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ALL RIGHT.THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LEAGUE, CITY OF TEXAS WILL NOW
[1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS]
COME TO ORDER IN REGULAR MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2024 AT 6:00 PM UH, ANDY MANN.I'D LIKE TO INVITE PASTOR BRIAN YOUNG FROM WARD POWER CHURCH.
OH, HE WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND.
I INVITE YOU TO ENJOY, JOIN ME IN PRAYER AS WE OPEN OUR HEARTS AND SAY THANK YOU, GOD, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN SERVICE TOGETHER, TO OPEN OURSELVES, TO FEEL THE POWER OF YOUR SPIRIT AS IT IS ALIVE IN THESE SESSIONS, IN ALL THE ACTIVITIES OF OUR, OUR GREAT COMMUNITY, OF OUR CITY AND OUR SCHOOLS, AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND OUR LEADERS AND ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE PARTICIPATING HERE FOR EVERY CITIZEN AND EVERY FAMILY.
THAT THEY FEEL THE POWER OF THOSE BLESSINGS THAT ARE POURING UPON THEM FOR THE GIFT OF THIS TIME TOGETHER, FOR FEELING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR AND KNOW THE EXPERIENCES THAT WE ALL ARE BRINGING TO THE TABLE TO BRING GREATER GOOD TO THIS COMMUNITY.
AND WE ARE GRATEFUL GOD FOR YOUR PRESENCE HERE AND ALL THE WAYS THAT YOU GUIDE AND LEAD US IN WISE AND WONDROUS DECISIONS THAT SERVE OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE HIGHEST AND THE GREATEST GOOD.
THE US FLAG REGION TO THE FLAG UNDER THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS? ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, THE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, ALL TEXAS FLAG, HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE AGENCY TO BE TEXAS.
[3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2024.IF THERE'S NO CORRECTIONS, THESE MINUTES STAND APPROVED
[5. PUBLIC COMMENTS BEFORE CITY COUNCIL]
PUBLIC COMMENTS.MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO GIVE COMMENTS AT THIS TIME LASTING NO LONGER THAN THREE MINUTES.
COMMENTS MAY BE GENERAL IN NATURE OR MAY ADDRESS SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS. UM, SO I'LL READ THREE PEOPLE AT A TIME SO WE CAN KEEP THIS GOING AND THEN YOU GUYS CAN JUST WAIT.
SO, MARIKA FULLER EVE, GAMMEL, ELOISE PEREZ, LAUREN, UH, LONZO, LOZANO, SORRY.
CITY COUNCIL RESIDENTS OF LEAGUE CITY.
MY NAME IS MARIKA FULLER AND I LIVE ON 29 20 MARLIN COURT.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE BOOK BIGWIG.
I URGE YOU TO LEAVE THAT BOOK IN THE CHILDREN'S SECTION OF THE LIBRARY.
I URGE YOU TO STOP THIS MADNESS OF MEDDLING IN THE BUSINESS OF THE RESIDENTS OF LAKE CITY.
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I DO ON HOW TO PARENT MY CHILDREN? WHAT'S NEXT MEDDLING IN MY FINANCES.
SOME OF YOU SHOULDN'T BE LEFT NEAR AND OPEN UNTIL SINCE YOU CAN'T EVEN HANDLE YOUR OWN FINANCES.
SOME ON THE CITY COUNCIL SEEMS HELL BEN, ON CAUSING AS MUCH DIVISION AND STRIFE IN THIS CITY AS POSSIBLE RATHER THAN LOOKING AT THE THINGS THAT UNITE US AND IT HAS AMPLIFIED THE US AND THEIR MENTALITY.
ONE COULD SAY THAT WE ARE A MICRO US AND I FIND THAT INCREDIBLY SAD.
WHEN I TAKE MY SINGLE DIGIT AGE GRANDCHILDREN TO A LIBRARY, I KEEP A STRICT EYE ON THEM.
THEY'RE NOT FERAL CATS THAT GETS RUM FREE.
WE PICK BOOKS TOGETHER AND THE CHANCE OF THEM GETTING THEIR LITTLE PAUSE ON ANYTHING I OR THEIR PARENTS DON'T APPROVE OF IS SLIM TO NONE.
THEY ARE TAUGHT TO BE QUIET AND TO BE RESPECTFUL TO THE BOOKS AS EACH BOOK IS A LABOR OF LOVE FOR THE AUTHOR, PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW IT'S NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PARENT AND GUIDE MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, BUT IT IS THAT OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE AS A CITY HAVE WASTED COUNTLESS HOURS AND GOD KNOWS HOW MUCH MONEY ON THE PURSUIT OF BANNING BOOKS IN OUR LIBRARY BOOKS THAT MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A PUBLIC LIBRARY IN TEXAS, BUT NOT THE STANDARDS OF CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS.
EVERY TIME A BOOK FACES THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING MOVED BANNED, WE ARE FACING THE RISK OF A LAWSUIT AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE RISK OF WASTING MORE TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
DON'T WE HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO? ROADS, ANIMAL SHELTER, DRAINAGE, DOG PARKS, ENSURING NO OFFENSES ARE HIGHER THAN EIGHT FEET? POLICE TELL ME THAT WE ARE NOT ASPIRING TO BE A MINI GILEAD WHERE A SUBSET OF WHITE MEN DECIDES WHAT IS MORALLY ACCEPTABLE AND CONDEMN ALL THINGS THEY FEAR.
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DISBAND THE COMMITTEE, AND TRUST OUR LIBRARIANS TO DO THEIR JOB.MAYBE THEN WE CAN ALL GET BACK TO TRUSTING Y'ALL TO DO YOUR JOB REPRESENTING ALL RESIDENTS OF LEAGUE CITY REGARDLESS OF GENDER, RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, RELIGION, OR NATIONALITY.
ALL RIGHT, SO THAT IT'S EVE ML AND THEN NEXT PERSON UP WILL BE ELISA.
AND THEN, UM, MARGARET TEITSWORTH.
HI Y'ALL COUNSEL, NICE TO SEE YOU AUDIENCE.
MY NAME IS EVE ML AND I LIVE ON WAKEFIELD DRIVE HERE IN LAKE CITY.
I'M TIRED OF ADDRESSING THIS COUNCIL OVER CENSORSHIP, BUT HERE I GO AGAIN.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AWARE OF THIS, BUT EVERY TIME THAT I'VE ADDRESSED HIS COUNSEL OR THE CITIZENS REVIEW COMMITTEE, IT'S BEEN ABOUT CENSORSHIP OVER BOOKS BY PEOPLE LIKE ME ABOUT CHILDREN'S BOOKS, MOSTLY ABOUT PEOPLE LIKE ME.
THIS CENSORSHIP IS NOTHING LESS THAN DEHUMANIZING AND THAT'S THE WAY IT MAKES ME FEEL, ESPECIALLY AS A TRANS WOMAN.
BUT HERE I GO AGAIN, I DON'T NEED TO REMIND YOU WHY THE BOOK IS HARMLESS.
SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY DONE THAT.
SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE STATED WHY THIS HARMLESS BOOK IS UP FOR DISCRIMINATION.
ADMIRAL JOHN PAUL JONES ONCE SAID, WE HAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO FIGHT.
WE HAVEN'T BECAUSE IF IF YOU DON'T FIGHT, UM, I'M SORRY.
THIS ISSUE WAS A SELF-INFLICTED WOUND BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND I BESEECH YOU TO MAKE IT PART OF YOUR PAST AND NOT PART OF OUR FUTURE BECAUSE YOU DON'T, IT WILL COME BACK TO BITE YOU IN MANY WAYS IN THE FUTURE.
THE SUCCESSORSHIP SIDE OF THIS COUNCIL HAS PUT OUR GOOD CITY IN AN UNFAVORABLE LIGHT WITH ISSUES OF DIVERSITY AND ATTRACTING BUSINESS.
AND PART OF THAT COMES FROM BLATANT TRANSPHOBIA AND THE HATE THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT.
I MEAN FOUR TIMES EVERY TIME I PROTEST, IT'S ABOUT SOMEBODY THAT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST ME EVERY TIME.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF JUSTICE AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AMERICAN WAY.
IT SEEMS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THIS COUNCIL PREFERS TO PROMOTE FEAR AND INTOLERANCE MORE THAN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.
IT'S RUMORED THAT SOME OF THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD THE VOTE AGAINST CENSORSHIP IN OUR STATE MIGHT BE SUBJECTED AND FALSELY ACCUSED OF BEING PEDOPHILES OR GROOMERS.
IT'S A SHAME, UH, BECAUSE ALL BECAUSE THEY OPPOSE CENSORSHIP ABOUT A FICTIONAL CHILDREN'S BOOK ABOUT A MAGIC WIG THAT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL MORE POSITIVELY ABOUT THEMSELVES.
THIS COUNCIL ALMOST DONE THIS COUNCIL INSERT ITSELF INTO A REAL PICKLE HERE.
SHOULD THIS COUNCIL DECIDE TO IGNORE THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH, THEY CHEAT OUR CITIZENS OUT OF THE THINGS THAT OUR COUNCIL IS SUPPOSED TO DO FOR US.
YOU KNOW, INFRASTRUCTURE AND JOBS THAT ATTRACT THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ATTRACTED TO A CITY THAT IS INTOLERANT AND HATEFUL.
AND IT'S A SHAME THAT THIS IS WHAT LEAD CITY HAS BECOME.
AND IT'S NOT JUST DEHUMANIZING THESE, IT'S DEHUMANIZING ALL OF US.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAY ELOISA PEREZ.
THANK YOU FOR GETTING THE FIRST TWO RIGHT.
SORRY, I COULDN'T TELL IF IT'S AN R AND N.
AS YOU SAID, I'M ELOISA PRE LOZANO.
I WANT TO SAY HOW IRONIC IT IS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK DURING BAND BOOKS WEEK, A WEEK WHERE WE CELEBRATE THE FREEDOM OF EVERYONE TO READ THE LITERATURE THEY CHOOSE.
IF YOU MOVE THIS BOOK TO A DIFFERENT PLACE OTHER THAN WHERE THE HIGHLY QUALIFIED LIBRARIANS HAVE DECIDED IT SHOULD LIVE, YOU WILL BE CONTRIBUTING TO A PASSIVE KIND OF CENSORSHIP.
IF THE BOOK IS MOVED TO A SECTION THAT MAINLY CATERS
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TO ADULTS, NO ONE WOULD FIND THIS BOOK UNLESS THEY KNEW WHERE TO LOOK AND IT WOULD STICK OUT MORE THERE THAN IF IT REMAINED IN THE CHILDREN'S SECTION WHERE A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER BOOKS ARE JUST AS COLORFUL AS HEARD ON NPR.THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ACTUALLY DON'T SUPPORT CENSORSHIP AND IT'S ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM.
IT REALLY IS STILL A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE TRYING TO SUPPRESS AND DENY OUR BASIC RIGHTS, OUR CIVIL RIGHTS, FREEDOM TO SPEECH, FREEDOM TO THOUGHT.
FOR THOSE WHO WOULD CALL PEOPLE LIKE ME, PEDOPHILES OR GROOMERS.
AS MARGARET THATCHER ONCE SAID, IF THEY ATTACK YOU PERSONALLY, IT MEANS THEY HAVE NOT A SINGLE POLITICAL ARGUMENT LEFT.
UNLESS THE PERSON IS A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER OR HAS SERVED TIME FOR A CRIME FOR WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN FOUND GUILTY, NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO LIE AND FALSELY ACCUSE ANYONE OF BEING EITHER OF THOSE THINGS.
AS SOMEONE WHO USED TO WORK IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY, I BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY THAT REPRESENTATION MATTERS.
SEEING YOURSELF INSIDE THE PAGES OF ABO AFFIRM WHO YOU ARE AND YOUR EXPERIENCE WHEN POSSIBLY NO ONE ELSE IN YOUR LIFE AROUND YOU MIGHT.
EVERYONE DESERVES TO FIND THEMSELVES WITHIN THE PAGES OF BOOKS INSIDE OF A PUBLIC LIBRARY MEANT TO SERVE EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
I AGREE THAT PARENTS SHOULD HAVE THE CHOICE OF HOW AND WHAT TO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN.
I DO NOT AGREE WITH PARENTS WHO ARE SEEKING TO DETERMINE WHAT LITERATURE IS APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN WHOM THEY DID NOT CONCEIVE NOR ARE RAISING.
IN SHORT, I'M NOT ASKING ALL PARENTS TO READ THIS BOOK TO THEIR CHILDREN.
I AM SIMPLY ASKING THAT ALL PARENTS HAVE THE OPTION TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
IF YOU DON'T AGREE WITH THE BOOK, THEN PLEASE LEAVE IT FOR OTHERS TO FIND.
IT MAY NOT SERVE YOU, BUT IT WILL SERVE OTHERS.
OTHERWISE, THE LIBRARIANS WOULD NOT HAVE CHOSEN TO INCLUDE IT IN THEIR COLLECTION AT THE LIBRARY.
I AM ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE BRAVE AND TAKE A STAND AGAINST BOOK CENSORSHIP IF IN YOUR HEART.
LAST SENTENCE, IF IN YOUR HEART YOU AGREE THAT THERE IS NOTHING HARMFUL OR OBSCENE ABOUT THIS BOOK, I URGE YOU TO VOTE IN SERVICE OF EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHOM YOU WERE ELECTED TO SERVE.
ALRIGHT, MARGARET TE UH, MARGUERITE TEITSWORTH, LINDA STONE AND CATHERINE SWANSON, COME UP TO THE DAAS.
MY NAME IS MARGARET TEITSWORTH AND I WANTED TO SPEAK AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN OF LEAGUE CITY REGARDING THE CHOICE TO CHALLENGE BIGWIG.
BEFORE I BEGIN, I WANNA LIST A FEW OF MY CREDENTIALS.
I'M A GRADUATE FROM CLEAR SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL IN TEXAS A AND M IN GALVESTON.
I HOLD A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN MARITIME STUDIES WITH A MINOR IN ENGLISH BECAUSE I TOOK LITERATURE COURSES FOR FUN.
I HAVE BEEN A TEACHER FOR FIVE YEARS.
I'VE TAUGHT MIDDLE SCHOOL, TEACH, UH, ENGLISH FROM GRADE SIX THROUGH EIGHT WITH CERTIFICATES AND TRAINING TO TEACH GIFTED AND TALENTED AND THOSE WHO SPEAK ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE.
MY MOTHER HAS BEEN A TEACHER FOR 36 YEARS.
MY LATE GRANDMOTHER WAS A LIBRARIAN WHO FOSTERED A JOY FOR READING.
SINCE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL, I HAVE GROWN UP IN THE HOUSTON AND LEAGUE CITY LIBRARIES.
MY MOTHER HAS ALWAYS BEEN ACTIVE IN SEEING WHAT WE, MY YOUNGER SIBLINGS AND I READ WHETHER BY GOING TO A SPOT AND CHECKING OUR SELECTIONS OR BY ACTIVELY WANDERING THE AISLES AND GIVING US OPTIONS SHE FEELS IS APPROPRIATE.
NOT BY OUR AGE, BUT ALSO OUR READING CAPACITY.
I WAS ACTIVE IN THE LIBRARY AS A RESULT, WHICH YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW FROM THE SURFACE IS I'M ACTIVELY PART OF THE HOUSTON COSPLAYING CONVENTION SCENE.
I CREATE ELABORATE COSTUMES AND ENTER THEM IN CONVENTIONS AROUND TEXAS.
I HAVE WON A SMALL HANDFUL OF AWARDS FOR MY CRAFTSMANSHIP AND I BRING THEM TO THE NOTABLY BIG COMIC PALOOZA THAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR, WHICH HAS BROUGHT CELEBRITIES SUCH AS WILLIAM SHATNER, TOM HOLLAND, AND SIGOURNEY WEAVER.
WHAT POINT DOES THIS HAVE? WELL, THE THEME I'VE GATHERED FROM READING BIG WIG IS THAT PUTTING ON A WIG GIVES ME THE CONFIDENCE TO BE JUST ANYONE I WANNA BE.
IF I ADMIRE A CHARACTER, THAT WIG, THAT OUTFIT MAKES ME FEEL AS STRONG OR AS CONFIDENT AS THE CHARACTER I WANT TO EMBODY.
IF I PUT ON ONE WIG, I AM ONE CHARACTER.
IF I PUT ON ANOTHER, I'M SOMEONE ELSE.
TEAK, 6.5, 7.5 AND 8.5 A FROM THE TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IS THE ABILITY TO DETERMINE THEME ACROSS DIFFERENT GENRES.
I NOTICED A SIMILAR THEME IN RL STEIN'S THE MASK WHERE THE MASK CHANGES YOU, BUT RL STEIN WAS NEVER CHALLENGED FOR BEING AN LGBT AUTHOR.
HE WAS CHALLENGED FOR BEING SCARY.
I ASK WHERE WITHIN THIS BOOK DO YOU SEE THE THEME THAT WE ARE EXPOSING CHILDREN TO SEXUAL CONTENT? I HAVE READ THIS BOOK FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS COVER TO COVER AND COULD NOT FIND A NAUGHTY WORD OR GENITALIA MENTIONED AT ALL.
WHAT COULD I FIND? THE AUTHOR IS PART OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY AND THIS BOOK
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IS PART OF AN ONGOING TIRADE AGAINST LGBT AUTHORS.IF YOU WISH TO TAKE DOWN THIS BOOK, I WONDER IF THAT MEANS YOU'LL TEAR DOWN OTHER, NOTABLY LGBT AUTHORS IN HISTORY SUCH AS OSCAR WILDE AND VIRGINIA WOLF.
THE AFOREMENTIONED RL STEIN IS NOT LGBT, BUT THE MASK HAS A SIMILAR THEME TO BIGWIG.
BOOKS ARE MEANT TO BE MIRRORS AND WINDOWS MIRRORS FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THEMSELVES LIKE ME SEEING STORIES ABOUT UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE ALSO FAT, NEURODIVERGENT AND LGBT AND WINDOWS TO SEE INTO OTHER PERSPECTIVES DESPITE HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE NOT NORMALLY EXPOSED TO.
BOOKS ARE MEANT TO FOSTER EMPATHY.
CHALLENGE YOUR THINKING AND MAKE YOU THINK.
ONE WAY IS IS NOT MAKE YOU THINK THAT ONE WAY IS MORE CORRECT THAN THE OTHER.
I ASKED THE LIBRARY NOT BE A REPLACEMENT FOR PARENTING, NOT WHEN WE ARE ON THE ERA WHERE TECHNOLOGY IS MORE ACCESSIBLE THAN EVER.
SO QUOTE RAY BRADBURY FROM FAHRENHEIT 4 51.
PEOPLE OF COLOR DON'T LIKE LITTLE BLACK SAMBO BURN IT.
WHITE PEOPLE DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT UNCLE TOM'S CABIN.
SOMEONE'S WRITTEN A BOOK ON TOBACCO, ON THE CANCER OF LUNGS, THE CIGARETTES PEOPLE ARE WEEPING.
DO BETTER LEAVE OUR BOOKS ALONE.
ALRIGHT, UH, LINDA STONE, IF WE CAN COME UP TO THE DAIS.
UH, CATHERINE SWANSON IS NEXT.
I'LL BE PLAYING A RECORDING ON BEHALF OF LINDA STONE.
UM, A RECORDING OF WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY.
MY NAME IS, YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY SPEAK AT THE DAIS.
WE CAN'T TAKE, YOU CAN'T DO THAT AUDIO RECORDING NOW.
OKAY, SO A SUMMARY OF WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY BECAUSE I LISTENED TO IT BEFORE I
UH, THIS BOOK IS ABOUT CHILDREN FEELING MORE CONFIDENT IN THEMSELVES PUTTING ON A WIG.
THERE IS NOTHING IN INHERENTLY SEXUAL OR INAPPROPRIATE ABOUT PUTTING ON A WIG AND HAVING FUN.
SO I DON'T REALLY SEE WHERE THIS IS COMING FROM, WHERE, WHERE THE OPPOSITION IS COMING FROM.
THERE'S NO BASIS IN FACT, UH, OR IN THE DEFINITION OF, OF SEXUAL INAPPROPRIATENESS.
UH, SO I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU BACK UP WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO PUSH.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, UM, YEAH, AS MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE HAVE STATED, UH, PARENTING IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARENTS, I DON'T REALLY THINK IT IS IN THE PLACE OF IT.
I DON'T REALLY THINK IT'S IN THE COUNCIL'S PLACE TO TELL PEOPLE HOW TO PARENT THEIR CHILDREN OR TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT BOOKS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
HI, MY NAME IS CATHERINE SWANSON AND I'M OF COURSE SPEAKING ABOUT THE BOOK BANNING OF, OR EXCUSE ME, THE CENSORSHIP OF THE BIG WAKE.
SO AS WE ALL KNOW THAT THIS IS A HUGE OVERREACH OF THE GOVERNMENT.
OUR CITY COUNCIL HAS DECIDED TO MEDDLE IN THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO GO AND FREQUENT OUR HELEN HALL LIBRARY OR EVEN INFREQUENTLY.
I DO FEEL THAT'S AN OVERREACH OF GOVERNMENT AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE SUPPORTING AND WE SHOULD NOT BE STANDING FOR.
ALSO, ALONG WITH THAT, THAT IS VIOLATING OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.
I DO WANT TO EDUCATE EVERYBODY ON HOW YOU CAN ACTUALLY BE A RESPONSIBLE ADULT.
IF YOU HAVE A CHILD YOU'RE TAKING TO THE LIBRARY, YOU SHOULD NOT BE DROPPING OFF YOUR CHILD AT THE LIBRARY AND YOU SHOULD NOT BE JUST GOING IN THERE, GETTING ON YOUR PHONE, SITTING DOWN IN A SEAT AND LETTING THEM PERUSE THAT LIBRARY.
IF YOU ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT YOUR CHILD MAY GRAB IN THAT LIBRARY, YOU NEED TO BE AN ACTIVE CAREGIVER.
I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, YOU NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
SO WHEN YOU GET A BOOK, YOUR CHILD BRINGS YOU ONE.
THE FIRST THING YOU CAN DO IS YOU'RE GONNA LOOK AT THE COVER.
YES, THIS SOUNDS ELEMENTARY, COME ON Y'ALL.
BUT PEOPLE APPARENTLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH KNOWING HOW TO DO THIS.
YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE TITLE IS, THIS ONE IS DE DE MUTOS.
ALRIGHT? SO IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SOMETHING BEING IN SPANISH, MAYBE AUTOMATICALLY YOU ALREADY KNOW YOU'RE NOT OKAY WITH THIS BOOK 'CAUSE IT DOESN'T ALIGN WITH YOUR BELIEFS OR YOUR VALUES.
THIS ONE TELLS YOU WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT.
SO YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO PERUSE THAT.
DEPENDING ON YOUR READING SPEED, IT MAY TAKE YOU FIVE SECONDS OR A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND THAT'S OKAY.
NOW, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE COVER AND THE BACK OF THIS, DO YOU WANT TO KEEP LOOKING AT THIS BOOK? 'CAUSE HAS ANYTHING GIVEN YOU A RED FLAG? IF NOT, YOU'RE GONNA OPEN IT UP WHEN YOU OPEN IT UP.
SOMETIMES IT MAY HAVE SOMETHING ABOUT THE AUTHOR.
THIS ONE DOESN'T EITHER IN THE FRONT COVER OR THE BACK COVER, BUT THEY GENERALLY DO.
AND FROM THERE YOU'RE GONNA LOOK AT THE TITLE PAGE, SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING PROBLEMATIC THERE.
AGAIN, THIS IS ALL VERY RUDIMENTARY ELEMENTARY THINGS, BUT AS YOU GO ALONG, YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE WORDS AGAIN, DEPENDS ON YOUR READING SPEED AND YOUR READING COMPREHENSION LEVEL.
BUT YOU'RE GONNA LOOK AT WHAT IT'S SAYING.
THIS SHOULD NOT TAKE YOU MORE THAN TWO MINUTES OR SO TO PERUSE A BOOK.
LOOK AT THE PICTURES WITHIN THAT TWO MINUTES.
YOU JUST SAVED YOUR CHILD IRREPARABLE DAMAGE IF YOU'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S IN A BOOK.
SO FOR THE PARENT WHO SUBMITTED ABOUT BIGWIG, HAD THEY JUST TAKEN TIME TO LOOK THROUGH THIS, THEY COULD HAVE PROTECTED THEIR CHILD IF IT WAS THAT IMPORTANT TO THEM.
FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SUBMITTING THESE, TAKE THE TIME, LOOK AT THESE BOOKS.
THIS IS THE CHILDREN'S SECTION.
THE COMMUNITY STANDARDS REVIEW COMMITTEE IS REVIEWING BOOKS THAT ARE
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12 AND UNDER.PICTURE BOOKS DON'T TAKE THAT LONG.
PLEASE BE AN ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CAREGIVER.
DO NOT DROP YOUR CHILD OFF AT THE LIBRARY.
DO NOT SIT YOUR BUTT IN THAT SEAT AND PLAY ON YOUR PHONE BECAUSE IF YOU'RE SO CONCERNED THAT THEY'RE GONNA GRAB SOMETHING, THEN YOU NEED TO BE INVOLVED.
IF YOU WANT TO SIT ON YOUR BUTT, GO FOR IT.
BUT YOU BETTER BE CHECKING IN ON THAT KID BECAUSE THAT'S NOT HOW YOU ADULT, THAT'S NOT HOW YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE.
AND NOW WE HAVE THESE PEOPLE UP HERE MAKING DECISIONS FOR US BECAUSE WE DECIDED WE'D RATHER HAVE THE GOVERNMENT DECIDE FOR US.
I'M SORRY, BUT I HAVE A BRAIN AND I'D LIKE TO USE MY, UH, THE NEXT TWO PEOPLE ARE FOR THE BEST.
WOULD YOU LIKE CHRISTINE THOMAS AND KEVIN GARDNER? WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NOW OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO WITH THE BEST? EITHER ONE'S BEST, EITHER ONE'S FINE.
AND THEN, UH, IT'S MICHAEL JOHNSON.
OH, I'M HERE TO, UM, DISCUSS WHY BIG WIG, OF COURSE SHOULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE CHILDREN'S SECTION.
OH, BY THE WAY, HAPPY BEN'S BOOK WEEK.
IT'S THE, UH, SECOND DAY OF BAND BOOK WEEK WITH THEIR ANYWAY.
BEING EXPOSED TO BOOKS WITH DIVERSE ISSUES NURTURES A CHILD'S CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND TEACHES THEM THAT REAL WORLD ISSUES ARE COMPLEX.
THEIR CAPACITY FOR EMPATHY IS ENRICHED BY BANNING OR LIMITING ACCESS TO BOOKS.
WE SET A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT THAT HAS A DOMINO EFFECT.
WHERE DOES IT STOP? A PUBLIC LIBRARY SHOULD BE A NEUTRAL SETTING THAT OFFERS A VARIETY OF READING MATERIAL THAT ENRICHES THE CHILD'S CAPACITY TO QUESTION, ANALYZE, AND EVALUATE.
I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE DECISIONS OF THE LIBRARIANS AT HELEN HALL LIBRARY.
HERE ARE SEVERAL QUOTES FROM HELEN HALL LIBRARY, POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND BEST PRACTICES.
HELEN HALL LIBRARY ENDEAVORS TO DEVELOP COLLECTIONS, RESOURCES AND SERVICES TO MEET THE CONFORM CONFIRMATION, THE INFORMATION NEEDS OF LEAGUE CITY AND DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
A PUBLIC LIBRARY SHOULD BE A NEUTRAL SETTING THAT OFFERS A VARIETY OF READING MATERIAL THAT ENRICHES THE CHILD'S CAPACITY TO QUESTION, ANALYZE, AND EVALUATE.
COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT STAFF WILL ATTEMPT TO REPRESENT ALL APPROACHES TO PUBLIC ISSUES OF A CONTROVERSIAL NATURE.
NO BOOK OR OTHER MATERIAL WILL BE EXCLUDED BECAUSE OF RACE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, COLOR, GENDER, PERSONAL HISTORY, OR THE POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS OR SOCIAL VIEWS OF THE AUTHOR OR CREATOR.
THIS IS FROM THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION'S FREEDOM TO READ STATEMENT.
IT IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST FOR PUBLICATIONS AND LIBRARIANS TO MAKE AVAILABLE THE WIDEST DIVERSITY OF VIEWS AND EXPRESSIONS, INCLUDING THOSE THAT ARE UNORTHODOX, UNPOPULAR, OR CONSIDERED DANGEROUS BY THE MAJORITY.
THE POWER OF A DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM TO ADAPT TO CHANGE IS VASTLY STRENGTHENED BY THE FREEDOM OF ITS CITIZENS TO CHOOSE WIDELY FROM CONFLICTING OPINIONS OFFERED FREELY TO THEM TO STIFLE.
EVERY NON-CONFORMIST IDEA AT BIRTH WOULD MARK THE ENDS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
PARENTS AND TEACHERS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PREPARE THE YOUNG TO MEET DIVERSITY OF EXPRESSION IN LIFE TO WHICH THEY WILL BE EXPOSED AND THEY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP HELP THEM LEARN TO THINK CRITICALLY FOR THEMSELVES.
IN THESE MATTERS, VALUES DIFFER AND VALUES CANNOT BE LEGISLATED, NOR CAN MACHINERY BE DEVISED THAT WILL SUIT THE DEMANDS OF ONE GROUP WITHOUT ELIMINATING THE FREEDOM OF ANOTHER COLLECTION, DEVELOPMENT POLICY OR CONSIDERED PROTECTED UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU CONSTITUTION.
WE'RE GONNA ENHANCE PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO WHAT A RANGE OF IDEAS THAT THOSE HELP BY ANY ONE LIBRARIAN, PUBLISHER, OR GOVERNMENT.
ON OCCASION, THERE HAVE BEEN DIVERS OPINIONS BY INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS AS TO WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE OR
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APPROPRIATE FOR THE COLLECTION.WHITE HEARD COLLECTIONS ARE NOT LIMITED TO ONLY THOSE.
OKAY, BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, WE'LL GO TO MICHAEL JOHNSON.
I'M SORRY, WE GOT, YOU GOT YOUR THREE MINUTES.
ALL RIGHT, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT U-HAUL STORAGE.
LET'S PUT THAT DOWN REAL QUICK.
AND THE TAKING OF IT ACTUALLY, YOU WANNA OH, THANK YOU.
UM, U-HAUL STORAGE AND OFFICE FACILITY WAS LISTED ON PUBLIC HEARINGS.
ON THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AS ONE COMMERCIAL BUSINESS DID NOT LET US KNOW THAT IT, IT INVOLVED 300 PLUS TENANTS AND BUSINESSES THAT WERE GONNA BE PUT OUT.
NOW ANOTHER THING HAS OCCURRED THAT MOST PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE OF BECAUSE IT'S BEEN CONCEALED ALONG WITH A LOT OF OTHER THINGS, THAT TEXDOT WAS SUPPOSED TO APPOINT A RELOCATION COUNSELOR BECAUSE THIS IS A FEDERALLY FUNDED PROJECT, AND ALL THE TENANTS, NOT JUST THE ONES ON THE LAND THAT WAS PURCHASED, BUT ALL THE TENANTS ON THAT ISLAND OVER THERE SHOULD RECEIVE RELOCATION FUNDING, WHICH IS ANYWHERE FROM A THOUSAND TO $40,000.
IF YOU'RE A BUSINESS, IF YOU'RE IN DOUBT OF IT, GO ONLINE, GET THE TECH STOCK MANUAL AND READ IT.
YOU NEED TO READ IT BECAUSE I KNOW ONE BUSINESS, HIS E UH, HIS VOICEMAIL SAYS, I'M GONNA BE OUTTA BUSINESS FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.
THEN HE GOT $1,400 TO RELOCATE BECAUSE NOBODY TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS ENTITLED TO MORE.
BURGESS LAND SERVICE PAID 'EM $120,000 FOR THEIR SERVICE.
AND I, IN MY DEALINGS WITH 'EM, THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE REPRESENTING TDOT.
WELL, WHEN I SPOKE TO T STOCK, COME FIND OUT.
THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THESE PEOPLE.
THEY'VE BEEN DE-CERTIFIED BOTH IN OKLAHOMA AND CALIFORNIA.
SO ANYBODY THAT'S BEEN PUT OFF OF U-HAUL THROUGH THE EMAIL FROM BRIAN THORPE THAT SAID AT TWO O'CLOCK ON AUGUST 26TH, THAT I HAD TO BE OUT ON MY TWO 30 AND 40 FOOT STORAGE UNITS.
BY THE 31ST OF AUGUST OR ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, THEY WERE GONNA CUT THE LOCKS, MARK MY STUFF, ABANDONED AND START DEMOLITION.
THIS, THIS CITY, THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND OUR CITY MANAGER IS FULLY AWARE OF.
I HAVE NOW FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE TRANSPORT TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT'S OFFICE OF INTERNAL, AND LET'S SEE, OIGA CRIMINAL COMPLAINT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE WITH BURGESS LAND SERVICE T OUT OF HOUSTON.
AND, UH, BUT READ THE MANUAL FOR THOSE GOT PUT OUT.
YOU COULD BE LOOKING AT $40,000 IF YOU'RE A BUSINESS.
LAURA TEITSWORTH AND THEN PEGGY TAYLOR.
HELLO, MY NAME IS LAURA TEITSWORTH.
I RESIDE AT FIVE 17 SMALL CEDAR DRIVE IN LAKE CITY, TEXAS.
I COME TO YOU AS AN EXPERIENCED CERTIFIED TEACHER, A LEGACY TEACHER, A PARENT OF FOUR EDUCATED CHILDREN, A PERSON IN ON THE COMMUNITY STANDARDS REVIEW BOARD, AND AN AVID READER, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND FELLOW ADVOCATES OF LITERATURE.
TODAY I EXPRESS MY UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR THE CONTINUED INCLUSION OF BIG WIG IN OUR LIBRARY'S COLLECTION.
THIS BOOK IS NOT MERELY A STORY, IT'S A RESOURCE THAT CAN OPEN DOORS TO IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS AND FOSTER UNDERSTANDING AMONG READERS OF ALL AGES.
BIG WIG CHALLENGES, STEREOTYPES ENCOURAGES EMPATHY AND CELEBRATES INDIVIDUALITY.
THROUGH ITS COMPELLING CHARACTERS AND RELATABLE THEMES, IT ADDRESSES ISSUES OF IDENTITY ACCEPTANCE, UH, ENCOURAGES TO BE ONESELF IN A WORLD THAT OFTEN EMPHASIZES CONFORMITY.
THIS BOOK REMINDS US OF THE BEAUTY OF DIVERSITY AND THE STRENGTH FOUND IN EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCE.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT DRAG QUEENS.
[00:30:01]
IT DOES NOT CONTAIN PORNOGRAPHY.IT HAS NO SEXUAL EXPLICITNESS AND NO QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE.
THAT IS THE BASIS OF WHY WE WERE REVIEWING THE BOOKS, NOT THE AUTHOR'S INTENT THAT WAS INFERRED.
OUR LIBRARY IS A SANCTUARY FOR KNOWLEDGE, CREATIVITY, AND GROWTH.
IT SERVES AS A PLATFORM FOR OUR VOICES, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO.
BY KEEPING BIGWIG ON OUR SHELVES, WE AFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVITY AND THE IDEA THAT EVERY STORY MATTERS.
LET'S NOT FORGET THE ECONOMIC IMPACT.
A THRIVING LIBRARY ATTRACTS VISITORS WHICH SUPPORTS LOCAL BUSINESSES.
THE LIBRARY IS NOT JUST A PLACE FOR BOOKS, IT IS A COMMUNITY HUB THAT STIMULATES GROWTH AND AN ACTIVE AND IT'S VERY ACTIVE IN OUR CITY.
I URGE YOU TO CONSIDER THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF YOUR DECISION AND YOUR INTENTIONS TODAY.
VOTE TO KEEP THIS BOOK ON THE SHELVES IN THE CHILDREN'S SECTION INSTEAD OF VOTING A CERTAIN WAY TO PROVE YOUR LOYALTY TO WHOMEVER FUNDED YOUR CAMPAIGN.
I CANNOT BELIEVE THE CITIZENS OF LEAGUE CITY ARE TOLERATING THIS BEHAVIOR.
IF SOMEONE ON THIS BOARD SAYS THAT THE SUPPORT OF THIS BOOK MAKES YOU A PEDOPHILE OR A GROOMER THAT IS DEFAMATION OF CHARACTER AND YOU COULD BE HELD LIABLE.
SOME OF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK, AND THIS IS PART OF A TWO YEAR CAMPAIGN TO GET RID OF DIRTY BOOKS AND BOOKS WRITTEN BY GAY AUTHORS.
THREE KEY POINTS, THE IMPACT TO CITIZENS.
THERE WILL BE AN INFLUX OF BOOKS CONTESTED WITH YOUR DECISION TONIGHT.
TWO, THE USE OF TAX DOLLARS FOR PURSUIT OF PROTECTING CITIZENS FROM PARENTING.
AND THREE, THE CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTS ALL CITIZENS.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE VOTING IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL CITIZENS.
PLEASE KEEP OUR LIBRARY A PLACE TO BE AN ENGAGING PARENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU A COUPLE OF MY CORE BELIEFS ABOUT MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
AND IF YOU DISAGREE WITH WHAT I SAY, YOU'RE PROBABLY REALLY NOT GOING TO LIKE THE REST OF OUR CONVERSATION.
I LOOK TO CITY GOVERNMENT FOR REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY, THAT THAT'S WHAT WE ARE.
THE PEOPLE HAVE THE VOICES WE CARE.
WE TURN OUT, WE SHARE OUR IDEAS.
YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT, EVERY RIGHT TO DISAGREE WITH US.
WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO DO IS IGNORE WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING IN THE MAJORITY.
YOU DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO DO THAT.
AND THE REASON WHY I AM SAYING THIS IS BECAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER AT OUR DECEMBER, OUR VERY FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER, WE HAD 13 PEOPLE SPEAK AS FAR AS THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL IN OUR LIBRARY.
WE HAD 40 TO 50 PEOPLE TELL YOU THAT THAT'S NOT TRUE.
WHAT DID YOU DO? YOU LISTEN TO THE 13 AND YOU LISTEN TO THE 13 WHO, THIS IS WHAT I CAN'T BELIEVE IS THE, SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ACTUALLY READ TO YOU FROM THE BOOK, THE PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL THAT WE'RE SO CONCERNED ABOUT EXPOSING OUR CHILDREN TO.
BUT HERE WE'RE IN A PUBLIC SETTING WHERE ADULTS, THERE ARE PROBABLY CHILDREN IN THE, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVING PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL READ FROM THE DAIS OR FROM THE LECTERN FROM THE PODIUM.
WHEN SOME OF YOU DETERMINE THAT WE HAD THIS OVERRIDING PROBLEM IN THE LIBRARY THAT NEEDED TO, UM, CAUSE A DISCUSSION ABOUT A TOTAL REVAMP OF OUR RECONSIDERATION POLICY.
WHEN, WHEN YOU HAD THAT DISCUSSION, WHY WASN'T THERE A PROCESS BY WHICH YOU RESPECTED OUR LIBRARY? YOU RESPECTED OUR CITIZENS AND SAID, OKAY, WE, WE HAVE A BELIEF THAT THIS IS HAPPENING.
LET'S LOOK INTO THIS BEFORE WE OPENED THIS UP TO THE KIND OF PROCESS WE NOW HAVE.
AND THESE, THIS IS PUBLIC POLICY THAT YOU'RE COMING UP WITH.
THIS ISN'T JUST SOMETHING THAT, IT'S A NICE THING TO CONSIDER BECAUSE AUSTIN IS ABOUT THAT.
TEXAS IS THE STATE THAT HAS THE GREATEST NUMBER OF BOOK BANS OR CENSORSHIP.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE KNOWN FOR NOW.
SO TRANSPARENCY IS A REAL ISSUE.
MY MY OBJECTIVE OF WORKING WITH YOU ALL IS BECAUSE YOU ARE, YOU'RE SPENDING MY MONEY AND MY EXPECTATION IS THAT YOU WILL PROVIDE SERVICES,
[00:35:01]
YOU WILL TAKE CARE OF THE BASICS.AND, AND IDEOLOG IDEOLOGY IS NOT PART OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
THE BASIC SERVICES AND KEEP OUR CITY RUNNING APPROPRIATELY AND TAKE CARE OF THE CITIZENS.
SO IF I WERE TO SAY A CASE STUDY ON PUBLIC PROCESS, THIS WOULD BE THE PROCESS BY WHICH WE WOULD SAY, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DON'T NEED TO DO.
AND I ASK YOU RECONSIDER, KEEP UP, UPHOLD THE APPEAL.
[6. CONSENT AGENDA]
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM SIX A THROUGH SIX.I, MR. MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE 'EM ALL.
NONE AGAINST, AND MR. MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND BRING FORWARD ITEM 11 A AND 11 B.
LET'S PUT 'EM IN FRONT OF SEVEN, PLEASE.
[11A. 24-0461 Hold a public hearing on a request for a Special Use Permit, SUP-23-0003 (Peregrine Wizard BESS), to operate a Battery Energy Storage Station (B.E.S.S.), generally located along the east side of South State Highway 3, south of Washington Street, and west of Dickinson Avenue (Director of Planning)]
ALRIGHT.11 A HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE REQUEST FOR SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
SUP DASH 23 DASH 0 0 3 PEREGRINE WIZARD.
BEST TO OPERATE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE STATION BEST GENERALLY LOCATED ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF SOUTH STATE HIGHWAY THREE, SOUTH OF WASHINGTON STREET AND WEST OF DICKINSON AVENUE.
THIS PUBLIC HEARING STARTS AT 6 37.
AND IF WE CAN DO THE SAME THING AND HAVE, UH, THREE PEOPLE AT A TIME, OR YOU WANT TO, YOU WANNA GIVE A, I HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION IF YOU'D LIKE FOR YOU GIVE THE PRESENTATION.
SO, UM, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, CHRIS CARPENTER, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING WITH LEAGUE CITY.
UM, SO IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE SEEN AN ACTUAL SUP FOR A BEST SITE.
UM, SO SINCE THE LAST ONE WE SAW SEVERAL THINGS HAVE HAPPENED.
WE HAVE ADOPTED A NEW ORDINANCE IN JULY.
UM, THIS ESTABLISHED A MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR BEST SITES.
UM, SOME OF THOSE INCLUDED REQUIRING, UM, HIRING A THIRD PARTY PLUME MODEL ANALYST TO DO AN ANALYSIS FOR THE BEST SITES.
UM, WHICH HAS BEEN DONE, AND I'LL REPORT ON IN A SECOND.
UM, WE REQUIRED A HAZARD MITIGATION ANALYSIS BE PROVIDED AND REVIEWED BY OUR THIRD PARTY SAFETY EXPERT AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE ALSO HIRED THAT THIRD PARTY, UM, EXPERT TO REVIEW AND INSPECT ALL IMPROVEMENTS ON THE SITE TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS.
SO JUST A BRIEF, UM, UPDATE ON WHAT A BEST IS.
AGAIN, IT'S, UM, GROUP BATTERIES ASSEMBLED TOGETHER CAPABLE OF STORING ENERGY IN ORDER TO SUPPLY THAT ENERGY AT A FUTURE TIME.
UM, THE CONCEPT IS THAT AT TIMES OF LOW DEMAND, THE BATTERIES CHARGE, THEY PURCHASE ENERGY FROM THE SYSTEM AND THEN AT TIMES OF HIGH DEMAND, THEY RECHARGE THE SYSTEM AND SELL THAT ENERGY BACK TO THE GRID.
UM, THIS HELPS REDUCE THE PEAKS AND VALLEYS IN THE, OF THE DEMAND CURVE OF ENERGY.
UM, SO TODAY, OBVIOUSLY THESE, UM, SITES HAVE TO LOCATE NEAR AN ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION.
WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THE POWER STREET STATION SPECIFICALLY AND THE PEREGRINE APPLICATION.
UM, SO THIS APPLICATION'S A LITTLE UNIQUE FROM THE OTHER TWO, UM, THAT Y'ALL HAVE HEARD.
AND THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY CURRENTLY ZONED INDUSTRIAL.
UM, WITH THIS SUP REQUEST, IT'S A SIMPLE SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUEST FOR THE USE.
UM, THE SITE ITSELF IS 150 MEGAWATT SITE.
UM, SO WHAT ERCOT SAYS IS ONE MEGAWATT OF POWER POWERS 200 HOMES FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS.
SO THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT 30,000 HOMES FOR TWO HOURS.
UM, WITH THIS FACILITY, UM, THE ORDINANCE DID ADOPT SOME LANDSCAPE AND SCREENING REQUIREMENTS.
UM, THIS SITE DOES MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
IT'S GONNA HAVE A 10 FOOT MASONRY WALL AROUND IT.
UM, A CONTINUOUS HEDGE AND EIGHT TREES PER HUNDRED LINEAR FEET.
THAT EQUATES TO OVER 300 TREES BEING PLANTED ON THIS SITE.
UM, IN ADDITION, THEY REDESIGNED THEIR SITE TO SAVE TWO SIGNIFICANT OAK TREES, UM, AT THE REQUEST OF THE CITY AS WELL.
THESE ARE SOME ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE SITE, UM, LOOKING FROM AERIAL VIEWS FROM BOTH HIGHWAY THREE AND DICKENSON AVENUE.
AND THESE ARE SOME GROUND LEVEL VIEWS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE ON THE TOP LEFT IS FROM DICKINSON AVENUE, WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE ACTUAL WALL AND THE LANDSCAPING HIGHWAY THREE.
UM, IT'S HARD TO EVEN SEE THE FACILITY FROM HIGHWAY THREE.
[00:40:01]
FEET BACK FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY.SO I MENTIONED A COUPLE OF THE STUDIES THAT WERE PROVIDED.
UM, ONE IS THE HAZARD MITIGATION ANALYSIS.
UM, THIS INCLUDES BEST INSTALLATION AND CODE REQUIREMENTS, UM, BATTERY ENCLOSURE AND SUB ENCLOSURE, SYSTEM INFORMATION, POTENTIAL HAZARDS AND MITIGATION MEASURES, UM, EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND THE EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN, AS WELL AS UL TESTING DATA.
ALL OF THIS WAS REVIEWED BY OUR THIRD PARTY SAFETY ANALYST AS WELL AS OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, I'LL READ THE QUOTE ON THE BOTTOM FROM OUR THIRD PARTY SAFETY ANALYST.
IT SAYS THE PEREGRINE ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM CAN BE SAFELY DEPLOYED IN THE COMMUNITY IF THE CURRENT STANDARDS AND APPLICABLE CODES ARE STRINGENTLY ENFORCED.
UM, AND THAT IS WHY WE HIRED THESE FOLKS TO ENSURE THAT THE CODES, UM, ARE STRINGENTLY ENFORCED PLUME MODELING.
UM, I KNOW THIS WAS VERY IMPORTANT, UH, COUNSEL AND THE RESIDENTS AS WELL.
UM, WE DID HIRE A THIRD PARTY PLUME COMPANY, UM, TO PERFORM THIS MODEL.
THIS WAS INDEPENDENT FROM ANY PLUME MODELS THAT WAS DONE BY THE APPLICANTS.
UM, THESE, THE ITEMS ON THE SCREEN ARE WHAT WE'RE ASSESSED IN THAT PLUME MODEL.
AND, UM, THESE ARE THE RESULTS.
SO THE, UM, ITEM ON THE LEFT IS A, UM, SCENARIO WITH LOW WIND.
IT'S A TYPICAL SCENARIO AND IT SHOWS THAT THERE ARE NO SERIOUS HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARY OF THE SITE.
THE, UM, MAP ON THE RIGHT SHOWS A HIGH WIND SCENARIO AT THE 99TH PERCENTILE, 20 MILE PER HOUR WINDS THAT SHOWS THAT THE SERIOUS HEALTH EFFECTS ARE CONTAINED WITHIN THE SITE.
THE PURPLE RING IS IRRITATION OR DISCOMFORT.
UM, THE WAY THE PLUME MODEL FOLKS DESCRIBED IT TO ME IS THAT YOU, YOU WOULDN'T WANNA STAND IN A PLUME OF, OF ANY TYPE OF FIRE.
IT WOULD CAUSE SOME IRRITATION OR DISCOMFORT, BUT THERE'S NOT ANY SERIOUS HEALTH EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UM, THAT PURPLE RING DOES LOOK LARGE.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WIND DIRECTION, IT GENERALLY BLOWS FROM ONE WAY.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, UM, ON A MAP WITH THE PLUME, UM, DISPLAYED WITH A WIND GOING IN ONE DIRECTION, UM, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT A 30 FOOT WIDE PLUME, UM, FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN LEE DIRECTION.
UM, THERE WERE SOME MINIMUM SETBACKS ESTABLISHED FROM THE ORDINANCE.
UM, THIS SITE IS SET BACK OVER 550 FEET FROM A MAJOR ROADWAY OVER 300 FEET FROM THE NEAREST, UM, RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE.
UM, ABOUT 1300 FEET FROM PAR ELEMENTARY AND ABOUT 700 FEET FROM THE BERKMAN STORAGE SITE.
UM, WE DID RECEIVE, UM, CONSIDERABLE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, IN, IN THE FORM OF MOSTLY EMAILS.
UM, FOR THIS SITE WE RECEIVED 19 NOTICES IN FAVOR AND TWO IN OPPOSITION AT THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEETING.
SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE RECEIVED TWO ADDITIONAL NOTICES IN OPPOSITION AND FOUR ADDITIONAL NOTICES IN FAVOR OF THE REQUEST.
ONE OF THOSE NOTICES IN OPPOSITION WAS WITHIN THE 200 FOOT BUFFER, AND THAT WAS A PROPERTY ALONG DICKINSON AVENUE.
UM, SO WITH AN SUP WE ADOPT CONDITIONS WITH THOSE SUVS.
UM, IN THIS CASE, UH, WE HAVE SIX LISTED HERE.
THERE WAS A SEVENTH ADDED BY LEGAL, UM, AFTER THE, AND THAT WAS INCLUDED IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET.
UM, BUT I'LL GO OVER THESE REAL BRIEFLY.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THE ONLY USE PERMITTED BY THE SUP IS THIS, UM, BATTERY STORAGE SYSTEM AND THE SITE'S GOTTA BE DEVELOPED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE ORDINANCE REQUIREMENTS.
SITE LAYOUT IS WHAT YOU SAW TODAY.
UM, A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT MUST BE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF A BUILDING PERMIT.
UM, SO ANY NEW BATTERY MODULES, UM, ANY NEW CHEMISTRY, ANY MANUFACTURER CHANGES OF ANYTHING ON THE SITE WOULD REQUIRE RECONSIDERATION OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND REQUIRE A NEW UPDATED PLUME MODEL AND THE WHOLE NINE YARDS.
AND THEN ON AND OFFSITE OVERHEAD LINES WILL BE ALLOWED TO INTERCONNECT WITH THE TEXAS NEW MEXICO SUBSTATION ACROSS DICKINSON AVENUE.
THE ITEM THAT WAS ADDED BY LEGAL, UM, THE CONDITION, I'LL READ IT AS A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT OR SIMILAR AGREEMENT, MUST ALWAYS BE ACTIVE AND IN EFFECT FOR THE SUP TO REMAIN VALID.
SO STAFF, UM, IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, ALSO RECOMMENDED APPROVAL WITH A FIVE TWO VOTE.
UM, AND THE APPLICANT, I BELIEVE HAS A THREE MINUTE, UM, PRESENTATION THEY'D LIKE TO PROVIDE AS WELL.
I'M HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AND BOTH OF OUR EXPERTS ARE ONLINE AS WELL AS OUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS HERE.
I'M KEVIN CONGER WITH PEREGRINE ENERGY SOLUTIONS.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE ARE PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROJECT AND WITH PEREGRINE BY THIS POINT.
I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THREE THINGS.
UH, THE FIRST ONE BEING STANDARDS, UH, FOR ALL OF THESE FACILITIES, THERE ARE A LOT OF STANDARDS FROM INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE, NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION AGENCY, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE ORDINANCE THAT LEAGUE CITY JUST RECENTLY PASSED.
WE MEET OR EXCEED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, NEXT THING I WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS THAT WE KEEP TO OUR WORD, WE DO WHAT WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO.
[00:45:01]
GOING TO PROVIDE TRAINING TO FIRST RESPONDERS.WE PROVIDED TRAINING TO FIRST RESPONDERS.
WE SAID WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE EQUIPMENT.
WE'RE ALREADY IN DISCUSSIONS WITH FIRE DEPARTMENT ABOUT WHAT EQUIPMENT THEY NEED.
UH, WE SAID WE'RE GONNA SIGN THE, UH, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BEFORE THE VOTE.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT DONE WITH SOME, A LOT OF HELP FROM THE CITY STAFF.
UH, BUT WE FOLLOW THROUGH WITH WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SAY OR WITH WHAT WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO BECAUSE WE WANT TO OWN AND OPERATE THIS FACILITY FOR THE LIFE OF THIS FACILITY.
UH, THE LAST THING I WANNA HIGHLIGHT WOULD BE THE BENEFITS AND THE BURDEN.
UH, THERE ARE IN NUMEROUS BENEFITS TO THIS PROJECT, UH, WITH THE GRID RESILIENCY, THE RELIABILITY AND THE, UH, STABILITY THAT IT PROVIDES.
BUT IT ALSO PROVIDES A LOT OF THE, THE TAX REVENUE TO HELP REDUCE THAT BURDEN ON THE RESIDENTS OF LAKE CITY.
IT PROVIDES TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAX REVENUE TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT WHILE PROVIDE OR WHILE DEMANDING VERY LITTLE, IF ANY ADDITIONAL SERVICES FROM THE CITY.
IT DOESN'T ADD TO THE TRAFFIC BURDEN.
IT DOESN'T ADD TO THE STORMWATER ISSUES THAT LEAGUE CITY HAS.
IN FACT, A LOT OF OUR SITE IS DEVOTED TO IMPROVING THE STORMWATER OF THE LOCAL AREA AND IT DOESN'T PROVIDE ANY OTHER BURDEN BEYOND THE FIRST RESPONDERS, WHICH WE ARE ALREADY ADDRESSING AS PART OF THE ORDINANCE.
SO WE HAVE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM HERE.
IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE US TO CLARIFY, PLEASE, PLEASE ASK US.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA START WITH CHRISTINE THOMAS 'CAUSE SHE WAS ON THE, UH, OTHER SHEET.
AND THEN WE'LL GO DOWN THE LIST FROM THERE.
WELL, I THINK I, I'M NOT GOING TO REPEAT THE PART THAT MY FRIENDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASKED ME TO SAY ABOUT Y'ALL CONSIDERING THE OATH THAT YOU TOOK TO THE WELLNESS OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN PRETTY WELL POINTED OUT.
SO I LIKE THESE GUYS, THESE PEREGRINE GUYS.
I'M PROUD OF THE COUNCIL FOR ACTUALLY PUTTING TOGETHER A AN IMPRESSIVE SET OF ORDINANCES.
AND I, UH, AM ENCOURAGED THAT YOU DID THAT.
I THINK THERE'S STILL, WE, WE STILL HAVE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF DISCOMFORT WITH HAVING THIS RELATIVELY NEW TECHNOLOGY SO CLOSE TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND TO OUR SCHOOL.
UM, I'M NOT AGAINST RENEWABLE ENERGY.
I HAVE 48, 40 48 SOLAR PANELS ON MY HOUSE AND I DON'T PAY MUCH OF AN ELECTRICITY BILL EXCEPT IN THE HOTTEST MONTH OF THE YEAR
BUT WE GOT OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE TO SIGN A PETITION AGAINST THESE FACILITIES.
WHEN WE FIRST WERE PRESENTED WITH THE BERKMAN PROJECT, THEY INSIST THAT THEY'RE STILL ON BOARD WITH COMING IN RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THESE GUYS.
UH, I DOUBT THAT ANY OF THOSE THOUSAND, IT WAS LIKE 1,112 SIGNATURES THAT WE GOT.
I DOUBT THAT ANY OF 'EM HAVE REALLY CHANGED THEIR MIND ABOUT THEIR COMFORT LEVEL.
NOW WE'LL SEE OVER TIME WHAT HAPPENS.
I, I KNOW THAT IT'S NOT, UH, EXACTLY A DONE DEAL, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT EVERYBODY IS NOT ON BOARD WITH IT.
WE THINK THAT PERSONALLY, I THINK IT'S A FINE THING.
I JUST THINK IT DOESN'T BELONG THERE.
I DON'T THINK BERKMAN BELONGS THERE.
I DON'T THINK THESE FACILITIES BELONG CLOSE TO NEIGHBORHOODS.
THIS IS A VERY EASY, CONVENIENT PLACE FOR THEM TO BUILD, BUT IT'S, IT'S STILL TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA BE COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
AND GOD FORBID ANYTHING HAPPENS.
AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT THAT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN.
BUT THERE'RE GONNA BE A LOT OF, I TOLD YOU SOS, IF IT DOES AND I THINK YOU EXPECT THAT.
UM, I PERSONALLY ON A CONFERENCE CALL WAS TOLD THAT THE BERKMAN WERE STILL PLANNING TO BUILD RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
I THINK IT'S TOO CLOSE FOR THE ORDINANCE.
AND, AND THAT ACTUALLY BRINGS UP A A GOOD POINT.
I'M JUST GOING TO, COULD WE ADDRESS THAT POINT REAL QUICK? WHAT'S THE SPACING IN THE ORDINANCE BETWEEN THE UH, PROJECTS? YES, SIR.
SO THE MINIMUM SPACING IS 1500 FEET BETWEEN UM,
[00:50:01]
BEST SITES.AND THAT WAS TO LIMIT THE PROLIFERATION OF THEM HAVING THEM, YOU KNOW, ON EVERY CORNER.
'CAUSE WE HAD SO MANY APPLICATIONS AT ONCE.
UM, THE BERKMAN SITE AND THE PEREGRINE SITE WERE BOTH IN PROCESS WHEN WE WERE DEVELOPING THAT.
UM, AND SO BOTH OF THEM WANTED TO STILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR APPLICATION.
AND SO WHILE IT DOESN'T MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORDINANCE, IT WILL BE REQUESTED, UM, FOR THE BERKMAN SITE, UM, AS A CONDITION OF THE SUP FOR COUNSEL TO ALLOW THAT.
BUT IT DOES NOT CON BUT IT DOES NOT CONFORM TO THE ORDINANCE.
CHRIS, DO YOU HAVE, DO YOU HAVE THE MAP? DO YOU, DID YOU HAVE THE MAP THAT SHOWED THAT A WHILE AGO? THE DISTANCE.
BERKMAN WILL BE RIGHT THERE ON THAT CORNER OF WASHINGTON STREET THAT'S LET THAT, THERE'S NO WAY BERKMAN CAN COME IN THAT BY THE ORDINANCE.
THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO WAY IT CAN COME IN.
IT'S WITH, I THINK HE WAS SAYING THAT THEY WANT TO NO, THAT'S WHAT I'M SHOT ANYWAY.
I UNDERSTAND THEY WANNA TRY, BUT I'M TRYING TO IT WOULD BE A REQUEST ELABORATE THAT IT, IT'S, IT'S TOO CLOSE.
SO I, I'VE RECEIVED MULTIPLE PHONE CALLS ABOUT THAT SAYING THAT BOTH FACILITIES WERE GONNA BE APPROVED TONIGHT AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE AT ALL.
I'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF BAD INFORMATION TODAY.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO TO, UH, CARL MARTO MARTO AND THEN BLAKE STANLEY AND THEN, UH, LUIS PEREZ.
BLAKE STANLEY AND AFTER, FOR BLAKE, IT'S LOUIS PEREZ AND THEN JOSH.
POOR DEAR MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE PASTOR AT CITY MARK CHURCH, 2 3 1 WEST MAIN STREET.
AND IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE LEAGUE CITY FOR MANY YEARS, GROWING OUR CONGREGATION TO NEARLY 2000 MEMBERS.
HOWEVER, OUR GROWTH HAS EXCEEDED OUR CURRENT SPACE.
WHILE OUR BOARD HAD PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED BUILDING A NEW CHURCH ON A GROUP OF LOTS OWNED BY THE CITY MART CHURCH ON HIGHWAY THREE, IT WOULD'VE BEEN A VERY CHALLENGING BUILD AND A FINANCIAL BURDEN TO OUR CONGREGATION.
TWO YEARS AGO, PEREGRINE ENERGY APPROACHED US WITH AN OFFER TO PURCHASE THESE LOTS AND REPURPOSE THEM FOR WIZARD ENERGY STORAGE.
THIS OPPORTUNITY HAS ALLOWED US TO FOCUS ON EXPANDING OUR MAIN CAMPUS ON WEST MAINE, ALIGNING WITH OUR MINISTRY MISSION TO SERVE LAKE CITY TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
PEREGRINE HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH OUR LEADERSHIP GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND, AND DEMONSTRATING THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE SAFETY AND SMART USE OF OUR INDUSTRIAL ZONE LOTS WHILE PRESERVING A PRIME COMMERCIAL SPACE ON HIGHWAY THREE.
THE WIZARD PROJECT PROVIDES A BENEFICIAL USE FOR THE LAND CONTRIBUTING TO OUR COMMUNITY'S LONG-TERM VALUE.
WE CAREFULLY VETTED PEREGRINE BEFORE CHOOSING THEM AS A BUYER.
KNOWING THE POSITIVE IMPACT THIS ENERGY STORAGE FACILITY WILL HAVE ON RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE POWER IN LEAGUE CITY, IT ALSO WILL BRING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EACH YEAR IN SIGNIFICANT TAX BENEFITS TO OUR COMMUNITY WITH NO BURDEN ON CITY SERVICES.
AS TEXANS, WE VALUE PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS AND HAVE CHOSEN TO SELL THIS LAND TO PEREGRINE FOR ITS HIGHEST PURPOSE.
WE URGE OUR CITY COUNCIL AND RESIDENTS TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT AS IT'S CRITICAL TO OUR CHURCH'S GROWTH IN THE CITY'S FUTURE.
THE PROCEEDS WILL ENABLE CITY MARK TO EXPAND AND BETTER SERVE OUR LEAGUE CITY.
SO WE TRUST OUR MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE INFORMED PRAYERFUL DECISIONS AND WELCOME PEREGRINE AS A NEW NEIGHBOR.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IS I STAND HERE ALONE, BUT I ALSO REPRESENT THOUSANDS OF CONSTITUENTS THAT ATTEND OUR CHURCH.
AND THEY ARE ASKING FOR YOU TO PASS THIS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO ASKING THAT TONIGHT WOULD BE A FIRST AND FINAL.
AND IF A MOTION COULD BE MADE, WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
SO IF WE GOT, COULD COME UP 'CAUSE WE GOTTA KNOCK THROUGH A BUNCH OF THESE.
JOSH SPO KEVIN GARDNER, TAKE IT UP.
ME AND MY FAMILY MOVED TO LAKE CITY IN 2017.
UH, WE CURRENTLY LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF MARINA BAY PARK AT 2001 LANYARD POINT CIRCLE.
UH, MY DAUGHTER CELINE ATTENDS FERGUSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AS A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER, I SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES AND A CURRENT MEMBER OF LAKE CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
I'M ALSO PROUD VOLUNTEER COACH AT HOPE TOWN HEROES.
WE HAVE BEEN PART OF ONCE IN A LIFETIME, CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE, THE WINTER STORM OF 2021 AND THE CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO.
DURING ALL THESE EVENTS, WE HAVE LOST POWER, WHICH EACH TIME HAS FORCED US TO LEAVE LEAK CITY TO SEEK SHELTER, HAVE ENDURED
[00:55:01]
A COMPLETE LOSS OF OUR REFRIGERATED FOOD AND EXPERIENCED CHAOS AND DESPAIR IN OUR HOME AND OUR WITHIN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.WHILE ON THE ROADS, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE IN THE TEXAS ELECTRIC GRID TO PROTECT MY FAMILY'S SAFETY.
ME AND MY FAMILY SUPPORT PEREGRINE ENERGY PROPOSAL TO INSTALL THEIR PLAN OFF OF HIGHWAY THREE THAT WOULD PROVIDE THE PROGRESSIVE SUPPORT AND POWER THAT WE AS RESIDENTS OF LAKE CITY DESPERATELY NEED.
GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND NEIGHBORS.
MY NAME IS JOSHUA SPORE AND I'M THE BUSINESS MANAGER FOR INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS.
I'M HERE TO VOICE 18 UNION MEMBERS, INCLUDING MYSELF WHO LIVE IN LEAGUE CITY IN SUPPORT OF THE WIZARD ENERGY PROJECT.
NOW I UNDERSTAND THERE MAY BE CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ENERGY STORAGE NEAR US.
HOWEVER, PEREGRINE ENERGY HAS TAKEN EXTENSIVE PRECAUTIONS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS PROJECT.
THE BEST PROJECT WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART, FIRE DETECTION SYSTEMS, GAS MONITORING, AND AUTOMATED SHUTDOWN SYSTEMS, AND WILL ALSO BE MONITORED 24 7.
THE SITE HAS BEEN ENGINEERED TO WITHSTAND EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, INCLUDING HURRICANES AND FLOODS.
SAFETY IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE A TOP PRIORITY.
UPON APPROVAL, THE PROJECT WILL BE STAFFED WITH QUALIFIED STATE LICENSED ELECTRICIANS AND SKILLED LABORERS.
IN SHORT, THE WIZARD BEST PROJECT IS A VITAL INVESTMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
IT STRENGTHENS OUR ENERGY GRID AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE LONG-TERM SUCCESS OF LEAGUE CITY.
AS A RESIDENT AND REPRESENTATIVE, IBWI FULLY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT AND ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO DO THE SAME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
THANK YOU MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL CITY STAFF, FELLOW RESIDENTS, I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS EVENING.
I AM AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER AND I WANT TO SAY I'M NEITHER OPPOSED NOR IN FAVOR OF THIS PARTICULAR BEST, UM, FACILITY, UH, GOING AT ITS PRESENT LOCATION.
I DO ASK THAT SINCE IT'S AN EMERGING TECHNOLOGY, I DO KNOW THAT THE TECHNOLOGY IS GOING TO ADVANCE, IT'S GOING TO GET MUCH LARGER.
IT IS GOING TO WORK ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND IMPROVE OUR ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, UH, TREMENDOUSLY IN THE FUTURE.
I ASK SIMPLY THAT YOU CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF IT AND THE RISKS THAT ARE POTENTIALLY INVOLVED WITH AN EMERGING TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS THIS ONE.
WE CANNOT RELY COMPLETELY ON THE CODES THAT GOVERN IT BECAUSE THE CODES TEND TO BE SOMEWHAT REACTIVE, UH, TO NEEDS AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP.
SO ALTHOUGH NFPA 8 55 HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, IT IS ALSO GOING TO BE UPDATED AS THE, AS THE AND AND DEVELOPED FURTHER, UM, AS THE, AS THE TECHNOLOGY UM, DEVELOPS FOR THAT.
I DO SHARE SOME CONCERNS THAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT, UH, THE LOCATION, UH, WITH PROXIMITY TO THE SCHOOL AND PROXIMITY TO SOME OF THE RESIDENTS, UM, IN THE AREA.
BUT I SIMPLY ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER IT CAREFULLY.
AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE RISK ASSESSMENTS AND THE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS AND SO FORTH, THAT WILL GO ALONG WITH IT.
SOME RISK ASSESSMENTS AND SAFETY ANALYSES ARE VERY GOOD.
OTHERS TEND TO BE VERY SIMPLE.
BUT FACT OF THE MATTER IS THIS ONE WILL HAVE ASSOCIATED WITH IT A CERTAIN ACCEPTANCE OF RISK FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AND I'M SORRY I CAN'T READ HIS NAME, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S MAYBE IT'S JANE ANDES ON ALMOND POINT AND THEN TYLER FOX AND MICHAEL JOHNSON.
I'M A RESIDENT ON AMMAN POINT IN THE CENTER POINT SUBDIVISION.
I'M HERE TO OPPOSE THE BEST STORAGE FACILITY OVER THERE.
UM, THE REASON I DON'T LIKE IT IS I THINK IT'S TOO CLOSE TO RESIDENTIAL IN SCHOOLS AREA.
UM, IN THE CASE OF SOMETHING HAPPENS, WE KNOW THEY HAVE THERMAL FIRES AND THE PLUME, AS THEY DISCUSSED, THEY TALK ABOUT A 20 MILE AN HOUR WIND.
OFTEN WITH HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS, WE HAVE MORE THAN THAT.
SO YOUR AREA WOULD BE GREATLY, THE AREA AFFECTED WOULD BE GREATLY ENLARGED.
UM, I HAVE NO MONETARY GAIN OR LOSS, JUST MY HEALTH, MYSELF, MY FAMILY.
[01:00:01]
WISELY ON THIS.AS YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENT, THE HEALTH OF THE LAKE CITY RESIDENTS POTENTIALLY COULD BE AFFECTED GREATLY BY YOUR DECISION THIS EVENING.
I, TYLER FOX, A RESIDENCE OF OAKS OF CLEAR CREEK, WHICH IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM BOTH THE BERKMAN AND THE PEREGRINE BESS PROPOSALS.
PRIOR TO THE STANDARDS DEVELOPED AND ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL EARLIER THIS YEAR, THOSE APPLICATIONS HAD BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY TO BE PLACED ACROSS FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED, THE APPLICATIONS ARE PLACED WITHIN THE 1500 FOOT MINIMUM DISTANCE THAT WERE DEVELOPED IN THOSE STANDARDS.
I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND DURING THE DEBATE THE CITY COUNCIL'S THOUGHT PROCESS ON THE TWO APPLICATIONS THAT WERE BOTH IN PLACE PRIOR TO THOSE STANDARDS BEING DEVELOPED FOR THE COMMENT THAT BERKMAN CAN'T BE PLACED THERE.
IT COULD BE IF PERICRINE IS, IS NOT APPROVED, BERKMAN COULD BE THE, UH, APPLICATION APPROVED.
SO I'M WANTING TO UNDERSTAND, IS THIS APPLICATION GOING TO BE APPROVED TONIGHT? AND BERKMAN TOLD NO.
WILL THIS APPLICATION BE TABLED AND GO BACK TO BERKMAN, WHICH WAS IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL AND TABLED TO DEVELOP THOSE STANDARDS.
WILL THE CITY COUNCIL CONSIDER AN EXEMPTION TO THE DISTANCE RULE AND APPROVE BOTH, WHICH WOULD THEN NEGATE THE PURPOSE OF THE MINIMUM DISTANCE AND HAS BEEN MENTIONED ABOUT TAXES? THE PARAGON PROJECT HERE TONIGHT IS ON A LOT THAT IS OF WHAT'S IN THE ORDINANCE.
96.5% ZONED TO DICKINSON ISD DESPITE PAR ELEMENTARY, WHICH IS LESS THAN 1400 FEET AWAY BEING IN C-C-I-S-D, THE BERKMAN PROPOSAL IS 100% ZONED TO C-C-I-S-D.
SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT TAX REVENUE, THAT IS A CONSIDERATION IN PLACE.
PLEASE JUST BRING MR. JOHNSON THE, AGAIN, MY NAME'S MICHAEL JOHNSON.
I LIVE AT TWO 17 ENGLEWOOD DRIVES DRIVE.
ONE IS WE DO NOT HAVE A PROFESSIONAL FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH TRANSIENT EMPLOYEES.
YOU NEED PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS TO FIGHT A CHEMICAL FIRE OR AN EXPLOSION.
AND I'M NOT KNOCKING THE GUYS THAT ARE DOING THE JOB, BUT ANYBODY THAT'S SEEN A HOUSE FIRE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS SEEN, NOT LEAGUE CITY THERE, BUT LEAGUE CITY, WEBSTER, DICKINSON, WHOEVER CAN GET THERE TO HELP 'EM PUT THE FIRE OUT.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF THIS BUILDING GOES UP? THEY TALK ABOUT WALLS AROUND IT AND TREES, BUT WHAT THEY DIDN'T TALK ABOUT WAS THE DOME OVER THE TOP OF IT TO KEEP THE CHEMICALS FROM THE FIRE GOING UP AND OUT.
JUST AS THE PASADENA PIPE FIRE WENT OFF, IT MELTED AND BURNT HOUSES 500 TO A THOUSAND YARDS OUT.
THE CITY DID NOT EVEN KNOW WHO THE OWNER WAS OR WHERE THE VALVE WAS TO TURN IT OFF.
AND EVEN AFTER THEY TURNED IT OFF, IT BURNT FOR DAYS.
THE EXPLOSION THAT HAPPENED IN KOREA WITH ONE OF THESE PLANTS KILLED 22 PEOPLE.
AND THE CHEMICAL EFFECTS FROM THE FIRE HAS STILL NOT BEEN DETERMINED HOW THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE CHEMICALS THAT WENT UP THAT DAY.
YOU'RE PUTTING THIS PLANT IN 1400 FEET FROM A SCHOOL.
YOU GOT NEW CHURCHES GOING UP ACROSS THE STREET.
YEAH, IT'S A NICE BIG VACANT LOT, BUT IT'S IN OUR CITY.
IF IT GOES UP, THAT THOROUGHFARE IS SHUT DOWN.
THE OTHER THING, I CALLED ON MY INSURANCE TODAY.
I WENT THROUGH THE TEXAS FREEZE WITH GEICO AND HOMEOWNERS OF AMERICA DUE TO A, A SEWAGE BACKUP CLAUSE ON OUR HOME POLICY.
WE HAD FULL COVERAGE, PLUS THEY DENIED OUR CLAIM.
YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BETTER ELECTRICITY HERE BECAUSE I SAT IN MY HOUSE AND IT WAS 24 DEGREES BECAUSE OUR GOVERNOR SHUT OFF THE POWER TO RESIDENTS RATHER THAN BUSINESSES.
BUT THIS ISN'T THE ANSWER, NOT UNTIL WE AT LEAST GET A PROFESSIONAL FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO COULD FIGHT IT.
[01:05:01]
WE GET IT AWAY FROM OUR SCHOOLS BECAUSE WHAT ARE THE PARENTS GONNA DO? THEY'RE GONNA BE BLOCKED OFF OF HIGHWAY THREE OF GETTING TO THEIR CHILDREN.THEIR CHILDREN ARE GONNA BE LOCKED DOWN.
AND WE'RE PRAYING THAT THE WIND IS BLOWING NORTH.
IF IT'S BLOWING SOUTH, IT'S GONNA BLOW RIGHT INTO THE SCHOOL AND OUR CHILDREN ARE GONNA BE BREATHING IT AND INHALING THE FUMES.
SO, LIKE I SAID, UNTIL THEY PUT A DOME OVER THE TOP OF IT, IT'S A HAZARD.
JUSTIN RUSSELL, JIM MANNING AND GRAY MEYER.
I, MY NAME IS JUSTIN RUSSELL AND I LIVE IN A NEARBY NEIGHBORHOOD WITH MY WIFE AND FOUR CHILDREN.
I HAVE 30 YEARS OF IT EXPERIENCE, A DEGREE IN IT SECURITY AND A DOZEN CERTIFICATIONS.
I'VE WORKED WITH MANY TECHNOLOGIES, INCLUDING A SOLAR FIELD PROCESS CONTROL NETWORK, SIMILAR TO WHAT WOULD BE USED TO CHARGE AND DISCHARGE THESE LITHIUM BATTERIES.
I'VE DONE IT FOR FIRE POLICE CITY, A NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER AND THE FBI AND MY BROTHER'S A FIRST RESPONDER.
I WORK IN CYBER THREAT INTELLIGENCE FOR A FORTUNE 50 COMPANY IN THE ENERGY SECTOR OPERATING IN 60 COUNTRIES AND DESIGNATED CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
IN FOUR, THE DIRECTOR OF THE FBI TESTIFIED TO CONGRESS ON CHINA'S PRE-POSITIONING INTO AMERICAN INFRASTRUCTURE TO CAUSE DESTRUCTION WHEN NOT IF THE ORDERS ARE GIVEN.
THIS INCLUDES ELECTRICAL, ESPECIALLY NEAR MILITARY BASES AND PORTS.
EITHER ONE PUTS LEAGUE CITY IN SCOPE.
THIS IS A SOPHISTICATED THREAT FROM A WELL-FUNDED, HIGHLY SKILLED ENEMY WHOSE CYBER FORCES OUTNUMBER THAT OF THE UNITED STATES BY CONSERVATIVE 50 TO ONE CHINESE HACKERS SUCH AS VOL TYPHOON WILL SILENTLY MAINTAIN PERSISTENCE INTO HACKED SYSTEMS FOR YEARS WAITING ORDERS TO ATTACK.
AND WHERE ARE LITHIUM BATTERIES MADE? CHINA LITHIUM BATTERY FACILITY FIRES HAVE INJURED CITIZENS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND CAUSED EVACUATIONS.
MY WIFE HAS TWO LUNG DISEASES.
EXPOSURE COULD LITERALLY BE DEADLY.
I HOPE YOU CONSIDER CITIZENS LIKE HER AND OUR ELDERLY.
IRANIAN HACKERS HAVE CAUSED NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL FIRES OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS THROUGH CYBER ATTACKS.
LITHIUM BATTERY FACILITIES ARE NOT SAFE.
NEAR NEIGHBORHOODS AND SCHOOLS.
PEG GREEN FUNDED CITYWIDE SOCIAL MEDIA ADS TO CONVINCE PEOPLE TO TELL YOU WHY, TELL YOU THEY WANT THESE FACILITIES AND THAT THEY'RE SAFE.
YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD FROM EVERYONE IN ALL OF LEAGUE CITY WHO WANTS THIS WITH ONLY ONE NEIGHBORHOOD HERE TO PROTEST.
THERE ARE SEVEN OTHERS WHO WANTED TO SPEAK, BUT THEY COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF LEAGUE CITY RESIDENTS DON'T WANT THIS ANYWHERE NEAR OUR HOMES AND SCHOOLS.
AND YOU ALL ABSOLUTELY KNOW THAT PEOPLE DON'T FEEL SAFE AROUND A LITHIUM BATTERY FACILITY FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
VOTE LOYAL TO LEAGUE CITY RESIDENTS RATHER THAN FOR CORPORATE INTERESTS.
YOU COULD HAVE CITIZENS VOTE ON THIS AS WITH THE FIREWORKS ISSUE.
AND HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED WHEN YOU'RE GONE? DO YOU WANNA BE REMEMBERED AS LOYAL WITH STRONG VALUES? OR DO YOU WANNA BE REMEMBERED AS A CRONY POLITICIAN? PLEASE, PLEASE VOTE NO ON THIS.
YOU CAN'T STAND FOR OUR CITIZENS WHILE YOU'RE ON YOUR KNEES FOR A CORPORATION.
IS JIM MANNING NEXT THEN GRAY MEYER? OKAY.
I'M JUST WAITING FOR JIM MANNING.
IS HE HERE? NO, I DON'T THINK SO.
I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF THE OAKS OF CLEAR CREEK.
I'VE SPOKEN SEVERAL TIMES, UH, NOT AGAINST BEST FACILITIES BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR THEM, BUT, UH, AGAINST THE LOCATION, BUT I WON'T SPEND MY TIME ON THAT.
WHAT I CAN'T BELIEVE IS WHAT I HEARD FROM THE CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT, THAT THEY'RE GONNA INSTANTLY, UH, UH, IGNORE ALL THE HARD WORK, THE CITY COUNCIL.
THEY THEMSELVES AND THE MAYOR PUT INTO CREATING THIS ORDINANCE, WHICH IS A GOOD STEP FORWARD IN MY OPINION, AND SUPPORT TWO FACILITIES THAT BREAK THE LOCAL, THE, UH, PROXIMITY LO UH, RULE IN THAT ORDINANCE.
I WOULD ASK THAT THE CITY COUNCIL FIRST DECIDE WHICH OF THESE FACILITIES TAKE PRECEDENCE OKAY.
AND ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE THAT THEY WENT THROUGH ALL THE TROUBLE OF CREATING.
SHERRY, UH, WARBY, AND THEN TERRY RUSSELL.
MY NAME IS SHERRY AND I LIVE NEAR THE PROPOSED BEST FACILITY.
[01:10:01]
STRONGLY AGAINST THIS PROJECT BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT'S DANGEROUS TO HAVE SUCH A FACILITY SO CLOSE TO HOMESCHOOL AND BUSINESSES.I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY, INCLUDING MY HUSBAND, MY SON, DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, AND FOUR GRANDCHILDREN WHO LIVE NEARBY.
THIS ISN'T JUST A CASE OF NOT IN MY BACKYARD.
A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALS NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF FIRES AND FAILURES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
MY BIGGEST WORRIES ARE UNCONTROLLABLE FIRES AND THE RELEASE OF HARMFUL CHEMICALS.
AT THE ZONING MEETING TWO WEEKS AGO, I NOTICED THEY PLANNED TO HAVE FIRE HYDRANTS SURROUNDING THE BATTERIES, BUT WATER DOESN'T EXTINGUISH THESE TYPES OF FIRES.
THIS MEANS WE'D FACE EXTENDED PERIODS WITH TOXIC CHEMICALS IN THE AIR.
HOW LONG CAN WE REASONABLY SHELTER IN PLACE WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING? WHERE WOULD WE GO? I HAVE A 75 POUND DOG, WHICH SEVERELY LIMITS OUR EVACUATION OPTIONS.
HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE WOULD GO.
A GOOD WAY TO LOOK AT THIS, IN MY OPINION, IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE PLANT FIRE IN LA PORTE LAST WEEK.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WAS A GAS LINE WITH CHEMICALS ON FIRE AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS BATTERIES.
BUT CAN YOU SEE THE PARALLELS? I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL THAT NONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD WANT THIS FACILITY NEAR THEIR OWN HOMES OR WHERE THEIR FAMILIES GO TO SCHOOL.
I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN LAKE CITY THAT WOULD WANT THIS NEAR THEIR HOMES OR THEIR SCHOOLS.
I BELIEVE THE NEGATIVES FAR OUTWEIGH ANY POTENTIAL BENEFITS.
YOU CAN'T PUT A PRICE ON SAFETY AND HEALTH COUNCIL MEMBERS.
PLEASE PUT YOURSELVES IN OUR SHOES AND VOTE NO ON THIS PROJECT.
I'M NOT AGAINST BATTERY STORAGE FACILITIES IN GENERAL, BUT THEY SHOULDN'T BE NEAR SCHOOLS ENDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
PLEASE DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS IN THE PROPOSED, UH, BEST FACILITY.
AND I AM OPPOSED TO THIS, BUT MAY I FIRST SAY YOU DID A PERFECT JOB ON THAT? VERY GOOD.
AND THE REASON I SAY THAT I USED TO WORK FOR A, UH, VERY LARGE BROWN DELIVERY SERVICE IN UPPER MANAGEMENT.
I WOULD DO THIS SAME THING, BUT I KNEW I WOULD HAVE PROBLEMS LIKE BREAKDOWNS, UM, PLANES GETTING STUCK IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, THE TO BE DE ICED OR WHATEVER.
BUT, SO I, AND I KNEW THINGS WOULD HAPPEN THAT THAT WOULD NOT TURN OUT THAT WAY.
UM, AND I'M, I'M SURE YOU ALL HEARD ABOUT THE DANGERS OF THE BATTERIES WHEN THEY CATCH FIRE.
AND WE DON'T NEED DAN DANGEROUS CHEMICALS IN THE AIR WITH, UH, WITH STORAGE FACILITIES CATCHING ON FIRE.
I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT LIVE VERY CLOSE, AND I'M VERY WORRIED ABOUT THEM BREATHING IN THESE CHEMICALS.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT INFORMED CITIZENS WOULD BE AGAINST THIS, UM, BECAUSE OF THEIR CHILDREN GOING TO SCHOOL NEAR ONE OF THEM.
UM, AND I, I DON'T SEE WHY THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD NOT PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT AND LET THE PEOPLE VOTE FOR IT SINCE IT CONCERNS THEM THE MOST.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S EVERY CITIZEN IN LEAGUE CITY.
I KNOW YOU HEARD A LOT OF THEM THAT SAY, YEAH, THAT'S GOOD FOR IT.
BUT I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD GET A MAJORITY IF IT WAS ON THE BALLOT.
BUT AGAIN, I WOULD SUGGEST VOTING NO.
ALRIGHT, SO AT SEVEN 13, WE'LL CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING, NOT ON THE SHEET.
THAT SHOULD BE AT THE VERY BOTTOM.
UH, SHE SIGNED THAT DIFFERENT ONE UP FOR, OH, I COULD TALK ABOUT THAT TOO.
ABOUT PEGGY SAYLOR 1802 RAMPART.
I WOULD LIKE TO TO SAY THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO EDUCATE MYSELF ABOUT THIS FACILITY, THE TECHNOLOGY, THE IMPROVEMENT.
BUT, BUT REALLY WHAT, UM, MOTIVATED ME TO, TO REALLY GET INVOLVED WAS WHEN I BEGAN TO HEAR AT THE STATE LEVEL THE SERIOUS CHALLENGES TO OUR GRID.
UM, I ATTENDED ALL OF THE PUC HEARINGS.
[01:15:02]
UM, I WAS, UM, INVOLVED IN SOME DISCUSSIONS, UH, WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.AND, AND I WILL SAY, I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANYTHING GOING FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY THAT THERE WON'T BE SOME RISK.
IS THIS AN IDEAL SITUATION? NO, IT'S NOT.
BUT THE AREA NEAR THE SUBSTATION IS, IS CLOSE TO BUILD OUT.
SO, SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE IMPLICATIONS IF WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND I WILL TELL YOU WHEN I WEIGH THE THOUGHT, AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH, UH, RISK THERE IS, BUT I THINK THERE IS SOME, I SUSPECT THERE ARE SOME PIPELINES AROUND ME THAT ARE PRETTY DARN CLOSE.
I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I DON'T THINK SO.
UM, SO, SO I TAKE ALL OF THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
BUT, BUT MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT NOW WE FINALLY HAVE THE STATE RECOGNIZING THE CRITICALITY OF OUR GRID.
YOU, YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN HOUSTON.
YOU CAN SEE THE PUSH FOR, UM, MANY OF THESE FACILITIES TO BE CONSIDERED IN COMMUNITIES BECAUSE OF WHERE WE ARE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE GRID.
AND THE RISK THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE AS WE GROW IN THIS AREA AND HAVE ADDITIONAL UNRELIABILITY WITH OUR GRID.
AND SEE, I WAS, I WAS NAIVE ENOUGH TO THINK IT'S THE GRID.
WELL, NOT ONLY DO WE WORRY ABOUT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE GRID, WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE GRID.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF THREATS TO US.
AND HOWEVER WE CHOOSE TO GO FORWARD, IF WE THINK THAT THERE WILL BE AN IDEAL SITUATION WITH NO RISK, THAT WILL OFFSET THE THE CURRENT CHALLENGES WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE WITH, WITH OUR GRID.
UH, I, I THINK WE'RE DILUTING OURSELVES.
AND, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU AND I APPLAUD THE STAFF FOR THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS DEVELOPED.
I DID NOT HEAR ONE THING THAT WAS SAID UP HERE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, COUNCILMAN SAUNDERS ADDRESSED IT.
I DID NOT HEAR ONE THING THAT TOLD ME THAT THERE WOULD BE TWO, THERE WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TWO OF THESE FACILITIES, UH, TO BE WITHIN THE 1500, UM, FEET DIFFERENT.
AND I WOULD ASK, AS A CITIZEN WHO CARES VERY DEEPLY, I WOULD JUST ASK AS WE GO FORWARD AND I THINK THE FIRST COMPANY THAT COMES IN AND SUBMITS, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD WORK.
BUT FOR ALL FOLLOW UPS, PLEASE DON'T ALLOW ANY WAIVERS OR ANY DEVIATIONS.
THE ORDINANCE IS THE ORDINANCE AND IT'S IN PLACE.
ALRIGHT, AND WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT SEVEN 17.
[11B. 24-0462 Consider and take action on an ordinance approving a Special Use Permit, SUP-23-0003 (Peregrine Wizard BESS), to operate a Battery Energy Storage Station (B.E.S.S.), generally located along the east side of South State Highway 3, south of Washington Street, and west of Dickinson Avenue (Director of Planning)]
11 B, CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON ORDINANCE APPROVING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, SUP DASH 23 DASH 0 0 3 PEREGRINE WIZARD.BEST OPERATE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM, BEST GENERALLY LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF SOUTH STATE HIGHWAY THREE, SOUTH OF WASHINGTON STREET AND WEST OF DICKINSON AVENUE.
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF FIVE TWO WITH ONE MEMBER ABSENT ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2024.
MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE ONE AUTHORIZING THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT MAP, 2 0 3 PERGRAM WIZARD.
BEST FOR A PRIVATE UTILITY USE TO OPERATE A BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM BEST ON PROPERTY LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS BEING ALL OF LOTS 15 TO 20 BLOCK THREE OF THE DOUGLAS EDITION SUBDIVISION BEING APPROXIMATELY 15.328.
THAT'S APPROXIMATE ACRES OUT OF THE STEPHEN F. AUSTIN SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER THREE AND JF PERRY AND E EM AUSTIN SURVEY ABSTRACT NUMBER 19, GENERALLY LOCATED ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF STATE HIGHWAY THREE, SOUTH OF WASHINGTON STREET, WEST DICKINSON AVENUE IN LEAGUE CITY, TEXAS.
AND TWO, AUTHORIZING THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH WIZARD ENERGY STORAGE LLC, WHICH SHALL BE ATTACHED AS EXHIBIT E TO SAID ORDINANCE.
UM, SO FIRST QUESTION FOR STAFF THAT I HAVE.
UH, SO WE HEARD ABOUT THE, THE OTHER PROPOSED SITE, AND, UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, RIGHT, BUT ANYBODY, EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO APPLY, EVEN IF IT'S AGAINST THE ORDINANCE.
THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPLY AND THEY GET THEIR, YOU KNOW, TIME IN COURT, RIGHT? THEY GET TO BE PRESENTED TO PLANNING AND ZONING, UH, AND GO THROUGH ALL THAT.
WE ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO APPROVE THEM, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S AGAINST THE ORDINANCE THAT'S ALREADY THERE.
YOU, YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO EITHER VOTE IT UP OR VOTE IT DOWN.
UM, THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE AN APPLICATION AND COME BEFORE YOU AND REQUEST OF VARIANCE TO THAT CODE.
AND SO I KIND OF JUST TELL EVERYBODY WHERE I WAS FROM THIS.
SO, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT A ELECTRICAL ENGINEER AND I DIDN'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT ABOUT BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE, UH, WHEN THIS STARTED.
AND I WOULDN'T PRETEND THAT I KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW.
BUT WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND CREATED THIS ORDINANCE,
[01:20:01]
UH, I THINK THE IMPORTANT PART WAS THAT WE HIRED EXPERTS AND WE REALLY HAD TO DEVELOP IT FROM THE GROUND UP BECAUSE KIND OF SURPRISINGLY, THERE WASN'T A, A TEMPLATE ORDINANCE TO, TO USE IN THE STATE YET.SO STAFF DID A GOOD JOB OF BRINGING IN, WE HIRED OUTSIDE, UH, CONSULTANTS TO HELP MAKE THAT ORDINANCE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, FOR ONE, I'M NOT GOING TO BEND THE ORDINANCE THAT WE JUST CREATED TO PUT SOMETHING ELSE IN.
UH, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT AND MONEY DEVELOPING THAT AND HIRED THE EXPERTS TO DO IT.
SO IN THE FUTURE, WE'RE GONNA LIVE, I'M GONNA LIVE BY WHATEVER THAT ORDINANCE SAYS, AND WE'RE GONNA STICK TO IT, IF NOT EXCEED WHAT THE ORDINANCE SAYS.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S TOO MUCH OF A RISK OF ANOTHER ONE COMING IN, BUT THEY, UH, NEXT TO IT, BUT THEY CAN CERTAINLY APPLY FOR IT AS IS THEIR THEIR RIGHT.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT, YES, SIR.
I WANNA ADDRESS A FEW OF THE POINTS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP BY, BY SPEAKERS TONIGHT JUST SO THEY KNOW THEY'RE NOT BEING IGNORED.
UM, THE FIRST ONE, UM, THERE WAS TALK OF THE THOUSAND PLUS SIGNATURE PETITION.
UM, I WILL SAY I HAVE LOOKED AT THAT A LOT OF THOSE ARE NOT LEAGUE CITY CITIZENS.
THEY'RE JUST PEOPLE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO THESE IN GENERAL.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S BAD THING, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS THE MAJORITY, WHAT ISN'T THAT, THAT PETITION ISN'T NECESSARILY HELPFUL FROM THAT STANDPOINT, BUT IT, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE CONCERNED.
UH, SECOND, UM, IT'S ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED BY MULTIPLE FOLKS.
UH, I GUESS WE COULD TELL YOU HOW WE MAY VOTE ON ANOTHER ONE.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE WORDS FROM POLITICIANS UNTIL THE VOTE'S IN, UM, THOSE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU, WE CRAFTED THIS ORDINANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES ON WHAT SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE APPROVED BECAUSE NONE OF US UP HERE ARE EXPERTS ON THIS.
I I'M AN ENGINEER WHO WORKS LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS THAT INVOLVE PUTTING OUT LITHIUM BATTERY FIRES ON A MUCH SMALLER SCALE.
BUT, UM, WE'RE NOT THE EXPERTS.
THAT'S WHY WE HAD AN INDEPENDENT EXPERT, UM, INVOLVED.
SPEAKING OF THE, UM, INDEPENDENT EXPERT, UM, WE HAD AS PART OF THIS APPLICATION, A PLUME STUDY, DONE A STUDY LOOKING AT THE IMPACTS OF A FIRE.
UM, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING IS ONLY SO FAR AWAY, UM, A THOUSAND FEET FOR ONE THING IS NOT ONLY IN MOST ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, THAT'S A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE.
UM, WHAT THE STUDY SHOWED IS THAT FOR THIS TYPE OF BATTERY THAT PEREGRINE IS SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT IN THE INSTALLATION, THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOING, UM, THE DANGER ZONE.
I THINK THE MAXIMUM WAS 72 FEET.
I'M, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT DISCOMFORT.
UM, THE DISCOMFORT, I WANNA SAY WENT OUT TO AROUND 300 FEET, A LITTLE OVER 300.
AND THAT WAS WITH THE 20 MILE AN HOUR WIND.
IT WAS, UH, 951 FEET FOR THE IRRITATION OR DISCOMFORT.
BUT, BUT THE, THE THRESHOLD WHERE, WHERE IT GOT THERE WAS THERE WAS A DIFFERENT CHEMICALS.
THE ONE THAT WAS SUBSTANTIAL WAS AT THE 300.
SO THE, THE NEAREST HOUSE WAS 330 SOME FEET, I BELIEVE, FROM THE ACTUAL BATTERY, 310 FROM THE, FROM THE FENCE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, LOOKING AT THE PACKET THAT WE HAD.
ALRIGHT, SO THAT'S A DIFFERENT NUMBER THAN I BELIEVE THEY SHOW SHOWED A P AND Z SLIGHTLY OFF.
THE RECOMMENDED DISTANCE FROM THE INDUSTRY EXPERT MIND YOU PAID BY THE CITY, NOT FROM SOMEBODY WHO STANDS PROFIT OFF OF THIS FOR PUTTING THE, UH, RESPONSE CONTROL LOCATION FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES WAS 300 FEET AWAY.
IN OTHER WORDS, THAT'S WHERE WE EXPECT TO SEND PEOPLE INTO TO MANAGE THE SITUATION, WHICH MEANS NONE OF THESE HOUSES ARE CLOSER THAN WE'RE GONNA SEND PEOPLE TO.
SO THAT SHOULD GIVE A AN IDEA OF YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT, HEY, YOU NEED TO GET OUT.
UM, SOMEONE BROUGHT UP A, A WINDSTORM AND THAT AT THE GREATER SPEEDS, THE, THOSE DISTANCES WILL INCREASE.
AND I'LL SAY I DON'T REALLY AGREE WITH THAT.
AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS THAT IN A WINDSTORM, YOU RARELY HAVE PURELY LINEAR WINDS.
UM, THEY TEND TO WHIP AROUND CHANGE DIRECTION A LITTLE BIT, WHICH MEANS YOU'RE DISPERSING THE CONCENTRATION MORE SO THE, TO GET TO A LEVEL OF CONCENTRATION OF CHEMICALS THAT IS MORE THAN AN IRRITANT, PROBABLY
[01:25:01]
NOT GOING FURTHER IN THE HIGHER WINDS.IN FACT, YOU'RE PROBABLY BETTER OFF AT SOME POINT ONCE THE WINDS GET GOOD ENOUGH.
UM, SIR, WE, WE WON'T BE INTERRUPTED NOW.
UM, THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE ABOUT US NOT HAVING A PROFESSIONAL FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE NOT PROFESSIONAL ONLY IN SO MUCH AS THEY'RE NOT PAID, THEY'RE VOLUNTEERS.
BUT WHEN YOU USE THE WORD PROFESSIONAL TO TALK ABOUT, WELL-TRAINED, WE EXCEED MO MANY PAID DEPARTMENTS.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WELL EQUIPPED, WE EXCEED MOST PAID DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO FROM THAT ASPECT, I DON'T THINK WHETHER THEY'RE PAID OR NOT HAS ANYTHING TO DO, UM, WITH THE SAFETY OF THIS GOING IN, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT THOROUGHFARE AND THE RISK TO IT, THERE ARE PIPELINES THAT RUN ALONG IT.
AND THERE'S A RAILROAD TRACK THAT HAS TRAINS COMING BY MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY FILLED WITH WORSE CHEMICALS THAN WILL BE PUT OFF FROM A BATTERY FIRE.
THAT'S A MOVING OBJECT SUBJECT TO MORE FAILURE MODES THAN A BATTERY IS.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF ANYBODY UNDERSTANDS RISK MANAGEMENT, THERE'S AN ENVELOPING RISK THAT'S ALREADY EXCEEDING WHAT OUR STUDIES HAVE SHOWN ANYBODY WILL BE SUBJECTED TO HERE.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A SCHOOL BEING NEARBY, IT'S WELL BEYOND THE DISTANCE THAT THE PLUMES STUDY SHOWS WOULD BE IMPACTED REGARDLESS OF WEATHER CONDITIONS BECAUSE WE HAD IT DONE FROM A WORST CASE PERSPECTIVE.
UM, THERE WAS A SUGGESTION THAT WHY DON'T YOU JUST HAVE THE PUBLIC VOTE ON THAT? BECAUSE WE WERE ELECTED TO DO A JOB.
WE WERE ELECTED TO SIT UP HERE AND DO THE HOMEWORK, LEARN ABOUT THESE ISSUES, UNDERSTAND THEM WELL ENOUGH TO VOTE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR CITIZENS.
I'M NOT ABOUT TO SUGGEST THAT WE GO TO A ENTIRELY, UH, UM, DIRECT DEMOCRACY.
UM, THAT OBVIOUSLY WOULDN'T WORK FOR MOST THINGS AND MOST FOLKS KNOW THAT.
SO THAT'S A DISINGENUOUS SUGGESTION TO SAY THAT WE DO THAT HERE IN HOPES THAT, UM, THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION CAN BE SWAYED WITH LIMITED INFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION IN MANY CASES, AS HAS BEEN SEEN ON THIS ISSUE.
HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I'M NOT A PROPONENT NECESSARILY OF BEST FACILITIES, AND THAT'S NOT WHY I WILL BE VOTING FOR YES FOR IT TONIGHT.
THE REASON I WILL BE VOTING YES IS THAT I AM MUCH MORE NOT A FAN OF THE LACK OF HEARTINESS IN OUR GRID.
I'VE SEEN TOO MANY OF OUR CITIZENS SUFFER WHEN WE HAVE POWER OUTAGES DURING THE WORST POSSIBLE TIMES, HAVE POWER OUTAGES DURING DEEP FREEZES AND THE HOTTEST PARTS OF SUMMER.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CONCERNS ME.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THAT.
AND YES, IT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT IN OUR IMMEDIATE AREA.
NO, WE CAN'T PROMISE IT'LL BE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD OR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD OR THIS ONE OR THAT ONE.
BUT THE WAY ELECTRICITY WORKS, IT'S GONNA FOLLOW THE PE THE LEAST RESISTANCE, AND IT'S GONNA DO THE LEAST AMOUNT OF WORK POSSIBLE.
SO IT'S GOING TO SUPPLY THE AREA NEAREST TO THAT SUBSTATION BEFORE IT GOES ANYWHERE ELSE.
UM, AND NO, IT'S NOT A LONG TERM SOLUTION FOR LIMITED PRODUCTION CAPABILITY, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE.
NOW, THE OTHER THING THAT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND, WE HAVE CRAFTED AN ORDINANCE THAT MANY OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, I BELIEVE ARE ALREADY LOOKING TO AS THE EXAMPLE TO GUIDE APPLICATIONS IN THEIR CITY.
AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT TEXAS AND LOCAL CONTROL, WHEN CITIES COME IN WITH WHAT'S CONSIDERED TO BE AN OVERBEARING BIG GOVERNMENT APPROACH AND BLOCK THINGS SUCH AS FRACKING AND OIL RIGS, THE LEGISLATURE HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR IN HOW THEY RESPOND.
THEY TAKE AWAY THE ABILITY OF MUNICIPALITIES TO CONTROL THOSE WHATSOEVER.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE AN OIL RIG OUT SOMEBODY'S BACKYARD IN MAC CREEK.
SO IF WE SAY NO TO THIS APPLICANT WHO FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES HAS GONE FAR ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT ANY OTHER BEST FACILITY TALKED ABOUT IN THIS AREA HAS DONE
[01:30:01]
TO INFORM THE PUBLIC, TO TRAIN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT BEFORE THEY WERE APPROVED FOR ANYTHING, UH, TO HELP US POINT US TO, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS THAT WE HADN'T EVEN CONSIDERED.SO THAT ANY OTHER APPLICANT THAT COMES IN HAS TO BE AS SAFE AS THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING.
IF WE SAY NO, THEN ONE, WE'RE NOT A GOOD PARTNER BECAUSE WE CAME UP WITH THESE GUIDELINES, SO TO SAY NO NOW SAYS WE FAILED WHEN WE DID OUR JOB.
IT ALSO SAYS WE'RE NOT GONNA SAY YES TO ANYTHING, WHICH IS ULTIMATELY GONNA RESULT IN THE ABILITY TO SAY NO TO THE WORST BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM US.
SO WE HAVE A CHANCE HERE AND NOBODY'S SAYING WE'RE GUARANTEEING THIS IS A HUNDRED PERCENT SAFE.
WE'RE SAYING THAT BASED ON ANYBODY WHO ACTUALLY IS AN EXPERT IN THIS, OUR GUIDELINES DO PROVIDE FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS, BOTH FROM THE BATTERIES AND FROM THE CHALLENGES OF OUR WEAK ELECTRIC GRID.
MS. CHADWELL, YOUR HONOR, I'D LIKE TO CALL FIRE CHIEF JEFF ALLEN TO THE STAND.
BUT, UM, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, LEAGUE CITY QUALIFICATIONS.
UM, UH, OUR, ARE OUR FIREFIGHTERS CERTIFIED? YEAH, THEY'RE ALL, MAJORITY OF THEM ARE S-F-F-M-A LEVEL ONE CERTIFIED.
AND S-F-F-M-A IS A STATE CERTIFICATION BODY? CORRECT.
UM, AND, UH, PEREGRINE DID HOST SOME TRAININGS, RIGHT? YEAH.
I BELIEVE THEY HOSTED FOUR DIFFERENT TRAININGS.
TWO DURING THE DAYTIME FOR PAID STAFF AND OTHER AGENCIES, AND THEY DID TWO IN THE EVENINGS OKAY.
TO ACCOMMODATE THE VOLUNTEERS.
WERE WERE YOU ABLE TO ATTEND ANY OF THESE? YES.
UM, NOW WERE SOME OF 'EM CLASSROOM AND SOME OF 'EM HANDS-ON, UH, IT WAS ALL CLASSROOM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE FACILITY HERE TO DO ANY HANDS-ON TRAINING WITH.
SO IT WOULD BE OUR EXPECTATION THAT ONCE THAT FACILITY IS BUILT, THAT WE WOULD THEN BE AT THAT SITE DOING TRAINING ON SPECIFICALLY TO THAT SITE ON HOW TO RESPOND TO IT.
SO IS IT COMMON ON SOME INCIDENTS FOR, UM, NEIGHBORING PARTNERS TO MUTUAL AID WITH US ON, ON SCENE ALL THE TIME? DID YOU SEE ANY OF THOSE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, THE RESOURCES, UH, I THINK, UM, KEVIN HAD MENTIONED THAT THERE'S SOME RESOURCES THAT, THAT, THAT WE DON'T HAVE JUST YET.
WHAT ARE THOSE? UH, SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH PEREGRINE, THEY'RE GONNA PROVIDE SOME AIR MONITORING RESOURCES SPECIFIC TO THE CHEMICALS THAT WOULD OFF GAS DURING THESE TYPE OF FIRES.
NOW, KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW NOW IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, UM, WOULD YOU SAY THAT, UM, THAT, THAT WE, THAT LEAGUE CITY IS, IS CAPABLE OF MITIGATING AN INCIDENT FROM A A, UH, A FIRE SUPPRESSION PERSPECTIVE? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE POWER LINES THAT THEY, THAT THEY'RE WANTING TO HANG.
WE'VE GOT ABOVE GROUND POWER LINES THAT ARE, UM, LOOK LIKE THEY'RE GONNA COME OVER HIGHWAY THREE AND A AND OVER DICKINSON AVENUE AS WELL.
SO WHY WOULD WE HAVE ABOVE GROUND POWER LINES IF THAT'S PART OF OUR PROBLEM? AND IF WE'RE TRYING TO SECURE THE GRID, IT WOULD SEEM THAT THESE WOULD BE EASILY TO TURN DOWN.
SO I'M GOING TO FIRST EXPLAIN IT AND THEN GO OVER TO THE SCREEN AND SHOW YOU WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UM, BUT THE ONLY OVERHEAD LINES THAT ARE NEW AND ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SITE ARE SPECIFICALLY THE INTERCONNECTION TO THE SUBSTATION ON DICKINSON A OR ON DICKINSON AVENUE.
AND SO THERE'S NO NEW LINES OUTSIDE OF THAT.
I'LL, I'LL POINT TO IT ON THE SCREEN WHERE IT'S AT.
THERE'S A GAP IN THE LANDSCAPING, SO THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY TREES ADJACENT TO WHERE THESE OVERHEAD LINES ARE.
AND THE RAILROAD ACTUALLY, UM, WAS NOT GOING TO ALLOW AN UNDERGROUND CROSSING AT THAT LOCATION.
AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE GOING OVERHEAD.
MY, MY NEXT ONE, I'M GONNA KIND OF, I'VE READ OVER THIS QUITE, QUITE A BIT AND I, I, I THINK AN ENGINEER WOULD, WOULD BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THIS COMPLETELY.
UH, IT'S A LOT OF IT'S OVER AN ACCOUNTANT'S HEAD, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THESE ARE SAFE.
[01:35:01]
IS THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AROUND IT ARE LEGITIMATELY SCARED.WHETHER IT'S A REASONABLE FEAR OR AN UNREASONABLE FEAR, WERE PUTTING SOMETHING IN THERE THAT WASN'T THERE BEFORE.
AND IN MY MIND, I KIND OF RELATE IT TO THESE LARGE HIGH VOLUME POWER LINES THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANNA LIVE NEAR.
THERE'S ALWAYS THE RUMOR THAT THEY'VE BEEN, UM, THAT THEY CAUSE CANCER AND, AND THIS, AND SO WITH THAT KIND OF MENTALITY, IF THEY, EVEN IF THEY WERE TO COME BACK, THE CITY SAID, HEY, WE CAN DEFINITELY SECURE THE GRID, BUT WE'RE GONNA PUT A HIGH POWERED, UH, POWER LINE OVER YOUR HOUSE.
I WOULDN'T WANT IT THERE, EVEN IF IT TURNS OUT TO BE SAFE.
THAT'S A LOT OF FEAR FOR A LOT OF YEARS FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE WITH NOT KNOWING WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
THERE IS A, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WOULD EVER AFFECT PROPERTY VALUES, BUT I THINK IT'S TOO CLOSE TO SCHOOLS.
AND WHILE I THINK IT IS GONNA PASS, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD.
UH, COUNCILMAN CHADWELL KIND OF HIT ON A COUPLE OF THE TOPICS I ALREADY HAVE IN MY CHART.
CHIEF, UH, ALLEN, CAN YOU STEP BACK UP FOR ME PLEASE? SO, IN LEAGUE CITY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH OTHER MUTUAL AID DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE, I WANNA MAKE A A CLARIFICATION REAL QUICK.
I KEEP GETTING TOLD PROFESSIONAL, WE DON'T HAVE A PROFESSIONAL DEPARTMENT.
WE DON'T HAVE A PROFESSIONAL DEPARTMENT.
THE DIFFERENCES HERE ARE BETWEEN THE TWO DEPARTMENTS ARE CAREER AND VOLUNTEER PROFESSIONAL IS THE WAY YOU CONDUCT YOURSELF, YOUR TRAINING, AND THE WAY YOU HANDLE STUFF.
I AM ALSO A CAREER FIREFIGHTER.
I'M ALSO ON THE HAZMAT TEAM FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGIONAL HAZMAT.
HOW MANY WE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THE FULL NUMBER, BUT WE DO HAVE PAID CAREER FIREFIGHTERS IN LEAGUE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AS WE DO IN DICKINSON, AS WE DO, I'M SURE IN KEA AND WEBSTER IS A PAID FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE, A LOT OF TRAINING, UH, AS YOU SAID, PEREGRINE'S GONNA GIVE US THE EQUIPMENT TO BE ABLE TO DO THE IRON MONITORING.
SHOULD IN THE REAR CIRCUMSTANCE AN INCIDENT HAPPEN, THEY'RE ALSO GONNA TRAIN US ON THAT EQUIPMENT.
UM, CHIEF ALLEN, YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS I DO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE HAZMAT TOO? CORRECT.
THE TRAIN HAS BEEN GOING UP AND DOWN THE TRACKS OF LEAGUE CITY FOR HOW MANY YEARS NOW? I DON'T KNOW.
EVERYBODY HAS COME COMPLACENT WITH THE TRAIN.
'CAUSE I HAVE AN APP THAT TELLS ME WHAT'S ON THESE TRAINS.
THERE ARE CHEMICALS ON THESE TRAINS THAT ARE PROBABLY A THOUSAND TIMES WORSE THAN ANYTHING THIS FACILITY COULD PUT ON.
WOULD YOU SAY I'M WRONG OR RIGHT ON THAT? I, I'D AGREE WITH YOU.
UM, IF A TRAIN WAS TO GET HIT AT THE CROSSING OF 6 46, WHERE WOULD BE THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION FOR IT TO STOP A MILES SO INTO WEBSTER? EASILY, EASILY.
SO ALL THE CONTENTS OF THAT TRAIN ARE GOING TO SPILL OUT ALL THE WAY DOWN, BUT NOBODY'S TALKING ABOUT THE TRAIN, BUT YET THERE'S MORE INCIDENCES OF THE TRAIN THAN THERE ARE WITH THESE BATTERY FACILITIES.
UM, I, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAVE FOR YOU, CHIEF ALLEN.
I WANNA SAY ONE MORE THING ABOUT THIS COMPANY, PEREGRINE, SINCE THEY COME HERE, SINCE THEY HAVE STARTED THIS PROCESS, EVERYTHING THEY HAVE SAID THEY WOULD DO, THEY HAVE DONE EVERYTHING WE HAVE ASKED OF THEM TO DO.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANY RESISTANCE WHATSOEVER.
DOES ANYBODY ON THE DIOCESE HEARD OF ANY RESISTANCE TO ANYTHING WE'VE ASKED THEM TO DO? THEY ENCOURAGED THESE GUIDELINES TO BE ESTABLISHED.
I WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN TO ENHANCE OUR GRID AND TO MAINTAIN THE SAFETY THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THIS SYSTEM HERE.
I CAN UNDERSTAND THE FEAR I DO, BUT TODAY ALONE, I HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH ONE TWO BETWEEN TEXTS AND PHONE CALLS, TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
AND I'VE HEARD THAT THE COMMENTS WERE BEING MADE BY MORE THAN THOSE PEOPLE TO THEM WITH A LOT OF BAD INFORMATION.
FIRST OF ALL, THAT TONIGHT WE WERE GONNA PROVE BOTH FACILITIES.
ANOTHER ONE WAS OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED NO TRAINING.
AS Y'ALL HAVE HEARD, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED TRAINING.
OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT GONNA BE GETTING THE EQUIPMENT TO HANDLE THESE.
AS YOU HAVE HEARD, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO GET THE EQUIPMENT.
I THINK THAT, THAT WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGY, THERE'S A LOT OF FEAR GOING ON, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT Y'ALL HAVE TO REST ASSURED THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN IN OUR POWER ON THIS COUNCIL WITH OUR REGULATIONS,
[01:40:01]
WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS THE SAFEST AS IT POSSIBLY CAN AND IN THE REAR EVENT THAT SOMETHING SHOULD HAPPEN TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT SITUATION APPROPRIATELY.SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I WANNA SAY.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M NOT GONNA MAKE A LOT OF COMMENTS TONIGHT ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT SINCE MY COLLEAGUES, WE HAVE THREE FIREFIGHTERS SITTING UP ON THE BOARD HERE, THREE PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS.
AND EVEN, UH, I, I AGREE WITH MR. TRESSLER TONIGHT WITH A LOT OF HIS COMMENTS ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, I SEE THE GENTLEMAN LEFT TONIGHT THAT CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, NOT A PROFESSIONAL DEPARTMENT.
LET ME TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN A CAREER FIREFIGHTER FOR 32 YEARS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN FOR 20 YEARS.
IT WOULD NOT BE ANY HESITATION THAT I WOULD NOT GO IN WITH ANY OF THE VOLUNTEERS INTO A HOUSE FIRE OR TO A HAZMAT CALL OR TO A SITUATION IN LEAGUE CITY WITHOUT HESITATION.
THEY JUST DO IT FOR NO, NO MONEY.
THEY DO IT TO HELP THEIR COMMUNITY.
IT'S THE BIGGEST HERO YOU CAN EVER HAVE AS A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER.
SO IT IT, IT REALLY UPSETS ME TO HEAR PEOPLE SAY THAT THEY'RE NOT VOLUNTEERS.
WE HAVE A HAZMAT TEAM MADE UP OF THE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO TANK TRUCK FIRES, WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO TANK TRUCK LEAKS, RAILROAD CAR LEAKS, AND THEY DO IT ALL WITHOUT ONE DIME.
SO THEY, IN, IN MY BOOK, THEY'RE VERY PROFESSIONAL.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT AS THERE'S SITUATIONS IN THIS CITY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MANY MORE OF 'EM JUST AS MY COLLEAGUES AND I WON'T BE BELABOR EVERYTHING THEY SAID, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF SITUATIONS IN THIS CITY WITH RAIL CARS AND, AND GASOLINE TANKER TRUCKS GOING UP AND DOWN HIGHWAY THROUGH EVERY DAY TRAVELING.
AND PEOPLE DON'T SAY MUCH ABOUT IT.
BUT ONCE THE BEST BATTERY, UM, OR THE BEST FACILITY COMES IN, EVERYBODY'S, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY CONCERNED.
I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE CONCERNED, BUT I WILL BE THE FIRST ONE TO TELL YOU THAT YOU PROBABLY GOT MORE CONCERNS WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE SOLAR, UH, PANELS ON THEIR ROOF AND BATTERY BACKUPS IN THEIR HOUSES AND, AND CARS THAT ARE HAVING LITHIUM BATTERIES INSIDE GARAGES THAN YOU DO THIS FACILITY HERE.
I HATE TO SAY THAT, BUT WE HAVE A, A TON OF THEM IN LEAGUE CITY.
SO, UM, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.
I'LL BE VOTING IN FAVOR OF IT AS A FIREFIGHTER.
AND I THINK, UM, I WISH THE GENTLEMAN WAS HERE STILL TO TELL 'EM THAT WE DO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTER AND I WISH HE WOULDN'T HAVE MADE THAT COMMENT TONIGHT.
MS. MAY, JUST A QUICK CONCLUDING COMMENT.
UM, OAKS OF CLEAR CREEK WAS FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD I LIVED IN WHENEVER I, I CAME TO LEAGUE CITY.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE OIL WELL ON THE WEST SIDE THAT WAS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WHEN THAT WENT IN SIX, SEVEN YEARS AGO, UH, I STOOD ON, ON MY, UH, ON MY DRIVEWAY AND LOOKED AT THE FLARE COMING OUT OVER THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I WALKED DOWN TO MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE AND YOU COULD ACTUALLY FEEL THE HEAT INSIDE OF MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE.
AND I REMEMBER THINKING AT THAT TIME, WHEN I'M IN CONTROL OF THIS ONE DAY, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN LIKE THIS EVER AGAIN.
I UNDERSTAND BEING AFRAID, BUT I AM COMFORTABLE WITH THE TRADE OFF THAT WE HAVE HERE AND THEREFORE I'LL BE VOTING FOR THIS.
UH, TO THE AUDIENCE OUT THERE THAT, UH, USUALLY, UH, COMES ON THE REGULAR, UH, YOU'RE GONNA FIND IT ODD THAT I ACTUALLY SIT, UH, ON THE SAME SIDE AS TOM CRUISE TODAY.
UH, FOR THE RECORD, I DID MEET WITH EVERY COMPANY THAT'S TRIED TO PUT ONE OF THESE IN HERE.
I WILL SAY THAT, UH, PEREGRINE HAS DONE THE BEST AT ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UH, BUT I TOLD THEM ALL THE SAME THREE THINGS I SAID, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANTED TO EARN MY VOTE, WELL FOR ONE, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S GOTTA BE OKAY WITH IT AND SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE.
UH, NUMBER TWO WAS, UH, WANT YOU TO COVER IT UP.
I DON'T WANNA LOOK, I DON'T WANNA LOOK AT IT WHEN I'M DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY.
THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT BOX NUMBER THREE WAS, I SAID, I DON'T WANT 70 RESIDENTS COMING AND TELL ME I'M PUTTING A BOMB IN THEIR BACKYARD.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY DID A BETTER JOB BUT FAILED TO CHECK THAT BOX.
[01:45:02]
ANDY MANN.6 4 2 AGAINST MAYOR, I MOVE FOR FIRST AND FINAL SECOND.
OH, DO YOU WANT, WE'LL LET YOU SPEAK.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE ANYBODY.
THIS IS JUST DO YOU WANNA, OH, WHAT'S THAT? YOU GO AHEAD TO WHAT TIME'S AFTER YOU, UM, FIRST AND FINALS, A PROCEDURAL THING.
UM, ALL WE'RE REALLY DOING IS JUST DELAYING THIS AND, AND BACK DOING BUSINESS.
SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UH, TO NOT CONFUSE ANYBODY, I'M GONNA PRESS YES FOR FIRST AND FINAL, BUT MY STANCE IS STILL A NO.
UH, MICHELLE, IN AN EMAIL YOU'D SENT OUT, YOU HAD REQUESTED THAT WE DON'T DO A FIRST AND FINAL.
IS THAT STILL YOUR OPINION? NO.
AND TO CLARIFY IF YOU WANT TO, IT, IT WAS BECAUSE WE GOT THE FINANCIAL AGREEMENT SETTLED AND SIGNED.
IT WASN'T SIGNED WHEN YOU SENT IT OUT THE FIRST TIME, RIGHT? YEAH.
UM, WE'VE HEARD IN THE PAST THE FIRST AND FINAL, UM, SOME FOLKS VIEW IT AS A WAY OF TRYING TO PULL A FAST ONE, UH, ON THE PUBLIC.
UM, THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN WIDELY DISCUSSED IN THE PUBLIC HERE AT PNZ FACEBOOK, UM, OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, UM, EXTENSIVELY.
UM, SO THERE'S NO PULLING FFAS ONE HERE.
UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A CITIZEN INPUT, UM, THAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD, UM, THAT WOULD BE, UH, UNIQUE OR DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE HEARD ALREADY.
AND WE DO HAVE A REQUEST FROM CITY MARK CHURCH, UH, TO DO THE FIRST AND FINAL SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE PROCESS STARTED ON, ON RENOVATING THEIR FACILITY.
UM, WHICH IS A GOOD THING FOR THE REST OF THE CITIZENS, ALI SAY, NOT JUST FOR THEM.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE A FAIRLY RUNDOWN STRIP CENTER, UM, MAKE THE WHOLE THING MUCH NICER, UM, LIGHT IT UP BETTER, WHICH IS A GOOD PUBLIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENT FOR THE REST OF THE FOLKS IN THIS CITY TOO.
SO THAT'S WHY I'LL SUPPORT FIRST AND FINAL ON THIS EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S URGENT FROM A CITY PERSPECTIVE.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO BACK TO THE REGULAR AGENDA.
[7A. 24-0463 Hold a public hearing on amendments to the Code of Ordinances of the City of League City, amending Chapter 125, Article 3, entitled, “Zoning” to revise regulations related to food trucks (Mayor Long)]
SEVEN, HOLD A PUBLIC HEAR SEVEN A HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON AMENDMENTS TO THE COURT ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY AMENDING CHAPTER 1 25.ARTICLE THREE ENTITLED ZONING TO REVISE REGULATIONS RELATED TO FOOD TRUCKS.
ALRIGHT, THERE'S NOBODY ON THE AGENDA.
SO THIS HEARING CLOSES AT 7 48.
[7B. 24-0464 Consider and take action on an ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of League City, amending Chapter 125, Article 3, entitled, “Zoning” to revise regulations related to food trucks (Mayor Long) Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval, 7-0-0 with one member absent on September 9, 2024.]
ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY AMENDING CHAPTER 1 25.ARTICLE THREE ENTITLED ZONING TO REVISE REGULATIONS RELATED TO FOOD TRUCKS PLANNING AND ZONING.
RECOMMENDED APPROVAL SEVEN OH WITH ONE MEMBER ABSENT ON SEPTEMBER 9TH.
MY ONLY, I'M GUESS I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED AS TO WHY WE'RE DOING THIS AT ALL.
UM, I HAD HEARD THAT THERE WAS A PREFERENCE TOWARD BRICK AND MORTAR, UH, RESTAURANTS AND THAT THE FOOD TRUCKS MAY BE TAKING AWAY FROM THAT.
I JUST DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT'S THE CASE.
I BELIEVE THAT SOME PEOPLE WILL GO OUT FOR A FOOD TRUCK AND SOME PEOPLE WILL GO TO A SIT DOWN RESTAURANT.
SO I DON'T SEE WHY WE WOULD TRY TO PUSH AWAY A SMALL BUSINESS.
UM, AND THEN WHEN WE START TO LIMIT THESE TO THE SPECIAL, UH, SPECIAL EVENTS, THE TERM'S VERY LOOSE.
UM, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE EASILY WORKED AROUND OR IF THIS TERM SPECIAL EVENT REALLY DOES MEAN SOMETHING THAT MAYBE THE CITY DECLARES.
SO IF YOU COULD HELP ME WITH THE SPECIAL EVENT, UM, THAT'S REALLY JUST GONNA HELP ME, UM, KNOW WHICH WAY TO VOTE.
YEAH, SO I, UH, I WAS THE ONE WHO ACTUALLY PUT THE FOOD TRUCK ORDINANCE UP THE FIRST TIME A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
'CAUSE IT USED TO BE COMPLETELY PROHIBITED IN LEAGUE CITY EVEN FOR SPECIAL EVENTS OR, OR ANYTHING.
[01:50:01]
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT OF COURSE FOOD TRUCKS WOULD BE FINE FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, SAW NO PROBLEM IN IT.UH, SAW NO PROBLEM IF YOU EVEN HAD A BUSINESS THAT WAS SOME KIND OF FOOD TRUCK PARK.
UH, BUT WHAT THE REASON IT WAS ALWAYS BANNED IN LEAGUE CITY WAS BECAUSE OF THE PROLIFERATION IN PARKING.
LOTS OF GAS STATIONS, UH, WHERE YOU CAN DRIVE AROUND SOUTH HOUSTON OR DRIVE AROUND VARIOUS PARTS.
THEY'RE JUST IN EVERY, YOU KNOW, SICKO PARKING LOT.
THEY HAVE A TRAILER, UH, SELLING FOOD OUT OF THERE.
IT'S, UH, IT WAS NEVER MY INTENT WHEN WE MADE THE ORDINANCE TO ALLOW FOOD TRUCKS SO THAT THEY WOULD BECOME DEFACTO PERMANENT BUSINESSES.
UH, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE TO JUST SPRING UP A TRAILER IN A PARKING LOT AND, AND START SELLING FOOD OUT OF IT.
I THINK IT DOES COMPETE AGAINST, UH, BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESSES.
UH, IT COMPETES AGAINST THE ONES THAT ARE PAYING PROPERTY TAXES AND, AND HAVING TO, YOU KNOW, HIRE AND, AND CHARGE FOR THOSE FULL-TIME STAFFS.
AND I DON'T, I JUST DON'T FEEL IT'S APPROPRIATE.
IT WAS NEVER MY INTENT WHEN I ORIGINALLY DID IT.
UH, SO I THINK IT'S A WAY OF, OF CLEANING UP THE INTENT OF IT.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF WHAT'S A SPECIAL EVENT? I MEAN, I THINK THAT WOULD BE ANY KIND OF THING FROM A, YOU KNOW, SELLING, UH, SNOW CONES AT THE BALLPARK, I THINK WAS THE EXAMPLE USED AT P AND Z TO, UH, HOA HAVING A FOOD TRUCK NIGHT OR, YOU KNOW, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT THE INTENT IS THAT IT'S NOT A PERMANENT BUSINESS LOCATED IN A PARKING LOT, THAT IT IS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION TO BRING HOT FOOD TO A TEMPORARY EVENT.
UM, LET ME JUST KIND OF, UH, CARRY THE SAME QUESTIONS A LITTLE BIT FARTHER.
SO ONE, I'D LIKE THE FOOD TRUCKS THEMSELVES, THEY'RE NOT JUST USUALLY TRAILERS.
THEY'RE USUALLY FAIRLY EXPENSIVE AND PEOPLE PUT A LOT INTO IT.
NOT THAT I'M A, NOT THAT I'M AN EXPERT ON THIS AT ALL, BUT WE'RE COMING BACK TO THE, UH, AT THE PLANNING AND ZONING.
I DID ASK ABOUT THE SPECIAL, UH, EVENTS AND WE WERE LIKE, WELL, AT THE BALLPARKS ON SATURDAY, SO ARE WE OKAY WITH FOOD TRUCKS BEING THERE? IF, IF JUST SAYING THAT GAME DAY ON ON SATURDAY AT LOBIT PARK, LET'S SAY, IF WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT, JUST SAYING, HEY, YOU JUST CAN'T PERMANENTLY SIT AND IN A PARKING LOT, WHICH WE PASSED RULES, I BELIEVE JUST A MAYBE TIME FLIES BY, UH, WHERE THEY HAD TO BE MOVED OUT OF A PARKING LOT, UH, EVERY NIGHT.
SO WE'RE SORRY, I KINDA LOST MY THOUGHT THERE.
SO ARE WE SAYING THAT A SPECIAL EVENT IS JUST SOMETHING JUST AS SIMPLE AS SATURDAY PLAYING, PLAYING BASEBALL OR AT A SOCCER GAME? IT'S JUST, WE'RE JUST SAYING YOU CAN'T PERMANENTLY PARK IN A PARKING LOT.
YEAH, THAT, THAT IS MY INTENT.
IT COULD BE EVERY SATURDAY AT THE SAME EXACT TIMES.
AND SO I THINK IF YOU, YOU CAN LOOK AT A GOOD EXAMPLE WOULD BE THE ONE RIGHT OVER HERE, RIGHT? THE BERIA TACO TRUCK THING THAT SITS THERE.
IT LITERALLY HASN'T MOVED IN MONTHS.
AND THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER EXAMPLES THAT ARE PARKED AT GAS STATIONS WHERE THEY JUST LITERALLY NEVER MOVE.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE ONES I'M TALKING ABOUT WHERE THEY'VE SET UP KIND OF DEFACTO PERMANENT BUSINESSES AND ARE NOT FOLLOWING THE CURRENT ORDINANCE.
UH, AND BUT IT'S VERY HARD TO, FROM WHAT I HEAR FROM THE CODE ENFORCEMENT, IT'S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO REGULATE IT BECAUSE THEY JUST SAY, YEAH, I DID MOVE IT, I MOVED IT.
WELL, OKAY, I MEAN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CODE GUY, YOU KNOW, INSPECT HIM 24 HOURS A DAY.
OBVIOUSLY NOT, RIGHT? AND SO THIS IS A WAY OF JUST MAKING THAT WE, MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN REALLY EN ENFORCE THE CURRENT INTENT OF THE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS THAT THESE FOOD TRUCKS ARE USED FOR, UH, SPECIAL EVENTS OR NON-PERMANENT LOCATIONS.
JEFF, I WORRY THAT THIS GOES A LITTLE FURTHER THAN WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT, UH, SAY A GAS STATION WHERE A FOOD TRUCK COMES IN EVERY NIGHT FROM FIVE TO NINE AND THEN DOES LEAVE.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT THE, THE WORST CASE.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ONES WHO ARE COMPLIANT NOW THAT WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING MORE WE COULD DO, UM, TO, TO FIX UP WHAT WE HAD IN PLACE AS OPPOSED TO, TO JUST DOING AWAY WITH THEM.
UH, SO I'LL BE VOTING AGAINST IT.
I'M NOT HARD OVER ON IT, BUT I, I WOULD RATHER SEE US PUT A LITTLE EFFORT INTO SMARTENING ENOUGH WHAT WE HAD AS OPPOSED TO THROWING OUT THE BABY WITH THE BATH LEATHER.
CHIEF OUTLET, COULD YOU STEP BACK UP AGAIN PLEASE?
[01:55:01]
SO I WANT YOU TO TURN YOUR HAT FROM CHIEF.
WELL, YOU CAN'T REALLY TURN YOUR HAT FROM CHIEF TO CODE ENFORCEMENT, BUT ON CODE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES WITH THESE FOOD TRUCKS THAT WE'VE HAD AT THE GAS STATION, WE'VE HAD IT AS SEVERE AS CRIMINAL CHARGES BEING FILED AGAINST THESE TRUCKS.
AM I NOT, AM I WRONG ON THAT? CORRECT.
WE'VE HAD THREE OF THEM, I BELIEVE WE FILED FELONY CHARGES ON FOR WATER POLLUTION FOR DISCHARGING ALL THEIR WASTE INTO THE, THE, UH, SEWER FOR DISCHARGING YES.
FOR DISCHARGING WASTE INTO THE DITCH.
ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE, HOW MANY CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS DO YOU HAVE? SIX.
FOR CITY OF HOW MANY SQUARE MILES? 50.
WE HAVE SIX CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FOR 122,000 PEOPLE.
SO IT, IT GETS A, IT GETS A LITTLE BIT HARD.
I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE GOING ON, ON TRYING TO ENFORCE THE REGULATION, BUT OUR GUYS CAN'T BE ON 'EM ALL THE TIME TO DO IT.
UM, I WAS WITH, WITH, I THINK I WAS ON COUNCIL AT THE TIME FOR THE FOOD TRUCK OR JUST ABOUT TO GET ON COUNCIL AT THE TIME OF THE FOOD TRUCK BECAUSE ONE OF THE FRIEND OF MINE HAD NOTIFIED ME ABOUT AN ISSUE.
UM, IT WAS NEVER IN MY INTENTION TO START CAUSING A PROBLEM, SUCH AS WHAT I AM SEEING AND HEARING HAS BEEN CAUSED BY THESE FOOD TRUCKS AT THESE GAS STATIONS.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AT NIGHTTIME, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY GOING BY CHECKING THESE THINGS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE LEAVING AT NIGHT.
SO I'M GONNA BE VOTING IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE CHANGE.
UM, THEY'RE STILL GONNA BE ALLOWED.
UH, THEY'RE STILL GONNA BE ALLOWED FOR SPECIAL EVENTS AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
HEY CHIEF, COULD YOU POP BACK UP? I JUST GOT A LITTLE CLARIFICATION.
SO WE HAD THE THREE FELONIES AND WERE THESE THREE AFTER WE CAME BACK AND WE RESET THE ORDINANCE SAYING THAT YOU HAVE TO LEAVE 'CAUSE THERE WAS THAT ONE THAT WAS DUMPING STUFF STRAIGHT INTO THE DITCH.
SO WERE THERE ANY FELONIES AFTER WE'VE PASSED THAT RESOLUTION? THEY'VE ALL BEEN WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, ALL THREE OF THEM.
I DON'T, I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN THAT ORDINANCE WAS OVER.
SO YEAH, SO IN THE LAST YEAR WE FILED THOSE THREE FELONY CASES.
THROWING THIS OUT THERE TO SEE IF I CAN GET COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
IF I HAVE A GAS STATION AND I WANT A TACO TRUCK IN MY PARKING LOT EVERY NIGHT FROM FIVE TO NINE AND I CALL IT CUSTOMER APPRECIATION NIGHT, IS THAT A SPECIAL EVENT? I WOULD ASSUME IF YOU DO IT EVERY NIGHT, IT'S NOT REALLY THAT SPECIAL.
AND I'M SORRY, I KNOW WE GOTTA GET MOVED.
WE HAVE HAD A FEW INTERESTING BUSINESS INQUIRIES, UH, LATELY ABOUT FOOD TRUCK PARKS.
UM, YOU RECALL THOSE? YES, SIR.
UM, WHAT DOES THIS DO TO THAT? SURE.
THIS ACTUALLY WON'T BUSINESS MODEL, THIS WON'T DO ANYTHING TO THAT.
UM, FOOD TRUCK PARKS ARE USE CLASSIFIED IN OUR USE CHART.
UM, THEY REQUIRE SPECIAL USE PERMIT IN SPECIFIC ZONING DISTRICTS.
SO THIS WON'T CHANGE THAT AT ALL.
THIS IS JUST FOR THE TRANSIENT ONES THAT GAS STATIONS.
SO IN, IN YOUR CASE, CHAD, IF THEY WANTED TO FILE FOR THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO MAKE A FOOD TRUCK PARK, THEY COULD DO THAT IN THEIR PARKING LOT IF THEY GOT APPROVED, OBVIOUSLY.
ALL RIGHT, THE GEARS GOING TO CHAD
6 4 2 AGAINST FIRST AND FINAL.
FIRST AND FINAL SERGEANT, SORRY I BE THANK YOU.
PLEASE VOTE ALL MOTION PASSES 7 4 1 AGAINST, UH, SEVEN C HOLD
[7C. 24-0478 Hold a public hearing on an ordinance amending Section 125-7.9.3, entitled "Pruning Corner Clearance" of Chapter 125, entitled "Unified Development Code" of the Code of Ordinances of the City of League City, to update various regulations related to platting authority and tree clearance above sidewalks (Director of Planning)]
A PUBLIC HEARING ON ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 1 2 5 DASH 7.9 0.3 ENTITLED PRUNING CORNER CLEARANCE OF CHAPTER 1 25 ENTITLED UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES IS THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY TO UPDATE VARIOUS REGULATIONS RELATED TO PLATTING AUTHORITY AND TREE CLEARANCE ABOVE SIDEWALKS.THIS PUBLIC HEARING STARTS AT 7 59.
YEAH, I THINK WE HAVE A LAYUP FOR YOU.
UM, THIS ONE
UM, SO OUR CURRENT OR ORDINANCE REQUIRES 16 FOOT CLEARANCE ABOVE STREETS, UM, WHICH MAKES SENSE FOR A FIRE APPARATUS TO GET
[02:00:01]
DOWN AND 16 FOOT ABOVE SIDEWALKS, WHICH DIDN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE TO US.UM, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU.
THE ORDINANCE IS 15 FEET, NOT 16.
AM I MISTAKEN ON THAT? IT'S 15 FEET.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THE NUMBERS ARE RIGHT.
OKAY, WELL, WELL, SO 15 FEET, EXCUSE ME, WASN'T QUITE A LAYUP
UM, SO THE CLEARANCE ABOVE STREETS WOULD REMAIN AT 15 FEET AND THE CLEARANCE ABOVE SIDEWALKS WOULD, UM, CHANGE TO EIGHT FEET.
WE, WE SURVEYED OUR PEER CITIES AND EIGHT FEET IS THE AVERAGE.
WE HAVE TO HAVE, YOU HAVE TO READ.
THERE'S NOT THAT MUCH OF A LAYUP.
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSES AT EIGHT O'CLOCK SEVEN D
[7D. 24-0479 Consider and take action on an ordinance amending Section 125-7.9.3, entitled "Pruning Corner Clearance" of Chapter 125, entitled "Unified Development Code" of the Code of Ordinances of the City of League City, to update various regulations related to platting authority and tree clearance above sidewalks (Director of Planning) Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval, 7-0-0 with one member absent on September 9, 2024.]
YOU CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON THE ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 1 2 5 DASH 7.9 0.3 ENTITLED PRUNING CORNER CLEARANCE OF CHAPTER 1 25 ENTITLED UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY TO UPDATE VARIOUS REGULATIONS RELATED TO THE PLATTING AUTHORITY AND TREE CLEARANCE ABOVE SIDEWALKS PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL SEVEN OH WITH ONE MEMBER ABSENT ON SEPTEMBER 9TH.[7E. 24-0460 Hold a public hearing on an ordinance amending Article 5, entitled "Subdivisions" of Chapter 125 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of League City, entitled, “Unified Development Code”, to update various regulations related to platting authority (Director of Planning)]
SEVEN E HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ARTICLE FIVE ENTITLED SUBDIVISIONS OF CHAPTER 1 25 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY ENTITLED UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE TO UPDATE VARIOUS REGULATIONS RELATED TO THE PLATTING AUTHORITY.WAS THAT THE MISTAKE? SHE'S GOOD.
AND WE WILL CLOSE, WELL GIVE US A LITTLE SURE.
SO, UM, THIS CHANGE IS A DIRECT RESULT OF OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE JUST GOT PASSED.
UM, LISTENING TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS, THIS IS ONE ITEM THAT THE, UM, LEGISLATURE ACTUALLY IN 2023, UM, ALLOWED FOR CITIES TO DELEGATE PLANNING APPROVAL AUTHORITY TO STAFF FROM PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
PREVIOUSLY IT WAS MANDATED THAT, UM, CERTAIN TYPE OF PLATS GO TO P AND Z FOR APPROVAL.
UM, THEIR APPROVAL WAS MINISTERIAL.
SO IF IT WENT TO THEM AND IT MET ALL STATE AND LOCAL REQUIREMENTS, THEY HAD TO APPROVE IT.
UM, THIS WILL JUST KNOCK THAT, UM, STEP OUT OF THE PROCESS.
AND ONCE IT MEETS STATE AND LOCAL REQUIREMENTS, STAFF WILL BE ABLE TO APPROVE IT WITHOUT HAVING TO TAKE IT TO PNZ.
THIS WILL SAVE TWO TO FOUR WEEKS, UM, OFF OF A PLATTING PROCESS AND IT'LL SAVE THE DEVELOPERS TIME, IT'LL SAVE STAFF TIME AND SAVE THE CITY MONEY.
UM, SO WE, WE ALSO PROPOSE THIS TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS, OUR TYPICAL SURVEYORS WHO SUBMIT PLATS.
ALL OF THEM WERE IN FAVOR OF IT.
ANDY, I WAS GONNA OFFER AN AMENDMENT TO THIS, UH, BECAUSE IN TALKING TO AT LEAST A COUPLE OF MEMBERS OF P AND Z, UM, THEY WERE A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT JUST THE TRANSPARENCY ASPECT OF IT.
SO, BUT I'M NOT GONNA OFFER AN AMENDMENT.
I'M NOT GONNA MAKE IT COMPLICATED.
BUT WHENEVER YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE APPROVING THESE AND YOU, YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE DOING IT NOW, CAN YOU GUYS PREPARE A REPORT FOR US AT THE END OF THE MONTH? SEND IT TO US AND SEND IT TO P AND Z EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
JUST FOR OUR OWN EDIFICATION, JUST IN CASE WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
WE ACTUALLY ALREADY PREPARE A REPORT THAT DOES THAT WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SENT TO BOTH PNZ AND COUNCIL.
YOU KNOW HOW WE ARE UNLESS YOU SEND IT DIRECTLY TO US.
WE CAN'T ACTIVELY IGNORE IT IN THAT SITUATION.
MSES, THIS IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE MET WITH AND ONE OF THE, THE, I GUESS THE LARGEST COMPLAINT WE HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE WAS THAT, UH, THE PLANNING WAS TAKING SO LONG, IT WOULD TAKE TWO OR THREE, FOUR MONTHS TO GET A PLAT APPROVED.
SO I, I THINK THIS IS GONNA HELP THE ENTIRE PROCESS.
UH, ONLY ONE QUESTION FOR YOU.
YOU HAD THREE PEOPLE APPROVING IT.
THE DIRECTOR OF, UM, UH, PLANNING THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND ONE OTHER PERSON WHO WAS THAT? SO, SO IN THIS CASE THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING PUBLIC WORKS AND, UM, ENGINEERING.
UM, PLANNING, THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING HAS THE SIGNATORY AUTHORITY ON THE PLAT.
UM, SO ONCE IT'S APPROVED BY ALL DEPARTMENTS, I'LL SIGN THE PLAT, WE'LL TAKE IT TO THE COUNTY AND GET IT RECORDED.
UH, AND THIS PUBLIC HEARING CLOSES AT 8 0 4 7
[7F. 24-0459 Consider and take action on an ordinance amending Article 5, entitled "Subdivisions" of Chapter 125 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of League City, entitled, “Unified Development Code”, to update various regulations related to platting authority (Director of Planning) Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval, 7-0-0 with one member absent on September 9, 2024.]
[02:05:02]
F CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON ORDINANCE AMENDING ARTICLE FIVE ENTITLED SUBDIVISIONS OF CHAPTER 1 25 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY ENTITLED UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE TO UPDATE VARIOUS REGULATIONS RELATING TO PLANNING, AUTHORITY, PLANNING AND ZONING.COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL SEVEN OH WITH ONE MEMBER ABSENT ON SEPTEMBER 9TH.
I'D LIKE TO GET THE EFFICIENCY STARTED NOW, SO I'LL MOVE FOR FIRST AND FINAL SECOND.
PLEASE VOTE
[8A. 24-0407 Consider and take action on an appeal to affirm or overrule the decision of the Community Standards Review Committee regarding the book "Big Wig" by Jonathan Hillman (Council Member Mann and Mayor Long) The Community Standards Review Committee voted 2-1, with two members absent, to relocate and restrict checkout status to adult library cards only on July 31, 2024. Council postponed 6-2-0 on August 13, 2024.]
EIGHT OLD BUSINESS EIGHT A.CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON AN APPEAL TO AFFIRM OR OVERRULE THE DECISION OF THE COMMUNITY STANDARDS REVIEW COMMITTEE REGARDING THE BOOK BIGWIG BY JONATHAN HILLMAN.
THE COMMUNITY STANDARDS REVIEW COMMITTEE VOTED TWO TO ONE WITH TWO MEMBERS ABSENT TO RELOCATE AND RESTRICT CHECKOUT ACTS STATUS TO THE ADULT LIBRARY CARDS ON JULY 31ST, 2024.
COUNSEL POSTPONE SIX TWO ON AUGUST 13TH.
I'LL MOVE TO AFFIRM SECOND CHAT.
WE HEARD FROM A LOT OF FOLKS TONIGHT WHO SPOKE IN GENERAL ABOUT THE, THE NATURE OF THIS COMMITTEE, UM, AND THIS PROCESS.
I THINK I'VE SPOKEN FAR TOO MUCH ALREADY ABOUT THAT.
HAVING SAID THAT TONIGHT, I WANT TO SAY THAT I'M ONLY GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK AND WHETHER THE RULES THAT WERE ESTABLISHED APPLY TO IT.
THE SIMPLE FACT IS THEY DON'T, UH, THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS BOOK THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED REMOTELY OBSCENE BY ANY DEFINITION, UM, OUTSIDE OF A DEFINITION THAT WOULD GET US SUED, UH, FOR BEING DISCRIMINATORY.
UM, AND FOR THAT REASON, I WILL BE DEFINITELY VOTING AGAINST IT TONIGHT.
AND I HOPE OTHERS HAVE READ THE BOOK AND SEEN, AND I DOUBT THAT TOM, THANK YOU.
UH, I HAD PREPARED A GOOD BIT MORE, BUT I THINK CHAD REALLY SUMMED IT UP VERY WELL.
COURTNEY? YEAH, I I READ THE BOOK.
I I HAD MY GRANDCHILDREN READ THE BOOK.
I HAD MY KIDS READ THE BOOK, AND IT'S REALLY A BAD BOOK.
THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING REALLY REDEEMING ABOUT THE BOOK.
UH, IT'S CONFUSING FROM LITER LITERARY PERSPECTIVE.
UH, ABOUT THE, THE ONLY THING GOOD ABOUT IT'S, THERE'S SOME COLORFUL ILLUSTRATIONS IN IT.
UH, THE THE POSITIVE THINGS THAT A LOT OF SPEAKERS CAME UP AND SAID THEY DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH IS, I DON'T SEE IT.
UM, BUT I'M, I'M NOT UP HERE TO, TO, UH, GIVE BOOK REVIEWS, RIGHT.
WE'RE, WE'RE UP HERE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THIS PARTICULAR BOOK, YOU KNOW, UH, CROSSES A LINE IN TERMS OF, OF OBSCENITIES OR OBJECTIVITY, UH, OR OBJECTIONABLE MATERIAL.
AND NO CHILD THAT READS THIS BOOK IS, IS GOING TO BE INFLUENCED BY THE AUTHOR'S ORIGINAL INTENT.
I DON'T REALLY CARE WHAT THE AUTHOR'S ORIGINAL, ORIGINAL INTENT WAS.
DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHAT MY OPINION IS ON, ON WHAT HIS BELIEFS ARE.
BUT AS FAR AS MEETING THE STANDARDS REQUIRED TO RESHELVE THIS PARTICULAR BOOK, I THINK THIS ONE FALLS SHORT.
ANDY, YOU KNOW, I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA VOTE AGAINST THIS AND THEN I WENT OVER TO THE LIBRARY AND, UM, SAW THAT RES SHELVING, THE BOOK IS LITERALLY 15 FEET FROM WHERE THE BOOK IS PLACED CURRENTLY.
AND, AND SECONDLY, THE, UH, THE PARENTS, THE PARENTS' SHELF IS ACTUALLY IN A, IN MORE OPEN PLACE.
SO, UH, I THINK PROBABLY MOVING IT WILL GIVE YOU, GIVE, UH, PEOPLE, MORE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY CHECK THE BOOK OUT.
UM, ALSO, I, YOU KNOW, AS ALL OF Y'ALL HAVE BEEN HERE TONIGHT, Y'ALL HAVE KIND OF WATCHED HOW THE JOB UP HERE IS REALLY KIND OF TO, TO BALANCE DIFFERENT SETS OF CONSTITUENTS NEEDS.
AND WHILE I, YOU KNOW, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND ALL OF Y'ALL WHO SEE THIS AS A THREAT TO YOUR LIFESTYLE OR SOME SORT OF, I DUNNO, UPFRONT TO, UH, WHATEVER YOU HAVE GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE, I WOULD ASK YOU JUST TO BE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF CONSIDERATE, LITTLE BIT
[02:10:01]
CONSIDERATE A PEOPLE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE EXACTLY THE WAY THAT YOU BELIEVE.UH, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, I GREW UP LIBRARY KID, I READ A LOT OF BUKOWSKI, UM, WHICH I AM NOT INSISTING GOES IN THE CHILDREN'S AREA.
AND THAT'S REALLY ALL THIS IS, THAT SEEMS LIKE A COMMON SENSE, UM, COMPROMISE.
SO I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS CAN TAKE MY VOTE AS IT IS AND, UH, NOT BE OFFENDED BY IT.
SO, SEVERAL TIMES TONIGHT I HEARD PEOPLE GET UP HERE TO SPEAK AND TALK ABOUT PARENTING THEIR KIDS.
A PARENT SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR CHILDREN'S LIVES, INCLUDING WHAT BOOKS THEY READ.
AS COUNCILMAN MANN JUST SAID, THIS IS NOT PUTTING THIS BOOK IN A SECTION.
THE CHILD CAN'T GET IT IS IN THE CHILDREN'S SECTION.
WHAT IS IT DOING? IT'S MOVING IT TO THE PARENTING SECTION.
THIS BOOK WOULD BE EASIER FOR PARENTS IF THEY SHOULD, UH, IS BROUGHT UP ABOUT CANCER.
IF A CHILD IS BALD FROM CANCER TREATMENTS AND MUST REQUIRE A WIG OR THEY HAVE A, WHAT IS IT CALLED? ALOPECIA? I BELIEVE IT IS.
I'M SORRY IF I MISTAKE THAT, I'M JUST MAKING SURE I GOT IT RIGHT.
AGAIN, IT'S A BOOK THAT A PARENT CAN, CAN CHECK OUT.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE CHILDREN'S SECTION.
THEY CAN GO TO THE PARENTING SECTION, WHICH HAS MULTIPLE DIFFERENT BOOKS ON ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT TOPICS.
OTHER, EVERYTHING FROM AUTISM TO SEXUAL.
UH, THE ONE THAT STARTED THIS WHERE A PARENT COULD USE THE BOOK TO TALK TO THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT SEX.
LET'S GO BACK TO ANOTHER PART OF IT.
THERE'S A LOT OF PARENTS THAT DON'T KNOW HOW TO TALK TO THEIR KIDS ABOUT THESE THINGS, THESE BOOKS, THIS ONE, ANOTHER ONE COULD BE USED TO HELP THEIR PARENT TALK TO THIS CHILD ABOUT SPECIAL ISSUES THAT THEY MAY COME UP WITH.
BUT AGAIN, THE PARENT HAS TO MAKE THE DECISION TO DO IT.
MS. SWANSON WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW EXPLAINED THE BOOK AND FOR PARENTS TO LOOK AT THE BOOK, TO READ THE BOOK, BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS DO THAT.
SHE'S STILL RUNNING INTO ISSUES WHERE PARENTS DO DROP THEIR KIDS AND GO TO THE OTHER PART OF THE LIBRARY.
THERE'S NOTHING IN PLACE RIGHT NOW THAT IF A CHILD WALKS UP AND PUTS THEIR BOOKS ON THE COUNTER AND GIVES THE CARD AND THEY SCAN IT AND CHECK THE BOOKS OUT, THE PARENT MAY JUST SEE THREE OR FOUR BOOKS IN THE KIDS' HANDS AND NOT NECESSARILY LOOK AT THE BOOKS TO SEE IN THEIR OPINION AS A PARENT, IS IT AN APPROPRIATE BOOK FOR THEIR CHILD TO READ? THAT IS WHAT THIS IS DOING.
IT'S MOVING IT TO A PARENTING SECTION SO THAT THE PARENT SHOULD BE MORE INVOLVED HOPEFULLY IN WHAT THEIR KIDS ARE GETTING THEIR HANDS ON.
UM, I'VE HEARD OF, WE'RE BANNING BOOKS.
I'VE HEARD WE'RE BURNING BOOKS.
CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHERE WE'VE DONE THAT? WHERE ANY OF THIS SAYS WE'RE GONNA DO THAT.
WHERE ANY EXAMPLE HAS BEEN GIVEN BY ANYBODY ON THIS DAIS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
IN ORDER FOR US TO REMOVE A BOOK FROM THE LIBRARY, IT HAS TO MEET A CERTAIN TEST, A FEDERALLY MANDATED TEST.
IF I'M WRONG, IT HAS TO FAIL, NOT ME, BUT FAIL THIS TEST FOR IT TO BE PULLED FROM THE LIBRARY.
IF IT FAILS THIS TEST, WE CAN'T HAVE THE BOOK IN THE LIBRARY ANYWAYS.
SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER IT SLIPPED THROUGH.
WE GET THOUSANDS OF BOOKS IN AT A TIME.
WHEN I, MY DISCUSSION WITH HER WAS PROBABLY ALMOST AN HOUR LONG.
VERY PLEASANT DISCUSSION, BUT SHE CAN'T GO THROUGH EVERY BOOK THAT COMES IN.
SHE RELIES ON THE PUBLISHER'S RECOMMENDATION FOR AGE LIMITS.
PUBLISHERS AREN'T ALWAYS CORRECT GUYS.
AND AGAIN, AS MS. SWANSON SAID EARLIER, PARENTS NEED TO BE INVOLVED.
THAT'S WHAT MOVING THIS BOOK FROM THIS LITTLE BOOKCASE RIGHT HERE, 15 TO 20 FEET OVER HERE TO THIS BOOKCASE SO THAT HOPEFULLY WHEN THEY'RE IN THE LIBRARY AND THEY'RE LETTING THEIR KIDS WALK AND THEY SEE 'EM COMING FROM THIS BOOKCASE TO GO OVER TO THIS BOOKCASE, A LIGHT BULB COMES ON AND GOES, WHY? AND THEY GO OVER THERE AND THEY SEE THE BOOK THE CHILD GET AND BEFORE TOO MUCH THEY CAN OPEN IT UP AND GO.
UH, THE BOOK, SEX IS A FUNNY WORD.
THE ONE THAT, THAT FROM ORIGINAL, IT HAD DRAWINGS IN IT.
I WOULDN'T WANT MY 5-YEAR-OLD TO SEE, HAVE Y'ALL SEEN THE DRAWINGS IN IT? THEY'RE VERY GRAPHIC.
EVERYTHING FROM ECT MALE GENITALIA TO OTHER DRAWINGS AND TALKING ABOUT DOING CERTAIN ACTS TO YOURSELF.
I WOULD NOT WANT MY, I'M SORRY, LET FINISH.
I WOULD NOT WANT MY CHILD TO GET THE BOOK ON WITHOUT ME
[02:15:01]
KNOWING IT.SO THAT IS WHAT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
WE'RE NOT TAKING THE BOOK OUTTA THE LIBRARY.
THE BOOK WILL STILL BE THERE AND HOPEFULLY BEING IN THE PARENTING SECTION, IT'LL BE EASIER FOR A PARENT TO FIND SHOULD THEY NEED TO SPEAK TO THEIR CHILD ABOUT THE TOPIC.
THIS, THIS WILL BE SUPER SHORT.
SO MICHELLE, I WANNA MAKE SURE I VOTE THE RIGHT WAY ON THIS.
SO YES, VOTE IS TO DO WHAT THE MOTION WAS TO RESTRICT YES.
THE UM, ORDINANCE 2020 3 0 3 APPROVED NOT ONLY THE CREATION OF THE COMMITTEE, BUT ALSO APPROVED THE POLICY PER OF THE POLICY.
IT SAYS A DECISION, UM, IF THE APPEAL OF THE COMMITTEE'S DECISION TO MOVE THE MATERIAL SHALL ONLY BE IMPLEMENTED UPHELD BY THREE-FOURTHS.
SUPER MAJORITY OF THE CITY COUNCIL SIX VOTES ARE REQUIRED TO MOVE THE BOOK.
SO, BUT THAT'S THE QUESTION IS IF I VOTE YES, YES EQUALS RESTRICT YES NO EQUALS DON'T RESTRICT NO SAYS WE CAN LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS.
THAT WAS A VERY LAWYERLY ANSWER FOR A STRAIGHTFORWARD QUESTION.
AND, AND SO I'LL SAY LIKE, I MEAN WE HEARD FROM EVERYBODY TONIGHT AND IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY AGREES LIKE WE WANNA LEAVE THE BOOK IN THE LIBRARY.
WE WANT PARENTS TO HAVE THE CHOICE.
THE BEST WAY TO ACCOMPLISH THAT IS TO MOVE IT TO THE PARENTING SECTION THAT GIVES PARENTS FULL CHOICE.
THAT LEAVES THE BOOK IN THE LIBRARY.
AND SO I I, I DON'T SEE THE RESTRICTION BEHIND IT AT ALL.
IT SIMPLY THEN WOULD NOT ALLOW A FIVE OR 6-YEAR-OLD TO CHECK OUT THE BOOK ON THEIR OWN.
SO GIVING PARENTS THE RESOURCES AND GIVING PARENTS THE ABILITY TO MAKE THE DECISION AS OPPOSED TO THE GOVERNMENT MAKING THE DECISION, WHICH IS THE LIBRARY, WHICH IS THE CITY, UH, I THINK MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD.
SO I WOULD VOTE TO HAVE PARENTS HAVE MORE CHOICE AS OPPOSED TO THE GOVERNMENT HAVE MORE CHOICE.
[9A. 24-0474 Consider and take action on appointment to the League City Convention & Visitors Bureau Advisory Board (Mayor Long)]
NEW BUSINESS.CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON APPOINTMENT TO LEAGUE CITY CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU ADVISORY BOARD NOMINEE IS JOSE MIRANDA TO FILL POSITION THREE.
HOTEL MOTEL REPRESENTATIVE TERM EXPIRING 12 31 26.
MOTION PASSES EIGHT FOUR, NONE AGAINST NINE
[9B. 24-0240 Consider and take action on a resolution setting the dates for conducting regular meetings during the months of November and December 2024 (City Secretary) Staff recommends setting meeting dates on November 12, 2024 (second Tuesday) and December 17, 2024 (third Tuesday). 9]
B, CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION.OUR RESOLUTION SETTING THE DATES FOR CONDUCTING REGULAR MEETINGS DURING THE MONTHS OF NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, 2024.
STAFF RECOMMENDS SETTING MEETING DATES ON NOVEMBER 12TH, 2024, SECOND TUESDAY AND DECEMBER 17TH, 2024.
THIRD TUESDAY, MOVE TO APPROVE.
EIGHT FOUR, NONE AGAINST NINE C.
[9C. 24-0476 Consider and take action on a resolution authorizing an Agreement with Lakeside Bayou, LLC, a Texas limited liability company to develop a 200-acre-foot detention facility within their development in an amount of $4,840,000 for the Bayridge Flood Reduction Phase 4 project (DR1904) (Executive Director of Capital Projects)]
CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON RESOLUTION.AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT WITH LAKESIDE BY ULLC OF TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY TO DEVELOP A 200 ACRE FOOT DETENTION FACILITY WITHIN THEIR DEVELOPMENT IN AN AMOUNT FOR $4.840 MILLION.
IN, IN FOR THE BAY RIDGE FLOOD REDUCTION.
PHASE FOUR PROJECT DR 1 9 0 4.
MOVE, MOVE APPROVE OF RESOLUTION.
UH, AND HAT'S OFFICE STAFF ON THIS ONE.
THIS WAS A, UM, AN INTERESTING WAY TO SOLVE A PROBLEM.
THANK YOU FOR THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX AND WORKING THROUGH THAT.
[9D. 24-0451 Consider and take action on a resolution determining that land is needed for the construction and improvements associated with the League City Parkway Right-Turn Lane addition from Butler Road to IH 45 (ST2004), in the City of League City, Texas, specifically: 1) Parcel 3 - a 0.018-acre parcel of land; and authorizing the institution of eminent domain proceedings (Executive Director of Capital Projects)]
D CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON A RESOLUTION DETERMINING THAT LAND IS NEEDED FOR CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH LEAGUE CITY PARKWAY.RIGHT TURN LANE ADDITION FROM BUTLER ROAD IH 45 ST 0 0 4 IN THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY, TEXAS, SPECIFICALLY ONE PARCEL THREE A 0.018 ACRE PARCEL OF LAND AND AUTHORIZING THE INSTITUTION OF EMINENT DOMAIN PROCEEDINGS FOR ALL WEST SIDE DRIVERS GOING ON 96, I MOVE TO APPROVE.
OH, OH, BETTER, BETTER LANGUAGE.
[02:20:01]
SORRY.I'M STILL WRAPPING THE WEST SIDE
I MOVE THE CITY OF LEAGUE, CITY TEXAS AUTHORIZED THE USE OF THE IMMINENT DOMAIN AUTHORITY TO CONDEMN THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE ATTACHED AGENDA.
ITEM NINE D AND IS FURTHER DESCRIBED IN THE NIS AND BOUNDS DESCRIPTION ATTACHED TO THE RESOLUTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF LEAGUE CITY PARK.
LEAGUE CITY PARKWAY, RIGHT TURN LANE ADDITION FROM BUTLER ROAD TO IH 45 AND THAT IS PROJECT ST 2 0 0 4.
DO YOU KNOW WHY? MOTION PASSES 7 4 1 AGAINST
[10A. 24-0447 Consider and take action on an ordinance approving the 2024-25 annual service and assessment plan update for the League City Public Improvement District No. 1 (Magnolia Creek) (Director of Finance) Staff requests approval on first and final reading.]
UH, FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES.CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON ORDINANCE APPROVING 2024 DASH 25 ANNUAL SERVICE AND ASSESSMENT PLAN.
UPDATE FOR LEAGUE CITY PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, MAG CREEK.
EIGHT FOUR NONE AGAINST I'LL MOVE FOR FIRST AND FINAL.
[10B. 24-0448 Consider and take action on an ordinance approving the 2024-25 annual service and assessment plan update for the League City Public Improvement District No. 2 (Victory Center) (Director of Finance) Staff requests approval on first and final reading. 1]
AGAINST CONSIDERING.TAKE ACTION ON ORDINANCE APPROVING 2024 DASH 25 ANNUAL SERVICE AND ASSESSMENT PLAN.
UPDATE FOR LEAGUE CITY PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER TWO, VICTORY CENTER.
[10C. 24-0449 Consider and take action on an ordinance approving the 2024-25 annual service and assessment plan update for the League City Public Improvement District No. 3 (Centerpointe) (Director of Finance) Staff requests approval on first and final reading.]
AGAINST 10 C.CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON ORDINANCE APPROVING 2024 DASH 25 ANNUAL SERVICE AND ASSESSMENT PLAN.
UPDATE FOR LEAGUE CITY PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER THREE, CENTER POINT, MOVE TO APPROVE.
SECOND, PLEASE VOTE FIRST AND FINAL.
SO MOVED SECOND PLEASE VOTE 10 D
[10D. 24-0450 Consider and take action on an ordinance approving a 2024-25 annual service and assessment plan update for the League City Public Improvement District No. 5 (Park on Clear Creek) (Director of Finance) Staff requests approval on first and final reading.]
CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON AN ORDINANCE APPROVING 2024 DASH 25 ANNUAL SERVICE AND ASSESSMENT PLAN.UPDATE FOR THE LEAGUE CITY PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER FIVE, PARK ON CLEAR CREEK, MOVE TO APPROVE.
NONE AGAINST, WE'VE ALREADY DISPENSED WITH 11, UH, REPORTS FROM STAFF MEMBERS.
[13. COUNCIL MEMBERS COMMENTS/REPORTS]
UH, REPORTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS MAYOR PRO TEM.MR. SAUNDERS, REAL QUICK, MR. MAYOR.
I WANNA
IT WILL BE HELD ON OCTOBER 5TH AT, UH, THE BAY COUNTY, WEST HOA COMMUNITY CENTER.
6 6 21 CALLED ROAD FROM 9:00 AM TO 3:00 PM THE REGISTRATION COST IS $25 AND THAT INCLUDES PIZZA FOR LUNCH.
SO I HOPE TO SEE EVERYBODY THERE.
MR. COES, REAL QUICK, JUST, UH, WANTED TO SEND OUR PRAYERS TO JIM NELSON'S FAMILY.
HE PASSED AWAY, HE WAS ON COUNCIL, SO JUST WANNA SEND OUT THE PRAYERS TO HIS FAMILY.
UH, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY EXECUTIVE SESSION AUTHORITY DISPENSED THAT.
SO AT THIS TIME BEING 8 24, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.