[00:00:01]
THEY SAW ME PICK UP THE GAVEL.THEY THOUGHT I WAS GONNA DO SOME ACTION HERE.
[Call to Order]
WELCOME TO, UH, EVENING'S, UH, REGULAR SESSION OF LAKE JACKSON CITY COUNCIL.UH, THIS IS, UH, AGAIN, IT'S A REGULAR SESSION OF LAKE JACKSON CITY COUNCIL ON MONDAY, AUGUST 7TH, 2023, AND AT, UH, 25 OAK DRIVE, LAKE JACKSON, TEXAS.
AND, UH, WELCOME TO EVERYBODY THAT'S, UH, IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA START TONIGHT WITH A GUEST, UH, THAT'S GOING TO DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE FOR US.
AND THE GUEST IS MR. ISAAC JOHNSON.
CAN YOU STAND OVER HERE? WANT TO? OKAY.
ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE REPUBLIC ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
I HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG, TEXAS ONE SEAT.
ALRIGHT, BEFORE YOU SIT DOWN, ISAAC, I UNDERSTAND FROM COUNCILMAN HANYA THAT, UH, YOUR FATHER APPROACHED HIM AND, AND SAID THAT YOU WERE INTERESTED IN GOVERNMENT AND YOU WANTED TO DO THE PLAGUE.
SO, WHAT'S GOT YOU INTERESTED IN GOVERNMENT? WELL, THE, WELL, I JUST LIKE THAT.
SO THESE PEOPLE ARE IN CHARGE OF THESE PEOPLE.
AND I, I'VE BEEN, I WAS JUST AT YELLOWSTONE AND I LEARNED ABOUT THE HIERARCHY OF WOLVES.
SO I WANTED TO KNOW SOME STUFF ABOUT THE CITY GOVERNMENT HIERARCHY OF PEOPLE, WHICH IS THE GOVERNMENT.
BUT I'M JUST GONNA SAY, IF YOU, IF YOU'RE EVER, IF YOU REALLY, IF YOU WANT, IF YOU WANT TO EVER WANT TO COME AND VISIT, JUST, UH, AND TALK ABOUT IT, JUST, UH, LET US KNOW AND CALL THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, MR. POTO MUNOZ'S OFFICE HERE, AND WE CAN SET UP SOME TIME.
YEAH, IF YOU HAVE A CLASS, UH, WE HAVE, UH, CLASSES THAT COME, ALSO SCHOOL CLASSES AND STUFF, HOMESCHOOL CLASSES, AND REGULAR, UH, B I S D CLASSES, SO THAT'S ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
BUT ANYWAY, THANKS FOR, UH, DOING THAT.
AND IF YOU WOULD JOIN ME, UH, AND IN VACATION IS, AS WE GATHER THIS EVENING, OUR THOUGHTS ARE ON THE CHALLENGES AND BLESSINGS AROUND US.
LET US TAKE A MOMENT TO CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WIDER WORLD, AND GIVE THANKS TO THOSE WHO SERVE AND PROTECT US IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES.
WE LONG FOR THE RAIN TO RETURN TO NOURISH OUR SOIL AND OUR CROPS, AND REFILL OUR RESERVOIRS AS WE FACE THE IMPACTS OF THESE SEEMINGLY ENDLESS DAYS OF HEAT ON OUR LIVES.
LET US JOIN IN SPIRIT OF HOPE AND UNITY AND SOLIDARITY.
WE ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS HEARTFUL GRATITUDE TO THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINES OF OUR COMMUNITY, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.
WHILE OTHERS SEEK SAFETY, THEY OFFER HELP, COMFORT, AND ASSIST IN TIMES OF DISTRESS, AND THEN RUSH INTO THE DANGER, MAY THEIR DEVOTION AND SELFLESSNESS INSPIRE US TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS, CITIZENS UNITED IN OUR COMMUNITY AND COMMITTED TO EACH OTHER'S WELLBEING.
IN ADDITION, WE REMEMBER AND APPRECIATE THE SACRIFICES OF OUR, SO THAT OUR SOLDIERS MAKE THESE INDIVIDUALS SERVE TO DEFEND OUR FREEDOMS AND PROTECT OUR COUNTRY IN OFTEN, UH, DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS SITUATIONS.
AT A DISTANCE, THEIR DEVOTION TO DUTY AND SERVICE REFLECTS THE HIGHEST SENSE OF HONOR, INTEGRITY.
MAY WE NEVER FORGET THEIR GREAT SACRIFICES.
MAY OUR SPIRIT OF COMPASSION MAY SPIRIT OF COMPASSION, UNDERSTANDING, AND OPEN MIND GUIDE OUR THINKING TODAY.
REMEMBER, OUR DECISIONS HAVE FAR REACHING CONSEQUENCES AND EFFECTS ON THE LIVES OF THOSE WE REPRESENT.
WORKING TOGETHER WE CAN ENSURE THAT OUR CITY CONTINUES TO THRIVE, REMAINS A PLACE OF SAFETY, PROSPERITY, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR ALL OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.
WE LIFT THESE WORDS UP TO YOU IN YOUR NAME.
ALRIGHT, NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA IS VISITORS COMMENTS.
WE HAVE NOBODY THAT'S SIGNED UP FOR VISITOR COMMENTS.
UH, IF THERE IS ANYBODY, IS THERE ANYONE THAT HAS, UH, COMMENTS TO MAKE ON ANYTHING THAT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA? ALL RIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA NEED TO MOVE FORWARD INTO PRESENTATIONS.
LINDSAY, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM
[PRESENTATIONS]
THE LAKE JACKSON HISTORICAL MUSEUM PROGRAM AND THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS GREAT.AND THEIR PLANS, I GUESS, TOO.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT.
AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY GIVES ME A PLATFORM AND I CAN TALK ABOUT THE AMAZING THINGS WE'RE DOING WITH THE ASSOCIATION, I'M THRILLED TO DO IT.
[00:05:01]
AND HUGE THANK YOU TO A GREAT NUMBER OF MY BOARD AND SOME OF MY STAFF AND FRIENDS WHO CAME OUT TONIGHT ALSO, UH, TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT.UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES, UH, LET YOU KNOW KIND OF A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, AND WHERE WE'RE PLANNING TO GO WITH THE LAKE JACKSON HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT KNOW ME YET, UH, MY NAME IS LINDSAY SCOVILLE.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ASSOCIATION.
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.
UM, I HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE IN PUBLIC HISTORY, AND I HAVE JUST ABSOLUTELY LOVED COMING HERE, BEING A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND SEEING THE COMMUNITY'S DESIRE, TRULY, TRULY DESIRE TO WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR HISTORY.
THIS IS A VERY, VERY SPECIAL PLACE.
UM, SO I'VE GOT A LITTLE, UH, PRESENTATION HERE FOR YOU.
SO WE SERVE OUR COMMUNITY IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS, NOT ONLY IN OUR MUSEUM, UH, WHERE WE WELCOME GROUPS AND VISITORS AND SCHOOL CHILDREN FIVE DAYS A WEEK, UH, BUT ALSO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH, UM, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE, UH, BRAZORIA COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM AND THE LAKE JACKSON LIBRARY THERE WITH STORY WALK OVER IN THE PARK, UM, AS WELL AS AT OUR OTHER TWO LOCATIONS.
WE ALSO HAVE THE JACKSON PLANTATION HISTORIC SITE, AND THE NEWLY RESTORED ALDEN B DOW OFFICE MUSEUM.
SO HERE IN OUR MUSEUM, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME AND SO IMPORTANT TO US AS, AS, UM, WE SERVE OUR MISSION OF EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON LAKE JACKSON'S HISTORY AND ITS CULTURE, IS THAT WE HAVE FREE ADMISSION.
UM, IF WE'RE GOING TO, TO, UH, FULFILL OUR MISSION, WE HAVE TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.
AND SO WE DO HAVE FREE ADMISSION.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO COME INTO ANY OF OUR THREE SITES AT NO CHARGE WHATSOEVER.
UH, WE ARE SEEING INCREASE IN VISITATION THIS YEAR AS WELL.
UM, WE HAVE HAD OVER 1400 LOCAL VISITORS YEAR TO DATE, AND OVER 3000 TOTAL VISITORS YEAR TO DATE.
I ALSO LOVE THAT NUMBER BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE WE DRAWING FROM OUR OWN COMMUNITY, BUT WE'RE DRAWING OTHERS INTO OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AND THAT'S SO VITALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR GROWTH AS ALSO.
AND WE ARE ON PACE ACTUALLY, TO, UH, WELCOME OVER 6,000 GUESTS THROUGH OUR DOORS THIS YEAR.
AND THAT'S ABOUT A 21% INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR, AND WE INTEND TO CONTINUE TO GROW THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE SOME REALLY EXCITING NEW PROGRAMMING COMING UP, UH, THAT WE'VE ALREADY STARTED OVER THE LAST YEAR, AND WE'RE CONTINUING AS WELL.
UM, OUR SOMETHING TO CHEW ON PROGRAM, I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T, IT IS OUR MONTHLY LUNCH AND LEARN LECTURE SERIES.
WE ARE INVITING THE PUBLIC OUT TO SPEND YOUR LUNCH HOUR WITH US, UM, AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT SOMETHING, A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT LAKE JACKSON'S HISTORY.
AND IN FACT, OUR NEXT ONE IS COMING UP NEXT THURSDAY.
THERE'S A LITTLE REMINDER LATER ON IN THE PRESENTATION.
UH, EARLIER THIS SPRING, WE DID REMEMBERING RESISTANCE.
UM, THAT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENT THAT WAS A PART OF OUR BLACK HISTORY OF LAKE JACKSON, UH, EXHIBIT.
AND WHAT WE DID IS WE BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
UH, A LOT OF TIMES HISTORY CAN BE VERY DIVISIVE, AND WE BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE IN DESEGREGATING LIKE LAKE JACKSON.
AND THE RESPONSE FROM THE COMMUNITY WAS OUTSTANDING, ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.
IT WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL TIME TO SEE EVERYONE COME TOGETHER AND TALK AND LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER AND EXPERIENCE SOMETHING THROUGH SOMEONE ELSE'S EYES.
UH, WE ALSO ARE JUST NEXT WEEK, STARTING JUNIOR, ACTUALLY TOMORROW, UH, STARTING JUNIOR ARCHEOLOGY CAMP.
THIS IS SOMETHING I REALLY WANTED TO DO LAST YEAR, AND WE NOW HAVE EVERYTHING IN PLACE WHERE WE CAN DO IT.
UM, AND JUST A NEW WAY TO CONNECT WITH CHILDREN, GET THEM INTERESTED IN HISTORY, AND GET THEM INTERESTED IN THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.
A COUPLE OF NEW EXHIBITS, IN CASE YOU DIDN'T, UH, THIS YEAR WE DID, AS I MENTIONED, BLACK HISTORY OF LAKE JACKSON.
WE ALSO DID OUR HOMETOWN HISTORY MAKERS, WHICH WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED.
UH, GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN IS NOW ON VIEW.
UM, IT'S REMEMBERING LAKE JACKSON'S EARLY BUSINESSES, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THAT ONE YET.
THAT'S IN OUR, OUR TRANSITIONAL SPACE UPSTAIRS.
UM, AND THEN UNCOVERING THE PAST UNTOLD STORIES OF LAKE JACKSON HISTORY IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE DONE.
UH, IT IS AN EXHIBIT THAT TELLS THE STORY BETWEEN THE END OF THE CIVIL WAR AND THE END OF THE PLANTATION ERA.
AND WHEN DOW SETTLED LAKE JACKSON, THE STORY HAS ALWAYS BEEN, AND THEN THERE WAS REALLY NOTHING.
AND THEN DOW CAME IN, AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CASE.
WE HAVE EVIDENCE OF A VERY VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
A LOT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THAT COMMUNITY WHO WERE OWN PROPERTY OWNERS RAN SCHOOLS.
IT'S A FANTASTIC EXHIBIT, AND IT ACTUALLY ENDS NEXT SATURDAY.
SO YOU'VE GOT ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF LEFT IF YOU WANNA COME AND SEE IT.
AND THEN OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WE JUST LAUNCHED OUR, UH, MID-CENTURY MODERN ARCHITECTURE DRIVING TOUR THAT'S BASED ON, UM, SOME RESEARCH DONE BY MARTY MERRITT, WHO IS A LOCAL HISTORIAN.
UH, IT HAS, PEOPLE HAVE LOVED IT.
WE WANT PEOPLE NOT JUST TO EXPERIENCE HISTORY IN OUR DOORS, BUT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S A GREAT WAY THAT WE'RE DOING IT.
I'VE DONE A COUPLE OF PODCASTS, WHICH HAS BEEN A LOT OF FUN, UM,
[00:10:01]
BRAZO COUNTY MINUTE AND ALSO TALK WAY LIKE JACKSON.SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO REACH NEW AUDIENCES THAT WAY.
UM, WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A DI DE LOS MUERTOS COLLABORATION AND PLANNING FOR A BUNCH OF EVENTS THIS FALL, UM, WITH THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND SCIENCES, THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, UH, THE HISPANIC CHAMBER, THE FREEPORT MUSEUM, ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE.
SO, UH, REALLY BEING ABLE TO COLLABORATE WITH THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN HUGE FOR US.
UM, WE ALSO, AS EVERYONE KNOWS, EL CHICO WAS LOST THIS YEAR, AND THAT WAS A BIG THING IN LAKE JACKSON HISTORY.
AND WE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW WHAT? OUR JOB IS TO SAVE LAKE JACKSON STORIES.
SO WE WENT OUT AND WE DID AN ORAL HISTORY WITH THEM, AND WE ARE NOW TURNING THAT INTO A VIDEO THAT WE CAN RELEASE TO THE PUBLIC.
PEOPLE CAN SEE, CAN RELIVE THOSE STORIES.
UM, AND WE ALSO, WHICH I LOVE, DOCUMENTED ALL OF THE MESSAGES WRITTEN ON THE WALLS AT EL CHICO.
SO IF YOU WERE ONE OF THOSE THAT WENT OUT THERE AND WROTE A LITTLE MEMORY, WE HAVE A PICTURE OF IT.
AND WE'RE SAVING IT, UM, FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK AND SEE.
THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF LAKE JACKSON'S CULTURE AT THIS TIME.
SO, AT OUR OTHER LOCATIONS, THE ALDEN BE DOW OFFICE MUSEUM WAS JUST REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC LAST SEPTEMBER AFTER A FULL RESTORATION.
UH, WE HAVE INSTALLED THE FACES OF LAKE JACKSON.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME BY AND SEE THAT.
UM, AND ON THE FACES OF LAKE JACKSON WALL, WE ARE CELEBRATING EARLY LAKE JACKSON PIONEERS WHO HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY AND ARE NO LONGER WITH US.
SO THAT'S A REALLY GREAT PLACE WHERE WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING PEOPLE WHO HAVE REALLY MADE AN IMPACT ON OUR CITY JUST NOW AS WE SPEAK, IS BEING INSTALLED, THE HEALING PIONEERS, A GLIMPSE INTO LAKE JACKSON'S EARLY MEDICAL HISTORY THAT WILL OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THIS SATURDAY AT 9:00 AM.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHEN YOU DEFINITELY WON'T WANNA MISS.
AND THEN THIS FALL, WE'RE BRINGING IN THE, THE VACCARO AND FOCUSING ON COWBOYS AND THE COWBOY CULTURE IN LAKE JACKSON.
YOU MIGHT NOT THINK THERE IS ONE, BUT THERE DEFINITELY IS.
UM, AND THEN OVER AT THE JACKSON PLANTATION HISTORIC SITE, UM, OUR FORMER PROGRAMMING AND EDUCATION COORDINATOR, CAITLIN, UH, PUT TOGETHER LIFE, LABOR AND LEGACY TOUR, WHICH IS A TOUR THAT FOCUSES SPECIFICALLY ON THE LIVES OF THE ENSLAVED AND THOSE WHO LIVED AND WORKED ON THE LAKE JACKSON PLANTATION.
UM, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE MA MASTER NATURALISTS AND FOCUSING ON THE FLORA AND THE FAUNA OF THE SITE AND WHAT IS NATIVE TO THE AREA, WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN USED BY PEOPLE IN THE PAST SO THAT WE CAN EDUCATE, UH, THE COMMUNITY ON THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE DOING SOME NEW INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE OUT THERE.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN EAGLE SCOUT, WHO, THAT IS HIS, HE'S DOING OUR SIGNAGE AS HIS, UH, PROJECT.
HE'S BUILDING THE SIGNS FOR US AS AN ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE.
WE CAN'T DIG INTO THE GROUND WITHOUT EXTENSIVE, UM, WORK.
SO HE'S FIGURING OUT, OKAY, LET'S PUT ON AN ENGINEERING HAT.
HOW CAN WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS STABLE AND NOT BLOW AWAY, AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING.
SO IT'S A REALLY GREAT WAY TO WORK WITH THE KIDS AS WELL.
AND WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY EXCITING THINGS AHEAD.
YOU SEE A LOT OF MY BOARD BACK HERE, UM, WE HAVE A VERY ACTIVE, VERY INVESTED BOARD, AND I'M THRILLED TO HAVE THEIR SUPPORT AND TO, UM, HAVE THEM BE A PART OF SAVING OUR HISTORY.
I HAVE TWO NEW EMPLOYEES, AS I MENTIONED.
CAITLYN LEFT, A LOT OF YOU KNEW HER.
SHE WENT TO GRAD SCHOOL IN, IN, UH, N Y U IN NEW YORK.
UMM, HOPING SHE'LL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE COME BACK TO US SOMETIME.
BUT, UM, SO WE HAVE BROUGHT IN JORDAN WEAVER AND ARIEL LAURA, WHO IS ACTUALLY HERE WITH US TONIGHT, AND JORDAN IS ACTUALLY HERE AS WELL.
UM, SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
AND ANGELA, OUR CURATOR IS ALSO HERE, NOT ACTUALLY OVER INSTALLING THAT EXHIBIT RIGHT AT THE MOMENT.
SHE WAS DOING IT, UH, EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, BUT ARIEL AND JORDAN ARE TAKING ON, UH, LEADERSHIP OF OUR PROGRAMMING AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, JORDAN'S FOCUSING ON YOUTH AND CHILDREN AND DOING THINGS LIKE OUR ARCHEOLOGY CAMP.
AND ARIEL IS FOCUSING ON ADULT EDUCATION, AND I'M REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE WITH THE TWO OF THEM.
UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO WITH HISTORICAL MARKERS IN TOWN? HOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING OUT IN THE CITY TO WHERE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO COME TO US TO LEARN HISTORY.
THEY CAN SEE IT RIGHT OUT THERE, AND THEY CAN JUST BE WALKING AND EXPERIENCE HISTORY THROUGH HISTORICAL MARKERS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
EVERYBODY ASKS FOR IT ALL THE TIME.
AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO PUT SOME OF THOSE TOGETHER.
AND AS I MENTIONED, MARK YOUR CALENDARS.
UH, OUR NEXT, SOMETHING TO CHEW ON IS NEXT THURSDAY.
AND WE HAVE A JUDGE, EVERETT STOVALL IS COMING TO TALK ABOUT HIS HISTORY HERE IN TOWN.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY DOING A LOT.
UM, BUT HISTORY IS REALLY BEING ELIMINATED IN A LOT OF PLACES.
UH, IT IS BEING DROPPED, POTENTIALLY DROPPED IN SCHOOL CURRICULUM.
UM, AND WE REALLY ARE JUST, SO, AS A SOCIETY REALLY FOCUSED ON WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US, WE TEND TO NOT LOOK BACK.
AND THE PROBLEM IS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE REALLY THINK THIS IS EITHER THE BEST TIME EVER, WHICH MOST DON'T THINK, OR THIS IS THE WORST TIME EVER.
WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH IS THE WORST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED.
AND IF YOU LOOK BACK IN HISTORY, YOU'RE ACTUALLY GONNA FIND THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
BUT THAT HISTORICAL CONTEXT, IF WE LOOK BACK, THAT IS GONNA SHOW US HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
[00:15:01]
AND BY LOOKING AT THAT CONTEXT, THAT'S GOING TO INFORM US OF WHERE WE WANNA GO IN THE FUTURE.I MEAN, IT'S, IT TELLS US WHAT, WHERE DO WE WANNA BE AS A CITY? WHERE DO WE WANNA BE AS A COMMUNITY? AND IT'S OUR HISTORY THAT INFORMS THAT.
SO, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE DOING A LOT.
WE COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT THE AMAZING SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY, THE WONDERFUL, UH, PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY.
WE ARE SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
BUT SOMEBODY TOLD ME TODAY THAT WE ARE THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN LAKE JACKSON.
I DON'T WANNA BE THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN LAKE JACKSON.
UM, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS FAR TOO IMPORTANT TO BE A SECRET, BUT THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN DO MORE IS WITH EVERYONE'S PARTICIPATION IN EVERYONE'S SUPPORT.
UH, AND I, I KNOW THAT I CAN COUNT ON THAT FROM YOU GUYS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME, UM, AND FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
I TOLD YOU, UH, I'M ALWAYS THRILLED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING ON WHAT, WHAT, UH, WE'RE DOING HERE AT THE LAKE JACKSON HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION? YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOU MAKING THE PRESENTATION.
AND AGAIN, I THINK ANY OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE, UH, YOU SHOULD STEP UP AND, AND TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE DOING THERE.
THE OTHER THING THAT YOU, YOU DIDN'T TOUCH ON, AND I THINK IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, IS THE, UM, PRESERVATION OF HISTORY.
AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE ARCHIVAL AND STUFF IS DONE THROUGH Y'ALL'S FUNDING AND EVERYTHING.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, I REALLY ENJOY, UH, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.
UH, EVERY TIME YOU, YOU POST A PICTURE FROM THE PAST, IT JUST BRINGS BACK MEMORIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE FORGOTTEN, YOU KNOW, OR NOT, DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT, AND STARTS ASKING QUESTIONS.
AND SO I, AGAIN, I JUST THINK THAT'S REALLY GREAT STUFF.
AND, AND, UM, I, I'M A REAL BELIEVER IN THAT, UH, HISTORY'S VERY IMPORTANT, AND ALONG WITH THE ARTS, ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR A COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE.
SO, AGAIN, I I'VE TOLD YOU MANY TIMES I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, WHEN I MET YOU AND WHAT YOU'VE BROUGHT, THE ENERGY YOU BRING TO THE TABLE.
AND, UH, I'M SEEING THAT IN THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE BRINGING INTO YOUR, UH, OPERATION ALSO.
ANYBODY ELSE? THAT THE GREAT WORK.
THANKS FOR EVERYBODY COMING TO SUPPORT HER IN OUR PRESENTATION.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO, UH, NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS, UH, DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY MEMBER ON CITY COUNCIL TO DECLARE IF THEY HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA, EITHER CONSENT OR A REGULAR AGENDA.
SO, IS THERE ANYBODY THAT NEEDS TO DECLARE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST? OKAY.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
AGENDA.WE HAVE, ITEM ONE IS APPROVED MINUTES OF JULY 17TH, 2023.
UM, ITEM TWOS ACCEPT BOARDS AND COMMISSION MINUTES.
UH, KEEP LAKE JACKSON BEAUTIFUL.
THE CHARTER REVIEW AND ALSO PLANNERS.
ITEM THREE IS AWARD A ONE YEAR EXTENSION TO UTILITY CONTRACT MOWING TO, UH, HORTY CARE.
UH, LAWN MAINTENANCE AND THE AMOUNT, UH, NOT EXCEEDING $46,705 AS BUDGETED AWARD.
UH, ITEM FOUR IS AWARD A ONE YEAR EXTENSION TO UTILITY SUPPLY AGREEMENT TO HD SUPPLY FACILITIES MAINTENANCE, UH, D B A U S A BLUE BOOK IN THE AMOUNT NOT EXCEEDING $110,000.
AND ITEM FIVE, APPROVE AN EMERGENCY REPAIR CONTRACT TO MATULA MATULA TO REPAIR MANHOLE FOUR B IN THE AMOUNT NOT EXCEEDING $127,792.
IS THERE A REQUEST FROM ANY, ANY MEMBER OF COUNCIL TO REMOVE AN ITEM FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION NOTD HEARING? SO I'LL TAKE A MOTION ON THE CONSENTS AGENDA.
MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS WRITTEN ITEMS ONE THROUGH FIVE SECOND.
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER SETH AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN SHANYA.
AND PLEASE, IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE, JUST THAT'S FINE, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA HURT OUR FEELINGS, BUT, UH, IT'LL HURT MY FEELINGS.
IT'LL HURT MATT
BUT AGAIN, WE, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO REGULAR AGENDA.
WE HAVE ITEM ONE, DISCUSS IMPROVED LIGHTING ON CITY ROADWAYS.
IS MR. SEALEY HERE NOT, NOT BEING HERE? UM, WE'LL JUST DEFER THIS UNTIL OKAY.
WE CAN, UH, BE ABLE TO PRESENT HIS COMMENTS AND REQUESTS.
IT IS SOMETHING, WHAT HIS REQUEST IS, SOMETHING WE'VE LOOKED AT IN THE PAST IN LIGHTING.
AND, UH, IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN CONTINUE IF WE WANT TO.
[00:20:01]
THAT AS A COUNCIL AND, UH, FURTHER EFFORTS.UH, IF, IF Y'ALL WISH, UH, IN THE FUTURE, JUST MAKE THE REQUEST.
[2. Discuss and consider a first reading of Ordinance 23-2268 setting four downtown intersections as stopintersections – Sherri Russell.]
AND CONSIDER A FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE, UH, 23 22 68, UH, SITTING FOUR DOWNTOWN INTERSECTIONS AS A STOP INTERSECTIONS.AND THIS HAS TO BE DONE BECAUSE WE ADDED STOP SIGNS AND STOP SIGNS HAVE TO BE PUT IN PLACE BY ORDINANCE.
THIS IS AN ORDINANCE BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON, TEXAS DE DESIGNATING FOUR DOWNTOWN INTERSECTIONS AT STOP INTERSECTIONS, PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY, PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE, PROVIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE SHALL TAKE EFFECT AND BE ENFORCED FIVE DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION.
SHERRY, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE, WELL, SO THERE THEY ARE.
THERE'S JUST FOUR AND YEAH, I PINPOINTED WHERE THE STOP SIGNS ARE GONNA BE.
AND THERE'S MORE THAN FOUR PINS.
THAT'S EVERY STOP SIGN, BECAUSE I CAN'T TELL FROM RIDING CIRCLE WAY THAT WAY.
CIRCLE WAY NORTH PARKING PLACE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE.
AND THERE'S A ONE FOR THE NORTH PARKING PLACE AND CIRCLE WAY.
OH, SO THERE'S FOUR INTERSECTIONS, BUT THERE'S MULTIPLE FOUR INTERSECTIONS, FOUR INTERSECTIONS, MULTIPLE SIGNS AT EACH INTERSECTION, INTERSECTION CENTER WAY SO THAT THEY'LL STOP BEFORE THEY PULL ONTO CENTER WAY.
SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER INTERSECTIONS LEFT DOWNTOWN THAT CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE STOP SIGNS? I'M SURE AS I DRIVE I'M NOT STOPPING.
SO, AND JUST, MY, MY THINKING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF THESE INTERSECTIONS WITH STOP SIGNS, THE PERCEPTION THROUGH DOWNTOWN IS THERE'S ALL STOP SIGNS.
AND I'VE SEEN NEAR MISSES ON PEOPLE NOT, YOU KNOW, THINKING THAT EVERYBODY'S GONNA STOP AND THEY DON'T, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT A STOP SIGN THERE.
SHOULD WE CONSIDER MAKING THEM ALL STOP SIGNS? WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? I JUST, I JUST SAID THAT.
AND THE ONLY ONE THAT WE DON'T, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU COULD PUT A STOP SIGN.
THERE'S A STOP SIGN AT THE END OF WESTWAY.
AND I WAS THINKING IT WAS THE INTERSECTION, BUT IT, BUT IT'S, BUT IT'S FOUR WAY.
SO EVERYTHING NOW HAS A STOP SIGN.
YOU'VE JUST GOT THAT CONFUSING KIND OF CIRCLE IN MESH OF STREETS.
I MEAN, THERE ARE INTERSECTIONS AS IN ONE STREET GOING INTO ANOTHER STREET.
AND WE'RE NOT ALL STOPPING FOR THAT, FOR THAT CAN'T, I CAN THINK OF ANY OF THE FOUR WAYS YET.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, I THINK IT DOES LOOK AT THAT.
WELL IF WE, WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT AND SEE IF WE, IF WE FIND ANY THAT AREN'T WELL THEN YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL ADD THOSE, UH, IN THE FUTURE AS, UH, THAT MAKES SENSE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? ALL RIGHT.
UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND I'LL TAKE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM TO MR. MAYOR, UH, MOVE THAT WE, UH, APPROVE.
FIRST READING OF THE ORDINANCE 22 DASH 23 DASH 2 26 8, SETTING FOUR DOWNTOWN INTERSECTIONS AT STOP INTERSECTIONS AS PRESENTED.
I HAVE A MOTION FOR COUNCILMAN SHANYA.
I HAVE A SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN BAKER.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE, DISCUSS
[3. Discuss and consider a first reading of Ordinance 23-2269 amending Chapter 90 Subdivisions in the LakeJackson Code of Ordinances to update language, remove sections that are provided for elsewhere, andmake changes such as adopting an updated development manual, requiring a submittal period for platsand site plans, and requiring that construction fencing surrounding all vegetation that is required to bepreserved – Sherri Russell]
AND CONSIDER FIRST READING ORDINANCE 23 22 69, UM, AMENDING CHAPTER 90, UH, SUBDIVISIONS IN LAKE JACKSON.CODE OF ORDINANCES TO UPDATE LANGUAGE, REMOVE SECTIONS THAT ARE PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE THAT ARE PROVIDED ELSEWHERE, AND MAKE CHANGES SUCH AS ADOPTING AN UPDATED DEVELOPMENT MANUAL REQUIRING A SUBMITTAL PERIOD FOR PLOTS AND SITE PLANS.
AND REQUIRING THAT CONSTRUCTION FENCES SURROUNDING ALL VEGETATION THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE PRESERVED.
AND ALSO WHERE YOUR KITCHEN SINK SHOULD BE ANYWAY.
UH, SHERRY YOU WANNA JUST, UH, REFRESH MEMORIES HERE? SURE.
WE WENT OVER THIS, UM, I GUESS LAST TIME AND ON THE ORDINANCE, YOU ALL EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE BECAUSE WE, WE NOW ARE GOING TO TRY TO PROTECT THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONES DURING CONSTRUCTION.
AND SO I WENT TO THE, UM, TEXAS A AND M FORESTRY SITE AND GOT THEIR DEFINITION OF CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.
AND I THOUGHT IF THEY ANYONE KNOWS A ROOT ZONE, IT'S THE AGGIES.
SO I PUT THAT IN AND IT'S, IT'S ON PAGE 52 OF YOUR P D F.
AND BASICALLY THEY SAY ONE FOOT FROM THE TRUNK OF, FROM THE TRUNK FOR EACH INCH OF TRUNK DIAMETER.
SO THAT EACH, I HAVE THAT IN THERE.
AND THEN WE ARE, THIS ALSO ADOPTS THE NEW DEVELOPMENT MANUAL.
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60 OF THE P D F IS THE CURRENT, UM, I, IT'S A HUGE NOTEBOOK.I'M NOT, WASN'T GONNA MAKE YOU ALL LOOK AT THE WHOLE THING, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE FROM PAGE 62 OF THE PDFS, IT STARTS THE DEFINITION, THE EXPANDED, I'M SORRY, TABLE OF CONTENT.
AND I JUST WANNA SHOW YOU, ASSURE YOU THAT EVERYTHING THAT'S IN HERE IS EITHER STILL HERE, HAS BEEN MOVED TO A MORE APPROPRIATE PLACE LIKE CHAPTER 90, OR IT'S NOW A HYPERLINK.
LIKE THEY HAD ALL THE ORDINANCES AND OUR ORDINANCES CHANGED.
SO THERE'S A HYPERLINK TO MUNI CODE.
UM, NOW INSTEAD OF HAVING THE ORDINANCES, THE APPENDICES, WE HAVE A LOT OF APPENDICES.
UM, LET ME SEE WHERE THEY ARE ON THIS ORIGINAL DOCUMENT.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S LITTLE HOLES.
THIS WAS, THIS WAS A PHYSICAL DOCUMENT BECAUSE IT'S FROM THE NINETIES.
SO, UM, THERE WAS, THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY YOU COULD DO IT BACK, BACK IN THE DAY.
THE APPENDICES SHOULD BE ON PAGE 66.
THEY ARE ALL NOW THE REFERENCES TO CALL THE, UM, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE THEM IN, UH, A CAD FILE, WHICH YOU CAN'T DISPLAY IN PRINTS.
SO THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT CAN JUST SHOOT THEM OVER TO WHOEVER NEEDS THEM.
AND THEN THE NEW DEVELOPMENT MANUAL, STARTING ON PAGE 67, YOU CAN SEE AT THE TABLE OF CONTENTS, ALL OF THE REALLY TECHNICAL STUFF IS IN HERE.
AND THAT'S WHAT BELONGS IN THE DEVELOPMENT MANUAL.
HOW DO WHAT YOU WANNA PUT ON YOUR PLANNING SHEETS, LIKE THE ARROWS, AND I KNOW SAL'S BACK HERE LAUGHING AT ME.
WHATEVER YOU PUT ON THOSE SHEETS AND THE, UM, YEAH.
AND HOW BIG OR SMALL EVERYTHING HAS TO BE THAT'S, THAT'S IN HERE.
BENCHMARKS, THEY'RE BENCHMARKS THAT GO ON, THOSE ARE IN HERE.
AND THEN, UM, AS YOU SCROLL THROUGH, YOU CAN SEE IT'S JUST, IT'S REALLY TECHNICAL BENCHMARKS REFERENCED TO N A V D WITH ELEVATION DEPICTIONS.
THIS IS STUFF THAT THE ENGINEERS, DESIGNERS NEED TO KNOW, AND THEY'LL, AND IT'LL BE ON OUR WEBSITE AND THEY CAN, UM, JUST ACCESS IT QUICKLY AND GO THROUGH IT AND FIND WHAT THEY NEED.
AND I THINK IT'LL MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR THEM AND MORE ACCURATE FOR OUR, UM, ENFORCEMENT METHODS.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS A, THIS IS A MAJOR CLEANUP OF A HUGE DOCUMENT AND DOCUMENTS.
AND SO, UH, WE MADE OUR BEST STAB AT IT WITH STAFF AND EVERYBODY, UH, THEY, ALL OF THIS, THEY WENT THROUGH ENGINEERED AND I, I WAS THE SCRIBBLER.
THEY WENT THROUGH EVERY SINGLE LINE OF THAT OLD DOCUMENT AND MADE UPDATED CHANGES.
THAT IT WAS HUGE FOR THEM AND, UM, FOR THEIR SECRETARY.
SO, UH, 'CAUSE I HAD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
ANYBODY FROM COUNSEL? I HAVE A QUESTION, UH, ON THIS ITEM.
UH, AGAIN, WE'VE DISCUSSED IT SEVERAL TIMES OR REVIEWED IT SEVERAL TIMES, SO I'LL TAKE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM.
THIS IS FIRST READING AGAIN, MR. MER.
I, I, I WOULD, UH, MOVE TO, UM, APPROVE ITEM THREE AS PRESENTED.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN BROADUS AND A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, SETH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[4. Approve the fee proposal for additional design services with Thorn Architects for redesigning the Architectural, Structural, MEP Engineering, and site Civil Engineering of the animal control facility and prepare the Construction Management at Risk (CMAR) documents in an amount not exceeding $83,200. The total cost for architectural services will be $323,200. - Modesto Mundo.]
ON TO ITEM FOUR.APPROVE THE, UH, FEE PROPOSAL FOR ADDITIONAL DESIGN SERVICES WITH THORNE, UH, ARCHITECTS FOR REDESIGN.
UH, REDESIGNING THE ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURAL M E P ENGINEERING AND SITE CIVIL ENGINEERING OF THE ANIMAL CONTROL FACILITY.
AND PREPARE THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AT RISK DOCUMENTS IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $83,200.
THE TOTAL COST OF ARCHITECTURE SERVICES WILL BE NOW, IF APPROVED, WILL BE $323 AND TWENTY TWO HUNDRED, THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY $3,200 MODESTA.
I'LL LET MR. ME, UH, UH, UPDATE THAT.
UH, HE'S BEEN ASSIGNED THIS PROJECT.
AS, AS WE PRESENTED DURING THE BUDGET TIME, WE ARE ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH THE ARCHITECT AND CAME UP WITH A PLAN TO BUILD WITHIN THE BUDGET WE HAVE.
SO THAT REQUIRES THE DESIGN, INCLUDING THE, SO WE ARE NOT GONNA LOOKING AT A ONE STORY BUILDING.
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REQUIRES STRUCTURAL REDESIGN, UH, THE SITE ALSO, AND THE DRAINAGE.AND SO THIS IS ALL YOU SEE, UH, FOR THE, THAT PROJECTS.
AND ALSO WE, WE WANT TO HAVE THEM START PREPARING THAT DOCUMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AT RISK.
SO AT THE SAME TIME, WE CAN HIRE A CONTRACTOR AND WORK WITH ARCHITECT TO GET, SO WE, WE KNOW WE GONNA BE WITHIN THE PRICE.
AND SO WE DO RECOMMEND COUNCIL TO GO AHEAD AND APPROVE IT.
ANY QUESTIONS? ESSENTIALLY IN THE DESIGN, ARE THERE A LOT OF DESIGN CHANGES TO THE FIRST FLOOR THAT WE'RE KEEPING? YES.
UH, WHAT, WHAT CHANGING IS THE STRUCTURAL, BECAUSE YOU DON'T NEED THOSE BIG BEAMS. YOU DON'T NEED THOSE BIG COLUMNS.
SO THE STRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE REDESIGNED.
BUT THE FIRST FLOOR WE KEEPING PRETTY MUCH AS IT IS, UH, THE SECOND FLOOR, IT WAS A, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SHELL BUILDING ANYWAY.
BUT WE, AT THIS MOMENT, WE DON'T HAVE $2 MILLION EXTRA.
SO WE JUST, ALRIGHT, WELL WE WERE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN SCOTIA AND WHAT WE WERE GONNA BUILD WAS SCOTIA.
AND WE WERE GONNA GO AND BUILD IT OUT.
AND SO WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE'RE GONNA REMOVE IT.
NOT ONLY NOT BUILD IT OUT, WE'RE GONNA REMOVE THE SECOND FLOOR.
LIKE YOU SAID, STRUCTURAL CHANGES HAVE TO BE MADE.
AND THEN ALSO ON ANOTHER CHANGE ON THE FIRST FLOOR IS, IS, UH, WE'RE CHANGING THE, UM, UH, TYPE AIR CONDITIONING FOR THE, THE CAT SIDE.
'CAUSE THE AIR, AIR CONDITIONING, OUR UNDERSTANDING, ONCE WE FOUND OUT THE AIR CONDITIONING THAT WAS RECOMMENDED IN THE DESIGN WAS BASICALLY MEDICAL LEVEL TYPE STUFF.
I GUESS THAT'S, THAT'S MY HANGUP WITH THIS WHOLE THING IS WE, WE WENT IN AND ASKED FOR THE TAJ MAHAL AND THEN DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR IT.
AND IT'S NOT THE ARCHITECT'S FAULT.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE A BUSINESS TO RUN, BUT IT'S COSTING OUR TAXPAYERS ANOTHER $80,000 BECAUSE WE SCREWED IT UP.
WE, WHAT WE DID WAS WE HAD USED SCOTIA'S DESIGN AND AT THE TIME THEY BUILT IT UNDER 3 MILLION AND WE THOUGHT THAT WE COULD REPEAT THE DESIGN FOR THE SAME PRICE.
AND WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPEAT THE SAME CONSTRUCTION AT THE, AT TODAY'S PRICING.
SO, AND THAT WAS PRE COVID? CORRECT? IT WAS PRE COVID.
THEY PROBABLY BUILT IT IN 2018.
AND THEN COVID, THEN COVID, WE INCREASED IT 300,000, YOU KNOW, ON THE BUDGET.
UM, WE TOOK THEIR CONSTRUCTION COSTS ADDED, UM, THE ARCHITECT FEES AND INCREASED IT, YOU KNOW, SLIGHTLY, UH, ABOUT ANOTHER 10, 15%.
AND, BUT IT WAS, WE, THE REASON WHY WE PICKED THEM, BECAUSE WE LIKED THEIR DESIGN, IT, WE FELT IT WAS, UH, EFFICIENT, ESPECIALLY A LOT OF IT WAS NOT AIR CONDITIONING THE OUTSIDE.
SO WE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE SAVINGS, YOU KNOW, OPERATIONAL WISE, YOU KNOW, UH, THROUGHOUT THE TENURE OF THE BUILDING.
UH, BUT IT WAS ALSO, IT HAD BEEN PROVEN THAT IT HAD BEEN BUILT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN OUR BUDGET.
WHEN WE INITIALLY BROUGHT IT TO THE, WHEN THE BOND TASK FORCE, OUR, UM, ARCHITECT THAT HAD GIVEN US A INITIAL DESIGN WHEN WE WENT OUT TO THE VOTERS WAS SIX AND A HALF MILLION.
UH, BUT THE BOND TASK FORCE DID NOT WANT TO TAKE TO THE VOTERS SIX AND A HALF MILLION.
SO THAT'S WHEN WE SCURRIED AND TRIED TO LOOK FOR A DESIGN THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, TRY TO BE IN SCOPE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAD VISITED OUTTA SCOTIA.
'CAUSE THEY HAD JUST, YOU KNOW, OPENED IT.
SO, QUESTION, IF WE CHANGE THE STRUCTURE OF THE FIRST FLOOR AND 10 YEARS FROM NOW WE SAY, OH, YOU, WE COULD USE THE SECOND FLOOR AND NOW WE CAN PAY FOR IT STRUCTURALLY, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT AT THAT THAT TIME.
THE OTHER ISSUE, IF YOU BUILD SECOND FLOOR, THEN IF YOU WANT TO HAVE SECOND, NO, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BUILD THE SECOND FLOOR, BECAUSE THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE ELEVATOR SYSTEM BECAUSE A D A COMPLIANCE, SO IT, THE COST GOES UP AND UP AGAIN.
ORIGINAL DESIGN DID NOT HAVE ELEVATOR SYSTEM.
SO I THINK COUNCIL SETH IS ASKING IS, CAN WE LEAVE THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN FOR TWO STORIES NOW, HOW MUCH MONEY IS EXTRA FOR WE SPENDING TO REDESIGN IF WE LEFT THE SAME REDESIGN, THE SAME DESIGN, AND DID THE STRUCTURAL WORK FOR TWO STORIES, BUT NOT DO THE SECOND STORY AT ALL.
SO LATER, 10 YEARS FROM NOW, IF WE DECIDE TO DO THE SECOND STORY, THE STRUCTURAL WORK IS ALREADY THERE.
THE, I MEAN, YOU WILL BE SPENDING ANOTHER AT LEAST A MILLION DOLLAR THE, BECAUSE THE STEEL, THAT'S THE NUMBER, THAT'S THE NUMBER I WAS LOOKING FOR.
WHAT'S THAT NUMBER? THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING WHERE THE SECOND FLOOR THAT WE'RE TAKING OUT IS STRUCTURED THAT WE, AGAIN, IN AN SCOTIA, THEY BUILT THE SECOND FLOOR FOR EXPANSION AND, BUT THE EXPANSION WAS NOT FOR
[00:35:01]
ANIMALS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.THAT WAS FOR OFFICE PERSONNEL OR WHATEVER.
UH, THE EXPANSION IN THE BACK, MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE CAN STILL DO, AND THAT IS, IS THAT THE WAY THE EXPANSION CAN HAPPEN IN THE BACK IS IS THAT THE, FOR THE DOGS, IT CAN BE INCREASED ONE LEVEL UP BY JUST PUTTING ADDITIONAL PENS ON IT.
AND THAT'S, THAT IS STILL AN OPTION THAT'S AVAILABLE IF WE NEED TO GO WITH IT.
SO YOU CAN INCREASE IN THE BACK FOR, FOR ANIMALS PURPOSES.
YOU CAN INCREASE THE NUMBERS, UH, BY ADDITIONAL KENNELS UP ONE FLOOR.
THERE WAS ALSO CONCERNS WITH LIKE WHATEVER MATERIAL WE WERE GOING WITH, WE COULDN'T FIND A CONTRACTOR THAT HAD EVER EVEN WORKED WITH IT.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH ABOUT THAT.
OR ARE WE GONNA CHANGE THAT AND JUST GO, I THINK WE SHOULD GO WAY MORE SIMPLE WHERE WE'RE NOT HAVING THOSE ISSUES ALSO.
HAVE Y'ALL TALKED ABOUT THAT? UH, YES SIR.
AND THIS WILL BE BASICALLY A PLAIN GEN BUILDING, WHICH LOOK EXACTLY SAME WHAT YOU SAW IN THE FRONT, BUT THE SE WAS A BIG THING.
IT WAS ABOUT COMING IN CLOSE TO $900,000.
AND SO WE CHANGING THE AIR CONDITION, WE CHANGING LOT OF THOSE STUFF AND EVEN THE FURNITURE AND OTHER STUFF WILL BUY THOSE DIRECTLY INSTEAD OF HAVING THE CONTRACTOR BUY FOR US.
AND SO THE GOAL IS TO BUILD IT WITHIN THE, THE SYSTEM THAT WE'RE USING FOR THE INSTALLATION.
I THINK THERE'S STILL ATTEMPT TO TRY TO USE THAT, BUT BY GOING WITH THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK AND BRINGING THE CONTRACTOR ON THE, THAT'LL BE SOMETHING IS WE CAN EVALUATE IF THERE'S A, A COST SAVINGS THERE OF, YOU KNOW, SWITCHING, YOU KNOW, ON THE MATERIALS.
SO THERE'S IN ESSENCE, YOU KNOW, THE REDESIGN TAKES OUT SOME OF THE ELEMENTS OF, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE MECHA CHANGING, THE MECHANICAL, CHANGING THE STRUCTURAL, CHANGING A LOT OF THE GLASS.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE REDUCING THE GLASS, YOU'RE REDUCING THE METAL, YOU'RE REDUCING THE SHEET ROCK ON THERE.
AND THEN THE MECHANICAL, AND THEN THE CONSTRUCTION MAN, THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, BRINGING THEM ON DURING THE PROCESS CAN HELP US ON THE MATERIAL ON SOME OF THE OTHER MATERIAL THINGS LIKE YOU'VE SAID, MR. BLANCHARD, YOU KNOW, IS THERE JUST, YOU KNOW, MORE SAVINGS ON THE TABLE BY SWITCHING, YOU KNOW, FROM A, THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF BLOCK.
AND SO, NO, I'M NOT HARPING ON YOU.
I KNOW THIS GOT THROWN IN YOUR LAP WHEN YOU STARTED.
I JUST, IT'S HARD TO STOMACH $300,000 AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A BUILDING YET, BUT IT'S JUST WASTEFUL TO ME.
WELL, THE REWORK IS, IS THE 800 AND THE $83,000 THAT THE, UH, OTHER PART OF THE 323 IS THE COST OF THE ORIGINAL DOING THE PROJECT ORIGINAL DESIGN.
AND, UH, AGAIN, THE ARCHITECT WAS DOING WHAT, UH, WE REQUESTED AND SO.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE? ALRIGHT, UM, I'LL TAKE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM.
I'D MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER FOUR AS PRESENTED.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN SECOND RODDA AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN HANYA.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[5. Discuss the Proposed FY 2024 Annual Budget – Modesto Mundo.]
FIVE IS DISCUSS, UH, THE PROPOSED, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2024 ANNUAL BUDGET BUDGET.SO COUNSEL, UH, TONIGHT, UM, IS YOUR, UH, REQUIREMENT THAT WE, UM, CALL FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON TWO THINGS.
UH, FIRST, THE, UM, THE BUDGET AND THE, UH, SECOND PORTION WILL BE, UH, CALLING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE TAX RATE, UH, THIS YEAR IN THE BUDGET.
UM, WE'VE, UM, RECOMMENDED A, UH, SLIGHT INCREASE, UH, INCREASE IN THE, UH, GENERAL FUND.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE HAD ALSO, UM, OUR UTILITY RATE, UH, INCREASE REQUESTS FOR WATER, SEWER AND SANITATION.
UM, AS PART OF THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS, UM, YOU WOULD CALL IT TONIGHT, IT WOULD THEN BE ADVERTISED.
THE PUBLIC HEARING WOULD BE ON AUGUST 21ST.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE WE'VE HAD OUR WORKSHOP ON, UH, JULY 15TH.
UM, MILFORD, CAN YOU GO TO THE CALENDAR? AND SO THIS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE MIDWAY THROUGH THE PROCESS.
WE HAD OUR SATURDAY WORKSHOP, UH, IN JULY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS STARTS IN FEBRUARY WHEN WE MARCH WHEN WE HAVE OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION.
YOUR C I P SESSION IS IN, YOU KNOW, IN, USUALLY IN APRIL AND MAY.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN THE JULY WORKSHOP, AND THEN WE'RE NOW CALLING FOR, UH, THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR, UH, THE BUDGET AND THE TAX RATE
[00:40:01]
WE HAVE.UM, I HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE, ON THE TAX RATE, UM, WHEN WE GET, UH, WHEN WE GET TO, WHEN WE GET TO THAT PORTION.
UH, THE THING IS, IS THAT, UH, OKAY, WELL, WHEN YOU'RE DISCUSSED THE TAX RATE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL HAVE, IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF ACTION THAT WE CAN TAKE ON, UM, LIKE REQUESTS OR WHATEVER TO MAKE CHANGES ON IT WOULD HAVE TO BE YEAH.
ALLOW TO TALK ABOUT AT THAT POINT.
UH, SO I'LL GO OVER JUST SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE FROM THE, UH, WORKSHOP.
UM, AND YEAH, ON THIS ITEM FIVE, WHAT YOU'VE, FROM INPUT AND, AND STUFF YES.
SO, UH, IN THE WORKSHOP WE HAD, UM, I HAD A RECOMMENDATION IN MY PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, FOR A TAX RATE INCREASE TO INCREASE THE GENERAL FUND PROPERTY TAX, UH, TAXES, REVENUE BY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, THAT RATE NOW, NOW THAT WE HAVE THE FINAL APPRAISAL ROLE, UH, MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO HOLD, UH, THE TAX RATE STEADY AT 0.3, 2, 3, 1.
UH, THAT WOULD BRING IN APPROXIMATELY 117,000, UH, DOLLARS.
UM, I'M PROPOSING TO MOVE INTO THE STREET MAINTENANCE BUDGET.
WE ALSO IDENTIFIED AT THE WORKSHOP, UH, THREE AREAS THAT WE COULD ELIMINATE.
THE FIRST ONE WAS THE, UM, AVIATION TASK FORCE THAT IS NO LONGER MEETING.
UH, THE ADMINISTRATION OUTSIDE ATTORNEY, WE BUDGET OF 5,000 IN THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY, UH, BUDGET.
SO WE'VE ELIMINATED 4,000 THERE.
AND THE ENGINEERING FUEL, IT WAS A MIS MISS UP WHERE WE HAD, UH, CODED, UM, I GUESS FUEL FOR TEMPORARY LIGHTING FOR DOWNTOWN AND IT, IT GOT PUT IN HERE, SO WE CARRIED IT OVER.
SO THAT WAS ABLE TO TAKE OUT, SO THAT, THAT'S 14,000.
WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING TO, UM, ADOPT A CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE FEE.
THAT WILL BE AT YOUR NEXT MEETING.
THAT WILL ELIMINATE A 60,000 FEE CHARGE THAT WE ABSORB NOW INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND WE ABSORB A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UH, OF LOST REVENUE ON THE UTILITY SIDE.
SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO, UH, ADOPT THAT CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE FEE AND, UH, PLACING THAT COST ONTO, UH, THOSE WHO USE IT.
UM, THOSE WHO DO, WHICH IS AN OPTION, WHICH IS AN OPTION.
UM, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY THE CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE FEE IF YOU PAY CASH.
UM, OR AN INSTANCE, UH, FOR THE UTILITY, WHICH IS MOST, UM, IS USED MOST OFTEN IF YOU HAVE A DIRECT, YOU KNOW, A DIRECT, UM, TAKEOUT FROM YOUR, UM, UH, BANK ACCOUNT
UM, AND THEN, UH, SO THOSE ELIMINATION OF THOSE ITEMS. AND THE 17, WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'VE RECOMMENDED TO, UH, BASED ON THE COUNCIL INPUT, IS PUSHING THE 91,000 TO THE STREET MAINTENANCE, UH, FUND TO HAVE THEM MORE DOLLARS, UH, TO DO, UH, REPAIRS OUT OF THE OPERATIONS.
UM, THERE WERE OF COURSE, UM, I'VE ALSO ADDED A $200,000 PROJECT, UH, FOR JOINT SEALANT.
BUT THAT IS ON THE CAPITAL SIDE.
THAT'S, UM, AND THE REASON WHY I'M, UH, AGAIN, ABLE TO DO THAT IS BECAUSE WE STILL HAVEN'T USED ALL OF OUR COVID MONEY, UH, WHERE WE WILL BE, UM, COVERING OUR COSTS WITH THAT, THAT GIVES US, WE WILL HAVE A END OF THE YEAR SAVINGS ON THAT.
THAT'LL ALLOW US TO TAKE THAT FOUR THOU $4 MILLION AND TRANSFER 2000 TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND, UM, ON THE GENERAL SIDE AND 2 MILLION ON THE UTILITY FUND SIDE FOR PROJECTS.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO $200,000 ON JOINT SEALANT.
AND OF COURSE THE JOINT SEALANT IS, EVERYBODY'S AWARE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, YOU KNOW, KNOCKED BACK SEVERAL YEARS AND WE'RE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL ON JUST JOINT, UH, JOINT SEALANT.
UM, AND SO THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO CATCH UP.
I SEE US DOING JOINT SEALANT PROBABLY FOR THE NEXT FIVE OR SIX YEARS AT THIS, YOU KNOW, AT THIS AMOUNT.
UM, PROBABLY THE TWO OTHER MOST DISCUSSED ITEMS, YOU KNOW, AT THE WORKSHOP WERE, UM, IN THE BUDGET.
MY RECOMMENDATION WAS TO DO THE 3% MARKET ADJUSTMENT AND, UH, DO OUR, UM, MERIT INCREASE, WHICH IS AVERAGES TWO, THREE, AND FOUR.
THE 3% PRETTY MUCH KEEPS US JUST IN LINE WITH WHAT THE OTHER CITIES ARE DOING.
UM, I'VE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY MANAGERS, UH, ALMOST ALL ARE GIVING MERIT INCREASES EXCEPT FOR ANGLETON.
ANGLETON GOT HIT EXTREMELY HARD WITH RATE INCREASES ON, UM, HEALTH INSURANCE AND ALL OF THE CITIES GOT HIT WITH WINDSTORM.
UM, SO EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO ABSORB WINDSTORM PROPERTY INSURANCE COVERAGE.
UH, BUT MOST OF THE CITIES ARE DOING SOMEWHERE AROUND THE SAME THAT WE ARE.
THERE ARE A COUPLE THAT ARE DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT THOSE CITIES ARE GROWING.
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UH, CONSERVATIVE ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CONSULTED RECOMMENDED FIVE, UH, THAT WAS TO, THAT WAS A STRETCH GOAL FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, GET TO THE 65TH PERCENTILE.UH, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT TRYING TO SEE IF WE CAN CATCH UP AT A LATER POINT.
UM, AND THE OTHER ONE WAS TRYING TO SEE IF WE COULD PUT MORE DOLLARS INTO THE OPERATIONAL, UH, COSTS FOR, UM, FOR STREET MAINTENANCE.
THOSE SEEM TO BE THE TWO TOPICS THAT WERE DISCUSSED THE MOST.
AGAIN, I WAS, UM, CONSERVATIVE ON THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, OF DOING THE 3% WITH A HUNDRED THOUSAND INCREASE ON THERE BECAUSE THE BIGGEST, UH, INCREASE ON THE TAX RATE THIS YEAR IS WE'RE ISSUING 16 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OF BOND PROJECTS THAT WERE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS IN 2020.
UH, ONE, MY FEAR IS THAT I'M SPEEDING THAT PROCESS UP.
UM, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ISSUED IN THREE PHASES, UH, THE LARGEST PHASE, UH, A COUPLE YEARS FROM NOW.
BUT, UM, AS THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS HAVE SKYROCKETED, UH, MY FEAR IS IF WE DON'T ISSUE IT, THAT MONEY JUST SITS, YOU KNOW, THAT AMOUNT SITS, SITS THERE.
UM, AND SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO PUT THE PROJECTS ON FASTER.
SO OUT OF, ON THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE, UH, WENT UP, UH, THE TAX INCREASE THAT I'M PROJECTING FOR THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE OF 271,000, UH, IS AROUND $90.
AND 50 CENTS OF THAT IS FOR THE BOND ISSUES THAT ARE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS, ABOUT $9 AND 73 CENTS IS FOR, IS FOR OPERATIONS FOR THE YEAR.
AND THEN, UH, JUST, UH, FOR REFERENCE AGAIN, THE, UH, CONSULTANT THAT WE DID ON SALARIES, UH, THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS FIVE.
AND THEN FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, IT WAS THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
UH, BECAUSE THE GOAL, YOU KNOW, WAS TO TRY TO GET TO THE 65TH PERCENT, ALL PAY WAS 5%, UH, THIS YEAR, 4% NEXT YEAR AND 3%.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THIS YEAR, UH, UM, AGAIN, BECAUSE TRYING TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE BOND ISSUE, I I WAS RECOMMENDING, UH, THREE.
UM, AND THAT'S HOLDING THE TAX RATE, UH, STEADY.
UH, THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, SIZABLY MORE.
UM, SO, UM, WE ALSO DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, TAKE A FULL ADVANTAGE LAST YEAR.
WE WERE A PENNY UNDER OUR RATE.
SO YOU ADD THAT 'CAUSE IT CARRIES OVER FOR, YOU KNOW, THREE YEARS, UM, THAT, UM, IN, UM, GOING TO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE WOULD GET YOU AN EXTRA $469,000.
MODESTO IN OUR DISCUSSIONS ON THAT.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT WITHOUT MEETING THAT THRESHOLD THAT WE CAN, WITH OUR CURRENT BUDGET, THE WAY WE'VE, WE'VE GOT IT, THAT WE CAN MEET THE NEEDS BOTH OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE NEEDS OF THE SERVICES AND THE REPAIRS THAT OUR CITY NEEDS, UM, CAN WE DO THOSE THINGS AS BUDGETED WITHOUT BUMPING UP AGAINST THIS TAX RATE? IT'LL BE, IT'LL STILL BE A CHALLENGE.
I MEAN THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PAY IS, YOU KNOW, FINDING EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, IS ALWAYS THE CHALLENGE FOR, YOU KNOW, EVERY CITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DO THE PAY INCREASE, THAT CHANGES THE STARTING PAY MM-HMM.
AND SO IT TAKES US LONGER TODAY TO FIND, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEES THAT, YOU KNOW, MEET OUR, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, QUALIFICATIONS.
SO IT DOES, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT TOUGHER.
UH, THIS JUST THIS, UH, THIS PROPOSED BUDGET JUST KIND OF KEEPS US SATISFIED, STEADY.
'CAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE IS GIVING AN INCREASE.
SO IT DOESN'T GIVE US A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.
IT JUST KEEPS US STILL IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE MARKET.
OUR GOAL WAS TO TRY TO BE MORE, MORE COMPETITIVE, UH, BUT IT JUST COULDN'T SEE, YOU KNOW, US DOING THAT.
UH, DO I WISH I COULD PUT MORE IN STREET MAINTENANCE? UH, UH, YES.
UM, I WOULD PUT THESE ADDITIONAL FUNDS IF COUNCIL WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, GO TO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
I, UH, THAT WOULD BE ONE OF MY FIRST THINGS IS TO, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT MORE FUNDS INTO, INTO STREET MAINTENANCE.
AND IF WE WERE CHOSE TO DO THAT, WHAT, SO WE'RE AT LIKE 81, 80 $6, UH, INCREASE FOR THE, WHAT WOULD IT GO TO? IT WOULD, UM, ROUGHLY I THINK, UM, 120.
I THINK, UH, THAT IS, WHICH AGAIN, THE BIGGEST COM COMPAR COMPONENT OF THAT IS THE, YEAH.
MILFORD, CAN YOU GO TO THAT, UH, ON THERE, UH, TO MY MEMO? SO, SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE REALLY NEED TO DO IS NO BACK, I'M SORRY.
WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE HAVING THINGS FAIL AND WE PAY EMERGENCY SERVICES A LOT MORE MONEY WHEN YOU HAVE TO DONE ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS.
[00:50:01]
MAKE A PLAN AND LOOK AT THE INFRASTRUCTURE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE WORKED ON, AND, UH, REALLY SPEND THE MONEY ON THAT AND, AND ALSO TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES.SO BOTH AND IN, BUT YOU KNOW, WE ARE GIVING EMPLOYEES A 3% RAISE, WHICH IS NOT GOOD, BUT FAIR, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS ATTENTION AS WELL.
SO I'M KIND OF TORN BETWEEN THE TWO, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS LIKE TO DO BOTH, BUT, UH, I KNOW WE CAN DO BOTH.
SO, BUT IF WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME TO MOVE INTO NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY LOOK AT SCHOOLS, THEY LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, TAXES, THEY ALSO LOOK AT THE CONDITION OF THE STREETS WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE DRIVING.
AND WE GOTTA TAKE CARE OF ALL THREE IF WE WANT CON LAKE JACKSON TO CONTINUE TO BE A THRIVING COMMUNITY.
SO I'M, I'M JUST GONNA SAY THIS, I'M ALWAYS YOUR BREAK IT DOWN INTO REGULAR PEOPLE TERMS. EVERYBODY ALWAYS GETS, WE GET VERY QUIET WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A TOUGH, IT'S A HARD, IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED PROCESS AND IT'S TOUGH.
UM, I HATE TALKING ABOUT THE TAX RATE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT'S SUCH A SHELL GAME WITH NOT ON OUR BEHALF, BUT ON BEHALF OF, UNTIL THE STATE ADDRESSES HOW APPRAISALS ARE DONE, ALL OF THAT'S REALLY JUST MOVING THE, THE WALNUT AROUND.
UM, I KNOW THAT MY INPUT AND I FELT LIKE THAT EVERYBODY WAS KIND OF ON THE SAME PAGE, WAS TO KEEP OUR OVERALL SPENDING CONSERVATIVE.
UM, I THINK THAT THIS BUDGET HAS ACHIEVED THAT, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IS THAT LAKE JACKSON HAS RUN A VERY, VERY, VERY LEAN BUDGET FOR A LONG TIME.
AND A LOT OF THE BIG INFRASTRUCTURE STUFF LIKE LIFT STATIONS, OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND THINGS, STREETS HAVE BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND WE'VE ALWAYS PUT THE BANDAIDS ON IT WHEN OUR, OUR STAFF HAS MAINTAINED THINGS VERY WELL, BUT WE'RE AT THE END OF LIFESPAN ON STUFF.
UM, AND THE, I MEAN, THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS THAT I THINK OUR JOB IS TO PROVIDE THE GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE CAN'T PROVIDE THE GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE IF WE'RE NOT PAYING OUR EMPLOYEES.
SO I MEAN, THAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT FOR ME, ALL THE, ANY EXTRANEOUS SPENDING, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE ANY REALLY RIGHT, NEEDS TO ALWAYS BE FOCUSED HERE.
I THINK THIS, THIS COUNCIL HAS DONE THAT.
I THINK THE CITY STAFF HAS WORKED VERY HARD TO ACHIEVE THAT AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS.
AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS THAT THINGS ARE EXPENSIVE AND WE'VE GOT SOME VERY EXPENSIVE PROJECTS COME UP COMING UP THAT WE CANNOT NOT PAY FOR.
SO I NEVER LIKE TO EVER SAY ABOUT RAISE THE TAX RATE OR, YOU KNOW, LET'S SPEND MORE MONEY.
BUT I MEAN, EVERYTHING FROM THE COST OF CHLORINE THAT WE PAY FOR THE COST OF CHLORINE THAT B W A PAYS FOR, I MEAN, JUST SIMPLE THINGS LIKE THAT HAVE GONE UP SO ASTRONOMICALLY, THE COST OF CONCRETE, THE COST OF GETTING A CONTRACTOR IN HERE IS JUST ASTRONOMICAL AT THIS POINT.
WE CAN'T HAVE NOT HAVE SAFE STREETS.
AND SO REALLY MY QUESTION IS, AND THIS IS THE HARD QUESTION NOBODY EVER WANTS TO ASK MODESTO, THE $469,000, IF WE BUMPED UP AGAINST THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, WOULD THAT MAKE A BIG ENOUGH IMPACT TO OUR OVERALL BO BUDGET TO, TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THESE INFRASTRUCTURE THINGS? BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE, THE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS AT THE END OF ITS 20 YEAR LIFESPAN AND IT'S ABOUT A 20 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS PROJECT LIFT STATION.
ONE IS WHAT, CLOSE TO 13 15 MILLION? UM, NO.
UH, SO THE EXTRA 469,000 WOULD GO TO THE, WOULD BE IDENTIFIED FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, EITHER FOR SALARIES AND STUFF.
THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR THE CITY IS 54 MILLION.
UH, THE TAX, YOU KNOW, TAXES BRING IN 5.8 MILLION, SO IT'S A SMALL PORTION.
THE PROPERTY TAX DOES NOT PAY FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
POLICE DEPARTMENTS, UH, ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ARE THE EMERGENCY MAN.
EMERGENCY SERVICES ARE AROUND 10.3.
UM, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, ON THE UTILITY SIDE THAT HAS TO BE UTILITY RATES.
SO WE DON'T USE PROPERTY TAX, YOU KNOW, UM, TO FUND THOSE.
TO, TO FUND, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE CALLED ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
THOSE ARE BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSED TO BE SUPPORTED BY, YOU KNOW, THE FEES FOR WATER AND SEWER AND SANITATION.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE USED, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FOR THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, THOSE WILL HAVE TO GO OUT, YOU KNOW, FOR REVENUE DEBT.
UH, JUST, AND IT'S GOTTEN QUITE EXPENSIVE.
YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN I, WHEN I GOT HERE, UM, WE BUILT, UM,
[00:55:01]
THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT FOR 12 MILLION THAT WON'T COVER, UM, THE LIFT STATION ACROSS THE STREET NOW.UM, SO, UM, ON THE UTILITY SIDE, IT'S GOTTEN VERY EXPENSIVE.
UM, THAT WAS ONE OF THE, THE, THE RATE INCREASE THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING NOW ON THE UTILITY SIDE, UH, IS, YOU KNOW, WILL IMPACT THE, THE AVERAGE RATE HOMER, UM, RATE USER $2 65 CENTS A MONTH.
THAT REALLY COVERS OPERATIONS.
UM, WE STILL HAVE TO DO THE SECOND STAGE OF OUR UTILITY RATE INCREASE, UH, WHERE WE PUT IN OUR LONG-TERM PLAN FOR OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, UH, FOR THIS 15 MILLION FOR, UM, THE LIFT STATION MAJOR REPAIRS FOR THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
SO WE CAN PROJECT WHAT THE RATES ARE.
UM, I MEAN, I DON'T MEAN TO BE, YOU KNOW, AN ALARMIST, BUT WHEN YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE BIGGER CITIES, UM, THAT HAVE STARTED TO DO THE PROJECTION, THEIR 10 YEAR PROJECTION OF, UH, WATER AND SEWER, THE RATES DOUBLE.
UM, ALL THE CITIES ARE IN THE SAME, UNLESS IT'S A NEW CITY, WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT.
WE'RE ALL AGING INFRASTRUCTURE, AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU'RE HAVING, YOU KNOW, TO, TO PUT MAJOR, YOU KNOW, INVESTMENT IN.
IT'S, UM, SO, UM, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, I PROJECT, YOU KNOW, MY, MY CAREER IS, YOU KNOW, COMING TO AN END.
I HAVE MAYBE 10 YEARS LEFT, UM, UH, THAT I SEE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO HAND OFF TO THE NEXT CITY MANAGER A, YOU KNOW, A STRONG UTILITY SYSTEM.
SO MOST OF OUR INCREASES ARE PROBABLY GONNA BE ON THE UTILITY SIDE.
AND SO EVEN THE INCREASE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING RIGHT NOW FOR UTILITIES STILL DOES NOT GET US UP TO THE AVERAGE OF, NO, IT JUST GETS, WE'RE STILL BELOW AVERAGE.
IT JUST GETS US INTO OPERATIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, WE DID A DOLLAR INCREASE FOR THE RESIDENTIAL SANITATION RATE, A 15% INCREASE ON THE, UM, THE COMMERCIAL, UH, RATES FOR DUMPSTERS AND ROLL OFF RATES.
ROLL OFF RATES WILL PUT US WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
COMMERCIAL RATES WHERE, WHERE THE BOTTOM
UM, WE'RE CLOSER TO THE TOP ON SANITATION RATE.
BUT I THINK WE OFFER PROBABLY, UH, AN EXCELLENT SERVICE THERE COMPARED TO, UM, SOME OF OUR SURROUNDING CITIES.
UM, UH, THAT BROUGHT IN AN EXTRA 206 50, $60,000 PLUS THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UM, OF THE CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE FEE.
I'VE PUSHED THAT INTO THE TRANSFER TO CAPITAL, WHICH WOULD GO BACK INTO REFUNDING REPAIRS TO THE LIFT STATIONS AND STUFF.
WE HAD DROPPED IT 150 SO WE COULD SPEND THE DOLLARS ON PLANNING FOR, UM, ANOTHER LIFT STATION.
SO IT WAS AT 500 THAT RESTORES THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT FUNDING, YOU KNOW, THERE FOR ON THE UTILITY SIDE.
UH, AGAIN, SO IT'S NOT A SIZABLE, YOU KNOW, DENT.
UM, WILL, I MEAN WE PROBABLY COULD EASILY, WELL, I, I, OUR STAFF COULD EASILY SPEND $2 MILLION A YEAR NOW EXTRA ON THE UTILITY SIDE OF JUST, YOU KNOW, REPLACING WATER LINES OR CHANGING THEM OUT, GOING BACK TO THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE ALL TALK ABOUT, LIKE MODESTO SAID, YOU KNOW, WE PROVIDE EXCEPT EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE SERVICES, SERVICES FOR, YOU KNOW, GARBAGE PICKUP.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING GOES WRONG OUT THERE.
PEOPLE ARE WORKING ALL THE TIME TRYING TO FIX THESE INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURES.
I'M IN FAVOR OF GETTING THE TAX RATE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE TO GIVE OUR EMPLOYEES A RAISE SO WE CAN GO AND BECOME A TRAINING GROUND FOR EMPLOYEES.
YOU KNOW, YOU HIRE AN EMPLOYEE AND HE GOES AWAY SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR A DOLLAR AND YOU JUST TRAIN THAT EMPLOYEE AND THAT MONEY JUST WASTED THAT.
SO, UH, I DON'T MIND PUTTING THEIR MONEY INTO OUR PEOPLE AND, WELL, THERE'S ONLY A FEW AREAS I THINK THAT, THAT WE RUN UP AGAINST THAT AND WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO COMPETE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT, UH, THE OPERATORS THERE IS, UH, WE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO COMPETE, COMPETE AGAINST THE INDUSTRIES THAT ARE AROUND US.
UH, TO, IF YOU WANT, IF YOU KNOW THE OTHER AREAS, UM, YOU KNOW, PD MAY BE AN AREA, BUT, UH, FOR THE OTHER ONES, I DON'T, I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT.
WE'VE, WE'VE REALLY LOST A LOT BECAUSE OF, UH, SALARIES, UH, UH, C D L LICENSED PEOPLE.
ONCE WE GET THEM LICENSED, THEY MAY GO, UH, DO SOME, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BECAUSE OF SALARY OR IT'S BECAUSE OF JUST THE TYPE WORK THEY HAVE TO DO.
I DON'T THINK WE LOSE EMPLOYEES TO
[01:00:01]
ANY ONE ENTITY WHO'S GOUM UP.IT'S AN ENTITY HERE, ENTITY THERE, BECAUSE IT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM FOR ADVANCEMENT, OR THEY'RE ABLE TO GIVE THAT RAISE TO, YOU KNOW, THAT LIFT STATION OPERATOR OR THAT POLICE OFFICER, YOU KNOW, AND SO THEY'LL, THEY'LL OFFER, YOU KNOW, MORE MONEY, BUT IT'S NOT, BUT THEY'RE PICKING AND CHOOSING SOME OF OUR BEST OR MOST EXPERIENCED PEOPLE IN THOSE POSITIONS.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, WE WERE GETTING EMAILS EVERY WEEK ABOUT ALL OF THE OPENINGS THAT YOU GUYS HAD.
WE HAD 17 OPENINGS AT ONE POINT, I REMEMBER.
SO THAT'S WHY WE WENT OUT AND, AND PAID FOR THAT COMPANY, TELL US WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO, AND WE STARTED THROWING MONEY AT RAISES, TRYING TO SAVE OUR PEOPLE FROM RUNNING OFF.
WE'VE GOTTA FIND A, A FINE LINE TO FIX THE ROADS AND ALL OF THAT, BUT IF WE AREN'T TAKING CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES ALSO, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY WAY TO WORK ON THE ROADS.
IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY HARD.
AND AGAIN, I HAD MENTIONED IN MY MEMO, AND I, I MEAN, I JUST WON'T, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING TO HIDE ABOUT IT.
UM, UM, HAD WE NOT, IF WE WEREN'T ISSUING THE DEBT, AND AGAIN, I'M RECOMMENDING TO ISSUE, BE AGGRESSIVE ON THE DEBT BECAUSE I'M WORRIED THAT IT, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECT COSTS ARE ESCALATING AND IF I WAIT TOO LONG, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO, DO THE PROJECTS.
SO, UM, THAT, THOSE BOND ISSUES WILL JUST BE WORTHLESS.
UM, SO I WAS AGGRESSIVE THERE, SO I BECAME CONSERVATIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE, IF WE WEREN'T ISSUING THE DEBT, I WOULD'VE RECOMMENDED THE FULL 5% FOR THE EMPLOYEES.
BUT I THINK WE ALL ARE PRETTY MUCH ON THE SAME PAGE HERE, UH, ABOUT THE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR ROADS, UH, WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT MY PROBLEM IS THAT WE KEEP SAYING THAT WE ARE THE LOWEST TAX RATE IN THE STATE, BUT WE STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
UH, OUR EMPLOYEES ARE, UH, AT MEAT, AND I LIKE TO SEE THEM ABOVE MEAT.
AND, UH, IT'S, THAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT I HAVE.
WE, WE JUST KEEP SAYING THAT WE HAVE THE LOWEST TAX RATE, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE IS FAILING.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT GET US? YEAH, IT'S NOT WINNING.
IT'S NOT GETTING US ANY ANYWHERE.
MAYOR, IF YOU, IF I CAN SKIP REAL QUICK, JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE AUDIENCE, SINCE WE KNOW WHERE OUR TAX RATE IS, MAYBE THE AUDIENCE DOESN'T KNOW, UH, IF I COULD QUICKLY GO, JUST DO A COMPARISON.
UM, MILFORD, CAN YOU GO TO MY PRESENTATION ON THE SECOND ONE? SO LET'S JUST START FROM THE SLIDESHOW FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
AND SO I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAX RATES, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
UM, IN JULY, WE GET OUR CERTIFIED ROLE.
AND SO WHEN WE HAVE OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP, WE'RE, UM, YOU'LL HAVE TO POINT, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE MY GLASSES ON, I'M SORRY.
UM, SO WHEN WE
SO WHEN WE HAVE OUR JULY WORKSHOP, WE'RE TRYING TO HIT A LITTLE BIT OF A MOVING TARGET, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD THE CERTIFIED ROLES YET.
THIS YEAR WAS A LITTLE BIT TOUGHER BECAUSE THE PROPERTY TAXES INCREASED, UH, 22% IN OUR SIDE.
WE'VE HAD THE LOWEST INCREASE, UH, OVERALL IN THE COUNTY FROM EVERYBODY ELSE.
UM, UM, WE WERE, UH, WE'RE AT 22 SOMEWHERE HITTING THE 30 35 UH, RANGE.
UM, SO WE JUST WENT WITH OUR NUMBER, UH, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS GONNA BE.
I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, MY RATE WAS GONNA BE AT, UM, 0.305.
UM, UH, TO GET THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND, IT NEEDS TO BE PRACTICALLY, YOU KNOW, HOLD THE TAX RATE TO GET 117.
SO IN JULY ON, YOU KNOW, THE 26TH, WE GET THE, UM, THE ACTUAL, UH, ROLES.
UM, THE, UM, OUR NEW, UM, TECH NET TAXABLE VALUE IS 3.277, UH, BILLION.
UM, AND AS SOON AS THAT IS, UH, CAL, UM, UH, IS DETERMINED, THEN THE COUNTY TAX OFFICE CALCULATES THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE THAT WAS FORMALLY THE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE FOR ANY OLD TIMERS AND THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE WHEN THAT WAS FORMERLY THE ROLLBACK RATE.
AND IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THE, UH, NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS, UH, WE CALL IT THE N N R IS THE TOTAL TAX RATE NEEDED TO RAISE THE SAME AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FROM THE CITY, FROM THE SAME PROPERTIES IN BOTH THE 22 TAX YEAR AND THE 2023.
THE, UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE TAX RATE IS ALWAYS SPLIT INTO TWO MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION AND DEBT.
[01:05:01]
NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE IS WOULD DROP TO 0.2 7 7 2 1 1.UM, THAT'S WITHOUT THE DEBT ISSUANCE.
THAT'S JUST BRINGING IN THE SAME DOLLARS FOR THE GENERAL FUND AND THE SAME DOLLARS FOR DEBT AND ISSUING NO NEW DEBT.
THAT'S THE NO NEW TE AND TAX RATE.
SO WHEN YOU HEAR THAT NUMBER, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT THAT INCLUDES.
IT JUST, UH, STAY KEEPS, KEEPS US AS IS THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE, UM, IS THE HIGHEST THAT WE CAN DO.
SOMETIMES YOU'LL HEAR DE MINIMUS THAT CAN BE HIGHER.
IN OUR CASE, IT'S NOT, UH, THAT'S A GUARANTEE OF, UH, CITIES UNDER 30,000.
THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO ISSUE THE DI MINIMIS RATE AND GET $500,000.
UM, BUT AGAIN, UM, OUR VOTER APPROVAL RATE IS, UH, A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
THAT, AGAIN, IS SPLIT INTO TWO MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION.
UH, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO RAISE, UH, THREE AND A HALF PERCENT MORE OF REVENUE, TAX REVENUE ON THERE.
SO IT'S NOT A THREE POINT HALF PERCENT INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE.
IT'S, UH, YOU'RE CALCULATING RE REVENUE FROM ONE YEAR TO REVENUE AND THE NEXT, AND THEN THE DEBT RATE.
UH, SO WHEN THEY CALCULATE THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE, THEY ASK US, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO ISSUE ANY NEW DEBT? UH, THAT'S THE BOND, AND THAT'S THE BOND.
IN SOME CITIES, IT'S COS UH, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS.
WE HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF NOT ISSUING, UH, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS.
OTHER CITIES ISSUE, YOU KNOW, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
YOU KNOW, EACH YEAR WE WOULD JUST HAVE NOT, UH, ALL OF OUR DEBT IS, UM, ON THE GEO SIDE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
SO WE TOLD THEM THAT OUR PLAN IS TO ISSUE 16 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
SO THAT'S CAL, THEY TAKE THAT, AND THEN THEY CALCULATE FOR US AND DETERMINE WHAT OUR DEBT RATE NEEDS TO BE.
AND THEN THEY GET US, UM, UM, UM, WHAT IT WOULD, UH, WHAT OUR TAX RATE WOULD BE, UM, ON THE M AND O FOR THREE AND A HALF PERCENT MORE REVENUE, 569,000.
SO THEY COME UP WITH 0.3, 3, 7, 4, UH, 4, 2, 2.
AND THEN YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IN BETWEEN, OR YOU CAN GO MORE IF, UM, UH, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE VOTERS.
UH, THERE WILL BE A DAY THAT WE WILL HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS, UH, BECAUSE AS I'VE ALWAYS SAID, WE'VE BEEN BLESSED, UM, UH, IN OUR CITY BY ONE, HAVING A STRONG SALES TAX.
UH, THAT'S THE, UM, MOST OF OUR INCOME.
OUR SECOND, UH, LARGEST, UH, AMOUNT OF INCOME IS OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT.
UM, UH, AND THEN OUR THIRD INCOME IS PROPERTY TAX.
OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE IS LOW, PROBABLY FOR THE BIGGEST REASON IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT MM-HMM.
THE DAY THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE VOTERS TO INCREASE THE TAX RATE.
I WOULD ANTICIPATE IT WILL GO UP 17 CENTS, UH, IF WE HAD A FULL-TIME FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UH, IF YOU SEE A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER, PLEASE HUG THEM OR JOIN.
UM, AND SO THE NEXT SLIDE YOU CAN SEE ON THE TABLE, UM, THIS SHOWS THE VARIOUS OPTIONS.
UM, THE FIRST COLUMN SHOWS THE 2023, HOW THE RATE WAS BROKEN UP.
THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE THEN WAS 246,147.
UM, AND THEN OUR M MO RATE WAS 0.22, UH, AND THEN OUR DEBT TAX RATE WAS 0.0995.
SO THAT HAD A TAX RATE OF 0.3, 2, 3, 1, 2, 1, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH, THEN BREAKING OUT HOW MUCH GOES TO M AND O $550 AND HOW MUCH GOES TO DEBT SERVICES 2 45.
SO AN AVERAGE HOMEOWNER WOULD PAY 7 95 35.
UH, THE TAX VALUE IS NOT THE MARKET VALUE OF A HOME BECAUSE, UM, AS YOU GET AN APPRAISAL, IF YOU HAVE A HOMESTEAD, YOU GET CAPPED AT 10%.
SO SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE YOUR PROPERTY VALUE, AND IT MAY BE 290, BUT THE TAX VALUE MAY BE 2 46.
THAT'S BECAUSE IT GOT HIT UP ON THAT CAP, AND IT WON'T INCREASE MORE THAN 10%.
AND SO IT TRIES TO PLAY CATCH UP, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT YEAR.
SO WE'RE NOT ABLE TO TRULY TAX, YOU KNOW, THE FULL AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, THE MARKET VALUE IF IT'S GONE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S EXCEEDS 10%.
UH, SO AGAIN, THAT'S THE TWO, UH, 23, UH, RATE.
SO IN 2024, THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE, UM, WENT UP TO 2 71, 2 87.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S THE TAXABLE VALUE, NOT THE MARKET VALUE.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE IF WE WANTED TO JUST STAY STEADY WITH, YOU'RE NOT PAYING NEW, ISSUING NEW DEBT AND OPERATION, UH, THE AMOUNT THAT GOES TO OUR OPERATION STAYS THE SAME.
UM, THE M O THE M AND O RATE WOULD DROP TO 1.93, AND THE DEBT RATE WOULD GO TO POINT, UH, UH, 0.084.
WE DO HAVE SOME SAVINGS IN ON THE DEBT SIDE, UM, BECAUSE WE PAY A LEVEL PRINCIPAL PAYMENT ON THE GENERAL SIDE.
SO THAT MEANS WE ALWAYS HAVE, UH, IT'S VERY RARE FOR A CITY TO DO THAT.
BUT WE'VE, WE'RE PROBABLY, AGAIN, ONE OF THE MOST CONSERVATIVE CITIES IN THE STATE I'VE WORKED IN.
[01:10:01]
THIRD CITY.I CAN EASILY TELL YOU THAT, UM, UH, THAT, UM, WE PAY A LEVEL PRINCIPAL PAYMENT.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS, UM, WE DON'T PAY A LOT OF INTEREST UP FRONT.
WE'RE PAYING THE SAME PRINCIPAL EVERY YEAR.
AND SO AS THE YEARS DECLINE, YOU KNOW THAT IT STARTS TO, WE START TO HAVE AN OPENING TO ISSUE MORE DEBT.
UH, 'CAUSE IT'S GOING, IT'S GOING DOWN.
SO THIS YEAR, JUST BY THAT WE WERE DROPPING 80,000, YOU KNOW, DOLLARS TO ISSUE MORE DEBT.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS DROPPING.
SO IF WE DO NOTHING, UH, YOU'D HAVE, UH, THE TAX WOULD GO DOWN $43 AND 31 CENTS.
THE NEXT, UH, COLUMN IS IF WE JUST DO THE BOND ISSUE, UH, AND NO MORE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE FOR, UM, UH, RAISES, IN ESSENCE WHAT THAT DOES TO THE BUDGET.
IT MEANS THAT WE WOULD GIVE A 2% MARKET ADJUSTMENT VERSUS A THREE JUMPING THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND GOT US AN EXTRA A HUNDRED, A HUNDRED THOUSAND TO JUST TO GO FROM TWO TO THREE IN THE GENERAL FUND SIDE.
UM, THAT COST WOULD THEN BE $71 AND 50 CENTS.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, THEY, YOU'D HAVE A SAVINGS OF 43, BUT THEN IT GOES TO 71.
SO THAT SPREAD IS, YOU KNOW, UM, I GUESS A HUNDRED AND $110, $115.
UH, SO YOU CAN SEE THE DEBT INCREASE, UM, ZERO TO THE M AND O.
UM, 1.3 MILLION FOR OUR DEBT PAYMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE NEXT COMING YEAR.
UH, MAINTAINING THE TAX RATE, UH, GETS US THE 117.
THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO DO A 3% MARKET ADJUSTMENT, UH, OVER THE TWO.
YOU WOULD HAVE A $81 AND 23 UH, CENT VERSUS 71 50.
SO THE M AND O INCREASE HAS AN EFFECT OF, UM, THE $9 AND 73 CENTS.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE COUNCIL'S VOTING ON.
THE $71 AND 50 CENTS WAS VOTED ON BY THE VOTERS.
AND SO 88% OF THE INCREASE WAS ALREADY, UH, APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
UM, AND THEN IF YOU WANTED TO GO TO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, UH, YOU WOULD SEE THE EFFECT THERE.
UH, IT WOULD JUMP UP TO $120 THAT WOULD HAVE, UH, IMPACT OF 569, 2 87.
UH, SO SUBTRACT THAT FROM THE ONE 17.
YOU'D HAVE, UH, APPROXIMATELY $450,000 INCREASE.
UH, WE'LL HAVE A SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT ON THE TAX INCREASE WHEN WE BUDGETED.
UH, WE'LL PROBABLY, I, I THINK WE'LL GET 119,000 VERSUS 117 'CAUSE WE BUDGETED AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
AND THE TAX, UH, ACCESSOR COLLECTOR CALCULATES, UH, OUR TAX COLLECTION AT 102%.
WE WERE A LITTLE CONSERVATIVE THERE.
SO WE'LL GET A $2,000 MORE, UH, UM, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T, WE, UM, OUR COLLECTION RATE, AND THEY, THEY BOOK IT AT A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
UH, THEN YOU CAN SEE THEIR PRELIMINARY TAXABLE VALUES.
UH, WHAT MAKES UP OUR TAX BASE, UH, SINGLE FAMILY IS 60%.
UM, WE'VE, OUR DEMOGRAPHICS HAVE CHANGED FOR OUR HOMES, UH, QUITE A BIT.
WHEN I GOT HERE IN 1995, UH, ABOUT 22% OF OUR HOMES, UM, WERE RENTAL THAT, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T HAVE A, A HOMESTEAD THAT'S JUMPED UP TO, UH, 37, THAT'S THE STATE AVERAGE.
WE'RE NOW, YOU KNOW, THE AVERAGE OF THE STATE, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, RENTAL PROPERTY, UH, AGAIN, SINGLE FAMILY, 60%, UM, INDUSTRIAL, UH, MAKES UP 9% COMMERCIAL REAL PROPERTY.
UH, THAT'S ACTUALLY COMMERCIAL.
IT'S COMMERCIAL REAL, AND, UM, AND ALSO PERSONAL PROPERTY.
UM, YOU COULD ARGUE IS IS THAT RESIDENTIAL OR IS THAT COMMERCIAL? UM, A LOT OF IT, UH, IT, IT IS SEPARATED BECAUSE A LOT OF IT'S BASED ON, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW MUCH THE PROPERTY CAN PRODUCE FOR INCOME.
IT WENT DOWN, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT DURING COVID, UM, BASED ON, UM, WHAT THEY COULD CHARGE FOR RENT.
THEN THE LAST, YOU CAN SEE REGIONAL TAX RATES.
UM, I SHOWED HOW WE COMPARE INTO THE H J C REGION.
THIS IS POPULATION OF 20,000, BUT I THREW IN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR SISTER CITIES ARE IN BRAZORIA COUNTY.
THEY'RE GONNA JUMP TO, UM, 35 CENTS, UH, THIS NEXT YEAR.
THE OTHER CITIES, I DON'T KNOW, THEY'LL PROBABLY, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, I WOULD THINK THAT THEY'LL PROBABLY GO DOWN, UH, SLIGHTLY BECAUSE APPRAISAL VALUES ARE GOING UP, SO THEY'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, THEY'LL ADJUST.
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW WE STACK UP, UH, INTO THE, INTO THE REGION.
AGAIN, THIS IS POPULATION OVER 20,000.
UM, AND THEN SOME OF THE SMALLER CITIES
[01:15:01]
THAT ARE IN BRAZORIA COUNTY, THE LOWEST, UH, TAX RATE IN THE REGION, I THINK IT'S RICHMOND THERE, THERE'S ZERO.UM, BUT IF YOU THINK YOU'RE IN SUGARLAND, SOMETIMES YOU'RE IN RICHMOND.
UM, SO, UH, THEY GET SOME OF THAT, UH, SALES TAX BASE.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE STATEWIDE TAX RATES.
UM, THIS IS LOOKING AT T M L, UH, SURVEY.
THESE ARE, THIS IS, THIS IS POPULATION OVER, UH, 20,000.
AND AGAIN, I THINK WE THREW IN SOME OF THE CITIES, UM, THAT MAY BE IN OUR AREA.
I THINK, UM, THAT'S 97 CITIES.
THE LOWEST IN OUR AREA IS, UM, I MEAN, NOT IN OUR AREA, UH, BUT IN OUR, ONE OF, UM, ANYBODY OVER 20 IS COLLEYVILLE AT, UH, 27 CENTS.
AND THEN WE'VE GONE OVER THE BUDGET CALENDAR.
THE, THE FIRST STEP, THIS IS NOT THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS.
THE PUBLIC HEARING WOULD BE ON AUGUST 21ST.
UM, BUT TONIGHT THOUGH, YOU DO HAVE TO SET DATES, SET THE DATE, AND ADVERTISE THE TAX RATE.
SO TONIGHT IS A CRUCIAL NIGHT IN THAT YOU'RE PICKING THE RATE TO BE ADVERTISED.
AND SO IF YOU PICK THE RATE THAT I HAVE RECOMMENDED BUT WANTED TO DO MORE, YOU COULDN'T.
SO IF YOU'RE STILL WANT STAFF TO LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS, THEN I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU ADVERTISE THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, WHICH WOULD BE THE HIGHEST RATE.
AND THEN YOU CAN ASK US TO LOOK AT COST SCENARIOS FOR OTHER THINGS.
BUT ONCE YOU ADVERTISE THAT RATE AND HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING, THE ONLY OTHER WAY TO CHANGE THAT THEN IS TO SET ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING, UH, FOR ANOTHER RATE AND STUFF.
YOU CAN'T GO DOWN EVEN, YOU CAN GO DOWN, YOU CAN GO DOWN, RIGHT? YOU GO DOWN, YOU JUST CAN'T, YOU JUST CAN'T GO UP, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT RECOMMENDING THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN MY INITIAL, UH, PROPOSAL.
BUT IF YOU THINK THERE ARE STILL THINGS THAT WE, YOU WANT US TO LOOK AT AT FUNDING, WHETHER IT BE ANY, UH, ANY MORE OF A MARKET ADJUSTMENT OR MORE FOR STREETS OR SOMETHING, THEN I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU, UH, ADVERTISE THE RATE OF THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
AND THAT GIVES YOU FLEXIBILITY ON THE PUBLIC HEARING RATE DATE.
AND THEN YOU CAN SET ANY RATE LOWER THAN THAT.
SO YOU'VE, WE'VE KIND OF COVERED THREE ITEMS HERE, SO WE'LL STEP BACK, BUT AGAIN, JUST ON A FEW THINGS WAS WE, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT QUITE A BIT.
UH, AS A COUNCIL, WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT.
THE ONE THING, REMEMBER THAT, UH, WHAT RHEA, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WENT THROUGH AT THE VERY END OF OUR WORKSHOP WAS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE IS, IS THAT, AND IT'S WHAT MODESTA WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE ALREADY DONE.
AND THAT IS, IS, IS THAT WE NEED TO GO AND EVA PUT THE EFFORT IN TO EVALUATE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH A TIMELINE AND A STRATEGY TO GO OUT AND REPAIR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE BONDS AND, AND, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE HUGE AMOUNTS OF DOLLARS TO GO DO THAT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
MODESTO SAID, SOME CITIES, YOU KNOW, THEIR TIMEFRAME IS 10 YEARS AND IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW FAST, FAST AND AGGRESSIVE US THIS COUNCIL AND FUTURE COUNCILS WANT TO, TO APPROACH THAT INFORMATION THAT WE GET ON INFRASTRUCTURE.
JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF, OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE IS, IS WE DID, UH, A RAINWATER STUDY, DRAINAGE STUDY ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN.
AND, UH, IT TOOK US, UH, BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY OF THAT STUDY AND THE MODELING THAT WE DID, THE GOOD THING THAT CAME OUT, WE CAME OUT WITH A MODEL THAT WE CAN USE ONGOING TO ADDRESS ISSUES IN THAT AREA.
BUT EXAMPLE IS THAT PROJECT CAME BACK, THAT STUDY CAME BACK AND IDENTIFIED IN THOSE AT THAT TIMEFRAME, WHICH IS ALREADY THREE YEARS OLD, PROBABLY WHEN THAT WAS $40 MILLION.
AND WE KNEW THAT WE COULDN'T DO THAT ALL IN ONE BIG CHUNK.
THE FIRST PIECE IS ACTUALLY PART OF THE $16 MILLION.
IT'S NOT ALL OF THE 16 MILLION, BUT IT'S A BIG PART OF IT.
SO WE REALIZE THAT WE'VE GOT INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.
AND, AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT COUNCILS BEFORE US AND COUNCILS TODAY ARE, ARE LOOKING AT, LET'S GET THIS, LET'S IDENTIFY HOW BIG OF AN ISSUE THIS IS, AND LET'S COME UP AND PUT A PLAN OUT THERE AND START EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY OF IS THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.
THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE DOWN THE ROAD, AND THIS IS THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE TO GET US TO THAT POINT.
UH, AND WHY I'M SAYING ALL THAT IS, IS BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DO WE WANT TO DO, WHAT KIND OF TAX RATE DO WE WANNA PUT IN PLACE THIS YEAR? AND YES, WE COULD GO TO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME DISCUSSION I'M HEARING ABOUT IS POSSIBLY GOING TO, UH, THE MAX RATE, UH, UP TO THE VOTER
[01:20:01]
APPROVAL, UH, LEVEL.UH, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE ISSUE WE HAVE THERE IS, IS THAT THAT'S NOT GONNA, BECAUSE OF OUR TAX, BECAUSE TAX, OUR, OUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE NOT A BIG REVENUE SOURCE FOR US IS THAT THAT'S NOT A BIG, LARGE SUM OF MONEY TO GO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
WE WERE ALREADY PUTTING SOME THINGS IN PLACE TO, TO ADDRESS THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF ROADS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE $200,000 TO PUT IN THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITH OTHER MEANS OF FINDING DOLLARS IS THAT WILL HELP US, YOU KNOW, GO BACK TO DOING THE, UH, UM, THE CEILING, THE PADDLE PANEL CEILING, WHICH THE IMPORTANCE ON THE PANEL CEILING IS, IS IF YOU DON'T DO THAT, YOU GET WATER THAT GOES UNDERNEATH THE PANELS, IT HITS THE BASE AND IT DAMAGES THE BASE UNDERNEATH THE ROAD AND THE ROAD STARTS FAILING.
AND SO THAT WILL HELP IF WE RE-INSTITUTE THAT PROGRAM AND IMPROVE THAT PROGRAM, IT'LL MAKE OUR STREETS LAST A LITTLE BIT LONGER, UH, SO THAT WE CAN PO POSSIBLY GET AHEAD OF SOME OF THIS STUFF.
SO THAT'S, SO THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PIECES IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO ALSO.
AND, UM, AGAIN, WE NEED TO BE, AND WE ARE, WE'RE VERY AWARE OF, UH, THE DECISION WE MAKE.
WE'RE VERY AWARE OF HOW IT IMPACTS OUR CITIZENS, BOTH, UH, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT THEY PAY IN PROPERTY TAXES AND ALSO OF WHAT THEY GET FOR THEIR DOLLARS.
AND, UH, WE'RE WORKING REAL HARD TO, TO BE VERY FRUGAL WITH THE BEST AS WE CAN WITH THE DOLLARS REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE.
BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME AS, UH, WE WORK VERY HARD TO TRY TO GET A GOOD RETURN ON WHERE WE CAN, UM, THAT'S IN OUR CONTROL, GET GOOD RETURN ON AND RESULTS ON THE, THE DOLLARS THAT WE SPEND.
SO, UM, JUST CLOSE OUT ON ITEM FIVE, UH, I THINK WE, UH, YOU GAVE US UPDATES ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GAVE YOU IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS AND STUFF.
SO YOU MEAN YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU GAVE US THAT ON WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS.
RIGHT NOW ON AGAIN, ON, ON BOTH.
SO RESTATE YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
UH, SO TODAY I AM RECOMMENDING, UH, MY REVISED RECOMMENDATION WAS TO HOLD THE TAX RATES STEADY, UH, WHICH WOULD, UM, PAY FOR OUR 3% INCREASE, UH, YOU KNOW, COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT TO THE PAY PLAN.
AND THEN, UH, THAT'S REALLY THE REASON FOR THE, THE INCREASE.
AND THEN, UM, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, UM, TONIGHT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR SIX AND SEVEN RIGHT? IS JUST, YOU KNOW, SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR AUGUST 21ST.
SO WE THEN CAN HAVE, WE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO DISCUSS, IT'S JUST, WE'VE GOTTA SET THE DATE, SO WE GOTTA SET YES.
AND WE'VE GOTTA TURN IN A TAX RATE.
AND WHEN WE GET TO SEVEN, AGAIN, THE REASON WHY YOU'RE, LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER, THE REASON WHY YOU'RE RECOMMENDING YOUR SUGGESTION WOULD BE IS THAT WE GO WITH THE THREE, 3.7 3, 3 7 IS BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE THE MAX THAT WE COULD GO, WE CAN ALWAYS DECREASE THAT AS WE, AS WE GO FORWARD, AS YOU, AS YOU GO THROUGH THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, AND THEN GO OUT AND THE VOTE, YOU CAN ALWAYS VOTE FOR THE TAX RATE THAT I RECOMMENDED, BUT IF YOU ADVERTISE THE TAX RATE THAT I RECOMMENDED AND WANTED TO DO MORE, YOU COULD, YOU COULDN'T DO IT.
BUT YOU, YOU COULD DO IT, BUT IT BECOMES, YOU'D HAVE TO START THE CRUNCH.
YOU'D HAVE TO START THE PROCESS ALL OVER AGAIN AND IT BECOME A TIME CRUNCH.
[6. Discuss and consider setting a date and time for a public hearing for FY 2023-2024 Annual Budget for August 21, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. – Modesto Mundo.]
OF FIVE AND MOVE US TO SIX IF THAT'S OKAY WITH COUNSEL.MR. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO SET, SET A DATE AND THE TIME FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PHYSICAL YEAR OF 2023 AND 24 AND BUDGET FOR AUGUST 21ST, 2023 TO 6:00 PM SECOND.
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM, UH, COUNCILMAN BAKER AND A SECOND FROM WHO? ME? MR. HANYA.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE DATE? 86.
I HEARD 6:00 PM IS IT SIX OR SIX 30? SIX 30.
I'M JUST MAKING SURE I HEARD YOU.
SO WE HAVE, UH, AUGUST 21ST, 2023 AT SIX 30.
ALRIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, ITEM SEVEN, DISCUSS
[7. Discuss and consider setting a public hearing on the proposed tax rate not to exceed the voter-approved rate of $0.337422/$100 for August 21, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. – Modesto Mundo.]
AND CONSIDER SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED TAX RATE NOT TO EXCEED THE VOTER APPROVED RATE OF 0.3 3 7 4 2 2 PER $100 FOR AUGUST 21ST, 2023 AT 6:30 PM ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT? UH, IF NOT, I'LL TAKE A MOTION ON IT.I MOVE THAT WE, UH, CONSIDER SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED TAX RATE NOT TO EXCEED THE VOTER APPROVED RATE OF 0.3 3 7 4 2 2 OR 100 OF FOUR.
AUGUST 22ND, 21ST, 2023 AT 6:30 PM ALL RIGHT.
I HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN HANYA, SECOND AND SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER, SETH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[01:25:02]
ALL RIGHT.[8. New Business Update – David Walton.]
NEW BUSINESS UPDATE.GIVE US SOMETHING GOOD, DAVID.
TELL US ABOUT JAY'S AND SINCE EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT THAT, YOU DIDN'T BRING A PIE, YOU DIDN'T BRING POT, EVERYBODY IS TALKING.
WELL, I HAVE TO GO TO NEVILLE FOR THAT.
UM, BROUGHT UP THAT WAS NOT, UH, 36.
MY BOSS DID NOT APPROVE THAT SIDE TRIP.
UM, SO AS YOU, AS THE BUZZ IS ABOUT, YES, JEAN WEE HAS, UH, CLOSED, AS YOU KNOW, IT WILL OPEN BACK UP AS J CAFE, WHICH IS AN EXTENSION, UH, IF YOU WILL, OF THE ONE IN THE POPULAR RESTAURANT IN NEVILLE.
UM, OPERATED BY THE SAME PEOPLE THAT WERE OPERATING GEN UE BEFORE, BUT THEY HAVE, UM, CONTRACTED WITH, WITH JAY'S CAFE TO USE THEIR MENU TO COOK, TO COOK THEIR, THEIR FOOD, AND TO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY PAY A, A FEE FOR THAT.
UM, I DO NOT KNOW OF AN OPENING DATE.
THERE'S PROBABLY NOT A WHOLE LOT THEY DO NEED TO DO, UH, IN MOST OF THE RESTAURANT, BUT IT WILL INCLUDE A COMPLETE CHANGE OF COOKING LINE, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, BETWEEN SUSHI AND, AND NOODLE BASED DISHES TOO.
MORE OF A COUNTRY STYLE, UM, COOKING.
UH, AS OF THAT, AND I DID HAVE THAT SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN DOWN 'CAUSE I FIGURED YOU GUYS MIGHT BE ASKING
UM, WE HAVE MET WITH THE CONTRACTOR IN CAVENDERS FINALLY, WHO IS READY TO START.
DO YOU KNOW APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY THAT'D BE WAS A C UH, IT SHOULD BE THE SAME OCCUPANT LOAD THAT, THAT JIM WAY, BUT OFFHAND, I DON'T KNOW.
I'D HAVE TO, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT MY, MY PAPERWORK, BUT I'LL GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU.
UH, CAVENDERS IS NOW STARTING THEIR BUILD OUT.
UH, NOW THAT THE MALL HAS TURNED OVER A WHITE BOX SPACE TO THEM, UH, WE HAVE ISSUED CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY IN, UH, FOUR HOUSES OUT THERE AT LAKEWOOD MANOR.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT YOU SHOULD START SEEING SOME OF THOSE HOUSES BEING OCCUPIED WHILE THEY FINISHED CONSTRUCTION ON THE END.
UM, WE ARE STILL IN CONTACT WITH, UH, THE VILLAS APARTMENTS OUT THERE BEHIND BUCKY'S.
THEY ARE, UH, ACTIVELY WORKING.
WE DID, WE DID AS PROMISE A RAMP UP IN, IN CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY.
AND THAT, UH, SEEMS TO CON TO BE CONTINUING ON THE LAKEWOOD MANOR CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY.
ARE THEY ISSUED BY THE CITY WHEN IT'S READY TO BE RENTED OR WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR FIRST RENTER? SO WE WILL ISSUE A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY WHEN THE ACTUAL HOUSING UNIT IS READY TO BE OCCUPIED.
IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY HAVE SOMEBODY READY TO GO IN IT AND, AND IT DOESN'T, UH, PROHIBIT THEM FROM, UM, OR IT DOESN'T FORCE THEM TO, UH, OBVIOUSLY OCCUPY THAT UNIT.
JUST MEANS THAT THAT UNIT, UH, MEETS ALL MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR OCCUPANCY.
UH, WE DID ASK THEM TO, TO ALLOW US TO DO THOSE IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE SEPARATE PODS.
LET'S DO THIS POD AND THEN THIS POD AND THIS POD SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, HIT AND MISS.
WE, WE'VE DONE THE TWO UNITS IN THE BACK, TWO IN THE FRONT HEART READY KIND OF THING.
UM, AND WE SHOULD SEE CONTINUED ACTIVITY STARTING FROM THE, WE SAT, SORRY, STARTING FROM THE, THE, UM, HOLLY END, MOVING BACK TOWARDS THE FERN COURT END.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS? I'VE CALCULATED THAT IF EVERY CITIZEN BOUGHT 70 SLICES OF PIE, WE WOULD GET AN EXTRA $200,000 IN
CAN YOU PUT THAT IN THE FAX? 70, 70, 70 SLICES OF PIE? I DON'T KNOW.
I'VE NEVER EATEN THERE, BUT, UH, WE HAVE, I HAVE HAD EMPLOYEES THAT, THAT TELL ME.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, STAFF UPDATES.
UH, NO, YOU'VE HEARD ENOUGH OF ME TALK TONIGHT.
AND, UH, I DON'T THINK, THINK WE HAD ANY ACTION SO FAR OTHER THAN DO SOME, UH, ADVERTISEMENTS.
[10. Construction Updates]
TO CONSTRUCTION UPDATES.SAL, I'VE NEVER SEEN SAL COME WITH PAPER BEFORE.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE SCHEDULE WAS HERE.
UH, MOLASSES ARE SLOW COME BECAUSE OF THE HEAT.
NOW, UH, THE, UH, PRI PRIMARILY THE LANDSCAPE PEOPLE IS THE, IS THE MAJOR, IS THE MAJOR UP, UH, THE MAJOR PROBLEM RIGHT NOW.
THEY JUST DON'T WANNA MOVE INTO THIS, UH, UH, INTO THIS PLANTING MODE.
SO, UH, THAT IS THE REASON WHY YOU SEE THAT, UH, AREA IN THE MIDDLE AREA.
[01:30:01]
SITUATION THAT HAS BECOME A PROBLEM, UH, AS, UH, AS SOMEBODY YOU, AS SOMEBODY LIKE YOU KNOW ABOUT IT.UH, SO THAT HAS CREATED ITS OWN PROBLEMS. UH, AS FAR AS THE MAJOR, UH, THE MAJOR, UH, ITEMS OF WORK THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CONCRETE STILL LEFT.
SOME OF THE COLORED CONCRETE HAS NOT BEEN PUT IN THERE.
THERE ARE SPOTS ALONG THE CIRCLE.
THE, UH, NORTH PARKING PLACE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED.
THEY ARE PLANNED TO BE POURED EITHER TO, UH, EITHER TOMORROW OR, OR THE NEXT DAY.
AND THAT WILL BE COMPLETING ALL THE CONCRETE WORK INVOLVED.
THEY HAVE ALSO STARTED REMOVING A LOT OF THE, UH, A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS, A LOT OF THE FORM WORK.
A MATTER OF FACT, TODAY THEY DID A, THEY ACTUALLY ACTUALLY TOOK ALL THE, UH, MOST OF THE WOOD OUT OF THERE THAT ONLY LEAVES SOME OF THE OLD, UH, UH, UH, CONCRETE DEBRIS, WHICH THEY WERE PLANNING ON REMOVING TOMORROW.
SO FOR THAT MATTER, TOMORROW WE WILL SEE THAT AREA TO BE CLEARED UP.
UH, NOTHING IS NOT TO SAY WHAT THE LANDSCAPE IS, STILL NOT GONNA, IT'S NOT GONNA LOOK PROPER YET UNTIL, UNTIL THE LANDSCAPERS WORKED IN, UH, THERE WAS ONE, UH, ONE OF THE BUS SHELTERS.
I'M SURE THAT THEY, DEPENDING ON, ON HOW THE DAY GOES TOMORROW, THEY MAY ATTACK THE NEXT, THE, THE REMAINING ONE.
THE, UH, THE MASON WORK, THE BRICK WORK IS ALSO BE COMING IN, UH, SUPPOSEDLY, UH, WITHIN THIS WEEK.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT AREA WILL BE LOOKING MORE PRESENTABLE, UH, THE WAY IT SHOULD.
UH, AS, AND THE, UH, A LOT OF THE STRIPING HAS BEEN PERFORMED NOW IN ALL OF THE SIGNAGE WORK, ALL THE A D A SIGNS, NOT THE ACTUAL EMBLEMS HAVE BEEN PUT IN THERE, BUT MOST OF THE STRUCTURES THAT WILL HOLD THE EMBLEMS HAVE BEEN ERECTED.
UH, SO, UH, THAT IN ITSELF IS A, IS, IS, IS AN IMPROVEMENT.
UH, AS FAR AS THE BOND PROJECTS ARE CONCERNED, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE PUT IN, UH, THE, UH, WE HAVE PIN IN THE NO SHADY OAKS STREET PROJECT, PIN OAK, UH, AND THE, UH, FOREST, UH, OAKS, UH, PROJECT OUT BID.
WE WILL BE OPENING THAT UP, UH, IN TWO WEEKS.
UH, AND, UH, WE'LL SEE HOW THE, UH, HOW THE PROJECT COMES IN.
WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN ESTIMATE THAT WE ARE CHECKING ON TRYING TO CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S GONNA BE A, A, A GOOD ESTIMATE OR NOT.
BUT, UH, AND IT'S REALLY TAKEN US, IT'S TAKEN US BY SURPRISE AS FAR AS WHAT THE INCREASE HAS THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE CONSTRUCTION.
HOPEFULLY, UH, WE WILL HAVE SOME, A GOOD, UH, RESPONSE FROM OUR LOCAL CONTRACTOR.
WE'RE HOPING SO THAT WE'LL TRY TO BRING THAT PROJECT DOWN.
WE STILL DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GONNA BE.
UH, THE EMERGENCY PROJECT ON, UH, THE, UH, FAILING, UH, MANHOLE, IT'S AN 18 TO 20 FOOT DEEP MANHOLE.
IT'S ENCOUNTERING PROBLEMS. UH, THEY, UH, OPENED UP A, UH, A SI A SIGNIFICANT, UH, PROTECTED AREA FOR THAT.
UH, IT'S ON THE SIDE OF A CHANNEL, WHAT WE CALL THE, UH, MAGNOLIA DITCH, UH, THAT CARRIES WATER, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH WATER IN THE CHANNEL.
THIS, UH, THIS TIME, THE, UH, SANDS UNDERNEATH THE, UH, THE, THE FLOW LINE THERE ARE SATURATED WITH WATER.
AND, UH, THEY'RE ABOUT, THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT, ON THAT, UH, PIPE, UH, ABOUT FOUR FOOT BELOW THE CHANNEL.
SO IT'S DRAWING A LOT OF THAT WATER INTO, INTO THE AREA THERE.
SO, UH, THERE IT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU APPROVE THE, UH, THE UH, NOT TO EXCEED PRICE.
I'D BE SURPRISED IF THAT HOLDS AT THIS TIME BECAUSE OF, THEY HAVE TO HAVE, THEY HAVE MOVED INTO WITH WELL POINTS THAT WERE NOT AT ALL CONSIDERED AT THE, ON THE ORIGINAL.
YOU MAY, THEY MAY, UH, HONOR THE AMOUNT DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH, UH, HOW MUCH OF THAT, UH, UH, WELL POINTING, UH, TAKES PLACE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE HOLDING ON THAT PARTICULAR THING.
AND, UH, I'LL LET, UH, OUR PARKS DIRECTOR HERE HANDLE HER PROJECTS.
GUESS NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT IF EVERYTHING GOES THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO GO, WHEN DO YOU THINK THEY SHOULD WRAP UP? DOWNTOWN? THEY GAVE US, THE LANDSCAPERS GAVE US A SCHEDULE THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN US TO SEPTEMBER.
[01:35:01]
IT'LL BE, UH, THERE WERE GONNA BE FOUR WEEKS IN, IN THIS FROM, UH, THE LAST HARD JULY TO FINISH OFF IRRIGATION.AND THEN THERE WOULD'VE BEEN ANOTHER FOUR WEEKS TO DO THE LANDSCAPING.
SO GOING BY THAT SCHEDULE, WHICH THEY HAVEN'T COMPLIED WITH BECAUSE I HAVE NOT SEEN THEM ON, IN THE FIELD OR AT, AT, IN THE FIELD AT ALL.
SO I WAS HOPING THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, KEEP THAT SCHEDULE.
AND BY SEPTEMBER MID WE, WELL COMPLETE IS A WELL SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION.
THEN YOU GO, THEN YOU WOULD GO THROUGH THE PUNCH LIST, THEY WOULD'VE TO GO TO THE PUNCH LIST, WHICH WOULD BE THE MINIMALIZED, CORRECT? I SAW THEY WERE, UH, WE DID STRIPING AGAIN THIS WEEKEND.
THERE'S A LOT, A LOT MORE STRIPING WENT DOWN THERE.
THERE'S STILL SOME LEFT, OF COURSE, A NORTH PARKING PLACE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO CARRY THAT AREA BEFORE THEY GO OUT THERE AND STRIP THOSE, UH, THOSE AREAS THERE.
SO I HAVE A QUESTION ON ALONG WITH FRONT OF, UH, WORST HOUSE AND POLY UP THERE.
IT TOOK ALL THE SHRUBBERY OFF THAT DIED AND PUTTING BRICKS IN THERE.
SO THAT IS ANOTHER ONE OF, UH, OF, UH, IT'S PARKS, ROBIN'S PROJECTS.
SHE, AND SHE'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THOSE THINGS.
SO, UM, THE PLAN WAS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN BUDGETED AS A C I P PROJECT IS TO, BECAUSE THERE'S NO IRRIGATION AT ALL ON THAT SECTION NOW DOWNTOWN.
SO THE PLANTS WEREN'T GROWING, THEY LOOKED HORRIBLE.
UH, WE DO WANNA COME BACK AND PUT BRICKS.
WE'VE GONE OVER DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT WE REALLY WANT IT TO MATCH WITH THE OTHER STUFF.
SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS FINISH THE REST OF IT.
UM, I PUT THE ROCK IN THERE BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TOOK ALL THE PLANTS OUT, IT WAS KIND OF DEEP AND I WANNA MAKE SURE NO ONE GETS INJURED.
AND IT LOOKED A LITTLE NICER, NOT GREAT, BUT SO LANDSCAPING IS NOT GOING BACK IN THERE EVER? NO, NO.
AND WE WOULD HAVE TO MANUALLY WATER IT ALL THE TIME.
IT MUST, IT'LL BE PAVERS AND YEAH.
AND THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE PHASE IS BEING DONE, YOU CAN SEE MM-HMM.
THERE'S A LOT LESS LANDSCAPING YEAH.
UH, IT JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST WASN'T SURVIVING.
OR EVEN IF IT WAS IRR, IRRIGATION.
IRRIGATED IRRIGATION WAS NOT HOLDING UP.
YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE DRIVE OVER IT, THEY WALK OVER IT, TEAR IT UP.
SO ARE WE NOT GONNA WASTE ANY MONEY ON THE NEW SECTIONS? NOT PUT PLANTS BECAUSE THIS SAME THING IS GONNA HAPPEN? NO, I THINK THEY'VE BEEN PRETTY CONSERVATIVE WITH THAT TOO.
WE GOT, WHERE WE GOT MORE CONSERVATIVE WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE, YOU SEE THE MEDIANS, YOU SEE THE MEDIANS AND THEY'RE REALLY THIN.
THAT'S WHAT WILL COME BACK AND CLEAN UP ON THE, THE FIRST PHASE.
UM, UH, YEAH, IT JUST NOT ENOUGH WATER IN SUCH A TIGHT AREA.
AND, AND LIKE HE SAID TOO, THAT'S SUCH A BUSY INTERSECTION TOO, THAT THEY WERE JUST STOMPING OVER THE PLANTS AND PEOPLE ARE FALLING INTO 'EM.
SO I DON'T THINK IT WAS, YOU KNOW, WORTH THAT.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT'LL PROBABLY ROLL OVER 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA START ANYTHING JUST NOW.
SO WE, WE JUST PUT THE BULL ROCK IN THERE JUST TO MAKE IT LOOK A LITTLE NICER ON THAT TOO.
SO, UM, ROBINS CREWS ALSO CLEANED, THE PARK CREW CLEANED UP NORTH PARKING PLACE.
I HAVE A GUY, I HAVE A GENTLEMAN THAT GOES, UM, EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AND HE CLEANS UP DOWNTOWN IN THOSE AREAS.
AND SO, AND HE'S BEEN HITTING THAT AREA.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT AGAIN, AS SOON AS YOU COME BACK AND THE RESTAURANT'S OPEN AND STUFF AND PEOPLE GET OUT, YOU SEE IT AGAIN.
SO I HAD TWO PEOPLE OUT THERE THIS WEEKEND THAT WENT AND CLEANED AND THEN THEY WENT, AND OUR CREWS, THE PARKS CREWS WENT AND TOOK THE, THEY HAVE A BIG TANK AND THEY, THEY PUT ROUNDUP DOWN TO KEEP SOME OF THAT GRASS.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IF WE GET A LITTLE, ONE LITTLE BITTY BIT OF RAIN WHERE IT WAS ALREADY GROWING PRETTY TALL, IT, YOU KNOW, SO THEY DID GET SOME OF THAT DOWN.
WHERE'S THIS RAIN THAT YOU SPEAK OF
SO, UM, AS FOR PROJECTS GO, PEEWEE CONCESSION STAND COMES IN WEDNESDAY.
SO, UM, IT WILL BE, UM, THEY'LL BE BRINGING IT IN AND THEY'LL BE INSTALLING THAT BUILDING ON WEDNESDAY AND THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE WEEK GETTING ALL THE OTHER STUFF HOOKED UP.
SO THAT BUILDING IS, THAT PROJECT'S ALMOST COMING TO A CLOSE, WE HOPE.
UM, UH, TIMBER, TIMBER CREEK PLAYGROUND, THEY'RE POURING THE PORT IN PLACE THIS WEEK.
SO, UM, IF YOU'VE SEEN IT, UM, THE CONCRETE UNDER THE PLAYGROUND IS NOT GONNA STAY THERE.
SO, UM, AND THEN ONCE THAT ALL GETS DONE, UM, WE WILL BE HAVING A GRAND OPENING.
SO I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT ONE.
SO, UM, AND THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED ON GARLAND PLAYGROUND.
UH, I, I'M LOOKING AT PROBABLY ABOUT FOUR WEEKS FOR THAT ONE TO GET DONE.
SO THEN THAT'LL, THAT'LL BE THE NEXT ONE THAT WE GO INTO.
AND THEN I'M ALREADY LOOKING AT, UM, THERE'S FOUR MORE PLAYGROUND PROJECTS, SO I'M ALREADY LOOKING AT TWO OTHER ONES AND SAL'S NOT
[01:40:01]
LISTENING, SOME OTHER BATHROOMS. SO, UM, JUST TO LET Y'ALL KNOW SOME OF THOSE THAT ARE ON THE PROJECT, UM, I DID SAY TOO, THAT LIBRARY, UM, WE, THEY DID HAVE TO COME BACK AND IT'S UNDER WARRANTY, THE ENTRANCE OF THE LIBRARY, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S CORRECTED.SO THEY'RE GONNA START THAT SUNDAY THE 13TH.
SO THEY'LL BE OUT THERE ON SUNDAY.
SO THE LIBRARY WILL CLOSE DOWN FOR A WEEK.
THEY'LL DO, UM, THE BACK PART AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA MOVE SOME OF THEIR PROGRAMS TO THE CIVIC CENTER.
SO IF Y'ALL SEE THAT, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU KNOW, AND I REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH ON WHAT THEY DID AND DIDN'T DO ON THAT.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING WITH RANDY.
UM, SOMETHING ABOUT WHEN THEY DID IT THE FIRST TIME, MOISTURE GOT UNDERNEATH, I'M, I'M NOT SURE.
SO I'M GONNA, I'LL BE OUT THERE KIND OF CHECKING AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL, YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S WARRANTY WORK, SO IT'LL BE EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID BEFORE.
YES, NO MOISTURE NOW HUMIDITY.
OH, AND UH, THE, UH, CAR RACE WENT WELL.
THE KIDS, IT, IT WAS HILARIOUS.
SO YEAH, THEY DID REALLY GOOD.
SO NEXT THING IS, UH, VISITORS COMMENTS, NO, NOT VISITOR COMMENTS.
WE'LL GO INTO, UH, ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST.
SO WE'LL START WITH, UH, UH, MR. BROADUS.
NOTHING I CAN THINK OF RIGHT NOW.
ANYTHING FROM STAFF? STAFF? NO.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
GONNA GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.THANKS FOR STICKING AROUND Y'ALL.
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL ADJOURN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.072, UH, DELIBERATING IN THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE.