[00:00:03]
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
IS MAYOR FORD.I CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 5:30 PM AND STATE THAT THE NOTICE OF THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING WAS DUE.
THERE WILL NOW BE A ROLL CALL WITH CITY COUNCIL, PLEASE STATE HERE OR PRESENT MAYOR PRO TEM PRESTON PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARDS, PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER STERLING RESIDENT COUNCIL MEMBER BONEY COUNCIL, MEMBER OF A REALIST HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, EMORY COUNCIL MEMBER EMORY PRESENT.
I WILL NOW DO A ROLL CALL OF CITY STAFF AND MEETING PRESENTERS, CITY MANAGER, OTIS JONES, PRESIDENT ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, BILL ATKINSON, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, LANDMARK HILL CITY ATTORNEY JOYCE
STACY WALKER AS THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, CITY ENGINEER SHASHI, KUMAR UTILITIES MANAGER, TODD HOOVER, DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, ELENA PORTIS PRESENT FIRE CHIEF EUGENE CAMPBELL.
YES MA'AM I'M PRESENT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR, TAMIKA JEWITT FOR EVENTS AND IMPACT STRATEGY CONSULTING, LLC SPURGEON ROBINSON.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE PRESENT THAT I DID NOT CALL YOUR NAME? ALRIGHTY.
WE WILL START WITH AGENDA ITEM TWO, A DISCUSS STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION AND SEEK AUTHORIZATION FROM CITY COUNCIL TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT FOR AN OPERATOR FOR THE MUSTANG BY YOU STEEP BANK SERVICE AREA.
UH, BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, YOU JOYCE, THE ITEM THAT THE, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION IS THE ATTORNEY ON THE LINE.
CAUSE I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING, I GUESS MA'AM MR. HO, I CALL MR. HIGHTOWER ON THE COMPUTER.
[3. CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION]
GUYS, I NEED A MOTION, UH, BEFORE WE GET STARTED TO MOVE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ATTORNEY ON THE LINE AND THE TOP, THE CLOCK IS TICKING ON THAT.SO IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO DO EXECUTIVE SESSION FIVE, FIVE, 1.071, AND THEN WE COME BACK AND DO AGENDA ITEM TODAY.
I'M ALSO ON THE LINE IF THAT'S GONNA COME UP, IF YOU NEED TO SAY THAT FOR.
IS THERE A MOTION, MARY? THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBER IS MAKING A MOTION TO MOVE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION FORWARD THE FIVE FIVE ONE OH 71.
IS THERE A SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER HOURS? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
COUNCILMEMBER ED WAS MADE THE SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER STERLING.
COUNCIL MEMBER RULE IS MAKE THE MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER EMORY.
SO WE WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IF YOU GIVE DOUG A SECOND TO PUT US ALL IN THERE.
UH, IE, JOYCE, PLEASE LET DOUG KNOW.
WHO DO YOU NEED OFF THIS CALL OTHER THAN THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THERE AND THE CITY MANAGER? YES MA'AM.
UM, IT WOULD JUST BE, UM, ME MR. HIGHTOWER.
IS THAT MR. JONES? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT THE ACM THEN AS WELL, BUT OKAY.
AND THEN THE ACS AS WELL, WE'RE GOING TO GO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I WOULD CONSIDER ALSO HANDLING AS WELL BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ATTORNEY WITH REGARDS TO THAT ONE.
CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO SAY THE MONEY'S TICKING ON THAT, BUT YEAH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET THEM OUT THE WAY SO WE CAN GET THEM SQUARED AWAY ON THAT.
[4. RECONVENE into Special Session and consider action, if any, on items discussed in Executive Session.]
NOW SIX 41.WE WILL NOW RECONVENE BACK INTO THE SPECIAL MEETING.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM
[2(a) Discuss staff’s recommendation and seek authorization from City Council to negotiate a contract for an operator for the Mustang Bayou and Steep Bank Service Areas, respectively. (Proposed presenter: Director of Public Works Shashi Kumar and Utilities Manager Todd Hoover)]
TO DISCUSS STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION AND SEEK AUTHORIZATION FROM CITY COUNCIL TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT FOR AN OPERATOR FOR THE MUSTANG[00:05:01]
BY YOU AND STEEP BANK SERVICE AREAS.AGAIN, THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, COULD HE MAKE, UH, THE ITEM THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY IS, UH, TO, UH, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS TO SOLICIT AND NEW OPERATOR OR A CHANGE IN THE OPERATOR FOR THE MUSTANG BY YOU ON STEEP BANK SERVICE AREAS.
I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND.
UH, THE CITY IS VERY UNIQUE WHEN IT COMES TO UTILITIES.
UH, WE SHARE RESPONSIBILITIES WITH THE MARCH THAT OPERATE A NUMBER OF WATER AND WASTEWATER PLANTS, OUR, UH, IN AN EFFORT TO REGIONALIZE SOME OF THE WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
UH, THE CITY ENTERED INTO, UH, UH, AN AGREEMENT WITH THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE MUSTANG BY YOU AND STEVE BANK BY YOUR SERVICE AREAS.
AND THESE ARE THE TWO SERVICE AREAS THAT THE CITY HAS PERMIT TO AND BE MANAGED OPERATIONS THROUGH AN OPERATOR.
OF COURSE, WE DO HAVE THE REGIONAL SURFACE WATER TREATMENT PLANT THAT WE OPERATE AND ADMINISTER AS WELL OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO.
WE HAVE MADE AN EFFORT TO STREAMLINE UTILITY OPERATIONS AND ADDRESS ANY, UH, EFFICIENCIES THAT WE CAN BUILD UPON.
WE'VE BEEN REACHING OUT TO THE MURDERS AND THE PARTICIPANTS AS PART OF THE PROCESS.
ONE OF THE FEEDBACKS THAT WE RECEIVED WAS TO REEVALUATE THE OPERATORS THAT ARE CRITICALLY OPERATING THESE PLANTS, BOTH IN THE MUSTANG, AS WELL AS THE STEEP BANK SERVICE AREAS AND THE, WE SHOOT AN RFQ TO SOLICIT NEW FORMS THAT CAN POTENTIALLY PROVIDE THESE SERVICES.
WE ALSO HAD A PART WHO WERE THE UTILITIES MANAGER THAT CAME ON BOARD, UH, MAY OF THIS YEAR.
TODD CAME TO US WITH A LOT OF UTILITIES BACKGROUND AND IS THIS, HIS EXPERTISE IS IN UTILITY OPERATIONS.
AND SPECIFICALLY IS A CLASS, A OPERATOR, BOTH ON THE WATER AND WASTEWATER SIDE WITH HIS EXPERTISE AND SEEKING THE INPUT FROM OUR PARTICIPANTS, WHICH IS THE MUDS IN BOTH TWO SERVICE AREAS.
WE EVALUATED THIS RFQ AND WE DO HAVE A RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WANT TO PRESENT TO COUNCIL AND SEEK FEEDBACK ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND ALSO I WANT TO REITERATE THAT WE SUMMARIZE ALL THIS IN TO COVER MEMOS THAT WAS, UH, PUT IN YOUR FOLDERS.
UH, AGAIN, IT'S VERY DETAILED, UH, BUT I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO TODD.
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION WHERE WE SUMMARIZE THESE FINDINGS AND TODD WE'LL GO OVER THE, THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH IN EVALUATING THE RFQ AND HOW WE ARRIVED AT THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO PRESENT TO YOU TONIGHT WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO TODD TODD.
THIS IS TODD HOOVER UTILITIES MANAGER.
THANK YOU SASHA FOR THAT INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW.
UM, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR FORD AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THE, UM, PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE IS A SUMMARY LIKE SAUCY JUST SAID OF THE COVER LETTER.
AND IF YOU GO, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, THE RFQ AS MENTIONED, IT WAS SUBMITTED ON FEBRUARY THE 28TH, UH, PART OF THE PROCESS TO EVALUATE THE RFQ THAT, UM, THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE QUALIFIED FIRMS. THERE WERE TWO SELECTION COMMITTEES THAT WERE FORMED.
ONE FROM THE MUSTANG BODY SURFACE AREA, WHICH WERE TWO AREA, UM, MUSTANG REPRESENTATIVES AND THREE CITY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE STEEP BANK, FLAT BANK CREEK SERVICE AREA.
THERE WERE SEVEN AREA REPRESENTATIVES AND THREE CITY REPRESENTATIVES SLOT.
THIS IS A OVERVIEW OF WHERE THESE TWO SERVICE AREAS ARE LOCATED NEXT LOT.
SO THE MUSTANG BY YOUR SERVICE AREA, THESE ARE THE TWO PARTICIPANTS I WAS REFERRING TO QUAIL VALLEY UTILITY DISTRICT.
IT'S NOTABLE THAT THEY'VE BEEN OPERATING THE SERVICE AREA SINCE 2007 AND THE WASTEWATER PLANTS SINCE 2012.
NEXT, THIS IS THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE IN MUSTANG BY YOUR SERVICE AREA.
THEY INCLUDE WASTEWATER TREATMENT, SANITARY, SEWER, GROUNDWATER, PRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION, AND STORMWATER.
NEXT, ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT VARIABLES OF THE MUSTANG BY YOU SERVICE AREA IS THAT, UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON AN EXPANSION PROJECT OF FOUR MUSTANG.
WE HAVE A LOT OF GROWTH IN THIS AREA
[00:10:01]
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UM, THAT THERE'S WAS GREAT WEIGHTED CONSIDERATION BY THE CITY STAFF, THAT CHANGING OPERATION COMPANIES DURING THIS VITAL CONSTRUCTION PHASE WOULD POSSIBLY ADVERSELY DISRUPT OPERATIONS NEXT.SO THE SUMMARY OF THE EVALUATION, UM, THE CRITERIA THAT WE USE TO TABULATE THE SCORES, IT WAS LOCATED IN THE RFQ PACKET.
AND IT'S SIGNIFICANT TO NOTE THAT QUAIL VALLEY UTILITY DISTRICT, WHILE THEY RECEIVED THE MAJORITY VOTE OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE SELECTION COMMITTEE, UH, C ENVIRONMENTAL RECEIVED THE HIGHEST SCORE TABULATION NEXT.
SO THIS IS THE SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS THAT, UH, THE CITY STAFF GAVE TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE ON AUGUST THE 10TH AND THE SUMMARY OF THE MUSTANG BY YOU IN THE STEEP BANK FLAT BANK, UH, WE WILL DISCUSS, BUT THE MUSTANG BY YOU, THE CITY'S STAFF RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT QUOTE VALUE UTILITY DISTRICT SHOULD BE AWARDED A REVISED CONTRACT TO CONTINUE THE OPERATION OF MUSTANG BY YOUR SERVICE AREA.
SO THE STEEPBANK FLAT BANK SERVICE AREA, THERE ARE SEVEN PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANTS AND THEY'RE LISTED THERE AND QUELL VALUE'S OPERATED THIS AREA SINCE 2002.
NEXT THIS, THE SERVICE AREA INCLUDES WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND SANITARY SEWER NEXT AND MOST SIGNIFICANT HERE THAT THE WASTEWATER PLANT WE'RE LOOKING AT AN EXPANSION PROJECT.
HOWEVER, IN CONTRAST TO MUSTANG BY YOU AT THIS TIME, A STEEP BANK FLAT BANK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IS THAT THE ENGINEERING PHASE, RATHER THAN THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE, LIKE MUSTANG BUYING NEXT.
SO THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE SELECTION COMMITTEE TABULATION AND, UH, SEE ENVIRONMENTAL RECEIVED THE MAJORITY VOTE AS WELL AS THE HIGHEST SCORE TABULATION NEXT.
AND THE SUMMARY OF THE, UH, PDI COMMITTEE ON AUGUST THE 10TH WAS THAT THE CITY STAFF RECOMMENDED C ENVIRONMENTAL FOR WORD OF THE NEW CONTRACT OF OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF STEEPBANK FLAT BANK.
UH, WE ALSO RECOMMENDED, UH, THAT THERE'LL BE A TRANSITION PLAN.
UM, IF THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD APPROVE, UH, THE AWARD OF THE NEW CONTRACT FOR C ENVIRONMENTAL TO SYSTEMATICALLY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF STEEPBANK FLAT BANK FROM THE CURRENT, UM, OPERATOR NEXT.
SO THIS IS THE SUMMARY OF BOTH OF THE SERVICE AREAS.
UH, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THE CITY STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER OR THE REPRESENTATIVE TO NEGOTIATE A REVISED CONTRACT WITH QUELL, UH, CROW VALLEY, UTILITY DISTRICT, AND A STEEP BANK FLAT BANK CITY STAFF RECOMMENDS THE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE A NEW CONTRACT, UM, IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRANSITION PLAN WITH CN BAR METAL.
THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE IF THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED, UH, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AFTER THE REVISED AND THE NEW CONTRACT AND THE TRANSITION PLAN WERE DEVELOPED, THEN CITY STAFF WOULD RETURN BACK TO CITY COUNCIL AND ASKED THAT WE PROCEED WITH AWARDING THE CONTRACTS AND THE TRANSITION PLAN NEXT.
SO THAT'S THE SUMMARY OF WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YEAH.
THAT TRANSITION PLAN, UH, GOING FROM, UH, QUAIL VALLEY OVER TO SSI, UH, WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF, UH, UH, TIMING OR DO WE HAVE ON THAT? THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
UM, I WOULD SAY IT WOULD BE AT A MINIMUM OF 30 DAYS, UH, POSSIBLY 45 DAYS.
WE WOULD DEFINITELY, UM, REQUEST THE, THE THOUGHTS OF THE OPERATIONS COMPANIES TO SEE HOW LONG THAT THEY WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH, UM, TAKING THE OPERATIONS OVER BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T BE OPERATOR OF RECORD AND BE RESPONSIBLE THROUGH THE TEXAS COMMISSION
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ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.SO NOT ONLY WOULD THE CITY NEED TO FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT THE TRANSITION WOULD BE COMPLETE, BUT ALSO THE OPERATIONS COMPANY THAT WOULD ACQUIRE THE RESPONSIBILITY NEEDS TO HAVE A COMFORT LEVEL AS WELL.
SO IT WOULD BE A COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSION ON HOW LONG THAT WOULD TAKE, UH, THIS COUNSELOR.
AND AGAIN, UH, CAN YOU, UH, KIND OF FILL US IN WITH SOME OF THE ACTIVITY THAT THE CITY HAS HAD WITH SSI? SO THEN WE HAVE A LEVEL OF COMFORT.
UH, THEY, UH, IN FACT, UH, ARE QUALIFIED TO, UH, TO PICK UP THE, UH, THE STATE BANK OPERATION.
UM, SEE ENVIRONMENTAL CURRENTLY OPERATES IN MAINTAINS OF THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE CITIES OF MUDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST DOWN THE SOUTH PORTION OF OUR CITY, WHICH INCLUDE THE FORT BEND MUD ONE 1546, ONE 29, ONE 49, SIANNA MUD 10 IS SIENNA, UM, MANAGEMENT DISTRICT SIENNA MUD 1312 TWO THREE TEN FOUR SEVEN SIX.
AND NUMBER FIVE AND STATE BANK FLAT BANK, UM, IS IN THE MIDDLE OF FORT BEND COUNTY MUD ONE 29 AREA.
SO, UH, THIS IS ACTUALLY KIND OF AN ANOMALY THAT QUAIL VALLEY IS, HAS STEEP BANK FLAT BANK, WHERE ALL OF THAT AREA PREDOMINANTLY, ALREADY IS OPERATED MAINTAINED BY SEEING ENVIRONMENTAL.
ANYONE ELSE? I JUST WANT TO THANK TODD.
I JUST WANTED TO PAY FOR, I'M ALWAYS BEING PREPARED AND DILIGENTLY LAYING OUT HIS PRESENTATIONS, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS A COUNCIL, AS WELL AS THE PDI OR FULLY AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
IT'S LIKE, TODD, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
IS THERE A MOTION COUNSEL, MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE? IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER PRESTON.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? ALRIGHTY, I'LL DO A ROLL CALL.
THE SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER ERRORS.
MAKE THE MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER STERLING.
[2b) Presentation on the proposed Interfund Loan Policy. (Proposed presenter: Director of Financial Services Allena Portis)]
THE NEXT ITEM.HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE YOU? UH, I, I CAN DO IT IN, UH, FIVE MINUTES OR LESS.
IT DEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT OF DISCUSSION YOU MAY HAVE.
OKAY, WELL, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO THE NEXT ITEM AND THEN WE'LL RECESS.
AND COME BACK TO THE OTHER ONES, A PRESENTATION ON THE PROPOSED INTERFUND LOAN POLICY.
UH, THIS ITEM OF COURSE, UH, IS ON THE SPECIAL AGENDA, BUT WE HAVE THE APPROVAL ON THE REGULAR AGENDA TONIGHT.
SO I WANTED TO GO OVER THE INFORMATION WITH YOU TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS NEXT SLIDE.
UH, IT IS A BEST PRACTICE, UM, TO ADOPT POLICIES REGARDING, UH, DEBT, UH, THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCIAL POLICIES, THEY HAVE OUTLINED THESE ITEMS HERE, INCLUDING, UH, FORMAL POLICIES, UH, BEING DEFINED, UH, AND SHARING THE FINAL FINANCIAL POLICIES, DEFINE AND SHARING, UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE ORGANIZATION WILL DEVELOP ITS FINANCIAL PRACTICES AND MANAGE ITS RESOURCES TO PROVIDE THE BEST VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THIS POLICY IS BEING PUT IN PLACE, OR WE'RE REQUESTING TO PUT THIS IN PLACE, UM, TO DO JUST THAT ALSO, UH, IT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK, EXCUSE ME, FRAMEWORK OR BOUNDARIES, UH, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO WORK WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, INNER FUND LOANS, A SPECIFIC DEBT POLICY THAT GFC HAS, UM, THE POLICIES THAT GOVERN THE USE OF GOVERNMENT DEBT, INCLUDING PERMISSIBLE DEBT INSTRUMENTS, CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH A DEBT MAY BE USED, ALLOWABLE LEVELS OF DEBT AND COMPLIANCE WITH DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE AS A BEST PRACTICE WHEN IT COMES TO DEBT MANAGEMENT.
THAT ALSO INCLUDES INNER FUND LOANS.
[00:20:07]
OTHER AGENCIES, UH, WITH INTERFERON LOAN POLICIES INCLUDE THE CITY OF SUGARLAND FORT WORTH, UH, THE STATE OF TEXAS AND IT'S UNIVERSITIES IN OTHER STATES.AND A FINAL LOANS, UM, ARE GOVERNED BY STATE LAW.
EXAMPLES OF THIS INCLUDES, UH, WASHINGTON AND INDIANA, UM, FOR CITIES WITHIN TEXAS.
UH, THIS IS NOT GOVERNED BY STATE LAW.
SO THE PROPOSAL IN A FRONT LAWN POLICY, UH, THIS COVERS INTERFUND LOANS BETWEEN CITY FUNDS, UM, AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE REPAID.
UH, THE PURPOSE OF THE POLICY IS TO PROVIDE REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT MANAGEMENT AND REPAYMENT OF THESE LOANS.
NEXT SLIDE, THE POLICY THAT WE HAVE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION REGARDING TEMPORARY OR SHORT, SHORT TERM BORROWINGS OF CASH, UM, THEY CAN ONLY BE MADE FOR SPECIFIC REASONS.
AND THAT INCLUDES TO OFFSET TIMING, DIFFERENCES AND CASHFLOW.
UM, AN EXAMPLE OF THIS WOULD BE IF, UM, WE DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE FUND BALANCE IN LET'S SAY OUR TERMS OR PERIODS, WHICH RECEIVE A REVENUE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS WITH THE PROPERTY TAX STATEMENTS DUE JANUARY 31ST, THAT THERE WERE EXPENDITURES THAT NEEDED THEIR INK, UH, OCCUR, INCLUDING DEBT, UM, UH, THAT, UH, IS A CASHFLOW ISSUE.
AND SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO, UH, LOAN FROM FUNDS POSSIBLY FROM THE GENERAL FUND IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THIS.
LUCKILY WE HAVE SUFFICIENT FUND BALANCE, UM, IN THE TERMS AND TID.
SO THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE, BUT THAT WOULD BE A REASON FOR AN INTERPHONE INTERFUND LOAN.
UM, ALSO TO OFFSET TIMING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EXPENDITURES AND REIMBURSEMENTS.
NOW THIS TYPICALLY OCCURS WITH GRANTS.
UH, WE DO HAVE A GRANT FUND AND WE'D HAVE A CDBG FUND, AND THOSE ARE TYPICALLY ON REIMBURSEMENT BASIS.
SO AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, YOU MIGHT SEE THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE CASH BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE LAST QUARTER OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND SO IN OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, YOU'LL SEE A, WHAT WE CALL A DUE TO DUE FROM WHICH IS, UH, AN INNER FUND LOAN FOR CASH TO COVER THOSE EXPENSES TO OUR FINANCIALS, DON'T SHOW A NEGATIVE CASH BALANCES AND FUNDS ALSO, UH, TO PROVIDE FOR OUR ADVANCED SPENDING FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS PRIOR TO SECURING PROJECT FINANCING.
UM, WE HAVE COME TO COUNCIL WITH A REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTIONS WHEREBY UM, IF WE ARE TO SPEND ANY FUNDS ON A PROJECT OR AN ASSET WHERE WE BELIEVE THAT WE WILL BE REIMBURSING OURSELVES WITH A BOND PROCEEDS, THAT IS SOMEWHAT OF AN INNER FUND LOAN, MEANING THAT WE'RE, UM, USING, UM, OTHER FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO FRONT THE EXPENSE UNTIL THE BONDS ARE ISSUED.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE FOR OTHER NEEDS AS DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY CITY COUNCIL IN A FUND LOANS, AREN'T USED TO SOLVE ONGOING STRUCTURAL BUDGET PROBLEMS. UM, I MEAN THE POLICY WE HAVE THAT LOAN THAT EXCEED ONE YEAR REQUIRES CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.
THEN IF THERE'S ANY MODIFICATIONS THAT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE, UH, THAT WOULD ALSO REQUIRE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.
NEXT SLIDE, UH, THE PROPOSED PROCEDURES WE HAVE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES, FINANCIAL SERVICES RESPONSIBILITIES, AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S RESPONSIBILITIES.
OF COURSE THE DEPARTMENT WOULD HAVE TO OUTLINE THEIR NEEDS AS SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE.
FINANCIAL SERVICES WILL HAVE TO VERIFY THAT INFORMATION, AND WE'LL ALSO HAVE TO DETERMINE THE INTEREST RATES FOR THE LOAN AND RECORD THAT INFORMATION.
THE CITY ATTORNEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR LOOKING AT ALL THE LEGAL RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS, AND THEN PREPARE A RESOLUTION WITH THE LOAN TERMS FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL THAT EXCEEDS THE YEAR X SLIGHTLY, THE LOAN DOCUMENT WILL BE IN WRITING, AND IT WILL SPECIFY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, INCLUDING THE EFFECTIVE DATE, THE NAME OF THE FUNDS THAT ARE INVOLVED, THE LOANING AND RECEIVING FUNDS, THE AMOUNT OF THE LOAN, THE USE OF THE FUNDS, THE TERM OF REPAYMENT, THE INTEREST RATE, AND ALSO THE METHODOLOGY FOR CALCULATING THE INTEREST RATE.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UH, THREE, UH, EXISTING LOANS THAT ARE GOING TO BEAM WITHIN OUR FISCAL YEAR 2020 KHAFRE.
WE HAVE ONE THAT, UM, THAT IS GOING TO BE NEW.
WE HAVE LOANS BETWEEN OUR UTILITY FUNDS, FIVE OH FIVE AND FIVE OH SIX, AND THAT THERE WAS IDLE CASH, AND THERE WERE CAPITAL PROJECTS TO BE, UH, UH, COMPLETED.
AND INSTEAD OF ISSUING ADDITIONAL DEBT, WE BORROWED FUNDS FROM THE OTHER LOAN TO PAY FOR THAT.
THERE'S ONE LOAN BETWEEN MUSTANG BY YOU AND SURFACE WATER.
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UM, WE'RE MUSTERING BY YOU AS A LENDING FUND, THE OUTSTANDING BALANCE, THE APPROXIMATELY $5.5 MILLION.AND THERE'S A LOAN FROM FIVE OH SIX TO FIVE OH FIVE, UM, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 6.1 MILLION.
THE NET BALANCE BETWEEN THE TWO IS 590 2003 46 IN YOUR PACKETS.
WE HAVE THE AMORTIZATION SCHEDULES, BUT SHOW THAT FOR MOST OF THE YEAR, THAT ALONE, THE NET BETWEEN THE TWO PAYMENTS ZERO, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, AN INTERFUND LOAN WITH THE LGC A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 WILL BE PRESENTED AT A FUTURE MEETING.
WE'LL WE'LL, UH, DISCUSS UPON ADOPTION OF THE POLICY.
IF YOU ADOPTED, UH, THE ELIMINATION OF PRIOR STRUCTURAL DEFICITS, UH, VIA TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, WITHIN THE PAST THREE YEARS, THERE'S BEEN DEFICITS TOTALING, APPROXIMATELY $420,000 WHERE WE HAVE RECORDED, UM, UH, DUE TO DUE FROM AND ADVANCES, UH, DUE TO DUE FROM OUR, UH, SHORT TERM, LIKE ONE YEAR IN ADVANCE TO ADVANCE FROM.
I MEANS THAT IT'S A LONGER TERM.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE TWO, UM, DIFFERENT TERMS THAT ARE BEING USED.
UM, BUT THERE IS AN APPROVED LOAN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE LGC FOR ALMOST $150,000, WHICH IS FOR NETTING FLOORING T LINE AND THE ELDORADO BRIDGE, WHICH ARE, UM, CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, WHICH WE ARE NOT GOING TO REQUEST TO ELIMINATE.
WE ALSO HAVE AN ACTIVE REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES TO BE REIMBURSED BY THE 2020 SERIES CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION DEBT ISSUE.
SO IN SUMMARY TONIGHT, WE HAVE THE INNER FUND, UH, POLICY THAT'S ON THE AGENDA FOR APPROVAL.
AGAIN, IT WILL ADD TO OUR, UH, FINANCIAL POLICIES OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE HAVE BEEN REVIEWING OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES, UM, UH, WE'VE BEEN UPDATING THEM AND IF NEEDED, UH, UH, PREPARING NEW POLICIES TO INCLUDE WITHIN, UM, IN LINE WITH BEST PRACTICES.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO, UH, IN FRONT OF ONE POLICY? THIS IS MAYOR FORD.
UM, WHY DO YOU KNOW WHY WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS IN PLACE? I DO NOT.
UH, I KNOW, UH, WHEN I CAME IN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NEEDED TO DO IS REVIEW ALL OF OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND, UM, AND, AND ATTEMPT TO, UH, BRING TO COUNCIL ANYTHING THAT I BELIEVE SHOULD BE THERE THAT PLEASANT, UM, NOT ALL CITIES HAVE THIS POLICY IN PLACE, BUT WE HAVE, UH, HAD INNER FUND LOANS.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A POLICY TO ASSIST WITH, UM, GUIDING US IN THE FUTURE IF THERE IS A NEED AND THEN THE $420,000.
UM, WHAT, WHAT WAS THAT FOR? UH, THAT WAS FOR EXPENDITURES THAT EXCEEDED REVENUE DURING, UH, THE LAST, UH, TWO, TWO OR THREE FISCAL YEAR A MARRIAGE.
GO AHEAD, MR. JONES, UH, EFFECTIVELY, UH, THE, UH, THE LGC IS BEING CARRIED AN OPERATING DEFICIT, AND THE WAY WE DEALT WITH IT IN THE PAST IS THAT TO INTERVIEW THROUGH BUDGET AMENDMENTS, UM, MAKE, TO TRANSFER IAN ASIDE FROM THE ONE LOAN, WHICH HAD BEEN DONE THAT COUNCIL HAD APPROVED, UH, I ACTUALLY, ELENA TO WORK ON THIS BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, FORMALIZED THAT RELATIONSHIP THROUGH, UH, IN OUR, UH, IN OUR FUND LOAN.
IT'S JUST THE WAY THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TEND TO DEAL WITH IT.
BUT, UH, THAT, THAT'S THE WAY IN THE PAST THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DEALT WITH IT, WHICH IS, UH, WHAT I PREFER IS TO HAVE US, UH, UH, HAVE YOU ESTABLISHED AN EFFECTIVE POLICY SO THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE GUIDELINES RAILS ARE.
BUT I GUESS MY, UM, CONFUSION OVER THAT $420,000 IS THAT FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE WERE EITHER TOLD THE GOLF COURSE WAS BREAKING EVEN, OR MADE A PROFIT.
SO I'VE TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHERE, WHY WAS THAT MONEY TRANSFERRED OVER TO CLOSE THE GAPS IN? UH, I KNOW THAT IN PRIOR FISCAL YEARS, UH, THERE WERE, LET'S SAY UTILITY BILLS THAT WERE PAID BY THE, UH, FACILITY MAINTENANCE FUND WHEN WE HAD AN INTERNAL SERVICE
[00:30:01]
TIME.UM, AND I BELIEVE THE THOUGHT WAS THAT, UH, IT'S OUR FACILITY, THE CITY'S FACILITY.
UM, I HAVE VIEWING SOME OF THE HISTORY, UM, BUT THE CITY PRIOR TO, I THINK IT WAS 2017, THE CITY TRANSFERRED FUNDS OVER TO, UM, THE LGC OR TO THE FACILITIES MAINTENANCE FUND TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR SOME OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LGC.
UM, AND EITHER 2016 OR 2017, THE LGC, UM, BECAME AN ENTERPRISE FUND, UM, AND ENTERPRISE FUNDS ARE NORMALLY SUPPOSED TO, UM, FUND THEMSELVES.
UM, BUT IT IS AUTHORIZED FOR YOU TO SUPPLEMENT, UM, AN ENTERPRISE FUND, BUT, UH, AT SOME POINT, UM, THE CITY NO LONGER TRANSFER THE FUNDS TO SUPPLEMENT OR PAY FOR ANY OF THE UTILITIES.
AND THAT'S WHY, UM, FROM WHAT I CAN FEEL AND WHAT I'VE LOOKED AT SO FAR, AND THAT'S WHY THERE'S BEEN A DEFICIT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT MAYOR, UH, THE CITY MANAGER, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE TOO, THAT THIS YEAR FOR SPECIFICALLY WITH KOBE, UH, THE, THE GOLF COURSE INABILITY TO HAVE EVENTS OUT THERE, UM, YOU MAY END UP HAVING A LARGER IMPACT IN WHAT HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN DONE WITH REGARDS TO THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT.
SO IT MAY BE A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THAT.
JUST, JUST NO FINAL AON, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO HAVE A VET, SO THAT I'M ANTICIPATING THAT, UH, THAT NUMBER MAY END UP SELLING UP AT ARE A LITTLE LARGER NUMBER.
SO THIS YEAR I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND, I MEAN, COBIT IS GOING TO AFFECT A LOT OF STUFF, BUT HOW CAN WE GET, WE MADE DECISIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS WITH, I GUESS, THE ACCOUNTING THAT WE WERE GIVEN WITH THEM, EITHER HAVING MAKING A PROFIT OR BREAKING EVEN.
SO HOW, HOW CAN WE GET THE ACCURATE, WHAT HAS GONE ON OUT THERE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS? CAUSE CLEARLY IF THERE'S THIS TRANSFER OF $420,000, THAT'S NOT ACCURATE, UH, THE INFORMATION IS FOUND IN A CAFFER ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AND SHOWS THE TRANSFER THAT IS BEING MADE.
UM, AND THAT WAS IN THE FISCAL YEAR, 18 AND 19 KHAFRE.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE INCOME STATEMENT, UM, OF COURSE THE REVENUE AND EXPENSES ARE SHOWN AND IT'LL, IT'LL SHOW THAT THERE WAS A DEFICIT, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BALANCE SHEET, THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THE TRANSFER OF CASH COMING IN WITH BE, UM, DUE TO DUE FROM WHICH IS, AND THAT'S OKAY.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WERE PRESENTED WITH WHEN WE'VE GOTTEN THE FINAL IN, UH, FINANCIALS FROM THE LGC.
UM, UM, ELENA, JUST TO, I KNOW YOU'RE RUNNING SHORT ON TIME.
UM, CAN YOU EMAIL, I GUESS THE COUNCIL JUST, UH, THE LAST STARTING, I GUESS, 2017, 2018, 2019.
UM, IF YOU CAN PUT THAT ALL INTO A BALANCE SHEET AND JUST SEND IT TO US.
UM, I, I MEAN, CAUSE DECISIONS AND CASTLE HAS BASED A LOT OF HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WAS A PROFIT, UH, OR THEY DID BREAK EVEN, BUT CLEARLY IF THERE'S THESE FUNDS HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED OVER TO CLOSE THE GAP, UM, TO JUST KIND OF GIVE US A VIEW OF WHAT WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON OVER THERE, I HAVE THAT FOR YOU.
THIS MAY NOT BE THE TIME, BUT THIS IS ON MY MIND ATLANTA.
CAUSE SINCE I SERVE AS CHAIR OF THE FINANCE, JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, I KNOW WE WERE WORKING ON POLITICS.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THE FINANCE POLICY AND I KNOW YOU GUYS WERE REVISING IT.
HOWEVER, DO WE HAVE ANY TYPE OF EPICS, UM, POLICY AS IT RELATES TO FINANCE? UM, I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT.
I KNOW AS GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS WE HAVE, YEAH, NO, IT'S THE SAME MAGIC JONES OUT AND I'LL ACCESS TO THE TURNING AWAY IN HERE, HER AND I'VE BEEN, UH, HAVING, UH, SOME, UH, COLLEGIAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS, BUT NO, UH, YOU CURRENTLY DO NOT.
AND SO, UH, ALTHOUGH THE CHARTER ALLOWS FOR YOU TO, TO BETA DRAFT, UH, SUCH POLICIES AND SO EFFECTIVELY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN OPERATING UNDER THE STATUTORY GUIDELINES, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THAT, BUT, UH, EACH CHOICE YOU MIGHT WANT TO WEIGH IN AS WELL.
THIS IS A COUNCIL MEMBER JUST FOR CLARIFICATION.
DO YOU MEAN AS IT RELATES TO STAFF BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A FINANCIAL, UM, MS. UH,
[00:35:01]
MISCONDUCT AND DISHONESTY POLICY, AS IT RELATES TO FINANCIAL IMPROPRIETIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, OR CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC AS TO WHAT YOU ARE REFERRED TO? USUALLY WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH FINANCE, THERE ARE SOME ETHICS INVOLVED IN FINANCE IN ORDER TO KEEP THE RECORDS PREGNANT, YOU KNOW, AMONG EVERYBODY WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH FUNDS.SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST COMMON KNOWLEDGE WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH FINANCE.
I'VE NOT SEEN WHAT I'M STILL WAITING ON VM ON.
IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE I WAS JUST WANTING TO JUST ASK THAT QUESTION FOR CLARITY.
I CAN SEND YOU THE, THE POLICY THAT WE DO HAVE A, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING FOR SOMETHING WITH THEM.
UH, MAYBE SOMETHING WITH A BROADER REACH, BUT, UM, I'LL, I'LL CERTAINLY SEND YOU WHAT WE DO HAVE, PLEASE.
UH, I'D LIKE TO JUST ADD A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY TO THE COMMENT THAT, UH, UH, THE LGC WAS, UH, UH, ALWAYS GOING TO MAKE A PROFIT OR BREAK EVEN.
I THINK WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT, UH, WE WERE, UH, TRYING TO COVER BETWEEN 98 AND 98% OF OUR, UH, OF OUR EXPENDITURES OUT THERE.
AND I THINK, UH, OTHER THAN FOR THIS COBRA THEN, UH, WHEN WE HAVE THE ONE OTHER, UH, DISRUPTION BY THE HURRICANE, ANOTHER HURRICANE, UH, WE, UH, WE FELT SHARP BECAUSE WE COULDN'T, UH, UH, HAVE EVENTS, UH, IN THE, UH, IN THE FACILITY.
UH, I'D ALSO MENTIONED THAT THERE'S A NUMBER OF EXPENSES THAT ARE PAID BY THE LGC, WHICH REALLY, UH, MAINTAINS, UH, THE, UH, UH, THE, THE PROPERTY THAT BELONGS TO THE CITY.
SO THE QUESTION HAS BEEN, UH, ARE THOSE IN FACT, TRUE RELATIVE T THE EXPENSES SINCE, UH, THE, UH, CITY CENTER AND THE GOLF COURSES REAL QUICKLY, UH, THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY'S PROPERTY.
SO, UH, I THINK, UH, W MAY HAVE THAT KIND OF A DISCUSSION TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE, UH, WE'RE COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES AND, UH, TO, UH, UH, AGAIN, I THINK THE INTENT IS TO TRY TO, UH, BREAK EVEN OUR SHOW, A SMALL PROFITS, BUT WE'VE NEVER REALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, UH, TO PRODUCE A LARGE PROFIT, UH, OUT AT, UH, AT THAT, UH, UH, THAT VENUE.
FOR BALLINA, WE PLAN ON, UH, SEPTEMBER 21ST, I BELIEVE WE HAVE AN LGC MEETING, UM, THAT IS SCHEDULED AND I BELIEVE ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA WHERE WE WILL, UM, REVIEW THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN LGC AND THE CITY.
AND AT THAT TIME WE CAN REVIEW OR ADD ANY TERMS REGARDING, UM, SUPPLEMENTING THE LGC IF THE COUNCIL SO DESIRES DURING THAT MEETING.
WE ALSO NEED TO DEFINE, UM, IF THE LGC AND WHAT'S UNDER WITH ACTUALLY UNDER THE LGC, UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S, UM, KIND OF LEAVING SOME GRAY AREA THERE.
UM, SO LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE LOOK INTO HOW THE LTC HE WAS FORMED AND WHAT WAS ACTUALLY YEAH.
LEGALLY, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH IT, THE LDC.
ANYONE ELSE? THE MAYOR IS CITY MANAGER.
UH, I THINK, UH, AS WE, AS WE HAD A CONVERSATION, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE PROBABLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT TOO, IS JUST THE CONTRASTING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE OWNERSHIP OF THE CITY AND THE LDCS OPERATING AGREEMENT.
UH, THERE ARE SOME, THERE'S SOME COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH CAPEX THAT I THINK THAT THE CITY, UH, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR.
SO WE'LL BE ALSO HAVING A CONVERSATION.
WE, WHEN WE HAVE THAT MEETING ABOUT THAT AS WELL, IT WAS COUNCIL MEMBER BONIA.
I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UH, WILL THIS AMENDMENT ELENA AND, OR, UH, UH, CITY MANAGER JONES, UH, BY HAVING THIS POLICY, OR ARE WE SAYING THAT BY HAVING THIS POLICY, IT'S GOING TO ENSURE THAT WE ADDRESS THE ISSUE THAT THEY'LL LGC OR BE AT THE GOLF COURSE, OR, OR ARE WE JUST SAYING THAT WE NEED THIS POLICY IN PLACE? DOES THIS SOMEHOW IMPACT US IN A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, PUTS US IN A POSITION TO INCREASE THE DEBT ON OUR BOOKS? IS IT GOING TO IMPACT OUR, OUR VIEWING, I GUESS, RELATIVE TO THE, UM, TO THE DEAD
[00:40:01]
AGENCIES? UH, GOOD, GOOD QUESTION, ATLANTA.UH, THE SAME MANAGER, NO, I, I JUST THINK IT ESTABLISHED THE POLICIES TO ALLOW US TO FACILITATE, UH, THE, THE MATTER BY WHICH IF YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN CONDUCTING BUSINESS, UH, BETWEEN THE TWO IT'S JUST BEST PRACTICES THAT YOU, UH, HAVE AN OFFICIAL, UM, PROCESS FOR HANDLING IT.
I DON'T, I DON'T SEE IT, UH, INCREASING, UH, DEBT BETWEEN THE TWO OR HAVING IT REFLECT YOUR, YOUR CREDIT IN ANY REGARD, BUT MORE SO JUST TO HAVE YOU ACTUALLY ESTABLISH AN EFFICIENT POLICY SO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN FOLKS ARE EVALUATING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, I KNOW THAT THE COUNCIL HAS, UH, ESTABLISHED AN OFFICIAL WAY OF DOING IT VERSUS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE WAY IT'S BEEN DONE.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD WHEN IT COMES TO THE UTILITY, CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT.
SO IT'S NOT, UM, THERE, THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY IMPACT WHEN IT COMES TO THE BOND RATING AGENCIES.
WE WILL RECESS THE SPECIAL MEETING.
SO WE COULD GO INTO THE REGULAR MEETING AND WE'LL COME BACK AFTER THE REGULAR MEETING, OF COURSE, AND FINISH THE REST OF THE SPECIAL MEETING THE MEETING.
AND WE WILL NOW RECONVENE BACK INTO THE SPECIAL MEETING.
THE TIME IS NOW NINE OH FOUR, AND WE WILL NOW RECONVENE BACK INTO THE SPECIAL MEETING.
MAYOR PORTEND, PRESTON PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARDS, PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER STERLING PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER, BUNNY, RESIDENT, COUNCIL MEMBER RUELAS, COUNCIL MEMBER, EMORY CITY MANAGER, OTIS JONES, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, BILL ATKINSON, PRESIDENT ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, GLEN MARTEL, CITY ATTORNEY JOYCE JAMO, PRESENT CITY, SECRETARY MARIA JACKSON, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, STACY WALKER THAT THE PUBLIC WORKSHOPS YOU KUMAR.
SASHA, ARE YOU THERE? UTILITIES MANAGER, TODD HOOVER, DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, ELAINE AFFORDANCE FIRE, CHIEF EUGENE CAMPBELL, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR, TOMIKA JEWITT IMPACT STRATEGIES.
IMPACT STRATEGIC CONSULTING, LLC SPURGEON ROBINSON.
IS THERE ANYONE THAT I MISSED? ALRIGHTY, WE WILL MOVE ON TO
[2(c) Presentation of the Missouri City CARES Act survey. (Proposed presenter: Director of Communications Stacie Walker and Fire Chief Eugene Campbell)]
ITEM C PRESENTATION.THE MISSOURI CITY CARES ACT SURVEY, UH, GOOD EVENING TO GET MARRIED COUNCIL.
IT'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE BY STAFF.
SO I WANT TO THANK, UH, COMMUNICATIONS WHO, UH, PARTNERED WITH US TO HELP, UH, PUT OUT, PUSH OUT THE SURVEY ALONG WITH MS. TRIBECA, JEWETT AND SPIRIT AND ROBINSON AND HIS GROUP FROM, UH, THE IMPACT GROUP.
AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, THERE'S BEEN MONEY ALLOCATED BY THE FEDERAL AGENCIES DOWN THROUGH THE STATE TODAY.
UH, FORT BEN IS ALLOCATED 3.7 MILLION $63,760.
HARRIS COUNTY IS ALLOCATED $345,015 FOR A TOTAL OF 4 MILLION, $108, SEVEN, 775.
GIVEN THAT WE WERE ASKED TO GO OUT AND GET SOME INPUT FROM THE CITIZENS.
UM, AND WE'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND BRIEFLY PRESENT THAT TO YOU TONIGHT AND ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS.
I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE SLEEP.
IS IT THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION? DO YOU HAVE THAT? IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN YOUR, IN YOUR GROUP.
DO YOU HAVE THAT? IT HAS IT IN SEQUENCE.
DOES MARIA PUT IT ON YOUR, ON YOUR REAL TONIGHT? YEAH, THIS IS WHAT'S COMING UP AFTER SLIDE.
[00:45:02]
LET ME JUST WAN QUEST, LET ME, LET ME JUST DO SOMETHING REALLY QUICK.HOLD ON ONE SECOND, MARIA, CAN YOU SEND THAT TO DOUG REAL QUICK? THE PRESENTATION? CAUSE THIS WASN'T A ONE THAT WAS GOING TO BE SHOWN.
AND I'M GOING TO WANT TO DO SEND EARLIER.
THE ONE WE SENT TODAY THAT COMPILES IT MASH.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE US ONE SECOND.
DOES THE PRESENTATION HAVE THE ACTUAL SURVEY INCLUDED? IT HAS THEM IN A CONDENSED MANNER.
WE HAD 180 RESPONSES THAT WERE PUT OUT ON A SPREADSHEET.
SO WE'VE CONVINCED THEM, UH, AND PUT THEM IN THE, IN THE SEQUENCE TO PRESENT TO YOU THE NIGHTMARE.
SO ONLY 180 PEOPLE RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY WE PUT OUT.
MA'AM THE OTHER QUESTION IS CHIEF, HAVE WE PUT UP, UM, THAT INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE? I BELIEVE THE LAST MEETING, UM, ON HOW THAT MONEY'S GOING TO BE DIVVIED UP.
HAVE WE PUT THAT ON THE WEBSITE? MA'AM ONCE WE GO THROUGH, UM, OUR FEEDBACK TONIGHT, UM, WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, ON AUGUST THE THIRD.
UH, AND THEN WE'RE OPENED UP THE GUYS FROM THE COUNCIL FOR FEATURE ALLOCATIONS.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO COVER THAT IN IT.
I MIGHT JUST START TO SPEAK TO IT AS YOU PULL IT UP, DOUG.
UM, BECAUSE I HAVE IT AVAILABLE IN FRONT OF ME AND THEN WE'LL GET CAUGHT UP WITH, UH, WITH THE SLIDES.
SO THE NIGHTMARE AND COUNCIL, WHAT WE ARE GOING TO COVER REALLY QUICKLY WITH YOU IS ON AUGUST THE THIRD, WE BOUGHT THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES PRIORITY ONE, TWO, AND THREE AND FOUR PRIORITY.
THREE REALLY COVERED A LOT OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE DISCUSSED OR BROUGHT UP AS A QUESTION EARLIER WITH YOUR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE, REAL ASSISTANCE, BUSINESS ASSISTANCE, UH, AND OTHER WAYS THAT WE COULD FUND GET A FUNDING TO THE PUBLIC, THROUGH THE CARES ACT, UM, ON AUGUST THE 12TH, UH, VIA THE WEB AND OTHER MEANS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, UH, WE REACHED OUT TO THEM TO SEE WHAT THEY THOUGHT WERE SOME PRIORITIES FOR FUNDING.
UH, THE SURVEY BEGAN ON AUGUST THE 12TH AND IT CLOSED ON SEPTEMBER THE FIRST WITH 180 RESPONSES WE RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC.
THERE WERE SIGNS PUT OUT THROUGH THE COMMUNITY, WAS PUT ON THE WEBSITE.
THERE WAS INFORMATION PUSHED OUT THROUGH FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS TO GET THAT.
UM, MS. JULIA IS GOING TO GO AHEAD AND COVER THE SURVEY, UM, BECAUSE WE INITIALLY FOCUSED ON THE THREE PROGRAMS AND WHEN TO GET, WHICH WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITY, UH, THE IMPORTANT PRIORITY AND THE LEAST IMPORTANT PRIORITY AS WELL AS, UH, WE HAD OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS.
CAUSE SO IF THERE WAS SOMETHING NOT IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE, THERE WERE MULTIPLE WAYS, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO GIVE US FEEDBACK ON THAT.
WOULD YOU GO AHEAD, TAMIKA? OKAY, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO, UM, AS CHIEF MAN CHAN, WE HAD 180, UH, CITIZENS AND BUSINESS OWNERS GIVE US FEEDBACK ON THE, UM, SURVEY.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE WENT FROM, FOR THEM TO SELECT WHAT WAS THEIR MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITY AND IMPORTANT PRIORITY AND LEAST IMPORTANT.
UM, IN ORDER, AS YOU SEE ON THE CHARTER SHELVES, THE NUMBER OF RESPONSES PER CATEGORY, THE TOP PRIORITY OF ALL OF THEM WAS MORTGAGE RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE FOLLOWED BY SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE AND LAST, UH, PPE FOR SENIOR LIVING, UH, LIVING AND SENIOR CITIZENS, UM, FOR THOSE RESPONSES.
SO ALSO ON, UM, THE SURVEY THAT SHE'S MENTIONED, WE HAD OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS INITIALLY WHEN WE HAD THE SURVEY OUT, IT JUST MENTIONED RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
UM, WE DID AMEND IT TO STATE MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE ALSO.
SO THIS IS AN ORDER OF THE AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED.
WE HAD A LOT OF CITIZENS COME BACK AND MENTION HOW WE NEED TO SAY INCLUDE, UM, MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE, WHICH IS ALLOWABLE UNDER THE CARES GRANT IN THERE.
THE SECOND MOST, UH, ITEM THAT CAME UP MOST WAS PPE AND FOOD ASSISTANCE FOR CITIZENS AND PARTICULAR.
UM, THEY MENTIONED THIS, IN FACT, IT, UM, FOOD ASSISTANCE AND THEN JUST CENTRALIZED PPE WAS VACANT.
UM, HAVING ACCESS TO THAT IS ALLOWABLE UNDER THE GRANT.
WE HAD SEVERAL CITIZENS, UM, MENTION A HAZARD PAY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, FOR OUR FIRE POLICE DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE OUT THERE DURING COVID THAT IS ACCEPTABLE UNDER ALLOWABLE, UNDER CARES ACT.
[00:50:01]
THEY DO HAVE SOME PROVISIONS THAT IT HAS TO BE COVERT RELATED, AND THAT PERSON HAS TO BE DOING SOMETHING WHERE LIGHT IT'S A COVERT ACTIVITIES.UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS ALLOWABLE.
THERE WERE SOME THAT WERE UNALLOWABLE THAT WE STILL PUT IN THERE THAT WE HEARD A FEW PEOPLE, CITIZENS MENTIONED.
THEY WANT US TO WAVE HOA FEES, OUR FREEZER, LOWER TAXES.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET A LOT OF CARES.
AG FUNDING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE MENTIONED CITIZENS DIDN'T HAVE, UM, GOOD HEALTHCARE INSURANCE.
SO MAYBE DOING GENERAL HEALTH SCREENINGS, PHYSICALS, PRESCRIPTIONS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, THIS GRANT CAN ONLY COVER THINGS THAT ARE PARTICULARLY GHOST, UM, TO COPE WITH.
IT CAN'T JUST BE FOR GENERAL INSURANCE EXPENSES.
WE ALSO HAD A FEW PEOPLE MENTIONED CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, OR MISSOURI CITY THAT IS NOT ALLOWABLE UNDER IT RIGHT NOW.
AND FOR CARE THAT, I MEAN, UM, SOME WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ENTITY THAT DID RECEIVE CARE IS ACT FUNDING.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS CARE THAT EXPANDING AS WELL AS THE COUNTY.
SO SOME PEOPLE MENTIONED WE NEED TO START PLANNING.
A LOT OF, WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE MENTIONED PLANNING FOR CHILDREN TO GET BACK IN SCHOOL.
HAZARD PAY FOR TEACHERS, FOR BEING AN IFC, HAS THEIR ALLOTMENT OF CARES ACT FUNDING.
AND IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY CHOOSE TO DO, THEY WILL UTILIZE THEIR HERE AS FUNDING FOR THAT PURPOSE, WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE MENTIONED, SOME ACTIVITIES MAY BE COMING UP.
THE CITY CAN COME UP WITH PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES FOR SENIORS WHO ARE AT HOME.
DON'T REALLY HAVE PEOPLE VISITING THEM THAT ARE JUST SHED AND, AND CAN'T REALLY DO TOO MUCH DUE TO COVID WITH THAT, DEPENDING ON THE ACTIVITY, WE COULD RESEARCH THAT AND SEE IF THAT IS ALLOWABLE UNDER COBOT.
AND IT'S JUST DEPENDING ON WHATEVER PROGRAM COMES UP AND IF WE CAN JUSTIFY IT UNDER THE FUNDING, OTHER IDEA FOR SANTA SANITIZING PUBLIC SPACES TO GO OUT AND MAKE SURE WE CAN SEND A TABLET.
AND THEY HAD SOME, UH, ONE CITIZEN DID MENTION, UH, A TEMPERATURE CHECKING STATION AT CITY BUILDINGS.
WE ACTUALLY HAD THAT ALREADY APPROVED AS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE ARE GOING TO IMPLEMENT AS CITY BUILDINGS IS SOMETHING THAT CHECKS THE TEMPERATURE OF PEOPLE AS THEY'RE GOING INTO THE BUILDING TO HELP LESSEN THE IMPACT OF COVID.
AND IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE SAYING, THIS IS JUST TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
IN ADDITION TO THE SMALL BUSINESS GRANT, THEY WANT TO DO SOME TYPES OF, UH, LOCAL BUSINESS PROGRAMS TO HELP PROMOTE BUSINESSES, TO HELP THEM GET MORE BUSINESS DURING THIS TIME, DURING THESE TIMES, AND THEN GASOLINE ASSISTANCE.
AND THEN WE DID HAVE ONE CITIZEN RECOMMEND THAT WE BUILD A HOMELESS SHELTER THAT WE CREATE NEW BUS ROUTES, OR WE INVEST THE FUNDS.
THE FUNDS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO DO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND THEN A BUS RIDE WOULD NOT DIRECTLY IMPACT.
KOVACS IS THE KEY WITH THIS ONE IS EVERYTHING HAS TO BE TIED TO COVE IT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET REIMBURSED FOR THE MONEY THAT WE SPEND.
MR. ROBINSON, WOULD YOU TAKE IT FROM HERE PLEASE? UM, MARIN COUNCIL, WHAT HE'S GOING TO GO OVER NOW ARE SOME RECOMMENDED, UH, WAYS THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE GUIDELINES TO BEGIN THESE PROGRAMS, THE GUIDELINES FOR THE PROGRAMS SPURGEON HELLO EVENING, UM, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
UM, I'M GOING TO BRIEFLY AND MAKE SURE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I KNOW AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE BACK HERE.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE ROME MORGAN UTILITY PROGRAM AND PRIORITIZATIONS AND OUR EXPERIENCE BOTH IN WORKING WITH FORT BEND COUNTY ON THEIR PROGRAM.
UM, ANOTHER, UM, CITY PARALLEL AS WELL, AND OTHERS, RONALD REGION LOOKING AT WHAT'S BEEN, UH, EITHER SUCCESSFUL IN OUR PROGRAMS OR WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE THINK THAT WOULD MAKE THE CITY'S PROGRAM HERE, UH, AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO WE PUT DIFFERENT PRIORITIES HERE AND ENLISTED ONE THROUGH FOUR.
YOU'LL SEE IT, BUT THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE THINK ARE GOING TO BE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR CITIZENS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THEY GET, YOU KNOW, THE REAL SYSTEM THAT THEY NEED VERSUS THE FEELING WITH THOSE WHO HAVE IMMEDIATE EVICTIONS AND LOCKOUTS, UM, SOMEWHAT SELF EXPLANATORY, BUT SOME OF THE PROS ARE LISTED HERE.
THE REASON WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT AND YOU WANT TO KEEP MANY PEOPLE IN THEIR DWELLINGS AS POSSIBLE.
OBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE OUT OF THE STREET OR RISK OF HOMELESSNESS.
AND SO THIS IS A WAY YOU CAN SPONSOR PROTECT THAT.
UM, TYPICALLY USE ARE YOUR MOST AT RISK RESIDENTS AS WELL.
CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN ECONOMICALLY IMPACTED PRETTY, UH, PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY AS WELL AS PART OF YOUR CARE ACT REQUIREMENTS MEET AS WELL.
UH, SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS IN IMPLEMENTING THESE PROGRAMS, WE HAVE TO BE, OR IN CONSIDERATION OF THIS LANDLORD, SHE AGREED TO NOT A VICTIM INDIVIDUALS.
THE PURPOSE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE LANDLORDS A PAYMENT AND THEN THEY BIG PEOPLE.
[00:55:01]
BARE MUCH TAILOR TO MAKE SURE THERE'S RESTRICTIONS ON THAT.UM, SOME OF THE RISK IS THESE CLIENTS CAN BE A SIMILAR SITUATION MONTH OR MONTH, KNOWING THAT THESE FUNDS WILL COVER EVERY ACTIVITY.
AND THERE MAY BE OTHER SYSTEMS THAT THEY MAY NEED, UH, BASED ON, ON THEIR, UH, CERTAIN SITUATIONS.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN CONSIDERATION.
UM, LIKE, SO I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE, BUT THERE'S STUFF THAT I'M HERE SPECIFICALLY.
YOU WANT ME TO DIVE DEEPER INTO I'LL DO THAT.
THE SECOND PRIORITY WOULD BE LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
THAT'S WHAT LMI STANDS FOR BY THE WAY, I SHOULD WROTE AND WRITTEN IT OUT.
BUT LOW AND MYRA INCOMES TYPICALLY FIND BY HOOK, UH, IT'S THOSE THAT ARE, UH, 80% BELOW OF THE AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME OF THE AREA.
UM, ALSO WITH, UH, OCCUPANT THAT'S 65 YEARS OR OLDER OR SMALL CHILDREN, UH, AS WELL, THESE WOULD BE THE SECOND PRIORITY.
UM, UH, WHAT IT DOES IS ONCE AGAIN, PROTECT SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE, WE KNOW, UH, SENIORS, ELDERLY AND KIDS, A RISK OF NOT HAVING FUNDS, BUT OTHER NEEDS, IF THEY'VE HAD TO SPEND THEIR FUNDS ON RENTAL PAYMENT SO THAT THIS WILL BE A BENEFIT TO THEM THAT THEY WOULD NOT USE THOSE FUNDS FOR KEEPING A SHELTER OVER THEIR HEAD WHEN THEY NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION AS WELL, DISRUPTION OF THE FAMILY AND THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT AROUND THERE.
UM, THE LMI OF DETERMINATION ALLOWS US TO, UH, WE WILL HAVE TO COLLECT SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM THE FAMILIES.
SO ALL THAT BEDDING THAT WE HAVE TO DO, MAKING SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WE TARGETED ARE ELIGIBLE, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE AT THE MOST RISK AND MOST VULNERABLE, WE DO HAVE TO DO SOME VERIFICATION.
AND WITH THAT, UH, TYPICALLY INCREASES THE TIMELINE IN WHICH YOU CAN PROVIDE A SYSTEM JUST BECAUSE WE JUST GOING THROUGH A VERIFICATION PROCESS.
SO WE HAVE TO ALWAYS MANAGE EXPECTATIONS THAT NOT ONLY CAN THE LANDLORD NEVER BIG, BUT WE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW IT MAY TAKE EVEN UP TO 30, MAYBE SOMETIMES 45 DAYS OR 60 DAYS FOR SOMEBODY TO GET THEIR PAYMENTS.
BUT ONCE THEY ARE APPROVED, THE CITY WILL PAY FOR IT.
UH, NEXT SLOT, BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER.
SO THE RENTAL AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE WILL BE BASED ON, UM, I GUESS, AGE AND THEN, UM, THEIR INCOME.
SO PRIMARILY BASED ON AN INCOME FIRST AND WHAT WE'RE SAYING, THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE 80% LMI AND ELDERLY OCCUPANT IN THE HOME AND CHILDREN, AND 12 WOULD BE HIGHER IN THAT PRIORITY OF THAT LOW AND MODERATE, MODERATE INCOME FAMILY GROUP.
WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE, WHERE WOULD WE BE AT THE 80% LMI? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION THAT I HONESTLY DID NOT COME PREPARED TO ANSWER THE CHART.
SO IT'S A HUD STANDARD THOUGH, ELIMINATE THAT.
SO WHAT HUD USES FOR ITS, UM, UH, DEPENDING ON THE HOUSEHOLD SIDE.
SO IT GOES ANYWHERE FROM ONE OCCUPANT ALL THE WAY TO 800 PLUS, AND THEY HAVE A STANDARD SPECIFICALLY FOR, UM, MISSOURI CITY AND THE COUNTY THAT WERE BASED ON YOUR INCOME, UH, YOU WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR PROGRAMS. SO I DON'T WANT TO SPECULATE, I APOLOGIZE.
I HAVE THE CHART PROBABLY I NEED TO LOOK IT UP.
IF I CAN FIND IT FOR BEING THIS FALL, I'LL COME BACK TO IT.
BUT BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE GUIDELINES AND IT'S UNIVERSALLY PRETTY WELL ACCEPTED THAT, UH, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT 80% LMI, THAT'S USUALLY AN INCOME RANGE THAT, UH, REACHES PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UM, WHO ARE FINANCIALLY, UH, AT RISK.
SO JUST REALLY QUICKLY, AND THAT'S FINE IF YOU CAN GET THAT TO US.
UM, THE, KIND OF THE SITUATION WITH THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY WHERE THE AVERAGE INCOME ON THE LOW END IS 80,000 AND A PANDEMIC THAT HAS AFFECTED EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR INCOME, IT BECOMES A LITTLE PROBLEMATIC.
IS, ARE THOSE CARES FUNDS RESTRICTED TO THAT? OR IS THIS A RESTRICTION THAT IS BEING PUT IN ON THE LOCAL LIST? SO GOOD, EXCELLENT QUESTION.
SO, NO, THE CURASPAN IS NOT TECHNICALLY RESTRICTIVE OF THAT CRITERIA, EVEN HIGHER, UM, 120% OF LMI OR NO LMI CRITERIA, IT'D BE ALMOST A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE OR COULD BE OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU WANTED TO MAKE THAT A PART OF THAT.
SO, UH, NO, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T MISS THE MOST VULNERABLE AND THEY WOULD BE PRIORITIZED.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THOSE WOULD NOT.
SO IF YOU MOVE TO MY, YOU KNOW, TAKING THE SCENARIO YOU HAVE, WE AGREED, OR IF YOU AGREED, I SHOULD SAY, IN THE COUNSELOR BREED THAT, HEY, WE WANT US TO SERVE THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION WITH 80% LMI.
AND IF ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THOSE PEOPLE MEET THAT INCOME DESIGNATION,
[01:00:01]
THEN OUR PRIORITY FOUR BECOMES THOSE ABOVE 80% LMI.SO THEN IT CAPTURES EVERYONE ELSE.
SO ONCE AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST THE PRIORITY TO JUST BEING SET.
IF THE CITY CHOOSES TO GO A DIFFERENT WAY AT THE SAS THAT, UM, WITH THE TIMEFRAME WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE JUST NEED THE DECISION, MAKE THE DECISION.
BUT THESE ARE JUST THE PRIORITIES WE WERE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS WHO WOULD GO FIRST, ANYBODY IMMEDIATE EVICTION AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS TO LMI 80% OF MY, OR BELOW THAT ARE HELPING THE ELDERLY OR CHILD.
AND THEN THE REST OF THE LMI COMMUNITY WOULD APPLY.
AND THEN THOSE ABOVE 80% WOULD BE THE FOURTH PRIORITY.
SO NOT NECESSARILY LEAVE THEM OUT OR WE SEE PRIORITY IS GOING TO BE THOSE THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE ECONOMICALLY FIRST FOLLOW ME.
SO, BUT VERY GOOD QUESTIONS, VERY GOOD DECISION PATH, BUT THAT THING, BUT LIKE I SAID, HOPEFULLY NO FORK GETS YOU TO EVERYONE ELSE.
RIGHT? SO EVERYONE ELSE THAT, RIGHT, WHATEVER MEDIAN COMES TO $80,000 PLUS, WHICH WOULD TYPICALLY, AND SOMEHOW SOULS OVER ALL HUD STANDARDS, PROBABLY ABOVE THAT.
SO THIS IS WHERE YOU CATCH THEM, UH, AND THAT POPULATION THERE.
SO IT'S ALL ABOUT JUST PRIORITIZING MOST VULNERABLE FIRST AFTER THAT, THOSE WHO ARE, UM, WHO WOULD BE, UH, OVER INCOME PER SE OR HIGHER THAN 80%.
AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH ALL THAT, WE STILL HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT FORT BEND COUNTY IS RUNNING A VERY SIMILAR PROGRAM, RIGHT? THAT IS ALSO TARGETING THE 80% LMI.
SO THEY MAY CAPTURE SOME OF THAT POPULATION AND SERVE THAT POPULATION THAT MAY RESIDE IN RESERVE CITY.
THEN THERE'S OTHER FUNDING THAT'S LEFTOVER FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT QUALIFY FOR INITIALLY FOR THE, FOR THE COUNTY'S PROGRAM.
AND SO IT MAY BE, YOU NEED, SO ONCE AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO STRESS THAT THE LMI IS THERE JUST AS A PRIVATIZATION FOR THOSE THAT ARE MOST AT RISK, BUT EVERYBODY COULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE FUNDS AS LONG AS THERE'S ENOUGH MONEY THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T USE THE BOTTLE OF FUNDS BEFORE YOU SERVE EVERYBODY.
AND THEN THAT'S ALSO A CHALLENGE AS WELL BECAUSE WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE BEING SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED AND IMPACTED IN THESE SWIMMING, THESE ROLE PROGRAMS. UM, DON'T GO FAR NOW.
BEFORE YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, MAYOR HAS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COULD YOU EXPLAIN TO THEM ALSO DUPLICATION THAT WE'RE MONITORING THE OTHER SYSTEMS AND HOW THAT DUPLICATION OR DUPLICATION WORKS? COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT? YEAH, SO BASICALLY, AS I MENTIONED, LIKE THE COUNTY IS RUNNING A VERY SIMILAR PROGRAM, SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING SERVED WITH THE COUNTIES PROGRAM DO NOT ALSO GET THE SAME ASSISTANCE FROM THE CITY.
AND THAT'S CALLED A DUPLICATION OF BENEFIT AND IN SHORT TERM.
SO WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BIT, THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD APPLY HAVE NOT ALREADY BEEN RECEIVED INTO THE COUNTY'S PROGRAM.
SO WE LOOK AT AND TRY TO AVOID THAT.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO HAVE SOME CONTINUITY THERE AND DISCUSS AND WANTS TO GAIN.
IT ALLOWS YOU TO DANCE STAMP, SPEND YOUR PHONES ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE ABOVE 80% LMI IF THE COUNTY HAS IN FACT ALREADY CAPTURED THOSE OTHER INDIVIDUALS.
SO, BUT THE DUPLICATION BENEFIT IS DESIGNED AND YOU HAVE TO, AS A FEDERAL LAW, YOU CANNOT PAY TWICE FOR THE SAME INDIVIDUAL.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS WE ALSO DO THAT, WE GO THROUGH THE LANDLORDS, MAKE SURE LANDLORDS IS NOT RECEIVING PAYMENTS FROM ANOTHER ENTITY.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT, THEN WE KNOW WE CAN SAY, COULD MAKE THAT PAYMENT WILL HOPEFULLY SAY, COULD MAKE THAT PAYMENT.
SO MOVE ON TO THE MIXED SLOT AS THE ROW MORTGAGE UTILITY PROGRAM.
SO BRIEFLY TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS.
SO A SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM IS JUST A SIMILAR IN TENNIS SOURCE, WHICH IS TO HELP THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE STRUGGLING AND IMPACTED BY COVID.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO MANAGE THAT PROGRAM AS WELL.
UH, WITH IT BEING A MISSOURI CITY PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT THAT THOSE ENTITIES ARE PHYSICALLY LOCATED AND OPERATIONAL INSIDE MISSOURI CITY.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE CRITERIA.
AND THESE ARE JUST A SET OF DIFFERENT CRITERIA THAT I THINK THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY ADOPTED OR AGREED UPON.
THIS IS MUST'VE BEEN OPERATIONAL AS A FARRIER 15, 20, 20.
IS THAT IMPORTANT? IT ALLOWS YOU TO GAUGE THE LEVEL OF IMPACT THAT THE BUSINESS WOULD HAVE HAD YEAR OVER YEAR.
UH, AND IT'S JUST A NEAT, I WON'T SAY EASIER METRIC.
IT'S JUST ONE, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS WAS PRETTY STRONGLY
[01:05:01]
BEFORE COVID HIT AND, YOU KNOW, YEAR LATER THAT IT WAS OPERATIONAL.UH, UM, SINCE THEN, UM, MATTER OF FACT, IF THERE WERE 10, 15, 2019 QUALIFIES, SO THAT SHOULD BE 2019 INSTEAD OF 2020, DO YOU HAVE THE YEAR OVER YEAR COMPARISON, BUT THE BUSINESS MUST REMAIN OPERATIONAL DECEMBER 30TH THROUGH DECEMBER 3RD OF 2020.
WHY'S THAT IMPORTANT BECAUSE HE'S FONTS OR FOR BUSINESSES TO REMAIN OVER AND HOPEFULLY SERVE THEIR, UM, RESIDENTS.
AND THERE ARE SOME BUSINESS I KNOW THERE ARE FORCED CLOSURES, ET CETERA, HOW THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.
SO THEY CAN STILL BE OPERATIONAL THAT KEEP THEM MOVING OR KEEP THEM KEEP SOME TYPE OF INFORMANT.
BUT WE HAVE TO SPEND THE FUNDS BY DECEMBER 20TH, DECEMBER 30TH, 2020.
IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE THREE MONTHS TO GET THESE FUNDS EXECUTED.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO START MOVING THIS PROGRAM PRETTY FAST BUSINESS MUST BE IN GOOD STANDARD STATE, TEXAS FORT BEND COUNTY AND MISSOURI CITY AS A MARCH 1ST, 2020, WHICH IS THE TIME WHEN THE COBRA HIT.
SO ANYBODY AT TAX LIEN, UNPICK, TEXAS, THE BAR LICENSE REVOKED, ET CETERA, AT THAT TIME WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THESE FUNDS.
THEY HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE A LOSS OF REVENUE DUE TO COVID-19 AND THE BENCHMARK THAT HAS BEEN USED A LOT, AT LEAST IT'S BEEN 25%.
SOME OF IT WENT AS HIGH AS A 40% DECLINE YEAR OVER YEAR.
WE'RE LOOKING AT 25% DECLINE YEAR OVER YEAR AS TO SHOW IMPACT A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT BY COPING AND THE MAXIMUM PAYMENT, I THINK WAS GRETA.
PAUL WAS 5,000 MILES PER APPLICANT.
AND WITH THE FUNDING THAT YOU CAN HAVE, AND THERE'S A THOUSAND BITS OVER APPROXIMATE THOUSAND BUSINESSES.
ANY QUESTIONS, IF NOT, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT LOT PERSIAN SPILL.
WASN'T THERE A REVENUE TOTAL REVENUE LIMIT.
ALSO, THERE WAS A TOLL REVENUE LIMIT AND APOLLO FEEL.
I CAN'T, UH, THINK THE TOP LINE WAS 5 MILLION, IF I'M CORRECT.
I'LL HAVE THAT NOTE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S 5 MILLION AS A SMALL.
AND I GUESS I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, YEAH, GO AHEAD.
I JUST COULD SAY THAT'S FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE HIT THE S THE, THE TRULY SMALLER BUSINESSES AND THAT THAT'S NOT A CORPORATE, UH, THAT IS GETTING THAT IN TOP, ON TOP OF, CAUSE YOU'VE HEARD THAT IN THE NEWS ON SEVERAL ACCOUNTS.
SO, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED MOM AND POPS AND SMALLER OPS OR GAIN THOSE, CORRECT.
SO THOSE ALSO WITH 50 OR LESS EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS SMALL BUSINESSES, THIS JACQUELINE SAYS UNDER A $5 MILLION ANNUALLY, AND THEN THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ELIGIBLE EXPENSES.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, IT MUST BE EXPANDED ABOUT DECEMBER 3RD WITH PPE PAYROLL EXPENSES, WHICH IS ALSO, WE FOUND TO BE A BIG NEED, UH, FROM SMALL BUSINESSES TO HAVE SOMETHING WITH PAYROLL SYSTEM OF PAYROLL EXPENSES, UM, REOPENING SUPPLIES, UM, INVENTORY UTILITIES, REMOTE WORK EXPENSES, DEPENDING ON TYPE OF BUSINESS THAT YOU OPERATE IN LEASES AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE ALSO FOR THE BUSINESSES.
SO THESE ARE THE ELIGIBLE EXPENSES TO THE CARES ACT.
AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WE FIND THAT BUSINESSES TYPICALLY PARTICULARLY EITHER PPE OR PAYROLL EXPENSES OR SOME OF THE HIGHER, UM, UM, TARGETED AREAS THAT THEY WANT TO SPEND THESE FUNDS ON.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THOUGH, ALL THE BUSINESSES WILL HAVE TO HAVE DOCUMENTED EXPENSES AS A PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO PAY THE BUSINESSES, THE FUNDS OF PRODUCT SO THEY CAN PROVIDE FOR THESE EXPENSES AND KEEP DOCUMENTATION AND ALL RECEIPTS RELATED TO THE, ALL THE EXPENDITURES.
SO THEY CAN BE REPORTED BACK TO THE CITY AND PROPERLY FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
SO, AND THERE WOULD BE AN AUDIT CHECK ON THAT, YOU KNOW, POST DO SIMILAR 30TH, UH, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE MESSAGING WE HAVE ALSO TO ALL THE BUSINESSES THAT RECEIVE THESE FUNDS IS THAT DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, KEEP RECEIPTS, MAKE SURE IT'S AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE ONLY.
AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET REIMBURSED.
WHO CARES? I THINK SHE COUNTS MIGHT BE MY LAST LOT AND TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU.
AND UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. ROBINSON, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. ROBINSON? WE'LL WE'LL UH, COME BACK IN A SECOND.
SO OUR NEXT STEPS ARE, UH, TODAY WHAT WE'VE DONE IS, UH, WE'VE ALSO, AND WE, SOME OF THESE ITEMS HAVE DONE BECAUSE WE WENT OUT OF SEQUENCE.
WE HAD TO COME BACK TO A SPECIAL MEETING, BUT TONIGHT YOU WERE CONSIDERING A CONTRACT TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER, UH, TO MOVE
[01:10:01]
FORWARD WITH HARRIS COUNTY AGREEMENT.UM, ALSO YOU, YOU CONSIDERED IT TO AUTHORIZE HIM TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, NEGOTIATIONS, FOR AGREEMENT WITH THE GRANT, UH, MANAGEMENT OF THE PROGRAM.
WE JUST DISCUSSED WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TONIGHT.
UH, RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM YOU, UH, AND UPDATE OUR CURRENT EXPENSES AS WELL AS ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE BUDGET, UH, AND ASK FOR CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE APPROVAL OF AMENDED BUDGET TO EXPEND THEM THE FUNDS.
UH, SO WE CAN, UH, EXPEND THE FUNDS BEFORE THE, UH, GRANT RUNS OUT ON DECEMBER 30TH.
AND WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR EITHER ONE OF THE PRESENTERS TONIGHT? THIS IS MAYOR FORD.
UM, ONE I WANT TO MAKE SURE, UH, AND I'M SURE SPURGEON, YOU GUYS PROBABLY KNOW, CAUSE Y'ALL HAVE, UH, SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN MISSOURI CITY, BUT, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TARGETING MISSOURI CITY RESIDENTS, BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE MISSOURI CITY ADDRESSES AND WHO FALL UNDER OUR ZIP CODE AND THEY ARE NOT IN MISSOURI CITY PROPER, THEY WOULD BE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO THAT.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WOULD BE LEVELS OF PRIORITIES FOR THESE RESIDENTS, BUT, UM, I MEAN, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS KIND OF FAIR.
THE PANDEMIC DIDN'T DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANYBODY.
I'VE ALREADY HAD RESIDENTS CALLING ME, UM, MENTIONING US, YOU KNOW, QUALIFYING PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THEIR INCOME, UM, THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE OUT OF WORK OR WHATEVER.
UH, THEY MIGHT'VE MADE $80,000 A YEAR, BUT THEY STILL WERE BEHIND BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET PAID FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.
UM, SO THEY WERE AFFECTED BY THIS ALSO.
SO I JUST WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT INFORMATION AS WE'RE GOING OUT THERE.
I DO UNDERSTAND THAT ELDERLY, UM, CHILDREN, UH, DO NEED HELP.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS.
I'VE GOTTEN SEVERAL CALLS FROM RESIDENTS WHO THEY DIDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE THEY'RE DON'T, THEY DON'T FALL UNDER THAT INCOME, BUT THEY ARE STRUGGLING BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT PAID FOR SEVERAL MONTHS ALSO.
AND I THINK THAT, LIKE I SAID, THE CARES ACT HAS SOME FLEXIBILITY THERE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IF, YOU KNOW, ONE WAY IS WE'RE HOPEFULLY CAPTURING A LOT OF THE 80% LMI STAFF, A TEAM, I'M SORRY, RESIDENTS THROUGH THE FORT BEND COUNTY PROGRAM.
AND THAT WILL ALLOW MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE WHO HAVE, UM, A HIGHER INCOME LEVEL TO GET THERE.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALWAYS RAISE THE BAR AND IF IT'S NOT SET IN STONE, WHAT THE LIMITS SHOULD BE.
SO THE CITY HAS A DIFFERENT PRIORITY.
THEY WANT TO SET JUST SAYING, NOW IT'S THE TIME TO DO THAT BECAUSE THE PROGRAM NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD AND JUST SAY, JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU SPEND THE FONT BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND IF THE PRIORITIES SHOULD SHIFT, UH, SHOULD BE OPEN, SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO THOSE THAT ARE HIGHER INCOME, 150% LMI, ET CETERA, THOSE THINGS CAN BE DONE.
IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
I THINK THE CITY JUST NEEDS TO MAKE THAT DISTINCTION.
IT'S EASY FOR US AND MEANING THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY RESHIFT THE PRIORITY.
UM, BECAUSE ONE, ONCE THEY APPLY, WE'LL GET THE DOCUMENTATION WE NEED.
SO WHAT EVER STARTED TO SAY MANAGER RESPECTED THAT QUESTIONNAIRE? SO IF THE COUNCIL CHOOSES TO, THEY CAN ELIMINATE THE CAP ALL TOGETHER, CORRECT? YES.
WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE A WAY THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, IF WE HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE COVID IMPACT.
SO ARE WE ABLE TO GO BY, UM, IF SOMEONE CAN SHOW PROOF THAT THEY'RE BEHIND ON THEIR MORTGAGE? I MEAN, WHICHEVER ONE, THAT'S ONE WAY I ALWAYS LOOKED AT VERIFICATION OF INCOME LOSS, REALLY THE DRIVER, AND THEN SHOWING THAT THEY'RE LAID ON RED OR HAVE MISS RENT.
BUT, UM, I THINK IS, YOU KNOW, I JUST LOOK AT THINGS FROM AN AUDIT PERSPECTIVE WHEN YOU USE SOME PEOPLE COME BACK AND SAY, HOW DO YOU KNOW, DOES THAT JUST GET NEVER FADED RENT OR WHATEVER, RIGHT.
THAT TO DEFINE ME COMING BACK.
AND AS LONG AS WE CAN JUSTIFY THE INCOME IMPACT AND THE REASONING BEHIND YOU DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY ARE LAYING ON THEIR MORTGAGES OR THEIR RENT, THEY GO DO BOTH.
AND WHERE I SEE YOU MENTIONED, UM, OR I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS TAMIKA AND OF COURSE WE HAD SOMEONE SIGN
[01:15:01]
UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS IN REFERENCE TO PROVIDING, UH, FOOD SUPPORT.WHERE, WHERE ARE WE ON THAT? COULD YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT CAN BE DONE AND SOME PROGRAMS THAT YOU'VE SEEN, HOW THAT CAN BE DONE DEALING WITH FOOD SUPPORT, UM, COMES UP.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? I WANT TO MAKE SURE YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
SO WITH BOAT SUPPORT, UM, ONCE AGAIN, DEFINITELY I ALWAYS GO BACK TO JUST IN MY MIND, THE COBIT IMPACT.
SO THOSE PEOPLE ARE THAT HAVE LOSS OF INCOME.
ONCE AGAIN, THAT YOU WANT TO PROVIDE A FOOD PROGRAM FOR AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T DUPLICATE WHAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY BE DOING OR ANY OTHER ENTITY THAT WE, THE SERVICES, THERE'S ALWAYS WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN USE, NOT ONLY JUST FOOD BANK WITH SELF, YOUR OWN FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM, AND WE TARGETED THE NEIGHBORHOODS OR TARGETED ZIP CODES PER SE, THAT YOU KNOW, WHERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN MOST IMPACTED MAY BE, OR IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, EVEN JUST THROUGHOUT THE CITY, I WOULD SAY IT NEEDS TO BE JUST A COORDINATED, TARGETED EFFORT TO DISTRIBUTE FOOD TO THOSE HOUSEHOLDS AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE WITHIN YOUR CITY LIMITS.
THE CONCERN WITH THAT WAS THEY ARE NOT, OR WHAT THE YOUNG LADY MENTIONED TONIGHT.
UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY SITTING IN LONG LINES WITH THEIR TRUNK POPPED IS JUST REALLY NOT KIND OF OPTION.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KNOW THAT SHE HAD MENTIONED TO ME IS PROVIDING, UM, GIFT CARDS FROM GROCERY STORES WOULD BE AN OPTION.
UH, I WOULD HAVE TO CHECK ON THAT.
UM, I'M NOT SAYING NO YET, IF THAT'S SOMETHING SPECIFIC, LET ME CHECK THAT THAT'S AN OPTION.
YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WHO YOU'RE GIVING IT TO.
AND THEN THESE ARE THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT SCOBEY IMPACT, BUT DO YOU HAVE THE SAME ISSUE IF SOMEBODY THAT JUST DROVE THROUGH A RIDER LINE, RIGHT? YOU DON'T REMEMBER WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
YOU DO CHECK AN ADDRESS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEREVER YOU DISTRIBUTED, YOU'RE GIVING IT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE IN YOUR CITY.
AND SO I JUST NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY WORK.
I HADN'T SEEN THAT WORK YET, OR WHEREVER ANYONE ELSE HAD A MODEL LIKE THAT, THAT WORKED.
SO LET ME, LET ME SEE IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
AND I WILL SAY THIS, THAT I'VE DONE SEVERAL PPE AND, UH, FOOD DRIVES.
UM, AND YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T KNOW.
AND WE HAVE ASKED, AND THERE'S A MIXTURE OF PEOPLE WHEN SOMEONE, WHEN WE PROMOTE SOMETHING OUT, I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM EVERYWHERE.
WE HAVE MISSOURI CITY PEOPLE, BUT WE MAY BE GETTING PEOPLE FROM I E GALVESTON.
SO WE'RE STILL NOT REALLY SERVING OUR RESIDENTS.
SO IF YOU CAN LOOK INTO THAT AND JUST GET BACK TO US, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
YOU KNOW, I HADN'T SEEN A PROGRAM LIKE THAT.
I THINK SOME OF THE REASONS IS BECAUSE JUST TO MAKE HISTORY OF WHERE THEY SPEND THE MONEY ON A PER SE, BUT RIGHT.
WE HAVE THE SAME COMPLICATION WHERE IF YOU HAVE A FOOD LINE AND THEN PEOPLE CAN DRIVE UP FROM ANYWHERE, MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE PLAYING, THEY ARE DIFFERENT FAMILIES IN THE CAR.
AND TRY AND DO A ONE BAG AND THE EXTRA THREE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GIVE IT TO ONE HOUSEHOLD OF THREE, SO WE KNOW IT'S DOWN JUST WITH THAT, BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING, WE CAN DO IT, BUT I'LL LOOK IT UP FOR YOU TO SEE WHAT IMPACT OR HOW THAT CAN BE THROUGH A GIFT CHIEF.
THIS IS ANTHONY, HOW WE MET WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
DO WE KNOW WHAT THEIR STRATEGY IS THERE? I AM NOT MET WITH THEM.
UM, THE IMPACT GROUP IS DEALING WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE.
WE CAN FIND THAT OUT DIRECTLY.
AND I THINK WHEN SPURGEON LOOKED AT THE CARDS, WE'LL LOOK AT THE OTHER WAYS.
SO WE DON'T DUPLICATE IT WHEN WE BRING BACK A QUESTION AND YOUR QUESTION TO COUNCIL'S QUESTIONS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, FOOD, I MEAN, WHETHER IT'S A FOOD BANK OR CHILD LUNCHES AND BREAKFAST THAT ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED, THOSE ALL PART OF THOSE PROGRAMS, ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY.
I, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, THE, UH, UH, THE, UH, FUNDS ARE DISTRIBUTED TO, UH, TO MISSOURI CITY, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, GIFT CARD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, THE, UH, UH, THE PURCHASES THAT ARE MADE OFF OF THAT ARE TRULY, UH, UH, FOR, UH, FOR FOOD ITEMS, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING UTILIZED FOR THINGS OTHER THAN, UH, THAN, UH, ITS INTENDED USE.
[01:20:02]
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THE IDEA IS GOOD.I, I JUST, UH, I JUST, THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY MAYBE DO A, TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD IN, UH, UTILIZE WHAT, UH, THE MAYOR WAS SUGGESTING THERE.
SO, YEAH, I'M NOT DEFINITELY, I'M NOT SAYING NO, I I'M INTERESTED IN ALL THE THINGS YOU'VE MENTIONED.
I HADN'T SEE THAT IMPLEMENTED, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
SO, BUT I MAY HAVE BEEN MISSING SOMETHING, BUT LET ME, THAT'S NOT A BAD IDEA.
SO LET ME FIGURE OUT HOW THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED AND GET BACK TO YOU.
ANYONE ELSE, MARY, I'D JUST LIKE TO CLOSE, UH, WITH, UH, WITH A TIMELINE THAT WE'VE ATTENDED THE TIMELINE.
UM, WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING IS ONCE WE GET THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, THE CITY MANAGER, UH, SIGNS THAT A CONTRACT NEGOTIATES THE CONTRACT, UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO QUICKLY SPIN UP, UH, THESE PROGRAMS AND THERE'LL BE STAGED OUT, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME CRITICAL DEADLINES, OCTOBER ONE, NOVEMBER ONE, AND DECEMBER ONE BEING NORMALLY WHEN PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY THEIR RENT OR THEIR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE UTILITIES.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO MEET THOSE TIMELINES AND WE NEED TO BACK UP FROM THOSE DAYS TO SCREEN THE, THE APPLICATIONS FOR WHATEVER CRITERIA THAT THE, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, RECOMMENDS WITH THAT CRITERIA, VET, THOSE PEOPLE THEN ALSO VET THE BUSINESSES, EITHER THE MORTGAGE COMPANY OR THE, UH, THE, THE RENTAL COMPANY VET THOSE BUSINESSES, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE INFORMATION IN THE SYSTEM TO MOVE FORTH WITH PAYMENTS.
ALL MONIES FROM THE CARES ACT NEEDS TO BE SENT THROUGH THE COUNTY.
AND GIVEN THAT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW OTHER CITIES THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THIS SAME PROCESS AS OF ABOUT A WEEK AGO, THEY WERE IN A TWO WEEK MOVEMENT TOWARDS THE THREE WEEK TURNAROUND.
AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO TRY TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO RAMP UP OUR PROGRAM, UM, AND MAKE SURE THE MONEY WE CAN GET IT OUT PER YOUR GUIDELINES, AS WELL AS RECOUP THE MONEY BACK BEFORE THIS DECEMBER 30TH DEADLINE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW OUR TIMELINES AND HOW TIGHT EVERYTHING IS, UH, FOR THE RECOMMENDATION SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ONE LAST THING, UM, AIRPORT, UH, JUST ONE LUNCH, YOU KNOW, SO I LOOKED UP THAT FAIR MARKET, 80%.
SO FAR HOUSEHOLD OF FOUR IS $63,000 APPROXIMATELY.
SO ANYONE BELOW INCOME BE A PART OF THAT INITIAL POOL, EVERYONE ELSE WOULD BE A PART OF THE HIGH PRIORITY, BUT IF YOU WILL, IN ANY WAY ADJUST THAT THAT COULD BE ADJUSTED, BUT $63,000 APPROXIMATELY IS A HOUSEHOLD OF FOUR AS AN AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME AND 80% LMI ANYONE.
[2(d) Consider a report relating to the misuse of public, educational, and government (“PEG”) funds from the period of October 2018, through February 2019. (Proposed presenter: City Manager Odis Jones)]
ON TO AGENDA ITEM D CONSIDER, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, A SIDE ITEM HERE PLACED ON THE AGENDA AS I BEGAN THE PROCESS OF DOING INTERNAL CONTROLS AUDIT.UH, I PROMISED YOU THAT IF I WERE TO FIND ANY IMPROPRIETIES THAT BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION RIGHT AWAY, UH, WE, WE FOUND ONE AND ALSO TWO QUARTERS OF STATE LAW.
UH, I'M REQUIRED TO BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION AS WELL.
UH, THERE'S SOME EXPENDITURES HAS BEEN MADE IN A PEG FUNDS, UH, THAT DOES NOT ALIGN WITH A FEDERAL STATE, UH, STATUTE REQUIRES, UM, FEDERAL STATE STATUTE REQUIRES THAT PEG FUNDS BE SPENT, UH, FOR CAPITAL COSTS, UH, ONLY, UH, AND WE'VE HAD, UH, PEGGED DOLLARS TO BE SPENT, UH, FOR TRAVELING EXPENSES.
UH, THOSE FUNDS, UH, ARE NOT ALLOWED PER STATE AND FEDERAL LAW TO BE COMMINGLED.
UH, AND THUS, UH, I'M GOING TO BE COMING TO YOU ALL, UH, HERE IN, UH, OVER THE NEXT, PROBABLY THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, UH, WITH, UH, A, A REQUEST FOR A BUDGET AMENDMENT, UH, TO MOVE DOLLARS FROM THE GENERAL FUND BACK TO OUR PEG FUNDS, UH, TO ENSURE WE COME IN COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL LAW.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, AS REQUIRED, UH, FORWARDED THAT INFORMATION ON THE LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UH, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS INVESTIGATING THAT AS A CRIMINAL MATTER CRIME, A CRIME, UH, AND, UM, AND I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION CLOSELY WITH, UH, NOT ONLY YOUR CITY ATTORNEY, BUT ALSO OUR POLICE CHIEF.
UM, BUT I, I WAS, UM, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION, SHOW IT, YOU AWARE, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT THE, UH, INTERNAL
[01:25:01]
CONTROLS, ALL OF THIS MOVING FORWARD, IF WE SHOULD IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL DOLLARS, I'LL BRING THAT BACK TO YOU AT THAT TIME AS WELL.UM, BUT, UH, WITH THAT, I JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE AWARE OF THAT.
UH, AS I PROMISED YOU, I WOULD, AND ALSO AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW.
SO HOW, HOW MUCH AND TRAVELED TO WHERE, UH, SO THERE WAS, UH, SEVERAL, SEVERAL ITEMS, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ASKED NOT TO GO INTO MUCH DETAIL AS THERE'S A INVESTIGATION CURRENTLY GOING ON THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UH, SO I'M LIMITED TO GO INTO THE DETAIL, UH, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT IT'S APPROXIMATELY $20,000, BUT IDENTIFIED SO FAR, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE MAY BE MORE, UH, UH, BUT, UH, AS, AS THINGS CONTINUE TO BE EVALUATED, BUT AT THIS POINT, IT'S, UH, WE THINK, UH, UH, SO FAR WHAT I'VE SEEN IS UP TO $20,000.
WHEN, WHEN WILL WE BE ABLE TO GET MORE INFORMATION, UH, AS THE DETAILS THAT INVESTIGATIONS DEVOLVE, IT WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, SOME OF THESE TRAVEL EXPENSES, UH, INCLUDES HOTELS, UH, AND, UM, FLIGHTS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND, UH, I KNOW THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ARE GOING TO BE EVALUATING LOOKING AT THAT, AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION AS THEY SEE FIT.
SO I GUESS I SHOULDN'T KEEP ASKING YOU QUESTIONS IF I CAN'T GET ANY MORE INFORMATION.
UM, SO WE'LL, WE'LL THEY COME AND GIVE US A BRIEFING WHAT'S I MEAN, WHAT'S, YEAH, I THINK AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME I'M EXPECTING, UH, UH, THE PUBLIC INTEGRITY'S OFFICE, UH, TO, TO BE ABLE TO GIVE US A BRIEFING ON IT.
BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, I'M LIMITED WHAT I CAN SAY.
UH, I'VE JUST, UH, NOTIFIED HIM FOR PART A NOTICE, NOTICED HIM FOR PRIORITY.
AND I'M COMING TO YOU JUST TO SAY, HEY ONE, THERE IS ONE, TWO, WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION TO FIX IT.
UH, AND IN THIRDLY, WE'VE, WE'VE PASSED IT ALL ALONG TO THE FOLKS WHO WERE REQUIRED TO PASS THAT KIND OF THING ALONG TO, AND, AND, UH, WE'RE FOCUSING ON OUR INTERNAL CONTROLS ON, SO WE, WE WON'T KNOW WHO APPROVED THIS, WHO DID THE TRAVEL, WE WON'T KNOW ANY OF THAT UNTIL THEY COME BACK AND WHAT THEY ARE, THEY FINISHED THEIR INVESTIGATION.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I AGREE THAT THE MAIN THING IS THAT THE ITEM, UH, DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THE CITY MANAGER FOR, FOR FIXING THAT ISSUE.
UH, I, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KNOW, I DID SEND A PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT REQUEST TO THE CITY.
SECRETARY ASKED ME, BUT MAYBE WITH ALL FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS, DOCUMENTATION OF EXPENDITURES, JOURNAL ENTRIES, TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING THOSE TRAVELERS AND APPROVERS FOR ANY, AND ALL EXPENSES FOR TRAVEL, PAY AND PROCESS FROM THE PAY PHONE OR ANY OF THOSE THINGS RELATIVE TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FROM JANUARY, 2018 TO JULY, 2019.
CAUSE AS WE TALK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, I TRULY BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ACTUALLY SEE THESE DOCUMENTS, KNOW EXACTLY WHO SIGNED THESE DOCUMENTS AND WHAT THESE DOCUMENTS CAN CONTAIN.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO RECEIVING IT, TO REVIEW IT.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU ALL, UM, ALSO BE ABLE TO REVIEW IT AS WELL.
SO WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT THE CITY MANAGER IS SEEING AND REVIEW THAT, YOU KNOW, HE'S, HE, YOU KNOW, HE, HE DEEMS TO BE VERY NEFARIOUS.
IT'S BEEN REFERRED TO THE FORT BEND COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT IF THOSE THINGS ARE AS BAD AS HE STATES THEY ARE, UH, AND IF IT WARRANTS GOING TO THE DA WHEREVER SIGN, THESE DOCUMENTS DEFINITELY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
AND WE DEFINITELY NEED TO KNOW.
THIS WAS COUNSEL FROM AN EMORY, UH, QUESTION THAT I HAD, AND I'M NOT LOOKING FOR THE ANSWER NOW, MAYBE, UH, WE CAN GET THAT.
BUT, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT I GUESS THERE'S DIFFERENT LEVELS OF APPROVAL THAT A EXPENDITURE IS UP TO AND I'LL USE THE, UH, THE AMOUNT OF $10,000 CAN BE APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT, A MANAGER, AND THEN ANYTHING OVER THAT 15,000 BY THE, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
AND THEN I GUESS, ANYTHING OVER THAT, WHATEVER THOSE, THOSE PARAMETERS ARE, WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER'S APPROVAL.
DO WE, UH, DO WE HAVE THOSE, UH, UH, PARAMETERS? UH, WE, WE DO COUNSEL MY MRA AND I, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TURN, UH, AUDIT THAT WE HAVE ENGAGED, UH, IS DUE TO COME BACK.
UH, THE SECOND WEEK OF OCTOBER, I THINK THEY'LL PROVIDE SOME CLARITY AS WELL.
[01:30:01]
ALSO TO PROGRESS YOU CLARITY IN SOME RESPECTS, WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN YOU MENTIONED, UH, SO AND MAYOR AS WELL, BUT AT THIS POINT, UH, WHAT I'VE DONE IS, UM, IT WAS PROVIDED TO ME, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH NOT ONLY THE POLICE CHIEF, BUT ALSO TO, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY.AND THEN I DIRECTED THE STAFF TO GO AHEAD AND FORWARD THAT INFORMATION ALONG THAT WAS AS, AS IT WAS REQUESTED.
UH, AND, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING OUT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IS GOING TO GO DOWN A PATH AND DO WHAT THEY DO, BUT AS THE AUDIT COMES BACK, UH, WE'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION TO SHARE, UH, UH, WITH YOU, UH, WHEN IT'S COMPLETE.
AND, UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, ELENA'S ON THE LINE.
BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE EXPECTING THAT TO BE, UH, BACK TO US ROUND A SECOND WEEK OF OCTOBER.
WELL, THIS INVESTIGATION, OUR, OUR REVIEW THAT YOU'RE DOING, UH, ASCERTAIN WHETHER OR NOT THE, UH, UH, THE DISBURSEMENTS THAT WERE MADE THE CITY ACTUALLY RECEIVE, UH, THE SERVICES THAT WERE PAID FOR, AND THAT IT COULD, UH, IT'S, IT'S A MATTER OF IT BEING RE ER, MISCLASSIFIED AS PEG FUNDS, AS OPPOSED TO WHEREVER A TRAVEL AND ENTERTAINMENT, UH, MIGHT BE, UH, BE CLASSIFIED.
IS THAT GOING TO BE A PART OF YOUR INVESTIGATION? YEAH, I WOULD TELL YOU COUNSEL, MY MEMORY, THE FUNDS THAT I'VE SEEN SO FAR, THE INFORMATION I'VE SEEN IT'S IT WAS CLEARLY PAID DOLLARS, UH, THAT WAS USED FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, UM, WE WILL, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THE INTERNAL CONTROL AUDIT THAT'S BEING DONE, UH, WILL, WILL LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT, YOU KNOW, HOW EFFECTIVE OUR CONTROLS ARE, AND ALSO TO, UH, DIG A LITTLE BIT OR TO, YOU KNOW, HOW IT WAS SPENT AND THE PROCESS BY WHICH IT WAS SPENT.
AND THOSE THINGS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED IN EVERY REPORT THAT I DO GET, AND WE'LL, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LIKE, OR WE CAN MAKE THAT AVAILABLE.
UH, UH, AND, AND ALSO TO HAVE THE, UH, THE AUDITING FIRM PROVIDE A REPORT TO THE COUNSEL, YOU MANOR JONES, THIS IS ANTHONY.
UM, SO WHO'S THE SUBCONTRACTOR, THAT'S DOING A B BDO BDO.
AND THEN CAN YOU KIND OF WALK ME THROUGH HOW WE ENDED UP FINDING THIS PARTICULAR FINDING? WAS IT JUST SOMETHING THAT POPPED UP RIGHT AWAY IN THE AUDIT, OR WAS THERE A SPECIFIC REASON WHY WE WENT RIGHT AFTER THIS? UH, THANKS FRACKS AND NO, IT JUST, IT JUST KINDA ACTUALLY POPPED UP.
I MEAN, WE JUST START REVIEWING THE INITIAL SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS AND THIS PARTICULAR ITEM AS A PART OF THAT POPPED UP, THE QUESTION WAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS IT SPENT ON? AND, UH, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WENT FROM THERE.
IT'S, UH, IT JUST, IT JUST CLEAR FEDERAL STATE LAW SAYS, SHOULD BE SPENT FOR CAPITAL EXPENSES.
AND WHAT I WANT TO DO IS JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE MOVED THE DOLLARS TO FIX IT CAUSE WE NEED TO BE IN COMPLIANCE FOR FEDERAL LAW.
UH, SO I'M GOING TO ASK ALAINA TO MAKE SURE SHE COMES BACK TO YOU THE NEXT MEETING.
AND THEN AS THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, MORE DEFINED AND WE GET MORE INFORMATION, UH, WE'LL SHARE.
AND, UH, I THINK THE CITY ATTORNEY AND I BOTH TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT A CERTAIN POINT, WE PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION EXECUTIVE SESSION ABOUT IT, BUT I PROMISE Y'ALL THAT I LEARNT YOU IF HE SAW SOMETHING AND THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING TONIGHT.
I JUST FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THIS IS THEIR FIRST FINDING IN THE INTERNAL AUDIT.
SO I APPRECIATE THE RESPONSE ON THAT.
NOW I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, INTERNAL CONTROL AUDITS, SELF EVIDENT AS WE SPOKE BEFORE ABOUT, UH, OFTENTIMES, UH, WHAT FOLKS WILL DO IS ONCE THEY FIND IT AND PROPRIETY LIKE THIS OR SOMETHING THEY CAN TAKE, IF THEY WANT TO DIG DEEPER, YOU CAN, BUT THAT'S UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, TO, TO WANT TO DO, TO WANT TO DO THAT.
UM, I GUESS THAT IS KINDA MY CONCERN.
UH, I SPOKE WITH THIS, UH, OUR SPOKE WHEN I SPOKE TO WEAVER AND TIDWELL DURING THE ANNUAL AUDIT ON SOME OTHER ISSUES, UM, THEY MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THE ANNUAL AUDIT WOULD HAVE NEVER FOUND ANYTHING LIKE THIS OR THE ITEMS THAT I PROVIDED TO THEM.
[01:35:01]
IS HOW THOROUGH IS THIS INTERNAL AUDIT AND YOU KNOW, WHAT, HOW, HOW MANY MORE ISSUES DO WE HAVE LIKE THIS? OR IS THIS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES TO JUST POP UP, POP UP JUST BY, OKAY, WELL, WE WERE TAKING A LOOK AT THIS AND THEN IT POPPED UP.SO LIKE, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WE DEALING WITH HERE? MAYOR I'LL TELL YOU IS THAT ONCE WE GET INTO THE, UH, THE AUDIT, AS IT GOES ALONG, I'M GOING TO KEEP YOU IN A COUNCIL OF PRECEDENT, OTHER THINGS COME UP.
NOW, IF YOU WANT TO LOOK THOROUGHLY MORE DETAIL, AND OFTENTIMES WHAT FOLKS WILL DO IS ORDER A FORENSIC AUDIT.
UH, AND, AND THEN THE FORENSIC AUDIT WOULD COME IN AND, AND, UH, BE MORE TRANSACTIONAL, UH, AND, AND LOOK DEEPER.
UH, BUT THAT, THAT REQUIRES CITY COUNCIL ACTION TO DO THAT, UH, BECAUSE IT'S GOTTA BE MORE THAN $50,000 TO GET THAT DONE.
UM, BUT THE SCULPT AT WHICH, IN WHICH I'VE RELEASED A VIDEO ON IS LESS THAN 50.
AND IT'S A REALLY LOOKING AT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE POINT OF SALES, UH, UH, AND ALSO TO ALL OF THE DIFFERENT OTHER, UH, INTERNAL CONTROLS, UM, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING, UH, ORDERS AND TRANSACTIONS LIKE THAT.
UH, SO, UM, IF YOU WANT TO GO DEEPER, UH, I CAN GO DEEPER.
I JUST HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING SOMETHING, OR YOU GUYS TO CALL IT NOW THE MEETING TO, TO, TO AUTHORIZE IT.
UH, UM, THE CURRENT, UH, AUDITOR THAT WE DO HAVE LOOKING AT THIS, UH, HAVEN'T DONE ANY WORK FOR THE CITY.
SO THE GOOD THING IS THAT THEY'RE, UH, CLEARLY OBJECTIVE, UH, FROM A, YOU KNOW, FROM A VIEWPOINT.
UM, BUT, UH, WE CAN QUICKLY PIVOT, AUGMENT THEIR WORK AND HAVE THEM GO DEEPER INVESTMENTS.
YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE, SO WILL THEY COME BACK? SO ONCE THEY FINISH THIS INVESTIGATION, WILL THEY COME BACK WITH ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT THEY FIND OUT OF THIS, ON HOW, WHICH DIRECTION WE SHOULD MOVE? YES, MA'AM OKAY.
I'M JUST CURIOUS AGAIN, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'RE NOT PRIVY TO THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED OR IS BEING PROVIDED TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE VERSUS US HAVING THAT INFORMATION.
I'M JUST NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY WE'D HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER, AS OPPOSED TO US RECEIVING IT AND REVIEWING IT NOW, I'M, I'M A DEFER THAT TO THE ATTORNEY, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST, YOU SHOULD NOTE THAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT JUST ON TERMS OF LESS FIXED IT, UM, GET THE MONEY'S MOVED BACK, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST GET, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I GET REAL RELUCTANT TO TALK ABOUT STUFF WHEN FOLKS START SAYING IS UNDER, YOU KNOW, UH, AN INVESTIGATION.
UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, UH, HE, JOYCE, WE MADE, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, CERTAIN INFORMATION MAY BE ABLE TO BE PROVIDED IN A COUNSELING CALL SESSION.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE RIGHT VEHICLE TO GO OR, OR HOW YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH THAT, BUT, UH, I DEFER THAT I DEFER THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER OVER TO YOUR CITY ATTORNEY, BUT HOW WOULD DO THAT? SURE, GOOD EVENING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BONEY, YOU ASKED ABOUT WHETHER CERTAIN RECORDS COULD BE TURNED OVER TO A COUNCIL.
IT DEPENDS ON WHETHER, UM, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE CERTAIN INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
IT DEPENDS ON, UM, WHAT THOSE RECORDS ARE AND WHETHER THERE IS A NEED FOR CONFIDENTIALITY OF THOSE RECORDS.
UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE, I CAN CERTAINLY, UH, GET WITH THE CITY MANAGER TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE RECORDS ARE AND CONTACT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO FIND OUT WHETHER THEY'RE, UH, ARE, UH, WHETHER THEY HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS TO, TO TURN OVER THAT DOCUMENTATION.
AS YOU KNOW, GENERALLY ENTER THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.
IF THERE IS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION RECORDS ARE, UH, HELD CONFIDENTIAL DURING THE COURSE OF THAT INVESTIGATION, BUT AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO REACH OUT, UM, TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO FIND OUT, UH, WHAT THEY HAVE OR WHAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND WHAT THEY HAVE AND WHETHER THEY HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS WITH SHARING THAT INFORMATION.
ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS THE CITY MANAGER FROM
[01:40:01]
BDO CHOSEN.WAS THERE A SELECTED BASED OFF OF YOU SAID THAT THEY HAD NEVER DONE BUSINESS BEFORE THE CITY? SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UH, ATLANTA AND I PUT T WELL ATLANTA, UH, AND I WORK TOGETHER.
I WILL, UH, SAY THAT I, YOU KNOW, ATLANTA DID A REALLY GOOD JOB ON THIS STUFF, BUT, UH, SHE, UH, PUT TOGETHER, WE PUT TOGETHER AN EMBARRASSMENT.
UH, SHE TALKED TO, UH, UH, THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT FIRMS. UH, AND THEN WE GOT PROPOSALS FROM THERE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BASED OFF MY CONVERSATION WITH HER, WE JUST THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE THE APPROPRIATE ONE.
UH, I MEAN, THESE ARE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, SO WE'RE NOT REQUIRED TO DO AN RFP SO TO SPEAK, BUT, UH, IT WAS MORE JUST, UH, UH, ELENA AND I VERY WEIGHTY, UH, WHAT WE GOT AND, UM, WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE TRYING TO GET ACCOMPLISHED.
AND SO WE, WE KIND OF DECIDED TOGETHER, ATLANTA, FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN IF YOU WANT, BUT, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE, THAT'S HOW WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THEY'RE THE ONE TO DO IT.
SO THAT'S HOW IT WOULD THEN, UM, JUST, JUST AN ADDITIONAL COMMENT FROM ME AND I'LL REEMPHASIZE.
AGAIN, I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THIS IS THE FIRST FINDING IN THE INTERNAL AUDIT.
IT APPEARS, AND I HAVE A LOT MORE TO LEARN CAUSE WE DIDN'T GET A LOT OF DATA IN OUR PACKETS.
WE DIDN'T GET ANYTHING, BUT IT'S YOUR PEERS.
SOMEBODY TIPPED YOU TO THIS DIRECTION.
AND WHEN YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE A DEEPER LOOK, OF COURSE, YOU'D HAVE TO COME BACK TO US FOR MORE MONEY.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A TARGET.
AND, AND, AND WE'LL SEE, WE'LL SEE WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THIS IS.
APPRECIATE YOU, UH, WANTING TO MAKE THE MONEY RIGHT.
AND MOVING IT OVER TO THE RIGHT AREA.
BUT IT JUST, IT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT.
WELL, FOR SOME, I TIP ME OFF, I TELL YOU, UH, I THINK, UH, THIS WAS JUST A MATTER OF, UH, US HAVING A, YOU KNOW, PRELIMINARY VIEW, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, CAME UP AND, UH, CAME, CAME MY WAY.
AND I SAID, WELL, LOOK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO DO WHATEVER THAT THE LAW REQUIRES US TO DO WITH IT.
UH, WHAT CAME YOUR WAY? CAN YOU CLARIFY WHAT CAME YOUR WAY? I DIDN'T CATCH THAT.
WHAT CAME MY WAY WAS, UH, AZIZ EXPENSES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THAT WAS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL AND STATE LAW, UH, BY THE STAFF, BY THE STAFF.
THIS WAS COUNCILMAN EMORY, UH, AND IS FOR, I GUESS, REJOICE, UH, I SURE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE COULD, UH, UH, HAVE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT, UH, THE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE PROVIDED TO THE DA.
UH, SO THAT, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THOUGH, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND SECONDLY, THAT, UH, TO ENSURE THAT, UH, ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION BY THEM, THEY RECEIVE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, A SITUATION WHERE, UM, A DECISION IS MADE, UH, EITHER, YOU KNOW, PRO OR ARE AGAINST, UH, ANY KIND OF, UH, ACTION ON THEIR PART.
SO, UH, IF YOU COULD, UH, PURSUE THAT, I WOULD, UH, REALLY, UH, APPRECIATE FOLLOWING UP ON THAT.
UM, THIS IS MAYOR FORD, UM, MR. JONES, UM, IF WE CAN PUT SOMETHING IN, BECAUSE I APPRECIATE, UM, YOU BEING PROVIDED, I'M NOT SURE, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU GUYS GOT TO THIS POINT WITH STAFF PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION, BUT IF WE CAN PUT SOMETHING IN PLACE SO THAT IF STAFF IS AWARE OF STUFF THAT THEY CAN ADVISE US, CAUSE THAT'LL SAVE US A LOT OF MONEY, UM, THEN US HAVING TO GO PAY, AFFIRM TO GO DIGGING THROUGH STUFF.
SO IF THEY ARE AWARE, AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY ARE SCARED TO SAY SOMETHING BECAUSE THEY NEED THEIR JOBS.
UM, SO IF WE CAN PUT SOMETHING IN PLACE WHERE THEY CAN, I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW, ANONYMOUSLY PROVIDE US WITH INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED BECAUSE THAT COULD ESSENTIALLY SAVE US A LOT OF MONEY ON DOING ANOTHER AUDIT.
WELL, MARY, TO YOUR POINT, I, I DID, UH, UH, MANDY, UH, CPO JOB DESCRIPTION AND TO INCLUDE, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THESE KINDS OF, UH, ITEMS, UH, AND, UH, THE PERSON WHO HIRED FOR THAT, UH, UH, IS A, IS A POLICE OFFICER,
[01:45:01]
UH, AND HAS WORKED WITH, UH, WITHIN DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BEFORE.I KNOW THAT THAT PERSON IS ALSO, UH, UM, BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DA HERE, UH, AND HIS STAFF.
UH, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PURPOSE BEHIND THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF FOLKS HAVE A COMPLAINT THAT THEY JUST WANT TO KEEP CONFIDENTIAL, DON'T WANT TO SHARE FOR WHATEVER REASON.
UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE WEREN'T NECESSARILY COMFORTABLE WITH GOING TO THEIR BOSSES BOSS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEY JUST WANT TO SEE SOME INFORMATION, THEY WANT TO SHARE CONCERNS.
THEY NEED TO HAVE A VEHICLE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS THE VEHICLE FOR THAT.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, ONCE THE STAFF IDENTIFIED THE ISSUE AND IT CAME TO ME, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE GOT MORE FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE HAVE A FIXING, CAUSE WE GOTTA BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH LAW.
SO, UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO Y'ALL WITH, UM, WITH A MEASURE SO THAT WE CAN MOVE MONEY FROM THE GENERAL FI UH, OVER TO THE PAC FUND, BECAUSE, UH, IN LOOKING AT THE INFORMATION THAT I'VE SEEN, THEY'RE SAYING THEY TEND TO BE MORE EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH GENERAL FUND EXPENSES AND NOT ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, UH, CLEARLY NOT ASSOCIATED WITH PAGE PACK EXPENSES AT ALL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
I MEAN, IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, I KNOW YOU'RE NEW TO CITY MANAGER, BUT ISSUES LIKE THIS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED THROUGH, THROUGH COMMITTEES, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
I KNOW, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL, WOMAN STERLING AND COUNCIL WOMAN, UH, EDWARDS AND COUNCILMAN PRESTON ON THAT COMMITTEE.
AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THEIR THOUGHTS IF, IF AT ALL, I MEAN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SIT IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS COMPANY TO YOU ALL'S COMMITTEE.
WELL, I WOULD, I WOULD TELL YOU, COUNSELOR AND BUDDY, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE CHIEF LOOKED ME IN THE EYE AND SAID, UH, CITY MANAGER, A FELLOW STATE LAW REQUIRES YOU TO REPORT FELONIES.
WHEN YOU SEE THEM, YOU NEED TO REPORT THIS TO YOUR COUNCIL AND WE NEED TO DO OUR JOB AS LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUE AT HAND WITH THE DOCUMENTATION AND THE FACT THAT THIS DOCUMENTATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED.
I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SINCE, I MEAN, I'M JUST, I'M JUST BAFFLED BY WHY COUNCIL AS A WHOLE HAS NOT SEEN THE ALLEGED DOCUMENTATION.
I JUST THINK IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT ME AS A INDIVIDUAL WHO REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED ME, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE IN THE DARK ABOUT, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S TALKING ABOUT POTENTIAL, POTENTIAL OR ALLEGED ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE I HAVE A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THAT INFORMATION.
I'M JUST BEING LED BY A CITY ATTORNEY.
THAT'S ALSO, IF WE WANT TO HAVE A EXECUTIVE SESSION AT THE NEXT MEETING TO DO THAT, IF SHE FEELS THAT'S APPROPRIATE AFTER HAVING HER CONVERSATIONS, I'M FINE.
I JUST, YOU KNOW, I TOTALLY GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THOUGH.
I JUST TRYING TO, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE I SHOW DIFFERENCE TO, TO WHAT'S REQUIRED FOR ME IN THIS, AND I'M GONNA BE LED BY WHATEVER ATTORNEYS AND LEGAL FOLKS SAY ABOUT ALL THAT.
AND THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBER PRESTON.
UM, IF I MAY, I WANT TO REMAIN UNBIASED.
I'M HEARING THIS THE FIRST TIME THIS EVENING.
UM, I'M ALSO HEARING WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S, UM, PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION IS.
AND SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FORTHCOMING INFORMATION, A REPORT OR SOMETHING THAT I CAN READ, UM, AND, AND GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE MOMENT.
I DO WANT TO FOLLOW THE CITY'S THE CITY ATTORNEY'S RECOMMENDATION.
UM, BUT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO BE QUICK, RIGHT.
TO, UM, CAST ANY KIND OF JUDGMENT.
I WANT TO REMAIN AS UNBIASED AS POSSIBLE UNTIL I GET MORE INFORMATION, UM, WHERE I CAN FORMULATE A HONEST AND SINCERE, UM, TAKE ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND IF I MAY, I HAVE NOT SEEN THE RECORDS THAT WERE PROVIDED TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AGAIN, I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THEM TO FIND OUT IF THEY'RE WILLING TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION, WHAT THOSE RECORDS ARE TO FIND OUT IF THAT CAN BE PROVIDED TO YOU ALL.
IT'S JUST, UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHEN THERE IS A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, THOSE RECORDS
[01:50:01]
GENERALLY ARE NOT PROVIDED, UM, FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC INFORMATION.HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, I WILL CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO FIND OUT IF THEY'RE WILLING TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION AND TO, THEY MIGHT NOT BE, BUT I'LL, I'LL COME BACK WITH THAT FOR YOU.
YOU JOYCE, THIS IS ANTHONY, SO IT'S NOT STANDARD TO EVEN PROVIDE IT TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, I HAVEN'T ALL I CAN SPEAK TO IS MY EXPERIENCE AT THE CITY.
I HAVEN'T SEEN, UH, ANY INFORMATION THAT HAS GONE TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BEFORE IT'S GONE THERE.
AND THAT COULD BE, UM, IN ORDER FOR THEM TO, YOU KNOW, PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF THEIR INVESTIGATION, THEY MIGHT NOT SHARE IT.
UH, BUT AGAIN, I'M, I'M WILLING TO, I WILL MAKE THAT CALL AND FIND OUT IF THEY ARE WILLING TO SHARE IT.
SO ALL WE CAN DO IS ASK, THIS IS COUNCILMAN.
I HAD SOME TECHNICAL, DEFINITELY DIFFICULTIES, BUT, UM, I DO WANT TO THANK THANK CITY MANAGER DOWNS FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION IS UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE TRUE PEOPLE THAT ARE AFFECTED ARE THE TAXPAYERS.
UM, I FIND IT VERY CONCERNING THAT THE ONLY CONCERN THAT I'M HEARING SO FAR IS THAT WHY IS THIS THE FIRST THING THAT'S BEING BROUGHT UP IN THE INVESTIGATION? I'M SORRY, IN THE ETERNAL, UM, AUDIT.
AND THAT IS CONCERNED BECAUSE WE'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT ACTUAL THE, UM, THE MISMANAGEMENT OF FUNDS, BUT THE FACT THAT IT'S THE FIRST ITEM BEING BROUGHT UP, CONTINUE TO BE FOCUSED ON WHO ARE WE SERVING AND THAT'S THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING MORE INFORMATION AND REMAINING ON BY UNTIL ALL THE INFORMATION IS BROUGHT FORTH.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARDS.
AND IF I MAY, I DO APPRECIATE 20 GRAND IS A LOT, AND I DO APPRECIATE HOW WE'RE GOING AFTER IT, AND THAT WE'RE PUTTING IT IN THE RIGHT BUCKET, BUT LET'S NOT FORGET.
LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT A TAG, THE COST OF THE CITIZENS, $70,000 ON AN LED PROJECT.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS, LET'S THINK ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
I'M SORRY IF YOU ARE OFFENDED, BUT AGAIN, I'M HERE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE NOT TO WATCH AND STEP OVER PEOPLE FEELING BETTER ON COUNCIL CLEAR.
I TOTALLY, AND I'M THE ONE WHO'S, I GUESS, BEEN THE LOUDEST IN THE ROOM HERE FOR THE MOST PART, SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS, THAT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAS OCCURRED.
AND NOT ONLY THAT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE KEY INFORMATION THAT IS BASICALLY INFORMATION THAT IS THE CITIES, THE CITY STAFF, THE CITY INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN SIGNED DOCUMENTATION.
AND SO WHETHER IT'S GONE TO THE CITY, UH, WHETHER IT'S GONE TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OR NOT, I FEEL LIKE WE ALL, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS RESERVE HAVE THE RIGHT TO, TO REVIEW THAT INFORMATION AND SEE THAT INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON.
CAUSE WHO KNOWS, YOU KNOW, IF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT, IF THEY'RE STILL EMPLOYED WITH THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, OR IF THERE'S MORE, IF THERE ARE ISSUES THAT ARE OUT THERE, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO EXACTLY.
WE NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE DON'T NEED TO BE PUTTING OURSELVES IN HARM'S WAY AND I DON'T WANT TO BE LEFT IN THE DARK.
I JUST, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
SO NO, A COUNCIL WOMAN, ERIN WAS, I, I TOTALLY, I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, ANY OF THE THINGS THAT YOU AFTER FOR MENTIONED, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE TAXPAYER DALLAS AS WELL.
AND I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT DOING MY JOB AS REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE.
AND I CAN'T DO THAT IF I'M LEFT IN THE DARK AND I'M NOT GETTING KEY INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY CITY.
WELL, I AGREE WITH YOU, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PAWNEE, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT CITY MANAGER JONES IS TRYING TO HIDE ANY INFORMATION AS STATED BY OUR CITY ATTORNEY THAT THIS IS INFORMATION THAT'S BEING HANDLED BY THE DA.
AND IF THAT INFORMATION IS GOING TO BE PROVIDED, THEY WILL PROVIDE IT TO US ONCE THEY ARE POTENTIALLY CONCLUDED.
BUT AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, WHY WOULD THEY GIVE US INFORMATION? AND ME INCLUDED IF IT'S GOING TO TAINT THE INVESTIGATION.
SO LET'S JUST ALLOW THEM TO DO THEIR JOB AND, YOU KNOW, IF THEY CAN PROVIDE US INFORMATION ON, BUT I BELIEVE THAT DA HOLDS THEMSELVES AT A HIGHER STANDARD AND THEY WON'T POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, TAINT THE INVESTIGATION JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, GIVING INFORMATION, RIGHT.
WELL, I'M, I'M GLAD YOU HAD THAT MUCH CONFIDENCE IN THE CITY MANAGER AND, AND WHATNOT, BUT THIS IS NOT ABOUT MY CONFIDENCE IN THE CITY MANAGER.
IT'S ABOUT THE FACT THAT I'VE NOT RECEIVED KEY INFORMATION.
THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO A DISTRICT ATTORNEY RELEVANT
[01:55:01]
TO THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY.AND SO, YES, I HOLD MYSELF TO A HIGH STANDARD ETHICALLY AS IT RELATES TO MY GOVERNANCE OF MISSOURI CITY AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL HERE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE TO, TO NOT BE IN THE DARK ABOUT SOMETHING AS SERIOUS AS WHAT'S BEING, UH, YOU KNOW, ALLEGED.
SO I JUST, I JUST, I MEAN, I'M, I, I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER TO SAY ON IT, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY, THIS IS VERY DISTURBING TO ME.
THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBER PRESTON.
UM, I THINK EVERYONE IS MAKING SOME VALUABLE POINTS, EACH CHOICE, IF YOU DON'T MIND, CAN YOU PLEASE, UM, CLEARLY STATE, UM, IF WE ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH HOW WE SHOULD BE MOVING FORWARD RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, IS IT, UM, EUROPEAN, UM, PROPER THING FOR US TO DO, TO WAIT FOR THE DA TO CONCLUDE YOUR INVESTIGATION? ARE WE, WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON ALL OF THIS? I HAVE NOT SEEN THE ACTUAL RECORDS THAT WERE PROVIDED TO THE DA.
THEREFORE I CANNOT PROVIDE, UM, A SPECIFIC OPINION ON THOSE RECORDS.
WHAT I CAN DO IS, UH, AND WE'LL DO WITH CONTACT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO FIND OUT IF THEY CAN SHARE WHATEVER THEY'VE RECEIVED.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE RECORDS, YOU KNOW, I, OF COURSE I HAVE A GENERAL IDEA AS TO WHAT THEY INCLUDE, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT SPECIFIC RECORDS WERE PROVIDED.
SO, UH, WHAT I CAN DO IS CONTACT THEM AND FIND OUT WHAT THEIR PARAMETERS ARE.
THEY MIGHT SAY THAT THERE'S NO PROBLEM WITH RELEASING IT TO THE GOVERNING BODY PROVIDED THAT IT'S KEPT CONFIDENTIAL, BUT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT AT THIS POINT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE RECORDS ARE.
I HAVEN'T BEEN IN TOUCH WITH ANYONE IN THAT OFFICE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR YOU ALL TO, UH, ESSENTIALLY, UH, PERHAPS PLACE THIS ON A FEATURE AGENDA AND GIVE US TIME TO CONTACT THAT OFFICE, TO FIND OUT WHERE THEY ARE SO THAT YOU ALL CAN BE PROVIDED WITH THAT INFORMATION.
THANK YOU ALSO TO COUNCIL A MAYOR, UH, BUT I'D SAY YOU AS A, UH, UH, CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND YOUR DESIRE TO WANT TO SEE THIS.
UH, AGAIN, I, I'M HAPPY TO TURN WHATEVER OVER, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING THAT WOULD, UH, A PAIR OF INVESTIGATION AND VIOLATE THE LAW MYSELF.
SO THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN, UH, RELIGIOUS GUIDED BY, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE LAWYERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT, UH, AND, AND REALLY FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT WE JUST COME AND COMPLIANCE FOR FEDERAL LAW AND, AND, AND MOVE THE DOLLARS.
UH, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH YOU ABOUT IT, ANTHONY, ONE MORE QUESTION, IF THIS IS SO CRITICAL, IF THIS IS SO TOP SECRET, THEN WHY ARE WE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION IN PUBLIC? WHY WOULDN'T WE HAVE DONE THIS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? UH, THIS IS SAY MANAGER JOBS, BECAUSE I SPOKE WITH A JOYCE ABOUT THIS, UH, C ATTORNEY.
AND ALL I'M DOING IS JUST NOTIFYING YOU.
UH, AND I'M REQUIRED AS A CITY MANAGER AS AN OFFICER OF CITY TO NOTIFY YOU OF THESE CAMP PRIORITIES.
UH, WE DIDN'T THINK THAT AT LEAST IN TALKING TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, WE DIDN'T THINK THAT THAT WAS NECESSARILY HAD TO BE DONE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT IF THERE'S GOING TO BE INFORMATION SHARING THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT, UH, WE WOULD DO THAT.
SO, UH, I WOULD TELL YOU, THAT'S THE REASON WHY IT'S GOTTEN PLACED ON THE AGENDA THE WAY IT DID.
IT WAS BASED OFF A COLLABORATIVE CONVERSATION, UH, WITH, UH, WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY.
I ACTUALLY ASKED THE CITY ATTORNEY ON THAT QUESTION.
WELL, I HEAR YOU, BUT I, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GIVEN IMPRESSION AS IF I'M I, AND SO I WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR THAT, UM, THAT I'M JUST DOING WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY AND ALSO TO, UH, WITH THE OTHER FOLKS ARE ASKING ME TO DO.
I'M REALLY TRYING TO JUST GIVE YOU WHAT I CAN AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS THING FIXED.
AND I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
NO, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT HIDING ANYTHING.
IF YOU WERE, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE PUT IT OUT HERE, YOU'VE DONE IT DIFFERENTLY.
BUT THE QUESTION IS, IF IT'S SO PRIVATE THAT EVEN COUNSEL CAN'T HAVE, THEN WHEN WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN GIVEN ANY INFORMATION.
UM, THE TOPIC, THE DISCUSSION, EVERYTHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HAS BEEN NOW AS OUT IN THE PUBLIC, RIGHT? SO THAT'S MY, IF WE CAN'T EVEN GET THE DATA, THEN WHY ARE WE EVEN TALKING ABOUT IT? WHY WOULDN'T WE HAVE AN
[02:00:01]
EXECUTIVE SESSION AND SAY, HEY, HERE'S A TIP.WE WERE WORKING ON SOMETHING WE FOUND IN THE INTERNAL AUDIT AND WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU INSTEAD OF IT'S IN THE PUBLIC.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE EITHER WAY, IF, IF SPECIFIC INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED.
I THINK THAT WE DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE ASKED TO HAVE IT MOVED TO THE BACK.
UH, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN EITHER WAY.
THIS WAS COUNCILMAN EMORY, YOUNG CITY MANAGER JONES.
YOU CHARACTERIZE THIS, I THINK A LITTLE BIT EARLIER AS, AS EITHER A FELONY OR A POTENTIAL FELONY.
AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, UH, AND MAYBE I'M ASKING FOR YOUR OPINION, BUT NOW THE RESULTS OF THIS, UH, THESE FUNDS COMING OUT OF PAIN, COULD THAT HAVE BEEN A, JUST A MISCODING ERROR, UH, WHEN THE, UH, THIS PERSON'S READY TO BE PAID? WELL, LET ME, LET ME MAKE SURE I MAKE IT CLEAR AND I'LL, I CHARACTERIZE IT AS A IMPROPRIETY, NOT ONLY IN MY LETTERS, BUT YOU USE THE WORD A FELONY JUST A MINUTE AGO.
WHAT I, WHAT I SAID WAS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS EVALUATING WHETHER OR NOT, UH, THAT THAT WOULD BE THE CASE.
NO, I CHARACTERIZE THE IMPROPRIETY THAT I NEEDED TO REPORT TO YOU, UH, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE, UH, COME INTO COMPLIANCE FOR FEDERAL LAW TO REMOVE MONEY BACK INTO THAT PEG.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I TOTALLY AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTA BE IN CONFORMANCE.
I JUST DON'T WANT IT TO BE, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
WAS IT FAIRLY OR NOT? THAT'S NOT MY JOB TO DETERMINE THAT THAT'S THE JOB OF LAW ENFORCEMENT DETERMINE THAT WHAT I KNOW IS THAT IT'S AN INFER PARTY.
UH, WE CLEARLY HAVE FUNDS THAT'S BEEN SPENT.
THAT'S NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATUTE.
AND, UH, WHAT I WANT TO DO IS MAKE SURE WE FIX IT SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ON TO CONDUCT BUSINESS AND LET LAW ENFORCEMENT DO THEIR JOB.
THAT'S I AGREE WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS THING, RIGHT.
BUT AGAIN, I JUST DON'T WANT THE PERCEPTION.
WHAT YOU DID HEAR ME SAY THOUGH, IS THAT, UH, I WAS INFORMED BY MY POLICE CHIEF, THAT I, I HAVE A DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY, UH, THAT IF I DID NOT BRING THESE ISSUES TO YOU, THAT I COULD, UH, BE IN LEGAL CHARITY MYSELF.
SO I'M NOT QUESTIONING THAT YOU FOLLOWED THE, UH, UH, THE PROCEDURE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IS, IS APPROPRIATE.
UH, I, I, I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, THE BASICS IN THE BACKGROUND, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD JUST AS EASILY BE A MISCODING GOING INTO THE AGAINST PEG RESERVES, AS OPPOSED TO GOING IN NORMAL DISBURSEMENTS ON THE GENERAL FUND.
I DOUBT THAT I THINK, UH, LENO, WELL, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE INVESTIGATION WITH DETAIL, I DON'T KNOW.
UH, AND I'M NOT GOING DOWN THAT PATH.
I'M MORE INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT WE GET THE MONEY MOVED BACK INTO THE FUCK.
SO WE COME INTO THE CLIENTS, LET THEM DO ALL THE OTHER STUFF THEY DO, AND I'M IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH THAT.
[2(e) Discuss a proposed ordinance relating to the use of City resources by councilmembers. (Proposed presenter: City Attorney E. Joyce Iyamu)]
MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM E DISCUSS A PROPOSED ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE USE OF CITY RESOURCES BY COUNCIL MEMBERS.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
THIS ITEM WAS REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PHONY AT, UH, THE JULY SIX 2020 MEETING.
THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE PROVIDES A PROHIBITION ON COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM GRANTING OR INFLUENCE INFLUENCING THE GRANTING OF SPECIAL CONSIDERATION OR FAVOR TO INDIVIDUALS WHEN ACTING IN THEIR OFFICIAL CAPACITIES.
IT ALSO PROHIBITS COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM UTILIZING CITY RESOURCES, AND IT ESTABLISHES AN ETHICS COMMISSION TO REVIEW COMPLAINTS, AGAIN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND JUST, UM, POINT OF CLARIFICATION, JUST TO LET YOU ALL KNOW, IT ESTABLISHES AN ETHICS COMMISSION THAT REFERS, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO COUNCIL, SUCH AS A LETTER OF REPRIMAND AND OTHER ITEMS. IF A FINDING IS MADE AGAINST THE COUNCIL MEMBER, THERE ARE DIFFERENT CITIES THAT PROVIDE
[02:05:01]
DIFFERENT MECHANISMS WHERE THEIR ETHICS COMMISSION, THIS IS A DRAFT THAT'S BEING THAT WAS REQUESTED THAT'S BEING PRESENTED.SO, UM, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE REQUESTING COUNCIL MEMBER FOR ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON IT, BUT JUST TO LET YOU ALL KNOW DIFFERENT CITIES DO IT OR DIFFERENT CITIES PROVIDE THIS PROCESS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO THERE'S ROOM FOR, UH, CERTAINLY ROOM FOR CHANGES.
SO, UH, MARIN COUNCIL, UH, MY PRIMARY REASON FOR, UH, THIS ORDINANCE IS TO MAKE SURE I KNOW LAST TIME WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE USE OF CITY RESOURCES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE KIND OF HAVING A BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ACCOUNTABILITY AND WHAT CONSTITUTES, UH, YOU KNOW, THE USE OF CITY RESOURCES AND WHAT DOES NOT, UH, AND NOT.
AND ANOTHER THING THAT I FELT WAS IMPORTANT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THE PEOPLE WHO MUST HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE, THE TAXPAYERS AND THE VOTERS, UH, THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT IN LOOKING AT VARIOUS OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, NOT ONLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT OF COURSE IN OUR REGION, UH, AN ETHICS COMMISSION HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN MANY OF THOSE AREAS.
UH, AND ALSO I REACHED OUT TO THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OF WHICH REMEMBER, AND, UH, IT HAD, UH, THE TEXAS MISBELIEF, UH, REACHED OUT TO AND RESPONDED.
AND, UH, I ASKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TYPES OF, UH, UH, OF, UH, THINGS THAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ACCOUNTABILITY, THERE'S FAIRNESS, ET CETERA.
AND, UH, WHAT I, WHAT I WAS, UH, INSTRUCTED AND TOLD WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, NORMALLY THESE INDIVIDUALS, AS YOU'LL SEE IN THE ORDINANCE, UH, OR CITIZENS OF MISSOURI CITY AND THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE WOULD, UM, ALLOW CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR, UH, TO APPOINT, UH, THROUGH THE SAME PROCESSES THAT WE USE FOR THE PLANNING AND ZONING, UH, FOR ALL OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, SUCH AS THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION, SUCH AS THE PARKS BOARD, ET CETERA.
UH, AND OF COURSE WITH THE FINDINGS FROM THAT PARTICULAR, UM, UH, UH, RESEARCH THEY'LL BE ABLE TO REFER THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL WHERE WE WILL MAKE FINAL APPROVAL.
AND SO I FELT LIKE THIS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT ELECT US THE OFFICE HAVE A SAY, AND A VOICE IN HOW WE GOVERN.
AND, UH, AND ALSO TO BE ABLE TO LOOK INTO THE MATTERS THAT MAY BE CONTROVERSIAL OR MAY, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ALLOW US TO, UH, HAVE AN OUTSIDE ENTITY LOOK AT IT.
AND OF COURSE THEY WOULD BE WORKING WITH SPECIAL COUNSEL, UM, THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO TRULY ASSESS OVERALL SITUATIONS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO US.
AND AS FAR AS THE KEY DETAILS OF THE ORDINANCE, I'M SURE IT CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MAY HAVE.
I THINK THAT I'M, I'M VERY OPEN TO, CAUSE RIGHT NOW, THIS ORDINANCE ONLY APPLIES TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT IF COUNCIL OR MAYOR WOULD BE OPEN TO INCLUDING APPOINTED OFFICIALS AND, OR THE, UH, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, I'M OPEN TO INCLUDING THAT AS WELL AS AN AMENDMENT.
UM, UM, MR. JONES, DID WE JUST NOT BRING ON SOMEONE WHO HANDLES ETHICS AND, UH, YES, MA'AM CURRENTLY THEY'RE, UH, ENGAGED IN HANDLING, UH, ETHICS ISSUES AND WHAT, UH, WHAT THE PERSON DOES IS HE COORDINATES WITH THE INTEGRITY OFFICE OVER TO DA'S OFFICE.
UH, AND ALSO TO, WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY ON ITEMS THAT'S BROUGHT TO THEM, UH, THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL ITEMS, SOME OF WHICH HAS BEEN ABROAD, UH, FROM CITY EMPLOYEES, UH, AND ALSO TO, UH, WE'VE HAD, UH, A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT'S PRETTY BROAD FROM JUST A MEMBER OF THE PUBLICAN.
AND I BELIEVE WE'VE HAD A COUPLE ITEMS THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT BY ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO THE WAY THAT THAT GOES IS HE'S BEEN PROCESSING THOSE, UM, BASED OFF OF BOTH REVIEW FROM NOT ONLY, UM, THE PUBLIC INTEGRITY'S OFFICE, BUT ALSO TO ON OTHER MATTERS, UH, THROUGH, UH, THROUGH CITY ATTORNEY.
AND THIS, IF I READ IT CORRECTLY, UM, THIS COMMISSION WOULD HAVE AN OUTSIDE, I GUESS, ATTORNEY WHO WOULD INVESTIGATE THIS STUFF, CORRECT? YES MA'AM BUT, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, DIFFERENT CITIES, DO IT DIFFERENT WAYS, DO IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
[02:10:01]
YOU ALL COULD CERTAINLY CHANGE THAT IF YOU'D LIKE IT TO BE HANDLED DIFFERENTLY, BUT YES, MA'AM WHO WOULD PAY FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL.IT WOULD BE THE CITY, BUT SOME CITIES, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK SUGAR LAND SIMPLY HAS THEIR CITY ATTORNEY REVIEW IT.
UM, BUT LIKE, I THINK CITY OF BAYTOWN HAS THE INVESTIGATING AN OUTSIDE PERSON KIND OF STAND ALONE WHO WAS JUST ESSENTIALLY ON CALL, SERVE THE ETHICS COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE.
IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOU ALL'S PREFERENCE.
I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY UP TO YOU ALL AND ALL THE, I GUESS, ALL THE COMPLAINTS OR FINDINGS ULTIMATELY END UP BACK TO CASTLE FOR CASTLE TO MAKE A DECISION, CORRECT? YES.
THEY WOULD ALL END UP BACK WITH THE KID COUNCIL.
MY QUESTION IS, SINCE YOU PROPOSED THAT WE WILL SEEK OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
IF THIS COMMISSION WAS ESTABLISHED, DO YOU HAVE LIKE A ROUGH ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH THIS WILL COST TO RETAIN THIS COUNCIL? IS THAT A QUESTION OF ME? OR IS THAT A QUESTION OF E-JUICE? NO, SIR.
YOU'RE NOT THEIR ATTORNEY EITHER.
WAS I JUST, I DIDN'T KNOW WHO YOU, YOU SAID SINCE YOU'RE THE ONE THAT PROPOSED IT.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE TALKING TO ME, THAT'S WHY THAT'S FOR EACH COUNCIL MEMBER, BONNIE, YOU, THIS IS JUST A PROPOSAL, UM, THAT WAS BASED ON WHAT SOME OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE.
UM, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE OUTSIDE, COUNSEL CAN RANGE IN PRICE FROM ABOUT $175 AN HOUR TO ABOUT $350 AN HOUR.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST A PROPOSAL, IF YOU WOULD LIKE A DIFFERENT MECHANISM BY WHICH COMPLAINTS CAN BE INVESTIGATED THAT, I MEAN, THIS IS, AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A PROPOSAL BASED ON WHAT WAS REQUESTED.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT THIS CAN BE CHANGED AND AMENDED AS YOU WILL SEE.
I JUST WANT TO CLARITY BECAUSE IF I'M AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEREVER THE COUNCIL, UM, WHATEVER THE LEGAL AID OR WHOEVER'S GOING TO BE OVERSEEING THE COMMITTEE, AS FAR AS THEIR ATTORNEY GOES, THE OVERALL DECISION WAS GOING TO HAVE TO COME TO COUNCIL.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF CONCERNED IF WE'LL JUST BE SPINNING THE WHEELS GOING IN CIRCLES WHEN WE'LL STILL HAVE TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE OF WHATEVER THE COMPLAINT IS.
AND WE'LL BE SPENDING THAT LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY ON SEVERAL COMPLAINTS THAT MIGHT ARISE OVER THE WHOLE TERM OF OUR TENURE BEING IN COUNCIL.
AND, UH, IF I MAY COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARDS IN SOME CITIES ACTUALLY ALLOW THE ETHICS COMMISSION TO MAKE INDEPENDENT DECISIONS THAT DO NOT GO BACK TO COUNCIL.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S JUST, IT DEPENDS ON, UM, UL'S APPETITE FOR THAT SORT OF INVOLVEMENT WITH, UH, ANOTHER, UM, COMMISSION.
YEAH, THIS IS COUNCILMAN EMORY.
I'M MOSTLY OPINION THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN ETHICS COMMISSION THAT THIS SHOULD BE, UM, UH, STAFFED BY, UH, OUTSIDE, UH, CITIZENS ARE, UH, SOMEONE WHO IS NOT, YOU KNOW, ASSOCIATED, UM, OFFICIALLY WITH THE, WITH THE CITY.
THAT, TO ME, THE WHOLE IDEA IS, UH, YOU KNOW, LET'S SHINE THE LIGHT OF DAY ON, ON THINGS THAT MIGHT BE QUESTIONABLE.
AND, UH, I AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FINDINGS WOULD COME BACK TO, UH, TO THE COUNCIL FOR THEIR ACTION.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IF WE'VE GOT AN OUTSIDE SOURCE, LIKE THE COMMISSION, UH, COMING UP WITH, UH, UH, CONCERNS THAT, UH, THEY'VE, UH, THEY'VE UNCOVERED, UH, I THINK AGAIN, SHINING THE LIGHT OF DAY ON THOSE ITEMS I THINK IS, IS IMPORTANT.
AND AS FAR AS THE COSTS, UH, I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD JUST HAVE, UH, THOSE FOLKS ON RETAINER.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE LEGAL INDIVIDUALS ON THE RETAINER SO THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, HAVE, UH, UH, EXPENSE, UNLESS YOU HAD A, UM, I GUESS, A SITUATION THAT, THAT REQUIRED EXTENSIVE, UH, REVIEW BY, UH, THE LEGAL FOLK PEOPLE.
I SPOKE IN THE BEGINNING, COUNSEL, WOMAN STERLING, JUST FOR CLARITY.
UM, THE, I SEE THIS AS BEING LABOR-INTENSIVE BECAUSE IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS AND WE'RE GOING TO GET AN OUTSIDE SOURCE, IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COSTLY.
[02:15:01]
SO, WHICH MEANS IF ANYBODY COMES WITH THE POINT IT'S GOING TO COME TO THE COUNCIL, THEN IT'S GOING TO GO BACK OUT.THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET AN ATTORNEY.
THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO COME BACK AGAIN.
MY QUESTION, LET ME ASK YOU MR. JONES, UH, THE ETHICS PERSON SERVES AS THIS ROLE.
AM I NOT CORRECT IN MOST PLACES ARE.
AND THEN YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING, I THINK AS, UM, AND I KNOW MOST PLACES HAVE COMPLIANCE OFFICERS, SO I'LL COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT BEFORE THEY GO OUTSIDE TO REACH, UM, ANY TYPE OF OTHER DECISIONS.
SO HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ETHICS, UH, PERSON WE HAVE IN PLACE.
AND YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT SOME OF THE, A POSITION COMING TO PLACE.
SO CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WE DO HAVE AN EDISON COMPLIANCE PERSON, UH, AND, UH, AND JUST FRANKLY, WE'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF CAUSE SERVICE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THAT PERSON.
UH, AND TO ME, MAYBE SOMEONE WHO GOT EVERYBODY FEELS THEY COULD TALK, I DON'T KNOW.
AND THAT PERSON HAS BEEN TAKING THOSE ISSUES, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW, UH, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING HERE.
IRREGULAR ALLEGED THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW AND CONFERRING WITH, UH, THE PUBLIC INTEGRITY IS UNA, UH, WHICH THERE'S ALREADY EXISTING RESOURCES AT THE COUNTY LEVEL TO DEAL WITH THIS.
UH, SO THAT, THAT'S THE WAY IT'S BEEN GOING.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, TAPPING THOSE, THOSE EXISTING PUBLIC THAT ARE THERE AND IN, UH, CONFERRING THAT, UH, AS NECESSARY, UH, OVER HERE.
SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S, WHAT'S, THAT'S, WHAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'VE SET UP BY JUST SIMPLY, UH, ADJUSTING EXISTING JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
UH, IT'S THE WAY I'VE DONE IT INTERNALLY, BUT I THINK WHAT, UH, JOYCE IS PROPOSING HERE, SOMETHING DIFFERENT SHE'S PROPOSING A, UH, AND THAT THESE COMMISSION, UH, WHICH WOULD, UH, UH, REVIEW ITEMS, UH, SEPARATELY, INDEPENDENT, INDEPENDENT FROM THAT CLAIRE TOO ONCE AGAIN.
SO IF ANYONE WHO HAS A COMPLAINT, THAT MEANS THAT IT HAS TO COME TO THE COUNCIL, THEN GO BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, THEN COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL AGAIN, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.
AND SO I'LL UNDERSTAND THIS IS THE JOYCE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER STERLING.
SO A COMPLAINT WOULD GO TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
SO WE THEN FORWARD IT ONTO THE COMMISSION.
THE COMMISSION WOULD, UM, AT THE OUTSET, HAVE SOME INDIVIDUAL ON RETAINER, WHO'S AVAILABLE TO ASSIST THEM WITH INVESTIGATING.
SO ONCE, AND THIS IS JUST AS PROPOSED.
UH, SO ONCE THAT PERSON RECEIVES THE COMPLAINT, THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE IT.
THE COMMISSION COULD FIND AT THE OUTSET THAT THERE'S NO, UM, THERE'S A FRIVOLOUS AND THEY HAVE RECEIVED A FRIVOLOUS COMPLAINT AT WHICH POINT NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN IF THEY FIND THAT IT'S NOT FRIVOLOUS AGAIN, AS PROPOSED THAT THIS COMMISSION WOULD HAVE A HEARING ALLOW, YOU KNOW, A TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE TO BE ADMITTED, THEN THAT COMMISSION WOULD OFFER A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL AS TO HOW TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND AGAIN, THIS PROPOSAL RIGHT NOW IS JUST LIMITED TO COUNCIL.
UM, SO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT WOULDN'T ADDRESS, UH, APPOINTED OFFICIALS.
IT WOULDN'T ADDRESS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO, UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW THE, UH, THE, OUR INTERNAL PROCESS WOULD WORK, BUT AS PROPOSED THIS ORDINANCE ONLY ADDRESSES CITY COUNCIL MEMBER COMPLAINTS OR COMPLAINTS AGAINST CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WHEREAS THE, WHEREAS THE WAY THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY HANDLING ISSUES WITH RESPECT TO COMPLAINTS OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES IS BEING DONE, UH, VIA THE WAY I DISCUSSED EARLIER, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE INTEGRITY UNITS OFFICE, UH, THE COUNTY DA'S OFFICE HAD THESE RESOURCES.
I DIDN'T WANT TO TRY TO DUPLICATE SOMETHING THAT'S PUBLIC ENTITY ALREADY.
UH, AND IT'S JUST A COORDINATE NAT FROM THAT STANDPOINT.
AND THIS IS MAYOR, UH, THE PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT AND FOR BEING COUNTY IS AVAILABLE TO ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.
I THINK THIS IS ADDING ANOTHER LAYER OF BUREAUCRACY BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION, IF WE SET UP ONE, IT COMES RIGHT BACK TO COUNCIL.
THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, I GUESS, CHIME IN NOW, PLEASE.
UM, THIS COUNCIL MEMBER BONEY, UM, LET ME JUST, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO BE VERY, VERY CLEAR.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THE CHARTER OF MISSOURI CITY, AND I UNDERSTAND WHO I WORK FOR AS A COUNCIL
[02:20:01]
MEMBER.AND I UNDERSTAND WHO WORKS FOR ME AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, THE APPOINTED OFFICIALS AND THE CITY MANAGER, THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND THE CITY SECRETARY AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, THEY ALL REPORT TO ME AS A COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, I WORKED FOR THE CITIZENS OF MISSOURI CITY WHO ELECTED ME TO OFFICE WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT AN INTERNAL ETHICS PERSON WHO IS SUBJECT TO THE INFLUENCE OF THE CITY MANAGER HAS ANY ABILITY TO HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE OR ASSESS MY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, EFFECTIVENESS OR, UH, ETHICS AS A EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY MANAGER WHO REPORTS TO ME.
SO THEREFORE I DON'T THINK THAT, UH, WHAT'S, WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED OR WHAT'S, UH, BEEN, BEEN CHANGED, UH, INTERNALLY IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, I GUESS MAKE THE, THE, THE CITIZENS OF MISSOURI CITY FEEL GOOD THAT SOMEONE INTERNALLY, A STAFF MEMBER WHO WORKS WITH THE CITY MANAGER, WHO REPORTS TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IS ALLEGEDLY HOLDING US ACCOUNTABLE OR REPORTING INFORMATION.
ANOTHER THING THAT I JUST WANT TO LASTLY, UH, YOU KNOW, STATE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE CAN MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO THIS AMENDMENT.
I'M OPEN TO IF WE DON'T WANT BUREAUCRACY, AND IF WE DON'T WANT IT TO COME RIGHT BACK TO COUNCIL, I'M OPEN TO ALLOWING THE ETHICS COMMISSION TO HAVE FULL AUTONOMY AND TO ALLOW THEM, UH, WITHOUT HAVING IT COME BACK TO COUNCIL, MAKE A DETERMINATION AS TO WHAT THEIR FINDINGS ARE AND MAKE A DECISION ON THAT.
IN THAT REGARD, IF WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING ON THE UP AND UP AND, AND INDECENTLY IN ORDER, I DON'T MIND BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CITIZENS AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO I BELIEVE HAVE THE UTMOST INTEGRITY THAT WE APPOINT, UH, WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
JUST LIKE WE TRUST INDIVIDUALS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PLANNING AND ZONING, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PARKS BOARD, WHEN IT COMES TO ALL OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, WE, UH, I'M, I'M OPEN TO HAVING THAT SAME LEVEL OF TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY THAT THEY HAD, UH, THAT THEY, UH, UH, EXTEND TO ME AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I'M OPEN TO WHATEVER, BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE WE TRULY NEED AN ETHICS COMMISSION.
AND, AND, AND I JUST, ONE MORE QUESTION THIS JUST FOR CLARITY AND THIS, UH, MAYBE COUNCIL BOLOGNA OR CITY ATTORNEY.
SO THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE IS GOING TO BE FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS ONLY, IS THAT CORRECT? CAUSE WE'VE DISCUSSED TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT, UM, OPTIONS HERE.
SO THIS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OWN, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, BUT I'M OPEN TO INCLUDING APPOINTED OFFICIALS AND, OR THE CHARTER OF THE BOARDS OF COMMISSIONS AS WELL.
WHAT I LIKE TO DO, AND THIS IS JUST ME PERSONALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST REACH OUT TO TML SO THAT I CAN MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND, AND THEN COMPARISON TO SEE WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AND HOW THEY'RE OPERATING AS IT RELATES TO RESOURCES PER UH, BY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, I CAN'T MAKE A DECISION AT THIS POINT BECAUSE I'M NOT REALLY CLEAR ON, UH, ON THE ACTIONS HERE, BUT CERTAINLY I WILL DO MY DUE DILIGENCE TO FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AND HOW THEY'RE HANDLING.
UH, IN THE MEANTIME, UH, PEOPLE ARE ABLE, THE COUNTY HAS A PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO SUBMIT ISSUES TO CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW.
UH, SO IF SOMEONE HAS ISSUES OR SOMETHING GOES ON, UH, JUST KNOW YOU CAN, IT'S OPEN TO ALL OUR RESIDENTS IS NOT A MISSOURI CITY PERSON WHO IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT FOR, FOR BEING COUNTY.
UH, I BELIEVE IT'S, UM, I THINK THE TEXAS RANGERS ACTUALLY OVERSEE IT.
SO WE WOULD REALLY BE DUPLICATING SERVICES, BUT THAT'S UP TO THE COUNCIL.
UH, BUT JUST FYI IN THE MEANTIME THAT IS AVAILABLE AND IT'S AVAILABLE CURRENTLY AND SET UP ALREADY.
AND THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION FOR JOYCE JOYCE.
SO ANYBODY, UH, WITH THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE, THIS PROPOSAL, SO IF ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY OR ANYWHERE SAY, OKAY, I DON'T LIKE COUNCIL AND MR. AND I WANT TO FILE A COMPLAINT AND THEY CAN COME IN.
IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? AM I, CAN YOU GIVE ME A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY ON THAT? YOU JOYCE? YES.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE BASED ON THE ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED IN PROPOSED SECTION TWO DASH ONE OH THREE.
SO IT'S SPECIFICALLY RELATES TO UTILIZING OFFICIAL CAPACITY TO GRANT INFLUENCE OR SPECIAL CONSIDERATION TO, TO INDIVIDUALS IT'S SPECIFICALLY RELATES TO, UH, UTILIZING, UH, CITY RESOURCES FOR, UM, FOR REASONS THAT ARE NOT PERMITTED UNDER LAW AND SPECIFICALLY RELATES TO FAILING, TO REQUEST OR TO, UH, PROVIDE INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO A REQ A REQUEST FROM THE COMMISSION.
SO RIGHT NOW THOSE THREE ITEMS ARE LISTED, UM, UNDER PROPOSED SECTION TWO DASH ONE OH THREE.
AGAIN, I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS YOU ALL
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ORDINANCE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PHONY HAS PROPOSED IT, BUT IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, AMEND OR HAVE THINGS ADDED TO IT OR TAKEN IT AWAY, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, THIS IS YOU ALL DOCUMENT.SO WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US TONIGHT, JOYCE? SO YOU CAN, THIS WAS JUST A PROPOSAL THAT WAS REQUESTED BY A MEMBER.
UM, IF YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY CHANGES, IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE CHANGES, HE HAS, THE, EVERY MEMBER HAS THE ABILITY TO REQUEST AN ORDINANCE AND HAVE THAT ORDINANCE WORKPLACE ON THE AGENDA ONCE IT'S, UH, THE FORM HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY LEGAL, BUT YOU WILL.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT IT AT THE NEXT MEETING, IF YOU WANT CHANGES ON IT, OR IF IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU ALL.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY REQUESTED OR REQUIRED ACTION OF YOU.
IT'S REALLY YOUR DISCRETION AS TO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO FROM HERE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER PRESTON, THE COUNCIL MEMBER BONEY, SHE MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF, UM, SOME THINGS GOING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE.
ARE YOU OPPOSED? ARE YOU OPEN TO LETTING THE, UM, ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS, ELECTIONS AND COUNCIL GOVERNMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE, UM, HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND THIS? THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT THAT HAS NOT BEEN ANSWERED, UM, AND JUST TO KIND OF FLESH THIS OUT SOME MORE, RIGHT.
AND REALLY GET A GOOD UNDERSTANDING.
UM, HERE, ARE YOU OPEN TO THAT? WELL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO BETTER, UH, GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS TO HAVE THIS BE BROUGHT BEFORE THEN THE ENTIRE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR, WHICH I, WHICH HAS BEEN DONE.
AND SO, UH, I, I WOULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO FLESH IT OUT, READ IT, UH, YOU KNOW, AND MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE'S ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY HAVE TO, UH, MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS KNOWN.
BUT LIKE I SAID, I'M OPEN TO, IF WE WANT TO REMOVE THE, UH, COMPONENT THAT IT COMES BACK TO COUNCIL AND JUST ALLOW THE ETHICS PERMISSION TO HAVE FULL AUTONOMY, TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
IF WE WANT TO INCLUDE CITY ATTORNEY, CITY MANAGER, CITY, SECRETARY APPOINTED OFFICIALS, UH, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
IF WE WANT TO INCLUDE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
SO I'M, I'M AMENABLE, BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS A PRETTY SOLID DOCUMENT.
UH, AND OF COURSE, I MEAN, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU ALL FIND TO BE PROBLEMATIC, YOU KNOW, I JUST FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD DISCUSS THEM.
BUT, UH, I THINK THAT THERE'S, WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH, WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING THIS BE VOTED ON, THIS IS COUNCIL MR. AND I LIKE TO DO MY DUE DILIGENCE.
AND SO I CAN GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION AND SEE WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AND DO A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BEFORE I CAN MAKE A DECISION.
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY A GREAT IDEA, BUT I JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO, AT THIS POINT TO REALLY, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
I'M NOT LOOKING TO VOTE ON IT TONIGHT.
I JUST FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AND THEN HAVE US MOVE FORWARD.
I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, UH, THE INTERNAL STAFF CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WILL NOT, AND IS NOT LOOKING AT ANYTHING TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
YOU MENTIONED THAT EARLIER THAT IN FACT, A LOT OF CITIES DO HAVE, UH, ETHICS COMMISSIONS, UH, IN SIMILAR FASHION AND FORM.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT THERE ABOUT HOW OTHER CITIES ARE DOING POSING.
SO THAT, THAT IS, BUT, UH, CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, UM, UH, WHERE WE'RE, WE, WE'RE ONLY DEALING WITH THE COMPLAINTS JUST BROUGHT, UH, FROM EMPLOYEES TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND THAT'S ALL WE'RE DEALING WITH.
WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT DEALING WITH ANYTHING INVOLVING ELECTED LEADERS AT ALL, BUT IT'S UP TO, IT'S UP TO THE COUNCIL, DECIDE HOW YOU WISH ALL THESE THINGS TO BE DONE.
UH, WE JUST STARTED THAT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT, I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING IN PLACE SO WELL, THIS COUNCILMAN EMORY, I, UH, WOULD GO ALONG WITH, UH, UM, THE, UH, THE THOUGHT OF, UH, TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE, UH, WHAT WAS PRESENTED, UH, DOING SOME, UH, UH, RESEARCH ON WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING.
OUR COUNTIES ARE DOING AROUND US, UH, TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING, BUT, UH, I'M STILL OF THE OPINION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S EXTERNAL TO, UH, TO, UH, THE, UH, THE CITY OPERATIONS.
[02:30:01]
BE LOOKING AT COUNCIL, UH, MAYOR AND, UH, THE, UH, APPOINTED OFFICIALS.AND IF I MAY, I'M THE OFFICE MANAGER, KIMBERLY THOMAS ACTUALLY PULLED SEVERAL CITIES POLICIES FOR ME TO PREPARE FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
AND FOR THIS DRAFT, WOULD YOU ALL JUST LIKE ME TO SEND OUT THE, THE DIFFERENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT ARE OUT THERE FOR OTHER CITIES, ETHICS COMMISSION? ARE THEY COMPARATIVE TO MISSOURI CITY? YES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHTY.
UM, WE HAVE FINISHED EXECUTIVE SECTION.
WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT, SO WE CAN NOW ADJOURN THE MEETING, BUT WE DO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING, SO WE WILL ADJOURN THE SPECIAL MEETINGS.