Dec 19, 2022 City Council

SO WE HAVE SOME TIME HERE FOR VISITOR COMMENTS AND, UM, WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST? ARE WE GOING TO, YOU GUYS ARE GONNA TALK ON THE AGENDA ITEM, CORRECT? YES.

SO THIS IS THE PART WHERE WE HAVE A DECLARATION OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.

IF ANY COUNSEL PERSON HAS ANY CONFLICTS WITH ANY OF OUR AGENDA ITEMS TODAY, ANYBODY.

ON TO CONSENT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE WILL BE THE APPROVAL OF THE DECEMBER 5TH MEETING ON ITEM NUMBER TWO, ACCEPT BOARD AND COMMISSION MINUTES FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

SO MOVING

[CONSENT AGENDA]

UH, 1 10, 1 22.

ITEM NUMBER THREE IS APPOINT LYDIA PEREZ, BRENNA INGRAM, MASON BREWSTER, CHRISTINA CONTRERA TO THE 20 22 23 YOUTH ADVISORY COMMISSION.

ITEM FOUR, AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH THE LE CONNIE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF BEACHWOOD CHEMICAL BUILDING IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $908,446 AS BUDGETED.

NUMBER FIVE IS AUTHORIZED CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH THE AVI I SPL THROUGH TEX D I R PURCHASING COOPERATIVE FOR POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ROOM, AV UPDATE, AND AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $233,664 AS BUDGETED.

NUMBER SIX, AUTHORIZED CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR THE ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES WITH KIT PROFESSIONALS FOR A SEWER MODELING ANALYSIS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 400,000 AS BUDGETED.

AND NUMBER SEVEN, AUTHORIZED CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH LS P S SERVICES FOR THE GIS LOCATION OF POTENTIAL LEAD AND COPPER SERVICE LINES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 175,000 AS BUDGETED.

ANY DISCUSSION ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS? ANYBODY WANT TO REMOVE ANY OF THESE ITEMS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, NOW HEARING ANY, I'LL TAKE A MOTION.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT ITEMS ONE THROUGH SEVEN AS WRITTEN SECOND.

ALL RIGHT, WE'VE GOT A FIRST BY COUNCILMAN BLANCHARD, A SECOND BY BAKER.

UH, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT.

MOVING

[1. Hear complaint regarding the way the Lake Jackson Police Department investigated a case - Jamie Sandridge]

ON TO REGULAR AGENDA.

UH, ITEM NUMBER ONE IS A NON-DISCUSSION ITEM.

WE'RE GONNA HEAR THE COMPLAINT REGARDING THE WAY LAKE JACKSON POLICE DEPARTMENT INVESTED A CA INVESTIGATED A CASE.

UH, MS. JAMIE SANDRIDGE, GO AHEAD.

COME ON UP.

HI, AFTERNOON.

HI EVERYBODY.

IF YOU COULD JUST STATE YOUR, JUST BEHIND THE PODIUM THERE, STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS FOR US.

UH, MY NAME IS JAMIE SANDRIDGE.

RIGHT NOW I'M AT TIMBER 200 TIMBER CREEK DRIVE, APARTMENT 1713 IN RIDGEWOOD.

[00:05:01]

BUT, UH, YES, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.

MY NAME IS JAMIE SANDRIDGE AND I AM 39 YEARS OLD.

I HAVE LIVED IN LAKE JACKSON PRETTY MUCH MY WHOLE LIFE.

I, UM, COME TO Y'ALL AS A, UH, PARENT.

UM, BUT I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW, OKAY.

BEFORE THINGS GET STARTED, I BELIEVE, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO THINK ANYTHING'S WRONG AS TO WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO.

I'M VERY PROLAW ENFORCEMENT IN THIS COUNTY.

HOWEVER, LAKE JACKSON, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO, SO THEREFORE I BRANCHED OUT.

I WENT TO PRECINCTS, I WENT TO SHERIFF'S.

I WENT TO EVERYWHERE JANUARY THAT I COULD BACK THE BLUE.

ALONG THE WAY.

I DID A FUNDRAISER FOR POLICING.

I RAISED OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS.

I GOT A PLAT FROM DANBURY, UH, AND RECOGNITION AND DEDICATION, RELENTLESS SERVICE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT THROUGHOUT BRAZORIA COUNTY.

I ALSO HELD A RALLY HERE BACK, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE.

UH, 2020.

SOMETHING Y'ALL PROBABLY REMEMBER.

AND SO I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE.

BACK TO BLUE, Y'ALL.

UH, IT WAS THE LAST, I DID IT ALL BY MYSELF.

I DIDN'T HAVE A BOARD.

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT A BOARD WAS THEN AT THE TIME, , UM, UH, I HAD ONE PERSON HELPING ME DECORATE.

AND, UH, ANYWAY, I AM VERY PRO LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND SO I COME WITH YOU AS LETTING Y'ALL KNOW THAT.

OKAY? UM, ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW I SHALL STICK TO THE FACTS.

IT'S A VERY SENSITIVE SUBJECT.

IT'S BEEN A TOUGH YEAR.

LET'S SEE.

IN 2019, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH P T S D FROM THE GULF COAST CENTER, 2020.

I MARRIED MY EX-HUSBAND AUGUST, LATE AUGUST.

SO APRIL, 2021, I SPENT FOUR DAYS IN A HOTEL BECAUSE HE ABUSED ME.

SEPTEMBER, 2021, SAME YEAR, I CONFESSED TO CONSTABLE DAVID THACKER OF HOW ABUSIVE MY HUSBAND REALLY IS.

HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON I EVER CONFIDED INTO BECAUSE EVERYBODY TOLD ME I WAS THE PROBLEM.

EVERY TIME I CALLED THE POLICE, I WAS THE PROBLEM.

IN SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2021, I CALLED THE POLICE ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE DUE TO CRAIG LOCKING ME OUT.

IN THE END, THEY BLAMED ME.

THEY SHAMED ME BECAUSE I WAS ARRESTED, BECAUSE I SCRATCHED HIM DURING A VERBAL ARGUMENT WHILE HE WAS PULLING ON MY CLOTHES.

BUT BIAS IS BIAS.

SO THAT WAS, UH, LET'S SEE.

I CALLED FOR POLICE FOR ASSISTANCE IN SEPTEMBER 21ST, 21.

HOWEVER, ON SEPTEMBER OF 21ST, 2021, 9:00 PM THAT NIGHT, I CALLED THE WOMEN'S CENTER HOTLINE, AND I ASKED FOR HELP DUE TO CRAIG, BECAUSE HE WAS STARTING TO YELL OTHER CHILDREN'S, BECAUSE THEY WERE TAKING UP FOR ME.

SHE TOLD ME TO PACK AND LEAVE WITH THE CHILDREN THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE SCHOOL AND JUST STAY WITH A SAFE HOUSE AFTER HIM.

AND I DID SEPTEMBER 22ND TO 26TH.

I HAVE PAPERS HERE FOR THE INTAKE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FOR A WOMEN'S SHELTER.

UM, OCTOBER 22ND, I GUESS I FOLLOWED FOR DIVORCE.

YEAH, THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT.

UH, LET'S SEE.

UH, OCTOBER THROUGH NOVEMBER, 2022.

I, AFTER I FILED FOR DIVORCE, I MOVED INTO THE BACK BEDROOM.

HE CAME IN THERE AND ASSAULTED ME NUMEROUS TIMES.

EARLY DECEMBER, 2022, I MAKE THE FINAL DATE FOR THE DIVORCE.

DECEMBER 20TH, HE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED ME WHILE I WAS ASLEEP.

HE, HIS HANDS TO CHOKE ME, AND HE HELD ME IN PLACE AND HE RAPED ME.

HI.

ON JANUARY 3RD, ASKED CONSTABLE DAVID THACKER.

UH, I, HE'S MY FRIEND.

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD TO TELL ME THAT I WAS RAPED.

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I WAS RAPED.

I WAS LIKE, MEREDITH, WAIT, RED.

WHAT IS THAT? RIGHT?

[00:10:01]

YOU KNOW? SO THEY HAD TO TELL ME THAT , YOU KNOW.

SO ANYWAY, I TEXTED HIM.

I'M LIKE, DUDE, I'M LIKE REAL.

LIKE, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED.

I'M SUICIDAL.

AND HE GOES, AND HE TRIES TO HUNT ME DOWN CUZ I FORGET.

HE'S THE CONSTABLE, RIGHT? SO, UH, HE'S, HE, LO AND BEHOLD, I GET HOME.

FINALLY, I'M ON, I'M TALKING TO A FRIEND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE CALMING ME DOWN, WHO IS ALSO AN EX OFFICER.

QUENTIN RUSH.

HE KNOWS EVERYTHING TOO.

ANTON PD.

UM, SO, UH, LIKE I SAID, HE SAW A TEXTING.

I GOT HOME FINALLY.

AND LO AND BEHOLD, THEY WERE THERE TO HELP ME.

THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THEY WERE WONDERFUL.

THEY DIDN'T TELL CRAIG WHAT WAS HAPPENING OR WHY THEY HELL WERE THERE BECAUSE THEY KNEW IT WOULD CAUSE TROUBLE, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT I WASN'T LEAVING YET.

HE'S MY FRIEND.

HE STOOD UP FOR ME.

HE WAS THERE.

HE DIDN'T SAY A WORD CUZ HE WASN'T THERE ON BUSINESS.

UH, SO I GO SEE THE DOCTOR IN, WHAT IS IT, UH, SWEENEY.

THEY, I'M NOT ANYTHING BUT OTHER THAN GOING THROUGH A LOT OF CRAP, OBVIOUSLY.

AND SO THEY SEND ME ON MY WAY.

ALL RIGHT? UH, OKAY, SO JANUARY 14TH, MY DIVORCE IS FINALIZED, UH, FEBRUARY 12TH.

I CALL LJ P D AND ASK FOR ASSISTANCE AND TELL HER THE ASSAULT.

IT WAS CERVAN.

DOES HE STILL WORK HERE? HE SHOULDN'T.

HE'S A VERY BAD OFFICER.

HE TREATED ME VERY RUDE.

ALL, OH, WAIT, HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON.

WHERE DID THAT GO? I WANNA START ON A GOOD NOTE.

THESE ARE OFFICERS I ENJOY AND, UH, I KNOW THEM PERSONALLY.

MENDOZA HUTCHINSON, MIRRORS JOHNSTONE.

RICH RODRIGUEZ.

WHEDON THACKER DODSON, RIGHT? AND FOREMAN NICHOLS.

COX CRITTENDON.

MOYA LAND DENTS.

I IDS IT IS, I SEE THEM ENOUGH.

DYSON, I KNOW MORE.

BUT THESE ARE THE MAIN ONES THAT HAVE REALLY HELPED ME STAY WHERE I NEED TO GO AND REALIZE THAT NOT ALL POLICE ARE BAD.

UH, SO, LIKE I SAID, I CALL FOR ASSISTANCE FEBRUARY 12TH.

HE COMES OUT THERE, GIVES ME A CARD.

FEBRUARY 14TH, I WALK IN.

RIGHT AFTER I DROP OFF MY KIDS FROM SCHOOL INTO LJ P D I AM GREETED BY DETECTIVE GUTIERREZ.

RUDE.

HE SAID, WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? AND I'M ALL NERVOUS.

CAN YOU IMAGINE? I MEAN, I GET IN THERE AND HE'S COMPLETELY RUDE.

I'D LIKE TO SEE THE POLICE REPORT.

I HAVE ONE, IT'S COMPLETELY EMPTY.

AND I WAS PRINTED OUT ON JANUARY, MARCH 24TH.

THERE IS NOTHING IN IT.

SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.

HERE'S PRECINCT ONES.

VERY PRETTY, VERY UNBIASED.

THIS ONE'S THE, UH, PRECINCTS.

Y'ALL WANNA PASS 'EM AROUND? WOULD Y'ALL LIKE TO SEE THE EVIDENCE? THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

SO, YES, I FILED SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES AGAINST MY EX-HUSBAND AND I WAS TOLD TO MOVE OUT AND AVOID HIM, RIGHT? SO I DID.

LATER, RIGHT AFTER I LEFT THE PD HERE, I WENT TO PRECINCT ONE AND I HUNG OUT THERE CUZ I KNEW I WAS SAFE.

I HAD A PANIC ATTACK THERE.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DID? THEY CALLED EMS. DO YOU KNOW WHAT LJP DID? THEY TOLD ME, WHAT AM I DOING HERE? WHY ARE YOU HERE? Y'ALL HAVE A PROBLEM.

IT'S NOT THE PATROL OFFICERS.

I LIKE TO CALL 'EM IN THREE STOOGES.

AFTER YOUR FEBRUARY 14TH, I'M ASSUMING THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M A MOM.

I COME IN THERE AND, YOU KNOW, I KEEP GOING BACK TO THE POLICE ASKING FOR HELP.

AND THEY KEEP TURNING ME AWAY.

HUTCHINSON WAS THERE WHEN DETECTIVE GUTIERREZ TOLD ME TO MY FACE, IF I CONTINUE TO FILE, THEY WILL CALL CPS ON ME.

ASK HIM HUTCHINSON, THEY WERE SURROUNDING ME CUZ I WAS HAVING A PANIC ATTACK.

THEY TOLD ME THAT TO MY FACE.

[00:15:02]

AFTER THAT, CRAIG CALLS NUMEROUS TIMES TO TRY TO GET ME IN TROUBLE WITH THE LJ P D.

HE ALMOST E HE EMAILED THE DETECTIVE CONSTANTLY GIVE, FEEDING THEM INFORMATION.

AND THEY, UH, JUST TOOK IT AS, AS IT WAS.

THEY DIDN'T CALL AND ASK ME NOTHING.

I KNEW NOTHING OF IT.

FEBRUARY 21ST, I CALLED EMS, Y'ALL'S EMS, AND I WAS SENT TO THE HOSPITAL.

THEY DIDN'T ADMIT ME BECAUSE, WELL, IT'S A PANIC ATTACK.

AND I WAS ABLE TO CALM MYSELF DOWN.

FEBRUARY 22ND, I, UH, AM, UH, 20 THIS YEAR.

I'M INTAKE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT AND RE REFERRED TO THEIR LAWYER AT THE WOMEN'S CENTER FEBRUARY 28TH.

I WA THIS IS, I'M JUST, I HAVE POLICE REPORTS.

I'M JUST GOING DOWN, UH, WALK INTO THE LJ P D ABOUT GETTING RESTRAINING ORDER.

AND THEY SAID THEY DON'T DO THAT HERE.

FEBRUARY 28TH.

OH, THIS IS WHY SEVAN SHOULD NOT WORK HERE.

FEBRUARY 28TH, I CAME HOME TO FIND MY RESIDENCE.

MY, IT WAS MY HOUSE, BUT Y'ALL KICKED, NO, I'M SORRY.

THE THREE STS KICKED ME OUT, BASICALLY.

AND, UH, I, SO I CAME HOME TO MY RESIDENCE AND I HAD FOUND THAT IN MY BACK DOOR, HAD BEEN BROKEN INTO, I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE HOUSE FOR THAT WEEK.

THAT WAS THE DEAL.

HE HAD LITERALLY KICKED IN THE DOOR, THE CHAIN AND EVERYTHING.

IT WAS OFF THE FRAME.

I CALLED Y'ALL.

NO, NO, NO.

THAT ONE WAS A GOOD NIGHT.

IT WAS MUSCLE MAN WAS THERE.

HE'S LIKE SHORT MUSCLEY I AND BALD.

HE'S COOL.

I DON'T KNOW HIS NAME, BUT I LIKE HIM.

UH, THAT ONE WAS COOL.

UH, BUT, UH, ANYWAY, THE POLICE CALL CRAIG AND HE STATES THAT HE WAS THE ONE THAT DID IT.

BUT IT'S OKAY THOUGH, RIGHT? MARCH 20, UH, MARCH 2ND, I CAME HOME TO FIND THE GARAGE DOORS UNPLUGGED.

I'M FREAKING OUT AGAIN BECAUSE I'M, LIFE'S A LITTLE, GETTING A LITTLE CRAZY HERE.

UH, SO I WAS SCARED TO ENTER MY OWN RESIDENCE.

THIS IS WHERE SAVANNAH SAID, JUST DO IT.

I'M SCARED.

I'M CRYING.

I, I CAN'T REMEMBER.

I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN HE WAS HISPANIC.

THE ONE BEHIND HIM.

HE, UH, UH, JOHNSTONE, I THINK HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE ONE THAT WAS THERE WITH SEVAN THAT TIME.

AND HE WAS LIKE, WHOA.

IF HIS EYES, YOU KNOW, LIKE, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE DOING? WHY IS HE TREATING THIS WOMAN LIKE THAT? RIGHT? CAUSE I'M CRYING AT HOME GOING, WOO, AH, LET'S SEE.

MARCH 4TH, CPS GAVE FULL CUSTODY.

THE PERSON THAT I TRIED TO SAVE MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF FROM, WHY ASK THE POLICE REPORT AND THE CPS CASE WORKER, SHE'LL TELL YOU THE EXACT WORDS THAT WERE ON THAT POLICE REPORT.

AS I KNOW AND MY HUSBAND KNOWS WE, AND, BUT ME AND MY HUSBAND ARE NOT VERY PLEASED AT ALL.

HE GOT SCREWED OVER AND SO DID I, I DON'T LIKE HIM.

UH, FORGIVENESS.

MM, I DON'T KNOW.

YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

I REALLY DON'T.

SO ANYWAY, CPS THOUGHT I WAS MENTALLY UNSTABLE IS WHY THEY TOOK HIM AWAY.

I'M MENTALLY UNSTABLE AND YES, I HAVE PTSD.

T S D I'M GLAD THE MAYOR'S NOT HERE.

LAST TIME I TALKED WITH HIM, HE TRIED TO USE THAT AGAINST ME.

I DID NOT APPRECIATE THAT EITHER.

I'M SURE VETERANS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ALL AROUND WOULD NOT APPRECIATE IT EITHER.

MARCH 8TH, REMEMBER MARCH 4TH, CPS GAVE FULL CUSTODY TO MY CHILDREN TO HIM MARCH 8TH.

I SELF ADMIT MYSELF INTO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE I'M SUICIDAL AGAIN, AS THE KIDS ARE IN HIS CUSTODY.

100%.

NOW, MARCH 14TH, I'M RELEASED FROM KINGWOOD PINES WITH A PTS DIAGNOSIS, WHICH IS RIGHT HERE.

IF Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT AS WELL.

MARCH 15TH, CPS CLOSED, UH, CLOSE CLOSES THE CASE.

AND MARCH 15TH, I GET MY FIRST VISIT WITH MY CHILDREN.

FINALLY.

AND THEN MARCH 15TH, I WAS ALSO SERVED PAPERS , LIKE WHAT? I WAS GETTING SUED.

NOW I WAS GETTING SUED.

I JUST GOT OUTTA THE MENTAL HOSPITAL.

I'M TRYING TO KEEP MYSELF SAFE.

AND HERE I AM GETTING SUED FOR MY CHILDREN.

LEARN.

SO I GRABBED THE PAPER.

IT'S A BIG OLD STACK.

I'M LIKE, DUDE, I CAN'T READ THAT.

I JUST, I'M TRYING TO KEEP MYSELF SAFE, RIGHT? I PUT ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER NEXT DAY, MARCH 17TH COURT FOR THE PAPERS IN A DEFAULT JUDGMENT WENT AND HAPPENED CUZ I WAS IN DISTRESS.

AND I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS THAT IMPERATIVE.

AND I, I HAD LESS THAN 36 HOURS TO PROVE THAT I WAS NOT MENTALLY UNSTABLE.

MARCH 18TH, UM, I ASKED AGAIN ABOUT A PROTECTION ORDER, BUT, BUT I'M STILL CONFUSED CUZ I THOUGHT Y'ALL WERE ON MY SIDE.

I THOUGHT THE L J B D WAS ON MY SIDE, YOU KNOW, SO, OH,

[00:20:02]

I'VE GONE TO GULF COAST.

I SPENT A WEEK IN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL.

I SUGGEST YOU FIND A NEW CHIEF.

YOU FIND A NEW LANGFORD, MS. SANDRA? YES, MA'AM.

SO AS A MOM, AS A NURSE MM-HMM.

I JUST WANNA TELL YOU, UM, VERY SORRY.

YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'VE HAD AN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT YEAR.

VERY STRESSFUL.

UM, I THINK EVERYBODY UP HERE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND I THINK EVERYONE UP HERE HAS LOOKED THROUGH THE INFORMATION THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO US.

UM, I THINK IT'S ALWAYS GOOD FOR CITIZENS TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH US.

I THINK TRANSPARENCY IS, UM, IMPERATIVE IN GOOD GOVERNMENT.

SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

YES, MA'AM.

UM, I WILL TELL YOU IN TERMS OF CPS P S, THAT UM, I DEAL WITH THAT SOMEWHAT AS A NURSE.

UM, NEVER A CALL THAT YOU MAKE LIGHTLY.

UM, I PERSONALLY AS A NURSE, WE DON'T ANSWER TO ANYONE.

I DON'T ASK ANYONE'S PERMISSION TO MAKE THAT PHONE CALL.

UM, I'VE MADE IT TWICE, I THINK IN 12 YEARS OF NURSING.

UM, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY AND IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I WILL TELL YOU THE TWO TIMES THAT I'VE HAD TO MAKE THAT PHONE CALL.

YOU DON'T IGNORE YOUR INTUITION AND IT'S ALWAYS, YOU WOULD RATHER ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION.

UM, I APOLOGIZE IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TREATED WELL.

UM, LIKE I SAID, I CAN DEFINITELY SEE THAT YOU'VE HAD AN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT YEAR AS A MOM, AS A WIFE, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING TO US.

UM, YEAH, TERRY HAS APOLOGIZED FOR CALLING CPS ON ME.

HE SAID HE WOULD LOSE HIS JOB.

YEAH, WELL, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A JUDGMENT CALL.

I MEAN, DO WE NOT MAKE THE, AND I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR HIM, I'VE NEVER SPOKEN TO HIM REGARDING THIS, BUT IS IT A CALL THAT YOU, YOU IGNORE THAT INTUITION AND YOU DON'T MAKE IT AND SOMETHING TERRIBLE? WHAT INTUITION? WELL, I DON'T KNOW.

I CAN'T SPEAK FOR HIM.

I'M JUST SAYING IN MY EXPERIENCES, DO YOU IGNORE THAT? Y SO THEY CAN'T GO ACROSS THE STREET AND TALKED TO CONSTABLE THACKER? UM, I'M CONFUSED HERE.

WELL, I MEAN, CONSTABLE THACKER DOESN'T WORK FOR THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON.

HE'S AN OFFICER OR HE'S A DETECTIVE.

GUTIERREZ IS, YOU THINK A DETECTIVE WOULD DO DETECTIVE WORK, RIGHT? RIGHT.

BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS, I MEAN, THIS HAS GONE TO A GRAND JURY.

IT'S BEEN NO, AND WE ABSOLUTELY, I KNOW WE'RE TO A GRAND JURY.

WE ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR TIME.

UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S AGAIN, IMPERATIVE ALWAYS THAT OUR OFFICERS HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY.

I THINK THAT WE DO HAVE THAT HERE.

AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

THAT'S A, THAT'S FUNNY.

ACCOUNTABILITY FAR FROM IT HERE.

SO I DO ABSOLUTELY SPEAK ON THAT'S COOL BEHALF OF OUR CITY.

THAT THAT'S COOL.

I HOPE THAT THINGS GO BETTER FOR YOU.

WHERE'S MY PAPERS AT? THANK YOU.

DID YOU WANT SEE? ALRIGHT, WELL MOVE FORWARD THEN.

NO, UH, NO NEGATIVE OR ANYTHING ON, ON AND ALL OF Y'ALL DAY JOB.

IT'S, IT'S A TOUGH, IT'S A JOB.

I MEAN, OKAY.

NO, IT'S NOT A JOB.

IT'S SOMETHING, WELL, HE'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GOTTA RUN IT LIKE A BUSINESS A LITTLE BIT.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? TO AN EXTENT, YOU KNOW, NOT LIKE MONEY WISE, BUT YOU KNOW, ORDERLY.

ORDERLY, YES.

AND RESPECTFUL.

AND SO WE TRY TO AFFORD THAT BOTH TO OUR CITIZENS.

AND I MEAN, I JUST DON'T WANT YOU TO LEAVE HERE FEELING LIKE ANYBODY DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THIS IS NO, YOU'VE HAD A TOUGH TIME.

NO, FAR CRAP.

SO THANK YOU THOUGH.

I JUST THINK, BUT Y'ALL NEED A NEW POLICE.

IT'S A SHAME.

BUT I CAN'T EVEN PROMOTE Y'ALL.

SO YES, SHAME.

NUMBER TWO, WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS THE REINSTATEMENT OF NORTHWOOD PHASE FOUR BURN PERMIT.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT.

ITEM

[2. Discuss reinstatement of Northwood Phase 4 burn permit – Will Ammons]

UH, MR. A.

AMEN.

GOOD EVENING, COUNSEL.

SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COUNCIL MEETING, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE 21ST OF NOVEMBER, THE AIR CURTAIN INCINERATOR BURN WAS APPROVED FOR THE NORTHWOOD PHASE FOUR EXPANSION.

UM, ON THE 30TH, I RECEIVED A COMPLAINT TO MY OFFICE OF A LARGE VOLUME OF SMOKE.

UPON INVESTIGATING, WE FOUND THAT THEY WERE NOT UTILIZING THE AIR CURTAIN INCINERATOR OUT THERE.

THEY WERE OPEN BURNING.

UM, ON DECEMBER 1ST, WE ISSUED A STOP WORK ORDER.

AND PART OF THE CONDITION OF THAT STOP WORK ORDER IS THAT THEY, THEY COME BEFORE COUNSEL, SO IT CAN BE DISCUSSED.

[00:25:04]

WE'VE GOT COUNSEL QUESTIONS.

MODESTO, NOTHING ON THIS.

WILL, IS, UH, THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY HERE? UH, YES.

THE, UH, CONTRACTOR THAT WAS HIRED TO DO THE JOB WAS CHRIS MATERIALS.

UH, CHAD CRISP, THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY IS HERE.

YOU CAN GO, COME ON IN.

JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THAT.

CHAD CHRIS, 1 0 5 MCCLIN ORCHARD, INGLETON, TEXAS.

SO I GUESS MR. CHRIST, I'LL JUST ASK THE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST QUESTION, WAS THE COMPANY CLEARLY AWARE OF THE GUIDELINES THAT UH, YES.

I WAS, I WAS OUT OF TOWN AND ONE OF MY WORKERS WENT OUT THERE AND OTHER JOBS WE DON'T HAVE TO BURN, UH, A CONTROLLED BURN IN GROUND AND THERE WAS FOUR OR SIX INCH WATER OVER THE WHOLE PROPERTY.

SO HE JUST WENT AHEAD AND LIT 'EM ON FIRE.

AND, UH, AFTER I TALKED TO THE FIRE CHIEF, WE MADE SURE SOMEONE STAYED OUT THERE THE WHOLE TIME UNTIL ALL THE FLAMES WERE OUT.

WELL, I GUESS THE, THE, THE BIG QUESTION IS GOING TO BE, I'M SURE FROM COUNSEL, I'VE, I HEARD COUNSEL IS THAT HOW CAN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, ASSURANCE THAT WHEN, BECAUSE WE HAD RECEIVED ASSURANCE, YOU KNOW, FROM THE FIRST TIME IS WHEN THE COUNCIL SET THE GUIDELINES THAT WE WANTED EVERYTHING TO BE BURNED BY INCINERATOR.

THAT THAT WILL FROM NOW ON BE FOLLOWED? UH, YES SIR.

I'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE.

SO, SO MY QUESTION IS, SIR, THAT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A BUSINESS AND BUSINESS.

IF I HAD OWNED A BUSINESS, I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW THIS BURN IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN WOULD BE PASSED ON TO ALL YOUR WORKERS, SIR.

WHO DOES NOT WILLY-NILLY JUST SHOW UP AND START THE BURN? THAT'S NOT A VERY GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE.

I UNDERSTAND.

SO HOW CAN YOU ASSURE ME THAT THINGS HAVE CHANGED? HAVE YOU DID ANY KIND OF TRAINING TO YOUR FOLKS? YES, SIR.

I'LL LET HIM KNOW YOU.

DOCUMENTATION THAT GOT COPY, HE GOT COPIES OF THE, UH, OF I GUESS THE GUIDELINES AND STUFF FROM THE FIRE MARSHAL, WHAT ALL NEEDED TO BE DONE AND HOW IT NEEDED TO BE DONE.

Y'ALL, Y'ALL DIDN'T HAVE THOSE COPIES TO START WITH? YEAH.

YES MA'AM, I DID.

I WAS OUT OF TOWN.

AND, UH, SO WHO NORMALLY ANSWERS WHO, WHO ACTS IN YOUR STEAD WHEN YOU'RE UNAVAILABLE? UH, MY WIFE.

BUT I MEAN, SHE DIDN'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HIM.

I JUST TOLD HIM TO GO OUT THERE AND CLEAN UP AND TIE HIS STUFF UP AND I GUESS HE TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO TRY TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK DONE.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION OF DO WE KNOW, DOES, ARE THE TAXPAYERS OUT ANY CITY DO DOLLARS IN THIS PROCESS? WELL, I HAVE TO ASK, WILL I? WELL, I KNOW WE, WE'VE RAN, THE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS WENT OUT THERE AND WE HAD SEVERAL PIECES OF EQUIPMENT.

UH, WILL, CAN YOU TELL THE COUNCIL, UH, THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND HOW MUCH EQUIPMENT WE PUT OUT THERE? THE INITIAL TIME, OH, SORRY.

GOTTA GO TO THE MIC.

UH, THE INITIAL RESPONSE OUT THERE, WE WERE OUT THERE FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS.

THEN WITH THE, UH, THE, THE CONDITIONS OF THE GROUND OUT THERE AND THE LACK OF VISIBILITY, WE MADE THE DECISION TO PULL EVERYBODY OUT JUST FOR SAFETY'S SAKE.

SO, UH, WE REALLY HAVE TO GO BACK AND, AND, UH, REQUEST RECORDS FROM THE ASSISTING AGENCIES THAT CAME OUT.

AND THERE'S, UH, FEMA HAS SOME CALCULATIONS THAT WE CAN USE TO, TO TRY TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

BUT OVERALL, TWO TO THREE HOURS.

WE WEREN'T THERE THE WHOLE NIGHT.

NO, WE WEREN'T.

UM, OKAY.

UH, HIS EMPLOYEE WAS OUT THERE AND MAINTAINED FIRE WATCH, SO WE MADE THEM DO THE FIRE WATCH.

UM, MR. CHRIS, HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DO YOU HAVE THAT WILL BE ON SITE? UH, DOING AN INCINERATOR BURNED? UH, USUALLY THREE TO FOUR.

AND HAVE ALL OF THEM BEEN INSTRUCTED ON? YES, SIR.

THE INSTRUCTIONS? YES, SIR.

OR SIR, LIKE I SAID, I WAS OUT OF TOWN AND, UH, WE DIDN'T PLAN ON BURNING OR NOTHING.

ONCE I FOUND OUT HE STARTED THE FIRE, I CALLED HIM TO LET HIM KNOW CUZ HE DIDN'T EVEN THINK IT WAS THE, THE JOB SITE.

AND I LET HIM KNOW IT WAS.

SO IS YOUR COMPANY DONE CONTROL OF WHAT? RATOR BURN? WHAT'S IT'S AIR CURTAIN BURNING? YES, SIR.

AIR CUR BURNING.

Y'ALL HAVE DONE THAT BEFORE? I MEAN, I HAD ALL THE PERMITS AND EVERYTHING.

IS THE CHIEF, ARE YOU SATISFIED THAT, UH, HE'S, IS THE COMPANY'S CAPABLE OF DOING THIS ACTIVITY AS PRESCRIBED? YES, SIR.

I, I, I BELIEVE THAT, UM, I BELIEVE THAT GOING FORWARD THERE, THERE WON'T BE ANY ISSUES.

HOW LONG YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS, SIR? UH, PROBABLY NINE YEARS.

EIGHT, NINE YEARS.

YOU'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK HERE IN THE LAKE JACKSON AREA? UH, YES, SIR.

BRAZORIA COUNTY.

AND HOW MANY EMPLOYEES YOU SAY YOU HAVE? UH, I MEAN, ON PAYROLL EVERY WEEK, PROBABLY EIGHT TO 10.

AND YOU SAID THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH THE

[00:30:01]

PROPER TRAINING.

DO ONCE YOU HIDE HIM, DO YOU YEAH, I MEAN, WE TRAINING OR DO THEY HAVE A, WELL, EACH JOB IS DIFFERENT.

SO LIKE Y'ALL OR THE GUIDELINES Y'ALL WANT IS ERIC CURTAIN CONTROLLED, BURNING.

SO LIKE OTHER CITIES OR OTHER COUNTIES, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.

SO THEY JUST, HE DIDN'T KNOW.

SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO BE CERTIFIED TO OPERATE? NO, SIR.

IT SAYS YOU GET A PERMIT, A PERMIT FROM TCEQ, AND ONCE YOU APPLY, GET YOUR PERMIT AND YOUR, UH, MAP OF HOW YOU'RE DON'T BURN IT, THEY APPROVE IT AND THEN YOU SUBMIT IT TO THE CITY.

SO YOU CAN JUST HIRE ME AND I CAN JUST START PRETTY MUCH.

THE WILL.

WERE ANY T C Q UH, GUIDELINES, UH, VIOLATED, VIOLATED, DO YOU EXPECT ANY FINES AS FAR AS T C Q IS CONCERNED? I, I DID REACH OUT TO THEM AFTER WE ISSUED THE STOP WORK ORDER.

THEY SAID WE COULD FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT AND THEY'D FOLLOW UP WITH IN 30 DAYS.

SO I TOLD 'EM WE WOULD JUST HANDLE IT IN-HOUSE.

UM, BUT THEY WERE ON THEIR, ON THEIR END REALLY.

UM, SINCE WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE THAT, THAT KIND OF OVERSEES THE, THE CONTROLLED BURNS, IT, IT WOULD FALL BACK ON THE CITY.

AND THEY WERE ISSUED A CITATION FOR THE BURNING.

BUT NO STATE RULES WERE VIOLATED? NO, SIR.

NO.

IT WAS ALL NATURAL VEGETATION THAT WAS BURNING.

AND WAS SOMEBODY, JUST FOR THE RECORD HERE, WAS ANYBODY FINED FOR THIS OR ANY CITATIONS ISSUED? YES, MA'AM.

THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED? YES.

THERE WAS A CITATION ISSUED.

IT WAS, IS ISSUED TO HIS EMPLOYEE THAT WAS ON SITE.

AND HAS THAT BEEN CLEARED? I WOULD HAVE TO, I'D HAVE TO CHECK WITH THE COURT.

HE PAID IT FRIDAY.

HE DID.

I THINK IT WAS 400 SOMETHING DOLLARS.

CAN CAN YOU EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO ME? THE, THE MACHINE THAT YOU USE IS CALLED WHAT? A AIR CURTAIN.

AND THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE USED IN THE GROUND.

IT DON'T REALLY DO NOTHING.

IT JUST BLOWS AIR.

IT BLOWS FORCED AIR OVER THE, YOU DIG A PIT, YOU BURN INSIDE THAT PIT AND THAT FORCED AIR CAUSES IT TO BURN HOTTER.

SO YOU HAVE A MORE COMPLETE BURN.

THE MORE COMPLETE BURN YOU HAVE, THE LESS SMOKE YOU'RE GONNA SEE.

SO YOU BURN AN UNDERGROUND, THE WOOD UNDERGROUND, AND YOU HAVE THE, THE INCINERATOR DEC INCINERATOR TO BLOW AIR TO KEEP IT LIT, LIT, BURN HOTTER, BASICALLY.

SO IT SMOKES LESS.

SO IT'S THE INCINERATOR ON TOP OF THE PIT.

IT'S ON TOP OF THE GROUND, ON TOP OF THE PIT.

AND IT'S, THAT'S WHERE THE CURTAIN PARK COMES.

AND LIKE, IT'S, IT'S ON THE GROUND AND IT HAS A LONG THING THAT, THAT POINTS DOWN AND IT BLOWS AIR IN THE BOTTOM AND IT MAKES IT BURN HARDER.

SO QUESTION THAT, SO MY QUESTION IS, AGAIN, HAVE YOU TRAINED YOUR EMPLOYEES TO LOOK AT THE WORK PERMIT AND SEE YES, SIR.

WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE BEFORE THEY DO IT? YES SIR.

SO I DON'T WANNA BEAT A DEAD HORSE HERE, BUT JUST, UM, I THINK WE NEED A CALCULATION OF WHATEVER CITY, CITY WAS OUT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE WE PROCEED.

I DON'T KNOW ANY WHAT OTHER, WHAT OTHER AGENCIES RESPONDED? RICHWOOD, I HEARD, AM I FORGETTING ANOTHER ONE? IT WAS, UH, RICHWOOD AND ANGLETON FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE CALLED FOR MUTUAL AID.

AND THEY CAN GIVE US THEIR MANPOWER AND THEIR EQUIPMENT COST.

I CAN REACH OUT TO THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND GET COPIES OF THEIR REPORTS AND IT'LL HAVE LISTED, UH, NUMBER OF PERSONNEL AND APPARATUS THAT WE USE.

SO, MR. CHRIS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST ONE THING AND, AND YOU KNOW, COUNSEL WILL GIVE US FURTHER DIRECTION, BUT AT LEAST SOUNDS LIKE, UM, WE MAY EXPLORE CALCULATING THE EQUIPMENT COST AND THE PERSONNEL COST AND PASSING IT ON TO YOU.

THAT'S FINE.

SO HOW, HOW MUCH MORE BURNING YOU HAVE TO DO OVER THERE? A LOT.

MOST OF IT? YEAH.

IT'S A LOT.

I MEAN, HE JUST STARTED ONE LITTLE PORTION OF IT.

IT WASN'T LIKE HE STARTED BURNING A LOT.

I MEAN, FORTUNATELY WE CAUGHT IT EARLY.

SO WHAT KIND OF GUARANTEE DID WE GOING TO GET THAT THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN? UH, I MEAN, I MEAN, WE GOT YOUR WORD THE FIRST TIME AND DID, DIDN'T HAPPEN.

LIKE, LIKE I SAID, I MEAN, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE HAS THAT ONE EMPLOYEE THAT TRIES TO, YOU KNOW, DO GOOD AND TRY TO, YOU KNOW, HELP YOU.

SO WAS THAT EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE OR WHAT HAPPENED? WELL, THAT'S, WE GONNA PAID A $400 FINE.

HE PAID A 400 CENT FINE.

PAID FINE.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR NO, SIR.

YEAH, THAT'S OKAY.

SO I MEAN, WE, I THINK WE RECOGNIZED THAT OUR STANDARDS OF THIS BURN OH, UNDERSTAND.

FAR EXCEEDED WHAT TCQ REQUIRED.

WE DID THAT FOR A REASON.

UM, JUST, I MEAN, THERE'S A CHAIN OF COMMAND AND THAT THERE'S ALSO A CHAIN OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT.

UM, FOR, I MEAN, COUNSEL, I CAN'T MAKE A MOTION, BUT I, FOR ONE TO SAY, LET'S MOVE ON.

UH, ONCE THE COSTS HAVE BEEN CALCULATED AND NOTHING COMES OUT OF THE TAXPAYER POCKET, MOVE ON.

UM, I PERSONALLY AM NOT INCLINED TO A, TO ME, THAT'S A SECOND CHANCE.

EVERYBODY DESERVES A LITTLE BIT OF GRACE.

UM, I'M NOT INCLINED TO A THIRD CHANCE,

[00:35:01]

IF THAT'S UNDERSTOOD.

SO, MS. MAYOR, IF WE LOOKING FOR A MOTION I MOVE, THERE'LL BE ALLOWED ON THE SECOND CHANCE TO CONTINUE WITH THIS BURN AS LONG AS THEY FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AND AGREE TO PAY ALL THE, WHATEVER THE, UH, CITY HAS BEEN OUT OF, UH, TO LAST BURN, INCLUDING THE, UH, RESPONDING CITY'S MUTUAL AID.

CAN WE HAVE A MOTION? YES.

ANY DISCUSSION? HAVE A SECOND.

YOU HAVE A SECOND? I MAY HAVE, I'M SORRY.

CAN YOU REPEAT THAT MOTION? SURE.

UH, I'LL HAVE TO, TO GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THEM TO CONTINUE START THE BURN AGAIN.

AS LONG AS IT MEETS THE PERMIT REQUIREMENTS.

AND, UH, THEY MAKE THE CITY AND THE, UH, UH, MUTUAL AGE CITIES WHOLE ON THEIR, UH, EXPENDITURES ON THE LAST BURN.

DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

WE HAVE A SECOND.

BY MR. RODAS.

ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION IS APPROVED.

MR. ALAN, YOU'RE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.

TO ITEM AGENDA NUMBER THREE.

YOU'RE ASKING ME? NO, JUST YEAH.

YEAH, I AM.

OH, YEAH.

IT WAS YOU.

YEAH, I'M JUST SAYING YOU'RE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS, SO STAY ON IT.

I I GOT A CHECK.

I'M, I'M P****D, RIGHT? MM-HMM.

, THIS WAS HANDLED LIKE NOT WELL, IT'S FINE.

I THINK YOUR DECISION WAS THE RIGHT ONE.

AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY WAY HE'S GONNA GO OUT THERE AND BURN WITHOUT A PIT AND AN AIR CURTAIN IN A PROPER MANNER.

WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT WAY.

WE DID IT IN PHASE ONE OF NORTHWOOD PHASE TWO OF NORTHWOOD PHASE THREE OF NORTHWOOD CREEKSIDE, BOSTON.

I'VE DONE IT 15 TIMES IN THIS CITY, RIGHT? MM-HMM.

, YOU DON'T OPEN BURN.

RIGHT.

AND SOMEHOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED ON ONE OF MY PROJECTS, WE OPEN BURNT.

I GOT A CALL, I GOT A CALL FROM A BUDDY OF MINE, SAID, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS PLUM OF SMOKES GOING ON BETWEEN ANGLES, LAKE JACKSON, ANGLETON.

IT'S CRAZY.

I SAID, WELL, THAT'S NOT MY DEAL.

HE GOES, I DON'T KNOW.

I HEARD MAYBE IT WAS, I SAID, NO, I FIND OUT LIKE TWO WEEKS LATER, THAT WAS MY DEAL.

AND I COME IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS ALL THE TIME AS A DEVELOPER TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

AND MISTAKES LIKE THIS ARE JUST CRAZY.

BUT, BUT I MEAN, YOU, YOU, YOU HEARD HOW IT HAPPENED.

I MEAN, OUT OF TOWN, DIDN'T KNOW KID DOING IT, LIT HIM ON FIRE.

[3. Discuss and consider ways to deter developers from clear cutting property or from removing protected trees – Sherri Russell]

DISCUSS AND CONSIDER WAYS TO DETER DEVELOPERS FROM CLEAR CREDITING PROPERTY OR FROM REMOVING PROTECTED TREES.

SHERRY.

IS GO OUT AND ASSESS THE CIVIL PENALTY.

SO, UM, I WAS AT PLANNER'S LAST MEETING AND PRESENTED THEM WITH, UH, A DRAFT OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN.

AND WE DISC WENT BACK AND FORTH AND DISCUSSED IT.

AND THIS IS WHAT CAME OUT OF IT, THAT I HAVE PUT IN A GOOD CLEAR DEFINITION OF CLEAR CUTTING.

AND I HAVE CHANGED IT TO NO CLEAR CUTTING IS ALLOWED TO, IT'S PROHIBITED SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE TWO SEPARATE VIOLATIONS NOW RE REMOVING PROTECTED TREES AND ALSO CLEAR CUTTING.

AND THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO LIKE OUR RESIDENCES.

YOU CAN GO OUT AND CUT YOUR TREES DOWN IF YOU WANT, IN YOUR BACKYARD.

SOMETIMES.

I WANT TO DO THAT.

AND, UM, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UNPLATTED LAND THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

AND SO ALSO THE CRIMINAL PENALTIES ARE LIMITED TO $500 PER OFFENSE.

I'VE ADDED A CIVIL PENALTY THAT, AND I BASED THIS ON CONROE CIVIL PENALTIES.

AND THEY, UM, CHARGE $200.

AND THEY ESTIMATE THAT THE, THE AMOUNT THE DIAMETER UNDER THE TREES REMOVED AS 200 INCHES PER ACRE.

AND THE PLANTER SAID THAT SEEMS LOW.

BUT WHAT THEY'RE PROBABLY DOING IS ESTIMATING THE AMOUNT OF THE GOOD TREES TAKEN, NOT THE TRASH TREES OR THE UNDER, EXCUSE ME.

AND WHO IS RESPONSIBLE, DO YOU KNOW, WITH CONROE FOR MAKING THAT TERMINATION? BECAUSE I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF, NO, I DON'T KNOW THAT.

ANYWAY.

WHAT I WANTED TO SAY WAS THAT COMES TO 40,000 AN ACRE, WHICH I THINK IS A LITTLE EGREGIOUS FOR ME.

SO WHAT I'VE, I'VE CHANGED IT TO, I MEAN, A HUNDRED BUCKS, WHICH WOULD BE 20,000 AN ACRE.

AND, UM, AND WHAT WOULD STAFF WOULD DO, I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M CHOKING.

WHAT STAFF WOULD DO

[00:40:01]

AND IF THE DEVELOPER DISAGREES WITH IT, THEY COULD COME TO PLANNERS AND TALK AND NEGOTIATE IT.

BUT NO NEGOTIATING WITH STAFF.

STAFF WILL EITHER COUNT THE PROTECTED TREES DOWN AND BE ABLE TO TELL, OR THEY'LL LET, CAUSE THE PROBLEM WITH SAY WHAT JUST HAPPENED, IT'S A FULL CANOPY.

YOU CAN'T SEE EACH INDIVIDUAL TREE.

IT WAS SO THICK.

SO, UM, BUT THAT'S UP TO Y'ALL.

IF YOU THINK 40,000 ISN'T A THANK YOU, A REALLY BIG HUGE AMOUNT, IT'S A POLLEN FOR THE TREE DOWN, THEN, THEN I CAN PUT THE 200 BACK IN.

UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE HAVE ROOM FOR NEGOTIATING WITH PLANNERS, IF THEY THINK MM-HMM.

, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT, I THINK WE'RE TO LEAVE IT AT 200 AND THEY CAN NEGOTIATE IT.

CAUSE WE START OFF AT A HUNDRED, THEN I DON'T WANNA DILUTE.

WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO HERE IS MAKE SURE THEY THINK TWICE ABOUT DOING THAT.

WHAT DOES EVERYONE ELSE THINK? OR WITH THE SITUATION THAT YOU JUST HAD AS DENSE AS THAT AREA WAS, HOW WOULD YOU EVEN, LIKE YOU SAID, HOW ARE YOU EVEN GONNA COUNT OR KNOW THE TREES THAT WERE TAKEN DOWN? THERE'S NO WAY.

YES, THERE IS, THERE'S NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT YOU WOULD'VE HAD TO DO, UH, WE WOULD'VE HAD TO USE CONROE OR SHERRY'S, UH, METHOD AND HAD TO DO THE, UM, THE ESTIMATE OF 200 DIAMETER INCHES PER ACRE, AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN 40,000 PER ACRE.

AND I THINK, AND FOR THAT CANOPY THAT IS VERY LOW, AND I THINK IT WAS 40 ACRES, SO IT WOULD'VE BEEN 1.6, BEEN OVER A MILLION MILLION FINE.

I MEAN, WE WANNA PREVENT IT.

UM, BUT WHAT I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT IS, UM, THE LEGISLATURE'S GOING INTO SESSION, AND I HATE FOR A DEVELOPER TO SAY, LOOK WHAT, LIKE JACKSON IS DOING.

LET'S PASS A LAW TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING.

THE MANTRA AND FOR LAWYERS IS ALWAYS DON'T MAKE BAD LAW.

DON'T MAKE BAD LAW.

SO I THINK THE STATE DIDN'T HEAR THAT.

YEAH, .

SO IT, IT, IT DIDN'T SOUND LIKE A LOT WHEN YOU TALK PER ACRE, BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE GROUPING OF ACRES IS LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S LIKE, HMM, THAT FINE DOES SOUND LARGE AND, BUT LET'S LOOK, LET'S LOOK AT THE PURPOSE.

WHY ARE WE, WHY ARE WE EVEN ADDRESSING THIS? THE, THE, WE'RE ADDRESSING THIS, NOT BECAUSE WE KNOW IF A DEVELOPER COMES IN AND TREES NEED TO COME DOWN TO DO THE DEVELOPMENT, THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.

BUT WHEN WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING VERBAL WRITTEN AGREEMENT WITH A DEVELOPER, THIS IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

AND THEN THEY GO RIGHT BEHIND AND UNDO IT BECAUSE IT'S EASIER TO GET, YOU KNOW, $500 IS NOTHING.

SO THE PURPOSES OF THIS EVEN ADDRESSING THIS IS TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THEM TO VIOLATE THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAD.

UM, AND SO THE THE POINT IS, IS THAT IT'S NOT EGREGIOUS FOR IT TO BE 40,000 OR OVER MILLION DOLLARS IF THAT GETS THEIR ATTENTION AND THEY DON'T DO IT.

I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE POINT.

DO IT EXACTLY.

I MEAN, WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO MAKE REVENUE.

WE'RE LOOKING TO DON'T WANT IT TO BE COMFORTABLE TO AVOID.

WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANT THE TREES CUT DOWN.

YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT TRYING TO MAKE THIS A MONEYMAKING PROJECT HERE.

THE OBJECTIVE IS FOR THEM TO THINK TWICE BEFORE THEY DO IT, OR JUST DON'T DO IT.

KEEP YOUR WORD IF, I MEAN, IF YOU WANNA NEGOTIATE, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.

HERE'S WE'RE NOT THE TIME TO DO THAT.

IS THAT THE NEGOTIATION WHEN YOU SET THE CONTRACT PART PLAN AFTERWARDS? RIGHT.

OR BEFORE, WHICH IS WHAT IN THIS CASE, RIGHT? HE HADN'T BEEN TO PLANNERS YET.

RIGHT.

SO HE JUST CLEARED.

I MEAN, IF THE, IF TO ME AS COUNSEL, WE JUST NEED TO DECIDE WHAT THE GOAL IS HERE.

AND MY UNDERSTANDING THE GOAL IS, IS TO, UM, DON'T COME TO US TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS.

JUST DON'T DO IT.

OR LET'S DO WHAT'S AGREED UPON TO START WITH.

, DON'T BREAK YOUR WORD.

OTHERWISE, IT'S GONNA BE VERY EXPENSIVE.

I'LL, I'LL KEEP THE 200.

THEN THE OTHER THING IS, UNTIL THEY PAY IT, THE CITY'S GOING TO NOT GIVE PERMITS AND OTHER APPS STOP.

STOP WORK.

STOP WORK.

WE CAN'T STOP CLAPPED AND SLIGHT PLANS BECAUSE IT'S STATE LAW, BUT WE CAN STOP OTHER THINGS.

UNTIL THEY PAY IT.

AND IF EVERYBODY JUST DOES WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, THEN THERE'S NO ISSUES.

, THE PLANNERS ARE NOT UNREASONABLE WHEN IT COMES TO LANDSCAPING.

RIGHT.

IT JUST TAKES TIME.

A CONTRACT WITH JACOB ROOF.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SO WE WILL BRING, JERRY, WILL YOU BE READY TO BRING THIS IN ORDINANCE FORMAT, UH, AT THE NEXT MEETING? MM-HMM.

SO NO FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM THREE.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE

[00:45:01]

OH, I'M SORRY.

ITEM FOUR HAS ACTUALLY BEEN REMOVED FROM THIS AGENDA AND WILL BE DEFERRED TO THE FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY.

JANUARY.

FIVE IS TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES WITH FREEZE AND NICKELS INC.

SO ITEM NUMBER

[5. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate a contract for Engineering Design Services with Freese & Nichols, Inc., for Capital Improvement Projects including a sewer improvement study for Lift Station 20, and the upsizing of Lift Station 1 – Sabrina England ]

FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, INCLUDING A SEWER IMPROVEMENT STUDY FOR LIFT STATION 20 AND THE UPSIZING OF LIFT STATION ONE.

AND THIS IS MS. ENGLAND.

HI.

SO WE WENT OUT FOR RFQ AND WE HAD FOUR DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT WERE ON THIS RFQ.

UH, THESE ARE TWO OF THE PROJECTS.

AS IT SAYS HERE IT IS THE, UM, UPSIZING OF LIFT STATION ONE, WHICH YOU'VE HEARD A LITTLE DISCUSSION ALREADY THAT WE'RE HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH.

LIFT STATION ONE.

WE'RE BEEN GETTING INTO THAT.

UH, AND ALSO FOR THE LIFT STATION 20, THE BASIN 20, WHICH IS DOWN, UM, DOWN AROUND PAST OLAND IN THAT AREA OVER THERE.

UM, THOSE BOTH NEED TO BE LOOKED AT.

WE HAD, UM, APPROXIMATELY THREE PEOPLE LOOK OVER THIS RFQ ONCE IT CAME IN, GRADED IT, UM, RANKED IT ACCORDING TO WHO, WHAT COMPANIES, UM, THEY LIKED THE BEST, AND WHICH ONES SEEM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE STAFFING AND HAVE THE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE TO BE ABLE TO GET ON THIS PROJECTS AND HANDLE THESE PROJECTS.

THESE ARE BOTH VERY BIG AND IMPORTANT PROJECTS FOR THE CITIES.

UH, AND STAFF FOUND OUT THAT, UH, AND IN THEIR RANKINGS STAFF FOUND THAT FRIESEN NICHOLS WAS THE COMPANY THAT THEY DO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE USE FOR THESE TWO COMPANIES.

FRIESA NICHOLS HAS AN EXCELLENT REPUTATION AND THEY ARE KNOWN TO BE THE ONES THAT HAVE HANDLED A LOT OF THE WATER WASTEWATER, UH, PROJECTS AROUND.

SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE RECOMMEND FOR THOSE TWO ALONE, UH, BROKE OUT ONTO SOME OF OTHER PROJECTS, BUT THEY DID SPECIFICALLY BID ON THESE TWO AND STAFF DOES RECOMMEND THEM.

SO HAS, UH, HAVE YOU CHECKED ANY, UH, REFERENCES FOR THIS COMPANY FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE THAT PERFORMED? WE HAVE HAD, WE'VE DEALT WITH PRE FREEZING NICHOLS BEFORE AND WITH OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE DEALT WITH FRIESEN NICHOLS.

YEAH, FRIESEN NICHOLS IS THE COMPANY THAT, UH, WE USED FOR THE, UM, EAST SITE DRAINAGE STUDY, UH, UH, THAT PROJECT FOR US.

SO THAT WAS A MAJOR PROJECT.

SO WE'VE, WE'VE USED THEM FOR THAT.

AND WE ALSO USED THEM ON SOME PRELIMINARY WORK FOR LIFT STATION, UM, UH, FOR THE BASIN 20.

SO MR. POINTES IS JUST FOR THE STUDY.

THIS IS NOT TO ACTUALLY PERFORM ANY WORK WITH IT.

IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE, YES.

IT WOULD BE FOR THE ENGINEERING DESIGN.

SO WE'LL COME BACK AFTER WE NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT.

SO IT'LL BE THE COMPLETE DESIGN OF, UM, LIFT STATION ONE AND THE, THE FORCE MAIN, THE 20 IS JUST A STUDY.

IT'S NOT A DESIGN, IT'S NOT A DESIGN, BUT LIFT STATION ONE WILL BE A COMPLETE DESIGN.

SO THAT'LL BE A QUITE SIZABLE CONTRACT, UH, ONCE WE START NEGOTIATING IT AND BRINGING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL.

HOW OLD IS LIFT STATION ONE? BECAUSE I KNOW LIKE OUR WASTEWATER IS LIKE GETTING TOWARDS THE END OF ITS LIFESPAN IN A LOT OF LIKE, CLOSE TO 20 ISH YEARS.

IT'S OLDER THAN SOUTH BEFORE, I CAN'T REMEMBER.

, IT'S OLDER THAN SAL OR SAL .

HIS CAREER, HIS LIFE PLEASE.

LIFE, BOTH OF WHICH ARE LONG.

HE'S APPROXIMATELY 40 YEARS OLD.

THEN IT, IT'S NOT, NO, IT'S NOT OLDER THAN SAL, BUT IT'S ALMOST PREDATE SAL BEATING HERE.

UM, SO WHEN I ASK THAT QUESTION, CUZ READING A LITTLE BIT THROUGH THE, I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHAT WE'RE UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AND WE TRY TO MAINTAIN ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT AND YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB OF THAT, AND WE TRY TO GET EVERY SINGLE OUNCE OF LIFESPAN OUT OF THESE THAT WE CAN.

BUT IF WE WANT TO SEE ANY GROWTH IN LAKE JACKSON THAT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE DON'T WANNA PUT A BANDAID ON THAT WE NEED TO GET IT DONE CORRECTLY.

LIFT STATION ONE IS YOUR LARGEST 70% AND HANDLES LIKE 60 70% OF THE CITY.

SO IT HANDLES A LOT OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA AS WELL.

UH, YES, LIFT STATION ONE HAS MORE THAN GIVEN YOU BACK THE COST, UM, THAT YOU ORIGINALLY PUT INTO IT.

UM, JUST NEED TO UPSIZE IT, RE REHAB IT, REBUILD IT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT MUCH VOLUME THAT'S, THAT'S COMING THROUGH IT.

AND THAT'S MUCH PERCENTAGE OF THE CITY'S WASTEWATER.

AND OUR, YOU KNOW, INITIAL PRELIMINARY NUMBERS ARE SHOWING THAT THAT PROJECT WILL BE SOMEWHERE AROUND 13 AND A HALF MILLION.

BUT THAT'S TODAY.

IT'LL BE ANOTHER YEAR BEFORE WE, UM, HAVE THE DESIGN MOST LIKELY.

SO, BUT DO WE WANT THE TOILETS TO FLUSH OR NOT? YES, THAT'S KIND OF THE QUESTION.

YES, MY JOB PREFERS IT.

IT, IT'S TWO COMP, IT'S ACTUALLY TWO COMPLICATED PROJECTS, UH, WRAPPED INTO ONE THE TRANSMISSION LINE AND THE LIFT STATION.

, IS THIS ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT CAME OUT OF THE EAST SIDE OF STUDY OR IS THAT NO, NO, NO, NO.

IT'S NOT RELATED TO THAT.

NO, SIR.

NO, WE'VE JUST BEEN, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUOUSLY YEAR AFTER YEAR HAVE MAINTENANCE ISSUES ON THIS.

UM, AND IT'S TIME TO, TO, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS IT AND PROBABLY, I, I THINK IN THE END THE RECOMMENDATION IS GOING TO BE A BUILD A NEW ONE RIGHT NEXT TO IT, OR MUCH LIKELY YES, SIR.

AND THEN ALSO THE TRANSMISSION.

AND SO

[00:50:01]

WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO COME UP WITH CHEAPER OPTIONS AND IT'S JUST, ALL RIGHT, THE STATION'S DONE WHAT SHE CAN DO FOR YOU.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANYBODY? ALL RIGHT.

TAKE A MOTION, A MOVE THAT WE, UH, AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES WITH THE FREEZER NICKELS INC.

FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, INCLUDING SU SEWER IMPROVEMENT STUDY FOR LIFT STATION 20 AND UPSIZING OF LIFT STATION ONE AS PRESENTED.

SO THIS, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE OLD ROAD BRIDGE CUZ THIS WAS NOT PART OF THE NO, NO.

WE SAID THAT OVER HERE AND A SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN.

SORRY, BAKER.

YES, CORRECT.

THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.

I WILL, UH, EVERYBODY IN FAVOR OF AUTHORIZING THIS, SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT.

MOTION CARRIES.

THANK

[6. Approve change orders 20-26 for an increase of $31,241.31 for Phase 3 of the Downtown Revitalization Project – Meagan Borth ]

YOU.

NUMBER SIX, APPROVED CHANGE ORDERS 20 THROUGH 26 FOR AN INCREASE OF $31,241 AND 31 CENTS FOR PHASE THREE OF THE DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PROJECT.

MS. BORTH, YOU'RE UP.

YES, MA'AM.

UM, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

SO BEFORE YOU WERE SEVEN CHANGE ORDERS.

UH, ALL OF THE WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED ON THESE 75% OF THE COST THAT YOU'RE SEEING BEFORE YOU WAS DUE TO, UM, THE REQUEST FROM STAFF BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES, UM, WHERE THEY ASKED US TO NOT DO WORK IN FRONT OF THEIR STOREFRONTS DURING THE HOLIDAYS.

SO WE HAD THE CONTRACTOR MOVE, IF YOU REMEMBER, OVER TO THAT WAY, WHICH IS WHERE THEY ARE NOW.

UH, SPECIFICALLY WE HAD THEM MOVE OVER TO THE WALGREENS SIDE OF THAT WAY.

UM, THAT WAS, WE, WE BASICALLY MOVED THEM FROM CIRCLE WAY TO THAT WAY.

THEY WERE NOT DONE WITH THE WORK, UM, IN FRONT OF ALL STAR, UM, AND LIKE, UH, BACKYARD RIGHT THERE.

THEY WERE NOT DONE.

SO MOST OF THE COSTS THAT YOU SEE IS TEMPORARY WORK THAT HAD TO BE DONE SO THAT WE COULD, THEY COULD LEAVE THAT AREA AND LEAVE IT WALKABLE AND WHERE IT WOULD STILL DRAIN AND WHERE CARS COULD DRIVE OVER THE ELEVATION DIFFERENCE SAFELY.

UH, WE KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, THANKFULLY.

UM, WE STILL HAVE A PRETTY DECENT CONTINGENCY FUND, WHICH YOU'LL SEE ON MY COMMUNICATION.

SO, UM, THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THE COSTS WE KNOW OF TODAY.

NOT ALL OF THE CONTINGENCY THAT'S BEEN SPENT HAS BEEN SPENT ON CHANGE ORDERS.

UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH ALL THE CHANGE ORDERS, THE 26 SO FAR, HOW MUCH THEY HAVE COST US.

SO, UH, WE ARE TRYING TO GET MORE CONSERVATIVE WITH THE CHANGE ORDERS AND THEY ARE SLOWING DOWN.

LIKE I SAID, THIS WAS JUST MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THE TEMPORARY WORK THAT WE HAD THEM DO, WHICH I THINK WE DEFINITELY SAW THE PAYBACK AND THERE WAS SO MUCH APPRECIATION FROM THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES THAT THIS DIDN'T IMPACT BECAUSE WE MOVED.

SO, UH, I THINK IT WAS WELL WORTH THE MONEY.

AND THEY GIVE YOU THEIR THANKS FOR APPROVING THESE.

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE WORK ARE WE ABOUT DONE WITH AT THIS POINT? UH, SO I'M ACTUALLY GONNA DO A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE, UH, WHEN WE GET TO DOWNTOWN UPDATES, BUT WE ONLY HAVE THREE PHASES LEFT OUT OF NINE.

SO, UM, TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY DONE.

YES MA'AM.

SO IT'S, MOST OF THE UNDERGROUND WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE.

SO ALL THE UTILITY WORK, ALL OF THAT IS ALREADY DONE.

THIS WHAT MOST UN HIDDEN COST WOULD BE DURING YES, THAT WAS THE FIRST PHASE.

UM, AND THEN THEY GOT INTO THE STREET WORK AND THE SIDEWALK AND PAVERS.

SO THE EXPECTATION WOULD NOT BE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL BATCHES.

THAT'S CORRECT.

AC THERE ONLY WOULD'VE BEEN A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF CHANGE ORDERS HAD WE NOT DONE AGREED TO THE TEMPORARY WORK, WHICH LIKE I SAID, I THINK WAS WELL WORTH THE COST.

WHAT IS A COMPLETION DATE ARE WE LOOKING AT? CURRENTLY? THEY ARE SAYING APRIL.

UM, IN MY NEXT UPDATE WE'LL KIND OF TALK ABOUT SOME IDEAS THAT THEY ARE FLOATING BY US, UH, BY STAFF TO GET THAT DONE A LITTLE BIT QUICKER.

UH, I SPOKE WITH THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES AND THEY REALLY WANT US TO JUST KIND OF RIP THE BANDAID OFF AND GET OUTTA THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

SO, UM, WE'RE HOPING MAYBE SOONER, BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE AGREED, UM, UP, UP TILL APRIL IS WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US NOW.

SO HOPEFULLY SOONER, BUT APRIL AND THEN WE CAN START ON THE NEXT PHASE.

NO, NO, SIR.

, THE LAST THING, WE'RE GONNA NEED A BREAK FOR A MINUTE.

ANYTHING ELSE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM MS. FOURTH? ANYBODY? ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL TAKE A MOTION.

YES, MAY THAT APPROVE, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE CHANGE ORDERS 20 THROUGH 26 FOR AN INCREASE OF $31,241 AND 31 CENTS FOR PHASE THREE OF THE DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PROJECT.

OKAY,

[00:55:02]

ONE SECOND.

SECOND BY MR. BROADS.

EVERYBODY IN FAVOR? AYE.

UM, NUMBER SEVEN, CITY UPDATES, MAYOR.

ANYBODY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT.

MOTION.

CARRIE.

[7. City Manager Updates]

COUNSEL, WE'VE HAD A DISCUSSION A LITTLE BIT ON, UH, STRATEGIC PLANNING IS COMING UP AND WE HAVE MR. COX, UH, SCHEDULED STAFF DOESN'T ANTICIPATE A LOT OF CHANGES TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

SO THE QUESTION WAS, DID COUNSEL WANT TO BRING IN MR. COX THIS YEAR AND AFFORD AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO HAVE A FULL DISCUSSION OR WOULD YOU PREFER THIS YEAR? AND, AND YOU KNOW, AND CONTINUING FORWARD TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, ONE YEAR WE WE'RE DOING AN UPDATE, A MINOR UPDATE AND GETTING, IF YOU HAD ANY SUBMISSIONS OR WOULD YOU STILL WANT A FULL CONTINUATION OF HAVING, YOU KNOW, A, A DISCUSSION AND TALKING ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN? IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT IT UP, MR. SING BROUGHT UP, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE DO GO DOWN THAT ROUTE THAT DOESN'T AFFORD A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MR. BLANCHARD, YOU KNOW, A CHANCE TO REALLY PARTICIPATE IN A, IN, UH, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, EVEN THOUGH HE DID GET TO PARTICIPATE A LITTLE BIT, AS, YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S NAME WAS IN THE HEAD AS UH, WHEN HE WAS RUNNING AS A CANDIDATE.

BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME AS A COUNCIL MEMBER.

SO THAT DOES PUT HIM AT A DISADVANTAGE IF YOU DON'T HAVE HAVE THAT.

AND I HAD NOT THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.

UM, SO THIS YEAR WHAT, UM, THE MAYOR AND MODESTO WERE PROPOSING IS FOR COUNCIL TO SEND US ANY IDEAS OR CONCEPTS, NEW CONCEPTS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN STAFF ON OUR END WOULD GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF SEEING WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED, REMOVING THOSE, UM, AND THEN TAKING ANYTHING OFF THAT OR SUGGESTING ANY REMOVALS OF SOMETHING WE CAN'T GET TO.

UM, AND THEN WE'D BRING THAT BACK TO YOU.

SO IT'D STILL BE HALF OF A STRATEGIC PLAN PROCESS, BUT WE WOULD STILL GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY THAT IF YOU HAVE NEW CONCEPTS YOU'D WANT TO ADD TO IT, UM, WE WOULD OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS PROBABLY UNTIL THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING GIVE YOU IF FEW OR EVEN LONGER, GIVE YOU TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT.

AND THEN IF THERE WERE A LOT OF NEW ITEMS, WE WOULD PROBABLY JUST MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REGULAR FULL STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS AT THAT POINT.

BUT IF THERE'S ONLY ONE OR TWO ITEMS WE COULD HANDLE THAT PROBABLY WITHIN THIS ATMOSPHERE.

BUT AGAIN, IF THERE'S, I MEAN MR. COX IS ALREADY SCHEDULED SO COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, DOES WANT TO HAVE THE SESSIONS.

WE STAFF WILL BE FULLY SUPPORTIVE IN THERE, YOU KNOW, UH, TO WORK THAT WE JUST DIDN'T ANTICIPATE A LOT ON OUR SIDE DAD.

I MEAN, PERHAPS WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE MR. COX COME AND PARTICIPATE, BUT I'D STILL LIKE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND HAVE OPEN DISCUSSION PARTICIPATION BECAUSE A LOT OF IDEAS, ESPECIALLY FOR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEY DON'T ANTICIPATE WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK UNLESS YOU START THE DISCUSSION.

THEN YOU HAVE THE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, ARISE FROM THE DISCUSSION.

SO I WANNA MAKE SURE MS. COUNCILMAN F GETS THAT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE YOU KNOW HE'S GONNA BE AT A DISADVANTAGE TO COME UP WITH THOUGHTS, YOU KNOW, ASKING QUESTIONS.

YES SIR.

YOU KNOW, I'VE GONE THROUGH THE NEW COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, PROCESS AND A LOT OF TIMES YOU DON'T THINK OF THOSE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, CUZ YOU DON'T KNOW THE PROCESS.

AND IT TAKES YOU A LITTLE WHILES A NEW COUNCIL.

I FEEL STILL FEEL NEW.

KINDA GET YOUR FEET UNDER THE GROUND.

IT'S UP TO YOU AS, UH, MANY TIMES IF I, AS I'VE HEARD WE ARE A MASTER PLAN COMMUNITY, IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO KNOW WHAT THAT PLAN IS .

SO I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.

YEAH, HIM, RYAN COX.

WE STILL DON'T WANT LIKE TO HAVE, WE PROBABLY STILL WOULD BE.

MY EXPERIENCE IS, UH, IT'S TOUGH A MODERATOR.

IT'S BETTER TO HAVE A MODERATOR ON THERE.

YEAH, PROBABLY.

WE'LL JUST HAVE, IT'LL PROBABLY BE SHORTER.

IT'D BE PROBABLY A MORE CONCISE MEETING.

CUZ IT'LL BE MORE COUNSEL DISCUSSION AND LESS STAFF INPUT.

SINCE WE'RE NOT REALLY BRINGING ANYTHING TO THE TABLE NEW, IT'LL PROBABLY BE MORE, UH, NEW COUNCIL IDEAS.

YEAH, ALL YOUR WORK, HARD WORK LAST YEAR DID NOT GO TO WASTE IS WHAT WE'RE SAYING.

IT'S STILL VERY RELEVANT THIS YEAR.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES STAFF.

I'M, NO, I'M JUST LEAVE THAT UP.

SO WE'LL BE SENDING OUT THE BUDGET SCHEDULE HERE SHORTLY.

THIS WAS KIND OF THE LAST PIECE WE WERE WAITING ON.

THAT WAY YOU CAN PLAN A FEW MONTHS AND AHEAD.

YOU'LL KNOW WHEN OUR MEETINGS WILL BE AND WHEN YOU CAN TAKE OFF OR I KNOW SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO PLAN AROUND THAT, SO WE'LL SEND THAT OUT HERE SHORTLY.

[8. Construction Updates]

WE'RE IN THE, OH, ANYTHING ABOUT THE COLD? YES.

I'M SORRY, MADAM MAYOR.

GARBAGE ON FRIDAY AND MONDAY.

UM, UPDATE.

UH, SO EVERYBODY KNOWS THERE'S COLD WEATHER.

I'M MADE FUN OF BY MY STAFF WHO'S FROM THE NORTH ASKING NEGATIVE 11 IN KANSAS.

WHY, YOU KNOW, WHY, WHY ARE WE TEXANS FREAKING OUT? UH, BUT YOU STILL WALK TO SCHOOL.

, UH, JUST WANTED, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, UM, STAFF'S HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, WITH TECHO, UM, WITH THE COUNTY TODAY WE HAD A CALL WITH A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

UH, WE'RE EXPECTING COLD WEATHER BUT NOT WET COLD WEATHER, OUR FREEZING PARTICIPATION.

SO WE'RE STILL SCHEDULED TO PICK UP

[01:00:01]

UH, WE'LL MAKE THAT CALL THURSDAY OR FRIDAY MORNING IF WE NEED TO CANCEL THAT SERVICE.

IF THERE'S WET WEATHER ON THE ROAD AND IT'S UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

BUT THAT'LL BE OUR CALL THERE.

BUT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TESTING THE GENERATORS, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S TOPPED OFF IN FUEL TANKS THAT WE'RE GOOD.

GOOD ON FUEL.

WE DON'T REALLY CARRY SALT, BUT WE, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THE ROADS.

BUT WE DO HAVE SALT FOR, IF WE DO NEED TO PUT SALT, YOU KNOW, IN FRONT OF THE WALKWAYS, WE'LL SAND AFTERWARDS, WHICH MAY BE A MINOR.

UH, HELP ON THAT.

BUT AGAIN, WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING, UH, FROZEN ROADS AND STUFF.

WE'RE JUST, JUST BITTERLY COLD, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT WE ARE BECOMING ACCUSTOMED TO IN TEXAS.

SO ON THE, USUALLY LIKE ON BRIDGES, LIKE OYSTER CREEK BRIDGE ON YON AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WE USED TO THROW SAND OR WE NOT, WE GONNA DO THAT IF IN CASE IF IT NEEDS TO.

WE WE'RE READY TO DO THAT.

BUT WE DO THAT AFTER, UH, RATHER THAN BEFORE.

IT DOESN'T REALLY, IT'S NOT EFFECTIVE BEFORE, IT'S NOT A PRE-TREATMENT.

UH, AND SO IT'S NOT LIKE THE CHAT WHERE THAT IS KIND OF PRE-TREATMENT.

UM, BUT, UH, WE WOULD DO THAT AFTERWARDS.

IF, IF THAT DOES HAPPEN.

WE, TEXT.IS READY.

THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS TO DO IT, BUT, UH, THEY ARE PREPARED TO DO IT IF, IF NECESSARY AS WELL TO DO ALL, ALL THE BRIDGES.

IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO PREPARE FOR LIKE BUSTED PIPES AND ALL THAT? I DON'T KNOW, HAVE SPARE PARTS ON HAND, READY TO GO OR, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS, BUT YEAH, WE, UM, FOR THE BEST PART, UM, AND WE'VE DISCUSSED IT, WE WE'RE TRYING TO WAIT AND, YOU KNOW, IT CHANGES.

SO IT IS TEXAS, SO WE DO HAVE A PLAN.

WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IT LAST WEEK WHEN WE KNEW IT WAS COMING.

WE DO TRY TO CUT OFF AS MANY OF THE RESTROOMS AND FACILITIES LIKE THAT, LIKE THE OUTDOOR POOL FOR ONE.

YOU, YOU CAN INSULATE, BUT IT'S JUST OPEN.

SO WE WERE, WE'RE SHUTTING THE WATER OFF.

WE TRY TO DRAIN THE LINES AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THE SHUTS THE POOL DOWN AND MOST OF THE BATHROOMS, IF WE CAN'T, WE DO TRY TO PUT SOME OF THE LITTLE HEAT LAMPS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST AND DO OUR BEST.

BUT I THINK WE SHOULD BE FINE WITH THIS TOO.

SO, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN THAT, MOST OF THE OTHER BUILDINGS ARE REALLY WELL INSULATED, LIKE THE REX AND WELL, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS WE CAN.

SO, YEAH.

THANK YOU ROB.

YOU TALKED ABOUT MAYBE DELAYING IF WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO COME IN EARLY.

I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA, IF YOU CAN, I MEAN, THERE'S NO SENSE IN HAVING PEOPLE OUT ON THE ROADS IF THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE JUST TO, IF WE CAN DELAY IT A LITTLE WHILE.

YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, IT WAS A LITTLE, WE TALKED TODAY, IT'S A LITTLE EARLY TO MAKE A CALL, BUT, SO WE'LL STILL MONITOR IT.

WE, YOU KNOW, UH, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AND MAKE THAT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERY, ALL THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE OUT WORKING, THAT WE KEEP THEM SAFE.

GREAT.

THE SAL SHOW.

DO WE HAVE ANY CONSTRUCTION UPDATES? ONLY IF YOU ASK GENERAL FRONT PROJECTS, UH, THOSE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT IN THE BOMB PROGRAM.

AND THE, UH, ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING, UH, MR. MUNO AND I HAS BEEN THE, UH, THE, UH, ROAD TO THE CHIPPING SITE AND WE WERE TRYING TO FIND, UH, A DIFFERENT WAY OF APPROACHING THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT.

UH, AFTER DISCUSSIONS YOU SAW THE, THE RESPONSE THAT WE GOT, UH, IT REALLY WASN'T, UM, APPLICABLE TO THAT PARTICULAR PROCESS.

SO THEREFORE WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE SQUARE TO, TO THE SAME PLAN THAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY, WHICH IS TO GO THE CONVENTIONAL ROUTE AND BUILD OUR ROS CONVENTIONALLY AND NOT USE ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE, NOT THAT, FIRST OF ALL, THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO DO BECAUSE THERE'S NOT NOT ENOUGH MONEY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PROJECT.

UH, THAT IS THE, UH, GENERAL FUND PROJECT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.

ON THE, UH, ON THE BOND PROJECTS.

UH, WE HAVE, UH, BEEN REVIEWING THE LAST, UH, THE LAST VERSION OF THE, UH, SHADY OAKS AND, UH, PIN OAK COURT, UH, PIN OAK, PIN OAK COURT, UH, ROADS.

UH, WE, UH, WE FINALLY CAME TO A FINAL DECISION, UH, OUR STAFF AND, AND, UH, WE DECIDED TO PROVIDE THAT TO THE ENGINEER.

AND THEY ARE, THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ADDING THAT NOW.

SOON WE WILL BE READY TO PUT IT OUT THERE FOR BIDS.

AND, UH, THOSE ARE THE ONLY BOND PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.

UH, SO DOWNTOWN, I, I HAD A QUESTION REAL QUICK, AND THIS MAY BE MORE FOR DEBBIE THAN YOU SAW.

WHERE ARE WE ON THE PADDLE? UH, THE WATER TOWER MIXERS, MIXERS, MIXERS, I CALL 'EM PADDLES.

THE, IT'S ONGOING RIGHT NOW.

UH, SO THEY HAVE, UH, THEY HAVE BEEN OUT, THIS IS, UM,

[01:05:03]

UM, I'M SORRY.

THIS IS, UH, BROTHERS ELECTRIC PROJECT AND THEY HAVE BEEN OUT AND RUN THE WIRING, UH, AND THEY RAN INTO ONE SNAG LAST WEEK.

THEY WANTED APPROVAL TO DRILL INTO THE CONCRETE GROUND STORAGE TANK, WHICH WE SAID ABSOLUTELY NOT FROM THE GET-GO.

SO THEY HAVE, UH, ONE FITTING THAT IS TOO SMALL TO RUN THEIR CONDUIT THROUGH.

UM, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO CORRECT THAT THIS WEEK AND THAT PROJECT SHOULD BE COMPLETE.

UM, AND WE'LL START THE MIXERS UP.

UH, WE'RE REALLY PUSHING THEM TO HAVE THOSE MIXERS ON AS WE COME OUT OF THIS CONVERSION.

SO, UM, AS, AS FAR AS THEY KNOW, THAT IS THE ONLY HOLDUP THEY HAVE.

SO EVERYTHING'S RUN, READY TO GO.

AND, UM, CAN, ON THE NEXT ONE, CAN YOU UPDATE THE ANTICIPATED COMPLETION DATE? THAT'S WHAT WAS THROWING ME OFF CUZ IT SAID SEPTEMBER 22 AND IT'S LIKE, OKAY, THAT'S NOT RIGHT.

NO, THEY DIDN'T EVEN START TILL THE END OF OCTOBER.

SO THAT'S THE, OF ENGINEERING ENGINEERING, OKAY.

IF WE CAN GET, YEAH, IF WE CAN GET THAT UPDATED.

EXPLAIN WHAT THE CONVERSION IS.

UM, THE OTHER UTILITY FUND PROJECT THAT'S ABOUT TO START IN JANUARY IS DUNBAR TOWER REHAB.

SO WE HAD A MEETING WITH THAT CONTRACTOR LAST WEEK, THAT'S VIKING PAINTERS AND, UM, THEY HAVE GOTTEN WITH CLARK, WHO'S GONNA BE OUR INSPECTOR ON THE JOB.

UH, CLARK NORTHROP DOES ALL OUR TANK INSPECTIONS FOR ELEVATED AND GROUND STORAGE.

SO, UH, WE'VE AGREED ON PAINT LOGO, EVERYTHING'S READY TO ROLL.

THE ONE THING THAT WE'RE WAITING ON IS VERIZON HAS, UH, ANTENNAS ON THAT TOWER.

UH, THEY SAY WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK AND A HALF, THAT IS THEIR DUE DATE TO HAVE THOSE OFF AND ON A TEMPORARY TRAILER.

UM, IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, WE CAN PAINT THE INSIDE OF THE TANK AND CLEAN THE INSIDE OF THE TANK WHILE WE'RE WAITING.

SO, UH, THAT SHOULD KICK OFF IN JANUARY AFTER THE HOLIDAYS, SO THEY'LL HAVE A CREW DOWN HERE AND WE'RE READY TO GO.

UM, IS THERE ANY OTHER, NOPE, THAT WAS IT.

YOU CAN ASK WHAT CONVERSION CONVERSION IS THAT DONE? OH, DURING TOMORROW? ABOUT CONVERSION? YEAH.

HOW, HOW DID THAT GO? AND CHLORINE CONVERSION'S ALMOST DONE.

CHLORINE CONVERSION IS OVER TODAY.

WE'LL HAVE TO FLUSH WATER THROUGH THE SYSTEM TO GET RID OF THAT AND FRESH WATER BACK INTO THE SYSTEM.

SO WE'LL HAVE SOME ONGOING FLUSHING THIS WEEK.

UM, USUALLY ABOUT FOUR DAYS TO THE END OF THE SYSTEM.

UM, AND WE'LL HAVE, UH, BACK TO MONO CHLORO MEANS WE WON'T HAVE ANY MORE TOTAL.

WE'LL HAVE FREE CHLORINE AGAIN.

SO, UM, THE CONVERSION WENT FINE, JUST AS EXPECTED.

UM, WE DIDN'T REALLY SEE ANY, ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT THIS TIME.

UM, WE DID SEE A LOT OF DISCOLORED WATER COMING OUT, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT, UH, THE, THE FLUSHING THAT WE DID REALLY DISLODGED SOME OF THAT SCUM INSIDE THE PIPING.

UM, AND, UH, WE WON'T DO ANOTHER ONE UNTIL JUNE.

SO, UM, THE ONE IN THE SUMMER IS SCHEDULED TO BE THREE WEEKS LONG.

THE ONE IN THE WINTER IS TWO.

SO WE, WE GO A LITTLE BIT LONGER WHEN THE WATER'S WARMER, A LITTLE SHORTER PERIOD WHEN THE WATER TURNS.

COOL.

SO, UM, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, AND I'M NOT SURE REALLY WHO TO DIRECT THIS QUESTION TO, BUT Y'ALL DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB, I FELT LIKE, OF COMMUNICATING TO THE PUBLIC AND STARTING TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC, HEY, THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO EVERY SIX MONTHS AND HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING, HERE'S WHEN IT STARTS.

HAVE WE NOTICED FEWER CALLS OF CONCERN? LIKE, HEY, MY WATER SMELLS FUNNY BECAUSE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT, I THINK WE ALWAYS HAVE THE, HEY, I SMELL CHLORINE IN MY WATER, WHAT'S GOING ON? MM-HMM.

, UH, LAURA MURRAY'S DONE A GREAT JOB TRYING TO, TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT, HEY, IT'S NOT JUST LAKE JACKSON, IT'S ALL BWA.

CUSTOMERS ARE DOING THIS TOGETHER.

AND SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH A COUNTYWIDE THING THAT YOU'RE SEEING.

UM, AND I THINK THAT IS THE ROUTE THAT WE WANT TO TAKE MOVING FORWARD, LETTING, LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW THAT, HEY, IT'S NOT LIKE JACKSON, IT'S NOT CLUED, IT'S NOT ANGLETON, IT'S EVERYONE AROUND HERE IS DOING IT AT THE SAME TIME.

SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW.

LAURA MARIE, HAVE YOU HAD ANY MORE FEEDBACK THAN THAT? UM, YEAH.

MODESTO AND I SPOKE A FEW DAYS AGO ABOUT, UM, ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN AND LOOKING AT THE METRICS, WE'RE REACHING FIVE DIGITS WORTH OF PEOPLE THROUGH THE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.

UM, MANY OF THEM ARE CLICKING THROUGH AND GOING TO THE PAGE THAT I CREATED TO

[01:10:01]

UM, THE ONLY THING THAT WE THOUGHT WE COULD IMPROVE IS THAT IN, UM, THE SUMMER I'LL CALL HER AND TELL HER WE'RE DOING IT.

YEAH, OKAY.

ACTUALLY INCLUDE, FOLLOWED UP ON, ON OUR SAME NOTIFICATION LIKE WE DID AND THEY, THEY DID A NOTIFICATION AS WELL IN THE PAPER, SO THAT WAS VERY GOOD.

THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT IN THE PAPER.

SO THAT HELPS.

EACH OF THE CITIES HAVE DONE IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.

WE'RE GONNA TRY TO LEARN FROM A LITTLE BIT WHAT ANTON DID A LITTLE BIT, WHAT GLUTE DID, AND SEE IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, INCORPORATE A LOT OF MEANS AND METHODS JUST TO GET, YOU KNOW, MORE PEOPLE AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON.

I THINK I USUALLY GET WHAT I FEEL IS STARTING TO BE A TREND, BUT IT'S NOT SCIENTIFIC AT ALL.

I STARTING TO GET MORE COMPLAINTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, RED WATER AND STUFF PRIOR TO US DOING A CHLORINE CONVERSION.

I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE.

I DID THAT FIFTH MONTH HAS ALWAYS ROUGH.

UM, IT USED TO BE MORE, UM, IT, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN RED WATER, BUT IT, IT USED TO BE THAT THE CHLORINE RESIDUAL WAS A LITTLE LOWER AND SO WHEN YOU WENT INTO THE CONVERSION AND YOU GOT THAT, THAT CHLORINE HIGHER, YOU GOT MORE COMPLAINTS ABOUT, HEY, I REALLY SEE A DIFFERENCE AT MY HOUSE.

YOU KNOW, THE CHLORINE SEEMS TO BE REALLY HIGH, BUT UM, THE MORE WE DO THIS, THE MORE STABLE THAT CHLORINE RESIDUAL IS.

AND SO IT DOES GET HIGHER DURING THE, THE CONVERSION, BUT IT'S NOT, NOT NEAR.

WHEN WE STARTED DOING THIS YEARS AGO, IT WAS REALLY DOWN AND THEN REALLY UP.

AND SO, UH, I THINK THE, THE PUBLIC IS MAYBE NOT, YOU'RE NOT GETTING ALL THE CALLS YOU'RE USED TO ABOUT THE HIGH CHLORINE LEVEL.

IT'S REALLY NOT THAT HIGH.

IT'S JUST DIFFERENT BECAUSE YOU'VE, YOU'VE GONE FROM A MONO CHLORAMINE, WHICH IS A MILDER, GENTLER CHLORINATION PROJECT TO STRAIGHT CHLORINE, WHICH IS HARSHER AND IT, IT DOES SMELL, YOU KNOW, SMELLS LIKE A SWIMMING POOL SOMETIMES COMING TO YOUR HOUSE.

SO, UM, IT IS NOTICEABLE.

BUT, UM, PROBABLY FOUR DAYS FROM NOW, WE'LL, WE'LL GO BACK TO REGULAR WATER AGAIN.

SO I NOTICE YOUR FLUSH FIRE HYDRANTS, YOU KNOW, SO, UH MM-HMM.

, DO YOU HAVE A PLAN TO, UH, FLUSH DIFFERENT FINE HYDRANTS AT DIFFERENT, UH, DIFFERENT TIMES LIKE NEXT YEAR WHEN YOU DO A CHLORINE CONVERSION? NO, IT'S, IT'S GENERALLY THE SAME, UH, FLUSHING PATTERN WE WANT TO FLUSH AWAY FROM THE TOWERS AND FLUSH OUT AND UM, AND SO WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD PLAN IN PLACE AS FAR AS THE MAPPING AND THE CREWS AND WHERE THEY'RE HEADED AND IN WHAT ORDER.

UH, SO THAT'S PRETTY STABLE AT THIS POINT.

PORTION WHILE THEY'RE DOING CIRCLE WAY AND THEN YOU WOULD MOST LIKELY SEE THEM WORKING ON THE STEP AND ALL THE WAY UP TO THE BUSINESS FRONT WHEN THEY GO AND FINISH THE CVS SIDE OF THAT WAY NEXT ALLOWING THEM TO DO THIS CUZ NORTH PARKING PLACE IS GOING TO TAKE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF TIME.

UM, AND WE WANT TO, WE WANNA KEEP IT THAT WAY.

WE DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, GO FLUSH SOMETHING ELSE, UM, AND HAVE THE WATER KIND OF CIRCULATING INSTEAD OF MOVING FORWARD.

SO DEB, THANK YOU.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE YOU.

OKAY, I'M GONNA DO DOWNTOWN REALLY QUICK.

SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE WORKING RIGHT HERE ON THAT WAY.

THIS IS WALGREENS FOR YOUR ORIENTATION.

THEY HAVE ALSO STARTED RIGHT HERE AND THEY'RE ALMOST COMPLETE.

THIS IS THE LOCAL, SO THEY'RE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE LOCAL.

ALL OF THIS WILL BE COMPLETE A LITTLE AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.

THE CONTRACTOR IS TAKING ABOUT A WEEK OFF DUE TO THE HOLIDAYS.

UM, WHAT THEY ARE PROPOSING AND WHAT WE PRESENTED TO THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES AT MY LAST FOUR WEEK UPDATE IS, UM, THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK.

SO OBVIOUSLY AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS COMPLETE.

THIS IS ALL COMPLETE.

THEY HAVE THIS PHASE LEFT RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF DOWNTOWN TACO.

THIS IS THE GAS STATION THEY WANNA COME BACK, THEY'RE FOR SURE GOING TO COME BACK AND DO THAT PHASE.

NEXT WHAT THEY'RE PRESENTING IS TO COME BACK AND ALSO WORK ON NORTH PARKING PLACE.

THE UH, STARDUST DOMINO SIDE.

UM, AS YOU'RE AWARE THE OTHER SIDE IS ALREADY COMPLETE.

THEY WANT TO DO BOTH PHASES AT ONCE.

UM, THIS IS ONE BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC FLOW TWO BECAUSE WHAT THEY WOULD BE A LITTLE STAGGERED, IT WOULD KEEP THEIR DIFFERENT CONTRACTORS MOVING.

SO THE SUBS WOULD KEEP MOVING.

THE DEMO CREW WOULD KEEP MOVING, HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A NATURAL FLOW, LIKE WHAT YOU SAW IN THAT WAY.

SO HOW THEY'RE BOTH ENDING AT THE SAME TIME.

THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TRY AND DO OVER HERE.

SO ESSENTIALLY THIS WOULD START, UM, ONCE THE DEMO CREW WAS DONE HERE, THEY WOULD MOVE TO NORTH PARKING PLACE, NORTH PARKING PLACE.

THAT SIDE THAT IS STILL TO BE DONE, UM, IS GONNA BE, HAVE TO BE BROKEN UP IN TWO STEPS.

FIRST ONE IS THE STREET, THE SECOND IS THE SIDEWALK.

UM, AS YOU'RE WHERE THE CITY OWNS ALL THE WAY UP TO THE BUILDING.

SO WE DON'T WANT TO RUIN ANY CHANCE THEY HAVE OF ACCESSING THEIR STOREFRONTS.

UM, SO IT'S GONNA BE DONE INTO TWO STEPS.

SO THEY WOULD BE WORKING ON THE STREET

[01:15:01]

IT WOULD SORT OF SPEED UP THE PROCESS.

UM, WE HAD PROBABLY ABOUT 15 BUSINESSES.

UM, THERE WERE SOME HERE AND THEN SOME I SPOKE WITH SEPARATELY THAT WERE ON NORTH PARKING PLACE, GIVE THEIR INPUT.

AND UM, THEY, EVERY ONE OF THEM HAS TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD RATHER US JUST GET ON WITH IT.

UM, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THE COMPLETION DATE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.

NOW, UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT HAS GOTTEN PUSHED BACK DUE TO NATION SHORTAGES AND EVERY OTHER ACT OF GOD THAT'S HAPPENED.

SO, UM, STAFF IS INCLINED TO LET THEM MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.

I WILL LET YOU KNOW AT OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING OR IF WE MAKE THE DECISION BEFORE THEN WHAT'S MOVING FORWARD, BUT JUST A, BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE THE PATH FORWARD.

SO IF YOU GET ANY COMPLAINTS, BECAUSE WE'RE TEARING UP A LOT OR UH, ESPECIALLY ANY COMPLAINTS FROM THE BUSINESSES, I THINK THEY'RE ALL COMFORTABLE WITH MYSELF AND EDDIE NOW.

BUT, UM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU SPEAK WITH ANY OF 'EM AND YOU GET A DIFFERENT OPINION, I'D LOVE TO HEAR IT, ESPECIALLY BEFORE WE MAKE THAT DECISION AND GIVE 'EM THE YES OR NO.

UM, BUT I THINK WE'VE TALKED TO PRETTY MUCH EVERY INVESTED INTEREST GROUP.

SO THAT WAS THE ONLY UPDATE I REALLY WANTED TO GIVE YOU.

AND WE'LL STAY IN CONTACT VIA EMAIL, JUST LET YOU KNOW KIND OF WHAT'S NEXT AS WELL.

LAST CALL FOR VISITOR COMMENTS.

[ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]

OF COMMUNITY INTEREST.

MR. BLAK? I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING.

I THINK, UH, DRIVING WITH SANTA WAS A BIG HIT IN THE COMMUNITY.

I'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.

I DO HAVE ONE THING, JUST ONE I WISH EVERYBODY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.

SO BE SAFE OUT THERE.

I'VE GOT TWO QUICK THINGS.

ONE IS TO REMIND EVERYBODY THE KEEP LAKE JACKSON BEAUTIFUL IS STILL COLLECTING BROKEN CHRISTMAS LIGHTS.

UM, THERE'S MULTIPLE PLACES YOU CAN GO AND THERE'S BOXES.

YOU CAN JUST DROP 'EM OFF.

I KNOW FOR SURE THERE'S ONE IN ALTAS LOBBY.

WHERE ELSE DO WE HAVE 'EM? ANYBODY? CITY HALL LIBRARY, BUSH WACKERS, UH, SHEPHERD GETTING SHEPHERD PEDIATRIC CARE AND LINE WINE REVIEW.

AND IF NONE OF THOSE WORK, JUST GET AHOLD OF ME CAUSE I'VE GOT A GIANT BAG IN MY GARAGE.

YEAH, SO BATS GOT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS THEY WANNA GET RID OF, DROP 'EM OFF, WE'LL TAKE 'EM.

UM, THE OTHER THING, I'M GONNA TALK ON BEHALF OF CITY COUNCIL HERE, JUST TO WISH THE CITY AND THE STAFF A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS.

AND I HOPE EVERYTHING IS SMOOTH THROUGH THIS COLD FRONT.

YOU GUYS DO AN AMAZING JOB ALL YEAR LONG, SO PLEASE ENJOY THE TIME WITH YOUR FAMILIES AND, UH, JUST A MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM US.

YEP.