[00:00:01]
THEY STILL WANT YOU TO SAY THIS PART.[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
GOOD EVENING.UH, WE'LL BEGIN TODAY'S MEETING.
UH, THIS IS THE MONDAY, AUGUST 18TH, 2025, UH, REGULAR SESSION OF THE LAKE JACKSON CITY COUNCIL AT 25 OAK DRIVE, UH, BEGINNING AT 6:30 PM AND, UH, WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE, UH, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE LED BY COUNCILWOMAN, UH, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE CITYWIDE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
CONSIDER BY FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL LUTHER JUSTICE, HONOR HONORANCE, THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER ONE.
THIS ENDING WILL BE GIVEN BY COUNCILMAN JOHN BAKER.
DEAR HEAVEN, FATHER, JUST THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL DAY THAT YOU BLESSED US TO SEE THE DAY THAT WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN.
DEAR HEAVEN, FATHER, JUST BE WITH US AS WE GET PREPARED TO, UH, HAVE THIS MEETING.
JUST BE WITH US TO MAKE POSITIVE SIGN DECISIONS FOR THIS GREAT CITY THAT WE LIVE IN.
BLESS OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT FIREFIGHTERS, EMS AS THEY TAKE CARE OF US ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND MOST CERTAINLY FATHERS JUST BE WITH US AS WE FINISH THIS MEETING AND GET US HOME SAFETY AND JESUS THING, WE PRAY.
UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE VISITOR COMMENTS.
IS THERE ANYONE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP FOR VISITOR COMMENTS OTHER THAN FOR SPECIFIC, UH, AGENDA ITEMS. SO, IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT HAS AN ITEM THEY WANT TO DISCUSS WITH COUNSEL THAT'S NOT ON EITHER THE CONSENT AGENDA OR REGULAR AGENDA, NOT CNA? WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, DECLARATION OF CONFLICT INTEREST AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL TO DECLARE IF THEY HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON ANY ITEM THAT IS LISTED AS, UH, AS CONSENT AGENDA OR REGULAR AGENDA.
DOES ANYBODY NEED TO DECLARE CONFLICT,
[CONSENT AGENDA]
NOT HEARING ANY? WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, UH, CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED, UH, AS ANYONE IN, UH, ON COUNCIL THAT WOULD LIKE TO PULL AN ITEM TO FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION, NOT HEARING ANY, UH, WE WILL, I'LL TAKE A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS UH, PRESENTED.MR. MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEMS ONE THROUGH SEVEN AS PRESENTED.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN SETH, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BAKER, MEAN BU.
I'LL SPLIT IT OUT IN A SECOND.
CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
[1. Public Hearing to consider the proposed FY 2025-2026 Annual Budget. – Modesto Mundo]
UM, MOVE ON TO, UH, REGULAR AGENDA.JOHN, JUST WANNA MAKE A NOTE ON THE REGULAR AGENDA.
ITEM SEVEN HAS BEEN REMOVED BY REQUEST OF, UH, VERIZON.
UH, THEY'LL COME BACK TO US ON A FUTURE DATE, UH, AND, UH, SO WE'LL SCHEDULE THAT WHENEVER THEY WANT TO COME BACK TO TALK TO US.
LET ME, I GOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF PAPERS I GOTTA READ.
WE HAVE, UH, OKAY, SO WE HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING CONSIDERING THE PER, UH, PROPOSED, UH, FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26 ANNUAL BUDGET.
THIS IS, OKAY, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED, BUT THIS ISN'T ACTUALLY THE PUBLIC HEARING PART.
THIS IS, THIS IS TALK ABOUT, THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE BUDGET, SO YOU HAVE TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE BUDGET.
UM, BUT THERE IS AN EXACT WORDING FOR THE TAX RATE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO I'LL OPEN A, WE'LL GO IN A PUBLIC HEARING AT 6 34.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS ON THE PROPOSED YEAR, 20 25, 20 26 ANNUAL BUDGET.
MAYOR COUNSEL, I'LL REVIEW, UH, UH, GO OVER, UH, THE, UH, BUDGET AS, UH, PROPOSED AND THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE.
OF COURSE, THE FIRST, THE BUDGET WAS PROPOSED IN, UH, JULY TO CITY COUNCIL.
THAT WAS WHEN IT WAS FIRST PRESENTED.
THEN YOU HAD A WORKSHOP ON, I BELIEVE, UH, JULY 19TH.
AND THEN YOU'VE HAD SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS AND MEETINGS AND GIVEN STAFF, UH, DIRECTION.
AND WE'VE MADE A FEW CHANGES, UH, SINCE THEN ON, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT, GOING INTO THE BUDGET, THE MAJOR PRIORITIES WERE OUR LONG-TERM CAPITAL CITY INFRASTRUCTURE, ESPECIALLY, UH, DRIVEN BY, UH, THE BOND ISSUE OCCURRING BY THE VOTERS IN, UH, 2025.
[00:05:01]
PROJECT THAT HAS NOT, THAT HAD NOT BEEN SOLD WAS A, UH, 2.4 MILLION FOR THE EXPANSION OF, OF THE PD.AND THAT'S BEEN, AND ALL OF THOSE ISSUES HAVE BEEN SOLVED, UH, THIS SUMMER, UH, OPENING THE NEW ANIMAL CONTROL FACILITY, UH, THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW, AND CONTINUE INVESTING IN RECRUITING OUR EMPLOYEES, UH, UH, FILLING OUR POSITION.
SO THOSE ARE THE THREE, THREE MAJOR BUDGET PRIORITIES GOING INTO THE BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, WE ARE PROPOSING A TAX RATE OF, UH, 3 7 8 9 CENTS.
IT IS 1.60 CENTS LESS THAN THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE OF, UH, 3 9 4 8 4 0.
WE HAVE A TRADITION OF ADVERTISING THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE BECAUSE ANY RATE THAT YOU, UH, SET, IF YOU SET A LOWER RATE, UM, AND GO INTO A PUBLIC HEARING, IF YOU WANTED TO INCREASE IT AT THAT TIME, YOU COULD NOT.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO REPOST AND HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS AGAIN.
SO WE HAVE A HISTORY OF, UH, ADVERTISING THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE, WHICH IS THE HIGHER RATE OF, UH, FOR US THIS YEAR.
UH, AGAIN, UH, WE'RE PROPOSING A TAX RATE OF 3 7 8 9.
THE PROPOSED TAX RATE IS 4.30 CENTS HIGHER THAN THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE OF 33 5 5.
THE 33 5 5 CENTS IS THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE.
THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE, UM, NEW DEBT THAT WAS ISSUED AND APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
IT IS TO GET THE SAME MONEY AS LAST YEAR FOR M AND O AND FOR, UH, DEBT.
UH, BUT IT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANY NEW DEBT.
UM, WE HAVE A HISTORY OF, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS ON THE GEO.
ALL OF OUR GEO DEBT HAS ALWAYS BEEN APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
SO OUR TAX RATE THIS YEAR THAT'S GOING UP IS ALL APPROVED, HAS ALL BEEN APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
UH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING A UTILITY RATE INCREASE OF $7 AND 23 CENTS A MONTH FOR 5,000 GALLONS.
THAT IS TO FUND OUR, UM, LIFT STATION ONE, WHICH 60%, 60 TO 65% OF THE FLOWS OF WASTEWATER GO THROUGH THAT LIFT STATION TO THE UTILITY PLANT.
THAT IS A $20 MILLION PROJECT.
IT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, UH, BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
UH, AND SO THAT IS A MAJOR PROJECT FOR US, AND THAT IS THE BULK OF THE INCREASE OUTSIDE OF INCREASE FOR OUR PURCHASE OF, UH, WATER.
THOSE ARE THE TWO PRI PRIMARY DRIVERS, UH, FOR THE INCREASE, UH, TO THE, UH, WATER AND SEWER RATE, RESIDENTIAL SANITATION RATE INCREASE OF A DOLLAR PER MONTH AT 28 50.
UH, THAT'S REFLECTING, UM, REALLY, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF LANDFILL INCREASE AND SALARY INCREASES, UH, FOR THAT.
UH, AND THEN THE COMMERCIAL SANITATION RATE OF 5%.
THAT'S FOR US TO GET BACK, UH, YOU KNOW, INTO THE MARKET WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE LOW, UH, WHAT WE'RE SHOWING ON SURVEYS LOW ON THE SANITATION RATE ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE.
UM, THE GENERAL FUND INCREASE IS A LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS THAT IS BEING FUNDED PRIMARILY FROM SALES TAX INCREASE AND THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT REVENUES.
UM, IT IS NOT BEING FUNDED BY A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY TAKING IN $200,000 LESS OR MORE THAN $200,000 LESS IN PROPERTY TAX NEXT YEAR FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION.
UH, AND AGAIN, 1.5 MILLION FOR UTILITY FUND INCREASE.
THE BULK OF THAT IS FOR THE $20 MILLION PROJECT FOR THE LIFT STATION.
WE HAVE A 4% MARKET ADJUSTMENT FOR ALL POSITIONS FROM OUR SURVEY, BUT WE ARE NOT GIVING MERIT INCREASES, UH, THIS YEAR, BUT WE ARE RECOGNIZING THAT.
AND, UH, THE POSSIBILITY OF ONE OR TWO DAYS OFF FOR, UH, MERIT INCREASE.
UH, THE ANIMAL CONTROL, UH, FACILITY, THAT'S A $242,000 INCREASE, UH, FOR OPERATIONS.
OUT OF THAT 171,000 IS FOR, UH, THREE NEW POSITIONS, UH, FOR THAT FACILITY.
UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 5.8 MILLION IN GRANT PROJECTS.
THE BIGGEST SHARE OF THAT IS FOR, UM, GENERATORS, UH, FOR OUR KEY EMERGENCY, UH, FACILITIES.
UM, UM, WE WERE, WE DID HAVE, UH, SOME SAVINGS, UH, IN THAT.
AND THAT, UH, WE DID RECEIVE A DONATION FROM CENTER POINT FOR, UH, THE CIVIC CENTER.
UH, SO THIS IS THE REC CENTER, UM, OUR TWO WATER DISTRIBUTION PLANTS.
AND ERIC, DO YOU REMEMBER THE, AND, AND CITY HALL? UH, WE HAVE 2.78 MILLION IN CASH, CIP PROJECTS FOR THE UTILITY AND THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, WE HISTORICALLY, IF WE HAVE ANY, UH, IF WE'VE MISSED ON REVENUE, UM, AND, UH, RECEIVED MORE REVENUE, UH, THAN WE, UH, BUDGETED FOR, THAT'S USUALLY SALES TAX OR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT TAX, AND ARE EXPENSES COME IN LOWER, WHICH IS USUALLY BASED ON TURNOVER.
WE SAVE THAT MONEY AND WE TRY TO DO AS MANY CASH, UH, CIP PROJECTS AS POSSIBLE ON BOTH, UH, BOTH THOSE.
[00:10:01]
AS MUCH DEBT AS WE CAN.SO IT, IT LESSENS THE, THE DEBT LOAD THAT WE DO.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE 40.4 MILLION IN NEW BOND PROJECTS.
20 MILLION OF THAT IS THE LIFT STATION.
6 MILLION OF THAT IS THE, UH, PUBLIC FACILITIES, UH, PUBLIC, UH, UH, FIRE STATION AND, UM, PD.
THEN THERE'S ANOTHER 2.4 MILLION, UM, IN THE 21 BOND ISSUE THAT WAS APPROVED FOR THE EXPANSION.
UH, 8 MILLION IN PANEL REPLACEMENTS FOR THOROUGHFARES, MAJOR THOROUGHFARES, NOT RESIDENTIAL STREETS, AND THEN 4 MILLION FOR DRAINAGE, UH, THAT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND THEN WE HAVE 1.9 MILLION CASH PROJECTS IN THE HALF SET FUND.
THE HALF SET FUND WAS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS IN 1995.
IT IS, UM, MONEY THAT'S LIKE, CAN ONLY BE USED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, OR PARKS AND RECREATION PROJECTS.
SO ALMOST ALL OF OUR PARKS AND RECREATION PROJECTS ARE FUNDED OUT OF THE, UH, HALF CENT BEFORE B FUND.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE GENERAL FUND, UH, REVENUE BREAKDOWN.
OUR PRIMARILY, UH, TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY IS SALES TAX.
SECOND IS INDUSTRIAL DI UH, THE DISTRICT IS 7.8 UH, MILLION.
AND THEN PROPERTY TAX IS OUR THIRD LARGEST SHARE OF 6.4 MILLION.
AGAIN, THAT IS DOWN FROM THIS CURRENT BUDGET YEAR.
FRANCHISE FEES IS FOR UTILITIES TO PAY FOR THE SPACE TO BE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND THEN MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE, OF COURSE, IS PARTS AND RECREATION, REVENUE, CIVIC CENTER REVENUE, UH, JUST, UH, MISCELLANEOUS FEES, PERMITS, UH, STUFF TO MAKE UP, UH, THE REMAINING, UH, 15%.
AGAIN, THE PRIMARY DRIVER FOR US, UH, FOR OUR COLLECTION IS, UH, SALES TAX.
AND SO YOU CAN TAKE A TYPICAL BREAKFAST.
THIS HAPPENED TO BE A BREAKFAST I HAD THE OTHER DAY.
AND YOU CAN SEE, UH, WHICH PAYING SALES TAX, UH, WE COLLECT IN THE, IN, IF YOU LIVE IN THE COUNTY, UM, IT'S 0.0825.
THE STATE GETS 25 CENTS OF THAT.
THE COUNTY GETS 2 CENTS, AND WE GET 6 CENTS.
UH, ONE PENNY, ONE OF, UM, UH, TWO THIRDS OF THAT GOES TO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THEN AS THE PARK REGISTRY, THE OTHER THIRD GOES TO THE FOUR B.
UH, SO FOR A TOTAL OF SALES TAX OF 33 CENTS, AGAIN, THIS IS OUR PRIMARY REVENUE.
WHEN WE WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT THE HALF CENT, UH, UH, YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE DOING THE STUDY, UM, WE ESTIMATED SOMEWHERE AROUND 65 TO 70% OF OUR SALES TAXES PAID BY NON-RESIDENTS.
UH, OUR MAJOR CITY INITIATIVES, AGAIN, IT'S REALLY THE BOND ISSUE.
THAT'S THE REASON FOR THE TAX INCREASE.
UH, AND AGAIN, I'VE TOUCHED ON THOSE, THE PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES, THE STREET PANEL REPLACEMENTS AND THE DRAINAGE.
UH, WE DID SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY BY ISSUING THE DEBT THIS SUMMER.
AS SOON AS THE VOTERS APPROVED IT IN THE PAST, WE HAD DONE PHASING, UM, AND, UH, TO TRY TO PHASE IN THAT TAX RATE, BUT, UM, TO LESSEN THE BURDEN.
BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING WE'VE HEARD FROM THE VOTERS, WHY ARE YOU TAKING SO LONG TO DO THE BOND PROJECT THAT I APPROVED? SO
PLUS WE GOT HIT IN THE REAR WITH, UM, UM, INFLATION
AND SO EVERY PROJECT HAS BEEN, UH, TIED ON THAT.
SO WE'VE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD DO THESE PROJECTS AS FAST AS WE CAN.
AND SO WE'VE ALREADY HAVE DONE OUR RFQ FOR ENGINEERING AND FOR ARCHITECTURE ON, UH, ON ALL THESE FACILITIES THAT ARE OUT RIGHT NOW.
AND THE OTHER ONE I TOUCHED ON WAS THE LIFT STATION NUMBER ONE THAT IS GETTING READY TO GO OUT FOR BID.
WE ARE IN THE FINAL PHASES OF THAT, UH, PREPARING THE BIDS ON THAT.
AND THEN THE ANIMAL CONTROL FACILITY, AGAIN, IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKOUT OF THAT.
THE THREE NEW POSITIONS OF 171, WE'VE HAD TO PURCHASE ANIMAL CAGES.
UH, THAT'S NOT IN THE BOND ISSUE.
THAT'S OUT OF, UH, CASH SAVINGS THAT WE'RE BUYING OUT OF THE CIP, UH, OUT OF THE OPERATIONAL COSTS.
UH, OUT OF THOSE, UH, YOU'LL SEE VETERINARY SER VETERINARIAN SERVICES ESTIMATED AT 40,000.
AND THEN AS ANIMAL RESCUE TRANSPORTATION, 50,000, THIS IS IN, IF, UH, WE ARE ABLE TO, UM, CONTRACT OUT WITH THE RESCUE GROUP MOST OF THE TIME.
UH, THEY HAVE EXPENSES, YOU KNOW, TO SHIP AN ANIMAL TO LET'S SAY WASHINGTON STATE.
WE'RE TRYING TO SEE IF WE CAN, UH, PICK UP THAT COST, UM, IF THEY HAVE, HAVE THAT COST BILLED TO US, UH, THAT THESE ARE THE HALF CENT RECREATION PROJECTS.
OUT OF THAT 1.9 MILLION, ABOUT 1.45 MILLION IS FOR THE RECREATION CENTER.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS, UH, THAT ARE BEING, UH, PULLED OUT OF THAT FOR LOCKER ROOM RENOVATIONS, UH, TO THE POOL DECK.
A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS WERE SCHEDULED FOR LAST YEAR, BUT WE, UH, DEFERRED THEM BECAUSE WE HAD TO REGROUP AND, UH, USE THE HALF SET TO DO A LOT OF REPAIRS FOR HURRICANE BARREL IN OUR PARK SYSTEM.
SO ALL THESE PROJECTS WERE SLATED FOR LAST YEAR, AND THEY WERE PUSHED OR DEFERRED UNTIL THIS YEAR.
[00:15:01]
AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, UH, THE REMAINING FOR, UM, PARKS PROJECTS AND A GOLF COURSE, AND I'M GONNA SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD.THESE ARE OUR CAPITAL CASH PROJECTS OUTTA THE CIP AND, UH, JOINT SEALANT, UH, TRAFFIC CONTROL CABINETS.
UM, THAT LOOKS MINOR, BUT WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO LAST YEAR WHEN WE INCREASED THE BUDGET, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO PUT $400,000 MORE IN THE OPERATING BUDGET FOR, UH, STREET MAINTENANCE.
AND SO A LOT OF THESE NOW ARE BEING FUNDED OUT OF THE OPERATIONAL.
AND THE HOPE IS EVENTUALLY WE WON'T HAVE TO DO IT SAVINGS, BUT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO SUPPLEMENT IT A LITTLE BIT.
AGAIN, THE, UH, ANIMAL CONTROL CAGES FENCING FOR THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, TO STORE A LOT OF, UH, THINGS WE HAVE FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
UM, AND THEN THE, YOU'LL SEE GENERATOR GRANT MATCH FACILITY MAINTENANCE.
AND THEN ON THE UTILITY FUND, YOU'LL SEE, UM, METER REPLACEMENTS, UM, AND EROSION, EROSION CONTROL AND OR THE PRIMARY, UH, EXPERIENTIAL FOR WATER.
AND THEN FOR LIFT, UH, MINOR COR CORROSION CONTROL AND LIFT STATION REPAIRS.
THOSE ARE USUALLY, I WOULD SAY THAT'S A NORMAL EXPENDITURE ON THE CAPITAL SIDE.
FOR THE WATER AND SEWER ANNUALLY, ABOUT 1.5 MILLION.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BUDGETED ON THE PROPOSED WATER RATES.
UH, THIS IS THE BREAKOUT, UH, FOR WATER AND SEWER ON THE BASE RATE.
AGAIN, UM, THE, UH, PRICE WOULD GO UP AROUND, UH, $7 AND, OH, I CAN'T REMEMBER NOW.
WHAT WAS IT? UH, IT WAS $7 AND 23 CENTS, 23 CENTS ON AN AVERAGE, UH, 5,000, UH, METER USAGE.
AND THAT'S, THAT, THAT IS OUR AVERAGE IN, IN THE CITY.
OUT OF THAT 5,000 GALLONS, WHEN YOU SEE YOUR TYPICAL WATER BILL, $25 OF IT GOES FOR CAPITAL REPLACEMENT.
UH, BILLING DEPARTMENT IS FOR, THAT'S FOR THE METER READERS AND THE, UH, LADIES IN THE UTILITY UTILITY DEPARTMENT.
WATER DISTRIBUTION IS THE WATER LINES AND EVERYTHING TO GET, UH, PUMPING AND STUFF, WATER TOWERS AND STUFF.
THE OPERATION THERE TREATING $15.
THE PURCHASE OF WATER IS $18 JUST FOR US TO BUY WATER FROM BWA ABOUT 50.
HOW MUCH, WHAT'S OUR BLEND ON WATER? BWA 50 50? 40, 60 40, 60 60%.
SO 40% IS BWA 60% IS WELL WATER, UM, ON THAT.
BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE TO, UM, WE BUY, UH, 2 MILLION GALLONS A A DAY FROM BWA.
AND SO THAT'S ABOUT OF YOUR BILL.
ABOUT $18 OF THAT IS JUST FOR US TO BUY WATER FROM BWA.
AND THEN WASTEWATER TREATMENT, OF COURSE, THAT'S THE MOST EXPENSIVE COMPONENT OF ANY, UH, WATER AND SEWER BILL, JUST FROM THE TREATMENT SIDE IS, UH, WASTEWATER TREATMENT.
UM, WE OFFSET THAT WITH EVERY, EVERY DROP THAT WE, UH, TREAT.
UH, IT GOES TO DOW CHEMICAL AND THEY PURCHASE THAT FROM US, HOW MUCH THEY PAY FOR THAT.
YOU CAN SEE WATER AND SEWER MONTHLY BILL FOR 5,000 GALLONS.
UH, THIS IS A COMPARISON OF EVERY COMMUNITY, UH, OVER, AT LEAST OVER 10,000.
AND THEN THE ONES IN BRAZORIA COUNTY THAT WE, UH, COMPARE TO.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE, UH, STACK UP.
THE PURPLE LINE BEHIND THAT IS, UH, THE LATE JACKSON SENIOR RATE, UH, SENIORS OVER 65, UM, CAN REQUEST, UH, A SENIOR EXEMPTION OR A SENIOR DISCOUNT.
$13 IS SUBTRACTED FROM, UH, THE MONTHLY BILL ON THAT.
SO THAT SHOWS WHERE, UH, THEY WOULD PAY, UH, FOR 5,000 IN GALLONS.
SO WE'RE STILL RIGHT CLOSE, CLOSE TO THE MIDDLE.
AND THIS IS COMPARING TO CURRENT RATES.
YOU KNOW, IF ANYTHING, THIS IS WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF OUR COSTS WILL HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OF US.
UH, THE INVESTMENT IN WATER AND SEWER HAS GOTTEN QUITE EXPENSIVE.
SO, UM, THIS IS, UH, WHERE MOST OF OUR INCREASE WILL OCCUR OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
GARBAGE RATE COMPARISON, WE'RE SLIGHTLY IN THE HIGH QUARTILE.
UH, THAT'S BECAUSE WE ARE NOT PRIVATE, WE'RE NOT PRIVATIZED, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A EXCELLENT, UH, SERVICE, UH, FOR THAT VERSUS THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
IF YOU HAVE A, IF YOU SEE IT ON THE LOWER SIDE, IT'S MOST, MOST LIKELY THEY DO HAVE, UM, A, A PRIVATE SERVICE.
ABOUT HALF OF THOSE ARE, UH, CITY HALF IS PRIVATIZED, UM, MORE, A LITTLE MORE THAN HALF THE RATE.
I WOULD SAY 55% OF THAT OF OUR RATE IS FOR LARGE TRASH.
LARGE TRASH DRIVES THE RATE, UH, ON THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE LANDFILL FEE, WHICH WE DO NOT CONTROL.
UH, SO WE HAVE TO PAY LANDFILL FEES.
MOST OF THESE ON THE LEFT SIDE, WHICH ARE LOWER RATES, DO NOT DO HEAVY TRASH.
[00:20:01]
THAT'S PROBABLY TRUE.I, I, WE HAVEN'T CHECKED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY DO IN, UH, HEAVY TRASH.
BUT, UM, UM, LIKELY WE HAVE A VERY GENEROUS SERVICE.
AND WE ALSO OFFER A CONVENIENCE, UH, CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE CENTER WITH A LOT, WHICH A LOT OF CITIES DO NOT OFFER.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE MOVE FROM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A LIMITATION OF FOUR CUBIC YARDS, UH, WHICH IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PICKUP LOAD.
UH, WE'RE PROPOSING TO GO TO 10 CUBIC YARDS, UH, FOR THAT BECAUSE THE AMOUNT THAT WE BILL FOR ANYBODY OVER WINDS UP TO BE $30,000, WHICH IS REALLY INEFFICIENT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GO OUT AND MEASURE IT.
THE DRIVER SAYS THERE'S A LARGE LOAD WE HAVE TO GO OUT MEASUREMENT AND THEN BILL THE CUSTOMER AND GIVE THEM THREE DAYS, UH, TO DECIDE IF THEY WANT US TO PICK IT UP OR IF THEY WANT TO TAKE IT OUT OR MOVE IT.
AND IT JUST BECOMES, UH, A, A TASK.
AND THEN ALSO WE GET INTO ARGUMENTS OVER, YOU'VE MEASURED IT WRONG, AND WE THINK, UH, OVERALL WE COULD COVER ABOUT 90% OF THAT IF WE MOVE IT UP TO 10 KI GUARDS, UM, AND GET OUT OF THE, UM, HASSLING, UH, WITH A RESIDENT ARGUING OVER, YOU KNOW, ONE OR TWO CUBIC YARDS AND ABSORB THAT INTO, INTO THE RATE THAT IS IT ON THE BUDGET.
OKAY, AGAIN, THIS IS PUBLIC HEARING, SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO, UH, ADDRESS COUNSEL ON, UH, THE ANNUAL BUDGET AS PRESENTED BY THE CITY MANAGERS.
NOW, OKAY, LET'S CE AT THIS TIME.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 6 52.
NOW I GET TO READ MY LITTLE NOTE HERE.
[2. This is a Public Hearing on the property tax rate of $0.394840 (per $100), which would increase taxes above the no-new-revenue rate by 17.66% for the City of Lake Jackson Fiscal Year 2025-2026.- Modesto Mundo]
OKAY, I AM NUMBER TWO.THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING OF THE PROPERTY TAX RATE OF 0.3 9 4 8 4 0 PER HUNDRED, WHICH, UH, WOULD INCREASE TAX TAXES ABOVE THE NON-NEW REVENUE RATE BY 17.66% FOR THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26.
UM, AS I'VE MENTIONED, WE ADVERTISED THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST RATE, UH, THIS YEAR FOR US.
UM, BUT IT IS NOT THE RATE THAT I AM RECOMMENDING.
UM, AND CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? UH, SO YOU CAN SEE THIS IS WHAT IT'S ADVERTISED.
UM, WHAT I WILL NOTE IS THE AVERAGE HOMESTEAD TAXABLE VALUE, UM, HAS INCREASED.
UH, LAST YEAR OUR AVERAGE VALUE WAS 2 9300.
THIS YEAR, IT'S ESTIMATED AT 2 9 2 8 22.
THESE ARE RATES THAT WE GET FROM THE APPRAISAL, UH, APPRAISAL DISTRICT, UH, TAX ON THE AVERAGE HOMESTEAD, UH, BASED ON, UH, THIS, UH, WOULD BE 9 46 17.
AND THEN IF THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE WAS ADOPTED, IT'D BE, UH, 1 MILLION, UH, 1,001,156, UH, DOLLARS.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL TAX LEVY ON ALL PROPERTIES.
THIS IS HOW MUCH, UH, WE WOULD COLLECT IF THAT, UH, RATE IS ADOPTED.
AND OF COURSE, THE TAX RATE IS MADE UP OF TWO RATES, THE M AND O RATE, WHICH THE COUNCIL VOTES ON, AND THE INS RATE, WHICH IS DEBT, WHICH IS IN ESSENCE, WHICH IS, UH, VOTED ON BY THE, UH, THE VOTERS, WHICH IS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
THIS YEAR, WE HAD A, UH, STRANGE, UH, ITEM.
WE HAD CERTIFIED VALUES ACTUALLY GO DOWN, UH, ALMOST $81 MILLION.
AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE DROPS ARE.
THE CITY TAX RATE IS BASED ON ONE NUMBER.
UH, IT'S NOT BASED ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF INDI INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY.
IT'S BASED ON THE TOTAL NUMBER, UH, OF 3.3 BILLION.
AND SINGLE FAMILY WENT OUT AND WENT DOWN FOUR, 4.8 OVER OVERALL.
UH, BUT YOU'LL SEE SOME PEOPLE'S TAX VALUE WILL GO UP AND OTHERS WILL GO DOWN, WE'LL GET ADJUSTED.
UM, MULTIFAMILY WENT DOWN 9.4 MILLION.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE ALMOST WENT DOWN 25 MILLION, AND THEN INDUSTRIAL WENT DOWN ALMOST 45 MILLION.
THAT'S THE, UH, BREAKUP THAT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE A LITTLE BIT 'CAUSE THERE'S STILL APPEALS, UH, GOING ON, BUT I THINK THAT'LL PROBABLY BE PRETTY MUCH, UH, THAT'LL, THAT'S A MUCH TIGHTER NUMBER THIS YEAR THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR.
THIS YEAR THERE'S $90 MILLION WORTH OF PROPERTY BEING APPEALED.
LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME IT WAS 356 MILLION.
SO THIS NUMBER'S A LOT TIGHTER.
UH, THIS IS THE DIFFERENT TAX RATE SCENARIOS.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE FAR LEFT, OUR TAX RATE IS 0.3 2 5 9 2 9 CURRENTLY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKOUT AND THE M AND O RATE.
[00:25:01]
OUR MILLO RATE, REMEMBER THIS RATE, IT'S 0.208964.OUR DEBT RATE IS 11 6 9, AND THAT'S OUR TOTAL RATE.
THE ESTIMATED TAX IS 9 46 BASED ON THAT AVERAGE TAXABLE VALUE.
AND THIS IS HOW MUCH M AND O REVENUE THAT WE ARE GETTING THIS YEAR, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN WHAT WE BUDGETED BECAUSE WE DID NOT ESTIMATE THAT MUCH, THAT MUCH BECAUSE THERE WERE STILL SO MANY APPEALS OUT.
SO WE HAD A LOT LESS BUDGETED IN THERE THIS YEAR THAN NO NEW REVENUE RATE.
BASED ON THE AVERAGE HOME, IT WOULD SAY FOR US TO COLLECT THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY THE M AND O RATE WOULD NEED TO INCREASE.
THAT'S BECAUSE THERE WAS A $80 MILLION DROP IN VALUES.
SO IF THE VALUES DROP, THE TAX RATE GOES UP TO COLLECT THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY.
IF VALUES GO UP, THE TAX RATE DROPS, UH, STUFF, IT'S THE TRUTH AND TAXATION, IT HAS TO ADJUST.
ONE OTHER WAY IS JUST TRYING TO GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND SO YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE INS RATE WOULD HAVE TO GO UP, UH, AS WELL TO COLLECT THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY.
BUT THAT IS THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY TO APPROVE EXISTING DEBT, NOT NEW DEBT, UH, AND STUFF.
SO THE TRUE, THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS TO IS, WOULD BE, WOULD HAVE TO BE HIGHER TO COLLECT THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR OPERATIONS AND THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY TO PAY OFF EXISTING DEBT, BUT NOT NEW DEBT THAT WAS JUST APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE IS THE HIGHEST WE CAN GO, WHICH IS A 3.5% INCREASE IN REVENUE, NOT THE TAX RATE.
WHEN YOU HEAR THREE AND A HALF, YOUR CITIES ARE CAPPED AT THREE AND HALF PERCENT.
IT'S, IT'S THREE AND A HALF PERCENT OF REVENUE FOR THE M AND O.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE INS RATE, WHICH IS THE DEBT.
SO HERE'S WHAT IT WOULD NEED TO BE IF WE, HAD WE NOT GOTTEN ANY DEBT APPROVED BY THE VOTERS, THIS IS WHAT IT HAS TO GO TO TO PAY FOR THE NEW BONDS.
THE CHANGE FROM THE NEW RATE IS 0.0628.
AND THIS WOULD SHOW THE ADDITION OF MORE M AND O RATE.
AND INSI AM PROPOSING TO MAINTAIN THE M AND O RATE AT THE SAME LEVEL, WHICH MEANS THAT WE ARE GOING TO COLLECT ALMOST A LITTLE MORE THAN A LITTLE LESS THAN $200,000 PER YEAR.
THE INS RATE HAS TO STAY THE SAME.
THE COUNCIL CANNOT CHANGE THIS RATE.
THE COUNCIL CAN ONLY VOTE ON THIS, ON THIS RATE.
BY PROPOSING THIS, WE'RE GONNA COLLECT $200,000 IN LESS REVENUE.
IN ESSENCE, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS BECAUSE APPEALS CAME IN LATER AND WE NEVER U WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE GONNA GET THAT, WE'RE TURNING IT BACK.
WE'RE USING THAT TO OFFSET THE DEBT APPROVED BY THE VOTERS TO KEEP THE RATE DOWN AND STUFF.
AND NOT USING IT FOR OPERATIONS.
WE WEREN'T GONNA USE IT FOR OPERATIONS.
SO WE HOLD IT REST AND WE JUST TAKE IN $200,000.
SO WE'RE PAYING THE FIRST YEAR OF DEBT, OF THE NEW DEBT.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING? WE'RE PAYING IT FOREVER.
IT JUST, WE WE'RE THAT 200,000 THAT WE COULD KEEP ON THE M AND O, IT'S GETTING APPLIED TO THE, THE, THE DEBT, THE DEBT SIDE.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO ARE TAKING IT A LITTLE BIT ON THE CHIN OF, FROM WHAT WE BUDGETED ABOUT $21,000 LESS.
AND WE'VE UPPED OUR ESTIMATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE SALES TAX SIDE TO OFFSET THAT DIFFERENCE.
AND WE ALSO REALIZED OUR REBATE TO DOW CHEMICAL FOR THE THREE 80 AGREEMENT WAS A LITTLE HIGH, WAS 15 50,000 HIGH.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO ABSORB 71,000 BY THOSE TWO BUDGET CHANGES ON THEIRS.
SO OUT OF THE TOTAL TAX RATE, WE'RE RECOMMENDING 3, 7, 8, 9.
THAT IS 4.30 CENTS HIGHER THAN IF WE DID THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE.
AND THAT IS VERY CLOSE TO WHAT WE TOLD THE VOTERS.
WHEN WE SENT, WHEN WE TOOK THE BUDGET, WE SAID WE WOULD BE 4.20 CENTS HIGHER, SO WE'RE SLIGHTLY OFF.
THE ESTIMATED TAX WOULD BE ONE POINT, UH, 1 MILLION.
I KEEP ON SAYING 1 MILLION, 1 MILLION, $1,110 FOR AN AVERAGE HOME.
AND THERE'S THE RATE DIFFERENCE BASED ON IT'S THIS NUMBER VERSUS THIS NUMBER, WHICH I SAY THIS IS THE, TO GET YOU TO TALL, UM, FOR LAST YEAR.
AND THEN THE M AND O RATE, YOU CAN SEE THIS IS FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION, WHAT WE'RE COLLECT, WHAT WE ESTIMATE, WHAT WE'LL COLLECT.
AND IT'S ABOUT $210,000 LESS THAN, UH, LAST YEAR THAN THIS CURRENT YEAR.
ANNIE, YOU WANNA GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE WHERE I CAN EXHAUST EVERYBODY ON THE TAX RATE
[00:30:01]
REGIONALLY, HERE IS WHERE WE COMPARE ON THE TAX RATE.UH, THIS IS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
THIS IS THE RATE THAT I'M RECOMMENDING TO COUNCIL ON THE, UH, PROPOSED RATE.
HERE'S HOW WE STACK IN COMPARISON TO SURROUNDING CITIES.
THERE ARE A FEW CITIES THAT ARE SMALLER.
SOME OF THE GROWING CITIES, UH, IOWA COLONY AND MANVILLE.
I WOULD SAY THAT THEIR TAX RATES WILL START TO DECLINE AS THEY PUT NEW VALUE ON THE GROUND.
UH, SO YOU'LL START TO SEE THEIR, THEIR TAX RATES, UH, GO DOWN AND ANGLETON ALSO AS WELL.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING BECAUSE, UH, IT'S ALWAYS THE TAX RATE, BUT IT'S ALSO TIED TO YOUR VALUES, UH, OF YOUR HOME.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT, UH, THE TAX BILL.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS HOW WE COMPARE ON A TAX BILL FOR A $300,000 HOME.
AND YOU CAN SEE NEXT YEAR, UH, WE'RE PROPOSING ON A $300,000 HOME, 1,137, UH, DOLLARS.
SO WE ARE STILL, UH, CLUED IF THEY MAINTAIN THEIR CURRENT TAX RATE WOULD BE SLIGHTLY UNDER US, UH, FOR A HOME.
BUT WE'D BE SLIGHTLY UNDER THIS, UH, BAR SHOWS WHAT YOU WOULD PAY AS A, AS A SENIOR, AND THIS INCLUDES ANY EXEMPTIONS AND HOMESTEADS AND STUFF.
SO YOU CAN SEE ACTUALLY WHAT YOU WOULD PAY IF YOU LIVED IN THOSE OTHER CITIES ON, ON A PROPERTY TAX BILL IF YOU OWNED A HOME FOR $300,000.
AND THEN WE ALSO INCLUDED, UM, BECAUSE THE OVERLAPPING TAX DISTRICTS OF THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY HAS TWO TAXES.
THEY'RE BOTH INCLUDED IN THIS ONE, THE BRODEN BRIDGE AND THEIR TAX AND THEIR REGULAR TAX RATE.
VELASCO, THE COLLEGE AND BISD.
AND THAT'S A, I THINK THAT'S LAST, THAT'S A QUICK RUNDOWN OF THE TAX RATE.
OKAY? AGAIN, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, AND SO THERE'S ANY, UH, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS, THE TAX RATE THAT IS BEING PROPOSED BY THE CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDED BY CA? ANY DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL? NO, SIR.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 7 0 2.
[3. Discuss and consider Resolution No. 990 adopting the FY 2025-2026 Annual Budget. – Modesto Mundo ]
RIGHT.UH, WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER THREE IS DISCUSS AND CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 9 9 0, ADOPTING THE FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26 ANNUAL BUDGET.
UH, THIS IS RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON, TEXAS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BEGINNING OCTOBER ONE TO, UH, 2025 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026.
ALRIGHT, ANY DISCUSSION WITH COUNSEL? UH, JUST ONE COMMENT THAT IS, OUR BUDGET IS PROBABLY THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE DO.
UM, IT HAS THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON EACH PERSON.
UM, I KNOW THIS PARTICULAR COUNCIL, WE WERE WANTING TO BE VERY AGGRESSIVE ABOUT RUNNING A LIEN BUDGET AND FOCUSING ON INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND TO ALL THE STAFF.
UH, THIS PROCESS STARTS MONTHS AND MONTHS AGO.
UM, MODESTO, AND THEN ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.
YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A REALLY EXTRAORDINARY JOB.
UH, WE ASK YOU, YOU CAME TO US WITH A LIEN BUDGET AND THEN WE ASKED YOU TO GO AND GIVE US A LIEN OR BUDGET.
UM, YOU GUYS ALWAYS FIND WAYS TO DO THAT AND MAKE THE DOLLAR STRETCH.
SO, UM, I THINK THIS IS A, A GOOD BUDGET.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS FOR DOING THAT.
MODESTO, YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN OF KEEPING OUR M AND O RIGHT, UM, TO WHERE WE CAN GET THESE PROJECTS DONE THAT THE CITIZENS WANT DONE, UM, I THINK IS, IS A GOOD STRATEGY.
I LOST A LOT OF SLEEP OVER THE WEEKEND WHEN WE GOT THE VALUES.
OKAY, THERE NO OTHER FURTHER DISCUSSION.
SO WE HAVE, UH, WE'LL TAKE, UH, A VOTE ON, UH, RESOLUTION 9, 9 0.
WE'LL SEE, JUST YOU MAKE THAT OFFICIAL MOTION WITH THE LANGUAGE.
[00:35:01]
THE, OKAY, MA'AM, I'LL MOVE TO, UH, ADOPT THE, UH, BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON, TEXAS FOR THE PHYSICAL YEAR.BEGAN OCTOBER THE FIRST 2025, ENDING IN SEPTEMBER, THE 30, 20 26.
OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN BAKER.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN A FAVOR, SAY AYE.
[4. Consider ratifying the property tax rate increase of 12.92% as reflected in the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget. – Modesto Mundo]
FOUR, CONSIDER RATIFYING THE PROPERTY TAX RATE OF, UH, 12.92% AS RATIFIED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26.ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? NOW, JUST SOME CLARIFICATION, MODESTO, ON THIS ITEM, THIS IS JUST US SAYING WE RECEIVED THE JULY 25TH APPRAISALS FROM THE DISTRICT, AND THAT'S THE NUMBER WE'RE RING TO.
YEAH, THIS IS, UH, YOU'RE REALLY CER YOU'RE RATIFYING THE INCREASE IN THE RATE.
AND THE NEXT ONE YOU'LL SET THE RATE, YOU'LL SET THE RATE.
THAT'S, SO YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY STATING HERE'S WHAT THE RATE INCREASE IS FROM THE, UH, CURRENT RATE FROM THE NUMBERS THEY GAVE US.
IT'S A LOT OF WORK TO GET TO A POINT.
NOW, UH, JUST BECAUSE I HAVE A GENTLEMAN THAT HAD REQUESTED TO DISCUSS AND HE STEPPED OUT AND HE WENT TO THE RESTROOM AND HE HAS NOT COME OUT AND, UH, JUST WANNA OFFER UP THE OPPORTUNITY FOR IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO SPEAK.
YOU WANNA CHECK ON HIM, SAL? I DON'T WANT TO CREATE A PROBLEM LATER ON IF HE'S STILL HERE.
I SAW HIM WALK AWAY, WALK TO THE RESTROOM.
I DIDN'T SEE HIM COME OUT, SO YEAH, HE WALKED TO THE LEFT.
YEAH, NO, HE LEFT THE RESTROOM A WHILE.
SO WE'RE AT, UH, ITEM FOUR STILL, CORRECT? YES.
ALRIGHT, SO I NEED TO, UH, TAKE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RATIFY THE PROPERTY TAXES INCREASE OF 12.92% REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET OF THE FISCAL YEAR OF 2025 AND 2026.
ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL BAKER, I WILL SECOND.
ALRIGHT, COUNCILMAN SCHOOLER SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[5. Discuss and consider the first and final reading of Ordinance No. 2306 to adopt the proposed tax rate of $0.378911. – Modesto Mundo]
OKAY.NOW ITEM FIVE, THIS IS TO ITEM FIVE IS THIS IS TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER THE FIRST AND FINAL READING OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 2 3 0 6 TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.3 7 8 9 1 1.
SO I'M GONNA READ THE ORDINANCE, I GUESS THOUGHT I HAD, WE NEED TO, UH, CHANGE THE FIRST READING AND THE SECOND ONE.
YEAH, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND TAKE A MOTION.
WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THAT MOTION TO SUSPEND RULES.
ANYBODY WANNA MAKE THAT MOTION? MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES FOR FIRST AND SECOND READING.
SECOND BY COUNCILMAN SCHOOLER.
ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, NOW WE HAVE THE, UH, RESOLUTION OR THE WITNESS.
THIS IS AN ORDINANCE LE THE AVALOR TAX OF THE CITY OF LAKE JACKSON, TEXAS, ON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY WITHIN THE LAW, WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF, UH, OF THE CITY, NOT EXEMPT BY LAW, PROVIDING REVENUES FOR PAYMENT OF CURRENT MUNICIPAL EXPENSES AND FOR INTEREST IN SINKING FUNDS ON OUTSTANDING CITY OF LAKE JACKSON BONDS PROVIDING FOR ENFORCEMENT OF COLLECTION, PROVIDING FOR A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE, AND PROVIDING THAT THE CHARTER RULE REQUIRING THAT THE ORDINANCE BE READ AT TWO SEPARATE, REGULAR MEANS BE SUSPENDED.
ALRIGHT, ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ORDINANCE FROM COUNSEL OR THE AUDIENCE? NOW I TAKE A MOTION ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
DO WE HAVE TO READ SOMETHING SPECIAL? I MOVE THE PROPERTY TAX RATE BE INCREASED BY THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE OF 0.3 7 8 9 1 1, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 12.92% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE.
[00:40:02]
OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN SETH.I HAVE A SAYING BY COUNCILMAN BAKER.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? COUNSEL? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[6. Discuss and consider the request from BISD to implement a proposed stacking lane adjustment for Rasco Middle School. – Eric Wilson]
WE'RE MOVING ON TO ITEM SIX.DISCUSS AND CONSIDER THE REQUEST FOR BISD TO IMPLEMENT BISD TO IMPLEMENT A PROPOSED, UH, STACKING LANE ADJUSTMENT FOR RASCO MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I THINK WE HAVE CHIEF MORROW HERE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION TO YOU.
UH, CITY COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE THIS EVENING.
I, UH, APOLOGIZE FOR MY ADDRESS.
I HAVE A SUIT OUT IN THE CAR, BUT MY DAY WENT SOUTH WHEN I GOT THROUGH DIRECTING TRAFFIC AT RASCOE, SO I DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE IT.
SO WHAT I WANT TO KIND OF PROPOSE TO YOU IS THE, UH, NEW STACKING LANES PROPOSAL THAT WE'RE, UH, REQUESTING FOR RASCOE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, THE REQUEST IS APPROVAL OF TEMPORARY CLOSE IN NORTHBOUND LANES OF LAKE ROAD DURING, UH, DURING SCHOOL ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL.
AND WE SAY CLOSE, IT'S NOT FULLY CLOSED.
WE STILL ALLOW TRAFFIC THAT'S GOING THROUGH TO GO TO NORTHBOUND TOWARDS THE POST OFFICE TO ALLOW THEM TO GO THROUGH, BUT TO, IF WE GOT PARENTS THAT ARE TRYING TO PICK UP, WE'RE REDIRECTING THEM TO THE NEW PROCESS THAT WE WANT THEM TO PICK UP THEIR CHILDREN.
IS THAT THE ONE BEHIND THE SCHOOL THAT JUST GOT COMPLETED? YES SIR, IT IS.
SO, AND THE TIMES YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS FROM 7:30 AM TO 8:00 AM AND THEN FROM 3:45 PM TO 4:15 PM UH, AND OUR, OUR, UH, PROPOSAL OR PURPOSE FOR DOING THIS IS ONE IS TO IMPROVE STUDENT AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IN THE AREA, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE.
STREAMLINE THE PARENT DROP OFF AND PICK UP PROCESS VIA TRAFFIC CONTROL PROCESSES, REDUCE CONGESTION AND DRIVER CONFUSION AND MINIMIZE THE RISK NEAR SCHOOL CROSSWALKS AND ENTRANCES.
UH, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE.
AND OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AT BRADLEYS POINT INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IS PROTECT OUR, UH, STUDENTS AND TO ENSURE THEY GET TO SCHOOL SAFELY AND GET, UH, BACK TO THEIR PARENTS SUCH, UH, TO HAPPEN.
THIS, YOU KNOW, IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT THE FIRST TWO WEEKS THAT WE SET THE EXPECTATIONS WITH THE PARENTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PROCESS IS GOING TO BE AND IT'S CRITICALLY ESTABLISHED.
THE EXPECTATIONS ARE DROPPING THEIR STUDENTS OFF AT THE REC CENTER IS NOT A VIABLE SOLUTION.
WE WON'T HAVE A CROSSING GUARD THERE, WE WON'T HAVE STAFF THERE BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, BUDGET REDUCTIONS, YOU KNOW, ACROSS, YOU KNOW, THE US YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING TO TIGHTEN THE BELT AND, YOU KNOW, PARENTS DROPPING THEIR KIDS AND THEN HAVING THEM MANAGE A FOUR LANE ROAD AT 30 PLUS MILES AN HOUR AT THEIR AGE IS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IS, YOU KNOW, ALMOST CRIMINAL.
SO WHAT WE INTEND TO DO IS, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR ANY UNFORESEEN PROCESSES IN OUR PROPOSAL.
AND ON DAY ONE, WE FOUND EVERY UNFORESEEN PROPOSAL WE COULD PROBABLY FOUND.
AND WE'VE, UH, INSTITUTED THINGS TO TRY AND CRITIQUE THAT.
UH, WE HAVE DRONE FOOTAGE THAT, UH, WE WILL GET TO.
CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND DE DETAILED MAPS OF DRONE FOOTAGE IS ON, ON BEHALF OF THE CHIEF HERE.
AND HIS STAFF WENT OUT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, DID A DRONE FOOTAGE FOR US SO WE CAN SEE IT.
AND WE'RE RECOMMENDING A NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN WHEN YOU SEE, SO THE NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN IS ITEM A.
AND WHEN THEY DID THE ORIGINAL TRAFFIC STUDY ON THIS, THEY DID IT WHEN THERE WAS A PEAK STUDY OF ABOUT 67 VEHICLES, BUT THAT THE STACKING LANE CAN HOLD 133 VEHICLES, GET THEM OFF THE ROADWAY ONTO OUR PROPERTY BEHIND THE SCHOOL WHERE THEY STAGE TO EITHER DROP OFF THEIR KIDS AND PICK THEM UP.
CAN YOU GET A POINT OF, THERE'S A POINT THERE.
POINT POINT, THERE'S A POINT OF THE, AND YOU SAID STACKING LANE.
CAN YOU THE OTHER PANEL CLARIFY WHAT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHERE THE STACKING LANE? OH, THE FANCY STUFF.
CAN YOU SHOW ME HOW THAT, OH, THIS ONE? WE LY NOT THAT ADVANCED.
SO THE NEW STACKING LANE IS THIS IS, UH, IF YOU'RE COMING OFF OF OAK, MAKING A LEFT ONTO LAKE, AS SOON AS YOU GET THAT LEFT HAND TURN, YOU GET IN A LEFT HAND LANE AND THERE THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE STACKING LANE, WHICH IS STACKING LANE A.
AND THEN THOSE CARS MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN ONTO THE STACKING LANE AND THEN PROGRESS ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE SCHOOL WHERE THEY WILL THEN DROP THEIR STUDENTS OFF RIGHT HERE NEXT TO THE GYMNASIUM.
SO THAT'S REPLACING THE OLD STACKING LANE THAT USED TO BE IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.
AND USED TO BE ON THE BUSES, CARS AND USED TO BE ON LAKE ROAD, ALSO USED TO BE CORRECT.
AND LAKE ROAD WOULD BE BACKED UP FROM SOUTHBOUND ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SPCA, TURN THE CORNER AND THEN GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO HOSPITAL DRIVE.
FOLLOWING YOU WHERE, WHERE'S LAKE ROAD? RIGHT HERE.
SO LAKE ROAD WILL RUN RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.
OKAY, SO THEY'RE COMING FROM THE NORTH CORRECT.
AND GOING IN THERE AND GOING ROUTE FROM SOUTH.
I THOUGHT THEY, OKAY, SO CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? THANK YOU.
IF I'M NOT GETTING AHEAD OF YES, SIR, THE PROCESS, IF THEY CAME IN FROM THE SOUTH OFF OF CANNON DRIVE, HOW WOULD YOU,
[00:45:01]
SO CANNON, WHICH IS THE SPCA? YES.AND THEN THEY MAKE THAT RIGHT? YES.
HOW WOULD YOU, HOW WOULD YOU STACK 'EM UP THEN? WOULD THEY HAVE TO GO NO.
ALL IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL AND THEN GO TO THE DEAL OR? NO, WE'RE TURNING THEM AROUND AND FORCING THEM TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO CANNON, TO HOSPITAL DRIVE TO OAK.
THAT'S WHERE THE BLACK, SO, SO, SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU, YOU SHUTTING DOWN CANNON DRIVE, THEY DON'T COME DOWN CANNON DRIVE? NO.
THEY COME ALL THE WAY DOWN TO CANNON.
THEY MAKE THE RIGHT ONTO, UH, LAKE ROAD.
AND THEN WHEN THEY GET UP TO, IF I CAN SHOW YOU RIGHT HERE WHERE THIS E IS AT, THIS IS NOW JUST THE TEACHER'S PARKING.
SO WE HAVE A PERSON'S POSITION HERE THAT IS STOPPING VEHICLES.
AND IF IT'S A TEACHER, THEY'VE GOT A PINK.
WHAT DIRECT CENTER FROM THERE? DIRECT CENTER'S RIGHT HERE.
SO WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL STANDING RIGHT HERE AT THIS ROADWAY LOOKING FOR PINK TAGS.
IF THEY'RE A TEACHER, THEY MOVE INTO THE PARKING LOT, WHICH IS THE TEACHER'S LOT.
WE DO NOT LET ANY TRAFFIC PARENT CAN.
THEY MAKE A U-TURN AND GO ALL THE WAY BACK.
THEY GOTTA MAKE A U-TURN, GO BACK AROUND BY THE, BY THE, UH, UH, HOSPITAL AND THEN COME BACK.
AND THEN COME BACK AROUND THIS WAY TO, TO A, BECAUSE WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL STANDING HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LEFT IS CONTINUOUS AND THEY CAN MAKE THAT, GET OFF THE ROADWAY, GET ONTO OUR PROPERTY.
THAT'S GONNA BE A BIG EDUCATION FOR, I, I GOT, I GOT MORE FOR YOU IN A SECOND.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE, THEY'RE COMING HERE TO FACILITATE THAT.
AND THEN ANYBODY COMING THIS WAY, THE ONLY PEOPLE ALLOWED TO COME THIS WAY AND CONTINUE.
IF THEY'RE GOING STRAIGHT AND THEY LIVE DOWN THIS WAY, WE LET THEM GO THROUGH AND WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL POSITION HERE AT B.
WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL POSITION RIGHT HERE THAT ALLOW THE SPED PEOPLE, PEOPLE THAT HAVE CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, THEY STILL ARE INSTRUCTED TO COME DOWN, CANNON, MAKE THE RIGHT ON THE LAKE, COME UP TO HERE, AND WE WILL PUT THEM IN DRIVEWAY C, WHICH PUTS THEM IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.
THEY DROP THEIR STUDENT AND THEY GO, BUSES COME THIS WAY.
THEY PULL IN C THEY DROP THE STUDENTS COME OUT AND MAKE A RIGHT AND CONTINUE UP THE ROADWAY.
IF THEY'RE A PARENT AND THEY'RE DROPPING OFF A STUDENT, WE STOP THEM AT WHERE THESE EXES ARE.
WE HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT THE NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN THAT HAS BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THEM IN MULTIPLE WAYS THAT THEY NOW NEED TO MAKE A U-TURN, GO BACK AROUND AND DROP THEIR STUDENT OFF.
SO WHO'S STOPPING THE OFFICERS? UH, TEACHERS OR CURRENTLY WE HAVE, UH, THE PRINCIPAL THAT'S HERE, WHO KNOWS THE PARENTS AND THE STUDENTS.
UH, AND FOR THE PAST WEEK PLUS I'VE BEEN STANDING THERE REEDUCATING HAVING LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PARENTS AND REMINDING, REMINDING THEM THAT THIS IS NOT A VIABLE OPTION.
BECAUSE IF THEY LEAVE THEIR STUDENT HERE, WHEN WE PULL THIS UP, THEIR CHILD NOW HAS TO CROSS FOUR LANES OF ROADWAY BY THEMSELVES.
AND THAT'S NOT A, YOU KNOW, A GOOD PARENTING DECISION.
SO WE TALKED TO THE, UH, I THINK IT WAS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THEY'VE TALKED TO THE, UH, THE PARKS DIRECTOR.
AND THE PARKS DIRECTOR HAS AGREED THAT IF PARENTS REFUSE TO WAIT AND GO IN THE STACKING LANE FOR WHATEVER REASON, FURTHER DOWN HERE WHERE YOU HAVE A SOCCER FIELD AND A LARGE PARKING LOT, THOSE PARENTS CAN DROP THOSE KIDS IN THAT PARKING LOT.
THEY CAN WALK THE SIDEWALK TO WHERE YOUR CROSSING GUARDS ARE.
THEY WILL CROSS 'EM ACROSS LAKE ROAD, PUT THEM ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE, THE SCHOOL, AND THEN THEY CAN WALK UP THE SIDEWALK TO THE SCHOOL WHERE WE HAVE AN OFFICER OR A SAFETY SPECIALIST, WHICH IS AN ARMED SECURITY GUARD STANDING HERE.
ONE IS TO MAKE SURE THESE CARS CAN CHANGE UNA ABRUPTED AND THEY DON'T CREATE AN ACCIDENT.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IN THE MORNING WHEN THEY'RE DROPPING STUDENTS OFF, THE SUN IS HERE, DEEMING THIS WAY, FOLKS ARE TURNING LEFT.
SO THEY MIGHT NOT SEE THE STUDENTS.
SO HE CONTROL OR SHE CONTROLS THE STUDENTS HERE, STOPS THE TRAFFIC AND THEN ALLOWS THE STUDENTS TO GROW ACROSS AND THEN CAN START THE TRAFFIC BACK UP.
SO S-B-I-S-D OR ROSCOE SCHOOL, DID THEY SEND OUT ANYTHING TO THE PARENTS IN THE, UH, BEFORE INCOM IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM OR THOUGHT ABOUT STARTING THIS PROGRAM? OR DID THEY TRY TO EDUCATE? YES, SIR.
'CAUSE I, I WAS A POLICE OFFICER FOR 20 YEARS AND I WORKED AT AREA ON A MOTORCYCLE AND IT WAS CONFUSING BACK THEN AND JUST, I MEAN, IT'S, IT IS JUST GONNA TAKE A LOT OF EDUCATION FOR THE PARENTS THAT, UH, IT'S JUST CREATURE HABITS.
WE'VE BEEN BREAKING A HABIT FOR THE PAST WEEK PLUS.
DO YOU ANTICIPATE THE PARKING AREAS OVER BY THE SOCCER FIELD OVER THERE? SO YOU'RE STILL ON, UH, OAK DRIVE, YOU'VE PASSED LAKE ROAD AND YOU'RE GETTING BACK INTO THE SUBDIVISION.
DO WE ANTICIPATE CARS DROPPING THEIR KIDS OFF AT THESE SOCCER FIELDS AND JUST LETTING LAKE JACKSON CITY, UH, CROSSING GUARDS WALK 'EM ACROSS? SO, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST GONNA HAVE A, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT JUST SAID, I'M NOT GETTING IN THAT LINE.
[00:50:01]
ANTICIPATE TRAFFIC BACKING UP FROM THAT DIRECTION ON, FROM THE SOCCER FIELD MM-HMMCOMING BACK OUT, TRYING TO GET BACK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, THAT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WE'VE BEEN MONITORING AS WE'RE, AT LEAST FROM THE POSITION THAT I'M AT RIGHT HERE AT BETWEEN B AND X, I LOOK UP THE ROAD AND MONITOR THE, UH, THE TRAFFIC ON OAK MM-HMM
TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT, UH, BACKING UP BECAUSE WE DID ON THE FIRST DAY, GET SOME INDICATION THAT THE STACKING THAT TURN LANE, THE LEFT ONE WAS BACKING ALL THE WAY UP TO THE EMERGENCY ENTRANCE FOR THE HOSPITAL.
AND ONE OF THE, THE THINGS WE HAD ASKED FOR INITIALLY WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME ON THE LIGHT TO ALLOW THEM THROUGH.
ON THE FIRST DAY, IT WAS JUST A, IT WAS A CALAMITY OF ERRORS.
ANYTHING THAT COULD GO WRONG DID GO WRONG BECAUSE A, INSTEAD OF HAVING THE NORMAL 300 AND SOMETHING, WE HAD OVER 600 PARENTS TRYING TO DROP THEIR KIDS OFF, AND B IT WAS RAINING, A TORRENTIAL RAIN.
SO IT ALLOWED US TO TWEAK ALL OF OUR PROCESSES ON THE INSIDE INTERNALLY, HOW MR. FULLER AND HIS STAFF WERE, UH, PUSHING THE KIDS OUT OF THE BUILDING, GET 'EM IN THE BUILDING TO THE POINT NOW AFTER THE FIRST DAY, YOU KNOW, KNOCK ON WOOD, AFTER LOTS OF CONVERSATION, IT WENT FROM BEING A CALAMITY, A CATASTROPHE TO NOW WHERE WE ARE BEING DONE BY ABOUT 3 55, GETTING ALL THE PARENTS IN AND OUT, AND WE ARE NO LONGER BLOCKING THE EMERGENCY ENTRANCE TO THE HOSPITAL.
AND THE TRAFFIC AT THE SOCCER FIELD, IT SEEMS TO BE MOVING ORDERLY AND THE LEFT TURN LANE SEEMS TO BE FLOWING, YOU KNOW, FREE FLOWING WITHOUT ANY REACTION.
THE LIGHT, JUST TAKING CARE OF GETTING ENOUGH FOLKS IN THERE INTO THE LEFT TURN LANE AND THEN TWO INTO STACKING LANE A AND THEN AROUND, AND THEN THE WAY WE HAVE THE TRAFFIC PATTERN COMING OUT, THEY COME OUT OF AVENUE D AND THEN WE FUNNEL ALL OF THEM LEFT.
SO THEY'RE NOT GOING BACK RIGHT.
TO GET IN THE TRAFFIC THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET INTO THE STACKING.
SO, SO ONCE AGAIN, IS THIS BISD WORKING THIS TRAFFIC OR, OR IS IT A JOINT GROUP WITH THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING THE, RIGHT NOW IT'S BEEN JUST BISD MANAGING THIS BECAUSE IT'S ON OUR LANE.
WE'RE CREATING A TRAFFIC ISSUE.
SO WE'RE MAKING SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH PROCESSES, PROCEDURES INTERNALLY TO MANAGE IT, TO KEEP THE TRAFFIC FLOWING AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, IF IT GETS TO BE AN ISSUE, ME AND MR. FULLER HAVE ALREADY COMMUNICATED IF HE HAS A RAIN DAY OR WE'VE GOT ANTICIPATION OF RAIN, WE KNOW THAT'S OUR WEAK LINK.
SO WE THEN WE WILL, UH, PUSH SOME OF MORE OF OUR RESOURCES IN THAT DIRECTION TO MAKE SURE WE CAN GET FOLKS IN AND OUT.
BUT THE GOAL IS, BEFORE YOU HAD FOLKS COMING THIS WAY TRYING TO GET IN THE STACKING LANE, YOU HAD FOLKS COMING THIS WAY TRYING TO GET IN THE STACKING LANE.
YOU GOT KIDS TRYING TO CROSS THE ROADWAY HERE.
SO NOW WE'VE JUST PUT ONE WAY IN, ONE WAY OUT, AND WE MANAGE THE KIDS AND HOW THEY GET THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE THE MOST SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS.
I KNOW IT'S A CHANGE AND YOU KNOW, MR. FULLISH DID AN EXCELLENT, I THINK, JOB OF COMMUNICATING TO THE PARENTS WHAT THE NEW EXPECTATIONS ARE.
AND WE HAVE BEEN PHYSICALLY STANDING IN THE ROADWAY REEDUCATING THE PARENTS THAT ARE STILL TRYING TO FIND THAT LOOPHOLE TO SNEAK THROUGH TO BE LAZY LIKE THEY LIKE TO BE AND, AND PUT THEIR KIDS AT RISK.
WELL, ANYTIME YOU HAVE SOMETHING BRAND NEW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE HICCUPS.
I BELIEVE MR. BAKER, YOU HAVE TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS DURING THE SUMMER, I, I SENT OUT ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION TO THE PARENTS, ALONG WITH A SCHEMATIC MAP WITH ARROWS DRAWN ON IT, INDICATING TRAFFIC FLOW PATTERNS.
UM, ON THE FIRST DAY WE GOT TO HEAR FROM SEVERAL PARENTS THAT THEY DON'T OPEN EMAILS OR LOOK AT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT DURING THE SUMMER.
UM, SO WE, WE DID IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY.
UM, I ALSO HAD A PRESENTATION, I'LL MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT, WHICH OCCURRED ABOUT THE MONDAY, TUESDAY BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED.
UM, AGAIN, WE, UH, WE HAVE 700 PARENTS AT OUR CAMPUS, UH, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
WE ALWAYS KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LARGER THAN THAN NORMAL POPULATION THAT CAN DO THIS CAR RIDER.
'CAUSE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, EVERY MOM WANTS TO DRIVE THEIR BABY TO SCHOOL AND PICK 'EM UP.
I KNOW THAT I GOT THREE KIDS MYSELF.
MY WIFE DRIVES 'EM ON THE FIRST DAY AND MAYBE NOT, NOT A SINGLE DAY AFTER THAT.
BUT, UM, AS AS DESCRIBED EARLIER, THE STACKING LANE WAS CREATED AND WAS, THE ENGINEERS WERE MONITORING TRAFFIC FLOW DURING FEBRUARY AND MARCH OF LAST SCHOOL YEAR AS NOT OUR HIGH PEAK TRAFFIC TIME.
SO WHAT THEY WERE MEASURING WAS A 67 CAR RATE.
UH, THE STACKING LANE WAS CREATED TO HOLD 133 CARS.
UH, BECAUSE AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE AVERAGE CAR RIDER TRAFFIC FOR US ON A DAY IS 312.
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, USUALLY FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS HAS BEEN ABOUT 618 PARENTS GIVEN THE RAIN.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE BEEN THE PRINCIPAL THERE.
SO FOURTH OPENING DAY, UH, WE HAD ON THE AFTERNOON BECAUSE THE RAIN WE HAD, I BELIEVE WE HAD AROUND 647 PARENTS.
SO A STACKING LANE CREATED ONLY HOLD 133 WAS NOW OVERLOADED WITH 640 PLUS PARENTS CAUSING THE BACK BACKUP THAT WE ALL WITNESSED ON THE FIRST DAY.
HOWEVER, SINCE THEN, UH, ESPECIALLY TODAY,
[00:55:01]
WE'RE BACK DOWN TO THE ALREADY AVERAGE OF ABOUT 120, A HUNDRED OR 320 CAR RIDERS.WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BAGGAGE AND WE WERE OUT COMPLETELY.
WE, WE REMOVED THE CONES EARLIER AND WE WERE DONE BY 3 55 INSTEAD OF FOUR O'CLOCK.
IT'S A LOT QUICKER IN THE MORNING.
'CAUSE DROPOFFS A LOT SIMPLER FOR PARENTS.
THEY PULL UP, THEY STOP, THE KID GETS OUTTA THE CAR AND THEY ARE MOVING.
UH, WE'RE, WE HAVE FACILITATED ANOTHER CHANGE AT THE DROPOFF LOCATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GET THAT LATER POINTER.
SO RIGHT ABOUT HERE ON THIS SIDE OF THE BUILDING WHERE WE HAVE THE COVERED AWNING FOR THE KIDS' PROTECTION, MAKE SURE THAT IF IT IS RAINING, THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT COMPLETELY COVERED.
UH, IN YEARS PAST, WE'VE ONLY HAD SIX TO EIGHT DROP OFF LOCATIONS.
WE HAVE NOW INCREASED THAT TO 12.
AND THAT'S, UH, HELPING US REALLY FLOW OUT THE TRAFFIC QUICKER.
NOW WE HAVE COMMUNICATED TO MY STAFF THAT ON RAINY DAYS, WE ARE GOING TO REDUCE THAT BACK TO THE SIX, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS A COVERED AWNING TO GET OUT OF.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WE KNOW KI PARENTS DON'T WANT THEIR KIDS GETTING OUT IN RAINY CONDITIONS AND BEING FORCED TO GET WET BEFORE OR AFTER SCHOOL, UM, TO MAKE, TO HELP THAT ADJUSTMENT.
WE HAVE ALREADY COMMUNICATED TO MY STAFF THAT ON RAINY DAYS, POTENTIAL BAD WEATHER DAYS, SINCE WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF OUR PARENTS WILL WANT TO TRY TO COME PICK UP THEIR KIDS THAT ARE NOT NORMALLY CAR RIDERS, WE ARE GOING TO PROBABLY SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS OF THE SCHOOL AROUND THREE 30, WHICH IS A 15 MINUTE EARLY SHUTDOWN TO HELP FACILITATE AND HELP RELIEVE THE TRAFFIC PRESSURE TO ENSURE THAT ALL KIDS ARE PICKED UP SAFELY AND DRY MAMAS ARE HAPPY, WHICH MEANS PRINCIPALS HAPPY, WHICH MEANS SUPERINTENDENT IS HAPPY, WHICH MEANS Y'ALL DON'T GET ANGRY PHONE CALLS AFTER THE FACT EITHER.
SO 15 MINUTES AT THE END OF THE DAY, I BELIEVE SOLVES A POTENTIAL PROBLEM WHERE WE HAVE A BUNCH OF KIDS, 700 OF WHICH DON'T NEED TO GET WET ON THE WAY OUTTA SCHOOL.
AND THAT Y'ALL DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT TRAFFIC PATTERNS BEING BLOCKED ALL THE WAY DOWN OAK OAK DRIVE.
SO A BUS FLOW LANE, IS IT STILL GONNA BE THE SAME BUS FLOW LANE COMES TO THE CHANGE ALSO? YEAH, BUS FLOW COMES THROUGH THE CIRCLE DRIVE.
SO ON THE AFTERNOONS, UM, THE BUSES WILL TRY AND GET THERE AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN, BUT THEY'RE NOT, THEIR SCHEDULE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE STRICT BECAUSE DETERMINING WHICH BUS DRIVER IT IS, THEY MAY HAVE A ROUTE BEFOREHAND BECAUSE THE INTERMEDIATE HIGH SCHOOL GET OUT BEFORE US THAT THEY HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO.
UM, HOWEVER, ALL OF OUR BUS RIDERS, THEY WAIT IN THE GYM RIGHT HERE.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT AT, THEY'RE NOT OUT IN THE ELEMENTS AND THEY'RE JUST SITTING THERE IN LINES WAITING FOR THEIR BUS NUMBER TO BE CALLED.
AGAIN, I NOR WE NORMALLY DO NOT BRING, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, UM, LET OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR DIRECTION AND DROP OFF TO COUNCIL.
BUT BECAUSE THE BISD REQUESTED TO CLOSE THE ROAD FOR A PORTION OF TIME, I THOUGHT THAT IT NEEDED, YOU KNOW, COUNSEL'S APPROVAL GOING FORWARD.
THAT YOU'RE GIVING THE BST PERMISSION TO CLOSE THE ROAD DURING THOSE TIMES.
AND YOU SHOW ON THE MAP WHAT PART OF THE ROAD YOU'RE REQUESTING TO BE CLOSED.
SO, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS MY FOURTH YEAR.
LAST YEAR WAS A PRETTY, UH, PRETTY DANGEROUS YEAR, I'LL BE HONEST WITH EVERYONE IN THE ROOM.
THIS LITTLE AREA RIGHT HERE WHERE I HAVE PARENTS DROPPING OFF OF THE WRECK, I HAVE TRAFFIC IN THE YEARS PAST COMING THIS DIRECTION AND THIS DIRECTION, I'VE HAD PEOPLE TURNING LEFT FROM THE WRECK, LEFT FROM THE SCHOOL, RIGHT INTO THE SCHOOL, RIGHT FROM THE, I HAD PERSONALLY HAD TO PUSH TWO GIRLS OUT OF THE WAY OUT OF THE CROSSWALK BECAUSE WE HAD TRAFFIC DRIVING ABOUT 40 MILES TO MY SCHOOL ZONE, LOOKING AT THEIR CELL PHONES.
UH, HAD MULTIPLE ATTEMPT OR MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO GET LJPD TO HELP ASSIST US IN TRAFFIC IN THE, IN THESE HIGH HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS BETWEEN SEVEN 30 IN THE MORNING AT EIGHT O'CLOCK, AND THEN AGAIN AT 3 45 TO FOUR 15.
I UNDERSTAND OUR LJPD, I HAVE A LOT OF STRESSES ADDED TO THEM.
SOMETIMES THEY'RE ABLE TO COME, SOMETIMES THEY WEREN'T.
THE, THE, THE HONEST TRUTH IS WE NEEDED A OFFICER LITERALLY RIGHT HERE TO HELP CONTROL THAT BECAUSE CROSSING GUARD HAS BEEN ONE OF MY PE COACHES.
SO TO TAKE SOMEONE WHOSE JOB IS NOT TO DO A CROSSING GUARD WHO'S NOT TO CONTROL TRAFFIC AND ASK THEM TO DO IT, AND BE ABLE TO LOOK LEFT, RIGHT, AND FORWARD AND BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE SAFEST WAY AND TIME TO CONTROL KI FLOW OF KIDS IS A CHALLENGE.
UM, THE PROPOSAL RIGHT NOW IS THAT, SO THE BIGGEST ISSUE RIGHT HERE THAT WE'RE HAVING IS PEOPLE EITHER TURNING INTO THE WRECK AND TRYING TO TURN BACK INTO OUR MAIN SCHOOL ZONE.
FROM THIS, WE'RE PROPOSING THAT WE BLOCK THIS PERSON RIGHT HERE AND THE PREVENTION OF ANYONE TURNING LEFT ONTO LAKE ROAD RIGHT HERE FROM THE WRECK, CAUSING A MORE OF A, UH, VORTEX AREA WHERE THE TRAFFIC GETS CONGESTED THE MOST.
BUT YOU, YOU SAID BLOCK, HOW, HOW, HOW WOULD YOU CONES, CONES.
THAT'S NOT, YOU PURCHASE 80 CONES AND WHAT WOULD YOU
[01:00:01]
SAY? BLOCK.YEAH, BUT THEY, BUT, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION, THEY CAN RUN OVER AND RUN PAST CONES.
IF THEY IT, WHAT WE DO IS WE'RE IN THE ROADWAY AND WE'RE BLOCKING THE ROADWAY AND WE'RE GETTING THE DRIVER'S ATTENTION AS THEY'RE DRIVING US, UH, TO THAT LOCATION.
SO IT WOULD BE, UH, OFFICER, UH, ONE OF YOUR OFFICERS OR? IT'S EITHER ONE OF MY OFFICER, ONE OF THE SCHOOL TEACHERS OR SOMEBODY THAT ARE PRESENT AT THE CONES TO KEEP THEM FROM, IT'S BEEN ME AND ME.
OFFICER, OFFICER MORROW AND TWO OF OUR SAFETY SPECIALISTS.
AND THEN IF THEY'RE GOING THROUGH, THEN WE MOVE THE CONES.
ALLOW THEM TO TRANS DRESS THROUGH.
BUT IF THEY'RE A PARENT, THEN THEY'RE DROPPING OFF THEIR KID OR THEIR PARENT, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO THE OTHER WAY.
WE'RE STOPPING THEM AND SEND 'EM THE OTHER WAY IF THEY'RE IMPATIENT.
JUST MY PAST EXPERIENCE BEING A POLICE OFFICER AND SOME PEOPLE MAKE CONES AS TARGETS AND THEY JUST TRY TO KNOCK 'EM OVER AND RUN OVER.
BUT THEY'RE GONNA TO GET, I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAD A PHYSICAL BODY THAT YOU HAD A PHYSICAL BODY WITH A PHYSICAL TRAFFIC VEST ON, STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY, UH, MANAGING THE TRAFFIC.
ROBIN, DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR ANYTHING ABOUT THIS LOOKS, THOUGHTS FROM YOU? YEAH.
UM, I FELL FOR Y'ALL ON THE FIRST DAY.
I WAS A LITTLE SCARED BECAUSE IT WAS A LITTLE CRAZY, BUT NO, UM, HONESTLY, THE TRAFFIC AT THE WRECK IN THE MORNINGS, ESPECIALLY IT, IT'S, IT'S THERE.
AND THAT WAS OUR MOST DANGEROUS TIME.
UM, I KNOW SOME OF THE MEMBERS, IT WAS JUST US TRAINING THEM TOO, WHICH WAY TO COME IN AND OUT.
BUT NOW THAT WE CAN EASILY GET IN, AND I'VE TRIED TO MAKE MYSELF HIT IT AT THOSE TIMES, SO I'M ACTUALLY IN MY CAR AND TO SEE, AND IT'S, IT'S, THEY'VE REALLY, LIKE I SAID, THE FIRST DAY WAS CRAZY, BUT THEY, EVERY DAY IT GETS BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER.
AND I WENT THROUGH, SO YOUR MORNING TRAFFIC MM-HMM
HOW ARE THEY GETTING TO THE REC CENTER? THEY, THEY CAN COME IN.
IF THEY'RE ON LAKE, THEY CAN GO.
SO THEY, THEY CAN STILL COME DOWN.
THEY CAN STILL GO THROUGH THAT ONE LANE? YES.
SO THIS LANE IS OPEN, IT'S ONLY YES.
RIGHT NOW THEY'RE ONLY BLOCKING THIS RIGHT THERE, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
JUST IN FRONT OF THE CAMPUS? YES, JUST IN FRONT OF THE CAMPUS.
AND IF THERE ARE FOLKS THAT ARE COMING THAT DIRECTION MM-HMM.
FROM CANON ONTO LAKE THAT ARE GOING TO THE REC CENTER, WE SAY YOU GOING STRAIGHT THROUGH OR YOU DROPPING OFF AND THEY SAY, I'M GOING INTO DIRECTION, MAKE YOUR LEFT.
AND, AND WE'VE ALSO TRIED TO, UM, ADVERTISE THE NEW THING TO 'EM TO HELP RASCOE OUT WITH A LOT OF THE PARENTS.
AND OUR MEMBERS KNOW, TOO, IN THE MORNINGS, A LOT OF TIMES THE AFTERNOON'S NOT AS BAD.
THEY TRIED TO AVOID THAT AREA BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS SO BAD.
BUT THE MORNINGS THEY, THEY COME IN THE OTHER ENTRANCE, SO.
JUST WANTED TO CHECK IN WITH YOU CHIEF.
HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU HAD, HAVE YOU, UH, UH, HAVE YOU HAD, HAVE YOU HAD ANY OFFICERS DESERVE THIS TO SEE IF WE HAVING ANY PROBLEM WITH OUR CITIZENS THAT WE NEED TO EDUCATE OR THAT WE NEED TO DO ANYTHING? WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY FEEDBACK ABOUT IT.
UH, TO THIS POINT, UH, SINCE I'M STANDING HERE, I'VE BEEN, UH, AWARE OF THIS SITUATION FOR THE LAST, WELL, WHEN THEY'VE BEEN BILLED RASCO 25 YEARS AGO OR 30 YEARS AGO, UH, 30 YEARS AGO.
I THINK THIS IS THE MOST AND CONCERTED EFFORT, UH, THAT I'VE SEEN.
UH, I THINK IT'S A BEST CASE SCENARIO PLAN.
UM, OF COURSE, THOSE TIMES WHEN THE VOLUME OF DROP OFF THE BEGINNING, UH, OF THE YEAR AND SUCH, UH, THEY CAN ALWAYS ASK FOR OUR ASSISTANCE.
WE TRY TO BE THERE IN ALL THE SCHOOLS THAT WE CAN CORRECT FIRST DAYS, TAKES 'EM ABOUT A WEEK TO GET IT FIGURED OUT.
ONCE THIS GETS TO BE THE PLAN GOING FORWARD, I THINK IT'S GONNA DO NOTHING BUT GET BETTER.
UH, IT'S A GREAT SOLUTION COMPARED TO WHAT WE HAD.
UH, COULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE EXTRA STAGING.
UH, AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD PLAN.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING WRONG? SO I'M JUST APPRECIATIVE OF THE BISD FOR SPENDING THE MONEY AND PUTTING IN THE, THAT, UH, CONCRETE ROAD, THE STACKING LANE.
I MEAN, THAT'S NOT CONCRETE IS NOT CHEAP.
SO I'M SURE THEY HAD A PLAN BEFOREHAND TO DO THIS DURING SUMMER, SO READY FOR IT.
SO, SO THERE'S ONE WAY, IF I UNDERSTAND, THERE'S ONE WAY IN AND ONE WAY OUT, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
FOR YOUR REGULAR RIDERS, OF COURSE, EVERY DAY EXTERIOR, UH, SPECIAL NEEDS STILL GOES THROUGH THE CIRCLE.
THE BUSES STILL GO THROUGH THE FRONT CIRCLE.
SO IF YOU COME IN NORTH ON, UH, LAKE ROAD, YOU'LL GO THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND TAKE THAT DOWN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? NOT, UH, AGAIN, THE REQUEST IS TO CLOSE, UH, THE ROAD AT THE TIMES THAT THEY PRESENTED.
SO IT WAS LIKE, UH, SEVEN 30 TO EIGHT, AND THEN, UH, IT WAS, WHAT WAS THE OTHER TIME? 3 45 TO FOUR 15.
THE NORTH NORTHBOUND DIRECTION.
FROM NORTHBOUND DIRECTION FROM ON LAKE ROAD FROM, AND WE GONNA, WELL, ARE WE GONNA PUT ANY SIGNS UP? WE NO SAID I'M, I'M JUST, I MEAN, THERE'S NO NEED TO PUT ANY SIGNS UP.
[01:05:01]
PAGE IS THAT? I WAS JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO, BECAUSE SOME OF THE CITIZEN MIGHT, MIGHT COME UP BACK AND ASK IF THEY DON'T HAVE ANY DIRECTION.UH, THEY DON'T SEE ANY, ANYTHING DOWN THE ROAD THAT THESE TYPE OF THINGS ARE HAPPENING BEFORE THEY GET THERE.
SO I, I WOULD THINK ANY KIND OF SIGNAGE THAT WE TRY TO PUT OUT THERE WOULD PROBABLY JUST CONFUSE THINGS.
SO JUST LEAVE IT BISD TO HANDLE THE PROCESS.
WE'RE JUST, UH, APPROVING THE, UH, CLOSING OF THE ROAD OF THE NORTHBOUND WE, OR THAT'S A REQUEST IS, UH, TEMPORARY CLOSED NORTH, UH, NORTHBOUND LANE.
SO THAT, UH, WHAT IS NO GO, GO TO PROPOSAL.
SO THEY CAN SEE THAT WHEN THEY MAKE THEIR MOTION ON THE SLIDE PRESENTATION, OR IS IT FIFTH READY FOR A MOTION? YES, MA'AM.
MR. ROME, MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE BISD TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE NORTHBOUND LANES OF LAKE ROAD ON SCHOOL DAYS DURING SCHOOL ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL, UH, IN THE MORNING FROM 7:30 AM TO 8:00 AM IN THE AFTERNOON FROM 3:45 PM TO 4:15 PM SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCILWOMAN SETH SECOND, BUT COUNCIL BUELL, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS, DO WE NEED TO MAKE THIS EVERGREEN? WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK EVERY YEAR BECAUSE THERE USUALLY SPECIAL CLOSINGS WE'VE DONE.
I DON'T THINK THEY WANNA, THEY WANNA COME BACK.
I MEAN, I THINK IF THEY WANT MAKE A CHANGE, THEY WOULD WANT COME BACK.
IF THEY DON'T WANT TO MAKE A CHANGE, I WOULD SAY THIS WOULD BE PERMANENT.
I JUST, ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE A MOTION.
UH, IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE'LL TAKE A VOTE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THANK YOU FOR VERY MUCH FINDING A SOLUTION AND INVESTING IN IT.
I JUST WANNA SAY FOR THE RECORD, HIS PARENTS ARE MUCH NICER.
I, I DON'T MIND MY KIDS GETTING WET AFTER SCHOOL.
[8. Award the bid and authorize the City Manager to execute a contract for the reconstruction of pavement, utilities, and drainage systems along Moss, Chestnut, Wisteria, and Palm Lane to HTI Construction for $9,875,449, with a not-to-exceed amount of $10,862,994 as budgeted. – Sal Aguirre]
ALL RIGHT.WE MOVE TO ITEM EIGHT AS AWARDED A BID AND AUTHORIZED CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF PAVEMENT, UTILITIES, DRAINAGE SYSTEM ALONG MOSS, CHESTNUT, MYSTERIA, AND PALM LANE TO HTI CONSTRUCTION FOR $9,875,449 WITH A, UH, NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF 10,800, NO, $10,862,994 AS BUDGETED SOUTH.
WE, UH, WE HAD A LOT OF TAKERS, UH, AS, UH, FROM THE ADVERTISEMENTS THAT WE PUT OUT THROUGH OUR CIV C SYSTEM OR NOT OUR CIV C SYSTEM THROUGH THE CC SYSTEM.
UH, AND, UH, ULTIMATELY ONLY, UH, THREE OF THE BIDDERS, UH, CAME IN WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR PROPOSALS.
AS YOU CAN WELL SEE, TWO OF THOSE BIDDERS ARE KNOWN TO US.
THEY HAVE, UH, BITTEN THAT HAVE, UH, OUR COMPETITIVE BIDDERS IN OUR PROJECTS.
ONE IS A NEW ONE THAT HAS NEVER PUT IN A, A BID, BUT THEY WERE ALL WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY THERE, WHICH, UH, SORT OF CONFIRMS, UH, OUR ORIGINAL, ORIGINAL BUDGET AMOUNT.
UH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE ACCEPT HGI I'S, UH, PROPOSAL BECAUSE THERE ARE THE APPARENT LOW BIDDER ON THIS ONE.
UH, AND ALSO THAT WE, UH, PROPOSE TO HAVE ANOTHER, UH, UH, AN ADDITIONAL MONEY, UH, CONTINGENCY ITEM, UH, IN ORDER TO GET DOWN TO THE, UH, WHICH IS 10% OF THE AMOUNT BID, WHICH PUTS US AT TEN EIGHT SIXTY TWO.
UH, THERE WAS A GEO, OUR BUDGET AMOUNTS ON FROM THE GEO BOND WAS 12.1.
OUT OF THAT 12.1, WE HAVE EXPENDED ONE, UH, ABOUT 900, UH, $900,000 IN, UH, DESIGN.
SO THEREFORE WE'RE BRINGING IT DOWN TO ABOUT, UH, UH, JUST, UH, A LITTLE BIT OVER WHAT $11 MILLION THAT'LL COVER THE 10 POINT.
UH, WOULD THAT CHANGE THE CALENDAR DAYS? NO, NO, NO.
THE CALENDAR DAYS REMAIN THE SAME, BUT YOU COULD VERY WELL SEE THAT THERE ARE VERY WELL IN BETWEEN THERE.
[01:10:01]
NOT CHANGE THAT AT ALL, ESPECIALLY WITH THE WEATHER BEING THE WAY IT IS.AND WE KNOW FROM, UH, FROM, UH, FROM A FACT ON THE DOWNTOWN AREA, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CANNOT, YOU CANNOT, YOU KNOW, GUESS WHAT THE WEATHER SITUATION IS GONNA BE.
THE THREE MONTHS DIFFERENCE IN TIME IS QUITE A BIT.
THREE MONTHS DIFFERENCE IN THE CONSTRUCTION DAYS IS QUITE A BIT.
WELL,
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S THE REASON WHY THINK FOR THE RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD LIKE IT DONE SOONER THAN LATER.
SO, AND WE'RE THE FIRST ONES THAT WANT TO DO THAT TOO.
BUT THE FACT IS THAT YOU HAVE TO I HEAR YOU.
AND WAS HTI, THE, UH, CONTRACTOR THAT DONE THE, UH, H THAT OH, H-T-I-H-T-I IS THE ONE THAT JUST DONE THE ONE BEHIND THE, UH, FINISHING THAT, UH, NORTH CITY OAK? YES, CORRECT.
I'M JUST GLAD AT THE BEGINNING, FINALLY THIS TIME THAT AREA HAD NEEDED THIS IMPROVEMENT FOR A, A LONG, LONG TIME.
SO I'M VERY GLAD THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GET THIS, ESPECIALLY THE DRAINAGE WHICH IS NON-EXISTENT.
UH, THIS ONE WILL IMPROVE, IMPROVE IT SOMEWHAT, OR AT LEAST IMPROVE IT PERIOD.
SO, YES, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, NOT ONLY ARE WE ABLE TO, UH, COVER THE DRAINAGE ORIGINALLY THAT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE THE ESCALATION OF, UH, COST ASSOCIATED WITH EVERYTHING, UH, SO HAPPENS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO SOME OF THE MAIN CHANNELS AND BY THE MAIN CHANNELS, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU HAVE A, UH, THAT ADDITIONAL EXHIBIT THERE THAT WE ADDED.
BY THOSE, I MEAN THE FREDERICK STITCH, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT GREEN, UH, OUTLET GOING THROUGH THERE.
THERE'S ALSO THE ONE AT THE BOTTOM, IF YOU SCROLL DOWN, WHICH WE CALL THE CARNATION, WHICH IS THAT, UH, BOTTOM AREA THAT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH, UH, THE, UH, WHAT WE USED TO CALL THE TOMATO PATCH, UH, FOUR ACRE TRACK.
UH, UH, ALONG WITH THIS, UH, WITH THE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY WERE GONNA BE DOING TO THE CHANNEL SECTION, WE ARE GONNA BE PUTTING DOWN A CONCRETE PAVED PAN AREA, THE BOTTOM AREA, WHICH WOULD BE IN ITSELF AN IMPROVEMENT FOR, OR AT LEAST REDUCE THE MAINTENANCE PRONGS THAT OUR, THAT OUR STREET DEPARTMENT HAS, UH, IN MAINTAINING THOSE, THOSE FLOW LINES.
SO THAT ALSO IS INCLUDED IN THIS PARTICULAR, UH,
AND THOSE ARE, UH, ACCESS TO THOSE CHANNELS ARE, ARE VERY, UH, AND WHICH THAT OUTFALL GOES, EXCUSE ME, ACROSS DIXIE DRIVE.
NO, IT WON'T CROSS DIXIE DRIVE.
IT'LL GO DOWN TO CHESTNUT TO CROSSING A CHESTNUT, AND THEN IT GOES BACK AND FLOWS INTO, IT DOES FLOW INTO DIXIE DRIVE.
BUT BEYOND THERE, THERE WON'T BE ANY IMPROVEMENTS OF IT.
NOT NONE ARE PROPOSED WITH THIS PROJECT THERE.
SO HOW'S THE FOOD PROJECT FOR DIXIE DRIVE? HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING ON THAT? OH, THE, UH, NO, WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING.
PROBABLY, UH, MR. MUNDO WOULD PROBABLY GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE ON WHAT HE HAD HEARD FROM, UH, FROM KLU.
THEY'RE STILL, UM, DELAYED IN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.
BUT THAT WOULD HELP THIS PROJECT EVEN MORE EXPONENTIALLY BETTER, YOU KNOW, DRAINAGE, WELL, IT WOULD IMPROVE, UH, THE ALASKA DRAINAGE DISTRICT MOVED PRIOR TO ALL THIS THING HAPPENING THEMSELVES ON THEIR OWN AND DID IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CHANNELS.
SO THEY'VE DONE QUITE A BIT OF IMPROVEMENTS ON, ON THEIR OWN.
SO YEAH, IT'LL BE, YOU KNOW, CHERRY ON, ON TOP IF THEY ACTUALLY MOVE ON THAT.
YEAH, I REMEMBER MY SON, HE'S 38 NOW, TAKING THE BAND, BAND LESSONS, FRUIT LESSONS.
OH, THEY USED TO LIVE ON THEIR CORNERS.
THEY'RE DRIVING IN S OF WATER ALL THOSE YEARS AGO.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT FINALLY COMING TO NUTRITION.
I WOULD JUST SAY ONE THING, AS WE GET VERY AGGRESSIVE WITH ALL OF THE BOND PROJECTS, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE ALL THE STREETS TORN UP DIFFERENT PLACES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THAT WE DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN TO COMMUNICATE TO THE RESIDENTS WHAT'S GONNA BE CLOSED VIA OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, AS WELL AS IF WE CAN DO ANY KIND OF SIGNAGE AND WELL, WE HEAVILY TRAVELED AREAS.
[01:15:01]
UH, DOES A LOT OF THAT NOTIFICATION THERE, EVEN PERSONAL NOTIFICATION THERE.AND YOU GUYS WENT TO YOUR PRESENTATION OVER ON THE NORTH SHADY OAKS AND THAT WAS VERY THOROUGH.
SO YES, JUST WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT GOING ON.
SO, AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, I BROUGHT UP AS FAR AS CONCERNS AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO, TO WORK THROUGH ALL THIS THING, NOT CREATE PROBLEMS WITH THE PUBLIC, WHICH IT PROBABLY WILL, BUT, UH, THAT'S THE WAY THE NATURE OF THIS BEAST IS.
AND AGAIN, WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS IS, UH, I MEAN, WHAT'S REALLY THE DRIVER FOR THIS AREA, WHY THIS MOVED THIS AREA UP FRONT WAS THE RAINWATER COMPONENT OF IT VERSUS THE STREET NEEDS.
BUT SINCE YOU TO DO THE RAINWATER, YOU HAVE TO DO THE STREETS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO WE MOVED THAT ALL UP AHEAD, BUT WE NEED TO, AS WE GO FORWARD, ALL THIS WORK THAT WE'VE TALKED, ESPECIALLY IN THIS AREA HERE, IS AS IF THAIN WAS HERE, HE'D BE TELLING US, IS, IS THAT YES, WE'RE GONNA IMPLO IMPROVE THE RAIN WATER MOVEMENT OUT OF THESE AREAS, BUT YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE WATER IN THE STREETS BECAUSE THAT'S OUR DRAINAGE IS OUR STREETS.
SO AT THE MOST, YOU MAY SEE, YOU MIGHT SEE AN IMPROVEMENT OF AN INCH OF LEVEL IN THE STREETS, BUT IT'S GONNA FLOW OUT QUICKER.
SO IT'S GONNA STAY, SO YOUR STREETS ARE STILL GOING TO FILL UP AT WATER, MAYBE NOT AS MUCH, BUT IT'S GONNA FLOW OUT QUICKER.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE GOING TO GO PLAY GOD AND CORRECT NOT AND FLOW WATER, UH, OUT OF THE CITY QUICKLY.
IT'S GONNA MOVE OUT QUICK AS WE CAN.
BUT YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE WATER IN THE STREETS, CORRECT? I MEAN, THIS WOULD ONLY TAKE CARE OF, LIKE YOU SAID, GOING BACK TO WHAT MR. SANCHEZ WOULD SAY, IT WOULD TAKE CARE OF A FIVE, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEAR EVENT, TOP OF RAINFALL, BUT IT WILL NOT TAKE CARE OF A 100 TOP EVENT.
THERE'S WAY THAT WE HAVE EVERY THREE YEARS.
STREET FLOODING IS NOT A BAD THING.
THAT MEANS YOUR HOME'S NOT FLOODING.
THAT THE ONLY BAD THING IS IF IT SITS OUT THERE FOR DAYS.
UH, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE HERE? ALRIGHT, I'LL TAKE A MOTION, UH, ON THIS ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, MAKE A MOTION TO AWARD THE BID AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF PAVEMENT, UTILITIES, AND DRAINAGE SYSTEMS ALONG MOSS, CHESTNUT, WISTERIA, AND PALM LANE TO HTI CONSTRUCTION FOR $9,875,449 WITH A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $10,862,994 AS BUDGETED.
ALRIGHT, I HAVE A MOTION WITH COUNCILMAN SECOND.
UH, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN HANYA.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
MOTION CARRIES AN UNANIMOUSLY.
[9. Discuss and consider appointing Kyle Willson to the Traffic Commission to replace James Durand. – Mayor Roznovsky/Sally Villarreal]
GO TO ITEM NINE, DISCUSS AND CONSIDER AN APPOINTMENT OF, UH, KYLE, UH, KYLE WILSON TO THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION TO REPLACE JAMES, UH, DURAN.AND, UH, UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MR. DURAND DECIDED THAT, UH, HE COULD NOT SERVE ON, UM, THE COMMISSION, UH, ANY LONGER.
AND SO, MR. KYLE WILSON IS THE LAST PERSON AND THE LAST TIME WE WENT OUT AND REQUESTED FOR PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO, UH, BE ON ANY BOARD OR COMMISSION, IT'S, HE'S, HE LISTED, UH, TRAFFIC AS ONE OF HIS ITEMS. SO THAT'S WHY, UH, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE PROPOSING TO, UH, APPOINT HIM AGAIN.
WE CAN DISCUSS THAT IF WE WANNA GO FORWARD WITH THAT.
OR WE CAN GO OUT AND GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS OF ALLOWING PEOPLE TO, ASKING PEOPLE TO SIGN BACK UP AND, UH, MAYBE GET SOME OTHER PEOPLE.
I SAY LET'S UTILIZE THE INFORMATION WHAT WE HAVE.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING.
JUST, UH, YEAH, SO IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION, WE'LL GO WITH A MOTION ON THIS MOVE.
ALL APPOINTED CALL WISDOM TO TRAFFIC COMMISSION TO REPLACE JAMES DURAN.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN BUELL.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, WE'LL MAKE THAT NOTIFICATION, UH, HERE QUICKLY.
[10. Discuss and approve participating in a new opioid settlement with Purdue and the Sackler Family. – Sherri Russell]
ITEM 10, DISCUSS AND APPROVE, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THE NEW OPIOID OPIOID SETTLEMENT WITH PURDUE AND, UH, SACKLER FAMILY.UH, IT'S GOT SHERRY'S NAME DECIDED.
THEY SEND ME, THE STATE SENDS ME THE EMAILS, AND, AND, UH, THAT'S WHY I FORWARD THOSE ON TO SHERRY AND MODESTO, AND EVEN TO JAMES BECAUSE IF WE GET ANY DOLLARS, THEY COME TO HIM, UH, TO PUT INTO THE RIGHT PLACES.
AND THIS IS, UH, I MEAN, BASICALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THE STATE OF TEXAS, JUST LIKE, UH, A LOT OF OTHER STATES
[01:20:01]
HAVE AGREED TO, UH, ADDRESS THESE, UH, SETTLEMENTS, UH, AT THE STATE LEVEL.AND, UH, INSTEAD OF EACH, UH, INDIVIDUAL SUING EACH, UH, MANUFACTURER OF THE MATERIAL OR WHOEVER DISTRIBUTED IT.
UH, AND SO THE STATE, UH, PARTICIPATES IN HANDLING THAT.
AND, UH, UH, LONG TIME AGO, WE AS A CITY AGREED THAT WE WOULD PARTICIPATE ALONG WITH THE STATE IN ANY KIND OF AGREEMENTS GOING FORWARD.
EACH TIME AN AGREEMENT IS REACHED BY THE STATE WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH PURDUE HERE IS, THEN IT COMES BACK TO US AS A CITY TO SIGN OFF ON, UH, IF WE WANT TO AGREE TO THAT SETTLEMENT.
UH, IF WE AGREE TO THE SETTLEMENT AND IF THERE'S ANY FUNDING THAT, UH, FILTERS DOWN TO THE CITY LEVEL, WELL THEN WE GET THAT PERCENTAGE OR THAT PIECE OF IT.
WE'VE ONLY TO DATE ONLY RECEIVED ONE SETTLEMENT PAYMENT, WHICH GOES BACK TO THE ORIGINAL SETTLEMENT, UH, WHICH WAS 50 OR $70,000 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT ANYWAY, BUT WE'VE, UH, AND SO THOSE FUNDS ARE SUPPOSED TO GO BACK AND, UH, UH, REIMBURSE THE CITY FOR ANY KIND OF, UH, COSTS THAT WE INCURRED, UM, UP TO THAT POINT OR GOING FORWARD ASSOCIATED WITH ADDRESSING, UM, ABUSE OF OPIOIDS.
AND, UH, BUT WE'VE SIGNED OFF ON SEVERAL OF THESE, UH, IN THE PAST HERE RECENTLY OR IN THE PAST OR SINCE THEN.
AND, UH, WE HAVEN'T, THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDING.
I THINK IT'S PARTIALLY BECAUSE, UH, IT'S STILL HELD UP AT THE STATE, UH, AND, UH, FOLKS DISPUTING THINGS.
SO, REFRESH MY MEMORY, WHAT DOES THIS INVOLVE? WHAT THE, THE SETTLEMENT? THE WELL, WHAT THE, YEAH.
WHAT IT IS, IS, AGAIN, WHENEVER, YOU KNOW, UH, EVERYBODY FROM THE MANUFACTURERS OF THE OPIOIDS AND ALSO THE PEOPLE THAT EVERYTHING DOWN TO DOC, EVEN DOCTORS AND PHARMACIES THAT, UH, OVER-PRESCRIBE, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEING LITIGATION IS AGAINST THEM TO, FOR, UH, UM, TO PAY FOR THEIR, I MEAN PAY FOR, FOR THAT TO, TO, IN OTHER WORDS, TO, UH, FOR VIOLATING DO NO HARM YEAH.
OR ABUSING IT AND OR ALLOWING PEOPLE TO ABUSE OR OVER-PRESCRIBING AND SO FORTH.
THE WAY THEY DO WHAT THEY'VE DONE, WHAT THEY DO IS, IS THAT THEY KNOW, THIS IS TELLS YOU HOW MUCH GOVERNMENT CAN GET INTO YOUR BUSINESS.
UH, THEY KNOW PRETTY WELL WHAT DOCTORS PRESCRIBED OVERPRESCRIBED.
THEY KNOW WHAT PHARMACIES OVER DELIVERED AND SO FORTH.
AND SO THEY LOOK AT YOUR COMMUNITY AND THEY LOOK AT THE NUMBERS IN THEIR DATABASE, AND THAT'S HOW THEY DETERMINE HOW MUCH OF ANY OF THESE DOLLARS AMOUNTS COMES BACK TO YOUR CITY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IN SOME OF THE, THE EXAMPLES OF COST THAT WE INCURRED IS, IS THERE'S THE COST OF CARRYING EXTRA MEDICATION FOR EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION AND STUFF.
UH, THERE'S BEEN TRAINING FOR EMS AND FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND SO FORTH.
SO THOSE ARE, THIS IS, THIS KIND OF FUNDING IS THERE TO HELP US, REIMBURSE US FOR THOSE COSTS.
AND SO AGAIN, IT, IT'S, IT COMES BACK TO US AND, UH, SHERRY'S GOT A, SHERRY TELLS ME I HAVE TO BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL EVERY TIME, SO WELL, IF RIGHT.
SO I NEED Y'ALL, I'M LOOKING FOR Y'ALL'S APPROVAL TO, IF WE WANT TO DO THIS, YOUR APPROVAL FOR ME TO SIGN, SIGN FOR THIS, TO SIGN THIS AGREEMENT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? SO, UH, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE PARTICIPATING IN THE NEW OPIOID SETTLEMENT WITH PURDUE AND THE SER FAMILY.
SO I HAVE, UH, A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN SETH.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[11. Discuss whether to add additional restrictions for massage establishments that violate the law. – Sherri Russell]
OKAY, NEXT ONE.THIS IS AN AGENDA ITEM I REQUESTED, UH, THIS IS DISCUSSED WHETHER TO ADD ADDITIONAL, UH, RESTRICTIONS FOR, UH, MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENTS, UH, THAT VIOLATE, UH, LAW FOR OUR ORDINANCE.
AND SO THIS IS, UH, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, UH, WE WORKED, UH, THIS COUNCIL WORKED TOGETHER ALONG WITH, UH, UH, SOME, UH, PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND ALSO WITH SOME OF OUR, UH, PEOPLE THAT OWN THESE TYPE OF BUSINESSES.
WE HAVE TWO REPRESENTATIVES HERE THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN LONGSTANDING, UH, OWNERS OF BUSINESS HERE IN LAKE JACKSON.
AND, UH, TO GET INPUT ON HOW WE CAN, UM, UM, PUT, UM, PUT OUR ORDINANCE IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THE, THESE TYPE OF OPERATIONS ARE, UH, OPERATED, UM, APPROPRIATELY
[01:25:01]
AND THEY ARE NOT, UH, NOT WHY THEIR OPERATION DOES NOT, UH, PROVIDE FOR THE ABILITY, UH, TO, UH, GET, UH, TO DO, UH, ILLEGAL THINGS WHICH INCLUDE, UH, UH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SO FORTH.UM, SO WE PUT AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE, UH, LIKE I SAID, SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
UM, AND, UH, STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING TO, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT IS WORKING, UH, TO, UH, ENFORCE OR USE THAT ORDINANCE, UH, TO ADDRESS, UH, SOME OF THE CONCERNS WE HAVE WITH SOME OF THE BUSINESSES IN OUR AREA.
UH, ALSO PD HAS BEEN INVOLVED, THEY'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH, UH, UM, UH, SOME UNDERCOVER WORK, UH, IN EARLIER YEARS.
AND, UH, WE'VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES WITH A FEW OF THESE BUSINESSES.
AND MOST RECENTLY WE'VE HAD THREE BUSINESSES THAT, UH, WERE CLOSED COUNCIL WAS NOTIFIED, UH, BECAUSE THEY WERE, ALL THREE OF 'EM WERE CLOSED BECAUSE OF, UH, THEIR LICENSE HAD EXPIRED.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY THEY WERE CLOSED.
IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.
EITHER A LICENSE, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE MORE THAT WE'VE HAD TO TALK THAT WE'VE, UH, PUT ON NOTICE THAT THEY NEED, UH, TO CORRECT, UH, LICENSING, UH, ISSUES.
AND SO THE OTHER THING THAT WE DID WAS, UH, SCENARIO A YEAR AGO THAT WE HAD, UH, TDLR, IS THAT CORRECT? CAME IN AND WENT AND WORKED WITH OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, BOTH FOR OUR EDUCATION AND FOR THEIR EDUCATION ON OUR ORDINANCE.
AND, UM, WE LEARNED SOME THINGS FROM THAT.
AND SO, AGAIN, OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN, UH, WORKING, UH, AS BEST AS THEY COULD WITH OUR ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
THE REASON WHY I BROUGHT THIS BACK UP IS, IS BECAUSE, UH, I'VE BEEN SHOWN PDS BEEN SHOWN, STAFF'S BEEN SHOWN, IS THAT SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT WERE CLOSED DOWN HAD, UH, ADVERTISEMENTS THAT WEREN'T, UH, THAT WOULD SUGGEST THAT THEY WERE NOT, UH, THAT THEY WERE DOING SOME, GOD, HOW CAN I PUT THIS? PROSTITUTION? YEAH.
IS IT OKAY? THE ADVERTISEMENTS THAT HAVE THAT WASN'T DIRECT WORKING, IT'S JUST NICE GIRLS, FRESH, YOUNG, NICE GIRLS, BUT, AND THAT'S, THAT'S ON THE REGULAR WEB.
AND IF THERE'S, AND YOU WANT A BIG STRONG YES.
THE OTHER, THE OTHER PIECE OF IT WAS IS THAT, UH, THERE'S, THERE IS, THERE IS AN ORGANIZATION, UH, THAT, UH, IS IN OUR AREA THAT IS REALLY, UH, STRONG ABOUT, UH, UM, ADDRESSING THIS, ESPECIALLY HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SO FORTH.
AND, UH, THEY, THEY SEARCHED THE DARK WEB AND AGAIN, TIED BACK TO THESE BUSINESSES, THERE'S REFERENCES, NOT REFERENCES, THERE'S DETAIL OF, IF YOU WANT THIS TYPE OF SERVICE, THIS IS WHERE YOU GO AND THIS IS THE PERSON YOU ASK FOR.
THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT, UH, AGAIN, WE HAVE RESOURCEFUL, UH, OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE AREA AND, UH, THEY ACTUALLY, UM, AGAIN, BEING TOLD IS THAT, UH, THEY WENT IN, HAD A FRIEND GO IN AND, AND, UH, TALK TO THEM.
AND THIS IS ANOTHER CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE, IS, IS THAT, UH, DEPENDING ON IF YOU WERE PAYING WITH A CREDIT CARD, YOU SAW ONE LISTING OF WHAT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED IF YOU'RE PAYING CASH, THERE WAS ANOTHER LIST THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE INDIVIDUAL.
BUT, UH, SO WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT AN, AND IT'S NOT JUST A LAKE JACKSON ISSUE, IT IS A ZORIA COUNTY ISSUE.
UH, HARRIS COUNTY IS KNOWN AS THE NUMBER ONE, UH, UH, PROBLEM AREA FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
AND, UH, SO AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE SOME GREAT BUSINESSES THAT WE HAVE HERE AND THAT PROVIDE, UH, MASSAGE, UH, TYPE, UH, SERVICES, UH, ALL LEGAL, ALL PROFESSIONAL AND SO FORTH.
AND SO WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS, IS THAT, UH, AND AREA, OF COURSE YOU CAN JUMP IN HERE, BUT IS THAT WE, THAT WE LOOK AT IT AS A COUNCIL, GO BACK AND LOOK AT, 'CAUSE THERE'S BEEN CHANGES THAT STATE LEGISLATURE IS, SO I'VE GOT THE CHANGES, THESE ARE THE CHANGES UP THERE THAT WE CAN ADD TO OUR ORDINANCE.
GO BACK TO WHERE YOU WERE BEFORE YOU GO THAT, CAN YOU REFRESH MY MEMORY? TDLR, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF LICENSE AND REGULATION.
SO, UM, IF THEY HAVE HAD, UM, ARRESTS FOR SOME SORT OF PROSTITUTION OFFENSE, OR IF THEY HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF, UM, TRAFFICKING OR MONEY LAUNDERING OR SOMETHING LIKE
[01:30:01]
THAT, JUST ONCE, OR, UM, IF THEY'RE OPERATING AT THE SAME LOCATION WHERE ANOTHER ESTABLISHMENT GOT IN TROUBLE WITH TDLR, THEN UM, WE CAN PUT IN, UH, STRICTER RULES OVER WHERE THEY CAN BE AND WHO CANNOT OWN IT IF THEY'RE OUT.UM, SO WE COULD GO IN AND INVESTIGATE OWNERS AND MAYBE GIVE THEM A PERMIT AND JUST BE EXTREMELY STRICT WITH THOSE.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS, I MEAN, THE LEGISLATURE DOESN'T WANT THE LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES TO BE DINGED, BUT A LEGITIMATE BUSINESS ISN'T GONNA HAVE THREE ARRESTS FOR PROSTITUTION.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY MADE IT SO HIGH.
BUT ANYWAY, THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT WE, WE CAN DO, WE CAN DO, THIS IS WHAT THEY'VE GIVEN US RIGHT NOW, THESE THINGS.
THERE'S, UH, AT THE SAME TIME IS THAT, UH, WHAT I'D LIKE FOR US TO GO BACK AND REVISIT WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE ARE DOING, UM, AND, UH, SEE IF THERE'S, SORRY, THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE IN, UH, I PERSONALLY WOULD PREFER THAT WE GET, BE AS STRONG AS WE CAN WITH THIS, BECAUSE AGAIN, UH, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH IS WITH THE MENTALITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WANNA DO WRONG IS IF THEY FIND A COMMUNITY THAT HAS A STRONG PUSHBACK, THEY'LL GO AWAY BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT, THEY DON'T WANT HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANY OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE.
UH, IT'S, IT'S FRUSTRATING TO ME THAT YES, WE WERE ABLE TO CLOSE THE FACILITIES BECAUSE THEIR LICENSING WAS OUT OF DATE.
UH, BUT THEN WE HAD INFORMATION THAT SHOWED THAT THEY WERE DOING OTHER THINGS AND THAT WE COULDN'T ACT ON THOSE THINGS.
AND WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO BE ABLE TO ACT ON THOSE THINGS.
UH, AND, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S THINGS THAT, THAT THE, THE PD CAN DO AND THERE'S BE THINGS THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT CAN DO.
AND UH, I THINK WE'VE GOT AGREEMENT BETWEEN, UH, OUR PD AND CODE ENFORCEMENT NOW IS TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME OFFICERS THAT ARE GONNA BE CROSS TRAINED ON THE ORDINANCE.
UH, SO WE HAVE ANOTHER SET OF EYES LOOKING AT, AT THESE, UH, CHALLENGES.
UM, THERE IS A RESOURCE, UH, HIS NAME IS JOHN, UH, MADISON.
UH, DID YOU, WERE YOU ABLE TO TALK TO HIM TODAY? SHERRY? MM-HMM
AND SO HE IS THE INDIVIDUAL HE WORKED WITH IN THE PAST, UH, ON THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE.
AND HE WOULD LIKE, AND HE'S BEEN WORKING AT THE STATE LEVEL, UH, TO TRY TO, UH, MOVE SOME THINGS ALONG.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HIM COME BACK IF NOTHING ELSE, WORK WITH, UH, STAFF AND WITH SHERRY AND PD AND, UH, SEE WHAT OTHER OPTIONS WE HAVE ON MAKING OUR ORDINANCE STRONGER SO THAT WE CAN TAKE ACTION AND, UH, MAKE IT STICK.
ONE THING THAT TURNED MY STOMACH WAS, WELL, THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS THAT TURNED MY STOMACH ABOUT THIS.
ONE THING THAT TURNED MY STOMACH ABOUT THIS WAS IS THAT WHENEVER WE CLOSED THEM DOWN, I ASKED, YOU KNOW, STAFF IS WHAT DID YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE THING TO, UH, TALK TO THE MANAGER OR LEASE AND SAY, OKAY, WE'RE CLOSING YOU DOWN BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE YOUR LICENSE UP TO DATE.
BUT MY QUESTION WAS IS DID YOU NOTIFY, UH, THE LANDLORD? AND ORIGINAL ANSWER WAS NO, BUT WE'VE CORRECTED THAT AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND.
IS THAT CORRECT? AND SO WE'RE MAKING THE, THE LANDLORD'S AWARE THAT, OKAY, WE'VE HAD THIS INCIDENT, UH, WITH ONE OF YOUR LEASEES MAKING THEM AWARE OF IT.
BUT THE THING THAT THAT BOTHERED ME WAS IS THAT ONE OF THE LANDLORDS IS A LOCAL LANDLORD.
THE LOCAL LANDLORD'S RESPONSE WAS, WE KIND OF FIGURED THINGS WERE KIND OF STRANGE, BUT THEY PAY THEIR RENT ON TIME.
OKAY, THAT'S NOT LAKE JACKSON.
ALRIGHT, WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND IF WE LET, IF WE TRULY SEE SOME QUESTIONABLE STUFF GOING ON AT ANY BUSINESS, REGARDLESS, IS, UH, WE NEED TO, TO BE ABLE TO STAND UP AND SAY, WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM, LET'S ADDRESS IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING FOR, IS WE NEED TO PROVIDE THE TOOLS, UH, SO THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT, INCLUDING THE FIRE MARSHAL AND UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT AND ALSO PD, CAN STEP IN AND TAKE ACTION.
AND AGAIN, HOPEFULLY WE CAN WORK WITH, UH, JOE MADISON ON THIS.
UH, HE BRINGS A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE, UH, TO THE TABLE.
UH, AND HE CAN HELP US, UH, IF NOT, NOTHING ELSE BE A RESOURCE ON THIS.
SO MR. BERG, ARE WE WILLING TO PROVIDE RESOURCES, UH, TO, UH, CHALLENGE BUSINESSES WHO DO NOT FOLLOW A CURRENT ORDINANCE? BECAUSE ONE OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WAS CLOSED, UH, WAS NOT FOLLOWING A CURRENT ORDINANCE.
THEY HAD, UH, COULD NOT SEE IN THE FRONT LINE.
ALL THE WINDOWS HAD ALL THE WAY BLOCKED.
AND UH, SO WE, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS TO MAKE SURE THAT'S TRUE.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO GO.
WE NEED TO BE, UH, YES, WE NEED TO ENFORCE THE CURRENT ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE AND WE NEED TO BE,
[01:35:01]
WE NEED TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH ENFORCING THE ORDINANCE AS WE HAVE IT TODAY.AND, AND, UH, THAT'S THE FIRST STEP.
I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON THAT.
CORRECT ME, I MET WITH STAFF, UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE FIRE MARSHAL INVOLVED, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND WE RECOGNIZE THIS IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY RIGHT NOW, UH, TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, SO, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DEAL ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE WINDOW SHADES AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF IS, UM, IF OUR ORDINANCE SAYS THAT THEY, THEY CAN'T BLOCK THE VIEW TO THEIR LOBBY THROUGH THE FRONT, THEN THEY DON'T BLOCK THE VIEW.
IF THEY SAY, WELL, WE GOTTA DO THAT BECAUSE THE SUN COMES IN, FIND ANOTHER PLACE.
YOU KNOW, OR PUT AN AWNING OUT FRONT OF IT, BUT YOU CAN'T BLOCK THE VIEW INTO THE LOBBY IF, UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT AN ORDINANCE TO STAND BY IT AND USE THAT AS A TOOL TO, UH, STOP, STOP THIS STUFF.
AND AGAIN, YOU CAN GO ACROSS THE, ACROSS THE STREET INTO OTHER CITIES AND, UH, THEY'RE DEALING WITH THE SAME ISSUES.
JUST THAT I THINK WE'RE GOING, WE'RE GONNA, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT AN ORDINANCE THAT WE CAN BE ENFORCING AND THEN WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO JUST, UH, ADD TO IT WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING FOR YOU GUYS.
UH, IF Y'ALL WILL SUPPORT OR AGREE TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, STAFF AND, UH, ALONG WITH SHERRY.
WITH SHERRY AND PD AND, AND, UH, AGAIN, CODE ENFORCEMENT TO, UH, SO WOULD THE MOTION NEED TO INCLUDE THE NEW STATE GUIDELINES? YES, THAT'S FINE.
YEAH, ACTUALLY IF YOU JUST GIVE ME DIRECTION DIRECTION, I'LL BRING IT BACK.
YEAH, JUST GO WITH DIRECTION NOW AND THEN SHE CAN BRING IT BACK TO US.
APPRECIATE Y'ALL SITTING THROUGH OUR PREVIOUS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? MA'AM, WOULD YOU GO AHEAD AND STAND UP JUST REAL QUICK? WE GOTTA HEAR YOU VOICE ALL I, I I NEED YOU UP THE FRONT.
WELL, BEFORE SHE GETS HERE, THANKS FOR BEING TO ATTENTION.
WELL, I KNOW IT'S EVERYBODY'S CONCERN AND SO WE JUST NEED TO, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL US WHO YOU ARE.
I'M MELINDA HEARNS AND I, I'M GONNA CRY.
I OWN HEAVEN SAID MASSAGE AND I WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT CAME IN HERE AND ASKED Y'ALL TO DO SOMETHING.
AND IT MEANS A LOT TO ME THAT Y'ALL HAVE, AND I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH BECAUSE IT HELPS OUR INDUSTRY BE WHAT WE REALLY WANNA BE FOR THE ONES WHO REALLY ARE DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND I APPRECIATE, UM, I NEED TO SOMEHOW COMMUNICATE, UH, TWO OF MY, UH, THERAPISTS THAT WERE IN OUR OFFICE, THEY WENT ON THEIR OWN.
AND ONE WAS TALKING TO ME THE OTHER DAY ABOUT SOMEBODY CAME TO THEIR OFFICE AND I, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING THIS ANYMORE, BUT ONE WAS ALONE AND, UH, THE MAN ASSAULTED HER AND I DON'T THINK SHE EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT FILING CHARGES, WHAT WOULD THAT BE CALLED? ASSAULT.
SO I, THEY NEED TO BE MORE AWARE OF THAT AND TO COME OUT.
I THINK THEY'RE MORE LIKE, FEEL AWFUL.
YOU KNOW? BUT ANYWAY, I, MOST OF ALL, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE.
Y'ALL GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT I EVER DREAMED OF AND I WANNA THANK YOU.
[12. Staff updates]
WE GO INTO STAFF UPDATES, CITY MANAGER HAVE ANYTHING TO NO MA'AM.AND THEN THE TWO ITEMS WE'LL NOTIFY MR. WILSON OF THE, HIS APPOINTMENT TO THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION AND I'M SURE WE'LL BE WORKING ON THE MASSAGE ORDINANCE TO BRING THAT BACK AT THE FUTURE COMPANY.
[13. Construction/Development Updates]
UH, ITEM 13, UH, CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT UPDATES.ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THERE? SHE IS.
SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ON THE CURRENT UPDATE, I'M HERE TO ANSWER THEM.
IF NOT, SO ALL THE, UH, SMORE AND ALL THAT AREA THAT'S BEING TO BE REBUILT, WHEN IS, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE ON THAT NOW? ON PAGE, THEY'RE APPROXIMATELY 90% COMPLETE.
THEY'RE WORKING ON THE EAST END, JUST A SIDEWALK AND DRIVEWAY FORM UP, UH, FOREST OAKS DRIVE.
[01:40:01]
SO I WOULD SAY PROBABLY IN A COUPLE MONTHS, UM, I I I'D LIKE, I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE THREE WEEKS, BUT I ALSO KNOW IT'S HURRICANE SEASON.UH, I DROVE DOWN SYCAMORE AFTER Y'ALL OPENED IT UP AND STUFF AND, AND UH, TO SEE HOW FAR WE WENT IN TO, TO REPAIR AND STUFF.
AND IT GOT ME TO THINKING OF, IS THAT MANY YEARS AGO SITTING ON COUNCIL, WE HAD A, A GENTLEMAN, AN ELDERLY GENTLEMAN THAT LIVES ON SYCAMORE AND SAL MAY REMEMBER HIM AND STUFF.
AND HE WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGES WITH THE STREET AND HE JUST TOLD, HE SAID, AND WE TOLD HIM, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THE REPLACEMENT OF STREETS, REPAIRS THE STREETS AND STUFF.
LIKE, AND, AND, AND HE SAYS, I UNDERSTAND THAT HE'S JUST THAT I, HE SAID, I HOPE THAT BEFORE I PASS AWAY THAT Y'ALL WILL GET TO MY STREET.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE GOT INTO FRONT OF HIS YARD OR NOT.
I DON'T, THAT'S HOW I WAS SAYING NO.
BUT ANYWAY, WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS AND, AND STUFF AND UM, IT'S JUST, IT'S REALLY WHEN WE DO GO IN THERE, IT REALLY ELEVATES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT ELEVATES THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I THINK IT, WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE THAT OWN PROPERTY THAT ARE TRUE HOMEOWNERS THERE, THEY REALLY APPRECIATE WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE.
SO THEY START TAKING CARE OF THEIR PROPERTY BETTER TO ENHANCE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY SEE AROUND IT.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTION ON ANY PROJECTS? THANK YOU.
[ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST.ANYTHING MUCH? YOU GOT B, C, C, A WEDNESDAY? YEP.
I'M NOT, I'LL LET YOU DRIVE ME.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD AND UH, NO, NOTHING MOVES DOWN.