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GOOD AFTERNOON.THIS IS, UH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH, 2023.
THIS IS A MEETING OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE.
IT IS 4:01 PM UM, I AM CHAIR DEBORAH MORRIS.
AND WITH ME OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, DYLAN HEDRICK AND MARGARET LUT, AS WELL AS CITY ATTORNEY, UH, I'M LOOKING AT JEFF BASS, BRIAN ENGLAND, AND A NUMBER OF STAFF MEMBERS.
SO ITEM ONE IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
UM, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, HAVE YOU HAD A TIME TO REVIEW THE MINUTES AND IF SO, DO I HAVE A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP FROM THE PUBLIC? NO, MA'AM.
I DON'T SEE ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC HERE.
ITEM THREE IS ITEMS FOUR, INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
AND THREE A IS TO DISCUSS AND REVIEW CITY COUNCIL POLICY DISRUPTION OF MEETINGS AND VIOLATIONS OF RULES OF DECORUM.
UM, AND IN FRONT OF YOU COMMITTEE MEMBERS, YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS PAPER SECTION 14, DISRUPTION OF MEETINGS AND VIOLATIONS OF RULES OF DECORUM.
AND THIS IS THE LANGUAGE THAT, UM, MR. ENGLAND HAS COME UP WITH TO JUST CAPTURE OUR DECISIONS OF LAST MONTH.
THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY POLICY CHANGES IN HERE.
THIS IS JUST STATING WHAT IS INCLUDED IN OUR CURRENT CAPABILITIES AND JUST PUTTING IT IN WRITING SO THAT SHOULD WE EVER NEED TO CALL UPON IT FOR LEGAL PURPOSES, IT'LL BE THERE.
UM, IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO LOOK OVER IT, PLEASE TAKE HOWEVER MUCH TIME YOU NEED AND MAKE SURE IT SAYS WHAT WE WANT IT TO SAY.
WOULD YOU MIND CLOSING THAT DOOR FOR US? THANK YOU.
UH, I HAVE NO ISSUES WITH THE LANGUAGE HERE.
IF THAT IS THE CASE, AND IF WE'RE READY TO, UM, REPORT THIS OUT TO COUNCIL, POSSIBLY AT THE SAME TIME AS THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, REVIEWS, DOES THE ANNUAL REVIEW, UM, ARE WE ALL AGREED? YEAH.
AND THEN MOVE TO PRESENT IT TO COUNCIL.
IT IS GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE KIND OF MEETINGS.
UM, ITEM THREE B IS TO DISCUSS AND REVIEW POLICIES FOR THE SPONSORSHIP OF NON-PROFIT EVENTS.
DANA, DO YOU WANNA COME UP HERE AND GUIDE US THROUGH THIS? AND YOU'LL SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, UM, SEVERAL OTHER PAPERS, UH, THE ONE THAT SAYS ASSISTANCE TO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
WALK US THROUGH THIS, IF YOU WILL, PLEASE.
SO, UM, WHAT THIS SAMPLE SHOWS, UM, THE, WELL, THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IS MAINLY HOUSEKEEPING CHANGES, UH, BECAUSE IT HAD INDICATED WE WERE UNDER THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
AND SO WE MADE THOSE KIND OF HOUSEKEEPING CHANGES BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN PULLED OUT, UM, FROM PARKS.
BUT THEN IT ALSO SETS THAT DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS ANNUALLY, WE WOULD SHOW WHAT NONPROFITS RECEIVED THE PRIOR YEAR.
AND WHAT OUR ESTIMATED ASK FOR THEM FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR WOULD BE, WE WOULD DO THAT IN THE BUDGET PROCESS FOR ALL OF THEM, EXCEPT FOR THOSE REALLY, REALLY SMALL ONES THAT ARE UNDER 5,000 ANYWAYS, THERE'S A MULTITUDE THAT GET $500 WORTH OR A THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH, WHICH DIDN'T COME TO COUNCIL ANYWAYS.
AND THEN WHAT I HAD UNDERSTOOD IN MY MIND THAT YOU WANTED DURING THAT BUDGET PROCESS, THIS ONE, I ONLY UTILIZE WHEELS OF HOPE AS THE SAMPLE, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE ALL OF THESE PAGES, UM, FOR EACH OF THOSE LARGER NONPROFITS THAT, UM, TAKE THE BULK OF THAT BUDGET OF, OF THAT ANNUAL, UM, AMOUNT ALLOCATED.
SO YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD SEE FROM THAT NONPROFIT WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR AND UH, WHAT WE SPENT ON THEM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
SO IT WOULD JUST BE KIND OF A ALL AT THE SAME TIME WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE
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TOTAL AMOUNT THAT YOU, THAT YOU ALLOCATE FOR THE NONPROFITS, IT ALSO WOULD GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY AT THAT TIME TO SAY, UM, OKAY, YOU REALLY ARE AT YOUR 111,000 ALREADY.YOU KNOW, DO WE NEED TO REVISE THAT? GO UP 10,000 OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
'CAUSE THEN YOU'RE GONNA SEE IT AS A WHOLE.
'CAUSE YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW WHEN WE COME IN FRONT WITH JUST ONE AT A TIME, SEVERAL MONTHS, YOU KNOW, SEPARATED FROM OTHER EVENTS, HOW MUCH IS LEFT IN THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING.
HERE YOU WOULD GET THE FULL PICTURE.
I THINK IT MAKES GREAT SENSE TO DO IT THIS WAY.
SO WITH THIS, UH, IT'S NOT RED LINED, IT'S GREEN LINED
UM, SO MAINLY C IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE, WHICH THE AVAILABLE FUNDS ALLOCATED AS PART OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, THE POLICY REPORTS COMING INDIVIDUALLY.
AND THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHANGE.
THE REST IS REALLY HOUSEKEEPING.
COMMITTEE, ANY QUESTIONS ON, UM, ANY QUESTIONS ON THE COUNCIL RULES AND PROCEDURES? HOUSEKEEPING RULES? SECTION THREE DIVISION, DIVISION FOUR, THIS SECTION.
SO LET'S GO THROUGH ONE DOCUMENT AT A TIME.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO UH, YES ON THAT DOCUMENT? UM, JUST THE SECOND, I GUESS SECOND GREEN LINE ITEM NUMBER FOUR OF PART B, REMOVE THE EXPENSE AND REVENUE REPORT FOR IT.
BUT THEN IT WAS INCLUDED IN OUR SAMPLE BUDGET REQUESTS.
UM, SO I HAD KNOWN THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT.
UM, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEIR REVENUE REPORT FROM THE YEAR PRIOR IS, THEN WE WILL BE GLAD TO INCLUDE IT.
UM, I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT REALLY DETERMINED WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD IN, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD PROVIDE FUNDS OR NOT.
SO THAT'S WHY ORIGINALLY I HAD MM-HMM.
'CAUSE I WAS, I'M NOT, THEY MAY KNOW IT OR THEY MAY NOT.
I CERTAINLY DIDN'T KNOW IT ABOUT WHEN WE GIVE MONEY TOWARD THE NONPROFITS, HOW THAT ACTUALLY WORKS, BECAUSE I THINK THEIR IDEA OF WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING MAY NOT BE WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO NO MONEY GOES TO THE NONPROFIT EVER.
SO ALL OF THE MONEY THAT THE CITY, UH, PROVIDES TO HELP WITH A NONPROFIT GOES TO THE PORTABLE RESTROOM COMPANY.
IT GOES TO THE WATER BARRICADE.
WE PAY THOSE, UM, COMPANIES THAT A CLEANING SERVICE THAT COMES AND, YOU KNOW, SWEEPS UP BEHIND MLK PARADE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STREETS ARE CLEAN.
WE PAY ALL OF THOSE OUTSIDE SERVICES DIRECTLY.
SO THE MLK ORGANIZATION OR THE WILLS OF HOPE ORGANIZATION, THEY NEVER GET ANY DIRECT MONEY FROM THE CITY.
WE JUST ARE PAYING THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDING.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WHERE WE THOUGHT, DOES THAT, YOU KNOW, EXPENSE REPORT MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY CONTINUE GIVING THEM SERVICES IN THE FUTURE? AND IF SO, THEN WE WILL MAKE SURE IT'S INCLUDED.
WELL, IN MY OPINION, I THINK IT'S WORTH IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE OTHER ITEMS ON THERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SPITTING $20,000 ON FREE T-SHIRTS AND THAT MONEY COULD BE USED TO PAY FOR STREET CLEANUP INSTEAD THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE SPENT, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT AN OUTRAGEOUS NUMBER ON FREE T-SHIRTS MAY BE, BUT THAT MIGHT BE AN EXAMPLE.
I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT WE DID SOME, IF MONEY'S FUNGIBLE.
'CAUSE IF IT'S MONEY THEY'RE NOT SPENDING, THEY WOULD'VE SPENT IT ANYWAY IF WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM THAT MONEY.
SO WE'RE TECHNICALLY NOT GIVING IT TO THEM, BUT IT'S MONEY THEY DON'T HAVE TO SPEND, SO.
IT REALLY IS MONEY WE'RE GIVING IT TO 'EM.
I MEAN, IT IS DEFINITELY ASSISTANCE.
I MENTIONED THAT EXAMPLE, IF THEY HAVE SOME KIND OF OUTRAGEOUS EXPENSE THAT WE'D BE REALLY OFFSETTING BY, YOU KNOW, FUNDING THEM.
WELL, WE WILL, UM, MAKE THOSE CHANGES AND INCLUDE, UM, FOR, IN, IN TO CONTINUE IN THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
UM, MARGARET, DO YOU HAVE COMMENTS ON THAT OR ON ANYTHING ELSE? NO, I CONCUR.
UM, I, AND ESPECIALLY IN A CASE WHERE THEY HAVE OVERWHELMING PROFIT, THAT'S WHEN I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE WE'RE GIVING
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COMPARED TO WHAT THEY'RE MAKING.SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE EXPENSE REPORTS AS WELL.
IT WOULDN'T HURT AND VERY FEW PEOPLE WILL ACTUALLY TAKE THE TIME TO READ THEM, BUT A FEW OF US WHO ARE MORE A**L WILL, SO IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD, GOOD THING TO DO.
UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE WAIVER OF LIABILITY, UM, AGREEMENT.
SO THEY ARE, THEY HAVE TO GIVE INSURANCE ALL THIRD PARTIES TO HAVE AN EVENT.
BUT THIS WAS SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN, IF YOU USE ANY OF OUR EQUIPMENT, WE DON'T ALLOW ANYBODY TO USE ANY OF OUR EQUIPMENT PER SE.
SO WE REALLY COULDN'T THINK OF A TIME THAT THAT WOULD PERTAIN.
SO IT WASN'T THAT THEY, THEY STILL MUST, UH, INCLUDE INSURANCE FOR THEIR EVENT.
AND THEY, THEY, UM, THEY INQUIRED WITH ME ABOUT THAT.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, EVEN IF THEY DID USE OUR EQUIPMENT, THE CITY WOULDN'T BE LIABLE IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN.
THE ONLY WAY THE CITY'S LIABLE IS IF WE'RE, IF OUR SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY IS WAIVED UNDER THE TEXAS TORT CLAIMS ACT, AND THAT REQUIRES ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES TO BE OPERATING MOTOR DRIVEN EQUIPMENT RIGHT.
AND UNLESS WE'RE OPERATING IT, THEN OF COURSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA INDEMNIFY FOR THAT ANYWAY.
AND IF THEY DID, THE INDEMNITY WOULDN'T BE WORTH THE PAPER THAT IT'S WRITTEN ON.
THAT'S THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE.
SO AGAIN, I, I WAS TRYING TO GO THROUGH THESE, UM, GREEN LINE
UM, PLEASE JUST TAKE YOUR TIME AND GO DOWN IT AND LET'S MAKE SURE WE HAVE THOROUGHLY REVIEWED IT.
UM, WOULD WE WANT TO KEEP THE EXPECTED REVENUE IN THERE AS WELL? I MEAN, IT, IT SERVES THE SAME PURPOSE.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THAT AS WELL, ESPECIALLY FOR NEW, UH, YEAH.
I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT THEIR RIGHT, WHAT THEIR ASK IS, HOW BREAKS OUT WE CAN, UM, RETURN FOUR AND FIVE BACK INTO POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE TAPE WE ARE READING.
SO SECTION FOUR C GOES BACK AGAIN TO THE USE OF PUBLIC EQUIPMENT.
IT GIVES EXCEPTIONS FOR WHEN PUBLIC EQUIPMENT CAN BE APPROVED.
SO HOW DOES THIS FIT WITH, WE DON'T LET APPLICANTS USE CITY EQUIPMENT EVER.
THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO SAY THAT, THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT IS, UH, REFERRING TO, UM, SO UNDER VI, THE NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY, UM, AS SUCH AS WITH THE OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD REQUESTING, IT MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST THAT WE ALLOW TABLES AND CHAIRS AND SOME THINGS TO GO TO PUBLIC EVENTS.
AND MAYBE THAT IS THE EQUIPMENT THAT IT'S REFERRING TO.
IN MY MIND, WHEN I SAW THE WHOLE WAIVER OF LIABILITY, YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING LIKE, YOU KNOW, ARE GATORS, YOU KNOW, MORE, UH, REAL, YOU KNOW, REAL EQUIPMENT THAT COST MONEY.
THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF SINCE THEY'VE KIND OF, UH, LINKED THAT WITH NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY IS
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I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE DO GIVE SOME TABLES, TENTS, CHAIRS TO LIKE WHEELS OF HOPE AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND STREET BARRICADES AS WELL.WELL, SINCE THIS IS NOT CRYSTAL CLEAR, I THINK WE NEED TO EITHER CLARIFY THIS WITH SOME SPECIFIC DEFINITIONS.
UM, WELL, I THINK IF WE WANNA ALLOW THOSE THINGS TO BE USED, AND WE DO, WE DO USE, UH, TABLES.
SO, UM, DO WE WANNA REDEFINE PUBLIC EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS A KIND OF A VAGUE TERM TO SPECIFY.
YOU CAN, I MEAN, IT'S JUST A POLICY DOCUMENT.
AND SO IT'S NOT, JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT, IT'S EXPRESSLY ENUMERATED IN THE DOCUMENT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE, THERE'S NO AUTHORITY TO DO IT.
UM, I GUESS, I GUESS WHERE DOES IT GET US WOULD BE MY QUESTION BY LISTENING IT OUT.
IF WE'RE SAYING WE DON'T LET ANYBODY USE CITY EQUIPMENT AND THEN HAVE IT SAY, I GUESS EQUIPMENT IS THE, KEEP IN MIND THIS ISN'T A DOCUMENT THAT THE PUBLIC GENERALLY REVIEWS EITHER, RIGHT? SO, ALL RIGHT.
SO I'M, YEAH, IF THE, IF THE WORRY IS THAT WE'RE GONNA CONFUSE THE PUBLIC, I I I'M NOT SURE THAT'S A, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO REALLY HAPPEN JUST BECAUSE THIS ISN'T A DOCUMENT THE PUBLIC REALLY, UM, READS UNLESS THEY DO AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST FOR IT.
WELL, WHAT IF WE CONFUSE OURSELVES,
WELL, IT DOES MAKE ME THINK IF YOU'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT TABLES AND CHAIRS, THAT THE WAIVER OF LIABILITY IS EVEN MORE, UM, NOT NEEDED FOR SOMETHING THAT IS SUCH SIMPLE SUPPLIES VERSUS, I MEAN, I REALLY SEE THAT AS ALMOST EVENT SUPPLIES VERSUS, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK OF EQUIPMENT.
BUT OF COURSE IT IS NOT DEFINED.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS REALLY THINKING LIKE A GATOR OR A GOLF CART OR THINGS THAT WOULD HAVE WHERE SOMEBODY COULD GET HURT.
YOU, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, UM, NO, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GONNA GET HURT MOVING TABLES AND CHAIRS.
BUT
AND SO WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING REALLY KIND OF FALLS INTO WHAT THE DEPARTMENTS USE AS A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE IS WHAT ARE THE DETAILS OF YOUR POLICY? HOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT PROCEDURES DO WE PUT IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE YOUR POLICY IS, IS ACTUALLY, UM, UM, EXECUTED, UM, WITHIN THE PARAMETERS THAT Y'ALL SET.
AND SO THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT GETS INTO THE DETAILS OF AN SOP MORE THAN A POLICY ITSELF.
AND EVEN WHEN WE LOAN EQUIPMENT, WE SET IT UP, THAT IS WHAT THE SPECIAL EVENTS DEPARTMENT, WE DON'T JUST HAVE 'EM COME OVER TO THE WAREHOUSE AND PICK IT UP OR, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DELIVER IT, WE SET IT UP.
SO YOU HAVE A CITY STAFF EMPLOYEE DOING THAT KIND OF HEAVY LIFTING.
WELL, IF YOU ALL ARE COMFORTABLE WITH IT, UM, UH, I'M NOT PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.
UM, AND FINALLY ON PAGE THREE OF THE SECTION THREE EVENT LOGISTICS, I SEE THAT WE'RE DELETING OPEN FLAMES.
SO THAT ONE'S HARD TO GET PAST FIRE ANYWAYS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, ANYTHING ELSE CATCHING YOUR EYE? NOPE.
UM, UNANIMOUS IN MOVING FORWARD.
AND APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU ALL DO AS ALWAYS.
I MEAN, YOU GOT ENOUGH KUDOS LAST NIGHT FOR
WELL, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT WE STILL GOT MORE TO GO, SO WE'LL WAIT TILL THE END OF THE YEAR AND THEN THROW IT ALL OVER YOU AGAIN.
ITEM THREE C, ANNUAL REVIEW OF CITY COUNCIL POLICIES.
NOW, UM, I'M JUST GONNA DO A SHORT PREAMBLE ON THIS.
I'VE BEEN TALKING TO MR. ENGLAND ABOUT THIS.
UM, THIS PARTICULAR ANNUAL REVIEW OF CITY COUNCIL POLICIES HAS GONE THROUGH SEVERAL ITERATIONS IN EVEN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND I WAS CHECKING BECAUSE ORIGINALLY AND FOR YEARS, THIS WAS STRICTLY SOMETHING DONE THROUGH THE CITY ATTORNEY, HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS COMMITTEE.
SO THE WAY IT CAME TO AT LEAST TOUCHINGLY PASS THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE LIGHTLY, UM, WAS JUST SOME OF THE DRAMA
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ON A PREVIOUS COUNCIL.AND, UM, SO WE'RE NOT THERE NOW AND WE'RE NOT IN THAT KIND OF COUNCIL NOW.
SO IT IS NOT OUR JOB IN THIS ANNUAL, ANNUAL REVIEW OF CITY COUNCIL POLICIES FOR US TO DO, UH, SOMETHING SIMILAR TO A CHARTER REVIEW OR A LINE BY LINE.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE JUST TALKED ABOUT, UM, ARE, ARE INCLUDED.
THE LAST FEW MONTHS ARE INCLUDED IN THE CITY COUNCIL POLICIES.
AND THEN I, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THIS WILL BE SCHEDULED TO THEN KIND OF ROLL INTO AND BE PART OF THE ANNUAL REVIEW.
THE ANNUAL REVIEW IS FOR THE MOST PART, A NON-EVENT BECAUSE LEFT ALONE, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I GET THIS WRONG, BY DEFAULT, THE POLICIES ARE JUST CARRYING ON YEAR AFTER YEAR.
SO UNLESS COUNSEL INTERVENES AND SAYS, WE WANNA CHANGE THIS OR THAT, OR AMEND THIS OR THAT, THEN IT'S AUTOMATICALLY, UM, IT JUST KEEPS GOING THE WAY IT IS.
MOST OF THE TIME THERE ARE VERY FEW SUBSTANTIVE, UM, CHANGES.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR BECAUSE I WAS CHECKING INTO THAT AS THIS, UM, CAME ON.
THIS WAS, UM, DEFERRED TO NOVEMBER, UH, BY ASC IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY THIS YEAR BECAUSE THE LAST REVIEW WAS DONE LATE INSTEAD OF IN JANUARY.
SO WE'RE ON THIS AWKWARD SCHEDULE, AND, UH, IT WOULD BE NICE FOR US TO GET BACK ONTO A REGULAR SCHEDULE, WHICH I THINK WAS FOR YEARS, EVERY JANUARY, SOMETIMES FEBRUARY, AS I WENT BACK AND LISTENED TO THEM ALL.
SO, UM, SO FIRST QUESTION IS, UH, DID YOU ALL HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW THIS? WAIT, I'VE PERUSED IT.
BUT I, I'M KIND OF INTERESTED TO HEAR THAT WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO GO LINE BY LINE AND REVIEW IT, BECAUSE THAT'S, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE AN ISSUE BECAUSE THE FIRST THING ANY LEGISLATIVE BODY IS SELECT RULES FOR HOW THEY GOVERN THEMSELVES.
AND, AND THAT WE HAVE A PROVISION IN HERE, AND COUNSEL HAS A, A, A POLICY IN GENERAL THAT, THAT IN THE EVENT THAT Y'ALL DON'T PASS A NEW SET OF RULES AND PROCEDURES THAT PREVIOUS YEARS CARRY FORWARD, AND, UM, UM, QUITE FRANKLY, A LINE BY LINE REVIEW OF THIS EVERY SINGLE YEAR, UM, WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE BODY WOULD BE VERY TIME CONSUMING.
I MEAN, IT'S MORE THAN A CHARTER REVIEW, QUITE FRANKLY.
UM, BECAUSE THERE'S MORE PAGES AND, AND THERE'S MORE.
AND SO WHAT TYPICALLY HAPPENS IS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, COUNCIL COMES UP WITH, UM, SOMEBODY ON COUNCIL NOTICES, ISSUES WITH THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, AND THEY BRING THAT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE MAYOR.
THEY BRING THE ATTENTION OF THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, AND IT GETS, UM, REFERRED, THOSE INDIVIDUAL AD HOC ITEMS GETS REFERRED TO THIS COMMITTEE.
AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THIS COMMITTEE WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE ON HOW TO ADDRESS THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE THROUGH THE POLICY AND THE PROCEDURES.
BUT THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, SO IN 2022, THIS WAS DONE IN NOVEMBER OF 2022, AS THE CHAIR LADY SAID, UM, IT WAS ACTUALLY A PRETTY THOROUGH REVIEW.
ROBERT JOHN SMITH BEFORE HE LEFT, ACTUALLY CONDUCTED A VERY THOROUGH REVIEW.
AND IT WAS ALMOST LINE FOR LINE.
IN FACT, IT MAY HAVE BEEN LOOKING BACK ON IT, IT MAY HAVE BEEN, YEAH, IT MAY HAVE BEEN LINE FOR LINE.
AND, UM, THAT HAPPENS EVERY NOW AND THEN.
THERE ARE TIMES IN, IN, IN, IN HISTORY WHERE THIS COUNCIL'S GONNA WANT TO DO, OKAY, WE, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE, WE'VE DONE THIS.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO IT AGAIN.
AND THE REASON WE DON'T DO IT EVERY YEAR IS 'CAUSE IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF RESOURCES TO DO IT.
UM, OF COURSE, IF COUNCIL WANTS TO DEDICATE THOSE RESOURCES TO DO THAT EVERY YEAR, THEN WE CERTAINLY CAN DO THAT.
BUT, UM, IT IS A TIME CONSUMING PROCESS.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, I'M NOT SURE IF THIS COMMITTEE, THIS COMMITTEE HAS TIME, UM, WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOES ON THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE TO DO THAT EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND I WAS JUST INTERESTED TO HEAR YOU THAT BE SAID.
I MEAN, I WAS PART OF THAT REVIEW LAST YEAR WHO WENT LINE BY LINE AND I'M, YOU KNOW, NOTHING SUBSTANTIAL HAS CHANGED.
I'M HAPPY TO GIVE IT ANOTHER ONCE OVER AND BRING SPECIFIC ITEMS FORWARD.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE DOCUMENT IN THIS COMMITTEE AND JUST BRING THEM SURE.
I'M FINE BY ME, ESPECIALLY, WE DID HAVE THAT THOROUGH REVIEW LAST TIME, LIKE I SAID.
SO YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S ALWAYS, I MEAN, AND, AND ANY COUNCIL MEMBER, NOT JUST ON THIS COMMITTEE, BUT ANY COUNCIL MEMBER CAN LOOK THROUGH IT AND SAY, OKAY, I'VE READ THIS POLICY AND I THINK THIS, AND THIS POLICY NEEDS TO CHANGE.
Y'ALL ALWAYS HAVE THAT OPTION TO DO THAT.
AND THIS, THIS COMMITTEE CAN ALWAYS DO THAT.
IF Y'ALL WANT TO, UM, DO IT LINE BY LINE IN THE COMMITTEE, WE CAN DO THAT.
OR IF Y'ALL WANNA TAKE IT HOME AND, AND FIND STUFF THAT Y'ALL THINK THAT THIS COMMITTEE MAY NEED TO ADDRESS AND THEN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL, YOU COULD DO THAT AS WELL.
I'LL JUST SAY THAT, THAT THE LAST I HAVE HEARD THE MAYOR IS PLANNING TO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA PROBABLY NEXT MONTH.
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MAY NOT EVEN MEET AGAIN BEFORE THIS HITS THE AGENDA.SO THAT WAS WHAT CAUSED ME TO KIND OF TRACK DOWN AND SAY, OKAY, IF, IF WE ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR ON ASC, UH, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE IN THE NEXT THREE WEEKS WITH NO ADDITIONAL MEETING.
SO THAT WAS WHY I, I WENT BACK AND DID SOME HISTORY ON IT AND FOUND WHAT WE'VE DONE THE LAST FEW YEARS IS ABNORMAL FOR THE PROCESS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL.
THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LEGAL DRIVEN, LEGAL LED.
AH, THERE, THERE'S THE CULPRIT RIGHT THERE.
THAT RIGHT THERE IS INTERESTING PART OF ME BECAUSE IT'S COUNCIL POLICIES, IT'S NOT LEGAL POLICIES.
SO, I MEAN, I'LL TELL YOU HOW THAT HAPPENED.
BRAD NEIGHBOR WAS THE KEEPER OF THE POLICIES UNDER YEAH, I UNDERSTAND.
HE'D GO IN AND MAKE ALL THE CHANGES.
SO OUR OFFICE HAS ALWAYS KEPT THE POLICIES, KEPT THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT, AND HE WOULD ALWAYS COME TO COUNCIL AS A WHOLE IN WORK SESSION UP UNTIL LAST YEAR, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF ROBERT JOHN SMITH, UM, IT WOULD COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE.
IT NEVER HAD GONE TO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES BEFORE.
BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S THE COUNCIL POLICY, RIGHT? AND MM-HMM.
AND SO THAT'S THE REASON IT TYPICALLY DOESN'T COME THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE.
SO WITHIN THE POSTING, I GUESS ONE OF THE, I WANTED TO MAKE THAT BACKGROUND IN HISTORY A LITTLE MORE CLEAR BECAUSE IF, IF THIS COMMITTEE WANTS TO REPEAT WHAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR WITH A LINE BY LINE REVIEW ALL OVER AGAIN, I DO NOT THINK WE'RE GONNA DO THAT IN THE NEXT THREE WEEKS.
SO, UM, PREVIOUSLY IT WAS DONE WITH THE WHOLE COUNCIL, NOT WITH THIS COMMITTEE.
SO IF WE WANT TO, UM, IF WE WANT TO IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, UH, TAKE THIS HOME, READ THROUGH IT, THIS, IT'S GREAT READING
UM, AND I MEAN, WE CAN CALL AN EXTRA MEETING AND I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
I'M HAPPY TO BRING ANY CHANGES FORWARD TO COUNCIL.
IF WE'RE GONNA REPEAT THE SAME CONVERSATION AGAIN IN THE CITY COUNCIL IN THE FULL SESSION, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
AND DON'T HAVE AN EXTRA MEETING THAT I THINK HOW IT'S GONNA WORK AND COUNCILMAN IS THAT I THINK WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS IN DECEMBER, UM, I'LL COME, I BRING THE POLICIES WITH ME AND I'LL SAY, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANYTHING AT THIS TIME THAT Y'ALL WANT TO CONSIDER AMENDING IN THE POLICIES? Y'ALL TAKE HOME THE POLICIES, Y'ALL ARE GONNA REVIEW 'EM.
AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK IN JANUARY AND AT THAT TIME WE'LL HAVE A, WE'LL, I'LL HAVE COMPILED A LIST AND I'LL GIVE DIRECTION.
I CAN EMAIL ME IF Y'ALL HAVE STUFF THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS.
AND, UM, THEN I'LL COME BACK WITH THAT LIST.
AND THEN I'LL ALSO OPEN BACK UP TO FURTHER DISCUSSION IN JANUARY FOR COUNCIL TO DISCUSS ANY POLICY CHANGES AT THAT POINT.
AND THEN IN FEBRUARY WE'LL ADOPT THE FINAL POLICIES.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY WE'RE MAKING POLICY CHANGE TONIGHT.
HERE'S A CHANGE I WANT IMPLEMENTED TONIGHT.
IT'S A LOT OF BLANK TAPE AS WELL FROM US JUST SITTING HERE READING.
UM, SO HOW WILL WE DO THIS IN THE FUTURE? IF, IF THIS IS COMING TO ADMIN, ADMIN SERVICES? IT WON'T COME BACK.
UNLESS, UNLESS SOMEBODY ASSIGNS IT.
UNLESS WE DO ANOTHER O COMPLETE OVERHAUL AND THE MAYOR WANTS TO THE, JUST THREE OF Y'ALL TO LOOK AT IT FIRST BEFORE THE ENTIRE, BUT THAT WAS UNUSUAL.
I MEAN, THAT WAS REALLY A ROBERT JOHN SMITH, UM, UM, ASK AT THE TIME.
I FEEL BETTER NOW THAT YOU'RE HERE 'CAUSE I CAN TALK ABOUT YOU AND NOT FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT.
SO
AND THIS TO ME MAKES A LOT BETTER SENSE.
SO, UM, AS LONG AS YOU ALL ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO TAKE TIME, GO THROUGH THIS AND MAKE ANY NOTES OF ANYTHING WE FIND THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE SINCE LAST YEAR.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL PROCEED AS MR. ENGLAND HAS DESCRIBED.
SO IS THAT SUITABLE? DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? CONCERNS? THAT'S FINE.
IF I COULD JUST GET A, UM, SOFT COPY OF THIS.
UM, I'LL SEND THOSE OUT TO Y'ALL AND TO THE REST OF THE COUNCIL PRIOR TO, IN FACT, I'LL DO IT THIS WEEK.
I'LL SEND IT, IT WAS ATTACHED TO, TO THE, UH, AGENDA THAT WAS EMAILED TO US.
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BUT I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH YOU, BY THE WAY.THIS IS NOT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S POLICIES.
I WILL HOUSE THEM FOR Y'ALL, BUT I'M NOT MM-HMM.
AND THAT WAS THE, UH, FINAL DISCUSSION, UM, ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
SO WE ARE NOW AT ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS TO ADJOURN AT 4:31 PM SO THANK YOU.
AND ITEM FIVE IS TO MOCK ROBERT JOHN SMITH.