[Special Commission Meetings on August 09, 2022.]
[00:00:05]
NOTICE OF THE BUDGET WORKSHOP.
UH, CITY SANTO CITY COMMISSION IS TUESDAY, AUGUST NINE, UH, 2022.
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY.
UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO, PUBLIC COMMENT.
RUTH, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? NO, MAYOR.
DISCUSSION, UH, 2020, UH, AT VALOR PROPERTY, UH, TAX RATES.
AND, UH, CITY MANAGER, MANDEL, SANDY, ADAM.
UH, AGAIN, UH, THIS IS A PRELIMINARY, UH, PROPOSAL ON THE BUDGET.
WE ARE NOT NEAR, NEARLY COMPLETED, BUT WE'RE GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS WHERE WE'RE AT.
WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE DISCUSSIONS ON SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE HAVE THAT WE'RE PLANNING, AND WE'VE ALSO GOT A TENTATIVE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR YOU.
SO, AT THIS TIME, UH, YOU, WE ARE GOING TO, UM, HAVE MS. UH, ROSAS DISCUSS THE, UH, DISCUSS THE, AT THE PROPOSED AT ALARM TAX RATE.
YOU CAN DO IT FROM THE, MAKE SURE THAT MIKE IS ON TAP IT.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND BOARD.
UM, AS YOU RECEIVED A NOTICE OF THE 2022 TAX YEAR PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR THE CITY OF SAN BENITO, A TAX RATE 0.7 2 8 1 2 5 FOR A HUNDRED DOLLARS VALUATION HAS BEEN PROPOSED FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF SAN BENITO.
THIS IS THE SAME TAX RATE, UM, THAT THE CITY OF SAN BENITO HAD LAST YEAR.
UM, IT EXCEEDS THE LOWER OF THE NO NEW REVENUE OR THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE.
AND THE STATE LAW REQUIRE, REQUIRES THAT TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS BE HELD BY THE GOVERNING BODY BEFORE ADOPTING THE PROPOSED TAX RATE.
SO WE'RE BRINGING IT TO, UM, TO THE, UH, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS, UM, TO GO AHEAD AND APPROVE IT SO WE CAN, UM, POST IT TWICE THE PAPER.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH, UM, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF SOMEBODY, THE PROPOSES TO USE THE REVENUE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE TAX RATE INCREASE FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS.
WE DO SEE THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.7 2 8 1 2 5 FOR A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
THE PRECEDING YEARS, LIKE I MENTIONED A LITTLE WHILE AGO, IS 0.7 2 8 1 2 5.
THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE 0.6 9 6 3 3 4 PER A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
AND THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE IS 0.5 4 6 8 3 1.
THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE IS THE TAX TOTAL RATE NEEDED TO RAISE THE SAME AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY OF SAN BENITO FROM THE SAME PROPERTIES IN BOTH THE 2021 TAX YEAR AND THE 2022 TAX YEAR.
THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE IS THE HIGHEST TAX RATE THAT THE CITY OF SANTO MAY ADOPT BEFORE THE VOTERS ARE ENTITLED TO PETITION FOR AN ELECTION TO LIMIT THE RATE THAT MAY BE APPROVED TO THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE.
AND THEN IT HAS, UM, YOUR VOTERS, YOUR TAXES OWED UNDER ANY OF THE ABOVE RATES CAN BE CALCULATED AS FOLLOWS.
AND IT HAS, UM, THE CALCULATIONS.
AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TAX CALCULATIONS, THEY CAN REACH ME AT THAT INFORM AT THE, UH, DETAILS DISCLOSED BELOW.
UM, AND ANYONE CAN COME AND ATTEND THOSE, UM, HEARINGS.
UM, WE ARE ASKING, UH, MAYOR COMMISSIONERS TO HAVE THE FIRST HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022 AT 5:30 PM AND THE SIXTH SECOND HEARING AT 9 13 20 22.
IF, UM, IT IS APPROVED TONIGHT, WE WANNA GO AHEAD AND PUBLISH IT IN THE PAPER TOMORROW.
MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS, LEMME CLARIFY THAT.
UH, WE'RE NOT, WE WON'T BE ASKING FOR PERMISSION.
IT'S GONNA BE AN AUTOMATIC, OKAY? YOU CAN SET THE TAX RATE WHEN YOU ADOPT THE, THE BUDGET.
SO THIS IS FAIRLY NEW FOR MR. ROSA, BUT AGAIN, IT'S, THIS IS P UH, PROPOSED TO BE, UH, SUBMITTED TO THE NEWSPAPER TOMORROW.
THERE'S A 10:00 AM CUTOFF PERIOD.
IT'LL BE PUBLISHED IN FRIDAY'S PAPER.
THO THESE ARE THE PUBLIC HEARING DATES THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE SEEING IN THE FUTURE.
SO TODAY, UH, NO ACTION ITEMS. SO, UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
I WANTED TO TOUCH UPON THE, ON THE SHEET THAT SAYS THE FISCAL 20 22, 20 23 BUDGET, THE ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS.
YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, RIGHT ABOUT THE, THE THIRD GROUPING FROM THE BOTTOM.
IT SAYS, OVER UNDER PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, WE ARE PROPO, UH, AT THIS, THE, THE CERTIFIED TAX ROW FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT SHOWS THAT OUR INCOME, THIS COMING YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 674,000 $157, 674,000.
[00:05:01]
SO THE PREVIOUS YEAR WE LOOKED AT THAT AND IT WAS LIKE 330,000 LAST YEAR OVER AGAIN.THESE PROPERTY, UH, APPRAISALS CONTINUE TO GO UP.
BOTH, YOU MIGHT RECALL THEY STARTED WITH COMMERCIAL A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
I'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION WITH PREVIOUS, UH, UH, ELECTED BOARDS.
UM, SO, UH, WE ARE COMPLIANT WITH SENATE BILL TWO, WHICH WAS PASSED DURING THE 86 LEGISLATIVE SESSION OF 2019, WHICH MEANS THAT WE DID NOT, WE DID EXCEED THE 500,000, BUT BECAUSE WE'RE A POPULATION UNDER 30,000, WE'RE NOT PENALIZED.
SO WE GET TO KEEP ALL 674,000.
OKAY? SO I INDICATED TO YOU EARLIER IN ONE OF THE OTHER MEETINGS, NOT PROPOSING A TAX INCREASE, NOR AM NOR AM I PROPOSING A TAX DECREASE.
AGAIN, THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION UNTIL YOU GO THROUGH THE FIRST AND SECOND READING OF THE APPROPRIATIONS ORDINANCE, THAT THAT'LL BE THE FINAL DETERMINATION.
UM, THIS EVENING, UH, WE'RE GONNA START GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS.
YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
YOU HAVE MORE, UH, YOU HAVE MORE NEEDS THAN YOU HAVE REVENUE STREAM, OKAY? SO, UH, YOU'VE GOT NEEDS FOR WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU GOT NEEDS FOR, UH, UH, ROADWAYS.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHY THAT TAX RATE IS, BUT THAT, THAT NUMBER IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, AND AGAIN, UH, UH, I'VE, I'VE BEEN APPROACHED BY SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT WE WOULD REACH TO CONSIDER LOWERING IT.
SOME MINOR AMOUNT TO LOWER, WHILE YOU'RE STILL CONTINUING TO NEED, JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
AND SO, UH, LIKE I SAID, YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE GOT OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU NEED TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UH, AND, UH, AS YOU INDICATED, UH, EVEN YESTERDAY, MAYOR, YOU WERE AT THE MEDIAN WHEN ME, WHEN WE MET WITH CAMERON COUNTY'S OFFICIALS ON THIS DRAW CONTINGENCY, WE DON'T HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO TRACK ALL OF OUR WATER LINES, STORM SEWERS, AND ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT, THAT THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WERE HEARD YESTERDAY WITH THE IRRIGATION DISTRICTS AND THE OTHER CITIES.
WE HAVE SOME BASIC GIS, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH TECHNOLOGY TO BE KEEPING UP WITH ALL OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, THEREFORE, THAT'S WHAT I'M, I'M TRYING TO EXPLAIN.
WE ARE WAY BEHIND WHERE WE NEED TO BE TECHNOLOGICALLY AND WITH THE, AND JUST MAINTAINANCE OF OUR, OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT TAX RATE.
SO, ANY QUESTIONS FOR EITHER FINANCE OR CITY MANAGEMENT? LET ME ASK YOU ON THIS, OF ANY, I KNOW THAT, UH, YESTERDAY WE HAD THAT MEETING WITH, UH, UH, KEN COUNTY JUDGE TREVINO.
THEY MENTIONED ALSO THAT, UH, HOW MANY, LIKE DEAD ENDS DO WE HAVE ON THE, ON THE WATER? I THINK MR. GARCIA CAN ANSWER.
HAVE YOU, DO YOU RECALL THE NUMBER? YOU DON'T.
UH, BUT IT, UM, WE DON'T CONSUME THE 65 MILLION GALLONS THAT THEY WERE DOING, BUT WE DO, IT TAKES US A COUPLE OF DAYS TO ACTUALLY FLUSH, AND WE DO THIS EVERY MONTH.
AND, AND MAYOR, I'VE SEEN THE LIST.
IT IS LIKE TWO PAGES LONG WRITTEN ONE.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF DEAD ENDS.
BUT YOU ALSO HEARD HARLINGEN, YOU WOULD THINK THAT HARLINGEN AS, UH, AS DEVELOPED AS THAT THEY ARE, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE DEAD ENDS.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN THE 35 YEARS I'VE BEEN IN CITY GOVERNMENT, YOU SHOULD BE NOWHERE NEAR THIS MANY ENTS, WHETHER IT'S US OR HARLINGEN, UNACCEPTABLE AT ANY LEVEL.
SO, UH, I WAS GLAD TO HEAR THAT, BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY BETTER.
IT DOES, IT MAKES 'EM EQUAL TO US.
BUT YEAH, WE DO HAVE IT, GENERALLY IT'S DONE BY THE WATER AND SEWER GUYS AND, AND STUFF, BUT WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TOO.
AND WE DO, BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF OUR INSPECTIONS.
AND, UH, AND WE'RE, WE SUBMIT THESE REPORTS EVERY MONTH, AND APPARENTLY THERE'S GONNA BE SOME FUNDINGS NOW THAT THE, THE GOVERNOR HAS ALREADY DECLARED IT.
DO WE HAVE A, A DECLARATION FROM THE GOVERNOR? I, I'VE ALREADY, UM, I'VE, I'VE DOWNLOADED THE DECLARATION.
I ACTUALLY SENT IT TO, UH, ONE OF THE CAR WASH OPERATORS.
UM, AND ASSOCIATION THAT REPRESENTS CAR WATCH.
SO, AND AGAIN, UH, THE, THE RENEWAL, THERE WAS ALREADY A DROUGHT, UH, EMERGENCY DECLARATION BY THE GOVERNOR SOME MONTHS BACK.
THIS WAS, HAD MORE COUNTIES ADDED TO THAT.
AND IF YOU MIGHT RECALL HERE, THERE'S ABOUT 230 OUT OF 254 COUNTIES THAT ARE IN SOME TYPE OF DROUGHT STAGE.
UH, AND AGAIN, EVERY PART OF THE STATE HAS A DIFFERENT WATERSHED.
AND WHAT WAS FRUSTRATING THAT HILDAGO COUNTY, CAMERON COUNTY, AND EVEN WILLY, WE, UNLESS YOU'RE ON WELL WATER, GETTING BRACKISH WATER OR, OR DESAL WATER, WE'RE ALL GETTING THE SAME FRESH WATER FROM THE SAME TWO RESERVOIRS, THE AMISTAD AND FALCON.
SO, UH, AGAIN, UH, AND THAT WAS THE POINT YESTERDAY.
AND AGAIN, IF THERE IS GOING TO BE IN THIS, UM, THIS PLAN THAT WAS DESCRIBED YESTERDAY, THAT FUNDING, THAT'S A YEAR DOWN THE ROAD.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE JUDGE SAID.
IT IS NOT GOING TO SOLVE OUR WATER ISSUES RIGHT NOW, THIS SEASON, THIS HURRICANE SEASON, AND A TROPICAL STORM SEASON, OR UNTIL NEXT YEAR IF WE DON'T GET A STORM THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, PROVIDES WATER OVER THE DAM OVER THESE, UH, AND THE DAMAGE, THE, THE RESERVOIRS, THESE
[00:10:01]
LITTLE THUNDERSTORMS. AND I, AND I READ THE, I READ THE, THE, THE POSTINGS.WHY DO WE HAVE WATER CONSERVATION? WELL, THIS IS GOOD FOR YOUR GRASS, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING FOR THOSE RESERVOIRS.
NOT EVEN, SO, JUST MESSED UP MY, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT, UH, THERE'S GONNA BE FUNDINGS OUT THERE SO WE CAN GET RID OF, UH, A LOT OF THE, UH, DEAD INMATES THAT WE HAVE.
SO THERE'S FUNDINGS OUT THERE THAT, UH, WE, WE NEED TO GET, UH, GET A HOLD OF, OKAY? SO WE CAN GET THE, GET THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST GOING, SO I'M GONNA GET RID OF THE, THE DEAD ENDS MAYOR, WHAT IT'S GONNA DO, IT'S GONNA CONNECT THE DEAD ENDS TO AKA RIGHT.
SO FOR US, UNLESS THESE AKA ARE UPSTREAM FROM US, IT'S GONNA HELP OUR NEIGHBORS DOWNSTREAM FROM US.
SO REMEMBER, THE IDEA WASN'T TO HELP YOU OUT.
IT'S SO THAT IT DOESN'T GET WASTED.
SO, WHO'S UPSTREAM FROM US?
AND LIBERTY, UH, UH, MILITARY WATER SUPPLY BUYS WATER FROM PUB AND FROM EAST HONDO.
SO THEY'RE REALLY NOT GONNA HELP US.
AND THEY DON'T GENERATE WATER.
THEY DON'T HAVE, THEY DON'T HAVE A VERY GOOD, UM, WATER SYSTEM AS IT IS.
SO WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS FOR US TO PLUG IN OUR DATAS, BUT NOT EVERYBODY TOGETHER.
IT'S THE SAME THING I HEARD YESTERDAY.
I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, UH, THERE IS NOT A, THIS CONSENSUS OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND SINCE WE'RE IN REGION M LIKE IN MIKE OF THIS REGIONAL WATER PLANT UNDER THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD, THAT'S WHERE THAT LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO BE.
JUST LIKE OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE HAVE LEADERSHIP THAT TELLS YOU HOW YOU'RE GONNA CONSERVE WATER TOGETHER.
BUT WE NEED TO TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN LOOP IT.
AND, AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO SEE, UH, AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, UH, I KNOW THAT THE, THE, UH, OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER IS WORKING ON US, UH, WITH THAT.
I'VE ALREADY HAD SOME COMMUNICATION FROM HIS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, DR. GOMEZ, ON SOME OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, SO OKAY.
WHERE WE WOULD PARTNER UP WITH THE COUNTY ON SOME INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS.
AND MAYOR COMMISSIONERS, THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE GOTTEN THOSE KIND OF REQUESTS IN SIX YEARS.
AND YOU, YOU AND I BOTH KNOW I GOT, YEAH.
MR, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, YES.
IN THE CENTER OF THE PAGE, UH, IT, THE STATEMENT SAYS NO NEW, UH, REVENUE TAX RATE IS A TOTAL TAX RATE NEEDED TO RAISE THE SAME AMOUNT PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY OF SAN BONITOS, SAME PROPERTIES IN BOTH 2 20 21 AND IN 2022.
UM, AND THEN I LOOK AT THE OTHER PAGE, AND OF COURSE YOU MENTIONED THE, UM, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET PAID OVER IS 674,000, BUT THEN YOU DID MENTION THAT THERE'S BEEN INQUIRIES, UH, ABOUT OUR TAX RATE.
HAS THAT, THOSE INQUIRIES BEEN FROM THE PUBLIC WANTING TO KNOW HOW? NO, SIR, IT WAS FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS, MAINLY ONE.
NO, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD IT, SO, AND I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE SO MANY NEEDS IN THIS COMMUNITY, UH, IT WOULD TAKE A LOT MORE THAN THAT TO FULFILL THOSE NEEDS.
BUT I'D LIKE A, A PLAN, A, A, A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AS TO WHY, UH, SOMETHING TO JUSTIFY WHY WE'RE NOT GOING DOWN FROM, UH, POINT 72 AND, AND HOW WE'RE GONNA USE THIS ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT ARE, THAT ARE COMING IN, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S GOTTA BE A REASON WHY NOT.
AND, AND THAT'S UNDERSTOOD BECAUSE OF THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE.
SO, UH, I, I, SOMEDAY, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY THAT WE CAN'T LOWER THE TAX RATE, BUT I KNOW RIGHT NOW, UH, WITH ALL THESE WATER BREAKS GOING ON AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE THE WAY IT IS, AND RIGHT NOW WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, IT'D BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU TONIGHT, UH, AND, UM, UH, STEPHANIE, UH, HER LAST NAME'S VERY DIFFICULT TO PRONOUNCE, SO I'LL LET HER DO THAT.
BUT, UH, SADI WILL HELP YOU, WILL WALK YOU THROUGH THAT CIP PLAN.
UH, WE ARE NOT ONLY PROPOSING A, UM, A CIP FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, YEARS ONE, TWO, AND THREE, BUT THEN 5, 10, 15, AND 20, UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
IT'S A VERY COMPREHENSIVE, SO SHE'S GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT WE STARTED PUTTING TOGETHER.
SHE'S BEEN SPENDING SOME TIMES WITH VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
BUT, UM, UH, WHEN WE START SPEAKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, LONG-TERM MANNING FACILITIES, TRAINING FACILITIES, NEW FIRE STATIONS, WHERE THEY NEED TO BE TO MAINTAIN THESE ISO RATINGS, WE'RE GETTING LARGER POPULATION.
SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND.
SO, UH, PART OF THAT WILL INCLUDE FACILITIES, UH, STAFFING, UH, THE MANPOWER, OR, UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL THE APPROPRIATE PARDON ME.
BUT I WANT BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY NO, AND WE WILL, WHY WE'RE NOT LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
OKAY? SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU TELL ME, UH, WE CAN'T
[00:15:01]
LOWER IT BECAUSE OF THIS, THIS, AND THAT.THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THEIR URGENT NEEDS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO INCLUDE IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO INCLUDE ON THERE THE REASONS EXACTLY WHY WE'RE NOT LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
I MEAN, WHO WOULDN'T WANT THEIR TAXES LOWERED, OF COURSE.
BUT WE DO HAVE ADDITIONAL INCOME COMING IN FROM, FROM PROPERTY TAX.
SO THEN WE DO HAVE A NEED FOR IT.
AND I THINK, UH, I THINK WE'RE GONNA TRY TO, UH, TO DO THAT.
UH, SAME THING COMES WITH THE ENTER OUR ENTERPRISE FUND.
UH, AND THERE'S A SECTION HERE THAT WE'LL DISCUSS THAT IN THE ENTERPRISE FUND, AGAIN, WITH THESE WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES, DEPENDING HOW LONG THEY GO, AND IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT I'VE HAD WITH SOME OF Y'ALL.
IT'S, UH, IF WE DON'T GENERATE THE REVENUE STREAM FOR WATER CELLS AND SEWER TREATMENT, AND THE WATER ISN'T REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, TO TREAT, UH, THE WATER, THE RAW WATER AT WATER PLANT TWO REQUIRES A LOT OF CHEMICALS.
THE CONVENTIONAL PLANT IS LESS, BUT IT ALSO WASTEWATER TREATMENT.
IF THIS, UH, THIS AKA IF THE WATER LEVELS, UH, GET OR IS LOWERED, WE'RE GOING TO BE UTILIZING MUCH MORE CHEMICALS BECAUSE WE ARE NOW DRAWING SILT AND SLUDGE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE RASAKA, WHICH WILL INCREASE.
SO, AGAIN, OUR CONCERN THAT IF THIS GOES TOO LONG, THEN THIS WHOLE PLAN OF HOW WE, UH, YOU IMPLEMENTED THE WATER AND SEWER INCREASES FOR EVERYONE BEING SINGLE FAMILY, MULTI-TENANT AND COMMERCIAL, MAY NOT MEET OUR DEBT OBLIGATIONS.
RIGHT? SO WHEN I LOOK AT THESE THINGS, PART OF THAT EXPLANATION IS THAT YOU DON'T, YOU, YOU NEED TO HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS AND RESERVES TO CARRY YOU THROUGH THESE PERIODS THAT WE, WE HADN'T ANTICIPATED.
SO I'M HOPING THAT I CAN ARTICULATE THAT DURING, DURING THIS WHOLE COMPREHENSIVE BUDGETING.
AND THERE'S ALWAYS, UH, EXPLANATIONS AS TO WHY THE BUDGET IS WHAT IT IS.
BUT WE'RE GONNA, I THINK, OR I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO VERY MUCH ARTICULATE TO YOU THAT YOU ARE IN A DEFICIT OVER LONG TERM.
SO YOU'RE EITHER, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT OUR DEBT PAYMENTS WERE STRUCTURED TO MAKE THE LAST PAYMENT IN 2028.
OKAY? THE 2028 WILL NOT RELIEVE YOU OF THE REST OF YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AGAIN, YOU'RE GONNA BE ISSUING DEBT ABOUT 2026 WITH PAYMENTS COMING LATER ON, PAYING, YOU KNOW, JUST INTEREST FOR A COUPLE YEARS AND PRINCIPLES LATER ON, BECAUSE YOU NEED TO GET HOLD OF THIS ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADWAYS, SIDEWALKS, CURBS, GUTTERS, UH, THESE OTHER AREAS THAT ARE FAILING AND HAVE BEEN FAILING FOR SOME TIME WILL BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND.
AND AGAIN, WHEN, UM, WHEN MR. GARCIA, PUBLIC EARTH DIRECTOR WALKS YOU, UH, SHOWS YOU A SLIDE OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING, HOW TO GET MORE ROADS DONE IN A FASTER PERIOD OF TIME.
AND IF, IF, AND IF THAT WORKS, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BY CONTRACT.
AND OUR, AND I RECALL COMMISSIONER B FRANCO ALWAYS CONTRACTED CONTRACT IT, WELL, WE CAN, LARGE SUBSTANCE, WE CAN GET THESE, THESE ROADS DONE.
BUT WHEN THE MONEY'S GONE AND WE GET IT DONE IN A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME, THEN WHAT DO YOU DO? UH, YOU NEED MORE FUNDS TO DO MORE ROADS OR YOU'VE, YOU'VE DONE 'EM IN A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME.
SO, AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY CONCERN, IS WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH IT VERY QUICKLY, THEN IT'S GONE.
SO WE, WE HAVE INCREASED THAT AMOUNT SLIGHTLY WITH, UH, RIGHT ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
I THINK WE'RE ABOUT 1.2, 1.24, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE, THE, THE TARGET IS 1.3 TO 1.5.
OKAY? AND AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA BACK THESE NUMBERS UP.
YOU ONLY HAVE SO MUCH MONEY COMING IN, AND THE BUDGET'S GOTTA SUSTAIN IT.
SO SOMETIMES WHAT WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED, WE TAKE CARE OF THOSE FIRST, AND THEN WE START FILLING IT IN, AND THEN WE START LOOKING AT WHAT IS IT THAT WE DON'T NEED? AND START REMOVING IT WITH THOSE THINGS THAT WE LIKE TO HAVE.
RIGHT? THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CUT BACK THAT JUST TO GET THE ROADS DONE.
I MEAN, COMMISSIONER V FRANCO WAS JUST ASKING ME ABOUT THE CI POOK PARK.
'CAUSE HE'S TRYING TO WORK ON A GRANT.
UM, AND I'M TRYING TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
BUT AGAIN, I, I GOTTA GET ALL THE INFORMATION.
UH, AND WORKING, UH, WITH LA ON THE SIDEWALK, LA PALM, UH, MR. GARCIA AND MR. GARCIA BOTH MET WITH, UH, WITH THE, UH, AGAIN, OSCAR AND VAL WITH THE, UH, THE RGV, UH, THE R-G-V-M-P-O GROUP.
SO THE FUNDING, UH, AND WE'VE DISCUSSED THE, THE INCREASE IN, IN COST IN MATERIALS.
SO WHERE WE WERE PROPOSING A SIX FOOT SIDEWALK, MAYBE A FIVE FOOT WIDE SIDEWALK, THE PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY, HOW DO WE GET THIS IN? HOW DO WE GET IT SHOVEL READY? SO THERE ARE ABOUT TO GO WALK FOR ENGINEERING, UH, PROPOSALS WILL BE PRESENTED TO YOU.
WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
THE MONIES ARE THERE, BUT WE NEED TO MEET CERTAIN, CERTAIN, UH, TIMELINES.
UH, SO AGAIN, SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE A LOT OF THIS IS GONNA BE SPELLED OUT.
UH, UH, THIS IS PROBABLY, AGAIN, I WOULD SAY THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE, UH, UH, IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE AT MULTIPLE LEVELS WHEN IT COMES TO
[00:20:01]
THE PROJECT, THE EQUIPMENT OR THE MANPOWER.WELL, UM, THE, UH, YOU, YOU MENTIONED A LOT OF GOOD THINGS, UM, BUT THE COMMUNITY HAS ALWAYS ASKED FOR STREETS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES NOW, AND WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
UH, PUBLIC WORKS, UH, STREETS DEPARTMENT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I GOTTA HAND IT TO 'EM.
'CAUSE I HEAR IT FROM EVERYBODY OUT THERE.
BUT WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL $674,000, UH, COMING IN.
I, I, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO EXPLAIN IS THAT WE NEED TO JUSTIFY WHY WE'RE NOT GONNA LOWER THE TAX RATE, WHY WE'RE GONNA STAY THE SAME, BECAUSE IT'S, UH, THE PROPERTY VALUES, UH, WE HEAR IT FROM EVERYBODY.
THEY'RE GOING UP AND THEY'RE GOING UP.
AND EVERY YEAR IS THE SAME THING.
SO WITH THIS MONEY COMING IN, YES, UH, WE DO NEED IT.
AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR STREETS FOR DECADES NOW.
WE'RE FINALLY ON THE, ON THE RIGHT TRACK, UH, TO GET THE STREETS FIXED.
SO YEAH, WE, WE JUST NEED TO FIND A WAY TO END THAT PLAN, UH, JUSTIFY THE REASONS WHY WE'RE NOT DECREASING THE TAX VALUE AS, UH, OF COURSE, WE, WE, UH, WE'RE NOT INCREASING IT EITHER, BUT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING MORE INCOME, UH, COMING IN, BUT WE NEED TO JUSTIFY WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH IT.
AND THE STREETS IS NUMBER ONE.
AND THEN FROM THERE ON, AND I UNDERSTAND TAKING MONEY FROM THE GENERAL FUND, OF COURSE, FOR OTHER, UH, THINGS THAT YOU, THAT WE NEED TO DO.
BUT I THINK, UH, IN THE LONG RUN, PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE HAPPY TO HEAR THE THINGS THEY, THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, FOR MANY YEARS NOW ARE FINALLY HAPPENING.
UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE, WE ADDRESS THAT WITH THIS PLAN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MM-HMM.
OKAY, THEN, UM, I WAS ADDING NUMBER THREE.
OKAY, ITEM NUMBER FOUR, BUDGET WORKSHOP TWO FOR THE PHYSICAL YEAR.
OCTOBER 1ST, 2022 TO SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2023.
AND, UH, CITY MANAGER PRESENT THIS ITEM, MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE PROVIDED YOU A HANDBOOK, UM, THAT WAS DELIVERED TO YOU ON FRIDAY, AND I THINK MOST OF OUR STAFF HAS THEM, OR, BUT IF NOT, BUT, UH, UH, AS YOU OPEN IT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOME FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD INFORMATION WHEN IT COMES TO THE FUND BUDGET SUMMARY, THE FISCAL, THE FIRST PAGE, AND, UH, THEN THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES ON THE SECOND PAGE.
SO, UH, AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT COMPLETE, BUT WE STARTED PLUGGING IN THE, THESE NUMBERS, AND WE STARTED LOOKING AT PROPOSED HISTORY AND, UH, HISTORICAL AND WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
UH, WE'VE NOT COMPLETED THE, THE SALARIES, UM, AND WE'RE ADJUSTING SOME OF THOSE.
UH, AND WE'VE DONE SOME MARKET ANALYSIS ON, ON SOME, ON THE HIRINGS OF, UH, PERSONNEL.
SO, UH, YOU MIGHT HAVE READ THAT, UH, A NEIGHBORING CITY, UH, IS STILL PAYING, UH, WHAT, $8 OR LESS THAN 10, AND THEY WANNA RAISE IT TO 10.
OKAY? SO, UH, AGAIN, THEY'RE DOING A STUDY.
WE TRY TO LOOK FOR THE STUDY THAT WAS RECOMMENDED TO US.
BUT AGAIN, UH, STUDIES THAT ARE GENERALLY DONE, ARE DONE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
SO WE, WE, AND WE'VE LEARNED THAT WE'VE HAD TO LOOK AT MARKET NOWADAYS.
UH, I SENT, UH, UH, UH, CAMERON COUNTY'S LOOKING FOR A DEPUTY, UH, OR AN ASSISTANT, UH, COUNTY ENGINEER.
I SENT THAT TO THE STAFF THIS WEEKEND, UH, TO HR AND TO THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
AND THE COUNTY'S ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN TO BE, UH, AT THE LOW END OF THE PAY SCALE FOR GOVERNMENT WORK.
SO IF WE'RE FINALLY GETTING TO THAT POINT, AT LEAST NOW WE'RE GETTING MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE.
SO, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE DOING THAT.
UH, A LOT OF POSITIONS HADN'T BEEN FILLED.
THEY HADN'T BEEN FILLED FOR VARIOUS REASONS, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE HAD SOMETIMES THIS, UH, ADDITIONAL INCOME.
BUT THE, THE POINT IS, WE, NOW THAT WE'RE GETTING BUSY, WE NEED THOSE BODIES AND WE NEED THAT TALENT.
SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH, UH, THIS RECRUITMENT OF QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS.
SO AS YOU LOOK AROUND, AND COMMISSIONER V FRANCO WAS SAYING THAT THERE'S A LOT OF NEW FACES.
IF YOU LOOK TO YOUR LEFT, UH, YOU'LL SEE VAL GARCIA IN THE MIDDLE, IF YOU'LL RAISE YOUR HAND.
HE'S THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT COORDINATOR.
UH, TWO PERSONS DOWN, YOU'LL SEE OSCAR GARCIA, THE NEW PUBLIC WORK SECRETARY, TO MY RIGHT AT THE FAR END, YOU'LL SEE STEPHANIE SAUDI.
THEN YOU'LL SEE ELISA ROSAS, RIGHT DIRECTLY TO MY RIGHT.
AND ON THE LEFT, YOU'LL SEE MOISES MADRID.
UH, HE'S THE, HE'S IN THE BOOMERANG CLUB.
THIS IS HIS THIRD, THIRD TIME TO SAN BENITO, AND HE'S OUR HR DIRECTOR.
HE ISS GOT A FINANCING, UH, UH, A FINANCE DEGREE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, HE'S NOT THE ONLY BOOMERANG.
WE HAVE DIRECTLY ACROSS ABA GARCIA USED TO WORK FOR US IN THE WASTEWATER PLANT, UH, EX UH, UH, NAVAL, UH, SUBMARINER, UH, ENGINEER, UM, ON A SUBMARINE.
HE, HE WORKED AS A WASTEWATER OPERATOR, GOT HIS EDUCATION, CAME BACK TO US.
THEN NEXT TO, UH, MR. MADRID, OUR
[00:25:01]
NEW HR DIRECTOR, WE HAVE ROCIO, UH, CIO, BATH BATISTA.SO, AGAIN, A LOT OF NEW TALENT.
AND WE'VE GOT IN THE OTHER BUILDINGS, AND WE'VE CREATED DEPTH.
IF YOU'LL SEE BACK THERE, YOU'LL SEE JERRY SALAZAR PUBLIC, OUR, UH, LIBRARY DIRECTOR.
THEN I WAS, UH, AUGUSTINE CTAS BACK THERE.
HE'S OUR, UM, ASSISTANT, UH, LIBRARY DIRECTOR.
HE ALSO HAS THE CREDENTIALS THAT JERRY HAS, OKAY.
WHICH MEANS THAT, UH, WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE, AND WE'VE CREATED DEPTH IN THIS ORGANIZATION.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU'LL SEE, UH, NIKKI, UH, NIKKI'S BEEN WITH US, WHICH IS AT THE MUSEUM.
SHE'S DONE VERY WELL WITH OUR PROJECT, UH, COORDINATORS, IS, IS, UH, UH, FOR OUR EVENTS.
AND THEN TO HER LEFT, YOU'LL SEE ALMA GURA, UM, THE, THE, THE TRADER.
UH, ALMA BRINGS A, A WHOLE LOT OF TALENT.
SHE SERVED AS AN IMPRESSION TO A LOT OF OUR, UH, UH, UH, YOUNG LADIES THAT WORK IN THE ORGANIZATION THAT DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT, THAT YOU COULDN'T GET INTO THESE POSITIONS.
AND ALMA IS A, A WALKING INSTITUTION THAT YOU CAN, SHE'S TALENTED.
SHE, SHE'S PROBABLY BEEN ONE OF THE BEST ENGINEERS THAT I'VE WORKED WITH IN MY CAREER, AND I'M VERY CRITICAL OF ENGINEERS.
OKAY? SO, UH, AGAIN, WE HATE TO LOSE HER, BUT WE WISH HER THE WELL, AND WE'RE ALREADY ACTIVELY RECRUITING, UH, HER, UH, I'D EVEN HATE TO SAY IT'S A REPLACEMENT, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GONNA BE SOMEBODY LESS THAN, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT PERSON.
SO, BUT AGAIN, THESE WERE ALREADY BUDGETED POSITIONS.
WE'VE HAD TO READJUST SOME OF THE SALARIES.
THERE'S NO, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WASN'T ANY EFFECT TO, TO THE BUDGET OVERALL.
UM, SO, AND AS WE GO THROUGH, UH, FOR, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE VARIOUS DIRECTORS TO TRY TO MAINTAIN.
UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT, THAT WE HAVE A RETENTION PROGRAM FOR OUR TALENT.
IT'S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE RECRUIT THE RIGHT TALENT, AND THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT EMPLOYEES WORKING FOR US.
WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT, UH, WE CAN DELIVER MUCH FASTER.
OKAY? UH, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE IS, CAN WE PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES AS, YOU KNOW, AS EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE? OKAY? AND, AND THAT'S ALL IT MEANS TO ME.
IT'S JUST, CAN WE, CAN WE DELIVER? RIGHT NOW, DEVELOPMENTS HAVE GOTTA TURN AROUND.
IT'S GOTTA MEET, UH, CERTAIN CRITERIA.
SO WE HAVE TO FIND THAT TALENT.
WE HAVE TO, YOU MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
AND YOU'VE SEEN SOME OF THEIR QUALITY, THEIR WORK, YOU KNOW, BOTH, UH, ON THE FIELD OR IN PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS WITH ME OF WHAT THEY'RE INSPECTING AND WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH.
IT'S, AGAIN, RIGHT NOW WE'RE DEALING WITH, WITH, UH, THE DROUGHT, WE'RE DEALING WITH THE COVID.
WE'RE DEALING WITH THE, YOU KNOW, UH, NOW WE'RE DEALING WITH THE, BESIDES, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS WHOLE WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES IS JUST, YOU KNOW, MIND WRACKING BECAUSE WE'RE NERVOUS, OKAY? AND AGAIN, WE THINK THAT WE'LL SUCCEED.
WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB AT KEEPING THE CITY AFLOAT THROUGH EVERY, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERY EVENT THAT'S HIT US.
UH, AND AGAIN, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER SANCHEZ, DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN I SUGGESTED FURLOUGHING EMPLOYEES, YOU WANT IT TO PROTECT THE EMPLOYEES? WE KEPT THEM AND WE KEPT THEM THROUGH THE ENTIRE TIME.
SO, UH, THAT SHOWS THAT YOU'RE DEDICATED TO THEM, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DEDICATED TO THE CITIZENS.
WE, WE WILL PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.
SO, UH, WE DO THE BEST WE CAN AND TRY TO RESOLVE.
NOW, CAN'T MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY, BUT WE DO TRY TO AT LEAST RESOLVE IT IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, OR WE GIVE OPTIONS.
SO THAT'S WHAT THESE, THAT'S WHAT THE STAFF IS TRAINED TO DO.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY, THEY REPRESENT, UH, YOU, THEY REPRESENT ME.
THEIR JOB IS TO TRY TO PUT OUT THE FIRES BEFORE IT EVER REACHES MY DESK, BEFORE IT REACHES YOU, AND THEN YOU SEND IT BACK TO ME.
SO, UH, AGAIN, THEY'RE TALENTED, THEY'LL WORK HARD.
AND, UH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY DOUBT THAT I EXPECT THAT THEY WORK HARD.
AND, UH, AND THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THEY'RE GONNA PUT AS MANY HOURS AS THEY NEED TO.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I EXPECT THAT THEY NOT HAVE A, A PERSONAL LIFE.
SO LET, LET ME ASK YOU, UH, I KNOW YOU SENT ME SOMETHING ABOUT THE, IN THE NEWSPAPER CLIPPING.
UH, I KNOW THERE'S TWO, THREE CITIES.
TWO CITIES, I THINK THEY'RE ALREADY IN THE STAGE THREE.
HOW DOES IT LOOK SO THAT THE PEOPLE CAN KNOW? HOW DOES IT LOOK FOR US GOING INTO, IF WE NEED TO GO INTO STAGE THREE? YEAH.
WE'RE, YOU SEE, I KNOW THE BIGGER CITIES ARE NOT DOING IT.
BUT WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM AND US? OKAY.
JUST THAT THEY KNOW WE'RE USING, UH, THE INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY WATER, UH, COMMISSIONS, UH, LO UH, WATER LEVELS.
WHEN AT 25% CAPACITY, WE GO TO STAGE TWO.
WHEN IT REGIONS 15 PER 15%, WE GO TO STAGE THREE.
OKAY? AND THEN THERE WAS STAGE FOUR, BUT, UH, STAGE FOUR, I, I HOPE WE NEVER GET THERE.
WE COULD, BUT THE, UH, OTHER CITIES ARE UTILIZING SOMETHING SIMILAR, BUT THEY'RE ALSO IMPOSING, OR THEY'RE PUTTING SOMETHING THAT GOT, WELL, WE'VE GOT WATER RIGHTS.
OKAY? AND AS A CONVERSATION WENT YESTERDAY, THERE WAS, UH, WATER RIGHTS, WHETHER THERE'S CLASS A AND CLASS B WATER, WE HAVE CLASS A IRRIGATION WATER THAT COMES THROUGH OUR SYSTEM.
SO THESE ARE ALL WATER RIGHTS.
AND AGAIN, I DIDN'T REALIZE, UH, YOU ALWAYS KNOW THAT THERE IS WATER RIGHTS ARE IMPORTANT IN THE STATE, AND THESE WERE SETTLED THROUGH
[00:30:01]
LITIGATION AND, AND SOMETIME IN THE LATE SIXTIES OR 1970S.SO THERE IS A PRIORITY, AND HUMAN CONSUMPTION IS IMPORTANT.
HUMANS GET IT BEFORE AGRICULTURE, AND, BUT IT'S GOTTA BE THERE.
AND THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT THAT, SO, UH, IF WE WERE GETTING IT DIRECTLY, WE'D HAVE MORE RIDES, BUT WE GET IT THROUGH THE IRRIGATION DISTRICT OR OUR, OUR DESIGNATED AGENT.
SO, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE OUR TYPICAL WATER CONTRACT, WHICH I'VE PROVIDED YOU, WE HAVE 1,532 ACRE FEET OF WATER.
UH, AND THEN, UH, THE IRRIGATION DISTRICT HAS ANOTHER 550 ACRE FEET THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE US, WHICH IS THEY SELLERS, WHICH IS THAT PUSH WATER.
BUT WHEN THAT ENDS, OR IF, UH, UH, THE WATER JUST COMES TO AN END, THOSE WATER RIGHTS DON'T MEAN ANYTHING.
RIGHT? SO, UM, IF WE MAKE IT THROUGH JANUARY, THEN WE'LL GET OUR, OUR 1,532 ALLOCATION, AGAIN, OF, OF THESE WATER RIGHTS.
BUT AGAIN, THE WATER HAS TO BE, HAS TO BE THERE IN THE RESERVOIRS.
SO, UM, NOT EVERYBODY'S ON, ON AGREEMENT.
EVERYBODY USES SOME, EVERY CITY, JUST LIKE YOU CAN CHANGE THE TRIGGER.
I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE STAGE TWO TO STAGE 15, WE DROP AND WE GO BACK.
IT'S AN AMENDMENT TO THE ORDINANCE.
YOU WANNA CHANGE THE TRIGGERS.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A CITY COMMISSION DECISION.
AND THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE, CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS MAKE THOSE DECISIONS WHERE THEY DO IT.
AND I THINK, MAYOR, THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT, UH, EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD THAT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS SELFISH ON CITIES THAT ARE NOT PLANNED.
AND THAT, THAT INCLUDED THE IRRIGATION DISTRICTS.
UH, I HEARD THAT SOME IRRIGATION DISTRICT WANNA SELL WATER.
WELL, IT'S OKAY TO SELL IT IF IT EXISTS.
IT'S NOT OKAY IF IT DOESN'T EXIST.
RIGHT? SO WHAT DO, WHY DON'T WE HAVE THE SAME STANDARDS? SO, AGAIN, UH, WE WILL FOLLOW OUR ORDINANCE REGARDLESS OF ANYBODY DOES.
THE PUB HAS IT, THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, THE BROWNSVILLE PUB, UM, PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD HAS IMPLEMENTED STAGE TWO, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GONNA GO TO STAGE THREE.
BUT WHO'S ENFORCING THE UBS ORDINANCES? THE CITY OF BROWNSVILLE.
SHOULD I, I'M NOT GONNA COMMENT WHAT THEY'RE DOING OR NOT DOING.
I, I ALREADY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING OR NOT DOING.
YOU SEE, AND THAT'S UPSETTING, BECAUSE IF, IF WE'RE ALL IN, IN, IN THIS TOGETHER, HOW CAN ONE, WE WANNA TAKE, UM, THE LEAD ON IT AND TRY TO, TO, TO WORK THINGS OUT AS BEST WE CAN TO SAVE WATER, BUT THE OTHER ONES DON'T.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE STILL IN THE SAME BOAT.
WELL, THAT'S WHY YOU NEED STRONG LEADERS AT, AT THE COUNTY, AT THE STATE LEVEL.
SO, UH, HAVING SAID THAT, UH, THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD, THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A TCQ, THESE ARE MANAGED BY THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
THEY'RE THE CLOSEST THING THAT YOU'VE GOT TO SOME TYPE OF GOVERNANCE.
THEY, THEY HAVE PLANNING GROUPS, BUT THEY HAVE NO AUTHORITY.
YOU MIGHT RECALL THAT, UH, RICK PERRY FIRED 'EM ALL, THEN APPOINTED, UH, A DIFFERENT BOARD BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T, WEREN'T DOING WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO.
WELL, NOW YOU GOT ABBOTT OVER THAT APPOINTS THESE.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU CAN BE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, HOW THESE, THESE ARE OPERATING.
BUT AGAIN, IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY TO DO ANYTHING, AND THEY DON'T, OKAY, SO THIS, THIS DROUGHT THING DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A, A COUNTY, BUT Y YESTERDAY YOU HAD A, A MEETING WITH THE COUNTY, IS THAT CORRECT? THE COUNTY EMERGENCY? IT SEEMED MORE LIKE A REGIONAL, UH, DROUGHT.
IS THERE SOME TYPE OF, UH, GOSH, UH, BACK IN THE DAY, THERE USED TO BE LIKE A WATER MASTER IN THE AREA, OR THERE IS, IS, AND THIS, AND, AND THE TCQ IS THE ONLY WATER MASTER.
THE, THE, THE IBWC DOES NOT HAVE A WATER MASTER.
AND THE TCQ WATER MASTER JUST KIND OF DOES OUT UNDER THE, WHAT'S BEEN APPROVED AND THE PRIOR, YOU KNOW, PRIOR.
BUT THEY'VE NEVER, RIGHT NOW THERE'S NEGATIVE ACCOUNTS.
SO, SO WHO ARE WE GONNA STAY ON PAR WITH, WITH THE COUNTY, WITH, UH, WE'RE ON PAR WITH SOME OF THE, WITH THE BROWNSVILLE, LAGUNA VISTA ORDER DISTRICT AND THOSE, SO, SO THE MEETING WAS HEADED, HEADED, HEADED UP BY THE COUNTY, THOUGH IT WAS HEADED BY THE COUNTY BECAUSE SAN BENITO, UH, REACHED OUT TO THE, UH, THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR FOR THE COUNTY, WHICH ANSWERS DIRECTLY TO THE JUDGE, BECAUSE THERE ARE CITIES IN THIS COUNTY THAT ARE UNDER BOIL WATER NOTICES BECAUSE, UH, SOME CONTAMINATION IN THEIR SYSTEM.
THE PROBLEM IS THEY CAN'T FLUSH THE SYSTEM.
AND IF THEY DO, BUT THEY DID
THEY'RE GOING TO, THEY'VE USED UP THE WATER RIGHTS, NOW THEY'RE UNDER PUSH WATER.
RIGHT? AND WE KNOW SOME OF THE, THESE FOLKS, UH, WE'RE NEIGHBORS OF THESE FOLKS WITHIN OUR COUNTY.
SO, WHICH MEANS NOW THEY'RE GONNA BE, BE PAYING PREMIUM.
OKAY? IT'S ALL THE SAME WATER GUYS.
THIS WHOLE WATER RISE, WHO'S GOT WATER? IT REALLY GOES TO HUMAN.
SO RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT ANYWHERE NEAR THE PUSH WATER THAT YOU'RE NO, WE'RE NOT.
QUITE HONESTLY, EVEN IF WE, ONCE WE UTILIZE OUR WATERS, AND WE PROBABLY WON'T HAVE AN ISSUE TILL ABOUT OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER.
SO, AND AFTER THAT, WE WILL, UH, WE, IT'S ANTICIPATED THAT WE WOULD USE ABOUT 1% PER MONTH OF OUR WATER RIGHTS.
THAT MEANS WE'RE OKAY FOR 15 MONTHS THAT ARE AFTER.
THAT'S AS LONG AS EVERYBODY PLAYS FAIRLY.
[00:35:01]
I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE IRRIGATION DISTRICT, BUT I SAID, HOW ARE YOU ENFORCING IF YOU DON'T HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT? YOU HAVE A CODE COMPLIANCE AND NOBODY'S DRIVING AROUND, HOW ARE YOU ENFORCING COMPLIANCE THROUGH THE SURCHARGES? WE JUST CHARGE 'EM MORE.THAT'S NOT CONVERS CONSERVATIVE.
WELL, NO, NO, IT, IT'S NOT BECAUSE, BUT WHAT THERE SAYS WE HIT, AND THIS IS THE RESPONSE.
WE HIT 'EM IN THE POCKET BOOKS.
SO MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS, REMEMBER I RECOMMENDED THAT WE, NOT, THAT WE NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENT THAT PART OF THE ORDINANCE, OKAY? BUT WE DO HAVE POLICE, WE'VE GOT CODE, WE'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT TALK AND WE HAVE A LOT OF DEBATE.
WOULD YOU RATHER WE HIT YOU WITH A SURCHARGE, OR WOULD YOU RATHER TRY TO SAVE THEM, YOU KNOW, SAVE, CONSERVE THIS WATER FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION AND FIREFIGHTING.
RIGHT? SO, UH, BUT NOT ALL BUSINESSES ARE SHUT DOWN, BUT THEY'RE RESTRICTED, UH, CAR WASHES OF ONE OF THE ONES THAT GET, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WA YOU DON'T WASH YOUR CARDS IN THE DAYTIME BECAUSE OF EVAPORATION.
AND THEY WANT YOU TO MINIMIZE, AND YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE A POSITIVE NOZZLE WENT ON OFF, RIGHT HAND CAR WASHES WHERE YOU DRIVE THROUGH AND INSTALL.
THESE AUTOMATICS, NOT SO MUCH, BUT THEY HAVE A FAIRLY GOOD, UH, UH, UH, WHERE THEY, UM, RECLAIM WATERS.
STILL EXCEEDS SOME, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, WE KNOW THAT INSTEAD OF FIVE GALLONS, THEY'RE AT ABOUT 13 GALLONS.
IF THEIR, IF THEIR RECLAMATION SYSTEM IS WORKING, IT SHOULD BE ABOUT 65% OF THAT.
OKAY? SO WE LOOK AT THESE THINGS AND WE SAID, OKAY, BUT THE OPERATING HOURS ARE STILL BETWEEN SIX AND 9:00 PM TO BE FAIR TO EVERYBODY ELSE, OKAY.
BUT, BUT SADLY TO SAY IS, IS WE'RE ENFORCING OURS.
THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL COMM, I THINK WE'RE SMARTER THAN MOST.
I AGREE WITH YOU, AND WE ARE, BUT THIS, WE'RE, I DUNNO, I JUST FEEL IT'S NOT UNFAIR.
THERE'S SOMETHING FAIR ABOUT THIS, AND I GET, YOU CANNOT GET ANYBODY MORE FRUSTRATED THAN I AM.
UH, I, I LIKE TO THINK THAT EVERYBODY PLAYS BY THE SAME RULES, AND THEY DON'T.
AND, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED FROM A YOUNG, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE, WE'RE, WE'RE SEMI SHUTTING DOWN BUSINESSES HERE, BUT YOU TAKE YOUR BUSINESS RUNNING AND THEY'RE MAKING BUSINESS, THEY'RE STILL CHARGING.
AND, AND I CAN'T EXPLAIN THAT.
I MEAN, IT'S EITHER, YOU EITHER HAVE RULES OR YOU DON'T.
BUT WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE WATER, AND I'VE LIVED, UH, IN 2000 I WAS IN, IN, UH, YOUNG COUNTY, WHICH IS ONLY TEXAS, WHICH IS ABOUT 70 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WICHITA FALLS.
YOU WANNA SEE SOMEBODY THAT'S BEEN IN A DROP FOR DECADES GO UP INTO THAT PART OF THE PANHANDLE.
OKAY? GO, UH, WHERE'S, UH, DAVID FAA GOING TO EL PASO? WHERE, WHERE HE'S FROM? DECADES.
STRICTLY, THERE'S NO WATERING MAN.
YOU CAN'T EVEN GET, FIND THESE CAR WASHES IN THESE KIND OF PLACES AND NEEDED SO MANY.
AND THOSE RECLAMATIONS ARE WAY DIFFERENT.
THEY'RE VERY COSTLY, BUT PEOPLE CAN SURVIVE IN THESE, THESE, UH, DESERT TYPE ENVIRONMENTS.
AND AGAIN, YOU DON'T PAY THE WATER RATES OUTTA THE PARTS OF THE STATE TO RIGHT.
YOU'RE ALSO DISADVANTAGED, BUT SO IS A LOT OF OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE, OKAY? SO, UH, PEOPLE WILL ADAPT AND EVOLVE TO WHATEVER THE ENVIRONMENT IS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY RESILIENT AS, AS, AS A HUMAN BREEDS.
OKAY? SO, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, OUR NEIGHBORS HERE FIVE MILES DOWN THE ROAD, AND I MENTIONED THAT IS IS A COUNTY EFFORT, UH, WHICH I THINK SHOULD BE A REGIONAL E EFFORT, UH, TO CONSERVE WATER.
SO, UH, DO THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT SOURCE? OR WHY IS WATER CONSERVATION NOT IMPORTANT? YEAH.
AND ONLY BECAUSE
I, I, I WAS OUT THERE LAST NIGHT AND THEY'RE EVEN WATERING THE MEDIANS.
SO, COMMISSIONER, LET ME JUST PUT IT, THEY'RE FOLLOWING THEIR ORDINANCE, AND, AND YOU, YOU CAN'T COMMENT ON THEIR WELL, AND THAT'S FINE.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, DO THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT SOURCE? NO, SIR.
WELL, THEY, MAYBE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND.
SO YOU GOT WATER, THEY GOT SOME PEOPLES WITH PE YEAH.
BUT YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE WATER RIGHTS, BUT IF THERE'S, YOU GOT WATER, THERE'S NO WATER.
I HEARD THE GENTLEMAN WITH THE PE FROM THE, UH, WATER RIGHTS, THE, THE GENERAL MANAGER FOR THE HYDROGEN WATER SYSTEM DOESN'T MATTER.
AND I DISAGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT.
YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID? WE GOTTA FLUSH OUR HYDRANT SO WE CAN MEET THE DISINFECTION REQUIREMENTS.
SO IF IT REQUIRES, BECAUSE THERE'S HOW MANY, HOW MANY MILLIONS OF GALLONS, 65 MILLION GALLONS,
UH, AS THIS SITUATION THAT COMMISSIONER, WE GOT WATER RIGHTS.
THEY HAVE MADE, THEY MAY HAVE MORE, OR THEY'RE ALSO THREE, THREE TIMES OUR SIZE.
BUT IT'S, IT'S NO SUCH THING WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO CONSERVE WATER BECAUSE OF A DROUGHT.
YOU KNOW, YOU JUST CALL IT OUT.
WELL, THERE'S GOTTA BE A, A BETTER WAY OF DOING THIS, UH, BECAUSE NO, SIMPLY BECAUSE I, I WAS AT A RESTAURANT, UH, LAST WEEK, AND, UH, ONE OF THE OFFICIALS
[00:40:01]
FROM ONE OF THE SMALLER TOWNS SAYS, OH, YOU'RE CONSERVING WATER, AND WE'RE HAVING TO FLUSH OUT OUR SYSTEM.JUST LAUGHED ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW? SO, UM, YEAH, IT WE'RE, IF, I MEAN, WE'RE ON PAR WITH THE COUNTY OR THE IRRIGATION, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYBODY ELSE SHOULD BE, THERE'S GOTTA BE A BETTER EFFORT.
MADE, I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU CAN REACH OUT TO BECAUSE, UH, WELL, UM, WE DON'T WANNA LOOK LIKE THE BAD GUYS EITHER.
UH, LIKE HE SAYS, UH, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RESTRICTED TO WASH THE CAR HERE, AND YOU GO NEXT DOOR, AND YOU CAN WASH ALL THE CARS YOU WANT.
I COPIED ON AN EMAIL MARK, UH, TO MARK TODAY WHEN I SENT IT TO PARKER.
OUR, OUR LOBBYIST, OUR LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANTS.
UM, UH, HE WILL BE HERE ON AUGUST THE 23RD, BECAUSE HE'S, WE NEED TO DISCUSS WHAT THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA'S GONNA BE FOR, FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I REACHED OUT TO HIM IS I JUST, AND I JUST, UH, UH, OUR STATE REP, VERY FRIENDLY.
I'VE ALREADY MET WITH HIM TWICE, UH, SINCE HE'S BEEN ELECTED TO OFFICE.
UH, I'VE HAD MORE CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM SINCE THEN.
BUT, UH, WE ARE PROPOSING THAT, UH, WE MEET, UH, WITH, UH, OUR NEW, UH, STATE SENATOR AND OUR STATE REP ON THE 24TH WHEN PARKER'S HERE.
BUT THE E THE EMAIL TO PARKER TODAY WAS THAT SAME ARTICLE THAT WAS IN TODAY'S PAPER, AND THAT I'D LIKE FOR HIM TO REACH OUT TO OUR STATE DELEGATION AND COMPLAIN FOR THE SAME THING, THE SAME CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING NOW.
AND THE REASON THIS WATER CONSERVATION AFFECTS IS IT AFFECTS OUR BUDGET, BOTH THE GENERAL FUND, THE WATER AND SEWER, OUR OVERALL OPERATIONS.
HOW WE HANDLE OUR FINANCES WILL DEPEND ON HOW THIS WATER CONSERVATION ISSUE IS RESOLVED.
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T THINK IT CAN'T RUN FOR YEARS, OH, IT CAN.
A I'VE BEEN IN CENTRAL TEXAS, AND I'VE BEEN UP IN NORTH TEXAS.
EVERYBODY'S PRAYING FOR A RAIN EVENT.
AND IF YOU DON'T PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR THAT, THE WAY OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE HAS, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE FOR A RUDE AWAKENING.
I WAS, WHEN I WENT TO, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS IN 2011, THEY HAD ALREADY BEEN IN THEIR SIXTH YEAR SINCE 20, UH, ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, UH, AROUND 2005 WHEN THEY WERE IN A DROUGHT, IT LASTED TILL ABOUT 2014, THE LAKE LEVELS FIVE YEARS.
I WENT TO GO WORK FOR A COMMUNITY CALLED JONESTOWN.
WE HAVE 10 MILES OF LAKE TRAVIS SHORELINE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE IT TWO MILES, LIKE IN 2014, IT WAS GONE.
IT TOOK A WALL FOR IT TO, TO FILL BACK UP.
AND, AND REALLY WHAT'S CONCERNING IS, UH, WHEN WE, PEOPLE TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, AND, AND IF YOU STOP, IF YOU REALLY JUST STOP AND LOOK AT IT, UH, AS LOOK AT THE GULF, YOU KNOW, HERE WE ARE, HURRICANE SEASON, NOTHING'S HAPPENING BECAUSE, UH, AS SOON AS IT DEVELOPS, UH, UH, BY AFRICA, SOMETHING COMES THIS WAY AND MOVES IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND, AND I MEAN, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT ANYMORE, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY IN A DROUGHT.
AND THAT'S, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT'LL, THAT EFFORT WILL WORK.
BUT, UH, I THINK THE, THE APPROACH NEEDS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH, WITH THE CITIES HERE IN THE VALLEY, UH, AND IN THE AREA.
UH, I DON'T THINK THE, THE JUDGE MAYOR, I DON'T THINK HE HEARD THE MESSAGE.
I, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, HERE'S THE THING.
THIRD PARTY PARTY'S OUR COUNTY JUDGE, AND HE SHOULD BE TAKING A LEADERSHIP ROLE WITH THE COUNTY JUDGE IF HILDAGO AND WILLIS SEE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
HERE'S THE THING, YOU EITHER GET VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE OR YOU SHAME 'EM INTO IT.
THAT'S WHAT I EXPECTED YESTERDAY TO HAPPEN.
WELL, YEAH, BUT IT'S NOT MY MEETING.
IT HIS AND I CAN ONLY EXPRESS I KNOW KNOWING THAT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT, THAT KNOWING THAT YOU WERE GONNA GO INTO A MEETING, THAT'S WHAT I EXPECTED FOR HIM TO DO.
WE'RE TRY TO SHAME HIM FOR THAT, QUITE HONESTLY.
MAYOR, DO YOU THINK HE REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE TOPIC? HE WAS GETTING ALL THE INFORMATION? PARDON ME? HE WAS GETTING JUST INFORMATION.
BUT THE QUESTIONS WERE POSED AS IF HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW THE SYSTEMS OPERATE.
QUITE HONESTLY, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED BY THE COUNTY ENGINEER, SOMEBODY THAT UNDERSTANDS WATER AND SEWERS.
I CAN'T, I WENT THERE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS NOT TO HAVE AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES OF MY TIME WHERE WE'RE JUST DEBATING ON WHY EVERYBODY'S NOT ON BOARD.
EVERYBODY'S NOT ON BOARD, BECAUSE EVERY JURISDICTION GETS TO SET ITS OWN RULES.
HOW MANY IS, HOW MANY CITIES ARE ON BOARD LIKE US? THE PLEASANT ORDINANCE? YOU, YOU PULLED UP THE LIST, FRED.
I KNOW THAT PRI AND COMBS ARE IN TROUBLE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
RANCH, I THINK, UH, ALSO IS ON THREE, WELL, SOME OF THEM ARE PROVIDED WATER BY OTHER SOURCES.
THAT'S WHY LIKE LOS MUST BE EAST ROYAL HONDA WATER SUPPLY.
BUT THEY'RE UNDER RESTRICTIONS, BUT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE, EVERY, THROUGH THEIR, UH, THE WATER SUPPLY CORPORATION.
WELL, EVEN THOUGH THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT SOURCES, AT WHAT POINT IN TIME CAN HE COME IN AND SUPERSEDE ALL THAT? WELL, THAT'S THE GOVERNOR CAN'T.
AND, UH, QUITE HONESTLY, I DON'T SEE THE GOVERNOR DOING IT.
UH, I READ THAT DRAW CONTINGENT, THAT DROUGHT EMERGENCY
[00:45:01]
PLAN.IT'S NOT WORTH THE PAPERS WRITTEN ON IT.
IT DOESN'T EVEN GIVE FUNDING, AND IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU A LOT OF OPTIONS YET.
I MEAN, I, OKAY, SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOUR BEST SOURCE IS THE GOVERNOR.
DOES IT SEEM LIKE HE'S GONNA DO ANYTHING? NO, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE THE GOVERNOR OR THIS NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
YOU REALLY, AND IF WE'RE NOT OUT OF IT IN THIS, UH, SOON, WE SHOULD BE HAVING SOME TYPE OF LEGISLATION THAT REQUIRES THAT IT BE MORE UNDER SOME STATE AGENCY.
AND HERE'S THE THING, UH, RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF STATE AGENCIES ARE UNDER SUNSET REVIEW, RIGHT? TCQ MM-HMM.
AND EVERYBODY'S JOCKING TO STATE, RIGHT? EVERYBODY WANTS A PAYCHECK.
SO ALL THESE STATE EMPLOYEES WANNA STAY EMPLOYED, AND RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE ALL GONNA COME OUTTA THE WOODWORK.
AND THEY'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IMPROVE, ARE WORTH EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH, EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR.
OKAY, MAN, LET'S MOVE FORWARD.
UM, YEAH, SO MAYOR, DO YOU WANNA GO THROUGH EACH PAGE OR DO YOU WANT ME TO KIND OF HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS, OR DO YOU WANNA GO THROUGH EACH? BUT IF NOT, WHAT I'VE GOT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO TO PAGE SEVEN, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO PULL IT, DON'T OPEN THE BOOKS HERE.
THE CITY COMMISSION ON PAGE SEVEN, CITY MANAGEMENT, A PUBLIC RELATIONS PAGE 11, 12, CIVIL SERVICE.
14, IS IT 15? IS PLANNING 15? UH, 15 IS PLANNING, 17 IS MUNICIPAL COURT.
UM,
SO GOING THROUGH EACH, UH, NOW, UH, NO, UH, SUMMARIZE THE BULLET POINT, OUR HIGH POINTS, AND THEN WHAT WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING TO IN YOUR DEPARTMENT.
UM, ONE, ONE OF THE WHAT POINTS HAS, HAS CHANGED ON OUR HERE IS, UH, ON WE INCREASED 30,000 ON RADIO.
UH, EACH RADIO, EACH RADIO ARE VERY EXPENSIVE, AND WE HAVE ONE EXTRA.
SO WE, WE WANT INCREASE MORE, UH, TO INSPECT NORTH, TO BE, HIRE MORE OFFICERS, BUT ALSO TO HAVE BACKUPS.
IF ONE BREAKS, WE JUST REPLACE THERE AND, UH, GO THAT ROUTE.
WE ALSO, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE REQUESTING TO, UH, PURCHASE SEVEN VEHICLES.
AND, UH, WITH THESE VEHICLES, UH, WE'RE LOOKING, IF WE PURCHASE SEVEN AND LEASE 'EM FOR FIVE YEARS, IT'S TOTAL PAYMENT, 91,640 EVERY, EVERY YEAR.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS A, A PLAN THAT'S SET IN PLACE THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE KIND OF REOCCURRING.
AND THAT'LL REPLACE OUR VEHICLE.
SO INSTEAD OF GOING FROM, I THINK WE PURCHASED FIVE IN 2007, AND THEN ANOTHER THREE IN 2009, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE PURCHASED 24 AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY REPLACEMENT PLAN.
SO THESE VEHICLES ARE GOING ON 11, 12 YEARS, UH, OLD.
SO, UH, THIS PLAN THAT'S IN PLACE, IT'S, IT'S TO A LEASING PROGRAM.
AND, UH, IT'S, IT WILL PLACE SEVEN CARDS, LIKE I SAID, EVERY FIVE YEARS.
YOU CAN, I'VE ALSO GOT, UH, QUOTE, IF YOU WANNA REPLACE FIVE, YOU WANNA PLACE SIX.
IF YOU WANNA PLACE FIVE, EACH PAYMENT FOR THE FIVE YEARS IS 65,000.
UM, SO, UH, THAT'S ON, ON THE, ON THE LEASING PROGRAM.
WILL YOU SPEAK ON THE, UH, THE, UH, POLICE VEHICLE? AND AGAIN, WHEN WE GET TO THE OTHER DIRECTORS, LIKE, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS ON THE FLEET REPLACEMENT PROGRAM THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, OR THE POLICY? YEAH, WE, WE DID, UH, UM, THERE'S A POLICY THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, AND IT GOES OFF POINTS, UH, IT'S, UH, MATERIALS, YOU KNOW, EACH, UH, IT HAS DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF, ONE OF THE CATEGORIES IS, IS GET THAT ONE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CATEGORIES THAT, UH, WHAT I DID SEE ON THERE WAS, UH, ONE POINT FOR EVERY 10,000 MILES AND, UH, ONE POINT FOR EVERY, UH, YEAR OF AGE.
AND WHEN IT HITS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF POINTS, WHETHER IT BE 33, 36, UH, THE VEHICLE GETS REPLACED.
NOW THAT, THAT'S A POLICY THAT THE CITY WILL SET IN PLACE.
UH, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR VEHICLES RIGHT NOW, UH, MORE THAN HALF OF OUR, OUR, OUR FLEET JUST ON, BASED ON MILES AND AGE ALREADY GO INTO THE 30 POINT, UH, MARK.
SO, UH, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, THAT, THAT I'M LOOKING AT THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED.
UM, I DO HAVE MILEAGE HERE IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA LISTEN TO SOME OF THE HIGH ONES, IF YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU WHICH VEHICLES HAVE THE HIGHEST MILEAGE, AND THEN THE AVERAGE ALSO, I, I CAN LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT, IF Y'ALL WANNA KNOW THAT.
WHAT'S THE, ON THE, ON THE, ON THE LA LAST PURCHASES, WHAT'S THE MILEAGE MORE OR LESS ON THOSE? NOT THE, NOT THE DINOSAUR, THOSE ARE THOSE, UH, THE EXPLORERS.
THE EXPLORERS HAVE BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I THINK, UH, WE'RE ABOUT TO HIT A YEAR WITH
[00:50:01]
THEM ON THE ROAD.EACH EXPLORER, IF YOU START OFF WITH 2101, WE'RE AT 19,594 MILES.
THAT'S IN, THAT'S IN ONE YEAR.
AND THEN 21 0 3, 20 8,000 MILES.
SO, UH, 2104, 17,000 822, 21 0 5, 20 1,743.
SO THAT'S A LOT OF MILES BEING PUT ON THESE CARS.
AND THAT'S THE REASON, THE REASON I SAY SEVEN, IT'S KIND OF AN, A WEIRD NUMBER, BUT IT'S, WE HAVE SEVEN OFFICERS, UH, ON A FULL SHIFT, UH, ON THE ROAD.
SO IF WE HAVE, WE'VE ALREADY PURCHASED FIVE, WE PURCHASED TWO MORE THROUGH THE CARES, WHICH WE'RE WEIGHING, THAT'LL GIVE US SEVEN, WE GET SEVEN MORE.
SO THAT'LL GIVE THESE VEHICLES REST TIME.
UH, AND THEN ON THESE VEHICLES, UH, BY THE TIME THE TWO, THE 2000, UH, UH, 20 ONES, UH, NEED REPLACING, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER FIVE.
SO IT JUST, IT JUST KEEPS ON A ROTATION.
IT SETS, YEAH, IT SETS A PLAN.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS LIKE, OKAY, NOW WE, WE PURCHASED ALL THESE VEHICLES, UH, WHEN ARE WE GONNA REPLACE 'EM? OR WHAT'S THE PLAN TO REPLACE 'EM? AND THEN WE START, THEY START GETTING ALL THESE, UH, THE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, EVERYTHING, AND WE HAVE NO PLAN ON REPLACING 'EM.
AND THIS AT LEAST SETS A PLAN THAT IT, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS COMES UP, BOOM, WE GET ANOTHER SEVEN, ANOTHER FIVE YEARS COMES, WE GET ANOTHER SEVEN.
SO WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE GETTING REPLACED.
SO THIS IS PRETTY MUCH A LONG TERM PLAN THAT MIGHT BECOME PERMANENT.
SO NO LONGER ARE WE GONNA OWN CARS, WE'RE JUST GONNA BE LEASING CARS.
THE, THE THING WITH THE LEASE IS AT FIVE YEARS, UH, WITH THIS COMPANY THAT I SPOKE TO, YOU OWN THEM OKAY.
SO IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU WANT TO KEEP 'EM, WHICH, IF, IF THE ROTATION WORKS THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO, MM-HMM,
AND SO IF WE WANT TO KEEP 'EM, WE CAN KEEP 'EM A LITTLE LONGER AND USE THOSE AS BACKUP OR AS A PULL OF VEHICLES, UH, THAT WE CAN USE IN CASE ONE OF THE NEW ONES GOES DOWN.
BUT IF WE WANT TO TRADE 'EM IN, UH, WHAT GENERALLY HAPPENS WHEN WE WANNA TRADE 'EM IN IS YOU, YOU'VE SEEN THE ONES THAT WE HAVE IN THE BACK.
IT'S, WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY TO TAKE THAT EQUIPMENT OFF.
IT COSTS MONEY TO TAKE ALL THAT EQUIPMENT OFF TO AUCTION 'EM OFF.
SO WHAT THIS COMPANY IS SAYING IS, WE'LL COME IN, YOU TAKE WHAT YOU WANT OUT OF 'EM, YOU WANT TO TAKE THE CAMERA OUT, YOU WANT TO TAKE THE, THE RADAR OUT AND USE IT FOR THE NEXT VEHICLE.
YOU TAKE WHAT YOU WANT OUT OF 'EM, AND WE'LL TURN AROUND, PICK UP THOSE VEHICLES, AND WE'LL SELL 'EM.
AND THEN I'LL GO TO YOUR NEXT, TO YOUR NEXT LEASE.
BUT THOSE VEHICLES ARE YOURS, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO.
THEY DON'T LIMIT YOUR MILES ON THE YEAR, NONE OF THAT.
BUT AT THE SAME THAT IF, IF YOU LEAVE, IF YOU WANNA TAKE OUT SOME EQUIPMENT, IT'S ALREADY GONNA BE OBSOLETE OR, CORRECT.
UPDATED VERSION OF, OF SOME, THE WAY TECHNOLOGY'S GOING EVERY FIVE YEARS IS, IS EVEN, EVEN LESS THAN THAT.
EVEN LESS SO OUR CAMERA SYSTEMS WE PURCHASE AND THERE'S ALREADY SOMETHING BETTER THAT DOES, FINDING NEED PARTS FOR THEM IS CORRECT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, SO, UH, AND, UH, CHIEF PERE, ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS THAT HAVE, UH, VEHICLES, SO THIS FLEET HAS TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF REPLACEMENT POLICY.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT WORKS WELL FOR EVERYBODY.
EVERYBODY DOESN'T PUT ON THE SAME KIND OF MILES THAT THEY DO.
BUT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IS, SO COMMISSIONER GARCIA, MUCH TO GO TO YOU, WE CAN EXPLAIN WHY WE'RE, WHY WE'RE REPLACING VEHICLES BASED ON A SCHEDULE THAT WE BELIEVE IS AN INDUSTRY STANDARD.
NOT JUST BECAUSE, TRUST ME, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ACTUALLY RESEARCHED IT, WE LOOKED ONLINE, WE COMPARE OTHER CITIES, OTHER WITHIN OUR OWN STATE, OUTSIDE OF THE STATE, BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS SOME TYPE OF BASIS TO HOW WE'RE REPLACING, WHETHER IT'S POLICE, CAR, FIRE TRUCK, UH, THE, THE WHITE FLEET, THE, THE PICKUP TRUCKS THERE, THERE'S SOME RHYTHM TO THIS.
AND WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS, WHY ARE YOU JUST REPLACING CARS? BUT AGAIN, THAT IS, IF THE DEPARTMENT, YOU'RE NOT PROPOSING YOUR DEPARTMENT STAY LIKE THIS FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS, ARE YOU THIS SIZE? NO.
SO YOU, WE HAVEN'T INCORPORATED THOSE OTHERS.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE NEED THAT FLEXIBILITY.
BUT WE RECOGNIZE WHAT WE'VE GOT, WHICH IS WHAT THIS LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PLAN IS GONNA TELL.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT AT FUTURE PURCHASES WHEN IT COMES TO VEHICLES AND MANPOWER? BECAUSE FOR EVERY PERSON WE HIRE, THAT'S A PATROLMAN.
WHERE'S WHAT, WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HIS WORK POWERS AND WHAT'S THE ROTATION AND DO WE NEED TO GET 'EM INTO A VEHICLE? AND SO, WELL, IT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE HAVING NOW.
WE'RE HAVING, BECAUSE, UH, UH, WE'RE SHORTHANDED IN PLANNING, THEY'RE USING SOME OF THE FLEET VEHICLES OUTTA THAT DEPARTMENT BECAUSE ALL THE TRUCKS ARE STILL IN PUBLIC WORK.
SO WE'VE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
SO WE, WE, WE, BUT SOME OF THESE VEHICLES ARE GETTING OLDER.
THERE'S, THEY, THEY'RE HEAVY ON MILES.
THIS, UH, WEATHER, THEY'RE NOT PROTECTED BY ANY COVER.
THE ELEMENTS, ALL THAT EQUIPMENT'S EXPENSIVE.
SO INSIDE, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S VERY COSTLY WHEN, WHEN WE GO THROUGH THESE, UH, ESPECIALLY THE ELECTRONICS, THE ONBOARD COMPUTERS AND, AND SO FORTH.
SO NOT ONLY ARE WE DISCUSSING THEIR, UH, VEHICLE PURCHASES, BUT THEIR, THEIR FACILITIES, THEIR CARPORTS.
WHERE ARE YOU GONNA MAINTAIN THESE? AND THOSE ARE ASSETS THAT WE'VE NEVER TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE CHARGED NOW, UH,
AND HOW DO WE GET THOSE THINGS, THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS, BECAUSE WE NEED TO BUILD COVERS FOR POLICE CARS.
[00:55:01]
TO GET THOSE BEAUTIFUL FIRE TRUCKS INSIDE AND, AND STUFF LIKE THAT.AND BEFORE WE BUY MORE, IT'S PART OF THE REASON WE'VE KIND OF HOLD UP ON, ON THE WHITE FLEET UNTIL MR. GARCIA EVALUATES THE ASSESS WHAT HE NEEDS AND WHAT STAFFING CHANGES HE NEEDS TO MAKE AND WHERE WE'RE GONNA MAKE THOSE THINGS.
UH, CHIEF, YOU WANNA CONTINUE OR YOU DONE? I HAVE A QUESTION.
SAY THAT WE'RE HEALTHY IN YOUR ASSET FORFEITURE FUNDS.
WE CAN, YOU CAN, WE CAN USE FORFEITURE FUNDS FOR C FOR CERTAIN THINGS.
THERE IS, THERE IS GUIDELINES, UH, THAT, THAT WE, THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW.
UM, YOU, FOR OUR CAMERA SYSTEM, SOME RADIOS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
THE RADIOS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, I DID PROPOSE FOR TO, UH, SWITCH OVER TO, UH, UH, UPGRADE OUR BODY CAM SYSTEM.
SYSTEMS. UH, THE REASON IS THE DASH CAMS ARE IMPORTANT.
THEY, THEY, THEY WORK TO ME, IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE, UH, UPTODATE BODY CAM SYSTEMS. YES.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME, SOME, UH, FORFEITURE FUNDS TO REPLACE THAT.
AND, UH, WE DID DO A PILOT PROGRAM ON A BODY CAM.
AND IT, UH, THE FEATURES IT HAS COMPARED TO WHAT WE HAVE NOW, UM, WE, WE PILOTED IT FOR ABOUT A MONTH.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A CELL PHONE.
AND THE OFFICER, HE, WE LET HIM GO ON THE ROAD.
HE DID THE TRAINING, AND, UH, IT WAS ABOUT MAYBE 30 MINUTE TRAINING.
AND, UH, WE LET HIM GO ON THE ROAD.
AND, UH, WE CLICKED IN, HE DID A TRAFFIC STOP, AND WE CLICKED IN ON A LIVE VIEW.
AND, UH, THE BODY CAM TELLS THE OFFICER LIVE VIEW IN PROGRESS.
AND, UH, WE HAVE TO PUT A REASON WHY WE'RE DOING LIVE VIEW OUT.
WE, WE CAN'T JUST SIT THERE AND START LIKE, UH, SPYING ON ALL THE OFFICERS.
THIS IS MORE FOR LIKE CRITICAL INCIDENTS WHEN WE'RE NOT THERE, WE'RE FAR AWAY.
WE CAN LOG ON A COMPUTER AND WATCH WHAT'S, WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON, AND GET ALL THAT INFORMATION WE NEED.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME IT HAS GPS, UH, SO IF THE OFFICER'S IN A FOOT PURSUIT AND, UH, WE LOSE, WE LOSE COMMUNICATIONS WITH 'EM, THAT WE CAN ALWAYS TRACK 'EM ON THE GPS.
UH, SO THE, THESE BODY CAMS, THEY'RE DOING A LOT MORE THAN JUST PUSH AND RECORD.
BUT, SO, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IMPROVING ALSO.
UH, I, I, I, I'M OKAY THAT YOU PUT IT ON THIS BUDGET, BUT AT THE END, NEED BE MONEY'S AVAILABLE OVER THERE.
LET ME, UH, BEFORE WE GET IN TROUBLE, YOU CANNOT UTILIZE ASSET FORFEITURES AS A REGULAR BUDGETED ITEM.
IF YOU DO THAT, THEN WE ARE RUNNING TO FOLLOW THAT STATE LAW.
SO IT HAS TO BE, SO WHAT YOU WANNA DO FOR THE CHIEF IS NOT GIVE THEM AS MUCH IN THIS BUDGET.
THAT'S, WELL, THAT'S, I'M TRYING TO, WHAT? YEAH.
YOU, YOU CAN'T SUPPLEMENT THE, UH, FORFEITURE WITH YOUR BUDGET.
BUT YEAH, NO, WE WANNA ENSURE WE GIVE THE POLICE WHAT THEY NEED, WHAT THEY NEED.
OR SO HE UNDERSTANDS, UH, AND ANYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE RULES ARE WHEN IT COMES TO THESE ASSET FORFEITURES.
BUT NO COMMISSIONER, YOU, YOU CAN'T BUDGET IT WITH THIS ASSET FORFEITURES THAT, THAT, THAT RUNS A FILE.
UH, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING THE RESOURCE THAT HE NEEDS, BUT SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE EXTRAS THAT, THAT ACTUALLY HELP HIM.
AND THAT'S HOW WE JUSTIFY THE MAKING.
AND THERE IS A FORFEITURE FUND.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED AND IT'S CRITICAL.
I LIKE WHAT I HEAR ABOUT PROTECTING OUR ASSETS BECAUSE THE VEHICLES ARE OUR ASSETS AS WELL.
AND, AND THE, UH, BACK OF YOUR, UH, POLICE STATION THERE, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, VEHICLES, EQUIPMENT, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, BUT THAT'D BE A GOOD AREA FOR YOU TO UTILIZE FOR PROTECTING YOUR, YOUR, YOUR FLEET.
IT WOULD MAKE A, I MEAN, THEY WOULD PROBABLY, UH, PROBABLY LAST A LOT LONGER.
WE ARE DISCUSSING RELOCATING THAT IMPOUND YARD SOMEWHERE ELSE, EITHER FOR, AS WE DO IN ADDITION TO THE BACKSIDE OF THAT POLICE STATION, INCLUDING PROTECTING, UH, FUTURE VEHICLES AND STUFF.
SO, UH, BECAUSE THEY, THEY WERE ALWAYS INTENDED TO HAVE A, UH, A TRAINING FACILITY THERE.
UH, AND WE WOULD DO A DUAL PURPOSE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, BOTH FOR POLICE AND FIRE, POSSIBLY THERE OR SOMEWHERE ELSE.
BUT THE, THE IDEA IS THEY'RE ARE GROWING, THEY ARE OUT GROWING THAT BUILDING THAT IS NOW 20 YEARS OLD.
AND WE WANT TO EXTEND IT FOR THE BACK AND THEN TAKE CARE OF OUR FLEET.
WE STILL HAVE THOSE THREE ACRES, UH, OR WE STILL HAVE THOSE THREE ACRES ON THE SITE, AND I'LL DISCUSS THAT PRIVATELY.
BUT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO A LAND SWAP TO BE ABLE TO PUT A FIRE STATION SOMEWHERE FURTHER, UH, EVEN NORTHWEST.
SO I'M TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF THE CHIEF.
ANY MORE FOR, UM, CHIEF ADE? IF WE CAN GO TO, UH, CHIEF BATISTA PAGE 21 OF THE BUDGET IF, AND HE'LL.
SO OUR, OUR BUDGET PRETTY MUCH, UH, STAYED, UH, ALMOST THE SAME.
UH, WE DID HAVE SOME LITTLE INCREASES HERE AND THERE.
UM, MOST OF IT IS GONNA BE ON, UH, UNIFORMS, UH, BUNKER GEAR THAT, UH, THE PRICES HAVE JUST GONE UP ON THOSE, ON THAT KIND OF, UH, UH, MATERIALS.
UH, THE UNIFORMS, IF YOU NOTICE, WE, WE WENT UP FROM 16,000 TO 38,000.
AND THAT'S MOSTLY BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS, UM, IMPROVE OUR, OUR UNIFORMS
[01:00:01]
STANDARDS BECAUSE, UH, MOST OF OUR UNIFORMS, WE KIND OF TEND TO BUY, UM, EITHER LOCALLY OR, UM, WE ORDER IT.HOWEVER, IT, IT DOESN'T, UH, MEET THE STANDARDS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION.
THAT FOR FLAME, UH, RESISTANCE.
UM, AND, AND, AND, AND NOT SO MUCH, UH, FIREPROOF, BUT FIRE RESISTANT CLOTHING.
AND, AND WITH THAT, WE CAN, UH, IT'LL ALSO PROTECT THE, THE, UH, GENTLEMAN OR THE CREWS FROM ANY KIND OF, UH, CANCER COSTING AGENTS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY THE PRICE ON, ON THE, UH, OR THE, THE AMOUNT HAS GOTTEN UP ON, ON THE UNIFORMS, THE AMOUNT ON THE BUNKER GEAR, WHICH IS OUR, OUR STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTING GEAR THAT, UM, IS GONNA BE MORE OF A SUPPLY ISSUE.
UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY ORDERED GEAR IN JANUARY.
WE'RE EXPECTING IT IN NOVEMBER.
SO, AND THAT'S JUST ANOTHER SUPPLY, UM, ISSUE THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING.
AND THE, UM, AND PRETTY MUCH ALL THE, UM, ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES, EVERYWHERE THEY'RE HAVING THAT SUPPLY ISSUE.
WITH THAT SUPPLY ISSUE, OF COURSE, PRICES WENT UP ON THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE THE REASON WHY WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, INCREASED THOSE.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANNA DO FOR THIS COMING YEAR IS ALSO, UM, INCREASE OUR PERSONNEL, UH, BY THREE, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, CREATE THREE MORE POSITIONS, THREE MORE LIEUTENANTS.
UH, CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THREE LIEUTENANTS.
UM, AND LIEUTENANTS IS PRETTY MUCH IN CHARGE OF A STATION.
WE HAVE ONE LIEUTENANT AT STATION TWO ON EACH SHIFT.
HOWEVER, WE DO NOT HAVE THAT LIEUTENANT AT STATION ONE.
AND PRETTY MUCH THE LIEUTENANT, UM, IS A SUPERVISOR OF THE STATION SUPERVISOR ON THE CREW.
UH, NOW AS PER THE, UH, NFPA 1710, WHICH ALSO, UM, WITH OUR ISO UH, RATINGS, UH, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW, UH, NFPA 1710 STATES THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE ONE LIEUTENANT PER COMPANY.
AN ENGINE COMPANY IS, IS PRETTY MUCH A FIRETRUCK.
YOU HAVE A DRIVER, YOU HAVE A LIEUTENANT, YOU HAVE, UH, HOWEVER, MARINE FIREFIGHTERS.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE LACKING ONE FIRE, ONE LIEUTENANT ON EACH SHIFT, UH, AT STATION ONE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD A FOUNDATION SO THAT IN THE FUTURE, WHEN, WHEN WE EXPAND AND WE GROW, WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, HAVE THAT FOUNDATION.
SO PROVIDE CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY AND LEADERSHIP.
CONSISTENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, PROVIDE A MORE EFFICIENT, UH, SERVICE.
ALSO KNOW WHAT, WHAT THAT DOES IS IF WE HAVE SEPARATE EVENTS, SAY WE HAVE A FIRE, UH, ON ONE SIDE OF TOWN, WE HAVE ANOTHER CAR ACCIDENT.
CURRENTLY, IF THAT HAPPENS, THE CAPTAIN WAS IN CHARGE OF THE WHOLE SHIFT, WILL RESPOND TO THE FIRE.
UM, THEY PRETTY MUCH TAKE CHARGE OF THAT SCENE.
THEY MAKE SURE THE CREWS ARE DOING THE RIGHT TACTICS.
CURRENTLY IT WOULD BE A DRIVER AND TWO FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDING TO THAT OTHER INCIDENT WHERE WE DON'T HAVE AN INCIDENT COMMANDER OR SOMEBODY WHO'S EXPERIENCED OR HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPERIENCE WHO'S WOULD BE AN INCIDENT COMMANDER OR THE LIEUTENANT ON, ON SCENE.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, CORRECT THAT DEFICIENCY THAT, THAT THE FI THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS RIGHT NOW.
SO IT'LL BE THREE ADDITIONAL, UH, RIGHT.
WE'RE FOLLOWING AN NFPA STANDARD.
THAT'S, IT'S AN INDUSTRY STANDARD THAT'S RECOMMENDED.
IF YOU DON'T, THERE'S NO HARM, NO FOUL, BECAUSE, UH, YOU SET THE BUDGET.
OKAY, WE'VE MET MEETING OUR, YOU, YOU MEET WHAT YOU NEED TO.
NOW WHAT HE'S PROPOSING IS MEETING THESE OTHER STANDARDS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
IT'S JUST LIKE, UH, UH, MOST OF 'EM, IT'S A FOUR MAN CREW.
INSTEAD OF A THREE MAN, WE OPERATE A THREE MAN CREW.
UH, THESE LARGER DEPARTMENTS MEET THAT.
UH, SO, UH, WHETHER WE MEET LIKE POLICE ACCREDITATION, I'VE HAD THAT DISCUSSION WITH CHIEF DEL, CHIEF BATISTA ALSO IS TRYING TO MEET THESE OTHER STANDARDS.
AGAIN, UH, I MET WITH THE, UH, THE FIREFIGHTERS, UH, ASSOCIATION.
THEY HAVE A MEET AND CONFER WITH YOU.
I THINK I'M GONNA MEET WITH THEM HERE AGAIN FAIRLY SOON.
UH, THEY'VE BEEN MEETING WITH THE CHIEF THAT HAD NOTHING BUT COMPLIMENTS ABOUT THE CITY, UH, UH, THE PURCHASE OF THE FIRE TRUCKS THAT COMPLIMENTS ABOUT THE CHIEF.
AND AGAIN, UH, PART OF THAT MEETING AND CONFER UNDER THAT YOU'VE APPROVED UNDER 1 42 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE.
UH, WE DISCUSSED BUDGET ISSUES AND, AND THE FUTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UH, SO WE'LL GET THROUGH SOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
I CALLED THE CHIEF THE OTHER DAY 'CAUSE I SAID, UH, THE NUMBERS DIDN'T ADD UP AND WE SAW 31, AND WHEN YOU'VE GOT 27, 27 OR 28.
SO I SAW THE 30 SETS, AND I ASKED THE FIREFIGHTER, I SAID, YOU GUYS ALREADY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE, THE THREE SETS.
SO, AND THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE IT'S A BUDGET.
WE'LL SEE WHERE IT WE'RE ON IT'S RESOURCES.
IT'S TO HAVE ADEQUATE STAFF ON.
SO, SO, SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.
BUT AGAIN, UH, I DON'T WANT TO WORRY.
OH MY GOD, WE'RE NOT MEETING IT OR WE'RE DOWN.
IF WE, IT WAS, IF WE WERE A, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS A BETTER SITUATION, WE WOULD
[01:05:01]
HAVE IT.SO, UH, AGAIN, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SAYING YES OR NO RIGHT NOW.
I'M SAYING WE'LL SEE WHAT THE COMMISSIONER GARCIA, WHAT THE BUDGET TELLS ME WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE.
AND ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF? YEAH, JUST ABOUT THE UNIFORMS. CAN YOU RUN THAT BY ME AGAIN? UH, WHAT TYPE OF UNIFORM? UH, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
SO, SO, UM, OUR, OUR BASIC UNIFORM LIKE THIS, UM, AND IT'S THEIR DUTY UNIFORM.
UH, ANY KIND OF STATION WEAR AND STUFF LIKE THAT, ANYTHING THAT GOES UNDER OUR, OUR BUNKER GEAR.
AND USUALLY WE BUY, UH, SIX SETS FOR EVERYBODY, USUALLY BECAUSE YOU, YOU'RE ON SHIFT 24 HOURS.
AND SO DURING THE DAY YOU GET DIRTIER THAN YOU WASH ONE SET, YOU GO HOME 24 HOURS, YOU COME BACK AND YOU HAVE ANOTHER SET.
AND, AND THAT'S JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH, UH, SUPPLY FOR EVERYBODY.
AND THAT, AND IF WE HAVE EXTRAS FOR ANY, ANY NEW PERSONNEL, WE'LL HAVE THAT EXTRA.
WELL, THE REASON I I, I ASK YOU IS BECAUSE YOU WENT FROM 16,000 TO 38,000 RIGHT? EACH, EACH PAIR OF PANTS ACTUALLY WENT UP TO ABOUT $89.
AND HOW MUCH WERE THEY BEFORE? UH, BEFORE THEY WERE AVERAGING ABOUT BETWEEN 75 AND 80, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE.
SO THEY WENT UP EXPLAIN THE WORK SCHEDULE ALSO.
SO THE WORK SCHEDULE, THE, THE, THE WAY THE, THE, THE SCHEDULE IS, IT'S CALLED A CALIFORNIA SWING SCHEDULE.
AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE ON FOR 24 HOURS OFF FOR 24 HOURS ON, FOR 24 HOURS OFF FOR 24 HOURS ON, FOR 24 HOURS OFF.
AND THEN THEY'RE OFF FOR FOUR DAYS.
SO 24 ON, 24 OFF, 24 ON 24 OFF, 24 ON, AND THEN FOUR DAYS OFF.
ANYBODY, ANYBODY ELSE IN THE CALIFORNIA SCHEDULE? FOUR DAYS OFF
SO WE, SO WE LOOKED AT THE UNIFORMS AND, AND WE LOOKED AT THE PRICE.
WHAT'S THE AVERAGE FOR PER, UM, FIREFIGHTER, UH, PER UNIFORMS? UH, SO WE ARE DOING, UH, SIX PAIRS PANTS.
UH, I THINK WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT, UH, 19, BETWEEN 19 AND 2200.
THAT'S THEIR, UH, CLOTHING ALLOWANCE.
ARE YOU PROPOSING TO GET 'EM ALL AT ONE TIME OR, UH, TWICE A YEAR.
SO YEAH, WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY DO TWICE A YEAR.
UM, AND IT JUST DEPENDS ON, ON, UM, I KNOW WE JUST, WE JUST PURCHASED, UH, SOME UNIFORMS, SO, UM, WE'LL PROBABLY GO EITHER JANUARY AND THEN AGAIN IN JUNE.
'CAUSE UH, I'M AFRAID IF YOU GIVE ALL SUCCESS AT ONE TIME, UH, THEN THEY'RE GONNA WEAR UP MUCH QUICKER, YOU KNOW, SO, UH, AND UNLESS THEY'RE DAMAGE, AND IF THEY ARE, WE REPLACE 'EM.
SO, BUT IF THEY'RE JUST WEAR AND TEAR, UH, THEY NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.
BUT, UH, I'M HESITANT OF, UH, I DON'T THINK WE DO THAT WITH ANYBODY AS WE, WE ACTUALLY, UH, CAN I GO BACK? POLICE? YES, SIR.
ANYTHING ON UNIFORMS? UNIFORMS, UH, YOU DIDN'T TOUCH IT? YEAH.
UNIFORMS. IT, WE INCREASED, UH, JUST SLIGHTLY YOU TO THE SAME THING.
THE, DO I JUST TURN 'EM AROUND, HUH? NO, NO, WE DON'T.
WE ORDER 'EM THREE PAIR OF PANTS, THREE PAIR OF SHIRTS, AND THEN, UH, AT, THAT'S, THAT'S IT.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE WILL WAIT A LITTLE BIT AND WE'LL ORDER 'EM SOME MORE LATER ON AT LEAST ANOTHER TWO SETS FOR THE, SO THEY GET ABOUT FIVE.
AND WHAT'S YOUR WORK SCHEDULE? IT'S, UH, 12, UH, HOUR SHIFTS.
SO, UH, TWO DAYS ON, TWO DAYS OFF, THREE DAYS ON.
AND THEN THE NEXT WEEK THEY GO TWO DAYS OFF.
THEY WORK TWO DAYS, AND THEN THEY'RE OFF THREE DAYS.
SO EVERY OTHER WEEKEND IS, UH, THEY GET A THREE DAY WEEKEND.
SO, AND EVERY OTHER WEEKEND OFF.
THEY HAVE A THREE DAY WEEKEND.
SO, SO I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOT THE BETTER SCHEDULE, THOSE SCHEDULES.
I THINK IT'S, IT TOOK US A WHILE TO GET THOSE SCHEDULES.
I MEAN, UH, BOTH THE POLICE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY DO WHAT THEY NEED TO FOR US.
IF THE OFFICER IS, IS, UH, LOOKING A LITTLE, UH, WRINKLED OR WORN OUT.
WE, WE WILL, WE'LL REPLACE THE UNIFORMS AS THEY, OKAY.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF, FIRE CHIEF? NO, SIR.
AT THIS POINT, I'M GONNA TAKE THE LARGEST DEPARTMENT TO TAKE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS.
IF YOU'LL START WITH, UH, STREET MAINTENANCE ON PAGE 31, AND THEN WE'LL GET YOU TO WATER PRODUCTION IN WASTEWATER.
WELL, UH, JUST LIKE EVERY, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A BIG INCREASE HERE DUE TO, DUE TO A LOT OF THE MATERIALS GOING UP IN PRICE.
JUST THE, THE, THE, THE STOP TIME POLE, IT WENT UP FROM LIKE $13, $17 ALL THE WAY TO $60.
SO, SO WE INCREASED, WE INCREASED THE AMOUNT THERE SUBSTANTIALLY THERE.
SO WHERE YOU, UM, THE, THE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE HERE, WE INCREASED THE AMOUNT AS WELL.
OUR VEHICLES, GOING BACK TO, I KNOW THE CONVERSATION 30 30 WAS HE, UH, THAT WE HAD EARLIER THAT WE DO HAVE SOME VEHICLES THAT ARE 2002 MODELS WITH OVER A HUNDRED AND SOME THOUSAND MILES.
AND PART OF THE DEAL IS THAT BEST ONES WE WANTED, I HAD TALKED TO MR. LAR, ROSA, IT DOESN'T RAIN.
[01:10:01]
BRING IN A FLEET MAINTENANCE GUY HERE TO HAVE AN HOUSE SO WE COULD, UH, OR CHANGE AND STUFF LIKE, AND, AND, AND DO THIS.AND, UH, SAFE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY MANAGER.
I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, I KNOW WITH THE FIRE CHIEF, AND HE WAS TELLING ME JUST YESTERDAY THAT, UH, THE, TO REPAIR THE FRONT BRAKES ON, ON ONE OF HIS, UH, UNITS, IT'S GONNA COST $5,000.
YOU KNOW, SO WE COULD DO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY LESS IF WE HAD THE RIGHT TECHNICIAN HERE.
AND, AND, AND WE DO HAVE A BUILDING THERE WHERE I THINK WE COULD, IT WOULD BE ADEQUATE ENOUGH FOR TO, TO CREATE A GOOD FLEET MAINTENANCE SHOP THERE.
UM, WHERE IS THAT BUILDING? THERE, THERE WITH US? AT THE, AT THE, ON STINGER STINGER.
BECAUSE I KNOW WE ALSO HAVE WAIT TIMES WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT CAUSE DELAYS IN THE REPAIRS.
SO WE HAVE SOMEONE ONHAND, IT'D BE AMAZING.
AND, UH, AND, AND THERE'S, UH, OTHER STUFF, UH, THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT THAT WOULD CAUSE OF COURSE, REDUCE DOWNTIME, LIKE YOU MENTIONING.
BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW OUR PRIORITIES ARE SOMEWHERE ELSE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO ADDRESS THAT.
YEAH, WE, I KNOW WE ALL SOURCE A LOT OF THAT, THAT, AND I SEE POLICE CARS SITTING IN SOME OF THOSE MOM AND POP, UM, GARAGES FOR A WHILE.
I, I KNOW FOR, FOR MAINTENANCE RIGHT THERE, UH, WE, FOR A BRAKE JOB, I THINK WE, WE ALLOCATED $150 FOR THE FRONT BRAKE PATH AND FOR THE FRONT BRAKE JOB AND THE 150 FOR THE REAR.
WELL, IF WE HAD AN IN-HOUSE GUIDE, I MEAN, I THINK WE WOULD DO $120, BOTH OF THEM.
YOU KNOW, SO, SO IT DOES, BUT IT'S LIKE, MR.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
I WISH I COULD DO IT THIS YEAR, BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW WE HAVE OTHER PRIORITIES THAT WE NEED TO IT.
I THINK IT'S WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT YOU'LL BE SAVING MONEY, UH, PAY THEMSELVES OFF A COUPLE MONTHS.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT YEAH, WE, I, I BELIEVE THE REPAIR SHOPS ARE, ARE VERY, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T GET US IN AND OUT.
UH, THEY SIT THERE AND WE NEED TO GET OUR, OUR VEHICLES OPERAT THE ROAD AGAIN.
SO, UM, SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, HE'S ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
WE JUST GOTTA RUN THESE NUMBERS FOR YOU.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THE OIL AND THOSE THINGS, WE CAN HANDLE IT.
BUT AGAIN, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT TECHNICIAN, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND AGAIN, ONE PERSON SOMETIMES MAY NOT DO IT.
SOMETIMES WE SAY ONE, THERE'S ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S ONE AND A HELPER.
A MECHANIC AND A HELP HELPER, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO, UH, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S VERY GROUND HIGH ELEVATION, BUT, UH, MAKE SURE YOU TOUCH UPON, UH, MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES.
THE SECOND FROM THE BOTTOM, THAT 1.250, IT'S THE, UH, UH, STREET AND RELATED IMPROVEMENTS.
YOU MIGHT RECALL THAT WE HAD 450,001 CATEGORY, AND THEN WE HAD 450,000.
UH, THERE'S AN ORDINANCE THAT WE COLLECT, FEES THAT WE IMPLEMENT IN THERE, THAT WE DO A LOT OF, UH, THIS, UH, THESE TYPE OF, UH, ACTIVITIES, SIDEWALK REPAIRS AND SOUP.
BUT THEN WE ADDED THE OTHER 550,000 LAST YEAR.
THIS TIME, WHAT WE DID WAS JUST COMBINE THOSE TWO.
THAT WAY SOMEBODY CAN GO STRAIGHT TO IT AND SAYS THERE'S 1,250,000 PROPOSED.
AND IT'S UNDER THE STREET MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT.
STREET AND RELATED IMPROVEMENTS ON DEMAND STREET AND RELATED IMPROVEMENT.
ONE OF THE FIRST CONVERSATIONS I, I HAD WITH MR. LAROSA WHEN I GOT HIRED WAS, UH, UH, STREET CONSTRUCTION.
I SAID, SO I ASKED HIM, UH, HOW AGGRESSIVE DO YOU WANT TO BE? AND HE SAID, EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE.
SO, SO I SAID, WOULD IT BE FEASIBLE FOR ME TO MAYBE BRING SOMETHING TO YOU THAT ON A CONTRACT BASIS? SO, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PRESENTATIONS THAT, THAT WE HAVE WHERE I'M GONNA PRESENT SOMETHING THAT IS CALLED PAYMENT RE REJUVENATION.
UH, IT'S A PROCESS THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH.
I, IN ANOTHER PLACE WHERE I USED TO WORK AT, I WAS INTRODUCED TO IT, UH, CERTAIN THE ROAD'S GOTTA MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA, AND I'LL EXPLAIN IT TO YOU WHEN YOU SEE THE VIDEO.
UH, SO THIS NUMBER, I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR IT TO BE AT 1.5.
UH, WE DO HAVE TWO PAVERS THAT, UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE BEING VERY AGGRESSIVE ON TRYING TO HIRE EXTRA PERSONNEL TO HAVE BOTH PAVERS GOING AT THE SAME TIME.
WE HAVE SOME STAFF IN, IN PLACE, AND THAT'S OUR GOAL.
UH, BUT I MEAN, WE, WE INTERVIEW 15 PEOPLE AND WE HIRE TWO PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, UH, TOMORROW, TOMORROW WE WE'RE INTERVIEWING FIVE PEOPLE.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN HIRE THREE PEOPLE IN THERE.
SO, SO WE'RE AGGRESSIVELY TRYING TO HIRE, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S OUR GOAL.
THAT'S OUR GOAL TO HAVE BOTH PAVERS RUNNING AT THE SAME TIME.
UH, WE CAN BE NOW ADDING THIS OTHER, UH, THIS OTHER PROCESS WILL ALLOW US TO FOCUS MORE ON RESIDENTIAL WITH OUR TWO CREWS.
AND THIS ONE WILL ALLOW US TO, UH, FOCUS MORE ON THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE, LIKE THE, THE COMBS, THE
[01:15:01]
MCCULLOUGHS, THE STANS, AND, AND ALL THOSE ROADS.AND, UH, IT'S A, IT'S A PROCESS THAT IT, IT WORKS.
UH, IT'S, UH, SOME OF THE PICTURES THAT THAT, THAT YOU'LL SEE ON THAT PRESENTATION ARE 14 YEARS OLD.
AND WE WENT OUT THERE, IMA, MR. GARCIA AND MYSELF, WE WENT OUT THERE, WE TOOK PICTURES BECAUSE ARE MA MAJOR, UH, THOROUGH AFFAIRS.
AND, AND IT'S JUST ANOTHER OPTION FOR YOU AS A, AS A COMMISSION TO CONSIDER.
UM, I THINK YOU, I HEARD YOU COMMISSIONER GARCIA MENTION THAT YOU STREET STREET, STREET STREET.
AND, AND THAT
THERE'S RIGHT THERE, THERE'S PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE 200.
WHAT YOU SAY, 250,000 WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR? YEAH, IT'S ONE, THEY TAKE IT FROM THERE AND THEN ALLOCATE IT TO THE, UH, STREET REPAIR FUND.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO GROW OUR STREET REPAIR FUND.
SO COMMISSIONER, IF, IF WE'RE PROPOSING, IF WE BELIEVE THAT WE'RE GONNA GET ANOTHER 674,000 IN, IN, UH, AND AT THE ALARM.
WE'RE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO GET ANYWHERE FROM 250,000 TO 500,000 ON ROADWAYS.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S JUSTIFICATION.
THAT, THAT, THAT, AND WE ARE, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF OUR PRIMARIES.
IT'S GONNA GO FOR A CONTRACT BASIS.
THE CONTRACT BASIS WILL BE ABLE TO GET IT IN MUCH FASTER.
AND YOU WOULD SELECT THOSE ROADWAYS.
AND HE'S GONNA SOMETHING WE, I'M GONNA TRY AND GET YOU HERE BY SEVEN 30, BUT I WANT, UH, HE'S GONNA GIVE YOU A PRESENTATION ON THAT STREET PROCESS.
UH, ADA'S GONNA GIVE YOU A PRESENTATION.
AND SO WAS, UH, STEPHANIE BEFORE, GO, GO ANY FURTHER.
THAT WOULD BE FOR, FOR THE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.
WELL, AND I WANT, I WANT YOU TO
YOU KNOW, UM, I READ IN THE PAPER AND I SAW ON TV, AND I SAID, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT JUST GRANTED HARLINGEN, UH, 5 MILLION, 5 MILLION TO RECONSTRUCT COMMERCE STREET, UH, FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER.
AND I WAS THINKING, WHAT STREET HERE IN SAN BENITO WOULD BE COMPARABLE TO COMMERCE? WELL, STINGER STREET.
SO I'M THINKING, HEY, IF HARLINGEN CAN DO THAT FOR COMMERCE, WHY CAN'T WE DO THAT FOR STINGER STREET? THEY DON'T LIKE US.
WELL, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA LEARN TO LIKE US TOO.
BUT, UH, I I, I REALLY, I, I THINK STINGER IS, UH, IT WAS WHAT A HAND ME DOWN FROM TDOT.
BECAUSE IT USED TO BE WE'RE STILL, WE'RE STILL IN THAT ONE.
WE'RE STILL UNDER HOW WAS THAT ONE? IT NO, IT'S BEEN CONVEYED TO YOU.
IT'S BEEN CONVEYED TO THE CITY.
BUT, BUT
IT'S AN OLD STATE ROAD RAGE, JUST LIKE CONES IS THAT IS KNOW, ISN'T IT PART OF THEIR, THEIR WISHLIST? I MEAN, OUR WISHLIST ON THEIR LIST THE LAST TIME THAT NO, DOESN'T, THAT GENTLEMAN CAME BEFORE US.
NO, LET'S TAKE IT TO A HIGHER LEVEL.
UH, I, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO START FOCUSING ON THAT, BECAUSE IF HARLINGEN GOT FIVE, YOU SAID 5 MILLION, FIVE POINTS, IT'S OFF SYSTEM NOW.
SO, UH, BUT, BUT WE WILL, SO NOW AGAIN, MR. GARCIA IS, IS GONNA PROPOSE SOME STREETS.
THOSE ARE NOT THE STREETS THAT WE ARE.
SO IT JUST CAN SHOW YOU HOW FAST WE CAN MOVE A, A ROADWAY THAT NEAR FOOTAGE.
AND HOW FAST, BECAUSE THESE THREE STREETS, OR THIS CERTAIN, UH, LINEAR FOOTAGE CAN BE DONE IN A MATTER OF TWO TO THREE WEEKS.
BUT IT'S, BUT THE COST SAVINGS IS WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO WE NEED TO, YOU, WE WILL HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
YOU'LL APPROVE THEM, YOU'LL IDENTIFY THEM.
WE'LL LOOK AT WHAT OUR HAR ENGINE'S DOING.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT CRITERIA IS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT MATCHING IS.
WHERE, WHERE DID THE FUNDING COME FROM? I DON'T KNOW.
IT WAS THE NEWEST, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN THAT ANNOUNCED IT.
IT'S FROM THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION BUDGET.
FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDS.
SO, AND WE CAN START WORKING ON THAT.
I I, I, I BELIEVE WE COULD DO SOMETHING.
WE DID, WE, WHEN WE MET WITH THE LOWER RIVER UNDER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, WE DID, UH, INQUIRE ABOUT ROADS, AND SO THEY GAVE US CONTACT INFORMATION.
SO MR. GARCIA AND I ARE GONNA STAY.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS AREA HERE, YOU GET NOTHING.
UH, I'M SORRY, BUT, UH, WE NEED TO GO TO THE ACTUAL, TO THE SOURCE NPO FOR YEARS.
BUT WE, YOU KNOW, THE STINGER'S BEEN IN THAT CONDITION FOR DECADES, MANY YEARS.
AND, AND, AND, UH, BUT I I, I'M JUST AMAZED HOW ALL OF A SUDDEN HARLINGEN GETS $5 MILLION TO DO REDO COMMERCE FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER.
WELL, WE NEED IT FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER.
AND WE'LL HAVE TO SEE WHAT THAT CRITERIA IS.
BUT, UH, TO GIVE OUR ACCOUNTING COMMISSIONER A PLUG, AND, AND I DON'T DO THIS OFTEN.
UM, HIS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT REACHED ISIS.
IF THE, THE, THE COUNTY ENGINEER WANTED TO KNOW IF WE WANTED TO PARTNER UP IN A LOCAL AGREEMENT FOR A SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL PROJECT.
IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S FUNDING THAT WE WOULD BE, UH, WE WOULD HAVE AN INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT WITH CAMERON COUNTY AND FUNDING FOR ROADWAYS THAT THEY BELIEVE WE MAY QUALIFY FOR.
SO, AGAIN, WHY, WE'LL LOOK AT THIS, WE'LL
[01:20:01]
SEE WHAT IT IS.INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT DOESN'T OBLIGATE YOU, BUT IT CERTAINLY AT LEAST MAKES YOU PART OF THE APPLICATION IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.
SO, AGAIN, UH, WE'LL LOOK FOR THOSE KIND OF PARTNERS.
AND AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE TO GET MORE DETAIL.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE MPO OR SEPARATE, OR EXACTLY WHAT THAT CRITERIA WAS.
YOU KNOW, I, I, I GOT, I GOT, I GOTTA BELIEVE THAT IT WAS SEPARATE.
SO WE'LL LOOK AT, YEAH, WE'LL LOOK AT HOW, HOW THEY STRATEGIZE TO DO THIS.
WELL, THE CONGRESS WOMAN DID IT.
YOU THINK SHE'D COVER SANITA? YEAH, ACTUALLY IT WAS ISSUED BY THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AWARDED TO THE PORT OF HARLINGEN AUTHORITY.
UH, SO IT'S A RIDER 38 GRANT FOR SERVICE EXPANSION.
AND, AND IT WAS THE PORT OF HARLINGEN.
IT'S THE T STOP TO THE PORT OF HARLINGEN THROUGH THE PORT OF HARLINGEN FOR COMMERCE STREET.
BUT WE NEED, WE NEED BETTER PARTNERS.
AND SHE FOUND, SO WHO WAS BEHIND, WHO WAS BEHIND THAT? PARDON ME? WHO WAS THE ELECTED OFFICIAL BEHIND THAT, THAT HELPED OUT? ALL I KNOW IS TXDOT.
SO TEXDOT WORKED OUT SOMETHING WITH THE PORT OF BROWNSVILLE, AND THIS, IT'S CALLED IS RIDE 30, THE PORT OF BROWNSVILLE.
PORT OF HAREN, UH, UH, PORT OF HARLINGEN.
I FORGET THAT THE BARGE IS ARE PORT, SO, OKAY.
SO THAT'S WHERE IT, IT'S, NO, WE'LL LOOK, WE'LL LOOK FURTHER INTO IT.
AND, AND WE CAN GET SOME INFORMATION FROM TDO.
SO, UH, WE'LL FIND OUT WHAT THAT PROGRAM, AGAIN, WHAT IS IT, WHAT WAS THE REQUIREMENTS AND WHAT WAS THE MATCHING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN RIGHT.
BUT I THINK IT'S THE, UH, BECAUSE IN MY MIND, I WAS THINKING, GOSH, WHAT ROAD HERE IN SAN BENITO, IT'S COMPARABLE TO, AND WE ARE, AS A MATTER OF FACT, JUST, AND IT'S BIGGER, JUST HOW WE NEGOTIATED, UM, OSCAR WILLIAMS SOUTH TO THE, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM, UH, TURNER FROM THE EXPRESSWAY ALL THE WAY DOWN SOUTH TO THE NEW LOOP.
AND OSCAR WILLIAMS FROM BUSINESS SEVEN NORTH TO SAN JOSE THAT WAS WORKING WITH, UH, THE CAMERON COUNTY REGIONAL MOBILITY AUTHORITY.
WE ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT STING A ROAD, BUT AGAIN, IT DOESN'T QUALIFY FOR SOME OF THE MPL FUNDS.
SO UNLESS, UNLESS WE GET VERY CREATIVE, WE CAN DO PORTIONS OF IT NEXT.
BUT, BUT, BUT IT IS, SO, UH, AGAIN, WE'LL SEE WHAT TEXO DID AND HOW THIS OCCURRED, BUT IT'S CONVERSATIONS WE'RE ALREADY HAVING.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ENGINEERS, MAYOR, I TALKED TO THEM AT THE MPO MEETING WITHOUT GIVING THE COMPANY, BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO HELP US SEE, HOPEFULLY THERE'S ONLY TWO OR THREE COMPANIES, TWO OR THREE ENGINEERING FIRMS THAT CAMERON COUNTY, RMA DEALS WITH, AND THEY'RE ONE, AND THEY HOPE THAT THEY GET THE PROJECT, BUT AGAIN, THEY WANT THE PROJECTS ON IN THE QUEUE BECAUSE THEY WANNA BID ON THESE THINGS.
LET ME SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICK, UH, UH, TO UNDERSTAND IT.
THE LAST TWO, THREE YEARS, WE'VE, WE, UH, WE'VE, UM, BUDGETED A MILLION DOLLARS FOR ROADS, STREETS, REPAIRS, AND BANANA.
SO THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR, AFTER THE, UH, RECORDING AND EVERYBODY AGREES TO IT, WHATEVER, UH, YOU'RE PROPOSING, OR HE'S PROPOSING 1.5 AN ADDITIONAL, THAT'S THE TARGET.
FOR RIGHT NOW, WE KNOW WE ARE COMFORTABLE AT THE 1.25.
BUT, UH, AGAIN, UNTIL, UNTIL WE, UNTIL WE LOOK AT THE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE, THE BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE, THE, THE COST INCREASES.
I MEAN, THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE HIGH END DEPARTMENTS.
THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO HIT WHERE, WHERE THE MAJORITY OF OUR, I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THE 1.5, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW WE'VE WORKED TO GET TO THE 1 MILLION WE'VE WORKED.
IF WE BREAK THAT BARRIER, LET'S, LET'S DO IT.
I WANTED TO TOUCH ON, ON, ON, ON SOME OTHER BUDGETS THAT WE'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA SEE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
IT'S GONNA BE THE WATER PLANT ONE, WATER PLANT TWO ON THE OPERATIONS.
IT'S GOING UP FROM 815 TO 1.132.
AND THAT'S THE, THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE ALL THE CHEMICALS HAVE GONE UP.
AND SO IT'S ON PAGE 41, AGAIN, ENTERPRISE FUND, AND SOME OF THAT WILL BE ALL SET WITH YOUR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS.
SO WE KNOW THAT'S A THREE YEAR PLAN, AND WE'LL SEE HOW WE, HOW THIS THING BALANCES OUT.
AND THE WASTEWATER, THE WASTEWATER PLAN AS WELL.
UH, SO THAT'S THE BIG INCREASE THERE IN OUR BUDGET.
IT STILL HAVEN'T TROUBLE, TROUBLE WITH FINDING A, UH, CHLORINE, THE CHEMICALS CHLORINE? NO, NO.
BUT WE WERE THERE FOR A WHILE.
UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED AT SOME POINT THAT WATER PLANT NUMBER TWO COULD BE CONVERTED TO ANOTHER TYPE OF, UH, SYSTEM.
COMMISSIONER AT THE END, UH, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH A NUMBER OF ENGINEERS, UH, CONSULTING ENGINEERS THAT WE'VE HAD.
UH, THE FILTRATION SYSTEM WILL, UH, THE SHELF LIFE FOR THOSE, AND THERE'S LIKE 870
[01:25:02]
OR 872 SOME LESS, A LITTLE LESS THAN 900 FILTERS IN THERE.SO THIS MEMBRANE SYSTEM, UH, TAKES OUT THE IMPURITIES OF THE WATER.
UH, AND THERE ARE, UH, FOUR BASINS, FOUR BASINS.
SO THREE BASINS ARE OPERABLE ALL THE TIME.
UH, THE SHELF LIFE IS 10 YEARS.
AT THE END OF THE 10 YEAR PERIOD IS MY RECOMMENDATION THAT THESE COME FROM AUSTRALIA.
THEY'RE LIKE $1,500 PER, UH, FILTER RIGHT NOW.
YOU MULTIPLY IT, SO IT'S, IT'S OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
DO YOU WANNA CONTINUE DOWN THAT SAME PATHWAY? PLUS THESE FILTRATIONS REQUIRES A LOT OF CHEMICALS, AND THAT'S OUR CONCERN.
OUR WATER PLANT NUMBER TWO, OH, NO, WATER PLANT NUMBER ONE IS A CONVENTIONAL PLANT.
IT USES CHLORINE, GAS AND SOME OTHER, YOU KNOW, CHEMICALS, BUT NOT, NOT ANYWHERE NEAR AS MUCH AS THE FILTRATION SYSTEM DOES.
SO THEREFORE, UH, IT'S BEEN RECOMMENDED, AND WE, WE, WE, UH, MADE AN INQUIRY, CAN WE CONVERT THIS PLANT BACK TO A CONVENTIONAL PLANT? AND THE THE ANSWER IS YES, IT CAN BE.
SO, UH, EVEN THE COST TO DO IT WOULD BE, THERE'S A BENEFIT.
YOU GET AWAY FROM THE EXPENSE OF RUNNING THIS PLANT.
SO, UM, WE ARE GOING, UH, PART OF THIS, UH, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WILL, WILL HAVE THESE COSTS, UH, WHETHER IT'S REPLACEMENT, IT, IT'LL HAVE BOTH.
IT'LL HAVE WHAT IT COSTS TO REPLACE THEM AT THE TIME, OR IF WE GO THROUGH CONVERSION, CONVERSION OF THE PLAN.
SO THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO BE PLANNING LONG TERM.
UH, JUST LIKE LONG TERM WATER RIDES, LONG TERM DRAINAGE REQUIREMENTS, EVERYTHING'S GOTTA BE PLANNED OUT FOR, UH, AND THIS IS SO SHORT, UH, SHORTSIGHTED TO ONLY BE PLANNING OUT NEXT YEAR, YEAR, OR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT EVEN LOOKING AT IT FIVE YEARS.
THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT IT UP, BECAUSE, UM, I, I, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED IT AT SOME POINT THAT, UH, IT COULD BE CONVERTED.
SO WE LOOK AT THE, UM, COST OF SAVINGS OR, OR, UM, SAVINGS.
WELL, THE INCREASE OF THE FILTERS IS WHAT'S, COULD BE THE PROBLEM.
AND HOW MANY YEARS FROM NOW? THE, THE PLAN'S BEEN ONLINE FOR TWO YEARS.
SO EIGHT YEARS, EIGHT MORE YEARS LEFT? YES, SIR.
SO IT, IT'LL COME UP ON YOU BEFORE YOU REALIZE IT.
AND WE DON'T WANT TO BE DISCUSSING IT AT YEAR NINE AND THEN, AND NOT BE PLANNING FOR, SO TECHNICALLY WHAT YOU DO IS IN ABOUT SIX YEARS FROM NOW, IT'S EIGHT YEARS OLD, YOU START YOUR DESIGN, AND USUALLY CONSTRUCTION IS ALMOST A YEAR FOR ANYTHING NOWADAYS.
YOU WANNA BE AHEAD OF THE, YEAH.
AND SO THE IDEA IS NOT TO WAIT TILL 10.
YOU GOTTA BE ON THOSE, ON THOSE TARGETS ALREADY AND BE PAYING FOR IT.
UH, ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS FOR THESE FOLKS? AND, OKAY, I WANTED TO COVER SOME MORE, BUT, UH, WE'VE GOT THREE PRESENTATIONS.
AND AGAIN, I WAS, I TRY TO RUN THESE THINGS FOR TWO HOURS.
UH, AND, AND, BUT THE NEXT MEETINGS, AND IF WE NEED TO CALL MORE, WE WILL, BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE STEPHANIE GO AHEAD AND START WITH THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
STEPHANIE SANANDA, ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR.
I'M PRESENTING TO YOU THIS AFTERNOON.
UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, UH, PRELIMINARY INFORMATION JUST FOR DISCUSSIONS FOR TODAY, WHERE YOU'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT.
IT'S THE CITY OF SANTO PLANNING FOR FUTURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT.
SO WE'RE GONNA START WITH, OH, IT'S NOT WORKING.
START BY BUYING OFF A NEW, UH,
HAVE PROBLEMS. THE LAST TIME THAT THEY DROPPED IT.
OH, IT'S A NEW, DID THEY COME WITH WARRANTY SCREEN? THERE WE GO.
FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, THEIR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR 10 YEARS.
UM, YOU'RE GONNA SEE FROM, UH, EQUIPMENT PURCHASES ALL THE WAY TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS IS JUST TO GIVE YOU ALL A BETTER PICTURE OF WHAT THE FUTURE'S LOOKING LIKE FOR EACH DEPARTMENT.
UM, IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH THE HEAD OF DEPARTMENTS.
UM, THESE ARE JUST, LIKE I SAID, ESTIMATE ESTIMATIONS, UM, THAT WE WANNA CONVERT THEM TO REALITY, RIGHT? SO, I'M SORRY.
SO THEN YOU'LL SEE THE 20 YEARS, SAME THING FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, BASED, WELL, THEY HAVE, UH, LIKE HE, LIKE MR. PERILLA MENTIONED, UH, BODY CAMERAS,
[01:30:01]
UM, IMPROVEMENT, ALSO, UH, STORAGE, UPGRADE TEASERS, A LOT OF EQUIPMENT, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE WANNA TOUCH BASE FOR THE FOLLOWING UPCOMING FUTURE, 20 YEARS.NEXT, YOU'LL SEE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
THIS IS FOR THE FIRST 10 YEARS.
YOU HAVE THE ACTUAL, WHICH WOULD BE NEXT YEAR.
AND AGAIN, IT COMES FROM VEHICLES TO INFRASTRUCTURE TO EQUIPMENT, MACHINERY, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT DEPARTMENT NEEDS FOR THE FUTURE.
WE WANT TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT.
YOU WILL SEE THE 20 YEARS AS WELL FOR THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS.
WE ALSO HAVE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IT COMES FROM, UM, UH, EMPLOYEES, PERSONAL, UH, VEHICLES, ALSO EQUIPMENT, AND EVEN LAND ACQUISITIONS FOR THE NEW FIRE STATION THAT WE ARE PLANNING TO, TO, UM, PLAN TWO.
UM, HERE IS A 20 YEAR FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
WE HAVE SAME THING, TRAINING FACILITIES, UH, RESCUE TOOLS.
THESE ARE ALL LISTING PROVIDED, BUT HEAD OF DEPARTMENTS BASED ON NEEDS AND WHAT THEY WANT FOR THE FUTURE, AND WHAT WE WANT FOR THE CITY OF SAN BENITO.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE THE PARKS, FACILITIES, GROUND RECREATIONAL, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FOR 10 YEARS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S QUITE OF A LONG LIST.
THIS IS ONLY FOR 10 YEARS BECAUSE, UM, AS YOU MAY SEE, THE, THE PARKS AND GROUNDS IMPROVEMENT, IT'S QUITE OF A LONG LIST.
AND THEY'RE WORKING ON THEIR FUTURE 20 YEARS, UM, FROM REPLACEMENT OF, UH, GARAGE DOORS, UH, TO TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE WAREHOUSE.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT, UM, DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT WE WANNA TOUCH FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS AND GET US WHERE WE WANNA BE FOR THE FUTURE.
THIS IS JUST TO GIVE YOU A BETTER EXAMPLE AND A BETTER PICTURE OF WHAT THE FUTURE IT'S LOOKING FOR.
CITY OF SAN BENITO AND ALL ITS DEPARTMENTS, HOLD UP.
AND YOU'LL SEE YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT MAINTENANCE OF FACILITIES, NOT THE, NOT THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW FACILITIES.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS THAT LAND ACQUISITION.
SO, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO BREAK DOWN ANYTHING LESS THAN 50,000 IS A TH MARK.
IF IT'S LESS THAN 50,000, WE TRY TO PUT INTO A BUDGET LINE ITEM.
AGAIN, MAINTENANCE FACILITIES FALLS UNDER, UH, THE PARKS AND MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT.
OKAY? SO THE FIRE STATION AT NUMBER FIRE STATION TWO, THOSE DOORS WERE NEVER WIND STORM CERTIFIED.
THEY'RE NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THE WINDS.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY GETTING, UH, DAMAGED.
THEY NEED, THEY NEED BETTER DOORS.
SO THAT'S A MAINTENANCE ISSUE, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S THERE.
OKAY? IF YOU'LL GO BACK ALSO TO THE PUBLIC WORKS, UM, I SAW THE TYCO TRUCK, RIGHT? THE, THE STREET SWEEPER.
WHERE IS IT? HOW FAR? I KNOW IT'S ON, IT'S ON THE BARE METAL SWEEPER.
THERE YOU SEE THAT SAYS, UH, DID 185,500,000 THERE, 3 85.
YOU'VE ALREADY SPENT THE 675,000.
AND MAYOR, UM, YOU'VE BEEN ASKING FOR A STREET SWEEPER.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER WE REALLY NEEDED IT, BECAUSE I, I TRUST HIM.
AND THE REASON IS HE'S GOT THAT EXPOSURE.
HE SHOWED IT TO ME AND HE SAID HE, UH, WE DID.
NO, I SAW THE TRUCKS REALLY NICE.
AND IT'S REALLY, I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S THE CADILLAC, IT'S NOT THE BOTTOM, BUT IT'S A GOOD RELIABLE, AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE BRAND, BUT WHETHER WE BUY IT THROUGH CARES FUNDING, AND WE USE MOST OF THAT.
BUT THEN HIS WHITE FLEETS VEHICLE WHERE WE COULD LEASE WHITE TRUCKS ALSO, JUST LIKE WE DO POLICE CARS.
WE GOT HIM, GIVE HIM BETTER VEHICLES.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HOW DO WE GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT? AGAIN, WE DID BUILD UP YOUR RESERVES, BUT YOUR RESERVES WERE TO LEVERAGE US WITH OTHER GRANTS, BUT PARKS, OTHER AREAS.
SO THIS IS, THESE ARE PRIORITIES THAT WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND TO YOU DURING THE YEAR.
SO YOUR BUDGET WON'T BE SO COMPLETE THAT WE'RE GONNA KNOW.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE MAY HAVE MORE PROJECTS, THEN WE'VE GOT TIME.
YOU MAY HAVE FUNDING, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA GO AWAY.
WE DO NEED TO UTILIZE THE FUNDS FROM THE PREVIOUS BONDS THAT WERE ISSUED.
WE GOTTA GET THOSE OUT OF THE WAY.
THEY'VE BEEN MADE AWARE OF IT.
WE GOTTA GET SOME OF THOSE OUTTA THE WAY.
BUT STREETS ARE IMPORTANT, QUITE HONESTLY.
YEAH, WE, WE RENT A BRUSH SWEEPER.
[01:35:01]
FOR YOUR SEVEN, SEVEN, YOUR SAM HOUSTON, YOU COULD STILL RESIDENTIAL.THE BRUSH SWEEPER IS WHEN WE PAY, WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ALL THE MESS UP.
SO WE, WE CLEAN UP, WE NEED A BRUSH SWEEPER FOR THAT.
SO WE RENT ONE FROM A MONTHLY BASIS.
HOW MUCH IS THAT? I CAN'T, I'LL GET YOU THAT NUMBER BY MONTH.
I DON'T HAVE, I THINK IT'S ABOUT 80, 90,000.
THE SWEEPER, UH, THE BRUSH SWEEPER.
UH, CAN WE BUY IT INSTEAD OF RENT IT OUT? WE CAN LIKE, WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU BUY IT IF YOU'RE JUST USING IT FOR THE STREETS, THAT WHEN YOU, IT'S LIKE 75,000 A MONTH, YOU COULD STILL USE IT.
BUT, BUT WOULD YOU HAVE, UH, WE HAVE ENOUGH WORK FOR YOU.
FOR LIKE, RIGHT NOW, LIKE I MENTIONED, HE WANTS ME TO BE VERY AGGRESSIVE WHEN IT COMES TO ROAD CONSTRUCTION.
WE, WE WANT, WE NEED TO CLEAN UP BEFORE, BEFORE WE PAY, WHEN WE NEED TO CLEAN UP AFTER WE PAY, SO WE HAVE ENOUGH WORK FOR IT.
NOW WE DO HAVE TO CONTINUE THE MAINTENANCE ON OUR STREETS THAT WE'RE FIXING TOO.
SO THE SWEEPER WOULD BE, UH, MOST IMPORTANCE TOO.
BUT OF COURSE, UH, WE WOULD NEED TO, UH, PROTECT IT FROM THE ELEMENTS.
UM, AND THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN.
SO WHAT I'VE ASKED MR. GARCIA IS CAN WE LEASE IT? AND I, I, I ASKED THE SALESMAN, I HAVE NOT SEEN A RESPONSE.
BUT RATHER THAN BUY, BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY FOR THESE, THE STREET SWEEPER, YOU'RE GONNA LEAVE IT OUT EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS.
SO WHAT'S THE SHELF LIFE WHEN IT'S EXPOSED? CAN WE LEASE IT AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD? AND WE SEND IT BACK WHETHER A MONTHLY LEASE, BECAUSE THEN THE MAINTENANCE AND THE FIRST TRUCK WE BOUGHT, UH, WE BOUGHT IT BEFORE I CAME 10, 12 YEARS AGO.
AND FROM DAY ONE, IT'S BEEN A, IT'S A HYDRAULIC.
IT'S GOT ALL SORTS OF HYDRAULIC PROBLEMS. IT'S NOT WORTH THE MONEY.
THE REASON I ASKED EARLIER, WHAT BUILDING YOU WERE TALK REFERRING TO IS, 'CAUSE THERE'S A BUILDING OUT THERE WHERE WE HAD THAT RGV FOOD DISTRIBUTION.
NEW AT THE, I GUESS, WHAT IS IT CALLED? NEWMAN.
UH, WE'RE NOT UTILIZING THAT BUILDING FOR ANYTHING.
UH, SO WHY IS IT NOT KEEPING OUR, UH, VEHICLES, UH, PROTECTED FROM THE ELEMENTS? UH, WE NEED TO PUT, IF WE'RE NOT USING IT FOR ANYTHING ELSE, WE NEED TO UTILIZE IT TO PROTECT OUR VEHICLES.
THAT'S THE REASON I ASK WHAT BUILDING WERE WE REFERRING TO? BECAUSE THAT'D BE A PERFECT, UNLESS THERE'S A, A LONG-TERM PLAN FOR THAT BUILDING, BUT IT'S BEEN THERE FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS.
I THINK THERE'S AN OLD FIRE TRUCK IN THERE, OR, OR ABANDONED.
UH, AND THERE'S OTHER JUST JUNK I GUESS IN THERE.
UM, BUT WE HAD A FOOD, UH, WELL, I DIDN'T LOOK LIKE ASSETS.
TO ME, THEY LOOK LIKE, UH, JUST TO YOU, BUT THEY'RE ASSETS.
WHAT, WHAT KIND OF ASSETS, MAYOR? WELL, TELL ME BECAUSE THAT BUILDING LOOKS LIKE IT HAD NOTHING.
IT JUST SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS A CARDBOARD.
THERE WAS ALL THESE OTHER THINGS IN THERE.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT IF, IF WE GET EQUIPMENT LIKE THAT AND IF WE BUY IT, WE NEED TO PROTECT IT.
WE NEED SAFEGUARD FAIRGROUNDS.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT WAREHOUSE? IT HAS A HIGH TRADE.
WHAT DOES IT HAPPEN? WE COULD KEEP IT SIX YEARS.
THAT'S NOT AN, WE COULD KEEP IT FOR SIX YEARS AND IT WOULD HAVE A 65% VALUE ON, ON TRADING IT IN.
SO THEY NEED TO GET RID OF IT WOULD BE A GOOD OPTION TO LOOK AT.
THE SALESMAN SAID, YEAH, IF YOU TRADED IN AT SIX YEARS, I MEAN, AGAIN, IT'S A MARKETING STRATEGY.
YOU, YOU TRADED IN, YOU, YOU'RE BACK ON THE HOOK FOR ANOTHER ONE, AND THERE'S A TRADE IN VALUE.
SO, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE A LEASE TO ME.
YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? SO, UH, IT, IT'S, DO YOU FRONT IT UP NOW OR BY LATER, BUT, UH, AND WE DO, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE CHIEF ABOUT THAT FIRETRUCK MAYOR.
UH, YOU KNOW, I SAID, AND THAT'S WHAT I ASKED THE CHIEF.
UH, WE HAVE A LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT UP NORTH THAT WOULD LIKE FOR US TO DONATE, RIGHT? UH, I MEAN, NOT THE COUNTY, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT UP NORTH, NORTH OF US.
I SAID, DO YOU WANT THE MONEY FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR FIRE TRUCKS, FOR YOUR OTHER STUFF? THEN IF NOT, IF THEY'RE NOT GONNA BUY IT FROM US, MARK IT, MAKE AN OFFER, THEN ONE GOVERNMENT 20, THEN IT'S GONNA GO ON YOUR AGENDA, ASKING US TO BE ABLE TO SELL IT.
AND SEE, BECAUSE I ASKED THE MAYOR RIGHT NOW, WHAT ASSETS IN THERE, BECAUSE I SAW THE FIRETRUCK.
BUT TO ME, WE'RE PROTECTING SOMETHING THAT IS OF NO USE TO US.
IT'S ACTUALLY NOT FAR FROM ARE YOU USING IT? NO, NO, NO.
UM, WELL, IF IT RUNS, BUT IT'S NOT WHAT, WHAT PURPOSE IS OF SERVING, BEING STORED IN THAT WAREHOUSE WHEN YOU COULD STORE OTHER, UH, VALUABLE, UM, VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT IN THERE.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE GETTING RID OF IT.
SO COMMISSIONER, UH, I HAVE THE, SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.
CHIEF'S ABOUT TO GET RID OF ABOUT WHAT? 10 VEHICLES OR WHATEVER
[01:40:01]
NUMBER OUT OF YOUR IMPOUND LOT.HERE'S THE THING THEY CAN'T KEEP.
THE EXCAVATOR, IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
GOTTA HAVE OPEN, I MEAN, IT'S INSIDE.
IT'S UH, WHAT WE PAID ABOUT 300,000 OVER THREE.
SO THE LIVE SHELF, THE SHELF LIFE FOR THAT THING'S GONNA BE ABOUT 10 YEARS.
IT LEFT OUT TO THE ELEMENTS WE NEED COVERS FOR THESE THINGS, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UH, SO SOME OF THESE, UH, LIKE THAT CERTAINLY CAN DRIVE ON THE STREET TO THE STREET SWEEPER.
THAT EXCAVATOR CANNOT GOTTA LOADED UP, UNLOADED IT, IT'LL GRIND UP THAT CONCRETE.
UH, UH, SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
SO THAT NEWMAN BUILDING, WE ACTUALLY PUT, UH, ABOUT 50,000, UH, THREE YEARS AGO, UH, ALMOST FOUR YEARS AGO.
'CAUSE IT WAS, WE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO SAVE OUR, UH, OUR BUILDING.
PLUS IT WAS, UH, IF WE EVER NEEDED TO HAVE EVENTS OUT THERE, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT WE DO NOW.
THE BUILDING, BUILDING ITSELF, THE BUILDING ITSELF IS AN ASSET.
WE'VE USED TO, IT'S MASSIVE USED COVID AND STUFF, SO MASSIVE UTILIZE IT.
SO WE HAVE, BUT AGAIN, YEAH, WE KEEP VERY FEW THINGS IN THERE.
UH, MOST OF IT IS THE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN TO REMOVE THE RED IRON FROM THE OLD BUILDING OUT THERE.
IT'S TO BE THE OLD STABLES OR CORRALS OR RODEO.
UH, BUT THAT RED IRON HAS SOME VALUE, NOT THE SHEET METAL THAT'S AROUND IT.
AND WE COULD PROBABLY USE IT TO HELP BUILD SOME, UH, SO WE WON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, JUST REPURPOSE THAT SAME, THOSE BEAMS AT THE FIRE STATIONS TO, BECAUSE WE JUST NEED TO BUILD A COVER.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM,
IF IT MAKES SENSE TO US, WE WILL RECOMMEND IT.
ANYBODY, ANYTIME SOMEBODY TRIES TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LIABILITY, DO YOU REALLY ACCEPT IT RIGHT OFF THE BAT? NO.
IT'S, IT'S A WIDE ELEPHANT FOR UNTIL I KNOW WHAT I'VE GOT.
RIGHT? SO WE'RE NOT GONNA ACCEPT SOMEBODY ELSE'S LIABILITY, BUT WE WE'RE HAVING THOSE PEOPLE, AND WE ARE, I, I, I HEAR YOU.
AND I UNDERSTAND, AND I HAVE THAT SAME FRUSTRATION ON ANY GIVEN DAY, BUT I, I THINK THEY'RE DOING THE BEST.
AND, AND WE WILL, WE'LL ADDRESS IT.
HAVE YOU HAVE, WE LOOKED INTO THE MUELLER BUILDINGS, THE WHICH ONE? MUELLER BUILDINGS.
UH, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, RAMON ABOUT MUELLER BUILDING.
IT'S THOSE BUILDINGS, THOSE CANOPIES, THOSE BIG CANOPIES.
MOST MUELLERS DON'T MEET THE WINDSTORM REQUIREMENTS.
I MEAN, SOME BUILDINGS AND OTHER PARTS OF THE STATES REALLY WORK HERE.
YOU'RE GONNA, IT'S GONNA COST YOU MORE, RIGHT? WE WANT THESE THINGS TO LAST.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME ASSETS.
SO EVERY TIME WE DO THIS, WHEN WE BUILT THE, THE BUILDINGS THAT WE DID AT THE PUBLIC COURT SHUT, IT MEETS WINDSTORM REQUIREMENTS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I KNOW BECAUSE EDDIE, MY OWN BUILDING INSPECTOR, FELT IT
SO, UH, IT, IT IS, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'RE PROMOTING IS NOT USUALLY WHAT YOU NEED IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, SO, RIGHT.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO AT LEAST ADDRESS THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA AND YOU'VE NOT HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
IT'S, UH, WHEN YOU ADOPT A BUDGET, YOU ADOPT A BUDGET.
IT DOESN'T GET MODIFIED WITH YOUR, WITHOUT YOUR APPROVAL.
WE, WE MAY REMOVE ITEMS, WE MAY ADD ITEMS, BUT IT'S ALWAYS WITH YOUR APPROVAL.
AND, AND THOSE, UH, THOSE, UH, COSTS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, THEY ARE, THEY'RE VERY PRELIMINARY AND THEY'RE, AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA WHAT IT MAY COST IN 10 YEARS OR OUT.
THAT, THOSE ARE NOT REALISTIC.
WHO'S THE NEXT PERSON? UM, FRED ALADA.
IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE TO THE LATEST
SO, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSIONERS.
UH, MY NAME IS ALIDA GARCIA, THE CULTURAL ARTS DIRECTOR FOR, UM, THE RECORD.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST A QUICK, UH, OVERVIEW OF, UM, MY DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND WE'VE GOT THE, UH, THE CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT.
UH, BASICALLY, UM, THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL, UM, ARTS WORKS TO STRENGTHEN THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN SAN BENITO BY PROMOTING A CULTURAL DISTRICT.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, OUR, OUR DIFFERENT MISSION STATEMENTS FOR THE MUSEUM THAT WE WANT TO COLLECT, PRESERVE, AND EXHIBIT, UM, THE, DANG IT, OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE, UM, WHILE SERVING AS A VITAL COMPONENT TO A LOCAL ECONOMY AND EFFECTIVE, UH, TOURISM ATTRACTION.
SO WE CAN GO AND BASICALLY THIS, THIS SLIDE TALKS ABOUT WHO OUR PARTNERS ARE, UH, WE, UM, AND WHAT, UH, WHAT OUR BUILDINGS ARE, UM,
[01:45:01]
IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT.SO WE'VE GOT THE, THE SAN BENITO, UM, FACILITIES, UM, IN THE DISTRICT INCLUDE THE SAN BERNARD CULTURAL HERITAGE MUSEUM, UH, THE COMMUNITY BUILDING, AND THE SAN BENITO CULTURAL CENTER, WHICH IS FORMERLY THE, THE, THE FIRST, UH, PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UM, AND THEN OUR OTHER, UH, SITES ALSO INCLUDE THE AZTECA BUILDING, UM, THE HISTORICAL, UM, POST OFFICE, WHICH IS THIS BUILDING HERE, UH, AND, UH, THE SAN BERNARDINO VETERANS AWARD MEMORIAL AND THE FREDDIE FENDER MEMORIAL.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT COME IN AND A LOT OF TOURISTS THAT COME IN TO THE MUSEUM ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS FOR OUR MEMORIAL.
SO THAT DOES GET A LOT OF TRAFFIC.
UM, AND THEN ALSO SOME OF OUR, OUR PARTNERS, UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE JUNTO HALL OF FAME MUSEUM AND, UH, WITH THE, UM, THE MEXICAN CONSULATE, UH, THEY HAVE A, UH, CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN, WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER WITH THEM TO BRING, UM, UM, MORE EXHIBITS.
SO, UH, THOSE ARE SOME OF OUR PARTNERS.
UM, AND THEN WHY DOES, UH, UM, HOW DOES THE, THE, THIS, UH, CULTURAL DISTRICT BENEFIT SAN BENITO? UM, THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS BECOME THE CENTER OF OUR, UH, EXPERIENCES.
THEY PROMOTE TOURISM, ATTRACT NEW RESIDENTS, AND ENCOURAGE NEW BUSINESSES.
UM, BASICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, PLANNED CULTURAL DISTRICTS ARE PROVEN TO BE AN EXCELLENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL FOR CITIES, UM,
SO HOW DOES, UH, HOW DOES IT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY? SO A CULTURAL DISTRICT CAN ONLY ENHANCE THE COMMUNITY.
IT CAN PRESER, PRESERVE AND PROMOTE A CULTURAL HERITAGE, UH, AND MUSIC OF SAN BENITO.
UM, EDUCATING, NURTURING, AND INSPIRING THE TALENTS OF TODAY'S GENERATIONS.
UM, SIMILAR TO ECOTOURISM, THE CITY WILL ATTRACT MORE CULTURAL TOURISM, UH, WITH THESE DIFFERENT FACILITIES.
UH, AND SO IT'S JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF, UH, REMEMBER OR REMIND US ABOUT THIS EXHIBIT.
UM, THIS WAS ACTUALLY COVERED BY, UH, A NATIONAL, UM, PRESS.
UH, WE GOT A REALLY GOOD WRITEUP ABOUT THIS, AND SO A LOT OF FOLKS, WE GOT A LOT OF CALLS FINDING OUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE, WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE SANTO IS, WHERE THE, THE, THE MUSEUM IS.
SO, UM, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF REALLY GOOD, UH, YOU KNOW, PROMOTIONS FROM THIS, UH, RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE CURRENT EXHIBITS, I'M GONNA BE GIVING YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT OUR QUARTER.
UM, SO, UH, THIS, FOR THIS QUARTER, UH, WE HAVE THE AKI DES, AVA, UM, SO JESSE BURCIAGA.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE CURRENT EXHIBIT NOW, WHICH IS, UM, NARKY SHOWS UP.
UH, THESE ARE SOME DEMOGRAPHICS, UH, FOR THE QUARTER, SO THAT WAY YOU CAN KIND OF GET A FEEL FOR, UM, WHO'S VISITING OUR MUSEUMS. UH, AND THIS IS ACTUAL SIGN IN SHEETS.
THAT WE'RE GATHERING THESE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION FROM.
UM, SO WE ARE SERVING OUR BROWNSVILLE AND SAN BENITO, BUT WE KNOW NOT, NOT FAR BEHIND.
WE WE'RE ALSO SERVING EDINBURGH, SO IT'S HIDALGO AND CAMERON COUNTY, BOTH.
UM, SO SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, JUST KIND OF, UH, GOING OVER SOME OF OUR, OUR, WE HAVE TWO SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES.
WE HAVE, UM, AN INSTAGRAM AND OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
AND, UM, WE ARE REACHING AN AVERAGE OF 2,900, UM, ONLINE VISITORS ON OUR PAGES.
SO WE'VE BEEN REACHING A LOT OF FOLKS.
UM, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH, UM, MY, MY PRESENTATION JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU ALL AN IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, HOW SUCCESSFUL WE'RE REACHING OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY, UM, WITH OUR EXHIBITS.
WHAT'S YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT? HAVE WE BUILT ANY SORT? I KNOW I'VE HAD A COUPLE REACH OUT TO ME.
TRYING TO GO AND VISIT, BUT IT WAS TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, SO IT GOT A LITTLE LATE.
DO WE HAVE ANY SORT OF, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE PROGRAM? WE WERE LAYING DOWN THAT GROUNDWORK FOR THAT, AND I'M HOPING TO GET THAT GOING.
UM, AS FAR AS, UH, WE DID HAVE SOME OF THE, THE INSTRUCTORS, UH, OF LIKE THE JUNTO MUSIC AND A CLASSICAL GUITARIST.
UM, HE, UH, THEY, THEY CAME OUT TO THE MUSEUM AND THEN THEY PERFORMED.
AND SO THAT WAS A WAY OF US DOING LIKE AN OUTREACH TO THE, THE SAN BENITO ISDI KNOW THAT I'M WORKING FOR THIS NEXT EXHIBIT WITH PATTY AVILA.
UM, SHE'S THE PRESIDENT OF THE, OF THE TEXAS JUNTO HALL OF FAME MUSEUM.
AND, UH, SHE WORKS AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND SO SHE'S BEEN TALKING TO HER SUPERINTENDENT AND SHE'S BEEN TALKING TO, UM, TO THEM.
AND SO GETTING US TOGETHER SO THAT WAY WE CAN START THAT.
SO, LIKE, HAVE FIELD TRIPS OR SOMETHING? YES, YES.
UM, THE OTHER THING ALSO IS, UM, U-T-R-G-V, UH, THEY HAVE REACHED OUT AND THEY WANT TO GET, UM, BE INCLUDED IN THE FIELD TRIPS JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE,
[01:50:01]
UM, THEY TOUR THE WHOLE VALLEY, UH, FOR THEIR ART DEPARTMENT AND ALSO THEIR ANTHROPOLOGY DEPARTMENT.SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PLACES THAT, THAT THEY WANTED TO COME.
SO WE'RE, I'M WORKING ON PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UH, OR EVEN LOCAL COLLEGES, LOCAL UNIVERSITIES.
I KNOW SOMETIMES THEY'LL GIVE THEM EVEN LIKE EXTRA CREDIT IF THEY GO VISIT.
THAT'S ONE OF THEIR ASSIGNMENTS ACTUALLY, IS, IS TO, TO GO AND VISIT THE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT MUSEUMS AND THEN DO A WRITEUP ABOUT THE EXHIBIT.
SO, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS FOR THIS YEAR, I'VE ASKED, UM, A LADY AND HER STAFF, UM, TO START, UH, PHILANTHROPY TYPE WORK.
IN OTHER WORDS, GO LOOK FOR, UH, THESE, UH, INDIVIDUALS, THESE PHILANTHROPISTS THAT WOULD WANT TO BE, BECOME PART OF OUR MUSEUMS. SO I THINK SHE'S, SHE'S ALREADY DONE THAT OUTREACH AND SHE'S GOT SOME EXPERIENCE WITH THAT.
UH, WE'VE, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH PETE AVILA AND PATTY, UH, TO, UH, UH, ON FINALIZING A, AN AGREEMENT THAT'S GONNA BE PRESENTED TO YOU FOR THIS ABOUT MOVING TO THE AZTECA BUILDING.
UM, AND I'VE RECENTLY MET WITH, UH, DR.
OLI RIVAS, AND, UH, I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF EMAILS, UH, SINCE LAST WEEK.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA PROPOSE SOMETHING THAT I'LL PRESENT TO YOU NEXT WEEK PRIVATELY, UH, BUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO, UH, AND, UH, TO, UH, AGAIN, WORK WITH THE CITY AND, UM, WE WILL GET INTO MORE SPECIFICS.
UH, I, UH, ANY MUSEUM GROUP HAS ALWAYS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO DISPLAY THEIR, THEIR, UH, ARTIFACTS, THEIR EXHIBITS IN, IN THE CULTURAL HERITAGE MUSEUM.
UH, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE STUBBORN.
WHERE'S THEIR FOCUS STILL? COMMUNITY BUILDING OR MUSEUM STILL, OR, OH, NO, NO, NO, NOT THE MUSEUM.
THEY, THEY'VE COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT THAT'S PROBABLY NOT A REALITY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GET MORE SPECIFICS.
BUT AGAIN, UM, UH, I THINK THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THEY'VE COME TO THE REALIZATION, REALIZ NO REALIZATION THAT THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH THE CITY.
BECAUSE IF YOU RECALL, I LAID OUT, AND I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SAY IT, BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD THAT, UH, WE SET UP HERE WITH A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL ASSETS THAT, THAT BELONG TO OUR CITY.
AND WHEN SOMEONE DEMANDS THAT A CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT BE REMOVED AND KICKED OUT OF THE, THE BUILDING BECAUSE, UH, THIS IS OUR BUILDING, GIMME THE KEYS, WELL, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
IT NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR ASSETS AT ALL LEVELS.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE OR ANYTHING.
NOW YOU DID MENTION, I, I BELIEVE THAT YOU, YOU COLLECT ARTIFACTS, OR ARE YOU OH, SO YOU ARE, YES, YES, WE DO.
WE ARE A COLLECTING INSTITUTION.
SO, SO YOU CAN COLLECT, WELL, MAYBE YOU MIGHT START ALREADY THE PROCESS OF GETTING THINGS IN THERE.
WE, JUST TO STAY ON A PERMANENT LEVEL, I DO YOU HAVE PERMANENT ARTIFACTS OR, YES, WE DO ARTICLES.
UM, SOME OF THESE OBJECTS THAT ARE ON DISPLAY FROM, UM, THE, THE BANK AS WELL AS, UH, WE'VE BEEN CONTACTED BY SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THEY'VE DONATED SOME ARTIFACTS, AND SO WE KEEP THEM POPULAR.
HAD SOMEONE CONTACT ME ON FACEBOOK, AND SHE WAS AMAZING.
SHE REACHED OUT TO 'EM, GOT EVERYTHING SET UP, AND WE NOW HAVE THE PROPERTY.
WHEN THE CITY COMMISSION CREATED THE, UH, MUSEUM, UH, AND THEN IT CREATED THE CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT SOME YEARS AGO OR TOO.
UM, I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN THIS STATEMENT THAT YOU'RE NOT A MUSEUM.
THE CITY CAN CREATE ITS OWN MUSEUM.
IT IS JUST LIKE, IT CREATES ITS OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S SUSTAINABLE IN THE SENSE THAT, UH, WE, WE FUND IT.
WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT A LESS BURDEN ON THE TAXPAYERS, BUT AGAIN, UH, MUSEUMS DON'T GENERATE MONIES, JUST LIKE OUR DEPARTMENTS DON'T GENERATE MONIES, PARKS, THESE ARE QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENTS FOR OUR CITIZENS AND FOR THOSE THAT COME HERE, IT, THERE, IT'S AN ATTRACTION.
IT ALSO, UH, AS LONG AS WE CAN SUSTAIN IT, AND WE DO, UH, THE CITY WAS, WAS PROVIDED, UH, OR APPLIED FOR A GRANT.
THE EDC PARTICIPATED WITH, WITH FUNDING OF THAT CONSTRUCTION, BUT THE CITY HAD TO DO EVERYTHING IN SITE AND THEN OPERATE IT.
AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THOSE OPERATIONS AND THE STAFFING AND THE ELECTRICITY, SO EXACTLY THE UTILITIES COST.
SO JUST BECAUSE YOU, YOU MAKE AN APPLICATION FOR A GRANT AND YOU GET A LOAN THAT SOMEBODY ELSE, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PLAN, IT DOESN'T WORK WELL.
SO I KNOW THAT, UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD IT.
UNLESS YOU WANNA PAY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BACK THEIR MONEY AND REIMBURSE THE EEC FOR WHAT IT IS, YOU'VE GOT 1.8, YOU'VE GOT THIS, UH, THIS ASSET, AND THAT BUILDING IS AN ASSET ALONG WITH THE OTHER TWO BUILDINGS ON THAT BLOCK.
THAT'S THE NICE BUILDING IN SAN BENITO.
AND IT SEARCH SERVE A FLAGSHIP FOR US.
NOW YOU FLAGSHIP, YOU DID SHOW, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS AND, AND WHAT WAS INTERESTING WAS THAT, UH, VISITORS FROM BROWNSVILLE YES, SIR.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR, OF OUR PARTICIPATING WOW.
HOW, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? BECAUSE I MEAN, THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME TYPE OF, UH,
[01:55:02]
SO IT'S, UM, A LOT OF IT IS THROUGH THE, THE ARTS COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND A LOT OF IT, UH, DOES COME, THEY, THEY DO COME FROM MACALLAN.SO BASICALLY THE RGV ARTS COMMUNITY, UH, PRETTY MUCH, UH, SUPPORTS, UH, THIS PARTICULAR MUSEUM.
AND, UH, SO, UM, IT'S THE, WE, I MAKE SURE THAT NOT ONLY DO I IN INVITE OR FEATURE ARTISTS FROM THE, UM, THE U-T-R-G-V, UH, BROWNSVILLE CAMPUS, UM, BUT ALSO STUDENTS, UH, THAT ARE LIKE MASTER'S DEGREE STUDENTS.
UM, WE ALSO INVITE THE, UM, THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME OF THESE EXHIBITS IF THEY DO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS TO SHOWCASE THEIR WORK THERE.
UM, AND SO, UH, AND, UM, THE, THE CLASSES, THEY HAVE THOSE CLASSES.
THE, THE REASON I I ASSIGNMENTS I FIND THAT INTERESTING IS BECAUSE THEN THE, OUR NEIGHBORS HERE ONLY REFLECTED WHAT A VERY TINY PERCENTAGE, UH, HARLINGEN.
THEY EVEN HAVE ART NIGHT EVERY WHAT, FRIDAY NIGHT? ACTUALLY, LAST FRIDAY NIGHT, THE MONTH IN, IN HARLINGEN ART NIGHT.
SO THINK AND I THINK MENTIONED UNDERRATED SCHOOLS, CAROL.
WE CONNECT WITH THE TSTC, OR, YES.
AND I DO, UH, I DO HAVE A RAPPORT WITH A LOT OF OUR, OUR LOCAL COLLEGES HERE.
BECAUSE I REMEMBER AN EVENT WE HAD IN THERE, UM, AND YOU INVITED THE CITY OFFICIALS FROM HARLINGEN.
AND ONE OF THEM SAID, HEY, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU HAD THIS BUILDING.
SO YEAH, A LOT OF OUR CONSIDER THAT AND MAYBE THEY JUST DON'T KNOW.
BUT IT WAS JUST INTERESTING HOW A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF VISITORS FROM BROWNSVILLE.
I, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE QUALITY OF EXHIBITS THAT WE DISPLAY, UM, HERE AT SAN BENITO ARE ON PAR WITH THE, THE, THE INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART AND SCIENCE IN MACALLAN, AND IN THE, THEY GOTTA PART OF SOMEBODY OUT THERE BIG, BECAUSE IT'S VERY NICE EXHIBITS THAT YOU BRING.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I'M SURE THE COMMUNITY LIKES IT TOO.
OKAY, MS. GARCIA, YOU GOT SOMETHING, UH, THAT'S COMING IN THIS THURSDAY? YES.
SO THIS THURSDAY, A QUICK PLUG, UM, TO, UH, ACCENTUATE OUR CURRENT EXHIBIT.
UH, WE, UM, HAD, UM, CRAFT TEXAS, WHICH IS ANOTHER NONPROFIT, AND THEY'RE BASED OUT OF BROWNSVILLE.
UM, THEY, UH, ARE HAVING A CLASSICAL GUITAR, UH, ENSEMBLE, UH, PERFORMANCE.
AND SO THEY, THEY'VE ASKED IF IT WOULD BE OKAY TO ADD US TO THEIR, TO THEIR LIST.
SO THEY'RE GOING TO DIFFERENT, UH, VENUES AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY MUSEUMS, AND THEY COMBINE, UH, THEIR CLASSICAL GUITAR WITH, WITH EXHIBITS, WITH ART EXHIBITS.
AND SO I THOUGHT, WELL, THIS WOULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO, TO KIND OF HAVE THESE TYPE OF, UH, UM, EVENTS.
AND, UM, THEY, THEY'RE BRINGING THIS TO US, SO YEAH, IT'S GOOD.
OR EVEN OUR, LIKE, IT'S A FREE EVENT.
THEY GET THEIR LITTLE LIKE ART BADGE.
THEY LIKE, OH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING, YEAH, THAT THEY DON'T, YEAH, OUR MUSEUMS LIKE, KYLIE UNDERRATED, LIKE IT'S, WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF FREE PROGRAMS AND WE DON'T CHARGE A LOT FOR A LOT OF THIS.
SO, AND OUR ADMISSION IS REALLY LOW TOO.
I THINK IT'S JUST, YEAH, LETTING THEM KNOW WE REALLY, REALLY NEED TO PUSH IT OUT THERE.
ANYTHING ELSE, BUDDY? THANKS, ELA, MAYOR, COMMISSIONER.
UH, UH, BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE GOT, I, I WAS, I HATE TO PUT OSCAR OFF, BUT, UH, UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING, WHEN WE SEE WHAT THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE, LET'S PUT IT OFF FOR THE 23RD.
IT'S ALREADY TWO HOURS INTO THIS, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, MOST OF US DON'T LIKE THESE SEATS, SO, UH, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR, FOR A LOT OF OUR EMPLOYEES, AND SOME OF, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO, IT'S GOOD FOR US TO GET OUR EMPLOYEES IN Y'ALL HOME SO THAT WE CAN SPEND SOME TIME WITH OUR FAMILIES THIS EVENING.
SO MAYOR, I, I'D LIKE TO, UH, RECOMMEND THAT WE WRAP THIS UP.
I, I JUST HAVE ONE MORE, UH, THE LIBRARY.
UM, AND I, I'D LIKE FOR THE LIBRARY, AND I KNOW THEY'RE HERE.
THE LIBRARY, UH, WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR, TO ME, UH, YOU COULD, UH, PROBABLY START THINKING, UH, BECAUSE I HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THEY SAY, YOU DON'T HAVE A KIDS' AREA.
YOU DON'T HAVE CERTAIN THINGS THAT OTHER LIBRARIES HAS.
NOW, UH, I WANNA BE, UH, FAIR WITH YOU.
OF COURSE, UH, YOU'RE LIMITED, BUT I THINK THIS IS THE TIME THAT WE START EXPLORING, UH, SINCE WE HAVE A, A, A 10 YEAR PLAN, A 20 YEAR PLAN COMING, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO START THINKING, UH, HOW WE CAN IMPROVE OUR AMENITIES, UH, HERE, ESPECIALLY THE LIBRARY, BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.
SO I, I THINK THAT'D BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD START WORKING ON.
MY LAST ONE WOULD BE, I WANNA SEE AS FAST AS WE CAN, OR IN THE NEXT ONE, SEE THE, WHAT I WANNA SEE IN THE LAST NEXT, UM, BUDGET WORKSHOP, THE, THE INCREASE PAY INCREASE, WHAT YOU'RE GONNA PROPOSE TO, TO US FOR THE EMPLOYEES, STUFF LIKE THAT.
WE ALWAYS START WORKING AT NUMBERS.
CAN WE SEE 'EM FASTER THAN LATER?
[02:00:01]
WELL, I CAN TELL YOU, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW WE'RE PLUGGING IN 3%.UM, UH, WE MAY DO SOME SALARY ADJUSTMENTS AND WE'LL DISCUSS THAT.
UM, UH, PART OF IT IS GOING TO BE BASED ON WHETHER WE CAN SUSTAIN IT.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE, AND HERE I'LL BE VERY HONEST, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE, THE FIREMEN.
I'VE NOT SEEN WHAT THEY PROPOSED, AND I'M SURE THAT THEY'VE ALREADY SUR PROPOSED IT TO.
BUT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING LIKE, OH, INCENTIVE PAY, RIGHT? CERTIFICATIONS.
THIS, I SAID, LOOK, TRIED THAT.
PARDON ME,
IF YOU WERE, IF YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET AN INCENTIVE PAY, WHICH IS A STIPEND ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, OR WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE YOUR BASE SALARY ADJUSTED? OKAY, SO THE, SO THE WHOLE IDEA IS IF WE'RE GONNA DO BUS, UH, IF WE'RE GONNA KEEP RETENTION, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BASE SALARIES ARE APPROPRIATE AND STOP IN, IN OTHER WORDS, DON'T NICKEL AND DIME ME.
I DON'T NEED TO BE PAYING CERTIFICATIONS OR THESE THINGS BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO ADD TO YOUR SALARY ROD.
LET'S ESTABLISH WHAT THOSE BA BASE SALARIES SHOULD BE.
AND WE, WE TAKE CARE OUR EMPLOYEES STRAIGHT ACROSS.
SO YOU WANT MAY, UH, YOU WANT TO MAINTAIN THE RETENTION OF GOOD QUALITY EMPLOYEES WHEN YOU GOTTA, WHEN YOU GOTTA HIRE 'EM, AND THEN, AND PAY 'EM SOMETHING DECENT, AND THEN WE'LL WEED OUT THE BAD APPLES.
THEY'RE NOT ALL PERFECT, BUT AGAIN, THE MAJORITY AND A GREAT MAJORITY OF OUR EMPLOYEES DESERVE A, A LITTLE, AT LEAST FOR US TO REVIEW THAT COMPENSATION OR IF NOT, PUT A PLAN IN PLACE.
SO COMMISSIONER, BUT THE, THE INCREASE IS BASED ON 3%.
UH, WE, WE ALWAYS PUT A LITTLE BIT IN THEIR, UH, PEAK OF SOME MAY.
THERE'S SOME SALARY, BUT IT, IT DOESN'T FLUCTUATE MUCH.
UH, THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT GETS ON OCTOBER ONE, RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A, A, CB, A WITH US.
UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND ME CONFER.
WE'RE HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
SO I, UH, AND I CAN TELL YOU CHIEF ABOUT THESE, THAT WHATEVER THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION HAD, HE DIDN'T SHOW 'EM TO ME, BUT HE COULD SEE 'EM.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DID? THEY JUST KIND OF CLOSED EVERYTHING.
BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE, I SAID, LOOK, LET'S JUST TRY TO SEE WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
SO WE'RE NOT LOSING FIREFIGHTERS, WE'RE NOT LOSING POLICE.
AND I ALSO MENTIONED, I DON'T NEED TO LOSE WATER AND SEWER OPERATORS, AMERICAN COMMISSIONERS, THOSE ARE THE GUYS THAT HAVE BEEN SAVING YOU EVERY NIGHT, EVERY WEEKEND.
RIGHT? YOU DON'T SEE THE PHOTOS THAT I DO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHEN THEY'RE WORKING OUT IN, IN THOSE SEWER HOLES OR IN THOSE WATER.
I THINK THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON.
ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AND STAYED HERE WITH US.
AND COMMISSIONER, I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT AGAIN, THEY ALL HAVE TALENTS AND THEY'RE ALL IMPORTANT TO US.
BUT AGAIN, THEY ARE, UH, PEOPLE THAT PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE CERTAINLY NEED TO BE CONSIDERED, BUT ALONG ALSO, THE OTHERS THAT DO THAT DO NOT.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO COMMISSIONER, UH, AND ALL OF YOU, THANK YOU.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN ME? I HAVE MOTION BY, UH, COMMISSIONER UH SANCHEZ.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA.
ANY NAYS? MOTION PASSES TO ADJOURN.