[Call to Order ]
[00:00:03]
ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
THIS IS, UH, WELCOME TO MONDAY, MARCH 6TH, 2023, A REGULAR SESSION OF THE LAKE JACKSON CITY COUNCIL.
UM, THIS IS A LOCATION IS 25 OAK DRIVE, LAKE JACKSON, TEXAS.
AND, UM, AGAIN, WELCOME TO, UH, THE MEETING THIS EVENING.
UH, WE'LL BE AGAIN WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, UH, LED BY COUNCILMAN BLANCHARD PLEDGE OF THE UNITED STATES AMERICA NATION UNDER INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY.
IF YOU JOIN ME FOR INVOCATION, PLEASE HEAVEN.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY AND THE MANY BLESSINGS YOU HAVE BESTOWED ON US.
WE ASK THAT YOU PROTECT OUR TROOPS AS THEY CONTINUE TO PROTECT US FROM THOSE THAT WANT TO TAKE AWAY OUR FREEDOMS. PLEASE PROTECT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AS THEY LOOK OVER US EVERY DAY.
WE ARE ALSO VERY GRATEFUL TO THE FAMILIES OF OUR TROOPS, AND THE FIRST RESPONDERS IS THEY GIVE UP SO MUCH OF THEIR LOVED ONES TO PROTECT US ALL.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF OUR GREAT COMMUNITY.
BE WITH THEM IN THEIR DAILY LIVES AS THEY SERVE THE CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ASK FOR YOUR GUIDANCE AS WE SERVE OUR CITIZENS, AND THAT YOU LOOK OVER THOSE WE YOU REPRESENT.
[VISITORS COMMENTS ]
ALL RIGHT.UH, NEXT THING WE HAVE ON THE, UH, AGENDA TONIGHT IS, UH, VISITORS, VISITORS COMMENTS.
AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE CITIZENS CAN MAKE COMMENT ON ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA, EVEN THOUGH COUNSEL CANNOT TAKE ACTION ON THESE ITEMS. UH, ONE ACTION THAT WE COULD DO IS TAKE, MOVE THIS TO, UH, PUT THIS ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE FOR A FUTURE REGULAR SUCH SCHEDULED MEETING.
SO WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE SCHEDULED THAT SIGNED UP TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK ON, UH, VISITOR COMMENTS.
I'M FROM 89 19 JAPONICA IN ROSENBERG, TEXAS.
UH, THIS IS GENERAL COMMENTS, AND ALSO REGARDING AGENDA ITEM FOUR ON THE CONSENT, IT'S REGARDING SWAP FUNDING.
UH, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO PULL THAT FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND I WOULD URGE YOU TO VOTE AGAINST THAT.
AND I'LL EXPLAIN IN A LITTLE BIT WHY.
UM, SO I'VE DECIDED PERSONALLY TO REFOCUS ON LAKE JACKSON.
UH, I WOULD NOT WANT TO END UP IN A SWAT SITUATION MERELY BECAUSE I PARKED MY CHURCH BUS THAT I MAY BE DRIVING IN THE WRONG PARKING LOT IN LAKE JACKSON.
UM, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, PROBABLY OVER FIVE YEARS AGO NOW, I REMEMBER MEETING WITH A FORMER CHIEF OF POLICE, AND HE WAS VERY PROUD OF A PICTURE HE SHOWED ME.
IT WAS A REALLY FAT STACK OF TRAFFIC CITATIONS THAT HAD REALLY RAMPED UP, UM, THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, UH, I GUESS WITH ADDING A SPECIFIC OFFICER WRITING CITATIONS.
AND AT THE TIME, YOU, I'M VERY SAFETY CONSCIOUS, SO I AM CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, WHAT GOES ON ON THE HIGHWAYS.
I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS INVOLVED.
I KNOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS DOING A FAIR BIT OF THAT THIS MORNING.
THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE ARE ARRESTED FOR QUOTE, FINE ONLY OFFENSES.
AND THEY'RE TRADED OFF LIKE, UH, BASEBALL CARDS BETWEEN THESE LOCAL DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE THEY JUST SIMPLY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT HERE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO BE HERE EITHER.
UH, BUT SO THEY'RE TRADED AROUND IN THIS HUMAN TRAFFICKING SCHEME.
UM, AND I WONDER THOUGH, IS THAT REALLY KEEPING US SAFE? UM, IS THAT THE ACTIVITY THAT EVERYONE THINKS THAT THEY'RE FUNDING THE CITY GOVERNMENT FOR? I DON'T KNOW.
I SEE A LOT OF AGGRESSIVE POLICING IN THIS, UH, CITY, UH, TIME AND TIME AND TIME AGAIN LAST WEEK.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE SWAT TEAM, THE LAKE JACKSON SWAT TEAM WAS DEPLOYED, NOT IN TOWN, BUT AN OYSTER CREEK FOR A, UH, NOT A VERBAL ONLY, LIKE A LANDLORD FAMILY DISPUTE, UH, DEPLOYED THE SWAT TEAM.
AND, UH, THERE WAS ONLY THE MAN WHO THEY WERE AFTER.
UH, HE WAS ALONE, WASN'T HARMING ANYONE, AND, UH, HE, HE WAS LET GO, IS MY UNDERSTANDING, NOT EVEN ARRESTED.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE AT THE LAKE JACKSON SWAT TEAM FOR.
UH, I REMEMBER ON NEW YEAR'S EVE, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UH, POLICE OFFICER DREW GUNN, A GUN, A PISTOL ON, UM, KEENS WHO WERE IN A HOTEL ROOM.
AND I WONDER, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY TIMES WHEN YOU DRAW A PISTOL UNTIL SOMEONE GETS SHOT, WHETHER IT'S JUSTIFIED OR NOT, UH, ALMOST A YEAR TO THE DATE A MAN WAS BEAT UP BY LAKE JACKSON POLICE, UH, FOR FILMING THE POLICE.
UH, THE OFFICER IN, UH, AFFECTING THIS TAKEDOWN WAS PUSHING
[00:05:01]
THIS MAN'S HEAD AGAINST THE CONCRETE CURB, AND THE CITY IS CURRENTLY FACING LITIGATION FOR THAT INCIDENT.UM, SO I SIT HERE AND WONDER, WHAT IS THIS ESTABLISHMENT POLICE CULTURE AND WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? MAYBE THE ADMINISTRATORS, MAYBE THE LINE OFFICERS, MAYBE THE CITY COUNCIL WHO CONTINUES TO ALLOW THIS OLD TIME POLICE CULTURE TO CONTINUE, EVEN THOUGH THESE QUITE, I'D SAY, HIGH PROFILE INCIDENTS OF EVEN NATIONAL CONCERN CONTINUE TO HAPPEN HERE, AND NOTHING APPEARS TO BE DONE.
UM, I THINK IT'S NOW ON THE HANDS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND MY COMMENTS THAT FOLLOW ARE NOT ABOUT ANY SPECIFIC OFFICE OFFICER, LINE LEVEL OFFICER.
I THINK I'VE ESTABLISHED THAT THIS IS A CULTURAL PROBLEM.
OKAY? SO I DON'T WANT TO FOCUS ON INDIVIDUALS.
THIS IS ABOUT THE CULTURE HERE.
FORTUNATELY, WE NO LONGER HAVE A LIE, JUST A SCRAPS OF INFORMATION RELEASED BY THE CITY, WHICH I WILL STATE HAS PROBABLY BEEN GETTING BETTER OVER THE YEARS.
BUT EVERYONE IS FILMING THE POLICE NOW.
SO IN THE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK WHERE A MAN WAS FATALLY SHOT BY THE POLICE, THERE WERE MANY CAMERA VIEWS THAT I WAS ABLE TO LOOK AT.
I NOTICED THAT THE TRAFFIC OFFICER, UH, AFTER THIS MAN'S VEHICLE, UH, CRASHED AFTER HITTING THE SPIKE STRIPS THAT WERE DEPLOYED, THE TRAFFIC OFFICER IMMEDIATELY CHARGED IN WHERE THE SUSPECT WAS WITH SEEMINGLY LACKING ANY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, QUICKLY CLOSING THE GAP.
THEN AT SOME POINT, I GUESS, NOTICED THE MAN HAD EITHER A, UH, MODERATE SIZED KNIFE OR SAW IN HIS HAND.
HE TOOK A COUPLE STEPS BACK, FEW STEPS BACK, AND THEN SHOTS, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, JUST KEPT ON GOING ON I, ALONG WITH THIS MAN RIGHT HERE, JOHN GRAY FILM POLICE PURSUITS IN THIS COUNTY AND OTHER COUNTIES ROUTINELY, POLICE PURSUITS ARE COMMON.
SOMETIMES THE SUSPECTS BAILOUT, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T.
RARELY IS THERE ANY SORT OF USE OF FORCE LIKE THAT.
MOST OF THEM RESOLVE WITHOUT THAT.
UM, WE'VE SET ON THEM BEFORE WHERE, UH, THE POLICE WILL STARE AT A, A PERIMETER FOR HOURS AND HOURS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PERSON IS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY SAFELY.
AND SO I WONDER WHAT HAPPENS, AND THERE'S SO MANY QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN UNANSWERED.
I THINK RELEASING THE DASH CAMERA AND THE BODY CAMERA WOULD SOLVE SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
BUT I WONDER HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? WHERE, WHERE INSTEAD OF HAVING THIS MORE, UH, PROCEDURAL PRUDENT APPROACH TO THESE SITUATIONS WHERE SO QUICKLY THE OFFICER CHARGES THE SUSPECT.
I WAS READING THE FACTS REGARDING A TRAFFIC OFFICER THAT THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S STILL EMPLOYED, BUT DID EMPLOY, UM, THE OFFICER SAID, THIS IS QUOTING THE NEWSPAPER AFTER ALL, OR THE QUOTING WHAT THE REPORTER SAID, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, THE OFFICER SAID, HE STILL FINDS EXCITEMENT AND TRAFFIC STOPS.
NOW, THIS IS QUOTING THE LAKE JACKSON POLICE OFFICER.
HE SAID IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN ADRENALINE RUSH, ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY, BECAUSE IT'S A CHALLENGE TO CATCH A PERSON YOU HAVE TO MATCH OR BETTER THEIR SPEED TO CATCH THEM.
AND THEN GOING BACK TO THE REPORTER WHO WROTE THIS ARTICLE SAYS, FORTUNATELY FOR THIS OFFICER, HE DRIVES THE FASTEST CAR IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, A 2009 CHARGER WITH A HEMI ENGINE.
HE SAID, SO I WONDER HOW DO WE GET INTO THESE SITUATIONS WHERE PEOPLE ARE KILLED BY THE CITY GOVERNMENT, WHERE PEOPLE ARE BEAT BY THE CITY GOVERNMENT MERELY FOR FILMING THE CITY GOVERNMENT.
UM, I THINK THAT OFFICERS SHOULD BE ON THE FORCE TO PURSUE JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A JOB JUST TO DO, TO GET YOUR ADRENALINE FIX THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO NOW GO THROUGH THE TRAINING HISTORY OF A 30 YEAR TRAFFIC OFFICER ON THE FORCE.
AGAIN, BECAUSE I THINK THIS REPRESENTS THE CULTURE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS AWARE OF, I BELIEVE BECAUSE THE POLI CURRENT POLICE CHIEF WAS QUOTED IN THE ARTICLE I JUST READ.
SO I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION IS AWARE, AND I THINK THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE AWARE IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY.
SO, UH, THE STATE KEEPS TRAINING RECORDS ON OFFICERS.
AND THIS 30 YEAR OFFICER HAD 1 4 20 22 SWAT INSERVICE TRAINING, EIGHT HOURS AT FREEPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT.
PREVIOUS TO THAT SWAT INSERVICE TRAINING, EIGHT HOURS AT FREEPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT.
EVERYWHERE I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW, THAT IS SWAT IN SERVICE TRAINING.
THAT'S A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF HIS TRAINING.
UM, FINALLY WE FIND IN 2017, HE DID TAKE A TACTICAL VEHICLE TRAFFIC STOP AND EXTRACTION COURSE.
I'M WONDERING HOW THEY TAUGHT THEM TO HANDLE THOSE, UH, SITUATIONS IN THAT, UH, ONE TIME IN 2014, THERE WAS A 60 HOUR SWAT SCHOOL AT THE TEXAS CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS GOES ON AND ON, I I MAYBE EVEN A HUNDRED OF THESE VARIOUS TRAININGS, OR AT LEAST DOZENS.
[00:10:02]
HOURS OF SWAT AND TACTICAL WEAPONS RELATED TRAINING.NOW, THAT WAS ALL IN HIS CAREER.
THAT WAS JUST UNTIL I FOUND IN, UM, 2009 WAS LAST TIME HE TOOK THE CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING.
CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING IS RECOGNIZING PEOPLE WHO ARE IN CRISIS, SUCH AS MENTAL ILLNESS.
UM, SO 415 HOURS OF SWAT AND TACTICAL TRAINING SINCE THE 16 HOURS OF CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING, THAT WAS NEARLY 15 YEARS AGO, THAT'S NOT AN INDIVIDUAL OFFICER PROBLEM.
THAT'S A CULTURAL PROBLEM THAT THIS CITY COUNCIL IS NOT ADDRESSING.
THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
THEY SEEM TO DECIDE, HEY, WE THINK THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO REFORM OUR CULTURE, BUT HERE, THESE INCIDENTS CONTINUE TO OCCUR, MIGHT ADD ALMOST A YEAR TO THE DATE OF THE TIME WHEN THE PHOTOJOURNALIST WAS, UM, AND THAT CRAZY EXCESSIVE FORCE INCIDENT LAST YEAR.
UM, I NOTED AT ONE POINT THE OFFICER TOOK AN EXCITED DELIRIUM SYNDROME TRAINING.
I WONDER WHO WAS MORE EXCITED IN THAT SCENE, THE OFFICER OR THE SUSPECT.
THERE'S A HISTORY SINCE I'VE BEEN WORKING HARD ON DOING INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT STORIES.
I'VE COVERED HERE WHERE THE CITY HAS TRIED SUBSTANTIALLY TO COVER UP OR COMPLETELY COVER UP INCIDENTS.
LAST YEAR, UM, I REQUESTED, UH, NUMEROUS DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING SOME EMAILS OF THE CITY MANAGER AND OTHERS.
I WAS CHARGED HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS.
I THINK IT ENDED UP BEING OVER $500, BUT THAT'S NOT THE MAIN THING.
THE MAIN THING WAS I REQUESTED THE BODY-WORN CAMERA, AND I HAD IMAGINED I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST, IF NOT THE FIRST, TO DO THAT.
BUT THE CITY DIDN'T GIVE ME THE BODY-WORN CAMERA.
THEY GAVE SOMEONE ELSE THE BODY-WORN CAMERA FIRST.
AND THEN WHEN I TRIED TO GET MY COPY, THEY WOULDN'T EVEN LET JOHN GRAY PICK IT UP.
FORTUNATELY, THE PERSON WHO GOT IT FIRST WAS SOMEONE WHO, UH, KNOWS ME AND PROVIDED THAT TO ME.
THAT'S A HUGE PROBLEM WHEN I'M REQUESTING INFORMATION.
AND BECAUSE YOU DON'T, MAYBE YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT I DO OR HOW I'LL, YOU KNOW, DO MY COMMENTARY ON THAT INFORMATION, THAT IT'S PREFERENTIALLY GIVEN TO OTHERS.
THERE WAS AN OFFICER, UH, WHO PREVIOUSLY WORKED FOR ENGLETON THAT GOT IN A MIX UP AT A HOUSE PARTY HERE IN LAKE JACKSON.
POLICE WERE CALLED POLICE MADE CONTACT WITH HER.
THERE WAS A PHYSICAL DISTURBANCE, A DISPUTE, UH, UH, I'M SORRY, UH, AN ASSAULT INVOLVING THIS OFFICER.
AGAIN, LAKE JACKSON POLICE RESPONDED.
THE CITY COVERED UP, I BELIEVE, UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, JOHN, ALL RECORDS RELATING TO THAT AND CERTAINLY DID NOT RELEASE ANY OF THE BODY-WORN CAMERAS THAT WERE THERE.
MORE RECENTLY, THERE IS A, NOT IN THIS CITY, BUT ANOTHER NEARBY CITY, A LOCAL CITY COUNCILMAN WAS ARRESTED.
UH, THE CITY HAS NOT SUBSTANTIALLY RELEASED ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
BUT EVEN WORSE, WHILE ONE MAN WHO IS PROBABLY NOT AS WELL POLITICALLY CR UH, POLITICALLY CONNECTED, WAS SENT OUT THE FRONT OF THE JAIL, THE FRONT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, LAKE JACKSON POLICE OFFICERS USHERED THIS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLUB MEMBER OUT THE BACK OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SO THAT HE WOULDN'T BE ON MR. GRAY'S CAMERA.
UH, EVEN MORE RECENTLY THAN THAT, A LOCAL POLICE CHIEF, AGAIN, NOT THIS POLICE CHIEF, BUT A LOCAL NEARBY POLICE CHIEF WAS INVOLVED IN AN ALTERCATION, UH, WITH A NEWSPAPER CARRIER, UH, PURPORTEDLY, IT SEEMS EVEN TRYING TO START A PHYSICAL FIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, 2004, AGAIN, THE CITY IS COVERING UP THOSE RECORDS.
SO I WONDER ALL OF THESE INSTANCES OF, I THINK, REASONABLE PEOPLE, WE COULD DE DISAGREE, BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD SAY, HEY, THERE MIGHT BE SOME POLICE MISCONDUCT GOING ON.
AND YET, THIS CITY GOVERNMENT, THE ADMINISTRATORS, THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND BY THEIR DELIBERATE ACTION OR MAYBE INACTION, AT LEAST AT SOME JUNCTURE, THE COUNCIL IS CREATING THIS CULTURE WHERE THE INFORMATION IS HIDDEN, WHERE THESE EGREGIOUS THINGS CONTINUE TO OCCUR.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
I I REALLY HOPE THAT I DON'T HAVE TO SEE ONE OF THESE INCIDENTS, UM, OCCURRING AGAIN REGARDING THE SWAT FUNDING.
ONE, THE TIMING WITH THIS, BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE HOW EFFECTIVE AND EVEN NECESSARY THE SWAT TEAM IS BASED ON THE LACK OF FAVORABLE RESULTS.
I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE WITH 400 HOURS OF SWAT TEAM, I WOULD EXPECT A FAVORABLE RESULT DURING WHAT IS A, ACTUALLY, YOU WOULDN'T THINK THAT VEHICLE PURSUITS ARE COMMON, BUT THEY ARE.
IT'S A COMMON POLICE, UH, INCIDENT THAT HAPPENS.
SO A SWAT TRAINED MEMBER SHOULDN'T HAVE A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME, UH, WITH, WITH THAT SORT OF SCENARIO, BUT ALSO THIS THEORY OF MOVING THESE CAPITAL FUNDS TOWARDS ITEMS THAT AREN'T LIKE BUILDING BUILDINGS OR REALLY LONG-TERM THINGS, UH, TALKING TO THE POLICE CHIEF, THESE ITEMS WILL LAST A WHILE.
UM, MAYBE JUST WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR BUDGET THAT IN THE ACTUAL POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
UM, I, I JUST, I'M NOT SURE RIGHT NOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE GOOD RESULTS.
[00:15:01]
EVERYONE KEPT SAFE.UH, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY THAT HAVE ISSUES, WHETHER THAT'S MENTAL ILLNESS, WHETHER THAT'S SUBSTANCE ABUSE, UH, WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH THAT IN A PRODUCTIVE WAY.
AND I THINK THAT THAT INVOLVES SERVICES BEFORE THEY'RE IN CRISIS.
UH, I THINK THAT INVOLVES ADDRESSING THE HOMELESS PO UH, UH, POPULATION MENTAL ILLNESS PROGRAMS, BOTH BEFORE THEY'RE IN CRISIS, WHEN THE POLICE ARE DEALING WITH THEM.
UH, CERTAINLY MORE FREQUENT CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING.
I THINK THAT IN THE FIELD OF MENTAL HEALTH IS RAPIDLY INVOLVED, THAT IF THE LAST TIME YOU WERE TRAINED WAS IN 2009, YOU ARE NOT UP TO DATE.
UM, THESE ARE ISSUES THAT THE CITY GOVERNMENT, THE CITY COUNCIL, I THINK NEEDS TO GET ON.
AND IF NOT, I FEAR THAT MORE BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN TO PEOPLE.
AND I WOULD FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
MAYOR, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? NO, I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE, THERE'S A LOT OF ITEMS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP THAT, UH, MADE NOTE OF THAT.
UH, WE'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, DURING OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT'S HAPPENING, UH, END, END THIS MONTH.
I GUYS, YOU GUYS AREN'T SURPRISED TO SEE ME HERE TODAY.
SO LAST WEEK ON THURSDAY, WEDNESDAY, I HAD, UH, ACTUALLY PLANNED TO TAKE SOME TIME OFF AND SPEND SOME TIME WITH MY FAMILY IN NEW ORLEANS AND FOR A FAMILY EVENT.
AND I GOT UP THURSDAY MORNING AND I RUN THE STREAM, THE, THE BROADCAST, THE, UH, ALL THE RADIO TRAFFIC ON, ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL, 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND I POPPED ON THERE AND JUST CHECKING TO MAKE SURE IT WAS STILL RUNNING, BECAUSE IN MY ABSENCE, SOMETIMES IT BREAKS AND I HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE RESTART IT.
AND THE FIRST, AND RIGHT WHEN I CLICKED THAT ON, IT WAS A, UH, AN EMS CALL FOR A GUY THAT, UH, WAS INSIDE A DUMPSTER, GOT DUMPED INTO A TRASH TRUCK, AND THEY, IT WAS AN EMS CALL, SIMPLE EMS CALL.
I THOUGHT, WOW, THAT, THAT'S UNUSUAL.
I, I DEFINITELY, GUY, DEFINITELY NEEDS EMS. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BAD DAY.
UM, LO AND BEHOLD, I'M GETTING PHONE CALLS LATER THAT SAY THEY SHOT THE GUY.
THE GUY IS OBVIOUSLY IN A MIDDLE IN MENTAL CRISIS, RIGHT? AND I, I, I HAVE HAD SOME TIME TALK TO THE FAMILY AND, AND, AND, AND I COULD VERIFY HE WAS, HE HAD SOME MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
THE ONE THING THAT I KNOW HE DID STEAL A CAR.
BUT DID WE NEED TO PUT 18 BULLETS IN HIM? 18.
18 BULLETS FOR A MAN WITH A KNIFE.
THE, I MEAN, COPS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HEROES.
THEY'RE HEROES, RIGHT? THEY HAVE THREE OF 'EM, THREE OR FOUR SURROUNDED HIM.
AND ONLY CHOICE WAS TO PUT 18 BULLETS IN THE GUY.
SO I'LL GIVE HIM, I'LL GIVE HIM THREE.
I HAD REPORTS THAT HE WAS ON THE GROUND AND AT, AT SEVEN SHOTS.
LET ME GO FROM SEVEN TO EIGHT TO NINE TO 10, TO 11 TO 12, TO 13 TO 14 TO 15 TO 16 TO 17 TO 18.
NOW, YOU KNOW HOW ANNOYING THAT WAS.
IMAGINE THAT GUY'S IN PAIN EVERY TIME THAT HAPPENS.
SO, I KNOW I CATCH A LOT OF GRIEF.
I CATCH A LOT OF GRIEF CUZ I RECORD COPS, RIGHT? I RECORD INCIDENTS.
BUT THE ONE THING THAT I KNOW, MY VIDEOS DON'T GET REDACTED.
MY VIDEOS DON'T GET HELD UP FOR INVESTIGATION.
HAD I BEEN, HAD I NOT BEEN THERE, I WOULD'VE HAD, I WOULD'VE HAD THE VIDEO.
WE WOULDN'T BE SITTING AROUND PLAYING, WAITING ON YOU GUYS TO DECIDE TO RELEASE IT.
SO WHENEVER YOU THINK, JOHN, WHY ARE YOU RECORDING THE COPS? I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER EVERYTHING IS IS KEPT FROM US.
YOU KNOW, DURING THE ELECTION TIME, I HEARD OF A LOT OF TI A LOT OF STUFF.
LET'S DON'T BE HOUSTON, RIGHT? YOU KNOW WHAT? HOUSTON HAS A CRITICAL RESPONSE.
YOUTUBE CHANNEL, DAY AFTER, GOOD, BAD, WHATEVER THAT VIDEO IS ON THEIR, THEIR YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC.
AND IT SHOULD BE NO DIFFERENT IN THIS SITUATION.
I, UH, I TEACH MY PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF EV I WANT THE PEOPLE THAT WATCH MY VIDEOS, I WANT YOU TO KNOW,
[00:20:02]
LOOK WHAT THE POLICE ARE DOING WHEN THEY'RE UNDER INVESTIGATION.PEOPLE START DOING THE SAME THING THE GOVERNMENT DOES.
STOP, GET TALKING YOURSELF INTO A CAGE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, LISTENING TO ME.
I, I WASN'T AWARE THAT HOUSTON HAD THAT, UH, THE CRISIS YOUTH, UH, YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
I KNEW THAT THEY, THEY, UH, RESPOND LIKE, UH, REAL QUICK ON INCIDENTS AND STUFF, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THEY HAD THAT DEDICATED CHANNEL.
ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO SIGN UP.
[PRESENTATIONS ]
TIME ON THE AGENDA IS PRESENTATIONS.LUKE'S HOSPITAL STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND ONE REASON, IF I COULD ADD THE REASON WHY WE HAVE, THE REASON WHY BOB'S HERE IS TO MAKE PRESENTATION IS ITEM MEETING WITH HIM AND WHO'S TALKING ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF HAVING AN VALUE, HAVING A, UH, COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, A HOSPITAL IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE, THEIR STRATEGIC, AND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN.
I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE GREAT FOR HIM TO SHARE THAT WITH US TO, SO WE COULD SEE WHAT, UH, THEIR PLANS ARE FOR, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WELL, I, I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT YOUR HOSPITAL IN LAKE JACKSON AND, UH, ST.
AND, AND I'M GONNA START OFF MORE, UH, UH, A STATE OF THE HOSPITAL CONVERSATION AND ACTUALLY STATE OF THE HOSPITAL INDUSTRY, WHICH IS ACTUALLY KIND OF GRIM RIGHT NOW.
UM, IF, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE COVID, UH, AND IF YOU'VE READ ANY OF THE MEDIA, HOSPITALS ARE SUFFERING RIGHT NOW NATIONALLY IN TEXAS, LOCALLY, FORTUNATELY, WE'RE BETTER OFF THAN MOST.
WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED DURING COVID.
PEOPLE WERE AFRAID TO COME TO THE HOSPITAL, AND RIGHTFULLY SO, HOSPITALS ARE DANGEROUS TO BEGIN WITH, BUT DURING COVID, EVEN MORE SO, AND A LOT OF THE ELECTIVE TYPE PROCEDURES, SURGICAL, WERE JUST NOT TAKING PLACE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHERE THE HOSPITAL FINANCIALLY MAKES THEIR MONEY.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT WAS MUCH OF THE HIT THAT TOOK PLACE.
UH, NURSES THAT WERE APPROACHING RETIREMENT, RETIRED EAR EARLY, WHICH REQUIRED US TO GET TRAVELING.
NURSES, NURSES FROM FLORIDA WOULD COME TO TEXAS.
TEXAS NURSES WOULD GO TO FLORIDA.
WE'D PAY THREE TIMES THE SALARIES.
SO ALL THIS HAS ACCUMULATED OVER THE PAST TWO OR THREE YEARS AND, AND BROUGHT SOME BIG HEAVY HITTER PLAYERS IN NATIONALLY TO THEIR KNEES.
UH, SOME OF THESE YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF, UH, KAISER PERMANENTE HEALTH SYSTEM IN, UH, WITH 39 HOSPITALS IN 2022, LOST 4.5 BILLION MASS GENERAL IN BOSTON, LOST 2.3 BILLION CLEVELAND CLINIC, 1.2 BILLION IN 22 HOSPITALS.
OUR ORGANIZATION, COMMON SPIRIT FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF OUR FISCAL YEAR, JULY ONE OF 22 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, LOST 213 MILLION.
WE'RE RECOVERING, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME.
AND, AND, AND I SAY ALL THIS BECAUSE IT TIES INTO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, A AS WE WE TALK ABOUT THESE FINANCIAL SITUATIONS, UM, IT'S, IT'S NOTED THERE'S A LABOR SHORTAGE.
I THINK THOSE OF YOU IN BUSINESS ARE WELL AWARE OF THAT.
I DON'T CARE WHAT INDUSTRY YOU'RE IN, UH, YOU CAN GO AROUND TOWN AND SEE HELP WHEN IT SIGNS UP.
AND WE'RE CERTAINLY NO DIFFERENT.
UH, CURRENTLY THERE ARE 30,000 UNFILLED NURSING POSITIONS IN TEXAS, AND, AND THAT'S, UH, PREDICTED TO BE EVEN GREATER DURING 2023.
UM, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES ARE A PROBLEM.
OF COURSE, WE SEE THAT IN MANY INDUSTRIES.
UM, REIMBURSEMENT IS NOT KEEPING UP WITH EXPENSES.
UH, OUR BATTLES WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE DAILY WITH DENIALS OF SERVICES AFTER THE FACT.
AND IT'S A, IT'S A STRUGGLE TO CAPTURE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE DUE FOR THE SERVICE WE PROVIDE.
THE, UM, UH, AGAIN, WE'RE VERY BLESSED LOCALLY IN LAKE JACKSON.
WE HAVE A CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH BRAS SUPPORT COLLEGE, AND WE GET A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF OUR NURSES FROM THERE.
WE HAVE A GOOD WORKING ENVIRONMENT GIVEN WHAT WE HAVE THE DEAL WITH.
UH, WE HAVE A LESS THAN 10% TURNOVER OF OUR REGISTERED NURSES, WHERE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS 22%, AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT.
UM, SO WE HAVE A LOT WORKING IN OUR FAVOR.
[00:25:01]
OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO INTRODUCE IS WHO, WHO ARE WE? OUR PARENT COMPANY IS, IS COMMON SPIRIT, WHICH IS A NATIONAL FAITH-BASED NONPROFIT COMPANY.UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 150,000 EMPLOYEES, UH, 25,000 PHYSICIANS, 142 HOSPITALS IN 21 STATES.
NOW, THERE, THERE'S BEEN A TRANSITION TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
AND, AND SOME OF YOU MAY BE AWARE LOCALLY, UM, OUR HOSPITAL HERE WAS, WAS A SOLE COMMUNITY PROVIDER UP UNTIL 2016 WHEN IT AFFILIATED WITH CATHOLIC HEALTH INITIATIVES OUTTA DENVER.
AND THEN IN, EXCUSE ME, IN 2016.
AND THEN IN 2019, CATHOLIC HEALTH INITIATIVES MERGED WITH DIGNITY HEALTH, WHICH IS PRIMARILY ON THE WEST COAST TO FORM COMMON SPIRIT.
UH, THEIR HEADQUARTERS ARE IN SAN FRANCISCO, UH, CATHOLIC HEALTH INITIATIVES IN DENVER.
SO OF COURSE, THEY PUT THEIR CURRENT CORPORATE OFFICES IN CHICAGO.
SO, UH, THAT, THAT'S WHO WE ARE CORPORATELY, UH, MORE LOCALLY, WE'RE, WE'RE PART OF THE TEXAS ST.
LUKE HEALTH DIVISION, UH, WITH, UH, OUR MOTHERSHIP BEING BAYLOR ST.
LUKE'S MEDICAL CENTER IN, IN THE MEDICAL CENTER AREA OF HOUSTON.
UH, WE HAVE 16 HOSPITALS, UM, A LARGE PRESENCE IN THE BRYANT, UH, COLLEGE STATION, LUFKIN, UH, OF COURSE, LAKE JACKSON, UH, PASADENA, SUGARLAND.
AND WE, WE FUNCTION AS A DIVISION WITHIN COMMON SPIRIT,
AND, AND YOU CAN SEE THE LOCATIONS ON THE MAP, NOT VERY WELL.
LUKE'S BRAS PORT, WE HAVE 490 EMPLOYEES LICENSED FOR 154 BEDS, AND WE ACTUALLY ARE USING ABOUT 80 OF THOSE BEDS.
UM, WE SEE A SHIFT, AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, FROM INSURANCE COMPANIES.
A LOT OF THE WORK IS TAKING PLACE ON AN OUTPATIENT BASIS.
AND, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE ADDRESS THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, AND, AND THESE ARE OUR SERVICES.
UM, AS YOU'LL NOTICE, AND AS WE ANNOUNCED IN FEBRUARY, WHAT'S, UH, OBVIOUSLY MISSING IS OUR LABOR AND DELIVERY SERVICES, WHICH WE, UH, SUSPENDED THE LICENSE IN FEBRUARY, FEBRUARY 10TH, DUE TO, UH, LOW VOLUME.
UH, OF COURSE THAT HAD A FINANCIAL IMPACT ON US, UH, UM, WITH OUR LOW VOLUME, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WAS A PATIENT SAFETY IS ISSUE.
NOT THAT ANYTHING HAD OCCURRED, BUT WITH THAT LOW VOLUME, JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, YOU HAD TO KEEP YOUR, UH, SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES CURRENT.
AND, AND WE WERE IN DANGER OF THAT NOT HAPPENING WITH THE LOW VOLUME WE HAD IN SPITE OF OUR EFFORTS TO RECRUIT ADDITIONAL PHYSICIANS TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, WHICH WE'RE STILL, UH, ATTEMPTING TO DO.
UH, SOME OF THE QUALITY AWARDS WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
AND, AND THESE ARE NATIONAL AWARDS.
UH, OUR LEAPFROG, WE HAVE A GREAT A RATING FOR 2022, WHICH IS, OF COURSE, THE HIGHEST RATING.
UM, OUR STROKE PROGRAM IS A GOLD STANDARD BY THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST RATING.
WE ARE FIVE STAR PATIENT SAFETY AWARD.
AND WE ARE RECENTLY GOT OUR JOINT COMMISSION ACCREDITATION, WHICH IS EVERY THREE YEARS IN 2022.
AND, AND LOCALLY, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE A CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH, UM, WITH BRAD SUPPORT COLLEGE, UM, AS WELL AS OTHER INSTITUTIONS.
THEIR STUDENTS COME THROUGH OUR HOSPITAL FOR TRAINING.
AND, UH, WE HAVE A VERY ACTIVE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH SPONSORSHIPS AND OTHER THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
WE, WE TRY TO BE VERY VISIBLE IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.
AND THEN AFFORDABILITY OF AND COST OF CARE, THAT THIS WAS A STUDY DONE IN 2022, COMPARING, UM, ST.
LUKE'S HEALTH TO TWO OF THE OTHER MAJOR SYSTEMS IN THE HOUSTON AREA, MEMORIAL HERMANN AND METHODIST.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR COSTS ARE LOWER THAN THE OTHER TWO IN AREAS SUCH AS, UM, THE PRICES FOR BLUE CROSS, LOWER ON 91% FOR ALL SERVICES, UH, UNITED HEALTH, 48% OF ALL SERVICES LOWER.
[00:30:01]
AND THEN VARIOUS SERVICE LINES, OPEN HEART SURGERY, SPINAL FUSION, WHICH WHICH ARE COMMON PROCEDURES, PARTICULARLY AT OUR, OUR LARGER HOSPITALS IN HOUSTON.BUT THAT'S TRUE THROUGHOUT THE MARKET.
WE'RE THE LOWER COST PROVIDER.
SO THAT'S VERY POSITIVE AS IT RELATES TO OUR, OUR CONTRACTING FOR, UM, INSURANCE PROVIDERS AND, AND FOR EMPLOYERS.
AND THEN SUMMARIZING WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, AGAIN, WE'RE IN RECOVERY MODE RIGHT NOW.
UM, CAPITAL IS TIGHT DUE TO THE LOSSES WE'VE EXPERIENCED, FORTUNATELY HERE IN LAKE JACKSON.
EVEN UNLIKE OTHER HOSPITALS WITHIN OUR OWN DIVISION HERE IN TEXAS, WE HAVE A VERY, VERY ACTIVE AND SOUND FOUNDATION SUPPORTING US.
AS YOU WALK THROUGH THE BUILDING, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE SIGNS UP ON THE WALLS, THOSE THAT HAVE DONATED CORPORATELY INDIVIDUALLY, AND, AND THAT CONTINUES.
AND, AND, UM, IN FACT, WE'RE ABOUT TO COMMENCE ON A PROJECT, IF ANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN INTO OUR ICU LATELY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S EMBARRASSING TO GO IN THERE, QUITE FRANKLY, BUT WE'RE ABOUT TO SPEND $200,000 TO GIVE THAT A FACELIFT ALL THROUGH DONATIONS THROUGH OUR FOUNDATION IN, IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE, WE THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR THAT.
BUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT, AS I I MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, AND THIS IS COMMON SPIRIT NATIONALLY, IS, IS A FOCUS ON OUTPATIENT SERVICES.
UM, THAT, THAT'S WHERE THE TECHNOLOGY IS GOING.
THE, WITH THE TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE, IT'S MORE CONDUCIVE FOR OUTPATIENT.
THE INSURERS ARE LOOKING FOR MORE OUTPATIENT.
AND WHAT WE PLANNED HERE, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT IMAGING CENTERS THAT ARE FREE STANDING SURGERY CENTERS, FREE STANDING, UM, GONNA REQUIRE US TO BUILD SPACE ON OUR CAMPUS.
UH, IT MAY NOT BE IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS OR 24 MONTHS, BUT, BUT THAT'S PART OF THE PLAN NOW TO SUPPORT THAT.
AND WE, WE WANNA HAVE A SOLID FOUNDATION WITH OUR PHYSICIAN PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER THEY BE A KELSEY SIEBEL OR OUR OWN GROUP, BAYLOR MEDICAL GROUP, OR THE INDEPENDENT PHYSICIANS.
UH, THOSE RELATIONSHIPS NEED TO BE SOLID, AND WE NEED TO LISTEN AND GET INPUT FROM THEM AS TO WHERE THEY SEE US GOING, WHAT WE NEED AS A COMMUNITY, AND, AND SEE WHAT THEY VOICE VERSUS WHAT WE SEE INDICATED IN OUR PLANS OF WHAT'S LEAVING THE COMMUNITY.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE WANNA BUILD A SOUND PRIMARY CARE BASE THROUGH OUR RECRUITMENT EFFORTS, WHETHER IT BE FAMILY PRACTITIONERS, INTERNAL MEDICINE, UH, THAT, THAT'S THE GATEKEEPER TO EVERYTHING ELSE, SPECIALTY WISE.
UH, IF WE HAVE A SOUND PRIMARY CARE BASE, IT ATTRACTS SPECIALISTS TO GET THOSE REFERRALS.
UM, WE, WE HAVE A NEW PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN STARTING, IN FACT, UH, SHE'S STUCK IN CANADA RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY LOST HER VISA IN THE MAIL, AND IT'S BEEN SIX WEEKS.
SO, UH, AS SOON AS THAT'S RESOLVED, WE'LL HAVE A NEW, UH, PHYSICIAN STARTING PRIMARY CARE.
BUT THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY ON OUR AGENDA AS WELL AS CERTAIN SPECIALTIES.
WE ARE STILL ACTIVELY RECRUITING FOR OBSTETRICS.
WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO NEED TWO, AT LEAST TWO, PROBABLY THREE BEFORE WE CAN AGAIN, UH, REOPEN OUR LABOR AND DELIVERY UNIT.
AND, AND THAT ALL COMES DOWN TO CALL COVERAGE.
UH, WE HAD ONE PHYSICIAN ON STAFF.
WE HAD TWO CANDIDATES LAST YEAR.
WE THOUGHT WE WERE ABLE TO RECRUIT, BUT THEY LOOKED AT THE SITUATION AND FELT IT WOULDN'T BE LONG BEFORE THEY'D BE TAKING ALL THE CALL 24 7.
SO WE, WE NEED MORE THAN ONE TO REALLY KICKSTART THE LABOR AND DELIVERY TO GET IT BACK IN PLACE.
BUT THAT IS IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, THE, THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, THE NETWORK INTEGRITY, THAT THAT'S TO KEEP EVERYTHING POSSIBLE LOCAL AND TO KEEP IT WITHIN OUR SYSTEM, WHETHER IT BE A REFERRAL TO BAYLOR ST.
LUKE MEDICAL CENTER DOWNTOWN, OR ONE OF THE OTHER FACILITIES IN THE COMMON SPIRIT, UM, SYSTEM.
THAT IS THE, THE PURPOSE FOR THE BAYLOR GROUP HERE.
THE CONTINUITY OF CARE THAT COMES WITH THAT IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, AGAIN, WE'VE GOT FINE TUNING TO DO ON IT.
A LOT OF THAT TIES INTO OUR CAPITAL BUDGET AS THAT'S DEVELOPED.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, IN THE CURRENT MODE, WE'RE IN IT'S PRIMARY CARE RECRUITMENT, UH, LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUTPATIENT CARE AND MAINTAINING WHAT WE'RE NOW DOING ON AN INPATIENT BASIS.
[00:35:01]
OF WHERE WE'RE AT CURRENTLY.SO WITH THAT, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, THEY'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
YOUR ICU PLANS, ORIGINALLY, THEY WERE WANTING TO DO THE ICU IN THE OLD EMERGENCY ROOM DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? ARE THEY STILL, IS THAT STILL WHAT'S, ARE THEY GONNA KEEP IT UP ON THE THIRD FLOOR? YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THE PLAN WHEN I GOT HERE, AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS IT WAS ALMOST PROHIBITED TO DO THAT.
BUT THAT AREA, THE OLD ER, OF COURSE, IT'S ADJACENT TO THE NEW ER.
AND WITH OUR CURRENT VOLUMES, WE HAVE PLANNED TO EXPAND OUR ER INTO THAT AREA FOR A FAST TRACK, TAKE SOME OF THE BURDEN OFF OF THE MAIN ER.
SO AS OUR ER CONTINUES TO GROW, WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE USE OF THAT SPACE.
AND IF WE ADD ADDITIONAL BEDS, ICU, IT WILL BE ON THAT THIRD FLOOR, UM, JUST IN THE SAME AREA THE CURRENT ICU IS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN AND GIVING US AN OVERVIEW OF, OF THE STRATEGY THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON.
AND THE, THE THING THAT I WANTED TO, AND WHAT IT GETS ACROSS IS, IS THAT, UH, Y'ALL ARE COMMITTED TO STAYING HERE AND BEING VIABLE.
AND, AND THE COMMUNITY'S GONNA APPRECIATE, DOES APPRECIATE THAT.
IN, IN FACT, I MIGHT ADD, UH, AS WE LOOK WITHIN OUR DIVISION, UH, WE'RE KNOWN AS THE LOCATION IN HOSPITAL WITH THE MOST POTENTIAL.
SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN INFLUX OF CAPITAL DOLLARS.
UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF IT ISN'T GONNA BE VISIBLE.
WE'RE, WE'RE ABOUT TO SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS ON A NEW GENERATOR SYSTEM.
WE'RE ABOUT TO SPEND 12 MILLION ON A NEW ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD SYSTEM.
IN FACT, THAT PROJECT'S ALREADY STARTED WITH SOME INFRASTRUCTURE WORK WITH THE, THE, UH, FIBER OPTICS.
SO, UH, IT'S GONNA BE A BIG INVESTMENT HERE LOCALLY.
AGAIN, ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO GIVE ME A CALL.
NEXT ITEM IS, UM, WE HAVE, UH, ITEM TWO, WHICH IS THE TEXTILE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES, UH, PROGRAM UPDATE.
UM, I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU SOME, UH, UPDATES REGARDING THE TEXDOT TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES CALL PROGRAM.
AND SO, BACK IN DECEMBER, THEY TEXDOT ANNOUNCED A STATEWIDE CALL FOR PROJECTS FOR TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES SET ASIDE PROGRAM FUNDING.
AND THIS WAS ESSENTIALLY THE STATE VERSION OF THE FEDERAL FUNDING COMING DOWN AS A RESULT OF THE 2021 INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT IN JOBS ACT.
THE IDEA WAS TO HAVE THIS, UH, FOR IMPROVING SAFETY AND MOBILITY FOR NON-MOTORIZED TRAVELERS AND TO HELP MITIGATE CONGESTION FOR PROVIDING A SAFE ALTERNATIVES TO MOTOR VEHICLE TRANSPORT.
UM, BACK IN JANUARY 27TH, WE HAD A PRELIMINARY APPLICATION DUE TO TECH OT.
UM, WE, UH, SUBMITTED OURS OVER TO LANGFORD COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT SERVICES, WHICH WE'RE USING FOR THE G L O GRANT ON THE 13TH TO GET THAT OVER.
AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, REGARDING A PRELIMINARY APPLICATION, NONE OF THIS IS SET IN STONE.
THERE ARE MORE PROCESSES TO THIS EARLIER.
THIS IS JUST MORE OF AN IDEA THAT WE ARE SENDING OVER TO THEM.
SO A LOT OF CAVEATS WITH WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY.
THE GENERAL FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM.
UM, WE WOULD BE CLASSIFIED HERE WITH THE SMALL URBAN AREAS, CUZ WE ARE OUTSIDE THE TMA.
SO THE ALLOCATING PROGRAM AND FUNDING IS THE 15 MILLION THERE.
UM, BUT THERE'S ALSO AN ADDITIONAL 201 MILLION FOR ANY AREA UNDER ANY POPULATION SIZE FOR THAT.
THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND ELIGIBILITY FOR THIS.
UM, THE ONE THAT WE SUBMITTED ARE PRELIMINARY APPLICATION TO WAS FOR THE COMMUNITY BASED INFRASTRUCTURE AS WE ARE OUTSIDE THE TMA.
AND OUR POPULATION AREA IS UNDER $200,000.
THE LOCAL MATCH IS 20% OF THE DOLLARS.
UM, AND THE TARGET AMOUNTS WAS BETWEEN 250,000 TO 5 MILLION.
UM, THE COMMUNITY BASED INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT'S SOMETHING UNDER AROUND THE NATURE OF SHARED USE PATHS OR SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, TO GO OVER THE OTHER FORMS OF, UH, CATEGORIES, THE LARGE SCALE IS FOR THE MOST PART OUT OF OUR SCOPE.
THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'LL SEE MAJOR CITIES DO.
IT'S MOSTLY FOR A LONG DISTANCE, UH, ROUTES.
IT'S, UH, CONNECTIONS TO OTHER FORMS OF TRANSIT LIKE RAIL, THINGS OF
[00:40:01]
THAT NATURE.UM, THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS, THOSE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE APPLICABLE TO US UNDER THAT CATEGORY, THAT WOULD BE SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR BIKE AND PEDESTRIANS OR HIGH VISIBILITY CROSSWALK INSTALLATIONS.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE, THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NON INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S JUST YOUR TRANSPORTATION PLANS, YOUR, UH, MASTER PLANS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, WE WENT WITH THE COMMUNITY BASED INFRASTRUCTURE AGAIN.
UM, SO YOU COULD SEE THE ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES HERE ON THE BOTTOM FOR, FOR THAT.
HERE WAS THE PROPOSED PROJECT THAT WE SUBMITTED BACK IN JANUARY.
THAT IS THE LANGUAGE THAT WE USED AS PART OF THE, UM, SUBMITTAL.
IT'S A LITTLE UNCLEAR HERE, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE GUIDE.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE CAME UP WITH INITIALLY WAS TO DO A SHARED USE PATH GOING DOWN LAKE ROAD WITH A COUPLE OF SPURS ON THIS WAY AND ON OAK.
AND THE IDEA BEHIND THIS WAS TO CONNECT THE MAJOR EMPLOYMENT CENTERS ON, UH, 3 32 WITH THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, ALONG WITH ALONG LAKE ROAD, AND TO GET A CONNECTION OVER TO DOW AND TO THE MEDICAL AREAS ALL ALONG OAK.
SO WE WERE THINKING AS WE DISCUSSED, HOW DO WE CONNECT EMPLOYMENT CENTERS TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND GET A MIX OF THAT TO, UM, UPHOLD THE CRITERIA THAT'S BEEN ASKED FOR.
HERE IS A PRELIMINARY COST RANGE FROM, UM, SAL GAVE ME A, A QUICK ESTIMATE THAT I COULD USE FOR THE APPLICATION.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT, NOT SET IN STONE.
THERE ARE CERTAIN OTHER THINGS THAT CAN BE DISCUSSED REGARDING THIS, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE DID SUBMIT FOR THE PRELIM COSTS.
AND AS I REMIND YOU, THERE IS A 20% MATCH.
SO IT'S A 80 20 SPLIT REGARDING THIS, UH, PROGRAM GOING FORWARD.
THEY WILL REVIEW OUR PRELIMINARY APPLICATION BY MARCH 24TH, AND ON THE 27TH, THEY WILL NOTIFY ANY SPONSORS OF, UH, ELIGIBILITY AND TO PROVIDE THE DETAILED APPLICATION IF WE WOULD LIKE TO GO FORWARD.
ON JUNE 5TH IS WHEN THE DETAILED APPLICATION, UH, THE DEADLINE IS FOR THAT, AND THEY WILL PLAN ON REVIEWING IT, UH, BY THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST AND HAVE AWARDS BY OCTOBER.
THOSE LAST TWO DATES ARE DEFINITELY TENTATIVE, BUT THAT IS WHAT THEY HAVE SCHEDULED FOR NOW.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE PATTY'S AWARDS HERE WITH LANGFORD COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT SERVICES, UM, TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, I CAN ALSO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
YES, AGAIN, UH, YOU SAID THE TRAILS ARE, ARE TIED TO EMPLOYERS, AND THAT'S, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT MATCHES THE, UH, THE CRITERIA BECAUSE TAKING, PUTTING PATHWAYS TO GROCERY STORES AND STUFF LIKE THAT DOESN'T MEET TECH DOTS, UH, CRITERIA.
OR TO PLAYGROUNDS OR WHATEVER TYPE STUFF.
ALL RIGHT, PATTY, HOW DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? WELL, MILFORD DID AN EXCELLENT JOB.
YOU HAVE TO STEP UP TO THE MIC PLEASE.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT IT'S ALL ABOUT CONNECTIVITY, COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS.
SO THIS NOT ONLY CONNECTS EMPLOYERS, BUT IT DID, IT ALSO CONNECTS TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS, MEDICAL FACILITIES, CHURCHES, AND EVEN KIND OF BACK TOWARD DOWNTOWN LAKE JACKSON.
UH, TEXTILE HAS, UM, BEEN GIVEN A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY RIGHT AT THIS TIME, AND THEY WILL FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO THEY'RE TRYING TO REACH INTO SMALLER COMMUNITIES AND HAVE A BIG IMPACT.
AND I HOPE THIS WORKS OUT WELL FOR LAKE JACKSON.
YEAH, I THINK THE ONE THING THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IS THAT, AGAIN, REMINDER, THIS IS A PRELIMINARY APPLICATION, SO IT'S NOT A FINAL APPLICATION.
WE WANTED TO GET OUR NAME IN THE QUEUE TO AT LEAST GET FEEDBACK FROM TEXTILE, BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT THIS YEAR, THERE COULD BE, YOU KNOW, SUBSEQUENT YEARS THAT WE COULD LEARN FROM THIS PROCESS.
I WOULD BE SURPRISED IF WE, YOU KNOW, WERE ASKED, YOU KNOW, TOLD THAT WE COULD SUBMIT FOR THE FINAL, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE HOW, HOW THIS SCORES.
UM, IF WE DID MOVE FORWARD, THEN WE'D HAVE TO HAVE A, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL.
HOW DO WE BUDGET OUR 20% SHARE OVER THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT, WHEN IT COMES TO, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT WE WOULD BE LEVERAGING SOME OF OUR, YOU KNOW, RELIEF FUNDS THAT WE HAVE NOT, YOU KNOW, UH, USED IN OUR SECOND TRANCHE.
BUT AGAIN, THE PROJECTS LINING
[00:45:01]
UP FOR THAT ARE STARTING TO GET, UH, LONG.AND THIS IS ONE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE.
BUT AGAIN, IF WE DO GET POSITIVE NEWS ON THE 27TH, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO START HAVING, UH, A SERIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT, OH, THIS IS LOOKING FAVORABLE.
DO WE WANT TO PURSUE THIS AND HAVE A FINAL APPLICATION FOR THE GRANT? OUR WAIT AND SAY, NOT THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT READY.
AND THEN MAYBE TAKE A SHOT AT IT NEXT YEAR KNOWING THAT OUR PROJECT DOES LOOK GOOD.
ONE QUESTION WE GET FREQUENTLY IS, IF WE'RE FUNDED, WHEN WOULD WE BE NOTIFIED OF FUNDING AND WHEN WOULD THE PROJECT ACTUALLY START? UH, YOU WOULD PROBABLY RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION OF FUNDING BY AROUND OCTOBER.
IT WOULD NOT BE ALL THE CONTRACTS SIGNED AND FUNDED UNTIL SAY, JANUARY.
SO YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT THE SPRING OF 2024.
SO THAT DOES GIVE YOU SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
AND I GUESS ANOTHER QUESTION IS, IS, UH, THIS PROJECT, LIKE THIS WOULD JUST BE, UH, CONSTRUCTED THE SAME WAY.
LIKE, UH, WHEN WE GOT THE FUNDING FROM THE STATE FOR THE, UH, TRAILS ALONG WATER STREET DRIVE, I MEAN, WE HAVE TO DO IT BY, WITH THEIR ENGINEERS.
WE HAVE TO DO IT WITH THEIR, THEIR CRITERIA AND SO FORTH.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT WITH THEIR ENGINEERS, BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT WITH THE ENGINEERS WHO'S CERTIFIED IN, YOU KNOW, THE TEXTILE PROCESS AND MEETING ASTO STANDARDS.
SO, UH, WE'VE TRIED TO TAKE THAT INTO THIS INITIAL ACCOUNT FROM THAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE RIGHT.
UM, MY WORRY ALSO, MY, MY WORRY ALWAYS IS, IS THAT WHEN YOU SUBMIT THESE WITHOUT TRULY HAVING PRELIMINARY TRAINING DONE, THE NUMBERS DO CHANGE A LITTLE BIT.
UM, EVEN THE SCOPE OF WORK IN FOR SOME CITIES IS SHIFTING A LITTLE BIT.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE SAME GENERAL IDEA, BUT THERE'S A NEW LOOK AT IT, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE OKAY.
SO YEAH, THE BIG CITIES ARE JUST A LITTLE MORE PREPARED THAN US BECAUSE THEY, THEY'RE, THEIR ENGINEERING FIRMS ARE VERY ROBUST AND THEY'RE CERTIFIED, AND SO THEY CAN ENGINEER A PROJECT TO MEET ALL TEXTILE STANDARDS INTERNALLY.
SO THEY CAN DO A LOT OF PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS AND KNOW THAT IT'S ALREADY GONNA MEET THE GAMUT AND PUT IT ON A SHELF.
AND WHEN THERE'S A GRANT CALL, THEY'RE READY.
WELL, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA.
ONCE, UH, YOU GET THE GREEN LIGHT FOR THE, THE DETAILED APPLICATION TO SIT DOWN WITH YOUR LOCAL TEXTILE ENGINEER AND KIND OF SHARE THAT YOUR IDEAS WITH HER.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS DECLARATION OF CONFLICT AND INTEREST.
AND THIS IS WHERE, UH, COUNSEL HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DECLARE THEY HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON ANY ITEM B CONSENT AGENDA OR REGULAR AGENDA.
IS THERE A CONFLICT TO BE DECLARED? NOT HEARING ANY.
[CONSENT AGENDA ]
WE'LL MOVE ON TO CONSENT AGENDA ITEM ONE IS APPROVED THE MINUTES.ITEM TWO IS ACCEPT BOARD AND COMMISSION MINUTES.
UH, KEEP PLAY JACKSON, BEAUTIFUL PARKS AND ZBA.
UH, ITEM THREE IS APPROVED AGREEMENT WITH S SP C A TO CONTINUE PROVIDING THE CITY WITH ANIMAL SERVICES FOR ONE YEAR IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $261,737.
AND ITEM FOUR, RESOLUTION NUMBER 913, AMENDING THE FISCAL FISCAL YEAR 2223 BUDGET, UH, FOR FUNDING OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S SPECIAL WEAPONS AND, UH, TACTICS, UH, TEAM, UH, ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $125,000.
UH, IS THERE AN ITEM THAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE FROM THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION? UH, HEARING ANY, ANYONE? I'LL TAKE A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
MR. ME, I'LL MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR, PLEASE.
ALL SECOND I A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN BROUGHT US AND SECOND BY COUNCIL MUNSON.
[1. Discuss and consider request from Brazoswood FFA Alumni for a one lane closure on the outer northbound lane of Dixie Drive from the light at Brazoswood Drive to the first entrance of the Brazoswood 9th grade road for a 5K run on Saturday, April 1, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. – Josh Goff ]
ON TO ITEM, UH, REGULAR ITEMS, REGULAR AGENDA ITEM ONE, DISCUSS AND CONSIDER REQUEST FROM BRASSWOOD FFA ALUMNI FOR, UH, A ONE LANE CLOSURE ON THE OUTER NORTHBOUND LANE OF DIXIE DRIVE FROM THE LIGHT AT BRAESWOOD DRIVE TO THE FIRST ENTRANCE OF THE BRAESWOOD NINTH GRADE ROAD FOR 5K RUN ON SEPTEMBER, APRIL 1ST, 2023 FROM 8:00 AM TO 10:00 AM AND MR. GOFFER, YOU HERE? YES, SIR.JUST, UH, TELL US WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE.
[00:50:01]
GO AHEAD AND GIVE US YOUR, UH, CITY THAT YOU'RE RESIDENT OF.I'M A RESIDENT OF, UH, ENGLETON.
UM, JOSH GOFF, I'M THE CURRENT, UH, PRESIDENT OF THE BRASSWOOD FFA ALUMNI.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO A FUNDRAISER ON, UH, UH, APRIL 8TH, RIGHT? I'M SORRY, APRIL 1ST FROM 8:00 AM TO 10:00 AM I'M MA REQUESTING FROM THE COUNCIL WE CAN CLOSE THE, UH, NORTHBOUND LANE, THE FAR EAST LANE FROM BRASSWOOD DRIVE TO LIKE THE NINTH GRADE ENTRANCE AT BRASSWOOD FOR FROM EIGHT TO 10 FOR THE 5K TO TAKE PLACE.
I HAD TO PRINT SOME MAPS IF Y'ALL WANNA LOOK AT 'EM.
YEAH, WE'VE GOT IT UP ON THE SCREEN, I THINK.
DID, UH, THIS IS BASICALLY THE SAME RUN THAT, UH, BSDS DONE RECENTLY HERE RECENTLY? YES, SIR.
AND WHAT KIND OF, ARE YOU NEEDING ANY KIND OF, ARE YOU GONNA REQUEST ANY KIND OF SUPPORT FROM US AS THE CITY, SIR? AS FAR AS SIR? UH, FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL OR ANYTHING? OR WE'LL HAVE, UH, 15 OFFICERS, UH, ON THE KIND OF ORANGE DOTS THROUGHOUT THE, UH, COURSE DIRECTING TRAFFIC, UH, THE RUNNERS AND SUCH? YES, SIR.
IS THAT MOSTLY, UH, B S D OFFICERS OR B I S D OFFICERS? YES, SIR.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL ON THIS? I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD ANY KIND OF EVENTS, ANY ISSUES IN THE PAST.
WE HAVE ANYTHING IN THE PAST, PAUL? YEAH, I THINK ABOUT THE THIRD TIME, THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME THAT THEY'VE USED THIS ROUTE ROUTE.
EVERYTHING'S GONE REALLY WELL.
WHAT TIME IS IT PLANNED? EIGHT.
IT'S THE SAME AS TIME SLOT AS THE OTHER.
WE JUST KEEP THE INNER LANE OPEN.
UH, TRAFFIC'S KIND OF LIGHT AT THAT TIME ANYWAY, SO WE, WE HAVEN'T HAD AN ISSUE AT ALL.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE'LL STILL HAVE BIDIRECTIONAL TRAFFIC ON DIXIE? YES.
I REMEMBER JUST IN THAT SMALL AREA, YOU'LL SQUEEZE DOWN ONE LANE.
SO IF I'M GOING NORTHBOUND, I CAN STILL GET THERE.
I JUST GOTTA BE CAREFUL AND MOVE OVER AND, OKAY.
UNLESS YOU'RE RUNNING, YOU MEAN RUNNING UNLESS YOU'RE, YOU MEAN, YOU MEAN RUNNING NORTH, YOU'LL BE RUNNING NO, NO, NO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? UH, IF NOT, I'LL TAKE A MOTION.
MR. MAYOR, I MOVED THAT WE APPROVED THE REQUEST FROM BRAS, FOOT BRA, WOOD, FFA, ILLUMINI FOR ONE PLAIN CLOSURE ON THE OUTWARD NORTHBOUND LANE OF BIXIE DRIVE FROM LIGHT AT THE BRASSWOOD TO THE FIRST ENTRANCE OF THE BRASSWOOD NINTH GRADE ROAD 40 A 5K ROAD ON SATURDAY, APRIL 1ST, 2023 FROM 8:00 AM TO 10:00 AM SECOND.
ALL RIGHT, I HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNSEL, MS. HANYA AND A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER STAFF.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS ON THE HEARING? I'LL TAKE A MOTION.
[2. Discuss and consider an ordinance changing the number of members, age range and term of office for members of the Youth Advisory Commission ordinance – first reading – Sherri Russell ]
RIGHT.THIS IS DISCUSSED AND CONSIDERED AN ORDINANCE, UH, CHANGING THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS, AGE RANGE, AND TERM OF OFFICE FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE, UH, YOUTH ADVISORY COMMISSION.
FIRST READING SHERRY, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT AND THEN WE'LL READ THE ORDINANCE.
SO WHAT I DID, UM, THE ACTUAL ORDINANCES ON PAGE, THERE IT IS, IS I JUST REWROTE THE PARAGRAPH SO THAT NOW IT'S, WE'RE JUST AT FOUR MEMBERS RIGHT NOW BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12 AND 19.
I PUT IN THE CAVEAT THAT THEY HAVE TO STILL BE ENROLLED IN THEIR SECONDARY EDUCATION OR ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN IT.
AND THAT, AND OF COURSE, YOU ALL CHOOSE THEM AND THEY DON'T GET PAID JUST LIKE ALL OF OUR OTHER VOLUNTEERS.
AND THEN THE TERM OF OFFICE IS MAY 1ST TO APRIL 30TH, GIVING A CHANCE TO RECRUIT DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND THEN GETTING THEM REALLY INVOLVED DURING THE SUMMER.
AND THEN CARRYING THEM THROUGH THE REST OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? I'LL TAKE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM.
I WOULD MOVE THAT WE, UM, ADOPT REGULAR AGENDA ITEM TWO AS PRESENTED.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN BROUGHT US AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BAKER.
DISCUSS AND CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE, UH, TO PROHIBIT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES FROM PARKING IN PUBLIC PARKING LOTS.
GOTTA READ THE ORDINANCE ALREADY.
DIDN'T READ THE CAPTION ON THERE.
OH, FOR THE YAK? YES, FOR THE YAK.
OH, WELL YOU BETTER READ THAT.
UH, THIS IS AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON, TEXAS AMENDING CHAPTER TWO ADMINISTRATION TO CHANGE MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF OFFICE FOR THE YOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE, PROVIDING THAT ALL ORDINANCES ARE PART SUB ORDINANCE AND CONFLICT HERE, WHICH SHALL BE REPEALED TO THE EXTENT OF THE CONFLICT ONLY, AND PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE.
DO THE MOTION TO STILL STAND AS Y'ALL QUESTIONED? YES.
AND EVERYBODY STILL APPROVE? YES.
[00:55:01]
YES.[3. Discuss and consider an ordinance to prohibit commercial vehicles from parking in public parking lots – first reading - Sherri Russell ]
OKAY.WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE, DISCUSSING CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO PROHIBIT TO COMMERCIAL VEHICLES FOR PARKING AND PUBLIC PARKING LOTS.
YOU WANT ME TO READ THE CAP? YEAH, GO AHEAD AND READ IT SO I DON'T FORGET THIS TIME.
IN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON, TEXAS AMENDING CHAPTER 98, TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES TO PROHIBIT THE PARKING OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLES AND PUBLIC PARKING LOTS PROVIDING THAT ALL ORDINANCES ARE PARTS OF THE ORDINANCES AND CONFLICT ARE WITH SHALL BE REPEALED TO THE EXTENT OF THE CONFLICT, ONLY PROVIDING FOR PENALTY AND PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE.
YOU WANT TO, SO THIS IS THE LIST THAT IS OF VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PARK IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, AND SOME OF THESE PUBLIC PARKING LOTS ARE IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, SO THAT MAKES SENSE.
I ADDED THE, YOU'RE BEING USED FOR THEY CAN BE THERE IF THEY'RE BEING USED FOR A LAWFUL BUSINESS OR CITY ACTIVITY.
ONE THING DOESN'T CONTAIN IS A TANK CHASING LEAVE TRUCKS OR JUSTIN LEAVE TANK.
WELL, NO, THAT'S, UM, TRUCK TRACTORS AND THE TRAILERS TO BE DRAWN BY TRUCK TRACTORS.
NOW I DON'T HAVE THE TANKS THEMSELVES ON HERE, BUT THAT'S THE DEFINITION OF THAT PARTICULAR VEHICLE.
TRUCK TRACTORS COVERS THE TRANSPORTATION CODE.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS? IF NOT, UH, THE REASON I ASK MY, JUST CUZ HE HAD PUT DOWN, HE WANNA SPEAK ABOUT THIS ONE, BUT HE LEFT.
UH, IF THERE'S ANY OTHER CONVERSATION ON THIS ONE, I'LL TAKE A MOTION ON IT.
MR. MAYOR, UH, MOVE THAT WE ADAPT THE ORDINANCE TO PROHIBIT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES FROM PARKING AND PUBLIC PARKING LOTS.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN JOHANA AND COUNCIL, AND SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER SETH.
[4. Approve the recommendation from the Parks Advisory Board to implement the new fee schedule for The Wilderness Golf Course to begin April 1, 2023 – Robin Hyden ]
MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR, APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE PARKS FROM THE PARKS ADVISORY BOARD TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW FEE SCHEDULE FOR THE WILDERNESS GOLF COURSE.TO BEGIN, UH, APRIL 1ST, 2023.
ROBIN, UM, I'M JUST HERE REAL QUICK AND I'M GONNA INTRODUCE MATT AND I'M GONNA LET HIM GO OVER THIS WITH YOU.
UM, IN JANUARY, HE DID PRESENT THIS TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, UM, ABOUT A NEW FEE SCHEDULE AS WE'VE ALL DONE, AND THEY DID ACCEPT IT WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATION, BUT I KNOW Y'ALL PROBABLY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON THIS, SO I'M GONNA INTRODUCE MATT, HE CAN COME UP.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
THANKS FOR, UH, LISTENING TO ME AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY I'D, I'D TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
YOU, I'M NOT SURE HOW, HOW IN DEPTH YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO REVIEW, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE JUSTIFICATIONS OR THE REASONING BEHIND THE FEE INCREASES, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY GO OVER THOSE REAL QUICKLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS OR A, A ANALYSIS OF OUR COMPETITIVE SET INDICATES THAT WE ARE UNDERPRICED IN THE MARKET, UH, BASED ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT PRODUCT WE PROVIDE AND WHAT SERVICES WE PROVIDE.
UH, MOODY GARDENS AND WILDCAT GOLF CLUB BOTH ARE GETTING BETWEEN 89 AND $99 ON, UH, FOR WEEKEND PLAY.
WE'RE AT 75 FOR NON-RESIDENT PLAY RIGHT NOW.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE LEAVING MONEY ON THE TABLE THAT HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, THE CITY SHOULD, SHOULD BE RECEIVING FOR THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT THAT WE'RE OFFERING.
I THINK THAT THAT'S PROBABLY A, A KEY QUESTION CUZ A LOT OF TIMES WE'LL GET COMPARED TO, YOU KNOW, COURSES ARE, ARE THAT ARE CLOSER, YOU KNOW, TO US AND, AND THAT'S A COMPETITOR AND THEY ARE, AND SOMEWHAT, BUT REALLY WHO IS OUR BENCHMARK, YOU KNOW, THAT WE ARE COMPARING TO, AGAIN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, MOODY GARDENS, WILDCAT GOLF CLUB, UM, QUAIL VALLEY, THE, THE, YOU'RE RIGHT.
UM, MR. MUNO, THE, THE UNFORTUNATE REALITY IS OUR COMPETITIVE SET IS NOT IMMEDIATE IN OUR REGION.
UM, FREEPORT GOLF CLUB IS REALLY NOT AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON WITH, WITH WHAT WE OFFER.
UM, SO YOU HAVE TO GO 20, 25, 30 MILES OUTSIDE OF OUR AREA TO BE ABLE TO FIND KIND OF LIKE FACILITIES, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE SEARCHED KIND OF THE SOUTH HOUSTON AREA AND AGAIN, MOODY GARDENS AND GALVESTON IS ONE THAT'S VERY COMPARABLE IN TERMS OF QUALITY AND UH, RATE STRUCTURE.
AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING $99 ON THE WEEKEND RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 75.
SO, UM, FEEL LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S GOOD JUSTIFICATION FOR US AND, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT, UM, IT'LL PUT US IN ANY JEOPARDY OF, OF PRICING OUT.
[01:00:01]
HOW MUCH ANY OF OUR MARKET, HOW MUCH PLAYERS ARE BEEN TURNING AWAY THESE DAYS FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO PLAY THAT THEY WANT TO PLAY SUPPLY AND DEMAND IS ANOTHER ISSUE.YEAH, I MEAN WE'RE ON ON BUSY WEEKENDS, YOU KNOW, THIS PAST WEEKEND FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, COUNCILMAN WE, I WOULD SAY WE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS A BALANCE BETWEEN SUPPLY AND DEMAND AND THAT RATE STRUCTURE AND WHAT, WHAT THE MARKET WILL SUPPORT WITHOUT, UM, ERODING OUR CUSTOMER BASE.
I BELIEVE THE, THE RATE THE FEE INCREASES IN FRONT OF COUNCIL, UH, ARE WELL WITHIN THE RANGE WHERE WE WILL NOT HAVE PUSHBACK OR AN EROSION OF OUR CUSTOMER BASE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO HAVE, UH, WE WERE BUSY UNTIL FOUR O'CLOCK, BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
UM, SO THERE IS A COMPACTION ISSUE IN TERMS OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND AND WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF REACHING A THRESHOLD.
THIS WHAT I WAS ASKING CAUSE LOT, LOT OF TIME THIS BALANCE YOU, BUT IF YOU DON'T DO THAT WITH THE RATES, YOU CAN BALANCE THE PLAY WITH THE RIGHT THERE.
THERE'S SOME, CERTAINLY SOME, UM, SOME ADVANTAGE OR SOME RETURN.
EVEN IF WE, IF WE WERE TO MAYBE NOT FILL EVERY SINGLE TEE TIME BUT DO IT AT A, A HIGHER AVERAGE DAILY RATE, UM, CERTAINLY THAT, THAT'S LESS WEAR AND TEAR ON OUR ASSET, UH, LESS LABOR REQUIRED TO MANAGE THE GOLF COURSE.
SO I THINK THERE IS A BALANCE THERE THAT CAN BE FOUND WHERE MAYBE WE CAN OPEN UP SOME INVENTORY FOR RESIDENTS IN LAKE JACKSON BY DRIVING THE NON-RESIDENT RATE HIGHER, UM, OPENING UP SOME TEE TIMES FOR RESIDENTS AT A MORE AFFORDABLE RATE, BUT STILL ACHIEVING OUR BUDGETARY GOALS AND BEING ABLE TO BRING THE MONEY IN THAT WE NEED TO, TO BATTLE SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS. THE INFLATIONARY PRESSURE IS OBVIOUS AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PRETTY MUCH IN EVERY INDUSTRY AND I'M SURE THE CITY'S DEALING WITH IT ACROSS.
YEAH, I LIKE THAT YOU EVEN PROPOSE A HIGHER RATE FOR THE RESIDENT RATE, SO THAT'S GOOD.
NEVER DRIVE, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA HAVE, PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO PLAY THE, PLAY THEIR COURSE.
AND TO BE ALWAYS BOOKED AND NOT GET OUT, GET ON THE COURSE.
IT IS, I'M SORRY, IS THERE A PRE, IS THERE A PREFERENCE STRUCTURE FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE SOME PEOPLE FROM COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN VERSUS YOU'VE GOT LEE JACKSON RESIDENTS WHO WANNA PLAY PLAY, IS THERE A PREFERENCE IN HOW YOU FILL THE COURSE IN TERMS OF A BOOKING WINDOW AT THIS, AT THIS POINT, THERE IS NOT, UM, AN, AN ADVANTAGEOUS BOOKING WINDOW FOR RESIDENTS, PER SE.
HOWEVER, I WOULD, I WOULD LIST THAT WITH A CAVEAT THAT PROBABLY 80 TO 90% OF OUR RESIDENT ROUNDS ARE, UM, ANNUAL PASS HOLDERS OR PLAYERS CLUB MEMBERS.
THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE ABLE TO BOOK TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE AND PUBLIC IS ONLY ABLE TO BOOK ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE.
UM, SO FOR A, FOR, YEAH, FOR, FOR A NON-RESIDENT THAT IS NOT A FREQUENT PLAYER OF THE GOLF COURSE, UM, THERE ISN'T A HUGE ADVANTAGE THERE, MS. SETH.
BUT, UH, SO YOU'RE, BUT IT'S A SLIDING SCALE IN TERMS OF THE, THE RATE INCREASES ARE BASED ON, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY STARTED KIND OF.
SO THAT 10% PERCENT, YOUR MEMBERSHIP, YOUR MEMBERSHIP, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR MEMBERSHIP, UH, RATES HERE LISTED AS FAR AS WE WERE NOT GONNA, UH, ADVANCE ANY MEMBERSHIP RATES.
SO WE KIND OF FEEL LIKE GREEN FEE RATES WOULD BE ONE YEAR, AND THEN NEXT YEAR WE MIGHT LOOK AT THE ANNUAL PASS PROGRAMS. I, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CLARIFIED.
THERE IS A RESIDENT, THE RESIDENT RATE WILL ALSO INCREASE.
BUT I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT MAYBE I HEARD THAT THERE.
THE PERCENT, THE OTHER QUESTION, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS, IS THAT LOOKING AT THE PERCENTAGES IS THE SIMPLEST THING WOULD'VE BEEN JUST, JUST GO OVER THERE AND SAY JUST 5% ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO WHY ARE SOME NINE, SOME 10, SOME 11 IS, AGAIN, ARE YOU LOOKING AT, DID YOU REALLY LOOK AT PERCENTAGES OR WERE YOU LOOKING AT WHAT THE PRICING NEEDS TO BE FOR EACH CATEGORY? UH, IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH.
I MEAN, THERE'S CERTAINLY, WE TRIED TO KEEP IT CONSISTENT BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, NINE AND A QUARTER.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT SUPER TWILIGHT RATE IS THE, THE ONE THAT WENT UP THE MOST AT, AT 11 AND THREE QUARTERS.
BUT BECAUSE IT'S ALSO ONE OF THE LOWEST RATE STRUCTURES, WE FELT LIKE THERE, THERE WAS A LITTLE MORE PLAY IN SOME OF THOSE LOWER RATE CATEGORIES.
BUT, UM, REALLY THE, THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT WAS MORE RELATED TO KIND OF A 10 TO 12% ACROSS THE BOARD INFLATIONARY VALUE INCREASE FOR OPERATING EXPENSES, PAYROLL COSTS, RIGHT? THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
SO IN ORDER TO, TO MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, WE FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO KIND OF GO HAND IN HAND AND, AND KEEP IT, UM, MORE, IT'S AN AGGRESSIVE INCREASE.
I MEAN, I WOULD NORMALLY NEVER ASK FOR, YOU KNOW, A 10% INCREASE, BUT AGAIN, BASED ON, YOU KNOW, SUPPLY AND DEMAND, COMPETITIVE
[01:05:01]
SET, SOME OF THE INFLATIONARY PRESSURE.UM, AND, AND IN TALKING TO A LARGE PORTION OF OUR CUSTOMER BASE AND KIND OF SETTING THE TABLE AND, AND ASKING THEM HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THE VALUE AT THE GOLF COURSE, I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT, THAT WE WILL, AGAIN, SEE VERY LEVEL OF ATTRITION IN OUR CUSTOMER BASE.
AND THAT THIS WILL BE A, A VERY POSITIVE NET EFFECT FOR US FINANCIALLY AS WELL.
SO I, I HEARD FROM SOME, SOME OF THE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE CONCERN OVER THAT BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY GO PLAY, YOU KNOW, WILDERNESS, NOT BECAUSE OF THE BEST COURSE IN THE AREA, JUST LIKE THE EXERCISE.
SO THEY WANT TO GO EXERCISE AND IF THE RATES ARE GONNA BE INCREASED, INSTEAD OF GOING AND EXERCISING HERE, THEY'LL GO EXERCISE DOWN SOUTH.
SO THAT'S NOT FAIR FOR THOSE FOLKS TO HAVE TO NOT BE ABLE TO PLAY THE COURSE AND GO PLAYOFFS.
BUT THE RESIDENT FEET KIND OF COVERS THAT.
BUT, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, YOU ADVERTISE THAT AS WELL, THAT RESIDENTS FOR THE FEE STRUCTURE FOR RESIDENT IS NOT BEING INCREASED, YOU KNOW, SO THE MESSAGE IS ALL THE RATES ARE GOING UP.
WELL, NO, NOT ALL THE RATES ARE GOING UP, BUT SAME MAGNITUDE, SO SURE, WELL, RESIDENT FEE IS GOING UP, BUT NOT AS, RIGHT.
I MEAN, THE INCREASE IS ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO 7 CENTS.
I MEAN, UH, THREE, THREE TO $7.
WELL, EVERYTHING IS GOING UP IN THE, YOU KNOW, GROCERY STORE OR YOU GOING, EVERYTHING IS GOING UP.
SO I MEAN, WE CAN JUSTIFY YOUR INCREASE ON THAT BASIS BECAUSE WAGES ARE GOING UP, YOU KNOW, SERVICES ARE GOING UP.
SO, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THAT LITTLE AMOUNT IS SHOULD NOT BE PUSHING THEM OVER TO THE SOUTH TO GO TO.
CAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA LOSE THAT BASE EITHER.
AND TO YOUR POINT, I KNOW BECAUSE YOUR BREADED BUTTER, YOU KNOW, THAT'S YOUR, THE, AND MODESTO, MY UNDERSTANDING IS OF OF THE CITY ASSETS THAT OUR GOLF COURSE IS THE ONE THAT IS CLOSEST TO BEING SELF SUSTAINED.
UH, SO OUT OF, UM, WHAT WE CALL OUR, YOU KNOW, PROFIT CENTERS OUTSIDE OF UTILITIES MM-HMM.
UM, AND THE REC CENTER, YOU KNOW, RIGHT BEHIND THAT, WHERE THE GOLF COURSE IS IN THE 95 PLUS PERCENT.
NOW I'VE CHALLENGED, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STAFF IS TO GET THAT NUMBER HIGHER.
I MEAN, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE GOLF COURSE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE STILL, YOU KNOW, BUDGET FOR, IF THE REVENUES DON'T, UM, UH, COVER ALL EXPENSES, WE HAVE THAT, UH, 500,000 THAT CAN BE SUBSIDIZED ON THAT.
MY CHALLENGE IS, YOU KNOW, TO GET THERE SOMEDAY THAT WE NEVER HAVE TO USE THAT.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE RATE INCREASE, YOU KNOW, HERE IS FOR THAT AS WELL, THAT IT CAN COMPLETELY PAY, YOU KNOW, FOR ITSELF.
UH, WE'RE CLOSE TO PAYING FOR THE DEBT, BUT I'D LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME, WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS TO HAVE REALLY GOOD YEARS.
SO WE'VE, UM, UH, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
BUT I THINK THE RATE, CRE RATE INCREASE IS NECESSARY JUST BECAUSE AS, AS MATT OUTLINES IN THE COST, THE COST INCREASE HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIAL, RIGHT.
UH, JUST RECENTLY FOR ALL OPERATIONS AND THE GOLF COURSES HAS INCLUDED.
AND SO I'D LIKE, LIKE TO GET THAT NUMBER, KEEP THAT NUMBER AS CLOSE AS WE CAN AS POSSIBLE, AND NOT LOSE GROUND.
ARE WE STILL SEEING THE NUMBERS? BECAUSE I KNOW DURING COVID WE HAD KIND AN INFLUX, WE HAD PRETTY HIGH NUMBERS JUST OF PEOPLE WANTING TO GET OUT AND PLAY.
HAS THAT KIND OF LEVELED OFF A LITTLE BIT? OR ARE WE STILL SEEING PRETTY HIGH PLAY RATES? INDUSTRY TRENDS ARE STILL REALLY POSITIVE.
AND, AND I WOULD ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WISH I HAD A LITTLE MORE HISTORY AT, AT THE FACILITY BEING THERE, YOU KNOW, EIGHT, NINE MONTHS NOW.
UM, WHEN I'VE HAD A LITTLE MORE HISTORY, I'D BE ABLE TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE INTELLIGENTLY TO THAT.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU, I LOOK AT, UM, I LOOK AT REPORTS EVERY MONTH IN TERMS OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL ROUNDS REPORTING.
AND THE INDICATIONS WERE VERY POSITIVE.
LAST YEAR ACROSS THE COUNTRY ROUNDS WERE UP ABOUT 3.2%, UH, IN THE INDUSTRY.
HOUSTON WAS A BIT OF AN ANOMALY.
IT WAS ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT DEPRESSED AND, AND OFF BY ABOUT 2%.
WE, ON OUR OWN, AS A FACILITY, WE'RE UP ABOUT NINE TO 10%.
SO WE'RE CERTAINLY BEATING THE MARKET, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, I THINK A LARGE PART OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE DISCUSSED TONIGHT, THE CONDITIONS, THE VALUE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOT A REALLY SPECIAL PROPERTY AND THE CITY SHOULD BE VERY PROUD.
IT'S, IT REALLY IS A DRAW FOR PEOPLE FROM SOUTH HOUSTON BECAUSE IT'S UNIQUE, RIGHT? IT'S, IT IS.
THEY'RE, IT'S UNENCUMBERED BY HOUSES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND IT'S JUST, IT REALLY IS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS, ESPECIALLY IN RECENT YEARS, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT WHEN IT'S, WE'VE BE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN REMINDED IN QUITE AWARE THAT, UH, ANYTHING INVOLVING THE GOLF COURSE IS
[01:10:01]
VERY DYNAMIC, PRICE, STRUCTURE, PLAY AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.AND IT'S ALL THOSE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO TRY TO FIND THE SWEET SPOT ON WHERE YOU NEED TO BE TO, TO DRIVE WHATEVER.
AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE WHAT COMES FROM US AS COUNCIL AND YOU KNOW, WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PARKS, UH, BOARD IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF DIRECTION DO WE WANT TO GIVE YOU AS THE MANAGER OF THE FACILITY OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO? YOU KNOW? AND THAT WHEN WE'VE, WHEN WE FIRST GOT STARTED DOWN THIS ROAD, THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS ON, IT NEEDS TO BE AT A LOW COST, UH, FOR, TO BE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE THE TAXPAYERS GET PLAYTIME.
AND, UH, SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY, AGAIN, WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SEEING THE VALUE COMING OUT OF IT AS WE'RE SEEING IT.
PLUS THE COURSE IS GETTING OLDER AND IT'S MORE MATURE AND STUFF.
BUT NOW WHAT WE'RE WE'RE GETTING AT IS WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, AND I THINK EVERYBODY'S TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT.
UH, THE OPPORTUNITY OF IS, IS MOVING THIS, MOVING THE BALL OR THE GOAL POST A LITTLE BIT ON FLAG, UH, TO THE, UH, UH, IN THE DIRECTION OF WE WANT THE GOLF COURSE TO BE AS CLOSE TO POSSIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
AND WITHOUT, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO WHAT RENEE WAS TALKING ABOUT, WITHOUT JEOPARDIZING THE RESIDENTS.
AND, UH, I CAN REMEMBER AGAIN, WHENEVER WE TALKED ABOUT MANY YEARS AGO ABOUT THE, UH, UH, THE MEMBERSHIP PASSES AND STUFF, YOU KNOW, THE GENTLEMAN THAT WAS, UH, UH, MANAGING IT FORS THE TIME.
HE WAS REALLY RELUCTANT TO GO TO THAT.
CUZ THE CONCERN WAS, IS THAT, AGAIN, TRYING TO FIND THAT SWEEP SPOT YOU COULD JEOPARDIZE, YOU KNOW, YOUR TARGET OF FI YOU KNOW, BRINGING MORE DOLLARS IN BY GETTING A MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM THAT BECOMES TOO WELL LIKED AND YOU'RE NOT BRINGING IN THE DOLLARS.
SO ANYWAY, IT'S JUST, UH, AGAIN, I THINK WE STILL CONTINUE TO MOVE POSITIVE WITH, WITH THIS, UH, AGAIN, BEING ACCOUNTABLE BACK TO THE TAXPAYERS, THAT WE'RE NOT JUST, UH, I DON'T THINK WE'RE LEAVING.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIND WAYS NOT LEAVE MONEY ON THE TABLE.
SO AGAIN, IT BRINGS VALUE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND IT ALSO SHOWS SHOWS THAT WE'RE USING THE TAXPAYER'S, UH, MONEY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, BETTER OUR COMMUNITY AND ALSO BRING MORE PEOPLE INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I'M, I'M VERY AWARE OF, OF, YOU KNOW, THE MR. YI'S KIND OF, UM, DIRECTIVE TO, TO KEEP THE GOLF COURSE AFFORDABLE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE IN A GREAT POSITION, HONESTLY, TRULY BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF NON-RESIDENT PLAY HAS GROWN OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, TO YOUR POINT, RIGHT? UM, FROM ABOUT 22% TO ABOUT 33, 30 4%.
THE MORE WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO THAT, THE MORE WE CAN DEVISE PROGRAMS TO MAKE IT AFFORDABLE FOR THE RESIDENTS.
I MEAN THE, WE, WE CAN CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE OUR NON-RESIDENT PLAY AT THAT HIGHER RATE AND THEN OFFER, AGAIN, PROGRAMS LIKE WE HAVE WITH THE ANNUAL PASSES AND THE PLAYERS CLUB, WE CAN DO A RESIDENT PUNCH CARD.
I MEAN, THERE'S, I'M, I'M OPEN TO, AND I WANT TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE GREAT VALUE.
YOU ONLY HAVE SO MANY ROUNDS OF GOLF THAT YOU CAN DO.
SO YOU CAN PROVIDE ALL YOU WANT.
YOU'RE NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO BALANCE THAT OUT.
WHAT I'M DON'T WANT TO HAPPEN IS, EVEN IF WE JACKED UP THESE RATES, PEOPLE WHO CAN PAY THEIR RATE ARE CORPORATE FOLKS.
THEY'RE GONNA COME PLAY GOLF, RIGHT? YOU PUT THAT UP 60 BUCKS, PAY 60 BUCKS.
BUT I DON'T WANT THAT PORTION OF IT INCREASING AT THE, AT THE, AT THE LOSS OF THE LOCAL RESIDENTS.
AND THAT'S WHERE I WANT TO DEVISE PROGRAMS TO, YOU KNOW, AND WE'LL FIND WAYS TO CREATE VALUE FOR THE RESIDENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE THE SIDE OF THAT.
SO THE PART YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS THE, THAT'S THE ONLY PART THAT'S BUGGING ME ABOUT THIS IS YOUR NON-RESIDENTS ON WEEKDAYS AND WEEKENDS HAVE THE LOWEST INCREASE.
WE STUCK IT TO THE RESIDENTS MORE THAN WE DID THE NON-RESIDENTS.
9.23 VERSUS 9.43 FOR A RESIDENT WEEKDAYS 9.34 VERSUS 9.53 FOR THE RESIDENTIAL WEEKENDS ON A PERCENTAGE INCREASE.
YOUR BOTTOM LINE, IT'S, IT IS CHEAPER.
OBVIOUSLY, BUT WHEN YOU DID YOUR ADJUSTMENT, THE NON-RESIDENTS GOT THE LOWEST ADJUSTMENT OUT OF ALL OF 'EM IN A, IN A, HONESTLY.
AND THE, THESE ARE CERTAINLY SUBJECT TO DISCUSSION AND WE'RE, THAT'S WHY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT NOW.
SO THIS, NOTHING, NONE OF THIS HAS BEEN PUBLICIZED, AND IF WE DECIDE WE WANT TO MAKE SOME AMENDMENTS OR SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT EFFECT, WE CERTAINLY CAN DO THAT.
UM, THE, THE REAL REASON FOR THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN BLANCHARD WAS JUST TO GET TO ROUND NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, TO GET TO GO UP $7 INSTEAD OF INSTEAD, YOU
[01:15:01]
KNOW, UH, IF I COULD HAVE GONE UP EIGHT CERTAINLY AND GOTTEN TO 83 ON THE NON-RESIDENT RATE, AND THAT WOULD'VE RAISED THAT PERCENTAGE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, BUT I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET TO, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF BEING AT $68 AND 25 CENTS, YOU KNOW, TO, TO KEEP THE PERCENTAGES.I WAS, I WAS TRYING TO GET TO ROUND NUMBERS, BUT ALSO KEEP IT IN A, IN A, A RANGE IN TERMS OF THE PERCENTAGE OF INCREASE.
BUT IF THERE'S EXCEPTION TO THAT, WE CERTAINLY CAN DROP THE RESIDENT RATES DOWN A LITTLE BIT BASED ON WHAT'S REPRESENTED HERE, KEEP THE NON OR INFLATE THE NON-RESIDENT RATES A LITTLE BIT MORE IF WE FEEL LIKE THAT'S, IS THERE, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT YOU COULD, UH, AGAIN, YOU COULD, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT YOU COULD ADJUST THE NUMBERS TO WHERE WE DON'T TAKE THE RESIDENT UP ANY AND JUST SPREAD THAT DIFFERENCE? UH, FOR NOT IN OTHER CATEGORIES, LIKE NON-RESIDENT OR CERTAINLY THERE, THERE MAY BE SOME I THINK, I THINK, I THINK WE, I, I THINK I WOULD FEEL BETTER IF WE DIDN'T TAKE UP THE RESIDENT, UH, THIS AT THIS TIME.
THAT, THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED.
AND AGAIN, BECAUSE THE, HONESTLY, THE PAYING RESIDENT COMPONENT OF OUR, OUR, UM, GREEN FEE REVENUE IS FAIRLY SMALL.
SMALL, BECAUSE YOU SAID THAT MOST OF 'EM ARE MEMBERS, RIGHT.
SO THE IMPACT WILL BE LIKE, WE CAN EASILY SPREAD THAT OUT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE MAY, WE MAY LOSE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF GROUND ON THE OVERALL PROFIT.
UM, THAT COULD, BUT IF IT'S, IF IT'S TRUE, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING IS IS IT'S A VERY SMALL NUMBER, IS IMPACT, IT'LL BE VERY MINIMAL.
SO THAT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, JUST, UM, UNTIL OUR GOLF COURSE IS A HUNDRED PERCENT, YOU KNOW, STANDALONE, UM, I MEAN THE RESIDENTS ARE ALREADY PAYING FUNDING IT.
SO WE, WE'D LIKE TO NOT SEE THEM FUND ANY ADDITIONAL THAT MAKES BEYOND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO CERTAINLY WE'LL TAKE, WE'LL KEEP THE, THE WEEKDAY RESIDENT RATE AT 53, THE WEEKEND RESIDENT RATE AT 63.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER RATES THAT, THAT ARE CONCERNING? YES, I'D LIKE TO SEE, SEE THE MILITARY POLICE AND FIRE RAPES AS WELL.
I MEAN, HOW MANY, HOW MANY OF THOSE DO YOU HAVE? VERY FEW.
SO, I MEAN, IF THOSE GUYS WANT TO COME, THEY'VE ALREADY PLAYED THEIR DUES, SO SURE.
THEY CAN, ALL I'M HEARING IS THE MODIFICATION WOULD BE THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING IS THAT WE KEEP THE RESIDENT RATES AS AT THE 2022 AND ALSO THE MILITARY POLICE AND FIRE AT, UH, 2022.
AND THEN, UH, DO YOU THINK THAT'S A BIG ENOUGH NUMBER WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADJUST ALL THE REST OF THEM? OR DO YOU WANT TO JUST LEAVE IT WITH, WITH THAT AND THEN WE CAN, UH, MAKE A MOTION TONIGHT AND GET THIS DONE? OR DO YOU WANNA I'M COMFORTABLE.
I'M COMFORTABLE THAT WE CAN MAKE A MOTION TONIGHT.
AGAIN, I, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WOULD'VE NETTED PROBABLY AN EXTRA 125,000.
I THINK JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, IT MIGHT COST US $10,000.
SO, SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT, UM, MAKE A MOTION TONIGHT ON THAT, AND THEN LET US REVISIT IT AND BRING IT BACK TO YOU IN JULY AND SEE IF WE NEED TO MAKE A MODEST ADJUSTMENT ON THE RESIDENTIAL.
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MY GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COVER OPERATING EXPENSES AND THAT WE DON'T WIND UP USING ALL OF THAT 500,000 BECAUSE THEN WE'RE, I MEAN, THEN WE ARE ASKING THE TAXPAYERS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, TO FUND, YOU KNOW, MORE OF IT.
AND, AND, AND WE'VE SET IT ASIDE FOR THAT.
BUT IT WAS MORE OF JUST IN CASE, IF WE DON'T HAVE TO, LET'S TRY TO, YOU KNOW, GET THE, THE RATE PAYER TO PAY AS MUCH OF THAT.
BECAUSE WE DID, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO REMIND, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE IS THAT WHEN WE DID BUILD THIS GOLF COURSE, WE KNEW ALL ALONG THAT IT COULD NOT BE SUPPORTED BY, YOU KNOW, JUST RESIDENTIAL RATE ALONE.
WE WERE BUILDING A NICE GOLF COURSE THAT WAS A REGIONAL GOLF COURSE AND IT NEEDS, NEEDS THAT, SO WE HAVE TO BALANCE IT.
BUT I THINK FOR RIGHT NOW WE COULD, BUT LET US COME BACK IN JULY, MONITOR AND SEE IF THERE'S A MODEST RATE INCREASE NEEDED FOR THE RESIDENT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP, KEEP THE COURSE, YOU KNOW, IN PRIME CONDITION.
BUT AGAIN, THE REMINDER IS, IS THAT THEY, THE FUNDS THAT ARE SET ASIDE COME FROM THE FOUR B AND THE FOUR B IS COMES FROM SALES TAX, WHICH IS FROM PEOPLE THAT WE DRAW IN BY WAY OF THE GOLF COURSE.
SO YES, IT IS TAX DOLLARS, BUT IT'S BROUGHT IN BY PEOPLE THAT HOPEFULLY ARE COMING IN AND SPENDING DOLLARS IN OUR CITY BECAUSE, UH, PLAYING GOLF IS ONE THING, UH, OTHER BEING SHOPPING HERE.
SO I'LL TAKE, UH, IF THERE'S ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, I'LL TAKE A MOTION WITH THESE CHANGES BEFORE WE TAKE THE MOTION.
UH, ONE QUESTION, I'M NOT A GOLFER.
WHAT IS JUNIOR WALKER? UH, AGAIN, THAT'S A RATE THAT'S USED EXTREMELY LITTLE.
YEAH, NO, IT'S, IT, IT IS JUST A, A INDIVIDUAL UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
WALKING THE GOLF COURSE, NOT TAKING, NOT TAKING A, UH, CARD.
[01:20:01]
MOTION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT MAKING TONIGHT, WE WOULD KEEP THE RESIDENT RATE AND THE MILITARY POLICE RATE AT THE CURRENT 2022 RATES.BUT THEN WE WOULD NOT BE MAKING ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE NEW RATES.
UH, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, THE NON-RESIDENT RATE WOULDN'T SAY GO TO $73.
SO WE'RE NOT SPREADING OUT THE DIFFERENCE.
ALL WE'RE DOING IS, IS SETTING THE 2022 SETTING, JUST LIKE YOU SAID, THE RESIDENT AND MILITARY AND SO FORTH WILL STAY.
ALL THE REST OF 'EM WILL, WILL BE WHAT THEY SH ARE SHOWN HERE AS PROPOSED.
THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
I FEEL LIKE WE'RE, AND IN JULY OR WHATEVER, IF, IF YOU NEED TO ADJUST AND WE CAN DISCUSS IT ALSO IN STRATEGIC PLANNING TOO.
SO, AND THEN I DON'T WANNA LEAVE $125,000 ON THE TABLE EITHER.
CAUSE THAT'S A FIFTH OF THE, WE CAN BRING THIS BACK AND BUDGET ALSO.
WE'RE GONNA GET 90% OF THAT EVEN WITH THIS CHANGES WE MADE TONIGHT.
SO YEAH, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT GONNA AFFECT US DRAMATICALLY.
SOMEBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION, MR. MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE, UH, UH, APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION OF PARKS ADVISORY BOARD, IMPLEMENT THE NEW FEE SCHEDULED FOR THE WILDERNESS GOLF COURSE FOR BILLION APRIL 1ST, 2023, AS PRESENTED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE WEEKEND AND WEEKDAY RATES OF RESIDENTS AND, UH, MILITARY POLICE AND FIRE RATES TO REMAIN AS 2022 RAPES.
OKAY, I HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN SONYA.
SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER, SETH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
UH, I GUESS YOU'RE GONNA STAND UP HERE ANYWAY.
[5. Authorize the City Manager to finalize and execute a 60-month lease agreement with EZ Go and PNC Equipment Finance through the National IPA in an amount not to exceed $561,927 – Robin Hyden ]
TALKING ABOUT THE GOLF CARTS NOW.YEAH, WE GO, UH, THEY KIND OF GO HAND IN HAND.
SO ITEM FIVE IS AUTHORIZED CITY MANAGERS TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE A 60 MONTH LEASE AGREEMENT WITH EASY GO AND PNC EQUIPMENT FINANCE, UH, THROUGH THE NATIONAL IPA.
ANY AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $561,927.
ROBIN, ROBIN, OR WHO WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT? WHAT'S A YEAH, NO, AGAIN, I MEAN, AS I JUST MENTIONED, I THINK THEY, THEY KIND OF GO HAND IN HAND AND THAT WAS PART OF THE THINKING AND, AND INTRODUCING A RATE INCREASE IN CONJUNCTION WITH BRINGING A NEW AMENITY OR THE NEW FLEET.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, THE RATE INCREASE CERTAINLY, UM, SUPPORTS BETTER AMENITIES AND, AND HAVING THE NEW GOLF CARTS CERTAINLY SUPPORTS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WILL, WILL HELP, UH, ALLOW THE RATE INCREASE TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE PALATABLE FOR, FOR PEOPLE.
THE, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE GETTING FOR THE EXTRA MONEY, AND I KNOW THAT'S A CONCERN.
UM, I SPOKE WITH EAZY GO TODAY.
UM, THEIR PRODUCTION COST OF INCREASED ABOUT 35% OVER THE LAST 24 TO 30 MONTHS IN LINE WITH COVID SUPPLY CHAIN.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE FIGHTING, YOU KNOW, EVEN HAD WE, HAD WE GONE APPLES TO APPLES AND GOT THE EXACT SAME FLEET CAR THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY AND HAVE HAD FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE STILL WOULD'VE BEEN PAYING QUITE A BIT MORE THAN WE WERE PAYING FOUR YEARS AGO.
UM, ANOTHER FACTOR IS THE INTEREST RATES WERE AT 7%.
WE WERE AT 5.5%, UH, FOUR YEARS AGO.
UM, WE ARE GETTING AN UPGRADED GOLF CART, THE RX V MODEL VERSUS THE TXT MODEL WITHOUT BORING YOU.
UM, THE RX V HAS AN AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM.
UM, IT IS, UM, AN INDUCTION BRAKING SYSTEM BASICALLY, AND AN INDUCTION MOTOR.
SO THERE ARE NO BRAKE CABLES, NO ACCELERATOR BOX, AND FAR FEWER METAL PARTS ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE GOLF CART.
THE REASON THAT'S IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON OVER THE LAST 12 TO 18 MONTHS, REPAIRING BRAKE CABLES THAT HAVE RUSTED AND SNAPPED, REPAIRING RUSTED OUT ACCELERATOR BOXES.
UM, WE'RE GETTING LITHIUM BATTERIES VERSUS LEAD BATTERIES.
THEY'RE ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFER.
UM, SIGNIFICANT COST INCREASE PROBABLY AT 30% ROUGHLY.
UM, ACCORDING TO THE INDUSTRY AND MY BIT, MY EXPERIENCE, UM, IN TERMS OF THE ELECTRICITY THAT'S CONSUMED IN THE AMOUNT OF CHARGING TIME THAT THE CARDS TAKE, THEY'RE SAFER TO WORK AROUND.
YOU DON'T HAVE BATTERY ACID POTENTIAL EMPLOYEE, UM, YOU KNOW, INJURY, UH, FILLING BATTERIES UP WITH WATER, NO LONGER HAVE TO DO THAT.
THE BATTERIES HAVE A FIVE YEAR WARRANTY.
AND THAT'S THE REASON, PART OF THE REASON WE, WE RECOMMENDED IT A 60 MONTH, UH, WARRANTY OR A 60 MONTH LEASE TERM INSTEAD OF A 48 MONTH LEASE TERM.
UM, YOU KNOW, GOING TO A 48 MONTH LEASE TERM WOULD ELEVATE OUR PAYMENT EVEN MORE SO.
SO WE FELT LIKE BECAUSE THE CARTS ARE, UH, WARRANTIED FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT AND
[01:25:01]
MOST EXPENSIVE COMPONENT OF THE CART BEING THE BATTERY PACK, UH, WARRANTIED FOR THAT AMOUNT OF TIME THAT, THAT WE'RE COMFORTABLE, UM, EXTENDING THE LEASE FOR THAT, FOR THAT TIME PERIOD AS WELL.UM, WE ALSO DID A, WHAT THEY CALL AN E COATING OR A POWDER COATING ON ALL OF THE METAL PARTS ON THE GOLF CART.
SO SALT, AIR AND HUMIDITY ARE KILLERS.
AND IF YOU WENT AND LOOKED AT OUR GOLF CART FLEET RIGHT NOW, YOU'D SEE WHAT FOUR YEARS OF UNPROTECTED, YOU KNOW, METAL LOOKS LIKE WITH SALT AIR AND HUMIDITY AND LIVING IN A CART BARN WITHOUT HUMIDITY CONTROL OR, OR ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MUCH BETTER PRODUCT OR RETURN RIGHT AT THE END OF THE LEASE.
WE'RE GONNA GET MORE CREDIT BACK AS A RESULT OF THAT, THAT'LL ROLL INTO OUR NEXT LEASE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY GOLF CARTS ARE CRITICAL.
WE WILL SPEND ABOUT 110, $112,000 A YEAR ON THIS LEASE.
CONSERVATIVELY WILL MAKE $200,000 ON THAT REVENUE STREAM.
UM, SO IT IS AGAIN, CONSERVATIVELY AN 85 TO $90,000 A YEAR PROFIT AFTER PAYING ALL LEASE PAYMENTS.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S A NECESSARY THING.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO A, A REVENUE STREAM AND A REVENUE CENTER.
AND, UM, SO OUR PAST LEASE WAS A 48 MONTH, NOW WE, YOU WANT TO GO TO A 60? WE ARE LOOKING AT A 60 MONTH LEASE.
AND, AND THAT'S MY CONCERN BECAUSE IN 60 MONTHS THESE CARDS ARE GONNA LOOK LIKE PRETTY BAD CUZ PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THE GOLF COURT AND GOLF CARTS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY PUT 'EM OUT FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, A TOURNAMENT, THEY PUSH 'EM ALL ACROSS EACH OTHER, THEY BUMP 'EM ACROSS EACH OTHER AND THEY'RE GONNA LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IN, IN 60 MONTHS.
AND I DON'T WANT YOU COMING TO THE COUNCIL AND SAYING, HEY, THESE CARDS, YOU KNOW, UH, AFTER FOUR YEARS THEY LOOK LIKE CRAP.
SO I, I PROMISE YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THAT'S MY JOB TO MANAGE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE WEAR AND TEAR ON THE CARTS IS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY LIKE YOU SAY THINGS ARE GONNA HAPPEN.
THAT, THAT, THAT IS, THAT IS ACCURATE.
UM, BUT BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE BUILT-IN, UM, PROTECTIONS HERE WITH THE, THE POWDER COATING, THE, YOU KNOW, THE LITHIUM BATTERIES, SOME OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE GOLF CARTS, I'M CONFIDENT THAT THEY'RE GONNA HOLD UP BETTER.
UM, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF THEM AND, YOU KNOW, THERE IS ALWAYS AN OPTION WITH EASY GO TO ROLL THE LEASE EARLY AT NO PENALTY TO THE CITY.
SO IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT IN FOUR YEARS.
BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT OUR CARTS WILL LOOK BETTER IN FIVE YEARS THAN THEY LOOK TODAY AFTER FOUR YEARS.
THE ONLY PART ROLLING IN IS YOU'RE LOCKED INTO WHAT EASY GLOBAL PROVIDES.
SO YOU CAN'T GO SHOP FOR A BETTER LEASE FROM ANYBODY THE IF WE'RE GONNA ROLL THE LEASE EARLY.
BUT, SO, AND WE, AND WE'VE HAD THAT PROBLEM SINCE WE, YOU KNOW, AFTER WE GOT OUT OUR, IN OUR INITIAL TIME WHEN WE OPENED THE GOLF COURSE, WE OWNED THE FLEET AND, AND WE DECIDED THAT WASN'T A GOOD IDEA.
AND PLUS IT'S TOUGH TRYING TO SELL 75, YOU KNOW, CARDS WHEN YOU'RE FROM THE PRIVATE.
SO WE SWITCHED TO THE, TO THE LEASE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I DO HAVE RESERVATIONS, YOU KNOW, LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE ON THE 60, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, HISTORY HAS BEEN, THE BATTERIES HAVEN'T GIVEN US THE MOST TROUBLE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE FIRST REASON WHY YOU WANTED TO DO THE LEASE.
SO I'M HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, SWITCHING HERE, UH, THAT MATT'S RIGHT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A, YOU KNOW, THAT GIVES US A PAUSE.
I MEAN, OUR REASON TO GO TO THE 60, UM, MATT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, PROPOSED, THEY HAD ANOTHER LEASE OPTION HERE THAT I DECLINED AND SAID, WE'LL BRING IT TO COUNCIL DURING THE SUMMER.
AND IT WAS A GPS TRACKING ON, YOU KNOW, ONTO THE CARTS, BUT THAT CAME AT A SIGNIFICANT, YOU KNOW, COST, YOU KNOW, $181,000.
THAT DOES HELP, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF TRACK THE HOURS ON THE COURSES, I MEAN ON THE CARDS AND MOVE THEM AROUND ALSO KEEPS THEM FROM GOING INTO CERTAIN AREAS AND TEARING THEM UP.
BUT I THOUGHT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO STUDY A LITTLE BIT MORE AND PRESENT TO YOU IN THE BUDGET IF WE REALLY THINK THAT WE CAN COVER THAT COST AND WHAT THE BENEFIT IS.
VERSUS RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO JUST STAY PAT WITH, UM, WHAT WE DO NORMALLY AND REPLACE THE FLEET CAUSE IT'S DUE
WHEN WILL THESE GOLF CARTS BE READY TO GO? WHEN WILL, WELL, AND THAT IS, THAT, THAT'S THE LITTLE BIT OF THE, OF THE URGENCY FROM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IS THAT, AND AGAIN, WITHOUT BO, YOU EASY GO HAS, HAS A QUEUE AND OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE SERVING GOLF COURSES ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY.
SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, IF I CAN GET THE LEASE DOCUMENTS APPROVED AND SIGNED AND RETURNED TO ZY O BY NEXT MONDAY, WE'LL RECEIVE OUR FLEET IN MAY.
THEY, UH, JIM NEWTON, THE SALES, UH, MANAGER THAT I SPOKE WITH TODAY AT ZY O SAID, IF I DON'T GET
[01:30:01]
THEM BACK BY NEXT MONDAY, HE SAID, I, I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU IT'LL BE JUNE.HE SAID, AT SOME POINT MY MANAGER, MY PRODUCTION MANAGER IS GONNA SAY, IF WE CAN'T GET THESE LEASE DOCS SIGNED, WE HAVE TO SHUFFLE THEM BACK TO THE BACK OF THE, OF THE PRODUCTION QUEUE, WHICH IS 12 TO 14 MONTHS.
THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE DISASTER AS I, SO HAVE WE DONE, SO HAVE WE DONE OUR RESEARCH WITH, UH, OTHER GOLF COURSE OUR SIZE, THE, THE FOUR YEARS COMPARED TO THE FIVE? YES.
IN FACT, THE, THE COURSE THAT I CAME FROM AND TYLER HAD THE, THE RX V CART THAT WE'RE GETTING WITH THE LITHIUM BATTERY, UH, WE WERE ROUGHLY FOUR YEARS INTO THAT LEASE WHEN I LEFT A YEAR AGO.
THEY COMPLETED THEIR FIVE YEAR LEASE WITH NO PROBLEMS. THEY JUST GOT NEW CARTS ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
AND THESE LITHIUM BATTERIES ARE NO CAUSE OF FIRES AND STUFF LIKE YOU HEARING CURRENTLY ON OTHER EQUIPMENT THAT NONE THAT I HAVE HEARD, SIR.
NO, NONE THAT I HAVE HEARD OF, NOT HAD ANY, NO ISSUES.
THEY'VE BEEN, AGAIN, UH, BY ALL ACCOUNTS, SAFER, MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND THERE IS SOME COST SAVINGS TO THE FACILITY IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, FOUR HOUR CHARGE TIME VERSUS SIX TO EIGHT HOUR AND LESS, LESS POWER, UH, IS USED OR DRAWN TO FULLY CHARGED THE, THE BATTERIES AS WELL.
SO THERE'LL BE SOME SAVINGS OVER TIME IN THAT REGARD AS WELL.
HOW ABOUT REPLACING THOSE BATTERIES? WILL THEY HAVE SOME HERE STORED FOR US TO REPLACE 'EM IF THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED? UH, WELL IF THEY, IF THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED.
I MEAN THERE IS A LOCAL EASY GO DISTRIBUTOR THAT IS CLOSE BY.
YEAH, THERE'S ONE IN ALVIN I BELIEVE.
AND, AND, UH, SO IF WE WERE, SO IT'S A QUICK TURNAROUND E EXACTLY.
AND, AND THAT IS AGAIN, A HUNDRED PERCENT WARRANTIED FOR THE ENTIRE LIFE, LIFE OF THE LEASE.
SO SHOULD WE HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH BATTERIES, IT'LL BE AT ZERO COST TO, TO THE CITY.
UM, THEY'LL REPLACE THOSE NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
THE EASY GO TECHSTRONG GOLF COMPANIES WHO WERE LEASED WITH NOW.
EASY GO THROUGH NATIONAL IPA, SAME OR A DIFFERENT COMPANY? SAME, SAME COMPANY.
DID WE HAVE ANY CREDIT FROM THE LEASE WE'RE COMING OUT OF INTO THE NEW LEASE WITH THE SAME COMPANY? YES.
AND IN FACT, WHICH WAS THAT THE CREDIT HAS BEEN APPLIED.
UM, LET ME DO THE EXACT TRY AND FIND THAT EXACT NUMBER HERE.
IF I DON'T, IF I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER, I CAN CERTAINLY GET IT FOR YOU, BUT I MAY NEED TO CONTACT EASY GO.
UM, THERE IS ALWAYS A, A CREDIT APPLIED WHEN EVER RELEASE IS IS TURNED AROUND.
UM, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T ALWAYS INDICATE EXACTLY WHAT THAT AMOUNT IS, BUT I, YEAH, I'M SEEING A CREDIT FOR OUR WORK VEHICLES, OF WHICH OUR RANGE PICKER, OUR BEVERAGE CARDS, UM, THE GAS POWERED VEHICLES OF $25,000, BUT I'M NOT SEEING THE FLEET, THE FULL FLEET CREDIT, UM, REPRESENTED HERE.
UM, BUT I CAN GET THAT, I CAN GET THAT NUMBER TO, TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UH, BY TOMORROW.
I COULD CERTAINLY GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU.
SO 25 K FOR THE GAS STUFF, YOU THINK IT WAS THE CREDIT WE GOT WAS THE CREDIT WE GOT FOR THE GAS POWERED VEHICLES.
I, YEAH, IF IT'S A DECENT AMOUNT, I'M OKAY WITH IT.
IF IT'S JUST PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR OF 500 GRAND, THEN WE'RE DOING A LOT WITH UNDERCOATING AND ALL OF THAT TO HOPE THAT WE GET A CREDIT, BUT THEN WE DON'T GET A CREDIT THAT'S WORTH ANYTHING.
I THINK WE'RE A WASTE OF MONEY, BUT IF IT'S A DECENT AMOUNT, I'M OKAY WITH IT.
I'LL GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU ALL.
AND THE 6.997% FINANCING IS THE BEST WE CAN GET FOR A 61 CARD, A 75 CARDS THAT, THAT, THAT WAS THE BEST THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE.
AND, AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN CERTAINLY PURSUE OUR OWN FINANCING, BUT EASY GO WILL WILL ONLY RUN NATIONAL ACCOUNTS WITH THEIR FINANCING THROUGH PNC.
UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO SECURE OUR OWN FINANCING.
I D I DON'T KNOW, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S KIND OF THE, ABOUT WHAT THE GOING RATES ARE FOR, FOR ANY TYPE OF LOAN OF THAT SIZE OR OF THAT SCOPE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IF WE GO DOWN THAT ROAD, WE, WE PRETTY MUCH ARE, I MEAN EVEN WITH EASY GO, I MEAN WE, WE FINANCED THE PREVIOUS ONES WITH THEM AND WE FINANCING THESE, WE FINANCED THE SAME THREE PNC THE SAME, SAME BUSINESS.
SO THEY ARE TO GET BETTER RATES.
WELL, AND AND THAT'S, THAT'S A BETTER RATE COMPARED TO WHAT CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY A APPOINTED, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THERE'S, THERE'S THREE COMPANIES IN
[01:35:01]
THE WORLD THAT PRODUCE GOLF CARTS FOR, FOR GOLF FACILITIES.UM, SO AS MUCH AS WE'D LIKE TO THINK WE HAVE THE LEVERAGE, IT'S NOT EXACTLY REALLY THE CASE.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE KIND OF AT THEIR MERCY THAT WE ALL NEED GOLF CARTS AND WHETHER IT'S HAW CLUB CAR OR EASY GO, THEY'RE ALL, ALL OF THEIR PRODUCTION COSTS HAVE SKYROCKETED.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, A THAT WAS THE DILEMMA WE FACED, YOU KNOW, UH, 15 YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD THIS VERY INITIAL DISCUSSION WHEN WE MOVED OVER FROM THE LEASE WAS DO WE ISSUE A CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION, YOU KNOW, AT A LOWER RATE AND BUY THE VEHICLES AND THEN TRY TO SELL THEM LATER ON WHERE WE, WE JUST, WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO, WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO THAT ROUTE.
NOW I'VE DONE CAPITAL LEASES BEFORE AND YOU END UP PAYING MORE MONTHLY OBVIOUSLY TO GET TO WHERE YOU CAN BUY 'EM AT THE END OF THE LEASE.
UM, AND THEN LIKE MR. MUNO SAID, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO UNLOAD THEM FOR, YOU KNOW, AND GRANTED TO COUNCILMAN BLANCHARD'S POINT, EASY GO'S NOT GONNA GIVE US THE CREDIT.
IF I WENT OUT AND TRIED TO SELL EACH GOLF CART SEPARATELY OVER THE SEVERAL YEARS IT TOOK ME TO SELL 'EM, I COULD PROBABLY GET MORE THAN WHAT EASY GO'S GIVEN US IN CREDIT.
BUT THE BRAIN DAMAGE THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO TRY AND SELL 75 GOLF CARTS OF THE CONDITION THAT THEY'RE IN WOULD, YOU KNOW, BE DIMINISHING RETURN THERE.
MAKE A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE A 60 MONTH LEASE WITH EASY GO AND PNC EQUIPMENT FINANCE TO THE NATIONAL IPA IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $561,927.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION COUNSEL, COUNCIL MEMBER, SETH AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN ZHANNA.
ANY OPPOSE? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
[6. Approve resolutions authorizing the City Manager to finalize and execute a 60-month lease agreement with EZ Go and PNC Equipment Finance through the National IPA in an amount not to exceed $561,927 - Robin Hyden ]
SO NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEMS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.AS PART OF, YOU KNOW, AS A GOVERNMENT IN, IN THIS ACTION, THEY ALSO REQUIRE THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVAL RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING, YOU KNOW, SETTING, UM, I GUESS ESTABLISHING THAT WE'RE SETTING INSIDE THESE FUNDS AND COMMITTING IT SAYS THAT YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO IT, YOU'RE ABLE TO DO IT, AND THAT YOU'RE SETTING ASIDE THE FUNDS.
THAT'S WHAT IT, THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS.
AND THEN THERE'S ON THE, THERE'S A LITTLE CHART ON THE COUNCIL COMMUNICATION FOR EACH ONE, IT LOOKS LIKE SAYING HOW, WHICH FUNDS ARE BEING SET ASIDE, BUT THEY REQUIRED THIS.
SO THAT MODESTO JUST DOESN'T RANDOMLY SIGN A LEASE FOR $500,000.
THAT I COULDN'T PAY IN MY, THAT YOU COULDN'T PAY MYSELF.
YOU WANNA READ THE RESOLUTION, SIR? UH, THERE'S RESOLUTION TO BEGIN.
SORRY, I'M LOOKING FOR, TO SAVE IF THERE IS A SUMMARY HERE, THERE'S REALLY NO SUMMARY.
SO WHAT'S THE RESOLUTION? YEAH, SO RESOLUTION ONE IS FOR, UH, LEASING FOR THE AMOUNT OF APPROVING, UH, $484,605 OVER THE TERM OF 60 MONTHS.
AND THE SECOND RESOLUTION FOR THE FIVE UTILITY VEHICLES IS $77,322 OVER THE TERM OF 60 MONTHS.
SO IF SOMEBODY COULD MAKE A MOTION FOR THOSE TWO RESOLUTIONS THERE, THE RESOLUTION NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR PACKET.
THAT ONE WE PULLED AND I WAS PAYING ATTENTION WHEN YOU TOOK THAT.
THAT WAS, I MOVED IT VIA, WE AUTHORIZED APPROVED THOSE TWO RESOLUTIONS WE TALKED ABOUT.
SO IS RESOLUTION 23 R NINE 14 AND 23 R NINE 15? YES.
HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN SINNIA SECOND AND A SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BROUGHT US FAVOR, SAY AYE.
[7. Update on new business – David Walton ]
OKAY.MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INTERRUPTION IN THE BACK.
WOULD YOU DO FALL OUT A CHAIR? NO, NO.
I THOUGHT THE VOLUME WAS DOWN.
UH, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN NEXT TIME.
SO WE, UH, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN PRETTY SLOW.
WE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FOR NEW HOMES OVER ON WEAT.
WE DID GET THOSE BACK OUT, AND WEAT IS CRANKING RIGHT ALONG.
UM, AND, UH, AS FAR AS THAT'S CONCERNED, THAT'S REALLY ABOUT THE ONLY THING NEW ON THE, UM, NEW BUSINESS UPDATE.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
AND DAVID, UM, I SAW THE EMAIL COME ACROSS, UM, ENGINEERING, UH, THE MAYOR RECEIVED A COMPLAINT.
UH, ON THE, UM, DEBRIS ON THE ROAD ON, UM, WEE WEA.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT ENGINEERING'S BROUGHT THAT UP, YOU KNOW, TO THEM, SO
[01:40:01]
THEY'RE AWARE.UM, BUT YOU'RE ALSO GONNA ROLL THAT INTO INSPECTIONS ALSO.
DURING THE WEEK JUST TO LOOK AT IT IN BEFORE THEY CLOSE SHOP IN THE DAY.
WE DID HAVE AN INSPECTOR GO THROUGH TODAY AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE OTHER THING, YOU KNOW, THAT THE SITE STAYS CLEAN.
I THING IT'S A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING ABOUT THAT, IS THAT THEY HAD ORIGINALLY COME TO US ASKING US TO BE ALLOWED TO CLOSE THE ROAD, AND THEY DECIDED NOT TO CLOSE IT, BUT NOW THEY FILLED THE ROAD UP TO WHERE YOU CAN'T PASS IT THROUGH ANYWAY.
UH, AT LEAST, ESPECIALLY DURING THE DAY AND STUFF.
SO IF THEY DON'T WANT TO CLOSE THE ROAD, THEY STILL NEED TO MAKE IT, KEEP IT PASSABLE.
UH, XFINITY, UH, THEIR SIGNAGE ON THEIR WINDOWS IS THAT CODE.
WE DO NOT HAVE A REGULATION ABOUT WINDOWS SIGNAGE ITSELF.
WE DO COVER WHOLE, ALLOW SIGNAGE IN THE WINDOWS.
WE DO ALLOW 20% OF WALL AREA TO BE SIGNED.
SO BASICALLY ALL THE WINDOW IS SIGNED RIGHT NOW? YES.
AND, UH, IF YOU WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROVERBIAL CAVENDERS, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT YET.
AND THEN, UM, SEE WHAT ELSE? I HEARD LU IS GONNA STAY OPEN FOR LONG TIME, SO, WELL, WE DID GET A, A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION THAT, UH, DID NOT GO THROUGH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, BUT, UH, DID COME FROM, UM, UH, PROJECT VER NOW, SORRY, BUREAU VERRADO.
AND, UM,
UH, WE'LL, WE'LL PUT IT THROUGH THE, UH, CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AND WE'LL COMPLETE THAT.
SO, I MEAN, THINGS ARE MOVING ALONG WITH THAT, BUT IT, UH, UM, THEY ARE STILL OPEN.
SO IF YOU ENJOY LIVER AND ONIONS, YOU KNOW, PLEASE, PLEASE GO SEE THEM.
NOT QUITE MY, MY PLATE, BUT, UH, SOME PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DAVID? OKAY, THANKS VERY MUCH.
[8. City Manager Updates ]
MODESTO CITY MANAGER UPDATE.MILFORD, COULD YOU PLEASE BRING UP GOOGLE MAPS AND SHOW THE INTERSECTION OF SYCAMORE AND OYSTER CREEK DRIVE? SABRINA HAD GIVEN ME A ROUGH MAP AND I FORGOT TO GIVE IT TO SALLY TO PUT ON THERE, SO I'LL JUST TRY TO GUIDE YOU.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED OUR PANEL REPLACEMENT PROJECT IN SEVERAL AREAS, BUT THE LARGEST ONE WILL BE AT THE INTERSECTION OF OYSTER CREEK DRIVE AND SYCAMORE AND WILLOW.
UM, BUT IT'LL BE ON THE SYCAMORE SIDE, SO SABRINA WILL CORRECT ME IF, WHEN I'M WRONG, SABRINA WILL LET YOU RAMBLE ON.
SO WE'RE, OUR FIRST PHASE IS, YOU KNOW, TAKING THIS, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THE OUTER LANE AND AH, WELL THERE JUST ONE COPY.
WELL, YOU ONLY GAVE ME ONE COPY.
WELL, YOU CAN, THAT'S ALL I HAD.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS GONNA NEED SOME MORE COPIES, BUT FOR YOU TO, WE'LL PASS AROUND.
SO REALLY, UM, WE'RE CONSTRUCT, RECONSTRUCTING, YOU KNOW, THE INTER LANE, UH, THE OUTER LANE HERE, AND THEN A PORTION RIGHT HERE UNDER FIRST PHASE.
AND SO TRAFFIC WILL BE DIRECTED STILL.
IF YOU WANT TO HEAD TOWARDS THE COLLEGE, YOU'LL MOVE INTO, YOU KNOW, THE INTER LANE AND GO THROUGH, UH, DURING CONSTRUCTION.
UM, YOU COULD ALSO BE RE UM, YOU'LL STILL BE ABLE TO TURN HERE ON SYCAMORE ONTO SYCAMORE, UH, HERE, UH, HERE.
BUT YOU COULD ALSO, THERE WILL ALSO BE TRAFFIC TO GET YOU, UH, THROUGH POINT SITE IF YOU WANT TO MISS THAT IN TURN.
THE SECOND PHASE IS POSSIBLY A LITTLE MORE PROBLEMATIC.
IT'S NOW WE'RE RECONSTRUCTING THE OUTER LANE HERE, AND THEN THIS PORTION, UH, DOWN TO, I GUESS IT'S PROBABLY MAYBE THE FIRST PAST CHURCH, A LITTLE BIT PAST THE CHURCH.
UM, SHOULD BE RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THAT.
YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY IT'S, IT'S RIGHT HERE, SO IT'S PROBABLY RIGHT AT THE DRIVEWAY AND STUFF.
AND SO, UM, UH, YOU WOULD, YOU REALLY, YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO EXIT HERE.
SO YOU'LL, YOU'LL HAVE TO EXIT THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND OUT, UH, WHILE THAT'S BEING, UH, UH, BEING CONSTRUCTED.
WOULD THE TRAFFIC TO THE CHURCH BE BLOCKED OFF OR NO, THE TRAFFIC WON'T? UH, NO.
YOU'D STILL BE ABLE TO, TO PROBLEM, YOU'D STILL BE ABLE TO, TO GET IT.
WILL YOU BE ABLE TO STILL GET INTO THE CHURCH ON THAT DRIVEWAY DURING THAT CONSTRUCTION PHASE? YEAH, IT SHOULD STOP.
YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE INTERNET.
IT, IT, YEAH, YOU'D HAVE TO GO TO THE INTERNET.
[01:45:01]
MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT WHERE IT'S TIGHT, BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE BLOCKING ANYTHING AT THIS INTERSECTION.SO WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD KEEP YOU, IF YOU'RE GOING THIS WAY ON SYCAMORE TOWARD, AND YOU WANT TO TURN RIGHT, THIS IS GONNA BE GONE, BUT WHAT WILL KEEP YOU FROM TURNING, KEEP YOU FROM NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN INTO THE INNER LANE ON SYCAMORE AND KEEP YOUR TRAFFIC OUT OF NEIGHBORHOODS? THEY WILL HAVE THAT ALL BLOCKED SO THAT THEY CAN, CAN BE BLOCKED TOO.
SO THAT THEY CAN GET IN HERE AND DO THE REPAIRS AND THE WORK THAT THEY NEED.
SO WE HAVE A REROUTING OF, YOU KNOW, THROUGH HERE.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE SECOND PHASE IS PROBABLY THE MORE CHALLENGING, UH, ONE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND SABRINA TALKED TO ME, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE WENT OUT, BID SAYS, DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS
WE WERE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO PUSH THIS BACK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
UH, SO MAYBE TO CATCH SUMMER, BUT, UM, THE CONTRACTOR NEEDED TO MOVE SOONER THAN, UM, SO WHEN THEY DO, WE WOULD'VE VOTED WHEN THEY DO THIS SECTION.
SO IT IS JUST THIS SIDE OF SYCAMORE WILL BE BLOCKED, NOT THE OTHER SIDE.
SO THE, THIS BOUND FROM, WILL THAT BE COMPLETELY BLOCKED OFF? SO THAT WHOLE AREA.
YEAH, IF Y'ALL CAN JUST SEND US ALL, JUST DIGITIZE THESE AND SEND IT TO US.
THESE ARE MY LITTLE DRAWINGS, YOUR LITTLE DRAWING.
THEY'RE NOT VERY GOOD AT IT, SO WE WERE GONNA MAKE IT PRETTY.
UH, WE JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS COMING MARCH 20TH IN, SO THERE, THEY'VE, THEY'VE GIVEN US THE PRELIMINARY TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN.
WE NEEDED TO PRETTY, YOU KNOW, PRETTY IT UP.
SO IT'S LEGIBLE AND STUFF, BUT IT'S GETTING READY TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A HEADACHE.
UH, HOW LONG ARE WE THINKING THERE? RIGHT? WHAT'S THE TIMELINE, SABRINA, HAVE THEY GIVEN YOU THE TIMELINE FOR? THEY HAVE NOT GIVEN ME THE END TIMELINE.
EVERYTHING ELSE, WE ARE USING THE HIGH LOW CONCRETE, SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO OPEN IT UP ONCE WE, LIKE, IF WE POUR ON A MONDAY, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY OPEN LIKE ON A FRIDAY.
UH, DEPENDING ON WHAT, YOU KNOW, WEATHER COMES IN.
IT'S GONNA BE OUR TWO LIST ON THIS.
WELL, THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
DON'T HAVE ANY, HOPEFULLY WE WON'T HAVE ANY HICCUPS.
AS SOON AS WE CAN START COMMUNICATING INTO THE PUBLIC.
THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO AS SOON AS WE GET THE CLEANUP MAP AND STUFF.
WE'LL SEND THAT TO YOU SO YOU HAVE AN ADVANCED COPY OF IT.
UH, BUT WE'LL PUT THIS ON FACEBOOK.
UM, I WISH WE HAD SOME, WE'LL PUT UP SOME ADVANCED SIGNS, BUT THEY'RE NOT ELECTRONIC SIGNS.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY ELECTRONICS SIGNS THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION JUST, UH, TO START, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TALK TO, WE, WE, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TALK TO A DUDE FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND SEE IF WE CAN OKAY.
GET SOME, GET ELECTRONIC SIGNS BECAUSE THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S GONNA BE, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT, THAT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE THE OTHER ONES WHERE THEY'RE A SMALLER ONE.
JUST WHEN Y'ALL DID THAT STUFF, Y'ALL WERE DOING THE OTHER DAY, FILLING IN THE GAPS RIGHT THERE.
YEAH, WITH THE SCHOOL TRAFFIC, YOU HAD TRAFFIC BACKED UP ALL THE WAY TO YO POND IT WAS IN, AND THAT WAS FULLY, I MEAN, CUZ THIS STARTS ON A MONDAY, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA STILL CATCH PEOPLE OFF GUARD.
ARE WE GONNA HAVE ANY, UM, TRAFFIC CONTROL OF OFFICERS, ANYBODY OUT THERE TO KIND OF, NO, WE'RE USING SIGNAGE AND MATILDA AND MATILDA IS HANDLING ALL OF THAT.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET, LIKE I SAID, ONCE WE PRESENTED THIS TO YOU GUYS TONIGHT, UH, I'M GONNA WORK WITH LAURA MARIE TOMORROW AND SHE'S ALREADY AWARE AND IS GONNA MAKE THIS LOOK NICER AND A, AND A CLEANER VERSION THAN WHAT I'VE DONE.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL BE POSTING IT JUST AS SOON AS WE GET THAT DONE.
AND I HAVE ALREADY GONE OUT TO NOT THESE LOCATIONS HERE, BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY RESIDENTS PER SE, THAT I CAN GO TO AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, WE'RE GONNA, BUT ALL THE OTHER LOCATIONS I'VE ALREADY GONE AND SPOKE WITH ALL THE RESIDENTS, SPOKE WITH ANY BUSINESSES THAT MIGHT BE IMPACTED ON THAT, UH, I WILL GET WITH THE CHURCH AND LET THEM KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, BUT IT SHOULD NOT IMPACT ON THEM.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALL THE DIFFERENT BLOCKS THAT WE'RE GONNA IMPACT ON THIS SIDE AND LET THEM KNOW.
CUZ THE OTHER CONCERN IS YOU'RE GONNA ROUTE PEOPLE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH IS TOUGH, BUT WHEN THEY COME UP, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT ROADS OVER HERE THAT THEY'RE GONNA COME OUT OF MOSS.
AND THERE'S NO TRAFFIC SIGNAL.
SO WITH ALL THE TRAFFIC ON OCD, THOSE PEOPLE MAY GET STUCK THERE, NOT ABLE TO GET OUT ONTO OCD.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CIRCUS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CUZ THE LIGHT AT SMORE IS WHAT LETS THEM GO.
WE'LL TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AND SEE IF WE CAN NOTIFY.
IT'S, WE'LL PROBABLY SEE IF WE CAN USE THE, UM, NOTIFICATION SYSTEM JUST TO LET THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONSTRUCTION START AND THEN WHERE THEY CAN SEE THE, THE ALTERNATIVE TRAFFIC PLAN ONCE WE, SO THEY'RE AWARE.
I THINK WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IS, IS THAT WE, ONCE WE SEE WHERE TRAFFIC WILL FLOW, SEE
[01:50:01]
WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING, AND THEN IF WE HAVE TO, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, FOR CERTAIN HOURS OF THE DAY, WE MAY HAVE TO HAVE A PATROL OFFICER OUT THERE DIRECTING TRAFFIC, PUT A FOUR-WAY STOP THERE OR SOMETHING JUST TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE.SO WE'LL JUST HAVE TO MONITOR IT AND SEE THE FIRST PHASE IS THE EASIER ONE.
IT'S THE SECOND PHASE THAT COMES LONG HARRIED.
WELL THANKS FOR GIVING US THAT WARNING.
[9. Construction Updates ]
RIGHT.SO WE HAVE, UH, GENERAL CONSTRUCTIONS UPDATE DEMAND THAT CAN MAKE CONCRETE CURE IN ONE DAY, THREE DAYS, THREE DAYS.
THE, UH, THE, UH, DOWNTOWN PROJECT, WHICH IS PRIMARILY THE ONE THAT HAS BEEN IN THE BOOKS FOR SUCH A, SUCH A LONG TIME, ALL THE CONCRETE, ALL THE MAIN CONCRETE HAS BEEN POURED OUT TODAY.
SO EVERYTHING NOW IS GONNA BE DEPENDENT ON THE, UH, SUBCONTRACTORS PRIMARILY, UH, ALL THE MAJOR EQUIPMENT IS GONNA BE GOING OUT.
UH, THERE'S GOING TO JUST GONNA BE THE, UH, JUST THE SUPERINTENDENT THERE ON THE JOB THAT IS GONNA BE LOOKING AT THE SUBCONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS BEING PRIMARILY THE, UH, SIDEWALK PEOPLE THAT ARE ALSO A LITTLE BIT SLOW ON THEIR, ON THEIR DELIVERY.
AND, UH, AND UH, JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF BRICK WORK THAT'S GONNA BE, THAT REMAINS AND THE, UH, AND THE, UH, LANDSCAPING AND THE IRRIGATION AND THE LIGHTING AND THE, AND THE, UH, THE, UH, BUS STOPS, THE BUS, UH, SHELTERS.
SO THOSE ARE THE ITEMS THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE SEEING THERE.
IT'S GONNA BE BROADLY TAKE SOME TIME.
THE MAJOR POINT, THE MAJOR ITEM OF WORK STILL LEFT ON IN THE SIDEWALK SIDE OF THINGS IS GONNA BE THE NORTH PARKING PLACE, UH, TERRACE THERE, THE LITTLE MISING THERE GOING UP FROM THE, UH, FROM THE PAVEMENT.
RIGHT? SO THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, THE MEASURE WORK THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE SEEING MO MOST OF THE TRAFFIC FLOW IS GONNA BE OPEN FOR, FOR ACTUAL TRAFFIC FLOW AND PARKING.
HAS THE CURB BEEN POURED ON? THE CURB HAS NOT BEEN POURED ON, ON THAT WAY YET, ON THE FINAL PORTION OF THAT WAY.
UM, THAT WILL PROBABLY BE COMING IN EITHER TOMORROW OR NEXT DAY.
SO, UH, THAT IS GONNA BE THE EXTENT OF THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT.
WE ARE ALSO PUTTING BIDS OUT ON THE, UH, THE, UH, THE NEXT MAJOR PROJECT IS GONNA BE THE SHADY OAKS STREET PROJECT THAT IS COMING IN, UH, ALREADY.
UH, WE HAVE REVIEWED THE LAST, THE LAST REVIEW ON THOSE SET OF PLAN.
SO SHORTLY WE'LL BE OUT FOR BIDS ON THAT PROJECT.
WE ARE ALSO PUTTING OUT THE, UH, THE, UH, THE, UH, ROAD TO THE, UH, CHIPPING SITE.
WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING THAT ROAD WE ARE ADVERTISING WITHIN NEXT, STARTING NEXT WEEK.
WE'RE ADVERTISING TWICE, AND THEN WE'RE GOING, YOU KNOW, THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE, UH, OPEN BIDS ON THE PROJECT.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, SIGN OFF OR NOT SIGN OFF.
WE HAVE APPROVED THE PLANS FOR THE EXTENSION OF, UH, AZALEA, UH, THROUGH, UH, THROUGH THAT, UH, HEB PROPERTY THAT HAS NOT BEEN YET, UH, AGREED TO, UH, STILL OPEN IN THE AGREEMENT WITH THE, UH, CREDIT UNION.
BUT WE HAVE WORKED OUR SIDE OF THINGS AS FAR AS REVIEWING THE PLANS.
AND THEY ARE READY NOW TO BE PUT OUT FOR COSTING, UH, WITH THEIR CONTRACTOR.
WE WILL NOT ACCEPT THAT UNTIL, UNTIL EVERYTHING IS, UH, IS APPROVED.
AND, UH, THE RIGHT OF WAY IS, IS ALSO, UH, DEDICATED, WHICH HASN'T YET.
DOW HAS CALLED, HAS, UH, ASKED SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THE, UH, THE EVENTUAL, UH, RIGHT AWAY.
THEY ARE ALSO ASKING, I MEAN, THEY'RE WANTING TO COME IN AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEIR DEAL IS WITH, UH, WITH THE, UH, WITH VERNER WHEN THE CLOSING COMES.
ONCE IT DOES THAT, THEN THAT'LL BE COMING IN FOR PLANNING ALONG WITH THE PROPERTIES, UH, THEIR PROPERTY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S, UH, EITHER TWO MORE PROPERTIES THAT ARE THE ONES THAT ARE BEING, UH, NEGOTIATED HERE WITH THE CITY.
SO ONCE WE COMPLETE THIS DOWNTOWN PHASE HERE, ONE WHERE WE GET STARTED ON THE NEXT PHASE, UH, IT'S NOT EVEN PLANNED.
THERE AREN'T ANY, THERE AREN'T ANY NEXT FACES YET.
THAT'S WHERE I, I'LL HAVE A BREAK.
[01:55:01]
ALL RIGHT.ANYTHING ELSE? NO, THAT'LL BE IT.
ANY QUESTIONS OTHER THAN THAT? ALL RIGHT, THANKS.
[ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST ]
RIGHT.WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST.
RONDA, UH, WE HAD TWO THINGS FROM THE KEEP, UH, LAKE JACKSON BEAUTIFUL.
THERE'S GONNA BE AN ELECTRONICS, UM, WASTE SHREDDING IF YOU WILL, UH, WITH KEEP BRAZORIA COUNTY BEAUTIFUL.
UH, IT'LL BE FROM 9:00 AM TO 12, AND IT'LL BE AT THE FAIR GROUNDS.
SO YOU CAN TAKE ALL OF YOUR ELECTRONICS THERE TO GET THOSE, UH, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO DISPOSE OF THEM.
AND THEN WE WILL BE DOING, UH, THE KEEP.
HAS PARTNERED WITH TEXAS GULF BANK FOR QUITE A WHILE, LIKE TWICE A YEAR.
UH, THERE'LL BE PAPER SHREDDING AND THAT IS SCHEDULED ON APRIL 15TH, TAX DAY.
GOOD DAY TO SHRED ALL YOUR DOCUMENTS.
UM, AND THAT WILL BE FROM 8:00 AM TILL 1130.
AND THAT HAS BEEN BEING HELD OVER IN THE REC CENTER PARKING LOT.
SO, UM, THEY'VE GOT A, THEY'VE GOT THAT DOWN TO A SCIENCE.
SO YOU CAN BRING YOUR, I THINK UP TO THREE BIG BOXES AND SHOW YOUR PAPERS COME EARLY.
MR. BRAAS? NOTHING FROM ME, MR. MAYOR.
MR. MAYOR, I DO HAVE ONE THING.
UH, THE, I'M NOT SURE YOU GUYS ARE AWARE OF THAT, BUT, UH, A A R P FOUNDATION TAX AID FOUNDATION PROVIDES, UH, FREE TAX PREPARATION FOR PEOPLE AT THE LIBRARIES HERE IN BRAZORIA COUNTY ON MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY.
AND LAKE JACKSON IS ON THURSDAY.
BRAZORIA IS ON MONDAY, EXCUSE ME, TUESDAY.
AND, UH, WEDNESDAY IS IN ANGLETON.
YOU CAN, PEOPLE CAN GO THERE AND GET FREE TAXES DONE.
AND, UH, SO, AND IF YOU KNOW THAT NEEDS HELP WITH THEIR INCOME TAXES, PLEASE UH, SEND THEM.
ONE OTHER THING, IT'S A FREE SERVICE.
THEY DON'T CHARGE ANYTHING AND ELECTRONICALLY FILE FOR YOU.
NO, ROBIN, UH, IF YOU CAN GET WITH, UH, MEGAN AND TELL, UH, THAT THERE WAS A GREAT SUCCESS ON THE SENIOR FEST.
THEY HAD A GREAT TURNOUT AND, UH, THAT THEY DONE A GREAT JOB.
SHE HAD A LOT OF SENIORS OUT THERE.
RHONDA RO ROBIN, HOW ARE TICKET SALES ON THE, A ADULT EASTER? WE STILL HAVE SOME LEFT.
WE DID HAVE A LINE SATURDAY, BUT WE STILL HAVE SOME LEFT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT THEY SOLD OUT EARLY, SO, OKAY.
I WAS GONNA SAY KEVIN TICKETS.
AND WE HAVE FOOD TRUCK FULL THIS SATURDAY.
WHAT THE TIME ON THAT ALL DAY? I THINK IT'S FROM 10.
UH, REAL QUICK, UH, THIS WEEKEND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO THROW THE FIRST BALL OUT FOR LITTLE LEAGUE, UH, FOR OPENING DAY.
UH, THIS IS THE, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER AND IF I TELL YOU A NUMBER, IT WOULD BE WRONG.
YES, I DID MAKE CROSS PLATE, BUT I, I WASN'T ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE MOUND, SO THERE'S TOO MANY PEOPLE AROUND.
AND I COMPLAINED THAT I COULDN'T REALLY PITCH AS GOOD BECAUSE THEY OUTLAWED THE ROCK, THE BABY.
SO ANYWAY, I HAD TO HAVE AN EXCUSE OTHER THAN I HAVEN'T THROWN A BASEBALL IN 20 YEARS SINCE MY SON GOT OUTTA THE PROGRAM.
BUT ANYWAY, THE PROGRAM IS HUGE THIS YEAR.
UH, AND AGAIN, UH, I'D HATE, I DON'T WANNA SAY THE NUMBERS, BUT IT'S, IT'S HUGE.
THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED AND THEY BROUGHT THE SENIOR LEAGUE IN.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN OUR AREA THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, LITTLE LEAGUE SENIOR BALL.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN BABE RUTH IS WHERE THE OLDER KIDS HAVE GONE TO.
SO THEY, THEY BROUGHT THAT IN AND THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S FIVE, FOUR OR FIVE SENIOR, UH, SENIOR LEAGUE, UH, TEAMS. UH, THE OTHER THING IS, UM, UH, WE'VE GOT NOTIFICATION, UH, FROM DOO THAT, UH, THEY ARE OPENING UP THE MEDICAL DRIVE GATE AGAIN, AND IT'S ALREADY BEEN OPENING AND IT'S GONNA BE OP, THEY'RE GONNA BE USING THAT GATE UNTIL POLY SEVEN CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE.
WHICH IS, IT'S SAYING HERE'S APPROXIMATELY TWO PLUS YEARS.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE, AGAIN, WE STILL HAVE, YEAH.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT OUR DAYTIME POPULATION GROWS CONSIDERABLY AND IT'S, UH, A LOT OF IT'S BECAUSE OF ALL THE CONSTRUCTION THAT, UH, STILL CONTINUES TO HAPPEN OUT IN THE, UH, UH, INDUSTRIAL COMPLEXES AND STUFF.
THE OTHER THING IS TOMORROW IS Y WE'RE ALL RECEIVED NOTICE.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE IS GOING, BUT WE HAVE THE
[02:00:01]
MEETING TOMORROW AT THE CIVIC CENTER STARTING AT ONE FOR THE HARRIS RESERVOIR EXPANSION PROJECT.SO I'LL BE GOING THAT MODESTO AND, AND, UH, AGAIN, IF Y'ALL WERE GOING, Y'ALL NEEDED TO REPLY BACK TO MODESTO SO WE MAKE SURE IF WE HAD A QUO, WE HAD TO POST IT.
WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT IN TIME THIS MEETING IS MORE TO FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, THE MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC.
WE'LL BRING, ONCE WE HAVE THAT, WE'LL BRING THAT TO YOU SO YOU'LL SEE, YOU KNOW, THE FULL PROJECT SCOPE AGAIN, UH, AND THEN, UM, OUR TALKING POINTS.
MODESTO, YOU GOT ANYTHING? NO, I DON'T STAFF ANYTHING ELSE? NO, SIR.