[00:14:36]
[4. PUBLIC COMMENTS]
[00:14:37]
HAVE[00:14:37]
HOUSTON, TEXAS, 77,071.I'D LIKE TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS OF ALMOST AFTER BEING IN MISSOURI CITY FOR 40 YEARS IN YOUR STATE OF THE CITY LAST WEEK, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU MY CURRENT VIEW OF THE STATE OF THE CITY.
LIKE THIS ONE, SOME ARE BEING PUPPETEERS.
[00:15:01]
SOME ARE HAVING YOUR STRINGS PULLED.WE HAD AN ADMINISTRATION HERE FOR 25 YEARS.
NOW WE HAVE ONE, THAT'S ACTING LIKE A DICTATOR I'M FED UP WITH IT.
WE'RE PROBABLY NEVER GONNA GET A BRIDGE IN FOND MEADOW, BUT I'M TIRED OF PAYING THE TAXES THAT I HAVE TO PAY IN MISSOURI CITY TO BE PART OF THIS NONSENSE.
FURTHERMORE, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, NO BRIDGE YOU ADVERTISE, OR YOU SPOKE OF LAST WEEK OF ALL THE NICE, UH, WATER AND PROJECTS GOING ON IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CITY.
WE STILL HAVE MUD DISTRICTS WITH ATTORNEYS WHO ARE GETTING OVER $350,000 A MONTH IN LEGAL FEES FROM ALL THE RESIDENTS IN MISSOURI CITY.
AND THIS COUNCIL DOESN'T WANNA ACT.
WE HAVE A POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO YOU EULOGIZE A POLICEMAN WHO WAS SHOT, AND YET YOU HAVE YET TO GIVE THESE POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS PAY THAT IS INCOMPARABLE CITIES.
THAT'S NONSENSE, OPEN UP YOUR WALLETS AND PAY 'EM WHAT THEIR WORTH.
IF YOU WANNA REALLY MAKE A MEMORIAL FOR CRYSTAL, THAT'S THE PART WHERE YOU SHOULD START THIS SENIOR EXEMPTION.
FINALLY, IT'S BEEN INCREASED FROM $15,000 FROM THE MID 1980S AS A SENIOR.
IF I WERE IN HOUSTON, ONE BLOCK OVER, I WOULDN'T BE PAYING ANY CITY TAXES.
SO IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU EXPAND ON THAT ISSUE.
I WISH I WOULD LIVED ONE BLOCK OVER.
THAT CONCLUDES, UH, THE PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION.
[6. CONSENT AGENDA]
CONSENT AGENDA.IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED.
I DIDN'T HEAR THE SECOND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN MC IT'S BEEN A MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TMB BONNEY SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN MC KLAUSER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, SAY AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO THE MOTION? SAY NO, NO MOTION CARRIES SIX ONE, A NUMBER SEVEN ARE PUBLIC HEARING AND RELATED ACTIONS.
THERE ARE NO PUBLIC HEARING AND RELATED ACTIONS ON THIS AGENDA.
[(a) Consideration and Possible Action - To reappoint Position 2 to the Par...]
APPOINTMENTS EIGHT, A CONSIDERATION AND IMPOSSIBLE ACTION TO REAPPOINT POSITION TWO TO THE PARKS BOARD FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024, POSITION FOUR TO THE PARKS BOARD FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024, POSITION SIX OF THE PARKS PARKS BOARD FOR A TERM EXPIRING 20 JUNE 30TH, 2024, POSITION EIGHT TO THE PARKS BOARD FOR A TA EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024.POSITION 12 TO THE PARKS BOARD FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024 SECRETARY.
GO AHEAD, MAYOR COUNCIL, UM, BEFORE YOU, UM, IS THE, UH, PARKS BOARD, UM, REAPPOINTMENTS UM, AT THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETING IN AUG IN AUGUST, UM, COUNCIL DECIDED TO POSTPONE THIS ITEM TO TONIGHT'S MEETING.
UM, I HAVE PROVIDED A LIST TO YOU ALL OF THE, UH, APPLICATIONS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FOR THE VARIOUS BOARDS.
UM, WE HAVE MADE CONTACT WITH THE CURRENT PARKS BOARD MEMBERS AND THEY ARE ALL INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO SERVE ON THE BOARD, UM, AT THE PLEASURE OF COUNCIL CRYSTAL, CAN YOU LIST WHO ARE IN THOSE POSITIONS? UM, SO POSITION TWO IS MS. THOMASINE JOHNSON POSITION FOUR IS MARY ROSS POSITION SIX IS SU SUSAN DER POSITION EIGHT IS BRIAN MERCHANT AND POSITION 12 IS, UM, BUDDY SNYDER.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT MR. TURNER IS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE, I GUESS NOT.
UM, HE WAS GOING TO ATTEND TONIGHT TO, FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE.
AND DO WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, TERM LIMITS FOR THE, FOR THESE PARK BOARD MEMBERS? SO THE PARKS BOARD, UH, MEMBERS ARE ON TWO YEAR TERMS, BUT THERE IS NOT, UM, A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF TERMS CRYSTAL, AS I MENTIONED IN THE LAST MEETING, THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION ON REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PARKS BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, AND WE WERE MAYBE LOOKING FOR SOME GUIDANCE FROM MR. TURNER, UM, AND LOOKING AT THE PACKET OVER THE WEEKEND.
UM, THERE'S 13 CURRENT POSITIONS WITH FOUR VACANCIES, WHICH WOULD BRING US DOWN TO NINE AND NINE IS IN LINE WITH WHAT WE HAVE FOR P AND Z.
[00:20:01]
SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL THIS EVENING ABOUT LOOKING INTO THAT AND GETTING THEIR FEEDBACK ON GOING FROM 13 TO NINE.SO COUNCIL, AGAIN, THERE'S 13 OPEN POSITIONS, FOUR VACANCIES.
AND THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATION ABOUT REDUCING IT DOWN TO NINE.
WOULD YOU GUYS SUPPORT APPOINTING THOSE WHO ARE CURRENTLY SERVING OR, OR RE-INTERVIEWING, BUT REALLY TAKING IT BACK TO NINE AND I SERVED ON A PARKS BOARD AND IT IS A LOT EASIER WHEN IT'S NINE, CUZ THIRTEEN'S A LOT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, MARU IS I, I WAS LOOKING AT THE, THE SHEET HERE.
IS IT THREE OR FOUR VACANCIES? UM, CRYSTAL, UM, IT'S FOR, BECAUSE DON JOHNSON RETIRED AND IT DOESN'T SHOW VACANT ON THE OH DON JOHNSON.
I KNOW IN SPEAKING WITH, UH, UH, CHAIR TURNER, UH, LAWRENCE TURNER, HE HAD MENTIONED THAT, UH, THERE'S A CONSISTENCY OF VACANCIES FROM TIME TO TIME AND, UM, THOSE THAT ARE COMMITTED TO SHOWING UP TEND TO DO SO.
SO I I'M OPEN TO, UM, NOW THE ORDINANCE, UH, EJO A STATES UP TO 13, RIGHT.
ARE CRYSTAL, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO 13.
IT'S NOT SPECIFIED, BUT I'LL, I'LL TAKE A LOOK.
I'LL TAKE A LOOK AND LET YOU KNOW IN JUST A MOMENT, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM.
UM, MAKING A MOTION TO REAPPOINT ALL FOUR OF THE INDIVIDUALS, UH, EXCUSE ME, 1, 2, 2, 3, UM, TWO, THERE ARE FIVE, FIVE, ALL FIVE POSITIONS.
UM, I THINK THEY'VE SERVED ADMIRABLY AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, TO THE QUESTION BE THAT WAS ASKED ABOUT TERM LIMITS.
MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING US AS A COUNCIL CAN CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD.
BUT, UM, FOR THE SAKE OF, OF, OF THIS, UH, BOARD, UH, I WOULD MOTION TO REAPPOINT.
AND WHAT UP, YOU'RE UP MAN?
I HAVE TO RUN FROM NEXT DOOR LN JUST TO CATCH YOU UP REAL QUICK.
UM, I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WHEN I WAS REVIEWING THE PACKET, THERE'S FOUR CURRENT VACANCIES AND WHERE YOU'RE AT A NUMBER OF 13 RIGHT NOW, IF WE DON'T BACKFILL THOSE FOUR POSITIONS, YOU WOULD BE AT NINE, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH WHAT WE DO FOR P AND Z NINE PEOPLE.
SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR MAYBE YOUR THOUGHTS ON, YOU KNOW, REDUCING THAT COUNT.
SO, UH, WE ACTUALLY DISCUSSED THIS IN OUR MEETING AND UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE WORK WITH AND WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF THE ORDINANCE AND WHAT YOU RECOMMEND TO US, UH, WE'RE COMFORTABLE, WE'RE COMFORTABLE USING SEVEN OR NINE 13.
IT JUST GETS A LITTLE AWKWARD.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, MOST OF THE TIME WE HAVE BETWEEN SEVEN AND NINE TO ATTEND A MEETING.
SO WE KIND OF LIKE THAT NUMBER RIGHT THERE.
AND IT'S A GOOD NUMBER TO WORK WITH.
AND IF I MAY TO, UH, ANSWER MAYOR PRO TE'S QUESTION, THE ORDINANCE PROVIDES FOR NOT LESS THAN SEVEN MEMBERS AND NOT MORE THAN 13 MEMBERS AS SET BY THIS COUNCIL.
AND WE DID HAVE THAT AT OUR LAST BOARD PARKS BOARD MEETING, WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THAT AND HAD THE ATTORNEY REALLY EXPLAINED THAT TO EACH AND EVERY BOARD MEMBERS THAT WAS IN ATTENDANCE RIGHT THERE THAT NIGHT AND THE BOARD MEMBERS WERE, ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE REDUCTION.
AND IT'S NOT REALLY IN A REDUCTION BECAUSE YOU CAN, IT, WE SERVE AT YOUR WILL.
AND SO THE NUMBERS BETWEEN SEVEN AND NINE, I MEAN SEVEN AND 13, UH, WE JUST PREFER, YOU KNOW, SEVEN OR NINE, THAT'S JUST A REAL GOOD, EASY NUMBER TO, TO HERD CATS IN.
AND SO THAT WORKS FOR US REAL WELL AND ALWAYS HAVE MOTION.
SO IN CONTINUE WITH MY MOTION, UH, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO, UH, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT POSITION, TWO POSITION, FOUR POSITION, SIX POSITION EIGHT AND POSITION 12 TO THE PARKS BOARD FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024 SECOND.
OH, WHAT, UH, EJO DO I NEED TO LIST THE NAMES? OKAY.
UH, I WOULD, I WISH TO MAKE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT THOMASINE JOHNSON TO POSITION TWO MARY ROSS TO POSITION FOUR SUSAN DIER TO POSITION SIX BRIAN MERCHANT TO POSITION EIGHT AND BUDDY SNYDER
[00:25:01]
TO POSITION 12 FOR A TERM TO THE PARKS BOARD FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024.TELL YOU A SECOND STONE COUNCIL MEMBER RUNNING.
IT'S BEEN A MOTION IN A SECOND.
ANY OF THE DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTIONS, SAY AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO THE MOTION? SAY NO.
[(b) Consideration and Possible Action - To reappoint the Zoning Board of A...]
EIGHT, B CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO REAPPOINT THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEALS POSITION FOUR FOR A TERM EXPIRING IN JUNE 30TH, 2024, POSITION FIVE FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024 ALTERNATE POSITION FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024 TO THE ZONING BOARD ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEALS ALTERNATIVE POSITION FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024.GO AHEAD, MA UM, MARING COUNCILS.
UH, WE MADE, UH, CONTACT WITH, UM, OR ATTEMPTED TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT MEMBERS WHO ARE UP FOR REAPPOINTMENT.
UM, POSITION FOR IS REGGIE, UH, ABRAHAM.
AND HE DID STATE THAT HE IS INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO SERVE, UH, POSITION FIVE IS DENISE PRINGLE.
UM, SHE DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR CALLS ABOUT SERVING AGAIN.
UH, CLETA UH, ALDRIDGE DID NOT RESPOND, UH, TO OUR CALLS.
UM, AND SHARON JICA IS ACTUALLY AN ALTERNATE AND SHE HAS REQUESTED, UM, TO BE PLACED IN A FULLTIME, UH, IN A FULL, FULL, UM, ON THE BOARD IF COUNSEL SO DESIRES.
IS THERE A MOTION? WHAT, WHAT'S THE MOTION? NO, I'M, I'M JUST SAYING, IS THERE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT? UM, I HAVE A QUESTION, UM, RELATIVE TO, UM, AND I'M, I WAS TRYING TO PULL IT UP HERE ON MY DROPBOX ON MY, MY PHONE.
I DON'T HAVE MY IPAD, BUT I DON'T SEE THE LIST OF INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN SERVING ON THIS, UH, BOARD AS APPLICANTS.
UH, AND SO AT THIS, I'M JUST LOOKING AT JUST THESE INDIVIDUAL, UH, I MEAN I'M OKAY.
UH, WITH, UH, REAPPOINTING RE REGGIE ABRAHAM, BUT, UM, IF YOU DIDN'T GET A RESPONSE BACK FROM THE OTHER TWO INDIVIDUALS, IT'S KIND OF LIKE HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU TRY TO REACH 'EM OR HOW DID YOU TRY TO REACH 'EM? IS IT POSSIBLE TO VOTE ON THESE INDIVIDUALLY? I'M SORRY.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO VOTE ON THESE INDIVIDUALLY IF THAT'S THE WILL OF COUNSEL? YES MA'AM.
UM, BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UM, MY DEPUTY JUST STATED THAT HE HAS MADE CONTACTS ON TWO OCCASIONS BY EMAIL, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT INCLUDES, UM, THE OTHER STAFF MEMBER THAT WAS MAKING PHONE CALLS.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED TO CONTACT THEM A COUPLE OF TIMES AND HAVE NOT, UM, RECEIVED A RESPONSE AND THE ZONING BOARD DOES NOT RE MEET REGULARLY.
I THINK IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE THEY MET.
UM, AND SO WE REALLY CAN'T SPEAK TO THEIR ATTENDANCE AT THOSE MEETINGS BECAUSE THERE'S SO FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.
SO HOW MANY PEOPLE RESPONDED, WHO WHO'S A PERSON RESPONDED, UM, POSITION FOR REGGIE, REGGIE, ABRAHAM RESPONDED AND, UM, POSITION, THE ALTERNATE POSITION, UH, SHARON UCA, UM, WHO IS AN ALTERNATE RESPONDED IN.
SHE ASKED IF SHE COULD BE PLACED IN A REGULAR POSITION.
MAY I MAKE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT REGGIE ABRAHAM FOR POSITION FOUR TO MOVE SHARON JARKA FROM AN ALTERNATE TO POSITION FIVE BACK IN.
IT'S BEEN A MOTION IN A SECOND THERE, FURTHER DISCUSSION HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTIONS SAY, AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO THE MOTION.
SAY NO MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE ALTERNATE POSITION.
UM, WELL ACTUALLY THE TWO ALTERNATE POSITIONS, ONE THAT IS UP FOR REAPPOINTMENT AND THE OTHER ONE THAT WE JUST MOVED FROM ALTERNATE TO, TO POSITION FIVE.
SO, UM, I JUST LOOKED IN THE DROPBOX AND I SEE ONLY ONE APPLICANT.
UH, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY PUSH THAT OUT, UH, THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS TO LET INDIVIDUALS? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, WHAT WE PLAN TO DO IS BRING TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING ALL OF THE VACANT POSITIONS.
UM, WE WILL SEND OUT SOME MORE INFORMATION TO THE MAYOR COUNCIL, UM, AND THEN PLACE IT ON THE NEXT AGENDA FOR YOU ALL TO FILL THOSE VACANCIES, IF YOU DESIRE AND PUBLICIZE IT, UH, OPENINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
[00:30:01]
YES.[(c) Consideration and Possible Action - To reappoint members to the Planni...]
ITEM EIGHT C CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO REAPPOINT MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION POSITION.ONE FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024, POSITION TWO FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024, POSITION THREE FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024, AND POSITION FOUR TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024 CRYSTAL.
UM, SO I BELIEVE MR. JOHN O'MALLEY IS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. O'MALLEY, BUT POSITION ONE IS CURRENTLY HELD BY, UH, GLORIA LUCAS.
AND SHE HAS STATED THAT SHE IS INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO SERVE POSITION TWO, UM, IS CURRENTLY HELD BY KAREN OVERTON AND SHE HAS EXPRESSED HER DESIRE TO CONTINUE TO SERVE POSITION THREE, UM, IS HELD BY, UH, MS. SONYA BROWN, MARSHALL, AND SHE HAS EXPRESSED HER INTEREST, UM, IN CONTINUING TO SERVE FOR ANOTHER TERM AND POSITION FOUR IS DANIEL SILVA AND HE HAS ALSO EXPRESSED HIS DESIRE TO SERVE ANOTHER TERM MAYOR OF A MOTION.
I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE REAPPOINT POSITION ONE, GLORIA LUCAS, POSITION TWO, KAREN OVERTON POSITION FOUR, DANIEL SILVER AND POSITION THREE, NOT TO REPOINT THAT YOUR MOTION.
THAT'S MY MOTION THERE A SECOND, SECOND.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION AND A SECOND NEAR THE DISCUSSION.
UM, CRYSTAL AND MY COLLEAGUES, I THINK IT'S REALLY, UM, UNFAIR.
AND I THINK I'VE BEEN CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT MY WHOLE LEADERSHIP.
IF THAT WE GIVE OTHER PEOPLE A TERM TO, I MEAN, A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY APPLY FOR THESE POSITIONS AS OPPOSED TO CONTINUE TO REAPPOINT, I'VE RECEIVED SEVERAL, UM, REQUESTS FOR RESIDENTS TO BE PLACED ON HERE, AND I DON'T HAVE THAT POWER.
SO I JUST THINK IT'S ONLY FAIR AND EQUITABLE THAT WE ALLOW RESIDENTS TO ACTUALLY APPLY AND GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO, YOU KNOW, SERVE IN THIS COMMITTEE.
IT'S ACTUALLY, INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY REAPPOINTING THESE INDIVIDUALS TIME AND TIME AGAIN, BECAUSE THEY MIGHT BE FRIENDS OF MY COLLEAGUES.
MM-HMM,
WE DO HAVE A LONG LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST TO SERVE ON THE PLAN AND ZONING, UH, BOARD.
AND, UM, WITH SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE TONIGHT IN REGARDS TO WHAT THE RESIDENTS BELIEVE IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
I THINK IT'S JUST IN THE BEST INTEREST THAT, UH, WE MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR THREE REAPPOINTMENT POSITIONED ONE, TWO AND FOUR, AND ALLOW, UH, THAT POSITION NUMBER THREE TO BE OPEN TO NEW RESIDENTS.
SO, UH, MAYOR, I JUST, UH, WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON, ON THE MOTION AT HAND AND THAT, UM, I THINK THE RESIDENT WHO SPOKE EARLIER TODAY WAS, WAS SPOT ON IN THAT PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION IS, IS OF EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UH, POSITION, UM, BECAUSE COUNCIL RELIES ON, UH, THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, FOR US TO MAKE KEY DECISIONS.
AND SO, AS OPPOSED TO JUST REAPPOINTING FOR THIS PARTICULAR POSITION, BECAUSE IT'S SO DIFFERENT THAN ALL OTHERS.
UM, I, I WOULD BE AGAINST THIS MOTION IN THAT, UH, EVEN JUST RECENTLY WITHIN THE LAST WEEK, WE'VE GOTTEN FOUR APPLICATIONS FOR PEOPLE, UH, THAT ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING.
AND SO WE HAVE A TOTAL OF SIX AND I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO, WITH THIS POSITION INTERVIEW ALL THE CANDIDATES, UH, THOSE THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UH, SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT AS WELL AS THE SIX, IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, UM, IN, IN POTENTIALLY SERVING SO US.
SO WE CAN MAKE THE SOLID DECISION AND MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION, UH, AND PUT THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE.
SO IT'S BEEN EMOTION, UM, WHEN YOUR PRO BODY, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT INSTEAD, SOMETIMES WE GET READY TO INTERVIEW INDIVIDUALS OR FOR DIFFERENT POSITIONS, WHETHER THEY'RE CITY MANAGERS ALL DOWN TO THIS, WE PROCRASTINATE AND THEN IT'S, YOU KNOW, MONTHS GOING BY.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IF WE ARE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, UM, MOTION, WE NEED TO CREATE A SOLID DATE IMMEDIATELY.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION AND A SECOND, THERE ARE NO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, SAY, AYE.
ALL, ALL THOSE OPPOSES THE MOTION.
CAN, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL ABOUT PLEASE? SURE.
[00:35:01]
MEMBER ME NO.NO, NO, NO, NO MOTION FELL TWO TO FIVE.
IS THERE ANOTHER MOTION? I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WOULD REQUIRE A MOTION CRYSTAL OR NOT, BUT, UH, OR EJO, BUT BASICALLY TO SCHEDULE INTERVIEWS FOR THESE FOUR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT PLUS ANY OTHER APPLICANTS WHO ARE INTERESTED, UM, IS THAT WE CAN JUST, I GUESS, PROVIDE YOU THAT DIRECTIVE.
UM, IT MAY BEST TO DO IT AS A, AS A MOTION FOR US ALL TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE AND HAVE THE CONSIST OF THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
WELL, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T DECIDED, OR DON'T HAVE A DATE DETERMINED.
SO I GUESS THE MOTION WOULD BE TO, UM, POSTPONE ANY REAPPOINTMENTS AND TO SCHEDULE INTERVIEWS AT A DATE TO BE, UH, DETERMINED LATER FOR POSITIONS ONE POSITION, TWO POSITION THREE, AND POSITION FOUR TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2024.
IS THERE A SECOND? UH, WE ENTERTAIN A QUESTION.
UH, HUGH BRIGHTWELL HAS TURNED IN HIS RESIGNATION, SO WE HAVE IN FACT, AND I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHEN HIS RESIGNATION IS, UH, IS EFFECTIVE, BUT, UH, WE WILL HAVE, UH, ANOTHER OPENING AND I IS JOHN HERE.
O'MALLEY CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT THAT HUGH HAS AFFECTED LAST MONTH? YEAH.
BRIGHTWELL IS, UH, LIKE I SAY, RETIRED, UH, OR RESIGNED AND RETIRED.
SO, UH, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE WANT HANDLE.
I WILL BUILD MY MOTION TO ADD POSITION SEVEN TO, UM, THAT MOTION.
UM, MAYOR
UM, IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE FOR LEGAL TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE OR, UH, LEGAL INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC AT THIS TIME RELATED TO THE, AND I BELIEVE YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE REAPPOINTMENT OF, UH, A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION WE'RE HAPPY TO DO SO AFTER A MOTION IN A SECOND TO WAIVE THE PRIVILEGE AND A VOTE, UM, I, I MAKE A MOTION TO ALLOW FOR THE DISCUSSION OF, UH, LEGAL OR TO ALLOW LEGAL ADVICE TO BE DISCUSSED PUBLICLY CONCERNING THE REAPPOINTMENT OF A PARTICULAR MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION THERE A SECOND.
SO THERE'S BEEN A MOTION AND A SECOND.
AND CAN YOU REPEAT THE MOTION? THE, THE MOTION I HEARD WAS TO ALLOW LEGAL, TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE RELATED TO THE REAPPOINTMENT OF A, UH, PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEMBER, UM, RELATED TO AN ISSUE OF ALLEGED CONFLICT TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION IN PUBLIC.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION AND A SECOND, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTIONS, SAY AYE.
MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO EJO.
SO THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THERE'S AN ACTUAL CONFLICT WITH THE REAPPOINTMENT OF, UH, THE CURRENT, UH, CURRENT COMMISSIONER, UH, BROWN MARSHALL, UM, TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, BECAUSE THAT INDIVIDUAL IS, UH, CURRENTLY I BELIEVE REGISTERED TO, TO BE A CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL, UM, AS PROVIDED BY, UM, REALLY THE, THE AG AND JUST STATE LAW.
THERE IS NOT AN ACTUAL CONFLICT AT THIS TIME BECAUSE THAT INDIVIDUAL DOES NOT HOLD TWO PUBLIC OFFICES.
IF, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THAT INDIVIDUAL DOES HOLD ANOTHER PUBLIC OFFICE, THEN THERE WOULD BE A CONFLICT BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE ON PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, WHICH IS A PUBLIC OFFICE AS WELL AS ANOTHER PUBLIC OFFICE.
BUT AT THIS TIME, UNLESS THE INDIVIDUAL HOLDS ANOTHER PUBLIC OFFICE, THEN THERE'S NOT AN ACTUAL CONFLICT.
SO WAS THERE A MOTION? WELL, I MADE A MOTION INITIALLY.
I, I DON'T THINK IT GOT A SECOND.
WELL, THE SECOND FOR THE OTHER, YOU SECONDED THE OTHER TO ALLOW HER TO
[00:40:01]
DISCUSS IT, BUT HE'S TALKING ABOUT A MOTION FOR US, FIVE ADDING THE FIFTH ONE, ADDING POSITION SEVEN AND ACTUALLY, UH, UH, POSTPONING THE REAPPOINTMENT UNTIL WE INTERVIEW AT A DATE.CERTAIN YOU HAVE MY SECOND SECOND THOUGH.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION BY MARI PROMON AND A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
EMORY, I HAVE A QUESTION MAYOR.
SO THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'RE ESSENTIALLY VOTING TO REPOINT OR NOT TO REAPPOINT, ARE THEY REMAINING ON PLANNING ZONING UNTIL WE DECIDE IF WE'RE GONNA MEET TO INTERVIEW THEM OR NOT, BECAUSE THIS ISSUE'S BEEN GOING ON FOR MONTHS NOW? YES.
UH, IF, IF, IF I MAY ANSWER THAT QUESTION, UH, BECAUSE THEY ARE PUBLIC OFFICIALS, THEY DO HOLD OVER IN THOSE RULES UNTIL THE REAPPOINTMENT OF THEIR, OR THE APPOINTMENT OF THEIR SUCCESSORS.
IS THAT HOW THE ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN SINCE THEIR TERM EXPIRED? JUNE 30TH, 2022.
IT'S JUST HOW CASE LAW PROVIDES FOR THOSE, UH, FOR OFFICIALS TO HOLD OVER.
IT'S NOT IN THE, THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE, WHICH LAW IT'S CASE LAW I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THAT CASE LAW OR, UH, PROVIDE THE COUNSEL WITH THAT CASE LAW.
IN ADDITION, UM, JOYCE, CAN YOU ALSO PROVIDE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT SHE JUST SPOKE ABOUT FROM THE AGS OFFICE? YES.
AND THAT, THAT INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED TO YOU ALL.
I BELIEVE WHEN THE INITIAL, UM, KIND OF ISSUE CAME UP, BUT I'LL PROVIDE THAT AGAIN.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION AND A SECOND, THERE ARE NO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS AND YOU RESTATE THE MOTION, RESTATE YOUR MOTION.
UH EJO DO YOU HAVE THE MOTION I HAVE THAT THE MOTION PROVIDES FOR THE POSTPONEMENT OF APPOINTMENTS UNDER ITEM EIGHT C FOR POSITIONS 1, 2, 3, 4, AND SEVEN.
UM, AS WELL AS FOR THE COUNCIL TO SCHEDULE INTERVIEWS WITH APPLICANTS WHO HAVE SUBMITTED OR WILL SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR A DATE TO BE DETERMINED LATER.
SO THERE'S BEEN A MOTION AND A SECOND, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTIONS, SAY, AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO THE MOTIONS SAY NO, NO.
[(a) Consideration and Possible Action - To authorize the Interim City Mana...]
NUMBER NINE ARE AUTHORIZATIONS NINE, A CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WITH BLUE OX CONSTRUCTION IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED OVER $284,255 AND 94 CENTS FOR THE REMOVAL OF PAVERS, INSTALLATION OF CONCRETE PAVEMENT AND REPLACEMENT OF STAIRS AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE CITY HALL.THERE'S A PRESENTATION BY TODD HO.
GOOD DUTY AND COUNCIL AND MAYOR, UH, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, UM, INVOLVES TWO PHASES.
THE FIRST PHASE, UM, WOULD BE THE PAVERS AND THE STAIRS, WHICH HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A SAFETY HAZARD BACK IN 2017 BY US.
SO, UM, THE SECOND PHASE IS, UM, STONE BENCHES, A KIOSK AND THE METAL, UM, STARS, UH, UH, CITY SEAL.
UM, THIS ALSO WOULD BE REPLACING THE PAVERS AND STAIRS.
THE FIRST PHASE IS ONE SECTION.
THE, THE SECOND PHASE IS THE OTHER SECTION.
THEY'RE DOING THOSE, UH, TWO DIFFERENT PHASES.
UH, SO IT'S NOT ALL RIPPED UP AT THE SAME TIME.
I, I DID WANT TO MENTION THAT, UM, UH, BLUE OAK IS A, UH, CHOICE PARTNERS, WHICH IS A INTERLOCAL, UM, COOPERATIVE GROUP.
AND THE REASON THAT, UH, CITY STAFF LOOK TO GO WITH THAT IS JUST, UH, FOR, TO EXPEDITE THIS, UH, SINCE THERE'S A SAFETY CONCERN AND, UH, THE PRICE THAT WE RECEIVED, UH, WE FELT WAS WITHIN, UH, THE COST OF THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UM, I HAVE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU WANT ME TO BREAK IT UP OR HOW YOU WANT ME TO GIVE IT TO YOU HOWEVER YOU WANNA DELIVER? ALL RIGHT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THEY DON'T LOST IN THE CONVERSATION.
SO HOW HAS THIS, UM, CITY FACILITY BEEN CHOSEN FOR THIS PROJECT BEFORE, BASICALLY THE PRIORITY? HOW HAVE WE CHOSEN THE PRIORITY FOR THIS PROJECT? THE, THE PRIORITY PRIORITY FOR IT? YES.
WELL, WHEN WE LOOK AT PROJECTS, WE LOOK AT IF, UH, THE URGENCY AND WITH IT BEING CLEARLY A SAFETY CONCERN, YOU KNOW, WITH THE STAIRS AND THEN THE PAVERS ARE UNEVEN.
SO WE, UH, WE PRIORITIZE THOSE ACCORDING TO, UM, CERTAIN
[00:45:01]
CRITERIA AND SOME OF 'EM BEING HEALTH AND SAFETY MATTERS OBVIOUSLY, UH, TAKE A HIGHER PRIORITY.SO HAVE WE DISCUSSED ANY WAY WE CAN SAVE COSTS? ARE THE DECORATIVE METAL STAIRS NECESSARY? IT'S NOT METAL STAIRS.
IT'S THE CURRENT CONCRETE STAIRS ARE OUTSIDE AND THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS THAT ARE, THERE ARE CHUNKS OF THEM MISSING.
UM, SO THERE IT'S A SAFETY CONCERN AND IT, IT, IT HAS BEEN SINCE 2017 AND IT'S ONLY GOTTEN WORSE.
MY OTHER QUESTION, UM, I'M JUST KIND OF CONCERNED THAT WE'RE STARTING THIS PROJECT AND THE FACILITY MAINTENANCE, UH, PROJECT, I'M SORRY, FACILITY MAINTENANCE BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET.
UM, WE HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED TO EITHER MENTION THAT.
AND I BELIEVE WHEN ODIS JONES WAS HERE, WE SPOKE ABOUT DEMOLISHING IT CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, HOW IT IS, IT'S OLD AND I'M AWARE OF THE INHUMANE CONDITIONS THAT STAFF HAVE TO WORK IN.
SO HOW IS THIS PROJECT PRIORITIZED OVER MAKING SURE THAT OUR STAFF ARE WORKING IN A GREAT ENVIRONMENT OR A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT RATHER.
UM, AND I CAN EXPAND IF YOU WANT ME TO.
UM, THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WITH THAT.
I MEAN, I'D BE IF, UH, JASON MAN, MY OFFICER SAHI KUMAR WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND SPEAK ABOUT IT.
I KNOW ONE IS IN THE DESIGN PHASE.
THE OTHER ONE IS JUST STRAIGHT TO CONSTRUCTION, BUT WELL, BEFORE SAHI GO, I WANNA JUST EMPHASIZE THAT THEY ARE SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES AND IT'S A HAZARDOUS IT'S IT'S HAZARD HAVE Y'ALL BEEN OVER THERE LATELY.
YEAH, ACTUALLY I WENT OVER THERE ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO.
AND ARE YOU, AND, AND YOU, YOU HAVE ABSOLUTE VALID CONCERNS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE OTHER, UH, SAFETY CONCERNS, INCLUDING THE GOLF COURSE SHELTER, UH, MAINTENANCE BUILDING.
SO THERE'S JUST, WE'RE JUST PRIORITIZING THOSE TASKS AND GETTING TO 'EM AS FAST AS WE CAN.
THE OTHER BUILDINGS HAVE AN INFESTATION OF RODENTS.
I'M, I'M NOT AWARE OF THE RODENT MATTER.
IT'S DEFINITELY A RODENT MATTER OKAY.
SO IT'S MY OPINION, UM, THAT WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE THE OTHER FACILITIES THAT ARE MAKING OUR STAFF HOW TO WORK IN THOSE CONDITIONS.
WE CAN'T SPEAK ABOUT HOW WE WORK TOGETHER AND TOGETHER WE EXCEL OR WE'RE MAKING OUR STAFF WORK IN SUCH INHUMANE CONDITIONS.
I UNDERSTOOD TODD WITH THE REMOVAL OF THE PAVERS.
IS THIS GONNA BE RIGHT OUT THERE OUT WHERE THIS IS, UM, KIND OF SECTIONED OFF IN THE ORANGE? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S A GOOD POINT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE EXAMPLES THAT WERE JUST GIVEN WAS ONE OF 'EM INVOLVES THE EMPLOYEES.
THE OTHER ONE IS INVOLVING THE PUBLIC.
SO RIGHT OUT HERE IN THE CITY HALL, WHENEVER THE PUBLIC COMES, I MEAN, OUR PUBLIC ARE EXPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, THE UNEVENNESS OF THE FOUNDATION.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I COULD SEE HOW THAT HAS TAKEN A SLIGHT PRIORITY OVER THE, UH, THE REC BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET.
AND SO THIS IS GONNA BE MADE INTO LIKE FLAT CONCRETE PAVEMENT.
IT WILL, IT WILL, IT WILL BE LEVELED OUT RIGHT NOW.
IT'S I DUNNO IF YOU'VE BEEN OVER THERE LATELY, BUT IT'S VERY WAVY.
BEFORE THERE WAS A HUGE OAK TREE, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE PROBLEM, LITERALLY THE ROOT CAUSE.
AND SO WE'VE REMOVED THE OAK TREE, UH, WITH OUR INTERNAL STAFF, AND NOW WE'RE AT THE POINT OF NEEDING TO REMOVE THE OTHER PAVERS AND THEN CREATE A LEVEL FOUNDATION.
WHEN YOU SAY LEVEL, I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING, UM, WHEN YOU'RE SAYING REMOVAL OF THE PAVERS AND INSTALL CONCRETE PAVEMENT, THIS IS GONNA BE BASICALLY LIKE A FLAT SURFACE AS LIKE A SIDEWALK, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THEN REPLACEMENT OF THE STAIRS, WHICH, WHICH STAIRS ARE YOU REFERENCING? SO THERE'S A, A COUPLE SECTIONS.
UM, ONE OF THEM IS THE EMPLOYEE SIDE ENTRANCE, WHICH IS THE MORE EASTERLY SECTION OF THE CITY HALL COMPLEX.
AND THEN, UM, RIGHT OUT FRONT, UM, OF THE MAIN LOBBY AREA.
SO THERE'S TWO MAIN SECTIONS THERE UPSTAIRS, UH, THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING, IS IT THE STAIRWAYS THAT'S COMING UP FROM WHERE LIKE PERMITS DEPARTMENT IS GOING UP TO CITY HALL? YES.
THAT, AND THEN ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT, THERE'S ALSO STAIRS BACK THERE AND THEY HAVE CAPS ON EACH ONE OF THE STAIRS THAT ARE CRACKED AND BUSTED.
THE QUESTIONS, AARON COUNCIL, IF YOU WANT ME TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION ON THE PARKS MAINTENANCE FACILITY, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ADDRESS THAT.
UH, PARKS MAINTENANCE FACILITY IS A PRIORITY.
IN FACT, IT'S A PRIORITY BIGGER THAN THIS.
IT WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE 22 CIP P WE DID BID THE PROJECT.
[00:50:01]
THE GAS PRICE WAS CLOSE TO FOUR TO $5.UH, THE MARKET WAS VERY FLUCTUATING.
UH, WE GOT THE BIDS VERY HIGHER THAN WHAT THE ARCHITECT'S ESTIMATE WAS.
WE ARE COMING TO THE COUNCIL AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING TO REJECT THE BID.
WE'RE MAKING SOME CHANGES AND WE INTEND TO THAT PROJECT AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT, UH, WITH SOME CHANGES, UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UH, GET BACK THE PROJECT ON THE COST WE CAN AFFORD TO BUILD IT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE BID WAS WELL ABOUT THE, UH, THE ARCHITECT'S ESTIMATE.
UH, WE ARE COMING AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING TO REJECT THE BIDS AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH REBIDDING THE PROJECT.
UM, SASHI, I JUST WANNA MAKE, UM, A POINT THAT IT'S EVIDENT THAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING THE BEAUTIFICATION OF CITY HALL, BUT WE'RE NEGLECTING TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS THE RODENT ISSUES THAT OUR STAFF ARE WORKING IN.
WELL, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR YOUR COMMENT.
UH, AGAIN, AS WE SAID, THIS WAS A PRIORITY.
UH, WE BID THE PROJECT, UNFORTUNATELY WE DID NOT GET A SUCCESSFUL BID.
YOU KEEP SAYING THAT, UM, WE'RE BIDDING THE PROCESS, BUT HOW ARE WE GONNA ADDRESS THE RODENTS? THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
THE RODENTS, THE BUILDING, UH, BASED ON THE ASSESSMENT THAT WAS PERFORMED, THE BUILDING, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO TEAR DOWN THE BUILDING AND TO BUILD A NEW BUILDING.
UH, AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE PURSUING AS FAR AS, UH, ADDRESSING THE RODENT CURRENTLY, UH, BEST CONTROLLED HAS BEEN, WAS CALLED TO ADDRESS THE RODENT ISSUE, BUT THE BUILDING HAS REACHED THE USEFUL LIFE AND THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO TEAR DOWN THAT BUILDING AND TO BUILD A NEW BUILDING.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE, WE'RE PRIORITIZING BEAUTIFICATION OF A CITY HALL VERSUS PUTTING OUR STAFF AS A FIRST PRIORITY, BUT CONTINUE.
SO THERE'S BEEN, UM, TODD, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS, UH, WHICH IS ALWAYS, UH, VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
HAVE THERE BEEN ANY REPORTED INCIDENTS, UM, AS A RESULT OF THESE PAVERS BEING UNLEVELED? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
MA'AM THERE HAS HOW MANY, AND WHEN I KNOW OF ONE AND I BELIEVE IT WAS IN 2021, MAYBE DECEMBER OF 2020, IT WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE PAVERS BEING UNLEVELED, OR WAS IT THE STAIRS? I THINK IT WAS THE PAVERS, BUT I DON'T WANNA SPEAK TO, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK TO THAT EXACTLY, BUT OKAY.
NOT SURE IF THERE WAS A MOTION ON THIS ITEM.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION BY MAYOR PROTON.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, SAY AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO THE MOTION? SAY NO, NO.
[(b) Consideration and Possible Action - To authorize the Interim City Mana...]
ITEM NINE.B IS CONSIDERATION IMPOSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THE INTERIM CITY TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH ABC PEST CONTROL FOR MOSQUITO SPRING SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED MORE THAN 110,500 PER YEAR IS A PRESENTATION BY TIME.
UH, HELLO, AGAIN, UH, THIS ITEM INVOLVES A MOSQUITO, UH, CONTROL WITH ABC PEST CONTROL.
OUR PREVIOUS PROVIDER WAS BUG CO.
UH, THEY HAD, UM, UH, VERY HIGH INCREASE IN THEIR SERVICES.
UH, WE LOOKED OUT, UH, FOR POTENTIAL OTHER, UH, PROVIDERS.
WE DID FIND ABC PEST CONTROL ON THE BUYBOARD.
WE ALSO USED THEM FOR OTHER TYPES OF, UH, PEST, UH, CONTROL SERVICES.
AND THEY CLEARLY PROVIDE MOSQUITO SPRAYING AS WELL.
UH, WE, UH, SAT WITH THEM AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD COST AND, UH, WE DO NEED, UH, REQUESTING ADDITIONAL FUNDS, UM, AND A NEW CONTRACT, WHICH IS, UH, IS SIGNED BY ABC PEST CONTROL ON YOUR PACKET.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS TO PAY FOR, UH, THE BILLS THAT, UM, HAVE COME IN LATE AUGUST AND THEN, UH, THAT WILL BE GENERATED THIS SEPTEMBER.
UH, BUT WE WILL NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING FOR OCTOBER, NOVEMBER.
SO, UH, MOSQUITO CONTROL STARTS MAY 1ST AND GOES THROUGH NOVEMBER THE SIXTH EACH YEAR.
UH, THE PREVIOUS FISCAL, OH, THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR BUDGET IS 55,000.
UH, IT WILL COST WITH, UM, AFTER THE ESCALATIONS A HUNDRED, 10,500.
[00:55:02]
AND SO, UM, WE NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR AND THEN, UH, FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR TO TAKE CARE OF MOSQUITO CONTROL.IS THERE A MOTION, A MODE, AN EMOTION, AND A SECOND.
ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS? UH, MOSQUITO SPRAYING, UH, AS I REMEMBER, UH, WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE GOOD FULL COVERAGE AND WE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SPRAYING SCHEDULE SO THAT WE WOULD, UH, UH, SPRAY ON 'EM, YOU KNOW, UH, ON 'EM MORE OFTEN SCHEDULE, UH, JUST TO, UH, TRY TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE, UH, CONCERNS THAT, UH, OUR CITIZENS WERE BRINGING TO US AS FAR AS, UH, WHAT WE WERE DOING.
WASN'T REALLY, UH, DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE, UH, SUFFICIENT TO, UH, TRY TO, UH, KNOCK DOWN THE, UH, MOSQUITO POPULATION.
DID WE INCREASE THE, UH, UH, THE, UH, ACTIVITY, THE NUMBERS SPRAY AND THE TIME YES, SIR.
WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS THAT LAST YEAR, UH, WE HAD, UH, A HEIGHTENED INCREASE OF REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL SPRAYING.
UH, WE WERE, WE SPRAY ONCE A WEEK AND, UH, THE REQUEST HAD COME, THEY, WE HAD AN EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH, UM, MOSQUITO POPULATION.
SO WE WERE, WENT TO TWICE A WEEK TO A POINT WHERE, UM, THEN PEOPLE WERE COMPLAINING, WE WERE OVER SPRAYING.
UM, SO THEN WE TAPERED BACK OFF AND THEN IT KIND LEVELED OUT.
BUT, UH, I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY.
THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A, A COUPLE MONTHS THAT WE DID THE TWICE A WEEK.
UM, BUT WHO KNOWS IT'S, YOU KNOW, DEPENDS HOW MUCH RAIN, HOW MUCH LARVA THAT THEY LAY.
AND, UM, SO WE MONITOR THAT CLOSELY AND, UM, WE GET CALLS THAT COME IN, UM, REQUEST AN ADDITIONAL SPRAY.
I'LL TAKE IT ON CASE BY CASE BASIS.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER DISCUSSIONS WE CAN GO IN AND VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, SAY, AYE, AYE.
ALL THOSE ARE OPPOSED TO THE MOTION.
SAY NO MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
[(a) Consideration and Possible Action - First of Two Readings - Consider a...]
ITEM 10, A 10, A AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS APPROVING THE FOURTH UPDATED AND RESTATED SERVICE AND ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY.UH, PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR IN COUNCIL, UM, THIS ITEM ENSURES COMPLIANCE WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, WHICH REQUIRES THAT A SERVICE PLAN THAT COVERS A PERIOD OF AT LEAST FIVE YEARS, BE PREPARED, PREPARED, REVIEWED, AND UPDATED ANNUALLY IN PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT.
NUMBER TWO, THERE ARE 621 LOTS, 613 OF THOSE LOTS, UM, HAVE BEEN ASSESSED.
UH, THEY ARE ASSESSED WHEN THEY, UM, RECEIVE A, UH, A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
AND SO THE, THE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ASSESS, UH, HAVE NOT BEEN ASSESSED HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY YET.
UH, PI TWOS ASSESSMENT IS A 30 YEAR ASSESSMENT.
THE PAYMENTS DUE ANNUALLY, UH, THE COST OF THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALLOCATED EQUALLY AMONG THE LOT, LOTS IN EACH SECTION.
UH, THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THE ASSESSMENT ROLE AT THIS TIME.
AND AGAIN, THIS ITEM IS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE IN REGARDS TO HAVING THE ASSESSMENT PLAN UPDATED ANNUALLY AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
EL, I HAVE A QUESTION, UM, HAS THIS PROPERTY LAKE HARBOR AND THEIR PROPERTY MANAGER BEEN UPDATED ON THIS ACTUAL PLAN UPDATE? CAN, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? HAVE THE PROPERTY MANAGERS AND LAKE SHORE HARBOR BEEN ACTUALLY UPDATED ON THIS PLAN? UM, SO THIS ITEM IS JUST TO UPDATE THE ASSESSMENT PLAN, WHICH SHOWS THE AMOUNT OF ASSESSMENTS THAT ARE GONNA BE COLLECTED OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
AND IT INCLUDES THE COST THE UPCOMING YEAR.
UM, AND SO THERE'S REALLY NOTHING TO UPDATE THEM ON.
THE ASSESSMENT ROLES HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY COUNCIL, AND THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THE ASSESSMENT ROLES OR THE ASSESSMENT PLAN.
IT'S PRETTY MUCH A COMPLIANCE, UM, A COMPLIANCE UPDATE, WHICH SHOWS THE AMOUNT OF COLLECTIONS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
I JUST DIDN'T WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE OVERLOOKED THIS ISSUE AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT SAME ISSUE THAT WE HAD A COUPLE YEARS AGO, BUT YOU'RE SAYING IT'S DIFFERENT.
THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE SERVICE AND ASSESSMENT PLAN.
THIS IS NOT, UM, ALL OF THE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED WITH THE ASSESSMENT ROLE ARE THE SAME.
[01:00:01]
YOU.IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED, IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND THEN A MOTION BY MAYOR PRO ANDONE A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
THERE ARE NO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTIONS, SAY, AYE, AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO THE MOTION SAY NO, NO MOTION CARRIES SIX ONE ITEM
[(b) Consideration and Possible Action - First of Two Readings - Consider a...]
10 B AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS APPROVING THE SECOND UPDATED AND RESTATED SERVICE AND ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER FOUR, LENA.OKAY, SO THIS IS THE SAME AS THE OTHER, EXCEPT IT'S FOR, UH, PI FOUR, UH, PI FOUR HAS 299 LOTS AND ALL OF THE LOTS ARE BEING ASSESSED.
AND AGAIN, THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THE ASSESSMENT ROLES AND THIS ITEM PROVIDES, UH, AN UPDATE WHICH SHOWS THE AMOUNT OF ASSESSMENTS TO BE COLLECTED OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, AS WELL AS THE, UH, EXPENDITURES PROJECTED FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
ELENA, YOU STILL STAND BY, STAND BY YOUR, UM, I GUESS YOUR OPINION THAT NO HOAS OR PROPERTY MANAGERS NEED TO BE UPDATED ON THIS ASSESSMENT, WHETHER IT'S INCREASED OR NOT, BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE TOTAL TRANSPARENCY AND THAT THEY ARE UPDATED.
UM, SO WHEN YOU SAY UPDATED, WHAT WOULD WE UPDATE THEM ON? LIKE WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AS FAR AS BASICALLY WHAT YOUR SENIOR ASSESS IS STATE THAT YOUR ASSESSMENTS ARE THE SAME? I MEAN, JUST THAT WE'VE HAD THIS ISSUE BEFORE, WHERE THEY WERE NOT UPDATED, THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY HAVING TO PAY MONEY.
UM, IN PI TWO, THERE WAS AN ERROR WHEN THE ASSESSMENT ROLE WAS ADOPTED WHERE THERE WERE, I BELIEVE 27 OR 28 PROPERTIES THAT WERE LEFT OFF THAT HAS SINCE BEEN CORRECTED AND THE ASSESSMENT ROLES ARE NOW ACCURATE.
UM, AND THAT WAS DONE AND APPROVED BY COUNSEL, UM, IN 20, I BELIEVE IN 2020.
SO THIS ITEM IS NOT ABOUT ADDING OR CHANGING ANYTHING TO AN ASSESSMENT ROLE.
IT'S JUST THE ASSESSMENT, UH, PLAN THAT IS REQUIRED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
IT'S REQUIRED THAT YOU LOOK AT THE PLAN AND INCLUDE YOUR BUDGET AND, UH, THE AMOUNT OF ASSESSMENTS THAT YOU'LL BE RECEIVING OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
IS THERE A MOTION, BEEN A MOTION BY COUNCIL MCCLUER IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND BY MAYOR PROTON BONING.
THERE ARE NO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
SAY NO MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
[(c) Consideration and Possible Action - First of Two Readings - Consider a...]
C IN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS AMENDING CHAPTER TWO ADMINISTRATION OF THE MISSOURI CITY CODE AMENDING RULES REGARDING MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, PROVIDING FOR REPEAL, PROVIDING A PENALTY AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY.WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY AJO.
THIS ITEM PROVIDES FOR VARIOUS AMENDMENTS PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO YOUR RULES OF PROCEDURE.
THIS ITEM RELATES TO DEVELOPING YOUR, UH, YOUR, YOUR GOAL OF DEVELOPING A HIGH PERFORMANCE CITY TEAM.
I'LL GO THROUGH EACH, UH, SLIDE.
EACH SLIDE JUST INCLUDES KIND OF BULLET POINTS ABOUT THE PROPOSED CHANGES.
UM, IF THERE IS A CHANGE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU CAN CERTAINLY, UH, LET ME KNOW WHEN WE CAN MAKE THOSE CHANGES.
THE, UH, SECTION TWO DASH 71 PROVIDES FOR YOUR RULES RELATED TO YOUR REGULAR MEETINGS.
IT CHANGES YOUR STANDARD MEETING TIME FROM 7:00 PM TO 6:00 PM.
IT ALSO PROVIDES THAT COUNCIL MAY HOLD CLOSED MEETINGS, WHICH YOU CAN DO ALREADY UNDER STATE LAW.
SO REALLY THE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE HERE IS CHANGING YOUR MEETING TIME FROM 7:00 PM TO 6:00 PM.
THE NEXT CHANGE IS IN ITEM 2 72.
IT PROVIDES FOR THE PREPARATION OF MEETING AGENDAS BY YOUR CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY SECRETARY AND CONSULTATION WITH THE MAYOR.
IT PROVIDES THAT, UH, THE CITY MANAGER AND THE MAYOR, UM, OR ANY THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY REQUEST A SPECIAL MEETING AS WELL.
THE NEXT CHANGE ITEM TWO DASH 73 PROVIDES LANGUAGE RELATED TO COUNCIL ATTENDANCE.
IT REMOVES THE LANGUAGE, ALLOWING THE PRESIDING OFFICER TO ISSUE A WARRANT, UH, FOR AN ABSENT COUNCIL MEMBER.
IT ALSO, UH, PROVIDES A PROCESS FOR NOTIFYING.
THE COUNCIL OF ABSENCES, UH, NOTICE IS SENT TO THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER WITH
[01:05:01]
A COPY TO THE CITY SECRETARY.THE NEXT CHANGE IS IN THE, UH, SECTION TWO DASH 74.
IT PROVIDES FOR THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, LOOKING AT THE TRA THE CHANGES, UH, THAT ARE BEFORE YOU AND IN THE PACKET, THERE ARE REAL SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES TO THIS SECTION.
SECTION TWO DASH 76 PROVIDES FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
UM, IT MAINTAINS THE REGISTRATION THAT'S REQUIRED FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
IT ALSO REQUIRES THE, UH, PUBLIC TO ADDRESS THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
I KNOW THERE HAS, UH, BEEN SOME CONCERN IN THE PAST WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ADDRESSING SPECIFIC COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, VERSUS ADDRESSING THE PRESIDING OFFICER, WHICH IS WHAT'S PROVIDED FOR, UM, IN ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, AS WELL AS AMONG YOURSELVES.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS THAT IT MAINTAINS THE REQUIREMENT THAT EACH PERSON IS ONLY ALLOWED TO SPEAK ONE TIME, UH, BEFORE COUNCIL FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
AND IT PROVIDES THAT A PERSON HAS TO STOP SPEAKING ONCE THEIR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
AS YOU CAN TELL, SOME OF THESE ITEMS ARE WHAT YOU ALL DO IN PRACTICE ANYWAY.
UM, BUT THEY'RE JUST WRITTEN INTO THE CODE.
IT ALSO PROVIDES THAT THE COUNCIL, UH, MAY NOT RESPOND ON ITEMS THAT ARE NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA.
YOU ALL KNOW THAT ALREADY, BUT IT JUST PUTS IT INTO THE CODE AS WELL.
JUST SO IT, YOU KNOW, IN CASE THE PUBLIC IS LOOKING AT THE RULES, THEY HAVE A REFERENCE POINT.
UM, AND I THINK IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TODAY AS WELL.
UM, BUT THE, THE COUNCIL MAY REQUEST THAT THE MANAGER, UH, OR HIS DESIGNEE RESPOND TO THE PUBLIC.
SO WHERE YOU ALL ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO DISCUSS A MATTER, THAT'S NOT PUBLICLY POSTED.
YOU CAN CERTAINLY REQUEST THAT THE CITY MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNEE RESPOND TO A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT PROVIDES A COMMENT.
THIS, UH, THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN THIS SECTION ALSO PROHIBIT PROFANE, VULGAR AND ABUSIVE LANGUAGE, SECTION TWO DASH 77, UH, IS YOUR AGENDA AND PROVIDES YOUR ORDER OF BUSINESS.
IT PROVIDES FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE REGULAR MEETING AGENDA AGAIN BY THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY SECRETARY IN CONSULTATION WITH THE MAYOR, IT ALSO PROVIDES A REQUEST TO REQUEST TO ITEMS. SO, UH, YOU MAY RECALL FOR SPECIAL MEETINGS, IT'S THE MANAGER, THE MAYOR, OR ANY TWO OR ANY THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR A REGULAR MEETING.
IT'S ANY TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT REQUEST WOULD HAVE TO BE IN WRITING, UH, AND FILED WITH THE CITY SECRETARY NO LATER THAN NOON ON THE MONDAY BEFORE THE WEEK OF THE MEETING.
UH, IT ALSO ADDS CERTAIN LANGUAGE TO THE REGULAR MEETING AGENDA, UH, SUCH AS THE CERTIFICATION OF A QUORUM.
AND IT MOVES THE PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS UP TO, UH, AN ITEM THAT'S CLOSER TO THE TOP, SO THAT WHEN YOU DO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT ITEMS OF INTEREST TO THEM, THEY'RE NOT KIND OF WAITING BEHIND THE CONSENT AGENDA AND THEY'RE NOT WAITING BEHIND SOME OTHER ITEMS BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY GET TO SPEAK TO YOU.
ALL THIS ALSO SETS FORTH A SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME FOR RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS.
YOU ALL DISCUSS THIS AT YOUR APRIL 30TH, UM, SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING.
YOU TALKED ABOUT HAVING A MONDAY SET ASIDE PER MONTH FOR RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS, WHICH WOULD BE FIVE 30, THE FIRST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
THE NEXT, UH, SECTION PROVIDES LANGUAGE RELATED TO DECORUM.
UH, THIS PROPOSED SECTION REQUIRES COUNCIL MEMBERS TO CONFINE DISCUSSIONS, TO THE POSTED ITEM BEING DEBATED.
IT ALSO REQUIRES MEMBERS TO BE RESPECTFUL, UM, TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER AND, UH, JUST WORK TOWARDS CITY GOALS.
IT REQUIRES MEMBERS TO PLACE ELECTRONICS IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM DURING CLOSED MEETINGS, IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THOSE MEETINGS.
IT REQUIRES CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ABIDE BY, UH, THE CITY PERSONNEL RULES RELATED TO HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION.
IT ALSO AUTHORIZES THE PRESIDING OFFICER TO EITHER ISSUE A WARNING, REMOVE INDIVIDUALS OR REQUEST THE REMOVAL OF INDIVIDUALS, RECEIVE A MOTION TO ENFORCE THE RULES, UM, AS WELL AS AUTHORIZES THIS BODY TO ISSUE ORAL REPRIMANDS.
AND IF THERE ARE REPEATED VIOLATIONS OF DECORUM, IT ALLOWS YOU ALL TO, UH, ISSUE A WRITTEN C PROPOSED SECTION TWO DASH 79,
[01:10:01]
UM, ESSENTIALLY PROVIDES FOR QUESTIONS OF ORDER.UH, IT CLARIFIES THAT THE RULES OF ORDER ARE DETERMINED BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER, UH, BUT THE KIND OF REAL DIFFERENCE HERE BETWEEN WHAT YOU HAVE NOW.
AND, UM, THIS PROPOSAL IS THAT IT DESIGNATES THE CHIEF OF POLICE, THE HIGHEST RANKING POLICE OFFICER PRESENT, OR THE POLICE CHIEF'S DESIGNEE AS THE SERGEANT AT ARMS FOR THE MEETING.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE RELATED TO AN INDIVIDUAL, YOU CAN ASK THE SERGEANT AT ARMS TO ASSIST, UM, WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL, DURING THE COURSE OF THE MEETING, SECTION TWO DASH 80, DOESN'T PROVIDE FOR ANY, UH, SUBS SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES, UH, TWO DASH 81 ADDS, UH, A NEW PROVISION THAT WOULD ALLOW A NEW MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL TO MAKE A MOTION, TO RECONSIDER AN ITEM AT LEAST 90 DAYS AFTER THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE.
BUT BEFORE THE 150TH DAY BEFORE, UH, OR REALLY AFTER A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, NOW THAT TIMEFRAME IS LIMITED TO 90 DAYS, AND IT HAS TO BE A MEMBER WHO WAS, UH, WHO VOTED WITH THE PREVAILING, UH, SIDE ON AN ITEM.
SO THIS OPENS UP YOUR MOTION TO RECONSIDER TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO COUNSEL.
SO IF YOU SEE SOMETHING HERE THAT YOU DON'T AGREE WITH, OR YOU DON'T LIKE, JUST LET ME KNOW, AND WE CAN, UH, AMEND THOSE OR TAKE THOSE OUT.
UH, TWO DASH 84, UH, PROVIDES VOTE FOR VOTING IT, UH, ESSENTIALLY STATES THAT IF THERE'S A TIE VOTE, IT'S A NO VOTE.
AND IT ALSO PROVIDES THAT, UH, THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR NOT BEING PRESENT.
UH, SO YOU ALL KNOW YOUR CHARTER REQUIRES YOU TO VOTE.
IF YOU'RE PRESENT THIS JUST SETS FORTH THE PROCESS BY WHICH A PERSON MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED PRESENT, UM, AT THE MEETING, IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO VOTE.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH.
ON SECTION TWO POINT, UH, TWO DASH 81 ON MOST TO RECONSIDER.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AGAIN? I MEAN, REAL QUICK, YOU SAID ALLOWS A NEW MEMBER TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER AT LEAST 90 DAYS AFTER A DECISION IS MADE, BUT BEFORE THE 150 DAY BEFORE DECISION IS MADE, SO THAT BEFORE SHOULD BE AFTER.
SO THE, IT SHOULD BE, BUT BEFORE THE 150TH DAY AFTER A DECISION IS MADE.
SO IF YOU HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY WE HAVE AN ELECTION IN NOVEMBER AND YOU HAVE A NEW MEMBER WHO IS VOTED ONTO THE COUNCIL.
THAT PERSON WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER ON AN ITEM THAT HAS, UM, IF 90 DAYS HAVE EXPIRED, PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE AUGUST 1ST OR SO, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER ON AN ITEM THAT OCCURRED 90 DAYS BEFORE, BUT NOT 151 DAYS AFTER THAT ITEM WAS ONLY A NEW MEMBER, ONLY A NEW MEMBER.
THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO GET CLARITY ON ONLY A NEW MEMBER.
HOWEVER, IT STILL PRESERVES YOUR CURRENT LANGUAGE, WHICH ALLOWS A PERSON WHO'S IN THE PREVAILING SIDE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER 90 DAYS AFTER THE DECISION WAS MADE.
UM, BUT WE STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO, IF, IF THE 90 DAYS HASN'T, UM, COME, COME YET, WE CAN SUSPEND THE RULES.
WE DIDN'T CHANGE THE, SO THAT'S NOT GOING.
YOUR ABILITY TO SUSPEND THE RULES HAS NOT BEEN AMENDED.
UM, YES, MA'AM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, HOLD ON, LET ME BACK UP, WHO REQUESTED TO PUT THESE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA? SO THESE ITEMS WERE DISCUSSED AT YOUR APRIL 30TH WORKSHOP.
UM, THE, UH, LEGAL AND CONSULTATION WITH THE, UH, CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE WAS LOOKING FOR EFFICIENCIES OR TRYING TO MAKE EFFICIENCIES IN COUNCIL'S RULES.
AND SO THIS WAS DISCUSSED AT YOUR APRIL 30TH WORKSHOP, AND MOST OF THESE ITEMS WERE PRESENTED INITIALLY AT THAT TIME.
SO I'M PRETTY, LIKE I STATED BEFORE, THE SPECIAL MEETING NEEDS FOR THREE VOTES.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT CONSIDERING, UM, THE DIVIDE WITHIN COUNCIL, PARTICULARLY, BASICALLY THEY MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH WHATEVER MY CONCERN IS.
AND I THINK THAT IT'LL BE PERTINENT TO BRING IT UP TO THE PUBLIC OR HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA.
AND THEN I'M ACTUALLY NOT ABLE TO HAVE THAT TYPE OF VOICE, BUT THAT'S CONCERNING TO ME, I'M THE ATTENDANCE RULE FOR ME AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, WHO REPORTS TO THE RESIDENTS OR HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT I SHOULD WRITE A WRITTEN, YOU DID SAY A WRITTEN NOTE WRITTEN RESPONSE ABOUT MY ABSENCE TO THE MAYOR CITY COUNCIL AS WELL.
I'M SORRY, MAYOR CITY MANAGER,
[01:15:01]
AS WELL AS THE CITY SECRETARY, AS I SPOKE BEFORE AT THE SPECIAL MEETING THAT WE HAD WITH THE WORKSHOP, I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH PERTINENT THAT I RESPOND TO THE MAYOR AND LET HIM KNOW THAT I'M GONNA BE RUNNING LATE PRESIDING OFFICER AND NOT, I DON'T REPORT TO HIM.WE DON'T REPORT TO HIM ACTUALLY.
UM, ALSO I FEEL AS IF IT'S KIND OF PROBLEMATIC THAT WE'RE NOT ENGAGING THE PUBLIC ON CHANGING THE TIME FROM 7:00 AM TO START OUR MEETINGS TO 6:00 AM.
HAS THAT EVER BEEN A CASE THAT WE'VE STARTED AT SIX? UH, NOT FOR A REGULAR MEETING BECAUSE THE RULES CURRENTLY PROVIDE FOR STARTING AT SEVEN.
SO A LOT OF FAMILIES ARE ACTUALLY JUST GETTING HOME AROUND THAT TIME AND IT BASICALLY TAKES AWAY FROM THEM TO ACTUALLY PARTICIPATE.
SO AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO, FOR YOU TO HAVE, UM, PUBLIC INPUT REGARDING IF RESIDENTS WOULD BE COMFORTABLE OF CHANGING THEIR TIME, CONSIDERING THIS IS ALL ABOUT THEM AND THEIR ENGAGEMENT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THINGS THAT WILL IMPACT THEM DIRECTLY.
ALSO, I WANNA SEE WHAT ARE THE BENCHMARK CITIES DOING IN THIS AREA? IS THE MAYOR ABLE TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS? AGAIN, I'M NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES SPECIFICALLY JUST THE RESIDENTS.
SO IF HYPOTHETICALLY SOMETHING WAS TO, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE AT THE HANDS OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO DON'T AGREE WITH HALF THE THINGS I SAY, AND BASICALLY IT WOULD JUST TAKE AWAY FROM MY ACTUAL RIGHT TO SERVE AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO'S ELECTED BY THE CITIZENS.
SO AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO GET A BENCHMARK, UM, SURVEY OR BASICALLY RESPONSES FROM ALL THE ITEMS THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE CHANGING, CUZ THEY'RE ALL QUESTIONABLE TO ME.
AND BASICALLY I'LL JUST END WITH THESE ITEMS CALLED FOR THE CENSORSHIP, CENSORSHIP AND DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS OF COUNCIL FOR RESTRICTIVE MEASURES AND FOR THE RESIDENTS.
SO JUST WOULD LIKE TO SEE BENCHMARK CITIES, SURVEYS, AND MEASUREMENTS IN PLACE FOR US TO ACTUALLY MAKE THESE CHANGES.
AND HAVE YOU ALSO CONSIDERED SPEAKING WITH TML OR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE FOR THESE CHANGES? MOST OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES DO COME FROM CERTAIN, UH, EXAMPLES FROM BENCHMARK CITIES.
SO I CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
UH, WE'VE NOT DISCUSSED PROPOSED CITY COUNCIL RULE CHANGES WITH TML, AS I MENTIONED, RULE CHANGES LIKE THIS OR WITHIN YOU ALL'S DISCRETION AS A CITY COUNCIL.
UM, SO WE'VE NOT MADE CONTACT WITH TML OR, UH, ANY OTHER ENTITY BECAUSE THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY YOUR RULES.
SO IF THERE'S A RULE THAT YOU DON'T LIKE OR, UM, A CHANGE THAT YOU ALL DON'T WANNA MAKE, YOU ALL CAN CERTAINLY VOTE TO NOT MAKE THAT CHANGE.
IT WILL BE VOTED BY THE MAJORITY.
SO AGAIN, THAT TAKES AWAY THE INDIVIDUAL VOICE THAT A CITY COUNCIL HAS.
UM, I WANNA START AT SECTION TWO DASH 72, AS IT RELATES TO SPECIAL MEETINGS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UH, NUMBER TWO TO BE MODIFIED TO STATE, UM, PROVIDES THAT THE CITY MANAGER, THE MAYOR, AND ANY ONE COUNCIL MEMBER MAY REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL MEETING.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO THIS PARTICULAR, WE ARE ALL ELECTED ABOUT THE BODY OF EITHER OUR DISTRICTS OR OUR RESIDENTS AS AT LARGE.
UH, THIS DOES NOT GIVE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, INDIVIDUAL VOICE TO ADD THINGS TO THE SPECIAL MEETING AS WE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO OUR RESIDENTS.
SO THIS REMOVES OUR VOICE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND GIVES ALL THE AUTHORITY TO THE CITY MANAGER, THE MAYOR.
AND IF WE ARE ABLE TO, UM, WORK WITH TWO ADDITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ADD SOMETHING TO THE SPECIAL MEETING, WE DON'T ALL AGREE HERE ON THIS COUNCIL.
AND SO THEREFORE AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, UH, THAT SHOULD BE REMOVED AND TO REMAIN AS CITY MANAGER, MAYOR, UH, AND ONE COUNCIL MEMBER.
MY REQUEST IS SECTION NUMBER TWO DASH 73, AS IT RELATES TO INDE, UH, ATTENDANCE NUMBER TWO, UM, I REPORT TO THE RESIDENTS AND I DO KNOW OUT OF COURTESY, WE SHOULD BE COMMUNICATING WITH OUR COLLEAGUES WHEN WE'RE GOING TO BE ABSENT.
I PERSONALLY WAS NOT AWARE THAT MY COLLEAGUES WERE GOING TO BE ABSENT, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR, UH, OR NINE MONTHS THAT I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL.
I KNEW NOTHING OF THEIR, THEIR COMMUNICATIONS OR THEIR, UM, BEING ABSENT.
AND THEREFORE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT ANY ONE OF US SHOULD HAVE TO REPORT TO THE MAYOR, UH, ABOUT
[01:20:01]
OUR ABSENCE.I THINK AS A COURTESY, WE AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD NOTIFY OUR CITY MANAGER JUST AS A COURTESY AND OR OUR MAYOR JUST AS A COURTESY TO MAKE SURE THAT HE HAS A QUORUM, UM, TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY.
BUT TO PUT THIS AS PART OF THE ORDINANCE, AS A MANDATORY, THERE COULD BE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION THAT WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO COMMUNICATE, THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE CELL PHONE SERVICE.
WE MAY NOT HAVE INTERNET SERVICE.
SO THAT MAY RESTRICT US IN THE FACT THAT WE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
IF WE DO NOT MEET THESE PARTICULAR CRITERIA IS NOT FAIR TO US AS ELECTED, UH, OFFICIALS.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT TO BE, UH, REMOVED, TO, UM, TO BE MODIFIED TO STATE.
UM, IF WE ARE GOING TO KNOW IF WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABSENT TO PLEASE GIVE A COURTESY, UH, NOTIFICATION IN WRITING TO THE MAYOR AND OR CITY MANAGER, AND THAT CAN BE FILED WITH THE CITY SECRETARY SECTION TWO DASH 76, UM, NUMBER TWO, NUMBER THREE, AND NUMBER FIVE AND NUMBER SIX, NUMBER TWO.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR RESIDENTS FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO ADDRESS ALL OF US AS COUNCIL, MAYBE RESTRICT US CALLING NAMES, UH, ON THE COUNCIL SO THAT IT DOES NOT SEEM ISOLATED OBVIOUSLY, IF WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE DONE SOMETHING OR, UH, WE ARE WORKING ON A PROJECT OR NOT WORKING ON SOMETHING, I'M SURE, UH, US AS ELECTED OFFICIALS WILL FEEL THE PRESSURE OF THAT.
THOSE RESIDENTS WHO ARE ADDRESSING WHATEVER THEY'RE ADDRESSING AND THAT, UM, IT SHOULD NOT BE DIRECTED DIRECTLY TO THE PRESIDING OFFICER THAT CAN CONFUSE RESIDENTS AND STAFF THAT THE PARTICULAR, UH, REIDING OFFICER, IN THIS CASE, THE MAYOR WOULD BE TO BLAME FOR SUCH ACTIONS OR WHATEVER'S BEING ADDRESSED.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR RESIDENTS KEEP SOME CONSISTENCY BY ADDRESSING THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AS A WHOLE, BUT RESTRICT WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO USE, UH, NAMES, SPECIFICALLY POSITION, EXCUSE ME.
UH, NUMBER THREE, UM, MAINTAINS THE REQUIREMENT THAT EACH PERSON IS LIMIT TO ONE APPEARANCE BEFORE COUNCIL.
WHEN WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS, AS WELL AS WE HAVE, UM, PUBLIC COMMENTS, UH, RESIDENTS, SHOULDN'T BE RESTRICTED TO ONLY ONE TIME APPEARING BEFORE THIS COUNCIL.
IF THERE'S MULTIPLE THINGS THAT THEY WANNA SPEAK ABOUT ON THIS, UH, ON THESE AGENDAS ON AGENDA ITEMS THAT IS, UH, RESTRICTING OUR RESIDENTS FROM HAVING THEIR FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND THEIR VOICE.
UM, YES, IT CAN PROLONG TIME HERE, BUT WE AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE SIGNED UP FOR THIS.
WE SIGNED UP TO STAY HERE UNTIL NINE O'CLOCK OR TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S THE ISSUE, UH, THAT WE HAVE TO FACE WHEN WE ARE SERVING A PUBLIC OFFICE.
SO I DON'T AGREE WITH, UH, SILENCING THE VOICES OF OUR RESIDENTS TO ONLY HAVE ONE APPEARANCE BEFORE THIS COUNCIL, IF THERE'S MULTIPLE THINGS ON THIS, UH, AGENDA THAT THEY WANNA SPEAK ABOUT.
NUMBER FIVE PROVIDES THAT COUNCIL MAY NOT RESPOND ON ITEMS, NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA, BUT MAY REQUEST THAT THE MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNEE TO RESPOND TO THE PUBLIC.
CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT FOR ME? CAUSE I DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THAT ONE.
YES MA'AM AND THAT'S A STATE LAW PROVISION FROM THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT BE, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL IS ONLY ALLOWED TO DISCUSS ITEMS THAT ARE ON A POSTED AGENDA.
HOWEVER, YOU MAY ASK, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS A, A YOUNG LADY WHO WAS TALKING ABOUT SIGNS EARLIER.
UM, SOMEONE ASKED TO HAVE, UH, I THINK, I THINK YOU MAY HAVE ASKED TO HAVE CEDRIC OR DAVID, UH, TALK TO THE, TO THE YOUNG LADY ABOUT SIGNS.
SO THIS ESSENTIALLY STATES THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU ALL CAN'T HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THOSE SIGNS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT POSTED ON THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA, YOU MAY DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER, UH, OR HIS DESIGNEE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION OKAY.
WITH, WITH THE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.
YES, MA'AM UM, NUMBER SIX, I JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT, UH, PROHIBITS PROFANE, VULGAR AND ABUSIVE LANGUAGE.
DO WE HAVE SOME GUIDELINES ON WHAT, WHAT I MAY CONSIDER VULGAR THE NEXT PERSON MAY NOT WHAT I MAY CONSIDER PROFANE AND ABUSIVE.
DO WE HAVE SOME LANGUAGE THAT, UM, MEETS THE CRITERIA OF THESE? YES.
SO THE LANGUAGE THAT'S PROPOSED IS LANGUAGE MAY BE DETERMINED TO BE PROFANE, VULGAR, ABUSIVE, OR OTHERWISE INJUROUS TO THE DECORUM OF THE MEETING.
IF SUCH LANGUAGE WOULD LIKELY CAUSE AN AVERAGE ADDRESSEE TO RESPOND AGGRESSIVELY.
SO CASE LAW ESSENTIALLY IS, UH, AND I'M PARAPHRASING HERE, BUT KIND OF FIGHTING WORDS, UM, IS LANGUAGE JUST CONSIDERED TO BE, UH, VULGAR AND ABUSIVE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY EXAMPLES OF ACTUALLY VULGAR AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED FOR US TO WARRANT THIS, UM, CHANGE? UH, NO.
THIS IS JUST TO KIND OF CLARIFY WHAT'S ALREADY IN THE ORDINANCE BECAUSE THE ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW PROVIDES THAT, UM, A PERSON CANNOT BE, UH, REPETITIVE OR THEY CAN'T MAKE CERTAIN, UH, LOUDER, ABUSIVE LANGUAGE.
SO THAT'S ALREADY IN THE ORDINANCE, BUT IT DOESN'T KIND OF PROVIDE
[01:25:01]
THAT A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THAT MEANS.SO I JUST ADDED A DESCRIPTION BASED ON CASE LAW, IS THAT APPLIED TO, UM, OUR CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSIONS AS WELL? OR IS THAT JUST WHEN WE'RE IN THE PUBLIC? UH, THIS PARTICULAR SECTION APPLIES TO OPEN MEETINGS, UM, IN, IN THE PUB.
SO OPEN MEETINGS IN THE PUBLIC, UH, BUT THERE IS LANGUAGE IN THE DECORUM SECTION ABOUT, UH, TREATING EVERYONE WITH RESPECT IN THE CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION AS WELL.
THAT WOULD BE CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION AS WELL.
IT WASN'T MENTIONED IN HERE, SO I WASN'T SURE IF THAT IF THIS ONLY APPLIES TO OUR OPEN MEETINGS OR, AND, OR TOWARDS OUR CLOSED MEETINGS AS WELL, UH, THIS IS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, BUT IT STATES ANY PERSON, UH, WHO BECOMES LOUD, ABUSIVE, OR OTHERWISE INTEREST TO THE DECORUM.
SO IT WOULD APPLY TO ANY ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
AND THEN ALSO IN THE DECORUM SECTION, WHICH IS PRIMARILY FOR COUNSEL, IT DOES PROVIDE THAT EVERYONE SHOULD TREAT, UH, ONE ANOTHER WITH RESPECT.
SECTION 2 77 UNDER AGENDA AND ORDER OF BUSINESS.
NUMBER TWO PROVIDES A PROCESS TO REQUEST AGENDA ITEMS, THE MANAGER, THE MAYOR, OR TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS AGAIN, UM, WE'RE ELECTED BY THE BODY OF THE RESIDENTS.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD STILL REMAIN THE SAME AS THE MANAGER, THE MAYOR, AND ANY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, SHOULD HAVE THE LIBERTIES OF ADDING THINGS TO THE AGENDA.
UM, I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT, UM, THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT I'VE TRIED TO GET ON THE AGENDA THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADDED TO THE AGENDA.
I E THE SIGNAGE FOR COLONY CROSSING AS A PRIME EXAMPLE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME, SOME AREAS WHERE WE NEED IMPROVEMENT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT TO INSTRUCT, AND I KNOW SPECIFICALLY, UH, AT OUR APRIL 30TH WORKSHOP, I MAY MENTION THAT THIS WAS NOT TO BE IN THERE AND I SEE THAT IT WAS ADDED ANYWAY.
UM, SO I CAN SEE EVEN IN OUR WORKSHOPS, WE'RE STILL NOT BEING HEARD.
UH, SO I'M ASKING THAT YOU PLEASE REMOVE THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, THE LANGUAGE IS STATED, THE MANAGER, THE MAYOR, OR ANY ONE COUNCIL MEMBER CAN ADD THINGS TO THE AGENDA ITEM.
AND OBVIOUSLY IT HAS TO BE IN WRITING.
AND I'M OKAY WITH THE, UH, THE GUIDELINES OF THE MONDAY BEFORE THE ACTUAL MEETING.
I THINK THAT WE DO NEED TO HAVE SOME, SOME DEADLINES AND CRITERIA FOR THAT NUMBER SIX, UH, SETS FORTH A SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME FOR RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS.
COULD YOU PLEASE CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE I KNOW I STATED IN THE APRIL 30TH, UM, I BELIEVE THE CITY'S SECRETARY WANTED TO US TO STREAMLINE HOW OFTEN WE'RE HAVING THE RECOGNITIONS.
I BELIEVE THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AS OFTEN AS WE CAN PROVIDE RECOGNITIONS TO OUR PUBLIC, UM, VOLUNTEERS AND RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, NOT EVERYBODY CAN BE HERE ON ONE SPECIFIC MONDAY.
UM, AND ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE CONSIDERING MOVING OUR MEETINGS UP FROM 7:00 PM TO 6:00 PM, THAT'S JUST NOT REALLY FAIR TO THE WORKING CLASS COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE OUT HERE AS RESIDENTS.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UM, IF WE'RE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE PEOPLE'S GOOD, THEIR PROCLAMATIONS, THEIR RECOGNITIONS, UM, AND AWARDS, WE SHOULD CONTINUE ON THE SAME TRADITIONS THAT WE'VE HAD DURING THAT FIRST AND THIRD MONDAYS.
AND IF WE HAVE FOUR OR FIVE, AGAIN, WE'RE ELECTED BY THE BODY, WE SIGNED UP FOR THIS.
UM, AND NO, WE DON'T LIKE TO BE HERE ALL NIGHT, BUT THAT'S JUST WHAT, THAT'S JUST WHAT THE CALLING IS.
EITHER YOU HAVE ACCEPTED THIS CALLING OR YOU HAVEN'T.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT REMAIN AS, UM, YOU KNOW, KEEPING IT AT THE SAME AND AT SEVEN O'CLOCK, I DON'T BELIEVE ANYBODY, UM, IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT HERE AT FIVE 30, UM, TO BE RECOGNIZED AND HAVE THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS TO SEE THEIR, THEIR GOOD, HARD WORKS.
OUR BUSINESS OWNERS WHO COME OUT HERE TO BE RECOGNIZED.
THAT'S JUST NOT EVEN, THAT'S NOT EVEN CONVENIENT AND CONDUCIVE WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE WORKING CLASS COMMUNITY AND OUR BUSINESS OWNERS OUT HERE, UM, AS WELL AS OUR STAFF.
SO I WOULD LIKE, LIKE TO SEE THAT REMAIN AS STILL OUR FIRST AND THIRD, UM, RECOGNITIONS ON OUR, OUR REGULAR AGENDA MEETINGS AND NOT TO DO IT AT FIVE 30.
AND THEN MOVING DOWN TO SECTION 2 78 ON DECORUM, NUMBER THREE, REQUIRES MEMBERS TO PLACE ELECTRONICS IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM FOR CLOSED MEETINGS.
UH, PLEASE REMOVE THAT WE'RE ALL ADULTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO RESPECT THE GUIDELINES THAT HAVE BEEN SET FOR US.
I'M NOT GONNA GIVE MY PHONE AND PUT IT SOMEWHERE AS IF I'M IN THIRD GRADE AND I CAN'T MANAGE, YOU KNOW, MY AFFAIRS.
UM, I HAVE A FAMILY AND I TAKE CARE OF ELDERLY FAM UH, FAMILY MEMBERS.
AND I'M NOT GIVING UP MY PHONE BECAUSE IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY AND I MISS A CALL, I GUARANTEE SOMEBODY'S GONNA BE HELD LIABLE FOR THAT.
SO PLEASE REMOVE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S NOT NECESSARY.
AND NUMBER FIVE, AUTHORIZES THE PRESIDING OFFER TO OFFICER TO ISSUE A WARNING, REMOVE AN INDIVIDUAL,
[01:30:01]
OR RECEIVE A MOTION TO ENFORCE FOR ENFORCEMENT OF RULES OF DECORUM.ALSO AUTHORIZES BODY TO ISSUE AN ORAL REPRIMAND AND A WRITTEN SENSOR FOR REPEATED VIOLATIONS OF DECORUM.
IS THIS ALREADY WRITTEN IN, UM, OUR ORDINANCE OR WHATEVER THIS IS GOING FOR? THAT WOULD BE NEW.
AND WHO MADE THIS RECOMMENDATION? DO YOU KNOW? THAT WAS JUST A SUGGESTION BASED ON A REQUEST TO LOOK INTO METHODS OF ENFORCING DECOR.
SO WHERE DID THE RECOMMENDATION COME FROM? THAT PARTICULAR RECOMMENDATION CAME FROM? I, IT WAS A, A, A CENTRAL TEXAS CITY.
I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND PULL IT, BUT SO CENTRAL TEXAS CITY RECOMMENDED THAT WE PUT THIS IN OUR, OH, NO, NO, NO.
SO THERE WAS A DISCUSSION AT THE APRIL 30TH MEETING ABOUT HOW OR METHODS BY WHICH THE CITY COUNCIL COULD ENFORCE THE RULES OF DECOR MM-HMM
SO, UH, MY TEAM RESEARCHED TO FIND OUT KIND OF WHAT OTHER CITIES WERE DOING TO ENFORCE DEC QUORUM.
AND THIS ORAL REPRIMAND AND WRITTEN C WAS ONE METHOD BY WHICH OTHER CITIES ARE ENFORCING DECORUM.
AND SO IT WAS ADDED TO ADDRESS THAT REQUEST, TO COME UP WITH METHODS, TO ENFORCE THE CORNER AND FAR BE IT FOR ME.
I THINK THIS JUST IS A LITTLE HARSH.
UH, AGAIN, WE'RE ALL ADULTS HERE AND WE'VE BEEN ELECTED TO OFFICE.
AND, UM, GRANTED I'VE BEEN HERE NINE MONTHS AND I'VE SEEN SOME THINGS, BUT I, I BELIEVE OVERALL WE CAN, THROUGH SOME TRAININGS AND TEAM BUILDING, WE CAN MAINTAIN, UM, THE QUORUM AND WORK AS A TEAM, UM, ON THIS COUNCIL, UH, BECAUSE WHO'S TO SAY WHAT YOU BELIEVE AS THE PRESIDING OFFICER IS APPROPRIATE OR NOT APPROPRIATE.
YOU MAY WANNA CENSOR SOMEONE BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH THEIR THOUGHT PROCESS OR THEIR, THEIR INPUT.
I, I BELIEVE THAT THIS JUST GIVES WAY TOO MUCH POWER AND AUTHORITY TO, TO OUR PRESIDING OFFICER, WHEN A SIMPLE REVIEW OF WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE AS ELECTED OFFICIALS TO THIS BODY COULD BE, AND TO DO SOME TRAINING AND IN TEAM BUILDING.
UM, I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS, AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU GO WITH SOMETHING THAT'S MORE PROFESSIONALLY BASED AND CONDUCIVE TO THIS COUNCIL AND SETTING A STANDARD OF WHAT WE CAN DO GOING FORWARD.
IT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO MAJORITY VOTE.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE THE PRESIDING OFFICER DECIDING WHO TO, OR WHO WE'RE TO CENTURA FOR WHAT IT WOULD BE UP TO MOST.
UH, THE, A MAJORITY, A MOTION SECOND, AND A VOTE.
WELL, IT DOESN'T SAY THAT LANGUAGE IS NOT IN THERE, IT'S IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
UM, AND I JUST PARAPHRASE IN THE, IN THE, UH, ACTUAL PRESENTATION, BUT IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, IT'S SUBJECT TO A MAJORITY VOTE.
SO THIS LANGUAGE ON NUMBER FIVE IS ALREADY IN THE WRITINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
CUZ EARLY, I ASKED YOU, YOU SAID IT WAS NOT.
SO THE ORDINANCE, YOU HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT'S BEFORE YOU AND IT'S IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
SO IT'S NOT IN OUR EXISTING ORDINANCE AT, AS IT EXISTS TODAY ON SEPTEMBER 6TH.
BUT IF YOU ALL ADOPT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, THAT IS IN THE PACKET FOR YOU, THIS LANGUAGE IS CONTAINED IN THAT PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
SO IT WOULDN'T BECOME EFFECTIVE UNTIL SECOND READING, BUT YOU JUST STATED THAT IT WOULD BE BY A MAJORITY VOTE, CORRECT.
CURRENTLY IN WRITTEN THAT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE IN THE PROPOSED.
BUT NOT CURRENTLY WHAT WE'RE OPERATING AS NO.
AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY OPERATING AS WHEN WE BREAK DECORUM? SO NOW THERE'S JUST THE THERE'S LANGUAGE ABOUT THE MAYOR BEING ALLOWED TO ISSUE A WARRANT FOR ABSENCES AND CERTAIN AND FINE MEMBERS FOR, I THINK IT'S 10 OR $25, UM, FOR DECORUM ISSUES.
SO THAT'S WHAT THE CURRENT, UH, ORDINANCE SAYS.
SO FOR NUMBER FIVE, UM, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT, UM, FOR THE LANGUAGE TO BE MODIFIED.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT LANGUAGE SHOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT TO AUTHORIZE THE BODY TO ISSUE OR REPRIMAND, UM, AND A WRITTEN SENSOR FOR REPEAT VIOLATIONS OF DECORUM, WHAT, WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO KNOW, WHAT IS THAT DECOR LOOKS LIKE? BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS GIVES WAY TOO MUCH, IT SAYS A PRESION OFFICER TO ISSUE A WARRANT WARNING AND REMOVE AN INDIVIDUAL.
SO THE RULE, I JUST DON'T AGREE THAT UNDERSTOOD, BUT THE RULES OF DECORUM WOULD BE THE RULES THAT ARE LISTED IN THE ORDINANCE.
SO IT WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF THOSE RULES THAT YOU ALL WOULD ADOPT, UM, FOR THAT A PERSON WOULD BE SUBJECT TO, UH, THOSE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS. OKAY.
[01:35:01]
AGAIN FOR NUMBER FIVE, CAN YOU REMOVE THAT AND ALLOW US TO, TO PRESENT YOU WITH SOME MODIFIED LANGUAGE? I MEAN, IF, IF THE, AGAIN, THESE ARE YOU ALL'S RULES.IF THE BODY DOESN'T WANT A CENS AND ORAL REPRIMANDS, IT'S UP TO YOU ALL.
WELL, I'M MAKING NOTATE NOTES OF ALL THE THINGS THAT I'M ASKING YOU TO REVISE.
UM, AND BLESS, HOPEFULLY THAT US IS ON COUNCIL.
THE SEVEN OF US, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY SURE HAS THEIR OWN COMMENTS ON CERTAIN THINGS AND THAT WE DON'T ADOPT ALL OF THESE INTO, INTO, INTO THIS NEW ORDINANCE LIKE THAT.
SO I'M JUST GIVING YOU, UM, MY DIRECTIVE TO REMOVE THIS AND MAYBE POSSIBLY CREATE SOME NEW LANGUAGE FOR THAT FOR DECORUM, I GUESS.
OH, WELL IT WOULD TAKE A, I, I WOULD NEED JUST SOME MAJORITY TO TELL ME WHAT YOU ALL WANT IN ORDER TO MAKE THE CHANGES.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WANTED TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE WITH THE CHANGES THAT YOU LISTED, THEN THERE WOULD, COULD, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE A SECOND AND A VOTE.
AND IF A MAJORITY DECIDED THAT THAT'S WHAT EVERY A MAJORITY WANTS TO DO, THEN THAT'S WHAT I WOULD DO.
UM, EACH PLACE BEFORE WE CONTINUE, UM, WHO'S HOLDING THE MAYOR ACCOUNTABLE FROM WHEN HE'S ABSENT.
SO THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE PROVIDES THAT HE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO NOTIFY THE MAYOR PRO UH, CITY MANAGER WITH A COPY TO THE CITY SECRETARY.
IS THAT CURRENTLY WRITTEN? NO, THAT'S PROPOSED.
SO IN THE ATTENDANCE SECTION, ARE WE GETTING ALL OF THE PROPOSED, UM, CHANGES BECAUSE YOU JUST MADE A COMMENT THAT IT'S IN THE PROPOSAL.
WE ARE NOT SEEING THAT ON HERE.
NO, IT'S JUST, I, I DIDN'T INCLUDE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S A 13 PAGE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
I DIDN'T INCLUDE EVERY SINGLE THING IN THE SLIDES BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA FILL THE SLIDES, UH, WITH TOO MANY WORDS, BUT IT'S IN THE ORDINANCE, THAT'S IN YOUR PA THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, THAT'S IN YOUR PACKAGE.
JOYCE, I FIND IT VERY CONCERNING THAT YOU HAVE DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS FOR EVERYBODY ON COUNCIL AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT YOU FAIL TO INPUT HOW THE MAYOR WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
THIS IS JUST TAKING US INTO A DICTATORSHIP AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE SHOULD BE GOVERNED THE MAYOR.
THE MAYOR WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME RULES AS THE ENTIRE COUNCIL UNDER THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION IF THIS WAS TALKED ABOUT IN APRIL AND NOW WE'RE IN SEPTEMBER, A LOT OF US FORGOT EXACTLY WHAT WHO SAID WHAT I THINK THIS NEEDS TO GO BACK TO A WORKSHOP TO DISCUSS AMONGST COUNCIL AND TO BRING IT BACK.
IT'S JUST, IT WAS APRIL SOMETIME.
AND THEN TO BE IN SEPTEMBER, OTHERWISE THIS SHOULD HAVE CAME UP IN THAT FOLLOWING COUNCIL MEETING AND NOT TO SAY THAT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, NOT TO COME BACK IN HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE NEEDED TO GO BACK AND DISCUSS THIS WITH COUNCIL BEFORE ANY OF THIS BEING BROUGHT UP.
CAN, CAN WE SUBMIT OUR ITEMS TO YOU GUYS? AND YOU KIND OF COMPILE 'EM AND THEN THERE'S AN OUTPUT FROM THAT.
AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A WORKSHOP.
UM, SO WE COULDN'T, UM, NO DECISIONS WOULD BE MADE BASED ON THAT.
UH, BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS KIND OF, I HAVE A LIST OF WHAT I'VE HEARD, UH, TODAY I CAN PROBABLY CREATE A CHART AND JUST PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH A CHART THAT HAS EVERYONE'S PROPOSED CHANGES.
AND WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AT A LATER TIME, IF THAT'S WHAT'S DESIRED BY THE BODY.
SO DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THAT? I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO, YES.
I, I DO WANT YOU TO ADD TO YOUR NOTES, YOUR CHART, OR HOWEVER YOU PLAN TO, UM, PRESENT THIS, THAT BASICALLY IF THE MAJORITY ISN'T INCLUSIVE AND THEY'RE ABLE TO MAKE A VOTE ON WHATEVER THE ISSUE IS, ARE BEING PRESENTED, THAT EXCLUDES THE VOICE OF THOSE WHO DON IT, YOU KNOW, AGREE.
IT TAKES AWAY THE VOICE IF MAJORITY ISN'T INCLUSIVE.
SO AGAIN, IT PUTS THE, A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE HANDS OF COLLEAGUES THAT DON'T AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAY, WHETHER IT IS THE DOG HAS FOUR LEGS OR NOT.
I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT GONNA AGREE WITH YOU.
SO WHY, WHY AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, WHO'S ELECTED BY THE BODY SHOULD BE DICTATED BY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE, WE ALL ARE EQUAL DEMOCRACY.
MAJORITY RULES IS, I MEAN, THE GENERAL ISSUE DON'T HAVE TO SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S OBVIOUS.
I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THE DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO REPORT TO THE PRESIDING JUDGE.
SO YOU'RE SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO DISCIPLINARY ACT OR ENFORCEMENT I'M IN, I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THE WHOLE IN GENERAL, ALL THE CHANGES THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING THAT HAS TO DO WITH REPORTING TO THE MAYOR, UM,
[01:40:01]
SANCTIONS, DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS.I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UM, TABLE THIS PARTICULAR, UM, SECTION OF THE ORDINANCE UNTIL WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A WORKSHOP AND PRESENT OUR CON OUR, UM, MODIFICATIONS, UH, TO THE CITY SECRETARY CITY, ATTORNEY AND CITY MANAGER.
LASTLY, I HAVE ONE MORE POINT PRIOR TO US, UM, HAVING SOME TYPE OF ORDINANCE CHANGES TO THIS MAGNITUDE, I WOULD ADVISE FOR YOU TO REACH OUT TO US FOR A WORKSHOP PRIOR, AS OPPOSED TO BRINGING THIS TO COUNCIL PRESENTING IT, AND IT'S GONNA BE DEFINITELY SOME ISSUES OR HAVING THE DIALOGUE.
SO I WOULD PROPOSE THAT ACTUALLY BEFORE WASTING TIME, YOU CAN GET FEEDBACK AT THE WORKSHOP PRIOR MAYOR.
I SECOND THAT MOTION, BUT I DO HAVE A, A DISCUSSION POINT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE.
UH, I WANTED TO ON THE RECORD, BE CLEAR THAT THERE WAS HEALTHY DISCUSSION SURROUNDING ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE BEFORE US TODAY AT THE WORKSHOP WE FLESHED THIS OUT.
WE SPENT COUNTLESS AMOUNTS OF TIME ACTUALLY PROVIDING DIRECTION TO THE CITY SECRETARY AND THE CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE MEETING MINUTES TO SEE WHO ALL WAS PRESENT, UH, AT THAT MEETING.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT THOSE THAT WERE PRESENT FLESH THIS INFORMATION OUT, PUT IT OUT.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, UH, MAYBE WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN THIS OUT, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE OVERALL, UH, RECOMMENDATION SOONER.
UM, BUT THERE WAS HEALTHY DISCUSSION, UH, AMONGST THIS BODY BECAUSE WE HAD A SCHEDULED BOARD COUNCIL RETREAT.
SHOULD I SAY THAT WAS DESIGNED FOR THAT VERY PURPOSE FOR US TO, UH, TALK ABOUT OUR FUTURE DIRECTION.
UH, AND ALSO WE TALKED ABOUT DECORUM AND ALL OF THE WAY THAT WE OPERATE AS A COUNCIL AMONGST EACH OTHER TO BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE.
AND SO, UM, I DO, I DON'T WANT IT TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKEN AWAY THAT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THIS.
WE DIDN'T DISCUSS THIS, THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE HEALTHY DISCUSSION AS A BODY ABOUT THIS.
UM, MAY I APPROACH HIM? I HAVE TO RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE.
I ACTUALLY WAS OPPOSED TO SEVERAL OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE MAYOR CAN PROPOSE FOR US TO HAVE A WORKSHOP CONSIDERING HE WASN'T THERE.
UM, I UNDERSTAND HIS CONCERN, BUT I DEFINITELY WAS AGAINST HALF OF THESE, UM, PROPOSALS.
SO I WANNA BE ON THE RECORD AND MENTION THAT.
I LIKE TO JUST MAKE MENTION SO THAT IT CAN BE ON THE RECORD.
AGAIN, THERE WERE QUITE A FEW OF THESE ITEMS THAT I STATED IN THE WORKSHOP THAT I WAS NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH AND I MADE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I DID NOT SEE MOST OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, SO WHERE THESE CONCEPTS CAME FROM, UM, ARE VERY CONCERNING TO ME, ESPECIALLY SINCE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT MY VOICE WAS HEARD AT THE WORKSHOP BEING A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE VERY VALID TO ALL OF US, BUT ESPECIALLY TO ME, I EXPRESSED SEVERAL OF THESE AND THAT'S WHY I HAVE A WHOLE LIST OF THEM BECAUSE I DID NOT AGREE WITH THEM.
I UTILIZED THE MINUTES THAT WERE PROVIDED BY THE VENDOR OF JASON GRAY FROM THAT SPECIFIC MEETING.
BUT, BUT I HAVE TAKEN NOTES TONIGHT AS WELL.
SO I'LL CERTAINLY INCLUDE THOSE COMMENTS IN THE CHART.
MY LAST COMMENT BEFORE WE VOTE, UM, SECTION 2 79, WHERE IT STATES THAT THE OFFICER, UM, DESIGNATES THE CHIEF OF, UH, POLICE RANKING OFFICER DESIGNATE FOR SERGEANT OURS, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE SERGEANT OF ARMS? UM, I, THE POLICE OFFICERS ALWAYS HERE, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TWO THAT ARE ON DUTY.
UM, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CHIEF? UM, IF HE'S NOT DOING A PRESENTATION OR A RANKING OFFICER OR THE CHIEF'S DESIGNATED TO BE HERE FOR A SERGEANT OF ARMS. SO IT, IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE THE OFFICER WHO'S HERE AS DESIGNATED BY THE POLICE CHIEF TO WORK THE MEETING.
BUT THE SERGEANT AT ARMS COULD REMOVE, LET'S SAY YOU HAD AN UNRULY CONSTITUENT OR A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.
THE SERGEANT AT ARMS COULD ASSIST WITH REMOVING THAT INDIVIDUAL.
UM, BUT IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE TO HELP WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OF ORDER IN THE MEETING.
SO BASICALLY WHAT THEY'RE ALREADY HERE TO DO, CORRECT.
JUST SO THEY, THEY COULD JUST BE THE DESIGNEE.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER RILEY, CAN YOU STATE YOUR MOTION AGAIN? I'M GONNA MAKE IT, DO YOU HAVE IT? I DO.
UH, SO YOUR MOTION, AS I HEARD IT WAS THE TABLE, THIS ITEM UNTIL A WORKSHOP COULD BE HELD, CORRECT FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
MA'AM ALL JUST FOR THE RECORD THAT I WAS NOT THERE WHEN THIS WAS TAKING PLACE,
[01:45:01]
THIS MEETING BACK IN APRIL.AND A SECOND, WHO MADE THE SECOND? I DID.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTIONS SAY, AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO THE MOTIONS SAY NO RIGHT MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
[(d) Consideration and Possible Action - First of two readings - Consider a...]
ITEM 10 D IN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS AMENDING THE CIVIL SERVICE IMPLEMENTATION ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, PROVIDING CERTAIN AMENDMENTS RELATED TO THE STRENGTH OF FORCE OF CERTAIN FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL AND SENIORITY PAY PROVIDING FOR REPEAL, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND CONTENDING OTHER PROVISIONS RELATED THERE TO GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE WOULD AMEND THE CIVIL SERVICE ORDINANCE IN TWO MAIN REGARDS.
THE FIRST WOULD INCREASE THE AUTHORIZED AND BUDGETED POSITIONS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE ANTICIPATED BUDGET, UH, POSITIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023, WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS SPECIALISTS AND POLICE OFFICERS.
THE SECOND SECTION TO BE AMENDED RELATES TO SENIORITY PAY.
CURRENTLY THE ORDINANCE PROVIDES THAT A CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE WILL ADVANCE ONE STEP ON THEIR ANNIVERSARY DATE.
THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE WILL CHANGE THE ADVANCEMENT FROM ONE STEP TO THREE TOTAL STEPS ON THE ANNIVERSARY DATE FOR ABOUT A 7.5% INCREASE.
THIS WAS THE SECOND OPTION, UM, PRESENTED BY MS. PORTER, UH, EARLIER DURING THE SPECIAL MEETING FOR CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES AT THE END OF STEPS, OR WOULD BE BEYOND THE STEPS BY ADVANCING THE THREE STEPS, UM, THEY WOULD RECEIVE A ONE TIME LUMP SUM SENIORITY PAYMENT OF $10,000, LESS ANY INCREASE IN SALARY RECEIVED BY ADVANCING TO THE LAST STEP.
UM, THE, OF THE THREE STEPS AND THE ONE TIME LUMP SUM SENIORITY PAYMENT WOULD END UPON THE EARLIER OF COUNSEL ADOPTING A NEW PAY PLAN OR THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2023, WHICH IS SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2023.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? THANK YOU.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE MOTION SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT? IS THIS WHAT WE, WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? SO THIS WOULD BE, UH, AN AMENDMENT TO THE CIVIL SERVICE ORDINANCE THAT WOULD INCREASE, UM, SOME OF THE BUDGETED, UH, POSITIONS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT IS ANTICIPATED WILL BE AUTHORIZED IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, AND THEN ALSO TO IMPLEMENT FOUR ADVANCING THREE STEPS INSTEAD OF ONE STEP FOR THE POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS.
AND THEN THAT WOULD END EITHER THE EARLIER OF 2023 OR, UM, IF COUNCIL WERE TO ADOPT A NEW PAY PLAN.
AND QUESTION MONICA, DID WE CONSULT WITH THE, UM, THE, THE POLICE ASSOCIATION ON THIS? SO THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION, UM, WITH THE POLICE OFFICER'S ASSOCIATION, BUT NOT ABOUT THIS EXACT PLAN OR THIS EXACT AMENDMENT, BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT VOTING ON SOMETHING THAT I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SAVVY ON, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING THE BEST DECISION, UH, POSSIBLE FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IS, IS IT POSSIBLE TO ASK THEM SOME QUESTIONS? HEY, JO, IF THE MAJORITY DESIRES TO HEAR FROM, UH, A REPRESENTATIVE, THE, YOU ALL CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
DO I NEED TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THAT? OR WE CAN JUST AGREE IF YOU ALL HAVE, UH, UNANIMOUS CONSENT, YOU ALL CAN JUST AGREE.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO ALLOWING A MEMBER, UH, A REPRESENTATIVE TO COME FORWARD? NO, NO OBJECTION.
UM, IT'S ALREADY INCONVENIENCE YOU TO GET, PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING IS WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF, UM, OUR DEPARTMENTS, THIS, THIS RECOMMENDATION, UM, FOR THIS ORDINANCE AMENDMENT, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH IT? SO I, UH, I REVIEWED THIS WHEN IT CAME OUT PUBLICLY ON FRIDAY.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING OF THIS ORDINANCE IS, UM, TO MOVE, UM, EACH CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE, TWO STEPS PLUS THE ADDITIONAL STEP IT'S ALREADY GUARANTEED IN THE ORDINANCE.
[01:50:01]
UM, AND THEN IF YOU, IF YOU FALL OUTSIDE OF THE STEP PLAN, SO YOU TOP OUT, THEN YOU WOULD RECEIVE A $10,000 ONE TIME LUMP SUM ONE TIME, LUMP SUM PAYMENT.UH, BUT THIS DOESN'T ADDRESS STARTING SALARIES.
AND SO, UM, BUT I, I I'M FAMILIAR WITH IT TO AND UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE SPIRIT BEHIND IT, SO.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS THAT YOU WANNA MAKE PRO OR CON PROS OR CONS TO THIS? UM, I, I JUST, I LIKE I'VE BEEN STRESSING.
WE'VE BEEN STRESSING AS BEING HOLISTIC ABOUT, UM, FIXING THE PROBLEM.
IT'S, IT'S NOT IT'S ONE OR THE OTHER, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE EITHER ADDRESSING RETENTION OR ADDRESSING HIRING.
UM, I KNOW RIGHT NOW IN THE CON IN THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA THAT Y'ALL VOTED TO DO THE $10,000 SIGN ON BONUS.
UM, SO THEORETICALLY, IF YOU HIRE A NEW OFFICER 55, 5 90, I'M NOT SURE THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT 55, 5 90 IS A STARTING SALARY PLUS 10,000.
UM, WE HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF OFFICERS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE 3, 4, 5, 6 YEARS THAT DON'T MAKE 65, 500, BUT WE'RE GONNA HIRE NEW PEOPLE THAT ARE IMMEDIATELY GONNA REAP $10,000 MORE THAN PEOPLE THAT HAVE DEDICATED THEIR TIME AND SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS.
UM, SO IT, IT HAS TO BE A TWOFOLD.
THAT'S BEEN OUR, BEEN, OUR PLAN IS TO BE A TWOFOLD AND WE HAVE TO ADDRESS BOTH RETENTION AND RECRUITING TOGETHER.
I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, IT IT'S TAKE, IT TAKES TIME.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT HAS TO BE A, A HOLISTIC, BECAUSE NOW THIS IS JUST GONNA CREATE ADDITIONAL COMPRESSION ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN FACING SINCE 2007.
UM, WHEN, WHEN THEY DID SALARY SURVEYS BEFORE.
SO WE CONSTANTLY IN A, IN A COMPRESSION ISSUE AND NOW WE'RE CREATING MORE COMPRESSION BY HIRING PEOPLE IN AT SAY 65, 5, AND YOU HAVE OFFICERS MOVING THREE STEPS, AND THEY'RE ONLY MAKING 58 AND CHANGE.
I'M NOT SURE THE EXACT NUMBERS KIND OF GOT PUT ON THE SPOT, SO, OH, DON'T KNOW YOU, YOU YOU'VE NAILED IT DOWN.
UM, FOR YOUR TRANSPARENCY AND CLARIFICATION, ONE OF CLARIFICATION THOUGH, THE $10,000 IS A ONE TIME SIGN ON INCENTIVE, RIGHT.
IT'S NOT AN ANNUAL SALARY, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND SO, UM, THEY WOULD START AT STEP ONE, RECEIVE THE 10,000 FOR ONE TIME BEFORE THE END OF THEIR FIRST YEAR, AND THEN THEY WOULD JUST MOVE TO THE NEXT REGULAR STEP AS IT IS IN THE ORDINANCE.
IS THERE A MOTION MERIT? A NO MOTION MEANS NO ACTION.
THEREFORE I SAY, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE OPTION TWO AND WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION.
WHICH, WHICH OPTION TWO, TWO I'LL SECONDER.
UH, MONICA, I HAD, UH, TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
UH, ONE, UM, FROM A, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WORD COMPRESSION WAS, WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE TWO OPTIONS THAT, WELL, ACTUALLY, I GUESS WE HAVE THREE OPTIONS.
WE COULD KEEP THINGS AS IS, OR THE TWO OPTIONS THAT ELENA PRESENTED TODAY.
COULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OPTION ONE AND HOW, OR WHAT KIND OF IMPACT FINANCIALLY THAT WOULD HAVE ON THE CITY? CAUSE I KNOW BOTH OF 'EM WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE CITY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE YOU OR ELENA QUESTION.
SO OPTION ONE, WHICH INCLUDES ADJUSTING THE SALARY STRUCTURES BASED ON, UH, DATA THAT WAS RECEIVED FROM THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, AND THEN ALL OF THE CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES RECEIVING THEIR, UH, PROGRAMMED INCREASED TEN ONE, AND THEN MOVING TO THE NEXT STEP.
UM, THE CLOSEST STEP AND THE NEW SALARY STRUCTURE, UH, WOULD COST A TOTAL OF 800, 7,000 4 87.
AND THAT'S, UH, WITH POLICE BEING 2 65, 6 70 AND FIRE BEING 5 41, 8 17.
UM, LET'S SAY THAT THIS IS USING THE DATA THAT WAS PROVIDED FROM THE DEPARTMENT AND, UM, NOT LIKE AN OFFICIAL SALARY SURVEY WHERE, UM, STAFF WENT OUT
[01:55:01]
AND LOOKED AT ALL OF THE NUMBERS, BUT IT WAS THE 800, 7,000 4 87.SO WITH OPTION TWO, UM, MONICA, UH, YOU KNOW, ELENA, THEY WOULD BE MOVING THREE STEPS AND THEY WOULD RECEIVE THEIR TRADITIONAL TWO AND A HALF PERCENT GOING INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR PLUS 5%.
SO IT'LL BE A TOTAL OF 7.5% INCREASE IN SALARY, CORRECT.
I HAVE, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, LINDA, JUST SO OUR, YEAH, BOTH OF YOU ACTUALLY, JUST TO CLARIFY, CUZ THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON TOO LONG.
SO LAST YEAR WHEN THIS CITY VOTED THE CITIZENS IN 2020 VOTED TO GET CIVIL SERVICE THAT BROUGHT THAT TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND THEN AT THAT TIME CITY COUNCIL VOTED AND APPROVED TO HAVE A TWO AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY EVERY YEAR.
I MEAN, IN THE ORDINANCE, IT ALSO STATES THAT COUNCIL THE STEP PLAN.
BUT SO WHICH MEANS TO THE CITIZENS OF MISSOURI CITY THAT NEEDS TO KNOW IS REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS UNLESS THE COUNCIL DECIDED NOT TO, BUT OTHERWISE IT IS A AUTOMATIC TWO AND A HALF PERCENT RAISE TO THE PD AND TO THE FIRE.
SO IN THE ORDINANCE, UNLESS CITY COUNCIL DECIDES OTHERWISE THEY WOULD ADVANCE TO THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS USUALLY A 2.5% INCREASE ON THEIR ANNIVERSARY DATE.
SO THAT THAT'S NOT INCLUDING ANYBODY ELSE OTHER THAN PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO, UM, IT WOULD NOT INCLUDE, SO THE, THIS ORDINANCE ONLY ADDRESSES SWORN PERSONNEL WITHIN THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO LIKE TELECOMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS ARE NOT CONSIDERED SWORN PERSONNEL.
SO THEY'RE NOT COVERED UNDER THIS ORDINANCE AS WELL AS ALL ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL WITHIN THOSE TWO DEPARTMENTS.
SO IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, 20, 23 BUDGET, DO WE HAVE, OR DO YOU HAVE ELENA THE TWO AND A HALF PERCENT THAT'S ALREADY IN THERE.
AND THEN THIS CHANGE, THE OPTION TWO THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH ALLOWS AS MAYOR, EM, TALKED ABOUT ANOTHER 5% RACE ON TOP OF THAT, CORRECT? A TOTAL OF 7.5%.
THERE'S A LITTLE COMPOUNDING IN THERE, BUT IT'S SEVEN POINT A HALF PERCENT, WHICH IN, IN TECHNICALITY TWO AND A HALF PERCENT IS AUTOMATICALLY THAT'S THERE.
UH, AND THEN THE 5%, WHICH TOTALS IT UP TO SEVEN AND HALF PERCENT FOR THIS YEAR, CORRECT? CORRECT.
IT COULD, IT'S REALLY HIGHER THAN THAT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
LET'S NOT GET TECHNICAL ON 7.5 1, 2, 3.
I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, ALL RIGHT.
SO, BUT, BUT THAT'S THE AMOUNT, RIGHT.
SO WHERE I'M GOING WITH, THIS IS NOW THE, IN THIS YEAR'S BU IN THIS 20, 23 BUDGET, WHAT IS ALLOCATED OR IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S ALLOCATED FOR GENERAL STAFF THAT WORKS FOR THE CITY OTHER THAN PUBLIC SAFETY STAFF? YEAH.
SO WITHIN THE BUDGET, WE HAVE A, UH, 3%, UH, INCREASE FOR, UM, NON-CIVIL SERVICE.
THAT'S SET ASIDE TO ADDRESS THE SALARY STUDY.
UM, THE FUNDING FOR, UH, ANY OF THE OPTIONS THAT ARE SELECTED IF SELECTED WOULD COME FROM THE $2 MILLION THAT SET ASIDE FOR ALL STAFF.
AND WILL THIS SEVEN AND WHATEVER CHANGE PERCENT IS AT A RIPPLE EFFECT IN MEANS, WHICH MEANS THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT CAN RECEIVE THIS WILL RECEIVE TWO OR THREE STEPS IN AND MEANS NOT JUST FEW PEOPLE, BUT EVERYBODY, YES.
THAT IT'S IN IT'S, UH, EVERYONE BASED ON THEIR ANNIVERSARY DATE, UM, THAT'S IN CIVIL SERVICE.
AND THOSE THAT WILL TOP OUT WILL THEN BE SUBJECT TO THE 10,000 LESS, UM, ANY AMOUNT FOR BRINGING THEM TO THE TOP STEP.
KEYWORD ANNIVERSARY DATE, AND SOME DO HAVE DIFFERENT DATES.
BE CAREFUL, BUT IN, IN, BUT IN RETROSPECT, ANYBODY THAT WORKS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY IS THAT'S QUALIFIED WILL GET THIS, ANY CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE.
AND MY COMMENT IS TO MY COLLEAGUES IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT 57 CENTS, UH, ON A, YOU KNOW, ON THE TAX BREAK, WE, THIS DOESN'T FIX THE PROBLEM, WHICH WE UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT THE ULTIMATE END OF THE PROBLEM, BUT THIS IS A, A START OF A WORK OF A SOLUTION THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS WITH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, OFF AND ASSOCIATIONS
[02:00:01]
AND OFFICERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THEM THERE.THE $10,000 ONE TIME BONUS THAT WAS GIVEN IS ALSO A CONSIDERATION FOR, FOR, TO CONSIDER THAT WHERE WE ARE NOT WE'RE LOSING OFFICERS OR FIREFIGHTERS, BUT WE'RE ALSO GETTING THAT AMOUNT OF GIVING THAT ONE TIME, HOPEFULLY THAT IF THEY COMPLETE ALL THEIR COURSES AND ALL THAT, THAT IS AN ADDITIONAL HELP TO THAT AGENCIES.
SO THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO RECRUIT, YOU KNOW, THE BEST, IF NOT, YOU KNOW, UM, SOME OF THEM THAT'S LOOKING FORWARD TO.
SO THAT'S THE GOAL ON, AND ALL OF THIS ELENA, JUST TO, FOR THE CITIZENS TO UNDERSTAND IT IS NOT THIS, THIS SEVEN AND A HALF, AND THIS TWO, 3% RAISE FOR THE GENERAL REGULARS.
I MEAN, ALL OTHER STAFF I SHOULD SAY DOES NOT INCLUDE A TAX RATE.
I MEAN, TAX INCREASE TO THE CITIZENS.
IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET WITH THE, UH, PROPOSED TAX RATE THAT THE MAXIMUM PROPOSED TAX RATE THAT WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL THERE.
SO THERE WOULD BE NO CHANGE TO THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
SO IN ORDER FOR US TO INCREASE IT, DO WE HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS, THE TAX RATE, IF YOU, UH, WELL IT'S, SINCE YOU ALREADY ADOPTED THE MAXIMUM PROPOSED TAX RATE THERE'S, BUT OTHERWISE YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE TO RIGHT WITH THE MAXIMUM, IF YOU WENT OVER THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, WHICH, UM, WAS A LITTLE OVER 58 CENTS, UM, YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS FOR THAT.
SO MY COMMENT IS, IS JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I THINK EVERYONE'S INTENTION IS TO DO MORE, UH, WITH LESS, UH, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE GOT AND WE'RE TRYING TO HELP AS, YOU KNOW, MITIGATE THE SITUATION AS POSSIBLE.
AND THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, WE CAN'T ADD MORE, BUT UNLESS ELENA, AS A FINANCE DIRECTOR, YOU TELL US IF THERE'S A WAY TO ADD MORE WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU ASKING ME RIGHT NOW? I'M ASKING THE QUESTION ASKING RIGHT NOW, IF WE'RE ABLE TO ADD MORE, ADD MORE, MORE MONEY TO, TO, TO, OR EVEN MORE POSITIONS TO ADD MORE WITHOUT RAISING A TAX FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023.
SO THE CITY MANAGER, UM, SUBMITTED HIS PROPOSED BUDGET TO YOU ALL, UM, IS SCHEDULED FOR ADOPTION ON SEPTEMBER 19TH AND ANY CHANGES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE TO THAT BUDGET CAN BE DONE.
UM, YOU DO HAVE A LISTING OF ALL OF THE SUPPLEMENTALS THAT WERE INCLUDED.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS THAT IS, UM, WITHIN YOUR ABILITY, AS FAR AS THE MAJORITY AND ALL THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, BUT YOU WERE ABLE TO PROPOSE OTHER CHANGES TO THE BUDGET PRIOR TO IT BEING ADOPTED.
I JUST WANNA THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR YOUR HARD WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE AND THINKING ABOUT EVERYBODY, CITIZENS, STAFF, AND ALL OF US.
TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION THERE, I GUESS IT'S FOR THE CITY MANAGER OR ANYONE CAN ANSWER THIS RELATIVE TO THE, UM, SALARY STUDY.
UH, WE HAVE A SALARY STUDY THAT'S SLATED FOR THIS YEAR, OCTOBER 1ST FOR OCTOBER THE FIRST.
AND WE SHOULD GET THOSE RESULTS BACK WHEN, HOPEFULLY BY DECEMBER, BY THE END OF THE YEAR, DECEMBER.
AND SO WITH THAT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ASSESS AND KNOW WHERE EVERYBODY IS ACROSS THE BOARD, NOT JUST PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT ALSO, UM, UH, ALL STAFF, JUST BASICALLY ALL STAFF WHERE WE ARE ACROSS THE BOARD BASED OFF OF THAT SALARY STUDY.
AND AT THAT TIME, WHAT WOULD BE OUR PLAN OF ACTION TO ADDRESS ANY SHORTAGES, IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE RESPECTIVE POSITIONS, CORRECT.
AFTER THE SALARY SURVEY, WE WILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR YOUR APPROVAL TO MAKE ANY CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, IF THERE ARE SALARIES OR EVEN LOWER AFTER YOU'VE DONE THE CITY'S SURVEY, YOU, YOU WOULD COME BACK TO COUNCIL TO MAKE AN AMEND AN ADJUSTMENT.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YES, SIR.
EVEN IF THOSE POSITIONS INCLUDE FIRE AND POLICE.
UM, AND THANK YOU ELENA, FOR, UM, YOUR RESPONSES, IF, UM, WHAT, WHAT'S THE COST THAT OPTION ONE WOULD COST US.
WE KNOW HOW MUCH OPTION TWO WOULD COST US.
WHAT'S THE COST OF, UH, OPTION ONE? UH, THE TOTAL COST FOR OPTION ONE IS 800, 7,487 AND VERSUS OPTION TWO, WHICH IS 700, 2001 74.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UM, MONICA, YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS WOULD APPLY TO ALL THE, YOU SAID SWORN OFFICERS.
SO IS THAT FROM THE CHIEF ON DOWN? SO THE CHIEF IS NOT, UH, CLASSIFIED AS CIVIL SERVICE.
SO IT'S ASSISTANT CHIEF AND DOWN FOR BOTH DEPARTMENTS.
[02:05:01]
WOULD HIS RAISE BE IN THERE TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP OUR CHIEF, I'M SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT THAT'S ALRIGHT.THESE ARE, I BELIEVE EITHER WITHIN THE CHARTER ORDINANCE, IT STATES THAT THE CITY MANAGER SETS THE SALARIES.
I THINK FOR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS.
AM I? SO, SO IS, IS, IS WHEN WE'RE DOING ALL OF THIS FOR OUR, UH, POLICE OFFICERS IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION FOR YOU, CEDRIC, WHERE IS THE CHIEF'S, UH, INCREASE IN PAY ON THIS? WE HAVEN'T EVALUATED THAT YET.
WE WAS LOOKING AT CIVIL SERVICE AT THE TIME.
DO YOU HAVE A PROJECTION ON THE TIMEFRAME? I MEAN, WE'RE GIVING HIS STAFF PROPOSED RAISES AND WE HAVEN'T INCLUDED OUR CHIEF.
THE TIME WILL BE BASED ON THE SALARY SURVEY, BASICALLY LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT WE'RE NOT BASING ON EVERYBODY ELSE.
WE'RE NOT BASING ON EVERYBODY ELSE.
WE'RE VOTING IN REGARDS TO SALARY INCREASES FOR THE 20, 23 YEAR BUDGET.
SO HOW ARE YOU, HOW ARE YOU STATING THAT HE IS WITHOUT, TO BE BASED ON THE SALARY STUDY? THE, THE SALARY STUDY INCLUDES ALL POSITIONS MM-HMM
IT WON'T BE THE SALARY SURVEY.
IT'D BE ACTUALLY THE 3% HE WILL BE GETTING, BECAUSE HE'S NOT A CIVIL SERVICE.
DOES THAT INCLUDE THE FIRE CHIEF AS WELL? YES.
AND SO WITH THAT, IF THERE'S NO OTHER COMMENTS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RULES, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO AMEND YOUR, UM, YOUR MOTION TO, UM, BE CONTINGENT? WHAT YOU STATED TO BE CONTINGENT ON THE SALARY SURVEY SO THAT WE CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS LATER ON? I MEAN, I'M OPEN FOR ANYTHING, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT HAS TO BE A MOTION CUZ THE SALARY SURVEY'S ALREADY GONNA HAPPEN.
WE GOT, BUT IT HASN'T HAPPENED RFPS.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT HAS TO BE IN THE, IN THE MOTION.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IF, IF IT NEEDED TO BE, MAKE THAT OKAY.
IT'S ALREADY IN EIGHT, RIGHT? OKAY.
JUST A MATTER OF SELECTING THE FIRM NOW.
UM, I'LL MAKE A COMMENT BEFORE WE GET READY TO VOTE.
I DON'T WANNA VOTE AGAINST THIS ITEM AND SEEM LIKE I'M NOT IN SUPPORT OF OUR FIRE AND PD GETTING SOME INCREASE, BUT I'M ALSO DISAPPOINTED THAT WE'RE WAITING TO THE END OF THE BUDGET YEAR TO ACTUALLY CONSIDER THIS.
IT'S NOT ADDRESSING RETENTION, IT'S NOT ADDRESSING, UM, THEM BEING COMPETITIVE AND IT'S JUST A SMALL, I GUESS, FIX FOR A TEMPORARY, UM, POINT IN TIME.
AND WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE THOSE ISSUES, I GUESS, FIXING THEM VERY SLOWLY.
SO I JUST SAID THIS, UM, I WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN.
I'M JUST REALLY SADDEN THAT WE'RE TAKING, UM, THIS ACTION DURING ELECTION TIME AND AT THE END OF THEIR BUDGET.
WELL ACTUALLY THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING WE'VE ADDRESSED YEARS AGO.
I'VE BEEN SEEING THIS IN MY, UM, LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE LAST TWO YEARS AND IT'S BEEN IGNORED.
SO IT'S JUST VERY, YOU KNOW, COINCIDENTAL THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS DURING ELECTION TIME AND IT STILL DOESN'T ACTUALLY MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR OFFICERS.
CAN I ASK ONE LAST QUESTION? UM, BECAUSE SERGEANT MENTIONED, UM, IT DOESN'T, IT CAUSES A DECOMPRESSION.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UM, ARE WE ADDRESSING THE RETENTION AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR SALARY'S ON PAR? I KNOW WE CAN'T OFFICIALLY SAY OUR SALARY'S ON PART CUZ WE HAVE THIS STUDY CUZ THAT WAS NOT DONE IN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT DOES THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENT? WILL THAT ADDRESS THE NEEDS IF WE GO WITH OPTION TWO? SO THIS OPTION WOULD BE IN PLACE.
SO MOVING THREE STEPS INSTEAD OF ONE STEP WOULD BE IN PLACE UNTIL IF COUNCIL WANTED TO ADOPT A NEW PAY PLAN.
UM, AS A RESULT OF THE SALARY STUDY, THEN THE NEW PAY PLAN WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AND TAKE THE PLACE OF THIS THREE STEP OPTION.
IF COUNCIL DOES NOT IMPLEMENT A NEW PAY PLAN WITHIN FISCAL YEAR 2023, THEN IT WOULD REVERT BACK TO JUST ONLY ADVANCING ONE STEP.
SO CAN, CAN I MAKE THIS COMMENT, UM, TO THE CITY MANAGER THAT AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE SOME DIALOGUE WITH, UM, OUR POLICE OFFICERS CHIEFS, THE ASSOCIATION SO THAT WE CAN HEAR DIRECTLY FROM, FROM THEM.
WHAT DO THEY SEE IS IN THEIR BEST INTEREST? UM, SO THAT AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE, WE'RE AT LEAST HAVING THEM, UM, THEIR THOUGHT PROCESS.
WHAT THEY FEEL IS EQUITABLE BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE UP HERE VOTING, WE'RE, WE'RE VOTING BASED ON Y'ALL'S RECOMMENDATION AND THE INFORMATION THAT YOU PRESENTED WITH US.
AND WE DON'T KNOW SOME OF THE BACK INFORMATION THAT'S GOING ON.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE REALLY BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THIS PROCESS BECAUSE THIS IS ALL JUST THROWN, UM, AT US.
[02:10:01]
MUCH, HOW MANY DOCUMENTS Y'ALL SEND US, YOU KNOW, AT THE LAST MINUTE IT'S, IT'S NOT REALLY A FAIR DECISION BECAUSE WE COULD, WE CAN ALL VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS AND STILL BE, BE DOING THE WRONG THING, YOU KNOW? YES.WELL, I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA THAT WE'RE JUST GIVING 'EM SOMETHING JUST SO WE CAN SAY, WELL, WE GAVE YOU SOMETHING THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
THAT'S THAT'S NOT HOW WE, WE CREATE EQUITY AND WE ARE LISTED AS A SAFE CITY AND WE ARE THE SHOW ME.
SO WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SETTING THE EXAMPLE.
AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE US HAVE MORE DIALOGUE AND COMMUNICATION WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE RISKING THEIR LIVES, WHO ARE DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, WHO HAVE TO SEE TRAUMA THAT WE WOULD NEVER, EVER EVEN BE IMAGINED.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THESE PEOPLE, OUR CIVIL SERVICE OFFICERS AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT.
WE CAN'T HAVE A SHOWME CITY IF THEY'RE NOT KEEPING US SAFE OUT THERE.
SO I REALLY WANNA CHARGE YOU TO HAVE MORE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY BEING AFFECTED BY THIS COUNCILWOMAN RILEY.
IF I MAY ADD, IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS, THEN GIVE IT TO THEM BECAUSE WE GIVE DIRECTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS TO THEM.
THEY'RE NOT COMING BACK HERE, GIVING US WHAT WE SHOULD DO.
SO IF YOU HAVE A BETTER SUGGESTION THAN THE SEVEN POINT A HALF PERCENT, THIS IS THE TIME TO DO IT.
I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP.
AND AS I CONTINUE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS, I WILL MAKE SUGGESTIONS.
SO, SO YOU'RE SAYING, I JUST HEARD YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE NOT HAPPY WITH, I CAN'T JUST THROW OUT RANDOM NUMBERS.
IF OUR, OUR, OUR DIRECTOR FINANCE DIRECTOR DOESN'T HAVE CHANCE TO, TO CALCULATE THOSE NUMBERS PROPERLY.
SO ME MAKING A SUGGESTION IS NOT FEASIBLE RIGHT NOW.
IF OUR DIRECTOR DOESN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN ALL THE RIGHT CALCULATIONS BECAUSE THERE'S NOT JUST THESE RAISES, WE HAVE, I HAVE TO FACTOR IN WHEN I'M VOTING, HOW DOES THIS IMPACT OUR, OUR TAX RATE? SO, NO, I'M NOT GONNA MAKE A SE SUGGESTION RIGHT NOW ON THE DI I'LL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH HER AFTER THIS IS OVER TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS.
WE HAD THREE BUDGET SESSION MEETINGS AND I WAS AT ALL THREE OF THEM.
I KNOW, I DIDN'T SAY YOU WEREN'T.
YOU HAD OPTIONS TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS, NOT RIGHT NOW, RIGHT BEFORE WE'RE VOTING ON AND SAYING THAT, GO AHEAD AND MAKE A SUGGESTION.
I MEAN THE, THE STAFF DOESN'T DICTATE HOW, WHAT PERCENT, WHAT SHOULD WE DO? IT'S US THE SEVEN OF US, RIGHT? GIVE SUGGESTIONS AND, AND SEE IF THEY CAN MAKE IT WORK.
THEY DON'T VERY RARELY THEY COME UP AND THEY SAY, WELL, HERE'S THE, HERE'S WHAT WE THINK NOW IT'S AGAIN, IT'S UP TO THE SEVEN OF US UP HERE TO SAY, WELL, CAN WE DO MORE? CAN WE DO LESS? I MEAN, WHAT CAN WE DO? IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN DO? SO I THINK TO STAFF, WE NEEDED TO BE LOOKING AT SAYING, WE NEED TO GIVE THEM IDEAS AND WE NEED TO GIVE 'EM SUGGESTIONS TO SAY THEY CAME BACK TO US WITHOUT RAISING A TAX AND STILL GIVING A 7.5%.
AND I AGREE THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH, BUT UNLESS IF WE TELL THEM THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DON'T REALLY CARE FOR THE TAX RATE.
WE WANT TO GIVE X AMOUNT OF MONEY TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND TO OTHERS.
THEN THAT'S WHAT THEY WILL COME BACK WITH.
UH, I DIDN'T HEAR ANY CONVERSATIONS OF LET'S IT'S OKAY.
WE CAN GO UP ON A PENNY BECAUSE A PENNY IS ABOUT $800,000, RIGHT? AND THEY CAME BACK TO US WITH WHAT THEY HAVE WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF ADDING 27 NEW EDITION ADDITION POSITIONS THAT WE NEVER HAD IN THIS CITY.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN ANY CITY COUNCIL THAT APPROVED 27 BRAND NEW POSITIONS WITHOUT RAISING TAX IN THIS CITY.
AND ALSO ADDING 7.5% TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
THAT'S NOT JUST PD, THAT'S FIRE EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND TO BE ABLE TO GIVE A 3%, A 3% INCREASE TO EVERY STAFF MEMBER THAT WE HAVE WORKING FOR THE CITY, SOME SOMETHING SORT OF 400, SOME PEOPLE TOTAL.
SO I THINK IF WE HAVE SUGGESTIONS, LET'S GIVE IT TO THEM.
LET'S TELL 'EM WHAT IT IS THAT, THAT, THAT WE WANT TO SEE THEM DO.
AND RATHER THAN SAYING, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO DO IT CUZ WE HAD THREE BUDGET SESSIONS TO DO SO.
AND THAT'S ALL I'M MAKING COMMENT ACTUALLY, MAYOR SHE DID, UM, RECOMMEND THAT WE SPEAK WITH THE POA AND HAVE THEM FRONT AND CENTER WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS.
SO FOR YOU TO JUST PUT HER ON THE SPOT AND ASK FOR THOSE NUMBERS, I PUT HER ON THE SPOT.
SO AGAIN FOR YOU TO PUT HER IN A SPOT AND DEMAND THAT SHE ACTUALLY HAVE THOSE NUMBERS, THAT WILL PRETTY MUCH GO AGAINST WHAT HER RECOMMENDATION WAS TO ENGAGE THOSE OFFICERS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING THE BEST DECISION, AS OPPOSED TO JUST GIVING THEM SOMETHING LIKE HERE THAT MAKE Y'ALL JUST HAPPY AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA MAKE THEM HAPPY.
IT'S NOT GONNA, UM, PRETTY MUCH FIX THE ISSUES WE HAVE ROUGHLY SIX OFFICERS ON THE, THE, THE SHIFT.
HOW DO YOU CONSIDER THAT SAFE? HOW DO YOU
[02:15:01]
CONSIDER THAT? HOW DO YOU CONSIDER THAT SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH MAYOR I'D I'D LIKE TO, UH, JUST STATE, UH, AND CALL FOR THE QUESTION SO WE CAN VOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OFFERING OR MAKING SURE THAT WITHIN THE BUDGET AND I WANNA SAY NOT ONLY THIS BUDGET, BUT ALSO IN THE MIDST OF A TAX DECREASE, CUZ WE HAVE ALSO AS A COUNCIL VOTED TO DECREASE THE TAX RATE THIS YEAR SEVEN AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE IN SALARIES, WHICH IS MORE THAN ANY OTHER, UH, POSITIONS IN, UH, STAFF IN THE CITY, UH, ALONG WITH THE 3%.BUT ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAVE A SURVEY SALARY SURVEY THAT WILL BE IN THE MIDST BY THE END, WE'LL GET THAT BACK BY THE END OF THE YEAR TO REALLY ASSESS WHERE WE ARE.
BUT I WANT TO STATE THAT WE DID HEAR FROM THE POA AS WELL AS FIRE, UH, REPRESENTATIVES, UH, DURING THE BUDGET CYCLES, UH, CONSTANTLY.
AND AT THE LAST MEETING, THERE WAS A PRESENTATION.
AND THE REASON THAT WE HAVE THESE OPTIONS TODAY IS BECAUSE OF SUGGESTIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED, UH, BY THE, UH, THE ORGANIZATIONS.
SO, UM, THE FACT THAT WE NOW HAD TWO ADDITIONAL OPTIONS, INCLUDING THE ONE THAT'S BEEN MOTIONED AND SECONDED, IT IS BECAUSE OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO US, UH, BY THOSE ENTITIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE, WE HAVE HEARD FROM A POA AND, AND FIRE AND WE HAVEN'T IGNORED ANYONE.
I KNOW I HAVEN'T, I'VE LISTENED TO ALL OF THE CONVERSATIONS.
I'M, I'M VERY, VERY, UH, ASTUTE AND I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED BEFORE ME.
SO I KNOW WHAT I'M VOTING ON TODAY WITH CONFIDENCE.
AND I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE OUR POLICE OFFICERS A WELL DESERVED 7.5%, UM, RAISE IN SALARY.
UH, IF, IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE BODY MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
UH, VICE PRESIDENT MCCLELLAN SAID SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT AND IT WAS AROUND RETENTION AND RECRUITING.
AND THE REAL DEAL IS, IS THAT APPLIES ACROSS THE BOARD POLICE, FIRE AND OUR, AND OUR DIRECTORS AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS IN ALL DOWNSTREAM.
THE REAL ISSUE IS, IS THAT WE'RE IN A COMPRESSION FOR TAX.
IF WE GO ANY HIGHER THAN WE HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS.
AND AS I STATE IN THE LAST MEETING, I BELIEVE WE'RE AT THAT POINT.
I BELIEVE THAT IF SASHI NEEDS IS TWO PEOPLE TO MAKE ANIMAL SHELTER WORK, THEN WE NEED TO GO TO THE VOTERS FOR THAT.
CUZ ALLS WE'RE DOING IS TRYING TO FIT A 10 POUND.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIT IT ALL IN, WITHIN OUR BUDGET.
WE HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS SOONER OR LATER TO FIX RETENTION ACROSS THE BOARD, TO FIX RECRUITING ACROSS THE BOARD AND TO FIX MORALE.
SO SOONER OR LATER, HOPEFULLY WHEN WE GET THE BUDGET BACK, I MEAN THE MARKETING STUDY BACK, MAYBE IT'S MARCH, MAYBE IT'S PRIMARIES, WHATEVER, OR MAY FOR SCHOOL ELECTIONS.
WE GO TO THE VOTERS AND SAY, WE NEED TO RAISE OUR TAXES TO PROVIDE YOU BETTER SERVICES.
UH, MAYOR, I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER.
I THINK THAT'S A HUGE CONTRADICTION.
WE HAVE JUST PROVIDED A TAX EXEMPTION FOR OUR SENIOR CITIZENS.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO THE RESIDENTS AND RAISE THE TAXES.
HOW ARE WE SAVING ON ONE END? AND THEN GOING BACK AND ASKING THE RESIDENTS TO PAY MORE.
IN MY OPINION, WE HAVE SPENT MONEY IN OTHER PLACES THAT HAS PUT US IN THIS POSITION, GIVEN PARKS AND RECREATION, ADDITIONAL MONEY DOING, UM, CONSTRUCTION ON THE CITY HALL, INSIDE AND OUT, RIGHT RECONSTRUCTING THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
I MEAN I CAN GO ON AND ON, ON THINGS THAT WE HAVE SPENT MONEY ON.
AND NOW WE'RE IN THIS POSITION WHERE WE ARE PENNY PENSION AND YOU CAN SAY, I'M NOT GOING AGAINST US SAYING THAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS DON'T NEED A RAISE COMMUNICATIONS, NEED A RAISE, SASHI, DON'T NEED A RAISE.
THE PROBLEM IS WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WHEN WE HAVE NO ONE TO ADDRESS OUR SAFETY NEEDS, YOUR CHILD GETS IN A, UM, SITUATION WHERE SHE'S ROBBED.
WE DON'T HAVE NO ONE TO REPORT TO THAT.
NO WE'RE GONNA CALL THE OFFICERS AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE IT.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE PRIORITIZED AND WE HAVE FAILED AS A CITY AND A AS ELECTED OFFICIALS VOTING ON DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAS PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE WE CANNOT ACTUALLY AFFORD TO ACCOMMODATE OUR BIGGEST DEPARTMENT, OUR BIGGEST DEPARTMENT.
SO I'M DEFINITELY AGAINST YOU SAYING US HAVING TO RAISE THE TAXES AGAIN.
IT'S A CONTRADICTION, BUT THAT'S MY, MY COMMENT.
SO YOUR NUMBER ONE STATEMENT ACROSS THE BOARD, JUST, LET'S JUST, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, OKAY.
YOUR NUMBER ONE STATEMENT ACROSS THE BOARD HAS ALWAYS TO GO OUT AND GET PUBLIC INPUT RIGHT LONG WITH YOUR, YOUR COMMENT, SIR.
I THINK THAT'S AN ACCURATE STATEMENT.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS LET'S CONTINUE WORKING AND BE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBLE, RIGHT.
BUT SOONER OR LATER WE HAVE TO GO WITH WHAT YOU SAY AND GO TO THE PEOPLE AND SAY, WHAT DO YOU WANT? DO YOU WANT
[02:20:01]
MORE OFFICERS? AND THEN PROBABLY YOU'RE GONNA SAY ABSOLUTELY YES.AND THEN MY DAUGHTER WILL BE SAFER TODAY.
WE HAVE SIX PEOPLE ON THE ROAD AND PROBABLY TWO HAVE TO RESPOND TO ONE URGENT MATTER.
SO NOW WE REALLY HAVE FOUR AND THEY'RE ALL PROBABLY ON ONE SIDE OF TOWN, WE GOT A PROBLEM.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I WANNA GO BACK TO YOUR WORDS.
LET'S GO OUT AND GET PUBLIC INPUT.
DO YOU WANT MORE POLICE? DO YOU WANT MORE FIRE? DO YOU WANT MORE PEOPLE TO HELP AT THE SHELTER? THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY POINT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS I WANNA, UH, FINISH MY COMMENT MAYOR.
YOU SAID A LOT IN YOUR STATEMENT DIRECTED TOWARDS ME AND I'M GOING TO GO AGAIN WITH WHAT I STATED, UH, CEDRIC, I'M GONNA, UH, ASK YOU AS WE GO FORWARD AND WHICH IS WHAT I SAID IN THE FIRST PLACE AS WE GO FORWARD, UM, PLEASE CONSULT AND HAVE COMMUNICATIONS.
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE DIALOGUE WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRE DEPARTMENT AND KIND OF GETTING MORE, UH, INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM THEM TO SEE IF WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON IS WHAT THEY THINK IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO WORK, TO RETAIN AND TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT GOING FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THE BEST EDUCATED DECISIONS UP HERE.
SO THAT WAS MY SUGGESTION EARLIER, UM, AS IT RELATES TO, UM, WHAT MORE CAN WE DO IS WHAT FAR AS FINANCES WISE, ELENA, I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, COORDINATE ANY OTHER OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO, UM, TO BE ABLE TO SEE IF WE CAN INCREASE ANY HIGHER THAN 3% FOR ALL OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING ALL THAT WE CAN TO, TO PRESS INTO THIS BUDGET, TO GIVE OUR OFFICERS OUR CIVIL SERVICES, WHAT THEY NEED AS WELL.
SO I STILL STAND ON WHAT I STATED AND I'D APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD MAKE THAT CONNECTION AS WELL.
UH, CEDRIC, ONE MORE THING, JUST SO THAT THE OFFICERS HERE TONIGHT KNOW, UM, WE WERE DEBRIEFED ON BOTH OPTION ONE AND TWO.
SO I DON'T WANT ANYONE THINKING THAT WE DIDN'T LOOK AT OPTION ONE AT THE HUNT 800, $7,000.
UH, BUT THERE WAS CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE WERE, UH, PROVIDED THAT PROBABLY DIDN'T WORK OUT BEST FOR THE CITY OR YOURSELVES.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT POINT.
YES, CEDRIC, I HAVE MET WITH THE POA AND WE CONTINUE THAT RELATIONSHIP AND BE TRANSPARENT WITH EACH OTHER.
WELL, I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR ALL OF THEIR INFORMATION.
UH, TONIGHT I KNOW THIS WAS A VERY DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX, UH, CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING UP HERE ON THE DIAS AND WITH EVERYBODY THAT'S PRESENT.
SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UM, AND I'M GONNA SAY ON RECORD, I REALLY PRAY THAT WE'RE DOING THE, THE ABSOLUTE BEST THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN.
THESE ARE MY COMMENTS AS REFLECTED OF ME AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO MAINTAIN ALL OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO RECRUIT THE BEST AND KEEP THE BEST.
UM, PUBLIC SAFETY IS THE NUMBER ONE REASON PEOPLE MOVE HERE WHILE THEY STAY HERE AND THEY WANT TO CONSIDER DOING BUSINESS HERE.
AND IF AT ALL MY OTHER SUGGESTION TO, UH, YOU CEDRIC, IF YOU COULD, UH, THE POLICE POLICE, UH, CHIEF ASKS FOR 15 OFFICER WAS GIVEN FOUR.
IF THERE IS ANY WAY THAT WE CAN INCREASE THAT TO AT LEAST 10, UH, TO GIVE THE RELIEF TO OUR OTHER OFFICERS, PLEASE, UH, RUN THOSE NUMBERS SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT DATA AS WELL.
CUZ I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US HAVING MORE OPTIONS OF HAVING MORE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, POLICE OFFICERS OUT THERE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER RILEY MAY, UM, MENTION SOMETHING ON THAT.
SO LAST TIME WE SPOKE ABOUT THAT, WE FOUND THAT WE HAD A SHORTFALL IN THE BUDGET.
SO THE CFO HAD TO FIND $400,000 IN THE RESERVE TO PAY FOR RETIREMENT.
I WOULD NEED 15 PEOPLE AND I KNOW WHAT A BEAT IS CAUSE I'VE DONE SOME OF THAT WITH OFFICERS.
BUT IF WE'RE ALREADY SHORT $400,000, THEN HOW DO WE FUND 10 PEOPLE? THAT'S MY QUESTION TO YOU.
HOW DO WE DO IT? CUZ I'M ALL IN MM-HMM
OH, I FOLLOW YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT.
SO I'M WITH YOU EIGHT, 10 OR 12 OR 15.
WE'VE GROWN THE WHOLE WEST SIDE WHERE YOU KNOW, THE NEW BOEY THEATER IS THAT REQUIRES FIVE POLICE ALONE.
MM-HMM
THAT'S BEEN A MOTION AND A SECOND, THERE ARE NO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTIONS SAY AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO THE MOTIONS SAY NO MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO
[(a) Consideration and Possible Action - A resolution designating Wells Far...]
I'M NUMBER 11, 11 A SMEAR.IF I COULD, UH, I, I WAITED THERE'S UH, SOME COMMENTS I'D LIKE TO MAKE, BUT I DIDN'T WANNA MAKE 'EM DURING THE, UH, THE, THE, UH, DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD ON, UH, UH, THE SALARY FOR RETENTION OF, UH, OUR OFFICERS.
[02:25:01]
AND I THAT'S POSSIBLE, WE ALREADY MADE A, I'M SORRY, WE'RE HEARD A VOTED ON THIS.I'M NOT TRYING TO DO ANYTHING.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE A STATEMENT.
CAN YOU DO THAT IN THE COUNCIL COMMENTS IF YOU DON'T MIND.
ITEM 11, A RESOLUTIONS, UH, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS DESIGNATING WELLS FARGO, NATIONAL BANK BANK.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION IS A PRIMARY DEPOSITORY FOR THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY FUNDS IMPROVING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF A DEPOSITORY SERVICES CONTRACT WITH WELLS FARGO BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AUTHORIZING THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNATED EXECUTED DEPOSITORY SERVICES CONTRACT WITH WELLS FARGO BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR THE DEPOSIT TRANSFER AND WITHDRAWAL OF CITY OF MISSOURI CITY FUNDS ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR THE BORROWING OF FUNDS, ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR THE APPROVAL RELEASE OR SUBSTITUTION OF SECURITIES PLEDGED TO SECURE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY DEPOSITS, REPEALING ANY AND ALL RESOLUTIONS IN CONFLICT HERE WITH AND CONTAINING OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT.
I THINK YOU PRETTY MUCH STATED IT ALL.
UM, SO CHAPTER 1 0 5 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, UH, REGULATES THE CITY'S BANKING SERVICES AMONG THE REQUIREMENTS, IS THAT A DEPOSITORY CONTRACT TERM NOT EXCEED FIVE YEARS.
THE LAST DEPOSITORY CONTRACT WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL WITH THE RESOLUTION 1720 AND THE CONTRACT WILL EXPIRE SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2022, UH, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE CITY'S INVESTMENT ADVISOR VALLEY VIEW, LLC, UH, ON JUNE 8TH, 2022, WE ISSUED A REQUEST FOR APPLICATION IN ORDER TO, UM, GET RESPONSES FROM BANKS TO BECOME OUR DEPOSITORY, UH, PROVIDER.
THE PROPOSALS WERE EVALUATED USING THE EVALUATION CRITERIA THAT WAS OUTLINED IN THE RFA AND STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT CITY COUNCIL NAMED WELLS FARGO BANK AS A DEPOSITORY FOR THE CITY FOR A FIVE YEAR TERM.
WELLS FARGO IS, UH, THE BANK FOR THE CITY CURRENTLY THEY'RE THE INCUMBENT AND THERE WOULD BE NO TRANSITION NECESSARY.
WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM TIM, TIM PINN WHO'S WITH VALLEY VIEW OUR INVESTMENT ADVISORS TO GO OVER THE PROCESS.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO JUST A QUICK, UH, OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT AND WHAT WENT INVOLVED IN MAKING THE DECISION.
SO AS LENA MENTIONED, IT IS PART OF CHAPTER 1 0 5 THAT EVERY FIVE YEAR CITIES GO OUT FOR, TO REQUEST APPLICATIONS FROM DE DEPOSITORIES TO SERVE AS THE CITY'S DEPOSITORY.
UH, AND THIS CURRENT, UH, CONTRACT DOES END AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.
THE NEW ONE WILL BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER.
IT'S SET UP FOR A TWO YEAR CONTRACT WITH THREE, ONE YEAR RENEWALS.
SO THERE ARE SEVERAL CODES THAT, UH, GOVERN THE PROCESS CHAPTER 1 0 5, AS ELENA MENTIONED, THERE'S THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, PUBLIC FUND INVESTMENT ACT AND THE PUBLIC FUND COLLATERAL ACTS.
SO ALL OF THOSE ACTED AS GUIDES FOR, UH, HOW WE CONDUCTED THE PROCESS, THE STEPS SO INVOLVED.
WE LOOKED ONE AT FIRST OF ALL, WE LOOKED AT THE CITY'S HISTORICAL USAGE OF BANK SERVICES, AND WE USED THAT TO CONSTRUCT A FEE SCHEDULE THAT WE COULD DO AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON OF HOW THE RESPONDING BANKS WOULD CHARGE THE CITY FOR THE BANKING SERVICES.
UH, AND SO WE REVIEWED WHAT SERVICES THE CITY WAS CURRENTLY USING.
UH, JUST KIND OF, IT WAS USED IT AS A, A CHECKUP TO SEE, IS THERE ANYTHING THE CITY COULD BE USING THAT THEY'RE NOT? UH, AND THEY'VE REALLY GOT A VERY COMPREHENSIVE, UH, SUITE OF PRODUCTS THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY USING NEXT STEP WAS TO DETERMINE ALL OF THE ELIGIBLE BANKS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF MISSOURI CITY.
AND THERE ARE 13 BANKING INSTITUTIONS IN THE CITY.
NEXT THING WAS, WE CONTACTED A REPRESENTATIVE FROM ALL OF THOSE BANKS BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU SEND THOSE RFA PACKETS, IT ENDS UP ON THE WRONG DESK, IT SITS THERE AND YOU DON'T GET A RESPONSE.
WE MADE SURE THAT ALL 13 BANKS WERE CONTACTED.
THEY KNEW THE CITY WAS ISSUING THE RFA.
UH, AND THEN WE DRAFTED THAT RFA TO BE SENT OUT ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS PER 1 0 5 IS TO ADVERTISE IN THE PAPER.
UH, AND THEN WE POSTED THE RFA ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, SEND EMAILS TO ALL OF THE BANKERS TO LET THEM KNOW, UH, THAT THE CITY WAS SOLICITING RFAS FOR DEPOSITORY.
UH, AT THE END OF THE PROCESS, WE RECEIVED APPLICATIONS FROM TWO BANKS, UH, JP MORGAN CHASE AND WELLS FARGO BANK.
HERE'S A LIST OF THE, THE CRITERIA THAT WE'RE USED.
AND I THINK THAT GOES, UH, TO SHOW THE, THE LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY.
THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF INVOLVE QUITE A BIT TO CONSIDER, UH, WHEN EVALUATING THE APPLICATIONS.
UM, AND SO, BUT THESE ARE REALLY THE KEY ELEMENTS.
SO WHAT ARE THEY CHARGING FOR THEIR SERVICES? UH, WHAT KIND OF AN EARNINGS CREDIT ARE THEY OFFERING TO THE CITY TO OFFSET BANK SERVICE FEES? ARE THEY PAYING THE CITY INTEREST ON YOUR BALANCES? AND IF SO, WHAT IS THAT? UH, DO THEY ADD ANY CONTRACT INCENTIVES, SOMETIMES THEY'LL WAIVE
[02:30:01]
FEES, UH, AND THEN YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEIR BANKING CAP CAPABILITIES ARE UP TO STANDARDS AND GONNA MEET THE CITY'S NEEDS.SO WE TOOK ALL THAT INFORMATION WE SENT THAT FEE SCHEDULE SO THAT THEY'RE ALL RESPONDING TO THE SAME LIST OF SERVICES.
UH, AND WHAT WE DID FOR THE ANALYSIS IS WE LOOKED BACK AT THE CITY'S AVERAGE BANK BALANCES FOR THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS.
AND SO WE TOOK THAT AVERAGE AND WE USED THAT FOR OUR CALCULATIONS.
JP MORGAN OFFERED TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
ONE WAS THAT THEY WOULD WAIVE ALL FEES.
IF THE CITY KEPT $4 MILLION IN NON-INTEREST BEARING ACCOUNTS, THE OTHER ONE WAS KIND OF A TRADITIONAL BANKING ARRANGEMENT WHERE THEY OFFERED IN EARNINGS CREDIT RATE ON THE BALANCES.
UH, AND THEN YOU COULD EARN INTEREST ON OTHER BALANCES, NOT NEEDED WELLS FARGO, UH, WHICH IS WHAT THE CURRENT ARRANGEMENT IS, IS SWEEPING ALL OF THE CITY'S FUNDS INTO AN INVESTMENT ACCOUNT TO EARN HARD INTEREST.
SO THEY'RE NOT OFFSETTING THE FEES, BUT THEY'RE COMPENSATING THE CITY WITH, WITH INTEREST EARNED ON THE BALANCES.
SO WE BROKE IT INTO TWO GROUPS.
ONE IS THE FIRST TWO YEARS AND THE OTHER IS THE FULL FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
SO SOMETIMES ONE CAN VARY BETWEEN THE OTHER, AS FAR AS WHICH BANK IS BETTER OFF IN THIS CASE.
WELLS FARGO PROVIDED THE BETTER RETURN TO THE CITY OVERALL.
UM, AND SO YOU CAN SEE EVEN WITH THE NO WAIVER FEE, ONE, ONE OTHER NOTE, UM, JP MORGAN DOES NOT OFFER SAFE KEEPING SERVICES WHERE THE, THEY HOLD THE CITY'S SECURITIES.
WELLS FARGO DOES OFFER THAT IN HOUSE.
JP MORGAN OFFERS IT THROUGH BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON.
SO EVEN WITH THE WAIVER, THOSE, THOSE ARE STILL HARD CHARGES THERE.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, OR AT THE END OF THAT FIRST TWO YEARS, YOU CAN SEE THAT WELLS FARGO, UH, PROVIDES THE BETTER RETURN, UH, TO THE CITY AND THEN TAKING THOSE NUMBERS AND, AND MULTIPLYING THEM OUT OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD, UH, THAT REMAINS IN PLACE.
WELLS FARGO IS STILL THE BETTER FINANCIAL, UH, RETURN OF THE TWO OPTIONS.
SO THE CITY RECOMMENDS STAYING WITH WELLS FARGO.
WE CONCUR WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THEY OFFERED THE MOST FAVORABLE TERMS. THEY'VE GOT A PROVEN TRACK RECORD.
IT'S ESTABLISHED WITH THE CITY AND STAYING WITH THE INCUMBENT, ELIMINATES THE, THE WORK THAT DOES GO INTO CHANGING BANKS.
SO IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO, TO ANSWER THOSE I'VE TAKEN OVER THE GAVEL.
UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTION, IS THERE A MOTION, MOTION IMPROVE? OKAY.
SECOND IS ANY, ANY DISCUSSION HEARING? NONE.
[(b) Consideration and Possible Action - A resolution authorizing the submi...]
11, B A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION OF A BULLET RESISTANT SHIELD GRANT PROGRAM APPLICATION TO THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR AND CONTAINING OTHER PROVISIONS RELATED THERE TOO.PROPOSED PRESENTER IS MS. RACHEL MURRAY.
WE ARE PRESENTING BEFORE YOU FOR THE DE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO REQUEST APPLICATION THROUGH OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION TO APPLY FOR 10 BALLISTIC RESISTANT SHIELDS FOR THE DEPARTMENT THERE IN THE AMOUNT OF APPROXIMATELY 50,000, JUST UNDER $50,000.
AND THERE IS NO MATCH TO THIS GRANT ALL.
IS THERE A MOTION MOTION? ALL RIGHT.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MARRUS MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN CLOUDER.
ANY DISCUSSION? ANY QUESTIONS HEARING? NONE.
ANY OPPOSED? SAME SIGN MOTION PASSES.
[12. CITY COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS]
NOW WE MOVE ON TO ITEM 12 CITY COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS.PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIM, JUST WANNA SAY, UM, SEMI CONDOS OUT TO A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, DANNY WYNN.
UM, HE BURIED HIS FATHER ON LAST WEEKEND AND I WAS, UH, FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO JOIN MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER CLAUSE AS WE BOTH PRESENTED, UM, RESOLUTION, UH, NOT RESOLUTION BUT RECOGNITION FOR DANNY WINN'S WORK IN THE CITY.
UM, WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS ALSO TO TEXAS LEAGUERS, UM, BREWERY, WHICH IS IN DISTRICT A I EXCITED ABOUT THAT THEY, UH, SPONSORED THEIR NEWEST, UM, BEER CALLED DOWN THE PIKE IN REFERENCE TO, UH, MISSOURI CITY.
WANNA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET OUT THERE AND GO PURCHASE A CAN OR A CASE OF THAT BECAUSE THE PROCEEDS DO GO BACK TOWARDS OUR MISSOURI CITY PARKS FOUNDATION, UH, WANNA SAY THANKS AGAIN TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UH, JASON AND HIS ENTIRE TEAM FOR THE, UH, FINAL MEETING COMMUNITY MEETING THAT WE HOSTED, UH, WITH, UH, HEALTH, UH, ABOUT THE NEW PARK THAT'S COMING IN DISTRICT A AT SOME POINT.
SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY, UH, CONTINUE TO KEEP YOUR PRAYERS AND YOUR THOUGHTS FOR OFFICERS OF LAVEDA.
UM, AS SHE CONTINUES TO DO HER RECOVERY AND, UM, SHE IS DEFINITELY IN NEED OF OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.
[02:35:01]
ALSO ATTENDED THE SLAVERY REMEMBRANCE, UH, DAY BREAKFAST WITH CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN AND A HOST OF OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS.UM, THE FORT BEND CITIZENS ENGAGEMENT GROUP HOSTED THEIR MENTAL HEALTH FORUM, WHICH I AM THE CHAIRMAN, UH, OF THAT PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION.
IT'S CALLED UNDERSTANDING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, UH, HAPPY TO SEE THE, THE ENGAGEMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY COMING OUT TO LEARN.
I ALSO ATTENDED THE MARSHALL BAND BOOSTER, UM, ORGANIZATION MEETING THAT THEY HOSTED, UM, WHERE I'M PROUD TO SAY I'M A BUFF MOM AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER EVER EDWARDS IS A, UM, BUFFALO ALUMNI.
SO PLEASE GET INVOLVED WITH OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS.
I ALSO WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO LANDMARK COMMUNITY CENTER, UM, AT AND T AND THE BRIDGE AND DIVIDE ORGANIZATION REACHED OUT TO MYSELF TO HOST A NEW COMPUTER LAB THAT WAS DONATED, UH, TO THE RESIDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT IS HOSTED INSIDE OF THE BUILDING OF LANDMARK COMMUNITY CENTER.
WE HAVE 10 NEW, UH, PCS, A, UM, A HUGE DIGITAL SCREEN THAT'S UP THERE AS WELL, AND A PRINTER.
SO PLEASE, UH, ENCOURAGE YOUR FAMILY MEMBER, SENIOR CITIZENS AND, UM, CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE WITH THAT.
I HAVE SELECTED THAT LOCATION BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL OVER THERE AND FOR THE GREAT NEED IN DISTRICT, A ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF ATTENDING THE GOLDEN KNIGHT WITH THER, UH, HOUSTON'S ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS.
IT WAS, UH, GREAT TO SEE COUNCIL MEMBER LYNN CLOSER, PRESENT THERE AS WELL.
ALSO ATTENDED THE SWAY INFLUENCER SUMMIT WITH BRIAN MILTON AND THE SHE ARWA, UH, CONGRATULATIONS IN HAPPY INDIAN, 70 INDIA, 76 INDEPENDENCE DAY.
UM, HAD THE PLEASURE OF ALSO ATTENDING THE OPENING TEMPLE, UM, OUT THERE WITH THE HINDU COMMUNITY, ATTENDED THE FRESNO FIREFIGHTER STATION NUMBER 2 52 THAT OPENED UP OUT THERE TO SERVICE THE NEEDS IN THAT COMMUNITY AS WELL.
I'M ALWAYS IN SUPPORT OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS, UH, EVERYWHERE, UM, ATTENDED THE FORT BEND COUNTY SHERIFFS INAUGURAL FOUNDATION GALA THAT TOOK PLACE WHERE THERE WERE MANY, UM, RESIDENTS, SOME FROM MISSOURI CITY THAT WERE ACKNOWLEDGED AND RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR, THEIR WORK IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, FINALE DRINK, WHICH IS IN DISTRICT A OPENED UP THEIR NEW LOCATION.
I WAS RIGHT THERE OFF OF 90, RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET TO THE BELTWAY, THEY DO THE BOA DRINKS AND THE TEAS.
SO PLEASE, UH, CONTRIBUTE TO OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND SUPPORT THEM WITH THAT BEING SAID, ALSO WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO, UM, UH, THE NEW CARRIES FROZEN TREATS DELIGHTS OVER THE OFF OF CARTRIGHT.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU BROUGHT TO OUR CITY AND OUR COMMUNITY.
LAST TWO THINGS I WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO MY, UH, WILLOW RIDGE ALUMNI, CLASSMATE, ISAIAH WASHINGTON.
UH, I HAD THE HONOR OF PRESENTING HIM A PROCLAMATION FOR AUGUST 26, ALONG WITH OUR MAYOR AND COUNCILWOMAN, UH, LYNN CLAUSER FOR HIS NEW MOVIE CORAK CANNA.
UH, IT WAS PROBABLY DIRECTED BY HIM AND STAR BY HIM.
SO PLEASE GO OUT THERE AND SUPPORT THE NEW MOVIE CORAK CAN.
UH, ISAIAH WASHINGTON IS AN ALUMNI WILL RIDGE CLASS OF 1981 AND THE LAST RECOGNITION, WHICH IS THE BEST RECOGNITION FOR ME, UH, MONICA RILEY DAY WAS HOSTED BY FORT BEND COUNTY, JUDGE KP, GEORGE ON AUGUST 30TH.
SO ON AUGUST 30TH, I HAVE MY OWN OFFICIAL DAY.
IT IS MONICA RILEY DAY, ALL ACROSS FORT BEND COUNTY.
THAT CONCLUDES MY ANNOUNCEMENTS, COUNCILWOMAN EDWARDS.
PROAM UM, I JUST WANNA LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT I'M HONORED TO SERVE THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES AS WELL AS THE STAFF IN MISSOURI CITY.
AND I WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE WITH ETHICS, INTEGRITY, AND TRANSPARENCY.
IF ANYONE NEEDS TO SPEAK WITH ME ABOUT ANY COMMENTS OR CONCERNS, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO ME.
THE STATE OF THE CITY WAS A GREAT EVENT, SO I JUST WANNA LET STAFF KNOW THAT THEIR HARD WORK WASN'T UNNOTICED AND FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO BE GREAT.
I KNOW A LOT OF THEM WERE NOT ABLE TO BE RECOGNIZED.
SO, UM, IF YOU WERE NOT PUBLICLY RECOGNIZED, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU CONTRIBUTE FROM YOUR FAMILY TIME THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, TAKEN AWAY AS WELL AS YOUR DEDICATION TO OUR CITY.
UM, LESS THAN NOT LEASTS I ONLY ALSO WANT TO THANK THE RESIDENTS WHO CAME OUT TO SPEAK TODAY DURING THIS MEETING.
I KNOW IT'S KIND OF HARD SPEAKING TO COUNCIL AND IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE EMOTIONAL, BUT IT'S ADMIRABLE THAT RESIDENTS COME OUT AND ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS AS OPPOSED TO SITTING ON THEIR HANDS AND COMPLAINING ON DIFFERENT PLATFORMS. BUT FOR YOU GUYS TO COME OUT AND SPEAK UP, I THINK THAT IS WONDERFUL.
CONTINUE TO DO SO, CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO COME OUT AND ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS.
BECAUSE AS AN ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY YOU GUYS.
YEAH, MY COMMENTS WERE REALLY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE STATE OF THE CITY.
[02:40:01]
THE SCENES, A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAD TO HAPPEN AND EVERYONE STEPPED UP AND, AND DID A GREAT JOB.SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU GUYS DID, JED.
I ATTENDED A LOT OF STUFF AND ENJOYED IT.
UM, IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO SERVE.
UM, AND I WANT TO END WITH THIS.
MY BIRTHDAY IS COMING UP THIS WEEKEND AND I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO JOIN ME IN A WALK TO RAISE MONEY FOR HOPE FOR THREE AND FAMILIES LIVING WITH AUTISM RIGHT HERE IN FORT BEND.
WE WILL BE MEETING AT THE RIVERPOINT CHURCH IN RICHMOND AT 9:00 AM.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU ALL ON, UH, MY TEAM, UM, MYSELF AND, UM, ANOTHER AUTISM MOM STARTED A GROUP CALLED AUTISM CAREGIVERS AROUND THE BEND THREE YEARS AGO.
AND SO WE WANT EVERYBODY TO COME OUT, RAISE MONEY FOR AUTISM, UH, FOR THESE FAMILIES THAT, UM, THAT NEED SOME FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
SO THAT WOULD BE A GREAT BIRTHDAY GIFT TO ME, IF YOU ALL WOULD JOIN.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU ALL TO OUR STAFF, UM, TO OUR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS WHO CONTINUE TO SERVE US EACH AND EVERY DAY.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER EMERY.
UH, I WANTED TO, UH, MAKE SOME COMMENTS AND I DID WANT TO DO IT WHILE WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE, UH, UH, DETERMINATION OF HOW WE WOULD, UH, STRUCTURE, UH, THE, THE, UH, THE SALARY FOR OUR, UH, OUR PUBLIC, UH, OFFICERS, UH, EXCUSE ME, OUR PUBLIC SERVICE OFFICERS AND STAY OUT.
AND I JUST ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THAT THE SALARY IS, YOU KNOW, REALLY CRITICAL, UH, IN RETENTION, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO MAKE SOME OBSERVATIONS AS THERE ARE SOME OTHER FACTORS THAT, UH, I THINK PROMOTE RETENTION WITHIN THE, UH, BOTH, I THINK THE FIRE AND THE, UH, AND THE POLICE, UH, NUMBER ONE, UH, WE PROVIDE A GREAT BENEFIT PACKAGE FOR OUR OFFICERS AND STAFF.
UM, WE HAVE AUXILIARY PAY AND WE LOOK AT IT, UH, YOU KNOW, AS OFTEN AS WE NEED TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMPETITIVE WITH THE AUXILIARY PAY THAT'S PROVIDED, THERE ARE MANY CITIES I DON'T BELIEVE DO, UH, OR HAVE THE, UH, SOME OF THE AUXILIARY PAY THAT WE, UH, PROVIDE.
UH, AND, UH, TO ME REALLY IMPORTANT IS THE, UH, TECHNICAL ADVANCES THAT ARE PROVIDED TO THE, UH, UH, TO THE, THE POLICE AND, AND FIRE, UH, FOR THEIR SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE, UM, OF, UH, THE OFFICERS.
AND I, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, MENTION THE FLOCK CAMERAS, THE 9 1, 1 FACILITY THAT WE'VE SET UP OUR CAPABILITY THAT WE'VE SET UP, UH, THE, UH, THE DRONE PROGRAM THAT, UH, IS AVAILABLE TO THE, UH, TO THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY INDIVIDUALS, UH, THE BODY CAMERAS, OF COURSE, JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY OR EVERY CITY PROVIDES THAT TO, UH, THEIR OFFICERS, UM, THE, UH, SPECIAL TEAMS THAT WE, UH, WE HAVE SET UP THAT THE CHIEF IS AND HIS, UH, ORGANIZATION IS SET UP SO THAT, UH, WE, UH, UH, PROVIDE, UH, I, I THINK THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO, UH, UH, UH, SHOW THEIR SKILLS IN MORE THAN JUST, UH, THE, UH, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION ARE THE, UH, THE POLICING, UH, UH, ACTIVITIES.
UH, AND I THINK THE ONE THAT, THAT I WOULD HOPE THAT WOULD, UH, WOULD BE OF IMPORTANCE, UH, AND BE, WOULD BE GIVEN SOME WEIGHT AS FAR AS RETENTION.
I THINK, UH, IF YOU WILL LOOK AT THE OUTWARD DISPLAY BY OUR CITIZENS, SHOWING OUR OVER THEIR OVERWHELMING SUPPORT OF OUR POLICE AND FIRE, TO ME THAT MAKES A, SHOULD MAKE EYE WOULD HOPE, UH, AN IMPACT BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT, OR YOU DON'T WANT TO WORK FOR A PLACE THAT YOU'RE NOT APPRECIATED, OR THAT YOUR, UH, YOUR EFFORTS GO UNNOTICED.
AND I THINK, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, LIKE I SAY, WHAT OUR CITIZENS, UH, THINK OF OUR POLICE AND OUR FIRE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE APPRECIATED.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD, UH, WOULD CARRY SOME WEIGHT WHEN, UH, PEOPLE ARE LOOKING, UH, WHAT, WHAT WILL KEEP THEM, UH, IN THE EMPLOYEE OF, UH, MISSOURI
[02:45:01]
CITY PD OR FIRE.UM, I USUALLY USE MY TIME DURING COUNCIL COMMENTS TO HIGHLIGHT EVENTS THAT I'VE, UH, ATTENDED OR OTHER THINGS OF, OF SUBSTANCE, LIKE THE STATE OF THE CITY, OR, UH, LIKE THE UPCOMING TEXAS PARKWAY CAUGHT RIGHT FORM THAT WE HAVE THIS THURSDAY HERE IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, BUT RECENT EVENTS AND ERRONEOUS COMMENTS MADE TONIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THEY GAVE ME PAUSE AND COMPEL ME TO, TO SPEAK ON SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT, UH, DURING MY COMMENTS.
UH, AND THIS IS PRETTY EMOTIONAL FOR ME BECAUSE, AND I WANNA BE CLEAR WITH MY COMMENTS AND, AND, AND WHICH IS WHY I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO, TO READ THEM.
MY LIFE'S WORK HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT STANDING UP FOR THE DISENFRANCHISED, HELPING THOSE WHO ARE HURTING AND SPEAKING UP FOR THOSE WHOSE VOICES NEED TO BE HEARD.
I'VE ALWAYS SOUGHT TO EDUCATE EQUIPMENT, EMPOWER ALL OF OUR MISSOURI CITY RESIDENTS WITH PERTINENT INFORMATION AND RESPONSIVENESS, WHETHER THEY WERE ABLE TO VOTE FOR ME OR NOT, OR WHETHER THEY AGREE WITH ME OR NOT.
I'M A HUSBAND, I'M A FATHER OF THREE WONDERFUL CHILDREN.
AND I SERVE A GOD WHO SEES ALL, AND HE KNOWS ALL, ALL THOSE WHO KNOW ME TRULY KNOW ME.
I OPERATE WITH INTEGRITY WHEN IT COMES TO MY ROLE AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND I WELCOME ANYONE TO TAKE A REAL GOOD SOLID LOOK AT MY TRACK RECORD AS A COUNCIL MEMBER TO SEE THAT I'VE ALWAYS OPERATED WITH THE UTMOST INTEGRITY, MY FAMILY AND I, ESPECIALLY MY YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN SON HAVE BEEN LIED ON AND THREATENED, AND I WILL ALWAYS DEFEND MY INTEGRITY.
AND I'LL ALWAYS DEFEND MY FAMILY.
ANY PERSON WHO'S WORKED, THEIR ASSAULT WOULD AGREE WITH THAT AND SHOULD ALWAYS DO THE SAME.
AS I STATED, THIS IS EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL FOR ME BECAUSE I'M REMINDED ABOUT A YOUNG BLACK MAN THAT HAD A LOT TOLD ON HIM AND WAS MURDERED BY THE NAME OF EM.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE DONE FOR WELL OVER A DECADE AS A NATIONALLY AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST HAS BEEN TO BE COGNIZANT OF TWO THINGS.
ONE IS CALLED LIBEL, WHICH IS DEFINED AS A DEFAM.
THE DEFAMATORY STATEMENT THAT'S WRITTEN, THE OTHER IS CALLED SLANDER, WHICH IS A DEFAMATORY STATEMENT THAT IS ORAL, BOTH A SERIOUS OFFENSES AND CARRY A SERIOUS CONSEQUENCE.
ONCE THEY'RE PROVEN WITH THAT BEING SAID, MY FAMILY, NOR I WILL EVER ALLOW OUR REPUTATIONS TO BE SULLY OR OUR FREEDOM THREATEN, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE, AND WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE OUR LEGAL OPTIONS AS IT RELATES TO D DEFENDING OUR FREEDOM AND OUR OPTION IN OUR HONOR.
[13. CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION]
THAT BEING SAID, THE TIME IS NOW 9:48 PM.AND THE CITY COUNCIL WILL GO INTO A CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 51 0 7.
ONE OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE
[14. RECONVENE]
MOTION PASSES SIX ZERO.NOW
THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 10:48 PM.