* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] ALL RIGHT, PINELLA, I THINK WE'RE READY TO GET STARTED. OKAY. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. THANK Y'ALL FOR, UH, BRAVING THE WEATHER. I THINK, UH, LAST WEEK WAS FREEZING AND POSTPONING MEETINGS, BUT, UH, WE ALL PUT ON OUR, UH, LIFE SAFETY VEST AND SWAM IN TONIGHT. SO, BUT I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE. BUT SAFETY IS A TOP PRIORITY NO MATTER WHAT WE DO. BUT LET'S CALL THE MEETING [1. Call to Order ] TO ORDER FOR THE STER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION MONDAY, JANUARY 22ND, 2024 AT 6:00 PM WE DO HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT. UH, CURRENTLY, BLAKE KOKI IS NOT WITH US, AND JENNIFER HAGERMAN IS NOT WITH US, BUT EVERYONE ELSE IS PRESENT. DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, ONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS. OKAY. ITEM [3. Consideration and possible action on the adoption of the Fulshear Farmers’ Market performance agreement for FY 24. ] NUMBER THREE IS CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE ADOPTION OF THE FULL SHERE FARMER'S MARKET PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 24. GOOD EVENING. SO, AS YOU REQUESTED, WE UPDATED THE FARMER'S MARKET AGREEMENT THAT WAS USED LAST FALL TO PROVIDE SUPPORT. THIS AGREEMENT WAS, UH, DRAFTED BY OUR LEGAL COUNSEL, UM, WITH JUST DIFFERENT PARAMETERS THAT WE HAD REQUESTED, AND THE CHANGES THAT WE HAVE MADE TO THAT AGREEMENT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN YOUR PACKET. UM, SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THERE. UM, WE BASICALLY REMOVED THE LANGUAGE ABOUT THE PLANTERS IRRIGATION SINCE THAT WAS A ONE TIME ASK FOR SUPPORT AT THAT TIME. UM, WHAT THE SHORE FARMER'S MARKET IS ASKING FOR IS CONTRIBUTION STARTING IN MARCH FOR, UH, LIVE MUSIC EVERY SATURDAY, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UP UNTIL THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, UH, END OF SEPTEMBER. SO THIS, UH, COMES OUT TO $4,650 IN TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM YOU ALL, UH, IF YOU CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS TONIGHT. UH, WE DID ALSO ADD THAT THE REIMBURSEMENT WOULD BE MADE TO, UM, THE FARMER'S MARKET ON A MONTHLY BASIS. AND, UM, WE DID DEFINE MORE, UH, CLEARLY WHAT WE MEANT BY MARKETING MATERIALS IN TERMS OF HOW THEY WOULD RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTION FROM THE EDC. AND, UM, WE ALSO ADDED TO THE AGREEMENT THAT THEY WOULD REPORT BASICALLY HOW THIS IS ENHANCING THE FARMER'S MARKET. WE'LL OPEN UP, UP FOR ANY, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AT THIS TIME. I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE FULCHER FARMER MARKET PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT FOR FY 24, PROVIDING THAT THE TYPO UNDER SECTION A ITEM THREE REPORTING FERVOR FULCHER, IS CHANGED TO FOREVER. FULCHER. YES, SIR. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND. MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED, AND KNOW THAT RAMONA IS HERE WITH US, AND IT'S BEEN REALLY COLD LATELY, AND I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE STILL OPEN, STILL FUNCTIONING, AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S JUST A TESTAMENT TO THE, UH, UH, SPIRIT THAT YOU STARTED THE FARMER'S MARKET AND THE DETERMINATION AND DRIVE YOU'VE HAD. SO APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT TO THE CITY. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I DID HAVE A QUESTION FOR, UH, CHARLIE, HAVE YOU REVIEWED EVERYTHING? EVERYTHING GOOD? YES. WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY. TYPO. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NOTHING ELSE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. AND WE WILL HAVE MUSIC AT THE FARMER'S MARKET, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO GET UP THERE AND SING. SO IT'S A WIN-WIN. THE FINE PRINT, HUH? . YOU BETTER WATCH CHARLIE ON THAT ONE. YEAH. MIGHT BE A FOOTNOTE DOWN THERE. . TRUE. I HAVE SAYING BEFORE AT ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS, SO THAT'S PROBABLY ON A VIDEO SOMEWHERE, BUT THAT'S FOR A LATER TIME. ALL RIGHT. ITEM FOUR, PRESENTATION [4. Presentation on duties and allowable projects for a Type A sales tax corporation. ] ON DUTIES AND ALLOWABLE PROJECTS. IT SAYS, FOR A TYPE A SALES TAX CORPORATION, BUT I THINK WE'LL COVER THE FULL TYPE A AND TYPE B SALES TAX CORPORATION. THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH, SORRY ABOUT THAT. IT'S SUPPOSED TO SAY TYPE B SALES TAX CORPORATION. SO, UH, CHARLIE ECK IS HERE WITH US, AND HE WILL PRESENT TO YOU ALL. THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT A FEW MEMBERS HAD REQUESTED, I THINK, LAST NOVEMBER. SO FINALLY WE'RE HERE, UM, AND WE GET TO HEAR FROM ONE OF THE BEST IN THE FIELD AND IN THE STATE. SO PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. VERY GOOD. THIS IS, UM, PRETTY HIGH LEVEL STUFF, UH, QUITE HONESTLY, BUT, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY, SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AS WE GO THROUGH IT, JUST FEEL FREE TO STOP ME AND ASK. UM, FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL WHO DID ATTEND THE TML ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE, YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THE SLIDES [00:05:01] A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I STOLE FROM THE SLIDES TO PUT THIS PRESENTATION TOGETHER, THAT PRESENTATION'S BASED A LITTLE BIT MORE ON COOPERATION BETWEEN ENTITIES AND A LITTLE LESS ON, UH, AUTHORITY. UH, BUT WE DO START THAT PRESENTATION BASICALLY WITH THIS SLIDE, WHICH IS WHAT IS OUR AUTHORITY AS A TYPE B CORPORATION, UM, TO OPERATE? UH, THERE ARE, UH, FOUR, EXCUSE ME, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION. WE DID UPDATE A PRESENTATION, SO HAYDEN FOLLOWED UP WITH THAT EMAIL. IF YOU NOTICE, IT'S DIFFERENT. YOU SHOULD HAVE IT IN YOUR INBOX. YEAH, THE, I GUESS THE OLD ONE WAS THE TYPE A, RIGHT? YEAH. SO DAN, DAN GAVE US ONE THAT HE HAD PUT TOGETHER. OH, HE DID? YES. OH, ALL RIGHT. WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW HE HAD DONE THAT. MY APOLOGIES. NO, IT'S ALL GOOD. ALL RIGHT. SO YEAH, THIS IS, YOU'RE GONNA GET THE SAME INFORMATION, APPARENTLY JUST IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT, , UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF HE STARTED WITH THIS, BUT I DO, BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING AT FOR PURPOSES OF ALL YOUR AUTHORITY. NOT JUST PROJECT SPENDING AUTHORITY, BUT HOW WE OPERATE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO, UM, LOCAL TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. Y'ALL KNOW HOW TO FIND THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE ONLINE. YOU CAN JUST GOOGLE IT SHOWS UP. YEAH, IT'S EASY TO FIND. SO IT'S CHAPTERS 5 0 1, 5 0 2, 5 0 4, AND 5 0 5 ARE THE PROVISIONS THAT WE LOOK TO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TYPE B AUTHORITY ALSO. AND FOLKS FORGET THIS. THEY ARE, THEY EITHER THAT OR THEY DON'T KNOW IT. WE ALSO LOOK TOWARDS CHAPTER 22 OF THE TEXAS BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS CODE, THE TEXAS NONPROFIT CORPORATIONS ACT. TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 0 1 5 0 4 ESSENTIALLY SAYS THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE POWERS AND PRIVILEGES OF A NONPROFIT CORPORATION. AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE ARE PROVISIONS WHICH ARE INCONSISTENT OR, UM, WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS TITLE, THIS TITLE PREVAILS, WHICH MEANS 5 0 1, 5 0 2, 5 0 4, AND 5 0 5. BUT WE DO LOOK TO CHAPTER 22 FOR GENERAL AUTHORITY. YES, SIR. I HAD A QUICK QUESTION. IF I CAN ASK THOSE ALONG THE WAY. ON THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, UH, JUST FOR INFORMATION, DO THOSE, ARE THOSE PRETTY MUCH SET AND THEY RUN THROUGH PERPETUALLY, OR ARE THEY SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITH EACH LEGISLATIVE SESSION? LIKE HOW, HOW ONCE WE LOOK AT THESE, HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE LOOK AT 'EM AGAIN? SO THEY ARE, SO THEY'RE SET IN STONE UNTIL THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AND THEN YOU DON'T, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE'S GONNA DO. THEY, THEY HAVEN'T TWEAKED THESE PROVISIONS IN A WHILE, QUITE HONESTLY. UM, BUT IF THEY DO, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW WHAT CHANGES WILL HAVE BEEN MADE. UH, BUT IT'S REALLY, EVERY TWO YEARS IS THE ONLY, IS WHEN THE LEGISLATURE'S IN SESSION. SO LEGISLATURES WAS IN SESSION IN 20 22, 23, YEAH. 2023. YEAH, IT'S RIGHT. 2020. DID THEY EVER STOPPED? IT'S RIGHT. 2024, ISN'T IT? SO WE GOT ANOTHER YEAR TO GO BEFORE THEY, BEFORE THEY START MESSING WITH IT AGAIN. AND, BUT IF THEY DO, UH, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW IF, IF BOTH ON PROPOSED CHANGES, 'CAUSE WE TRACK THOSE KIND OF THINGS. AND THEN IF CHANGES ARE ACTUALLY ADOPTED. SO SPECIFICALLY, UH, 5 0 1 0 5 1 AUTHORIZES THE CREATION OF THE CORPORATION. 5 0 1 5 6 APPROVES, UH, OH, SORRY, LET ME BACK UP. THE AUTHORIZING UNIT IS A WORD THAT IS USED IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE A LOT. AND THAT BASICALLY MEANS CITY COUNCIL. CITY COUNCIL IS THE AUTHORIZING UNIT FOR A TYPE B ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. AND SO UNDER THE CODE, THE AUTHORIZING UNIT AUTHORIZES CREATION OF THE CORPORATION. THEY APPROVE THE CERTIFICATE OF FORMATION, THEY APPOINT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THEY APPROVE THE BYLAWS, THEY APPROVE ALL PROGRAMS AND EXPENDITURES. THEY ANNUALLY REVIEW FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, AND THEY'RE ENTITLED TO THE CORPORATE BOOKS AND RECORDS AT ALL TIMES. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY, WHILE THIS IS A SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT CORPORATION, IT IS SUBJECT TO THE, BASICALLY THE WILL OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY COUNCIL IN ALL THOSE RESPECTS. FINALLY, 5 0 1 0 0 7 SAYS SPECIFICALLY THAT A MUNICIPALITY MAY NOT LEND ITS CREDIT OR GRANT PUBLIC MONEY OR ANOTHER THING OF VALUE AND AID OF THE CORPORATION, EXCEPT UNDER A CONTRACT, UNDER AUTHORIZED UNDER CHAPTER THREE 80, THE LOCAL GATA CODE. AND SO THAT'S WHY, UM, IF, WHY WE HAVE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE CORPORATION, THE CORPORATION PAYS CONSIDERATION TO THE CITY FOR SERVICES THAT IT PROVIDES TO THE CORPORATION. THERE ARE CERTAIN TRAINING REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE ADMINISTRATOR OR CLERK OF THE MUNICIPALITY. UM, AND THAT IS DONE BY THOSE FOLKS ON A REGULAR BASIS. THERE ARE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS THAT REALLY ARE, Y'ALL DON'T HAVE TO BE TOO CONCERNED ABOUT EXCEPT TO EVERY YEAR, I GUESS, MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS ACCOMPLISHED. [00:10:01] BUT THAT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THESE FOLKS. AND THEY ACCO, THEY'RE VERY GOOD ABOUT MAKING SURE THEY GET THAT, THAT GETS ACCOMPLISHED EVERY YEAR. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CHANGES THAT HAPPENED ABOUT TWO OR THREE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS AGO WHERE THEY INCLUDED THIS, ONE OF THOSE CHANGES THAT THEY MADE, THAT WE MADE FOLKS AWARE OF. JUST BE THANKFUL THAT ANELLE AND HAYDEN GET TO DO THAT FOR US. YEAH. IT'S BECAUSE I TOOK PUBLIC FINANCE INVESTMENT AND ACCOUNTING TRAINING ONE TIME, AND THAT WAS LIKE, THAT'S TOUGH TO SIT THROUGH. WELL, IT'S, IT, YEAH, EXCEPT THAT THE REPORTING REQUIREMENT ISN'T TOO PROBLEMATIC. THE COMPTROLLER CREATES THE FORM AND THEY FILL OUT THE FORM, AND, AND, AND IT'S A PRETTY EASILY REPORTING REQUIREMENT THAT, BUT THEY DO TAKE CARE OF IT. SO, TYPE B CORPORATION, WHAT'S OUR AUTHORITY WITH RESPECT TO OUR REVENUE STREAM, OUR TAX DOLLARS THAT WE RECEIVE AS A RESULT OF, OF BEING A TYPE B CORPORATION? FIRST, A TYPE B CORPORATION CAN DO BOTH TYPE A AND TYPE B PROJECTS. SO WE LOOK TO BOTH CHAPTER 5 0 1 AND 5 0 4 AND 5 0 5, UH, FOR PURPOSES OF WHAT IS OUR AUTHORITY WITH RESPECT TO A PROJECT? HOW CAN WE SPEND OUR TAX DOLLARS? OF COURSE, TYPE A PROJECTS ARE MUCH MORE LIMITED WITH RESPECT TO HOW THOSE TAX DOLLARS CAN BE USED. THAT TAX IS PRIMARILY INTENDED FOR MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRIMARY JOB CREATION. WHAT IS PRIMARY JOB CREATION? IF YOU LOOK IN CHAPTER ONE, THERE'S A LIST OF OF SPECIFIC AREAS THAT IS DETERMINED TO BE PRIMARY JOBS. AND THEN, UM, AND I CAN'T, I THINK IT'S THE IADA, I CAN'T EVER REMEMBER THE ACRONYM, BUT THERE'S THIS, THERE'S THIS STANDARD THAT STATES OUT SPECIFICALLY WHAT IS A, IT BREAKS IT DOWN FROM MACRO TO MICRO. AND THEN, SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THOSE MICRO DESIGNATIONS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT SOMETHING'S A PRIMARY, PRIMARY JOB. AND SO WHENEVER WE DO A PROJECT, WE CHECK THAT, WE VERIFY THAT IT'S A PRIMARY JOB WITH RESPECT TO TYPE A DOLLARS. NOW, WHEN I DID THE PRESENTATION FOR THE TYPE A CORPORATION, SOME OF THESE WERE STRIKE, WERE STRUCK THROUGH BECAUSE TYPE A CORPORATIONS CAN'T DO ALL THESE PRIMARY JOB CREATIONS, BUT A TYPE B CORPORATION CAN. AND SO THIS IS MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES. AND I'M, I DON'T LIKE READING THINGS, BUT I'LL READ THIS 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES, MILITARY FACILITIES, TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES, SEWAGE, YOUR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES, RECYCLING FACILITIES, AIR OR POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITIES, FACILITIES FOR ING WATER TO THE PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION CENTERS, SMALL WAREHOUSE FACILITIES, CAPABLE OF SERVING AS DECENTRALIZED STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION CENTERS. AKA WALMART DISTRIBUTION CENTERS. THAT WAS A BIG ONE FOR A LONG TIME. PRIMARY JOB, UM, AMAZON. NOW PRIMARY JOB TRAINING FACILITIES FOR USE BY, FOR USE BY INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. THAT'S IMPORTANT. IT IS JOB TRAINING FACILITIES FOR USE BY INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, NOT, UM, JOB TRAINING FACILITIES FOR USE BY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO WE CAN PARTNER WITH, UH, A, A INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO CREATE JOB TRAINING FACILITIES. THAT WAS, UM, ONE OF THE FIRST BIG PROJECTS I WAS ACTUALLY INVOLVED WITH IN THE CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS WHEN I WAS THEIR CITY ATTORNEY AND THEIR EDC GENERAL COUNSEL. UM, WHEN WE PARTNERED WITH A INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION OUT AT THE NEW BRAUNFELS AIRPORT WHEN TOYOTA CAME TO TOWN, HOWEVER MANY YEARS AGO. THAT WAS 20 SOME YEARS AGO. AND WE CREATED JOB TRAINING FACILITIES FOR SPECIFICALLY IN THE AREA OF ALL THE OTHER LITTLE SUB MANUFACTURERS THAT WERE COMING IN TO SUPPORT TOYOTA, THAT TYPE OF THING. SO THAT, THAT WAS, AND THAT'S STILL AN ONGOING, THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR 20 YEARS. THAT JOB TRAINING FACILITY MAY LET, MAY ASK A QUESTION. HOW, HOW DID THE EDCS HELP WITH THAT PROJECT? IN THAT CASE, THEY PROVIDED DOLLARS IN HELPING TO BUILD THE FACILITY, BUT THEY DIDN'T OWN THE FACILITY? NO. IT'S A, IT'S A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS, SO YOU'LL FORGIVE ME IF I FORGOT EXACTLY HOW THE DEAL WENT DOWN. BUT THEY PER, THEY, IT WAS ACTUALLY A TH IT WAS TH IT WAS THREE. IT WAS THE CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE COLLEGE, I THINK IT WAS AUSTIN. I THINK IT'S AUSTIN IN AUSTIN COLLEGE. ANYWAY, THEY PARTNERED IN A THREE-WAY AGREEMENT TO CREATE THIS JOB, FAC THIS JOB TRAINING FACILITY WHERE BASICALLY YOU GET COLLEGE CREDITS. UM, AND IT'S LOCATED OUT AT THE NEW BRONCOS AIRPORT, IS WHERE IT'S CURRENTLY LOCATED. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND IT WAS A LONG TIME. I MEAN, IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO. YEAH, RIGHT. AT 20 YEARS AGO, I THINK WE DID IN 2003, 2004, SOMEWHERE AROUND THAT TIMEFRAME. IN ADDITION, YOU TYPE A SALES TAX DOLLARS CAN BE USED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. NOW, THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS DON'T HAVE TO BE FOR PRIMARY JOB CREATION OR FOR PRIMARY JOBS. UM, SO [00:15:01] LONG AS THEY PROMOTE NEW AND EXPANDED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, UH, YOU CAN UTILIZE DOLLARS FOR STREETS AND ROADS, RAIL SPURS, WATER AND SEWER, UTILITIES, ELECTRIC UTILITIES, GAS UTILITIES, DRAINAGE, SITE IMPROVEMENTS AND RELATED IMPROVEMENTS. ALSO, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INTERNET IMPROVEMENTS THAT WAS ADDED AFTER THIS WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED. THIS IS USED QUITE A BIT BY, UM, TYPE A AND TYPE B ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS, WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPMENT IN AN AREA THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY TO HAVE COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY. SO THEY'LL EXTEND STREETS, THEY'LL EXTEND WATER AND SEWER MAINS AND LINES, AND THEY'LL PUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE. UH, AND THE IDEA OF IF WE BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME TYPE OF THING. AND SO IT'S USUALLY MORE, USUALLY MORE, YOU KNOW, DETAILED THAN THAT. THEY, THEY DON'T JUST DO IT ON A HOPE AND A PRAYER. THERE'S STUDIES THAT GO ALONG WITH IT, BUT THEY'LL PUT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE. AND IT DOESN'T MATTER IF A, IF A WALMART SHOWS UP OR A PRIMARY JOB CREATOR, IT DOESN'T MATTER. YOU CAN ALSO PROVIDE LAND, BUILDINGS, EQUIPMENT, FACILITIES, IMPROVEMENTS AND EXPENDITURES FOUND BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO BE REQUIRED OR SUITABLE FOR USE FOR A CAREER CENTER. IF THE AREA TO BE BENEFITED BY THE CAREER CENTER IS NOT LOCATED IN THE TAXING JURISDICTION OF A JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT. I DON'T BELIEVE WE ARE. THAT, THAT, THAT WAS A QUESTION I HAD BECAUSE I THINK, I KNOW THAT THE JUNIOR COLLEGES HAVE A CERTAIN TERRITORY AND WE'RE IN A BUBBLE WHERE WE DON'T, WE'RE OUTSIDE OF THE SURROUNDING US. OKAY, THIS IS WEIRD. WHY DOES THIS KEEP PUMPING OUT? IT'S NOT JUST ME THEN. OH, I KNOW. TRY NOT TO TOUCH IT. YEAH, I JUST, I THOUGHT WE WERE IN LIKE WHARTON COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE AND, 'CAUSE WE COULD HAVE ADOPTED AN ORDER, BEEN A TAXING ENTITY AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF, BUT, OKAY. I'M GLAD YOU CLARIFIED THAT. SO THOSE ARE, THAT'S THE BIG UMBRELLA OF SALES OF, OF, UM, TYPE A SALES TAX DOLLARS, BASICALLY PRIMARY JOB CREATION. IF IT, IF IT, IF YOU CAN DO PRIMARY, IF IT CREATES PRIMARY JOBS, YOU CAN DO IT. UM, YOU CAN DO INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT DON'T CREATE PRIMARY JOBS. DOESN'T MATTER SO LONG AS IT PROMOTES NEW AND EXPANDED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES. AND THEN FINALLY, CAREER CENTERS. IF YOU'RE NOT WITHIN A, A JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT, THAT TAKES US TO TYPE B AUTHORITY. TYPE B AUTHORITY IS A BROADER AUTHORITY TO UTILIZE SALES TAX DOLLARS. IT INCLUDES WHAT I REFER TO, UM, AS QUALITY OF LIFE, UM, PROJECTS. AND WE'LL GET TO WHAT THOSE ARE. FIRST, YOU CAN SPEND TAX REVENUES ONLY IF THE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE HAS COMMITTED IN WRITING TO CREATE NEW JOBS THAT PAY WAGES THAT ARE AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE PREVAILING WAGE FOR THE APPLICABLE OCCUPATION IN THE LOCAL LABOR MARKET, OR INCREASE ITS PAYROLL REVENUE. THIS IS FOR JOB TRAINING. FOR JOB TRAINING IF OR INCREASE ITS PAYROLL, TO PAY WAGES THAT ARE AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE PREVAILING WAGE FOR THE APPLICABLE OCCUPATION IN THE LOCAL LABOR MARKET. SO THIS IS ANOTHER AUTHORITY TO DO JOB TRAINING. UM, WITHOUT HAVING TO, WITHOUT HAVING TO PARTNER WITH AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION. YOU CAN PARTNER WITH A BUSINESS ENTERPRISE. AND SO LONG AS THE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE AGREES TO DO THESE THINGS, YOU CAN PROVIDE REVENUE FOR JOB TRAINING. UH, WE, I HAVE A CLIENT WHO DOES THAT FOR CDL LICENSES. THEY PARTNERED WITH A TRUCKING COMPANY WHO'S TRYING TO BRING IN, THAT'S A LOCALLY, A LOCALLY OPERATED TRUCKING COMPANY, IS TRYING TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO, TO DRIVE THEIR TRUCKS. AND SO THEY CREATED A JOB TRAINING SYSTEM WITH THAT CORPORATION. AND THE, THE, THE EDC PAYS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY PER STUDENT THAT GRADUATES AND GETS HIRED BY THE COMPANY THROUGH THE COMPANY CCDL TRAINING. YOU CAN ALSO UTILIZE TYPE B SALES TAX REVENUE, UM, TO SPEND MONEY ON PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR SPORTS, INCLUDING CHILDREN'S SPORTS, ATHLETIC ENTERTAINMENT, TOURIST CONVENTION, AND PUBLIC PARK PURPOSES AND EVENTS, INCLUDING OPEN SPACE. SO THIS IS A VERY BROAD QUALITY OF LIFE AUTHORITY. UM, UH, FOR PURPOSES OF USE OF YOUR TYPE B SALES TAX DOLLARS. WHAT I SEE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS SPENDING MONEY ON FOR THESE TYPES OF, OF PROJECTS A LOT IS ARE THOSE LARGE SPORTING COMPLEXES WHERE, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS 'CAUSE MY KID WAS IN THEATER ARTS, NOT IN SPORTS , UH, SO I DIDN'T DO ANY OF THIS. BUT APPARENTLY THERE'S ALL THESE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, UM, LEAGUES FOOTBALL OR SOCCER [00:20:01] AND BASEBALL AND, AND, AND SOFTBALL. UM, SO THEY CREATE THESE SPORTING COMPLEXES THAT BRING THESE BIG TOURNAMENTS IN INTO THE AREA. I SEE THOSE DOLLARS BEING A LOT. I ALSO HAVE SOME CLIENTS THAT UTILIZE THESE DOLLARS ON THEIR PARKS, UH, TO BEAUTIFY THEIR PARKS AND TO CREATE NEW PARKS TO BRING INFRASTRUCTURE IN FOR PURPOSES OF QUALITY OF LIFE. FOLKS ALWAYS ASK ME, WELL, WHY WOULD WE SPEND ECONOMIC TAX DOLLARS ON THAT? WELL, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO BRING IN YOUR COMMUNITY. UM, FIRST OF ALL, THOSE TYPES OF AMENITIES, UM, MAKE YOUR YOUR COMMUNITY MORE ATTRACTIVE TO, UM, CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, FOR EXAMPLE. UM, IF A CORPORATION'S GONNA LOCATE ITS FACILITIES IN YOUR COMMUNITY, THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEIR EMPLOYEES HAVE GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE. AND SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU CAN SPEND THOSE TAX DOLLARS TO, TO CREATE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES, TO BENEFIT THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES. YOU CAN ALSO USE TYPE B SALES TAX DOLLARS FOR, UM, THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AS THAT IS DESCRIBED BY 42 USC SECTION 12 7 4 5. ESSENTIALLY THAT SECTION OF THE, UH, UNITED STATES CODE SAYS THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS DEFINED AS HOUSING, WHERE THE CO OCCUPANT PAYS NO MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR GROSS INCOME FOR HOUSING CO COSTS, INCLUDING UTILITIES. AND WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE A PROJECT LIKE THAT FOR A CLIENT AS WELL, WHERE THEY'VE USED DEVI TA UH, TYPE B TAX DOLLARS TO CREATE AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE LIKE THEY HAD ENOUGH AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING, UM, FOR THE AREA. AND SO WE USE THOSE DOLLARS TO CREATE THAT AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING. EVERY COMMUNITY IS DIFFERENT WITH RE OBVIOUSLY AS TO HOW THEY WANT TO SPEND THESE, THESE SALES TAX DOLLARS. YOU CAN ALSO USE SALE TYPE B SALES TAX DOLLARS, UH, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OR IMPROVEMENT OF WATER SUPPLY FACILITIES, DAMS, TRANSMISSION LINES, OTHER WATER SUPPLY ALTERNATIVES. UM, ALSO THE DEVELOPMENT AND INSTITUTION OF WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAMS, INCENTIVES FOR INSTALLING WATER, SAVING, PLUMBING FIXTURES, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, ET CETERA. SO THESE DOLLARS CAN BE UTILIZED, UM, UH, FOR WATER SAVINGS AND, UM, UM, WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAMS AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, I HAD A CLIENT ACTUALLY USE TYPE B ECONOMIC SALES TAX DOLLARS, UM, TO BUY WHOLESALE WATER FOR THE CITY BECAUSE THE CITY WAS CONCERNED BASED ON THE, THE, THE AMOUNT OF WATER THEY HAD AVAILABLE FOR THE FUTURE THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SERVE THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY WERE HOPING TO HAVE COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY. SO WE USE TYPE B SALES TAX DOLLARS TO MAKE THE PURCHASE OF THAT WHOLESALE LONGER. THIS IS A REPEAT OF, UM, THE A I'M NOT SURE HOW I THREW THAT IN THERE AGAIN. BUT ANYWAY, IT'S LAND BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES EQUIPMENTS IMPROVEMENTS FOUND BY THE BOARD TO PROMOTE OR DEVELOP NEWER, EXPANDED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES THAT CREATE OR RETAIN PRAIRIE JOBS. OH, THAT'S RIGHT. THIS 'CAUSE IT'S A REPEAT. SO BASICALLY IT'S, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES, STREETS, ROADS, DRAINAGE AND RELATED IMPROVEMENTS. AND THEN ANY PROJECT THAT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN THE BOARD'S DISCRETION DETERMINES, PROMOTES OR DEVELOPS NEWER, EXPANDED ENTERPRISES THAT CREATE AREA 18 PRIMARY JOBS. I QUITE HONESTLY, THIS PARTICULAR PROVISION ALWAYS CONFUSED ME BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU CAN ALREADY DO WITH TYPE A SALES TAX DOLLARS, BUT IT'S IN THERE. THIS ISN'T APPLICABLE TO Y'ALL ANYMORE. HOW, HOW BIG ARE Y'ALL? UH, 30, YEAH. 36,000. SO IT'S NOT APPLICABLE TO Y'ALL ANYMORE, BUT SMALLER TYPE B ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS UNDER 20,000 IN POPULATION HAVE A MUCH BROADER AUTHORITY TO UTILIZE TYPE B SALES TAX DOLLARS. THEY CAN ACTUALLY USE SALES, UH, TYPE B SALES TAX DOLLARS FOR ANY PROJECT THAT THEY BELIEVE WILL PROMOTE NEWER EXPANDED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES. FORTUNATELY, YOU'VE OUTGROWN THAT NOW BY ABOUT 16,000. UH, SO IT'S NOT AVAILABLE TO YOU, BUT IT WAS FOR A WHILE. I'M GONNA SKIP THAT 'CAUSE IT'S ONLY APPLICABLE TO THE LAST ONE. AND AS A REMINDER, YOU CANNOT, YOU, SO YOU TECHNICALLY YOU HAVE TO WAIT 60 DAYS AFTER YOU DECIDE YOU'RE GONNA DO A PROJECT. AND THAT'S IN ORDER TO GIVE, UM, THE CITIZENS AN OPPORTUNITY TO FILE A PETITION WITH THE CITY TO HAVE AN ELECTION ON A PARTICULAR EXPENDITURE. HOWEVER, AN ELECTION, UM, IS NOT REQUIRED. I THOUGHT IT WAS IN THERE. AN ELECTION IS NOT. OH, THERE IT IS. IT'S, UM, ELECTION IS NOT REQUIRED, UM, IF THE VOTERS HAVE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED THE UNDERTAKING OF THE SPECIFIC PROJECT OR GENERAL TYPE OF PROJECT. SO THAT'S WHY WHEN WE ARE HELPING SOMEONE SET UP THEIR VERY FIRST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THE WORDING IS VERY BROAD TO, TO GIVE THEM AUTHORITY [00:25:01] FOR ANY PROJECT THAT'S AUTHORIZED UNDER THE STATUTE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT THE 60 DAYS BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY SOME GENERAL ELECTION OF THE PEOPLE. BUT IT, WE ALWAYS LOOK TO WHAT THE ELECTION LANGUAGE SAID WHEN WE DO THAT. DO YOU KNOW WHAT OUR, DO WE KNOW WHAT OUR, OUR LANGUAGE SAID IN THAT RESPECT? YOURS? I DON'T, YEAH, I ACTUALLY DON'T. I I'VE NEVER LOOKED AT Y'ALL'S ELECTION AND Y'ALL WERE SET UP YEAH, BUT WAY BEFORE YOU YEAH, AN INTERESTING WAY TOO, BECAUSE Y'ALL HAD THAT BRACKETED LEGISLATION THAT AUTHORIZED SOME JOINT WORKINGS BETWEEN THE TYPE A AND THE TYPE B. AND SO I'VE NEVER LOOKED AT THE HISTORY OF THAT AND HOW IT WAS DONE AND WHAT THE, WHAT THE, WHAT THE ELECTION LANGUAGE WAS LIKE. MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD LOOK AT. IF YOU'LL SEND THAT OVER AND YOU GET AN OPPORTUNITY, YEAH, IT'D BE NICE TO KNOW THAT WE'RE COVERED. LET'S HOPE THAT'S THE CASE. BUT IT'S VERY GOOD TO CHECK IT OUT. AND AS A REMINDER, YOU CAN'T, UM, PROVIDE A DIRECT INCENTIVE OR MAKE AN EXPENDITURE ON BEHALF OF A BUSINESS ENTERPRISE UNDER A PROJECT AS DEFINED BY SUBCHAPTER C OF FIVE OF 5 0 5, WHICH IS THE TYPE B CORPORATION CHAPTER OR SUBCHAPTER D UH OH, I'M SORRY. THIS IS, UM, I MISLABELED THIS, THIS IS WHAT I GET FOR GETTING IN A HURRY. THIS IS UNDER THE SITE TYPE A SALES TAX LIMITATION PROVISIONS, BUT IT'S APPLICABLE TO Y'ALL AS WELL BECAUSE SUB CHAPTER C IS 5 0 1, WHICH IS WHERE YOU GET YOUR TYPE A AUTHORITY. AND SUB CHAPTER D OF 5 0 5 IS WHERE YOU GET YOUR TYPE B AUTHORITY. SO ESSENTIALLY, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR SALES TAX DOLLARS FOR, FOR, FOR PURPOSES, IF YOU'RE GONNA GIVE MONEY OR A DIRECT INCENTIVE TO A BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, YOU HAVE TO ENTER INTO THE PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT. ONLY IF IT'S A BUSINESS ENTERPRISE THOUGH. ALRIGHT. I ALWAYS THINK IT'S GOOD PRACTICE TO ENTER IN. WE CALL 'EM PERFORMANCE AGREEMENTS REGARDLESS. UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, UM, FARMER'S MARKET IS A NON-PROFIT, TECHNICALLY NOT A BUSINESS ENTERPRISE. WE ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT TO ENSURE THAT THE FUNDS ARE SPENT THE WAY THAT WE REQUIRE THEM TO BE SPENT AND TO PROVIDE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. AND WE CALL IT A PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT, BUT IT'S NOT TECHNICALLY A PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AND THAT PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT, UM, MUST PROVIDE AT MINIMUM FOR ADDITIONAL PAYROLL JOBS AND SPECIFY, UM, PAYROLL OR JOBS TO BE RECA RETAINED AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO BE MADE AS CONSIDERATION FOR ANY INCENTIVE THAT YOU PROVIDE AND SPECIFY THE TERMS UNDER WHICH REPAYMENT MUST BE MADE IF THEY DON'T MEET THE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. A COUPLE OF POINTS ON THESE TWO SECTIONS. ONE FOR 20 YEARS, I HAVE ALWAYS INTERPRETED THIS FIRST PART NOT TO HAVE A REQUIREMENT OF BOTH THE AGREEMENT. I'VE ALWAYS INTERPRETED THAT THE AGREEMENT HAS TO SPECIFY AT THE SCHEDULE OF ADDITIONAL PAYROLL JOBS AND THE AMOUNT OF CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO BE MADE. AND IT COULD BE THAT THE PAYROLL, THAT THE ADDITIONAL PAYROLL OR JOBS IS ZERO, RIGHT? SO WE'VE SPECIFIED THE NUMBER THEY HAVE TO DO IN THE AGREEMENT, AND THAT NUMBER IS ZERO, BUT THEY HAVE TO PUT IN $15 MILLION WORTH OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, RIGHT? SO I'VE, I'VE NEVER INTERPRETED THIS IN MY 20 YEARS OF REQUIRING A BUSINESS TO DO, TO HAVE SOME NUMBER OF BOTH, RIGHT? WE JUST HAVE TO SPECIFY WHAT THE REQUIREMENT IS WITH RESPECT TO, UM, REPAYMENT. I THINK Y'ALL KNOW, UH, NOW THAT MY PREFERENCE WHEN WE EVER, WHENEVER WE DRAFT INCENTIVE AGREEMENTS, PERFORMANCE AGREEMENTS, THAT FIRST THEY PERFORM AND THEN WE PAY, NOT WE PAY, AND THEN THEY PERFORM. BECAUSE 99.9% OF THE TIME WHEN A PROJECT FAILS, IT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE RUN OUTTA MONEY AND THAT THEY HAVE RUN OUTTA MONEY. THE ODDS OF US GETTING REPAYMENT ARE SLIM TO NONE. SO THAT'S WHY I ALWAYS RECOMMEND PERFORMANCE. AND THEN PAYMENT. JUST A, JUST A POINT ON THIS, GO BACK TO THE TML CONFERENCE. I KNOW WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THAT. THIS IS A PERFECT SEGUE INTO AN EXAMPLE BEING THE, UM, IMPACT FEES AS A MEANS TO, TO THIS EXAMPLE OF AN AGREEMENT. SO YOU COULD ACTUALLY USE AS PART OF AN AGREEMENT, BRING IN IMPACT FEES WHERE THE BOARD WOULD SPONSOR AND THEN RECOUP THOSE AND TRACK FEES OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. SURE. UH, THAT'S, WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE THAT GIVEN, GIVEN AS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE OTHER EDCS HAD DONE. AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, $1.52 MILLION GIVING THEM THE EXAMPLE WE HAD AT, AT THE ACTUAL CONFERENCE WHEREBY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HELPING A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY OUT AND THEN THAT'S STRUCTURED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME TERM AGREED IN SET, SET OUT, UH, SH YOU KNOW, ACHIEVE [00:30:01] CERTAIN CRITERIA AND THEN ALSO PAY OUT THAT. DOES IT ALMOST USE THE FDCS OR MORE? YEAH. THAT, UM, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE. NO, AND IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE. WE'VE DONE THAT WITH, UM, OTHER FOLKS WHERE BUSINESS MUST TO COME INTO TOWN, THEY'VE GOTTA PAY THE CITY'S IMPACT FEES. CITY'S NOT WAIVING THE IMPACT FEES. THE REASON WHY CITIES TYPICALLY DON'T WAIVE IMPACT FEES IS 'CAUSE THEY'VE GOTTA GET THAT REVENUE FROM SOMEWHERE. THE WAY THE IMPACT FEE IS STATUTE IS SET UP IS THAT, UM, YOU HAVE AUTHORITY TO WAIVE IMPACT FEES, BUT IF YOU DO, YOU'VE GOTTA GET THE MONEY FOR THOSE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. AND SO CITIES DON'T LIKE WAIVING THOSE IMPACT FEES BECAUSE IT MEANS THEY'VE GOTTA FIND THE REVENUE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. AND SO THEY'LL OFTENTIMES LOOK TO THE ECONOMIC, THE BUSINESS WILL LOOK TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, UM, TO, UM, PAY THOSE IMPACT FEES ON THAT OR REIMBURSE WHAT THEY PAY WITH THOSE IMPACT FEE THE CITY AND IMPACT FEES AFTER THEY PERFORM. SO THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. AND SO I JUST LEFT THIS IN HERE. Y'ALL PROBABLY SAW IT. SO I I, I FEEL LIKE IT'S, MAYBE IT'S A WASTE, BUT I'LL GO OVER IT AGAIN. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION? I'M NOT GONNA MAKE YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK THAT ROLE IS. WE WON'T GO THROUGH THAT ENDEAVOR, BUT THIS IS WHAT I, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW I DISCUSS WHAT IS THE ROLE OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. AND THAT IS A REMINDER THAT CITY COUNCIL HAS ITS SET OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES IN THE DEVELOPMENT IN BOTH IN THE DEVELOPMENT FIELD AND THE REGULATORY FIELD AND IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND OF COURSE, THEY'VE GOT ALL THESE OTHER, THEY'VE GOT ALL THESE OTHER GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF WELLS, BUT THEY HAVE THESE SPECIFIC ONES THAT ARE RELATED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE LAW, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT CHAP, WE'VE GOT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, WE'VE GOT THE TEXAS BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS CODE. WE GOTTA MAKE SURE WE COMPLY WITH ALL THAT AND ANY OTHER COMMON LAW THAT'S OUT THERE. AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE EDCS GOALS. AND, AND THAT IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOW THAT'S DEFINED AND HOW THOSE DOLLARS ARE, ARE UTILIZED TO CREATE THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS OBVIOUSLY A POLICY DISCUSSION THAT I BELIEVE THIS CORPORATION SHOULD HAVE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL ON A REGULAR BASIS, AT LEAST IN MY OPINION, FOUR TIMES A YEAR. BUT, YOU KNOW, I RECOGNIZE THAT'S DIFFICULT FOR FOLKS TO DO, UM, BUT CERTAINLY NO LEASE LESS THAN ONCE A YEAR BEFORE DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW WE'RE GONNA UTILIZE THESE DOLLARS. AND SO WE'VE GOT ALL THESE DIFFERENT ISSUES PULLING US ONE WAY AND THE OTHER, RIGHT? COUNSEL'S GOT THEIRS. THE LAW HAS ITS ISSUES THAT IT'S, THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE COMPLY WITH. AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR GOALS THAT SHOULD, SHOULD ALIGN WITH RESPECT TO YOUR USE OF THESE DOLLARS SPECIFICALLY. AND RIGHT IN HERE IN THIS NICE LITTLE VENN DIAGRAM WHERE THE CITY'S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, THE EDCS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TAX DOLLARS, AND THE, AND THE LAW ALL FIT. WE'VE GOT THIS LITTLE ALIGNMENT RIGHT HERE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE SHOOTING FOR WITH RESPECT TO WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO TAKE A DART AND PUT IT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT ALIGNMENT. THAT'S JUST MY, MY LITTLE HUMBLE OPINION. AND I WENT THROUGH THAT REALLY FAST, MUCH FASTER THAN I NORMALLY DO, BUT IT WAS VERY HIGH LEVEL. QUICK QUESTION. UM, I KNOW THAT, WELL, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THEY PASSED IT OR NOT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A MOVEMENT TO DISALLOW CITIES FROM USING MONEY ON LOBBYING EFFORTS. YES. MM-HMM. , ARE THE EDCS DIFFERENT IN THAT REGARD? YES. OR ARE WE UNDER THE SAME RULES? ARE WE ALLOWED TO, LET'S SAY THERE'S A BILL THAT WOULD BE GREAT FOR, UH, DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. ARE WE ALLOWED TO SPEND FUNDS TO PROMOTE THAT? I'VE NEVER BEEN ASKED THAT QUESTION. UM, SO THE, THE, LET'S, LET'S KIND OF BREAK IT DOWN FIRST. WE CAN ONLY SPEND EDC DOLLARS EXCEPT AS AUTHORIZED BY THE STATUTE, RIGHT? SO IF, IF IT DOESN'T FIT INTO A PROJECT, WE CAN'T SPEND THOSE DOLLARS NOW, WE CAN'T SPEND THOSE DOLLARS ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT LIKE WE DO. UM, BUT WE CAN ALSO SPEND IT ON PROMOTING THE CITY. AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT MAYBE WE THINK A PARTICULAR BILL WILL PROMOTE THE CITY, I MEAN, IT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S, IT WOULD BE A SUCCESSFUL ARGUMENT, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE. I'M A LAWYER. I CAN HELP MY CLIENT GET WHERE THEY NEED TO GO. UH, SO, YOU KNOW, ARGUABLY PROMOTIONAL EXPENSES THAT YOU CAN SPEND UP TO 10% OF YOUR DOLLARS ON RIGHT? PROMOTING THE CITY, UM, LIKE WE DID WITH THE, WITH THE FARMERS'. I KEEP POINTING BACK HERE, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE HEARING ANYMORE LIKE WE DO WITHIN FARMER'S MARKET, ARGUABLY. IS THAT A PROMOTIONAL EXPENSE PAY, UH, PAYING THE LOBBY TO PROMOTE A BILL THAT WOULD HELP THE CITY? MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW. , I HIT IT AGAIN. WAS THERE SOMETHING IN PARTICULAR ABOUT A BILL? WHAT DO YOU I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT. NO, I WAS JUST CURIOUS SINCE THE TENOR OF THE LEGISLATURE THIS LAST SESSION WAS TO PROHIBIT CITIES FROM EXPENDING FUNDS TO BE A MEMBER OF LIKE TML AND THOSE [00:35:01] OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE GOVERNMENT YEAH. AND DIFFERENT PARTS OF GOVERNMENT. YOU KNOW, COULD WE HAVE A LITTLE DIFFERENT LATITUDE? MM-HMM. SHOULD THE NEED TO RISE, YEAH. TIMES. I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC CASE. THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE WILL KIND OF GATHER STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND TAKE TRIPS OUT, UM, TO AUSTIN AND ADVOCATE ON CERTAIN BILLS THAT THEY THINK WOULD PROMOTE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE IF THERE'S INTEREST, MAYBE WE COULD RUN IT BY CHARLIE. YEAH. IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S AN INTEREST THAT WE BELIEVE THAT'S, UH, WE COULD BOUNCE IT BACK AND FORTH INTERNALLY AND SEE IF WE CAN'T COME UP WITH A, UH, LEGITIMATE ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF SUCH ADMINISTRATION. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK THIS IS ALWAYS A GREAT TOPIC TO REVIEW, UH, AND REMIND OURSELVES SO THAT WE STAY ON THE, UH, STRAIGHT AND NARROW PATH, SO WE APPRECIATE MM-HMM, YOU PUTTING THAT TOGETHER AND BRINGING IT TO US VERY HIGH LEVEL. SO I APOLOGIZE, I WENT THROUGH IT RATHER QUICKLY. UM, BUT DON'T FORGET, TML HAS HAS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK. A WHISKEY IN THAT BOOK WILL GO A LONG WAY TO PUTTING YOU ASLEEP. SO, UH, BE SURE TO DO THAT. UM, AND ANYTIME WE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, OF COURSE, WE'RE HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [5. Update on Harris Street reconstruction. ] ALL RIGHT. ITEM FIVE IS UPDATE ON THE HARRIS STREET RECONSTRUCTION. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I'LL STAY UP HERE. IT'S A LITTLE EASIER. UM, IF YOU GUYS CAN SEE IN YOUR PACKET, WE HAVE TWO CONCEPT DRAWINGS, UM, FOR THE PLAZA SPACE ALONG HARRIS STREET. UM, THEY'RE IDENTICAL OTHER THAN THE, UH, STAMPING ON THE FOURTH STREET INTERSECTION. AND THEN, UM, THE, UH, I THINK IT'S OPTION, OPTION TWO HAS SOME MORE STAMPING THROUGHOUT THE CENTER OF THE PLAZA SPACE. UM, SOME SMALLER, UM, STAMPS THAT MATCH THE, UH, THE INTERSECTION. UM, AS WELL, WE'VE GOT, UM, SOME HANGING LIGHTS, UM, DENOTED ON THERE AS WELL AS TREES. UM, ABOARD SAW A, AN EARLIER VERSION THAT HAD A LOT MORE TREES. UM, WE ACTUALLY ASKED THAT THEY REDUCE THEM TO KIND OF GIVE VISIBILITY FOR BUSINESSES. THEY WERE, IT WAS KIND OF LIKE LOOKING AT A, A HEDGE WALL OF A, OF TREES GOING DOWN BOTH SIDES OF HARRIS STREET. UM, SO WE'VE GOT, UH, TREES DENOTED ON THERE AS WELL AS, UH, BENCHES, UH, PARK SPACE OR, UH, UH, BIKE PARKING SPACES AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING, UH, ALONG HARRIS STREET. AND THEN THE OTHER OPTION, YOU'LL SEE, THIS IS A, UH, A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE, UH, OFFICIAL CITY STEEL, UH, SEAL. UM, WE, WE FIGURED THIS WOULD BE A, A LITTLE BIT MORE TIMELESS THAN THE RE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, UH, LOGO. UM, IT'S ALSO, WE ANTICIPATE IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO MAINTAIN. UM, THE, THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT LOGO HAS A LOT OF PRETTY SWIRLY THINGS ON IT AND THEN, AND LOTS OF SMALLER WRITING. BUT, UM, THIS IS A LOT MORE BOLD AND AND SIMPLE, UM, THAT WE THINK COMPLIMENTS THE, UH, THE COLORING OF THE PLAZA PRETTY WELL. UM, ADDITIONALLY ON THIS ONE, UH, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE'S NOT ANY, UM, SMALLER STAMPS THROUGHOUT THE PLAZA. UM, JUST TO KIND OF SIMPLIFY AND ANY COMBINATION OF THOSE CAN BE DONE. UM, IT WAS JUST EASIER TO SHOW ONE WITHOUT EVERYTHING. UM, AND ONE WIDTH. UM, SO FOR TONIGHT, WHAT WE'RE JUST KIND OF TRYING TO JUDGE IS YOUR, YOUR TEMPERATURE ON THE TWO STAMPING DESIGNS. UH, WHICH ONE YOU GUYS PREFER? UM, NO MOTION OR ANYTHING, JUST, JUST KIND OF, UH, READING THE ROOM, UM, WHETHER IT'S THE MODIFIED CITY SEAL OR, UM, THE RE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, UM, JUST KIND OF JUDGING YOU GUYS. UM, A BOARD DID SHOW FAVOR FOR THE, UH, MODIFIED CITY SEAL. SO THE STAR, UM, THEY, THEY, THEY SEEMED TO, UH, YES, SIR, YES, SIR. I THOUGHT B YEAH, THAT, UH, I, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ABOARD HAD COMMENTED ON, BUT IT JUST, WHEN I LOOK AT IT, IT JUST SEEMS A SIMPLER, UM, DESIGN. SO THAT PROBABLY TRANSLATES TO A LITTLE EASIER MAINTENANCE. YEP. THE ONLY THING, MY COMMENT IS, YOU KNOW, WOULD IT BE, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU CAN REPLICATE IT, BUT YOU KNOW, MAYBE HAVING ONE OF THOSE ON EACH END OF THE PLAZA AS YOU, SO AS YOU ENTER THE PLAZA AREA MM-HMM. , YOU'RE SEEING THAT AND THEN AT THE, YOU KNOW, VERY HEART OF IT IN THE CENTER HAVING ONE AS WELL. YES, SIR. UH, THAT WOULD JUST BE A COMMENT IF IT, THE SPACE ALLOWS THAT AND IT DOESN'T CLUTTER IT UP TOO [00:40:01] MUCH. AND THE HANGING LIGHTS, I REALLY LIKED THOSE. YES, SIR. YEAH. ARE, ARE THE HANGING LIGHTS NEW? I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING THAT LAST TIME. NO. SO THE LAST TIME, YOU GUYS PROBABLY WILL NOT HAVE SEEN ANY OF THE PLAZA SPACE. UH, YOU'LL PROBABLY REMEMBER SEEING IT DENOTED ON THERE. UH, JUST LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS ACTUALLY YOUR FIRST TIME SEEING WHAT IT COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE. UM, IF YOU GUYS SCROLL DOWN TO THE, THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE, YOU'LL SEE YEAH, THOSE PICTURES REALLY, REALLY HELP VISUALIZE WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE. YEAH. I MEAN, THAT'S TREMENDOUS. YEAH. AND, AND, UH, I POINTED OUT IN A BOARD'S MEETING, AND IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME UNTIL WE SAW IT POSTED RIGHT HERE. I, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN, IN JOHNSON COUNTY AND, UH, THAT IS BURLESON'S PLAZA. AND I GUESS RECALLING KIND OF ENDED UP MATCHING A, A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF DETAILS TO IT. BUT IT IS A GREAT PLAZA SPACE TO GET A TON OF USE OUT OF IT THERE. UM, JUST LIKE WE, WE WILL, UH, WE HOPE TO SEE HERE. UM, I WILL NOTE, UH, TOMMY MENTIONED HAVING IT, UH, PLACED DOWN AT EITHER END OF THE PLAZA. WE HAD ALSO, UM, LOOKED AT ACTUALLY STAMPING INTO THE CONCRETE. UM, SO IT WOULDN'T BE AS VISIBLE A AS THIS WHERE IT'S COLORED AND YOU CAN SEE IT, BUT JUST KIND OF HIDDEN STAMPS OF THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT LOGO. UM, THAT WOULD BE EASY TO GET MADE AND IT WOULD TIE INTO OUR CURRENT BRANDING WITHOUT BEING SO BLATANT WHERE IT COULD RUN THE POTENTIAL OF, UH, BEING OUTDATED IN A FEW YEARS IF WE, IF THE CITY DECIDES TO, UH, GO FOR NEW BRANDING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I GUESS I'VE JUST GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THERE. QUESTIONS, MORE COMMENTS THAN ANYTHING ELSE, UM, TO THE FIRST OPTION. IT, I THINK I MENTIONED IT PREVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THE, IT SEEMS A LOT OF EFFORT IN THAT DESIGN THERE. UM, I GUESS WHAT FEEDBACK DO YOU GUYS HAVE ON OVERALL MAINTENANCE? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THE LAST THING WE WOULD NEED WOULD BE TO, YOU KNOW, MOVE SOMETHING FORWARD TODAY THAT LOOKS GREAT TWO YEARS FROM NOW, HAVING TO FIND FUNDS TO GO REDO IT. 'CAUSE BASED ON WORE OUT OR THE LIGHT LETTERING, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT HAS TO, WHATEVER GETS CHOSEN HAS TO BE THERE FOR A LONG TIME. AND THE LAST THING WE NEED TO BE DOING IS CONSTANTLY REPAIR AGAINST FIXED. THAT WILL BE ONE THING. AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DETAIL, WHILST IT LOOKS GREAT, YOU KNOW, IN THAT FIRST ONE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WOULD LAST. THE SECOND ONE ACHIEVES A PURPOSE AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT SIMPLER. IT MAY LAST LONGER. I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S MY TAKE ON IT. MM-HMM. . YEAH. SO BOTH MAINTENANCE IN TERMS OF LIKE MATERIALS AND UPKEEP OF THE, LIKE BENCHES, THE LIGHTS AND, UM, MANPOWER HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS. UM, EVERY CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD STAFF WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND THE PARKS TEAM PRESENT. UM, AND THEY'RE VERY CAREFULLY CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH MONEY WOULD THAT TAKE, HOW OFTEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES WHO HAVE THE STRING LIGHTS AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FIGURING OUT HOW OFTEN DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE RUNNING WELL AND NOT, YOU KNOW, OUT HALF THE TIME THEY'RE UP. UM, SO YEAH, WE, WE'VE JUST WORKED CLOSELY WITH STAFF WHO KNOW THAT AND TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE'VE CHOSEN THESE THINGS. OKAY. THAT, THAT WAS ONE THING. I'VE GOT TWO MORE. THE, THE OTHER ONE JUST A COMMENT ON THE LIGHTS, YOU KNOW, WELL, IT LOOKS GREAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE, THE LIGHTS COULD BE ACHIEVED TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY ILLUMINATE THE SIDEWALK, BUT, YOU KNOW, BARRIER THROUGH VARIOUS TIMES DURING THE YEAR WHERE THE CITY PUTS UP CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS AND ALL THIS OTHER PLACARDS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, THERE ARE MULTIFUNCTIONAL LIGHTS OUT THERE THAT YOU CAN HANG. YOU KNOW, IT COMES DESIGNED TO FOR THAT IN MIND, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY HANG THINGS OFF OF THEM, UH, AND ALMOST ACHIEVE A DOUBLE PURPOSE. SOMETHING TO BEAR IN MIND. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WAS, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT HARRIS STREET AND THE, UM, THE ORIGINAL INTENT TO EVENTUALLY MOVE EVENTS BACK TO THIS AREA. UM, HAS THAT BEEN THOUGHT OF IN, IN A PLAN PUT IN PLACE? UH, WITH, WITH THAT? 'CAUSE WE DID TALK ABOUT, PREVIOUSLY IT WAS TWO MEETINGS AGO WHERE THE, THE NUMBERS AND THE DESIGN WAS ACTUALLY COMING IN UNDER BUDGET AND THAT WE WOULD POTENTIALLY LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, STILL UTILIZING THE FUNDS THAT HAD BEEN APPROVED, BUT FIRING FOR, UH, STAGES, YOU KNOW, RUNNING CABLING FOR EVENTS ALL ACHIEVED WHILST WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING THIS ONCE. UH, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT GETS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. YES, SIR. UM, SO, UM, YOU, YOU GUYS ARE SEEING THE SECOND ITERATION OF THIS, AND LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE WERE A LOT MORE TREES, [00:45:01] A LOT, LOT LARGER TREES. SO WE REDUCED IT IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD ENOUGH SPACE FOR, UH, NORMAL BOOTHS AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING WHILE WE'RE OUT THERE. UM, AS WELL AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH, UM, THE POWER POLE, OR NOT THE POWER POLES, THE, THE LIGHT POLES RIGHT NOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO POWER OFF OF THOSE AS WELL AS, UM, IF YOU'LL NOTICE IN OUR PARKING LOT WE HAVE THE, UH, BANNER SIGNS HANGING OFF OF THEM, UM, GETTING THAT ALL INCLUDED AT AT ONCE. NOW THOSE, UM, THOSE LIGHTS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE INITIAL, UM, THE INITIAL ESTIMATE, EXCUSE ME. UM, AND THEY WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD ADD ON SO THAT THAT WOULD TAKE SOME, SOME ADDITIONAL COSTS. UM, AS WELL AS, I DIDN'T MENTION THIS TO A BOARD, UM, WHEN YOU GUYS WALKED IN, IF YOU SAW THE BENCHES THAT ARE SITTING OUT FRONT THERE, OUR NEW BENCHES HERE AT CITY HALL, UM, THOSE ARE THE SAME ONES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DOWNTOWN. UM, SO SAME COLOR, KEEPING IT NEUTRAL DOWN THERE, BUT THEY'LL HAVE THE SRE F UM, LASER CUT INTO 'EM. UM, TRY AND TIE IT IN DOWNTOWN BACK HERE TO, TO CITY HALL AS WELL. I GUESS ONE OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, JUST TO REAFFIRM THIS THOUGH, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A PARTICULAR AREA FOR EVENTS, THAT IT IS PREDETERMINED BEFORE WORK CON WORK, WORK BEGINS ON THAT. FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, IF WE, WE AGREE OR IN THE PLANS, THERE IS A PARTICULAR EVENT, 4TH OF JULY, FOR INSTANCE, THAT WE KNOW IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIALLY FOURTH STREET BETWEEN HARRIS STREET AND WALL STREET GETS CLOSED DOWN. AND THAT'S WHERE THE EVENT TAKES PLACE. AND THE PLAN HOPEFULLY PUT IN PLACE FOR THAT. YOU KNOW, AS AN EXAMPLE. I'M NOT SAYING THAT IS WHAT IT IS, I'M JUST SAYING IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT AND WE'RE NOT CONSTANTLY CHANGING. SO I GUESS ALL I NEED FROM YOU GUYS IS, I I DO HAVE A YES, SIR. I HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE EVENT THING, BUT SO I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO STAMP THE CONCRETE AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE THIS PARTICULAR NEW BRANDING MM-HMM. , YOU KNOW, IN THE CONCRETE YES, SIR. OR HOW YOU WOULD DO IT IF YOU WOULD PAINT IT, OR IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT COLORED STONES OR, OR WHAT, FROM A MAINTENANCE STANDPOINT. BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO, I'M NOT SAYING WE NEED TO DO THAT. MM-HMM. , I'M ACTUALLY OKAY WITH THE OTHER ONE. YES, SIR. BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO NOT HAVE THE NEW BRANDING WITH IT UP AND DOWN THE STREET IN SOME FORM OR FASHION BECAUSE WE SPENT TONS OF MONEY AND A LOT OF HOURS COMING UP WITH THIS BRANDING AND, UH, IT WAS FOR A PURPOSE. YES, SIR. YEAH. SO IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED SOMEHOW ALONG HARRIS STREET. YES, SIR. AND, AND ONE OF THE WAYS WE HAD THOUGHT ABOUT DOING THAT, UM, WELL ONE WAS WITH THE STAMPS, BUT THEN ALSO, UM, THE BANNERS ON THE LIGHT POLES. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DOUBLE-SIDED BANNERS, ONE THAT COULD BE CHANGED OUT TO CHRISTMAS OR, YOU KNOW, THANKSGIVING OR WHATEVER WE WANT, BUT THEN HAVE THE OTHER SIDE WITH THE RE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, UM, PRINTED ON THERE. THAT REMAINS UP YEAR ROUND. UM, BUT, BUT IN ADDITION, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT STAMPED. UM, THAT, THAT'S MY ONLY COMMENT. YES, SIR. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD COMMENT, JOEL. UM, 'CAUSE I THINK JUST ON THE GROUND, THE APPROVED LOGO IS PROBABLY GONNA BE DIFFICULT TO GET TO LOOK RIGHT AND MAINTAIN IT, BUT I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE EASIER ON THINGS THAT ARE PRINTED, UH, TO CREATE IT AND GET THE RIGHT COLOR TONES, THE RIGHT CLARITY AND CRISPNESS THAT YOU WANT IN THE PROFESSIONAL LOOK THAT YOU NEED. AND I WILL MENTION THAT THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT LOGO HERE IS SHOWN IN BLUE AND BLACK AND GREEN. WE'RE NOT POSITIVE IF THAT'S EVEN THE GOAL THAT THAT, THAT IT WOULD END UP BEING, OR IF IT WOULD BE SIMILAR TO THE, UH, THE STAR WHERE IT'S JUST THE SAME COLOR AS THE, UH, THE OFFSET PATTERN, UM, GOING THROUGH THE PLAZA. UM, AND THAT'S MORE LIKELY AND PROBABLY WOULD LOOK BETTER, UM, TYING INTO THE REST OF THE PLAZA SPACE, I'D SPOKE TO ZACH ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT IN DETAIL. AND IF YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE KATY AT CITY HALL, IT'S ON GOOGLE. IF YOU LOOK AT IT ON GOOGLE EARTH, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE FROM AT LEAST SIX DIFFERENT EMBLEMS OF SIMILAR NATURE EXACTLY THE SAME AS WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE THERE IS ALREADY DONE. AND THEN SOME OF THEM DON'T USE STAMP CONCRETE, THEY ACTUALLY USE PAPER STONES CUPPING, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S A LOT OF EXAMPLES OF WHAT OUT THERE, WHAT YOU CAN DO. I WILL SAY OURS WILL BE STAMPED. UM, WE, THE STAFF DIDN'T WANT TO [00:50:01] INVITE THE USE OF PAVERS OUT OF A MAINTENANCE CONCERN, BUCKLE IN THE TEMPERATURE CHANGE AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. SO IT WILL BE STAMPED, UM, IT WILL HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF BRICK. UM, AS MUCH AS I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE LAID BRICK ALL THROUGH DOWNTOWN, IT IS A, A MAINTENANCE HEADACHE. I TRIED TO FIGHT THAT FIGHT, BUT, UM, . BUT, UM, BUT IT IS A HEADACHE. UM, SO IT WILL BE STAMPED ALL THE WAY THROUGH, UM, WITH COLOR VARIATIONS BUSINESS USE. YEP. SO, SO BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOCATED ALONG HARRIS STREET OR ALONG THE PLAZA SPACE ON HARRIS STREET, THEY'RE GOING TO BE GIVEN A LITTLE BIT EXTRA SPACE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE SIDEWALKS RUNNING LIKE THE REST OF THE, UH, REST OF HARRIS STREET. SO THAT'S AN 11 FOOT SIDEWALK. IT'S ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT BIGGER ON THE PLAZA SPACE BECAUSE THE TREES ARE NOT RIGHT AT THE 11 FOOT MARK. SO THEY'LL HAVE ROOM TO HAVE PATIO SPACE. AND ALSO IN OUR CDO, UM, THE, THE SETBACKS FOR THE BUILDINGS ALONG HARRIS STREET ALLOW FOR A LITTLE BIT OFF OF OUR RIGHT OF WAY TO ALLOW THEM TO HAVE PATIO SPACE AS IT'S, BUT IF THEY WANT TO KICK IT UP CLOSER, UM, THEY WILL HAVE THE USE OF THAT FOR THE LITTLE OUTDOOR SEATING AND THAT SORT OF THING FOR BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT LOCATED ALONG HARRIS STREET THAT WANNA SET UP A TENT OR WHATEVER I WOULD ASSUME IT WOULD BE, OR, OR A NORMAL SOLICITOR'S PERMIT. UM, AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING, TEMPORARY. UM, BUT YEAH, WE, THE GOAL FOR THIS, AND EVEN FURTHER DOWN HARRIS STREET THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE PLAZA SPACE IS TO HAVE SIDEWALKS WIDE ENOUGH TO GIVE SOME SORT OF FLEXIBILITY TO THOSE BUSINESSES. UM, WE WANT TO INVITE THAT SENSE OF, UH, UH, COMMUNITY ALONG THE SIDEWALKS AS WELL. AND, AND THAT THAT HELPS WITH THAT YEP. FOR THIS TO A SUCCESSFUL PARTNER BUSINESSES INTERACT WITH. ABSOLUTELY. SO, UM, THAT'S WHY I KIND OF BRING UP HOW, HOW THIS TIE YEAH, YEAH. IN, IN A CERTAIN LOOK, RIGHT? YEAH. GOING DOWN THE, THE ENTIRE LEFT. MM-HMM. , I WOULD, I WOULD THINK THAT A BUSINESS WOULD HAVE THEIR TABLES AND CHAIRS AND AWNINGS ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY, UH, THAT WOULD CONNECT TO THIS PLAZA WAY, AND THEN IT WOULD BE A NICE WALKABLE, UH, CENTRAL AREA BETWEEN ALL THE BUSINESSES, STRAW POOL, UH, OLD LOGO, NEW LOGO. I MEAN, I THINK ME B BUT ONCE JOEL MADE HIS COMMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, INCORPORATING THE NEW LOGO INTO SOME OF THE OTHER FACETS OF THE PLAZA. OKAY. I MEAN, I THINK THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE. SO EVERYBODY CAN CHIME IN. YEAH. I PREFER THE STAR, BUT UM, PLEASE GOD, DON'T DEPEND ON ME FOR MAKING DECISION. NO, NO. IT'S JUST, JUST SOME SORT OF FORWARD ATION. THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE I GET TO PICK OUT STUFF THAT LOOKS PRETTY EXACTLY. DON'T, YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T. TRUST ME ALL THE WAY . IT DOES, IT DOES BRING UP VALID. I MEAN, THERE'S DEFINITELY OPTIONS THERE. YOU KNOW, THE STAR DOES LOOK, IT DOES STAND FOR A LOT. UM, YOU KNOW, YOU DO BRING UP A VALID POINT AS WELL WITH THE YES. THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY BEING SPENT IN THE REBRANDING. YEAH. BUT THERE'S OTHER WAYS WE CAN SHOW THE REBRANDING ABSOLUTELY. IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. ONE THING I DO WANNA POINT OUT IS, UH, OR COMMENT ON IS THE HANGING LIGHTS. I THINK THAT'S A HOME RUN OF AN IDEA. I, I LIKE THAT LOOK. SO, YEP. THAT'S GOOD. I THAT IT'S INCORPORATED. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT BACK TO US. YES SIR. I APPRECIATE THE CONTINUOUS, UH, FEEDBACK. ABSOLUTELY. ALLOWING US TO HAVE THAT INPUT. ITEM [6. Economic Development Report] SIX IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT ANELLE. ALRIGHT, SO I'LL START OFF FIRST WITH AN UPDATE FROM THE RETAIL COACH. SO SINCE NOVEMBER WE'VE HAD PIATA, CHIBA HUTT, AND FIRST WATCH ALL OPEN. UM, THEY'VE ALL BEEN DOING REALLY WELL. WE HEAR ALL KINDS [00:55:01] OF POSITIVE THINGS AND WHEN WE'RE OUT THERE, THEY'RE VERY, VERY BUSY . SO WE JUST LOVE TO SEE THAT. UM, WE HAVE THE ICSE RED RIVER CONFERENCE COMING UP, UH, JANUARY 31ST THROUGH FEBRUARY 2ND. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED AT ALL IN ATTENDING, UH, AARON FARMER WILL BE THERE ON OUR BEHALF. UM, BUT YOU JUST LET US KNOW AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO GET YOU SET UP IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE A PART OF THAT QUICK. PIATA IS OPEN AS WELL, RIGHT? YES. UH, YES IT IS. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS PART OF THE, AND THEN I WAS GONNA MENTION ALSO L THREE CRAFT COFFEE OPEN AND MM-HMM. . I KNOW I TALKED TO THEM AND THEY SAID THAT Y'ALL CAME BY AND YOU BROUGHT A LITTLE, UH, WELCOME GIFT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT EFFORT. YOU'RE WELCOME. YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE A FUN CREW. . UH, SO AARON ALSO JUST LET US KNOW THAT HE'S WORKING ON SCHEDULING ANOTHER, ANOTHER MEETING WITH HEB, UH, FOR HAYDEN AND I, WE PREVIOUSLY MET WITH THEM, UM, LAST FALL, BUT JUST ANOTHER CHECK-IN, YOU KNOW, SAY HELLO, SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE. . UH, AND THEN THERE IS STILL SOME TALK ABOUT A HOME DEPOT AND SEEING WHERE, WHERE THAT GOES. SO HE'S ALSO WORKING ON THAT, UM, WITH US. I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT HEB MM-HMM. , UH, HAVE WE HEARD ANYTHING FROM THEM SINCE LAST? NO, SIR. NO UPDATES. THANK YOU. I HAD A QUICK COMMENT ON THE, HAVE Y'ALL CONSIDERED MAYBE, UM, GOING WITH AARON FOR THE RED RIVER CONFERENCE? WE HAVE. SO WE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED HIM LATER THIS WEEK, AND WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF FEEL THE ROOM BEFORE WE, UM, GO UP THERE. LAST YEAR, UH, WITH ME AND CHARLIE, IT WAS A PRETTY DEAD CONFERENCE, UH, TO BE HONEST. IT WAS, IT WAS GOOD. WE GOT A LOT OF MEETINGS IN, BUT THE ATTENDANCE WAS A LOT LOWER THAN WE WOULD'VE LIKED TO SEE. UM, SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET, KIND OF READ THE ROOM WITH AARON THIS WEEKEND AND WE'LL MAKE A DECISION. SOUNDS GOOD. OKAY. NUMBER TWO, UH, T-M-L-A-D-C CONFERENCE. WE ATTENDED THIS NOVEMBER 16TH, UH, THROUGH 17TH. UH, PAUL AND BONNIE FROM ABOARD, UH, JOINED US AND THEN LEE AND JAMES FROM B BOARD WERE THERE AS WELL. UM, THERE WERE LOTS OF TAKEAWAYS. IT WAS QUICK, BUT IT WAS JAM PACKED WITH GREAT INFORMATION. UM, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT JUST DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE WOULD BENEFIT FROM, INCLUDING IN OUR WEBSITE, UH, DIFFERENT TYPES OF INCENTIVES THAT COME FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE THAT WE MIGHT WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT. UH, WE EXPLORED THE IDEA OF CREATING WORKING GROUPS AROUND MORE TARGETED GOALS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE AS A BOARD. SO, UM, LEE AND JAMES, IF Y'ALL WANT TO SHARE KIND OF YOUR EXPERIENCE, ANYTHING THAT STOOD TO YOU? I MEAN, I'M JUST GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE NOTES HERE. UM, IT WAS HEAVILY, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE ACTUAL HANDOUTS THEMSELVES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE TML ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.ORG/HANDOUTS. THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN READING THERE. UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS AROUND TAX ABATEMENTS SAVINGS TO COMPANIES AND THE FACT THAT UNBALANCED HAS ALLOWED, UM, PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENTS. THERE WAS ALSO HOLD HOLDING, YOU KNOW, THE COMMENTS THAT HAD BEEN MADE PREVIOUSLY HOLDING BUSINESS ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE WE DELIVER ISSUANCE OF AN INCENTIVE. UM, BUT HERE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT SOME HOMEWORK FOR US TO DO AS WELL, BUT, UH, THE USE OF THREE 80 GRANTS, UM, LOANS OF PUBLIC FUNDS OR PERSONNEL AS WELL, UNDERSTANDING THAT AND HOW THE STATE CAN ACHIEVE THAT. UM, I WOULD COMMENT HERE ABOUT THE SWIFT, THE STATE WATER IMPLEMENTATION FUNDS FOR TEXAS. WASN'T SURE IF WE DID OR TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AS A CITY. UM, AND THEN BASICALLY WE ASKING FOLLOW UP, UH, WAS IN AND AROUND THE EXAMPLES OF HOW OTHER EDC FDCS HAD BASICALLY UTILIZED THE LAW TO HELP INCENTIVIZE AND BRING IN DIFFERENT, UH, COMPANIES. AND THE BIGGEST ONE IS LIKE THAT, LIKE WE MENTIONED JUST PREVIOUSLY THERE, THE RESTRUCTURING OF INCENTIVIZED, UH, THE TARGET, THE FEES, YOU KNOW, PUSHING THAT OUT AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT, THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL OPTIONS THERE THAT I DON'T THINK WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF. UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT, THAT'S THE MAJORITY OF THE NOTES THAT I'VE GOT. IF YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING ELSE? YEAH, AND I THINK THAT WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION ON LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE HOTEL'S, UM, ADVANTAGES THAT YOU DO. AND, UM, THE ONLY THING THAT I WANTED TO REITERATE WAS THE BOND FOR THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS ON THE BALLOT. AND I DON'T [01:00:01] HAVE MY MY NOTES WITH ME, UH, BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS A PROJECT PROGRAM THAT WE SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AS A CITY, UH, BASED ON JUST THE ECONOMICS OF WHAT THEY WERE OFFERING. AND I, I WISH I HAD MY NOTES IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I, I DON'T. UM, AND THEN CHARLIE, WE'VE MISSED YOU AT THE, AT THE PRESENTATION, BUT YOU'RE, UH, DAN DID A GREAT JOB. YEAH. HE, HE FILLED IN QUITE WELL. HE TOLD A LOT OF JOKES. DID HE, DID HE CUSS AS MUCH AS I DID? ? YOU KNOW, I DON'T REMEMBER. ALL RIGHT, WELL THAT'S PROBABLY NOT, PROBABLY MEANS NO THERE. THERE WAS DEFINITELY THE HUMOR SIDE OF IT. YEAH. HE'S A GOOD PRESENTER. AND HE'S A, A DID Y'ALL GET HE'S A FULL NAME. NAME. OH, SO DAN IS A FULL NAME PARTNER IN THE FIRM NOW. OH, GREAT. UM, AS IS CLARISSA RODRIGUEZ, I BELIEVE Y'ALL HAVE SEEN, HAS C HAS SHOWN UP HERE. WE HAVE NOT MET HER, AT LEAST NOT SINCE WE'VE BEEN HERE. OKAY. SO, AND WE CHANGED THE NAME. IT'S DENTON, NAVARRO, ROD. SO IT USED TO BE DENTON, DENTON, NAVARRO ROCHA, SUSAN ROCHE A AND I'M SORRY, DO YOU ALL HEAR THIS? THIS IS INTERRUPTING YOUR MEETING. YES, PLEASE. UM, UH, SUSAN DEPARTED, SHE PASSED IN 2010 AND HER NAME'S BEEN IN THE FIRM SINCE THEN. UM, AND CLARISSA RODRIGUEZ, SUSAN WAS A, WAS A MENTOR TO CLARISSA. AND SO WE, THEY'RE BOTH FULL PARTNERS NOW AND WE MADE 'EM FULL NAME PARTNERS. AND SO NOW THE NAME OF THE FIRM IS DENTON NOVATO RODRIGUEZ. BERNAL. SANTI AND ZACH. SO WE ADDED ONE MORE NAME TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO SAY. SO I'M TRYING TO CONVERSE FOLKS TO SAY, JUST SAY Z AND COMPANY. SO IF Y'ALL CAN GET USED TO SAYING Z AND COMPANY, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. AND ALSO, ONE OTHER PIECE OF INFORMATION, TWO OF OUR LAWYERS PASSED THEIR, UM, ARE NOW BOARD CERTIFIED. THEY PASSED THEIR BOARD CERTIFI AS EDUCATION EXAM. SO ALLISON, ROD RODRIGUEZ IN THE FIRM IS NOW, UM, BOARD CERTIFIED IN REAL ESTATE LAW. AND REBECCA IS, UM, HAYWARD IS NOW BOARD CERTIFIED IN LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW. SO NOW WE HAVE THREE BOARD CERTIFIED LAWYERS, UH, WITH THE FIRM. OH, AND BY THE WAY, I DON'T KNOW, Y'ALL KNOW THIS. WE HAVE A, DO YOU KNOW WE HAVE A CASE BEFORE THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT THAT'S GONNA BE ARGUED IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS? NO. OKAY. WELL, WE'RE ALSO DOING THAT, SO THAT POINT, WOW. THEY'RE JUST THE BEST IMPRESSIVE . UM, BUT, AND YOU'RE HERE SITTING WITH US , AND I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST THE SCHMUCK THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT YOU GUYS ARE STUCK WITH . UM, BUT THE, THE, THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, I THINK ON THE BALLOT, WHICH I CAN REMEMBER, DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER THAT? I THINK, THINK IT WAS SWIFT, WHAT IT WAS THE SAME THING THING. WE MM-HMM. AND THE DIRECTOR GAVE A, A PRETTY GOOD, UH, EXAMPLE OF, UH, AND THERE WAS TESTIMONIALS EVEN MM-HMM. ABOUT HOW THEY, UH, HOW WELL IT WAS WORKING FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES. SO, UH, SOMETHING I THINK, UH, WE SHOULD PROBABLY LOOK INTO. YEAH, SO IF YOU, IF YOU GO BACK SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, SO BEFORE WE WENT TO BOND, THOSE ARE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CONSIDERED WAS USING THEM FOR BONDING, RIGHT? SO IT'S ALL ABOUT THE RATES YOU CAN GET ON THOSE BONDS. AND THEN THE WAY WE CHOSE TO GO WAS TO NOT USE THEM. AND THEN THERE'S A LOT OF STIPULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU HAVE TO FIT INTO. SO IT GIVES YOU LESS FLEXIBILITY. WELL, HOW YOU WANNA GO TO BOND, BUT THE CITY HAS ALREADY LOOKED AT THAT. JUST FYI, ONE LAST AND ONE LAST COMMENT, SORRY, ONE LAST COMMENT WAS, UH, HOW FLEXIBLE THIS, THE, UM, I GUESS I'LL SAY THE LAW, UM, I FORGET THE GUY'S NAME. THE GUY AT THE VERY END, HE STOOD UP AND HE WAS THE, THE, UH, GIVEN EXAMPLES OF, UM, IT HAD A LOT TO DO WITH THREE 80 AGREEMENTS, BUT HE ALSO WAS TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS IDEAS OF WHAT US AS AN FDC WANTED TO ACHIEVE, THAT THERE IS A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY IN WRITING A BILL TO GET BEFORE, YOU KNOW, LOCAL AND STATE, UH, TO GET PASSED. THAT IS, IT'S, IT'S EASIER TO, TO ESSENTIALLY PASS THE BILL IN LINE WITH WHAT YOU ARE WANTING TO DO, RATHER THAN LOOK THROUGH THE LAW AND SAY, OKAY, HEY, LET, MAYBE IT FITS IN THIS, OR MAYBE IT FITS IN THAT, WELL, NO, WE'LL JUST WRITE A NEW ONE. AND HE, AND THAT'S PRETTY, PRETTY MUCH WHAT HE SAID, AND IT'S EASIER TO DO IT. WE HAVE LOCAL BILL. LOCAL BILL, YEAH. THAT WAS QUITE FUNNY AS WELL. ESPECIALLY SINCE LOCAL BILLS ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL. UH, SO WE DON'T DO LOCAL BILLS. WE DO BRACKETED BILLS, , WHICH IS HOW WE GET AROUND THE LOCAL, THE LOCAL BILL ISSUE, BRACKETED BILLS. THEN, UM, YEAH, SO OUT OF THAT DISCUSSION, A BOARD DID REQUEST TO REVIEW ALL UPCOMING CIP PROJECTS TO KIND OF GET A BETTER IDEA OF IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN FUNDING AND BEING A PART OF. SO, UM, WE CAN LOOP YOU INTO THAT, THAT AS WELL, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, ESPECIALLY, I KNOW [01:05:01] CHARLIE JUST GOING THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT B BOARD CAN DO. UM, IF THERE'S ANY INTEREST TO MOVE FORWARD ON ANY OTHER PROJECTS, UM, WE WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO Y'ALL ABOUT THAT AS WELL. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT T-M-L-A-D-C? OKAY, I'LL MOVE ON TO NUMBER THREE, UH, ECONOMICS. THIS WAS ANOTHER CONFERENCE I ATTENDED LAST FALL, NOVEMBER 28TH THROUGH THE 30TH. AND, UM, I WAS ABLE TO JOIN ALL OF THE OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS WITH FORT BEND COUNTY. IT WAS JUST REALLY NICE TO GET FAMILIAR WITH THEM AND THEIR COMMUNITIES, UM, AND JUST WORK TOGETHER ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD NOW THAT THE FORT BEND EDC ORGANIZATION, YOU KNOW, MIGHT NOT EXIST, AND HOW TO MARKET THE REGION AS A WHOLE AND KIND OF SEE WHAT OUR STRENGTHS ARE INDIVIDUALLY AND HELP EACH OTHER INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, BEING MORE IN COMPETITION IN A WAY THAT ISN'T HELPFUL TO THE WHOLE REGION. UM, SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY. AND, UM, THIS IS KIND OF TIED, SO I'LL ELABORATE A LITTLE MORE ON THAT. ON, UM, ITEM SEVEN. UH, ITEM FOUR, THE T-D-T-E-D-C SALES TAX COURSE. HAYDEN AND I BOTH COMPLETED THE VIRTUAL SALES TAX WORKSHOP WORKSHOP, UH, WHAT LAST MONTH. AND, UH, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE BEING OFFERED. SO YOU RECEIVED AN EMAIL EARLIER TODAY FROM HAYDEN, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THAT. AND JUST LET US KNOW. WE'LL GET YOU REGISTERED AND, UM, YOU CAN TAKE THE TRAINING, OTHER NEW BUSINESS UPDATES. ITEM FIVE, WE HAVE ICEBOX, CRYOTHERAPY, UH, SPIDER SMART, WHICH IS A, A TUTORING, UH, FACILITY. AND THEN L THREE CRAFT COFFEE, TOMMY, I HAVE THAT ON THERE AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE OTHER BUSINESSES THAT HAVE OPENED UP RECENTLY THAT, UM, HAVE COME TO FULL SHARE OUTSIDE OF WHAT THE RETAIL COACH HAS BEEN WORKING ON. AND THEN ITEM SIX ARE BICENTENNIAL. SO STAFF, UH, IN ALL DEPARTMENTS ARE WORKING HARD TO FINALIZE THE DETAILS IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. AND, UH, WE'RE REALLY, REALLY CLOSE TO LAUNCHING OUR FULL MARKETING CAMPAIGN. WE JUST ORDERED ALL OF OUR PAPER ITEMS TODAY, EARLIER TODAY. SO WE WILL, YOU'LL SEE THOSE, UH, AROUND TOWN, AND WE'LL BEGIN DISTRIBUTING THEM, UH, BEYOND THE LOOKOUT FOR ANY KIND OF POST ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, THE CITY WEBSITE AND OUR FACEBOOK PAGE. THE BEST WAY YOU CAN HELP NOW IS SHARE ALL THAT INFORMATION, SHARE IT ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA, SHARE IT WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOUR FRIENDS, AND YOUR COMMUNITY GROUPS. JUST LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT THIS CELEBRATION IS COMING UP. AND THERE'S MANY WAYS THEY CAN BE INVOLVED. THEY CAN BE A VENDOR, THEY CAN BE A SPONSOR, THEY CAN ATTEND. UM, JUST GET THEM IN TOUCH WITH US AND WE'LL FIND THE BEST FIT FOR THEM. UH, WE ARE CLOSING THE EVENT AT 7:50 PM WITH FIREWORKS AND A 200 DRONE SHOW. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. UM, THERE'LL BE JUST VARIOUS IMAGES KIND OF HIGHLIGHTING THE HISTORICAL COMPONENT OF, UM, THE CITY OF SHORE. SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING HARD AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED. SO NOW SOMEONE ASKED ME WHY WE PICKED THE DATE THAT WE PICKED, AND I COULDN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION. YES, SIR. UM, EARLIER IN THE YEAR WHEN WE CONSIDERED JUST THE D DIFFERENT EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND, UM, JUST THE POPULARITY OF 4TH OF JULY LEADERSHIP DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE THE BEST MONTH TO KIND OF STAY AWAY FROM AN ALREADY BUS BUSY SEASON OF, UH, EVENTS THAT HAVE JUST GONE ON YEAR AFTER YEAR. AND INSTEAD OF KIND OF INTRO INTERRUPTING THE NORM, FIND A DIFFERENT DATE OUTSIDE OF THE SUMMER WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT ALREADY BE TRAVELING, MIGHT NOT REALLY BE HERE. AND ALSO THAT IT WASN'T AS HOT. UM, FREEDOM FEST WAS JUST SO HOT. UM, AND IT'S TOUGH WHEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AN OUTDOOR EVENT LIKE THAT. THOSE WERE THE TWO BIGGEST DECIDING FACTORS FOR THAT DATE. JUST FOR THE RECORD, THAT'S MY DAUGHTER'S WEDDING DATE, SO UNFORTUNATELY I WILL MISS IT. WELL JUST BRING THAT AFTER PARTY, NOT THE, I'M GOING TO THE WEDDING. I'M GONNA HAVE TO MISS THE CITY EVENT. SORRY IF THERE WAS ANY QUESTION, . THERE WAS FOR A MOMENT. I'LL MISS YOU, TOMMY. A VERY BRIEF MOMENT. YOU'LL BE MISSED. WE'LL TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES AND VIDEOS. UH, I NUMBER SEVEN. UH, MOVING ON THE FORT BEND, EDC THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER. UM, THEY, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT FOR FORT BEND COUNTY MET JANUARY 9TH AT 1:00 PM AND, UH, DISCUSS THIS TOPIC. THERE IS A RECORDING ONLINE OF THAT, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU TO YOUR EMAILS. UH, IT LOOKS MORE AND MORE LIKE THIS ORGANIZATION JUST WILL LOOK RADICALLY DIFFERENT THAN THEY DO OR WON'T EXIST. IT'S JUST KIND OF UP TO [01:10:01] HOW THEY CHOOSE TO DEAL WITH IT. UM, LIKE I SAID, THE DIRECTORS FOR THE OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS IN THE REGION AND IN THE COUNTY ARE STILL WANTING TO MEET AND CONTINUE THAT REGIONAL APPROACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. NUMBER EIGHT, THE GATEWAY SCIENCE UPDATE. WE DID HAVE A PHONE CALL WITH STEPHANIE. STEPHANIE FROM KGA DEFOREST. AND, UM, WE BASICALLY APPROVED JUST THE DESIGN THAT SHE HAD SHARED WITH YOU ALL, AND SHE IS SUBMITTING THAT BACK TO, UM, THE THP. YES. AND , UM, GETTING THEIR APPROVAL. THEY, THE FIRST TIME SHE SUBMITTED, THEY DIDN'T REALLY HAVE GUIDELINES AND I, I THINK THEY STILL DON'T, SO THEY JUST ASKED HER FOR A RESUBMISSION AND THEN THEY'LL FOLLOW UP WITH QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE DESIGN OR LOCATION. SO ONCE THAT HAPPENS, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER UPDATE FOR YOU ALL WITH MORE DETAILS. UM, ITEM NINE, JUST AS AN ASIDE. YES SIR. THAT, UH, THE KGA OF KGA DEFOREST, I THINK KGA IS ON THE TEXAS HERITAGE PARKWAY BOARD. SO HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY THEY WON'T BE TOO RESISTANT. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT. GOOD TO KNOW. HE, HE'S RE I THINK HE'S RETIRED NOW, BUT, GOT IT. YEAH, IT'LL BE WELL RECEIVED. UH, ITEM NINE, THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ALLIANCE. I HAD TALKED TO YOU ALL BEFORE ABOUT JUST PROPOSING THIS, UH, AS A WAY OF UNITING OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESS AND PROPERTY OWNERS AND GIVING THEM JUST MORE OF A VOICE ON WHAT DIRECTION THEY WANT DOWNTOWN TO TAKE. WE DID, UM, HAVE A LUNCH MEETING DOWNTOWN AT PIER 36 ON DECEMBER 12TH TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF STARTING THAT ORGANIZATION. AND, UM, IT WAS A REALLY POSITIVE MEETING. A LOT OF JUST GOOD FEEDBACK AND INTEREST. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO KIND OF PUT TOGETHER SOME EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT BYLAWS AND SHARE THAT TO THEM, UM, FROM WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE AND HAS WORKED WELL. SO HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, UM, WE'LL HAVE THAT ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED AND JUST USE IT AS A WAY, UM, TO GET, GET MORE FEEDBACK FROM OUR DOWNTOWN, UH, PARTNERS. THINK SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE'S A PERCEPTION OF, UH, THE CITY EMPLOYEE AND THERE'S JUST CERTAIN WAYS THAT THEY'LL COMMUNICATE WITH US THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN HOW THEY COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER. SO OUR HOPE IS JUST TO REALLY EMPOWER THEM, GET THEM TO COME UP WITH IDEAS AND THEN COMMUNICATE THAT TO US SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE BEST PARTNER TO SUPPORT THAT. AND WE'RE NOT OVER HERE COMING UP WITH IDEAS THAT AREN'T ALIGNED WITH WHAT THEY WANT. UM, SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT OF POSITIVE MOMENTUM MOVING FORWARD. I THINK WE'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF TEXAS DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION FOR A WHILE. MM-HMM. . AND, UM, I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE SO BUSY, THAT MAY BE A GOOD RESOURCE FOR THEM TO COLLABORATE WITH, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN THERE AND DONE IT PROBABLY IN MANY DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. YES, DEFINITELY. OKAY. UH, NUMBER 10 IS THE RFE FOR REDC PROPERTY. UM, I'LL BE WORKING WITH CHARLIE AND DAN TO SEEK REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPMENT ON OUR PROPERTY. UM, WE'RE JUST LOOKING TO BE A LITTLE MORE PROACTIVE AND START THE YEAR OFF STRONG INSTEAD OF JUST KIND OF WAITING TO SEE WHO'S INTERESTED. JUST LET'S JUST PUT WHAT WE WANT OUT THERE AND SEE WHO CAN DO IT. SO, UM, WE HOPE TO HAVE A GOOD UPDATE FOR YOU ALL AT NEXT MONTH'S MEETING ON THAT. AND THEN, UM, BUT BEFORE YOU GO, MM-HMM. , UH, IS THERE ANY CERTAIN CATALYST THAT WOULD SPUR A BUSINESS TO START DEVELOPING OR WANT DEVELOPMENT IN THAT AREA THAT WE'RE UNAWARE OF? OR NO, NOTHING YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW. I MEAN, HARRIS STREET IS HAPPENING. THEY'RE, I MEAN, UM, WE HAD PREVIOUSLY MET, MET WITH MITT WOOD THAT, UM, BROUGHT THEIR PRESENTATION AND THAT REQUEST TO YOU ALL. SO THAT'S A POSSIBILITY. UM, BUT YEAH, NOTHING DIFFERENT OR OKAY. THAT YOU DON'T KNOW. OKAY. THANK YOU. LIKE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS. SOMEWHERE ELSE NEAR NONE OF THAT. OKAY. I JUST HEARD THAT THE, A TRACK A LONG 10 93 WAS MAYBE CLOSE TO SELLING, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN. I NEED TO CALL AND CHECK ON THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW RUMORS ARE. YES. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. AND LASTLY, UH, NUMBER 11, THE SHORE FAST TRACK UPDATE. UH, WE'RE VERY EXCITED. MATT YELVINGTON, WHO, UM, IS THE REPRESENTATIVE [01:15:01] ASSIGNED FROM THE CANNON TO THE CITY OF SHORE WAS HERE TODAY. HE'S GONNA BE WORKING HERE FROM CITY HALL MONDAYS AND TUESDAYS. AND, UH, WE DID CONNECT HIM WITH JUST A FEW KEY MEMBERS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO JUST KIND OF START MEETING AND GET FAMILIAR WITH EVERYBODY. SO, UM, IF YOU, ANY OF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN MEETING WITH HIM, CHATTING WITH HIM ABOUT YOUR MISSION FOR THE CANON OR JUST GETTING A IN-PERSON UPDATE, FEEL FREE TO LET US KNOW. HE'S HERE MONDAYS AND TUESDAYS, BUT IF THOSE DAYS DON'T WORK FOR YOU, I'M SURE HE'LL BE HAPPY TO SCHEDULE SOMETHING VIRTUAL OR WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU ON A DIFFERENT DAY. SO, UH, YES, HE WILL BE AT OUR NEXT MONTH'S MEETING TO GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE. WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW ON JUST THE CONTENT OF THE WEBSITE. SO PART OF OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE CANNON IS IT'S, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THEIR VERY OWN CANNON SHORE FAST TRACK WEBSITE, AND THAT SHOULD BE LAUNCHING PRETTY SOON. IS THERE, IS THERE ANY, HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT WHEN THE FIRST EVENT WOULD BE FOR RESIDENTS? UH, YES SIR. WE'RE AIMING FOR THE END OF, UH, FEBRUARY, SO JUST KIND OF LETTING HIM MAKE AS MANY CONNECTIONS AS POSSIBLE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND THEN SETTING DOWN A DATE AND START INVITING EVERYBODY TO KIND OF A, A SOFT LAUNCH, IF YOU WILL. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. ALRIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, NONE. LET'S MOVE ON TO, AND THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT. ANELLE AND HAYDEN APPRECIATE, UH, THAT WITH A LOT GOING ON , I KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT EVERYTHING THAT YOU WORK ON. YOU KIND OF LIMIT THIS DOWN TO AT LEAST A BARE NUMBER SO THAT WE'RE NOT HERE ALL NIGHT. I ACTUALLY DO HAVE ONE QUESTION. DO YOU THINK THAT THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN COMING TO TALK TO US? UM, YES. IT'S VERY EARLY STAGES, SO, UM, I CAN FIND OUT. THEY DON'T HAVE LIKE A REGULAR MEETING OR THEY'RE NOT AN OFFICIAL ORGANIZATION YET. IT'S JUST KIND OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE, REGULAR ORGANIZATION. RIGHT. ONCE THEY GET KIND OF THEIR DRAFT OF BYLAWS AND THEY FEEL IT, FIGURE OUT THEIR BOARD, I MEAN, I THINK IT'D BE A GREAT KIND OF DISCUSS THEIR, THEIR GOALS AND INTRODUCTION ALONG. YEAH. INTRODUCTION. ALL GOOD STUFF. SURE. SOUNDS GREAT. [7. Consideration and possible action on Services and Software Agreement for EDC website. ] ITEM SEVENS CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON SERVICES AND SOFTWARE AGREEMENT FOR THE EDC WEBSITE SITE. OKAY. YES. SO GOOD AND BAD NEWS. OUR WEBSITE, UH, MANAGEMENT GROUP WAS SOLD OFF. SO WE ARE, THE WEBSITE IS NOW OWNED BY A DIFFERENT ENTITY. UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WHEN HIDDEN AND I GOT HERE, ALL THE DECISIONS HAD BEEN MADE IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR WEBSITE WOULD LOOK LIKE. UM, AND IT WASN'T REALLY OUR FAVORITE. UM, SO NOW THE GOOD THING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THAT WE HAVE THE OPTION TO REVAMP THE LOOK OF THE WEBSITE AND THE CONTENT AS PART OF THIS NEW AGREEMENT. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE OPERATING WITH THEM UNDER THE SAME AGREEMENT WE HAD WITH ATLAS INTEGRATED PREVIOUSLY. UM, BUT THE NEW, SO THE NEW AGREEMENT THEY'VE SENT HAS BEEN SENT TO LEGAL, THEY HAVE REVIEWED IT, MADE THEIR COMMENTS, AND WE'VE SENT THOSE BACK TO, UM, HOUSTON IS WHAT THE COMPANY IS CALLED UNDER THE OLD AGREEMENT. WE, UM, WERE PAYING, UH, $2,500 PER YEAR. SO $1,250 PER BOARD. UH, THE NEW AGREEMENT WITH HOUSTON WOULD BE A TOTAL OF $6,711. SO IT WOULD BE $3,355 AND 50 CENTS PER BOARD. SO THAT'S GONNA BE FOR YOU A DIFFERENCE OF $2,105 AND 50 CENTS. UM, I WILL SAY ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROS OF THIS, OUTSIDE OF THE FACT THAT WE GET TO REDESIGN EVERYTHING WE DON'T LIKE, UM, UPDATE THE CONTENT, IS THAT THEY OFFER A LOT MORE, UM, SUPPORT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE. THAT MEANS WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND OUR TIME, YOU KNOW, IN THE NITTY GRITTY OF EVERYDAY UPDATES. IT'S SIMPLY JUST AN EMAIL TO THEM THAT SAYS, HEY, WE NEED THIS CHANGED. HEY, THIS PRESS RELEASE JUST CAME OUT. ADD A BANNER TO THE WEBSITE. UH, AND THEY TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THAT IN UNLIMITED NUMBER OF TIMES. IF THERE'S ANYTHING DESIGN-WISE THAT WE DON'T LIKE, THEY ALSO WILL UPDATE THAT. UH, IT'S A VERY QUICK TURNAROUND. UM, THEY ALSO SHARED, UH, IN MY MEETING WITH THEM JUST HOW MUCH BETTER THE SECURITY WILL BE OF THE WEBSITE COMPARED TO WHAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY. SO JUST ALL AROUND IT'S, IT'S A BETTER DEAL FOR STAFF AND FOR THE PRODUCT THAT IS OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE THAT REPRESENTS US ALL. SO THAT COST IS AN ANNUAL COST? THE $6,711? [01:20:01] YES. IT'S A ONE TIME ANNUAL COST. OKAY. AND A BOARD DID VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS, YOU SAID? YEAH. I KNOW YOU GUYS DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT, BUT I'M JUST, I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE GOT TO THE POINT OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE AT, BUT MM-HMM. , I MEAN, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THIS PUSHED OVER THE HILL AND WE'LL BE ON OUR WAY, BUT YES. CAN YOU REPEAT THE COST? I YOU SAID IT'S A ONE TIME OR IS IT JUST AN ANNUAL FEE? AN ANNUAL FEE. OKAY. RECURRING ANNUALLY? YES. YES. YES. IF YOU COULD JUST MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, UM, THE AGREEMENT PENDING LEGAL APPROVAL. I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UH, APPROVE, APPROVE THE SERVICE SOFTWARE AGREEMENT FOR THE EDC WEBSITE TO THE TUNE OF 3003 55 50 PENDING LEGAL APPROVAL. WE HAVE A SECOND. I SECOND. MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? JUST, JUST ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE, OUR NEW PROVIDER, UM, WE WENT THROUGH ONE PROVIDER ALREADY. HAS THERE BEEN ANY LOOKING AT, ARE, ARE, ARE WE THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE USING THIS IN THE CITY? ARE WE THE, UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE STILL KIND OF ON AN ISLAND A LITTLE BIT. MM-HMM. , RIGHT. UH, HAVE, HAVE Y'ALL LOOKED AT THE COMPANY? IS MY, IS KIND OF MY, UH, Y'ALL LOOKED AT THE SERVICES THAT THEY'LL PROVIDE, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO JUST LOOKING AT THE, THE LONGEVITY OF THE COMPANY AS WELL. MM-HMM. , YES, WE HAVE, AND I MEAN FROM THE SECOND WE SAW THEIR WEBSITE AND THE AGREEMENT THAT THEY SENT TO US AND THEN OUR INITIAL MEETING WITH THEM, IT WAS DAY AND NIGHT DIFFERENCE WITH OUR EXPERIENCE. UM, YES. AND JUST SHARING WITH THEM, I MEAN, 'CAUSE I HAVE A, I HAD A SCROLL, A LONG, LONG LIST OF CONCERNS THAT I'M LIKE, LOOK, THESE WERE ALL THE THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE AND I WANNA MAKE SURE AREN'T GONNA BE ISSUES IF WE'RE WORKING WITH YOU. UM, THEY, THEY REASSURED US THAT IT, IT WAS A LOT OF THE SAME CONCERNS THAT OTHER CLIENTS THAT HAD COME OVER HAD, UM, AND JUST KIND OF WALKED THROUGH THEIR AGREEMENT ON DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THAT WOULD BE ADDRESSED. OKAY. THANK YOU. I, I MEAN, I LOOKED READ THROUGH, RIGHT? UM, A LOT OF THE COMPONENTS OF, OF THE AGREEMENT, RIGHT? FROM A SUPPORT STANDPOINT AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT ARE AN ADVANTAGE. SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY GOOD. I THINK THAT PROBABLY, UH, NOT KNOWING THE BACKGROUND, BUT THERE'S PROBABLY NOT AN OPTION TO NOT DO THIS OTHER THAN TO GO FIND A NEW PROVIDER. YEAH. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TERMS AND AGREEMENTS ARE, BUT IN THE INTERIM WE MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE A WEBSITE I'M GUESSING. SO, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE BEST CHOICE FOR NOW, YOU KNOW, AND I GUESS AT SOME POINT DOWN THE LINE, IF WE FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT A GOOD COMPANY OR NOT PERFORMING, WE HAVE THE OPTION TO GO, GO, GO TRY TO DO SOMETHING ELSE. ALTHOUGH MIGRATING AND MOVING IS A, IS A BIG JOB. RIGHT. AND WOULD, WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT COSTS, I'M SURE. ALRIGHT. NO, NO FURTHER COMMENTS FROM ME. OKAY. IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. [8. Consideration and action on financials and payables for the Corporation for the period ending October 31, 2023. ] ITEM EIGHT IS CONSIDERATION AND ACTION ON FINANCIALS AND PAYABLE FOR THE CORPORATION FOR THE PERIOD ENDING OCTOBER 31ST, 2023. SO FOR THIS, THIS IS WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE REVIEWED AT OUR DECEMBER MEETING. UH, THE TAX REVENUES THEN WERE, UH, UP 17% FROM THE SAME, UH, PERIOD THE PREVIOUS YEAR. JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT. I'D MAKE A MOTION THAT, UH, WE APPROVE THE FINANCIALS PAYABLES FOR THE CORPORATION FOR THE PERIOD ENDING OCTOBER 31ST. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. [9. Consideration and action on financials and payables for the Corporation for the period ending November 30, 2023. ] ITEM NINE IS CONSIDERATION AND ACTION ON THE FINANCIALS AND PAYABLE FOR THE CORPORATION FOR THE PERIOD ENDING NOVEMBER 30TH, 2023. SO I HAVE A QUESTION IN LOOKING AT THAT ONE. I DID NOTICE, I MEAN, SO FOR OCTOBER, ALRIGHT, SO FOR IT'S, IT'S TWO MONTHS IN ARREARS, RIGHT? SO IT DECEMBER THE, WHAT WE JUST APPROVED SHOWED THE SALES TAX FROM OCTOBER. OCTOBER, MM-HMM. THEN FOR THIS ONE, FOR [01:25:01] THE PERIOD OF NOVEMBER, I NOTICED THAT IT'S NOT SHOWING THE SALES TAX, RIGHT? DO WE FORGET TO INCLUDE IT? AND THERE'S A NOTE THAT IT'S, IT'S FOR THE JANUARY ONE THAT IT'S, UH, TWO MONTHS OR SOMETHING. THERE'S A NOTE THERE. I DON'T, I I DIDN'T SEE WHERE IT'S ACTUALLY SHOWING THE SALES TAX. WE DID GET THE REPORT RIGHT FOR THIS MEETING. MAY, UH, JOEL, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A TYPO FROM WHEN WE PUT YOU TALKING, PUT YOU TALKING ABOUT THE SPREADSHEET. I THINK THERE'S A SECOND SPREADSHEET THAT HAS THE NOVEMBER. NO, I KNOW THE FILLED IN. I KNOW. AND FOR, FOR ME, I'M LOOKING AT THE FINANCIALS, THE REPORT. YEAH, WE CAN TAKE A LOOK, JOEL, TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE MOST UPDATED REPORT. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, ON OUR END BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE IT FOR A BOARD MEETING. IT WAS TOO EARLY, SO MAYBE WE DIDN'T PUT IT IN THIS PACKET. WE HAVE IT NOW. AND IT WAS SHOWING UP 20% JANUARY. SALES TAX COLLECTION WAS UP 20% FROM THIS TIME THE PREVIOUS YEAR. ARE, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE SPREADSHEET OR THE, THE BUDGET REPORT THAT'S ON PAGE 80 PERRY OF THE PACKET. I DUNNO WHAT WHAT PAGE THAT IS, BUT IT'S IN THE PDF IT SHOULD BE SHEET PAGE NUMBER 83. IT SHOWS A LITTLE PAGE LIKE 83 OF 1 0 2. RIGHT. SO THE FIRST ONE WAS THE ONE WE JUST APPROVED, AND THE SALES TAX, UH, FOR OCTOBER WAS 140,923. MM-HMM. . RIGHT. AND THEN FOR THE NEXT ONE, NOVEMBER WAS 145,000 847 82. UH, RIGHT. BUT OKAY. MAYBE IT'S, MAYBE IT'S FINE. MAYBE I'M JUST NOT UNDERSTANDING IT. UM, WELL, I, I THINK, UH, I'M A COUPLE PAGES DOWN ON THE BUDGET REPORT SALES AND USE OF TAX REVENUE FOR FIRST, FIRST ACCOUNT ZERO. TYPICALLY THAT DOES HAVE A NUMBER IN IT FOR PERIOD ACTIVITY. RIGHT. BUT THAT, THAT, AND THAT WAS OCTOBER, RIGHT? THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT? MM-HMM. , UH, JAMES, WE, WE WERE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THAT EARLIER AND I THINK WHAT HAPPENED THERE IS, UM, OUR FINANCE TEAM PUTS OUT A DIRECTIVE TO NOT SPEND FOR CERTAIN DATES JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE TURN OF THE FISCAL YEAR. SO I THINK WE REALLY JUST HAD NO, THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I ASSUMED. I MM-HMM. . I, I WASN'T, WE HAD NO EXPENSES. I WASN'T SURE. I KNOW THIS IS KIND OF COMES IN, WE KIND OF, WE TOOK EVERYTHING. WE MADE SURE WE HAD PAID EVERY INVOICE, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND EVERYTHING WAS TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE THAT TIME PERIOD AND THEN DIDN'T BUY ANYTHING ELSE UNTIL AFTER THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR. BEFORE WE GET A MOTION IN A SECOND ON THAT, POSSIBLY , THE PREVIOUS ITEM EIGHT, JUST WANT TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD, THAT INCLUDED THE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE CITY OF $4,389 AND 69 CENTS AS PRESENTED. WE USUALLY STATE THAT WE DI WE DIDN'T HEAR, BUT IT'S APPLIED. YEAH. THANK, THANK YOU. IF NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, CAN WE HAVE A MOTION? MOTION TO PAY THE NOVEMBER, 2023, UM, CALENDAR YEAR ARE APPROVALS IN THE SUM OF $9,357 AND 24 CENTS. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES AND OUR SALES TAXES ARE CONTINUING TO GROW. SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY GREAT. MM-HMM. ITEM [10. Consideration and action on minutes of the Corporation for the November 13, 2023, meeting. ] 10 IS CONSIDERATION AND ACTION ON THE MINUTES OF THE CORPORATION FOR NOVEMBER 13TH, 2023 MEETING. THAT'S ME. NO, SORRY. OH, WE NEED A MOTION FOR THE MINUTES. OH, OKAY. FROM NOVEMBER, SORRY. STILL LOOKING. MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS LISTED FOR NOVEMBER 13TH, 2023. YOU HAVE A MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ANY CORRECTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. [11. Presentation by City Council Liaison regarding relevant action taken at the previous City Council meeting(s). ] ITEM 11 IS PRESENTATION BY CITY COUNCIL LIAISON REGARDING RELEVANT ACTION TAKEN AT THE PREVIOUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING OR MEETINGS. AND, UH, IT'S WHATEVER YOU WANT TO PROVIDE TO US. UH, IT'S A LITTLE OR AS MUCH. OKAY. WELL IT'S EIGHT 30, BUT UH, SO THIS WOULD BE FROM, UH, DECEMBER 19TH? NO, IT'S EIGHT 30. YOU GOTTA REALLY ROLL THROUGH THIS DECEMBER 19TH MEETING. [01:30:03] UM, SO WE DID HAVE A QUORUM. THERE WERE NO CITIZENS' COMMENTS. UM, WE DID RECEIVE SPECIAL RECOGNITION FROM THE HGAC PARKS AND NATURAL AREAS, UM, FOR AN AWARD ON THE, UH, PROJECTS. AND IT'S FROM THE PRIMROSE PARK WORK THAT WAS DONE. UM, SO THAT PROJECT WAS SELECTED TO RECEIVE SPECIAL RECOGNITION FROM THE HGHC AND THE PLANNING AND POLICY CATEGORY. SO I THINK THAT'S, UM, THAT'S NICE TO HAVE THAT LEVEL OF, OF RECOGNITION. THE CITY DID RECEIVE THE, UM, ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT AWARD. UH, IT'S A CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL REPORTING. I'M PRETTY SURE WE'VE GOTTEN THAT EVERY YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL. UM, IF I RECALL, UM, IN BUSINESS, UH, WE DID APPOINT PATRICK POWERS, UH, TO, UH, REPLACE THE VACANT SPOT ON THE TYPE A, UH, FTC, THE, UM, KNOWING THAT HE, UH, HAD ALREADY MENTIONED AND, AND HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS ON HIS PLAN TO RUN, UH, FOR CITY COUNCIL. SO OF COURSE, SHOULD HE WIN THAT ROLE IN CITY COUNCIL, THEN THERE WOULD BE A VACANCY, UH, UH, ON THE A BOARD FOR A MONTH. UH, YEAH, WE'RE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT EARLIER TODAY, THAT WE WILL REVIEW THE, I GUESS IT WOULD BE THE BYLAWS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE JUST NOT SURE WHAT IT SAYS, BUT MAKING SURE THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO COME OFF OR IF HE COULD STAY ON, UM, PRETTY SURE HE WOULD COME OFF BECAUSE IT'S THE A BOARD. UM, WE DID DO AN UP, UH, UH, A SERVICE AGREEMENT. WE UPDATED THE SERVICE AGREEMENT FOR THE WATER AND WASTEWATER MASTER PLAN TO START. AND I THINK WE'RE NOW LIKE ON A TWO YEAR SCHEDULE TO REVIEW THAT MASTER PLAN AND UPDATE IT. UM, SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE, THE BIGGEST PIECES OF, OF WHAT COUNCIL MEETING DID IN DECEMBER. AND THEN OF COURSE JANUARY WAS DELAYED AND THAT MEETING IS TOMORROW FIVE 30. WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU STILL HAVE A LOT OF HOMEWORK. SORRY, YOU HAVE A LOT OF HOMEWORK TONIGHT. NO, IT'S ALREADY DONE. I'M RETIRED. YOU KNOW, . ALRIGHT. WELL THANK YOU FOR, UH, PROVIDING, UH, THAT UPDATE. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? [12. Future agenda items] ITEM 12 IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, ON MY LIST RIGHT NOW, AFTER OUR A BOARD MEETING WAS, UH, GETTING AN UPDATE ON JUST THE FINALIZATION OF THE WEBSITE AGREEMENT AND THEN, UM, BRINGING THE CANNON REPRESENTATIVE MAP TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT, UH, THE MONUMENT SIGNAGE AND OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. AND THEN I HAVE ON THE LIST FOR FUTURE A DBA, UH, GROUP PRESENTATION OR JUST KIND OF A FAMILIARIZATION. UH, IF THERE'S ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS, I'LL TAKE THEM. ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WAS NOT LISTED HERE IS THE UPDATE ON, UH, FOREST STREET. MM-HMM. THE, I DON'T, WE MAY NOT HAVE TO HAVE IT NEXT MONTH, BUT AT SOME POINT I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT OUR TERMS OF OUR CONTRACT WERE FOR THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. YES. UM, AND WE CAN AT SOME POINT MAYBE SEE WHERE WE HEADED WITH THAT AND HOW EFFECTIVE WERE THEY WILL DO. UM, JUST A REMINDER FROM JUST READING OVER THE MINUTES JUST NOW, BUT, UM, I SUGGESTED A HOTEL WORKING GROUP BETWEEN, UM, THE BOARDS, UH, AND THE CITY. I GUESS, UH, I'D LIKE TO BE PART OF THAT IF WE CAN GET ONE GOING. OKAY. AND IF ANYTHING COMES UP AFTER THIS EVENING, PLEASE EMAIL MYSELF, ANELLE AND HAYDEN AND WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO ADD IT TO THE AGENDA. UH, ITEM [13. Announcements] 13 ARE ANNOUNCEMENTS. AND I WAS JUST GONNA ANNOUNCE THAT THE SIGNUP STARTED FOR THE CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS. THE LAST DAY IS FEBRUARY 16TH FOR THE MAY 4TH ELECTIONS FOR A MAYOR AN AT LARGE DISTRICT TWO AND DISTRICT THREE. SO I THINK WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF FOLKS SIGN UP. MM-HMM. [01:35:01] , UH, AND, UH, APPRECIATE, UH, THEM BEING WILLING TO DO THAT. ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? QUESTION OR QUESTION? YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY AS THE CITY GROWS, AT WHAT POINT DOES THE, I GUESS THE AREAS CHANGE, LIKE THE DISTRICTING DISTRICT, DISTRICT ONE IS GETTING VERY BIG. WE'VE ONLY, THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON. YEAH. USUALLY THE, AFTER THEY DO THE CENSUS, YOU GET THE NEW POPULATION NUMBERS. AND I THINK CITY COUNCIL DID A REDISTRICTING. CAN WE, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT? I MEAN, IS THAT, I DON'T THINK SO. IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA. , HOW ABOUT IT'S JUST DONE DURING, AFTER THE CENSUS. AND READ THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR TOMORROW NIGHT. , THAT'S IT. INFORMATION OR TALK TO JOEL AFTER THE MEETING THERE. . ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? OUR A BOARD MEETING WILL BE SET FOR FEBRUARY 12TH AND B BOARD WILL BE FEBRUARY 19TH. DATE ON AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR A FUTURE MEETING THIS MONTH, UH, FOR US. THE WORKSHOP? YEAH, THE WORKSHOP. MM-HMM. . SORRY ABOUT WHAT? WE DON'T THE WORKSHOP. THE WORKSHOP WITH THE BOARDS. OH, YES. SORRY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING. UM, NO, THERE HASN'T BEEN AN UPDATE. THE, THE FREEZE THREW EVERYTHING OFF WITH HAVING TO RESCHEDULE THEIR COUNCIL MEETING FOR TOMORROW. OKAY. UM, IT KIND OF JUST THREW A BIG WRENCH IN IT, BUT I KNOW THAT OUR CITY SECRETARY WILL BE VISITING WITH THE MAYOR AND AS SOON AS WE HAVE ANOTHER PROPOSED DATE, WE'LL, WE'LL CONFIRM WITH YOU ALL. OKAY. UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR, UH, BEING HERE TONIGHT AND PARTICIPATING AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE THAT. ITEM 14 IS ADJOURNMENT. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MOTION TO ADJOURN. SECOND. MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED TO ADJOURN AT 7:38 PM ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? WE'RE ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.