[00:00:02]
[1. CALL TO ORDER AND CERTIFICATION OF A QUORUM]
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UH, START THIS, UH, SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING.WE CAN GO AHEAD AND, UH, CALL THE ORDER AND CERTIFICATION OF A QUORUM.
ALRIGHT, MAYOR TRAVIS MAGLIO HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNNY SIMPSON.
COUNCIL MEMBER SCOTT SCHRADER.
HERE WE HAVE A QUORUM, THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE DICKINSON MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
DO WE NEED ONE FOR AN E? THE EDC AS WELL? THERE IS NO QUORUM FOR THE EXPERIMENT DEVELOPMENT.
[2. PUBLIC COMMENTS]
ALRIGHT, SO, UH, THE NEXT THING WE'LL DO IS, UH, NUMBER TWO, WE GOT PUBLIC COMMENTS.UM, AMY, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME ON UP IN TESTING.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I WAS JUST GONNA COME HERE AND REMIND EVERYBODY ABOUT THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN THAT IS, UH, HAPPENING AT HGAC RIGHT NOW.
UH, IF YOU WANT PROJECTS IN THE COMMUNITY TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING IN THE FUTURE, THOSE PROJECTS NEED TO BE ON THIS PLAN.
UM, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME PUBLIC MEETINGS IN GALVESTON COUNTY ON THURSDAY, UH, AT THE NORTH ANNEX AND AGAIN AT THE GALVESTON COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT IN THE MID-COUNTY ANNEX.
UM, AS WELL AS THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A PERSON PRESENT AT BAY TRANS HAPPY HOUR ON THURSDAY AT LAKEWOOD YACHT CLUB.
AND WE'RE HOSTING, UH, THE NEW TX DISTRICT ENGINEER GLENN ALBERTAN, IF YOU'D LIKE TO MEET HIM.
BUT I JUST BROUGHT SOME INFORMATION TO LEAVE WITH THE CITY SECRETARY FOR OUR, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS OR ANYBODY THAT'S INTERESTED IN TRANSPORTATION, SHOULD, UH, FILL OUT THE SURVEY AND HAVE OUR REGION BE HEARD AT THAT TABLE.
AND THAT'S ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENTS WE HAVE FOR THIS MEETING, UM, WHICH
[3.A Presentation and discussion concerning the FY2025-2026 Budget for the City of Dickinson.]
WILL BRING US RIGHT INTO WHY WE'RE HERE, WHICH IS, UH, THE FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26 BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF DICKINSON.UM, SO THREE A IS THE PRESENTATION, UH, AND DISCUSSION CONCERNING FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26 BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF DICKINSON.
UM, I GUESS, DO I WE DO WE WE DON'T NEED A MOTION 'CAUSE THERE'S REALLY NO ACTION ITEM.
UM, ONE THING I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO START WITH IS THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR TAKING TIME OUTTA YOUR VERY BUSY DAY TO COME HERE AT FIVE O'CLOCK WHEN WE KNOW THE COUNCIL MEETING'S AT SEVEN TONIGHT, UM, IT'S VERY, UH, DIFFICULT TO GET US ALL TOGETHER IN ONE ROOM.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
UM, THE REASON WHY I KNOW, UM, MR. CAREY AND MYSELF HAVE HAD LOT, A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS, UM, WE THINK IT'S RELEVANT TO HAVE EVERYONE IN THE ROOM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MAIN MISSION IS.
UM, WE ARE ALL HERE FOR ONE REASON, AND THAT'S TO MAKE THIS TOWN, THIS CITY A BETTER PLACE, RIGHT? EVERY BOARD WE MIGHT FEEL LIKE WE'RE INDIVIDUALS, BUT WE ARE ALL GOING AFTER THE SAME MISSION.
SO WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT BUDGETS TOGETHER.
UH, AND I KNOW, UH, MR. CAREY HAS, UH, WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF LEAD THIS THING OFF WITH A LITTLE BIT OF A, SOME, SOME, UH, IDEAS OF HIS, UM, AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
THANK YOU FOR COMING THIS EVENING.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, A PIVOTAL, PIVOTAL MOMENT IN OUR CITY'S HISTORY.
YOU KNOW, WHILE WE ARE ALL TOGETHER THIS EVENING, I HAVE SOME ITEMS THAT I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS BEFORE WE GET INTO THE BUDGET DISCUSSION.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM.
I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT FOR EVERYBODY HERE AS WELL.
SO I'M GOING TO SPEAK CANDIDLY, NOT TO ANYONE IN PARTICULAR, BUT TO EVERYONE.
AS A GROUP OF LEADERS, I WOULD HOPE WE CAN ALL SET ASIDE ANY PERSONAL FEELINGS AND REMEMBER WHY WE ARE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
WE SERVE TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THE CITY OF DICKINSON, NOT JUST THE EDC, NOT JUST THE DMD, BUT THE CITY AS A WHOLE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
WE ACHIEVE THIS BY PROVIDING ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO OUR CITIZENS.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND BUDGETS GO HAND IN HAND IN MUNI, IN MUNICIPALITIES.
[00:05:01]
BE HONEST, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DICKINSON HAS BEEN CHALLENGING, DIFFICULT.AND THE TRUTH IS, THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE ISN'T THE CITY.
FOR DECADES, WE HAVE FAILED TO AGREE ON THE DIRECTION OF THIS COMMUNITY SHOULD TAKE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE HAVE WASTED TAX TAX DOLLARS FROM THE FARMER'S MARKET.
THE PICNIC GROUNDS TO GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS FROM DMD THAT DON'T BENEFIT THIS COMMUNITY, AND COUNTLESS OTHERS ARE EXAMPLES WHERE MONEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPENT, WERE SPENT WITHOUT MEASURABLE RETURNS OR BENEFITS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THE PROBLEM IS, TOO MANY DECISIONS ARE BEING DRIVEN BY PERSONAL FEELINGS INSTEAD OF LONG-TERM ECONOMIC BENEFITS.
GOOD DECISIONS GET DERAILED BECAUSE OF GRUDGES, PERSONAL FEELINGS.
HOWEVER, WE NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
AND IT'S OUR JOB AS LEADERS TO SET THE EXAMPLE, LET THE PAST BE THE PAST AND MOVE FORWARD.
I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CANNOT IMPLEMENT A VISION FOR A CITY WHEN THAT VISION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT THE WHIMS OF 30 DIFFERENT PEOPLE CONSTANTLY.
THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR DECADES, AND FRANKLY, IT'S EMBARRASSING.
I FEEL BAD FOR OUR EDC DIRECTOR, MR. DAVE FUNK, WHO IS BEING PULLED IN SO MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS WHILE ALL TRYING TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND IMPLEMENT PROJECTS THAT HE INHERITED.
THE LACK OF VISION HAS REAL CONSEQUENCES.
DEVELOPERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS DO NOT WANNA DO BUSINESS HERE.
I HAVE HEARD THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
THEY LOOK AT GALVESTON COUNTY, ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF LAKE CITY, AND SEE POLITICAL TURMOIL AND UNCERTAINTY THAT SCARES AWAY INVESTMENT AND SCARES AWAY BUSINESS.
AND IT HURTS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US.
GOOD PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TAKE THEIR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE, ELSEWHERE IF WE DO NOT GET OUR ACT TOGETHER.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE CAN TRANSFORM THIS TURMOIL INTO AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE, WORK, AND RELOCATE THEIR BUSINESS HERE.
OUR EDC AND CITY STAFF WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER ON A DAILY BASIS.
HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT MATTER BECAUSE WE NEED OUR LEADERS, OUR BOARDS, OUR COUNCIL, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US TO DO THE SAME.
WE'RE HERE NOT TO SERVE PERSONAL AGENDAS.
WE'RE HERE TO SERVE THE CITY OF DICKINSON.
I THINK MANY OF US HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT IMPORTANT ASPECT OF SERVICE.
LET'S STOP FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER.
LET'S FOCUS ON THE BIGGER PICTURE.
AND THAT IS BUILDING A STRONGER FUTURE FOR THIS CITY.
BECAUSE IF WE CAN'T DO THAT, WE'RE NOT JUST HOLDING BACK DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE HOLDING BACK THE VERY COMMUNITY WE CLAIM TO LOVE.
I WANT TO SET THE NEXT GENERATION UP FOR SUCCESS, NOT PLACE THEM IN THE SAME POSITION THAT WE ARE NOW, WONDERING WHY NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE FOR DECADES.
WE HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY HERE.
EXCUSE ME, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT OUR BOND RATING HAS BEEN REINSTATED.
WE HAVE BUILT RELATIONSHIPS IN THIS COUNTY, REBUILT RELATIONSHIPS IN THIS COUNTY.
SO LET'S CAPITALIZE ON THIS OPPORTUNITY AND MOVE OUR CITY FORWARD TOGETHER.
I UNDERSTAND MANY PEOPLE DISLIKE CERTAIN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS SUCH AS WATER STREET, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE THEY ARE HEAVILY INCENTIVIZED.
I CAN COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE WITH YOU TO AN EXTENT, BUT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS ARE COMING REGARDLESS OF YOUR OPINIONS ABOUT THEM.
SO INSTEAD OF BEING NEGATIVE, I WILL STAY POSITIVE AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO IMPLEMENT THESE PROJECTS BECAUSE THEY WILL BRING VALUE IN THE FUTURE.
WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE INHERITED A LOT TO DEAL WITH, AS MANY OF US KNOW, INCLUDING MANY PROJECTS I NE DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH, BUT THEY ARE HERE TO STAY.
THEREFORE, I WILL FOCUS ON, EXECUTE THEM AS EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE AND MOVE THEM FORWARD BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.
WE SHOULD ADOPT ALL, ADOPT THIS POSITIVE ADD ATTITUDE MOVING FORWARD.
SOME PEOPLE TEND TO LOOK IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVE, CRITICIZING EVERYTHING.
THE NEGATIVITY HAS GOT TO STOP.
AS ARE MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY, I HEAR IT ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
WE MUST SET ASIDE OUR EGOS AND FIND COMMON GROUND.
OTHERWISE, THIS NEGATIVITY WILL KILL THE SPIRIT OF OUR GREAT COMMUNITY.
MY GOAL IS NOT ONLY, AND I'VE SAID THIS MANY TIMES, MY GOAL IS NOT ONLY FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO SURVIVE, BUT TO THRIVE FOR GENERATIONS
[00:10:01]
SO THAT MY YOUNG DAUGHTERS CAN INHERIT A COMMUNITY THEY ARE PROUD OF.YOU KNOW, MANY PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF OUR THREE 80 AGREEMENTS IN OUR CITY, AND FOR GOOD REASON, OUR THREE 80 REPRESENT AROUND 35% OF OUR TOTAL SALES TAX REVENUE ACROSS ALL OF OUR FUNDS, WHICH MAKES ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.
AND WORRIED IS PROBABLY A BETTER WORD TO CLARIFY FOR EVERYBODY WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND.
CHAPTER THREE 80 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE ALLOWS CITIES TO UTILIZE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS AS TOOLS TO PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR BUSINESSES, FOR CITIES JUST LIKE DICKINSON.
AND THIS IS THE WORRISOME PART.
IF THE STATE LEGISLATOR REPEALS THESE THREE 80 AGREEMENTS, AS WE KNOW THE COMPTROLLER HAS BEEN TRYING TO DO FOR YEARS, AND WE ALL KNOW THIS IS NO SECRET, OUR CITY WILL BE IN REAL TROUBLE.
AS WE CAN SEE FROM 2022 TO 2023, THERE WAS A $9.7 MILLION DROP IN REVENUES ACROSS ALL OUR FUNDS, WHICH IS DIRECTLY TIED TO THESE THREE EIGHTIES.
IT INCLUDES ARCH ROCK, A COMPANY WHO SUED THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE AND WON.
SO WE HAD TO REIMBURSE ALL THE SALES TAX REVENUE FROM THIS ONE AGREEMENT.
SO MY QUESTION IS, IMAGINE WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE LOSE THEM ALL.
IF WE LOSE ALL OF THESE THREE EIGHTIES.
WHAT IS THE PLAN TO REPLACE AND SUPPLEMENT OUR REVENUE FOR THE FUTURE? I WOULDN'T BE DOING MY JOB IF I DIDN'T BRING THIS UP AND DRAW ATTENTION TO IT BECAUSE WE, WE ALL SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE THREE 80 DEPENDENCY PROBLEM WE HAVE.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL NOT RESOLVE THIS EVENING.
IT'S AN, IT'S AN ITEM OF IMPORTANCE GOING FORWARD.
SO WE AREN'T SO DEPENDENT ON THESE THREE EIGHTIES AND OUR PROPERTY TAXES SO WE CAN ALLEVIATE THE TAX BURDEN OFF OF OUR RESIDENTS.
AGAIN, LET'S REMEMBER WHY WE ARE HERE TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THE EDC IS HERE TO SUPPLEMENT AND BRING IN REVENUE FOR THE CITY OF DICKSON.
THE DMD WAS CREATED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, POLICE, FIRE, EMS STREETS AND DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE CITY OF DICKINSON.
IT'S NOT A FUNDING MECHANISM FOR KIDS TO GO TO COLLEGE OR FORGIVABLE LOANS FOR ORGANIZATIONS OUT OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS.
AND UNTIL WE CAN GET ALL, ALL GET ON THE SAME PAGE, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MOVE THE CITY FORWARD.
AGAIN, I'M NOT POINTING THE FINGER AT ANY ONE PERSON.
I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT FOR EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR CITY.
IT WOULD BE EASY FOR ME TO STAY SILENT, JUST GO ALONG WITH THIS BUDGET DISCUSSION THIS EVENING.
INSTEAD, I URGE EACH OF US AS LEADERS IN THIS CITY TO STAND TOGETHER TO SHOW THE COUNTY AND THE STATE THAT DICKINSON IS UNITED, RESILIENT AND MOVING FORWARD AS ONE STRONG COMMUNITY WHICH OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE.
UM, ONE THING I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE STRESS IS, UH, THE PAST IS THE PAST AND THE FUTURE IS THE ONLY THING WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I GET QUESTIONS ABOUT, WELL, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? WHY ARE WE NOT PUTTING MORE MONEY TOWARDS ROADS? WHY ARE, THE REASON IS, IS BECAUSE WE SCREWED UP 25 YEARS AGO.
IF YOU LOOK AT LEAGUE CITY, YOU LOOK AT TEXAS CITY, YOU LOOK AT WEBSTER, YOU LOOK AT FRIENDSWOOD, THEY DIDN'T BUILD THAT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
THEY BUILT THAT BECAUSE THEY PUT REAL INVESTMENT INTO THEIR CITY 25, 30 YEARS AGO.
SO IF YOU THINK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS NOT THAT ANSWER, IT IS, HOWEVER, WE HAVE TO DO IT IN A MORE EFFICIENT WAY AND A MORE BALANCED WAY, WE CANNOT BE TAKING RISK.
SO THIS IS WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING IS FINANCIAL PLANNING.
UM, MY GOAL FROM THIS IS WHEN WE FINISH THIS WHOLE PROCESS, WE ALSO HAVE A LONG-TERM GOAL.
SO I'M TRYING TO DEVELOP SOMETHING I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, MR. CAREY, UM, AND THE, THE WHOLE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH SARAH, UH, MS. CLARK, UM, TO COME UP WITH WAYS TO UTILIZE OUR MONEY MORE EFFICIENTLY, RIGHT? WE DO, I DO THIS FOR MY PRIVATE CLIENTS.
CORPORATIONS DO THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UM, I HAVE NOT FOUND A SINGLE DOCUMENT WE CAN TALK ABOUT.
WE'VE DONE THE, UH, STRATEGIC PLANNING AND ALL THAT.
THERE'S NO DOLLARS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
THERE'S NO WAYS TO PAY FOR IT ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH TODAY.
HOW DO WE PAY FOR ALL THE THINGS WE WANT, WE NEED TO DO IF THAT THREE 80 THING HAPPENS AND D-M-D-E-D-C AS WELL AS US, WE'RE ALL A KEY COMPONENT TO THAT PLAN.
AND I KNOW MYSELF AND DAVE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF
[00:15:01]
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT AS WELL.UM, SO ANY, ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, CONCERNS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO BRING UP BEFORE WE KIND OF GET INTO THIS? UH, MAYOR Y LOOK, UH, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS, WE HAVE INVESTED IN STRATEGIC AND COMPREHENSIVE PLANS FOR THIS CITY.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE OF HOW YOUR INPUT INTO YOUR NEEDS FOR YOUR BUDGET, ACCOMPLISH WHAT NEED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED AS PART OF THAT PLAN.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A COPY OF THE PLAN BROUGHT TO THESE MEETINGS, UH, IN CASE WE NEED TO REVIEW IF THERE'S A QUESTION.
UH, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, MAYOR.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL BEFORE WE KICK IT OFF? UM, ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE BOTH D-M-D-E-D-C.
WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, SO Y'ALL CAN'T, I GUESS, REALLY SPEAK MUCH.
WE CAN'T REALLY, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT, BUT WE CAN'T TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT, RIGHT? UH, DMD, SO WE'LL KIND OF JUST START WITH YOU GUYS.
UM, WHAT IS IT THAT Y'ALL'S MAIN MISSION GOING TO FISCAL YEAR 25, 26, WHAT IS Y'ALL'S MAIN EFFORT, Y'ALL'S MAIN MISSION FOR Y'ALL'S BOARD? I GUESS Y'ALL HAVE A MISSION STATEMENT OR SOME IDEA OF THE DIRECTION Y'ALL ARE TRYING TO TAKE IT.
WELL, I THINK CHASE'S COMMENTS, SOME OF, SOME OF MY PERSONAL FEELINGS ABOUT THE CITY AND HOW WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD AS WELL.
SO I THINK THAT WE COME TO THIS BUDGET WORKSHOP OPEN TO, UH, FINDING OUT WHAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS, UH, STREETS, DRAINAGE, LIGHTING, INFRASTRUCTURE.
THOSE ARE ALL BASIC NEEDS THAT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEED.
AND IF WE NEED TO ADJUST WHERE OTHER FUNDING WENT, UM, I THINK, UH, WANNA GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY WHO HAS REALLY HELPED US CLEAN UP THE BYLAWS AND HELP US MAKE GOOD PROPER DECISIONS AND THAT ARE, THAT FOLLOW THE LAW.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT FREES UP A LOT OF THE MONEY THAT WE HAD IN THE PAST BEEN GIVING FROM THE DMD TO HELP SUPPORT THOSE OTHER CITY SERVICES.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY MORE COMMENT? IF YOU WANNA, OKAY.
UH, IN GENERAL VALLEY, I, UH, ALSO AGREED WITH AMY AND WITH OUR, UH, INTERIM CITY MANAGER.
IF I MISS SOMETHING, IF HE CITY MANAGERS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
BUT, UM, WHAT HE HAS SAID AND, AND THAT WE SHOULD WORK POSITIVELY IN A MANNER THAT, UH, WE LEAVE ALL NEGATIVITY OUT OF IT.
UH, WE'RE HERE TO ALSO HELP AS A BOARD, UH, ANYTHING THAT THE CITY MIGHT NEED FROM US.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, THESE LINE ITEMS AND UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S MONEY THERE TO HELP FOR STREETS, HELP FOR WATER WORKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, I SEE, I SEE A LOT OF COMMENTS, UH, GO AROUND, UH, ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND I DON'T PARTICIPATE IN IT, BUT I READ IT AND, AND PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK THAT MONEY THAT WE GIVE AWAY THAT, THAT IT'S ONLY 4% OF OUR BUDGET AND WE HAVE TIGHTENED DOWN AS A GROUP IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO, THANKS TO, UH, OUR ATTORNEY OVER THERE WHO HAS GONE OVER SEVERAL TIMES, UH, WHAT THE LAW SAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT COMPLIES WITH WHAT OUR BYLAWS SAY OR WE COMPLY WITH THEM.
AND, AND SO IT, IT'S NO LONGER GONNA BE JUST GIVEN AWAY MONEY ANYMORE.
AND PEOPLE GONNA HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THEY COME TO US, THAT, THAT THERE'S GONNA BE SOME RESTRICTIONS THERE.
AND WE'RE GONNA ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE'S THIS MONEY GOING AND ACCOUNT FOR IT.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT WAS DONE IN THE PAST.
MAYBE IT WAS, BUT NOW WE'RE TIGHTENING DOWN AND WE HOPE TO COME IN UNDER BUDGET AND WE HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING EXTRA IF WE CAN HELP THE CITY OUT, UH, WE WILL BE THERE TO HELP THE CITY OUT IN ANY SHORTCOMINGS, UH, THAT YOU MIGHT GUYS MIGHT EXPERIENCE.
AND, UM, JUST SO I, I'M MAKING SURE I HAVE THE 2.16 THAT, UH, ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THAT'S ALL THREE 80 I, THAT'S MONEY THAT IS JUST PASSING THROUGH.
AND THIS IS WHY I'M GLAD WE'RE DOING THIS IS SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHERE THIS MONEY'S GOING, HOW IT TRAVELS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY THINK THAT YOU GET A HALF A CENT SALES TAX AND YOU GET $4 MILLION AND YOU'RE GIVING AWAY $4 MILLION.
WELL, THOSE THREE 80 THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THOSE, SOME OF THOSE RUN THROUGH THE DMD, CORRECT? CORRECT.
GIVE, GIVE OR TAKE, AND I MEAN, IT'S NOT, NOT NOT SPECIFIC NUMBERS, BUT I'VE BEEN ON DMD SINCE 2018.
IT'S USUALLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SIX AND $8 MILLION, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE BUDGET IS
[00:20:01]
TRUED UP.UM, BUT IT'S USUALLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SIX TO $8 MILLION.
AND ABOUT 70 TO 75% OF THAT GOES BACK OUT IN THE FORM OF REBATES.
UM, WHERE SIX TO EIGHT? I'M, I'M SAYING OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEVERAL YEARS, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT, WELL, I'M SAYING THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
SO 22 TO 26, I REMEMBER ONE OF THEM GOT AMENDED AFTERWARDS.
UH, 'CAUSE IT'S BASED ON, UM, SALES TAX REVENUE.
SO, WELL, 'CAUSE 22 WAS THE BIGGEST YEAR ON HERE AND IT WAS 6.9 IN REVENUE AND THEN EVERY YEAR AFTER THAT WAS SUB FIVE.
YEAH, WE, WE USUALLY START OFF WITH LIKE A $4 MILLION BUDGET.
AND IT'S, IT'S USUALLY AMENDED UP BASED ON SALES TAX REVENUE COMING IN.
BUT THE POINT IS, BALLPARK, 70 TO 75% OF THAT MONEY IS WHAT GOES BACK OUT BY FORM OF REBATES.
I KNOW SOME OF THESE YEARS IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S WHAT WHAT WE GOT WAS SPOKEN FOR.
'CAUSE NO MATTER WHAT WAS ADJUSTED UP, AT LEAST WHEN, UM, WHEN WE'VE HAD THE FINANCE CONVERSA CONVERSATION, WHAT WAS ADJUSTED UP ALSO ADJUSTED UP OUR INCOME BASED ON THIS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
THIS YEAR 54% OF AVERAGE SALES TAX REBATE.
IS IT THREE 80? YEAH, THAT'S WHEN I SAID NOT COUNTING THIS YEAR.
SO THIS IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT GUYS.
WE HAVE TO STOP TALKING ABOUT LAST YEAR, THE YEAR BEFORE THAT, THE YEAR BEFORE THAT THE CURRENT SITUATION, WHAT WE ARE EXPECTING TO SEE.
I DON'T CARE ABOUT LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE THAT, OR THE YEAR BEFORE THAT.
AND, AND I, I JUST, I WASN'T SAYING IT TO BE SPECIFIC.
I WAS JUST GETTING A GENERALIZATION THAT A, A DECENT PORTION OF WHAT COMES IN GOES BACK OUT TO REBATES.
BUT 75% AND 54% ARE VERY DIFFERENT.
SO YOU'RE THE PRESIDENT, I NEED ACCURATE NUMBERS, CORRECT? I WASN'T TALK.
I JUST WANNA SAY, I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT THIS YEAR SPECIFICALLY.
I'M JUST GOING OFF OF BASIC MEMORY.
BUT IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, I THINK WE LOST ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR ON THAT ONE.
ARCH ROCK ON THAT 1 3 80, RIGHT? ARCH ROCK.
I CALL THE NAMES, BUT WE LOST A MILLION DOLLARS ACROSS THE BOARD ON THAT.
SO THAT'S A MILLION TO THE M-D-D-M-D AND A MILLION TO THE EDC.
THE DMD IS 50%, SO IT'D BE HALF FOR THE UH, D-F-D-E-C.
SO I DON'T, WHEN WE LOST THAT MILLION DOLLARS, WE LOST ABOUT A MILLION TO MILLION TO THE EDC AND TO THE MDM, UH, DMD BECAUSE IT GOT A HALF CENT EACH, CORRECT.
'CAUSE IT GOES TO STREET DEPARTMENT.
BUT YEAH, THE SAME DEAL, WE LOST $2 MILLION.
A LOT OF IT WAS THE FACT THAT THE BUILDING BUSINESS IS DOWN AND ALL THE OTHER THREE 80 GRIEVANCE WE HAVE ARE ALL TIED TO THE BUILDING.
THAT'S WHY I DON'T CALL ONE NAME 'CAUSE IT'S NOT ALL TIED TO ONE.
BUT WE STILL LOST AROUND $2 MILLION IN, IN INCOME, CORRECT.
FOR GEORGE, AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THIS, COULD YOU GUYS, UH, REFERENCE SECTIONS OF THESE DOCUMENTS? YES SIR.
SO, UH, RIGHT NOW WHERE I AM AT IS ON, IN THE DMD UH, TAB ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK.
UM, IT'S Y'ALL'S SPECIFIC, IT'S BROKEN DOWN INTO Y'ALL'S LINE ITEMS RATHER THAN JUST YOUR GENERAL OVERALL BUDGET.
IT'S, UH, PAGE ONE OF FIVE IN THE DMD TAB.
SO THE LAST, THE LAST THREE YEARS, 2022 TO 23, 23, 24, 24, 25.
WE'VE BEEN BETWEEN 52 AND 56% ON REBATES.
WHERE IS THAT PERCENTAGE AT? UH, I DID THE PERCENTAGES MYSELF.
UH, SO IF YOU LOOK AT IT HAS IT ON THERE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE REVENUE AND THEN YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL ACTIVITY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS THREE 80 REBATES SHOWS YOU THE 2.3, 2.1 AND 2.1.
UM, YOU CAN DO THE MATH AND IT'LL TELL YOU THE PERCENTAGES.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF WE'RE GONNA PLAN FOR IT, LET'S PLAN FOR REAL NUMBERS.
WE'RE GIVING UP 20% OF FLUFF THAT WE DON'T NEED TO.
UM, NOW I NEED, I KNOW WE NEED BUFFERS, BUT IT'S PRETTY PREDICTABLE, RIGHT? I MEAN, PERCENTAGE WISE, IF I'M, IF I'M CRAZY, TELL PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME I'M CRAZY.
BUT, SO, UH, DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE DMD ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON DOING NEXT YEAR? THIS ONCE AGAIN, THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR, NOT WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN THE PAST, BUT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING, WHAT THEIR, UH, OBJECTIVES ARE.
UM, OTHER THAN HOLIDAYS, WHAT IS Y'ALL'S BIG EXPENSE OTHER THAN THE POLICE? I KNOW Y'ALL DO A LOT OF EMS POLICE, Y'ALL PAY FOR, Y'ALL
[00:25:01]
ARE PAYING FOR SOME VEHICLES THIS YEAR, I THINK.UM, WHAT ARE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT GO INTO THE DMD JUST SO WE CAN EDUCATE EVERYONE ABOUT IT.
ANOTHER EXPENSE IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE AGREEMENT.
UM, IT'S NOT AS BIG AS, UH, CAPITAL PURCHASES.
UM, BUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT IS THAT THE FINANCIAL SERVICES? YEAH, THE FINANCIAL SERVICES, UH, ON PAGE THREE OF FIVE, THE TOP ONE, IT'S UH, 160,000.
SO WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY PAY FOR? IT'S, UH, AN AMOUNT THAT THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT PAYS TO THE CITY OF DICKINSON IN ORDER TO GET STAFF SUPPORT.
UH, SOMEONE FROM THE OFFICE OF, UH, THE SECRETARY, SOMEONE FROM THE OFFICE OF FINANCE.
SO THAT MONEY'S JUST COMING TO YOU GUYS.
AND THEN Y'ALL ARE PAYING IT RIGHT BACK TO THE CITY FOR A CERTAIN LEVEL.
CERTAIN SERVICES, CERTAIN LEVEL OF STAFF SUPPORT.
UM, AND THEN WHAT'S LEGISLATIVE SERVICES? WHAT DOES THAT FALL IN? BECAUSE I NOTICED IT SAYS 20,000 AND THEN WE BASICALLY PAY EXACTLY WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR.
SO WHAT'S, I GUESS THAT'S QUARTER THAT'S TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY AS WELL.
BUT WHAT IS THAT? IT'S A PART OF THE QUARTERLY TRANSFER.
UH, SAME PAGE THREE OF FIVE AT THE VERY BOTTOM.
AND THEN AT, AT, AT THE NEXT PAGE, IT SHOWS THAT IT'S GETTING TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY.
SO OUT OF THE $4 MILLION, AND THIS IS ONCE AGAIN, NOW, THIS IS ALL JUST SO EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE AND ANYONE VIEWING ONLINE UNDERSTANDS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THE DMD IS EXPECTED TO BRING IN ABOUT $4,085,000 THIS YEAR IN SALES TAX.
NOW THEIR EXPENDITURES, WHICH MOST OF IS GETTING COMING BACK TO THE CITY OR IT IS GOING TO THREE EIGHTIES IS $3.8 MILLION.
SO WHEN WE SAY THAT DMD, ONCE AGAIN, I'VE NEVER SEEN THESE NUMBERS AND I'M ONE OF Y'ALL'S BIGGEST CRITICS.
I I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS.
NOW I'M NOT, BECAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL DON'T HAVE AS MUCH MONEY AS YOU, WE THINK YOU DO.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS THAT'S GONNA BE COMING IN THE WAY OF RADIOS, AIR COMPRESSORS, CARDIAC MONITORS.
UM, NOW IS ALL OF THIS STUFF REQUIRED AND WHAT'S RESERVED FOR UNSEEN NEEDS? OTHER THAN I KNOW WHAT THE WORDS MEAN, BUT LIKE, WHAT, WHY DID WE PUT THAT THERE? THOSE ARE REQUESTS THAT ARE COMING FROM THE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO THOSE ARE WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR FROM THE DMD FOR THIS YEAR.
UM, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR FROM THEM.
SO WE BUYING, BUYING A NEW AMBULANCE, 90,000 A NEW, IS THAT JUST THE, UH, SEE WHERE IS THAT FOR A NEW POTTY NEW, UH, FRAME AND MOTOR.
AND WE'RE GONNA SET THE OLD BOX ON TOP OF IT.
JUST IS THE FIREWALL UPGRADE MEINA.
MR. MENA, CAN YOU STEP UP HERE REAL QUICK? UM, AND, UH, CHASE, COULD YOU, UH, YES, SIR.
OR MR. CAREY, COULD YOU KIND OF FILL ME IN ON, SO THE DMD DOES A $2,500 EDUCATION FOUNDATION GALA THING.
DOES THE EDC AND THE CITY ALL DO ONE AS WELL? NOT ALWAYS.
JOSE? IS, IS THERE A WAY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF DONATIONS WE GIVE FROM THE CITY AND WE JUST KIND OF DO IT TOGETHER, RIGHT? SO CORRECT.
LIKE FOR INSTANCE, I BUY A TABLE THERE EVERY YEAR.
I'M NOT GONNA GO ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
I'M GONNA GO ON MY BEHALF OF MY BUSINESS.
UH, I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER SCHICK IS THERE EVERY YEAR AS WELL AND SITTING WITH THE MI LEWIS GALA AND ALL THAT STUFF.
BUT REALISTICALLY, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD HAVE THAT MANY TABLE.
LIKE WE JUST NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND BE, BE LIKE 100%.
A PERFECT EXAMPLE RIGHT NOW IS LEWIS CENTER.
AND SOME OF OUR TABLES HAVE SAT EMPTY BECAUSE THE COMMUNICATION NEVER WENT AND SO THAT'S NOT OKAY.
AND IT MESSES UP THE ORGANIZATIONS AND IT MAKES US LOOK BAD.
IT, I LEWIS GALA IS NEXT MONTH WE'RE WAITING ON A HEAD COUNT TO SEE HOW MANY TABLES WE WOULD NEED.
[00:30:01]
SO ONCE WE FIGURE THAT OUT, THEN WE CAN, WE'LL KNOW HOW MANY TABLES AND WHAT, WHAT TO PURCHASE.BUT LIKE, REALISTICALLY, WHAT I WOULD, I MEAN, AND THIS COUNCIL MEMBER, Y'ALL WANNA CHIME IN ON THIS ONE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE DMD AND EDC COMPLETELY GET RID OF THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO GALAS COMPLETELY.
THAT'S NOT WHAT THEIR MISSION'S FOR, RIGHT? UM, THEY'RE NOT THERE TO DO THAT.
WE, WE CAN DO THAT AS A CITY AND WE INVITE THEM TO SIT WITH US.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S PRETTY SILLY THAT WE HAVE A FOUND, YOU KNOW, THREE NONPROFITS AT ANOTHER NONPROFIT, GALA,
UM, THAT'S NOT WHAT FUNDRAISING IS, RIGHT? I KNOW THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, I'M ON THAT BOARD.
I'M LITERALLY SAYING DON'T GIVE US MONEY.
'CAUSE WE CAN FIND PLENTY OF PEOPLE TO FILL THOSE TABLES.
SO WE DON'T NEED THE F THE CITY'S MONEY IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
IF I RECALL CORRECTLY THIS LAST TIME, DMD DID NOT BUY A TABLE.
UM, THEY, THEY DID PUT IN, THEY BEING THE FOUNDATION DID PUT IN AN APPLICATION FOR SPONSORSHIP MM-HMM
BUT IT WAS TO, UM, TO SUPPORT INSTEAD OF THE FOUNDATION GALA, A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UM, DEAL.
SO, AND THAT'S WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT'S LEGALLY SUPPORTED BY THE DMD LAWS.
I, I JUST, ONCE AGAIN, I, I THINK, UH, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER TOWNSEND SAID IT BETTER THAN ANYONE IS, IS WE NEED TO CLOSE UP THE COOKIE JAR A LITTLE BIT, RIGHT? SO WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE HERE SITTING HERE GIVING MONEY AWAY FOR NO REASON BECAUSE WE GOTTA TAKE CARE OF OUR CITY FIRST.
JUST LIKE YOU DON'T DONATE TO, UH, ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFITS, WHEN YOU'RE BROKE, RIGHT? YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD BEFORE YOU START GIVING MONEY AWAY.
UM, IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING, TURN YOUR LIGHT BILLS ON.
THAT'S, THAT'S TOUGH, RIGHT? UM, NOW I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE'S NOT BENEFIT TO THOSE THINGS, BUT I'M SAYING WE SHOULDN'T DOUBLE DIP BETWEEN OR TRIPLE DIP BETWEEN THE THREE ORGANIZATIONS.
LET'S BE A LITTLE BIT MORE TACTILE, TACTICAL WITH IT, I GUESS IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
I CAN DELIBERATE AS THE, UH, AS THE EDC, BUT I, ON BEHALF, I'M GONNA WEAR MY BAYOU FRIENDS FOREVER.
UH, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT UNIQUE.
IN THE PAST TWO YEARS WE HAVE RECEIVED A $5,000 DONATION FROM EDC FIVE, FROM DMD AND FIVE FROM THE CITY.
AND WE HAVE NOT ONLY RETURNED THAT MONEY, BUT WE'VE DOUBLED IT BACK TO THE CITY SERVICE.
WE ARE THE ONLY CHARITY THAT'S BEEN MENTIONED THAT RAISES MONEY FOR THE CITY SERVICE, WHICH IS BAYOU ANIMAL SERVICES.
WE'VE MOVED IT TO THIS OCTOBER.
WE'VE GOT SOME RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THAT MOVE.
SO HAVING THE BASIS, AND, AND THIS NEVER INTENDED TO BE A DONATION THAT WAS ONGOING IN PERPETUITY, THIS IS TO HELP THIS FOUNDATION GET GOING.
SO IT CAN STAND ON ITS OWN, BUT THIS ENTITY RECEIVES 5,000 FROM EACH ONE.
THAT'S $15,000 FROM CITY MONEY, IF YOU WILL.
WE RETURN $30,000 DIRECTLY TO BAS WITH THAT MONEY.
I'M SAYING IT'S SILLY TO HAVE ALL OF US, ALL OF US DOING THE SAME THING, DOING IT AT THE SAME TIME.
I FELT THIS ONE NEEDED TO BE DISCUSSED BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN HIGHLY SCRUTINIZED.
AND I WANTED EVERYBODY TO KEEP THAT IN MIND BECAUSE THE GROUP DOES, UH, INTEND TO GO IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL AS WELL AS DMD TO ASK FOR THE $5,000 THERE.
DMDI MEAN, DEDC ALREADY VOTED, UM, TO DONATE THAT FILE.
AND I'M WILLING TO WRITE A PERSONAL GUARANTEE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SERVICE RECEIVES DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY AFTER OUR, OUR EVENT.
AND, AND, AND SO MY BIG THING IS, WELL, WE TALK ABOUT NON-PROFITS, UH, AND OUR, UH, THANK YOU.
'CAUSE I, I'M THAT I WASN'T EVEN ONE I WAS EVEN GONNA LOOK AT.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT MONEY ACTUALLY STARTS FLOWING BACK INTO BUY YOU ANIMAL SERVICES.
IT'S MORE OF THE MONEY THAT WE'RE DOING AND ALL YOU'RE GETTING IS ADVERTISEMENT.
RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S A SILLY WAY TO SPEND OUR TAX PAYING DOLLARS IS TO JUST GET ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE CITY THAT, OR THEY'RE IN.
UM, MY MY BIGGEST THING IS IF WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT FUNDRAISING, WE CAN HELP WITH FUNDRAISING WITHOUT GIVING MONEY AWAY.
WE CAN GIVE YOU BODIES TO GO FUNDRAISE.
UM, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS JUST BE, WE NEED TO START GOING AFTER REAL DONORS, NOT PEOPLE THAT JUST, WE KNOW THEY HAVE MONEY, THEY CAN DO IT.
YOU NEED TO GO WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA GIVE YOU REAL MONEY.
UM, PEOPLE THAT CAN REALLY BE PARTNERS BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE ALREADY A PARTNER.
SO I GUESS THAT'S THE, THE EBBS AND FLOWS IS, IT'S A TOUGH ONE.
HOWEVER, I'M JUST SAYING IT'S KIND OF SILLY FOR SOME OF THESE TO DOUBLE DIP.
WHAT ELSE? ANYONE ELSE GOT? UH, ANY LINE ITEMS FOR DMD THEY'D LIKE TO, UH, PICK OUT? OR, AND
[00:35:01]
DMD DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT UH, Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP AS WELL? I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.MAYBE TO CONSOLIDATE, UH, BUY YOUR ANIMAL SERVICES.
MAYBE THAT MONEY NEEDS TO COME FROM THE ANIMAL SHELTER AS A FUNDRAISING TOOL AND JUST HAVE THEM MANAGE THAT RATHER THAN THE THREE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
SO IT, IT WOULD SEEM LIKE IF IT'S BEING RETURNED TO THEM THAT THEY WOULD BE, THEY WOULD BE THE ONE THAT WOULD, SHOULD BE PUTTING UP THE MONEY.
SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, SO LET'S SAY WE SAME $15,000, BUT IT'S COMING OUT OF THE BAYOU ANIMAL SERVICES BUDGET MM-HMM
LINE ITEM THAT'S GOING TO BAYOU ANIMAL FRIENDS FOREVER.
AND THEN THEY CAN TURN IT OFF WHENEVER THEY WANT.
RATHER THAN US, ALL THREE OF US SAYING HERE'S FIVE YEARS.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, IT'S COMING RIGHT BACK TO 'EM.
AND THE OTHER QUESTION IS ON THE FIREWALL, UH, IS THAT MINA
YEAH, I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET INTO THAT.
I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS GONNA TAKE THAT LONG.
AND MINA, I'LL UH, REMIND YOU WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, UH, IT SECURITY ISSUES SPECIFICALLY KEEP IT GENERAL MM-HMM
BECAUSE DETAILS WE SHOULD KEEP OUT OF PUBLIC DISCUSSION.
THAT IS ONE OF THE ITEMS WE COULD TALK ABOUT IN CLOSED SESSION.
JUST AS AN OVERVIEW, IS THIS FIREWALL SERVICES FOR THE WHOLE CITY? YES.
SO WE UPGRADING THE FIREWALL, UH, FOR THE ENTIRE CITY SINCE IT'S, UH, DUE NEXT YEAR.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT WASN'T POLICE FIRE, SOMETHING SEPARATE.
NO, THIS IS FOR EVERYTHING SERVICE.
AND THEN, UH, WHO, SOMEBODY ASKED FOR A $10,000 AIR COMPRESSOR AT THE CENTRAL FIRE STATION.
WHAT DOES A $10,000 AIR COMPRESSOR DO MR. HUNT? THAT A $300 AIR COMPRESSOR WON'T DO? IS THIS TO FILL OXYGEN BOTTLES? I DON'T BELIEVE MR. HUNT IS IN.
MR. TELL DON'T BELIEVE SO IF IT'S THE AIR COMPRESSOR I'M THINKING ABOUT, THEY GOT AN AIR COMPRESSOR OVER THERE THAT KEEPS THE, UH, THAT THEY PLUG ALL THE TRUCKS AND EVERYTHING INTO THAT KEEPS THE AIR PRESSURE BUILT UP ALL THE TIME ON THE AIR BRAKES.
SO WHEN YOU WALK IN THERE AND HIT THE KEY, IT DISCONNECTS THE POWER.
SO THE BATTERIES ARE CHARGED AND THE, AND THE AIR, UH, ALL THE AIR SYSTEMS ARE AIRED UP SO YOU CAN LEAVE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SIT THERE AND WAIT FIVE MINUTES FOR IT TO BUILD UP 180 POUNDS OF AIR.
SO YOU CAN HEAD DOWN THE ROAD.
I'M NOT SURE, BUT IF THAT'S THE AIR COMPRESSOR I THINK THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, THAT'S THE ONE THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO PUT A NEW MOTOR ON.
I DON'T THINK THE MOTOR, THE ONE THEY ORDERED OR COMPRESSOR EVER FIXED THE TANK.
SO I GUESS THEY'RE BUYING A WHOLE NEW ONE, BUT I'M GUESSING I DON'T KNOW THAT.
BUT IF IT'S THE ONE I'M THINKING ABOUT, THAT'S THE ONE THAT SUPPLIES THERE TO THE ENTIRE STATION.
COUNCILMAN, I'LL GET THE ANSWER FOR YOU FROM MR. HUNT.
IT, IT WOULD SEEM LIKE, UH, WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD SIZED AIR TANK OVER THERE NOW THAT THE EXISTING COMPRESSOR'S SITTING ON.
YEAH, I THINK THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIX THAT FOR A YEAR AND IT'S STILL NOT WORKING.
SO IT MAY BE CHEAPER JUST BUYING NEW ONE.
HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE AIR COMPRESSOR AT THIS, UH, CENTRAL FIRE STATION.
SO, SO THAT'S ACTUALLY THE ORIGINAL AIR COMPRESSOR AFTER HARVEY REPLACED THE, UM, PUMP ON IT.
THE PUMP FAILED AGAIN THIS LAST YEAR.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO, WE BOUGHT A NEW PUMP.
I THINK IT WAS LIKE $750 OR SO.
UH, WE'RE STILL HAVING ISSUES WITH IT.
UM, I THINK THE, THE MOTOR'S GONE OUT JUST WITH IT BEING THE ORIGINAL COMPRESSOR.
I THINK IT, IT'S TIME TO, TO REPLACE IT, UM, WITH AN UPGRADED, ESPECIALLY AS THE MORE THE FIRE TRUCKS ARE PLUGGING INTO IT, EVERYTHING ELSE, THERE'S MORE DEMAND, UM, AND SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA HAVE A, A WARRANTY WITH IT AS WELL.
IS THERE DEMAND FOR THAT COMPRESSOR TO RUN ALL THE TIME OR JUST PART-TIME? MM-HMM.
Y'ALL HAVE A BIG STORAGE TANK, CORRECT? CORRECT.
UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A 80 GALLON TANK.
UM, AND THE ONE THAT WE PRICED OUT I THINK WAS UH, SIMILAR.
UM, SO ONCE THE TRUCKS ARE FILLED UP, IT'S FOR THE AIR BRAKES AND RIGHT.
AND IT FILLS UP AND IT HITS THAT THRESHOLD, IT CUTS OFF.
SO WE COULD USE A SMALLER AIR COMPRESSOR, IT WOULD JUST HAVE TO RUN LONGER TO KEEP THE TANK FULL.
AND IT'D BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT.
OR DO WE HAVE MUCH LOSS OF THE AIR? IT WOULD BE RUNNING A LOT LONGER AND HARDER.
UM, 'CAUSE WHEN THE TRUCKS COME BACK IN, THE SYSTEM IS CHARGED WITH AIR OR DO THEY BLEED THE AIR COMPLETELY OFF? NO.
[00:40:02]
YOU DON'T BLEED THE AIR OFTEN IT BREAKS.SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT STARTING FROM SCRATCH EVEN WHEN THE TRUCKS COME BACK IN.
SO, UM, MAYBE THAT EXPANSION TANK, WE COULD USE THAT AND PUT SOMETHING SMALLER ON THERE THAT WOULD KEEP IT.
AND PART OF IT IS WHERE IT'S PIPED THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING.
SO IT, THAT TANK IS YOU'RE FILLING, I THINK IT'S A ONE OR TWO INCH PIPE THAT RUNS UP ACROSS THE CEILING AND THEN DOWN TO EIGHT DIFFERENT REELS THAT GO DOWN TO THE EACH OF THE BAYS.
DO WE HAVE A LOT OF AIR LOSS IN HOSES, FITTINGS AND THAT SORT OF THING IS TO HELP HIM OUT? IT'S KINDA LIKE AN AIR COMPRESSOR AT YOUR HOUSE.
WHEN YOU LEAVE IT PLUGGED IN, WHETHER YOU'RE USING A GUN OR A DRILL, WHATEVER MM-HMM
YOU'LL HEAR IT KICK ON EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.
AND PRESSURE THE, THE SYSTEM BACK UP.
UH, ANYTIME YOU GOT A AIR LEAK, THE SYSTEM'S GOING TO BLEED DOWN.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S AN AIR LEAK ON THE BRAKES ON AN AMBULANCE OR THE BRAKES ON THE FIRE TRUCK OR A JOINT UP THERE AT THE HOSE RE IN THE ATTIC, WHEREVER THERE'S A LEAK, IT'S GONNA KICK ON TO FILL IT UP.
I MEAN, IF IT'S RUNNING ALL THE TIME, WE KNOW WE GOT PRETTY GOOD LEAK.
BUT HOW OFTEN IT'S GOING TO KICK ON AND OFF.
I JUST TELL YOU HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS.
THERE'S ALSO, UH, THERE'S SOME BETTER TECHNOLOGIES NOW BEING, THIS IS FEEDING INTO SOME OF THE VEHICLES, UH, FILTERS AND WHATNOT TO CAPTURE MOISTURE, ANY KIND OF DEBRIS AS IT'S PULLING AIR IN.
DO WE HAVE AN AIR DRYER ON IT RIGHT NOW? CURRENTLY THERE IS, YES SIR.
UH, AND THEN WE ARE ALSO, IT'S A DMD.
Y'ALL ARE ALSO, OH DMD Y'ALL ARE ALSO, UM, TRANSFERRING 250,000.
Y'ALL ARE GONNA PUT TRANSFER $250,000 TO THE STREET MAINTENANCE FUND AS WELL THIS YEAR.
UM, WHICH THEN LEAVES YOU Y'ALL'S ORGANIZATION OR Y'ALL'S BOARD WITH UH, $254,000 OF A SURPLUS.
I MEAN MY, THAT'S READING ALL THAT RIGHT? CORRECT.
UM, WHAT WOULD THE PLAN BE FOR THAT $254,719 OF SURPLUS? IF IT DOES HAPPEN, WHAT WOULD WE WANT TO DO WITH THAT? I MEAN, ARE, DO Y'ALL HOLD A FUND BALANCE CURRENTLY? YES SIR.
THE PLAN FOR THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE NOT TO DISTRIBUTE TO NONPROFITS LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR AND FOCUS ON THE CITY'S NEEDS.
SO WHAT I WOULD, MY REQUEST, YOU KNOW, JUST TRAVIS MAGLIO'S REQUEST WOULD BE TO LOOK AT MOVING THAT UP, WHAT THE DMD CAN DO TO HELP OUR SITUATION AT THE CITY.
AND FROM WHAT I'VE TALKED TO MR. CAREY ABOUT, PROBABLY MORE THAN ANYTHING IS PAYING FOR MORE POLICE SERVICES BECAUSE I KNOW LEGALLY Y'ALL ARE ALLOWED TO DO THAT WITHOUT HESITATION.
IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT NOW WE CAN REPURPOSE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS FOR OUR STREET MAINTENANCE FUND.
THEN IF WE DO THAT, WE DON'T HAVE TO TOUCH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING TO FIX MORE STREETS.
THEN WE ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO BUILD MORE THINGS IN THE CITY OF DICKINSON.
UM, SO THEN WE INCREASE OUR TAX REVENUE AND WE CAN PAY FOR MORE STREETS.
WE ALSO HAVE A BOND RATING THAT WE JUST CAME OUT WITH.
SO THIS IS ALL PART OF THE PLAN THAT HIM AND I HAVE STARTED TALKING ABOUT OF THIS LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PLAN IS THERE ARE THINGS LIKE COS AND BONDS THAT WE CAN DO AND WE CAN PAY FOR ROADS.
IT'S JUST LIKE WHEN YOU'RE AT YOUR HOME AND YOU WANNA BUY A NEW HOUSE, THE MORE YOU MAKE, THE MORE THE LARGER HOUSE YOU CAN QUALIFY FOR.
SO THE MORE MONEY WE MAKE THIS CITY, THE BIGGER BOND WE CAN DO AND WE CAN KNOCK OUT THOSE ROADS.
UM, I SAW A STUDY $85 MILLION JUST TO MAINTAIN THE ROADS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE UP TO PAR.
WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT WITH NICKEL AND, AND DIAMOND THIS STUFF.
WE'RE GONNA DO IT BY BEING IN A GOOD FINANCIAL POSITION AND BEING ABLE TO UTILIZE DEBT AS A TOOL, NOT AS A LIABILITY.
THAT IS WHAT I'M HOPING TO DO IN THE FUTURE.
BUT THIS IS WHY SHORT TERM, WE HAVE TO GET OUR BALANCE SHEET SQUARE ONE BECAUSE WE'RE BRINGING ON MORE RISK WHEN WE BRING ON COS AND WE BRING ON BONDS.
SO THE MORE DEBT WE BRING ON, 'CAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE A BOND FALL OFF AS WELL.
WE HAVE CAPACITY TO FUND SOME OF THESE BONDS TO TAKE CARE OF THE ROADS.
BUT THE FIRST THING WE HAVE TO DO IS WORK ON OUR, OUR SALARIES, OUR REVENUE.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE MORE MONEY SO THAT WE CAN AFFORD TO BUILD THE ROADS THAT EVERYBODY'S ASKING FOR.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S JUST NOT IN THE
[00:45:01]
BUDGET RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF HOW EXPENSIVE IT COSTS TO REPAIR THOSE.HOW WE, ONCE AGAIN, I GO BACK TO 25 YEARS AGO WHEN THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD THIS PLACE UP AND INSTEAD THEY ANNEXED A BUNCH OF OF LAND AWAY FROM DICKINSON.
THERE'S A REASON WHY BAY COLONY'S NOT PAYING A SALES TAX OR A, UM, SORRY, PROPERTY TAX.
THERE'S A REASON WHY HOME DEPOT IS IN LAKE CITY RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S A REASON WHY A LOT OF THESE PE VERY LARGE SALES TAX CONTRIBUTORS ARE NOT IN DICKINSON.
OUR LEADERS DECIDED THAT 20 TO 25 YEARS AGO WE STILL HAVE TO DO IT AND NOW IT'S GONNA COST MORE AND MORE EVERY YEAR.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THIS.
LET'S JUST GET RID OF EVERYTHING AND JUST DO STREETS AND ROADS.
AND IF YOU CAN FIND ANOTHER BETTER WAY TO DO IT, PLEASE TELL ME.
UM, 'CAUSE I'VE RAN THESE NUMBERS ABOUT 400 TIMES.
MAYOR, UM, JUST THE FYI, THERE HAS BEEN SOME INITIAL DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN STAFF AND THE BOARD ABOUT THE REQUEST TO SUPPORT THE, AND AND THE, WE DIDN'T TAKE ANY ACTION ON IT AT THAT TIME, BUT THE CONSENSUS WAS THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IS IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING THAT.
UM, YOU SAID 85 MILLION JUST FOR CLARITY, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE HEWITT ZOLES STREET REPORT? YEAH.
I THINK 5 MILLION JUST TO NOT MAKE ANYTHING ANY WORSE.
AND, AND 10 MILLION TO TRY TO MAKE INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS.
AND, AND THAT STRESSES THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE MORE MONEY.
JUST LIKE IN YOUR JOB YOU EXPECT PAY INCREASES.
WE ALSO HAVE THIS THING CALLED HUMAN CAPITAL WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF IF WE LOSE GOOD EMPLOYEES BECAUSE WE CAN'T PAY 'EM ENOUGH.
THAT'S ALSO A HUGE DETRIMENT TO US.
WE'RE NOT GETTING HIGH QUALITY INDIVIDUALS TO WORK IN OUR CITY RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE A PHENOMENAL STAFF AND IF WE DON'T PAY THEM, WE LOSE THEM.
UM, SO THEREFORE, JUST LIKE THEY NEED MORE MONEY, WE HAVE TO MAKE MORE MONEY IN THE BEST WAY IS OUR EDC, OUR DMD AND US COMING TO THIS, THIS GOAL.
AND I FIGURED THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK ON RECORD.
SO, UH, 'CAUSE AMY, I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS AT EVENTS WE RUN INTO, SO YEAH.
SO ON THE SURPLUS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LAST LINE? YES SIR.
AND IT GOES DOWN ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM AND IT, YEAH.
SO WHAT IS THE, UH, RESERVE FOR UNSEEN NEEDS FOR THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND BACK ON PAGE TWO OF FIVE THEN? ABOUT HALFWAY IN THE PAGE.
IS THAT PART OF SOMETHING 54 OR IS THAT ANOTHER A HUNDRED? THAT'S A PART OF IT.
SO GOD FORBID WE GET ANOTHER DISASTER OR ANYTHING THAT IS PART OF THE 2 54 SURPLUS.
OH, A HUNDRED THOUSAND IS BUDGETED FOR UNFORESEEN NEEDS.
IT'S NOT PART OF THE SUR THAT'S NOT PART OF THE SURPLUS THAT, THAT'S PART OF THE 9 95 AT THE TOP FOR PROJECTS.
YEAH, I WAS ABOUT TO SAY THERE'S NO WAY, UH, THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE
IF WE TOOK PLUS THE HUNDRED THAT YEAH.
PLUS THE HUNDRED WOULD EQUAL 3 54 THAT'S IN THAT LINE ITEM OF PROJECTS WITHIN THE HUNDRED.
SO IN CASE THERE HAS TO BE DEBRIS CLEANUP YES SIR.
THEY CAN STEP IN THERE AND DO IT.
AND AND WE DID THAT LAST YEAR.
WE PAID FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE BARREL.
THE, THE SHORTAGE THAT THE CITY DIDN'T HAVE.
WE COVERED THE REST OF THAT BECAUSE I THINK BARREL COST US A MILLION DOLLARS DIDN'T IT? IT WAS EXPENSIVE ON THE ONE WE HAD IN APRIL.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO ALSO DO BETTER BECAUSE THERE WERE POL THERE WAS THINGS THAT WE COULD'VE PUT INTO PLACE BEFOREHAND, UM, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN THAT I LEARNED ABOUT RECENTLY.
SO, UM, WE WILL TRY TO HELP WITH THAT AS WELL.
ON MAKING SURE WE DECLARE DISASTERS.
UM, SO WE CAN GET REIMBURSED FOR THAT.
BUT I'M GLAD THAT WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE THAT MEANS WE CAN ACTUALLY UTILIZE THE TWO 50 FOR OTHER MEANS AK POLICE, SO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DMD? NO, BUT I MAKE A COMMENT BECAUSE I DON'T SEE REAL WELL, BUT I CAN SEE SOME EYES GET REAL, REAL BIG IN THE VERY BACK.
UH, I KNOW I'M ACCUSED OF HATING OF ANIMAL, SO IT IS WHAT IT IS.
BUT, UM, IF WE START TAKING MONEY AWAY FROM THEM OUT OF THE FIVE, FIVE AND FIVE AND WE MAKE 'EM TAKE IT OUTTA THEIR BUDGET, IF WE DON'T GIVE 'EM 15, WE GOTTA GIVE 'EM SOMETHING BECAUSE THAT 15 NOW GOING TO COME OUTTA THEIR BUDGET TO OFFSET WHAT THEY'RE LOSING TO START THE, UH, PUTTING SEED MONEY UP, I GUESS YOU'D
[00:50:01]
CALL IT, TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE, THAT GALA THEY HAVE OUT THERE.WELL, I GUESS IN, IN, IN MY, IN THE THOUGHT PROCESS, IT WOULD BE NO MATTER WHAT THE 15,000 IS COMING OUTTA CITY FUNDS NO MATTER WHAT.
THAT, SO THE 30,000 IS NOT WHAT WE'RE RAISING.
SO THE 15 IS JUST A, A HOLDOVER TO BASICALLY PAY THE FRONTAGE TO GET THE THING GOING.
ONCE WE MAKE THE 15, IT'S A WASH EITHER WAY.
FIFTEEN'S A SEED MONEY, THEN THEY MAKE 15 MORE OFF OF IT, BUT MM-HMM
AND SO IT COMES RIGHT BACK TO 'EM.
I DON'T WANT TO SEE 'EM PENALIZE.
I JUST, I SEE THE EYES GET BIG OUT THERE WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT TAKING MONEY AWAY FROM SOMEBODY.
WELL, AND I GUESS I UNDERSTAND SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT AVENUES, RIGHT? LIKE IT'S LIKE IT'S ALL DICKIN, IT'S ALL DICKINSON MONEY.
SO WHERE IT COMES FROM WE CAN BUDGET IT.
WELL THAT'S THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, BUT I GET CONTINUALLY REMINDED DON'T KNOW THAT'S EDC MONEY AND THAT'S MANAGEMENT DISTRICT MONEY AND YEAH.
I GET REMINDED THAT CONSTANTLY EVERY WEEK WHEN I SAY IT'S ALL CITY MONEY, BUT WELL, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE IT'S DEFINITELY TAX PAYING DOLLARS MONEY.
I DO JUST WANNA SAY THAT I, UM, AM EXCITED TO SEE THAT HOT FUNDS ARE ABLE TO HELP WITH THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS.
IT HAPPENS LITERALLY IN MY BACKYARD
SO, UM, I I WAS EXCITED TO SEE THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS A, A WONDERFUL EVENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY THAT THAT NEEDS TO KEEP GOING.
WHAT, CAN SOMEONE CLARIFY WHAT WE ARE ALLOWED TO USE HOT FUNDS FOR? IT HAS TO BE FOR TOURISM.
SO, UM, LIKE THEY SAY HEADS IN BEDS, ANYTHING THAT BRINGS TOURISM TO TOWN OKAY.
THAT WOULD POSSIBLY CREATE HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAX REVENUE.
DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW OFFHAND HOW MUCH HOT TAX WE'VE BEEN COLLECTING? ONLY AROUND 30,000 A YEAR.
SO IT CAN'T FULLY SUPPORT THE FESTIVAL OF WHITES, BUT IT CAN CONTRIBUTE, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY 50% OF WHAT THE DMD USUALLY CONTRIBUTES, ALTHOUGH THEY'VE HAD TO MOVE THE PARKING BACK TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
BUT WHEN IT WAS OVER THERE ON THE FREEWAY, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING IT HELPED.
UH, AT THE TIME MONTEREY HOUSE AND ALSO BOOT BARN GOT SOME BUSINESS THAT THEY WEREN'T ANTICIPATING AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME.
BUT IN THE BEGINNING WHEN WE RAN THE BUSES, ANY OF THE POLICE OFFICERS AND STUFF THAT SAT THERE, WE RECOGNIZED MOST OF THE PEOPLE GETTING ON THE BUS.
TODAY I HAVE, I HARDLY RECOGNIZE ANYBODY, SO IT TELLS ME A LOT OF 'EM ARE COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF TOWN.
THE LOCAL PEOPLE KNOW WHERE TO GO PARK AND, AND WALK IN.
BUT THE ONES THAT DON'T, A LOT OF PEOPLE WE SEE GETTING OFF AND IN AND OFF THE BUSES.
AND THEN, UH, POLICE VEHICLES WILL THIS BE IS HOW OFTEN ARE WE BUYING POLICE VEHICLES? EVERY YEAR.
EVERY YEAR WE BUY AT LEAST FOUR.
THERE'S A WHOLE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT.
WELL, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT COMING FROM LIKE, IF WE DON'T HAVE TO, THAT'D BE AWESOME TO NOT HAVE TO PAY 360,000.
HISTORICALLY WERE PAY OUT OF THE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT FUND.
UM, BUT WE HAVE NOT FUNDED THAT RECENTLY.
SO WE HAVE BEEN GOING ASKING FOR DMD TO FUND THOSE.
I THINK EVERYONE CAN AGREE IT'S NEEDS OVER ONCE.
IF IT'S A NEED, THEN WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF IT BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE DICKINSON A VERY SAFE AND UH, AWESOME PLACE TO LIVE.
AND POLICE IS THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.
SO IN THE PAST, EVERY TIME THE CITY NEEDED MONEY, THEY CUT POLICE CARS.
THEN THE NEXT YEAR YOU HAD TO BUY TWICE AS MANY AS YOU WERE GONNA BUY THE YEAR BEFORE BECAUSE YOU GET BEHIND.
IF, UH, IF I HAD MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE, I'D BUY EVERY ONE OF THEM THEIR OWN CAR.
YOU TEAR IT UP, WE KNOW WHO TORE IT UP 'CAUSE IT BELONGS TO YOU.
BUT THESE CARS ARE ON THE ROAD 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, ALWAYS RUNNING.
SO THEY VERY, VERY RARELY GET TO REST.
IF THEY HAD THEIR OWN CAR, IT'D ONLY BE ON THE, ON THE ROAD 12 HOURS A DAY FOR WHATEVER THREE OR FOUR SHIFT.
THEY, THEY'RE WORKING AT THE TIME AND THEY WOULD GET A BREAK.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT LUXURY AND UH, THESE CARS STAY STAY ON THE ROAD ALL THE TIME.
SO IF WE CAN KEEP BUYING FOUR AND NOT HAVING TO CUT BACK THAT OR BUY MORE, IF WE HAD EXTRA MONEY TO HELP GIVE US SOME EXTRA ONES WHEN THEY BREAK DOWN, WE'D BE A WHOLE LOT BETTER OFF ON THAT.
ANY OTHER, UH, COMMENTS? WELL, JUST WHAT WE WROTE THE SUBJECT.
HOW MANY POLICE CARS DO WE NORMALLY BUY EACH YEAR? IT'S BETWEEN THREE AND FOUR.
IT'S USUALLY AROUND THREE OR FOUR.
[00:55:02]
AND WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE AUCTIONED OLD POLICE CARS OFF? UM, WE JUST DID, WHAT WAS IT LAST YEAR? LAST YEAR? I KNOW WE, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST YEAR, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY WE DID.WE CAN VERIFY THAT, BUT YES SIR.
AND THEN ARE WE DOING ANYTHING TO MAKE THESE POLICE CARS LAST LONGER? HERE'S CHIEF BEARS IN
I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY AUCTIONED SOME OF THE CARS.
WHAT WE DO IS GIVE 'EM TO OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
I KNOW THAT BAS IS USING FORMER POLICE CARS AND THEN THEY WERE AUCTIONED.
ALTHOUGH THEY DON'T AREN'T BEING USED FOR POLICE SERVICES, THEY ARE, THE CARS THAT CAN'T BE USED FOR FRONTLINE CARS ARE GOING TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN MANY CASES.
THE FOUR THAT ARE ON THIS YEAR'S REQUEST ARE REPLACEMENTS FOR THE, UH, ROUGHLY 19 THAT ARE BEYOND THEIR SERVICE LIFE.
BUT TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOWNSEND'S, UH, REMARKS EARLIER, IF WE CAN MAINTAIN THE ONES THAT WE HAVE NOW RATHER THAN JUST TAKE 'EM OUT AND USE THESE FOUR AS FRONTLINE VEHICLES, THEN THAT WOULD ACTUALLY ALLOW US TO UH, UH, OUR OICS OR OUR, OUR PERSONS THAT TAKE OVER FOR SERGEANTS TO HAVE THEIR CARS SO THEY DON'T DRIVE IT AS MUCH.
SO, AND HE'S CORRECT IF, IF THEY DO HAVE THEIR OWN ASSIGNED, THEY ALWAYS CALL 'EM TAKE HOME CARS, BUT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO TAKE 'EM HOME.
THEY TEND TO TAKE CARE OF THEM BETTER AND THEY, YOU TEND TO GET A LONGER SERVICE LIFE OUT OF THOSE TYPES OF POLICE CARS.
SO TO HIS POINT, HE'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
SO WHAT DO YOU FIGURE THE AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF A POLICE CAR? IS IT, IS IT AT HOURS OR MILES? WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE OUR METERS ON OUR VEHICLES, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STOPPED ABOUT, UH, 25 MONTHS AGO IS WE DO NOT SIT AND LET THE CARS IDLE ALL THE TIME, UH, LIKE THEY USED TO.
WE, WE STILL CATCH THE OFFICERS DOING THAT FROM TIME TO TIME AND TELL 'EM, DON'T LET YOUR CAR IDLE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE WANTING TO KEEP IT COOL DURING THE, UH, THE SUMMERTIME.
BUT THAT'S REALLY ROUGH ON THE, ON A POLICE CAR, THEY DO IT ENOUGH ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENT SCENES OR REGULAR CALLS FOR SERVICE.
BUT WHEN THEY'RE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE'VE TOLD THEM STOP DOING THAT A LOT.
SO, UH, IF WE HAD HOUR METERS, I COULD GIVE YOU A BETTER ANSWER.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE HOUR METERS.
ALTHOUGH YOU COULD PLUG INTO THE, UH, LIKE, UM, THE BRAIN OF THE SYSTEM, THE ECM, AND IT COULD TELL YOU HOW MANY HOURS.
WE JUST DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE THE TRUE HOUR METER.
THE AVERAGE, UH, LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A, OF A STREET CAR, UH, A CAR THAT'S RESPONDING TO CALLS FOR SERVICE IS ABOUT FIVE YEARS.
AND HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU THINK THAT EQUATES INTO? THAT'S PROBABLY, I'D BE A, A WILD GUESS FROM ME.
I REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HOURS THAT EQUATES TO WHEN WE DO SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE, OIL CHANGES AND EVERYTHING, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT THE NUMBER HOURS DOWN ON THE TICKET AND DEVELOP THAT.
ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS PLUG INTO THE ECM.
IF WE ACTUALLY HAD, YOU KNOW, THE BRAIN ITSELF, IF WE HAD, UH, OUR METERS, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT.
IT'S ACTUALLY A, A DEVICE THAT USUALLY UNDER THE HOOD.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT TAKE HOME CARS LIKE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOWNSEND, UH, SPOKE OF EARLIER.
YOU NORMALLY GET ABOUT A SEVEN YEAR LIFE OUT OF THOSE VEHICLES AS OPPOSED TO THE NORMAL FIVE YEAR LIFE OUT OF A VEHICLE THAT'S BEING USED A LOT.
SOME OF THESE VEHICLES THAT WE HAVE ON THE REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE, BECAUSE IT'S THEY'VE BEEN USED SO OFTEN AND THEY DON'T GET A BREAK, UH, THEY'RE READY TO GO IN LESS THAN FIVE YEARS, PROBABLY 125,000 MILES, WE START LOOKING, GONNA GET RID OF ONE.
UH, THE AND THAT HELP YOU ON YOUR QUESTION INSTEAD OF OURS? WELL, IT DOES.
WE DO HAVE OUR METERS ON THOSE FORD EXPLORERS AND THOSE PICKUP TRUCKS.
IF IT'S, IF IT'S, UH, ON THE ECM, IF YOU CAN PLUG INTO THAT, YOU CAN GET THE HOUR METER OFF OF IT.
UH, THE PERSON, UH, ED MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE BETTER, UH, ANSWER THAN I DO BECAUSE I, WE DON'T MM-HMM
POLICE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T DEAL WITH MAINTENANCE.
BUT, UH, OPTIMAL WOULD BE YOU GET AROUND 80,000 ON A, ON A FRONTLINE VEHICLE BEFORE YOU TRY TO CYCLE IT INTO A NON FRONTLINE VEHICLE.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS YOU WANT TO GIVE THE OLDER VEHICLES TO THE, UH, THE SERGEANTS AND, UH, AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE NON-FIRST RE RESPOND.
YOU KNOW, NOT FIRST OUT THE GATE, IF YOU WILL.
YOU WANT THE PATROL OFFICERS TO HAVE THE, THE FRESH STOCK, IF YOU WILL.
CHIEF, HOW MANY, UH, VEHICLES DO YOU SORT OF, I GUESS, KEEP IN RESERVE FOR WHEN VEHICLES ARE OUT OF SERVICE? A VEHICLE BREAKS DOWN.
WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A RESERVE FLEET.
YOU JUST GRAB ANOTHER VEHICLE.
UH, 'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, NOT EVERYBODY'S ON DUTY AT THE SAME TIME.
SO YOU GRAB ANOTHER VEHICLE SO WE DON'T HAVE JUST RESERVES WHERE THEY'RE NOT ASSIGNED.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY TO THE DMD BUDGET? IF NOT, WE CAN PROBABLY MOVE ON TO, I MEAN WE CAN TALK ABOUT EDC.
WE CAN'T REALLY DELIBERATE TOO MUCH WITH THE EDC BOARD.
UM, I GUESS WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THAT? REALLY MUCH OF ANYTHING? WELL, THE COUNCIL CAN CERTAINLY DELIBERATE.
IT'S JUST THE EDC BOARD CANNOT, SINCE THEY DON'T HAVE A QUORUM TO DISCUSS IT.
UH, CAN, UH, OUR DIRECTOR DISCUSS THINGS WITH US AS WELL? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
[01:00:01]
NOT A MEMBER OF THE BODY AND SO AS STAFF HE CAN TALK TO HIS HEART'S CONTENT.SO, UH, GO AHEAD AND, UH, IF ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE, UH, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS WITH THE EDC BUDGET? UM, I, I WOULD EXPECT WE WOULD HAVE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE IN THE NEAR FUTURE SO THE BOARD CAN GIVE US THEIR VISION.
AND THE SAME THING I ASKED THE DMD, THAT'S ALL I WANTED THEM TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR AND COUNSEL GIVE US THEIR VISION, UM, SO THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY ON THE SAME PAGE AS US, UM, NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS.
UM, BUT DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS? YEAH, I, LET'S START WITH MR. FUNK.
WHAT IS YOUR VISION OF THE EDC? UH, WELL, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST WORKED ON A, ON A, A NEW MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH IS QUITE SIMPLY PUT, WE ARE HERE TO MAKE MONEY FOR THE CITY, INCREASE PROPERTY VALUES AND CREATE JOBS, UH, AND, AND ENGAGE IN CREATING A VIBRANT ECONOMY, LOCAL ECONOMY.
UM, I THINK IT'S PRETTY SHORT.
UM, AS FAR AS HOW I VIEW THE EDC, I THINK OF US AS A CONSULTING FIRM, IF YOU WILL.
UM, JUST LIKE OUR, OUR, OUR MAYOR IS A FINANCIAL CONSULTANT.
AS MANY CLIENTS, WE'RE A CONSULTANT, BUT WE HAVE ONE CLIENT AS THE CITY.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANY PROPERTIES IN DICKINSON THAT Y'ALL CURRENTLY HAVE FOR SALE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE USED FOR? WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE ANY PROPERTIES LISTED FOR SALE IN DICKINSON.
DO YOU PLAN ON USING ALL THE PROPERTIES Y'ALL OWN RIGHT NOW? UM, THERE ARE NOT ALL PROPERTIES ARE TIED TO A PROJECT.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPERTIES ARE, SOME OF THE PROPERTIES ARE RATHER SMALL.
UM, AND WERE PURCHASED, I THINK THROUGH SOME OF THE GS AND, UM, UH, BUYBACKS FROM, FROM HARVEY AS I UNDERSTAND IT.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE PRETTY SMALL PROPERTIES.
IT'S LIKE MAYBE A $350,000 PROPERTY.
IS THAT SMALL OFF OF OHIO STREET? UH, THAT NO, THAT IS A FIVE ACRE, YEAH.
FIVE ACRE PROPERTY THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY TIED TO A PROJECT.
I HAVE SOME IDEAS OR SOME CONCEPTS, BUT WE, WE'VE GOT SOME OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE, WE REALLY NEED TO, THAT HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON TO GET THOSE THINGS MOVING FORWARD.
THE BUYBACK PROJECTS THAT YOU BOUGHT FROM HARVEY, THOSE CAN'T BE SOLD, CORRECT? 'CAUSE THEY WERE FLOOD, THAT WAS FLOOD PROPERTIES AND THEY EXCHANGED FOR YES.
AND I BELIEVE WE ONLY HAVE ONE OR TWO OF THOSE.
DMDI DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE Y'ALL OWN A SINGLE ONE OF THE BUYBACK PROPERTY.
YEAH, I THINK THAT CALLED DM D.
AND THOSE PROPERTIES CAN'T BE SOLD, CORRECT? CORRECT.
BECAUSE THAT WAS GOVERNMENT MONEY TO BOMB OUT A LOW, A LOW FLOOD DEAL.
'CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN FLOODED SO MANY TIMES.
BE USED FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT MEANS WE'RE GONNA KEEP MOWING THEM FROM PERPETUAL.
WELL, I PROBABLY WON'T BE ON THE BOARD.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS SOME OF THEM WERE BOUGHT BACK BECAUSE THEY WERE IN COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ZONES AND FEMA DID NOT WANT TO REBUILD A HOME IN A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ZONE.
AND SO WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY PITCHED TO US, IT WAS BROUGHT AS A, HEY, THIS IS, COULD BE ADJACENT TO ANOTHER PROJECT IN THE FUTURE AND YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SELL OR, UM, TIE IT INTO A LARGER COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ADJACENT TO THAT PROPERTY, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY.
BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FEMA BACK FOR THE, THE MONEY WE GOT FOR THAT PROPERTY THAT WAS PART OF THE AGREEMENT.
IF WE WERE TO TURN IT INTO A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, WE WOULD HAVE TO REIMBURSE THEM FOR WHAT THEY PUT INTO IT.
THEY WILL BE HERE TOMORROW AFTERNOON.
SO I CAN BRING THIS UP AND ASK A QUESTION.
BECAUSE I MEAN, IF FEMA GAVE YOU MONEY TO BUY 'EM OUT MM-HMM
I'M SURE THEY DON'T WANT TO NEVER INSURE IT AGAIN.
FE FEMA DIDN'T GIVE US MONEY TO BUY IT OUT.
THAT CAME OUT OF THE DMD BUDGET.
THE ONES I'M TALKING TO, THE ONES I'M TALKING ABOUT, Y'ALL JUST BOUGHT YOURSELF.
WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, SWAPPED IT WITH THEM FOR A PA LOT IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, AND THEN FEMA REBUILT ON THE SWAPPED PROPERTY, NOT THE PROPERTY DMD BOUGHT.
[01:05:01]
OKAY.SO THEN YOURS CAN PROBABLY BE SOLD THEN.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING? I'M, WE PROBABLY HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH FEMA.
SO IS, IS THAT FEMA THAT DID THE BUILDING OR WAS IT G-L-O-G-L-O? YEAH, BUT IT WAS A FEMA FUNDED IT.
UH, YEAH, SO ANY PROPERTIES THAT ARE FUNDED BY FEMA HISTORICALLY AND PART OF THEIR RULINGS ARE, THEY CAN ONLY BE USED AS GREEN SPACE, UM, WHEN THEY'RE BOUGHT OUT FOR REPEATED FLOOD EVENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
ANY OTHER, UH, INNER QUESTIONS? I DO.
ON THE LAST PAGE OF 4 0 4, THE LAST COLUMN ON THE RIGHT, 3,000,004, IS THAT WHAT YOU GOT IN RESERVE? THE DEFICIT? UH, AT THE END IT, SO THE NUMBERS MEET UP TO NEGATIVE 3.456 MILLION.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE CLOSE TO 4 MILLION.
SO ON THAT PARKING GARAGE YOU GOTTA BUILD OUT THERE, YOU PLAN TO PAY CASH FOR IT OR FINANCE IT, UH, PAYING FOR IT AT A FUND BALANCE.
SO THAT'LL LEAVE YOU ABOUT TWO AND A HALF OR 2 MILLION, MAYBE LESS THAN THAT.
'CAUSE IT'S WHAT, UP TO TWO AND A HALF MILLION NOW? UM, OUR BALLPARK PART OF THAT WILL BE 2.3.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S ABOUT 5.3 TOTAL, 3 MILLION COMING BACK FROM EDA GRANT AND WE ARE TO COVER THE REST.
YEAH, BUT YOU'RE, YOUR PART OF IT IS ABOUT 2.3, CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO OUTTA THAT FOUR IS ONLY GONNA LEAVE YOU ABOUT A MILLION AND A QUARTER, CORRECT? GIVE OR TAKE, YES.
AND THAT, THAT 2.3 IS THIS, IS THAT THAT 2.885 IN THE SPECIAL PROJECTS ON YOUR SPECIAL PROJECTS THAT THAT'S, YES.
SO IT IS BUDGETED IN THERE AND THEN IT'S BUDGETED? YES.
AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING I KNOW, UH, MR. FUNK AND MYSELF HAVE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, JUST KINDA LOOKING AT LONG TERM FINANCIAL PLAN.
SOMETHING I'VE ALWAYS LOOKED AT IS, DOESN'T MAKE A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE TO FINANCE SOMETHING THAT WE AREN'T GONNA MAKE MONEY ON.
SO TO BUY PROPERTY DOESN'T MAKE A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE TO FINANCE THAT OR THE PARKING GARAGE.
IT DOES MAKE A LOT MORE SENSE TO FINANCE A PROJECT LIKE WATER STREET PROJECT THOUGH.
WHEN WE, IF WE CAN START, IF WE'RE FINANCING THE ACTUAL GROUNDBREAKING WHERE WE'RE GETTING REAL REVENUE IN IT REDUCES OUR RISK SIGNIFICANTLY.
UM, BUT SO AS LONG AS WE'RE COVERING THAT NEGATIVE, OBVIOUSLY SCARED ME RIGHT WHEN I SAW IT.
BUT, UM, AT LEAST WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER WHAT, 500,000 IN RESERVES, UM, IN CASE SOMETHING ELSE POPS UP.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE KNOW WHERE ALL THE MONEY'S BEING BUDGETED AND THEN, AND WE DO HAVE DEBT CAPACITY AS WELL IF, IF WE EVER NEEDED TO USE THAT.
AND SO THIS WAS SOMETHING AS WELL I'D LIKE TO BRING TO D-M-D-E-D-C.
EVERYBODY'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO DEBT, THE REASON WHY EDC IS A VERY BENEFICIAL THING TO US IS IF THEY TAKE OUT DEBT, IT HAS NO IMPACT TO THE CITY'S DEBT OBLIGATION OR THE CITY'S BOND RATING.
SO IT DOESN'T IMPACT LIKE Y'S CREDIT SCORE.
IF YOUR CORPORATION HAS DEBT, YOUR PERSONAL CREDIT SCORE DOES NOT GET AFFECTED.
SO OUR CITY WOULD BE ABLE TO BE, UM, UTILIZED MORE EFFICIENTLY IF WE USE OUR TOOLS THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY.
SO USING THE EDC TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ON DEBT WHEN IT MAKES SENSE.
LEMME REITERATE THAT WHEN IT MAKES SENSE, UM, THAT THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA GET OUTTA THIS MESS.
SO WITH WHAT YOU GET AROUND THIS IS ZERO ROUNDED OFF 2 MILLION WHEN YOU PAY ALL THE BILLS AT THE END OF THE DAY, HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU HAVE LEFT TO DO ANYTHING WITH AT THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN YOU PAY ALL YOUR BILLS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET? A HUNDRED THOUSAND, 200,000 AND HALF A MILLION? WELL, SO OUR, WE'VE REDUCED OUR OPERATING BUDGET BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF CAPITAL OUTLAYS TIED TO THE PROJECTS.
UM, SO I I THINK MY RESPONSE TO THAT IS I REALLY DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF, OF EXCESS, UM, COMING UP.
UM, SO ANY EXCESS THAT I HAVE, I WANNA PUT IN THE FUND BALANCE AND BE EXTREMELY CONSERVATIVE WITH WHAT WE'RE SPENDING, UM, TO SORT OF DO OUR DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS.
I, I BELIEVE WE CAME IN AT ABOUT 800,000.
UM, AND THAT INCLUDES OUR, UM, $336,000 A SA PAYMENT BACK TO THE CITY.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF YOU HAD TO PAY BACK, IF YOU EVER HAD TO PAY BACK WATER STREET AT THE END OF THE DAY, HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE LEFT AT THE END OF THE YEAR? SO BASED, YEAH, BASED OFF OF IF WE CONTINUE TO TO
[01:10:01]
BRING IN 2 MILLION AND OUR OPERATING STAYS BETWEEN THAT 800,900,000 RANGE AND THEN THAT WOULD BE 1.1, YOU KNOW, THAT WE COULD THEN PUT TOWARDS WATER STREET.ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY COMMENTS? IF NOT, NOT GONNA HOLD EVERYBODY UP 'CAUSE WE GOT ANOTHER MEETING AT THIS, BUT IF YOU HAVE YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? UH, JUST, UH, JUST ONE THING I WANTED TO CIRCLE BACK.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED, UM, FOR, FOR THE BAYOU ANIMAL FRIENDS OF JUST HAVING ONE ENTITY DO 15,000, UH, I BELIEVE THEY NEED THEIR MONEY IN AUGUST OR AUGUST, I BELIEVE, UM, IF YOU WANTED THE ED, THE EDC TO TAKE THAT ON, UM, I, I DO HAVE SOME, SOME MONEY REMAINING IN MY MARKETING FUND THAT I COULD TAKE CARE OF THE, THE $5,000 COMMITMENTS FROM THE OTHER TWO ENTITIES AND, AND I, AND THAT RIGHT THERE IS ALL I'M I WANT TO DO RIGHT, IS JUST BE, LET'S BE EFFICIENT.
LET'S, WHY ARE WE PULLING IT FROM THREE PLACES IF Y'ALL CAN AFFORD IT THIS YEAR AND WE CAN AFFORD IT NEXT YEAR AND THEY CAN AFFORD IT THE YEAR AFTER THAT.
UM, THE, THE BIG THING IS EVERYBODY, WE GET IN THIS, THIS IDEA THAT WHATEVER WE'VE BEEN DOING, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO.
WE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, AGILE WITH THE WAY WE HANDLE OUR BUDGET BECAUSE WE'RE COMING TOGETHER AND TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS BECAUSE OUR PROBLEMS THIS YEAR AND OUR PROBLEMS THREE YEARS AGO WERE VERY DIFFERENT.
OUR PROBLEMS 10 YEARS AGO AND OUR PROBLEMS THIS YEAR ARE VERY DIFFERENT.
SO I DON'T SEE IF WE CAN HANDLE WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO START HANDLING WITH.
I KNOW WHAT CHASE IS ABOUT TO DO IN OUR CITY.
UM, I THINK IN FIVE YEARS WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT VERY DIFFERENT ISSUES AND THEY'RE GONNA BE GOOD ISSUES TO HAVE, UM, BECAUSE WE'LL START ACTUALLY SEEING SOME PROGRESS WITH THIS AND ACTUALLY MAKING REAL SOLID FINANCIAL DECISIONS, NOT EMOTIONAL RIDICULOUS DECISIONS.
SO I DO NOT HAVE QUORUM THIS EVENING, BUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY'S IN AGREEMENT WITH, I CAN CERTAINLY PUT THAT ON OUR, OUR NEXT MEETING AGENDA.
COUNSEL? UH, I, I'M, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO IT.
SO WE'RE NOT MAKING A MOTION TO IT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WHAT Y'ALL'S BOARD HAS TO SAY ABOUT IT.
OTHER THAN THAT, YOU GOT ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO BRING UP ABOUT FUTURE PROJECTS, FUTURE MONEY, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, UH, THAT YOU HAD THAT I MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN TO BRING UP THERE? THERE MIGHT BE SOME THINGS IN THE, IN THE COMING WEEKS THAT WOULD BE, UM, GOOD FOR COUNSEL TO HEAR IN CLOSED SESSION.
BUT NOTHING MORE AT THIS TIME.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS TO EITHER DMD OR EDC BEFORE WE, UH, ADJOURN THIS THING SO WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE BREAK BEFORE TONIGHT'S MEETING? NOTHING.
WELL THEN, IF THAT'S THE CASE, UH, DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? YES, SIR.
SO MRS. CLARK AT MY REQUEST, WE BUILT IN A 6% COLA FOR OUR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES AS A, AS A MODEL FOR A COMPARISON.
UH, JUST A REMINDER, THROUGH THE CBA, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED RAISES IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS WHILE THE REST OF OUR EMPLOYEES DID NOT, INCLUDING OUR DISPATCHERS, THEY DID NOT.
UH, BECAUSE I CUT SO MANY POSITIONS OUT OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THIS COLA IS ALREADY PAID FOR AND WE ALSO ARE STILL IN THE BLACK OF $60,000.
UH, JUST A REFRESHER FOR EVERYONE.
I ELIMINATED THREE POSITIONS FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ADMIN AND EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT THAT TOTALED NOT $291,000 IN SAVINGS.
ALMOST PAID FOR THAT COLA RIGHT THERE.
SO, JUST SO Y'ALL UNDERSTAND THAT COLA IS BUILT IN, THERE'S COMPARISON MODELS AND UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED Y'ALL TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
WE CAN COME, WE'LL HAVE MORE WORKSHOPS IN THE NEXT FOLLOWING WEEKS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
AND JUST SO EVERYBODY THAT YOU'RE TELLING ME, IT'S THE, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT VERY, VERY FIRST PAGE, THE ONE THAT'S, UM, BLOCKED OUT WITH A BOX, THAT'S WITH THE 6% RAISE, CORRECT? NO, THAT'S NOT, THE COMPARISON IS ON THE, IN THE POCKET WHEN YOU FIRST OPEN IN THE POCKET.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT TO LOOK.
FIRST COLUMN IS EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THE BOOK IS IN THAT FIRST COLUMN.
AND THE SECOND COLUMN IS WITH THE COLA.
SO YOU'LL NOTICE THERE'S NO CHANGES EXCEPT FOR SALARIES.
SO THAT'LL BE FOR NEXT MEETING WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT JUST CITY, MORE CITY SPECIFIC BUDGET, UM, ITEMS. ALRIGHT, WELL IF THAT'S THE CASE, ANYTHING ELSE? UH, MR. CAREY? NO SIR.
UH, WE JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT OF DIRECTION AS TO WHEN Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP.
[01:15:01]
SO WHAT, UH, HOW OFTEN DO WE WANT TO DO THESE THINGS BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING? I WAS GONNA SAY, UM, WE HAVE A MEETING IN TWO WEEKS.THERE'S NO REASON TO NOT HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP, SIR.
SO, AND THAT'S GONNA BE CITY SP WE'LL JUST DO CITY SPECIFIC ON THAT ONE.
LET EDC LET DMD DO THEIR, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED TO THEM, KIND OF GET THEIR IDEAS AND THEN WE'LL BRING 'EM BACK AND LET'S SAY A MONTH OR TWO.
AND, UH, SEE WHAT THEY HAVE FOR US AS MORE OF A FINALIZED DEAL IF THEY, IF THEY'VE MADE ANY ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, AND WE WILL, WE WILL BRING UP THE STREET MAINTENANCE FUND, THE GENERAL FUND.
THAT'S WHAT WE, YEAH, THAT'S FOR US THOUGH.
THAT'S, THEY DON'T NEED, WE DON'T NEED TO BOTHER THEM WITH THAT KIND OF STUFF RIGHT NOW, SO.
UM, ALRIGHT, WELL BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE SET THAT, BEFORE WE SET A TIME LIKE THAT, WE NEED TO GET WITH DR. HOLT BECAUSE IF WE DO IT BEFORE A MEETING, LIKE TONIGHT, TUESDAY IS HIS OPERATING DAY.
SO DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THEY GO, GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND.
WE MAY HAVE TO DO IT ON A WEEK THAT WE DON'T HAVE A COUNCIL MEETING, SO WE CAN DO IT AT SEVEN.
AND SCOTT, WE NEED TO CHECK WITH HIM TOO.
MAKE SURE DARO ALRIGHT WITH THAT ALSO.
SO HERE, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AT A COUNCIL MEETING.
COULD WE ALSO JUST ADD IT INTO THE COUNCIL MEETING? JUST PUT IT AT THE, THE LAST AGENDA ITEM.
LONG AS BUSINESS SHORT, LIKE 15 MINUTES.
LAST YEAR WE SPENT FOUR HOURS UP HERE FOR LIKE THREE OR FOUR NIGHTS, WHICH WAS TOO LONG.
BUT FIRST TIME WE HAD BUDGET MEETINGS, SO WE PROBABLY NEED TO SPEND FOUR HOURS.
I'M A, I'M A NIGHT OWL, SO I'LL BE UP TILL TWO IN THE MORNING ANYWAY, SO, BUT ANYWAYS.