[00:00:03]
[Call to Order]
GO AHEAD AND OPEN TONIGHT'S MEETING.UH, THIS IS, UH, CITY COUNCIL LAKE, CITY OF LAKE JACKSON, UH, REGULAR SESSION.
I BEGIN AT 6:30 PM UH, THIS IS MONDAY, JUNE 5TH, 2023.
AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE BY COUNCIL MEMBER SETH.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG THE UNITED STATES NATION, LIBERTY, LIBERTY, HONOR, THE TEXAS FLAG PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE, AN INVISIBLE, AND, UH, INVOCATION WILL BE LED BY DEACON ROGERS NICHOLS.
IF YOU WANT TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE, SIR, COME ON.
ANY FATHER WE COME TO YOU TODAY.
LORD, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS BLESSED DAY THAT YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR US.
AND LORD, AS WE GET READY FOR THIS MEETING, PLEASE PUT US ALL ON THE WATER ACCORD.
AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HANDS OF PROTECTION IN THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON.
IT LEAST BEST SAID, DONE YOUR SON JESUS' NAME.
[VISITOR COMMENTS]
COMMENTS IS AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE, UH, MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE, UH, COULD COME AND SPEAK TO COUNCIL ABOUT ANY ITEM THAT'S NOT ON THE, UH, REGULAR AGENDA.IS THERE ANYONE OTHER THAN JOHN BAKER'S WIFE THAT WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING?
TODAY IS GENTLEMAN JOHN BAKER'S BIRTHDAY, AND I JUST THANK GOD FOR HIM.
AND SO YOU'VE GOT SOME OF YOUR CHURCH FAMILY WITH YOU YES.
WE'RE NOT GONNA ASK Y'ALL TO SING OR NOTHING LIKE THAT.
APPRECIATE, THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING.
SO IS ANYONE, UH, ELSE THAT HAS SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT, UH, ON VISITOR'S COMMENTS? OOPS.
IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, NEXT ITEM IS
[PRESENTATIONS]
PRESENTATION.SO WE FIRST, UH, ITEM WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IS THE PRESENTATION IS GONNA BE UPDATE ON CURRENT AND FUTURE AREA SURFACE WATER SUPPLY AND STORAGE FROM BWA.
JUST GO AHEAD AND GIVE Y'ALL'S NAMES AND WE NOW SPEAK.
NAME'S RONNIE WOODRUFF FROM GENERAL MANAGER OF BRA PORT WATER AUTHORITY.
AND I'M TIM FILLING AT DOW CHEMICAL.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH Y'ALL AGAIN TONIGHT.
IT'S ALWAYS, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO COME TO LAKE JACKSON OUT.
THIS IS ONE OF THE CITIES I DO ENJOY COMING TO
UM, MOST OF Y'ALL PROBABLY HAVE REALIZED THAT WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT TWO MONTHS WORTH OF STORAGE CURRENTLY IN THE BRAZORIA HARRIS RESERVOIR.
UH, THE STATE REC, THE STATE RECOMMENDS, UH, THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST 120 DAYS WORTH OF STORAGE.
THE MODELING DONE BY DOW AND THE STATE ALSO SUGGESTS REALLY SIX MONTHS WORTH OF STORAGE.
WHEN I SAID WE HAVE TWO MONTHS WORTH OF STORAGE, I'M TALKING ABOUT BWA DOW AND ALL THE INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS HERE IN, IN THE BRAZO PORT AREA.
SO LAST YEAR, ABOUT THIS TIME, I GOT A CALL FROM THE WATER MASTER IN WACO STATING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO, UH, SUSPEND WATER RIGHTS FOR, UH, EVERYBODY FROM 19 WITH A 1960 PERMIT.
TO DATE, WELL BWA A'S PERMIT IS A 1960.
WE WERE OFF OF OUR WATER SUPPLY FOR FIVE MONTHS.
WE DEPENDED ON DOW AND THE RESERVE WATER TO SPOT WATER THAT THEY PURCHASED.
AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT GOT US THROUGH LAST MONTH, LAST YEAR, EXCUSE ME.
UH, WE WERE IN A LITTLE BETTER SHAPE LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME AS FAR AS RESERVOIR STORAGE IN THE WHOLE BASIN.
WE'RE A LITTLE BEHIND THAT WE HAVE GAINED SOME IN IN THE RECENT WEEKS BECAUSE OF THE RAINFALL IN THE CENTRAL BASIN.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE AND GET US UP TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
WE'RE STILL SEEING FLOW COMING DOWN THE RIVER, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT CONTINUES.
BUT THIS IS TEXAS AND THAT'S THE BRASS RIVER.
YOU EITHER HAVE TOO MUCH WATER OR NOT ANY WATER.
UM, WE, EVEN WITH OUR BRACKISH D SOUTH FACILITY AND THE WATER THAT WE HAVE GOT, WE'RE GETTING FROM, UM, FROM THE ROSEN, FROM THE
[00:05:01]
ROSENBERG B STORAGE, IT WOULD, IF WE HAD A SIX MONTH DROUGHT, WE'D BE IN SIGNIFICANT TROUBLE.SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK EVERYWHERE WE CAN FOR WATER, AND THAT'S WHAT GOT BWA WORKING WITH DOW, LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN DO TO SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS. IF Y'ALL LIKE TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, TIM.
YEAH, SO, SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE QUESTION I THINK THAT OFTEN COMES UP IS PEOPLE TEND TO SAY DOW HAS A SENIOR WATER RIGHTS IN THE BRAS BASIN.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I TRY AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IS SENIOR IS KIND OF RELATIVE.
UM, WE GOT A 1942 WATER, RIGHT? UH, FOR 150,000 ACRE FOOT, IT'S LARGELY THE WATER RIGHT THAT WE USE TO OPERATE THE FACILITIES DOWN HERE.
UM, THAT WATER RIGHT HAD 800,000 ACRE FOOT OF WATER RIGHTS OUT AHEAD OF IT.
AND IN A REALLY DRY YEAR, THERE'S ONLY ABOUT A MILLION ACRE FOOT WORTH OF WATER IN THE BROS.
YOU KNOW, SO EVEN WHEN WE GOT THAT 42 RIGHT PEOPLE CHALLENGED THAT IT WASN'T GONNA BE RELIABLE ENOUGH TO USE.
NOW TODAY, THERE'S ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION MORE ACRE FOOT OF WATER PERMITTED THAN THERE WERE IN 1942.
AND SO FROM 1942 FORD, EVERYBODY NEEDS SOME AMOUNT OF STORAGE TO MAKE KIND OF THE INTERMITTENT FLOW OF THE BRASS RELIABLE ENOUGH TO TURN INTO A USEFUL WATER SUPPLY.
AND SO THAT, THAT'S LARGELY WHERE WE SAT.
AND 42, THE ENGINEERS AT THE TIME ESTIMATED WE NEEDED SIX MONTHS WORTH OF STORED WATER.
AND WE'VE DONE A WHOLE BUNCH OF WORK, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST DECADE, AND WE STILL ESTIMATE ROUGHLY THE SAME AMOUNT.
AND THAT'S REALLY BECAUSE ABOUT SIX PER 6% OF THE MONTHS ON RECORD THAT THE BRAZOS DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH WATER TO MAKE THAT 42 WHITE, RIGHT, RELIABLE.
AND SO SOMETIMES PEOPLE ASK, WELL, HOW HAVE YOU BEEN RELIABLE THE LAST 70 YEARS? AND LARGELY THAT'S BEEN BECAUSE WE'VE EITHER CONTRACTED FOR STORAGE FROM BRAS, RESERVOIRS, UM, IN RELIABLE CONTRACTS UP UNTIL ABOUT 89 OR FROM 89 FORWARD, WE'VE BEEN BUYING WHAT'S CALLED SPOT WATER OR INTERRUPTABLE WATER.
LARGELY WHAT THIS IS, IS WATER THAT BR HAS SOLD TO OTHER PEOPLE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, SOLD KIND OF IN A FASHION WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE CITIES HAVEN'T GROWN TO TAKE IT YET.
AND SO EACH YEAR THEY'D CALCULATE, UH, HOW MUCH EXTRA WATER THEY THINK THEY'D HAVE, AND THEY'D PUT THAT OUT KIND OF ON A SECONDHAND CONTRACT.
SO, SO THINK ABOUT IT AS SOMETHING THAT SOLD TO SOMEBODY ELSE, BUT BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T GONNA USE IT, WE WERE BUYING IT AND ACTUALLY USING IT AND RELEASING IT DOWN THE RIVER.
AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT THAT'S GOING ON.
WE'VE RELEASED STORAGE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE 15 TIMES IN THE HISTORY OF THE SITE.
UM, MORE FREQUENTLY IN THE LAST 10 YEARS OR SO, AS POPULATION DEMAND GROWTH AND CLIMATE EFFECTS HAVE, HAVE KIND OF INFLUENCED THE BROWSER SUBSTREAM.
AND SO WHAT YOU SEE IN THIS CHART IS KIND OF THE OUTPUT OF, UM, SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT MODELING WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
THE FIGURE KIND OF IN THE LEFT HAND FIELD THERE REALLY SHOWS KIND OF A BLUE FIELD.
WE'RE KIND OF GRAY UP THERE ON THE SCREEN GOING UP TO 170,000.
THAT 170,000 REPRESENTS THE NUMBER OF ACRE FEET WE NEED LOCALLY TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, OUR SUPPLY BWA SIDE SUPPLY IN THE MUNICIPAL SUPPLY RELIABLE.
AND, UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE IN A DROUGHT YEAR, KIND OF THAT ONE 70 A DROUGHT YEAR IN A, IN A WET YEAR, MAYBE IT'S A LITTLE BIT LESS, BUT THAT 170 IS A GOOD NUMBER TO KIND OF REPRESENT IT.
AND SO WHAT YOU SEE ON THAT SAME FIELD IS KIND OF THE WHITE BARS THAT KIND OF JET DOWN FROM THE TOP.
WHAT THOSE ACTUALLY REPRESENT IS WATER THAT WE NEEDED THAT WE DIDN'T GET.
AND THAT'S AFTER WE'VE USED THE TWO MONTHS IN THE EXISTING RESERVOIR AND ANOTHER MONTH THAT WE DO HAVE KIND OF RELIABLY CONTRACT WITH THE BRAZOS RIVER AUTHORITY.
AND AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN COVERING THAT BY BUYING THIS SPOT WATER, INTERRUPTABLE WATER, UM, THAT WE NOW KNOW IS, IS COMING TO AN END.
UM, CAN'T GUARANTEE IT'S NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER EXACTLY.
BUT THIS YEAR FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE 40,000 ACRE FOOT UNDER CONTRACT.
AND THAT'S JUST THE DIFFERENCE OF, YOU KNOW, CYCLING THROUGH ONE DRY YEAR AND INTO THE NEXT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS A BAD SUMMER BY LATE IN THE FALL, WE'D BE OUT OF STORED WATER.
UH, AND YOU GOT SIGNIFICANT CONCERN.
YEAH, THE FIGURE KIND OF IN THE LOWER RIGHT BASICALLY IS, UM, I'LL SAY PROBABILISTIC MODELING.
IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THEY USE WHAT'S CALLED WATER AVAILABILITY MODELS TO PREDICT THE RELIABILITY SUPPLY.
THEY KIND OF PREDICT THE MONTHLY AVERAGE FLOW IN THE RIVER, AND THEY ALLOCATE THAT BASED ON PRIORITY, AND THEY FIGURE OUT HOW OFTEN YOU ACTUALLY GET THE WATER THAT YOU HAVE A WATER RIGHT TO THE MODELING WE'VE DONE IS ACTUALLY TAKEN SOME ADVANCED STATISTICS AND LOOKED AT THAT AND KIND OF GOT TO INSURANCE QUALITY MODELING.
AND IT SAYS THAT OUR WATER SUPPLIES ABOUT 95% RELIABLE, WHICH SOUNDS REALLY GOOD UNTIL YOU REALIZE THAT SOMETHING LIKE 15 TIMES IN THE NEXT A HUNDRED YEARS, WE COULD GO SIX MONTHS WITHOUT WATER.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S MOTIVATING THE ACTION.
SO IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
NOW THIS IS A DEPICTION OF THE RESERVOIR THAT WE'RE, UM, PLANNING OR
[00:10:01]
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON BUILDING NORTH OF EXISTING HARRIS.WE STARTED HAVING SOME INDICATION THAT WE NEEDED THIS KIND OF IN THE, I'LL SAY THE 2005 TO 10 TIMEFRAME.
AND IN 2009, WE ACTUALLY HAD A DROUGHT THAT WAS BAD ENOUGH THAT IT PRETTY MUCH INTERRUPTED THE FLOW OF THE BROILS.
KIND OF MID-JUNE, I TOOK A RUN UP THE RIVER.
I FOUND A SPOT WHERE, YOU KNOW, JUST NORTH OF 1462, I COULD JUMP ACROSS THE RIVER AND YOU COULD WALK THROUGH IT AND YOU WEREN'T WET TO THE ANKLES.
AND SO LOTS OF TIMES PEOPLE THINK OF THE BROWSER AS KIND OF THIS LOWER END THAT'S KIND OF TIDAL WIDE AND TO BE HONEST, KIND OF GREENISH.
AND WHEN IT'S GREENISH IN THE SUMMER, THAT MEANS IT'S SALT WATER AND IT'S REALLY NOT USEFUL.
AND SO YOU HAVE TO GO AS FAR NORTH AS 1462 TO ACTUALLY REALLY SEE THE BROWS RIVER, WHICH IN TIMES OF, OF DROUGHT IS, IS, UH, IS A STREAM, YOU KNOW, NOT SO MUCH A RIVER.
UM, AND SO HERE, KIND OF WHAT YOU SEE IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER BASICALLY IS THAT SAME GRAPH FROM THAT PREVIOUS PAGE.
THE DARK BLUES THAT ARE ON THERE BASICALLY REPRESENT THE IMPACT OF THIS RESERVOIR.
AND IT ALSO KIND OF REPRESENTS SOME ADDITIONAL KIND OF, UM, THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE THAT WATER LAST LONGER.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I TEND TO TELL PEOPLE IS WITH TWO MONTHS WORTH OF STORAGE, IF WE DO A WHOLE BUNCH OF CONSERVATION, YOU MAYBE GET AN EXTRA COUPLE WEEKS.
IF WE HAVE SIX MONTHS WORTH OF STORAGE, IF WE DO 10 OR 20% CONSERVATION, NOW YOU GET A MONTH OR TWO MORE, RIGHT? AND SO THAT KIND OF PLAYS INTO THE RELIABILITY OF THE WATER AND WHY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE FEEL THERE'S A STRONG NEED TO GET SIGNIFICANTLY MORE STORAGE HERE LOCALLY.
UM, IN THE LOWER GRAPH, YOU KIND OF SEE A PICTURE OF KIND OF THE RELIABILITY THAT'S THAT'S DEPICTED AS 99.6% WITHOUT ANY CONSERVATION MOVING TO A HUNDRED PERCENT RELIABLE WITH CONSERVATION.
AND SO CERTAINLY THIS, THIS PROJECT, THE HARRIS RESERVOIR EXPANSION, WHICH ADDS 50,000 ACRE FOOT WORTH OF LOCAL STORAGE AND GIVES US THE ABILITY TO KIND OF CAPTURE RAINFALL THAT'S FALLING BELOW, UH, EXISTING RESERVOIRS IN THE BASIN, DOES A HUGE AMOUNT TO IMPROVE LOCAL SUPPLY RELIABILITY.
UM, AND AT THE END, WE'LL, WE'LL COVER A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE AND THEN WE CAN TAKE SOME QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE 'EM.
AND BWA ARE LOOKING AT DOING THIS, DOING THIS PROJECT AS A JOINT, UH, VENTURE, A UH, PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
UH, WE FORMED A BRA BRAZOSPORT WATER SUPPLY CORPORATION.
SO IT, UH, IT CONSISTS OF THREE B W A MEMBERS AND TWO DOW TWO DOW DIRECTORS.
SO BWA STILL CONTROLS IT DOW BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND UH, AMOUNT OF WATER UNDER NEED, AND THEY'LL HAVE 85% OWNERSHIP OF THE RESERVOIR.
BWA WILL OWN 15%, WHICH IS COVERS THIS THROUGH THIS PERIOD.
WE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UH, IT'S GOING, UH, BY DOING THIS, IT'S GONNA ALLOW US TO, TO TRY AND GET FUNDS FROM THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARDS WITH FUNDING, WHICH WILL LOWER THE INTEREST RATE FOR THE, FOR THE LOAN.
IT, IT'S, UH, PROGRAM BASED SET UP.
UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO BWS USED IT A COUPLE OF TIMES.
IT'S A SUBSIDIZED TYPE, UH, LENDING.
IT'S USED IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, BORROWING POWER.
SO WE GET A MUCH BETTER INTEREST RATE ON THAT, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE STANDING HERE TOGETHER TONIGHT.
CAUSE IT WILL BE A TRUE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
UH, YEAH, MAYBE JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THERE.
I MEAN, CLEARLY WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE EXPECTING TO KIND OF GET ONE PHASE OF THE PERMITTING DONE YET THIS MONTH, UM, AND HAVE DEVELOPED KIND OF THE ENGINEERING PACKAGE FOR IT.
UM, BY PARTNERING WITH BWA IN THIS PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP APPROACH, IT ALLOWS US TO ACTUALLY EXECUTE THE PROJECT CHEAPER THAN IF WE, WE DID IT ON OUR OWN CAPITAL.
YOU KNOW, SO FROM A CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, JUST THAT ASPECT OF IT MAKES IT MORE AFFORDABLE.
UM, AS WE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WORKED OVER THE LAST YEAR AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR OBJECTIVES ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY ALIGNED, YOU KNOW, THE CITIES BASICALLY NEED ADDITIONAL STORAGE OR BWA NEEDS ADDITIONAL STORAGE IN AMER THEIR WATER RELIABLE, YOU KNOW, DOW DOES AS WELL.
WE, WE BASICALLY ENTERED TO THIS PARTNERSHIP KIND OF KNOWING HOW MUCH WATER WE NEEDED TO FIRM UP OUR RESPECTIVE SUPPLIES AND THEN AGREED TO KIND OF, UH, APPROACH WHERE WE EACH KIND OF CARRY OUR OWN WEIGHT AND, AND THE COST TO COVER THE STORAGE THAT THAT TAKES OUR BOTH INDIVIDUAL WATER RIGHTS AND MAKE THE, MAKES THEM RELIABLE.
AND SO WE, UH, APPRECIATE THE COLLABORATION AND, UH, RON IS GONNA WALK THROUGH KIND OF WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING FOR COST, UM, BUT, UH, REALLY APPRECI APPRECIATE FOLKS UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE'RE DOING AND SUPPORTING THE ENDEAVOR.
JUST THIS IS, THIS IS THE PROJECTED IMPACT TO THE, UH, WATER RATES, UH, FOR THE PROPOSED TERRACE RESERVOIR FOR BWA.
AS YOU SEE UP THERE, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT, UH, A DEBT INCREASE OF 15 CENTS FOR THE NEXT THREE FOR FOUR YEARS, AND THEN WE'LL GO FOR SIX 16 CENTS FOR THREE
[00:15:01]
YEARS AND THEN 9 CENTS AT THE END.THIS IS TO COVER OUR PAYMENT, OUR DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT.
WE'LL BE USING CAPITALIZED INTEREST AND WE'LL, AND THE RATE, OUR PAYMENT WILL VARY FOR A FEW YEARS BEFORE IT LEVELS OUT.
SO AS YOU SEE AT THE END, AT THE DEBT SERVICE WOULD INCREASE BY A DOLLAR 17, IT THIS WOULD BE FOR A TOTAL OF 30 YEARS.
AT THE END OF THAT TIME, WE WOULD, WE, THE DEBT WOULD BE PAID OFF.
UH, BWA WOULD RETAIN OWNERSHIP OF 15% OF THE VOLUME OF THE RESERVOIR.
WE WILL HAVE SOME EXPENSES, BUT IT TO MAINTAIN THAT RESERVOIR.
BUT, UH, THE, THE NUMBERS I'VE BEEN SEEING THAT DOW'S BEEN GENERATING IS NOT THAT MUCH.
AND, UH, IT'S WELL WORTH THE EXPENSE WE'RE GONNA SEE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IT.
UH, YOU KNOW, A MONTH WORTH OF A MONTH OF NOT HAVING WATER, IT WOULD BE HORRIBLE.
I KNOW, UH, LEE JACKSON HAS A NUMBER OF WELLS AND Y'ALL WOULD GET BY FOR A WHILE, BUT IF YOU GO, IF IT WENT OUT FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS, UH, YOUR, WELL, YOUR DRAW DOWN ON YOUR WELLS WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT.
WHETHER ALL THOSE WELLS WOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN, I CAN'T TELL YOU, UH, THE IMPACT THAT WE WOULD SEE HERE LOCALLY ON THE ECONOMY WITH THE PLANTS AROUND HERE NOT HAVING WATER.
UH, IT WOULD, IT WOULD DESTROY THE RAPORT AREA, AND THAT'S A DRIVER WHY WE NEED TO DO THIS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS RIGHT NOW LOOKING AT RESERVOIRS AND WHAT THEY CAN DO.
NORTH TEXAS JUST FINISHED THEIR RESERVOIR, UH, TO HELP SUPPLY THE CITY OF DALLAS AND THE CITIES UP IN THAT AREA.
SO THERE ARE OTHER RESERVOIRS BEING LUCKILY THAT'S NOWHERE NEAR THE PLAZAS.
UH, THERE ARE TALKS OF, YOU KNOW, ALLEN CREEK RESERVOIR HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR YEARS.
UH, THE OLD CITY, UH, USED TO BE A CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, HOUSTON POWER AND LIGHT RESERVOIR, BUT IT'S NOWHERE NEAR IN THE AMOUNT OF ENGINEERING STUDIES, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, AND ALL IT'S GONNA TAKE TO GET THAT THING.
IT'S, IT'S ALL TIED UP IN LAWSUITS AND, AND YES, SIR.
SO IT'S, UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOT FEASIBLE, NOT GONNA BE DONE IN OUR TIME.
SO, SO, UM, IT'S CORRECT TO SAY THAT, UH, THE VALUE OF THE PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, WITH DOW AND BWA IS THAT BWA NEEDS THE CAPACITY STORAGE CAPACITY AND B W A IN REALITY COULDN'T AFFORD TO GO OUT AND DO IT ON THEIR OWN.
WE COULDN'T DO IT ON, AND DOW HAS MADE A COMMENT THAT THEY PROBABLY COULDN'T GET IT DONE ON THEIR OWN RIGHT NOW EITHER.
AND, UH, DOW LIKES, DOW LIKES TO DO, PUT THEIR MONEY IN PROJECTS THAT ARE MAKING MONEY.
AND SO, UH, I DON'T BLAME 'EM THERE, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY REALIZE HAS TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO KEEP MAKING MONEY.
SO CURRENTLY THE WATER THAT YOU PURCHASED, WHICH IS NOT CONTRACTED WATER, I'M SURE THAT ON THE SPOT MARKET, THE PRICES HIGHER AS WELL.
YOU, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, IT DOESN'T EXACTLY WORK THAT WAY.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, THE WATER MARKET ISN'T SOMETHING NECESSARILY WHERE IT RATCHETS UP AND DOWN.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIGGER RISK IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE CONTRACT FOR SPOT WATER, INTERRUPTABLE WATER, AND IT'S CHANGED THE NUMBER OF FORMS THROUGH THE YEAR, UH, THERE IS A RISK THAT YOU BUY IT AND THEN YOU DON'T GET IT RIGHT.
UH, THAT, THAT'S LARGELY TUR TIED TO KIND OF BRS AND HOW MUCH WATER THEY HAVE IN INVENTORY.
SO IN A YEAR WHERE THEY HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT IN ALL THEIR RESERVOIRS, THEY'RE QUITE EAGER TO SELL SPOT WATER, INTERRUPTABLE WATER, AND FLOATED DOWN THE RIVER IN A YEAR, LIKE THIS YEAR WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEIR RESERVOIRS WERE SETTING IN APRIL AT 75%, YOU KNOW, THEN THERE'S NO INTERRUPTABLE AVAILABLE.
AND IF THEIR RESERVOIRS DROPPED AT 50%, THEN THEY, THEY CAN EASILY KIND OF TAKE WHAT YOU CONTRACTED FOR AND CUT IT OFF, YOU KNOW? AND SO, YOU KNOW, THEY GENERALLY HAVE ONE CONSISTENT PRICE FOR WATER.
BUT, BUT YEAH, THE RELIABILITY ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUPPLY ISSUE IS THE REASON WAS DRIVING IT.
UM, HNA, HOW BAD IS THIS GONNA HURT THE PLANTS OR, OR THE AREA? SO IT PRETTY MUCH WAS SHUT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE PUSHING HARD AND I THINK WE HAVE SUPPORT ALL THE WAY UP OUR, UP THE DOW ORGANIZATION TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT.
AND AS, UM, RONNIE INDICATED, YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGE IS WE'RE DOING A LOT KIND OF GLOBALLY ON CLIMATE CHANGE STUFF.
WE'RE DOING A LOT ON PRODUCTION AND, AND EVEN FOR US, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH CAPITAL GO AROUND.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THIS PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IS A BETTER FINANCIAL DEAL TO GET THIS DONE.
IT ALSO REALLY FORGED DOW THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD STRUGGLE TO DO WITH THE AVAILABLE CAPITAL.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S A PIECE OF WHAT DRIVES US TO WANT A PARTNER HERE.
AND IN TERMS OF, HEY, HOW DOES THIS HURT THE PLANT? I MEAN, HONESTLY, IF WE, IF WE LOST A WATER SUPPLY
[00:20:01]
TO THESE FACILITIES DOWN HERE FOR SIX MONTHS, WE WOULD PERMANENTLY LOSE SOME OF THE CUSTOMER BASE OF ALL THE FACILITIES.SO THE ECONOMIC FALLOUT OF ACTUALLY FINDING OUT THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS FAIL IS HUGE.
AND SO HENCE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING HARD TO TRY AND BE AHEAD OF THAT.
ALSO WASN'T DOWN LOOKING AT BUILDING, UH, A LAKE JUST RIGHT OUTSIDE OF LAKE JACKSON.
UH, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A LAKE, LIKE A LITTLE, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, SO THERE, I I THINK MAYBE WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING IS, UM, BE SOUTH OF SEA CENTER.
THERE, THERE'S AN OLD BORROW PIT THAT WE USE FOR CLAY THAT WE USE, WE CALL WEST LAKE.
UM, AND IT, IT HOLDS A LITTLE BIT OF WATER.
I, I, YOU KNOW, I HAD TO FIGURE OUT THE ACRE FOOT MAYBE, MAYBE, UM, MAYBE 500 ACRE FOOT.
THIS RESERVOIR WILL HOLDS 50,000.
AND SO THAT WESTERN LAKE KIND OF HELPS KIND OF OPERATIONALLY DELIVER THE WATER, BUT IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, REALLY DO, DO, DO SO MUCH FOR STORAGE.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU SAYING THAT MAYBE WE MIGHT BE WISHING FOR A SMALL HURRICANE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO GET MORE WATER? WELL, I'M JUST KIDDING.
I WILL SAY AT THE MOMENT, WE, WE GET TO THIS TIME OF YEAR AND WE WANT CONSISTENT RAIN.
AND, AND THEN THE CHALLENGE IS, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY IT'S HARD.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE LAST NOVEMBER DOWN HERE, YOU THINK WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF RAIN.
AND TO BE HONEST, THERE'S PROBABLY BEEN SIX WAVE OF WATER THAT HAVE COME DOWN THE BROILS MOST OF ENDED UP IN THE GULF BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE LOCAL STORAGE, WE DON'T HAVE LOCAL PUMPING, SO IT JUST GOES STRAIGHT.
AND IN THAT SAME PERIOD OF TIME, MOST OF THOSE MONTHS, NONE OF THAT RAIN FELL ON THE RESERVOIR.
SO WE WENT FROM SOMETHING LIKE NOVEMBER TILL JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND BRS RESERVOIRS HAD SAT AT 75%.
NOW, HERE IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS, WE'VE GOTTEN A COUPLE OF RAINS HAVE GONE UP FAR ENOUGH THAT THEY'VE PUSHED THOSE RESERVOIRS BACK UP TO 81.
BUT IT, IT TAKES A TROPICAL EVENT LARGELY TO PUSH WATER FAR ENOUGH IN TO ACTUALLY FILL THOSE RESERVOIRS WHERE A LOCAL RESERVOIR, YOU KNOW, CAN ACTUALLY FILL THEM ANNUALLY AND, AND OR EVEN CAPTURE WATER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DROUGHT.
YOU GET A RAIN EVENT LAST THREE WEEKS.
YOU KNOW, WE TAKE THE SIX MONTHS WORTH OF STORAGE AND WE PUT ANOTHER MONTH INTO IT.
YOU WANT THE RAIN TO BE MORE NORTH OF US RATHER THAN SOUTH HERE IN SOUTH, YEAH.
THE RAIN SOUTH DOESN'T HELP US, BUT, BUT REALLY BETWEEN HERE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, BRENNA AND THE COLLEGE STATION, ANY OF THE RAIN THAT FALLS THERE ISN'T CAPTURED BY RESERVOIRS AND IS AVAILABLE TO US TO PICK UP.
AND SO THERE RESERVOIR BOTH KIND OF HAS STORAGE IN IT, BEGINNING OF THE DROUGHT AND DRAMATICALLY IMPROVES OUR FUNCTIONALITY IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO PICK UP RANDOM THE BUBBLES AT THE END, I GUESS THE STREAMING.
THE, UH, AND YOU MAY HAVE MENTIONED IT ALREADY, IS, UH, THE, UH, ONE, DO YOU PLAN ON STARTING CONSTRUCTION? WHEN DO YOU PLAN ON CONSTRUCTION TO BE FINISHED? SLIDE.
SO WE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON PERMITTING AND DESIGN, YOU KNOW, LARGELY, UM, BEING IN POSITION TO KIND OF HAVE A CORE PERMIT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIME IN, YOU KNOW, LATE JUNE, EARLY JULY.
UM, DAN SAFETY PERMITS SOMETIME LATER THIS YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S KIND OF ALL OF A PERMITTING WE NEED TO KIND OF MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
AND THEN WE'RE LARGELY KIND OF WAITING ON FUNDING.
UM, IT IS QUITE A BIT TO WORK THROUGH KIND OF THE DETAILS OF THE WATER SUPPLY CORPORATION.
WE'VE PUT TOGETHER WORKING THROUGH THAT, THROUGH WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO KIND OF GET IN ALIGNMENT WITH THEM, UH, ON THE LENDING THAT THEY DO.
AND SO OUR INTENT WOULD BE THIS SUMMER TO ACTUALLY SUBMIT AN APPLICATION UNDER WHAT'S CALLED THE DEFUND.
AND I LIKELY REFER TO THAT KIND OF AS A MOCK APPLICATION.
WE'LL PUT IT IN, YOU KNOW, THAT SPECIFIC APPLICATION WOULD NOT, WITHOUT REALLY INTEND TO GET MONEY.
IT REALLY GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO VETT ALL THE CONTRACTS, ALL THE ENGINEERING, ALL THE PERMITTING WITH THE STATE SO THAT WHEN WE COME AROUND TO JANUARY OF NEXT YEAR, UH, WE'LL END UP PUTTING IN A PRE-APPLICATION AND IN MAY OF NEXT YEAR WE'D PUT IN A FULL APPLICATION AND LOOK TO SIGN KIND OF ALL OF THE CONTRACTING DOCUMENTS FOR THIS DEAL NEXT AUGUST THAT WOULD MAKE THE MONEY AVAILABLE IN, YOU KNOW, JANUARY, 2025.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE START CONSTRUCTION ON EARNEST WITH, UH, WITH A GOAL OF FINISHING THE PROJECT IN 2028.
SO AGAIN, THE, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BWA IS TALKING ABOUT, UH, UH, STARTING COLLECTING FUNDS NEXT YEAR.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, THE NUMBER I GAVE HIM, MODESTO, THAT 15 CENTS INCREASE, CORRECT.
UH, BW IS, UH, SUBMITTED THERE.
THEIR RATE, UH, INCREASE TO THE CITY'S, IT'S 29 CENTS OF GOING FROM 3 78 TO 4 0 7 15 OF THAT IS THE FIRST FIRST STEP OF, UH, THE RESERVOIR.
AND THE OTHER IS, UH, OPERATION CO OPERATIONAL, OPERATIONAL EXPENSE.
AND, UH, JUST REAL BRIEFLY, JUST SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, IS THE, THE CONSTRUCTION
[00:25:01]
OF THE RESERVOIR IS NOT ACTUALLY, NOT ACTUALLY A DIG DOWN, IT'S A BUILD UP, CORRECT? CORRECT.SO EXPLAIN AND THEN THE WAVE WALL AND STUFF, CUZ THAT JUST JUST GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE CAPACITY THIS THING IS.
SO, SO, SO THAT'S A QUESTION I FREQUENTLY GET.
IT'S LIKE, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO DIG THAT HOLE? IT'S LIKE, WELL THE REALITY IS YOU DON'T DIG A HOLE.
THIS, THIS BASICALLY AMOUNTS TO PUTTING ROUGHLY A 35 FOOT TALL LEVEE AROUND THREE SQUARE MILES.
SO ROUGHLY A LEVEE THAT'S, UH, EIGHT MILES LONG.
IT'LL HAVE A FOUR FOOT CONCRETE WAVE WALL ON THE TOP OF IT.
UM, IT HOLDS FOUR MONTHS WORTH OF WATER ON ROUGHLY THE SAME FOOT AS EXISTING HARRIS, YOU KNOW.
SO THE WATER IN THIS RESERVOIR WILL BE MORE LIKE 30 FOOT DEEP, WHERE EXISTING HARRIS IS FIVE TO SEVEN FOOT DEEP.
UH, AND THAT'S HOW WE GET SIGNIFICANTLY MORE STORAGE.
AND IT IS A, IT'S A MORE SIGNIFICANT PROJECT TO ENGINEER OBVIOUSLY AS WELL.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT LINED OR ANYTHING.
UM, IT'LL BE A CLAY KIND OF LEVY RIGHT.
AND ENGINEERED IN THAT, YOU KNOW, TO CONTROL KIND OF THE INTEGRITY OF THE LEVY.
THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A, A CHIMNEY DRAIN, BASICALLY SAND, KIND OF A LAYER IN THE LEVY AND A TOW DRAIN THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY CONTROLS THE FLOOR PRESSURE.
UM, THERE'LL BE A SEA BARRIER WALL, KIND OF LIKE A BIG CLAY WALL, UH, DUG DOWN UNDERNEATH IT, YOU KNOW, THAT HELPS MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T LOSE WATER OUT OF THIS THING.
WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE LEVEE? UM, OUR, OUR, AND YOU KNOW, TENT IS BASICALLY TO HAVE BWA, YOU KNOW, BE THE OWNER, UM, OR B WS E IN ACTUALITY, WHICH IS THE PARTNERSHIP.
AND THEN DOW WOULD OPERATE AND MAINTAIN IT.
UM, AND HAS THE B W S C BEEN CREATED YET? YES SIR, IT HAS.
AND THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN APPOINTED, BOARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN APPOINTED.
SO WHO ARE THE THREE B W MEMBERS? B W MEMBERS, MYSELF AS PRESIDENT.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, DETE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, AS MEMBER AS WELL AS, UH, WE WILL SWEAR IN THE FREEPORT REPRESENTATIVE, UH, JUAN LONG GORIE, IT WAS ON THE BOARD.
BUT HE'S HAVING TO RESIGN BECAUSE OF IT? CORRECT.
AND THEN ON THE DOW SIDE OF IT, I'M A BOARD MEMBER AND ANDY WAGNER OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, SITE, UH, ACCOUNTING CONTROLLERS, A BOARD MEMBER.
DO YOU YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO COVER? NO.
YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AGAIN, IT'S JUST A SIGN OF TIMES AND IT'S, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, USED TO BE THE BATTLE WAS, IS YOU COULD GROW IF YOU HAD PROPERTY LAND AND NOW IT'S IF YOU HAVE WATER YOU CAN GROW.
SO WE NEED THE WATER TO BE ABLE TO, AND I EITHER SUSTAIN AND GROW.
I, I BASICALLY TRACK DOWN SITES UP AND DOWN THE GULF COAST AND THEN TEXAS WATER'S A BIG DEAL WEST, WEST OF HERE FOR ANYBODY TO GROW.
FINDING WATER'S A A REAL BIG CHALLENGE.
AND, AND EVEN LIKE, I MEAN THE REFINERIES AND THINGS THAT ARE TRYING TO, TO LOCATE AND WITHOUT WATER, THEY HAVE A HARD TIME DOING IT.
LARGELY DIAL'S BEEN ON ABOUT A 20 YEAR JOURNEY OF NOT HAVING ALLOWED OUR DEMAND LOCALLY TO GROW.
WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL DRIVE CONSERVATION PROJECTS AND THEN REPURPOSE THAT TO OFFSET GROWTH.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S CERTAINLY WHAT I ANTICIPATE HERE TOO IS WE LOOK OUT OVER THE NEXT DECADE OR TWO, YOU KNOW, THIS POSITIONS US TO MAKE THE LOCAL WATER SUPPLY RELIABLE AND THEN WE WILL BE WORKING ON CONSERVATION AND OTHER THINGS TO ASSURE, YOU KNOW, WE PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE AREA LOCAL COMMUNITY, THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW.
DO YOU THINK YOU EVER SEE, LIKE WE SEE, I'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, STUFF ABOUT, ON THE HEADING FURTHER WEST IS WHERE THEY, YOU EVAPORATION IS A BIG DEAL FOR RESERVOIRS LIKE THIS AND THEY PUT THE BIG, YOU KNOW, POLYETHYLENE BALLS OR WHATEVER IT IS, PLASTIC BALLS ON TOP OF IT TO STOP.
I MEAN, IS THAT SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE? PROBABLY OR, YOU KNOW, EVAPORATION IS A BIG DEAL.
THAT'S A BIG ADVANTAGE IN THIS RESERVOIR BEING DEEPER VERSUS REALLY WIDE AND REALLY SHALLOW.
YOU KNOW, THE CONCEPT OF ACTUALLY PUTTING PLASTIC BALLS ON 'EM TO, TO, YOU KNOW, TO CONTROL EVAPORATION, DOESN'T, DOESN'T WORKED, DOESN'T WORK OUT YET.
UM, IT'S A HARD, THAT'S A HARD PROBLEM TO, TO KIND OF CONTROL.
SO, SO REALLY PROBABLY ONE OF THE BETTER THINGS WE CAN DO IS GO DEEP, YOU KNOW, AND OR YOU KNOW, I THINK AS WE LOOK OUT INTO THE NEXT 10, 15, 20 YEARS, WELL AND BEYOND, YOU'LL SEE MORE WHAT'S CALLED AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY DONE.
WE LOOKED AT THAT HERE LOCALLY.
THE CHALLENGE WAS WE, WE NEED FAR MORE WATER THAN WE CAN PRACTICALLY DO WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO HOW MUCH DOES YOU SAID ABOUT REC, YOU KNOW, UH, NOT RECYCLING, BUT, UH,
[00:30:01]
CONSERVATION.SO THROUGH
SO WE'VE PROBABLY DONE 20,000 GALLONS OF MINERAL WATER CONSERVATION SINCE I MOVED DOWN HERE IN 2002.
YOU KNOW, IN PROJECTS LIKE GULFSTREAM, YOU KNOW, AND THE DOWNSTREAM DERIVATIVE PLASTIC PLANTS BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, HAVE GROWN TO CONSUME A PRETTY GOOD CHUNK OF THAT.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE DOING CONSERVATION TO ENABLE GROWTH.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST SO, I MEAN THE PLANTS THAT WE RUN, YOU KNOW, LARGELY RUN ON STEAM AND, AND COOLING.
YOU KNOW, SO YOU HEAT EVERYTHING UP TO MAKE THE CHEMICAL ACTIONS AND THEN YOU GOTTA COOL THINGS DOWN, YOU KNOW, AND SO THEY, THEY USE QUITE A BIT OF WATER AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON WAYS TO OPTIMIZE THAT.
HEY, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME JOB.
UH, NEXT ITEM IS, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, RMIA INTRODUCTION BY MODESTO.
I WANTED TO INTRODUCE OUR NEW ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER TODAY WAS HIS FIRST DAY ROL.
MIA ROL COMES FROM, UH, THE CITY OF LAREDO.
HE HAS HIS, UH, MASTER'S DEGREE FROM, UH, TEXAS A AND M AND A MASTER'S DEGREE FROM LSU.
UM, AND, UM, HIS, UH, PREDOMINANT EXPERIENCES ON THE PUBLIC WORKS SIDE.
UH, HE IS, UH, HE WAS THE ACM AND UM, IN LAREDO, UH, OVER THEIR, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, UH, UH, UTILITY, UH, DIVISION.
SO WILL, UM, UH, BENEFIT FROM HIS EXPERIENCE.
THE ONE THING THAT I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS PREPARED FOR IS THAT IN HIS FIRST WEEK HERE, HE WILL SEE MAYBE FIVE OR 10% OF THE RAINFALL OF, OF THE LAREDOS ANNUAL RAINFALL
UM, SO NO, BUT, UH, WE WELCOME HERE, UH, WELCOME HIM AND WE'RE GONNA GIVE HIM A, A FULL SLATE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, ITEM THREE, RECOGNITION OF THE PUBLIC'S OR CREW, UH, WINNERS OF THE A P W A PICNIC SABRINA ON THE 24TH.
WEDNESDAY THE 24TH, WE WENT UP TO THE AP W PICNIC AND YOU GUYS ENJOYED A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
I GOT YOUR TA YOUR EMAIL, UH, MANNY AND CREW WON FIRST PLACE IN THE DESSERT CATEGORY.
UM, THEN THEY CAME IN THIRD PLACE WITH, UH, CHICKEN.
THEY WON FOURTH IN THE RIBS, FIFTH IN THE BRISKET AND SEVENTH IN THE OPEN PROTEIN.
AND SO WHEN YOU TALLIED ALL THAT UP TOGETHER, THEY HAD A THIRD PLACE OVERALL, WHICH JUST MADE US NOT GET INTO THE, THE TROPHIES.
BUT THEY DID A REALLY GOOD JOB.
THEY HAD, UM, WE HAD A REALLY BIG TURNOUT OUT THERE THIS YEAR.
UM, IT'S BEEN KIND OF A LITTLE BIT, NOT AS MANY IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS, BUT THIS YEAR THEY HAD A REALLY BIG TURN ON.
UM, THEY DID BRING YOU SOME BROWNIES ALSO.
WE WON, UH, CLINTON WALKER AND HIS CREW MOSTLY CLINTON, UH, WON FIRST PLACE IN THE ART CONTEST.
HE HAD BROUGHT THE ROBOT IN BEFORE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER THAT.
AND HE WAS QUITE INCENSED THAT HE DID NOT WIN FIRST PLACE WITH THAT.
SO HE VOWED THAT HE WAS GONNA WIN IT THIS YEAR.
UH, THAT'S HIS ART PROJECT OUT THERE IN THE LOBBY ALONG WITH THE, THE TROPHIES.
UM, IT'S SOME TIN UH, AND SOME METAL, NOT METAL WOOD BURNING INTO THAT.
UH, AND SO HE ENDED UP WINNING FIRST PLACE ON THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THE CREW DID A REALLY GOOD JOB.
UM, AND THIS IS JUST A LITTLE, LITTLE THING THAT THEY'VE BEEN UP TO.
DESSERT, IT HAD TO BE COOKED ON THE PIT, RIGHT? YES.
EVERYTHING HAS TO BE COOKED ON THE PIT.
I'VE NEVER DONE DESSERT ON A PIT, SO IT'S, YEP.
SO WHEN HE BROUGHT IT IN HERE AND HE STUCK IT IN MY OFFICE, IT WAS STILL WARM AND COOLING DOWN SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS NOT A GOOD THING THAT MANNY DID TO ME THERE.
BUT, UM, THERE WAS A LOT GOOIER, BUT, SO THANKS FOR SHARING.
DO YOU KNOW IF THEY'VE, UH, THEY'VE SIGNED UP TO PARTICIPATE IN THE, UH, POLICE ASSOCIATION'S, UH, BARBECUE COOKOFF IN SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, SOMETHING LIKE THAT? MANNY AND JOHN GET INTO A LOT OF THINGS, BUT ANYWAY, DON'T, IF THEY, IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN THAT, THEN, I MEAN, I'LL COVER THE FEE ENTRY FEE.
I'LL, I'LL TELL HIM AND SEE WHAT THEY GET.
UH, NEXT TIME ON THE AGENDA IS DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
AND THIS IS WHERE ANY MEMBER ON CITY COUNCIL CAN DECLARE IF THEY HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON ANY ITEM B, THE CONSENT OR REGULAR AGENDA.
DOES ANY MEMBER OF COUNCIL HAVE A CONFLICT TO DECLARE? ALL RIGHT.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
HEARING ANY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO CONSENT AGENDA.IT'S A LONGER CONSENT AGENDA AND I'LL TRY TO ABBREVIATE AS MUCH AS I CAN.
ITEM ONE IS APPROVED MINUTES OF, UH, MAY 15TH, 2023 AND MAY, 2022.
[00:35:01]
UM, ITEM TWO IS ACCEPT, UH, BOARD AND COMMISSION MINUTES FOR LIBRARY HOT COMMITTEE AND LAKE JACKSON.ITEM THREE IS AUTHORIZED THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN INTERLOCKING AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF RICHWOOD FOR POLICE AND FIRE DISPATCH SERVICES.
ITEM FOUR IS AWARD, UH, ONE YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION TO THOMPSON CONSULTING SERVICE FOR DISASTER DEBRIS, UH, MANAGER MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING SERVICES.
UH, ITEM FIVE IS APPROVED CONTRACT, UH, AMENDMENT WITH, UH, NEY TO ALLOW TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES TO OPERATE CITY VEHICLES AND MOTORIZE MOBILE EQUIPMENT.
UH, ITEM SIX IS RESOLUTION, UH, 9 21 AMENDING POLICY NUMBER 7 0 3 TUITION REIMBURSEMENT TO INCLUDE WHEN EMPLOYEE MUST REIMBURSE THE CITY AND MAINTAIN A MINIMUM, UH, PERSONAL LEAVE.
UM, THEY HAVE A REQUEST TO REMOVE AN ITEM FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
IF NOT, I'LL TAKE A MOTION ON A CONSENT AGENDA.
MR. MAYOR, I'M MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
NEVER A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN SONEN.
SECOND AND A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER SETH.
[1. Discuss RFP results and award contract for health insurance to TML Health - Jose Sanchez.]
RFP RESULTS AND AWARD CONTRACT TO HEALTH INSURANCE TO TML HEALTH.JOSE, HOW YOU DOING? MARION COUNSEL, WE ONLY RECEIVED ONE RFP, ONE PROPOSAL FOR OUR RFP THAT WENT OUT IN APRIL AND IT WAS WITH OUR CURRENT CARRIER, TML HEALTH BENEFITS AND THE NEGOTIATIONS.
WE ACTUALLY GOT THEM DOWN, I THINK IT'S ALREADY BEEN HANDED OUT TO YOU, THE NEW RATES.
IT WENT UP, UH, 11.37 FOR WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE WITH THIS.
YEAH, THAT, UH, I'M SORRY, WE FORGOT.
WE DID NOT GET THAT IN THE PAST.
I THAT WE'LL HAVE TO SHOW YOU WHAT THE, THE RENT ARE CURRENTLY.
I CAN, I CAN GO OVER THAT REAL QUICK.
CURRENTLY WE'RE PAYING $649 AND 18 CENTS PER EMPLOYEE AND IT WENT UP TO $722 96 CENTS AFTER THE INITIAL BACK AND FORTH BECAUSE WHAT THEY FIRST CAME BACK WITH WAS 7 38 52 AND NOW WE'RE AT A 7 22 96.
WHAT, WHAT IS THAT INCREASE FROM THE MOUNT? HOW MUCH WE PAY FOR A HEALTH INSURANCE PER EMPLOYEE PER MONTH.
AND THAT IT'S NOT CAUSED, UH, THE IT'S CAUSED, IT'S CAUSED CUZ COST OWE UP ON THE YEAR AND OUR EXPERIENCE, OUR CLAIMS. YEAH, OUR CLAIMS, YEAH.
AND I THINK REALLY THAT'S WHAT DROVE A LOT OF PEOPLE NOT TO EVEN PUT A PROPOSAL FOR US.
CUZ WE'VE HAD A, UH, HIGH CLAIMS GUYS 18 FOUR MONTHS.
YOU SAID THAT'S PER FAMILY OR THAT'S JUST A EMPLOYEE? THAT'S OUR COST PER EMPLOYEE.
THE, THERE'LL BE A SAME CORRESPONDING INCREASE, PERCENTAGE INCREASE FOR DEPENDENT, FOR DEPENDENT COVERAGE.
EITHER, UH, EITHER UM, SPOUSE COVERAGE OR CHILDREN OR FAMILY.
WHICH THAT'S THE PART THAT HAS BOTHERED ME SINCE I GOT BEFORE I EVEN GOT ON HERE, IS, UH, THEY'RE PAYING $308 A PAYCHECK FOR THEIR SPOUSE AND $250 A PAYCHECK FOR THEIR CHILD THAT'S OVER THREE, IT'S ALMOST $600 EVERY TWO WEEKS.
I MEAN THEY JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT.
I PAID WAY LESS THAN THAT DAY SPOUSE.
BUT YOU HAVE, YOU WORKED IN DIAL, YOU WORKED IN THE INDUSTRY, NOT THE THAT IS, THAT IS VERY COMMON.
THE BUYING PILE WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE VERSUS A COUPLE OF HUNDRED PEOPLE, A FEWER PEOPLE WITH US.
WE, WE'VE, WE'VE CONTINUED TO, YOU KNOW, FACE THIS AND, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE RESPONDED.
YOU KNOW, CHASE HAD BROUGHT IT UP AND IT HAD BEEN WHILE, UM, BUT SINCE WE DID AN RP SO WE ATTEMPTED TO DO R AND B YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR AND WE GOT, YOU KNOW, WE GOT ONE INQUIRY IN ADDITION TO TML AND THEN OF COURSE ONE RESPONSE WE'LL CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO THIS ANNUALLY AND WE'LL TRY AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE A GOOD YEAR WITH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD TWO VERY HIGH CLAIM YEARS WITH, YOU KNOW, DEATHS WITH OUR EMPLOYEES AND STUFF.
UM, SO, UM, THE EXPERIENCE DIDN'T HELP US IF WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE A YEAR, ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO THAT MAYBE WE GO BACK TO NORMAL AND WE HAVE, WE MAY GET MORE INTEREST.
UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATED WITH THE COUNTY ON THE
[00:40:01]
EMPLOYEE CLINIC, WHICH WAS JOSE WINS, WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT, WAS TO HELP DEFER THE COST OF, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY DEPENDENT CARE INSURANCE FOR, FOR CHILDREN.CUZ WE, WE SUBSIDIZE THAT AND UM, EMPLOYEES CAN TAKE THEIR CHILDREN OR OTHER, ANY DEPENDENTS CAN, ANY, ANY DEPENDENT CAN GO TO THAT AFTER THEY'RE A CERTAIN AGE THOUGH THEY WON'T ACCEPT 'EM IF THEY'RE TWO YEARS OLD UNDER TWO YEARS OLD.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A NEWBORN? YEAH, WELL YOU JUST, THE CLINIC COULDN'T YOU PUT 'EM ON A COVERAGE OR YOU TAKE A CHANCE, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO OUT FOR HEALTH INSURANCE FOR YOURSELF AND THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF 'EM ARE HAVING TO DO.
YEAH, YEAH, WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE SPLIT WITH THE EMPLOYEE? LIKE HOW MUCH DOES THE EMPLOYEE PAY FOR MEDICAL RIGHT NOW? THIS IS CURRENTLY WHAT THEY'RE PAYING.
NOW WITH THE INCREASE PER MONTH RIGHT NOW FOR IT SPOUSE IS $668 AND 66 CENTS.
FOR CHILDREN IT'S 4 90, 3 40 FOR FAMILY IT'S 12 65 88.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE CITY PAYING THE 6 49 18 THE CITY.
SO THE CITY PICKS UP NO, THAT'S WITH A PORTION.
THAT'S A PORTION THAT THE EMPLOYEE PAYS.
THE CITY THAT'S CITY'S PAYING ON TOP OF THAT, THE 6 49 18 EMPLOYEE, THE EMPLOYEE'S PORTION FOR HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR THEMSELF IF THEY WERE SINGLE, CAN BE AS HIGH AS $15 A MONTH IF THEY CHOSE NOT TO, UH, TO GO AND GET THEIR HOA HEALTH ASSESSMENT OR $5.
AND SO IF THEY GET, IF THEY GO AND PARTICIPATE IN THEIR HEALTH ASSESSMENT, WHICH WE OFFER, YOU KNOW, WE BRING AN ONSITE ON, WE BRING AN ONSITE HERE, WOULD YOU GET YOUR BLOOD TEST AND YOU TAKE, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR VITALS AND THEN THEY DO A HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE, UM, FROM TML.
UM, THEY'LL PAY $5 A MONTH AND THEN THEY GET $150 CHECK FROM UH, TML FROM TML FOR PARTICIPATING AND THEY GET FREE UH, ENTRANCE TO THE REC CENTER FOR THEM AND FAMILIES.
SO WE REALLY TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, SPREAD THE WELLNESS THROUGH.
DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE EMPLOYEES PAY THEIR COMPANY IS $5 A MONTH? ABOUT 92%.
SO, UH, GOING THROUGH TML FOR OUR HEALTH INSURANCE, IS THERE A BENEFIT BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE NEGOTIATING THE PRICE AT OUR EMPLOYEE LEVELS INSTEAD OF THE WHOLE POOL OF ALL THE CITIES THAT ARE IN TML HEALTH INSURANCE IS WHICH HOW'S IT WORK IN RE IN RECENT YEARS? IT IS WORKED OUT WAY BETTER CUZ YOU KNOW, WE STAY ON TOP OF 'EM EVERY YEAR MAN.
TO KEEP 'EM HONEST WITH WHAT WE DO AND THAT'S WHY WE NEGOTIATE.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T GO NEGOTIATE WITH THEM, GO BACK AND FORTH AND ONE OF THE OLDEST MEMBERS IN TML HEALTH, THE N TM RS KNOW ALL THESE OTHER THINGS AND TRYING TO KEEP 'EM HONEST, THEY ASK US TO DO A CERTAIN THING IS JUST REALLY WHAT CAME DOWN TO THIS YEAR.
WE JUST HAD HIGH CLAIMS. RIGHT.
AND I CAN'T, I CAN'T FAULT ANYBODY ON THAT, ON THAT.
THE EXPERIENCE HIGH CLAIMS, I MEAN THE ONE MONTH WE WERE, IT'S EITHER 1 71 OR ONE 81% OF WHAT WE PUT IN, WE WERE PAYING OUT 181% WITH TML.
DO EMPLOYEES HAVE OPTIONS FOR LIKE, UH, HEALTH SAVINGS OR FLEX ACCOUNTS? THEY DO HAVE FOR FLEX ACCOUNTS.
SO FLEX DEPENDENT CARE, BUT NO, IT JUST, HSA IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
SO, UM, DO THEY HAVE ANY BENEFITS? LIKE SOME COMPANIES, DO YOU KNOW IF YOU DO X, Y AND Z THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, YOU GET FURTHER DISCOUNTS OR LOWER RATES? NO.
SO THERE'S, THAT'S THAT'S THE FIVE 15 FOR US RIGHT NOW.
WHEN WE DO THESE RFPS, IS IT, I MEAN CUZ I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT, IS THAT KIND OF LIKE A CRAIGLIST AD OR ARE WE OUT LIKE IT GOES INTO A DATABASE? ARE WE SOLICITING THE COMPANIES TO SAY, HEY NO WE ARE NOT OUT, WE CAN'T.
NO, WE PUT IT INTO, IT GOES AS SOON AS IT GETS POSTED, IT GOES INTO A DATABASE.
CUZ I HAD ANOTHER COMPANY COME UP TO ME WHEN I WAS AT A T M H HRA CONFERENCE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND SAID THEY SAW IT BUT THEY DIDN'T PUT IN FOR IT.
SO I MEAN IT'S GOING TO AETNA, IT'S GOING TO BLUE CROSS, BLUE SHIELD, CIGNA, EVERYBODY, THEY GOES THROUGH A DATABASE THAT THEY SEE IT AND WHATNOT.
I'M MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, IT'S SIMILAR TO UH, WE'LL USE, UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NOMENCLATURE, BUT FIRMS WHEN WE ADVERTISE FOR CONSTRUCTION BIDS AND SO THAT DATABASE THEN UM, YOU KNOW THERE ARE CLIENTELES SIGNED UP FOR THEM AND THEN THEY SEE THE BID, YOU KNOW, FOR HEALTH INSURANCE.
SO WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN A DATABASE THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF EMPLOYERS USE.
SO THEN THE HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES CAN SEE WHO'S DOING AN RFP AND THEN THEY CAN RESPOND.
SO WHEN'S THE BEST TIME TO GO AFTER AN RFP? I THINK THE TIME THAT WE DID WAS APRIL BECAUSE APRIL.
BECAUSE YOU, YOU'RE GONNA NEED TIME TO, IF WE'RE GOING TO PICK SOMEBODY DIFFERENT TO SWITCH OVER CUZ WE HAVE A TEN ONE START DATE FOR OUR PLAN
[00:45:01]
AND MAKE SURE THAT WE NEGOTIATE WHATEVER BEST DEAL WE CAN.SO IS RICKS THE HIGHER BECAUSE OF OUR HIGH EXPERIENCE MODIFIER? IS THAT WHAT THAT IS? IT'S JUST HIGH CLAIMS. HIGH CLAIMS OVERALL AND JUST COVID HIT TML HEALTH REALLY HARD AND THE CLAIMS, LIKE I COULD HAVE, I COULD HAVE FOUGHT AGAINST THE COVID STUFF FOR US, BUT I COULDN'T GO AGAINST THE NUMBER FOR CLAIMS. YEAH.
I MEAN WE REALLY HAD GOOD EXPERIENCE COMING OUT OF COVID.
I MEAN WE WERE DOING GREAT ON COVID AND WE WERE DOING GREAT.
I'D SAY PROBABLY TWO YEARS AGO.
THAT'S WHY OUR RATES WERE STAYING KIND OF THE SAME WHERE THEY WERE, I MEAN WHEN OTHER PEOPLE WERE GETTING DOUBLE DIGITS, WE WERE GETTING SINGLE DIGITS RIGHT ON THE DEAL.
SO THIS SEEMED LIKE A STATEWIDE PROBLEM, A NATIONAL PROBLEM INSTEAD OF INSTEAD OF A CITY PROBLEM, IT'S A NATIONWIDE PROBLEM.
YOU CAN EXPECT TO GO UP DOUBLE DIGITS EVERY YEAR.
I GUESS WHAT YOU MIGHT BE HEARING IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO REALLY THINK OUT OF THE BOX AND SEE IF WE CAN FIND, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF SOLUTION THAT MIGHT WORK.
UH, AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN ABOUT THE FAMILIES AND STUFF AND UH, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE FIND SOMETHING THAT IS MORE MANAGEABLE FOR OUR CITY EMPLOYEE, UH, FAMILIES AND STUFF.
AND AGAIN, TO GO BACK TO MR. MUNO WAS SAYING IS WHENEVER WE BROUGHT, UH, WE ENTERED THE AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY CLINIC, WE DID THAT AND WE WERE THE FIRST, CUZ I RESEARCHED THIS ON, WE HAD CARE HERE THAT WAS OPERATED BEFORE AND I USED TO WORK WITH CARE HERE BACK IN GALVESTON.
WE WERE THE ONLY ENTITY THAT ALLOWED OUR EMPLOYEES THAT WEREN'T ON OUR HEALTH HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN TO HAVE THEIR DEPENDENTS ON THERE.
SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE THEIR DEPENDENT ON THE HEALTH INSURANCE IN ORDER TO USE THE CLINIC.
WE WERE THE ONLY ENTITY THAT CARE HERE DID IT.
AND WE'RE ONLY ENTITY THAT NEXT LEVEL, THE NEW CARRIER THAT OPERATES THE CLINIC DO THAT.
DOES IS THAT VACCIN NATIONWIDE? DOES THE COUNTY DO THAT? NO.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, UH, WE NEED TO FIND SOME KIND OF SOLUTION FOR UNDER TWO CUZ UNDER TWO CAN'T USE THAT OPTION.
ARE WE BUYING DOWN ANY OF THE DEPENDENT MONEY FOR THEM AT ALL? NO.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT? LET ME TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE ONE SECOND.
TOTAL RIGHT NOW ON THE PENDING COVERAGE, WE HAVE 34 PEOPLE ON THERE.
I THINK WHAT MAY, WHAT YOU MIGHT RUN UP AGAINST IS, IS ANY BUY DOWN BUMPS UP AGAINST SALARIES.
AND SO IT'S KIND OF CONSIDERED TAKE, WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHERE DO YOU WANT THE DOLLARS? DO YOU WANT IT IN SALARY OR DO YOU WANT IT WE ACTUALLY DID A POLL, A STRAW POLL WITH OUR EMPLOYEES WHENEVER I WAS GOING OUT FOR MEETINGS.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT MEETINGS CUZ MR. MUNO HAD ASKED ME TO FIND OUT WHERE OUR EMPLOYEES WANT.
THEY WANT THE MONEY IN THEIR CHECKS.
THEY WANT THE MONEY IN THEIR CHECKS.
AND THAT WAS ACROSS ALL THE BOARDS.
WHENEVER I WAS TALKING TO ALL THE EMPLOYEES, IT WASN'T JUST PUBLIC WORKS, IT WAS PD EVERYBODY AND I WAS GOING OUT FOR MEETINGS.
BUT CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 21 INDIVIDUALS WITH CHILD COVERAGE, THREE WITH FAMILIES AND 11 WITH SPOUSES AT ABOUT 220 THAT ARE COVERED.
BUT 30 I I HATE THAT ARGUMENT THAT WE'VE ONLY HAD 33 OR 34 BECAUSE WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE MORE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT.
SO I DON'T LIKE THAT ARGUMENT.
BUT JUST DEVIL'S ADVOCATE ON THAT IS THAT'S AGAIN NOT UNCOMMON.
I MEAN I WORK IN HEALTHCARE AND OUR INSURANCE IS INSANE.
UM, INSURANCE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS THAT UNTIL YOU DEAL WITH INSURANCE LOBBYISTS AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, WE DON'T CONTROL THEM.
AND THIS IS, I HEAR THAT, BUT WE'RE, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN NEGOTIATE WITH LOCAL MEDICAL FACILITIES TO, FOR CERTAIN SERVICES BEYOND? AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID WITH THE, WITH THE CLINIC BEYOND THAT, EVEN THOUGH LIKE IF YOU HAD, YOU KNOW, UH, WELLNESS VISITS OR ER VISITS OR IS THERE ANY WAY TO DO THAT? I MEAN, WE'VE GOT SOME FAIRLY LARGE SYSTEMS CLOSE BY HERE.
YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT U T M B, YOU'VE GOT HERMANN AND YOU AND YOU RUN INTO THE SAME THING.
CUZ THE COST THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR THE CLINIC IN, IN ENGLETON, WE'RE STILL BETTER OFF.
THAT'S THE BEST ONE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
WE SET ASIDE ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR THAT.
JUST A LITTLE UNDER A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE CLINIC MM-HMM.
[00:50:01]
SEE THE NUMBER THAT YOU SHOWED ME AND THAT, THAT IS HIGH, BUT NO, THAT'S NORMAL.BUT THOSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GUY THAT'S MAKING $17 AN HOUR MM-HMM.
I MEAN, IT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR YOU TO AFFORD THAT THAN IT IS HIM.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING THOUGH IS THAT THESE NUMBERS FOR EVERYBODY, REGARDLESS WHERE YOU'RE AT, I MEAN, IF YOU TRY TO GO GET A PRIVATE POLICY SOMEWHERE, IT'S, IT'S INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE.
I JUST, I WANT THAT TO BE A PRIORITY.
IF WE NEED THE RFP EVERY SINGLE YEAR TO TRY AND GET THE BEST THING WE CAN FOR OUR PEOPLE, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING.
SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING WE WILL DO.
AND LIKE I SAID, I I, I STILL WOULD LIKE TO SEE US, UH, CONTINUE TO TRY TO LOOK OUT OF THE BOX AND STUFF AND NO PROBLEM.
THERE'S THERE'S SOME OTHER PROGRAMS I'VE, YOU KNOW, I'VE BROUGHT TO YOU GUYS AND, AND, UH, AND WE LOOKED INTO THEM, MAN.
AND, AND THE THING IS, IS WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO, IT SOUNDS GOOD WHEN IT'S THE INDIVIDUAL, BUT WHEN YOU START ADDING UP FOR A FAMILY, IT GETS AGAIN, GETS, GETS PRICEY.
[2. Discuss RFP results and award contract for annual audit services to Belt, Harris, Pechacek, LLP - James Bryson.]
ITEM TWO IS DISCUSS RFP RESULTS AWARD CONTRACT FOR ANNUAL, UH, AUDIT SERVICES TO, UH, BELT HARRIS AND CHEKA, WHAT IS IT? PAT? YOU GOT ME JAM.I WAS GONNA ASK YOU TO DO THAT.
I'VE BEEN CALLING HIM BELT HARRIS.
UH, GOOD EVENING, MARION COUNCIL.
SO YES, WE WENT FOR AN RFP FOR THE AUDIT THIS YEAR.
UH, YOUR PACKET SHOULD HAVE HAD THE MATRIX THAT WE USED FOR SCORING.
WE WERE PLEASED TO HAVE THREE SUBMISSIONS.
UM, SO I WAS HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
AND USUALLY WITH AUDITS, YOU GO OUT EVERY SAY FIVE YEARS AS BEST PRACTICE ACCORDING TO G F O A.
SO AFTER WE GOT THE BIDS IN STAFF REVIEWED THEM AND WE PUT TOGETHER THE MATRIX AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THOSE ARE SCORED.
AND BASED OFF OF THE QUALIFICATIONS AND THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE RECEIVED, UM, THE DECISION WAS TO RECOMMEND TO YOU BELT HARRIS.
AND WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN COST? COST, COST.
IS THAT A BIG DIFFERENCE, SIR? THEY'RE NOT SO MUCH, THEY WERE ALL ABOUT 55,000 FOR THE AUDIT.
AND THEN YOU HAVE A SINGLE AUDIT COST AND THEN YOU HAVE THE, THE ACER THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER AND THERE'S A COST WITH THAT AS WELL.
SO I THINK THE, THE, I THINK THE COST DIFFERENTIAL WE HAD BETWEEN OUR CURRENT PROVIDER AND BILL HARRIS WAS ABOUT $10,000.
WELL, THEY WERE ALL ABOUT 55 FOR THE AUDIT, AND THEN IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE, IF THEY PUT TOGETHER THE A FOR, SO I FIGURED WE WERE CLOSER TO ABOUT 65,000 IS PRETTY MUCH THE NORM.
BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE A SINGLE AUDIT THIS YEAR AND WE DO NEED THEM TO PREPARE THAT, THAT THE, UH, COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR US.
AND AGAIN, WE, WE HAVE THE OPTION TO NOT MAKE CHANGE.
AND SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, SAY IT'S $10,000 DIFFERENCE.
IS THAT WORTH, IS THAT $10,000 WORTH THE HEADACHE OF BRINGING SOMEBODY NEW ON AND STARTING A WELL, EVERYBODY SHOULD BE THE, THE SAME.
GO AHEAD AND THEY'RE ARE QUALIFIED.
WELL, THIS YEAR ACTUALLY WE HAD IT, AS KEVIN MENTIONED TO YOU, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THEIR COST BECAUSE OF TIME.
AND THAT'S BOTH ON THEIR SIDE AND OUR SIDE.
SO THEIR COST THIS YEAR WAS CLOSER TO $69,000.
IS THE $10,000 WORTH BURNING? I MEAN, ARE WE GONNA BURN A BRIDGE WITH SOMEBODY WE'VE USED FOR 30 YEARS? YOU, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
SO THERE'S A LEVEL OF COMPLACENCY THAT I BELIEVE HAS KIND OF SNUCK INTO THERE.
SO I THINK THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH GOING OUT BID.
AND IF IT DOESN'T WORK OUT, YOU GO BACK TO WHAT, YOU KNOW.
WE HAD TALKED TO THEM AND THEY, I MEAN, UM, THEY UNDERSTOOD, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING THROUGH CHANGES.
WELL PRACTICE THEIR PARTNERS RETIRING THIS YEAR IS, AND THEY GO, THEY, THEY FACE THIS WITH ALL THE AUDITING FIRMS USUALLY ANTICIPATE THIS BECAUSE IT'S BEST PRACTICE.
THEY GO THROUGH THIS EVERY FIVE YEARS OR SO.
BUT AGAIN, WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
THE, THE AUDIT FIRM IN REALITY, YOU KNOW, WORKS FOR THE COUNCIL.
IT'S FOR YOU THEM TO LOOK AT THE BOOKS AND REPORT.
I'M WILLING TO WORK WITH WHOEVER YOU RECOMMEND.
OUR PRESENTATION WAS JUST BASED OFF WHAT THEY PROVIDED US.
WE FELT LIKE THEY'D PROVIDED THE BEST QUALITY PRODUCT.
UM, ALBERT FIRST PERSONALLY PREFER SWITCHING COMPANIES.
CAUSE YOU WANT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE ARE THE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BUDGET AND THE FINANCES OF THE CITY, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE A DIFFERENT SET OF EYES ARE LOOKING AT IT.
SO WE'RE NOT, UH, SOMEBODY, NOT SAYING SOMEBODY'S COOKING THE BOOKS, BUT JUST TO BE PUTTING IT BLUNTLY.
SO, I MEAN, MY RECOMMENDATION SAY A LITTLE BIT NICER THERE.
FIRST SET OF EYES, THAT'S YES.
[00:55:01]
NO, I UNDERSTAND.I THINK NO, I, I MEAN I TOOK THAT INTO ACCOUNT, BUT WHEN MAKING THE RECOMMENDATION, BECAUSE I, I TOTALLY GET, YOU KNOW, GOING LOCAL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? IF NOT, I'LL TAKE A MOTION.
MR. MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE, UH, UH, PROVIDE, UH, AWARD THE CONTRACT FOR ANNUAL AUDIT SERVICES TO BE HARRIS PK LL P AS RECOMMENDED BY MR. BRYSON, SIR.
MOTION BY COUNCILMAN SINNIA AND SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BAKER.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[3. Discuss Capital Improvement Projects – Milford John-Williams.]
DISCUSSED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.MILFORD, THIS IS GONNA BE A STANDING AGENDA ITEM, UH, GOING FORWARD, RIGHT? YEAH.
THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAD NOTE, UM, WE STILL WERE TRYING TO WORK ON FIRMING UP THE NUMBER FOR THE MULBERRY MULBERRY DITCH IMPROVEMENTS, BUT SAL IS SAID TO THE, WE NEED TO STAY WITH THE TWO 50 THAT WE BUDGET IN THERE.
SO I DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY CHANGE.
UH, NOW, UM, NOW THAT RE IS ON BOARD, WE'LL PROBABLY TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT THE UTILITY FUND PROJECTS AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE MAY NEED TO ADD THERE AS HE GETS UP TO SPEED.
SO YOU MAY SEE AN ADDITION OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, BY THE JULY, YOU KNOW, JULY MEETING IF HE FEELS WE NEED TO ADDRESS SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE HONEST.
WELL, ONLY THING I ASK IS IF HE COMES UP WITH SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES A LOT OF DISCUSSION, WE DO IT BEFORE THE, UM, BEFORE THE BUDGET SATURDAY.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT.
[4. Discuss and consider the appointment of candidates to the various boards and commissions – Mayor Roznovsky.]
I'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR, UH, DISCUSSING CONSIDER APPOINTMENT OF CANDIDATES TO THE VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.AND SO JUST, UH, AN FYI, THE, UH, WE, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IS THIS BWA REP POSITION IS OPEN AND WE'RE GONNA HANDLE THAT A SEPARATE DATE, UH, WITH, UH, INTERVIEWS OF THE, OR THE OTHER CAN WITH THE CANDIDATES.
UH, THERE, WE CURRENTLY HAVE ONE PERSON THAT'S SIGNED UP FOR THAT, BUT I WANTED TO GET THAT PERSON TO, UH, BE SURE AND HAVE THAT INTERVIEW WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL.
UH, SO WHAT WE'VE GOT IN FRONT OF YOU IS, UM, THE, UH, WHOLE BUNCH OF PAPERWORK.
SOME OF IT'S, UH, READABLE AND PRETTY COOL.
UH, YEAH, IT'S COLOR CODED AND EVERYTHING.
SO, UH, SALLY AND, UH, ANNA DID A GREAT JOB ON PULLING THIS TOGETHER FOR US, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY YOU TOOK THE ADVANTAGE OF LOOKING THIS OVER AND IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS, YOU, YOU HAD THE INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO CONTACT PEOPLE AND, AND TALK TO 'EM IF YOU WANTED TO AND STUFF.
UM, BUT, UH, WHAT WE'VE GOT IS, UH, LOOKING AT, SO THIS IS THE, ALL THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE RECEIVED IS WHAT YOU SEE UP ON THE SCREEN NOW.
THAT'S THE BIG PIECE OF PAPER.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND SO IT TELLS US WHICH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WE HAVE AND WHAT VACANCIES WE HAVE.
SO IF WE WANNA, IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND, I'LL LEAD US THROUGH THIS SOMEWHAT.
AND THAT IS, IS THAT, UH, ON THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION? UH, RIGHT NOW I'M GONNA LEAVE THE ZBA ONE ALONE BECAUSE THERE'S, UM, CURRENTLY, UH, COTTON TAYLOR IS AS A REAPPOINTMENT FOR ZBA, AND HE'S PUT IN AS A FIRST REQUEST TO MOVE TO PLANNERS WHERE HE, UH, ONCE WAS A MEMBER AND, UH, CHAIRMAN OF BEFORE HE HAD TO LEAVE OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
SO HE'S REQUESTING TO GO BACK ON THAT AS A PRIORITY.
SO LET'S GO TO KEEP LAKE JACKSON.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE'LL TALK THROUGH THIS AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO DO A MOTION TO DO ALL THESE THINGS.
SO WHAT I WAS THINKING IS, AGAIN, LEAVING ZBA FOR LATER IS, IS IF WE COULD GO DOWN THE LIST AND LOOK AT REAPPOINTMENTS AND DO A MOTION FOR REAPPOINTMENTS, IF WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT, AND GET THAT OUTTA THE WAY AND THEN MOVE ON TO APPOINTMENTS.
SO, UH, KEEP LAKE JACKSON BEAUTIFUL.
WE HAVE THREE REAPPOINTMENTS, YOU CAN SEE THEIR NAMES IN FRONT OF YOU THERE.
UH, AND THEN IN LIBRARY WE HAVE ONE REAPPOINTMENT IN PLANNERS, WE HAVE TWO REAPPOINTMENTS PARKS AND REC.
WE HAVE THREE REAPPOINTMENTS WITH NO VACANCY, UH, TRAFFIC.
WE HAVE THREE REAPPOINTMENT WITH NO VACANCIES.
LJ D C, WE HAVE, UH, TWO REAPPOINTMENTS WITH, UH, ONLY COUNCIL MEMBERS NEEDING TO BE NAMED AGAIN.
SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENT OR DISCUSSION ABOUT THE REAPPOINTMENTS FOR ANY OF THESE BOARDS? DO YOU GUYS HAVE, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
ARE ANY, CAUSE I KNOW SOME OF THESE BOARDS HAVE TO BE CERTAIN NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ON THE BOARDS, OR CAN ANY OF THEM HAVE ADDITIONAL VACANCIES OR BY CHARTER? SOME OF 'EM HAVE
[01:00:01]
A SET NUMBER.KEEP LAKE JACKSON BEAUTIFUL IS THE ONLY ONE THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT CAN GO UP OR IT HAS A MINIMUM FIVE, BUT IT CAN GO UP.
SO, AND WE'LL DISCUSS THE, THE UP, UH, ON ESPECIALLY KEEP LAKE JACKSON BEAUTIFUL.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT REAPPOINTMENTS? DO WE, IS THERE A, LIKE A TERM LIMIT ON ANY OF THE BOARDS AT ALL? THEY JUST HAVE TO BE REAPPOINTED.
YEAH, IT'S TWO YEAR AND THEN THEY REAPPOINT.
DO YOUR TERMS IF THERE'S NOT ANY DISCUSSION, I GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO READ NAMES INTO.
SO I'LL NEED SOMEBODY TO MAKE A MOTION THEN.
AND NAME IN THE, UH, REAPPOINTMENTS BY COMMITTEE.
ALL RIGHT, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, REAPPOINT ON THE KEEP LAKE JACKSON BEAUTIFUL COMMITTEE.
CELESTE ROGERS, DARREN MERRI, AND STACY LEWIS ON THE LIBRARY COMMITTEE.
MARY MYERS ON PLANNERS COMMITTEE LOCK SANDERS AND KAY APLIN PARKS AND REC IS, UH, DEBORAH PERRY, ELAINE CONLEY, AND NICOLE LARSON TRAFFIC.
DOUG SMITH, J FOSTER, SHANNON BYER.
UH, LAKE JACKSON DEVELOPMENT IS ARIEL, LAURA AND DAVID BEK.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I NEED A SECOND.
COUNCILMAN
NOW LET'S MOVE INTO, UH, FILLING VACANCIES.
ON Z B A, WE HAVE, UH, ONE FOR SURE AND ONE POS AND ADDITIONAL ONE POSSIBLE IF Y'ALL DECIDE IF THERE'S A DECISION TO GO WITH, UH, COLTON.
SO LET'S GO WITH THE ONE FOR SURE.
AND THEN IF COTTON MOVES WITHIN, THEN WE'LL ADDRESS THAT.
SO ANYBODY HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATION? LOOKING AT THE LIST? I HAD, UH, I'VE GOT, AND I TALKED TO CASEY ABOUT IT.
CASEY IS, UH, UH, SHE'S IN, SHE'S A CITY.
SHE LIVES IN THE SEA LAKE JACKSON.
UH, SHE IS, UH, UM, SEAT, WE WORKED FOR A SEED, UH, FREEPORT AND THE DIRECTOR OF BUILDING AND CODE IN FOR, UH, CODE OFFICIAL.
AND SO SHE'S GOT 20, 26 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN CITY GOVERNMENT INVOLVING, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN READ AS WELL AS I CAN, UM, ALL TOUCHES ALL PARTS OF, UH, ZONINGS AND STUFF.
SO THAT'S, UH, THAT WAS, SHE STOOD OUT TO ME ON THAT.
I I FELT THE SAME WAY ABOUT, ABOUT HER, UH, ON THE CBA LACK FLEX.
YOU HEAR THE COMMENT ON CASEY, SO WE'LL LEAVE HER AS A TENTATIVE.
UH, KEEP LAKE JACKSON BEAUTIFUL.
AGAIN, THEY HAVE TWO VACANCIES, BUT WE HAD FOUR PEOPLE THAT PUT THAT IN AS FIRST CHOICE.
AND SO I TALKED TO AMY AND SHE'S OKAY WITH INCREASING IT TO UP AN ADDITIONAL TWO PEOPLE.
AND ALSO WE'VE LEARNED TODAY THAT WE'VE HAD ONE PERSON THAT RESIGNED.
AND SO, SO IT ACTUALLY BE INCREASING IT BY ONE PERSON TO COUNT.
AND SO HAVING THOSE FOUR PEOPLE, THAT WOULD BE, UH, IS IT MS. LAR, IS IT ANDY? MM-HMM.
ANDY LARSON, AND THEN JERRY, ANNIE, AND THEN, UH, HOLLY MCCURY, UH, AND, UH, MICHELLE WHAT WATSON.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE FOUR PEOPLE THAT PUT THAT AS A PRIORITY.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S A STARTING POINT FOR TALKING DISCUSSION.
SO THAT WOULD BRING US UP TO EIGHT.
IS THAT CORRECT? IF ONE, NINE, NO, AT NINE SIT CURRENTLY.
THAT'S EIGHT AND 13 PLUS FOUR.
WHICH WE'VE BEEN WAY BIGGER THAN THAT.
AGAIN, THAT'S THE MOST, UH, HANDS ON COMMITTEE WE HAVE AS FAR AS GETTING DIRT UNDER YOUR FINGERNAILS.
UH, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT? ALL RIGHT.
IF NOT, WELL THEN WE'LL PUT THOSE AS, UH, IN THAT LIST FOR BEING APPOINTED WHEN WE MAKE MOTIONS LATER.
[01:05:01]
UH, LIBRARY, UH, WE ONLY HAVE ONE PERSON I RECALL THAT MADE US A FIRST REQUEST, UH, FOR LIBRARY WAS CRYSTAL SIMS. DO WE HAVE SEAN BAKER? THAT RIGHT? HMM? IT'S MS. BAKER TWO.AND MY CHOICE WOULD'VE BEEN PAGE, HMM.
I DON'T SEE, IT'S VERY, VERY, OH, THIS BIG SHEET.
BOB, I MADE A BIG FOR, YOU CAN READ IT.
SO WE NEED TO JUST MAKE A DECISION, UH, BETWEEN THOSE TWO THAT MADE FIRST REQUEST.
DID ANY SPECIAL A REASON OR JUST KNOW HER, KNOW THE PERSON OR, YES, I DO.
I THINK HER TIES WITH B I S D AND EDUCATION IS DEFINITELY A, A GOOD FIT IN THE LIBRARY.
IF THAT'S OKAY, I'LL PUT THAT AS A POSSIBLE THAT'S ON THE LIST.
SALLY, YOU, ARE YOU MAKING THIS NOTES? YES, YOUR HONOR.
UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE ONE THAT'S ALWAYS, OR ONE OF THE HARD ONES IS PLANTERS, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO BE ON PLANTERS.
WE'VE GOT ONE, UH, VACANCY THAT'S AVAILABLE.
AND LIKE I SAID, UH, COTTON TAYLOR IS REQUESTING TO COME BACK ON, UH, THAT BOARD.
HE'S, UH, THE ONLY REASON WHY HE LEFT WAS BECAUSE OF A REASSIGNMENT WITH, UH, WORK.
AND SO HE IS COME BACK AND HE'S BEEN ON ZBA FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK ON, UH, PLANNERS.
BUT, UH, SO I'VE BEEN, UH, I WAS ON PLANNERS WITH HIM ON THE COMMISSION.
AND I FEEL THAT HE'D BE A GOOD FIT AND HE'D BE A GOOD TEAM MEMBER OF THE PLANNERS.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION WILL BE COTTON TYLER FOR PLANNERS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UH, ALL RIGHT.
UH, PARKS AND REC, THEY HAD NO VACANCIES AND NO VACANCIES ON TRAFFIC.
UH, LJD C I WAS GONNA KEEP IF, UH, UH, AS FAR AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, I WAS GONNA, I WAS GONNA REMAIN ON THAT.
UH, AND THEN, UM, I'LL TELL ALSO, AND THEN JOHN BAKER, IF YOU WANNA STILL REMAIN ON THAT.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A DESIRE TO, UH, BE ON THAT COMMITTEE? THESE ARE, THESE ARE ACTUAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
SO WE PART, WE COUNT AS PART OF THE, UH, UH, QUORUM.
SO WE'LL LEAVE THOSE, MYSELF AND JOHN BAKER.
WE HAVE, UH, I THINK IT WAS A TOTAL OF FIVE PEOPLE THAT DID SIGN IT REQUEST.
AND SO WE HAVE, UH, FIVE BLANKS.
THIS IS EVERY TWO YEARS WE DO THIS.
SO IT'S WILL BROOKS, UH, LISA PAULS, UH, MARK SWARSKI, AMY TATO, AND BILL YY.
SHE ALSO SITS ON THE LAKE, UH, LJ DC.
UH, BUT, UH, AGAIN, THAT GROUP MEETS HAS CALLED.
AND THEN AGAIN, THIS CHARTER REVIEW IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS AT THE MOST, IS SIX MONTHS LONG.
AND, UM, SHE ALWAYS HAS TO GET APPROVAL FROM HER EMPLOYER TO BE INVOLVED IN ANY KIND OF GROUP.
AND SO SHE'S ALREADY RECEIVED APPROVAL FOR THAT.
IF SHE'S ACCEPTED, I WOULD RECOMMEND WILL BROOKS AND BILL GUINE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ON IT LAST TIME.
UM, THE AMAZING DUO WAS THERE LAST TIME.
AND IF YOU WANNA, I'M JUST SAYING, I'M JUST REMINDING YOU IF YOU WANTED FRESH EYES.
I MEAN, THEY'RE VERY, WELL, I MEAN, THERE'S ENOUGH VACANCIES THOUGH, FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S REQUESTED IT.
AND I WILL SAY THAT HAVING BILL YY ON CHARTER REVIEW, HE CAN TELL YOU WHY THEY WERE DOING IT IN STUFF IN 1969.
SO, I MEAN, HE WAS LIKE, A LOT OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THERE.
HE PROBABLY CAN TELL YOU IN 1943 TOO.
THAT, AND THAT REALLY IS A, IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT BOARD THAT, THAT PROBABLY DOESN'T GET ENOUGH CREDIT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ME ALL THE TIME AND ALL THAT.
AND HAVING THE, THAT CALIBER OF, OF PEOPLE WITH THOSE LEVELS EXPERIENCE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
EVERY, AND EVERYBODY, I, I SAW THAT REQUESTED CHARTER WAS A CHECK FROM ME.
[01:10:02]
LISA'S VERY DETAILED.SHE'S VERY DETAILED INDIVIDUAL, AND SHE ASK A LOT OF HARD QUESTIONS.
SO I WAS HAPPY WHENEVER SHE SAID SHE'D SIT ON THE, ALL RIGHT.
IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT GROUP? MM-HMM.
AND SO, UH, WE HAD A DAVID CORBIN WHO PUT IN FOR ZBA AS A NUMBER ONE, AND THERE WAS SOMEBODY ELSE.
THAT IS AN EX IMPORTANT BOARD AS WELL.
CAUSE THEIR, THEIR DECISION DOES NOT GO THROUGH COUNCIL, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO, SO CAN, HOW OFTEN DO THEY MEET? AS WELL AS NEEDED.
AS NEEDED? THAT'S, UH, IT'S NOT VERY OFTEN.
IT'S LUCKY IF IT'S ONCE A YEAR.
BOTH OF THE, THE GENTLEMEN ARE IN OPERATIONS AT THE DIFFERENT PLANTS MM-HMM.
SO ANYBODY WANNA MAKE A THROW A NAME OUT THERE? DAVID COLBURN.
ANYBODY ELSE? SO WE'VE GOT CASEY, ROMAN, AND DAVID COBURN.
SO IF NOBODY WANTS TO MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS, THEN WE HAVE, UH, UH, READY TO, WHO WANTS TO MAKE MOTIONS FOR, UH, VACANCIES? MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
TO APPOINT TO THE ZBA, UH, CASEY ROMAN AND DAVID COBURN TO KEEP LAKE JACKSON BEAUTIFUL.
HAILEY MCCURY TO THE LIBRARY, MS. SEAN BAKER TO PLANNERS COTTON TYLER TO LJ D C, GERALD BRONSKI, JOHN BAKER.
AND TO CHARTER REVIEW IS BILL YY, WILL BROOKS, LISA, PAULS, AMY TASO, AND MARK WHISKY.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? NO, OTHER THAN TO SAY, I LIKE THIS PROCESS MUCH BETTER.
WELL, AGAIN, I THINK IT, THE WAY THE, UH, SALLY AND ANNA PULLED US TOGETHER, I THINK HELPED A LOT.
ALRIGHT, THE OTHER DISCUSSION.
SO WE'VE GOT THAT TAKEN CARE OF.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYBODY THAT HELPED MAKE THAT, UH, GO SMOOTHLY.
THANKS FOR ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO SIGNED UP AND DIDN'T GET A APPOINT.
PLEASE SIGN UP AGAIN, SIGN UP AGAIN.
IT'S JUST ALL, IT'S ALL, IT'S OFTEN JUST A FUNCTION OF WHO'S LEAVING.
WHEN, SO PLEASE DO, DO THAT AGAIN.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY PLEASING TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE SIGN UP.
BECAUSE IN THERE'S BEEN YEARS WHERE IT'S BEEN REALLY NOBODY.
[5. Appoint city council members to serve as council liaisons to the various boards and commissions – Mayor Roznovsky.]
FIVE IS THE APPOINT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SERVE AS COUNCIL LIAISONS OF VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.AND, UH, WHAT FEEDBACK I GOT FROM FOLKS WAS PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY WAS HAPPY WHERE THEY WERE AT.
UH, BUT THEY WERE WILLING TO CHANGE IF THEY WANT, IF I WANTED TO CHANGE 'EM.
UH, I THINK THERE'S, UH, EVERYBODY'S, UH, GOT A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOARD OR THE COMMISSION THEY'RE INVOLVED WITH.
THE ONLY CHANGE WILL BE IS THAT, UH, UH, RHONDA WILL BE, UH, LIAISON TO CHARTER.
AND AT ANY TIME, IF ANYBODY MEMBER WANTS TO CHANGE, UH, JUST HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH ANOTHER MEMBER AND WITH ME, AND WE CAN MAKE THOSE CHANGES.
IT'S THE MAIN THING IS GETTING REPRESENTATION AT THE, AT THE, UH, BOARDS AND COMMITTEES.
[6. New Business Updates – David Walton.]
WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX.GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UH, I WAS LOOKING OVER THIS LIST, WHICH I, UM, HAVE A GLARING OMISSION ON HERE THAT I NEED, DO, NEED TO ADD.
AND HOME TWO SUITES IS NOT LISTED.
[01:15:01]
A SITE THAT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.UM, BUT I DID WANT TO, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE NEXT ONE.
THE OTHER THING THAT HAS CHANGED SINCE THIS WAS LAST UPDATED, WHICH WAS ON FRIDAY, IS THAT CAVENDERS, THE ACTUAL TENANT IMPROVEMENT, NOT JUST THE WHITE BOX, THE ACTUAL TENANT IMPROVEMENT IS ON THE VERGE OF BEING READY FOR, UH, PERMITTING.
I EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN TOMORROW.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, IS THERE, DO THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH PLANNERS OR ANYTHING? NO, THAT'S ALL IN INTERIOR.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN SOME QUESTIONS THAT HAVE ARISEN, UH, EITHER THROUGH, UH, THE REPORT AT THE FAX OR, UM, THROUGH, UH, EMAILS MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY IN REGARDS TO THE VILLAS, WHICH ARE THE APARTMENTS BEHIND, UH, THE BS.
THERE'S DEFINITELY COMMUNITY INTEREST IN THE PROGRESS OF THAT PROJECT.
I DID WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE, UH, CONTRACTOR.
UM, HE IS EXPECTING A RAMP UP IN ACTIVITY OUT THERE, AND ABOUT THE NEXT TWO TO THREE WEEKS, AND THE AMOUNT OF WORKERS ON SITE SHOULD DOUBLE.
UH, HE HAS ABOUT 20, SO YOU MIGHT SEE 40 OR 50 OUT THERE AT ANY ONE TIME WITH, WITH, UH, PROGRESS BEING MADE ON, UM, BUILDINGS 13 AND 14, WHICH ARE THE TWO, TWO STORY BUILDINGS THAT ARE IMMEDIATELY ON PLANTATION UP AGAINST THE BUCKY'S PROPERTY.
SO YOU'LL SEE A THIRD STORY GO ON THERE.
YOU'LL SEE ROOF FRAMING GO ON THERE, AND THEY'LL START TO DRY THAT ONE IN.
UH, THE BUILDINGS, UH, TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY, WHICH ARE THE ONES CLOSEST TO WALNUT, ARE DRIED IN.
THEY'RE, UH, WITH ONE OF 'EM, EVEN TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'VE PASSED THEIR FRAMING, PLUMBING AND MECHANICAL INSPECTIONS AND HAS GOTTEN INSULATION, ARE THEY REQUIRED TO, THE PROPERTY LOOKS TERRIBLE.
I MEAN, THE, THE CITIZENS HAVE TO KEEP THEIR GRASS OWED.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO KEEP THEIR GRASS OWED.
THEY, THEY SHOULD ALSO BE HELD TO THE SAME STANDARDS.
AND, AND I CAN ADDRESS THAT WITH THE, WITH THE PROPERTY.
UM, OWNER, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT, UH, THEY HAD AN ARCHITECT GO IN AND EVALUATE THE STRUCTURES AND SAID, AND EVERYTHING'S STILL PRETTY COOL.
BACK IN MARCH, WE DID, UM, STOP INSPECTIONS OUT THERE ON OUR PART UNTIL WE COULD, UH, GET A, UNTIL WE, UH, WE HAD THEM GET A THIRD PARTY EVALUATION ON THE MATERIALS.
AND THE STRUCTURES THAT THAT THIRD PARTY DID INDICATE THAT THE, THE STATE OF THE MATERIALS WAS SOUND.
ALTHOUGH WEATHERED WAS STILL, UM, SUITABLE FOR CONSTRUCTION, THE ENGINEER OF RECORD ALSO COMMISSIONED THEIR OWN EVALUATION.
UH, BUT THAT'S ONE WAS NOT DONE BY US.
AND THAT THEY CAME BACK WITH A SIMILAR RESPONSE.
YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS THAT THEY DID WANNA SEE CHANGED OR REPLACED, BUT IT WASN'T, UM, NO ONE DEEMED THE, THE SITE TO BE HAZARDS.
NO ONE DEEMED THE BUILDING TO BE, YOU KNOW, DANGEROUS.
WHAT ABOUT MOLD AND MILDEW? MOLD AND MILDEW ARE TYPICALLY SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS THAT CAN BE REMEDIED, UH, ONCE THE BUILDING IS, IS DRIED IN.
UH, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE, UM, UM, BOTH, UH, EVALUATING PARTIES SAID WAS TO GET THE MATERIALS OFF OF THE GROUND TO GET THEM COVERED WHERE EXPOSURE COULD BE, UH, DETRIMENTAL TO THEM.
IN SOME CASES THOUGH, WHEN YOU HAVE MATERIAL THAT IS WET, THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS THROW PLASTIC OVER IT, WHICH THEN, YOU KNOW, CREATES A HOT BOX INSIDE.
BUT, UH, THE CONTR, THEY ARE KEEPING TABS ON THE CONTRACTOR.
THE CONTRACTOR IS USING THOSE MATERIALS HAVE TAKEN THE, UH, GRAIN MATERIALS ON THE OUTSIDE OF, SAY, YOU, YOU HAVE A PALLET OF, OF TWO BY FOURS.
THEY ARE TAKING THE GRAY ONES ON THE OUTSIDE AND USING THE ONES ON THE INSIDE, WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN WEATHERED TO THE SAME EXTENT.
THE, UH, I WAS DOING SOME RESEARCH ON, UM, MY CONCERN IS LIKE THE DECKING AND THE SIDING AND STUFF.
AND, UM, MOST MANUFACTURERS OF FLOOR DECKING OR SHEATHING ROOF SHEATHING, THAT'S EITHER PLYWOOD OR PARTICULAR BOARD PARTICLE BOARD MM-HMM.
THEY COULDN'T GIVE ME ANY SPECIFIC GUIDELINES BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS SITE SPECIFIC, WHICH IS WHY WE WENT TO THE THIRD PARTY EVALUATION.
AND JUST SO WE KNOW FOR COMMUNICATION WITH PEOPLE THAT ASK ALL THE TIME, YES MA'AM.
WHAT HAS, IS IT JUST BEEN A FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS COVID AND THEN CONSTRUCTION COSTS? AND CAN, CAN WE KNOW THAT? CAUSE PEOPLE ASK ALL THE TIME, WHILE, WHILE I HAVE MY THEORIES, UM, I, I DON'T EXPECT THE CONTRACTOR TO COME OUT,
[01:20:01]
COME RIGHT OUT AND TELL ME WHAT THEIR STRATEGY IS OR THE DIFFICULTIES.I DO KNOW, BASED ON MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, THAT THERE WERE DELAYS.
THERE HAS BEEN, UH, DELAYS IN, IN FINANCING.
THERE WAS, UM, THE PURCHASE OF MATERIALS AT THE HEIGHT OF THE, OF THE, THE MARK, WHICH I'M SURE HA HAS LED TO SOME FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES AS WELL.
BUT, UM, I DON'T QUITE THINK IT'S, IT'S MY PLACE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHY IS THIS GOING SO SLOW? I CAN JUST KEEP ASKING HIM, HOW'S IT GOING? AND, AND WHAT, WHEN SHOULD WE EXPECT TO SEE STUFF HAPPENING? I MEAN, HE KNOWS THAT WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE PROJECT.
OBVIOUSLY, HE KNOWS THAT WHILE WE WON'T SAY YOUR, YOUR PERMITS ARE, UM, REVOKED BECAUSE THEY ARE CONTINUING TO WORK, BUT THEY DO KNOW THAT WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE STATE OF THE BUILDINGS, TO THE STATE OF THE SITE, AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT PROGRESS IS STILL HAPPENING.
AND DAVID, YOU MAY WANNA ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHEN CAN A PERMIT BE REVOKED? WHAT'S THE TRIGGER? SO A PERMIT CAN BE REVOKED WHEN IT'S EITHER ISSUED AN ERROR.
UH, THAT CAN BE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THERE WAS MISINFORMATION ON THE APPLICATION, OR PERHAPS IT, IT DIDN'T HAVE THE NECESSARY APP APPROVALS IN THE CITY ISSUED IT WITHOUT THAT, UH, TAKING PLACE.
OR WHEN, UH, THE PROJECT IS SUSPENDED, UM, FOR A PERIOD OF 180 DAYS.
AT THAT POINT, WE COULD REVOKE PERMITS ON SPECIFIC BUILDINGS.
UH, WE HAVE SEEN PROGRESS HAPPENING IN EVERY BUILDING, THOUGH, UH, AS WE ARE THROUGH THAT SITE A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK.
UM, IF THEY WERE TO WALK AWAY FROM THE PROJECT, OR IF WE WERE TO, TO SEE THAT ONE OF THE BUILDINGS HADN'T BEEN TOUCHED IN A, IN AN AMOUNT OF TIME, WE COULD GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF REVOKING THAT, THAT PERMIT, UH, THAT WOULD REQUIRE THEM TO, UM, REAPPLY.
AND AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE THEM, UH, AGAIN, EVALUATE WHAT'S OUT THERE, INCLUDING THE CITY COULD, UM, INITIATE AN EVALUATION.
UH, BUT WE WOULD ALSO HAVE, WE COULD ALSO AT THAT POINT, REQUIRE THEM TO MEET ANY NEW OR CURRENT CODE STANDARDS, EVEN IF THE CODE HAS CHANGED, IF THAT PERMIT HAS BEEN REVOKED.
SO, JUST TO OUTTA MY CURIOSITY, THAT WHAT ITEM ENDS UP ON YOUR LIST? UH, IS THERE A DOLLAR LIMIT? LET'S SAY CHICK-FIL-A WAS ON YOUR LIST, AND THEN SOME OTHER PLACES ARE NOT.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, IS THERE A DOLLAR LIMIT? THAT'S, MOST OF THE TIME IT'S COMMERCIAL PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA, UM, CREATE SOME, SOME SORT OF COMMUNITY, UH, BUZZ.
I MEAN, ARE PEOPLE GONNA BE ASKING YOU ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT? UH, NO ONE'S TYPICALLY GONNA, YOU KNOW, ASK ABOUT THE INTERIOR REMODEL OF THE CORNER STORE AS AN EXAMPLE.
BUT CAVENDER'S OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS A BIG ONE BECAUSE WE SAW A LONG TIME BUSINESS VACATE A SPACE AND THEN SEE THAT SPACE SIT EMPTY FOR NUMEROUS MONTHS WHILE, WHILE WE WAIT FOR ALL THE BACK END TO HAPPEN.
UM, BUT USUALLY IT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE FEEL THE, UH, COUNCIL WOULD BE INTERESTED IN OR SOMETHING THAT, UH, MR. MUNO ASKS US TO PUT ON THERE.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANY MORE QUESTIONS THAT WE'LL MOVE ON TO?
[7. City Manager Updates]
CITY MAN.I'M GOING TO ASK MS. WEBB TO TALK ABOUT OUR UPCOMING, UH, FREE CHLORINE CONVERSION.
WAS THAT A SOFTBALL TOSSED IN YOU OR A HARDBALL? OKAY.
I JUST, UH, WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE.
YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, SEMI-ANNUALLY, WE USUALLY DO A FREE FLOORING CONVERSION IN CONJUNCTION WITH BWA AND ALL THE OTHER SISTER CITIES THAT BWA SUPPLIES.
UM, WE, WE GENERALLY DO THAT IN DECEMBER AND AGAIN IN JUNE.
UH, WE HAVE AGREED WITH BWA THAT THE JUNE BE A LONGER CONVERSION THAN THE WINTER CONVERSION BASED ON WATER TEMPERATURE AND THE ABILITY TO, TO GROW MORE BIOFILM IN THE PIPE.
SO THIS ONE WILL BE A THREE WEEK CONVERSION.
UH, WE'RE GONNA START TOMORROW AND ON THE EIGHTH, WE WILL BEGIN FLUSHING AT NIGHT.
SO, UM, OUR MASON DIXON LINE THERE IS O C D.
SO WE'RE GONNA START ON THE NORTH SIDE FOR THE FIRST THREE NIGHTS.
AND THEN ON THE 10TH, WE SHOULD BE FINISHING UP THE NORTH SIDE AND STARTING ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
AND THAT'LL GO THROUGH THE 12TH.
AT THAT POINT, WE BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE ALL FRESH, UM, FREE CHLORINATED WATER AT THAT POINT.
AND THEN WE'LL RUN THAT TO THE 27TH, AND THEN WE'LL SHUT IT BACK DOWN AND GO BACK TO TOTAL CHLORINE.
DO YOU FLUSH EVERY NIGHT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS? NO, JUST UNTIL WE GET RID OF OUR WATER.
[01:25:01]
JUST SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, READING THIS, THIS SAYS WE DON'T HAVE TO DO LAUNDRY FOR THREE WEEKS.THIS IS AN OFFICIAL CITY THING RIGHT HERE.
THE, UH, DO YOU THINK THE, UH, DO YOU THINK THE MIXERS THAT WE PUT IN THE TANKS ARE GONNA HELP ON THIS? ANY, OR I DO.
I MEAN, THOSE MIXERS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP A STEADY CHLORINE RESIDUAL NOW, UH, WITHOUT ADJUSTING BACK AND FORTH.
AND, AND SO WHEN THEY'RE ADJUSTING OUT THERE, THEY'LL INCREASE THE CHLORINE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEN THEY SEE THAT IT SPIKES AND THEN THEY'LL DECREASE THE CHLORINE.
SINCE WE'VE HAD THOSE MIXERS, IT HAS STAYED STEADY.
UM, AND THE WATER'S HEATING UP RIGHT NOW.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT WAS A GOOD MOVE.
AND WE SHOULD SEE IT DURING THIS CONVERSION TOO.
SO WHENEVER WE SWITCH OVER, THIS BAW IS DOING A CHLORINE CONVERSION AT THE SAME TIME.
SO IF THEY WENT OVER, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE BUNCH WE CAN DO EXCEPT SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF A CHLORINE STUFF.
GENERALLY, WE'RE BOOSTING IT, WE'RE BOOSTING AGAIN.
SO, SO ALL BWA DOES IS TURN OFF THE AMMONIA, INCREASE THE CHLORINE, AND THEN WE FOLLOW ALONG BASED ON WHAT WE'VE GOT INCOMING AND WHAT WE'RE BLENDING.
AND WE'RE GENERALLY BOOSTING IT A LITTLE BIT MORE TO KEEP IT CONSISTENT.
SO I THINK NOW THAT WE'VE INCREASED IT THREE WEEKS LAST TIME WE LAST SUMMER, WE REALLY SAW A DIFFERENCE IN THAT.
UM, SEEMED TO KEEP THE SYSTEM A LOT CLEANER FOR A LOT LONGER.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING FOR AGAIN, THIS TIME.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OH, THE OTHER QUESTION IS, IS CAN WE, AND I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE, CAN WE WORK WITH, WILL WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE STATE OR JUST BWA AND CHANGE THE TIMING? I UNDERSTAND IT HAS TO BE EVERY SIX MONTHS, BUT THE DECEMBER THE SUMMER IS HOLIDAY TIME, AND, YOU KNOW, CAN WE ROTATE AROUND WHERE IT'S IN OCTOBER VERSUS DECEMBER? WE ASKED LAST TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, THE YEAR BEFORE WE RAN INTO CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS, RIGHT.
AND EVERY CITY COMPLAINED THAT, YOU KNOW, THEIR GUYS WANT VACATION OVER THE HOLIDAYS.
THEY WANNA BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES, THEY DON'T WANNA BE OUT THERE FLUSHING.
SO, UH, THIS, THIS YEAR, THEY MOVED IT BACK BY ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF.
AND, UH, IT MADE A DIFFERENCE FOR US.
BUT THEY ARE THE ONES, BWA ACTUALLY APPLIES FOR THE PERMIT FROM, FROM TCQ.
SO WE FOLLOW ALONG WITH WHAT GETS APPROVED, AND THEY HAVE FINAL SAY ON THAT.
WE ALL MET, UM, LAST YEAR AFTER THE CHRISTMAS CONVERSION, AND EVERYBODY GAVE THE SAME FEEDBACK.
PLEASE MOVE IT BACK A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT DECEMBER SEEMS TO BE WHEN THEY WANT TO DO IT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANY REASON WHY? BECAUSE IT WASN'T JUST THE EMPLOYEES WANTING OFF, IT WAS FAMILIES HOME, KIDS OUTTA SCHOOL, WERE HOME.
I KNOW THEY DON'T WANT TO WATER PROBLEMS DURING THE HOLIDAYS.
PART OF IT IS THE WATER TEMPERATURE IS DROPPING AT THAT POINT.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO DO IT WHEN IT'S HOT AND THEN WHEN IT CHANGES TEMPERATURE AGAIN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF IT.
BUT IF YOU DO IT SOONER, WATER, THIS WILL BE HOTTER.
MY BIGGEST ISSUE IS PEOPLE COME TO VISIT THEIR FAMILIES, RIGHT.
AND THEY SAY, BOY, THIS IS THE CRAPPY WATER.
YOU ALL DRINK ALL THE TIME, AND IT PUTS LEE JACKSON IN A BAD, BAD, YOU KNOW, A BAD PICTURE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE WATER THAT YOU GUYS GET.
AND, UH, MOST OF ALL THE FAMILIES HAVE VISITORS COMING FOR CHRISTMAS AND, AND THANKSGIVING.
UM, WE WILL BE MEETING WITH THEM AGAIN, SO WE CAN ASK AGAIN THAT OCTOBER BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS WOULD BE BETTER FOR EVERYONE AND, UM, SEE IF WE GET ANY RESPONSE.
I MEAN, I KNOW THE WATERS NOT CRAPPY, BUT IT'S JUST TO THEM, YOU KNOW, IT APPEARS.
UM, WHEN YOU, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GO FROM A SOFT MONO CHLORINE TO, YOU KNOW, JUST HEART CHLORINE YEAH.
YOU GET A, A RESPONSE FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST NOT USED TO CHLORINE.
AND, UM, SO WE SHOULD HAVE A NEW REPRESENTATIVE THAT CAN ADVOCATE FOR US.
UH, ANY KIND OF ACTIONS THAT WE HAVE SUMMARIZED? WELL, WE JUST HAVE ONE.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS WE WILL BE NOTIFYING, UH, ALL THE NEW BOARD MEMBER APPOINTMENTS.
[8. Construction Updates]
UH, CONSTRUCTION UPDATES.SAL, AS YOU CAN, WELL NOTICE, UH, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING
[01:30:01]
GOING ON DOWNTOWNTHIS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S GETTING TO US, AND WE ARE CONSTANTLY HARPING AT THE CONTRACTOR, UH, OF, UH, OF THE, UH, OF THE SITUATION HERE.
ORIGINALLY, UH, IT WAS GONNA BE LATE JUNE THAT, UH, THE PROJECT WAS GONNA BE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED.
WELL, THAT HASN'T TAKEN PLACE.
IT'S MOVING INTO JULY, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT BY THE END OF JULY, THAT WOULD BE THE CASE THERE.
UH, THE, UH, PRIMARILY PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ONE ARE THE SUBCONTRACTORS THAT, UH, THAT THEY HAVE DEDICATED, WHICH ARE VERY, VERY FEW NOW.
UH, PRIMARILY THE, UH, SIDEWALK PERSON IS THE ONE THAT'S COMPLETING THE PROJECT, THE MAJOR BRUNT OF THE PROJECT.
AND, UH, THEY ARE NOT STAFFED PROPERLY.
WE HAVE MENTIONED THAT SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE CONTRACTOR.
UH, AND OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, UNLESS WE APPLY SOME OTHER TYPE OF PRESSURE, WHICH AT THIS TIME ESCAPES ME, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER WE CAN DO ANYTHING THERE, BUT JUST WAIT OUR, YOU KNOW, ABOUT OUR TIME ON THAT ONE.
UH, AS FAR AS THE PRIMARY STREETS, OF COURSE, ARE NOW OPEN, THEY WERE DIRTY AT ONE TIME OR UP TO TODAY'S RAIN, AND NOW THEY SEEM TO HAVE CLEANED UP A LITTLE BIT.
UH, THERE'S STILL SOME, UH, BACKFILL OF THOSE MEDIANS, PRIMARILY THE MAJOR CULPRIT OF THE, OF, OF THE, UH, DIRTY CONDITIONS OF THE AREA THERE.
AND THEY WILL BE TRYING TO GET AS MUCH OF THAT, UH, BRINGING IN, BRINGING IN, UH, SOME, UM, BORROW MATERIAL IN ORDER TO, TO BACKFILL THOSE AREAS, GETTING IT READY FOR THE, UH, LANDSCAPE PEOPLE, THE IRRIGATION PEOPLE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MOVING THIS WEEK.
NOW THAT'S, UH, THAT'S NOT THE CASE, PRIMARILY BECAUSE THE WEATHER THAT HAS NOW COME IN AND IS PROGRAMMED TO STAY HERE WITH, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
SO, UH, THE, UH, IRRIGATION PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA BE SHOWING UP.
AND AS SUCH, ALL THE OTHER ONES ARE ALSO, YOU KNOW, DELAYING THEIR, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MOVING AGAIN, UH, MINOR, A MINOR DRY, UH, A MINOR, UH, UH, PAVING WORK THAT'S STILL OUTSTANDING.
UH, THE BRICK LAYERS ARE STILL OUTSTANDING, PRIMARILY WAITING ON THE WALL TO BE BUILT BY THE, UH, SIDEWALK PEOPLE.
UH, THEY, I CALL 'EM THE SIDEWALK PEOPLE.
THEY HAVE SEVERAL BRANCHES IN THE, IN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A GROUP THAT ARE GONNA BE BUILDING THAT WALL.
UH, SO, UH, THAT IS THE STATE OF THE, UH, UH, OF THE DOWNTOWN CONDITION RIGHT NOW.
SO THE BRICK LAYER THAT'S DOING THE, THE NICE FINISHED BRICK OVER THE, UM, THE, THE DUMPSTER.
ARE THEY ANOTHER SUB OR ARE THEY A THEY'RE ANOTHER SUB.
SO THEY'RE NOT A, SO THEY'RE NOT AN ASSOCIATE, THEY'RE NOT A DIVISION OF THE, UM, SIDEWALK COMPANY.
THEY ARE A DIVISION OF THE SIDEWALK.
THEIR, THEIR DIVISION OF THE SIDEWALK, THEY WILL ALSO BE DOING THE SIDE, THE, UH, THE BRAKE WORK ALONG THAT WALL.
ALL THE STREET LIGHTS ARE WORKING, ALL THE STREET LIGHTS ARE, ARE WORKING, UNLESS YOU TELL ME OTHERWISE.
UH, THE ONLY THINGS THAT ARE NOT WORKING AT THE PEDESTRIAN LIGHTS.
AND THAT'S STILL WAITING ON THE, UH, TRAFFIC, UH, TRAFFIC TANKS, WHICH IS THE TRAFFIC PERSONS.
AND, UH, THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALSO DOING THE, UH, THE PEDESTRIAN LIGHT INSTALLATION.
THEY WERE WAITING ON SOME WIRE, SOME ON NUMBER FOUR WIRE TO BE ABLE TO RUN THEIR MAIN, UH, THEIR MAIN FEEDERS INTO THEIR, INTO THEIR SWITCHING SYSTEM.
UH, AND THAT THEY HAVE NOT COME DOWN DOWN HERE.
AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY HAVEN'T COME IN HERE, BECAUSE THAT SHOULDN'T BE WAITING ON ANY OF THE OTHER, IT'S ALL, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THE PEDESTALS WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING THE WALL AROUND ON NORTH PARKING PLACE.
I'M GUESSING THAT'S GONNA BE PEDESTRIAN LIGHTS SITTING ON TOP OF THOSE? YES, CORRECT.
THEY INSTALL THE LIGHTS BEFORE THEY BUILD THE WALL, OR ARE THE LIGHTS GONNA COME IN AFTER THE WALL? THEY CAN COME IN ANY TIME.
I MEAN, THE CONDO IS LATE THERE, SO IT'S A, A MATTER OF JUST PULLING THE WIRE THROUGH THERE.
SO, NO, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE ANY PROBLEM.
WHY CAN'T WE APPLY SOME SORT OF PRESSURE? BECAUSE, I MEAN, REALLY THE, THE PROJECT IS SO FAR OUTSIDE OF ITS SCOPE AT THIS POINT.
WE SHOULD NEVER BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE DON'T HAVE PRESSURE TO APPLY TO THESE CONTRACTORS.
I MEAN, SO FAR, I'M NOT ACTUALLY HEARING ANY REASON.
WHERE ARE THE SIDEWALK PEOPLE? THEY ARE, THEY ARE THERE AT, ON THE JOB SIDE, BUT THEY HAVE NOT, THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PERSONNEL.
WHAT, WHAT CAN WE APPLY THE PRESSURE? WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE
[01:35:01]
BEEN DOING.WE'VE BEEN CALLING AND TALKING TO HIM TO, TO THE CONTRACTORS.
THERE'S NO FINANCIAL, BUT THERE'S NO FINANCIAL, I WAS JUST TRYING TO, I WAS TRYING TO THINK WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
UH, I WAS TRYING TO THINK BACK TO DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
THERE, THERE HAS BEEN WAYS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO FINANCIAL, BUT IT'S, IT'S BECAUSE OF SOME FINAL PAYMENT PAYOUTS OR SOME, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DEALS WAS, BUT I, I GUESS WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
LIKE, UH, JUST THINK THAT'S, I MEAN, THE, THE ONLY THING YOU CAN JUST TRY TO HOLD UP PAY, BUT THAT ONLY THAT'LL WORK AGAINST YOU.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THAT SORT OF ACRIMONY.
UH, SO DOWNTOWN AREA LOOKS NICE CAUSE THAT WE HAVE MAY HAVE ONE ISSUE, YOU KNOW, THE PARKING, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING USED TO BE? THE, THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK? YEAH.
ON THE CORNER OF, UH, PARKING WAY.
AND THAT WAY ON THE CORNER THERE, THERE'S THE PARKING SPOT.
IF SOMEBODY PARKS A BIG TRUCK, YOU CAN'T MAKE IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION.
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING.
THE OLD FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING.
UH, I TALKING ABOUT THE ONE SPINNING SIGN ON THE ROOF THAT DOESN'T SPIN.
THAT AREA HAS NOT BEEN YET, UH, UH, MARKED OFF.
UH, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, UH, DASHED OUT.
THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY PARKING IN THE, IN THE, IN THE FUTURE.
THE, THE FIRST PARKING SPOT, THE FIRST PARKING IS PROBABLY GONNA GO AWAY.
RIGHT NOW THERE ARE PEOPLE PARKING THERE, BUT THEY SHOULDN'T BE PARKING, SO THEY'RE GONNA STRIPE THAT OFF.
NOW MAYBE YOU CAN COUNT THAT PARKING, JUST PUT A COMPACT PARKING ONLY OR SOMETHING.
UH, WE'VE, WE'VE TOWED WITH DIFFERENT, UH, IDEAS ABOUT WHAT IT IS, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO LOSE ANY PARKING RIGHT.
UH, BUT, UH, AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, THE PLANT ITSELF HAD IT TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, CORDON OFF.
AND THAT HAS A HUGE TRUCK PARK THE OTHER DAY.
NO TRAFFIC COULD NOT EVEN, AND, AND IT HAPPENS ON BOTH, ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT PARTICULAR, UH, ENTRANCE INTO PARKING ONE, THE VER COMES WAY OUT THERE, YOU KNOW? YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
ANY OTHER PROJECTS? THE CONVENIENCE CENTER CONCRETE? IS THAT THE CON? OKAY.
THE CONVENIENCE CENTER, THEY POURED AT THE LAST THURSDAY.
WE ARE WAITING ON THIS THURSDAY TO BE ABLE TO OPEN IT.
IN THE MEANTIME, THEY WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MOVING INTO IT TO, UH, DO SOME CEILING OF THE JOINTS THERE.
OF COURSE, THE RAIN MOVED IN THERE AND WHO KNOWS TOMORROW.
BUT, UH, IF EVERYTHING GOES ACCORDING, UH, FROM HERE ON, UH, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROBABLY OPEN BY THURSDAY.
I KNOW, LIKE IF WE HAD A, AN ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE FOR THE PROJECT, THINGS CHANGE WITH WEATHER PUSHES THAT YOUR CHANGE ORDERS PUSHES THAT.
DO WE NOT WRITE INTO THE CONTRACT, LIKE, UH, AFTER, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN DAY THAT THERE IS A FINANCIAL BURDEN TO THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY? DO WE NOT WRITE THAT INTO OUR CONTRACTS? NO.
THERE REALLY ISN'T ANYTHING IN, YOU KNOW, COURT CASES HAVE SHOWN THAT, UH, THEY'RE HOUSELESS HAS TO BE A, A GIVE AND TAKE.
IF YOU PUT THAT ONE IN THERE, YOU ALSO HAVE TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK.
OR IF YOU DO, THEY'LL JUST MARK UNIVERSALLY, EVERY VENDOR WILL JUST ADD, ADD THAT RISK INTO THE PRICE.
AND YOU'LL PAY IT WHETHER YOU WIN ON THE RIGHT DATE OR NOT.
AND ALSO, THE COURT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON THE SIDE OF THE CONTRACTOR WHEN HE DEALS TO WHO'S GOT THE DEEPEST POCKETS, JUST HAVE TO ANNOY THEM, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE BEEN DOING.
WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE RUN ACROSS THAT.
YOU JUST HAVE TO ASK FOR THEIR COOPERATION AND GET IT DONE THEN TO BE CORRECT.
ANYTHING ELSE ON PROJECTS? ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, DID Y'ALL I HAVE, OH, THAT'S RIGHT.
DO OUR UPDATES CUZ WE HAVE ACTION FINALLY HAPPENING.
SO, UM, PULLBACKS STARTED TEARING IT APART, THEN AUDITORIUM'S CLOSED FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
UM, EVEN TODAY WITH THE RAIN, THEY WERE IN THERE.
SO IT WAS DELIVERED LAST WEEK FROM CANADA.
SO THAT PROJECT'S GOING WELL SO FAR.
UM, DUNBAR HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK THE NEW RESTROOMS UNTIL NEXT WEEK.
SO WE'RE THINKING THEY'LL BE IN AND THEY'LL START, THEY, THE, OUR SUBCONTRACTORS HAVE ALREADY DONE EVERYTHING FOR THE PAD, THE ELECTRICIANS AND EVERY, EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED TO DO UNTIL THE OTHER COMPANY COMES DOWN.
SO WE'RE HOPING WEDNESDAY THE BUILDINGS WILL BE DELIVERED AND MAYBE WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY THEY'LL ACTUALLY BE SETTING 'EM IN PLACE OVER THERE.
SO IT'LL BE KIND OF NEAT TO GO WATCH.
AND WE'VE STARTED RIPPING DOWN PEEWEE, SO WE WALLS MAY START COMING DOWN.
SO IF YOU, ANYBODY'S NOSTALGIC FOR THAT, IT'S KIND OF SAD SEEING ALL THAT.
SO ALL OF THAT'S GOING ON, BUT SO FAR WE'RE STILL GOOD.
[01:40:01]
CREEK PARK, I'M, I, I'M WITH SAL.I AM PUTTING, APPLYING PRESSURE.
I ACTUALLY CALLED THE, UM, MAIN COMPANY TODAY.
SO YES, JUST SEE WHEN THAT PLAYGROUND'S COMING.
SO I'M WENT PAST THE, THE INSTALLATION PEOPLE.
UH, WE'LL DO ITEMS OF COMMUNITY
[ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
INTEREST BEFORE WE GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.SO, UH, MATT, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? NO, SIR.
JUST THANK Y'ALL FOR THE GRACE THAT Y'ALL GAVE TO ME TO MISS THE LAST MEETING, TO ATTEND A, UH, FRIEND AND A FIREFIGHTER'S FUNERAL.
OH, AND, UH, RHONDA, UH, KEITH LAKE JACKSON BEAUTIFUL.
HAS GOT A CLEANUP, UH, SCHEDULED FOR THIS SATURDAY AT 8:00 AM I'M MEETING HERE AT CITY HALL.
BRING YOUR PEOPLE IN YOUR HANDS, JOHN.
NO, I JUST ENJOYED SPENDING MY BIRTHDAY WITH YOU GUYS.
WELL, I SAW YOU WERE SINGING YESTERDAY AT, UH, EL TORO.
CAN I, CAN I SAY A PERSONAL ONE? SURE.
CONGRATULATIONS TO MY PARENTS ON THEIR 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY A COUPLE DAYS AGO.
SO YOU DIDN'T WANNA MISS THAT ONE, MIKE? YEAH, NO.
THAT'S WHERE WE CELEBRATED, SO, OKAY.
THAT'S THEIR FAVORITE RESTAURANT.
I WAS LIKE, I KNEW I WAS FORGETTING SOMETHING.
SO STAFF GOT ANYTHING, ERNESTO STAFF? YES, SIR.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
OKAY.WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION CITY, UH, CITY COUNCIL WILL ADJOURN TO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO RECEIVE ADVICE ON A LEGAL MATTER THAT IS PROTECTED BY THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE UNDER SECTION 5 51 0.0712 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.