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THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 5:35 PM.FOR THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THERE'S BEEN A QUORUM OF COUNCIL AND THIS WAS DULY POSTED ITEM NUMBER TWO, OUR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION STAFF.
[2(e) Receive the redistricting initial assessment report.]
COUNCILS, THE STAFF HAD ASKED TO MOVE THE ITEM TO E UH, IN AHEAD OF TWO A, IS THERE A MOTION MOVED THERE? SECOND SECOND IS BEEN A MOTION BY A MAYOR PRO TEM BONEY.SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOROSE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY, AYE, ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NO MOTION CARRIES SIX ZERO.
SO ITEM NUMBER TWO E UH, RECEIVED THE REDISTRICTING INITIAL ASSESSMENT REPORT EVER PRESENTATION BY EGOS JAMAR CITY ATTORNEY.
GOOD EVENING AGAIN ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER 15TH, 2021.
THIS COUNCIL AUTHORIZED THE ENGAGEMENT OF STAFF.
HE DELGADO AND ACOSTA FOR THE PERFORMANCE, EVERY DISTRICTING SERVICES ON OR ABOUT JANUARY 27TH OF THIS YEAR.
THE FIRM PROVIDED THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE CITY'S REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
THE ASSESSMENT SOUND THAT THE CITY IS IN NEED OF REDISTRICTING.
UM, I HAVE ASKED MR. HEATH TO PRESENT HERE TODAY.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, MR. HEATH HAS REPRESENTED SEVERAL CITIES, INCLUDING SAN ANTONIO, TYLER, AND THE CITY OF BRYAN.
UM, HE HAS ALSO BEEN NAMED IN THE PAST AS A SUPER LAWYER, UH, FOR HIS, UH, WORK IN GOVERNMENT LAW.
SO WITH THAT I PRESENT MR. HEATH.
THANK YOU, MR. HEATH, IF I CAN, IF YOU CAN GO OVER THE ENTIRE SLIDE THAT YOU HAVE, AND IF, IF ANY, UH, ANYONE HAVE A QUESTION WE'LL ASK YOU AT THE END.
UM, APPRECIATE YOUR HAVING ME AND APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH ZURICH CITY.
UH, WE WORKED WITH YOU AND YEARS AGO, UH, AND UM, WHEN A DISTRICT TEAM OBVIOUSLY REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, MATTER, I'M GOING TO GO OVER A PRESENTATION.
IT BASICALLY HAS THREE PARTS TO IT.
FIRST PART IS I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THE LAW OF REDISTRICTING.
UM, BUT TO TELL ABOUT WHAT THE BASIC LEGAL PRINCIPLES THAT YOU HAVE TO LOOK OUT FOR IN THAT ALL OF US, UH, NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE DO, UH, THE NEXT THING, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS, UH, THAT WE SUGGEST YOU FOLLOW.
AND FINALLY, WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UH, POPULATION, UH, OF YOUR DISTRICTS ARE AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO, UH, IN REDISTRICTING LAW.
UM, PLUS ONE THING WE THINK HE IS NOT NECESSARILY LEGAL PRINCIPAL ANYMORE, BUT YOU OUGHT TO DO.
FIRST THING IS WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE DISTRICTS COMPLY WITH ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE THAT THEY HAVE EQUAL POPULATION.
SECOND THING IS WE NEED TO COMPLY WITH SECTION TWO OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
AND THAT BASICALLY SAYS THAT YOU CAN NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST VOTERS ALL IN DRAWING YOUR DISTRICTS ON THE BASIS OF RACE OR LANGUAGE MINORITY STATUS.
UH, AND THE LANGUAGE MINORITY STATUS IS A CATEGORY THAT WAS ADDED TO THE ACT IN 1975.
AND, UH, ESSENTIALLY BRINGS HISPANICS, UH, UNDER THE ACT.
UH, THE THIRD THING IS SHAW VERSUS RENO, WHICH HAS CASE BY THE SUPREME COURT.
THAT WHILE SECTION TWO SAYS, YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE CONSCIOUS OF RACE, ALL VS.
RENO SAYS TOO CONSCIOUS OF IT.
SO IT SORT OF PUTS US IN A DAMNED IF YOU DO DAMNED IF YOU DON'T.
SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT AND HOW TO NAVIGATE THAT PROCESS.
THE LAST THING USED TO BE A LEGAL REQUIREMENT, BUT NO LONGER IS.
AND THAT'S SECTION FIVE OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, ACTUALLY SECTION FIVE, STILL EXIST.
BUT THE SUPREME COURT OVERTURNED SECTION FOUR, WHICH SAYS WHAT JURISDICTIONS ARE COVERED AND WHICH AREN'T TEXAS, UH, WAS COVERED BY SECTION FIVE, UH, NOW BECAUSE OF THE SUPREME COURT'S
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DECISION, NO ONE IS, BUT IT'S STILL IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THAT, UH, AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL TO SEE IF MAYBE WE WOULDN'T GET INTO TROUBLE, UH, BY NOT COMPLYING WITH THAT.AND THAT BASICALLY SAID THAT YOU CAN'T RETRO GRACE, YOU CAN'T GO BACKWARDS, UH, IN YOUR PLAN.
UM, I'M SORRY, MR. HEATH, COULD YOU SPEAK DIRECTLY INTO THE MIC? I'M HAVING A HARD TIME HEARING EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, SO TALKING ABOUT THOUGH, THE FIRST PRINCIPLE ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE, THAT'S A CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE, UH, FOR SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS, WHICH YOU HAVE FOUR, THEY HAVE TO HAVE APPROXIMATELY EQUAL POPULATION.
AND THE RULE OF THUMB IS THE TOTAL DEVIATION CANNOT EXCEED 10%.
UM, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW TO COMPUTE THAT.
WHAT YOU DO IS YOU THE MOST POPULOUS DISTRICT TO THE LEAST POPULOUS DISTRICT AND SEE HOW FAR THEY DEVIATE FROM THE IDEAL, UH, AIM YOU ADD THOSE TOGETHER.
AND HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
UH, THIS IS SOME PLACE WHERE THEY HAVE FOUR DISTRICTS JUST AS YOU DO.
UH, FOR THE EXAMPLE, WE HAVE ASSUMED THAT THE JURISDICTION HAS 40,000 PERSONS.
THE IDEAL DISTRICT SIZE IS 10,000, WHICH OF COURSE MAKES IT REALLY EASY TO DO THE MATH, UH, IN DETERMINING DEVIATION DISTRICT A, UH, WITH A THOUSAND PERSONS OVER THE IDEAL IS 10% OVERPOPULATED.
UH, YOU GET DOWN TO THE SMALLEST ONE IN THIS CASE, IT'S DISTRICT D UH, WHICH IS 2000 UNDER, UH, THAT'S 20% UNDER, FROM 10% OVER TO 20% UNDER THAT'S A 30 PERCENTAGE POINTS.
AND SO THERE, THE TOTAL MAXIMUM DEVIATION IS 30% WELL ABOVE THE 10% THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO BE WITHIN.
NOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT CENSUS DATA TO DETERMINE ALL THIS, UH, CENSUS IS REPORTED AT THE BLOCK LEVEL.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT TOTAL POPULATION, UH, AT THAT'S REPORTED.
ALSO THEY REPORT VOTING AGE POPULATION, THEY REPORT RACE, THEY REPORT HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND WE WILL LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE, UH, AND MAKING OUR ANALYSIS TOTAL POPULATION.
WE WILL USE TO DETERMINE ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE.
UH, THAT'S HOW WE DETERMINED DEVIATION IS LOOKING AT TOTAL POPULATION, BUT WE ALSO LOOK AT VOTING AGE POPULATION BECAUSE THAT HELPS US MEASURE HOW MUCH POLITICAL INFLUENCE PEOPLE HAVE, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S A BETTER MEASURE OF POLITICAL POWER BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY CAN VOTE.
SO UNDER SECTION TWO OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, WHICH SAYS YOU CAN'T DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF LANGUAGE, AMOUNT OF RACE OR LANGUAGE MINORITY STATUS, YOU GENERALLY WANT TO AVOID CRACKING OR PACKING CRACKING ALSO KNOWN AS FRACTURING IS WHERE YOU DIVIDE MINORITY VOTERS TO FRAGMENT THEIR VOTING POWER.
SO LET'S ASSUME YOU HAVE A COMPACT GEOGRAPHIC AREA THAT HAS A MINORITY GROUP.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT IS 80% OF, UH, THAT AREA IS, UM, THE MINORITY GROUP.
IF YOU CUT THAT INTO, SO HALF OF THEM GO TO ONE DISTRICT HALF, GO IN ANOTHER, MAYBE CUT INTO THREE PARTS OR SOMETHING WHERE PREVIOUSLY THEY COULD EASILY ELECT AND NOW YOU'VE MADE IT.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL GET YOU IN TROUBLE UNDER SECTION TWO, THE OPPOSITE OF THAT IS PACKING.
LET'S SAY YOU HAVE AN AREA WHERE THE MINORITY GROUP IS DOMINANT IN TWO DISTRICTS AND YOU SAY, WELL, LET'S JUST HACK THEM ALL TOGETHER.
UH, AND SO INSTEAD OF MAYBE TWO 50% DISTRICTS, UH, YOU HAVE A DISTRICT THAT'S 90%, THOSE VOTES ARE GOING TO BE WASTED AND, OR YOU COULD HAVE HAD TWO.
NOW YOU HAVE ONE MINORITY DISTRICT THAT'S PACKING AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL GET YOU, UH, IN TROUBLE UNDER SECTION TWO.
THERE CAN BE OTHER THINGS TOO, BUT THOSE ARE THE BASIC THINGS TO LOOK AT.
NOW, LET'S TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT SHAW VERSUS RENO.
OBVIOUSLY UNDER SECTION TWO, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AT RACE AND RACES, CERTAINLY, UH, AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION, BUT IN SHAW VERSUS RENO, THE SUPREME COURT SAID YOU CAN'T LOOK TOO CLOSELY.
YOU CAN'T MAKE IT THE PREDOMINANT CONSIDERATION AND THAT CASE INVOLVED THE 12TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN NORTH CAROLINA.
UM, AND THIS IS THAT DISTRICT, THE YELLOW ONE, UH, AS IT TURNS OUT A HAMPTON TO BE AT THE U S SUPREME COURT THAT DAY,
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UH, OBSERVING, UH, LISTENING TO THE ARGUMENTS.AND I ASSURE YOU, UM, THAT THE LAWYER'S CHALLENGING, THE DISTRICT MADE AMPLE USE OF THIS MAP TO SHOW HOW CONVOLUTED, UH, THAT WAS AND, AND WHAT HAPPENED THE REASON FOR THIS IS, UM, THEY COULD DRAW A MINORITY DISTRICT.
IT'S AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN DISTRICT HERE, UH, BUT BY DOING THIS, UM, VERY STRANGE DISTRICT, THEY WERE ABLE TO DRAW EXTRA DEMOCRATIC DISTRICTS.
WHEREAS IF YOU HAD A MORE COMPACT ONE, UH, IT MIGHT BE HARDER TO DO THAT.
AND THE SUPREME COURT OVERTURNED THAT, UH, HERE IS SOMETHING A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME.
THIS IS HARRIS COUNTY, OR ACTUALLY CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, BUSH VERSUS VERA.
THIS WAS, UM, RIGHT AFTER SHAW VERSUS RENO.
AND THE ONE ON THE LEFT, UH, IS WHAT THE SUPREME COURT, UH, INITIALLY CONSIDERED OR WHAT THE LEGISLATURE PASSED.
AND THE RED DISTRICT, THE 29TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WAS DRAWN, UH, TO BE A HISPANIC MAJORITY DISTRICT.
UM, AND OF COURSE IT IS EXTREMELY CONVOLUTED.
UH, THE SUPREME COURT OVERTURNED THAT AND CAME BACK TO THE DISTRICT COURT.
THEY REDREW IT, UH, TO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT.
THE RED DISTRICT IS STILL A HISPANIC MAJORITY DISTRICT.
UM, AND THERE WASN'T REALLY THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.
IT DID DROP A PERCENTAGE POINT OR TWO, BUT, UH, THEY WERE ABLE TO DRAW A FAIRLY STRONG HISPANIC DISTRICT NOW, AS IT TURNS, UH, THAT DISTRICT ELECTED AN ANGLO JEAN GREEN.
UM, BUT ULTIMATELY, CERTAINLY HE WAS OVER 20 YEARS OR SO THAT HE SERVED, UH, RECEIVED MAJORITY HISPANIC SPORT, NOT NECESSARILY, UH, IN THAT FIRST DISTRICT.
AND OF COURSE IT'S CHANGED A LITTLE, UH, BUT NOW I THINK SYLVIA GARCIA, UH, REPRE, UH, REPRESENTS IT.
SO THE STANDARDS UNDER SHAW VERSUS RENO IS THAT RACE CANNOT BE THE PREDOMINANT FACTOR TO THE SUBORDINATION OF TRADITIONAL DISTRICT IN PRINCIPLES.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE ARE OKAY.
TO CONSIDER RACE, TO BE AWARE OF IT, TO SATISFY SECTION TWO.
AND BACK AT THAT TIME, SECTION FIVE, UM, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO, UH, TO DO, BOOM, IT'S GOOD TO DO IT, BUT YOU HAVE TO NARROWLY TAILOR THAT USE OF RICE.
SO THAT MEANS THAT YOU USE IT NO MORE THAN NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH THOSE STANCHIONS BIZARRELY SHAPED DISTRICTS.
LIKE WE SAW IN THOSE LAST TWO SLIDES ARE NOT UNCONSTITUTIONAL PER SE, BUT IT MAY BE EVIDENCE THE RICE PREDOMINATE.
NOW SECTION FIVE OF THE ACT THAT WAS THE ONE THAT REQUIRED PRE-CLEARANCE.
SO YOU HAD TO, UH, TAKE ANY CHANGE THAT YOU MADE ANY REDISTRICT TEAM AND A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, FOR THEM TO PRE-CLEAR IT BEFORE AND APPROVE IT BEFORE YOU IMPLEMENTED IT.
THE STANDARD THERE WAS RETROGRESSION, YOU CAN'T GO BACKWARDS.
YOU CAN'T MAKE THINGS LESS GOOD FOR MINORITIES THAN THEY WERE IN THE PAST.
UM, NOW IT'S STILL A USEFUL DIAGNOSTIC TOOL TO SEE IF MAYBE YOU'RE GOING TO RUN INTO A SECTION TWO PROBLEM IN SECTION TWO, OF COURSE, YOU DO HAVE TO COMPLY WITH, AND SECTION TWO SAYS, YOU CAN'T HAVE A DISCRIMINATORY PURPOSE OR EFFECT.
SO IF YOU TAKE WHAT WAS AVAILABLE, UH, FOR MINORITIES IN THE PAST, YOU MAKE IT WORSE.
THAT LEAVES YOU OPEN TO THE SUGGESTION THAT MAYBE THERE WAS A DISCRIMINATORY PURPOSE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE THINK IT'S USEFUL TO LOOK AT RETROGRESSION AND TRY NOT TO RETRO.
WHEREAS WE SUGGEST THAT ONCE YOU OUGHT TO DO, AND I KNOW THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSED RESOLUTION, A COUPLE OF THEM, BUT THAT IS TO ADOPT CRITERIA.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE APPLY AND BE SURE THAT WE'RE COMPLYING WITH SHAW VERSUS RENO, BUT BECAUSE THEY TALK ABOUT TRADITIONAL DISTRICTING PRINCIPLES THAT WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW.
AND, UH, THE FIRST OF THOSE IS THAT OUR DISTRICTS GOING TO BE PROBLEM WITH IDENTIFIABLE BOUNDARIES.
WE WANT IT SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT DISTRICT THEY'RE IN.
THEY CAN SEE IT ON BROWN, THAT IT'S A STREET OR CREEK OR SOME BOUNDARY LIKE THAT, THAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND.
WE WANT TO MAINTAIN COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST IN NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN,
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WE WANT TO USE WHOLE VOTING PRECINCTS IF POSSIBLE.THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE POSSIBLE IN MISSOURI CITY.
WHEN DO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THEY CAN, AND THEY DO, BUT THAT'S OVER 2 MILLION PEOPLE AND, UM, MOVING A VOTING PRECINCT.
SO IT'S NOT GOING TO THROW SOMETHING OUT OF BALANCE.
WE'RE IN A SMALLER JURISDICTION.
UH, IT WOULD TYPICALLY WE BASE THE PLAN ON EXISTING DISTRICTS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE USED TO THOSE AND AT LEAST, UH, THAT IS AT LEAST A STARTING POINT.
WE'RE GOING TO ADOPT DISTRICTS OF RELATIVELY EQUAL SIZED COMPLY WITH ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE.
WE WANT TO DRAW DISTRICTS THAT ARE COMPACT AND CONTIGUOUS.
UM, GENERALLY WE WANT TO KEEP EXISTING INCUMBENTS IN THEIR DISTRICT.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK, GOSH, THAT'S JUST LOOKING OUT, UH, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE COUNCIL, BUT IT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT LOOKS OUT FOR THE CONSTITUENTS BECAUSE CONSTITUENTS HAVE ELECTED THAT PERSON.
AND IF YOU SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO DRAW THAT PERSON OUT.
YOU'RE MAKING THAT DECISION, NOT THE VOTERS.
UH, AND WE'RE GOING TO NARROWLY TAILOR OUR PLAN FOR PILES OF VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
THEN I THINK WE'RE NOT GOING TO END UP WITH A PROBLEM UNDER SHAW VERSUS RENO.
THE, WE ALSO, BY THE WAY, UH, SUGGEST ADOPTING, UH, GUIDELINES.
SO IF PEOPLE WANT TO PARTICIPATE, WON'T WITHDRAW PLANS SUGGESTED TO THE COUNCIL.
UH, WE SAY, HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
ONE OF WHICH IS LOOK AT THE CRITERIA AND TRY TO FOLLOW THOSE, UH, THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S THE FIRST THING WE'LL DO.
WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU ADOPT CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES AND UNDERSTAND THAT'S GOING TO BE ON YOUR AGENDA THIS EVENING.
WE'LL DEVELOP AN ILLUSTRATIVE PLAN THAT, UH, PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT AND, UH, WE PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER AND THEN YOU CAN SAY, WELL, GOSH, YOU KNOW, WE, MAYBE THAT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT AND WE'LL SEE, UH, AND HOW THAT CAN BE CHANGED.
UH, BUT ULTIMATELY ONCE YOU GET TO A PLAN THAT YOU THINK IS GOOD AND WE SUGGEST WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT, A HEARING ON IT, LOOK AT THE COMMENTS, SEE WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY, AND THEN ADOPT THE PLAN AND IMPLEMENTED.
NOW, HERE IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
THIS OF COURSE OF YOUR DISTRICTS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE LARGEST DISTRICT IS DISTRICT FOUR.
THE SMALLEST DISTRICT IS DISTRICT THREE, WHICH IS A, NOT QUITE 8% UNDERPOPULATED DISTRICT.
A DISTRICT TOOL IS ALMOST IDEAL, UH, VERY CLOSE TO THE IDEAL.
UM, SO THAT THE TOTAL MAXIMUM DEVIATION IS 21 POINT 88%, WHICH IS THE DIFFERENCE OR THE DISTANCE BETWEEN POSITIVE DEVIATION AND FOUR OR D AND THE NEGATIVE DEVIATION SMALLEST.
WHAT IS, IS 1, 2, 3, 4 IN ORDER THROUGH D AND THAT'S JUST BECAUSE OUR SOFTWARE DOES THEM THAT WAY, BUT WE CAN PROBABLY GO BACK AND CHANGE IT, BUT THAT'S TRADITIONALLY HOW WE DO.
YOU ALSO SEE, UH, THAT HAS THE, UM, HISPANIC POPULATION PERCENTAGE ANGLO NON-HISPANIC WHITE ON HISPANIC, BLACK, UH, PERCENTAGE, ASIAN PERCENTAGE, UH, AND OTHER, AND WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS HISPANIC.
IF PEOPLE ANSWER HISPANIC, UH, ON THE CENSUS FORM, THEY ARE COUNTED AS HISPANIC, BUT HISPANIC IS NOT A RACE BECAUSE THE WAY THE FARM IS, ARE YOU HISPANIC? YES OR NO.
THEN WHAT RACE ARE YOU? SO YOU COULD BE HISPANIC PLUS BLACK, HISPANIC, PLUS ASIAN AND HISPANIC PLUS WHITE.
SO THEN THE OTHER CATEGORIES, WE SHOW THOSE AS NON NON-HISPANIC, WHITE, NON-HISPANIC BLACK, NON HISPANIC.
UM, ALSO HERE'S THE VOTING AGE POPULATION.
I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THE TIME TO GO OVER THEM HERE AND ADD THEM.
WE HAVE IN THE PACKET THAT WE HAVE PREPARED A MUCH MORE DETAILED, UM, PERCENTAGES AND WHERE IT SHOWS SOME OF THE OTHER GROUPS, UH, THAT ARE VERY SMALL ASIAN, PACIFIC ISLANDER, UH, SO FORTH, BUT THOSE ARE VERY SMALL.
UM, AND THEY ALSO SHOW THE ABSOLUTE, THE RAW NUMBERS, UH, FOR EACH OF THESE WHERE THESE SUMMARIES TO SHOW THE PERCENTAGES.
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A LOT EASIER TO LOOK AT THOSE.ALSO, AN IMPORTANT THING THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT IS THE PROCESS IS WHERE THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS LIVE.
UH, THIS IS A MAP OF THE HISPANIC POPULATION.
UM, MORE CONCENTRATED UP IN A, UH, BUT A LITTLE HERE, A LITTLE THERE AROUND THE CITY.
UH, THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION MORE ON THE EASTERN, UH, SIDE, AND PARTICULARLY IN A, A AND B UH, ONE THING JUST AS A CAUTION SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE.
UH, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE VERY, VERY BOTTOM DOWN THERE, THERE'S A BIG BLOCK, UM, SORT OF ALMOST TRIANGULAR THING.
IT'S VERY, AFRICAN-AMERICAN, I DON'T KNOW, OFF HAND HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE IN THAT, BUT A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU SEE A BIG CENSUS BLOCK, WHICH THAT APPARENTLY IS, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN IT, SMALLER BLOCKS TEND TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE.
NOW HERE'S THE ASIAN THEMATIC, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ASIAN POPULATION IS CONCENTRATED VERY HEAVILY, UH, IN DISTRICT C.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE MAY BE A GOOD REASON TO TRY AND KEEP THAT POPULATION OTHER, UM, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
YOU'RE DONE WITH YOUR PRESENTATION, OR YOU HAVE MORE, YOU HAVE MORE SLIDES TO GO, OR YOU'RE DONE, THAT'S IT? THAT'S IT.
SO, SO THIS HAS BEEN FOR, TO ALLOW US TO SAY THAT WE NEED REDISTRICTING, RIGHT? NOT, WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING HOW AND WHERE NONE OF THAT TODAY.
SO WHAT HE IDENTIFIED IS TO LET THE COUNCIL KNOW THAT WITH THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY, THAT WE WILL NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REDISTRICT.
BEFORE I OPEN UP FOR ANY CONVERSATIONS, CAN I GET A MOTION? IS THIS JUST FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES OR WE DON'T, DO WE NEED A MOTION ON THIS? I DO RECOMMEND A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
THERE ARE TWO RESOLUTIONS ON YOUR REGULAR AGENDA THAT RELATE TO REDISTRICTING.
WE MOVE FORWARD WITH REDISTRICTING AND USING THIS INITIAL ASSESSMENT REPORT SECOND.
SO THERE'S BEEN A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
MEROLA'S SECOND BY MAYOR PROTEIN.
JUST CURIOUS, HOW, HOW DO RENTAL HOMES AND THE POPULATION WITHIN THE RENTAL HOMES, I MAKE IT HARDER TO PICK UP FOR RENTAL HOMES, SOMETIMES THOSE FLIP A LOT.
SO HOW DO WE, WHAT PERCENT GO AHEAD AND DO WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE THAT IS.
UH, WE PROBABLY CAN IDENTIFY WITH, WITH THE HELP OF CITY GIS, UH, APARTMENTS, UM, AND WHO ARE THOSE ARE, UM, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE WHO WAS THERE ON APRIL 1, 20, 20.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE POPULATION NUMBERS ARE.
UH, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, PART OF THIS IS BALANCING THE NUMBER OF VOTERS BY OUR FOUR DISTRICTS.
UM, I GUESS SO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EQUAL DISTRIBUTION AMONG THOSE FOUR, BUT THE, HOW ABOUT THE THEMATIC MAP? WHAT TYPE OF, UH, OF, UH, GOAL OR DO WE SHOOT FOR, TRY TO SHOOT FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN LOOKING AT THE, UH, WHEN WE HAVE FOR SEMATIC MAPS, HOW TO, UH, TRY TO BALANCE THOSE, UH, INDIVIDUAL GROUPS WITHIN, UH, EACH OF THE DISTRICTS? WELL, LIKE FIRST, UM, MISSOURI CITY IS VERY ETHNIC, RACIAL, ETHNICALLY DIVERSE CITY, UM, DISTRICTS, A AND B.
AND I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE DESIGNATION HERE, UH, HAVE HEAVY, UH, AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION.
UM, WE WILL WANT TO, UH, DRAW DISTRICTS THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WON'T, DON'T WANT TO SPLIT THAT UP.
YOU DON'T WANT TO DRAW DISTRICTS WHERE GOSH, WE SPLIT EVERYBODY UP.
UM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE DISTRICTS WHERE AFRICAN AMERICANS CAN BE, UH, ELECTED OR ASIANS OR WHICHEVER, UH, CAN BE,
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UH, ELECTED.I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THAT BIG OF A PROBLEM, UH, IN THIS, UH, COMMUNITY, THE, THE, THOSE, UH, GROUPS ARE FAIRLY COMPACT.
UH, SO, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WILL PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE THEY ARE.
AND CERTAINLY, UH, IN, IN MANY INSTANCES WILL NOT SO MUCH IN MISSOURI CITY BECAUSE, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE IN HOUSTON, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, WE WILL BE VERY CAREFUL TO BRIAN COMBINED HISPANICS, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, IN A DISTRICT SO THAT THEY HAVE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO ELECT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
I'M A, GO AHEAD, MONICA RILEY.
SO LET ME UNDERSTAND MR. HE, ARE YOU, ARE THESE NUMBERS AS FAR AS REDISTRICTING, IS IT BASED ON VOTERS OR IS IT BASED ON RESIDENTS AND OUR RESIDENTS? YES.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, DO YOU HAVE ANY, ANY, ANY NUMBERS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF VOTERS THAT WE WILL HAVE IN OUR DISTRICT? CAN THAT BE AN OVERLAP AS WELL, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS SOME LEVEL OF EQUAL AMOUNTS, NOT REALLY EQUAL AMOUNTS WITH SOME EQUITY AND VOTERS VERSUS RESIDENTS, BECAUSE SOME DISTRICTS ARE GOING TO HAVE MORE VOTERS AND THEN SOME ARE GOING TO HAVE MORE RESIDENTS THAN VOTERS.
UM, FIRST THE, THE MAPS THAT WE DRAW WILL SHOW THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
NOW, AS FAR AS REGISTERED VOTERS, WE CAN CERTAINLY PUT THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER.
UM, BY PRECINCT NOW HAVE A PRECINCT SPLIT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EITHER MAKE SOME ESTIMATES.
THERE ARE ACTUALLY WAYS THAT WE CAN, UM, DETERMINE A MUCH MORE PRECISE NUMBER THERE, BUT IT CAN GET PRETTY EXPENSIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IN LITIGATION, IN SOME CITIES WE WILL, GEOCODE EVERY VOTER.
SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE VOTER IS, UH, IF THAT'S ALREADY DONE AND WE CAN USE THAT, UH, WE CAN PROBABLY, UH, DO THAT CRUSHER IN TWO DIFFERENT COUNTIES.
I'M IN TWO DIFFERENT COUNTIES, WHICH MEANS, UM, THAT MAY LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN MY PARTICULAR DISTRICT.
AND THEN, UM, I BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN, INSTEAD OF BASING THE VOTERS BASED ON PRECINCTS, IT CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY DISTRICTS.
NO, TO THE EXTENT THAT PRECINCT, WE CAN PULL UP THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO TELL THE SPANISH SURNAME, REGISTERED VOTERS.
THERE IS A CASE WITHIN THE LAST FIVE, SEVEN YEARS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UH, THAT THE SUPREME COURT DECIDED, UH, AB UNWELL VERSUS ABBOTT, UH, WHERE A GROUP WAS SAYING, YOU HAVE TO DRAW DISTRICTS BY SOME SORT OF VOTER ELIGIBLE POPULATION, NOT NECESSARILY REGISTERED VOTERS, BUT PEOPLE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE VOTERS.
SO CUTTING OUT NON CITIZENS AND CHILDREN, ET CETERA.
SO PEOPLE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE, THE SUPREME COURT SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
UM, AND THAT IT'S PERMISSIBLE TO BALANCE BY, UH, TOTAL POPULATION.
AND BASICALLY THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY DOES.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH DOING IT THE OTHER WAY, PARTICULARLY WITH THE HISPANIC POPULATION OR ANYWHERE WHERE THERE'S A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF NON CITIZENS, IS IT DIMINISHES THE ABILITY FOR ALL THOSE DISTRICTS.
SO ONCE, UM, ONCE YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROCESS, IF WE DECIDE TO DO THAT, WHAT DOES THE TIMEFRAME LOOK LIKE? AND JUST KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT IS THE HIGH LEVEL PROCESS THAT HAPPENS? WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY WANT TO JUST GET THIS DONE AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S GOING, IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN A WEEK OR TWO OR CERTAINLY A MONTH.
UH, YOU CERTAINLY WANT TO HAVE IT DONE BEFORE PEOPLE IN SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS HAVE TO RUN.
NOW, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY FAR INTO THE FUTURE, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, ONCE, ONCE WE'RE IN, I THINK WE'LL GET IT DONE.
AND THAT WAY EVERYBODY WILL KNOW, UH, WHAT THERE IS, BUT YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE'S GOING TO RUN.
IF I MAY INTERJECT PURSUANT TO THE CITY'S CHARTER, WE HAVE UNTIL ABOUT MAY TO GET THE PROCESS TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS.
SO THE PROPOSED TIMELINE IS TO PRESENT AN INITIAL MAP ON FEBRUARY 21ST AFTER WHICH WE WILL HAVE MULTIPLE
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PUBLIC SESSIONS WHEREBY THE PUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE COMMENTS, UH, SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED MAP.FINAL ADOPTION IS RECOMMENDED FOR APRIL 28TH, 2022.
THE FINAL DATE FOR WRITTEN COMMENTS OR THE PROPOSED DEADLINE IS MARCH 28TH, 2020.
BUT THERE AGAIN, THERE ARE ABOUT THREE TO FOUR PUBLIC HEARING, UH, BETWEEN THE STATES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE LAST, THANK YOU.
UM, MY LAST QUESTION IS, ARE YOU, IT WAS REALLY MORE SO A COMMENT QUESTION.
ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT YOU KEEP CERTAIN MINORITIES OR ETHNIC GROUPS TOGETHER IN THEIR PERSPECTIVE DISTRICTS, OR SHOULD IT BE MORE BALANCED WITH A VARIETY OF, WELL, I THINK YOU SHOULD NOT DIMINISH THE NUMBER OF A GROUP TO THE EXTENT THAT IT WOULD AFFECT THEIR ABILITY TO ELECT.
I KNOW THAT THE TWO DISTRICTS THAT ARE PREDOMINANTLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, AND I'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO LOOK TO SEE WHAT THOSE PERCENTAGES ARE, BUT THEY'RE IN THE 50% RANGE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT NECESSARILY HAS TO BE THAT HIGH, BUT I WOULDN'T BRING IT DOWN REALLY FAR BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, NOT DIMINISH THE ABILITY TO ELECT, BUT IF IT CAME DOWN A LITTLE, I DON'T THINK YOU DO THAT.
I KNOW THAT IN DISTRICT B, UH, THERE IS 40 MID 40% ASIAN, I THINK.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD CUT THAT INTO, UM, THAT MAY CHANGE A LITTLE AND IT PROBABLY WILL, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO ADD, IT'S GOING TO HAVE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADD PEOPLE AND THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK I WOULD CUT THAT POPULATION.
I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND CUTTING IT, YOU KNOW, DIVIDING IT INTO FOUR, BUT I SUSPECT THAT MAY DIMINISH A LITTLE SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADD ABOUT A THOUSAND OR SO PEOPLE, I THINK, UH, TO THE DISTRICT.
AND THAT ADDITION IS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE ASIAN AS THE EXISTING DISTRICT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, THE DISTRICTS OVER HERE, I'LL STAND UP.
WHEN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT DEVELOPING THE BOUNDARIES FOR THE DISTRICTS.
UH, ARE WE LOOKING AT THE, THOSE DISTRICTS THAT, UH, B UH, UH, EACH ALL THE AREAS CONTIGUOUS ARE, IS THERE, YOU KNOW, UH, A PROCESS WHERE YOU'D TAKE A POCKET OUT OF ONE DISTRICT AND MOVE IT INTO ANOTHER DISTRICT AND THE TWO ARE NOT CONTIGUOUS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SEPARATED IS THAT THE STANDARD IS THEY NEED TO BE CONTIGUOUS.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE CRITERIA THAT WE PROPOSE SUGGESTS.
THAT'S WHAT, UM, THE COURTS, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY LOOK AT, UH, AND THAT IS TRADITIONAL, UH, IN TEXAS, UH, THERE ARE INSTANCES SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU CAN SAY, WELL, MAYBE THIS ISN'T CONTIGUOUS.
YOU THINK OF, UM, IMPERSONAL REDISTRICTING, FOR EXAMPLE, LOOKING AT OTHER STATES, MICHIGAN, UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN IS NOT CONTIGUOUS TO THE REST OF MICHIGAN, SAME WAY IN VIRGINIA, THE NORTHERN NECK OF VIRGINIA, WHICH IS UP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF CHESAPEAKE BAY, OR THE EAST SIDE OF CHESAPEAKE BAY IS NOT CONTIGUOUS TO THE REST OF VIRGINIA.
BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO PUT THAT IN, BUT YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU HAVE CONTIGUITY, UH, YOU NEED, YOU NEED TO KEEP THEM CONTIGUOUS.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WELL, SHOW ME, HOW DOES THIS REDISTRICT AND DATA COMPARED TO THE LAST DATA COLLECTED BY THE CITY? UM, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T, HOW DOES THIS REDISTRICTING DATA COMPARE TO THE LAST DATA THAT WAS COLLECTED BY THE CITY COMPARED TO WHICH THE LAST DATA THAT WAS COLLECTED BY THE CITY? WELL, I, YOU KNOW, HOWARD COMPARES TO 2010.
WE CAN CERTAINLY PUT THAT TOGETHER.
UH, I DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT WE, WE CAN CERTAINLY PREPARE THAT IF YOU'RE
[00:35:01]
TALKING ABOUT, UH, ESTIMATES, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THE, UH, CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT MIGHT'VE MADE, UM, WE CAN WORK WITH THE CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS, UM, MOSTLY I'M MOSTLY CONCERNED ABOUT ANY MAGNIFICENT CHANGES THAT I CAN ACTUALLY ADD HOLLAND SEES.SO IF YOU CAN COLLECT THAT DATA AND PROVIDE IT TO US, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT.
AND, UH, I, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU VISIT WITH CITY ATTORNEY.
WE'LL FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT AND WE'LL GET IT TO YOU.
I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, MORE QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO BOND.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION BY SECOND BY MAYOR.
PRO-TEM BONEY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS FOR COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICTS, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO THE MOTION.
PLEASE SAY NO MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
[2(a) Discuss the American Rescue Plan Act Spending Plan.]
WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO ITEM TWO, A DISCUSS THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, SPENDING PLAN EVER PRESENTATION BY ELENA PORTER'S DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, UH, BEFORE GOING INTO THE PROJECT LIST OR THE, UH, SPENDING PLAN THAT WE HAVE JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT.UM, THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES WHEN IT COMES TO EXPENDITURES IN D AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, WHICH I'LL CALL ARPA THAT'S PUBLIC SECTOR, REVENUES, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND ECONOMIC RESPONSE PREMIUM PAY FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS, WATER, SEWER, AND BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND WHAT WE WILL BE PRESENTING TONIGHT INCLUDES A SPENDING PLAN.
THAT INCLUDES TWO OF THOSE CATEGORIES, PUBLIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC RESPONSE AND WATER SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, IN JUNE OF 2021, YOU RECEIVED THE INITIAL SPENDING PLAN PRESENTATION.
ALSO IN JULY, YOU AUTHORIZE THE ACCEPTANCE OF ARPA FUNDS AND THE TOTAL AWARD FOR THE CITY IS APPROXIMATELY 6.9 MILLION.
WE RECEIVED, UH, THE FIRST HALF, WHICH IS, UH, ABOUT 3.4, ALMOST 3.5.
AND, UH, WE WILL RECEIVE THE SECOND HALF IN AUGUST OF 2022.
THE PROGRAM PERIOD IS MARCH 3RD, 2021 TO DECEMBER 31ST, 2024.
AND SO THAT IS THE PERIOD OF OBLIGATION CONTRACTS IN PLACE.
WE HAVEN'T CONFERENCES, BUT WE HAVE UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST, 2026 TO ACTUALLY EXPEND THE FUNDS, THE PROPOSED SPENDING PLAN INCLUDES SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS, PARKS, WATER, AND WASTEWATER PROJECTS, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME OTHER.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THE SUBSEQUENT SLIDES FOR EACH OF THE, UM, EACH OF THE AREAS, BUT FOR SMALL BUSINESS, THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE IS 825,000 FOR PARKS.
WE HAVE 1.4 MILLION, UH, FOR UTILITY PROJECTS, WE HAVE 3.9 MILLION.
THEN WE ALSO HAVE SOME IMPROVEMENTS, THE FACILITIES.
WE ALSO STILL NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE MONEY FOR COVID-19 RESPONSE.
UM, AND WE HAVE A CONTINGENCY JUST IN CASE SOME OF THE PROJECTS OR THE COSTS ARE ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED.
SO THE FIRST AREA PUBLIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC RESPONSE IS WHERE WE HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS AND PARKS.
SO WITHIN THE SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS, WE HAVE THE DISPARITY STUDY THAT WAS RECENTLY APPROVED BY A CITY COUNCIL AND THE AMOUNT OF $225,000.
WE ALSO PLAN TO HAVE SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOPS OVER THE PERIOD OF, UH, THE FUNDING IN AN AMOUNT OF ABOUT $200,000.
NOW THIS WOULD INCLUDE JOB FAIRS.
UM, SOME OF THE OTHER WORKSHOPS THAT WE HAVE HAD SUCH AS ACCESS AND BUSINESS PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE, UH, THE PATIO PROGRAM THAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS REQUEST FOR A SPENDING PLAN AND THAT'S $400,000.
THE PATIO PROGRAM, UM, IS ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS. I BELIEVE THAT THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ON AND PARKS.
UH, WE HAVE THE QUELL GREEN WEST PARK RESTROOM PROJECT.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE LAND ACQUISITION AS, UH, IDENTIFIED IN THE 2021 PARKS MASTER PLAN.
UH, WE HAVE ENHANCEMENTS TO TRAIL PROJECTS IDENTIFIED IN THE 2020 BOND.
AND WE ALSO HAVE, UH, CONTINUE, UH, CONTINUATION OF THE PARK SIGNAGE PROGRAM.
[00:40:02]
WE HAVE $450,000, WHICH WOULD BE USED FOR THE HVAC SYSTEM CITY WIDE.UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE IDENTIFIED DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS INSTEAD OF USING, UM, CITY FUNDS OR SUPPLEMENTAL.
SO IT WAS IDENTIFIED TO USE THESE FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF 450,000.
UM, WE HAVE CONTINGENCIES OF 200,000 AND THEN THE BALANCE REMAINING FROM THE 6.9 IS THE 135 TO 53, WHICH WILL BE USED TO CONTINUE TO DISINFECT OUR FACILITIES AND DEEP CLEAN FACILITIES AND ANY OTHER ITEMS DEALING WITH, UH, COVID-19 RESPONSE AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO SHASHI HUMAR, WHO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I WILL TOUCH ON THE UTILITIES PROJECT, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, YOU ARE AWARE THAT THERE IS A LOT OF GROWTH HAPPENING IN WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE MUSTANG BIO SERVICE AREA.
SOME OF THE PROJECTS INCLUDE FORT PITT TOWN CENTER TO PORT PENN TOWN CENTER THREE, UH, THE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, A LOT OF THE GROWTH AND INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS ARE BEING DICTATED IN THIS AREA.
THE ONE THING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING TO PLAY REALLY FAST CATCH-UP IS ON EXTENDING THE UTILITIES.
THIS INCLUDES THE WATER AND THE WASTEWATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
AND THAT IS WHAT YOU SEE ON THIS MAP.
AND, UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT THIS UTILITIES WOULD LOOK LIKE, UH, THIS INVOLVES CONSTRUCTION IN EXCESS OF 10 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS.
UH, WE ARE HAVING TO MOVE VERY FAST TO BUILD THIS INFRASTRUCTURE, TO SUPPORT VITALLY, ECONOMICALLY, UH, SENSITIVE PROJECTS.
UH, AND WE'RE REQUESTING THAT 1.9 MILLION BE COMMITTED TO THIS WATER AND WASTE WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE THIS GROWTH.
AND I MAY GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE FOR HERE FOR A MINUTE.
UM, IN WHAT YOU SEE HERE, UH, IS OUR, THE LOCATION OF OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
AS YOU'RE ALREADY AWARE, WE'RE EXPANDED, WE ARE COMPLETE, WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO COMPLETING THE PHASE ONE EXPANSION.
WE'LL BE ROLLING INTO PHASE TWO.
UH, THE GROWTH IS SO MUCH THAT WE'RE HAVING TO, UH, PLAN FOR THE ULTIMATE BUILD-OUT.
AND, UH, THE NEXT PIECE OF THE MONEY THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR $2 MILLION IS TO, UH, UH, WHAT'S THE COMMITMENT TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL LAND ROUGHLY ABOUT 12 ACRES NECESSARY FOR THE ULTIMATE EXPANSION OF THE MUSTANG BY YOUR WASTEWATER PLANT.
UH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I HAD ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE SIDE.
IS THERE A MOTION, MOTION TO APPROVE? SECOND, IT'S BEEN A MOTION BY CASA MEMBER EMORY SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER RILEY.
IS THERE A DISCUSSION? I SAID TWO QUESTIONS.
UH, ONE, UM, FLASHY RELATIVE TO THE LOCATION OF THE WASTE, UH, POTENTIAL MUSTANG, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, WHAT LAND ACTUALLY WOULD BE ACQUIRED, WHEREAS IT SPECIFICALLY LOCATED, UH, I CAN GIVE YOU ROUGH ORIENTATION, A COUNCIL MEMBER.
THIS IS THE LOCATION OF THE TREATMENT PLANT, AND THIS IS THE LAND, JUST NOT OF TRAMMELL FRESNO AND THE LITTLE BIT WEST OF WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE FOUR PIN TOLLWAY.
UH, THERE IS A BIG PARCEL OF LAND WE'RE LOOKING AT ROUGHLY 12 ACRES.
IT'S JUST WEST OF THE EXISTING TREATMENT PLANT.
WOULD THIS BE ACQUIRED THROUGH, UM, UH, DIRECT, UH, ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LAND OWNER? OR ARE THEY, UH, LOOKING AT, WILL THIS BE EMINENT DOMAIN? WHAT IS THIS? WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT ROAD.
UH, WE HAVE INITIATED SOME PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE POTENTIAL LANDOWNER.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE WANTED THE, UH, FUNDING COMMITTED SO WE CAN BEGIN SOME SERIOUS NEGOTIATIONS.
UH, WE WILL HAVE SOME, I THINK THIS PROJECT IS ALSO WIDELY NEEDED TO SUPPORT GROWTH.
SO IT NOT ONLY BENEFITS THE CITY, IT ALSO BENEFITS THE DEVELOPER.
SO WE BELIEVE THERE MAY BE SOME OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE, BUT OBVIOUSLY, UH, YOU, JOYCE MAY CHIME IN IF WE, WE DO ALSO HAVE THE OPTION OF EMINENT DOMAIN, IF WE WANT TO PUSH YOU BACK.
IF THE CITY NEEDS THE LAND FOR PUBLIC PURPOSE AND REQUIRES THE LAND, THEN THAT IS CERTAINLY AN OPTION THAT THE CITY COULD HAVE LEFT.
MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UH, ELENA, UM, IF ANY OF THESE PARTICULAR INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR FUNDING, UH, ARE NOT EXECUTED BY, I THINK THE EXECUTION DATE OR EXPENDITURE DATE IS THE 2026, DECEMBER 31ST.
UM, IS THERE A TIMEFRAME THAT YOU HAVE TO IDENTIFY ANOTHER PROJECT OR USE OF FUNDS IF IN FACT THE PROPOSED SPENDING IS NOT, UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE RECOGNIZE WE'RE NOT GOING TO MOVE.
[00:45:01]
YES.THE COMMITMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE PRIOR TO THE END OF 2024, DECEMBER 31ST, 2024.
I HAVE A QUESTION, YOU KNOW, SO THIS IS THE TOTAL IS 6.9, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND WE RECEIVED, WHAT ABOUT 3.4 AS THE FIRST HALF, SO TO SPEAK? SO HOW MUCH ARE YOU IN THIS PROJECT? HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING UP FRONT? WELL, THE SPENDING PLAN THAT WE'RE PRESENTING TONIGHT IS FOR THE ENTIRE AMOUNT, 609, THE ENTIRE AMOUNT.
UM, WE'LL HAVE THE SECOND TRAUNCH, UM, THIS YEAR IN AUGUST AND WE DON'T ANTICIPATE SPENDING 6.9 MILLION PRIOR TO HAVING ALL OF THE FUNDS IN HAND.
SO WE'LL HAVE THE MONEY FOR A WHILE PRIOR TO IT BEING TOTALLY EXPENDED IN 2026, IF IT'S DOESN'T OCCUR PRIOR TO THE ONE MORE THING.
UH, SOMEWHERE AROUND THAT BALLPARK, ARE WE, OR IS THERE A PROJECT THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED TO THOSE, UH, 3.4 READY? OR ARE YOU JUST SAYING THAT THESE ARE THE PROJECT? BECAUSE I LOOKED AT THE ONE THAT, UH, SHASHI TALKED ABOUT THE WASTEWATER COLLECTION, WHICH WAS, UM, THE SYSTEM DESIGN WAS A 1.9 AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WAS A TWO THAT RIGHT THERE IS ALREADY AT 3.9.
SO ARE, IS THERE A PRO, IS THERE, I GUESS I WOULD SAY IS, DO WE TAKE THAT MONEY OUT FROM US AND THEN WE SPEND IT AND THEN WE COLLECTED, WE'LL PUT IT BACK INTO GENERAL FUND OR HOW ARE WE GOING WITH THIS? I DON'T ANTICIPATE US SPENDING THE FULL 3.4 MILLION PRIOR TO AUGUST OF 2022.
UM, I KNOW SEAN, SHE PROBABLY COULD PROBABLY COULD SPEAK MORE AS FAR AS NEGOTIATIONS ATLANTA.
UM, BUT I DON'T ANTICIPATE US SPENDING 3.4 MILLION BY AUGUST, 2022.
SO WE SHOULD HAVE ALL OF THE FUNDING IN HAND TIMING.
THIS YOU'RE JUST TELLING US HERE'S THE AMOUNT OF TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET.
AND HERE'S WHERE THESE PROJECTS ARE GOING.
I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, ELENA WILL AN AUTOMIZED, UM, LESS BE PROVIDED FOR THE PROJECTS THAT WERE LISTED ON HOW THE MONEY WILL BE DISTRIBUTED.
AND WE COULD PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL.
WE DO HAVE THE INFORMATION IN THE, UH, POWERPOINT THAT I BELIEVE IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION ON PARKS, JASON WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.
IF YOU HAVE A LIST ON ALL THE PROJECTS WILL BE GREAT CLARITY PURPOSES.
WE'LL HAVE WELL, THEY'LL PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION, ELENA.
IF A SUBDIVISION NO LONGER WANTS TO MAINTAIN THEIR PRIVATE PARK AS LIKE AN HOA, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT THE CITY COULD OBTAIN THAT PARTICULAR PART AND MAKE, GET A PUBLIC PARK AND USES FUNDS? I BELIEVE THAT MAY BE A QUESTION FOR, UM, JASON OR I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE CITY TAKING OVER PRIVATE PARTS.
I CAN DISCUSS THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF IT.
THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE AN EXISTING POLICY REGARDING TAKING OVER PRIVATE INFRASTRUCTURE.
HOWEVER, THE CITY FINDS THAT THERE'S A PUBLIC PURPOSE AND A NEED, IT MAY ENGAGE IN SOME SORT OF PROCESS TO, UM, TO PURCHASE OR IF THE LAND IS BEING DONATED TO THE CITY, THERE ARE, UM, PROCESSES FOR THAT.
AND SO LET ME FOLLOW UP WITH THIS QUESTION.
SO ARE THERE, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO USE IN SUBDIVISIONS WHERE THEY HAVE PARTS WHERE THERE'S A NEED AND ANY OF THIS BOND MONEY TO BE USED FOR THAT? UH, THIS IS ACTUALLY FEDERAL FUNDING FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT.
AND, UM, AS FAR AS THE PARKS, THAT WILL BE, UM, IMPROVED, I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER TO JASON MANGUM TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THERE ARE ANY PRIVATE PARKS INCLUDED IN SUCH CITY PARKS.
IF YOU COULD FOLLOW UP AND JUST LET ME KNOW, THANK YOU.
WE'LL PROVIDE THE DETAIL LIST ALSO.
AND IF YOU WANT US TO IDENTIFY, UM, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S PRIVATE VERSUS PUBLIC, WE CAN, WE CAN DO AWESOME.
OR JUST SO I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE ALLOWED TO USE THE FUNDS TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AND PRIVATE PARKS? YES.
SO IN A, IN A, IN A SUBDIVISIONS PARK USE CITY FUNDS TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AND THOSE PRIVATE PARKS.
NOW THAT, THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR LEGAL, UM, WHERE WE, WE HAVE, UM, WITHIN THE CITY OWNED PARKS, WE HAVE, UM, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE.
AND SO I, I WOULD, I WOULD THINK THAT OUR PHILOSOPHY WOULD BE TO MAKE THE IMPROVEMENTS AND REPAIRS IN OUR, IN OUR EXISTING PARKS FIRST.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S LEGAL TO DO THAT.
NO, BUT I THINK YOUR INITIAL QUESTION WAS WHETHER THE CITY COULD ACQUIRE A PRIVATE PARK
[00:50:01]
TO MAKE IT A PUBLIC PARK.I HAD TWO, TWO SEPARATE QUESTIONS.
SO YOU ANSWERED THE FIRST ONE.
SO FOR THE SECOND ONE, THE CITY GENERALLY DOES NOT PROVIDE PUBLIC FUNDS FOR PRIVATE FACILITIES PURSUANT TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION.
WE DO HAVE SOME PARKS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY PRIVATE PARKS, THAT THEY ARE NOW CITY PARKS THAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSIONS? THANK YOU, SHASHI AND LAINA.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER EMORY SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER WRITING ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY NO MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
[2(b) Receive a presentation on the Texas Parkway Beautification Concept.]
TO BE RECEIVED.A PRESENTATION ON THE TEXAS PARKWAY BEAUTIFICATION CONCEPT MEMBER PRESENTATION BY JEREMY DAVIS, ASSISTANT CITY ENGINEER.
ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO TONIGHT WE WILL BE PRESENTING THE LANDSCAPING DESIGN CONCEPT FOR THE TEXAS PARKWAY BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT.
SO, UH, THIS WILL BE THE THIRD PHASE OF OUR BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT, THE FIRST TWO PHASES WHERE THE MEDIAN LANDSCAPING ON TEXAS PARKWAY AND CARTWRIGHT.
UH, AND THEN IT WAS THEN FOLLOWED BY THE INSTALLATION OF THE READER SIGNS THAT YOU ALL SEE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO, UH, ORIGINALLY PHASE THREE OF THIS PROJECT CONSISTED SOLELY OF THE RED CARPET RUN.
AND, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE, THE RED CARPET ONE RUN IS THE SECOND LOCATION DOWN ON THE SLIDE.
UM, THIS BASICALLY THE GRASSY AREA IN FRONT OF THE HCC THAT'S NEXT TO US.
AND THERE WAS ALSO GOING TO BE SOME WORK ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS WELL.
SO NOW THIS RED CARPET PORTION HAS BEEN COMBINED WITH, UH, EXISTING, ONGOING EFFORTS, UH, TO LANDSCAPE ADDITIONAL AREAS THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDOR.
AND, UH, ON THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE AREAS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO, UH, IMPROVE THE LANDSCAPING.
SO THE DESIGN CONCEPT THAT WE'RE PRESENTING, IT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE TEXAS PARKWAY AND CAR RIDE COMMITTEE, UH, AS WELL AS FROM TBG PARTNERS, WHO IS OUR CONSULT, OUR DESIGN CONSULTANT FOR THIS PROJECT.
AND IT WAS ALSO BASED ON MAINTENANCE PRACTICALITY.
SO I'D LIKE TO HAND THE, THE DESCRIPTION OF THE DESIGN TO OUR DESIGN CONSULTANT.
UM, UPG HAS BEEN DOING WORK IN VERY CITY FOR THE 18 YEARS.
UM, AND, UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT.
UM, I'LL KEEP IT BRIEF, UH, PLANTING DESIGN, UH, JEREMY AND TRASHY CAME TO US, WE'RE WORKING ON THE ORDER, UH, BUT THEY WANTED TO SPECIFICALLY EMPHASIZE, UH, PLANTING PALETTE.
IF WE SAY THAT IS WATER CONSCIOUS IS NOT HIGH MAINTENANCE.
IT'S NOT HOW HIGH WATER DEMAND, UM, LOOKING AT NATIVE AND NATURALIZED SPECIES, UM, AND PRESERVE THE HEALTHY TREES THAT WE HAVE IN THE MEDIANS IN THE AREA.
SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE, UM, PROBABLY THE BIGGEST EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE'RE, UH, ADJUSTING SOME OF THE PLANTING.
UM, THIS AREA IS 90 US, 98 MONUMENT, WHICH DEEDS YOU AS INVOLVED IN EARLY.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THIS GOT HIT WITH, UH, THE UNPRECEDENTED FREEZE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF PLANTING REPLACEMENT IN THIS.
UH, CLEARLY IT'S A FOCUS ON, UH, DURABILITY OF THE PLANTING ITSELF, UH, BEING ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE WIDER RANGE OF TEMPERATURES THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST, UH, 10 YEARS.
SO ADJUSTING THE PALLET TO, UH, PLANTS, TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THAT DURABLE, THE SWINGS OF HIGHER TEMPERATURES AND LOWER TEMPERATURE THAT WE WE'VE SEEN.
THERE'S ALSO AN INCLUSION OF ROCK, UH, TO BE A RELIABLE LANDSCAPE FILL, UH, AS YOU SEE IN THE FRONT THERE AND THE DRAWING THAT WE HAVE, AND IT BEING NO WATER NEEDED TO MAINTAIN THE ROCK SCAPE.
THERE IS SOME MAINTENANCE IN THAT, BUT IT IS A LOWER MAINTENANCE.
YOU ALSO WANT TO INCLUDE THE IDEA OF MAKING THIS ENTRY SIGN, PARCEL, FEEL A LITTLE MORE PARK-LIKE.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE ENTRY SIGN, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY PROPOSING A LITTLE WALKING AREA AS THE COMMUNITY CENTER HAS BEEN BUILT SINCE WE FIRST PUT IN THE ENTRY SIGN, UH, MAYBE THERE'S SOME ABILITY TO HAVE A SITTING AREA AND USE THE ACREAGE THAT IS THERE TO MAKE IT MORE PLEASANT FOR PEOPLE.
THE NEXT ONE IS AN EXAMPLE, UH, AS, UH, JEREMY HAD ALREADY SHOWN THERE'S A LOT OF THERE'S MANY MEDIUMS DOWN THE CORRIDOR OF, UH, TEXAS PARKWAY THAT ARE GOING TO BE IMPROVED, UH, SOME TRAILHEAD AREAS, UH, SOME MEDIUMS, BUT THE FOCUS AGAIN IS STILL DURABILITY,
[00:55:01]
UH, REDUCTION, UH, SIGNIFICANT, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY LOW WATER USE, UH, USING NATURALIZE AND NATIVE PLANT MATERIAL AND WHERE WE CAN USE GRAVEL.YOU'LL SEE THE BIGGER CIRCLES IN THE PLAN.
AND THEN THE, THE PERSPECTIVE, THOSE ARE ALL EXISTING TREES TO REMAIN ALL VERY, UH, HEALTHY, THE PLANTS AND THE PLANTING TECHNIQUES WE'RE USING.
WE WERE ALREADY CONSULTING WITH, UH, THE CITY FORESTER, UH, TO CONFIRM THAT WE WANT TO MATCH SOME OF THE CHARACTER, THE PLANT MATERIAL THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PUT ON CARTWRIGHT, BUT ALSO FOCUS ON IT BEING DURABLE, UM, WATER CONSCIOUS.
UH, WE WOULD APPLY THIS, THIS DESIGN TO ALL OF THE MEETINGS, WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THERE'S ACTUALLY NO MOTION NEEDED.
I HAVE A QUESTION, UM, AS FAR AS THE MAINTENANCE ON THE PLANTS AND, UH, THE GREENERY, WHAT IS THE LIFESPAN OF THESE PLANTS, UM, IN HOW HARD IS FOR THEM TO BE MAINTAINED? UM, SO, UH, THAT'S A COMPLICATED QUESTION THERE.
UH, WE WOULD BE, WE'RE SUGGESTING IN SOME OF THE PLANT MATERIAL THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN OUR PERENNIALS.
SO THEY REGENERATE EVERY YEAR.
UM, THE HEALTH OF THE PLANTS, UH, THEY ARE LIVING THINGS SO TO PREDICT LENGTH OF LIFE IS TOUGH.
UM, THESE ARE, UM, VERY DURABLE, DEPENDABLE PLANTS WHEN IT COMES TO BEDDING PLANTS, TREES THAT WERE WE'RE SUGGESTING THE TREES WOULD BE MANY DECADES, THEY WOULD LAST, UH, THE BEDDING PLANTS, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE ANYWHERE.
I WOULDN'T SAY IT'D BE A DECADE OR SO, UH, WOULD PROBABLY BE SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK TO TARGET.
SOME COULD LAST MUCH LONGER, SOME, SOME MIGHT, UH, BUT THE, THE PALETTE, IF YOU WILL.
AND THE PLANTS THAT WE CHOSE ARE TRYING NOT TO BE AS DEDICATED TO BIG, BIG AREAS OF ONE TYPE OF PLANT, BUT TRUE.
UM, THAT'S MAYBE THAT'S WHAT WAS DONE PREVIOUSLY, UH, SOME BY TBG, UH, AND TO HAVE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLANT MATERIAL ON THE SAME AREA.
YOU'RE NOT RELYING ON THAT PLANT BEING VERY HEALTHY.
IF YOU HAVE A HUGE SWATH OF ONE SPECIES THAT CAN SHOW, UH, DAMAGE, IF YOU GET A HARD FREEZE, GET, UM, A LOT OF WATER, IF WE GET A DROUGHT, SO WE TRY TO MIX IT UP AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT THERE'S A VARIETY.
SO YOU'RE NOT RELYING ON THAT ONE PLANT IS HOW WE HANDLE, UM, PLANT LIFE VARIABILITY, I GUESS, IF YOU WILL.
THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION, BUT YOU DID.
AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, MY CONCERN WITH THE TREES AND ANY HIGH BUSHES IS MINIMIZING VISIBILITY.
UH, CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A CONCERN IN THE PAST PLANTING, BEAUTIFUL TREES AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING THIS WONDERFUL GREEN SPACE, BUT THEN IT IMPACTS, YOU KNOW, DRIVERS WHO ARE DRIVING LOW, UH, SMALLER CARS, COMPACT CARS, AND CAN'T NECESSARILY KIND OF SEE WHERE THEY'RE GOING IN SOME CASES.
UH, SO THAT WOULD BE A HUGE, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU GONNA ADDRESS THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THESE TALL TREES OR BIG WIDE TREES WHERE WE NEED TO MAINTAIN, UH, THE SAFETY AND VISIBILITY OF DRIVERS.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE DESIGN.
UH, SO TYPICALLY AT THE NOSE OF THE MEDIAN, YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE A BUNCH OF LARGE SHREDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I WOULD ASSUME THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO.
UH, BUT THAT IS GOING TO BE A PART OF THE DESIGN IS MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S SIGHT LINES, THAT PEOPLE CAN STILL DETERMINE WHEN CARS ARE COMING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THANK YOU, JEREMY, DOES OUR CITY FORCE OR HAVE ANY INPUT ON WHICH PLANTS ARE BEING CHOSEN? YES.
UH, SO I DROVE THE ENTIRE PROJECT WITH HIM BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED THE DESIGN TO GET AN IDEA OF, UH, WHAT TREES, YOU KNOW, HE WOULD LIKE TO KEEP WHAT TREES WE DON'T REALLY NEED ANY MORE THAT HAVE SORT OF AGED AND, YOU KNOW, GONE PAST THEIR USEFUL LIFE.
UH, PAUL IS DEFINITELY INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT WITH A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION.
I MEAN, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO JEREMY FOR JUMPING IN ON THIS, UH, ADDITIONAL, UH, PART OF THE PROJECT.
UH, I KNOW, UH, TW AND THE PARKS GROUP, UH, WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED.
YOU KNOW, WE STARTED THIS JOURNEY IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR, UH, WHEN THIS FIRST WAS PRESENTED TO OUR TEXAS PARKWAY CAUGHT RIGHT COMMITTEE.
AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THAT GROUP WHO HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE COULD DO TO IMPROVE THE CORRIDOR FROM A BEAUTIFICATION AND LANDSCAPING STANDPOINT, TO HAVE SOME CONSISTENCY.
AND, UH, WE LANDED HERE AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED ON THIS PROJECT INCLUDE, ESPECIALLY THE COMMITTEE.
WHEN DO YOU THINK THIS WILL ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT? WELL,
[01:00:01]
WE CAN SEE THIS.SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A TIME ESTIMATE OF AUGUST OF THIS YEAR FROM BEING, UH, DONE WITH A PROJECT THAT'S HARD, THAT'S HARD TO ESTIMATE JEREMY DID PAUL, UM, RTW PROVIDE ANY FEEDBACK REGARDING MAINTENANCE AND THE UP-KEEPING? UM, SO I DID WORK WITH, UH, TW AND PAUL, UH, WHEN IT CAME TO UPKEEP AND MAINTENANCE, UH, FOR THIS SPECIFIC DESIGN, UH, THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THE, YOU KNOW, THE INS AND OUTS OF IT.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A COMPLETE DESIGN YET FOR THEM TO REVIEW, BUT WE DID GO OVER THE INITIAL CONCEPTS OF IT.
AND I DID LET YOU KNOW, UH, TW AND THEN LOOK AT IT BEFORE WE GOT TO THIS POINT.
SO ONCE YOU GUYS FINALIZE EVERYTHING, ARE YOU ABLE TO PROVIDE LIKE THE FULL MAINTENANCE PACKAGE OR WHAT'S IT GOING TO REQUIRE FOR US TO MAINTAIN IT? CAUSE I WOULD HATE FOR US TO PUT THIS, UM, PROJECT OR HAVE THESE PLANTS OUT THERE AND WE'RE NOT MAINTAINING THEM.
AND THEN THEY BEGIN TO LOOK LIKE OUR MEDIANS CURRENTLY DO.
SO I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE, UM, PROCESS OR HOW ARE YOU GOING TO WORK ACTIVELY TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PLANTS ARE MAINTAINED AND YES, I'M GOING TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH TW AND, UH, CITY FORESTER, PAUL, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS DESIGN PROCESS, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING A MAINTENANCE PLAN, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO WORK WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UH, I'M NOT, I DON'T PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT REALLY A MAIN SOMEONE WHO CAN MAINTAIN IT.
SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO WORK WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO COME UP WITH A MAINTENANCE PLAN THAT COULD BE PRESENTED.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PROACTIVE AND NOT WAITING UNTIL, YOU KNOW, TOO LATE.
YEAH, THERE ARE NO OTHER DISCUSSIONS.
[2(c) Receive a presentation on Series 2022 General Obligation & Refunding Bonds.]
BEFORE C JUST TO RECEIVE, RECEIVE A PRESENTATION OF SERIES 2022 GENERAL OBLIGATION AND REFUNDING BONDS PROPER.I MEAN, THERE'S A PRESENTATION BY ELENA PORTIS DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES.
SO THIS PRESENTATION, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THE PROJECTS FOR NEW MONEY ASSOCIATED WITH THE, UH, PROPOSE THAT ISSUANCE FOR 2022.
ALONG WITH NEW MONEY, WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING A REFUNDING FOR, UH, ONE OF OUR, UH, ISSUES THAT IS CURRENTLY CALLABLE SO THAT WE CAN REALIZE THE SAVINGS, BUT I WON'T BE PRESENTING INFORMATION, UH, ON THAT MS. PRESENTATION.
SO, UH, WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE 2021 BOND ELECTION PROCESS, WE HAD OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR LOOK AT OUR ASSESS VALUATIONS AND DETERMINE WHAT OUR DEBT CAPACITY WOULD BE FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, AND THIS IS WHAT YOU SEE HERE ON THIS SLIDE.
THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
UM, WELL, WE'RE NOT PROPOSING WITH THIS PRESENTATION, BUT WE JUST WANT TO PROVIDE YOU THE INFORMATION ON HOW MUCH WE'RE GOING TO BE ISSUING OVER THE NEXT FIVE, SIX YEARS.
AND SO THIS YEAR, UH, 2022, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ISSUE 10 MILLION, $890,000.
SO THESE NUMBERS ARE PRESENTED IN THOUSANDS AND THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT WE'LL BE GOING OVER TONIGHT.
UM, LOOKING AT THE AUTHORIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE FUNDS PROGRAMMED AT $20 MILLION, WHICH COULD BE LATER ON THIS FISCAL YEAR WITH THE FIRST PAYMENT BEING MADE NEXT FISCAL YEAR OR ISSUED NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UH, AND THEN THE DEBT ISSUANCES WILL RANGE BETWEEN 21 MILLION AND 14 MILLION THEREAFTER.
WE ALSO HAD THE ESTIMATED, UH, INS TAX RATE, WHICH IS THE TAX RATE THAT PROVIDES THE FUNDING TO PAY OUR PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST, UH, WITHIN THE INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM THE FFA.
WE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THAT OUR INS RIGHT FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR WOULD BE, UH, 1445, UM, SINCE, UH, BUT THE ACTUAL RATE IS 13, 4, 8, 10.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE WE BOUGHT DOWN THE TAX RATE USING EXCESS COLLECTIONS FROM THE PRIOR YEAR, BUT ALL OF OUR DEBT ISSUANCE, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT HAVING A MAXIMUM RATE OF 17 5 7 OVER THE NEXT FIVE, SIX YEARS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT FUNDING FROM FOUR DIFFERENT BOND ELECTIONS, 2003, 2008, 2014, AND THE MOST RECENT 2021.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS, UM, VOTERS APPROVED, WE BEGAN TO, UH, PROGRAM THE DEAD AND WE PROGRAMMED THE DEBT UNTIL THE AUTHORIZATION IS DOWN TO ZERO.
THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR AUTHORIZED, BUT ON ISSUED, UH, WE STILL HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE AND DRAINAGE, UH, FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS FROM PRIOR YEARS.
THEN WE HAVE, UH, THE NEW BOND ELECTRIC FROM 2021 THAT HAD STREET PARKS AND FACILITIES.
WE HAVE 13 MILLION, 400, $10,000 REMAINING IN DRAINAGE, UH, AUTHORIZATION.
AND THAT'S FROM 2003 AND 2014.
UH, WE HAVE 2,889,000, WHICH IS FOR 2014 FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THEN THE MOST RECENT ONE, WE HAVE 85 MILLION, 850,000 SPLIT BETWEEN STREET PARKS
[01:05:01]
FACILITIES.THE CURRENT AMOUNT OF AUTHORIZATION THAT WE HAVE IS 100, 2 MILLION, 149,000.
SO THAT IS THE UNISSUED BALANCES OF, UH, PREVIOUS BOND ELECTIONS.
SO FOR THIS DEBT ISSUANCE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING, UH, WE HAVE PROJECTS, UM, USING THE 2003 AND 2014 BOND ELECTION.
WE HAVE DRAINAGE PROJECTS, TOTALING 2.5 MILLION, UH, FACILITIES, PROJECTS TOTALLING, UH, THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT'S LEFT AND FACILITIES, UM, FROM 2014, 2,889,000, UM, DRAINAGE INCLUDES KATIE HALL, HOLLOW DAM REHABILITATION, THE PUBLIC SAFETY HEADQUARTERS DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, THE NAOC REGIONAL DETENTION SYSTEM UPDATE AND THE FLOOD ALERT SYSTEM.
AS FAR AS FACILITIES, WE HAVE FUNDS FOR THE PARK MAINTENANCE FACILITY, UH, ANIMAL SHELTER, EXPANSION SPACE EVALUATION, THE FACILITIES, GENERATOR, ASSESSMENT, AND UPGRADES, AND THEN THE COMPLETION OF OUR RENOVATIONS AT FIRE STATION THREE AND FOUR.
SO THIS IS FROM THE 2003 AND 2014 BOND ELECTION, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ISSUE $10,890,000 AND REMAIN WITHIN THE PROPERTY TAX RATE, UH, FOR INS, UH, AS PROJECTED BY OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, WE ARE GOING TO, WE ARE LOOKING TO ISSUE MONEY FROM THE 2021 BOND ELECTION.
SO THIS WOULD INCLUDE MONEY FOR STREETS AND MOBILITY, UH, ADDITIONAL FACILITIES AND THEN PARKS.
WE HAVE KNIGHTS ROAD, UH, FORT BEND COUNTY MOBILITY.
WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM COUNCIL ON THIS PROJECT, UM, WITH, UM, THE ABILITY TO REIMBURSE OUR METRO FUNDS WITH THIS, UH, DEBT ISSUANCE.
AND SO AT A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING, THE NEXT ONE, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE A REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION.
IF WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DEBT ISSUANCE.
WE ALSO HAVE TRAFFIC SIGNS, UH, SIGNALS, TRAFFIC SIGNAL CABINETS, UM, TOTAL STREETS AND MOBILITY, 3 MILLION, SIX 20, AND THE FACILITIES, ADA COMPLIANCE, 681,000.
AND THEN FOR PARKS, WE HAVE THE DESIGN OF BOTH THE STAMOS SPORTS COMPLEX AND FREEDOM TREE PARK.
UH, FOR 1.2 MILLION, IF WE MOVE FORWARD AS JUST DISCUSSED, OUR REMAINING AUTHORIZATION WOULD BE 91 MILLION, $259,000 WITH FUNDS REMAINING AND DRAINAGE.
AND, UH, THE MAJORITY OF IT BEING FROM THE 2021 BOND ELECTION AT THIS TIME, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO SHAWSHEE SO THAT HE CAN EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS WE ARE IN COUNCIL AND WE'LL BREEZE THROUGH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, THE PRIOR AUTHORIZATIONS, OTHER THAN THE 20, 21 BOND PROGRAM OR THE PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY IDENTIFIED IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM THAT HAS COME IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL.
AND YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW AND APPROVE THOSE PROJECTS, BUT I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE.
WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS THE KITTY HOLLOW DAM REHAB.
UH, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A DAM AS WELL AS A PARK, BUT IT SERVES RANGE AND DETENTION FOR A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, AND THE DRY CREEK, UM, THERE WAS AN INSPECTION DONE AND THERE SOME DAMN SAFETY ISSUES THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
SO THIS WILL BE RETROFITTING THE DAM.
THE SECOND ONE IS PUBLIC SAFETY HEADQUARTERS, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT DESIGN.
UH, AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, WE'RE WORKING ON, UH, CARTWRIGHT ROAD RECONSTRUCTION MOBILITY PROJECTS WITH FORT BEND COUNTY.
UH, IF YOU WERE HERE DURING HARVEY, UH, THIS PARKING LOT WITNESSED A LOT OF DRAINAGE AND FLOODING.
UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO SOME IMPROVEMENTS, UH, ALONG WITH THE CARTWRIGHT ROAD PROJECT.
SO THIS IS A PROJECT WE'LL BE WORKING ON.
THE THIRD ONE IS WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE NORTHEAST OYSTER CREEK REGIONAL DETENTION SYSTEM.
UH, THIS IS, UH, JUST SOUTH OF LEXINGTON PLACE BY INDEPENDENCE AND FIFTH STREET, UH, PROVIDES REGIONAL DETENTION.
WE'RE TRYING TO SEE IF WE CAN EXPAND IT TO ACCOMMODATE ULTIMATE GROWTH.
UH, THE NEXT ONE IS THE FLOOD ALERT SYSTEM.
AGAIN, THIS GIVES REAL TIME WARNING OF A FLOODING SITUATION.
WE WERE ABLE TO INSTALL NINE LAST YEAR THROUGH SOME GRANT FUNDING, BUT THAT GRANT FUNDING WAS ONLY LIMITED TO LMI AREAS, WHICH IS LOW TO MODERATE INCOME.
OUR GOAL IS TO EXPAND THIS ACROSS THE CITY AT CREEK CRITICAL LOCATIONS, I'M GOING TO QUICKLY TOUCH ON THE FACILITIES OR PROJECTS.
WE DO HAVE A PARTS MAINTENANCE FACILITY DESIGN THAT IS NEARING COMPLETION, AND WE'LL BE GOING INTO CONSTRUCTION, UH, WITH THE COST ESCALATIONS, WE NEEDED ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
THIS IS 1.4 MILLION ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE NEW PARTS MAINTENANCE FACILITY.
THE NEXT ONE IS THE ANIMAL SHELTER EXPANSION.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE AN ANIMAL SHELTER, BUT WE'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE, UH, SPACE NEEDS FOR ULTIMATE GROWTH IN THE CITY.
SO THIS WILL BE AN ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO PLAN FOR OUR FUTURE.
UH, THE OTHER ONE, UH, VERY CRITICAL PROJECT
[01:10:01]
IS THE GENERATOR DESIGN AND INSTALLATION.UH, OBVIOUSLY THE CURRENT GENERATOR DOES NOT FULLY SUPPORT CITY HALL.
IT DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS BUILDING OR THE ONE NEXT DOOR.
UH, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A ROBUST GENERATED TO SUPPORT THE CITY ALL COMPLEX WHILE TRYING TO DO SOME ELECTRICAL OPERATES AND RETROFITTING OTHER BUILDINGS AS WELL.
AND THE FOURTH PROJECT IS RENOVATION SO FAR STATIONS, NUMBER THREE AND FOUR.
THIS IS THE REGULAR UPKEEP AND UPGRADES.
THIS COULD INCLUDE PAINTING, ADDING DOORS AND REPLACING TILES, THOSE KINDS OF, UH, UH, PROJECTS.
UH, WE DID, UH, UH, AND AGAIN, THIS ONE, NOW WE ARE TRANSITIONING INTO 2021, WHAT WAS AUTHORIZED BOND PROJECTS.
AND OBVIOUSLY ALINA MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE SOME CAPACITIES, SO WE CAN START WORKING ON THESE PROJECTS.
THE FIRST ONE WE WANT TO DO IS THE AMERICAN DISABILITY ACT.
WE DID A STUDY BACK IN 2020 AND IDENTIFIED SOME CRITICAL ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO FIX.
THESE ARE COMPLIANCE RELATED ISSUES COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS STEPS, AS SIMPLE AS, UH, UH, REPLACING OR, UH, PROVIDING THOSE THAT MEET THE COMPLIANCE STANDARDS.
AND THIS SPANS A NUMBER OF BUILDINGS ACROSS THE CITY.
UH, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS SOME KEY AND CRITICAL PROJECTS AS THE FIRST ON THE STREETS MOBILITY SIDE.
UH, UH, OBVIOUSLY IN THE BOND PROGRAM WE HAD ASKED FOR, FOR NEW SIGNALS TO BE CONSTRUCTED, UH, THREE ARE IN THE LAKE OLYMPIA AREA, ONE ON HIGHWAY SIX.
UH, WE HAVE ONE DESIGNED READY, UH, THE THREE OTHERS, WE NEED TO START ON THE DESIGN SO WE CAN GO BUILD THOSE SIGNALS.
SOME OF YOU WERE AT THE LAKE LUMPY HOA MEETING, AND YOU HEARD THEM SAY THE NEED FOR THESE SIGNALS AND THESE HAVE BEEN WARRANTED.
THE NEXT ONE IS WHAT WE REFERRED TO AS THE CAT TRAFFIC SIGNAL CABINETS.
UH, YOU DO SEE THOSE PARKS NEXT TO THE SIGNALS.
UH, THE TECHNOLOGY INSIDE THAT IS VERY OLD, UH, WE'LL BE UPGRADING THESE SIGNAL CABINETS ACROSS THE CITY.
UH, NEXT ONE IS A STREET MOBILITY PROJECT, UH, AS YOU ARE AWARE OF THE PROJECT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
UH, THIS PROJECT WAS ENVISIONED IN 2014 IS A RECIPIENT OF FORT BEND COUNTY MOBILITY BOND FUNDS, OR SHOT UP MONEY.
UH, WE HAVE BORROWED SOME MONEY FROM THE METRO, UH, FUND BALANCE, UH, BUT WE'RE, UH, UH, AFTER THIS BOND SALE, WE'LL REIMBURSE THOSE FUNDS AND, UH, THIS PROJECT IS UNDERWAY AND WILL BE COMPLETED, PLANNED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR HERE WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO PARKS, UH, AND JASON WILL PROVIDE THOSE UPDATES.
SO OUR ITEMS AND THIS, UH, BASICALLY DEAL WITH STARTING THE DESIGN OF, UH, TWO OF THE PROJECTS THAT WERE, UH, OUTLINED IN THE 2020 BOND.
FIRST ONE IS STAINLESS SPORTS COMPLEX, AND, UM, THIS WAS IDENTIFIED AS A HIGH PRIORITY PROJECT AND WITH THE 2015 MASTER PLAN, AND THEN THE UPCOMING 2021 MASTER PLAN, UH, THAT'LL BE COMING TO YOU FOR APPROVAL IN THE, IN THE NEXT MONTH, UM, IMAGES AND THEN THE, UM, FREEDOM TREE PARK AS WELL, UM, TO START THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE PROJECTS.
AND SO THE NEXT STEPS DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, WE HAD FINANCE, WE WORKED TO PUT TOGETHER ALL THE INFORMATION WITH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS AND BOND COUNSEL TO CREATE THE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE USED TO PRICE THE BONDS.
WE ALSO HAVE A MEETING WITH THE BOND RATING AGENCIES SO THAT WE CAN SEE IF WE EITHER MAINTAIN, HOPEFULLY UPGRADE OUR BOND RATING, WHICH IMPACTS THE AMOUNT OF INTEREST THAT WE PAY.
AND THEN WE ALSO, UM, HAVE TO HAVE OUR FINAL PRELIMINARY, OFFICIAL STATEMENT AS DISTRIBUTED TO EVERYONE.
AND WE'RE TARGETING RIGHT NOW, MARCH 14TH.
UM, IF WE ARE TO GO FORWARD WITH THE COMPETITIVE SALE, UM, VERSUS NEGOTIATED OUR COMPETITIVE BIDS WOULD BE DUE ON THE 21ST.
AND ON THAT SAME DATE WOULD BE WHEN COUNCIL WOULD ADOPT THE ORDINANCE TO APPROVE THE BONDS.
IF WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, UH, WITH THE DATES MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT WE WOULD COME FORWARD WITH THE PARAMETER ORDINANCE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, ONCE WE HAVE ALL THIS INFORMATION, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL REVIEWS EVERYTHING, AND, UH, WE HOPE TO HAVE FUNDS ON HAND BY APRIL 19TH.
SO THAT IS THE CURRENT TIMELINE.
UM, IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, THAT ISSUANCE, I DIDN'T MY PRESENTATION, WE'RE ALL AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
THERE'S AGAIN, ON THIS ITEM, THERE'S NO MOTION THAT'S NEEDED.
SO VL QUESTIONS GO RIGHT HERE.
I JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I'M EXCITED, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE PROJECTS.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE PACE, AND I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE DOING IT RESPONSIBLY.
SO THANK YOU TO ALL THE STAFF HAD PUT TOGETHER A LIST AND THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT WHO REALLY TOOK TIME TO UNDERSTAND THE BONDS AND ALL THAT STUFF.
[01:15:04]
YEAH.I HAD A QUESTION FOR 'EM OR, UH, UH, JASON, WE'VE GOT A STAY.
MOE IS ONE OF THE PRIORITY ITEMS, UH, AT, AT ONE POINT, UH, WE, UH, THOUGHT WE HAD AN AGREEMENT OR MAYBE WE DO HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH FORT BEND COUNTY.
THEY ARE GOING TO ASSIST US IN, UH, UH, THE, UH, THE COST OF THAT RENOVATION, YOU KNOW, ARE WE AWARE AGREEMENT WITH THEM? THERE WAS SOME, SOME TENTATIVE DISCUSSIONS, UM, BUT WE WERE WAITING FOR THE BOND TO PASS AND TO SEE WHERE WE WERE ON THE SCHEDULE BEFORE WE ACTUALLY APPROACHED THEM, UH, TO TRY TO GET SOMETHING OFFICIAL IN PLACE.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL 5 MILLION, WE'VE GOT TO SCALE BACK, WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO OUT THERE? YEP, THAT'S CORRECT.
WHEN WILL WE HAVE ANY TIMING ON THAT? I DON'T, I CAN, I CAN, I CAN START THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND GET THAT WELL, IF YOU GET THEM AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WE'VE GOT TO FIND OUT.
SO WE, LIKE I SAY, WHEN YOU DO YOUR DESIGN, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'VE GOT 10 MILLION TO WORK WITH, OR YOU GOT 15 MILLION, SO OBVIOUSLY I'LL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE DESIGN, SO, CORRECT.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR SASHI SASHI.
WHEN THE STREETS SIGNAL CABINETS ARE UPDATED, ARE THEY GOING TO BE WRAPPED WITH NEW SITE? I'M SORRY, NEW ART OR THE SAME ART THAT ACTUALLY IS PRESENTED OUT? GREAT QUESTION.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, I THINK, UH, WE HAVE A PROGRAM TO IMPLEMENT ARTS ON OUR TRAFFIC SIGNAL CABINETS.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE WILL PLAN FOR THAT.
AND, UH, UH, I, YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION IS IF GOING TO BE THE SAME ART OR NEW ART, UH, MY GUESS IS PROBABLY THERE'LL BE NEW ART.
UH, BUT, UH, IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT JUST COUNCIL WANTS TO SEE OR, UH, HAVE AN INPUT, WE WILL BRING IT IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL.
AT THAT POINT, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS ELAINA OR YOU SAW SHE, BUT IN THE PRESENTATION, IT WAS NO MENTION OF THE 2008, UH, BOND MONEY, IF IT WAS ALL USED UP OR NOT.
AND THE REASON I'M STATING THIS BECAUSE IN THE PRESENTATION FOR THE BOND ALLOCATION MONIES, IT WAS LISTED AS 2003 YEAR AND THE 2014 BOND A YEAR.
IS THAT TO ASSUME I HAVE A TWO PART QUESTION WITH THAT IS THAT TO ASSUME THAT ALL OF THE, THE BOND MONEY FOR 2008 WAS ALLOCATED AND ALL THOSE PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED, THE, ALL OF THE FUNDS WERE ISSUED.
SO THERE IS NO AUTHORIZATION AVAILABLE FOR 2009.
AND THEN MY SECOND ONE WHERE THE, YOU KNOW, IF THOSE PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED BEFORE I GO INTO MY NEXT QUESTION, DON'T REMEMBER IF YOU CAN REPEAT YOUR QUESTION, PLEASE, FOR THE 2008 BOND, UH, FUNDS THAT WERE ISSUED, HAVE THE PROJECTS BEEN COMPLETED? I DO NOT KNOW NOW COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I CAN LOOK INTO THAT AND PROVIDE YOU IN FEEDBACK ON THAT AFTER THIS WEEK.
AND IF YOU CAN MAKE THAT DETAILED, BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PARTICULAR PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED BY THOSE FUNDS, AND WE'RE NOT CARRYING THINGS OVER TO ANOTHER BOND OR NOT USING ALL OF THE, UM, AND YOUR INQUIRY IS ON 2008 ON PROJECTS.
WERE THOSE PROJECTS COMPLETED WITH THE 2008, WHATEVER, WHEN WE PASSED THE BOND IN 2008, WITH THOSE PROJECTS ACTUALLY COMPLETE.
AND IF SO, CAN I GET A LIST OF THOSE, WE'LL DIG INTO THAT AND GET BACK TO YOUR COUNCILMAN.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS FOR THE 2003 AND 2014 BOND, IS THERE A REASON WHY THOSE PROJECTS HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED? AS OF NOW? WE, WELL, WE DID SEEK THE ORDERS AUTHORIZATION, BUT WE DON'T SELL THOSE BONDS.
SO TO SPEAK UNTIL THE PROJECTS ARE READY, A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS ARE REGIONAL.
WE PARTNER WITH OTHER LOCAL ENTITIES AND IMPLEMENTING THESE PROJECTS.
PROBABLY THE REASON YOU SEE THAT THOSE PROJECTS HAVE NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED IS A, PROBABLY WITH THE PROJECT DID NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH PARTNERSHIP, OR THERE WAS NOT A NEED FOR THAT PROJECT.
BUT AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION WITH ME NOW, BUT CERTAINLY WE CAN LOOK AND GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, ELENA SHASHI? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THERE'S AGAIN, THERE'S NO MOTION NEEDED.
[2(d) Consider and discuss a budget amendment for the Missouri City Police Department.]
NUMBER FOUR, D CONSIDER AND DISCUSS A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE MISSOURI CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT.WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY OUR POLICE, CHIEF
[01:20:01]
BEARS IN AND COUNCIL.THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS REQUEST TO ALL, AND HOPEFULLY YOU ALL CONSIDER IT FOR APPROVAL.
WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD TWO ADDITIONAL MOTORCYCLE OFFICERS AND THE ACCOMPANYING MOTORCYCLES TO OUR EXISTING MOTORCYCLE UNIT.
AS YOU'RE ALL ARE AWARE, THAT'S THE UNIT THAT WE USE PRIMARILY TO ADDRESS TRAFFIC CONTROL ISSUES, UH, TRAFFIC CONCERNS FROM OUR CITIZENS AND INVESTIGATE THE MAJORITY OF THE ACCIDENTS DURING THE DAYTIME PERIOD.
UH, THE UNIT WAS FORMED IN 2014, WITH FIVE MEMBERS, FOUR OFFICERS, AND ONE SERGEANT.
AND THAT'S THE SAME SIZE THAT IT IS TODAY, AS YOU KNOW, THAT WE'VE HAD CONSIDERABLE GROWTH SINCE 2014.
SO WE'RE ASKING TO EXPAND THIS.
WE CAN ADDRESS THE ONGOING ISSUES AS YOU KNOW, UH, WE'VE HAD A CONCERN WITH THE RED LIGHT RUNNING AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A PROJECT WE'RE WORKING ON.
WE DID A THREE-WEEK, UH, HEAVY ENFORCEMENT OPERATION WHERE WE CONDUCTED OVER 300 TRAFFIC STOPS ASSOCIATED JUST WITH RED LIGHT RUNNING.
SO THAT'S LIKE I SAID, AN AVERAGE OF 100 PER WEEK WITH 53% OF THOSE STOPS RESULTING IN A TRAFFIC CITATION.
SO WE CAN'T GET, WE USED PATROL PERSONNEL TO PULL THAT OFF PRIMARILY BECAUSE IT WAS COLD WEATHER, BUT AS IT WARMS UP, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO PUT OUR PATROL PEOPLE BACK IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, BACK IN THE SHOPPING COMPLEX.
IT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO STAY ON TOP OF HEAVY TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS SUCH AS THAT.
SO THIS WOULD ENABLE US LATER IN THE FUTURE ONCE WE BUILD OUT.
SO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS, YOU KNOW, MORE CONSISTENTLY.
SO WE ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER IT PLEASE.
UM, BEFORE WE ASK QUESTIONS, IT JUST DOES, THIS REQUIRES A MOTION BY COUNCIL, UM, AS ON YOUR REGULAR MEETING AGENDA UNDER ITEM 10, WHICH IS YOUR BUDGET AMENDMENT, THEREFORE YOU WOULD ONLY NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT.
IS THERE A MOTION FOR DISCUSSION EMOTIONS OPEN UP FOR DISCUSSION? SO THERE'S BEEN A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER RILEY AND SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER KLAUSER, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY, AYE, ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NO MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO IN THE DISCUSSION.
I JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
UM, THANK YOU, BY THE WAY, SHE BEARS IN, IN YOUR TEAM, UH, FOR BEING VERY VILLAGE VISIBLE OUT THERE AND VIGILANT, UM, TO BE MINDFUL OF WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
PUBLIC SAFETY IS A KEY COMPONENT IN OUR CITY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH OFFICERS, WE CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH.
ALICIA, JUST BE HONEST, BUT DEFINITELY I CAN CONCUR THAT.
WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL AVENUES TO KEEP OUR CITY SAFE, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS HEIGHTENED, UM, CONCERN OF ALL THE RED LIGHT RUNNERS AND SOME OF THE, UM, THE STREET RACING THAT I'VE NOTICED AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION.
I'LL PASS ON YOUR SENTIMENTS TO THE REST OF THE TEAM.
YEAH, CHIEF, UH, WITH THE ADDITION OF THE, UH, TWO IN THE, UH, ADDITIONAL, UH, BIKES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE, WHAT TYPE OF A, OF A, UH, UH, SCHEDULING DO YOU USE TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE HITTING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT HOTSPOTS.
IF YOU WILL, UH, AROUND THE CITY WITH OUR CURRENT NUMBERS, WE HAVE, IT'S A CHALLENGE TO HIT ALL THE HOTSPOTS BECAUSE WE GET THEM IN REGULARLY.
AND OF COURSE, EVERYBODY WANTS AN OFFICER IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE HAVE WHAT, 80, SOME ODD PLUS, UH, ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOODS.
I'D LOVE TO PULL OFF 80 OFFICERS ON A SHIFT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA PULL IT OFF, BUT IT'S KIND OF A SPRINKLER EFFECT.
IF YOU WILL, RIGHT NOW, WHERE WE GET THE ONES THAT WE CAN MAKE THE MOST IMPACT ON AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT.
SO IF WE CHOSE, I'LL JUST PICK A NEIGHBORHOOD, SAY WE CHOOSE FONDER AND PARK AND WE HIT FINER PARK REALLY HARD.
WE CAN ONLY HIT IT FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
I'M GOING TO EVENTUALLY PULL OFF THAT ONE TO GO AND GET ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S SAYING THE SAME THINGS WITH SPEEDING VEHICLES OR, OR STREET RACING OR ANYTHING.
SO IT'S A MORE OF A SPRINKLER EFFECT.
NOW, ONCE WE GET THIS, THIS CERTAINLY BE ON FORCE MULTIPLIER.
THIS ALSO WOULD ENABLE US THIS ADDITIONAL TWO OFFICERS WOULD ENABLE US TO HAVE VOTER MOTORCYCLE OFFICERS.
AND WE ONLY DEPLOY MOTORCYCLES BY THE WAY, DURING DAYTIME HOURS, WE DON'T HAVE THEM ROLLING AROUND AT NIGHT FOR OBVIOUS REASONS SAFETY ISSUE.
BUT NOW WITH THE LIMITED NUMBER OF PERSONNEL, THERE'S ONLY SO MANY DAYTIME HOURS, WE CAN PROVIDE COVERAGE WITH THIS ADDITION.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IN SHORT, IT'S A SPRINKLER EFFECT.
NOW THIS WILL ALLOW US TO NOT BE SUCH A, A SPRINKLER EFFECT, GET BETTER COVERAGE.
GUESS CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR BEING PROACTIVE.
AND WITH THESE TWO ADDITIONAL OFFICERS, HOW LONG WOULD THE TRAINING LASTS FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY BE ON THE STREET AND WHAT'S THAT TIMEFRAME? WELL, THANKFULLY WE ACTUALLY HAVE A SUCCESSION PLAN WHERE WE HAVE AN ALTERNATE OFFICER THAT WE'VE TRAINED TO FILL IN ON WEDNESDAYS WHEN WE HAVE HEAVY, UH,
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OVERLOAD DAYS, UH, BY THE WAY, OUR, OUR SHIFT SCHEDULING SET UP.SO IF THIS IS APPROVED, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PUT AN OFFICER IN VIRTUALLY NEXT WEEK BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE THAT'S ALREADY TRAINED TO BE AN ALTERNATE FILL IN FOR, LIKE I SAID, ILLNESSES OR EVERY STACK DAYS, UH, STARTING FRESH FROM A BRAND NEW OFFICER FROM THE TIME THAT THEY TAKE THE WRITTEN EXAM AND THEN GO THROUGH THE MOTORCYCLE SAFETY TRAINING COURSE AND THE POLICE OFFICER, UH, BIKE COURSE, WHICH IS QUITE CHALLENGING.
UH, THAT'S PRETTY QUICK GETTING THEM TRAINED AND GET THEM READY TO HIT THE STREET.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL MOTORCYCLE IN OUR FLEET NOW THAT WE USE AS A RESERVE BIKE.
SO, UH, RELATIVELY QUICK, I'M GONNA GUESS MAYBE SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS IF THEY PASS ALL THE TRAINING.
CAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE THE PERSONNEL ON STAFF TO PULL THIS OFF.
UH, ALTHOUGH WE'RE GOING TO ROB FROM PETER TO PAY PAUL RIGHT NOW IN ORDER TO PULL IT OFF, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET ONE IN RIGHT AWAY GETTING THE OTHER ONE IN PROBABLY CLOSER TO THE OCTOBER ONE TIME PERIOD.
THANK YOU CHIEF FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I JUST WANT TO INFORM YOU THAT THIS ITEM DID COME BEFORE OUR FINANCE AND SERVICES COMMITTEE EARLIER.
AND, UH, IT WAS AT THAT TIME THAT, UH, THE CHIEF MADE A PRESENTATION TO US AND HE ALSO INDICATED HOW THIS WILL BE HELPFUL ON THE, THE, UH, THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE.
IF YOU WANT TO CALL THEM THAT THE MEDIANS ON 10 92.
UH, COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT MA I MEAN, UH, GEE, I'M NOT, THAT'S A BIG, YOU'RE CORRECT.
UH, ANYTIME THERE'S MEDIUMS, WHETHER IT'S ON HIGHWAY SIX OR IT'S MURPHY ROAD, THAT, AND THERE'S AN ACCIDENT INVOLVED ON A MEDIAN CONTROLLED ROAD, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR A REGULAR POLICE CAR TO GET TO THE SCENE OF THE COLLISION AND START MITIGATING THE COLLISION, UH, THE ACCIDENT SCENE IN ORDER TO GET TRAFFIC FLOW BACK TO NORMALCY, A MOTORCYCLE OBVIOUSLY HAS GOT A MUCH MORE MOBILE.
THEY CAN GET TO THAT TRAFFIC COLLISION SCENE AND START MITIGATING THAT CRASH MUCH FASTER THAN A REGULAR PATROL CAR AND GET RE RESTORE MOBILITY AT MUCH FASTER RATE WITH THE MEDIANS GOING ON MURPHY ROAD.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE FOR US IF WE DON'T HAVE MORE MOTORCYCLES AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE TYPES OF CRASHES ON IMMEDIATE AND CONTROL ROAD, LIKE MURPHY ROAD WILL BE PERFECT.
WELL, CHIEF, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND AGAIN, I DO SEE THOSE OFFICERS OUT THERE IN THE MORNING AND THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB AND WE HOPE AND PRAY FOR THEIR SAFETY AS WELL WHEN THEY'RE OUT THERE.
UM, EGOS THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL MOTION NEEDED ON THIS, RIGHT? NO, SIR.
THAT WILL BE ON YOUR REGULAR MEETING AGENDA.
SO SINCE THE TIME IS 7:03 PM AND WE HAVE OUR REGULAR MEETING, THE NEXT ITEM THAT WE HAVE IS EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND RECESS AND THEN TAKE ON THE, UM, THE REGULAR MEETING AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK WITH THE EXECUTIVE SESSION IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE OTHERWISE I JUST DON'T WANT TO EVERYBODY'S HERE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND RECESS AT 7:03 PM.