIFIED.
AND LIKE I SAID, IF THOSE VALUES COME IN TOMORROW, I'LL RUN SPREADSHEETS AND GIVE YOU MY BEST GUESSTIMATE ON WHAT THE TAX RATE'S GONNA BE.
YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THEY CANCELED.
DID THEY GRANT YOU A I HAD NOT, HAVEN'T I HAD DID YOU GET A DOCUMENT SAYING ANYTHING OTHER THAN THEY CANCELED IT? UH, WELL WAS IT DID I HAD IT LIKE THE 12 WHENEVER IT WAS, THEY SAID IT WOULD BE CANCELED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE AND I'VE GOT ABOUT 13 PROPERTIES THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DISCUSS.
I WONDER IF YOU HEARD ANYTHING OTHER THAN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET IT TODAY AND WE HAVEN'T HEARD.
[02:20:01]
SCHEDULE.YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY IF YOU DIDN'T GET ANY OTHER KIND OF DOCUMENT, I WOULD SEE WHEN THEY'RE GONNA RE WELL YEAH, I WOULD.
YOU HAD HOW MANY PROPERTIES? 13 THREE
I BET IT GOES OUT AND SPRAYS THOSE
ALRIGHT, NEXT ITEM WOULD BE ADJOURNMENT.
ANCE, I INSPECT IT BY COUNCIL BIN AGUILAR PENDING NO VOTE.