[D. CONSENT AGENDA Items are listed on the Consent Agenda by the City Manager and are recommended to the City Council for single vote approval. An item( s) may be removed from the Consent Agenda for separate vote at the request of a Councilmember, the Mayor, or the City Manager. ]

THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. NEXT, WE MOVE INTO OUR CONSENT AGENDA. ITEMS ARE LISTED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA BY THE CITY MANAGER AND ARE RECOMMENDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR SINGLE VOTE APPROVAL. AN ITEM MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR SEPARATE VOTE AT THE REQUEST OF A COUNCIL MEMBER, THE MAYOR, OR THE CITY MANAGER. FIRST, WE HAVE RECOGNITION OF PROCLAMATION HONORING CLEAN ENERGY WEEK, NATIONAL SENIOR CENTER MONTH, AND CONSTITUTION WEEK, AS WELL AS CONFIRMATION OF REAPPOINTMENT OF LOUIE BRIGHT, THE THIRD TO THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. WILLIE ADAMS, LATONYA SNEED, MARCELLO EONS TO THE CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION, CASSANDRA WESLEY TO THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORY BOARD, MARY DAVIS AND IMAN COMEAUX TO KEEP DESOTO BEAUTIFUL BOARD DANIELLE OTIS AND JAMES CULP, AS WELL AS ALTHEA SATTERFIELD WHITE TO THE BOARD, PARK BOARD, AND KELVIN MOFFITT TO THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO RENEW EMPLOYEE MEDICAL, DENTAL, LIFE AND VISION INSURANCE PRODUCTS AT THE QUOTED RATES FOR PLAN YEAR 2025. CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH ON DUTY HEALTH FOR FIREFIGHTER CANCER SCREENINGS AND PHYSICALS FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $50,163. CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH NORTH CENTRAL FORD OF RICHARDSON, TEXAS, AT A COST NOT TO EXCEED $82,425.92 FOR THE PURCHASE OF A 2024 FORD F-450 REGULAR CAB TRUCK WITH A THREE YARD DUMP BED, AND CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO PUBLISH THE REQUIRED PUBLIC NOTIFICATIONS FOR A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE UPDATED MUNICIPAL DRAINAGE UTILITY SYSTEM FEES AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO BEGIN THE RELATED PUBLIC OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. THANK YOU.

COUNCIL. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR ITEMS REQUESTED TO BE PULLED FROM BEFORE WE CALL FOR A VOTE ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA? HEARING NONE. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY DOCTOR MARK. SECOND BY. PRESENTED COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU.

COUNCIL. AT THIS TIME, I WANT TO TAKE JUST A BRIEF MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE HAVE SEVERAL OF OUR BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS THAT ARE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY THAT WE HAVE APPOINTED OR REAPPOINTED, WE HAVE LOUIE BRIGHT APPOINTED TO OUR CIVIL SERVICE, WILLIE ADAMS TO THE

[00:40:02]

CULTURAL ARTS. IF I CALL YOUR NAME AND YOU ARE HERE, PLEASE STAND SO WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE YOU.

LATANYA SNEED TO THE CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION. MARCELLO ENES TO THE CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION, CASSANDRA WESLEY TO THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORY BOARD, MARY DAVIS TO THE KEEP DESOTO BEAUTIFUL BOARD. ARMOND COMO TO THE KEEP DESOTO BEAUTIFUL BOARD. DANIELLE OTIS TO THE PARKS BOARD, PLEASE. PLEASE REMAIN STANDING SO THAT WE CAN SEE YOU. JAMES CULP TO THE PARKS BOARD.

ALTHEA SATTERFIELD, WHITE TO THE PARKS BOARD AND KELVIN MOFFETT TO THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE THE CITY OF DESOTO. WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE IT AND ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR RESIDENTS THAT GIVE OF THEIR TIME TO BE ABLE TO SERVE ON THESE BOARDS AND ASSIST US WITH HELPING TO KEEP OUR CITY

[1. Conduct a Public Hearing and consider an Ordinance adopting the 2025 Assessment Rate for the Candle Meadow Public Improvement District and the FY 2024-2025 Budget, and levy a Special Assessment]

MOVING FORWARD. MISS THOMAS, AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA. PLEASE NEXT, WE MOVE INTO OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS. ATTENDEES MAY SPEAK ON ANY ITEM NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA, ON ANY ITEM LISTED ON THE AGENDA DURING THAT PORTION OF THE AGENDA. HOWEVER, FOR TOPICS NOT SCHEDULED, ATTENDEES WILL SPEAK DURING CITIZEN APPEARANCES. THE STANDARD TIME LIMIT IS THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER AND MAY BE MODIFIED AT THE MAYOR'S DISCRETION TO MAINTAIN AN EFFICIENT FLOW OF THE MEETING. COMMENT CARDS RELATED TO SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS ARE DUE PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF AN AGENDA ITEM. HOWEVER, COMMENT CARDS RELATED TO THE CITIZEN APPEARANCES PORTION OF THE AGENDA MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE AMBASSADORS TABLE PRIOR TO THE START OF THE MEETING. FIRST, WE HAVE CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE 2025 ASSESSMENT RATE FOR THE CANDLE MEADOW PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AND THE FISCAL YEAR 2425 BUDGET AND LEVY. A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT. MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS ISOM CAMERON, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. MR. CAMERON, BEFORE YOU BEGIN, I WANT TO STATE JUST TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY WITH SPEAKER TIMES TONIGHT, WE'LL MAINTAIN THE TIME OF TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER. SHOULD WE HAVE ANY FOR ANY OF OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS? THANK YOU.

OKAY. SO GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THE CANDLE MEADOW PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT WAS CREATED IN 2000, AND IN THE YEAR 2000 VIA RESOLUTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL. THIS IS A MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS PERIOD, WHICH IS HOW WE REFER TO IT. AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE ASSESSMENTS IS THE REVENUE GENERATED BY THE ASSESSMENTS ARE USED TO PAY FOR THE COST OF THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF THE PID, THE COMMON AREAS AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT ARE SHARED BY THE PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE PID. AND SO WHAT WE DO EACH YEAR IS THE PID BOARD, ADOPTS A BUDGET AND THEY PROVIDE THAT BUDGET TO US. AND THEN BASED ON THAT BUDGET AND THEN THE ASSESSMENT VALUES THAT WE RECEIVE FROM DCAD, I MEAN, DALLAS COUNTY AND DCAD, WE UTILIZE THAT TO ARRIVE AT AN ASSESSMENT RATE, FOR THE PROPERTIES WITHIN THE DISTRICT. AND SO THIS THIS YEAR, THE TAXABLE VALUES FOR KANEMOTO PID CAME IN AT $194,513,560, THE PID SUBMITTED A BUDGET OF $490,387.

AND SO BASED ON THAT, WE'VE CALCULATED AN ASSESSMENT RATE OF, 26.537 $0.08 PER $100 VALUATION TO, BE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO GENERATE THE REVENUES NEEDED TO COVER THAT $490,000 BUDGET, SO YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING TONIGHT IS ASKING COUNCIL TO, ONE CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE DISTRICT AND THEN ALSO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE AS WELL AS THE ASSESSMENT RATE AND THE BUDGET.

SO WHAT WE ALSO DO IS WE PUBLISH NOTICE OF THE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND THE FOCUSED DAILY NEWS THAT WAS PUBLISHED, I THINK ON SEPTEMBER THE FIRST, AS WELL AS WE ALSO PROVIDE THE MAILING LIST AND THE, LIST OF THE PROPERTIES TO, AND EVALUATIONS TO THE PID MANAGEMENT COMPANY AND THE BOARD. AND THEY EMAIL THOSE, I MEAN, MAIL THOSE OUT TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS, MAKING THEM AWARE OF THE ASSESSMENT. SO THAT HAS ALL BEEN DONE. AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING TONIGHT IS ASKING FOR COUNCIL'S APPROVAL. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. WE DO HAVE MEMBERS FROM THE MANAGEMENT, ASSOCIATED FROM THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION AS WELL AS THE HOA BOARD WITH US TONIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CAMERON, COUNCIL, AT THIS TIME, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO MOVED. SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER. SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN, AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENT CARDS? WE HAVE NO COMMENT CARDS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. SO AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO MOVED. SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BYRD TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARIN. COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. COUNCIL AT THIS TIME, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION BEFORE WE ENTERTAIN FURTHER DISCUSSION. MADAM MAYOR. MR. MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED. SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCILMAN BURR. SECOND

[00:45:03]

BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED COUNCIL. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? MADAM MAYOR, I HAVE A QUESTION. PLEASE. MAY I BE ACKNOWLEDGED? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I SEE THAT WE HAVE, MISS HOWARD AND MR. OSBORNE IN THE AUDIENCE.

MY QUESTION IS, THIS INFORMATION WAS PRESENTED TO OTHERS IN YOUR HOA OR YOUR MEETING. HAVE YOU HAD ANY TYPE OF PUSHBACK FROM THAT? ANY OPPOSITION FROM ANY OF THE 500 PLUS RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA? PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE FOR THE RECORD. OKAY. MY NAME IS SHEILA HOWARD. I LIVE IN DESOTO, TEXAS. EVERY YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN BOARD PRESIDENT, I PRESENT THE BUDGET TO THE COMMUNITY. I OFFER THEM TO GIVE INPUT AS TO WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, ALONG WITH IF THEY HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS OR WOULD THEY WANT ADDED OR FEEL LIKE WE COULD DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS YES, MA'AM. THIS YEAR WE DID PRESENT THE BUDGET TO THE COMMUNITY SOMETIME BETWEEN APRIL AND THEN BEFORE WE FINALIZE IT, WE ALSO SUBMITTED TO THE WELL AT A COMMUNITY MEETING SUBMITTED TO THE COMMUNITY FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS OR CHANGES THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND WITH THAT, IF THERE WERE ANY OPPOSITIONS, YOU GUYS WORKED IT OUT AND ALL OF THAT, THERE WERE NONE HERE. PAT BRISCO IS HERE WITH ME TODAY. IF THERE WERE OKAY, SHE WOULD HAVE SPOKE UP AND SAID SO, BUT NO, VERY GOOD. THANK YOU, I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MARKS. YES.

COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR COMING UP. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, I'D LIKE TO JUST ASK, WHEN WE'RE TALKING IN TERMS OF SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT IN ITS VERY NATURE IS ABOVE AND BEYOND. IT'S ABOVE AND BEYOND YOUR ACTUAL DUES. AND SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE BUDGET REQUIRED AN ACTUAL SPECIAL ASSESSMENT THAT WOULD GO ABOVE WHAT YOUR ACTUAL DUES ARE? OKAY, WE ARE A PID, SO WE DON'T HAVE OUR OUR DUES IS BASED ON THE COMMUNITY BUDGET. OKAY. SO THAT IS WHAT OUR DUES ARE SO THAT THERE IS NOTHING, YOU KNOW, SO THE WORD SPECIAL ASSESSMENT IS NOT THE SAME IS NOT THE SAME. WE ONLY HAVE ONE YEAR THAT WE HAD LOOKED AT DOING THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT. BUT WE WORKED IT OUT WITH THE WITH THE CITY, BECAUSE THERE WAS I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO THAT. BUT WE WORKED IT OUT WITH THE CITY TO RESOLVE THAT ISSUE. AND THAT WAS THE ONLY YEAR THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT WE WAS IN THE NEED OF A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT. THESE ASSESSMENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE IT'S A PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. AND THEN IN THAT PID DOCUMENT, WHAT IS ALLOWED TO BE ASSESSED IS LAID OUT IN THAT PID DOCUMENT. OKAY BUT THE WORD I'M JUST ASKING BECAUSE OF THE WORD SPECIAL. I WOULD THINK IS A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT WHICH AN HOA WOULD DO BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING'S GONE WRONG WITH THE POOL. SO THEY ADD THAT. ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. IT'S NOT THAT. THANK YOU I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BURR. THANK YOU, MISS HOWARD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW THE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD VERY WELL. AND I KNOW THAT SINCE THIS BOARD HAS BEEN IN PLACE, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A MASTERFUL JOB OF MAKING SURE THE COMMUNITY STAYED BEAUTIFUL. THE POOL AREA IS ALWAYS WONDERFUL, AND YOU THROW GREAT PARTIES. SO WE APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH, I WILL ASK A QUESTION JUST FOR THE RECORD, YOUR BOARD DID APPROVE THIS BEFORE IT CAME TO US. YES. OKAY. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR MANAGEMENT AND WHAT WE ALSO TRY TO DO IS WHEN IT IS SUBMITTED TO SHOW THE DATE THAT THE BOARD DID APPROVE AND VOTED ON IT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL. I SEE NO ADDITIONAL LIGHTS. WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. AND WE DO HAVE AN ORDINANCE, TO BE READ. MISS THOMAS, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE SERVICE PLAN. THE ASSESSMENT PLAN, SETTING THE ASSESSMENT RATE, AUTHORIZING THE PROPER OFFICIALS OF THE CITY TO DO AND PERFORM CERTAIN ACTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICE PLAN FOR PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE KENDALL MEADOW PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, AND PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. THANK YOU. IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY COUNCILMAN BURT, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, TO APPROVE, AS PRESENTED COUNCIL, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PAD. IF WE CAN HAVE THE SCREEN, PLEASE. ONE MOMENT PLEASE. WHILE HE GETS THEIR SCREEN UP. MR. FIEGER, CAN YOU PLEASE SHOW OUR VOTING SCREEN? THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU. COUNCIL, AT. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU, AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE

[2. Conduct a Public Hearing and consider an Ordinance adopting the 2025 Assessment Rate for the Stillwater Canyon Public Improvement District, and the FY 2024-2025 Budget and levy a Special Assessment]

NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. NEXT, WE HAVE CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE 2025 ASSESSMENT RATE FOR THE STILLWATER CANYON PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AND

[00:50:01]

THE FISCAL YEAR 2425 BUDGET AND LEVY, A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT COMING BACK AS ISOM CAMERON, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. GOOD EVENING AGAIN, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, SO THIS IS THE STILLWATER CANYON PIT, SIMILAR TO THE PUBLIC, THE COUNTY METAL PIT, IT IS A MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION PIT THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2003 VIA RESOLUTION, SO THIS YEAR, THE PIT HAS SUBMITTED A BUDGET OF $251,475, THEIR TOTAL PROPERTY VALUATIONS CAME IN. AT $147,767,120. AND SO BASED ON THAT, WE ARRIVED AT AN ASSESSMENT RATE OF 17.914 $0.00 PER $100 VALUATION. AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT TO BE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO COVER THAT. PROPOSED BUDGET THAT THEY'VE SUBMITTED. SO AGAIN, IN YOUR PACKET, JUST LIKE THE OTHER PACKET YOU HAVE A MAP, THE ASSESSMENT RATE CALCULATION SHEET, BUDGET LETTER. ASSESSMENT ROW, AND THE ORDINANCE THAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO APPROVE AS WELL AS THEIR BUDGET, SO AGAIN, THAT'S MY PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, MR. CAMERON. AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO MOVED. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. MISS THOMAS, DO WE HAVE COMMENT CARDS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK? OKAY. HEARING NONE AT THIS TIME, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING COUNCIL. SO MOVED. IT IS MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, SECONDED BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES, TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCIL ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED. SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. COUNCIL. I WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND, IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY DOCTOR MARX. SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER. BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED. COUNCIL IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE AT THIS TIME. WE DO HAVE AN ORDINANCE FOR THIS ITEM. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE SERVICE PLAN. THE ASSESSMENT PLAN SETTING THE ASSESSMENT RATE, AUTHORIZING THE PROPER OFFICIALS OF THE CITY TO DO AND PERFORM CERTAIN ACTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICE PLAN FOR PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE STILLWATER CANYON. PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER TWO, AND PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUS, PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PADS. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. AT THIS TIME, MISS THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM

[3. Conduct a Public Hearing on the FY 2025 Budget as required by Article VII of the DeSoto City Charter.]

ON OUR AGENDA, PLEASE. NEXT, WE HAVE CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET AS REQUIRED BY ARTICLE SEVEN OF THE DESOTO CITY CHARTER. PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW IS TRACY CORMIER, FINANCE DIRECTOR, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COUNCIL. WELL, WE'RE HERE. FINAL STAGES OF OUR BUDGET PROCESS, I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE FISCAL YEAR 25 PROPOSED BUDGET. INITIALLY, I WILL GIVE A SUMMARY OF THE AGENDA ITEM BEFORE I GO INTO THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATIO. THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN WERE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL ON JULY 11TH, 2024, WITH COPIES MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AND AT VARIOUS CITY FACILITIES. DISCUSSIONS ON THE PROPOSED ITEMS WERE HELD DURING BUDGET WORKSHOPS ON JULY 25TH AND 26TH OF 2024, AND ALSO THE BUSINESS PLAN WAS REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED AT THE COUNCIL'S SUMMER RETREAT ON SEPTEMBER 6TH AND SEVENTH. WITH OUR PROPOSED BUDGET, STAFF IS PROPOSING A TAX RATE OF 0.684934 TO FUND OUR DEBT SERVICE AND OUR GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS, WHICH THIS TAX RATE IS HIGHER THAN THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE OF 0.613457 AND EQUAL TO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE OF 0.684934. WITH THIS PROPOSED RATE BEING EQUAL TO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, THE CITY IS NOT REQUIRED TO HOLD AN ELECTION ALONG WITH THE PROPOSED BUDGET.

THE TAX RATE. STAFF ALSO SUBMITTED A FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN TO 25 TO 2029.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. SOME PROJECTS IDENTIFIED FOR THE PERIOD ARE CURRENTLY UNFUNDED, WITH FUNDING SOURCES TO BE ESTABLISHED AT A LATER DATE. DURING BUDGET DISCUSSIONS INVOLVING THE PUBLIC UTILITY FUND, STAFF IDENTIFIED THE NEED TO RAISE THE BASE, THE BASE AND VOLUME RATE FOR THE WATER SERVICE, AND ALSO THE BASE AND VOLUME RATE FOR THE SEWER SERVICE AND THE PUBLIC UTILITY FUND BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 AND 25, STAFF HAS PROPOSED A 9% INCREASE IN THE WATER BASE AND VOLUME RATES, AND ALSO A 9% INCREASE IN THE SEWER BASE AND VOLUME RATES. DISCUSSIONS ALSO INVOLVE THE SANITATION FUND, WHICH IDENTIFIED THE NEED TO RAISE THE SANITATION RATE TO COVER THE INCREASED OPERATING EXPENDITURES. THE SANITATION BUDGET FUND BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2425 HAS PROPOSED A 5% INCREASE. THE INCREASE PROPOSED

[00:55:05]

IS TO MAINTAIN CURRENT SERVICE LEVELS AND TO COVER THE INCREASE RECYCLING AND DISPOSAL COSTS INCURRED BY THE CITY. OKAY. EXCUSE ME. ALL RIGHT, LET ME BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THE POWERPOINT. OKAY IS IT ON? YEAH OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WITH OUR PROPOSED BUDGET, THERE WERE SOME CHANGES THAT WERE MADE SINCE WE HAD OUR BUDGET WORKSHOPS. AND THOSE CHANGES ARE LISTED, ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE IS WE INCREASED OUR REVENUE BY 554,000. STAFF INITIALLY PROPOSED A TAXABLE VALUE OF 7,000,725 MILLION. IT WAS INCREASED TO 7,000,750 MILLION AFTER WE RECEIVED OUR CERTIFIED VALUES FROM DALLAS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT. WE ALSO INCREASED POLICE OVERTIME 100,000. OUR STANDBY PAY FOR ALL FOR EMPLOYEES, 118,000 ACROSS ALL FUNDS. INCREASE IN THE CITY. PARTICIPANT SHARE IN ANIMAL SHELTER 77,000. INCREASE IN CAR ALLOWANCE 96,000 9600. NEW FINANCIAL SERVICES POSITION POSITION 76,000. PUBLIC SAFETY CONSULTANT FEES 30,000. TRAFFIC STUDIES 60,000. OLD TRAINING 7000. AND THE DRAINAGE MASTER PLAN 55,000. NEXT WE WILL HAVE OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET. OUR PROPOSED REVENUE FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 IS 64,294,000, WHICH IS AT 9.8% INCREASE. OF COURSE, MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUE COMES FROM PROPERTY TAX, WHICH MAKES UP 62% OF OUR BUDGET SALES TAX MAKES UP 18%, ALONG WITH FRANCHISE FEES AT 6%. ON THIS SLIDE HERE JUST SHOWS SOME OF OUR MAJOR REVENUES FOR OUR GENERAL FUND AND THE INCREASE OR DECREASE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR. ON THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS OUR GENERAL FUND PROPOSED TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, 63,914,000, AN INCREASE OF 10.3% OVER FISCAL YEAR 24 ADOPTED BUDGET, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY MAKES UP THE MAJORITY OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET, WHICH IS 48% WITH POLICE AT 28, FIRE AT 20 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COMES IN AT 10%, ALONG WITH PARKS AND RECREATION. TEN, AT 10%. I'M SORRY, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AT 14%, THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS OUR GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR PROPOSED BUDGET AMOUNTS, ALL OF OUR GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS HAD AN INCREASE IN OVERALL EXPENDITURES RELATED TO SALARY AND BENEFIT INCREASES. OTHER INCREASES WERE IN THE AREA OF OPERATIONAL, INCLUDING SMALL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES, COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND SPECIAL EVENTS, AND PROGRAMING. NEXT WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC UTILITY FUND. OUR OVERALL PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 IS 30,499,000, A 8.7% INCREASE. AND WITH OUR REVENUE, MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUE COMES FROM WATER AND SEWER SALES. OUR PUBLIC UTILITY FUND EXPENDITURES OVER PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 IS 30,521,000, AN INCREASE OF 9%. AND MAJORITY OF OUR EXPENDITURES ARE CONTRACTUAL SERVICES TO DALLAS UTILITIES, DALLAS WATER UTILITIES AND TRINITY TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY. OUR SANITATION REVENUE FUND, ARE PROPOSED AT 7.7 MILLION 371,000. AN INCREASE OF 5.5% FOR OVER THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET. AND OUR MOST OF OUR REVENUE COMES FROM RESIDENTIAL FEES AND COMMERCIAL FEES. THE SANITATION EXPENDITURES, PROPOSED OPERATING EXPENDITURE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 IS 7.1 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 2.8%, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, MAJORITY OF OUR FEES ARE PAID TO OUR DISPOSAL AND HAULING SERVICE. THAT IS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, MR. CORMIER. AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM. SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED. SAME SIGN. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. MISS THOMAS, DO WE HAVE ANY CARDS FROM INDIVIDUALS TO WISH TO SPEAK? YES, MA'AM. I HAVE LAURA LIVAS, WHO DOES NOT WISH TO SPEAK. HOWEVER, SHE IS AGAINST THIS ITEM. AND THEN I HAVE ANNA WILLIAMS. GOOD EVENING, MISS WILLIAMS. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME. YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE ONLY. FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK. ANNA WILLIAMS. DESOTO, TEXAS. THANK YOU, THANK ALL OF YOU FOR COMING AND ESPECIALLY THE CITIZENS, I AM TOTALLY

[01:00:05]

AGAINST THE HAMPTON ROAD PROJECT. I DON'T SEE HOW ANY MONEY THAT WE SEE ANYTHING IN THE CITY THAT IS COMING IN FOR THE CITIZENS, WE TALK ABOUT THE TAXES 6.8 FOR WHAT WE SENIOR CITIZENS WHO ARE ON FIXED INCOME. WE GOT TO DEAL WITH THAT. WE CANNOT JUST. WELL, I CAN'T PAY MY TAXES OR WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO, THAT'S A HARDSHIP ON SENIOR CITIZENS. WE GET A WE GET A WE DON'T GET THE SAME SALARIES THAT WE GOT WHEN WE WERE WORKING. WE DO NOW. WE, WE HAVE TO PAY THE SAME BILLS, SAME WATER BILLS, SAME LIGHT BILL, SAME EVERYTHING ELSE. WE DON'T GO UP AGAINST THAT. BUT THE HAMPTON ROAD PROJECT IS SOMETHING THAT IS ON ALL THE CITIZENS HERE IN DESOTO, BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET THE HAMPTON ROAD PROJECT GOING? WE LIVE THROUGH THE FIRST ONE AND NEVER ANY OF THE THING CAME TO FRUITION. AND WE TALKING ABOUT THE HAMPTON ROAD BIKE TRAIL AS DANGEROUS AS HELL. SOMEBODY'S GOING TO GET KILLED, NEW RESTAURANTS, FINE DINING. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, EVER. WE'RE GOING TO GET FINE CHICKEN FINE FISH FINE. TACOS. FINE, WIENERS ON A STICK, BUT NOTHING IS GOING TO COME, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH TO LOVE. YOU DON'T LOVE US. WE LOVE YOU IN FACT, THAT'S WHY WE VOTED FOR YOU. BUT WHEN YOU COME DOWN TO ALL OF THESE THINGS ON PLANNING AND ZONING, WE KNOW THAT ELECTRICITY AND WATER AND ALL OF THAT, BUT ALL THE THINGS THAT COME OUT OF Y'ALL'S MOUTH, WE JUST CAN'T GO FORWARD. THANK YO. THANK YOU, MISS WILLIAMS. AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, WE HAVE NO ADDITIONAL CARDS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK. WE'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE.

ALL OPPOSED. SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED AT THIS TIME. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. YES, MAYOR. MAY I ASK A QUESTION BEFORE WE.

THERE'S NO APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM. WE HAVE A REGULAR AGENDA ITEM FOR APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET.

OKAY, THERE IS. SO THIS IS A DISCUSSION TOPIC, JUST A PUBLIC HEARING. SO WE DON'T HAVE. SO WE DON'T NEED WE WILL HAVE NO READING OF THE ORDINANCE AT THIS TIME AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU,

[4. Conduct a Public Hearing on the FY 2024-2025 tax rate]

AT THIS TIME, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2425 TAX RATE COMING BACK AS TRACY CORMIER, FINANCE DIRECTOR, GOOD EVENING AGAIN, MAYOR. AND COUNCIL, THE PROPOSED TAX RATE WAS PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL AT CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON AUGUST 20TH. THE TAX RATE NECESSARY TO PAY DEBT OBLIGATIONS AND PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF OPERATING SERVICES AS PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET, IS 0.684934. THIS TAX PROPOSED TAX RATE IS 0.00158, LOWER THAN THE TAX RATE OF 2023. THE PROPOSED RATE IS COMPOSED OF TWO PARTS THE DEBT SERVICE RATE AND THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION RATE. THE DEBT SERVICE RATE IS 0.181000, WHICH IS A DECREASE FROM THE TAX YEAR 2023 RATE. THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION RATE IS 0.503934. AN INCREASE OF 0.00449 FROM THE TAX YEAR 23 AMOUNT. ADOPTING THIS TAX RATE WILL ENABLE THE CITY TO COVER THE COST OF ITS PROPOSED EXPENDITURES. THE OVERALL TAX RATE IS 0.00158, LOWER THAN THE TAX IN THE TAX YEAR 23, AND WILL PROVIDE FUNDING FOR OPERATING EXPENSES AND PAYMENT AND DEBT OBLIGATIONS. THIS BUDGET WILL RAISE MORE IN TOTAL PROPERTY TAXES THAN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET BY 6,389,000, AND OF 1,067,000 OF THAT AMOUNT IS TAX REVENUE FROM NEW PROPERTY ADDED TO THE TAX ROLL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CORMIER. AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BURR TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED. SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. MISS THOMAS, DO WE HAVE ANY CARDS? WE HAVE NO CARDS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK. SO AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES. SECOND BY. I'LL GIVE IT TO THE LADY ON THE DAIS. MISS CHISOLM, TO CLOSE THE

[01:05:03]

PUBLIC HEARING COUNCIL ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, IS THERE A MOTION FOR THIS ONE AS WELL, OR ARE WE MOVING? OKAY, SO WE WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM COUNCIL. WE HAVE THESE ITEMS THAT WE WILL BE SEEING HERE IN THE SECOND HALF OF OUR AGENDA UNDER REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS. SO IF YOU CAN HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FOR THAT ITEM, THAT WAY WE CAN GET THROUGH OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS TO ALLOW OUR RESIDENTS AND PUBLIC TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS, AND WE CAN HEAR AND FIELD YOUR QUESTIONS AT THAT TIME. IS THAT

[5. Conduct a Public Hearing to discuss and consider the removal of Domestic Violence Advisory Commission Place 2 member Derryl Godfrey for being absent from three (3) or more consecutive regular Domestic Violence Advisory Commission (DVAC) meetings without City Council approval]

OKAY? OKAY. THANK YOU, AT THIS TIME, MISS THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. NEXT, WE HAVE CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER THE REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORY COMMISSION PLACED TWO MEMBER DARRELL GODFREY FOR BEING ABSENT FROM THREE OR MORE CONSECUTIVE REGULAR MEETINGS WITHOUT CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL, PROVIDING A BRIEF OVERVIEW. I WILL BE DOING THAT ALONG WITH INPUT FROM POLICE CHIEF COSTA. SO JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND.

COUNCIL DARRELL GODFREY WAS INITIALLY APPOINTED TO DEEVAK PLACE TWO IN NOVEMBER OF 23 TO SERVE A TWO YEAR TERM. FOLLOWING HIS APPOINTMENT, STAFF LIAISON BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE IN SPRING OF 2024 THAT MR. GODFREY HAD NOT BEEN IN ATTENDANCE TO THE MEETINGS, NOR HAD HE BEEN RESPONSIVE TO EMAILS OR PHONE CALLS. THE CITY SECRETARY'S CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE DID REACH OUT ON MAY 13TH BY PHONE, AND HE ADVISED THAT HE WOULD BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR THE NEXT MEETING. ON JULY 15TH. AN EMAIL WAS SENT REGARDING HIS ABSENCE TO TRY AND GAUGE HIS CONTINUED INTEREST IN THE BOARD. AN OFFICIAL WARNING LETTER WAS SENT TO MR. GODFREY ON AUGUST 1ST OF 2024, WITH NO RESPONSE RECEIVED. THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE MADE FINAL ATTEMPTS THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 9TH VIA EMAIL, PHONE CALL AND TEXT WITH NO RESPONSE. ACCORDING TO ORDINANCE 13 01-99 AND THE GUIDE FOR DESOTO PUBLIC OFFICIALS HANDBOOK APPROVED BY RESOLUTION 1308 BY CITY COUNCIL ON JUNE 4TH OF 2013. IT STATES ANY ANY MEMBER OF A BOARD OR COMMISSION SHOULD BE ABLE TO ATTEND ALL REQUIRED MEETINGS. ANY PERSON ABSENT FROM THREE OR MORE CONSECUTIVE REGULAR MEETINGS OF SUCH BOARD OR COMMISSION, OR CORPORATION WITHOUT APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MAY BE REMOVED FROM SUCH BOARD BY THE CITY COUNCIL AFTER A NOTICE AND A PUBLIC HEARING. ALSO, ANY BOARD OR ANY MEMBER OF BOARD OR COMMISSION WHO IS ABSENT FROM 30% OR MORE OF THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS WITHIN EACH OF ANY TWO CONSECUTIVE SIX MONTH PERIODS MAY BE REMOVED FROM SUCH BOARD OR COMMISSION BY THE CITY COUNCIL AFTER A NOTICE AND A PUBLIC HEARING. AT THIS TIME, MR. GODFREY HAS BEEN GIVEN AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTACT THE CITY TO INFORM US IF ANY OTHER COMMITMENTS PREVENTED HIM FROM SERVING AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RESPONSES, TO ANY METHOD OF COMMUNICATION AT THIS TIME, AND THUS HAS VACATED HIS POSITION ON THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, PROVIDED BOTH WRITTEN AND TEXT CORRESPONDENCE THAT EXPRESS THAT IF WE DID NOT RECEIVE SUCH RESIGNATION LETTER, A PUBLIC HEARING WOULD BE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF REMOVAL FROM THE BOARD ON SEPTEMBER 11TH. MR. GODFREY WAS NOTIFIED BY THE CITY SECRETARY BY EMAIL AND TEXT THAT A PUBLIC HEARING WAS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 17TH TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER HIS REMOVAL FROM THE BOARD. THERE IS NO FINANCIAL IMPACT AND AT THIS TIME STAFF HAS NO RECOMMENDATION OR OPINION REGARDING THIS MATTER AND AT THIS TIME I WILL ASK IF CHIEF COSTA HAS ANY ADDITIONAL INPUT, THE ONLY THING I'D LIKE TO ADD IS THAT HE HAS BEEN UNRESPONSIVE TO ANY, ATTEMPTS AT CONTACTING MR. GODFREY, AND HE IS NOT HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL. SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. ARE THERE ANY COMMENT CARDS, MISS THOMAS? THERE ARE NO COMMENT CARDS. SO AT THIS TIME WE WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL. SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED. SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. COUNCIL, IS THERE A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS PRESENTED SECOND. I'M SORRY, MAYOR PRO TEM, CAN YOU PLEASE RESTATE YOUR MOTION? I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED. SECOND, THERE IS NO RECOMMENDATION. SO WE NEED A WE NEED A RECOMMENDATION. STAFF DID NOT GIVE US A RECOMMENDATION ON THIS ITEM. SO WE I RECOMMEND THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REMOVAL.

SO I NEED TO READ IT. THANK YOU. IT SAYS ON HERE OKAY. AND COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM IS THAT WHAT. WHAT YOUR SECOND. YES MA'AM. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, PROPERLY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REMOVAL OF MR. DARRYL GODFREY, FROM THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORY COMMISSION.

COUNCIL IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION I'D LIKE TO HAVE? YES, COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER. OKAY, SO, AS I SAID BEFORE, I THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT BUSINESS HAS TO TAKE PLACE AND PEOPLE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS. ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, WHETHER THEY'RE ON A BOARD OR NOT, ON A BOARD.

HOWEVER IN THIS PARTICULAR PARTICULAR INSTANCE, AND I GET THAT WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THIS PERSON, BUT MOVING FORWARD, I WOULD LIKE FOR US AS A AS A BODY TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE NOT ONL, COMMUNICATE WITH THE, THE LIAISON OF THE ACTUAL BOARD, BUT ALSO THE PERSON WHO APPOINTED

[01:10:03]

THEM TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THAT MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'VE DONE ALL OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO GIVE SOMEONE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR RIGHTS. AND THAT'S JUST KIND OF HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I SAID THAT OUT LOUD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL. SURE THING, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION. WHAT I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND FOR THE DVAC COMMITTEE IS THIS ONE. THAT IS WHERE WE APPOINT OR IS THIS ONE OF THE ONES WHERE WE INTERVIEW AS A COLLECTIVE? AND THEN IS THIS ONE OF THE ONES WHERE IT'S PLACE SPECIFIC, OR IS THIS ONE OF THE ONES THAT'S OPEN TO ANY IF IT IS AN APPOINTMENT TO ANYONE? IT'S PLACE SPECIFIC.

SO IT IS APPOINTED BY THE PLACE? YES, IT'S APPOINTED BY THE PLACE. DO YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN THE PLACE OR. THAT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT. THAT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT OKAY. THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WELCOME. AND WHAT PLACE IS THIS PERSON IN? TWO TWO. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM. YES, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE. BECAUSE I, I'VE DEALT WITH THIS IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, SERVING ON THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT THERE IS A PROCESS IN PLACE TODAY ON HOW WE COMMUNICATE. REGARDING PEOPLE WHO ARE ABSENT. AND THAT PROCESS. AND IT ACTUALLY WAS A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER THAT THAT LET ME KNOW WHEN I INBOXED THEM ABOUT SOMEONE THEY APPOINTED THAT THE PROCESS ACTUALLY WORKS WHERE THE STAFF INFORMS YOU AND YOU DO THAT YOUR OFFICE DOES THE OUTREACH AT THAT POINT. RIGHT? AND SO FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF BECAUSE MY COLLEAGUE AT THE OTHER END OF THE I WANTED TO, I'M ASSUMING THE MISSING PIECE IS THE PERSON THAT APPOINTED THEM. IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? THAT DOESN'T TRADITIONALLY HAPPEN OR DOES HAPPEN? IT SHOULD TRADITIONALLY HAPPEN, YES. I WILL NOTE THAT THIS PARTICULAR BOARD AND THE ONE THAT WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW NEXT HAVE HAD ABOUT 3 OR 4 MONTHS OF COUNCIL MEETINGS. AND SO AND THEN AND THEN TO EXTEND EXTRA EFFORT TO TRY TO NOTIFY. BUT IT IS NOTED. SO IF THAT WAS MISSED IN THE PROCESS I OWN THAT. SO OKAY OKAY I THOUGHT THERE WAS A PROCESS. SO THANK YOU. AND I KNOW THAT THE ABSENCES CAN DRIVE THAT AS WELL. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS CLEAR BECAUSE I'VE I'VE GONE THROUGH THIS BEFORE AND IT'S GONE PRETTY SMOOTH. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL AT THIS TIME THERE IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND THERE IS NO ORDINANCE REQUIRED TO BE READ. SO PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PADS, THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS TO PROCEED WITH REMOVAL OF MR. DARRELL GODFREY FROM THE DESOTO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORY COMMISSION. AND THAT MOTION PASSES SIX ONE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. AT THIS TIME, MISS

[6. Conduct a Public Hearing to discuss and consider the removal of Citizens Police Advisory Committee (CPAC) - Place 7 member Omer Siddiqui for being absent from three (3) or more consecutive regular Citizens Police Advisory Committee (CPAC) meetings without City Council approval]

THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. YES, MA'AM. NEXT, WE HAVE CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER THE REMOVAL OF CITIZENS, POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE PLACED SEVEN MEMBER AMIR SIDDIQUI FOR BEING ABSENT FROM THREE OR MORE CONSECUTIVE REGULAR CITIZEN POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS WITHOUT CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL, AND MYSELF AND CHIEF COSTA WILL PROVIDE A LITTLE BACKGROUND. MR. AMIR WAS INITIALLY APPOINTED TO CPAC PLACE SEVEN IN NOVEMBER OF 23, TO SERVE A TWO YEAR TERM. FOLLOWING HIS APPOINTMENT, THE STAFF LIAISON BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE IN SPRING OF 24 THAT MR. SIDDIQUI HAD BEEN IN ATTENDANCE TO ONE MEETING, NOT ANY MEETINGS, NOR HAD BEEN RESPONSIVE TO EMAILS OR PHONE CALLS. THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE DID REACH OUT TO HIM ON MARCH 7TH BY PHONE, AND HE ADVISED THAT HE WOULD BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR THE NEXT MEETING.

ON JULY 15TH, PHONE COMMUNICATION WAS INITIATED REGARDING HIS ABSENCE TO TRY AND GAUGE HIS CONTINUED INTEREST IN THE BOARD. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO ANSWER. AN OFFICIAL WARNING LETTER WAS SENT TO MR. SIDDIQUI ON AUGUST 1ST, 2024, WITH NO RESPONSE RECEIVED. FINAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE ON THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 9TH VIA EMAIL, PHONE CALL AND TEXT ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH, THE CITY SECRETARY SPOKE WITH MR. SIDDIQUI BY PHONE, WHO EXPRESSED CONTINUED INTEREST IN SERVING. I ADVISED HIM THAT AT THIS TIME IT WOULD BE THE COUNCIL, BE THE COUNCIL'S DECISION ON HOW THEY WISH TO PROCEED AND THE FINDINGS ARE THE SAME AS BEFORE.

ACCORDING TO ORDINANCE 13 01-99 AND THE GUIDE FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS HANDBOOK, APPROVED BY RESOLUTION 1301, IT STATES ANY MEMBER OF A BOARD OR COMMISSION SHOULD BE ABLE TO ATTEND ALL REQUIRED MEETINGS AND ANY PERSON ABSENT FROM THREE OR MORE CONSECUTIVE REGULAR MEETINGS OF SUCH BOARD WITHOUT APPROVAL OF COUNCIL MAY BE REMOVED FROM SUCH BOARD BY THE COUNCIL AFTER A NOTICE AND A PUBLIC HEARING. ALSO, ANY MEMBER OF A BOARD OR COMMISSION WHO IS ABSENT FROM 30% OF THE REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETINGS WITHIN EACH OF THE TWO CONSECUTIVE SIX MONTH PERIODS MAY BE REMOVED FROM SUCH BOARD AS WELL BY COUNCIL. AFTER A NOTICE AND PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, MR. SIDDIQUI WAS NOTIFIED BY THE CITY SECRETARY BY PHONE AND EMAIL THAT A PUBLIC HEARING WAS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 17TH TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER HIS REMOVAL FROM CPAC.

[01:15:01]

MR. SIDDIQUI INFORMED THAT HE WOULD ATTEND TO PROVIDE REMARKS ON HIS BEHALF TO CITY COUNCIL.

THERE IS NO FINANCIAL IMPACT AND STAFF AGAIN HAS NO RECOMMENDATION OR OPINION ON THIS REGARDING THIS MATTER AND MR. SIDDIQUI IS PRESENT AND WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK. THANK YOU.

CHIEF, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? ONLY I WAS GOING TO TELL YOU THAT HE IS HERE. HE'S PRESENT. HE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE.

ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL WE DO HAVE. DO WE HAVE ANY CARDS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK, MR. SIDDIQUI IS HERE IF YOU CAN COME UP. MR. SIDDIQUI. THANK YOU. HELLO GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. I'D LIKE TO START BY FIRST APOLOGIZING FOR MY ABSENCE. BUT HOPEFULLY TRY TO EXPLAIN MY ABSENCE AND THE HOPES OF POTENTIALLY STAYING ON THE COMMISSION BECAUSE I AM INTERESTED IN STAYING SO I WAS INFORMED AS, RECENTLY THAT MY EMAIL ADDRESS THAT THEY HAD BEEN REACHING WAS AN EMAIL ADDRESS FROM TWO JOBS AGO. I'VE SWITCHED FIRMS SINCE THEN, TWICE NOW, AND SO I DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THAT EMAIL ADDRESS. AS FOR THE PHONE CALLS, I'M SURE THEY DID CALL, BUT I HAD, MY PHONE SET WHERE IF THERE'S A NUMBER THAT IS NOT SAVED TO MY CONTACTS, IT AUTOMATICALLY REJECTS THOSE CALLS. AND SO, NOW I HAVE PROVIDED ANOTHER EMAIL ADDRESS THAT I CAN BE REACHED AT VERY EASILY. IT'S MY PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS NOW. NO MORE. IF MY PROVIDING A WORK ADDRESS. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT BASED ON THE BYLAWS, REMOVED MY REMOVAL IS COMPLETELY LEGITIMATE. I UNDERSTAND IF I AM REMOVED.

THERE'S NO HARD FEELINGS HERE, BUT I WOULD ASK YOU TO CONSIDER MY ALLOWANCE TO STAY ON THE COMMISSION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. SIDDIQUI, YOU CAN STAY NEARBY AT THIS TIME, IF COUNCIL HAS ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR YOU, WE'LL DO THAT DURING THE TIME THAT'S ALLOTTED IN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR COUNCIL'S QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. WE APPRECIATE THAT, AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER CARDS OR INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING COUNCIL ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED. SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, COUNCIL, I WILL ALLOW FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS BEFORE WE ENTERTAIN A MOTION, IF ANY, IF ANY HAS. SINCE MR. SIDDIQUI IS HERE, I WILL ALLOW FOR THAT. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AS THE LIAISON FOR, THE CITIZENS POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THIS COMMITTEE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS HAS GONE THROUGH QUITE A ROLLER COASTER RIDE. I THINK THE FIRST YEAR OF MY ME BEING ON THE COUNCIL, WE STRUGGLED WITH ATTENDANCE WITH VARIOUS, APPOINTMENTS AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. MANY MEETINGS OF MEETING QUORUM, WE ACTUALLY CAME BEFORE THE COUNCIL. COUNCIL CONSIDERED, LOWERING, LOWERING THE QUORUM AMOUNT. THAT'S HOW BAD IT HAD GOTTEN IN ORDER TO DO BUSINESS, WE HAVE TO AND TO MOVE FORWARD IN VOTES, WE HAVE TO HAVE A QUORUM. I WOULD REALLY LOVE FOR, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. SIDDIQ. IF I CAN ASK IT, AS A LIAISON, IF YOU CAN COME BACK UP, PLEASE. BECAUSE I CAN UNDERSTAND CHANGING JOBS, I CAN UNDERSTAND, NOT YOU. I HAD ROBOKILLER ON MY PHONE AT ONE POINT IN TIME UNTIL I REALIZED IT WAS KILLING ALL THE CALLS, SO I GET IT RIGHT, HOWEVER, THE MEETING TIME HASN'T CHANGED.

YES, THAT'S CORRECT. AND THE TIME HASN'T CHANGED, AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN YOU. AND SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS, OUTSIDE OF THOSE LIFE EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SHOW? I HONESTLY DON'T HAVE A VALID EXCUSE. I REALLY DON'T, I REALLY DON'T HAVE AN EXCUSE, MY MOM IS MY EMERGENCY CONTACT THAT I HAD WRITTEN ON MY CARD. AND SO THE REASON I WAS EVEN TOLD ABOUT THIS IS BECAUSE MY MOM HAD BEEN REACHED OUT TO. AND THEN SHE PUT ME ON NOTICE, AND I CAME. BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THE MEETING TIME HASN'T CHANGED. I REMEMBER IT'S TUESDAY AT 6 P.M.

AND I EVEN KNOW WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, BUT IT HAD SLIPPED MYIND. AND SO ASIDE FROM THAT, I REALLY DON'T HAVE AN EXCUSE FOR YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HONESTY. AND IT'S MONDAY AT 6 P.M, BUT I DO, I WANTED TO SAY, AND I ACTUALLY, THIS IS BITTERSWEET BECAUSE YOUR SKILL SET IS ONE THAT I COULD APPRECIATE. YOU'RE AN ATTORNEY, THE ARGUMENTS THAT YOU MADE IN

[01:20:02]

OUR MEETINGS WAS VERY VALUABLE. I APPRECIATED THAT BEFORE THIS MEETING. I DID REACH OUT TO THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT IF I MAKE ANY DECISIONS, I'M NOT MAKING IT BASED ON MY PERSONAL, MY PERSONAL FEELINGS. RIGHT. BECAUSE THIS THIS ISN'T PERSONAL, RIGHT? I'M MAKING IT BASED ON WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COMMITTEE. AND THEY DIDN'T THE CHAIR OF IT DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD. AND I RESPECT THEIR LEADERSHIP MORE THAN ANYTHING. AND SO THAT WILL BE I WILL FOLLOW SUIT WITH THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ON THIS DECISION. BUT I HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE THAT YOU DO USE THAT SKILL SET FOR GOOD IN DESOTO, BECAUSE WE COULD DEFINITELY USE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. CHISOLM, COUNCIL MEMBER I THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND MR. I THOUGHT I WAS NEXT, BUT. OH PLEASE GO AHEAD. DOCTOR MARCUS, I ACQUIESCED. THAT'S FINE. GREAT. THANK YOU, MR. SIDDIQUI. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING. I KIND OF LIKE, MY COLLEAGUE. WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THINGS COME UP FROM TIME TO TIME, WE TEND TO GET BUSY AND ALL OF THAT, BUT WHEN WE'RE, BEEN APPOINTED AND OR ASSIGNED TO A PARTICULAR JOB ISSUE, A JOB SEAT THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO PERFORM HERE FOR THE CITY, WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CITY BUSINESS UNTIL WE MAKE DECISIONS. AND IN ORDER TO MAKE DECISIONS, WE NEED PEOPLE IN THE SEAT. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SAY IS, WE APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU DID PUT IN, OF COURSE, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE A SYSTEM, AND I THINK WE SHOULD STICK TO THE SYSTEM. AND ONCE WE STICK TO THE SYSTEM, I DON'T THINK WE CAN GO WRONG WITH THAT. SO I WILL BE VOTING NO, THIS AFTERNOON FOR THIS PARTICULAR CASE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BURKE. MR. SIDDIQUI, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND BEFORE I VOTE, I'D LIKE TO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR EVEN APPLYING FOR THE POSITION. AND I UNDERSTAND THE CHANGE OF JOB.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT YOU STAY? WHY? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? WHY DO YOU WANT TO SERVE ON THIS? I BEFORE I VOTE, I'D LIKE TO KNOW. I UNDERSTAND THAT WE ALL GET BUSY AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THINGS HAPPEN, BUT WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT YOU STAY ON THIS PARTICULAR COMMISSION AND.

AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT YOU CONTINUE TO SERVE? BECAUSE OF WHAT COUNCIL WOMAN CHISHOLM SAI.

I DO THINK THAT I HAVE A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK ON HOW THE POLICE WORKS, GIVEN MY, JOB STATUS AS AN ATTORNEY, AND I DO REMEMBER THE TIME THAT I DID COME. I REMEMBER I HAD DIFFERENT POINTS THAT I WAS ABLE TO MAKE THAT OTHER PEOPLE WEREN'T THINKING ABOUT. AND SO I DO THINK THAT IF I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND MORE, I CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE MY, THOUGHT PROCESS AND GUIDANCE. YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SAYING I'M SMARTER THAN ANYONE. I'M JUST SAYING THAT I LOOK AT THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. BUT AGAIN, AS COUNCILWOMAN MARK SAID, YOU GUYS HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE, SO IF THE DECISION IS NO, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND AND I APPRECIATE YOUR CANDOR AND I APPRECIATE YOUR DESIRE TO WANT TO CONTINUE TO SERVE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INFORMATION. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HONESTY, I JUST HAD A QUESTION. HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE SINCE YOU'VE BEEN CONTACTED TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS? HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO ANY OF THEM? THE CHAIR, THE VICE OR ANYONE ELSE ON THE. NO I HAVEN'T. NO. OKAY. SO THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE. NO. ONLY THE WOMAN WHO HAD CONTACTED MY MOM. I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK TO HER. I THINK THAT WAS YOU OKAY? YES. I SPOKE TO HER VERY BRIEFLY, EXPLAINING THE SITUATION ABOUT THE PHONE CALL AND THE EMAIL.

BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, NO, MA'AM. OKAY WELL, THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO SERVE. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL. SURE THING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING DOWN AND PLEADING YOUR CASE. AND I DEFINITELY WILL CONCUR. MY COLLEAGUES JUST IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT WHAT THE CHAIR BELIEVES AND WHAT THE LIAISON, YOU KNOW, THINKS AS THIS AS THIS MOVE FORWARD AS WELL AS WHAT WAS MENTIONED RELATED TO PROCESS. BUT THE FACT THAT YOU DID COME DOWN TO PETITION FOR YOURSELF AND YOU'VE ANSWERED OUR QUESTIONS, THAT DOES MEAN SOMETHING AND IT MEANS SOMETHING TO ME. AND SO FOR ME, WHAT I NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS MOVING FORWARD. WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A SCHEDULED, IF IT'S THE SAME REGULARLY SCHEDULED, AND IF IT'S THE, YOU KNOW, SAME CHAIR, DIFFERENT POINTS OF CONTACT, MOVING FORWARD, HOW WOULD WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU IN TERMS OF ENSURING THAT YOU HAVE THIS ON YOUR CALENDAR OR ENSURING THAT YOU COMMUNICATE? I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT PART LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE WE WHAT WAS STATED IS REALLY IMPORTANT. WE REALLY DEPEND ON OUR RESIDENTS TO BE CONTENT EXPERTS IN THE DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT WE DO HAVE IN THE CITY, AND SKILL SETS REALLY DO MATTER. AND SO WE NEED EVERYONE'S SKILL SETS AT THE

[01:25:03]

TABLE. HOWEVER, I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND, LIKE, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE FOR YOU MOVING FORWARD? SHOULD SHOULD IT GO THE WAY YOU WANT IT TO GO? I THINK YOUR POINT ABOUT THE CALENDAR IS A VALID POINT. THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST PRACTICAL, OBJECTIVE CHANGE I CAN MAKE. PUT IT ON MY CALENDAR AS COUNCIL. CHISHOLM COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM HAD SAID. I MEAN, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS MONDAY AT SIX. I THOUGHT IT WAS TUESDAY AT SIX, YOU KNOW, AND SO I WILL HAVE THAT ON MY CALENDAR AND ATTEND FROM THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN PARKER. I GUESS I'LL ROUND IT OUT WITH JUST ONE QUESTION REAL QUICK FOR OUR CITY SECRETARY. HE WAS APPOINTED LAST YEAR. AT THE SAME TIME IN NOVEMBER. OKAY. AND I COME FROM A DIFFERENT PLACE, I, I'VE HAD SOME LIFE HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, FOR ME. AND IN MY. I'M, I'M A STICKLER FOR VOLUNTEERISM AND MY IDEA OF MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE GET THE RIGHT FOLKS IN THE RIGHT SPOTS TO GIVE THE RIGHT MIX, IF YOU WILL, IS MORE IMPORTANT TO ME SOMETIMES THAN NECESSARILY SAYING IT'S ALL ABOUT WHAT THIS PERSON DIDN'T SHOW UP. MAYBE YOU HAD SOME LIFE HAPPEN TO YOU, AND I HOPE THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE YOUR MOVE FORWARD. I'M A PROCESS DRIVEN PERSON, BUT I ALSO LIKE GIVING PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT RIGHT. AND IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE IS WHEN I'M GOING TO DECIDE TO DO JUST THAT, I'M GOING TO VOTE THAT YOU STAY, BECAUSE I THINK THAT YOUR SKILL SET IS NEEDED.

AND I BELIEVE THAT LIFE HAPPENS AND IT DOES. I KNOW FOR A FACT IT DID. AND SO I HOPE THAT YOU WILL TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY IF YOU SHOULD MOVE FORWARD. I KNOW THAT YOU HAD OTHERS THAT SAID OTHER OTHERWISE, BUT IF YOU SHOULD MOVE FORWARD, THAT YOU EVEN IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN FOR THIS, WHATEVER IT IS, WHEN YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING FOR THE CITY THAT YOU TAKE THAT VOLUNTEERISM AS IMPORTANT AS EVERYTHING ELSE BECAUSE IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. AND I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, MR. DICKEY, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR JUST YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE. AND AGAIN, COMING OUT TO ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF AND SPEAKING UP FOR YOURSELF, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE REALLY ECHOED AND ASKED ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WAS GOING TO ASK IN TERMS OF JUST WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE MOVING FORWARD. AND I TEND TO I'M LEANING A LITTLE BIT MORE TOWARDS TO MY LEFT HERE, WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, IN TERMS OF JUST GIVING PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO GET IT RIGHT. I THINK THE FACT THAT YOU SHOWED UP HERE TONIGHT SPEAKS VOLUMES TO ME, AND I HOPE THAT WITH YOU, COMING HERE TONIGHT, THAT THAT THAT WHAT COMES WITH IT IS A RENEWED COMMITMENT TO BE A PART OF THAT AND TO BE A VERY ACTIVE VOICE ON THAT BOARD. SO I'LL BE VOTING THAT YOU STAY. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS YOU WANTED TO. OKAY THANK YOU. COUNCIL. THERE IS NO ORDINANCE TO BE READ. HOWEVER, WE DO NEED A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. PLEASE MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE REMOVE THE AGENDA ITEM THAT ASKS US TO REMOVE MR. SIDDIQUI AND THAT HE IS ALLOWED TO STAY. CAN YOU REFRAME THAT IN THE AFFIRMATIVE? MAYOR PRO TEM, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE MOVING. I MOVE THAT WE DENY THIS AGENDA ITEM REQUEST. THERE IS NO THERE IS. SO HERE THERE IS AGAIN LIKE THE PREVIOUS ONE, THERE IS NO RECOMMENDATION. SO NO. SO THERE IS NO RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF TO MOVE AS APPROVED OR PRESENTED. SO WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH OUR OWN MOTION, WHETHER YOU'RE MOVING THAT WE LET HIM REMAIN OR THAT YOU'RE MOVING TO REMOVE HIM SO THAT HAS TO BE, STATED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, I MOVE THAT WE ALLOW HIM TO STAY. IS THERE A SECOND? THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER TO ALLOW MR. AMIR SIDDIQUI TO REMAIN ON THE, TO REMAIN ON THE CITIZEN'S POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE REMAINDER OF. I'M GOING TO KIND OF ENHANCE THAT SO THAT WE CAN BE EVEN MORE CLEAR FOR THE REMAINDER OF HIS TERM. THAT HE IS HERE. COUNCIL DOES. IS EVERYBODY CLEAR ON WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON? THANK YOU. PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PAD. THAT MOTION PASSES SIX ONE. THANK YOU. MAYOR, MAY I ASK A QUESTION? CERTAINLY, IF HE IF MR. SIDDIQUI BECOMES ABSENT AGAIN, THIS THIS PROCESS STARTS ALL OVER. YES. OKAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU. CONGRATULATE YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. GO AND BE GREAT.

[1. Consider a Resolution approving the negotiated settlement between the Atmos Cities Steering Committee (ACSC) and Atmos Energy Corporation, Mid-Tex Division regarding the company's 2024 Rate Review Mechanism (RRM) filing; declaring existing rates to be unreasonable; adopting tariffs that reflect rate adjustments consistent with the negotiated settlement; finding the rates to be set by the settlement tariffs to be just and reasonable and in the public interest; approving establishing a benchmark for pensions and retiree medical benefits, and requiring the company to reimburse ACSC's reasonable remaking expenses]

AT THIS TIME, MR. THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. NEXT WE MOVE INTO OUR REGULAR AGENDA. WE HAVE CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT BETWEEN THE ATMOS CITY STEERING COMMITTEE AND ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION. MID TEXAS DIVISION, REGARDING THE COMPANY'S 2024 RATE REVIEW MECHANISM. FILING DECLARING EXISTING RATES TO BE UNREASONABLE, ADOPTING TARIFFS THAT REFLECT RATE ADJUSTMENTS CONSISTENT WITH THE NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT. FINDING THE RATES TO BE SET BY THE SETTLEMENT TARIFFS TO BE JUST AND REASONABLE AND IN

[01:30:04]

THE PUBLIC INTEREST. APPROVING ESTABLISHING A BENCHMARK FOR PENSIONS AND RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS, AND REQUIRING THE COMPANY TO REIMBURSE ACCESS. REASONABLE REMAKING EXPENSES.

MAKING THE INTRODUCTION, AS CHARLES BREWER, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR. GOOD. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. WE'RE AGAIN FOLLOWING A REQUEST BY ATMOS TO INCREASE RATES, THE CITY OF DESOTO IS ONE OF 181 MID TEXAS CITIES THAT ARE A PART OF THE ATMOS STEERING COMMITTEE.

THIS COMMITTEE IS REPRESENTED BY A LEGAL FIRM, LORD GOSSETT'S, A PART OF THE PROCESS IN 2007 ESTABLISHED A RATE MECHANISM ON DETERMINE WHAT THE RATES WOULD BE. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, IN APRIL OF APRIL OF THIS YEAR, ATMOS FILED ANOTHER REQUEST FOR RATE INCREASE. WHAT THEY BASED IT ON WAS CLAIMING THAT THEIR COST OF SERVICE FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2023 ENTITLED THEM TO A SYSTEM WIDE REVENUE OF 196.8 MILLION THROUGH OUR REPRESENTATIVES, CITY ATTORNEY, REPRESENTATIVE. IT WAS. THIS CASE WAS SETTLED, SAVING ABOUT 32.1 MILLION, AND THAT CASE WAS SETTLED AT 164.7 MILLION. ATMOS IS INDICATING THAT THESE NEW RATES WILL GO INTO EFFECT OCTOBER 1ST. THE OVERALL EFFECT TO THE INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS FOR THE RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY, IT IS ESTIMATED TO BE AN INCREASE ABOUT A 5.52 ON THE MONTHLY BILL, WHICH IS A 6.84% INCREASE, AND FOR COMMERCIAL USAGES, 4.3.4 4% INCREASE. ABOUT $13 AND $0.39 INCREASE. SO THIS IS AGAIN, THE ATTORNEYS HAVE ASKED ALL 181 CITIES TO CONSIDER THE RESOLUTION THAT SUPPORTS THE SETTLEMENT THAT HAS BEEN EARMARKED, WE HAVE WE DO HAVE WITH US TODAY THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANAGER FOR THE MID TEXAS DIVISION, NORA MCNEELY. IF THERE ARE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, FROM ATMOS THAT YOU NEED TO ADDRESS, BUT OTHERWISE I'LL ADDRESS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE ON THIS TOPIC. THANK YOU. MR. BREWER. AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, IF YOU HAVE, LET'S SEE.

COUNCIL, IF YOU HAVE, IS THERE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM, MISS, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL WORDS? I DON'T SEE ANYTHING. OH, YOU'RE IN THE BACK NOW. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO HIS PRESENTATION BEFORE WE CALL FOR A MOTION. AND THEN WE'LL ENTERTAIN DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL, IS THERE A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR? POINT OF INFORMATION. SURE JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS THE NEGOTIATED RATE FROM OUR REPRESENTATIVE AND ATMOS. OR IS THIS THEIR REQUEST? THE RESOLUTION THAT'S BEFORE US IS FROM THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

WHO REPRESENTS THE CITY, ALONG WITH A 181 OTHER CITIES. SO THIS IS THEIR RECOMMENDATION FOR THE SETTLEMENT AMOUNT? YES. OR THE SETTLEMENT AMOUNT? A REDUCED AMOUNT. VERY GOOD. WITH THAT BEING SAID, MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT AS PRESENTED. IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND? THANK YOU, AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. HOWEVER IS THERE ARE THERE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, COUNCILMEMBER RAPHAEL? YES I HAVE A QUESTION OF THE REPRESENTATIVE. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. NIRA MCNEELY, ATMOS ENERGY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND WAITING FOR OUR MEETING. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT, MY QUESTION IS JUST RELATED TO SO THIS IS SO WE KIND OF GO THROUGH THIS, YOU KNOW, ANNUALLY AND WE GO THROUGH THIS WHOLE NEGOTIATED RATE. AND SO I GUESS FOR, FOR MY SAKE AND THE SAKE OF MY NEIGHBORS, COULD YOU, COULD YOU COULD YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND, LIKE WHERE ATMOS IS, WE GO THROUGH THIS WHOLE NEGOTIATION PIECE AND THEN WE KIND OF COME TO A SETTLEMENT. IS THIS THE BACK AND FORTH THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT EVERY SINGLE YEAR? AND THEN AS IT RELATES TO INCREASES OR INCREASES RELATED TO THE RATE OF INFLATION RELATED TO AND THEN YOU CAN FILL IN THE BLANK. YES, MA'AM. YES, IT IS REVIEWED ANNUALLY. THE RATE IS REVIEWED. IT'S PART OF THE TARIFF WHICH IT WAS APPROVED. AND SO IT IS REVIEWED EVERY YEA. EVERY YEAR ATMOS MAKES IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR SYSTEM. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT WE NEED TO RECOVER THE COST OF THOSE. SO EVERY YEAR IT'S REVIEWED THROUGH THE REVIEW, ANY OTHER WAY SO WE CAN REDUCE THE COST. IS THAT IS THERE ANY REASON THAT YOU'RE I'M JUST ASKING THE QUESTION BECAUSE I'VE NEVER ASKED, IS THERE ANY

[01:35:01]

OTHER WAY THAT WE CAN REDUCE THESE COSTS? AND I'VE NEVER ASKED THAT QUESTION. AND, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST GOING TO THROW IT OUT THERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT? CAN WE FROM THE FUTURE JUST EXPECT JUST THIS ONGOING IMPROVEMENT AND ONGOING RATE INCREASES. DO THEY LIKE COLLECT FUNDS TO, YOU KNOW, ANTICIPATE INCREASES? YOU KNOW, OR EXPENSE EXPENDITURES? WELL, OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP OUR SYSTEM MODERNIZED AND THAT IT'S SAFE. SO WE'RE GOING TO INVEST IN OUR OUR SYSTEM TO KEEP IT SAFE. AND BECAUSE OF THAT WE HAVE TO PASS THOSE COSTS ON. BUT I CAN ASK THAT QUESTION TO OUR MANAGEMENT AND ASK FOR RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT NO OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. I HAD TO ASK. THANK YOU. SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER. YES, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU, JUST A QUICK QUESTION ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT MY COLLEAGUE IS SAYING, IS THERE EVER ANY OUTREACH BEFORE WE GET TO THIS POINT? TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE AN INCREASE? I MEAN, BECAUSE, MA'AM, THERE IS. YES, MA'AM, IS THAT DONE? HOW IS THAT DONE? IT STARTS, IN APRIL SAYING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE AN INCREASE.

WELL, WE SUBMITTED EVERY YEAR. IT'S REVIEWED EVERY YEAR. OUR TARIFF SAYS THAT WE WILL REVIEW IT EVERY YEAR. OKAY. SO WE ACTUALLY REVIEW IT. WE SUBMIT OUR REQUEST FOR THE AMOUNT OF THE INCREASE. AND THEN WE START THE NEGOTIATION. IT HAPPENS WITH AC ASKS THAT COALITION. SO THEY NEGOTIATE WITH ATMOS. YOU HAVE LEGAL REPRESENTATION THERE. SO THEY THEY ACTUALLY CONDUCT THE NEGOTIATIONS OKAY OKAY. SO KIND OF IN LIKE LAYMAN'S TERMS IS THAT THEY SUBMIT THE RATE. WE'RE PART OF THE COALITION. WE PAY TO BE PART OF THE COALITION, WHICH WE'RE REPRESENTED. AND THEY GO IN AND THEY DO THE NEGOTIATIONS. THAT'S CORRECT. ATMOS AND THE AND THE COMMITTEE COME TO THIS SETTLEMENT AMOUNT. IF WE DID NOT CHALLENGE IT, THEN THE RATE THAT THEY SUBMITTED WOULD BECOME THE RATE OF THE CITIZENS. SO BY US CHALLENGING THAT COMMITTEE CHALLENGING LOWERS THE RATE DOW.

AND YES, WE'LL BE DOING THIS PROBABLY EVERY YEAR WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO SUBMIT THEIR RATES ARE GOING TO GO UP, WE'RE GOING TO CHALLENGE IT. AND THEN THERE'LL BE A SETTLEMENT. OKAY. SO THE SUBMITTED RATE WAS WAS MORE THAN THE $5.52. CORRECT I BELIEVE I BELIEVE IT IS. IS IT IS IT THE RATE WAS NEGOTIATED RATE WAS IT WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 100 AND $94,000 AND $194 MILLION TO $161 MILLION, AND THE 164 IS SYSTEM WIDE. OKAY. SO YES. OKAY. AND SO THERE IS NO LIKE SHE SAID, THERE'S NO THERE'S NO WAY. IT'S LITERALLY YOU HAVE A MEETING, YOU'VE SUBMITTED A RATE. THEN THEY MAKE THAT DECISION TO CHALLENGE AND THAT'S IT. THERE'S REALLY NO OUTREACH.

THERE'S NOTHING THAT ANYBODY CAN REALLY DO ABOUT IT EXCEPT THE ATTORNEYS. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU. COUNSEL, THERE IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, IF THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, THERE IS ALSO NO ORDINANCE. THANK YOU, MISS NEAR.

THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU FOR BEING HERE, COUNCILMAN BIRD, MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED. IT WAS SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES COUNCIL AT THIS TIME, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PAD. SO IT'S DONE. THERE YOU GO. CLEAR. THERE WE GO. OH THERE WE

[2. Consider approval of an Ordinance defining the number of authorized Civil Service positions within the Fire Department]

GO. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. NEXT WE HAVE CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE DEFINING THE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED CIVIL SERVICE POSITIONS WITHIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, MAKING THE INTRODUCTION IS FIRE CHIEF BRIAN SOUTHARD. GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL. I'LL BE REAL FAST. Y'ALL REMEMBER A MONTH OR TWO AGO WE TALKED ABOUT, COMING BACK TO YOU WITH AN ORDINANCE FOR OVER HIRES. WE ARE HERE. IT'S AT BUDGET TIME. IF YOU REMEMBER. IT TAKES ME ABOUT 18 MONTHS TO TAKE A FIREFIGHTER COMPLETELY WITH NO CERTIFICATIONS. RUN THEM THROUGH ALL THE TRAINING. WE HAVE TO GET THEM THROUGH TO GET THEM ON THE LINE. AND SO THIS IS GETTING OURSELVES PREPARED FOR AS PEOPLE RETIRE OR PEOPLE LEAVE, THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE IN THE PIPELINE READY TO GO, AND I DON'T HAVE TO GO DOWN, WITH IN OPERATIONS WITH PERSONNEL WAITING ON SOMEONE TO TRAIN. SO THAT'S WHAT'S HERE BEFORE YOU JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU A QUICK LITTLE WHERE WE'RE AT. WE ARE DOWN FOR PERSONNEL RIGHT NOW. WE ARE IN THE HIRING PROCESS. WE TESTED ON AUGUST 24TH. WE ARE INTERVIEWING 31 APPLICANTS NEXT WEEK. SO OUR GOAL IS TO GET FOUR HIRED. OF THOSE 31 APPLICANTS, 15 ARE CERTIFIED. SO WE DO HAVE CERTIFIED APPLICANTS. SO WE'RE HOPING WE CAN GET SOME OF THOSE.

WE'LL BE ABLE TO PUT THEM ON THE LINE IMMEDIATELY. AND THEN THOSE THAT AREN'T CERTIFIED, WE GET INTO THIS OVERHIRE WHERE WE CAN TAKE AND PUT THEM IN SCHOOL. SO WE WILL BE FULLY STAFFED OPERATIONALLY OUT IN THE FIELD WHILE WE HAVE PEOPLE TRAINING, GETTING READY FOR SOMEONE TO RETIRE OR LEAVE, AND THEY'LL BE READY TO JUMP RIGHT IN. THANK YOU CHIEF, COUNCIL, IS THERE A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT AS PRESENTED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCILMAN

[01:40:05]

BYRD. SECOND, BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM TO ACCEPT AS PRESENTED COUNCIL. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? YES. CHIEF SUTHERS, I'M SORRY. PERFECT, WITH THOSE WHO WE HIRED THAT ARE NOT ALREADY CERTIFIED AND WE PAY FOR THEIR SCHOOLING, IS THERE? THIS IS A POINT OF INFORMATION. IS THERE A CLAWBACK TO WHERE IF THEY LEAVE BEFORE A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, AFTER THEY GET THEIR CREDENTIALS, IS THERE SOMETHING THERE THAT WE CAN THAT GIVES US SOME TYPE OF CLAWBACK SO THAT THEY JUST CAN'T GET CERTIFIED ON OUR DOLLAR AND THEN LEAVE THE CITY? SO YEAH, WE USED TO DO THAT ALL THE TIME. WE CURRENTLY DO NOT DO THAT. SO IT DOESN'T REALLY COST US OTHER THAN SALARIES, A LOT OF MONEY TO SEND SOMEBODY TO SCHOOL BECAUSE OF FIREFIGHTER TUITION EXEMPTION. WHEN I SEND SOMEONE TO SCHOOL, WE PAY A VERY MINIMAL FEE, VERY MINIMAL. SO WE USED TO HAVE THAT ORDINANCE IN PLACE WHERE WE WOULD HAVE THEM SIGN AN AGREEMENT, BUT WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT IN PROBABLY ABOUT THE LAST FIVE YEARS. BUT IT DOES WHILE THEY'RE IN SCHOOL AND NOT NOT ONLY THE, THE, THE PROVISION FOR THE CLASS, BUT WE ARE PAYING AN HOURLY HOURLY RATE. THAT'S CORRECT. FOR THEM AS WELL, AND, AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS, I TEND TO HAVE, UNDERSTANDING ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO CIVIL SERVICE AND SO I WOULD, I WOULD ASK THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHY YOU SUSPENDED THAT, THAT EFFORT. SO WE, WE HAD ABOUT 5 OR 6 YEARS AGO, WE QUIT LOSING PEOPLE. THEY WEREN'T TRAINING AND THEN GETTING ON SHIFT AND THEN LEAVING US. IT WAS OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE LEAVING. SO WE WERE THERE WAS NO REASON TO CONTINUE THAT. WE DIDN'T SEE NEW PEOPLE COME IN TRAINING AND THEN LEAVING. SO THAT'S WHY WE HAD WE HAD WITHDREW THAT AND, AND TOOK IT BACK ALONG WITH THE COST OF SCHOOL WAS NOTHING TO MINIMAL TO VERY LITTLE MONEY. WE WERE REALLY JUST OUT THE SALARY. SO IT'S NOT A COMMON PRACTICE. NOT NOT A NOT FOR US IN THE FIRE SERVICE. NO. OKAY. VERY GOOD. PROBABLY POLICE THOUGH RIGHT. NO I'M PLAYING. THANK YOU CHIEF. BE REALISTIC. WHEN WE WOULD TRY TO GET THE MONEY BACK FROM THEM MANY TIMES, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET THE MONEY BACK. AND THAT IS. THAT IS VERY TRUE. COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM, CHIEF, HOW THIS WILL LOOK ON THE BUDGET GOING INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, BECAUSE I RECALL WHEN WE DID THIS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE LATER FOUND DOWN THE LINE THAT IT WASN'T ALLOCATED CORRECTLY, LIKE IT WASN'T BECAUSE THE HIRING FIVE OVER MEANS THAT YOU MAY NOT YOU MAY NOT GET TO ALL FIVE LIKE WITHIN THE. IT COULD BE BASED ON AS YOU MENTIONED, AS PEOPLE RETIRED. SO THE ONE OFF FTES THAT YOU MAY GET. SO MY QUESTION IS ARE WE SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO ON THE BUDGET FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR, IT'S GOING TO INCREASE BY FIVE, OR WILL THIS BE AN INCREMENTAL GROWTH PROCESS AND WE WILL SEE IT? I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT, BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T ON THIS BUDGET, HOW WILL THAT LOOK FROM A, YOU KNOW, YOU GOING OVER ON THE ACTUAL SO IF I MISSPEAK I'LL GET CORRECTED. I DO NOT BELIEVE THESE FIVE PERSONNEL ARE IN THIS BUDGET THAT Y'ALL ARE SET TO APPROVE.

SO IT IS MY JOB TO MONITOR MY SALARY AND MY OVERTIME LINE ITEM AND MAKE SURE THOSE BALANCE OUT.

SO WHAT I PLAN TO DO IS HOPEFULLY WITH ALL BEING FULL AND HAVING THEM IN THE FIVE IN SCHOOL, IF WE CHOOSE TO OVER HIRE BY FIVE, YOU KNOW, THAT JUST GIVES ME THAT OPTION. THEN WE'RE SAVING IT IN OVERTIME ON THE ON THE OTHER SIDE, BECAUSE I HAVE ENOUGH STAFF WHERE I'M NOT HAVING TO CALL IN OVERTIME TO BACKFILL MY POSITIONS. SO IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT I HAVE TO WATCH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO ENSURE THAT I DO NOT GO OVER. SO THAT SOUNDS LIKE A JUGGLING ACT FOR YOU. YEAH, SOUNDS LIKE FUN. OKAY, SO IT'S WE MAY WE ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO SEE ADJUSTED BUDGET ITEMS AND WE COULD POSSIBLY SEE THE BUDGET ADJUSTED FOR YOU AS THE YEAR GOES ON. BASED ON THE ADDITIONAL FIVE HIRE YOU CAN HIRE UP TO BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET.

IF WE GET INTO THAT POSITION RIGHT WHERE I WAS RUNNING OVER, THEN I WOULD BE GETTING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND WE'D BE COMING TO YOU. THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU. GREAT WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED COUNCIL. IF THERE WE DO HAVE A ORDINANCE AS WELL THAT NEEDS TO BE READ. YES, MA'AM. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, DEFINING THE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED POSITIONS WITHIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN EACH CLASSIFICATION, PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE, AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. THANK YOU. COUNSEL PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PADS. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU COUNSEL. MISS THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. NEXT, WE

[3. Consider an Ordinance establishing sanitation service fees effective October 1, 2024]

HAVE CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING SANITATION SERVICE FEES EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST OF 2024. MAKING THE PRESENTATION IS SHALONDA OLIVER, BUDGET AND GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. AS PART OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS FOR THE CITY, RATES ARE RECOMMENDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR VARIOUS FUNCTIONS TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT REVENUE AND LEVELS OF SERVICES PROVIDED TO THE CITIZENS. THE SANITATION FUND BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 20

[01:45:04]

2425 HAS PROPOSED A $1.40 PER MONTH INCREASE IN THE SANITATION RATES, WHICH IS RAISING IT FROM $29.97 TO $31 AND 47 $0.47. AT THIS TIME, STAFF RECOMMENDS THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING SANITATION FEES RATES THAT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE OCTOBER THE 1ST, 2024. THANK YOU, MISS OLIVER. AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION BEFORE QUESTIONS. MADAM MAYOR, I ME THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED. SECOND. THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN BURKE TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED COUNCIL.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE HAVE THE READING OF THE ORDINANCE? YES OKAY. THANK YOU.

THERE IS AN ORDINANCE. YES. I'M SORRY. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MISS THOMAS. SHE HAS A QUESTION. YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO. SO. SO YOU JUST EXPLAINED, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. IS THERE ANY, FOR THE NEXT YEAR? SO KIND OF IN THE SAME VEIN OF ASKING ATLAS LIKE WHERE WE ARE. SO, SO IS THERE AN EXPECTATION NEXT YEAR THAT THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE AND SO ON AND SO ON. AND SO THIS IS AN INCREMENTAL PROCESS JUST WANT TO SAY WE PROBABLY WILL HAVE ANOTHER STUDY NEXT YEAR THAT WILL PROBABLY COME WITH AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE BASED ON OUR INCREASED OPERATIONAL COSTS. OKAY. WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE ANOTHER STUDY.

YES, A RATE STUDY. WE USUALLY DO A FULL RATE STUDY EVERY FIVE YEARS. AND THEN WE DO AN UPDATE EACH YEAR OKAY. OKAY RATE STUDY. SO THE SO THE SMALLER RATE STUDY EACH YEAR. AND THAT'S JUST TO.

OKAY. MY THIS IS MY LAST, BUDGET AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. SO YOU WILL NOT SEE ME AGAIN AFTER MAY, BUT AS A RESIDENT, WHAT I GUESS I WANT TO UNDERSTAND IS JUST, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THOSE INCREASES IN THE RATE STUDIES THAT CONTINUE TO HAPPEN, IS THERE A CALCULUS THAT I DON'T KNOW WHERE I WANT TO GO WITH THIS? BECAUSE ON ONE HAND, I'M TALKING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE INCREASE. ON THE OTHER HAND, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE INCREASE. BUT NOW THAT MAKES ME WONDER. YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE PROCESS AND JUST WONDERING IF WE CAN INTERNALLY DO THAT PROCESS. BUT, YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LEVEL SET AND JUST HELP THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND WHETHER IF IT'S JUST SIMPLY, YOU KNOW, COST OF INFLATION AND COST OF JUST THOSE THINGS? I THINK THAT'S THE INFORMATION THAT NEEDS TO BE COMMUNICATED. BECAUSE AS A AS A RESIDENT WITH THIS INCREASE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS THIS WAS LIKE MY THING. WATER SEWER AND ALL THAT. YOU KNOW, WE COME TO THE SAME THING EVERY YEAR AND WE'VE BEEN RESISTANT IN THE PAST AND WE'VE MADE SOME DECISIONS THAT YOU'RE TELLING US LIKE, HEY, LOOK, Y'ALL NEED TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING. FINE WITH THAT. BUT I JUST WANTED TO LEVEL SET, LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE CONTINUING FORWARD. SO, THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN RAFAEL. I DID MAKE SOME NOTES TODAY. KIND OF IN PREPARATION FOR SOME POTENTIAL QUESTIONS. SO WE ARE PROPOSING A 5% INCREASE, RIGHT. SO FOR 2025, THAT'S ABOUT $1.44 ABOVE THE CURRENT RATE. THE CURRENT RATE IS, AS OLIVER MENTIONED, IS 29.97. AND WE'RE PROPOSING TO GO TO 3147. SO EACH YEAR LIKE DIRECTOR CORMIER MENTIONED, WE DO CONDUCT A RATE REVIEW. OR EVERY FIVE YEARS WE DO A FULL RATE STUDY. AND IN BETWEEN A RATE REVIEW, WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME, AND SO WHAT WE LOOK AT ARE SEVERAL THINGS, SO THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT DRIVE THESE COSTS. THEY'RE THE CONTRACTUAL SERVICES FOR, FOR REPUBLIC AND FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT. REPUBLIC IS THE WASTE COLLECTION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT IS THE WASTE DISPOSAL LANDFILL. SO I THINK I MENTIONED THE OTHER NIGHT REPUBLIC CONTRACT HAS IN IT A 3.5% INCREASE ANNUALLY. AND THEN ON WASTE MANAGEMENT SIDE, IT'S TIED TO THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX AND IT IS CAPPED AT 5%. SO IT COULD BE NO MORE THAN 5%. IT COULD BE FOUR AND A HALF. IT COULD BE THREE WHATEVER. BUT IT'S CAPPED AT 5%. AND THEN ON THE OPERATIONAL SIDE WE HAVE PERSONNEL COSTS AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE SALARIES. WE HAVE POTENTIAL, INCREASES FOR STAFF PLUGGED IN AT 5%. RIGHT. SO WE, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WE HAVE THE LITTLE CREW, WE HAVE THE STREET SWEEPER AND WE HAVE PARK MAINTENANCE, LITTLE MAINTENANCE CREW. AND I THINK SOMEBODY ELSE. BUT, SO THEN WE HAVE THE FUND, THE STREET SWEEPER, THE, THE PUT AWAY FUNDS TO REPLACE THE STREET STREET SWEEPER. ON SCHEDULE. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FUND, WHICH IS THE MINIMUM RESERVE REQUIREMENT IS 700,000. RIGHT NOW, OUR FUND BALANCE IS PROJECTED TO BE THIS YEAR, 400,000. SO WE'RE SHORT WE'RE LOW AT WE'RE BELOW THE MINIMUM FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENT. SO YOU KNOW THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT EACH YEAR WHEN WE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE RATE. AND SO THOSE ARE THE FACTORS THAT GO INTO US. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THESE INCREASED COSTS PRETTY MUCH EVERY YEAR BECAUSE THE CONTRACTOR WILL COST INCREASE.

AND THEN OUR COST OF DOING BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, FROM PERSONNEL STANDPOINT SUPPLIES,

[01:50:05]

MATERIAL, YOU KNOW, GAS, ALL OF THOSE INCREASE EACH YEAR AS WELL. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE DO THE RATE STUDY OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.HANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, JUST A QUICK QUESTION AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, IT SAYS HERE THAT THERE'S A 5% INCREASE. HOWEVER, THE ACTUAL AMOUNT OF $1.40 IS NOT 5% OF THE CURRENT AMOUNT. SO MY QUESTION IS, OKAY, MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT GOING TO BE CORRECTED OR ARE WE SAYING IT'S ONLY $1.40. AND THEN THAT'S WHAT IT REALLY SHOULD BE. MAKE SURE.

IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME? CITY MANAGER A GRAPH. I KNOW IT'S ONLY $0.10, BUT WHEN YOU START THINKING IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS, PEOPLE START ADDING ADDING THOSE THINGS TOGETHER.

WHAT'D YOU SAY? I WAS UNDER FINANCIAL IMPACT. I COME UP WITH WHERE YOU COME UP WITH. YEAH, WE COME UP WITH 5%. WELL IT'S ACTUALLY 5.1%, BUT WE ROUNDED 5% OF 29 BECAUSE YOU YOU TOOK IT OF 29.97. WELL 2131 $31, $0.47 IS A 5% INCREASE ABOVE 29.97. OKAY THANK YOU. BUT OKAY. I'M GETTING $1.50. BUT OKAY, I SEE OUR FINANCE PEOPLE SHAKING THEIR HEAD ON THAT. SO IT'S 5% OKAY.

BUT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THIS NUMBER HERE OKAY. DOCTOR MARX, DID YOU HAVE YOUR LIGHT ON. DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OKAY. NO, WE DID NOT ANSWER. NO, IT WAS NOT CHICAGO COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T. THANK YOU, MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THAT THIS INCREASE, AS YOU MENTIONED, WAS BECAUSE OF REPUBLIC'S CONTRACT, BUT AND NOT BECAUSE OF THE BLUE BINS THAT WE RECEIVED, I JUST WANT YOU TO AFFIRM THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT'S DEFINITELY WHAT STATED. AND I WOULD ASK THAT IN THE NEXT BUDGET, AND THIS IS AN ASK NOT ANYTHING WE CAN DO TODAY. RIGHT? I KNOW THAT WE MAKE A PLEA FOR TO FOR OUR FIXED INCOME SENIORS TO HAVE A DISCOUNT. BUT AT SOME POINT, I HOPE WE EXPAND THAT CONVERSATION AS A CITY, TO ALSO LOOK AT DISABLED VETERANS WHO ARE ON A FIXED INCOME AND, PERHAPS LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN KEEP THOSE DISCOUNTS, BECAUSE WHILE THESE MAY BE $1.50 HERE OR $2 HERE, THOSE DOLLARS ADD UP. AND AS IT WAS BROUGHT UP YESTERDAY, THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE QUITE A THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. WE'LL HAVE QUITE A FEW INCREASES THAT MAY IMPACT SOMEONE. $5 CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THAT'S A YOU CAN'T GET A WHOPPER MEAL ANYMORE, BUT YOU CAN CERTAINLY GET A SOME FRIES. THANK YOU. DULY NOTED.

YEAH. AND YOU'RE RIGHT THAT I DID WANT TO CONFIRM THAT THE INCREASE IS NOT DUE TO THE CARTS. WE DID SO JUST SO COUNCIL KNOWS. AND SO THE PUBLIC KNOWS. WE CHANGED RATE CONSULTANTS THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR'S RATE CONSULTANT, WHEN THEY DID THE STUDY, THEY PROJECTED A FIVE YEAR, 5% INCREASE FOR 2025. WHEN THE NEW CONSULTANT DID THEIR STUDY THIS YEAR, WE DIDN'T PROVIDE THEM ANY INFORMATION FROM THE OLD CONSULTANT. WE LET THEM DO THEIR OWN STUDY, AND THEY ARRIVED AT THE SAME INFORMATION. SO WE'D ALREADY, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR A POTENTIAL 5% INCREASE THIS YEAR. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME, DOCTOR MARK, THANK YOU VERY, VERY QUICKLY. YOU MENTIONED ABOUT IN THAT, FUND BALANCE THAT WE HAD ABOUT, WHAT, 400,000 IN THERE AND THAT WE WERE SHORT. YES. AND YOU ALSO BROUGHT UP ABOUT STREET SWEEPER, OR WE DO FOR RENEWAL. NOT YET. NOT YET IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. SO BUT WE DO PUT WE ARE PUTTING ASIDE ABOUT $85,000 EACH YEAR TO, TOWARDS THAT. SO WE'LL HAVE THAT AVAILABLE WHEN IT'S TIME TO REPLACE IT OKAY. OKAY. THANK YO. YES, COUNCILMAN BURKE, MR. CAMERON, I UNDERSTAND WHAT MY COLLEAGUE WAS TRYING TO SAY. THE 2997 TO 3147 IS 5%, BUT THE DOLLAR 40 IS DIFFERENT. IT SHOULD BE $1.50 000. I'M SORRY. THE INCREASE. SO THAT'S THAT'S WHERE. SO IF IT IS ACTUALLY GOING UP, 5% IT'S GOING TO GO UP TO 3147. AND THAT'S $1.50 INCREASE. YOU'RE CORRECT. IT IS.

IT IS, IT IS GOING UP 5%. YES. SO IT IS GOING FROM 2997 TO 3147. BUT LET THE RECORD REFLECT $1.50 INCREASE PER MONTH INSTEAD OF $1.40. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU.

COUNCIL. THERE IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED. COUNCIL, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PADS ORDINANCE. OH. EXCUSE ME. THERE IS AN ORDINANCE. AN ORDINANCE OF THE

[01:55:02]

CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, APPROVING AND ADOPTING AN AMENDMENT TO APPENDIX A TITLED FEE SCHEDULE.

ARTICLE 30.00. SOLID WASTE COLLECTION FEES BY AMENDING THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER RATE EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST, 2024, PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ALL ORDINANCES AND CONFLICT.

PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE, AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

THANK YOU COUNCIL, PLEASE VOTE. MADAM MAYOR, JUST JUST FOR A CORRECTION. THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR. IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT THE RECORD NEE TO JUST REFLECT THE CORRECTION. DO WE NEED TO EVEN SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? I WOULD GO AHEAD AND ADD ANOTHER THAT IT NEEDS TO. IT NEEDS TO BE NOT $1.40 PER MONTH, BUT A DOLLAR 50 PER MONTH. CORRECT? YES JUST JUST FOR CLARIFICATION PURPOSES, WE PUT IT IN THE MOTION. YEAH. JUST JUST THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING.

SHOULD IT BE IN THE MOTION? IT WAS MADE. THE MOTION WAS MADE BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BYRD. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO AMEND MY MOTION TO SAY THAT THERE WILL BE A WATER OF INCREASE TO THE TUNE OF $1.50 INSTEAD OF $1.40. ORDINANCE ESTABLISHED SANITATION SERVICE FEES EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST, 2024, WITH A PROPOSED INCREASE OF $1.50 TO $1.50 PER MONTH IN THE SANITATION RATE. OKAY. THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND ON HER AMENDMENT? SECOND. IT'S BEEN AMENDED BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES. SECOND, BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM TO AS STATED BY OUR CITY ATTORNEY COUNCIL, LET'S VOTE FIRST ON THE AMENDMENT. EXCUSE ME. CAN HE MAKE A MOTION? I WAS RECOMMENDING THE MOTION. THE LANGUAGE HE JUST RECOMMENDED. THE LANGUAGE NEEDS TO BE REPEATED BY WHOMEVER MADE THE MOTION TODAY. WELL, WE JUST ASKING I DON'T I DON'T THINK THE ATTORNEY CAN MAKE THE MOTION. HE WOULD GIVE HIM THE LANGUAGE FOR IT TO BE STATED IN. SO WHOMEVER MAKE IT THE MOTION SHOULD STATE IT. OKAY. MAYOR PRO TEM, CAN YOU RESTATE WE'VE WE'VE DONE IT THIS WAY IN THE PAST, BUT MAYOR PRO TEM, IF YOU CAN RESTATE THE LANGUAGE, PLEASE APPROVE THE ORDINANCE ESTABLISHED AND APPROVED UNDER THE RECOMMENDATION WHERE IT SAYS APPROVED. THE ORDINANCE ESTABLISHED THAT THE SANITATION SERVICE FEES, EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST, 2020, FOR THE PROPOSED INCREASE TO $1 $1.50 PER MONTH AND THE INCREASE IN THE SANITATION FEE RATE, WHICH IS THE SANITATION FUND BUDGET FOR 20 2425, WILL PROPOSES THAT A $1.50 PER MONTH INCREASE IN THE SANITATION RATE FROM $29.90 7 TO 3147. THE INCREASE IS PROPOSED TO COVER THE SERVICE ABOVE LEVELS PROVIDED BY REPUBLIC AND THE INCREASED OPERATING COSTS INCURRED BY THE CITY. THE EFFECTIVE DATE FOR THE NEW RATE IS OCTOBER 1ST, 2024. TO APPROVE THE ADOPTING ORDINANCE AND APPROVE THE ADOPTING ORDINANCE, LET'S GET CLARIFICATION.

HONORABLE CITY MANAGER WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE CLARIFICATION. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE THE 5% IS FOR BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, ISOM. CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. SO THE MOTION HAS TO BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN JUST ESTABLISHING THE DOLLAR 50 BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST FOR RESIDENTIAL. THE MOTION IS NOT GOING TO BE FOR JUST RESIDENTIA. SO THE 5% IS WHAT'S IMPORTANT.

NOT THE DOLLAR 50 OKAY. CORRECT SO YOU WANT ME TO GO BACK AND THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE, WOULD BE INCREASED. THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE INCREASING IT BY EXACTLY 5%.

OKAY I, I'LL DEFER TO THE CITY ATTORNEY TO, TO. OKAY. LET'S TAKE A THREE MINUTE RECESS SO THAT HE CAN LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE CORRECT LANGUAGE TO CORRECT THE MOTION. IT IS 759 WILL BE WILL RESUME AT 802.

[02:02:38]

IT IS 8:02 P.M. WE'RE GOING TO RESUME OUR MEETING. I'M GOING TO ASK OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO RESTATE, BECAUSE THERE WAS CLARIFICATION PROVIDED IN TERMS OF WHAT IS INCORRECT IN THE NOTES THAT WE MADE TO THAT, AND THEN ALSO THE STATUS OF THE ORDINANCE. I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY, MR. GRIFFIN, JUST JUST FOR THE PUBLIC AND THE VIEWING PUBLIC IN THE ACTUAL, COMMUNICATION THAT'S IN THE PACKET UNDER FINANCIAL IMPACT. JUST NOTE IN THERE, IT STATES $1.40 PER MONTH INCREASE. IT SHOULD BE $1.50 PER MONTH INCREASE. HOWEVER, THE ADOPTING ORDINANCE ORDINANCE WHICH IS ATTACHED REFLECTS THE CORRECT RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER RATE, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF $1.50 FROM THE CURRENT RATE. SO ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED. OKAY, SO THERE WAS A MOTION PUT ON THE FLOOR TO AMEND IT. WE NEED TO HAVE THE, THE MOTION, THE PERSON WHO STATED THE MOTION TO RETRACT THAT AMENDMENT. MADAM MAYOR, I RETRACT THE STATEMENT THAT I MADE TO AMEND THE MOTION. I NOW WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ADOPTED ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED. OKAY SECOND, THANK YOU, THAT MOTION HAS BEEN THE AMENDMENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED, AS WELL AS WE ARE LOOKING TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED. AND IT HAS BEEN PROPERLY SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISOLM, COUNCIL ARTS IS ALL ALL THE COUNCIL CLEAR ON EXACTLY WHAT THE CHANGES WERE, THE UPDATES AND ALL OF THE CLARIFICATION THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED BEFORE WE VOTE. I SEE NODS, I SEE VOTING COUNCIL, PLEASE. YES, I NEED TO CLEAR MY VOTE WAS WRONG. MY VOTE HERE. OKAY. PLEASE CLEAR THE VOTING PADS. COUNCIL, PLEASE VOTE. OH. HOLD ON. GIVE HIM ONE SECOND TO STOP PUSHING. OKAY, NOW, THERE YOU GO. YOU CAN VOTE NOW. YES, WHEN YOU PUSH. I GET IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT MOTION

[4. Consider an Ordinance establishing water and sewer service fees effective October 1, 2024]

PASSES SIX ONE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. MISS THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.

NEXT WE HAVE CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING WATER AND SEWER SERVICE FEES EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST OF 2024. COMING BACK, WE HAVE SHALONDA OLIVER, BUDGET AND GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR. GOOD EVENING AGAIN. AS PART OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS FOR THE CITY,

[02:05:01]

RATES ARE RECOMMENDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR VARIOUS FUNCTIONS TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT REVENUE TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF SERVICES PROVIDED TO OUR CITIZENS, THE PUBLIC UTILITY FUND BUDGET FOR FY 2425 HAS PROPOSED A 9% INCREASE IN THE WATER BASE AND VOLUME RATES FROM THE CURRENT BASE RATE OF $10.64 TO $11.60. IT ALSO HAVE AN OPPOSITE INCREASE IN THE SEWER VOLUME RATE, FROM THE CURRENT RATE OF $12.87 TO $14.03, STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE ORDINANCE, ESTABLISH WATER AND SEWER FEES EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST, 2024. THANK YOU, MISS OLIVER, COUNCIL, IS THERE A MOTION, PLEASE? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT AS PRESENTED. SECOND. THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, SECONDED BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES TO APPROVE, AS PRESENTED, COUNCIL. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE WE HAVE THE READING OF THE ORDINANCE? YES. QUICK QUESTION RELATED TO OUR DISCOUNTS. SO WE'RE RAISING OUR FEES AND, IN THE PERCENTAGES, AND SO WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IN TERMS OF, OF, IS ARE THERE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS IN TERMS OF A PERCENTAGE THAT WOULD BE COMMENSURATE WITH WHERE WE CURRENTLY ARE? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABOUT WE'RE GOING TO A PLACE WHERE WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN AND JUST THINKING ABOUT, THE DISCOUNTS, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY TO OUR SENIORS, I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND IF, IF FOR FUTURE CASTING, THIS IS MY LAST BUDGET, I WANT TO ASK Y'ALL ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT WATER AND WATER RATES, YOU KNOW, BUT JUST FUTURE CASTING, BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE CONTINUING TO GO UP AND UP AND UP, JUST KIND OF LIKE THAT BASE RATE. IS THERE A CERTAIN PLACE WHERE LIKE, HEY, IF YOU DO GIVE A DISCOUNT, YOU DON'T WANT TO GO OVER THIS AMOUNT BECAUSE IT'LL GET US IN DANGER, YOU KNOW? BUT YOU KNOW WHERE WE CAN BE SAFE.

THAT'S REALLY MY QUESTION. ALRIGHTY. WELL, WELL. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND COUNCIL MEMBER RAFAEL, IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, YOU'RE ASKING IF WE IF IN THE FUTURE WE CAN LOOK AT, PROPORTIONATELY INCREASING THE SENIOR RATE TO KIND OF OFFSET THE BURDEN FOR SENIORS AS WE'RE INCREASING THE RATES, IF THAT'S WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING. ALL RIGHT. SO AS IT WAS MENTIONED, I THINK, BY DEPUTY CITY MANAGER CAMERON AND TRACY CORMIER, WE ACTUALLY DO THIS RATE REVIEW EVERY YEAR. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, RUN ACROSS OUR CONSULTANTS TO KIND OF SEE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BE FEASIBLE, AND STILL YIELD THE PRUDENT COST RECOVERY. BUT AS OF FOR THIS YEAR, THE PROPOSAL IS NOT TO INCREASE SENIOR DISCOUNT.

ALL RIGHT. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH I APPRECIATE IT IF YOU CAN HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR COUNCIL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, YES. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. IN THAT VEIN, I THINK MY COUNCIL MEMBER, WHO IS A VETERAN, SHE BROUGHT THAT UP ABOUT VETERANS BEING A PART OF DISCOUNTS. I KNOW THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A CURRENT DISCOUNT. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO, AS A COUNCIL, HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT FOR NOT ONLY VETERANS, BUT ALSO DISABLED THE DISABLED WHEN IT COMES TO THESE TYPES OF THINGS. SO I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY SO. BUT EVERY YEAR WE STUDY THE RATE AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD COME UP WITH DIFFERENT OPTIONS IN TERMS OF THE DISABLED VETERANS, IN TERMS OF, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE SENIOR CITIZENS AND THE OTHER DISCOUNTS. BUT I THINK IT WARRANTS A COMPREHENSIVE DISCUSSION ON, ON, ON THE DISABLED VETERANS BE PART OF THE CLASS OR PART OF THE GROUP THAT THAT GETS THE, YOU KNOW, THE DISCOUNTS FOR SANITATION RATE, FOR WATER RATE OR FOR SEWER RATES. WELL, I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT DISABLED VETERANS. I'M TALKING ABOUT DISABLED PEOPLE. PEOPLE. THERE ARE DISABLED PEOPLE IN DESOTO. AGAIN, YOU'RE YOU'RE THE CITY COUNCIL. YOU YOU HAVE THE POLICY YOU CAN ENACT THAT POLICY. CITY MANAGER. BUT I THINK BUT YEAH. OKAY. GO AHEAD. IF I MAY, AND I WILL SPEAK FOR THE WATER SIDE. I WOULD YIELD TO CITY ATTORNEY GRIFFITH. SURELY WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. HOWEVER, THE TEXAS WATER CODE DOES SPECIFY WHAT GROUPS AND WHAT CLASSES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCOUNTS. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WELL. THAT THAT'S CORRECT.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO ADD. YEAH. THAT REALLY IS A KIND OF A DEEP DIVE OF A CONVERSATION WE SHOULD HAVE AT A SEPARATE TIME THAN TONIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL. THANK YOU. MR. LACEY, THERE IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED, COUNCIL, THERE IS AN ORDINANCE, MISS THOMAS. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, APPROVING AND ADOPTING AN AMENDMENT TO

[02:10:01]

APPENDIX A FEE SCHEDULE BY AMENDING ARTICLE 19.00 WATER SERVICES CHARGES, SECTION 19.200, A ONE BASE RATE FOR WATER SERVICE IN SECTION 19.200, A THREE VOLUME RATE APPROVING AND ADOPTING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 20.00 SEWER SERVICE CHARGES. BASE RATE AND VOLUME CHARGE FOR SEWER SERVICE, PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ALL ORDINANCES AND CONFLICT.

PROVIDING PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

THANK YOU COUNCIL, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PADS. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU

[5. Consider and act upon an ordinance, by record vote to adopt the FY 2024-2025 Annual Operating Budget, Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), City Council Business Plan]

COUNCIL. MISS THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. NEXT, WE HAVE CONSIDER AND ACT UPON AN ORDINANCE BY RECORD VOTE TO ADOPT THE FISCAL YEAR 2425 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS PLAN MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS SHALANDA OLIVER BUDGET AND GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR. GOOD EVENING AGAIN, THIS ITEM WAS DISCUSSED IN MORE IN DETAIL DURING OUR PUBLIC HEARING. HOWEVER, THE BUDGET WILL THIS BUDGET WILL RAISE MORE REVENUE FROM PROPERTY TAXES THAN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET BY $6,389,442, A 13.8 13.87% INCREASE. THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE TO BE RAISED FROM NEW PROPERTY TAX ADDED TO THE TAX ROLL THIS YEAR IS $1,067,228, THE CITY COUNCIL, STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE ORDINANCE, ADOPTING A FISCAL YEAR 2425 BUDGET, THE 2425 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, AS WELL AS THE 25 BUSINESS PLAN. HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO ADD THAT THE BUSINESS PLAN THAT IS AN AGENDA THAT IS IN TONIGHT'S AGENDA, HAS THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER LISTED, BUT YOU WILL BE IT WILL BE CORRECTED BEFORE THE FINAL PUBLICATION, AT THIS TIME, THE BUSINESS PLAN THAT YOU ARE VOTING ON TONIGHT WILL BE THE. I'M SORRY, THE BUSINESS PLAN GOALS, WHICH YOU'LL BE VOTING ON FOR TONIGHT. THANK YOU, MISS OLIVER. AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION BEFORE WE HAVE DISCUSSION. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED. SECOND. THANK YOU.

COUNCIL, WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES.

COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM. YES MADAM MAYOR, AND I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH OUR CITY MANAGER, AND HE DID TELL ME HIS RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT I DID WANT TO MAKE IT PUBLIC, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, LAST FALL, I PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT OUR FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY AND MOVING FORWARD, CREATING AN INITIATIVE THAT WE ADD THAT INFORMATION TO THE WEBSITE THAT ALIGNS WITH THE COMPTROLLER'S FIVE STAR PROGRAM, IT HAD FIVE ENTITIES, FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO PROCUREMENT, AND JUST A WHOLE LINE. I WAS IT WAS PRESENTED BEFORE THE COUNCIL.

THE COUNCIL SAID THAT WE WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT. WHEN WE WENT TO WINTER RETREAT AND I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE BUDGET. I MEAN, THE BUSINESS PLAN. I ASKED THEN I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE ADDED. I DIDN'T SEE IT THIS TIME. I ASKED AND I KNOW WE HAVE A NEW CITY MANAGER NOW AND HE'S COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT THOSE ENTITIES ARE ADDED. BUT FOR THE RECORD, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF OUR BUSINESS PLAN BECAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING WE COLLECTIVELY AGREED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, COUNCILWOMAN, IF I COULD MISSPEAK, WE ARE WORKING ON TWO OF THOSE AT THIS TIME.

THE PURCHASING AND THE I THINK IT'S THE DEBT. WE ARE WORKING ON THOSE TWO STARS AT THIS TIME.

THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL. SURE THING, THIS IS MY LAST BUDGET, SO HERE WE GO, SO, YOU KNOW, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, YOU KNOW, THIS BUDGET PROCESS HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING PROCESS FOR ME. AND SO JUST IN GOING THROUGH, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE STAFF, ANSWERING ALL OF MY QUESTIONS THAT I SENT FORWARD. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. IT GAVE GREATER DEPTH TO WHAT IT WAS THAT I WAS LOOKING AT. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALIZED WAS THAT WHILE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS TALK AND COME UP WITH THEIR BUDGETS, CITY COUNCIL DOESN'T TALK TO COME UP WITH ITS BUDGET, IT APPEARS. AND SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WERE IN THIS BUDGET THAT WAS HERE LAST YEAR THAT YOU KNOW, I SHOULD HAVE I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO THE RESIDENTS THAT I DIDN'T ASK QUESTIONS AT THAT TIME, BUT I DO HAVE TO ASK THEM NOW. AND SO AS IT RELATES TO CITY COUNCIL BUDGETS, THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WERE OF CONCERN TO ME. I KNOW, CITY MANAGER, YOU HAD REQUESTED, SOME, SOME STAFFING, NOT STAFFING, BUT TO SOME REALIGNMENT IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE ROLES. AND ONE OF THOSE ROLES WAS THE LIAISON ROLE. AND, AND THEN THE, THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, I'M NOT CERTAIN WHAT THE TITLE IS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS COUNCIL DID ASK FOR IN OUR CURRENT, STRATEGIC PLAN WAS

[02:15:01]

FOR SOMEONE IN THE MARKETING AREA THAT WAS AT THE MANAGER LEVEL. BUT WE NEVER GOT THAT, WHAT WAS ALSO IDENTIFIED BEFORE YOU WERE HERE WAS THAT WE NEEDED, REALLY NEEDED SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, AT THAT HIGHER LEVEL, DIRECTOR MANAGER LEVEL FOR THAT MARKETING PIECE, WE HAD SOMEONE WHO WAS FANTASTIC IN COMMUNITY RELATIONS THAT RETIRED, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT HAS KIND OF THROWN A LOT OF THINGS IN UPHEAVAL, BUT I THINK FUNDAMENTALLY, I'M IN DISAGREEMENT WITH THE REQUEST, THE REQUEST FOR THE COUNCIL TO HAVE A COUNCIL LIAISON, ALTHOUGH I KNOW OTHER CITIES HAVE THAT WHICH I THINK IT IS A FANTASTIC ROLE. BUT I THINK FOR WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE I'VE SAT AND WHERE I'VE WATCHED GROW, WHAT I WATCHED GROW ARE THE ACTIVITIES AS IT RELATES TO WHAT HAPPENS ON COUNCIL. THEREFORE, IT HAS COST. IT HAS BEEN A BURDEN ON THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AND THE OUTCOME IS, AS WE KNOW AS IT RELATES TO THE BACKLOG IN MINUTES. AND SO WITH THAT, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT COUNCIL NEVER DID TALK ABOUT, WHICH WERE ALL THE ACTIVITIES, THAT WAS ADDED TO COUNCIL. AND SO SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF BRING UP, NOT IN ACTIVITIES, BUT JUST IN FUNDING WISE, PARTICULARLY IN THINKING ABOUT LIKE, IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT FUTURE DISCOUNTS RELATED TO OUR DISABLED, WHETHER IT'S HOMESTEAD, WHETHER IT'S WATER OR WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, ADDING CRITICAL STAFFING IN OTHER AREAS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, TAKING CARE OF LOOKING AT THE SMALL THINGS THAT CAN SEEM LIKE IT AMOUS TO NOTHING. IT ACTUALLY AMOUNTS TO SOMETHING, THAT'S HOW WE GOT HERE WITH THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE. SO AS IT RELATES TO THE CITY COUNCIL BUDGET, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT IS IT RELATES TO THE STATE OF THE CITY. WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE IN 2018, STATE OF THE CITY IS A CHAMBER EVENT THAT THE CHAMBER RAISES FUNDS FOR. AND SO RIGHT NOW, LAST YEAR, I THINK WE INVESTED ABOUT $5,000 TOWARDS, USING TELEPROMPTERS AND MEDIA AND ALL THAT KIND OF THING, WHICH WAS BEAUTIFUL, THIS YEAR IS ASKING 10,000, I THINK THAT IS TOO HIGH. AGAIN, THE CHAMBER, EVENT IS FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO PURCHASE TICKETS. AND THEN FOR THE STATE OF THE CITY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE CAMERAS, WE HAVE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE BRING THE BEST TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE ALREADY PAYING FOR UP FRONT. ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO BRING UP WAS JUST RELATED TO BIRTHDAY CARDS. FROM AN INDIVIDUAL BIRTHDAY CARDS TO DIGNITARIES OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. I THINK WE CAN DO THAT AS INDIVIDUALS. BUT TO PUT THAT IN THIS BUDGET, IF $400, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT SHOULD COME OUT AS IT RELATES TO, FURNITURE DECOR. UNDERSTANDABLE AS IT RELATES TO FRAMING AND THINGS LIKE THAT FOR PROCLAMATIONS. BUT IN TERMS OF CONTINUED DECOR INSIDE OF THE SPACES THAT WERE NOT HERE, 24 OVER SEVEN IN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT SHOULD COME OUT OR COME DOWN, RATHER, AS IT RELATES TO COUNCIL MEALS HAS GONE UP FROM 25,000 LAST YEAR AND THEN DEFINITELY JUMPED FROM 2018 WHEN I STARTED TO WHERE IF THINGS WERE STANDARDIZED TO 28,000, I THINK THAT NUMBER SHOULD GO BACK TO LAST YEARS AS IT RELATES TO THE FIRST LADY'S BRUNCH OR LUNCH, THAT'S A COMMUNITY EVENT I THINK SHOULD GO ONTO THE COMMUNITY SIDE. BUT IN THE PAST, TICKETS HAVE BEEN SOLD, SO I THINK THAT AMOUNT SHOULD BE REDUCED OR SHOULD COME OUT AS IT RELATES TO, THE MLK DAY CELEBRATION THAT WAS INSIDE OF THE BUDGET OF, AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY SIDE, THE COMMUNITY OF COMMUNITY AND ARTS. IT CAME UP TO THE COUNCIL'S BUDGET AT $4,000. I THINK IT SHOULD GO BACK INTO THAT AND LET THAT BE THE COMMUNITY EVENT. YOU KNOW, I LOVE HAVING THE LETTERS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THAT THAT WAS ACTUALLY IN THE ARTS AND ON THE COMMUNITY SITES BUDGET, AS IT RELATES TO THE SPECIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, I CAN TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF TIMES, THE PLENTIFUL TIMES THAT I'VE HAD TO ASK THE CITY MANAGER, COULD YOU PLEASE HAVE THIS PICTURE TAKEN OUT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT DEPICTING, IT WAS NOT DEPICTING THE BEST OF ME. AND SO, AS IT RELATES TO SPECIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, I HAVEN'T SEEN THOSE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS GO OUT. OR IF I HAD, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO QUESTION ALL THOSE THINGS THAT I SEE. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS IN ADDITION TO THE MEMBERSHIP WITH THORN TREE, AT 4500 FROM DC, AND IN TERMS OF THE RESPONSE WAS, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THE FEW PLACES WHERE YOU CAN GO, BUT IT IS A PLACE YOU CAN GO AND STILL EAT, ANYBODY CAN DO THAT, AS WELL AS I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE UPDATING OF THE BRAND DEEDS. I THINK THAT WHILE I'M NOT CERTAIN WHERE THAT WAS, BUT JUST UPDATING THE BRAND, WE'VE DONE THAT. BUT IF THAT'S RELATED TO SOMETHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, THERE SHOULD BE CLARIFICATION WITH THAT. AND SO WITH THOSE THINGS, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THOSE OUT, BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT IS EASY. WOW OUR OUR REVENUES HAVE GONE UP BECAUSE WE'RE COLLECTING MORE. WE HAVE MORE HOUSES, WHICH IS A BEAUTIFUL THING. WE HAVE A LOT OF REALLY HEAVY ROCKS, IN OUR CITY. AND, OUR CITY IS GREAT. EVEN WITH THOSE THINGS, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WE CAN REPRESENT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, AND I DO HAVE A QUESTION

[02:20:01]

ABOUT THE BUSINESS PLAN. THERE WERE ITEMS THAT WERE ON THE BUSINESS PLAN LAST YEAR THAT DID NOT GET FINALIZED AND FINISHED, I KNOW OF A FEW OF THEM, AND YET THEY'RE NOT IN THE BUSINESS PLAN THAT'S BEING STATED HERE. IS THAT IS THAT GOING TO BE ADDED BACK IN AS A MATTER OF NEEDING TO BE DONE? BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE THEY THEY WILL BE ADDED AND LAST YEAR'S ITEMS WOULD BE FINISHED. OKAY AND SO FOR THE PURPOSES OF TONIGHT IS IN THIS ACTUAL LISTING, I THOUGHT WE WERE ONLY DOING THE BUDGET. I DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE. I MEAN, I SAW IT IN THERE, BUT I WAS LIKE, I DON'T THINK I SAW THAT LAST YEAR THAT WE WOULD BE, APPROVING THE BUSINESS PLAN AT THE SAME TIME, UNLESS WE ALL HAD AGREED EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING IN THE BUSINESS PLAN. SO THIS RIGHT HERE, I DON'T REMEMBER US SEEING A VERSION OF THIS BEFORE WE GOT TO THIS MEETING, AND I KNOW THAT WE JUST HAD THE RETREAT. I GET THAT, BUT THERE ARE SOME ITEMS THAT JUST DID NOT GET FINISHED. AND SO WHEN WILL WE GET THE UPDATED ONE? AND IF WE APPROVE IT TONIGHT, HOW WILL THAT LOOK? I MEAN, SO WHAT ARE WE APPROVING? SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY CORRECTS ME. BUT YOU'VE ALREADY APPROVED THE 24 BUSINESS PLAN.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO COMPLETE. AND FINISH. THIS IS THE 25 BUSINESS PLAN THAT WE ALSO HAVE TO COMPLETE AND FINISH WITHIN THE YEAR. SO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO FINISH UP THE 2024 BUSINESS PLAN. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THESE ITEMS ARE FORGOTTEN OR MOVED SIDEWAYS.

SO THAT'S THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN WHILE WE ALSO WORK ON THE 25 BUSINESS PLAN.

OKAY. THE REASON THAT I BROUGHT IT UP WAS BECAUSE I SAW THINGS THAT WERE IN THE 24 THAT ARE ALSO HERE. THESE ARE NOT ALL NEW. AND THEN WE NOW HAVE THE AND I'M GOING TO SAY FOR THE RECORD AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT NON HOA PIECE NEEDS TO COME OUT BECAUSE THE CITY SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY ANY INVOLVEMENT IN THE ACTUAL HOA. THEY HAVE NO GOVERNANCE OVER THE HOA'S, WHETHER THEY BE NON HOA'S OR HOA'S, BUT FOR US TO SPEND DOLLARS ON THAT, I STILL ONCE AGAIN I'M GOING TO THROW THAT ON THE RECORD THAT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S A VIABLE, YOU KNOW, WAY TO USE CITY FUNDS. TOWARDS THAT, THAT INITIATIVE. AND SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS. I DID HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BUDGET, BUT AFTER THE EXTENSIVE LIST THAT MY COLLEAGUE GAVE, I THINK I CAN CONCUR WITH QUITE A FEW OF THE ITEMS THAT SHE BROUGHT FORTH. I YIELD BACK. DOCTOR MARX SO WITH THE ITEMS THAT COUNCILWOMAN RAPHAEL BROUGHT FORTH AND, COUNCILWOMAN PARKER BROUGHT FORTH, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE MOVING FORWARD, MR. GODFREY, WOULD THIS NEED TO GO BACK AND, WE LOOK AT IT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, SCRUB IT A LITTLE BIT MORE BEFORE WE MOVE ON IT, OR WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? THE CITY MANAGER MADE THE RECOMMENDATION AS PRESENTED. IT IS UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO EITHER APPROVE OR DENY THE BUDGET. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOVING FORWARD, WE'LL LOOK AT THOSE ITEMS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP. BUT AS FAR AS THE BUDGET FOR 2025, 24, 25, THIS IS THE CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION, AND IT'S UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO EITHER APPROVE AS PRESENTED OR DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND KEEP IN MIND YOU HAVE UP. YOU HAVE AN OCTOBER 1ST, ACTUALLY THE LAST DATE OF SEPTEMBER TO ADOPT YOUR BUDGET. AND IT ALSO HAS NOTICE REQUIREMENTS. AND WHAT WAS THE DATE AGAIN BY THE END OF THE BY THE END OF THE MONTH, THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BUDGET IN PLACE BY OCTOBER 1ST. AND TRACY, I'LL DEFER TO YOU ON THAT, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T ADOPT IT TONIGHT, THERE'S GOING TO BE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR BOTH NOTIFICATIONS, WHICH WOULD ALSO IMPACT THE NOTIFICATION FOR THE TAX RATE. YES. ALSO, WHICH WOULD GO BACK AND REQUIRE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE TAX RATE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO ADOPT THE TAX RATE WITHIN IS IT SEVEN. IT'S A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DAYS OF THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY HAD. SO IF I'M JUST GOING TO PUT THIS OUT THERE, IF YOU'RE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE BUDGET, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND TAKE A SECOND. ONCE YOU ADOPT THE BUDGET, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND AMEND THE BUDGET. IS THAT THE 63,000 THAT YOU WERE THAT YOU MENTIONED? DID YOU MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT 63,000 AT SOME POINT EACH DAY THAT WE DON'T DO IT? NO, THAT WAS FOR THE STORM DRAINAGE. OKAY, OKAY. YES. I'M NOT FOR SURE THE EXACT RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS, WE'VE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN, SO I'M NOT FOR SURE WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO. I HAVE TO READ UP ON THAT. WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO A TIMELINE, BUT. I'M SORRY. YEAH, THE TIMELINE IS NOT THE TAX RATE. CAN WE CUT OUR. CAN WE CUT OUR LIGHTS OFF SO THAT WE CAN HEAR HIM? BECAUSE THOSE MAY BE WATCHING ONLINE SO THAT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO DO THE TIMELINE UP HERE TONIGHT, I'M CERTAIN THAT IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO GET THE PUBLICATIONS BACK IN THE PAPER AND GET THE TIMELINE BACK IN PLACE FOR, FOR THE FOR THE TAX, BECAUSE YOU GOT TO HAVE THE, YOU GOT TO HAVE ADOPT YOUR BUDGET BEFORE YOU ADOPT YOUR TAX TAX RATE. WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING, IN TERMS OF OUR ABILITY AS COUNCIL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,

[02:25:04]

YES, WE HAD ONE COUNCIL MEMBER, TO RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT SPECIFIC ITEMS ON THE BUDGET. HOW WOULD WE KNOW THAT WE MOVE FORWARD AS A COUNCIL. SO ANY ANY CHANGES OR REMOVAL OF THOSE ITEMS WOULD SPECIFICALLY HAVE TO BE A COUNCIL DECISION. HOWEVER, FOR THE PURPOSES OF MOVING FORWARD OF THE BUDGET AND THE BUSINESS PLAN AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED TO KEEP IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINE AND TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO MEET TO MAKE A DECISION ON OUR BUDGET. WHAT I DO HEAR IS SAYING IS AT A LATER TIME, IF WE WANT TO, IF WE WANT TO INSPECT THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP TONIGHT, THERE ARE ALWAYS BUDGET AMENDMENTS, WHICH COUNCIL. WE ARE NO STRANGER TO BUDGET AMENDMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND SO IF THERE NEEDS TO BE BUDGET AMENDMENTS MADE ON ANY OF THOSE ITEMS, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT AS A COUNCIL, WE CAN DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD OR NOT, BUT FOR THE PURPOSES OF PASSING THE BUDGET TONIGHT, WE CAN DO THAT AND THEN LOOK AT DOING BUDGET AMENDMENTS IN THE FUTURE. YES.

COUNCILMAN BYRD, I THINK YOUR LIGHT WAS ON. COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM. SO I THINK THAT, SOME INTERESTING POINTS WERE MADE AND AROUND THE BUDGET, I DON'T SUPPORT FUNDING THORNTREE AT ALL. I THINK THAT THEY'VE SHOWN US THAT THEY DON'T RESPECT OUR COMMUNITY. SO I GET THAT PIECE.

HOWEVER, HERE'S SOME CONCERNS I HAVE IS THAT WE GOT OUR BUDGET BOOKS BACK IN JULY. THEY WERE DELIVERED TO OUR HOUSE TWO WEEKS BEFORE WE WENT INTO OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP. I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TIMELINE TO CONSIDER, FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND AND SO FOR THE LAST AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS OR SO, WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING VARIOUS ITEMS. WE EVEN HAD AN ITEM, NOTHING FOR COUNCIL BUDGET THAT WE WENT DOWN AND TALKED ABOUT THESE ITEMS. I KNOW WE'VE CORRESPONDED VIA EMAIL ON ON CERTAIN THINGS. IT'S REALLY CONCERNING WITH ME WHEN WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A DEADLINE LIKE THIS AND IT'S A TWO WEEK DEADLINE THAT WE GET DOWN TO THIS FINAL HOUR AND THEN, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, AND I'M ASSUMING THAT THIS WASN'T THE ATTEMPT, BUT TO GRANDSTAND ABOUT SOME OF THESE ITEMS. AND LIKE I SAID, THEY THEY ALL HAVE VALIDITY. I THINK THEY'RE ALL TALKING POINTS. BUT WHERE DO WE WHERE DO WE STOP AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION A MONTH AGO OR TWO MONTHS AGO OR WHILE WE WERE IN RETREAT. I THINK THAT ANY OF THOSE COULD HAVE BEEN VALID. I LIKE THE IDEA OF WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY IS SAYING, THAT THE BUDGET IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN AMEND LATER, CONSIDERING THAT WE HAVE A WINTER RETREAT AROUND THE CORNER. CONSIDERING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE WE CAN PUT THIS IN ON A WORKING SESSION TO TALK THROUGH. IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO HAVE MORE DIALOG ABOUT THESE THINGS SO THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS CAN COME OUT, AND NOT JUST IN SETTINGS LIKE THIS, WHERE WE'RE AT THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE YES, AT THE VERY SHORT HOUR, TO MAKE A DECISION AND SOUNDING AS THOUGH IT'S GOING TO IMPACT AND HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT OR A DOMINO EFFECT ON EVERYTHING ELSE FROM OUR TAX RATE. I THINK OUR, OUR, THE VOTERS ALSO EXPECT US TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIMELY IN OUR APPROACH AND CONSIDERING OUR APPROACH. AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE ALL THIS IS COMING FROM. I HOPE IT'S FROM A GREAT PLACE. AGAIN, I HEAR THE CONCERNS, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THE MAIN THING, THE MAIN THING RIGHT NOW, AND PASSING THIS BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND MAKE AND THE CITY STAFF AND CITY ATTORNEY AND CITY MANAGER AGREEING THAT WE'LL COME BACK AND AMEND AS NECESSARY BECAUSE NOTHING HAS EVER STOPPED US FROM HAVING ANY OF THESE CONVERSATIONS AHEAD OF TIME OR THE PRIOR YEARS THAT WE'VE APPROVED AND MOVED FORWARD WITH THESE ITEMS. SO. COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL. YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL GREAT POINTS. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE WAY OUR MEETINGS ARE HELD, IF YOU REMEMBER, I DID RAISE THE ALARM AND BROUGHT THOSE THINGS FORWARD. AND SO THERE WAS NO CHANGING OR ANYTHING SAID AT THE LAST MEETING OR ANYBODY, YOU KNOW, CHIMING IN TO WHAT WHAT I SHARED AT THAT TIME. SO MOVING FORWARD FOR FUTURE YEARS, I WOULD MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT COUNCIL ACTUALLY HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT ITS BUDGET, PRIOR TO IT ACTUALLY BEING PRESENTED, YOU KNOW, MAKING THAT A WORK SESSION ITEM BECAUSE IT JUST MAKES SENSE, NOT INTENDING TO GRANDSTAND AT ALL. THIS IS COMING FROM A VERY PURE PLACE OF AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. THESE ARE THE DUE DILIGENCE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT I SHOULD DO. AND SO THEREFORE I RAISE THEM. WE STILL CAN MAKE THAT CHANGE TONIGHT. BUT THERE IS SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT OR A AMENDMENT IF THEY SO CHOOSE TO, TO, TO CHANGE WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR. AND SO JUST WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, TONIGHT IS THAT NIGHT TO TALK ABOUT IT. I'M SORRY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WENT OUT THERE REALLY FIRST BECAUSE THIS IS KIND OF SIGNIFICANT. THIS IS OUR BUDGET. BUT AT THE END OF

[02:30:02]

THE DAY, VOTED UP, VOTED DOWN, WE JUST MOVED FORWARD. BUT 100%, YOU KNOW, THE VOTERS WILL, SHOULD, SHOULD GET ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY ARE DUE WITHIN THIS BUDGET BECAUSE TEAM HAS WORKED VERY HARD WITH IT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THAT WE DON'T BALLOON WITH FRIVOLOUS THINGS BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY BIG THINGS AND SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WE DO NEED TO SERVE IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S WHAT I DESIRE AS A RESIDENT. THANK YOU.

I WILL SEE YOU. YOU WERE NEXT, COUNCILMAN BURKE, THANK YOU, I ALMOST CALLED YOU MADAM PRESIDENT. MADAM. MADAM MAYOR, AND I DO AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE THAT A CONVERSATIONS OVER OUR BUDGET WOULD BE, WOULD BE PREFERABLE IN THE FUTURE. I THINK THAT THERE ARE VALIDITIES AND HAVING EVERY CONVERSATION IS ALWAYS VALID, I ALSO AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE AT THE OTHER END OF THE DIOCESE THAT AT THIS STAGE OF THE GAME AND BECAUSE OF THE DOMINO EFFECT, I WOULD HATE FOR US TO TORPEDO ALL THE WORK THAT THAT HAS BEEN DONE IN AN EFFORT TO, BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS. SO, I'M READY TO VOTE ON, ON THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET WITH, WITH THE MINDSET THAT IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THE COUNCIL, BUDGET AND HAVE DISCUSSION BECAUSE IT IS EXACTLY THAT AS A COUNCIL BUDGET. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL WHERE ONE PERSON MIGHT THINK IS FRIVOLOUS, THE OTHER PERSON MIGHT THINK IS VERY NECESSARY. AND WHAT ONE PERSON MIGHT THINK IS NOT COMMUNITY OUTREACH, IT IS OUTREACH. I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE. YOU KNOW, I'M A BIG COMPONENT OF ALL OF THE SPORTS ACTIVITIES, BUT CURRENTLY A MEERSHIP TO THORNTREE IS NOT FUTILE. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT LATER. BUT KEEPING THE BIG THING, THE BIG ITEMS OR THE BIG STONE, THE BIG STONE, I THINK WE NEED TO PASS THIS BUDGET AND MOVE ON AND THEN HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS AT A LATER DATE, BECAUSE WE CAN STILL GET THE CONSENSUS OF THIS COUNCIL. SO THOSE ARE MY REMARK. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM. THANK YOU. MADAM MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO ADD AND I'D LIKE TO ADD THAT IT WE HEARD A LOT OF WHAT WAS HIRED, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR ANY RECOMMENDATIONS. I BELIEVE, OTHER THAN THE FOOD FOR CITY COUNCIL, AND I MEAN, EVERYBODY AT THIS DAIS EATS. BUT IF WE, WE NEED TO TAKE IT DOWN TO WHAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY THE YEAR BEFORE, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE AN AMENDMENT THAT I WOULD SUPPORT, FOR SURE, IF THE EVENTS IS I THINK WE NEED TO TALK. IT SOUNDS LIKE EVENTS IS A SEPARATE THING, BUT I DON'T THINK EVENTS IS THE MAIN IS THE ONLY REASON FOR THE CITY SECRETARY OFFICE BEING BEHIND ON MINUTES. AND I COULD BE WRONG, BUT IN MY OUR PRIOR CONVERSATIONS THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF THINGS. AND I THINK ALSO WHAT CAME OUT OF THIS IS THE LACK OF SUPPORT FOR THE ADDITIONAL, THE LIAISON FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR. AND I THINK WHAT THE PUBLIC DOESN'T ALWAYS SEE IS WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES OF YOU HAVE SEVEN DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH SEVEN DIFFERENT INITIATIVES GOING ON, REACHING OUT TO TWO INDIVIDUALS, PRIMARILY, THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HANDLING DAY TO DAY CITY BUSINESS, THAT IN ANY OTHER CITY THEY'RE NOT BEING TASKED TO HANDLE CITY COUNCIL'S BUSINESS AS WELL. AND IN SOME RESPECTS, THOSE REQUESTS COME IN AT 3 A.M. IN THE MORNING, 12 A.M. IN THE MORNING, 5 A.M. IN THE MORNING. THEY COME IN IN MULTIPLE REQUESTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY, FOR VARIOUS THINGS, AND THEY'RE GIVEN A TIME FRAME TO RETURN IT. ALL GREAT THINGS BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF PASSION. I CAN RESPECT IT, BUT TO SAY THAT THERE'S NOT A NEED OR THIS IS, A POSITION THAT IS, THAT IS, IS FRIVOLOUS OR NOT NECESSARY. I THINK IT'S, IT'S LONG OVERDUE, CONSIDERING THE NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT THE CITY SECRETARY OFFICE AND JUST US AS BEING FLUID AND PROFESSIONAL IN WHAT WE DO DAY TO DAY AND STREAMLINING OUR COMMUNICATION WITH OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, WHICH IS OUR RESIDENTS THAT WE SERVE, AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE TOP LEVEL OF SERVICE FROM U. IT TO LEAVE ALL THAT IN THE HANDS OF THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AND THEN ASK THEM TO DO THEIR JOB. ON TOP OF THAT, WHILE EVENTS THAT MAY HAVE INCREASED, I DON'T THINK THAT WE CANNOT SAY THAT THAT'S THE SOLE REASON WE HAVE BEHAVIORS TO THAT CAUSE IT.

THAT OFFICE HAS ALSO LOST EMPLOYEES BECAUSE OF CERTAIN BEHAVIORS OF THIS COUNCIL, AND THAT'S ACCURATE. SO I THINK TO SAY THAT IT'S JUST ON EVENTS. IT'S NOT IT'S A WHOLE LIST OF THINGS. AND I THINK ADDING THIS WILL HELP US COLLECTIVELY AS A BODY. SO I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY, I SUPPORT AN AMENDMENT TO REDUCE THE, THE COUNCIL'S FOOD BUDGET TO WHATEVER IT WAS BEFORE IT FEED US BOLOGNA SANDWICHES FOR ALL I CARE, I IT THAT'S WHERE I'M AT WITH IT, AND IF WE HAVE A SIDE CONVERSATION ABOUT EVENTS, THEN THAT'S FINE TOO. BUT I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT A LIAISON

[02:35:03]

TO THE CITY COUNCIL SO THAT WE CAN GET A LITTLE BIT MORE PROFESSIONALISM AND TIMELINESS IN OUR RESPONSES TO OUR TO OUR CITIZENS AND GET THINGS PUSHED THAT WE NEED TO GET PUSHED, WHETHER IT'S GOING THROUGH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, CODE, AND ALL THE OTHER REQUESTS WE GET COMING FROM RESIDENTS THAT ARE COMING IN, AND THEN ALSO PROBABLY EVALUATING SOME OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE SUPPORT. WE DON'T HAVE A POLICY AROUND THAT, AND WE SHOULD CONSIDER ONE AROUND THAT AS WELL. DOCTOR MARX OKAY. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF THINGS SAID THAT I WANT TO, PROBABLY JUST ADD A LITTLE SUBSTANCE TO. YES, WE ALL EAT ON THE, ON THE DAIS. WE ALL DO EAT, BUT ALL OF US DON'T EAT WHAT WE GET. ALL OF US. SOME OF US REQUEST NOT TO GET, BUT GET ANYWAY. AND IT'S THROWN AWAY. I THINK THAT'S A SYSTEM THAT NEEDS TO BE TIGHTENED. IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND MAYBE. AND MAYBE THIS SHOULD BE A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION AT A DIFFERENT TIME. SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, WE DO HAVE THREE QUOTE UNQUOTE SECRETARIES, CLERKS, WHATEVER, HOWEVER WAY YOU WANT TO CATEGORIZE IT. I, DOCTOR MARX, DON'T GIVE EITHER OF THOSE SECRETARIES ENOUGH WORK TO KEEP THEM BUSY. FIVE DAYS A WEEK, EIGHT HOURS A DAY. SO YOU CAN'T COUNT ME IN THE SEVEN THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO. THAT'S NOT DOCTOR MARX. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE REST OF YOU, BUT DOCTOR MARX. SO? SO THAT'S ONLY SIX, RIGHT? SO I THINK WHAT WOULD BE A HAPPY I DON'T AGREE WITH THE COUNCIL LIAISON. AND I TELL YOU WHY. BECAUSE I JUST FEEL LIKE WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE DOWN THERE AND WE NEED TO STREAMLINE AND BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AS TO WHAT OUR JOB DUTIES REALLY ARE. WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT A LITTLE BIT CLOSER, TIGHTEN IT UP A LITTLE BIT MORE, AND MAYBE THEY'RE DOING SOME THINGS THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT. I DON'T KNOW, BUT THAT IS NOT A JOB THAT A POSITION THAT I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'D LIKE TO OFFER A HAPPY MEDIU, IF I MAY, THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS BROUGHT FORTH ON COUNCILWOMAN RAPHAEL'S LIST, COUNCILWOMAN PARKER'S LIST, AND OTHERS, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT FORTH WITH THAT LIST TO OUR CITY MANAGER. MAYBE MAYBE YOU COULD JUST GO AHEAD AND START PUTTING SOME OF THOSE THINGS ON THE AGENDA FOR US TO START TALKING ABOUT, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SOME CHANGES MOVING FORWARD JUST TO KEEP ON TASK. BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS WITH. SO I YIELD BACK.

SO I INFORMATION YES. FOR ME, NO POINT OF INFORMATION FOR THE CITY MANAGER, YOU STATED THAT IN ORDER TO CREATE THE LIAISON POSITION, YOU WERE REMOVING CERTAIN POSITIONS. IS THAT CORRECT? WE ARE ACTUALLY WE AS OF OCTOBER 1ST, WE WILL HAVE ONLY ONE SECRETARY. YEAH, BUT THAT STILL DOES NOT NEGATE THE FACT THAT I DON'T AGREE WITH IT. SO REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT IS, I DON'T AGREE WITH THE COUNCIL LIAISONS POSITION SIMPLY BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON US ANYWAY, THEY I THOUGHT THAT 311 CLERK WAS ASSIGNED TO THREE OF US, AND THE OTHER CLERK WAS ASSIGNED TO THREE OF US. IS THAT NOT CORRECT? OKAY. AND MINE IS DRE.

I DON'T GIVE HER ANY WORK THAT IF I DO, IT'S TO MAKE A RESERVATION FOR A CONFERENCE OR SOMETHING. AND HOW OFTEN IS THAT SHE DOESN'T DO ANY TYPING FOR M. SHE DOES IT, YOU KNOW, SO. BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION. BUT I'M JUST SAYING I DON'T GIVE HER ENOUGH WORK TO KEEP HER BUSY EIGHT HOURS A DAY, FIVE DAYS A WEEK. SPEAKING FOR DOCTOR MARX, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE REST OF THEM. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DON'T THINK THAT LIVES UP TO A 100% SALARY. AND OF COURSE, TO GO AHEAD AND PUT ANOTHER PERSON DOWN THERE TO ALREADY HAVE THREE. NO, THAT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT FOR ME. THANK YOU DOCTOR MARX, MAYOR PRO TEM WILL BE OUR LAST. WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR ALREADY, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS AROUND SPECIFIC ITEMS, BUT TO BE PRUDENT WITH OUR TIME TONIGHT, CONSIDERING WE STILL HAVE A SOME ADDITIONAL ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA AS WELL AS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO ASK IF WE COULD AGAIN TAKE THE RECOMMENDATION OF OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND OUR CITY MANAGER. AND THAT IS TO BRING THOSE ITEMS BACK FOR POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS, WHILE WE ALL HAVE OUR OPINIONS ABOUT EACH OF THESE ITEMS, WE KNOW THAT WHETHER SOMETHING IS STRUCK OR WHETHER SOMEONE SOMETHING IS ADDED, THAT'S A DECISION OF THE ENTIRE COUNCIL. SO I THINK TO MAINTAIN EFFICIENCY OF TIME TONIGHT, TO

[02:40:02]

LOOK AT BRINGING THOSE ITEMS, WHATEVER'S IN QUESTION, BACK TO THE COUNCIL TO LET THE COUNCIL MAKE A DECISION ON THOSE ITEMS AS A WHOLE, BECAUSE, AGAIN, THOSE WILL IMPACT US AS AN ENTIRE BODY, MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY. THANK YOU, TRACY AND THE TEAM FINANCE DEPARTMENT FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK, WE ARE CHARGED WITH MAKING DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS. AND IT'S JUST LIKE ONE OF THEM SAID WHEN SHE CAME IN THIS EVENING, THEY TRUST US TO MAKE DECISIONS. AND EVERYBODY'S HAD GOOD POINTS. BUT I DON'T THINK. BUT I DON'T THINK TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES. I THINK WE NEED TO VOTE ON OUR BUDGET, BUDGET AND BE THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AMENDMENTS AS WE NEED TO. THANK YOU, MADAM. MADAM MAYOR, I KNOW YOU PROBABLY SAID THAT WAS YOUR LAST COMMENT, BUT I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND SAY I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WITH THE BUDGET MOVING FORWARD. HOWEVER MY, ABSTINENCE WOULD BE LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS DON'T JUST GET PUSHED AWAY. AND WE WOULD HAVE APPROVED THIS BUDGET AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE IF WE APPROVE THIS TONIGHT AND NOT REVISIT IT, THAT WILL BE A CONCERN. SO I'M JUST ASKING THE CITY MANAGER TONIGHT IF THAT WOULD BE COMFORTABLE, IF THAT WOULD BE OKAY FOR HIM TO TAKE THOSE. THAT PARTICULAR LIST THAT WAS BROUGHT FORTH TONIGHT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IT COMES BACK TO US SO THAT WE CAN MAKE AMENDMENTS. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MARTIN. THANK YOU. YES. DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE MOTION, WE HAVE TO DO A ROLL CALL. I DIDN'T I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK. OH. COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, PLEASE, AND I AGREE. LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I GET THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT MINDSET BUT ME FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE SAY THAT YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THESE DIFFERENT ITEMS. HOWEVER, EVERY TIME IT'S BROUGHT UP. NO, THERE IS NOT A COUNCIL DISCUSSION. AND SO IN MY IN MY, YOU KNOW, DEFENSE FOR, YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHT PROCESS OF THIS BUDGET IS THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED BEFORE. THEY JUST SAID THIS IS THE BUDGET. AND WHEN YOU BRING IT UP, IT BECOMES A PROBLEM. SO TONIGHT I'M GOING TO VOTE IT DOWN, AND THAT'S JUST MY PREFERENCE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THERE'S THINGS IN THE BUDGET THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED, AND I DO AGREE WITH DOCTOR MARX IN THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME DISCUSSION AROUND BRINGING THOSE ITEMS BACK TO REMOVE THEM, SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE A COHESIVE BUDGET FOR THE CITIZENS AS OPPOSED TO ONE THAT SEEMS LIKE IT HAS A LOT OF THINGS ADDED TO IT, AS OPPOSED TO JUST A STRAIGHT LINE BUDGET. AND THAT'S MY OPINION. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BYRD. YEAH. THANK YOU. CAN I GET CLARITY ON THE REQUEST, DOCTOR MARX, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD NOT WANT IS FOR US TO BRING FORTH A WHOLE BUDGET BACK, BUT IF THERE ARE TARGETED ITEMS, I CAN BE IN AGREEMENT WITH HOSTING ONE WORK SESSION. AND THEN THOSE ITEMS COME BACK AS AN AS AN AMENDED FOR OUR BUDGET. I THINK THAT I THINK THAT THAT'S REASONABLE AND FEASIBLE SO THAT WE DON'T START SO THAT AFTER THIS MEETING, AFTER TONIGHT, WE DON'T START JUST PULLING STUFF OUT OF THE AIR. SO THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK, I CAN BE IN AGREEMENT WITH SAYING, LET'S SCHEDULE A WORK SESSION TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED AND THEN COLLECTIVELY MAKE A DECISION AS A COUNCIL IN A WORK SESSION, IF THESE ITEMS COME BACK AS AMENDMENTS, AND THEN WE OFFICIALLY VOTE ON THEM UP OR DOWN. BUT I DON'T I AND TO YOUR POINT, I DO THINK WE NEED TO PASS THE BUDGET TONIGHT, I THINK IF THE COMMITMENT IF WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, IF I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY, IF THEY ASK IS THAT THERE WILL BE A WORK SESSION TO WHERE WE CAN HAVE THE CONVERSATION, AND I WANT TO NARROW THE CONVERSATION TO OUR PARTICULAR BUDGET, OUR THESE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED TONIGHT. I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF REHASHING WHAT WE'VE HAD FOR TWO MONTHS. I AM VERY, VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF HAVING THE DISCUSSION THAT I BELIEVE MY COLLEAGUE BROUGHT UP ABOUT OUR BUDGET AND COMING TO A CONSENSUS, AND THEN HAVING THOSE COME IN AS A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO BE FAIR TO THE PROCESS. OKAY, SO LET'S BACK UP FOR ONE SECOND. YOU SAID OUR BUDGET MEANING COUNCIL BUDGET, WHICH MEANS THAT THE COUNCIL LIAISON, WHERE DOES THAT BALL WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT BUDGET IS THAT? ISN'T THAT IS THE COUNCIL LIAISON WILL BE PART OF OUR BUDGET. THE CITY COUNCIL OR WOULD THAT BE WOULD THAT BE THE CITY MANAGER? CAN YOU ANSWER THAT FOR US, SIR? YES, THAT IS IN THE CITY COUNCIL DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET. OKAY, OKAY. VERY GOOD. THAT'S VERY GOOD. NOW WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'M IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH THAT. HOWEVER, I DON'T WANT IT TO BE SIX MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD BEFORE WE LOOK AT

[02:45:05]

IT AGAIN. I JUST DON'T WANT IT TO GET LOST IN THE SHUFFLE BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. IF YOU IF WE GO ABOUT THE PROCESS, ABOUT GETTING THINGS ON THE AGENDA MOVING FORWARD, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS WILL LAND. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION AS TO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE MOVING FORWARD. LOOK, I THINK THAT AS SOON AS WE GET THIS BUDGET APPROVED, THEN THAT PROBABLY NEED TO BE A DISCUSSION SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SO THAT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T REALLY HIRE SOMEONE THAT HAVE NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'VE NOT AGREED. NO, NO, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE HIRE. IT'S ABOUT THIS WHOLE PACKAGE. I'M ASKING THE CITY MANAGER AT THIS MOMENT IF HE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THESE PARTICULAR ITEMS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED TONIGHT GET PLACED ON THE AGENDA IN A TIMELY MANNER. SO THAT IT DOESN'T GET LOST IN THE SHUFFLE MOVING FORWARD. I DON'T WANT TO SEE IT SIX MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD, SEVEN MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD. SO CAN YOU ANSWER THAT FOR ME, MR. GODFREY? SO I WANT CLARIFICATION. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME AND FOR STAFF.

WE HAVE A LIAISON TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT IS PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET. I CANNOT WAIT THREE MONTHS FOR YOU TO DISCUSS IT AND COME BACK. YOU EITHER VOTED UP OR VOTED DOWN RIGHT NOWECAUSE YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT THREE MONTHS TO GO BY AND NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO HIRE SOMEONE. AND IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAVE REQUESTS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND NOT BEING TAKEN CARE OF.

OKAY. SO THAT'S THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. THE OTHER THING I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER BYRD, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU HAVE A WORKSHOP THAT YOU AGREE ON ALL OF THOSE ITEMS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BRING IN ONE ITEM AT A TIME FOR US TO, TO, TO DISCUSS HERE AT THE PUBLIC SETTING AND DISCUSS THOSE ITEMS AND TAKE US, YOU KNOW, TWO HOURS JUST TO DISCUSS ONE ITEM. I THINK THAT'S UNDERSTOOD THAT THE WORKSHOP TAKES CARE OF IT. AND THEN WHEN WE COME BACK WITH AN AMENDMENT, IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE AMENDMENT TO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THAT THAT WE WANT TO DO. I AM COMMITTED TO THAT. WE HAVE QUARTERLY UPDATES THAT WE CAN DO THAT. SO I CAN COMMIT TO YOU BEFORE YOU KNOW, BY BY JANUARY 1ST OR JANUARY, THE FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY TO COME BACK TO YOU. BUT I BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE A WORKSHOP HAPPEN BEFORE THAT. SO IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE DO THAT MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE I WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND STAFF WANTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN MAKING SURE THAT WE ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS AND HAVING BITS AND PIECES OF ITEMS IS NOT GOING TO MAKE US VERY SUCCESSFUL. I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THE INTENT THERE. I THINK WE'RE SAYING THE SAME THING. WE'RE WANTING IT TO COME BACK AS A PACKAGE AND THEN WE'LL DISCUSS IT AND MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE. WE DON'T WANT IT ONE AT A TIME. I THINK WE'RE SAYING THE SAME THING. THANK YOU. IF I MAY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO GET US MOVING FORWARD. IF IT'S THE WISH OF THE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF IN CITY MANAGER I GOT FOR YOU, TELL ME IF I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY ON THE POSITION, BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO SEPARATE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY BEING DISCUSSED. IT'S ONE WITH THE COUNCIL LIAISON POSITION. THAT THERE'S SOME DIFFERENCES OF OPINION ON, BUT THEN WE HAVE KIND OF THIS GROUP OF CERTAIN, ITEMS. RIGHT. JUST DIFFERENT LINE ITEMS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY IMPACT ANYBODY'S DAY TO DAY JOB OR THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY A HIGHER POSITION THAT I WOULD BE DEFINITELY IN AGREEMENT WITH BRINGING THEM BACK AND DISCUSSING THEM AS A AS A PACKAGE AT A LATER DATE, HOWEVER, IF YOU'RE NEEDING TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY TONIGHT IN TERMS OF THE POSITION BASED ON THE REASONS YOU STATED, THEN COULD WE NOT PULL THAT POSITION OUT, VOTE ON IT SEPARATELY FOR IN TERMS OF THIS BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN, AGAIN, WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD? BECAUSE I WOULD HATE FOR ANYBODY TO FEEL LIKE THEY NEED TO VOTE THE ENTIRE BUDGET DOWN JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T AGREE WITH A POSITION OR NOT. AND THAT MAY STILL HAPPEN, HOWEVER, I SHOULD WE PULL THAT OUT AND THEN GIVE US GIVE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE POSITION AND THEN JUST VOTE IT UP OR DOWN AND THEN BRING THE OTHER LINE ITEMS BACK AS A SEPARATE WORKSHOP. AND THEN WE CAN DO THOSE ALL AT ONE TIME. I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THAT IF THE CITY ATTORNEY ALLOWS US TO DO THAT, THAT'S FINE, AS LONG AS YOU ALL KNOW THE YEAH, THE REFERENCE TO WHERE IT IS IN THE BUDGET. SO YOU CAN REFER TO IT SPECIFICALLY. OKAY. WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, FOR OUR BUDGET, MR. GRAFFITI, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. SO, DO WE NEED TO RETRACT THAT MOTION? OKAY, THAT MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCILMAN BYRD, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES. MADAM MAYOR, I RETRACT MY MOTION TO APPROVE THE BUDGET AS PRESENTED. OKAY. SECOND. OKAY. DO WE NEED TO GET ALL OF COUNCIL'S. WELL, THEY JUST NEED TO AGREE. AGREE TO RETRACT IT. CORRECT SO ARE WE PULLING? THERE'S A MOTION ON THE

[02:50:04]

FLOOR AND HE'S RETRACTING HIS MOTION. SHE SECOND THAT SHE AGREES. SO NOW NOW THAT HE'S RETRACTED HIS MOTION THE MOTION IS DEAD. SO NOW WE HAVE NO MOTION ON THE FLOOR. WE HAVE NO MOTION ON THE FLOOR. SO COUNCIL AT THIS TIME. SO, THE COURSE OF ACTION IS TO APPROVE VOTE UP OR DOWN THE POSITION AMONGST THE COUNCIL FOR THE MAYOR. THE LIAISON TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL POSITION, DO WE NEED TO REFERENCE THAT SPECIFICALLY ON WHERE THAT IS IN THE BUDGET IN ORDER WITH THAT PARTICULAR MOTION? WE DO. OKAY. CAN WE GET THIS? CAN WE GET THE SPECIFICS ON WHERE CAN WE GET THE SPECIFICS ON WHERE THAT LINE, WHERE THAT ITEM IS IN OUR BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN REFERENCE IT AND COUNCIL, I WILL, ASK FOR A COUNCIL MEMBER TO MAKE A MOTION ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. POINT OF INFORMATION. YES, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN STATED MISSTATED A FEW TIMES. I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THAT YOU STATED CITY MANAGER, THAT THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE IS LOSING A HEAD COUNT AND THE HEAD COUNT THAT WE'RE GETTING FOR THE LIAISON IS REPLACING THAT. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY TO THAT, ESSENTIALLY. SO ESSENTIALLY, WE'RE LOSING A PART TIME. WHO WAS THE, PERSON FOR THE MAYOR? SHE WAS NOT FOR THE CITY COUNCIL. THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE MAYOR. WE'RE LOSING THAT PART TIME, BUT GAINING A FULL TIME. IS THAT NOT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. HOWEVER, WE ARE ALSO LOSING A FULL TIME. WE'RE LOSING THE ADMIN ASSISTANT TO THE CITY SECRETARY, WHO WILL BE TRANSITIONING TO THE CMO'S OFFICE. SO IT WILL BE CITY SECRETARY. YOU'RE TAKING ME TOO FAST, OKAY? YOU'RE TAKING ME TOO FAST. I'M SORRY. SO WHO ARE WE LOSING? GOING WHERE? WE ARE LOSING THE PART TIME ADMIN TO THE MAYOR WHO WENT TO PARKS? YES. CORRECT. SO THAT PART TIME POSITION AND THE PART TIME POSITION THAT WAS AN ADMIN IN THE CMO'S OFFICE IS COMING AS ONE. THAT WILL BE THE MAYOR AND LIAISON, MAYOR COUNCIL LIAISON POSITION. THE POSITION THAT DRE HOLDS, WHICH IS THE ADMIN ASSISTANT TO THE CITY SECRETARY, A FULL TIME POSITION IS LEAVING AS WELL. SO DOES THAT MEAN DRE IS LEAVING OR IS THAT SHE MOVING TO HER? HER POSITION IS RECLASSIFIED TO THE COUNCIL LIAISON? NO, TO WHAT? WELL, THAT'S A DIFFERENT. DON'T EVEN SAY IT. DON'T DON'T DON'T KNOW.

SO I GUESS WHAT YOU ALL NEED TO BE CLEAR ON WHAT WHAT WHAT IS THE CONSEQUENCES OF IF YOU DON'T APPROVE THIS POSITION. SO THIS POSITION IS OUT. WHAT'S THE CONSEQUENCES AS IT RELATES TO THE STAFFING POSITIONS THAT WILL BE LEFT WITH IT. IT WILL GO DOWN FROM THREE AND A HALF TO TWO POSITIONS. AND AGAIN, COUNCIL AGAIN. IF THERE'S ALWAYS BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT CAN BE MADE IF THERE IF THE IF WE SEE THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR THAT POSITION IT SHOULD THIS ITEM NOT PASS. YOU KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS THE OPTION TO AMEND THE BUDGET IN THAT WAY FOR ANOTHER POSITION, SHOULD THERE BE A NEED FOR IT. COUNCIL. HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME, IS THERE A MOTION, REGARDING THIS ITEM WITH THE LIAISON TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCI? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE KEEP THE POSITION AS NEEDED. IF I IF I MAY MAKE THAT AS AS PRESENTED. THANK YOU. I WILL SECOND THAT CAN WE USE A VOTE? OKAY. COUNCIL. IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BYRD TO KEEP THE POSITION OF LIAISON TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL IN THE. THIS WILL BE IN THE CITY SECRETARY'S BUDGET OR THE CITY COUNCIL'S BUDGET. CITY SECRETARY'S BUDGET. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PAD. ON THAT MOTION PASSES FOUR THREE. LET'S GO BACK, LET'S GO BACK. LET'S GO BACK. LET'S GO BACK TO NOW THE BUDGET. THE BUDGET. SURE. SO AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL THAT PASSED FOUR THREE, SO WE HAVE A NOW WE HAVE THE ORIGINAL ITEM, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE, IF WE APPROVE THE APPROVAL OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AND THE CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS PLAN. MADAM MAYOR, CAN I CALL FOR A FIVE MINUTE RECESS, PLEASE? CERTAINLY THANK YOU. COUNCIL. IT'S A 55, AND WE HAVE A FIVE MINUTE

[02:55:05]

RECESS. WE'L THANK YOU. COUNCIL. IT'S NINE. OH 2 P.M. AND WE ARE GOING TO RESUME OUR, MEETING. AND WE HAVE WE'RE STILL ON OUR ITEM REGARDING OUR 2024, 2025 OPERATING BUDGET CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND CITY BUSINESS PLAN, AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, IS THERE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED.

SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECOND, TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED. COUNCIL WE KNOW THAT THIS VOTE HAS TO BE A RECORD VOTE. SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MISS THOMAS FOR THE READING OF THE ORDINANCE AND FOR THE ROLL CALL AND ORDINANCE. MADAM MAYOR, I'M SORRY, POINT OF INFORMATION. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT, THE PULLING, THE PULLING OF THESE ITEMS FOR SEPARATE DEAL, DO THAT HAVE TO BE AMENDED OR IS THAT ARE WE IS THAT JUST A GENTLEMAN'S UNDERSTANDING? IT WAS NOT PULLED. THE ITEMS WERE NOT PULLED. WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS FOR THE COUNCIL'S BUDGET WILL BE BROUGHT BACK AT A LATER DATE FOR DISCUSSION, ON A MORE INDIVIDUALIZED AND GRANULAR LEVEL FOR THAT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, APPROVING AND ADOPTING A BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2024, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025. PROVIDING THAT EXPENDITURES FOR SAID FISCAL YEAR SHALL BE MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SAID BUDGET. APPROPRIATING AND SETTING ASIDE THE NECESSARY FUNDS OUT OF THE GENERAL AND OTHER REVENUES FOR SAID FISCAL YEAR FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND FOR VARIOUS ACTIVITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS OF THE CITY. ADOPTING THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND THE 20 2425 BUSINESS PLAN PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT, PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

MAYOR PRO TEM LETICIA HUGHES YES. CAN YOU TURN YOUR MICROPHONE? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KRISTAL CHISHOLM. YES COUNCILMEMBER MARKS. FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET. THAT'S NOT PROPOSED FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. WE WILL ASK THAT.

NO MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDRE BYRD. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER NICOLE. RAFAEL.

YES. COUNCIL IS NOT A PART OF THE. THAT'S NOT A PART. HE SAYS THAT'S WHAT HE TOLD ME. COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THIS MOTION PASSES FIVE TWO. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, AT THIS

[6. Consider and act upon an ordinance, by record vote of the City Council of the City of Desoto, Texas, levying and assessing municipal ad valorem taxes for the City of Desoto, for the fiscal year 2024–2025, at $0.503934 for Maintenance and Operations and $0.181000 for Interest and Sinking Funds, for a total of $0.684934, specifically for the purpose for which said taxes may be expended and directing the assessment and collection thereof; repealing conflicting ordinances and resolutions; including a severability clause and establishing an effective date.]

TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA. NEXT, WE HAVE CONSIDER AND ACT UPON AN ORDINANCE BY RECORD VOTE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, LEVYING AND ASSESSING MUNICIPAL AD VALOREM TAXES FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 20 2425, AT 0.50393 $0.04 FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS, AND 0.181000 FOR INTEREST AND SINKING FUND FUNDS, FOR A TOTAL OF 0.68493 FOR SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH SAID TAXES MAY BE EXPENDED, AND DIRECTING THE ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION THEREOF. REPEALING CONFLICTING ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS, INCLUDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. COMING BACK. WE HAVE SHALONDA OLIVER, BUDGET AND GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR. GOOD EVENING AGAIN, MAYOR AND COUNCI. THIS ITEM WAS ON DELIVERING GREAT DETAIL DURING OUR PUBLIC HEARING SECTION. HOWEVER THE PROPOSED TAX RATE WAS PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL BACK IN AUGUST.

ON AUGUST, THE 20TH, THE TAX RATE IS NECESSARY TO PAY DEBT OBLIGATIONS AND PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF OPERATION SERVICES AS PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET, WHICH IS 0.684934 PER $100 VALUATION.

THIS. IS 0.000158 LOWER THAN THE TAX RATE FROM 2023. STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE ORDINANCE LEVYING THE AD VALOREM TAXES FOR FY 2025. THE FOLLOWING PHRASE MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE VERBAL MOTION MADE TO THE. ADOPTING THE ORDINANCE. I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE, LEAVING THE MUNICIPAL AD VALOREM TAX RATE FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024, 25, AND FURTHER MOVE THE PROPERTY TAX RATE BE INCREASED BY THE ADOPTION OF THE TAX RATE OF 0.684934, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY AN 11.65% INCREASE IN THE TAX

[03:00:05]

RATE. THANK YOU, MISS OLIVER. COUNCIL, IS THERE A MOTION? PLEASE REPEAT THAT. PLEASE REPEAT THE EXACT VERBIAGE. IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THE MOTION, IT SHOULD BE IN YOUR STAFF REPORT. IT IS IN YOUR REPORT. YOU CAN DO IT. IS THERE SOMEONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION? SHE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE LANGUAGE, I'LL MAKE COUNCILMAN BURKE, PLEASE. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE. I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE LEVYING THE MUNICIPAL AD VALOREM TAX RATES FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 TO 2025. AND FURTHER MOVE THAT THE PROPERTY TAX RATE BE INCREASED BY THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE OF 0.684934, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY AN 11.65% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE. THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND SECOND COUNCIL? IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL SURE THING. CAN SOMEBODY SPEAK TO THAT SAY THAT IN COMMON LANGUAG? WHAT WAS JUST, WHAT WAS JUST PASSED? THANK YOU. OR RATHER, WHAT WAS JUST SAID. THANK YOU, THAT LANGUAGE HAS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE ADOPTION OF THE TAX RATE, BECAUSE WE'RE BRINGING IN MORE REVENUE THAN WE DID THE PREVIOUS YEAR. BUT AS AS WE STATED BEFORE, THE ACTUAL OVERALL RATE IS BEING REDUCED BY 0.00158.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THERE IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, AND THERE IS AN ORDINANCE TO BE READ. MISS THOMAS, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, LEVYING AD VALOREM TAXES FOR THE YEAR 2020 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2425 AT A RATE OF 0.684934 PER $100 ASSESSED VALUATION ON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF DESOTO AS OF JANUARY 1ST, 2024. TO PROVIDE REVENUE FOR THE PAYMENT OF CURRENT EXPENSES. PROVIDING FOR AN INTEREST IN SINKING FUND FOR ALL OUTSTANDING DEBT OF THE CITY OF DESOTO. PROVIDING FOR DUE AND DELINQUENT DATES TOGETHER WITH PENALTIES AND INTEREST. PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. THANK YOU. THIS VOTE ACTUALLY REQUIRES A RECORD VOTE AS WELL.

MISS THOMAS, PLEASE. MAYOR PRO TEM LETICIA HUGHES. YES, COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL CHISHOLM. YES.

COUNCIL MEMBER DINA MARX. YES. MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDRE BYRD. YES.

COUNCIL MEMBER NICOLE RAPHAEL. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. PERRY PARKER. YES. THANK YOU, THANK

[7. Consider and take a separate vote to ratify a property tax revenue increase as reflected in the FY 2024-2025 Annual Operating Budget when compared to the FY 2023-2024 Annual Operating Budget; this budget will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $6,389,424, which is a 13.87 percent increase from last year’s budget and, of that amount, $1,067,228 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year]

YOU. THAT VOTE PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, MISS THOMAS WILL HAVE THE LAST ITEM ON OUR REGULAR AGENDA BEFORE OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION. YES, MA'AM. CONSIDER AND TAKE A SEPARATE VOTE TO RATIFY A PROPERTY TAX REVENUE INCREASE AS REFLECTED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2425 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET. WHEN COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR 2324. ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET. THIS BUDGET WILL RAISE MORE TOTAL PROPERTY TAXES THAN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET BY $6,389,424, WHICH IS A 13.87% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. AND OF THAT AMOUNT, $1,067,228 IS TAX REVENUE TO BE RAISED FROM NEW PROPERTY ADDED TO THE TAX ROLL THIS YEAR? COMING BACK AS SHALONDA OLIVER, BUDGET AND GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR. GOOD EVENING AGAIN, AT THIS TIME WE WOULD JUST SAY STAFF RECOMMENDS THE CITY COUNCIL VOTE TO RATIFY PROPERTY TAX RATE INCREASE AS REFLECTED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 2025 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET. WHEN COMPARED TO THE FY 20 2324 OPERATING BUDGET, THIS BUDGET WILL RAISE MORE PROPERTY TAX THAN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET BY $6,389,424, WHICH IS 13.8% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. AND OF THAT AMOUNT, $1,067,228 IS REVENUE TO BE RAISED FROM NEW PROPERTY ADDED TO THE TAX ROLL. THIS YEA? THANK YOU, MISS OLIVER. COUNCIL, IS THERE A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT AS PRESENTED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECOND, TO ACCEPT AS PRESENTED, THERE IS AN ORDINANCE COUNCIL. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION BEFORE WE HAVE THE READING OF THE ORDINANCE? NO ORDINANCE. IT HAS ORDINANCE ON HERE. I'M SORRY, I APOLOGIZE, THERE IS NO ORDINANCE, BUT DO WE NEED A RECORD VOTE OR IS THIS A SEPARATE VOTE WE CAN USE? LET'S JUST DO A RECORD VOTE TO KEEP IT. MAYOR PRO TEM LETICIA HUGHES. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER KRISTAL CHISHOLM. YES COUNCIL MEMBER. MARX. YES. MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDRE BYRD. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER NICOLE RAPHAEL. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY PARKER. YES. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THAT VOTE PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. COUNCIL AT THIS TIME. THAT CONCLUDES OUR REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS. WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO I'M GOING

[03:05:01]

TO TAKE A PAUSE FOR A MINUTE. TAKE A TAKE A ONE MINUTE BREAK. ONE MINUTE BREAK. OKAY SURE.

WE'LL HAVE A FIVE MINUTE, ONE MINUTE RECESS. OKAY.

OKAY I KNOW. AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, IT IS 9:13 P.M. WE WILL NOT BE HAVING OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION THIS EVENING, SO I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED. SECOND. NOT EVERYBODY AT ONCE, IT HAS BEEN MOVED. WHO? WHO WHO WHO DO I GIVE THAT TO ON THIS END? COUNCIL MEMBER.

CHISHOLM. SECOND. BY WHO WAS THAT? COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL. I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL TO ADJOURN COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. COUNCIL, IT IS 9:14

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.

G. REGULAR AGENDA - New Business

Sep 17, 2024 City Council Meeting

G. REGULAR AGENDA - New Business

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