* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] [00:00:08] AGAIN, WELCOME TO EVERYONE THAT'S, UH, JOINING US THIS EVENING. WE'RE GONNA BEGIN WITH THE, UH, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, LED BY COUNCILWOMAN SETH PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TWO FLAG, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE REPUBLIC FOR VOTING STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE. JUSTICE. FOR HONOR, HONOR, TEXAS P, MISSISSIPPI, TEXAS. HONOR ONE. THE INVOCATION WILL BE, UH, GIVEN BY COUNCILMAN BAKER. LET US PRAY. THANK YOU, MS. HEAVEN, FATHER, FOR WATCHING THOSE WATCHING OVER US LAST NIGHT AS WE LAY DOWN AND REST. AND THEN, MS. HEAVEN, FATHER, JUST, UH, BE WITH US ON TODAY AS WE, UH, MAKE SOUND AND POSITIVE DECISIONS FOR THIS GREAT CITY THAT WE LIVE IN. AND JUST BE WITH US AND, UH, JUST BLESS US. AND MOST OF ALL, JUST BLESS OUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE, OUR MILITARY, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND THE MS AND, UH, JUST BLESS US AS WE, UM, FINISH THIS MEETING ON TODAY. AND JUST BLESS US AND TAKE US HOME SAFELY. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. COME. AMEN. THANK YOU. [PRESENTATION] THE NEXT TIME ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE PRESENTATION, UH, TOURISM FRIENDLY DESIGNATION. LORD MARIE, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL THIS EVENING. WE ARE PRESENTING TO YOU A NEW ECONOMIC CERTIFICATION FOR THE CITY. WE ARE ALREADY A FILM FRIENDLY CITY, WHICH YOU ALL KNOW IS DESIGNED TO BRING VIDEO AND DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT COMPANIES TO LAKE JACKSON. AND A FILM FRIENDLY COMES OUT OF THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR AND NOW WE ARE ADDING TO THAT TOURISM FRIENDLY, A TOURISM FRIENDLY CITY CERTIFICATION. AND, UM, THIS CERTIFICATION WAS ACHIEVED AFTER EDITH AT THE CHAMBER REACHED OUT TO US TO SEE IF WE WOULD BE WILLING TO COLLABORATE ON THIS, WHICH BASICALLY WAS ME SAYING, SURE, YOU CAN DO ALL THE LEGWORK. AND SO, UM, THIS IS REALLY HER BABY. THIS IS HER GIFT TO OUR CITY. AND I'D LIKE HER TO COME UP NOW AND JUST TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO US. SO, UM, LIKE LAURA MARIE WAS SAYING, IT CAME OUT OF THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR OF THEIR TRAVEL TEXAS DIVISION. AND THIS PROGRAM, I FELT WAS IMPORTANT. UM, MORE FOR COMMUNITY PRIDE TO LET OUR LOCALS KNOW THAT THE BRAZOSPORT AREA, INCLUDING LAKE JACKSON, IS A DESTINATION AND THERE IS A LOT FOR VISITORS TO DO. UM, THIS WAS A GREAT WAY TO HIGHLIGHT C CENTER TEXAS, THE GULF COAST BIRD OBSERVATORY, THE REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN LAKE JACKSON, UM, THE DINING ESTABLISHMENTS AND THE OTHER, UM, THE LAKE JACKSON HISTORICAL MUSEUM. ALL OF OUR, THE GOLF COURSE, I COULD GO ON ABOUT A FEW OTHER PLACES IN LAKE JACKSON THAT HELPED TO MAKE THIS REGION A TOURISM DESTINATION. AND I ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT WE WERE, UM, THE ONLY MULTI-CITY COMMUNITY THAT, UH, WAS ABLE TO GET THE DESIGNATION LAST YEAR. WE GOT IT IN THE FIRST YEAR. UM, IT STARTED OUT WITH 120 COMMUNITIES APPLIED, AND THEN IT, UM, THEY WILL WHITTLED IT DOWN TO 80 AND THEN THEY AWARDED 40. SO WE GOT FOUR OF THE 40 IN THE FIRST YEAR. AND SO, UM, I THINK, LIKE I SAID, GREAT FOR COMMUNITY PRIDE. IT'S ALSO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL. AND, UM, WITH THIS DESIGNATION, THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR'S TRAVEL TEXAS PROVIDES OTHER RESOURCES THAT WE CAN, UH, UTILIZE TO HELP PROMOTE THE AREA. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU THAT'S GOOD. YES. ALRIGHT. AND THEN IS THIS AN ANNUAL? NO, THEY PROBABLY IN ABOUT FIVE YEARS, THEY MIGHT DO A RECERTIFICATION, BUT, UM, NO, I THINK THEY WERE OVERWHELMED WITH THE RESPONSE THEY RECEIVED. SO THEY DON'T HAVE ADDITIONAL STAFF TO TO DO WHATEVER YOU. ALL RIGHT. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK, THANK FOR ALL THE HARD WORK. OKAY. [VISITOR COMMENTS] ALL RIGHT. NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS VISITORS COMMENTS. THIS IS ITEM AVAILABLE FOR THOSE CITIZENS WHO WISH TO ADDRESS CITY COUNCIL ON ISSUES THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA. THE CITY COUNCIL MAY NOT DISCUSS ANY, [00:05:01] UH, PRESENTED ISSUE, NOR MAY ANY ACTION BE TAKEN ON ANY ISSUE AT THIS TIME. ANY ITEM PRESENTED COULD BE CONSIDERED FOR PLACEMENT ON AN AGENDA FOR A REGULAR SCHEDULED FUTURE MEETING. WE HAVE ONE PERSON THAT HAS SIGNED UP AND I CAN SEE THE FIRST NAME. WILLIAM? YES, SIR. WILL GIVE US YOUR LAST NAME? YES. ERS RSON. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO, UM, MY NAME IS WILLIAM RSON. I'M LIKELY WE'VE ESTABLISHED, I'VE GOT THESE RIGHT HERE FOR Y'ALL, MAYOR. OKAY. UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS. YOUR COUNCIL ALSO MM-HMM . YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HE'S A LAWYER, BUT HE'S A COUNCIL LETTER THAT I JUST HANDED Y'ALL. UM, I'VE ALREADY SERVED Y'ALL CITY MANAGER AND CHIEF OF POLICE WITH ONE. THEY'RE AN INTENT TO SUE. UM, I JUST WANT TO READ THIS FOR Y'ALL. I HAD THIS ONE LITTLE THING WROTE DOWN AND MY PHONE WILL UNLOCK. SO A PATTERN OF FAILURE TO TRAIN, A FAILURE TO SUPERVISE, COUPLED WITH A LACK OF INSTITUTIONAL CONTROL THAT TAKES AWAY QUALIFIED IMMUNITY FOR YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. I HAVE SERVED IN THE MILITARY, I'VE SERVED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND I'VE NEVER BEEN TREATED THE WAY I WAS TREATED WITH MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER IN Y'ALL CITY ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY APPALLING. I WAS DETAINED, FIRST OF ALL BY AN OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER, WORKING SECURITY AT THE MALL FOR HONKING A HORN. WHEN HE ACKNOWLEDGED PEOPLE WERE IN FRONT OF ME AT THAT POINT, HE DETAINED ME FOR FAILING TO ID. I DON'T HAVE TO. ID, I'M NOT SUSPECTED OF COMMITTING A CRIME. I DID COMMIT A CRIME. NOTHING ALONG THOSE LINES. THAT TAKES THAT ONE OFF THE TABLE RIGHT AWAY. TELL HIM HE NEEDS TO CALL A SUPERVISOR, HONOR OR SOMEONE ELSE. BY THE WAY, THIS WAS A SERGEANT THAT Y'ALL EMPLOY. SO HE CALLS OUT TWO OTHER OFFICERS. THESE OFFICERS COME OUT, ONE'S A CORPORAL, ONE'S A PATROL OFFICER. THEY GET THERE. I'M LIKE, AM I FREE TO GO OR AM I DETAINED? THIS GOES ON AND ON. THEY TELL ME I'M DETAINED. I SAID, WHAT FOR? THEY SAID, CRIMINAL TRESPASSING. I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T BEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT IN A WHILE, BUT TO BE CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL, CRIMINAL TRESPASSING, YOU HAVE TO BE TRESPASSED FIRST. NEVER HAPPENED. SO WHY ARE YOU SITTING THERE THREATENING ME WITH CRIMINAL TRESPASSING? ANY WET BEHIND THE EAR OFFICER SHOULD KNOW THAT, THAT THERE'S A, A WAY THAT THINGS TAKE PLACE. SO YOU CAN'T CHARGE ME WITH CRIMINAL TRESPASSING. SO THIS GOES ON AND ON AND ON. AFTER THIS TRANSPIRES FOR A LITTLE WHILE. HEY, AM I FREE TO GO OR AM I DETAINED? YOU'RE DETAINED. WHY? WHAT ARE YOU CHARGING ME WITH DISORDERLY CONDUCT? HOW AM I BEING CHARGED WITH DISORDERLY CONDUCT? WHAT DID I DO? OH, WELL, YOU HONKED YOUR HORN IN THE WAY YOU'RE TALKING. NO, YOU'RE A PUBLIC SERVANT. I'M IRRITATED BECAUSE ONE OF YOUR OFF-DUTY OFFICERS, WHICH I HAVE THE MAP, IT TRACKS MY VEHICLE'S LOCATIONS AND I CAN SHOW, FOLLOWED US FROM THE BACKSIDE OF THE MALL BY BELL FURNITURE AS I WEAVED TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY AN UNMARKED VEHICLE, A PUBLIC VEHICLE. BY THE WAY, YOUR OFFICER, THE SERGEANT WITH EXPIRED REGISTRATION WANTS TO ENFORCE THE LAW BUT CAN'T FOLLOW IT HIMSELF, FOLLOWED ME AND CRAZY PATTERNS ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE FRONT WHERE WHEN I FINALLY HAD ENOUGH OF IT, MY WIFE, MY DAUGHTER, WERE BOTH CONCERNED WITH THEIR SAFETY. I PARKED UNDER A LIGHT, GET OUT TO CONFRONT HIM. I MEAN, Y'ALL'S OFFICERS HAVE HAD ENOUGH ISSUES IN THIS CITY. THIS IS A PATTERN. I'M NOT SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT JUST OH, ONE INCIDENT. OH, OKAY. YEAH. YOU KNOW, WE CAN LOOK PAST IT. NO, THAT NIGHT THERE WAS MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE BREAKDOWNS. THE STUFF I'VE EXPLAINED TO YOU IS JUST A PORTION OF IT. I'VE GOT IT ALL RECORDED, ALL ON VIDEO. MY WIFE WAS SMART ENOUGH WHEN THAT OFFICER GOT OUT OF HIS VEHICLE. I'M, I'M SERGEANT SO-AND-SO WITH THE LAKE JACKSON POLICE DEPARTMENT. I'LL LEAVE NAMES OUT. Y'ALL CAN FIGURE OUT WHO IT WAS, JUMPS OUT. AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, WHERE'S YOUR ID? YOU WANT AN ID? YOU WANT AN ID? I WAS LIKE, YEAH, I DO. REACHES IN THE BACK OF HIS PERSONAL VEHICLE, SLAPS A VEST ON, STARTS SLAPPING HIS CHEST. THERE'S MY ID. IS THAT GOOD? I'M LIKE, OKAY. AGAIN, WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? WHY ARE YOU STALKING US? AND UNDER TEXAS LAW, WHAT HE DID IN HIS PERSONAL VEHICLE IS STALKING. WELL, YOU HONKED YOUR HORN BACK THERE. WAS THAT NECESSARY? DID YOU SEE THE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF ME? HE ACKNOWLEDGED HE DID. I'VE GOT 'EM ON VIDEO CALLING. I DON'T KNOW WHO TALKING TO HIM ABOUT THE INCIDENT, ACKNOWLEDGING I BROKE NO LAWS. I WASN'T SPEEDING. I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG. AND AT THE VERY END OF ALL THIS, GUESS WHAT IS IN THE VIDEO ALSO, AFTER THEY REALIZE THEY CAN'T CHARGE ME WITH THE THREE THINGS THEY DID, I GO UP TO 'EM. AM I DETAINED OR AM I FREE TO GO? YOU'RE DETAINED. WHAT AM I DETAINED FOR? WHAT ARE YOU CHARGING ME WITH? WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT RIGHT NOW. ARE YOU SERIOUS? AND WHEN I ASKED FOR A SUPERVISOR, I WAS TOLD BY THE CORPORAL, HE'S THE HIGHEST RANKING POLICE OFFICER ON SHIFT AT THE TIME. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE IN Y'ALL CITY OR NOT. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET AN ANSWER ON THAT. I'VE ASKED MULTIPLE TIMES. BUT IF THAT'S THE HIGHEST RANKING OFFICER YOU HAVE ON A NIGHT SHIFT AND THEY WANT TO GO ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, KEEP THAT IN MIND. THE MALL IS PRIVATE PROPERTY. THE WHOLE SCOPE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT CHANGES AT THAT POINT. THE OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER IS NOT AFFORDED THE SAME RIGHTS AS [00:10:01] A ACTIVE POLICE OFFICER. HE'S OFF DUTY. HE'S THERE FOR SECURITY. HE'S NOT THERE FOR PATROL. HE'S NOT THERE FOR ANYTHING ELSE, ESPECIALLY IN HIS PRIVATE VEHICLE FOLLOWING PEOPLE LIKE THAT. Y'ALL'S POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A VERY BIG PROBLEM. VERY BIG, AS YOU CAN TELL, TWO LEADERS, ONE WITH THREE STRIPES, ONE WITH TWO, AND A PATROL OFFICER COULDN'T EVEN GET IT RIGHT. I DON'T LIKE TO DO CRAZY THINGS. I DON'T LIKE TO DO THINGS LIKE THIS. BUT THIS IS ENOUGH. THE LINE IS DRAWN IN THE SAND AND IT'S GOING TO STOP HERE. Y'ALL NEED TO FIGURE THIS OUT. ALL OF Y'ALL HAVE THE SAME LETTER THAT I SERVED YOUR CITY MANAGER AND YOUR CHIEF OF POLICE WITH. IF YOU LOOK ON THE BACK OF THOSE ENVELOPES, IS MY CELL PHONE NUMBER INSIDE THERE IS MY EMAIL ADDRESS. THIS IS NOT GOING AWAY. MY DAUGHTER SHOULD NOT BE IN FEAR. MY WIFE SHOULD NOT BE IN FEAR THAT ONE OF YOUR OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICERS THAT EVEN WENT ASKED. NO, I'M LAKE JACKSON. I SAID, SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE WORKING IN YOUR PERSONAL VEHICLE? NO, I'M WORKING FOR THE MALL. SO YOU'RE WORKING AS A COP FOR THE MALL AND THEN TAKES OFFENSE TO THAT? NO, NO, NO. I'M, I'M A LAKE JACKSON SERGEANT. ARE YOU A LAKE JACKSON SERGEANT WORKING ON DUTY OR ARE YOU WORKING FOR THE MALL? WHICH IS IT? THERE'S A PROBLEM. AND IT STARTS FROM THE TOP AND GOES DOWN OBVIOUSLY. 'CAUSE THESE ARE SUPERVISORS ACTING LIKE THIS. Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD DAY. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE AN ITEM TO DISCUSS? ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO A DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST. THIS IS WHERE ANY MEMBER ON CITY COUNCIL HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DECLARE IF THEY HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. UH, DOES ANYBODY HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST OF ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT OR REGULAR AGENDA? NO, SIR. TO DECLARE. ALL RIGHT. NOT [CONSENT AGENDA] HEARING NONE. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. I'M GOING TO, UH, CHANGE, UH, PROTOCOL HERE ON CITY COUNCIL. AND, UH, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS I'M NOT GONNA READ THE CONSENT AGENDA. UM, WE HAVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AND, UH, I'LL JUST READ THE CAPTION UNDERNEATH IT. ALL ITEMS, UH, LISTED BELOW WITHIN THE CONSENT AGENDA OR ROUTINE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL. IT MAY BE ENACTED WITH ONE MOTION. THERE WILL BE NO, UH, SEPARATE DISCUSSION ON ITEMS UNLESS A COUNCIL MEMBER REQUESTS IT, UH, IN WHICH EVENT THE ITEM MAY BE MOVED TO REGULAR AGENDA. SO WE HAVE ANY REQUESTS FROM CITY COUNCIL TO FURTHER DISCUSS ANY CONSENT AGENDA ITEM? NOPE. NOT HEARING ANY. I'LL TAKE A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED IN THE, UH, DOCUMENT. MR. MAYOR, I MOVE THERE. WILL WE, UH, APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED? ALL RIGHT. A MOTION IN THE MINUTES. ALL. SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN HANYA. DID I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, MR. BUELL. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, [1. Presentation and discussion on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Freeport Project. - Eddie Irigoyen ] WE'LL GO ON TO REGULAR AGENDA. REGULAR AGENDA. WE HAVE ITEM ONE IS PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, UH, PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION, UH, ON THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FREEPORT PROJECT. UM, GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. YEAH. UM, I'M EDDIE REGO. I'M ONE OF THE PROJECT MANAGERS FOR THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, UH, OUT OF GALVESTON DISTRICT. UM, WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU GUYS, UH, A UPDATE ON, ON OUR SABINE PASS TO GALVESTON BAY PROJECT OR THE FREEPORT. AND AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU THAT UPDATE. WHILE THE PRESENTATION STILL COMING UP WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR NON-FEDERAL SPONSORS, UH, VELA SCHOOL DRAINING DISTRICT. WE HAVE, UH, MR. JOE WILLIAMS AND, UH, DAVID YOUNGBLOOD HERE, WHICH I THINK THEY'RE PRESENTING AFTER ME AS WELL, SO, OKAY. I JUST, I'M, I WAS JUST WAITING FOR THE PRESENTATION. SORRY. OKAY. YOU GET A COPY OF THIS. HERE WE GO. OKAY. I'M ASSUMING I'M DRIVING WITH THIS. OH, I'LL DO IT. OH, OKAY. PERFECT. UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ALRIGHT, SO THE SABINE PASS TO GALVESTON BAY COASTAL STORM RISK MANAGEMENT PROJECT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED TO REDUCE THE RISK OF STORM SURGE IMPACTS IN ORANGE, JEFFERSON, AND BRAZORIA COUNTY TEXAS. COASTAL STORM RISK MANAGEMENT IS THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF FEATURES ALONG THE COAST THAT ARE DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE RISK OF DAMAGE CREATED BY STORM SURGE FROM HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS. THE STG PROJECT IS COMPRISED OF THREE PROJECTS, ONE WHICH ENTAILS THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW CSRM LEVY SYSTEMS IN SOUTHERN ORANGE COUNTY, AND TWO, WHICH CONSIST OF IMPROVEMENTS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM AT PORT ARTHUR AND FREEPORT. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS [00:15:01] BEING PASSED TO GALVESTON PROJECT WAS FUNDED TO COMPLETION UNDER THE BIPARTISAN BUDGET ACT OF 2018, ALSO KNOWN AS BBA 18, WHICH APPROPRIATED 704 MILLION FOR THE FREEPORT PROJECT. THE EXISTING FREEPORT HURRICANE FLOOD PROTECTION PROJECT IS BEING EVALUATED FOR REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT. WHERE NEEDED. THE RECOMMENDED FREEPORT PROJECT WAS TO RAISE APPROXIMATELY 13.1 MILES OF EXISTING LEVEE SYSTEM, CONSTRUCT APPROXIMATELY 5.5 MILES OF FLOOD WALL AND INSTALL A NAL GATE AND THE DOW BAR CANAL TO REDUCE STORM SURGE PENETRATION IN THAT AREA. OUR FINAL ELEVATIONS WERE TO RANGE FROM 15.8 FEET TO 23 FEET FOR MANY PROJECTS. CHANGES MAY OCCUR DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE THAT WE SAW IN UCS DEVELOPING A POST AUTHORIZATION CHANGE REPORT, ALSO KNOWN AS A PACKER. THE CHANGES CAN VARY FROM COST INCREASE OR ANY MAJOR CHANGE IN THE SCOPE. THAT WAS NOT IN THE ORIGINAL CHIEF'S REPORT FOR THE PAST YEAR. THE TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING ON A POST AUTHORIZATION CHANGE REPORT FOR FREE REPORT DUE TO CHANGES IN THE SCOPE OF WORK. THE PURPOSE OF THE PACKER WAS TO DOCUMENT THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES RESULTING FROM MODIFICATIONS OF THE PROJECT AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS. AS YOU CAN SEE HERE IN THE DIAGRAMS, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE THAT WAS AUTHORIZED SHOWN ON THE LEFT DIAGRAM VERSUS THE NEW PROPOSED PLAN. ON THE RIGHT DIAGRAM. THROUGHOUT THE DESIGN OF THE PROJECT, BETWEEN THE NON-FEDERAL SPONSORS AND THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS, WE ALL AGREED TO MINIMIZE THE WORK THAT WAS ORIGINALLY AUTHORIZED IN 2018. THE NEW UPDATED SCOPE WAS BEING PROPOSED, WENT FROM RAISING 13.1 MILES OF LEVY TO EIGHT MILES AND UPDATING FIVE MILES OF FLOOD, WHAT TO APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES. UH, THE FLOODGATE AT THE DEW BAR CANAL WAS STILL BEING PROPOSED. I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU OF THE CURRENT PROJECT, THAT STATUS AND THE FUTURE OF THE PROJECT. THE PROJECT HAS CURRENTLY BEEN ON A SUSPENSION STATUS SINCE LAST APRIL OF 2024. AND WE ARE MOVING TO FINALIZE AND CLOSING THE PROJECT. THE REASON FOR CLOSEOUT HAS BEEN DUE TO THE REQUEST OF A NON-FEDERAL SPONSOR OF VELASCO DRAINAGE DISTRICT. UM, OUR ACTIONS THAT WE'RE PLANNING RIGHT NOW ON OUR CLOSEOUT IS WE ARE DOING A LEVEE SCREENING TWO, WHICH WILL BE A WEB-BASED TWO, WHICH, WHICH WILL BE U USED TO QUANTIFY THE RISK ESTIMATES OF THE LEVEE SYSTEM. THIS TWO ASSESS THE LIKELIHOOD OF FLOOD LOADING THE EXPECTED PERFORMANCE OF THE LEVEE UNDER THESE LOADS AND THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF BREACH OR OVER TOPPING. WE'RE ESTIMATING TO HAVE THIS COMPLETED IN APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS. UM, WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON A SEMI SEMI QUANTITATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT, SQRA. THIS ASSESSMENT WILL BE THROUGH OUR LEVEE SAFETY OVERSIGHT GROUP, WHICH INCLUDES LEVY INSPECTIONS. THIS PROCESS IS REGULARLY DONE ON EACH FEDERALLY AUTHORIZED LEVY AT A MINIMUM OF ONCE EVERY 10 YEARS. UM, WITH THE LAST ONE BEING COMPLETED IN 2016, THIS ONE'S EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN APPROXIMATELY TWO TO THREE YEARS. ONCE THESE ARE COMPLETED, THIS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR OUR, OUR NON-FEDERAL SPONSOR, WHICH WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL. UM, VELASCO DRAINS DISTRICT WILL CONTINUE TO COLLAB, COLLABORATE WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS, AND MAKE ANY, ANY NECESSARY UPDATES TO THE SYSTEM UNDER THE USAGE 4 0 8 PROCESS. THE PROJECT WILL NOT BE THE AUTHORIZED AND EVEN THE FUTURE VDD OR ANY OTHER NON-FEDERAL SPONSOR WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THE WORK. WE WOULD HAVE TO REGROUP A NEW, DO A NEW PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT, UH, WHICH WOULD HAVE TO BE NEGOTIATED. I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO CONTINUE TO CHECK, UH, REGULAR UPDATES IN OUR STORY MAPS AND, UH, WEBSITES NOT ONLY FOR THE FREEPORT, BUT FOR THE OTHER TWO PROJECTS FOR SABINA, GALVESTON, UM, PORT ARTHUR PROJECT AND THE ORANGE COUNTY PROJECT. AND AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE US AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE WITH THAT. IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR REMARKS. WELL, WITH US NOT GOING FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT, DOES THAT HAVE ANY IMPACT ON FUTURE DIFFERENT KIND OF PROJECTS USING ARMOR CORPS OF ENGINEERS OR ANYBODY LIKE THAT? NO, SIR. THAT WOULD BE COMPLETELY SEPARATE. UM, OF COURSE WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, RIGHT? OF EITHER, IF YOU, IF IT'S A BRAND NEW PROJECT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO A NEW STUDY AND THEN GO THROUGH ALL THAT. IF IT'S THIS PROJECT, AGAIN, THE PROJECT IS NOT DEED SO IT'LL BE THERE. YEAH, IT'S GOING ON THE SHELF. IT'S GOING ON THE SHELF. AND THE FUNDING WON'T BE THERE WAITING FOR US. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROJECT OF COMPETING FOR THE BUDGET WITH ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS. SO THE FUNDING THAT WAS DESIGNATED FOR THIS, WHERE'S IT GOING? RIGHT NOW? IT'S STAYING WITH THE SABINA GALVESTON, UM, PROJECT. SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE FOR PORT ARTHUR AND ORANGE. OKAY. 'CAUSE THAT'S THE WAY IT GOT AUTHORIZED UNDER THE BBA TEAM. SO WHAT WAS THE REASONING THAT, UH, THE BDD DECIDED NOT TO CONTINUE WITH THE PROJECT? WHAT WAS THE REASON? WELL, THEY'LL BE, THEY'LL BE BACK. THEY'RE GONNA BE UP NEXT. THEY CAN EXPLAIN THAT. I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHAT, WHAT DID THEY TELL, WHAT DID THEY TELL THE COURT? ARMY CORPS ENGINEERS. SO THERE, THERE WAS, THERE WERE SEVERAL REASONS. AND I MEAN, THEY, THEY CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL IN REGARDS IT, IT'S IN REGARDS TO THE SCOPE OF WORK. SO ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO. [00:20:01] ALRIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. EVERY, EVERYBODY. ALRIGHT. UM, [2. Velasco Drainage District discussion of Ongoing Levee Improvements. - David Youngblood ] WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO THEN, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS OTHERWISE FOR US. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ITEM TWO IS, UH, VELASCO DRAINAGE DISTRICT DISCUSSION ON ONGOING LEVEE IMPROVEMENTS. THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, DAVID YOUNGBLOOD. I'M THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR VELASCO DRAINAGE DISTRICT. UH, WE WANTED TO COME ON AFTER THE COURT TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE FOR THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT REGARDING THE PROJECT AND TO GIVE YOU UPDATES ON WHAT WE'RE DOING AND BESIDES MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT. UM, SO CURRENTLY WHAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT OF CERTAIN ASPECTS ARE, UH, OUR EAST LEVEE PUMP STATION, WHICH WE'RE ADDING THREE ENGINES, THREE PUMPS, INCREASING THE CAPACITY FROM 1,240,000 GALLONS PER MINUTE TO 2,050,000 GALLONS PER MINUTE, WHICH WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE DRAINAGE OF THE ENTIRE AREA THAT THE VDD OVERSEES. WE'RE ALSO CONTINUING MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR EIGHT YEAR ENGINE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM. UH, WE'RE SERVICING ALL THE OLDER ENGINES WHERE THE PARTS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED AND REPLACING THEM WITH NEWER, MORE EFFICIENT, MORE ECONOMICAL ENGINES. UM, THEIR LIFE EXPECTANCY WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE FOR THE AREA AS WELL. UH, WE'VE CURRENTLY HAVE ALREADY RAISED SOME ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT, UH, APPROXIMATELY 1.37 MILES OF THE OYSTER CREEK PORTION LEVEE. WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FINISHING THE NORTH BARGE CANAL RAISE LEVEE IN BETWEEN FROM FOUR TENTHS OF AN INCH TO A FOOT AND A HALF. UM, WE ARE STILL MOVING FORWARD WITH OTHER ASPECTS AND PARTNERS, INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS, AND IMPROVING THE LEVEE SYSTEM AND MOVING FORWARD WITH OTHER PLANS AND PROCESS OF IMPROVING DRAINAGE FOR ALL THE LOCAL AREAS. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I KNOW YOU MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROJECT WHILE WE'VE MOVED FORWARD. WE'VE STEPPED BACK FROM THE PROJECT. UM, MAIN REASON BEING IS THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, THERE'S BEEN EIGHT YEARS OF ACTIVITY WITH THIS PROJECT AND UNFORTUNATELY, UH, THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PROJECT IS JUST NOT ECONOMICAL OR, UH, FINANCIALLY REASONABLE TO THE TAXPAYERS OF OUR AREA. UM, BUT THERE ARE SOME ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT THAT ARE DOABLE AND WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THEM. UH, WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN TO FUND THIS FIVE EVD? SO THE ORIGINAL PLAN WITH ANY FEDERAL PROJECT IS, UH, FEDERAL PROJECTS ARE FUNDED BY CONGRESS WHERE THEY HAVE TO DO CONTRACTS WITH ADULT, LOCAL, NON-FEDERAL SPONSORS. AND THE FUNDING THAT WAY GOES 65% IS FEDERAL, 35% IS NON-FEDERAL. SO WHATEVER FUNDING THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GETS, UM, THE NON-FEDERAL SPONSOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMING UP WITH THEIR RIGHT. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT MY QUESTION WAS THE, THE PERCENTAGE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LOCAL. RIGHT. WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN TO FUND THAT? SO THE ORIGINAL PLAN TO FUND THAT WAS THROUGH MULTIPLE GRANTS FUNDING FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS LEGISLATURE, UH, GRANT. AND WE HAD PART ORIGINALLY PARTNERED WITH THE TEXAS GLO OFFICE. AND UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO POLITICS AND THE NEXT LEGISLATION THAT FELL THROUGH, UM, AT WORST CASE SCENARIO, WE WERE MOVING FORWARD WITH GRANTS POTENTIALLY MOVING FORWARD WITH BONDS AND A TAX INCREASE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN MANY YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. OKAY. SO IS UH, VELASCO DRAINAGE DISTRICT STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OF THAT? OR IS THERE ANY LIABILITY STILL ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? YES, WE'RE STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR CLOSEOUT OF THIS PROJECT, WHICH 35% AND WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ON THAT. SO YOU ARE STILL ON THE HOOK FOR THE 35% YOU SAID? MM-HMM . 35% OF WHAT HAS OCCURRED. BUT THERE AND HOW MUCH IS THAT? NOT 35% OF THE TOTAL PROJECT THAT WAS INITIALLY ESTIMATED CORRECT. WHEN Y'ALL FIRST CAME. RIGHT. AND HOW MUCH IS, HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? 35% OF WHAT DON'T HE, HE'S TRYING TO NICELY SAY THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO BE DETERMINED. SO IT'S STILL BEING TRYING TO BE DETERMINED. WE HAVE ESTIMATES WE CAN GIVE YOU ESTIMATES. UM, I WILL TELL YOU THIS, THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE OF THE PROJECT WAS, UH, A LITTLE BIT OVER 704 MILLION ON THE FEDERAL SIDE. AND OUR 35% MATCH WOULD'VE BEEN 249 MILLION. UH, THAT'S WHEN THE PROJECT FIRST CAME OUT. HOWEVER, WE HAD BEEN WORKING BACK AND FORTH WITH THE CORE, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S MORE REASONABLE, MORE ECONOMICAL FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT. AND UNFORTUNATELY WE JUST COULDN'T GET THERE. NO, I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW MUCH MONEY WE ARE WASTING . THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY QUESTION. SO I MEAN, THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE SPENT, WE HAVE WASTED THAT MONEY. MM-HMM [00:25:01] . AND, UH, I'M SURE THE TAXPAYERS ARE NOT GONNA BE TOO WONDERFULLY PLEASED WITH, UH, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS OR OUR ENTITIES MM-HMM . UH, WASTING MONEY. CORRECT. SO, UH, I WOULD TELL YOU THIS, MOST OF THE MONEY WE HAVE NOT WASTED OUT OF THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT. OKAY. UM, ALL MAJORITY OF OUR FUNDING HAS COME FROM THE GLO. WE WERE FUNDED APPROXIMATELY $20 MILLION, WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE CORPS. UH, THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY FURTHER FUNDING SINCE. WELL, IT'S MONEY FROM A DIFFERENT POCKET. IT'S STILL MONEY. IT'S STILL MONEY. THE TAXPAYER MONEY, JUST BECAUSE IT COMES OUT A DIFFERENT POCKET DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY LESS PAINFUL. CORRECT. AND I THINK THAT THE PIE THAT BOTHERS ME ABOUT THAT IS WE TURN AROUND AND GIVE IT TO A FEDERAL LEVEL THAT CLEARLY CAN'T MANAGE MONEY. I CAN'T SPEAK ON OUR FEDERAL COUNTERPARTS, , I, WE DO WORK WITH THEM STILL. YEAH. UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON OUR 4 0 8 PROJECT FOR EAST LEVY PUMP STATION. SO, AND THERE'S, THERE IS A LOT OF POLITICS INVOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT AND ALL THIS WHOLE THING, ALL THE WAY UP TO ORANGE AND STUFF. AND YOU, THERE'S, UH, WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE SABINE? THE GALVESTON PROJECT. YEAH. AND SO TO BE TRUTHFUL, I MEAN, IF YOU REMEMBER A WHILE, WAY BACK, AND EVEN THE, THE, THE JUDGE WILL MENTION THIS IS THAT, UH, WE DECIDED BRAZORIA COUNTY, I GUESS IS, AND MATAGORDA COUNTY OR JUST BRAZORIA COUNTY DECIDE NOT TO BE PART OF THAT BRAZORIA COUNTY. BRAZORIA COUNTY DECIDED NOT TO BE PART OF THAT GROUP. AND THE REASON BEING IS, IS THAT THAT'S THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE GULF COAST. UH, WE'RE KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE. AND, UH, THE CONCERN IS, IS THAT IF WE WOULD JOIN THAT ENTITY, THEN THAT ENTITY, DEPENDING ON POLITICS, YOU COULD, WE COULD BE PUTTING, TAKING TAX TAX DOLLARS FROM BRAZORIA COUNTY AND SENDING IT UP TO ORANGE AND ALL THOSE AREAS OVER THERE. SO THAT'S ONE REASON WHY THERE'S A, A DISLIKE FOR THAT ORGANIZATION THAT SET UP, UH, OUR PREFERENCE WOULD BE IS THAT YOU STILL HAVE TWO SEPARATE ENTITIES AND THE FUNDING WOULD GO APPROPRIATELY TO THE TWO DIFFERENT ENTITIES. UM, AND THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, IS WHEN IT GETS UP TO, IT GETS UP TO AUSTIN AND OTHER POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS IN, IN OUR STATE LEVEL OR WHEREVER, IS THAT, UH, UH, WE'RE I'LL JUST PUT OUT THERE, WE'RE GONNA BE PUNISHED FOR MAKING THAT DECISION. AND, UH, SO THAT'S MY OPINION. BUT THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE IN OFFICE THAT'LL GIVE YOU THE SAME TYPE OF THOUGHTS. AND SO, UM, BUT TO GET BACK TO THIS PROJECT HERE, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS. I MEAN, WE'VE SAT INTO ORIGINAL, ORIGINAL MEETINGS WHENEVER, UH, ARMY CORPS ENGINEERS CAME HERE, UH, THEIR FIRST SESSION. AND IT WAS, IT WAS, WELL, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE. AND THERE WAS ALL KIND, I MEAN, THERE WAS, IT WAS HUGE. IT WAS HUGE. NOW IT'S BEEN CUT BACK SOME, BUT I THINK ALL OF US HAVE SAID THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THOSE MEETINGS. OUR QUESTIONS ALWAYS WERE WAS THAT WHAT ABOUT A HARVEY? MM-HMM . THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY REMEMBERS IS A HARVEY. NOT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, REMEMBER CARLA I DO AND STUFF. I WAS A WEE LITTLE BABY AT THE TIME, BUT I REMEMBER CARLA, THAT WAS OUR LAST DIRECT HIT. UH, SO, BUT THE HARVEY WAS THE ONE THAT EVERYBODY REMEMBERS. AND, UH, THIS PROJECT DOES NOTHING FOR A HARVEY. AND THAT'S CORRECT. OR THE MAY FLOOD OR THE, ANY OF THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. YOU KNOW, THE FLOODING 10 COMES FROM BEHIND US AND STUFF. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY, UH, SEVERAL WHAT OTHER MEETINGS WITH, UH, VDD AND THEY'LL TALK ABOUT IS THAT THE CONCERN IS ALSO IS IS, UH, Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CURRENT DESIGN. THERE'S THE POTENTIAL FOR A, A BACKWASH CORRECT. TO EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT. AND SO, SO YEAH. YEAH. THE ORIGINAL PROJECT OF THE FEATURE HAD A FEATURE OF A, A DRAIN INTERNAL DRAINAGE FEATURE IN THE BARGE CANAL WHERE, UH, IN THE EVENT WE HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT SURGE OR RAIN AND THE BARGE CANAL WAS OVERFLOWING, UH, IT WOULD RELEASE INTO THE EAST BAYOU CHANNEL. AND WE FOUND THAT, UH, PARTNERING WITH THE CITIES SUCH AS LAKE JACKSON AND CLUTE, THAT THAT WOULD CAUSE A POTENTIAL FLOODING PROBLEM, UH, WOULD CAUSE A BACKWATER CURVE WHERE PLACES THAT NEVER FLED BEFORE WOULD POTENTIALLY GET FLOODED. UM, BOTH PARTIES AGREED THAT IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. UM, WE BOTH BACKED OFF FROM THAT SITUATION AND DECIDED TO MOVE A DIFFERENT COURSE. AND UNFORTUNATELY THE DIFFERENT COURSE STILL ALSO DIDN'T WORK OUT. YEAH. IT WAS JUST KIND OF STUNNING, HONESTLY, FROM THE VERY FIRST PRESENTATION THAT OF, OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST 10 OR 15 YEARS IN THE HUGE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT [00:30:01] WAS ANY OF THE ACTUAL PROBLEMS THAT ARE WE'VE HAD, WERE NEVER CONSIDERED. YEAH. AND THE MORE CONCRETE THAT'S POURED AND THE MORE THE GROWTH THAT HAPPENS NORTH OF US IS GONNA INCREASE THAT IMPACT. SO, SO COULD I, YEAH. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, COULD I WAIT? YOU STEP ON A THAT'S FINE. COME ON UP. SO, SO THE YOU ARE CORRECT. I, I KNOW IT WASN'T, IT WASN'T CONSIDERED. AND, AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS IT'S JUST THE BUSINESS LINES OF THE WAY THAT, THAT OUR PROJECTS WORK. THIS PROJECT CAME ABOUT FROM I A RESULT OF IKE. RIGHT. YOU'RE CORRECT. MM-HMM . SO THAT'S WHY IT WASN'T CONSIDERING THE OPTIONS OF HARVEY. AND, AND, AND I'M, I AGREE WITH YOU GUYS. EVERYBODY HAS HAR HARVEY 'CAUSE THAT JUST HAPPENED. BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SPENDING $700 MILLION OF TAXPAYER MONEY, IT ALL NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED. UNFORTUNATELY THAT THAT'S NOT THE WAY, OR THE WAY THAT OUR BUDGET IS, IS, IS SET UP. IT'S BASED ON DIFFERENT BUSINESS LINES. AND THIS PROJECT, THE, THE WAY IT GOT AUTHORIZED, THE WAY THAT THE CHIEF'S REPORT WAS FOR COASTAL STORM FLOODING, NOT FOR THE, FOR THE RAIN. I JUST WANT TO ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE. SO WE DID HAVE A SECONDARY PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF THOUGH, RIGHT? OH, I'M TONY ADDISON. I'M THE MEGA PROJECTS DIVISION CHIEF FOR THE ARMY CORPS VISIONARIES. SO IT DID HAVE A SECONDARY EFFECT, RIGHT. IN TERMS OF WHEN WE LOOKED AT, UM, COMPOUNDING FLOODING, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT JUST THE COASTAL, UH, HAZARD, BUT WE ALSO UPDATED RECENTLY THERE WAS A, UM, INCREASE IN MODELING FROM THE TP 40 TO THE NOA ATLAS 14. RIGHT. WHICH INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF INTERIOR DRAINAGE THAT THE PROJECT HAD TO CONSIDER, WHICH MEANS THAT WE WOULD'VE BEEN LOOKING AT WHAT MORE FEATURES IN TERMS OF PUMP STATION, ET CETERA, THAT WOULD'VE HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN THE PROJECT. SO THERE WAS A SECONDARY BENEFIT IN TERMS OF INTERIOR FLOODING AS WELL. I DO WANNA SAY THAT. I THINK, YEAH. AND I, I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME GOOD THAT'S COME OUT OF ALL THE WORK IS JUST, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE PRICE TAG IS SO HUGE. IT'S BIG THAT WE JUST, THE COMMUNITY CAN'T AFFORD FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A DEAD HIT. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT IT'S, IT'S SCORED FOR. IT'S, IT'S SET UP FOR A DEAD ON HIT. UH, AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S, IT, IT, AGAIN, IT'S, AND I THINK IF WE COULD, IF WE, AGAIN, THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION, IF WE, IF WE KEEP LOOKING AT IT AND WE KEEP LOOKING AT THE, THE, THE MODELING AS WE GO ALONG, WE FIND OUT THE PROJECT EVEN NEEDS TO BE BIGGER AND BIGGER. AND AS YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S JUST, AGAIN, WE JUST CAN'T, YOU GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD AND WHAT YOU CAN'T. AND PRAY A LOT, I GUESS , I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THIS SYSTEM WAS LOOKING, THIS PROJECT WAS LOOKING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE EXISTING SYSTEM. RIGHT. THE SYSTEM WAS BUILT IN 1960, 1970S. RIGHT. AND THE TIME YOU HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS BUILT FOR THAT LONG, YOU HAVE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS. RIGHT. AND SO THE LASKO DRAINAGE DISTRICT IS MAKING SOME IMPROVEMENTS, BUT THIS PROJECT WAS MAKING SOME SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS, RIGHT? YEAH. PLUS THE PUMP STATION THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UPGRADE WILL HELP IN A SITUATION LIKE WAS DESCRIBED HERE. SO WE HAVE WATER COMING FROM THE NORTH, YOU CAN PUMP IT OUT FASTER, SO CORRECT. AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING EVERYTHING YOU, ME, THAT WOULD, SO THAT'S A GOOD PROJECT. THAT'S A GOOD THOUGHT. YEAH. I THINK A KEY IS, IS THAT THEY'RE NOT, AND VDD HAS NEVER SET ON THE LAURELS. I THINK WE'VE GOT A GREAT DRAINAGE DISTRICT, UH, FOR OUR AREA TO PROTECT THE, THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON AND THE SURROUNDING ONES IS THAT THEY'RE ALREADY, THEY'RE LOOKING AT, THEY'RE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS, THEY'RE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO LEVY SYSTEM. THEY'RE, AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. UH, BUT AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE MAKE, BE MAKING HUGE THE BIG DOLLAR ONES. YES. BUT YOU BE MAKING WHAT YOU CAN, UH, AND, UH, TAKING WHAT DOLLARS, WHAT DOLLARS WE CAN GET THROUGH GRANTS AND STUFF. AND UH, HOPEFULLY YOU, YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW THE SYSTEM YOU'RE APPLYING IT WHERE YOU THINK THE BEST DO DOLLARS CAN GO THE LONGEST WE'RE CURRENTLY RATED AT AT 140 YEAR STORM SYSTEM. SO, AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT. UH, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO DO FEMA CERTIFICATION, WHICH WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT TO EVERYBODY'S, UH, HOME HOMEOWNERS ARE EVEN A HALF FEMA HERE COMING UP . ARE WE EVEN GONNA HAVE FEMA COMING UP? WELL, THAT'S TRUE. THAT'S TRUE TOO. TRUE. WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT FEMA'S GONNA BE GOING FORWARD IS, IS GONNA BE DIFFERENT. IT'S ALREADY GONNA START BEING DIFFERENT. 'CAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY PULLING GRANT FUNDING, FUNDING. THE FOCUS IS GONNA BE, IS JUST FIXING THINGS TO GET YOU BACK UP AND RUNNING. NOT PREVENTATIVE OR, IT WAS, THAT'S WHERE THEY MOVED THEIR FOCUS TO. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY IS, IS BOTH OF YOU THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND VDD IS COMING TO US AND SAYING THE DECISION'S BEEN MADE? I MEAN, IT'S JUST INFORMING US. CORRECT. WE CAN'T SAY YOU WILL DO THIS. YEAH, NO. SO IT'S, WELL YOU'RE MAKING US AWARE OF IT. AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE VDD COMING TO US AND, AND TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE PROJECTS YOU'RE ALREADY WORKING ON. YOU'VE COMPLETED SOME OF THE ONES YOU'RE WORKING ON. [00:35:01] AND, UH, HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS CAN COME BACK TO US ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. 'CAUSE YOUR PROJECTS ARE REAL LONGSTANDING, BUT THEY ARE INDEED, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S ANNUALLY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE DONE. YES. AND I THINK THAT WOULD HELP ALL THE CITIES AND STUFF GOING FORWARD. AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, US TO UH, UH, A PARTNER ON GRANTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, OPEN, IF THERE'S A CHANCE FOR THAT, WE'RE OPEN TO, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE YOU, YOU WOULD COME TO US ABOUT IT AND IF NOTHING ELSE FOR US TO SIGN OFF ON IT TO SAYING YEAH. WE SUPPORT IT. ABSOLUTELY. GOOD STUFF. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY CHANCE, ANY QUESTIONS? I WASN'T QUESTIONING WHAT WE ARE DOING. YEAH, WE JUST BRING THE POINT. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, UH, IT HAPPENS. YOU SEE IT TOO OFTEN, NOT JUST IN YOUR ORGANIZATION. ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, STATE ORGANIZATION. LOOK AT 2 88, YOU KNOW, WE PUT CONCRETE, WE TEAR IT UP, MOVE IT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE PUT THOSE FLASHING LIGHTS AND WE TOOK IT DOWN, YOU KNOW? YEAH. SO IT'S A LOT OF WAYS OF TAXPAYER MONEY AND UH, I'M JUST SENSITIVE TO THAT. SO WE ARE TOO, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BETTER OURSELVES AND IMPROVE THAT WITH OUR COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. BE TRANSPARENT. I APPRECIATE IT. AND WE'LL BE HERE IN FUTURE MEETINGS AS WELL. YEP. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. [3. Discuss an ordinance amending Ch. 10 Animals of the City of Lake Jackson Code of Ordinances to clarifyfree- roaming cat regulations, nuisance animals, trapping requirements, update language, add a section for animals in protective custody, and remove outdated sections. - Sherri Russell ] UH, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO, UH, ITEM THREE. UH, DISCUSS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 10, ANIMALS OF THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON CODE OF ORDINANCES TO CLARIFY FREE ROAMING CAT REGULATIONS, NUISANCE ANIMALS, UH, TRAPPING REQUIREMENTS, UPDATING LANGUAGE, AND A SECTION FOR ANIMALS, UH, IN PROTECTIVE CUS CUSTODY AND REMOVE OUTDATED SECTIONS. AND SHERRY'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS AND JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE WAY WE LEFT LAST TIME, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AS COUNCIL, IT WAS, UM, I AGREED TO TAKE IT OFFLINE WORK WITH A, A, A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD WANTED TO PARTICIPATE OR COULD PARTICIPATE IN A TASK FORCE. AND, UH, WORKING WITH STAFF, WORKING WITH SHERRY AND, UH, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS AND STUFF IS, UH, AND THEN WITH THE TASK FORCE IS WE MADE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO, TO TALK AND EXPLAIN THEIR CONCERNS, UH, ON BOTH SIDES. ACTUALLY, THERE'S MORE THAN JUST TWO SIDES THERE. ENDED UP BEING A THIRD SIDE TO THIS ISSUE. AND, UH, SO WE RECEIVED, WE TOOK ALL THAT INFORMATION FROM EMAILS, FROM CONVERSATIONS, AND, UH, WE SAT THROUGH, TALKED THROUGH IT, AND UH, THEN WE SAT DOWN WITH STAFF AND WE MADE SURE THAT WE, AGAIN, HAD A, A GOOD LISTING OF ALL THE CONCERNS AND, UH, INCLUDING COUNSEL'S CONCERNS. AND, UH, STAFF WORKED THROUGH WHEN BROUGHT BACK THIS DRAFT AND, UH, THE DRAFT PROPOSAL WAS A DRAFT DOCUMENT WAS, UH, BROUGHT BACK TO, UH, THE TASK FORCE. AGAIN, PEOPLE THAT WERE AVAILABLE THAT, THAT, THAT COULD MEET. UH, WE MET, WE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION, UH, AND, UH, CONVERSATION. AND, UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION WAS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'LL BE REVIEWING HERE, IS THIS SOMETHING WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH? AND, UH, AT, AT THAT TIME, THE AGREEMENT WAS, IS THAT WE THINK WE, WE FELT GOOD ABOUT IT. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE BRINGING INTO COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION. AND THIS WILL BE, WE'LL HAVE DISCUSSION AND IF WE'RE OKAY WITH IT OR IF WE TWEAK IT A LITTLE BIT, WELL THEN SHERRY NEXT MEETING WILL BRING BACK A DRAFT FOR FIRST READING. I THINK THAT'S IT. OKAY. IT'S, IT'S YOUR SHOW NOW. OKAY. UM, BETTER NEWS THAN THE VDD NEWS . SO, YEAH. YES. ALL RIGHT. UH, FIRST PAGE. IT'S JUST DEFINITIONS TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FURTHER IN THE CHAPTER. UH, NUISANCE ANIMALS ARE STRUCK THROUGH, THEY'RE JUST MOVED. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. WE WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE NUISANCE ANIMALS IN TOWN. UM, SO PAGE FOUR, 10 DASH 80 OWNERSHIP. THIS IS NEW. THE, UM, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A, THE POLICY OF HUMANE THAT WHEN YOU KNOCK ON WHEN THE DOGS LOOSE, WHOEVER'S AT HOME IS RESPONSIBLE. UM, AS LONG AS IT ISN'T JUST A LITTLE KID BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES IN CHARGE. AND NOW WE'VE GOT, IT'S GONNA BE THE OWNER OF THE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD. UM, EVEN IF YOU GIVE THE DOG TO A LITTLE KID, IT'S STILL GONNA BE OWNER, A HEAD OF, HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD. AND IT CAN BE MORE THAN ONE PERSON, MORE THAN ONE OWNER. AND, UH, NO ONE'S ALLOWED TO HAVE A GOOD TIME IN THIS. NO, NO SMILING. SO, UM, ANYWAY, MOVING ON. WE'VE GONE FROM FEEDING, NOT LETTING UNLICENSED [00:40:01] ANIMAL TO BE FED TO RULES. IF YOU WANNA FEED WHAT WE'RE CALLING FREE ROAMING ANIMALS, WHAT WE HAD, WE ARE ON 10 DASH 82.1. SO, AND THE RULES ARE KEEP IT CLEAN, DON'T FEED ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILES AND, AND KEEP IT CLEAN. 'CAUSE THAT'S THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THE FREE FEED ENVIRONMENT. THE FOOD ROTS AND GET SMELLY. AND ALL THESE ANIMALS JUST COME AT ANY TIME THAT THEY WANT. SO, UH, THEY NEED TO HAVE A SPECIFIC TIME. THE ANIMALS WILL KNOW WHAT TIME TO SHOW UP AND, AND THAT, THAT SHOULD BE GOOD. AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DO IT AND IT, AND IT'S FINE, BUT SOME PEOPLE KNOW IT'S NOT. SO, UH, THEN WE'VE ADDED, I'VE ADDED THIS NUISANCE SECTION, AND THEN THE LIST OF NUISANCES ARE THE, THE NOISE AT IT'LL BE, UM, IF IT'S AT NIGHT BETWEEN 10:00 PM AND 7:00 AM THEY CAN'T, THEY CAN'T PARK, THEY CAN'T BARK. I MEAN, ONE OR TWO BARKS, THAT'S FINE. BUT OTHERWISE IT'S JUST GONNA BE, UH, IT'S GONNA BE UNREASONABLE IF IT'S THAT TIME OF NIGHT. UM, AND THEN THE AT LARGE, EXCLUDING CAPS WE'RE, WE GIVE THEM, UM, ONE CHANCE, AND THEN IF, IF THEY'RE CAUGHT OUT A SECOND TIME, THEY BECOME NUISANCE ANIMALS. AND ALSO OTHER THINGS THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE DOING, LIKE GETTING INTO THE GARBAGE. AND THE BIG ONE IS E THAT'S THE PRIVATE PROPERTY ONE. IF AN ANIMAL GOES ON SOMEONE'S PROPERTY AND THEY DON'T WANT THAT ANIMAL THERE, THE OWNER OF THE ANIMAL'S GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO KEEP THAT ANIMAL OFF. BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA GIVE THEM A WARNING ONCE AND THEN WE'RE GONNA START PICKING IT UP. SO JUST TO CLARIFY, IN, IN SECTION TWO, UNDER NUISANCE AT LARGE, IT'S JUST SECTION A IS THE TWO A IS THE ONE THAT EXCLUDES CATS, UH MM-HMM . B THROUGH E INCLUDES CATS. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. YEP. SO YOU, SO YOU DID SAY ABOUT FEEDING, SO WHAT IF THEY'RE CAUGHT FEEDING? WELL, THEY CAN, THEY CAN, UNTIL IT BECOMES A NUISANCE. THEY CAN, UNTIL IT BECOMES A NUISANCE. SO WHAT THEY'LL DO IS, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT SANITATION QUARTERS, IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING. THEY'LL BE, THEY TELL 'EM TO CLEAN IT UP, AND IF THEY DON'T CLEAN IT UP, THEY START GETTING CITATIONS. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO LOOK FOR, UH, HUMANE PEOPLE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF MEAT BEHIND IT TO, UH, THEY ABLE TO FORCE YEAH. SOMETHING. IT'S CITATIONS, IT, THEY'LL START GETTING CITATIONS. IF THEY DON'T CLEAN IT UP, THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR MEAT. AND NUISANCE ANIMALS CAN BE PICKED UP IF THEY'RE FEEDING THEM AND THEY DON'T, BUT THE ANIMAL DOESN'T HAVE, UH, ANY IDENTIFICATION. THEY'RE A STRAY. AND IF THEY GET PICKED UP, THEY DON'T GET RETURNED. SO THE PEOPLE FEEDING ANIMALS, IF THEY WANT TO KEEP THEM IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, NEED TO TRAP 'EM AND GET 'EM FIXED AND MICROCHIPPED SO THAT WE KNOW WHO TO, WE KNOW WHO TO RETURN THEM TO. OTHERWISE THEY'RE STRAY. NO, ID YOU'RE A STRAY NUISANCE COMPLAINT IS NEW. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE PEOPLE COMPLAINING, FILL OUT A WITNESS STATEMENT, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO COME TO COURT IF THIS GOES TO TRIAL. 'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA STAY ANONYMOUS. THEY DON'T WANNA COME AND TESTIFY, AND WE'RE JUST, THEY'RE NOT GONNA WRITE TICKETS FOR, FOR THAT. IT'S, UM, IT'S TOO HARD TO PROVE A CASE WHEN THE COMPLAINANT ISN'T THERE. YOU JUST, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. AND SO THEY, THEY END UP GETTING DISMISSED. ANYWAY. LET ME ASK A QUESTION BACK ABOUT TWO E UHHUH. IT SAYS THE CITY WILL RETURN THE ANIMAL TO ITS OWNER, UM, IF YOU KNOW WHO THE OWNER IS, RIGHT? BUT THEN THE LAST SENTENCE SAYS THIS, THIS APPLIES TO DOMESTIC ANIMALS AND WILD FERAL CATS, WHICH I MM-HMM . RIGHT? I DON'T, HOW DO THE FERAL CATS HAVE AN OWNER? IT'S SORT OF LIKE IF SOMEBODY, IF SOMEBODY TAGS THEM BECAUSE THEY WANT THAT FERAL CAT, IF THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF FERAL CATS. UM, AND SO THEY, THEY MANAGED TO CATCH THEM AND GET THEM TAGGED IS FERAL IN THE SENSE THAT IT DOESN'T LIVE WITH THEM OR WHATEVER. BUT IT, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE MS. MURAL WHO THAT OWN THEM. WELL, THEY DON'T OWN THEM. THEY TAKE CARE OF, THEY'LL HAVE THEM, THEY TAKE CARE OF THEM. THEY'LL HAVE 'EM CHIPPED MM-HMM . BUT THEY'RE NOT THEIR CATS, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO HELP CONTROL THE POPULATION AT LARGE. RIGHT. SO, SO WHAT THEY DO, BRING 'EM BACK TO THE AREA AND JUST DROP 'EM OFF. MM-HMM . YEAH. ON WHAT, WHAT QUESTION, WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION AGAIN, MR. BAKER? WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION? SO, SO [00:45:01] ONCE THEY, UH, GET 'EM FIXED, AND THEY DON'T HAVE A OWNER, SO WHAT DO THEY DO WITH 'EM IF THEY BRING 'EM BACK TO THE, WHO IS THAT? WHO'S BRINGING 'EM BACK? ANYBODY WHO DOES THAT? ANYBODY WHO GETS, I MEAN THAT WE, IF THEY TAKE 'EM AND GET 'EM TAG FIX, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE A RESIDENT THAT WANTS TO, TO, UH, SO THIS IS NOT THE CITY, UH, THIS IS NOT THE NO, THIS IS NOT A CITY PROGRAM AT ALL. THIS IS PRIVATE. IF SOMEONE PRIVATELY WANTS TO TAKE CARE OF ACCOUNT, IN OTHER WORDS, THIS IS A PRIVATE PEOPLE BRINGING THEM IN AND GETTING 'EM FIXED AND ALL. YES. OKAY. THAT WASN'T SPECIFIED. SO NO, IT'S, IT'S, IF THIS IS SOMEONE WHO'S KIND OF DONE THEIR OWN TNR MM-HMM. YEAH. IT WOULDN'T SPECIFY, IS IT NOW, NOW I GET THE PICTURE THAT IT IS CHIPPED, BUT IT DOESN'T BELONG TO THEM. MM-HMM . AND IT, IT SAYS OWNERSHIP. IT DOES OWN, BECAUSE WHEN YOU CHIP IT, YOU, IT'S TIE IT TO YOU. SO THE THING IS, IF IF THEY'RE TIED, THEY'RE TIED TO IF, IF AN ANIMAL BECOMES A NUISANCE, OKAY? IF MM-HMM . IF AN ANIMAL BECOMES A NUISANCE AND UH, WE COLLECT THE ANIMAL BECAUSE IT'S A NUISANCE, WE'LL CHECK AND SEE IF IT'S CHIPPED. MM-HMM . IF IT'S CHIPPED, WE'LL TAKE IT, GO TO THAT OWNER AND SAYS, YOUR ANIMAL HAS BEEN DECLARED AS A NUISANCE, HERE'S, YOU KNOW, AND SO YOU NEED TO ADDRESS IT. AND SO THEN IT GOES BACK. SO YOU HAVE AN ADDRESS TO GO BACK TO, TO THAT PERSON AND SAY, YOU'RE, YOUR FREE ROAMING CAT IS BEEN DEFINED AS A NUISANCE BECAUSE UNDER THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A COMPLAINT, YOU'VE GOT A SIGNED DOCUMENT OR WHATEVER, AND SO THEN YOU HAVE, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO CORRECT IT. IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, WELL THEN YOU'RE GONNA GET A CITATION AND THEY'RE GOING TO GET TO GO TALK TO A JUDGE. SO DOES SHIPPING, IT DECLARES OWNERSHIP. YOU'RE, YOU'RE AN OWNER OF ANY CAT THAT YOU HAVE CHIPPED, IS THAT CORRECT? YES. YEAH. YES. YOU'RE, YOU'LL BE CONSIDERED THE OWNER AND THEY'RE DOING THAT, THAT WAY THE, THE CATS DON'T GET TAKEN OVER TO THE SHELTER. THEY DON'T 'CAUSE WINTER ASTRAY AND THEY GET TAKEN AND THEY'RE NOT CHIPPED. NOBODY, NOBODY CAN COME IF THEY'RE NOT CHIPPED. YOU CAN'T IDENTIFY WHO THE OWNER IS. IT'S DECLARED ASTRAY. IT'S HANDLED AS ASTRAY. BUT, AND A CAT CAN BOTH HAVE AN OWNER AND BE FERAL. YES. YES. YES. OKAY. THAT'S THE PIECE I WAS MISSING. YES. OKAY. WHEN THEY TAKE IT TO GET CHIPPED, THAT MAKES THEM THE OWNER, RIGHT? YES. RIGHT. I PUT IN FERAL, JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNEW. IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA KEEP THAT CAT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD YES. GET THAT CHIPPED THAT GOES DOWN. IT ALSO HELPS YOU THAT WHENEVER WE, IF WE DO, IF SBCA COMES BACK AND SAYS THEY WANT TO RUN A TNR, WELL THEN THAT OPENS IT UP TO A TNR. SO AGAIN, JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A TNR AND YOU HAVE YOUR CAT THAT'S GOT THE CLIPPED DEER, AND MAYBE, AND HOPEFULLY YOU CHIP IT IN A TNR, IT'S GONNA BE HANDLED AS AN, AS AN OWNER PET ANIMAL. AND SO THAT OWNER OF THAT TNR IS GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT CAT OR THOSE CATS. AND, UH, AGAIN, IF SOMEBODY IS FILING A COMPLAINT THAT IT'S A NUISANCE, WELL THEN THEY'LL HAVE TO ADDRESS IT. SO IT TAKES, IT, IT GETS BACK TO OWNERSHIP. YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE CARE, IT'S ALLOWING YOU TO, TO, UH, FEED, UH, FEED AN ANIMAL THAT WALKS UP YOUR FRONT DOOR, BUT YOU HAVE TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF IT. AND THE WAY YOU TAKE OWNERSHIP IS BY CHIPPING IT AND KUDOS TO THE CITIZENS WHO ARE TAKING IT UPON THEMSELVES MM-HMM . AND HAVE THEIR OWN POCKETS TO GO DO THAT. RIGHT. AND CHIPPING CAN BE DONE THROUGH, UH, SPCA AT A, AT A LOW COST. AND SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE. OKAY. AND THEN IF THEY DON'T GET A CHIP, IT'S A STRAY, IT'S A SPRAY AND IT'S HANDLED A SPRAY, NOBODY CAN COMPLAIN. IF IT'S A NUISANCE, WE COLLECT IT, WE FIND OUT IT DOESN'T HAVE A CHIP, WE DON'T KNOW, THEN WE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TAKE IT TO. AND SO THEN IT'D BE, IT'S HANDLED AS ARAY. YEP. IT, IT GETS BACK TO OWNERSHIP, GET GETS BACK TO TYING BACK TO OWNERSHIP. AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE TRIED TO ACHIEVE HERE IS GET OWNERSHIP. AND SO THAT WHEN WE DO HAVE THE OCCASIONAL NUISANCE CAT, WELL THEN WE CAN GET IT BACK TO THE, GET BACK TO OWNER AND TRY TO ADDRESS IT. AND THEN THERE'S, UM, LIKE ON PAGE 13, THERE'S SOME WORDSMITHING, BUT, UH, I, I 13, WHAT IS THAT? THAT IT'S 10 DASH 1 33 I, THIS HUGE SECTION ON VICIOUS DOGS. WE DON'T NEED THAT. WE USE THE STATE LAW AND IT'S, AND THE STATE LAW, IT DIDN'T USED TO BE CLEAR, BUT THEY'VE ADDED SECTIONS TO IT AND NOW IT'S CLEAR. RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHAT WE USE. SO THAT'S WHY I'M JUST TAKING THAT OUT. THIS WHOLE THING'S GONNA BE RE-ENGINEERED WHEN WE GET CLOSE TO HAVING OUR FACILITY OPEN. UM, SO OTHER THINGS ON 10 DASH 1 71, UM, WE'VE TAKEN CARE OF THAT EARLIER IN THE ORDINANCE NOW, SO IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THERE. UM, CLARIFIED SOME TRAP IN 10 DASH 1 71 0.1 [00:50:01] SOME, UM, TRAPPING THE WAY THAT HUMANE TRAPS, UM, IF THEY GET HAVE PERMISSION OR IF THERE'S A NUISANCE ANIMAL, THEY CAN, THEY CAN TRAP AND WILD ANIMALS. UM, JUST MAKING IT CLEAR THAT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN TAKE THOSE ANIMALS IF YOU TRAP THEM YOURSELF TO THE SHELTER, BUT YOU CAN'T GO DUMP 'EM OFF IN THE WOODS. UM, AND THAT ALL CRUELTY LAWS WILL APPLY TO TRAPPED ANIMALS. SO YEAH. AND THEN IT'S JUST ME LOOKING AT THINGS AND REWRITING THEM AND WORDSMITHING, BECAUSE I CAN'T HELP MYSELF. SO AGAIN, THEY REALLY, THE, THE REALLY BIG PARTS ON THIS IS, IS IT'S THE CATS, THE REALLY BIG PARTS, THE CATS, THE OWNER, THE OWNERSHIP COMPONENT, UH, IN THE ORDINANCE IS A, IS A BIG PIECE. AND THEN ADDRESSING THE NUISANCE COMPONENT. AND SO IT GIVES, UH, IT CLARIFIES WHAT IS A NUISANCE. AND UH, IT, UH, ALLOWS A WAY FOR A RESIDENT THAT FEELS LIKE AN ANIMAL IS ON THEIR PROPERTY IS, IS A NUISANCE. IT GIVES THEM A, A WAY TO DECLARE THAT FILE A COMPLAINT. AND UH, AND THEN ALSO A WAY IT'S HANDLED. OKAY. JUST FINDS WHAT IT'S HANDLED. TWO MORE THINGS. 10, 1 78. WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE HAD PROCEDURES FOR ANIMALS THAT ARE IN PROTECTIVE CUSTODY, BUT NOW WE'VE WRITTEN THEM DOWN WHAT YOU DO IF AN ANIMAL'S BEEN SEIZED BECAUSE IT'S CRUELLY TREATED OR BECAUSE IT'S A NUISANCE AND WE'VE GOT IT CLEAR THAT YOU NEED A COURT ORDER TO, TO DETERMINE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THE ANIMAL AND DELETION OF THE ANIMAL SHELTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 'CAUSE IT NO LONGER EXISTS. THAT'S IT WAS THAT 20 NOW I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR, TO SHERRY AND TO THE TASK FORCE AND PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP AND SAT DOWN AT A TABLE AND WORKED THIS OUT. YES. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. MS. MERL. THIS IS A VERY GOOD DOCTOR, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD OR QUESTIONS? I GOT ONE, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM. SORRY. . YEAH. AND, UH, I'M THE MS. MERLE . AND JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY, UH, BUSTER BEE, COUNCILMAN BUELL, UH, WAS ALSO ALSO ON THE TASK FORCE, SO OH, THANK YOU MR. BEE. AND, AND TO KIND OF ANSWER, UH, MR. BAKER'S, UH, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ANY OTHER RESCUER, UM, BUT 90% OF MINE ARE IN-HOUSE. I HAVE, OH, I HAVE A SANCTUARY THAT WE BUILT FOR THEM. UM, JUST NEEDED A LITTLE BIT OF CLARIFICATION ON SOME OF THE WORDING. MM-HMM . ON THE PART WHERE IT SAYS TAGGED OR MICROCHIP MM-HMM . CAN WE CLARIFY WHAT TAGGED MEANS? IT'S A COLLAR WITH A COLLAR WITH A TAG. YEAH. OKAY. UM, NOW THE, THE EAR JUST LETS YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN FIXED. I FIX EVERY ONE OF MY CATS AND GET THEIR RABIES AND ALL THEIR SHOTS AND ALL THAT. SO PRETTY MUCH THE ONES THAT ARE OUTSIDE AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE, TO RANDOMLY GO SOMEWHERE, I NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE MICROCHIPPED. YES MA'AM. SO WE CAN GET 'EM BACK TO YOU. RIGHT, EXACTLY. THAT AIR DOESN'T LET US KNOW'S A REAL ISSUE. IF IT'S A NUISANCE, IT'S CAUSED THE PROBLEM. AND THERE'S A COMPLAINT, RIGHT? MM-HMM . YES. JUST NEED A LITTLE CLARIFICATION ON THAT BECAUSE I DO NOT BELIEVE MINE ARE MICROCHIPPED. DO THEY WEAR THEIR TAGS? OH, THEY'RE INDOORS. MOST OF IT. THEY'RE INDOORS. MOST OF 'EM ARE INDOORS. UM, WE HAVE ONES THAT SHOW UP MM-HMM. ON THE PORCH AND IT'S AN ENCLOSED PORCH WHERE I HAVE FOOD AND WATER. UM, AND WE TAKE THOSE AND GET THEM FIXED AND THEIR SHOTS, BUT WE HAD NOT TO THIS POINT MICROCHIPPED. YEAH, YEAH. YEAH. AGAIN, IT'S GETS BACK TO TIE IT BACK TO OWNERSHIP AND I MEAN, I MEAN, WE DO WANNA GET THE ANIMAL, WE DO WANNA GET THE ANIMAL BACK AND, AND, AND HOPEFULLY IF IT'S A NUISANCE, IT, THEN YOU CAN ADDRESS IT. THERE, THERE CAN BE BE WAYS TO ADDRESS IT AND STUFF. A RESOLUTION. OKAY. ALRIGHT. AND UH, I KNOW THE SPCA DOES THAT, OF COURSE, YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW THE COST, BUT I CAN GET WITH THEM TO FIND OUT THE COST OF MICROCHIPPING. YEAH, IT'S, I'VE HEARD LIKE FIVE BUCKS, BUT I'M NOT SURE IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A WHOLE LOT. OKAY. YEAH. AND THERE WAS IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TALK TO ME ABOUT CONCERNS AND STUFF. AND ONE WAS, I HAD A LADY THAT SAID, WELL, THAT SHE WAS TOLD THAT IF SHE GOT IT CHIPPED, HER ANIMALS WERE CHIPPED AT, UH, SBCA AND THAT, UH, UH, UNLESS WHENEVER WE, WHEN, WHEN OUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS SCAN IT AND THEY, THEY SEE A CHIP NUMBER THAT UNLESS THERE, THERE WASN'T, THE DATABASES WEREN'T CONNECTED AND STUFF. WHAT, WHAT UNDERSTAND FROM ANIMAL PATROL OFFICERS IS THAT WHEN THEY SCAN IT, THEY ALSO FIND THE MANUFACTURER. AND THE MANUFACTURER, IF YOU GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK WITH YOUR CHIP, AGAIN, SOME PEOPLE DON'T DO THAT, BUT YOU SHOULD IS THEY GO BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY CAN GET, THEY GO TO THEIR DATABASE. AND SO WE GET THE INFORMATION THAT WAY. SO WE CAN GO TO S SPCA'S DATABASE, GET THEIR INFORMATION, WE CAN GET IT ANY [00:55:01] OTHER VETS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT AND STUFF. SO IT'S UNDERSTAND, IT'S, I MEAN, I HAVE ANIMALS AND I HAVE 'EM CHIPPED. SO I WAS CONCERNED WHEN I HEARD THAT AND I SAID, WAIT A MINUTE, THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE THAT YOU HAVE TO BE IN ALL THESE OTHER DATABASES AND NO, IT'S, THEY, THEY LOOK FOR THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY GO BACK TODAY. IS THAT RIGHT, CHIEF? IS THAT CORRECT? YES. SO, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, UH, EACH CAT I TAKE IS $86 TO BE FIXED AND, UM, GET THEIR RABIES AND THAT'S IT. . WELL, YOU GET A GOOD DEAL ON IT. YEAH, THAT IS, THAT IS AN AWESOME DEAL BECAUSE MY VET CHARGES $342 . YEAH. MM-HMM . SO, AND UM, CURRENTLY THERE'S 57 AND I HAVE SAVED OVER 480. WOW. SINCE I HAVE LIVED IN LAKE JACKSON. YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. OF COURSE. THEY'RE NOT ALL AROUND THESE DAYS. THEY DON'T LAST FOREVER, BUT, SO I WILL MAKE SURE WE GET THE TA THE, UM, CHIPS TAKEN CARE OF FOR THE ONES THAT JUST ARE A LITTLE FERAL OR DON'T WANNA COME INSIDE. MM-HMM . THEY, THEY'RE JUST TOO SCARED. SO, SO FROM WHAT YOU HEARD TODAY, IT'S THE SAME THING I ASKED TASKFORCE. DO, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH AND YES. I, AND WE'LL JUST SEE HOW IT WORKS. I'M HOPING THAT NO ONE DECIDES MY ANIMALS, UH, UH, OR A NUISANCE. A NUISANCE JUST BECAUSE IT LOOKS AT THEM. RIGHT. BUT I'M SURE THERE'S GOTTA BE MORE TO THAT. BUT I MEAN, SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT. WELL, THAT'S CATS, ANIMALS, WHATEVER. I UNDERSTAND. NO, WE HAVE A LIST OF WHAT NUISANCES ARE IN HERE. YEAH. AND NONE OF MINE SO FAR. SIDE EYE IS NOT NOW MY NEIGHBOR'S DOG. YEAH. WE GOT A LOT OF THE SIDE EYE . AND AGAIN, ANOTHER REASON WHY WE, WE PUT THE PIECE IN ABOUT THE YOU, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU'RE GONNA SAY THAT THERE'S A NUISANCE ANIMAL IS THAT YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THE DOCUMENT. YES. IS THAT, THAT ADDRESSES SOME OF THE PE ADDRESS SOME OF THE DEALS WHERE THEY JUST, THEY BE WOKE UP BAD, THEY HAD A BAD DAY THAT DAY AND YEAH. AND STUFF. SO YOUR NAME'S ATTACHED TO IT NOW. YEAH. . SO, ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE ON COUNCIL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS TO GIVE DIRECTION ON SHERRY? NO SIR. I'VE RECEIVED SEVERAL EMAILS, THANK PEOPLE THAT LIKE THAT STILL MOVE FORWARD. YEP. ALRIGHT. SO SHE'LL BRING BACK A DRAFT ORDINANCE AND IT'LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH A FIRST AND SECOND READING. SO WE STILL GOT WAYS TO GO ON THIS. ALL RIGHT. [4. Discuss and consider the rate increase from Seabreeze for mattress disposal. - Eric Wilson ] UH, ITEM FOUR IS DISCUSSING CONSIDER THE RATE INCREASE, UH, FOR SEA BREEZE FOR MATTRESS DISPOSAL. ERIC, BAD NEWS, ERIC. YES. ANOTHER RAY OF SUNSHINE. YES. YES. UH, BACK IN FEBRUARY, WE RECEIVED AN INVOICE FROM WASTE CONNECTION SEA BREEZE LANDFILL, UH, THAT HAD FOR US A SURPRISE CHARGE OF $65 PER MATTRESS, UH, DEFINING MATTRESS AS INDIVIDUAL PIECE MATTRESS BOX SPRING. THAT'S TWO, UH, THAT CAME ON ONE INVOICE WE CALLED INQUIRING AS TO WHAT THIS IS. AND THEY TOLD US THAT THE MATTRESSES IN THE BOX SPRINGS ARE WRAPPING AROUND THE DRIVE UNITS OF THEIR EQUIPMENT AT THE LANDFILL AND STAFF, AND TIME AND EQUIPMENT TO REMOVE THOSE. AND THEY'VE CALCULATED THIS IS WHAT THEY NEED TO CHARGE, UH, FOR THE IMPACT CAUSED TO THEIR EQUIPMENT AT THE LANDFILL. UH, THAT BEING SAID, WE LET THEM KNOW THAT WE NEEDED MORE OF A FORMAL REQUEST THAN IT JUST TO MAGICALLY APPEAR ON OUR INVOICE. UH, I HAVE ATTACHED A COPY OF THE LETTER THAT WASTE CONNECTION SENT TO US. UH, AND THEY HAVE A WHOLE LIST OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE CHARGING FEES FOR. UH, ON THE NEXT ONE, THE ONLY ONE THAT APPLIES TO US IS THE MATTRESSES. RINSE OUT, DIG OUT. UH, THOSE ARE TYPICALLY FOR HEAVY CONTAINERS. WE DO THAT OURSELVES, CLEAN UP. THAT'S IF YOU DUMP IN THE WRONG PLACE, HARD HAT AND VEST. OUR TEAM HAS HARD HATS AND VESTS WHEN THEY GO TO THE LANDFILL. SO THEY SHOW UP WITHOUT ONE, THEY GOTTA BUY ONE. CORRECT. AND, UH, THE TIRES, WE HAVE OUR OWN CONTRACTOR THAT, THAT WE DEAL WITH FOR THE DISPOSAL OF TIRES. SO THE, THE TRUE, THE ONLY IMPACT THAT WE HAVE IS MATTRESSES. THE MATTRESSES. AND UP UNTIL THIS POINT, WE HAD NO IDEA HOW MANY MATTRESSES WE GET. WE JUST PICKED THEM UP AND TOOK THEM TO THE LANDFILL. WELL, STARTING ON MARCH 12TH, WE STARTED TRACKING. AND THROUGH FRIDAY WE HAVE COLLECTED 293 MATTRESSES. WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT 50 A WEEK. UH, SOME OF THEM ARE COMING FROM HOTELS THAT ARE DOING MATTRESS CHANGE OUTS. SOME ARE COMING FROM APARTMENTS, AND OF COURSE MANY ARE COMING FROM, UH, THE RESIDENTS THEMSELVES. SO, UH, AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, WE, CALCULATING OFF OF THE LITTLE BIT OF DATA WE HAVE, WE'RE LOOKING BETWEEN 175 AND A $200,000 IMPACT [01:00:01] ON TIPPING FEES ANNUALLY. MOVING FORWARD, OF COURSE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE COLLECTING DATA, UH, ON HOW MANY WE ACTUALLY ARE SEEING. UH, AND TO DATE, WE HAVE NOT PAID ANY INVOICES FOR MATTRESSES. WE HAVE ASKED, UH, IF THEY COULD POSSIBLY JUST ROLL THAT INTO PART OF A RATE INCREASE, UH, AND SEND IT TO US THAT WAY, AS OPPOSED TO AN INDIVIDUAL ITEM FEE. RIGHT. FROM A TRACKING PERSPECTIVE. UM, BUT AT THIS POINT, WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING BACK FROM THEM ON THAT SUGGESTION. TO WHAT DEGREE DO THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO JUST UNILATERALLY CHANGE THE COST OF THINGS MID-CONTRACT? THEY, THEY DON'T. OKAY. THEY DON'T, WE WOULD HAVE TO COME THROUGH AND AMEND THE CONTRACTS. RIGHT NOW, I GUESS IT EXPIRES NOT UNTIL 29. BUT, UM, WE WOULD, WE WOULD HAVE TO AMEND THE CON AMEN. CONTRACT. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION WOULD SUPPORT THAT CONTRACT AMENDMENT FROM THE CITY'S POINT OF VIEW, BECAUSE CONTRACTS WITHOUT CONSIDERATION ARE NOT ENFORCEABLE. SO I GUESS WE WOULD'VE TO GET SOMETHING IN EXCHANGE FOR YEAH. GIVING SOMETHING ELSE. YOU'RE VERY CORRECT, PROFESSOR. YES. YES. GOOD JOB. THERE, THERE IS A SECTION IN THE CONTRACT. I WENT THROUGH IT AGAIN TODAY AND I'VE SENT IT TO SHERRY MODESTO, UH, AND R TO LOOK AT, IF I'M READING IT PROPERLY, THESE MATERIAL TYPES OF CHANGES CAN BE DONE ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS, UH, FOR THE FOLLOWING FIVE YEAR TERM. OKAY. SO THIS, THIS CONTRACT AUTO RENEWS EVERY FIVE YEARS. SO THEY'RE GIVING US FIVE YEAR NOTICE. , THEY'RE REQUIRED TO GIVE US 180 DAYS. I'M NOT GONNA BE AROUND TO THE CONTRACT, BUT I'M NOT A LAWYER. AND, UH, SO I, I PASSED IT ON. YEAH. I'M GONNA TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT IT. SO, UH, SO CLU DENIED, UH, THE RING, UH, REQUEST, BUT REALLY THE HOPE IS, YOU KNOW, UM, TALKING TO THE CITY MANAGER IS THAT TO DELAY IT AND PUT IT IN AS THEIR REQUEST FOR THEIR ANNUAL RENEWAL THAT WE RECEIVE IN MAY. AND THEN COUNCIL WOULD CONSIDER IT IN MAY FOR AN OCTOBER ONE ANNUAL RENEWAL. WELL, ANNUALLY, WE, ANNUALLY INC. UH, THEY HAVE A PROVISION FOR TIPPING. TIPPING WHERE, UH, THE TIPPING FEE FOR, UM, COMPACTED AND UNCOM COMPACTED CAN BE ADJUSTED BY THE CPI. OKAY. UM, RIGHT. BUT NOT BY MATTRESSES. NOT BY MATTRESSES, UH, ALONE MATTRESS. SO THEY CAN MAKE THE REQUEST AND THEN, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL CAN, SO WHAT WE'RE, RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THIS IS PREMATURE. YEAH. THAT, UH, DON'T EXPECT THE CHECK IS NOT IN THE MAIL THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT COUNSEL TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT IT AS A, AT LEAST NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED IN MAY, UH, WHEN THEIR ANNUAL SUBMITTAL, SO PICKING UP WHERE I LEFT OFF. MM-HMM . UHHUH, , UM, WE DISCUSSED SOMEWHAT, UM, AN ASSESSMENT. THE CITIZEN WANTS TO GET RID OF HER MATTRESS. THAT'S FINE. AND JUST THEY WOULD PAY AN ASSESSMENT ON IT. WE DISCUSSED THE, THE PROBLEM OF THAT, WHICH IS IT COULD LEAD, LEAD TO INCREASED DUMPING, BUT IT COULD ALSO, I MEAN, ARE WE GONNA OFFSET SOME OF IT, OR NONE OF IT IS KIND OF HOW IT, I MEAN, I WOULD SAY DO THE ASSESSMENT. I'M SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT WE DO THAT FOR LIKE HOTELS. I, I FIGURED THEY'RE DOING A MASS CHANGE. THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE THEIR, THAT THAT WAS PART OF A ROLL OFF RENTAL. THEY CONTACTED US AND THEY DID PAY FOR A 30 YARD ROLL OFF. OKAY. AND WE DON'T ASK, ARE YOU DOING CONSTRUCTION? WHAT YOU PUT IN THERE? WE DON'T ASK THAT. WE JUST, THEY ASKED FOR IT TO BE PICKED UP. WE TOOK IT TO THE LANDFILL AND, BUT THE LANDFILL CARES. THE LANDFILL EVIDENTLY DOES. YEAH. UM, YOU'RE CORRECT. COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, LARGE TRASH IS NOT A COMPONENT FOR A BUSINESS. UH, SO THE BUSINESS DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME CAPABILITY OF, THEY CAN'T PUT BRUSH OUT, THEY CAN'T PUT LARGE TRASH OUT. THAT'S NOT IN THEIR RATE OF ANYTHING THAT THEY DO AS A SPECIAL CHARGE OR A ROLL OFF ROLL OFF OR A ROLL OFF. OKAY. SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT IN MAY, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED TO GET CLARIFICATION ON THE CONTRACT LANGUAGE AND YES. AND IT'S, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN'T BE CHANGED UNTIL THE NEXT CONTRACT. 'CAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING, TALKING TO OTHER MAYORS, I TALKED TO MAYOR COLE AND , AND HE SAID THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN APPROACHED, BUT THEY USE A, UH, A THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR TO DO ALL THEIR COLLECTION. AND, UH, HE SAID, UH, HE SAID, I'M SURE IT'S AN ISSUE FOR THEM, AND THEY'RE JUST ABSORBING IT NOW UNTIL THEIR, THEIR CONTRACT IS UP IN OCTOBER. SO HE SAID, SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A INCREASE. [01:05:01] WE, WE DID REACH OUT AND CONTACT BLUE RIDGE, UH, WHICH IS THE LANDFILL IN RIGHT OUTSIDE PER LAND, NEAR THE BELTWAY. THEY DO CHARGE FOR MATTRESSES PER PIECE THAT IS RUN, THAT LANDFILL IS RUN BY REPUBLIC WASTE. AND THEY CHARGE $120 A PIECE. UH, ALSO REACHED OUT TO, UH, COASTAL PLAINS, WHICH IS A WASTE MANAGEMENT LANDFILL IN ALVIN. UH, THEY DO NOT CHARGE AT THIS POINT IN THE WORKSHOP. I SAID THEY DID. I VERIFIED THAT THEY DO NOT. UH, SO IT'S EVIDENTLY SOMETHING NEW THAT'S COMING THROUGH THE INDUSTRY, WHICH, I MEAN, IT MAKES SENSE. I MEAN, THERE ARE BIG UNWIELDY THINGS TO MANAGE AND EQUIPMENT. I'M SURE IT IMPACTS HER EQUIPMENT. YEAH. BUT MARIA WAS TALKING ABOUT IN JUST IN, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND EXPLAIN TO 'EM ABOUT LOREDO. LOREDO HAS THEIR OWN LANDFILL. YEAH. I REACH OUT TO LOREDO SINCE THEY OWN THEIR LANDFILL. I MEAN, MATTRESS IS THE ISSUE. SO WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THEY'RE PUTTING A MATTRESS FIRST, AND THEN THEY'RE BRINGING THE SOLID WASTE GARBAGE AND ALSO THE SLUDGE. AND THAT'S HOW THEY COMPACTING. THEY TELL ME THEY STILL GET STUCK TO THE BIG MACHINE, THE V EIGHT, UH, D EIGHT, UH, BULLDOZER. SO IT STILL GOT STUCK. YEAH. BUT SINCE THEY OWN THE LANDFILL, THEY CAN CONTROL IT BETTER. BUT IN OUR CASE, WE DON'T OWN LANDFILL. RIGHT. YEAH. SO AT SOME POINT IN TIME, IT'S NOT, UH, WILL MOST LIKELY BE SETTLED WITH THE COST. DEPENDS THE NEXT FIVE YEAR RENEWAL. UM, UH, SHERRY, YOU SAID YOU LOOKED, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN THE RENEWAL, DID IT JUST RENEW? SHE SAID 20, ACCORDING TO ERIC. YES. IT WAS INITIALLY, UH, WENT INTO FORCE IN, IN OCTOBER 1ST OF 99. IT WAS SIGNED, UH, IN SEPTEMBER OF 99. SO EVERY FIVE YEARS. EVERY FIVE YEARS. IT JUST RENEWED, UH, OCTOBER. ONE OF LAST YEAR. YEP. WE GOOD THEN. YEAH, WE ALWAYS, UH, THEY, THEY USUALLY MISS IT. THERE IS THOUGH, A PROVISION FOR THEM TO CANCEL. UH, YES. IF THEY, IF THEY WANT. YEAH. THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THE 180 DAY NOTICE, ACCORDING TO MY INTERPRETATION, COMES IN THAT. AND MATERIAL CHANGES TO THE CONTRACT, UH, ALSO HAVE THAT, IT'S IN TERM AND CANCELLATION SECTION OF THE CONTRACT. AND OUR NEXT CLOSEST LANDFILL IS, IT'S, IT'S SPLIT THE HAIRS BETWEEN BLUE RIDGE AND, UH, PUBLIC NOW. I JUST KINDA WORK WITH THEM AND SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH A COMMON GROUND AND BE REASONABLE ABOUT THIS THING AND, UM, FIGURE IT OUT SOME WAY TO MANAGE THAT RATHER THAN SNUB THEIR NOSES AND THEN END UP COSTING MORE TO THE CITIZENS. SO THAT'S JUST MY 2 CENTS. YEAH. WELL, THEIR POSITION'S GONNA BE AT $65 A PIECE AND, UH, PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME LATER, BUT YEAH, LATER. ALRIGHT. WE WILL COME BACK AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION ON THIS ONE. I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF CONTRACTS, YOU KNOW, AND SO EVERYBODY SIGNS THE CONTRACT AND THEY, THEY HAVE THE 180 DAY OUT. SO WE GET, AND WE HAVE AN 180 DAY OUT TOO, I GUESS, ON THE SIDE OF IT TOO. SO YOU, YOU NEGOTIATE THAT ALL UP FRONT. SO THAT'S JUST WHAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH. AND YEAH. SO THE MATTRESS IS CLUMSY, BUT THE BOX SPRINGS ARE NOT, SO BOX SPRINGS SHOULD NOT BE, IT'S THE COILS. WELL, TODAY'S BOX SPRINGS DON'T HAVE COILS. I MEAN, THEY ALL NEED, PEOPLE ARE GETTING RID OF THOSE EXPENSIVE, ARE GETTING RID OF THOSE AND GETTING THE NEW STUFF. IT'S JUST, I GUESS THE DEAL IS, IS THAT MATTRESS HAS BEEN AROUND FOREVER. D EIGHTS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOREVER. AND SO ALL OF A SUDDEN TODAY IT'S A BIG, IT IS A PROBLEM. WE GOTTA FIX THIS. AND SO I THINK IT'S, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GAMES, BUT, ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL LOOK BACK AT THE CONTRACT, MAKE SURE, AND THEN WE'LL JUST, UH, KEEP US APPRISED, I GUESS. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT? YES. YES, SIR. [5. Discuss and consider Resolution No. 982 with a Memorandum of Understanding for the extension of CR 220b to the Alden property south of the Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport. - Modesto Mundo ] ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, ITEM FIVE, DISCUSS AND CONSIDER RESOLUTION. UH, NUMBER 9 8 2 WITH ME, MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BEFORE EXTENSION OF COUNTY ROAD TWO 20 B TO ALDEN PROPERTY, SOUTH OF TEXAS, GULF COAST REGIONAL AIRPORT, MODEST MODESTO . IF YOU RECALL AT THE LAST MEETING, WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE EXTENSION OF THE DEVELOPERS APPROACHED, UH, US ASKING FOR IF WE WOULD CLARIFY OUR, UM, SUPPORT FOR THE ROADS, ESPECIALLY SINCE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ATTAINED THE EASEMENT IN 2017, UH, FOR THE ROAD. THIS WAS OUR FIRST, UH, DRAFT WORKING WITH OUR CONSULTANT AND STAFF. WHAT WE MAY HAVE DONE, WE MAY HAVE PUT TOO MUCH OF THE KITCHEN SINK IN THERE, UH, OF A LOT OF ITEMS THAT [01:10:01] PROBABLY SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN A DEVELOPER'S AGREEMENT. SO WE'D LIKE TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND PARE IT BACK ON THE MOU AND THINGS, AND TRY TO SEPARATE WHAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE IN A DEVELOPER AGREEMENT, LIKE THE, THE ACTUAL, WHAT THE ROAD WOULD LOOK LIKE, AND TRY TO TALK MORE ABOUT JUST SUPPORTING THE CONCEPT OF OVERALL, OF DOING THE PROJECT. SO, UM, WE TALKED TO THE DEVELOPER TODAY. WE'RE KIND OF ON THE SAME PAGE. UM, WE'D LIKE TO PROBABLY BRING THIS BACK TO YOU AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING WITH A, A MUCH SIMPLER VERSION, AND SOME OF THE SPECIFICS WOULD COME LATER IN A DEVELOPER'S AGREEMENT. ANYBODY, ANY QUESTIONS? NO. OKAY. JUST TRYING TO SIMPLIFY THINGS FOR, AT THE, FOR, AT THIS LEVEL OF, OF CONVERSATION. YEAH. EACH TIME WE TRIED TO, WE TALKED ABOUT AN OPTION, IT WAS, IT JUST, IT GOT MORE COMPLICATED TO CLARIFY. IT'S LIKE, OKAY, LET'S TAKE A, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT'S THE OVERALL GOAL? AND IT'S REALLY JUST SHOWING OUR SUPPORT THAT WE'RE OKAY WITH SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, UH, A, YOU KNOW, BUILDING ON THE ROAD AND WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF IT, AND WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF RUNNING, YOU KNOW, UH, COMMUNICATION WITH THE COUNTY AND TXDOT, UH, AS THE PROJECT GETS BUILT AND NOT GOING INTO THE DETAILS. SO IF COUNCIL'S AGREED, WE WILL BRING THIS TO YOU AT THE NEXT COUNTS MEETING. SOUNDS GOOD. OKAY. [6. Discuss and consider removing identified programsand expenditures from the FY25- 26 budget. - Modesto Mundo ] UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX, DISCUSSING CONSIDER REMOVING, UH, IDENTIFIED PROGRAMS AND EXPENDITURES FROM THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 25, 26 BUDGET. THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO THE WORKSHOP THAT WE HAD, MODESTO. IT IS, UM, ANA WAS ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF ITEMS THAT, UH, WE HEARD FROM COUNSEL AT THE LAST MEETING, AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED THOSE, THOSE ARE ON PAGE, UM, UH, 87. AND THEN THERE ARE STILL ITEMS THAT, UH, WE HAD, UH, THAT WERE UNDER CONSIDERATION UNDER THE ITEMS WE TO, UH, TOTALED. UH, WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD THAT THESE ARE CORRECT. WE'VE IDENTIFIED $78,436. UM, A COUPLE OF THE ITEMS STILL WILL NOT, UM, WE'LL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE ONES THAT WE CAN STOP NOW. UH, BUT AS THE, LIKE THE 4TH OF JULY, WE'VE ALREADY SIGNED A CONTRACT FOR THIS YEAR. IT WOULD BE IN THE NEXT, UH, THE NEXT BUDGET. BUT ANY OF THESE ITEMS, IF WE HAVEN'T SPENT THOSE, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL HOLD THE LINE AND, AND NOT, AND NOT DO THESE ITEMS. THERE WERE SEVERAL ITEMS THAT WERE STILL ON THE TABLE. THE GULF COAST TRANSIT WAS 70,000, UH, DOLLARS. YOU REALLY WANTED TO SEE MORE INFORMATION, UH, ON THAT. AND WE'VE GIVEN YOU SOME, UH, UPDATED DATA. WE, UM, UM, GAVE THE, REALLY THE, UM, UM, THE, THE FALSE IMPRESSION OF THE NUMBER THAT WE GOT. WELL, WE GOT A REPORT FROM, UM, THE TRANSIT. THEY GAVE US ONE MONTH OF DETAIL AND NOT THE ANNUAL. AND THE MAYOR CAUGHT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY SAW THE LAST REPORT, THIS WAS THE ANNUAL NUMBER. AND SO WE WERE JUST PICKING, UH, ONE MONTH. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE RIDERSHIP ON THE FY 22, 23, 24, AND THEN 25. WE JUST HAVE SIX MONTHS WORTH OF, UH, DATA, UH, RIGHT NOW. AND THERE'S STILL SOME ADJUSTMENT ON THE MICRO TRANSIT BECAUSE THEY, THEY'VE SWITCHED TO THE MICRO TRANSIT AND THEY'VE MADE, UH, IDENTIFICATION OF THAT THEY NEED TO, THAT THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS ADDING A STRAIGHT CONNECT BETWEEN, I THINK FREEPORT AND ENGLETON AND US, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S A, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING A LOT OF RIDERSHIP REQUESTS JUST FOR, UM, UM, ONE DIRECT CONNECT THAT THEY THINK THAT THEY NEED TO GO BACK AND ADD A ROUTE INTO. IT'S A MUCH SIMPLER ROUTE, UH, CONNECTING. AND THEY, UM, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE LOAD ON THE MICRO TRANSIT. SO IF THEY IMPLEMENT THAT, UH, I THINK THAT THOSE NUMBERS WILL GO BACK UP TO, IT'S THEIR VERSION OF THE BULLET TRAIN. YEAH. BECAUSE THE PROBLEM YOU HAD WAS YOU'D HAVE SOMEBODY THAT WOULD TAKE, UH, WOULD CALL AND, AND REQUEST A, A RIDE FROM FREEPORT, UH, TO ANGLETON OR WHEREVER, AND YOU'D END UP TAKING THAT ONE VEHICLE OUT OF CIRCULATION FOR THAT ONE TRIP. AND SO, UM, THAT WAS NOT BEING VERY EFFICIENT. SO THAT'S WHERE THEY CAME UP WITH THIS DEDICATED, IT'S STILL, IT'S NOT A FIXED ROUTE, BUT IT'S EQUIPMENT THAT'S DEDICATED JUST TO MAKE THAT FAST TRIP. THAT QUICK TRIP DOESN'T DO ALL THE STOPS AND STUFF. AND, UH, SO IT'S SUPPOSED TO HELP SPEED UP. THE OTHER THING THEY FOUND OUT WITH THE MICRO TRANSIT, AGAIN, THE UBER VERSION THAT THEY'RE IN NOW IS, IS THAT, UH, THE, THE NUMBERS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE HAVING TO CHANGE THE WAY THEY'RE COLLECTING THE NUMBERS AND SPLITTING THE NUMBERS. BECAUSE WHAT CAN HAPPEN IS, [01:15:01] AND THEY DO, THEY GET MULTIPLE RIDERS ON A, ON A TRIP, AND IT'S NOT COUNTED AS MULTIPLE RIDERS, IT'S COUNTED AS ONE RIDE. OH. AND SO THEY'RE LOSING NUMBERS. AND SO THEY'RE GOING BACK, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UH, DOING A CHANGE IN THEIR PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO CAPTURE ACTUALLY HOW MANY RIDERS THEY HAVE IN EACH, FOR EACH TRIP. WHEN IT WAS THE BUS, THEY, THEY HAD THAT DATA, BUT THEY WEREN'T SLICING THAT DATA OUT THE WAY WHEN THEY WENT TO THE UBER VERSION. SO, UH, THE RIDERSHIP HAS GONE, AND THIS IS, AGAIN, THIS IS SHOWING, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, EVEN WITH THAT KNOWN DEFECT AND COLLECTION OF DATA, UH, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBERS ARE STILL STRONG. AND SO WHEN YOU START PULLING IN THE EXTRA DATA THAT'S LOST, THE, THE NUMBERS ARE GONNA BE HIGHER AND STUFF. AND I WAS ABLE TO KIND OF SUMMARIZE QUICKLY THE, THE TOP FIVE DESTINATIONS OUT OF THE ONE MONTH OF DETAILED DATA THAT WE GOT. AND YOU CAN THE TOP FIVE. OKAY. THAT'S, I WAS GONNA SAY A LOT OF THEM ARE NOT LISTED THAT NO, WE JUST, WE, WE LISTED THE TOP FIVE. OKAY. UH, ON, ON EACH ONE. UH, OUT OF THAT, UM, I THINK, UH, ANNA, DO YOU HAVE THE, HOW MUCH THAT WE HAD OVERALL IN THAT MONTH? IT, IT'S, I THINK IT'S NOTED ABOVE IN THE NEXT, YES. RIGHT THERE. SO YOU'LL SEE, UH, TOTAL PICKUP AT LAKE JACKSON, UH, IN WHAT MONTH WAS IT STILL? FOR MARCH. I DID REACH OUT TO THEM AND SHE WAS GONNA CHECK TO SEE WITH, UH, UPPER MANAGEMENT WHAT MONTH SHE, WHAT MONTH IT WAS. SO WE DUNNO WHICH MONTH OUT OUT OF IT IS, BUT THERE YOU CAN SEE, OUT OF ONE MONTH THERE WAS 1,283 TOTAL PICKUP, AND THEN 1569 DROP OFF. AND THEN WE SHOWED YOU THE TOP FIVE, UH, OUT OF EACH, OUT OF EACH CATEGORY. I FEEL BETTER ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AS A WHOLE, KNOWING IT'S 5,000 PER MONTH AND NOT 5,000 IN A YEAR PER YEAR. RIGHT. THAT WAS OUR MISTAKE. YEAH. I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED WHEN THEY SENT IT OVER. WE DID. WE JUST SAW THE DATA. WE JUST, AND, AND DIDN'T EVEN TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AND LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE, UH, WHAT'S OUR RIDERSHIP OVERALL, WE, UH, JUST MADE A QUICK ASSUMPTION THAT THEY GAVE US EVERYTHING. I, I MEAN, WITH THOSE NUMBERS, I THINK IT'S EASY TO JUSTIFY THE SUPPORT OF THAT FOR OUR COMMUNITY PERSONALLY. YEAH. I'M SURE THEY'RE SHOPPING IN LAKE JACKSON, SO THAT'S GOOD. YEAH. THE, EVEN WITH THE 5,000 NUMBER, IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAKE JACKSON, IT'S PRETTY MUCH 50%. OH YEAH. RIGHT. YEAH. YES. JUST 5,000 A YEAR WOULDN'T GOOD. YEAH. BUT THAT'S RIGHT. UH, IF IT'S ANY ONE OF THOSE MONTHS AND F 25, WE'RE MAKING UP 50% OF THE, THE RIDES YEAH. THAT THEY'RE COLLECTING. RIGHT. UH, THE OTHER TWO ITEMS WERE THE US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. REALLY. WE WERE TRYING TO GO BACK AND JUST LOOK AT THE CONTRACT FINDING IF THAT'S AN, AN OPTION TO GET OUT OF. WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW THE ANSWER. AND THE LAST ONE, THE HDL YOU'LL SEE TONIGHT ON THE FIN UH, THE FINANCE REPORT. REALLY THAT'S ALL THE DATA THAT WE PAY FOR. UH, SO IF YOU DETERMINE TONIGHT ON THE FINANCE REPORT, IF THAT'S WORTH $7,700 AND 46, UH, 77, 46, THEN UH, LET US KNOW. UM, UH, BUT RIGHT NOW I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE PAID FOR IT FOR THE YEAR. IT WOULD BE GOING FORWARD NEXT YEAR. UM, I DON'T RECALL IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER ITEMS, UH, FROM THE MEETING. I THINK WE HAVE IDENTIFIED EVERYTHING THAT COUNCIL, UH, WANTED US TO, TO LOOK AT. WE JUST HEARD A LOT OF ABOUT THE FIREWORKS. YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UH, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES, COMPLAINTS WE HEARD ABOUT FROM RESIDENTS. SO IT'S NOT THE QUESTION OF MONEY, IT'S THE QUESTION OF, UH, THE EFFECTS OF FIREWORKS ON, UH, PTSD AND THE ANIMALS AND ET CETERA. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT THAT. WELL, AND YEAH. I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE GET THE COMPLAINTS. BUT AGAIN, IF, IF PEOPLE REALIZE IS THAT WE'RE SPENDING A THOUSAND DOLLARS A MINUTE, THAT'S FOR FIREWORKS. THAT'S A LOT. A LOT. YEAH. SO, UH, BUT ANYWAY, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S OUT THERE NOW. SO IF, IF, IF PEOPLE ARE UPSET ABOUT IT, WE'LL HEAR ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW? YEAH. WHY ARE WE BEING, I'VE GOT TIME. YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE BEING UNPATRIOTIC OR WHATEVER. BUT I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S GETTING BACK, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT, IT'S ONE OF THOSE QUALITY OF LIFE THINGS. AND IF, IF THE COMMUNITY REALLY FEELS STRONGLY ON IT, WELL THEN OKAY, WELL THEN WE'LL DO IT. BUT, UH, IT'S JUST, AGAIN, LIKE WE SAID, WE'VE GOT MORE, UH, PEOPLE QUESTIONING BECAUSE OF THE, LIKE COUNCILMAN HANYA WAS SAYING IS ABOUT THE, THE, THE IMPACT TO, UH, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. SO SOUNDS AND STUFF. OKAY, WELL, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO SCRUB, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING IN THE BUDGET PROCESS. BUT, UH, I THINK THIS WAS A, A GOOD FIRST STEP. WE IDENTIFIED SOME THINGS, AT LEAST WITH COUNCIL'S HELP. UH, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE A, A SHOW WITH, UH, DRONES, WHICH WE CAN'T AFFORD. SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT. SO IT'S NOT THAT WE ARE NOT TRYING TO BE PATRIOTIC, IT'S JUST FOR WHAT THEY WANTING IN REPLACEMENT. IT JUST, WE JUST CANNOT AFFORD. RIGHT. YEAH. AND I [01:20:01] THINK, YOU KNOW, OVERALL, I MEAN, IT WAS A GOOD EXERCISE. I MEAN, THERE WERE EVEN ITEMS THAT I HAD PUT ON THE LIST THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE AN EASY CUT, BUT WE FOUND OUT FROM COUNCIL. NO, THAT'S IMPORTANT, UH, TO, TO KEEP ON. SO I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THAT INSTANCE, UH, THAT'S, IT'S A GOOD EXERCISE FOR EVERYBODY TO GO THROUGH. YEP. BUT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND OKAY. LEAVE THE TRANSIT PROGRAM ALONE. CORRECT. RIGHT, RIGHT. YEAH. OKAY. I THINK SO. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, THE HIGH, AGAIN, THIS IS BE ON THE AGENDA. THIS WILL BE ON THE AGENDA GOING FORWARD AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGETING PROCESS. SO, [7. Quarterly financial update. - James Bryson ] AND WE'LL GO ON TO, UH, ITEM SEVEN, UH, QUARTERLY FINANCIAL UPDATE. THE REASON YOU'RE ALL HERE TONIGHT. YEAH. THE HIGHLIGHTED THING. IF YOU STAYED BEHIND, YOU'RE IN FOR A TREE. AND FIRST I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T WISH EVERYBODY A BELATED HOPPY EASTER. HA HA. I THINK THAT'S EXPECTED OF ME. HAD A BOY. OKAY, MAN. TO KEEP THE THING GOING. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SIX MONTHS INTO THE YEAR, MARCH 31ST, 2025. WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE CASH, AND, EXCUSE ME, THE WEATHER KEEPS CHANGING ON ME. UM, THE BALANCE IN TECHSTAR WENT DOWN, AND THAT WAS DUE TO A, A, UM, BOND DRAW. THE 2021 FOR SHADY OAKS WAS 186,000 AND STREET REHAB ON BOND, UM, FOR 2023, THE GO WAS 340. SO THAT GIVES YOU THE DIFFERENCE ON THE TECHSTAR ACCOUNT. AND THEN THE, THE OTHER LARGE DROP IN BALANCE WAS DUE TO, UM, THE DEBT PAYMENT IN MARCH, MARCH 15TH. WE MAKE THE GENERAL FUND SIDE WITH THE, UH, UH, EQUI E ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND THAT'S THE PRINCIPAL INTEREST PAYMENT. WE PAY PRINCIPAL INTEREST, UH, WE PAY PRINCIPAL ONCE A YEAR IN MARCH. WE PAY INTEREST TWICE A YEAR, ONCE IN MARCH, AND AT THE END IN SEPTEMBER. SO THAT'S THE, UH, WHY THERE WAS A DROP IN BALANCE. AND FOR THE MOST PART, THAT EXPLAINS THE INVESTMENT REPORT. THEN WE GO TO GENERAL FUND NEXT, THE NEXT PAGE. AND OF COURSE, BEING 50% OF THE YEAR, YOU'D EXPECT YOUR REVENUES TO BE AT 50% OTHER THAN PROPERTY TAX, WHICH OF COURSE WE GET MOST OF THAT IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY. AND SO WE'RE AT ABOUT 95% FOR THE YEAR RIGHT NOW IN PROPERTY TAX. YOU CAN SEE SALES TAXES HOLDING STRONG AT 56%. UH, EVERYTHING ELSE FOR THE MOST PART'S, A LITTLE BIT OVER 50%, WHICH IS GREAT FOR US. UH, YOU'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A DIP IN LICENSE AND PERMITS AND FINES AND FEES. AND, UM, THE MISCELLANEOUS, THAT WAS A, UH, REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE INSURANCE ON, UH, ONE OF THE BOROUGH PAYMENTS. AND WE PUT THAT IN THERE FOR THE MOMENT TO HOLD ONTO IT. AND THEN THE, UM, INCREASE IN THE GRANTS IS THE BARRICADE, UH, GRANT THAT A SIDE BOUGHT AND BROUGHT UP TO YOU. AND THE BUDGET WAS 2 46, BUT WE HAVEN'T EXPENDED AT ALL. 'CAUSE THERE'S STILL TRAILERS AND THINGS THAT HE NEEDS TO BUY. SO THAT'S WHY THE BUDGET, UH, SHOWS THAT INCREASE. AND THEN WITH REGARD TO PROPERTY TAX, LIKE, LEMME BACK UP FOR A SECOND ON SURE. JUST TO LOOKING AT THE SALES TAX. SO AGAIN, THIS IS FOR, THIS IS FOR, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YEAR TO DATE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BUDGET YEAR, NOT FISCAL YEAR, CORRECT? I'M, I'M TALKING FISCAL YEAR. FISCAL YEAR. YES SIR. YES. SO WE'RE SIX MONTHS. SIX MONTHS THE YEAR, WE'RE SIX MONTHS AND WE'RE AT 56 YEAR TO DATE. BUT YEAH, WE'RE 56%. BUT I GUESS WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT YEAR TO DATE LAST YEAR WE'RE ALMOST TWICE, UH, REVENUE FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS AS LAST YEAR BECAUSE LAST YEAR WAS 29. WELL, IT'S LESS THAN HALF, BUT, WELL, THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE PRIOR LAST YEAR. THERE'S, IF YOU LOOK AT THE REPORT FOR SALES TAX, THERE'S A, AN ADJUSTMENT ON THERE. AND THAT'S DUE TO THE AUDIT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO AN ACCRUAL FOR AUDIT PURPOSES. OKAY. SO YOU REALLY CAN'T GO WITH THAT NUMBER. ALRIGHT. YOU REALLY HAVE TO GO WITH THE FIRST. I WAS TRYING TO BE OPTIMISTIC. NO, SORRY, I'M BE A DOUBLE DOWNER. I WAS GONNA, BUT MAN, CHRISTMAS IS COMING. NO. 'CAUSE SALES TAX IS TWO MONTHS BEHIND. SO WHEN WE DO THE ACCRUAL, WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT. OKAY. AND WE HAVEN'T CLOSED THE BOOKS YET. SO THE SALES TAX REPORT, THAT SPREADSHEET'S OFF A LITTLE BIT. ALRIGHT. BUT AGAIN, PROPERTY TAX WAS AT 95%. AND IN JANUARY WE COLLECTED THREE POINT, ALMOST $3.6 MILLION. AND I, AS YOU NOTED, THE SALES TAX REPORTS OFF BECAUSE OF THE ACCRUAL. BUT AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, THE HDL REPORTS ARE WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT. AND SO THERE'S SEVERAL OF THOSE REPORTS. THERE'S A FEW THAT ARE NOT IN HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE CONSIDERED CONFIDENTIAL AND THEY GO INTO SPECIFICS WITH SOME OF THE BUSINESSES. AND THAT INFORMATION'S CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, ONLY THAT ALLOWED TO SEE BY CERTAIN PEOPLE. SO THERE ARE SEVERAL REPORTS THAT ARE NOT IN HERE, BUT THIS KIND OF GIVES YOU THE GIST OF WHAT YOU'RE GETTING WITH HDL. SO THAT WOULD BE [01:25:01] UP TO COUNCIL TO DECIDE IF THEY REALLY LIKED THAT REPORT OR NOT. AND CIVIC CENTER'S DOING WELL. REC CENTER'S DOING WELL. YOU CAN SEE FROM PAYROLL AT YOU WOULD SAY THE SECOND QUARTER. AGAIN, EVERYTHING SHOULD BE AT ABOUT 25%. UM, THIS ONE'S DONE QUARTERLY, SO 25% IN THAT SECOND UNDER Q2. AND FOR THE MOST PART, EVERYTHING'S LOOKING. OKAY. JAMES, I DO HAVE A QUESTION. SURE. THE NEXT TIME WE DO A REPORT THOUGH, IS YOURS COMING IN, IN COLOR? UH, WHICH ONE? THE, THE HDL REPORT. WHEN YOU GET THE REPORT, IT'S COMING IN COLOR OR THE, UM, IS IT BLACK AND WHITE OR IS IT, I THINK IT'S IN COLOR. IT CAN BE IN COLOR. CAN WE IN IN COLOR? CAN WE PUT IT IN COLOR? IT'S HARD TO READ THE, OH, THE NUMBERS. UM, WELL, SOME OF THE SHADING AND STUFF, THE GRAPHS AND STUFF. FOR $7,000. I WILL GET YOU A COLOR COPY. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. I SWEAR, I PROMISE. WELL, I MEAN, YOU'RE PAYING FOR IT. WELL GIMME, YOU'RE SCANNING IT. SO SCAN EVERYBODY. I IT FREE. YEAH. YEAH. IT SHOULDN'T BE AN ADDITIONAL 7,500. I'M JUST TRYING TO SAVE ON TONER, SIR. OKAY, I GOTTA CUT WHERE I CAN. WE DON'T NEED TO PRINT, WE JUST NEED TO SCAN. SCAN IT IN. OKAY. I'LL SAVE ON TREES. YEAH, YOU GO. I'LL FIND YOU A WAY TO CUT. OKAY. , UM, PAYROLL OVERTIME. I'M THE CULPRIT. 14 IS MY ACCOUNT. SO I'VE HAD TO TALK TO A COUPLE PEOPLE ABOUT NOT DOING THEIR OVERTIME. AND THAT'S BEEN NIPPED IN THE BUD, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE IS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE AND I'M WILLING TO MESS UP TO FESS UP TO THAT. SO I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED WHEN THE WORK CAME OUT. WATER AND SEWER, UM, TOTAL WATER'S AT $3 MILLION IN RELATION TO BUDGET. THAT'S 44%. THE SAME THING GOES FOR SEWER AT 44%. BUT THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THAT IS EXPENDITURES ARE ALSO AT 44%. SO WHILE REVENUES ARE DOWN, EXPENDITURES ARE DOWN JUST TO AT THE SAME LEVEL. SO WE'RE OKAY IN RELATION TO THE BUDGET. YEAH, MY WORRY IS ON THE, IS ON THE SUICIDE, ON THE, THE PRISON. WE'VE SEEN A LOSING IT A LOT OF DROP OFF. I MEAN IT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER A COUPLE YEARS AGO. UH, BUT IT KEEPS ON DECLINING. UH, SO THIS TIME LAST YEAR WE HAD COLLECTED 56,000. NOW WE'RE AT 16,000. SO, UM, THAT'LL BE A $80,000 DROP IN REVENUE. IT DOESN'T KEEP ON FLUSHING THIS PLACE. . YEAH. THEY DIDN'T HAVE A COUNT LIKE THAT. THEY DON'T HAVE A COUNT COUNT. YEAH. NOW TRUSTEE CAMP STILL LOCKED BY, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW. I'LL FIND HOW MUCH DO, WHAT IS THE TRUSTEE CAMP? THEY RETRIEVED STILL OPEN? NO, THEY CLOSED IT. THEY CLOSED BOTH OF THEM. UH, NOW YOU, EVERYBODY TO CLEMENS. BUT THIS LINE ITEM AT ONE TIME I BELIEVE WAS IN EXCESS OF $200,000. OH. FOR IRRIGATION. SO IT'S, IT'S DECLINED QUITE A BIT. OKAY. UH, WE GAVE YOU SOME NEW REPORTS. THIS ONE THAT SHOWS 2025. THIS IS THE, UH, NUMBER OF, UH, CUSTOMERS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. SO IN THE COMMERCIAL YOU HAVE 443 RESIDENTIAL. YOU HAVE 8,591. ON THE APARTMENTS IT SAYS 47, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY 3,730 INDIVIDUAL UNITS THAT MAKE UP THOSE 47. AND IT'S COLOR . YEAH, THAT ONE IS . YEAH. SCRATCHED UP COLOR. THAT ONE DIDN'T COST ME ANYTHING. AND LET'S SEE, THEN THE NEXT PAGE OVER, I'M GONNA BE A SPOILER ON THIS ONE BECAUSE I'VE GOT THE APRIL NUMBERS. BUT FOR THE END OF THE QUARTER, YOU'LL SEE ON THE HERSHEY METERS WE ARE AT SEVEN 10. THE, UM, AB STANDS FOR AVERAGE BILLING. SO THAT WOULD BE THE AVERAGE BILL COUNT FOR HERSHEY. SO NOT ONLY ARE THEY HERSHEY METERS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO AVERAGE BILL. AND THEN YOU HAVE THE AVERAGE BILL NUMBER. SO IN MARCH, APRIL WE HAD VANGUARD COME IN. THEY'VE REPLACED 500 OF THOSE AVERAGE BILLS. AND SO, UM, IN APRIL, YOU'LL SEE THAT NUMBER DROPPED CONSIDERABLY ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE. AT THE BOTTOM. YOU UNDER MARCH YOU HAD 40 BRANCH HAS BEEN HIRED AND THEY'VE I THINK DONE SIX SO FAR. IS THAT CORRECT? WE'RE I THINK 11 OR 12. OKAY. SO 11 OR 12 OF THOSE, OF THE COMMERCIAL. AND THEN IN-HOUSE WHEN WE DON'T HAVE, UM, UH, VANGUARD HELPING OUR GENTLEMAN THAT METER TECHS DID 127 METERS, UM, IN-HOUSE IN MARCH. AND SO FAR THIS MONTH THEY'VE DONE 34. SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE METER TECHS WILL KEEP UP WITH THE AVERAGE BILL METERS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. AND CURRENTLY WE'RE WAITING FOR THE HERSHEY METERS TO COME IN THAT WE'VE GOT ORDERED. SO WE CAN HAVE VANGUARD COME BACK OUT AND FINISH SO THAT WE CAN GET EVERYTHING, UH, CURRENT AND OPERATING CORRECTLY. [01:30:01] AND THE HERSHEY METERS ARE NOT, I MEAN THOSE ARE METERS THAT ARE, THAT'S BEEN, THEY'RE WORKING. THEY'RE WORKING. IT IS JUST, THEY'RE ALL METERS THAT WE'VE BEEN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LEGACY METERS THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE SYSTEM SINCE 2000, TWO 20. IT WAS BEFORE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. UM, BEFORE COVID, UM, IT WAS PROBABLY 2017 THAT WE, UH, THAT NUMBER STARTED OUT AT 2200. I THINK WE FIR THAT, I SAW THAT WE FIRST LISTED THE AS A CIP PROJECT. IT WAS AT 2200 AND WE COULDN'T GET 'EM DURING COVID. SO THE METERS, THERE WAS LIKE ALMOST TWO YEARS WE COULDN'T GET METERS BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS COMING IN ON IMPORTS. SO THAT THAT PROJECT WAS DELAYED CONSIDERABLY. JUST KIND OF QUICK QUESTION ON THAT. I KNOW THE COMMERCIAL METERS ARE A BIG DEAL. WHAT'S THE ROUGH TURNAROUND ON, ON A COMMERCIAL METER? JUST TIMEWISE WELL LET A IN, SO THE, THE LEAD TIME FOR NEW OR JUST TO REPLACE, TO REPLACE THE COMMERCIAL METER ONCE I ROLL UP TO THE SITE? YEAH. UH, DEPENDS ON IF IT'S IN CONCRETE. IF IT'S IN CONCRETE, WE'RE GONNA BE SAW CUTTING, BUSTING OUT CONCRETE. UH, AND THEN THE METER PART ITSELF IS NOT THAT HARD. IT SO FROM START TO FINISH A WEEK, TWO WEEKS, THREE WEEKS. A A WEEK. A WEEK. OKAY. JUST CURIOUS. YEAH. AGAIN, THAT DEPENDS ON IF IT'S CONCRETED, IF IT'S OUT IN A YEAH. ESPLANADE SOMEWHERE. UH, THERE ARE LOTS OF VARIABLES. UM, AND THE PI, THE PIG TAILING, WE DIDN'T HAVE ONE. ONE OF THE, YEAH, ONE OF THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD HISTORICALLY, UH, WE WOULD TELL A DEVELOPER OF A COMMERCIAL SITE, THIS IS THE SIZE METER YOU NEED, THIS IS, UH, THE TYPE OF METER WE WANT. BUT THEY COME IN DIFFERENT LENGTHS AND WE NEVER SPECIFIED WHAT LAY LENGTH. SO NOW AS WE'RE GOING AND REPLACING 'EM, THEY MAKE THEM FROM 10 INCHES TO 23 INCHES. MM-HMM . AND THERE ARE SEVERAL SPACES IN BETWEEN. SO YOU HAVE TO GO BEFORE YOU CAN ORDER IT, YOU HAVE TO GO TO EVERY SITE, MEASURE IT, THEN ORDER IT. UH, SO MOVING FORWARD, WE'VE DECIDED WHEN SOMEBODY WANTS TO COME IN WITH A COMMERCIAL FACILITY, WE WILL BUY THE METER AND GIVE IT TO THEM. YEAH. GOTCHA. SO WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A BESPOKE SYSTEM, UH, , UH, WHERE WE DIDN'T THINK THAT WE REALLY HAD, BUT WHEN YOU REALLY GO OUT IN THE FIELD, IT'S NOT, IT IS NOT CHANGING. A TWO INCH METER IS NOT JUST, WE PICK UP A TWO INCH METER OFF THE SHELF AND WE HAVE IT IN STOCK. YEAH. AND WE GO OUT IN THE FIELD. IT'S LIKE THAT'S NOT AS, IT IS NOT AS EASY AS JUST CHANGING OUT A TWO INCH METER. WE MAY HAVE 10 DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF A TWO EDGE METER. SO, AND, AND THE LEAD TIME IS, UH, ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN IT IS FOR THE 5 8 3 QUARTERS METER. SO WE'RE LOOKING RUNNING RIGHT ABOUT TWO MONTHS NOW ON LEAD TIME WHEN WE PLACE OUR ORDERS. SO. OKAY. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S HINDERING US A LOT IS THAT, THAT TIME. SO WHAT WOULD BE THE COST OR UH, REASON WHY WE CAN'T JUST, UH, WHEN WE FIND A ART BALL TO STANDARDIZED TO WHAT WE WANTED TO BE STANDARDIZED AT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD THAT ENTAIL? I'M NOT, I MEAN THAT'S, IF, IF THEY DO NOT HAVE A BYPASS BUILT IN, UH, REMEMBERING THESE, THESE ARE COMMERCIAL FACILITIES, AT THAT POINT YOU'RE TAKING THEM DOWN FOR HALF OR MOST OF A DAY TO, TO COME BACK IN. HOPEFULLY HE'S NOT A BYPASS BECAUSE BYPASS 10 OR 12 OR 15 USE. YEAH. AND, AND WE DO HAVE, UH, SEVERAL RESTAURANTS ON THE LIST. SO WE HAVE TO SCHEDULE THOSE EXAMPLE WHAT A WHATABURGER'S. SO THEY SOMEWHAT CHALLENGING 'CAUSE THEY'RE BUSY ALL THE TIME. SO IF THEY DO HAVE A BYPASS, CAN WE LOOK AT STANDARDIZING? YES. OKAY. I THINK THAT'S WHAT RENEE, YEAH. I THINK THE OTHER THING WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT IS TRYING TO IDENTIFY, SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY VARIATIONS, IS THERE A TREND TOWARDS SEVERAL OTHER VARIETIES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE ABLE TO STOCK, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL TWO INCH METERS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE SOME WAVELENGTHS THAT SEEM TO BE KIND OF A CONSTANT TREND. BUT WE HAVEN'T GONE INTO THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL TO SEE IF THAT, IF THAT'S WORTH DOING. NO SIR. WE HAVE, WE HAVE NOT AUDITED, UH, OUR METER INVENTORY AT THIS POINT ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE. UH, AS, AS WE CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD. AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE WILL TRY AND WORK TOGETHER, UH, AND SEE IF WE CAN GET THE METER TEXT TO POSSIBLY JUST GET THAT LAY LENGTH FOR US SO WE CAN DOCUMENT WHAT WE HAVE. SO ARE WE TAKEN A STEP TO, FOR ANY NEW COMMERCIAL METERS NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT THIS IS THE METER YOU'RE GOING TO PUT IN THIS LENGTH? WE WILL BUY IT THAT WAY WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING. SO WE BUYING THE METER WHERE WE METER? YES. WHEN THEY PLANNED IT, IT TELLS YOU SIZE THAT TYPE ON THE FIXTURE COUNT. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. AND WE'LL GET THE METER, UM, VERSUS LETTING THEM GET THE METER. YEAH. ERIC'S CORRECT. WHAT WE WERE DOING WAS JUST TELLING THAT THEY WOULD TELL US THE SIZE. [01:35:01] YEAH. SUB, UH, IF WE AGREE OR NOT. BUT THEN WE JUST GAVE THEM THE BRAND, THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. THE GOAL IS BY JUNE POSSIBLY REPLACE EVERY SINGLE METER. WE KNOW IT'S NOT WORKING IF THE METER IS AVAILABLE. RIGHT. RESIDENTIAL, DEFINITELY COMMERCIAL. WE MIGHT HAVE SOME NICK AS LITTLE. SORRY. YES, THAT'S THANK YOU. BUT WE'LL EACH, EACH, EACH QUARTER WE, WE'LL GIVE YOU ABREAST OF THE METERS AND WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THOSE. SO WE'LL KEEP THIS ON THE FINANCIAL REPORTS FROM GOING FORWARD. THIS, THIS WILL BE ON THE FINANCIAL REPORT. OKAY. AND THE NEXT PAGE WE GO TO THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY. THIS REPORT I BROUGHT TO YOU LAST QUARTER, BUT THIS IS THE, UM, THE NUMBERS THAT WE GET FROM THE DIFFERENT HOTEL SALES. AND YOU CAN SEE THE ONE AT THE BOTTOM. THE NEW ONE CAME ON BOARD, UM, STARTED MID-JANUARY. SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE KIND OF MID MONTH, BUT YOU CAN SEE THEY'VE PROGRESSED, UH, RATHER WELL. AND WE'RE AT 64% OF BUDGET. SO I CAN'T SAY THAT THEY'RE NECESSARILY TAKING AWAY FROM THE OTHER, UH, HOTELS BECAUSE UH, IT'S NOT CUTTING. WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, WE'D BE 50% OR LESS. SO AT 64% WE'RE, UH, DOING QUITE WELL ON A HOTEL OCCUPANCY. AND THEN OF COURSE LASTLY WE COME TO THE BONDS. AND AS NOTED, YOU KNOW, ON THE CASH POSITION, WE'VE HAD SOME ACTIVITY WITH THE BONDS, UM, ON THE STREET PROJECTS AND SOME OF THE, UM, I THINK, UH, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE PARKS THAT WE'VE DONE SOME WORK WITH. AND THEN OF COURSE STREET REHAB AND I'M SURE SAL WILL GO INTO FURTHER DETAIL WITH THOSE. BUT THAT'S IT. WELL WORTH THE WAIT. RIGHT. IS THERE BEEN ANY, ANY WORK DONE YET ON MY RECOMMENDATION ON THE, UH, WEBSITE FOR, UH, THAT'S WHERE YOU ASKED ABOUT THAT? NO, WE HAVEN'T. UH, WE WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA, UH, BRING YOU BACK A, A SAMPLE OF JUST, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE PROJECT, UH, OKAY. YOU KNOW, AND, AND START, UH, WITH THAT. BUT NO, WE HAVE NOT MADE ABLE TO MAKE PROGRESS YET. WHAT I, WHAT I'D ASK MODESTO TO TALK TO STAFF ABOUT IS, IS THAT, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'VE GOT THE BOND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW GOING TO THE VOTERS, IS THAT, UH, I'VE NOTICED IN SOME CITIES THEY HAVE WHERE YOU CAN GO TO THEIR WEBSITE AND FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN GO TO SUGARLAND IS A GOOD EXAMPLE. AND YOU GO AND YOU CAN LOOK UP, BUY, BOND, BUY A PROJECT WHERE IT'S AT AS FAR AS SPENDING WHERE FLAT AS FAR AS ENGINEERING AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. IT'S ONE CLICK INFORMATION TYPE STUFF. AND I THINK THAT'LL BE BENEFICIAL, UH, FOR PEOPLE. I MEAN PEOPLE HAVE INQUIRING MINDS NOW. SO IT'S UH, IT'S DATA THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, GOING FORWARD. YEAH. WE, IT WON'T BE AS ROBUST AS, UM, SUGAR, SUGAR LANDS. THEY HAVE A 25, THEY HAVE AN IT, THEY HAVE HIGH IT DEPARTMENT. YEAH, YEAH. THEY HAVE 25 PEOPLE DEDICATED. WE'RE NOT GONNA TRY TO RECREATE THEIR WILL. WE'RE GONNA TRY TO TAKE THE, THE BEST ELEMENTS OUT OF THAT AND, AND USE, UH, DO WHAT THEY'RE DOING. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS? NO. NO. ALRIGHT. ALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH JAMES. THAT WAS EVERYTHING. WE HOPE. OH, I SEE. THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR STICKING AROUND. THANK YOU. YEAH. YEAH. AIM IF YOU HAVE A HOPPY DAY. EVENING. OKAY. WE'RE GONNA MOVE [8. Staff updates ] ON TO, UH, AUTOMATE STAFF. UPDATE CITY MANAGER, UM, CIP WORKSHOP. THE, WE WERE GOING THROUGH TODAY FOR OUR PROJECTS IN CIP, UH, SUBMITTALS. IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY BARE CIP UH, A LOT OF THAT IS GOING TO BE DEDICATED TO STILL EQUIPPING OUT THE ANIMAL, UH, CONTROL FACILITY. AS YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR BOND FUNDS HAVE BEEN DEDICATED OUT TO THE CONSTRUCTION. SO THEY, WE KNEW THAT WAS COMING. A LOT OF THE EXPENDITURES WERE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THIS TIME LAST, UH, LAST YEAR WE WERE ANTICIPATING THAT WOULD COME OUT OF THE EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT FUND UNTIL, UM, WE GET REIMBURSED FROM FEMA ON THAT. UH, WE WILL HAVE TO TAP, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, GENERAL CIPI ONLY HAVE LIKE THREE OR FOUR PROJECTS. UH, MOST OF THE CIP PROJECTS ARE OUT OF HALF SENT. UM, I, MY PER, UH, MY ADVICE RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE HOLD OFF ON THE WORKSHOPS SINCE IT'S SO LITTLE AND THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO BRING THESE ITEMS TO YOU, UM, UM, AT AN INDIVI AT THE COUNCIL MEETING. SO WE COULD DISCUSS HALF SENT PROJECTS AT A, AS A, AS AN ITEM BEING CAN GO THROUGH THERE. AND THEN, UM, ON THE CIP WE CAN DO AND YOU CAN DO THE SAME THING AND NOT, IT NOT, IT MAY NOT WARRANT A WHOLE WORKSHOP, UH, BEFORE THAT YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN THE UTILITY PROJECTS AND THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, THERE COMING [01:40:01] OUT. SO IT'S ONLY THE GENERAL CIP AND THE HALF SET. UM, AND IF COUNCIL'S AGREEABLE, UH, WE'D TRY TO HANDLE IT IN, IN THE COUNCIL MEETING ITEMS. GOOD IDEA. NO, PLEASE. WE WANT MORE WORKSHOPS, PLEASE. OH DARN. BUT IF YOU WANT A WORK, IF YOU WANT A WORKSHOP, WE, THAT'S GREAT. GOOD IDEA. NO, WE'RE JUST PRAYING BACK AS THIS AGENDA ITEM. OKAY. THAT WORKSHOP, WELL WE WOULD COUNT, WE WOULD CANCEL THE WORKSHOP, CANCEL THE REQUEST. YES. WE'LL SEND, WE'LL SEND OUT A COUNCIL REQUEST. UH, CANCEL A CANCELING REQUEST, UH, TO THE COUNCIL. OKAY. GOOD IDEA. UH, CITY MEETING, UH, ACTUALLY, WHERE DO WE HAVE WE, UH, CAT ORDINANCE, UH, THE FIRST READING, UH, NEXT MONTH WE ALSO BRING BACK THE MOU AND RESOLUTION FOR COUNTY ROAD TWO 20 B. AND THEN WE WILL BE, UH, SENDING YOU OUT A CANCELING REQUEST FOR THE CIP WORKSHOP. HMM. AND ADD THAT TO THE AGENDA AND WE'LL ADD THAT TO THE AGENDA. WE'LL PROBABLY TAKE THE FIRST STAB OF, WE'LL DO THE HALF SENT AND THEN WE'LL DO, UH, GENERAL CIP PROJECTS ON THE NEXT MEETING AFTER THAT. ALRIGHT, WELL GOOD. NOW [9. Construction updates ] WE GO TO ITEM NINE. WE GET GRACED BY, UH, THE APPEARANCE OF MOST EXCITING MAN IN LAKE JACKSON. CAPITAL UPDATES, UTILITIES, FUNDS AND STUFF. ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR SAL? YOU HAVE A LIST THERE BEFORE YOU OF ALL, ANY, ALL THE PROJECTS WE'RE ENGAGED IN RIGHT NOW. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING, I'LL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO ANSWER. HOW COME WE, THE CONSTRUCTION STOPPED ON OUR DOG FACILITY AND S-P-C-A-I DON'T SEE ANY LABORERS. I DON'T SEE ANY ACTION GOING ON. CORRECT. AND UH, WE HAVE, WELL THERE WAS A PERMIT THAT HADN'T BEEN ISSUED YET OR HADN'T BEEN TAKEN OUT FOR ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION. UH, WE GOT THAT THING RESOLVED LAST FRIDAY. I'M SO SORRY. PAPERWORK. OH, IS THAT RIGHT NOW YOU'RE DOING IT TO ME. . I'M SORRY. AL PUT A DOLLAR IN THE JAR. IT'S SO TRUE. I CAN'T, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S DOING THAT. YEAH, YOU WERE JUST WAITING FOR I DON'T WANT'S DOING THAT. I HAVE IT MUTED IN EVERYTHING. THAT'S FINE. UH, NO. UH, LIKE I SAID, LAST FRIDAY WE MET WITH THE, UH, CMAR AND WE RESOLVED ALL THE, ALL THE ITEMS THAT WE HAD WITH HIM CONCERNING SOME OF THE COST, UH, UH, SOME OF THE COST, UH, BENEFITS THAT WE WERE GETTING AT OR THAT, UH, VALUE ENGINEERING THAT WE REQUESTED. HE GAVE US A PRICE WE ALL AGREED TO. NOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THIS THING, STARTING THIS WEEK. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING ALL THEIR PERMITS, PERIOD. CORRECT. NOW COMES THE RAIN. RIGHT NOW COMES THE RAIN. YEAH. YEAH, CORRECT. FAR FOR THE CORE. I SEE SYCAMORE IS OPEN. SYCAMORE IS OPEN ONLY TO, UH, TRAFFIC TO NORTH SHADY OAKS. IT IS NOT OPEN UP THROUGH THEIR ENTIRELY 'CAUSE THEY'RE STILL USING PART OF SMO FOR THEIR LAY DOWN, UH, EQUIPMENT AND YARD THERE. UH, TODAY THEY ATTEMPTED TO, WELL NOT THEY ATTEMPTED, THEY ACTUALLY, UH, UH, UNLOADED THEIR, THEIR ALARMING OPERATIONS ON THE OPEN AREA, WHICH IS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE ROAD. BUT AT THAT, AFTER THEY JUST FINISHED UNLOADING THE LIME TRUCKS, UH, THE RINK CAME DOWN. SO IT'S QUITE A, QUITE A MESS RIGHT NOW. THEY WERE ABLE TO, UH, TURN ALL THAT, UH, MATERIAL IN THERE, ALL THAT, UH, EXCAVATION THERE. BUT IT'S STILL, IT'S STILL FLOODED. AND ON ERIC'S PROJECT THERE'S AT LEAST UH, TWO LIFT STATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PAINTED. OKAY. SO YOU'LL YEAH, I WAS GONNA COMMENT THE, THE, THE NEW UH, COLOR SCHEME IS GREAT. MUCH BETTER, MUCH, MUCH BETTER. THEY ALL LOOK LIKE THE REC CENTER. YEAH, IT LOOKS VERY NICE. HAVE WORK. THEY DON'T, THE THE THING I NOTICE ABOUT IS THEY DON'T, THEY LOOK NICE BUT THEY DON'T STICK OUT EITHER. YEAH. SO IT'S JUST, YEAH. SO I MEAN EXAMPLE IS THE ONE OVER THERE. LIFT STATION ONE IS, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS GOOD AND JUST TO GET 'EM ALL THE SAME COLOR WOULD BE GREAT. STANDARDIZATION IS GOOD. SOMETIMES . WE'LL TRY BEFORE YOU RETIRE. ANYTHING ELSE? ANYTHING ELSE FOR S THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WE'LL [ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST ] MOVE ON TO ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST. UH, WE'LL START WITH MR. BAKER. NO SIR. MS. SETH. I'D LIKE TO COMPLIMENT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. WE ALL WENT TO OUR WHOLE FAMILY IN THE VARIOUS STAGES. WENT TO THE FLASHLIGHT EASTER EGG HUNT AND THE LITTLE KIDS ONE. IT WAS SUPER WELL ORGANIZED, REALLY WELL DONE. AND WE HAD A LOT OF FUN. SO GREAT JOB. AND I DID WIN A YETI CUP. [01:45:01] NO, NO, NOT A YETI CUP. STANLEY. STANLEY. I'VE WON NOTHING FOR THREE YEARS, ROBIN. I GO, I GOT A GOLD TICKET. GOT A GOLD TICKET. BUT WE HAVE FUN. NO, ME AND RHONDA DIDN'T HAVE FUN. WE ONLY RAN A COUPLE FEET AND THE EGGS WAS GONE. THERE WAS GONE. WE WAS BOTH OUT OF BREAD. WE WAS LOOKING FOR E-M-S-E-M-S COUNCIL BAKER, WHERE'S THE OXYGEN TAKE? . SHE WAS, WAS HOLDING ME UP AND I WAS HOLDING UP. IT WAS REALLY WELL ORGANIZED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEAH, PASS TRAFFIC WAS GOOD. EVERYTHING JUST BROUGHT US SHORT TIMER. NO, NOTHING FOR ME. IT'S ALL GOOD. WHICH WAS NIA? UH, JUST A COUPLE ITEMS. UH, ON 2 88 THE UH, NO ENGINE BRAKE SIGN IS STILL NOT GOING ON THERE. THEY PUT BRAND NEW SIGNS THAT SAYS THE BRIDGE MAY FREEZE AND THE WEATHER, WHICH WILL NOT BE NEEDED FOR ANOTHER SIX MONTHS. BUT THEY CAN'T GET THE, AND PEOPLE NORTHWOOD ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT. YEAH. WE CAN'T GET, UH, EXIT SIGNS EITHER PUT UP THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE GROUND FOR GOING ON TWO YEARS NOW THAT HAVE BEEN LAYING OUT THERE ON 3 32. ALSO AROUND THE CITY. UH, EITHER THE MOORES OR THE WIND HAS BEEN KNOCKING DOWN THE STREET SIGNS. UH, THEY'RE KIND OF LEANING AND LOOK KIND OF TACKY OF WHERE, UM, TAKE YOUR PICTURE IN SEVERAL PLACES. SEVERAL PLACES. SEVERAL PLACES. THAT REMINDS ME THAT THERE'S ONE ON, IS IT FLAG LAKE DRIVE AT THE FEEDER ROAD THERE. IT'S LIKE STOP SIGN STOP. THANK YOU. STOP SIGN. BUT IT'S LIKE MAYBE TEMPORARY NOW AND IT'S NEVER, IT WAS KNOCKED DOWN AND THEY NEVER KNOCKED DOWN. NEVER GOT PUT BACK UP. AND THEN IT'S, AND IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME WHERE, AND THEN IT WAS LIKE A FLAG LAKE. YES. WHERE THE FLAG LAKE RIGHT BEHIND THE BANK. YEAH, RIGHT BEHIND THE BANK AT THAT CORNER OF THE FEEDER ROAD THERE BY THE SHELL STATION. ALREADY. SHELL STATION RIGHT THERE. ERIC, IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN PUT UP? I MEAN THAT'S NOT OUR STOP SIGN. THAT'S THOSE, THOSE ARE TDOT SIGNS. BUT THEN IT WAS LIKE A TEMPORARY SIGN AND IT, I THINK IT'S LIKE CLOTH MADE OUTTA CLOTH OR SOMETHING THAT AIN'T GOT BLOWN DOWN AND IT'S NOT UP ANYMORE. AND WE'LL, WE'LL GO LOOK AT IT. OKAY. JUST TEX DOT JUST NEEDS TO DRIVE DOWN. THREE 30. TWO TWO. WE'VE ASKED THEM. WELL THEY DID. I MEAN THEY, THEY DID ABOUT A MONTH AGO WE ASKED THEM TO COME OUT AND THEY SAID, UH, WE'RE EVALUATING. THEY SAID IT, I GOT THE FEELING THAT IT GOT PUSHED BACK AND SO THEIR SIGN CREW WAS COMING OUT TO LOOK AT IT AND I'VE EVEN OFFERED TO SEND THEM PICTURES, UH, OF SHOWING WHERE THE LOCATIONS ARE. UM, BUT THEY SAID NO. THEY'VE HAD IT UNDER CONTROL THAT THEY WERE IDENTIFYING EVERYTHING WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE. WE'LL, I'D HATE TO SEE IT OUT. CONTROL . OKAY. THE OTHER THING WAS, I'VE MENTIONED TO MR. WINDOW THAT, UH, THESE AMAZON TRUCKS AND UPS TRUCKS ARE PARKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND GOING, DELIVERING PACKAGES, BLOCKING TRAFFIC, DOWNTOWN, RESIDENTIAL STREETS. THERE OUGHT TO BE SOME RULES THEY NEED TO AT LEAST PULL UP TO THE CURB OR IN A PARKING SPOT BEFORE THEY JUST LEAVE THEIR VEHICLE AND GO DELIVER PACKAGES. DON'T GIVE MY AMAZON DRIVERS A HARD TIME. YOU WANT THESE PACKAGES OR NOT? I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING, . I WAS LIKE, WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING, IT'S FINE. YEAH, DOWNTOWN'S A TOUGH ONE. THEY'RE ONLY THERE FOR 15 SECONDS. DOWNTOWN'S A TOUGH ONE. I MEAN, WE TRIED TO IDENTIFY AS MUCH AS WE COULD, YOU KNOW, FOR DELIVERY OF, YOU KNOW, BEER TRUCKS AND FOOD TRUCKS AND YOU KNOW, THE DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS TRIED TO SCHEDULE, THEY, THEY USUALLY TRY TO SCHEDULE THOSE TRUCKS OUTSIDE OF BUSINESS HOURS. 'CAUSE THEY DON'T INTERRUPT THEIR CUSTOMERS. THEY, THEY TRUCK FOR EXAMPLE, ON CIRCLE WAY AND, UH, THAT WAY. YEAH, YEAH THIS WAY. I'M SORRY. YOU HAVE THOSE BUSINESSES RIGHT THERE AND THEY PARK RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE. SO TRAFFIC FROM ALL, EVERYBODY'S COMING ALONG AND IT'S JUST GETTING NOWHERE TO GO. IT'S JUST THEY'RE BLOCKING THE INTERSECTION. THEY'RE BLOCKING. NO INTERSECTION. INTERSECTION. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD. I DON'T CARE EITHER. BUT WHEN THEY START BLOCKING INTERSECTIONS, THEN THERE'S A PROBLEM. SORRY. OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE TODAY? NO, SIR. THAT'S IT. MR. ELL? YES SIR. I GOT TO THANK, UH, SAL AND DAVE. I HAD A CALL FROM RESIDENTIAL PERSON WITH A PROBLEM ON THE RESIDENCE AND I TALKED TO THEM AND THEY TOOK CARE OF IT VERY, VERY FAST. THE NEIGHBOR PERSON APPRECIATES IT ALSO. WHEN'S THE EARLY VOTE TO START? TOMORROW. TOMORROW. TOMORROW MORNING. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. YEAH. YEAH. THANK YOU GUYS. DON'T APPRECIATE, DON'T FORGET THE VOTE. DON'T FORGET THE VOTE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL THAT HIT ONE OF MINE. VOTING STARTS TOMORROW. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WAS THE COLOR SCHEMES ON THE PUMP STATIONS AND STUFF. LOOKS GREAT. UH, THE OTHER THING IS, I MENTIONED IT TO DAY AT WORKSHOP, BUT AGAIN, JUST, UH, ALL THE WORK THAT, UH, ROBIN'S BEEN DOING AND HER CREW ON, UH, REMOVING STUMPS, IT'S REALLY MAKING FOREST STREET DRY STARTING TO LOOK A LOT BETTER. AND, UH, EVEN DUNBAR'S LOOKING [01:50:01] GOOD WITH THE STUMPS, UH, DISAPPEARING. SO, UH, I KNOW IT'S, IT'S A LONG DRAWN OUT PROCESS AND, UH, ANYWAY, JUST APPRECIATE CONTINUING TO WORK. SO. ALRIGHT. UM, THAT STILL THE NAME OF YOUR STAFF? UH, NO, I THINK, UH, I WAS JUST GONNA REMIND ON THERE EARLY VOTING. THAT WAS IT. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GOOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYBODY. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.