* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON. AND WELCOME TO THE MONDAY, APRIL 12TH, TWO OF 2021 MEETING OF THE GROUND, THE CITY COUNCIL'S LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. I'M CHAIRMAN RUBBER, JOHN SMITH WITH ME TODAY. I HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS, BJ WILLIAMS, AND YOUR JOB AND VARIOUS STAFF MEMBERS. LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH THE AGENDA ITEM. NUMBER ONE IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. DO I HAVE A MOTION ON THE MINUTES? MOVE APPROVAL. IS THERE A SECOND? I HAVE A MOTION BY KINSMEN OF ROBIN TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS, ALL IN FAVOR, NONE OPPOSED THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO. UH, PUBLIC INPUT, LAURA. I CAN'T SEE THE PARTICIPANTS LIST TODAY ON THIS INFERNAL IPAD THING. DO YOU SEE ANYBODY? NO, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER ATTENDEES ON THIS CALL. MOVING ON. ITEM THREE, A COMMITTEE HEARING UPDATES AND PREPARATIONS. MR. BRADFORD, ALL YOURS, SIR. OR MR. NEIGHBOR, EXCUSE ME. UM, I'LL GET US STARTED HERE TODAY. UM, COMMITTEE, I'M SORRY, UH, CENTER LOCAL GOVERNMENT. SO THIS IS WHERE, UH, SB TAN HAS BEEN PARKED. UH, IT WAS B TARYN IS A SO-CALLED TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING BILL, A MESSAGE THAT COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR SB 10 WAS VOTED OUT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, FIVE, FOUR EARLIER TODAY. I DON'T HAVE THE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE. I DIDN'T SEE IT IN ANY OF MY FATE. UM, I'LL CHECK WITH LAURA AND BRIAN REAL QUICK. YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING WHERE I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING ONLINE. EITHER BETANCOURT MENTIONED IT AT THE OUTSET OF THE HEARING LAST WEEK. UM, THERE WERE SOME CHANGES THAT FOR OUR PURPOSES ARE RELATIVELY NON-SUBSTANTIVE. THEY WERE IN THE AREA OF, UM, IT WAS JUST BEFORE THE DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY STOPPED, BUT THEY ACTUALLY LEFT THAT LANGUAGE IN, SO IT STILL HAS THE INDIRECTLY LANGUAGE IN THERE. SO I DON'T KNOW THAT HE ACTUALLY, THE BETTENCOURT ACTUALLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM HE WAS LOOKING TO SOLVE THERE, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN OR HEARD ABOUT THE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT WAS NOT SUBSTANTIVE. I DON'T, I DON'T SAY ANYTHING IN MY FEED, WHICH TELLS ME THAT, UM, AND THEY HAVE IT AND NONE OF THE BIG CITY LOBBYISTS HAVE IT, UH, PROBABLY THEY SAT ON IT UNTIL THE VERY LAST MINUTE. AND THEN, UH, VOTED ON HIT, UM, OR DUES GOT OFF THE PHONE A LITTLE WHILE AGO WITH, UH, THAI, UH, MOVING ON TO HB 1869. THIS IS THE, UM, UH, WHAT WE CALL THE CEO'S BILL NON VOTER APPROVED DEBT. UH, THEY ARE WAITING, UH, AS WE ARE TALKING ON A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE AND THERE ARE VARIOUS COMPETING VIRGINS THAT I CAN SEE. UM, OF COURSE, ONE OF THE CRITICAL FEATURES OF THAT WAS THE, UH, EFFECTIVE DATE PROVISION. UM, AND THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, OUR CONCERN WAS THAT WE, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO COUNT FOR, UM, NON-VOTER APPROVED DAT OR SO-CALLED NON-VOTER APPROVED AT, UH, THIS NEXT BUDGET YEAR. APPARENTLY THAT CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE IN SOME FORM, BUT I'VE GOT TWO DIFFERENT FORMS. UH, WE'RE STILL PUSHING FOR A MORE CLEAR VERSION OF THAT, UM, THAT THAT WOULD PROVIDE THAT, UH, ANY OF THESE CHANGES, UH, IT ONLY APPLIES THINGS VOTED ON OR, UH, APPROVED AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE BILL, WHICH PAID SEPTEMBER ONE. AND THEN IT GOES ON TO CLARIFY THAT, UH, IT DOESN'T APPLY TO ANYTHING REGARDLESS TO THE ISSUE DATE. SO LONG AS THE COUNCIL'S VOTE ON APPROVAL WAS DONE BEFORE SEPTEMBER ONE, I CAN'T SEE HERE, WHICH VIRGIN IS GOING TO BE. UM, THE ONE RATCHET THAT I'VE GOTTEN REAL CLEARLY FROM TY AND THESE OTHER SOURCES IS THAT, UH, THEIR CHAIRMAN, UM, AND NOW, OKAY, UH, THE CHAIRMAN IS ADAMANT THAT, UH, WE NOT INCLUDE, UH, OR THAT, UM, THE VERSION THAT GOES OUT FOR THE COMMITTEE APPROVAL WON'T INCLUDE A FIRETRUCK EXCEPTIONS. WHAT WE CALL IT. I WISH MATT WAS ON THE LINE. HE COULD, UH, TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS TO HIM, BUT WE BUY EQUIPMENT, UH, WITH, UH, CEO'S AND OTHER FORMS OF NON BOND DEBT THAT THEY USE TO MATCH UP THE, THE SERVICE LIFE [00:05:01] OF THAT EQUIPMENT. WITH THE TERMS OF THESE DEBTS, UM, SAVES US SOME MONEY TO LOVE MORE FLEXIBLE. THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE IN HERE. AND THERE'S A COMPETING VERSION OF THE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS SEEN AT NIGHT SAY IT'S ACCEPTABLE TO THEM. I, IN MY SHORT REVIEW OF, UM, WHAT WE SAW BEFORE AND WHAT WE PROPOSED AND, UM, WHAT THE CHAIRMAN SEEMS TO WANT AND WHAT SAN ANTONIO SIGNED OFF ON, UM, DIFFERENT VERSIONS. BUT I, I DIDN'T SAY A LOT OF CHANGE. UM, THAT'S THE THING, I GUESS, THAT EVERYBODY WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT WE'D STILL HAVE THIS TOOL AVAILABLE TO US FOR, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, UH, STRAITS AND, AND DRAINAGE AND SEWER LINES, THAT KIND OF THING. UM, SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE REVENUE DEBT. ANYWAY, IT'S NOT AFFECTED BY THIS BILL, BUT STRAIGHT. UM, WE CAN USE IT FOR STRAITS AND THAT SORT OF THING. IT'S GOING TO BE USEFUL TO US. UM, THERE WAS, UH, I HAD SOME EMAILS BACK AND FORTH WITH REPRESENTATIVE BUTTON'S STAFF ON FRIDAY. UH, AMANDA WANTED OUR INPUT ON, UM, WHAT, WHAT COULD BE AN IMPORTANT EXCEPTION. AND IT, RIGHT NOW IT SAYS FOR AN EMERGENCY AS DEFINED BY SOME PROVISION OF THE OTHER GOVERNMENT CODE, IT'S NOT THE REFERENCE, IT'S AN, THIS BILL THAT I THINK IT'S GOING TO COME OUT OF. THE COMMITTEE IS NOT THE HANDIEST TO US BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE, WE FACED THE KIND OF EMERGENCIES IT'S TALKED ABOUT. UM, AND THE LANGUAGE THAT THE BILL AUTHOR, UM, THE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN WANTS, UH, IT REALLY JUST LIMITED TO HURRICANES AND THAT SORT OF THING. UH, I OFFERED UP THE DEFINITION OF EMERGENCY OR DISASTER, UM, OUT OF THAT PORTION OF THE LOCAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, WHICH YOU ALL ARE ALL FAMILIAR NOW. UM, WE COULD STRIKE OUT PANDEMIC, UM, BUT WE'D STILL HAVE IT AVAILABLE TO USE IT IF WE SUFFERED IN ANOTHER TORNADO OR THAT SORT OF THING. AND APPARENTLY, UM, MY CHANGE DIDN'T GET ACCEPTED BY, UM, THE CHAIRMAN. SO I DON'T EXPECT THAT IT'S GOING TO SHOW UP, UH, IN THAT VERSION THAT ANYWAY, THE LAST REPORT ON GNATS ARE STILL WAITING FOR THAT COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE BE DRAFTED. IT MAY BE ON A COPIER NOW PRINTING IT OUT FOR THEM. UH DON'T KNOW, I SHOULD HEAR BACK FROM TY HERE SHORTLY, OR WE'LL HEAR FROM HIM, UH, LATER ON, UH, LOOKS LIKE LAURA FOUND A COMMITTEE SET UP. DID YOU SEND THAT TO EVERYBODY OR, OKAY. I CAN SEND THAT TO EVERYBODY OR I CAN GO AHEAD AND PUT IT IN THE BOX IF THAT'S EASIER, EVERYBODY HAVE THAT. NOW LET'S SEE. ONE, ONE CHANGE I SEE HERE THAT I THINK WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER, THE ORIGINAL VERSIONS OR SOME ARE REGULAR PART, YOU KNOW, THIS, UH, WHAT, UH, PROHIBITED US FROM HIRING OUTSIDE PEOPLE TO HELP US WITH RULE CHANGES. IT WOULD HAVE COVERED ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS. SO THERE'S LANGUAGE THAT TALKS ABOUT, UH, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY INFLUENCE OR ATTEMPT TO INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME. NOW IT SAYS ANY LEGISLATION, UM, THE PREVIOUS VERSION SAID, UH, RULES AND THAT SORT OF THING IN AGENCIES, WHICH WE DO AS A MATTER OF COURSE, UM, THEY APPARENTLY AGREED TO KNOCK THAT PART OUT. IT'S LIMITED TO LEGISLATION. UH, WE'LL LOOK THROUGH THE EXCEPTION TO ENTER REQUESTS THAT SAME WELL ACTING AS AN OFFICER THAT LOOKS TO BE THE SAME. I'M LOOKING AT THREE. DID YOU ALL GET THERE? I'M SORRY, WHAT? OH, I'M SO SORRY. I WAS JUST CHECKING TO SEE IF EVERYONE GOT THE EMAIL THAT I SENT OUT. OKAY. SO TWO IS ELECTED. OFFICER THREE IS AN EMPLOYEE, AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT A REGISTER, LOCK IT FOR, [00:10:02] UH, TRAVEL EXPENSES, FIVE, UH, FEES OR DUES NON-PROFITS STATE ASSOCIATION UM, HIRED A LOBBYIST AND THEN PROPERTY TAXATION. IT'S THAT THING I THINK COUNTS MIGHT OFTEN IF THEY MENTIONED LAST WEEK. SO THEY'VE, THEY'VE ADDED SOMETHING THAT SAYS, UH, TML CAN'T GO DOWN AND FIGHT AGAINST SB TWO. SENATOR BETTENCOURT WAS PARTICULARLY THAT THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH THE EMPATHY IMPETUS FOR THIS WHOLE THING IS WHAT HE SAID IS THAT THE WHOLE SB TWO THING ANNOYED HIM TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT, THAT THIS WAS ANY FLAT OUT, SAID, THIS IS THIS BILL IS HIS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY THE SECTION. NOW WE DID ALSO SAY, AND I THINK THAT'S, YOU'RE THE ONLY THING HE WAS TRYING TO PREVENT WAS CONTRACT LOBBYING AND TRYING TO PREVENT, AND THAT WHAT HE WOULD NOT NOW, BUT HE ALSO SAID, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I GUESS DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHAT HE SAID. IT'S WHAT MATTERS WHAT'S IN THE LANGUAGE. BUT WHAT HE INDICATED WAS HE WAS ONLY TRYING TO STOP CONTRACT LOBBYING, AND HE WAS TRYING TO STOP SHAM, BUT HE WOULD NOT BE HAPPY IF, IF WE BROUGHT A LAW LOBBYIST IN AS AN EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYEE SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF EVADING THE ROLE, IF YOU MADE HIM AN EMPLOYEE, THAT WOULD BE FINE, BUT OTHERWISE WASN'T HAPPY ABOUT IT. UM, BUT HE, BUT HE INDICATED THAT HE WAS NOT TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE THAT I ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CAN WE BUY COMPUTERS FROM DELL AND FULLY FLY ON AMERICAN AIRLINES? UM, HE, HE DID GET THE POINT, BUT, BUT, UM, HIS, HIS TAKE ON IT HAD BEEN THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO STOP. YEAH, I DON'T SAY, UM, IN THIS LANGUAGE, I DON'T SEE A PROBATION OF HIRING SOMEBODY WHO WAS A CONTRACT LOBBYIST. WHO'S A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE. THERE IS NO PROHIBITION OF DOERS OR TOURISTS BACK AND FORTH. I CAN'T REMEMBER WITH WHOM, BUT, UH, I THINK IT WAS WITH ONE OF THE OTHER SENATORS. HE SAID THERE IS NO PROHIBITION, UH, BUT THAT, BUT THAT IF THAT WAS GOING ON, THAT HE'D BE BACK NEXT SESSION WITH ANOTHER, WITH ANOTHER BILL TO, TO ADDRESS THAT KIND OF ISSUE. OKAY. AND THEN THE, THE TML OR, OR MANY OF THE OTHER ASSOCIATIONS, IT, UH, TML HAS OUTSIDE LOBBYISTS, I GUESS THEY WOULD BE NO MORE. UM, SOME OF OUR OTHER ASSOCIATIONS ISN'T GOING TO BE PROBLEMATIC FOR, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. UM, WE HAVE, UH, UH, GROUPS THAT YOU'VE SEEN THAT THE REPORT FROM THE ATMAN CITIES STEERING COMMITTEE YOU'LL GET THOSE, UH, UH, GAS RATE INCREASES EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE ON YOUR AGENDAS. THERE'S A COALITION OF CITIES, UM, THAT WORKS TOGETHER AND WE WORK WITH ATMOS, UH, IN ORDER TO GET THAT DONE. UM, IT REALLY, UH, RIGHT PROCEEDING BACK, UM, AND THAT'S A RULE PERTAINING AND SOMETHING IS SENSIBLY NOT COVERED BY THOSE, BUT, UM, THOSE OUTSIDE, UH, SOURCES, PARTICULARLY THE ATTORNEYS, THEY ALSO REGISTER AS LOBBYISTS AND, AND ADVOCATE AGAINST, UH, CHANGES THAT, UM, ATMOS WANTS TO MAKE. FOR EXAMPLE, WE'LL JUST PICK ON ATMOS, UM, TO GIVE THEM A ADVANTAGE SOMEHOW IN STATE LAW, I GUESS THAT WOULD BE NO MORE. UM, MAYBE WE CAN WIRE IT, RAN IT, UM, RIGHT. SURE. CAN I ASK HIM A QUESTION? THAT'S TRUE. OKAY. OKAY. JUST, JUST TO HELP ME, UM, UH, CLARIFICATION ON THIS, UM, DO WE KNOW, AND I, I SAW WHERE THEY, THE HEAD OF TML TESTIFIED ON THIS THE MORNING. MY QUESTION IS, CAN YOU, OR, UH, COUNCILMAN ARVIN TO SORT OF SUM UP WHAT CRUX OF THAT TESTIMONY WAS? AND MY SECOND QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH, UM, [00:15:02] IT PROBABLY HASN'T COME UP, BUT THE LAST FEW DAYS I SPENT A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AT THE LA, UH, LOBBYIST LOBBYING LIST FOR DISTINGUISHED REPRESENTATIVES DOWN HERE. AND THERE ARE TEXTS, BARRELS, TEXTS, SUPPORTED LOBBYISTS ON ALL OF THEIR LISTS. SO HAS, HAS, HAS THAT ISSUE IS PROBABLY MUTE AS FAR AS THEY'RE CONCERNED, BUT FOR AN EXAMPLE, WITH, WITH THE WHOLE SITUATION, WITH THE GRID AND GPL. SO IF WE, AS A CITY, IT NEEDED LEGAL, UM, GUIDANCE, ADVICE. IF YOU, YOU, IF YOU, AS, AS OUR CITY ATTORNEY, UH, DECIDED THAT SOMEONE WHO'S, WHO HAS A REAL, YOU KNOW, MORE OF A SPECIALLY IN THIS, AND, AND YOU DID CONSULTATION WITH THEM ON AN ISSUE INVOLVING GPL UNDER THE CURRENT DRAFTING, IS THAT PROHIBITED WITH THAT? B COULD YOU DO THAT? COULD YOU, IF THERE WERE SO ASSISTS AND LET'S, YOU, YOU, YOU HAD CONVERSATION AND GOT INPUT, WHICH WOULD YOU BE PROHIBITED FROM DOING SUCH A THING? IT COMES DOWN TO WHAT THIS BILL IS INTENDED TO GET TO SPENDING PUBLIC MONEY FOR LOBBYING. UM, NOW ME AS AN EMPLOYEE, I COULD, UH, APPARENTLY BILL A LOBBY ALL DAY LONG. I DON'T HAVE TO REGISTER THE LOBBYISTS. AND THE, AS WE'VE SAID THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT THIS BILL TRACKING THIS BILL, UM, WE DON'T REALLY LOBBY LIKE A REAL LOBBYISTS. WE DON'T GO DOWN AND SPEND MONEY, LIKE A REAL LOBBYISTS. WE DON'T WRITE SHIT, RIGHT. WE DON'T WRITE CHECKS. UM, BUT AS FAR AS, UM, LOBBYING ASIDE FROM THAT MAY AS A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE, I, I CAN DO THAT. I CAN GO DOWN AND CONTINUE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING CURRENTLY, AND THAT IS A PEER COMMITTEES AND GO TO OFFICES AND WRITE LETTERS AND, AND SUBMIT, UM, TESTIMONY AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING. UH, SO LONG AS I DON'T DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD TRIGGER AN OBLIGATION ON MY PART TO REGISTER AS A LOBBYIST. SO, RIGHT, RIGHT. OUR TIME WOULD, I KNOW IF THE LEGISLATION IS, IS, IS PRESSED AS IT SCRAPPED IT NOW, WHAT, WHAT, UH, WHAT, WHAT RE OR A TIE WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO USE ZIM IN A CAPACITY THAT WE'VE USED THEM UP TO THIS POINT? AND I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. WHAT'S YOUR ANSWER? NO, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HIRE HIM. SO CITY CITIES WOULD LIMITED AND GETTING EXPERTISE, BUT THE LEGISLATURE, I DON'T MEAN TO VENT, BUT, BUT BACK TO THAT, I SPENT MOST OF THE LAST FEW DAYS LOOKING AT THE BOOKS FOR SOME OF THESE FOLKS. AND I DID SEND, SEND ANGIE A NOTE. SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ON WHAT THE SO IS, IS TML AS AN ORGANIZATION IN THIS LEGISLATION, IS THAT THE CML AS AN ORGANIZATION VIEWED AS QUOTE, A LOBBYING ARM ORGANIZATION UNDER THE DEFINITION OR A NONPROFIT, UM, UM, ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION, I'M LOOKING FOR ANOTHER WORD, MAYBE ADVOCACY IS NOT THE RIGHT WORD, BUT HOW IS TMAO? IT APPEARED TO ME THAT UNDER SUBSECTION FIVE TML WOULD BE FINE SO LONG AS THEY DISASSOCIATE THEMSELVES FROM KIND OF TIED LOBBYISTS, REGISTERED LOBBYISTS THAT REFERENCED CAPTAIN CAPTURED THREE OH FIVE FROM GOING BACK TO YOUR INITIAL QUESTION. UH, MY EXEMPTION, UH, FROM LOBBYING UNDER CHAPTER THREE OH FIVE IS DUE TO MY STATUS AS A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY. OKAY. UM, AND THAT REMINDS ME AS AN, A TYPE WHO WILL HAVE TO TRACK ANY CHANGES TO THREE OH FIVE COULD COME AS A FOUR MAN OR SOMETHING LIKE WHERE THEY TRY TO ROPE US BACK INTO THIS. UH, I WOULD BE EXEMPT CAUSE I AM AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY. I DON'T HAVE TO REGISTER THE LOG LIBRARY, THINNER CAPTIVE THREE OR FIVE, UH, TML COULD STILL OPERATE SO LONG AS THEY DON'T HAVE OUTSIDE, UH, CHAPTER THREE OH FIVE REGISTERED LOBBYISTS. OKAY. BRIAN, IF I CAN JUST JUMP IN REAL QUICK. NO, I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT BJ, BUT JUST TO THANK YOU. UM, SO WE COULD STILL BE A MEMBER OF TML TML. IT'S STILL LOBBY. I DON'T KNOW IF I'D CALL IT ON OUR BEHALF, BUT YOU KNOW, [00:20:01] IN THE INTEREST OF THE CITIES. AND SO IT, SO IT'S STRICTLY AIMED AT CONTRACT LOBBYING. I WONDER IF THE THING THAT I WOULD NOTE BRAD, FROM WHAT I READ FROM THE ORIGINAL IS THAT, IS THAT EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY, ALTHOUGH THEY CAN'T ENGAGE IN WHAT IS CALLED LOBBYING, THEY CANNOT PROVIDE TESTIMONY TO A COMMITTEE UNLESS THEY'VE BEEN INVITED BY TO DO SO BY A, UH, UM, BY A LEGISLATOR IS MY UNDERSTANDING. SO I KEPT THAT IN HERE. WHAT'S THAT? I DON'T THINK THEY KEPT THAT LIMITATION IN HERE. OH, I MAY HAVE MISSED THAT CHANGE. I APOLOGIZE. I DIDN'T SEEM TO. SO THAT, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE GOOD. CAUSE THAT WOULD ALLOW, FOR EXAMPLE, FOLKS LIKE, LIKE TOM HANCOCK TO CONTINUE TO TESTIFY, BUT IT WOULD REALLY CUT US OFF. AND THIS WAS THE POINT THAT I MADE WHEN I SPOKE TO THE, TO THE COMMITTEE WAS THAT IT WOULDN'T ALLOW PARTICULARLY ON THE ELECTRIC ISSUES. AND WOULDN'T ALLOW US TO HAVE RAY SPEAKING, UH, SPEAKING TO THE COMMITTEE AND, AND, AND HELPING ON THESE 350 PILLS WHEN THEY COULDN'T PREVENT, THEY COULDN'T PREVENT US FROM HA I DON'T THINK FROM HIRING A CONSULTANT FROM HIRING RAZOR CONSULTANT TO ADVISE US QUIT, THEN WE JUST BECOME THE, YOU KNOW, RACE JUST NEXT TO ME WHILE I TALKED AND THEN PUT SOMETHING UP AND RE CORRECT. BUT I LEAN OVER AND THEN I SPEAK AGAIN. I MEAN, THEY CAN'T, THEY CAN'T STOP THAT. RIGHT. YEAH. RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. BUT RACE WOULD NOT FAMOUSLY BE THE MOUTHPIECE IN FRONT OF THE COMMITTEE. CORRECT. AND COULD NOT WALK AROUND THE HALLS, LOBBYING, COULDN'T WALK AROUND THE HALL. I'M GOING TO STOP IN AND, YOU KNOW, SENATOR JONES, I MEAN, I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW ENFORCEABLE THAT WOULD BE, BUT THAT'S RIGHT. BUT I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT THAT IT'S BEEN SO LONG AS WE'LL PLAY RIDE, DOESN'T DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD, PRAEGER AN OBLIGATION ON HIS PART TO REGISTER THE LOBBYIST FENDER THREE OH FIVE WEEKENDS STILL HIRED. IT COULD TELL US HOW TO CUT. I COULD, UH, RECOMMEND, UH, TELL US WHAT THE LAW SHOULD BE OR WHAT A BAD LAW IS A BAD BILL THAT COMING THROUGH, BUT HE COULDN'T GO DOWN AND BE ARMED FACE, UM, EVEN IN THE BACK OFFICES AT THE LEGISLATURE. AND IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I READ THIS CHAPTER THREE OH FIVE, BUT, UH, UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL PROVISIONS IN THERE THAT TRIGGER THE OBLIGATION TO REGISTER THE LOBBYISTS. SO, UH, RIGHT AFTER GO BACK AND REVIEW THOSE. BUT, UM, IT WOULDN'T KILL OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH RAY NECESSARILY. HE JUST DIDN'T DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD MAKE HIM OUR LOBBYISTS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. UM, JARED, THAT'S ALL I HAD. I AND MR. COUNCIL MEMBER ROBIN COULD PROBABLY, UM, EXPAND MORE IF HE WANTED TO ON WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. I WASN'T THERE LAST WEEK DURING THE HEARING MR. ROBBINS, IF YOU CHOOSE TO SPEAK ON IT, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN ADD VERY MUCH TO IT. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, I MEAN, THEY, THEY TOOK ME OUT OF ORDER, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE TESTIMONY. UM, AND THEN I WENT OFF TO THE COUNCIL MEETING AND THAT WAS AT SEVEN OH FIVE. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY CONTINUE TO TAKE TESTIMONY UNTIL ALMOST 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, OR PERHAPS AFTER 10 O'CLOCK THAT NIGHT. UH, THERE WERE A LOT OF FOLKS THERE REGISTERED TO SPEAK AND, AND THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, THE STUFF THAT I HAVE GONE BACK. AND, UM, THERE WERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF REALLY GOOD COMMENTARY AND THERE WAS, I MEAN, I THINK AS EVIDENCED BY THE FIVE, FOUR VOTE ON GETTING IT OUT OF COMMITTEE, THERE WAS SOME THERE'S SOME REAL OPPOSITION AND CONCERN, UM, ABOUT CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE BILL, UH, ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT WAS AIMED ONLY AT CITIES AND COUNTIES AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. UM, BUT IT JUST DIDN'T GET A SENSE. SO THERE'S NO TRACTION ON, UM, ON THAT, ON KEEPING THAT FOR MOVING FORWARD. UM, BUT THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT WAS THE DAY, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE SET TO START AROUND 1130, BUT ON THAT DAY THEY DECIDED IT WAS GOING TO BE THE DAY TO DEBATE THE BUDGET. SO THE COMMITTEE DIDN'T ACTUALLY GET GOING UNTIL ABOUT FOUR 30, A LITTLE BIT AFTER THAT. UM, AND, UH, THIS WAS THE CHAIRMAN'S BILL OR ACTUALLY BILLS BECAUSE THEY COMBINED IT WITH 1879. UM, AND SO THESE WERE THE CHAIRMAN'S BILLS. SO THEY WENT, THEY WENT BASICALLY LAST, UM, IS WE DID ALL, MAY ALSO MAKE MENTION THAT. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE VOTED 1879 OUT OF COMMITTEE. I IMAGINE THEY DID. UM, BUT WE DID ALSO MAKE NOTE OF THE FACT THAT, UM, THAT 1879, THAT WE, THAT THE CITY DOES SUPPORT TRANSPARENCY, [00:25:02] UH, IN THE CITY DOES STRONGLY BELIEVE IN TRANSPARENCY AND SUPPORTS 1879. UH, BUT WE DID ALSO NOTE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERNS THAT I'VE HEARD, AND THIS IS FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM ALL A LOT OF THE PR AND I'M SURE IT'S EML SAID SOMETHING SIMILAR AND SOME OTHER FOLKS DID TOO, IS THAT THE ONLY THING THAT BILL WILL REALLY DO IS PUSH LOBBYING UNDERGROUND AND MAKE IT LESS TRANSPARENT THAT CITIES WILL STILL FIND A WAY TO HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD, WHETHER THAT'S, WHETHER THAT'S BY HIRING PEOPLE TO SPEAK IN OUR EARS. AND THEY JUST GOT TO LISTEN TO WHAT'S PARENTHOOD, OR WHETHER THAT'S BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS OR GROUPS WITHIN A CITY. I MEAN, IF YOU START TALKING ABOUT, IF THEY'RE ONLY LOOKING AT, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY'RE ONLY LOOKING AT ELIMINATING CONTRACT LOBBYING, THEN, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING, ALTHOUGH I THINK THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT, THAT, THAT THE CHAIR WAS WORRIED ABOUT. YOU KNOW, YOU COULD ALSO, YOU KNOW, YOU GET THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COULD HIRE LOBBYISTS AND WELL, WE FUND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF CONCERNS I THINK THAT WERE, UM, THAT WERE OUT THERE. BUT MY CONCERN IS THAT IT BECOMES A LOT HARDER TO TRACK AND A LOT HARDER TO MAKE IT TRANSPARENT. UM, IF THEY DID GO AHEAD AND PASS SB 10 IN THE FORM THAT IT WAS, AND THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT. HUH. VERY GOOD. UM, WE SEE HERE IS SOME PREPARATIONS. UH, DO WE HAVE ANY, ANYTHING GETTING COMMITTEE THIS WEEK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE BOOTS ON THE GROUND FOR ANYBODY'S AWARE OF, OR IS THIS MORE OF A WORK CITY ISSUES KIND OF WEEK, AS OPPOSED TO A TESTIMONY LEAK? UM, BRIAN AND ROAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT A SCHEDULE MORE CLOSELY AND I WENT, UH, ON FRIDAY. I DID, I LOOKED THROUGH THEM, I'LL LOOK THROUGH TMLS. I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING THAT GOT ME REALLY EXCITED. NOW. I HADN'T CHECKED TODAY. HADN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK THE DAY. SO IF THEY HAD ADDED THINGS, UM, UH, THEY'RE UNKNOWN TO ME, UH, THERE'S STILL QUITE A FIELD FEW BILLS FLOATING AROUND IT, UM, THAT COULD, UH, AND ARE REALLY GOING TO BE A CONCERN TO US. UM, LET ME PAUSE THERE. UH, BRIAN TESTIFIED ON ANOTHER ONE LAST WEEK AND IT WAS, UH, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS, RIGHT. IT WAS, UM, THE SUPER PREEMPTION BILL OR THE SUPER, UM, CLOCK BILL. IT'S BASICALLY A SHOT CLOCK BILL THAT, UM, EFFECTIVELY TOOK THE PLANNING COMMISSION OUT OF THE REVIEW PROCESS. AT LEAST IT COMPRESSED THE PROCESS TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD HAVE TO HEAR A CASE WITHIN 12 DAYS OF AN APPLICATION FILED. AND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IS IF THERE WAS A PD, FOR EXAMPLE, AND IT WAS A ZONING CASE WITH A, WITH A PLAN ATTACHED TO IT, IT WOULD MEAN THAT YOU WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO POST THE PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THEY A VERY PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF THE FILE WAS COMPLETE. AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO HEAR THAT FILE WITHIN A WEEK OF THE PLAN COMMISSION HEARING. AND SO, UM, I, I ADDED SOME LANGUAGE AND SENATE, UM, THROUGH TIE TO THE SPONSORING REPRESENTATIVE, UM, TO AT LEAST INCLUDE SOME LANGUAGE, UM, THAT ALLOWED FOR THE PLAN COMMISSION REVIEW. UM, ONE THING OF NOTE IS EVERYTHING THAT THE BILL WAS DOING, UM, OTHER THAN THE ATTORNEY'S FEES AND OTHER STUFF THAT THEY WERE WANTING TO ADD, WE ARE ALREADY DOING, APPARENTLY SOME CITIES WERE READING THE BILL THAT PASSED LAST SESSION, THE SHOT CLOCK BILL TO MEAN THAT IT ONLY APPLIED TO PLATS AND SUBDIVISION PLATS AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS. AND SO THEY WEREN'T APPLYING THAT EVEN THOUGH THE DEFINITION, UH, WAS QUITE BROAD, THEY WERE LIMITING THAT. AND SO THIS BILL WAS REALLY DESIGNED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT NO, THIS ISN'T JUST APPLYING TO PLATTS. THIS IS FOR DEVELOPMENT PLANS IN GENERAL. AND SO, UM, QUITE FRANKLY, THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD HAVE AFFECTED US OR THAT WILL AFFECT US IF THIS BILL GOES THROUGH AS WRITTEN AND NOT WITH THE DRAFT I SENT THROUGH, IT IT'LL BE THE PLAN COMMISSION ISSUE. AND THAT WILL BE A PROBLEM. OKAY. YEAH. I'VE GOT THE BILL LANGUAGE UP IN FRONT OF ME AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BRIAN AND I NOTICED, WE, UM, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING THROUGH THIS, IT DIDN'T EVEN MAKE THE CROSS-REFERENCE, UH, IN ANY FEASIBLE FASHION TO THE ZONING PROVISIONS OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. JUST SAY, YOU'RE GOING TO DO ALL THIS STUFF RIGHT AWAY. SO, WELL, WHY DON'T [00:30:01] YOU JUST REPEAL ZONING IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO EFFECTIVELY, BECAUSE YOU REMEMBER OUR OBLIGATION UNDER THE EXISTING STATE ZONING ENABLING ACT, IS THAT IN A CITY OUR SIZE, WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN TO MAKE, WE HAVE TO HAVE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION. AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MESSAGE GOT THROUGH, BUT APPARENTLY THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO REACH OUT TO US OR TY'S BEEN DOING HIS JOB AND TRYING TO GET SOMEONE'S ATTENTION OVER THERE. UM, MACALLAN, APPARENTLY THE SAME CONCERNS, MACALLAN MCKELLEN'S AMENDMENTS WERE A LITTLE BROAD. I MEAN, THEY PRETTY MUCH RED LINE TO HIS WHOLE BILL IT'S IT'S, UM, REPRESENTATIVE DNS. THEY PRETTY MUCH JUST MARKED IT UP. AND I THINK THEY PROBABLY ASKED FOR TOO MUCH. AND SO I WAS REALLY JUST TRYING TO HIT A LITTLE SECTION THAT WOULD HAVE AFFECTED US. AND I'M GOING TO SHARE MY SPRING THERE. JUST PUT THE SECTION I ADDED IF IT'S OKAY. MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, I ADDED NUMBER FOUR THERE. UM, IF AN ORDINANCE OR CHARTER PROVISION REQUIRES THAT ATLANTA DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION BE HEARD BY THE GOVERNOR BODY OF THE MS. PALIN, IN ADDITION TO THE PLAN COMMISSION, THE MUNICIPALITY MUST SCHEDULE THE PUBLIC HEARING OF THE GOVERNING BODY WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION IS VIEWED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL BY INACTION OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION. AND SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO, THAT WAS MY ONLY AS YOU CAN SEE THE, THE BILL ITSELF THOUGH, YOU SEE ALL THE MARK THROUGHS THAT THAT MACALLAN DID, AND I'M AFRAID THEY WERE ASKING FOR A LITTLE TOO MUCH AND THE REPRESENTATIVE WAS ALREADY FRUSTRATED AT THE TIME. AND SO I'M AFRAID THAT HOOKING OUR WAGON, HITCHING OUR WAGON TO THEM MAY NOT BE HELPFUL. SO HOPEFULLY THEY'LL JUST CONSIDER OUR, I MEAN, THEY'LL CONSIDER THE TWO REQUESTS, SEPARATE REQUESTS. AND IF SOME OF THESE BILL AUTHORS, THEY GET VERY JEALOUS OF THEIR LANGUAGE. UM, AND THEN YOU POP UP IN AND SIDEWALL, I JACKED AND, AND THEY GET MAD BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO THEM. UM, WHICH I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE HOW DO WE KNOW? WELL, WE WOULDN'T HAVE, UM, THE ABILITY TO OBJECT THAT EVERY BILL THAT WE MAY HAVE OBJECTIONS TO. UM, AND SO WE RESERVE THOSE FOR THOSE START MOVING. AND HOW DO WE KNOW IF SOMETHING'S GOING TO START MOVING? THEY MUCH BETTER THE BILL AUTHOR DOES. IF THEY'RE GOING TO GET A HEARING, UM, SAT ON THEIR BILL AND, YOU KNOW, A CALL WOULD BE ON A COMMITTEE NOW, UH, WE'LL GET VERY SHORT NOTICE TO THAT. SO, UH, WE MAY BE IRRITATING SOME FOLKS THIS SESSION, UM, BY POPPING UP AND TESTIFYING AGAINST THESE, BUT THEY'RE IMPORTANT ENOUGH THAT WE'LL JUST HAVE TO FAKE THAT HEAT IN, IN MY VIEW, WE, POLITICIANS CAN GO SOMETIMES. SO WE GET IT, WE GET IT. ALL RIGHT, MR. CHAIRMAN, CAN I SPEAK TO THAT? CAN I SPEAK TO THE CEO ISSUES FOR A MINUTE? YES, SIR. OF COURSE. UM, WE, MATT AND I HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY FOCUSED ON THIS PARTICULAR BILL BECAUSE AS YOU'RE WELL AWARE, THIS BILL ALSO COVERS TAX NOTES AND, UH, BOTH OF THOSE TOOLS OF CEO'S AND TAX NOTES, UM, PLAY HEAVILY INTO ALL OF OUR LONG-TERM FORECAST. UM, WHAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL LAST SESSION IN GETTING THE LEGISLATION KILLED WAS THE RATING AGENCIES TO WHO CAME FORWARD AND SAID, YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE GOING TO TRIGGER DOWNGRADES. UH, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE MOVING CEO DEBT FROM THE DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE TO THE ONM TAX RATE, AND NOW YOU'VE PUT LIMITS ON THE AUDIO TAX RATE. NOW, THEORETICALLY, YOU'VE GOT A SITUATION WHERE A CITY HAS TO CHOOSE, OKAY, NOW, AM I GOING TO CUT MY OPERATIONS IN ORDER TO STAY UNDER THE CAP? OR AM I NOT GOING TO PAY BY CEO DEBT SERVICE? AND, UH, UH, AND, AND SO IF, IF IT PASSES, WE CERTAINLY WILL SEE AN INCREASE IN OUR BORROWING COSTS AT, IN PRETTY SOON, UH, EVEN EVEN WITH, WITH TAX APPROVAL, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE AN INCREASE, THE INTEREST RATES THAT WE HAVE TO PAY ON THAT DEBT. UH, SO THIS YEAR THE RATING AGENCIES [00:35:01] ARE, ARE SCARED TO DEATH TO TOUCH IT. AND, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE STORY BEHIND THAT, BUT THEY HAVE, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE MADE CALLS TO ALL THREE OF THE RATING AGENCIES, UH, TALKING TO PEOPLE AT THE VERY TOP AND THE MESSAGE SEEMS TO BE REAL CONSISTENT AND THAT THEY, UH, THEY ARE SCARED TO COMMENT UNTIL AFTER THE FACT, AND I'M NOT SURE WHO HAS GOT TO THEM, BUT, UH, IF, IF THAT INFORMATION COMES OUT OR BECOMES HELPFUL IN ANY OF YOUR DISCUSSIONS IS ONE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT. VERY GOOD, SIR. APPRECIATE YOU. OKAY. DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE UPDATES FOR THE WEEK? UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D SAY QUICKEN PASS OVER TO THE ELECTRIC SIDE OF RAY AS SOME, OR MY, YOU HAVE SOME INSIGHT FOR US. UM, IF THERE'S ANYTHING LOOMING ON OR ARRIVED IN HERE. VERY GOOD, SIR. MR. SHORTEN. UH, GOOD TO BE HERE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. UH, I, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, UH, ST FLAP, WE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A REPRIEVE THIS WEEK COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER WEEKS ON THE HEARINGS, BUT, UH, I WILL KNOW, UH, ONE BILL I HAVE CONCERNED WITH IS A HOUSE BILL 39, 16 BY CHAIRMAN GOLDMAN. AND IT PROHIBITS THE CITY FROM, UH, FROM DENYING, UH, DISTRIBUTED RESOURCES, DISTRIBUTED GENERATION, UH, FOR BEING SYNCHRONOUS WITH THE GRID. AND THAT HAS A LOT OF CONCERN TO ME, PRIMARILY IT HAS TO DO WITH SAFETY ISSUES. IF YOU'VE GOT A DISTRIBUTED GENERATOR AT SOME HOUSE AND THEY WANT TO GET IT ON THE GRID, FIRST OF ALL, YOU GET YOUR DISTRIBUTION LEVEL SERVICE, YOU KNOW, LIKE SERVING YOUR HOUSE AND YOU GOT TO GET IT TO, TO THE BULK TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. I'M NOT REAL SURE HOW YOU DO THAT. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU TRACK IT. UM, AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE GOT A LOT OUT AND PEOPLE WORKING ON THAT LINE AND SOMEBODY TURNS HER DISTRIBUTED GENERATION, I DON'T KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OF THAT, YOU KNOW, BURN SOMEBODY OR HURT SOMEBODY SEVERELY BECAUSE OF THAT. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST DOESN'T SEEM TO WORK. AND I I'VE JUST STARTED STUDYING THE BILL THIS LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, AND I JUST DON'T SEE. UM, I ASSUME THAT THIS BILL IS, IS MORE LIKELY, UH, HEB, UH, WHERE THEY HAVE GENERATION HEB HAS, UH, AS A, UH, AND THIS MIGHT BE THEIR BILL, BUT I KNOW THEY HAVE A BILL WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO GET, UH, ACCESS TO SELL THEIR GENERATION TO THE MARKET, UH, WHEN THEY'RE NOT USING IT. SO IT COULD BE THAT, AND IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST GONE OVER INTO, UH, UH, LETTING EVERYBODY WITH DISTRIBUTED GENERATION TRY TO GET TO THE BOOK TO THE MARKET, WHICH DOESN'T WORK. UM, USUALLY WE, YOU KNOW, WE TALK IN TERMS OF A MEGAWATT AND SOME OF THESE ARE 200 KILOWATTS, WHICH WOULD BE TWO TENTHS OF A MEGAWATT. IT JUST NOT MEASURABLE MOST OF OUR INTERCONNECTIONS MEASURE IN MEGAWATT INCREMENTS. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO ALL THIS SMALL STUFF AND TRACK IT, UH, PREVENT SAFETY ISSUES AND ALL THAT. SO WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT ONE SIGNIFICANTLY. UM, DARRELL KLEIN IS WORKING ON SECURITIZATION, UH, BILLS WITH A COUPLE OTHER CITIES, SAN ANTONIO, AND SOME OTHERS, UM, TO TRY TO, UH, WORK ON IT'S A PATTY BILL IS HEADED HERE SOMEWHERE, THIS MESS IT'S HOUSE, BILL 44 92. AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET WHERE IT SECURITIZED IS AT LEAST THE AFLOAT CHARGES THAT, UM, WE'VE EXPERIENCED AND POTENTIALLY LOOK AT OTHER COSTS THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, ERCOT FEES AND SOME OTHER THINGS TO SEE IF THAT CAN BE ADDED TO IT. BUT, UH, [00:40:02] DARRYL HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL. HE'S A SECURITIZATION EXPERT IN THE GROUP AND HE'S BEEN, UM, I JUST TALKED TO HIM A FEW MINUTES AGO. UM, HE'S ANXIOUS TO HEAR BACK FROM THE OTHER FOLKS BECAUSE THIS BILL WAS ACTUALLY HEARD LAST THURSDAY. UM, SO WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO ACT QUICKLY, UM, UH, JUST SAY THE, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER BILLS THAT, UH, WANT TO TAKE, UH, WERE NO WALLS, OR NOW THEY CALL THEM IN OR INTERMITTENT RESOURCES. THEY WANT THEM TO PAY FOR ANCILLARY SERVICES AND TO HAVE A, UH, GENERATOR OF SOME KIND FROM OUR SCHEDULE. UH, THIS IS GOING TO DISRUPT THE ENTIRE, UH, RENEWABLE INDUSTRY AND THOSE THAT HAVE CONTRACTS. UM, MY, I CAN TALK ABOUT THAT. UH, YOU KNOW, AS I SEE IT, THEY'RE GOING TO BE DISRUPTED, UM, CHANGING LAW PROVISIONS. THERE'S NO MONEY LEFT TO, TO RECOVER THESE COSTS OTHER THAN THE PASS THEM ON TO THE CONSUMER, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SATISFACTORY TO US. SO THOSE SHOULD DO, WHAT IS THE POINT OF THAT TO MAKE IT WAS MORE EXPENSIVE SO THAT THE FOSSILS CAN COMPETE A LITTLE BETTER? OR WHAT DO YOU THINK THE UNDERLYING MOTIVATION IS? WELL, TEXAS HAS EVER BEEN A BIG FAN OF THE LEGISLATURE. LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY OF FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. OKAY. AND SO IF YOU JUST TAKE THE REPUBLICAN VIEW OF THESE FEDERAL PROGRAMS, THEY, THEY LOOK AT THEM AS GIVING THEM AN ADVANTAGE AND THEY'VE GROWN SO QUICKLY. UH, AND THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE FACT, AFTER YOU GOT 28,000 MEGAWATTS OF CAPACITY AND SOLAR AND WIND, YOU NOW DECIDE THEY OUGHT TO HAVE TO PERFORM LIKE A FOSSIL FUEL GENERATOR. AND THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY ARE. SO I DON'T, IT WILL INCREASE THE COST. UM, AND I THINK THERE'S TWO REASONS THEY'RE DOING IT. ONE, I DON'T LIKE FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. THE SECOND IS THEY MIGHT, UH, BE ABLE TO ADD SOME GAS PLANTS IF THEY HAVE TO, UH, WORK SOMETHING OUT WITH, UH, WITH A GENERATOR THAT MIGHT KEEP SOME OTHER GENERATORS AROUND. UM, I MEAN, OLINGER COULD FARM UP SOME STUFF. UH, THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION. CAN THEY CONTRACT, LET US PROVIDE THEIR ANCILLARY SERVICES FOR THEM? YEAH. I MEAN, THE QUESTION IS, WILL THEY PAY US IN OTHER WORDS, OKAY. THEY PAY US, UH, WHAT WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN IN THE MARKET, AND THEN THEY CHARGE US FOR THE, ON THE BILL. SO IT W ZERO BENEFIT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD JUST BE GOING THROUGH THE EXERCISE OF, YOU KNOW, UNDER UTILIZING OUR UNITS, RIGHT? IF I CAN ADD ONE THING ON THIS, BUT THIS IS REALLY PROBLEMATIC FOR US IN THE FALL. AND REGARDLESS, IT'S NOT CLEAR WHERE THE COSTS OF THESE ANCILLARIES AND THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH FIRMING UP THE SCHEDULES IS GOING ALONG, BUT IT'S A PROBLEM ACROSS EITHER WAY. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, IS IN SOME CASES, WE ARE A PURCHASER OF THESE SOLAR CONTRACTS. WE HAVE TWO CONTRACTS THAT I KNOW OF, THAT WE ARE PURELY THE PURCHASER FROM A SOLAR FARM OR A WIND FARM. AND THEN WE HAVE SEVERAL OTHER CONTRACTS WHERE WE PURCHASED THE ENTIRE FARM AND SELL PART OF IT DOWNSTREAM. SO IF WE SAY THAT IT GOES TO THE, THAT IT GETS SENT BACK TO THE PERSON WHO IS THE SELLER OF THE ENERGY. THERE'S A CHANCE THAT'S GOING TO GET TAGGED BACK TO US IN SOME REGARD AND IS RIGHT POINTED OUT. THE OTHER PROBLEM IS, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN WE NEGOTIATE THESE DEALS, WHEN YOU SEE WHAT THE OTHER SIDES OF THESE TRANSACTIONS LOOK LIKE, THEY'RE COMPLETELY BOXED UP AND PACKAGED. THAT IS THAT THE FINANCING IS SOLD OFF. THE, THE TAX CREDIT IS SOLD OFF. IT'S JUST A CASH FLOW STREAM. THERE'S NO, THERE'S NOBODY THERE A VERY SMALL OPERATION RUNNING THESE THINGS. IT HAS ANY MONEY. SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN NEGOTIATE BACK AND SAY, NO, YOU HAVE TO EAT SOME OF THE COSTS OF THIS. IT SEEMS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A COST THAT'S BORN ON US SO THAT THE AMENDMENT THAT BRAD CAME UP WITH, UH, IT WOULD BE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL IF WE, IF WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE NEED TO PLAY THAT CARD, IF IT LOOKS LIKE THIS BILL IS GETTING ANY LEGS WHERE WE COULD GET SOMEBODY TO STICK AN AMENDMENT ON THERE TO, [00:45:01] TO AT LEAST EXCLUDE, UH, THE EXISTING CONTENTS, BECAUSE IT REALLY WOULD DISRUPT OUR CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS, BOTH UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM AND, AND SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT'S OF THE BILLS THAT ARE GOTTEN ANY ATTENTION SO FAR THAT I'VE LOOKED AT ON THE ELECTRIC SIDE. AND I ADMITTEDLY HAVEN'T LOOKED AT A TON, THIS ONE TROUBLES ME MORE THAN, THAN THE OTHERS, UH, SO FAR, BECAUSE IT WOULD IMPACT GARLAND TO SUCH A GREAT EXTENT. YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT, MIKE. AND I WOULD JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SENATE BILL A THREE, WHICH CONTAINS THIS LANGUAGE, THANKS TO SENATOR HANCOCK'S AMENDMENT. UH, THAT'S IN GROSSMAN AND IT'S OVER AT THE HOUSE. IT HAD BEEN, UH, ANY ACTION TAKEN ON IT YET BY THE HOUSE, BUT I MEAN, IT'S ALREADY OUT OF THE SENATE AND IT HAS THIS LANGUAGE IN THERE. SO IT THERE'S SEVERAL BILLS THAT ARE AIMED AT, UH, UH, HAVING THE, UH, RENEWABLES PAY FOR ANCILLARY SERVICES AND, AND FROM HAVING FIRM'S SCHEDULES. AND, AND THIS IS A PROBLEMATIC, JUST, JUST THE IDEA OF IT, UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND THAT RENEWABLES AS A WHOLE ARE FORECASTED BY ERCOT. SO NOBODY SENDS IN A SCHEDULE LIKE WE WOULD ON ALL OF YOUR, OR ANYTHING, OR COD JUST FORECAST WHAT THEY THINK THEY'RE GOING TO GET THE NEXT DAY FROM RENEWABLES. AND THEN I JUST KIND OF COMPARE THAT TO OUR COP'S FORECAST AS TO WHAT THEY ACTUALLY GOT, BUT THAT'S, IT SAYS A GROUP. AND SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO START, UM, HAVING THEM SCHEDULE FROM SCHEDULES, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO BE BREAKING IT DOWN BY FARM OR ARE BY THAT PARTICULAR, UH, LOCATION, UH, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST PROBLEMATIC FOR THE SYSTEMS TO DO THAT. IS THERE ANY, IS THERE ANY CAP ON THE ANCILLARY COSTS AS PART OF THIS, BECAUSE WE TALKED DURING THE WORST OF IT THAT THE DAMN SLURRIES WEREN'T CAPPED AT 9,000, LIKE THE STANDARD POWER GENERATION WAS, HAS THAT BEEN CLARIFIED AT ALL? WELL, WE HAVE A CAP IN THE, UH, SENATE BILL, THREE OF 150% OF THE HIGH, HIGH ENERGY CAP DURING THE MURDER, WHICH IS NOT IN THOUSANDS. SO THEY CAN BE 150% OF THAT NUMBER OF ARGUED WITH ALL ARGUED UP, PROMOTED. THE IDEA THAT ANCILLARY SERVICES SHOULD NOT BE HIGHER THAN THE 9,000, BECAUSE IT'S A GENERATOR YOU CAN BID ANCILLARIES, OR YOU CAN BID ENERGY. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ONE WOULD BE CONSIDERED MORE VALUABLE THAN THE OTHER, ESPECIALLY LIKE WE SAW DURING THE WINTER STORM. BUT, UM, RIGHT NOW THE ONLY THING THAT'S MOVED OUT IS SENATE BILL THREE, WHICH HAS THE 150. YEAH. THE OTHER THING I'D MENTIONED IS WILMAC ADAMS IS A REAL GOOD FRIEND OF MINE GOT APPROVED BY THE SENATE TODAY TO BE A PUC COMMISSIONER. AND IS IT, IS IT GOING TO BE A FRIEND OF OURS? UM, AND IN HIS DISCUSSION TODAY WITH THE SENATOR, AND SHE MENTIONED, UH, THAT SOMETHING NEEDED TO BE DONE WITH THE RENEWABLES, BUT, YOU KNOW, HE KIND OF HEDGED NO, AS FAR AS, UH, GREEN WAS SENATOR BILL. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GONNA, IT'S REALLY GONNA COME DOWN TO THE WIRE ON SOME OF THIS STUFF. AND THERE'S BEEN A, UH, I WAS TRYING TO FIND IT AND I WILL SEND IT TO Y'ALL OR SEND IT TO BRAD TO DISTRIBUTE THE WIND COALITION HAS COME OUT WITH A NATIONAL ISSUE WITH WHAT TEXAS IS DOING. AND THEY'RE TRYING TO, THEY'RE TRYING TO BROADEN THIS DEAL TO, YOU KNOW, BANKERS AND INVESTMENT PEOPLE AND EVERYBODY, HEY, YOU DON'T WANT TO MESS WITH THESE GUYS IN TEXAS. HERE'S WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO OR RENEWABLES. UH, AND I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY BOLD AND BRASH IN MY OPINION, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT A BIG DEAL, WHICH IS GOOD. UM, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THAT JUST MAKES TEXAS MORE DETERMINED, FIGHT NATIONAL MEDIA AND NATIONAL, UH, WHATEVER. UH, I THINK, UM, I THINK THOSE ARE THE MOST CRITICAL THINGS RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, [00:50:01] SECURITIZATION, DISTRIBUTED RESOURCES, UM, WHAT HAPPENS TO RENEWABLES, UH, IN RELATION TO ANCILLARY SERVICES AND FIRMS SCHEDULES. I THINK THOSE ARE REALLY, UH, VERY DAMAGING TO GARLAND AND OTHERS. VERY GOOD, SIR. QUITE A LIST. AND LIKE I SAID, I THINK I MENTIONED THE DISTRIBUTED RESOURCES. THAT'S THAT'S REALLY A TOUGH ONE. WE'LL HAVE TO WORK ON THAT TOO. GOOD BREAD. YOU'RE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING, SIR. SO THE OTHER BREAD. NO, NO, IT WAS YOU, YOU HAD STARTED TO SAY SOMETHING YOU GOOD. I WAS LOOKING UP A LATE-BREAKING BILL HERE, THING DO WITH, UH, ELECTRICITY THOUGH. OKAY. LET'S UH, LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE B REAL QUICK, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION FOR STRATEGY ON STRATEGY FOR BILLS VOTED OUT OF COMMITTEE. UM, AND ABOUT THE NEXT 10 MINUTES. SO WE CAN END ABOUT FIVE O'CLOCK, UM, UH, AGAINST MEMBER WILLIAM SHE'D ASKED US TO, TO, UH, COME FORWARD TO BELIEVE. IS THAT CORRECT, SIR? I'M SORRY. WOULD YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID? I MISSED HIM. YES, SIR. DISCUSSION ON STRATEGY FOR BILLS VOTED OUT OF COMMITTEE WHERE THIS IS SOMETHING YOU'D ASKED FOR US TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO SAY TO FRAME THE DISCUSSION? YES, YES, SIR. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. YEAH, I'VE RAISED THIS, UH, FOR, FOR ME, FOR, FOR, UM, BRANDON AND HIS TEAM AND, AND WITH ALL THE UPDATES ONCE, ONCE GETTING OUT OF THE COMMITTEE DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S, THAT IT'S OUT OF THE PARK, BUT IT MEANS THAT IT'S IN THE BALL GAME, IT'S ITS OWN BASE PAD. SO OUR WANTING TO, TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ON SET UP QUESTION NEXT, LIKE I SAID, THAT WHERE, OR ONE TO TWO TAB, UH, SOME BRIEF DISCUSSION TODAY ON, UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, A LOT OF BILLS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THEY HAD VARIOUS DIFFERENT STAGES AND I KNOW NOTHING IS, EVERYTHING IS FLUID AND THIS WHOLE PROCESS, UM, UH, BUT, UH, UH, BRAD TO, UM, TAKE DELAYED AND, AND LET'S TALK ABOUT, UM, AS, AS, AS THE CLOCK KEEPS TICKING, WE'LL SEE MORE AND MORE STUFF COME OUT OF COMMITTEE. AND, UH, AND MUCH OF THAT IS GOING TO HIT TO THE FLOW ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER CHAMBER. SO WHAT JUST, JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, NOT NECESSARILY ON A SPECIFIC BILL, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, BRAD, WHAT, WHAT SHOULD BE, WHAT SHOULD WE, OUR NEXT STEP STRATEGY AS WE MOVE CLOSER AND THINGS START TO REALLY, UM, HEAD TOWARD, UH, OPEN DEBATE AND, AND, UM, AND SUBSEQUENTLY VOTING WHAT W WHAT, WHAT SHOULD BE AT NEXT, WHAT SHOULD BE ADDED NEXT STEP, JUST IN GENERAL TERMS OF BRAND THE NEXT, THE NEXT STEP IN A PROCESS, UH, IS, UH, THE TRAFFIC COP COMMITTEE CALENDAR, UH, CALENDARS HAS TO VOTE OUT A BILL BEFORE IT GOES TO THE FULL FOUR TO BANK, RIGHT? NEITHER CHAMBER, OF COURSE, IT TAKES BOTH CHAMBERS TO MAKE THE LAW. THEY GET SENT OVER TO THE GOVERNOR. UM, SOME OF THESE BILLS, UH, I BELIEVE THE BOROUGHS, UH, UH, CEO BILL, THERE IS NO SENATE COMPANION, SO IT LIVES OR DIES IN THE HOUSE. UM, IT IT'LL MAKE IT OUT OF CALENDAR BECAUSE, UH, BURROS EITHER IS THE CHAIRMAN OR SITS ON THE COMMITTEE. IT'S VERY POWERFUL COMMITTEE. UM, AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, IT'S, IT'S INVISIBLE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A COMMITTEE AND IT'S POSTED, TALKED ABOUT, UM, LEGISLATIVE JEALOUSY, UH, IT'S VERY BAD FORM TO SHOW UP AT CALENDARS AND NOBODY SPEAKS, UM, IT'S VERY BAD FOR THEM JUST TO SHOW UP. SO, UM, THAT PROCESS IS HAPPENING IN THE BACKGROUND. THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT. WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. UH, THE, IF IT GETS VOTED OUT OF CALENDARS, THEN IT GOES FOR THE FULL FLOOR DEBATE. SOMETIMES YOU CAN INTERCEPT BILLS [00:55:01] THERE AND WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE AND HAD FOUR MINUTES MADE OR OFFERED IT LATE. SO SOMETIMES WE'VE GOT THE FOUR AMENDMENTS MADE AND THEN, UH, UH, IT GOES OVER TO THE OTHER CHAMBER. THAT'S A RARITY, UH, BUT IT'S A POSSIBILITY THEN ON SOME OF THESE BILLS FLOATS, LET'S GO BACK TO THE CEO'S BILL. UM, THAT'S GOING TO GO OVER TO THE SENATE. I'M SURE IT'S LOOKED UPON VERY FAVORABLY OVER THERE ALREADY. UH, BUT THERE ARE POSSIBILITIES FOR MAKING AMENDMENTS OVER THERE. IF THE SENATE DOESN'T VOTE AS A WHOLE TO AGREE WITH THE HOUSE VERSION, THEN IT HAS TO GO TO A COMMITTEE OF THOSE TWO CHAMBERS AND THEY TRY TO NEGOTIATE, UH, UH, A COMPROMISE OF WHAT SENATE WANTS AND WHAT'S A HOUSE FOR, AND THERE ARE POSSIBILITIES THERE TOO, BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE SOME INFLUENCE NOW WHO GETS APPOINTED TO THAT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE AS THEY CALL IT. IT'S A CONFERENCE BETWEEN THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE. WE DON'T REALLY KNOW. I MEAN, UH, THE SPEAKER AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, THEY GET TO DO THAT. AND THERE'S NOT REALLY A PLACE FOR US TO PARTICIPATE PER SE, UH, NAME, EITHER FRIENDLY CONFERENCE COMMITTEE OR AN UNFRIENDLY COMMITTEE, DEPENDING ON BAKER AND THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR INCLINATION SWORDS, THE BILL, AND THEN YOU GO FROM THERE. BUT, UM, ONCE WE KNOW WHO THOSE PLAYERS ARE ON THAT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, THAT WE CAN INTERACT WITH THEM OR THEIR STAFF, AND TRY TO GET CHANGES MADE THERE TOO. SO IT'S NOT LIKE, UH, IF, IF THERE'S, UH, UM, IT LOOKS AT 1869, EIGHT, EIGHT 60 1869, MAKES IT OUT EXACTLY IN THE FORM THAT IT IS TODAY THAT WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, UM, THAT THAT'S THE END ALL BE ALL. AND, UM, THERE WON'T BE ANY CHANGES MADE ALONG THE WAY, EVEN WITH A BILL THAT SAME STAFF IS STRONG. LEG IS SB 10 AND IT HAD THE HOUSE CAMPAIGNING. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE LOTS OF PLAYERS DOWN THERE. AND, UH, EVEN THOUGH THE RS, UM, UH, PREDOMINANCE, NOW, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE DAYS ARE SILENT AND BECAUSE LIKE ANY LEGISLATIVE BODY POLITICAL BODY, THERE ARE COMPROMISES TO BE MADE HERE AND THERE, AND, UH, RULES THAT EVERY PARTICIPANT IN THAT PROCESS, AS FAR AS THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS CAN USE, UM, I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT YOUR BILL OR SUPPORT THIS BILL OVER HERE IF YOU'LL MAKE THE CHANGE OVER THERE. UM, SO, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S LOTS TO BE DONE IN THE REMAINDER OF THIS SECTION. AND I SUPPOSE THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS KIND OF A COUGH WEEK AND THE SENSE THAT THERE'S NOT A LOT THAT HAS OUR EXCITEMENT, UM, THAT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS IS GOING TO BE AN ESPECIALLY BUSY THE COMMITTEE HEARINGS, I GUESS WE'LL, WE'LL START SLOWING DOWN. WE WON'T HAVE TO PARTICIPATE AS MUCH, BUT THAT BACK OFFICE WORK AS I CALL IT, THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE ON. AND AS THESE BILLS START TO GEL AND SOLIDIFY, AND WE CAN GET A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT THE EXACT WORDS ARE. UH, WE CAN STILL TRY TO PLUG INTO THE SYSTEM, UM, THROUGH WHATEVER FRIENDS WE HAVE DOWN THERE AND STILL TRYING TO GET SOME CHANGES MADE THAT ARE, UM, AT LEAST MAKE SOMETHING LIFE DISTASTEFUL TO US, PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO PUT IT. OKAY. BRAD, JUST A COUPLE OF, COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS THEN, AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, HBS HB, UM, UM, UM, 7.9, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE THAT THAT'S GOTTEN A LOT OF PLAY. UM, AT WHAT POINT DO YOU W DO, DO YOU USE SUGGEST, OR DO YOU FORESEE, UH, MAYBE, I MEAN, WHEN I SAY US, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE CITY, UM, MARRYING A FOCUS, IF, AND THAT'S PROBABLY ONE, THAT'S BEEN SOME FORMS GOING TO GONNA GET OUT OF COMMITTEE, IT'S GONNA GO TO THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION AND DEBATE. AT WHAT POINT DO YOU SEE US ACTUALLY BECOMING MORE FOCUSED ON OUR DELEGATION AND, UH, BEGINNING TO TRY TO FLOW OUT WHERE EXACTLY WHERE THEY STAND ON LEGISLATION LIKE THAT, AND KIND OF THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, AT WHAT POINT DO YOU SEE AS RIGHT [01:00:01] NOW WE'RE SET UP, YOU KNOW, SORT OF LOOKING AT THE WHOLE FIELD, BUT AT WHAT POINT DO YOU SEE US BEGIN TO NARROW OUR FOCUS, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO OUR DELEGATION? UH, OKAY. W W W WHERE DO YOU STAND? I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN ART THERE TO, UH, UH, TO GIVING A VAGUE ANSWER. UM, AND MOST OF THEM ARE GOING TO GIVE A VAGUE ANSWER, WHETHER IT WAS POLITICALLY, UH, I WOULD SAY FOR THEM, BUT AT WHAT POINT DO YOU SEE US, UM, GIVEN THIS SESSION, NARROWING OUR FOCUS AND BEGINNING TO HAVE MORE DIRECT, MAYBE CONVERSATION WITH OUR DELEGATION SO THAT WE AT LEAST GET SOME SENSE OF WHERE THEY STAND ON THE, THE LEGISLATION THAT IS OF KEY IMPORTANCE THAT WE'VE GOT ON OUR PRIORITY LIST. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE, WE DON'T KNOW. AND MY LAST QUESTION TO YOU IS OF OUR CURRENT DELEGATION, WHO IS, WHO IS, AND MO THE MOST INFORMATION WHO'S COMING BACK WITH THE MOST QUESTION WHO'S COMING BACK SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU PROVIDE US WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH BACKGROUND, WITH EX EXPERT AND OUR DELEGATION. SO WOULD YOU TAKE THE LAST QUESTION FIRST? WHO'S, WHO'S, WHO'S ENGAGING US AS A CITY AMONG OUR DELEGATIONS MORE, MORE, SO I DON'T WANT YOU TO RANK THEM, BUT JUST TELL ME WHO GENERALLY, WELL, YEAH, ON THE SENATE SIDE, THERE'S ONLY ONE, AND IT'S HAD LOTS OF GOOD CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH HIM AND HIS STAFF. AND I THINK, UM, UH, SO THE SENATE SIDE, YEAH, ON THE HOUSE SIDE, DAISY ONE ON THE HOUSE ON, I, I HAVE TO COMPLIMENT YOUR LADY BUTTON. UH, THERE'S SACHIN, SHE AND HER STAFF BEEN VERY ACTIVE WITH US. WE'VE BEEN ASKED FOR OUR INPUT, NATHAN, UH, TRANSLATING THAT INPUT OVER AS, UH, AS, AS MUCH AS SHE CAN, UH, ON THE VARIOUS HOUSE BILLS. UM, THE, THE NEXT ONE DOWN FROM THERE, AS FAR AS OUR DELEGATION AND B, UM, REPRESENTATIVE BOWERBIRD, UH, I WOULD SAY, UM, I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM REPRESENTATIVE RAMOS OFFICE AT ALL. UM, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICE IS VERY TIED TO ON SONIC COUPLE OF THINGS. UM, UM, I, I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN GET OUR VOICE HEARD. I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT IT'S, IT'S GOING TO MAKE CHANGES THOUGH. UM, AND NOT, UH, RUNNING DOWN THEIR ABILITIES OR ANYTHING, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT BARLEY IS REPRESENTED MOSTLY BY DEMOCRAT. UM, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY HAVE TO BE QUIET OR THEY DON'T HAVE ANY INFLUENCE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE BILLS THAT WE'RE POSING HERE ARE REPUBLICAN AUTHORED OR SPONSORED BILLS. UH, AND I THINK THERE'S A PRETTY CLEAR SPLIT THERE TOO, THAT, UH, TAKES THE TAXPAYER-FUNDED LOBBYING. THAT SEEMS TO BE, UH, UH, PRIMARILY, UH, WELL, I'LL PUT IT THIS WAY. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY DEMOCRATS. I'M SURE THERE ARE. AND, UM, I KNOW THERE ARE REPUBLICANS WHO ARE OPPOSING IT, UM, IN BED. UH, I, WITH GARLAND BEING SLICED UP AS IT IS, UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY, UH, PROBABLY BETTER OFF THAN WE WOULD BE, UM, WITH JUST TWO OURS, YOU KNOW, CAUSE WE HAVE MORE VOICES DOWN THERE. UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THOSE, THE DS ALL COUNTED ONE OR, OR, OR WHAT OUR, I, I COULDN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU, BUT, UM, WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS OUT THERE HERE'S ME LEADS ON A ZOOM MEETING. UM, I, I THINK WE'LL SAY, UH, IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS WHERE WE STAND, UH, AS THE SAYING, THESE BILLS START TO SOLIDIFY GEL AS I CALL IT AND, UH, WHAT WE CAN GET DONE, JUST DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, IT, IT'S NOT A FREE FOR ALL DOWN THERE THAT, UM, YOU GOTTA REALIZE YET AGAIN, MORE SLENDER ATTACK WHERE A TARGET. AND SO THESE AREN'T GOING TO FAREWELL AGAIN. [01:05:02] WE'LL DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN. OKAY. OKAY. I JUST LIKE SAID MY, MY CONCERN WAS, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW HOW CRAZY IT CAN GET AND HOW FLUID SITUATION IS THAT WE, TO EXTENT THAT WE CAN, AND IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE THAT WE AREN'T, UH, UH, BLINDSIDED, UM, AND, AND AT A TIME AND PLACE, AND WE'RE NOT PREPARED TO, TO IMPLEMENT A STRATEGY OR DO SOMETHING IN RESPONSE WHERE WE NEED TO RESPOND, YOU KNOW, THE LEGISLATURE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY CONTROL THEIR POINT A BIT, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PREPARED, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T COVER ALL THE CONTINGENCIES, BUT THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT AT SOME SET OF WHAT-IFS SO THAT, UH, WHEN THE SURPRISES DO POP UP THE MAJOR ONES THAT WE'RE IN A POSITION TO, TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY, YOU KNOW, BASED ON, BASED ON OUR CHAIRMAN'S WISHES AND THE COMMITTEE THAT THEY WERE NOT LEFT OUT IN NICOLE BY A CURVE BALL THAT STONED BY THE LEGISLATURE, THAT THAT'S WHY I RAISED THIS CONCERN OF NEXT UP NEXT, NEXT STEP. I JUST, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I JUST DON'T WANT TO WAIT UNTIL TELL, TELL YOU WE'RE OPEN TO PLAY, GETTING READY TO SWING THE BAT BEFORE WE FIGURE OUT, WELL, WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE GONNA, HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET ON BASE? AND DOES THAT, AM I MAKING SENSE AS IN SAM, WHAT I'M SAYING? I THINK WE ARE AS TAPPED IN AND WE COULD BE OKAY. OKAY. SO WHAT'S GOING ON? WE'VE GOT TML HAS BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT SANDRA NAT, THE INFORMATION THAT BIG CITY LOBBYIST GROUP WE'LL CALL IT. UM, THEY'VE BEEN A GREAT RESOURCE. UH, THIS SECTION I'D SAY MUCH BETTER THAN LAST SESSION, WHICH WAS THE FIRST TIME, LIKE REALLY PARTICIPATED WITH THEM, RIGHT. BUT LAURA WHO LISTENS IN ON THOSE MEETINGS AND SHE TRACKS WHAT THEY SAY, AND, AND THEY'RE SENDING OUT EMAILS, UH, AS QUICK AS THEY CAN, THERE ARE TOO MANY FIRES TO STOMP ON. SO IT GOES TO HARLAN AND TML AND ITS ALLIES CAN DO SOME GOOD ON THE OTHER. OKAY. OKAY. SO, SO BRAD, YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT WE ARE AT AT THIS PRESENT TIME. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I WANTED TO TOO. THAT HELPS MY CONFIDENCE LEVEL. AND I THANK YOU, BRAD. NOW. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. YES, SIR. AND I'LL ADD THAT, UH, UH, IN MY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MAYOR, UH, THIS COMMITTEE WILL BE AROUND AS LONG AS THERE'S LEGISLATIVE, UH, LEGISLATION PENDING, UH, EVEN IF IT'S LEFT THE LEGISLATURE AND IT'S SITTING ON THE GOVERNOR'S DESK. UH, SO WE HAVE A, UH, UH, ENCOURAGEMENT FROM HIM TO GO THE DISTANCE AS IT WERE. SO WE'RE, WE'LL BE AROUND. UM, I CAN TAKE ANY FINAL COMMENTS, MR. ROBERT, GO AHEAD, SIR. OKAY. ON THAT NOTE, I MEAN, GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE'RE VERY LIKELY TO HAVE A SPECIAL SESSION, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE, UM, YEAH. TO CONTINUE TO MEET UNTIL WE KNOW THAT THERE'S UNTIL THAT SPECIAL. SO, I MEAN, THERE'S GOING TO HAVE, I'LL PUT IT THAT WAY. WE'RE HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE KNOW AT LEAST WHAT SOME OF THOSE ISSUES WILL BE, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL OF THOSE SHOWS WILL BE. SO JUST LIKE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HERE, HERE THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE FALL STAFF, YOU GUYS ARE STUCK WITH ALL OF US, SO, UH, WE'LL BE AROUND. OKAY. UH, MR. GABRIEL, ANY CLOSING COMMENTS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE BEFORE I END THIS? I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME. YES, SIR. WE APPRECIATE YOU AS WELL. UH, IT IS 5:09 PM AND WE WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING OF THE CITY, GROUND AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ENJOY IT. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.