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ALRIGHT. GOOD EVENING. TODAY IS MONDAY, JUNE 29TH. THE CALL THE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING TO ORDER AT 5 P.M. ITEM NUMBER TWO IS WE HAVE ROLL CALL. WE HAVE A QUORUM OF COUNCIL. ITEM NUMBER THREE, OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS. DEPUTY CITY SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE ANYONE TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEMS ON THE AGENDA? NO, MAYOR, WE DID NOT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO AS WE GO FORWARD ON THE ITEMS OF NUMBER FOUR, ITEM FOUR, A AND FOUR B, JUST THE PRESENTATIONS ARE. IF YOU LOOK ON THE LEFT SIDE, YOU SHOULD BE UNDER THE PRESENTATION. SO THIS WAY THAT WHENEVER YOU'RE PRESENTING WE COULD. AND IF ANY VOTES THAT WE TAKE TODAY, BECAUSE NONE OF US ARE TRAINED.
[(a) Receive a Presentation - Overview of Fiscal Year 2027 Proposed Budget]
WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO DO A ROLL CALL. RIGHT. OKAY. ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ITEM DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION FOR A IS TO RECEIVE A PRESENTATION OVERVIEW OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 PROPOSED BUDGET. WE HAVE BERTHA ALEXANDER, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, MAYOR. OH YES. SORRY. BEFORE BERTHA STARTS HER PRESENTATION, I'D JUST LIKE TO GIVE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT TONIGHT AND WHAT WE HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH. AS YOU KNOW, I WILL BE RETIRING BEFORE THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET IS ADOPTED. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BEGIN THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS. NOW, MY GOAL IS TO LAY A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR MY SUCCESSOR, GIVE COUNCIL AN EARLY UNDERSTANDING OF THE CITY'S FINANCIAL OUTLOOK, AND ENSURE YOU HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO PROVIDE DIRECTION BEFORE THE BUDGET IS FINALIZED. TODAY'S WORKSHOP IS PRELIMINARY. LET ME EMPHASIZE PRELIMINARY. WE ARE ABOUT A MONTH AHEAD OF WHERE WE USUALLY ARE AT THIS POINT. THE INFORMATION YOU WILL SEE IS NOT THE FINAL BUDGET AND DOES NOT INCLUDE THE LEVEL OF DETAIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED IN PREVIOUS YEARS.INSTEAD, WE WANT TO PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE STAND FINANCIALLY AS STAFF CONTINUES TO VALIDATE OUR REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED AS OUR ESTIMATES BECOME MORE REFINED. TWO OF THE BIGGEST FACTORS AFFECTING THIS YEAR'S BUDGET ARE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE AND THE REMAINING VOTER APPROVED BOND PROGRAM. WHEN VOTERS APPROVED THE 86 MILLION BOND PROGRAM IN 2021, THE CITY EXPLAINED THAT FULLY FUNDING THOSE BONDS WOULD EVENTUALLY REQUIRE A DEBT TAX RATE OF APPROXIMATELY $0.17. RATHER THAN ISSUING ALL OF THOSE BONDS AT ONCE, THE CITY SPREAD THE ISSUANCES OVER FOUR YEARS TO REDUCE THE ANNUAL IMPACT ON TAXPAYERS. AS A RESULT, OUR CURRENT TAX DEBT RATE IS APPROXIMATELY $0.12. AT THE SAME TIME, ANNUAL INCREASES IN PROPERTY VALUES GENERATED ENOUGH ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUE TO ALLOW THE CITY TO MAINTAIN ITS OVERALL TAX RATE, WHILE CONTINUING TO FUND SERVICES AND MEET ITS DEBT OBLIGATIONS. THAT TREND NOW HAS CHANGED. LAST YEAR, PROPERTY VALUES INCREASED ONLY SLIGHTLY. THIS YEAR, OUR PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES INDICATE AN APPROXIMATE 5% DECLINE IN ASSESSED VALUES, AND MOST COULD. SOME OF THAT COULD DECREASE FURTHER ONCE THE CERTIFIED TAX INFORMATION IS RECEIVED. MISSOURI CITY IS NOT ALONE.
FORT BEND COUNTY AND MANY SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS ARE SEEING SIMILAR DECLINES. THE IMPACT IS STRAIGHTFORWARD LOWER PROPERTY TAXES, LOWER. LOWER PROPERTY VALUES MEAN LESS PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. AT THE SAME TIME, THE CITY MUST ISSUE THE REMAINING 30 MILLION IN VOTER APPROVED BONDS AND CONTINUE PROVIDING THE SERVICES RESIDENTS EXPECT. AS A RESULT, THE CITY WILL LIKELY NEED TO MOVE CLOSER TO THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE BECAUSE PROPERTY VALUES HAVE DECLINED. THAT RATE IS EXPECTED TO BE HIGHER THAN OUR CURRENT TAX RATE OF 0.5708. TODAY'S WORKSHOP IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY AND BEGIN THE CONVERSATION, NOT MAKE FINAL BUDGET DECISIONS. AS WE RECEIVE THE CERTIFIED TAX ROLL AND CONTINUE REFINING OUR EXPENDITURE ESTIMATES. STAFF WILL RETURN WITH UPDATED
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FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS, SO THE COUNCIL HAS THE DATA NEEDED TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS FOR THE FY 27 BUDGET. SO WITH THAT, HOPEFULLY THAT SETS THE STAGE AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER ALEXANDER TO BEGIN TO BEGIN HER REPORT. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING. AS STATED, TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE PRELIMINARY 2027 BUDGET. THESE NUMBERS ARE NOT FINAL AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE REFINED OVER THE COMING WEEKS AS WE RECEIVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. KEY ITEMS STILL MISSING CERTIFIED PROPERTY VALUES. OUR OBJECTIVE TONIGHT IS TO PROVIDE COUNCIL WITH AN EARLY LOOK AT THE CITY'S FINANCIAL POSITION AND RECEIVE FEEDBACK BEFORE THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS FINALIZED. AS MENTIONED, TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION FOCUSES ON A PRELIMINARY HIGH LEVEL INFORMATION RATHER THAN THE DETAILS. CERTIFIED TAX ROLLS ARE EXPECTED IN LATE JULY AND WILL ALLOW US TO UPDATE REVENUE ESTIMATES. COUNCIL AND RESIDENTS WILL RECEIVE A MUCH MORE DETAILED BUDGET WORKSHOP AFTER CERTIFIED VALUES ARE RECEIVED. TONIGHT IS INTENDED TO START THE BUDGET CONVERSATION, NOT FINISH IT, AND THE CURRENT ANALYSIS IS BASED ON MAINTAINING THE EXISTING MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION TAX RATE OF 0.455, BASED ON PRELIMINARY TAXABLE VALUES, MAINTAINING THE CURRENT RATE WOULD GENERATE APPROXIMATELY $400,000 LESS THAN THE CURRENT YEAR'S ADOPTED BUDGET. THIS REDUCTION IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY PRELIMINARY PROPERTY VALUATION ESTIMATES BEING DOWN. THESE NUMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO CHANGE ONCE CERTIFIED TAX ROLLS ARE RECEIVED. THAT IS WHY WE STATE THAT THE NUMBERS ARE PRELIMINARY UNTIL A CERTIFIED VALUES ARE AVAILABLE. TOTAL PRELIMINARY REVENUE ACROSS ALL FUNDS ARE ESTIMATED AT APPROXIMATELY 239.7 MILLION. THE GENERAL FUND MAKES UP APPROXIMATELY 42% OF THE CITY'S REVENUE. ESTIMATED REVENUE WILL CONTINUE TO BE REFINED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS. PRELIMINARY EXPENDITURES TOTALED APPROXIMATELY 253.2 MILLION ACROSS ALL FUNDS, CLEARLY INDICATING THAT WE WILL BE UTILIZING FUND BALANCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL POLICY, CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND UTILITY OPERATIONS REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF TOTAL EXPENDITURES, REPRESENTING 18.6% AND 27.4%, RESPECTIVELY. AS WITH REVENUE EXPENDITURES, ESTIMATES WILL CONTINUE TO BE REFINED BEFORE THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS PRESENTED. FOR OUR SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET REQUEST FOR 2027, DEPARTMENTS SUBMITTED OVER 20 MILLION IN REQUESTS, INCLUDING TWO NEW FIRE ENGINES AND ONE NEW LADDER TRUCK. THE CITY MANAGER AND BUDGET STAFF CAREFULLY EVALUATED EVERY REQUEST. THE CITY MANAGER'S PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS TOTALED 17.6 MILLION, WITH PRIORITY GIVEN TO PUBLIC SAFETY, CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, GROWTH RELATED SERVICES AND OPERATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY. BASED ON PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES FOR THE GENERAL FUND, RECURRING REVENUES TOTALED 95.6 MILLION, SUPPORTING RECURRING ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES OF 95.4 MILLION, INCLUDING PROPOSED ALLOCATIONS. HOWEVER, ONE TIME EXPENDITURES EXCEED AVAILABLE ONE TIME REVENUES, MEANING THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET INCLUDES APPROXIMATELY 6.6 MILLION OF ONE TIME FUND BALANCE FOR CAPITAL AND STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS. IMPORTANTLY, FUND BALANCE IS NOT BEING USED TO SUPPORT ONGOING OPERATIONS, BUT RATHER FOR ONE TIME[00:10:04]
EXPENDITURES. THIS APPROACH ALIGNS WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL POLICIES AND BEST PRACTICES. CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET OR PRELIMINARY BUDGET ALLOCATION HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDES CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC SAFETY, STREET MAINTENANCE THROUGH THE PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES, EMPLOYEE RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT, GROWTH RELATED SERVICE DEMANDS, FLEET REPLACEMENT TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING REPLACEMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE. WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM FOR THE GENERAL FUND, PROPERTY TAX REMAINED THE LARGEST GENERAL FUND REVENUE SOURCE AT 58.3 MILLION. SALES TAX CONTINUES TO BE ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTOR AT 18.4% OR 18 MILLION. THE REMAINING REVENUES INCLUDES FRANCHISE FEES, PERMITS, CHARGES FOR SERVICES, INVESTMENT, EARNINGS AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS REVENUES SUCH AS GRANTS. MAINTAINING A DIVERSIFIED REVENUE PORTFOLIO HELPS REDUCE DEPENDENCY ON ANY SINGLE REVENUE SOURCE. WHERE THE MONEY GOES IN THE GENERAL FUND, PERSONNEL COSTS CONTINUE TO REPRESENT THE CITY'S LARGEST INVESTMENT AT 62.6%. THIS IS TO BE EXPECTED IN A SERVICE BASED ORGANIZATION WHERE EMPLOYEES DELIVER POLICE, FIRE, PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS, PLANNING AND OTHER ESSENTIAL SERVICES. REMAINING EXPENDITURES INCLUDES CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS, EQUIPMENT AND TRANSFERS. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE INFORMATION FROM THE THE LAST BOND ELECTION IN 2021, RESIDENTS VOTED TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY TO ISSUE BONDS FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS, WITH THE MAXIMUM DEBT SERVICE RATE OF $0.17. STAFF HAS ISSUED ALL THE DEBT EXCEPT 30 MILLION AND MAINTAINED A DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE AROUND $0.12.PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT TWO, FOUR, OR 2.4 CENTS INCREASE IN THE DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUPPORT THE REMAINING 30 MILLION IN APPROVED BOND AUTHORITY. THIS MEANS THE DEBT SERVICE RATE WOULD INCREASE TO $0.14, RESULTING IN A TOTAL TAX RATE OF 0.595. NOW, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, MUSTAFA, WILL PRESENT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, INCLUDING HOW THE 30 MILLION IN AUTHORIZED BOND AUTHORITY WILL BE PROGRAMED.
THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. TONIGHT, I'LL PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS TO WALK THROUGH THE PROPOSED FY 2027 CAPITAL PROGRAM, EXPLAIN THE AVAILABLE BOND AUTHORIZATION, AND PROVIDE COUNCIL THE BROADER LOOK OF THE FIVE YEAR PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED. JUST TO QUICK GET INTO THE DEFINITION, WHAT IS A CIP PROGRAM? THE CIP PROGRAM ESSENTIALLY IS A FIVE YEAR PROGRAM THAT PLANS FOR THE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT WE WANT TO DEVELOP IN THE CITY OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. IT REALLY IDENTIFIES A PROJECT PROPOSED WHEN WE PROPOSED THE WHEN WILL WE FUND IT? WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF FUNDINGS? AND ESSENTIALLY, THE CITY'S UPDATED ANNUAL CIP PROGRAM. IT'S PART OF THE CHARTER REQUIREMENTS. WE HAVE TO PRESENT THIS ANNUAL BOND PROGRAM, SORRY, THE ANNUAL CIP PROGRAM FOR YOUR APPROVAL TO BE CONSIDERED PART OF THE 2027 ADOPTED BUDGET. SO A QUICK GLANCE. THE CIP PROGRAM FOR 2027 IS $65.7 MILLION, AND THAT WILL INCLUDE DRAINAGE FACILITIES, PARKS, TRANSPORTATION, METRO FUNDED PROJECTS, AS WELL AS UTILITIES. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION ARE THE LARGEST TWO INVESTMENT THAT WE WANT TO CONSIDER IN THE YEAR 2027. THERE IS $284 MILLION TO BE ON THE CIP PROGRAM, THE UNFUNDED PROGRAM, AND THAT'S
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MORE OF A WISH LIST OF WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OR SO. SO TALK ABOUT THE CIP PROCESS. CIP PROCESS STARTS WITH IDENTIFYING AND DOING AN ASSESSMENT OF WHAT WE NEED. SO WE LOOK AT OUR PARKS, FACILITIES, THE PAVEMENT, SIDEWALK AND EVALUATE WHERE OUR NEEDS. ONCE WE IDENTIFY THOSE PROJECTS, WE LOOK AT THE FUNDING SOURCES, WHERE DO WE GET FUNDS FOR THOSE PROJECTS, AND ULTIMATELY DEVELOP A PROGRAM WHERE WE CREATE A RANKING CRITERIA TO RANK THOSE PROJECTS BASED UPON THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY? AND THEN FROM THERE, WE'LL PRESENT TO COUNCIL TO TO REVIEW AND APPROVE ACCORDINGLY, AUTHORIZE UNISSUED DEBT. SO BERTHA HAD TALKED ABOUT THE $30 MILLION THAT WAS AUTHORIZED IN THE 2021 ELECTION THAT HAPPENED BACK THEN. SO WE HAVE $30 MILLION THAT WILL SUPPORT DRAINAGE STREETS, PARKS AND FACILITIES. AND OVER THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS WHERE WE CAN FUND USING THE UNAUTHORIZED ISSUED DEBT. I'M SORRY, AUTHORIZED ISSUED DEBT. SO FOR DRAINAGE PROJECTS, THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT PROJECTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED THAT ARE NEEDED. WE LOOK AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY HEADQUARTER DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS. PREVIOUSLY, WE HAD ISSUED $500,000 FOR THIS PROJECT. WE DO NEED 200,000 TO SUPPORT IT. THE GREGORY AND GREGORY AND MCLEAN DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, AS WELL AS THE PINE MEADOWS, BOTH HAD PREVIOUS ISSUANCE. WE DO NEED AN ADDITIONAL $1 MILLION EACH THAT WILL BE REIMBURSED BY GLO. AND FINALLY, IS THE NORTHEAST OYSTER CREEK DETENTION POND.THAT'S $1.7 MILLION PROJECT THAT WE NEED FUNDS TO CONSTRUCT THAT PROJECT FOR FACILITIES AND PARK PROJECTS. WE HAVE $2 MILLION FOR FACILITIES, AS WELL AS $5.1 MILLION FOR PARKS, FOR FACILITIES IS BASICALLY, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE AN AGING CITY FACILITIES REQUIRING INVESTMENT TO REMAIN SAFE, ACCESSIBLE AND OPERATIONAL IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO. FOR STATE PARK, WE HAVE $3.9 MILLION THAT WE NEED TO FUND THAT PROJECT. WE HAD ISSUED PRIOR ISSUANCE OF 11 MILLION. WE DO NEED $4 MILLION MORE TO FUND THAT PROJECT. IT IS IN THE DESIGN PHASE RIGHT NOW, AND WE'LL BE GOING TO CONSTRUCTION IN 2027. CITYWIDE PARK IMPROVEMENTS. THERE ARE MISCELLANEOUS IMPROVEMENT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE PARKS, AND WE'RE ALLOCATING $1.1 MILLION FOR THAT SECTION. METRO PROJECTS. SO AS YOU KNOW, AS BERTHA TALKED ABOUT, WE DO ESTIMATION OF HOW MUCH METRO FUNDS WE RECEIVE. OUR CURRENT ESTIMATE RIGHT NOW IS $7.9 MILLION FROM METRO THAT WILL BE RECEIVED IN 2027, AND THAT WILL FUND A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON OR DO ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. THAT INCLUDES SIDEWALK REPAIRS, PAVEMENT PAYMENT, PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT, TRAFFIC OPERATION, TRAFFIC MAINTENANCE, REPAIRS, AS WELL AS TRAFFIC CALMING AND STREET AND SIGNAGE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM MOBILITY PROJECTS. SO AGAIN, PART OF THE AUTHORIZED UNISSUED DEBT, WE HAVE THOSE PROJECTS ALLOCATED. AND THERE ARE THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, $18.9 MILLION WORTH OF INVESTMENT FOR THE MOBILITY PROJECT THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SOME OF THIS, SOME OF THOSE DOLLAR VALUES YOU CAN SEE IN FRONT OF YOU ARE FOR CONSTRUCTION, OTHERS WILL BE FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION WILL BE FUNDED IN THE FUTURE. UTILITY PROJECT IS 2020 $7.7 MILLION. I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A QUICK REMINDER THAT UTILITIES ARE ENTERPRISE FUNDS. SO THIS IS NOT AFFECTING THE GENERAL FUND. SO WE ARE LOOKING TO DO CO BONDS AND GRANTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU TO FUND THOSE PROJECTS IN THE YEAR, NEXT YEAR IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE UNFUNDED FIVE YEAR CIP PROGRAM. AGAIN THIS IS THE WISH LIST RIGHT NOW. THE STAFF, THE PROGRAM HAD DEVELOPED ITS $284 MILLION. THE FIRST ONE IS DRAINAGE, 60.56 60 MILLION, 60.5 MILLION. THAT'S BASED ON A PROJECT THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE MASS, THE PRELIMINARY MASTER DRAINAGE STUDY THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE NOT FINALIZED THAT. SO WE WILL BE LOOKING TO FINALIZE THOSE NUMBERS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. FACILITIES $9.9 MILLION TO SUPPORT THE CITY OPERATION IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. PARKS AND RECREATION 13.4. FIRE DEPARTMENT 9.2 AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES IS 10.5 FOR THE NEW ANIMAL SHELTER BUILDING THAT'S BEING PROPOSED WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. TRANSPORTATION.
AGAIN, THIS IS A BIG ITEM HERE IS $75 MILLION. THIS WILL INCLUDE A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THE TEXAS PARKWAY, AS WELL AS THE SIENNA MOBILITY PROJECT. SO AGAIN, A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE NOT FUNDED, BUT STAFF WILL BE SEEKING ALTERNATIVE OF DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE CAN LOOK INTO IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO. FOR UTILITIES, $53.5 MILLION ARE NEEDED TO DEVELOP THOSE PROJECTS. POLICE AND QUAIL VALLEY POLICE IS $47 MILLION TO PUT IN NEW EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AND QUAIL
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VALLEY. WE HAVE $4.3 MILLION TO SUPPORT SOME OF THE PROJECT THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED RIGHT NOW IN THE QUAIL VALLEY GOLF COURSE. AND WITH THAT, I'LL CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I'LL TURN IT BACK TO BERTHA. OKAY. SO AS STATED, TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION WAS INTENDED TO PROVIDE COUNCIL AND RESIDENTS WITH AN EARLY FINANCIAL OUTLOOK. THE NUMBERS ARE PRELIMINARY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THE NUMBERS AS MORE INFORMATION IS RECEIVED.STAFF WILL HOST A MORE DETAILED WORKSHOP THAT WILL INCLUDE CERTIFIED TAXABLE VALUES, UPDATED REVENUE PROJECTIONS, REFINED EXPENDITURE RECOMMENDATIONS, TAX RATE OPTIONS, AND A BALANCED PROPOSED FY 27 BUDGET. ALL SOURCES. WE APPRECIATE COUNCIL'S FEEDBACK AND DIRECTIONS AS WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THE FY 2027 BUDGET.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, BERTHA. SO I'M JUST GOING TO JUST JUST SO THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET ON THE QUEUE, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND THE ASKS IF YOU CAN TOUCH THAT, THEN YOU'LL SEE THE. SO I SEE PEOPLE COMING BACK ON. ALRIGHT, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN MARSHALL. THANK YOU, MAYOR BERGER. THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT, MUSTAFA. THANK YOU AS WELL. JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS OR MY FIRST QUESTION IS, HAVE WE ANTICIPATED ANY INCREASES IN BENEFITS OR ANY TYPE OF TMR TMRS ALLOCATIONS THAT MAY COME FORWARD WITHIN THIS PRELIMINARY PHASE? SO WHEN YOU SAID BENEFITS, NORMALLY WE WOULD TALK TO YOU ABOUT AN INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE.
YEAH. WE ARE NOT INCLUDING AN INCREASE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET BECAUSE WE INCLUDED A 15% IN THE 2026 BUDGET. SO WE FEEL THAT THERE IS ENOUGH IN THE BASE TO COVER THE PROJECTED SEVEN AND A HALF OR 15%. THEY SAID THEY WOULD IN AN INCREASE COULD BE AS HIGH AS 15%. SO WE FEEL WE CAN COVER IT. WE ANTICIPATE RECEIVING A REDUCTION IN WORKERS COMP.
WE'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, IRONING OUT THOSE NUMBERS. OTHER THAN THAT, WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE AN INCREASE IN OUR TMRS CONTRIBUTION. WE'RE STILL CONTRIBUTING AROUND 13% AND IT'S COMING IN. THE ACTUAL COST IS A LITTLE LESS THAN THAT, BUT IT'S PRELIMINARY. WE WILL CONTINUE LOOKING AT THAT. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT. MY NEXT QUESTION KIND OF REVOLVES AROUND THE 0.24 INCREASE DEBT RATE, BUT WITH NO CONVERSATIONS RIGHT NOW. AND I UNDERSTAND VERY PRELIMINARY, NO TAX INCREASE. MY ONLY PREFACE HERE IS THAT WITHOUT AN INCREASE CAN WE AND MEET ANTICIPATED INCREASES SUCH AS STAFF SALARY INCREASES IF WE NEED TO DO THAT, IF WE HAVE OTHER OPERATIONAL INCREASES, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITHOUT RAISING THE M.
AND OH, WE'RE I LET ME TAKE THAT ONE. OKAY. IF YOU NOTICE THE THE CHANGE FOR THE DEBT RATE WOULD BE $2.7 MILLION. SO IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NOT INCREASING THE DEBT RATE TO ADDRESS THE $2.7 MILLION, AND BECAUSE THE DEBT RATE HAS TO BE WHAT IT'S WHATEVER IT'S GOING TO BE. AND SO MUCH LIKE LAST YEAR, IF WE SAY WE WANT TO LEAVE THE DEBT RATE, WHATEVER IT IS, AND ADJUST THE RATE, THEN YOU WOULD BE SEEING SERVICE REDUCTIONS, NOT AN INCREASE IN FOR ANYTHING. BECAUSE IF YOU IF YOU RECALL, WE ONLY HAD A CUSHION OF $227,000 MAINTAINING THE EXISTING M AND O TAX RATE. OKAY. THAT'S FAIR. AND THAT ALLUDED TO MY NEXT QUESTION, WHICH WOULD WOULD WE BE ALLOWED TO USE GENERAL FUND IN ORDER TO KEEP THE M AND O PORTION OF THE TAX RATE THE SAME? IF, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT REDUCING SERVICE, THAT'S A NO. OKAY. BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS FUND RECURRING CHARGES WITH ONE TIME REVENUE WHERE WE CAN DO THAT ON THE ONE TIME COSTS, LIKE EQUIPMENT AND FIRE ENGINES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. I WOULD NOT ADVISE YOU TO DO THAT ON RECURRING CHARGES. OKAY. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS IN REGARDS TO STATE PARK. WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, THE $3.9 MILLION THAT'S CURRENTLY SLATED TO BE ALLOCATED. IS THIS THE PORTION
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THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO MATCH? I KNOW WE RECEIVED A GRANT, SO IT'S A 3.9 MILLION. THE PORTION THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO MATCH IN THAT GRANT, OR IS THIS THE PORTION THAT WE'RE PUTTING UP FOR THIS PART? THE 3.9 IS JUST THE TOTAL. THE TOTAL PROJECT WAS ESTIMATED AT ABOUT $14 MILLION, TO WHICH WE HAD 750 FROM GRANTS AND ANOTHER 4 MILLION FROM FORT BEND COUNTY.AND SO THAT 3.9 IS THE REMAINING AMOUNT FROM THE 14 MILLION. OKAY. THANK YOU. BUT THAT DOESN'T SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD BE DONE WITH THAT OR NOT. IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED WITH THE GRANT IN TERMS OF WHAT WAS WAS CONVEYED AT THAT POINT AND OR THE EXPECTATIONS IN TERMS OF FORT BEND COUNTY FOR THOSE PROGRAMMATIC THINGS AS A PART OF THE THE PROJECT. OKAY. IN MY LINE OF QUESTIONING PURELY JUST STEMS FROM TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE A VERY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE CAN CUT, IF WE CAN CUT, AND IF WE CANNOT CUT, THEN THEN THAT'S FINE. BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE THAT AS AN UNDERSTANDING. YEAH. AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR, WE COULD ALWAYS CUT NO, NO, NO, BUT I'M NOT WITHOUT IMPACTS. I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR FOR THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THERE THAT'S THAT IS A CHOICE. SURE. BUT IT WILL NOT COME WITHOUT SOME REDUCED SERVICES.
AT THIS POINT, I'M REALLY NOT IN FAVOR OF CUTTING SERVICES AND I'M NOT. SO WHERE IS MY LINE OF QUESTIONING REALLY, REALLY IS ABOUT WHERE IS THE FAT? WHERE? WHERE CAN WE FIND.
WHAT CAN WE DO IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE WITHOUT PUTTING SO MUCH OF A BURDEN ON THE CITIZENS AND OURSELVES? THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. RECOGNIZING COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU. SO I JUST WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR. SINCE WE APPROVED THE BOND, IT WAS A 2021 BOND, CORRECT? CORRECT. SINCE WE APPROVED THE BOND, CITY STAFF COUNCIL AS THEY VOTE ON THE BUDGET, WE'RE ESSENTIALLY ABSORBING THAT BOND INTO THE EXISTING TAX RATE. SO THE M AND O DIDN'T INCREASE AS WE WENT. THE DEBT PERCENTAGE INCREASED. AND ACTUALLY M AND O HAD TO COME DOWN TO BALANCE THAT TO KEEP THE TAX RATE FLAT OVER THE YEARS. SO WHEREAS THE VOTERS HAD APPROVED $0.17, YOU GUYS ACTUALLY DID VERY WELL WITH FUNDS THAT WE HAD. AND AND KEPT IT AT A 12 $0.12. IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? BUT ESSENTIALLY THE, THE, THE PUBLIC, ME INCLUDED, I VOTED FOR THAT BOND. WE, WE APPROVED A BOND AT AN ADDITIONAL $0.17 AND DID NOT HAVE TO RAISE THE TAXES TO, TO PAY FOR THAT BECAUSE THE APPRAISALS WERE GOING UP AND THAT HELPED BALANCE. OKAY. SO, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CERTIFIED APPRAISALS COME BACK LOWER THAN WHAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING AT THIS MOMENT? IN ORDER TO ISSUE THE REMAINING 30 MILLION OF THE DEBT, WE MUST INCREASE THE TAX RATE. OKAY. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IF THE CERTIFIED VALUES COME IN EVEN LESS THAN PRELIMINARY, THEN AT THAT POINT WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ON THE M AND O SIDE AS THE CITY MANAGER, THAT'S GOING TO BE REDUCING SERVICES BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THAT WE HAVE ON THE TABLE. OKAY, I'M GOING TO JUST VOICE MY CONSTITUENTS CONTINUALLY TELL ME THAT THEY WANT MORE. THEY DON'T WANT LESS.
THEY WANT MORE CODE ENFORCEMENT. THEY WANT ANIMAL SERVICES. THEY WANT, YOU KNOW, ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT WE ARE SCRAPING BY WITH WHAT WE HAVE. AND, YOU KNOW, I, I'M LOOKING AT YOU, BERTHA, BECAUSE YOU GOTTA WORK IT OUT SO THAT OUR PEOPLE CAN MAINTAIN THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE.
SO I'M WITH MY COUNCIL MEMBER, BROWN MARSHALL. I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC WANTS TO CUT SERVICES, AND THAT'S NOT WHERE I'M AT. SO I DEFINITELY. YEAH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THESE CERTIFIED APPRAISALS COME BACK AND WE START HASHING THIS OUT A LITTLE MORE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. RECOGNIZING MAYOR PRO TEM KLAUSER. YES.
ANGEL, WHEN I FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO BERTHA AND ANGEL AND YOUR TEAM FOR
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BEING FAST AND FURIOUS AND ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS WHO SUBMITTED BECAUSE THIS IS FAST AND FURIOUS. AND SO SOMETHING THAT WE NORMALLY ON THE TIMELINE, WE NORMALLY DON'T DO.SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK. WHEN I MET WITH YOU ALL ONE ON ONE TO GO OVER THE.
THE. BUDGET. YES. YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A SURVEY, A A CITIZEN SURVEY. CAN YOU FOR THE PUBLIC'S EDIFICATION, CAN YOU MENTION WHAT THE TOP PRIORITIES WERE FOR THE PUBLIC? YES, FROM THE PUBLIC. I'LL GO AND THEN I'LL LET BERTHA FILL IN BECAUSE TOP PRIORITY WAS POLICE SERVICES. FOLLOWING THAT WAS TRAFFIC, MOBILITY, STREETS AND IMPROVEMENTS. AND THE THIRD ONE I'M MISSING, I MISS. I KNOW THE FOURTH WAS FIRE, BUT I THINK IT'S IN IT'S POLICE MAYBE INFRASTRUCTURE. INFRASTRUCTURE. YES. OKAY, SO I KNOW I WAS MISSING ONE, BUT OKAY. SO IS THE PUBLIC CONTINUES TO WALK WITH US ON THIS BUDGETING JOURNEY. YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT THE STAFF DIDN'T JUST PULL STUFF OUT OF THE SKY. THEY LISTENED TO FEEDBACK, THEY'VE LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS AND THEY'VE ASSESSED HOW FAST OUR CITY IS GROWING AND WE HAVE TO GROW WITH OUR CITY. AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALL, WE CAN'T HAVE EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT, BUT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE. AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO DO THAT.
SO, BERTHA, IF I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID, THAT WE CANNOT ISSUE THE BONDS UNLESS WE INCREASE THE TAX RATE, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY. CORRECT. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS THAT. SECOND, I WANT TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE MULTI-PURPOSE FACILITY. WHAT TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE FACILITY THAT IS BEING PROPOSED FOR STAMO. SO IF IF THAT I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DETAILS RIGHT NOW, THE PLAN WAS TO PRESENT THAT AND I'LL I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD ASK DANIELLE TO COME OUT THROUGH HERE, BUT THE IDEA WAS TO COME BACK IN AUGUST TO PRESENT MORE DETAILED ABOUT THE BUDGET OF THE CIP PROJECT AND MORE OF ALL THE LOCATIONS AND WHAT WHAT'S GOING IN IN EACH SINGLE PROJECT THEY'VE BEEN PROPOSED. BUT IF DANIELLE CAN COME THROUGH AND ASK ABOUT ANSWER, SORRY, THE THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING AS YOU APPROACH DANIELLE, IS BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIT EVERYTHING IN. AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, FOR ALL TRANSPARENCY, I ANIMAL SHELTER, WE, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING WITH ANIMAL SHELTER. WE'RE SLATING IT TO 2031. THAT FACILITY CANNOT WAIT UNTIL 2031 GIVEN THE DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS THERE. SO MY QUESTIONING IS MORE IN LINE OF IF THAT IS IF THAT IF THE PLANS ARE NOT ETCHED IN STONE, IS THERE ROOM TO POSSIBLY ACCOMMODATE SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE TABLE THAT WE HAVE TO PUT ON HOLD? WELL, AND I'LL LET DANIELLE TO TALK, BUT IT IS IN THE DESIGN PROCESS RIGHT NOW. SO ALL THE AMENITIES HAVE BEEN THAT THAT WERE PROMISED ARE IN THE DESIGN PHASE RIGHT NOW AND THROUGH ACTUALLY THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS AS WE SPEAK. BUT IF YOU WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT ARE GOING INSIDE THE PARK, I THINK DANIELLE CAN SPEAK TO THAT. OKAY. YES. SO STAMO DOES INCLUDE THE, THE WIDE VARIETY OF AMENITIES THAT WERE INCLUDED WHEN WE DID THE INITIAL CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF STAMO, WE DID A THREE MONTH PUBLIC OUTREACH PROCESS BECAUSE IT WAS A REVITALIZATION OF AN UNDERUTILIZED SPACE. AND THEN SO IT DOES INCLUDE EVERYTHING FROM PICKLEBALL, CRICKET, SOCCER, BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, AND THEN IN BASKETBALL. AND THEN IT EXTENDS THAT SPORTS ELEMENT TO ALSO INCLUDE GATHERING SPACES, CONCESSION STANDS, RESTROOMS, PAVILIONS, A SPLASH PAD, A PLAYGROUND TO REALLY MAKE IT A MULTIGENERATIONAL GATHERING SPACE INSTEAD OF SOLELY FOCUSED ON THE ATHLETIC AREAS. OKAY, OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I JUST DANIELLE, IF YOU COULD, I JUST WANT TO ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO SAY, COULD YOU SPELL OUT WHAT WAS COMMITTED IN THE GRANT THAT WE APPLIED FOR TO DIFFERENTIATE WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO FULFILL THAT FIRST PART, SECOND PART, WHAT WAS IN THE BOND THAT WAS APPROVED? BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WERE ADDITIONAL ITEMS ADDED AFTER THE FACT. SO COULD YOU. YES, ABSOLUTELY. SO WE WE DID SOMEWHAT LAYER THIS KNOWING, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL FUNDING DOWN THE LINE. SO WITHIN THE
[00:35:05]
TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE LOCAL PARKS GRANT, IT IS A MATCHING GRANT. SO $750,000 FOR THE STATE OR FEDERAL AND $750,000 FOR US. AND WITHIN THAT GRANT IS OUR COMMON AREAS, THE GATHERING SPACES AND REVITALIZATION OF THE CURRENT FIELDS. WE VIEWED THAT, AND THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER AUXILIARY AREAS, RESTROOMS. THEY REQUIRE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF LANDSCAPING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NATIVE AND FITS WITHIN THE THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA. SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THAT LEVEL ONE, PHASE ONE WAS GOING TO SATISFY THE BASE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. THAT IS A LOWER THRESHOLD DOLLAR FIGURE IN COMPARISON TO THE BOND. AND SO THAT'S WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THAT. SO WE HAVE TO INCLUDE THE PLAYGROUND, THE PAVILIONS, THE RESTROOMS AND REVITALIZATION OF FOUR OF THE FIELDS. OKAY. WITHIN THE BOND IS WHERE THE, THE CRICKET, THE SPORTS LIGHTING AND THE SPLASH PAD COME INTO PLAY. SO THE COUNTY'S $4 MILLION WAS US SAYING, WE'RE NOT SURE WE CAN AFFORD ALL OF THESE AMENITIES. WE DON'T KNOW THAT OUR OUR 10 MILLION WITHIN OUR BOND WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD EVERYTHING. AND SO THAT'S WHEN THE COUNTY PLACED IT ON THEIR THEIR BOND REFERENDUM. AND THEY INCLUDED THAT'S WHAT THEIR FUNDING IS THE SPLASH PAD, THE SPORTS LIGHTS AND THE CRICKET PITCH.OKAY. AND SO I'LL CONCLUDE MY COMMENTS WITH AND I SHARED THIS WITH BERTHA AND WITH ANGEL. YOU KNOW, AS WE GO INTO AS WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS BEING ALLOCATED FOR FACILITIES, FINDING SOME, SOME TYPE OF TEMPORARY SOLUTION FOR OUR ANIMAL SHELTER AND THE, AND THE STAFF THERE SO THAT OUR ANIMALS. SO OUR STAFF IS NOT OVERLOADED WITH THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING AND THAT WE GIVE OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE ANIMALS THAT ARE THERE SAFE CONDITIONS TO WORK AND TO SUSTAIN. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING, A TEMPORARY SOLUTION TO GET TO THAT. 2031 WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT. I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE IT TODAY BECAUSE WE JUST HAVE HAD OUR MEETING, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT. AND I'M SURE DIRECTOR HORUS, YOU KNOW, I'M GETTING SOMETHING TOGETHER ON THAT SO THAT WE YOU CAN PRESENT TO COUNCIL. OTHER THAN THAT, EVERYTHING ELSE, I WAS VERY PLEASED. I GAVE MY RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT I FELT THAT WE NEEDED TO CONSOLIDATE OR TO DECREASE OR INCREASE. AND I'M YOU KNOW, I KNOW THIS IS UNFOLDING, BUT I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH HOW THINGS ARE UNFOLDING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO I SIGNED UP AS THE NEXT PERSON. SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU, ANGEL, FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER SO EARLIER. SO WE'RE HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS MUCH EARLIER THAN LATER ON. I DO HAVE SOME A FEW QUESTIONS AND SOME OBSERVATION.
IF YOU GO TO YOUR CIP MUSTAFA, ON PAGE THREE, YOU'VE IDENTIFIED 2027 CIP AT A GLANCE, AND IT SHOWS 65.7 65.7 MILLION IN THE 2027 FUNDED CAPITAL PROGRAM. AND UNDERNEATH IT LAID OUT THE DRAINAGE, WHICH IS ALMOST 4 MILLION. RIGHT. WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN? FACILITIES TO ARE THESE ON THE. WHEN YOU SAY THE CIP AT GLANCE IS THIS. I WOULD ASSUME THAT THIS IS NEW, NOT THE 30 MILLION THAT WE HAVE FROM THE. 21 BOND. RIGHT. SO THOSE RIGHT HERE ARE DEVELOPED AND THE PROJECT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED TO BE PAID BY THE $30 MILLION THAT'S REMAINING AUTHORIZED, UNISSUED DEBT. SO GOING BACK TO. I'M SORRY, THIS RIGHT HERE IS $30 MILLION. THIS $30 MILLION WILL FUND AND SUPPORT $3.9 MILLION OF DRAINAGE. OKAY, $2.2 MILLION FOR FACILITIES, MILLION DOLLARS OF FACILITIES, 5.1 FOR PARKS. OKAY. AND OBVIOUSLY, THAT DOES NOT COVER THE THE METRO, THE MOBILITY PROJECT, $18.9 MILLION THAT WILL BE FUNDED FROM THAT.
SO WAIT A MINUTE. HOLD ON. SO THE 18.9 MILLION RIGHT OF THE TRANSPORTATION. YES. AND THEN THE SEVEN ALMOST 8 MILLION FROM THE METRO. CORRECT. SO THAT'S WHY ARE YOU SHOWING IT IN THAT
[00:40:03]
SLIDE THOUGH. I'M JUST ASKING IF THE 30 MILLION IS GOING TO MEET WITH THE DRAINAGE, THE FACILITIES AND THE PARKS AND HOPEFULLY THE UTILITIES. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE 18.9.AND THEN THE 7.9 SHOWING ON THE METRO. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE PREDICTING THAT'S COMING IN? AND JUST TO SHOW THAT, OR IS THAT A OUTGOING. SO THE 7.9 IS WHAT WE'RE PREDICTING TO COMING IN FROM METRO. OKAY, 18.9 WILL BE FUNDED PART OF THE, THE, THE BOND OR THE UNISSUED DEBT. SO THAT'S A TOTAL OF A 30 MILLION CORRECT LAYOUT IS WHAT. CORRECT. OKAY. SO GOING BACK TO THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT OUT THAT THE 3.95, 2.04, 5.17, 18.9 AND 27.7, WHICH EQUATES TO THE SOUTH PLUS THE 7.7.95 FROM METRO EQUATES TO 65.7. NOW, OUT OF THAT, ONLY 30 MILLION COMING FROM THE UNISSUED DEBT. CORRECT. SO THE REMAINING, WHICH IS 7.5 AND THE 27.7, 27.7 IS THE ENTERPRISE FUND. THAT WILL BE THROUGH THE BONDS AND UTILITIES.
SO THAT'S SEPARATE. AND 7.5 IS FROM METRO. OKAY. NO PROBLEM, I GOT THAT. SO I GUESS. YOU KNOW WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, OBVIOUSLY A BIG FACTOR THAT I'VE SAW THROUGH AN EMAIL ALSO FROM A RESIDENT, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION DEFINITELY HAS GONE UP NO DOUBT. I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S WENT FROM 36 MILLION TO 62 MILLION AS IT WAS STATED. BUT OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW THAT IT WENT UP. NOW, AS FAR AS POSITION WISE FROM THE LAST, THE EXISTING RUNNING BUDGET TO NOW WHAT HOW MUCH OF THE POSITION WENT OUT, HOW MANY POSITIONS THAT WE ADDED NEW AND IT GOT FILLED. DO WE KNOW? I'M TRYING TO. IT'S A IT'S BEEN A NOMINAL AMOUNT. THAT'S OKAY.
YOU CAN BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK LATER. I WANT TO POINT OUT, THOUGH, THAT SOME OF THAT INFORMATION THAT WAS CONVEYED IN THE EMAIL IS MISSTATED BECAUSE IT'S REFLECTING THE CHANGE BETWEEN PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH INCLUDES POLICE AND FIRE, AND IT'S USING EVERYTHING ELSE AS GENERAL SERVICES. IF YOU RECALL, WHEN I CAME ON BOARD, PUBLIC WORKS WAS HUGE AND ALSO INCLUDED INTERNAL SERVICES AS WELL AS ANIMAL SHELTER AND, AND SO WHEN YOU PULL THOSE OUT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND YOU'RE COMPARING 2020 TO 2026, IT'S GOING TO BE SKEWED BECAUSE NOW THOSE AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, ALL THOSE WERE IN PUBLIC WORKS, SO OR, OR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. AND WHEN YOU PULL THOSE OUT, IT'S GOING TO SKEW IT. IT LOOKS LIKE IN GENERAL, ADMINISTRATION IS GROWING AT A HIGHER PERCENTAGE, RIGHT? SO WE WILL BE RUNNING THE 2020 ACTUAL POSITIONS AGAINST THE 2026. SO YOU CAN SEE ACTUALLY HOW THOSE POSITIONS HAVE CHANGED. SURE. I MEAN, SO YOU'RE SAYING IN BASICALLY SAYING YOU WON'T GIVE US OR AT THIS POINT, BERTHA, THE FIVE YEAR WHERE IT LOOKED LIKE. AND THEN BREAKING DOWN TO THE, THE THE JUST THE YEAR THAT WE'RE ON. YES. AND TO THE NEW. YES. BECAUSE THEN THEN THAT WOULD MAKE A SENSE OF. EXACTLY. AND YOU WILL SEE EXACTLY WHAT CHANGED. YEAH. AND THEN I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO THE POINT OF COUNCIL MEMBER O'DEKIRK TALKING ABOUT THE $0.17 TO THE $0.12.
YES. I THINK WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY LAST YEAR. WE BITE THE BULLET BY NOT DOING IT. YES.
AND THEN NOW THAT'S FORCING, I THINK WITH COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN MARSHALL ASKING, YOU KNOW, DO WE NEED TO GO TO THAT OR CAN WE DO IT WITHOUT IT? YES, I THINK IT'S FORCING IT TO GET THIS DONE. SO THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO. YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AND I'M SURE THAT YOU HAD DIRECT, I MEAN, DIRECTORS OF DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT CAME BEFORE YOU ALL AND WITH THEIR POSITIONS, WHAT WHAT POSITIONS THEY NEED. HOW DID THAT LOOK UP AND WHAT WAS THAT? A LOT, A LOT IN NUMBERS OF POSITIONS OR WHAT WERE THEY HERE AND THERE? ONE OFFS. YEAH. AND ACTUALLY WE NEGATED A LOT OF THAT UP FRONT BY HAVING THEM TO REALLY CONSIDER ONLY THOSE THINGS THAT THEY HAD DIRE NEED FOR, BECAUSE WE KNEW GOING INTO THIS BUDGET BASED ON LAST YEAR AND SEEING THAT THE PRELIMINARY NUMBERS WERE FLAT, AND THEN WHEN WE HAD THE CERTIFIED NUMBERS, THEY WERE LESS THAN THE PRELIMINARY NUMBERS. SO WE KNEW THAT GOING IN THAT THIS WAS NOT GOING TO BE A YEAR TO ADD ANYTHING. AND SO THAT MESSAGE WAS CONVEYED BEFORE THE BUDGET EVEN STARTED. SO A LOT OF THAT WOULD HAVE HAMPERED ANYONE COMING IN REQUESTING NEW POSITIONS, BECAUSE THEY KNEW AT THE ONSET THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE UNLIKELY THAT THOSE POSITIONS WOULD GET FILLED. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, THIS HAPPENS EVERY YEAR.
[00:45:02]
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE GO IN THIS PATH FOR ABOUT 3 OR 4 YEARS OF NOT FILLING VACANCIES.AND THEN WE HAVE A MESS. RIGHT? AND THIS IS A TYPICAL PROCESS. SO WHAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, MY COUPLE MY RECOMMENDATIONS ON THIS AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR INTERIM CITY MANAGER AS WELL AS OUR FINANCE CFO, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS MAYBE NOT CUTTING SERVICES IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT, BUT WHAT WE CAN DO INSTEAD OF CUTTING SERVICES, RELOOKING AT SOME OF THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE AND REALLOCATING IT, MEANING, YOU KNOW, IF IT PROVIDES OVERSIGHT ON 1 OR 2 DEPARTMENTS IN A ROLE. AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT EFFICIENCIES, YOU KNOW, IT, IT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH EFFICIENCIES. YEAH. I THINK WE HAVE A NEW HR DIRECTOR NOW. WE GOT TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT SOME OF THIS AND SEE HOW WE RETROFIT SOME OF THESE POSITIONS INTO AND HELPING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN THE NEW WAY. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO DO MORE WITH LESS. YEAH, I MEAN, IT IS WHAT IT IS. I MEAN, UNLESS THE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THE NUMBERS THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE IS GOING TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE MUCH, BUT THIS IS JUST THE NEW WAY OF DOING THINGS. SO AND I, AND I GET IT, WHILE WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHER CITIES LIKE SUGARLAND, BUT, YOU KNOW, SUGARLAND SALES TAX IS CLOSE TO 70 MILLION AND OURS IS WHAT, PROBABLY WHAT, 15 MILLION CLOSE, RIGHT? RIGHT. SO THERE'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 70 MILLION TO A 15 OR 20 MILLION IF WE'RE GETTING THAT. SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT, AND I GET IT, I KNOW WE GET COMPARED OR I THINK WE COMPARE PROBABLY MORE. SO I COMPARE LET ME LET ME GET TO IT. I COMPARE TO CITY OF SUGARLAND EVEN MORE. BUT THE REALITY IS, IS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY THAT'S COMING IN FROM SALES TAX. YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEPENDENT MORE ON OUR PROPERTY TAXES AND WE'RE TRYING TO GROW THAT BASE. I THINK THIS IS WHERE EVERY NEW BUSINESS THAT'S COMING INTO MISSOURI CITY, I THINK THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, IS GOING TO LOOK HUGE. WE HAVE 800 ACRES LEFT IN SMALL BUSINESSES. IT I DON'T THINK THE STRIP CENTER IDEA OF JUST STRIP CENTER AFTER STRIP CENTER IS GOING TO WORK. YOU GOT TO GET SOME MAJOR EMPLOYERS IN HERE, WHETHER IT'S A HOSPITAL OR WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BRING PEOPLE INTO MISSOURI CITY, BECAUSE OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS WE DON'T HAVE DAYTIME POPULATION FOR THESE RESTAURANTS, EVEN EXISTING DEBTS TO SURVIVE. SO I, YOU KNOW, I THINK MOVING FORWARD INTO THIS NEXT BUDGET, I THINK, YOU KNOW, REALLOCATION OF CERTAIN POSITIONS, IF THAT WILL BRING IN EFFICIENCY ON EVERY POSITION, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE REALLY COMPLETELY RELOOKED AT THROUGH HR, SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. AND THEN OF COURSE, TRANSPARENCY WISE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO TELL OUR STORY THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE HAVE NOT RAISED WHEN IT WAS $0.17, WHEN WE BROUGHT IT DOWN TO $0.12, AND WE'RE RAISING IT BACK. NO ONE YOU KNOW, I KNOW TIMES ARE HARD FOR EVERYONE. PEOPLE ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, EVEN RACIST. I MEAN, GETTING THESE, YOU KNOW, RAISE EVEN AT OTHER HOSPITAL SYSTEMS AND ELSEWHERE, THEY'RE THEY'RE HOLDING IT, THEY'RE FREEZING IT THIS TIME, NOT KNOWING WHERE THE ECONOMY IS GOING. SO WE GOT TO LOOK AT SOME OF THIS. AND I'M, I'M HOPING WITH THE, WITH OUR CFO, WITH OUR FINANCE TEAM, WITH OUR INTERIM CITY MANAGER, WITH OUR HR DEPARTMENT REALLY NEEDS TO COME TOGETHER AND BUILD A COLLABORATION. AND I REALLY HATE TO SAY NO TO SOME OF THESE DEPARTMENT HEADS WHEN THEY KEEP ASKING FOR TOOLS TO DO THEIR JOB AND PEOPLE SHOULD DO THEIR JOB. RIGHT. AND WE KEEP SAYING, NO, NO, NO, NO. BUT YET AGAIN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALWAYS MAKE THOSE BUDGET AMENDMENTS WHEN WE NEED IT TO, BUT IT HAS TO BE SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH AFTER LOOKING AT EFFICIENCIES IN EVERY POSITION TO SEE WHERE IT WOULD FIT. AND I WILL ONLY ADD THAT MAKING A BUDGET AMENDMENT ONLY DELAYS THE RECOGNITION. IT DOESN'T MAKE IT GO AWAY. YEAH. I MEAN, YOU CAN USE FUND BALANCE TO BALANCE THE YEAR, BUT TO LOOK AT IT ON A RECURRING BASIS, FUND BALANCE IS NOT AN EVER ENDING SOURCE OF FUNDING. AND YOU SHOULDN'T USE FUND BALANCE FOR RECURRING CHARGES. RIGHT.
AND, AND WE SPENT ABOUT $13 MILLION ON THE GOLF COURSE BECAUSE WE NEEDED IT RENOVATION.
WE HAD OUR DIRECTOR OF GOLF SAY HE WAS GOING TO MAKE MONEY. YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO HOLD HIM TO THAT. YEAH. BUT NO, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IN A NUTSHELL, I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY GO BACK AND RELOOK AT AND MAKE OUR ASSESSMENTS. AND THE NUMBER ONE THING, AND I KNOW I LOVE OUR POLICE TOO, BUT I THINK THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT I HEAR OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY,
[00:50:04]
IT'S A GREAT THING THAT THE POLICE IS DOING GREAT. NO ONE'S COMPLAINING ABOUT IT. BUT THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT I HEAR OUT THERE IS INFRASTRUCTURE, PEOPLE, STREETS, YOU KNOW, AND THEY KEEP GOING BACK TO A BOND THAT WE APPROVED, WHICH IS THE 2021 BOND AND KIND OF SAYING, WHY ARE WE ON THIS LIST? YOU KNOW, AND THEY KEEP CHANGING THE, YOU KNOW, THAT LIST, THE DATE, KEEP MOVING FORWARD, RIGHT. AND, AND IT'S NEVER GETTING DONE. SO I THINK THOSE ARE THE CONCERNS. I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS WHERE THAT MONEY IS COMING FROM.AND MY LAST OBJECTION, I MEAN, THING IS, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN MARSHALL MENTIONED IT. PARKS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A 5.17 MILLION THAT THAT'S SHOWING ON THIS SLIDE. I THINK WE NEED TO RELOOK AT SOME OF THIS BECAUSE TO ME, LAST TIME I CHECKED, PARKS DON'T BRING IN MONEY. IT'S A IT'S ONCE YOU HAVE A PARK, IT IT EVERYTHING EVERY MAINTENANCE HAS TO BE DONE. IF NOT, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HOLD YOU TO IT ANYWAY. SO WHILE WE HAVE 24 PARKS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OTHER PARKS WE CAN KEEP GOING. WE HAVE 24 PARKS. I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DID USE OUR PARKS DURING COVID BECAUSE THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY. AND I'M NOT SAYING I SERVED ON THE PARKS BOARD. SO PARKS IS VERY PERSONAL TO ME. BUT WE GOT WHEN WE'RE IN A TIGHT BUDGET, WE GOT TO RELOOK AT SOME OF THESE THINGS TO SEE WHERE WE CAN GO.
SO THOSE ARE MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS, AND I THINK WE'LL MOVE FORWARD IN THE IN THE FUTURE TO SEE SOME MORE BERTHA AND THEN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE TALKING ABOUT BUDGET, YOU GOT TO HAVE AS A CITY, WE GOT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMUNICATION, LETTING PUBLIC KNOW ABOUT WHERE WE ARE ON FIXING THE STREETS, THE STREETS THAT THEY VOTED FOR AND THEY RIGHTFULLY ARE WAITING FOR. SO WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THAT. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND YIELD MYSELF BACK, RECOGNIZING COUNCILMEMBER EMERY. YEAH. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP WAS A QUESTION ABOUT, WELL, THE QUESTION IT WAS A STATEMENT ABOUT WE HAD SURVEY THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY. AND MY QUESTION IS, HOW MANY SURVEYS DID WE RECEIVE IN 65, 65. AND WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE TOTAL POPULATION OF MISSOURI CITY? I CAN TELL YOU IT'S WAY MORE THAN 65. AND THAT THAT IS NOT A STATISTICAL SAMPLE AT ALL OF THE POPULATION. I GUESS MY POINT IS, YOU KNOW, LET'S DON'T BE GUIDED BY 65 PEOPLE. IF WE'VE GOT DEMANDS THAT ARE COMING IN FROM THE OTHER 69,500 RESIDENTS. SO AND NOT THAT THEY'RE THAT THEIR INPUT ISN'T OF VALUE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF A GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A ROADMAP OF WHAT THE THINKING IS OUT THERE. SO I THINK WE NEED TO, AGAIN, TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE WE START JUMPING OFF THE BRIDGE, BECAUSE SOMEBODY WANTED SOMETHING AND THERE ARE ONLY 67 OF THEM. YEAH.
THE OTHER HOW WHAT'S THE POPULATION NOW YOU SAY ABOUT, WELL, IF YOU LET'S LOOK AT THE LATEST SURVEY FROM HGAC, IT'S OVER 100,005 THOUSAND 2020. ANYBODY KNOW WHAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN 2020. WHAT THE POPULATION WAS APPROXIMATELY 74, 75. OKAY. SO WHAT WE'RE YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS DISPLAYS TO ME IS THAT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF GROWTH, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE, WHICH MEANS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT THE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES. OR WE TAKE THE, YOU KNOW, THE TOUGH ROAD AND SAY, WELL, WE'LL JUST CUT SERVICES AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK HARD TO PROVIDE TO OUR, OUR CITIZENS. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO KEEP. KEEP IN MIND, THE OTHER QUESTION IS, AND I THINK I THINK THE THE MAYOR TOUCHED A LITTLE BIT ON IT. THE ONE THING WHEN WE START, WHEN I HEAR WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT AN INCREASE IN TAX RATES IS THE FIRST THING, NOT THE FIRST THING, BUT A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT ARE ASKED OF ME IS, DID YOU REALLY SCRUB THE REQUEST FOR PEOPLE? DO YOU REALLY HAVE A POPULATION OF OF STAFF THAT IS COMMENSURATE WITH THE 100,000 POPULATION THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO SERVICE THEM? SO, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THOSE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN SCRUBBED PRETTY STRONG. CAN YOU COMMENT ON THAT? I CERTAINLY CAN, I WOULD SAY, GIVEN THE GROWTH, GIVEN THE EXPECTATIONS, THE NUMBER OF STAFF, WE HAVE NOT GROWN STAFF, AT LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, TO THE LEVEL
[00:55:01]
THAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE IN THIS COMMUNITY, YOU NAME CODE ENFORCEMENT, THAT IS ONE THAT WE'VE SHIFTED FROM NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS TO TRY TO STAGGER EMPLOYEES COMING IN SO THAT WE CAN COVER THE WEEKENDS SO THAT WE CAN COVER EVENING. WE HAVE TRIED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN WITH THE LEVEL OF STAFF. EVERY DEPARTMENT THAT YOU LOOK AT EXCEPT FOR FIRE, I WILL EXCLUDE FIRE BECAUSE FIRE IS PROBABLY THE ONLY DEPARTMENT WE HAVE THAT IS FULLY STAFFED AND HAS THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT IS NECESSARY TO CONTINUE. SHOULD ONE PERSON MOVE OR DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY? OTHER THAN THAT, WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD DEPARTMENTS TO HAVE THAT CAPACITY BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE BASICALLY HAVE DIRECTORS AND THEN WE HAVE MANAGERS. AND THAT IS NOT A WAY TO RUN AN ORGANIZATION. THAT IS NOT A WAY TO BE ABLE TO BE MOST EFFECTIVE OR EFFICIENT. AND YES, WE HAVE SOME ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU WITH THE LEVEL OF STAFF THAT WE HAVE PER THE POPULATION IN THIS CITY, WE ARE FAR BELOW WHERE WE NEED TO BE TO BE AS RESPONSIVE AS THE EXPECTATIONS WANT. WELL, I WOULD CHARGE YOU OR WHOEVER YOUR REPLACEMENT IS OR THE THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A STRONG, ROBUST COMMUNICATIONS PACKAGE THAT SPELLS THAT OUT. SO IT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T ADDRESS IT, THAT'S GOING TO BE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE BACK ROOM. HEY, THEY'RE OVERLOADED. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THEY'RE FAT. WELL, AND CAN I ADD THIS BECAUSE THIS IS ONE MORE THING. I JUST COMPLETED THIS ANALYSIS TODAY. IN TERMS OF OUR VACANCIES. WE HAVE ABOUT 60 VACANT POSITIONS.OF THOSE 60 VACANT POSITIONS MOST ARE POLICE. 71% OF OUR VACANT POSITIONS ARE POLICE. OF COURSE WE HAVE. MY OFFICE HAS TWO VACANCIES THAT I PURPOSELY HAVE HELD, WHICH IS AN ASSISTANT TO AND AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT. AND THAT IS BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO LOOK ON THE SECOND FLOOR AT ALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS. WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ADEQUATELY TASKING THOSE POSITIONS CORRECTLY. SO BEFORE ADDING MORE POSITIONS, WE WANT TO EVALUATE THOSE POSITIONS. BUT GUESS WHAT? THAT'S ALWAYS FELL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE TOTEM POLE BECAUSE I REALLY NEVER HAD TIME. NONE OF US HAVE HAD TIME TO REALLY DO THAT ASSESSMENT.
SO THOSE POSITIONS REMAIN VACANT. THEY'RE DIFFICULT TO FILL. POSITIONS LIKE BUILDING INSPECTOR THREE, THEY REQUIRE CERTIFICATIONS. WE CANNOT COMPETE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN COMPETING WITH THOSE WAGES THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR ENTAILS. WE TRAIN THEM AND YET AND THEY GET A CERTIFICATION AND THEY LEAVE. SO WE HAVE LOOKED AT EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY POSITION THAT WE HAVE. WE'VE REALLOCATED POSITIONS TO PUT POSITIONS IN PRIORITY AREAS THAT NEED MORE SERVICES. I WOULD CHALLENGE ANYONE TO FIND WHERE WE CAN GET RID OF POSITIONS AND NOT BE ABLE TO PLACE THEM IN A DEPARTMENT THAT NEEDS MORE SERVICES BY LOOKING AT OUR VACANCIES. WELL, THAT'S YOU KNOW, I COMMEND YOU FOR THAT EXERCISE THAT YOU'VE GONE THROUGH, NOT ONLY JUST AT THIS BUDGET, BUT I THINK EVERY SUBSEQUENT BUDGETS THAT WE'VE HAD, AGAIN, I'LL SAY THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A ROBUST COMMUNICATIONS PACKAGE THAT SAYS, HERE'S WHAT WE DID. WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW. WE HAVE A POPULATION THAT'S GROWING FROM 70,000 TO 100,000. WE'VE GOT MORE SERVICES THAN VOLUME THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE. SO WE CAN WE NEED TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF THIS. THAT'S MY POINT. I GUESS I'M OUT IN FRONT OF IT AND NOT TRY TO PLAY DEFENSE. YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE SAY, WELL, DID YOU DO THIS? DID YOU DO THAT? OKAY.
SECOND IS REVENUE STREAM. I KNOW THAT WE YOU'VE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS FOR REVENUE. CAN YOU, YOU KNOW. DO WE HAVE ANY POTENTIAL OF ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, TO PUT OUR HANDS ON THAT WOULD HELP US, OBVIOUSLY, REVENUE TO OFFSET THE EXPENSES? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S IN THE WORKS OR THAT WE'VE GOT THAT'S MAYBE PENDING THAT WE CAN PUSH? I, I WOULD SAY THAT THERE IS ONE OF THE BIG TICKET ITEMS IS HAVING OUR CONTRACTS REFLECT OUR ACTUAL SERVICE COSTS. AND SO FIRE DID THAT AND DISCOVERED THE DIFFERENCE WAS ABOUT $500,000 THAT THAT'S GOING TO ADD TO THE REVENUES. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF OTHER REVENUES THAT DEPARTMENTS ARE PROPOSING, BUT WE HAVE TO BENEFIT. I MEAN, WE
[01:00:03]
HAVE TO EVALUATE THE BENEFIT OF THOSE ADDITIONAL COSTS VERSUS THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT IT WOULD BRING. AND WE'RE FINDING THAT THAT NUMBER IS SMALL. IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE 200,000 TO MAYBE $500,000 RANGE. IF IF WE REALLY PUSH SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES ON. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IS THE, THE AMOUNT OF OUR IMPACT FEES AND HOW LOW THEY ARE IN COMPARISON TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS. THAT'S SOMETHING ALSO THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT AS A PART OF THIS PROCESS, BUT THOSE WILL GET FLUSHED OUT AS WE GO ALONG. BUT THE BIG TICKET ITEMS ARE NOT GOING TO BE IN ADDITIONAL SERVICE CHARGES THAT THAT WE CAN FIND, BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH FLEXIBILITY TO IMPLEMENT CERTAIN SERVICE CHARGES. YEAH. OKAY. AND THAT'S GOOD. AND AGAIN, THAT SHOULD BE PART OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS PACKAGE THAT WE GET OUT TO OUR CITIZENS. IF WE ARE IN FACT, CONSIDERING AN INCREASE IN OUR OUR TAX RATES. YES. THE OTHER IS ONE OF. I DON'T WANT TO SAY. I'VE GOT A I'VE GOT A MOMENT.I'VE GOT A MOMENT. NO. YEAH. NO. THE OTHER THING IS PRIORITY ON PROJECTS. YES. I MEAN WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT ARE. THEY ALL DEMAND THAT WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, TAKE A HARD LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE GOT AND WHAT WE NEED TO CORRECT OR REPLACE. SO I THINK THAT'S A REAL EXERCISE THAT WE AS A COUNCIL HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND MAKE SOME HARD DECISIONS OF WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO OUR PUBLIC AS WE SEE IT. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO NOT BE ACCEPTED FAVORABLY BY A NUMBER OF PEOPLE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO MAKE THE HARD DECISIONS, AND THAT'S ONE OF THEM. WHAT'S THE PRIORITY? YEAH. MINE IS, YOU KNOW, LET'S LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT SPENDING MONEY ON. THINGS THAT WHERE WE COULD TAKE THE DOLLARS AND PUT THEM IN STREETS AND SIDEWALKS WHERE WE COULD PUT THEM IN, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE EQUIPMENT FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THE PRIORITIES THAT WE'VE STARTED OUT WITH IN THIS PROCESS ARE REALLY THE PRIORITIES THAT WE, AS A, AS A COUNCIL THINK IS WHAT WE NEED TO PUT FORWARD TO OUR OUR CONSTITUENTS. SO, AND I, I WOULD ASSUME THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS AS WE GO THROUGH. SO ALL I ASK IS, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, GET OUT YOUR MAGIC WAND. OKAY, LET'S LET'S GET SOME REVENUE IN HERE AND REDUCE EXPENSES. AND YOU CAN PASS IT OVER TO ALAN IF YOU WANT TO. I HAVE OKAY. SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND BY THE WAY, GREAT JOB TO YOU AND THE STAFF. AND WE LOOK LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING A MORE FINITE SET OF NUMBERS THAT WE CAN REALLY GO WITH. OKAY. THANK YOU. GOOD ANGEL. I JUST BASED OFF OF WHAT COUNCILMEMBER EMERY WAS SAYING, I HAD A FEW MORE THOUGHTS, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY ON, ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE THAT WAS POSTED BY COMMUNICATIONS, OUR COURTS DIRECTOR WENT OUT THERE AND TALKED ABOUT USING TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION. HOW TO MOVE THINGS FASTER, SPEED UP. SO TO ME, I THOUGHT THAT WAS CLEAR. AND I ACTUALLY WATCHED THE WHOLE THING AND THEN KIND OF TESTED IT. AND IT SHOWED THAT IT MAKES IT MUCH MORE STREAMLINED, WHICH ULTIMATELY PROBABLY HELPED REDUCE CERTAIN CLERICAL FUNCTIONS IN CERTAIN POSITIONS, WHAT HAVE YOU. THE OTHER THING I THINK COUNCILMEMBER EMERY TOUCHED ON WAS COMMUNICATIONS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE PROBABLY 3 OR 4 PEOPLE IN THAT DEPARTMENT AND AS SLATED OUT FOR ABOUT NINE. YES. SO WE GOTTA WE CAN'T WAIT FOR A DIRECTOR TO COME IN TO MOVE THIS POSITIONS FORWARD. WE GOT TO START GETTING ON TOP OF THIS BECAUSE PRETTY SOON THE BUDGET IS GOING TO BE ON FULL SCALE. YEAH. AND TO TALK ABOUT THE STORIES THAT WE WANT TO WE WANT TO TELL PEOPLE, WE GOT TO HAVE THESE THINGS IN PLACE. THE OTHER THING IS WITH I T CONVERSIONS, I THINK IT IS A DEPARTMENT THAT BRINGS IN A LOT OF THESE NEW TECHNOLOGIES, NEW AI VERSIONS, PRETTY. WE'RE NOT THE FIRST ONE. THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER CITIES THAT ARE DOING IT. SO THAT WOULD ALSO HELP TO STREAMLINE SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE CAN GO. I MEAN, JUST A MATTER OF THE FACT THAT NOW WE HAVE THIS VERSUS 20 THINGS WE'RE PUSHING. YEAH,
[01:05:05]
THAT MAKES OUR LIVES FASTER. SO, YOU KNOW, THINGS HAS TO BE LOOKED AT THAT. AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS WE TALKED ABOUT OPEN POSITIONS. COUNCILMEMBER EMERY ALSO TALKED ABOUT, I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, I'M USED TO IN A CORPORATE LEVEL WHERE YOU COME IN, YOU HAVE THESE POSITIONS THERE FOR 30 SOME DAYS OR THREE MONTHS AFTER THAT, THE DIRECTORS OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS WOULD HAVE TO GO IN FRONT OF SENIOR MANAGEMENT TO JUSTIFY THOSE POSITIONS IF YOU DIDN'T NEED THEM FOR THREE MONTHS, IF YOU DIDN'T FILL THEM FOR THREE MONTHS, I DON'T SEE HOW YOU'RE GOING TO BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN DOING THE WORK. YEAH. SO IT HAS TO BE JUSTIFIED FOR IT. AND THEN A GENERATOR OF INCOME, WE TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE GO EACH YEAR MANAGING THIS BUDGET. WE'LL BE BACK HERE NEXT YEAR, THIS TIME HAVING THE SAME DISCUSSION. BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT YOUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IN ORDER FOR THAT, WITH 800 TO 900 ACRES LEFT, YOU GOT TO HAVE SPEND MONEY ON UTILITIES. YOU GOT TO SPEND MONEY ON INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU GOT TO SPEND MONEY ON BRINGING WATER. YEAH. BECAUSE AS THESE PEOPLE GO AROUND THE CITY, OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR WHERE TO PUT THEIR BUSINESS. THEY'RE GOING TO GO WHERE UTILITIES ARE. THEY'RE GOING TO GO WHERE INFRASTRUCTURE IS READY TO GO, AND THEY'RE GOING TO GO WHERE THEY HAVE WATER. YEAH. SO THE 3.9 MILLION, 9.5 MILLION FOR DRAINAGE AND ALL OF THIS, WE GOT TO CONSTANTLY THINK ABOUT THE UTILITIES AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO WORK THROUGH THAT. BECAUSE IF NOT, PEOPLE WILL BYPASS US IN A SECOND. WE'LL GO TO THE CITY THAT'S READY. YEAH. SO ARE WE GOING TO HAVE ALL OF A SUDDEN ARE IS OUR SALES TAX GOING TO GO FROM 20 MILLION TO 70 MILLION IN SUGAR LAND? IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. IT IS WHAT IT IS. SO WE GOT TO PREPARE OURSELVES TO DO WHAT'S NECESSARY TO SET US UP. YEAH.SO THAT WHEN THEY COME THAT WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. BECAUSE I THINK YOUR FLAT RATE ON WE TRIED WITH THE YOU KNOW, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT DISCUSSION WITH METRO 7.95 MILLION THAT WE GOTTA HAVE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE SPENDING MONEY AND GOING OUT AND THERE'S NOTHING REALLY BACK COMING IN. SO WE HAVE TO JUST REALLY SOMEHOW LOOK AT THAT. I THINK THE KEY ARE OPEN POSITIONS, YOU KNOW, MORE INNOVATION AND MORE COMMUNICATION TO LET OUR PUBLIC KNOW AS TO HOW WE'RE MANAGING IT. AND BASED OFF OF THERE IS WHAT I THINK THIS YEAR, NOT JUST THIS YEAR, IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS. YEAH, WE GOT TO HAVE THAT BEFORE BECAUSE THIS BUDGET IS GETTING VOTED BY COUNCIL. WHEN AUGUST IS IT AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER? SEPTEMBER. SEPTEMBER. AUGUST IS WHEN? SEPTEMBER 21ST. SO WE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME WINDOW THEN TO LOOK AT THIS. WELL, WITH THAT I YIELD MY SELF. I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE ON THE QUEUE. GREAT JOB. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU TO THE STAFF FOR DOING THIS. WE'RE GOING TO
[(b) Consideration and Possible Action - A resolution authorizing participa...]
MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR B, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS, AUTHORIZING PARTICIPATION IN A NATIONAL NATIONAL OPIOID SETTLEMENT WITH CERTAIN REGIONAL PHARMACEUTICAL DISTRIBUTORS AND DISPENSERS, AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A SETTLEMENT RELEASE FORM FOR THE RESOLUTION OF CERTAIN POTENTIAL CLAIMS AGAINST SUCH DISTRIBUTORS AND DISPENSERS, PROVIDING FOR REPEAL, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, AND MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS RELATING THERETO. WE HAVE RHONDA SMITH, OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.GOOD EVENING, GOOD EVENING, GOOD EVENING. I DO I PRESENT. OH, THERE WE GO. THERE'S NO PRESENTATION. OKAY. EXCUSE ME. SO THERE'S NO PRESENTATION, BUT REALLY THERE'S NO NEED FOR ONE IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A NEW ACTIVITY FOR US. IT'S BEEN OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE'VE PARTICIPATED IN CERTAIN SETTLEMENTS. SO I'M HERE TO PRESENT JUST A BRIEFING REGARDING THE LATEST SETTLEMENT. THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC HAS TOUCHED VIRTUALLY EVERY COMMUNITY. IN RESPONSE, MANY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, CITIES, COUNTIES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS JOINED TOGETHER IN THE LARGEST CIVIL LITIGATION IN U.S. HISTORY. THE NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION OPIOID LITIGATION. THAT LITIGATION HAS PRODUCED A SERIES OF SETTLEMENTS THAT ARE NOW RETURNING DOLLARS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES, DOLLARS THAT MUST BE USED SPECIFICALLY TO ABATE OPIOID RELATED HARMS. SO TONIGHT, WE'RE ASKING CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE ACTION ON THE LATEST CHAPTER IN THAT SETTLEMENT PROCESS. A NEW AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED WITH SIX REGIONAL PHARMACEUTICAL DISTRIBUTORS AND DISPENSERS, KNOWN AS THE SIX REMNANT DEFENDANTS. THESE ARE COMPANIES THAT WERE PART OF THE BROADER NATIONAL OPIOID SUPPLY CHAIN,
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AND THEY'RE THE LAST OF THE DEFENDANTS IN THIS VERY LONG, ARDUOUS LITIGATION. SO TO PARTICIPATE AND RECEIVE OUR SHARE OF THE SETTLEMENT FUNDS, THE CITY MUST PASS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PARTICIPATION AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE REQUIRED RELEASE FORMS. OUR ALLOCATION OF THIS SETTLEMENT IS $9,021. IT'S THE LAST, AND THEY'RE THE SMALLEST OF THE GROUP THAT HAS COME BEFORE US. AND IT'S A MODEST RETURN, BUT IT'S REAL MONEY.AND THE MONEY HAS TO BE USED IN A RESTRICTED MANNER TO ADDRESS ANY OPIOID MITIGATION. OKAY. SO THERE'S NO COST TO THE CITY TO PARTICIPATE. THIS IS SIMPLY AN ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION TO ENSURE MISSOURI CITY RECEIVES THE FUNDS IT IS ENTITLED TO AND PUTS THEM TO WORK. SO WITH THAT, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AS WRITTEN. OKAY. GO AHEAD.
COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU. I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND WE'RE GOING TO DO A MANUAL. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
SO THERE'S A MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER BROWN MARSHALL. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY.
COUNCILMEMBER THOMPSON SECONDED. SEEING NO ONE ELSE ON THE QUEUE. GO AHEAD. LET'S DO THE ROLL CALL. MEMBER. RILEY. YES. MEMBER. EMERY. YES. MEMBER. O'DEKIRK. YES. MAYOR. COMPOSER.
YES. MAYOR. YES. MEMBER. BROWN. MARSHALL. YES. AND MEMBER. THOMPSON. YES. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER FIVE. THERE
[5. CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION]
IS A CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON FIVE FIVE, ONE POINT. ZERO SEVEN. FOR SURE. YOU WOULD HAVE TOLD ME THAT OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, THE T* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.