[Work Session on July 31, 2023]
[00:07:55]
[00:07:55]
WERE QUITE MORE THAN THAT.AND THAT'S REFLECTED IN THE YEAR IN ESTIMATES.
AND THEN FOR 24, UM, OH, SO IT LOOKS LIKE 23 FOR 24 IS ELECTION IS WHERE THE EXPENSES, IS THAT RIGHT? DIANA? SHE'S BACK OVER HERE.
IT, YOU HAVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR, UH, IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET FOR ELECTION EXPENSES.
IS THAT TO COVER 24? IT'S JUST 10.
SO THE, SO THERE WAS A HUNDRED THOUSAND IN 23 ELECTION.
SO THE, IN THE 23 BUDGET, THE ELECTION THAT TOOK PLACE, I'LL SAY NOVEMBER OF 2022 IS A FISCAL YEAR 23 EXPENSE.
AND SO WE BUDGETED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND WHEN THE BILL CAME IN, IT WAS $215,000.
SO THAT'S FOR THE, AND I SAY NOVEMBER, BUT THERE WAS NOVEMBER AND THEN THERE WAS A RUNOFF IN IN DECEMBER.
AND SINCE THERE'S NOT AN ELECTION PROGRAMMED FOR 23, THERE'S NOT AN EXPENSE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON CITY SECRETARY? NEXT ON THE LIST? IS THE CITY ATTORNEY DEPARTMENT PAGE 73? NO QUESTION.
[00:10:01]
GO AHEAD, JOHN.SO THE, UH, OVERALL INCREASE WAS JUST FOR MERIT RAISES, BASICALLY? YES, SIR.
MY QUESTION, UM, WOULD BE FOR THE, THE TRAINING AND TRAVEL, UH, WE HAVE, UM, TRAINING IN THERE, IT LOOKS LIKE, TO, UH, MAINTAIN THE NUMBER NINE CITY GOAL OR, OR ATTORNEY.
DO WE NOT PAY FOR THE TRAINING TO MAINTAIN BAR UH, REQUIREMENTS FOR OUR ASSOCIATE ATTORNEYS? IT, I, IS THAT PART OF IT? IT DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
IT JUST SAYS THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY IN THERE.
I DIDN'T SEE ANY OTHER WE THAT COVERS ALL OF THEM.
YOU KNOW, I GUESS WHILE WE'RE AT IT, CAN YOU BREAK DOWN WHAT ALL MEMBERSHIPS THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR
THERE'S A JUSTIN HICKS BAND CLUB, UH, ON HERE TOO.
SO THAT'S AN AUTHORIZED EXPENSE.
THE NEXT DEPARTMENT ON THE LIST IS CITY AUDITOR ON PAGE 77.
OKAY, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THEIR OPERATIONS BUDGET IS ON PAGE 1 0 7.
AND ALSO, IF YOU NOTICE ON THE REPLACEMENT LIST THAT'S ON THE 11 BY 17 PAGE THAT WE PASSED OUT TONIGHT, THERE ARE THE REPLACEMENT VEHICLES LISTED FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON THAT AS WELL.
WHAT'S YOUR TIMEFRAME? YOU HAVE TO TURN IT ON.
HISTORICALLY, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE GO ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE RATING SCALE THAT, UH, VEHICLE MAINTENANCE USES.
SO THIS YEAR WE HAD FOUR THAT MET THAT CRITERIA.
WE HAD SOME THAT WERE CLOSE TO IT, BUT UPON INSPECTION, BUREAU COMMANDER SAID WE COULD PROBABLY GET ANOTHER YEAR OUT OF THEM.
AND IS THE, THESE, UH, INTERCEPTOR EXPLORERS, ARE THEY, I KNOW DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS USE DIFFERENT VEHICLES.
IS THAT THE BEST VEHICLE FOR THE BEST BUDGET PRICE? IF THAT MAKES SENSE? WHAT I'M SAYING, IN YEARS PAST, UH, UP UNTIL THIS YEAR, THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE IN THE COST.
WE WENT WITH THE EXPLORERS, NOT BECAUSE IT WAS THE BEST VEHICLE, BUT 'CAUSE IT WAS MOST COST EFFICIENT VEHICLE THAT MET OUR NEED.
UH, THERE WAS A COST INCREASE.
THIS YEAR WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA TRY TO PURCHASE A COUPLE OF THE TAHOES AND TRY TO START WORKING THEM INTO THE FLEET.
AND YOU ARE STAYING WITH GASOLINE POWER, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
I DON'T WANT TO PURSUE ANY RUN OUT ABOUT, NO, SIR.
THERE'S SOME CITIES THAT HAVE DONE THAT
SO YOU'D BE SURPRISED THAT, THAT THE, SOME OF THESE CITIES HAVE TRIED TO SWITCH THEIR FLEET OVER TO EVEN FIRE TRUCKS.
THEY'RE TRYING TO SWITCH THEIR FIRE TRUCKS TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND IT'S JUST CLOSED.
IF I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH WHAT CHIEF ANA SAID.
SO TO GET ON THE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT LIST, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SO MANY POINTS.
AND LIKE, SO MOSTLY THE POLICE CARS ARE SINGLE DRIVERS.
SO THE ONES, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICERS THAT LIVE IN LEAGUE CITY, TAKE 'EM HOME, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK KIND OF THE FIRST LOOK IS THEY GET TO BE ABOUT SIX YEARS OLD.
GENERALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS WE KEEP 'EM A COUPLE EXTRA YEARS.
SO THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE FLEET HAS SLOW, SLOWLY INCREASED.
SO IT'S PUSHING AS MANY AS EIGHT
[00:15:01]
YEARS BEFORE THEY GET RE GET REPLACED.BUT ONCE YOU GET ON THE POINTS, AS CHIEF WIT SAID, THEN WE DRIVE IT, INSPECT IT, AND DEPENDING ON THAT, THEY ALL HAVE TO COME TO ME AND SAID, THIS VEHICLE'S DONE AND IT'S READY FOR REPLACEMENT.
AND SO YOU CAN IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, WITH CERTAINLY PATROL VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, RELIABILITY IS ONE OF THE BIG THINGS.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE MORE A LITTLE MORE DRIVEN BY POINTS IN THE POLICE FIELD THAN SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHERE, HEY, IF THE CAR QUITS RUNNING, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? BUT IN PD WORLD, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T REALLY AFFORD TO HAVE IT BREAK DOWN.
I GUESS MY CONCERN WAS I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS IN YEARS MILEAGE, WHATEVER.
THE MORE MILES WE PUT ON THESE VEHICLES, THE MORE MAINTENANCE THAT THEY REQUIRE.
THE MORE COST IT TAKES TO MAINTAIN THE POLICE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO, WHERE'S THAT OFFSET AT? YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? YEAH.
SO YVONNE'S NOT HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, CLASSICALLY WHEN WE SEE VEHICLES THAT ARE LESS THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES, WE PAUSE AND SAY, AH, IS IT REALLY TIME TO REPLACE THAT VEHICLE OR NOT? SOME OF THE LOW MILEAGE, HIGH IDLE TYPE STUFF, HEAVIER EQUIPMENT, DUMP TRUCKS AND STUFF THAT SPEND A LOT OF TIME WAITING, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES COME IN AT A LITTLE BIT LOWER MILEAGE.
BUT THE POLICE CARS, WHEN THEY, WHEN WE FINALLY, THEY MIGHT BE ON THIS LIST AT BETWEEN 80 AND 90,000 BY THE TIME THE NEW CARS COME IN, WHICH HAS BEEN EVERY BIT OF A YEAR OR A LITTLE MORE MM-HMM.
THESE FOUR ARE ALL OVER 90,000.
UH, SO WE'RE GET, WE'RE ROUGHLY AT ABOUT NINE, NINE YEARS, ALMOST 10 YEARS FOR 'EM.
AND THEY, UH, IF WE LOOK AT IT, THEY, THEY RUN THE MAJORITY OF THEIR SHIFTS.
SO THEY, EACH CAR IS PROBABLY LOOKING AT 19 PLUS THOUSAND HOURS ON THE VEHICLES, WHICH TAKES A TOLL, EVEN THOUGH MORE SO SOMETIMES A MILEAGE.
DO YOU WANT YVONNE TO GIVE YOU A CALL AND LAY OUT THE, THE MODEL? YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, CAN Y'ALL A LITTLE, CAN Y'ALL WRITE THAT DOWN ON THE LIST? SURE.
JUST TO HAVE YVONNE TO COMMUNICATE WITH TOM.
YOU WANT THIS COUNCIL MEMBER? THIS IS A NEW, THIS MIGHT BE A NEW CONCEPT FOR THE NEW GUYS.
I'M FAMILIAR WITH FIRE TRUCKS.
I'M FAMILIAR WITH AMBULANCES AND ROTATION THAT USUALLY GO THROUGH.
YEAH, IT'S, I'M FAMILIAR WITH FIRE TRUCKS.
I'M FAMILIAR WITH AMBULANCES AND THE ROTATIONS.
I'M NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH POLICE CRUISERS.
IT'S LESS ROTATION DRIVEN, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE OUR GENERAL PHILOSOPHY IS TRY TO DRIVE 'EM TILL THEY'RE WORN OUT AND YOU'LL SEE MORE SO LIKE WITH THE CREW TRUCKS, SO LIKE A CREW TRUCK THAT'S PUBLIC WORKS, YOU KNOW, EIGHT YEARS OF THAT.
AND IT'S PRETTY MUCH DONE WITH CREWS WORKING OUT OF IT.
A SINGLE DRIVER TRUCK, LIKE AN INSPECTOR TRUCK.
WE'LL GET 10, 12 YEARS PRETTY EASILY ON THOSE.
AND SO, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, IT DEPENDS ON USE.
AND SO IT'S NOT JUST FORMULA DRIVEN.
'CAUSE AGAIN, THE IN THEORY EXCEPT FOR MAYBE PLACE, THE DIRECTOR IS SUPPOSED TO DRIVE IT AND TELL ME THAT IT'S READY ONCE IT MAKES THE LIST.
THEY HAVE THE BUREAU, THE BUREAU COMMANDER, AND THEN MAYOR PROM.
MANN ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT STAFFING FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO MAYBE I'LL HAVE ANGIE SUMMARIZE, UM, WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT.
OR YOU WANT ME TO WANT SOME MICROPHONE? I'M MOSTLY INTERESTED IN THE, IF IT'S A BREAK, IF THERE'S A BREAKOUT OF THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT OR THE MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE OR THERE'S A BREAKOUT.
THERE'S NOT, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S, IT'S NOT CALLED OUT SPECIFICALLY.
UM, IF YOU, UH, TAKE NOTE OF THE, SORRY.
THE, UH, YEAREND ESTIMATE FOR THE POSITION COUNT FOR 23, WE HAVE ROLLED IN THE SIX OVER HIRE THAT WE HAVE HAD ON THE BOOKS FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
UH, THE DEPARTMENT HAD THOSE, UM, MOSTLY FILLED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR.
SO WE HAVE ROLLED THOSE IN AS, UH, FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS, UH, ON A PERMANENT BASIS.
AND THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE IN THE SALARIES FOR 24 DO INCLUDE THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UH, THE SIX OVER HIRE LISTED AGAIN FOR 2024.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY'RE INTO THEIR OVERHIRE AT THE CURRENT MOMENT 'CAUSE THEY'VE HAD SOME RETIREES.
UM, BUT WE WANT TO, TO OFFER THAT TO THEM IF THEY CAN FIND QUALIFIED CANDIDATES.
AND THE DETAIL IS THAT THE, ON THE CHART, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A NARRATIVE AT THE BOTTOM THAT DESCRIBES NOT ONLY THE, UH, CIVIL SERVICE POLICE OFFICERS, BUT THE TELECOMMUNICATOR OVER HIRE ON PAGE 1 0 9.
AND JAY, I HAD TWO QUESTIONS REAL QUICK.
THE FIRST ONE WAS, AND I NEVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD WHY WE'RE PAYING 112,000 FOR C C I S D CROSSING GUARD PROGRAM.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION WAS, WHY ARE WE CUTTING THE CHIEF SALARY IN HALF THIS YEAR?
THE CHIEF, WE, THAT WAS THE BEST READ THERE.
I MEAN, I DON'T REMEMBER THE, IT'S BEEN A COUPLE YEARS FOR EVERY YEAR THAT I THINK I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, WE'VE PAID, WE'VE COVERED THE CROSSING GUARDS.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE LEGALITY
[00:20:01]
OF IT.YEAH, MAYBE YOU COULD JUST, THAT'S HISTORICALLY BEEN HERE EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
SO I, THAT WAS A DEAL MADE DECADES AGO TO MY UNDERSTANDING.
AND THEY, THERE WAS SOME OF THAT WHO, WHO, WHO RUNS THE STREET, WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO GET THE CHILDREN SAFELY ACROSS THE PUBLIC ROADWAYS AND SUCH TO THE SCHOOL.
IS IT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR IS IT THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS? SO THERE WAS A DEAL STRUCK, I DON'T, MANY YEARS AGO, HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW LONG AGO, LIKE 25 OR 30 YEARS AGO.
AND THEN WE'VE LEFT THEM OBVIOUSLY MANAGEMENT OF THE CROSSING GUARD, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN MANAGE IT OURSELVES.
WE FELT IT WAS BETTER MANAGED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO COORDINATE SCHOOL TIMES AND WHO DIDN'T SHOW AND WHO SHOWED.
AND I, I DON'T THINK WE PAY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE COST, BUT WE PROBABLY PAY THE, THE MAJORITY OF IT.
IT'S A, THERE'S A CONTRACT, THE MODALITY OF IT.
BUT, UH, YEAH, THAT'S ACTUALLY, CAN I BUTT IN TOMMY? YES, SIR.
WELL THAT'S ACTUALLY AN INTERESTING QUESTION.
SO HOW, HOW DOES THAT WORK? DO WE JUST CUT A CHECK TO THE SCHOOLS? YEP.
SO THEY'RE NOT OUR EMPLOYEES, WE'RE JUST, THEY'RE THE CORRECT, THEY'RE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES.
AND, BUT IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE TOTALLY LEGAL.
I MEAN, I'M, NO, I DON'T HAVE A YEAH, I HAVE NO PROBLEM DEGREE, BUT IT'S JUST A, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE OUR ROADWAYS.
WE'LL GET, WE'LL GET, LET'S GET 'EM A, IT'S GREAT TO SEE.
IT'D BE ACTUALLY NICE TO SEE THE, THE OLD DEAL TO SEE THE DEAL ORIGINAL DEAL AND SOMEONE COULD RESEARCH THAT.
WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN FIND THE OLD CONTRACT.
WE'LL SEND YOU TALK GETS TO SCHOOLS.
IT GETS, IT GETS UPDATED PERIOD.
SO IT GETS UPDATED PERIODICALLY, YOU KNOW, AS THEY ADD SCHOOLS OR ADD CROSSING LOCATIONS.
SOME WILL PAY FOR AND SOME WILL SAY WE'RE NOT GONNA PAY FOR THAT ONE.
DOES OTHER CITIES DO IT? OTHER CITIES DO IT, YES.
NO, I MEAN, HERE LOCALLY, I MEAN, IS NAS BAY, UH, SEABROOK, EL ARGO? WE DON'T KNOW.
C C I MEAN, I WANT TO PROTECT THE KIDS.
WELL, IT'S CCC, I S D OVER THERE.
MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN, WE CAN GET LOOK AT.
WE CAN GET THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I, I DON'T WANT TO CANCEL IT OR TAKE IT OUT OR ANYTHING.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS TO WHY WE PAID.
I THOUGHT THERE WAS PROBABLY A STATE LAW OR SOMETHING BEHIND IT.
I KNOW WITH D I S D, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S THE ACTUAL TEACHERS THAT DO THE CROSSING, NOT ACTUAL MISSING GUARDS.
I KNOW, KNOW CALDER, IT'S TEACHERS THAT AFTER SCHOOL, THEY GET THE GROUP OF CHILDREN, THEY WALK ACROSS OVER TO STERLING MIST.
UH, EVEN IN, UH, LOBO ELEMENTARY, SAME THING.
THEY HAVE A TEACHER THAT BRINGS THEM OVER YEAH.
I THINK EVERY DISTRICT HAS ITS OWN NUANCE TO IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH CROSSINGS, YOU KNOW, WARRANT A GARDEN, YOU KNOW, SOME CITIES PAY FOR SOME OF THEM, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM AND OKAY.
IT WAS JUST A, YEAH, WE'LL GET A, WE'LL GET A COPY, NEVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD.
CERTAINLY WE'LL FIND WHAT WE HAVE A RECORD OF, AND CERTAINLY THE OLD CONTRACT AS WELL AS A NEW ONE.
HEY, CLIFF, I SEE THAT THE, UM, TELECOMMUNICATOR THE LEVEL OF POSITIONS ARE SHIFTING AROUND A LITTLE BIT FROM THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
UM, IS THERE AN EXPLANATION FOR THAT? I SEE THAT WE HAVE, UH, LOWER LEVEL ONES MORE LOWER LEVELS, OR WE DIDN'T LOSE ANY, DID WE? WELL, WE'VE, THE, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WE'VE BEEN AT A DEFICIT IN YEAH.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS QUITE A BIT.
SO THE ONES THAT WE, THAT HAVE MAINTAINED THAT HAVE STAYED WITH US OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS HAVE MOVED UP TO THE HIGHER LEVELS.
UH, WE DID HAVE SOME COME IN, UH, HALF OF HALF OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS ALMOST RIGHT NOW IS PROBABLY NEW.
UH, SO, UH, WE'RE, WE PROBABLY HAVE, UM, TRYING TO THINK HOW MANY WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN TRAINING.
I'D HAVE TO, I'D HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK.
WE STILL HAVE ONE OFFICER WORKING IN THERE TRYING TO FILL THAT VOID WHILE SOME OF THE NEW TCS ARE GETTING THROUGH, UH, THE TRAINING PROGRAM.
BUT, SO IT'S ALL BASED ON SKILLS, CERTIFICATIONS, TIME, AND SERVICE.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE TURNOVER'S GETTING BETTER? I BELIEVE SO.
UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY INTO ONE OF THE OVER HIRE POSITIONS THAT WE WERE ALLOWED TO GET.
SO IF WE CAN GET 'EM THROUGH THE TRAINING PROGRAM, WE SHOULD START GETTING BACK TO WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER A FULLY STAFFED COMMUNICATION CENTER.
UM, JUST A, A COUPLE OF, PROBABLY SOME EASY ONES AND THEN I, I DON'T KNOW, TO ME IT MAY BE A LITTLE LONGER ANSWER.
UM, FOR THINGS LIKE MARKSMAN EQUIPMENT, UH, TO, WHAT IS MARKSMAN EQUIPMENT, ARE YOU TALKING UNDER SPECIAL OPERATIONS OR TACTICAL? IT'S UNDER OPERATING SUPPLIES.
ACTUALLY, IT'S UNDER 5 1 2 2 50.
SO FOR, YES, THAT'S UNDER OUR, OUR SPECIAL OPERATIONS OR TACTICAL LINE ITEM.
SO OUR MARKSMEN ARE OUR, UH, OUR PRECISION MARKSMEN, OUR SNIPERS SURE.
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TEAM.SO EVERY YEAR WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN SOME MONEY ALLOCATED TO, IF A RIFLE HAS TO BE RE BARRELLED, UH, A SCOPE GETS DAMAGED, UH, BINOCULARS OR RANGE FINDERS NEED TO BE REPLACED.
SO WE MAINTAIN ANYTHING, UH, A SMALL FUND FOR ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THEM TO RETROFIT BECAUSE OF DAMAGE OR JUST IT AGES OUTTA SERVICE.
FOR THE, UH, SAME PAGE FOR THE PYROTECHNICS AND EXPLOSIVES, UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S TRAINING OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT HAS A SHELF LIFE THAT JUST NEEDS TO BE REPLACED? UM, THAT WOULD BE ACTUALLY FOR OUR EQUIPMENT, FOR OUR CHEMICAL MUNITIONS AND SOME OF OUR IMPACT MUNITIONS, AS WELL AS, UH, OUR EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS FOR, UM, HIGH ENERGY BREACHING AND SUCH.
SO EXPLOSIVES HAVE A VERY LONG SHELF LIFE IF WE STORE THEM PROPERLY, WHICH WE DO.
SO WE, WE DON'T BUY NEW EXPLOSIVES AS OFTEN AS WE BUY THE MATERIALS, SUCH AS BLASTING CAPS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT ARE MORE CONSUMABLE.
UM, OUR CHEMICAL MUNITIONS AND IMPACT MUNITIONS DO HAVE A SHELF LIFE, TYPICALLY A FIVE YEAR SHELF LIFE AND A SIX YEAR, THE SIXTH YEAR FOR TRAINING PURPOSES.
UH, SO THOSE DO GET ROTATED OUT AND THEN THEY'RE CONSUMED OPERATIONALLY, BUT THEY'RE ALSO CONSUMED, UH, FAIRLY REGULARLY IN TRAINING.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION IS GONNA BE ON THE, IT'S NOT INTO THE DETAIL ITSELF, IT'S AS THE, UH, AS YOUR DEPARTMENT IS NOW GETTING INTO THAT FULL HIRE, UH, PART WHERE YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE, THE OVER HIRES.
I, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, IT SEEMS LIKE THE OVERTIME IS STILL FAIRLY HIGH.
IS IS THAT THE CONCERN WITH THE OVERTIME WITH ME AND, AND IS IT, AT LEAST HISTORICALLY WITH THE BUSINESSES THAT I'VE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH, THAT THE OVERTIME JUST KIND OF BECOMES PART OF YOUR SALARY BECAUSE YOU'VE JUST BEEN GETTING IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF, IF THERE WAS GONNA BE A CONCERN OR IF THERE WAS A HIRING THING AS TO WHY IT WAS STILL $650,000 IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE FULLY, MAN, I, IF WE STAYED AT OUR OVERTIME BUDGET, I'D CALL IT A SUCCESS ONE
I THINK WE GO OVER THAT QUITE A BIT.
IT'S TYPICALLY OUR, OUR OVERTIME.
I WOULDN'T SAY THAT IT'S BUILT IN LIKE ANYONE'S TAKING IT AS BEING BUILT INTO THEIR SALARY.
UM, THE TRAINING UNITS ARE GUARANTEED THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE OVERTIME BECAUSE THEY PICK UP ALL THE LATE CALLS BECAUSE SAY WE HAVE AN ARMED ROBBERY DROP AT THE END OF A SHIFT, YOUR TRAINING UNIT IS GOING TO GET THAT, EVEN IF IT'S AT THE END OF THEIR, BECAUSE THEY MAY ONLY GET SO MANY ARMED ROBBERIES DURING THEIR TRAINING.
SO THEY'RE GONNA GENERATE OVERTIME DURING THEIR FIELD TRAINING PROCESS.
AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF OVERTIME GOES.
BUT IF AN OFFICER CATCHES, UM, WE DON'T CONTROL, OBVIOUSLY, AND I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS, WE DON'T CONTROL WHEN THE CALLS COME IN.
SO IF IT COMES IN AT THAT FIVE O'CLOCK, WE KNOW THAT THAT UNIT, WHOEVER GETS DISPATCHED, IS GONNA PROBABLY GO INTO OVERTIME.
WE HAVE SOME OVERLAP UNITS, BUT IF THEY'RE TIED UP ON OTHER THINGS, UM, THE OVERTIME IS UNFORESEEABLE FOR US JUST BECAUSE IT'S TYPICALLY CALL DRIVEN.
VERY LITTLE OF OUR OVERTIME IS BUILT IN AS MUCH AS IF WE GO TO TRAINING, WE TYPICALLY SAY, HEY, TRAINING OR YOU, YOU DON'T GET OVERTIME OR COMP TIME FOR THAT UNLESS WE CAN ADJUST IT OUT SOME OTHER WAY IF WE HAVE TO SEND OFFICERS TO SOME, SOME REQUIRED TRAINING.
SO THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, UH, WE TRY TO MITIGATE THE USE OF OT.
MOST OF OUR OVERTIME CONSUMPTION IS ALL OPERATIONALLY DRIVEN.
SO EVEN SO YOU ARE ADEQUATE MAN TO, TO THE OVERTIME IS JUST GONNA HAPPEN JUST BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE BUSINESS.
IT'S NOT THAT YOU COULD USE MORE STAFFING.
WE'VE ALREADY GOT YOU AT THE RIGHT STAFFING.
I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A TRICK QUESTION.
UM, WE CAN ALWAYS USE MORE STABBING.
UM, THE, REGARDLESS OF IF OUR PATROL SHIFTS ARE AT THIS NUMBER OR THIS NUMBER, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A LARGE AMOUNT OF OVERTIME CONSUMPTION JUST BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE CALLS.
I'M ALSO GONNA, THERE'S A LOT OF SPECIAL EVENTS IN THE CITY YEP.
THAT THEY WORK AND THAT'S WHAT I, I THINK SOME OF THAT IS PROBABLY A, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE, BUT HOLIDAY IN THE PARK, A LOT OF THESE, UM, SPECIAL EVENTS THAT WE HAVE, THERE ARE SOME OF THE LARGERS THAT ARE BIG CON SOME OR CONSUMERS FESTIVAL OF, UH, OF OVERTIME, 4TH OF JULY OR THE 3RD OF JULY EVENT, UH, HOLIDAY IN THE PARK, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO THOSE EVENTS.
JOHN, WHAT'S THE, UH, PLANNED LIKE MERIT OR COLA INCREASE FOR SWORN OFFICERS VERSUS NON-SWORN OFFICERS? SO PROPOSED, SO PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET, UM, PD IS ON WHAT WE CALL A STEP PROGRAM.
SO THERE'S MONEY BUDGETED FOR STEPS AND
[00:30:01]
YOU KNOW, POLICE OFFICERS AT, YOU KNOW, JUST NOT EVERY YEAR, BUT MOST YEARS UNTIL 12 YEARS OF SERVICE HAVE A STEP INCREASE.AND THEN AT YEAR 20 THEY HAVE A STEP INCREASE AND THEN WE BUDGETED 4% COLA FOR PD.
SO, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE COMPOSITE SALARY INCREASE IS AROUND 5% TOTAL IS HOW, IS HOW I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT 4% COLA FOR PD.
AND THEN THE NORMAL STEPS IS THEY'RE, UM, IN THE PAY PLAN AND THEN THE, UH, CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, WE HAVE A TWO AND 5% COLA AND INSTEAD OF STEPS, WE HAVE A TWO AND A HALF PERCENT MERIT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S PRETTY EQUITABLE ACROSS THE BOARD IF I LOOK AT A PERCENTAGE OF SALARY GOING TO INCREASES.
IS THAT ABOUT IT FOR THE CHIEF? YOU GOT ONE? NOPE, I GOT A COUPLE.
THE CHIEF, UM, SO THE CART AMMUNITION, THAT'S ALL DUTY AMMUNITION, IS THAT CORRECT? DUTY AND TRAINING AMMUNITION.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TRAINING AMMUNITION ON ONE LINE QUALIFICATION AND TRAINING.
THE, SO THE DEPARTMENT YOU'RE TRAINED WITH THE ACTUAL LIVE THE CARRY AMMO ALSO, I ASSUME SOMETIMES.
UH, WE BUY A LARGE A LION'S SHARE OF BALL AMMUNITION AND THEN WE KEEP A SIZABLE AMOUNT OF DUTY AMMUNITION FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND TO ROTATE OUT.
WHEN THEY QUALIFY, THEY WILL, UH, QUALIFY WITH THEIR OLD DUTY AMMO AND BE ISSUED NEW DUTY AMMO SO THAT WE KNOW THAT'S BEING ROTATED OUT.
CART PURCHASES THEIR, IT'S ALL PURCHASED THE SAME, BUT CART KEEPS THEIR SEPARATE FROM THE PD AMO SO THAT WE DON'T GO IN AND SHOOT UP ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
OR SWAT DOES NOT GO IN AND SHOOT UP ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT'S AMMO.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THE YEAR WE'RE LIKE, WHERE DID, WHERE DID ALL OF OUR AMMO GO?
I, SO THAT WAY WE CAN TRACK IT SINCE SWAT CONSUMES QUITE A BIT AND THEN, UH, ALL EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE USE FOR TRAINING EVERYONE ELSE, WE JUST, IT'S ABLE, WE'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN A BETTER INVENTORY AND TRACK WHO'S USING WHAT.
UH, STAYING ON THE, UH, AMMUNITION DISCUSSION, THERE'S A PATROL LESS LETHAL AMMUNITION.
SO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE IMPLEMENTED, UH, 40 MILLIMETER IMPACT MUNITIONS ACROSS PATROL.
WE HAVE FOUR LAUNCHERS THAT OH, OKAY.
ARE ABLE FOR PATROL TO TAKE OUT.
I WAS THINKING OF PISTOL AMMUNITION IS LESS LETHAL.
SO THESE ARE, UH, SINCE THE ONLY LINE ITEM THAT WAS IN THE BUDGET PREVIOUS TO THAT WAS FOR SWAT TO HAVE, UH, IMPACT MUNITIONS.
UH, WE CREATED THAT LINE ITEM, I THINK TWO BUDGETS AGO MAYBE.
UH, SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH TO EITHER FUND TRAINING AMMUNITION FOR PATROL TO CONTINUE TRAINING WITH THEM OR IF WE HAD OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENTS TO BE ABLE TO REPLACE THAT.
UM, ON THE TECHNOLOGY MAINTENANCE SERVICES SECTION, YOU HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED WHEN TO WORK.
WHAT IS WHEN TO WORK, WHEN TO WORK IS SCHEDULING.
UH, THAT'S WHERE ALL OF THE SCHEDULES FOR PATROL SHIFTS, TELECOMMUNICATORS DETENTION OFFICERS, OUR ON-CALL SCHEDULES, EVERYTHING IS MAINTAINED IN WHEN TO WORK.
ONE QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE GRID DETAIL.
UM, YOU HAVE A LINE ITEM HERE, MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME WITH THAT.
UM, $178,000 FOR TRENDING INCREASE OF 7% BASED OFF F Y I 2023 ESTIMATE.
AND IF Y'ALL DON'T HAVE THAT, PLEASE JUST WRITE IT DOWN.
AND THE FIRST PART OF THAT WAS THE GRID.
I BELIEVE IT'S AN ESTIMATE OF THE SOFTWARE INCREASE COST, BUT I WILL DEFINITELY ASK, UH, RYAN AND THE FLOCK CAMERAS, IS THAT MORE FLOCK CAMERAS OR IS THAT WE ABLE TO, WE APPROVED THAT NO BUDGET.
RIGHT? THAT'S THIS COST CAM, THE MAINTENANCE FEE, THE, FOR THE EXISTING FLOCK CAMERAS, THE ACTUAL COST IS A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT.
THE ACTUAL COST, I THINK IT'S 105, IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND FIVE.
AND THE REASON IT'S SHOWING AN INCREASE IS BECAUSE LAST YEAR THE EXPENSE WAS ABOUT 120 20,000 OF IT WAS IN GENERAL FUND, A HUNDRED THOUSAND OF IT WAS IN THE ARPA.
SO THEN PUTTING IT ALL INTO GENERAL FUND MAKES A NET AD TO THIS FUND.
BEFORE WE MOVE ALONG, UM, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, THEY HAVE CHAPTER 59 SEIZURE ASSET FORFEITURE.
WE ALSO HAVE THE GRID AND WE ALSO LISTED THE OPIOID ABATEMENT.
UM, THAT IS A NEWER FUND FROM SOME, UH, MONEY THAT WE WERE AWARDED.
[00:35:01]
PLAN FOR THAT, BUT IT IS LISTED UNDER THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.SO IF YOU GO TO THE BACK OF THAT TAB AND YOU WANTED TO SEE ANY INFORMATION ON THE OPIOID, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANYTHING BUDGETED IN 24, BUT IT DOES SHOW WHAT THE ESTIMATED BALANCE WILL BE.
AND I KNOW THAT THE DEPARTMENTS ARE WORKING ON BRINGING FORWARD, UM, SOME OPTIONS FOR THAT FUNDING.
SO AN ANGIE ON THE, UH, ON THAT SPECIAL REVENUE FUND FOR THE ASSET FORFEITURE, UH, WE YOU WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND SKIP TO THAT, RIGHT? THAT IS ABSOLUTELY FINE.
SO ON THE, UM, ON THE AWARDS, WE GO FROM A HUNDRED THOUSAND 9 82 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR END ESTIMATE TO, TO $2.5 MILLION.
WHAT'S, WHAT DID WE DO? WHAT ARE WE GONNA SEIZE IT? $2.5 MILLION? I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT I'LL LET THE CHIEF.
SO CURRENTLY WE ARE STANDING BY TO RECEIVE A SIZABLE SEIZURE FROM THE D E A FOR A CASE THAT ONE OF OUR DETECTIVES ASSIGNED TO THE D E A TASK FORCE WORKED.
IT WAS A LONG-TERM INVESTIGATION AND THE ASSETS SEIZED DURING THAT INVESTIGATION WERE SUBSTANTIAL.
SO OUR PORTION OF THAT SEIZURE COULD POTENTIALLY BE BETWEEN TWO AND TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, IT'LL JUST, WE'RE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE WHEN IT'S GONNA COME.
UM, THE CHIEF WAS THINK OR CHIEF RATLIFF THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD COME A LITTLE SOONER AND, UH, WE'RE BELIEVING WE MAY NOT SEE ANYTHING TILL THE END OF THE YEAR.
IT'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PUSHING THAT MONEY OUT'S GONNA PROBABLY TAKE A LITTLE BIT.
SO, ANGIE, IS THAT IF, WHEN THAT COMES IN, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO STAY INTO THIS FUND OR CAN IT BE GO TO THE GENERAL FUND? NO, SIR.
IT HAS TO BE SPENT OUT OF THIS FUND FOR ITS LEGAL PURPOSE AND WITH ALL THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE THOSE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
AND THEY ALWAYS ARE COGNIZANT THAT IF THE REVENUE DOES NOT SUPPORT THE EXPENSE THAT WAS BUDGETED, THEN THE EXPENSE DOES NOT OCCUR IN THAT YEAR.
AND IF YOU CAN WRITE DOWN ON THE LIST TO PUT OUT, UH, MAYBE AT ALL, COUNSEL, WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR THAT SPECIAL REVENUE FUND? UM, THEY'RE LISTED AT THE TOP.
OH, THEY ARE? ON EACH OF THE PAGES THERE'S A DESCRIPTION BOX AND IT HAS ALL OF THE LEGAL PURPOSES FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL FUND.
SO NEXT ON THE LIST IS ANIMAL CONTROL.
THE OPERATING BUDGET IS ON PAGE ONE 13 BEHIND THE GENERAL FUND TAB.
THEY ALSO HAVE A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND, WHICH IS THE ANIMAL CONTROL DONATED FUND ON PAGE TWO 90 BEHIND SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
I JUST TURN, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON ANIMAL CONTROL.
UH, WE HAVE AN ANIMAL CONTROL FUND CONTROL DONATION FUND.
AND THE BANKING FEES ARE $5,000.
HOW MUCH DO WE CARRY IN THAT ACCOUNT TO HAVE BANKING FEES OF $5,000? THE BANKING FEES ARE RELATED TO, UM, CREDIT CARD FEES.
WHEN SOMEBODY, UH, DOES ADOPTION FEES, I BELIEVE THROUGH CREDIT CARD, BUT THE SOFTWARE THAT SHE USES DOES ALLOW THE PERSON TO, UH, PAY THE FEE, DONATE THE FEE BACK IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO.
IS THAT CORRECT, JASMINE? THAT IS CORRECT.
JASMINE, DO WE HAVE, I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD SOME, WELL THAT THE, UH, DEPARTMENT'S HAD SOME ISSUES WITH THE, UM, SPAY AND NEUTERING HAVE, HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO GET THAT UNDER CONTROL? I KNOW THAT WE WERE WANTING A SEPARATE, UM, A SEPARATE PROVIDER SO THAT WE WOULDN'T BE JUST TIED TO THE ONE.
THAT'S HAVING A HARD TIME FINDING TO SEE IF WE HAD BROKEN THAT, IF WE'D BROKEN THAT OUT OR IF THAT WAS, UH, SOMETHING YOU WERE STILL INTERESTED IN.
UM, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN IF WE HAD THE FUNDS FOR IT.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE DO ONLY HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE ONE SPAY AND NEUTER VENDOR, WHICH WOULD BE LAUREL'S HOUSE.
NOW ARE YOU RELEASING ANIMALS OUT FOR ADOPTION WITHOUT BEING SPAYED OR NEUTERED? YES, WE ARE.
WE'VE ALWAYS RELEASED ANIMALS OUT JUST ON, UM, THE ASPECT OF THE LONGER THAT WE KEEP THEM THERE, THE MORE MONEY IT ACTUALLY COSTS.
SO WE INCLUDED IN OUR, UM, ADOPTIONS A STERILIZATION AGREEMENT.
SO IN THAT AGREEMENT IT ACTUALLY STATES WHEN THEY NEED TO COME BACK, UM, AND WE PROVIDE ALL OF THE SPAY AND NEUTER FOR THEM AT A LATER DATE.
SO HOW MUCH EXTRA WOULD YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY GET THIS, UH, UNDER, I DON'T WANT SAY UNDER CONTROL THEN.
YEAH, BUT TO, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO WHERE IT'S
[00:40:01]
IDEAL TO WHERE WE'RE NOT ISSUING OUT UNSPAYED OR, I MEAN, IDEALLY AT ONE ONE, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THE TWO VENDORS.ONE VENDOR WAS ANIMAL ALLIANCE, ANOTHER ONE WAS LAUREL'S HOUSE WITH THE ANIMAL ALLIANCE.
THEIR CURRENT BID, I THINK, I BELIEVE WAS LIKE $191,000.
AND THEN IN ORDER TO ADD ADDITIONALLY THE SECOND VENDOR, WE WOULD PROBABLY BE LOOKING AT ANOTHER 50 TO $60,000.
AND THAT'S THE ALVEY COUNTY? MM-HMM.
AND LAUREL'S HOUSE IS CHARGING HOW MUCH? LAUREL'S? HOUSE CHARGES 2300 PER VISIT.
SO THEY DON'T BASE IT OFF OF PER ANIMAL AS PER VISIT.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE DOING 131,000 WITH THEM BECAUSE WE'RE DOING ALL OF OUR, OUR SPACE AND NEUTER WITH THEM.
THE QUESTION I BRING THAT UP IS MM-HMM.
WE, THEY ARE LIMITED ON, I GUESS THE, THEY'RE LIMITED ON BEING ABLE TO DO MULTIPLE VISITS PER WEEK, BUT THEY ARE ABLE TO AT LEAST DO AT LEAST ONE VISIT PER WEEK, WHICH IS WHAT WE WERE DOING AT ANIMAL ALLIANCE.
ARE WE HAVING ANY LEGAL FEES FOR THE ADOPTIONS THAT ARE GOING OUT? UM, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO TO SAY, HECK WITH IT, I'M NOT GONNA DO THIS.
ARE WE HAVE, IS ARE WE SUFFERING LEGAL FEES FOR THAT? WE ARE NOT.
IS THERE OTHER ISSUES THAT, THAT ARE FINANCIALLY HITTING US BECAUSE OF THAT? NO.
THE FINANCIAL BURDEN IS ACTUALLY ON THE OWNER.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE TEXAS HEALTH CODE, THERE IS A 500, IT'S, IT IS CONSIDERED A MISDEMEANOR AND A $500 FINE ON THE OWNER, UM, TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO, UM, GET THEIR ANIMAL FIXED.
AGAIN, I'VE NOTICED IN ALL OF THE BUDGETS THAT THE YEAR TO DATE ACTUAL IS MUCH LOWER THAN WHAT WAS REQUESTED IN 23.
I UNDERSTAND FUEL PRICES WENT DOWN, BUT IT, IT, IT, WE HAVE TWO MORE MONTHS TO GO.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, IN THIS ONE HERE, GAS AND OIL IS 15,000 AND WE USED 5,450.
YET THE AMENDED BUDGET IS 15,000.
ARE WE JUST OVERESTIMATING A LITTLE BIT IN FUEL BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO MEET THAT, THAT UH, LINE ITEM BY OCTOBER.
WHEN YEAR TO DATE ANNUAL, WHEN WAS THAT TAKEN? WAS THAT JUNE? I BELIEVE THAT WAS MARCH OR APRIL.
YEAH, IT WAS MARCH OR APRIL TIMEFRAME THAT THE ACTUAL WAS IN THERE.
UH, THE YEAR TO DATE ESTIMATES IS ON, UH, THE, THE DEPARTMENT LOOKS AT THEIR CURRENT USAGE AND THEY DO THE ESTIMATE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN WE DISCUSS IT WHEN THEY MEET WITH MYSELF AND WITH THE CITY MANAGER.
SO WE COULD LOOK AT, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT TWO MONTHS PRETTY MUCH IN ADDITION TO YEAR TO DATE.
SO YEAR TO DATE WOULD BE HALF OF THE YEAR IF IT'S MARCH.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IN THAT DOCUMENT THERE MM-HMM.
IF YOU GO BACK TO PAGE ONE 16 IN THIS BOOK HERE.
YOU KNOW, MOST WE LOOKED, I'M NOT GONNA SAY, I'M NOT GONNA SAY WE WERE PERFECT.
WE LOOKED AT MOST OF THOSE GAS AND OIL ACCOUNTS AND WE DIALED 'EM DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK WHAT I SHOW IS 13,000 FOR ANIMAL CONTROL FROM THE 15,000 PER PERHAPS IN THAT LINE ITEM DETAIL, BECAUSE THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHAT'S SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
I'D LIKE TO SAY PAGE BY PAGE BY PAGE.
YEAH, I JUST NOTICED A LOT OF THEM WERE WAY UNDER.
SO IF WE DO IT IN MARCH OR APRIL, THAT WOULD PROBABLY, WE'RE TWO MONTHS BEHIND ON YEAR.
SO YOU KNOW, THE END OF, SO THE END OF MARCH IS HALFWAY THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN, AND THEN THERE'S A DELAY IN BILLING ALL OF THOSE THINGS YOU JUST SAID.
THAT WAS JUST, HEY JOHN, LET ME PIGGYBACK OFF OF HIS QUESTION.
SO IS THAT, SO I THINK WE HAD DISCUSSED THIS IS THAT I WAS SEEING PLACES WHERE I FELT MAYBE THERE WERE PLACEHOLDERS BECAUSE WE WERE HOLDING, YOU KNOW, A, A BUDGET LIMIT WHERE IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE WE WERE DISPENSING ALL THE FUNDS.
IS MARCH OR APRIL, IS THAT PRETTY MUCH EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT? YES.
IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE TOP OF THE DETAIL PAGE, RIGHT, THE NUMBERS THAT ARE ENGRAVED FOR ACTUALS, THOSE ARE USUALLY GOING TO BE PULLED IN MARCH OR FIRST PART OF APRIL.
AND SO IF THERE'S NOT A DELAY IN BILLING, WHICH THERE USUALLY IS SOME SORT OF DELAY IN BILLING OR POSTING, THAT WOULD GIVE YOU SIX MONTHS WORTH.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO SOMETIMES, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF ACCOUNT, IT COULD
[00:45:01]
BE SEASONALITY.SO THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF OPERATIONS THAT THEIR BUSY SEASON ISN'T UNTIL SUMMER.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE YEAR AND ESTIMATE BEING HIGHER, IT MIGHT NOT MAKE SENSE ON FACE VALUE, BUT WE CAN LOOK AT 'EM INDIVIDUALLY IF THERE'S ONE THAT YOU HAD A QUESTION ON O OKAY.
BECAUSE I DID SEE EXAMPLES OF SOME DEPARTMENTS WHERE IT WAS KIND OF HISTORICAL OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS WHERE WE WERE KIND OF HOLDING THE SAME AMOUNT BUT STILL DIDN'T DISPENSE THE FUNDS.
SO HOW MUCH OF A PAIN WOULD IT BE TO GIVE US A MORE IN, IN SOME OF THOSE INSTANCES? AND I MEAN THERE'S, THERE'S SOME OF THESE BOOKS ARE HUGE, UH, TO GIVE US MAYBE A MORE ACCURATE PROJECTION AS TO WHAT'S GETTING DISPENSED BECAUSE MAYBE WE CAN REDUCE SOME OF THESE CEILINGS.
SO I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO SAY WE TRIED TO DO THAT AND EVERYONE'S GOT SOME UNIQUENESS TO IT.
AND YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UM, YOU KNOW, STILL HAD SOME, I'LL SAY COVID IMPACTS PARTICULARLY, PARTICULARLY TRAVEL AND TRAINING.
SOME THINGS WE DIDN'T DO OR COULDN'T DO OR DIDN'T DIFFERENTLY.
UM, AND SO I KNOW YOU CAN ASK EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM, IT'S A DEPARTMENT HEAD.
WE WENT THROUGH LOTS OF THOSE PAINSTAKINGLY, YOU KNOW, ONE BY ONE AND YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THERE ARE SOME OF THOSE, I'LL SAY SMALLER ACCOUNTS WHERE THERE'S MAYBE THREE OR FOUR OR $500.
BUT THE BIGGER ONES, I'D LIKE TO THINK WE CAUGHT A LOT OF THOSE.
LIKE, AGAIN, LIKE THE FUEL FOR EXAMPLE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IS IT, IS IT, IS IT PERFECT WE CAN CONTINUE TO SCRUB THOSE EVERY YEAR.
AND SO THEY ALL KNOW THAT WE ASK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THOSE, WHAT ARE WE USING THE MONEY FOR AND OR CAN CAN, AND THEN THEY, IT'S YOU KNOW, $400 OUT OF A, YOU KNOW, $22 MILLION BUDGET.
AND YEAH, I WAS JUST MOSTLY LIKE THE FOUR AND $500 ONES WASN'T REALLY CONCERNED, BUT THERE'S SOMEWHERE YOU HOLD LIKE MAYBE $20,000 IN OFFICE SUPPLIES BUT MAYBE USE 2000 A YEAR.
WE, WE TRY REAL HARD TO CATCH THOSE.
AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING AGAIN AT THE, AT THE LINE ITEM DETAIL THAT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CONES HAS THERE AND THEN SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT DID WE ADJUST THE YEAREND ESTIMATES AND DID WE ADJUST THE BUDGET? OKAY.
UM, AND YOU'RE GONNA KIND OF FEEL THIS KINDA REOCCURRING WITH ME.
SO HERE FOR THE ANIMAL CONTROL, IS THE OVERTIME MAINLY DUE TO CALL OUTS FROM LIKE AT NIGHT THE, IS AN ANIMAL A POSSUM OR A RACCOON OR IS THIS SOMETHING ELSE? THE MAJORITY OF IT IS OUR AFTER HOURS CALLS FOR OUR ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? LET'S MOVE ALONG TO FIRE THEN.
NEXT IS GONNA BE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
YOU CAN FIND THEIR OPERATIONS BUDGET ON PAGE ONE 19 BEHIND THE GENERAL FUND TAB.
DO Y'ALL SPLIT THIS OR DO YOU NO, WE'LL BE GOOD.
I GUESS A PRIME EXAMPLE, AND I'LL JUST BRING IT UP, I MEAN ON PAGE, UH, 51 300, UH, LINE ITEM FOR MINOR EQUIPMENT AND FURNITURE.
FURNITURE YOU'RE SHOWING IN THE BUDGET 45,000 AND THEN IT SHOWS 2023 YEAR TO DATE ACTUAL ZERO.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT TO ME, I KNOW WORKING OUT OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY PROBABLY EITHER BOUGHT THIS OR PROBABLY HAVE IT ON CONTRACT BY NOW BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINE IT'S TAKEN TO TO GET THE BOTTLES AND SO FORTH.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I KINDA LOOK AT AT THE BUDGET.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S WAYS TO ACTUAL WAIT ANOTHER MONTH OR TWO BEFORE WE GET THE YEAR TO DATE OR YEAR END ACTUALS.
'CAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT MISLEADING.
AGAIN, TAMARA, YOU MIGHT HAVE, I MEAN, DO YOU KNOW IF THE 45 MINUTE S E B A BOTTLES HAVE BEEN PURCHASED YET? THEY HAVE BEEN.
SEE, SO THAT MONEY IS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR.
I MEAN IT'S NOT ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE YEAR TO YEAR TO DATE ACTUAL, SO IT'S KIND OF NO, LIKE YOU TALKED ABOUT TOO, THE SCOTT MANUFACTURER, THEY WERE DELAYED ON THEIR PRODUCTS AND IT SET US BACK SOME
[00:50:01]
TIME BEFORE WE GOT 'EM TOO, SO.SO IT'S KIND OF, IT'S JUST KIND OF MISLEADING A LITTLE BIT.
FOR ANY REASON EXCEPT RIGHT TIMELINE, TRYING TO PUT A BUDGET TOGETHER.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO DO YEAR TO DATE ACTUALS PRIOR TO THE BUDGET JUST BY PRINTING THEM ALL OUT.
WE COULD, IT'S PRETTY LABOR INTENSIVE TO TRY TO GO BACK AND TO TOUCH EVERY SINGLE FORM FOR EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE KIND OF GET TO WHERE WE JUST PUT A STAKE IN THE GROUND AND GO WITH THAT.
UM, BUT WE COULD DEFINITELY RUN A REPORT MAYBE, UM, THE WEEK BEFORE WE GIVE YOU THE BOOK AND PUT IT IN THE FRONT TO SHOW YOUR YEAR TO DATE ACTUALS.
UM, DOES IT ALSO HAVE LAST YEAR WHERE THEY SPENT 59,000 ON THAT FORM? I CAN'T REMEMBER.
LAST YEAR WAS, UM, ACTUALS WERE 22.
THE YEAR BEFORE THAT WAS 36, SO, OKAY.
SO IT'S JUST KINDA LOOKING AT IT.
WELL, WE'LL NEXT YEAR WE'LL WILL RUN RERUN A, UH, ACTUAL REPORT FOR EVERYONE.
THAT'S PRETTY EASY TO DO AND DUMP THAT DATA AND GET THAT.
PUT WITH THE, UH, THE DETAIL, UM, PERSONNEL.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY STAFFING CREWS DO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, CHIEF? UH, WE HAVE APPROVED FOR TWO, BUT I'D SAY THE SECOND ONE'S ONLY BEEN ABOUT 10% OF THE TIME WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO STAFF IT.
IS THAT THE DAY OR THE NIGHTTIME? DAYTIME.
DO WE HAVE A NIGHTTIME STIPING CREW YET? WE HAVE ONE.
SO WE GOT, SO WE GOT ONE PUMPER DURING THE DAY AND ONE PUMPER AT NIGHT, CORRECT.
STIP, BUT WE WENT OUT FOR A SECOND STIPEND CREW FOR DAYTIME.
AND THAT ONE'S ONLY BEING FILLED.
SO, SO YOU KNOW, SO OBVIOUSLY AS WE KIND OF WORK THROUGH CONTRACT ET CETERA AND HOWEVER WE PROCEED WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZING THEY'VE GOTTA GET SOME FOLKS TRAINED UP AS OFFICERS IN CHARGE AND ENGINEER DRIVERS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DIALED BACK THE AMOUNT WE'VE BUDGETED FOR STIPEND CREW WITH A, WITH A GOAL.
WE WANT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, TWO STIPEND CREWS ALL THE TIME.
BUT WE'RE, BUT IT'S PROBABLY NOT A REALISTIC GOAL TO THINK WE'RE GONNA GO FROM ONE TO TWO FULLY STAFFED INSTANTLY.
AND SO WE, WE DIDN'T BUDGET A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE FUNDS NECESSARY FOR TWO.
HOW, HOW MUCH ARE WE FUNDING THEN FOR THE OTHER STIPEND CREW? UH, PERCENTAGE WISE, MY GUESS IS 50%, BUT I NEED TO CONFIRM THAT.
BUT IT WAS SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
AND WE THINK WE CAN MEET THAT GOAL THIS YEAR MAYBE OR NOT? I, WE HAVE PROJECTED WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACTUALLY MAKING ABOUT 65%.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD REALLY HELP OUR RESPONSE TIME.
I THINK, I THINK THE CHIEF'S DONE A GOOD JOB MAKING THAT CLEAR TO THE VOLUNTEERS.
THE GOAL IS TO RIGHT, YOU KNOW, HAVE IT STAFFED WITH TWO STIPEND CREWS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT WITH A GOAL ULTIMATELY TO GET TO, YOU KNOW, 90 OR 95%.
UH, THE, UM, I WASN'T AWARE THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD A, THE DIVE TEAM AND SO, UM, AND SO I KNOW IT'S UNDER THE SPECIAL OPS, THE, THE CITY.
I'M LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, UH, OPERATING SUPPLIES ACCOUNT 5 1 2 50.
IS, IS THIS, HOW OFTEN IS THIS USED? UH, I'M, I'M PRETTY IMPRESSED THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE THIS.
HOW MANY PEOPLE DO WE HAVE THAT ARE CERTIFIED TO DO THIS? ACTUALLY WE'RE ONLY DOWN TO ABOUT FOUR RIGHT NOW.
SO I HAVE THE DIVE TEAM ON STOP RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TRAINED.
I'M TRYING TO GET THEM BACK THEIR TRAINING, ALL THE EQUIPMENT CERTIFIED AND SAFE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO CALLS.
SO IT'S BEEN ABOUT A YEAR RIGHT NOW WHERE I'VE PUT 'EM OUTTA SERVICE 'CAUSE THE EQUIPMENT WASN'T UP TO DATE OR ANYTHING.
SO IS IS IT A TEAM YOU THINK WE STILL NEED? OH, I THINK WE DO NEED IT, ABSOLUTELY.
WITH THE WATERWAYS WE HAVE AROUND HERE AND STUFF.
THEY ALSO WORK WITH CITY OF WEBSTER WHERE WE USED TO WORK CO-OP WITH THEIR TEAM ALSO.
SO IF WE GOT A CALL, WEBSTER WOULD GO OUT WITH THEM ALSO.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE A, WE JUST HAVE A, A LESSER NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO
[00:55:01]
ARE CER CERTIFIED NOW.WE USED TO HAVE QUITE A FEW OF 'EM NOW WE, THEY'RE KIND OF UH, I THINK THE FIRE MARSHALS WERE CERTIFIED AT ONE TIME ALSO.
AND YES, AND I THINK WE'RE ONE OF FEW DIVE TEAMS IN THIS AREA.
SO LAMAR, UH, A LOT OF, UH, DICKINSON, A COUPLE OTHER AGENCIES HAVE CALLED US AND HAD US RESPOND WITH DIVE TEAM AND I THINK DICKINSON HAS SOME DIVE TEAM MEMBERS TOO.
SO WHEREVER WE GO MUTUAL AID, IF THEY HAVE DIVE TEAM MEMBERS, THEY TEAM UP WITH OURS.
SO WE HAVE ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL ON SCENE AND YEAH.
YOU GOT ANYTHING ABOUT IT? YEAH.
CHIEF, THIS IS PROBABLY ANGIE AS MUCH AS YOU, UM, ON OUR LARGE EQUIPMENT, 55 7 30, UH, I, I'M GUESSING THAT'S TRUCKS AND SO FORTH.
DO WE USE THE, THE DEPRECIATING ASSET LIKE WE DO IN FLEET WHERE WE PAY SO MUCH INTO A FUND EVERY YEAR? OR DO WE CAPITAL FUND THIS LARGE EQUIPMENT? MOST OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S PURCHASED FROM THERE IS GOING TO GO THROUGH THE CAPITAL REPLACEMENT FUND AND DO THE MOTOR POLICE FEES.
I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THE LAST PART? THEY'LL BE PART OF THAT MOTOR POOL LEASE FEE LINE ITEM.
SO EVERY YEAR THERE SHOULD BE A CERTAIN PORTION OF MONEY GOING IN FOR THE REPLACEMENT COST.
WE DON'T HAVE A REQUESTED BUDGET THIS YEAR AT ALL FOR EQUIPMENT.
THE ONLY TIME THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A CAPITAL ITEM FOR A VEHICLE OR EQUIPMENT IN A DEPARTMENT IS WHEN IT'S A NEW VEHICLE ADDED TO THE FLEET.
ONCE IT'S IN THE FLEET, IT GOES THROUGH THE CAPITAL REPLACEMENT FUND.
SO, SO IN, SO IN THIS CASE UNDER 53, 2 70, THERE'S ALMOST $600,000 A YEAR GOING FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF FIRE APPARATUS.
SO NEXT ON THE LIST IS THE FIRE E M SS DONATED FUND.
YOU CAN FIND THAT BEHIND THE SPECIAL REVENUE TAB ON PAGE 2 91.
AND WHILE EVERYONE'S LOOKING AT THAT, NEXT ON THE LIST IS FIRE MARSHAL OPERATING BUDGET, PAGE 1 25 BEHIND THE GENERAL FUND TAB.
ANGIE, ARE WE STILL, WE'RE PUTTING OUT 40,000 A YEAR ON THIS.
IT'S BUDGETED, BUT THERE'S NOT BEEN ANYTHING EXPENDED.
ARE YOU SPEAKING TO THE STATE DEPLOYMENTS? YES.
CHIEF, HAS THERE BEEN ANY WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY STATE DEPLOYMENTS YET, SO THAT'S JUST AVAILABLE IF WE DO HAVE ANY, WHICH STATE'S BEEN RAMPING UP WITH THE WILDFIRES.
CHIEF, I'M ON THE DONATION FUND.
THERE IS A $72,000 FOR EQUIPMENT AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S EIGHT.
UH, IT, IT SAYS IN HERE IT'S FOR REPLACEMENT AIR PACKS.
IS THAT DIFFERENT THAN THE SS E B A THAN THE S E B A TANKS? NO, IT'S THE SAME.
WE WERE JUST USING, UH, THE DONATED FUNDS TO PURCHASE THESE SO WE COULD SAVE MONEY FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
SO IS IT, SO WE'RE DOING, WE'RE SPENDING 72 AND 40 ON THEM.
I, LET ME, LET ME, UH, SO I'VE JUST GOT, MAYBE I'M JUST LOOKING AND I, I THINK, I THINK I JUST ANSWERED MY OWN QUESTION WHEN I
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE THE, SO I THINK YES, YOU ARE CORRECT.
SO THEY'RE THE SAME 40,000 THAT YOU PROBABLY SEE IN THERE IS FOR, I HAVE IT SET ON A REPLACEMENT PROGRAM SO THAT WAY WE'RE MEETING IT FOR EACH OF OUR VEHICLES SINCE THEY'RE ONLY A 10 YEAR LIFESPAN THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY USE THEM.
SO I'M DOING A REPLACEMENT PROGRAM SO THE CITY'S NOT CAUGHT OUT AT ONE TIME OF $200,000 TO REPLACE A COUPLE OF VEHICLES WORTH DOING IT OVER TIME.
BUT FOR THE EIGHT REPLACEMENT AIR PACKS, THIS, THE VOLUNTEERS, UH, CAME TOGETHER AND THEY VOTED THAT THEY WANTED EIGHT ADDITIONAL AIR PACKS TO HELP WITH OUR, UH, SUPPORT VEHICLES, NOT SO MUCH OUR FRONTLINE ENGINES.
SO BY DOING THAT, THEY WERE IN AGREEMENT TO USE THE VOLUNTEER FUND TO DO THAT.
OKAY, NEXT IS FIRE MARSHAL, PAGE 1 25.
[01:00:11]
WHOEVER SAID IT, THIS IS THE DEPARTMENT WHERE WE'RE CUTTING THE CHIEF'S BUDGET IN HALF.IS YOUR BUDGET UNDER FIRE MARSHAL? IS IT ALSO INCLUDING THE CODE ENFORCEMENT ASPECT OF IT NOW TOO? OR IS THAT SEPARATE? IS IT GONNA BE SEPARATE? SEPARATE.
IT'S CALLED NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.
AFTER FIRE MARSHAL IS E M SS ON PAGE 1 31 30 YEARS.
NICOLE, I DO HAVE A, A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU.
THE AM THE AMBULANCES WERE REPLACING OF THESE FRONT LINES OR RESERVES THAT WERE BEING REPLACED? FRONTLINE.
HOW MANY AMBULANCES DO WE KEEP IN RESERVE? UH, PUT YOUR MIC ON.
UH, WE HAVE THE TWO CURRENTLY AS RESERVED.
SO TWO RESERVES ONLY FOR FLEET OF 5:00 AM PRETTY MUCH FIVE AMBULANCES.
WE HAVE THE, THE ONE THAT WE, UH, I NEVER, WELL, THIS PAST YEAR FOR THE 18,000.
I'VE JUST NEVER SEEN ONE OF THOSE GOING DOWN THE ROAD.
SO, UM, SO WE HAVE A F WE HAVE A FLEET OF FIVE AMBULANCES.
WE HAVE TWO AND A HALF AMBULANCES IN RESERVE.
HOW IS OUR MAINTENANCE GOING ON THOSE AS FAR AS UNITS GOING DOWN AND NOT HAVING AN AMBULANCE AVAILABLE FOR OUR CREW TO RESPOND? WE ARE DOING REALLY WELL RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE, WE'VE MANAGED TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST ONE UNIT UP.
SO WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'VE HAD NO UNITS.
YOU'RE SAYING WE'VE BEEN GOOD THIS, THIS YEAR HISTORICALLY THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER WAS DIFFERENT, BUT SINCE WE PICKED UP THAT HALF UNIT WE'VE, WE'VE MAINTAINED.
UM, THAT'S WHAT I, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE AMBULANCES TO RESPOND TO THE CALLS.
JUST LIKE, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE FIRE TRUCKS AND THE POLICE CARS.
EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW DEAR THIS IS TO ME.
UM, WHEN SECONDS COUNT THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
SO TWO FRONTLINE AM TWO FRONT LINES.
AND THEN HOW, HOW MANY MILES ARE WE GETTING ON OUR RESERVE TRUCKS? HOW ARE WE LOOKING AS NEED TO RE ARE WE TAKING THE TWO FRONT LINES? WE'RE REPLACING THEM, MOVING THEM TO RESERVE? CORRECT.
ARE WE KEEPING THE TWO THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN RESERVE OR ARE WE GOING TO AUCTION THEM OUT? WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THEM UP.
SO WE'RE GONNA COME UP TO FOUR AND A HALF.
RESERVE TRUCKS ROUGHLY MAYBE THREE, THREE AND A HALF, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA KEEP THE FOUR.
OKAY, WELL ONE OF 'EM WE'RE GONNA LET GO TO AUCTION.
SO WHAT WE'LL HAVE THREE AND A HALF.
WE'RE WE'RE GONNA KEEP THE BEST THREE OUT OF THE RESERVE FLEET.
THE ONE THAT'S THE HALF ONE IS BECAUSE THAT ONE'S NOT GOING TO BE REPLACED.
ONCE THAT ONE IS COMPLETELY OUT OF COMMISSION, IT'S GONE.
SO WHEN WE DO A SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE JULY 3RD, DUE CHRISTMAS, WHATEVER, WE HAVE AMBULANCES ON STANDBYS, ARE WE USING ONE OF THESE RESERVE TRUCKS OR ARE WE USING ONE OF OUR PRIMARY TRUCKS FOR THAT? WE'VE BEEN USING A RESERVE TRUCK JULY.
BRINGING ON CRUISE USE RESERVE TRUCK.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAVE.
YOU GOT THE PUSHIN CEREMONY NOTICE, RIGHT? FOR THE NEW AMBULANCE? YES.
WHAT DAY IS IT AGAIN? I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M THERE.
JUST AS LONG AS Y DON'T WANNA LET IT ROLL FORWARD AND RUN OVER ME.
THAT WAS NOT, I'VE KNOWN SO LONG THAT IT'S, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO
IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT MONEY SO MUCH, IT'S JUST CURIOSITY.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT TWO PARAMEDIC PART-TIME.
ONE IS THREE 12 HOUR SHIFTS PER WEEK AND THE OTHER SIX HOUR SHIFTS PER WEEK.
UM, THERE'S SIX SHIFTS PER WEEK.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? UM, THAT IS GOING TO FILL IN THE REMAINDER OF THAT
[01:05:01]
PEAK TRUCK? THE PEAK TRUCK.WE WERE GONNA EXTEND THE HOURS AND THEN THE P R N STAFF WILL USE TO FILL IN THOSE HOURS.
ANYBODY ELSE GOT QUESTIONS? I GOT ONE MORE.
NO, IT, IT HAS TO DO WITH YOUR THIS, I'VE NEVER BEEN A FAN EVER OF PEAK HOUR AMBULANCES.
IF WE'RE GONNA PUT AN AMBULANCE UP, I'VE ALWAYS FELT WE NEED TO HAVE THE AMBULANCE UP BECAUSE EMERGENCIES DON'T KNOW WHEN A PEAK HOUR IS.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT PEAK HOURS ARE ARE.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS THE POSSIBILITY OF BRINGING THAT FOUR AT HALF AN AMBULANCE ON AND BRINGING IT FULL TIME? SO WE HAVE FIVE AMBULANCES IN THE CITY, WE GOT TWO MORE YEARS.
IT'S OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD TO GET THE FIFTH AMBULANCE AS A FULL 24 HOUR AMBULANCE.
HOW IS OUR CALL VOLUME DOING AS FAR AS THIS PEAK HOUR TRUCK? ARE WE GETTING, IS IT DOING ITS JOB? ARE WE NOT QUITE DOING THE JOB? 'CAUSE IT, AGAIN, NOBODY KNOWS WHEN PEAK IR IS FOR AN EMERGENCY.
HOW ARE WE LOOKING ON THAT? I'LL SAY IT IS DOING ITS JOB.
WE'RE ONLY, YOU KNOW, ONE MONTH INTO HAVING THIS PEAK TIME TRUCK UP AND WE ARE CONTINUALLY DOING OUR DATA TO ENSURE THAT IT'S AT THE PROPER HOURS AND UM, SO IT IS COVERING THE MAJORITY OF OUR HOURS, WHICH ARE DAYTIME TO EARLY EVENING.
CHIEF, CAN THE, UM, HOW ARE YOU DOING ON STAFFING? 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN I TOLD YOU THAT THE OVERTIME WOULD BE SOMETHING KIND OF REOCCURRING AND SINCE WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, $868,000 OF OVERTIME, IS IT, IS IT STAFFING IS JUST THE ISSUE OR IS IT STILL ONE OF THOSE CALL OUT TIMES? LIKE THE, LIKE WE HAD WITH THE POLICE? SO WITH OUR, WE HAVE THE BUILT IN OVERTIME THAT'S A PART OF OUR OVERTIME BUDGET AND THEN WE DO THE ADDITIONAL OVERTIME AFTER THAT, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR, YOU KNOW, SICK VACATION.
UM, WE DO HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ALSO ON THE CARD TEAM, SO WE ACCOUNT FOR THEIR TIME AWAY FOR TRAINING OR ANY CART CALL OUTS.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT MAKES UP OUR YEAH, THE, SO LOOK, A MAJORITY OF THE OVERTIME HOURS THAT ARE IN THERE, LIKE SHE WAS SAYING, IT'S FOR THE BUILT-IN OVERTIME.
SO FOR THE F L S A STANDARDS, THEY ARE ONLY AT A 40 HOUR WORK WEEK, BUT SINCE THEY WORK MORE THAN THAT, THEY HAVE THE OTHER 18 HOURS OF OVERTIME THAT'S BUILT INTO THE REGULAR PAYCHECK.
THEY, THEY, THEY WORK EIGHT HOURS EVERY WEEK OF OVERTIME.
THAT MAKES A, THAT MAKES SENSE.
IT'S ALMOST 20 PER, ALMOST 20% OF THEIR SCHEDULES OVERTIME.
THANK YOU AGAIN, JUST MAKE A COMMENT CHIEF.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE, I GUESS THE PEAK AMBULANCE IS GONNA TAKE THREE YEARS TO WORK ITSELF OUT TO A FULL-TIME AMBULANCE NEXT YEAR.
SO IF ANYBODY WANTS TO START TALKING ABOUT IT NOW, I, BECAUSE I THINK, I MEAN EVERY DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY GROWS, BUT PUBLIC SAFETY HAS TO TAKE PRIORITY
AND I KNOW THAT THE AMBULANCE SERVICE, IF YOU, IF YOU GO BACK AND START LOOKING AT HOW MANY CALL VOLUMES THEY TAKE AND HOW MUCH THEY WORK, I MEAN, I JUST ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO GO TO THE AMBULANCE AND WORK 24 HOURS WITH THEM AND WRITE ON THE AMBULANCE AND SEE HOW THAT, HOW THAT FEELS.
UM, IT'S A DEMANDING, DEMANDING, UM, JOB.
AND WHEN YOU START MAKING MORE AND MORE CALLS, THAT CALL VOLUME STARTS TO SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY ON THE ONES THAT ARE BUSY ALREADY.
AND IT'S A CONTINUOUS JUGGLING OF MOVING, UM, AMBULANCES AROUND TRYING TO KEEP IT AVERAGE FOR EVERYBODY.
BUT, UM, YOU CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WANT TO COMPARE YOURSELF TO LIKE HOUSTON.
'CAUSE HOUSTON, THEY, THEY REALLY ABUSE THE PARAMEDICS.
WE DON'T DO IT HERE THAT MUCH, BUT, UH, IN LARGER CITIES THEY DO.
BUT REALLY NEED TO STAY ON TOP OF TRYING TO KEEP THE AMBULANCE SERVICE AHEAD OF THE GAME AND NOT BEHIND.
AND NOW WE'RE BUILDING A THOUSAND HOMES A YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, AMBULANCE SERVICES PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST SERVICES THAT WE GET A LOT OF CALLS ON FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
SO JUST NEXT YEAR, IF THAT'S THE CASE, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA ASK FOR THE AMBULANCE TO BE A, UH, UH, HAVE FIVE UNITS IN THE CITY.
THE, BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH, OF COURSE.
I'LL BE RIGHT THERE BESIDE YOU, TOMMY.
ANYTHING ELSE ON E M SS BEFORE WE MOVE ALONG? IF NOT NEXT IS THE BUDGET OFFICE.
[01:10:01]
BEHIND THE GENERAL FUND TAB.JUST MAKE SURE THEY HAVE PLENTY OF SHARP PENCILS.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT ON PAGE 1 51, YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? YES, SIR.
UH, WHAT ARE X, Y, Z PARCELS FOR HARRIS AND GALVESTON COUNTY? THAT'S ON CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
I KNOW IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
IT, IT DOES HAVE TO DO WITH OUR APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
IT'S ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES THAT, UM, THEY BILL US FOR ON TOP OF THE MONEY THEY'RE CHARGING US FOR.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE, IS THERE, WHAT'S THE, FOR REASON FOR BREAKOUT? UM, I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU, PLEASE.
I DON'T HAVE THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
MAYBE CHAD CAN HELP US OUT HERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT ON PAGE 1 55.
NUMBER ONE IS MEETING EXPENSES.
THERE'S A $5,000 FOR COFFEE AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE BROKE UP FOR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
'CAUSE I SEE THE ONE THAT CAUGHT MY MIND WAS FIRE ADMIN.
THEY ALSO HAVE A BUDGET, A LINE ITEM BUDGET FOR COFFEE.
I KNOW THAT YOU SAID YOU WERE BREAKING THAT UP.
YEAH, SO PURCHASING HISTORICALLY HAS MAINTAINED, UH, ANY TYPE OF COFFEE EXPENSE OR CONTRACT FOR COFFEE THAT WE'VE HAD FOR THE CITY HALL COMPLEX.
FIRE ADMINISTRATION HAS SOME FOR THEIR BUILDING AS WELL.
SO THE $5,000 IS DESCRIBED AS ALSO FOR CITY HALL FIRE ADMINISTRATION, BLUE BUILDING PARKS ADMIN.
BUT THEY, LIKE I SAID, FIRE ADMIN HAS THEIR OWN LINE ITEM FOR COFFEE.
DIFFERENT STATIONS, ALL THE STATIONS, THEY HAVE SIX STATIONS THAT THEY NOT COFFEE FOR INSTEAD OF JUST ONE LOCATION.
FIRE ADMIN WAS A FIRE ADMIN, IS THAT CORRECT? IS THAT MOST LIKELY? YES, SIR.
IT JUST SEEMED LIKE WE HAD DOUBLE LINE ITEMS. AND THE LAST ONE IS THE, AN ANNUAL SHREDDER CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE FOR 12,000.
IS THAT REQUIRED SHREDDING THAT HAS TO GO OFF SITE OR COULD WE BUY OUR COMMERCIAL SHREDDER AND DO IT OURSELVES IN HOUSE? WE COULD PROBABLY LOOK AT DOING THAT.
THAT IS FOR THE SHRED BINS THAT YOU SEE AROUND, UM, CITY HALL AND SOME OF THE OTHER BUILDINGS, AND THEY BRING THE TRUCK ON SITE AND DO THE SHREDDING ON SITE.
YEAH, I'VE JUST, I MEAN, A COMMERCIAL SHREDDER FOR SOMETHING, WE'RE DOING PROBABLY EIGHT, $10,000 ONE TIME PURCHASE IN MAINTENANCE.
SO MAYBE SOMETHING WE WANNA LOOK AT GOING FORWARD.
I I CAN TELL YOU FROM SOMEBODY THAT SHREDS A LOT OF PAPER, YOU WILL BURN THROUGH SHREDDERS AND IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO SHRED STUFF.
IT'S, YOU PROBABLY GOT SAVINGS BY OUTSOURCING IT.
JUST SOMETHING TO LOOK AT A ABSOLUTELY.
THEY ALSO PROVIDE US A CERTIFICATE OF DESTRUCTION ON ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT WE, UM, SHRED I WAS WONDERING ABOUT.
IT'S KIND OF IMPORTANT IN BANKING TOO.
AFTER PURCHASING IS MUNICIPAL COURT, YOU CAN FIND THAT BEHIND THE GENERAL FUND TAB ON PAGE 1 59.
I THINK THE WHOLE STAFF SHOULD STEP UP HERE.
SHE'LL REMEMBER THAT AT THE NEXT TRAFFIC TICKET,
[01:15:01]
FUND, TECHNOLOGY FUND, AND T P R F FUNDS.THOSE ARE ALL BEHIND THE SPECIAL REVENUE TAB.
OH, IT'S, ARE THESE SPECIAL FUNDS OR NO, IT'S OPERATING IN SPECIAL FUNDS.
COMMUNICATIONS IS ON PAGE 1 63.
THERE'S ALSO TWO SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
ONE IS THE HOT FUND, WHICH WE ALSO TALK ABOUT.
THE C B B AND PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL ARE ALSO KNOWN AS PEG.
CAN I ASK ABOUT THE, UH, $7,000 HOLIDAY IN THE PARK GRANT FROM THE DIAMOND BALL OF 2022? UM, YES.
WE, UH, ACTUALLY HAD SOME, UH, LAYOVER IN PROCESSING ALL THE FEES FROM LAST YEAR'S DIAMOND.
WELL, ACTUALLY WOULD'VE BEEN IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 2023 BECAUSE THE DIAMOND BALL HAPPENED IN OCTOBER.
UH, SO WE, UH, AND WORKING WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND ALSO WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER, THE WHOLE POINT OF THE DIAMOND BALL WAS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR TWO ORGANIZATIONS FOR, UM, THE LEAGUE CITY PROUD ORGANIZATION AND THE PATRONS OF THE PARKS AND ARTS FOUNDATION.
SO YOU'LL SEE THERE ARE TWO ESSENTIAL GRANTS THAT WE ARE GIVING THEM, UM, THAT, UH, THAT ARE PROCEEDS FROM THE BALL.
IT'S PROCEEDS THAT HAPPEN FROM THE DIAMOND BALL.
AND AS TOMMY ASKED BEFORE, THIS WAS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT HAD A $2,000 HOLIDAY IN A PARK FLOAT.
SO TYPICALLY, UH, THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE HAVE PARTNERED ON THE FLOAT.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU, IT'S PRETTY EXPENSIVE BY THE TIME YOU BUILD THINGS, DESIGN THINGS, ANY OF YOU WHO HAVE EVER RIDDEN ON THE FLOAT KIND OF KNOW HOW MANY HOURS AND HOW MUCH, UH, TIME IS GONE INTO IT, PLUS EXPENSES.
PLUS WE DO SPEND QUITE A BIT OF MONEY ON CANDY THAT WE, UH, PUT OUT TO THE CROWD.
WE HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE A, UM, LESS INVOLVED APPROACH BECAUSE IT IS PRETTY, PRETTY STRENUOUS ON STAFF TIME.
IT'S ALL VOLUNTEER TIME THAT WE BUILD THIS FLOAT.
UM, AND EVERY YEAR IT ENDS UP PRETTY MUCH JUST BEING THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT THAT PUTS THE FLOAT TOGETHER.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'VE DECIDED WE PROBABLY ARE JUST GONNA MAYBE RENT A SLEIGH, MAYBE SOME SORT OF WAGON OR I SOMETHING RATHER THAN BUILDING THE FLOAT.
UM, I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE HAD IT IN THERE AS WELL.
IS IT THAT BUDGET? IS IT THIS BUDGET? YEAH.
COUNCILS WE'RE TO PUT IT TOGETHER.
I'M SORRY, COUNCIL, NOT CITY SECRETARY.
SO WHATEVER WE WANNA DO, BUT WE, WE HAVE DECIDED THAT IN YEARS PAST, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A STEP BACK JUST BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF STAFF HOURS THAT MY TEAM SPENDS ON IT, THAT'S VOLUNTEER TIME.
WE, WE JUST, WE JUST CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE.
ARE WE PLACING THAT FLOAT IN FOR FREE OR DO WE PAY THE FEE? OH, WE'VE NEVER PAID.
YEAH, I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE IT IN ONE DEPARTMENT.
I MEAN, I, IT, IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME THAT IT'S, IT'S COSTING A LITTLE BIT.
'CAUSE WE UNDERSTAND IT'S ONE EVENT.
UM, BUT TRYING TO KEEP IT IN ONE DEPARTMENT SO WE CAN KIND OF TRACK IT.
IT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE VERY POPULAR, BUT THE PART-TIME C V B POSITIONS ARE WE TRYING TO HAVE A CONVENTION IN VE IN BUREAU, UM, I GUESS DEPARTMENT NOW OR LOCATION? SO THIS YEAR WE ARE, WE ARE GONNA BE OPENING THE LEAGUE PARK, VISITOR CENTER AND CAFE.
AND AT THE TIME THIS BUDGET WAS PREPARED, UH, THIS EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UH, THE IDEA WAS TO HAVE, UH, TWO PART-TIME STAFFERS THERE TO HELP, UH, WELCOME PEOPLE AND, AND BE A PART OF, OF OPERATING THAT VISITOR CENTER.
UM, THAT WE WENT OUT FOR R F P ON TO HAVE A CAFE VENDOR OPERATOR.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT WE DO NOT NEED THOSE TWO PART-TIME PEOPLE, SO WE CAN GET RID OF THOSE THIS YEAR'S BUDGET BECAUSE OF THE, THE VENDOR THAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR.
UH, WELL, THE VENDOR THAT WE LOOK AT PUTTING IN THERE IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE WELCOMING AND I CAN TRAIN THEIR STAFF AND THEY CAN, IT, IT WILL BE AN EXTENSION OF OUR SERVICES.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO COMPETE WITH THE, UH, THE CHAMBER.
I'M, I MEAN, I'M NOT AGAINST, UH, C V B, BUT I'M ALSO DON'T WANT TO DEVELOP
[01:20:01]
ANOTHER DEPARTMENT WHEN WE HAVE CRITICAL ELEMENTS RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT, UH, PUTTING FUNDS INTO AND WE'RE, WE'RE BRINGING ANOTHER DEPARTMENT INTO THE CITY, WHICH IS A C V B.UM, I DON'T MIND TRYING TO DEVELOP SOME TYPE OF VISITOR CENTER, BUT NOT SO MUCH, UH, HAVING A COMPLETE LINE ITEM FOR ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
WELL, WITH THE, THE VENDOR OPERATOR IN THE CAFE, IT REALLY WILL OFFSET OUR COST FOR THE, TO THE CITY.
IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE VERY NEUTRAL ON REVENUE, I MEAN ON EXPENSES, IS THAT NORMALLY APPROVED BY COUNCIL OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN APPROVED? READ IT.
I THINK IT'S COMING FORWARD, NOT AT THE NEXT MEETING, BUT THE MEETING IN THREE WEEKS.
THE VISITOR CENTER WAS A PROJECT THAT WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE LAST FOR THE C I P.
AND, UH, WE WERE TAKING THE LITTLE HOUSE INSIDE LEAGUE PARK AND TURNING IT INTO A WELCOME CENTER.
AND THEN WE HAVE A VENDOR OPERATOR IN THERE THAT'S GOING TO BE OPERATING A CAFE.
IT'S ALSO A COFFEE SHOP AND, UM, IT WILL BE A, A PLACE TO BRING PEOPLE IN AND INTRODUCE 'EM TO LEAGUE CITY, SHARE THE BROCHURES THAT WE PRODUCED.
UM, RIGHT NOW, THE C B B IS A ONE AND A HALF PERSON DEPARTMENT, UH, ONE AND A HALF, ONE AND A HALF ISH.
UH, IT'S ME FULL-TIME, UH, WHICH IS ONE FROM THE HOT TAX FUND.
AND, UH, WE HAVE SOME OTHER EMPLOYEES THAT A PORTION OF THEIR SALARY, UM, PART-TIME EMPLOYEE THAT IS COME FROM, IT COMES FROM HOT TAX FUNDS AS WELL.
SO IF, IF WE'RE HAVING A, UM, A VENDOR AT OUR, AT OUR, UM, AT OUR WELCOME CENTER AT THE PARK, IS THE, IS THE VENDOR GOING TO HAVE THE SAME KIND OF ATTITUDE THAT A CITY EMPLOYEE WOULD HAVE? THAT WAS MY REASONING FOR THE REQUEST FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF THE VENDOR THAT WE HAVE FOUND.
UM, I BELIEVE, I FEEL, I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT THEY CAN HANDLE THAT AND THEY CAN BE AN EXTENSION OF OUR TEAM.
CAN, CAN YOU TELL US WHO THE VENDOR IS? CAN I, OKAY,
AND TO ADD TO THAT, A PORTION OF THE ROOM, THE VISITOR CENTER IS GOING TO BE SOMEWHAT SELF-SUFFICIENT JUST AS YOU WOULD VISIT A VISITOR CENTER ALONG THE HIGHWAY.
AND YOU GO TO THE KIOSK AND YOU CAN GRAB ALL THE INFORMATION AND ALL THE BROCHURES AND ALL THE FLYERS AND THAT KIND OF KIND OF THING.
SO WE FEEL THAT BE, HAVE, HAVING IT SOMEWHAT SELF-SUFFICIENT SO PEOPLE CAN COME IN AND GRAB WHAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, BUT ALSO TO TRAIN THE STAFF, UH, FOR THIS VENDOR THAT WE'RE USING.
SO THEY ESSENTIALLY BECOME AMBASSADORS AS WELL.
UM, AND ONCE WE ANNOUNCE THEM AND WHO IT IS, I THINK YOU'LL BE MORE, MORE COMFORTABLE.
'CAUSE IT IS A LOCAL, A LOCAL VENDOR.
NEXT IS GONNA BE HR HUMAN RESOURCES.
YOU, ARE YOU HANGING IN THERE? CHAD
THEY'RE ON PAGE 1 69 BEHIND THE GENERAL FUND TAB.
WHERE'S JAMES? HE'S ON VACATION.
HE ASKED ME FOR VACATION IN JANUARY BEFORE WE HAD THE DATES OF THE MEETINGS.
HE DID NOT DO IT ON PURPOSE, I PROMISE.
SO AFTER HR, IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ON PAGE TWO 11.
AND WE DO HAVE SEVERAL OF THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS LISTED, UM, ON THE AGENDA FOLLOWING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
MOST OF THEM HAVE TO DO WITH WINTER STORMS, UH, C O V I D HURRICANES.
UM, SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY TYPES OF THOSE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, WHETHER IT BE, UH, RYAN OR MYSELF, UM, OR BAUMGARTNER, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT PUBLICLY, BUT IT IS THAT WATER IS VERY, VERY HOT
[01:25:03]
AFTER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS GOING TO BE THE LIBRARY ON PAGE TWO 17.THE LIBRARY ALSO HAS ONE SPECIAL REVENUE FUND.
IT'S CALLED THE LIBRARY GIFT FUND ON PAGE 2 92 BEHIND SPECIAL REVENUES.
SO, UH, I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE LAST YEAR'S, OR NOT ALL OF US HAVE LAST YEAR'S BUDGET BOOKS IN FRONT OF US, BUT, UM, THE BUDGET WAS SET AT $2.3 MILLION AT THE BEGINNING OF 2023.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO, WELL ECLIPSE $2.5 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT $200,000 OVER AND IN THE AMENDED BUDGET, I NEVER SAW AN EXPLANATION FOR THAT.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THAT 200 GRAND CAME FROM.
THAT I BELIEVE IS A HUNDRED PERCENT IN PERSONNEL SERVICES.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT ON, UH, THE NEXT AMENDMENT IF WE HAVEN'T ALREADY, ALREADY BROUGHT IT FORWARD.
ACTUALLY I THINK WE BROUGHT IT FORWARD IN THE FIRST QUARTER.
UM, IT HAS TO DO WITH, UM, MERIT AND COLA AND THE COMPENSATION STUDY IMPLEMENTATION FOR THIS YEAR.
BUT I CAN GET YOU DETAILS ON IT.
SO THAT WAS ALL RAISES BASICALLY, IF IT'S IN PERSONAL SERVICES? YES.
AND THEN, UH, AVERAGE DAILY VISITORS, WE SAY THAT WE HAVE, UH, ROUGHLY 450.
HOW ARE WE COUNTING THAT? WE HAVE SECURITY GATES THAT COUNT IN AND OUT PEOPLE, AND THEN WE USE THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT WE'RE OPEN IN THE YEAR.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A COUNTER THAT COUNTS PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT.
DOES THIS COUNT ONLINE VISITORS? NO.
AND THEN CAN I GET A, UH, A COMPARATIVE CITY LIKE FRIENDSWOOD OR PARA LAND, A COST PER CITIZEN OR A COST PER, UM, PATRON? WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.
'CAUSE THIS SEEMS A LITTLE HIGH.
UM, ON OUR, UM, WHICH, WHICH SOFTWARE DO WE DO TO MANAGE THE CITIZENS OR THE PART PARTICIPANTS OR THE LIBRARY ATTENDEES OR? THE MAJORITY OF OUR OPERATING IS THROUGH THE CCY.
IT'S A, A NATIONAL COMPANY THAT DEALS WITH LIBRARIES.
AND THEN FOR SOMETHING LIKE OUR SECURITY GATES, UM, THERE'S OTHER LIBRARY VENDORS.
WE KIND OF USE A, A COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT LIBRARY VENDORS.
DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT YOUR LIBRARY CARD ON YOUR PHONE? UM, YES.
WE ARE USING, TRYING TO USE A NEW APP.
UM, BUT THEY'RE A LOT SMALLER AND WE KIND OF RAN INTO SOME ISSUES WITH HOW IT'S SEARCHING OUR CATALOG MORE THAN ANYTHING, SO.
OH, SO LIKE THE LIBRARY CARD? YEAH.
YEAH, LIKE THE CARD IS ON THE APP, BUT WE WEREN'T PROMOTING THE APP YET BECAUSE IT'S NOT PERFECT.
YOU SAID THAT THE 200,000 WAS FOR, UH, MERIT INCREASES FOR THE LIBRARY AND ALSO I GUESS THE SURVEY IS IT WAS THIS PART OF THE SURVEY? EMPLOYEE SURVEY? YES, SIR.
I BELIEVE BELIEVE IT'S GONNA BE THE ANNUALIZED COST OF THE, UM, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING.
SO IN 23, THE YEAR IN ESTIMATE WOULD INCLUDE, UM, WHEN YOU COMPARE AMENDED BUDGET TO ADOPT A BUDGET FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, IT'S GOING TO INCLUDE IF WE HAD MERIT COLA OR ANY OF THE COMPENSATION STUDY INCREASES IN THIS CURRENT YEAR, THOSE ARE TYPICALLY, UM, BUDGETED IN THE NON-DEPARTMENTAL AND THEN THEY'RE MOVED TO THE DEPARTMENT AFTER MERIT COMPENSATION IS ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED.
SO JUST LIKE THIS YEAR, YOU'LL SEE IN NON-DEPARTMENTAL FOR 2024 MM-HMM.
AND THEN AS THE MERIT IS IMPLEMENTED, THE BUDGET OFFICE WORKS WITH HR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS ACTUALLY NEED IN FUNDING.
AND WE MOVE THE MONEY FROM NON-DEPARTMENTAL TO EACH OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS ACCORDINGLY.
IN A BUDGET AMENDMENT, IT TYPICALLY IS THE FIRST QUARTER BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT COMES TO COUNCIL AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, RIGHT.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE INCREASED? WE CAN DEFINITELY GET THAT INFORMATION.
SO THE PROPOSED 75,000, IS THAT IN ADDITION TO THE LAST YEAR'S INCREASE, THE RECLASSIFICATION? UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS GO INTO THIS.
[01:30:01]
I KNOW IT SAYS NINE RECLASSIFICATIONS.I THINK THE TOTAL COST OF THAT IS A LITTLE OVER $8,000.
UM, WE DO HAVE IN THE BUDGET CITYWIDE FOR MINIMUM WAGE TO GO FROM $15 TO $16.
SO THAT DID AFFECT SOME IN THE LIBRARY.
UM, WE HAD SOME INTERNAL COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENTS.
THIS IS STRAIGHT FROM THE HR DEPARTMENT WHERE THEY, UM, BASICALLY ARE CONTINUING WITH WHAT WE SAW IN THE COMPENSATION STUDY AND THEY'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THAT, UM, EACH YEAR.
SO IT'S A SMALLER, UM, ADJUSTMENT TO THE BUDGET.
AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DO AT A MILLION DOLLARS A HIT EVERY THIRD YEAR.
UM, I THINK THE TOTAL CITYWIDE FOR THAT COMPENSATION IS AROUND $50,000.
UM, IT HAS THE ANNUALIZED COST OF THE 23 MERIT.
WHEN MERIT IS GIVEN OUT IN JANUARY THE NEXT YEAR, IT ADDS AN EXTRA QUARTER TO THAT AMOUNT.
SO YOU'LL SEE AN INCREASE THERE.
AND THEN THERE WAS A COUPLE OF ADDITIONS, UH, THAT REPLACEMENT DISC POLISHER, AND THEN THERE IS A SUBSCRIPTIONS AND TECHNOLOGY MAINTENANCE PACKAGES, SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE.
THERE WAS INCREASES IN I BELIEVE TWO OR THREE OF THOSE THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THE LIBRARY AND ARE BUDGETED THERE AND ARE NOT IN RYAN'S BUDGET.
UH, THERESA, WHAT'S THE NON RECLASSIFICATIONS FOR? SO YOU TELL AFTER? YES, I CAN.
AFTER THE, UM, COMPENSATION STUDY WAS COMPLETED, THERE WAS A MERGING OF SOME OF OUR ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS.
AND THEN THE NEXT PART UP FROM THEM, AND WE FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THEIR JOB DESCRIPTIONS ARE WILDLY DIFFERENT.
WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, HAVE MORE COMPETITIVE RECRUITING IN THE AREA WITH OTHER LIBRARIES AND ESPECIALLY WITH HARRIS COUNTY AND THE REST OF GALVESTON COUNTY.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO KIND OF DIVERSIFY THEIR JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND MAKE THE POSITIONS A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING.
WILL, WILL THEY BE WITH THE RECLASSIFICATION? IS IT, ARE THEY GONNA BE TAKING ON MORE RESPONSIBILITIES OR A, A CHANGE IN RESPONSIBILITIES? YES, THAT'S THE HOPE.
JUST MAYBE A BREAKDOWN OF, I'M SORRY, A BREAKDOWN OF, UH, THE 38,000, JUST KIND OF TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, THAT 36 5, UH, IT SHOWS 38 8 IN THE BUDGET FOR NINE RECLASSIFICATION MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE.
I THINK IT'LL BE, UM, I, I WAS INTERESTED IN THE COST PER CITIZEN AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH EVERYTHING GROWING, THE COST IS GOING DOWN.
I REALLY AM JUST, UH, APPRECIATIVE OF, OF THE LIBRARY AND EVERYTHING HAS KIND OF GONE THROUGH.
I LIKE THE WAY THAT WE'RE GETTING INTO THE VIDEO GAMES.
AND I LIKE THAT YOUR STAFF HAS BEEN VERY, UM, INNOVATIVE AND OUTREACHING.
SO IF, SO, I'D BE SURPRISED IF THAT DOES COME IN AT THAT SAME NUMBER.
BUT EVEN SO, IF WE WERE TO LOOK AND SAY THE PRICE OF ONE BOOK IS, IS GONNA BE MORE THAN THAT, ESPECIALLY IF WE LOOK AT AUDIO BOOKS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S OFFERED.
THE COMPUTER EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY.
UH, THAT'S, I GUESS WE UNDERSTOOD THE OTHER NIGHT FROM RYAN.
IT MAY BE CHILDREN'S COMPUTERS.
WE HAVE 46 COMPUTERS FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND WE TRY TO REPLACE THOSE IN A TIMELY MANNER, ALTHOUGH NOT ALL AT ONCE.
SO WE KIND OF REPLACE 'EM THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
IS THAT SO THAT'S WHY IT'S DIFFERENT FROM, FROM RYAN'S.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD GO THROUGH RYAN OR IS THAT, UH, I MEAN WOULD THAT NOT BE A LOGICAL PLACE TO, UM, RYAN DOES.
HE IS PART OF THE REPLACEMENT.
IT'S JUST HE ORDERS AND IMPLEMENTS ALL THE REPLACEMENTS WE BUDGETED IN LIBRARY SO THAT WE HAVE A FULL COST OF WHAT WE'RE PRES WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING AND SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC.
'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT EMPLOYEE COMPUTERS, THEY'RE FOR THE PUBLIC.
SO THE A HUNDRED, THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS COMPUTER BUDGET AND RYAN'S, IS THAT INCLUDED WITH THIS HERE OR NOT? YOU'RE SAYING THIS IS SEPARATE? THIS IS SEPARATE.
'CAUSE IT'S FOR THE PUBLIC AND, AND NOT FOR YES.
BUT RYAN'S THE ONE THAT CHOOSES THE MACHINES PURCHASE.
THE MACHINES INSTALLS THE MACHINES.
SO WE JUST BUDGET IN THE LIBRARY TO HAVE A, A BETTER, UH, ACCOUNTING OF THE COST.
HOW MANY COMPUTERS ARE WE, WE HAVE 46 PUBLIC COMPUTERS.
HOW MANY ARE WE REPLACING WITH THIS 13,000? UM, IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE ANNUAL, UM, AMOUNT THAT THE COMPUTERS COST.
WE KIND OF WORK WITH IT TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH EACH COMPUTER'S GONNA COST.
I THINK SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 13, 13, $1,300 FOR SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 1,002 THOUSAND.
I MEAN, ONLY THING JUST IN THE DETAIL SHEETS, MAYBE TRY TO PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION SO WE DON'T HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTIONS UP HERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? PARKS, OPERATIONS, PARKS OPERATIONS, PARKS OPERATIONS ON PAGE
[01:35:01]
2 23 IN THE GENERAL FUND.WE HAVE PARKS OPERATIONS AND PARKS RECREATION.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE FOUR B, UM, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION FUND THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE HOMETOWN HEROES PORTIONS OF WHAT THEY DO.
UH, AND IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY RELATED TO THE ONE THAT ANDY JUST PICKED UP ON.
THE OAK TREE MAINTENANCE IS 140,000.
WE HAVE AN ARBORIST THAT'S NOT IN THIS DEPARTMENT.
I KIND OF WISH SOME OF THAT EITHER WAS, IT WAS EITHER BROKEN OUT WITH HOW MUCH SHE DOES ON RIGHT OF WAYS AND HOW MUCH YOU DO ON PARKS OR WHERE SHE IS AND YOU KNOW, BRING HER INTO PARKS OR WHATEVER THE BEST SOLUTION IS.
BUT I THINK THE ARBORIST REALLY SHOULD BE THE, I GUESS THE KEEPER OF THAT BUDGET, IF YOU WILL.
JUST, WE PAY HER A LOT OF MONEY TO DO A VERY SPECIFIC JOB.
THE ONE, THE ONE THAT WE HAVE IN THE, IN THE NEW PROGRAM, I THINK MR. MR. BOWEN'S TALKING ABOUT THE DE ROOT FERTILIZATION, MOST OF THOSE TREES ARE WITHIN OUR PARKS.
SO THEY'RE BASICALLY HANDLED BY CAMERON WITHIN THE PARKS.
BUT I THINK, UM, HEATHER HAND HANDLES THE ONES ON MAIN STREET OUTSIDE THE PARK.
WELL, YEAH, SHE DOES THE, THAT'S HER SPECIFIC, BUT I'M SURE CAMERON CONSULTS WITH HER WHEN HE'S TALKING ABOUT MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE RIGHT FERTILIZER AND RIGHT.
SO, SO WHAT THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS A EVERY FIVE YEAR OCCURRENCE.
SO THIS IS A CONTRACT THAT THEY, UH, WHEN I FIRST STARTED HERE, THEY HAD DONE THE FIRST APPLICATION THAT I KNOW OF AND EVERY, IT'S, IT'S NEEDED ABOUT EVERY FIVE YEARS.
SO I WORKED WITH HEATHER AND ON THE PARKS, IN THE PARKS AREA WHERE WE HAVE SOME OF THE CENTURY OAKS, MUCH LARGER AND OLDER OAKS, UM, THIS'LL GO IN AND TAKE OUT SOME OF THE DEAD WOOD AND DO A CLIMBING STUDY TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SPLIT, TORN, TWISTED, AND THEN DEEP ROOT, UH, IFICATION AND THEN ALSO DEEP ROOT FERTILIZATION.
THE TREES IN THIS CONTRACT ARE FOR BUTLER COUNTRYSIDE, THE, UM, UH, LEAGUE PART AND THEN THE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX AND ACROSS THE STREET.
I THINK THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ONE WE DID FIVE YEARS AGO AND THIS, THIS ONE IS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE LAKE CITY MUNICIPAL COMPLEX IN THE LAST ONE.
HOW MANY TREES, JEN, ARE YOU LOOKING AT? UH, 33 2 47, 29.
SO ABOUT A HUNDRED TO 30, 130 TREES ISN'T, ISN'T THIS THE INITIATIVE COUNCIL MEMBER PON GOT US STARTED ON? YES, SIR.
FORMER FORMER COUNCILMAN GRPA DOESN'T HAVE THE CONTRACT
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? PARKS, RECREATION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 2 29.
PARKS RECREATION ON PAGE 2 29.
UH, I APPRECIATE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY SPECIFICALLY OUR PARKS AND RECREATION IS VERY FRONT FACING WITH EVERYBODY IN THE CITY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE HAD ANYBODY EVER COMPLAIN TO ME ABOUT THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE.
UM, THEY JUST DO A GREAT JOB AND, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THEIR STEWARDSHIP IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION AREAS.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO.
UM, QUESTION I HAVE, HOW ARE WE, WHEN WE'RE DOING DIFFERENT STUFF LIKE BIKE TRAILS, ET CETERA, HOW ARE WE AS FAR AS GOING FOR STATE OR FEDERAL GRANTS TO HELP OFFSET THE COST OF THOSE? THAT'S MORE OF A C I P.
UM, AND BASICALLY WE APPLY FOR GRANTS FOR TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE AND WE'VE MAINLY TRY TO FOCUS ON ONE PROJECT THAT WE THINK THAT WE WOULD BE MORE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL.
UH, BUT THE REST OF THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS, UM, THERE'S PROBABLY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.
SO WE WILL NEED TO TAKE SOME TIME TO LOOK AT OTHER FUNDING,
[01:40:01]
UM, OPPORTUNITIES.BUT THROUGH PARKS, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, WE FOCUS ON ONE PROJECT.
SO THE REST OF IT'S FUNDED BY FOUR B.
I KNOW THAT SOME OF IT CAN GO THROUGH FOR LIKE SCHOOL.
YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT SCHOOLS AND NEIGHBORHOODS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
IN THE PAST WE'VE APPLIED FOR SAFE ROUTE TO SCHOOLS GRANTS AND WE WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL.
BUT THE OPPORTUNITY COMES AGAIN.
WE'LL DEFINITELY LOOK AT THAT ALSO.
AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TRAILS THAT HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED IN LEAGUE CITY BY TECH DOT ALSO.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE TRAIL ON TWO 70 FOR COMING DOWN FROM WEBSTER AND HIGHWAY THREE, AND THOSE, AGAIN ARE IN, THEY'RE NOT A GRANT TO US.
'CAUSE TXDOT BUILDS 'EM, DESIGNS 'EM AND BUILDS 'EM.
THEY HAVE A SMALL PIECE OF PARTICIPATION FOR, FROM US.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF, UH, UH, LARGE, UM, TRAIL PROJECTS.
ONE IS THE STATE HIGHWAY 96 ON THE SOUTH SIDE, UM, FROM TWO 70 TO 1 46.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS ON THE WEST SIDE ON FIVE 18 FROM ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO PAL MENA ROAD.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE ON BOTH SIDES.
UM, THE ONE ON STATE HIGHWAY SIX IS ONLY ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
THOSE ARE ALL TECH STOCK PROJECTS WHERE TECH STOCK FUNDS 80% FOR B FUNDS, 20%.
HOW ARE WE DOING ON DOING SOMETHING THAT'S FOR THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF TOWN, NOT 96, 1 45, 96 BACK IN THAT AREA AND, AND DOWN TRAIL TRAILS BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT SUBDIVISIONS CONNECTING THINGS UP.
I WASN'T HERE FOR THE C I P SO IF I'M, IF I'M GOING BACKWARDS, I'M SORRY, BUT THIS IS A PRIME TIME FOR ME TO ASK THIS.
WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, I'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS NATIONAL OR THIS CITYWIDE BIKE TRAIL THING FOR 20 YEARS NOW.
AND THEN FOR 20 YEARS I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF TOWN.
I DON'T SEE A LOT OF THINGS CONNECTING.
I SEE SIDEWALKS THAT TDOT HAD PUT IN, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT SIDEWALKS CONNECTING SCHOOLS TO NEIGHBORHOODS AND OTHER THINGS OVER IN THAT AREA OF TOWN I HAVEN'T SEEN.
SO WE, IN 2010, WE DEVELOPED THE, UM, HIKE AND BIKE MASTER PLAN.
IN 2017, WE UPDATED IT AND CURRENTLY THIS YEAR WE ARE GOING TO UPDATE THE PARKS MASTER PLAN AFTER FIVE YEARS FROM 2017.
AND A COMPONENT OF THAT UPDATE IS TO LOOK AT THE SOUTHWEST SIDE AND TO LOOK AT UPCOMING DEVELOPMENTS AND PROPOSING TRAILS WITHIN THOSE DEVELOPMENTS.
SO THAT WILL COME TO CITY COUNCIL FOR A PRESENTATION.
I WAS VERY, VERY HAPPY TO, TO READ ABOUT THE, UM, THE ADAPTIVE PROGRAMMING WITH THE, THE PICKLEBALL, THE ADAPTIVE ZUMBA AND THE ADAPTIVE GARDENING.
I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THAT WAS, BUT THE, IS THAT BOCHE BALL? I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS, BUT THE BEEF BACHI BACHI BACHI BALL, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
BUT THE BEAT BASEBALL IS IS IS BEAT BASEBALL.
WE PARTNERED WITH THE, UH, CHRISTINA SULLIVAN FOUNDATION.
SO I HOPE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE STILL WANTING TO CONTINUE AND, AND EVEN EXPAND ON.
THE ADAPTIVE PROGRAMMING ABSOLUTELY.
WE'RE ACTUALLY ADDING SOME MORE EVENTS.
I SAY THIS EVERY TIME I GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO, BEFORE KENNY ARRIVED, WE HAD ZERO ADAPTIVE PROGRAMS. AND SINCE KENNY'S BEEN HERE, WE, THAT PROGRAM GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY.
DO WE HAVE A BOCCE BALL COURT RIGHT NOW? WE DO.
WELL, HEY, THE LEAGUE'S STARTING GUYS FOLLOW ME.
BUT FOR, UH, WHAT, UH, CAMERON'S GUYS HAVE DONE IS, IS WHEN WE HAVE EVENTS, UM, ADAPTIVE EVENTS, THEY'VE GONE OUT AND PAINTED LINES TO GET MULTIPLE COURTS JUST OUT IN THE OPEN FIELD.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE'S ONLY, THERE'S ONLY ONE, UH, DESIGN COURT.
KENNY, YOU HAVE ADAPTIVE HOLD DOWN COMING UP.
WE'RE PARTNERING WITH SOME LIONS CLUB AND, AND THE DASH GORDON FOUNDATION.
WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO, UH, TO HAVE A BIG, UH, BIG ADAPTIVE HOEDOWN EVENT.
WE ALREADY GOT, GOT 90 TO A HUNDRED ARE ALREADY SIGNED UP.
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, BOCCE BALL IS HORSESHOES WITH BALLS.
YOU THROW ONE TARGET, IT'S OLD MAN BALL, TARGET BALL, LIKE, LIKE ALMOST LIKE SHOT PUTS AND YOU THROW ONE TARGET BALL AND THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT COLORS YOU GOTTA THROW CLOSEST TO THE TARGET BALL.
JUST A SPECIAL THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING AND DOING EVERYTHING FOR THE SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN.
YOU WERE ALWAYS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT, SO I DO APPRECIATE IT.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR, LET'S SEE HERE.
WE GOT, UM, I'M GONNA SHIFT GEARS A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT UTILITY BILLING.
IT'S BEHIND THE UTILITY FUND TAB ON PAGE 2 53.
[01:45:01]
THAT WE HAVE NOT COVERED IN THE UTILITY FUND.HOW'S THE NEW SYSTEM GOING? NEW SYSTEM IN, IN DALLAS, I GUESS WHERE WE SEND OUR WATER BILLS.
IS THAT THIS DEPARTMENT? A LOCKBOX? YES, A LOCKBOX.
UH, THE AMOUNT OF CHECKS THAT OUR FRONT END CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES ARE, ARE PROCESSING.
UM, SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THEIR AMOUNT.
Y'ALL HAVE, I THOUGHT I HEARD SOMETHING.
UM, RECENTLY I CAME IN, I HAD A NEIGHBOR WHO'S AN ELDERLY COUPLE.
THEY GOT PUT, UH, HER HUSBAND GOT PUT IN THE HOSPITAL.
SHE WAS WITH HIM AT THE HOSPITAL AND SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER A, A WATER HOSE OR PIPE OR SOMETHING BROKE IN THEIR BACKYARD.
BEEN RUNNING FOR ABOUT TWO AND A HALF DAYS ROUGHLY.
I, UH, CAME BY TO SEE IF I COULD HELP THEM FIGURE OUT A CREDIT FOR THEM.
I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD ACTUALLY CALLED BEFORE ME.
AND THIS IS WHAT THREW ME OFF THAT WE DON'T GIVE CREDITS UNLESS THEY REACH THEIR MAXIMUM AVERAGE SOMETHING, SOMETHING SOMETHING.
THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THIS, AND I NEED TO ASK YOUR, YOUR Y'ALL'S OPINION, 'CAUSE Y'ALL KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS THAN I DO, IS WITH THIS NEW FANCY SYSTEM WE HAVE THAT CAN GIVE YOU A 24 HOUR A DAY, TELL YOU EXACTLY TO THE GALLON HOW MUCH WATER'S BEING USED BY YOUR HOUSE.
WHY CAN'T WE NOT LOOK BACK AT THESE PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THIS SITUATION THAT IS WITNESSED? THEY GET MONEY, THEY GET REPAIR COSTS, THEY TELL YOU ABOUT IT, IT WHATEVER, AND SAY, OKAY, WELL YOU WERE IN THE HOSPITAL FOR THREE DAYS AND THIS HAPPENED.
LOOK BACK AT THEIR SERVICE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A SIGNIFICANT SPIKE.
THEIR HOUSE GOT, THEIR BACKYARD WAS SO FLOODED THAT WHEN I WALKED BACK THERE, I WAS SINKING IN THE GROUND.
IT WENT DOWN THE SIDE OF THEIR HOUSE AND IT WAS RUNNING DOWN THE SIDE OF THE STREET.
WE THOUGHT IT SPRINKLER SYSTEM HAD BUSTED AGAIN.
IT WAS ACTUALLY A PIPE IN THEIR BACKYARD, BUT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO GET A CREDIT.
AND THESE PEOPLE ARE ON A FIXED INCOME.
I DON'T, I I HAVE A MOMENT WITH THIS.
WE PAY FOR THESE REALLY EXPENSIVE METERS, SO, AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO WE CAN ABSOLUTELY SEE THAT INFORMATION.
OUR ORDINANCE IS HOW WE DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT SOMEONE QUALIFIES FOR AN ADJUSTMENT.
EITHER, UM, UNEXPLAINED WATER LOSS OR BASED ON, UH, A LEAK.
SO IT WOULD TAKE AN ORDINANCE CHANGE ON OUR PART TO MAKE THIS NO, NOT NECESSARILY.
IT COULD ALSO GO UP TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MANAGEMENT.
IT DOES SAY IN OUR ORDINANCE THAT WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK INTO THOSE TYPES OF SITU, YOU KNOW, SITUATIONS.
BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE WERE FLAT OUT TOLD NO, THEY WOULD NOT GET A CREDIT PER ORDINANCE.
THAT'S MOST LIKELY THE REASON WHY THEY, THEY RECEIVED THE ANSWER THAT THEY DID.
UM, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT IT AGAIN IF IT COMES ACROSS.
I MEAN, WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY IN THESE NEW METERS THAT ARE OH YEAH.
AND WE CAN SEE THAT INFORMATION.
IT'S NOT THAT WE CAN'T SEE THE INFORMATION, IT'S JUST THAT PER ORDINANCE IS HOW WE ARE, ARE QUALIFYING THESE CUSTOMERS FOR WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, QUALIFY FOR AN ADJUSTMENT OR NOT.
UM, I HAD A COUPLE OF CITIZENS REACH OUT AFTER WE PUT THE, UH, INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE THAT WE WOULD BE CHARGING IF THERE WAS A, I GUESS IF WE THOUGHT THAT THE METER WAS, UH, THE METER ANTENNA WAS DAMAGED MM-HMM.
AND I GUESS WHAT I WAS CHALLENGED WITH WAS, WELL, WHAT IF YOUR NEIGHBOR MOWS IT OVER? AND THEN I KIND OF STARTED LOOKING AT THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE METERS THAT SIT OUT OF THE GROUND.
WOULDN'T THINK IF YOU RAN OVER IT WITH A MOWER, WOULDN'T THERE JUST BE GASHES ALL OVER? I MEAN OH YEAH.
AND, AND I GUESS WHERE I'M GETTING AT IS THAT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT CHARGING PEOPLE FOR JUST FAILURES.
UM, WE, SO IN, IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE CITY, NEWER PARTS OF THE CITY, THE METER BOXES ARE RAISED.
AND YOU CAN'T GET A MOWER OVER THAT WITHOUT DAMAGING YOUR MOWER.
UM, BUT IN A LOT OF AREAS IN THE CITY, UM, THE METER BOXES ARE SUNK IN THE GROUND MM-HMM.
UM, BUT IT'S MOW MOW MINE EVERY DAY.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU DON'T, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DO, OR THEY DO IT WITH THEIR, UM, THEIR WEED EATER OR WHATEVER.
IT, IT'S VERY VISIBLE THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT THESE ARE DAMAGED BY SOME TYPE OF LAWN EQUIPMENT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO, TO SHOW CITIZENS OR YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENCE.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IT, IT REALLY IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY TELL OKAY THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING LIKE A CRACKED ME, YOU KNOW, ANTENNA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT WE'RE SAYING, OH NO, THIS IS THE CHARGE IN THE CUSTOMER.
WE CAN ABSOLUTELY SEE THAT THERE'S DAMAGE, BUT OUR MAIN PURPOSE OF DOING THIS IS NOT TO CHARGE THE CUSTOMER.
IT'S TO LET THE CUSTOMERS KNOW THAT IT'S THERE AND TRY TO, TO REDUCE
[01:50:01]
THE AMOUNT THAT ARE BREAKING.SO IF A CUSTOMER DOES CALL IN AND LET US KNOW, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS MY NEIGHBOR'S, WE DO A LITTLE BIT OF INVESTIGATING.
AND, AND IF IT COMES DOWN TO IT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN REMOVE THOSE CHARGES.
UM, NOW IF IT BECOMES HABITUAL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO REMOVE THAT CHARGE.
BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T TALK TO YOUR LONG CREW.
IT TAKES ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES IN ORDER FOR US TO CHANGE THOSE OUT.
AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 1500 OF THEM DURING THE SUMMER THAT WE'RE HAVING TO GO OUT THERE AND REPLACE.
SO OUR CAMPAIGN THAT DON'T MOW YOUR METER.
UM, WE'RE NOT SAYING THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY'RE BEING DAMAGED IS BY A ME A BY A, A MOWER.
UH, BUT IT'S TO GET, UM, THE WORD OUT THERE SO THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE COGNIZANT SO THEY TALK TO THEIR LAWN PEOPLE AND SAY, HEY, MAYBE YOU SHOULD WEEDED EAT AROUND THAT, NOT MOW IT OVER.
UH, 'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA CHARGE ME FOR IT.
SO REALLY THE ONLY PROCESS FOR A CITIZEN IS TO CALL UP AND SAY, HEY, I HAVE THIS $30 CHARGE.
UH, I DON'T BELIEVE I DAMAGED IT.
AND AT LEAST THERE WOULD BE A ONE TIME, MAYBE A ONE TIME GRACE ON THAT.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN OUR MAIN, OUR MAIN PURPOSE IS TO TRY AND REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIMES THAT WE'RE HAVING TO DO THIS WORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE CO THE COST OF IT HAS, IT'S NOT A NEW ANTENNA.
THIS, THIS IS THE SAME EQUIPMENT THAT WE'VE BEEN USING.
IT'S JUST A PROBLEM THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW, WE WANNA REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF, UH, METER TECHNICIANS THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO HIRE TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE OTHER SURE.
UTILITY BUILDING A WHILE BACK I CAME TO Y'ALL 'CAUSE THERE WAS AN ISSUE WHEN I WENT TO GET THAT PERMIT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT COULDN'T PROCESS THE PAYMENT OR SOMETHING, I HAD TO COME OVER TO UTILITY.
HAVE Y'ALL WORKED ON Y'ALL SOFTWARE INTERACTION TO WHERE MORE OF THE DEPARTMENT Y'ALL SOFTWARE'S INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER BETWEEN UTILITY BUILDING, PD FIRE? HAVE Y'ALL GOTTEN A LITTLE BIT MORE STREAMLINED ON THAT? UH, I'D HAVE TO KNOW WHAT SITUATION YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
I'LL GET WITH YOU AFTER THE MEETING, KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHETHER OR NOT WE, WE'VE WORKED ON THAT.
I'LL WENT TO MAKE A PAYMENT FOR AN OCCUPANCY CERTIFICATE AND THERE WAS AN ISSUE.
I'LL GET WITH YOU AFTER THE, THE ACCOUNTING HERE.
SO THAT, UM, ACTUALLY HAS TO GO THROUGH THE ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT AND NOT UTILITY BILLING.
SO THAT'S, YEAH, THAT'S UTILITY BILLING.
UM, ACCOUNTING IS BEHIND THE WINDOW.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT THAT PROCESSES PAYMENTS, UM, BUT SHE JUST SITS IN A CUBICLE.
UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, GOING FORWARD OF POSSIBLY GETTING A PART-TIME CASHIER TO JUST HANDLE THOSE TYPES OF PAYMENTS GOING FORWARD.
I JUST FIGURED THAT OUR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME INTEROPERABLE BILLING.
THE THE PROBLEM IS, IS WE HAVE DIFFERENT MERCHANT SERVICES FOR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND UM, THEY HAVE TO HAVE DIFFERENT ACCESS TO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS TO DO THAT.
SO LIKE YOU HAVE INTER GOV, WHICH HAS DIFFERENT MERCHANT PROVIDER THAN UTILITY BILLING VERSUS, YOU KNOW, UM, THE ANIMAL SHELTER HAS A DIFFERENT MERCHANT PROVIDER.
THE PARKS AND RECS HAS DIFFERENT.
SO IT'S JUST A, IT'S NOT AS EASY AS JUST DIFFERENT SOFTWARE, BUT WE ARE WORKING ON A WAY TO, UM, CONSOLIDATE THAT.
AND THE FINAL THING ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA IS THE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT FUND.
IT'S ON PAGE 3 25 BEHIND THE INTERNAL SERVICES TAB.
THIS IS JUST A BRIEF LITTLE OVERVIEW TO SHOW TOTAL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH ON THAT ONE PAGE, IT WOULD NOT BE READABLE ON THE SCREEN.
UM, THE UH, EMPLOYEE BENEFIT FUND IS WHERE WE ACCOUNT FOR ALL OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS FOR THE EMPLOYEES AND WE ARE NOT ANTICIPATING A RATE INCREASE NEEDED FOR 2024.
WE'VE HAD A GOOD CLAIMS YEAR IN 2023.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SLIDES ON GOING FORWARD.
WE HAVE, UH, OUR LAST WORKSHOP, UM, TOMORROW FOR OUTSTANDING ISSUES AND TALKING ABOUT PROPERTY TAX RATE CALCULATIONS.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, THE AUGUST 8TH COUNCIL MEETING.
WE'LL HAVE A REPORT ON OUR PROPERTY TAX VALUES AND RATES.
UM, WE'LL ASK THE COUNCIL TO PROPOSE THE PROPERTY TAX RATE AND WE'LL HAVE OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET ON AUGUST 22ND.
WE WILL HAVE OUR OFFICIAL, UH, PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET AND THE FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET ORDINANCE SEPTEMBER 12TH.
WE WILL HAVE THE LAST READING OF THE BUDGET ORDINANCE FOR 24.
UM, WE WILL NOT, UNLESS SOMETHING DRASTICALLY CHANGES WITH WHAT WE PRESENTED, WE WILL NOT NEED THE RATIFY TAX INCREASE, UM, ITEM THAT WE'VE HAD THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
'CAUSE OUR PROPERTY TAXES FOR 24 ESTIMATED TO BE LOWER THAN WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET IN THE CURRENT YEAR.
AND THEN WE WILL ASK THE COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
ANGIE, WHAT IS THE, UH, ABSOLUTE FINAL DATE TO PROPOSE THE TAX RATE THIS YEAR? UM, YOU COULD PUSH
[01:55:01]
IT BACK TO THE 22ND.BUT IF YOU DO THAT, UM, THE TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR LET ME KNOW THAT THE POSTCARDS THAT GO OUT TO EACH AND EVERY HOMEOWNER THAT'S REQUIRED BY SENATE BILL TO IT DIRECTS THEM TO A DATABASE.
IF THE COUNCIL PROPOSES A TAX RATE AFTER AUGUST 8TH, THE HOMEOWNERS WILL GET THAT CARD AND THERE WILL BE NO DATA IN THE DATABASE.
SO LAST YEAR THAT HAPPENED AND THERE WAS LOTS OF PHONE CALLS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU SENT ME THIS CARD, YOU DIRECTED ME THIS DATABASE BECAUSE IT'S ALL REQUIRED BY SENATE BILL TWO, BUT THE DATABASE WASN'T LOADED BECAUSE THE RATE HADN'T BEEN PROPOSED.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING FOR THE COUNCIL TO BE COGNIZANT OF.
AND SO THAT'S WHY THAT I MOVED IT BACK TO AUGUST 8TH.
IT'S BECAUSE IT MEETS ALL THE DEADLINES FOR SENATE BILL TWO, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH TIME TO GET THE TAX RATE RIGHT.
YOU CAN ALWAYS ADOPT A RATE AT OR LOWER THAN WHAT YOU PROPOSE.
YOU JUST CANNOT ADOPT A RATE HIGHER.
YOU'RE NOT LOCKED INTO WHAT YOU PROPOSE, I GUESS IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
YEAH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU DO IT A COUPLE, IT'S, IT'S A YEAR APART EACH OF THE LAST FEW YEARS.
DID YOU WANNA COVER THIS? ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I QUESTION NO MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT? YES SIR.
THERE WILL BE A MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME INPUT ON SOME INPUT AND SOME QUESTIONS.
I THINK WE NEED SOME CLARIFICATION FROM CITY COUNCIL.
I DON'T KNOW, DID THEY PASS IT OUT YET? I DID NOT.
SO THEY'RE GONNA PASS IT OUT AND YOU KNOW, REALLY IT TRIES TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE THE BUDGET, SINCE THE BUDGET STARTED.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE INCREASE IN HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS FOR SENIORS AND HOW WE PROPOSE TO KIND OF MAKE UP THAT DEFICIT.
AND THEN THERE'S UM, SOME CHALLENGES I THINK WITH THE SALES TAX.
WE'VE MADE SOME CHANGES IN THAT AND I THINK LET ANGIE TALK HIGH LEVEL.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR ANY DECISION TODAY, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU KIND OF THE SHEET OF, UM, PROPOSED CUTS SO THAT IF SOMEBODY HAS IDEAS THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN MINE, THIS IS THE TIME TO KIND OF LOOK AT THAT AND FINALIZE THAT.
I THINK ON THE C I P THERE WERE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
ONE ABOUT WINFIELD ROAD AND ONE ABOUT FIRE STATION, A FUTURE FIRE STATION ON THE WEST SIDE.
CALL IT SEVEN, CALL IT EIGHT, WHATEVER NUMBER YOU WANT.
AND WHETHER THOSE PROJECTS SHOULD GET DELETED FROM THE C I P, WHETHER IT'S THE RIGHT TIME TO DO THAT.
OBVIOUSLY WE CAN DO THAT AT ANY TIME, YOU KNOW, ADAM OR SUBTRACT THEM, BUT WE HAD TO, TO LOOK AT HOW WE'RE GONNA FUND THAT.
I WANTED ANGIE TO TALK JUST REAL HIGH LEVEL ABOUT, UH, THE SALES TAX AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THERE AND WHY THAT SHOWS UP ON THIS LIST.
SO I TRIED TO, UH, MAKE THIS MAKE SENSE, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.
I, I DO HAVE AN ACCOUNTING DEGREE SO NUMBERS ARE IN MY LIFE AND I TRIED TO MAKE IT TO WHERE EVERYBODY COULD KIND OF UNDERSTAND IT.
SO 2023, UM, IS HIGHLIGHTED IN A DIFFERENT COLOR SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE CORRESPONDING COLUMNS AS YOU LOOK AT THE TOP SECTION.
AND THEN THE BOTTOM SECTION, THE TOP SECTION, THIS IS THIS EVERYTHING ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.
THE, THE FIRST HALF OF THE PAGE TO THE LEFT IS GENERAL FUND.
WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT FOR HOT FUND ON THE TOP RIGHT, WHICH IS THE STUFF THAT STEPHANIE MENTIONED WHERE SHE DIDN'T NEED THOSE TWO PART-TIME POSITIONS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD GOTTEN SOME FEEDBACK FROM SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT THE UM, CLEAR LAKE CHAMBER.
SO WE HAD UM, PUT THOSE AS REDUCTIONS TO THE HOT FUND THERE ON THE FAR RIGHT IN THE LIGHT BLUE C I P WE HAD HEARD SOME COMMENTS ABOUT FIRE STATION SEVEN AND POSSIBLY BRINGING THAT FORWARD SOONER AND THEN WINFIELD ROAD AND POSSIBLY TAKING THAT UM, SPECIFIC SEGMENT OUT.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD.
UM, OTHER THINGS WE'VE HEARD ON THE, THE FAR LEFT, UM, THAT HALF OF THE PAGE, THESE ARE JUST, UM, DIFFERENT ITEMS IN THE EXPENSE CHANGES IN THE CENTER THERE.
ONE WHICH IS WHAT AFFECTS 23 THE CURRENT YEAR.
AND THEN THE COLUMN TO THE RIGHT THAT SAYS 24 PROPOSED WOULD AFFECT THE BUDGET THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT.
UM, THE TOP SECTION THERE IS REVENUE CHANGES.
AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED.
THE FIRST LINE ITEM SAYS SALES TAX.
UM, WE HAVE SEEN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT SALES TAX HAS NOT MET BUDGET PROJECTIONS.
UH, WE WERE QUITE AGGRESSIVE IN WHAT WE HAD IN THE CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET IS BUILT UPON THE YEAR IN ESTIMATES FOR THE CURRENT YEAR.
SO AS WE START TO SEE THE CURRENT YEAR IS NOT MEETING, UM, BUDGET PROJECTIONS, THEN IT AFFECTS BOTH YEARS.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, FOR THE THE SAKE OF CONVERSATION, WE HAVE SHOWN A DECREASE IN THE CURRENT YEAR OF 400,000 IN SALES TAX AND NEXT YEAR TO THE TUNE OF 600,000.
THE NEXT LINE IS THE SENIOR EXEMPTION.
UH, THE PROPERTY TAX, WE ESTIMATE THAT TO COST ABOUT $480,000 WITH THE, THE PROPERTY TAX RATE THAT WE WILL DISCUSS
[02:00:01]
TOMORROW.ALSO IN PROPERTY TAX WE HAVE A, AN ADDITION, UH, IN 24 OUR DEBT SERVICE, UH, WE BUDGETED A SET AMOUNT IN OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND AS THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE LAST UM, GO BOND ISSUANCE AT THE LAST MEETING.
THE ESTIMATED PAYMENT IS GOING TO BE, UM, LESS BY $300,000.
AND SO SINCE WE UM, TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING FOR PROPERTY TAX AT THAT NO NEW REVENUE RATE, UM, THEN THAT ALLOWS US TO UTILIZE THAT MONEY IN THE GENERAL FUND SIDE 'CAUSE IT'S NOT NEEDED ON THE DEBT SIDE.
WE ALSO HAD SOME INPUT FROM PARKS AND REC AS YOU KNOW, THEIR PROGRAMS, UM, AS THEIR FEES, AS THEIR EXPENSES GO UP, THEIR UM, PROGRAMS ARE SUPPORTED BY REVENUE AND WE HAD SOME UPDATE TO HOW MUCH OUR, UH, REVENUE WAS GONNA BE ON THE PARKS REC SIDE FOR FIELD RENTALS.
UM, AND THEN OUR LAST ITEM THAT WE HAVE ON THE GENERAL FUND IS WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH EVERYTHING PUTTING THIS LIST TOGETHER, WE ALSO CAME ACROSS THAT OUR UTILITY FUND OVERHEAD PAYMENT WAS CORRECTLY ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE UTILITY FUND, BUT IN THE GENERAL FUND IT WAS SHY BY $300,000.
AND SO JUST TO MAKE THOSE CORRECTIONS SINCE WE'RE ALREADY, UM, LOOKING AT KIND OF THINGS WE KNOW TODAY THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM WHEN WE PUT THE BOOK TOGETHER, WE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND PUT EVERYTHING IN THAT WE KNEW ABOUT.
AND SO THAT'S THE REVENUE CHANGES THAT WE HAVE, UM, PROPOSED THE EXPENSE CHANGES IN THE CURRENT YEAR.
WE'VE RERAN THE POLICE PERSONNEL SERVICES YEAR IN ESTIMATE.
WE THINK THAT THEY WERE SHY ABOUT 500,000 WHEN WE DID THEM IN MARCH TO TODAY.
SO WE THINK THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO INCLUDE THOSE.
THE PARK REC SUPPLIES FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, UM, WHICH IS OFFSETTED BY THAT REVENUE ABOVE.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD, UM, SOME OF THE FUNDING THAT WE HAD FOR HEALTH INSURANCE, UH, INCREASES ESTIMATED AND ALSO SOME OF THE COMPENSATION STUDY IMPLEMENTATION.
WE HAD SOME SAVINGS THERE IN THE NON-DEPARTMENTAL FOR THE CURRENT YEAR.
LOOKING AT THE REINVESTMENT, YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT AFFECTS 24.
AND NOT ONLY DO I HAVE WHAT IT'S FOR AND THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, BUT OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, I DO HAVE A COMMENT SO YOU CAN KIND OF TRACK, UM, WHAT'S DRIVING IT.
SO THE REINVESTMENT, WE WOULD, UH, PROPOSE REDUCING THAT FROM $5 MILLION TO FOUR AND A HALF, SO A DECREASE OF 500,000.
UM, I DID CHECK WITH OUR C I P PROJECTS ADMINISTRATOR.
SHE SAID THAT IT WOULD NOT AFFECT THE PLAN IN 24.
SHE WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO DO, UH, THE PROJECT PLAN AS SHE HAD IT INTENDED IN THE PLAN.
IT, UM, AND FACILITIES, UH, WE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS THERE.
THEY FEEL LIKE THEY COULD DO A REDUCTION OF 65,000 BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENTS.
WE HAD SOME TARGETED CUTS IN LIBRARY AND I HAVE THEM LISTED WITH WHAT THEY'RE FOR.
THERE WAS A COUPLE OF CUTS IN THE CITY MANAGER AND ALSO IN THE COUNCIL BUDGET.
UM, SOME OF THOSE ARE FOR THAT CLEAR LAKE CHAMBER, THE MEMBERSHIP AND THE BOAT PARADE.
UM, I DO HAVE A LINE THERE THAT SAYS VARIOUS, WE HAD SOME FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE US CUT SERVICE ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS LIKE ROTARY AND LIONS CLUB.
SO WE'RE GONNA, UH, SCAN THE WHOLE BUDGET AS A WHOLE AND PUT A NUMBER THERE FOR TOMORROW.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT P R N PARAMEDICS DELAYING THE HIRE DATE TO JANUARY.
AND THEN ALSO FIRE MARSHAL HAS A POSITION IT WOULD BE THEIR SECOND NEW POSITION OF THE YEAR.
WE WOULD DELAY THAT HIRING TO JANUARY AS WELL.
AND THEN REMOVING A FULL-TIME F T E THAT WAS REQUESTED FOR THE NEW PLANNER.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A REDUCTION FROM 190,000 TO 140,000, SAVING 50,000 FOR THE SOUTHWEST SIDE MASTER DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
THIS IS A PLAN THAT WOULD HELP US, UM, MAP OUT THE TYPE OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTY THAT WE'D WANT ALONG THE GRAND PARKWAY CORRIDOR.
AND THEN LAST WE HAVE REMOVAL OF AN ANIMAL CONTROL VEHICLE.
UM, AND THAT ALL TOTALS ABOUT $865,000 IN CUTS IN THE 24 BUDGET.
AND THEN DOWN BELOW I HAVE, UM, HOW MUCH THE REVENUES AND EXPENSES WERE FOR THE CURRENT YEAR AND NEXT YEAR AS PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET.
AND THEN THERE'S A LINE IN THE CENTER AND EVERYTHING TO THE RIGHT IS THE CUTS ABOVE HOW IT WOULD AFFECT THE YEAR IN ESTIMATES FOR EACH OF THE YEARS.
AND I KNOW THAT'S A LOT OF NUMBERS AND SO MY GOAL WAS JUST TO GIVE Y'ALL A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE AFTER THIS WEEK WE PRESENT THE FINAL BUDGET TO 'EM AT, WHILE WE STILL DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME BEFORE BETWEEN NOW AND THE FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET, WHICH IS ON AUGUST THE 22ND.
UM, STAFF WELCOMES ANY INPUT SO THAT WE CAN PREPARE A BUDGET ORDINANCE THAT THE COUNCIL CAN APPROVE.
[02:05:01]
OUR GOAL.AND SO ANY INPUT THAT YOU GIVE US, ANY FEEDBACK THAT YOU GIVE US THAT LEADS US TO THAT DIRECTION IS VERY HELPFUL AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A COMMENT.
HAVING SAID THAT, I GUESS THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO SIGNUP SHEET.
WELL, UH, WE'LL NOW ENTERTAIN PUBLIC COMMENTS PLEASE.
HEY MONICA, WOULD YOU JUST COME SIT US RIGHT HERE? THREE MINUTES.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS THE FORM THAT YOU JUST WENT OVER, IS THAT AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE? IS THERE A WAY I COULD GET A COPY OF IT? OKAY, GREAT.
UM, NOTWITHSTANDING THE BUDGET THAT THE ANIMAL SHELTER HAS PUT FORWARD, I WANNA SAY THAT IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU GIVE THE SHELTER THE ABILITY TO CONTRACT WITH TWO SPAY NEUTER PROVIDERS.
NEITHER ONE OF THEM HAVE THE CAPACITY TO HANDLE ALL OF THE ANIMALS THAT COME IN AND GO OUT NEEDING TO BE SPAYED NEUTERED.
IN 2020, WE HAD 1,004 ADOPTIONS.
98 OF THOSE WERE RETURNED TO THE FIELD.
MEANING WORKING CATS OR, OR FERAL CATS.
SO THAT WENT FROM 1,004 TO 1765 WITH 117,000 ANIMALS RETURNED TO THE FIELD.
IN 2022, WE HAD 1,994 ANIMALS.
SO THAT'S 1,004, 1765 AND 1994.
LAUREL'S HOUSE IS CONTRACTED TO COME ONCE A WEEK.
SO THAT MEANS THEY CAN STERILIZE 1400 ANIMALS.
AND THAT IS IF THEY ARE TO COME TO THE SHELTER ONCE A WEEK.
SO THERE'S JUST NO WAY TO DO IT WITH ONE PROVIDER.
AND IN 19, IN 22, WE HAD 1994 AND 194 ANIMALS WERE RETURNED TO THE FIELD WITH THE T N R ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE MORE ANIMALS RETURN TO THE FIELD BECAUSE THEY ARE TAKING THE ANIMALS THAT COME IN, STERILIZING THEM, 'EM, AND PUTTING THEM BACK OUT IN THE PUBLIC WHERE THEY PICKED THEM UP.
UM, WE'VE ALWAYS ADOPTED OUT PUPPIES AND KITTENS WITHOUT THEM BEING STERILIZED.
THE PERSON SIGNS A STERILIZATION CONTRACT AGREEING TO BRING THE ANIMAL BACK BY A SPECIFIC DATE AND THEY WOULD HAVE AN APPOINTMENT.
THE SITUATION AT THE SHELTER IS ALMOST IN A CRISIS WITH THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT ARE OUT THAT ARE NOT STERILIZED.
AND THEY'RE NOT JUST PUPPIES AND KITTENS.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT ARE BEING ADOPTED OUT THAT ARE OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE.
SO IF WE DON'T GET THE HELP TO THE SHELTER TO GET THE ANIMAL STERILIZED, THEN WE'RE JUST GONNA BE CREATING MORE POPULATION OF DOGS AND CATS FOR US TO PICK UP AND HAVE TO HANDLE IN THE FUTURE.
LAUREL'S HOUSE IS NOT LOCAL, SO IF THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE SURGERY, THEY'RE AT ANOTHER LOCATION THE DAY AFTER THE SURGERY.
SO IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF ISSUE, THERE'S NO WAY TO GET THAT CAT OR DOG INTO THE CLINIC TO LOOK AT WHAT THE ISSUE WAS WITH THE SURGERY.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORKS IN THE JAIL ADOPTED A DOG AND WOUND UP THAT NIGHT AFTER THEY PICKED UP THE DOG FROM SURGERY AT THE ER, INCURRING A $700 BILL.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THAT WAS.
I DO KNOW IN THE PAST, ANIMAL ALLIANCE WOULD'VE PAID THAT.
BILL AND ANIMAL ALLIANCE WILL SAY THAT IF THERE'S AN ISSUE AFTER THE SURGERY, BRING THE ANIMAL IN THE NEXT DAY WE'LL LOOK AT IT AND THEY WILL REVISE THE SURGERY.
THEY WILL TAKE AND DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAKE THE ANIMAL AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE.
MRS. MILLER CAN THE YOUR TIME IS UP.
WE HAD A THREE MINUTE TIMER ON THIS ONE.
ONE MORE STATEMENT AND THAT IS THAT THE ANIMAL ALLIANCE HAS REVISED THEIR PROPOSAL.
THEY REVISED IT FROM WHAT WAS ASKED FOR IN THE R F P, WHICH CAME IN AT 191,000.
BUT THEN WHEN THEY WENT BACK AND BID ONLY 28 ANIMALS A WEEK, 50 WEEKS OUT OF THE YEAR, I SENT THAT TO EACH ONE OF YOU AND IT WAS AROUND 130,000.
SO IT'S NOT 191, IT'S 130,000.
[02:10:01]
THAT IS THAT YOU ASKED IF THERE'S ANY LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF PEOPLE NOT BRINGING THE ANIMALS BACK.THEY SIGN A CONTRACT SAYING THEY'LL BRING IT BACK, AND IF THEY DON'T, THEY'RE SUBJECT TO BEING ISSUED A CITATION BY THE SHELTER.
I'M NOT AWARE THAT THE SHELTER HAS ISSUED ANY CITATIONS.
IT TAKES A CITATION FOR THEM TO GO TO THE COURT AND THEY'RE SUBJECT TO A $500 FINE.
IT'S A CRIMINAL CLASS C MISDEMEANOR.
NOT TO DO IT, BUT ONLY IF THEY ARE SERVED A CITATION.
YOU COULD STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
CLEARLY I'M A NURSE AND I LIVE AT 9 0 8 DAVIS ROAD HERE IN LEAGUE CITY.
AND I'M HERE TO JUST MAKE A STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF OUR HELEN HALL LIBRARY.
SO I FEEL LIKE THE COMMUNITY IS CRITICAL TO PROVIDE ELEMENTS OF BELONGING, PURPOSE, AND SUPPORT TO RESIDENTS.
AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, OFFERING A COMMON PLACE TO COME TOGETHER, WHETHER THAT BE LIBRARIES OR PARKS.
THERE ARE FEW PLACES THAT ARE FREE OPEN TO EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY POST COVID, TO FILL THAT SUPPORT AND BELONGING.
AND THE LIBRARY OFFERS SO MANY ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES MORE THAN THE OBVIOUS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A NOTARY SERVICES NOW AND COMPUTERS ALL FREE AND LOCATED IN A COMMON GATHERING PLACE.
AND REMEMBER, WE CANNOT FIND COMMON GROUND IF THERE IS NO COMMONPLACE TO SHARE.
AND BEFORE I LEAVE, I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION THE PROFESSIONAL LIBRARY STAFF.
THEY ARE SO PROFESSIONAL AND NICE TO EVERYBODY THAT WALKS INTO THAT DOOR.
AND I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I USE THE LIBRARY FREQUENTLY.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE, UH, FORMER COUNCILWOMAN.
RICHARD LEWIS, VICE PRESIDENT LEAGUE CITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
SECRETARY LEAGUE CITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, I SENT YOU AN EMAIL THIS PAST WEEK THAT, UM, EXPLAINED THE SAVING AND RESTORATION OF A BUILDING, UH, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS CITY.
THE GALVESTON HOUSTON AND HENDERSON RAILROAD WAS ALSO, UH, AND, BUT SOME OF THE THINGS DID NOT MAKE IT INTO THAT EMAIL.
AND I CAN SEND THIS TO YOU, BUT THIS IS A SATELLITE VIEW SHOWING THE CURRENT LOCATION OF THE BUILDING AND THE THREE PROPOSED LOCATIONS IN THE PARK.
UM, AND ANOTHER THING THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE, UM, EMAIL WAS POSSIBLE USES FOR IT ONCE IT IS LOCATED ON CITY PROPERTY.
WE HAVE COME UP WITH THIS OVER THE YEAR THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING EVER SINCE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH IT.
AND SOME OF THE POSSIBLE USES ARE AN ART STUDIO, POP-UP SHOPS, COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE, QUILT SHOP, TOURISM PHOTOGRAPHER, ELDER ACTIVITIES, GIFT SHOP, OR ANY OTHER USE THAT OR DESIRE FROM THE CITY THAT FITS THE NEW VISITOR CENTER AND COFFEE SHOP AT THE STATION, MASTER'S HOUSE.
SO, UH, OR IT COULD BE USED AS A HISTORIC BUNKHOUSE SET UP, UM, FOR EVEN THE LEAGUE CITY.
UM, JUST, I'M SORRY, THE RAILROAD DISPLAYS, THAT TYPE OF THING.
UH, JUST LIKE MANY OTHER HISTORIC BUILDINGS IN TOWN.
UM, SO IT COULD BE ALSO USED DURING HOLIDAY IN THE PARK AND ANY OTHER LEAGUE PARK ACTIVITIES, UM, ESPECIALLY IF IT WAS A COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE.
SO SOME OF THOSE IDEAS, UH, KEEP IN MIND WHEN, UM, WHEN THIS FUNDING THAT IS VERY MUCH NECESSARY.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPEARHEAD THE PROJECT.
I SHOWED YOU ONE BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE.
UH, THIS BUILDING IS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT.
UH, IF WE DO NOT DO SOMETHING THIS YEAR, IT WON'T, IT WILL NOT BE HERE FOR US TO SAVE.
EVERY TOWN DOES NOT HAVE A BUNKHOUSE.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE A MAINTENANCE YARD.
AND LAKE CITY WAS THE MAINTENANCE YARD FOR THE GALVESTON, HOUSTON AND HENDERSON RAILROAD.
SO, SO I JUST WANNA ADD, UM, THIS IS NOT CREATING ANOTHER MUSEUM.
THE LAST THING WE NEED IS ANOTHER BUILDING THAT SITS WITH A BUNCH OF STUFF IN IT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COMMUNITY BUILDING.
YOU'RE SAVING A PIECE OF HISTORY.
IT ISN'T CREATING ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
IT ISN'T, UM, IT'S REALLY MORE OF A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE VOLUNTEERS.
WE HAVE 30 YEARS OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
WE HAVE NO PAID PERSONNEL WORKING.
[02:15:01]
RUN WHERE A 5 0 1 C THREE, WE RAISE THE MONEY, WE MAKE IT WORK.WE, WE WORK REALLY WELL AND EFFICIENTLY.
WE DON'T SPEND ANY MORE MONEY THAN WE HAVE TO.
BUT THIS HISTORIC BUILDING NEEDS TO BE SAVED.
WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT A CERTAIN PLACE TO PUT IT.
WE'D LIKE TO TALK WITH THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE BEST PLACE? WHAT IS THE BEST TIMING? DOES IT NEED TO STAY WHERE IT IS? SHOULD IT BE MOVED? DOES COULD IT BE MOVED LATER? WE JUST WANNA GET INTO THE DIALOGUE OF SAVING THIS BUILDING.
WE WANNA DO IT VERY EFFICIENTLY, COST EFFECTIVE, AND MAKE IT WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE IT REALLY IS A FABULOUS BUILDING.
IT COULD BE A REALLY NICE PIECE TO ADD TO THAT STREET.
IT WOULD CHANGE THE FACE OF THAT, UH, OF SECOND STREET IF WE HAD THIS BUILDING.
HAVE IT OPEN, HAVE IT FOR COMMUNITY USE.
NOT, NOT ANOTHER STUFFY MUSEUM.
SO MAYOR AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, I, I BELIEVE THERE'S A COUNCIL REQUEST TO GET THIS ON AN AGENDA, EITHER THE NEXT FIRST MEETING IN AUGUST OR THE SECOND MEETING IN AUGUST.
AND SO ALL OF THE PICTURES AND INFORMATION THAT RICHARD HAS, WE'RE GONNA INCLUDE THAT IN THE PACKET.
SO THERE'S A GOOD, YOU KNOW, PERSPECTIVE I THINK FOR US AS STAFF.
NOT A QUESTION TO ANSWER TODAY IS DO WE HAVE TO MOVE IT NOW OR CAN IT STAY WHERE IT IS? AND IF IT STAYS WHERE IT IS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND CAN IT GET MOVED LATER? BUT WE'LL WORK, I'LL WORK MY WAY THROUGH THAT WITH RICHARD AS WE PUT A DATA SHEET TOGETHER FOR A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT REQUESTED IT.
SO IT'S INTENDED TO COME FORWARD, OKAY.
OUTSIDE OF THIS BUDGET CYCLE AS PART OF, I'LL SAY THE 20 CURRENT 23 BUDGET AND TO LOOK TO, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE FIND FUNDS TO DO THAT.
SO I'LL SEND YOU THAT, UH, SATELLITE IMAGE.
THEN, THEN WE, BUT YOU HAVE 10 MILLION PAGES.
NO, NO, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT THE PICTURE, THE BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES AND THE SATELLITE PICTURE.
NOT HEARING, UH, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE? PEGGY, COME ON.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, TWO DEPARTMENTS, TWO AREAS.
UH, ONE IS THE, UH, AUDIT DEPARTMENT.
AND I PERSONALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING IT IN THE BUDGET.
I WILL SAY THAT BASED ON SOME COMMENTS I HAVE HEARD, NOT, NOT NECESSARILY PERSONALLY, I WAS REALLY CONCERNED THAT MAYBE THIS WOULDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE BUDGET.
AND I WILL SAY FROM A CITIZEN STANDPOINT, I THINK TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ARE OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.
AND THERE IS A REASON WHY MOST LARGE CITIES AND PUBLIC COMPANIES HAVE AN INTERNAL AUDIT OFFICE.
AND THAT IS AN INTERNAL AUDIT OFFICE THAT IS INDEPENDENT.
THEY WORK WITH DIFFERENT ENTITIES, BUT THEY ARE INDEPENDENT.
AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT THE ONLY TIME I HAVE MADE AN IMPROVEMENT IN MY LIFE HAS NOT BEEN WHEN I'VE TAPPED MYSELF ON THE SHOULDER AND TOLD MYSELF HOW GOOD I AM.
IT'S BEEN WHEN SOMEBODY HAS BEEN WATCHING WHAT I'M DOING, MAYBE REVIEWED IT AND GIVEN ME WHAT I CONSIDER SOME VERY CONSTRUCTIVE INFORMATION.
SO I WOULD REALLY ASK YOU, LET'S TRY TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE AN AREA THAT IS VERY PREVALENT IN OTHER ENTITIES TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL FOR OUR ORGANIZATION.
SECOND AREA IS MY BELOVED LIBRARY.
UH, I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND A DINNER WITH THE, UM, LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS, UH, CARLA HAYDEN, LET ME TELL YOU, IF THERE IS EVER A KINDRED SPIRIT FOR SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO TALK ABOUT LIBRARIES, IT'S THAT PERSON WITH ME.
I WALKED AWAY THINKING, WHY WOULD WE EVEN CONSIDER TALKING ABOUT A SCHOOL WITHOUT A PUBLIC LIBRARY? BECAUSE THE WAY CARLA TALKS, AND, AND I FULLY AGREE WITH THAT, IS WE CAN DEBATE WHAT LEVEL OF EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT FOR, FOR ALL OF US TO SUCCEED IN LIFE.
THE THING WE CANNOT DEBATE IS HOW WELL YOU WILL SUCCEED IN LIFE IF YOU CAN'T READ.
AND, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THAT WILL LOOK TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY BECAUSE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AREN'T AVAILABLE AT A CRITICAL AGE LIKE A TODDLER.
OUR WONDERFUL LIBRARY SERVES EVERYBODY IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I, AS A CITIZEN WILL TELL YOU, FOR $19 AND 48 CENTS
[02:20:01]
A YEAR, THAT WILL PROBABLY BE THE BEST MONEY I CAN EVER SPEND.BECAUSE I ALWAYS WANT TO IMPROVE MYSELF.
I WANNA KNOW THAT PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE SAME.
SO PLEASE, LET'S LOOK AT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR CITIZENS.
WE HAVE OUR WONDERFUL STAFF HERE.
THERE ARE THOSE OF US WHO SUPPORT THE LIBRARY.
AND WE'LL GLADLY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME.
SEE THAT? SEE, I CAN'T EVEN SHUT IT OFF NOW,
IS THERE ANYONE? UH, I THINK SHE'LL LET ME SIT WITH HER.
I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT EVERY TIME I COME AND LISTEN TO CITY COUNCIL, I GET REALLY IRRITATED.
I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT ANYONE WOULD QUESTION HOW MANY PEOPLE COME INTO THE LIBRARY.
I HEARD NONE OF THAT FOR ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT.
OUR LIBRARY IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
IT IS THE ONLY LIBRARY OPEN IN HOUSTON, IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN.
AND PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS COME INTO THAT LIBRARY.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IN THIS ROOM HAS A COMPUTER.
I BET OUR KIDS HAVE THE SAME THING.
I TALKED TO A MAN YESTERDAY 'CAUSE I AM THERE EVERY SUNDAY.
YOU WANNA SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE LIBRARY.
IT IS ESSENTIAL PLACE FOR CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THIS MAN WAS IN THE LIBRARY 'CAUSE IT WAS HOT AND HE WAS READING AND WE TALKED ABOUT BOOKS AND HE DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER.
OUR LIBRARY IS SO IMPORTANT AND I KNOW THAT EVEN PEOPLE WHO OPPOSE THE LIBRARY AND HOW WE MUST EXPAND THE LIBRARY 'CAUSE OUR CITY IS GROWN.
OUR CITY IS HUGE AND WE CAN'T MAKE OUR LIBRARY IMPORTANT.
EVEN PEOPLE WHO OPPOSE WHAT GOES OUT ON THE LIBRARY, I HAVE SEEN THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS USE THE LIBRARY.
IF YOUR FAMILY MEMBER COMES INTO THE LIBRARY, THEN YOU ARE A PATRON AND YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SUPPORT IT.
ALWAYS, NO QUESTION WHATSOEVER.
THEY WORK SO HARD, THEIR CALENDAR IS FULL AND THEY HAVE PEOPLE WORKING ON SUNDAYS TO SERVICE EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY.
NOBODY STOPPED FROM COMING IN.
SO PLEASE SUPPORT THE LIBRARY.
BE A CITY THAT SAYS WE THINK LIBRARIES ARE IMPORTANT.
WE THINK EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT.
WE THINK SERVING EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT AND ONE OF THE PLACES TO DO THAT.
SPORTS ARE IMPORTANT, THE LIBRARY'S IMPORTANT, AND WE SHOULD ALL BE SUPPORTING THEM.
IT'S REALLY LATE AND I'M SORRY, BUT I JUST HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING.
ANYONE ELSE HEARING THAT? ITEM FOUR IS ADJOURNMENT.