[00:00:02]
[Budget Workshop on June 24, 2025.]
THOSE ARE THE REGULAR TWO.WORKSHOP NUMBER ONE FOR THE CITY COMMISSION.
AND ALL THIS BEING ORDER IN JULY FORM.
GET THE COMMISSIONER
ANYBODY FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO, SIR.
BILL, FOR ITEMS OF INDIVIDUAL ATION, ITEM NUMBER ONE IS GONNA BE THE 2025 PROPERTY SALE.
UM, I'M GONNA HAVE MS. STEPHANIE GIVE YOU THE HIGHLIGHTS.
SHE'S GOT THE LATEST, THE LATEST FIGURES.
YOU WANT ME TO MOVE THAT FOR YOU? HI, GOOD AFTERNOON.
UM, STEPHANIE ISAND, FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR THE RECORD.
SO, UM, REALLY THIS ITEM IS RIGHT HERE JUST TO DISCUSS IF WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE HAVING OUR REGULAR TAX RATE, 0.7 0 8 7 0 8 1 2 5.
IF WE'RE THE ONE THAT WE HAD FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS BEFORE, UH, AFTER, IN 2022, IF I'M MISTAKEN.
SO BASED ON THE CERTIFIED VALUES, AND YOU'LL SEE IT IN YOUR SECOND, I ADDED, I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE PUT IT IN THE FIRST PAGE 'CAUSE THAT'S THE FIRST ITEM.
BUT, UM, RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR PACKAGES YOU'RE GONNA SEE, UH, THIS LITTLE KIND OF LIKE A SHEET SHEET, UH, FORMAT, WHICH IT'LL GIVE YOU LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, UH, AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET.
THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK THROUGH THE FULL BUDGET EVEN THOUGH WE CAN.
UM, SO ON THE PAGE NUMBER TWO, UM, WE HAVE THE PRELIMINARY VALUES AS OF YESTERDAY OF EIGHT.
UM, LAST COLUMN IT'S UH, 8 MILLION 118,826 WITH 42.
THAT'S THE LATEST PRELIMINARY VALUES THAT THE, UH, CAMERON COUNTY HAS GIVEN US.
SO BASED ON THAT, UM, EACH CENT TO THE TAX RATE, IT'S ABOUT 64,289.
UM, IF YOU SEE ON THAT IN THE REDS RIGHT, ASSUMING A 97, I'M SORRY, 96 POINT 70% OF COLLECTION RATE, UM, THAT'S REALLY THE VALUES THAT WE USE LAST YEAR AS WELL.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SET IN STONE BECAUSE, UH, WE STILL NEED TO GET THE CERTIFIED VALUES FROM THOSE NORMALLY COME OUT TO LIKE THE END OF JULY, BUT, UM, SO FAR LEAST IS WHAT'S THROWING AT US.
SO THIS IS REALLY AN OPEN FOR DISCUSSION, IF THAT'S WHAT I HIGHLY SUGGEST.
WE STAY WITH THE SAME JUST BECAUSE, UH, WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, OR PROPERTY TAXES IS OUR MAIN SOURCE OF REVENUE, UH, ALONG WITH OUR SALES TAX.
BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, IT IS OUR MAIN SOURCE OF REVENUE.
SO, UM, I KNOW WE ARE ADDING A LOT OF HOMES.
I KNOW DEVELOPMENT IS COMING, HOWEVER, IT, WE WON'T SEE THOSE, UM, EXTRA REVENUES COMING IN UNTIL UM, OCTOBER OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR, WHICH OPERATES ON 20 26, 27 BUDGET.
SO, UM, THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION.
BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, LET ME KNOW.
WHAT IS THE INCREASE IN, UH, REVENUE FROM PROPERTY TAXES FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS TO EXPECTED? SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL PACKAGE OF THE BUDGET, WE'RE ASSUMING ALMOST A MILLION DOLLAR MORE FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR.
BUT THAT'S BASED ON THOSE NOT CERTIFIED VALUES JUST YET.
FAIRLY CLOSE IN MY EXPERIENCE.
THEY ALWAYS COME OUT SUPER CLOSE TO THE WHATEVER IT'S LISTED THERE.
UM, AND YES, THE IMPACT OF MONTHS AND WILL BE THE 64,000.
THIS BUDGET PACKET IS, UH, TOTAL PROPERTY TAXES.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS ON A COLLECTION OF WHAT PERCENT? 95%.
UM, THE BUDGETS STILL ON THE WORKS, SO, UM, THE STATE AMOUNT OF COLLECTION RATE WILL BE SET AT THAT TIME, WILL BE FOR ACTUAL EXPENSES AFTER THIS MEETING, WILL HAVE A BETTER PICTURE OF WHAT WE DECIDE TO DO WITH THE BUDGET.
AND THEN WE'LL SEE IF THAT RATE NEEDS TO GO DOWN OR NEEDS TO GO UP.
WHAT IS OUR USUAL A USUAL COLLECTION RATE? LAST YEAR WE USED A 91.
WHAT OUR USUAL COLLECTION RATE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A 96 POINT 70, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT I USE FOR THE RIGHT 64,000.
BUT I ALWAYS LIKE TO BUT YOU USE 95 IN THE BUDGET.
TO, YOU KNOW, UM, EXPECT LESS, UM, COME UP WITH MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING.
[00:05:01]
UM, SHOULD FOROUGH TO GET MORE AND EVERYBODY, UM, LIKE WITHIN THEIR MEANS AND HAVE SOME SURPLUS A LITTLE BIT EVEN JUST TO Y'ALL LISTEN TO THAT.ANY MORE QUESTIONS? SO THERE'S AN INCREASE, PROJECTED INCREASE OF $1 MILLION, 1,000,001 POINT, LIKE 1.1, 1.1, CORRECT.
A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN 1.1 ON AN ASSUMPTION OF 96% COLLECTED, CORRECT.
AND THEN HOW MUCH OF THAT 4% THAT DOES IT COLLECTED, UH, ENDS UP PAYING? IS THIS LIKE A SUB NINE SIX FOR THE WHOLE YEAR? LIKE EVEN THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LATE? YEAH, THIS IS FOR THE WHOLE YEAR.
IF YOU DO HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT DATE JUST DON'T PAY THEIR TAXES AND THEY HOLD OFF THE WHOLE YEAR AND THEN THEY PAID TWO YEARS TO GO.
I DUNNO WHAT THAT YEAH, THERE WAS A NEW HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE FOR ELDERLY AND DISABLED.
WAS THAT FOR THAT THAT I THINK THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO IN IN SEPTEMBER ON A, ON A FOR VOTE? YEAH.
WAS THAT GONNA AFFECT THE CITY? I, I DON'T THINK SO.
IF IT HAPPENED IN SEPTEMBER, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN EFFECTING US ALREADY.
IT'S GONNA, IT'S THEY'RE OH, THEY'RE PROPOSING IT.
I WOULD NEED TO ALLUDED TO THAT.
SO THAT COULD IMPACT THE BUDGET, CORRECT.
DEPENDING ON HOW MANY, HOW MANY ARE CURRENTLY TAKING THE ELDERLY OR DISABLED EXEMPTION.
I FORGOT EXACTLY WHAT THE POSITION WAS.
WHAT IS IT RIGHT NOW? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
THE NUMBER EXEMPTION, YOU KNOW, SIR, THE EXEMPTION NUMBER FOR THE HOMESTEAD OR THE, THE TOTAL FOR HOMESTEAD? FOR NO, FOR, UH, FOR ELDERLY OR DISABLED? THEY'RE INCREASING THE EXEMPTION.
40,000? I THINK FROM 25 TO 40.
THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO FACTOR IN THERE.
I THINK THAT'S A MAJORITY OF OUR POPULATION.
AND THEN I THINK THE TAX ASSESSOR WILL GIVE US A BREAKDOWN OF HOW MANY, OR, YEAH, WE HAVEN'T GET THOSE UNTIL THE CERTIFIED VALUES GET TO US.
AND THAT'LL BE A BUDGET WORKSHOP TOO.
SO THIS IS REALLY, AGAIN, KIND PRELIMINARY WHAT WE EXPECT BASED ON THE NUMBERS THAT WE COULD COLLECT AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.
WE'RE DOING IT AHEAD OF TIME, HOPING SHOOTING FOR GETTING THE BUDGET SET ON THE FIRST MEETING OF SEPTEMBER THAT WE'RE FREE IN OCTOBER, AND WE CAN START THE NEW YEAR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS A MAYOR, WHICH IS TO DO IT THE FIRST WEEK OF THE FIRST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER ON YOUR TAX RATE CALCULATION, YOU USED A LOWER NUMBER OF VALUATION.
'CAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE DOING IT ON 96.
THAT WAS WELL, THE, THE TOP PART WHERE YOU SEE THOSE ARE THE ACTUAL NUMBERS AND THEN THE BOTTOM ONE IS WHAT WE USED TO DO THE CALCULATION WHERE YOU SEE CERTIFIED ADOPT TAX RATES.
WHENEVER WE GET THOSE, THAT'S WHEN WE START DOING THE CALCULATION.
SO IT'S ALL PART, IT'S STRAIGHT FROM, UM, THE CAMERO COUNTY.
SO THEY JUST DO LIKE EXPECTING A HUNDRED PERCENT RETENTION AND EVERYTHING TO GO SMOOTHLY AND COLLECT ALL THE AMOUNT OF HOMES THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN BASED ON THAT, WE LOWERED IT 96% AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD AND DO OUR CALCULATIONS BASED ON WHAT WE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE CERTIFIED VALUE SAID, BASED ON YOUR HISTORY, HOW MUCH OUR RETENTION IS.
SO WHAT IS THE ACTUAL, WHAT IS THE ACTUAL VALUATION RIGHT NOW OF PREDICTED FOR 2025, BUT A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, NOT COLLECTION, JUST VALUATION OF PROPERTIES TOTAL? YEAH, WELL, THE PRELIMINARY VALUES RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
THAT'S A WHAT I MENTIONED A MILLION 118,826 WITH 44.
USE THE, THE PRELIMINARY VALUES.
THAT'S WHAT THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY THE AMOUNT.
THIS IS A FORMULA THAT WAS USED LAST YEAR.
SO WE JUST LIKE POP UP THE NUMBERS FROM THE CERTIFIED VALUES AND IT JUST DOES IT BASED ON THE HISTORY THAT THE CITY HAS SEEN.
SHE'S USING A HIGHER RATE TO, TO SUBTRACT ANYTHING YOU CAN TAKE AWAY FROM HIGHER RATE.
[00:10:01]
8.7 IS THE 1%, THEN 8.7, IF WE GO OVER REDUCTION, SHE'S USING A, SHE'S ESTIMATING A BIGGER DEDUCTION THAT WHAT IS THAT 0.95 95% COLLECTION.SO YOU, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE NUMBER WE USE ON THE ACTUAL THING.
I CAN, I CAN BREAK IT UP, BREAK IT UP MORE FOR YOU WITH THE, THE HIDDEN TABS THERE.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE IT FIT ON THAT.
SO IT'S A, IT WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT THAT A HUNDRED IS.
THAT'S THAT ONE THAT YOU PLUGGED IN SHOULD BE HERE.
THAT DOESN'T, THAT NUMBER DOESN'T MATCH.
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND MR. I'M NOT FOLLOWING YOU.
SO 8.118 UHHUH
DO YOU SEE IT RIGHT THERE? AND THEN AT A 97, 96 0.7, THAT'S THE 8.46.
RIGHT? AND THEN WHEN YOU SAID THE, WHEN YOU SEE THE
QUIN TAXES, PAST YEARS AND EVERYTHING.
SO IF YOU GO TO PAGE, SO THAT, THAT NUMBER IS NOT 95.
IF YOU GO TO THE PAGE NUMBER TWO ON THE BOOKLET ITSELF MM-HMM
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT EVEN EVEN GONNA MATCH BECAUSE THAT'S JUST AN ESTIMATE OF BASED ON WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET.
IF YOU LOOK AT THAT AND THEN YOU DO, IT'S ALL OF THAT, THAT'S WHERE YOU GET THOSE 8,000,622.
IT ALSO INCLUDE THE DELINQUENT, THE, THE PENALTIES.
THE LATE CREDENTIAL PENALTIES.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE FIRST ONE, THAT'S THE SUMMARIES.
AND THEN YOU CAN GO IN, IT GIVES YOU MORE DETAILS.
SO THEN THE 8.2 IS WHAT WE EXPECT, EXPECT HIGHER THAN THE 95.
WE, WE HAD TO IN ORDER TO MAKE THE, THE THING HAPPEN, BUT AGAIN, IT'S REALLY NOT SET IN STONE UNTIL WE ACTUALLY GET THE CERTIFIED VALUE.
SO I TRY TO DO IT AS MUCH AS CONSERVATIVE THAT I COULD, BUT THEN WITH THE EXPENSES WE'RE ADDING, WE ALSO HAVE TO BE REALISTIC OF WHAT WE NEED TO MEET THAT GOAL.
WHO DOES THE, WHO PAYS PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES? I'M NOT SURE, BUT I'LL CAN GIVE YOU A LIST.
IT'S A PILOT, RIGHT? IT'S CALLED A PILOT.
THERE'S A FEW ENTITIES IN THE CITY THAT PAY A PILOT INSTEAD OF PAYING THE REAL TIMES HOUSING AUTHORITY.
SO JUST MAYBE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
ARE THEY CURRENT? I'M NOT SURE.
I NEED TO GO BACK AND TAKE, THEY WERE TRYING TO GET OUT OF IT THIS YEAR.
THEY ADDITIONAL, THEY RENDITION PENALTY.
WHAT'S THAT? WE NEED TO CHECK.
WHAT'S A LABOR RENDITION? THE WHAT? LABOR RENDITION PENALTY.
WELL, REALLY THESE ARE THINGS THAT THE COUNTY SAID AND THEN THAT'S HOW MUCH, THAT'S HOW THEY LABEL IT TO US.
SO WE HAVE TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT TO DO THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS ON THE SIDE.
THEY SEND US THE MONIES AND THEN THEY SEPARATED IN THIS POSITION ITEMS. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY, IF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, IT'S LISTED AS PILOT.
WE DON'T REALLY THAT THAT'S ALL THE TAX COMMUNITY, UH, LABOR RENDITION IS FFF AND E.
WHEN YOU HAVE A, WHEN YOU HAVE A BUSINESS, THEY'LL COME IN AND THEY'LL, YOU HAVE TO ASSESS WHAT YOU HAVE AND FFF E AND THEN YOU PAY TAXES ON THAT.
AND IF YOU'RE LATE AND IF YOU'RE LATE ON THAT, THEY, THEY, THEY ASSESS IT.
I'M PAYING THOSE PRICES RIGHT HERE.
YEAH, WE, WE DON'T GET TO SEE WHAT'S, SORRY, WE DON'T GET TO SEE WHAT'S, WHAT'S THAT? BEHIND THE SCENES.
WE JUST SEE THAT LABEL AND THOSE TAXES PAID.
SO WE HAVE TO SEPARATE IT AND BUDGET, BUT WE'RE GONNA GET IT FROM THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OR BUSINESSES.
CAN I GO THROUGH THE FIRST, THE REVENUE LINE? THE FIRST PAGE? OH, WE HAVE TO GO TO THE SECOND ITEM, I THINK.
OH, WE HAVE A, YEAH, GO AHEAD.
SO NO MORE QUESTIONS ON THE PROPERTY.
AGAIN, MR.
UM, WE DON'T KNOW CERTIFIED VALUES WE'RE ASSUMING SO FAR.
UH, BUT I WILL BRING A DETAIL, NO TABS HIDDEN FOR YOU, FOR NEXT, FOR EVERYBODY FOR NEXT MEETING.
THAT WAY YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND
[00:15:01]
MORE QUESTIONS? MORE QUESTIONS.OKAY, WE'LL GO ON TO, UH, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
MOVE ON TO, UH, BUDGET WORKSHOP.
SO AGAIN, UM, SO THIS ONE, IT'S READY.
NOW WE CAN GO TO THE FIRST PAGE OF THIS ONE, WHICH IS, IS THE HIGHLIGHTS.
I MAKE UP THIS BUDGET BASED ON, IT'S AN ADMINISTRATION REQUEST DIRECTOR'S REQUEST.
SO NOW WE CAN GO OUT TO BATCH ACTUAL BOOKLET.
WE CAN GO OVER THIS ONE FIRST AND THEN YOU LET ME KNOW.
OR WE CAN GO STRAIGHT TO THAT ITEM.
UH, WE CAN GO OVER YOUR NOTES.
UM, SO SOME OF THE ASSUMPTIONS ARE, ARE EXCITED DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR.
UM, SOME OF THE ASSUMPTIONS, UH, THIS BUDGET DOES, UH, AS DISCUSSED BEFORE, UH, WITH THE CITY COMMISSION, AN INCREASE FROM FIVE TO SIX, THAT BUDGET JUST ONE.
IT USED TO PUT US ONE PERCENTAGE BEHIND EVERY OTHER CITY.
HOWEVER, JUST YESTERDAY THERE'S A NEW BILL THAT PASSED THAT NOW STUDENTS GET TO PUT UP TO AN 8%.
SO WE'RE STILL ON THE SAME TRACK.
WE'RE JUST CATCHING UP, I GUESS.
'CAUSE NOW WE CAN DO UP TO AN 8% ON RETIREMENT FOR FIRST CITIES, FOR MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE REALLY? YES.
IT, IT JUST CHANGED, UM, YESTERDAY.
UM, SO, SO THAT'S, THAT, THAT PUTS US ON THE SAME THING THAT, THAT, UM, THAT TELLS ME ONE OF TWO THINGS.
EITHER THEY'RE NOT MANAGING THAT FRONT PROP FUND PROPERLY OR IT'S NOT FULLY FUNDED, OR THEY'RE, THEY REALLY WANT THE BENEFITS FOR THE EMPLOYEE.
UM, SO I HOPE THEY'RE FUNDING THIS THING, RIGHT? AND IT'S NOT, DOESN'T TURN OUT TO BE LIKE SOCIAL SECURITY.
WE DON'T, ALL THE CITY EMPLOYEES DO BOTH THAT TOO.
UM, SO THE ANNUAL COST, ESTIMATED ANNUAL COST FOR, THAT'S 144,000 142, THAT'S JUST A 1% UP.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAD DECIDED THAT WE MIGHT NOT GO TO ALL THE WAY TO A SEVEN, MAYBE A 6% FOR THIS YEAR.
AND THEN BASED ON, UH, WHATEVER OTHER DISCOUNTS, BENEFITS WE GET GET, THEN WE CAN PROBABLY GO FOR OH 7%.
STILL BE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND, BUT WE'RE CATCHING UP.
UM, IT WAS ALSO DISCUSSED A MINIMUM WAGE ADJUSTMENT TO ALL THE EMPLOYEES THAT GET PAID THE MINIMUM.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL, UM, LAST YEAR WE DID INCREASE THE MINIMUM AS WELL TO 11 2 4 5.
SO, UM, NOW WE'RE SUGGESTING AN INCREASE OF 1285 TO ALL THE MINIMUM WAGE EMPLOYEES.
SO ENGINES LEVEL EMPLOYEES WILL GET THAT RAISED IN THIS BUDGET.
ASSUMES THAT MAYOR, WHEN WE STARTED, WHAT WAS IT? 9 8 88.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
AND THEN WE MOVED TO 10 AND THEN TO 11 2 5.
NOW THIS IS THE PROPOSED FOR HEALTH INSURANCE.
UM, WE ARE GOING OUT FOR, WE ALREADY ARE ADVERTISING FOR IT.
UM, BUT THIS ASSUMES THAT THE HEALTH INSURANCE, BASED ON WHAT EVERY OTHER PERSON THAT TRIES TO SELL THE SALE INSURANCE SAYS THAT THEY CAN BETTER THE PRICE, UM, MAKE IT BETTER FOR US.
SO, UM, THIS IS ASSUMING THAT IT AT EASE TO STAY THE SAME OF WHAT IT WAS LAST YEAR WITH THE BETTER BENEFITS FOR THE EMPLOYEES.
UM, ASSUMING THE CITY WILL STILL TAKE CARE OF A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE, UH, CHARGES TO THE EMPLOYEES.
ARE YOU USING ANY CONSULTING AGENCY? WE ARE GOING OUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ADVERTISING FOR PROPOSALS.
SO WE'RE IN THE LOOKOUT FOR GETTING NEW AGENCIES RIGHT NOW.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN ASSISTING US FOR THE PAST, I BELIEVE FOUR YEARS THROUGH A BAI THINK WHAT COMMISSIONER GOODMAN WAS ASKING, ARE WE USING A CONSULTANT TO FIND, UH, ANOTHER PROVIDER OR ANOTHER AGENT OF RECORD THAT WOULD HELP HELP US SHOP THIS THING AROUND? THAT WAS YOUR QUESTION, CORRECT? YEAH.
I IT CAN BE EXTREMELY COMPLEX.
UM, WE HAVE NOT CONTRACTED ANYBODY AT THIS POINT.
WE WERE GONNA GO OUT AND, AND SEE WHAT THE MARKET WOULD BEAR.
UH, WE HAVE HAD SOME FOLKS APPROACH US, UH, PRETTY REASONABLE ACTUALLY.
UH, BUT IT'S A REAL SPECIALIZED AREA AND A LOT, NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE DO IT.
AND SO SOME, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF LOOK AT IF IT'S REAL AFFORDABLE, IS IT REALLY WORTH IT OR ARE YOU GONNA, YOU KNOW, USE SOMEBODY THAT A BIGGER CITY WOULD USE AND END UP PAYING A LOT.
SO WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO WEIGH ALL OF THAT.
I MEAN, THE COST BENEFIT TO PAYING SOMEBODY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO SAVE US, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T WASH OUT.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO SEE US FINDING A LESSER,
[00:20:01]
LESSER COST AND IT ENDS UP BEING A LESSER VALUE TO OUR EMPLOYEES.AND, AND, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL, MY GOAL IS TO BRING, BRING THE BEST BENEFITS TO THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE CAN AFFORD.
UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA DISPARAGE ANY, ANY CURRENT PROVIDERS, BUT WE HAVE HAD SOME, SOME ISSUES WITH, UH, A LOT OF THE EMPLOYEES AND, AND IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SHOP AROUND.
I KNOW THAT TALKING TO SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS, I MEAN, UH, THEY SHOP THEIR AUTO INSURANCE, THEY SHOP THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE AND YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S A BUYER'S MARKET.
YOU AND YOU HAVE TO TURN IT INTO A BUYER'S MARKET.
IN OUR CASE IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE'RE SELF-FUNDED.
BUT THAT'S, AND, AND WE'VE GOT KIND OF A SMALL GROUP.
IF WE HAD A LARGER GROUP, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE A LITTLE MORE LEVERAGE.
BUT WE'VE, WE'VE SPOKEN TO SOME FOLKS THAT MAYBE WE COULD PIGGYBACK OFF OF SOME BIGGER GROUPS, UH, AND BECOME KIND OF A, KIND OF A CLEARINGHOUSE WITH THEM AND, AND IT GIVES US A LOT MORE BARGAINING POWER.
DO ALL EMPLOYEES HAVE TO HAVE THE INSURANCE? THERE'S A REQUIREMENT.
UNLESS THEY HAVE THEIR OWN INSURANCE, DIFFERENT INSURANCE BY THEIR OWN.
WHY IS IT THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE IT? I THINK IT'S BY OUR POLICY.
MS. CHRISTINE, YOU WANT TO, IT'S BY LAW AS WELL TO HAVE INSURANCE FOR THE EMPLOYEES AS FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, BUT THEY CAN OPT OUT ON IT AS WELL.
WE EITHER, RIGHT? WE JUST MAKE NOTE OF THAT.
AND IF THEY HAVE, LIKE THEY SAID, IF THEY HAVE THAT INSURANCE, THEN THEY DON'T NEED TO HAVE INSURANCE.
MOST OF OUR EMPLOYEES DO HAVE THE INSURANCE WITH US.
UH, WHAT IS IT? ABOUT 400, 4 44 PER EMPLOYEE.
FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR TWENTY 6 CENTS, I BELIEVE FOR PILLS, UM, PER MONTH PERMIT.
UM, WE ALSO ASSUME, WELL NOT THIS ONE, WE DIDN'T ASSUME WE AGREED TO A BURDEN AGREEMENT WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UH, THIS BUDGET HAS ALL THOSE AGREED INCREASES AND AS WELL AS ITS INCENTIVES AS MENTIONED IN THE AGREEMENT, WE ARE STAYING, WELL, THIS BUDGET ASSUMES THE SAME PROPERTY TAXES, NO CHANGES.
UM, WE DO WITH THE CONTRACT WE DO HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH REPUBLIC SERVICES, WHICH IS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS MR. WAS ASKING.
UH, THEY GET BY CONTRACT, THEY GET TO ADD UP TO A CPI, WHICH IS COST CONSUMER PRICE INDEX UP TO AN 8% ON A YEARLY BASIS.
I KNOW LAST YEAR WAS AN 8%, SO WE'RE JUST ASSUMING THEY'RE GONNA DO THAT THE SAME THIS YEAR.
UM, THEY HAVEN'T COME UP WITH THE AGREEMENT, THEY HAVEN'T COME UP WITH THE CHANGES.
WE JUST HAVE TO ASSUME FOR THE WORST ON THE EXPENSE SIDE TO BE SURE WE HAVE THE BUDGET FOR IT.
A NOTE, THERE'S ALSO LEGISLATION ABOUT THE FRANCHISE TAX.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY INPUT ON THAT? DO WE HAVE, WE HAVE A LOBBYIST, RIGHT? BUT DO WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT REPORTS TO US? ANY LEGISLATIVE CHANGES? DOES ANYBODY FOLLOWING THIS? YEAH, WE, UH, WE'VE GOT TML, SO TML IS KIND OF THE CLEARING HOUSE FOR ALL ALL THINGS CITY.
BUT IS ANYBODY HERE THE EXPERT ON IT? I'M NOT.
UH, I MEAN, I KEEP UP WITH IT.
UH, FRANCHISE TAX IS KIND OF TRICKY.
UH, AND AGAIN, REMEMBER SUNDAY WAS THE DEADLINE FOR THE GOVERNOR TO SIGN ALL VETOES THAT HE WAS GOING TO.
UH, SO WE'RE JUST WORKING THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND THE FALLOUT.
SO WE'LL BE GETTING SOME REPORTS AND I, I'LL COME BACK AND REPORT.
YOU CAN'T REMEMBER IF THEY WERE, THEY WERE TRYING TO TAKE THAT AWAY OR CAP IT A PASS.
I, I, I DON'T, I DIDN'T FOLLOW IT.
THERE'S TOO MUCH STUFF TO FOLLOW AT A DAY JOB.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL GET YOU A SUMMARY, BUT THAT, THAT WAS INTERESTING.
IT WAS A LITTLE SCARY BECAUSE THAT BRINGS IN SO WHY I ARRIVE.
UM, WHERE IS IT HERE? PROBABLY ON THE SOLID WASTE, UH, BUDGET.
WELL, THIS IS A REFUSE COLLECTION.
YOU TALKING ABOUT THE NO, I THINK HE'S TALKING IN GENERAL, UH, NOT, NOT THE REFUSE COLLECTION.
I NO TALKING, TALKING ABOUT FRANCHISE.
YEAH, IT'LL BE, YEAH, IT'LL BE ON, ON PAGE NUMBER TWO, WHAT THEY PAY IN THE WORKING WHAT, AND THEN ON THEIR NON-PROPERTY TAXES, REVENUES, IT'LL BE THE LAST 1, 4, 12, 0 8.
AND THEN ON PAGE 45, YOU CAN SEE WHAT ACTUALLY WE DO IN COLLECTING THE TRASH.
[00:25:02]
I HAD LIKE TO SHOW THAT TO THE COMMISSION.UM, THAT FRANCHISE TAXES IS IMPORTANT TO OUR REVENUE LINE.
IT COMES FROM THE REPUBLIC SERVICES.
SO IF YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT RENEGOTIATING DEALS, YOU AFFECT THAT LINE ITEM ALSO.
SO THEN YOU HAVE TO START DISCUSSING THE FRANCHISE TAX.
UM, BUT IT'S STILL SOMETHING TO LOOK AT.
WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO RAISE THIS, THE PRICE OF THE TRASH.
YEAH, I THINK WE, WE APPROACHED THAT A FEW YEARS AGO, MAYBE TWO YEARS AGO OR WE SAID WE CANNOT PASS THAT 8% OF OUR CITIZENS YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND, AND IT IS, UM, I KNOW THE CM HAS SOME PLANS FOR, FOR THAT AS WELL.
SEE THERE'S OTHER OPTIONS FOR US ON BETTER AGREEMENTS THAT WORK BETTER FOR US AND THEN IS MORE YEP.
UM, WE ARE BUDGETING FOR 265 POSITIONS WITH IF POSITIONS REQUESTED APPROVED, UM, THE ADDED POSITIONS FOR THIS YEAR, UM, MS HERE FOR HER WHOLE ARTS, SHE ADDED AN ADMINISTRATOR.
SO SHE CREATED ONE OF HER POSITIONS TO BE A HISTORIAN.
YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, MS. EZ HERE? I SHE DID ATTACH, WELL, I DID ATTACH FOR HER, BUT SHE DID IT A MEMO EXPLAINING WHY SHE NEEDS THAT POSITION.
AND IT'S ON THE VERY BACK OF THIS, UH, BOOKLET.
AND IT'S A THIRD PAGE, TWO LAST, AND IT KIND OF EXPLAINS WHY SHE REQUIRES THIS ADDITIONAL PERSON.
WELL, I, I, I THINK GIVEN THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GO SERIES AND THE OTHER TYPES OF BRAND THAT WE WANT TO TRY TO DEVELOP HERE IN THE TOWN, I THINK HAVING A HISTORY THAT'S VERY CLEAR AND RECOGNIZABLE AND AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE BECOMES EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
ANOTHER, UM, ANOTHER UM, DEPARTMENT THAT IS REQUESTING FOR AN ADDITIONAL POSITION.
UM, MR. S IS ASKING FOR LIBRARY AID, WHICH ARE CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING A NEW, UH, PROJECT AT THE LIBRARY.
SO HE REQUIRES THAT ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE, UM, FOLLOWED BY THAT.
UM, AND MR. S IS HERE IF YOU WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS.
HE ALSO MADE A MEMO, REALLY NICE MEMO ON THE BACK OF THIS.
UM, WE'RE ALSO ARE ADDING, UH, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER, BUT THIS WILL BE LIKE A WORKING SUPERVISOR FOR ANIMAL CONTROL THAT REQUIRES ASSISTANCE.
SO, UM, THE CHIEF ALSO ADDED A MEMO BEHIND IT, SO JUSTIFY WHY HE NEEDS THAT.
THIS THIRD PERSON, THAT WOULD KIND OF BE THE LEAD OF THE OTHER TWO.
UM, AND THEN WE ADDED, UH, TWO COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTS, UM, JUST BECAUSE, UM, IT'S, IT'S A LOT FOR THEM FOR THE, THE AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE FOR NOW.
UM, AND, AND THERE'S ALSO, AGAIN, A MEMO FOR IT BEHIND IT.
SO THOSE ARE THE ADDED POSITIONS FOR THIS BUDGET, UM, ON THE GENERAL FUND SITE THAT THEY ARE REQUESTING AND THE REASONING BEHIND IT.
WHAT IS THE NUMBER WE CURRENTLY SIT AT FOR EMPLOYEES? TWO? UM, 2 42 26.
2 26 WILL BE WITHOUT VACANCIES, LIKE ACTIVE EMPLOYEES.
BUT I ONLY HAVE NINE MOST FOR FIVE.
BUT THAT'S ACTIVE EMPLOYEES OVERALL POSITIONS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? ACTIVE EMPLOYEES? WE HAVE, WE HAVE VACANCIES IN MAINLY ON OUR VACANCIES RIGHT NOW.
HOW MANY VACANCIES? WELL, THE 2 26 MINUS THE ONE SIX.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT, UH, WHAT IS LAST YEAR'S BUDGET ALLOCATION OF EMPLOYEES? WHO'S, UH, TWO SIX? YEAH, IT WAS AT 2 56 I THINK.
DOES THE GENERAL FUND AND UTILITIES, BUT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF VACANCIES TRYING TO MAKE, WELL, SO THE ONES LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE ARE SOME, SOME OF 'EM, LIKE, IT'LL SPEAK FOR ME.
LIKE LET'S SAY I PUT THERE'S A POSITION OPEN FOR ME TO READ HER.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I NEED ONE ONLY.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY, WE MIGHT NEED TWO OR THREE OF THOSE.
AND I, AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF LIKE SEWER, UH, LIKE WHEN YOU PUT WITH, UH, WATER MAINTENANCE WASTEWATER MAINTENANCE WORKER.
SO IT MIGHT BE TWO OR THREE OPENING AVAILABLE.
AND I'M MENTIONING THEM BECAUSE I KNOW LIKE FOR NOW THEY HAVE LIKE FIVE, SEVEN MACCIES.
AND THIS IS OVERALL THE CITY INCLUDING WATERFRONT, NOT ONLY US.
SO WE HAVE 34 MACCIES, WE PUT IT LIKE THAT.
[00:30:01]
UTILITY SITE.SO I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT IS WHAT WE'RE GOING FROM TWO 50 TO 2 65, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE'RE TRYING TO ADD 15 TOTAL POSITIONS OR WE'RE ONLY ADDING, WE'RE ONLY ADDING FIVE POSITIONS FROM LAST YEAR.
WE'RE, WE WERE AT LIKE TWO 60 LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR WE'RE AT 2 65.
BUT THIS, THIS LIST OF RIGHT HERE, IT'S ONLY THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, WE DID ADD IN, THIS ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR OUR GENERAL FUND.
WE DID ADD TWO ADDITIONAL POSITIONS TO OUR WATER.
I SHOULD HAVE MISSED THEM HERE.
YEAH, I DON'T LIKE WHEN WE SEPARATE 'EM BECAUSE MAKES IT MAKE, YEAH.
BUT IN TOTAL FOR THE GENERAL FUND, WE'RE ADDING THOSE FIVE POSITIONS AND THEN, UM, I KNOW WE WERE SITTING IN 2 57, I THINK YOUR NUMBER, IT'S, RIGHT, SO IT'S THREE MORE TO THE WATER SITE ONLY AND THAT'S TO DISTRIBUTION AND WATER COLLECTIONS.
AND WE SEE IN THE REPORTS THAT YOU REGULARLY GIVE US WHERE SO MUCH OF A PERCENTAGE OF THE BUDGET HAS BEEN USED FOR EMPLOYEES AND WE'RE WELL BELOW.
UH, YEAH, ON THE SALARIES AT THE, EACH, EACH TIME I SENT THE, THE RIGHT FINANCIALS, THERE'S A GRAPH AT THE END THAT SHOWS YOU WHERE THEY'RE AT, NOT AT THEIR, NOT AT THEIR, UM, LINE ITEMS LEVEL, BUT THEIR SALARY LEVEL.
AND IT'S ALWAYS BELOW BECAUSE OUR UTILITY SIDE, IT'S ALWAYS LACKING OF EMPLOYEES, RIGHT? AND THAT'S KINDA, IF WE COMPARE IT TO OTHER CITIES, UM, WE TRY TO BASE IT OFF OF MAYBE LIKE WHAT, LAST MONTH CITIES AROUND 1285.
I TRIED TO FIND ANOTHER CITY LOOKING FOR A WASTE WATER OR A MAINTENANCE PERSON AT 1285.
SO IT IS REALLY COMPETITIVE TO GET THOSE, UM, ENTRANCE LEVEL EMPLOYEES AT THAT RATE.
AND WE PAY, WE PAY, UM, THE INSURANCE OF THE EMPLOYEE, WHICH IS ABOUT 2 75 AN HOUR TO THE EMPLOYEE'S PAY.
BUT I THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO HR, FINANCE ADMINISTRATION GET TOGETHER AND BREAK THAT DOWN FOR THE EMPLOYEE BECAUSE THEY JUST SEE THEIR PAY STUB AND WHAT THEIR HOURLY RATE IS.
THEY DON'T SEE THE TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE, WHICH IS A HEALTH, MEDICAL, DENTAL.
THEIR, THEIR A, THEIR DISABILITY BENEFIT, THEIR THEIR DEATH BENEFIT.
DON'T FORGET THE FREE WATER AND CHIPS, I'M JUST GOING RIGHT.
BUT THERE'S HOLIDAY, THERE'S A TOTAL HOLIDAY PAY SO THAT NOT MANY EMPLOYERS WILL GIVE YOU BANKING, HOLIDAYS, BANKER HOUR HOLIDAYS.
SO I THINK, AND THEN ALSO THE, THE RETIREMENT BENEFIT.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE.
AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE, I DON'T WANNA WORK AT THE CITY.
IT'S MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND YOU GET EVERY HOLIDAY UNDER THE SUN.
WHY DON'T YOU WANNA WORK AT THE CITY? YEAH, BUT WE ALSO, AND NOT, NOT TO GO AGAINST EIGHT TO FIVE, BUT, BUT YEAH, THE, THE SCHEDULE, IT'S PRETTY NICE.
BUT ALSO IF YOU COMPARE US TO NOT THE PRIVATE SECTOR, YOU COMPARE TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WALKING AROUND AND SEEING INSTEAD OF $16 AN HOUR FOR PAP EXPRESS AND YOU ALSO OTHER CITIES THERE ARE GETTING THAT 7% OF RETIREMENT.
UM, SO THERE, WE HAVE TO BE OUT IN THE MARKET WITH AT LEAST OR ENTRANCE PAID EMPLOYEES.
AND I FEEL LIKE THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT NEED US THE MOST.
AND WE NEED THE MOST, ESPECIALLY FOR STREETS OR WATER OR SEWER.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE NEED.
SO THOSE, THOSE, THOSE PRIVATE SECTORS, THEY DO HIRE AT THAT PAY, BUT THEY HIRE PART-TIME.
THEY DON'T HIRE FULL-TIME BECAUSE IT COSTS A LOT FOR THEM TO PAY BENEFITS.
SO THEY USUALLY WILL PICK YOU UP AT PART-TIME AND YOU'RE GONNA BE GETTING 10 HOURS A WEEK AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, YOU'RE FINDING A SECOND JOB.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? EVEN WHEN WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHER CITIES, OTHER CITIES DO HAVE THE SAME BENEFITS.
WE DO JUST ADDITIONAL BENEFITS.
UNFORTUNATELY, IF THAT WERE THE CASE, EVERYBODY HERE WOULD BE WORKING AT PANDA EXPRESS, BUT I DOUBT IT.
THEY HAVE A $16 THING ON THE WALL, JUST, JUST LETTING YOU KNOW.
BUT I, I KNOW WE HAVE TO STAY COMPETITIVE.
UM, AND TALKING ABOUT COMPETITIVE, THE NEXT ITEM, IT IS THE CDO DRIVERS, UM, PRIVATE SECTOR.
IT'S BEING REALLY, REALLY GOOD FOR THOSE.
UH, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BE EVEN A LITTLE BIT COMPETITIVE TO TOWARDS IT.
UM, WE, WE LOOK AT AROUND, AROUND, THEY'RE DOING $20.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO KEEP THEM HERE WITH ALL THE OTHER BENEFITS WE OFFER.
LIKE, YES, IT'S AN EIGHT TO FIVE JOB, BUT YET THERE'S A LOT OF UNEXPECTED CALLS 'CAUSE OF INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS IT.
SO YES, THEY MIGHT HAVE AN EIGHT TO FIVE JOB, BUT THEN THEY ALSO GET CALLED ON WEEKENDS.
AND THEN WE DO NEED THOSE HEAVY MACHINERY OPERATORS AS WELL.
I CAN CALL SOME AFTER HOURS, DON'T ANSWER AND SOME WON'T.
SO WHAT ABOUT THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE, THAT DO GET THOSE CALLS? IS THERE DIFFERENTIAL PAY FOR THEM OR AFTER HOURS COMPETITION? THEY DO GET, UH, STANDBY.
IF, IF THEY ARE ON THE CALL, WE DO OFFER, OFFER STANDBY PAY FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES
[00:35:01]
THAT ARE ON THE CALL.UM, THE OTHER THING THAT, IT WAS ALSO A BIG HIGHLIGHT OF THIS BUDGET, IT'S OUR STORM WATER DIVISION.
UM, THE WAY IT WAS SITTING NOW WAS, UM, UNDER THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THE GENERAL FUND WILL TAKE CARE OF IT.
HOWEVER, DUE TO OUR LATEST, UM, STORM THAT WE HAD AND THE NEED OF HAVING A STORM WATER THAT CAN HOLD EQUIPMENT AND GO AND CLEAN, WELL, IT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED FOR THAT STORM WATER TO WORK THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO.
UM, IT WAS DECIDED TO PUT IT ON THE WATER SIDE.
SO THAT REALLY EASED OUT THE GENERAL FUND FROM THAT STORM WATER AND WAS PLACED UNDER WATER.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT THIS BUDGET ASSUMES.
WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S ACTUALLY WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE, WHERE IT BELONGS BASICALLY.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT CHRISTINA WAS MY, YOU CAME ON BOARD, THERE WERE MORE OPENINGS THAN WE HAVE NOW.
UM, WHAT'S BEEN THE, THANK YOU FOR GETTING MORE PEOPLE HERE.
UM, WHAT, WHAT KIND OF ARE YOU FINDING FROM PEOPLE IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO GET 'EM HERE AND KEEP 'EM HERE AND ENTICING TO BE HERE? IT'S JUST THE, THE MORALE THAT YOU FIND HERE, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND WHAT I ALSO FOUND WAS ON THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS, YOU KNOW, THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS WERE, THEY WERE, THEY WERE EITHER LONG AND THEY WEREN'T PRECISE.
SO I KIND OF TWEAKED THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS TO MAKE IT LOOK ENTERTAINING.
SO THAT WAY THEY FIND THAT, SO, I MEAN, THE JOB DESCRIPTION TELLS IT ALL, WHAT THE JOB'S GONNA BE.
SO WITH THAT, I MINIMIZED THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
'CAUSE I KNOW, I THINK WHAT I, I SPOKE WITH CM ON LABORS.
YOU DON'T NEED AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE TO BECOME A LABOR, YOU KNOW, SO I REMOVED THAT.
SO I JUST HAD EITHER A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR GED OR FOR ANY EXPERIENCE.
NOW WHEN YOU GO INTO ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL, OF COURSE, DEPENDING ON THAT, THEN OF COURSE IT'S A DEGREE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO STUFF LIKE THAT WAS WHAT KIND OF CAUGHT ME TO REARRANGE ALL THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND THEN START PULLING INTO THE VIDEOS.
UH, IS THERE, UM, AND WE MORALE, OBVIOUSLY IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND WE, WE WANT THAT TO BE, ARE, ARE WE BUDGETING ANY KIND OF, UH, MORE PARTIES FOR THE EMPLOYEES AS PART OF MORALE CHIPS AND WATER CHIPS AND WATER CHIP AND WATER CHIPS? AND NO COMMISSIONER, UH, AND MAYOR, IF I COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, WHEN Y'ALL HIRED ME, WE HAD 195 EMPLOYEES.
I REMEMBER THAT BECAUSE IT WAS INGRAINED IN MY BRAIN.
UH, WE'RE AT 2 26 RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? WE HOVER AROUND TWO 30.
OUR FULL STAFF IS ABOUT TWO 60, UH, NORMAL ATTRITION'S ABOUT 10% DO THE MATH.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE RIGHT WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE NEVER GONNA BE FULLY STAFFED EVER.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE TO EVOLVE AS WE'RE GROWING AND CONTROLS AN ISSUE.
UH, OUR STORM WATER CREW'S AN ISSUE.
UH, WE'RE ADDING SERVICES, SO WE HAVE TO STAFF 'EM.
WE MAY NOT HAVE 'EM STAFFED IMMEDIATELY, BUT WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO DO IT, UH, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UH, CHRISTINA'S DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF SCRUBBING ALL OUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE MORE USER FRIENDLY, MAKING SURE THAT THEY WERE RELEVANT, MAKING SURE THAT THEY WERE, UH, TIMELY FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY AS OPPOSED TO 10 YEARS AGO OR FIVE YEARS AGO, OR SOME OF THESE HADN'T EVEN BEEN LOOKED AT.
THERE'S SOME REMOTE WORKING THINGS THAT, THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED AT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF LAWS THAT CHANGE.
BUT WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO ADAPT WITH THE TIMES AND WE HAVE TO TRY TO STAY AS RELEVANT AS WE CAN.
SO WE CAN COMPETE THE 1285 TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE.
THAT'S WHAT BROWNSVILLE PAYS MINIMUM.
UH, ARE WE GOING TO COMPETE WITH BROWNSVILLE? POSSIBLY, UH, WE WON'T EVER COMPETE WITH THEM IF WE DON'T GET CLOSE TO MATCHING THEIR PAY.
UH, IT'S THE PACKAGES, IT'S THE, IT IS, YOU KNOW, THE MORALE.
IT IS, UH, ONCE YOU GET 'EM IN, YOU'VE GOTTA KEEP 'EM HERE.
WE'VE GOT A SHORT, RELATIVELY SHORT, UH, PROBATIONARY PERIOD, SIX MONTHS.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE 2023.
I MEAN, I, I THINK WE'VE REALLY UPPED OUR GAME, UH, FROM CAPITAL AND, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO PROFESSIONALIZE WHAT'S, WHAT WAS, WHAT WE WERE, WELL, WHAT I WAS GIVEN WHEN I GOT HERE IN, IN TERMS OF HUMAN CAPITAL AND EMPLOYEES.
UH, AND IT'S BEEN, IT IS BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A JOURNEY.
I MEAN, THERE WAS A LOT OF FOLKS THAT WERE PUT IN PLACES THAT THEY WERE JUST PLACEHOLDERS BECAUSE WELL, YOU KNOW, HE'S HERE AND WE NEED SOMEBODY TO FILL THAT SPOT.
SO, UH, THAT AFFECTS PRODUCTIVITY, THAT AFFECTS OVERALL, UH, MORALE.
[00:40:01]
AFFECTS HOW WELL WE CAN SERVE THE CITIZENS.AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S FOUR OR FIVE OR SIX THINGS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S THE JOB MARKET, IT'S PAY, IT'S, YOU KNOW, RETOOLING OUR STAFF.
UH, IT'S TRAINING THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE, UH, GETTING THEM BETTER EDUCATED, GETTING THEM, UH, THEIR, THEIR LICENSES.
WE'VE ONLY GOT ONE AND A HALF CDL DRIVERS RIGHT NOW.
WELL, ONE GUY HAS IT AND HE DOESN'T WANT TO SHOW IT, BUT J B'S GONNA PULL 'EM OUT.
THE, THE POINT IS, IS THAT YOU NEED TO INCENTIVIZE THESE EMPLOYEES SO WE CAN GET THE CDLS IF WE NEED.
PERFECT EXAMPLE IS THAT NEW STORM WATER, UH, DIVISION THAT WE WANT TO START.
THEY'RE GONNA GO THERE AND CLEAN OUT THESE STORM INLETS AND, AND DO ALL OF THIS MAINTENANCE TO KEEP US FLOWING IN CASE THERE'S A, A BIG RAIN EVENT.
BUT THAT TRUCK NEEDS A CDL DRIVER AND THAT'S AN EIGHT HOUR JOB ALL DAY LONG.
SO, UH, IT'S THE, IT'S A CONSTANT WHIRLWIND AND, YOU KNOW, COMMEND THE STAFF TO TRY TO KEEP UP WITH IT.
I'M DOING THE BEST I CAN TO, TO MAKE SURE WE STAY RELEVANT AND, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS WILL AGREE.
WELL, I'VE NEVER HAD 225 EMPLOYEE, BUT I'VE HAD ENOUGH.
AND, AND I, I RECOGNIZE THE TIMES WHEN WE GET BUSY AND WE, UH, TEND TO ALMOST, YOU KNOW, WE PAY TIME AND A HALF AND THAT GETS EXPENSIVE BECAUSE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE ON STAFF AND WE HAVE ADDITIONAL THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED TO DELIVER AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE.
AND IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR US TO EVEN ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE IF WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE STAFF ON BOARD TO BE ABLE TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE SEE THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
AND I'M JUST EXCITED ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT YOU MAYBE GOT A GOOD RATIO RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF AT NUTRITION AND OTHER THINGS, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO STEP ON THE GAS LITTLE BIT.
UM, ONE, THE LAST ASSUMPTION THAT WE HAVE ON THIS BUDGET REMARKS, IT'S UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL, UM, HAVING A, UM, 3% INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
UM, THIS YEAR WE'RE PROPOSING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
THIS IS A ONE TIME SALARY ADJUSTMENT TO ALL EMPLOYEES, WHICH, UM, I ALSO, ON THOSE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATIONS, ASIDE FROM THAT BUDGET REMARKS, YOU'RE GONNA FIND THIS PAGE.
THIS GIVES YOU THE SCENARIOS AND THEN THAT ALSO GOES BACK, I'M SORRY, MR.
SO IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, THAT ALSO LIKE BREAK GIVES YOU LIKE THE BREAKDOWN OF HOW WE GOT TO THOSE TWO SIX, UM, 265.
I DO SEE THAT WE DID INCLUDE THE, UH, THREE EMPLOYEES FOR THE A DC.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT'S STRAIGHT YOU OFF AND MYSELF AS WELL.
BUT HERE YOU CAN SEE ALL THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE, IT'S THE ONE THAT, IT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW, SO THAT HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW.
IT'S THE PROPOSING WHICH IS MOVING FORWARD AND DOING THAT MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE.
THEN PROVIDE TO THE EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE PASSED PROBATION THAT HAS PHYSICALLY BEEN HERE FOR A WHOLE YEAR TO GET A ONE TIME SALARY ADJUSTMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND NOT AFFECT OR OVERTIME RATE.
'CAUSE THE OTHER WAY AROUND, WE, WE'VE BE GIVING 3% TO ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
UM, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, I MEAN, AS HARD AS IT SOUND, THEY SHOULD BE A CAB FOR PEOPLE, EVEN IF THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR 20 YEARS.
JUST BECAUSE THE JOB DOESN'T GET HARDER.
SO, UM, BASED ON THAT, THE, THE JOB IS STILL THE SAME AND IT WON'T GO UP.
LIKE FOR BEING HERE 20 YEARS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE MAKING WHAT SOMEBODY AT A HIGHER LEVEL WAS MAKING JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN GETTING THE 3% AND YOU STARTED WORKING HERE SINCE YOU WERE 16.
WE ALREADY HAD ANY, ANY OF THOSE.
BUT THAT BEING THE CASE, UM, THE CITY IS PROPOSING HELP THOUGH THE LOW PAY EMPLOYEES HELP THE ENTRANCE LEVEL EMPLOYEES AND THEN GIVE SOMETHING ELSE TO THE REST OF THE EMPLOYEES, BUT DON'T AFFECT OUR OVERTIME.
SO IT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE A, LIKE A BIG HIT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE IT SET HOW MUCH OVERTIME WE'RE GONNA DO.
THIS IS JUST BASED ON SALARIES.
SO IF YOU SEE, UM, THIS PAGE RIGHT HERE, YOU CAN SEE OUR BUDGET THAT IT WAS ADOPTED, IT'S AN AREA NUMBER ONE HAS A 3%.
IF WE DECIDED TO GO THAT ROUTE.
AND THEN ANOTHER ADJUSTMENT A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THAT AND THEN, OR I GUESS OR PACKET THAT WE THINK IT'S THE, THE ONE THAT'S MORE SUITABLE FOR THE CITY, WHICH IS ALLOWING THE LOWER PAID EMPLOYEES TO GET MORE OF A BENEFIT AND THEN, UM, PROVIDE SOMETHING TO THE EMPLOYEES FOR BEING LOYAL FOR A WHOLE YEAR TO THE CITY.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, THIS IS LIKE FOR EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN HERE, HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A WHOLE YEAR, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HERE FOR A WHOLE YEAR.
UM, YOU HAVE TO WAIT TO THE OTHER ROUTE.
THE WAY WE USED TO DO IT IN THE PAST, UM, WHEN I STARTED HERE, IT WAS THE, THE TREND WAS, UM, YOU GET A 3%.
IF YOU DIDN'T MEET YOUR YOUR YEAR, THEN YOU 3% IT'LL GO AND THEN YOU GET IT THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
THAT WAS THE WAY IT WAS SET UP BEFORE.
NOT EVERYBODY WAS BUDGETED FOR A 3% BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T MEET THE YEAR.
[00:45:01]
DID WAS SO IMPORTANT.UM, IN THIS CASE WE'RE, WE'RE GOING BACK TO THAT JUST SAYING THAT OR PROBATION PERIOD.
IT'S KIND OF A SHORT PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS.
UM, NORMALLY WE WERE USED TO SEE A ONE YEAR PROBATIONARY PERIOD FOR MUNICIPALITIES HERE, OUR POLICY STATES SIX MONTHS.
SO BASED ON THAT, UM, THIS IS REALLY THE COST OF LEAVING, BUT ALSO, UM, I GUESS THE REWARD FOR, FOR GIVING US A WHOLE YEAR OF BEING PART OF THIS TEAM AND SUPPORT AND HELP AND, UM, AS IT IS BUDGET FOR THE WHOLE CITY TO GET THAT SOME OF 'EM THAT HAD NOT HIT THEIR YEAR WON'T GET IT.
BUT WE'RE PUSHING IT FOR LIKE, OKAY, WE'RE BUDGETING FOR THE MOST, UM, I'M SORRY, IS IT GONNA BE SIX, SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR? YOU HAVE TO BE HERE FOR PAST YOUR PROBATION PERIOD, WHICH IS SIX MONTHS.
BUT IF YOU, NO, BUT IF YOU DON'T, YEAH, WELL, YOU GET YOUR SIX MONTHS, RIGHT? IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU HAVEN'T PASSED YOUR SIX MONTHS ON OCTOBER 1ST, YOU WON'T GET IT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING YEAR, WHATEVER IT GETS APPROVED THAT YEAR.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO YOU HAVE TO BE HERE FOR, FOR A YEAR, BUT IN ORDER FOR YOU TO BE ENTITLED TO THIS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE PAST YOUR PROBATION.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? THE WAY I'M EXPLAINING IT, IT JUST 'CAUSE THE WAY THE YEAR FALLS OCTOBER 31ST.
SO LET'S SAY YOU STARTED IN JULY.
IS UH, IS THE INSURANCE SIX MONTHS ALSO, WHAT DO MEAN, UH, FOR SOMEONE TO QUALIFY FOR INSURANCE? WHEN DO THEY START PUTTING INTO THE POOL? THEY START PAYING INSURANCE FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES.
THAT'S DAY ONE, DAY ONE OF THEIR INSURANCE.
YEAH, THEY CAN'T USE ANY OF THE BENEFITS.
WELL, NO INSURANCE THEY CAN USE.
THEY ALSO HAVE AVAILABLE AS ACCRUED BASIS.
THE INSURANCE IS A FOLLOWING MONTH AFTER ONE MONTH JUST BECAUSE OF THE ENROLLMENT THING, RIGHT? BECAUSE OF THE ENROLLMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO ADD 'EM TO ADAM, TO THE, AND THEY DON'T GET TO USE THEIR VACATION TIME UNTIL THEY PASS PROBATION, WHICH IS SIX MONTHS.
AND AGAIN, IT'S AN ACCRUAL BASIS.
EVERY PAY PERIOD, THEY GET THREE POINT 33 AROUND THERE HOURS EVERY, EVERY TIME.
THEY GET PAID EVERY TWO WEEKS.
SO AS THEY'RE ACCRUING, UM, THEY CAN START GETTING THEIR SICK TIME.
UM, BUT ON THE VACATION SITE THEY ACCRUE IT, BUT THEY CANNOT GET IT UNTIL THEY HIT THEIR PROBATION PERIOD.
AND LET ME WORK YOU OUT, LET ME WALK Y'ALL THROUGH THIS.
UM, THE REASON WE'RE LOOKING AT A SCENARIO OF A ONE TIME SALARY, BUT A SALARY ADJUSTMENT IS A COUPLE OF REASONS.
ONE, UH, MORE THAN MORE THAN ANYTHING, WE WANT TO HELP THE LOWEST PAID POLICE, OKAY? SO IF YOU DO THE MATH RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 1124, A 3% INCREASE ON THAT FOR THE LOWEST PAID EMPLOYEE IS APPROXIMATELY 700 BUCKS.
OKAY? WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA GIVE 'EM 1200 A ONE TIME SHOT.
WE CAN EITHER BREAK IT UP INTO TWO PAYMENTS OCTOBER ONE AND RIGHT AROUND CHRISTMAS, WHICH WOULD BE THREE, TIMELY, SIX AND SIX.
SO WE CAN DO THE 1200 AT OCTOBER 1ST OR VICE VERSA IN DECEMBER.
$700 DIVIDED BY 26 PAY PERIODS.
ONCE YOU TAKE TAX OUTTA THE LICENSE OUT THIS WAY, YOU REALLY AFFECT THEM.
YOU REALLY GIVE 'EM, UH, SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN GET IN HAND.
AND THESE ARE OUR LOWEST PLATE EMPLOYEES.
AS YOU GO UP THE SCALE, OBVIOUSLY THE 3%, YOU KNOW, CHANGES.
IF IT WAS GONNA BE A 3%, THE 12% AS THE EMPLOYEES MAKE YOU MORE MONEY, I MEAN THE $1,200 IT, FOR THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE MAKING MORE MONEY BECOMES LESS OF AN ISSUE, LESS OF A, LESS OF A PERCENTAGE OF THEIR TOTAL PACKAGE.
HOWEVER, THOSE ARE THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE MAKING MORE MONEY.
WE WANT TO HELP THE LOWER THE END EMPLOYEES AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
SO I MEAN THAT, AND, AND AGAIN, BACK TO STEPHANIE'S, UH, COMMENT ABOUT OVERTIME.
OVERTIME IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T BUDGET FOR.
WE HAVE A BIG RAIN EVENT, WE HAVE ANOTHER FREEZE, WE HAVE SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OFF THE CHARTS FOR OVERTIME.
HOWEVER, THIS WE CAN BUDGET FOR THIS IS A FINITE NUMBER.
WE CAN GIVE YOU THIS, WE CAN SHOW YOU WHAT IT'S GONNA BE IN ITS ENTIRETY.
SO FROM OUR END, AS A, AS YOUR ADMINISTRATOR, AS YOUR CEO, AS YOUR CFO, WE LET, WE CAN, WE CAN WRAP OUR MINDS AROUND THIS AND BUDGET FOR IT ACCORDINGLY.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE RIGHT WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
AND UH, AGAIN, I THINK IT CHECKS OFF A LOT OF BOXES AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE RECOMMENDING IT.
AND IN PREVIOUS YEARS, ME GETTING HERE, I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF THREE PERCENTS THAT WERE GIVEN.
I DON'T EXACTLY KNOW HOW MANY, I KNOW THERE WAS AT LEAST A COUPLE, UH, THAT I, THAT I'VE BEEN TOLD.
BUT WE'RE, AGAIN, IN A PERIOD WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GROW, WE'RE TRYING TO CURTAIL TAXES AND WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, STAFF UP.
[00:50:01]
SOME THINGS HAVE TO GET, AND IN THIS CASE, IN LIEU OF THE 3%, THE 1200 IS, IS ACTUALLY A BETTER CHOICE.THAT THAT NUMBER CAN ALSO BE CHANGED IF DECIDED TO.
BUT THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT PUTS US.
IF YOU SEE THE COLUMNS, IT PUTS US BELOW THE 3% AND THAT EVEN GONNA GO LOWER BECAUSE THIS IS ASSUMING ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN HERE FOR US AND PAST PROBATION.
UM, SO AFTER THIS DISCUSSION, WE'RE GONNA SEE WHICH ONES ARE, AND IT'LL BE MORE OF A, UM, ACCURATE NUMBER BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GONNA LAST TO OCTOBER, RIGHT? BUT IT'LL BE MORE OF AN ACCURATE NUMBER WHO HIT THEIR PROBATION PERIOD AT THAT TIME.
UM, SO THIS, THIS NUMBER, IT'S GONNA BE EVEN LOWER THAN THAT.
SO IF YOU LOOK, SCENARIO ONE IS WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
IF WE DO THE 3%, IT'LL BE THAT 8.1.
IF YOU DO AN ADDITIONAL ADJUSTMENT, WHICH IS REALLY HIGH, I DIDN'T SUGGEST THAT.
UH, 8.2 AND THEN, UH, THIS ONE 8.0 53 AND THAT COULD, THAT'S GONNA GO LOWER WHEN WE RUN THE HIGHER DATES.
NOW WHAT'S THE SECOND ONE? BUDGET PLUS 25.
OH, A DIFFERENT LIKE A, LIKE AN ADDITIONAL, LIKE INSTEAD OF DOING THE MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE, AND THIS IS JUST GIVING EVERYBODY THAT, OH, OKAY, YOU'RE DIFFERENT.
WHICH IS JUST LIKE A, LIKE, JUST TO KEEP NOT RAISING THE MINIMUM, NOT RAISING THE MINIMUM.
JUST DOING THAT TO ALL THE EMPLOYEES.
UM, WHICH LIKE AGAIN, WE, WE SAW ALL DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AND, AND THE LAST ONE IS THE ONE THAT LIKE THE CS THAT HITS THE ONES THAT THE NEED IT THE MOST, WHICH IS, I LIKE THINK IT'S, YOU PRESENTED A LOT OF SCENARIOS HERE, YOU GOT CREATIVE WITH IT AND REALLY IT JUST BECOMES A NUMBERS GAME.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT YOU WERE LOOKING OUT FOR THE CITY, BUT YOU WERE AT THE SAME TIME LOOKING OUT, UM, FOR THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS.
SO I THINK THERE'S A, A GOOD BALANCE THERE.
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL COME IN AND SAY, I HATE WHEN THEY SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL THERE RIGHT NOW.
OH, BUT THEY'RE JUST STANDING THERE AND NOT DOING ANYTHING.
THEY'RE GETTING PAID ON MY TAX DOLLARS.
AND THAT, THAT KIND OF SUCKS FOR PEOPLE THAT WHEN THEY SAY THAT, AND I HATE TO SAY THAT I USED TO BE ONE OF THEM, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS, YOU DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE FINANCES.
YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE HOLE 10 FEET DEEP.
AND I GET CRITICIZED FOR GOING OUT THERE, BUT I SEE A LOT OF THAT OUT THERE.
IT'S COMING ACROSS SOME PICTURES AND I SAW HIM, I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T SAY THAT, RIGHT? BUT HE WASN'T A HOLE 10 FEET DEEP, RIGHT? WEARING SAFETY EQUIPMENT ALL THE TIME, WEARING SAFETY EQUIPMENT, OF COURSE, UM, BEING VERY SAFE.
BUT, AND, AND JUST LIKE THIS RECENTLY, WE HAD A WATER BREAK AND EVERYBODY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OFF AND THAT CREW WENT IN OVERNIGHT AT 1:00 AM TO TAKE CARE OF SOME MAJOR WATER BREAKS.
SO I STOPPED BY THERE IN THE MORNING TO WITNESS WHAT THESE GUYS WERE DOING WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN OFF ON JUNETEENTH.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING THAT THEY'RE THERE WORKING WHEN THEY SHOULD BE OFF.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE REALIZE THAT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE PEOPLE WE ARE ALREADY ADDRESSING WITH THIS, WITH THIS SCENARIO OTHER THAN US, THE ONE THAT'S SITTING ON THE DESK, TO BE HONEST, BECAUSE WE, WE DON'T GET PAID THAT MINIMUM.
ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO LOOK AT TOO IS LONGEVITY PAY.
I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD HELP IN TERMS OF RETENTION.
UM, I FEEL LIKE IF I'M GONNA BE HITTING THAT FIVE YEAR, 10 YEAR MARK AND I'M GONNA BE LOOKING FORWARD TO SOMETHING, DOES IT INCENTIVIZE THE EMPLOYEE? DO THEY THINK ABOUT THAT? UM, I KNOW WE DON'T DO IT, LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE AN AMOUNT SET UP FOR OF WP THAT'S EVEN REASONABLE.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY EXTREMELY LOW.
HOWEVER, WE DO OFFER MORE BENEFITS, LIKE ADDITIONAL TIME OFF.
UM, CAN, CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT? ONCE THEY HIT THEIR FIVE YEAR MARK? OH, THAT ONE, UH, WE DO GIVE 'EM 10 OFF, ADDITIONAL TIME OFF AND IT'S JUST SO THEY CAN RECOMPOSE THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WAY THEY CAN GO AND JUST RELAX, HAVE TIME FOR THEMSELVES.
CAN YOU TIME OFF OR TAKE TIME OFF? SO THEY GET, THEY GET I BELIEVE AN ADDITIONAL WEEK OF VACATION AND AN ADDITIONAL WEEK OF SICK TIME WHENEVER.
UM, SHE'S BEEN HERE FOR 25 YEARS SO SHE, THAT'S WHY I'M LOOKING AT HER.
BUT, UM, ARE THE MILESTONES, ARE THE, ARE THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST GETTING MORE, MORE VACATION? UH, THE SICK TIME.
WHETHER YOU'VE BEEN HERE ONE YEAR, FIVE YEARS, IT JUST KEEPS GOING.
NO, THERE'S NO CALF FOR SICK TIME.
YOU JUST DON'T TAKE IT WHEN YOU LEAVE.
WE DO PAY OUT THE VACATION BUT NOT THE SICK.
BUT YOU GET THAT ADDITIONAL WEEK, LIKE, KIND OF LIKE AN LONGEVITY PERK.
NOT REALLY, BUT THAT'S THE BENEFIT THAT WE HAVE IN OUR POLICY.
OR A LONGEVITY, IT'S WRITTEN OUT.
WELL, I'LL HAVE TO SIT WITH HR DEPARTMENT AND SEE.
YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH TODAY.
NO,
[00:55:01]
UM, ALSO, I KNOW IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS, BUT I KNOW IT WAS REQUEST, IT HAS BEEN REQUESTED BEFORE.SO ALSO HERE IN YOUR NOTES, THIS ARE THE BOND PAYMENTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD THAT NEXT YEAR.
SO THESE IS, IT'S BEEN BUDGETED FOR.
UM, JUST FOR YOUR, FOR THE RECORD, FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
SO YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND SEE, UM, WHEN ARE PAYMENTS DUE, WHEN OUR MATURITY DATES ARE AND HOW MUCH WE STILL OWE AND HOW MANY PAYMENTS WE'RE CONSIDERING TO THIS BUDGET.
THE CLOSEST ONE, IT'LL BE IN 2029 TO RETURN AND THAT IT IS WASTEWATER TAKES A PIECE, THE EC TAKES A PIECE AND THE CITY TAKES ANOTHER PIECE FOR THAT ON THE PAYMENT SITE.
SO THIS IS JUST FOR YOUR, UM, FOR YOUR INFORMATION SO YOU CAN HAVE ANY RECORDS.
UM, THAT CONCLUDES A BUNCH OF REMARKS, BUT IF YOU DO HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE BOOKLET ITSELF, UM, PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW OR ON THE REMARKS OR ANY OF IT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE AND PUT TOGETHER, OF COURSE WITH THE STAFF AS WELL.
UM, CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE INITIATIVE.
WE KNOW WE HAVE A STRAY, UH, HEALTH ISSUE AND US NEEDING SOMEBODY TO OVERSEE THAT 44 7 MAYBE, UM, IS THE RIGHT DIRECTION WE'RE GOING.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE ON THEM, MAYBE THEIR BUDGET THOUGH, FORAY IN NEUTER ANY KIND OF CAMPS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
'CAUSE WE'RE STARTING TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, AFFECT ALL THE ISSUES, BUT WE'RE GONNA NEED MORE ON THAT 'CAUSE WE JUST START THERE.
IT'S STILL NOT GONNA GET YOU JOB DONE.
I MEAN, I GET CALLS ALL THE TIME ABOUT THE STRAY DOGS BEING PUT OUT AND THIS AND THAT AND YET WE'VE KNOWN ABOUT THIS.
UM, BUT YET WE'RE STILL NOT GIVEN MORE MONEY TO PLACES WE NEED.
HEY, WE NEED TO UTILIZE THAT MAN
SO I'M ALL FOR GETTING SOMEBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW, TO HELP YOU TO DO THAT.
TO GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY TO OUR KIDS.
UM, I I HAVE AN ISSUE THOUGH AGAIN WITH, WITH RECREATION ON HERE.
WE ALWAYS PUT DOWN FOR OUR EVENTS, IT'S ALWAYS A BIG BUDGET.
THIS WAS TOTAL 300,000, BUT YET LIKE TO UPGRADES FOR OUR PLAYGROUNDS, IT SHOWS LIKE A $10,000.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT REVERSE BECAUSE THE CONCERTS THAT WE ARE HAVING SHOULD BE BY THIS TIME FOR THE 20 25, 26 HERE SHOULD BE PAID FOR ITSELF.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR PARTS.
WERE SOMEWHERE AGAIN, AND HERE WE ARE AGAIN.
YES, ELO'S DOING A GOOD JOB IN, IN KEEPING THE GROUNDS CLEAN, BUT OUR EQUIPMENT IS STILL LAGGING AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT AND SHOULD BE FIXING.
AND IF WE GOT THE FUNDS, WE NEED TO UTILIZE THEM APPROPRIATELY.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE MAY WANT TO LOOK AT AND MAYBE FLIP THE, THE NUMBERS ON THOSE ISSUES.
QUICK REMARK ON THAT, IF I MAY.
SO WE HAVE, UM, AS WE'RE STAFF AND I ARE BEEN CLEANING UP CBG FUNDS AND THE PAST FUNDS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN SPENT DOWN, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT POCKET OF FUNDS THAT, UH, WILL BE SPENT DOWN HERE IN THE NEXT, UM, LITERALLY A FEW DAYS.
UM, AND IT'S, IT, ALL OF THOSE FUNDS ARE, ARE MAINLY PARK IMPROVEMENT MONIES THAT WERE NEVER STENT FOR.
I MEAN, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY MY
AND THEN THE MUSIC OF EACH DONORS ARE GONNA BE, UM, FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
THOSE ARE GONNA BE FOR, UH, STREET IMPROVEMENTS SINCE WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT POCKET THAT WE NEED TO SPEND DOWN TO BE TIMELY ALL ON PAYMENT.
SO THAT'S LITERALLY GONNA HAPPEN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
I BELIEVE IT'S LIKE OVER $300,000 WORTH OF PARKING PAYMENT.
LIKE PEOPLE WANT TO POOL LIKE WE USED TO HAVE.
WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE THING.
WE, WE MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH CBG.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE ARE, WE ARE LOOKING INTO OR MAYBE ANOTHER SPLASH PATCH ON THE OTHER SIDE.
EVERYTHING WAS WELL PUT MS. STEPHANIE, THANK YOU TO THE STAFF THAT CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR BUDGET, THE DIRECTORS THAT DID, AND YOUR TIME TO SPEAK UP AND
[01:00:01]
SPEAK FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES ALSO.UM, ON PAGE FOUR, ADDITIONAL FINANCING SOURCES.
WHAT IS THE 1.8? WELL, THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I, I KNOW EVERY YEAR IT COMES THROUGH THE QUESTION.
THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THE CITY HAS TO KEEP ON THE BACK POCKET TO, FROM THE UNASSIGNED FUNDS TO MAKE THIS BUDGET HAPPEN.
THAT'S THE, ON OTHER FINANCING SOURCES.
NORMALLY THIS IS PULLING IN FROM THE UNDERSIGNED.
LUCKILY, WE NEVER, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
UM, THEY DO HAVE A BUDGET, UM, AND THIS BUDGET IS SUPPOSED TO, I GUESS IN LARGE OR EXPENSES, BUT REDUCE OUR REVENUES REALLY THAT WAY.
THEY'RE NOT LACKING OF RESOURCES.
UM, AND WE'RE NOT EXPECTING A LOT OF REVENUE THAT'S NOT GONNA COME IN.
UM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE DO NEED THAT EXTRA HELP BECAUSE OUR PROPERTY TAXES, OUR SALES TAXES, OUR FRANCHISE FEES, THEY'RE NOT ENOUGH TO PUT A CITY TOGETHER THE WAY WE WANT TO RUN IT AND TO GET US WHERE WE WANNA BE.
AND THIS IS AN ONGOING THING, AND IT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN THE PAST.
IT USED TO BE LABELED DIFFERENTLY.
UM, AND THEN WE DECIDED TO LABEL IT LIKE THIS BECAUSE IT WAS MORE, I WOULD SAY, HIDDEN, BUT YES, HIDDEN.
BUT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TO MAKE THIS BUDGET HAPPEN.
UM, SO IT WAS BROUGHT UP BEFORE, THIS IS REALLY PULLING FROM OUR RESERVE FUND UNASSIGNED FUNDS, NOT FROM OUR 400, NOT FROM OUR READY DATES MONEY.
THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE UNASSIGNED, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL, WHENEVER WE DO BRING STUFF THAT IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET TO YOU ALL, WE SAY, OH, THIS WILL COME FROM UNASSIGNED FUNDS, THEN THAT'S WHERE THIS MONEY GETS.
THAT'S THAT THIS IS WHERE THIS MONEY IS PULLING FROM.
SO IT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN PUT IN DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
I JUST LIKE TO PUT IT OUT THERE SO EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND LAST YEAR IT WAS AROUND THE SAME AMOUNT.
AGAIN, CERTIFIED VALUES HAVEN'T COME IN YET.
WE CANNOT ISSUE AN ACTUAL AMOUNT THAT MIGHT BE GO LOWER.
THAT MIGHT BE, THAT MIGHT GO HIGHER.
UM, I DON'T EXPECT ANY DEPARTMENT GOING HIGHER THAN, I'M SORRY, LOWER OR HIGHER THAN WHAT THEY'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS WHAT IS GONNA BE SAID, I HOPE.
UM, AND THAT'S THE MOST WE WILL USE.
UH, WE'VE BEEN BUDGETING IT FOR IT FOR EVER MAYBE 10 YEARS, I'LL SAY, IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, SO, BUT YOU'RE PULLING IN 1.8 HMM.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF IT.
IT'S BEEN LIKE THAT FOR, AGAIN, OVER 10 YEARS.
WE NEVER TOUCH IT, THANKFULLY.
BUT WE HAVE TO USE IT AND WE HAVE TO.
IT'S JUST, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO BUILD UP A REVENUE SOURCE THAT DOESN'T EXIST OUT THERE.
AND, UM, I'M GLAD YOU'RE BRINGING IT UP THAT WAY.
ALL THE DIRECTORS HERE HEAR ME OUT WHEN I SAY I'M, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T.
UM, BECAUSE THEN I HAVE TO PUT MY RESTRICTIONS TO NOT GO INTO THIS BECAUSE THAT'S THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO.
LOWER THE EXPENSES, LOWER THE EXPENSES, 1.8 MILLION.
DOES EVERYBODY WANT TO DO THAT? I, WELL, YES.
I I, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GROWING US.
SO WHEN CITIZENS COME TO Y'ALL WITH CONCERNS, THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR CONCERN, RIGHT? THAT THIS IS TAX DOLLARS, IT'S THEIR DOLLARS, IT'S THE SALES TAX DOLLARS, THEY SPEND THEIR MONEY HERE.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE, WE WORK FOR ALL OF THEM.
AND SOME OF 'EM CAN COME AT US A LITTLE BIT AGGRESSIVE, BUT DON'T TAKE IT PERSONAL.
TEACH THEM, MAKE THEM UNDERSTAND, SHOW THEM.
AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN WIN THAT BATTLE.
THE, UM, I SEE THEIOS BRIDGE REVENUE IS, I'M SORRY, THE LOS HILLS BRIDGE REVENUE, UH, PAGE, SORRY, ON PAGE THREE, I'M SORRY.
WHAT HAPPENED? UM, JUST FOR YEAR 23, 24.
IT WAS HALF, IT WAS ONLY, IS THAT AN ACTUAL NUMBER? I THINK THAT MIGHT NOT BE UPDATED.
OH, THE 180 I'M TRYING TO FIND.
CAN YOU GIMME THE ACCOUNT NUMBER? UM, 4 2 4 1 7.
[01:05:01]
UM, YEAH, IT'S, IF IT SAYS ACTUAL ON THE FIRST PART, 23, 24, YES.YEAH, THAT'S THE NUMBER WE COLLECTED.
WHAT WE COLLECTED THE PRIOR YEAR.
SO FRED'S JOB, THE MAYOR'S COMMUNICATED THIS, RIGHT? FRED'S JOB, THIS EXPERIENCE IN BRIDGE MANAGEMENT, IT'S GOING, IT'S GOING NOW BASED ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN COLLECTING FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS.
THIS, WELL, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BUILDING ANOTHER BRIDGE IN BROWNSVILLE.
SO THAT'S WHAT HAS BEEN OUR CONCERN IS THAT THEIR FIFTH BRIDGE, THEY'RE GETTING THIRD, FOURTH, FOURTH, 10TH, FOURTH.
WELL, I THINK MAINLY WHAT WE SEE THERE IS
YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT THEY'RE COMING FROM THE PORT OF ORIGIN AND THEY'RE GOING OVER.
SO DO WE NEED TO INCREASE THE, THE LANES THE DANGER OF THAT TOO, IN, FOR ANY DEVELOPMENT, 18 WHEELERS, JUST KEEP PASSING.
JUST SIT THERE ONE AFTERNOON, YOU'LL SEE 'EM.
AND THEN THIS 210, IT'S BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE COLLECTED THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
AND SO MULTIPLY THAT TIMES TWO, THEN THAT GIVES YOU THAT.
SO SOMETHING DID HAPPEN ON 2320 FOURTH THAT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE ON WHAT WAS CROSSING OVER THE
NOT SURE WHAT IT WAS, BUT THAT'S HOW MUCH AMOUNT OF REVENUE WE START.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THAT THEY'RE BUILDING THAT, THAT EXPRESSWAY, RIGHT? SO THAT I THINK THE TANKER TRUCKS WERE AFRAID TO CROSS LOS SANDIO AND THEN HAVE TO GO THROUGH MEXICO ALL THE WAY TO RENOSO.
SO THEY'RE USING THE USI NOW TO GO ALL THE WAY UP AND THEN CROSSING UP THERE BECAUSE IT'S SAFER FOR THEM.
YOU SEE THAT YOU SAW THAT SHIFT ALSO.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN FIX IT.
UM, THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SEE ON THE DEBT REMAINING IS SPECIFIC INTEREST RATES.
SO IF THERE'S ANY OPPORTUNITY TO REFUND SOME OF THOSE OR LOOK AT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, WE, WE MENTIONED OUR FA YESTERDAY.
UM, AND, UH, WE, UH, WE HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT TAKING A LOOK AT OUR PORTFOLIO AND SEEING WHAT, UH, EITHER COULD BE RESTRUCTURED OR, UH, REDISTRIBUTED.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYTHING'S GONNA REALLY QUALIFY BECAUSE WE PROBABLY GOT SOME PRETTY GOOD RATES.
HOWEVER, THERE IS, THERE'S ALWAYS SOME ROOM.
UH, AND IT WOULD ALLOW US TO FREE UP SOME, SOME AVAILABLE MONEY TO DO OTHER THINGS TODAY AS OPPOSED TO TOMORROW'S MONEY, WHICH ALWAYS COSTS MORE.
SO WE'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH 'EM.
AND THE OTHER THING TOO, MAYOR PROTE, WITH REGARDS TO THE LIOS BRIDGE, I MEAN, WE'RE 25% OWNERS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, REALLY ASTOUNDS ME IS THAT WE'RE 25% OWNERS.
HARDINGS IS 25% OWNERS, AND THEN THE COUNTY OWNS THE REST.
BUT WE'RE NOT AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT.
SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER, I'VE GOT LEGAL LOOKING AT OUR CONTRACT WITH THEM.
UH, WE'RE KIND OF TREATED LIKE A SILENT KIND OF PARTNER.
WE DON'T GET INVOLVED IN ANY OF THEIR NEGOTIATIONS.
WE DON'T, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE A BRIDGE BOARD PER SE.
UH, THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SEE THEIR BUDGET.
UH, MARIO AND I HAVE PULLED THEIR FINANCIALS AND IT'S JUST, UM, WE NEED TO GET AT THE TABLE.
I THINK THAT'S OUR BIGGEST ISSUE.
WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH MAYOR, UH,
I, I'VE GOT THE, I'VE GOT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ON VIDEO REPORTING TO THE, TO THE, TO THE, UH, COMMISSION, THE COUNTY COMMISSION, UH, THAT REVENUES ARE UP 123%.
SO, UH, A LOT OF THAT IS DUE TO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE TRAFFIC THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, INCREASING, COMING FROM THE BOARD.
BUT, SO WE'D LIKE TO SEE THAT CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN REVENUE FOR US.
AND AGAIN, YOU'RE RIGHT, I DID RUN A BRIDGE AND I KNOW THOSE THINGS ARE LUCRATIVE.
THEY'RE CASH COWS IF THEY'RE RUN CORRECTLY.
HOWEVER, WE DON'T GET A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
I MEAN, I, I, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE REALLY, WHAT ARE WE REALLY GETTING? AND IT'S, UH, MA AND I HAVE LOOKED AT IT REALLY CAREFULLY.
I TALKED TO STEPHANIE ABOUT IT, UH, POLITICALLY, I THINK WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO ARGEN, UH, TO THE MAYOR AGAIN, AFTER THE MAYOR TALK TO,
[01:10:01]
WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO GET TOGETHER WITH THEM AND APPROACH THE COUNTY AND SAY, HEY, WE WANNA SIT WITH YOU GUYS.WE WANNA FIND OUT WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING HERE.
AND WE WANT TO SIT AT THE TABLE.
NOT TOO MUCH DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE PORT.
UH, WE'VE GOT OUR NAMES AND A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT WITH THE PORT OF, UH, PORT.
THE PORT ISABEL, OR WHAT? PORT PORTERVILLE.
SANTO PORT OF, YOU KNOW, PORT NAVIGATION DISTRICT.
AND YET WE HAVE NO, WE HAVE NO STAKE IN THERE.
LESS AT THE PORT, BUT HERE AT LEAST WE GET A LITTLE MUDDY.
BUT AGAIN, THESE ARE UNTAPPED UN I MEAN, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE UNDER UTILIZING THOSE AGREEMENTS AND THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
AND I KNOW WE, YOU KNOW, THE PORT'S KIND OF A DIFFERENT STORY, BUT THE BRIDGE, I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'VE GOT THE CONTRACT.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH LEGAL TO TRY TO GET US AT LEAST A BETTER, SOME LEVERAGE TO GET IN THERE AND SAY, HEY MAN, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANT TO, WE REALLY WANT TO GET INVOLVED AND, AND FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
UH, BECAUSE I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR, IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR FINANCIALS, WHICH I HAVE, I MEAN, THEIR, THEIR EXPENSES ARE THE SAME EVERY MONTH.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S NOT EVEN REAL.
WELL, I DIDN'T WANNA SAY THAT IN OPEN SESSION, BUT YEAH, IT CAN'T BE REAL.
ANYBODY THAT'S RUN A BUSINESS KNOWS THAT THERE'S NO WAY THAT YOUR EXPENDITURES, YOU KNOW, FOR A BUSINESS THAT SIZE IS THE SAME EXACT AMOUNT EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY'RE HIRING.
I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY'RE PAYING OUT OF THE TOP PART OF THE REVENUES.
ALL OF THAT'S GETTING CUT OUT FIRST.
AND THEN WE GET THE DISTRIBUTION AT THE END.
SO WHATEVER CONSULTANTS THEY HAVE, WHOEVER THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, PAYING AS A LOBBYIST, HOWEVER THEY'RE RESTRUCTURING SOME OF THOSE REVENUES BACK TO THE COUNTY.
WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IN THAT PROCESS IT'S HAPPENING.
AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S LEFT OVER.
SO I, I REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO GET BACK INTO THAT.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE MY GOAL, NOT TO STEP ON THE COUNTY.
BUT WE AT, WE NEED TO GET, WE CAN LOOK AT EVERY SOURCE OF REVENUE.
LAST THING BEFORE, I THINK EVERYBODY WANTS TO WRAP UP.
I, UM, I STILL WANT TO LOOK AT THE REDUCTION OF PROPERTY TAXES.
THIS, THIS NUMBER ON THE BUDGET HERE, HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW.
IS THIS WHAT YOU PLUGGED IN TO THE SALARY? CORRECT.
IT'S THE 8 53 CORRECT PAGES THAT YOU, YOU WOULDN'T SEE IT ON THIS ONE.
THIS IS THE, EVERYBODY'S LIKE, IF YOU SEE IT, YOU WILL SEE IT BY DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S HOW MUCH, THIS IS A WHOLE BUDGET FOR EACH APARTMENT.
SO IF WE ADD THAT, THE WHOLE BUDGET WILL INCREASE THAT MUCH.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? OH, OKAY.
SO FROM, BUT LET'S SAY FROM THE ACTUAL, FROM SIX 14, IT'LL GO TO 6 25, THEN FROM 70 YOU WOULD GO TO 72.
SO IT'S THE OVERALL BUDGET FOR EACH DEPARTMENT THAT IT'S LOOKING AT THE REFLECTION.
AND SO IF YOU SEE THE ACTUAL BUDGET FOR SALARIES FOR THE CITY, INCLUDING WELL BY DEPARTMENT, IT GIVES YOU A TOTAL AMOUNT THERE.
THIS IS ONLY SALARIES, NOT LINE ITEMS. OKAY.
I'M SEEING A 50% INCREASE IN MS. MCC COURT.
IT'S, IT DOES LOOK LIKE IT'S A BIG INCREASE.
HOWEVER, THE DEPARTMENT IS THREE PEOPLE DEPARTMENT, IT'S KIND OF SMALL.
SO SMALL, UM, CHANGE, WE'LL MAKE A BIG INCREASE.
WE ADDED CERTIFICATION PAY THAT.
OR COURT ADMINISTRATORS, UM, SORRY, COURT CLERKS THERE.
ONCE THEY GET CERTIFIED, THEY LOOK FOR SOMETHING BETTER.
'CAUSE WE DIDN'T OFFER ANY SORT OF INCENTIVE FOR GETTING THAT CERTIFICATION.
WHAT, WHAT WAS IT LAST WEEK? TWO WEEKS AGO.
UM, SO NOW IT'S A TEAM OF TWO.
SO WE ADDED, UM, ROOM THERE FOR THEM TO GET CERTIFIED, SEND THEM TO THEIR CLASSES AND GET THE CERTIFICATION.
IT DOES LOOK LIKE A BIG IMPACT, BUT OVERALL, I THINK IT'S ONLY LIKE, I DUNNO, 15,000.
IT'S EVEN, NOT EVEN, BUT THEIR BUDGET IS RELATIVELY SMALL.
THEY'LL ONLY HAVE A FEW, NONE OF OF THE SUPPLIES.
THERE'S ONLY THREE PEOPLE THERE.
UM, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, WE DID INCREASE A LITTLE BIT FOR THEM.
UM, BECAUSE, UH, I KNOW THERE'S STILL ON THE TERMS OF LIKE, WHO'S GONNA BE OUR NEW, WHAT'S IT CALLED? AGENT OF RECORD? NO, UH, FOR THE COURT.
UM, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHEN WEREN'T
[01:15:01]
STARTING HOW MUCH THAT'S GONNA BE.SO WE JUST BUDGET FOR US TO BE ENOUGH TO PAY THAT, THAT NEW PERSON THAT'S GONNA, IT'S PRETTY, IT'S PRETTY MINIMAL.
AND I SEE 43% INCREASE IN, UH, CODE ENFORCE.
UM, IT'S A REARRANGEMENT OF EMPLOYEES.
SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE IT, UH, A DECREASE IN LINE.
I BELIEVE WE GO TO THAT BEACH.
YOU, YOU PLANNING AND ZONING TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM? WE'RE, THEY WE'RE THEIR, THAT DEPARTMENT WAS REARRANGED BY THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR.
AND WE HAD SOME PLANNERS GETTING PAID OUT OF CODE AND THEN VICE VERSA.
SO THAT KIND OF LIKE SET EVERYBODY WHERE THEY BELONG.
UM, AND THAT WILL, THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE THE, THE MO MORE EMPLOYEES WITH THE MINIMUM PAY MINIMUM WAGE, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT AFFECTED THE MOST.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THEY INCREASED THEIR BUDGET A LOT, BUT IT'S BECAUSE, UM, THEY HAD A LOT OF EMPLOYEES UNDER, SO I'M LOOKING AT PARKS MAINTENANCE DOWN HERE.
'CAUSE IF YOU LOOK, UH, PUBLIC GROUNDS, THEN THOSE ARE SET UP DIFFERENTLY.
IT'S NOT JUST LEGAL COUNTY HAND, NO.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN CHANGE FROM, FROM RED TO PART A? YOU'RE BREAKING UP PART OR IS THAT TYPO? UM, CHANGES FROM RED TO PART A.
SO THE, THERE WERE SOME PUBLIC GROUND EMPLOYEES THAT WERE SITTING IN PUBLIC IN RECREATION.
UM, IT'S JUST THAT IT WOULDN'T, THE FUNDING WAS GONNA GET REALLY SMALL IF I ADDED THE WHOLE WORLD WORD, BECAUSE IT'LL BE A LONG, LONG SENTENCE.
BUT IT'S EMPLOYEES FROM REC BELONG TO PUBLIC GROUNDS.
SO WE MOVE, WE MAKE THEM IN PUBLIC GROUNDS WHERE THEY BELONG.
UM, AND THEN A LOT OF OUR EMPLOYEES THAT ARE AT THE LOW PAY ARE FROM PARK PUBLIC GROUNDS.
AND THOSE AND ARE MAINTENANCE EMPLOYEES AND A LOT OF WATER EMPLOYEES.
SO THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT YOU'RE SEEING THEIR, UH, DEPARTMENTS TAKING, LIKE IF THEY'RE INCREASING THEM A LOT.
BUT SOME, SOME DEPARTMENTS DON'T HAVE MINIMUM WAGE EMPLOYEES.
UM, BUT THEN SOME OF THEM HAVE THE MOST MINIMIZATION WAYS.
SO I HIGHLIGHTED THEM SO YOU COULD SEE LIKE, OKAY, THIS ONE'S GO UP.
BUT THEN ALONG THE LINES, YOU COULD SEE ONE'S GOING DOWN.
I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE MORE, MORE, UH, ACTIVITY, KEEPING OUR GROUNDS GOOD.
AND EVEN ALONG THE, THE ROADWAYS, HIGHWAYS AND SO ON.
THAT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STICKS OUT TO ME, I'D LIKE TO SEE IN THIS BUDGET SOMEHOW IS THE LIGHTNING ALONG THE EXPRESSWAY AND OUR OVERPASS.
I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF MONEY, BUT HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
HOW DO WE DEAL WITH IT? HOW ARE WE GONNA GET THERE? BECAUSE IT'S, LLOYD'S GONNA FIGURE IT OUT.
SO YOU CAN GO OUT IN THE MIDDLE.
I CAN TAKE IT MYSELF WITH A CANDLE.
NO, WE, WE'VE BEEN EXPLORING IT.
COMMISSIONER, MAYOR, UH, WE, UH, THE LAWYER AND I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT IT FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING, YOU KNOW, THROUGH TXDOT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THIS, HOW TO GET THIS THING DONE.
'CAUSE YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
OUR, OUR SECTION OF THE EXPRESSWAY OR HIGHWAY OR WHATEVER IS BASICALLY NON-FUNCTIONING.
THERE'S NO LIGHTS, LET ALONE ANYTHING UNDERNEATH DECORATIVE.
JUST THE EXPRESSWAY LIGHTING IS COMPLETELY GONE.
WE PAID SOMEONE BEFORE YOU CAME IN TO GO AND SERVICE THOSE LIGHTS ON THERE.
YEAH, THEY, SEVERAL THOUSAND TO GO AND CHECK FOR.
UH, SO DID WE NOT HAVE ANY TYPE OF WARRANTY? WHAT DID THEY DO EXACTLY? I DON'T KNOW.
LET'S LOOK AT THAT CONTRACT, SEE WHAT THEY DID, AND SEE IF THERE'S WARRANTY.
BECAUSE THEY DID SERVICE IT TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO.
EVEN IF WE WOULD JUST START WITH, WITH THE OVERPASS, UNDERNEATH THE OVERPASS AND GET THAT LIT UP.
I THINK SAFETY REASONS JUST BECAUSE, JUST GET THAT LIT UP UNDERNEATH THERE.
TOMORROW WE'LL REACH OUT TO TDOT, THE AREA ENGINEER.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL GET SOMETHING STARTED THERE.
JUST ALL KINDS OF STUFF THAT CONCERN ME.
COME IN AT NIGHT AND I TURN THAT CORNER AND SEE DARK.
AND WHEN IT'S RAINING, IT'S WORSE.
I MEAN, WE'LL BRING BACK SOME NUMBERS AND YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN DO A, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, DO A PIECEMEAL, LIKE YOU SAID, START OFF WITH SOME OF THE KEY INTERSECTIONS COMES KEY OVERPASSES.
START OFF WITH SOME OF THOSE AND THEN LOOK WHAT WE CAN DO ON THE ACTUAL EXPRESSWAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TALK TO OUR STATE REP.
[01:20:01]
MAYBE THERE'S SOME RELIEF THAT WE COULD GET FROM TXDOT.I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT TO PUT, IT'S A BIG BURDEN TO PUT ON CITIES, BUT THAT'S USUALLY WHAT TDOT DOES.
THEY WILL GIVE ALL THE MAINTENANCE TO THE CITIES AND IT'S REALLY NOT, IT'S NOT FAIR.
IT SPEAKS A LOT TO THE SOUL OF THE CITY JUST TO SEE THAT KIND OF, UH, LIGHT, RIGHT? THAT MEAN RELATIVELY, IT'S NOT EXPENSIVE UNDERNEATH.
SO OUR RE UM, THAT'S JUST, YOU JUST CALL A P OR TEXT, THEY'LL TURN 'EM ON.
THEY'RE PRETTY, THEY'RE PRETTY QUICK.
THEY JUST NEED TO GET AHOLD OF THEM.
SO, BUT NOBODY'S OUT AT NIGHT EXCEPT FOR THE CHIEF
IF HIS OFFICERS GONNA REPORT IT, WE COULD GET, OR GOODMAN, THEY COULD CITIZEN
WAS THERE SOME THAT WE RECENTLY PAID OFF? YES.
SO, SO WHAT AMOUNT WAS THAT? OH, I, THAT WAS FROM THE INTEREST IN SINKING FUND, RIGHT? MM-HMM
THAT WAS PROBABLY LIKE TWO OR 3 CENTS.
THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING AT FOR A TAX REDUCTION OF PURPOSELY CENTS.
I PURPOSELY DIDN'T INCLUDE THAT ON THAT TAX.
SO IF WE PAY OFF TWO OR 3 CENTS OF DEBT, I JUST DON'T WANT TO, I JUST DON'T WANT TO BRING THAT TO, TO THE TABLE BEFORE I HAVE ACTUAL NUMBERS.
UM, BUT ON THE FOLLOWING BUDGET WORKSHOP, I'M GONNA HAVE TO SPLIT IT UP FOR Y'ALL TO SEE THE INTERESTING FUND AND HOW MUCH WORK IT UP.
THE WAY MY DAD TAUGHT ME IS LIKE, THROW THOSE TWO TO 3 CENTS AND PUT IT INTO THE DEBT TO PAY DOWN THE DEBT FASTER.
RIGHT? AND THAT COULD WORK HERE INSTEAD.
I DON'T WANT IT TO BE LIKE, OH, TWO OR THREE MORE CENTS, LET'S USE IT.
AND YOU'RE HIRING WHATEVER, X AMOUNT MORE EMPLOYEES, BUT YOU CAN'T EVEN FILL THE SPOTS YOU HAVE NOW.
SO DON'T JUST LEAVE LINGERING MONEY IN AN ACCOUNT OR PUT MONEY FROM THE UNASSIGNED FUNDS SO THAT WE CAN, WE CAN BALANCE OUT AND LOOK WHOLE WHEN YOU CAN USE SOME OF THOSE SAVINGS TO EITHER PAY DOWN YOUR DEBT QUICKLY OR GIVE IT BACK TO THE TAXPAYER.
HOW MUCH HAVE YOU PUT BACK IN CAPITAL EXPENDITURES? OH, YOU WANT A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM? UH, PLAN.
THAT'S ACTUALLY A REQUIREMENT.
OH, WE WILL CONTINUE USING THE ONE THAT WE ALREADY HAD FROM LAST TIME.
I'M WORKING ON A NEW ONE FOR WATER WASTEWATER.
UH, THAT WAS PART OF THE ENGINEERING THAT'S ABLE IT, WE APPROVED LAST TIME.
AND, UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE NORTH AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK TO GET THAT FUNDED.
AND UH, THAT'S THE BULK OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IS WATER, SEWER, AND DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT TYPICALLY BE, WHAT, FIVE YEAR? NORMALLY IT'S, NORMALLY IT'S A, IT'S A 20 YEAR PLAN WITH FIVE YEAR INCREMENTS.
SO THAT, THAT IS USUALLY BROUGHT UP TO, TO YOUR AT THE SECOND BUDGET WORKSHOP.
OH, I'LL BRING YOU A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
READY? HE'S TWO SETS ON IT BLEW IT.
WELL, THERE'S A LOT OF HAPPENING, A LOT OF STUFF HAPPENING.
I MEAN, UH, THE DEADLINE, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, FOR THE GOVERNOR TO BETO, ANYTHING SUNDAY NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT, HE DID NOT BEAT TO OUR MUD BILL.
SO WE DO HAVE SAN
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, AND I'M GOING TO GIVE OUR LOBBYISTS A LOT OF CREDIT FOR THAT BECAUSE WE, THERE WAS A LOT OF MOVEMENT AND WE DIDN'T FILE EARLY.
A LOT OF FOLKS WERE SECOND GUESSING US, YOU KNOW, THE LANDOWNERS THAT ARE PARTNERS WITH US.
WE, ALL OF THAT WAS BY DESIGN.
UH, AND WE, WE, WE CALLED IN A LOT OF FAVORS AND A LOT OF, UH, POLITICAL MANEUVERING TO GET THIS THING DONE.
'CAUSE AGAIN, UH, 28, 1 OUT OF 28, I MEAN WE'RE, WE'RE IN RARE VERIFY AIR.
AND THEN THE OTHER ISSUE IS JUST GOING, LOOKING AT IT AS, UH, A WATER RESOURCE FOR THE CITY.
I MEAN, AGAIN, FOLKS, THIS IS GENERATIONAL, MORE SPLASHBACKS, POSSIBLY.
I GUARANTEE WE'LL HAVE MORE WATER THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
SO WHILE EVERYBODY'S ELSE IS TRYING TO DO DESAL AND ALL THESE OTHER FOLKS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPEND, YOU KNOW, MULTI-MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, WE'VE GOT, UM, A MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT SET ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT WE OWN, UH, AND THAT WE'RE PARTNERS WITH THAT'S GONNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE WAY BETTER QUALITY POTABLE WATER TO BE TREATED THAN ANYBODY CAN GET FROM THE AKA OR THE RIVER.
[01:25:01]
UM, SO IT, IT'LL BE AN AUGMENT TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.UH, THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GONNA BE HAPPENING HERE, HERE LATER ON IN THE WEEK THAT I CANNOT DISCUSS RIGHT NOW.
BUT THERE'S SOME BIG, BIG THINGS ON THE HORIZON THAT THE MAYOR AND I HAVE KIND OF DREAMED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT.
AND I THINK, UH, Y'ALL ARE GONNA BE INTERESTED WHEN I COME BACK WITH THE, WITH THE FINAL NOTES AFTER THURSDAY.
BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT WE'RE ON THE, WE'RE GONNA GROW, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE IN A REALLY, REALLY GOOD POSITION, MORE SO THAN ANY CITIES IN, IN, YOU KNOW, IN OUR, IN OUR AREA.
SO Y'ALL NEED TO JUST TRUST THE PROCESS, TRUST THE STAFF, TRUST ME, AND WE'LL GET THINGS DONE.
UH, AND AGAIN, THIS IS RAYLENE, THANK THIS IS THE, THE FIRST ROUTE OF A BUDGET WORKSHOP.
SO THIS IS REALLY FOR YOU ALL TO SEE WHAT IT'S IN OUR HEADS, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, UM, OR MAIN GOALS, LIKE, LIKE WE MENTIONED, TO HELP THE ONES THAT ARE GETTING PAYLESS AND PROVIDE OUR DEPARTMENTS WITH WHAT THEY NEED TO CONTINUE GROWING AND PROVIDING OPERATION.
SO, UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, AFTER, AFTER THIS MEETING, THEN WE'LL PUT IT TOGETHER AND WE'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE SUMMARIES THROUGH A CATHETER IMPROVEMENT.
UM, THIS IS THE FIRST ROUND WE'RE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THE GAME AND TRYING FOR Y'ALL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S ON CITY ADMINISTRATION, HEAD MY HEAD UNDER WHAT WE WANT THE CITY AND HOW WE WANT THE CITY TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN AFTER THIS, YOU ARE GONNA GET, OH, I ADDED NOTE.
SO WE'RE, YOU'RE GONNA GET LIKE SOME, SOME SORT OF IDEAS ON HOW MR IS GONNA PUT THAT LIGHT, THAT LIGHTING AND HOW MUCH THAT WILL COST US.
THE ENTRANCE THAT YOU MENTIONED AND ALL THOSE NOTES THAT THE REQUESTS THAT YOU HAD FROM US, THE LIGHTS ON, BE SURE BEING INCLUDED ON THE NEXT ONE.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, IF WE'RE GONNA BE FINISHING UP, I WOULD HAVE A FEW THINGS FOR NEXT SESSION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND IF ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND THE MAYOR WOULD LIKE SOMETHING ON THERE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE, UH, THE HEALTH PLAN AND WHAT THE FUND BALANCE CURRENTLY IS THAT THE, THE, THE CURRENT ONE? I KNOW IT'S RED, NOT, IT'S NOT IN THE RIB.
WHERE AT GOTTEN HIT REAL HARD.
HARD NOT WHAT? YOU SAID IT WAS HARD.
AND I MEAN, YOU GAVE ME WHAT I SAID ABOUT THE PROPOSITION OF ONE TO 2 CENT PRODUCTION, BUT IN THE REVENUE SIDE.
SO IF, IF ONE OR 2 CENT REDUCTION WERE TO BE PROPOSED, THE DIRECTORS HAVE TO GO BACK AND BRING SOMETHING BACK TO MAKE A PERCENT IN DECREASE IN THEIR BUDGET, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE.
WHATEVER ONE TO 2 CENTS IS FOR A DEPARTMENT, WHAT DOES THAT AMOUNT TO IN REVENUE? UM, PRO RATA, IT'S NOT CRAZY.
SO 1 CENT WOULD BE AT A 96% COLLECTION WOULD BE NEGATIVES.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO COME UP WITH 64 GRAND.
SO DIVIDE THAT BY THE DEPARTMENTS.
HOW MANY DEPARTMENTS? WE, WE CAN DO ONE, ONE.
I LIKE YOUR, YOU'RE THINKING YOU CAN DO 1% PER DETERMIN, REDUCE YOUR BUDGET 1%, 2 CENTS, COME BACK AT ME WITH A 1% REDUCTION TO YOUR DEPARTMENT.
I MEAN, WE, WE ALREADY SAVED I, I THINK TWO TO 3 CENTS IN DEBT THAT WE'RE NOT PAYING.
SO WHERE DID THOSE TWO TO 3 CENTS GO TO HER REVENUE TO SPEND MORE MONEY? MM-HMM
MY DAD WOULD TELL ME OTHERWISE.
HE SAID, NO, PAY MORE DEBT DOWN.
IT SNOWBALLS FASTER WHEN YOU START, RIGHT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I WANT LIKE TO SEE.
SO A HEALTH FUND, I WANNA SEE WHAT THE HEALTH FUND LOOKS LIKE AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT A 1 CENT REDUCTION WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR EACH DEPARTMENT.
SO IT'S 65 GRAND GUYS, WE CAN COME UP WITH THAT.
I'M ALL FOR SAVING MONEY AT THE SAME TIME, BUT THE SAME TIME I'M LOOKING AT A LOT OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE.
SO THOSE, THOSE CURVES ARE DIVERGING.
SO WE, WE WANT TO LOOK AT THAT.
WE TALK, THE UNASSIGNED FUND IS SITTING VERY HEALTHY AND WE'RE PULLING IN 1.8.
SO IF YOU WANT TO SUPPLEMENT THE UNASSIGNED FUND A LITTLE BIT FROM THE UNASSIGNED FUND, MORE TO SUPPLEMENT THE 1 CENT, THEN WE DO IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OTHER THING I WANT TO ADD, MAYOR PRO, TIM, 'CAUSE YOU MENTIONED DEBT AND I'VE TAKE, I'VE TAKEN A PRETTY GOOD LOOK AT OUR DEBT AND OUR LONG TERM STUFF AND WE FINANCED PRETTY WELL.
UH, WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF SOME LOW INTEREST RATES.
SO THE OTHER THING TALKING TO OUR FA YESTERDAY WAS THE POSSIBILITY OF RESTRUCTURING OUR DEBT TO WHERE WE, UH, AGAIN, I KNOW IT'S KIND OF COUNTERINTUITIVE TO WHAT YOUR DAD TAUGHT YOU, BUT IN TODAY'S MARKET WITH THE INTEREST RATES THAT THEY'RE AT IT, IT'S, THERE'S VERY, THERE'S VERY FEW TIMES IN THE EVOLUTION OF A CITY'S DEBT WHERE IT MAKES SENSE TO STRETCH IT OUT.
RIGHT NOW IT IS, THIS IS THE TIME WE COULD STRETCH
[01:30:01]
IT OUT, LOWER OUR, OUR PAYMENT BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE FINANCED AT SUCH A GOOD RATE.NOW OBVIOUSLY THERE'S GONNA BE A LIMITING FACTOR TO THAT.
I'M NOT SAYING WE'LL DO IT, BUT WE'D LIKE TO DO A COMPARISON OF THAT DEBT TO WHERE YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN INTEREST AND SEEKING PLUS OUR M AND O AND SEE HOW ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS COME TOGETHER.
AND THEN SEE HOW WE CAN EITHER RE RE REAPPORTION THAT INTO THE, INTO THE BUDGET, UH, TO LOWER TAXES OR TO, BECAUSE THAT GIVES US RELIEF RIGHT NOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE, WHAT WE, WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET 20 YEARS FROM NOW WHEN WE PAY OFF THAT ONE NOTE.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE NEGLIGIBLE.
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S ANOTHER EXERCISE THAT I'M WANT TO GO THROUGH WITH STEPHANIE, WITH TIANA AND WITH HER FA SO WE CAN BRING YOU ALL BACK SOME POSSIBLE SCENARIOS THAT COULD ACTUALLY LOWER WHAT WE'RE PAYING, YOU KNOW, ON OUR DEBT, YOU KNOW, ON A MONTHLY OR, OR YEARLY BASIS.
BUT WE COULD REPURPOSE THAT MONEY TO DO OTHER THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE BETTER SERVICES, TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THIS DEFERRED MAINTENANCE.
UH, AND AGAIN, THE NUMBERS AREN'T GONNA LIE.
IT'LL EITHER MAKE SENSE OR IT WON'T, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER EXERCISE THAT I'M GONNA BRING TO Y'ALL.
I DON'T KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I'VE DONE IT BEFORE.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S EVER DONE IT FOR YOU ALL.
BUT, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I, I THINK WOULD BE VERY, VERY WELL WORTH LOOKING INTO.
UH, THAT LEADS A BUNCH OF OTHER RABBIT HOLES AS WELL.
I'M SORRY, THAT LEADS TO A BUNCH OF OTHER RABBIT HOLES AS WELL.
IT DOES AND IT DOESN'T, I MEAN THE, THE, THE NUMBERS ARE GONNA MAKE SENSE OR THEY'RE NOT.
AND THERE'S GONNA BE A, A POINT OF DIMINISHING RETURNS AND UH, OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T WANNA STRETCH IT OUT TOO LONG.
BUT, UH, FOR A CERTAIN, FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD, FOR A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE RATE, FOR A CERTAIN NOTE, IT'LL MAKE SENSE.
WE'VE HAD OUR, OUR, UH, ALL OF OUR CITY STAFF, UH, SITTING AROUND HERE WITH US, YOU GUYS HAVE ALL BEEN VERY QUIET AND LISTENING TO US HERE.
ANY OF YOU GOT ANY COMMENTS ABOUT WHERE YOU SEE THIS ALL AROUND THE TEAM THAT MUCH? HUH? WELL, WELL FIRST LET ME, BEFORE I FORGET TOO, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE ELIDA AT THE MUSEUM FOR ALL THAT SHE DOES.
I'M ALL FOR GETTING THE EXTRA HELP YOU NEED.
'CAUSE I KNOW I WENT TO GO VISIT BEFORE THE CITY ADDRESS AND HER AND HER STAFF WERE PAINTING THE WALLS HERSELF, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I'VE JUST GOTTA, I HAVE TO APPLAUD.
I DID A NICE JOB FOR THAT CITY ADDRESS.
SO RESOURCEFUL FOR THE TAXPAYER.
SHE'S A VERY EDUCATED WOMAN, BUT SHE'S A PAINTER ALSO.
KUDOS TO ALL OF YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND IF YOU'VE GOT ANY COMMENTS OR ANYTHING, WE NOW'S THE TIME.
THAT'S WHAT YOU SUPPOSED