[1. CALL TO ORDER ]
          [3. PUBLIC COMMENTS]
          [(a) Consideration and Possible Action - Second and Final Reading - An ordi...]
          [(b) Receive a Presentation - Fiscal Year 2026 Proposed Budget]
          [00:01:33]
          THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ITEM FOUR B TO RECEIVE A PRESENTATION ON FISCAL YEAR 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET. WE HAVE BERTHA ALEXANDER, CHIEF, BUDGET AND PERFORMANCE OFFICER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. WELCOME TO THE 2026 BUDGET WORKSHOP. TODAY. SO TODAY WE'LL WALK THROUGH THE KEY ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET. THE STRATEGIES WE'RE USING. WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE ROAD TO REDUCTION. OUR FOCUS IS TRANSPARENCY AND ENSURING EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS NOT JUST THE NUMBERS BUT THE WHY BEHIND THE NUMBERS. AND SO WITHIN THE BUDGET, WE'VE INCLUDED TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY. 
          OUR BUDGET STRATEGIES. WE IMPLEMENTED PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING. JUST ONE SECOND. I'M SORRY. A FIVE YEAR BUDGET PLAN. WE ISSUED DEBT TO FUND PROJECTS. WE MAINTAINED COMPETITIVE SALARIES AND BENEFITS. WE MAINTAINED THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX RATE AT 0.570825. WE IMPLEMENTED A 5% BUDGET REDUCTION FOR REALLOCATION. WE ALSO IDENTIFIED EFFICIENCIES AS WELL AS WE EVALUATED VACANCIES FOR REALLOCATIONS. THESE STEPS HELPED US TO DIRECT FUNDS TO WHERE THEY WERE MOST NEEDED. THE ROAD TO THE BUDGET ADOPTION. IN JUNE, WE ISSUED A CITIZEN VIRTUAL BUDGET SURVEY. WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED THE RESULTS FROM THAT SURVEY. TODAY WE HAVE OUR WORKSHOP. ON AUGUST 18TH. WE WILL INTERVIEW, INTRODUCE A HIGH LEVEL BUDGET OVERVIEW VIA A VIDEO. ON THE 23RD. WE'RE GOING TO HOST A COMMUNITY BUDGET WORKSHOP ON THE 25TH. THE CITY MANAGER WILL FILE THE 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET AND POSTED TO THE WEB ON SEPTEMBER 15TH. THERE IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR BOTH THE BUDGET AND THE PROPERTY TAX RATE. AND ALSO ON THAT DATE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET. WE DESIGNED THE SCHEDULE TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS AMPLE TIME FOR THE PUBLIC REVIEW AND INPUT. OUR FIRST SLIDE IS THE PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX SLIDE. SO OUR CURRENT TAX RATE IS 0.570825. IT IS ALLOCATED 0.4 $0.06 DEBT ZERO 
          [00:05:10]
POINT PRETTY MUCH AROUND $0.11 FOR A TOTAL OF $0.57. WE'RE GOING TO SKIP THE GREEN BOX FOR NOW AND COME BACK TO THAT. OUR VOTER APPROVAL RATE IS 0.600699. THAT IS THE RATE THAT YOU CAN CHARGE WITHOUT GOING BACK TO THE VOTERS FOR APPROVAL. OUR NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS AT 0.577832. AND THAT IS THE RATE THAT WILL GENERATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE AS THE PRIOR YEAR. USING THE CURRENT PROPERTIES. SO IT WOULD NOT INCLUDE ANY NEW PROJECTS. NOW BACK TO THE RATE THAT WE'RE USING FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET. IT IS OUR CURRENT RATE OF 0.570825. 
          HOWEVER, PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS A SLIGHT MODIFICATION IN TERMS OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE RATE BETWEEN ZERO AND DEBT. USING THIS RATE, WE WILL SHIFT APPROXIMATELY $0.01 OUT OF OPERATIONS INTO DEBT IN ORDER TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE 8586 MILLION BOND AUTHORIZATION FROM 2021. YOU'LL SEE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION THAT WE DO INTEND TO ISSUE THE FINAL AMOUNT IN AUTHORIZATION. SORRY. OKAY. SO USING THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX RATE OF 0.570825, WE WILL GENERATE APPROXIMATELY 1.9 MILLION IN NEW REVENUE. THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, IF IMPLEMENTED, WOULD BE 5.3. AND THEN THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE WOULD BE 2.7. ONCE AGAIN, THE BUDGET WAS BUILT BASED ON MAINTAINING OUR CURRENT RATE OF 0.570825. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. SO IN JUNE, WE ISSUED A BUDGET SURVEY TO THE COMMUNITY, AND WE ASKED THE QUESTION, RANK THESE PRIORITIES IN THE ORDER IN WHICH YOU BELIEVE THEY DESERVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING. LIKE LAST YEAR, TRAFFIC, STREETS AND SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE CAME IN FIRST, FOLLOWED BY POLICE SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING DRAINAGE. MEDIANS AND BRIDGES. THE REST WAS FIRE SERVICES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PARKS AND RECREATION, AND CODE ENFORCEMENT. SO TAKING THE FEEDBACK FROM THE SURVEY, WE'VE GROUPED BUDGET ITEMS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET. FOR EXAMPLE, THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY WAS TRAFFIC, STREETS AND SIDEWALKS. THE 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES 11.2 MILLION FOR THAT CATEGORY, WHICH INCLUDES STREET REPAIRS, SIDEWALKS, FLOOD DAMAGES AND STREET LIGHTS. THE NEXT I'M JUST GOING TO GO DOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 745,000 IS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET FOR BUSINESS INCENTIVES FOR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF BUSINESSES. WE HAVE 890,000 ALLOCATED TO ENHANCE AND OR MAINTAIN SERVICES DUE TO GROWTH. AND OF COURSE, THAT INCLUDES ONE NEW POSITION FOR NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, WHICH IS A CODE ENFORCEMENT POSITION. WE'VE INCLUDED MONEY FOR SUBSTANDARD PROPERTIES, REINFORCEMENT, AS WELL AS AN INCREASE IN OUR APPRAISAL SERVICES, AND ALSO THE BUDGET INCLUDES MONEY FOR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FOR CONCIERGE SERVICES. A LITTLE LATER, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE EVERY LINE ITEM FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          WE'VE ALLOCATED 2.1 MILLION. THAT INCLUDES REINFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS AS WELL AS POLICE STAFFING AND PAY, EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION 1.5 MILLION. THAT'S EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION. IN ORDER TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE AS WELL AS RETENTION, SO THAT WE CAN KEEP EXPERIENCED STAFF. THE FINAL CATEGORY IS EFFICIENCIES. WE HAVE REDUCED THE BUDGET BY $1 
          [00:10:04]
MILLION AND REALLOCATED THAT BASED ON NEEDS. SO THIS SLIDE IS THE BUDGET, THE REVENUE BUDGET FOR ALL SOURCES. SO BASICALLY IS WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM. SO AS YOU CAN SEE OUR LARGEST FUNDING SOURCE IS PROPERTY TAXES FOLLOWED BY I'M SORRY. OTHER SOURCES WHICH REALLY THE MAJORITY OF THAT ARE BONDS. THIS CHART SHOWS THE YEAR OVER YEAR CHANGE AS IT RELATES TO ALL SOURCES. IN TERMS OF. THE OVERALL BUDGET, THERE WAS A 15.6% INCREASE IN WHICH THE BUDGET IS INCREASING FROM 223 MILLION TO 258 MILLION. SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THAT INCREASE INCLUDES THE 4.4% INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES DUE TO NEW GROWTH, NEW PROPERTIES ON THE TAX ROLL, AS WELL AS INCREASED ASSESSED PROPERTY VALUES. THE 12.8% INCREASE IN SALES TAX IS DUE TO NEW BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS GROWTH IN SALES FOR EXISTING BUSINESSES. THE 12.9% INCREASE IN LICENSES AND PERMITS IS DUE TO GROWTH IN BUILDING PERMITS, PLAT FEE REVENUE, AS WELL AS PLUMBING PERMITS. THE 32.1% INCREASE IN FINES, FEES AND FORFEITURES IS DUE TO GREATER ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS. THE 19.4% REDUCTION IN INTERGOV GRANTS IS DUE TO A ONE TIME INSURANCE IMBURSEMENT REIMBURSEMENT. IN THE PRIOR YEAR, THE 54.6% INCREASE IN INVESTMENT EARNINGS IS DUE TO FAVORABLE RATES AND INVESTMENT VEHICLES, AND THE 63.5% INCREASE IN OTHER SOURCES. BONDS IS DUE TO THE LAST ISSUANCE OF BONDS FROM THE 2021 AUTHORIZATION. SO NOW WE SHOW WHERE THE MONEY GOES. ALL SOURCES PERSONNEL COSTS ACCOUNTS FOR 25.9% OF THE BUDGET. CAPITAL OUTLAY, WHICH IS OUR CIP PROJECTS, ACCOUNTS FOR 24.9%, FOLLOWED BY CONTRACTUAL SERVICES AT 16.8%. THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE SHOWS THE YEAR OVER YEAR CHANGE IN TERMS OF THE EXPENDITURE BUDGET. SO OVERALL, THE EXPENDITURE BUDGET INCREASED BY 1.6%, PERSONNEL BUDGET INCREASED BY 6.4% DUE TO ANNUALIZED SALARY INCREASE FROM THE PRIOR YEAR. PROJECTED INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS, AND A PROPOSED SALARY INCREASE TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH COMPENSATION. REDUCTIONS IN SOME CATEGORIES ARE DUE TO ONE TIME ALLOCATIONS IN THE PRIOR YEAR, AS WELL AS THE 5% BUDGET REDUCTION, INCREASE IN REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE IS DUE TO HVAC REPAIRS, ELEVATOR REPAIRS, AND CREATING OPERATIONAL RESERVES FOR SOME OF THE UTILITY FUNDS. 
          THE 3.6% INCREASE IN TRANSFERS IS DUE TO TRANSFERRING FUNDS FROM GENERAL FUND TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR PMP. PROPOSED STAFFING. OUR CURRENT STAFFING LEVEL IS AT 458 FULL TIME FTES. 
          WE RECEIVED REQUESTS TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL 25 FTES. THE PROPOSED STAFFING INCLUDES A NET OF SEVEN NEW POSITIONS FUNDED THROUGH THE SAFER GRANT. THE CHANGE OF ONE POSITION IN POLICE IS REMOVING THE SECOND SUPPORT SERVICES POSITION THAT WAS FUNDED IN FY 2025, AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR ONE TIME, AND THEN THE NEXT COLUMN. WE'RE ALSO REALLOCATING SOME POSITIONS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS BASED ON NEED. SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET REQUESTS TOTALED 23.5 MILLION DUE TO THE BUDGET STRATEGIES THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE CITY MANAGER WAS ABLE TO FUND 16.5 MILLION. SO THIS SLIDE ACTUALLY SHOWS THE DETAILS OF WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET FROM A 
          [00:15:11]
GENERAL FUND PERSPECTIVE. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOP, WE HAVE IT BROKEN OUT INTO TWO CATEGORIES. WE HAVE EXPENDITURES WE CANNOT CONTROL. AND THAT WOULD BE THE HEALTH INSURANCE INCREASE AS WELL AS THE CAD APPRAISAL SERVICE INCREASE. HOLIDAY PAY FOR POLICE AND FIRE. 
          AS WE'VE SAID BEFORE, HOLIDAY PAY USED TO BE FUNDED WITH SALARY SAVINGS, BUT WITH FIRE FULLY STAFFED AS WELL AS POLICE ALMOST FULLY STAFFED. WE FEEL THAT WE WON'T HAVE THOSE SAVINGS. AND SO WE'VE ACTUALLY MADE IT A LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET. THINGS THAT WE CANNOT CONTROL IS ALSO THE 2.5% STEP INCREASE FOR FIRE. SO THAT TOTALS 1.9 MILLION. THE OTHER SECTION ARE ITEMS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE, OR ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO FUND IN ORDER TO ENHANCE SERVICES AND OR MAINTAIN SERVICES. THE BIG TICKET ITEMS, THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE. OUR BUILDINGS ARE OLD, OUR SYSTEMS ARE OLD. SO WE'RE PUTTING IN 1.9 MILLION THERE. THE FLEET REPLACEMENT, THAT'S 1 MILLION. THE MEDIAN INCOME FOR ITEMS. THIS INCLUDES POLICE AND FIRE. WE'RE PUTTING IN 1.3 MILLION. THE SALARY INCREASE FOR NON-CIVIL SERVICE. 
          BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES FIRE. THAT'S 1.2 MILLION. THOSE ARE THE BIG TICKET ITEMS. I THINK I MENTIONED PMP AT 5 MILLION, BUT THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT THE CITY MANAGER WAS ABLE TO FUND FROM THE NEW REQUEST. SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALL SOURCES. NOW LET'S FOCUS ON THE GENERAL FUND. SO THIS SLIDE FOCUSES ON WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM FOR THE GENERAL FUND. AND IT ALSO SHOWS THE YEAR OVER YEAR CHANGES BY CATEGORY OF REVENUE. ONCE AGAIN PROPERTY TAX IS THE LARGEST SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THE GENERAL FUND. IT'S AT 61.9% FOLLOWED BY SALES TAX AT 18.2% AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUE GRANTS AT 6%. OVERALL, THE GENERAL FUND REVENUE IS PROJECTED TO INCREASE BY 8%. 
          CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE 3.7% INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX DUE TO NEW PROPERTIES ON THE TAX ROLL, AND INCREASED PROPERTY ASSESSED VALUE. THE 12.2% INCREASE IN SALES TAX IS DUE TO NEW BUSINESSES AND GROWTH. THE 3.9% INCREASE IN FRANCHISE REVENUE IS DUE TO A NEW CONTRACT WITH CENTERPOINT. THE 13% INCREASE IN LICENSES AND PERMITS IS DUE TO GROWTH AND BUILDING PERMITS, PLAT FEE REVENUE AND PLUMBING PERMITS. THE 3.2% INCREASE IN FINES, FEES AND FORFEITURE DUE TO GREATER ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS. THE 108.7% IN INTERGOVERNMENTAL GRANTS IS DUE TO ANTICIPATED REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE SAFER GRANT. THE ASSISTANT FIREFIGHTER GRANT, AS WELL AS THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GRANT, AND THE 50% INCREASE IN INVESTMENT EARNINGS ONCE AGAIN IS DUE TO FAVORABLE RATES AND SOLID INVESTMENTS. SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS WHERE THE MONEY GOES. AND WE'RE STILL ON THE GENERAL FUND. SO FROM AN OPERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, PERSONNEL COSTS MAKES UP 62.9% OF THE BUDGET FOLLOWED BY CONTRACTUAL SERVICES AT 10.1%. 
          AND OTHER EXPENDITURES SUCH AS PROPERTY LIABILITY INSURANCE, SUBSTANDARD PROPERTIES AND TRAVEL AND TRAINING AT 6.3%. THE TRANSFERS OF 14.6% THAT CONSISTS OF TRANSFERRING THE TERS SHARE OF THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE TO THE APPROPRIATE TERS FUND FOR EXPENDITURES. OVERALL, THE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES ARE PROJECTED TO DECREASE BY 1.6% FROM THE PRIOR YEAR. PERSONNEL BUDGET INCREASED BY 6.6% DUE TO ANNUALIZED SALARY INCREASE FROM THE PRIOR YEAR. PROJECTED INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS, AND THE PROPOSED SALARY INCREASES TO REMAIN 
          [00:20:06]
COMPETITIVE WITH COMPENSATION. THE 7% DECREASE IN SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS IS DUE TO A REDUCTION IN EQUIPMENT AND COMPUTER SUPPLIES. THE 54.5% INCREASE IN REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE IS DUE TO BUILDING REPAIRS, AND ONCE AGAIN, BUILDING MAINTENANCE. THE 71.4% INCREASE IN DEBT EXPENDITURES IS DUE TO AN ADDITIONAL LEASE FOR DESKTOPS, AND THE 93.7% DECREASE IN CAPITAL OUTLAY IS DUE TO ONE TIME FUNDING WE RECEIVED FROM HURRICANE BERYL. IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET BY DEPARTMENT, POLICE, FIRE AND PUBLIC WORKS, THEY HAVE THE LARGEST BUDGETS TOGETHER. 
          PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH I'M DEFINING AS JUST POLICE AND FIRE, ACCOUNTS FOR 38.5% OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET. NOW WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CIP. SO THE FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IDENTIFIES CAPITAL PROJECTS TO BE FUNDED OVER THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD. THE PLAN INCLUDES THE PROJECT, THE YEAR IT WILL START, THE AMOUNT AND THE PROPOSED FUNDING SOURCE. 
          THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PROGRAM IS INCLUDED IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET THAT IS SUBMITTED TO YOU FOR APPROVAL. THE CIP PROCESS IS A FIVE STEP PROCESS, THE FIRST STEP BEING ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS. 
          FOLLOWING THAT, DEPARTMENTS SUBMIT PROJECTS FOR INCLUSION IN THE CIP. THE FUNDING OPTIONS ARE EVALUATED ARE FUNDING OPTIONS THAT PAY AS YOU GO, BOND PROCEEDS OR IMPACT FEES. THERE IS A SCORING CRITERIA ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECTS. A HIGHER SCORE IS GIVEN TO PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES. AND THEN FINALLY, IF FUNDED, THE PROJECTS ARE SUBMITTED IN THE CIP FOR APPROVAL. THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THE AUTHORIZED UNISSUED DEBT. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE 3.95 MILLION LEFT FROM THE 2014 AUTHORIZATION THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH DRAINAGE. WE ALSO. HAVE ABOUT 26 MILLION LEFT FROM THE 2021 AUTHORIZATION, IN WHICH ALL OF THAT WILL BE ISSUED IN 2026. SO DRAINAGE PROJECTS, THEY TOTALED 3.95 MILLION. AND THESE PROJECTS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE FUNDED WITH BONDS. I'LL SHOW YOU THE CHART FIRST, AND THEN WE HAVE A DESCRIPTION OF EACH PROJECT ON THE NEXT SHEET. BUT I WON'T GO OVER ALL OF THEM, JUST SOME OF THEM. ON THIS SLIDE WE HAVE THE PINE MEADOW DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT, WHICH IS BUDGETED AT 1 MILLION. WE WILL PAY UP FRONT AND BE REIMBURSED BY THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. GLO GREGORY AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS 1 MILLION. ONCE AGAIN, WE PAY UP FRONT AND WE'LL BE REIMBURSED BY GLO, THE NORTHEAST OYSTER CREEK DETENTION IMPROVEMENTS IS BUDGETED AT 1.75 MILLION, AND WE HAVE THE PUBLIC SAFETY HEADQUARTERS BUDGETED AT 200,000. IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. OUR NEXT SET OF PROJECTS ARE FACILITIES AND PARKS IN WHICH THERE'S 2 MILLION FOR FACILITIES AND FIVE POINT. I'M SORRY, 2 MILLION FOR FACILITIES AND 5.2 MILLION FOR PARKS AND RECREATION. THESE ARE OUR FACILITIES PROJECTS, WHICH MAINLY CONSIST OF ADA COMPLIANCE OF 1 MILLION AND LIFE SAFETY UPGRADES OF 1 MILLION. OUR OUR PARKS PROJECTS, WHICH TOTAL 5.2 MILLION, INCLUDES THE TRANSFORMING BASEBALL SOFTBALL ONLY FIELD INTO A MULTI-PURPOSE FACILITY THAT'S AT 3.977 MILLION, CONVERTING FROM GRAVEL TO CONCRETE, A TRAIL AT AMERICAN 
          [00:25:02]
LEGION PARK, WHICH IS 528,000. AND WE HAVE CONVERT FROM GRAVEL TO CONCRETE TRAIL AT MCNULTY PARK. THAT'S 260,000. AND FINALLY, WE HAVE A FUNDING MATCH OF 400,000 FOR POTENTIAL PARK DEVELOPMENT GRANTS. THIS NEXT SERIES OF PROJECTS ARE METRO FUNDED. BASICALLY, WE HAVE IN THE BUDGET 7 MILLION FOR MOBILITY PROJECTS SUCH AS STREETS, SIDEWALKS AND TRAFFIC RELATED ITEMS. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE STREET AND MOBILITY PROJECTS TOTALING 18.9 MILLION, AND THE PROPOSED FUNDING SOURCE IS THE REMAINING BOND AUTHORIZATION FROM 2021. SLIDE 30 SHOWS THAT WE HAVE 1.4 MILLION IN FACILITY PROJECTS AND 4.5 MILLION IN PARKS PROJECTS, FOR A TOTAL OF 5.9 MILLION THAT CURRENTLY IS UNFUNDED. SUCH PROJECTS INCLUDE HVAC REPLACEMENT, MAGNOLIA PARK EXPANSION, QUAIL GREEN WEST PARK PARKING LOT, ADA COMPLIANCE UPGRADES, AND MEADOWCREEK PICKLEBALL COURT. THE UTILITIES PROJECTS TOTALED 10.1 MILLION, WITH 8.9 MILLION PROPOSED FROM A CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION ISSUANCE AND 1.2 MILLION TO BE FUNDED FROM UTILITIES FUND BALANCE. THIS CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION ABOUT THE LINE ITEM BUDGET. THE LAST SLIDE WE HAVE IN THE PRESENTATION IS KEY DATES. SO ON AUGUST 18TH WE WILL BE PRESENTING A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET. THAT'S VIA VIDEO. ALSO ON THE 18TH WE HAVE COUNCIL TO DISCUSS AND SET PROPOSED MAXIMUM TAX RATE. WE WILL PRESENT THE CERTIFIED TAX ROLL ON AUGUST 18TH. ON AUGUST 23RD WE WILL HAVE A COMMUNITY BUDGET WORKSHOP. ON THE 25TH, THE CITY MANAGER WILL FILE THE BUDGET WITH THE CITY SECRETARY AND POSTED TO THE WEBSITE. ON THE 15TH. WE WILL COME TO YOU WITH THE BUDGET AND TAX RATE, PUBLIC HEARINGS AS WELL AS THE ADOPTION. SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION OF THE 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET. THANK YOU. BERTHA, I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE COUNCILMEMBER CLOUSER. YES. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. I HOPE YOU GET A VACATION AFTER ALL THIS IS DONE. YES, I AM IN THE CITY MANAGER TOO. SHE'S. YES. THANK YOU. THIS QUESTION MAY BE MORE OF A QUESTION. WHEN YOU WENT THROUGH THE SLIDE AND I DIDN'T WRITE DOWN THE NUMBER I SHOULD HAVE, BUT THE ALLOCATION OF STREET LIGHTS AT I THINK IT WAS $500,000. THAT'S CORRECT. I KNOW THAT CENTER POINT GIVES US AN ALLOCATION OF A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF STREET LIGHTS PER YEAR. IS THIS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THOSE LIGHTS, OR IS THIS OVER AND ABOVE WHAT CENTERPOINT CAN PROVIDE? TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THAT IS OVER AND ABOVE CENTERPOINT GIVES YOU AN ALLOCATION OF 50 LIGHTS PER YEAR. THAT'S ON LOCAL STREETS THAT ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD HOMES AND THAT KIND OF THING. THIS IS OTHER AREAS WHERE THE COUNCIL HAS EXPRESSED CONCERNS THAT SOME AREAS ARE DARK, AND WHERE THE CENTERPOINT ALLOWANCE DOES NOT COVER, THAT PART OF MONEY WILL COVER THOSE AREAS. OKAY, OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. ANSWER MY QUESTION AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK. MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE TO YOU. IS THERE ANY ROOM IN THIS BUDGET FOR US TO POTENTIALLY LOWER THE TAX RATE? I WOULD SAY THAT THIS BUDGET HAS BEEN SCRUBBED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AND TECHNICALLY WE ALREADY ARE LOWERING THE TAX RATE FOR NO, BECAUSE WE ISSUE DEBT BASED ON WHAT OUR RESIDENTS STATED THAT THEY WANTED TO SEE IN NEW AND NEW BOND PROJECTS. 
          AND SO WITH THAT, WE KEPT THE RATE THE SAME. BUT YOU WILL SEE THAT OUR MAINTAINING THAT CURRENT RATE PUT US FROM 46 TO 45. AND SO AND ON TOP OF THAT, I REQUESTED AT THE START OF THIS 
          [00:30:06]
YEAR, GIVEN THAT WE WERE STARTING TO SEE ASSESSED VALUES, LEVELING OFF A LITTLE BIT, WHETHER IT'S JUST BECAUSE OF THE VALUE OR BECAUSE OF A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES TO THE ASSESSED VALUES, WE KIND OF AND HEARING AROUND THE REGION THAT THAT'S STARTING TO LEVEL OFF IN CERTAIN AREAS, EXCEPT FOR THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE HIGHER NEW HOMES THAN THEY HAVE OLDER HOMES. AND MISSOURI CITY IS KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE, WHERE WE HAVE NEW HOMES THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED, AND WE HAVE OLDER HOMES THAT ARE LOSING VALUE. SO GIVEN THAT AND THE FACT THAT EACH DEPARTMENT WAS CHALLENGED TO CUT 5% FROM THEIR BUDGET BEFORE WE EVEN KNEW WHAT THE REVENUE NUMBERS WERE GOING TO LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO ADHERE TO OUR RESIDENTS PRIORITIES, AND THAT IS STREETS, SIDEWALKS, PUBLIC SAFETY, AS WELL AS DRAINAGE. OKAY, SO THE SIMPLE ANSWER THAT'S A LONG WAY TO GET TO. NOT UNLESS YOU WANT TO CUT SOMETHING. AND I WOULD BE LOOKING TO THIS BODY TO TELL ME WHERE YOU WANT TO CUT. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND COUNCILMEMBER RILEY. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU, ANGEL, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DID. WHERE'S MISS BERTHA? BERTHA, YOU DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB, AS ALWAYS, AND I APPRECIATE YOU. I WANT TO START BY SAYING A PERSONAL THANK YOU TO BOTH OF YOU GUYS. WHEN WE SPOKE AND I ASKED YOU ABOUT FIXING THE TIMELINE ON THAT AND INCORPORATING, YOU KNOW, AN IN-PERSON BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR THE RESIDENTS SO THEY CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE MAKING THE DECISIONS AND MAKING THE SHIFT IN CERTAIN AREAS THAN OTHERS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THAT. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I HAVE IN REGARDS TO THE SURVEY. WHEN YOU WERE GOING OVER THE SURVEY AND THESE NUMBERS, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MANY PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY? BECAUSE I KNOW THE NUMBER WAS REALLY LOW. WE HAD A TOTAL OF 112 RESPONDERS. OKAY. AND SO 112 PEOPLE SPOKE FOR THE BODY OF THE RESIDENTS. SO DEFINITELY WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, ADD THEIR INPUT WHEN THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER BASED ON WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE. AND THEN ALSO, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB IN ALLOCATING MORE FUNDS TOWARDS SIDEWALKS AND STREETS THAN ANY OTHER, YOU KNOW, ENTITY THAT I KNOW OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY SINCE A LOT OF THE AREAS FOR ME PERSONALLY IN DISTRICT A HAD NOT HAD ANY ATTENTION IN 20 PLUS YEARS. AND SO I REALLY WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IN THOSE DISTRICT A AREAS THAT HAVE GONE, YOU KNOW, UNRECOGNIZED TO MAKE THOSE NECESSARY REPAIRS AND STREET PANEL REPLACEMENTS, ESPECIALLY OVER THERE IN FONDREN PARK. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, WELL, ACTUALLY, TWO, I KNOW THIS BUDGET HAS BEEN REALLY, REALLY TIGHT, BUT I DO WANT TO ASK, BECAUSE MY REQUEST WAS TO SEE HOW WE COULD INCREASE OUR SENIOR EXEMPTION. AND I KNOW THAT WE CAN'T PROBABLY DO IT THIS YEAR, BUT DID YOU GUYS AT LEAST KIND OF GO OVER TO SEE IF THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY TO INCREASE THAT IN ANY AMOUNT? WE DID LOOK AT THAT. AND UNFORTUNATELY, BY THE TIME THAT QUESTION WAS POSED TO US, IT WAS ALREADY BEYOND THE DATE, WHICH IS JULY 1ST. YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN TERMS OF SENIOR EXEMPTIONS. BUT I WOULD ALSO CAUTION THE COUNCIL TO REALLY LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE STATE LEVEL. NOT ONLY ARE THEY IN SPECIAL SESSION TO DISCUSS REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF INCREASE OR THE CAP FROM THREE AND A HALF TO 2.5%, THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT TAKING AWAY MUNICIPALITIES ABILITY TO PERMIT CERTAIN FUNCTIONS. SO THAT IS GOING TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE CITY IN TERMS OF ONE, HOW THOSE PERMITS ARE ISSUED. TWO, HOW DO WE PROVIDE THAT OVERSIGHT TO ENSURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE GETTING WHAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR? SO TIME AFTER TIME AFTER TIME, NOT ONLY ARE WE LOOKING TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WITH A GROWING CITY AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GROW STAFF PROPORTIONATELY, WE'RE GETTING HIT POTENTIALLY ON THE STATE LEVEL IN TERMS OF TYING OUR HANDS, IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY REVENUES OUTSIDE OF PROPERTY TAXES, TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN OUR SERVICES. AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DISCUSSED THAT PUBLICLY, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS IN OUR SENIOR POPULATION ARE REQUESTING FOR THAT, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE FACED WITH LOCALLY AND FROM A STATE PERSPECTIVE. IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT TO, IT'S JUST THAT WE'RE IN A VERY CRITICAL SPACE RIGHT NOW DEALING WITH DIFFERENT 
          [00:35:01]
REGULATIONS COMING DOWN FROM THE STATE AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR CLEARING THAT FOR THEM, CLARIFYING THAT FOR THEM. MY LAST QUESTION IS ABOUT THE MIDDLE CREEK PICKLEBALL COURT ON THIS PARTICULAR ONE FOR NEXT YEAR, THE $500,000, HAVE WE SOLIDIFIED ANY AGREEMENTS WITH THEM, OR IS THIS JUST A PROPOSAL TO PUT IT IN THE BUDGET AS A HOLDING SPACE OR WHAT? ACTUALLY, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT'S ON THE UNFUNDED LIST. SO THERE IS NO THAT'S ALL THAT MEANS IS THOSE REQUESTS CAME IN AND WE ARE NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY FUNDS FOR THOSE AT THIS POINT. OKAY. 
          SO THIS IS NOT A FUND OKAY. I SEE IT RIGHT NOW. I DIDN'T HAVE MY GLASSES ON OKAY I KNOW AND I'M GOING OFF OF MUSCLE MEMORY. SO YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. IT IS ON THE UNFUNDED LIST AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO I DIDN'T SEE THAT PART, BUT I DEFINITELY WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IF WE HAVE THAT LISTED AS A FUNDED ITEM, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO WE GET THE FUNDS FOR? AND HAVE WE SOLIDIFIED AGREEMENTS, WHICH WE HAVE NOT. SO BUT THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES MY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU. RECOGNIZING COUNCILMEMBER EMERY. YEAH. THANK YOU. MAYOR. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CHANGE IN THE ASSESSED VALUE, WHAT WAS THE PERCENTAGE OF INCREASE THAT WERE WERE BUDGETING OR PLANNING FOR? I DID NOT BRING THAT. LET ME SEE IF I CAN I APOLOGIZE. I DID NOT BRING THAT TAX INFORMATION. IF WE CAN HOLD THAT QUESTION, WE'LL WE'LL GET BACK BEFORE THE END. WE'LL GIVE US THE TIME TO LOOK THAT UP AND WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU BEFORE THAT. I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. 
          OKAY? THE. THE PUBLIC SAFETY TALK ABOUT POLICE. BUT YOU DON'T SAY FIRE. IS THAT JUST IS IT JUST A GIVEN THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS POLICE AND FIRE? YES, YES. PUBLIC SAFETY, POLICE AND FIRE. 
          OKAY. WELL, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU INDICATE THAT IT ALSO INCLUDES FIRE BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE, IT JUST SAYS POLICE FOR THE SCHEDULE, THE FUNDING. NO. SO WE HAVE THIS BROKEN UP INTO I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. I DIDN'T MEAN WE HAVE THIS BROKEN UP INTO A COUPLE OF LINE ITEMS. WE HAVE FIRE 2.5% ABOVE THE LINE. THE STEP INCREASE FOR THEM IN THE MEET AND CONFER. THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE THE POLICE TOTAL 6%. AND WHATEVER OTHER MEET AND CONFER ITEMS THAT WERE APPROVED. AND THEN ALSO THAT INCLUDES FIRE, WHATEVER OTHER PERCENTAGE THEY'RE GOING TO RECEIVE OVER AND ABOVE THE 2.5%. I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU GET DOWN DEEPER INTO THE DETAIL, IT BREAKS OUT FIRE AND POLICE SEPARATELY. IT WAS JUST IN, I THINK, ONE OF THE ONE OF THE SUMMARY SHEETS THAT YOU HAD, IT JUST SHOWED PUBLIC SAFETY POLICE. IT DIDN'T SAY POLICE AND FIRE. SO I WILL MAKE SURE JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, ACTUALLY, THAT'S COMING DIRECTLY FROM RESIDENTS IN THERE. RIGHT IN. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SURVEY RESULTS AND WHERE WE HAVE IT BROKEN OUT UNDER THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES. WE SPECIFICALLY TOOK THE COMMENTS FROM THE RESIDENTS AND PUT THEM UNDER THOSE CATEGORIES TO SHOW THE RESIDENTS. THIS IS WHAT YOU SAID IN THE SURVEY, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BUILT INTO THE BUDGET. SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE POLICE STAFFING AND PAY, BECAUSE THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY POINTED OUT, NOT FIRE. OKAY. THIS WAS IN THE SCHEDULE. I WAS REFERRING TO. THE SCHEDULE I WAS REFERRING TO WAS I THINK IT WAS WHERE DO WE SPEND OUR MONEY? OKAY. AND IT SAID PUBLIC SAFETY POLICE DIDN'T SAY PUBLIC SAFETY POLICE AND FIRE. IT'S JUST A CLARIFYING COMMENT THAT I ALWAYS INCLUDE OUR FIRE. AND NOT ONLY THAT, I AM TRYING TO TRAIN THEM THAT WE NOT ONLY INCLUDE POLICE AND FIRE, BUT WE ALSO INCLUDE OUR PUBLIC WORKS AND OUR PARKS PEOPLE THAT REFER, THAT RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES TOO. YEAH, OKAY. 
          OKAY. I WANT TO BROADEN THAT DEFINITION. I DIDN'T MAYBE I MISSED IT, BUT THERE'S UNDER PARKS. THERE WAS DOLLARS ALLOCATED FOR A SECOND GYM. WAS THAT A WAS THAT AN ASK OR WAS THAT A COMMITMENT. UNFUNDED UNFUNDED. SO OKAY. AND WHAT KIND OF ANALYSIS WILL WE BE DOING TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT IF WE COULD FIND FUNDS? THE NEED FOR A SECOND GYM, IT WOULD BE IT WOULD BE AN EXTENSIVE ANALYSIS ON ANY OF THESE REQUESTS. I MEAN, I THINK WE POINTED OUT THAT THE PRIORITIZATION OF ANY OF THE FUNDS THAT WE'RE USING ARE FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY FIRST, AND THEN AFTER THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO FILL WITH THOSE 
          [00:40:04]
PROJECTS. AND SO THERE WOULD BE AN EXTENSIVE THESE ARE JUST REQUESTS THAT CAME FROM STAFF. 
          AND WE WANT TO CAPTURE THEM ALL BECAUSE TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE IS SOME MERIT IN EXPLORING THEM FURTHER, THEN WE ALREADY HAVE A CONSOLIDATED LIST. BUT IN TERMS OF FUNDING FOR THEM, UNLESS THERE'S A GRANT THAT'S OUT THERE, PERHAPS IT SAYS WE'RE GOING TO FUND SECOND GYMS FOR RECREATION FACILITIES. YOU KNOW, IT'S THERE IN TERMS OF HELPING US TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE COMPLETE LIST. AND I'M NOT SAYING THERE'S NO THAT THERE'S AN UNDERUTILIZED PORTION OF THE EXISTING GYM WHEN YOU GO THERE THAT THAT THING IS, YOU KNOW, PACKED. SO IT'S JUST IT'S A MATTER OF BEING ABLE TO FIND THE FUNDS, TO BE ABLE TO DO IT AND SATISFY A NEED. AND WE WOULD NEED TO JUSTIFY IT AS WELL. STREETLIGHTS. ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT IS THAT WE'VE GOT AN ALLOCATION FROM. CENTER POINT. AND, AND WE MAY HAVE HAD THIS DISCUSSION BEFORE, I'M NOT REALLY SURE. BUT WHEN THAT ALLOCATION WAS MADE BY CENTER POINT, THAT WAS PROBABLY WHEN WE HAD 60,000 POPULATION. WHAT'S YOU KNOW, IS THERE A WAY OF ASKING CENTER POINT TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT IT AND SEE THAT WE'RE NOW 100,000 IN POPULATION, WHICH MEANS WE'VE GOT MANY MORE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE AROUND. AND IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THEM TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL. STREETLIGHTS FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR GRATIS, IF YOU WILL, WE ARE DEFINITELY EXPLORING THAT WITH CENTER POINT. BUT WHAT DRIVES THOSE ALLOCATIONS ARE OUR BUILDING STANDARDS. SO AS WE ARE WORKING TO REVISE OUR BUILDING STANDARDS, WE WILL BE MEETING WITH CENTER POINT TO DETERMINE WHAT, IF ANY, IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE ON THE ALLOCATIONS WE GET ANNUALLY. OKAY. WELL, IT'S JUST THAT I WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD GET CENTER POINT TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND, YOU KNOW, TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE GROWTH OF MISSOURI CITY AND REEVALUATE THEIR THEIR ALLOTMENT TO MISSOURI CITY. I'M SURE THEY WILL BECAUSE WE PAY FOR THEM. WE DON'T PAY FOR THOSE ALLOTMENTS. WE'LL WE PAY THE WE PAY THE PAY FOR THE EXPENSE OF THE LIGHTING. 
          YEAH. OKAY. IT'S A ONE TIME VERSUS A RECURRING. THAT THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF THE, THE QUESTIONS I HAD. THANK YOU I THANK YOU RECOGNIZING COUNCILMEMBER. THANK YOU MAYOR I JUST WANTED TO CAN YOU GO BACK I THINK IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE THIRD OR FOURTH SLIDE. IT WAS. GO A LITTLE SLOW. HOLD ON. GO BACK, GO BACK, GO BACK RIGHT THERE. HOLD ON NOW GO BACK. ONE MORE, ONE MORE. OKAY, NOW. I'M LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT. RIGHT HERE, RIGHT HERE. ALL RIGHT. ON THE EFFICIENCIES. IT SAYS REDUCTION $1 MILLION. IT SAYS ELIMINATED UNNECESSARY SPENDING PRACTICES. 
          CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? YES. AND I'LL LET BERTHA CHIME IN ON THE DETAILS. BUT THIS IS REALLY HAVING DEPARTMENTS SCRUB SOME OF THE REDUNDANCY WE SEE IN TERMS OF EVENTS. SOME OF THE MARKETING SWAG BAGS, IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU WILL, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE GIVE TO THE PUBLIC, LOOKING AT THAT FROM A MORE CENTRALIZED PERSPECTIVE, IT'S ALSO LOOKING AT INSTEAD OF GOING TO CONFERENCES, LOOKING AT GOING, ATTENDING THOSE CONFERENCES ONLINE IN TERMS OF UNIFORMS, CHANGING THE REQUIREMENTS, THAT OF HOW WE'RE PROVIDING UNIFORMS AND STRETCHING THAT A LITTLE BIT, PUTTING SOME OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY ON THE EMPLOYEE. SO IT'S A WHOLE MULTITUDE OF THINGS THAT WE WENT THROUGH TO LOOK AT, TO HOW DO WE ELIMINATE AND ENSURE THAT THE DOLLARS, THE DOLLARS THAT WE'RE SPENDING ARE ON THOSE KEY SERVICES AND ANYTHING THAT FALLS OUTSIDE OF THAT, WE'RE GETTING RID OF IT. AND THEN THE OTHER PART, LOWER TAXES. YES, THE LOWER TAXES IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RATE BETWEEN THIS YEAR AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET BECAUSE OF DEBT ISSUANCES. GENERALLY. YOU WOULD THINK THAT DEBT NUMBER, BECAUSE THE VOTERS, THE RESIDENTS ASKED FOR THOSE $81 MILLION IN PROJECTS, YOU WOULD SEE THAT NUMBER BE WHATEVER IT IS AND THAT RATE WOULD STAY THE SAME. SO IN EFFECT, WE HAVE LOWERED THE RATE BECAUSE TO KEEP THE RATE THE SAME, WE HAD TO LOWER THAT. OKAY. SO A FEW OTHER QUESTIONS THAT I HAD. YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICE CONCIERGE. I KNOW WE HAD SOME PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS WHEN 
          [00:45:01]
WE HAD OUR ONE ON ONE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU AND BERTHA ABOUT THAT MOVING AWAY FROM AN ACTUAL POSITION. YES, THAT'S WHERE DID WE LAND ON THAT? WHAT WHAT ACTUALLY WILL IT? IT'S A CONTRACTED SERVICE WHERE WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO COME IN AND REALLY CENTRALIZE AND ASSESS WHERE WE HAVE ALL OF OUR CODES AND REGULATIONS SPREAD OUT ALL OVER IN DIFFERENT AREAS, IS TO COME IN AND CENTRALIZE THAT SO THAT WE CAN THEN BEGIN TO CREATE CHECKLISTS AND INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC TO MAKE IT AN EASIER PROCESS VERSUS AN EASIER FOR STAFF TO BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS AND SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES. HAVING TO REMEMBER ALL THAT IS PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE YOU WANT IT TO BE MORE STREAMLINED. YOU WANT IT TO BE CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT. AND RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, JUST TAKE ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT CAME BEFORE THIS BODY BEFORE AS IT RELATES TO DAYCARE FACILITIES IN INTEGRATED SHOPPING CENTERS. WELL GUESS WHAT, WE DON'T ISSUE THE PERMITS. THERE A PART OF AN AGREEMENT. AND YET HAVING THAT IN AN AGREEMENT AND NOT BEING CENTRALLY LOCATED, SO THAT WHEN ANY STAFF PERSON LOOKS AT THAT, IT WILL BE A TRIGGER TO SEE, GUESS WHAT? WE HAVE ALL THESE OTHER AGREEMENTS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE FALL UNDER ANY DAYCARE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE, OR ANY CONSTRUCTION THAT'S GOING ON IN ANOTHER AREA TO KNOW WHAT THAT WHAT ALL IS INVOLVED. SO THAT IS THAT GOING TO BE TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN. IT'S BOTH IT'S TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN AS WELL AS ALIGNING WHERE OUR RESOURCES AND REQUIREMENTS ARE AND GETTING THEM TO BE PART OF A UNIFIED CODE DEVELOPMENT CODE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MY OTHER QUESTION IS, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A JOY OR QUESTION OR BOTH. WHAT'S THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF PM PMP OUTSTANDING NEEDS DO WE HAVE IN THE CITY? I KNOW WE'RE ALLOTTING 5 MILLION OR AT LEAST PROPOSING 5 MILLION. WE KNOW WHAT THE OVERALL STATUS IS. I WILL GIVE YOU A BETTER NUMBER. LET'S ACTUALLY JUST RESPOND TO THAT BECAUSE ACTUALLY WE'RE ALLOWING 7 MILLION FOR PM OR SIX FOOT STREETS AND ONE FOR SIDEWALKS. AND THAT TOTAL WAS ABOUT 300 MILLION WHEN I FIRST CAME ON BOARD. AND SO WE'VE PROBABLY EATEN INTO ABOUT 20 MILLION OF THAT. SO I WOULD SAY IT'S ABOUT $280 MILLION REMAINING. OKAY. THANK YOU. MY LAST PART IS REFERENCE TO NEW REVENUE. I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF CUTS, BUT NOTHING ABOUT NEW REVENUE IDEAS. SO I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS BEFORE I MAKE MY COMMENTS. DO WE CURRENTLY CHARGE FOR ANIMAL CREMATION SERVICES? WE DO NOT. 
          AND THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE REVENUE NEW REVENUES THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE PROPOSING. 
          OKAY, GREAT. BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MANY OTHER CITIES AND COUNTIES CHARGE FOR THAT SERVICE. AND I KNOW WE GET QUITE A FEW ANIMALS. I SAID CREMATION, NOT EUTHANIZATION. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR ON THAT. FOR ALL OF OUR ANIMAL ADVOCATES OUT THERE. THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, DO WE CURRENTLY CHARGE A PARK USE PERMIT? NO, I DON'T I DON'T THINK SO. YES WE DO. YEAH. 
          I'M HEARING YES. IF I MAY ADD, PART OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME BUSINESSES USING OUR PARKS, NOT PART OF THE CITY. WE ARE LOOKING AT THE OVERALL ASPECT OF HOW WE CAN CHARGE THOSE BUSINESSES FOR USING OUR PARKS. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE PARK STAFF IS LOOKING AT. AT SOME POINT, THEY'LL BE BRINGING IT IN FRONT OF COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION. 
          YEAH, BECAUSE I WAS THINKING, OH, GO AHEAD. I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD I HAD A BRAIN FREEZE FOR A MOMENT, BUT WE CHARGE. BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO EXPLORE IS RESIDENT VERSUS NONRESIDENT, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ALLOCATING THE COST WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE ALLOCATED, AND GIVING THE BENEFIT OF TAX DOLLARS TO RESIDENTS VERSUS NONRESIDENTS. RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST. I HAVE IT LIKE, DO WE I THINK WE WOULD WANT TO PROBABLY KEEP IT AT THIS TIME, LIKE, YOU KNOW, FREE TO OUR TAXPAYING CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS AND CHARGE NONRESIDENTS TO UTILIZE. I WASN'T EVEN THINKING ABOUT COMMERCIAL OR BUSINESSES, BUT DEFINITELY THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. MY OTHER QUESTION IS ON PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS. I KNOW THAT I LOOKED IN, I KNOW AT STATE THE STATE ALLOWS IT AND I KNOW IT'S REGULATED. SO I DON'T KNOW. I THINK THERE'S A CAP AS TO HOW MUCH YOU CAN CHARGE OR WE CURRENTLY CHARGING CITY SECRETARY. SO FOR THE MOST PART WE HAVE NOT BEEN CHARGING. BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE INTRODUCED INTO THIS NEXT BUDGET IS TO START CHARGING A FEE, DEPENDING ON THE TIME THAT IT TAKES FOR THE STAFF TO PULL THE RECORDS, AND THEN ALSO WHERE WE CAN CHARGE FOR THE ACTUAL MEDIUM IF THEY REQUESTED. OUTSIDE OF THE SOFTWARE SYSTEM THAT WE USE. SO WE WILL BE WE WILL BE DOING 
          [00:50:04]
THAT. GREAT. IF I MAY JUST OVERALL, WE DID NOT PRESENT ALL THE REVENUES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY EXPLORING BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE FLUSH THEM OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S HAPPENING ON THE STATE LEVEL THAT PREVENTS US FROM BEING ABLE TO CHARGE FOR THOSE REVENUES, AND THEN ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE IDENTIFY HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE'RE CHARGING, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH SOME AUTOMATED BILLING OR WHAT, WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE. SO WE'RE WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FLUSH OUT A LOT OF THOSE REVENUES. AND IN HINDSIGHT, IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO JUST HAVE A SLIDE FOR THOSE REVENUES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY EXPLORING RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE I'M GLAD YOU'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION, BECAUSE IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT. YES, INNOVATIVE NEW WAYS WE CAN INCREASE REVENUE. HAVING THAT CONVERSATION. AND THEN I WENT ON OUR CITY'S WEBSITE, AND I KNOW WE'RE CHARGING $50 FOR LIKE, ALARM PERMITS. I'M ASSUMING THAT'S FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL. AND SO WITH THAT, I WENT AND LOOKED AT FULSHEAR AND FRIENDSWOOD. I KNOW FULSHEAR CURRENTLY CHARGES A SEPARATE FEE FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, AND SO DOES FRIENDSWOOD. FRIENDSWOOD CHARGES $36 FOR RESIDENTIAL AND $72 FOR COMMERCIAL AND FULSHEAR CHARGES $50 FOR RESIDENTIAL AND $100 FOR COMMERCIAL. SO I THINK THAT WE MAY BE WE SHOULD LOOK AT ARE WE ARE WE ALREADY LOOKING AT THAT? IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE GOING DOWN OUR LIST OF ALL THE REVENUES THAT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. AND I WILL ALSO ADD TO THE LIST, IN CASE YOU DON'T MENTION IT, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS, WHETHER IT'S PROVIDING FIRE SERVICE OR WATER SERVICE OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. WE'RE ALSO EXPLORING THOSE. WELL, AWESOME. I MEAN, I LOOK FORWARD TO I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT AT THE NEXT BUDGET VIDEO OR PRESENTATION. AND KUDOS THAT EVEN IN THE MIDST OF I KNOW IT WAS TOUGH, VERY, VERY TOUGH. AND BUT TO SEE THAT WE'RE ENDING WITH A 1.86 NEW REVENUE AT THE SAME TIME OF HAVING A PROPOSED SAME RATE TAX RATE IS ENCOURAGING. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. RECOGNIZING MAYOR PRO TEM BROWN. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE REPORT. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. PRIORITY BASED BUDGET JUST FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY. COULD YOU GIVE AN EXPLANATION OF HOW THAT'S DEVELOPED? YES. WITH PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING, WHAT YOU LOOK AT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT YOU HEAR FROM A MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT SOURCES, MAINLY OUR RESIDENTS, IN TERMS OF WHAT COMES OFF AS PRIORITIES THROUGH THE VARIOUS SURVEYS OR THE INPUT THAT WE RECEIVE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, WHAT COMES FROM THE POLICY GROUP IN TERMS OF WHAT THE FOCUS SHOULD BE. AND THEN ALSO BASED ON ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, WE START TO CREATE THE PRIORITIES AND THOSE PRIORITIES. IT MEANS THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT WE WOULD ALLOCATE THE FUNDS TO. FIRST, WHEN YOU FALL INTO A LOWER PRIORITY, LET'S JUST SAY COST RECOVERY FOR SOME OF OUR RECREATION PROGRAMS, WE WOULD BE INCREASING THE COST RECOVERY ON SOME OF THOSE TO ACCOUNT FOR. IF WE FEEL LIKE WE STILL NEED TO PROVIDE THAT PROGRAM, THEN WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE INCREASE THE COST RECOVERY, MEANING WE NEED TO CHARGE FOR EITHER CHARGE FOR IT OR CHARGE MORE FOR IT. THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT IS ELIMINATING THOSE THINGS THAT DON'T MAKE THE CUT THAT FALL BELOW THE LINE. OKAY, I LIKE THAT BECAUSE THAT REALLY IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A SCORING SYSTEM, SO TO SPEAK. THIS IS PURELY, PURELY BASED ON THE NUMBERS. YES. IS WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT. MY SECOND QUESTION IS IN REGARDS TO FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES, THAT DEPARTMENT IS THE ONLY DEPARTMENT THAT IS GOING TO RECEIVE SEVEN ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBERS, AND THAT APPEARS TO BE DUE TO THE SAFER GRANT. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SAFER GRANT RUNS OUT OR OR IT MAY NOT BE RENEWED? WHAT IS THE PLAN THERE? THE PLAN IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT THROUGH ATTRITION PRIMARILY. OKAY. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE'RE STILL GROWING. 
          AND SO THERE IS A NEED. AND AGAIN, HOPEFULLY WITH SOME OF THESE POSITIONS, THE GOAL WOULD BE TO CUT DOWN ON SOME OF THE OVERTIME. OKAY. SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT IN THE THREE YEAR PERIOD WE'VE EITHER GOT TO LOOK AT THEM THROUGH ATTRITION OR EITHER BUILD THEM INTO THE BUDGET OF THE LESS IN TERMS OF OVERTIME COSTS, OR PRIORITIZE PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING. OKAY, IN TERMS OF THE 4% INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES DUE TO GROWTH, AND I, I CONCUR WITH COUNCIL MEMBER EMERY. I THINK I WOULD WANT TO SEE WHAT THAT NUMBER LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF WHAT THE OVERALL VALUE IS. AND DO WE REALLY HAVE THOSE NUMBERS AS OF YET, OR ARE WE KIND OF TRAJECTORY? WE HAVE THEM. WE HAVE WE'VE RECEIVED THEM. WE'VE BEEN RUNNING AT 10,000. THAT'S FINE. AS LONG AS 
          [00:55:04]
I KNOW WE REALLY HAVE. YEAH, WE DEFINITELY IF WE WERE TRYING TO TREND BASED ON LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS, WE DEFINITELY HAVE FINAL NUMBERS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND SO AND EVEN BASED ON THE FINAL NUMBERS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE RECENTLY RECEIVED, YOU STILL FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE 4.4%. 
          YES. BASED ON PROPERTY VALUE. YES. OKAY. MY NEXT QUESTION, MAYBE MISS BERTHA, IF YOU COULD JUST KIND OF WALK ME THROUGH THIS. SLIDE 16. SO HERE IS SLIDE 16. WE SHOW TOTAL REVENUE AND TRANSFER IN OF $95 MILLION. BUT WHEN WE GO TO SLIDE 17 AND IN IN 16 IS TALKING ABOUT THE MONEY THAT WE RECEIVE IN AND WE FLIPPED TO SLIDE 17. THIS IS TALKING ABOUT REVENUE AND MONEY. 
          MONEY THAT'S SPENT OUT WHICH IS 101 MILLION. CORRECT. HOW DO WE MAKE UP FOR THAT $5.6 MILLION SHORTFALL. WE'RE USING FUND BALANCE TO FUND THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL POLICIES, SUCH AS. PMP. I.T REPLACEMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. YOU KNOW, THE BUCKETS ARE CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE FUND BALANCE OVER AND ABOVE. THE 30% GOES TO FUND THOSE ITEMS, THOSE ITEMS. SO IN TERMS OF WE'LL USE THOSE TO FUND THIS PORTION HERE. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE A HEALTH. OH GO AHEAD. AND MAY I JUST SAY THAT'S THE MESSAGE FOR THE GENERAL FUND. OF COURSE WE'RE USING FUNDS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM ALL SOURCES PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE USING FUND BALANCES OUT OF SOME OF THE OTHER FUNDS TOO, WHICH IS HOW WE ENDED UP WITH THE $1.8 MILLION, NOT SO MUCH OF A SURPLUS WHEN YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING ALL INCLUSIVE, BUT JUST IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT JUST THE GENERAL FUND ITSELF, IT IT DOES MAKE IT KIND OF TOUGH TO LOOK AT TRYING TO CUT A TAX RATE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING THAT YOU'RE 5.6, YOU KNOW, RUNNING BEHIND. AND THAT'S JUST HERE IN THE PURE BLACK AND WHITE. YES, I WOULD LOVE TO FIND OTHER INCENTIVES. I KNOW THAT WAS MY FIRST QUESTION TO YOU GUYS. WAS THERE A WAY THAT WE COULD PASS ON ADDITIONAL SAVINGS TO OUR SENIORS AND TO OUR DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY? BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO ASK FOR THOSE THINGS MUCH EARLIER IN ADVANCE. AND IN TERMS OF HAVING A HEALTHY RESERVES THAT WE HAVE, AND LISTENING TO YOU GUYS TALK ABOUT, YOU HAVE YOUR FIVE YEAR PLAN IN TERMS OF FIVE YEAR BUDGET PLAN AND CAPITAL PLANNING MOVING FORWARD, AT WHAT POINT IN TIME WILL COUNCIL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIVE YEAR PROPOSED PLANS AT OUR NEXT RETREAT? OKAY, OKAY. I WOULD SAY THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, OUR NEXT AT OUR NEXT RETREAT. AND ACTUALLY, MY LAST COMMENT, IT SPINS AWAY FROM COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS IN REGARDS TO NEW REVENUE. IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE FIND THOSE NEW REVENUE LINES. AND SO I'M I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THOSE TO US, BECAUSE WE CAN CLEARLY SEE HERE IN THE WAY THESE NUMBERS ARE, ARE FLESHING OUT THAT WE MUST HAVE NEW REVENUE ITEMS. AND IF I COULD, MAYOR, IF I IF I COULD JUST MAKE A COMMENT. I'M GLAD THAT WAS POINTED OUT. THE FACT THAT WE DO RELY ON ONE TIME SOURCES OF FUNDS FOR RECURRING COSTS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO FIX. AND WHETHER WE FIX IT BY IDENTIFYING NEW REVENUE OR WE FIX IT BY CUTTING EXPENSES, WE HAVE TO FIX THAT. RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF BEING ABLE TO TARGET THOSE ADDITIONS THAT WE RECEIVE, WHETHER IT'S INVESTMENT EARNINGS OR INCREASED SALES TAXES OVER OUR BUDGET. BUT AT SOME POINT THAT'S GOING TO LEVEL OFF, AND WE NEED RECURRING REVENUE WITH RECURRING EXPENSES, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT GOING TO LAST INDEFINITELY. YOU'RE RIGHT. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I WAS ASKING ABOUT YOUR FIVE YEAR PLAN, SO THAT WE COULD SEE HOW QUICKLY WE'RE EITHER GOING TO RUN OUT OR HOW QUICKLY WE WILL NEED TO PIVOT OR PUT UP A NEW PLAN IN PLACE. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. I'M DONE. YEAH. RECOGNIZING COUNCIL MEMBER O'DEKIRK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU PUT INTO THIS. I KNOW THAT THIS WAS A CHALLENGING YEAR TO COME UP WITH THIS BUDGET. I'D LIKE TO FIRST ADDRESS, AND I HOPE THIS IS STILL CORRECT, THAT THIS BUDGET DOES NOT RAISE THE EMPLOYEE SHARE OF MEDICAL, THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING OUR MEDICAL FOR OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. JUST BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR SCHOOL TEACHERS AND OTHER PUBLIC SERVANTS OUT THERE, THEY ARE TAKING A MAJOR HIT AND IT'S REALLY CAUSING STRAIN. AND I APPRECIATE OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR MEDICAL COSTS. I'D LIKE TO TOUCH 
          [01:00:07]
ON SELF-SUSTAINING DEPARTMENTS. DO WE HAVE ANYTHING THAT COULD SHOW OUR PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, DEPARTMENTS THAT MAYBE CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR OWN BUDGET, PERHAPS A GOOD CHUNK VERSUS LIKE PARKS AND RECREATION PULLS IN A LOT OF MONEY? CAN WE SHOW THEM KIND OF HOW THAT BALANCES BEFORE WE SAY A LOT? THAT'S RELATIVE. OKAY. YES, I, I THINK WITH OUR PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS, I, I WOULD THINK OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, WE'RE PROBABLY RECOVERING 30%, 30% OF THE COST. 
          OKAY. AND I CAN CONFIRM THAT IF IT'S WAY OFF. BUT I'M THINKING THAT THAT'S ABOUT 30%. OKAY. SO THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HELP THE PUBLIC SEE WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING TO SOME OF THESE COSTS. BUT I APPRECIATE THAT. LOOKING AT THE AMERICAN LEGION PARK, WHICH IS IN DISTRICT C, MY SCOUTS MEET AT NEW HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH, WHICH BACKS UP TO THAT PARK, AND THEY USE IT QUITE FREQUENTLY FOR THEIR PHYSICAL FITNESS TESTS AND THAT TYPE OF THING. YOU KNOW, NOT ALL PARKS NEED CONCRETE TRAILS. GRAVEL TRAILS ARE ACTUALLY NOT A HORRIBLE THING IN THERE. THEY'RE A PERMEABLE SURFACE. THEY HELP WITH DRAINAGE AND THAT TYPE OF THING. SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE THAT EVERY PARK NEEDS THESE CONCRETE TRAILS. SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT SACRIFICING THINGS, I HATE TO SACRIFICE SOMETHING IN MY OWN DISTRICT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M UNLESS IT'S IN AN ADA THING OR TRYING TO MAKE ALL OF OUR PARKS SMOOTH. AND, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE RATIONALE IS. NOT EVERY PARK HAS TO HAVE A CONCRETE PATH. THE PARK HAS HAD BEAUTIFUL IMPROVEMENTS, BEAUTIFUL IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. BUT I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THIS UNLESS IT'S SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE ALL OF OUR PARKS ADA COMPLIANT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO I DON'T KNOW, BUT. GREAT POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER. WE WILL TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT. BUT THE GENERAL FEELING WHY WE GO TO CONCRETE TRAILS IS LESS MAINTENANCE. THE DOG TRAIL IS INVOLVES A LOT OF MAINTENANCE, A LOT OF MAN HOURS. SO WHEN THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY WE TRY TO CONVERT IT INTO CONCRETE. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BONEY AND MAYOR PRO TEM FOR POINTING OUT THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE SOURCES YOU HAD BROUGHT UP PREVIOUSLY, THE ALARM PERMITS AND ALL THOSE ITEMS. AND, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE SLIDE, THE METRO SLIDE AND REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT METRO REBATES THEY TAKE, THAT IS THAT THE ONE? IT'S ONE PENNY. AND THEN THEY REBATE US HALF OF THAT. CORRECT. AND THAT'S WHERE THIS MONEY COMES FROM. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RENEGOTIATING CONTRACTS, I HOPE THAT PART OF THAT'S METRO CONTRACTS IN THERE. I KNOW THAT THAT THIS HAS BEEN ON OUR RADAR FOR A WHILE. AND THE PUBLIC ALSO IS CONSCIOUS OF THIS METRO AGREEMENT. WE KNOW THAT WE'VE SEEN SOME IMPROVEMENTS WITH METRO IN THE RECENT MONTHS, BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT MORE WORK TO DO THERE. AND THAT'S IT. I'M GOING TO TURN THAT BACK OVER. THANKS. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. I THINK IT'S BEEN SAID ALREADY A COUPLE OF TIMES THE 5% CUTBACK THAT I THINK YOU INITIATED AND THEN TURN AROUND WITH THE MILLION DOLLARS IN REDUCING ON THIS BUDGET. RIGHT. SO I THINK YOU ALREADY EXPLAINED THERE WAS ANOTHER QUESTION HERE FOR THE MILLION DOLLARS. BUT LET'S GO TO SLIDE 13 IF WE CAN. THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S 13. SO I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS HERE. SO I GUESS THESE ARE THE PROPOSED STAFFING THAT I WOULD ASSUME THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS CAME TO YOU WITH. YES. NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT'S REQUESTED AND FUNDED. SO, YOU KNOW, WHOLE YEAR OF BEING ON THIS COUNCIL AND SEEING THE GROWTH OF OUR CITY, ESPECIALLY OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, COMMERCIAL SIDE, I NOTICED THAT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ASKED FOR FOUR NEW POSITIONS, AND I DON'T SEE ANY HERE. SO AS WE GROW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS THAT WE HEAR FROM COMMERCIALS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING IT IS THE LONGER TIME AND HOW LONG IT TAKES. SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN A DUMB ASKING FOR POSITIONS AND HOW 
          [01:05:03]
COME WE DON'T? I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE GREEN. YES, PROBABLY WHAT YOU SEE IN TERMS OF A REQUEST, GIVEN THE BUDGET SCENARIO THAT WE HAD, ANY NEW POSITION IS GOING TO BE SCRUTINIZED. AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, I THINK WE NEED A COMPLETE REVAMP OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. IN TERMS OF AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE A COMPLEX PROCESS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SIMPLIFY. AND UNTIL WE DO THAT, I THINK WE'RE OPERATING PREMATURELY TO JUST START TRYING TO THROW STAFF AT IT. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS. A LOT OF IT CAN BE DONE VIA TECHNOLOGY. AS WE LOOK AT OUR SISTER CITIES AND SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE, SOME OF THE PARTNERS THAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE, WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB BY USING OUTSIDE RESOURCES BEFORE WE START ADDING MORE RESOURCES. AND UNTIL WE GET THE VALUE OF ALL THE POSITIONS WE HAVE, I WOULD NOT BE ADDING NEW POSITIONS IN ANY DEPARTMENT UNTIL I CAN JUSTIFY ALL THE POSITIONS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'RE SAYING IS INSTEAD OF ADDING FOUR NEW POSITIONS OR ONE NEW POSITIONS, THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT, SEE WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON AND DRIVE THAT BY VIRTUE OF THAT TECHNOLOGY. YEAH, MAKING SURE THAT WE MAXIMIZE TECHNOLOGY AND THE EFFICIENCY OF THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE. OKAY. PART OF PART OF WHAT YOU SEE IN THE COLUMN THAT SAYS REALLOCATION FOR EFFICIENCY AND GROWTH, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE OCCUPYING POSITIONS THAT WE THAT ARE NOT ADDING VALUE. AND SO WE NEED TO RETHINK THOSE POSITIONS AND PUT THEM IN PLACES WHERE WE HAVE DIRECT NEEDS TO FILL SO THAT WE'RE GETTING THE VALUE OUT OF THOSE POSITIONS. SURE. SINCE YOU MENTIONED TECHNOLOGY ON THE SAME SLIDE, I NOTICED THAT THERE'S BEEN A REALLOCATION OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY. SO THEY REQUESTED TO. BUT YOU TOOK AWAY ONE. IS THAT THE WAY I'M READING IT ON THAT SLIDE, THEY REQUESTED TWO. THEY DIDN'T REALLOCATION. YES. WE REALLOCATED ONE TO ADDRESS THAT ONE OUT OF 15 OR 1 THAT YOU HAD GIVEN FOR TWO AND THEN BACK. SO THEY ASKED FOR TWO. WE DIDN'T GIVE ANY. AND THEN WE REALLOCATED OF THE FOUR OF THE TWO THAT WE WERE REALLOCATING, WE REALLOCATED ONE TO THAT. 
          OKAY. AND IS IT BECAUSE YOU THINK THAT'S MORE THERE'S MORE OR THERE'S MORE EFFICIENCY THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT? BASICALLY WHAT WE HAVE IS A NEED FOR SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND ASSESS THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY NEEDS, THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR RESOURCES. IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT'S OF THE PAST, THEY'VE BEEN MORE FOCUSED ON DESKTOP MAINTENANCE AND THINGS THAT STILL A NEED. ONE OF THE THINGS OUR IT STAFF DOES A AWESOME JOB ABOUT IS CYBERSECURITY. THEY DO THAT EXTREMELY WELL. BUT WHERE WE'RE WHERE THERE'S A GAP IS IN THIS DAY AND AGE, THERE ARE A LOT OF SOLUTIONS OUT THERE, NOT JUST FOR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, BUT EVERY DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY. THERE ARE SOLUTIONS WITH TECHNOLOGY WHERE WE DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES ON HAND TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE OPERATIONS AS WELL AS UNDERSTAND WHAT'S AVAILABLE FROM A TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVE. AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE FOCUS IS. ALL RIGHT. SO ON THE SAME SLIDE, IT ALSO SHOWS THAT UNDER ED YOU HAD FOUR POSITIONS BUT YOU'RE TAKING ONE AWAY. OR IS THAT AWAY OR IS THAT A REALLOCATION. REALLOCATION OKAY. GOT YOU. AND THEN NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES. THE REASON I BROUGHT UP WAS THEY HAVE 19 I ASSUME UNDER NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES YOU HAVE ANIMAL SHELTER, YOU HAVE CODE ENFORCEMENT. YOU HAVE ALL OF THAT. SO CORRECT HOA MEETINGS THAT WE GO TO, THERE'S A CONSTANT PUSH FOR MORE. I WOULD SAY CODE ENFORCEMENT. SO I'VE NOTICED THAT YOU HAD FUNDED ONE. 
          CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE THAT'S GOING TO THAT'S GOING ENFORCEMENT OR ANIMAL SHELTER CODE ENFORCEMENT. IT IS GOING TO CODE ENFORCEMENT. SO WHAT'S THE I GUESS I'M JUST ASKING BECAUSE THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE ASK. HOW MANY HOW MANY CODE ENFORCEMENT POSITIONS DO WE HAVE IN THE CITY? NINE. THAT'S INCLUDING WITH THIS ONE WOULD BE TEN WOULD BE TEN. OKAY. SO WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT. OKAY. AND THEN ON THE SAME SLIDE UNDER PUBLIC WORKS VERSUS PARKS. AND THE REASON I SAID PUBLIC WORKS VERSUS PARKS IS PUBLIC WORKS SHOWS. THEY HAVE 38 PARKS SHOWS 37. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. WHAT. I WOULD THINK THAT YOU WOULD HAVE MORE PEOPLE IN PUBLIC WORKS THAN PARKS. SO IS IT OUR WHEN YOU SHOW THESE POSITIONS, ARE THEY FULL TIME OR ARE THEY PART TIME OR ARE THEY PER DIEM OR WHAT ARE THEY? THOSE ARE FULL TIME POSITIONS THAT YOU'RE SEEING. THEY'RE FULL TIME POSITIONS. SO I MEAN, I NOTICED THAT PUBLIC WORKS DIDN'T ASK ANY PARKS ASKED ONE, AND THEY DIDN'T GET IT. RIGHT. RIGHT. SO 37 ARE FULL AND HOW MANY? SO DO YOU COUNT IN THE BUDGET FOR PART TIME? BECAUSE I WAS TOLD YOU DO. SO THAT'S NOT ON HERE. THAT'S 
          [01:10:04]
NOT ON THAT BECAUSE WE ONLY TRACK THE FULL TIME POSITIONS. OKAY. AND THE THEORY BEHIND SOME OF THE RECREATION PROGRAMS IS THAT THERE ARE COST NEUTRAL FOR THE FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE ADMINISTER A CAMP, THEN THE COST THAT THE CHARGE, THE REVENUE THAT WE GET FOR THAT SHOULD OFFSET THE PART TIME STAFF COSTS. BUT THAT'S THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT I WAS SAYING IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THOSE COST RECOVERY NUMBERS AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE MAXIMIZING THOSE TO THE APPROPRIATE USERS. OKAY. SLIDE 15. WE SAID ONE TIME FEE OF $118,000 FOR ENHANCING DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT IS? THAT'S THE BRINGING IN A CONTRACTOR TO STREAMLINE. AND IS THAT CONSIDER THAT THAT POSITION FOR CONCIERGE OR. NO. NO, THAT'S NOT A POSITION. THAT'S JUST A CONTRACT THAT WE WOULD ADMINISTER. OKAY. AND WE I MEAN, INITIALLY WE WERE LOOKING AT A POSITION AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE ODD NUMBER, BECAUSE ORDINARILY WE WOULD HAVE JUST PUT 100,000. BUT INITIALLY THE THOUGHT WAS TO BRING A POSITION ON. BUT NOW WE'RE EXPLORING SOME OTHER WAYS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO CREATE THAT BY USING SOME OTHER PARTNERS TO DO THAT. ALL RIGHT. UNDER COST SAVINGS ON THE SAME SLIDE UNDER FLEET AND EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT, I SEE THAT THERE'S 1.7 OR 1.8, YOU SHOULD SAY REPAIRS. WHERE IS IT? NO I'M SORRY, 1 MILLION. ONE FOR THE FLEET AND EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT. HAVE YOU LOOKED AT ANY OF THE OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE OUR NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT'S OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY TAKEAWAYS AND THINGS, BECAUSE THAT'S A HEFTY COST WHERE WE COULD SAVE SOME OF IT BECAUSE WEAR AND TEAR, YOU KNOW, GASOLINE, I MEAN, ALL OF THIS STUFF, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE COST IS GOING UP. SO I JUST WANTED TO HEAR WHAT YOUR TAKE ON THAT. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S CONTINUES TO BE AN AVENUE THAT WE REVIEW IN TERMS OF VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT. I THINK WITH HAVING THAT INTERNAL SERVICES DIRECTOR NOW TO BE FOCUSED ON THAT AND NOT JUST KIND OF BEING SPREAD OUT UNDER AN ACM WITHOUT THE FOCUS, YOU WILL SEE SOME CHANGES IN THAT. WE ARE ALREADY HONING DOWN ON COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH VEHICLES AND REPLACEMENT. AND SO IT'S JUST MORE TO COME. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN EDDIE, WHICH IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IS GETTING A ONE TIME COST FOR $745,000. WHAT IS THAT FOR? THAT'S FOR THE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS THAT THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE 745,000 SITTING IN THIS YEAR. THE PLAN IS TO HAVE ANOTHER 745,000, BECAUSE THAT'S THE BUCKET THAT WE CREATE FOR AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES. BUT IT'S THERE. IF A PROPOSAL COMES BEFORE THIS BODY, YOU THINK IT'S WORTH PROVIDING AN INCENTIVE. THAT'S WHAT THAT POOL OF RESOURCES. SO A TOTAL OF 1.5 IF THAT'S IF THIS IS APPROVED IT WOULD BE A TOTAL YES. IF IT'S APPROVED A TOTAL OF 1.5. AND THAT 1.5. IS THAT STILL ALLOCATED TO TEXAS PARKWAY AND CARTWRIGHT CORRIDOR NO. BASED ON THE NEW INCENTIVE PROGRAM, THAT THERE WERE CHANGES THAT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU? SEVERAL. I JUST WANTED TO HEAR YES OR NO. IT GOES BEYOND TEXAS PARKWAY AND CARTWRIGHT. ONE MORE QUESTION ON THAT. SO WHEN YOU ALLOCATE THAT TO ANYWHERE IN THE CITY, WHAT CAN THAT BE USED FOR? IS IT I KNOW ON TEXAS PARKWAY AND CARTWRIGHT CORRIDOR WE HAD FACADE PROGRAMS AND WE HAD PATIO PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT IT. SO CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH WHAT THAT 1.5 MILLION WOULD GO TOWARDS THE ENTIRE CITY? THE 1.5 MILLION IS STILL THE SAME TYPES OF PROGRAMS. FACADE RESTAURANT IS ANOTHER ONE. AND PATIO. IT'S JUST LOOKING AT IT COMBINED INSTEAD OF HAVING SEPARATE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS FOR EACH OF THOSE, WE JUST COMBINED ALL OF THEM TOGETHER. OKAY. NOW IN THIS, LET ME JUST SAY THAT THIS DOESN'T NEGATE THE FACT THAT IF THERE'S SOME OTHER INCENTIVE THAT YOU WANT TO USE THAT FOR, IT'S NOT JUST LIMITED TO THOSE INCENTIVES THAT ARE SPELLED OUT IN THAT PROGRAM, BUT IT ALSO GIVES THIS BODY THE FLEXIBILITY TO HAVE THOSE THOSE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO INCENTIVIZE SOMETHING. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN LAST QUESTION ON THAT SAME SLIDE IS THE TECHNOLOGY REPLACEMENT OF 895,000. I WOULD ASSUME THERE'S PROBABLY MAINTENANCE OR ONGOING. IS THE REPLACEMENT FOR REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE FOR REPLACING OUR DEBBIE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THAT'S THE REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR REPLACEMENT. IT INCLUDES THE DATA CENTER REPLACEMENT AND OUR STORAGE REPLACEMENT FOR THIS YEAR. OKAY. SO WHAT HAVE WE ALLOCATED ANY NEW MONEY TOWARDS THE TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER. NO WE HAVEN'T OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SLIDE 16. 
          [01:15:05]
I JUST HAVE THIS ONE. AND THEN JUST A COMMENT UNDER SLIDE 16 WE SHOWED SALES TAX SALES AND OTHER TAXES AT 18.2% RIGHT BERTHA. SO DO WE KNOW WHAT TYPE OF GROWTH THAT WE HAD FROM SALES TAX LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR? LAST YEAR WE EXPERIENCED AN OVERALL 8% GROWTH FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR. 
          YOU'RE SAYING WE'VE GROWN ABOUT EIGHT 8%. YES. OKAY. WE'VE ONLY LOOKED AT THE SALES TAX INFORMATION THROUGH APRIL, BUT WE'LL BE SENDING UPDATED. BUT YOU WOULD SAY THAT ROUGHLY ABOUT AROUND 8% GROWTH FROM LAST YEAR'S SALES TAX THAT'S BEEN COLLECTED CORRECT. TO NOW THIS YEAR. CORRECT PROJECTIONS. SO WOULD YOU SAY THAT OUR SALES TAX IS CONTINUING TO COME UP EVEN I KNOW IN 2021 AND 2022, WE SAW THE FIRST TIME WE SAW FLUX OF SALES TAX, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS COVID TIME, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SPENDING MONEY ON AMAZON AND BUYING ALL THIS STUFF. AND SO I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN CONTINUOUSLY GROWING AND IT HASN'T STOPPED OR IT'S CONTINUING TO GROW. SO CORRECT. IS THAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THAT AN AVERAGE FOR A CITY AS SUCH AS MISSOURI CITY TO WOULD YOU SAY EIGHT 8% IS AVERAGE, OR WOULD YOU SAY AROUND 5 OR 4% IS AVERAGE CUMULATIVE FOR ME AND MY CONSERVATIVE MINDSET, I THINK ANYWHERE FROM A 3 TO 5% GROWTH WOULD BE A GOOD PERCENTAGE TO USE. IT'S EASIER TO ADD MORE TO THE BUDGET, BUT IT'S DIFFICULT TO TAKE AWAY. AND SO WE PRESENT A VERY CONSERVATIVE BUDGET. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. JUST A GENERAL COMMENTS. CITY MANAGER GREAT JOB. AND BERTHA GREAT JOB TO EVERYONE ELSE IN THE DEPARTMENT. 
          HAS THAT WORKED ON THIS AWESOME JOB. AND METRO, I KNOW THAT WE TALK ABOUT METRO. WE HAVE A CONTRACT THAT'S COMING UP AND THE I BELIEVE LAST YEAR WAS AROUND $14 MILLION IS WHAT THE TOTAL ALLOCATION WAS. WENT UNDER THAT PENNY. AND THEN THE 15 $0.50 THAT CAME BACK ROUGHLY AROUND 6.9 IS WHERE I THOUGHT I SAW SOMEWHERE. SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, UNDER TRANSPORTATION TRAILS AND I KNOW ROUNDABOUTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE'RE WORK THAT WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE WORKING WITH METRO TO MAKE SURE THAT FUNDING IS THERE. IT WOULD YOU SAY THAT'S FINAL OR WOULD YOU SAY WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO OR WE CAN'T EVEN LOOK AT THAT AND PROTECT SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW? RIGHT NOW WE CANNOT PROJECT IT. I MEAN, UNTIL WE GET SOMETHING DEFINITIVE FROM METRO, WE HAVE TO LIVE BY THE CONTRACT THAT'S IN PLACE. AND PART OF THE ARGUMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING IS THAT WHEN THAT CONTRACT WAS ESTABLISHED, HOWEVER MANY YEARS AGO, THE CITY WAS NOT GROWING AT THE RATE IT'S GOING. AND WHILE THEY DEFINITELY ARE PROVIDING SERVICES, IT'S NOT AT A RECIPROCAL LEVEL OF THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR SALES TAX. SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE CASE TO METRO THAT TO PUT A CAP ON THOSE SALES TAXES, THAT WE WOULD DIVIDE UP EVERYTHING OVER THE CAP THE CITY WOULD GET. AND THEN OR TO LOOK AT OTHER PROJECTS THAT MEET THE MOBILITY CRITERIA THAT THEY USE AND THEN FUND THOSE DIRECTLY. SO THAT'S THE CONVERSATION THAT WE STARTED WITH THEM, AND THAT'S THE CONVERSATION THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE. BUT WE REALLY ARE HAVING A CONVERSATION, HOPING FOR THEM TO BE GOOD PARTNERS, TO COME TO THE TABLE, BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE HAVE THAT CAN FORCE THEM TO DO SO. OKAY. LASTLY, TABATHA, AS YOU'RE, I MEAN, PERFORMANCE MANAGER FOR THE BUDGET, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY'VE BEEN TALKED ABOUT BRINGING UP OR ADDING MORE REVENUES TO IT. RIGHT? YES. AND I'VE LOOKED AT I'VE LISTENED TO SOME OF THOSE. I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE SUCH AN INCREMENT INCREASE TO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT HERE. AND EVERY BIT HELPS. DON'T GET ME WRONG. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU ALL CAN THINK OR SUGGEST MOVING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE? I'M TALKING ABOUT FIVE YEAR BASED BUDGET THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT. 
          WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS? I WANTED TO KNOW. WELL, I THINK OTHER THAN INCREASED FEES, LIKE THE CITY MANAGER SAID, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR AGREEMENTS. THERE'S ALSO PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, THERE'S NAMING RIGHTS. TRYING TO THINK OF SOME OF THE OTHER ONES ON ON THE LIST. WE NOT ONLY DID WE LOOK INTERNAL TO GET INITIATIVES FOR NEW REVENUE, WE 
          [01:20:04]
ALSO ASKED THAT QUESTION OF OUR RESIDENTS. AND SO WE GOT LOTS OF FEEDBACK FROM THEM. BUT THOSE ARE THE MAIN, I THINK, ITEMS INITIATIVES THAT WILL BRING IN A DECENT AMOUNT OF REVENUE. OKAY. 
          AND THE LAST THING IS PROPERTY VALUATIONS THAT WE TALK ABOUT AT THE STATE LEVEL. THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CAPPING PROPERTY TAX. BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE NOT RAISED OUR TAX RATE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN MISSOURI CITY FEEL LIKE THEIR TAXES HAVE GONE UP. THERE'S A THERE'S A MISINFORMATION OR MISINFORMED RESIDENTS OUT THERE THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE KEEPING OUR TAX RATE AT, LET'S SAY, 0.5 $0.07 OR 56 SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE, BUT YOUR PROPERTY VALUATION GO UP. SO YOU'RE STILL GOING TO PAY AT THAT RATE THAT WE HAVE, BUT THE AMOUNT WILL BE HIGHER. SO WITH UNDERSTANDING WHERE THAT PROPERTY TAX, YOU KNOW, LIMIT THAT THE STATE IS TALKING ABOUT, HOW WILL THAT HELP US IN THE FUTURE OR HOW WOULD THAT IF THAT GETS SIGNED, WILL THAT HELP US ON THIS. IT WILL NOT HELP US BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT INCREASED OUR TAX RATE BASED ON WHAT WE CAN RIGHT NOW. SO THEM LIMITING IT FROM REDUCING IT FROM 3.5 TO 2.5, THAT REALLY IMPACTS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. AND SO SINCE WE'VE BEEN NOWHERE NEAR THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, ALL THAT DOES IS, IS REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF INCREMENT WE CAN CARRY FORWARD. AND SO ANYTIME THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING A RATE THAT'S BELOW THE VOTER IMPROVEMENT VOTER APPROVAL RATE, THAT CREATES AN INCREMENT THAT WE THEN COULD ADD TO OUR RATE WITHOUT GOING TO THE VOTERS AND JUST LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS BASED ON WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A THREE CENT INCREMENT THAT'S SITTING OUT THERE. SO NOT THREE CENT $0.03 OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I'M GOING TO YIELD BACK AND RECOGNIZE AND COUNCIL MEMBER EMERY. YEAH. JUST TO FOLLOW BACK UP WHEN WE LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUND WHEN WE'RE FINISHED WITH THE FUNDING OF THE OPERATIONS AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE STANDARD OF WHAT, 20 TO 30% MAINTAINING A GENERAL FUND BALANCE. ARE WE MAINTAINING THAT OR WHERE WILL WE BE ONCE THE, THE IF THE BUDGET OR WHEN THE BUDGET IS APPROVED, WHAT WILL THAT LEAVE US IN THE GENERAL FUND? PERCENTAGE WISE, WE WILL STILL BE OVER THE 30% REQUIREMENT. OKAY. AND BECAUSE WE WOULD STILL NEED TO COUNT THE BUCKETS THAT WE'VE SET ASIDE AND NOT SPENT, THAT'S STILL A PART OF THE FUND BALANCE. IT'S JUST BEEN ALLOCATED. BUT WE ARE DEFINITELY ABOVE THAT 30%. AND THE REQUIREMENT BETWEEN 25 TO 30%. WE ARE WE'RE EXCEEDING THAT. AND WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THOSE DOLLARS BEING ALLOCATED TO SPECIAL BUDGET BUCKETS OF OPERATIONS OR OF ACTIVITIES. 
          CORRECT. SO THAT WE KNOW IT'S NOT JUST A DOLLAR AMOUNT SITTING OUT THERE. WE'VE GOT SOME SOME POTENTIAL USE IN SOME OF OUR OPERATIONS. CORRECT? YEAH. AND ACTUALLY THAT'S WHY WE STARTED WE MOVED TO DOING A FIVE YEAR PLAN THIS YEAR SO THAT WE HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF JUST KIND OF TRYING TO LOOK AT THE FUTURE. AND WHEN WE THINK WE MAY EXHAUST THOSE REVENUES. AND AT WHAT POINT ARE WE GOING TO BE IN A BIND WHERE WE REALLY HAVE TO CUT OUR SERVICES OR FILL IT WITH THE NEW REVENUE? WHAT WERE THOSE? WERE THERE, JEFFREY? WERE THERE 4 OR 5 BUCKETS OR I'M SORRY. 
          YEAH, I WANT TO SAY SIX. HOW MANY? SIX. DO WE KNOW WHAT THOSE. IT'D BE NICE TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT DOLLARS THAT COULD BE SITTING OUT THERE IN THE GENERAL FUND. 
          THAT'S BEEN. I DON'T WANT TO USE THE WORD EARMARKED, BUT AT LEAST IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIAL USE ON CERTAIN OPERATIONS WITHIN THE CITY. PMP IS SEVEN PMP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAPITAL REPLACEMENT FACILITIES, MAINTENANCE, FLEET, IT, PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. OKAY, AND THERE'S A PERCENTAGE THAT OF 65% GOES TO PMP, 30% TO CAPITAL REPLACEMENT, 12% TO FACILITIES MAINTENANCE, 6% TO FLEET, 6% TO IT, 6% TO PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT, 5% TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. OKAY, OKAY. WELL, IT'S WHEN YOU WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, NOT EVERYTHING IS BLEAK 
          [01:25:07]
AND BLACK. IT'S YOU KNOW, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE IF, IF IT HAPPENS TO BE NEEDED. 
          BUT I JUST WANT TO REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT THOSE ARE ONE TIME RESOURCES. YEAH. THEY CAN BE USED ONE TIME. ONCE THEY'RE USED ONE TIME, THEY'RE GONE. THAT'S WHY WE TRIED TO LOOK AT THEM IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE PUBLIC'S HIGHEST PRIORITIES IN TERMS OF STREETS IMPROVEMENTS, SIDEWALK REPAIRS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT'S TRYING TO GENERATE MORE RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT. THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, THE IT THAT'S THE REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT. AND SO IT'S TRYING TO LOOK AT THOSE ONE TIME EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE ONE TIME REVENUES. SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN GO AND TAKE 5 MILLION AND LOWER THE TAX RATE BY $0.05, BECAUSE THAT'S A ONE TIME. OKAY. 
          YEAH OKAY. THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PRO TEM BROWN THANK YOU MAYOR. SLIDE 15. 
          SOMETHING ELSE KIND OF JUMPED OUT AT ME ON 15. THE HIRING OVER MIDPOINT. YES. IF WE HAVE KIND OF IF WE'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SELECTIVE ON WHO WE'RE HIRING, DO WE STILL NEED THAT $350,000 CUSHION THERE? AND THAT'S THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. BUT, YOU KNOW, AS WE CONTINUE TO INCREASE OUR RATES, SO DO OUR COUNTERPARTS. AND SO THAT'S A MOVING TARGET. AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN HIRE PEOPLE WITHIN THE SALARY RANGE THAT WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR THOSE TECHNICAL POSITIONS, I'M FINDING THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO COME IN AT THE MAX FOR LOWER LEVEL POSITIONS. WE'RE OKAY. BUT IT'S THOSE RARE POSITIONS WHERE WE'RE COMPETING WITH THE CFO POSITION, CITY ENGINEER, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, THOSE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF POSITIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HIRING ABOVE THE MIDPOINT ON. AND SO OUR CURRENTLY OUR STRUCTURE FOR THOSE POSITIONS IN WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN WE WRITE OUR PERSONNEL BUDGET AND TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION OUR INCREASES IN STUFF, 350,000 JUST SEEMS LIKE A LOT FOR THOSE FIVE POSITIONS. WELL, AND IT MAY NOT BE THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S A BELOW THE LINE NON I MEAN THOSE ARE THE COSTS THAT WOULD ROLL INTO FUND BALANCE. IF WE DON'T USE IT, WE DON'T PUT IT IN THE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS BECAUSE WE WANT IT TO BE MANAGED. BUT IT'S A PLACEHOLDER. 
          AND THE REASON WHY I BROUGHT THAT UP IS BECAUSE I KNOW WE WENT THROUGH THE DISPARITY STUDY AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR STAFF WAS BROUGHT UP TO A MARKET LEVEL SO THAT EVERYONE WAS ON A COMPETITIVE PLAYING FIELD. AND SO THIS, TO ME IS AN INDICATION THAT MAYBE MARKET HAS ONCE AGAIN LEFT US. AND SO WE'RE STRUGGLING TO GET BACK THERE AGAIN. I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WE DID THAT STUDY ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. RIGHT. AND SO EVERY YEAR SOMETHING'S CHANGING, OKAY. EVERY YEAR WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FACTORS THAT EXIST AT THAT TIME. RIGHT. AND WE ALWAYS HAVE TO BE DILIGENT IN IN HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT. THAT'S JUST ONE ITEM THAT WE CAN CONTROL TO SOME DEGREE, BUT IT MAY NOT COST US THAT. BUT AGAIN, IT'S THERE IF WE NEED IT. AND THAT GOES BACK TO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT FINDING ADDITIONAL INCOME STREAMS. YES, SIMILAR TO OUR SISTER SISTER SISTER CITIES. YES. BECAUSE IN TERMS OF WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW THEIR BUDGETS ARE STRUCTURED, WE ARE HEAVY, HEAVY PROPERTY TAX BASED BUDGET. AND SO WHEN WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN START USING OTHER LINE ITEMS, THEN WE CAN SEE THE SHIFT. AND I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO DO THAT A LITTLE BIT QUICKER. YEAH. THAN THAN NOT. ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE STATE IS POSSIBLY GOING TO LOOK AT PUTTING MANDATES ON CAPPING. MY LAST QUESTION ON TODAY AND I MIGHT COME UP WITH ANOTHER ONE, BUT HOPEFULLY I WON'T. WE REALLY DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE LGC HERE ON TONIGHT, AND I KNOW THAT MYSELF AND MY COUNTERPARTS, COUNCIL MEMBER EMERY AND BONNIE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING PRETTY DILIGENTLY IN OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS ON FINDING OTHER REVENUE STREAMS AND WAYS TO TAP INTO THAT RESOURCE AND REALLY TURN IT INTO AN ASSET FUNCTIONING CENTER. AND SO I'M HOPING THAT NOT TONIGHT. WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT TONIGHT, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY DWELL A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THAT. BUT JUST SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN HEAR THIS, THAT'S A TOUGH ONE TO A MOVING TARGET, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING IT'S BEEN DOWN NOW SINCE BURRELL. AND WE HAVE ONE GOLF 
          [01:30:06]
COURSE THAT'S CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION. SO I DO WANT TO THANK SERGIO FOR WORKING WITH US AND HEARING ALL OF OUR CRIES AND OUR DESIRES, AND THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING OUR BEST TO PLAY WITH NUMBERS, LOOK AT FOOD, LOOK AT MENU ITEMS, BECAUSE IT REALLY IS TRULY OUR BURNING DESIRE TO TURN THAT INTO AN ASSET CENTER. SO THAT'S WHY IF I COULD JUST AS A AS A POSITIVE TESTAMENT TO SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED, IT WAS JUST REPORTED TO ME LAST WEEK THAT WE'RE SEEING MORE REVENUE OUT OF THE ONE GOLF COURSE THAN THE TWO COMBINED THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST, AND SO IF WE CAN CONTINUE SOME OF THAT ACTIVITY, THAT INTEREST, RETOOL THINGS A LITTLE BIT, I THINK WHAT THAT THAT ENTITY HAS THE POTENTIAL OF DEFINITELY NOT ONLY COVERING ITS COSTS, BUT ALSO COVERING SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS THAT'S ALLOCATED TO MANAGING THAT, THAT YEAH, THAT'S THE GOAL. THANK YOU, I THANK YOU, RECOGNIZE AND COUNCILMEMBER THANK YOU. MAYOR. 
          YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT IN THE BUDGET I MEAN IT'S QUITE A FEW, BUT THE STREET LIGHTS FOR THE DIMLY LIT AREAS I KNOW I'VE I KNOW SHASHI PROBABLY TIRED OF HEARING ME TALK ABOUT TRAMMEL FRESNO, BUT THAT IS ONE AREA I WANTED TO KNOW. A FIRST IS THAT A PART OF THIS BUDGET? ACTUALLY, THAT'S A PART OF THIS YEAR. IT'S A PART OF THIS YEAR. THIS YEAR. OKAY. 
          SO WE'RE STAFF IS GETTING A LIST OF ALL THE AREAS THAT ARE DIM WITHIN THE CITY. AND WE WILL BE PRIORITIZING THAT LIST FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE. AND THEN BRINGING THAT BACK TO THIS BODY IN A IN A SPECIAL MEETING TO TALK ABOUT THE RANKINGS AND WHICH ONES AND ALL OF THAT. AND I WAS GOING TO BE MY NEXT THING I KNOW, WHEN WE HAD THAT MEETING WITH THE NEW DISTRICT ENGINEER WITH TEX-DOT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, I WAS EMPHASIZING WAS THE STREET LIGHT AGREEMENT THAT WE INITIALLY, I GUESS, WERE PRESENTED WITH AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION OR STAFF SAID NO TO IT. WE REVISITED THAT WITH HIM, AND HE AGREED, AT LEAST AT THE TABLE, THAT HE WOULD DO AN ASSESSMENT OF THE TXDOT ROADS AND THEN GET BACK TO US, AND THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO DECORATIVE POLES INSTEAD OF JUST THE REGULAR LIGHTS. IS THAT A PART OF THIS? THAT COULD BE BECAUSE BASICALLY WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE AGREEMENT IS THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE THEM WHERE WE WOULD WANT THE DECORATIVE LIGHTS, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE'S A DELTA, THAT'S THE PIECE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO COVER. SO HAVE HAS HE HAS HE DID HIS STILL WORKING ON THAT. WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE CONTRACT. OH OKAY. STILL WORKING ON THE AGREEMENT. YEAH WE'RE WORKING ON DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHEN THAT COULD BE SOLIDIFIED? I BELIEVE TEXDOT JUST PROVIDED THEIR RESPONSES TO MY OFFICE LAST WEEK, SO WE WILL HAVE TO REVIEW THOSE. I THINK THEY HAD A LOT OF, I'M SURE, COMMENTS ON OUR COMMENTS. SO I WOULD IMAGINE WITHIN THE NEXT 60 DAYS WE SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING ON AN AGENDA. WELL, YEAH, I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO SEE THE LIST OF WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING. SO LET ME JUST ASK ONE FINAL QUESTION. ARE THEY DOING THEIR OWN ASSESSMENT AND PROVIDING WITH THE PLAN B FOR THEM TO DO THEIR OWN ASSESSMENT ON THEIR ROADS, OR WILL WE BE SAYING, THIS IS WHERE ON YOUR ROADS WE BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE CORRECT? WELL, ACTUALLY THEY WILL BE DOING IT BASED ON WHATEVER THEY PROVIDE AT THE OTHER CITIES. AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WHATEVER THAT IS AND WHATEVER STANDARDS THEY'RE USING, IF WE WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT, WHATEVER THAT DIFFERENCE IS, WE WILL HAVE TO PROVIDE THE DELTA IN THE COST. OKAY. THAT'S FAIR. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHO WAS LEADING THE CHARGE HERE, WHO OR BOTH. YEAH. BECAUSE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GIVE THEM THE SEGMENTS OF THE ROAD THAT WE WANT LIT. AND THEN ONCE WE GIVE THEM THAT, THEN THEY WOULD TURN AROUND AND TELL US WHAT THEY COULD PROVIDE. AND IF WE WANTED SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY'RE PROVIDING, THEY WOULD TELL US THAT DELTA AND WE WOULD HAVE TO FUND THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT. I JUST HAD TWO MORE THINGS THAT I JUST WANTED TO ASK ON THE ON THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SIDE, ESPECIALLY WITH INTERNAL SERVICES, HAVE WE LOOKED AT GENERAL, YOU KNOW, HAVING GENERATED AND ALL THAT. IF SO, WHERE IS THAT. IS THAT IN THIS BUDGET OR. YES, IT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED BACKUP GENERATORS. WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TOPPING OFF ALL THE GENERATORS THAT WE HAVE THAT THEY'RE FUNCTIONING. SO ALL OF THAT IS, IS DEFINITELY ALREADY IN PLACE. AND THE CONTINUANCE WOULD BE IN THE NEXT BUDGET IN THE CURRENT BUDGET COMING UP. OKAY. THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO ASK, ESPECIALLY AROUND THIS, AS WE SPEND I DON'T SEE IT IN THE ONE TIME COST, BUT I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING MONEY OR ALLOCATING 
          [01:35:05]
MONEY INTO THE SIGNALS WITH AI TECHNOLOGY. WHERE ARE WE? DO WE HAVE THAT IN THIS BUDGET OR NOT? YES, MA'AM. THAT IS IN THE CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET. WE JUST GOT THE BOND PROCEEDS ABOUT A MONTH AGO. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING THAT SO WE CAN SO IS IT SEGMENTS OF OR THE ENTIRE CITY SEGMENTS. WE HAVE SOME PRIORITY SEGMENTS THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING IT. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT PARTNERS IN IMPLEMENTING IN OTHER CORRIDORS SUCH AS SIENNA PARKWAY. BUT IT IS SEGMENTS NOT CITYWIDE. SO MY QUESTION WAS IF IT'S IN THE BUDGET FOR SEGMENTS THIS TIME, LET'S SAY YOU DO THREE LIGHTS OR SIX LIGHTS OR WHATEVER. WHAT ABOUT THE REST? DO YOU HAVE IT IN HERE? WELL, WE WANT TO START DEFINITELY SMALL MAYOR OF THE TECHNOLOGY IS EVOLVING. WE WANT TO EXPLORE THIS OPPORTUNITY IN SOME KEY CORRIDORS. TEXAS PARKWAY, CARTWRIGHT 1092, PERHAPS SIENNA AND SEE HOW IT WORKS AND THEN EXPAND IT CITYWIDE. I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO JUMP ALL ACROSS THE CITY, I GET THAT, BUT I'M SAYING IS THE THREE LIGHTS THAT PUT ON LAKE OLYMPIA PARKWAY. THOSE ARE AI TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN, CORRECT? WELL, THOSE ARE BUILT TO SYNCHRONIZE. WE HAVE SYNCHRONIZED IT. AND AGAIN, WE ARE WE HAVE MORE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S COMING IN TO SYNCHRONIZE THE ENTIRE CORRIDORS, WHICH IS WHERE THE TRAFFIC PATTERNS CHANGE. AND THAT IS MORE PRONE TO SUCH AS TEXAS PARKWAY AND HIGHWAY SIX. SO THAT IS WHERE WE'LL BE IMPLEMENTING THESE TECHNOLOGIES. MY FIRST QUESTION, YOU ANSWERED IT BY SAYING THAT IT'S IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, CORRECT. GOING ON RIGHT NOW. CORRECT. SO MY QUESTION WAS, DO WE HAVE FOR ANOTHER FIVE LIGHTS OR SIX LIGHTS IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET? YOU'RE SAYING WE DON'T BECAUSE YOU SAID WE'RE GOING TO WAIT TILL SEE HOW THE FIVE THAT WE INSTALL ROLLS OUT AND THEN WE'LL GO FORWARD. SO I'M JUST ASKING SO NOTHING GETS DONE IN 26. AM I SAYING IT WRONG? NO WE HAVEN'T. THIS YEAR'S BUDGET WILL BE IMPLEMENTING IN OTHER CORRIDORS. FOR EXAMPLE, TEXAS PARKWAY, CARTWRIGHT AND 1092. WHEN IS THAT IN THIS BUDGET OR IN 27? BUDGET? IN THE 25 YEAR? IN THE CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET, THE IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE IS BETWEEN NOW AND END OF NEXT YEAR. OKAY, SO IF I MAY YEAH, I GUESS ANOTHER WAY TO ASK THE QUESTION IS, IN THE 30 MILLION THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO ISSUE BONDS FOR IN 26, DOES ANY OF THAT FUND ANY AI FOR STREETLIGHTS? NO. OKAY. WHY WOULDN'T WE PUT IT IN THERE? I'M JUST SAYING YOU PUT IT IN LIKE 5 OR 1 THOROUGHFARE, YOU HAVE THIS, BUT THEN WE'RE GROWING. WE'RE NOT 80,000 PEOPLE ANYMORE. 
          WE'RE ABOUT 104,000. RIGHT? SO WHY WOULDN'T WE HAVE THAT AMOUNT IN THE BUDGET AS A CONTINUATION, RATHER THAN PLAYING PILOT, TO SEE WHAT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AND HOW WOULD WE DO IT? I MEAN, THERE'S NO REASON TO DO A PILOT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT TECHNOLOGY IS DRIVEN, IS GOING TO HELP TO MOVE THE TRAFFIC, MOVE FORWARD. SO I'M JUST MY ONLY QUESTION IS WHY WOULDN'T WE IF IT'S A PROJECT THAT WE'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT'S IMPLEMENTING IN THE WHOLE COUNTY, I GET IT. BUT IF IT'S OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE IT, WHY WOULDN'T A SMALL PIECES? I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT DOING THE ENTIRE CITY. WHY WOULDN'T YOU CONTINUE THAT? SO THERE IS A THERE'S A CONTINUATION OF THESE TYPE OF THINGS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS BEFORE WE IMPLEMENT SOMEWHERE ELSE. WELL, IS WHAT I'M ASKING. AND I THINK PART OF THAT COMES WITH PRIORITIES. I MEAN, IF THAT'S A PRIORITY, THEN IT'S EASY FOR US TO REDIRECT THE FUNDS THAT WE ARE USING FOR STREETLIGHTS AND OR PAVEMENT IMPROVEMENTS TO REDIRECT THEM TO GET MORE EFFICIENCY IN THE AI. 
          HOPEFULLY THE IDEA IS THAT AS AS AI IS ROLLED OUT, IT WILL BECOME CHEAPER, NOT MORE EXPENSIVE. AND SO GIVEN THAT THERE MAY BE A WHOLE NEW SOLUTION OUT IN THE NEXT 3 TO 5 YEARS. AND SO THE THOUGHT IS THAT TO ADDRESS THE PRIORITIES RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF WHERE WE HAVE THE MOST CONGESTION, AND THEN LOOK TO SEE WHAT STRATEGIES ARE OUT THERE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE WITH. BUT JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT FUNDED IN THIS, WE ALSO HAVE TO MANAGE IT BASED ON THE MANPOWER THAT WE HAVE. WHAT WHAT CAN WE ENSURE THAT WE'RE DOING IN A QUALITY MANNER TO CONTINUE TO MOVE IT FORWARD? ALL I'M SAYING IS, IT JUST SEEMS WHEN YOU OUT THERE WITH THE CITIZENS, THERE'S A HUGE DISCONNECT BECAUSE CERTAIN AREAS OR CERTAIN THINGS THAT WORK AND THEN THERE'S NOTHING FOR THE REST 3 OR 4 YEARS UNTIL IT BECOMES SOMETHING. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THIS PATH OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION, TRAFFIC MITIGATIONS, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, EVERYWHERE, BECAUSE 
          [01:40:04]
OUR CITY IS CONTINUING TO GROW. AND JUST LIKE WE ARE SPENDING MONEY INTO SIDEWALKS AND STREET PANEL AND STREET REPAIRS, YOU KNOW, THE LONGER YOU HOLD IT IS THE AMOUNT IS JUST GOING TO ADD UP. SO I'M JUST SAYING, AS YOU KNOW, LET ME LET ME JUST SAY ONE MORE THING. THERE ARE PEOPLE IN OUR CITY THAT WOULD SAY THAT WHEN THEY GET TO HIGHWAYS, I MEAN, HIGHWAY SIX IN DALLAS, MOVE FROM HIGHWAY 6 TO $10 TO 59. IT GOES FASTER THAN COMING FROM FORT BEND TOLL ROAD TO DULLES. SO ONCE YOU'RE ON DULLES, IT'S A CONTINUATION MOVEMENT. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S AI TECHNOLOGY. I'M NOT THE EXPERT IN AI TECHNOLOGY. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SINGLE SIGNAL THAT NEEDS TO TALK TO EACH OTHER, WHATEVER THE TECHNOLOGY THAT IT IS. THEN WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM, SAME THING. THE OTHER WAY YOU GET OFF ON 59, IT MOVES TO DULLES AND THEN FROM DULLES TO GET TO CRAIGMONT. AND TOWARDS THE END OF OUR CITY, IT'S FOREVER. AND THESE ARE, IF YOU DRIVE IT EVERY DAY, YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE CITIZENS ARE TALKING ABOUT. SO I'M, I'M NOT TRYING TO FORCE IT INTO INTO THE BUDGET, BUT WE CAN'T BE DOING I FEEL LIKE WE'RE HODGEPODGE ALL OVER THE PLACE. SO IF WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN IN ORDER TO DO IT, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT PLAN IS. I'M NOT AN ENGINEER. I DON'T WORK IN PUBLIC WORKS. BUT OBVIOUSLY FROM HEARING FROM CITIZENS. AND WHEN I DRIVE MYSELF, THERE IS A DISCONNECT. SO IF WE'RE IF WE'RE INVESTING MONEY OR IF WE SHOULD, THEN WE SHOULD PLAN AT LEAST TAKE ONE AREA AND THEN DO THAT AREA. SO IT MAKES SENSE. AND RATHER THAN PUTTING IT ALL OVER THE PLACE IS MY COMMENT. THANK YOU MAYOR. VERY WELL. GOOD COMMENTS. WE HAVE A PLAN WE'RE IMPLEMENTING IN THE CORRIDORS THAT IS MOST NEEDED BASED ON THE FUNDING WE HAVE, JUST LIKE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS. AFTER WE IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN, THE PRIORITY AREAS, WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE. SO IT IS THERE. IT IS AN EVOLVING PLAN AND IT WILL GO ON FOR YEARS AND DECADES TO COME. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH. RECOGNIZE COUNCILMEMBER. 
          YES. CAN YOU GO BACK TO I DON'T KNOW WHAT NUMBER IT IS. Y'ALL MEMORIZED THESE NUMBERS? I THINK IT'S 28. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GO BACK A LITTLE BIT. YEAH. RIGHT. NO. ONE MORE, NO ONE MORE. 
          ANOTHER ONE RIGHT HERE OKAY. SO. I GUESS. I KNOW ON THE TWO DRAINAGE PROJECTS, I KNOW THIS IS COMING FROM THE DOLLARS 5 MILLION AND SOME CHANGE, BUT I KNOW I THOUGHT WE HAD ALLOCATED IS THIS LIKE PHASE 1 OR 2 OF THIS. BECAUSE I KNOW WE ALLOCATED TO THE PINE MEADOW CRAVENS LIKE 2.8 MILLION AND THEN ABOUT 2.2 MILLION TO THE GREGORY AND MCCLAIN. SO IS THIS LIKE A PHASE 1 OR 2? NO. THIS IS THE PHASE TWO ISSUANCE OF BOND. THE TOTAL COST OF THE PROJECT IS 5 MILLION. THE CITY MANAGER JUST SIGNED THAT CONTRACT ABOUT A WEEK AGO. SO WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THESE PROJECTS. BUT WE WILL GET REIMBURSED FROM THE GLOW AFTER WE ARE DONE WITH THE PROJECT. SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS THE PHASED ISSUANCE OF THE BONDS, BUT THE TOTAL COST IS GIVE OR TAKE ABOUT 5 MILLION. SO NOTHING HAS CHANGED WITH THAT. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. I JUST I SAW THE NUMBERS AND I SAW HOW DIFFERENT THEY WERE. I JUST DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND. WE JUST DON'T ISSUE THE BONDS WHEN IT'S NOT NEEDED BECAUSE YOU GET INTO ARBITRATIONS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS. SO WE SO WE'RE ISSUING THIS GO ROUND 1 MILLION FOR EACH. THAT'S CORRECT OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO SEEING NO ONE ELSE ON THE QUEUE CITY MANAGER ANY FINAL COMMENTS? I KNOW YOUR PRESENTATION IS DONE, BUT BASED ON WHAT WE ASKED. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PLEASURE OF PRESENTING THE BUDGET. I HAVE ONE LAST. YEAH, YEAH. MAYOR. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TEM RON WASHINGTON. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION ON TONIGHT. THE ONLY THING I DIDN'T SEE IN THE SLIDE. AND MAYBE IF WE CAN GET IT IN THE NEXT TIME, THE ALLOCATION OF DOLLARS BY DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, I THINK THE CITIZENS WOULD EVEN LIKE TO SEE THAT. OF COURSE, DISTRICT A IS THE OLDEST, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OLDER ONES. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT SOME ATTENTION IS BEING PAID THERE. AND I WOULD JUST LIKE IN SUMMARY TO ESPECIALLY THANK BERTHA FOR HER LEADERSHIP IN THIS PROJECT. AND ALSO EACH OF THE DIRECTORS AND DEPARTMENTS, BECAUSE THIS WASN'T AN EASY BUDGET PROCESS. IT'S THE FIRST TIME IN MY TENURE HERE THAT WE HAD TO LOOK AT REDUCTIONS, AND I THINK EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS CAME RECOGNIZING THAT THEY'RE A PART OF A BIGGER TEAM, AND THEY WERE WILLING TO HAVE SOME HONEST AND FRANK CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHERE WE ARE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO 
          [01:45:03]
WORK SMARTER. WE WILL DEFINITELY EXPLORE THE REVENUE IDEAS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO US, EITHER DIRECTLY OR THROUGH OUR PEER CITIES THAT THAT WE SEE, AND WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO TRY TO REFINE IT. BUT I THINK IT WAS STATED EARLIER THAT THE CITY HAS A HEAVY DEPENDENCY ON PROPERTY TAXES, AND WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THAT, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF COOPERATION AND EDUCATION ON BEHALF OF OUR RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW OUR RESOURCES ARE USED AND EVEN UNDERSTANDING WHERE THEIR TAX EXPENSE IS COMING FROM. BECAUSE I JUST IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH RESIDENTS, MANY CONVERSATIONS, THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF, ALL THE TAXES THAT THEY PAY OUTSIDE OF OUR PROPERTY TAX THAT'S ON THEIR BILL. MOST DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THOSE AMOUNTS ARE. THEY GET AN ESCROW STATEMENT AND THEY PAY THE BILL BASED ON WHATEVER THEIR MORTGAGE PAYMENT IS. SO WE AS NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF EDUCATING OUR RESIDENTS AS TO WHY OUR TAX RATE IS WHAT IT IS AND WHAT OUR TAX RATE CONSISTS OF, AND CONTINUE TO BE TRANSPARENT IN THE COST BECAUSE AS A SERVICE ORGANIZATION, IT WAS POINTED OUT, 66% OF OUR COST IS PERSONNEL. AND THEN YOU ADD CONTRACTORS ON TOP OF THAT, AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT A GOOD PORTION OF THE BUDGET BEING DEDICATED TO PROVIDING SERVICES IN A CITY THAT'S GROWING. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC AS WE GO FORWARD THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. THANK YOU. 
          ITEM NUMBER FIVE ARE CLOSED. EXECUTIVE SESSION. CITY ATTORNEY WE DON'T HAVE ANY ITEMS OKAY. SO THERE'S WITH NO FURTHER BUSINESS. THE TIME IS 7:17 P.M. THE MEETING
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.