[Special Commission Meetings on June 27, 2023.]
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ARE YOU READY, SIR? ALWAYS, MAYOR.
UH, NOTICE OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY OF SANTO CITY COMMISSION AND BUDGET WORKSHOP.
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY.
I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO, PUBLIC COMMENT.
RUTH, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS? UH, NOT MAYOR.
AND ITEM NUMBER THREE IS THE, UH, PRESENTATION OF THE LONG STAR INSURANCE SERVICE INSURED, BENEFITS ADMINISTRATIVE FOR THE CITY OF SANTO SELF-FUNDED, UH, MEDICAL, MEDICAL PLAN, AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, HISTORICAL REVIEW.
AND, UH, MR. RUBIN, UH, GARZA.
LONG STAR, UH, INSURANCE SERVICE.
UM, COMMISSIONER STAFF, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
UM, WE, WE WERE ASKED TO, UM, TO PRESENT AND, AND, UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS HERE AT THE CITY OF SAN BENITO.
AND A A LITTLE BIT OF A, AT A GLANCE, SORT OF A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY, UH, HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW THE PLAN'S BEEN DOING.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GIVE YOU A LOT IN A VERY SHORT TIME, 'CAUSE WE KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF YOU TONIGHT.
UM, LONE STAR INSURANCE SERVICES, WE'RE PART OF, UH, LONE STAR NATIONAL BANK.
IT'S A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF LONE STAR NATIONAL BANK.
UH, SO WE SERVE, UH, CLIENTS ACROSS THE VALLEY IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE CAME IN IN 2016 AT THE REQUEST OF, UH, THE CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME AND STAFF.
UM, THERE, THERE WERE SOME ISSUES WITH THE HEALTH PLAN AT THE TIME.
IT HAD BEEN SORT OF, UH, I GUESS WATERED DOWN WOULD BE A GOOD WORD TO USE OVER TIME.
UH, TML THE CARRIER YOU WERE WITH, HAD, HAD, UM, COME WITH INCREASES EVERY YEAR.
SO THE, THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE YOU MONEY, UH, WAS TO SORT OF REDUCE THE, THE COVERAGES.
SO THE, THE PLANS, YOU HAD TWO OF THEM AT THE TIME.
UM, THEY HAD DIFFERENT DEDUCTIBLES, BUT NEITHER ONE PAID FOR ANYTHING UNTIL THE DEDUCTIBLE WAS MET.
THAT WAS A LITTLE PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE EMPLOYEES, WHILE THEY HAD ACCESS TO A DOCTOR OVER THE PHONE, THEY WEREN'T REALLY USING IT.
THEY WANTED A PLAN THAT WAS USABLE.
UH, AND SO AT THE TIME, UH, WE TOOK OVER PRODUCTS, UH, AND WE'LL GO OVER THE PRODUCTS.
AND THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR IN 2017, UH, THE CITY WENT OUT, OUT BID.
AND, UM, WE HELPED ANALYZE, UH, A, A NUMBER OF, OF, UH, PROPOSALS.
AND THE CARRIER THAT, UH, THE CITY WENT WITH WAS, UH, A BA, IT'S A, UH, THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR.
UH, AND YOU WENT WITH A SELF-FUNDED PLAN.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE HISTORY THAT I JUST WENT OVER.
ON THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE, YOU'LL SEE THE, THE PRODUCTS THAT YOU HAD IN PLACE AT THE TIME FOR MEDICAL.
YOU WERE WITH TML, AND THEN THESE OTHER VOLUNTARY PRODUCTS WITH, WITH UNUM, INCLUDING LIFE AND DISABILITY.
YOU HAD, UH, DENTAL, UH, AND VISION WITH TML, AND YOU HAD SOME SUPPLEMENTAL PRODUCTS WITH AFLAC, UM, NATIONAL FARM LIFE AND, UH, AIR EVAC.
WE REPLACED, UM, MOST OF THE CARRIERS THAT YEAR.
UM, IN ADDITION TO HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH, WITH, UM, WITH CLAIMS AND WITH BILLING, UH, THE CITY HAD SORT OF ADOPT OR SORT OF, UH, GRANDFATHERED CARRIERS FROM PAST YEARS.
SO EVERY, EVERY TIME THEY WOULD SWITCH A SUPPLEMENTAL CARRIER, THEY WOULD ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO KEEP THE PRIOR CARRIER AND CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, COLLECTING PREMIUMS. SO THEY HAD A POTPOURRI OF MULTIPLE CARRIERS THAT WAS A LOT OF WORK AND CUMBERSOME FOR THE STAFF TO TRACK.
SO WE, AT THAT POINT, UM, UM, COMMUNICATED WITH THE EMPLOYEES THAT THEY COULD KEEP SOME OF THOSE PRODUCTS, UH, VIA BANK DRAFT, BUT THAT THE PRODUCTS OF RECORD WOULD BE WITH MUTUAL OF OMAHA FOR LIFE AND DISABILITY EMERITUS FOR DENTAL AND VISION.
AND THEN COLONIAL WOULD TAKE OVER, UM, THE, THE, THE VOLUNTARY PRODUCTS AT THAT TIME.
UH, AS A BROKER, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE WHAT THEY CALL HEAPED COMMISSIONS OR HIGH COMMISSIONS FIRST YEAR.
UM, THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT SECOND YEAR, THEY DROPPED TO ALMOST NOTHING.
AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE REASON MOST, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, GROUPS, UH, SUCH AS THE CITY OF SAN BENITO WILL SEE, UH, THE PRODUCTS CHANGING EVERY THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
YOU'LL SEE LIKE YOUR AFLAC OR YOUR COLONIALS, UH, TYPE PRODUCTS SWITCHING OUT EVERY THREE YEARS BECAUSE
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THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF COMMISSION LEFT THERE FOR THE, THE BROKERS TO DO THEIR JOB.WHAT WE DO, UH, IN EVERY CASE WE GO INTO IS WE TAKE LEVEL.
SO IT'S A LOT LESS ON THE, ON THE FRONT END, BUT THEN THE ONES THAT BENEFIT FROM THAT ARE THE EMPLOYEES, BECAUSE EVERY, UH, THREE OR FOUR YEARS, YOU FIND YOURSELF AS A BROKER THAT TOOK HEAP, HAVING TO SHOP THAT OUT AGAIN, AND THEN THE EMPLOYEES HAVE TO BUY THAT SAME PRODUCT FOUR YEARS LATER WHEN THEY'RE FOUR YEARS OLDER, AND THE RATES ARE HIGHER.
SO THE, THE MODEL THAT THAT WE USE IS LEVEL.
AND SO WE, WE KEEP THAT, UM, IN PLACE, UM, INDEFINITELY OR UNTIL THE CITY DECIDES TO CHANGE THOSE PRODUCTS.
ON THE NEXT PAGE, UM, YOU'LL SEE, UH, WHAT WE DID WITH THE HEALTH PLAN.
YOU'LL SEE ON THE, ON THE FIRST COLUMN THAT TML HAD TWO PLANS IN PLACE.
ONE WAS A BASIC, THE OTHER ONE WAS A STANDARD PLAN, ALSO CALLED A CORE PLAN.
UM, ONE HAD A A ZERO DEDUCTIBLE.
THE OTHER ONE HAD A SIX, $600 DEDUCTIBLE.
BOTH HAD A $3,000 OUT OF POCKET, BUT NEITHER ONE PAID FOR ANYTHING UNTIL THE DEDUCTIBLE WAS MET.
SO THAT WAS PROBLEMATIC FOR THE EMPLOYEES.
UH, THE REST OF THE COPAYS, YOU SEE, THE TELEHEALTH COPAY WAS THERE.
ANNUAL WELLNESS BY LAW, UH, ACCORDING TO AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, HAS TO BE COVERED AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
SO THAT WAS, AND THEN YOU SEE THE COPAYS FOR THE GEN FOR THE THE PHARMACY PLAN.
THE, THE PLAN ON THE, ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS WHAT WE TOOK THE CITY TO.
WE TOOK 'EM TO A $1,500 DEDUCTIBLE, UM, 3,500 OUT OF POCKET, AND WE INTRODUCED COPAYS.
WE ALSO PROVIDED TELEHEALTH AT ZERO COPAY.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS THE PLAN THAT WE WENT TO WHEN THE CITY WENT OUT BID.
AND THE RFP NUMBERS LISTED THERE AT THE TOP OF THE SLIDE.
UM, I WAS ASKED TO SORT OF TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, SELF-FUNDED VOTE VERSUS FULLY INSURED.
FOR THOSE OF YOU MAYBE WHO ARE NEW TO, TO THE TWO CONCEPTS, RIGHT? UH, ON UNDER FULLY INSURED, WHICH THE CITY WAS, UH, THAT'S THE MODEL THEY HAD BEFORE WE CAME IN.
UM, YOU WERE FULLY INSURED GROUPS.
SO BASICALLY YOU PAID ONE SET PREMIUM EVERY MONTH TO THE CARRIER, TML AT THE TIME.
WHAT YOU DIDN'T SEE ON THE BACKEND IS WHERE THEY SPEND THAT PREMIUM AND WHERE THEY SPEND THE PREMIUM WAS ON STOP-LOSS, WHICH EVERY CARRIER DOES.
EVEN FARMERS ALLSTATE, THEY WILL, THEY WILL BUY REINSURANCE IMMEDIATELY, ALSO CALLED STOP-LOSS.
BUT REINSURANCE IS NECESSARY BECAUSE IF YOU'RE PAYING, LET'S SAY, 5,000 A YEAR ON YOUR AUTO INSURANCE, AND YOU HAVE A MASSIVE ACCIDENT THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, IS TRAGIC IN NATURE, UH, THAT'S GONNA COST THE CARRIER A LOT MORE THAN WHAT YOU'RE PAYING IN PREMIUM.
SO EVERY CARRIER REINSURERS OR HEDGES, THEIR, THEIR, UH, RISK WITH REINSURERS.
SO EVERY CARRIER BUYS STOP-LOSS.
UH, IN ADDITION, THERE'S ADMIN FEES.
SO WHAT IT TAKES TO PAY THE CLAIMS, WHAT IT TAKES TO ADMINISTER THE GROUP SERVICE, THE GROUP, THE CARRIER IS CHARGING YOU FOR THAT.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, PAYING CLAIMS. THOSE ARE THE THREE BUCKETS THAT EXIST FOR EVERY, UH, HEALTH INSURANCE CARRIER.
UM, AND IT'S ALL BUNDLED TOGETHER.
SO ALL YOU SEE IS THE MONTHLY PAYMENT THAT YOU PAY EVERY MONTH UNDER SELF-FUNDED.
SAME BUCKETS, EXCEPT YOU CONTROL THE, THE LEFTOVERS THAT ARE IN THAT CLAIM BUCKET.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT THAT ONE IS INGRAINED, BECAUSE IF THERE'S ANYTHING LEFT OVER AT THE END OF THE YEAR, UH, THAT WILL STAY WITH THE GROUP.
SO I WANTED TO KIND OF, THIS IS VERY BASIC, UM, IN, IN, IN, YOU KNOW, IN IN, IN TERMS OF HOW I, I'M EXPLAINING IT.
BUT IT SORT OF SHOWS YOU, IN A NUTSHELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.
I WANNA INTRODUCE PETER MORMAN.
HE IS WITH, UH, A, UM, ASSURED BENEFITS ADMINISTRATOR THERE, THE THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR THAT'S MANAGING YOUR HEALTH PLAN.
YOU ARE A SELF-FUNDED PLAN, BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT YOU CONTROL THE PLAN DESIGN.
YOU DECIDE, UM, HOW RICH YOU WANT THAT PLAN, HOW LOW YOU WANT YOUR COPAYS, IF YOU WANT TO OFFER EMPLOYEES, UH, THE PLAN AT NO COST.
THAT'S UP TO YOU AS, AS THE EMPLOYER.
BUT, UH, THE TPA JUST MANAGES WHATEVER PLAN DESIGN YOU DECIDE TO PUT INTO PLACE.
I'M GONNA ASK PETER TO COME UP AND EXPLAIN AND TAKE YOU BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT AND SHOW YOU THE HISTORICAL, UH, ON, UM, UH, THE CITY'S PLAN AND HOW IT HAS PERFORMED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND THEN I'LL BE BACK TO WRAP IT UP.
UH, AS, AS RUBEN SAID, MY NAME'S PETER AND I'M WITH ASSURED BENEFITS ADMINISTRATORS.
WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE THE, UM, THE ADMINISTRATOR FOR YOUR PLAN FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS SINCE 2017.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
AND, UM, THE PLAN HISTORICALLY HAS ACTUALLY RUN QUITE WELL.
SO, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE, UH, THE SLIDE IN FRONT OF YOU, THE FIRST YEAR, UM, THE TML FULLY INSURED RENEWAL WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT UNDER A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND WE CAME IN WITH A SELF-FUNDED
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PLAN WITH THE EQUIVALENT.THE MAXIMUM COST FOR THE PLAN WAS ACTUALLY RIGHT AROUND THE SAME AMOUNT.
SO IT WAS A SITUATION WHERE THE FULLY INSURED PLAN HAD A COST, AND THE SELF-FUNDED PLAN ALSO HAS A MAXIMUM COST.
BUT IF YOUR CLAIMS RUN LESS THAN, UM, THAN THE MAXIMUM, THEN THOSE, THE CITY ACTUALLY WINS.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED ESSENTIALLY EVERY YEAR SINCE 2017.
THE FIRST YEAR, THE TOTAL COST, AND THIS INCLUDES ALL ADMINISTRATION FEES, COMMISSIONS, CLAIMS COSTS, STOP-LOSS INSURANCE COSTS, AND IT ALSO NETS OUT THE REIMBURSEMENTS FROM THE STOP-LOSS CARRIER THAT THAT CAME BACK.
AND WE HAVE HAD STOP-LOSS CLAIMS EVERY SINGLE YEAR ON THE, ON THE PLAN.
SO IT TENDS TO MODERATE THE, UM, THE MAXIMUM EXPOSURE.
AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S RUN EVERY YEAR SINCE THEN.
THE FIRST YEAR IT'S INTO THE SECOND AND THIRD YEAR, IT ACTUALLY RAN MUCH LOWER.
THAT WAS THE, UH, THE BIG COVID YEAR.
AND, UM, EVERYBODY GOT HIT WITH, UH, ADDITIONAL CLAIMS COST BECAUSE OF, BECAUSE OF COVID.
UM, IN 2021, WE, UH, WE INTRODUCED, UM, UH, A NEW, UH, PBM MODEL FOR, FOR THE CITY THAT ACTUALLY REDUCED THE, THE, THE DRUG COST BY ABOUT 35% THAT FIRST YEAR.
AND THAT PLAN INCLUDES, UH, SOME FEATURES THAT ARE NOW BECOMING ALMOST, UM, REALLY, REALLY IN ALMOST EVERY PLAN THAT YOU SEE NOW, WHETHER IT'S FULLY INSURED OR SELF-INSURED, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE IN LARGE COST DRUGS IMPORTED FROM CANADA.
AND WE'VE HAD SITUATION WITH THE CITY A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHERE A, UH, CANCER DRUG WAS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT SOURCED FROM A PHARMACY IN CANADA FOR LESS THAN HALF THE COST.
IT KNOCKED THE, THE ANNUAL, UH, DRUG COST FOR ONE MEMBER FOR ONE MEDICATION FROM A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS DOWN TO ABOUT 47,000.
SO IT WAS, UM, THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF KIND OF COST CONTAINMENT ISSUES THAT WE'VE USED ON, ON THE PLAN.
WE'VE BEEN A LITTLE MORE PROACTIVE THAN WHAT YOU'LL SEE ON SOME OF THE CARRIER, UH, TYPE OF PLANS.
THE BLUE CROSS UNITED HEALTHCARE, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE DRUG COSTS ON THOSE PLANS IS QUITE HIGH, AND IT'S ALSO ONE OF THE, UM, THE PROFIT DRIVERS FOR, FOR THE LARGE INSURANCE COMPANIES.
SO THAT'S BEEN A VERY, UH, VERY KEY, UM, UM, MOVE FOR US TO, TO MAKE ON, ON YOUR BEHALF.
A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UM, IN 2022, SO FAR WE'RE ACTUALLY TRENDING A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, AND WE'RE SEEING THAT, IN FACT, ACROSS MOST PLANS, WHETHER IT'S OURS OR BLUE CROSS OR UNITED HEALTHCARE, REALLY ACROSS THE BOARD CO THE YEARS OF COVID, THE COVID CLAIMS WERE HIGH, BUT, UM, PEOPLE WERE NOT GETTING TREATED AS MUCH FOR OTHER TYPES OF, OF ISSUES.
AND, UM, WE'VE SEEN THOSE COSTS NOW RISING IN THE KIND OF WHAT WE CALL, I GUESS, THE POST COVID ERA, EVEN THOUGH WE STILL SEE, WE DO STILL SEE SOME COVID CLAIMS. IT'S JUST NOT QUITE AS BAD AS IT WAS A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
DO WE, DO WE KNOW, DO WE KNOW IF THOSE, OR AM I, AM I ON, I DON'T KNOW.
DO WE, DO WE KNOW IF THOSE EXPENSES ARE RELATED TO PHYSICAL OR PERHAPS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES? UM, THERE, THE COST THIS YEAR, YEAH, IS A LOT OF IT'S RELATED ACTUALLY TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE MORE HIGHER COST, UM, UTILIZATION OF, OF DRUGS LIKE OZEMPIC, I DUNNO IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT ONE.
VERY EFFECTIVE FOR, UH, DIABETES TREATMENT AND ALSO FOR WEIGHT LOSS.
AND, UM, AND THOSE DRUGS ARE QUITE EXPENSIVE.
THEY TEND, THEY TEND TO BE AROUND $2,000 A MONTH AT RETAIL.
THEY CAN BE SOURCED FROM CANADA, THEY CAN BE SOURCED FROM MEXICO.
I'VE GOT OTHER PLANS THAT ARE NOW, UM, ACTUALLY, UM, ENCOURAGING THEIR, THEIR EMPLOYEES TO TAKE A TRIP TO NUEVO PROGRESSO ONCE A MONTH AND PICK UP THEIR MEDS THERE, BECAUSE IT'S QUITE A BIT CHEAPER.
UM, IF THE US, IF WE, IF WE KNOW WHERE SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE COMING FROM AND, AND WHERE WE'RE KIND OF TRENDING, ARE WE INTO ANY KIND OF PREVENTATIVE OR HEALTH ISSUES OR OTHER TYPES OF THINGS, PROGRAMS FOR EMPLOYEES? YES.
SO, YEAH, SO WE DO HAVE THE, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE THE, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THE A CA, UH, UH, PREVENTATIVE CARE PLAN THAT PAYS FOR THE ANNUAL PHYSICAL AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
AND OTHER ITEMS AS WELL THAT ARE, ARE MANDATED BY LAW.
HOW MANY ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT? DO WE KNOW? I'M SORRY.
HOW MANY ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT? UM, IT'S A PRETTY GOOD PORTION OF THE GROUP, BUT IT'S NOT EVERYBODY.
IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT 60% OF THE GROUP RIGHT NOW DO THE ANNUAL PHYSICAL.
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UM, WE DO ALSO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, TO DO AN ANNUAL, UH, HEALTH, UH, ASSESSMENT ONLINE.AND THEY GET A LITTLE, UH, STIPEND WHEN, UH, WHEN THEY PROVIDE THAT.
SO THAT'S BEEN A PRETTY NICE, UM, KIND OF A WELLNESS QUESTIONNAIRE TO HELP THEM KEEP, KEEP THAT, UH, KEEP TOP OF MIND.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE PLANS RUN WELL FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
I MEAN, THE NUMBER OF, OF, OF WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, CATASTROPHIC MEDICAL CLAIMS HAVE BEEN, KNOCK ON WOOD, HAVE BEEN QUITE LOW FOR, FOR, UM, FOR YOUR GROUP, UH, COMPARED TO OTHER PUBLIC GROUPS THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE SEE ACROSS THE VALLEY, I THINK YOU PROBABLY READ IN THE NEWSPAPER CITY MACALLANS HAVING, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING OF A, A, A FUNDING CRISIS ON THEIR HEALTH PLAN.
AND WE'RE SITTING HERE WITH, YOU KNOW, A MILLION DOLLARS IN THE BANK, WHICH IS LESS THAN, I MEAN, IT'S MORE THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN ANY SINGLE YEAR OF, OF CLAIMS UNDER THE PLAN.
SO THE PLAN'S VERY WELL FUNDED AND VERY WELL FINANCED, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO SOME OF THE OTHER PUBLIC ENTITIES.
NOW THAT BEING SAID, THERE'S WAYS TO, UM, WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE HEAR THAT FROM VIRTUALLY EVERY, EVERY PLAN.
UH, BUT THOSE ARE DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL CAN MAKE.
AND, AND, AND WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE SITTING WITH MONEY IN THE BANK, YOU CAN MAKE THOSE DECISIONS A LOT MORE EASILY THAN, UH, THAN A, UH, THAN ANOTHER GROUP THAT MIGHT HAVE A MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT IN THEIR PLAN OR GREATER.
SO, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CONSIDER.
I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT 'EM IN PRIOR, IN, UH, PRIOR YEARS, AND AT THE TIME, UH, NO ACTION WAS TAKEN, BUT, BUT, UM, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT EVERY YEAR.
WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE RENEWAL PERIOD, OR COMING INTO THE RENEWAL PERIOD RIGHT NOW FOR TEN ONE.
AND WHAT WE DO EVERY YEAR IS WE STOP, WE SHOP THE STOP-LOSS INSURANCE TO MULTIPLE, UH, INSURANCE COMPANIES AND TRY TO FIND THE LOWEST RATES AND MAKE THEM COMPETE AGAINST EACH OTHER TO DRIVE DOWN, DRIVE DOWN THE COST.
AND, UM, YOUR PLAN'S ATTRACTIVE TO THEM.
THIS YEAR, WE'VE HAD STOP-LOSS CLAIMS EVERY YEAR, BUT WE, LIKE I SAID, WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD ANY CATASTROPHIC CLAIMS. UH, I THINK WE HAVE ONE FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT COVID CLAIM IN 2020, BUT, BUT BEYOND THAT, IT'S BEEN, UM, PRETTY WELL CONTROLLED AND MAINTAINED.
SO, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS TO LOOK AT, IS YOU MAY WANT TO INCLUDE MORE WELLNESS AND PREVENTATIVE TYPE MEASURES, UH, FOR, FOR THE PLAN FOR THE NEXT PLAN YEAR.
AND, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE A SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE TO RETAINING EMPLOYEES AS WELL TO INCREASE THE BENEFITS.
THEN, THEN LET ME ASK, LET ME INTRODUCE THIS QUESTION AT THIS POINT THEN.
UH, MR. MADRID, DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF SURVEY THAT WE'VE CONDUCTED AMONGST PEOPLE TO FIND OUT WHERE THEY FEEL LIKE THAT THE PLAN IS MIGHT BE SHORTCOMING OR WHERE WE HAVE SHORTCOMINGS? PERHAPS WHAT WE DO IS, UM, SPEAK TO THE EMPLOYEES ONE-ON-ONE, WHEN THEY COME IN, WE LET 'EM KNOW THE BENEFITS AND ALSO THAT THEY CAN REACH OUT TO US IF THERE'S ANY CONCERNS.
THERE'S BEEN TIMES WHERE THEY WANNA GO TO A DOCTOR AND THEY'RE NOT BEING, UH, CERTIFIED OR VERIFIED.
UM, SO THEY REACH OUT TO US AT THAT MOMENT.
WE HAVE A TALK WITH THEM, LET US KNOW THEIR CONCERNS.
SO IT IS, UH, WHENEVER SOMEBODY'S NEW TO A CLINIC AND THEY GO AFTER HOURS, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO VERIFY THE PLAN.
SO, UM, THEY, THEY MAY CALL IN THE NEXT DAY OR THEY CAN'T GET A MEDICINE.
UM, USUALLY LONE STAR, ONE OF THEIR AGENTS.
WE DELEGATE THE THAT TO THEM, AND THOSE AGENTS HELP OUR, UH, OUR EMPLOYEES TO MAKE SURE THEY GET THEIR MEDICINE THEY NEED OR, OR ANY CLINICS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE FOR THEM IS TO HAVE AN ANNUAL HEALTH FAIR.
UH, WE DO THAT IN THE SPRING TO MOTIVATE WELLNESS.
UM, THIS YEAR WE HAD 42 PEOPLE THAT DID A BLOOD WORK AND, UH, THE REST GO ON THEIR OWN.
SOME OF 'EM LIKE TO GO TOWARDS CHRISTMAS TO GET THEIR BONUS, $150.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY, UH, A GOOD INCENTIVE FOR THEM.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE COULD DO, LIKE, AS YOU MENTIONED, TO MAKE THE PLAN RICHER, IS CONSIDER, UH, THEIR FEES, UH, YOU KNOW, LOWERING THAT OR CUTTING THAT IN HALF.
AND I BELIEVE FI FINANCE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE, IN THE BUDGET, UH, AS WELL AS YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO, UM, MAKE THE PLAN REACHER BY CHANGING SOME OF THE MEDICINES IN THEIR TIER.
IF ONE OF THE MEDICINES IS NOT COVERED FOR AN EMPLOYEE, ANY OF THOSE EMPLOYEES, LET, LET ME KNOW.
THEN I CAN PASS ON THE MESSAGE AND THEY CAN SEE WHAT, WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THAT.
I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME SORT OF, UH, ANALYSIS OR REPORT INDICATING WHERE EVERYBODY IS AND WHETHER ENHANCEMENTS THEY'D LOVE TO SEE WITH THE, WITH THE PLAN.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO US.
UH, ON THE, ON THE, ON OUR PLAN IN THE STOP LOSS, WHEN DOES THAT KICK IN?
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UM, IT KICKS IN, SO IT KICKS IN FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL AT $50,000 OF PAID CLAIMS. OKAY.SO I'M GETTING INTO, I WAS ACTUALLY GETTING INTO THAT SLIDE RIGHT NOW, BUT, BUT YEAH, SO IT'S, IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN IS THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO ON INDIVIDUAL CLAIMS? SO INDIVIDUAL BASIS, SO THE FIRST $50,000 OF EACH YEAR, EACH PLAN YEAR FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL IS, UM, PAID FOR OUT OF YOUR FUNDING.
AND THEN ANY CLAIMS ABOVE THAT AMOUNT ARE PAID BY THE STOP LOSS INSURANCE COMPANY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
UM, AND THAT INCLUDES THE RX AS WELL.
SO IT'S MEDICAL CLAIMS AND THE PRESCRIPTIONS.
UH, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE DOWNSIDES TO, AS YOU WILL KNOW TO SELF-FUNDING, IS THE AMOUNT THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR, YOUR FUND TO PAY FOR, FOR ILLNESSES.
COUPLE OF CATASTROPHIC ILLNESSES QUITE WIPE OUT OUR, OUR ENTIRE FUND, UM, RIGHT.
THAT WELL, AND THAT'S WHY, UM, YOUR, YOUR DEDUCTIBLE AT 50,000 PRETTY MUCH PRECLUDES THAT FROM HAPPENING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, AS I SAID BEFORE, THE, THE CITY'S BEEN FORTUNATE THAT WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD MANY, MANY, UH, VERY LARGE CLAIMS. I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE HAD TWO IN THE LAST THREE YEARS THAT WE'RE OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND TOTAL DOLLARS.
AND SO EVEN ON THOSE, YOUR LIMIT'S 50.
SO YOU CAN'T REALLY GO, UM, GO BROKE AT THAT, AT THAT LEVEL.
AND IN FACT, FOR, FOR A PLAN OF YOUR SIZE, A $50,000 DEDUCTIBLE IS ACTUALLY LOWER THAN WHAT WE NORMALLY SEE.
MOST OF THE GROUPS IN YOUR SIZE RANGE HAVE 75,000, SOME EVEN HAVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS DEDUCTIBLES.
AND WHAT THAT DOES IS, OBVIOUSLY IT LOWERS THE PREMIUM THAT YOU PAY THE CARRIER, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT INCREASES YOUR RISK ON AN, ON AN INDIVIDUAL CLAIM.
AND WE'VE, WE'VE, WE BRING THAT UP EVERY YEAR.
WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT, WE SHOW YOU THE RATES FOR DIFFERENT DE DEDUCTIBLE LEVELS, DIFFERENT INSURANCE COMPANIES, QUOTES, AND SO FORTH.
AND THE DECISION SO FAR HAS BEEN TO MAINTAIN THAT AT THAT 50,000 LEVEL.
AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY, IT'S PAID DIVIDENDS AND THAT YOU DO HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS IN THE BANK.
NOW, ONE THING THAT DOES HAPPEN ON, ON STOP-LOSS INSURANCE, WHEN YOU HAVE KNOWN SICK PEOPLE, WHEN THEY COME UP FOR RENEWAL, THE, THE CARRIER ISSUES WHAT'S CALLED A LASER.
AND THAT'S, WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE, UH, CURRENTLY THIS YEAR, WE'VE GOT SOMEBODY THAT THEY, THAT THEY ASSESSED A DEDUCTIBLE, NOT AT 50, BUT AT 150 JUST FOR THAT ONE INDIVIDUAL.
AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT ALLOW, AGAIN, KEEPS THE PREMIUM DOWN, AND IT DOES SHIFT THE RISK ON THOSE SICK PEOPLE TO, OBVIOUSLY TO THE CITY AND THE STANDARD THROUGHOUT ALL SELF-FUNDED PLANS AND STOP LOSS.
HOWEVER, THE, THE, THE THING IS, YOU'VE GOT THAT MILLION DOLLARS SITTING THERE, SO YOU'RE ABLE TO EASILY FUND THAT LASER AMOUNT.
IF YOU WERE IN A DEFICIT POSITION, IT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT TO, TO DEAL WITH, OBVIOUSLY, IS THAT STANDARD PRACTICE.
ALL THE, ALL THE CARRIERS WILL, WILL, UM, WILL LASER NOW, WE, WE, WE HAVE A FEW THAT WILL SAY, HEY, THERE'S NO LASER ON RENEWAL, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA MAKE UP FOR IT BY CHARGING MUCH HIGHER RATES.
SO IT'S, THERE'S A TRADE OFF TO IT, AND WE CAN GET QUOTES FOR THAT AT THIS YEAR AS WELL.
I THINK WE HAVE IN THE PAST, THERE'S A FEW OF THE STOP-LOSS CARRIERS, UM, THAT WILL GUARANTEE NO LASER, BUT NOT THE FIRST YEAR.
THEY GUARANTEED ON RENEWAL, NO LASER, BUT THEIR RATES ARE GONNA BE DOUBLE WHAT YOU'RE PAYING NOW, MAYBE MORE.
IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A BUSINESS OF MANAGING THE RISK AND, AND THE CITY'S MANAGED IT QUITE WELL IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S EVIDENT FROM THE NUMBERS.
I KNOW THAT THERE MAY BE ISSUES ON THE PLAN DESIGN AND, AND DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT THAT, BUT WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE AS WELL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? JUST DID, OH, YOU WANT ME TO DO THIS ONE TOO? YEAH, SO, UM, YEAH, SO THE FUNDING, THE FUNDING IS JUST, UH, IT IS TYPICALLY BASED ON YOUR PROJECTED CLAIMS, OBVIOUSLY.
AND, AND, UM, AND THAT'S BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE TO SOME DEGREE, THE SIZE OF THE GROUP, THE UNDERWRITERS LOOK AT IT, AND THEY KIND OF LOOK AT THEIR OVERALL BOOK OF BUSINESS AS WELL.
THEIR OVERALL, YOU KNOW, THE MILLIONS OF, OF PEOPLE THAT THEY INSURE.
AND SO SOME OF THEIR RATES ARE BASED ON THAT, BECAUSE A GROUP OF, OF YOUR SIZE IS NOT ENTIRELY PREDICTABLE.
[00:25:01]
CAN, YOU MIGHT HAVE A MILLION DOLLAR CLAIM THE NEXT YEAR YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, NO CLAIM, NO STOP-LOSS CLAIMS AT ALL.BUT AS I SAID, THIS GROUP'S RUN REALLY WELL FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAT, THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN ON BOARD.
SO WE GENERALLY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP THE RATE INCREASES AND THE FUNDING INCREASES ON, UM, STOP-LOSS ABOUT LEVEL.
THEY MIGHT GO UP A COUPLE OF POINTS, TWO OR THREE POINTS A YEAR THIS YEAR ON FULLY INSURED.
IT WAS JUST THE BLUE CROSS JUST PUBLISHED THE FACT THAT THEIR COST IS GOING UP 7%.
SO WE HAVEN'T HAD A, UH, 7%, UH, COST INCREASE ON OUR PLAN.
I MEAN, THE FIRST YEAR WE'RE AT EIGHT 20, AND THIS YEAR WE'RE HAVING, SO FAR EIGHT MONTHS AT ABOUT FIVE 30.
IF YOU ANNUALIZE THAT, THAT'S ABOUT 800.
SO REALLY, WE'VE BEEN ACTUALLY KEEPING THE TOTAL COST FROM INFLATING IT ALL IN FIVE YEARS.
AND AGAIN, THIS INCLUDES THE FIXED COST, THE CLAIMS COST, THE STOP-LOSS PREMIUM, THE RUNOUT CLAIMS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT ARE INCURRED BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT THEY'RE PROCESSED IN THE NEXT YEAR.
THOSE ARE ALL, ALL ACCOUNTED FOR.
WHAT, WHAT ALL ARE THE SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE TO THE CITY? I'M SORRY.
UM, I CAN SPEAK TO THE SERVICES THAT WE OFFER AS AN AGENCY.
I JUST WANTED TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THIS SLIDE, WE, WE GAVE YOU WHAT THE FULLY INSURED WOULD'VE LOOKED LIKE, AND THAT'S WITH A VERY CONSERVATIVE 3%.
HE JUST STATED, BLUE CROSS ANNOUNCED THAT THEIR FULLY INSURED PLANS ARE GONNA BE INCREASING 7%.
THEY USUALLY TREND SEVEN TO 10% FULLY INSURED.
WE JUST DID 3%, AND WE APPLIED 3% EVERY YEAR TO YOUR FULLY INSURED TML PLAN.
AND WE'RE SHOWING IT TO YOU SIDE BY SIDE.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT JUST GOES UP DRASTICALLY COMPARED TO WHAT YOUR PLAN, UM, OPERATED AT.
UM, AND SO PETER DISCUSSED THE DIFFERENT WAYS TO FUND YOU ALL HAVE DONE VERY WELL IN, IN THE WAY YOU FUND IT.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO AS AN AGENCY.
UH, WE ASSIST IN, IN DEVELOPING BID SPECIFICATIONS IF YOU NEED US TO, WE, WHILE WE HAVE OUR CONSULTING LICENSE, WE DON'T ACT AS A CONSULTANT, WE'LL ACT AS A AGENT OF RECORD OR BROKER OF RECORD.
BUT IF YOU NEED US TO ANALYZE THOSE BIDS WHEN THEY COME IN, WE DO THAT.
WE DID IT FOR SAN BENITO, THE CITY OF SAN BENITO.
WE ACTUALLY ANALYZED ALL THE, THE QUOTES THAT CAME IN.
WE SPREADSHEETED EVERYTHING FOR THE CITY, AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW THEM, UH, WHERE, WHERE THE BEST OPTIONS WERE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE DECISION WAS ENTIRELY UP TO THE CITY COMMISSION AT THE TIME.
UPON RECEIPT OF THE PROPOSALS, LIKE I SAID, WE, WE DO THAT.
WE ALSO PROVIDE AN ELECTRONIC ENROLLMENT AND BENEFIT ADMIN SYSTEM TO THE CITY AT NO COST THAT WE INTRODUCED.
WHEN WE CAME IN, YOU WERE, UM, FILLING OUT PAPER APPS WITH THE PREVIOUS AGENTS.
WE EL WE BROUGHT IN AN ELECTRONIC PLATFORM THAT WE PROVIDE AT NO COST, UH, THE PLATFORMS CALLED SOLARIX.
UH, WE ALSO DESIGN AND PRINT AND PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT BOOKLET.
UM, YOU HAVE A SAMPLE OF IT, I THINK IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, WE, WE CREATED THAT FOR YOU.
AND, AND WE, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, UH, TAKE AND AND REVISE THAT FOR YOU EVERY YEAR.
UH, ADD OR SUBTRACT WHATEVER PLANS, PRODUCTS, PRICING IS IN THERE, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, INTRODUCE THE IMAGES THAT YOU PROVIDE.
SO WE, WE CREATED THAT ONE FOR YOU ALL FOR THE FIRST TIME.
UH, WE PROVIDE PAPER COPIES AND AN ELECTRONIC AS WELL.
UM, WE CONDUCT ENROLLER ASSISTED OPEN ENROLLMENT EVERY YEAR.
SO WE BRING ENROLLERS THAT EDUCATE YOUR EMPLOYEES ON THE PRODUCTS.
WE PAY THEM A PER DIEM, AND WE PAY THEM WELL BECAUSE IF WE PAY THEM COMMISSION, UH, OR SHARE COMMISSIONS WITH 'EM, THEN THEY'RE VERY PUSHY.
WE PREFER THEY EDUCATE THE EMPLOYEE, AND IF THE EMPLOYEE WANTS TO BUY IT, THEY'RE GONNA BUY IT.
IF THEY DON'T, YOU STILL GOT PAID.
SO THE ENROLLERS STILL GET PAID, AND THAT'LL BE REFLECTED ON THE COMMISSION PAGE THAT I'M GONNA SHOW YOU IN A WHILE.
WE HAVE EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATING IN SOME OF THESE PRODUCTS, BUT NOT A LOT.
WE'RE NOT PUSHY WHEN WE GET OUT THERE.
AND THE, AND THE ENROLLERS KNOW THAT YOU'RE THERE TO EDUCATE THE EMPLOYEE.
THEY WANNA BUY IT, THEY'RE GONNA BUY IT.
UM, THE OTHER THING WE DO IS WE CONDUCT ONGOING BENEFIT ENROLLMENT.
UM, UM, UH, NEW HIRE ORIENTATION.
SO WE'RE HERE TO HELP MOISES AND HIS TEAM AS THEY ONBOARD NEW EMPLOYEES TO HELP THEM EDUCATE 'EM ABOUT THE PRODUCTS AND GET 'EM ENROLLED AND, AND ONBOARDED.
WE ALSO PROVIDE ONGOING SERVICE TO THE ACCOUNT, INCLUDING ASSISTANCE WITH CLAIMS. UH, MO I SPOKE TO THAT A WHILE AGO.
WHEN AN EMPLOYEE SHOWS UP TO A DOCTOR THAT DOESN'T ACCEPT OUR INSURANCE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN THAT NETWORK, WE IMMEDIATELY CALL THAT DOCTOR.
AND A BA IS VERY RESPONSIVE, UM, IN GETTING THAT DOCTOR CREDENTIALED OR, OR APPROVED TO, TO ACCEPT THAT AND BE IN THAT NETWORK AND ACCEPT THAT COVERAGE.
[00:30:01]
SOMETIMES HAPPENS SAME DAY.THAT'S KIND OF UNHEARD OF WITH THE LARGE CARRIERS BECAUSE THEIR, THEIR PROCESSES ARE A LITTLE BIT SLOWER.
UM, BUT WE HAVE, UM, ACCESS TO A TPA THAT'S MORE BOUTIQUE IN NATURE AND CAN HANDLE, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT IN A MORE NIMBLE, UH, IN, IN A MORE NIMBLE FASHION.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO, UM, ASSIST IN THE PLANNING AND EXECUTING OF, UH, THE EMPLOYEE, UH, HEALTH FAIR.
UH, WE WERE HAPPY TO DO THAT, UM, WITH THE CITY.
AND WE'VE BEEN DOING IT EVERY YEAR EXCEPT FOR THE YEARS DURING COVID.
UM, AND THE ONE, LIKE MOISE SAID THIS LAST, UH, ONE THAT WE HAD, UM, THE CITY, WE NEGOTIATE FOR THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO PAY A VERY LOW COST FOR LABS.
SO WE'LL USE DIFFERENT HOSPITALS FROM TIME TO TIME.
I THINK THIS LAST YEAR, UH, THEY, THEY PAID, UH, $20, I THINK IT WAS 15.
THEY WENT UP, THEY, THEY WENT UP.
I THOUGHT THEY HAD GIVEN YOU 20, BUT YOU GOT 15, UH, FOR, FOR, UH, A LAB.
SO THE EMPLOYEES GO IN, THEY DON'T PAY ANYTHING, THEY GET THE RESULTS, UM, AND TAKE THOSE TO THEIR DOCTOR, AND IT'S ALL PRIVATE.
THEY GET THEM, YOU KNOW, UH, MOISE RECEIVES 'EM, THE EMPLOYEE RECEIVES IT IN AN ENVELOPE, TAKE IT TO YOUR DOCTOR.
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE THAT WON'T GET THEIR ANNUAL WELLNESS DONE THAT'S ALREADY COVERED BY THE PLAN.
BUT WHILE THEY'RE THERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THIS, IN THIS ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY'RE GETTING, YOU KNOW, UM, RAFFLE ITEMS AND WE'RE HANDING OUT STUFF, WE MAKE IT FUN FOR THEM.
UM, THEN THEY'RE MORE INCLINED AND THEY GET THEIR BLOOD DRAWN, AND THEN NOW THEY FOUND OUT THEY'RE BORDERLINE DIABETIC, OR NOW THEY FOUND OUT MAYBE THEY HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT THAT WAS PRESENT.
SO THOSE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, AND THAT THE CITY HAS ALLOWED US TO BE A PART OF.
UM, THIS RIGHT HERE, WE WANNA BE FULL DISCLOSURE.
THESE ARE OUR COMMISSIONS STRAIGHT UP.
YOU CAN LOOK AT THE MEDICAL, THAT'S OUR COMMISSION'S RIGHT THERE.
WE, WE BROUGHT, UM, UM, UH, MEDALIST IN AND, UH, THAT PARTICULAR YEAR, WE SAVED THE CITY ABOUT 35% ON THEIR PHARMACY.
AND WE, WE, WE TOOK $3 PEPM TO DO THAT, AND WE DISCLOSED IT.
BUT YOU CAN SEE THE ACTIVITY IS NOT THAT HIGH BECAUSE OUR TOTAL ANNUAL AT THAT $3 PER SCRIPT WAS ABOUT $3,000.
UM, AND THE DENTAL, YOU'LL SEE THE COMMISSIONS THERE, AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT WE MAKE ON THE, ON THE COLONIAL PRODUCTS, WHICH ARE YOUR CANCER, CRITICAL ILLNESS, ACCIDENT, THOSE TYPE OF PRODUCTS.
UM, BUT THERE'S YOUR TOTAL COMMISSION.
THAT'S WHAT WE MAKE ON THE CITY OF SAN BENITO.
UH, AND I THINK THAT WE PROVIDE A LOT OF VALUE FOR THAT.
UM, BUT WE WILL ALWAYS SHOOT YOU STRAIGHT.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE CAN ENTERTAIN THOSE RIGHT NOW.
I WOULDN'T WANNA TAKE TOO MUCH MORE OF YOUR TIME.
I KNOW YOU GOT A BIG AGENDA AHEAD OF YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE, I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
YOU HAD TO START, UM, FROM THE TML INSURANCE VERSUS YOUR INSURANCE.
AS FAR AS EMPLOYEE COUNT, RIGHT.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION ON HAND.
MO SAYS, DO YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE, I KNOW THAT THE GROUP WHEN WE, WHEN WE CAME ON WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 180 EMPLOYEES.
I THINK RIGHT NOW YOU'RE AT 1 35.
SO IT'S HOVERED BETWEEN 180 AT ITS HIGHEST.
UH, AND THEN COVID, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD SOME DROP THERE, AND I THINK RIGHT NOW YOU'RE AT ABOUT 1 35.
SO OUT OF UM, 200 BUDGETED EMPLOYEES, WE NORMALLY RUN ABOUT 1 95.
AND OUT OF THOSE 135 EMPLOYEES SIGNED UP FOR THE PROGRAM, OTHERS ARE WITH THEIR SPOUSE.
'CAUSE THEY, THEY ALREADY HAD IT BEFORE THEY CAME ON BOARD WITH, WITH THE CITY.
SO IF THEY ALREADY HAVE INSURANCE OUTSIDE WHEN THEY'RE NEW HIRES, WE ALLOW THEM TO STAY ON THAT INSURANCE AT, AT THAT POINT, IT'S OPTIONAL.
UNLESS THEY DON'T HAVE INSURANCE, THEN WE, WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO SIGN UP WITH US.
AND SO 135 EMPLOYEES PLUS SOME SIGN UP FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR SPOUSE.
SO IT'S BASICALLY 152 ACCOUNTS.
SO THEY, I'M, I'M SURE THAT, UH, WHEN THEY ANALYZED THE NUMBERS, THEY SHOULD HAVE USED, UH, EITHER THE 200 MAXIMUM POSITIONS OR THE, THE ACTUAL ENROLLED.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MR. GO? YES.
THAT'S WHY I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
BUT, UM, OKAY, GOING BACK TO MR. SO'S QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MAX IS 50,000 COVERAGE PER CATASTROPHIC EVENT, AND THERE'S ONLY A MILLION DOLLARS IN THERE, AND YOU HAVE 20 CATASTROPHIC EVENTS, AND WE GO OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
THE, THE CITY BASICALLY STARTS BLEEDING, RIGHT? WELL, WE HAVE AN AGGREGATE STOP LOSS AS WELL.
UH, THAT COVERS ANOTHER MILLION ON TOP OF THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT ONE, UH, THAT ONE'S PRETTY LOW.
UH, THE, THE STOP-LOSS PREMIUM THAT YOU PAY FOR THE SPECIFIC, I BELIEVE IS AT ONE 50.
I BELIEVE THAT ONE'S AT 1 1 51 THIS YEAR.
SO IT'S ABOUT $150 PER EMPLOYEE.
AND THE AGGREGATE STOP-LOSS IS $3 AND 62 CENTS.
BUT THE REASON THAT'S SO LOW IS 'CAUSE IT'S RARELY, RARELY DO YOU EVER,
[00:35:01]
UH, HIT, UH, THE AGGREGATE.BECAUSE EVERY EMPLOYEE HAS UNLIMITED, ABOVE THAT 50,000 THAT THE CITY INCURS.
BUT WE'RE STILL GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT FIRST MILLION.
WELL, YOU WANT, SO FOR THE, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR 50, AND THEN AFTER THAT, THE AGGREGATE LOSS STOP LOSS KICKS IN, AND WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT IF YOU, IF YOU HAD, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IF YOU HAD 2020 MEMBERS OF YOUR PLAN GO ABOVE 50,000 OF PAY CLAIMS IN A YEAR, I GUESS WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE ONE MEMBER THAT WAS $150,000 CLAIM.
HOW DID THAT, HOW DID THE STOP-LOSS PROTECT US? OKAY, SO, SO THE CITY PAID THE FIRST 50,000, RIGHT? AND THEN THE INSURANCE COMPANY PICKED UP THE REST, PICKED UP THE OTHER A HUNDRED, AND HAD THE CLAIM BEEN A MILLION OR 4 MILLION, WE'VE SEEN SOME THAT HIGH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE STOP-LOSS CARRIER PICKED UP EVERY PENNY OF IT ABOVE 50,000.
SO THE, THE ADJUSTED COST FOR EACH EMPLOYEE IS ABOUT $150 FOR THE STOP-LOSS PORTION YES.
FOR EMPLOYEE ONLY, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND WE'RE ALREADY PAYING $359 AND 80 CENTS PER EMPLOYEE, LEAVING THE EMPLOYEE TO PAY $84 AND 74 CENTS.
THE STOP LOSS FEE IS, UH, INCLUDED IN THERE, INCLUDED IN THE 3 59 80? YES.
SO THE EMPLOYEE'S PAYING FOR THEIR OWN STOP LOSS FEE? NOT NECESSARILY.
UH, IT'S PART OF THE, PART OF THE PACKAGE, BUT IT COMES OUT OF THEIR CHECK.
THE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTES, UH, $84 ROUGHLY, UH, OUT OF THE, THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE.
OH, SO THE CITY'S PAYING THAT PORT THE OTHER, YES.
SO THE STOP LOSS IS INCLUDED IN THAT WHOLE PREMIUM, THE 4 44 54? YES.
THE PACKAGE THAT, THAT YOU HAVE THERE TELLS YOU WHAT THE EMPLOYEE PAYS AND WHAT THE CITY PAYS.
UM, THE FEES, THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEES, THEY'RE INCLUDED WITHIN.
BUT IN THAT SECTION, WE, WE DON'T SHOW THAT.
IT'S JUST FOR THE EMPLOYEE TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE PAYING THE FEES.
YOU COULD SAY THEY'RE IN THE BACKGROUND.
YEAH, I, I, I KNOW THERE'S, UH, PROBABLY OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE, THAT ARE PERHAPS SAYING, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY PAY A LOT LESS FOR THEIR STOP-LOSS.
BUT I WOULD, I WOULD CHECK AND SEE WHAT STOP-LOSS, UH, LIMIT THEY'RE CARRYING AND WHAT SIZE GROUP THEY ARE.
UM, I HAVE, UH, WE HAVE A 5,000 MAN GROUP, UH, WHERE THEIR SPEC STOP-LOSS IS $29, BUT IT'S 5,000 EMPLOYEES.
SO YOU WOULD SEE A DIFFERENCE IN THE GROUP SIZE AND ALSO IN THEIR CLAIMS. UH, THAT PLAYS A BIG PART OF THAT.
ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER, JUDGE, ANYBODY ELSE? UH, THERE IS NO EXTRA REQUIRED AT THIS TIME.
BUT, UH, I WANNA COME BACK TO YOU AT A LATER DATE AND GIVE YOU, UH, OUR OPINION, A RECOMMENDATION, WHETHER THIS IS A GOOD THING, OR SHOULD WE DO SOMETHING ELSE? SHOULD WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE? IS THAT ENOUGH? WE'LL BE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THAT.
UH, SOMETHING YOU PROBABLY THINKING ABOUT IS THAT, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN THE, THE BUDGET FOR FUTURE LOSSES? WE'LL BE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THAT, BUT, UH, AT THIS POINT, THERE'S NO NEED FOR YOU TO MAKE A DECISION IN ANYTHING.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR, CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE.
UH, RESOLUTION NUMBER 2023 DASH 0 6 2 2 7 DASH ZERO ONE R.
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF SANTO, TEXAS.
DIRECTION DIRECTING THE CITY DIRECTOR OF FINANCE SERVICE TO CALCULATE THE, UH, VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATING FOR THE CITY, UM, IN A MANNER PROVIDED FOR A SPECIAL TAX UNIT, AND, UH, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
AND MS. STEPHANIE PER PRESENT.
SO THIS IS BASICALLY, UM, ALLOWING ME TO, UH, WORK WITH OUR TAX RATE.
STILL DON'T HAVE, WELL, THE PRELIMINARY VALUES WERE OUT TODAY.
I ACTUALLY RECEIVED THE MAIL SAYING THAT.
SO IT'S JUST BASICALLY GRANTING ME, UM, FOR ME TO DO IT BECAUSE IT'S STILL UNDER THEIR, UM, OFFICES, THE PRIOR DIRECT FINANCE DIRECTOR, UH, NAME.
SO EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE COMING IN MY NAME, AND I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THE PROPERTY TAX.
SO IT'S A RESOLUTION FOR YOU GRANTING ME TO, TO DO THAT.
SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO, UH, PUT
[00:40:01]
MISS, UH, STEPHANIE THERE ON THE, UM, ON THE ORDERS APPROVAL, X-RAY FOR THE CITY? THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? YEP.SECOND BY, UM, COMMISSIONER MORALES.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE, CONS, UH, DISCRETION FOR THE 2023 VALOR, UH, PROPERTY TAX RATE.
UH, MR. SOTELO PRESENT THIS, UM, AS WE JUST GOT THE, THE INFORMATION, ALTHOUGH WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO PLUG THAT INTO OUR, INTO OUR SYSTEM TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD BE.
BUT, UH, TO, TO SORT OF BRAG A LITTLE BIT.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, I HAVE NEVER IN MY ENTIRE CAREER, EVER RECOMMENDED TAX INCREASE TO ANY CITY THAT I WORK AT.
I INTEND TO CONTINUE THAT RECORD.
SO WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU AND, AND, AND ASKING YOU TO ESTABLISH US A TAX RATE THAT IT, THAT WILL GIVE US SUFFICIENT REVENUE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE TO THE CITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE NOTICING THIS YEAR, AND WE'VE ALREADY HEARD ABOUT IS THE, UH, INCREASED, UH, AMOUNTS LEVIED BY THE, UH, APPRAISAL RAI.
HOW WILL THAT AFFECT US? WELL, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOTTA HAVE AN INCREASE IN APP PRESS VALUE.
THAT'S, THAT'S EVERY YEAR YOU BASICALLY HAVE THAT.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS TAKE A LOOK AND, AND, AND WE'LL BE TALKING MORE ABOUT THAT DURING THE BUDGET.
TAKE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO, AND TAKE A LOOK TO SEE WHAT IMPACT THAT WILL HAVE ON, ON, ON OUR CITIZENS.
KEEP IN MIND THAT WE HAVE A VERY POOR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE WEALTH THAT THE COMMUNITIES HAVE.
UH, PEOPLE HAVE A HARD TIME PAYING FOR ANYTHING.
SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY COGNIZANT OF HOW WE ESTABLISH A TAX RATE AND OUR BUDGET TO SEE CAN PEOPLE PAY IT, YOU KNOW, OR WE'RE DOING MORE HARM BY INCREASING THE TAX RATE OR BY OVERSPENDING, THAT SORT OF THING.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THE, THE ONLY PURPOSE WE HAVE IS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND FOR US TO, TO DO SOMETHING BEYOND A CITIZENS' CAPABILITY.
AND THEY, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE WRONG THING TO DO.
SO, UH, I AM, AND I'VE TALKED TO OUR FINANCIAL DIRECTOR AND OUR STAFF.
I'M DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP OUR COSTS DOWN AND EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PREVENT US FROM HAVING TO INCREASE, UH, TAXES AND ANY OTHER FEES THAT WE HAVE.
AND SO FAR, I THINK IT'S, IT'S GONNA WORK OUT PRETTY WELL FOR US.
BY INCREASING THE APPRAISED VALUE OF PROPERTIES, OF COURSE, THAT INCREASES EVERYBODY'S TAXES BASED ON WHATEVER TAX RATE OF COURSE WE PURSUE ON, ON, ON PAPER.
IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, BUT THE CITY COMMISSION WANTS TO DO, WE DON'T HAVE TO, UH, UH, INCREASE OUR PROPERTY TAXES TO GATHER MORE MONEY.
UH, SO THEORETICALLY WE COULD SEE EVEN A TAX CUT BASED ON THE ADDITIONAL PRICE VALUE.
I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT.
I WOULDN'T SAY, UH, I THINK YOU DO TAX CUT THE LAST YEAR,
'CAUSE YES, WE RECOGNIZE THE BURDEN ON OUR PEOPLE MM-HMM.
OF PROPERTY TAXES AND THE THINGS THAT, THAT ARE THERE.
AND THE THING IS THAT, UH, LIKE LAST YEAR'S, I KNOW WE DID THE, WE LOWERED THE 2%, YOU KNOW, OR THE 2 CENTS TO BE ABLE TO HELP THE, OUR, YOU KNOW, UH, OUR CITIZENS.
BUT, UH, ANOTHER ENTITY CAME IN AND THEN THEY TOOK IT.
SO THEY, AND THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER ALSO, MA'AM, I'M NOT TO BROUGHT THAT UP.
UH, WE HAVE A MULTITUDE OF TAXING AGENCIES IN, IN OUR CITY.
SEEMS LIKE EVERY AGENCY'S GOT THEIR HAND OUT.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS, YOU GOT THE COUNTY, YOU GOT THE CITY, YOU DRAINAGE DISTRICT, GOD KNOWS WHO ELSE.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE GOT THE PORT OF HARMEN, WHO IS, WHO IS ALSO, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY PAYS IT, BUT I HAPPEN TO BE CAUGHT IN THAT.
UH, SO YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S A TREMENDOUS BURDEN THAT WE PLACE ON OUR, ON OUR CITIZENS.
UH, WE HAVE A VERY ELDERLY COMMUNITY.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE AN INFLUX OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THAT, TO THAT, UH, TEXAS, UH, BASE.
UM, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE, OUR CENSUS BUREAU, WHICH I THINK CENSUS, UH, UH, INFORMATION FROM, UH, THE LAST, UH, CENSUS, WE
[00:45:01]
ONLY GAINED 600 AND SOME ODD PEOPLE.I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT'S CORRECT.
BUT NONETHELESS, WE'RE NOT GROWING.
UH, AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO, TO BRING OTHER PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, AND PARTICULARLY THE YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO HAVE A, A HIGHER INCOME THAN, THAN A LOT OF OUR CITIZENS.
YOU MAKE ME WANNA STAND UP AND APPLAUD
I THINK WHAT I'VE, I, I CAN JUST, I KNOW WHAT THE MAYOR'S THINKING ABOUT.
I THINK OUR, OUR EMPLOYEE BASE HAS GONE UP.
WE'RE ABOUT, I THINK 195 EMPLOYEES' BUDGETED FOR 200.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE, THE BUDGET, THERE'S, AFTER SALARIES ARE PAID AND, AND, AND EVERYBODY'S RETIREMENT AND MEDICAL BENEFITS, WE'RE ONLY LEFT WITH ABOUT $2 MILLION TO WORK WITH.
AND IF YOU PAY ONE MILE, WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE? RIGHT? SO, AND THEN THERE'S, WE JUST APPROVED A LIFT STATION LAST MEETING, $1 MILLION.
THAT GOES 50% OF YOUR, OF YOUR KITTY TO SPEND.
NOW WE HAVE MONEY ON THE UNASSIGNED FUND, BUT WHAT WE'LL BE TASKED WITH IS WHAT CAN WE SPEND AND WHAT'S FEASIBLE.
BUT, UH, GOVERNOR ABBOTT IS TRYING TO PUSH HIS SENATE AND, AND REPRESENTATIVES TO BE PUSHING THE LARGEST PROPERTY TAX CUT.
NOW, IF YOU ARE, IF YOUR HOME GOES FROM A HUNDRED GRAND TO 200 GRAND, BUT THEN YOU GET A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS EXEMPTION, IT'S A WASH.
SO TO MAKE A TAX CUT, A PROPERTY TAX CUT NOW WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT EXEMPTIONS ARE COMING TO THE TABLE.
'CAUSE THEY COULD PUT US MORE IN THE NEGATIVE AND LESS SUSTAINABLE.
WE'LL BE PRETTY MUCH RUNNING AN OPERATION TO PAY EMPLOYEES ONLY.
AND THE CITY CITIZENS DON'T TAKE KINDLY TO JUST THAT.
UM, THEY, THEY DON'T WANNA KNOW THAT WE'RE JUST PAYING EMPLOYEES.
AND YOU GUYS ARE IN A TOUGH POSITION.
'CAUSE THE, THE PUBLIC EYE IS ALWAYS ON ALL OF US.
AND WHAT CAN WE PROVIDE TO THE CITIZENS? WHAT IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT.
WHAT I, WHAT CAN YOU GIVE ME? I'M GIVING YOU THIS, WHAT CAN YOU GIVE ME IN RETURN? SO WE HAVE A TASK AHEAD OF US, AND WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.
SO, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, GROWING THAT PIE IS A BIG PORTION OF WHAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT.
ALSO COMPANIES THAT TO COME INTO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED, WE NEED JOBS.
WE NEED JOBS HERE ALSO, UH, TO GET THE PEOPLE, CITIZENS TO STAY HERE AND, UH, NOT LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT AT LEAST STAY HERE SO WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, SO IT CAN HELP US GROW ALSO.
AND, UH, LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL HEAR ME SAY BUY LOCAL, STAY LOCAL, SHOP LOCAL.
YOU KNOW, THE CITIZENS DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT, WHAT IT MEANS.
AND WE NEED TO, UH, EDUCATE THE PEOPLE.
WE NEED TO HAVE 'EM, YOU KNOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH BUSINESS THAT WE HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THEY GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
BUT WE NEED TO, UH, BRING IN MORE BUSINESS, DIFFERENT ALSO THAT'S, UH, GONNA MAKE 'EM STAY HERE AND, UH, LEAVE THE MONEY HERE WITH, WITH US.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE HOPEFULLY OUR, OUR PRIORITY TO GET THE, THOSE, UH, THOSE BUSINESS HERE, SIR.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TO GET 'EM, YOU KNOW, UH, SO WE CAN, UH, HELP OUT SOME.
WE GOT A LOT OF PROJECTS, AND I KNOW THAT, UH, I HEARD YOU SAY THAT, UH, THOSE PROJECTS, WHATEVER WE HAVE, NEED TO BE IN AND OUT.
AND, UM, SO I APPLAUD YOU FOR THAT.
LET'S GET 'EM, LET'S GET 'EM GOING SO WE CAN START LOOKING IN, UH, HAVING THE TASK OF GETTING MORE AND PROVIDING MORE SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF BURDEN ON, UH, ALL YOU DIRECTORS, ALL YOU DIRECTORS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD.
WE DO OUR BEST TO, UH, GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
OKAY? SO, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE OTHER TAXING ENTITIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, CAMERON COUNTY AND THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT.
WE SAW, I SAW SOMEONE POST ABOUT A PROJECT IN BENEATH US GETTING A CHICK-FIL-A AND A WENDY'S.
WELL, THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT AND THE HIDALGO COUNTY PUT ABOUT $25 MILLION INTO THAT PROJECT.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE TO GO OUT AND TELL OUR, OUR COUNTY PRECINCT COMMISSIONER, THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT, HEY, YOU'RE TAXING ENTITY OF THIS AREA.
SO WHAT CAN YOU PUT IN TO HELP US HERE? IT'LL HELP US ALL IN RETURN, UH, BOOSTING THAT PROPERTY VALUE AND THAT SALES TAX REVENUE.
I, UH, I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT WE DON'T HAVE A VERY GOOD REPUTATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES.
UH, I WAS SURPRISED, VERY SURPRISED.
BUT NONETHELESS, I AM, MY FIRST MEETING TO TRY TO REMEDY THAT IS WITH THE CHAIRMAN AND AND MANAGER OF THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT.
THEY HAVE A LAWSUIT AGAINST US.
[00:50:02]
I RAN INTO HIM THE OTHER DAY AT A RESTAURANT, AND HE TOLD ME IF I WANTED TO VISIT WITH HIM, HE SAID, YOU AND I CAN SOLVE THIS ISSUE IN 20 MINUTES.SO I, I MAY BEEN MEETING WITH HIM HOPEFULLY TOMORROW OR THE NEXT DAY, AND, UH, GET OUT OF THE MESS THAT WE CREATED FOR OURSELVES, UH, AND, AND NOT BE, I'LL ALSO BE MEETING WITH THE HOWARD, UH, DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND MY SPECIAL MEETING WOULD BE WITH COMMISSIONER ZA.
THEY'S JUST HAVEN'T SPENT IN HERE
AND WE NEED TO GREAT, WE NEED TO TWIST HIS ARM AND, AND GET SOME PROJECTS GOING HERE IN, IN
BUT IT'S SOMETHING, AND I'VE TOLD THE STAFF THIS, WE HAVE TO REGAIN THE RESPECT OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE SUPPORT OF OUR CITIZENS.
THAT'S WHERE ALL OF YOU COME IN.
UH, I CAN TALK AND DO PRODUCTS AND EVERYTHING, BUT YOU ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND MEET YOUR PEOPLE AND FACE THEM AND, AND TELL THEM THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT.
WE'LL BE WORKING HARDER TO, TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE THAT YOU, THAT YOU, UH, DEMAND AND, AND PAY FOR.
UM, I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF.
UH, I'VE GOT A, UH, DON'T WANT TO PLAN.
I DON'T PLAN TO KEEP YOU VERY LONG.
I DON'T LIKE LONG MEETINGS AND KNOW NEITHER DO YOU.
AND SO OUR FIRST, UH, UH, BUDGET WORKSHOP WILL BE LIMITED.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU TO TONIGHT.
LET ME, SO, UM, ITEM NUMBER FIVE, THE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NONE.
I, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, MR. RO, WELCOME ABOARD.
UM, EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE BEEN SAYING, I APPLAUD IT.
THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.
EVERYBODY'S SITTING AT THIS TABLE, AND WHAT I'M THINKING THAT WE'RE DOING IS BASICALLY REBRANDING OURSELF.
BUT THIS TIME WE'RE REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE TO HELP US.
WHEREAS BEFORE WE WEREN'T DOING IT.
YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T SEEKING ALL THE GRANTS THAT WE COULD BE GETTING, ALL THE FUNDS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND THIS TIME AROUND, IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, EVERYBODY'S PLAYING A WHOLE PART IN THIS TEAMWORK.
AND I LIKE TO APPLAUD EVERYBODY SITTING HERE AT THE TABLE TOO, BECAUSE IT IS, IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OF US TO GET OUT THERE TO THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THE ONES SITTING HERE, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT ALL OF US.
AND, AND THEN IT'S JUST REBRANDING OURSELVES.
BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, WE DID HAVE A BAD REPUTATION.
YOU KNOW, AND, BUT WE JUST NEED TO GET OUT THERE AND INFORM THE COMMUNITY OF WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHAT WE'RE ABOUT, AND JUST GO MOVING FORWARD, NOT LOOKING BACK.
ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS, ONE OF THE PRACTICES THAT I, THAT I HAVE IS THAT THE, ONCE WE DO THE BUDGET, I'M GONNA BE ASKING OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS TO, TO, TO GO OUT AND SELL THAT TO THE PUBLIC, INFORM THE PUBLIC.
UH, USUALLY WE PICK THE, THE 10 HIGHEST TAXPAYERS, AND WE MEET WITH THEM AND EXPLAIN TO THEM THE BUDGET.
AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE SCHOOL THE SUPERINTENDENT MEET WITH, WITH, UH, TO HER AND, AND SEE HOW WE CAN HELP, UH, GROW THE CITY AND, AND PROVIDE SERVICES.
SO, SO I BELIEVE ALL OF US SHOULD BE OUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD KNOCKING ON DOORS AND, AND, AND TELLING THEM WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO.
I LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO, THE CITY PU CAN DO ANYTHING.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO INSTILL IN OUR FOLKS.
AND SO FAR, EVERYBODY'S BEEN AGREEABLE, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS, WHICH IS, UH, VERY GOOD.
UH, SO I'M HOPING THAT YOU WILL SEE SOME GOOD CHANGES IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, I, I, I HADN'T SEEN YOU SINCE WE APPOINTED YOU, MR. ELLO.
HE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH MY FATHER WHEN HE SAT ON THE CITY COMMISSION IN AR A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
AND I WALKED UP TO HIM AND I SAID, HOW YOU DOING? HE SAYS, I'M HAVING FUN,
AND, AND I JUST, I, I, I WANT THAT TO EMULATE ME TOO.
I'M HAVING FUN WITH, WITH THIS POSITION.
AND I WANT THE REST OF YOU GUYS TO HAVE FUN WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND, AND LET'S, LET'S MAKE THAT A FUN PLACE.
WE, WE'LL NEVER BE SOUTHWEST AIRLINES, BUT WE'LL BE CLOSE TO
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NUMBER FIVE.
UH, BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR ONE FOR PHYSICAL YEAR.
OCTOBER 21ST, 2023 TO SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024.
AND MR. ELLO, PRESENT THIS SETTLE.
I, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, TO TRY TO HELP MOVE OUR CITY FORWARD.
UH, I'VE ONLY BEEN IN SAN BERNARD, UH, 17 YEARS.
UH, BUT, UH, MY WIFE IS FROM HERE.
UH, WHEN I RETIRED, UH, SHE WANTED TO MOVE BACK, AND SHE HAD ALREADY FOLLOWED ME FROM HERE TO DALLAS AND TO LUBBOCK AND BACK TO DALLAS.
I SAID, OKAY, IT'S MY TURN TO FOLLOW YOU.
SHE'S THE ONLY REASON I'M HERE.
UM, AND THEN WE GOT TWO GIRLS THAT BOTH OF THEM ARE GRADUATES, GRADUATES OF 70 YEAR HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, TONIGHT I ONLY WANT TO TALK TO YOU A
[00:55:01]
LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PHILOSOPHY, YOUR PHILOSOPHY, YOUR IDEAS OF WHAT WE SHOULD DO AS, AS FAR AS PROVIDING SERVICES TO, TO CITIZENS.AND TELL YOU, UH, WHERE WE STAND FINANCIALLY.
UM, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO, TO SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE OR, OR, OR BE RECOMMENDING TO YOU.
UH, WHEN I FIRST LOOKED AT THE BUDGET, SOMETIME BACK, UH, I SAID, GOD, WE DON'T HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET.
WE WE'RE SPENDING TOO MUCH MONEY AND WE DON'T HAVE THE REVENUE.
BECAUSE YOU HAD PLUGGED THE, THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET SHORTFALL FROM THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
AND THE MESSAGE WAS, WE NEED TO INCREASE WATER RATES IN WATER DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE REVENUES.
WELL, YOU DIDN'T HAVE REVENUES BECAUSE YOU WERE SPENDING MORE THAN THE GENERAL FUND.
SO YOU WERE ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL.
UM, ALSO IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT, WE WERE USING ARPA FUNDS TO, TO BALANCE THE OPERATING EXPENSES OF THE OF THE, UH, DISTRICT.
THAT'S A, THAT IS THE THING THAT YOU DON'T EVER WANNA DO, IS TO USE GOVERNMENT FUNDS FOR OPERATIONS BECAUSE GOVERNMENT FUNDS RUNS OUT.
AND THEN WHAT DO YOU DO? THERE'S A CLASSIC CASE, AND I TOLD THE MAYOR THIS MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, YOU, ALTHOUGH YOU WERE TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER REVENUE SHARING, WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GAVE CITIES PART OF THEIR TAX MONIES BACK AND ALMOST NO STRINGS ATTACHED, CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI HIRED ABOUT A HUNDRED POLICE OFFICERS AND PAID THEM OUTTA REVENUE MACHINE.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK TO DO.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T LET GO OF 10 OF HUN OF A HUNDRED POLICE OFFICERS YOU JUST HIRED.
SO THEY HAD TO INCREASE PROPERTY TAX TO DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS, TO BE ABLE TO BALANCE THEIR BUDGET.
THAT'S A, AND EVERY CITY MANAGER KNOWS THAT STORY.
AND, AND WE USE IT PERIODICALLY FOR COUNCIL TO, TO TELL YOU, WE CAN'T USE THAT MONEY TO, TO PAY FOR OPERATIONS.
WE'VE GOT TO LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS.
IF WE DON'T HAVE IT, WE DON'T SPEND IT.
BUT, UH, AGAIN, I SAID, I, I THOUGHT WE WERE IN A HOLE.
BUT WHAT WE DISCOVERED IN LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, A VERY PERIPHERY, UH, REVIEW.
WE BUDGET MORE THAN WE SPENT, FOR WHATEVER REASON.
WE'VE ALWAYS BUDGETED MORE THAN WE SPENT.
UM, ONE OF MY, MY INSTRUCTIONS TO OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR WAS, WE'VE GOTTA FIND A WAY TO, TO PLUG THE HOLE IN THE WATER AND WASTEWATER DEPARTMENT AND USE THAT $1 MILLION THAT WE WERE SPENDING IN GENERAL FUND AND MOVE IT BACK TO WHERE IT BELONGS.
SO WE USED TO THINK THAT THE WATER DEPARTMENT WAS A COUPLE OF MILLION DOLLARS IN A HOLE.
WE MOVE A MILLION DOLLARS BACK TO THE, TO THE WATER FUND.
UH, WE ALSO DID SOME, SOME, UM, SOME REVIEWS OF, OF OUR PROJECTS.
UM, WE TOOK OUT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT EXPENSES OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND AND THE WATER WATERFRONT AND, AND SAYING, WE NEED TO USE ARPA FUNDS.
WE'VE GOT $7 MILLION SITTING IN THE BANK THAT WE HAVE NOT SPENT.
WE'VE GOT THREE YEARS TO SPEND IT.
WE'RE REALLY TWO YEARS TO SPEND IT.
CAN WE DO $7 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS? YOU KNOW? AND, UH, THE THING IS, IF SOMEBODY SAID, EASY, NOT REALLY, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO CONTRACT THE MAJORITY OF THEM OUT.
I WAS TELLING THE MAYOR TODAY, I NEED TO CHECK AND SEE IF WE CAN CREATE AN ADDITIONAL CREW IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT, UH, TO DO THE REPLACEMENT LINE REPLACEMENT AND PAY FOR THEM OUT OF THE ARPA FUND, THE PERSONNEL, THE EQUIPMENT, AND, AND THE MATERIAL TO BE ABLE TO, TO SPEED UP WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN, IF NOT, WE NEED TO DO THAT ANYWAY.
UH, WE NEED TO START CONTRACTING THAT.
I WAS TELLING PUBLIC WORKS AND OUR ENGINEER GET READY BECAUSE I WANNA SEE THE DUST FLY.
UH, I WANT US TO DO AS MANY PROJECTS AS WE CAN WHEN, WHEN PROJECTS OUT THE DOOR, EVERY TIME WE MEET WITH YOU, YOU NEED TO APPROVE A PROJECT THAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR CITY.
UM, AND WITH ARPA, THANK GOD, WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT.
HOW WILL WE PRIORITIZE THOSE? MY, MY PRIORITY IS THE WATER, WATER LINES.
UH, WE HAVE BREAKS EVERY, EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WE LOSE OVER 30% OF OUR WATER.
THAT'S A HECK OF A LOT OF WATER.
AND THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY BEING LOST.
[01:00:01]
AND I, AND I NEED TO TALK TO OUR, OUR, UH, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.HOW CAN WE SPEED UP THINGS? BECAUSE WE HAD TO WAIT ALMOST FOUR HOURS BEFORE THE, THE INSPECTORS CAME DOWN AND LOCATED THE, THE, THE OTHER UTILS THAT ARE AROUND.
WE CAN'T BREAK GROUND UNTIL THEY COME AND TELL US, YOU KNOW, THE TELEPHONE LINE OR WHATEVER.
SO WE, WE GOTTA STAND AROUND AND WAIT FOR THEM TO COME.
AND THAT'S WHY PEOPLE COMPLAIN.
ALL THEY DO IS STANDING AROUND.
WELL, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL THEY COME AND, AND LOCATE THE UTILITIES.
AND FIRST THEY TOLD US THAT IT WOULD TAKE FOUR HOURS FOR THEM TO GET HERE.
YOU KNOW, SO HOW DO, HOW CAN WE GET THEM SPEED UP? I'LL BE, I'LL BE VISITING WITH, WITH, UH, THE FOLKS.
UH, AND MAYBE WE CAN GET SOMETHING, SOMETHING BETTER THAT, THAT'S JUST A TON OF WASTE WHILE THE WATER'S STILL FLOWING.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S THE PRIORITY.
WE NEED TO FIX THE WATER LINES.
UH, UH, AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE TRY TO DO SOME SOMETHING WITH THE SEWAGE, BUT THE SEWAGE IS NOT THAT BIG A PROBLEM.
THE ONES WE'RE FIXING THE, THE, THE LIFT STATIONS AS THE WATER LINES.
WE'VE GOT AN A BUNCH OF OLD WATER LINES, CAST, IRON, UH, UH, ASBESTOS LINES, THOSE SORT OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER USED.
UM, NOT AS BAD AS DEL RIO, THOUGH.
WE DID A PROJECT THERE AND THEY HAD WOODEN LINES DOWNTOWN, WOODEN, AND WE REPLACE 'EM ALL.
UH, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I, YOU'VE BEEN HERE A LOT LONGER THAN I HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH WATER.
SO THAT'S, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE LONG ANSWER.
BUT, UH, IT'D BE THE WATER LINES THAT, THAT WE'VE CONCENTRATED ON.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A LIST OF FUND BALANCES THAT WE HAVE NOT USED FUND, UH, MONIES THAT WERE PUT INTO FUND BALANCE FOR PROJECTS THAT WERE NEVER DONE.
UM, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS LONGER THAT WE HAVE ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN A FUND FOR STREET MAINTENANCE.
IT'S BEEN THERE FOR TWO, THREE YEARS.
YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE SPENT? 300,000.
WE HAVEN'T DONE WHAT WE SAID WE WERE GONNA DO.
UH, WE BUDGETED TWICE AS MUCH THIS YEAR.
THREE, WE BUDGETED SIX, 600,000.
UM, I WILL ALSO BE LOOKING AT, UH, DOING A LOT OF CONTRACTING NOW, RATHER THAN TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING OURSELVES.
UH, WE, WE NEED TO GET THOSE PROJECTS OUT THE DOOR.
AND OUR FOLKS CAN DO EVERYTHING AS MUCH AS THEY WOULD LIKE TO, AND MUCH AS THEY THINK WE JUST CAN'T.
SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UH, PRIORITIZING SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS.
THE BIGGER ONES, THE RECONSTRUCTION STREETS AND RELOCATION OF UTILITIES AND, AND BUILDING OF MANHOLES.
UH, TODAY WE WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A, A PROGRAM TO REHAB SOME OF THE LIFT STATIONS.
AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WILL BE GOING TO THE CITY OF EDINBURG TO SEE A PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE THAT WE CAN COPY TO, TO, TO DO SOME REHAB OF OUR OVER LIFT STATIONS.
SO THAT WILL BE COMING TO YOU LATER ON IN, IN, IN OUR, IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, IS THERE, IS THERE ANY BENEFIT TO INCORPORATING CITIZENS GROUPS INTO THAT PRIORITIZATION PROCESS? UH, AND THE REASON I ASK THAT, I KNOW, I REALIZE THAT WE DON'T HAVE NECESSARILY THE EXPERTISE, BUT IT BECOMES A SITUATION WHERE WE HELP TO IMPROVE OUR IMAGE THERE BY INCORPORATING A LITTLE BIT MORE OF OUR CITIZENS IN, IN SOME OF THESE PROCESSES.
WELL, THERE, THERE ARE NO BETTER AMBASSADORS FOR YOUR COMMUNITY THAN YOUR OWN CITIZENS.
YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOTTA GET THE PEOPLE INVOLVED.
UH, YOU GOTTA GET THEM TO BUY INTO OUR CITY, UH, AND THEN HAVE THEM GO OUT AND SELL SOME BENITO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE FRIENDS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
I WANT SOMEBODY JUST TO BE A PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY WANTS TO RAISE THEIR FAMILY.
SO I WOULD JUST ASK THAT AS IN YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THESE THINGS THAT WE THINK ABOUT, WHERE WE CAN INCLUDE CITIZENS AND LET US KNOW.
'CAUSE I'LL BE THE FIRST ONE OUT THERE TRYING TO GRAB THEIR HANDS AND COME ON IN AND HELP
WELL, WHAT WE'LL NEED IS TO SELL THE PROJECTS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND TO THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE THIS CHANGE IS DISRUPTIVE.
CHANGE IS OPPOSED WHEN IT BECOMES AN ISSUE, A DISRUPTION.
SO YOUR, YOUR IDEA, SOME OF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING, UH, TOWN HALLS, AND YOU TALK ABOUT HAVING TWO A YEAR.
I'M USED TO HAVING ONE EVERY MONTH.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GET WARMED UP.
EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER SHOULD HAVE A, A TOWN HALL IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD OR, OR THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE DON'T HAVE DISTRICTS FOR COUNCIL.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T GO TO OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS AND HAVE A TOWN HALL.
[01:05:01]
TO PROVIDE ANSWERS AND SUPPORT.UH, AND AT THE BEGINNING, IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT.
BUT EVENTUALLY, WHEN THE ORDER GETS OUT THAT WE ARE REALLY DOING SOMETHING.
AND THEN YOU, YOU'D BE SURPRISED.
AND YOU WISH YOU'D NEVER HAD TOWN HALLS
WE NEED TO SELL THE PUBLIC ON, ON ON SANTO ITSELF.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I, WHEN I WAS SENIOR MANAGER, HAR, I USED TO HEAR THIS, THIS REFRAIN SANTO, YOU KNOW, UH, AND I STILL HEAR IT.
THAT WAS 30 YEARS AGO, SO, AND I STILL HEAR IT.
SO WHAT HAVE WE DONE ALL THOSE YEARS? WE NEED TO JUST STOP AND CHANGE THEY BENEATH.
WELL, WE, WE, WE WILL GET THERE EVENTUALLY.
AS I SAID BEFORE, THE, WE CAN DO ANYTHING.
THE IMPOSSIBLE TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER, BUT WE CAN GET IT DONE.
UH, I'M VERY GUNG HO ABOUT SAN BERNARD.
I THINK WE, WE HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED.
I THINK THAT'S GONNA CHANGE WITH YOUR HELP.
WE HAVE $16 MILLION, 93,000, 16 MILLION, $93,000 IN FUND BALANCE.
UH, SOME OF THAT IS COMMITTED.
SOME OF THAT IS, IS BEING SPENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK WE'RE GIVEN THIS YEAH.
FOR SEVERAL OF THE ITEMS THAT HE JUST MENTIONED, I PROVIDED YOU LIKE, TYPE OF, LIKE A NOTE SECTION, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE WATER.
HE WAS MENTIONED THAT WE WERE GONNA STOP THE MONEY COMING FROM THE WATER TO THE GENERAL FUND.
I PROVIDED TO YOU THE STUDY THAT WE MADE, UM, WHERE WE GOT TO A MORE REALISTIC FEE THAT THE WATER FUND WILL BE PAYING THE GENERAL FUND BASED ON THE EXPENSES AND THE SERVICES THAT WE ACTUALLY PROVIDE.
UM, WE ALSO PROVIDED YOU WITH THE FUND BALANCE SHEET.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS, UM, IN YOUR NOTES.
UM, AND THIS IS A TOTAL PHONE BALANCE.
HE'S, HE'S TALKING ABOUT, UM, I, I HAVE A TENDENCY TO KIND OF RAMBLE AND, AND, AND MOVE AROUND.
SO LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE NOT FOLLOWING ME.
SO I, I'M FOLLOWING YOU ON THE WATER FUND BECAUSE IT BROUGHT THIS UP LAST BUDGET CYCLE.
AND STEPHANIE, YOU SAID WE HAD A WHOLE WORKSHOP OVER IT.
HEY, YOU'LL GET BACK TO ME ON IT.
WHAT ACCOUNTING SERVICES WERE? PERSONAL SERVICES, MANAGERIAL SERVICES, DATA PROCESSING SERVICES.
AND APPARENTLY THE CONSENSUS WAS THAT IT WAS FOR USE TO PAY FINANCE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES TO CALCULATE COSTS.
SO, UM, SORRY, LET ME, LET ME ANSWER THAT.
UH, I'M GONNA ASK THAT BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN LOOKING AT IT.
BUT I HAVE A, UH, SINCE I KNEW, UH, I PUT A LOT OF PRESSURE ON STEPHANIE TO, TO, TO COME UP WITH
WELL, ANYWAY, WE WENT THROUGH IT AND WE ACTUALLY CALCULATED THE, THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND EACH WHAT EACH EMPLOYEE PROVIDED AND HOW MUCH WE WERE, YOU KNOW, REALISTIC COST.
AND, UH, WE NEED LIKE A A HUNDRED, A HUNDRED, BUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES INSTEAD OF 1,000,002.
SO WE GAVE 1,000,001 BACK TO THE WATER FUND.
ELIMINATED THAT, THAT PART OF THAT HOLE.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS THERE, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS A WAY TO, TO USE MONEY FROM THE, FROM THE WATER FUND TO THE GENERAL FUND TO BALANCE THAT.
THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SAYS THAT YOU CANNOT COMMINGLE YOUR WATER AT YOUR GENERAL FUND MONIES.
NOW, WHETHER IT BEING COMMINGLE, DON'T KNOW, THAT'S FOR THE ATTORNEY TO, I SAID, WE'RE NO LONGER GONNA DO THAT WITH YOUR PERMISSION.
WE, WE WANT TO STOP DOING THAT.
SPENDING THAT KIND OF MONEY OUT OF THE WATER FUND.
UH, THE WATER FUND HAS GOTTA BE STANDALONE.
IT'S GOT TO PRODUCE EFFICIENT FUND TO OPERATE.
UH, YOU CANNOT USE MONEY FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO, TO HELP THE, THE WATER AND YOU CAN'T USE AND VICE VERSA.
SO WE, I REMEMBER A, A CERTAIN PORTION OF SALARIES, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CITY MANAGER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, AND SOME FINANCE EMPLOYEES SALARIES WAS COMING OUT OF THE WATER FUND.
BUT IT WAS LIKE, SO YOU'RE TAKING MONEY OUT OF A PIGGY BANK THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY MONEY.
IT WILL, WELL, IF MOVEMENT OF NUMBERS, IT, IT WILL, UH,
[01:10:01]
UH, WE ALSO REDUCE UHS RIGHT IN, IN THE SANITATION COLLECTION DEPARTMENT OR FUND.NOW YOU ASKED ME WHAT'S THAT FOR? I HAVE NO IDEA.
LET, LET ME, LET ME, I'M, I'M GONNA STOP YOU A LITTLE BIT THERE.
SO, UM, REMEMBER LAST YEAR, UM, I KNOW, UM, THE PRIOR COMMISSION, UM, UH, DID WITNESS WHEN I WENT TO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND EXPLAINED TO YOU WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE GARBAGE.
AND MR. BAN WASN'T THERE, BUT MS. SANCHEZ, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL THE MAYOR.
SO BASICALLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING, UM, WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH REPUBLIC SERVICES.
REPUBLIC SERVICES WILL INCREASE OR CHARGES IN, IN THE, THEIR SERVICES.
SO WE WILL INCREASE THE CITIZEN THE, THAT AMOUNT AS WELL.
SO IT ENDS UP, AFTER THE REVENUE, THE LITTLE REVENUE THAT WE WERE CREATING, IT STARTED BUILDING UP.
SO OVER THE YEARS, WE WERE ABLE TO SET ASIDE Q3 0.4 MILLION.
UM, YOU ALSO HAVE WITHIN YOUR PAPERS, IT'S CALLED GARBAGE COLLECTION PROJECTED.
SO IF THE WAY THAT WE'RE DOING IT EVERY YEAR, THE WAY THE CITY WOULD DO IT, EVERY YEAR, IT'S EVERY YEAR, WHATEVER REPUBLIC SERVICES WOULD INCREASE US, WE WOULD INCREASE THE CITIZEN, UH, ON THIS ONE.
AND WHAT MR. SOTELO HAD REQUESTED, IF IT WAS FEASIBLE FOR US TO STOP THAT INCREASE, AT LEAST FOR THIS YEAR.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE, IT'S THE PROJECTED EXPENSES WITH THE PROJECTED SERVICES, AND WE'LL STILL, WE'LL STILL BE IN THE POSITIVES.
SO WE CAN AFFORD NOT INCREASING THE GARBAGE, UM, THAT WE CHARGE FOR THE CITIZENS, UM, BASED ON JUST LEAVING THE RATE AS THIS.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE, THAT'S ONE OF OUR IDEAS THAT WE WANNA DO TO STOP INCREASING THE FEES THAT THE, OUR CITIZENS PAY.
BUT, BUT THE OTHER THING WAS BEING DONE IN OUR FUND AS WELL, IS IF, IF THE SANITATION COLLECTION COMPANY ASKED FOR AN INCREASE, WHICH THEY'RE ENTITLED TO EVERY YEAR, AS PER THE BUDGET, IF THEY, IF THEY ASKED FOR A 3% INCREASE, WE WOULD DOUBLE IT TO THE CITIZENS.
UH, SO THEY WERE PAYING TWICE WHAT REPUBLIC WAS ASKING FOR IN THE INCREASE.
UH, THAT'S WHY WE HAD $3 MILLION IN THERE.
YOU KNOW, UH, IT, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL US IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE PUT THESE PACKETS TOGETHER.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF LOOSE STUFF IN HERE.
BUT IF YOU COULD KIND OF NUMBER THE PAGES SO WE KNOW WHICH PAGE WE CAN FOLLOW YOU ON.
UH, ON THE BUDGET ITSELF, WE DO HAVE PAGE NUMBERS ON THIS SINCE THERE WERE REQUESTS AS THEY GO.
I STARTED, I TRY TO PUT AS MANY INFORMATION POSSIBLE SO YOU COULD HAVE IT, LIKE YOU COULD SEE IT AS WELL AS MR. SOTELLO WAS EXPLAINING.
IS MY PHONE TIME HAS BEEN TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH MY REQUEST TOO.
AND I CHANGE THE NUMBERS EVERY, EVERY ABOUT, EVERY HOUR OR SO.
AND YOU'VE ONLY BEEN HERE A WEEK? YES.
UH, BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE THAT MONEY AND WE WANT TO USE THAT FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
I ASKED, UH, THE FIRE CHIEF TO GIVE US A COST ESTIMATE ON BUILDING A, A COVER FOR ALL THE FIRE APPARATUS THAT WE HAVE AT THE STATION, SITTING UP THERE IN THE, IN THE WEATHER.
UH, WE GOT A LOT OF MONEY INVESTED IN THOSE, IN THOSE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT.
WE SHOULD PROTECT HIM FROM THE WEATHER AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
SO I TOLD HIM, LET'S TRY TO DO IT.
HE, HE REQUESTED THAT WE DO IT IN 2005, THE SECRET.
WE GOT THE MONEY, LET'S DO IT TODAY.
SO HE'S GONNA HAVE TO BUILD THAT THING TOMORROW.
I, I GUESS AGAIN, THOSE ARE ALL OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO SAY YES OR NO.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO USE THIS MONEY FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME PET PROJECTS, WHICH I'LL BE TALKING TO YOU A BIT LATER ON THAT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE'VE GOTTA A BIT MORE, MORE MONEY THAN I, THAN I EXPECTED.
AND THAT IT'S, YOU'VE JUST BEEN SITTING THERE.
UM, THE, THE ONE THAT REALLY BOTHERS ME IS THE STREET MAINTENANCE, STREET IMPROVEMENTS, UH, BECAUSE WE, EVERY COUNCIL MEETING, AND YOU, YOU GUYS ALMOST TALKED ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME.
AND, AND WE BRAGGED ABOUT HAVING $1.5 MILLION IN THERE.
BUT YOU GOTTA DO SOMETHING WITH IT.
SO WHERE'S THE MONEY BEEN COMING FROM THAT WE'VE BEEN USING, UH, THE GENERAL FUND? JUST THE GENERAL FUND.
LOOKS LIKE A VERY HEALTHY $2 MILLION TO PLAY WITH.
BUT YOU'RE ONLY PAVING 80 BLOCKS IN A FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS ONLY, WHAT WAS IT? 300 GRAND? ABOUT 300,000.
[01:15:01]
DOES THE MONEY NEED TO SIT THERE LOOKING NICE OR GO TO OTHER DEPARTMENT NEEDS OR PROJECTS OR START CONTRACTING OR CONTRACTING? MM-HMM.NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER LARGE AMOUNT SITTING IN, IN FUND BALANCES THAT WILL PROBABLY NEVER BE SPENT.
NOT IN MY LIFETIME, NOT YEARS.
AND THAT WE GOT $1.9 MILLION IN WHAT WE CALL FIRE PENSION.
THAT WAS MONEY THAT WAS SET ASIDE IN, IN WHAT IS CALLED UNFUNDED LIABILITY IN THE EVENT EVERYBODY QUIT IN ONE DAY THAT YOU CAN PAY 'EM OFF.
I KNOW OF NO CITY THAT FUNDS THIS KIND OF, OF, OF, UH, LIABILITY.
IT'S, IT'S A FUTURE LIABILITY THAT THAT WAS NEVER GONNA HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT GONNA LOSE 200 EMPLOYEES IN ONE DAY, OR AS MANY FIREFIGHTERS.
YOU'RE NEVER GONNA LOSE 'EM POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, UH, SO IT'S MONEY SITTING THERE DOING NOTHING BUT GAINING INTEREST.
AND SOON WILL BE LIKE THE SANITATION FUND.
WE'LL HAVE $3 MILLION SITTING THERE AND NOT DO ANYTHING WITH IT.
SO, MAKING INTEREST, I, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER YOU OF THAT MONEY TO DO PROJECTS.
AND IT, IT IS, IT IS SOMETHING THAT THE AUDITORS TALK ABOUT AND SAY, WE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT.
AND YOU JUST, WELL, THAT'S FINE.
IN A PERFECT WORLD WHERE MONEY IS NOT AN ISSUE, YOU CAN THROW MONEY IN THERE IF YOU WANT TO, BUT IT, IT DOESN'T SERVE THE CITIZENS OF SOMEBODY JUST SITS THERE.
THEN, UH, OUTTA THE 1.9 OF WHAT, UH, HOW MUCH ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE TAKING OUT OF IT? IT'S UP TO YOU.
'CAUSE YOU'RE NEVER GONNA USE IT.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO KEEP IT IN THERE, JUST IN CASE, YOU KNOW, UH, I WANNA ADD UP THAT THE FIRE PENSION ITSELF HAS ABOUT 5 MILLION ON THEIR END, ABOUT 6 MILLION ON THEIR END.
SO WHENEVER THAT EX THAT AMOUNT, IT'S SUCCEEDED, LIKE THEY, THEY USE IT ALL, THEN THAT'S WHEN OUR LIABILITY WILL KICK IN.
SO IT'S REALLY UNLIKELY HAPPEN.
IT'S KINDA LIKE THE INSURANCE COMPANY.
INSURANCE FUND, YOU KNOW? OKAY.
SO, SO I MEAN, WE CAN USE SOME OF IT, BUT LEAVE SOME OF IT A LITTLE SMALL PORTION OF IT.
WELL, WE UP ABOVE YOU GOT RESERVES.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE $1.9 MILLION.
UH, ONE OF, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO, TO, TO DO, IF WE HAVE, UH, THE WHEREWITHAL IN REVENUE, CREATE AN ASSET REPLACEMENT FUND FOR YOU, START SAVING MONEY, PARTICULARLY FOR FIREARM POLICE, UH, VEHICLES.
YOU DETERMINE HOW MUCH A, A VEHICLE COULD BE AMORTIZED OVER A LIFETIME, USUALLY FIVE YEARS.
AND THEN YOU RENT THAT VEHICLE TO THE DEPARTMENT AND YOU CHARGE A RATE EVERY, EVERY YEAR.
AND WHEN THE, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS WORN OUT, YOU GET RID OF IT.
YOU HAVE MONEY IN THERE SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO APPROPRIATE NEW MONEY.
UH, WE'VE DONE, I'VE DONE THAT IN, IN ODESSA AND IN IN HARLINGEN, BUT I WAS TOLD HAR SPENT ALL THE MONEY THAT WAS IN THERE ALREADY.
SO, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE EVENTUALLY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO REPLACE EVERYTHING.
UH, AND YOU'RE SCRAMBLING AT THE BUDGET TIME TRYING TO FIND MONEY TO REPLACE POLICE VEHICLES OR, OR TRUCKS FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
IF WE HAVE A SYSTEM FOR EVERY YEAR WE PUT MONEY IN THERE, THEN IN FIVE YEARS, YOU'LL HAVE SUFFICIENT MONIES TO REPLACE YOUR EQUIPMENT AT, AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE TAXPAYER.
WE CAN START USING SOME OF THIS MONEY.
YOU KNOW, UH, WE CAN PUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN THERE, OR HALF A MILLION OR WHATEVER.
UH, UH, WHATEVER YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE START OVER WITH JUST A MILLION DOLLARS.
START WITH THE FIRST MILLION DOLLARS AND, AND THEN WE WILL DETERMINE THE, THE, THE, UH, AMORTIZATION COST FOR EACH VEHICLE THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN WE WILL PUT THAT IN FUTURE BUDGETS, UH, SO THAT EVENTUALLY WE'LL HAVE SPECIAL MONEY TO DO, TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
UH, I, I, I'VE SEEN SEVERAL, UM, PROJECTS MATERIALIZED, BUT NEVER GET STARTED OR COMPLETED.
AND THAT WAS ALWAYS MY BIGGEST CONCERN.
GAN PART WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A PAVILION.
LANDRUM WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE RESTROOMS, AND EVERY YEAR IT GETS ALLOCATED, AND THEN IT GETS ALLOCATED THE NEXT YEAR, AND THEN IT GETS ALLOCATED THE NEXT YEAR.
IT'S LIKE, SO THIS RESTROOM IS GONNA COST A MILLION DOLLARS BEFORE WE ACTUALLY GET IT DONE.
[01:20:01]
I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.IF WE START A PROJECT, THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ETA.
AND I THINK COMMISSIONER, UH, GOODMAN HAS EXPRESSED THAT IS CONCERN FOR EA ESTIMATED TIME OF, OF COMPLETION FOR ENGINEERING PROJECTS, BUT EVEN PARKS AND REC PROJECTS OR PUBLIC WORK PROJECTS.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT WAS BUDGETED LAST YEAR OR A DISCUSSION WAS THROUGH THE, THE OLD PARKS AND REC, UM, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WAS A REJUVENATION FOR TWO STREETS.
AND IT WAS, I THINK LA UH, LA PALM.
IT MIGHT'VE BEEN MCCULLOUGH COMBS.
AND IT WAS A REJUVENATION PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAD ALLOCATED SO MUCH MONEY, ADDITIONAL MONEY INTO THE STREETS PROJECT.
BUT THEN THEY NEVER, HE, HE WENT TO HARLINGEN.
SO IS THAT STILL SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING TO THESE STREETS WHEN IT'S TOO LATE, AND THEN THE COSTS ARE MUCH HIGHER.
AND GRANTED, WE'RE STILL JUST DOING A SIMPLE OVERLAY.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU JUST SAW HEB DO THEIR ENTIRE PARKING LOT AND THEY USE A SCARIFIER.
LIKE IT PICKS UP THE OLD ASPHALT AND THEY'RE JUST RECYCLING IT.
AND THEY'RE CHARGING US BECOMES A MILLING.
IT'S, AND THEY'RE JUST REUSING IT.
YOU'RE LIKE, YOU'RE REUSING ALL MY STUFF, BUT YOU'RE CHARGING ME.
AND THIS ANOTHER THING IS, UH, SIR, EXCUSE ME.
UH, ROBERTSON, I HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IT UP, UH, FOR THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS THAT'S RIGHT THERE.
CLOSE TO WHERE AS YOU GO UP ON THE, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE AZTECA, YOU HAVE, YOU'RE GOING UP ONTO THE AKA YOU HAVE CERTAIN AREAS THAT'S ALMOST LIKE A, IT'S ALMOST LIKE KEEPING IN.
YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT, UH, IT'S A DIFFERENT SET OF, YOU KNOW, OF, UM, YOU KNOW, LEVEL OR SLOPE ON IT.
IT'S NOT ONLY, IT'S ON BOTH SIDES GOING ONTO AND GETTING OFF.
SO THAT'S, I HAVE BEEN PUSHING THAT, THAT, UH, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT BEFORE WE HAVE EITHER A SINKHOLE OR SEE WHAT THE HECK WE GOT.
BUT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT.
UH, UH, ROBERTSON ALSO THAT, THAT IS GONNA BE A SPECIAL PROJECT OF MINE.
I'VE BEEN TALKING TO FOLKS AT LEVITA AND SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT DO THE, THE MARKET DAY THAT WE WANNA RENOVATE ROBERTSON.
SO IT BECOMES AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO.
WE NEED TO FIX ALL THE POTHOLES THAT WE HAVE.
SO THAT'S WILL BE A PERSONAL PROJECT OF MINE, BECAUSE I'VE TOLD PEOPLE BEFORE, BEFORE I EVEN CAME TO WORK FOR THE CITY, THAT I WOULD DO EVERYTHING I COULD TO GET THE CITY TO, TO DO SOMETHING, RENOVATE IT, FIX IT, BRING PEOPLE INTO THE COMMUNITY.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU BE SITTING, THE MAYOR HAS BEEN BIDING ME UP SINCE I CAME TO WORK.
AND, UH, AND HE WANTS ME TO DO IT YESTERDAY.
AND THE DOORS ARE, I GOT MORE
AND I TOLD HIM, MAYOR, I JUST FOUND A MEN'S ROOM THE OTHER DAY.
YOU KNOW,
UM, WELL, AGAIN, I WOULD, I WOULD ASK THAT WE, AGAIN, INVOLVE CITIZENS GROUPS TO HELP US WITH THE PRIORITIZATION OF THESE KINDS OF THINGS AS WELL.
THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU TELL US HOW YOU WANT TO DO IT.
IF WE GET IT DONE, UH, WHERE YOU WANT TO GET IT, DO IT.
AND WE'LL CERTAINLY BE GLAD TO MEET WITH PEOPLE AND, AND, AND, UH, WELL, AND THE STREETS IN PARTICULAR, I MEAN, TO ME, I'VE BEEN CONCERNED BECAUSE WE'VE JUST KIND OF PICKED A, A LIST OF THE STREETS AND AT RANDOM, AND IT'S KINDA LIKE, OKAY, WHO'S YOUR PUN TO DO IT? MM-HMM.
RATHER THAN GO THROUGH SOME SORT OF ANALYTICAL SYSTEM THAT INDICATES, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS GONNA BE, THIS IS A HIGHER PRIORITY.
AND WHAT'S THAT SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, HOW ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS AROUND SCHOOLS, YES.
THERE'S, THERE'S A PRIORITY SYSTEM THERE.
AND SO WE, TO ME, GET A CITIZEN GROUP INVOLVED TO HELP YOU DO HALF THE WORK, TO, TO PRIORITIZE THAT.
UH, TO START A, A STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM THAT, THAT WILL WORK.
YOU NEED TO ASSESS ALL YOUR STREETS, RIGHT? AND GIVE IT A RATING FROM ONE TO FOUR OR EIGHT TO D WHATEVER.
AND, AND IT'S BASED ON, ON THE CONDITION OF THE STREET AND, UH, NOT ONLY THE CONDITION OF THE SURFACE, BUT ALSO THE UTILITIES THAT ARE THERE AND HOW MUCH YOU THINK IT'S GONNA COST.
YOU PUT THAT LIST TOGETHER, YOU BRING IT TO THE ELECTED OF OFFICIALS AND THEY DETERMINE, UH, WHICH SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED.
AGAIN, SCHOOLS, SIDEWALKS AROUND SCHOOLS, UM, STREETS, UH, WE HAVE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF STREETS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU COLLECT THE STREETS THAT, THAT COLLECT NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC, UH, SHOULD HAVE A PRIORITY.
UH, WE, WE, WE DON'T DO PLANNING.
AND, AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A, A FALLACY OF A LOT OF CITIES.
BUT HERE IN SAN BERNARD AS WELL, UM, IDEA SCHOOL,
[01:25:02]
UH, WHEN IT WAS PUT IN THERE, I CAME AND, AND MET WITH YOUR, NOT THIS CITY MANAGER, THE ONE BEFORE.AND I ASKED HIM, WHY ARE YOU ALLOWING IDEA SCHOOL TO GO IN THERE BESIDE WIDENING RUST LANE? I SAID, WELL, THEY, THEY NEED, I SAID, YES.
AND THEN THEY ISSUED A PERMIT FOR TO EXPAND IT AGAIN.
I CAME TO, I SAID, MAN, WHAT THE HELL YOU DOING? YOU KNOW, RUSSELL LANE WILL BECOME A COLLECTOR STREET AND SOONER OR LATER YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MORE TRAFFIC THAN YOU CAN HANDLE.
AND NOW SOMEBODY WENT OVER THERE AND DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED A RIGHT TURN LANE.
BUT THE RIGHT TURN LANE IS A LANE THAT GOES THROUGH.
IT'S A, IT'S, IT IS A THROUGH LANE.
SO NOW YOU GOT PEOPLE TRYING TO GO THROUGH AND YOU GOT PEOPLE TRYING TO TURN RIGHT.
SO YOU GOTTA MESSAGE, FORTUNATELY IT HAPPENS TWICE A DAY DURING SCHOOL DAY.
UH, BUT THAT KIND OF PLANNING, WE NEED TO DO THAT.
SCHOOL CAUSED THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS HAVING TO PUT TRAFFIC SIGNALS, AND THERE WAS NO PLANNING WITH THEM.
YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE SCHOOLS.
IT, YOU GOTTA BE CAREFUL OF WHERE YOU PLACE THEM.
DON'T PLACE THEM AT A MAJOR INTER INTERSECTION LIKE THAT WE DID.
YOU KNOW? UH, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE NEED TO GET INVOLVED IN, UH, AND, AND HELP THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND, AND, AND HELP 'EM OUT, UH, HELP THEM WITH THE PLANNING AND TRAFFIC FLOW AND THAT SORT OF THING.
'CAUSE I KNOW THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAN DO THAT.
UH, SO THE PRIORITIZATION OF, OF, OF PROJECTS VERY IMPORTANT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE TOLD STAFF WE NEEDED TO DO IS EVERY MONTH GIVE YOU A LIST OF ALL THE PROJECTS, THE COST, AND THE PERCENTAGE THAT WE'VE DONE, AND THE PERCENTAGE OF MONEY WE SPENT.
SO AT EVERY MONTH YOU WILL HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
YOU WILL KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE'RE AT ON ALL THE PROJECTS THAT YOU APPROVE.
SO, SO YOU WON'T HAVE TO CALL ME AND SAY, WHAT ARE WE DOING OVER HERE? WHY ARE WE DOING ANYTHING? YOU'LL KNOW, YOU'LL GET THAT EVERY MONTH FROM US, IF NOT SOONER.
YOU, YOU NEED TO KNOW, YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE DO.
UM, YOU NEED TO SEE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING YOUR INSTRUCTIONS, AND THAT WE'RE HOPEFULLY MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
SO IS IT OKAY FOR US TO PLAN TO PUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN ASSET REPLACEMENT FUND? MM-HMM.
IS THAT A QUESTION FOR US? YES.
YOU, YOU, YOU WILL REALIZE IT IF FUTURE DO THAT, THAT IS, HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS DECISION THAT YOU HAVE MADE.
ALL OUR PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHEN THEY CAN REPLACE THEIR VEHICLES AND THAT, AND BE ASSURED THAT THERE WILL BE MONEY IN THERE TO DO THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO.
IT'S, IT'S A GREAT THING TO DO.
WILL INTEREST INCOME STAY IN THAT ACCOUNT? I'M SORRY? WILL INTEREST INCOME STAY IN THAT ACCOUNT? YES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, THAT I NOTICED ALSO, IN MY OPINION, WE GET TOO MUCH DEBT.
UH, EVEN THOUGH I WORK FOR THE FIRM THAT, THAT DID YOUR, YOUR, YOUR FINANCES OSA, UH, I LEFT HIM A LONG TIME AGO.
UH, AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT I'VE NEVER DONE.
I'VE NEVER RECOMMENDED A BOND ISSUE TO THE CITIES.
WE GOT TO LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS.
SEE WHEN THEY WILL BE REPLACED.
WE ALL, WE, WE SPEND WITH $3 MILLION IN, IN BOND PAYMENT EVERY YEAR.
THAT COULD, COULD GO TO, TO OTHER THINGS THAT YOU DO EVERY DAY.
AND THAT IS THE VERY FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU DO A BUDGET.
YOU SET ASIDE PAYMENTS FOR THE BONDS, THAT, THAT IS A REQUIREMENT.
UH, SO YOU SEE ALL THIS MONEY GOING OUT THE DOOR AND JESUS, I GOTTA PAY 20 YEARS IN THIS THING.
THE OTHER THING THAT I SEE THAT WAS DONE HERE, UH, IS YOU SOLD BONDS FOR EQUIPMENT.
FOR EQUIPMENT HAS A LIFETIME OF FIVE YEARS.
YOU'RE PAYING 20 YEARS IN THE BOND.
YOU KNOW, UH, THE ONLY TIME YOU SELL BONDS FOR EQUIPMENT IS FOR FAR APPARATUS THAT LAST 25 YEARS OR SO.
BUT YOU NEVER SPEND BOND MONEY ON SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GOING TO LAST THE LIFE OF THE BOND.
NOW WE'RE LOOKING FOR MONEY, TRYING TO REPLACE POLICE VEHICLES.
AND WE GOT MONEY'S TIED UP IN, IN BOND PAYMENTS.
I'VE, I'VE ADDED TO YOUR SET OF PAPER,
[01:30:01]
THE LIST OF THE BONDS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF PAYMENT AND BONDS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE FOR THIS NEW YEAR, THE PERCENTAGE OF THAT AMOUNT COMPARED TO OUR TOTAL EXPENSES PER DEPARTMENT.
SO, UH, YOU WOULD SEE THAT FOR THE GENERAL FUND, IT'S A 3% OF A OVERALL EXPENSES.
AND FOR THE WATER FUND, IT'S A 32%.
RIGHT NEXT TO IT, YOU'LL SEE THE TERMINATION DATE.
IT'S ON ONE OF THOSE SET ASIDE AS ONE ANOTHER OF SINGLE PAGE.
ANOTHER OF THEIR REQUEST FOR MR. SOTA.
YOU DIDN'T GET ONE
HOLD, THAT'S, THAT'S COMMISSIONER.
WE'RE, WE'RE DISORGANIZED BECAUSE THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED AT THE LAST MINUTE TRYING TO GET YOU INFORMATION ON, ON WHERE WE STAND.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I NOTICED IN OUR BOND IS THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
AND I'VE TALKED TO A COUPLE OF FINANCIAL ADVISORS.
AND THAT'S USED IN CDBG MONEY TO PAY FOR BONDS.
I AM SURPRISED HUD A LOT THAT.
YOU KNOW, I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE.
WELL, I THINK SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE IN THE PAST, UH, 2018, COMMISSIONER SANCHEZ AT THE, UH, THEY CAME IN AND AUDIT US.
SO IT TOOK US ALMOST EIGHT TO NINE, 10 MONTHS.
I MEAN, IT, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF RECORDS, UH, THAT WERE MISPLACED.
UH, PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE BACK THEN, THEY'RE NOT HERE.
I MEAN, THEY WENT THROUGH IT FOR MUCH TRYING TO GET THE, GET US OUTTA HERE UNTIL I GUESS, UM, HAD A, ALLOWED US SO WE CAN FINISH PAINTING IT OFF.
THAT'S WHY A LOT OF OUR, OUR CDBG MONEY GOES STRAIGHT TO STREET REPAYMENT.
AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO USE IT FOR THINGS LIKE PARTS, WHAT WE NEED.
WHAT PERCENTAGE WAS THAT? 70% OF THE BUDGET.
STEPHANIE SAID 70% OF THE BUDGET, THE FUNDS THAT WE GET FROM CDBG GOES TO PAY OUT THE BOND.
SO FOR THIS, UM, UPCOMING YEAR, WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE ABOUT 333 BASED ON WHAT MR. SIGNS, UH, TOLD ME.
AND WE'RE PAYING 214 TO A BOND PAYMENT.
IT BECOMES COMPLETELY AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
NO, IT, IT ACTUALLY RETIRES ON FEBRUARY 2ND, 2025.
SO NOT THIS ONE, BUT THE FOLLOWING ONE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THOSE ONES AVAILABLE.
IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE TERM, TERM DATE.
AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, YOU WOULD ALSO SEE THAT TWO OF THE BONDS FOR WATER, WHICH IS SERIES 2004, THE FIRST TWO, ONE OF 'EM, IT'S RETIRING NEXT, UH, FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, IT'S GONNA RETIRE ON THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
SO WE WILL BE RELIEVED FOR THOSE PAYMENTS FOR THE NEXT UPCOMING TO FISCAL YEARS.
SO THAT'LL GIVE WATER A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A, TO DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAT 2005 DON'T HAVE THAT FUNDS AVAILABLE, RIGHT? NO.
A MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE, THOSE WERE USED.
SO THE BONDS ARE ALREADY FINISHED.
WE STILL CONTINUE PAYING IT, BUT OUR LAST PAYMENT ARE NEXT YEAR AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
AND IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT RELIEF OF THAT BOND PAYMENT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD THING FOR WATER PLUS WHATEVER WE'RE REDUCING OUR COST THAT THEY WOULD PAY THE GENERAL FUND THAT'S GONNA MAKE THEM EFFICIENT FOR THE UPCOMING YEARS.
IS THERE A PENALTY FOR EARLY PAYMENT? FOR EARLY PAYMENT? UH, WE WOULD NEED TO SEE THAT, WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS IS UP BOND.
THERE'S A PENALTY THAT I COULD SEE, BUT THEY'RE NOT, UM, REFUNDABLE AT THIS TIME YET.
YOU KNOW, AFTER 10 YEARS, YOU START LOOKING AT REFUNDING SOME OF THOSE BONDS.
UH, WE GOT SOME FREE ADVICE OVER THE, OVER THE
THEY, THEY GAVE US ALL THE INFORMATION, UH, THE STATE OF TEXAS AS A, AS A, UH, AGENCY CALL THE MAC MUNICIPAL, UM, ADVISORY COUNCIL OR SOMETHING THAT DOES THE BONDS.
AND THEY HAVE, THEY KEEP ALL THE HISTORY OF THE CITIES AND WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT, BUT FINANCIAL ADVISORY PEOPLE DO.
SO THEY SEND US THAT INFORMATION.
UH, AND, UM, WE, WE, WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION, UH, FROM THEM.
UH, AND WE, WE, I I'M LOOKING AT, UH, ALL THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE WITH CONSULTANTS TO SEE IF WE NEED TO CHANGE OR DO WE NEED, YOU KNOW, UH, WE
[01:35:01]
HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE LEGISLATIVE LOBBYIST.BECAUSE WE, WE JUST HAD A BUNCH OF BILLS THAT WERE PASSED.
I WAS LOOKING AT AN OLD PAPER.
WELL, I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT ONE, SIR.
AND I, UH, SO WE, WE WILL, WE'LL PUT IT IN THE AGENDA OR SOMETHING.
WE MISSED TOO MANY OPPORTUNITIES.
THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE LEGISL LEGISLATIVE SESSION WORRYING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES 'CAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
BUT THERE'S, WE, THAT'S THE SHORT END OF THE STATE HERE.
THERE'S A BUNCH OF NEW LAWS THAT WERE PASSED, AS YOU WILL KNOW, THAT IMPACT US EVERY CITY.
THEY TOOK A AWAY A LOT OF POWER FROM CITIES.
UH, WE'RE NO LONGER BEING ABLE TO BE MASTERS OF OUR OWN.
THEY, THEIR THE STATE SAYING, YOU CAN'T HANDLE YOUR BUSINESS OR WE'RE GONNA DO IT FOR YOU, BASICALLY.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL CHANGE, UH, HOPEFULLY THAT WE GET ENOUGH PEOPLE TO REALIZE THAT YOU CAN'T RUN A RAILROAD LIKE THAT AND, AND, AND CHANGE BACK AND GIVE CITIZEN THE POWER THAT THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW.
UH, BUT, UM, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST US? 2 51 FOR US TO TAKE CARE OF THE, THE OTHER THING AND FOR, WELL, THE INSURANCE PEOPLE WERE HERE.
UM, YOU LEARN A LOT ABOUT WHAT HEALTH INSURANCE WE HAVE AND EVERYTHING EACH.
OUR EMPLOYEES PAY $84 A MONTH FOR THE INSURANCE WE PAY.
THE REST, WELL, WE ARE PROPOSING IN THIS BUDGET IS THAT THE CITY COVERS THAT $84.
IT WILL NOT HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR BUDGET.
I WILL BE TREMENDOUS HELP EMPLOYEES.
$84, BUT NOT SOUND LIKE THAT A LOT OF MONEY.
BUT, BUT IT IS, IT'S A LOT FOR THEM.
ON, ON TOP OF THAT, WE'RE SAYING I THINK THE CITY HAS HAD A HISTORY OF GIVING EMPLOYEES 3% INCREASES IN SALARY.
I MEAN, OF THE $84, NOT VERY MUCH MONEY, BUT I THINK IT WILL HAVE SOMEWHAT OF AN IMPACT ON, ON THE EMPLOYEES.
I WANT EMPLOYEES TO KNOW THAT WE CARE ABOUT THEM.
BUT THE COUNCIL CARES ABOUT THEM.
WE, UM, FINANCE CONDUCTED A STUDY.
SO, UM, FOR US TO PAY OUT THOSE $84 THAT EVERY EMPLOYEE PAYS A MONTH, IT'S ONLY 200, ROUGHLY $251,000, WHICH DOESN'T MAKE A HUGE IMPACT UNDER BUDGET BASED ON THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, THAT WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE THEIR PAY.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE ON TOP OF THE 3%, AN ADDITIONAL 7% WITH THE, WITH US NOT HAVING TO PAY BENEFITS FOR THAT ADDITION.
SO WE WILL TAKE CARE OF COMPLETELY THE HEALTH INSURANCE, UM, THAT THEY'RE SEEING REFLECTED ON THEIR TAKING OUT OF THEIR MONTHLY, UH, PAYOUT.
AND THAT WILL BE LIKE IF WE WERE GIVEN A, A, BASICALLY A 10%, BUT NOT REALLY DOING IT.
JUST GIVING THE REGULAR 3% AND HELPING OUT WITH THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE.
WELL, WHAT COMMISSIONER ALBAN HAS BROUGHT UP IN THE PAST IS A SCALED PAY RAISE.
UM, BASICALLY WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE MAKING $10, $10 AN HOUR VERSUS OUR HIGHER UP MANAGEMENT THAT WOULD ALSO GET THE 3%.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT THIS BUDGET? UM, MAYBE GIVING OUR LOWER END A LITTLE BIT OF A HIGHER BUMP THAN THE USUAL 3%.
WE, WE WILL BE OUT ON THE STREET HOPEFULLY NEXT WEEK OR SO WITH A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO DO A PERSONNEL STUDY.
GOOD TO INCLUDE POSITIONS, JOB DESCRIPTIONS, AND SALARIES FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, WE HOPE TO GET THAT BEFORE THE NEW BUDGET IS IMPLEMENTED.
SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU AND ANSWER, ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
THIS BUDGET PROVIDED WAS BASED ON THE 3%, WHICH IS WHAT WE USUALLY DO.
BUT IF, IF, PLUS IF WE DECIDE TO COVER THE INSURANCE, UH, FROM THE EMPLOYEES.
UH, BUT IF THAT HAPPENED TO TAKE PLACE, WE CAN, WE CAN CHANGE IT TO, TO REARRANGE TO THE PAY, WHAT THE PAY SCALE WOULD SAY.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, I KNOW, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S WHAT, ONE 50 FOR FAMILY.
SO WOULD WE JUST COVER THE 84 OR WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW AT JUST COVERING THE EMPLOYEE.
HOWEVER, UH, WE WERE ALSO WANTING TO SEE IF WE COULD GO OUT FOR OTHER OPTIONS.
'CAUSE THIS IS JUST BASED ON WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
SO IF WE WERE WITH A DIFFERENT, UM, BROKER, UM, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE FOR US? UH, IF IT WOULD BE LESS OR IF IT WOULD GIVE US A BETTER DEAL.
UM, FOR NOW, THE NUMBERS RUN WAS, IT'S WITH
[01:40:01]
WHATEVER WE CURRENTLY HAVE, AND IT'S ONLY THAT $84 IF WE WANTED TO INCREASE IT, WE'LL HAVE TO DO ANOTHER CALCULATION TO SEE IF WE COULD ALSO TAKE CARE OF, 'CAUSE I KNOW FOR, UH, TOTAL FAMILY IT'S ABOUT 400.ABOUT $400, UM, PER MONTH, WHICH IS PRETTY HIGH.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD, LOOKS LIKE THAT WOULD IMPACT OUR, OUR BUDGET TREMENDOUSLY.
JUST WANNA CLARIFY, I DON'T WANT THEM THINKING, WELL, WE'RE GONNA COVER THEIR WHOLE INSURANCE.
NO, IT'S JUST FOR THE EMPLOYEE.
UM, THAT, THAT'S AN EMPLOYEE RIGHT NOW.
WE, WE, WE COULDN'T AFFORD ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I KEEP ASKING STEPHANIE, IS WHEN WE MAKE THIS CHANGES, CAN WE SUSTAIN THEM IN THE FUTURE? CORRECT.
YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA GIVE SOMEBODY AN INCREASE, CAN WE AFFORD IT NEXT YEAR IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR FROM ON WILL WE HAVE SUFFICIENT REVENUE COMING IN TO, TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET? AND UH, AND SHE'S, SHE IS SAYING SHE BETS HER CAREER ON NOT THAT WE WILL
THE ONES THAT ARE NOT ON THE PROGRAM ARE BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY ENROLLED BEFORE THEY, UM, THEY CAME ON BOARD.
YOU SEE, WHEN UH, OUR EMPLOYEES COME ON BOARD, WE ENCOURAGE THEM, ALMOST TELL 'EM THAT IT'S MANDATORY FOR THEM TO HAVE INSURANCE.
SO WE REQUIRE PROOF THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE INSURANCE, OTHERWISE THEY'RE ENROLLED.
AND THE ONES THAT DO THE MOST COMPLAINING ARE THE ONES THAT ARE EARNING UNDER $15 AN HOUR.
'CAUSE LIKE STEPHANIE SAID, TO A PERSON EARNING $10 AN HOUR, IF THEY GET $84 BACK ON THEIR PAYCHECK, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH A 10% INCREASE.
UH, BESIDES ANY ANNUAL INCREASE TO THEIR SALARIES.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO, UH, BENEFIT EVERYBODY THAT I WOULD SAY IS MAKING UNDER $20 AN HOUR, THEY WOULD REALLY FEEL IT IN THEIR, IN THEIR NET TAKE HOME PAY.
UM, WE DID IT BASED ON A 200 EMPLOYEES, WHICH IS WHAT WE ROUGHLY HALF, UH, TAKE IT.
AND WHEN THEY LEAVE AND THEY COME BACK, IT'S ABOUT 200 EMPLOYEES.
WE'RE COUNTING AS IF ANY, ANYBODY, EVERYBODY WERE TO USE OUR INSURANCE.
NOT THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THEIR OWN INSURANCE.
ARE WE GONNA AUTOMATICALLY PUT THE ONES THAT HAVE THEIR OWN INSURANCE OR NO, IT'S JUST THAT, THAT THOSE THAT ARE ALREADY OPTED IN, CORRECT ME SANCHEZ IT THAT THAT $84 SAVINGS WILL NOT APPLY TO SOMEBODY THAT IS NOT PAYING OUR INSURANCE.
AND IT'S ONLY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL INSURANCE.
BECAUSE FOR THE MOST PART, MORE, SOME PEOPLE DO HAVE LIKE MEDICAID OR DIFFERENT TYPE OF INSURANCE THAT WOULDN'T ASK, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT ARE NO DEDUCTIBLE FOR THOSE.
AND FOR US, WE'LL CONTINUE HAVING DEDUCTIBLE.
SO WE WOULDN'T, THAT MAY ENTICE SOME OF THEM TO, TO GIVE UP THE INSURANCE THAT THEY HAVE.
'CAUSE IT'D BE CHEAPER TO GO WITH US.
I WAS LIKE, I THINK A LOT OF 'EM MIGHT NOW BELIEVE THEIR SPOUSE'S INSURANCE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, WE, WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD INSURANCE.
UH, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN SKEPTICAL OF SELF-FUNDING BECAUSE IT ONLY TAKES, YOU KNOW, A FEW PEOPLE AND THEY WIPE YOU OUT.
UH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A HISTORY OF HAVING, UH, A LARGE NUMBER OF, OF, OF REAL ILL PEOPLE OR, OR LIKE THAT.
SO LET'S HOPE WE CONTINUE YEAH.
TO DO THAT AS LONG AS WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE THE, THE, THE PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE.
I MEAN, TO, UH, START DOING THE HEALTH, THE HEALTH AWARENESS DEAL.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO THEY CAN START GETTING THEIR, THE PRINCIPLES AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO KEEP AT LEAST HEALTHY ON IT.
SO, UH, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO PUSH ON THERE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY FOR THE BENEFIT THEN THEY GET SOMETHING OUT OF IT TOO.
UM, MAYOR IN AUGUST WE HAVE OPEN ENROLLMENTS AND ALL THE EMPLOYEES ARE INVITED TO COME IN AND REVIEW THEIR HEALTH PLAN AND COVERAGE.
THAT'S WHEN THEY CAN MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS, ADD-ONS OR, OR DROP REMOVAL OF, UH, PARTICIPANTS IN THE PLAN.
AND WE REMIND THEM ONCE AGAIN, OF THEIR BENEFIT OF $150 INCENTIVE.
DO THEY PARTICIPATE IN THE WELLNESS PROGRAM? EXCEPT, EXCEPT FOR THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE DID RIGHT HERE.
TO, TO, TO GIVE YOU, UH, UH, A NUMBER OF MONIES THAT WE'LL HAVE IN THE, UH, FUND BALANCE FOR, FOR PROJECTS.
IT WOULD BE 1,000,011 MILLION $380,000.
UH, WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU AGAIN AS WE, AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET, TO SEE WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO, UH, WITH THOSE, THOSE MONIES.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION, COMMISSIONER? YES.
JUST, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED BASE, LIKE ON OUR HUMANE SOCIETY, OUR SHELTERS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND STUFF, AND I KNOW THEY ARE IN DIRE NEED OF,
[01:45:01]
OF, OF MORE FUNDING THAN WHAT THEY HAVE.IS THERE ANY WAY WE COULD INCORPORATE THAT IN THE, IN THIS BUDGET AS WELL? IF YOU WANT US TO LOOK AT THAT, WE CERTAINLY WILL.
'CAUSE I KNOW WE DO HAVE A LOT OF STRAY PETS THAT ARE OUT THERE, AND I KNOW THE, THE VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE OUT THERE TRY TO DO THEIR BEST TO FIND HOMES FOR THEM.
UM, THEY'RE ADVOCATES FOR THEM, AND I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE SOME KIND OF ASSISTANCE HELP.
I KNOW WE DO, UM, SOME YEARLY PAYMENT TO THEM.
SOME, SOME WE, WE PROVIDE THEM SOME FUNDING, BUT IT COULD BE LOOKED AT AND YEAH.
WHENEVER WE PRESENT THE DETAIL BUDGET, WE, WE COULD LOOK AT AND WHAT IT WOULD BE A REASONABLE AMOUNT FOR US TO HELP THEM OUT WITH THAT.
I, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, THAT RESPONSIBILITY UNDER THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I WANTED TO ARREST CRIMINALS, NOT DOGS.
SO I'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU AND, AND ASK TO BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
WE DON'T HAVE A HEALTH OFFICER, UH, A HEALTH INSPECTOR.
UH, SO WE'LL, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THAT.
UH, I THINK WE HAVE A POSITION.
UH, VERY CRITICAL INSPECTOR RESTAURANTS AND ET CETERA, AND, AND BE OVER THE, THE ANIMAL SHELTER ALSO.
SO WE'LL LOOK AT, I'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON THAT.
BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE ACTUALLY AN ADVOCATE THERE, THE AUDIENCE FOR THE HUMANE SOCIETY EITHER, WELL, IT, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THAT, THAT WE CONTROL OUR ANIMALS.
UM, I LIVE, UH, RIGHT IN THE PERIPHERY OF THE CITY LIMITS IN, IN, IN SAN BENITO, AND PEOPLE ALWAYS COME BY.
I GUESS THEY THINK WE'RE ENVELOPE OR SOMETHING AND DROP DOGS OFF.
FORTUNATELY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE A LONG WAYS FROM MY HOUSE THAT PICK UP EVERY STRAY AT 'EM WHERE THEY CAN FIND
AND I THINK WE'RE ALL GUILTY OF THAT.
WELL, WE HAVE TWO, TWO THAT, THAT, THAT MY DAUGHTER HAS PICKED UP.
IF, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WISHLISTS OF THINGS HERE, I OWN RIGHT NOW MET, WE'RE NOT.
I I THINK WE NEED TO DEVOTE MORE TOWARDS, UH, DEMOLITION AND, AND CLEAN UP IN THE CITY.
UH, WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT.
UH, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ALSO HAVE, AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT GONNA GO IN DEEP TO THE BUDGET BECAUSE IT'S REALLY PRELIMINARY, BUT I PROVIDED A SHEET TO YOU THAT HAS LITTLE ARROWS UP AND DOWN, THAT'S MORE OR LESS TO GIVE AN IDEA OF WHICH DEPARTMENTS ARE INCREASING THEIR BUDGET AND WHICH ONES ARE ACTUALLY MANAGING TO DECREASE IT.
BEHIND THIS, YOU WILL SEE A MEMO FROM EACH DIRECTOR EXPLAINING WHY THEY WANT THOSE INCREASES AND THEIR REASON BEHIND IT.
SO I KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING DEEP TO THAT, BUT IT'S BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU, SO YOU COULD TAKE A LOOK TO, WHENEVER WE GET TO THAT, UM, SPECIFICS.
UM, YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THAT.
THE ONLY THING WITH, UM, THE DEMOLITION, AND I KNOW I'VE ALSO TALKED TO SOMEBODY ABOUT THE WHEATY GRASS PRE IN PREVIOUS BUDGETS, THOSE WERE DECREASED.
I LEFT THEM THE SAME BECAUSE, UM, I'M ALREADY INCREASING MY BUDGET, UH, FOR STAFF.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT.
UM, IT STAYED THE SAME AS WHAT THEY KEPT LAST YEAR, BUT I'M MORE THAN SURE YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE NUMBERS AND YOU'RE GONNA WANT US TO, TO CHANGE THAT.
LOOKING AT CORRECTION, YOU REQUESTED AN INCREASE, NOT INCREASE IN YOUR BUDGET,
THE BUDGET REFLECTS THE REQUEST, RIGHT.
BUT IT'S UP TO YOU IF YOU WANNA INCREASE IT.
BUT I'VE TOLD, UH, UH, I'VE TOLD YOU ANNA, THAT, AND I ASKED THE QUESTION, WHAT'S OUR MOWING PROGRAMS? THAT WE DON'T HAVE ONE DEMOLITION, WE DON'T HAVE ONE THAT WAS STOPPED BECAUSE IT WAS COSTING TOO MUCH.
AND THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN HAVING A, A EYESORE LOT NEXT TO YOUR HOUSE THAT'S FULL OF WEEDS AND YOU KEEP CALLING THE CITY, AND THE CITY SAYS, YOU KNOW, CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
SO WE'LL BE TAKING A VERY CLOSE LOOK AT THAT, WHETHER WE DO IT IN HOUSE OR WE'RE CONTRACTED OUT, WE NEED TO CLEAN UP SOMEBODY.
UH, WE'VE GOTTA FIND THE MONEY TO DO THAT SORT OF THING.
WE, WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU AND GIVING YOU A COST ESTIMATE ON, ON IF WE DO IT IN HOUSE OR
[01:50:01]
IF WE PRIVATIZE.UH, BUT WE NEED TO DO THAT LIKING EVERYTHING.
HOW LONG ARE YOU GONNA WORK FOR US, MR. SOTO? I'M SORRY? HOW LONG WILL YOU BE WITH US? UH,
UH, AND I WANTED TO TELL YOU AT THE VERY BEGINNING THAT I DON'T HAVE NOWHERE IN A SUIT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY, I GAVE THEM ALL AWAY WHEN I RETIRED.
WHEN I RETIRED FROM DALLAS, I GAVE HALF OF 'EM AWAY.
WHEN I MOVED OVER HERE, UH, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE ONE DISTRICT TOLD ME, WE DON'T WANT YOU TO WEAR A SUIT BECAUSE IT MAKES THE REST OF US LOOK BAD
SO I GAVE THOSE AWAY AND I THINK I'M MIGHT HAVE ONE OR TWO THAT ARE TOO BIG FOR ME NOW, BUT, AND MY WIFE HAS INSISTED THAT I BUY NEW ONES.
I SAID, I'M ONLY GONNA WEAR THREE MONTHS, YOU KNOW,
BUT, BUT, UH, YOU MAY WANNA GO BUY SOME
WE, WE, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANNA DO, I WANNA MEET WITH EACH OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY IF I COULD, SO YOU CAN GIMME AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU WANT IN A CITY MANAGER.
UH, I WANNA DO IT INDIVIDUALLY, BECAUSE SOME OF YOU MAY BE TOO SHY TO BRING IT UP IN A, IN A GROUP.
I'VE SEEN THAT BEFORE, YOU KNOW,
SO I WANT TO KNOW, SO WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A PROFILE AND THEN YOU EITHER ADOPT OR REJECT IT OR WHATEVER.
NOW, I'VE HEARD SOME OF YOU SAY YOU WANT TO HAVE OR HEADHUNTER, THAT'S FINE.
UH, BUT THEY WILL DO THE SAME THING THAT I WOULD DO THAT'S ADVERTISED IN THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE IN INTERNATIONAL CITY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER, TEXAS CITY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, THE HISPANIC, UH, ADMINISTRATION, ADMINISTRATORS OF HISPANIC CITY ADMINISTRATORS.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WE CAN, WE CAN TALK TO.
AND, UH, WELL, LET ME JUST MAKE MY POINT REAL QUICK HERE, THEN THAT, ALONG THAT LINE, I BELIEVE THAT THE, THAT THE SELECTION OF A CITY MANAGER TO FILL THAT SEAT BECOMES PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION THAT THIS BODY WILL MAKE NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
AND SO I, I JUST WANNA BRING EVERY RESOURCE TO BEAR TO, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, TO MAKE THE BEST POSSIBLE DECISION.
YOU KNOW, HUNTER HEAD HUNTERS DO A, A, A GOOD JOB.
BUT I WILL ALSO WANT TO, TO ADVERTISE IN THOSE, UH, AGENCIES AS WELL.
I WAS PUT ON A HEAD HUNTER'S LIST MANY YEARS AGO, AND EVERY TIME THERE WAS A VACANCY, THEY CALL ME AND SAID, WE GOT A JOB FOR YOU HERE.
YOU KNOW, SO I BECAME SORT OF THE, THE PRAYER PREFERRED ANO TO GO OUT THERE AND, AND DO THE, UH, MM-HMM.
BUT WE NEED TO, TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET SOMEBODY IN HERE BROADCAST, UH, SOMEONE THAT, THAT KNOWS BUSINESS, AND SOMEONE THAT WILL BUY INTO THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, PUT SOME SKIN IN THE GAME.
AND, AND IF HE HAS A FAMILY, BRING THEM HERE AND, AND RAISE THEIR KIDS AND, AND BE RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE A LOT OF YOUNG, UH, MEN AND WOMEN IN CITY GOVERNMENT NOW THAT ARE VERY, VERY WELL QUALIFIED.
NOT REALLY EDUCATION WISE, BUT ALSO EXPERIENCED.
UH, AND I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE SURPRISED HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD APPLY.
SANTO IS THE RIGHT SIZE FOR A PERSON WHO MAY BE AN ASSISTANT MANAGER IN, IN, IN SAN ANTONIO OR AUSTIN, AND WANTS TO GET THAT FIRST CITY MANAGER'S JOB, UH, TML WOULD BE A BIG HELP.
UH, TML WAS VERY HELPFUL IN, IN MY CAREER.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I, I NEVER HAD TO APPLY FOR A JOB.
I NEVER HAD TO, TO APPLY, AND I'M VERY LUCKY AT THAT.
NEVER HAD TO SUBMIT A RESUME BLIND.
UM, ON THE, ON TWO OF MY FIRST JOBS, ONE WAS THE CITY OF MCKINNEY AND, UH, THE OTHER ONE IN, IN, IN, UM, ODESSA.
I WAS, UH, RECOMMENDED BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS MUSIC LEAGUE, DICK BROWN AT THE TIME.
UH, AND THEN, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF THE NORTH TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS CALLED ME ONE DAY AND SAID, I'VE GOT A JOB FOR YOU.
I SAID, WELL, HE SAID, YOU'RE GONNA BE THE NEXT CITY MANAGER, KINGSVILLE.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT KINGSVILLE WAS.
HE SAID, I ALREADY TALKED TO THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL, AND THEY, THEY WERE IMPRESSED WITH YOU WHAT I TOLD 'EM.
SO THEY WANNA VISIT WITH, I WENT AND THEY HIRED ME.
UH, SO SAME THING WAS HARINGTON.
I GOT A CALL FROM, FROM MAYOR PROTE ASKING ME TO COME VISIT WITH THEM, AND THEY HIRED ME.
UH, SO I'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY IN THAT RESPECT.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT LIKE THAT, THAT,
[01:55:01]
THAT ARE VERY GOOD.UH, AND I THINK THEY WILL DO YOU A GOOD JOB.
UH, BUT I THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET A LOT, YOU'RE GET A LOT OF ADVOCATE, UH, SOME GOOD, SOME NOT SO GOOD.
BUT, UH, WE'LL LOOK THROUGH 'EM AND, AND I'LL BE GLAD TO HELP YOU WITH THAT.
OR IF YOU WANNA LEAVE IT UP TO THE HEADHUNTER, UH, THAT'S FINE WITH ME.
YOU KNOW, THEY DO IT, THEY DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB FINDING PEOPLE.
UH, AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP IT TOO LONG.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SORT OF GIVE YOU A, A, A AMERICAN COSM OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND, AND KIND OF THEN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE OPTIMISTIC OF WHAT WE CAN DO AND KIND OF GET YOU TO BUY INTO THE OPTIMISTIC.
AND, UH, AND I WANT TO PLANT SOME SEEDS IN YOUR HEAD TO WHAT WE CAN DO AND PROJECTS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
IF YOU HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO FOCUS ON, LET US KNOW.
UH, THE BUDGET IS THE TOOL THAT YOU USE TO PLAN YOUR COMMUNITY.
WE TRY TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN.
IT AFTER SIX MONTHS, WE'LL TAKE A SECOND LOOK AT IT AND MAKE AMENDMENTS IF NECESSARY, DECREASE IT, CHANGE PROJECTS, WHATEVER.
UH, BUT YOU WILL BE VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE IN THIS CITY.
UH, IT, IT TAKES, IT TAKES A, A DEDICATED, UH, ELECTED BODY, DEDICATED STAFF TO, TO MAKE A CITY PROSPER AND, AND, AND BE A, A COMMUNITY.
UM, I COULD TALK TO YOU HOURS ABOUT, UH, DIFFERENT THINGS, UH, BUT I KNOW YOU WANNA GO HOME SO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL.
MAYOR, IF WE CAN'T, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR IF ANY OF OUR DIRECTORS HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY.
I MEAN, WE KEEP 'EM HERE AND
I DID WANNA SHARE, IF WE COULD GO DOWN THE LINE PLEASE.
UM, WHEN WE WERE IN THE, UH, CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW TO GO AND, UM, YOU KNOW, RECRUIT A CITY MANAGER, ONE OF THE COLLEAGUES MENTIONED THAT THEIR CITY MANAGER, AND I'LL SHARE, IT'S IN WESTLAW, THEIR CITY MANAGER HELPED THE COMMISSION TO, UH, RECRUIT SOMEBODY.
AND THE COMMISSION MADE THE DECISION AS TO WHO THEY'RE GONNA HIRE.
AND IT'S BEEN WORKING OUT FOR THEM.
OTHERS WENT FOR THE, A RECRUITING FIRM AND ALSO HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL BOTH WAYS.
ANYBODY ELSE? MIGUEL, I WANNA ADD SOMETHING, BUT I ALREADY SPOKE.
UH, BUT IT'S IN REGARDS TO THE BUDGET.
I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT, IF YOU EVER GET TO SEE, TO ACTUALLY GET DIP, EVEN THOUGH IT'S REALLY PRELIMINARY, THE PROPERTY TAXES THAT WE EXPECTED ARE BASED ON OUR LAST YEAR CONCLUDED, WHICH IS 2122.
UH, OF COURSE WE'RE EXPECTING A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT, BUT WE WANTED TO KEEP IT CONSERVATIVE AS PER MR. SOTELO.
UH, WE WANTED A BALANCED BUDGET WITH WHAT WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE.
SO JUST TO, UH, PUT YOUR MINDS IN THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT UP TO RIGHT NOW, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE THE COMPLETE NUMBERS, IT'S BASED ON THE LAST YEAR COMPLETE COMPLETED.
SO THAT WAY, IF YOU SEE A REALLY LOW, YOU'RE EXPECTING SOMETHING HIGHER, YOU KNOW THE REASON BEHIND IT.
THERE ARE NO PIE IN THE SKY PROJECTS IN HERE.
THERE IS NO UNFUNDED, UH, UH, UH, PROJECT OR EXPENDITURE.
IF WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT.
UH, JUST ONE COMMENT, JUST ONE MORE COMMENT.
WE'VE GOT AKA FEST COMING UP ON SATURDAY.
AND THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO FUND AND HOW TO CARRY OUT THOSE EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES AND ANY OTHER TYPES OF, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN GATHER ANALYTICALLY ABOUT THIS EVENT, ATTENDANCES AND ANY, ANYTHING ELSE.
AGAIN, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS ARE, MAY BE OR NOT BE AS A RESULT OF THIS, I THINK WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
I, I FORGOT TO TELL YOU WHAT I ALWAYS TELL MY COUNSEL.
THERE'S TWO WAYS TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO AND HAVE TO DO, AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE GOOD TO DO THAT YOU WANT TO DO.
YOU'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO SELECT THE ONES THAT YOU NEED TO DO.
THEN YOU LOOK AT THE GOOD THINGS, UH, THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO, FIRE, POLICE, STREETS, WATER AND WASTEWATER AND SORT OF THINGS.
THE BASIC, BASIC SERVICES, THINGS THAT ARE GOOD TO DO OR, OR FEST.
UH, HAVEN'T GOT A TOTAL YET AS TO HOW MUCH IT COST US TO, TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.
MAYBE WE'RE DOING TOO MANY EVENTS.
WE'RE WORKING ON THAT LAST MINUTE REQUEST.
UH, WE COULDN'T DO IT SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT DAY, BUT WE KIND DID A COMPARISON.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT ON THE PAYROLL SECTION OF IT.
[02:00:01]
OF THE EVENTS ENTITLED OVERTIME FOR THE EMPLOYEES.'CAUSE THEY HAVE TO COME ON ON A SATURDAY.
SO THAT CALCULATION WAS MADE BETWEEN A PAY PERIOD AND ANOTHER PAY PERIOD BECAUSE WE, WITH THE TIMEFRAME PROVIDED TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION, WE COULDN'T REDUCE IT TO THAT SPECIFIC DATE.
UM, AND I KNOW MS. NICKY HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE, ON THE AMOUNT THAT EVERYTHING OVERALL COST US WILL COME PUT THAT TOGETHER SO WE COULD HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER WHAT IT'S BEEN FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THEY'RE BECOMING A LITTLE BIT BIGGER.
JUST WANTED TO, IT'S, UH, YOU'RE GONNA DISCOVER THAT, THAT VERY COSTLY, VERY COSTLY TO DO THAT.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT COSTS.
WE NEVER SAY IT'S NEVER CALCULATED THAT COST.
SO WE'LL BRING THAT TO YOU NEXT TIME.
I AM AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I KNOW WE HAVE PROVIDED IN THE PAST SOME NUMBERS AND I DO HAVE AN, UM, SOME AVAILABLE FOR 2022 AS WELL AS HOG WADDLE BACK IN MARCH.
SO IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY, UM, QUESTIONS, I'M, I'M AVAILABLE FOR, TO ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
UH, ALSO, MAYOR, THE, I GUESS WE'RE ALSO SEEKING FOR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AS WELL.
WELL, LEMME JUST TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE A CITY OF LESS THAN 30,000 POPULATION.
SO WE NEED AN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, MAYBE THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT RATHER THAN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
UH, IN THE BUDGET CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET, THERE'S POSITIONS FOR TWO SECRETARIES.
UH, SO I TOLD RUTH, HIRE SOMEBODY THAT WILL SUPPORT YOU.
'CAUSE SHE'S GOT A LOT MORE WORK THAT SHE CAN YES, SHE DOES.
I'M SAYING YOU'LL BE IN CHARGE OF THAT PERSON.
I DO MY OWN MEMOS, MY OWN TYPE AND TELEPHONE CALLS, WHATEVER, MY OWN CALENDAR.
I DON'T NEED SOMEONE TO SIT AT THE DOOR AND, AND BLOCK PEOPLE.
I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE CITY OF DALLAS THAT DID NOT HAVE A SECRETARY AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
HOW CAN YOU DO THAT? WE HAD 14,000 EMPLOYEES.
I COULD ALWAYS GIVE SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND DO STUFF, YOU KNOW, SAME WAY HERE.
WE GOT PEOPLE, GOT PEOPLE ACROSS THE HALL FROM ME IN, IN PARKS.
I CAN USE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE ONCE IN A WHILE PERHAPS, BUT RIGHT NOW I CAN TELL YOU, LET'S HOLD OFF.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CELL RAISE FOR AN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, BUT I'D RATHER HAVE AN ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICER OR FIREFIGHTER THAT AN ASSISTANT CITY MATCH.
WELL, AND WE'LL LOOK AT THE, SEE YOUR WORKLOAD ALSO BECAUSE, UH, I MEAN, I GOTTA LOOK AT THE ALSO WHAT, UH, I'M HERE JUST ABOUT EVERY OTHER, EVERY DAY.
UH, I LOOK AT THE, WHAT YOU KNOW, UH, HOW BUSY YOU ARE.
SO SOMETIMES YOU DO NEED, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY ON SECOND HAND THAT, UH, TO ALLEVIATE YOUR WORKLOAD.
BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, UH, I DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I DO HAVE TO WAIT FOR YOU
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE.
BUT LIKE I SAID, UH, I JUST NEED FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THAT, UH, UH, YOUR WORK WORKLOAD, WELL, THAT, THAT'S ME.
THE NEXT MANAGER, I UNDERSTAND THEY DECIDE THEY NEED SOMEBODY, AND I THINK HE SHOULD BE UP TO THE NEXT MANAGER TO HIRE HIS OR HER OWN PERSON THAT IS LOYAL TO HIM RATHER THAN, THAN TO ME.
I, I'M VERY FRUGAL IN, IN DOING BUDGETS IN OPERATING THE CITY.
I WAS TOLD ONE TIME DURING BUDGET HERE, THE DEPARTMENT HEAD, WE WERE ANGRY 'CAUSE I CUT HIS BUDGET AND HE SAID, YOU WERE SO TIGHT THAT IF YOU HAD TO DANCE, YOU'D DO ONE, ONE MAN BAND.
SO I SAID, IF THEY COULD DANCE, WE'LL DO IT THAT WAY.
RICHARD, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO.
UM, I'LL BRING BACK A PUBLIC COMMENT AGAIN.
MR. JOE MORALE WANTS TO, UM, TURN SOMETHING UP THERE, WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING IN THE PUBLIC.
UH, JUST FOR THE RECORD, MAYOR JOSE MORALES LIVE 7 8 9 COMFORT LANE HERE IN SAN BERNARDO, TEXAS.
I, AND I WANT TO COMMEND MR. SO FOR BEING AS SWIFT AS HE HAS DOING HIS DUE DILIGENCE, BRINGING SMILES IN HERE, BRINGING THE COMFORTABILITY, ALL YOUR COMMISSIONERS WORKING TOGETHER AND LAUGHING RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS THE ENVIRONMENT WE NEED TO CREATE HERE IN THE CITY OF SANTO.
IT STARTS WITH EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITTING IN THIS ROOM.
AND ME AS A CITIZEN, I CAN SEE YOU.
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE SEEN A LOT OF SMILES AND A LOT OF INTERACTION IN A MEETING LIKE THIS, BECAUSE YOU ARE ALL VITAL COMPONENTS TO OUR CITY.
AS CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY DO.
UM, WE GOT A GREAT POLICE CHIEF.
I MEAN, I'M GETTING TO MEET EVERYBODY ALL OVER.
[02:05:01]
'CAUSE THE ENVIRONMENT'S THERE TO DO SO IN SPANISH.BECAUSE ALL OF Y'ALL WORKING TOGETHER IN UNISON, IT'S GONNA MAKE THE CHANGE THAT THIS CITY DESERVES.
IT'S BEEN WAITING FOR A LONG TIME.
GIANT'S WAKING UP, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE GONNA GET WHAT WE DESERVE AND THE CITIZENS ARE GONNA GET WHAT THEY'VE BEEN CRYING FOR FOR A LONG TIME.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. SALTO, FOR GRABBING THE BULL BY THE HEADS AND A WEAK GUYS.
I THINK HE DESERVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
YES, IT, FOR THE FINANCE, WHEN YOU EXPECT THE CERTIFIED, UH, PRICING NUMBERS, NUMBERS.
WHICH IS OUR NEXT, YEAH, NEXT, UH, CITY MEETING.
I BELIEVE THAT, WELL, NOT NOT, NO.
SPECIAL MEETING FOR JULY 4TH IS A REGULAR MEETING, WHICH IS NEXT WEEK.
BUT BECAUSE OUR HOLIDAYS, WE MOVED IT TO JULY 11TH.
WE DO HAVE PRELIMINARY NUMBERS THAT ACTUALLY CAME OUT THAT WE WERE ADVISED TODAY.
SO, WE'LL, IF WE DON'T GET TO DO IT WITH THE ACTUAL, WE'LL DO IT WITH THE PRELIMINARY THAT THEY PROVIDED US.
THAT'S GONNA CHANGE YOUR BUDGET AND NOT UNNECESSARY.
WE'RE HOPING, UH, IN A GOOD WAY.
WHEN'S THE NEXT BUDGET MEETING? UH, WOULD THAT BE WHEN DO YOU HAVE THE RUTH? ME WHEN'S, UH, THE NEXT BUDGET MEETING ORDER WHEN THE, I DON'T HAVE THE OKAY.
I I THOUGHT WE WERE GIVING YOU A CALENDAR.
UH, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL SEND THAT OUT AGAIN.
SEE? YEAH, WE'LL SEND IT OUT, SIR.
I MEAN, I GUESS WE'LL POST IT ON THE, UH, CITY WEBPAGE AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL PUT IT ON THERE.
JULY 11TH IS JUST TO MAKE UP FOR THE REGULAR REPORT.
THE REGULAR, IT'S NOT BUDGET, IT'S JUST THE REGULAR MEETING, BUT RIGHT.
WHAT AGAIN, I, I COULD KEEP YOU HERE FOREVER.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANNA DO FOR, FOR THAT, FOR OUR AGENDA IS REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT YOU HAVE ON THERE.
UH, AND BY LOOKING AT A CONSENT AGENDA.
AND HOPEFULLY, I DON'T THINK I'M GONNA READ ANY, ANY OF THE, UH, UH, ITEMS. NO MORE.
I THINK I WOULD JUST SAY ITEM NUMBER ONE.
ANY, ANY, UH, QUESTIONS AND THEN LET'S GO AT IT.
WELL, NORMALLY MAYOR IN OUR CITIES, THE CITY SECRETARY, REACH ALL THE ADAMS
AND I'LL DO IT WHEN YOU GET A SECOND, YOU KNOW, UH, YOUR, YOUR ASSISTANT.
YOU'RE GONNA BE INTERVIEWING PEOPLE THIS WEEK OR NEXT.
I NEED SOMEBODY THERE FOR HER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THE 25TH, JULY 25TH IS THE NEXT BUDGET MEETING.
WE MIGHT MOVE, WE MIGHT MOVE IT FORWARD.
DEPENDS ON HOW FAST WE CAN WORK AND PUT IT.
I GOT A MOTION BY YOU WANNA LEAVE? THANK GOODMAN.