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[1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS]
OF THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY TEXAS WILL NOW COME TO ORDER IN A SPECIAL MEETING ON DECEMBER 23RD, 2024 AT 7:00 AM UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO GIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THIS TIME, LASTING NO LONGER THAN THREE MINUTES.COMMENTS MAY BE GENERAL NATURE OR ADDRESS A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM.
UH, I GUESS WE GOTTA DO ROLL CALL FIRST.
[2. PUBLIC COMMENTS BEFORE CITY COUNCIL]
COMMENTS.MY NAME'S RAY SOFAS AND I'M A FIREWORKS VENDOR WHERE WE SELL FIREWORKS DICKINSON LAKE CITY, UH, KEMA.
WE HAVE PLACES OUTSIDE OF GALVESTON.
I'M GONNA LET YOU KNOW HOW THAT WOULD BENEFIT.
ALLOWING THE USE OF FIREWORKS WOULD BENEFIT THE CITY IS, UH, WE PAY TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SALES TAXES.
LAST YEAR, ME ALONE, I PAID AROUND $90,000 IN, UH, STATE AND LOCAL TAXES.
THE LOCAL TAXES, WHICH OF THAT WAS AROUND 18,000 TO SID'S DISTRICTS.
UH, WE HAVE A COLLEGE KIDS THAT WORKING FOR US.
WE PROBABLY PUT HALF OF CROSBY BASEBALL TEAM THROUGH COLLEGE BY RUNNING FIREWORK STANDS, HELPING US IN THE FIREWORKS INDUSTRY AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S A GOOD THING FOR ALL, FOR ALL COMMUNITIES, IN MY OPINION.
UH, THE PRODUCTS WE SELL ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT SAFE, NO ISSUES.
UH, MAKE A LITTLE BIT OF LOUD NOISE AND I JUST THINK IT WOULD BENEFIT THE LEAGUE CITY AND, UH, EVERYBODY TO ALLOW THE USE OF FIREWORKS IN THE LEAGUE CITY.
'CAUSE WE DID NOT JUST COME IN AND TAKE A LOT, TAKE AND, AND THEN TAKE OFF.
AND, UH, PERMITTING FEES, WHICH WE PAY IS SOMEWHERE AROUND $30,000 A YEAR FOR THE PERMIT FEES THAT WE PAY.
UH, SOME COUNTIES REQUIRE PERMITS.
THE CITIES REQUIRE PERMITS FOR US TO USE, UH, TO SELL FIREWORKS IN THERE.
SO THAT'S, I GUESS THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY AND HOPE IT MAKES A LITTLE SENSE TO EVERYBODY AND THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING THIS.
UM, I PAY, I SET INSIDE OF DICKINSON ON DIETS ROAD.
I'M PAYING MY STANDS MAKING ALMOST $250,000 A SEASON.
I'VE WORKED FOR THIS DISTRICT FOR DRIVING A SCHOOL BUS.
I'VE SENT SEVEN KIDS TO COLLEGE THAT ARE IN THE NFL RIGHT NOW.
I HAVE DOCTORS, TEACHERS, ANYBODY THAT I'VE TRAINED TO KEEP OFF THE STREETS DOWN ON DIETS ROAD.
IT'S A KID THAT'S TAKING CARE OF MY MOTHER THAT I HAD GOT OFF THE STREETS FROM CHURCH VILLAGE AND HE WATCHED MY MOTHER PASS AWAY AND TOLD ME I WAS THE REASON THAT CHANGED HIS LIFE.
I WORK ALL THE BUS DRIVERS, THE TEACHERS FROM THIS DISTRICT AND FROM DICKERSON HAVE DONE IT MY WHOLE LIFE WITH THE PAINT BROTHERS.
I KNOW Y'ALL ARE TIRED OF ANSWERING THE PHONE ON THE FIRST 31ST.
I KNOW THIS WOULD BENEFIT Y'ALL.
YOU COULD, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL ARE AWARE OF THE PENNSYLVANIA LAW.
THEY ADDED A 4.75 SPECIAL EVENT TAX FOR THE DISTRICT.
THEY ALSO ADDED A BANNER TAX AND PERMIT UP IN HOUSTON THAT WOULD PAY, EVERY VENDOR WOULD HAVE TO PUT THIS AND THAT GOES TO THE CITY AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE ROADS.
IT WOULD JUST BENEFIT EVERYBODY.
WE'VE BEEN HERE, I'VE BEEN WITH Y'ALL FOR 30 YEARS SELLING FIREWORKS.
I DON'T LIKE THAT THEY'RE CROSSING Y'ALL'S LINE AND, AND Y'ALL AREN'T BENEFITING FROM IT.
THE SHOW THAT Y'ALL PUT ON FOR LAKE CITY IS BEAUTIFUL.
IT'S VERY BEAUTIFUL EVERY YEAR.
Y'ALL JUST NEED TO SEE THAT IT'S GROWING.
WE JUST GOT BACK FROM PENNSYLVANIA.
YOU CAN TAKE A PERMIT NOW A CLASS FOR EIGHT HOURS AND IT'S GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO BUY 1.3.
OKAY? AND THEN I DON'T WANT IT TO PASS ALL YEAR LONG.
'CAUSE IT'S A HARD JOB, Y'ALL.
IT'S VERY HARD AND IT'S TREMENDOUS WORK, BUT IT'S WORTH IT IN THE END.
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HOLIDAYS.I KNOW EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL BOUGHT A BIG RED WHEN Y'ALL WERE LITTLE
AND YOU WON'T BE GETTING ALL THOSE TALK ON LAKE CITIES ABOUT FIREWORKS.
THEY'LL GO BACK TO COMPLAINING ABOUT THE DOGS IN THEIR YARD.
AND WE DO HAVE THE PROOF OF WHAT WE PAY ON TAXES.
CHUCK DE FALCO, 2118 EASTLAND COURT MAYOR, COUNCIL CITIZENS, ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING.
UM, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS LOCAL GOVERNANCE.
THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, WHICH IS THE ONLY ISSUE ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
I SERVED ON THE LEAGUE CITY CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UM, THIS ISSUE WAS DISCUSSED AND APPROVED TO PUT ON THE BALLOT AFTER WE HAD OUR COMMITTEE HAD ADJOURNED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UM, NOW MY WIFE DOESN'T FOLLOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE AS MUCH AS I DO, AND I RECOMMENDED HER TO VOTE A CERTAIN WAY ON ALL THE LEAGUE CITY PROPOSITIONS EXCEPT FOR ONE, EXCEPT FOR THE FIREWORKS ONE.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THIS ISSUE IS IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZABLE, UNDERSTANDABLE ON FIRST READ OR ON FIRST HEARING ABOUT IT.
SECOND, UM, YOU ON CITY COUNCIL, EVEN THOUGH THE PEOPLE VOTED FOR IT IN NOVEMBER, YOU DON'T HAVE TO VOTE FOR THIS ORDINANCE.
YOU DON'T, YOU'RE NOT COMPELLED TO.
I WAS ON A MUD BOARD FOR 23 YEARS AND THEY'RE MOSTLY RETURN, UH, ROUTINE ISSUES EVERY MONTH.
UM, ONE, BUT ONCE EVERY FEW YEARS AN SPECIAL ISSUE CAME UP AND THE MUD LAWYER SAID, WELL, YOU HAVE TO VOTE FOR THIS.
LIKE, I'M ONE OF FIVE BOARD MEMBERS ON THIS MUD BOARD.
WAIT A MINUTE, I, I HAVE A VOTE.
WHATEVER REASON WHY I WANT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO VOTE FOR IT.
SOMETIMES I VOTED FOR IT ANYWAY, UH, ON THIS MUD ISSUE.
SOMETIMES THERE WAS A FOUR TO ONE ISSUE AND I WAS THE ONLY ONE AGAINST.
MY POINT IS IT'S OKAY TO BE THAT ONLY PERSON IN THE ROOM.
SO IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE FIREWORKS PROP PASSED, UH, BY TWO THIRDS VOTE ROUGHLY, UH, IN NOVEMBER TO THINK ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND ALL THE OTHER PROPOSITIONS THAT WERE ON THE BALLOT.
NOVEMBER IS, THIS IS DIRECT DEMOCRACY.
YOU KNOW, WE EVERYBODY SHOULD KNOW BY NOW.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE IN A REPUBLIC.
WE VOTE ON PEOPLE WHO VOTE ON ISSUES EXCEPT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
AND THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DIRECTIVE BUREAUCRACY TO PEOPLE WHO VOTE DIRECTLY ON THE ISSUE.
SO WHEN, WHEN YOU GO OUT, IF YOU VOTED AGAINST IT, YOU GO OUT AND PUT OUT YOUR TRASH, YOUR NEIGHBOR ON THE LEFT IS DOING THE SAME THING.
NEIGHBOR ON YOUR RIGHT IS DOING THE SAME THING.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT VOTED AGAINST THIS TWO TO ONE.
AND IT'S NOT THAT THEY VOTED FOR IT UNLESS YOU THINK YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE THEY.
AND I DON'T REALLY WANNA BE YOUR NEIGHBOR.
IT'S NOT THEY WHO VOTED FOR IT.
[3A. 25-0008 Consider and take action on Ordinance No. 2024-57 amending Section 46-153 of the Code of Ordinances for the City of League City to allow limited fireworks during the New Year's Holiday and Independence Day Holiday - Second Reading (Mayor Long)]
CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON ORDINANCE NUMBER 2024 DASH 57 AMENDING SECTION FOUR SIX DASH 53 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF LEAF CITY TO ALLOW LIMITED FIREWORKS DURING NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAY AND INDEPENDENT DAY HOLIDAY.COUNSEL, APPROVE SIX TWO ON THE 17TH, MOVE TO APPROVE.
THE ONLY REASON THAT I'M ATTENDING THIS MEETING THIS MORNING IS OUTTA RESPECT FOR MAYOR LONG AND COUNCILMAN HICKS.
I FIND THIS SPECIAL MEETING BE UNNECESSARY AND A WASTE OF TIME.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THE BLACKMAIL THREATS AND EXTORTION THAT WAS MADE TO COUNCILMAN HICKS.
THE BLACKMAIL INDIRECTLY THREATENED COUNCILMAN HICKS, THAT IF HE DID NOT ATTEND THIS SPECIAL MEETING THIS MORNING, THE COUNCIL WOULD RECONSIDER TAKING ME.
COUNCILMAN ES OUT OF THE MAYOR PROM'S OFFICE.
I FIND THIS TO BE UNETHICAL, DEPICT A DESPICABLE AND BORDERLINE CRIMINAL.
[00:10:01]
AND MR. RESLER, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.SINCE IT'S, UH, EARLY AND WE'RE MEETING CREATE A QUORUM, I MUST ASK WHAT'S SUCH AN URGENT AGENDA ITEM THAT WE'RE MEETING AT 7:00 AM TWO DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
AND CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO MR. TRESSLER, WHO HAS SUDDENLY FOUND THAT APPROVING FIREWORKS IN LAKE CITY IS THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE THAT OUR COUNSEL FACES? UH, COULDN'T BE THAT I'M GOING TO WORK LATE TODAY BECAUSE TRESSLER NEIGHBOR SELLS FIREWORKS AND THE ONLY ITEMS HE SEEMS TO WANT TO PASS IS FAVORS FOR HIS FRIENDS.
I MEAN, TWO TERMS IN OFFICE AND THE ONLY ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT HE HAS IS GETTING RESIDENTIAL PIGS AND FIREWORKS.
WELL, POSSIBLY DEPENDING ON THE BOAT.
UM, I ALSO WANNA MAKE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT I'M NOT HERE THIS MORNING BECAUSE OF MR. TRESSLER INDIRECT ULTIMATUM.
THE CON OR THE CONSTANT RUMORS OR INNUENDO THAT I WOULDN'T SHOW UP TO PREVENT A QUORUM.
I'M HERE BECAUSE I'M ALWAYS PRESENT IN MY DUTIES AS COUNCILMAN AND, UH, I HAVE NOT MISSED ONE VOTE IN FOUR YEARS.
I'M STILL VOTING NO ON THIS ORDINANCE FOR THE SAME REASONS THAT I STATED BEFORE IN MAY.
UH, THANK YOU TRESSLER, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE NO 7:00 AM TWO DAYS BEFORE BUSINESS, OR TWO DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
AND, UM, FOR THESE REASONS AND MANY MORE, TRESSLER WILL END HIS DISAPPOINTING POLITICAL, UH, CAREER, NEVER ACHIEVING MAYOR PRO TEM, AND NEVER ACTUALLY REPRESENTING THE CITIZENS LEAGUE CITY AND JUST BEING A S****Y COUNCILMAN.
I DON'T NEED TO HAVE THE LANGUAGE, BUT ALRIGHT.
UH, MAYOR MAY, CAN YOU NOT? NOPE.
AND AT SEVEN 12 THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS.