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[Special Commission Meetings on July 25, 2023]
EXCUSE ME, NOTICE OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY OF SANTO CITY COMMISSION BUDGET WORKSHOP NUMBER TWO, JULY 25TH, 2023.UH, WE DO HAVE A FORM I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY.
AND, UH, RUTH, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? NO.
ITEM NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION OF, UH, 2023 VALOR, UH, PROPERTY TAX WEEK.
AND THIS IS BY, UH, OUR INTERN, UH, CITY MANAGER RUTH MCGINNIS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UM, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.
THERE WILL BE NO INCREASE ON THE 2023 AT VALOREM, UH, PROPERTY TAX RATE.
IT WILL STAY THE SAME AS LAST YEAR, WHICH IS AT, UH, 70 CENTS.
ON PAGE NUMBER FOUR, YOU DO HAVE THE PRELIMINARY VALUES FOR YOUR EASY REFERENCE AS WELL.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? NO ACTION.
MS. MCGINNIS, DID ANY, DID ANYBODY ATTEND, UH, THE MOST RECENT LEGISLATIVE UPDATE? OR DID ANYBODY HAVE INFORMATION ON THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATES FOR LAST SPECIAL SESSION OR LEGISLATIVE TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION? I KNOW THE PREVIOUS CM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN ATTENDANCE TO A CONFERENCE TO BRING BACK INFORMATION.
I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN FIND OUT FOR YOU AND, UH, GET INFORMATION COMPILED AS WELL AS TO WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT, BECAUSE, UH, I THINK THE, THE SCHOOL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION WAS GOING UP TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
I WANNA SEE IF THE CITIES WERE AFFECTED IN ANY WAY, UH, AT, AT LEAST AT THE CITY OF SANTO TAXES.
BUT THERE WAS A FEW, A FEW THINGS THAT WERE IN THERE, AND I THINK IT HAS TO GO TO VOTE, UM, THIS NOVEMBER ELECTION.
SO WE STILL HAVE TIME TO REVIEW IT.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THAT AND PROVIDE YOU A REPORT ON THAT AS WELL.
IT COULD AFFECT OUR BUDGET, OR WE CAN INVITE MORGAN LA MATTIA TO GIVE US AN UPDATE OR ONE OF THE SENATORS OR CONGRESSMEN.
'CAUSE THEY, THEY RECENTLY DID SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN ANOTHER CITY.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND OFFER IT TO HER END.
OKAY, COMMERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NONE.
HOW ABOUT, UH, NUMBER SIX, UH, BUDGET WORKSHOP? NUMBER ONE FOR FISCAL YEAR.
YEAR, OCTOBER 1ST, 2023 TO OCTOBER 30TH, 2024.
AND AGAIN, UH, INTERIM SENIOR MANAGER, RUTH MCGINNIS.
RUTH MCGINNESS, INTERIM CITY MANAGER FOR THE RECORD.
UM, BEFORE YOU, YOU WILL FIND A BALANCED, UH, BUDGET PRESENTED TO YOU.
AND, UM, ALSO RELATING TO THE GARBAGE RATE.
UH, THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL INCREASE IN THE GAR GARBAGE RATE EITHER.
GOOD AFTERNOON, STEPHANIE
SO, UH, IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU HAVE, UM, THE BUDGET WORKSHOP HIGHLIGHTS.
I KINDA DID THIS SPREADSHEET SO WE COULD GO OVER IT, KINDA KNOW THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTIONS BEFORE WE GO IN THE, WITH THE, WITH THE BUDGET ITSELF.
SO, UM, THE FIRST THING THERE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT IT'S AN ANALYSIS AND EXPENSE AND INCREASE AND DECREASE ANALYSIS.
IT SAYS ANNUAL BUDGET, BUDGET WORKSHOP HIGHLIGHTS.
IT'S ASIDE FROM THE ACTUAL BUDGET.
SO THE FIRST PAGE, WHICH I WANNA GO OVER, BUT I WANNA JUMP TO THE SECOND ITEM.
SO IT'LL BE PAGE NUMBER THREE ON THE PACKET.
IT'S OR DE SO ORAL, ALL OF ORAL OBLIGATIONS FOR THE YEAR 23, 24 ARE LISTED THERE.
AND THAT PAGE THREE, AND I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT, THAT WE ARE BUDGETING FOR, TO COVER ALL OF OUR OBLIGATIONS
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IN THE BUDGET.THAT'S WHAT WE PUT IT OUT THERE.
ANOTHER THING THAT, UM, YOU MIGHT WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT, IT'S A TERMINATION DATE FOR THOSE, FOR ALL OF THE OBLIGATIONS THAT WE HAVE.
ONE OF THEM, IT'S SHORT TO TO END, WHICH WILL BE ON FEBRUARY 2ND, 2024.
SO WITHIN THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE GONNA, WELL, FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR, THIS BUDGET, WE'RE GONNA TERMINATE THAT, THAT OBLIGATION WITH, UH, THE NAD BANK.
THE SECOND ONE, IT'S ON 2025, SO WE'RE THE SECOND, THE FOLLOWING TWO ARE GONNA TERMINATE ON THE 2025 AS WELL.
SO THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE, UM, A LITTLE BIT FROM THE, FROM THE WATER FUND.
JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT FOR US TO ACTUALLY SEE ALL OF OUR OBLIGATION PAYMENTS IN ONE PAGE, BECAUSE THEY'RE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE BUDGET.
AS MS. RUTH MENTIONED, WE'RE NOT, UM, EXPECTING TO INCREASE OR PROPERTY TAXES.
THAT'S THE SECOND ITEM LISTED THERE.
UM, AND I DID ATTACH ON PAGE NUMBER FOUR.
AS MS. RUTH MENTIONED, THE PRELIMINARY PROPERTY VALUES WE'RE EXPECTING TO GET THEM LOOK, UM, STATED AS THAT IT WAS GONNA GET OUT TOMORROW, THE 26TH.
UH, THIS BUDGET IS BASED ON THOSE PRELIMINARY VALUES PRESENTED THERE, UM, ON THAT PAGE NUMBER FOUR.
STOP ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR IF I'M GOING TO FAST.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT THIS BUDGET, UM, TAKES CARE OF, IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFIT FOR ALL EMPLOYEES COVERING DENTAL, VISION, AND, UM, WELL, HEALTH, DENTAL AMBITION ON THE BACK OF YOUR, UM, BINDER.
AND THEN DON'T, DON'T TURN IT, BUT WE'RE GONNA GO TO IT, UH, IN A FEW MOMENTS.
UM, YOU HAVE THE BENEFIT, UM, PACKET THAT WE GIVE TO THE EMPLOYEES SO YOU CAN KNOW WHAT IS THAT WE ARE OFFERING THEM.
UH, WE ARE OFFERING THE HIGH PLAN ON DENTAL BECAUSE OF THE, THE LOWER PLAN IS KINDA, IT DOESN'T COVER MUCH, BUT YOU HAVE IT THERE FOR YOUR RECORDS ALONG WITH THE, THE PAYMENTS AND EVERYTHING WE'VE PAID FOR, UH, ADMIN FEE AND, UM, STOP LOSS AND ALL THE, ALL THAT INFORMATION.
IT'LL BE WHAT PAGE IS THAT REALLY ON THE BACK OF, IT'S JUST THERE.
SO IF YOU, UM, I'LL GET BACK TO THAT ONE.
'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THERE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO BRIEFLY TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE GONNA COVER.
UM, SO, UM, FURTHERMORE, WE'RE GOING TO THE BUDGET.
WE DO HAVE A TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS YEAR.
SO YOU COULD OPEN THE FIRST PAGE.
YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE EACH FUND IT'S LOCATED.
IS THAT BETTER? MY OWN MM-HMM.
I'M LOOKING AT PAGE TWO AND THE, AND, UM, THAT, DID YOU SEND US HERE AND OUR REVENUE FROM PROPERTY TAXES IS GOING UP ABOUT A MILLION AND A HALF, IT LOOKS LIKE.
BUT I LOOKED DOWN AT THE TOTAL REVENUES AND IT'S ONLY ABOUT A HALF A MILLION INCREASE.
AND I REALIZED THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY COMING INTO THE FEES AND SERVICES CATEGORY HERE.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT, EXPOUND ON THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT? YES.
SO, UH, WE REDUCE OUR SERVICE, UH, FEES, UM, THAT WERE PAID FROM THE FUNDS THAT WE DO SERVICES FOR.
UM, THAT, UH, AND I KNOW WE TOUCHED BASES ON THIS LAST YEAR, AND THEN THE LAST BUDGET WORKSHOP.
SO WE REDUCE OUR EXPENSES TO THE WATER.
SO IT END UP BEING ON REDUCING OUR REVENUES ON OUR SITE.
THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE, THE INCREASE IN PROPERTY VALUE FOR A MILLION DEALS WITH THE PROPERTY ASSESSED VALUE, NOT THE TAX RATE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, THAT INCREASE IN THE REVENUE THERE, UM, ON PAGE NUMBER TWO.
YOU'RE MEANING ON THIS ONE, RIGHT? OKAY.
I'M LOOKING AT, YEAH, AND I TRY TO, I TRY TO DO IT LIKE THAT.
SO IT COULD BE MORE FOR AN EASY REFERENCE TO YOU.
AND THEN YOU SEE THE ARROWS ON THE RIGHT HAND.
WHOEVER IT'S IN RED, THEY INCREASE THEIR BUDGET.
WHOEVER IS IN GREEN, THEY DECREASE THE BUDGET.
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE, YOU SEE A TWO POINT 22%, UM, INCREASE IN BUDGET OVERALL.
UM, YOU MIGHT WANNA, IT MIGHT, YES, GO AHEAD TO, TO ELABORATE ON PAGE 15 OF THE BUDGET WORKSHOP BOOK, YOU'LL SEE FEES AND SERVICES UNDER THE GENERAL FUND.
REMEMBER WHEN, UM, YEAH, STEPHANIE CAME TO SAYING THAT THERE'S DATA PROCESSING AND MANAGERIAL SERVICE FEES THAT WE'RE GETTING LINED ITEM FROM WATER INTO THE GENERAL FUND TO SUPPLEMENT THE GENERAL FUND.
THAT'S ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
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SO IT WAS A MILLION BEFORE.IT WAS SET UP LIKE THAT, I BELIEVE THROUGH TO COVER SOME OBLIGATIONS, BUT IT DID END UP GETTING LOOSENED THE ON THE WAY.
UM, IT'S BEEN LIKE THAT FOR MANY YEARS UNTIL WE ACTUALLY CONDUCTED A STUDY WHAT WOULD BE FAIR FOR, TO CHARGE FOR THOSE SERVICES.
I, I THINK I PROVIDED YOU HOW I CAME UP WITH THOSE CALCULATIONS ON LAST BUDGET WORKSHOP.
I DID NOT PROVIDE AT THIS ONE, BUT I COULD CERTAINLY MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO YOU AGAIN.
BUT WE WERE SUPPLEMENTING THE WATER WITH OTHER FUNDS.
GENERAL FUND, GENERAL FUNDS WE'RE PULLING THE WAY THE BUDGET WAS PREPARED, YOU'RE PULLING UTILITY REVENUE INTO THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS, AND THEN NOW THIS PROPOSED BUDGET IS NOT HAVING THAT SUPPLEMENTAL $1 MILLION.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S UNDER, YEAH, THERE'S A FEES AND SERVICES SECTION.
THE OTHER THING THAT ALSO WE REMOVED THERE, IT WAS, UH, CO FEES THAT WE WOULD CHARGE, UH, EDC THAT ALSO IS GONE.
UH, IT'S GONE FROM, FROM THIS BUDGET.
DO YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? NO, THAT'S GOOD RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO ON AGAIN, ON PAGE NUMBER TWO, ON YOUR RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU SEE THERE ARE, UH, WHOEVER INCREASED IT, WHOEVER DECREASED IT, RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
I PUT KIND OF SOME, SOME NOTES, UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN OVERLOOKING AND A HEADS WHAT IT'S GOING ON AND WHY THERE WAS AN INCREASE OR A DECREASE.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GO DOWN THE LIST.
SO, UH, WE CAN STOP AT ANY DEPARTMENT AND ADDRESS QUESTIONS.
UM, IN THIS SAME PACKET BEHIND EV UH, THE INFORMATION, YOU'RE GONNA START SEEING SOME MEMOS.
SO EACH DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR THAT ACTUALLY INCREASED THEIR BUDGET, THEY PROVIDED INFORMATION.
WHY ARE THEY INCREASING? AND THEY'RE HERE.
SO, UM, YOU COULD ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY TO EACH DEPARTMENT.
SO THIS BUDGET IS BASICALLY MADE UP TO WHATEVER THE DIRECTORS REQUESTED THAT THEY NEEDED IN THE, IN THE DEPARTMENT.
OF COURSE, WE STILL NEED YOUR APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE CHANGES.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CITY COMMISSION, YOU DO SEE AN INCREASE, AND IT MIGHT LOOK ONLY 27,000, BUT BASED ON THEIR SIZE, IT'S A 55% INCREASE.
UM, AND THAT ONE, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN BUDGETED BELOW WHAT WE NEED TO COVER FOR TRAINING AND TRAVEL FOR COMMISSION, AND FOR CITY MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION THAT BELONGS TO THAT DEPARTMENT.
SO IN THIS YEAR, WE'VE ACTUALLY BASE IT ON EXPENSES THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
SO WE MADE ACCOMMODATIONS THERE FOR IT TO OFFSET WHAT WE DO NEED ON THAT ONE.
UM, AND THEN THE FOLLOWING ONE, THE CITY MANAGEMENT, WE DID, UM, FACE A HUGE INCREASE IN OUR WINDSTORM INSURANCE AND OUR FLOW INSURANCE.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT'S REFLECTING THERE.
FOLLOWED BY THAT FOR PUBLIC RELATION.
YOU DO SEE THAT THEY DECREASE OUR BUDGET.
MR. DAVID HERE AND I GOT TOGETHER AND WE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A MAGAZINE THAT IT WAS BEEN BUDGET FOR THE LAST YEARS.
AND WE DON'T KNOW, WE DO NOT CARRY THAT MAGAZINE NO MORE.
SO WE, WE REMOVE IT FROM THE BUDGET.
UM, FOR HR, WE SEE AN INCREASE IN 5%, WHICH I ATTRIBUTE TO THE 3% INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD THAT WE DID THE BUDGET, UM, FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS AND SOME ADDITIONAL, I BELIEVE, OFFICE SUPPLIES.
THEN FOR FINANCE, THERE'S ALSO 4% INCREASE.
AGAIN, I ATTRIBUTE TO THE 3% ACROSS THE BOARD FOR SALARIES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND PLANNING THE SAME WAY.
UM, THE NEXT ONE, YOU DO SEE AN INCREASE OF 10% FOR COURT.
IT'S NOT CONSERVATIVELY HIGH THE AMOUNT, BUT THAT'S DUE TO, UM, BEFORE COVID WE WEREN'T DOING IN COURT TRIALS.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHY IT'S INCREASING IT.
UM, I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S A MEMO FOR IT, BUT MS. MS CHRISTINA CAN EXPLAIN IF YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ON THAT.
UM, QUESTIONS, STEPH? YES, GO AHEAD.
I KNOW THE COURTS WERE, UH, CHRISTINA'S AREA DEPARTMENT.
THEY WERE REQUESTING POSSIBLY A WARRANT OFFICER.
THEY WERE LOOKING INTO A WARRANT OFFICER.
IS THAT STILL THE CASE? IS THAT INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET? IT'S, IT, NO, WE DIDN'T INCLUDE IT IN THIS BUDGET, BUT WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR THAT WARRANT OFFICER OR LIKE A BAIL BAILIFF SLASH WARRANT OFFICER.
SO, UH, WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE TAKING, UH, LETTERS OF INTEREST FOR,
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UH, UH, DETECTIVE AND, UH, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, WHICH WOULD BE SLASH UH, UH, COURT, UH, BAILIFF AND, UH, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, UH, COLLISION.SO WHAT THEY WOULD BE DOING IS, UH, THEY'D GO OUT DURING PEAK TIMES TRAFFIC, AND THEN WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE COURT, ONE OF 'EM WILL BREAK OFF, DO THE BAIL LIFT, AND THE OTHER ONE WOULD TAKE THE NEXT DAY.
SO HE'D BE TRAINED IN COURT IN A COURT SECURITY, WHICH IS A T CODE COURSE.
UH, DURING THAT TIME, UH, THEY'RE GONNA GET WITH CHRISTINA, THEY'LL REPORT TO THE COURT, PICK UP THEIR TICKET RIDER AND STUFF THERE.
AND THEN WHAT THEY'LL DO FROM THERE IS THEY'LL SAY, HEY, WELL, WHAT WARRANTS DO YOU HAVE? UH, USUALLY, UH, CHRISTINA WILL HAVE A STACK OF WARRANTS THAT, THAT NEED TO BE SERVED.
SO THEY'LL TAKE 'EM AND THEY'LL GO OUT AND THEY'LL START SERVING THOSE THROUGHOUT THE, THE WEEKEND.
UH, THAT, THAT'S THE PLAN UNTIL, 'CAUSE WE DO HAVE FOUR OFFICERS THAT ARE GONNA BE COMING ON BOARD AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN THE, THEY'RE GONNA BE IN THE FTO PROCESS.
SO ONCE THOSE GET RELEASED, THEN WE CAN MOVE ONE AND, AND HOPEFULLY JUST DEDICATE IT TO THE COURT.
BUT FOR NOW, WE'LL HAVE THOSE TWO.
THAT'LL DO ALSO, UH, THEY'LL BE KIND OF A, A HIGHWAY DIVISION, TRAFFIC DIVISION, BUT THEY'LL ALSO BE, UH, DOING BAILIFF AND, UH, WARRANTS ALSO.
SO, UM, THE FOLLOWING ONE, IT'LL BE PD, YOU DO SEE AN ALS, ALSO A 10% INCREASE.
YOU DO HAVE A MEMO STATING THE REASON WHY.
UM, IT'S AN ADJUSTMENT MAINLY FOR THE COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTS.
UM, IF YOU GO TO PAGE, LEMME SEE, LOOK AT THE TABLE OF CONTENTS.
OKAY, MR. PERELLA, YOU WANNA SPEAK MORE ABOUT INTO THAT? BECAUSE I COULDN'T FIND IT IN MY, IN MY STACK.
I DO HAVE, UH, THE, THE LIST OF, OF WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, AS FAR AS STONE GARDEN AND ICE AND BORDER SECURITY, I BELIEVE WERE INCLUDED IN OUR BUDGET.
THAT ISN'T MONEY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA GET.
THAT'S MONEY THAT GETS REIMBURSED WHEN THE OFFICERS WORK THESE DETAILS.
SO THAT INCREASE OF 89,372, THAT ISN'T MONEY WE CAN USE.
THAT'S JUST, UH, MONEY THAT THE OFFICERS WILL WORK OVERTIME.
AND THEN THAT WE GET IT REIMBURSED.
SO THAT COMES RIGHT BACK TO US.
SO, UM, LET ME, LET ME STOP YOU RIGHT THERE.
AND THEN IT, IT, YOU DO SEE IT IN YOUR EXPENSES, BUT WE ALSO PUT IT IN A REVENUES.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TO, UM, BUDGET CORRECTLY.
'CAUSE BEFORE WE WERE SAYING WE WERE GONNA RECEIVE LESS AND WE END UP RECEIVING MORE.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHY IT DID A MAJOR IMPACT LOOKING LIKE WE'RE OVER.
BUT IN REALITY, WE'RE JUST TIDYING UP.
UM, SO WE, WE BUDGETED, WE, WE FIXED THE ACCOUNTS AND WE BUDGETED CORRECTLY FOR THIS YEAR WITH THOSE, UM, REIMBURSEMENT MONIES.
AND THAT'LL HELP TRACK OUR ACTUAL OVERTIME A LOT BETTER.
UH, I KNOW, UH, LAST YEAR IT LOOKED LIKE, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WORKED A LOT OF OVERTIME, BUT IN REALITY IT HAD TO DO WITH HOLIDAY PAY.
AND, UH, THE GRANTS WERE ALL GROUPED INTO THAT ONE ACCOUNT.
SO IT LOOKED LIKE WE WORKED A LOT OF OVERTIME.
WHEN YOU BROKE IT DOWN, IT, IT WASN'T, UH, ACTUAL, UH, OVERTIME WORK.
IT WAS, UH, IT WAS A LOT LESS THAN THAN THAT.
BUT, UM, DID YOU WANT ME TO GO OVER THE HEALTH INSURANCE ALSO THAT, OR YOU ALREADY WENT OVER RIGHT? THE INCREASES, BECAUSE I HAVE ALL THE INCREASES HERE.
IT WAS JUST MAINLY WHY YOUR DEPARTMENT INCREASED, BUT IT WAS MAINLY BECAUSE THAT ALL THE, THAT WE PROVIDED YEAH.
THE INCREASE TO COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTS.
SO, UH, WHAT HAPPENED IS, UH, OUR, OUR COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTS WERE AT $12 AN HOUR.
UH, THE SURROUNDING CITIES WERE AT 16.
UM, SO WHAT WE DID, WE HAD SEVEN SPOTS OPEN, BUT WE COULDN'T FILL THAT SEVEN SPOT.
SO, UH, I RECOMMENDED TO, UH, THE CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME, IF WE COULD USE THOSE FUNDS AND THEN DO AN INCREASE TO OUR CURRENT COMMUNITY EXPECTATION SPECIALISTS TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH, UH, SURROUNDING AGENCIES.
'CAUSE UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN SHORT SUPPLY.
SO I WANTED TO BE COMPETITIVE AND MAKE SURE TO KEEP THE ONES WE HAD.
SO I, I DIDN'T FILL THAT SEVEN SPOT.
I DIDN'T, UH, UH, ADVERTISE FOR IT.
SO WHAT I'M REQUESTING IS THAT I CAN GET THOSE FUNDS BACK AND THEN, UH, FILL THAT SEVEN SPOT.
SO TOTAL ON IT IS, UH, $42,315.
AND THAT'S WITH FRINGE BENEFITS.
UH, THAT'S EVERYTHING INCLUDED.
BUT ALL THE, ALL OF YOUR PAY, CURRENT PAY NOW IS UP TO IS COMPETITIVE.
UM, WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE, THE CITY, THE, THE CITIES.
UH, I KNOW, UH, THAT THERE, THERE ARE STUDIES.
UM, IT, IT IS COMPETITIVE, BUT, UH, LIKE I SAID, SOME CITIES ARE, ARE, UH, A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN US.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF LIKE WE GO UP, WE ADVERTISE HIGH, THEY GO UP AND ADVERTISE HIGHER
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BUT, BUT YEAH, I, IT JUST, ONE OF THE MAJOR CONCERNS I HAVE IN LOOKING AT THIS IS, UH, AND WE, WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT WE, WE NEED TO NOT, WE NEED TO STOP AT SOME POINT BEING A STEPPING STONE AND, AND BE COMPETITIVE AND, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING SO THAT WE CAN RETAIN PEOPLE OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.SO I'M LOOKING AT THIS, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS FOR ASKING THE QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A MILLION AND A HALF INCREASE IN, IN, IN PROPERTY VALUE REVENUES AND NOT SEEING A WHOLE LOT OF INCREASE AT THE BOTTOM.
AND I'M HOPING IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE PUTTING THE MONEY WHERE IT NEEDS TO BELONG, WHICH IS, I, THAT'S A GENERAL QUESTION.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR BUDGET GOES TO PAYROLL? I COULD LOOK AT THAT, BUT IT'S ABOUT 9 MILLION, UH, PERCENTAGE WISE, WE HAVE 16, 16 MILLION BUDGETED.
SO THE BENEFITS ON TOP OF THAT.
SO I ADD ANOTHER THREE MIL, NO, TWO, THREE, NOT MUCH MUCH, BUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
MORE THAT, THAT'S, I COULD, I COULD GET YOU THAT NUMBER, SIR.
I JUST, I DON'T HAVE IT HERE WITH ME.
YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE, IT JUST, WE, WE GOTTA PAY OUR PEOPLE.
WE'VE GOT TO, THIS BUDGET IS BASED ON A 3% INCREASE.
DO YOU DON'T WANNA DISAGREE WITH THAT?
UM, I DO SEE HOW IT, EVEN WITH THAT, WE WE'RE NOT IN THE COMPETITIVE SIDE OF WHAT OTHER C CITIES AROUND US ARE DOING.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE LOOKED AT NOW THAT YOU BROUGHT IT UP.
WELL, LET ME, LET ME ADD ANOTHER CAVEAT TO THAT VERY QUICKLY AS WELL.
AND SO WE JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND TOO THAT, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF INTERIMS HERE THAT ARE WORKING AND SO ON, AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM, BUT WHEN PAYING MORE, WE EXPECT MORE.
AND SO JUST UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S ALSO WHAT I'M SAYING.
I DON'T WANNA DEVIATE FROM WHAT WE'RE GOING DOWN THE LIST, BUT WE DO HAVE, THANK YOU, UH, A PAY RATE SCHEDULE THAT WE ARE PROPOSING, UM, WITH A PAY STUDY ON THE, CAN YOU GIMME A CHANCE? UH, YES.
SO HOW SHORT ARE YOU ON THE COMMUNICATIONS? UH, UH, DISPATCHERS CURRENTLY WE HAD, UH, UH, ONE RESIGN RECENTLY.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT, UH, ABOUT TWO OR THREE.
I THINK WE'RE SHORT RIGHT NOW.
AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN, UH, YOU GUYS ARE SHORT ON THAT? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE'RE SHORT IS, UH, OUR RECORDS PERSONNEL, THEY MOVE INTO COMM.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALSO, UH, COMMUNICATIONS.
THEY GOT THEIR, THEIR TCO LICENSE AND EVERYTH AND CJ CERTIFICATIONS, THEY MOVE INTO, UH, COMMUNICATIONS.
AND THEN I HAVE MY RECORDS PERSONNEL, OR MY RECORDS PERSONNEL MOVING THERE.
AND THEN I HAVE MY ADMIN ASSISTANT COVER, UH, HER DUTIES PLUS, UH, RECORDS.
AND THEN I HAVE, UH, ANOTHER OFFICER WHO, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE PAYING 'EM POLICE OFFICER PAY, BUT I, I HAVE TO STICK HIM IN DISPATCH SOMETIMES.
AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING HE WANTS TO DO.
HE, HE, YOU KNOW, BUT HE, HE WAS A DISPATCHER BEFORE AND NOW HE GOES BACK TO, 'CAUSE HE HAS TO HELP OUT.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
UH, DISPATCH HAS ALWAYS BEEN HARD TO FILL.
AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S EVEN HARDER NOW AFTER COVID, IT SEEMS. AND, UH, SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE THAT, AND, AND IT'S ONE, IT'S AN IMPORTANT POSITION.
I MEAN, I, LIKE I TOLD, LIKE I SPOKEN TO YOU BEFORE, MAYOR, THEY ANSWER A PHONE CALL.
THEY HAVE ANOTHER PHONE CALL WAITING FOR HIM.
THEY HAVE AN OFFICER REQUESTING SOME INFORMATION.
THEY HAVE THE, SOMEBODY AT THE LOBBY.
SO THEY'RE DOING ALL THIS AT ONE TIME.
AND RIGHT NOW WE ONLY HAVE ONE IN THERE.
AND, UH, SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE, WHERE WE RUN INTO SOME ISSUES, CHIEF.
AND THAT, AND THAT'S WHY I PUT YOU IN THE SPOT, BECAUSE THE THING IS THAT, UH, I CALLED ONCE AND I DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER.
AND, UH, I WASN'T TOO THRILLED.
BUT, UH, AND, UH, SO WHEN I CALLED YOU AND YOU EXPLAINED, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SMALL MM-HMM.
WHAT YOU GAVE ME WAS, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTOOD.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, UH, UH, SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE IN HERE YEAH.
AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, WHAT THE, WHAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING THROUGH.
I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I'M HOPING WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER LUMAN SAID WE REALLY NEED TO START LOOKING INTO THE BUDGET AND THE SELLERS OR EVERYBODY.
BUT, UH, LIKE I SAID, SO WE'RE LOOKING, PLEASE WAIT, GIVE US A CHANCE.
LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN, UH, AND UH, HOPEFULLY WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO ACCOMMODATE WHAT WE, WHAT WE NEED TO, TO HOLD THE PEOPLE, HOLD THE, YOU KNOW, UH, KEEP 'EM HERE.
SO, UM, CHIEF, LIKE I SAID, UH, I DIDN'T EVEN PUT YOU IN THE SPOT, BUT I JUST NEED TO KNOW SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M SURE EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT IS THE SAME THING.
OH, JOANNA, JOANNA, JOANNA,
I KNOW
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, SO EVERYBODY IS, UH, RIGHT NOW IT'S LACKING.
[00:25:01]
BE PATIENT WITH US.WE ARE, HONESTLY, WE ARE LOOKING INTO THIS.
SO CHIEF, I HAVE A, I HAVE A QUESTION TO FOLLOW UP ON THE COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST.
IS THERE A REGIONAL APPROACH TO THIS ISSUE, UH, WHERE IF THERE'S AN OVER FLOOD OF, OF CALLS COMING IN, DOES IT GO OUT TO, UH, A LOCAL OR A REGIONAL DEPARTMENT? SO WHAT HAPPENS WITH, WITH, WITH 9 1 1 CALLS IS, AND A PERFECT EXAMPLE IS, LIKE I EXPLAINED TO THE MAYOR ONE TIME, YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND ONE PERSON CALLS DISPATCHER ANSWERS STAYS WITH THAT PERSON 'CAUSE THEY'RE GETTING THE INFORMATION.
BUT YOU HAVE 10 MORE PEOPLE PASSING THAT ACCIDENT THAT ALL WANNA BE, UH, GOOD SAMARITANS AND CALL IT IN SO THAT NINE ONE ONE IS GOING.
SO WHEN THEY DON'T ANSWER, IT SOMETIMES GETS TRANSFERRED OVER TO ANOTHER AGENCY AND WE'LL GET ASKED.
AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE JUST LET, WE LET 'EM KNOW THAT, HEY, LOOK, WE'RE JUST GETTING OVERWHELMED WITH CALLS AND IT'S ALL IN REFERENCE TO ONE ACCIDENT.
SO THE DISPATCHER WILL STAY WITH THAT FIRST PERSON AND, UH, THE DISPATCHER WILL STAY WITH THAT FIRST PERSON AND, UH, JUST GET ALL THE INFORMATION POSSIBLE.
BUT ALL THOSE OTHER CALLS THAT ARE COMING IN ARE GETTING DROPPED.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THE DISPATCHER'S NOT ANSWERING THEIR CALLS.
UH, BUT THAT, THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
YOU QUESTION COMMISSIONERS? UH, YES.
UM, AND I'M LOOKING AT MY, MY BIBLE HERE.
AND, UH, I NOTICED THAT THERE IS A, A LAST ITEM THERE THAT SAYS, PRIOR YEARS UNASSIGNED RESERVES AND THERE'S 1.25 IN THAT REVENUE.
IS I'M, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S JUST CARRY OVER FROM WHAT PRIOR SPENT THIS YEAR PRIOR.
SO IF YOU SEE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE, I BELIEVE, LEMME SEE WHICH PAGE.
SO ON PAGE NUMBER 13, IF YOU SEE REVENUES UNDER AND OVER EXPENDITURES EVERY YEAR, WE'RE BEING COLLECTING SOME MONEY THERE.
THIS IS A BUDGET PRACTICE THAT HELPS OUT TO BUILD FUND BALANCE.
SO AT SOME POINT WE WANNA BE AS CLOSE TO OUR BUDGET AS POSSIBLE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING HERE.
IF YOU SEE YOUR EXPECTED SURPLUS, IT'S NOT AS HIGH AS WHAT HAD ACTUALLY HAPPENED PRIOR TWO YEARS.
AND IT'S ALSO NOT TIGHT, LIKE WHAT IT, WHAT WAS BUDGETED LAST YEAR.
SO IT'S TO SAY 1.25 IS A REASONABLE YES.
BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK THERE IN THAT PAGE 16 ACROSS THE LINE, UHHUH ON THE TOP, YOU SEE WHERE IT SAYS OTHER FINANCIAL SOURCE FINANCING SOURCES.
THAT'S THE WAY THEY WERE QUOTED BEFORE.
I JUST WENT AHEAD AND PUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE APPEALING TO THE, IM FOR, FOR EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND IT BETTER.
SO PRIOR YEAR THEY USED 1.5 AND THE YEAR BEFORE THEY USED 2.4, WHICH IS, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO COVER THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S LISTED LIKE THAT.
YOU HAVE A QUESTION? MORE QUESTIONS.
SO THE FOLLOWING ONE, UM, IT'S, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY'VE ALSO SEEN AN INCREASE OF 11% THAT'S ACCREDITED TO NEW POSITIONS.
UM, ON PAGE FIVE OF YOUR NOTES OR BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS, YOU DO HAVE THE MEMO FROM MR. TIESA HERE THAT EXPLAINS WHY HE WANTS TO ADD THE POSITIONS AND THE REASONING BEHIND HIS INCREASE IN BUDGET.
BUT IF YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, HE'S, HE'S HERE AVAILABLE.
SEE WHY, WHY
AND SO WHAT WE DO IS WE HAVE ONE, UH, INSPECTOR, UH, INVESTIGATOR ON, ON EVERY SHIFT.
AND THEY DO THE INSPECTIONS ON THE, UH, BUSINESSES, ON SCHOOLS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
HOWEVER, IF WE HAVE TO PULL 'EM AWAY FOR FIRE OR, UH, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, SO ALL THOSE INSPECTIONS GET CANCELED.
RIGHT? NOT ONLY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT HAS, UH, THAT CREATES THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN IT WAS, UM, DONE AWAY WITH, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL FOR THE, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, THEY PROMOTE THE FIRE, THE FIRE SAFETY, THEY GO AND DO INSPECTIONS, THEY DO PLAN REVIEWS AND, AND, AND THEY'RE JUST ANOTHER ASSET THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE THAT WILL ACTUALLY HELP NOT ONLY US, BUT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND, AND IT PRETTY MUCH EVERY, EVERY CITIZEN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR THE FIRE MARSHAL.
NOW, THE TWO FIREFIGHTERS THAT I'M ASKING FOR IS BECAUSE CURRENTLY, UH, THE WAY OUR SHIFT, WE HAVE THREE SHIFTS.
SO EACH SHIFT, RIGHT NOW, THERE'S ONE SHIFT THAT HAS, UH, NINE PERSONNEL.
ACTUALLY IT'S 10 AND THEN IT'S NINE AND NINE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO EVEN OUT THOSE SHIFTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF PERSONNEL ON EACH SHIFT.
THAT WAY WE CAN START, UM, MEETING THE STANDARDS.
UH, YOU KNOW, FOR SHIFT PERSONNEL.
SO E EVERY FIRE YOU HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST, UH, TWO FIRE
[00:30:01]
TRUCKS AND A LADDER TRUCK, UH, ACCORDING TO ISO.SO WE WANNA GET TO THAT STANDARD.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, A HOUSE FIRE LASTS ABOUT THREE HOURS.
UH, AND REALLY WHAT YOU REALLY NEED IS A FIRST, YOUR FIRST RESPOND IS TO HAVE AT LEAST 15 PEOPLE ON THERE.
ARE WE GONNA HAVE THAT? NOT YET, BUT HOPEFULLY WE WILL, UH, LATER IN THE FUTURE.
SO THE TWO FIREFIGHTERS THAT I'M ASKING FOR IS, SO WE CAN BE ABLE TO EVEN OUT AND WE HAVE 10, 10 AND 10 ON EACH SHIFT.
ARE, ARE WE COMPETITIVE IN PAY THERE? SO I, I, I BELIEVE WE ARE KIND OF IN THE, IN THE BALLPARK THERE.
HOWEVER, UM, THE REASON WE LOSE FIREFIGHTERS IS INCENTIVES.
OTHER CITIES WILL HAVE PROBABLY A LOT BETTER INCENTIVES.
CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF, SO, SO JUST LIKE, SAY THE EMT, WE'RE PAYING, UH, $600 IF YOU ARE CERTIFIED AS AN EMT.
OTHER CITIES WILL BE PAYING, UH, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE CLOSE TO $2,000.
UM, UH, ALSO WITH INSPECTORS, UH, USUALLY SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES AS A PERCENTAGE, WE PAY $600.
SO OTHER CITIES WILL BE PAYING ABOUT FOUR OR 5%, UH, OF YOUR SALARY.
YOU KNOW, AS AN INCENTIVE, YOU GET A 4% INCREASE AS A INSPECTOR.
SO OUR INCENTIVES ARE, ARE PRETTY LOW.
UM, TRYING TO, UH, WITH OUR ORDINANCE MAYBE INCREASE US A LITTLE BIT SO WE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPETITIVE.
CHIEF, HAVE WE EVER CONSIDERED, UM, SOMEONE, UH, MEMBER FROM THE COMMUNITY BROUGHT TO SOME MY ATTENTION? SOME OF US MAYBE HAVE HEARD FROM THIS INDIVIDUAL, BUT THEY'VE BROUGHT, UM, THE IDEA OF VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS.
WHAT DO YOU, WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THAT? THANK YOU.
IT, IT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION.
A TOTALLY, UH, WE'D HAVE LIKE TWO STANDARDS, UH, ON, UH, ON VOLUNTEERS.
YOU KNOW, THEY FALL UNDER THE, UH, TEXAS, UH, UH, STATE FIRE MARSHALS ASSOCIATION, STATE FIREFIGHTERS, FIRE MARSHALS ASSOCIATION.
SO THEY, THERE'S DIFFERENT GUIDELINES FOR THEM.
UM, UH, WE MAY NOT HAVE TO PAY A VOLUNTEER, HOWEVER, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, STILL INSURANCE AND, UM, SOME SORT OF SUPPLEMENTAL PAY THAT THAT, THAT THEY GET PER CALL AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
I MEAN, I KNOW OF AT LEAST TWO INDIVIDUALS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE, THAT ARE VOLUNTEERING IN LOS FRESNOS, RIGHT.
AND, AND IF WE, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO DEVELOP A VOLUNTEER PROGRAM? OR WOULD IT BE BENEFICIAL TO YOU? IT, IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
UM, THE PROCESS IS A LITTLE EMPTY.
UM, AND HAVING TO GO THROUGH DIFFERENT, UH, TRAINING, UH, YOU'RE TAKING AN ORDINARY CITIZEN WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TRAINING EVERY MAYBE ONCE A WEEK AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
WHEREAS THE FIREFIGHTERS BEEN TRAINING, YOU KNOW, AT, THEY FIRE ACADEMY'S OVER SIX, UH, I THINK IT'S LIKE SIX, 700 HOURS OF TRAINING, PLUS TRAINING EVERY, PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY.
SO THE SKILL LEVEL IS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT LESS.
AND IT'S PROBABLY, UM, PROBABLY NOT AS, UH, IS GONNA BE AS RESOURCEFUL INITIALLY UNTIL WE GET THEM TRAINED UP.
START SOMEWHERE, RIGHT? MM-HMM,
WELL, YOU ALSO GOTTA REALIZE THAT THE, THE INSURANCE OR INSURANCE, THE INSURANCE WILL, WILL SKYROCKET A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE, UH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
GONNA HAVE THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PERSONNEL THERE ON, ON STAFF, RIGHT? AND, AND THEN, AND THEN RE RESPONDING FROM HOME.
UM, IT'S ANOTHER LI LIABILITY.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE RESPONDING FROM YOUR HOME TO THE, IF THEY RESPOND, RIGHT, IF THEY RESPOND THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER THING, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS.
BUT, UH, DURING PEAK HOURS, UH, EIGHT TO FIVE, WHEN EVERYONE'S AT WORK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHEN IT TAPERS OFF.
UM, LATE AT NIGHT, YOU WON'T HAVE 'EM, UH, RESPOND AS MUCH, UH, EITHER, WELL, WHAT'S IT DUE TO OUR INSURANCE RATES NOT TO HAVE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THERE RIGHT NOW AND THAT ON STAFF TO INTERACT.
SO, SO WITH THE, YEAH, WITH THE ISO, THE, UH, OF COURSE OUR RATING GOES UP OR YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT FIVE.
UM, HOWEVER, THE, THEY ALSO LOOK AT THE, UH, TRAINING AND THE CERTIFICATIONS ON, ON THESE INDIVIDUALS.
A VOLUNTEER DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED AS A FIREFIGHTER TO FIGHT FIRES, HOWEVER, THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF TRAINING.
BUT THAT CERTIFICATION ALSO PLAYS INTO THAT PART.
SO WHENEVER ISO GOES AND, AND LOOKS AT THESE, IT SAYS, OKAY, HOW MANY CERTIFIED FIREFIGHTERS ARE YOU HAVING AT FIRE? THEY DON'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT CERTIFIED.
THANK YOU PETE, FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
BUT, UH, WE CAN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION MORE LATER.
THE FOLLOWING DEPARTMENT WILL BE COURT ENFORCEMENT.
ON PAGE NUMBER EIGHT, AGAIN, OF YOUR BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS.
YOU DO HAVE A MEMO FROM MS. JOANNA LONDO, UM, EXPLAINING WHY THE INCREASE, UM, IN
[00:35:01]
BUDGET AND THE POSITION SHE'S REQUESTING.'CAUSE IT'S MAINLY ABOUT PERSONNEL, UM, HER INCREASE.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MS. JOANNA IS AVAILABLE.
WHY
I HAVE PLANNING, I HAVE CODE AND I HAVE STORM WATER.
THEY WOULD SPLIT EVERYBODY HALF HERE, HALF THERE, HALF HERE, HALF THERE, HALF HERE, HALF THERE.
AND IT KIND OF EVENED EVERYBODY OUT.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO, THEY'RE NOT ASSIGNED TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
THEIR SOLELY FOR, YOU KNOW, BUILDING PERMITS OR, UM, OR AN ADMIN IS NOT FOR THAT DIVISION.
UM, SO WHAT I DID WAS I MADE SURE TO PUT EVERYBODY WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO.
SO IT DID INCREASE MY, UM, CODE ENFORCEMENT SIDE, UH, BY A GOOD AMOUNT.
BUT THEN I ALSO ADDED SOME POSITIONS, WHICH CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW MY PERMITS HAVE INCREASED ON A DAILY BASIS.
WE GET ABOUT 20 PERMITS A DAY.
UM, WE INTAKE ABOUT 20 PERMITS A DAY.
THAT'S ASIDE FROM SUBDIVISIONS.
UM, MY INSPECTOR, I HAVE ONE INSPECTOR, HE'S DOING ABOUT 15 INSPECTIONS ON A DAILY BASIS.
UM, HE IS ALSO MY, UM, PLANS EXAMINER.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MANY INSPECTIONS HE DOES PER DAY AND THE TIME THAT HE'S GONNA HAVE TO TAKE TO DO THE EXAMINING OF THE PLANS AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS COME IN TO DO THEIR REVIEW, IT'S NOT ADDING UP.
SO I'M HAVING TO HAVE HIM COME IN AT SEVEN 30, LEAVE AT SEVEN AT NIGHT, COME IN ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS, UM, BECAUSE RECENTLY IT'S GONE UP.
AND I THINK AS OF TODAY, UM, IF YOU CALL IN FOR AN INSPECTION, THEY'RE GONNA TELL YOU BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO LET YOU KNOW WHEN THE NEXT, WHEN YOUR, YOUR SLOT IS.
UM, NOW DON'T GET ME WRONG, EDDIE'S TRYING TO FIT EVERYBODY IN AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AND PEOPLE ARE NOT WAITING THAT LONG, BUT IT'S STILL A WAIT AND WE NEED TO DECREASE THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS THE PLANS GO, WHEN WE INTAKE PLANS AND THEY NEED TO GO BACK TO THE CONTRACTOR, ME PERSONALLY, I'M USED TO MAYBE A WEEK, TWO WEEKS TOPS THAT WE GET IN-HOUSE REVIEW AND THEN WE GIVE THEM THEIR COMMENTS.
UH, SOMETIMES IT'S TAKING TWO MONTHS, UM, NOT BECAUSE SOMETIMES JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE MY INSPECTOR OUT IN THE FIELD.
STEPH CAME IN, HE SAW IT, BUT HASN'T GOTTEN TO IT.
AND THEN BY THE TIME HE DOES GET TO IT, UM, HE'LL SEND OUT AN EMAIL AND, YOU KNOW, FIRE, FIRE CAN ATTEST TO THIS.
THEY GO IN THE ROOM, NOBODY'S THERE TO TELL THEM, THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO REVIEW, THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO REVIEW.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHERE EVERYTHING'S AT.
'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE A PLANS EXAMINER.
SO THEY'LL GO IN, THEY'LL KIND OF LIKE LOOK THROUGH WHAT THEY CAN SIGN OFF ON WHAT THEY NEED, AND THEN THEY LEAVE.
AND THEN I'LL CALL CHIEF AND BE LIKE, CHIEF, THEY MISSED THREE OF 'EM OR THEY MISSED TWO OF 'EM, OR CAN YOU SEND THEM BACK? BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, CHIEF DOESN'T HAVE A FULL-TIME PERSON TO REVIEW EITHER.
SO IF THEY GET CALLED OUT, THEN THAT PUTS THAT ON THE WAITING LIST ALSO.
SO MY REVIEW TIME, I'VE, I'VE TRIED TO PULL OTHER PERSONNEL FROM MY DEPARTMENT AND I CAN'T, THERE, I DON'T HAVE A PERMITTING CLERK.
UM, SO I AM MAKING SURE THAT THAT GETS FIXED BECAUSE TITLES DO MATTER, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UM, AND I'LL JUST, YOU KNOW, IF HE EVER DECIDES, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WANNA, I WANNA MAKE A CHANGE OR I WANNA MOVE UP, THEY'RE NOT GONNA SEE HIM AS A PERMITTING CLERK, WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM AN ADMIN.
HE HAS A LOT MORE RESPONSIBILITIES.
UM, SO TO ME I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UH, PAY WON'T CHANGE, BUT I'M AT LEAST GIVING HIM HIS TITLE.
I, IF I MAY, THE, THE, UH, THIS AREA THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, BESIDES STREETS IN TOWN IS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL ISSUES IN MY MIND THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH BECAUSE WE HAVE PARTLY A BAD REPUTATION BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE
[00:40:01]
GET WHERE THEY NEED TO BE IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT.SO TO ME, THIS IS A SUPER CRITICAL AREA RIGHT NOW THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH AND DEVELOPMENT.
EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS IT'S, THAT'S WHERE IT STARTS.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOUR TAX ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUES COME IN.
I MEAN, THIS IS A, THIS IS AN INCOME PRODUCING AREA HERE.
AND SO WE'VE GOT TO, WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT IT LIKE THAT AND WE'VE GOTTA GIVE IT THE, THE HELP.
SO I'M, I'M LOOKING AT NOT ONLY BUDGETS NEXT YEAR AND AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT RIGHT NOW GETTING SOMEBODY IN THERE.
AND SO THE QUESTION BECOMES IS WHAT DO WE GOTTA DO TO GET SOMEBODY IN THERE RIGHT NOW? UH, I ACTUALLY MET WITH RUTH BECAUSE IT'S GOTTEN SO TIGHT AND I SAID, LOOK, I HAVE A CODE ENFORCEMENT POSITION THAT WAS GETTING A GOOD AMOUNT OF PAY AND I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN FIND AN INSPECTOR.
'CAUSE THE OTHER PROBLEM IS, IS THAT I'VE BEEN CALLING AROUND, THERE ARE NO INSPECTORS AND THE INSPECTORS THAT ARE OUT THERE GETTING, THEY'RE EITHER LEAVING TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR MORE MONEY OR, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RETIRED AND THEY'RE WILLING TO TAKE WHAT, WHAT WE'RE PAYING.
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS, IS THAT IF I TRAIN SOMEBODY, IT PUTS ME IN THE SAME BOAT BECAUSE THEY NEED 500 HOURS.
YES, WE HAVE A LOT OF INSPECTIONS, BUT IT MIGHT NOT SOLELY BE FOR PLUMBING.
AND THEN THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO GO TEST FOR LIKE A YEAR AND A HALF UNTIL THEY GET THOSE HOURS.
AND THEN YOU SEND THEM TO THE TEST.
AND WHAT IF THEY DON'T PASS? UM, THAT'S TWO YEARS WASTED.
UM, AND THE CURRENT PERSON HAS TO TRAIN THAT PERSON AND BE WITH THEM THE WHOLE TIME.
I DID TALK TO RUTH BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE CAN MAYBE ADVERTISE FOR BOTH A PLANS EXAMINER AND A BUILDING INSPECTOR, AND IF WE GET LUCKY AND GET SOMEBODY WHO'S GOT CERTIFICATIONS, THEN I'LL HIRE, HIRE THE BUILDING INSPECTOR.
BUT IF NOT AT LEAST A PLANS EXAMINER TO HELP US KEEP THE ORGANIZATION ON THE BUILDING SIDE TO GET TO GET IT MOVING.
UM, EDDIE WILL STILL HAVE TO REVIEW BECAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE I'M NOT GONNA GET SOMEBODY WITH EXPERIENCE ON THE REVIEW PORTION, BUT HE CAN TEACH THEM THAT AND, UH, EVENTUALLY ELIMINATE THAT FROM, FROM THE INSPECTOR'S PLATE.
BUT I, I MEAN, YES, I DO NEED AN INSPECTOR THERE.
I JUST FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GONNA BE HARD TO, HARDER TO COME BY.
ARE THERE ANY OUTSIDE SERVICES WE COULD LOOK AT? THEY ARE, BUT THEY ARE A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN HIRING.
UM, I ASKED A FRIEND OF MINE, SHE SAYS, I CHARGE ABOUT A HUNDRED DOLLARS AN HOUR.
AND THEN I ASKED, UM, MONICA, WHO IS MY PLANNER, WHO USED TO WORK IN MERCEDES, SHE SAID, WE USED TO HIRE, UH, FOR A PLANS EXAMINER.
THEY USED TO CHARGE US $40 PER, PER ITEM THAT THEY REVIEWED.
AND THEN FOR OUT IN THE FIELD INSPECTIONS, THEY USED TO CHARGE 'EM $40 PER INSPECTION.
IF YOU GO TO A ROUGHEN INSPECTION THAT INCLUDES FOUR INSPECTIONS, SO THEY CAN GO TO ONE INSPECTION THAT LASTS ABOUT 30 MINUTES AND MAKE OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS IN THOSE 30 MINUTES, WOULD I, I, I REALIZE THE EXPENSE, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE LOST, LOST OPPORTUNITY COST HERE RIGHT.
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AND THE REPUTATION COST THAT HAPPENS WITH THIS.
SO I I WE ARE NOT GONNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT I, I JUST THINK WE NEED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WE GOTTA DEAL WITH.
NO, IT IS, AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO MOVE STAFF AROUND DOUBLE DUTIES.
PEOPLE ARE COMING IN ON THE WEEKENDS.
I'M ALSO ASKING FOR ANOTHER PERMITTING CLERK BECAUSE CURRENTLY I ONLY HAVE ONE AND THE PLANNING WINDOW, MY ADMIN WHO HANDLES EVERYTHING FOR THE PLANNING SIDE AND FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT AND, UM, BILLING AND EVERYTHING ALSO HELPS WITH PERMITS.
SO WE GET, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE IT SLOWING DOWN EITHER, BUT NO, NO.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, UM, UR HOMES FRIDAY SUBMITTED SIX NEW HOMES, AND THEN TO THIS WEEK THEY'RE SUBMITTING EIGHT NEW HOMES.
I'VE, I MEAN, IT IS GREAT NEWS FOR US BECAUSE WE NEED THE TAX BASE.
THE BAD NEWS IS WHEN YOU YEAH.
START APPROVING STUFF BECAUSE YOU'RE BEHIND, BECAUSE YOU JUST WANT TO KIND OF, OF PLEASE MM-HMM.
AND THE GUY THAT, WELL, WE ADDRESSED IT WAS ABOUT TO JUST LIKE
OH, YOU FOUND OUT, YOU KNOW, YES.
WE, WE, THEY WERE JUST GONNA, HERE YOU GO, IT SIGNED.
NO, I WANT, I PAID FOR YOU TO REVIEW THIS
UH, SO, BUT I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
WHO'S GONNA KEEP THE ANIMAL SHELTER CONTINUE? SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING.
[00:45:01]
HEALTH DEPARTMENT.I DO, I HAVEN'T EVEN TOUCHED ON CODE CODE ENFORCEMENT CURRENTLY.
UM, I HIRED ELIDA A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
SHE HAS, IN THE MONTH OF JUNE, SHE HAS SENT OUT 163 LETTERS FOR WHEATY LOTS.
SHE HAS SENT OUT 68 LETTERS FOR JUNK VEHICLES, TRASH AND DEBRIS.
SHE SENT OUT 43 RIGHT OF WAY OBSTRUCTIONS.
SHE SENT OUT FOR, UH, ILLEGAL DUMPING.
SHE ADDRESSED ONE ISSUE, ABANDONED.
UM, SHE'S ALSO SENT OUT SEVEN THANK YOU LETTERS.
SO THAT'S PEOPLE THAT HAVE COMPLIED.
UM, THEY'VE ALSO
SO FOUR VEHICLES DID GET TOWED THAT WERE JUNK VEHICLES.
AND I ONLY HAVE ONE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
WE DON'T DO MOWING ANYMORE, AS YOU KNOW, THAT WAS DONE AWAY WITH, I DIDN'T INCLUDE THAT IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE THERE WAS TWO WAYS THAT WE COULD HAVE GONE.
ONE WAS HIRING CONTRACTORS, AND TWO WAS HIRING SOMEBODY IN-HOUSE, AND THEN WE BUY THE EQUIPMENT.
THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT WHEN YOU'RE HIRING SOMEBODY TO MOW THESE, UM, ABANDONED PLACES, YOUR EQUIPMENT A LOT OF TIMES GETS DAMAGED.
UM, IT'S A LOT OF WEAR AND TEAR ON THE, ON THE MOWERS AS OPPOSED TO STUFF THAT'S ALREADY BEEN MAINTAINED.
UM, SO SOMETIMES IT'S MORE COSTLY IN THE LONG RUN FOR US, AND IT'S EASIER JUST TO HIRE OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS.
BUT I I I WOULD LOVE TO, I NEEDED TO PRESENT IT TO YOU.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US HOLD SOME KIND OF WORKSHOP ON THIS ISSUE AS WELL, BECAUSE CLEANING UP IN TOWN AND GETTING THINGS DONE AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO COMPLY, UH, AND THE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENTS, UH, LIKE YOU SAID, WITH THANK YOU LETTERS, ALL CAN BE ADDRESSED.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOME OTHER OPTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE IN PROBABLY A SEPARATE WORKSHOP.
MY OPINION, BECAUSE CURRENTLY THIS BUDGET RIGHT HERE DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY MOWING EXPENSES, I THINK.
NO, WE HAVE THERE LIKE $2,000, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I THINK.
AND A THOUSAND FOR DEMOLITION.
SO IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY OF THAT.
SO IF THAT'S THE ROUTE THAT WE ARE GONNA TAKE, THEN WE NEED TO, IT'S GONNA IMPACT HER BUDGET EVEN MORE.
I, I WOULD AT LEAST WANNA LOOK INTO DEMOLITION OF MA GET SOME FUNDING.
I KNOW THE ARMY, ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WAS GONNA COME IN AND HELP US OUT, OR THEY DID AWAY WITH THAT PROGRAM.
SO LET'S, LET'S, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR ANOTHER ONE.
BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD ONE CURRENTLY.
I SAY LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO AND DO ANYTHING CRAZY, JUST, UM, HEY, WE HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS FOR THREE OR FOUR HOUSES AND THAT JUST MEANS FOUR MORE PERMITS FOR NEW HOUSES FOR YOU, MORE WORK.
BUT STILL SOME OF THOSE HOUSES, THEY JUST NEED TO PUSH.
AND YOU CAN HELP THEM WITH THE DEMOLITION.
I'D RATHER SEE AN EMPTY LOT THAN AN ABANDONED HOUSE, BECAUSE I'VE SEEN SOME PRETTY, WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A SQUATTER OR YOU'RE GONNA HAVE FAMILY MOVE INTO THAT HOUSE.
AND IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
NO, AND IT IS A SITUATION FOR, UM, PD ALSO BECAUSE YOU'RE, LIKE YOU SAID, IT BECOMES A PLACE THAT ATTRACTS, UM, SQUATTERS AND PEOPLE, KIDS WHO WANNA JUST HANG OUT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION, AND OUR QUESTION WAS, HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT US TO ALLOCATE FOR DEMOLITION? AND DO YOU WANT US TO DO CONTRACT WORK FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT? OR WOULD YOU RATHER US BUY THE EQUIPMENT AND HIRE SOMEBODY? I, TO ME, RIGHT NOW, IT'S LIKE I SAID, UH, UH, I THINK WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET FIRST, WHAT WE GOT.
BECAUSE SELLERS I THINK IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS RIGHT NOW.
AND I KNOW WE CAN DEVIATE SO MUCH AND GO INTO INSPECTORS, UH, THE FIREFIGHTERS, PD, EVERY, EVERYBODY, WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT WE GOT.
ONCE WE DO THAT, THEN I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING IT BACK AND LET EVERYBODY LOOK INTO IT AND START ALLOCATING MAY.
RIGHT NOW, I THINK MAY, I KNOW THIS IS BEFORE YOU IS WITH, UM, CHIEF GALVAN, BUT THERE WAS A PROJECT, UM, THAT WAS TO ENFORCE, I GUESS, DRUG USAGE BECAUSE THEY WOULD GO HIDE IN THESE ABANDONED BUILDINGS.
LIKE WHO? BUT DO, DO WE STILL HAVE ACCESS TO THAT GRANT? UM, I'M NOT SURE WHICH GRANT THAT THAT IS.
I KNOW, I, IT IS NOT CALLED THAT, BUT I KNOW
I THINK IT'S THE CHIEF WITH, UH, IT, IT MIGHT BE, UH, OPERATION, UH, BORDER SECURITY OR, UH, THE ONES WHERE WE, UH, WE JUST SATURATE THE CITY WITH OFFICERS AND THEY, THEY HIT TARGET AREAS, WHICH, NO, WE HAD ONE PROGRAM THAT
[00:50:01]
I KNOW, UM, CHIEF GALVAN HAD PRESENTED TO US, AND IT WAS JUST BROUGHT IN THAT ONE YEAR, AND THEN WE NEVER HEARD ABOUT IT AGAIN.BUT IT WAS STRICTLY FOR DEMOLITION OF ABANDONED HOUSES TO PREVENT, I GUESS, DRUG USAGE OR OF COURSE PEOPLE STAYING IN THOSE HOMES.
UM, BUT I WANNA SAY MAYBE ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO, THAT WAS THE, WAS THAT THE ARMY? IT WAS A NATIONAL GUARD THAT WAS GONNA HELP ARMY.
I THINK IT WAS THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, BUT THEY, THEY NEVER REALLY IMPLEMENTED IT.
THE PANDEMIC HIT, NEVER HEARD ABOUT IT AGAIN.
SO THE PERSON WHO BROUGHT THE ARMY CORPS DOWN TO THE VALLEY WAS ELIDA, WHO I CURRENTLY HAVE EMPLOYED WITH US.
AND SHE'S BEEN LOOKING FOR OTHER SOURCES BECAUSE SHE SIT, SHE'S ACTUALLY, I THINK, UH, SHE SITS ON THE BOARD FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, SO SHE HAS A LOT OF CONNECTIONS EVEN OUTSIDE THE VALLEY.
SO SHE HAS BEEN ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS BEING USED, BUT WE JUST HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING YET.
YOU, YOU, YOU CAN GET, SO A QUOTE FOR LIKE, COULD TEAR DOWN A HOUSE CAN RUN YOU FIVE ALL THE WAY TO 40 GRAND.
JUST DEPENDS ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE.
UM, BUT, AND IF IT DOESN'T HAVE ASBESTOS,
WHAT I HEARD WHEN I CALL, UM, AN ASBESTOS REMOVAL GENTLEMAN SAYS, IF IT'S RESIDENTIAL, THE LANDFILLS WILL TAKE IT.
IF IT'S COMMERCIAL, THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.
UM, BUT YEAH, THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT.
BUT THAT'S, I MAYOR, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PROVIDING RAISES AND IMPLYING ALL THESE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, HEALTHCARE AND DENTAL AND VISION.
YOU, IF YOU, IN ORDER TO GIVE OUT MONEY OR TO, TO ALLOW THESE BUDGETS TO INCREASE, YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO DRAW IN MORE REVENUE.
AND A HOUSE THAT'S ABANDONED DOESN'T BRING IN ANY REVENUE.
YOU WANNA ENCOURAGE THESE PEOPLE TO PUT IT BACK ON THE TAX ROLL.
AND THAT ALSO GOES FOR A LOT OF THE PROPERTIES THAT CITY OF SANTO OWNS.
WE NEED TO PUT THEM BACK ON THE TAX ROLL SO THEY'RE NOT EARNING ANY REVENUE.
AGAIN, I, I, I WOULD SAY THAT YEAH, WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF A PLAN, A WORKSHOP TO PUT TOGETHER A PLAN.
I THINK WE CAN COME UP WITH A REALLY GOOD PLAN AND THEN WE CAN FIND THE MONEY TO DO IT AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT AGAINST A, YOU KNOW, DEMOLITION.
HEY, WE GOT THE FIVE, FIVE, YOU KNOW, FIVE HOMES ARE CLOSE TO MY, MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE HAVE OVER 200 HOMES OF PROPERTIES THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO RIGHT HERE.
I'M JUST SAYING FIRST LET'S LOOK AT THIS.
HEY, YOU WANT HOW MUCH YOU WANNA GIVE? YOU WANT $50,000, YOU NEED $50,000, LET'S DO IT.
YOU WANNA DO IT? ANYBODY? COME ON AGAIN.
LET'S LOOK AT THE WAGES FIRST FOR THE PEOPLE.
LET'S KEEP 'EM HERE BEFORE WE START LOSING ANYMORE.
THEN AFTER THAT, ONCE WE SETTLE WHAT WE HAVE, THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT DO YOU NEED? WHAT DO YOU NEED, CHIEF? YOU NEED CARS, YOU NEED PEOPLE FIRE.
WHAT DO YOU NEED, RUTH? WHAT DO YOU NEED? OKAY, EVERYBODY NEEDS EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW, BUT AGAIN, LET'S LOOK AT THE BUDGET, SEE WHAT WE GOT AFTERWARDS.
NOW WE CAN GO THROUGH DEPARTMENT HEADS AND FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED.
WELL, HOW MUCH IS LEFT OVER? DO WE KNOW? DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH IS LEFT OVER? WE DO HAVE OR FUND BALANCE ITSELF THAT IT'S ABOUT 6 MILLION THAT WE, THAT WE HAD MENTIONED BEFORE, UH, ON UNCOMPROMISED IN THERE.
BUT WE ALSO DON'T WANNA MAKE SOMETHING AND DO SOME SORT OF A PLAN THAT WE CANNOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN.
UH, WE NEED TO RUN BUDGET WITH CONSISTENCY.
AND IF I WAS TO SAY YES TO EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY HAD REQUESTED, THIS WOULD'VE LOOKED DIFFERENT.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA, AND THE ONES THAT DID GOT PAUSED BY, IT'S BECAUSE THEY PRESENTED THE MEMOS AND THE REASONS WHY THEY WANTED TO INCREASE IT.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE WHATEVER YOU GOT IN MEMOS.
I GOT IT WHEN I MET WITH THEM, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS DOABLE.
I HAD TO SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GIVE ME A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT YOU'RE NOT USING.
WE DID, AGAIN, WE DID A COMPARISON, A SIX MONTH COMPARISON.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT USING THE MONEY, YOU DON'T NEED IT.
FOR EXAMPLE, FOR PD, UM, THEIR UTILITIES WAS BUDGETED A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN WHAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY EXPENDING.
SO, UH, HE HAD TO GIVE BACK A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, UM, TO GET SOME OTHER THINGS.
AND WE DID THAT WITH ALL DEPARTMENTS.
[00:55:01]
SO THE BUDGET DOESN'T LOOK SO, SO EXTREME AND HIGHER.IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE BECAUSE THE THING, AGAIN, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THIS HEAT THAT WE HAVE, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, MY BILL HAS BEEN GOING UP, YOU KNOW, EVERY, THE, UH, LAST COUPLE MONTHS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, I GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL HOW MUCH I HAVE IN MY BANK TO BE ABLE TO COVER THAT BECAUSE IT'S BANK DROP.
SO EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA GO A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE WAGES, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE, THE UTILITIES AND ALSO THE OBLIGATION THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AND YEAH.
SO I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, LET'S FINISH WHAT WE HAVE FIRST THEN AFTERWARDS.
DAVE, IF YOU TELL ME THE $40 MILLION, HEY, I GOT, I GOT A LOT OF PROJECTS I CAN, I'M, I'M OKAY WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, WAITING TO, TO REVIEW IT.
ONLY THING I'M, I'M SAYING IS IF YOU WANNA SPEND, AND LIKE THE WAY STEPHANIE SAYS, LOOK FOR THE MONEY FIRST.
OR LOOK, HOW CAN YOU INVEST THAT DOLLAR? THINGS I BUY ARE NOT WITH MY MONEY, IT'S WITH THE BANK'S MONEY OR INTEREST.
AND, AND THAT'S HOW YOU SPEND, YEAH.
SO IN THIS PAGE, I MEAN WITH, THERE'S STILL SOME CUP OF, OF DEPARTMENTS TO GO OVER, BUT IF YOU SEE ON THE BOTTOM, IT'S JUST A TWO POINT 22% INCREASE IN BUDGET.
SO THAT'S, AND I'M GONNA POINT THAT OUT.
IT'S U IT'S MAINLY BECAUSE STREET MAINTENANCE.
DO YOU RECALL LAST YEAR WE DID SAY THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE A REPAVING PROJECT AND WE ALLOCATED 1.5 MILLION TO STREETS FOR, FOR REPAVING.
THAT PROJECT DIDN'T GO THROUGH.
SO WE DID A STUDY BASED ON WHATEVER THE STREET IS SPENDING, BASED ON THE PROJECTS THAT WE ARE DOING AND WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING.
NOT, NOT WHAT WE SAY WE WERE GONNA DO WHAT WE DID.
SO IT WAS ABOUT 300,000, A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN THAT IN A SIX MONTH PERIOD.
SO WHAT IT'S REALISTIC TO BUDGET FOR, IT'S 600,000, NOT A MILLION 0.5 BECAUSE IT'S NOT REALISTIC, AND IT'S TAKING AWAY ABOUT A MILLION FOR THE GENERAL FUND TO COVER ALL THE OTHER NEEDS.
AND THAT'S WHY THIS BUDGET, IT'S PROJECTED JUST A TWO POINT 22% INCREASE BECAUSE BUDGETING CORRECTLY AND REALISTIC NOW BASED ON LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT THIS YEAR ACTUAL AMOUNTS, IT'S WHAT MAKES THE BUDGET MORE ACCURATE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY, THAT'S THE WAY I TRY TO CONDUCT THIS BUDGET.
AND I MEAN, EVERYTHING, IT'S BEEN CHANGING.
THIS IS THE, THE CHANGE BUDGET YEAR.
SO WE'RE MAKING A LOT OF CHANGES.
WE, I JUST DON'T FIND WISE TO DO ALL THE CHANGES AT ONE BECAUSE WE NEED TO SEE HOW THIS FIRST CHANGES THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER WORK FOR THE FIRST YEAR AND THEN MOVING FORWARD WE CAN SEE, HEY, WE CAN DO MORE, WE CAN DO MORE, WE CAN DO MORE.
BUT WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF CONSISTENCY.
WE CANNOT SAY, UM, LET'S GIVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN DEVOLUTION.
AND THEN REALIZING THAT WE'VE ONLY SPENT 30,000 BECAUSE PRIOR, I BELIEVE IT WAS 50,000 WHAT IT WAS BEEN BUDGETED OVER THE PAST YEARS, BUT THEY WERE NEVER USING IT.
I DON'T KNOW IT BECAUSE IT WAS OF THE LACK OF EMPLOYEES THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DO, TO ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
ONE, ONE YEAR THAT THE 'CAUSE THE OPERATION CRACKDOWN DIDN'T FOLLOW THROUGH, THEY REALLOCATED, WE REALLOCATED THOSE $40,000 TO DEMOLITION OF THE PUBLIC POOL.
WHERE WAS IT? REALLOCATED TO PARKS? I DON'T KNOW.
IT WAS ALLOCATED SOMEWHERE TO LIKE DO THE DEMOLITION OF THE PUB.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS.
SO, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO REALIZE STEPHANIE AND, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS HERE, BECAUSE, UH, THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME ALSO WITH MANNY, AND SOMETIMES IT WAS NOT, UH, THAT EASY.
BUT ALSO 1.5 MILLION THAT WAS GIVEN WAS PUT ONTO THE STREET.
YOU HAVE TO REALIZE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE REASON WHY SOME OF IT, THE MONEY WAS GIVEN OUT THERE TO THAT AND PLACED ON THAT STREETS.
BECAUSE YOU GOTTA REALIZE, LIKE MY SUBDIVISION WHERE WE'RE AT THE, UH, UH, I GOT SEWER, CLAY PIPE, ANYTHING, ANYTHING HEAVY, ANYTHING VIBRATING ON THERE, IT'S GONNA START CRACKING.
THAT'S WHY MONEY WAS ALLOCATED.
A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY WAS ALLOCATED.
IN CASE THAT YOU, THEY CAME, THE STREET CAME OUT.
I MEAN, YOU WERE OUT THERE WITH ANA, SOMETHING HAPPENED.
WAS THERE ANY, DID YOU DO ANY, UH, YOU KNOW, WATER OR SEWER LINES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? NOTHING.
BUT ANY OTHER STREETS OUT THERE, IT WAS, THE MONEY WAS ALREADY THERE.
FOR THAT REASON, THAT IF YOU NEEDED TO REPLACE THE WATER LINES OR SEWER LINES BECAUSE THEY WERE ON IT, THEN IT WOULD CRACK THE MONEY WAS THERE FOR THAT REASON, NOT FOR ANY OTHER REASON.
[01:00:01]
IT COULD HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, MISUNDERSTANDING THAT, HEY, YOU PUT, WE ONLY USE 300.BUT IT WAS THERE FOR A REASON.
THAT'S WHY WE ALSO HAD THE FORMER DIRECTOR PRESENT TO US, UM, GOING INTO SPECIAL PROJECTS.
SO STREET SUCH AS GIRL GRANDE, WHO HAS A CLAY PIPING, HE WAS GONNA GO AHEAD AND LOOK INTO CONTRACTING SOMEONE ELSE TO THEN TAKE OVER THAT WORK.
AND THAT WAS GONNA BE A WHOLE SEPARATE FEE THAT YEAH, WE WOULD, WELL, LIKE A REHABILITATION PROJECT, I REMEMBER.
NO, I THINK THERE'S ABOUT THREE STREETS THAT HE HAD THAT HE WAS FOCUSING ON.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WE ALLOCATED MORE MONEY TO THAT, TO COVER NOT ONLY WHAT THE CITY WAS REHABILITATING, BUT TO CONTRACT PRIVATELY, UM, A BUSINESS TO COME IN AND TAKE CARE OF THOSE SPECIAL PROJECTS THAT WOULD NEED NOT ONLY THE SEWAGE, BUT OF COURSE THE STREET ON TOP.
IT WAS ALSO, THAT'S WHY THIS YEAR, SINCE WE'RE NOT GOING FORWARD WITH THAT PROJECT, WE, WE REDUCED IT THERE TO WHAT THEY'VE BEEN ACTUALLY USING.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THAT IF WE WERE TO GO INTO THAT SITUATION, WE DO HAVE FUNDS TO COVER THOSE TYPE OF EXPENSES.
WE CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND AMEND THE BUDGET AT MIDYEAR JUST TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT HAD BEEN ARISING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO ONLY BE AT MIDYEAR.
WE COULD DO IT AT AT WHEEL WHENEVER WE SEE THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR IT.
SO IT'S NOT THAT IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN, WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO RECOVER FROM IT.
BUT, UH, JUST FOR THE BUDGET TO BE MORE REALISTIC, THAT'S WHAT WE WENT THAT ROUTE AND WE REDUCED IT TO 600,000 INSTEAD OF 1.5 BECAUSE THERE'S NO PROJECT OF REHABILITATION IN PLACE FOR THIS YEAR OTHER THAN WHAT IT WE'RE USUALLY DOING, NOT CONTRACTING OUT.
AND THIS WHOLE PROCESS THAT THE PRIOR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WOULD WANTED TO DO, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING THIS ROUTE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE IMPACT, IT'S NOT, YOU'RE NOT SEEING THE IMPACT.
IMPACT AS BIG AND THE EXPENSES HAVE NOT INCREASED THAT MUCH FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, CONSIDERING THAT WE ARE GIVING THE HEALTH BENEFIT TO THE EMPLOYEES AND INCREASING THE 3% BASED ON THIS.
THE OTHER THING THAT HELP US OUT, IT'S THAT OUR PROPERTY VALUES INCREASED.
UM, WE DID REDUCE SOME EXPENSES, BUT THE, SOME REVENUES, BUT SOME OTHER CAME IN.
AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSISTENT IF WE PUT IT THIS WAY, THAN JUST GIVING EVERYBODY WHAT THEY WANT AND THEN EXTREMELY INCREASE OUR EXPENSES.
EVEN THOUGH WE COULD PROBABLY AFFORD IT, WE COULD PROBABLY, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN IT IF WE CONTINUE JUST INCREASING OUR BUDGET TO ALL THE WANTS.
SO IT'S BETTER, AGAIN, TO HAVE A PLAN, UM, BEFORE DOING DRASTICALLY CHANGES.
I, I MEAN, THAT'S MY SUGGESTION ON THAT.
WELL, STEPHANIE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT ATTITUDE AND, AND THAT EXPLANATION.
I, I APPRECIATE LOOKING AT THINGS VERY REALISTICALLY.
ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, STRUCK ME THOUGH, AS I'VE COME ON BOARD HERE, IS THAT THE, THAT THE TOWN IS REALLY NOT IN BAD FINANCIAL SHAPE.
AND, AND, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
WHY NOT? BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M LOOKING AT THAT, ARE WE IN SUCH A GOOD SHAPE AND NOT SPENDING MONEY WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE SPENT AND GETTING THE PROJECTS DONE THAT NEED TO BE DONE? AND I'M GOING, OKAY, WE GOT MONEY.
WHY AREN'T WE SERVING OUR CITIZENS? AND SO THAT KIND OF REALLY IS BEEN A, A HARD THING FOR ME TO SWALLOW A LITTLE BIT.
SO I DO WANNA BE MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE IN, IN SEEING THAT WE GET THINGS DONE, PARTICULARLY SINCE WE STILL GOT SO MUCH DEVELOPMENT COMING INTO TOWN.
WE, WE NEED TO BE THERE AND ANSWER THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
JUST AN EXAMPLE ALSO WHY MY BUDGET INCREASED IS WHEN I CAME IN, I CAME IN IN NOVEMBER 1ST AND OCTOBER WAS WHEN THE BUDGET WAS FINALIZED AS SOON AS I GOT HERE.
UM, SIMPLE THING LIKE, UH, OVERTIME AND, UH, SUPPLIES FOR THE OFFICE, I WAS ALREADY OVER BUDGET, SO MY BUDGET WASN'T, I DIDN'T HAVE FOR EDUCATION, I DIDN'T HAVE FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR, YOU KNOW, MY PEOPLE THAT NEED THEIR CLASSES.
TRAINING WASN'T BEING, UH, ALLOCATED FOR.
SO I HAD TO INCREASE FOR ALL OF THAT ON THIS ONE.
SO I WANNA SEE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS.
HOW MANY STREETS AND THE SIX MONTH SPAN HAVE WE COMPLETED? THAT'S A QUESTION WE'RE TOWARDS OVER HERE.
WHAT IS THE PAST SIX MONTHS? IT WOULD APPROXIMATELY BE, HAVE IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT, UH, WE HAD A, UH, COMPLETED EIGHT STREETS, UH, IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS THAT, THAT I CAN REMEMBER.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE CURRENTLY STILL DOING CYANA STREET, WHICH, UH, WE DID, UH, COMPLETE, UH, THE PORTION, THE PHASE THAT WE WERE DOING.
UM, WE DID ADDRESS CERTAIN AREAS ON, ON CASA STREET, WHICH CONNECTS WITH ANA.
UM, UM, THEY DROPPED OFF, UH, COUPLE
[01:05:01]
LOADS THIS MORNING AND THEY HAVE, THEY HAPPEN TO DROP OFF A LITTLE BIT EXTRA MATERIAL.LIKE I SAID, I, UM, I DON'T LIKE TAKING IT BACK TO THE SHOP.
I UTILIZE IT IF IT'S NEEDED WITHIN THE AREA.
UM, SO I WAS GONNA HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH MS. RUTH IN REGARDS TO, HEY, WE NEED A SECTION THAT JUST TO FINISH OFF LA CASA, UH, OR CASA STREET.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN UTILIZING EXTRA MATERIAL, NOT, LIKE I SAID, NOT BRINGING IT BACK AND USING IT AS COOL MAKES, 'CAUSE YOU GOTTA REWORK IT AND ALL THAT.
SO WE UTILIZE IT IF WE'RE THERE, WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, UTILIZE THAT.
WE'RE ALSO CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW WE'RE DOING, UH, FINITELY LAYING, UH, PREPPING THAT ONE AND PREPPING, UH, WAYLAND AS WELL.
UH, I KNOW, UH, MS. STEPHANIE DID MENTION, UH, WE'VE UTILIZED ABOUT 300.
I THINK WE'RE CLOSER TO FOUR RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WE JUST PUT IN, UH, REQUESTS FOR, UH, I THINK IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 186,000 WORTH OF MATERIAL, UM, TO ADDRESS THESE, UH, UH, STREETS.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING THERE.
AND I KNOW THE, THE 600,000 WAS GONNA BE KIND OF CLOSE.
UM, AND I KNOW THE PROJECTS THAT CAME IN, UM, THE CONTRACTOR THAT WAS GONNA BE DOING THOSE, THEY'RE OUTTA STATE.
I, I BELIEVE THEY'RE OUT OF, UH, DENVER, COLORADO.
SO THEY USUALLY, THEY COME DURING SEASONS.
UH, THEY COME DURING THEIR WINTER SEASONS 'CAUSE OBVIOUS THEY DON'T PAVE AS MUCH WITH THE SNOW AND ALL THAT.
UM, WHEN I GOT, UH, WHEN I CAME ON BOARD, UM, WE WERE HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM.
THEY WERE DOING PROJECTS, I BELIEVE OUT IN, UH, MACALLAN AREA.
UM, SO IN ORDER TO GET THEM SCHEDULED IN, UM, IT WAS, I BELIEVE THE THREE STREETS, UH, MS. SANCHEZ WAS TALKING ABOUT.
UM, I THINK WE'RE GONNA DO LAMA COMBS AND, UH, MCCULLOUGH WAS ONE THAT, AND IT WAS CALLED THE REJUVENATION PROJECT, WHICH IS WE JUST, UH, PICK UP THE MATERIAL THAT'S THERE, RE UH, REM MILL IT, AND THEN WE RELAY IT DOWN.
UM, IT WAS GONNA BE A FASTER PROCESS, BUT IT WAS GONNA BE AN EXPENSIVE, HENCE WHY WE DECIDED TO GO 1.5 MILLION.
I THINK ON THOSE THREE STREETS ALONE, IT WAS GONNA BE AROUND $750,000 TO DO THOSE THREE STREETS FOR THAT, UH, THAT PROCESS.
UM, ONCE WE STARTED LOOKING AT 'EM A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH, UH, I BELIEVE COMBS HAS SOME, UH, CONCRETE UNDERNEATH IT.
SO IT WOULD'VE BEEN TOUGH TO KIND OF GET ENOUGH MATERIAL TO REUSE AND THEN, UH, REAPPLY IT.
UH, SO THAT KIND OF WAS, OKAY, LET'S START LOOKING AT OTHER STREETS.
UM, BY THE TIME WE GOT TO THE POINT WHERE, HEY, ARE WE GONNA GO WITH THE PROJECTS? THE CONTRACTOR WAS, HEY, UM, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, FINISHING UP OUR OWN, UH, PROJECTS HERE IN THE AREA, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, PACKING UP AND, AND HEADING BACK.
I DID, UH, STAY IN COMMUNICATIONS.
UH, UH, IT'S CALLED CUTLER PAVING, UH, MR. KING.
SO I'VE BEEN STILL IN COMMUNICATIONS WITH HIM.
WE ARE WORKING ON A, UH, ON, UH, PROCUREMENT PROCESS TO, TO SEE, HEY, HOW ARE WE GONNA GO ABOUT IT IF WE WERE TO EVER, UH, WANT TO GET THEIR SERVICES SO AT LEAST WE CAN BE READY.
AND THEN THOSE WOULD BE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'D HAVE TO HAVE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO BUDGET PROPERLY MOVING FORWARD.
I KNOW WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING THAT SHUFFLE BOARD YES.
ARE THEM STREETS ON THAT LIST AS WELL? IS IT COMBINED INTO THIS BUDGET AS WELL? IF IT ISN'T ON THAT LIST, I KNOW WE ARE DOING, I, I BELIEVE WE LOOKED AT NIXON ROAD THAT'S OUT IN THAT AREA.
THAT ONE, I, I PERSONALLY WAS OUT THERE WITH OUR SUPERVISORS.
UM, WE GOTTEN COST ESTIMATES AS WELL.
SO THAT ONE'S GONNA BE GETTING ADDRESSED HERE SHORTLY AS WELL.
UM, I NEED TO LOOK INTO, UH, I BELIEVE LOC MM-HMM.
'CAUSE THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A GOOD STRETCH, UH, AS WELL.
UM, AND, UH, YES, TURNER, I BELIEVE WE TALKED ABOUT YOST AS WELL FROM, UH, SAM HOUSTON ALL THE WAY TO EIGHTH STREET.
UM, WE WENT OUT AND GOT A, UH, YOU KNOW, A BALLPARK NUMBER ON WHAT IT WOULD COST TO REHABILITATE THAT ROAD.
UM, ALONG WITH DOING DRAIN, UH, LIKE WE SAID, WE, IF WE'RE GONNA GO IN THERE, WE CAN DO, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE IF NEEDED.
UH, THAT STRETCH OF ROAD FROM SAM HOUSTON ALL THE WAY TO EIGHTH STREET WAS GONNA RUN APPROXIMATELY $400,000 TO DO THAT REHABILITATION ON THAT.
UM, THAT'S NOT INCLUDING IF WE WERE NEED TO, OR, YOU KNOW, REPLACE WATER LINES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO THOSE ARE THE BALLPARK NUMBERS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH.
LOOK, UM, I KNOW WE, UH, WE HAD CONVERSATIONS IN, IN REGARDS TO MAYBE LOOKING AT RIO GRANDE AND MAYBE ALAMO AS WELL.
WE'VE, UH, YEAH, I, I WAS ACCOSTED THIS MORNING OUT ON MY MORNING WALK BY SOMEONE ASKING ABOUT THOSE.
SO, AND, AND WE'VE GONE OUT THERE AND WE'VE WALKED THE AREA, UM, MR. DAVID SALINAS FROM US WATER, UH, HE'S, UH, ON, ON, YOU KNOW, ON BOARD WITH US.
SO WE'VE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO KIND OF GET A, ALSO LIKE A BALLPARK NUMBER, UM, TO KIND OF PRESENT TO YOU GUYS TO SEE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, THE, THE COMMISSION WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD IN, IN ADDRESSING.
UM, DO WE NEED TO ADDRESS THOSE, UH, UH, THOSE CLAY LINES? UH, YES.
UM, ARE THERE DIFFERENT METHODS THAT ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COSTLY, BUT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, TIME EFFICIENT THAN YES, ALSO, BUT, AND THOSE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE TO SEE WHAT IS MORE BENEFICIAL FOR THE CITY.
UM, AND WHAT ARE WE WILLING TO COMMIT TO TO MAKE THOSE REHABILITATION MSBA?
[01:10:01]
DO WE STILL HAVE THE, AN ORDINANCE FOR THE, THE TRAILERS NOT BEING ON, UM, RESIDENTIAL AREAS OR 'CAUSE NIXON'S A THOROUGH AT THOROUGHFARE TO GET IT FROM SAN HARLINGEN TO SANTO.AND WHEN I WAS OUT THERE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE STREETS AND TAKING PICTURES, THERE WAS A LOT OF 18 WHEELER TRAFFIC, BUT IT'S 'CAUSE THEY WERE FIXING THE, THE CONNECTOR FROM DIXIE TO SANTO DIX.
HOPEFULLY THAT'LL ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT, BUT I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE USING IT AS LIKE A SHORTCUT.
AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA GO, RIGHT.
MESS UP YOUR WORK, ROGER THAT.
UM, SO IS THERE A WAY WE CAN DO LIKE A NO TRUCK SIGNAGE AND ENFORCE THOSE THINGS? IF IT'S AN ISSUE, I'LL LOOK INTO THAT.
AND IF WE HAVE TO DO A, A, A SIGNAGE AND THEN KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON IT, DEFINITELY.
WE JUST NEED MORE POLICE OUT THERE.
AND I THINK WE HAD A CALL, I THINK WE GOT FORWARDED A, UH, YESTERDAY, BUT I THINK IT WAS OVER HERE ON LASS B.
THERE WAS A, A, A SEMI-TRUCK JUST PARKED
UM, YEAH, ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, I, I'M, I'M, I MENTIONED THIS AGAIN.
I LIKE TO SEE A PLAN, I LIKE TO SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING.
I LIKE TO BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND KIND OF THING.
AND, AND SO I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE PUTTING OUT FIRES AND I DO NOT LIKE MANAGEMENT BY FIRE.
AND I, I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GET AHEAD OF THESE THINGS AND TO START TO LOOK AT IT.
SO AGAIN, ANY TYPE OF, OF, OF A PLAN WHERE WE CAN RATE STREETS, PUT STREETS TOGETHER, WE UNDERSTAND WHAT CONDITION THEY'RE IN SO WE CAN START TO PRIORITIZE THIS WORK, UH, AND GET AHEAD OF THIS, THEN, THEN MAN, I'M ALL FOR THAT.
WE HAVE A PLAN ON THE WEBSITE, SO WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS, WHEN IS MY STREET GONNA GET DONE? AND THE WEBSITE, THAT'S THAT.
AND THOSE ARE ACTUALLY CONVERSATIONS THAT ME AND MR. MORALES, OUR CITY ENGINEER, AND HE'S VERY ADAMANT ABOUT THAT.
AND HAVING, AND WE'VE HAD THE CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. SALINAS TO HAVE A MASTER PLAN ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND ROADS.
UM, THE CITY HAD GENERATED A MASTER PLAN BACK, I BELIEVE IT WAS 20 2016 OR 17.
UM, SO, OH, OBVIOUSLY THOSE NUMBERS ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT OUTDATED.
THEY JUST GAVE A, A BRIEF BREAKDOWN OF, HEY, THIS IS WHAT THIS STREET WOULD TAKE TO, UH, TO, FOR IT TO BE COMPLETELY REHABBED.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW THOSE VALUES ARE GONNA CHANGE, UH, MATERIALS COST CHANGE.
SO, BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE SOMETHING TO REFERENCE OFF.
IF WE NEED TO UPDATE THAT, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN START LOOKING INTO AND GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, COMPREHENSIVE LOOK ON IT BY WHEN CAN WE SEE THAT? UH, LIKE I SAID, I JUST, I, I CAME, IT CAME TO MY DESK, MAYBE THE QUESTION RIGHT?
SO IF YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT AN ACTUAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UM, THEY RANGE ABOUT 500 TO $700,000.
WELL, OKAY,
WE DO PLACE, WE, IT, WE BETTER.
IT'S A DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION.
IT'S A PUB, IT'S A PARKS AND REC AND A MOBILITY PLAN.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S, THEY'RE ALL ON THE CITY WEBSITE, BY THE WAY.
AND, AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD 'EM.
SO YEAH, OBVIOUSLY THEY NEED TO BE UPDATED, BUT I WOULD BEGIN BY LOOKING AT THOSE.
I HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME YET TO REALLY STUDY THOSE IN MORE DETAIL, BUT I WOULD BEGIN WITH ANYTHING YOU'RE LOOKING AT, STARTING TO LOOK AT SOMETHING AT, AT THOSE PLANS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE, YES, THEY NEED TO BE UPDATED, BUT I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO GO SPEND ANOTHER HALF MILLION DOLLARS ON, AND THEY DON'T NEED TO BE UPDATED BY MUCH.
I LOOKED AT IT AND IT'S JUST, HAD WE GONE THROUGH WITH THE PLAN YEAH.
WE WOULDN'T BE IN THE SITUATION WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
IF WE WOULD'VE FOLLOWED IT THE WAY THAT THEY PLANNED IT OUT FOR US, WE'D BE IN A DIFFERENT SITUATION.
BUT, AND IT, AND IT BECOMES OUR JOB AS THE YEAH.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE EMPLOYEES TO FOLLOW THROUGH.
I MEAN, YOU NEED THE REINFORCEMENTS BEHIND IT TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE PLAN.
AND WE'VE NEVER HAD STABILITY.
AND IT BECOMES OUR JOB TO SEE THAT THE, THAT HAPPENS.
AND SO, I, I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ME SCREAMING A LOT, SO
WELL, UM, ON ZUCK ROAD, I THINK I ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT, UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THE, THE COUNTY, BECAUSE THE COUNTY WAS THE REACH OUT TO ME.
AND THEY TOLD ME THAT, UH, THEY, THEY'RE WILLING TO HELP US OUT.
REMEMBER THAT, UH, ON, UH, PENNSYLVANIA, THEY WERE WILLING TO HELP US OUT.
THEY'LL PUT THE, THE EQUIPMENT AND THE MAN HOURS.
WE JUST NEED TO, YOU KNOW, PAY 'EM FOR THE, UH, FOR THE EQUIPMENT, UH, FOR THE, UH, MATERIAL.
AND, UH, WE CAN DO THAT OVER THERE IN PENNSYLVANIA, FINISH IT UP, AND ALSO TRY SO WE CAN DO THE, UH, YOU KNOW, LOC IF WE CAN DO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAY, ALLEVIATE THAT, THAT STREET FROM OVER THERE.
AND YOU CAN STILL CONCENTRATE ON THE SUBDIVISION WHERE WE HAVE.
SO, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING, LIKE I SAID, WE'LL SEE, I'LL REACH OUT TO THE, UH, COUNTY JUDGE OKAY.
AND SEE, AND I'LL TALK TO THE, UH, PRO, UH, UH, I THINK IT WAS A PUBLIC DIRECTOR, AND, UH, SEE IF I CAN, UH, TALK TO HIM AND SEE IF HE CAN GIMME A QUOTE.
I'LL PRESENT IT BACK TO THE COMMISSION AND SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, WHAT THEY, THEY CAN OFFER US AND WHAT THEY CAN HELP US OUT WITH ON THAT ONE TOO.
AND WE'VE BEEN, UH, WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH LITIGATION DISTRICT AND, AND MS. LAMBERT AND KIND OF TRYING TO BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP BACK UP, UH, CORRECT.
ONCE WE STARTED THAT, UH, THEY ALREADY STARTED
[01:15:01]
CLEANING UP HERE BEHIND, UH, THE HB THERE BY HEB CLEARED, ALL THAT.UM, WE'RE GONNA ASSIST THEM IN, IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN.
UM, THEY DID ASK FOR, HEY, CAN YOU GUYS ASSIST WITH, UH, SOME DUMP TRUCKS THAT KIND OF HAUL OFF SOME OF THIS, UH, MATERIAL? AND I TOLD THEM, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HELP OUT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
BUT, UM, IT ALSO STILL FALLS ON THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.
'CAUSE THAT IS THEIR, YOU KNOW, RIGHT OF WAY THAT THEY NEEDED TO TAKE CARE OF.
NOW THEY LET IT KIND OF GET OVERGROWN.
BUT, UM, ANY WAY THAT WE CAN ASSIST AND WE'RE HAVING THAT OPEN COMMUNICATION AT LEAST SO WE CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE SITUATIONS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH ON, ON PENNSYLVANIA.
UM, WE'RE STILL GOING BACK AND FORTH ON, ON HOW WE'RE GONNA GO ABOUT, UH, RELOCATING OUR SEWER LINE.
IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW? UM, ME AND RAUL ACTUALLY WENT OUT THERE AND WE TOOK, UH, ELEVATIONS AND WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS SOMETHING DOABLE IF WE CAN DO THE ELEVATIONS.
SO IT'S FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
UM, NOW IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, HEY, HOW ARE WE DOING ON A DAILY BASIS WITH WATER BREAK SEWER BACKUPS WHERE WE CAN KIND OF PULL OUR CREWS TO, HEY, WE, IT'S APPROXIMATELY, I BELIEVE, UH, ROUGHLY LIKE 400, 500 LINEAR FEET OF PIPE.
DO WE HAVE THE MATERIAL? YES, WE DO HAVE IT.
UM, CAN WE UTILIZE OUR STAFF TO GO IN AND IF WE GET EVERYTHING LINED UP AND KIND OF, WE'LL KNOCK OUT OUR PART THAT WAY, THAT PUTS THE BALL BACK ON THEIR, AND THEN THEY ADDRESS THEIRS, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.
BUT AT LEAST HAVING THOSE OPEN CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN, UH, WORKING, UH, SO FAR.
SO THAT TAKES CARE OF THE STREETS, WHICH ON SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS, BUT THAT'S FINE.
UM, THE FOLLOWING ONE WOULD BE GENERAL MAINTENANCE.
AND FOR THIS ONE I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT GENERAL MAINTENANCE WITH PARKS AND RECREATION.
SO THERE'S AN INCREASE IN, UH, PARKS MAINTENANCE AND A DECREASE.
AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY INCREASE IN ALL OF THEM.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE, WE CANNOT LIKE REALLOCATE WHAT THE EXPENSES THAT BELONG TO GENERAL MAINTENANCE.
STAY WITH GENERAL MAINTENANCE, WHAT BELONG TO PARKS, STAY WITH PARKS AND FOR RECREATION.
'CAUSE THERE WAS SOME SORT OF MISCOMMUNICATION BECAUSE THE THREE DEPARTMENTS ARE HANDLED BY ONE MAINLY DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS HERE, MR. RAMON.
SO WE KINDA WENT EXPENSE BY EXPENSE, AND WE DECIDE, HEY, THIS BELONGS TO PARKS, THIS BELONGS TO RECREATION BECAUSE THEY WERE USING THE THREE BUDGETS AND TRYING TO, UH, OFFSET EXPENSES HERE FROM OVER HERE.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING INCREASES.
UM, BUT IT'S THE 3% IN SALARIES AND THE REALLOCATION CORRECTLY OF THE EXPENSES WHERE THEY BELONG TO.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU CAN DIRECT IT TO MR. RAMO AND THERE'S NO MEMO FOR THIS BECAUSE EVERYTHING PRETTY MUCH STAYS THE SAME.
IT'S JUST, IT WAS JUST REALLOCATED DIFFERENTLY.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT FOR EVERYTHING WE'RE GOING THROUGH, FOR ALL THE MEMOS, YOU HAVE THE DETAILED THINGS ON YOUR BUDGET.
WE JUST DID IT THIS WAY SO WE COULD GO OVER THEM BECAUSE IF WE WERE TO GO BACK AND FORTH WITH THE BUDGET ITSELF, IT'S GONNA BE KIND OF TEDIOUS AND IT'S GONNA TAKE US WAY MORE TIME.
BUT YOU COULD SEE THE EXPENSES THAT EVERYBODY REQUESTED PER DEPARTMENT IN YOUR ACTUAL BUDGET.
UM, YEAH, I, I'M LOOKING AT A LOT OF THESE THINGS AND I'M KIND OF WONDERING WHY WE HAD A BUDGET FOR THAT.
I MEAN, LIKE, AND IT SEEMED LIKE A, THE OVERLAPPING, SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THERE MAY BE SOME CONSOLIDATION HERE GOING ON.
YEAH, WE, WE, WE, WE TRY TO, WE TRY TO GET IT AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE.
SO WHAT BELONGS TO RECREATION, IT'S SHOULD STAY AS AN EXPENSE FOR RECREATION.
UH, IF THAT MEANS INCREASING THE BUDGET OF, FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU ALREADY EXPENSE IT IN A DIFFERENT BUDGET, WE'RE GONNA DO THOSE CHANGES BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE DONE.
FROM ONE I I, I, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, COULD YOU ELABORATE THOUGH ON THAT? YOU'RE SAYING IT'S THREE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, HOW YOU ALLOCATE IT ON WHAT EACH DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY DOES FOR LIKE THE PARKS? YEAH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UH, TAKES CARE OF THE PARKS, UH, MOWING, UH, MAINTENANCE, UH, STRUCTURES, EVERYTHING.
UH, THE GROUNDS DEPARTMENT TAKES CARE OF ALL THE RIGHT OF WAYS, EASEMENTS, UH, AND THEN THE GENERAL BILL, UH, MAINTENANCE, UH, TAKES CARE OF, UH, AIR CONDITIONING, ELECTRICAL STRUCTURES.
UH, SO THEY'RE, THAT'S THE, MY SPECIALIZED, UM, SKILLED LABOR.
LIKE ON MAINTENANCE, LIKE HOW HAVE WE BEEN DOING ON THE MAINTENANCE OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE ON OUR PLAYGROUNDS, EVERYTHING.
BECAUSE I GO BY SEVERAL PARTS TODAY.
I, I MET WITH YOU EARLIER, YES.
ON, ON A PLAN THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING INTO DOING WITH THE MAYOR, UM, GUIDING US.
UM, AND I SEEN THAT SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT THOUGH ISN'T TOO PAR.
SO HOW WE MAINTAIN SOME OF IT'S GROWING OLD, WE, WE HAVE TO REPLACE SOME OF THAT STUFF.
UH, AND WE HAVE THAT IN THE BUDGET.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M WONDERING IF IT'S IN, IN THE BUDGET.
ARE, ARE WE GONNA JUST GO AWAY WITH THAT EQUIPMENT AND GET NEW EQUIPMENT? WHAT WE DO? WHAT, UH, PERIODICALLY WE'LL GO AND, UH, EVALUATE, UH, THE PLAYGROUNDS, THE SWING SETS AND EVERYTHING, AND WE'LL SEE
[01:20:01]
WHETHER WE CAN REPAIR THEM OR WE NEED TO TURN 'EM DOWN AND PUT NEW ONES IN.UH, LAST YEAR WE PUT IN ABOUT, UH, I WANNA SAY ABOUT 12 NEW SWING SETS.
THAT, THAT WAS, UM, ADD ON TO MISS, UH, COMMISSIONER MORALES'S, UH, CONCERNS.
WHAT, AND I GUESS, I GUESS THIS GOES FOR EVERY, I GUESS FOR A FEW DEPARTMENTS, LIKE PUBLIC, PUBLIC WORKS AND MAYBE RECREATION, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR BUD, UH, BUDGET IS FOR SPECIFICALLY SPECIAL PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE IN MIND OR, MM-HMM.
FOR LIKE, NOT SALARY, UH, SPECIAL PROJECTS.
UM, IS THAT LISTED HERE IN THE BUDGET? NO, SIR.
IT'S LIKE, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU ALREADY HAVE TO REPLACE SO MANY SWING SETS OR THAT WE DO A, A BUDGET FOR THAT.
UH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT, UM, THESE THINGS GROW.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY ROUTE, THEY, THEY, WE PAINT AS MUCH AS WE CAN, BUT SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE 20, 30 YEARS OLD, SO WE HAVE TO KEEP REPLACING THEM.
UH, VANDALISM ALSO TAKES ITS TOLL, SO WE HAVE TO PUT MONEY INTO THAT.
UH, I THINK WE HAVE, UH, SOMETHING LIKE $60,000 IN THERE BECAUSE, BECAUSE I'M LIKE LOOKING AT THE PAGE 3 37 RECREATION AND IT SAYS PARK IMPROVEMENT EQUIPMENT, 2,500 MM-HMM.
NO, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S CHANGED.
THAT'S, UH, SEATS, THAT'S, UH, THE SMALL STUFF.
AND I REMEMBER ONE YEAR, CDBG, I THINK MUCH SCIENCE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP.
THIS HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN ACTUALLY, BECAUSE I LOOK BACK AT THE CDBG 10 YEARS AND THERE'S ALWAYS AN ALLOCATION FOR GENERAL PARK IMPROVEMENTS AND THERE'S ALWAYS THIS GENERAL PARK IMPROVEMENTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT MORE LIKE SPECIFIC, LIKE WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE GENERAL PARK IMPROVEMENT? ARE WE DOING? IS IT WE VOTE ON EVERYTHING.
YEAH, WE VOTE ON IT, BUT IT'S JUST A GENERAL PARK IMPROVEMENT.
I WANNA SAY, IS IT A BASKETBALL COURT? AM I GETTING NEW SWING SETS? THOSE TWO, THOSE 12 MAIN SWING SETS WE GOT WERE BOUGHT WITH CDB FUNDS.
I SAW THE NEW ONES IN SAKA HAVEN TRAIL.
THEY WERE HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE AND THEN SOME NEW ONES.
YEAH, ALL OF THOSE WE'RE GOTTEN WITH, UH, CBG MONEY.
BUT, BUT, BUT WHAT ABOUT LIKE THE LANDRUM RESTROOMS, THE GAN PARK PAVILION PAVILION, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF LIKE, CORRECT.
UH, MARTIN SIGN, CD BG COORDINATOR.
SO, UH, WE HAVE MONEY FROM CDBG THAT'S, UH, LIKE YOU SAID, GENERAL PARK IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, WE HAD, FOR EXAMPLE, 2020 3000 THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR GAN UH, PARK FOR THE PAVILION.
NOW AFTER, AFTER THE, UH, THE PAVILION, THE TABLES AND EVERYTHING, WE GO A LITTLE BIT OVER.
SO WHATEVER WE HAVE IN GENERAL PARK IMPROVEMENTS COVERS THAT.
THE LOUNGE ROOM RESTROOMS, UH, THEY WERE 40,000 THAT WAS ALLOCATED PREVIOUSLY.
THOSE RESTROOMS RIGHT NOW ARE NOT GONNA COST 40,000.
IT'S GONNA BE PROBABLY AROUND, UH, 80, 90,000.
SO FROM THE GENERAL PARK IMPROVEMENTS, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA KICK IN TO COVER THE REMAINING COSTS SO THAT THE CITY DOESN'T PUT IN, UH, SOME OF THESE OTHER FUNDS.
SOME OF THESE OTHER, UH, PARKS THAT WE HAVE, UH, SOUTH PARKS, UH, UH, STOOKY PARK, WE, WE CAN DO SMALL STUFF LIKE, UH, SWING SETS, SWING SETS AND WHATNOT WITH SOME OF THE MONEY FROM GENERAL PARK IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH IS, IT'S NOT GONNA BE, UH, MUCH AFTER WE'RE DONE WITH GAN AND LAND ROOM.
SO COMMISSIONER, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE, THE AMOUNT WAS, UH, LOW, BUT THAT'S WHERE CDBG KICKS IN.
UNFORTUNATELY, CDBG HAS BEEN ALLOCATED ALREADY FOR STREET MAINTENANCE, AND WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL 2025 UNTIL THAT, I THINK IT'S 2025, RIGHT? CORRECT.
IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE, ACTUALLY THIS WILL BE THE LAST YEAR.
SO WHEN'S THE DEADLINE FOR GAN? THAT'S GAN 2024.
WE'RE THE, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE PO FOR ACTUALLY THE APPEAL'S ALREADY ON, UH, ON THE SYSTEM, SO WE SHOULD BE GETTING IT HERE, HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT MONTH.
MATERIALS AND FINISH IT UP MATERIAL.
WE ALREADY GOT THE PO FOR THAT.
SO IT'S, UH, WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR DELIVERY.
WE, THAT DELIVERY CAN BE A YEAR WE SAW WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
THAT'S JUST A ROOF THEN WE'RE JUST, SO IT'S GONNA BE FOUR POSTS AND A ROOF? NO, NO, NO.
IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A STRUCTURE THAT WOULD STANDS WIND OF UP TO 160 MILES AN HOUR.
BUT LIKE A METAL ROOF, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND THEY HAD TO REDO THE CONCRETE.
HONESTLY, IF YOU NEED, IF I'M OFF, I'M, I'LL HELP WITH ANYTHING
AND HOPEFULLY THEY GET FINISHED WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE EXPECTATION IS THAT, THAT FISCAL YEAR INSTEAD OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UH, I STRETCHED IT OUT MORE, BUT YES, I, I JUST, I WANT, I WANNA SEE PROGRESS.
AND THEN WE COULD ALSO BE LOOKING AT GRANTS TO IMPROVE OUR,
[01:25:01]
OUR PARKS AS WELL, THAT I'M LOOKING TO GRANT FROM THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE.UH, SO THE HARDING ENGINE COMPANY JUST GOT ONE FOR 1.5 MILLION.
SO STUFF THAT NOT EVEN TOUCHING OUR FUNDS.
SO WE, WE'VE LET, UM, VALLEY BAPTIST AND PARKS AND REC MM-HMM.
AND DIFFERENT FOUNDATIONS, IT'S JUST TAKES A WHILE, LIKE TO WANNA SEE SOME TRACTION THERE IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
BUT LIKE, UM, I, I GUESS I CAN SAY SO SPEAK FOR MOST COMMISSIONERS HERE.
THE DEPARTMENTS NEED TO LET US KNOW WHAT RESOURCES, WHAT ARE YOUR SUPPLY NEEDS.
BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE PAY YOU HAVE IN THE WORLD, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE MACHINE OR TOOLS TO DO, DO THE WORK, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET ANYWHERE.
SO WE NEED, YOU NEED TO LET US KNOW AND YOU NEED TO LET STEPHANIE KNOW.
AND, UM, MS. MCGINNIS KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING, I, I GO, I WALK IN THE MORNINGS AND I, I USUALLY GO TO, UH, HAVEN TRAIL AND WALK THE WHOLE TRAIL 'CAUSE I REALLY NEED TO, BUT THE
NO, WE GET THOUSANDS ON A DAILY BASIS.
WE HAVE A COUNTER THERE THAT, UH, LOWER DEVELOPMENT GAVE, THERE'S TWO OF THEM, RIGHT? I'M SORRY.
AND WE HAVE, UH, A DATA AND ALL OF THAT.
AND IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE USE THAT TRAIL.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THOSE STATISTICS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WHAT WOULD BE THE POSSIBILITY OF A GRANT WRITER? I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE CONTEMPLATED IN THE PAST.
UM, WE THOUGHT EDC WOULD STEP IN AND GET ONE AND WE WOULD KIND OF LEAN ON THEM FOR THAT.
NO, ACTUALLY IN ONE OF THE PAGES I DO AND THE BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS, I DO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION.
I MEAN, THE POSITION, IT'S THERE, BUT THERE'S NO AMOUNT FOR IT BECAUSE OF COURSE IT'S A NEW POSITION.
SO IT NEEDS TO GET APPROVED BY YOU BEFORE I ADD IT IN.
UM, WOULDN'T BE AN ACTUAL GRANT WRITER MORE TOWARDS LIKE A GRANT SPECIALIST OR SOMEBODY THAT HELPS OUT FINDING MONIES.
AND IT'S AN EXPERT OF LOOKING ON GRANTS.
'CAUSE WE, AS MUCH AS WE WANNA PUT, UM, BRINGING THE MONEY INTO THE DIRECTORS, THERE'S A LOT OF REGULATIONS FOR ALL GRANTS.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO REQUEST MONEY, USE IT IN A PROJECT, AND THEN NOT BEING, HAVING TO RETURN THE MONEY BECAUSE WE WERE NOT, YEAH.
WE, WE, WE, WE DIDN'T MEET THE CRITERIA.
WE DON'T WANNA BE IN THAT POSITION NOR TO GET AUDITED AND NOT HAVE EVERYTHING IN COMPLIANCE.
SO IT IS MY SUGGESTION TO ADD, LIKE A GRANT COORDINATOR, GRANT SPECIALIST TO HELP US OUT, LOOK OUT FOR THE GRANTS, THINKING THAT IT, IT'S GONNA BE STARTING POINT AND EXPENSE TOWARDS THE GENERAL FUND, THE CITY.
BUT ONCE THE MONEY FROM THE GRANTS COME IN, USUALLY MOST GRANTS HAVE BETWEEN A 10 AND A 20%, UM, COMPROMISE FOR ADMINISTRATION.
SO AT THE BEGINNING, YES, IT'S GONNA BECOME AN EXPENSE FOR THE CITY, BUT THEN MOVING FORWARD, ONCE THE MONEY GETS IN, UM, THAT PERSON IS GONNA START GETTING PAID FROM THOSE GRANTS.
UM, SO IT WOULDN'T AT THE BEGINNING.
BUT THEN, UH, I'M HOPING WITHIN THREE MONTHS THAT PERSON CAN START BRINGING REVENUE TO THE CITY IF WE HAVE A NEXT EXPERIENCE, UM, PERSON.
UM, AND THEN FROM MOVING FORWARD, THEY GET REIMBURSED FROM THAT GRANT, UM, WITHOUT US TAKING THAT EXPENSE.
SO THEY BASICALLY WOULD BE PAYING FOR THEIR OWN SALARY BY COLLECTING REVENUE FOR THE CITY.
SO IF, IF YOU ALLOW THAT, I WOULD ADD THAT.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE FOR THIS TO BE PART OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT JUST BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS A MATCH TO ALL THE GRANTS.
SO WE, I WANNA CLOSE, HAVE A CLOSE LOOK INTO HOW MUCH THAT MATCH IS GONNA BE.
IF IT'S A 10% MATCH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 10 MILLION.
THAT'S A MILLION DOLLAR THERE THAT WE WOULD NEED TO PUT IN.
SO WE NEED TO BE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT MILLION BEFORE EVEN REQUESTING GRANTS, THERE HAS TO BE MORE COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR FUNDS AND THAT PERSON.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO REQUESTING FOR GRANTS LIKE THAT, I KNOW IN THE, OH, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
I WAS LIKE, I THINK THAT'S WHY WE WORK SO HARD.
AND THAT'S BEEN OUR GOAL, UM, IN BUILDING UP THE GENERAL FUND TO BE ABLE TO NOW GO OUT FOR THESE GRANTS OR GO OUT FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS.
BECAUSE THAT WAS THE FIRST THING WE WOULD ALWAYS HEAR BACK IS, YOU DON'T QUALIFY 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT SHOVEL READY.
AND WE COULDN'T PUT OUR, PUT OUR INPUT INTO IT.
UM, AND NOW I THINK WE'RE FINALLY SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
AND WE FINALLY HAVE THE FUNDS AVAILABLE.
I THINK WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD, UM, TO GET IT TO THIS LEVEL.
NOW WE CAN GO FULL FORCE INTO IT AND DO EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WANTING TO DO, SUCH AS THE GRANT WRITER AND PUSH PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE BACK BURNER FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, YEAH, I BELIEVE IT'S A WISE DECISION TO MAKE.
AND ALSO, STEPHANIE, I KNOW IN THE PAST WE USED TO HAVE OUR CDBG PERSON SLASH GRANT WRITER IN THE PAST THAT USED TO DO GRANTS FOR US, OR IT WAS SANDY ALVAREZ BEFORE THAT USED TO DO THE GRANTS AS WELL, BECAUSE HER WORK WAS ONLY SEASONAL.
[01:30:01]
THEY WEREN'T ALL YEAR THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON CDBG.SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD PROBABLY IMPLEMENT? I DON'T KNOW MARTIN, IF YOU HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THAT, BUT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD BE LOOKING AT GRANTS AS WELL.
SO, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, AFTER SPEAKING WITH, UH, UH, HUD, UH, WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON A, A FEDERAL, UH, A FEDERAL GRANT THROUGH THE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, UH, THE POSITION OF CDBG.
ANY EMPLOYEE THAT'S BEING PAID THROUGH CDBG, UH, IF THEY'RE WORKING ANOTHER, TRYING TO GET GRANTS FOR THE STATE OR, UH, A MUNICIPALITY GRANT OR, UH, ANOTHER FEDERAL GRANT, IT BECOMES, UH, UH, THE CITY CAN, CAN END UP PAYING BACK THAT MONEY THAT THE, UH, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, UH, GIVES YOU BECAUSE IT'S IT'S ALLOCATED STRICTLY FOR, FOR CDBG.
NO, SHE JUST DIDN'T DO FOR A HUD SHE DID FOR ACTUALLY MORE THAN JUST HUD.
SO WOULD SPLIT SALARY, SO YEAH.
SO YOU WOULD'VE TO SPLIT THE SALARY AND YOU WOULD'VE TO, THE CITY PAYS HALF AND THEN THE, UH, HOUSING INTER BEING DEVELOPMENT PAYS THE OTHER HALF.
SO THERE'S THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
SO MR. BELL WAS GETTING PAID A PERCENTAGE.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE HAD A, UH, ACTUALLY CUT OFF AND BACKTRACK.
SO, BUT SO YOU'RE SAYING THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM IS THAT YOU WOULD GET A PERCENTAGE FROM GRANT FROM THE CITY FOR GRANT WRITING AND A PERCENTAGE FROM CDBG.
IF WE WANTED YOU TO FULFILL THOSE DUTIES, RIGHT.
SO IT'S POSSIBLE, IT'S POSSIBLE.
IT'S POSSIBLE WE DO IT CORRECTLY.
UNDERSTAND, ONE OF THE PREREQUISITES, AS CAROL MENTIONED TO BE SHOVEL READY IS MORE THAN JUST HAVING FUNDS, IT'S A MATTER OF HAVING A PLAN.
IT'S A MATTER OF BEING ABLE TO SAY WHAT YOU NEED THE FUNDS FOR.
AND, AND BE VERY CLEAR ON THAT.
SO IT'S, IT'S, I'LL GO BACK TO THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING ISSUE AGAIN, WHERE WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT WHAT IS WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THIS IN GENERAL, NOT JUST NOW, BUT YOU KNOW, THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS DOWN THE LINE.
IT'S GOTTA BE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ASSOCIATED WITH STEPHANIE.
SO YEAH, THAT WAS ONE OF MY IDEAS TOWARDS THIS BUDGET, TO GET SOMEBODY EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF GETTING GRANTS AND PUTTING US READY TO RECEIVE THOSE REVENUES, UM, MAKE PLANS AND LIKE SOLELY WORKING ON THAT.
NOTHING ELSE BECAUSE WE NEED, WE NEED TO GET THE REVENUES AND WE HAVE THE FUNDS, LET'S SAY, TO DO MATCH, BUT NOT TO COVER EVERY OTHER PROJECT AS BIG AS LIKE A WHOLE STREET THAT WHAT THEY'RE MENTIONING AND REPAIRS OF LIKE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
SO WE'RE GOOD WITH THE MATCHING, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN BIG ENOUGH PROJECTS WITHOUT SOME, SOME HELP OF A GRANT.
AND, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, SOMEBODY THAT HAS EXPERIENCE THAT HAS BROUGHT GRANTS TO OTHER CITIES THAT UNDERSTANDS AND KNOWS ALL REGULATIONS AND CAN WALK US THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
UM, OF COURSE WITH THE HELP OF FINANCE AND MR. MR. MATT HERE ALSO COULD HELP OUT ON THAT.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I RECOMMEND, BUT IT'S TOTALLY UP TO YOU IF YOU WANT ME TO ADD THAT POSITION.
OF COURSE THAT'S GONNA RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN MY BUDGET FINANCE.
BUT I MEAN THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I BRING IT UP TO YOU BEFORE ACTUALLY PUT IT IN IN OKAY.
SO, UH, WE HAVE CULTURAL ARTS.
WE DO SEE AN INCREASE, SLIGHTLY SMALL.
IT'S A 3% INCREASE IN SOME SUPPLIES THAT WE INCREASE.
UH, BEFORE WE USED TO HAVE, UM, TWO CULTURAL ARTS FUNDS, ONE FOR HOTEL MOTO TAX AND THE OTHER ONE FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
NOW WE HAVE A VISITOR CENTER WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE, WHICH IS FOR HOTEL MOTO AND THEN THE CULTURAL ARTS ASIDE.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A INCREASE THERE, BUT IT'S NOTHING MAJOR O OKAY.
IN, IN THAT PARTICULAR REGARD.
AND, AND I NOTICED IN, IN THE OTHER BUDGET PLANS, THERE WAS, UM, UH, HOTEL TAX FUND ALSO, AND THERE'S REALLY NOTHING GOING OUT OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
UH, SOME OTHER STUFF, UH, MARKETING AND, AND, UH, UH, IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO.
I'M ON A CVB DOWN ON THE ISLAND.
UNDERSTAND THOSE ISSUES DOWN THERE WE NEED TO DO AND CAN DO MORE IN TERMS OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES AND SPONSORING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES HERE IN TOWN.
UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, THERE'S ONE MEETING THAT'S TAKING PLACE WITH THE DOWNTOWN WITH THE, UH, MARKET DAYS PEOPLE.
AND THEY'RE NOW GOT A MEETING NEXT WEEK WITH, WITH THE, UH, CONJUNTO PEOPLE AT THE, AT THE MUSEUM THERE AND ARE REALLY TRYING TO FORM AN ASSOCIATION AND WORK TOGETHER.
AND THE WAY WE SUPPORT THEM IS WHAT WE DO IS MARKETING
[01:35:01]
IN KIND.WE DON'T NECESS NECESSARILY HAND THEM THE DOLLARS, BUT WE GO AND WE HELP 'EM TO PUT UP THE BANNERS AND, AND DO THE MARKETING THAT HELPS TO ATTRACT PEOPLE HERE, WHICH IS A BRANDING FOR THE TOWN ALSO.
SO THERE'S NONE OF THAT IN THIS BUDGET RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING THERE THAT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS AND DEVELOP A PLAN ABOUT AS WELL.
THAT WAS MORE, THAT'S MORE TOWARDS
SO NOW WE HAVE ACTUALLY A DIVISION WITHIN CULTURAL ARTS, WHICH IT'S BASICALLY THE MUSEUM NOW.
THE VISITOR CENTER HAS MORE ROOM TO WORK WITH AND START PROMOTING WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
SO THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE YOU HAND BY HAND COMING TO MS. ALIDA, SEE HOW, WHAT APPROACH WE WANNA TAKE.
I KNOW RECENTLY SHE DID DO LIKE AN EXCURSION FOR, FOR THE, YEAH, SO WE JUST HAD A VISIT FROM TEXAS TROPICAL TRAILS AND, UM, AND SO THAT IT CAME OUT OF THAT VISITOR CENTER BUDGET.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT, UH, AND, AND REALLOCATE SOME FUNDS FOR THAT.
UM, I STILL HAVEN'T GONE OVER BUDGET, BUT THOSE TYPES OF MEETINGS, THOSE TYPES OF VISITS WHERE IT'S A MULTI-DEPARTMENTAL, UM, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH PARKS AND RECS JUST TO SHOWCASE WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER, UH, AS FAR AS CULTURAL TOURISM AND AS FAR AS ANY SORT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, NATURE AND, UM, WALKING TRAILS AND, UH, JUST TO KIND OF BEAUTIFY, UH, THE, THE, THE CITY, YOU KNOW, AND, AND BRING THAT, THAT CULTURAL TOURISM TO THE CITY.
UM, WE HAVE THE PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THIS ONE WHERE IT'S SEEING AN, UH, 6% INCREASE.
UH, YOU DO HAVE A MEMO FOR THIS ONE.
MR. STEIN HERE WANTS TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL POSITION, A LIBRARY EIGHT, A FULL-TIMER.
HE CURRENTLY HAS TWO PART-TIMERS ONLY.
SO HE FEELS THAT THE LIBRARY DOES NEED THE HELP.
UM, SO YOU DO HAVE A MEMO AND YOUR INFORMATION AND HE'S AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, CURRENTLY WE, I ALREADY KNOW HER.
OH, YOU WANNA GO BACK TO HER? I CAN.
UM, CURRENTLY WE'RE OPEN, UH, 50 HOURS A WEEK.
AND PART OF OUR ACCREDITATION WE CANNOT CLOSE WHEN WE'RE DOING OUTREACH PROGRAMS, WHICH IS WHAT I WANT TO REALLY INCREASE.
UH, SOME OF YOU THIS SUMMER WERE ABLE TO VISIT US DURING THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM.
UM, WE KEPT THE LIBRARY OPEN AND WE RAN A SUMMER READING PROGRAM WITH THREE STAFF MEMBERS.
WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT WE HAVE THE, UH, FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY GROUP THAT, UH, THEY, THEY HELPED US WITH MANPOWER.
BUT PART OF THIS IS, UM, I DON'T HAVE A, UH, MOBILE LIBRARY.
I DON'T HAVE A BRANCH LIBRARY.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANNA DO IS, UM, A LITTLE FREE LIBRARY.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HAVEN PARK TRAIL, UH, HAVING A FREE LIBRARY THERE FOR VISITORS OF ALL AGES, UH, THAT THEY CAN PICK A BOOK, THEY CAN BRING A BOOK THEY CAN TAKE AND KEEP A BOOK.
UH, MOST OF THESE WILL BE DONATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
THEY WILL TURN BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, I KNOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS ONE OUT THERE.
UH, I WANNA INCLUDE OTHER AREAS.
UH, PART OF THE OUTREACH, UM, UH, PROGRAM IS GOING OUT TO THE SCHOOLS AT THE VERY END OF THE, UM, LAST SCHOOL YEAR WE HAD TWO, UH, ONE, UM, CAREER DAY AND ONE OUTREACH.
AND, UH, THE TWO STAFF MEMBERS THAT WENT, UH, THE INFORMATION THEY BROUGHT BACK, A LOT OF THE KIDS WERE TELLING THE STAFF, WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE HAD A LIBRARY.
TO IMPROVE LITERACY IS BRINGING IN THE SMALLER, THE YOUNGER CHILDREN ALONG WITH THEIR PARENTS AND GETTING THEM ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT READING.
AND PART OF THAT IS HAVING STORY TIME OR PROGRAMS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY WHEN THE OLDER SIBLINGS ARE IN SCHOOL.
AND THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS IF I HAVE STAFF.
UM, A ALONGSIDE THAT, UH, WE ALSO, UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY INHERITED, BUT WE HAVE THE PEG CHANNELS.
SO ALL OF THESE MICS, THIS SERVICE IS THROUGH THE LIBRARY.
SO I HAVE TO TAKE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS, TO SET UP, TO TAKE DOWN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, KEEP THE LIBRARY OPEN.
UM, SO THAT'S WHERE THE EXTRA FULL-TIMER WOULD COME IN, IS TO HELP ALLEVIATE, UM, A LOT OF THE TIMES WE'RE RUNNING ON A SKELETON SCHEDULE BECAUSE IF ONE STAFF MEMBER IS OUT OR ON VACATION, THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I
[01:40:01]
HAVE TO COVER THOSE HOURS.WE HELPED PARKS, WE HELP, UH, WE DID PSAS FOR THE CHAMBER.
SO I MEAN, IT'S, THE DEPARTMENT IS RUNNING THIN.
UH, BUT WE, I CAN'T KEEP DOING THAT TO THE CURRENT STAFF.
UH, I NEED AN EXTRA STAFF MEMBER.
YOU HAVE STATISTICS IN TERMS OF VISITATION AND ALL THAT? UH, YES, I DO.
I DIDN'T BRING 'EM WITH ME, BUT I I CAN PROVIDE 'EM.
UH, PART OF THAT IS, UH, I HAVE TO TURN 'EM INTO THE STATE.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE LIBRARY IS ENGLISH VERSUS SPANISH? UH, I, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO GIVE YOU A PERCENTAGE, BUT IT'S MAINLY SPANISH.
THE PSAS, WERE THEY DUMP FREE OF CHARGE OR, YES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK THERE.
HEY, YOU DID A GOOD JOB WITH THE SUMMER PROGRAM.
I LIKED, UM, I LIKED SEEING MORE ACTIVITY ON THE FACEBOOK PAGE.
THE FACEBOOK PAGE WAS INTERESTING 'CAUSE THERE WAS TWO AND THEN I MISSED THE JURASSIC PARK.
UM, I WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, EVEN MY PREDECESSOR DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE ORIGINAL, I'LL SAY THE ORIGINAL, UH, FACEBOOK PAGE.
SO WE CANNOT GO IN THERE AND ADD, ADD OR EDIT ANYTHING.
SO THERE WAS A SECOND ONE THAT WAS CREATED AND THAT'S THE ONE WE CURRENTLY USE, WHICH, UM, MR. AVILA HELPS US, UH, PUT OUT SOME OF THOSE, UH, UH, ANNOUNCEMENTS.
ONE, I'M SORRY, ONE MORE COMMENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THAT THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF ACTIVITIES AND THINGS ARE GOING ON, BUT I DON'T THINK WE DO A GOOD ENOUGH JOB OF CENTRALIZING, COORDINATING AND PUBLICIZING A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE OUT THERE.
AND OTHER, AND I KNOW THAT'S DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING, BUT IF WE COULD FIND A WAY TO DO THAT, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL TO OUR COMMUNITY.
LET, LET'S GO BACK TO PUBLIC RELATIONS.
MR. AVILA, ARE YOU ASKING FOR AN INCREASE? NO, NO, HE'S NOT.
UH, PART OF PART OF THE, UH, PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS IS THAT, THAT LED SIGN THAT'S BEEN OUT OF ORDER FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS NOW.
WALKING THE TRAIL IN THE MORNING.
UH, OTHER DEPARTMENTS REACH OUT TO US.
WE IN TURN CREATE THE, UM, THE ADS FOR IT AND WE PUT 'EM OUT.
UM, BUT WE ARE AT A POINT THAT WE'RE JUST WAITING ON THE COMPANY TO COME IN AND REWIRE THE, UM, THE CAT FIVE FROM THE SIGN TO THE BUILDING.
UM, I TRIED HIRING, UM, A LOCAL ELECTRICIAN AND THEY, THEY JUST DON'T DO THAT.
IT'S WIRED ALL THE WAY TO THE LIBRARY? NO, NO.
TO THE, UH, 3 55 BUILDING THE, THE OLD, UH, EA BUILDING.
I WAS LIKE, MY GOSH, WE RUN IT FROM THE LIBRARY.
I WAS, I WAS WONDERING HOW THAT RAN.
DO WE U UTILIZE THE EDC BILLBOARD OFF THE HIGHWAY FOR MARKETING SOME OF THE EVENTS THERE AT THE LIBRARY? NOT FOR THE LIBRARY.
MAYBE THEY WOULD ACCEPT A COLLABORATION FOR PROMOTING, UH, CHILDREN ACTIVITIES.
WE COULD, I CAN CERTAINLY ASK.
ALSO, I, I KNOW THAT, UM, SHOULD I STAY MY GENERATION? NO, NOT QUIET 'CAUSE I JUST USE FACEBOOK, BUT, UM, THESE YOUNGER KIDS, THEY'RE USING TIKTOK, SNAPCHAT, ALL SORTS OF THESE THINGS, NOT FACEBOOK.
UM, YEAH, THEY DON'T USE FACEBOOK ANYMORE.
BUT IS THERE IS TWITTER, INSTAGRAM.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE ANY OF THAT, BUT I'LL VOLUNTEER AND BE IN SOMETHING IF YOU NEED ME TO.
BUT
WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT EVERYTHING.
WELL, I MEAN, UM, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE IF YOU WANTED TO USE OTHER THINGS, I, YEAH, I WOULD JUST HAVE TO CREATE THOSE THINGS, BUT I DON'T KNOW AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, ARE, MOST OF OUR COMMUNITY IS AN OLDER COMMUNITY.
IT DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO GET ONTO SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WELL, MR. FAA, I TAKE CARE OF A LOT OF OLDER PATIENTS AND THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE THE PHARMACY APP, BUT THEY KNOW HOW TO USE FACEBOOK WELL, AND YOU, YOU DID BRING UP ABOUT A CENTRALIZED LOCATION.
I MEAN, ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON THE CITY CAN BE SEEN ON OUR CITY FACEBOOK PAGE.
AND UH, AND ALSO A LOT OF STUFF IS, UH, ALSO ON STAY SANTO.COM.
YEAH, I THINK JUST MARKETING THE, THE FACEBOOK PAGE SO THAT WE GET, ONCE YOU GET MORE FOLLOWS AND LIKES, PEOPLE WILL GET ATTACHED.
UM, SINCE I'VE COME ON BOARD, UH, I'VE TAKEN IT FROM ABOUT 10,000 FOLLOWERS AND WE'RE JUST SHY OF 14 RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M TRYING TO GROW IT AS QUICKLY AS I CAN AND WE'RE GETTING THERE.
BUT YEAH, EVERYTHING CAN BE USUALLY ON, THAT'S THE BEST SOURCE OF INFORMATION IS, UH,
[01:45:01]
OUR CITY FACEBOOK PAGE AND THE TWITTER AS WELL.SO, AND THE WEBSITE, OUR CITY OF SAN MANTO WEBSITE AS WELL.
SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU, AND JUST BECAUSE OF TIME, WE WENT DOWN THE LIST OF EACH DEPARTMENT BASED ON INCREASED DECREASES.
BUT AGAIN, YOU HAVE THE DETAIL IN YOUR BUDGET THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AND SEE IT.
AND THEN IF THERE'S SOME CHANGES, UM, YOU ON THIS BUDGET, WE, YOU, AS YOU MIGHT NOTICE ON THE FIRST PAGES, WE ADDED A TVO CONTENTS FOR YOUR REFERENCE.
SO YOU KNOW WHERE EVERY DEPARTMENT'S THAT WE'VE ALSO ADDED THE FINANCIAL PROCEDURES THAT THE BUDGET, UH, WENT THROUGH FOR US TO COMPLETE THIS BUDGET.
WE'VE ALSO ADDED THE, THE CITY COMMISSION PICTURES IN THERE.
IF ANYBODY DOES NOT LIKE THEIRS PICTURE, LET ME KNOW.
IT'S WHAT IT'S ON THE WEBSITE, BUT WE COULD CHANGE IT.
UM, AND AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHART AND EACH DEPARTMENT, NOT ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS, BUT MOST THE ONES THAT STAND OUT A LOT MORE ON OUR WEBSITE, THOSE HAVE LIKE THEIR OWN PAGE AND THEIR MISSION AMBITION.
JUST BECAUSE, AS YOU MENTIONED, IT'S GOOD FOR US TO ADVERTISE OR STUDY AND WHOEVER WANTS TO GO AND SEE OUR BUDGET CAN UNDERSTAND AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, AND ALSO BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO GET THE BUDGET AWARD, UM, CERTIFICATION.
SO IT NEEDS TO HAVE A LOT OF MORE DETAIL OF WHAT WE WERE PRESENTING BEFORE.
THAT'S WHY I'M ADDING A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION.
UM, THIS'S GONNA BE OUR FIRST YEAR ACTUALLY APPLYING FOR IT.
UH, IF IT COMES THAT WE DON'T GET IT, AT LEAST WE'RE GONNA KNOW WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WE NEED, WHAT IS IT THAT, WHERE WE NEED TO IMPROVE.
I DON'T, I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR YOU'RE GOING AFTER THOSE THINGS.
YEAH, I MEAN WE, WE HAVE TO PUT OUR CITY OUT THERE AND GIVE US ANOTHER, I KNOW, I KNOW WE GET THE GFOA FOR FINANCIAL PURPOSING, BUT WE CAN ALSO GO FOR THE BUDGETING AND SEE WHAT WE'RE LACKING AND WHAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE.
UM, SO THAT'S THAT FOR THE BUDGET.
AND I WANTED TO TOUCH BASES MORE ON OTHER PAPER THAT I HAD PROVIDED YOU.
I KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF MORE DETAIL THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS IN THE BUDGET AND THAT'S WHY I HAD PROVIDED THE, THE DETAILS.
SO YOU HAVE IN YOUR OWN TIME, YOU CAN, YOU CAN READ IT AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, JUST JUST COME TO US AND ASK US.
SO I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR A A, A PAY SCHEDULE AND, UM, AND, UM, PAY SCALE OR KINDA LIKE POSITION, UM, PAY GROUP.
SO WE DO HAVE A PAY RATE SCHEDULE GOES FROM BOTTOM INTO THE SIDE.
IT'S THIS ONE, IT'S A BIG PAGE.
SO THIS ONE ON YOUR LEFT HAND SIDE, ON NUMBER 10 TO YOUR RIGHT, YOU DO SEE 11 24 7.
THAT'S KINDA LIKE WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS BEING, BEING THE MINIMUM PAY.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT $10 AND THAT'S GOING BACK TO THE TURNOVER AND HOW COMPETITIVE WE WANNA BE WITH THOSE CITIES AROUND.
UM, THAT'S WHY WE KINDA WENT TO THAT AMOUNT.
OF COURSE, IF YOU SEE THIS THING RUNS FROM STEPS, SO WE COULD ALWAYS GO BACK TO UP TO MINIMUM WAGE, WHICH IS 7 25 ON THE VERY TOP.
SO IF WE WERE TO START THERE, WE DO HAVE A PAY GROUP ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE.
THIS ONE DOES, UM, DIVIDE EMPLOYEES OR POSITIONS BY MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM AND MIDPOINT.
SO WHAT THIS DOES, BASICALLY IT'S PUTTING THE CITY SUBSTRUCTURE.
SO BASICALLY NOBODY COULD PROVIDE RAISES OVER WHAT YOU APPROVE, WHICH IT WILL BE IF YOU GUYS LIKE IT.
AND IF, IF THE COMMISSION APPROVES, UM, IT WOULD PREVENT FROM GIVING MORE MONEY THAN WHAT YOU HAD APPROVED.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE'S NO PAY SCALE, THERE'S NO SYSTEM OTHER THAN A 3% INCREASE IN A YEARLY BASIS.
BUT, UM, THIS KINDA GIVES A LITTLE BIT OF STRUCTURE.
UM, THIS, THIS PAY SCALE, IT'S GOES FROM STEP TO STEP 3% INCREASE IN A YEARLY BASIS IF THAT'S THE WAY WE WANNA USE IT.
ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU DO HAVE SOME CERTIFICATIONS.
SO IF THE INDIVIDUAL WAS TO HAVE ALL THE CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED, AND OF COURSE WE COULD MAKE, WE COULD PUT MORE CERTIFICATIONS THERE AND BECAUSE, JUST BECAUSE, I MEAN, I KNOW THE CERTIFICATIONS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE NOT GONNA BE THE SAME FOR THE WATER, SO WE COULD CERTAINLY PUT MORE DESCRIPTIONS OR MORE DETAIL TO IT.
[01:50:01]
COMING IN YOU'LL HAVE THE MINIMUM AND THEN IF THOSE PEOPLE ARE CERTIFIED, YOU CAN MOVE FROM THERE UP, UP TO THE MAXIMUM.AND THAT WILL MEAN HAVING ALL THE CERTIFICATIONS WITH ALL THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THAT THAT POSITION REQUIRES.
THAT CAN, THAT KIND OF GIVES A LITTLE BIT OF STRUCTURES, A STRUCTURE TO THE CITY AND STOPS AND PREVENTS OVER PAYING OR UNDERPAY EMPLOYEES BASED ON THEIR CERTIFICATION, THEIR EXPERIENCE, OR JUST GIVING A LOT MORE TO IT.
IT'S JUST KINDA LIKE WHATEVER WE'RE DOING WITH STRUCTURE, BASICALLY.
SO TO ADOPT THIS, THE PLAN, SO TO ADOPT THIS, WHAT WE DO TO ADOPT THIS, UH, SO WE WILL, WE WILL HAVE TO CREATE AN ORDINANCE FOR IT AND THEN IT HAS TO GO UP FOR COMMISSION AND THEN WE'LL DECIDE TO ADOPT IT.
AND THEN IF, IF, IF, LET'S SAY WE ADOPT IT FOR THIS YEAR, UM, IT, IT'LL STAY IN PLACE UNTIL WE DECIDE THAT WE'RE READY TO GO UP.
MAYBE INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE OR MAYBE INCREASE THE MAXIMUM OR THE MINIMUM.
BUT IT'LL STAY IN PLACE UNTIL WE SAY OTHERWISE.
IF, IF WE WERE TO ADOPT THIS YES.
UM, HOW WOULD IT AFFECT THIS BUDGET? IT'S, IT'S NOT SO MUCH HOW WOULD IT AFFECT THIS BUDGET, BUT HOW WOULD IT AFFECT THE BUDGET ITSELF? SO FROM MOVING FORWARD FOR, SO FOR AS LONG AS YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS SCALE, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, IF YOU GO TO THE VERY LAST PAGE OF THIS, IT'S 250 1024 WITH 84 CENTS.
BUT THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THIS YEAR ONLY.
THIS INCLUDES IF YOU'RE GONNA GIVE A 3% THIS YEAR, THEN A 3% NEXT YEAR, THEN A 3% NEXT YEAR.
SO THIS IS BUDGETING FOR THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT, MEANING THAT AN EMPLOYEE WOULD START $11, RIGHT? 11 24, 2, 4, 5.
UM, SO LET'S SAY THE EMPLOYEE STARTS THERE AND THEN AFTER SIX MONTHS THEY DIDN'T HAVE THEIR CERTIFICATION.
SO THEN THE, THE DEPARTMENT HAS HAVE A ROOM TO GIVE 'EM AN ADDITIONAL PAY FOR WHAT THEY'RE GETTING FOR THEIR CERTIFICATIONS.
THEY'RE GETTING WITHOUT GOING OVER.
WE'RE NOT GIVING, HEY, LET'S INCREASE 'EM A DOLLAR, $2.
AND LET'S SAY SOMEBODY DOES GET A, A SPECIFIC CERTIFICATION, OH, WE'RE GONNA GIVE 'EM AN ADDITIONAL STEP.
SO YOU WILL GO BACK TO THIS ONE AND IT'LL JUMP AT 3%.
WE'RE NOT GIVING NUMBERS AWAY WITHOUT HAVING INSTRUCTOR.
WE'RE NOT SAYING FROM THIS, NOW YOU DESERVE THIS.
AND THIS, THE, THE BACK PORTION OF IT DOES HAVE ALL OF OUR, OUR POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE.
SO IT DOES, UH, PUT A STARTING POINT AND A MAXIMUM AMOUNT.
SO DIRECTORS HAVE SOME GUIDANCE OF HOW MUCH THEY CAN BE PAYING THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THEY HAVE ROOM TO PAY EMPLOYEES THAT IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS AND THAT KNOW HOW TO DO IT.
'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT GONNA PAY THE SAME AMOUNT TO SOMEBODY THAT HAS NO EXPERIENCE TO SOMEBODY THAT HAS FIVE, 10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
IT, IT IS AN INCREASE, INCREASE IN BUDGET, BUT IT'S GONNA BE A SET INCREASE.
AND IT, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT EVERYBODY WILL GET THEIR MAXIMUM THIS YEAR.
THAT'S EXPECTING EVERYBODY GETTING THEIR MAXIMUM, WHICH IS UNREALISTIC.
UM, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO PLUG IN THE NUMBERS ON THE PEOPLE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE TO GIVE YOU AN EXACT AMOUNT.
BUT THIS IS BASED ON A 3%, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR BUDGET.
SO OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR WILL KIND OF STAY THE SAME, UH, JUST SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE'RE INCREASING THE PEOPLE FROM 10 TO 11, 2, 4, 5.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THIS BUDGET.
BUT WE WOULD ALWAYS BUDGET FOR THE MAXIMUM THINKING THAT THEY GONNA HAVE THE ROOM TO IMPROVEMENT THE, THE DIRECTORS.
BUT IT'S FOR YOU TO STUDY TO SEE IT.
AND IF YOU LIKE IT AND IF YOU WANNA, UH, ADOPT IT IS, IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GUIDANCE.
'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN REQUESTING SOME TYPE OF STRUCTURE.
I KNOW THIS IS BASED ON, SO YOU SAY THIS IS BASED ON OUR NUMBERS CURRENTLY OR CITY'S NUMBERS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO IT'S THE MAXIMUM THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OR, UH, NO.
RIGHT NOW WHAT'S BASED ON OURS, WE'RE, WE'RE, SO, AND THE BOTTOM SEC DEPENDS.
SO, 'CAUSE WE HAVE SOME EMPLOYEES ARE AT MIDPOINT, LIKE SOME DIRECTORS ARE AT, AT MIDPOINT.
SO THERE'S ROOM FOR THEM TO IMPROVE, TO GET SOMETHING ELSE TO INCREASE.
THINGS LIKE THAT IS THE MAXIMUM DUE ON, I GUESS, WHAT WAS THAT BASED ON THEN? NATIONAL AVERAGES OR AREA AVERAGES? IT'S, IT'S BASED IN CITIES AROUND THE AREA, BUT ALSO, UM, WHAT WE'VE BEEN PAYING.
SO WHAT YOU SEE AT THE MINIMUM, IT'S MOSTLY THE STARTING POINT FOR DIRECTORS WHEN THEY START HERE AND THEN OVER THE YEARS THEY GET THE 3% AND START INCREASING AND THEN GET THE EXPERIENCE AND THEN THEY START GOING TO THE MIDPOINT.
AND THAT'S MAINLY HOW EVERYBODY'S AT RIGHT NOW.
SO THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
[01:55:01]
FOR THEM AS WELL, BUT IT'S BASED ON THEIR EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS AND NOT WELL UP TO AND OR CASE DIRECTORS.THE CITY'S HOW THEY SEE OR HOW ARE WE PROVING OURSELVES BASICALLY, OR PERFORMANCE CORRECT.
STEP WHO, WHO, UM, WHAT, WHO MADE THIS? MR.
WE OWE YOU $40,000 FOR THIS STUDY.
WELL, I'M SURE IT TOOK A LOT OF TIME.
UM, BUT DID YOU CITE YOUR SOURCE SPEC ACCOUNTS IN MLA FORMAT? BECAUSE NO, THERE'S A LOT OF, I GUESS LOCAL CITIES.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE HIGHLIGHT OF YELLOW? I MUST HAVE MISSED SOMETHING.
THE STEP SEVEN IS THAT, THAT'S THE MIDDLE POINT.
I MEAN, AND OF COURSE WE CAN START, LIKE RIGHT NOW WE WE'RE JUST DOING IT AT AT 10 BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE THINK IT'S REASONABLE BASED ON WHATEVER OTHER CDS ARE DOING.
BUT WE CAN START AT 11, WHICH IS 1180, BUT WE CAN START AT 1240.
IT'S, IT'S TOTALLY UP TO YOU AND HOW YOU MIGHT IMPLEMENT THIS.
AND I MEAN MR. GARCIA CAN DID A GOOD JOB BECAUSE IT, IT TOOK YOU OPTIONS FOR YOU TO LOOK AT IT AND IT GIVES YOU ROOM.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA BE TYING OUR BUDGET WAY.
OUR BUDGET WORK RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE PER EMPLOYEE AND PER POSITION.
SO IF YOU BUDGET SOMEBODY AT 13, REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER THAT PERSON DOES, IF THEY WORK GOOD WORKERS AND YOU PAY GOT THEIR CERTIFICATIONS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN INCENTIVE COLUMN FOR THEM, YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO INCREASE THEIR PAY.
SO FOR THIS YEAR AND WHAT WE ARE, UH, SUGGESTING, UM, IT'S THAT WE DO THE 3% ACROSS THE BOARD AS, 'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S EXPECTED THAT.
BUT MOVING FORWARD, I BELIEVE IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO DO IT IN A YEARLY BASIS.
WHENEVER YOUR ANNIVERSARY COMES IN THAT WAY.
HANDLED BY THE DIRECTORS THEN AND YES.
AND THEN THIS WILL BE GIVING THEM THE, BASICALLY WHAT YOU ARE AGREEING IS TO THE MAXIMUM.
THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, THEN NOBODY'S GONNA GET PAID MORE THAN THAT.
AND I MEAN, WE CAN ALWAYS CHANGE THE NUMBERS TO WHAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE, UH, WITH, BUT IT DOES GIVE YOU SOME STRUCTURE AND IT'S, IT'S MORE OF A PLAN THAN NOT HAVING A PLAN.
I THINK THAT THIS IS A GOOD START.
IF YOU, IF YOU START SOMETHING, IT HAS TO BE ORDINANCE IN PLACE, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE, YOU DON'T WANT SOMEONE TO COME IN STEP ONE.
BUT THIS, I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THIS, OF THIS DEPARTMENT, BUT I REALLY ENJOY WORKING WITH CAROL AND I WANT TO JUMP HER 14 STEPS BECAUSE SHE'S SO AWESOME TO ME.
AND THAT, THAT COULD BE A PROBLEM.
SO LIKE IF YOU JUMP SO MANY STEPS, IT NEEDS TO GO THROUGH, UH, CITY MANAGEMENT OR APPROVAL, JUST A DIRECTOR, REGARDLESS OF THE MOVEMENT OR THE INCREASE.
THERE'S A FORM A OC HR PROVIDES A FORM, UH, IT NEEDS TO GO THROUGH CERTIFICATION DIRECTOR, UM, FINANCE DEPARTMENT, JUST TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE BUDGET FOR IT, HR AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER.
BUT YOU WOULDN'T SEE IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOVE THE MAXIMUM.
IF THEY WERE ASKING FOR SOMETHING THAT VALIDATES WHAT YOU APPROVE.
IF YOU END UP APPROVING THIS, THEN IT WILL GO TO YOU.
SO, UM, IT, IT PREVENTS FROM GOING EXTREME ON SALARY IF UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW BEFORE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT SAYS UP TO HERE AND NOW WE DO.
UM, SO, AND HAVE CHECKS AND BALANCES WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
AND YOU DON'T EXPECT AN INCREASE IN BUDGET IN SALARIES EVERY YEAR.
'CAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY PROJECTING IT EVERY YEAR TO BE THE SAME UNLESS YOU DECIDE TO CHANGE IT AND INCREASE THIS.
THIS ALSO PREVENTS A, I I'M GONNA NEED THIS RAISE WHEN I'M LEAVING, SAID NO, YOU, WE FOLLOW THIS.
SO WHEN I ASKED FOR THAT REPORT, I SAW A LOT OF THAT.
SOME WERE GETTING SEVERAL RAISES A YEAR JUST SO THE STAFF KNOWS.
BUT, UM, WHAT IS PAY BASIS? HBMY FERNANDO, UH, RIGHT NEXT TO PAY GROUP.
RIGHT NEXT TO THE PAY GROUP, RIGHT BEFORE THE STEP.
IF IT'S AN EXEMPT EMPLOYEE, YOU'RE NOT EXEMPT EMPLOYEE.
H-B-Y-H-B-M-Y, HBM Y OH, I'M SORRY.
ARE BIWEEKLY AND YEAR, ARE WE BIWEEKLY MONTHLY.
IF YOU, YOU HAVE A STOP ME OFF GUARD COLOR.
I ASSUME EACH DEPARTMENT THEN WOULD HAVE A LIST
[02:00:01]
OF CERTIFICATIONS THAT THEY WOULD REQUIRE TO MOVE A PERSON UP FROM.THAT'S TOTALLY UP TO THE DIRECTORS.
'CAUSE THEY KNOW THEIR CERTIFICATIONS.
I KNOW MR. PER HAS THEIR OWN CERTIFICATIONS.
WATER HAS THEIR OWN CERTIFICATIONS.
DO I HAVE BUDGET TO KEEP THIS EMPLOYEE? WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THAT NO MORE.
'CAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE THE BUDGET AFTER A CERTAIN EXTENT AND THEY ARE AWARE OF WHAT, HOW MUCH THEY CAN GIVE, PLAY THAT GAME TOO LONG, TOO MUCH.
AND THIS JUST HELPS PREVENT THAT AND ALLOWS A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT'S THE THING, THE DIRECTORS WORK WITH THE PEOPLE EVERY DAY AND THEY SEE WHO'S PUTTING IN THAT EXTRA WORK AND WHEN THEY CAN'T COMPENSATE HIM FOR IT, WE LOSE THEM.
AND THIS FINALLY ALLOWS THEM TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY DESERVE.
UM, AND SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
SO IF I'M A GOOD EMPLOYEE, I'M GONNA JUMP TO STEP SUCH.
IF I'M, IF I DO MY JOB, I'M GONNA JUMP TO STEP SUCH, NOT ACROSS THE BOARD.
JUST LIKE WE'LL TAKE THE HIT OF THE 3% INCREASE.
IT'S, IT COULD BE IN A SIX MONTH BASIS OR IN A YEARLY BASIS.
SO THE FIRST SIX MONTHS YOU GET AN EVALUATION BY YOUR DEPARTMENT HEAD, IT COULD BE USED LIKE THAT.
AND THEN AT THEIR ANNIVERSARY THEY COULD GET AN ADDITIONAL STEP IF THEY MEET THEIR CRITERIA, WHATEVER THE DEPARTMENT HEAD PUTS.
AND THAT'LL, THAT'LL RAISE A LITTLE BIT OF COMPETITION AS WELL WITHIN EMPLOYEES TO DO BETTER BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
NOT ONLY IF THEY APPROVE THAT THEIR PERCENT MM-HMM,
AND IF YOU WANT UPDATE IT OR GIVE US FEEDBACK ON THAT.
WE ALSO HAD A LOT OF EMPLOYEES WHO WOULD STAY ON BOARD AND JUST WEREN'T GOING FOR THE CERTIFICATION.
SO I THINK THIS IS A HUGE INCENTIVE TO PUSH THEM TO YES, AGREE.
BECAUSE THE THING IS LIKE A, LEMME I JUST SAID SOME OF THE CDL DRIVERS AND THAT, AND I SAID, I MEAN ALL THIS WEEK, ALL LAST WEEK, I MEAN I FOUND THEM FAR AS THE CDOS, YOU KNOW, UM, IF YOU GO TO, UM, ONE OF THE RESTAURANTS HERE THAT, UH, UH, ONE OF MY SONS, UH, WENT OVER THERE.
GO, DAD, DO YOU KNOW THAT, UH, IN ONE OF THE RESTAURANT IS 1550 AN HOUR, SIR.
FOOD, WE GOT THE CDO DRIVERS 10.
I DON'T WANNA SAY, BUT, UH, I SAY, BUT ANYWAY, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING THOSE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SITUATIONS THAT WE HAVE ARE WORKERS, YOU KNOW, SO LOW, YOU KNOW, AT THE, YOU KNOW,
AND NOT BECAUSE, I MEAN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOSING THE EXPERIENCE AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO LIKE THIS, TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, COMPENSATE THE WORKERS AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT EVERYBODY.
LIKE I SAID, THAT'S, THAT'S MY GOAL.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S THE GOAL OF THE COMMISSION, TO LOOK AT EVERYBODY'S SELLING AND TRY TO SEE WHAT SAFETY HELP YOU, MOTIVATE YOU TO MOVE FORWARD AND GIVE YOU THE BEST SERVICE THAT YOU CAN.
NOT ONLY FOR, FOR YOURSELF, FOR US, BUT FOR THE PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE ONLY OUR MAIN GOAL TO THIS.
SO, UH, AGAIN, UH, IT'S, IT'S A STARTING POINT.
BUT UNTIL THEN, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, WE'LL SEE.
MM-HMM,
LET'S LET EVERYBODY TAKE A LOOK YES.
AND THEN, MM-HMM,
SO WE JUST NEED TO DO LIKE A REVISION.
THAT'S, THIS IS A STARTING POINT.
SO YOU GUYS REVISE AND THEN SEE YOU AGREE WITH THE AMOUNTS OR IF YOU WANNA START AT SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT, BUT WITH THIS ONE WE COULD START AT ANY POINT THAT YOU, THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH.
DO YOU HAVE AN I DO WE HAVE A, A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE, THE BENEFITS PACKAGES AND THE VALUE OF THE BENEFITS PACKAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
WHAT DO YOU, WHAT THE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? YOU MEAN OUR EMPLOYEES UNDERSTANDING? YEAH.
OUR, YEAH, WHAT I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY OUR COST ALONE IS NOT THE HOURLY WAGES OR THE BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
WHAT'S THE VALUE OF THOSE BENEFITS? I THINK YOU LIKE, UH, LIKE NOW THEY'RE PAYING THEIR TOTAL COMPENSATION PLAN.
SO YOU MIGHT BE GETTING 1175 AN HOUR, BUT IN
[02:05:01]
REALITY YOU'RE GETTING 15 SOMETHING AN HOUR BECAUSE WE'RE PROVIDING FREE INSURANCE.SO, SO THIS, IT'S GONNA HELP OUT WITH THAT.
SO, AND, AND YOUR, IN YOUR, UM, BINDER IN THE BACK, YOU HAVE THIS, SO THIS IS WHAT WE PROVIDE TO THE EMPLOYEES ONCE THEY COME IN, UH, HR DEPARTMENT PROVIDED TO ME.
SO YOU COULD HAVE AN IDEA WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE OFFERING AND WHAT WE WANNA TAKE OVER.
UM, THERE'S ALSO SOME INFORMATION ON HOW MUCH WE'RE PAYING FOR THAT.
WE DID HAVE AN, A MEETING WITH LONE STAR FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO GO OVER FEES.
UM, AND FOR THEM TO KIND OF LIKE DISSECT EVERYTHING WE'RE GETTING CHARGED FOR AND GO IF, SEE IF WE ARE GOOD WITH BEING SELF-INSURED TO GO FULLY INSURED DOES END UP BEING WAY MORE COST EFFECTIVE FOR US TO BE THE WAY WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
BUT, UH, THEY BRING SOME POINTS OUT.
SO IT'S HERE, BUT I DON'T WANNA GO OVER IT BECAUSE IT'S, UM, IT'S A LOT.
AND THIS WAS BASED BASICALLY FOR THE BUDGET, NOT THE BENEFITS, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY GO OVER AND DISCUSS IT.
UM, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO TOUCH BASE IS, UM, ASIDE FROM THE, FROM THE PAY THAT I'M, I'M GLAD YOU GUYS KINDA LIKE GOT THE IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.
UM, IT'S THE LAST PAGE ON YOUR, WHERE IS IT ON YOUR BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS? UM, IT'S, IT'S A QUALIFICATION SCALE.
SO THIS GOES BACK TO HIRING A NEW CITY MANAGER.
UM, SO IF WE WOULD LIKE TO GO AND DO AN RFQ, THOSE WILL BE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT.
I KNOW WE'VE BEEN ADVERTISING, MR. MADRID HAD PUT THE ADVERTISING ON CMO AND, AND DIFFERENT PLACES AND OUR WEBSITES INDEED.
UH, BUT WHENEVER WE DO RECEIVE THOSE APPLICATIONS, AND IF WE WANT TO PUT AN RFQ, AN OFFICIAL RFQ OUT THERE, UM, FINANCE, AND I'M SAYING FINANCE, MR. GARCIA HERE, AND OUR PURCHASING AGENT, WHICH IS IN CHARGE OF THE BEING PROCESS AND THE RQS TO PUT 'EM TOGETHER, THEY, UM, SUGGEST THAT THOSE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE LOOKED AT.
AND THAT'S KIND OF LIKE HOW WE BREAK THAT DOWN.
SO YOU COULD HAVE A LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE EXPECTING TO RECEIVE FROM THIS CANDIDATES.
'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THAT AS WELL.
SO LET US KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WHAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH AND WHAT YOU LOOK FOR.
AND IF YOU WANT TO GO FOR RQS BASED ON THAT, OF COURSE THERE'S A LOT MORE TO IT THAT WE NEED TO ADD IN THE WHOLE PACKAGE TO REQUEST AN REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR A CITY MANAGER.
BUT THOSE ARE THE VALUATION KEY POINTS THAT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT WHENEVER WE DO RECEIVE THOSE CANDIDATES.
AS PART OF THE, AS PART OF THE PROCESS TOO, WHICH I'M STILL VERY INTERESTED IN, IN SEEING THIS IS THIS IS IMPORTANT.
AND I MEAN, EVEN WITH EACH OF THESE THEN THERE'S A LIST OF QUESTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH ONE OF THESE THAT HAS TO BE ASKED.
AND SO THERE'S MUCH MORE DETAIL.
SO, BUT BASED ON LIKE, LET'S SAY WE RECEIVE TWO CANDIDATES, WE CAN GO OFF OF POINTS.
SO WE'LL RECEIVE THE CANDIDATE THAT HAS A MASTER'S DEGREE COMPARED TO SOMEBODY THAT HAS A BACHELOR'S DEGREE, HOW MUCH POINTS WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GIVE TO THAT PERSON.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE A TABULATION.
SO KIND OF LIKE WHAT WE DO WITH CHEMICALS.
SO WE'LL DO A TABULATION OF WHO'S MORE QUALIFIED AND WHAT, AND THAT'S BE, THAT'LL BE PART OF OUR PROCESS.
WHY ARE WE CHOOSING THESE CANDIDATE AGAINST THE OTHER ONE? UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME SUPPORT THAT SAYS WE, THEY MEET THE STANDARDS THAT WE PUT OUT.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE RATING THEIR RE YOU'RE RATING THEIR RESUMES BASICALLY BASED ON THIS.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE RATING YEAH.
THAT'S AN EVALUATION FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR QUALIFICATIONS FOR THEMSELVES AND BASED ON THE, ON HOW WELL PREPARED THEY ARE AND WHAT IS IT THAT THEY HAVE TO OFFER.
WE'RE GONNA, YOU'RE ALL GONNA DECIDE ON, ON WHO DO YOU WANT.
IF YOU AGREE TO THOSE SPECS, IF YOU NEED MORE, WE COULD ADD MORE OR WE COULD ADD LESS, HOWEVER WE, WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH.
BUT THAT'S, AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER STARTING POINT.
AND IF YOU AGREE TO THAT EVALUATION, WE CAN START WORKING WITH THAT RFQ WITH THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT.
AND MR. GARCIA HEAR THAT THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I WOULD ADD TO THIS IN SOME FORM IS, UH, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S THE RIGHT TERM HERE.
UM, HOW THEY INTERACT WITH THE EMPLOYEES PEOPLE.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S PERSONAL INTERACTION, UH, SOME SORT OF MANAGEMENT STYLES, SOME SORT HR MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION COULD ALSO BE ADDED THERE IN EDUCATION.
SO THE SUGGESTION I'VE BEEN THROWING AROUND IS IF WE GET DOWN TO A FINALIZED LIST OF CANDIDATES, YOU KNOW, FIVE THAT ARE GONNA COME FOR THE INTERVIEW PROCESS, UM, HOPEFULLY IT'S LIKE A TWO DAY EVENT AND THE NIGHT BEFORE WE CAN HAVE THEM OR THE DAY AFTER ALSO HAVE A MEETING WITH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OR, UM, AND DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT HEADS.
SO THEY CAN COME OUT TO AN EVENT HOSTED BY WHOEVER CHAMBER
[02:10:01]
OF COMMERCE, ROTARY, SOME, A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO HOST AN EVENT FOR US.AND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WILL PROBABLY BE MOST FIT FOR THIS TO HO HOST A MEET AND GREET SO THAT CITIZENS CAN COME IN, DIRECTORS CAN COME IN AND KIND OF INTERACT WITH THIS INDIVIDUAL SO THEY CAN GET A FEEL OF WHO THEY ARE.
I SAW THIS DONE UP IN THE AUSTIN AREA AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY NEAT BECAUSE IT ALLOWED, ALLOWED YOU TO, YOU WANNA SEE HOW THEY SOCIALIZE AND THEY'RE DOING THIS NOW FOR MEDICAL SCHOOLS, PHARMACY SCHOOLS.
YOU DON'T JUST INTERVIEW ANYMORE.
THEY SIT YOU IN A ROOM AND YOU'RE WITH FOUR OR FIVE OTHER CANDIDATES AND YOU'RE GONNA WORK A CASE STUDY TOGETHER AND THEY WANNA SEE WHO TAKES LEAD, WHO DOESN'T.
I DID THAT INTERVIEW, INTERVIEW PROCESS, UM, FOR TWO YEARS AND THAT WAS PRETTY INTERESTING.
SOME JUST SIT BACK AND SOME GET INVOLVED.
IT'S UP TO YOU AND YOU'RE PART OF A PROCESS, HOW YOU WANNA HIRE THAT, THAT CANDIDATE.
THAT'S LIKE, AGAIN, IT'S A STARTING POINT OF A TABULATION EVALUATION TYPE OF THING IF YOU AGREE TO IT.
SO WE COULD START WORKING WITH RFQ 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO ADD ALL OF THOSE, UM, DIFFERENT TYPE OF LIKE EVALUATIONS, BUT HOW, HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE US TO, TO TAKE IT FROM RECEIVING THE INTERVIEW, THE, THE CANDIDATES TO ACTUALLY BREAKING IT DOWN TO FIVE AND NOW DOING THAT.
SO IT'S TOTALLY UP TO COMMISSION HOW YOU GUYS WANNA PROCEED WITH, WITH THAT.
WHAT ABOUT THE WAGES? WHAT WAGES THERE WAS? I KNOW, I KNOW.
UH, THAT AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S UP TO UP TO COMMISSION HOW THEY'RE GONNA, UH, THE, WHAT WAS THE, THE ACRONYM ON IT? DO, UH, DUE TO QUALIFICATIONS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? DEPENDENT ON QUALIFICATIONS.
NOT TO ACTUALLY DISCLOSE AN AMOUNT.
BUT IT'S LIKE WE RESERVE, LIKE WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T WANNA ADVERTISE AN AMOUNT.
'CAUSE IF WE DO THAT, UM, WE, WE, WE BASICALLY LOCK IN OURSELVES AS WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GETTING.
SO IT'LL BE A LOT MORE OF A NEGOTIATION BETWEEN YOU AND THE INDIVIDUAL.
WE COULD, WE COULD CHANGE THAT.
UM, YEAH, CHANGE THAT TO THAT, PLEASE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANYBODY ELSE? NO QUESTION.
WHEN, WHEN WE ADVERTISE, UM, MOST OF THE AGENCIES ASK FOR THE SALARY RANGE.
FOR EXAMPLE, INDEED, IF YOU DON'T PUT A RANGE, THEY WILL SAY DECLARE A, UH, AN ESTIMATED VALUE.
AND ON THAT ONE, WHEN I DID IT DID ASK UP TO WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM PAY.
SO I USED THE 180 5 TO ATTRACT, UH, BETTER CANDIDATES BECAUSE, UM, INFLATION HAS KICKED IN AND THE CITIES AROUND US IN THE VALLEY, THEY'RE PAYING OVER 200,000.
UH, SO IF YOU WANNA GET SOMEBODY WITH EXPERIENCE, IT, IT WILL BE, UM, A HIGH NUMBER.
BUT THERE ARE SOME CANDIDATES THAT DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH EXPERIENCE YET AND WOULD TAKE A LOWER PAY.
FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE TWO CANDIDATES RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF 'EM, UH, HAD BEEN A CITY MANAGER IN LAREDO AND HE, I, I BELIEVE HE SAW THE 180 5, UM, UM, VALUE.
SO HE PUT THEIR DESIRED SALARY, 180 5.
HE'S CURRENTLY MAKING 120, UH, DIRECTING THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, UH, ORGANIZATION.
THE, THE OTHER INDIVIDUAL, PERHAPS HE DIDN'T SEE THE, THE STATED VALUE BECAUSE HE SIGNED ON TML AND THAT ONE DIDN'T REQUIRE FOR ME TO STATE AN AMOUNT.
AND HE, HE PUT DESIRED SALARY AT 150,000 153 BECAUSE HE'S CURRENTLY MAKING 103,000.
SO HE IS AT A SMALL CITY AND HE WOULD BE WILLING TO RE RELOCATE.
UH, SO YOU DO HAVE DIFFERENT, UM, CANDIDATES THAT ALREADY SAY, WELL, MY VALUE FOR ME TO DO THE SERVICES WOULD BE NO LESS THAN A CERTAIN AMOUNT.
UH, SO WE CAN COMPARE IT, LIKE I SAID, FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, IS THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS WHERE YOU RATE IT, UM, YOU GIVE IT POINTS, VALUES, BUT THEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU WANNA MEET THE INDIVIDUAL AND THEIR PERSONALITY, THEIR HEART, THEIR KIND OF LEADERSHIP, UH, CAN JUST PUT 'EM ABOVE LIKE WHAT WE DO WITH FIRE.
UH, THEY HAVE WRITTEN EXAMS, THEY GET SCORE, BUT IF THEY'RE ALREADY CERTIFIED OR HAVE MILITARY EXPERIENCE, THEY GET EXTRA POINTS.
SO THAT MIGHT JUST MOVE 'EM UP, UP TO THE LINE WHERE IF WE ONLY HAVE TWO SLOTS, UH, THEY MOVE UP AND THEY'RE, THEY, THEY COME IN, YOU KNOW, THEY GET HIRED.
SO, UM, IT WILL BE BASED ON, UM, OVERALL PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST ONLY ON NUMERICAL DATA.
'CAUSE WE CAN HIRE SOMEBODY WHO'S SAYING, OH, IT LOOKS GOOD.
ALL, ALL THE DEGREES THEY HAVE AND THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
YET WHEN IT COMES TO PERSONALITY, YOU HAVE A REGRET LATER DOWN THE ROAD.
AND THE THING IS, NO MANAGER WILL TELL YOU, WELL, I AM RUDE TO THE PEOPLE AND I I I OPPRESS 'EM OR DO THIS AND THAT.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA ADMIT TO THAT.
HOW, HOW DO YOU FIND OUT? OKAY.
AND ALSO I, I KNOW I HAD GOT WITH RUTH ABOUT, UM, THE
[02:15:01]
DESCRIPTION AS FAR AS, UM, COMMUTING OR RELOCATING.HAVE WE CHANGED THAT VERBIAGE? BECAUSE I WAS UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING WE DIDN'T WANT SOMEBODY TO COMMUTE IN WHERE WE WANTED SOMEBODY TO RELOCATE, BE VESTED IN OUR CITY.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BRING TO, UH, LEGAL COUNSEL BECAUSE THE CHARTER MIGHT STATE THAT THEY NEED TO ESTABLISHED RESIDENCY.
SO IF YOU RENT AN APARTMENT, YOU, YOU, YOU ESTABLISH RESIDENCY.
YOUR DRIVER LICENSE MIGHT SAY YOU LIVE HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CONTROL ON THE WEEKEND WHERE, WHERE THEY'RE AT OR, OR AFTER WORKING HOURS.
BUT CAN WE MAKE THAT A REQUIREMENT? I KNOW ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT THE COMMISSION ALWAYS BROUGHT UP WAS, LET'S SAY OUR FESTIVALS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, THEY MADE IT AN ISSUE TO MAKE OUR OLD CITY MANAGER COME IN TO PARTICIPATE OR I GUESS ATTEND THE FESTIVALS THAT WE HAD.
UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, OR IF WE HAD AN EMERGENCY YES.
ON THE WEEKEND, ON THE DESCRIPTION I PUT THERE THAT FOR EMERGENCIES THEY'RE REQUIRED TO BE HERE YET.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THE PREVIOUS MANAGER WAS OUT OF TOWN AND THERE'S AN EMERGENCY, HE COULDN'T COME BECAUSE WHETHER THEY DIDN'T PERMIT IT.
SO THERE WAS NO WAY HE WAS ALREADY, HE HAD ALREADY LEFT.
UM, WE CAN, WE WE CAN ALWAYS WRITE THAT INTO THE CONTRACT.
THERE'S SOME CITIES AND, AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE CONTRACT OF THE HEAD HONCHO IS ON THE FRONT PAGE.
IT'S PRETTY, THAT'S WHY WE CAN ALWAYS PUT IT IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION AS A, A REQUIREMENT ALSO.
AND UM, AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW FROM YOU ALL ABOUT THE RATE PAY SCALE IF IT MEETS THROUGH YOUR APPROVAL.
SO WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT AS WELL BY THE END OF THIS WEEK, IF WE END UP WANTING TO GO WITH THIS ONE OR IF WE'RE GONNA MAKE ANY CHANGES, WE NEED TO KNOW.
SO HONESTLY, TO GIVE ME TIME TO CHANGE THE BUDGET.
BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE A LOT, UH, FOR ME TO CHANGE IF WE'RE GONNA GO THAT ROUTE.
UM, SO IF, IF WE ARE GONNA PROCEED WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE'LL NEED TO KNOW ASAP ME.
UM, AND GOING BACK TO THE, TO THE CM, UM, YOU ALL, IT'S GONNA BE Y'ALL'S UM, DECISION YOU'RE GONNA BE EVALUATING.
SO, UM, IT'S TOTALLY UP TO YOUR DISCRETION WHAT KEY POINTS YOU WANNA HIT AND WHAT IS IT THAT YOU REQUIRE FROM THAT PERSON.
SO YOU CAN PUT AS MANY SPECIFICATIONS AS YOU WANT.
UM, IN THERE FOR, 'CAUSE YOU ARE HIRING THE INDIVIDUAL.
UM, OF COURSE THAT DOESN'T VIOLATE THE CITY CHARTER, BUT IT'S UP TO YOU FOR YOU TO PUT THE REQUEST OF WHAT YOU WANT EXACTLY TO GET FOR THE CITY.
THAT'S NOT, SO YOU HAVE THE FULL POWER OF, OF REQUESTS OR DO NOT REQUEST CREDENTIALS OR SPECIFICATIONS ON IT.
JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER? OKAY.
AND I THINK THAT'S IT, MAYOR, ON OUR BEHALF.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
DO YOU ALL WANNA, UH, TAKE THIS AND BY THE, UH, BY FRIDAY, GIVE, UH, GIVE AN ANSWER? YES.
ARE WE GONNA, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? ARE WE LOOKING AT NUMBERS, MAYBE GIVING DIFFERENT SUGGESTIONS OR AS FAR AS THE, I MEAN, I THINK THE FIRST, DO YOU YEAH.
WHAT INPUT DO YOU ALL WANT FROM US? I THINK THE FIRST THING IS, ARE WE GONNA PROVE THIS IN GENERAL? I LIKE THE, THE CONCEPT.
CONCEPT NUMBERS FOR THE NUMBERS.
SO IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL NEED TO GET TOGETHER AND LET US KNOW, HEY, MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS SO WE CAN MAKE ALL THE CHANGES.
UM, AS WELL WITH THE CHANGES THAT WE REQUESTED BASED ON MEMOS AND EVERYTHING, WE JUST WANT TO KNOW IT'S GONNA BE THE WAY IT IS.
WE DO, WE ARE PRESENTING A BALANCE BUDGET BASED ON THE CHANGES THAT DEPARTMENT HEADS MM-HMM.
SO MY SUGGESTION IS GO FOR IT.
'CAUSE WE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT, BUT AGAIN, IT'S UP, IT'S UP TO COMMISSION.
IF WE WANNA APPROVE EVERYTHING THAT WAS REQUESTED FIRST, I WANNA SEE WHAT, WHAT IS THE, UM, THE HEALTH INSURANCE SUGGESTION DO TO THE AVERAGE HOURLY RATE.
I WANNA SEE WHAT THE TOTAL COMPENSATION BENEFITS ARE.
AND THEN WE, WE ALSO PROVIDE, UM, DO WE PROVIDE A MATCH TO TMRS AND WHAT PERCENTAGE THAT, THAT'LL BE STILL THE 5%.
5% FOR EMPLOYEES? FOR, FOR EMPLOYEES.
I KNOW OTHER CITIES ARE DOING 7%, BUT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING THERE.
WE'RE GIVING EMPLOYEES A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A BENEFIT.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR THEM.
UH, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST ONE STEP AT A TIME, RIGHT? SO IF IT'S NOT THIS YEAR, BUT MAYBE THE FOLLOWING YEAR, SEE HOW WE DO WITH ALL THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
WE CANNOT, AS MUCH AS EVERYTHING CHANGED, WE CANNOT DO ALL CHANGES AT ONCE.
'CAUSE THEN WE'RE GONNA, WE CANNOT DO ALL CHANGES AT ONCE
[02:20:01]
BECAUSE THEN WE, WE COULD PROBABLY FACE CONSEQUENCES TO OR BUDGET BASED ON THAT.BUT IT IS SOMETHING TO LOOK AT JUST BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WHEN'S OUR NEXT CITY CITY MEETING? OH YEAH.
THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING IS AUGUST THE FIRST.
AND THE IF NEEDED BUDGET WORKSHOP WOULD BE AUGUST THE EIGHTH.
IF YOU DECIDE TO GO TO ANOTHER BUDGET WORKSHOP, WHICH IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERYBODY ALREADY SET THEIR WHATEVER THEY NEEDED.
THE ONLY THING THAT WE'RE PENDING, IT'S THE NEW VALUES THAT THEY'RE GONNA COME OUT SUPPOSEDLY TOMORROW.
SO THAT'LL CHANGE A LITTLE BIT ON THE BUDGET.
BUT I WOULD, I WILL BE PRESENTING TO YOU THE UPDATED BUDGET WITH WHATEVER YOU DECIDED.
AND THEN I DON'T, I DON'T, HONESTLY, I DON'T SEE A POINT FOR US MEETING EVERYBODY AGAIN.
MAYBE WE COULD JUST HAVE, UH, MEET WITH MS. RUTH WITH THE NEW, UM, AN INCIDENT MANAGER WITH THE NEW BUDGET UPDATED.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE, BECAUSE EVERYBODY ALREADY DEFEND THEIR CASES.
DOES SHE HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY? SHE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT DIDN'T SAY NOTHING.
WHY? ANY QUESTIONS? WHY NIKKI SPECIAL EVENTS? WHY I WAS NEVER ASKED ANYTHING.
SO, UM, YANO, YOU WANNA GIVE AN ANSWER BY FRIDAY OR DO YOU WANNA WAIT UNTIL THE UH, OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING, WHICH IS, UH, NEXT WEEK, I GIVE AN ANSWER ON FRIDAY.
WE CAN PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK.
THE BUDGET HAS TO BE ADOPTED BY OCTOBER 1ST.
AND OUR CALENDARS, WE HAVE THAT.
WE'RE GONNA ADOPT IT ON SEPTEMBER 5TH, JUST TO BE AHEAD OF THE GAME AND JUST TO HAVE EVERYTHING READY AND SET UP.
WE HAVE THREE BUDGET WORKSHOP WHEN WE STARTED SO EARLY AND YOU STARTED SEEING THE PRELIMINARY VALUE SO EARLY.
'CAUSE USUALLY THEY START, LIKE RIGHT NOW WE'LL BE THE FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP, BUT SINCE WE'RE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF CHANGES, WE WANTED IT TO HAVE THE TIME TO MAKE EVERYTHING THE WAY WE WANT IT.
I KNOW YOU SAID YOU WERE MEETING WITH LONE STAR AS FAR AS THE INSURANCE COSTS.
UM, YOU HAVE LIKE AN ESTIMATED TIME ON.
I THINK THAT'S A HUGE, WE, WE MET WITH THEM ALREADY.
WE MET WITH THEM ALREADY AND THEY DISCLOSED THE, THE, THE INFORMATION.
UM, THEY DISCLOSED EVERY CHARGE THAT THEY'RE PAYING IN THIS PACKET.
UH, WE HAVE THE BENEFITS FOR THE EMPLOYEES AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE EVERY FEE THAT THEY'RE CHARGING US AND HOW MUCH WE'VE BEEN PAYING AND HOW MUCH WE'VE BEEN GETTING REIMBURSED.
I MEAN, HONESTLY, SORRY TO CUT YOU OFF.
UM, WHEN I CAME OUT AT THE DA'S OFFICE, LIKE WITH THE COUNTY, THAT WAS THEIR THING WHERE THEY WERE LIKE, OKAY, YOU GET PAID A LITTLE, BUT YOU GET FULL INSURANCE AND THEY SELL YOU ON THIS.
BUT I MEAN, I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S, AND AND AGAIN, CONSIDER WHEN THIS BUDGET YEAH.
DOES HAVE THAT ACCOMMODATION ALREADY.
THAT THE, THAT THE HEALTH INSURANCE WILL BE COVERED, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT BY THE CITY.
IS THAT FACTORED IN THE BUDGET ALREADY ON THIS ONE? YES.
FAMILY? NO, JUST THE, JUST THE INDIVIDUAL.
AND AGAIN, VISION HEALTH GONNA HAVE A HUNDRED APPLICANTS TOMORROW AND
THE EMPLOYEES, THE FAMILY'S GONNA HAVE TO DO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR THE FAMILY.
BUT LIKE I SAID, IT WAS ONLY JUST FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS.
SO
LOOK, UH, I JUST KEEP GOING BACK TO, UM, OUR FINANCE AUDITOR COSTCO.
SO WHEN HE COMES IN, EVERY TIME HE ALWAYS SAYS, AND REMEMBER, RAISES ARE PERPETUAL
SO HE IS BASICALLY TELLING US NOT TO GIVE RAISES.
WELL, THIS IS PROVIDING BENEFITS.
WELL MAYBE WE NEED TO CHANGE
WELL, I, I THINK THAT'S HIS PREFERENCE.
IT IS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO PAY A RESPECTABLE WAGE, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN SUSTAIN IT.
AND THE WAY WE SUSTAIN IT IS REVENUE.
I EXPERIENCED IT FIRSTHAND WITH MR.
SO I I I KNOW RAISES ARE PERPETUAL.
ALL I HEAR IS THAT YOU WANT MORE OUT MY DEPARTMENT.
UH, SO IF NOT, WE'RE GONNA WAIT FOR AUGUST 1ST FOR THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING,
[02:25:01]
OR DO WE, I I THINK I NEED TO LOOK AT SOMETHING, SIR.UM, CAN YOU PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR AUGUST 1ST, I GUESS? FOR, FOR VOTING? YES, MA'AM.
ANYTHING ELSE, COMMISSIONER? NOTHING, UH, STAFF? ANYBODY? THEY NOW FOREVER HOLD YOU.
I, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU GUYS FOR HANGING IN THERE WITH US.
YOU ACTUALLY ARE ADVOCATES OUT THERE AND SO WE ARE MAKING CHANGES.
STEPHANIE, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
THE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, LOOK GOOD RUTH AS WELL.
I KNOW YOU'RE WEARING MANY HATS RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A GOOD RAPPORT WITH OUR DIRECTORS.
I COULD SEE SMILES IN OUR FACES AND IT'S CHANGES COMING AND IT IS GOOD.
BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR HANGING IN THERE WITH US AND PLEASE LET EVERYBODY KNOW YOUR, YOUR STAFF KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE FOR THEM.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE THE MAYOR SAID.
I KNOW IT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT THANK YOU TO KEEPING, KEEPING UP WITH ME AS, AS I COULD GO DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT.
NOT ONLY NOT, I MEAN ALL DIRECTORS.
I MEAN IT'S LIKE, UH, ANYTHING ELSE.
I MEAN, I WOULD GO TO RUTH AND I, RUTH, WHERE IS IT? WHERE IS IT? WHERE IS IT? SO SHE WAS THERE CALLING EVERYBODY.
SO AGAIN, I MEAN THAT'S, UH, YOU GUYS HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAVE KEPT SAMANTHA GOING ALSO AND, UH, MADE, UH, PLEASE MAKE OUR JOB A LITTLE BIT MORE EASIER.
OKAY? SO, UM, BUT ANYWAY, UM, WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO LOOK AT EVERYBODY AND EVERYTHING AND TO GET MORE PROJECTS SERVED.
WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR MORE PROJECTS, GET IT GOING.
UM, WAGES, I GUESS THEY'RE COMING NOW INCREASES, BUT WE'LL DO OUR BEST.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I'M NOT GONNA DEPLOY, SAY ANYTHING.