* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:03] IS THIS ON? ROLL CALL? [1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS] ANDY MANN. HERE. TOMMY CONES? HERE. TOM CRUISE. HERE. COURTNEY CHADWELL. HERE. SCOTT HIGGINBOTHAM. HERE. CHAD TRESSLER. HERE. SEAN SAUNDERS HERE. ALRIGHT. FULL HOUSE. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE PASTOR TAMMY SHARP WITH CHRISTUS VICTOR LUTHERAN CHURCH TO BE OUR INVOCATION SPEAKER THIS EVENING. LET US PRAY. GRACIOUS GOD ON THIS NIGHT, AS THE PEOPLE OF LEAGUE CITY AND, AND THE LEADERS GATHER TOGETHER, BE WITH THEM AS THEY MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE BENEFICIAL TO THE CITY, THAT ALL MAY FEEL INCLUDED AND WELCOMED AND INVITED INTO. UM, ALL THAT IS GREAT ABOUT THIS CITY. UH, HELP US ALL TO APPRECIATE WHAT THIS CITY PROVIDES FOR ALL OF US AND TO DO OUR BEST TO CARE FOR EACH OTHER ALONG THE WAY. AGAIN, WE ASK THAT YOU BE WITH OUR LEADERS AS THEY CONTINUE TO, UH, DO ALL THEY CAN TO MAKE THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY THE BEST IT CAN BE. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY, AMEN. AMEN. AND THE LEDGE, ALLEGIANCE, FLAG OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. AND IT'S BEEN THE TEXAS FLAG ON TEXAS. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD. ONE INDIVIDUAL RIGHT. [3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] APPROVAL OF MINUTES. THREE. A OCTOBER 13TH, 2026. COUNSEL, WORK SESSION THREE B. OCTOBER 13TH, 2026. REGULAR MEETING. IF THERE'S NO CORRECTIONS THESE MINUTES. STAND APPROVED PROCLAMATION. [4A. 26-0477 Presentation honoring the 2026 recipients of the Art Hewitt Volunteer Spirit Award and the Steve Jones Inspiration Award (Mayor Long)] ALRIGHT, PRESENTATION. HONORING THE 2026 RECIPIENTS OF THE ART HEWITT VOLUNTEER SPIRIT AWARD AND THE STEVE JONES INSPIRATION AWARD. ALRIGHT, SO EACH YEAR THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY RECOGNIZES TWO OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUALS WHO DONATE THEIR TIME AND EXPERTISE VOLUNTEERING FOR CITY PROGRAMS AND DEPARTMENTS. CITIZENS ARE NOMINATED BY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, STAFF, AND CITY COUNCIL. TWO INDIVIDUALS ARE SELECTED. UH, TWO INDIVIDUALS ARE SELECTED BY A COMMITTEE MADE UP OF CITY STAFF MEMBERS TO RECEIVE OUR VOLUNTEER AWARDS, WHICH ARE NAMED IN LEGACY OF, OF ART HEWITT AND STEVE JONES. TONIGHT WE'D LIKE TO HONOR OUR 2026 CITIZEN VOLUNTEER RECIPIENTS. THE FIRST ONE IS THE ART HEWITT VOLUNTEER SPIRIT AWARD. THE THIS FIRST VOLUNTEER WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE IS DANIEL GIBBS. DANIEL IS THE RECIPIENT OF THE ART HEWITT VOLUNTEER SPIRIT AWARD. DANIEL HAS DONATED MORE THAN TWO DECADES. WHY DON'T YOU COME UP HERE? DANIEL HAS DONATED MORE THAN TWO DECADES OF SERVICE TO THE LEAGUE CITY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT SERVING OUR COMMUNITY NOT ONLY AS A FIREFIGHTER, BUT ALSO AS A LEADER WHO HAS HELPED STRENGTHEN ONE OF LEAGUE CITY'S MOST IMPORTANT TRADITIONS OF PUBLIC SERVICE. THROUGHOUT HIS YEARS IN THE DEPARTMENT, DANIEL SERVICE HAS INCLUDED OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP, RECRUITING, RETAINING VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS, AND HELPING ENSURE THE LEAGUE CITY VOLUNTEERS CONTINUE TO MEET THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS EXPECTED BY THOSE ENTRUSTED WITH PROTECTING THE LIVES AND PROPERTIES OF OUR RESIDENTS. THE ART HEWITT VOLUNTEER SPIRIT AWARD HAS CREATED TO PRESERVE THE LEGACY OF A MAN WHO DEVOTED 60 YEARS AS A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER INSPIRED OTHERS TO SERVE DANIEL'S LONG RECORD OF SERVICE AND HIS COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINING VOL. THE VOLUNTEER FIRE FIREFIGHTING IN LEAGUE CITY EMBODIES THAT SAME SPIRIT. JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING DANIEL AS AS HE ACCEPTS THIS AWARD. WANT EVERYONE ELSE? THE FIREFIGHTER. OKAY. [00:05:38] THE SECOND HONOREE TONIGHT IS MADELINE, UH, AR RALO, UH, RECIPIENT OF THE STEVE JONES INSPIRATION AWARD. JOINED THE HELEN HALL LIBRARY TEEN ADVISORY BOARD IN 2021 AND SPENT NEARLY FIVE YEARS SHARING HER TIME, LEADERSHIP AND CREATIVITY WITH THE LIBRARY AND LEAGUE CITY COMMUNITY. DURING THAT TIME, SHE HAS VOLUNTEERED AT COUNTLESS LIBRARY EVENTS AND PROGRAMS THAT HAS HELPED LEAD AND EXPAND TEEN CLUBS AND PROGRAMS, WHILE ALSO CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER AND GET INVOLVED. IN 2023, SHE HELPED GROW THE TEAM CROCHET CLUB INTO NOW THE TEEN HAND CRAFTERS CLUB. IN 2025, SHE CREATED A NEW PROGRAM TO INTRODUCE TWEENS AND TEENS TO THE LIBRARY. AND ITS MANY OFFERINGS AND WELCOMING LOW PRESSURE ENVIRONMENT. OVER THE YEARS, SHE'S BECOME FAMILIAR WITH FACE THE, AND A WELCOMING FACE OF THE LIBRARY. HER DEDICATION INITIATIVE AND WILLING TO SUPPORT OTHERS HAS HELPED STRENGTHEN TEEN PROGRAMMING AND CREATE A PLACE WHERE OTHERS FEEL WELCOME. SHE'S UNABLE TO JOIN HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE SHE'S AWAY AT COLLEGE, BEGINNING HER FRESHMAN YEAR AND ACCEPTING THE AWARD ON BEHALF IS HER FATHER AND HER MOM. . WHAT'S SHE STUDYING IN SCHOOL? CALIFORNIA. OH, CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. 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 ADDRESS A SPECIFIC AGENDA. I, OH SORRY. FOUR BI [4B. 26-0474 Presentation and Discussion concerning the Gulf Coast Protection District (Mayor Long)] THOUGHT THAT WAS THE SAME. ONE. FOUR B PRESENTATION DISCUSSION CONCERNING THE GULF COAST PER PROTECTION DISTRICT. ALRIGHT, IS THIS CLOSE ENOUGH? OKAY. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL. MY NAME'S NATALIA ESE AND I AM THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS SPECIALIST FOR THE GULF COAST PROTECTION DISTRICT. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO COME BY AND PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON, UH, OUR, OUR ORGANIZATION AS WELL AS THE COASTAL TEXAS PROJECT. UM, ALSO ALONG WITH ME IS OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT ROGER GUNTHER. ALL RIGHT. SO THE GULF COAST PROTECTION DISTRICT, ALSO KNOWN AS GCPD, IS A SPECIAL PUR PURPOSE DISTRICT THAT WAS CREATED BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE BACK IN 2021. UM, AND OUR ROLE IS TO OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COASTAL RESILIENT STRATEGY FOR THE UPPER TEXAS COAST. SO WE SERVE AS THE NON-FEDERAL SPONSOR FOR, UH, THE SE SABINE PASSED THE GALVESTON BAY PROJECT AND THE COASTAL TEXAS PROJECT IS, WHICH I WILL, UM, SPEAK ABOUT THIS EVENING. WE HAVE 11 BOARD OF DIRECTORS, SIX REPRESENTING, UM, ARE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR OF OUR STATE, AND THEN FIVE APPOINTED BY THE COUNTIES THAT WE REPRESENT. SO AS THE NON-FEDERAL SPONSOR, UM, THAT MEANS THAT WE HELP CARRY OUT LOCAL RESPONSIBILITIES SUCH AS COST SHARING, LAND AND ACCESS, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION COMPLIANCE, AND LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE. UM, EVENTUALLY DOWN THE ROAD FOR THE PROJECT. UM, AND WE ALSO HELP SECURE FUNDING, UM, FOR COASTAL TEXAS PROJECT AS WELL. SO, AS YOU KNOW, PROTECTING THIS STRETCH OF THE COAST MEANS PROTECTING NOT ONLY OUR PEOPLE AND OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT ALSO NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE. WE HAVE THE REFINERIES, WE HAVE THE PORTS. PETROCHEMICAL FACILITIES HERE SUPPLY 32% OF THE NATION'S GASOLINE REFINING CAPACITY, AS WELL AS 80% OF MILITARY GRADE FUEL. SO ONE SINGLE STORM SURGE EVENT PUTS ALL OF THESE CRITICAL ASSETS AT [00:10:01] RISK AS WELL AS OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR REGIONAL ECONOMY AND OUR JOBS FOR, UM, OUR NEIGHBORS RIGHT HERE, UM, IN THE REGION. SO THAT'S WHY DEFENDING THIS REGION'S NOT ONLY A LOCAL PRIORITY, BUT IT'S A NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE. IN THE LAST 25 YEARS, WE'VE HAD 13 STORMS HIT OUR REGION, KILLING NEARLY 600 PEOPLE AND CAUSING $212 BILLION IN ECONOMIC LOSS. MANY OF US IN THIS ROOM HAVE EXPERIENCED THESE FIRSTHAND, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MOST DEVASTATING OF THESE HURRICANE IKE, WHICH WAS THE CATAPULT FOR THE COASTAL TEXAS PROJECT. WE'VE SEEN WHAT THESE STORMS COST US, UM, AND THE COST OF DOING NOTHING IS MUCH GREATER THAN THE COST OF PROTECTION. SO WHAT IS THE COASTAL TEXAS PROJECT? THE COASTAL TEXAS PROJECT IS THE LARGEST COASTAL PROTECTION EFFORT IN US HISTORY. IT WAS DEVELOPED WITH THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS BACK IN 2022. OUR PARTNERS AT THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE OVERSEE THE SOUTH PADRE ELEMENT, UM, THE BEACH NOURISHMENT PIECE OF IT, UM, AND GCPD OVERSEES THE GALVESTON BAY SHORELINE AND PROTECTION ELEMENT, AS WELL AS THE GALVESTON BAY BARRIER SYSTEM. THE GALVESTON BAY BARRIER SYSTEM IS WHAT A LOT OF US HERE LOCALLY KNOW AS THE IKE D**E, UH, COINED AFTER HURRICANE IKE BACK IN 2008 BY DR. BILL MERRILL AT THE UNIVERSITY, UM, OR AT TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY IN GALVESTON. RIGHT NOW, GCPD IS ADVANCING TWO FEATURES OF THE BARRIER SYSTEM, THE GATE, UM, AT BOLIVAR ROADS AND THE BEACHES AND DUNES ON GALVESTON ISLAND AND BOLIVAR PENINSULA. TOGETHER THESE FEATURES REDUCE STORM SURGE RISK FOR OUR HOMES, OUR BUSINESSES, AND OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. SO WHAT'S NEW FOR 2026, WE, UM, ARE EXCITED TO SHARE SOME UPDATES ABOUT ENGINEERING DESIGN, FEDERAL FUNDING, UM, OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS WELL AS OUR RESEARCH IN DECEMBER OF 2025. SO ALMOST A YEAR AGO, GCPD AWARDED TWO ENGINEERING, UM, DESIGN CONTRACTS. THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR STEP FORWARD ON THE PROJECT. UM, SINCE THE US ARMY CORPS FINISHED THE FEASIBILITY STUDY BACK IN 2021, JACOBS IS DESIGNING THE BOLIVAR ROADS GATE SYSTEM ACROSS THE TWO MILE WATERWAY BETWEEN GALVESTON ISLAND AND BOLIVAR PENINSULA. THIS IS A STORM SURGE BARRIER GATE THAT ACTS AS A FLOOD MITIGATION TOOL WHEN CLOSED AT LOW TIDE, CREATING A DETENTION RESERVOIR, UM, IN THE BAY TO MITIGATE THAT FLOODING. AND HDR IS DESIGNING THE BEACHES AND DUNES, A NATURAL FEATURE THAT STRENGTHENS THE COASTAL BARRIER ALONG BOLIVAR PENINSULA AND WEST GALVESTON ISLAND. THIS INCLUDES WIDENING OF THE BEACHES AND CREATING A DOUBLE DUNES SYSTEM. THESE CONTRACTS MATTER BECAUSE DESIGN MOVES US FORWARD FROM THOSE CONCEPTS IN THE FEASIBILITY STUDY TO REAL ENGINEERING DESIGN AND REAL DETAILS. UM, AND THAT MEANS THAT WE CAN COME BACK TO COMMUNITIES LIKE YOURS, UM, DURING THIS PHASE TO PROVIDE REAL SPECIFICS TO SHARE, UM, AS IT PROGRESSES. REGARDING THE GATE I MENTIONED, UM, A FEW MINUTES AGO, UM, THIS TYPE OF GATE SYSTEM IS NOT NEW. IT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, UM, AROUND THE WORLD. SO ON THIS SLIDE YOU'LL SEE VENICE IN THE TOP LEFT IMAGE WHAT THEIR GATE SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE, UM, LONDON BENEATH IT AND ROTTERDAM, UH, ON THE LEFT. SO, UM, THE ONE ON ROTTERDAM'S IS MOST SIMILAR TO HOW THE FEASIBILITY DESIGN, UM, WAS FOR, FOR HERE IN TEXAS. UM, AND ACTUALLY, UH, OUR PROJECT TEAM AND ROGER, UM, WAS ABLE TO VISIT ROTTERDAM FOR THEIR ANNUAL TEST CLOSURE JUST A MONTH AGO. THIS YEAR WE'VE HAD QUITE A BIT OF FUNDING MOMENTUM. WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE THIS EVENING, UM, THE FISCAL YEAR. IN FISCAL YEAR 2026, THE PROJECT HAS GAINED SIGNIFICANT FEDERAL FUNDING, INCLUDING 6.75 MILLION. AND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027, THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE HAS INCLUDED 10.6 MILLION FOR THE PROJECT. IN THEIR DRAFT BILL FY 2026 FUNDS HAVE ADVANCED PORTIONS OF THE PROJECT, INCLUDING THE GATES IN THE, IN THE BEACHES AND DUNES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SO FAR. AND SO FAR THE STATE HAS APPROPRIATED 950 MILLION FOR QCP D'S PROJECTS. THE COASTAL TEXAS PROJECT ALONE IS AUTHORIZED FOR $34.4 BILLION. IN THE FUNDING WE HAVE TO DATE, UM, FROM BOTH THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT. CONSIDERING THE PHASE OF THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW. WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT WE WILL NEED ANNUAL CONSISTENT ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE OUR PROGRESS, WHICH IS WHY ELECT, UM, EDUCATING OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND ADVOCATING [00:15:01] FOR COASTAL TEXAS PROJECT ON A STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL, UM, REMAINS A PRIORITY FOR OUR OVERALL SUCCESS. ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE RAMPED UP HOW WE ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, THIS YEAR AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS, ONE BRINGING ON FULL-TIME DEDICATED STAFF TO THIS. RIGHT NOW, JUST ME, UM, STARTED LIVE STREAMING OUR BOARD MEETINGS. WE ARE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH OUR MARITIME PARTNERS TO ENSURE THAT DESIGN KEEPS THE WATERWAYS SAFE AND OPEN. AND WE'VE LAUNCHED TWO STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY COMMITTEES, ONE REPRESENTING INDUSTRY AND ONE REPRESENTING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERS TO GIVE STAKEHOLDERS A REGULAR WAY TO STAY DIRECTLY IN THE LOOP OF THE PROJECT, UH, PROGRESS AND SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE IN THE EARLY PRE-ENGINEERING DESIGN PHASE. AND AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO 2027, WE ARE EXCITED TO GROW THIS PROGRAM EVEN MORE. AND LASTLY, WE WANT EVERY DECISION TO BE GROUNDED IN THE BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE, AND THAT'S WHERE OUR RESEARCH COUNCIL COMES IN. SO WE CREATED THE COASTAL TEXAS RESEARCH COUNCIL EARLIER THIS YEAR TO BRING TOGETHER EXPERTS FROM TEXAS A AND M, GALVESTON RICE UNIVERSITY, TU, UH, DEPH, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY OUT IN THE NETHERLANDS, UH, TO CONDUCT INDEPENDENT STUDIES ON ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMUNITY QUESTIONS TO, UM, HELP GUIDE OUR PROJECT DECISIONS AND ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS MAY CONTRIBUTE, UM, AS THE PROJECT ADVANCES. SO IT'S ON THE HORIZON FOR OUR DISTRICT. WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE THAT ENGINEERING DESIGN FOR THE GATE AND THE BEACHES AND DUNES. UM, WE WILL BE IN AUSTIN THIS SPRING ADVOCATING FOR THE COASTAL TEXAS PROJECT, UM, DURING LEGISLATIVE SESSION. UM, SO WE ARE PREPARING FOR THAT AND THEN, UM, DEEPEN THAT COLLABORATION WITH OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT. UM, SO, UM, I THINK WE'VE SET A REALLY STRONG FOUNDATION FOR WHERE WE ARE NOW AND EXCITED FOR THIS NEXT YEAR. SO WITH THAT, UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THAT IS REALLY THE BEST WAY TO GET THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT THE PROJECT. UM, OR YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE, OF COURSE, TO ALWAYS LEARN MORE. UM, AND WITH THAT, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, COUNSEL, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT, WELL THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. AND BEFORE WE GO TO CITIZEN COMMENTS, YOU GUYS ARE WELCOME TO STAY, BUT DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO SIT THROUGH OUR WHOLE MEETING EITHER. WE, WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS COMING, UH, [5. PUBLIC COMMENTS BEFORE CITY COUNCIL] IN 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 ADDRESS A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM. UH, NATALIE NA YES. YEAH, RIGHT THERE. . HELLO. UM, MY NAME'S TIFFANY HARRIS AND I'M A RESIDENT OF THE HIGHLAND TERRACE COMMUNITY, ALONG WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT. UM, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD REAL QUICK, IS THIS FOR NATALIE? IT IS. OKAY. OKAY. I'M SORRY. BUT NATALIE CAN GO AHEAD. GO BE GREAT. YEAH, THAT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER. FINE. IF SHE COULD INTRODUCE 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE AN INTRODUCTION. OKAY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. OKAY. UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS NATALIE NATOLI. I AM HERE TODAY SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS OF HIGHLAND TERRACE IN LA LAWMEN. WE ARE LOCATED OFF OF WEST MAIN STREET IN FRONT OF THE KELLY'S COUNTRY COOKING. UM, BEFORE I BEGIN, MAY I ASK THE RESIDENTS OF HIGHLAND TERRACE AND LA LOMAN, CAN YOU PLEASE STAND PLEASE? THANK YOU, UH, FOR BEING HERE AND SHOWING YOUR SUPPORT. UM, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. TODAY I AM ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO REVIEW ITEM NUMBER FIVE, THE GUIDELINE OF IN INSTALL INSTALLATIONS OF THE SPEED BUMPS AND APPROVE CITY FUNDING TO INSTALL SPEED BUMPS ON HIGHLAND TERRACE AND WWA. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CONTINUES SERIOUS SPEEDING PROBLEMS. DRIVERS ARE USING OUR RESIDENT STREETS TO DETOUR, PUTTING OUR RESIDENTS AND CHILDREN AND PROGESTERONES AND FAMILIES AT RISK. SEEING TOO MANY CLOSE CALLS AND ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE SPEAKING TODAY. UM, WE'VE ALREADY HAD POLICE ENFORCEMENT AND A SPEEDING MONITOR DEVICE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT JUST KEEPS ON CONTINUING. UM, THESE EFFORTS HAVE NOT BEEN SOLVED AND WE NEED A MORE PERMANENT SOLUTION. WE ARE ASKING THE CITY TO COVER THE FULL COST OF INSTALLING SPEED BUMPS. OUR RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BEAR THE [00:20:01] BURDEN OF ASKING FOR SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY. WE ALSO ARE NOT AN HOA NEIGHBORHOOD. WE'RE A ABOUT A STREET AND A HALF. IT'S A VERY SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD AS YOU KNOW. WE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER, BUT WE ALL LIVE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STREET. UM, WE NEED ACTION AND MORE TEMPORARY MEASURES. OUR FAMILIES DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE TO WALK INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND LIVING ON OUR STREETS. WE ALSO DON'T HAVE, UM, SIDEWALKS, WE DON'T HAVE, WE HAVE FOUR STREET LIGHTS ON THAT WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD ON THAT WHOLE STREET. SO I'M ASKING IF WE COULD GET SOME SPEED BUMPS OUT THERE. AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, DEAN PAULSON. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR LONG. MY NAME IS DEAN PAULSON. I'M A 14 YEAR RESIDENT OF LEAGUE CITY AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK ABOUT THE CURRENT MAYORAL CAMPAIGN AND SOME OF THE TACTICS ONE PARTICULAR CANDIDATE IN PARTICULAR HAS UTILIZED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. MR. MAYOR, YOUR RECENT MAILINGS TO VOTERS IN LEAGUE CITY MADE REFERENCE TO DEI WHERE YOU CLAIM YOUR POLITICAL OPPONENTS ARE SUPPORTING DEI AS PART OF THEIR CAMPAIGN PLATFORMS. THAT STATEMENT IS AN ABSOLUTE FABRICATION AND SERVES US NOTHING MORE THAN A DOG WHISTLE. YOU GOT A WHISTLE HERE SOMEWHERE, A DOG WHISTLE TO RILE UP YOUR SUPPORTERS WITH MISINFORMATION. FURTHERMORE, MR. MAYOR, YOUR MAILERS CLAIM MAY CLAIMED ENACTMENT OF DEI WOULD LEAD TO DEFUNDING OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THAT'S ANOTHER DOG WHISTLE. COME ON. I WOULD CHALLENGE YOU RIGHT NOW TO PROVE HOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN, BUT I'LL SAVE YOU THE EMBARRASSMENT OF HAVING TO FABRICATE MORE FALSEHOODS IN FRONT OF A PACT CHAMBER COUNCIL, MR. MAYOR, TWO PRIVATE CITIZENS WHO ARE NOT TAKE, WHO ARE NOT SEEKING OFFICE, HAVE PERSONALLY EXPRESSED CONCERN FOR THEIR AND THEIR FAMILY SAFETY AS A RESULT OF YOUR MAILERS AS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL, YOU MUST CERTAINLY KNOW HOW THAT FEELS. OR DO YOU, YOU LACK OR DO OR DOES YOUR LACK OF CO COMPASSION AS EVIDENCE BY SENDING A SECOND MAILER OUT AFTER MEETING WITH THOSE TWO INDIVIDUALS FACE TO FACE, NOT ONLY DO YOU APPEAR TO LACK COMPASSION, YOU ALSO LACK INTEGRITY. YOU LIED TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS. YOU SENT ANOTHER EMAILER OUT AFTER TALKING TO THEM THAT IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. MR. MAYOR CHARACTER MATTERS AT ALL LEVELS OF PUBLIC SERVICE. LORD KNOWS WE'VE SEEN THAT ALL OVER THE PLACE. FROM YOUR COZY ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE OTHER COUNTY OFFICIALS TO SPEARHEADING THE ADOPTION OF A CITY ORDINANCE, RESTRICTING CITIZENS OF THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS WHILE BLATANTLY IGNORING THE SAME ORDINANCE ONLY A FEW WEEKS LATER AT ONE OF YOUR CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISERS. AND FINALLY TO CONDONING THE USE OF A GALVESTON COUNTY HIGH WATER RESCUE VEHICLE PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED IN FRONT OF THE CITY'S BUSIEST EARLY VOTING LOCATION, DEFINITELY DISPLAYS YOUR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF, OF WHAT'S RIGHT AND WRONG. A FRIEND OF MINE HAS A WORD THAT DESCRIBES SOMEONE, SOMEONE LIKE YOU. HE SAYS, YOU'RE A SCOFF LAW. I'D HAVE TO AGREE WITH IT AT THIS POINT. IN CLOSING, YOU'LL NOT. I REPEAT. YOU WILL NOT SUPPRESS OUR RIGHT TO PEACEABLY ASSEMBLE. YOU WILL NOT. I REPEAT. YOU WILL NOT INTIMIDATE US WHILE WE EXERCISE OUR RIGHTS TO FREE SPEECH. YOU WILL NOT. I REPEAT. YOU WILL NOT SUPPRESS OUR RIGHTS TO REDRESS OUR FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. SO PUT YOUR DOG WHISTLE AWAY. WE'VE HEARD IT. WE'RE NOT INTIMIDATED. THANK YOU. BRIAN HALLIGAN. I AM BRIAN HALLIGAN. UH, I LIVE ON HIDDEN COLONY LANE IN IN BAY COLONY WEST SUBDIVISION. UH, I WASN'T PLANNING ON TALKING ABOUT THIS, BUT, UM, MR. MAYOR, I KNOW YOU'RE A SUPPORTED DEI YOU GIVE A LOT OF MONEY TO THE NAACP BANQUET EVERY YEAR. SO THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING DEI I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE USE OF FLOCK CAMERAS IN LEE CITY. A FRIEND OF MINE WHO'S A FEDERAL, A RETIRED FEDERAL AGENT, IS WARNED ABOUT THESE CAMERAS. HE SPENT HIS ENTIRE CAREER AS A FEDERAL AGENT AND KNOWS A BIT ABOUT GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE. HE SAID, THESE CAMERAS SYSTEMS ARE RIGHT FOR ABUSE BY GOVERNMENT ENTITIES. AND ONE THING I HAVEN'T HEARD A LOT ABOUT IS HOW SECURE ARE THEY? AND THE REASON WE'RE NOT HEARING ABOUT IT IS 'CAUSE THESE SYSTEMS ARE VERY EASY TO HACK INTO. [00:25:01] THAT'S HOW THE D FLOCK APP WORKS. THEY GET INTO THESE CAMERAS AND GET ON THE FREQUENCY AND THEY CAN GET INTO THE CAMERAS. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S, IT'S VERY EASY TO GET. CRIMINALS CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION IF THEY KNOW JUST TO, JUST THE BASICS ABOUT HACKING. SO, UM, AND THEN WHEN THEY SAY, DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHO WILL ACCESS THIS DATA, DON'T BELIEVE THEM. THIS DATA'S UPLOADED. FIRST OFF, IT'S UPLOADED TO THE STATE EVERY NIGHT. SO WE'VE ALREADY LOST CONTROL OF IT. WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OF IT. IF ANOTHER ENTITY HAS ACCESS TO THE DATA, AND I, TONIGHT, I HAD NO INTENTION OF TALKING ABOUT ONE OF THE CITY, CITY, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. BUT WHEN I SAW A PICTURE ON FACEBOOK OF SEAN SAUNDERS PUTTING OUT CAMPAIGN SIGNS DRIVING A CITY OF DICKINSON VEHICLE, I HAD TO SPEAK, DOES THIS MAN HAVE NO SHAME? AND IS HE USING OTHER, IF HE'S USING OTHER CITY'S RESOURCES FOR HIS PERSONAL USE, WHAT IS HE DOING WITH LEAGUE CITY PROPERTY AND RESOURCES? CAN WE TRUST HIM? I THINK NOT. AND THROUGH HIS OWN OMISSION, CHINA STATED HIS HOA HAS ZERO RESERVES AND HE HAS MADE IT CLEAR HE'S NOT WORRIED ABOUT HAVING NO MONEY IN RESERVE FOR THE HOA. AND THEN AFTER HE MENTIONED AT THE HOA MEETING THAT THE HOA HAD BEEN AUDITED, AND SUDDENLY THE AUDIT FILES FROM 2020 TO 24 MODIFIED THE VERY NEXT DAY. WHAT IS HE HIDING? HE DOES HAVE OVER BUDGET THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON A SNOW MACHINE EVERY YEAR, AND HE HAS THE HOA PAYING $3,000 PER PER FLOCK CAMERA TO LEASE THEM FROM THE CITY. AND ON HIS PREVIOUS HOA PROJECT, FENCING AND SECURITY WAS NOT UP TO CODE. THIS CAUSED MY NEIGHBOR'S TEENAGE DAUGHTER TO BE TRAPPED BEHIND THE GATES. THE KIDS DIDN'T HAVE THEIR PHONES, SO THEY DIDN'T HOP OVER THE FENCE. THE GIRLS, THE GIRL'S MOM CALLED SHAWN RUSHED TO THE POOL AND STARTED SCREAMING AND CURSING. HE STARTED SCREAMING AND CURSING AT THE KIDS AND FRIGHTENING THEM. AND IT WAS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE. I MEAN, AND THEN AFTER ALL OF THIS, MR, HOW CAN WE GET A I TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS? I'M, I'M WRAPPING UP ON TELLING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO BRING EVERYTHING UP TO COVER, AND THEN HE HAS THE AUDACITY TO HAVE THE CAMERA FEES ON HIS PHONE. THIS IS CREEPY. I'M GONNA LET MY DAUGHTERS USED THAT POOL WITH HERBERT'S WATCHING IT. THANK YOU. BECKY PAULSON, EXCUSE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS BECKY PAULSON AND I LIVE IN LEAGUE CITY, AND I AM STEPPING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE TONIGHT BECAUSE MY ANGER OVER THE TONE OF THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS CITY, HAS COMPLETELY OUTWEIGHED MY DESIRE TO STAY QUIET. WE ARE TOLD THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT COMMUNITY REPRESENTATION AND SOLVING LOCAL PROBLEMS. YET WHAT WE ARE WITNESSING RIGHT NOW FEELS LESS LIKE LEADERSHIP AND MORE LIKE A DESPERATE, COORDINATED EFFORT TO, TO DIVIDE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WITH MANUFACTURED BEER JUST TO CONTROL A NARRATIVE. THESE RECENT MAILERS CLAIM THAT LOCAL CANDIDATES WANT TO DEFUND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. THIS IS A BLATANT SCARE TACTIC, AND IT IS A LIE. I WAS A DEMOCRAT. UM, I WAS A DELEGATE AT THE TEXAS DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION, UH, WHERE THE, UM, DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM WAS MADE. I READ THE ENTIRE PLATFORM. THE PLATFORM IS 66 PAGES LONG. THERE ARE 17 PLANKS. 12 PLANKS REFER TO PUBLIC OR PLANK. 12 REFERS TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE POLICE. THERE IS NOT ONE MENTION OF DEFENDING THE POLICE IN THAT PLANK OR IN THE ENTIRE PLATFORM. WHEN LEADERS RESORT TO MAKING THINGS UP IN PRINT, WE'RE OFTEN DISMISSED AS AN ISOLATED GROUP OF COMPLAINERS WHEN WE OBJECT, BUT WE'RE NOT ALONE. THIS IS EXHAUSTION STATEWIDE TO PROVE HOW, EXCUSE ME, TO PROVE HOW UNIVERSAL THIS FEELING IS, I HAVE EXPLICIT PERMISSION TO READ AN OPEN LETTER BY A FELLOW TEXAS RESIDENT, EMILY TERABELLA, WHICH CUTS DIRECTLY TO THE HEART OF WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH IN LAKE CITY. AND BY THE WAY, MAYOR LONG, I ACTUALLY GOT HER PERMISSION. UNLIKE WHAT YOU DID WITH THESE MAILERS, SHE WRITES, VOTERS ON BOTH SIDES [00:30:01] OF THE AISLE ARE TIRED OF NAME CALLING MUDSLINGING AND PULLING CONS, CONSTITUENTS INTO THE PARADE. MORE THAN ANYTHING, I FIND MYSELF LONGING DEEPLY, DEEPLY LONGING FOR A RETURN TO CIVILITY REGARDLESS OF WHICH PARTY IS IN CONTROL. I WILL ALWAYS VOTE FOR THE MOST CIVIL CANDIDATE IF THEY'RE QUALIFI QUALIFIED FOR THE OFFICE, BECAUSE I AM AN BECAUSE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL CANNOT GET ANYWHERE WITH PUBLIC POLICY IF THEY CAN'T GET ALONG WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE. YOU TRY TO LEVERAGE BEER AND DISDAIN TO WIN VOTES, AND THAT'S A RISKY STRATEGY. IT FEELS LIKE YOU ASSUME THAT THE AVERAGE UNDECIDED VOTER WILL BE MORE MOTIVATED TO CHOOSE YOU DUE TO PURE AND DISDAIN OF YOUR OPPONENT, RATHER THAN YOUR IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. FRANKLY, I THINK YOU ARE INSULTING THE VOTER'S INTELLIGENCE. THE REMAINDER OF THIS REST MESSAGE AND THE CLOSING STATEMENT WILL BE READ BY MY NEIGHBOR, UH, JEAN ANN REED. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JEAN ANN REED AND I LIVE IN ON LEISURE LANE IN LAKE CITY. BEFORE I BEGIN, I WANNA SAY THAT IT SADDENS ME TO EVEN HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, ESPECIALLY AMONG ALL THE WONDERFUL AWARDS AND EVERYTHING THAT WERE PRESENTED TONIGHT. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS GOES. I'M STEPPING UP TO CONCLUDE THE LETTER INTRODUCED BY MY NEIGHBOR AND TO ADDRESS WHAT WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW IN LEAGUE CITY. TO FINISH MS. EMILY'S LETTER QUOTE, I HAVE REPUBLICAN FRIENDS WHO ARE VOTING STRAIGHT TICKET DEMOCRAT THIS ELECTION BECAUSE THEY ARE SO UTTERLY DISGUSTED BY THE VILE RHETORIC. THEY DON'T WANT TO GIVE ANY REPUBLICANS A CHANCE BECAUSE OF STUFF LIKE THIS. IT'S TIRESOME AND UGT. YOU NEED TO REALIZE THAT YOU TANK THE WHOLE PARTY WITH THIS TYPE OF CAMPAIGNING, AND YOU ARE DRIVING PEOPLE AWAY FROM YOUR PARTY AND AWAY FROM POLITICS ALTOGETHER. THAT LETTER WAS WRITTEN ABOUT STATE POLITICS, BUT IT DESCRIBES THE RECENT ACTIONS PERFECTLY OVER THE LAST MONTH. AND I KNOW SHE ALREADY SHOWED THIS, BUT I'M GONNA SHOW IT AGAIN. OVER THE LAST MONTH, HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS LEAGUE CITY RECEIVED A POLITICAL MAILER FILLED WITH NAME CALLING, SCARE TACTICS, AND JUVENILE INSULTS. RESIDENTS TOOK ISSUE WITH IT. SEVERAL RESIDENTS CONFRONTED YOU WITH YOU IN THE EYE AND A FACE TO, AND A FACE-TO-FACE. RIGHT AFTER A MEETING, I WAS ONE OF THEM. WHEN I CALLED YOU OUT FOR BLANKET LABELING ALL DEMOCRATS, YOU LOOKED AT ME IN THE FACE AND SAID, OH, I DIDN'T MEAN ALL DEMOCRATS, I JUST MEANT DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS. YOU GAVE AN EXCUSE TO BACK PAT YOUR WORDS, BUT YOUR ACTIONS PROVE WHAT YOU ACTUALLY MEANT BECAUSE SOON AFTER THAT CONVERSATION, YOU TURNED AROUND AND SENT OUT A SECOND MAILER. I LOST MY VOICE. I SENT OUT A SECOND MAIL. AND WHAT DID IT SAY? IT DIDN'T SAY. DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST ONCE AGAIN, PRINTED IN MASSIVE BOW LETTERS AND ATTACKED DEMOCRATS. YOU DIDN'T MISSPEAK MAYOR. YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE DOING. SAYING ONE THING TO A RESIDENT'S FACE, TO QUIET THEM DOWN AND THEN PRINTING THE EXACT OPPOSITE TO FLOOD THE MAILBOXES OF OUR COMMUNITY ISN'T STRENGTH. IT'S A COMPLETE LACK OF INTEGRITY. IT'S THE OFFENSIVE REACTION OF A POLITICIAN WHO CARES MORE ABOUT WINNING THE CAMPAIGN THROUGH DIVISION THAN ACTUALLY TELLING THE TRUTH. YOU ARE ELECTED TO BE A LEADER FOR ALL PEOPLE IN LEAGUE CITY, INCLUDING THE ONES WHO CALL YOU OUT WHEN YOUR MAILERS ARE WRONG. WE EXPECT LEADERS WHO LISTEN AND RESPECT OUR INTELLIGENCE, NOT LEADERS WHO LOOK US IN THE EYE, TELL US A STORY AND THEN MAIL OUT THE SAME LIE. HOPEFULLY THIS CAN STOP. THANK YOU. UH, DYLAN FROM HIGHLAND TERRACE. I'M SORRY I CAN'T READ YOUR LAST NAME. ALL GOOD. MY NAME IS. YEAH. MY NAME IS TIFFANY HARRIS. I'M ACTUALLY SPEAKING FOR DYLAN. HE ALLOWED ME TO, UM, SPEAK BECAUSE I HAD GOTTEN HERE A LITTLE TOO LATE TO BE ABLE TO SIGN UP. UM, SO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH IT, IS LOCATED BEHIND THE COLLEGE OF THE MAINLAND. IT'S A SINGLE STREET THAT COMES OFF OF WESLEY, WHICH IS A CUT THROUGH FROM I 45 TO FIVE 18. UM, I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT THERE SINCE 2008. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF LEAGUE CITY, THOUGH MY WHOLE LIFE, UH, WENT TO CLEAR CREEK HIGH [00:35:01] SCHOOL. I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE WHOLE AREA. UM, AND THE CONCERNS THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ABOUT SAFETY IN THE AREA, UM, FRANKLY, HAVE BEEN KIND OF IGNORED BECAUSE WE'RE SUCH A SMALL BEDROOM COMMUNITY. UM, ANYMORE. YOU DON'T HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE OURS THAT HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO THE FREEWAY AND ARE SO CLOSE TO COMMERCIAL ZONES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PREDATED, UH, THE GROWTH OF LEAGUE CITY. UM, WE'VE BEEN PAYING TAXES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, SINCE THE EARLY SEVENTIES. OUR HOMES WERE ACTUALLY BUILT BY KILGORES. UM, THE, THE HARDWARE STORE THAT IS ON MAIN STREET RIGHT NOW. I PERSONALLY HAD, UM, THE LOSS OF A VEHICLE ON APRIL 25TH, 2011 BECAUSE ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS CAME BARRELING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND RAN INTO A PARKED CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY. UM, THAT WAS 2011. WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH, UM, WITH TRAFFIC CONCERNS THERE FOREVER. AGAIN, BECAUSE IT WASN'T A WELL-PLANNED SPACE. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE COMMITTEE, UM, AND THE, THE, THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY FEELS LIKE ANYTIME THERE'S A SAFETY CONCERN THAT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE A STAKE IN THAT AND PUT MONEY UP AS WELL. BUT I WOULD SAY IN THIS CASE, THAT SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE BECAUSE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN USED FOR DETOURS, UH, FOR MAJOR TRAFFIC, UM, REPEATEDLY BY TDOT AND NOW BY THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY. WE HAVE PEOPLE CUTTING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CONSTANTLY AND HAVE THROUGH ALL THE TRAFFIC AND ALL OF THE CONSTRUCTION THAT WAS THERE, AND WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH IT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. NOT ONLY THAT, WE, LIKE HE SAID, WE ONLY HAVE FOUR STREETLIGHTS IN OUR ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD. AGAIN, WE PREDATE HOAS AND WE'VE PAID A LOT OF MONEY IN TAXES TO LEAGUE CITY. WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO. AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH YOU. WE'VE, WE'VE DONE THE STUDIES, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE'VE DONE ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND WE'VE JUST BEEN FORGOTTEN. I'D LIKE TO ALSO STATE THAT, UM, THIS ISN'T THE ONLY SAFETY CONCERN THAT WE'VE HAD IS JUST TRAFFIC, UH, IN OUR AREA. UM, WHEN COLLEGE OF THE MAINLAND BECAME COLLEGE OF THE MAINLAND AND STOPPED BEING THE METHODIST CHURCH THERE, CAN I, CAN I CONTINUE? UM, WHEN THAT HAPPENED, THERE WAS A PARSONAGE, UM, THAT GOT SOLD AS COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN THE BUFFER ZONE AND THE CITY APPROVED THAT. SO WE HAVE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN A BUFFER ZONE THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. UH, ANOTHER THING THAT CHANGED WAS, UM, WE APPRECIATE THE DRAINAGE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING NOW. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF DRAINAGE ISSUES THAT WEREN'T RIGHT. WE ALSO HAVE A TESLA DEALERSHIP LESS THAN 20 FEET FROM HOMES. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AWARE OF THE, UM, FIRE HAZARD ASSOCIATED WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES, BUT I'M SURE SOME OF, UM, THE FIREFIGHTERS WHO WERE HERE COULD ATTEST THAT IF THOSE THAT PLACE CATCHES ON FIRE, OUR HOMES ARE GONE. UM, WE HAVE HAD SAFETY CONCERN AFTER SAFETY CONCERN, SAFETY CONCERN, SAFETY AND BEEN IGNORED BY THE CITY EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE BEEN PAYING MY TAXES LONGER THAN MOST OTHER RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. WOULD YOU SHARE YOUR INFORMATION WITH, UH, DRE HICKS, YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, EVE ML EVE. WELL, WE'VE ALL SEEN THIS ALREADY. MY NAME IS EVE CAMPBELL AND THIS IS MY TOWN MAYOR LONG, I'M ADDRESSING YOU, PARTICULARLY YOU ARE MY MAYOR. HAVE YOU NO DECENCY. YOU HAVE A SOLID HISTORY OF PICKING ON PEOPLE LIKE ME. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO INTENTIONALLY LIE TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS LIKE YOU DID WITH THOSE STOLEN IMAGES UN TO YOUR PUBLIC MAILINGS? MAYOR, LONG, MORE THAN A WEEK AGO, YOU PERSONALLY APOLOGIZED FOR DEFAMING ME AND SAID YOU WOULDN'T DO IT AGAIN, AND THEN YOU DID IT AGAIN. I HAVE WITNESSES IN THIS ROOM. AS A RESIDENT OF LEAGUE CITY AND [00:40:01] A TRANSGENDER WOMAN, I'M A MEMBER OF A MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY. WHEN MY WORDS OR SOCIAL MEDIA POST ARE TWISTED AND MISUSED IN A NEGATIVE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN, THE CONSEQUENCES CAN EXTEND FAR BEYOND POLITICS. YOU EXPOSE ME TO UNWANTED ATTENTION, HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION, AND POTENTIAL HARM. HOW LOW WILL YOU GO? I HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPRESS MY VIEWS AND PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC DISCUSSION WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY THAT MY WORDS WILL BE USED IN WAYS THAT PUT MY PERSONAL SAFETY AT RISK. POLITICAL DISAGREEMENTS ARE PART OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A RESPONSIBILITY TO CONSIDER THE REAL WORLD CONSEQUENCES WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL'S LIBERTY AND IDENTITY AND PERSONAL STATEMENTS BECOME TOOLS IN A NEGATIVE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN. I'M TELLING YOU, UNEQUALLY MAYOR, LONG STOP USING MY FACEBOOK POST FOR NEGATIVE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN PURPOSES. THIS ISN'T SIMPLY A POLITICAL DISAGREEMENT FOR ME. IT'S A MATTER OF PERSONAL DIGNITY, PRIVACY AND SAFETY. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN EXERCISING MY RIGHT TO FREE EXPRESSION AND PROTECTING MYSELF FROM HARM. MY LIVING AS MY TRUEST SELF HURTS NO ONE. WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF, MAYOR? AND THAT YOU CLEARLY ARE INTIMIDATED BY ME, LITTLE OLD ME. HE SAYS A LOT ABOUT YOU AND YOUR CAPACITY TO BULLY, BULLY ORDINARY CITIZENS. MAYOR, LONG, I LOVE YOU AS MY NEIGHBOR AND LEAGUE CITY IS FOR ALL OF US. IF YOU CONFRONTED YOUR FEAR OF ME, YOU MIGHT LEARN A LITTLE KINDNESS AND MAYBE YOU WOULD LEARN TO SHOW A LITTLE GRACE. UH, MARYANNE DELGADO, GOOD EVENING. I'M MARYANNE DELGADO. UM, LIVE IN LAKE CITY ON ENTERPRISE AVENUE. UM, I'M HERE BECAUSE I'M PART OF THE GROUP THAT MAYOR LONG YOU CLAIM IS DEFUNDING THAT WANTS TO DEFUND THE POLICE. THERE IS NO WAY THAT WE WANT TO DEFUND THE POLICE. I ACTUALLY TOOK THE CITIZEN POLICE ACADEMY CLASS AND I HAVE A CERTIFICATE FROM 2017. THERE WOULD BE NO WAY. I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THE POLICE AND EVERYBODY IN MY GROUP IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS GREAT RESPECT FOR THE POLICE. SO IF YOU WANNA CONTINUE YOUR LIES, I'M SAYING RIGHT HERE. AND ALL OF US ARE SAYING RIGHT HERE THAT THEY'RE LIES, THEY'RE LIES, LIES, LIES. AUDRA BENTLEY. WHY? I DON'T, WELL, I'M HERE TO LIVEN UP THE ROOM A LITTLE BIT. . I HOPE THAT JUST A BRIGHT RED SHIRT CAN DO THAT. I AM AUDRA BENTLEY. UM, I, UM, I OWN MY OWN, UH, COMPANY, REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE FIRM. I LIVE IN LEAGUE CITY. I OBVIOUSLY A VOLUNTEER AND WORK WITH HOLIDAY IN THE PARK. I AM SIT ON THEIR BOARD AS TREASURER. AND TODAY I JUST WANTED TO TELL EVERYONE HOW YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EVENT. IT IS ALWAYS THE FIRST WEEKEND IN DECEMBER. UM, IT IS, THIS WILL BE THE THIRD YEAR THAT IT'S GOING TO BE LIVE STREAMED SO ANYBODY IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD CAN WATCH IT WHILE IT'S HAPPENING. YOU CAN ALSO GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND WATCH PRIOR YEARS VIDEOS. YOU CAN FIND THE LINKS TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL ON OUR WEBSITE. YOU CAN FIND THE PROGRAM ON OUR WEBSITE FOR WHAT ALL HAPPENS, UM, ALL THREE DAYS. AGAIN, IT'S THE FIRST WEEKEND IN DECEMBER. UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT OUR WEBSITE IS AT THE LEAGUE CITY PROUD ORG.COM. I WANTED TO ALSO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, PARADE REGISTRATIONS, VENDOR REGISTRATIONS AND ANY OTHER KIND OF INFORMATION THAT YOU WANNA LOOK AT IS ALSO ON OUR WEBSITE. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. SUNNY BYERLEY. OKAY, CAN Y'ALL SEE ME? OKAY? UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT. MY NAME IS SONNY BILEY. I AM ALSO A REAL ESTATE AGENT WITH CIVIC REAL ESTATE WITH AUDRA. I'VE BEEN AN AGENT FOR 10 YEARS. I HAVE LIVED IN LEAGUE CITY FOR 40 YEARS. UM, I'M ALSO ON THE BOARD FOR LEAGUE CITY PROUD, UH, AS THE SECRETARY, UH, JUST TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT [00:45:01] HOLIDAY IN THE PARK. THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR SERVING ON THE COMMITTEE, UH, FOR HOLIDAY IN THE PARK. AND I ACTUALLY HANDLE THE, UH, GRAND KNIGHT PARADE REGISTRATION AS THE GRAND KNIGHT PARADE DIRECTOR FOR LEAGUE CITY PROUD. THIS IS OUR 29TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY IN THE PARK. UH, THE EVENT IS DECEMBER 4TH THROUGH THE SIXTH. OUR THEME IS AN AMERICAN CHRISTMAS ON MAIN STREET, CELEBRATING 250 YEARS OF TRADITION. THE GRAND KNIGHT PARADE IS ONE OF OUR MAIN ATTRACTIONS FOR HOLIDAY IN THE PARK. UH, WE BRING LOCAL BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, NONPROFITS, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS AND FAMILIES. THEY'RE ALL ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE. IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE COMMUNITY SPIRIT, PRIDE AND CREATIVITY. UH, A LITTLE BIT BEHIND THE SCENES AS THE PARADE FLOAT COORDINATOR DIRECTOR, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED DIFFERENT PARADE FLOAT PARTICIPANTS. UH, REGISTRATION IS, UM, ONLINE THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, THE LEAGUE CITY PROUD ORG.COM. IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING, UM, PART OF BEING THE PARADE FLOAT DIRECTOR, I HELP COORDINATE DETAILS AND HELP, UH, PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANTS TO PREPARE FOR THE EVENT. IT ALSO INCLUDES SAFETY AND PARADE REQUIREMENTS TO HELP EVERYONE AND, UH, KEEP EVERYONE SAFE. THERE'S ALSO A MANDATORY PARADE PARTICIPANT MEETING ON NOVEMBER 30TH AT HOMETOWN HEROES PARK. UH, THIS IS ALSO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE ON WHAT TO EXPECT THE NIGHT OF THE EVENT, UH, WITH THE PARADE, WE ALSO DO, UH, A JUDGING OF THE PARADE FLOATS WITH COMPETITIONS AND PRIZES. THE JUDGING OF THE FLOATS CAN BE INDIVIDUAL FLOATS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE BATTLE OF THE BANDS WITH ALL OF THE, UM, THE HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BANDS AND ALSO DANCE AND DRILL TEAMS, UH, FLOATS COMPETING FOR PRIZES, INCORPORATE LIGHTS, MUSIC, AND THIS YEAR'S THEME. UH, PARTICIPATING GROUPS CAN PERFORM A ONE MINUTE ROUTINE FOR OUR JUDGES AT THE JUDGES' TENT, WHICH IS AT THE END OF THE ACTUAL PARADE. AND PERFORMANCES AT THE JUDGE'S TENT WILL BE BROADCASTED AND LIVE STREAMED AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE PARADE. UH, REGISTRATION AGAIN, A DEADLINE IS, UH, FEBRUARY, I'M SORRY, FRIDAY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH. UM, AGAIN, WHAT YOU CAN REGISTER ON OUR WEBSITE, WE ENCOURAGE BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TO REGISTER. UM, PARADE PARTICIPATION PROVIDES A VISIBILITY FOR ORGANIZATION AND ALSO CREATES LASTING HOLIDAY MEMORIES IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU TO LAKE CITY FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ORGANIZATION AND EVERYONE THAT CONTINUES TO HELP US BRING MAGIC TO MAIN STREET. WE HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US DECEMBER 5TH AT 6:00 PM THANK YOU. THANK YOU DEBORAH BLACKMAN. DEBORAH, AND THEN IT'S GONNA BE KIRSTY. GOOD EVENING MAYOR. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. I CAN'T HEAR. UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR CITY COUNCIL AND FELLOW LEAGUE CITY RESIDENTS. MY NAME IS DEBORAH BLACKMAN. I'M THE SALES EXECUTIVE FOR TEXAN TITLE HERE IN LAKE CITY, TEXAS. WE ARE ONE OF THE LARGE SPONSORS FOR THE AMERICAN CHRISTMAS ON MAIN STREET. SO WE'RE CELEBRATING THE 250 YEAR TRADITION AND ALSO I'M A VOLUNTEER ALONG WITH MY TEAM, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO DO THIS AT OUR 29TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY IN THE PARK, TAKING PLACE DECEMBER 4TH THROUGH DECEMBER 6TH. WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT LAKE CITY, WHAT MAKES US SO SPECIAL IS OFTEN OUR BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY, OUR LOCAL HISTORY CHARM, AND OUR CONTINUED GROWTH. BUT WHAT TRULY SETS US APART, SOMETHING MUCH MORE POWERFUL. AND THAT'S OUR PEOPLE. LAKE CITY IS A PLACE WHERE NEIGHBORS HELP NEIGHBORS BUSINESSES INVEST IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND VOLUNTEERS STEP TOWARDS YEAR AFTER YEAR TO MAKE THIS PLACE A DIFFERENCE. THESE VALUES ARE WHAT MAKE HOLIDAY IN THE PARK SUCH A TREASURED TRADITION. FOR NEARLY THREE DECADES, THIS EVENT HAS BROUGHT FAMILIES TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE JOY AND MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON. IT'S WHERE CHILDREN CREATE MEMORIES THEY'LL CARRY FOR A LIFETIME. IT'S WHERE LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE SHOWCASED AND IT'S WHERE OUR COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE WHAT MATTERS MOST. IN MANY WAYS, HOLIDAY IN THE PARK IS OUR OWN HALLMARK STORY. HOW MANY HOLIDAY PARKS IS OUR OWN HOLIDAY PARK? A STORY OF GENEROSITY, A STORY OF TRADITION, A STORY OF COMMUNITY, SPIRIT, AND THE GREAT STORY PEOPLE NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THIS. THAT'S WHY I AM HERE TONIGHT. I'M ASKING FOR BUSINESSES, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, AND RESIDENTS TO JOIN US. WE NEED VOLUNTEERS. WE NEED SPONSORS. WE NEED COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS TO WHO BELIEVE IN PRESERVING AND [00:50:01] GROWING THIS TRADITION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER A SPECIAL THANKS TO JANICE HALLEY AND HER HUSBAND PAT, THEIR DEDICATED BOARD MEMBERS AND COUNTLESS VOLUNTEERS WHOSE PASSION AND COMMITMENT MAKES THIS A TRUE HALLMARK EVENT EVERY YEAR POSSIBLE. YOUR DEDICATION HAS CREATED SOMETHING TRULY SPECIAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE LEAGUE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR CITY COUNCIL, AND THE MASONS. THEY'RE VERY GENEROUS IN ALLOWING US TO USE THEIR PARKING LOT WITHOUT ALL OF THESE SPONSORS AND OUR LOCAL BUSINESS SPONSORS AND EVERYONE WHO WORKS BEHIND THE SCENES IS COUNTLESS, MAKES THESE EVENTS SAFE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. HOLIDAY IN THE PARK IS A REMINDER. IT'S FREE AND IT'S FAMILY FRIENDLY. SO BRING US TOGETHER, SUPPORT YOUR FAMILIES, COME SUPPORT US. AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL THE VOLUNTEERS, SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS LOCAL SHOPS, AND BRING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT TOGETHER. LET'S MAKE THIS BEST HOLIDAY IN THE PARK AND YET CONTINUE WRITING THE HALLMARK STORY THAT MAKES LAKE CITY THE PLACE WE ARE SO PROUD OF. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS LAKE CITY, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH YOU. THANK YOU. YOU MARIKA FULLER. I'M READY. GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL MAYOR, RESIDENTS OF LEAGUE CITY. MY NAME IS MARIKA FULLER AND I LIVE IN LEAGUE CITY AND I'VE BEEN HERE FOR A LITTLE OVER 22 YEARS. I AM HERE TONIGHT REGARDING, UH, THE MAILER YOU SENT OUT, NICK. UH, WE GOT TWO OF THEM IN MY HOUSE. NOT SURE WHY YOU WOULD THINK ANYBODY IN MY HOUSE WOULD VOTE FOR YOU OR ANYONE YOU ENDORSED FOR THAT MATTER, BUT I DIGRESS. I GUESS THIS YEAR YOU FIGURE TROLLING SOMEONE'S FACEBOOK PAGE PAGE WAS A GREAT WAY TO FIND MATERIAL TO USE FOR YOUR LAME ATTEMPT AT FEARMONGERING. YOU COULD HAVE LEFT IT AT THE SNIPPET YOU TOOK FROM BAYER DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENTS FACEBOOK GROUP, BUT YOU ELECTED TO TROLL EVE GAMMELL. THAT DOESN'T SIT WELL WITH ME. WE ARE AWARE HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT EVE AND THE ENTIRE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY, BUT THIS IS A NEW LAW EVEN FOR YOU. A GROWN MAN USING THE WORD WOKE AS A DURATION, HAS NO BUSINESS LEADING ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY NOT A DIVERSE COMMUNITY LIKE OURS. LET, LEMME ASK YOU THIS. DID YOUR WIFE ATTEND COLLEGE? ACTUALLY, I KNOW SHE DID. THAT MEANS SHE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF DEI. DOES SHE OWN HALF YOUR HOME? CAN SHE GO BUY A CAR, TAKE OUT A LOAN, HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT, HAVE A JOB? ALL OF THEM, A DEI, NONE OF THEM HAVE DEFUNDED A POLICE DEPARTMENT. LETTING DI DIVERSE VOICES BE HEARD AND PARTAKE IN THE GOVERNANCE OF A COMMUNITY ISN'T GOING TO LEAD TO THE DISMANTLING OF SOCIETY. LIKE YOU WANT PEOPLE TO BELIEVE YOU HAVE NEVER RUN A CLEAN CAMPAIGN SHOWING OFF WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND IT APPEARS THAT YOUR GOAL IS THE SAME AS ALWAYS. KEEP OUT ANYONE WHO DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU. WHITE MALE OVER 40. YOU STILL HAVE A 10 YEARS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TRUTH AND TOSS OUT STATEMENTS THAT ARE CLEAR FIGMENTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION. THAT'S HOW WE ENDED UP WITH A BOOK BANNING COMMITTEE. AND NOW YOU'RE CLAIMING DEMOCRATS WANT TO DEFUND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. NOT EVEN THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS YOU LIST ON THE FRONT PAGE ARE YOURS. THEY WERE A TEAM EFFORT. ALL YOU DO IS PRESIDE AT THE DESK. I KNOW THAT YOU LISTED YOUR PREFERRED COUNCIL MEMBERS ON YOUR MAILER. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY YOU SPENT ON THIS TRASH, BUT I DO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT YOUR TICKET TO HEAVEN. MAYBE IF YOU USE THE MONEY TO FEED SOME HUNGRY KIDS, YOU'D STAND A CHANCE OF GETTING IN. SEAN DOYLE, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, I'M INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU. YOU WERE ENDORSED BY SOMEONE I TRUST, BUT ALIGNING YOURSELF WITH THIS SHOWED YOUR TWO COLORS. YOU DIDN'T GET MY VOTE EITHER. NEITHER DID ANYONE ELSE ON THIS MAILER. ON THE EVENING, ON THE NOVEMBER 3RD, WE WILL FIND OUT THE COMPOSITION OF THIS CO COUNCIL. I'VE CAST MY VOTE AND I SUGGEST EVERYONE ELSE DO THE SAME. THANK YOU. SEAN BYERS. YEP. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. COUNCIL, CITY STAFF AND NEIGHBORS. MY NAME IS SEAN BYERS AND I RESIDE AT 4 25 NO WISCONSIN AVENUE. I WANNA ADDRESS SOMETHING THAT GOES BEYOND ELECTIONS AND PARTISAN POLITICS. I WANNA SPEAK TO Y'ALL AS A FATHER. YESTERDAY I CREATED [00:55:01] AND SHARED A POLITICAL CARTOON CRITICIZING COUNCILMAN TOMMY COS ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT, THIS POLICE REPORT, TOMMY CALLED THE POLICE ON HIS OPPONENT FOR GIVING HIM GRIEF AT THE POLLS. THAT'S LITERALLY WHAT IT SAYS. LATER THAT EVENING, MR. COHENS RESPONDED PUBLIC WITH A CARTOON PORTRAYING ONE OF MY CHILDREN IN A LEWD MANNER. I AM FAIR GAME. MY CHILDREN, HOWEVER, ARE NOT. I CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS. I HAVE VERY STRONG OPINIONS AND I PUBLICLY CRITICIZE ELECTED OFFICIALS VERY LOUDLY AT TIMES THAT IS WELL KNOWN. I FULLY EXPECT PEOPLE TO CRITICIZE ME IN RETURN. THAT'S HOW PUBLIC DISCOURSE WORKS IN THIS TOWN. UNFORTUNATELY, WE ALL KNOW THAT, BUT MY CHILDREN DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR ANY OF THIS. THEY DIDN'T CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL POLITICS. THEY HAVE NO ROLE IN MY DISAGREEMENTS WITH ANYONE SITTING ON THIS DAIS. AND THEY CERTAINLY SHOULDN'T BECOME CHARACTERS IN SOMEONE'S ATTEMPT TO EMBARRASS THEIR FATHER IN A LEWD MANNER. WHAT I AM ASKING, WELL, I'M NOT ASKING ANYONE HERE TO PROTECT ME FROM CRITICISM. I CAN DEFEND MYSELF. I THINK Y'ALL KNOW THAT. WHAT I AM ASKING IS THAT WE RECOGNIZE A BOUNDARY THAT SHOULD NEVER NEED EXPLAINING. YOU DON'T DRAG SOMEONE'S KIDS INTO A POLITICAL FIGHT. TOMMY, YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO RESPOND TO MY CARTOON. I RESPECT THAT. YOU CAN CRITICIZE ME, RIDICULE ME, OR MAKE ME THE SUBJECT OF EVERY JOKE YOU WANT. I CAN TAKE IT. BUT INSTEAD YOU CHOSE TO BRING MY CHILDREN INTO IT. THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT. YOU'RE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, A GROWN MAN ENTRUSTED TO SPEAK FOR THIS COMMUNITY. AND WHEN SOMEONE CRITICIZED YOU, YOUR RESPONSE WAS TO WEAPONIZE THEIR CHILDREN. THAT'S NOT CLEVER. THAT'S NOT TOUGH. AND IT'S CERTAINLY NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF. YOU DIDN'T EMBARRASS ME, TOMMY. YOU EMBARRASSED YOURSELF. AND THE FACT THAT I HAVE TO STAND BEFORE THIS COUNCIL AND EXPLAIN TO ANOTHER GROWN MAN WHY SOMEONE'S CHILDREN SHOULD BE OFF LIMITS IS FRANKLY DISGUSTING. TOMMY, IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME, YOU TAKE IT UP WITH ME, BUT YOU LEAVE MY KIDS OUT OF IT AT LISA COLEMAN. LISA, GOOD EVENING. UM, MY NAME IS LISA COLEMAN. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. MY NAME IS LISA COLEMAN. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF LEAGUE CITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS. RAISED MY KIDS HERE, AND AS YOU CAN TELL, I HAVE THE RED SHIRT ON, WHICH MEANS HOLIDAY IN THE PARK. SO I'M GONNA BRING A LITTLE JOY. AND ONE THING THAT I WANNA PRESENT IS OUR, WE'VE GOT A NEW CULINARY CONTEST THAT WE ARE JUST INTRODUCING THIS YEAR FOR HOLIDAY IN THE PARK. UM, CHRISTIE, WE TRIED OUR HAND AT IT, BUT CHRISTIE'S GONNA HAND OUT THE LITTLE CAKES THAT WE MADE IN OUR ATTEMPT TO BE CULINARY PEOPLE, . AND LONG STORY SHORT, WE HAVE GOT 14 AMAZING KIDS IN THE CULINARY PROGRAM WITH, UM, CLEAR SPRINGS THAT WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING THIS YEAR. AND THIS IS OUR FIRST YEAR. SO WE'RE INVITING EVERYBODY OUT TO, UM, JOIN US SATURDAY MORNING AND, UM, AND JUST JOIN US TO SEE THE CULINARY CONTESTS IS THE FIRST OF OF MANY, HOPEFULLY. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU CHRIS ORTEGA. MORNING JURY. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. COUNSEL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I'M, MY NAME IS CHRIS ORTEGA. I'M AN EIGHT YEAR RESIDENT OF LEAGUE CITY. UH, I'M A FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FROM NEW JERSEY OF AN URBAN CITY. I'M HERE WITH THE HIGHLAND TERRACE GROUP. UM, I'M NOT GONNA BEAT A DEAD HORSE, BUT IT'S A PROBLEM, UM, BETWEEN THE TESLA DEALERSHIP, THE CUT THROUGH FROM, UH, WEST WALKER, NOT WEST WALKER, THE BY BY THE TESLA DEALERSHIP. IT'S JUST BECOME AN ONGOING ISSUE. I'M NOW HAVING VERBAL ARGUMENTS WITH NEIGHBORS WHO REFUSE TO SLOW DOWN. I'VE CALLED LEAGUE CITY POLICE, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THEY CAN DO, SO WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT. UM, I'M NOW A FATHER TO A 2-YEAR-OLD SON. WE'RE OUT IN THE STREET EVERY DAY, FOUR O'CLOCK TO SIX NONSTOP. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, BEING FOR FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE WORST THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN ARE INJURIES TO KIDS. AND I JUST DON'T WANNA SEE THAT FOR MY SON OR ANYBODY ELSE'S CHILDREN. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [01:00:03] UH, SALT, SALT IS, UH, SALTAR BLUE, BLUE SU SUSIE. OKAY. BLUE? YES MA'AM. BLUE SUSIE. OKAY. I KNOW YOU INVESTIGATED US. I'M SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO SAY IT. UM, HI. I AM SUSIE BLUE MAYOR LONG. I WOULD LIKE TO GO ON PUBLIC RECORD TO REPORT THE MANY HORRIBLE ACTIONS AND LIES I HAVE WITNESSED YOU DO WHILE SPEAKING TO A REPUBLICAN WOMEN'S GROUP WITH MANY OF THE COUNCIL, UH, PRESENT. UH, YOU TURNED YOUR SPEECH, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT YOU INTO A ROAST OF TOM CRUISE. IN THAT ROAST, YOU LISTED SEVERAL GROUPS THAT HE SPOKE TO, UM, THAT, UH, YOU SEEM TO THINK WERE BAD TO SPEAK TO YOU LIKE DEMOCRATS AND MUSLIMS. UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, THESE ARE LEAGUE CITY CITIZENS AND YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULD NEVER SPEAK TO THEM, BUT THEN SUDDENLY YOU AGREED TO GO TO THE LEAGUE CITY DEMOCRATS MEETING LATER ON. UM, SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. UM, AND ALSO TWO DAYS LATER, YOU AND TO CO TO TOMMY COES, UH, WERE AT AN EVENT, A DIFFERENT EVENT WITH SOME DIFFERENT BROWN PEOPLE, THE PATELS, BUT THEY GAVE YOU A LOT OF MONEY, SO I'M SURE THOSE WERE OKAY BROWN PEOPLE TO BE WITH. SO, UH, THAT MAKES THEM OKAY. BUT I'M SURE IF YOU WERE IN A ROOM OF WHITE PEOPLE, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. UM, SHAME ON ALL OF YOU. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT EVERYONE, NOT JUST WHITE REPUBLICANS FOR SOME REASON. THERE WAS ALWAYS, THERE WAS ALWAYS SOMETHING WRONG WITH, UH, TOM'S MICROPHONE TOO. AND ALL OF YOU WOULD SIT UP THERE AND GIGGLE EVERY TIME. AND THAT'S JUST GROSS. WHAT ARE YOU SCHOOL BOYS? THAT'S JUST CRAZY. LATER ON YOU ACCEPTED THE INVITATION FOR THE MAYORAL FORUM WITH THE LEAGUE CITY DEMOCRATS. AND AT THE SAME TIME, SHORTLY AFTER, UM, A REPUBLICAN EVENT HAPPENED, TOM SAID NO, BECAUSE HE HAD ALREADY ACCEPTED THE ONE FOR THE LEAGUE CITY DEMOCRATS. YOU SAID YOU'LL BE A LITTLE LATE INSTEAD OF SAYING, NO, I'M I'M ALREADY GOING, OR WHATEVER. AND THEN YOU ENDED UP COMING AT THE END OF THE MEETING THAT NIGHT, YOU APOLOGIZED TO EVE FOR USING HER POST ON THE MAILER, PROMISED TO NEVER USE HER POST AGAIN. LATER, ANOTHER CITIZEN ASKED WHY YOU HAD BLOCKED HER FROM YOUR MAYORAL FACEBOOK PAGE. ILLEGAL. UM, WHICH YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO BLOCK SOMEONE. OH, I'LL HAVE TO ASK MY WIFE. HOW LONG HAS FACEBOOK BEEN AROUND? YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO BLOCK SOMEONE, GIMME A BREAK. UH, THAT THE NEXT DAY SHE WAS MIRACULOUSLY UNBLOCKED. LOTS OF DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN BLOCKED. SHOULD I FILE A PIR TO SEE WHAT YOUR FACEBOOK BLOCK LIST LOOKS LIKE? HMM. INTERESTING. AT THE END OF THE NIGHT, YOU CAME UP TO MY HUSBAND AND STUCK OUT YOUR HAND AND SAID, YOUR NAME IS SCOTT. RIGHT? YOU GAVE ME A WEIRD LOOK. DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO COME UP TO ME BECAUSE YOU WERE NOT REALLY THERE TO BE GRACIOUS. YOU WERE THERE TO TELL ME YOU WERE INVESTIGATING US. WHY ELSE WOULD YOU KNOW MY HUSBAND'S FIRST NAME WHILE INVESTIGATING US? DID YOU SEE THAT HE HAS HIS UNDERGRADUATE FROM PRINCETON, HIS PHD IN CALCULUS FROM RICE, THAT HE'S A PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR, AN EAGLE SCOUT, A STATE CHESS CHAMPION, THAT HE TEACHES THE HIGHEST MATH CLASSES AT CLEAR LAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND RUNS THE MATH CLUB AND HAS WON SEVERAL PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS. AND I KNOW HE'S, HE'S A BETTER MAN THAN YOU BECAUSE HE DIDN'T EVEN BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAID THAT. THOSE WERE YOUR MOTIVATIONS. HE STUCK UP FOR YOU. BUT I KNOW YOU WERE PUTTING US ON, ON A WATCH TELLING ME THAT YOU HAD BEEN INVESTIGATING US, DIDN'T KNOW HIS NAME. THIS IS NOT WHAT LEADERSHIP SHOULD LOOK LIKE. THIS ISN'T EVEN WHAT ADULTHOOD SHOULD LOOK LIKE. [6. CONSENT AGENDA] ALRIGHT. CONSENT AGENDA SIX A THROUGH SIX Q, MOVE TO APPROVE. I'D LIKE TO PULL SIX E AND SIX N OR WE, YEAH, LET'S JUST PULL 'EM. I JUST GOT A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT IT. YOU SAID MN AS IN NANCY. NANCY. ALRIGHT, FOR THE REMAINDER. SO MOVE SECOND. MOTION PASSES. EIGHT FOUR, NONE AGAINST, [6E. 26-0468 Consider and take action on a resolution consenting to the sale and issuance of Unlimited Tax Road Bonds, Series 2026 of Galveston County Municipal Utility District No. 82 in an amount not to exceed $12,000,000 and authorizing the Mayor to execute and the City Secretary to attest same for and on behalf of the City of League City, Texas (Director of Finance)] UH, SIX E. CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON RESOLUTION CONSENTING TO THE SALE AND ISSUANCE OF UNLIMITED TAX ROAD BONDS SERIES 2026 OF GALVESTON COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 82 IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $12 MILLION. AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE IN THE CITY SECRETARY TO ATTEST THE FOR THE SAME ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY. MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. HI, JUST A QUICK, JUST A QUICK QUESTION. SINCE THIS IS GONNA BE 93 UH CENTS, [01:05:01] WHAT DOES THE, WITH ITS COMBINED WITH THE OPERATIONS PIECE, WHAT IS THE COMBINED RATE GOING TO BE? SORRY, I HAVE TO LOOK REAL QUICK. I BELIEVE IT WAS $1 AND 15 CENTS COMBINED TAX RATE. OKAY, BECAUSE I WAS, I WAS TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS THAT WAS CORRECT. IT WAS A LITTLE AMBIGUOUS. BUT IF THAT, THAT IS THE NUMBER. YES. $1 AND 15 CENTS. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . OKAY. PLEASE VOTE MISSING COURTNEY. AND I THOUGHT SEAN'S NOT HERE. SEAN'S OUT OF THE ROOM. SO, UH, MOTION PASSES 6 4 1 AGAINST ALRIGHT, [6N. 26-0398 Consider and take action on a resolution authorizing Amendment 2 to the Professional Services Agreement with Halff Associates, Inc. for the Lobit Park Phase 2 Project (PK2206) for additional engineering design services in an amount not to exceed $48,500 (Executive Director of Capital Projects)] SIX N, CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AMENDMENT TWO TO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT OF HALF AN ASSOCIATES FOR LOBERT PARK, PHASE TWO PROJECT PK 2 2 0 6 FOR ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $48,500. MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND MS. CRUZ. THANK YOU. MY, MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE'RE INCREASING IT BY 48,500, BUT THE PROPOSAL STILL SAYS THAT FINAL DRAINAGE, UM, DIRECTION HAD NOT BEEN PROVIDED IN FURTHER REVISIONS MAY STILL COST MORE. IS, HAS THAT DRAINAGE SOLUTION BEEN? I I'M, I'M SORRY. HAS THAT BEEN, UM, IS THIS THE FINAL NUMBER OR DID I READ IT WRONG IN THAT THIS IS THE FINAL DRAINAGE NUMBER. THIS IS THE FINAL. OKAY. RIGHT, THAT'S ALL I NEEDED. THANK YOU. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. EIGHT FOUR, NONE AGAINST [7A. 26-0453 Hold a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Code of Ordinances of the City of League City, Chapter 125, Article 3, entitled “Zoning Regulations”, and “Appendix A: Definitions”, to create a land use for data centers (Mayor Long)] SEVEN A HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CODE OF ORDINANCES TO THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY CHAPTER 1 25, ARTICLE THREE ENTITLED ZONING REGULATIONS AND APPENDIX. A DEFINITIONS TO CREATE A LAND USE FOR DATA CENTERS OPENS AT 7 0 7. THERE'S NOBODY ON IT CLOSES AT 7 0 7. [7B. 26-0454 Consider and take action on an ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of League City, Chapter 125, Article 3, entitled “Zoning Regulations”, and “Appendix A: Definitions”, to create a land use for data centers (Mayor Long) ] ALRIGHT, SEVEN B, CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY, OF LAKE CITY, TEXAS, CHAPTER 1 25, ARTICLE THREE ENTITLED ZONING REGULATIONS AND APPENDIX, A DEFINITIONS TO CREATE A LAND USE FOR DATA CENTERS. SECOND. YEAH, SO THE REASON I PUT THIS ON HERE IS OBVIOUSLY THERE'S BEEN A NATIONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT DATA CENTERS AND, UH, IN KIND OF JUST DOING SOME RESEARCH ABOUT OUR OWN STANDARDS FOR DATA CENTERS, NOTICED THAT, THAT WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE, UH, ANYTHING THAT WOULD PREVENT US FROM SOMEBODY BUILDING A DATA CENTER BY RIGHT. IN CERTAIN PIECES OF PROPERTY ACROSS LEAGUE CITY. AND SO THE DANGER OF THAT IS THEY COULD JUST COME IN AND, AND, YOU KNOW, BUILD THAT. AND SO THERE WAS, THERE WAS LACKING, THERE WAS, UH, SOME ISSUES IN THERE. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S OTHER PARTS OF THE CODE THAT YOU CAN USE TO, TO STOP THEM POTENTIALLY. BUT THE MOST, UH, STRAIGHTFORWARD, CLEAR WAY OF DOING IT WOULD MAKE THEM COME TO COUNCIL. AND THEN FROM THERE, HAVE THEM DISCUSSED IN OPEN, UH, IN AN OPEN SESSION, MAKE SURE THAT WE GET ANY KIND OF RESTRICTIONS THAT WE NEED ON THEM AND, UH, AND OR, YOU KNOW, DISMISS THEM OUTRIGHT. SO THIS GIVES THE COUNCIL A LOT MORE CONTROL. IT ALSO PROVIDES, UH, A LOT MORE TRANSPARENCY, UH, FOR THE CITIZENS. SO, UH, WHO ELSE WE GOT TOM? THANK YOU MAYOR. SO ON IT, I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A, UH, BASICALLY A SERVER CENTER OVER IN THE, UH, SOUTH SHORE. AND DOES THIS EXCLUDE BASICALLY JUST THE, THE SERVICE CENTERS, THE BASICALLY JUST A LARGE SERVER ROOM? UH, OR IS THIS REALLY MORE FOR THE ACTUAL, WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER A REAL DATA CENTER A ADDITIONALLY FOR THIS ONE? UM, WHAT CRITERIA HAVE WE DONE TO ADDRESS THE WATER, THE NOISE, THE GENERATOR, THE INFRASTRUCTURE? BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ON THIS, UH, WOULD HAVE COMPREHENSIVE STANDARDS HERE. AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY LABELED IT AS A, UH, AS A STARTING POINT. BUT IT JUST SEEMS THAT BEFORE WE ADOPT IN FIRST AND FINAL THIS, WE SHOULD HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, IN PLACE. AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WHEN I TALK TO CHRIS CARPENTER, THIS WOULD ALREADY HAVE TO [01:10:01] COME TO US AND TRUST ME, I'M NOT AGAINST THIS WHATSOEVER. I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. AND SO IF, IF IT ALREADY HAS TO COME BACK TO US AS A PUBLIC UTILITY, THEN WHAT'S, WHAT IS THE RUSH RATHER THAN US ACTUALLY GET THIS RIGHT AND, UM, LOCKED IN SO THAT WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE TRUE, TRUE RULES? YEAH. YEAH. WE WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT. UM, SURE. SO I'LL ANSWER THE LAST QUESTION YOU JUST ASKED FIRST. UM, SO RIGHT NOW THERE, THERE IS NO LAND USE FOR DATA CENTERS, SO WE KIND OF HAVE TO FIT IT INTO SOMETHING. UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MOST CLOSEST USE THAT WE HAVE WOULD PROBABLY BE A PRIVATE UTILITY USE, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE AN SUP. BUT CREATING AN ORDINANCE THAT'S SPECIFICALLY DEFINES A DATA CENTER, WHAT IT IS, AND SAYING THAT THAT REQUIRES AN SUP CLEARS ANY ARGUMENT THAT A DATA CENTER MAY HAVE TO LOCATE IN THE CITY. YEAH. AND THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I TALKED ABOUT THE UTILITY SIDE OF IT AS WELL. AND THAT'S WHERE I, I FELT THAT WAS LACKING BECAUSE IF YOU TRIED TO CLASSIFY AS UTILITY, I THINK YOU'D BE OPENING YOURSELF UP TO A LAWSUIT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT UTILITIES, RIGHT? THEY'RE JUST FUNDAMENTALLY NOT UTILITIES. AND SO THEY, THEY WOULD HAVE AN ARGUMENT TO STAND ON, WHEREAS WE BREAK OUT A SEPARATE DATA, A SEPARATE USE FOR DATA CENTERS, THAT'S PRETTY CLEAR. AND THEN IN TERMS OF JUST CREATING, YOU KNOW, REGULATIONS, I WOULD WANT DO IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. AND I'D ALSO WANT TO KEEP IT, I, I WOULDN'T WANT TO CREATE A CHECKLIST THAT IF YOU HIT THIS CHECKLIST, YOU'RE AUTOMATICALLY APPROVED. I'D WANT EVERYTHING TO COME TO COUNCIL AND TALK ABOUT EACH ONE OF 'EM AS THEY COME IN AND NOT HAVE SOME SET OF STANDARDS THAT, UH, THAT WOULD LEAD SOMEBODY TO BELIEVE OR, OR LEAD IT TO BE AUTOMATICALLY APPROVED INTO THE FUTURE. AND I, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO SEE, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING? BUT AS FOR ACTUALLY HAVING CHECKBOX, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE NICE. AND THEN THEY COULD COME TO US IF THEY WANT TO DEVIATE OUTSIDE OF IT. BUT, BUT ANYWAY, UM, I, I'M MORE AGAINST FIRST AND FINAL ON THIS. THANK YOU. YEAH. UM, THERE'S A, THIS IS A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR CHANGE IN WHAT A DATA CENTER IS AND HOW IT OPERATES. UM, THE TECHNOLOGY IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING. UM, THE TYPE OF FACILITIES THEY'RE PUTTING IN, CONSTANTLY EVOLVING. UM, TRYING TO PRE-PLAN AROUND THAT CHANGE, UM, WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC. SO I THINK MUCH LIKE, UH, SAY GAS STATIONS, UM, THERE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT STANDARDS THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. UM, AND THAT'S WHY I WOULDN'T WANNA PREDEFINE IT. AND I LIKE THAT WE'RE ADDING A HOOK THAT, THAT MAKES IT COME BEFORE COUNCIL. THAT'S ALL. AND THE OTHER REASON WHY I AM ASKING FOR FIRST AND FINAL IS BECAUSE THERE IS A VERY HIGH PROFILE PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT SOMEBODY IS LOOKING TO PUT A DATA CENTER ON. AND RIGHT NOW WE COULDN'T NECESSARILY STOP THAT DATA CENTER FROM COMING IN. AND I'M VERY SURE THE NEIGHBORHOOD DOES NOT WANT DATA CENTER RIGHT THERE. SO BY PUTTING THIS IN THERE, AND BY MAKING IT PART OF THE CODE RIGHT NOW, WE WOULD THEN HAVE IT KICK TO US AND WE'D BE ABLE TO STOP THAT OR MITIGATE IT OR DO WHATEVER NEEDS TO GET DONE AT THAT TIME. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. JUST CREATING THAT LAND USE AND BEING ABLE TO SAY NO IS RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE NO ACTUAL LEGAL ABILITY TO DO THAT. I, I, I DON'T GET ME WRONG, I'M, I, I, I LIKE CHRIS, CAN YOU JUST DEFINE WHAT A DATA CENTER IS? BECAUSE I, I WAS COMING BACK TO THE, TO THE SERVER THING. CAN YOU ACTUALLY, WITHOUT JUST KIND OF EXPLAIN AT A, UH, HIGH LEVEL TO ME, I, I WOULD SAY THAT I'M, I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN DATA CENTERS. UM, BUT, UM, ESSENTIALLY WE, WE, WE LOOKED AT THE DEFINITION OF MULTIPLE CITIES. WE KIND OF GATHERED ALL OF THOSE AND STUCK IT INTO ONE. SO WE CAN GROUP EVERYTHING THAT POSSIBLY COULD BE CONSIDERED A DATA CENTER UNDER THIS DEFINITION. IT'S BASICALLY A BIG UMBRELLA TO CATCH ANYTHING THAT POTENTIALLY COULD BE A DATA CENTER. I DON'T, I, I DON'T THINK I CAN GIVE YOU AN ANSWER TO YOUR OTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE SERVER CENTER. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO AND IF IT WOULD MEET THIS DEFINITION. OKAY. FAIR ENOUGH. THANK YOU. THE GRANDFATHER DID IT ANYWAY, SO THAT'S CORRECT. YES, SIR. ALRIGHT. PLEASE VOTE YOU VOTED. MOTION PASSES. EIGHT FOUR. NONE AGAINST. I'D LIKE TO MOVE FOR FIRST AND FINAL SECOND. YOU TRIED. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES 7 4 1 AGAINST SEVEN C. HOLD [7C. 26-0455 Hold a public hearing on a Special Use Permit, SUP-26-0006 (A+ Transmission Specialists), to allow an Auto Repair and Other Heavy Vehicle Services use on approximately 1.57 acres zoned “CG” (General Commercial), generally located on the southeast corner of League City Parkway (State Highway 96) and Meadowlark Lane, with the address of 845 W. League City Parkway (Director of Planning)] A PUBLIC HEARING ON A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. SUP DASH 26 DASH 0 0 0 6 A PLUS TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST TO ALLOW AN AUTO REPAIR AND OTHER HEAVY VEHICLE SERVICES USE ON APPROXIMATELY 1.57 [01:15:01] ACRES ZONE CG GENERAL COMMERCIAL, GENERALLY LOCATED ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF LEAGUE CITY, PARKWAY STATE HIGHWAY 96 AND MEADOWLARK LANE, WITH AN ADDRESS OF 8 4 5 WEST LEAGUE CITY PARKWAY STARTS AT SEVEN 15. UH, FIRST PERSON IS, UH, DAVID BLIND. BLOCKING, BLOCKING, BLOCKING. SORRY. THAT'S ALRIGHT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS DAVID BLOCKING. I'M DIRECTOR OF, UH, OPERATIONS FOR A PLUS TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST INCORPORATED. WE'RE THE FRANCHISOR FOR A PLUS TRANSMISSION SPECIALISTS, A HOUSTON BASED FRANCHISE ORGANIZATION WITH 17 LOCATIONS ACROSS TEXAS, 13 OF WHICH ARE HERE IN HOUSTON. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU TONIGHT REGARDING OUR PROPOSED SPECIAL USE PERMIT HERE IN LEAGUE CITY. WE'RE AWARE OF SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AND THE CITY COUNCIL AND FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT INTRODUCING A NEW BUSINESS NEXT TO AN ESTABLISHED RESIDENTIAL AREA BRINGS NATURAL APPREHENSION TONIGHT. I WANNA ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS DIRECTLY. OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO BECOME A LONG-TERM ASSET TO LEAGUE CITY, BOTH IN HOW WE OPERATE AND HOW WE PRESENT OURSELVES TO THE COMMUNITY. WE FEEL THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR BUSINESS MODEL IS UNIQUELY SPECIALIZED. WE ONLY SERVICE AND REPAIR TRANSMISSIONS BECAUSE OF THIS. OUR OPERATIONAL FOOTPRINT IS REMARKABLY LIGHT. OUR VOLUME IS LOW RELATIVE TO GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SHOPS DELIVERING ABOUT 22 VEHICLES WEEKLY. TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, A GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE SHOP OR QUICK LUBE CENTER OFTEN CYCLES THROUGH ABOUT 15 TO 20 VEHICLES A DAY, MORE IN SOME CASES, BECAUSE OUR VOLUME IS LOW, WE GENERATE VIRTUALLY NO TRAFFIC CONGESTION, PLACE, NO STRESS ON PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT, AND CAUSE ZERO SIGNIFICANT WEAR ON LOCAL ROADWAYS COMPARED TO STANDARD RETAIL OR COMMERCIAL USES. 90% OF OUR BUSINESS IS STRICTLY EVERYDAY RETAIL DRIVERS. THE REMAINING 10% CONSISTS OF LIGHT DUTY LOCAL COMMERCIAL VEHICLES SUCH AS PLUMBING AND HVAC TRUCKS. UH, WE DO NOT SERVICE HEAVY DUTY COMMERCIAL TRUCKS LIKE 18 WHEELERS BECAUSE WE DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE PUBLIC. WE BUILD BEAUTIFUL STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES. UM, I HAD, IT SHOULD BE FLASHING ACROSS THE SCREEN BEHIND ME HERE, HOPEFULLY ON THE SCREEN NOW YOU CAN SEE, UH, OUR THREE MOST RECENT BUILDS IN PEAR LAND, CYPRUS, AND ROSENBERG. WE INTENTIONALLY DESIGN OUR FACILITIES TO LOOK, UH, LIKE HIGH-END RETAIL, NOT INDUSTRIAL GARAGES. WE'RE COMMITTED TO MATCHING OR EXCEEDING LEAD CITIES AESTHETIC AND LANDSCAPING STANDARDS. FINALLY, WE, WE MAINTAIN STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH ALL SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS. ALL FLUIDS ARE CAPTURED, CONTAINED, INDOORS AND SAFELY RECYCLED BY CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS, ENSURING THAT WE PROTECT THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT. WE ARE COMMITTED TO RIGOROUS ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY STANDARDS. WE WANNA BUILD A FACILITY THAT ENHANCES LEAGUE CITY AND SERVICES YOUR RESIDENTS SAFELY AND CLEANLY. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT. UH, WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE COUNCIL MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. ANYONE. UH, BO HARDING, MAYOR LONG MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. THIS IS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE, SO MY SINCERE PRAYERS TO ALL OF YOU GUYS, EVERYBODY INVOLVED. UM, THANK YOU FOR SACRIFICING, UH, SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE. UM, AGAIN, MY NAME'S BO HARDING. I RESPECTFULLY SPEAK IN FAVOR OF SPECIAL USE PERMIT 26 0 0 0 6 AND REQUEST YOUR APPROVAL ALONG WITH PLANNING ZONINGS. RECOMMENDATION, MY WIFE AND I OWN THE SUBJECT PROPERTY. WE ALSO LIVE, UH, ON CON ORCHARD RIGHT NEXT TO THE PROPERTY, ABOUT 400 YARDS, JUST DIRECTLY SOUTHEAST. WE HAVE A DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT FROM OUR LIVING ROOM WINDOW TO THE PROPERTY FROM OUR HOME. WE CAN ALSO SEE TWO APARTMENT COMPLEXES IS 24 7 SERVICE STATION, A CREDIT UNION, AND THE GLOBE LIGHTS FROM THE NEARBY SPORTSPLEX ADD TO THIS CONTINUOUS SIGHT AND SOUNDS OF 18 WHEELERS, EMERGENCY AND PEDESTRIAN VEHICLES. AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY REMINDED OF OUR DECISION TO LIVE IN RAPIDLY GROWING CITY. JUST A FEW HUNDRED YARDS FROM A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE AND ONLY THREE QUARTERS OF MILE FROM I 45. WE'VE WITNESSED CONTINUED NEARBY GROWTH BOTH RESIDENTIALLY AND COMMERCIALLY. HOWEVER, WE DO NOT REGRET OUR CHOICE OF HOME LOCATION. WE LOVE OUR HOME, OUR LOCATION, OUR NEIGHBORS, CONVENIENCE, NEARBY SERVICES, AND OUR REDUCED COMMUTES FOR WORK. THE SITES AND SOUNDS OF GROWTH ARE THE TRADE OFF AND OUR PART AND PARCEL TO LIVING IN A GROWING CITY SUCH AS OURS. PLEASE UNDERSTAND, [01:20:01] I DO NOT SAY THIS TO BE CALLOUS. I LOVE PEACE AND SPACE AS MUCH AS ANYONE, IF NOT MORE SO. HOWEVER, I'M ALSO OBLIGATED TO UNDERSTAND THE DELICATE BALANCE OF LIFESTYLE GROWTH IN THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE. THAT IS WHY I'M GRATEFUL TO WORK WITH MR. MR CASHOLA. HE IS A LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WITH A PROVEN SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MODEL TO BOTH EMPLOYEES AND SERVICES AND NEEDS OF LARGELY BLUE COLLAR, BLUE COLLAR WORKING WOMEN, MEN AND WOMEN. HE HAS WORKED TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF NEARBY NEIGHBORS IN THE CITY BY INCORPORATING ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPING AND SCREENING MEASURES. AND BY PROVIDING INGRESS EGRESS FROM LAKE CITY PARKWAY ONLY WITH NO ACCESS FROM MEADOWLARK, HIS BUILDING IS LOW PROFILE AND CODE-COMPLIANT WITH DAYLIGHT OPERATING HOURS, HALF A DAY ON SATURDAY, CLOSED ON SUNDAYS. AND I BELIEVE THESE ARE IMPORTANT BENEFITS WHEN CONSIDERING OTHER USES THAT COULD GO ON THIS SITE WITHOUT THE NEED OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. THOSE THAT HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO CO TO ACCOMMODATE NEIGHBOR'S CONCERNS AS TO BUSINESS MODEL, OPERATIONAL HOURS, VISUAL APPEAL, OR TRAFFIC FLOW TO MEADOW ARK LANE. LASTLY, I'LL SPEAK TO, UH, UH, IMPACT PROPERTY VALUES, UM, THAT WAS BROUGHT UP IN A AT A PREVIOUS MEETING. MY WIFE AND I ARE LIFELONG RESIDENTS OF GALVESTON COUNTY. LIVED IN LEAGUE CITY FOR 25 PLUS YEARS, RUN A SUCCESSFUL REAL ESTATE BUSINESS HERE. WE'VE HELPED MANY FAMILIES BUY AND SELL PROPERTY HERE AT LEAGUE CITY, AND OF COURSE, CROSS HOUSTON IN GENERAL. WE'VE WATCHED THE CITY GROW BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIALLY BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS AND VALUES OF RESIDENT WITH IT. OF COURSE, LEAGUE CITY REMAINS HIGHLY DESIRED BY FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE FORTUNATE FOR THAT. AND AS AVAILABLE LAND OF COURSE DECLINES, VALUES ON VALUES ONLY CONTINUE TO RISE. AND I THINK WE JUST GOT OUR APPRAISAL IN THE MAIL. IT DIDN'T GO DOWN. IT'S GOING UP. UM, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL I OLY RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR APPROVAL ON SPECIAL USE PERMIT 2 6 0 0 0 6. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, AND THIS PUBLIC HEARING CLOSES AT 7 22 7 [7D. 26-0457 Consider and take action on an ordinance approving a Special Use Permit, SUP-26-0006 (A+ Transmission Specialists), to allow an Auto Repair and Other Heavy Vehicle Services use on approximately 1.57 acres zoned “CG” (General Commercial), generally located on the southeast corner of League City Parkway (State Highway 96) and Meadowlark Lane, with the address of 845 W. League City Parkway (Director of Planning)] D CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON AN ORDINANCE APPROVING SPECIAL USE PERMIT, SUP DASH 26 DASH 0 0 0 6 A PLUS TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST TO ALLOW AN AUTO REPAIR AND OTHER HEAVY VEHICLE SERVICES USE ON APPROXIMATELY 1.57 ACRES ZONED CG GENERAL COMMERCIAL, GENERALLY LOCATED ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF LAKE CITY PARKWAY STATE HIGHWAY 96 AND MEADOW LA MEADOWLARK LANE, WITH THE ADDRESS OF 8 4 5 WEST LEAGUE CITY PARKWAY. PROOF TO APPROVE SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS RECOMMENDED. OKAY, SECOND, MR. CRUZ, HOW MANY PEOPLE, UH, RESIDENTS CAME OUT? DID ANYBODY COME OUT TO SPEAK AGAINST IT BEFORE? SO THERE WERE, UM, A COUPLE RESIDENTS THAT CAME OUT AT THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, UM, THAT WERE OPPOSED. UM, AND THEN THE APPLICANT AND MR. HARDING SPOKE IN FAVOR AT THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. AND, UM, WITH THEIR INITIAL NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, THERE WERE SEVEN RESIDENTS THAT ATTENDED THAT HAD EXPRESSED CONCERNS. UM, SO WE ASKED THEM TO GO BACK AND HOLD A SECOND NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, UM, WHICH THEY DID. AND THREE NEIGHBORS ATTENDED THAT MEETING WITH SIMILAR CONCERNS. AND SO SOME OF THE CONDITIONS THAT WE PROPOSED, SOME OF THE PSYCH CONDITIONS THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING WERE INTENDED TO MITIGATE SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS SUCH AS ACCESS ONTO MEADOWLARK NOISE. THERE'S A MASONRY WALL PROPOSED IN THE REAR. AND SO, UM, WE FEEL THAT THEY'VE MITIGATED AS MANY OF THE CONCERNS AS THEY CAN. ALRIGHT. IT, I JUST, 'CAUSE THERE WAS NO ONE HERE, SO I WOULD, IT SEEMED LIKE IT HAS BEEN MITIGATED. THANK YOU MR. CHRIS. CHRIS, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RETAIL? WASN'T THERE A RETAIL? YEAH, THERE AT ONE TIME THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A PROPOSED, UM, RETAIL SHELL THERE AT SOME POINT IN THE PAST. UM, IT JUST NEVER MOVED FORWARD. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. YEAH, I WAS, I, I DID HEAR FROM A COUPLE RESIDENTS ABOUT IT. UM, HAVE WE GONE BACK TO THESE 10 PEOPLE AND TALKED TO THEM AT ALL? SO OUTSIDE OF THEM HOLDING THEIR FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING AND THEN HOLDING A FOLLOW-UP NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, WE ALSO MAILED NOTICES TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE, UM, SHOWING THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION DATE AS WELL AS THE CITY COUNCIL DATE. OKAY, DO A FLYER ABOUT THIS. ALRIGHT, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES 5 4 3 AGAINST, [7E. 26-0458 Hold a public hearing on a Special Use Permit, SUP-25-0017 (Gas Station/C-Store 1615 Hwy 3) to allow a Vehicle Fueling Station use on approximately 1.4 acres, zoned “CG” (General Commercial), generally located on the southeast corner of Farm to Market Road 646 and State Highway 3, with the address of 1615 State Highway 3 (Director of Planning)] UH, SEVEN E HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. SUP DASH 25 DASH 0 0 1 7. [01:25:02] GAS STATION C STORE 1615 HIGHWAY THREE TO ALLOW VEHICLE FUELING STATION ON APPROXIMATELY 1.4 ACRES ZONE CG GENERAL COMMERCIAL, GENERALLY LOCATED ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF FARM TO MARKET ROAD 6 46 AND STATE HIGHWAY THREE WITH AN ADDRESS OF 1615 STATE HIGHWAY THREE. HEARING STARTS AT 7 25. ANDREW LEE HEARING QUESTIONS? OKAY, UH, PUBLIC HEARING CLOSES AT 7 25 7 [7F. 26-0459 Consider and take action on an ordinance approving a Special Use Permit, SUP-25-0017 (Gas Station/C-Store 1615 Hwy 3) to allow a Vehicle Fueling Station use on approximately 1.4 acres, zoned “CG” (General Commercial), generally located on the southeast corner of Farm to Market Road 646 and State Highway 3, with the address of 1615 State Highway 3 (Director of Planning)] F CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON ORDINANCE APPROVING SPECIAL USE PERMIT, SUP DASH TWO FIVE DASH 0 0 1 7. GAS STATION C STORE SIX 15 HIGHWAY THREE TO ALLOW VEHICLE FUELING STORAGE ON APPROXIMATELY VEHICLE FUELING STATION ON APPROXIMATELY 1.4 ACRES ZONE CG GENERAL COMMERCIAL GENERALLY LOCATED ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF FARM MARKET ROAD 6 46 AND STATE HIGHWAY THREE WITH AN ADDRESS OF SIX 15 STATE HIGHWAY THREE. PLANNING AND ZONING RECOMMENDED APPROVAL. FIVE OH OCTOBER 8TH, MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND MR. S NO. OH, SORRY, MS. CRUZ. OKAY. CHRIS, THIS IS THE ONE THAT'S, THAT'S TORN UP, RIGHT? YES, SIR. THIS ONE WAS, UM, CONDEMNED BY TXDOT AND, UM, TAKEN DOWN. YES, SIR. IT WAS A C STORE THOUGH. IT WAS A C-STORE PREVIOUSLY? YES. OKAY. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. CAN YOU SHOW WHAT THE PLANS LOOK LIKE, WHAT THE, THE NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION'S GONNA BE? YES, SIR. IT'S UP ON THE SCREEN. THEY'RE DOING ENHANCED LANDSCAPING ALONG THE SOUTH AND EAST PROPERTY LINES. UM, THE TYPICAL CONDITIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR A GAS STATION. DO YOU HAVE THE VISUALIZATIONS? YES, SIR. SO IT'S A MASONRY BUILDING, UM, WITH MASONRY COLUMNS, WRAPPING THE PUMPS, UM, TYPICAL OF WHAT WE'D SEE, UM, FOR GAS STATIONS APPROVED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. SO, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OVER WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE. YES, SIR. EXACTLY. ALRIGHT, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. EIGHT FOUR NONE AGAINST [8A. 26-0470 Consider and take action on a resolution authorizing a professional services agreement with Laurel’s House beginning October 1, 2026, and expiring on September 30, 2029, for spay and neuter services in an amount not to exceed $216,000 (Chief of Police)] OLD BUSINESS EIGHT A. CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH LAUREL'S HOUSE BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2026, EXPIRING OCTOBER 30TH, 2029 FOR SPAY AND NEUTER SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $216,000. MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. EIGHT FOUR. NONE AGAINST NEW BUSINESS. CONSIDER [9A. 26-0340 Consider and take action on appointments to the Capital Improvement Advisory Committee (Mayor Long)] AND TAKE ACTIONS ON APPOINTMENTS AT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THE NOMINEES ARE KYLE KERN, UH, EDGAR FIGUEROA, JAMES BROCKWAY, DAVID PERSON AND JAMIE CAMPOS. MOVE TO APPROVE SECOND. OKAY. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES EIGHT FOUR. NONE AGAINST IC [9C. 26-0404 Consider and take action on a resolution authorizing a Construction Manager at Risk contract with CSA Construction, Inc. for the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility 2.0 MGD Expansion Project (WW2201) with a Guaranteed Maximum Price in an amount not to exceed $77,915,143, an additional $2,093,194 for a Work Change Directive budget, a construction material testing services contract with Terracon Consultants in an amount not to exceed $240,485, and a construction management, inspection, start-up, post-construction services contract with Freese and Nichols, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $5,766,321 for a total construction budget of $86,015,143 (Executive Director of Capital Projects)] CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION ON RESOLUTION. AUTHORIZING THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK CONTRACT WITH CSA CONSTRUCTION INC. FOR THE SOUTHWEST WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY 2.0 MGD EXPANSION PROJECT WW 2 21 WITH A GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $77,915,143, WHICH IS AN ADDITIONAL $2,093,194 WORK CHANGE DIRECTIVE BUDGET CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL TESTING SERVICES CONTRACT WITH TERRACON CONSULTANTS IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $240,000. UH, TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY $5,000 FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT INSPECTION, STARTUP POST-CONSTRUCTION SERVICES CONTRACT WITH FREEZING NICHOLS, INC. IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $5,766,321 FOR A TOTAL CONSTRUCTION BUDGET OF 86,015,143. MOVE TO APPROVE. MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY. I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD SAY SOMETHING . UM, [01:30:01] YEAH, YEAH, LET'S, GOOD, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT A LITTLE BIT. IT'S WELL NEEDED. I, I DON'T DISAGREE. BUT BEFORE WE SPEND $86 MILLION, THE, UH, THE CURRENT, THE EXISTING WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IS 2 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY. UH, AND EVERY YEAR THAT GOES BY, THESE EXPANSIONS COST MORE MONEY. I USED TO DO THESE A LOT CHEAPER, BUT THIS, THIS IS A 2 MILLION GALLON EXPANSION OF IT TO GET TO 6 MILLION. THIS WILL SERVE, UH, MO ALL, ALL THE WEST SIDE DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO IT WILL HELP US TRANSFER SOME FLOWS FROM THE OLD ON THE EAST SIDE TO THIS NEW PLANT TO TAKE, UH, DALLAS SALMON, UH, TAKE SOME OF THE FLOW FROM DALLAS SALMON OVER TO THIS ONE. THE, UH, ABOUT ABOUT THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO, WE STARTED THE DESIGN AT 30%. WE BROUGHT THE SEA MAR, UH, TO HELP 'EM THROUGH THE COST MODELING AND ALL OF THAT. AND THIS IS TO GET 'EM INTO CONSTRUCTION. THE PROJECT IS A BRAND NEW, UM, IN INFLUE LIFT STATION. AS YOU CAN SEE THAT GREEN IS A, UH, NEW AERATION BASIN. THE BLUE ROUND ONE IS A NEW CLARIFIER. WE ALSO ARE IMPROVING OUR UV SYSTEM. THE DIGEST, THE DIGESTER, THE BLUE IS, UH, DETENTION POND REQUIRE, UH, DETENTION POND THAT IS NEEDED. AND, UM, A LOT OF ELECTRICAL STUFF. LOTS OF ELECTRICAL. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SIZE OF IT. ANY QUESTIONS? THIS EXPANSION ALSO PREPARES US MORE EASILY TO GO FROM 6 MILLION TO 8 MILLION. ULTIMATELY WILL BE A 12 MILLION GALLON A DAY FACILITY. SO IT'S STILL GOT SOME ROOM TO GROW. AND SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST EXPENSIVE CIP PROJECT WE'VE EVER DONE IN LEAGUE CITY. THAT IS RIGHT. YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF IT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF IT'S FOR NEW GROWTH WILL BE PAID FOR CAPITAL RECOVERY FEES AS LONG AS THE GROWTH CONTINUES. , UH, WHAT KIND OF TRAFFIC IMPACT IS THIS GONNA HAVE ON NORTH KANSAS? OR IS IT CORELLE BACK BEHIND IT? NO, NOT CORELLE. WHAT IS THAT? SO, SO, SO THIS PLANT IS THE SOUTH, EITHER THE WEST, RIGHT? I'M SORRY, I APOLOGIZE SIR. MAP MAPLE LEAF MAP OFF OF MAPLE LAKE. YES, SIR. YEP. IS IT GONNA IMPACT COUNCILMAN MANN'S MOTORCYCLE RIDING IMPACT? THAT'S THE GROUND. THE, THE GROWTH ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE HAS IMPACTED HIS MOTORCYCLE RIDING. YES. ALRIGHT. PLEASE VOTE. SHARE THE ROAD WITH THE BIKES. I'M OKAY WITH THAT. . OH BOY. I THOUGHT THAT WAS DALLAS ALLEN. MOTION PASSES EIGHT FOUR. NONE AGAINST, THERE ARE NO FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES. THERE ARE NO ITEMS ADDED AFTER ELECTRONIC AGENDA REPORTS FROM [12. REPORTS FROM STAFF MEMBERS] STAFF TONIGHT. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF STAFF REPORTS. I FORGET WHICH ORDER THEY ARE. WE HAVE ONE ON THE KEMPER SPORTS ASSESSMENT ANALYSIS. RICK DAVIS WILL GIVE THAT. OBVIOUSLY RYAN AND AARON ARE BOTH HERE AND RICHARD FROM KEMPER SPORTS IS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. SO IF YOU'RE READY, GO AHEAD, RICK. THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCIL, UH, BACK IN APRIL, YOU, UH, MADE IT POSSIBLE, UH, WELL, ACTUALLY BACK IN FEBRUARY, YOU MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR, UH, WELL, NO, IT WAS APRIL, WASN'T IT, UH, UH, TO GO FORWARD WITH A COMPREHENSIVE OPERATIONAL AND, UH, FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF THE BALLPARK IN LAKE CITY. SO THIS WAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AFTER ENOUGH OF, UH, IN TERMS OF TWO FULL OPERATING CYCLES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE DATA THAT ALLOWED US TO REALLY COMPREHENSIVELY REVIEW, UH, WHAT WAS GOING ON AND, AND EVALUATE REALLY THE MODEL THAT WE HAD EMBARKED UPON THERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. UH, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THIS, UH, IN A VERY SUCCINCT MANNER. UH, SO, UH, WE PROVIDED, UH, THE FULL REPORT TO YOU, THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. BUT REALLY JUST TO HARKEN BACK TO THE PURPOSE OF THIS, WHY WE DID THIS, THAT TO BEGIN WITH. AND THAT WAS TO HELP US SEE IF OUR MODEL WAS WORKING, ADDRESS ANY EMERGING, UH, EMERGING NEEDS AND TO ESTABLISH A SUSTAINABILITY PLAN FOR THE FUTURE. SO THAT WAS A THREE-PRONGED PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY. UH, AS, UH, WAS MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE RICHARD STIFFER, UH, LINE FROM KEMPER. I'D ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ASSISTANCE AND PARTICIPATION OF RYAN SMITH, ETHAN MARKS, AND ALSO AARON RO FOR, UH, THEIR SUPPORT IN, [01:35:01] IN CONDUCTING THIS STUDY. UH, THE BOTTOM LINE IS, UH, THAT, UH, WHAT WE FOUND AT THE BALLPARK, UH, INDICATES THAT WE'RE IN A VERY POSITIVE TRAJECTORY WITH REGARD TO OPERATING THE BALLPARK. UH, THE BALLPARK HAS PRODUCING SUFFICIENT REVENUE TO OPERATE, UH, REINVEST IN THE FACILITY AND TO CONTRIBUTE TO LEAGUE CITY'S ECONOMY, ALL THREE. AND SO YOU SEE A, A FEW OF THE FINANCIALS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SEE HERE. ANNUAL REVENUE IS STABILIZED AT ABOUT 4.85. UH, SURPLUS WAS PROJECTED AT THE TIME. WE, UH, LAUNCHED INTO THIS STUDY AS $722,000. I HAVE A REVISED PROJECTION AT ABOUT $690,000 RIGHT NOW. IT HAS COVERED ITS DIRECT OPERATING EXPENSES AND APPROXIMATELY $1.1 MILLION IN ACTUAL PROJECTED CAPITAL INVESTMENT HAS BEEN MADE IN 25 AND 26. UH, OUR TOURNAMENT AND EVENT ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE APPROXIMATELY 15.7 MILLION IN DIRECT VISITOR SPENDING IN 2026. BUT I HAVE TO ADD HERE A CLARIFICATION. THIS IS THE GENERAL ECONOMY OF THE AREA AND NOT LAKE CITY SPECIFIC. SO, JUST SO I MAKE THAT CLEARER. THE STUDY WAS VERY HELPFUL IN IDENTIFYING SOME VERY KEY OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE. UH, FIRST OF ALL, WE NEED TO, ACCORDING TO THE STUDY, CONCENTRATE ON MEASURE GROWTH. ACTUALLY OUR FIELDS ARE AT NEAR CAPACITY IN TERMS OF THE PRESENTATION OF TOURNAMENTS. SO THE FUTURE IS GOING TO FOCUS ON THE VALUE OF EACH WEEKEND EVENT RATHER THAN SIMPLY ADDING MORE EVENTS. UH, FOOD AND BEVERAGE SHOULDN'T BE A SURPRISE, GENERATES A LION'S SHARE OF REVENUE AT THE BALLPARK. AND SO THERE MAY BE SOME IMPROVEMENT THAT CAN BE REALIZED IN TERMS OF THE MARGINS ON SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES AND THAT OVERHEAD. UH, THE, THERE WERE, THERE ARE, THERE IS A MULTIPURPOSE FIELD THAT CAN SUPPORT ADDITIONAL LEAGUES, CAMPS, CLINICS, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES. AND THERE'S ALWAYS THE ROOM FOR SPONSORSHIPS, RETAIL TARGET PRICING, AND IMPROVED MARKETING CONVERSION TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL REVENUE. SO WHILE WE ARE ON A VERY GOOD SOLID, UH, TRAJECTORY RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO TIGHTEN THOSE MARGINS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T, UH, TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF TO THIS POINT. SO, UH, WITH THAT, ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE GAINED FROM THIS STUDY WAS, AND FROM THE CONSULTANT, WAS THE PRODUCTION OF A 12 YEAR CAPITAL PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES ABOUT FOUR AND THREE QUARTERS MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF EXPENSES OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME. THIS IS PRE-PLANNING, PROACTIVE PLANNING FOR CAPITAL NEEDS SUCH AS TURF. UH, YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THE OUTFIELD AREA ALSO THAT NEEDS TO BE REHABILITATED. UH, OTHER THINGS INCLUDING ROOFS, EXPENSIVE ITEMS, HVAC, ET CETERA. BUT ALL THESE CAPITAL NEEDS HAVE BEEN PROGRAMMED INTO A 12 YEAR PLAN, AND IT'S BEEN RECOMMENDED THAT, UH, THE CITY PLACE ABOUT $400,000 INTO THIS PLAN EACH YEAR TO COVER THOSE COSTS. UH, ADDITIONALLY, BEGINNING IN 27, FISCAL YEAR 27, WHICH IS WE'RE IN THE BALLPARK, WILL PROVIDE TO THE GENERAL FUND APPROXIMATELY $300,000 IN ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD. SO THE RECOMMENDED DIRECTION IN A NUTSHELL, UH, MAINTAIN THE SUCCESSFUL OPERATING MODEL THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY EVALUATE TOURNAMENTS BASED ON TOTAL CONTRIBUTION AND STRENGTHEN OUR FOOD AND BEVERAGE COSTS, LABOR, INVENTORY, WASTE, AND PRICE CONTROLS. UH, WE MAY BE ABLE TO PILOT ADDITIONAL MULTIPURPOSE, UH, FIELD USAGE AND, UH, KIND OF GAUGE DEMAND OVER THE NEXT YEAR FOR ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING. UH, COMPLETE A POST LEVEL POSITION LEVEL REVIEW OF FULLY BURDENED PERSONNEL COSTS BEFORE WE EXPAND ANY STAFFING. AND OF COURSE, ESTABLISH THAT ALL IMPORTANT CAPITAL RESERVE POLICY AND UPDATE TO THE FINANCIAL AND CAPITAL PLAN ANNUALLY. SO REEVA REEVALUATE THAT. UH, EVERY YEAR CONCLUSIONS THE BALLPARK SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION FROM THE PRIOR MODEL TO THE CURRENT MODEL OF CITY OPERATING. AND, UH, WE'RE FINANCIALLY STRONG. THE RESPONSIBILITY NOW IS TO CAPITALIZE ON THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE HEADING RIGHT NOW. AND THAT COULD BE BEST DONE BY PROTECTING THE MODEL THAT WE HAVE, IMPROVING THE MARGINS, UH, AND FULLY UNDERSTANDING THE COSTS, EXPANDING REVENUE SELECTIVELY RESERVING FUNDS TO MAINTAIN THE FACILITY FOR THE LONG TERM, AND PROVIDING FUNDING TO FULLY SUPPORT INDIRECT COSTS. AND SO WITH THAT, UH, I HAVE AARON HERE. I HAVE, UH, I HAVE, UH, RYAN, I ALSO HAVE RICHARD AND ETHAN MARKS AS WELL. AND SO HAPPY TO ANSWER THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. [01:40:02] YEAH, THANK YOU RICK. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO COMMEND JOHN, YOURSELF, RYAN, AARON, AND EVERYBODY AT THE PARK. I KNOW THIS WAS A CONTENTIOUS SITUATION A FEW YEARS AGO, AND IT LOOKS LIKE Y'ALL HAVE REALLY TURNED IT AROUND AND MADE THIS A VERY SUCCESSFUL PARK. I I REALLY THINK, UH, HADN'T HAD A LOT OF TIME WITH THE ELECTION. WE HAD 1,069 PAGES ON OUR AGENDA, AND THAT'S A SMALL ONE, UH, THIS WEEK. BUT, UM, HADN'T REALLY HAD A LOT OF TIME TO GO OVER THIS COMPLETELY, BUT, UH, REALLY LIKED THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PORTION OF IT, WHERE SHOWING THE OFFSHOOT OF A LOT OF MONEY AND HOTEL STAYS AND SO FORTH BEING, UM, SPENT BECAUSE OF IT. I, I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL THING. REALLY WANT TO COMMEND STAFF THIS TIME BECAUSE I, I THINK Y'ALL TOOK ON SOMETHING THAT, UM, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH HOPE IN, AND NOW WE SEE A LOT OF HOPE, UH, MOVING FORWARD. UH, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO MAYBE ENCOURAGE THIS COUNCIL. UH, I'VE TALKED TO JAMES, UM, ROCKWAY, I GUESS, ABOUT THE PROPERTY BEHIND, UH, THE BALLPARK AND IT IS KIND OF UP FOR SALE, BUT I THINK WITH A LITTLE BIT OF ENCOURAGEMENT, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT STAFF IN, IN THIS COUNCIL COULD MAYBE BUY INTO, UH, FOR MORE SOCCER FIELDS. AND I KNOW JAMES LEFT, I WAS HOPING HE WOULD SAY, BUT, UM, REALLY NEED TO TRY TO EXPAND IT. AND I THINK WE CAN DO A LOT WITH SOME MORE SOCCER FIELDS AND SO FORTH OUT THERE, BASEBALL FIELDS OR WHATEVER. AND THAT LAND IS, UH, PROBABLY A, A GREAT AREA TO TRANSITION TO BECAUSE WE'RE CONNECTED RIGHT TO IT. BUT, UH, I COMMEND YOU AND JOHN FOR HAVING THIS DONE. THANK YOU. AND ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO MAYBE SEE THE SAME STUDY DONE FOR THE SPORTS, I MEAN FOR HOMETOWN HEROES AND OTHER FACILITIES. I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING THAT WE KINDA LOOK AT THE OVERALL PICTURE. THANK YOU. MR. MANN. DO YOU GUYS HAVE THE ESTIMATED COST FIGURES ON IF WE HAD STUCK WITH THE CONTRACTOR? BECAUSE REALLY I, YOU GUYS MIGHT NOT REMEMBER THIS, BUT I WAS ONE OF THE, UH, MAYBE DURING EVEN COVID THE FIRST TIME WHEN WE HAD CONTRACTING PROBLEMS, I WAS A PROPONENT OF US TAKING THIS OVER. THE CONCEPT BEING THAT I KNEW STAFF COULD RUN THIS BETTER THAN THE CONTRACTOR. AT SOME POINT YOU WOULD EXPECT THAT ANALYSIS TO HAVE HAPPENED, THOUGH, YOU KNOW, THAT AT SOME POINT YOU'D SAY LIKE, HEY, WE WERE, WE WERE SPENDING X NUMBER OF DOLLARS. AND I, I DIDN'T, MAYBE I MISSED IT IN THE REPORT, BUT, UM, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE DOING GREAT COMPARED TO WHAT, YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? EXACTLY. YEAH. SO YEAH, A LOT OF THAT IS, UH, UH, INFERRED. OBVIOUSLY WE, I THINK, UH, THIS GROUP IS TO BE COMMENDED FOR, I THINK, UH, QUITE A COURAGEOUS DECISION TO GO IT ALONE. IT'S SOMEWHAT COUNTERINTUITIVE THAT GOVERNMENT CAN, CAN RUN SOMETHING BETTER THAN, THAN A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION. AND, UH, YOU TOOK THE COURAGE AND EXERTED THE FAITH, AND RYAN, OF COURSE, AND HIS CREW REALLY RAN WITH IT AND MADE THE VERY BEST OF A, OF A VERY BAD SITUATION. TO SAY THAT THEY MADE LEMONADE OUTTA LEMONS IS A, IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT TO BE SURE. UH, BUT NO, UH, WE HAVE NOT, IT IS BEEN SOMEWHAT ANECDOTAL, BUT WE HAVE, UH, CERTAINLY SEEN AN ELEVATION IN WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, PROVIDE OUT THERE. AND WE ARE FAR MORE SUSTAINABLE THAN WE WERE, UH, IN THE PAST TO, IN TERMS OF THE ANALYSIS. THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING INTERESTING TO VISIT. I AGREE WITH YOU. AND IF I, IF I, IF I COULD ADD TO SOME OF THAT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE'RE PROUD OF WHAT AARON'S DONE OUT THERE. HE WAS OUT THERE WHEN IT WAS RUN, RUN BY THE PRIVATE CORPORATION. THE FACILITY CERTAINLY WAS RUN DOWN. THERE WAS NO CAPITAL REINVESTMENT. THEY PAID, THEY PAID US $400,000 A YEAR, WHICH DIDN'T EVEN OFFSET THE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT. AND SO I WOULD TELL YOU, I THINK AARON COULD TELL YOU IF YOU WANNA HEAR FROM AARON, BUT THE ATTENDANCE IS UP, THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO THE PARK IS UP, AND THEN THE REVENUE TO MAKE IT A SUSTAINABLE FACILITY, THE REINVESTMENT IS CERTAINLY NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS FOUR YEARS AGO. YEAH. AND JUST FOR, FOR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THIS WAS NOT, I MEAN, I WAS LOOKED AT LIKE, I WAS CRAZY THE FIRST TIME THAT I BROUGHT THIS UP AND I WAS SHOT DOWN. IT WAS ACTIVELY SHOT DOWN BY STAFF AND BY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. BUT THEN WHENEVER WE, I, I THINK WHENEVER THAT SECOND COMPANY CAME THROUGH AND THEY DID SO POORLY, UM, SOMEHOW IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA. AND, UM, [01:45:02] ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS, AND, AND YOU MIGHT THINK, WHY WOULD I EVEN, I'D NEVER EVEN GONE TO THE THING. SO WHY WOULD I EVEN FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT IT? AND ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT, UM, THAT'S REALLY, IF YOU'RE GONNA PROVIDE ANY VALUE TO THIS ORGANIZATION GOING FORWARD, IT'S BEING ABLE TO SAY NO. ALRIGHT. EVEN WHENEVER YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, SAY NO AND MAKE THEM EXPLAIN IT TO YOU. BUT THEN WHENEVER YOU DO HAVE A GOOD IDEA, DON'T, DON'T LET PEOPLE SHOOT YOU DOWN, BECAUSE THERE, THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND. YOU, YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD DRIVE BY THERE AND SEE THE PLACE KIND OF ATROPHYING. AND THEN YOU COULD LOOK AT THE DO BASIC DOLLAR FIGURES AND SEE WHAT A HORRIBLE DEAL IT WAS. I MEAN, MY GOD, THE, THE PEOPLE WHO PUT THAT DEAL, I'M MESSING WITH TOMMY COHEN RIGHT NOW, , TOMMY, JUST DON'T GO THAT FAR BACK. OKAY. . BUT YOU COULD LOOK AT THAT AND I KNEW THAT RYAN AND SOMEONE COULD DO A BETTER JOB. SO KUDOS TO STAFF, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THIS IS REALLY THE KIND OF THING THAT YOU GENERATE. IF YOU'RE GONNA GENERATE ANY VALUE, YOU CAN JUST SHOW UP AT THE MEETINGS, PUSH YES. BUT IF YOU CAN OCCASIONALLY DIG YOUR HEELS IN ON SOMETHING, UM, YOU, IT CAN TURN INTO SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEAH, I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT ADVICE. AND I THINK WHAT ANNIE LEFT OUT, WHAT HE HE'S REALLY TRYING TO SAY IS, I TOLD YOU SO, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT HE REALLY WANTED TO SAY. UM, I'LL ECHO WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE SAID. HATS OFF TO RYAN SMITH AND TEAM. UH, THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE AT THE BALLPARK COMPARED TO WHERE IT WAS, YOU KNOW, 3, 4, 5 YEARS AGO IS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EXPANDED PROGRAMMING, SEEING WHAT THAT BRINGS IN. UM, I GUESS IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR AGO WE HAD, UH, A WORKSHOP ON SPONSORSHIPS AND NAMING RIGHTS. WHERE ARE WE ON THAT? HAVE, HAVE, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY PROGRESS MADE ON ANY OF THAT? THEY LAID OUT THEIR METRICS TOO. IT IS SLOW MOVING. SO WE HAVE ONE FROM SERTA PRO, WE JUST SIGNED ONE WITH CHICKEN AND PICKLE TODAY, AND SHE'S WORKING ON ANOTHER ONE WITH TANKER OUTLETS. IT'S JUST TRYING TO GET THAT, THOSE GROUPS IN THERE. SO IT'S JUST SLOW MOVING. YES, SIR. SLOW MOVING. STILL PROGRESS. WHAT, WHAT RYAN REALLY WANTS TO SAY IS HE SELECTED AN AWESOME PERSON TO DO THAT FOR HIM. AND NOT THAT THE PERSON DOING IT TODAY IS NOT GOOD, BUT HALFWAY THROUGH THAT PROGRAM, SHE GOT STOLEN AWAY BY RECREATION TO DO SOMETHING ELSE. IT'S HISS FAULT. HE HAD TO CHIN'S FAULT AND HE HAD TO START OVER WITH SOME THAT. NOW IT'S LAUREN'S FAULT. KUDOS TO LAUREN. SHE STARTED WITH ME AND LEFT ME TO GO TO PARKS CHIN. YOU GOT LUCKY. OKAY. I DO WANNA SAY ONE THING. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE ACCOLADES, BUT MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THANK YOU. I THINK Y'ALL GAVE ME ONE WEEK TO OPEN IT. , WE OPENED IT, WE OPENED IT THAT NIGHT AND FRIDAY WE HAD A HEALTH PERMIT AND WE WERE GOING. AND THEN, UM, WE'RE COMING UP ON OUR THIRD YEAR ANNIVERSARY. I SAID IT WOULD TAKE THREE YEARS TO BE KIND OF SUCCESSFUL AND UNDERSTANDING AARON'S WAY AND MY WAY. UM, I APPRECIATE JOHN'S SUPPORT, RICK'S SUPPORT. ANGIE, IF YOU'RE ON VACATION WATCHING, THANK YOU SO MUCH. KUDOS TO MY IT TEAM, MY FACILITIES TEAM. KUDOS TO KATRINA IN THE BACK, WHO IS A POINT OF SALE TOAST GENIUS. ETHAN, WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU. YOU'RE NOT GETTING RECOGNIZED ENOUGH, BUT THANK YOU. HE AND KATRINA WORKED THE NUMBERS, THE MARGINS, THE PROFITS, UM, IT'S BEEN GREAT. YOU KNOW, HFA SOCCER WAS IN THE PAVILION. HTX SOCCER, WE JUST GOT ANNOUNCED THAT THEY'RE GONNA RENEW FOR ANOTHER YEAR. UM, THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY, I JUST WANNA THANK, THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU, ROY. YOU WERE RIGHT. COUNCILMAN, MAN, YOU WERE RIGHT. WOW. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, . UM, I'M NOT IMPLYING THAT THAT SUCH A PLAN DOESN'T EXIST, BUT I DO THINK, UH, THE ONE THING THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE GOING FORWARD OUTTA THIS, THAT $15.7 MILLION THAT GETS SPENT IN THE GENERAL AREA, I'D LIKE TO SEE A, A CONCRETE PLAN TO TRY TO MAKE SURE, UM, AS MUCH OF THAT AS POSSIBLE IS, IS SPENT HERE IN LINK CITY. UM, WHETHER THAT LOOKS LIKE, UM, PARTNERSHIPS WITH, WITH SOME OF OUR LOCAL HOTELS, WITH BRING A PLAN IN. I'M SURE THERE IS ONE, BUT I THINK THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT. ONE THING TO ADDRESS ON THAT, ON OUR WEBSITE, IT DOES LIST AN ORDER OF THE HOTELS. AND LIKE SOUTH SHORE HARBOR, I FORGOT TO RECOGNIZE, IS A SPONSORSHIP OF THE NORTH RESTAURANT. THEY ARE ON THE TOP. AND SO WE GO THROUGH THAT AND PUT THOSE THINGS IN ADDITION TO THE SPONSORSHIP PACKET WE PROVIDED Y'ALL. THANK [01:50:01] YOU. YEAH. AND, UH, I, I PROBABLY SPEND THE MOST TIME OF ANYONE UP THERE, UP HERE AT THE BALLPARK. AND IT IS NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE. AND I'VE, I'VE TOLD YOU THIS BEFORE, IT WAS DOWNRIGHT UNSAFE AND DISGUSTING, UH, BEFORE WE TOOK IT BACK OVER AND WE WERE LOSING MONEY. SO JUST A PERFECT STORM OF EVERYTHING. UH, AND IT'S, IT'S GREAT. SO ANY GIVEN TIME, THERE'LL BE BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, UH, YOU'LL HAVE SEVEN ON SEVEN FOOTBALL, YOU HAVE CRICKET, SOCCER, ALL OF THAT GOING ON AT ONE TIME. UH, AND IT'S A VERY UNIQUE PLACE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. IT, YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S GENERATING MONEY. IT'S ALSO A COMMUNITY PLACE NOW AGAIN. AND SO HAVING THE, UH, THE VILLAGE FAIR THERE, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IN THE FUTURE TO ENHANCE THE, THE NON-SPORTS STUFF THAT WE DO OUT THERE AS WELL. SO I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT. UM, BUT YEAH, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN GREAT. I ALSO, I DON'T WANT TO JUST, I THOUGHT COUNCILMAN MANN WOULD BRING THIS UP, BUT I WAS THE ONE THAT STOOD THERE WITH YOU, BUT THAT'S FINE. . THAT'S FINE. I'M GLAD WE FORGOT THAT. BUT, UH, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN SEEING ALL THESE POLITICAL THINGS THAT I STOOD NEXT TO YOU ALL NOW, . NO, IT'S, IT IS GREAT. AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND, AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM. AND EVERY TIME I'M THERE, YOUR ENTIRE TEAM IS THERE. SO, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE CONSTANTLY LIVING AT THE PARK AND MAKING DIFFERENCES EVERY DAY. AND I SEE THEM DOING THE SMALL THINGS, LIKE SEEING THE MANAGERS PICK UP TRASH, LIKE GOING AROUND DOING THINGS THAT ARE FAR OUTSIDE OF THEIR OWN JOB TITLE OF MAKING SURE THAT IT'S A, IT'S A WELL-RUN PLACE. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT PRIDE, UH, IN IT MAKES, CERTAINLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE. AND IF I'M GONNA NITPICK ABOUT ONE THING, WOULD LOVE TO SEE NETS. THE NETS COMING OVER TOP OF THE SPECTATORS SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, KIDS FALL OFF A BALL AND I JUST TOOK PICTURES OF CLEAR CREEK BASEBALL. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S ON OUR TARGET TO MOVE FORWARD ON. AND IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT, LIKE MY OWN MOM WHO HAS TO WATCH BASEBALL OUT THERE WAS GONNA GET ON ME FOR NOT MENTIONING THE NETS. MOM, I'M WORKING ON IT. PERFECT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, JUST ONE LAST THING, UH, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT, UH, AS A CITIZEN I'LL BE STARTING A PETITION TO RENAME THE FIELD, THE NICK LONG FIELD. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. EITHER NAMING PROBLEM PROJECTS HAD NOT GONE SO WELL THOUGH, SO, SO NEXT WE HAVE ANOTHER PRESENTATION, AND AS YOU AS COUNCIL KNOWS, WE'VE GONE THROUGH SEVERAL OF THE DEPARTMENTS SYSTEMATICALLY AND DONE SOME STRATEGIC PLANNING. OBVIOUSLY, UH, RECREATION IS ONE OF THOSE HIGHER PROFILE AREAS, AND WE WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE RECREATION STRATEGIC PLAN. LAUREN SIPPLE, WHO USED TO DO MARKETING FOR THE BALLPARK, HAS BEEN OUR RECREATION ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR A YEAR AND A, A HALF OR SO NOW. AND SO SHE, THAT'S, THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT. SO SHE'S TACKLED THIS WHOLE STRATEGIC PLANNING WITH LOTS OF GUSTO AND WE'LL KIND OF GIVE YOU A SHORT UPDATE ON WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR SURE. THE FIRST THING I HAVE TO SAY IS BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME RIGHT? BUILD IT, AND THEY WILL COME. SO, UM, LAUREN SEWELL, I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PARTS AND RECREATION. UH, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL, MAYOR, UH, CITIZENS STAFF. UM, I WANNA COMMEND THE BALLPARK AS WELL. YOU KNOW, I STARTED MY CAREER WITH LEAGUE CITY AT THE BALLPARK. UM, RYAN AND AARON AND THE TEAM BELIEVED IN ME OVER THERE WITH SPONSORSHIPS. AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT THEY, THEY'VE REALLY DONE A LOT TO, TO BRING THAT PLACE UP. UM, IT'S A PLACE OF PASSION OF MINE AS WELL. I STILL PLAY, UH, FROM TIME TO TIME, AND I STILL GET THAT LITTLE GUT FEELING IN MY BELLY WHEN I GO THERE OF EXCITEMENT. AND SO, UM, A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE WAY THAT THEY RUN THINGS AND THE PRIDE THEY TAKE, LIKE YOU SAID. SO I COMMEND THEM A GREAT JOB AND, AND, UH, KEEP IT UP. SO HOPEFULLY I CAN KEEP PLAYING AS WELL. BUT I'M HERE TO, UH, INTRODUCE YOU GUYS TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN. PARKS AND RECREATION HAS PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO DESIGNING THIS. FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK, UH, RICK AND, UH, OUR DIRECTOR CHEN, UH, FOR THE SUPPORT THAT THEY'VE PUT IN TO, TO HELPING US PUT THIS TOGETHER. UM, THERE THEY ARE, RIGHT THERE. THEY LOOK GOOD IN THAT PICTURE. UM, BUT I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLAN. UH, WHAT THIS ENTAILED IS, UH, BASICALLY A LOT OF TIME, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS NOW. UM, WE'VE LISTENED TO OUR PATRONS, BUT FIRST THING WE DID WAS DEVELOP A GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT ENCOMPASS ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS, ALL THE WAY FROM SENIOR PROGRAMMING, PICKLEBALL, AQUATICS, ATHLETICS, OUR YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS, ADAPTIVE PROGRAMMING. WE BROUGHT A BUNCH OF THOSE STAKEHOLDERS IN AND WE SAT DOWN WITH THEM. AND SO WHEN YOU SEE THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAD OVER A THOUSAND SURVEY RESPONSES. BUT THAT STARTED WITH THAT GROUP, THAT, THAT SOLID FOUNDATION OF STAKEHOLDERS. AND FROM THERE WE WERE, WE WERE ABLE TO OUTREACH TO OUR CITIZENS AND ACCUMULATE A LOT OF GOOD DATA. SO ON THIS SLIDE, YOU SEE THE LISTEN, ACT AND REPORT. [01:55:01] UM, THE, THE, THE FOUNDATION OF THIS IS TO GENUINELY LISTEN. AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE MAJORITY OF THIS TIME HAS TAKEN US TO DO IS SIT DOWN AND LISTEN TO OUR CITIZENS AND OUR PATRONS, OUR, OUR PEOPLE THAT JOIN AND ATTEND THESE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES ALL THE WAY FROM TWO YEAR OLDS TO 93 YEAR OLDS. UM, MAYBE I HAVE A COUPLE OLDER ONES THAN THAT AT HOMETOWN. UM, BUT LISTENING. AND THEN NOW THIS IS WHERE I'M STANDING HERE PRESENTING TO YOU ALL, UH, THIS IS WHERE WE, WE START TO ACT. AND SO, UM, EXCITED TO PUT THIS INTO MOTION AND THEN AGAIN, REPORT TO YOU GUYS ON THE SUCCESS OF, OF HOW THIS THING IS GOING. SO, UM, IT STARTS WITH A PRIMARY DIRECTIVE. AND I DON'T WANT Y'ALL TO CONSIDER THIS AS A, A MISSION STATEMENT. IT'S MORE SO AS OUR WHY, UH, IN PARKS AND REC. AND AGAIN, ALL OF THIS IS ENCOMPASSED BY THE DATA AND THE, THE COMMUNICATION OUR CITIZENS HAVE HAS SPOKE TO US. IT SAYS, ENHANCE THE RESIDENT EXPERIENCE THROUGH EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE, MEANINGFUL RESIDENT PARTICIPATION, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, AND HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMMING. AND THAT IS THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DELIVER BACK TO OUR CUSTOMERS, WHICH IS THE CITIZENS ULTIMATELY. SO IN THIS, UH, IS FOUR STRATEGIC DIRECTIVES, AND THIS WAS THE BULK OF WHAT WE GOT BACK FROM OUR CITIZENS. AND E UNDER EACH ONE OF THESE DIRECTIVES ARE INITIATIVES. THIS IS THE INTENTION BEHIND THESE DIRECTIVES AND HOW WE'RE GONNA DISPLAY THIS. ONE IS CUSTOMER SERVICE, OUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, RESIDENT PARTICIPATION, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND QUALITY PROGRAMS. AND THERE'S INITIATIVES UNDER EACH ONE OF THOSE. UM, UNDER CU CUSTOMER SERVICE, THERE'S NINE INITIATIVES. UM, UNDER RESIDENT PARTICIPATION, THERE'S SIX INITIATIVES, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, SIX INIT INITIATIVES, AND THEN QUALITY PROGRAMS, SIX INITIATIVES AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE OUR FOUR DIRECTIVES. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO WORK TO STRATEGICALLY ROLL THOSE OUT BY FOLLOWING EACH ONE OF OUR INITIATIVES. EACH ONE OF YOU GUYS HAVE THE FULL STRATEGIC PLAN WITH YOU. I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO GO THROUGH THAT. YOU MAY NOT HAVE QUESTIONS TONIGHT. IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE BIT TO ABSORB THAT AND TAKE IT ALL IN, BUT I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY. UM, THE INTENTIONALITY BEHIND THIS IS, IS HUGE. MY TEAM'S ON BOARD, UH, WHEN I SAY TEAM, MY FULL-TIME STAFF. AND THEN IN THE SUMMERTIME, UM, NOW THAT WE'VE EXPANDED, WE ARE EXPANDING THE CAMP ON THE WEST SIDE. I'M LOOKING AT HAVING OVER, UH, PROBABLY ABOUT 130 PART-TIME STAFF. AND SO ALL OF US ARE ON BOARD TO REALLY MAKE THIS, UH, THE BEST IT CAN BE. THE INITIATIVES ARE LISTED IN THE FULL STRATEGIC PLAN. WE ARE GONNA ROLL THIS OUT TO OUR CITIZENS. UH, THIS IS NO SECRET. WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THIS, THAT WE'RE SERIOUS, THAT WE'VE LISTENED, AND WE'RE GOING TO REALLY SHOW THEM AND, AND DISPLAY TO THEM THAT WITH THAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE BACK OVER THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS. SO, UM, BASED OFF OF THESE, THE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN, OUR SLIDES, UM, ULTIMATELY WHAT MATTERS, UH, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. WE REALLY PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS, UM, AND SO TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN IT. WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT PRIDE, AND I SURE AM GLAD THE BALLPARK WENT BEFORE ME BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE THE, UH, THE VIBE THAT CAME IN ALL OF A SUDDEN HERE AT THE END OF THIS MEETING. SO I'M GLAD THAT THEY WENT BEFORE ME. I'M EXCITED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. UM, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR THE SUPPORT THUS FAR IN THIS. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TOP INITIATIVES? UM, WHEN WE SAY, OKAY, SO WE WANNA PROVIDE BETTER, YOU KNOW, BETTER SCHEDULING, UH, IN THE SPORTS, WE WANNA PROVIDE BETTER, UH, STREAMLINES PROCESS MAPPING AND THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL STILL TRYING TO DIAL OUT DIFFERENT WAYS OF, UH, COMMUNICATION. SOME OF OUR SENIORS COMMUNICATE DIFFERENTLY THAN SAY SOME OF OUR, OUR YOUNGER CROWDS. SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE TO ALL PARTIES, UH, PROGRAM QUALITY. YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO GIVE THE CITIZENS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THEIR VOICE SO THAT WE CAN ROLL OUT SURVEYS AND GET THOSE SURVEYS AND INTEGRATE BETTER PRACTICES AND PROGRAMMING, INTEGRATE NEW PROGRAMMING. UM, AND IN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT REALLY WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY TAKING THE DATA BACK FROM OUR CITIZENS AND WE'RE DISPLAYING THAT IT CAN GO ALL THE WAY FROM SOMETHING AS PUTTING A DISPLAY BOARD UP IN THE, THE HOMETOWNS SO THAT OUR, UH, WE'RE DELIVERING MESSAGES TO OUR SENIORS MAYBE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN WE DO TO SOMEONE ELSE. [02:00:01] UM, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, BASED OFF OF THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, YOU KNOW, UH, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST THINGS IS GROWTH, AND THEY WANNA SEE THESE FACILITIES EXPAND. AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE OP, THE FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE. UM, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST THINGS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR PROGRAMMING FILLS UP FAST, YOU KNOW, SO, AND NONE OF US, NONE OF US WANNA ANSWER A PHONE AND SAY WE'RE FULL, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE JUST DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THE FIELD SPACE OR FACILITY SPACE TO ACCOMMODATE THEM. SO WE'RE SO EXCITED TO TAKE ON SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME MORE FIELD SPACE AND SOME MORE SPACE AND OPPORTUNITY TO, TO EXPAND ALL THE WAY AROUND. UM, GROWTH IN THE AQUATICS, GROWTH IN THE ADAPTIVE. UM, SO OUR INITIATIVES ARE REALLY BASED A LOT ON GROWTH. UH, OUR COMMUNITY WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER. THEY'RE EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION, BUT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO ELEVATE AND GROW, UH, WHAT WE HAVE. AND SO I THINK A LOT OF THAT IS, UH, EXPANDING OUR FACILITIES AND, YOU KNOW, WITH PAT, HAL PARK, LOBIT AND POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER FACILITIES AROUND TOWN, I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DELIVER A QUALITY PRODUCT AND TAKE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE OFF THE WAITING LIST. AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE EXPANSION CAN'T BY THE CREEK. UM, IT'S GONNA TAKE PEOPLE OFF THE WAITING LIST. AND SO WE'RE EXCITED. SO I'VE, I'VE SPENT, YOU KNOW, 12 HOURS A DAY AT HOMETOWN HEROES PARK THE LAST WEEK. SO I'VE GOT TO REALLY SEE A LOT OF IT. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNEW PICKLEBALL WAS POPULAR, DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND HOW POPULAR IT SEEMS INCREDIBLY POPULAR, BUT, UH, AND THEN ALL THE OTHER STUFF THAT YOU GUYS DO FROM MAHJONG TO, YOU KNOW, AEROBICS CLASSES, WATER AEROBICS, I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S PROBABLY 25 DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPENING AT ANY GIVEN TIME AT THAT PARK, AND IT'S JUST NONSTOP ALL DAY. AND THAT'S, THAT'S AWESOME. BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SPACE AND FILLING UP, HAVE NOTICED THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM HARRIS COUNTY, THERE'S FROM ALL OVER NON-LEAGUE CITY PEOPLE. HOW IS THAT IMPACTING THE SPACE THAT WE HAVE? AND I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT CATERING TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE LEAGUE CITY BEFORE, UH, AND TURNING AWAY THE CITIZENS WHO ARE PAYING FOR THESE FACILITIES. SO WE ALWAYS, WE HAVE A PROTOCOL WHERE OUR RESIDENTS CAN REGISTER FIRST FOR ALL EVENTS AND THE REST OPEN TWO WEEKS LATER. SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING WE TAKE PRIDE IN, IS PUTTING OUR RESIDENTS FIRST ALWAYS. UM, AND MOST OF THE TIME OUR RESIDENTS GET THE FIRST CHANCE TO REGISTER AND IT FILLS UP BEFORE THE NON-RESIDENTS CAN EVEN COME IN. SO WE TAKE PRIDE IN THAT AND WE FOLLOW THAT, YOU KNOW, TO THE T ONCE A ONE OF, ONCE ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS OPENS, IT'S TO THE RESIDENTS TWO WEEKS LATER, NON-RESIDENTS OPEN. UM, SO WE DO TAKE PRIDE IN THAT AND THANK YOU FOR THE COMPLIMENTS ON, ON HOMETOWN. A LOT OF THAT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S SUPER SPECIAL BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT'S MORE THAN JUST RECREATIONAL. THERE'S A LOT OF RELATIONSHIPS IN THAT BUILDING, AND SENIORS' LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED AND PROLONGED BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE THAT THEY MEET, THE PEOPLE THAT THEY WORK OUT WITH. SOME OF 'EM CAME IN AND, AND, UH, WE'RE NERVOUS ABOUT ONE CLASS AND THEY STAY TILL EIGHT NOW, AND THEY DON'T LEAVE UNTIL THREE. YEAH. SO, SO THAT JUST TELLS YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THAT CAN DO TO CHANGE SOMEBODY'S LIFE. AND THAT'S, THAT'S ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE LOVE TO SEE AND DO. AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE STAFF AND MYSELF, YOU KNOW, LEARNING PEOPLE BY THEIR FIRST NAMES AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, REALLY GETTING TO KNOW THEM IS, IS ONE OF THE FUNNEST PARTS OF THE JOB. AWESOME, MR. CRUZ. THANK YOU. SO YEAH, THE MAYOR'S RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS A BUSY, ALWAYS A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING IN AND EVERYBODY'S HAPPY. AND SO IT'S, IT'S KIND OF THE ONE OF THE BEST PARTS. BUT, UM, WHEN WE'RE OUT THERE AND THE THE WAIT FOR THE PICKLEBALL IS, IS THAT IS, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THAT WORK FOR, I GUESS WHAT I'M GOING, I, I THINK WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE NICK WAS MAY HAVE BEEN GOING TO, I'M NOT, DON'T LET ME PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, WAS THAT THERE'S A BIG WEIGHT FOR PICKLEBALL AND IF, IF THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TOLD. SO IS IT ANY KIND OF PRIORITY GIVEN TO LOCAL CITIZENS OR IS IT JUST A FIRST COME FIRST ALL ALWAYS? YEAH, SO THAT'S OPEN COURT PICKLEBALL, AND WE OFFER THAT PRETTY MUCH ALL DAY. AND THEY, THEY PLAY ON AN HONOR SYSTEM WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO ROTATE THROUGH AND EVERYBODY'S SUPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO PLAY AND GET IN THE GAMES. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF ALLOCATE THAT TIME TO THEM TO DO THAT AND DO SO. UM, SO BASICALLY IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES WITH THAT, SOMETIMES WE GO IN AND, AND WE KIND OF MONITOR AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ALLOWING EVERYBODY TO GO IN AND PLAY. UM, BUT IT'S AN OPEN SETTING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO, SOMETIMES WE HAVE PICKLEBALL INSTRUCTORS COME IN, UM, BUT MAJORITY OF THAT IS OPEN PLAY WHERE ANYBODY CAN GO IN THERE [02:05:01] AND THEY CYCLE THROUGH. THEY HAVE A, A LITTLE PADDLE RHYTHM THAT THEY FOLLOW TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHO PLAYS. I HAVE HAD TO GO IN THERE A COUPLE TIMES AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ROTATING AND, AND, AND DOING THINGS AUTHENTICALLY. BUT MOST OF THE TIME, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY PLAY OFF OF A HONOR SYSTEM IN THERE. WELL, YOU'RE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB THERE. THANK YOU. THEN I THINK THE OTHER THING, AND I THINK Y'ALL ARE AWARE OF THIS, YOU KNOW, FROM A FEE PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE LOOKED AGGRESSIVELY AT OUR FEE, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE COMPARE RESIDENT FEES TO NON-RESIDENT FEES. AND THAT APPLIES TO THE PICKLEBALL ALSO, BUT THERE, BUT THERE'S INCREDIBLE DEMAND FOR THE PICKLEBALL PARTICIPATION. YEAH. AND WE'RE EXPANDING TREMENDOUSLY AT OUR OUTDOOR COURTS. I THINK CHEN HAS SOMETHING HE WANTS TO SAY. I'M GONNA MOVE OUTTA THE WAY FOR MINUTE, YOU KNOW, WE TALK TO THE STAKEHOLDERS, THERE WAS A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR MORE FACILITIES AND WE KNOW WHERE, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON SOME OF THOSE FACILITIES. THEY'RE COMING ALONG HERE ONLINE PRETTY SOON. BUT, YOU KNOW, LAUREN ALSO LOOKED OUT FOR PARTNERSHIPS AND WHAT SHE FAILED TO MENTION IS LIKE, THIS PICTURE UP HERE IS A STEM PROGRAM. SHE STARTED OVER SUMMER AND SHE PARTNERED WITH COLLEGE OF THE MAINLAND WHERE WE GOT TO USE THE FACILITIES FOR FREE. AND SHE HAD 50 TO A HUNDRED KIDS IN THE STEM PROGRAM FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS PAST SUMMER. SO THAT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. AND ONE OF THE DIRECTIVES AND INITIATIVES IS THAT WE WANT TO ADDRESS MORE OF OUR LAKE CITY RESIDENTS AND PROVIDE CITIES AND PROGRAMS FOR OUR LAKE CITY RESIDENTS. AND THERE WAS A QUESTION ON, WELL, THERE ARE SOME NON-RESIDENTS. YES. BUT NON-RESIDENTS PAY A NON, UH, RESIDENT MEMBERSHIP FEE, WHEREAS THE SENIORS FOR LAKE CITIES, THERE'S NOT A CHARGE FOR THE, WHAT IS THAT MEMBERSHIP FEE? I BELIEVE IT'S 85. IS THAT EIGHT FIVE? UH, IT'S GONE UP SINCE THEN. IT'S, IT'S OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS NOW FOR NON-RESIDENTS. YEAH, YOU'RE SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR, FOR MENTIONING THAT. UM, SO YEAH, THIS WAS A STEM PROGRAM THAT I INTEGRATED THIS PAST SUMMER COLLEGE OF THE MAINLAND WAS FANTASTIC. UM, WE CONTRACTED OUT A COUPLE INSTRUCTORS TO RUN THE PROGRAM WHO HAD A TREMENDOUS SCIENCE BACKGROUND, AND THEN THERE WAS VOLUNTEERS THAT, UH, IN THE STEM PROGRAM WITH C-C-I-S-D THAT CAME IN AND, AND HELPED US OUT AS WELL. SO IT WAS, IT WAS TREMENDOUS PROGRAM. I'M LOOK FORWARD, I LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THAT AGAIN THIS SUMMER, UH, EXPANDING ON IT, BUT WE GOT NOTHING BUT GOOD FEEDBACK ON THAT. UM, I HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH IT. AWESOME. SO THANK YOU ALL. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. UH, ANY MORE QUESTIONS? THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I LOOK FORWARD TO REPORTING BACK ON HOW THIS IS GOING TO YOU ALL. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, UH, COUNCIL [13. COUNCIL MEMBERS COMMENTS/REPORTS] MEMBER COMMENTS, UH, ANNOUNCEMENTS IS CONCERNING COMMUNITY INTEREST MAYOR PRO TEM. LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET ALL THIS CORRECT TONIGHT BEFORE YOU CATCH ME AND SAY SOMETHING ELSE. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, SEVERAL SCHOOLS THAT WILL BE IN THE SIX A UIL AREA CHAMPIONSHIP THIS WEEK. THE TOP FOUR SCHOOLS FROM THIS WILL BE GOING TO THE STATE MARCHING CHAMPIONSHIP IN SAN ANTONIO HERE IN THE SECOND WEEK OF NOVEMBER. THE SCHOOLS, UH, THAT REPRESENT LEAGUE CITY STUDENTS PRESENTLY ARE DIXON, ISDI HAVE TO BRING THAT UP FIRST. THAT'S WHERE MY KIDS GO. UH, CLEAR FALLS, CLEAR CREEK, AND CLEAR SPRINGS, ALSO IN THE C-C-I-S-D NETWORK, CLEAR LAKE AND CLEAR BROOK WILL BE ATTENDING THIS AREA CHAMPIONSHIP. IF YOU EVER HAVE AN AREA, A CHANCE TO GO SEE THIS, THESE COMPETITIONS, THIS WILL BE HELD AT FREEDOM FIELD AND IOWA COLONY PRETTY MUCH ALL DAY LONG ON OCTOBER 31ST. FI PRELIMS WILL BE DURING THE DAY, FINALS AT NIGHT, AND THAT'S WHEN THEY'LL ANNOUNCE WHO'S ACTUALLY GOING TO STAY. UH, THESE KIDS PUT A LOT OF HARD WORK INTO THIS. THIS IS NOT, IS NOT EASY TO DO. OUR CITY ATTORNEY, HER DAUGHTER IS IN THE BAND WITH MY SON AND SHE CAN ATTEST TO IT. UH, THEY PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS, SO GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE STUDENTS GOING. SECOND OF ALL, I WANT TO INVITE ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DIXON HIGH SCHOOL ON, UM, NOVEMBER 16TH AT 12:00 PM DIXON MASONIC LODGE WILL BE PERFORMING THE CORNER STORE CORNERSTONE CEREMONY. UH, IT IS A CEREMONY THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOREVER. UH, IF YOU GO TO A LOT OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS, YOU'LL SEE A CORNERSTONE WITH THE SQUARE ENCOMPASSES ON IT. THEY'LL BE DOING THIS CEREMONY AT THE NEW CT BUILDING, UH, AT 12:00 PM ON NOVEMBER 16TH. ALL OF YOU'RE INVITED. AN EMAIL SHOULD BE GOING OUT. I FORWARDED IT TO OUR CITY SECRETARY, SHE'LL FORWARD IT OUT TO THE REST OF Y'ALL. UH, I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MR. MAYOR. UH, MR. MANN. I'LL YIELD MY TIME FOR THE LAST TIME, PROBABLY MR. CONES. YEAH, THANK YOU. MAYOR. I'M NOT GOING TO BELABOR THIS TOO MUCH TONIGHT, BUT LET ME, I WANT TO TELL THE AUDIENCE AND THE PEOPLE THAT'S WATCHING ON THE PEG CHANNEL, EVERY COUNCIL MEETING, WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING, UM, OR PUBLIC COMMENT [02:10:01] SECTION. AND THAT'S FINE. 'CAUSE I, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO COMMENT, BUT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WHEN THEY DO COMMENT AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, WE HAVE NO RIGHTS TO SPEAK TO ANYBODY. WE HAVE NO RIGHTS TO MAKE COMMENTS, AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE NO RIGHTS TO, UM, REBUTTAL ANYTHING. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S, THAT'S A BAD OR A GOOD THING, BUT IT, IT'S KIND OF UNFAIR BECAUSE THE ONLY TIME WE GET TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING IS AT THE END OF THE MEETING WHEN EVERYBODY'S GONE. AND I'VE CERTAINLY LIKE TO ADDRESS MY ACCUSER TONIGHT BECAUSE, UH, I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS HE SAID WAS ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT. AND I DON'T MEAN IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A ELECTION SEASON, AS YOU CAN TELL. AND EVERY YEAR AT ELECTION TIME, WE HAVE THIS, UM, A LOT OF CLOWN SHOWS I'LL CALL IT, WHERE PEOPLE COME OUT AND, AND, UH, THEY WANT TO SLAM DUNK COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, AND WE HAVE NO RIGHTS TO DO ANYTHING, BUT TO SPEAK ON OUR COMMENTS. SO I WANNA MAKE TWO, TWO ADDRESSES TONIGHT ON THAT. UH, THE GENTLEMAN THAT CAME UP AND TALKED TO ME OR ABOUT ME TONIGHT WAS ABSOLUTELY FALSE. THIS GENTLEMAN ALWAYS COMES OUT, AND I WISH HE WAS HERE, MY ACCUSER, BUT HE'S NOT. YOU CAN SEE THAT HE LEFT. UM, HE'S BEEN POSTING AND MESSING WITH ME, I GUESS, PICKING ON ME FOR EIGHT YEARS. AND I'M, I'M A BIG BOY. I CAN TAKE IT. AND AS A, AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, WE HAVE TO TAKE IT NO MATTER WHAT IT IS. BUT YOU KNOW, AT TIMES IT, IT DOES GET OLD. UM, THERE WAS A, A COMMENT MADE ON HIS FACEBOOK PAGE PAGE OR ON THE, ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT, UH, UH, UPSET HIM VERY MUCH. AT NO TIME DID I EVER ATTACK HIS FAMILY, I ATTACKED HIM. AND I THINK HE'S A LITTLE BIT HURT OVER THAT AND HURT HIS FEELINGS THAT I ATTACKED HIM. UM, I USUALLY DO NOT GET ON SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS IN SOCIAL MEDIA. BUT, UM, SO I, I'M NOT GONNA BELABOR THAT ANYMORE. I JUST WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT, UH, WHAT HE SAID TONIGHT WAS ABSOLUTELY A LIE. AND, UH, IS ELECTION SEASON, JUST TAKE IT AT FACE VALUE. THE SECOND THING IS MY OPPONENT. THIS IS PROBABLY, I'VE RAN FIVE OR SIX TIMES, UM, ON CITY COUNCIL. THIS YEAR HAS TO BE THE WORST YEAR I'VE EVER SEEN IN POLITICAL ELECTION MODE. AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THE VOTERS OR ANYTHING, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE CANDIDATES SOMETIMES WHEN THEY RUN. UM, MY OPPONENT HAS ATTACKED ME EVER SINCE DAY ONE. UH, I HAD TO CALL THE COPS ON THEM. UM, CHIEF IS SITTING BACK THERE. I EVEN CALLED THE CHIEF. I HAD TO MAKE A REPORT BECAUSE HE, HE KEPT OVER AND OVER AND OVER HARASSING ME AT THE POLLS, HARASSING THE, UH, VOTERS AND HARASSING, UH, ANYBODY THAT WALKED UP EVEN PART OF MY FAMILY MEMBER. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE IT ON FACEBOOK, JUST TAKE IT WITH FACE VALUE. UH, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY SEE. UH, I, I DON'T MIND PEOPLE CRITICIZING ME. THAT'S WHAT WE DO UP HERE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE GOTTA TAKE. BUT, UM, IT, IT'S A SHAME THAT EACH ELECTION YEAR, WE HAVE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT COME OUT TO TRY TO CRITICIZE THE SAME POLITICIANS OVER AND OVER AND OVER. UM, I CALLED THE COPS ON HIM BECAUSE HE WAS HARASSING ME. HE DOES HAVE A CRIMINAL HISTORY, AND FRANKLY, I, I, I DID NOT WANNA BE IN A CONFRONTATION WITH THEM. SO THAT'S WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU NEED TO STOP A CONFRONTATION IS YOU CALL THE POLICE. SO, UM, JUST FOR THE PEOPLE THAT'S WATCHING TONIGHT AND READING THIS STUFF ON FACEBOOK, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT FACEBOOK, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY VOICE MY OPINION ON THIS COMMENT. UM, AND I LIKE TO GO TO BETTER NEWS, JOHN. THANK YOU. UM, WITH THE HANDICAPPED PARKING AND SENIOR PARKING AT THE HOMETOWN HEROES, LET ME TELL YOU, UM, LAUREN, UM, THIS HAS MADE A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE AT THAT LOCATION JUST ON ELECTION DAY. UH, THE MAYOR WILL TELL YOU AND EVERYTHING THAT, UH, WE HAVE WATCHED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SENIORS COMING UP, AND MAYBE IN THE FUTURE WE CAN ADDRESS MORE PARKING KIND OF UP FRONT IN THE CIRCLE. UH, BUT ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF VOICE MY OPINION TONIGHT. IT'S NOT FAIR THAT WE HAVE TO SIT HERE AND, AND TAKE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS AND, AND WE HAVE NO WAY TO VOICE OUR OPINION BACK TILL THE END OF THE MEETING. SO THANK YOU, MS. CRUZ. I, I WOULDN'T, I DIDN'T PLAN ON WHAT SAYING ANYTHING, BUT, BUT TOMMY, [02:15:01] I CAN SEE WHY IT CAME ACROSS THAT WAY. MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE DOING AI, MAYBE IT WASN'T MEANT TO BE THAT WAY. I'M NOT ASKING FOR YOUR OPINION, TOM. THANK YOU. IT'S HIS TIME, TOM. AND, AND SO, I MEAN, IT DEFINITELY WAS EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS DESCRIBING, BUT, UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND I DEFINITELY DON'T THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T WANNA GET INTO IT, BUT GREG VAN EATON HAS, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN SUPPORTING HIM AND I, UH, I, I DON'T THINK THAT HOW YOU'VE BEEN TREATING HIM AND HANGING OUT THE, UH, MUGSHOTS IS A FAIR SHOT. THANK YOU, MR. CHADWELL. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE AND TO, UH, PERSONALLY CONGRATULATE DANIEL GIBBS ON, ON THE, UH, HET VOLUNTEER SPIRIT AWARD. UH, DANIEL, UH, IT KIND OF EMBODIES, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS, THIS WHOLE PURPOSE OF, OF PUBLIC SERVICE, RIGHT? HE, UM, HE'S BEEN IN IT FOR OVER 20 YEARS, LIKE YOU HEARD EARLIER, BUT HE'S BEEN THROUGH LIKE EVERY POSITION IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. UH, I MEAN, IT'D BE HARD TO FIND PEOPLE IN THE VOLUNTEER FIRE SERVICE ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT'S COMMITTED MORE HOURS, UH, AND DEDICATED MORE TIME TO THIS WHOLE THING THAN DANIEL GIBBS. I KNOW THAT, THAT ART WOULD BE PROUD FOR HIM TO HAVE THAT AWARD. AND, UH, AND I'M PROUD FOR HIM TO IT. OH, ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE. IT WAS KIND OF A BIG WIN, CLEAR CREEK, UH, HIGH SCHOOL WILDCATS , UH, LAST FRIDAY, UH, BEATEN, UH, CLEAR FALLS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 10 YEARS. SO, UH, IT KIND OF SALVAGES THESE A LITTLE BIT. AND ALWAYS GOOD TO BEAT YOUR RIVALS. SO, CONGRATULATIONS, COACH LANE AND THE, UH, THE CLEAR CREEK WILDCATS . MR. HIGGINBOTHAM, DO YOU HAVE A RETORT? I'D LOVE TO YIELD MY TIME AFTER THAT. , MR. RESLEY. SO, UH, I GUESS THIS IS MY LAST REAL MEETING AND IT, UH, KIND OF SNUCK UP ON ME. UM, I'VE NEVER BEEN ONE TO, UH, KEEP MY COMMENTS BRIEF, SO, UH, SO I APOLOGIZE. UM, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING MORE TIME TO READ. UM, I'VE STARTED READING BIOGRAPHIES OF ALL OUR FOUNDING FATHERS. UM, I'M FINISHING UP THAT LIST, AND I'LL BE WORKING THROUGH EACH OF OUR PRESIDENTS. UM, AND ONE QUOTE, UM, ONE, ONE THING THAT I READ THAT, THAT REALLY STUCK WITH ME WAS, UH, GEORGE WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL ADDRESS. UM, AND THE HUMILITY. HE, HE DEMONSTRATED WITH SOME OF HIS WORDS WHEN HE SAID, IN REVIEWING THE INCIDENTS OF MY ADMINISTRATION, I AM UNCONSCIOUS OF INTENTIONAL ERROR. I AM NEVERTHELESS TOO SENSIBLE OF MY DEFECTS NOT TO THINK IT PROBABLE THAT I MAY HAVE COMMITTED MANY ERRORS. I HOPE THAT THE FAULTS OF INCOMPETENT ABILITIES WILL BE CONSIGNED TO OBLIVION. AND, UH, I'M PRETTY CERTAIN I, UH, I'M MEANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING. I MEANT TO DO THE BEST FOR ALL THE CITIZENS IN EVERY DECISION I MADE. I KNOW I GOT IT WRONG, UH, MORE THAN ONCE. UM, AND I HOPE I'LL, I HAVE YOUR FORGIVENESS. UM, WE DON'T, WE DON'T DO THIS TO MAKE FRIENDS, OR AT LEAST I HOPE YOU DON'T, UM, BECAUSE YOU DON'T. UM, WHICH BRINGS UP ANOTHER QUOTE, THIS ONE FROM THOMAS JEFFERSON. HE SAID, BY A CONSTANT SACRIFICE OF TIME, LABOR LOSS, PARENTAL, AND FAMILY DUTIES. I'VE BEEN SO FAR FROM GAINING THE AFFECTION OF MY COUNTRYMAN THAT EVEN LOST THE SMALLEST ESTIMATION I BEFORE POSSESSED. UM, YOU LEAVE WITH WITH FEWER FRIENDS. AND YOU STARTED WITH, AND I DIDN'T START WITH MANY. UM, BUT I WILL SAY THIS, THE ONE THING I WILL CERTAINLY TAKE AWAY FROM THIS IS ALL THE GREAT FOLKS THAT, THAT WORK FOR THIS CITY. UM, WE ASK A LOT OF Y'ALL, WE DON'T DELIVER THE, THE BEST COMPENSATION. UM, WE LIKE TO RELY ON, ON OUR BENEFITS, BUT FRANKLY, THEY'RE, THEY'VE BECOME RATHER AVERAGE. UM, AND WE LIKE TO TAKE THE CREDIT FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS WHILE WE SIT UP HERE AND SHOW UP TWICE A MONTH TO, TO VOTE. BUT THE REAL TRUTH IS, IT'S, IT'S YOU FOLKS WHO WORK FOR THE CITY WHO KEEP THINGS MOVING FORWARD, KEEP THIS CITY THE GREAT PLACE IT IS TO LIVE. UM, AND HAVING GOTTEN TO KNOW MANY OF Y'ALL, UM, NOT ALL OF YOU, UM, I WISH I HAD BEEN MORE, UM, HAS BEEN TRULY SPECIAL. AND I WANNA THANK THE, UH, CITIZENS FOR LETTING ME SERVE. THANK YOU. WELL, I CAN, I CAN AT LEAST COUNT. YOU'VE MADE ONE FRIEND. I CAN DEFINITELY TELL YOU YOUR TIME SERVING HERE. I I DO COUNT YOU AS A FRIEND, AND I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED YOUR, UH, RATIONALE WHEN YOU THINK SOMETHING OUT. GOD KNOWS, I HAVEN'T AGREED WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID, BUT I DO THINK YOU AT LEAST SPELL OUT THE REASONS WHY. AND IT'S [02:20:01] ALWAYS BEEN NICE TO HEAR THOSE. AND YOU'VE CERTAINLY HELPED FRAME THE, UH, FRAME THE DISCUSSIONS IN A POSITIVE MANNER AND HELP MOVE THIS CITY, UH, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. IT'S, UH, I, I THINK WHEN YOU'RE HEARING THOSE PERSPECTIVES, IT HAS, IT HAS REALLY HELPED ME, UH, CLARIFY MY OWN THOUGHTS AT TIMES. AND, UH, I HOPE YOU ENJOY, YOU KNOW, READING ABOUT MILLARD FILLMORE AND, AND ALL THOSE OTHER EXCITING PRESIDENTS AS YOU, AS YOU KNOCK THROUGH THEM. AND THEN, AND THEN ANDY, UH, YOU WERE MY, MY FIRST FRIEND ON COUNCIL, THE FIRST GUY I REALLY GOT TO KNOW IN LEAGUE CITY POLITICS AND IN LEAGUE CITY ADMINISTRATION. AND EVERY DECISION AND EVERY TIME YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE GUY THAT I'VE KIND OF COME TO, UH, FOR YOUR COUNSEL, YOUR ADVICE AND, AND YOUR INSIGHT AND YOUR FRIENDSHIP. AND I, I TRULY DO APPRECIATE IT. UH, AND I'M, I'M GONNA MISS YOU UP HERE. AND BOTH YOU GUYS, I HOPE YOU'RE READY TO GET EVEN A MORE THANKLESS JOB, UH, WHEN I LOOK AT YOU FOR, FOR COMMITTEES AND OTHER WAYS TO SERVE, BECAUSE THE CITY, THE CITY WOULD BE BETTER OFF MAKING SURE BOTH OF YOU GUYS STAY INVOLVED. AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE, VERY KIND TO YOU WELL, AND WITH, AND WITH THAT SAPPINESS OUT OF THE WAY, I DO WANNA CORRECT ONE PIECE. I DID HEAR THAT MY WIFE GOT INTO COLLEGE FOR D FROM DEI, THAT IS CERTAINLY NOT TRUE. SHE EARNED HER WAY INTO TEXAS A AND M AND EARNED THAT BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE DEGREE, WHICH IS NOT AN EASY DEGREE TO GET. AND, UH, WANNA MAKE THAT PERFECTLY CLEAR AND CAPTURE THAT ON THE CAMERA FOR HER WHEN I GET HOME TONIGHT, . BUT THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.