[00:00:02]
GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO THE MONDAY, JANUARY 22ND, 2004 WORK SESSION FOR THE GARLAND CITY COUNCIL.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM, WE'LL WORK THROUGH THIS EVENING'S PUBLIC COMMENTS ON WORK SESSION ITEMS. I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP THIS EVENING.
[Consider the Consent Agenda]
THE CONSENT AGENDA.UH, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY REQUESTS HAVE ANYTHING PULLED, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE'S TIME AND A PROCESS, SO IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING MOVING ON TO WRITTEN
[Written Briefings]
BRIEFINGS.UH, ITEM ONE, FEDERAL GRANTS CALENDAR, FISCAL YEAR 24 25.
ITEM TWO, ADVANCED FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH TDO FOR SHILOH ROAD FROM MILLER TO FOREST LANE.
AND ITEM THREE, DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, TWO 15 SOUTHWOOD.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO VERBAL
[4. Discussion of 2024 Council Policies and Procedures]
BRIEFINGS.ITEM FOUR, DISCUSSION OF 2024.
COUNSEL, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, MR. ENGLAND, IT, YOU MAY WANT TO COME UP HERE AND BE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT
UH, GOOD EVENING COUNSEL, SINCE THE LAST TIME WE MET, UM, CONCERNING THE Y'ALL'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, UM, I ASKED FOR A CALL FOR ANY AMENDMENTS.
I RECEIVED ONE, AND THAT'S THIS FIRST ONE THAT WE'LL GO OVER.
UH, THIS WAS FROM, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS. IT'S ARTICLE ONE, SECTION TWO, SUBSECTION K OF THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
AND THIS IS A NEW SUBSECTION, UH, FOR EACH REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
THE CITY SHALL PROVIDE A SPANISH LANGUAGE SPEAKING INTERPRETER AND A ASSIGNED LANGUAGE COMMUNICATOR FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED.
UM, AND THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION OF, UM, COUNCILMAN UH WILLIAMS, UM, TO ADD TO Y'ALL'S POLICIES.
AND IT'S UP TO Y'ALL'S DISCUSSION.
OKAY, MR. WILLIAMS, YOU THANK THANK, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MR. MR. CITY ATTORNEY FOR, FOR, FOR, FOR BRINGING THIS FORTH.
MY RATIONALE FOR, FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION IS, UH, FOUR WE, 44% OF OUR CITY'S POPULATION IS, IS HISPANIC, SPANISH SPEAKING.
AND WE'VE HAD INSTANCES, NUMEROUS THIS SESSION AND REGULAR MEETINGS WHERE WE'VE HAD NOT JUST WITNESSES, BUT WE'VE HAD, UH, APPLICANTS OR DEVELOPERS, HOWEVER, WHATEVER TERM YOU WANT TO USE, WHO, UH, WERE SPANISH SPEAKING ONLY AND NEEDED TO, WE NEEDED TO ELICIT HELP FROM SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE OR SOMEONE WHO, UH, UH, WAS WITH THEM.
THERE WERE, WE HAD SEVERAL IN INSTANCES WHERE NOBODY WAS WITH HIM.
AND, UH, THE MAYOR HAD TO SOLICIT, ASK FOR RATHER, UH, SOMEONE FROM THE AUDIENCE TO COME UP AND HELP THEM.
AND I, I, SO THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY REASON FOR, FOR, UH, FOR, UH, RECOMMENDING, UH, THAT WE, THAT WE ADOPT THIS POLICY.
THE SECOND ONE, UH, WE HAVE, I DON'T HAVE NUMBERS, BUT WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF OUR POPULATION IN OUR CITY WHO ARE, UM, VISUALLY WHO HAVE IMPAIRMENTS AND, UH, BUT WHO LIKE TO WATCH COUNCIL MEETINGS AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND, UH, WE CANNOT COMMUNICATE WITH THEM.
AND I THINK, UH, WITH THE SPIRIT OF MOVING OUR CITY FORWARD, I THINK THOSE ARE TWO ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE, THAT WE ARE ACCESSIBLE AND AVAILABLE TO OUR ENTIRE POPULATIONS, UH, THAT, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN, IN OUR, IN OUR ACTIVITIES AND THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE.
SO THAT'S MY RATIONALE FOR MAKING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I KNOW I'VE GOT TWO FOLKS IN THE QUEUE, BUT I BELIEVE MITCH HAS INFORMATION THAT THAT IS YET TO COME.
SO, MAYOR AND COUNSEL ON THIS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO.
THE, THE, THE QUESTION FOR US MOVING FORWARD IS JUST MAKING SURE WE UNDERSTAND THE FULL CONTEXT AND, AND I THINK I HAVE IT.
UH, BUT FROM A SPANISH STANDPOINT, UH, WHETHER WE HAVE STAFF AVAILABLE OR SOMEBODY CONTRACT, AS, YOU KNOW, AS YOU GET INTO THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS THAT ARE MORE, AND USUALLY WHEN WE HAVE SOME KIND OF LANGUAGE BARRIER THERE, THE, THE, THE DEVELOPER OR THE, THE, THE SOMEBODY FROM THAT TEAM IS ALREADY ASKING OR PROVIDING SOMEBODY THERE.
UM, BUT WE, WE NEED TO HAVE MORE THAN JUST A STAFF MEMBER WHO SPEAKS SPANISH WHEN IT'S ON THE TECHNICAL TYPES OF THINGS.
'CAUSE THERE, THERE, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE THERE.
UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO THIS BETWEEN STAFF MEMBERS, CONTRACT
[00:05:01]
SERVICES.UH, I KNOW COUNCIL'S FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF ONE OF THE, THE, THE PHONE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE, VOYANCE, THE LANGUAGE LINE SERVICE THAT WE HAVE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO USE THAT IN CASUAL CONVERSATIONS.
BUT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UH, BASED ON COUNSEL'S DIRECTION ON THIS, WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO YOU OR PROVIDE YOU WITH WHAT THE SOLUTIONS MAY BE.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A COMBINATION OF THINGS, UH, ON THE SIGN LANGUAGE FOR, FOR OUR HEARING IMPAIRED AND HEARING CHALLENGED.
ONE OF THE THINGS, I WAS TALKING TO MIKE BETTS TODAY, AND HE LET ME KNOW, WE DO HAVE CLOSED CAPTIONING AVAILABLE FOR OUR MEETINGS AFTERWARD.
BASICALLY, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON, AND I THINK WE'RE CLOSE TO, IS IT'S BASICALLY LIVE CAPTIONING, WHICH SHOULD ALSO HELP.
'CAUSE WE COULD EVEN HAVE THAT TURNED ON IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW THOSE TWO, WHETHER IT'S A SIGN LANGUAGE PROFESSIONAL THAT'S TRAINED, THAT CAN DO IT FOR THE ENTIRE MEETING OR NOT.
UH, AND THEN WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, DOES THE, DOES THE LIVE CAPTIONING HELP IN THAT REGARD? I THINK WE CAN GET SOME MORE, UH, FEEDBACK ON THAT, UH, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE GONNA BE THE BEST SOLUTIONS FOR, FOR EACH OF THESE THAT COME UP.
THE WAY THIS IS DRAFTED BY SAYING SIGN LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATE, THAT'S, THAT DOESN'T SAY A PERSON.
SO IF, IF WE HAVE A TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BECOMES AVAILABLE TO US WHERE WE CAN DO THAT LIVE, THEN IT WILL FIT THE POLICY IF THAT, IF WE HAPPEN TO GET THAT IN THE NEXT YEAR.
I CERTAINLY, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, CITY MANAGER AND, AND MITCH, LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
LOOK AT ALL THE OPTIONS WE HAD.
WE HAVE, UH, NO TECHNOLOGY IS REALLY TRAVELING FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF LIGHT NOW.
AND IF WE CAN DO THIS, USE TECHNOLOGY TO DO IT, THAT THAT'S FINE TOO.
I'M NOT, UH, I'M NOT FOR A, IF A LIVE BODY, IF, IF THAT'S NOT, IF THAT'S NOT, IF WE'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT WILL MORE EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THAT POPULATION, THEN I'M GOOD WITH IT ON EITHER SIDE.
I JUST THANK YOU FOR, LOOK FORWARD TO, TO YOUR, UH, UH, LOOKING INTO IT AND COMING BACK TO US WITH RECOMMENDATION OF, OF HOW WE, HOW YOU THINK WE BEST DO THIS IN TECHNOLOGY.
I'M AWARE OF SEVERAL OTHER CITIES WHO USE THE CLOSED CAPTION, UM, TO, TO, SO I DON'T, AND THAT'S, UH, AND MANY OF OUR, OUR COMMERCIAL CABLE COMPANIES USE CLOSED CAPTION.
NOW, MANY OF OUR NEWS OUTLETS USE, USE CLOSED CAPTION.
SO I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO WHATEVER TOOLS THAT YOU ALL BRING BACK.
BUT MY THING IS, AS I SAY, UH, IT'S A, IT'S A PART OF OUR POPULATION THAT WE, WE, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THEM TO ENSURE THAT, THAT, UH, THERE ARE NO LIMITS TO THEIR PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROCESS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND YEAH, COMMUNICATION AND MAKING COMMUNICATION ACCESSIBLE IS, IS AND WILL REMAIN A TOP PRIORITY.
A FEW YEARS AGO, THIS COUNCIL APPROVED US, UH, CLOSED CAPTIONING, ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR VIDEOS, OUR MEETINGS AND ALL THAT.
BUT LIKE MITCH POINTED OUT, THAT ISN'T A LIVE REAL TIME, UM, WHICH IS THE NEXT STEP, AND ONE THAT I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DO.
WE ALSO DID IN THIS LAST YEAR, UM, PUT IN PLACE A POLICY THAT ALL OF OUR TELEVISIONS, UH, PUBLIC FACING TELEVISION SHOULD ALL BE CLOSED, CAPTIONED AND LEFT ON FOR OUR DEAF AND HEART OF HEARING, UM, POPULATION.
ONE THING I WOULD ADD IS I'M PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THE, UH, THE DEAF POPULATION IN GARLAND, WHICH IS, UM, FAIRLY SMALL, BUT, UM, GROWING.
UM, BUT ALONG WITH SPANISH, OUR SECOND LARGEST SPANISH, I MEAN, AFTER ENGLISH, OUR, OUR THEN THIRD LARGEST ENG UH, LANGUAGE SPOKEN IN THE CITY IS VIETNAMESE.
SO IF WE'RE GOING THIS ROUTE, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE SHOULD, UH, TAKE IT BY AMOUNT OF POPULATION.
WE HAVE ALSO HAD VIETNAMESE SPEAKERS COME IN WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITHOUT HELP FROM A, A FRIEND IN THE AUDIENCE.
AND AT SOME POINT, THIS ALSO TRANSLATES TO DOLLARS AND CENTS.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME, UM, MORE, SOME KIND OF REALISTIC, UM, ESTIMATES FOR THE COST.
THIS, THIS WILL BE, AND FOR, IF WE COULD HAVE ARRANGE SOMETHING RIGHT NOW, UM, EVERY ONE OF OUR AGENDAS SAY THAT YOU CAN ARRANGE, YOU CAN REQUEST AN INTERPRETER, BUT IT'S, I THINK IT'S 48 HOURS, I BELIEVE, UM, THAT'S PRINTED WITH EVERY ONE OF OUR AGENDAS THAT THAT CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE.
[00:10:01]
IF YOU DON'T PLAN AHEADSO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO MAKE THIS MORE USER-FRIENDLY FOR OUR, UM, NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING, UM, CITIZENS, OR FOR OUR NON-HEARING CITIZENS, UM, I WOULD CERTAINLY BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
I JUST THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A, A BIG LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE, AND I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS? SO, WE'LL, WE WILL, UH, WELL, WE'LL COME BACK WITH AND PROVIDE COUNSEL WITH OPTIONS ON THIS.
UM, I, SO I GUESS MY QUESTION, I THINK MOST, NOT ALL, BUT MOST OF THE PUBLIC INPUT IS ON TUESDAY NIGHTS AT REGULAR SESSIONS WORK SESSION.
THERE IS AN OPTION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WORK SESSION TO HAVE THAT.
IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT WE HAVE THAT ISSUE.
I'M JUST POINTING THESE THINGS OUT.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME OF THE OTHER MEETINGS OUT THERE.
SO AS WE TALK THIS THROUGH, I THINK PRIMARILY THE ISSUE IS THE TUESDAY, NOT REGULAR SESSIONS.
SO FROM A, UH, FROM A, A SOLUTION AND COST BOTH STANDPOINT, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UH, THAT IS THE BULK OF WHEN YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF INPUT COMING IN FROM COMMUNITY, THAT'S THE BULK OF THE TIME WHEN YOU GET THAT.
AND, AND I AGREE THAT, I MEAN, WE ALREADY ARE TRANSLATING ALL OF OUR, OUR POSTINGS AND EVERYTHING, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, INTO SPANISH AND VIETNAMESE.
I THINK VIETNAMESE SHOULD BE ADDED TO THAT AS WELL.
I MEAN, WE'RE ALREADY, WE, WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN THAT STEP FORWARD THERE.
SO INCLUDING IT IN THIS, I THINK IS, IS JUST SORT OF A NATURAL THING.
UM, I GUESS MY, UH, DO WE AMEND THE POLICY NOW OR DO WE WAIT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION? I, I, I, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US ARE AGAINST AMENDING THE POLICY, BUT WHAT THAT ENTAILS, I, I DON'T, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
UM, QUITE FRANKLY, IF WE AMEND IT LATER, UM, I THINK IF MITCH IS GONNA COME BACK WITH SOME NUMBERS FOR Y'ALL AND SOME DATA, WE MIGHT JUST GO AHEAD AND JUST AT THAT SAME TIME, JUST AMEND THE POLICY.
UM, YEAH, MITCH COVERED, UM, MOST OF WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK ABOUT, WHICH WAS THE LIVE CAPTIONING.
UM, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE, IF THEY GO BACK AND WATCH IT, THEY CAN SEE THE CLOSED CAPTIONING.
BUT OF COURSE, IF THEY'RE ATTENDING A MEETING AND THEY'RE HEARING IMPAIRED AND THAT'S, HEARING IMPAIRED ISN'T JUST DEAF, RIGHT? IT'S ALSO PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING ON, GETTING OLDER IN AGE.
OUR, OUR BODIES DON'T WORK AS WELL AS THEY USED TO.
AND THE HEARING'S ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS TO GO.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT, THAT WE HAVE THAT.
AND, UM, YEAH, SO I'M DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN THE, UH, LIVE CAPTIONING.
UM, AS FAR AS THE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING AN INTERPRETER, IT IS, UH, SOMEWHAT ADDRESSED AS, UH, DEBORAH WAS SAYING.
IT'S ALREADY SOMEWHAT ADDRESSED IN THE TOP OF EACH AGENDA.
MAYBE NOT SPECIFICALLY ENOUGH, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD STILL THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, PER REQUEST, NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE AND WE'RE WAITING ON FOR THE NEED TO ARISE.
I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT STILL AS, AS AN ITEM THAT SOMEONE REQUESTS AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING WE AUTOMATICALLY PROVIDE.
UH, CAN YOU GIMME ANY KIND OF TIMEFRAME ON YOUR END OF WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT TO COME BACK? ARE WE TALKING 30 DAYS, 60 DAYS? UM, I WOULD LOVE TO SAY NEXT WORK SESSION, PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE READY FOR THAT, BUT PROBABLY TWO WORK SESSIONS OUT, WE CAN HAVE OPTIONS.
WE WILL PLAN ON THE, WHATEVER THAT MEETING IS, THE SECOND WORK SESSION IN FEBRUARY, WE'LL BRING THIS BACK UPDATE.
THE NEXT ONE IS ARTICLE ONE, SECTION THREE, AND THAT WE DISCUSSED THIS LAST TIME.
UM, THIS WAS BROUGHT UP, UM, I BELIEVE BY, UM, COUNCIL, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HEDRICK.
UM, THE, THE ORDER OF EVENTS AT WORK SESSIONS WAS A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER, AND SO I WENT BACK THROUGH AND JUST MADE, UM, SOME CHANGES WITH THAT.
DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING SUBSTANTIVELY, UM, OTHER THAN TO ADD PUBLIC COMMENT.
I ADDED PUBLIC COMMENT IN THERE.
'CAUSE WE DIDN'T USE TO HAVE THAT WITH WORK SESSION, BUT WE DO NOW.
UM, SO I ADDED THAT AND I PUT IT BACK IN THE CORRECT ORDER.
UM, Y'ALL AGREED TO THAT LAST TIME.
I'M ASSUMING LESSON BASE CHANGED THEIR MIND.
UM, THE NEXT ONE Y'ALL ALSO AGREED TO, AND THIS IS THE, UM, UM, UM, ADDING SECTION 14 TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC MEETINGS, BUT ALSO TO, UM, PUT ON PAPER WHAT WE ALREADY DO, DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEBODY DISRUPTS A PUBLIC MEETING.
[00:15:01]
AND THAT'S BASICALLY, THEY'LL BE ASKED TO SIT DOWN AND IF THERE'S, IF THEY CONTINUE TO DISRUPT, THEY CAN BE ASKED TO LEAVE.AND Y'ALL GAVE ME THE CONSENSUS ON THAT LAST TIME AS WELL.
AND THEN THE FINAL ONE YOU'LL GIVE CONSENSUS ON AS WELL IS THE, UM, STANDING OP, UH, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR AND HOUSEKEEPING RULES FOR ASSISTANCE TO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS.
AND, UM, UM, THE MA THE BIG CHANGE IN THAT WAS REMOVING, UM, ADDING AND REMOVING CERTAIN OPERATIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES, AND ALSO INCLUDING THEIR APPROVAL OF EVENTS AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, AND SO, UM, UM, I'M ASSUMING THOSE THREE THAT Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY APPROVED, THEY REMAIN.
AND SO THE ONLY ONE THAT ARE GONNA BE OUTSTANDING AT THIS POINT WILL BE THE, UM, INTERPRETER.
YES, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR.
[5. Audit Committee Meeting Report]
MOVING ON TO ITEM FIVE, AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT.DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM MOORE, YOU WANNA START US OFF AS THE CHAIR OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE? THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.
AND COUNSEL, UH, THE AUDIT COMMITTEE MET ON DECEMBER THE 20, THE 19TH, 2023.
AND THERE WERE THREE ITEMS THAT WE DISCUSSED THAT WE WANNA BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION TONIGHT FOR INFORMATION AS WELL AS ACTION.
THOSE ITEMS WERE THE BOND PROGRAM AUDIT ATRIUM, FACILITY RENTAL PROGRAM AUDIT, AND THE AUDIT CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE WITH WEAVER.
AND THEY DID A PRESENTATION FOR US AT THAT MEETING.
SO, WITH THAT, MR. MAYOR, I'M GONNA TURN OUR MEETING OVER TO OUR AUDIT DIRECTOR, MR. JETSON JOHNSON.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COUNCIL, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OVER THE AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORTS WITH YOU.
UH, AS THE CHAIRMAN INDICATED, WE, WE COVERED THREE DIFFERENT ITEMS. THE FIRST ITEM THAT WE COVERED WAS THE OR EXTERNAL AUDITOR PRESENTATION.
THIS WAS REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN UH WILLIAMS. BASICALLY, WE WANTED TO HAVE THEM COME OVER AND GO OVER THE AUDIT PROCESS.
SO, UH, OUR PARTNER WAS THERE, THE AUDIT MANAGER WAS THERE FROM WEAVER.
THEY PRETTY MUCH COVERED HOW THEY UTILIZE THIS, THE RISK-BASED APPROACH TO CONDUCT THEIR FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT, HOW THEIR MATERIALITY IS CALCULATED, WHAT KIND OF TEST OF CONTROLS THAT THEY DO PERFORM, AND THE DATA ANALYTICS THAT THEY PERFORM, AND ALSO HOW THEY USE THE INTERNAL AUDIT IN DEPARTMENT.
IN PERFORMING SOME OF THESE TESTS.
THEY ALSO COVERED SOME OF THE COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS PER GOVERNMENT STANDARDS AND, UH,
SO OVERALL, THEY WENT OVER THE PROCESS ITSELF, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT WAS THE REQUIREMENT AND COMMITTEE DID NOT HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE FIRST ITEM THAT WE COVERED.
THE SECOND ITEM THAT WE COVERED WAS THE ATRIUM FACILITY RENTAL PROGRAM.
THIS AUDIT WAS REQUESTED BY THE DEPUTY MAYOR, UH, PRO MOORE CHAIRMAN OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
THE FIRST ONE WAS TO VERIFY THAT THE RENTAL FEES ARE CHARGED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS THAT ARE, UH, STATED IN THE APPROVED FEE SCHEDULE.
SECONDLY, WE WANTED TO SEE IF THE APPROVED CARRIERS WERE COMPLYING WITH THE AGREED UPON PROCEDURES AND CONDITIONS.
LASTLY, WE WANTED TO VERIFY IF THE INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER THE COLLECTION AND DEPOSIT PROCESS WAS WORKING AS INTENDED.
OVERALL, UH, GOOD NEWS, UH, THE INTERNAL CONTROLS WERE WORKING.
THEY WERE ASSISTING FEES ACCURATELY AND COMPLETELY.
UM, SO KUDOS TO, UH, TO THE ATRIUM STAFF.
I DO WANNA APPRECIATE AMY AND KELVIN, UH, FOR, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE WITH US.
UM, THEY, THEY WERE WONDERFUL AUDIT CLIENTS.
UM, THEY PROVIDED, UH, ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEEDED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THEIR COOPERATION DURING THIS AUDIT.
AS PART OF THE AUDIT, WE ACTUALLY DID A SURVEY OF SEVEN, UM, MUNICIPALLY OWNED AND AFFILIATED VENUES IN NORTH TEXAS.
UM, BASICALLY, AND TO, BASED ON THAT SURVEY, UH, WE IDENTIFIED THAT OUR ATRIUM IS WAY MORE AFFORDABLE FROM A RENTAL FEE FACILITIES, WHICH IS A VERY GOOD NEWS.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT ONE OF THE ITEMS, UM, REVEALED.
UM, WE ALSO, UH, ASKED SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
UM, UH, BASED ON THE SURVEY, UM, MAJORITY OF THESE, UH, OTHER FACILITIES, THEY DID NOT CHARGE A CATERING FEES, UH, TO USE THE FACILITY.
SO THAT WAS ONE THING THAT CAME UP.
THERE WAS ONE, UH, ONE CITY, WHICH DID, BUT THEIR COST WAS COMPARED TO OURS WAS MINIMAL.
UM, SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT WE IDENTIFIED.
AND NONE OF THE OTHER FACILITIES HAD AN APPROVED CATER LIST, WHICH WE DO.
UM, THERE ARE PROS AND CONS, AND SO THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY WE HAVE A DIFFERENT
[00:20:01]
SET UP COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.UH, AND MITCH WENT OVER THOSE DETAILS AS, AS WE MET DURING THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
THERE'S HISTORY BEHIND HOW WE CAME UP WITH THIS FEE STRUCTURE AND EVERYTHING.
BUT I BELIEVE THE COMMITTEE, UH, AFTER LISTENING TO EVERYTHING, UH, AGREED THAT, UH, WE MAY BENEFIT FROM DOING FURTHER REVIEW OF THE FEE STRUCTURE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
AND AMY AND HER TEAM, OF COURSE, WITH THE BLESSING OF MITCH AGREED, UM, THAT THEY WILL BRING TO THE COUNCIL.
AND THEY WANTED TO FURTHER, UH, GET YOU ALL'S INPUTS, UM, REGARDING THE PURPOSE STATEMENT, UH, FOR THE USAGE OF ATRIUM.
UM, THEN THEY'RE GONNA COME UP WITH THE PRICING STRATEGY, UH, AND, UH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT STUFF.
MITCH, DO YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING ELSE? SURE.
UM, MAYOR COUNSEL IS, AS, AS YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY WITH FEE STRUCTURES, WE BRING THOSE TO YOU AT AN OPERATING BUDGET TIME.
UH, WE DO REVIEW THOSE ON A REGULAR BASIS AS WE GO THROUGH.
AND AS J HAS SAID, WE, WE, WE DIDN'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT WE KNOW WE'RE AT THE LOW END OF THE MARKET WHEN IT COMES TO FEES.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID LOOK AT AS WELL, THE, THE, WE DO CHARGE A, AN EXTRA FEE FOR CATERERS WHO ARE NOT ON THE APPROVED CATERERS LIST.
UM, THERE WAS MUCH DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, BUT TYPICALLY WE DO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE REPUTATION OF THE ATRIUM IN THE CITY IS ON DISPLAY WHEN YOU DON'T HA WHEN YOU HAVE A NEW CATERER THAT MAYBE HASN'T DONE IT.
AND OUR TEAM OVER THE YEARS HAS DEALT WITH SOME WHO JUST THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE EXPERIENCED AND HANDLE A LARGER EVENT WHEN THEY DON'T.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CHANGING IT MAYBE TO A FLAT FEE, BUT JUST KNOW AS WELL A NEW CATERER CAN GET ONTO THE APPROVED CATERER.
TYPICALLY, IT'S ONE TIME THEY GO THROUGH, THEY SHOW THAT THEY CAN DO IT, THEY CAN HANDLE THE VOLUME, THEY CAN HANDLE THE EVENT ITSELF.
AND WE DO WANT MULTIPLE TYPES OF CATERERS ON THERE FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOODS.
WE HAVE A VERY, NOT ONLY DIVERSE COMMUNITY, BUT OTHERS FROM OUTSIDE OUR COMMUNITY THAT, THAT RENT OUR SPACE.
SO WE LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE THINGS AS WE GO THROUGH.
I KNOW AMY AND KELVIN AND OF COURSE TIFFANY NOW, AND THE WHOLE TEAM.
THEY LOOK AT THAT ON THE REGULAR BASIS ON WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS? WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS? YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE OUR FEES WITHIN THE MARKET? WE KNOW WE'RE AT THE LOWER END.
CITY FACILITIES AREN'T ALL EXACTLY THE SAME, AND JUDGE TEAM KNOWS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT.
WE CITIES HAVE FACILITIES, BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS DO THE EXACT SAME TYPE OF THING.
BUT THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WE LOOK AT AS A MANAGEMENT TEAM.
WHAT'S THE BEST WAY, UH, TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE, WE RENT SPACE AND THEN THEY'RE ALLOWED TO BRING IN A CATERER THAT HANDLES WHATEVER THAT EVENT IS.
AND WE'VE GOT, I DON'T REMEMBER, JED 20, 21, 21, UH, APPROVED CATERERS ON THE LIST RIGHT NOW.
AND OCCASIONALLY WE'LL HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE COME IN THAT'S NOT ON THE LIST.
THEY TYPICALLY DO IT ONE TIME, SHOW THEY CAN DO IT, AND THEN THEY NO LONGER HAVE THAT EXTRA FEE.
THERE ARE SOME AGENCIES, UH, SOME LOCATIONS OUT IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT AREN'T EXACTLY CITY FACILITIES THAT DO THE SAME TYPE OF THING.
SO ANYWAY, IT WAS A, IT WAS A LOT LONGER DISCUSSION THAT THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
UH, BUT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION THAT JUDGE'S TEAM HAS HELPED US WITH, UH, CERTAIN LITTLE PROCEDURAL THINGS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN ALWAYS DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER ON DOCUMENTATION AND SOME OTHER THINGS.
UH, BUT THEN IT REALLY GOT US INTO THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE CHARGE? WHAT DO WE DO? AND HOW, HOW DO WE FIND THAT BALANCE? A LOT OF OUR EVENTS ARE, ARE, UM, CITY TYPE SPONSORED EVENTS.
WE WE'RE DO, WE'RE HOSTING EVENTS OR MEETINGS THERE OURSELVES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF NON-PROFITS AS YOU KNOW, THAT USE THOSE.
SO WE TRY TO FIND THAT BALANCE IN WHAT OUR FEES ARE.
UM, MITCH SUMMARIZED IT VERY WELL.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON, UH, HOW WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, PUBLICIZING HOW TO BECOME MM-HMM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO GO OVER OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
SOMETIMES WE MAKE EXCEPTIONS AND WHAT'S THE AUTHORITY LEVEL WHEN WE MAKE EXCEPTIONS, STUFF LIKE THAT, CANCEL REFUNDS, UM, IN THE POLICY PERSPECTIVE.
AND LIKE I SAID, MITCH, AMY AND THE ENTIRE TEAM WAS VERY COOPERATIVE, AND THEY WILL BE WORKING THIS.
AND WE'LL BRING BACK TO THE, TO THE, TO THE FULL COUNCIL AS PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET PROCESS.
THIS SUMMER, IT'LL BE COMING BACK.
SO THAT, THAT WAS THE SUMMARY OF THAT AUDIT.
ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK ONE SECOND.
UM, SO I'VE ACTUALLY HAD SOME ONE RESTAURATEUR COMPLAINT ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO GET ON THE CATERING
[00:25:01]
LIST.SO, UM, WHAT'S HAS THAT PROCESS CHANGED SINCE DIRECTORS HAVE CHANGED OR WHAT? UM, WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, YEAH, GOING BACK FURTHER, UH, COULD HAVE BEEN SOME DIFFERENT PROCESSES, BUT THAT'S HOW WE DO IT NOW.
AND AS JED JUST TALKED ABOUT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS TO MAKE SURE FOLKS KNOW THAT, MAKE SURE CATERERS OR RESTAURANTS OR WHOEVER KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE, WHAT THE PROCESS IS TO GO THROUGH THAT TO GET ON THE APPROVED CATERERS LIST.
SO, UH, I ANTICIPATE THERE'LL BE, UH, MORE INFORMATION AND THEN MORE DISCUSSIONS AS, AS CATERERS RESTAURANTS AND THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED.
AND MAYBE, MAYBE YEARS IN THE PAST THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO DO IT, BUT THERE IS AN OPTION TO GET THERE.
SO, AND, AND WE DO STRUGGLE WITH HOW FAR RIGHT, HOW MANY 21 RIGHT NOW.
YOU KNOW, COULD WE, DO WE NEED SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, ESPECIALLY TYPES OF FOOD THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE, UH, CULTURAL, UNIQUE TO DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS? ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS.
YOU KNOW, IS A HUNDRED TOO MANY IS 75, TOO MANY IS 50.
I'M NOT SAYING WE GET TO THAT POINT.
THERE'S A POINT OUT THERE, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
SO I THINK RIGHT NOW IT'S ALL ABOUT COMMUNICATION.
REGARDLESS OF WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED IN YEARS PAST.
UH, I THINK WE'RE THERE AND, AND HAVE A PRETTY GOOD PROCESS IN PLACE NOW.
IT'S JUST GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT.
UM, AND JUST WITH COMMUNICATION, UH, WHENEVER WE SETTLE INTO, HOWEVER THIS IS GONNA BE PRESENTED AND EVERYTHING, IF WE CAN PLEASE HAVE THAT ON OUR CITY WEBSITE WHERE PEOPLE CAN USE A SEARCH TERM AND OR EASILY FIND IT.
I'VE GOTTEN THE SAME KIND OF, UM, COMMENTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER LUCK HAS GOTTEN.
AND THEY HAVE SEARCHED OUR WEBSITE AND THEY'RE, THEY'VE JUST THROWN UP THEIR HANDS IN DESPAIR.
SO IF, IF WE CAN JUST MAKE SURE IT ENDS UP THERE AND IT'S FINDABLE, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
UH, THE NEXT AUDIT THAT WE COVERED WAS THE BOND PROGRAM AUDIT.
UH, AS MANY OF YOU REMEMBER, WE DID AN AUDIT BACK ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
DURING THAT TIME, UM, WE FOUND, IDENTIFIED SOME SIGNIFICANT, UM, AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREAS OF PROGRAM MONITORING ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITY PROCESSES, SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATIONS FOR PAY APPLICATIONS.
AT THAT POINT, WE IDENTIFIED THAT SOME OF THOSE PAYMENTS DID NOT HAVE THE SUPPORTING EVIDENCE.
WE MADE SOME, UM, PAYMENTS, DUPLICATE PAYMENTS MADE, SALES TAX PAYMENTS WHEN WE WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO.
UM, SO, UH, COUNCIL ASKED ME TO GO BACK AND DO ANOTHER AUDIT, UH, WITHIN, WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS THAT THAT'S WHY WE DID THE AUDIT.
WE HAD THREE OBJECTIVES, OBVIOUSLY.
WE WANTED TO VERIFY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROJECT MONITORING.
NUMBER TWO WAS TO ENSURE THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRIOR RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, NUMBER THREE, UH, WANTED TO SEE IF THE PROGRAM MANAGER IS PERFORMING AND BEING COMPENSATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AGREED UPON PROCEDURES.
HAPPY TO REPORT, UM, SINCE WE ISSUE THAT AUDIT AND COMPARED TO TODAY'S A BLACK AND WHITE, COMPLETELY OPPOSITE KUDOS TO CRYSTAL, UH, PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE, UH, AND MAINLY CITY ADMINISTRATION.
I DO REMEMBER RIGHT AFTER THE AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING TWO YEARS AGO, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE CALLED A MEETING AND CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WAS VERY INVOLVED.
SO HAPPY TO REPORT THAT, UH, SINCE THE ISSUANCE OF THIS, THAT REPORT, UM, THEY HAVE WENT OVER BACKWARDS AND PROCESSES THAT OUTLINED THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS, ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, PROGRAM MANAGERS, PROJECT MANAGERS, AND OFFICE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT, THEY ALL WERE DEVELOPED.
UM, SO IT WAS A THOROUGH PROCESS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT PAY APPLICATION CHECKLIST FOR ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTATION WAS CREATED.
AND THEY WERE USING THAT AS WE CHECKED, UH, AS WE DID THE AUDIT.
THIS TIME, TRACKING SPREADSHEETS WERE DEVELOPED AS IF ITEMS WERE MISSING.
THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE WERE DOCUMENTING THAT AND WAS COMMUNICATING BACK TO THE THIRD PARTIES ALSO.
UH, WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT NONE OF OUR VENDORS WERE DELINQUENT IN PAYING THE CITY ITSELF.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE IDENTIFIED IN THE ORIGINAL AUDIT.
LIKE I SAID, HAPPY TO REPORT THAT OUR PROJECT, UH, MONITORING IS VERY EFFECTIVE.
A LOT OF CREDITS TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE DID IDENTIFY THAT THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE IS MONITORING, UH, COMPLIANCE OF OUR PROJECT MANAGER, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE.
WE, THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
AND THEY ALSO ENSURE THAT, UH, WE COMPENSATE THEM FOR THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING.
THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE ALSO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, UH, THEY, THE PUBLIC FACING WEBSITE
[00:30:01]
AND THE LICENSES THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE TO THE CITY WAS BEING PROVIDED.SO OVERALL, IT WAS A VERY POSITIVE OUTCOME AFTER DOING THIS AUDIT.
SO I'M EXTREMELY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT, UM, REPORT BACK TO YOU MAYOR.
AND SO THAT, THOSE ARE THE THREE ITEMS WE COVERED DURING THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
UM, SO I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
I HAVE NOBODY IN THE, NOBODY IN THE QUEUE.
CHAIRMAN MOORE, YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? YOU'RE ALREADY ON.
I THINK THAT, UM, THE ONLY, WELL, BEING THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, OF COURSE,
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S THE GREATEST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN THERE.
I DO AGREE THOUGH THAT, UH, I THINK THAT OUR AUDIT COMMITTEE AND OUR AUDIT DEPARTMENT DO A WONDERFUL, A GREAT JOB IN THE MANNER BY WHICH THEY GO ABOUT, UH, DEALING WITH THESE VERY DELICATE SITUATIONS.
AND THEY JUST WANT TO CONTINUE TO GIVE, UH, JED KUDOS IN THE MANNER BY WHICH HE AND HIS DEPARTMENT GO ABOUT DOING THAT.
SO, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, MS. MAYOR.
[6. Discussion of the 2024 Proposed Capital Improvement Program]
ITEM SIX, DISCUSSION OF 2024, PROPOSED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, NOT ME.SO WE HAD, UH, CIP SATURDAY AND, UH, GREAT PRESENTATIONS AND COUNSEL.
I BELIEVE ALL OF THE QUESTIONS FOLLOW UPS THAT WERE GENERATED ON SATURDAY HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO EVERYONE.
UM, AND I TALKED TO ALLISON EARLIER.
I DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING ELSE HAS BEEN GENERATED SINCE SATURDAY.
UH, SO, UH, I DON'T KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S STILL TIME PENDING TO, TO LOOK OVER THE ANSWERS THAT HAVE COME BACK.
UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME UP SINCE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON THE TABLE TONIGHT? COUNCILOR REMORSE, THIS ISN'T REALLY A QUESTION THAT'S COME UP SINCE, BUT HAVING RECEIVED NOW THE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, UH, LOCATION MAP FOR THE DUCK CREEK EROSION CONTROL PROJECT, THE, THE HOME THAT IS, UM, IN MY DISTRICT UP CLOSE TO CENTRAL PARK IS NOT ON THIS MAP OF POTENTIAL AREAS THAT ARE BEING LOOKED AT.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO ADD THAT THESE ARE THINGS I HAVE, I HAVE REPORTED, UM, THE, THERE'S A HOME THERE THAT'S NOT ELIGIBLE, UH, LIKE FOR THE, UM, FLOOD PROJECT, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING A HOME BECAUSE THEY AREN'T HAVING FLOOD WATERS ENTER THEIR HOME.
THEY'RE JUST GRADUALLY GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE CREEK BANK.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, TO REQUEST IF WE CAN LOOK AT ADDING A ANOTHER AREA TO THIS, UM, PLAN.
I'M GOING TO SAY YES, AND I'M OKAY PULLING CRYSTAL UP TO ASSIST ON FIELDING THIS.
SHE MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE.
SO IT ACTUALLY DEPENDS ON WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, UM, PUBLIC PROPERTY OR PRIVATE PROPERTY.
IF IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY AND SOMETIMES THE HOMEOWNER OWNS TO THE CENTER LINE OF THE CREEK OR MAYBE TO THE, EVEN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CREEK, THEN THAT PROPERTY WOULD ACTUALLY QUALIFY AS PART OF THE EROSION PROTECTION PARTICIPATION PROGRAM.
BUT NOT AS PART OF THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
'CAUSE THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR PUBLIC, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THAT DOES NOT APPLY FOR, SO FAR.
I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING THAT DOES APPLY TO IT, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE EDGING EVER CLOSER TO THE CREEK.
SO IF IT DOESN'T APPLY TO THIS, THEN THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION.
UH, ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION THIS EVENING? UH, OBVIOUSLY AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, WE HAVE, UH, SOME, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL MEETINGS.
UH, TOMORROW NIGHT, WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, CURRENTLY WE HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING ON THE CALENDAR FOR TUESDAY THE 30TH.
UM, THE QUESTION TONIGHT IS, UH, DO WE SEE ANY NEED FOR THAT MEETING? UM, I, I THINK WITH THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS THAT HAVE BEEN GENERATED
[00:35:01]
THUS FAR, I DON'T SEE THAT.AND IF WE CAN GO AHEAD AND CLEAR THE CALENDAR ON THAT, I THINK IT'S, YEAH.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLEAR THE JANUARY 30TH MEETING.
UH, THEN, UH, WE HAVE THIS WILL COME BACK TO US ON FEBRUARY 5TH AT THE WORK SESSION, AND THEN BE SCHEDULED FOR ADOPTION ON FEBRUARY 6TH.
OTHERWISE, UH, AND, AND AGAIN, I KNOW EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL HAVE TIME TO, TO ABSORB THE ANSWERS THAT, THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
UH, WE'LL ALSO STILL HAVE TIME TO GENERATE FURTHER QUESTIONS, UH, FOR ANSWERS.
UH, AND WITH THAT WE WILL MOVE FOR GO, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD TOMORROW FOR A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE OUR NEXT STEP.
IF I MAY SAY REAL QUICK, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO RECEIVE THOSE VIA EMAIL AND IF YOU, UM, HAVE ANY CHANGES YOU ANTICIPATE PROPOSING ON FEBRUARY 5TH, IF YOU, IF POSSIBLE, PROVIDE THOSE TO STAFF IN ADVANCE SO WE CAN COME PREPARED WITH RECOMMENDATIONS OF HOW THEY MIGHT BE FUNDED OR THE IMPACT OF THAT REQUEST, IF THERE IS ONE OUT THERE.
[7. Charter Review Council Discussion]
ON NOW TO ITEM SEVEN, UH, CHARTER REVIEW, COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND COUNCIL, YOU'VE ALSO, UH, IN, YOU KNOW, IN OUR PACKET, UH, AT OUR LAST WORK SESSION, WE HAD, UH, THE PRESENTATION ON THE FINDINGS OR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE.UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO TONIGHT IS, IS SORT OF HAVE A FINAL READING, IF YOU WILL, OF, OF THE, UH, THE, I BELIEVE 16 OR SO ITEMS THAT WERE PUT FORTH.
UM, AND SORT OF A, A LAST CHANCE, YOU KNOW, SPEAK NOW FOREVER, HOLD YOUR PEACE, KIND OF A, A DECISION.
UM, AND THEN AT THE END OF GOING THROUGH THESE, IF THERE, I, I KNOW THERE'S AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL ITEM OR AMENDMENT.
UM, AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY OTHERS, WE WILL ADDRESS THEM THEN.
SO, UH, I'M SORRY, THE, OH, MAYOR, THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT WORKS FOR US.
WE HAD PUT TOGETHER A, A SLIDESHOW PRESENTATION THAT IS ALSO, AT LEAST IN THE BACKUP AND ON THE INTERNET WEBSITE.
IT'S GOT A LITTLE PROCEDURE THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT THEN JUST GOES THROUGH EACH OF THE SECTIONS AS WELL, SO WE CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH Y'ALL AS YOU DISCUSS.
AND THEN THE IDEA WOULD BE WE GET DIRECTION FROM COUNSEL AS TO WHICH ONES YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED TO CALL A VOTE ON.
AND THEN BASED ON THAT, WE WILL DRAFT THAT ORDINANCE TO COME BACK AT THE FIRST MEETING IN FEBRUARY WHEN WE ALSO CALLED THE GENERAL ELECTION FOR THE COUNCIL POSITIONS.
AND WE DO HAVE CHAIRMAN ROBERTS WITH US AGAIN THIS EVENING.
SO, UH, I'M JUST GONNA GO THROUGH THESE JUST AGAIN, JUST SORT OF AS A FINAL READING, READ THROUGH, UM, COUNCIL, UH, THE ITEM ONE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TERM LENGTH, UH, THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED NO CHANGE.
COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS. THANK YOU MAYOR.
MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE LET THE, UH, VOTERS DECIDE ON THIS ONE, UH, THE JURORS LET THEM, LET THEM MAKE THE CALL ON THIS.
I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS IMPORTANT AND, UH, I WOULD WANT TO HEAR FROM, FROM OUR, OUR VOTERS ON THIS ONE.
I THINK IT'S THAT, THAT IMPORTANT.
UM, TO COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS' POINT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR SOME OF THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF CHANGING FROM A TWO TO THREE YEAR TERM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THOSE ARE PRETTY, UH, PRETTY CONSTRICTIVE AND, AND WOULD CHANGE QUITE A BIT OF, OF HOW WE DO THINGS.
SO DO YOU GUYS HAVE THAT INFORMATION READILY AVAILABLE? WELL, IF YOU'RE, I MEAN, JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, UH, WE WOULD'VE TO COME UP WITH A TRANSITION PLAN THAT WE, WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE TO TRANSITION FROM TWO YEARS TO THREE YEARS.
UH, THE LARGEST DIFFERENCE THOUGH IS THAT THE FULFILLING OF VACANCIES, IF YOU GO TO A TERM LONGER THAN TWO YEARS, THEY MUST BE DONE THROUGH ELECTION, NOT, NOT APPOINTED.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE MAIN DIFFERENCE THERE.
I THOUGHT THERE WERE SOME OTHER, OTHER, UH, IMPLICATIONS IN SWITCHING FROM A TWO TO THREE.
UH, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, THAT'S THE MAIN ONE.
I, IF YOU'VE GOT A SPECIFIC ONE, I'M HAPPY TO, I, I, I DON'T, I JUST, WASN'T THERE A, A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH THE REAPPORTIONMENT? WELL, IT, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A LEGAL PROHIBITION.
IT WOULD JUST CAUSE MORE PRACTICAL ISSUES THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
IS THAT UNDER THE, UNDER THE NEW STATE REAPPORTIONMENT WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO REDRAW THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES EVERY 10
[00:40:01]
YEARS, THAT'S GONNA THROW OFF THE PRAC, PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, THE THREE YEAR CYCLE EVERY TIME IT COMES UP.UH, WITH RESPECT TO COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS ON THIS, I THINK THAT THE VOTERS ALREADY HAVE A SAY, AND IT'S THE ELECTION WHERE THEY CAN VOTE SOMEONE EVERY TWO YEARS IF THEY WISH AND REELECT THEM.
SO I DON'T SEE A REASON TO NECESSITATE A CHANGE WHEN THE VOTERS ALREADY HAVE A, A METHOD OF ENACTING THIS THROUGH, THROUGH THEIR VOTE FOR THE PERSON DIRECTLY RATHER THAN CHANGING OUR CHARTER.
AND COUNCILLOR WILLIAMS. THEN WE'LL WRAP THIS ONE UP.
NOT TO DEBATE THIS, BUT I REMEMBER, AND SO DOES, I ILLUSTRATES CHAIRMAN SITTING THERE AT ONE TIME.
IT WAS THREE YEARS IN GARLAND.
AND, UH, UH, THAT CHANGE WAS, WAS, WAS MADE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ARMAGEDDON, THINGS DIDN'T COLLAPSE.
WELL, ACTUALLY WE DID HAVE SOME ISSUES WITH IT.
WELL, WE HAD SOME ISSUES, BUT THE ISSUES WERE NOT, WERE NOT CAUSED BY THE ITEM.
THE ISSUES WERE CAUSED BY SOME THINGS THAT WE'D RATHER NOT DISCUSS HERE TONIGHT.
UH, BUT I REMEMBER THOSE, SOME OF THOSE, BUT IT WAS REVERTED BACK, UH, THE FOLLOWING CHARTER.
SO, SO IT WAS, BUT MY POINT ON THIS IS, AND LISTENING AT OUR ATTORNEY THERE, AND, AND, AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT COUNCILMAN, UM, HENDRICK IS, IS SAYING, BUT WITH, WITH THE MODIFICATIONS, WE DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GONNA GO, BUT WITH THE MODIFICATIONS.
BUT I THINK WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE, UH, TERM LIMITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE CHANGES.
IF, IF, IF THE VOTERS SAY NO, THEN THAT'S IF THE END OF THE DEAL.
BUT, BUT, UH, I'VE GOTTEN, I'VE RECEIVED SOME SUGGESTIONS AND SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, AND I BROUGHT THIS UP OUTTA RESPONSE TO, TO SOME SUGGESTIONS, UH, WITHOUT APPLYING ANY MERIT TO AND WITHOUT KNOWING THE LEGAL ISSUES OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT'S WHY I FEEL RATHER THAN US MAKE THAT DECISION, UM, IF, LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, IF THE VOTERS MAKE THE DECISION, THEN, THEN, THEN WHOMEVER'S SITTING AROUND THIS HORSESHOE WILL HAVE TO ADJUST TO, TO THE, ADJUST OUR POLICIES AND PRACTICES THOSE DECISIONS.
YOU AGREE, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, MR. MR. ATTORNEY? OH, I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT, OH, HE, YOU CAN ASK HIM TOO.
YOU AGREE? I MEAN, WHATEV, WHATEVER THE OUTCOME IS HERE, THEN, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO GOVERN OURSELVES ACCORDINGLY.
DOING THOSE THINGS THAT YOU POINTED OUT ALREADY.
IT WOULD, IT WOULD IMPACT THOSE THINGS.
BUT, UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, RIGHT, IF IT WAS PUT TO THE VOTERS AND THEY VOTED TO GO WITH IT, WE WOULD HAVE TO COMPLY EX.
AND, AND MY POINT ON HERE IS THAT I THINK SHOULD THAT, I THINK SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT SHOULD BE A VOTER'S CHOICE.
THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY FINAL SAY.
WITH THAT, UH, OBVIOUSLY THESE ARE GONNA MOVE THROUGH ON CONSENSUS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS, UH, IS, IS MOVING IN FAVOR OF MOVING THIS FORWARD.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE? I SEE NONE.
SO WE WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH ITEM ONE.
AND, UH, WE ALL KNOW THE HISTORY OF IT.
SOME OF US KNOW IT A LITTLE MORE THAN OTHERS.
TIME BETWEEN SERVICE IN ONE ELECTED ROLE AND RUNNING FOR ANOTHER OFFICE.
UH, THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED NO CHANGE.
AND JUST MAYOR ON THIS ONE QUICKLY.
UM, HAPPY FOR COUNCIL TO DISCUSS THAT TYPE OF CHANGE BEING MADE TO THE SECTION.
UM, AS YOU SAID, THEY RECOMMENDED NO CHANGE BASED ON THE WAIT TIME, RIGHT? THERE IS A CHANGE TO BE DISCUSSED, AND IT'S LATER IN THE POWERPOINT REGARDING THE DEFINITION OF TERM OF THIS SECTION.
NOW, WE'VE BROUGHT BACK A COUPLE OF MORE POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGING THE DEFINITION OF TERM BASED ON OUR DISCUSSION LAST TIME.
BUT THAT'LL, THAT'LL BE TAKEN UP LATER.
BUT FOR NOW, Y'ALL CAN, Y'ALL ARE HAPPY TO DISCUSS THE, THE ISSUE OF THE WAIT TIME BETWEEN SERVICE AND ONE ELECTRIC ROLE AND RUNNING FOR ANOTHER OFFICE.
SO WE ARE CHANGING THE WORDING FROM ONE YEAR TO SAY THE TIME BETWEEN ANNUAL STATUTORY UNIFORM ELECTION DATES IN MAY.
THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMITTEE AT THE TIME, RIGHT? BASED ON OUR CONVERSATION LAST TIME ABOUT DO WE WANT IT LIMIT IT TO MAY, WE MAY NOT WANT TO, THERE'S ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE IN THE POWERPOINT LATER THAT WOULD SAY, UH, BASED ON THE MONTH OR EVEN IF WE WANTED TO SIMPLIFY IT AND SAY 13 MONTHS.
[00:45:01]
A, THAT'S A CHANGE BASED ON A LATER DISCUSSION TOPIC.SORRY, THAT'S MAKING THIS COMPLICATED, BUT
SO DO, WHEN WE GET, I GUESS THE, THE FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE FROM US IS, DO Y'ALL WANT TO PROCEED WITH ADDING A WAIT TIME BETWEEN ONE ELECTED ROLE AND RUNNING FOR ANOTHER OFFICE FOR THE CITY ON THAT ISSUE? THAT WAS A CHART THAT WAS A SPECIFIC CHARGE.
TOPIC FROM COUNCIL TO THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE.
CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE ON THAT TOPIC SAID, WE DON'T, WE, WE DON'T RECOMMEND A CHANGE.
JUST TO SIMPLIFY THE LANGUAGE.
UH, THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT A PERSON WHO WAS APPOINTED TO FILL A VACANCY COULD SERVE UP UP TO 13 MONTHS, BECAUSE THAT WOULD GIVE THEM BETWEEN THE TWO STATE DESIGNATED DAYS IN EITHER MAY OR NOVEMBER WITH SOME WIGGLE ROOM DES SPARE.
THAT WOULD JUST BE THE EASIEST WAY WE COULD THINK OF TO SAY IT, OR IN AN ATTEMPT TO COUNT TO, UH, I GUESS CAPTURE THE COMMITTEE'S INTENT BEHIND IT IS JUST ELECTION DATE TO ELECTION DATE, WHETHER THAT BE MAY OR NOVEMBER.
UH, SWITCH TO THE OTHER ONE, PHIL, PLEASE, SIR, IS THAT WE TOOK OUT MAY AND IT WOULD JUST BE THE ANNUAL STATUTORY UNIFORM ELECTION DATES AS SET BY THE STATE OF THE SAME CALENDAR MONTH AND APPLICABLE CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
SO IT'S A LITTLE WORDY, BUT I THINK THAT CAPTURES THE INTENT WITHOUT LIMITING IT TO MAY
I LIKE THE WORDING NUMBER TWO BETTER BECAUSE THAT IS BETWEEN ELECTIONS.
IF YOU HAVE 13 MONTHS, YOU CAN GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE YOU HAVE SOMEONE RUNNING FOR THEIR POSITION.
AGAIN, THAT'S NOT QUITE TO 13 MONTHS BECAUSE THEY'RE SHORT, THEY'RE 12 MONTHS IN A DAY, BUT THAT'S NOT YET 13 MONTHS.
SO I, I LIKE THIS A SECOND DEFINITION BETTER.
UH, ANY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON, I GUESS THE, UH, PROPOSAL TWO, UH, THAT SEEMS, UH, TO BE MORE IN LINE WITH WHERE EVERYBODY WAS HEADED, KIND OF CLEANS UP KIND OF AN ALL ENCOMPASSING CLEANUP.
SO, SO WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE ITEM TWO? SO WE GO BACK NOW, SO THAT, SO YOU GO BACK TO ITEM TWO NOW, AND THAT, AND THEN RIGHT.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN DISCUSS WHETHER YOU WANT TO ADD A WEIGHT PERIOD BETWEEN THE ROLE.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL WANTED TO DISCUSS OR WANTED THE COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS.
SO LIKE WE, WE WANTED TO GIVE CREDENCE TO Y'ALL HAVING A SPECIFIC TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.
AND THAT SPECIFIC TOPIC RESULTED IN A RECOMMENDATION OF NO CHANGE, BUT THERE WERE SEPARATE CHANGES NOT ON THAT DISCUSSION TOPIC TO THE SAME SECTION.
SO THE DEFINITION TERM ONLY COMES INTO PLAY IF YOU DECIDE TO OPT FOR A CHANGE? I THINK, NO, NO.
THEY CAN PUSH THAT ONE FORWARD BUT STILL DECIDE TO AGREE WITH Y'ALL ON NO CHANGE BASED ON THE DISCU, THE TOPIC OF A WAIT PERIOD.
EVEN I'M CONFUSED AS EVERY, IS EVERYBODY.
WE JUST AGREED TO SOMETHING, RIGHT? THAT WE DEFINE TERM.
COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS, GO AHEAD.
WE TO WHAT WE JUST AGREED TO AND HELP ME.
WELL, IF I, IF I CAN ASK A QUESTION, IF THEY OPT, NOT IF THEY OPT TO KEEP THE TIME, YOU KNOW, TIME BETWEEN THE SAME, DO WE STILL NEED TO CHANGE THE VERBIAGE IN THE EXISTING CHARTER FOR THE WORD TERM? YES.
WE RECOMMEND STAFF RECOMMENDS THE CHANGE MADE TO TERM THAT YOU'VE AGREED UPON NOW.
JUST THE TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION WOULD BE IF YOU WANTED TO ADD TO THIS SECTION A WAITING PERIOD BETWEEN SERVICE AND ONE ELECTED ROLE AND RUNNING FOR ANOTHER ELECTED ROLE.
AND THEN THE NEW LANGUAGE FOR TERM WOULD BE INSERTED.
RIGHT? THE NEW LANGUAGE FOR TERM WOULD BE PART OF THAT PROPOSAL TO THE VOTERS.
[00:50:01]
EITHER WAY.CAN I, CAN I, CAN I, CAN I GIVE YOU AN, AN EXAMPLE AND YOU EXPLAIN IT BACK TO ME? MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING HERE.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
WE'VE GOT AN INDIVIDUAL WHO COMPLETES AN UNFINISHED TERM.
OKAY? COMES ON AND THAT PERSON SERVES ONE YEAR.
THERE'S ONE YEAR LEFT ON SOMEONE'S TERM.
THE COUNCIL APPOINTS THAT PERSON.
ALRIGHT? UH, AND CURRENTLY THAT THERE'S, THERE WAS A WAITING PERIOD BEFORE THAT PERSON WANTED TO SEE.
THAT'S A DIFFERENT, THAT'S THE NEXT ITEM.
WE NOT THE THERE YET, RIGHT? ALRIGHT.
SO THIS TELL ME SUCCINCTLY WHAT WE JUST APPROVED HERE, RIGHT? AND YOU MENTIONED WAITING PERIOD.
HOW DOES, SO WE'RE NOT, WHAT WHAT YOU'VE APPROVED IS A, A CLEANING UP OF THE LANGUAGE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO HANDLE, DEFINE A TERM NOT LIMITED TO A STATUTORY DATE IN MAY BECAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE, THERE'S A CHANGE IN ANOTHER SECTION THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA LIMIT OUR ELECTIONS TO.
JUST MAY BECAUSE OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED WITH COVI, THINGS THAT HAPPENED BEYOND OUR CONTROL.
WE MAY, OR THE STATE EVEN DECIDING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO MAY ELECTIONS ANYMORE.
NOW WE'RE GONNA DO 'EM IN NOVEMBER.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO CLEAN UP THE, THE CHARTER LANGUAGE TO SAY WHEREVER THE STATE DECIDES TO DO IT, YOUR TERM WOULD BE THE SAME MONTH.
SO WHETHER IT'S MAY, IT WOULD BE MAY TO MAY OR NOVEMBER TO NOVEMBER IN CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
IT JUST STILL, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU TELL ME WHENEVER THE STATE DECIDES TO DO IT, IT MAKES ME A LITTLE NERVOUS.
BUT FOR ANOTHER NUMBER OF REASONS.
ALRIGHT, BRINGING IT BACK AROUND, UH, ITEM TWO, UH, WAIT, TIME BETWEEN SERVICES SERVICE IN ONE ELECTED ROLE IN RUNNING FOR ANOTHER OFFICE.
UH, THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED NO CHANGE ANY OP.
EVERYBODY'S GOOD WITH THAT AS, OKAY.
COUNCIL ITEM THREE OR ITEM THREE.
UH, WAIT TIME BETWEEN SERVICE IN AN ELECTED ROLE AND APPOINTMENT.
UM, AND THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED NO CHANGE THERE.
AND ARE WE GOOD WITH THAT? I SEE ENOUGH TO BE GOOD WITH THAT.
I DO APOLOGIZE FOR THIS, BUT I WANNA LOOK AT TERM DEFINITION ONE MORE TIME JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO YEAR TERMS RATHER THAN ELECTION TO ELECTION.
SO WE'RE DEFINING IT AS BETWEEN STATUTORY ELECTIONS.
I'M JUST THINKING THROUGH, IF WE HAVE SOMEONE REPLACING SOMEONE, IF THEY'RE FOR LESS THAN ESSENTIALLY A YEAR OR ELECTION.
ELECTION, THAT IS NOT A TERM, THEN THEY COULD RUN AGAIN WITHOUT WAITING.
BUT IF YOU'RE, THERE'S LANGUAGE 14 MONTHS, RIGHT? THE IDEA WOULD BE LOOKING TO WHEN, WHEN DO YOU TERM OUT, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
IF YOU SERVE LESS THAN FIVE YEARS, THEN YOU HAVEN'T TERMED OUT YET.
SO YOU COME IN, RIGHT? AND THE TERM YOU'VE SERVED IS LESS THAN A YEAR.
THAT DOESN'T COUNT TOWARDS YOUR TERM LIMIT TERMS. MM-HMM.
IF YOU HAVE SERVED OVER A YEAR WHEN YOU FILLED IN, THAT WILL COUNT TOWARDS YOUR TERM LIMIT.
BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF, BRING THIS UP AGAIN.
I'M GOING TO INVOKE THE COUNCIL POLICY OF HAVING YOU REMOVED
IF WE END UP BACK IN THIS CIRCLE ONE MORE TIME, I WILL HAVE THE SERGEANT AT ARMS REMOVE YOU FROM THIS ROOM.
I THINK I'M GONNA BE THAT PERSON THAT JUST, UH, IT'S JUST GONNA HAVE TO BE MADE A LITTLE BIT MORE SIMPLER FOR ME.
SO A PERSON WHO TURNS OUT THIS TERM, THIS COMING ELECTION, WANTING TO RUN FOR MAYOR, LET'S SAY THERE'S A CITY COUNCIL PERSON AND THEY WANNA RUN FOR MAYOR.
IF THE MAYORAL RACE WERE TO BE THIS YEAR, WOULD THAT PERSON BE ABLE TO RUN? WHEREAS BEFORE I THOUGHT THAT THAT PERSON WOULD HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR.
SO AT THIS, SO THAT'S THE NO CHANGE WE'RE SPEAKING OF, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
YOU CAN GO STRAIGHT FROM COUNCIL TO MAYOR AT ANY TIME, I BELIEVE IS THE WAY IT'S, OR IF A PERSON WERE ON COUNCIL AND THEY WERE TURNING HIM OUT THIS YEAR AND WE WANTED TO APPOINT THEM TO, UH, THE
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PLANNING COMMISSION, THAT PERSON WOULD BE ABLE TO BE APPOINTED WITHOUT WAITING THE YEAR.AND THAT'S ANOTHER, THAT'S ANOTHER ITEM TO DISCUSS.
I'M SORRY, BUT I'M, I I'VE GOTTA GET RIGHT.
SO THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THAT, CORRECT? YES SIR.
I'M SURPRISED WE GOT THROUGH THIS.
AND I HOPE I DON'T GET THROWN OUT
SO, UM, THIS, THIS DOESN'T INVOLVE SOME HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, MY FIRST TERM WAS, MY FIRST TERM WAS ONE YEAR.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN TOLD I WILL TERM OUT IN FIVE YEARS, NOT SIX.
SO THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THIS, CORRECT? RIGHT.
'CAUSE IT CONFUSED ME WHEN YOU WERE TALKING TO DI OKAY.
I'M LIKE, AM I GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT A CALENDAR AND SEE HOW MANY DAYS THAT FIRST YEAR WAS? BUT OKAY.
ITEM FOUR, UH, COMPENSATION TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS CHANGES RECOMMENDED.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THE RED LINE CHANGES AND, UH, I HAVE TO SAY EACH TIME I LOOK AT THIS, JUST GLANCING AT IT, UM, WHEN IT SAYS THAT, UH, THE MAYOR SHALL RECEIVE A BASE AMOUNT IN THE TERM $5,675 A MONTH IS HOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUST GLANCE AT IT.
UM, BUT, UH, WELL, A CITY ATTORNEY ALMOST HAD 35 YEAR CONTRACTS AND THE SAME KIND OF TYPING
YOU CAN SEE, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE RECOMMENDATION HERE IN THE RED LINE OF THE, UH, RECOMMENDED COMPENSATION, UH, CHANGE.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, THE ADDITION OF THE FOUR SPECIAL MEET CALLED SPECIAL MEETINGS AND THE LIMITING IT TO A MAXIMUM OF 52 IN A CALENDAR YEAR.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT ITEM? COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS? YES, CHAIRMAN? YES, SIR.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH, NOT YOU PERSONALLY, BUT YOUR COMMITTEE, UH, COME UP WITH THE NUMBERS? WELL, THERE'S A GENTLEMAN WHO LOVES SPREADSHEETS.
DON'T DROP ANY NAMES, PLEASE, PLEASE.
AND WHO'S PROBABLY WATCHING US HAVE, HE'S PROBABLY WATCHING TONIGHT, SO WE'RE NOT GONNA CALL YOU NAMES.
IT'S KEEPING YOU UP TO DATE INFLATION WISE.
SO THERE'S NO MASSIVE HIKE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT GOING ON.
IT'S JUST INFLATION AND RECOGNITION OF THE EXTRA MEETINGS AND, AND BE AWARE OF THAT IN ORDER TO GET PAID, YOU HAVE TO BE AT THE MEETING.
YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE A MEETING'S SCHEDULED DOESN'T MEAN YOU'LL GET PAID IT'S ATTENDANCE.
SO, UH, COMMITTEE WANTED SOME ACCOUNTABILITY IN THAT RESPECT, AND THAT'S THE WAY IT ALREADY IS.
UH, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO, TIM MOORE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THEN IS MEETINGS SUCH AS, UH, COMMITTEES, OUTSIDE COMMITTEES LIKE THE R UH, A, THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION, RTC OR DMCR, ANY OF THOSE MEETINGS OR NOT? IT WAS MORE MEANT FOR LIKE YOUR MEETING SATURDAY.
'CAUSE YOU, YOU HAVE BUDGET MEETINGS AND CIP MEETINGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND YOU HAVE PLENTY MORE THAN THOSE FOUR.
BUT YES, INTERNAL MEETINGS NOT EXTERNAL.
I'M JUST, UH, GOING TO, UH, PREEMPT MY, MY, UH, THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN HERE WITH SAYING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL BE GIVING THIS A THUMBS DOWN JUST BECAUSE ON MY PRINCIPAL ALONE, I FEEL THIS IS A VOLUNTEER POSITION.
I FEEL IT AS SUCH, WE SHOULDN'T BE COMPENSATED.
AND I ESPECIALLY FEEL WE, OUR COMPENSATION SHOULD NOT INCREASE.
SO JUST EXPRESSING FOR ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING WHY I WILL BE VOTING DOWN ON THIS.
AND, AND I HAVE SAID THE WHOLE TIME, IT WOULD BE EASIER IF THIS WAS A NON-PAID VOLUNTEER POSITION BECAUSE WHEN CITIZENS WHO OCCASIONALLY HAVE NEVER BEEN INVOLVED WITH US COME UP AND START TALKING ABOUT MY FANCY DRIVER AND BIG OFFICES, CITY HALL AND MY SIX FIGURE SALARY AND ALL THESE DELUSIONAL THINGS, UM, IT WOULD BE EASIER TO SAY I DON'T GET PAID ANYTHING THAN TO SAY I GET PAID ABOUT 2 CENTS AN HOUR.
UM, SO I'M, I'M FINE WITH THIS AND I DON'T WANNA, UM, I DON'T WANNA SKIMP, UM, FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO, YOU KNOW, USE THIS,
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THE PITTANCE THAT WE RECEIVE TO FOR, FOR GAS MONEY AND DRY CLEANING AND ALL THE EXPENSES WE INCUR FOR DOING THIS.SO I'M NOT GONNA BE THUMBS DOWN ON THIS.
I AM GRATEFUL TO THE COMMITTEE THAT THEY DID NOT GO CRAZY WITH THIS.
THIS IS STILL AN EMBARRASSING SALARY, WHICH I LIKE.
AND, UH, WE DID LOOK AT ALL ANGLES IN COMPARABLE CITIES AND IN TERMS OF NO PAY, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD ALWAYS JOIN THE PLAN COMMISSION, BUT, UH,
BUT, UH, THERE SHOULD BE SOME COMPENSATION.
THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT WOULD NEED THAT COMPENSATION IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
SO WE DON'T WANNA EXCLUDE FOLKS WHO HAVE NOTHING.
I'M JUST GLAD THAT I, I WOULD NOT EVER WANT THIS, ANYBODY TO DO THIS BECAUSE THEY THINK IT'S A JOB THAT THERE WAS A COGNIZANT FACTOR IN OUR DELIBERATIONS.
THIS IS PATHETIC ENOUGH PAY THAT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD CHOOSE TO DO THIS FOR A JOB.
THEY MIGHT CHOOSE TO DO IT FOR OTHER POOR MOTIVES, BUT THEY WOULD NOT CHOOSE IT BECAUSE OF THE MONEY.
WE'RE BACK TO DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIMM MOORE.
WELL, I, I DO AGREE WITH ALL ELIZABETH SAID IN THE WAY OF THIS, AND I THINK I WAS THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY PUT THIS ON THE, ON THE BOARD BECAUSE I REALLY DO FEEL THAT THIS IS A JOB.
AND NOT ONLY IS IT A JOB, IT'S A JOB THAT WE WORK.
AND I MEAN, WE PUT MORE THAN A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR TIME INTO IT.
AND I WANT THIS CITY TO KNOW THAT WE'RE VERY BLESSED TO HAVE PEOPLE, MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE WILLING, AND I'M NOT GONNA SAY ABLE, BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT, I DIDN'T PUT THIS ON THE BOARD SPECIFICALLY FOR ME.
I PUT THIS ON THE BOARD BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WOULD LOVE TO BE IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
THEY WILL NEVER COME IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT AS A RESULT OF WHAT WE ARE CONTRIBUTING TO ON THE BOTTOM LINE FOR THEM.
BUT I ALSO SAY THIS, WHEN I PUT IT OUT THERE AND NOT VERY, NOT ANY OF THE COUNCIL AGREED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT BEING INCREASED.
THAT SENT A MESSAGE TO ME AS WELL AS TO THE CITY.
AND I THINK THAT MESSAGE EVIDENTLY IS WE DO AGREE THIS IS A VOLUNTEER POSITION, AND IN FACT, THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO KEEP IT, BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME CITIES THAT PAY A LOT MORE THAN THIS
SO WITH THAT, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE MY POSITION KNOWN THAT YES, I STILL FEEL THAT WE, WE COULD DO A LOT BETTER.
WE COULD DO A LOT BETTER, BUT BECAUSE IT TAKES FIVE VOTES, SOMEONE TAUGHT ME HOW TO COUNT WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THIS COUNCIL
AND SO I WILL BE GIVING IT A THUMBS UP TO PROCEED AS IT'S WRITTEN.
WELL, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR, UM, RECOMMENDING A RAISE.
I ACTUALLY DO NEED THIS MONEY.
UM, WHEN I LEAVE WORK TO DO COUNCIL STUFF, I'M NOT BEING PAID BY MY JOB.
SO, UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY SUPPLEMENTAL TO MY HOURLY WAGE, WHICH IS QUITE NICE.
AND, UM, I'LL OBVIOUSLY BE VOTING YES ON THIS
I THINK WE'VE CLEARED THE QUEUE ON THIS.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU, I THINK, UH, THE LAST TIME THIS CAME UP AT THE LAST CHARTER, UM, I, I WAS IN OPPOSITION TO IT, UH, BECAUSE I, I DON'T DO IT FOR THE MONEY.
AND, AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THE FINANCIAL IMPACTS, BUT THE MONEY IS THE LEAST OF MY INTERESTS OR CONCERNS.
UM, ALTHOUGH I, I SEEM TO RECALL THE LAST CHARTER RECOMMENDATION.
UH, THERE WERE, THERE WAS SOME SORT OF LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT WOULD HAVE PAID US FOR ALL CALLED MEETINGS.
AND WE CAME IN, WE ROLLED INTO THE COVID YEAR WHERE WE WERE MEETING EVERY WEEK FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD'VE, WOULD'VE MADE A LOT OF MONEY, UH, DURING THAT TIME.
UM, BUT, UM, AS IT STANDS, UM, I THINK THAT, UM, MAYOR PRO, TIMM BASS AND MYSELF ARE IN OPPOSITION.
IS THERE ANY, ANYONE ELSE? OPPOSITION? WHAT DO YOU MEAN IN OPPOSITION? I MEAN, OPPOSITION TO PUT, TO PUSHING THIS FORWARD, SAYING NO, SAYING NO TO THE RACE, TO THIS RACE, TO THIS RACE.
I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF PUTTING IT FORWARD.
MAYOR PRO TIMM BASS IS NOT IN FAVOR AND NOR IS COUNCIL MEMBER HEDRICK STAY WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THAT WOULD BE THE, IF, IF IT DOESN'T MOVE FORWARD, THEN YES, IT WOULD STAY WHERE IT IS.
THERE ARE THREE IN OPPOSITION, OKAY,
WHICH MEANS THERE ARE MORE THAN THAT, THAT ARE IN FAVOR.
[01:05:01]
MOVE FORWARD.ALL RIGHT? AND, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, THE, THE MONEY THING, WE ALL HAVE OUR DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON IT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE CITIES, UH, THAT PAY ZERO.
THERE'S A LOT OF CITIES THAT PAY ZERO.
SO, AND, AND I, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT BY INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY, UH, THAT YOU GET BETTER REPRESENTATION, AS I HAVE REFERENCED MANY TIMES, IF YOU WANT TO JUST WATCH C-SPAN ON ANY GIVEN DAY, AND YOU WILL SEE THAT PROVE ITSELF OUT
SO THAT ITEM WILL MOVE FORWARD.
NEXT ITEM, UH, ITEM FIVE, REFERENCE TO DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM.
AND, UH, THE CHANGE HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED THAT WE, THE, THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, POSITION HAS SORT OF BEEN, IF WE FELT LIKE IT, IF WE WANTED TO, UH, THIS WOULD FORMALIZE IT TOO.
UM, AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S, I I HAVE NO OPPOSITION TO THAT.
I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I'M THE DEPUTY MAYOR
SO THAT ITEM, THAT ITEM WILL MOVE FORWARD.
TWO STRAY BUSES, AND YOU GET THE MIDDLE SEAT
ITEM SIX, WAITING PERIOD FOR APPOINTED INTERIM COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, THIS WOULD BE, UH, I THINK WE'VE SORT OF SEMI TOUCHED ON THIS ONE IN, IN AMONGST, UM, WAITING PERIOD FOR APPOINTED INTERIM COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, THIS WOULD BE NO CHANGE, UH, ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT AND WITH THAT CONSENSUS TO NOT INCLUDE.
RESIGNATION TO RUN REQUIREMENT.
ANY DISCUSSION? UH, MAYOR PRO? YES, YOU'RE IN THE BAT.
SO I, I HAD, UH, SUGGESTED THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND IT ON A MUNICIPAL LEVEL WITHIN GARLAND, BUT, UM, I HAD SUGGESTED IT BASED UPON IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO LOOK AT, UH, CAMPAIGNING FOR OFFICE OUTSIDE OF GARLAND, SUCH AS IF THEY WERE CAMPAIGNING FOR A STATE, A STATE POSITION, OR, OR ANYWHERE ELSE, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNTY.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I'D, I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO.
UM, AND PERHAPS, UH, SCOTT, YOU CAN EXPLAIN HOW YOU GUYS ARRIVED AT, AT NO CHANGE ON THIS.
IT WENT ALL AROUND, BUT, UH, I THINK SOME OF IT WAS, UH, DEDICATION TO THE JOB THAT YOU HAVE, I THINK WAS, UH, THE BOTTOM LINE.
AND SOMETIMES RUNNING FOR ANOTHER, ANOTHER JOB TAKES AWAY FROM THE ONE THAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THAT HIGH PAY
THERE WEREN'T ANY REALLY OTHER ITEMS INVOLVED NOW.
I, I, I STILL WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT, UM, JUST LIMITED TO WITHIN, WITHIN THE CITY OF GARLAND, IF ANYBODY ELSE SUPPORTS THAT AS WELL.
UH,
SO THE WAY THIS IS WORDED, IF ANYBODY, IF IT, IF YOU WERE TO RUN FOR ANY POSITION ANYWHERE, ANY POSITION ANYWHERE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO STEP DOWN.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO RUN FOR ANY, ANY OTHER SEAT, I MEAN, WHETHER IT BE, WHETHER IT BE A SHERIFF, WHETHER IT BE ANY COUNTY, COUNTY, ANY COUNTY POSITION, ANY STATE POSITION, ANY O ANY POSITION WHATSOEVER, WHETHER WHEREVER IT IS, YOU WOULD HAVE TO STEP DOWN FROM THE SEAT IN ORDER TO CAMPAIGN.
YOU KNOW, I CAN UNDERSTAND, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IF SOMEONE WERE TO RUN, IF, IF A SITTING COUN, CITY COUN, SITTING COUNCIL PERSON WERE TO RUN FOR MAYOR, I COULD UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE THAT COULD CREATE SOME CONFLICT OF INTEREST THERE.
BUT IF YOU ARE RUNNING FOR SOMETHING, FOR A POSITION THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THIS ROOM, THEN I DON'T SEE THAT THERE WOULD BE ANY CONFLICT BETWEEN THE CHAIR YOU'RE SITTING IN AND CAMPAIGNING FOR ANOTHER POSITION.
UH, IS THERE ANY, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE.
UM, I AGREE, UH, WITH THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, IF YOU'RE RUNNING FOR SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF
[01:10:01]
THE, IT IS, IT IS A, LISTEN, WE ALL KNOW THAT RUNNING FOR REELECTION IS A DISTRACTION IN THE POSITION THAT YOU HOLD.UM, AND SO I THINK THAT ONLY GETS MAGNIFIED IF YOU'RE RUNNING FOR A POSITION OUTSIDE OF THIS.
SO, UH, THE, THE, THE RESIGNATION TO RECRU RESIGN, I CAN'T EVEN SAY IT, RESIGNATION TO RUN REQUIREMENT, UM, I THINK IS, IS WELL FOUNDED.
UH, THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED NO CHANGE, UH, MAYOR PRO TIM BASS IS, IS IN, IS IN FAVOR OF MOVING IT FORWARD.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WAS IN FAVOR OF MOVING IT FORWARD OF, SORRY, RECOMMENDATION, CHANGE? THE RECOMMENDATION? YEAH, LET'S BACK UP.
THE RECOMMENDATION IS NO CHANGE IN FAVOR OF NO CHANGE.
SOME, YEAH, THAT'S ALWAYS THAT THE YES TO SAY NO THING IS STILL CONFUSES ME SOMETIMES EVEN TODAY.
ITEM EIGHT,
WE WERE COUNCILOR WILLIAMS STAFF THAT YOU STILL WOULD BE ABLE TO PUT CROOKED STREETS IN MR. ATTORNEY, MR. CHAIR.
UH, THE REASON WE DID THAT WAS MORE MONETARY IN THAT SINCE THE STATE CHANGES ITS LAWS AND EACH ITEM HAS TO HAVE A LOT OF VERBIAGE WITH IT ON THE BALLOT, AND THAT HAS TO BE ADVERTISED IN THE PUBLICATION.
WE'RE TALKING COLUMN INCHES IN NEWSPAPER, WHICH IS MONEY.
AND FOR SOMETHING THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FEELS IS NOT BINDING IN, IN A WAY TO PREVENT KLINE STREETS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT LET'S NOT SPEND THE MONEY AND LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS.
IT SAYS, TO CLARIFY, TO CLARIFY THE POWERS OF A COUNCIL.
WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT THAT WAS, THAT WAS JUST A FANCY WAY OF SAYING THE TOPIC FOR THE CHARTER REVIEW.
BUT THE, THE SPECIFIC REQUEST WAS TO LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE THAT TALKED ABOUT STRAIGHTENING STREETS.
AND THAT LANGUAGE IS, IS, I MEAN, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN'T PUT IN A CROOKED STREET.
UM, IT'S JUST, IT WOULD BE LANGUAGE THAT CHANGES BUT DOESN'T MAKE A LEGAL CHANGE IN WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO AS A CITY.
SO BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE, THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS TO NOT MESS WITH IT AND NOT WORRY WITH THE COST OR THE EXPENSE OR THE TIME OF HAVING TO CHANGE IT.
SINCE THIS, THE CHANGE ITSELF WOULD ONLY BE, UH, TO THE WORDING.
IT WOULDN'T MEAN, MEAN ANYTHING PRACTICALLY WOULDN'T HAVE ANY FUNCTIONAL CHANGE.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCILOR LUCK.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS DOES NOT PREVENT US FROM PUTTING IN ROUNDABOUTS.
WELL, THERE, THERE WAS ONE COMMITTEE MEMBER.
I'M SURE THERE WAS ONE COMMITTEE MEMBER WHO WOULD'VE GLADLY ADDED THAT.
I THINK REALLY WHAT WE NEED NOW IS FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY TO COME UP WITH A DEFINITION OF CROOKED
YES, BUT I KNOW I WANNA SEE IT.
ITEM NINE, COUNCIL REMOVAL OF APPOINTED OFFICIALS CHANGES RECOMMENDED.
AND YOU CAN SEE, YOU CAN SEE THE CHANGES AS DEFINED.
UM, AND I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH THE, UH, THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION.
AGREE WITH ALL IN FAVOR OF MOVING FORWARD ON THIS ITEM.
WELL, I PUNCH IN IF YOU'RE IS ON, IT IS NOW
UM, SO HOW DOES THIS CHANGE THE CURRENT? IT, UH, UH, THIS VERBIAGE MORE CLARIFIES, UM, WHO'S APPOINTED AND WHO'S, WHO CAN BE REMOVED BY, BY THESE, UH, BY YOUR MOTIONS.
AND, UH, WE DID DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING.
AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT TAKES FIVE TO APPOINT, IT SHOULD TAKE FIVE TO UN APPOINT, LOOKED AT DIFFERENT VARIATIONS.
THERE'S NO NOTIFICATION REQUIRED.
AND SO IF YOU WANTED TO, IN THE SAME NIGHT, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG HERE, WANTED TO REMOVE SOMEBODY AND APPOINT SOMEBODY TO TAKE THEIR PLACE JUST BY THE ORDER OF THE ITEMS, YOU CAN HAVE ONE ITEM TO REMOVE, ANOTHER ITEM TO APPOINT, AND THEN YOU'VE EFFECTIVELY SWITCHED.
WOULD THAT BE? WELL, YOU'D NEED THE REMOVAL FIRST, BUT YES.
BUT ALSO PART OF THE CHANGE HERE, UM, THAT WAS DISCUSSED WAS, UM, IT WASN'T CLEAR LIKE IF WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LIKE A-D-C-T-A REP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND THAT THEY WANTED THAT CLARIFIED
[01:15:01]
AND SPECIFICALLY PUT IN HERE SO THAT THERE COULDN'T BE AN ARGUMENT THAT, WELL, THAT SECTION DOESN'T APPLY TO ME BECAUSE I'M NOT ON THE PLAN COMMISSION.AND THEY WANTED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT NO, NO, NO.
IT DOES APPLY TO THAT AS WELL.
THIS IS PRETTY MUCH ANY NON-PAID APPOINTED INTERNAL, EXTERNAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE OR OTHER BODY.
AND COUNCILOR WILLIAMS O OKAY.
CURRENTLY AS WE MOVE TOWARD THIS, CORRECT ME, CORRECT ME IF I'M OFF BASE.
I SAID THE APPOINTMENT OF COUNCILORS ASK EVERY, AFTER EVERY ELECTION CYCLE OR, OR INTERIM PERIODS TO APPOINT INDIVIDUALS TO THE VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
THOSE, THOSE APPOINTMENTS, THOSE NAMES ARE THEN GATHERED AND FORWARD TO MAKE THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL.
OUR UNDERSTANDING HAS BEEN THE COUNCIL MAKES THE APPOINTMENT THAT THE, THE, THE COUNCIL PERSON MAKES THE APPOINTMENT.
THE, THE COUNCIL CONFIRMS THAT APPOINTMENT.
I, I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THE COUNCIL PERSON MADE THE APPOINTMENT.
THE COUNCIL HAS, I ALWAYS WATCH THE COUNCIL THEN VOTES AND CON CONFIRMS, BUT THE APPOINTMENT OF THE, MAYBE I'M SPLITTING ES SO HELP ME, MR. ATTORNEY UNDERSTAND THAT.
WHAT DOES, WHAT DOES APPOINTMENT MEET CONFIRMATION OF OR VICE VERSA? OR DOES NEITHER OR IS IT ONLY APPOINTMENT? IT'S A NOMINATION THAT YOU'RE MAKING.
THE COUNCIL MEMBER MAKES THE NOMINATION.
THEN THE COUNCIL CONFIRMS THE NOMINATION.
THEY'RE NOT THE, THE PERSON WOULDN'T BE APPOINTED TO THE COMMITTEE OR CONSIDERED TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE OR BOARD OR WHATEVER IT IS UNTIL AFTER THE COUNCIL VOTE.
SO WHEN THE COUNCIL COUNCILPERSON NOMINATES HIM.
SO WHAT WHAT THAT IS PROPOSING IS THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH, SO IF THERE, ANYTIME THERE IS A CONSIDERATION OF, OF A REMOVAL, AND IF THAT GOES, THEN WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT PROCESS, RIGHT? IS THAT WHAT WE SAY? CORRECT.
WELL, I MEAN TO, TO REMOVE AT, UNLESS IT'S LIKE AT THE END OF THE, IF THEY JUST TERM OUT, THEN THEY TERM OUT AND YOU WOULD APPOINT A NEW ONE.
THIS WOULD BE FOR A SPECIFIC REMOVAL OF SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN APPOINTED AND VOTED ON BY COUNSEL.
MY QUESTION IS, WHAT, WHAT INDIVIDUAL COUNSEL PERSONS HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO, TO TAKE ANY ACTION AS WARRANTED SHORT OF REMOVAL? IF, IF, I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEAN BY ANY ACTION WARRANTED, SIR.
WELL, WELL, WHAT I'M SAYING IS REMOVAL IS ONE THING, RIGHT? IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S A SITUATION WHERE A COUNCIL, I'M THINKING WHERE, WHERE SOME ACTION WOULD NEED TO BE TAKEN SHORT OF REMOVAL.
LET'S SAY IF A COUNCIL PERSON PERFORMANCE ISSUE, I'M GONNA, I, I DON'T WANT LIKE THROW OUT PARTICULARS, BUT LET'S SAY A COUNCIL PERSON HAS, HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT PERFORMANCE FOR WHATEVER REASON.
SO I'M UNDERSTANDING, SO THAT WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE FULL COUNSEL.
UH, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING SO THAT EVEN THAT WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK.
LET'S SAY IF, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA THROW TERMS AROUND, BUT THINGS LIKE SHORT TERM SUSPENSIONS OR SOME, ANY KIND OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION, SHORT OF, SHORT OF REMOVAL, IS, IS THAT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF A COUNCIL PERSON OR MUST NO, A, A SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER COULD NOT AFFECT, COULD NOT AFFECT THE APPOINTMENT AT ALL.
PARTICIPATION AT ALL IN THE BOARD.
ONCE THEY'VE BEEN APPOINTED, APPOINTED, UNLESS THEY DO THIS RIGHT.
NO, AND, AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS GREATLY DISCUSSED AT THE, AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL.
AND THE, THE CHAIR CAN CAN SPEAK TO THAT AS WELL.
BUT THEY TALKED ABOUT, OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE PERSON HAS PUT THIS PERSON FORWARD TO BE VOTED ON BY COUNCIL TO ADD, TO BE ADDED TO WHATEVER, COMMISSION, BOARD, WHATEVER.
SHOULD THAT PERSON THEN BE ABLE TO REMOVE 'EM UNILATERALLY.
AND THE COMMISSION DECIDED AS A GROUP THAT NO, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE THE PERSON HAD TO BE VOTED ON BY THE WHOLE COUNCIL TO BE PUT ON.
THEY SHOULD HAVE TO BE VOTED ON BY THE WHOLE COUNCIL TO BE TAKEN OFF.
AND I KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHERE COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS WAS COMING FROM, TALKING ABOUT A CONFIRMATION BECAUSE OUR PROCESS HAS LOOKED MORE LIKE A CONFIRMATION.
WE NEVER, WELL, IN THE TIME I'VE BEEN HERE, WE'VE NEVER DISCUSSED THE APPOINTMENTS AT WORK SESSION.
[01:20:01]
SAY IT'S COMING.AN OPPORTUNITY HAS ALWAYS EXISTED.
IT'S JUST AS A PRACTICE, AS A PRACTICAL PRACTICE.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE AS A COUNCIL HAVE DONE.
AND I, I HAVE PERSONALLY NEVER SEEN ANY OF US OBJECT TO SOMEONE ELSE'S APPOINTMENT BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE, UH, WELL BEHAVED AND NONE OF US WANTS TO DISRESPECT A COLLEAGUE'S, UM, NOMINATION.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S NECESSARILY THE BEST WAY TO DO IT, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY KINDER AND GENTLER THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN HAPPEN, SAY IN, IN DALLAS.
SO, UM, MY CONCERN, AND YOU GUYS CAN PROBABLY ADDRESS THIS, THIS SOUNDS LIKE COMPARED TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE, A A PROBABLY A GENTLER AND SHORTER VERSION.
THIS WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN AT A PUBLIC MEETING, WHICH OF COURSE THE PUBLIC IS ALLOWED TO ATTEND AND SPEAK TO.
BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN A PUBLIC HEARING OR IS IT? NO, IT'S JUST A REGULAR COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM.
TECHNICALLY YOUR APPOINTMENTS ARE PUBLIC HEARING OPTION TOO.
AND IF SOMEBODY FROM LEFT FIELD WANTS TO TALK ABOUT AN APPOINTMENT, THEY CAN COME UP AND DO THAT.
SO THIS WOULD JUST BE A REGULAR CONS AGENDA ITEM.
THIS, THIS WOULD, IT, UH, THE REMOVAL WOULD HAVE TO GO AS A, AS A INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION ITEM, RIGHT.
AND SO BECAUSE THE PUBLIC IS ALLOWED TO SPEAK ON ALL THE INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION ITEMS, IT WOULD BE, I ASKED ABOUT GROUPING 'EM TOGETHER AND YOU SAID, NO, DON'T DO THAT.
AND, AND IT'S APPROPRIATE, UH, THE, MY, MY CONCERN IS KIND OF, UH, PUTTING A PRIVATE CITIZEN SORT OF ON A PUBLIC TRIAL AND I, I APPROVE OF, OF THIS NEW VERSION BECAUSE IT SOUNDS A WHOLE LOT LESS LIKE A PUBLIC TRIAL, WHICH I WOULDN'T WANT TO DO.
I JUST WOULDN'T WANT TO DO THAT.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WOULD PARTICULARLY CARE TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, UM, YEAH, I, I LIKE THE, I LIKE THE WORDING CHANGES, UM, WITHOUT CAUSE OR NOTICE.
NOBODY HAS TO NAME A CAUSE FOR HAVING THE PERSON REMOVED.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO LIST OUT A LITANY OF ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T NEED TO COME FROM THIS COUNCIL.
LET'S GIVE YOURSELF A LITTLE TIME.
YOU WON'T HAVE TO BE SAYING THAT ANYMORE, BUT
I THINK I REMEMBER THE REASON THAT THIS CAME ABOUT.
ONCE A PERSON HAS BEEN APPOINTED, IF HAD A TWO YEAR APPOINTMENT BASED ON THE COUNCIL PERSON WHO'S DOING THE APPOINTING, CORRECT.
MEANING ONCE IT'S A TWO YEAR APPOINTMENT, IT DOES, WE MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION OR THE MOTIVE MOTION AND THE COUNCIL THEN VOTES AUDIT IT.
SO THE PERSON'S IN THE POSITION NOW TWO YEARS, CORRECT? WELL, TECHNICALLY IT'S TO THE END OF THE T TERM.
WHICH TERM? ANYHOW, IT'S TO, IT'S THE END OF THE
I'LL HAVE YOU REMOVED AS WELL.
IT'S, IT'S THE END OF THE TERM.
SAY SOMEBODY RESIGNS FROM A COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION THEN, AND THEY'RE APPOINTED MIDTERM.
IT'S JUST AT THE END OF THE TERM, THE END OF THE TERM, THEY DON'T GET A FULL TWO YEARS GO BEYOND IT.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, IT'S THE TERM OF THE COUNCILMAN NORMALLY IS WHAT I SAY.
SECONDLY, SO NOW WE HAVE, UH, AN APPOINTEE WHO IS MISSING MEETINGS, NOT GOING TO MEETINGS, NOT CONTRIBUTING OR WHATEVER.
AND WE GET THAT WORD, UH, SHORT OF TERMINATING THE PERSON, WE GO AND TALK TO THAT PERSON.
THAT'S THE REMEDY MAYBE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING OF LESS THAN TERMINATION.
WE GO AND TALK TO THAT PERSON, THAT PERSON, UH, I'M GONNA DO BETTER, BUT THEY GIVE THEM THREE MORE MONTHS AND THEY DON'T DO BETTER AT THAT POINT.
THIS THEN COMES INTO PLAY, AND THAT IS, WE BRING IT TO COUNSEL.
WE TELL THEM WHY WE WANT TO TERMINATE THIS PERSON AND COUNSEL.
THEN YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ALL THAT.
YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO SAY WHY YOU WANT TO TERMINATE 'EM.
AND I BELIEVE IT MAY BE IN COUNCIL POLICY, BUT I THINK YOU FOLKS GET ATTENDANCE RECORDS AND I THINK WE GET, YEAH, SECTION 10.7 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCE ADDRESSES THE ATTENDANCE AND OKAY.
IF YOU MISS MORE THAN THREE WITHIN A YEAR, THEN THE ORDINANCE ACTUALLY SAYS THAT PERSON, THAT OFFICE SHALL BE VACATED.
OKAY? AND THE COUNSEL SHALL REMOVE THAT PERSON.
OKAY? SO IT DOESN'T EVEN PROVIDE COUNSEL FLEXIBILITY.
THIS ACTUALLY, UM, UH, THIS ONE HERE SOUNDS TO ME IS ONE OF OUR APPOINTEES EXHIBITS BEHAVIOR UNBECOMING.
WELL, I MEAN, AGAIN, I'M, I'M TRYING TO GO OVER THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION, BUT THAT SIMPLIFIES IT FOR ME.
DOES THE COUNCIL THEN COUNSEL MEMBER AT THAT POINT HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO EXERCISE? YOU? YOU HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO EXERCISE THAT OPTION
[01:25:01]
REGARDLESS.THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCILOR LUCK.
UM, WOULD THIS REQUIRE A SECOND? THE ORIGINAL APPOINTMENTS, OR SORRY, NOMINATIONS DO NOT REQUIRE A SECOND DURING THE COUNCIL SESSION.
I KNOW
I ALWAYS TELL, I'LL ALWAYS REMIND Y'ALL BEFORE I MAKE COMMENTS ON PROCEDURE THAT I'M NOT THE PARLIAMENTARIAN.
BUT HAVING SAID THAT, Y'ALL GENERALLY FOLLOW ROBERT'S RULES.
THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE CASE WHERE COUNSEL BY TRADITION HAS NEVER FOLLOWED ROBERT'S RULES.
Y'ALL NEVER PROVIDE A SECOND, EVEN THOUGH ROBERT'S RULES WOULD SAY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO A SECOND.
HOW Y'ALL PROCEDURALLY HOW YOU WANT TO DO THAT.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE ANY LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS.
IF YOU DON'T ACTUALLY GET A SECOND AND JUST TAKE, JUST JUMP TO THE VOTE.
I MEAN, THAT'S GONNA BE UP TO Y'ALL.
BUT TO, I, I THINK THIS IS THE QUESTION IS TO GET THIS ON AN AGENDA, A COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD NEED A SECOND YES OR YES BY POLICY.
YES, BY POLICY APPOINTMENTS DO NOT REQUIRE A SECOND.
WELL, THAT, I MEAN, NOMINATIONS, EXCUSE ME.
I THINK THEY GET AN UNWRITTEN UN VERBAL SECOND.
EVERYBODY KIND OF GOES UHHUH
IT'S, IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S NOT LAW, IT'S PROCEDURE.
AND Y'ALL HAVE DECIDED COUNSEL'S IN THE PAST, AND Y'ALL HAVE DECIDED THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET A SECOND ON THESE, ON THESE NOMINATIONS.
I MEAN, Y'ALL CAN ALWAYS DO IT, RIGHT? WE'VE, Y'ALL, Y'ALL HAVEN'T DONE IT SINCE I'VE BEEN AROUND, BUT IT'S A SIMPLE FIX.
IF YOU WANT TO BE CONSISTENT WITH EVERYTHING ELSE YOU DO, YOU REQUIRE A SECOND.
USUALLY ASK IF THERE ARE ANY OBJECTIONS AND NO OBJECTIONS AS AN IMPLIED SELF.
OKAY? SO, BUT I THINK THE, I I THINK THE QUESTION IS THOUGH, IF A COUNCIL MEMBER WANTS TO HAVE AN APPOINTEE REMOVED, THEY WANNA MAKE IT AN AGENDA ITEM.
THE PROCESS IS THEY HAVE TO HAVE A SECOND.
DOES THAT STAND FOR THIS? YES, SIR.
YOUR, YOUR APPOINTMENTS ARE VIRTUALLY A STANDING AGENDA.
I AGENDA ITEM WHERE REMOVAL WOULD NOT BE A STANDING AGENDA ITEM.
UM, AND, UH, THE COMMITTEE HAS RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THIS, UH, IN FAVOR PUSHING FORWARD THE CHANGE.
DID I KNOCK YOU OUTTA THE QUEUE? I'M SORRY.
AND I'LL FIND THE BUTTON WITH YOUR NAME ON IT.
I ONLY PUNCHED IN JUST TO SAY THAT I BELIEVE THAT THE MAYORAL LOAN CAN ADD AN AGENDA ITEM THAT IT TAKES TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THAT'S THE POINT I WANNA MAKE.
SORRY, I DIDN'T, I I WASN'T SURE IF I KNOCKED YOU OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE QUEUE.
ALRIGHT, SO WE ARE MOVING FORWARD ON ITEM NINE.
UH, ITEM 10, COUNCIL MEMBER COMMUNICATIONS WITH STAFF CHANGES RECOMMENDED.
YOU COULD SEE, UH, YOU COULD SEE THE CHANGE OUTLINED.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ONE? UM, I CERTAINLY, UH, SUPPORT THIS ONE MOVING FORWARD.
I HAD A QUESTION FOR THIS ATTORNEY AND A CITY ATTORNEY.
JUST CURIOUS, I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME A CODE OF ETHICS BEEN UPDATED OR CHANGED? MAJOR CHANGE BEEN MADE? AND IF SO, JUST THIS WAS ABOUT A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
I KNEW IT WAS, I KNOW IT WAS RECENTLY.
I I DO REMEMBER THAT WAS ONE OF THE LAST THINGS.
IT WAS AFTER CO RIGHT AFTER, RIGHT AFTER COVID.
I REMEMBER AFTER IT WAS, IT WAS ONE OF THE LAST THINGS THAT ROBERT JOHN SMITH WAS DOING.
AND A LOT OF THE SPECIFIC PROVISIONS ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER COMMUNICATIONS WITH STAFF IS ACTUALLY HANDLED IN YOUR COUNCIL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, WHICH ALL HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH.
AND THERE'S JUST CLARIFICATION WHAT CAN AND CAN'T BE DONE.
UH, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED CHANGES, RECOMMEND MOVING FORWARD.
LENGTH OF ALLOWED CONTRACT FOR CITY MANAGER.
UH, AND YES, THAT IS 35 YEAR CONTRACTS.
IT'S JUST HARD TO SEE ON THE SCREEN.
I PROMISE THAT THAT IS UP TO
UP TO UP TO 35 YEAR CONTRACTS.
UM, I COMMITTEE IS RECOMMENDING, UH, CHANGE, I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH THAT.
AND FOR, FOR THE PUBLIC, IT'S JUST FIVE YEARS.
YOU'VE ASKING THE QUESTION, BUT MAYOR, AGAIN, I'M ASKING TO REFRESH MY MEMORY 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT, IT'S RAINED
[01:30:01]
SINCE THEN.UM, DID WE NOT SOME, AT SOME POINT OF DISCUSSION, DIDN'T WE NOT TALK ABOUT PERHAPS SUPPLYING THIS IF WE MOVE THAT FORWARD, APPLYING IT TO ANOTHER POSITION ALSO? THOSE ARE A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS THAT ALSO GOES AM I, AM I, AM I IMAGINING SOMETHING? YES, SIR.
THIS WILL BE, UM, IN FUTURE ITEMS AS IT RELATES TO, UH, ALL COUNCIL APPOINTEES OTHER THAN THE MUNICIPAL JUDGES.
I I, I, I THOUGHT I REMEMBERED SOMETHING.
UH, RECOMMEND MOVING THIS ITEM FORWARD.
UH, ITEM ITEM 12, ADDING A WAIT TIME BETWEEN SERVICE IN AN ELECTED ROLE AND SERVICE ON THE PLAN COMMISSION.
UH, CURRENTLY THERE IS NO WAITING PERIOD AND THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED NO CHANGE.
AND, AND JUST TO FLIP BACK TO THIS AS WE JUST TALKING ABOUT APPOINTEES, UM, IF I'VE ONLY SEEN THIS HAPPEN ONE TIME IN 11 YEARS, BUT IF THERE IS SOMEONE YOU DO NOT FEEL SHOULD BE ON A BORDER OF COMMISSION, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO VOTE AGAINST THEM.
IT HAS HAPPENED AND IT IS NOT PLEASANT, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED.
SO I, I, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY GOES FROM COUNCIL TO PLAN COMMISSION OR PARKS OR WHATEVER, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, I, I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, THE COUNCIL DOES HAVE THE VOTE TO, UH, IF SO, NO CHANGE.
ITEM 13, VOTE NECESSARY, VOTE NECESSARY TO OVERRIDE PLAN, COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION, UH, NO CHANGE, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH NO CHANGE.
UM, UH, THERE IS ENOUGH TO KEEP THAT OFF.
WHAT NUMBER ARE WE ON NOW? FOUR 14.
AND THIS IS, UH, POWERS GRANTED TO COUNCIL REGARDING PLANNING AND ZONING CHANGES RECOMMENDED, MR. CHAIRMAN? WELL, THIS IS, UH, PRIMARILY STATE DRIVEN BECAUSE OF THE SHOT CLOCK IS GETTING TIGHTER AND TIGHTER AND APPLIES, APPLIES NOW TO PLATTS.
SO YOU ALL ARE GIVEN THE AUTHORITY ON HOW TO HANDLE PLATTS, AND I THINK YOU'LL BE DOING IT THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN THE PLAN COMMISSION BECOMES THE BODY OF, UH, WELL, THEY CAN COME TO US IF THEY'RE, I THINK, I THINK YOU MAY BE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT CHANGE CHAIR.
THIS ONE IS JUST, WE'VE, THIS HAD OLD ANTIQUATED LANGUAGE, WHICH COULD BE, OH, NEVERMIND.
WHICH COULD BE READ, UM, COULD BE READ TO BE LIMITING EVEN IF IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE OR SHOULDN'T BE.
BUT TO AVOID THE FIGHT, WE, WE GOT WITH THE, UH, PLANNING DIRECTOR AND HAVE DECIDED TO SIMPLIFY THE LANGUAGE AND MAKE IT BROAD AS WE ARE A HOME RULE CITY.
WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH THE CHANGES? YES.
MAYOR, WE CAN SKIP BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE THE SERGEANT AT ARMS THROW ME OUT, SO, OKAY.
SO NEEDLESS TO SAY, ITEM 15, UM, YEAH.
IS A YES TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE IT RIGHT, RIGHT.
THAT WOULD BE A, THE UPPER OPTION, RIGHT? YEAH, THE MIDDLE OPTION ON THAT PAGE, YES.
NOW, NOW WE ARE, WHERE ARE WE WRITING IN SUBDIVISION CONTROL ON OUR RIGHT.
I REFER THE CONSULT TO MY PREVIOUS STATEMENTS.
THIS, THIS CHANGE CAME FROM A DIRECT, UH, UH, STATUTE THAT WAS PASSED THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION ABOUT THAT, UM, THIS LANGUAGE THAT WE'VE PROPOSED ADDING HERE AND THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE WOULD JUST GRANT YOU AS THE COUNSEL, THE POWER THAT THE STATUTE HAS NOW SAID THAT YOU CAN HAVE, IT DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY DO IT, BUT IT JUST CONFIRMS THAT YOU CAN DELEGATE THAT AUTHORITY IF YOU SO DECIDE AS THE COUNSEL.
[01:35:01]
KNOW, ROMAN NUMERALS.IT'S JUST, IT'S FUNNY, THE THINGS THAT WE HANG ON TO WITH ROMAN NUMERALS AND THE THINGS THAT WE DITCH.
SUPER BOWLS AND CITY ORDINANCES APPARENTLY ARE THE ONLY THINGS THAT RETAIN ROMAN NUMERALS AT THIS POINT FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
UH, CITY ELECTION, YOU COULD SEE, UH, THE UNIFORM ELECTION DAY, UM, DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD PREVIOUSLY.
SO THAT TAKES US THROUGH ALL THE CHARGE ITEMS. YES.
AND NOW WE HAVE JUST, UH, SEVERAL THAT WERE BY FORTH BY THE COMMITTEE THEMSELVES.
THE FIRST ONE, ARTICLE THREE, SECTION ONE F, REDISTRICT, REDISTRICTING, AND GERRYMANDERING.
YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE LANGUAGE THERE.
ANY OPPOSITION TO MOVING FORWARD? I SEE NONE HERE.
NEXT UP, ARTICLE THREE, SECTION TWO, ADD FELONY PROHIBITION TO RUN FOR COUNSEL.
AND WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO ARGUE THIS? BOY, I THINK WE'RE IN FAVOR OF MOVING FORWARD ON THAT ONE.
FELONY AND CLASS A MISDEMEANOR? YES.
FELONY AND CLASS A MISDEMEANORS.
NEXT IS ARTICLE FOUR, SECTION EIGHT A RELATED TO COUNCIL ITEM 11, LENGTH OF ALLOWED CONTRACT.
THIS APPLIES TO, UH, CITY AUDITOR, UM, NOT TO EXCEED BACK TO THE FIVE YEAR CONTRACT.
SO YES, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON THAT ONE.
ARTICLE SIX, SECTION ONE RELATED TO COUNCIL.
I THOUGHT WE WERE CHANGING THE WORD YEARS TO, DO I GET A VOTE ON THIS ONE? WE HAVE TO, I KNOW, RIGHT? MOVING FORWARD WITH FIVE YEARS CLOSED.
NEXT ARTICLE 11, SECTION ONE E CHANGE RECOMMENDED FOR CLARITY OF APPOINTMENT TO FILL VACANCIES COMMITTEE INITIATED CHANGE DISCUSSION, ADDING ALTERNATE MEMBERS TO PLAN COMMISSION, NO CHANGE.
WELL, THAT'S A NO CHANGE, RIGHT? THEY HAD, THEY HAD TWO ISSUES RELATED TO THIS SECTION, AND THE FIRST ONE WAS, UH, CLARIFYING WHAT COULD BE READ AS AN AMBIGUITY IN THIS SECTION ABOUT WHEN THE, WHEN THE MAYOR COULD AND COULD NOT APPOINT.
UM, SO THIS WAS TO CLARIFY THAT THE, THE MAYOR STEPS IN WHEN IT'S THE AT LARGE MEMBER.
UM, THE COMMITTEE, BECAUSE THIS SECTION WAS ALREADY IN HERE, WE WANTED TO JUST LET YOU KNOW THAT THEY DID DISCUSS ANOTHER CHANGE IN THIS SECTION, BUT DIDN'T, DID, DECIDED THAT THEY RECOMMENDED NO CHANGE ON THAT ISSUE.
SO JUST THE ISSUE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS THE CLARIFICATION TO REDUCE THE AMBIGUITY OF THE MAYOR'S APPOINTMENT.
WE GOOD WITH COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS? AGAIN, THIS IS MY NIGHT FOR UNDERSTANDINGS.
I GUESS I, WHY IS THIS JUST ADDRESSED TO THE PLAN COMMISSION VACANCY? ITS IN WHAT ABOUT OTHER BOARD'S COMMISSION? IT, IT'S THE PLAN COMMISSION SECTION SPECIFICALLY, SIR.
JUST FOR THAT SAKE, RIGHT? YEAH.
IT'S IN THAT SECTION OF THE CHARTER.
THAT'S WHY I ASKED YOU THAT QUESTION.
I DIDN'T ASK SOMEBODY ON THIS END OF THAT QUESTION.
UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS ONE AS PRESENTED.
MAGICALLY, THANKFULLY THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF THIS LIST.
UM, I WILL NOW OPEN IT UP FOR, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL, AND I, COUNCIL COUNCILMAN RE MORRIS.
AND AS, AS WE HAD DISCUSSED, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDED, UM, UNDER ARTICLE THREE, SECTION FIVE, UH, TALKING ABOUT FILLING VACANCIES ON COUNCIL.
UM, WE FOUND OUT WHEN WE WERE DOING THAT IN DISTRICT ONE THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A, UH, A, AN EXPIRATION DATE FOR WAITING FOR THE GOVERNOR TO REFUSE TO CALL AN ELECTION.
SO I WOULD LIKE US TO ADD A 30 OR 60 DAY WHATEVER, UM, COUNSEL THINKS IS APPROPRIATE TIME TO WAIT FOR THE
[01:40:01]
GOVERNOR AND AFTER THAT TO MOVE AHEAD IF WE NEED TO, TO CALL AN ELECTION.AND JUST TO CLARIFY, WE, WE HAD A COUNCIL MEMBER RESIGN.
UH, WE WERE, WE SENT A LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR TO CALL FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION, UH, WHICH WE NEVER GOT A RESPONSE TO.
SO WE MOVED FORWARD
UH, BUT NOW TWO PEOPLE HAVE SINCE FILLED THAT POSITION.
UM, I THINK THAT, UH, ADDING A, ADDING A TIME PERIOD, I, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT.
AND I THINK 30 DAYS IS PLENTY OF TIME TO GET A LETTER FROM AUSTIN.
WE'VE ONLY BEEN WAITING FOUR YEARS.
AND YOU, UM, SO ADDING, ADDING INTO THE LANGUAGE, UM, A 30 DAY WAITING PERIOD TO THAT SECTION, I THINK IS SUFFICIENT.
UM, ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS? I SEE NONE.
SO TELL US THE NEXT STEP, JUST FOR US AND EVERYONE.
SO YOU WILL TAKE THESE ITEMS? YES, SIR.
AND YOU WILL CONVERT THEM TO BALLOT LANGUAGE, RIGHT? I WILL.
WELL, WE'LL CRAFT THE ORDINANCE.
FIRST STEP IS TO CRAFT THE ORDINANCE, RIGHT? FOR Y'ALL TO CALL THE ELECTION, WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE, THE LANGUAGE.
AND IT'LL COME BACK AT YOUR FIRST WORKS, YOUR FIRST REGULAR MEETING IN FEBRUARY, ALONG WITH THE ORDINANCE THAT WE'LL CALL THE ELECTION FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO YOU'LL CALL BOTH, THERE'LL BE SEPARATE ITEMS, BUT YOU'LL CALL THE ELECTION, BOTH ELECTION THE SAME NIGHT.
AND, AND THAT WAS NOT OBJECT
HEY, MR. ENG, MR. ENGLAND, IF I SCREWED THAT UP, COULD, COULD YOU JUST TEXT ME? UM, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS A FRIEND.
AND, AND JUST, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, UH, WHEN THIS DOES COME BACK THROUGH, UM, IT WILL, IT WILL HAVE WHAT WE HAVE MOVED FORWARD WITH.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WILL NEED TO DISCUSS IT AGAIN, BUT THAT OPPORTUNITY WILL EXIST.
BUT JUST KNOW THAT DISCUSSION WILL LOOK A LOT LIKE THE ONE WE'VE JUST HAD THIS EVENING.
SO, UH, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO THE COMMITTEE, UH, ONCE AGAIN AND STAFF.
UM, AND, AND LOTS OF, YOU KNOW, YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH FUN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS WHEN YOU'RE ON THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE, AS, AS I RECALL FROM YEARS BACK AND, AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS.
SO THE, THE MORE I HANG AROUND THESE FOLKS, I MORE GLAD I AM.
IT'S JUST SO CONVOLUTED AND YES.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE FINAL VERSION.
[Consider Appointments to Boards and Commissions]
APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.UM, I, I HAVE, UH, AN APPOINTMENT TOMORROW NIGHT, WHICH I'LL ASK THE MAYOR PRO TIM TO ANNOUNCE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER OT HAS ONE AS WELL.
UM, IN, IN LIEU OF OUR DISCUSSION THAT WE JUST HAD SHORTLY OR A FEW MINUTES AGO, UM, AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS WILL DO IS WHEN WE HAVE BIG BLOCKS OF APPOINTEES, UM, IF WE'RE GONNA GO SECONDS, THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
JUST KNOW THAT THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE FLIP SIDE OF, YOU KNOW, TAKING 30 PEOPLE AT, IN ONE SHOT.
WE WILL, WE WILL GO THROUGH THE APPOINTMENTS IN, IN A MUCH LONGER FORM.
SO TOMORROW NIGHT, UM, WE WILL TAKE THESE TWO ITEMS INDIVIDUALLY, UH, WITH A, WITH A NOMINATION AND A SECOND AND WE WILL VOTE ACCORDINGLY.
ALRIGHT, NEXT UP AND, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE TWO NOMINATIONS COMING FORWARD TOMORROW NIGHT.
UH, NEXT, UH, UP IS ANNOUNCED.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DO WE HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS WAITING IN THE WINGS THIS EVENING? I SEE NONE WITH THAT.