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>> IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK. WE WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO
[CALL TO ORDER/GENERAL COMMENTS]
THE CITY OF BEDFORD BUDGET WORK SESSION.THANK YOU. THIS IS THE MOST EXCITING DAY OF THE YEAR FOR SOMEBODY, I DON'T KNOW FOR US, BUT FOR SOMEBODY.
THAT BEING SAID, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS TO DO.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO SET THE RATE TONIGHT FOR ALL OF YOU FROM THE PUBLIC HERE IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT.
BOB [LAUGHTER] THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR INFORMATION FROM STAFF, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL TO ASK QUESTIONS.
IN AS MUCH AS WE'RE GOING TO DO A WRAP-UP, WE DO NEED TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF GUIDANCE TO STAFF WITH RESPECT TO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE WILL GET TOGETHER AGAIN, HAVE THIS DISCUSSION ONCE AGAIN, CORRECT?
[1. Receive and discuss FY 2022-2023 budget overview.]
>> WITHOUT ADO, LET'S TURN THIS OVER TO CITY MANAGER JIMMY STATHATOS.
>> THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNCIL.
THIS IS THE CULMINATION, OR AT LEAST THE NEXT MILESTONE OF A LOT OF HARD WORK FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
IF DONE CORRECTLY, WHICH I THINK IT IS, THIS BUDGET SHOULD REPRESENT A BLUEPRINT FOR HELPING IMPLEMENT THE COUNCIL'S GOALS.
I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING TONIGHT.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS AND THEN I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MEG JACOBI AND CARYN RIGGS WHO WILL BE DOING THE HEAVY LIFTING.
I KNOW IT'S A GIVEN, JUST FOR PUBLIC EDIFICATION THAT WE'RE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON WHAT WE THINK IS THE BEST WAY TO HELP IMPLEMENT YOUR GOALS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU ALL ARE THE GOVERNING BODY, WHATEVER YOU ALL APPROVE, WE'LL IMPLEMENT.
IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING AND YOU ALL ARE SAYING, LET'S NOT DO, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM AND SO JUST LET US KNOW.
WITH ALL OF THE THINGS WE'VE RECOMMENDED, WE HAVE ALSO LEFT AROUND $209,000 FOR YOU ALL TO HAVE ANY TYPE OF DISCRETIONARY SPENDING.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU CAN CHANGE ANYTHING BUT AT THE VERY LEAST, THERE'S THAT AMOUNT OF UNALLOCATED FUNDS.
THIS PROPOSED BUDGET THAT WE HAVE SUBMITTED IS BASED ON RECOMMENDING THE LOWEST TAX RATE THAT THE CITY HAS HAD IN ABOUT SIX YEARS.
IF YOU PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, THE TAX RATE THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS ACTUALLY LOWER THAN THE RATE THAT THE CITY HAD BEFORE THE BONDS WERE ISSUED FOR GENERATIONS PARK.
IT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AND WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO DO THAT, ALSO WHILE ENHANCING STAFF, ENHANCING INFRASTRUCTURE, LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE EQUIPMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
I DON'T WANT TO JUMP THE SHARK, BUT WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED.
I THINK THAT THIS REALLY MAKES A COMMITMENT TO THE RESIDENTS IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF STREETS THAT WE'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND GET IMPROVED, RETENTION OF CITY EMPLOYEES, AND JUST A WHOLE SLEW OF BENEFITS.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, CARYN RIGGS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO START OFF OR MEG?
>> [LAUGHTER] I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO LET MEG GET US GOING.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAG TEAM ON THE PRESENTATION.
THERE'S SOME PIECE THAT SHE'S GOING TO PRESENT AND THEN I'LL STEP UP AND PRESENT AS WELL.
I'M JUST GOING TO LET MEG GET US STARTED.
>> DO YOU AND MEG MIND IF WE JUST ASK QUESTIONS AS YOU ALL GO ALONG?
>> SHORT OF JUST STOPPING YOU ALL DOWN AND THEN WE CAN WRAP AS YOU GET TO THAT POINT AT THE END?
>> OKAY. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU.
THIS IS YOUR FIRST BUDGET SESSION WITH CITY OF BEDFORD?
>> WE'LL SEE YOUR HANDIWORK HERE? [LAUGHTER] ONCE AGAIN, MEG JACOBI.
>> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
TONIGHT IS THE CULMINATION OF COURSE, OF QUITE A BIT OF HARD WORK BETWEEN THE MANAGEMENT TEAM, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, BUT ALSO ALL OF THE STAFF PUTTING TOGETHER AND HELPING US CRAFT AND PUZZLE TOGETHER A BUDGET THAT MAKES SENSE, THAT MEETS YOUR PRIORITIES AND GOALS, THAT FUNDS THE SERVICES THAT YOU EXPECT US TO PROVIDE TO OUR RESIDENTS.
I PUT BACK UP OUR ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS AS A REMINDER.
IT STARTS ALMOST AS SOON AS IT ENDS BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THE BUDGET DOLLARS ARE WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE LOOKING THROUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE GOT THE FUNDING THEY NEED OR REQUESTING THEIR ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO IMPROVE SERVICES OR BECAUSE OF INCREASED COSTS OR INCREASED MANDATES FROM THE STATE.
WE TAKE THAT, WE START EACH YEAR IN MARCH WITH OUR DEPARTMENTS.
I DO A REVIEW, JIMMY OF COURSE DOES A REVIEW.
THEN WE'RE PUTTING AND PUZZLING TOGETHER THE PIECES OF WHAT MAKES SENSE, WHERE OUR TAXABLE VALUES COME IN SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT THAT'S GOING TO DO ON OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE SIDE BEFORE WE CAN BRING IT FORWARD TO YOU.
LIKE LAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO PUT OUR PROPOSED BUDGET DOCUMENT OUT ON A VERY, I FEEL, USER-FRIENDLY WEBSITE TO MAKE IT EASY
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FOR OUR RESIDENTS OR ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED TO LOOK THROUGH, SEE WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING.THAT OF COURSE, WAS PUT OUT TO YOU AND TO OUR RESIDENTS LAST WEEK.
NOW WE MOVE IN TO THE LEGAL SIDE OF ADOPTING OUT THIS BUDGET BEFORE OCTOBER 1ST AND STARTS ALL OVER AGAIN.
JIMMY'S TOUCHED ON THIS AND REALLY LOOKING AT AS WE PUT TOGETHER OUR BUDGET, WE DO TRY TO KEEP TO THE FOREFRONT, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITHIN THE CITY? HOW CAN WE SUPPORT THAT? MAKING SURE THAT UNLESS YOU'VE DIRECTED US OTHERWISE, WE'RE KEEPING THAT SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE.
LOOKING AT THAT EMPLOYEE RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT, THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A FACTOR THAT WE'RE GOING TO WANT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AS MUCH AS WE CAN AS WE'RE CRAFTING AND PUTTING TOGETHER THE BUDGET.
WHAT WERE THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS YEAR? THE FIRST ONE BEING SALES TAX, AND WE'RE SEEING SOME RECORD GROWTH.
YOU CAN SEE THE PERCENTAGES THAT WE HAVE UP HERE THIS YEAR ARE LOOKING JUST YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGES.
IT'S NOT LOOKING AT THE AVERAGE, ALTHOUGH YOU CAN SEE THE HISTORY BACK FOR FIVE YEARS.
WE ACTUALLY JUST GOT THE JUNE NUMBERS IN TODAY.
THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU'VE SEEN ON SOME OF THE OTHER DOCUMENTS BECAUSE THAT'S BRAND NEW INFORMATION.
ALTHOUGH I WILL NOTE THAT THAT IS THE LOWEST PERCENTAGE INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR THAT WE'VE SEEN THIS FISCAL YEAR, SO 7.6 PERCENT.
NOW, ON THIS NOTE THOUGH, OUR PROJECTIONS FOR YEAR-END, YOU KNOW HOW WE STAND WITH OUR BUDGET NUMBERS.
WE WANT TO UNDER PROMISE AND OVER-DELIVER.
ON THE PROJECTION SIDE, WE HAD ONLY PROJECTED A FIVE PERCENT INCREASE OVER THE PRIOR YEAR TO ROUND OUT OUR PROJECTIONS.
GIVING A CHANCE IN CASE ANYTHING IN THE RETAIL ECONOMY HAS CHANGED, THAT WE WEREN'T BANKING ON DOLLARS, THAT WE WEREN'T PROJECTING OUT 10 PERCENT WHICH SEEING WHERE THIS MONTH CAME IN, I'M GLAD WE DIDN'T, BUT REALLY JUST TRYING TO KEEP THAT CONSERVATIVE POINTS.
WE DO FULLY EXPECT THAT OUR SALES TAX ACTUALS WILL EXCEED OUR PROJECTIONS, BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO COUNT ON IT AS WE WERE LOOKING AT OUR YEAR END OF FISCAL YEAR '22.
>> I WAS JUST LOOKING AT YOUR NUMBERS.
THAT GETS US AT 14.83 PERCENT YEAR-TO-DATE?
>> WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY OVER 15 MILLION THIS YEAR FOR SALES TAX NUMBERS.
NOW OF COURSE, THAT IS BOTH THE GENERAL FUND PIECE AND THE 4B SALES TAX PIECE COMBINED.
LAST YEAR AT THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME, WE WERE JUST A LITTLE OVER 9.8 MILLION.
WE ARE DEFINITELY SEEING SOME NICER NUMBERS THIS YEAR, WHICH HAS DEFINITELY BEEN HELPFUL.
WE DO HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE WITH SOME OF THE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES THAT ANDREW HAS BEEN ABLE TO BRING IN AND WHAT THAT WILL MEAN IN THE FUTURE, BUT AGAIN, UNTIL WE START SEEING THOSE NUMBERS, I'M NOT LIKELY TO THROW THEM INTO BUDGET NUMBERS TOO MUCH.
AGAIN, JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, WE DON'T WANT TO OVER COMMIT RESOURCES.
TAXABLE VALUE, WE ARE STILL ON THIS EVER INCREASING AMOUNT.
WE'RE NOT SEEING A TAPER OFF AND STUFF.
NO, WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER SLOPE GOING STILL, BUT WE'RE SEEING IT ACROSS THE COUNTY.
IF YOU LOOK HERE ON THE TAXABLE VALUE CHANGE, WE SAW THAT 11.6 PERCENT INCREASE, 14.8 MILLION IN NEW CONSTRUCTION AMOUNT THIS YEAR, WHICH IS FANTASTIC TO SEE.
AT THE BULK OF THAT IS THREE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
WE ARE STILL SEEING THE INCREASE IN THE AVERAGE MARKET VALUE.
JEFF LAW, OUR CHIEF APPRAISER HAS BEEN REPORTING ON THIS ON WHAT'S HAPPENING COUNTYWIDE WITH THE VALUES AND SO WE ARE SEEING OUR NET TAXABLE VALUE GO UP SO ALL OF THAT'S IN LINE WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING COUNTYWIDE ON THE NUMBERS.
LOOKING AT JUST THE BUDGET OVERVIEW IN GENERAL, YOU CAN SEE WE ARE LOOKING AT AN $85 MILLION BUDGET ACROSS ALL FUNDS THIS YEAR.
WE DO HAVE THE NOTE STORMWATER AND 4B, YOU CAN SEE WE ARE UTILIZING FUND BALANCE AMOUNTS FOR THOSE TWO FUNDS THIS COMING YEAR.
THOSE ARE FOR ONE-TIME PROJECTS FUND BALANCE IS SUFFICIENT TO COVER IT.
STORMWATER IS A DRAINAGE SYSTEM STUDY, PAYING THAT OUT OF OUR FUND BALANCE CASH, AND THEN STARTING THE DESIGN WORK ON ONE OF THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT'S ON THE BOOKS.
THAT'S WHERE THAT'S PUSHING THOSE EXPENDITURES UP.
OF COURSE, ONETIME DOLLARS AND FUND BALANCE CAN SUPPORT.
4B, KAREN WILL SPEAK TO YOU MORE SPECIFICALLY,
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AMONG WHAT'S BEEN CHANGED SINCE IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE 4B BOARD, AS WE GOT TO THE FINAL BUDGET NUMBERS.BUT AGAIN, THOSE EXPENSES ARE ONETIME ITEMS FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THEN GENERAL FUND, YOU'LL NOTE WE DO HAVE $524,000 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES.
IF YOU REMEMBER, JIMMY NOTED THAT YOU WOULD HAVE ABOUT $209,000 IF THERE WERE ADDITIONAL THINGS.
THAT IS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE MEETING OUR FUND BALANCE POLICY OF KEEPING A 20 PERCENT RESERVE SO THAT'S WHY ALL OF THE 524,000 WOULDN'T BE AVAILABLE.
IF YOU REMEMBER, DUE TO BUDGET AMENDMENTS IN FY22, WE DID DRAW DOWN OUR FUND BALANCE AND SO THAT DIFFERENCE IN AMOUNT IS ENSURING THAT WE STAY WITHIN OUR POLICIES.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE SAT THROUGH BUDGETS, THIS WILL BE OF NO SURPRISE TO YOU.
THE LARGEST FUND BEING GENERAL FUND IT'S PRETTY MUCH COVERING EVERYTHING THAT'S NOT REQUIRED TO BE IN A DIFFERENT FUND.
WATER SEWER FUNDS BEING OUR UTILITY OPERATIONS, IS OUR NEXT LARGEST FUND AND THEN WE HAVE FEW OTHER SMALLER OPERATING PIECES, TOURISM, STORMWATER.
THEN OUR OTHER, OUR COURT FUNDS, OUR MAINTENANCE FUNDS, JUST ALL THOSE DIFFERENT FUNDS WHERE WE'VE GOT MONEY SET FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES JUST TO MAKE SURE IT'S STAYING RESTRICTED FOR PARTICULAR USES.
LOOKING AT OUR REVENUE, YOU CAN SEE SALES TAX.
WE ARE SEEING A VERY NICE INCREASE ON BUDGET OVER BUDGET NUMBERS.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE RATES AS WE GET DOWN INTO THE UTILITY FUND DISCUSSION, CHARGES FOR SERVICES, WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE THAT'S GOING TO INCLUDE THE AMBULANCE SERVICES.
OUR BILLING COMPANY HAS BEEN MEETING THE TARGETS THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEET WHEN WE SIGNED ON WITH THEM AS A COMPANY AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO INCREASE THAT BUDGET NUMBER.
RUSSELL'S PRETTY CONFIDENT WITH WHERE HE'S GOING WITH ODD NUMBERS.
WE'RE SEEING SOME INCREASES ON SOME OF THE DIFFERENT PERMANENT TYPES AND SO HERE AND THEY'RE PIECEMEAL, JUST SOME CHANGES ABLE TO DO SOME INCREASES THERE.
FINES PRETTY MUCH RIGHT IN LINE WITH THE PRIOR YEAR KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT.
THEN EXPENDITURES OF COURSE, THIS IS ACROSS ALL FUNDS SO THAT ENTIRE 85 MILLION THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT JUST A LITTLE BIT AGO SO JUST OVER 42 PERCENT OF THAT BUDGET IS OUR PEOPLE.
[NOISE] THEN WE HAVE CONTRACTUAL SERVICES BEING A BIG PIECE OF IT DEBT AND OUR TRANSFERS.
AGAIN, THIS IS ALL FINE SO THAT'S INCLUDING YOUR DEBT SERVICE FUND ON THE DEBT SIDE, THAT'S INCLUDING YOUR UTILITY DEBT.
THEN OF COURSE, OUR WATER PURCHASED SEWER TREATMENT.
LOOKING YEAR OVER YEAR COMPARISON AND THIS IS COMPARED TO ADOPTED BUDGET.
I DIDN'T BRING IN THE AMENDED BUDGET NUMBERS FROM THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL FOR ONETIME ITEMS AND SO REALLY LOOKING BASE OVER BASE, I KEPT IT TO THE ADOPTED BUDGET NUMBERS.
JUST SO YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE COMPARING TO AND WHY WE'RE NOT SEEING A MASSIVE EXPENDITURE DECREASE IN THE GENERAL FUND FROM LAST YEAR.
SO NOT A HUGE AMOUNT OF CHANGE YEAR OVER YEAR ON THE WHOLE, IT'S DOWN.
IN THE SCALE AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, THERE'S NOT MASSIVE CHANGE HAPPENING.
4B IS ONE OF THE ONES DEBT, WE DID HAVE SOME DEBT ROLLING OFF AND SO THAT'S BRINGING DOWN THOSE EXPENSES AND THEN STORMWATER FUND AGAIN, LIKE WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, WE'RE USING SOME OF THAT FUND BALANCE FOR ONE TIME ITEMS. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BUDGET NUMBERS AS A WHOLE BEFORE I MOVE ON TO GENERAL FUND?
>> JUST FEEL FREE LET'S BE INFORMAL.
>> YOU MENTIONED GENERAL FUND, THAT WAS BUDGETED BUT NOT ACTUAL, RIGHT?
>> THOSE WERE BUDGET NUMBER COMPARISONS.
[OVERLAPPING] I DIDN'T PULL IN THE AMENDED BUDGET NUMBERS BECAUSE THEY WERE FOR ONETIME ITEMS, THEY WERE EITHER A PLANNED USE OF FUND BALANCE FROM THE PRIOR YEAR THAT WE JUST RAN OUT OF TIME TO GET IT DONE WITHIN THE TIMELINE IN WHICH IT HAD BEEN APPROVED AND SO WE DID A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO REAUTHORIZE THOSE DOLLARS TO THE DEPARTMENT BUT THEY WEREN'T PART OF THEIR OPERATING ONGOING COSTS.
FOR TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WERE THE CHANGES YEAR-OVER-YEAR, IT'S COMPARING TO THE ADOPTED NUMBERS, NOT THE AMENDED NUMBERS.
I JUST LOVE THIS PICTURE OF OUR SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD.
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THIS CHART NOW FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE IT STARTED, REMEMBER AT A TIME WE HAD EXPENDITURES OUTPACING OUR REVENUES AND LOOKING AT OUR ACTUALS.BECAUSE OF A DETERMINATION BY THE COUNCIL OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO REALLY LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS, NOT JUST OF BUDGET DECISIONS IN THE CURRENT YEAR, BUT WHAT THAT IMPACT LOOKS LIKE IN THE OUTGOING YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FLIP THAT TREND.
REALLY WHAT THIS IS SHOWING US IS THAT THE BUDGET DECISIONS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE OVER THE PREVIOUS FEW YEARS HAVE HELPED US MOVE INTO A PLACE OF BETTER FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ON THIS TREND CHART AND SEEING THAT FLIP WHERE WE HAVE THE REVENUE GROWTH THAT IS ABOVE THE EXPENDITURE GROWTH SO THAT WE ARE SURE WE CAN CONTINUE PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES TO OUR RESIDENTS.
LOOKING AT WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM, AGAIN, THIS IS GENERAL FUND SO THE LARGEST PORTION IS OUR PROPERTY TAX.
KEEP IN MIND, THAT'S A 1.5 PERCENT OF THE TWO PERCENT THE CITY COLLECTS.
ONE PERCENT IS THE AMOUNT THAT'S ALLOCATED OUT TO CITIES JUST STATE-WIDE.
THE OTHER HALF A PERCENT WAS A VOTER APPROVED ELECTION FOR PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION, WHICH IS WHY THAT FACTORS INTO OUR TAX RATE NUMBERS.
PROPERTY TAXES AND THEN SALES TAX HAS THAT PIECE THAT ALSO WOULD OTHERWISE BE MAKING PROPERTY TAXES EVEN LARGER POTENTIALLY.
THEN WE HAVE SALES TAX, WHICH WE ARE BUDGETING AN INCREASE IN THAT REVENUE THIS YEAR BASED ON THE VERY STRONG PERFORMANCES WE'VE BEEN HAVING IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
OUR FRANCHISE TAXES, AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER ONE WE KEEP WATCHING YEAR OVER YEAR BECAUSE OF LEGISLATIVE CHANGES.
I THINK ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO NOW.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO ADJUST THOSE AS WE'RE TRYING TO SEE WHERE THE TRENDS ARE TAKING THOSE CHANGES.
OTHER TAXES HERE IS THE MIXED BEVERAGE TAX THAT'S SITTING THERE.
CHARGES FOR SERVICES, BIG PORTION OF THAT IS OUR AMBULANCE BILLING, REVENUE, OF COURSE, LICENSES AND PERMITS WITH OUR BUILDING INSPECTIONS ACTIVITY.
FINES SOME FORFEITURES. OTHER GOVERNMENTAL, THAT'S THE MONEY WE'RE RECEIVING FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HELPING FUND AND PAY FOR OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
IT'S ALSO THE MONEY RECEIVED FROM KIRSTEN AND EULESS FOR OUR TEEN COURT OPERATIONS BECAUSE WE SHARE THAT FUNCTION WITH ALL THREE CITIES.
THEN WE DO HAVE THE OPERATING TRANSFERS AND OUR UTILITIES HAVE TO PAY THEIR TAXES TO THE GENERAL FUND JUST LIKE ANYONE ELSE HAS A COMMERCIAL ENTITY WOULD HAVE TO DO.
THEN WE JUST HAVE OTHER MISCELLANEOUS REVENUES REIMBURSEMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE JUST FACTOR IN BASED ON OUR BUDGETING.
>> YOU BROUGHT IT UP EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT ON THE SLIDE, THE PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION.
HOW COMMON IS THAT WITH OTHER CITIES IN THE AREA?
I DON'T HAVE ANY STATISTICS ON HOW MANY OTHER CITIES HAVE IT.
>> I CAN TELL YOU. I DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER CITY AROUND HERE THAT HAS IT AND I'VE BEEN IN A [INAUDIBLE] FOR A LONG TIME AND THIS IS THE FIRST CITY THAT I'VE WORKED FOR THAT HAS IT FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.
>> IT WOULD BE A CHOICE, YOU HAVE OTHER CITIES THAT WOULD HAVE PERHAPS A CRIME PREVENTION DISTRICT WITH THAT PER SALES TAX PERCENTAGE, MUCH LIKE OUR 4B OR THEY WOULD HAVE A 4B OR PARKS.
THERE'S A SLEW OF OPTIONS WITHIN THE LEGISLATIVE THAT VOTERS CAN CHOOSE JUST AT THE TIME IT WAS ADOPTED, OUR VOTERS CHOSE FOR PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION.
>> WHAT WAS THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR THAT?
>> IT'S HALF PERCENT OF OUR SALES TAX SO THE QUICK AND EASY WAY IS JUST TO LOOK AT THE SALES TAX DOLLARS FOR THE 4B FUNDS.
>> THAT IS THE QUICK AND EASIEST WAY BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME PERCENTAGE AS WHAT'S GOING INTO 4B SO YOU CAN USE THAT TO SEE WHAT WOULD BE THE AMOUNT THAT IT WOULD BE ATTRIBUTABLE TO IN THE GENERAL FUND AS WELL.
LOOKING AT WHERE THE MONEY GOES, THIS IS BY DEPARTMENT AND OF COURSE, THE LION'S SHARE IN GENERAL FUND IS POLICE AND FIRE.
TWO-THIRDS OF THE BUDGET IS PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THEN ALL OF THE OTHER GENERAL FUND FUNCTIONS.
PUBLIC WORKS IS PRETTY SMALL IN HERE BECAUSE THE BULK OF THEIR ACTIVITIES ARE OVER IN THE UTILITY FUNDS.
WE HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT SERVICES, OF COURSE IS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, IT'S HR, ITS FACILITIES.
GENERAL GOVERNMENT IS INCLUDING THE CITY COUNCILS BUDGET, CITY MANAGER, CITY SECRETARY, AND COMMUNICATIONS.
THEN THE OPERATING TRANSFERS IN THIS FUND ARE GOING INTO THOSE MAINTENANCE FUNDS SO THAT WE'RE PUTTING DOLLARS AWAY TO BE ABLE TO FUND THE PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE PUT OUT IN THE LIBRARY MAINTENANCE FUND,
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PARK MAINTENANCE FUND, ETC.THESE ARE THE CHANGES THAT ARE INCORPORATED INTO THE PROPOSED BUDGET DOLLARS.
THESE ARE ALREADY IN THE BUDGET NUMBERS THAT YOU'VE BEEN PRESENTED.
BUT JUST HIGHLIGHTING OUT, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE AT.
EITHER THE DECISION FROM THE CITY MANAGER ON WHAT TO RECOMMEND FOR A PERSONNEL INCREASE OR THE REQUESTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY.
>> LIKE LAST YEAR, MEG WILL HANDLE THE PRESENTATION.
BUT IF YOU-ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, OBVIOUSLY ANY SPECIFICS, WE HAVE ALL HANDS ON DECK.
IF ANYONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT, PULL THE CURTAIN BACK ON WHAT THIS INCREASES FOR OR WHAT HAVE YOU SO SORRY TO INTERRUPT. THANK YOU, MA'AM.
>> ABSOLUTELY. YES, AND WE DO HAVE OUR DEPARTMENTS HERE, IF YOU'VE GOT ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS I WANT TO DELVE INTO WHAT THESE ARE.
YOU DO ALSO HAVE IN YOUR PRONOUNCEMENT ON THE BUDGET WEBSITE FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
MORE DETAIL BEHIND WHAT THESE REQUESTS ARE INCLUDING WHAT ARE THEY? WHAT'S THE BENEFITS OF FUNDING THEM? WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES? ALL OF THAT CAN BE PULLED OUT IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL FORMS THAT ARE PROVIDED.
WE HAVE A VARYING DEGREE OF REQUESTS THAT WERE HERE.
AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET AS IT'S PRESENTED TO YOU AT THIS POINT AND PENDING FINAL APPROVAL IN SEPTEMBER.
>> I KNOW THAT JIMMY HAD MENTIONED THAT WE'VE STILL GOT SOME EMPLOYEES THAT ARE NOT PAID ACCORDING TO SCALE.
>> THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THESE NUMBERS.
THE ONES THAT WERE VETTED BY HR AND THEN APPROVED BY JIMMY, THOSE ARE FACTORED BEFORE THE FOUR PERCENT.
WE WOULD DO THE MARKET ADJUSTMENT FIRST AND THEN THE FOUR PERCENT IS CALCULATED ON TOP OF THAT.
>> YES. IT'S NOT CALLED OUT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT INTO THE BASE BECAUSE IT WAS JUST AN ASSORTMENT OF EMPLOYEES.
BUT IT HAS BEEN FACTORED INTO THE BUDGET NUMBERS THAT ARE PRESENTED.
IT'S EVERY DEPARTMENT, EVERYBODY.
>> I CAN'T REMEMBER THE SPECIFICS OF THE LIST, BUT IT WAS EVALUATED ACROSS THE BOARD FOR SURE.
IT'S ACROSS THE BOARD NOW, JUST TO CLARIFY, WHAT WE DID WAS WE DID ESPECIALLY LIKE IN PUBLIC SAFETY. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL CAN HEAR ME.
WE LOOK TO DO MARKET ADJUSTMENTS FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
THERE WERE SOME DIFFERENT POSITIONS IN PUBLIC SAFETY TO WHERE IT MAY HAVE CALLED FOR A 1.6 PERCENT INCREASE.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THAT BECAUSE CANDIDLY, THE FOUR PERCENT I THINK SUPERSEDES THAT.
AND IT ALSO IS MORE EQUITABLE BECAUSE IT'S ACROSS THE BOARD.
BUT IF ANOTHER CITY LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO PUBLICLY TALK ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES, BUT SOME CITIES ARE GIVEN SEVEN PERCENT, SOME ARE GIVEN SIX PERCENT.
WE MIGHT BE GIVEN FOUR PERCENT BUT IF WE'RE 1.8 PERCENT BEHIND AND ANOTHER CITY GETS FIVE PERCENT.
I KNOW YOU ALL CAN DO THE MATH, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M EXPLAINING WHAT I SENT YOU VERSUS WHAT'S PROPOSED.
>> I JUST HAD A BLANK. [NOISE] I LOST IT. [LAUGHTER].
>> I WILL BE BACK TO YOU, LET ME KNOW.
>> ACTUALLY IN THIS SLIDE ACTUALLY GOES TO TWO PAGES, SO PUTTING THAT OUT THERE, BUT IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY ON THE SUPPLEMENTALS? THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS ONETIME IS BASED ON THE PERSONNEL POLICY THAT WAS ADOPTED WHERE WE WOULD PROVIDE AN OPTION TO DO VACATION BUY-OUT FOR EMPLOYEES THAT CHOSE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
THAT'S PUT IN AS A ONE-TIME BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A YEAR-OVER-YEAR FUNDING DECISION ON WHETHER WE WOULD HAVE ANY FUNDING AVAILABLE.
WE DON'T KNOW THAT THE DOLLAR WOULD ACTUALLY BE THAT AMOUNT.
BUT BASED ON THE ANALYSIS, THIS IS WHAT HR IS COMFORTABLE WITH SAYING.
IF WE PUT THESE BUDGET DOLLARS AND WE THINK WE CAN COVER THOSE WHO MIGHT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT POLICY.
>> DID YOU TALK ABOUT THE OVERTIME?
>> THE OVERTIME ACCOUNT INCREASE THAT IS FOR FIRE AND THAT FUNDING AMOUNT WAS TO BE ABLE TO PUT A 17TH PERSON ON THE DAILY MINIMUM STAFFING.
WE DID DO SOME OTHER ADJUSTMENTS TO THEIR OVERTIME NUMBERS BASED ON THEIR SCHEDULE.
THEIR OVERTIME INCREASE IS ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN THAT IF YOU LOOK YEAR OVER YEAR ON THE BUDGETED NUMBERS.
BUT THE 165 HERE THAT WE HAVE IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE 17TH PERSON DAILY MINIMUM STAFFING.
>> ALSO, IF YOU REMEMBER, IN PAST YEARS, WE WOULD ALWAYS BE OVER AND IT WASN'T BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T MANAGED.
THERE ARE SOME WEIRD ANOMALIES LIKE IF WE HAD STAFF THAT WAS
[00:25:02]
DEPLOYED THROUGH THE CHIEF MISS GRANTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.THIS WILL BETTER CAPTURE THE ACTUAL EXPENSES.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY JUST THE TOTAL INCREASE.
IT'S JUST A BETTER REFLECTION WITH AN INCREASE.
>> CHIEF DO YOU WANT TO COME, SO I DON'T MISSPEAK ON THAT ONE.
I GET THE PREMISE OF IT, BUT I THINK HE COULD PROBABLY SAY IT MORE ELOQUENTLY.
>> I SUSPECT HE ALREADY HAS A PREPARED SCRIPT FOR THIS.
>> NOT REALLY PREPARED, BUT ESSENTIALLY THEIR LICENSE PLATE READER CAMERAS THAT WERE LOOKING I THINK WE BUDGETED FOR SEVEN OF THEM PUT AROUND TIME.
>> FIVE. THANK YOU. OUR CRIME ANALYSTS, WE HAD HER LOOK AT WHAT'S THE BEST LOCATIONS.
IT'S JUST GATHERING DATA IS WHAT IT'S DOING.
IT'S ALSO ALERTING US TO STOLEN VEHICLES.
WE CAN SET THE LIMITS OF WHAT WE WANTED. WE WANT TO SEE.
IF WE WANT TO SEE TRAFFIC WARRANTS, WE COULD GET THOSE.
PROBABLY NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING OFF ALL DAY LONG.
BUT WANTED VEHICLES WITH ROBBERY SUSPECTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT HAVE OCCURRED.
WE'VE SOLVED MISSING PERSONS WITH THESE.
WE'VE HAD SOME OF OUR ELDERLY FOLKS THAT HAVE COME UP MISSING AND WE GET HITS AND OTHER CITIES AND WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK THEM DOWN AND FIND OUT WHERE THEY'RE AT REAL QUICK.
ROANOKE RECENTLY CAUGHT A COUPLE OF MURDER SUSPECTS OUT OF OKLAHOMA ON THE SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE.
THEN RECENTLY WE HAD A ROBBERY IN TOWN WHERE YOU CAN RUN THAT VEHICLE DESCRIPTION THROUGH THESE CAMERAS AND IT WILL TELL YOU, OKAY, THIS VEHICLE CAME THROUGH THERE, IT MATCHES.
IT'S A GMC, TANNED PICKUP TRUCK AND IT'LL TELL YOU AND GIVE YOU THE LICENSE PLATE FOR IT.
>> NO IT'S A WHITE CHUBBY SEDAN[LAUGHTER]
WE'RE GETTING INTO GAME ABOUT A LOT OF TIME THE OTHER CITIES AROUND NORTHRIDGE KNOWS ALREADY HAS THESE, GRAND PRAIRIE HAS THESE, HEARST AND [INAUDIBLE] ARE BOTH [OVERLAPPING]
>> HAVE WE NO HAD THESE? I THOUGHT WE HAD THESE.
WE'VE NOT HAD THESE [OVERLAPPING] THOSE WERE TRAFFIC CAMERAS.
>> YEAH. WE HAVE TRAFFIC CAMERAS.
>> I THINK WE HAVE SOME BIGGER PROGRAMS BACK IN THE DAY.
>> WE DID, [OVERLAPPING] I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I CAME AND TOOK A LOOK AT IT.
SAME THING, THAT WAS A MORE OF A MOBILE SYSTEM THAT WAS MOUNTED ON CARS.
THE ROLLS AROUND, THESE ARE MORE FIXED SO WE CAN MONITOR WHAT'S COMING AND GOING FROM THE CITY LIMITS.
IT'S GOING TO BE GETTING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF CARS. I'M GOING TO SAY MONITOR.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AND SEE WHO'S MOVING AND SHAKING.
IT'S GOING TO BE, HEY, WE HAD SOMETHING HAPPEN AT THIS TIME AND WE NEED TO SAY WHO CAME THROUGH HERE AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK THINGS DOWN PRETTY QUICK.
>> THERE'S SOME KID ON THE OTHER SIDE AND DIRECTING THE CAMERAS OR SOMETHING.
>> NO. WE WORK IN THERE ACTUALLY TIED INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
THEY'RE MOVABLE. THE COST TO MOVE IT SO IF WE START HAVING CRIME SHIFT, WE CAN MOVE THE CAMERAS.
IT'S EASY TO ADD ONTO THE SYSTEM.
IF IT'S EFFECTIVE, WILL PROBABLY GO SEE YOU NEXT YEAR AND ASKED FOR A FEW MORE OF THEM.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM AT OUR CITY ENTRANCES RIGHT NOW TO SEE WHO'S COMING AND GOING FROM TOWN.
>> ARE THEY APPARENT? YOU CAN SEE THEM?
>> YOU CAN IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
IT'S NOT LIKE THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS WERE BACK IN THE DAY.
THERE'S NOT A SEPARATE POLL THAT'S GOING TO BE SITTING OUT THERE THAT WE CAN'T GET THE COMPANY TO COME TAKE DOWN.
BUT IT'S JUST GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE ATTACHED TO ONE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURES, IT'S GOT TO GET POWER THAT'LL BE OUT THERE, BUT IT'S NOT REAL NOTICEABLE.
>> HOW LONG DOES IT RETAIN THE DATA?
>> THIRTY DAYS. IT AUTOMATICALLY ROLLS OFF AFTER 30 DAYS. IT'S CLOUD-BASED.
IT'S STORED IN A GOVERNMENT CLOUD, SO PRETTY SAFE AND PROTECTIVE.
I'M SURE SOMEBODY CAN PROBABLY BREAK IT IF THE RUSSIANS WANTED TO GET INTO IT.
>> NOT WITH OUR INVESTMENTS IN CYBERSECURITY SIR.
>> WE WILL GET THAT ONE YET. [LAUGHTER] BUT IT'S JUST COLLECTING THE DATA AND IT'S THERE, THERE'S NO ENFORCEMENT THAT GOES OFF OF IT.
IT'S NOT LIKE RED-LIGHT CAMERAS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE ISSUING TICKETS OUT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S REALLY A FORCE MULTIPLIER FORCE.
>> DOES IT MATCH REGISTRATION TO THE VEHICLE OR IT DOESN'T MATCH VEHICLE [OVERLAPPING]
IT'LL GET THE LICENSE PLATE, BUT IT WON'T TELL YOU, HEY, THIS LICENSE PLATE IS ON THE WRONG CAR.
>> THANKS A LOT FOR EXPOSING US RICH.
[LAUGHTER] THANK YOU, RICHY I APPRECIATE THAT.
>> JUST BASELINE. I WILL SAY CHIEF WAS RIGHT IT IS SEVEN CAMERAS.
MY MEMORY WAS WRONG ON THAT ONE.
THE AMBULANCE SUPPLIES INCREASES JUST DUE TO COST AND DUE TO INCREASED NUMBER OF RUNS AND SO NEED TO USE MORE SUPPLIES.
IT'S JUST GETTING THEIR BUDGET FIGURES RIGHT FOR WHAT THEY'RE NEEDING TO SPEND.
>> CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE LIBRARY POSITIONS TO 40 HOURS?
>> THAT DATES BACK TO THE ROLLBACK.
>> THERE'S THREE POSITIONS THAT THOSE PERSONNEL HAD BEEN WORKING 32 HOURS AS FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND THE REMAINING EIGHT HOURS THAT THEY HAD BEEN BROUGHT BACK AT 32 IN THE LIBRARY REOPENED AND SO THIS IS RESTORING THOSE APPS.
THEN OUR FULL-TIME IS A TRUE BOARD ACROSS THE CITY.
>> EVERY YEAR THIS ONE IS ON OUR LIST. MARIA BRINGS US BACK
[00:30:02]
EVERY YEAR AND NOW WE GOT IT TO THE TOP OF THE LIST.>> ON INCREASE IN FIRE OVERTIME, AND AMBULANCE SUPPLIES, ARE WE STILL SEEING INCREASED CALLS AND FALSE FOR SETTING OUR GUYS OUT TO PICK UP OUR CITIZENS?
>> THIS PARTICULAR YEAR, WE HAVE LEVELED OFF A LITTLE BIT THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT INCREASE LAST YEAR BUT THIS YEAR, I THINK A COUPLE OF PERCENT IS ALL IT, IS IT'S MORE NEGLIGIBLE.
I THINK LAST YEAR WAS CLOSER TO 15 PERCENT.
NUMBERS ARE UP BUT NOT DRASTICALLY UP.
WE'RE ALSO WE'RE TRACKING THE NUMBERS A LITTLE MORE CLOSELY THIS YEAR TOO, WE HAVE FEW THINGS WITH HOW WE ARE COUNTING NUMBERS THROUGH DISPATCH THAT WE'VE MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO.
BUT THE BIGGEST CHANGE FOR US HAS BEEN INCREASING COST.
ALONG WITH THAT, WE'VE BEEN SOMEWHERE 15 PERCENT INCREASED COST TO SUPPLIES. THAT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE.
>> FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE AUDIENCE PARK PERSONNEL TWO FTES?
>> YES, SO DON ORIGINALLY REQUESTED THREE AND SO STILL TRYING TO WORK OUT WHAT IS THE ACTUAL IMPACT GOING TO BE.
AT THIS POINT, WE'RE RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF TWO ADDITIONAL PARKS FTES, PARTIALLY WITH THE EXPECTATION OF THE OPENING OF THE FIELDS AT GENERATIONS PARK, THEN MAKING SURE THAT DON'S GOT THE PERSONNEL TO SUPPORT THOSE INCREASED DUTIES.
>> ANYTHING ELSE ON THE GENERAL FUND CHANGES? YES, MA'AM.
>> SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE CAUGHT UP ON THAT, BUT WE HAD A RETIREMENT PROBLEM WHERE WE HAD A LOT OF MONEY TO WHEN SOMEBODY RETIRED.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE LIABILITIES ARE.
I KNOW WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THEM PARTIALLY WITH THE CHANGE IN THE HOLIDAY ACCRUALS AND FREEZING OUT THOSE BANKS AND MAKING SOME OF THOSE CHANGES.
I KNOW THE POLICIES HAD BEEN WORKING TO ADDRESS THAT AND GETTING THAT MANAGEABLE AND THEN HOPE AND OVER TIME IT WILL BE REDUCED AND WITHIN.
>> THOSE WERE ESSENTIALLY ACCRUALS THAT YOU HAVE ON THE BOOKS ANTICIPATING PAYOUTS TO THEM ONCE THEY RETIRE, CORRECT? WE'VE PROBABLY ALREADY FUNDED THOSE ANNUALLY.
>> WE DO NOT BUDGET FOR RETIREMENTS WITHIN OUR PERSONNEL DOLLARS.
WHAT WE DO IS WE BUDGET ALL OF OUR VACANCIES AT 100 PERCENT.
IT'S A TRADE-OFF OF ONE OR OTHER.
IF WE'VE GOT A VACANCY, WE'RE ONLY GOING TO BUDGET BECAUSE WE ONLY EXPECT THAT BETWEEN THE RECRUITING, THE HIRING PROCESS, AND GETTING THEM ONBOARDED, THAT THEY WOULD ONLY BE ON THE BOOKS FOR A PORTION OF THE YEAR AND WE COULD REDUCE THOSE VACANCIES AND THEN BUDGET FOR PAYOUTS.
WE JUST CHOOSE THIS BUDGET, EVERYTHING AT 100 PERCENT, [OVERLAPPING], AND THEN JUST ROLL IT THROUGH.
MOST OFTEN WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP EVERY ONCE IN A YEAR WHERE YOU'LL HAVE PERSONAL COSTS THAT ARE ABOVE BUDGET BECAUSE OF A PAYOUT.
BUT WE GENERALLY HAVE OFFSETTING SAVINGS ELSEWHERE.
>> DID WE HAVE A PAYOUT OF A BUDGET IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR? DO WE ANTICIPATE ONE IN THE NEXT YEAR?
>> I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
>> THAT'S FOLLOWING UP ON YOUR QUESTION.
>> I CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT TOO.
AN ACCOUNTING RULE THAT WE HAVE EVERY YEAR IS WE HAVE TO DO AN ENTRY CALLED COMPENSATED ABSENCES.
WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT THE LIABILITIES AND RECORD THOSE LIABILITIES ACCORDINGLY.
IT'S NOT A BUDGET DOLLAR AND IT'S NOT A BUDGET TRANSACTION, BUT IT IS IN THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT THAT YOU SEE.
IT'S NOT IN THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE YOU DON'T CARRY LONG-TERM DEBT AND LIABILITY IN THE GENERAL FUND, IT'S IN YOUR UTILITY FUND AND WE ALSO HAVE A LONG-TERM DEBT FUND WHERE THOSE TRANSACTIONS ARE SITTING ON THE BOOKS.
>> IT'S NOT A BUDGET NECESSARILY, BUT IT IS IN YOUR ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT.
>> IT'S REALLY JUST A PLACEHOLDER IN THE LIABILITY?
>> DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION?
>> YEAH. IT'S FASCINATING BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS A BUDGET ISSUE IF YOU RECALL.
>> WELL, THERE'S ONE YEAR A FEW YEARS AGO WHERE IT WAS A CATASTROPHIC EVENT BECAUSE WE WERE ANTICIPATING ENOUGH OF THOSE.
>> I THINK YOU CRIED UPON THE PODIUM, IT WAS SO BAD.
>> I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENED.
FROM THE EXPECTATION OF PAYOUTS THROUGH IT, THAT'S HOW WE DO IT.
WE GENERALLY HAVE SALARY SAVINGS.
IF WE HAVE A DIVISION THAT GOES OVER BUDGET, WE GENERALLY HAVE OFFSETTING SAVINGS ELSEWHERE.
IN MY HISTORY WE'RE CALL A POINT WHERE OUR ACTUAL EXPENDITURES,
[00:35:01]
I KNOW GENERALLY SPEAKING, OTHER THAN A FEW EXCEPTIONS WERE EVER OVER REVENUES, MAYBE OVER BUDGET NUMBERS.BUT AGAIN, REVENUES GENERALLY THAT YEAR WOULD BE ENOUGH TO OFFSET IT.
IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
>> BUT IS A LITTLE BIT TIGHTER IN THE FORESEEABLE BUDGET PERIOD.
ESSENTIALLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE FULLY EXPLAINED IT, ESSENTIALLY, ITS LONG-TERM EMPLOYEES WHO RETIRE AND THEY HAVE ACCRUED VACATION, SICK TIME, WHATNOT, THEY TIME OFF.
>> THEY CAN EXERCISE THAT PAYOFF.
THEY DON'T GET PAID OUT FOR SICK, THAT'S NOT A PAYABLE.
HOLIDAY. THE PREVIOUS HOLIDAY, PARTICULARLY FOR POSITIONS THAT WORK REGULARLY SCHEDULED HOLIDAYS THEY WERE ACCRUING.
>> WE'VE DONE THINGS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO SHOW UP THOSE MAX AMOUNTS THAT THEY CAN ACCRUE.
>> BE QUIET AND COME TO THE MIC.
>> [INAUDIBLE] POLICY MANUAL IN PLACE.
WE HAD A HOLIDAY LIABILITY OF ABOUT $3 MILLION FOR PAYOUTS.
WHAT WE DID WAS WITH THE NEW MANUAL, WE TOOK THOSE HOURS AND WE FROZE THEM.
WE'VE PUT THEM IN A DIFFERENT BANK, SO THEY HAVE CURRENT HOLIDAY AND THEY HAVE A CAP ON WHAT THEY CAN ACCRUE IN THAT CURRENT HOLIDAY, BUT THEY HAVE THIS OTHER HOLIDAY BANK THAT'S A FROZEN HOLIDAY BANK.
IF THEY USE THE TIME WHILE THEY'RE EMPLOYED, THEY GET PAID AT THEIR CURRENT RATE FOR THE TIME.
>> THE RATE IS FROZEN BACK TO JANUARY OF 2021.
THAT'S HOW WE COULD HANDLE THAT.
IT'S STILL OVER A $1 MILLION LIABILITY, BUT ALL THOSE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE AT THE SAME TIME IN ORDER FOR US TO HAVE TO PAY THAT OUT IN A YEAR.
>> GOT IT. THANK YOU. SORRY TO STOP YOU THERE.
>> ANYTHING ELSE ON GENERAL FUND CHANGES QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THEN.
>> I NOTICED WE ONLY BUDGETING FOR TWO OR ONE PART-TIME POLICE OFFICER.
>> POLICE HAS A PART-TIME DISPATCH POSITION, A PART-TIME POLICE OFFICER THAT WOULD BE SUPPORTING THE RECRUITING FUNCTION, AND THEN A PART-TIME LEAD SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD THAT WOULD BE HELPING WITH COORDINATING THE SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD ACTIVITIES.
>> JIMMY CHIEF CAN ANSWER THIS.
SINCE WE'RE DOING BEDFORD COMMONS AND WE'RE GOING TO BUILD ABOUT 300 TOWNHOMES THERE WITHIN ANOTHER YEAR OR SO, YOU'VE GOT ALL THE DEVELOP GOING ON, WE GOT ROCK ISLAND.
IS THE STAFFING LEVEL THAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO COVER ALL THAT? THE POPULATION'S GROWING, WE HAVE MORE HOMES BEING BUILT.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE ABOUT TWO YEARS TO GET A BRAND NEW OFFICER UP AND RUNNING THERE WHERE THEY CAN BE ON THEIR OWN?
>> IT'S ABOUT A YEAR FROM THE TIME THAT YOU HIRE, SO THE PART-TIME POSITION THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR THAT MADE BUDGET IS ACTUALLY JUST A BACKGROUND INVESTIGATOR.
WE HAVE A LOT OF OFFICERS THAT WERE WEARING MULTIPLE HATS.
THIS INDIVIDUAL IS BROUGHT IN, HE RETIRED FROM A NEIGHBOR AND AGENCY, CAME OVER AND THAT'S WHAT HE DID FOR THE PAST, I THINK 15 OR 20 YEARS JUST TO HELP STREAMLINE OUR HIRING PROCESS FROM GETTING PEOPLE ON BOARD BECAUSE WHEN THOSE PEOPLE WERE WEARING MULTIPLE HATS, IT WAS SLOWING THE PROCESS DOWN.
BACK TO THE QUESTION OF, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE? WE'LL HAVE TO MONITOR THE CALL LOAD.
WE'RE DOING SOME THINGS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT.
WE'VE ADDED OUR PSOS THAT ARE COMING BACK TO THE STREET AND RELEASING SOME OF THE CALL LOAD.
THEN WE'RE RIGHT NOW LOOKING AT A WHOLE APPROACH TO HOW DO WE APPROACH CALLS, THE WAY THAT WE DO IT RIGHT NOW AND THE WAY WE'VE DONE IT FOREVER IN BEDFORD IS IF YOU CALL THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE SEND YOU AN OFFICER IMMEDIATELY.
IF YOUR GARDEN GNOME WAS STOLEN 20 DAYS AGO, WE SEND YOU AN OFFICER IMMEDIATELY.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY OR CAN WE WAIT JUST A LITTLE BIT AND SEND SOMEBODY WHEN CALL LOAD ALLOWS, SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE WHAT WE HAVE.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON IT.
THE BEDFORD COMMENTS IN THAT COMING ALONG, IT'S FAR ENOUGH OUT.
I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO ADDRESS THIS NEXT YEAR.
>> THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF HOUSING GOING UP. ROCK ISLAND.
>> IF [INAUDIBLE] LOSSES THROUGH THE KEY.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO STOP THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT.
POLICE OFFICERS OUT THERE MAKING PATROL IS THE WAY IT'S GOING TO REDUCE THE CRIME.
>> WHEN YOU CALL IT, IT'S ALREADY HAPPENED.
WHAT THAT MAGIC NUMBER IS, I THINK THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS WE HAVE, WE'RE ABLE TO MANAGE THE CALL LOAD, WE'RE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THIS PRIORITY 1 AND PRIORITY 2 CALLS QUICKLY ENOUGH.
HAVING MORE OFFICERS OUT THERE.
THE OTHER PART THAT WE DID THIS YEAR, WE BROKE OUR OFFICERS UP AND WE DEVELOPED A COLUMN, THE DEPLOYMENT TEAM, WHICH IS SERGEANT OF THREE OFFICERS THAT ARE TARGETING OUR KNOWN CRIMINALS WORKING WITH
[00:40:05]
OUR NARCOTICS UNIT AND OTHER GROUPS SO THEY CAN GO ACTUALLY GO OUT FOR SOME OF THESE PEOPLE AND HAVE THE TIME TO DEDICATE, TO TRACK THEM DOWN, AND FIND THEM.BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE FINE.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE OKAY THROUGH THIS BUDGET.
WE'LL LOOK AT IT AND IF WE ARE SEEING THAT TREND GOING UP, WE'LL BE DEFINITELY COME BACK NEXT YEAR WITH A PROPOSAL FOR MORE POSITION.
BUT WE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT WE HAD ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FUNCTION FINE WITH WHAT THAT IS, WHAT THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE.
>> ALL RIGHT, AND CERTAINLY, IF YOU THINK OF ANY OTHER QUESTIONS LATER, WE CAN REVISIT.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION OVER HERE TO THE TAX RATE.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO KAREN TO GO OVER ALL THE CALCULATIONS AND WHERE EVERYTHING LANDED AND THE FUN MATH THAT RESULTED IN THIS YEAR'S PROPOSED TAX RATE NUMBERS.
>> THE FUN MATH. [LAUGHTER] SP2 COMPLETELY CHANGED THE CALCULATION FOR PROPERTY TAX A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND SO WHAT WE SAW THIS YEAR WAS A REALLY INTERESTING CALCULATION AND WE HAD BASICALLY THREE COMPONENTS THAT'S DRIVING WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN.
WE HAD OUR PROPERTY VALUES THAT CAME IN 11.5 PERCENT HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR YEAR, OUR SALES TAX CAME IN QUITE A BIT HIGHER THAN WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY PROJECTED WHICH IS ALSO DRIVING UP THAT SALES TAX RATE, WHICH BRINGS DOWN YOUR PROPERTY TAX RATE.
THEN WE ALSO HAD SOME SALES OR DEBT DOLLARS THAT FELL OFF ON OUR DEBT SAT AT THE CALCULATION OF ABOUT 500 THOUSAND.
THIS YEAR WE'RE IN AN INTERESTING CALCULATION.
I KEEP SAYING INTERESTING BECAUSE YOU SEE THIS, THAT YOUR VOTER APPROVAL RATE IS COMING IN AT 0.495 VERSUS YOUR NEW REVENUE RATE AT 0.507 SO IN THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN, THE HIGHEST RATE WITHOUT GOING TO AN ELECTION IS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE FACTORED INTO THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
THAT IS ACTUALLY THE LOWEST TAX RATES SINCE 2016-2017.
IT'S A LOWER TAX RATE CONSIDERABLY.
WHAT WE SEE HERE IS THE DIFFERENCE FROM WHERE WE ARE TODAY VERSUS WHAT WE'VE PUT INTO THE BUDGET THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S ABOUT A FIVE PERCENT DIFFERENCE.
THE INTERESTING THING TOO, ON OUR AVERAGE HOME VALUE, YOU SEE THAT IT INCREASED FROM 240 TO 265.
THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER WILL SEE A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THEIR TAX BILL BASED ON THE TAX RATE.
YOU'LL SEE THEY GO SO FROM 1327 TO 1389 ANNUAL BASIS, AND THEN FOR NEW OVER 65 THAT HIT THE ROLE THIS YEAR, YOU SEE THEY ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE A SLIGHT INCREASE.
ABOUT 11 DOLLARS OR 19 DOLLARS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE I MOVE ON? THIS SLIDE IS REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE IT SHOWS EXACTLY HOW THOSE TAXPAYERS, HOW THOSE TAX DOLLARS ARE UTILIZED.
YOU'LL NOTICE ON A MONTHLY BASIS WHAT THOSE TAX DOLLARS GO TO.
IT GOES THIRTY-TWO DOLLARS TO POLICE, TWENTY-THREE DOLLARS TO FIRE, FOUR DOLLARS TO STREETS.
IT BREAKS THAT OUT INTO A REALLY NICE GRAPHIC THAT SHOWS YOU HOW THOSE TAX DOLLARS ARE PLAYED OUT IN THE GENERAL FUND.
ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE I MOVE ON TO OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND? OUR DEBT SERVICE, LIKE I SAID FELL WITH OUR TOTAL DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENT FROM 22 TO 23 DECREASED BY ABOUT 500,000, SO OUR DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR IS A LITTLE OVER 6.5 MILLION.
WHEN I VISITED WITH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR TODAY, I ASKED HIM TO RUN SOME ANALYSIS ON OUR DEBT CAPACITY FOR FUTURE YEARS BECAUSE WE'RE ALSO GOING TO SEE SOME DEBT FALL OFF IN 24, A LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
I WANTED TO KNOW MAYBE WHAT OUR CAPACITY IS FOR FUTURE YEARS.
HE RAN A COUPLE OF SCENARIOS FOR ME AND KEEPING OUR GROWTH RELATIVELY FLAT JUST FOR THE SCENARIO PURPOSE, I HAD THEM JUST THROW IN THREE PERCENT, WHICH WE'VE SEEN WELL ABOVE THREE PERCENT GROWTH IN OUR ALGORITHM.
THEN ALSO KEEPING OR TRYING TO KEEP OUR TAX RATE AS FLAT AS POSSIBLE, WE'VE GOT SOME CAPACITY IN FUTURE YEARS TO ISSUE SOME DEBT FOR SOME GENERAL FUND PROJECTS WHICH WHEN WE GO THROUGH CIP AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AS WE BUILD OUR CIP,
[00:45:01]
WE MAY HAVE TO LOOK AT ISSUING SOME DEBT IN THE FUTURE TO COVER THOSE HIGH DOLLAR ITEMS. THIS JUST SHOWS, YOU CAN SEE HOW OUR DEBT JUST SLOWLY STARTS DRIPPING DOWN.WE'LL SEE A DECREASED CONSIDERABLY AND LIKE I SAID, IN 24-25 AND THEN WE'LL SEE IT DROP. YES.
>> OKAY SO YOU USED A LOT OF ACRONYMS, JUST THAT THERE ON THAT LAB.
>> WHICH I HAVE A REALLY BAD HABIT OF DOING.
>> COULD YOU JUST, IN GENERAL TERMS, EXPLAIN WHAT YOU JUST SAID ON THAT LAST SLIDE ABOUT THE DEBT AND FALLING OFF DEBT AND ALL THAT?
>> ABSOLUTELY. YES. FALLING OFF BASICALLY MEANS JUST LIKE ON YOUR CAR NOTE, WHEN YOU PAY OFF YOUR CAR NOTE, YOUR DEBT FALLS OFF.
THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WE'RE SEEING OUR DEBT JUST WHAT WE OWE DECREASE OVER THE YEARS BASED ON THAT DEBT REPAYMENT SCHEDULE.
THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY FALLING OFF.
YOU JUST SEE THAT DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENT REDUCE BASED ON THE PRIOR DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS AND PAYMENTS.
>> MR. COUGHLIN KEEPS TELLING ME I'M LIVE AS I TRIED TO REMEMBER.
[LAUGHTER] IF IT'S FALLING OFF AND THEN YOU MENTIONED THAT WE MAY BE ISSUING MORE DEBT AND THAT YOU'D ASK THE ANALYSIS OF [NOISE] SO YEAH.
>> HOW MUCH DID THEY SAY WE COULD POSSIBLY ISSUE?
>> WE HAVE THE CAPACITY CONSIDERING THAT THREE PERCENT GROWTH AND TRYING TO KEEP OUR DEBT RATE FLAT ANYWHERE FROM 14 TO 17 MILLION BASED ON WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
>> THE BENEFIT OF KNOWING THAT IS THAT AS WE LOOK OUT IN THE HORIZON, WE ASSIST IN CAPITAL EXPENSES HERE THAT WE NEED TO ANTICIPATE.
AS WE ARE REFINING THE WAY THAT WE DO THESE THINGS, WE ARE TAKING A LONG-TERM APPROACH TO SEEING WHAT THOSE OBLIGATIONS ARE AND WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY LOOK FROM THAT LENS IN THE PAST.
IT'S SEEING WHERE WE'RE POSITIONALLY SITTING IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE THOSE EXTENSORS?
>> ABSOLUTELY. IT'S COMING UP WITH A GOOD PLAN OF WHAT OUR POTENTIAL COULD.
>> WHEN YOU SEE A DROP-OFF IN 2025, WE'VE GOT MORE CAPACITY.
>> KAREN, ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS EVER SINCE, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S DOING THIS.
EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, I KNOW THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL HAVE ALSO ASKED US TO LOOK AT PAST BOND ISSUANCES AND SEE WHAT FUNDS NEED TO BE UTILIZED FOR, WHAT THE VOTERS AGREED TO.
BUT ALSO LOOK AT IF THERE ARE ANY BOND FUNDS THAT WE DON'T NEED THEN WE WANT TO BRING THAT TO THE COUNCIL TO RETURN TO THE RESIDENTS.
THAT'S WELL, IT'S NOT RELATED TO THE BUDGET, IT'S AN ONGOING THING.
BUT I KNOW SOME OF THE ITEMS IN THE BUDGET, WE'RE USING SOME OF THOSE ALL THOSE PREVIOUS BOND FUNDS.
>> THAT'S TWO DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS OUR ORIGINAL AMOUNT OF THE DEBT ISSUANCES, HOW MUCH WE HAVE LEFT FROM A DEBT OBLIGATION.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS LEFT IN THE FUNDS THAT ARE UNEXPENDED.
>> CORRECT. YEAH. WE'VE GOT SOME AUTHORIZED BUT UNISSUED DEBT FROM PRIOR YEARS.
THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS BECAUSE THE DEBT HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED.
DID I DO BETTER NOT SPEAKING IN ACRONYMS?
>> WELL I MEAN THAT'S WHY YOU FIT IN CAUSE YOU KNOW ACRONYMS SO WELL.
>> I GET IT, BUT IT JUST HELPS.
>> NO, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I HAVE A VERY BAD HABIT OF DOING THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON OUR TAX RATE OR OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND AT THIS TIME? I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT 4B AND THEN I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO MEG.
WE PRESENTED THE 4B BUDGET BACK IN JULY AND THE REASON WHY I WANTED TO GET UP HERE AND SPEAK IS BECAUSE THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT CHANGED FROM THE BUDGET THAT WE PRESENTED, TO 4B.
WHEN WE WENT BACK AND ANALYZED WHAT WE WERE PROJECTING FOR OUR YEAR-END SALES TAX AND WHAT WE WERE PROJECTING AND WANTING TO BUDGET INTO THE 23 BUDGET FOR SALES TAX, WE MADE A CHANGE.
WHAT WE ENDED UP DOING WAS TAKING THREE PERCENT OVER WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING TO IN THE YEAR VERSUS OUR PRIOR CALCULATION.
IT ACTUALLY INCREASED WHAT WE'RE BUDGETING FOR SALES TAX IN THE 4B FUND.
THEN THE OTHER THING THAT CHANGED WAS AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS NUMBER AT THE TIME WE WERE DOING THE 4B BUDGET TO THE 4B BOARD WAS WE GOT THE ENTERPRISE TRANSFER FOR THE VEHICLES THAT ARE IN THE 4B BUDGET AND THAT NUMBER DECREASED A LITTLE BIT.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE DEBT SERVICE AND TRANSFER LINE ITEM DECREASE FROM WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PRESENTED TO THE 4B BOARD.
>> I WANTED TO JUST SAY ONE THING REAL QUICK.
JUST KUDOS TO ALL OF STAFF AND JIMMY.
I WAS AND I THINK I TALKED TO SOME YOU-ALL ABOUT THIS.
A LITTLE WHILE AGO, I FOUND OUT THAT OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAD A PAVER.
WELL, NORMALLY, THOSE ARE USED THROUGH IN A LOCAL AGREEMENTS. CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
[00:50:05]
>> OKAY AND A FRIEND OF MINE WHO SELLS SAID PAVERS SAID HE GOT A PHONE CALL AND SAID, HEY, WE HAVE THIS PAVER AND NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO WORK THE PAPER.
CAN YOU COME TRAIN US ON THE PAVER? I JUST WANT TO JUST REITERATE HOW MUCH BETTER THINGS RUN WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION.
THEY EVENTUALLY CAUGHT THIS, THEY THEN SOLD SAID MACHINE IN A 100,000 DOLLARS.
>> A HUNDRED AND 39,000 DOLLARS.
[LAUGHTER] I WOULDN'T WANT TO SHOWCASE YOU ON THAT BECAUSE I WAS [INAUDIBLE].
[LAUGHTER] IT'S BEEN REINVESTED INTO THE 4B.
THE WAY THE CITY IS RUNNING NOW IS SO MUCH MORE EFFICIENT.
>> TWENTY-FIVE, BUT 40, COUNTING PART-TIME POSITIONS OVER THE LAST 24 MONTHS.
I HATE TO INTERRUPT AND I'M SORRY TO SAY THIS, BUT I JUST REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE WHERE THE CITY IS TODAY COMPARED TO NOT VERY LONG AGO.
KUDOS TO EVERYBODY AND TO WHERE WE'RE AT AND I AM SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE.
>> SO YOU'RE NOT TELLING THE REAL SIDE OF THAT STORY.
YOU CALLED WANTING TO KNOW HOW TO OPERATE THE PAVERS SO YOU CAN [OVERLAPPING]
>> I WANTED TO DRIVE IT TO WORK.
>> THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE IS WHENEVER OUR EXPENDITURES EXCEED OUR REVENUES, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT IT'S NOT FOR OPERATIONS, IT'S FOR ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES.
THAT'S WHY I BROKE THIS INTO TWO.
IF YOU'LL NOTICE ON THE LEFT, WE HAVE OUR BEGINNING FUND BALANCE, OUR REVENUES AT 3.9, OUR EXPENDITURES AT 3.4.
YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR OPERATIONS EXPENDITURES ARE BELOW OUR REVENUES.
THEN OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE, THOSE ARE OUR CAPITAL ITEMS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE, BECAUSE THOSE WERE ONE-TIME ITEMS. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE POINT THAT OUT.
>> BUT THAT ALSO PARTLY MEANS THAT THERE WERE FUNDS THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN EXPENDED IN THE LAST FISCAL PERIOD AND YOU'RE GOING TO EXPAND THEM IN THIS ONE?
>> YES. THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MEG, AND SHE CAN TAKE IT FROM HERE.
SHE USED TO GO IN FOR FIVE HOURS STRAIGHT.
[LAUGHTER] CONTINUING WITH OUR OVERVIEW, MOVING INTO THOSE SMALLER FUNDS THAT ARE SET ASIDE EITHER BECAUSE THEY'RE LEGALLY REQUIRED OR BECAUSE IT MAKES SENSE FOR US FROM A BUDGETING PERSPECTIVE.
WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX BUDGET DOLLARS.
WE HAVE INCREASED THAT FOR NEXT YEAR.
THEN BEYOND THAT, EXPENSE-WISE, IT'S PRETTY MUCH STATIC.
WE DO HAVE A REQUEST IN HERE FOR CULTURAL ARTS ASSISTANT TO SUPPORT CHRISTI IN HER EVENTS AND GETTING THOSE OFF THE GROUND AND JUST THE MANPOWER IT TAKES.
THAT IS THE ONLY ADDITIONAL THING.
OTHERWISE, THE BUDGET DOLLARS ARE PRETTY MUCH STATIC WHERE THEY'RE SITTING FOR THIS FUND PENDING THE ULTIMATE, WHAT DIRECTION DO WE WANT TO TAKE OUR EVENTS IN THE FUTURE.
JUST LEAVING SOME BUDGET AUTHORIZATION FOR WENDY AND HER TEAM AS WE CONTINUE TO SOURCE OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
THEN WE HAVE, OF COURSE, OUR OTHER MINOR FUNDS, COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ENFORCEMENT, REVENUE EQUALS EXPENDITURES.
THE REVENUE SIDE IS BEING BACK FILLED WITH A TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND KEEPING THAT.
BUT THAT'S THAT COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM THROUGH POLICE, THERE'S ONE PERSON I'LL ASSIGN TO IT.
PEG FUND LOOKS COMPLETELY OUT OF WHACK.
FUND BALANCE IS SUFFICIENT FOR IT.
IT IS FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, AV IMPROVEMENTS, LIVE STREAM CAPABILITIES OVER AT BUILDING C, AND FOR OVERFLOW AND FOR ADDITIONAL MEETING OPTIONS THERE.
OF COURSE, THAT IS A VERY RESTRICTED USE FUND AND SO THE EXPENDITURES THAT ARE BUDGETED OUT OF IT ARE ALLOWABLE USES FOR THOSE MONIES.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS GETTING ITS TRANSFERS.
OF COURSE, THOSE ARE FOR APPROVED AGREEMENTS THAT COUNCIL HAS APPROVED.
BEAUTIFICATION, A LOT OF IT IS BUDGET AUTHORIZATION.
THAT FUND IS SOLELY THE MONIES THAT WE RECEIVE FROM OUR REPUBLIC FOR OUR BEAUTIFICATION COMMISSION TO DO PROJECTS WITH AS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE BUDGET FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR WHATEVER THEY DECIDE AND VOTE ON TO WORK THROUGH FOR THAT YEAR.
[00:55:04]
PARK DONATION FUND, VERY SIMILAR.AGAIN, BUDGET AUTHORIZATION FOR THE PARK'S BOARD BASED ON PROJECTS THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE TO USE THOSE FUNDS FOR.
THEN COURT FUNDS, WE HAVE COURT SECURITY, COURT TECHNOLOGY.
THE MUNICIPAL JURY FUND, IT'S $600 A YEAR OF REVENUE, IT BREAKS MY BUDGET EVERY YEAR.
WE ARE STILL USING FUND BALANCE FOR THAT.
WE'RE SEEING IMPROVEMENT IN THOSE REVENUES.
THE CORE TECHNOLOGY SPECIFICALLY, IT'S STILL BEEN A LITTLE UPSIDE DOWN TO WHERE ITS EXPENDITURES ARE.
THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH AND REDUCED WHERE THEY COULD, ESPECIALLY AS WE TRANSITION TO THE MOBILE DEVICES VERSUS THE TICKET WRITERS, WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THOSE DOLLARS.
BUT THE CORE TECHNOLOGY FUND DOES HAVE SUFFICIENT FUND BALANCE.
WE'RE LETTING THAT CONTINUE TO RIDE UNTIL THOSE REVENUES CONTINUE TO IMPROVE.
THEN SHOULD WE STILL CONTINUE TO SEE IT AS THE FUND BALANCE IF IT BECOMES CONCERNING THAN WE'D REEVALUATE WHETHER WE NEED TO TRANSFER SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.
>> HEY, MEG. I'M JUST CURIOUS.
>> [NOISE] WHERE DOES THE ARPA MONEY GO?
>> ARPA MONEY, WE DON'T HAVE WITHIN OUR TRADITIONAL BUDGETING MODEL BECAUSE IT'S REALLY ONE-TIME MONEY EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GETTING IT TWICE.
THAT IS WHY EACH TIME WE BRING A PROJECT TO YOU THAT'S GOING TO USE ARPA FUNDS THAT'S GETTING ITS OWN SEPARATE AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION.
>> IT IS NOWHERE REPRESENTED IN ANY OF THESE FUNDS?
>> IT IS NOT. NOW YOU WILL SEE IT SOMEWHAT REFERRED TO IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL SIDE BECAUSE WE DID LOOK AT THOSE SUPPLEMENTAL.
SOME OF THOSE REQUESTS, THE GENERAL FUND IMPACT IS LESS THAN WHAT THE ACTUAL REQUEST IS.
THAT'S BECAUSE THE SETUP FEE, THE ONE-TIME PIECE OF IT MAKES SENSE.
WE WERE ABLE TO SET ASIDE A PLAN TO USE ARPA DOLLARS, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, TO SPEAK TO THAT ACRONYM, TO USE THOSE DOLLARS FOR THE ONE-TIME PIECE OF IT.
BUT WE DID NOT WANT TO BE RECOMMENDING A BUDGET FUND FOR AN ONGOING PIECE SINCE THOSE ARE ONE-TIME DOLLARS.
>> WE HAVE 27 DIFFERENT FUNDS, AM I READING THAT RIGHT?
>> IS IT NECESSARY TO HAVE SEPARATE FUNDS FOR THINGS LIKE COMPUTER REPLACEMENT FUND OR LIBRARY MAINTENANCE FUND?
>> PART OF THAT'S POLICY DECISION FROM THE PAST.
>> BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY TALKING 25,000 ELABORATE MAINTENANCE.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT KAREN'S WORLDLY PERSPECTIVE COMING HERE [LAUGHTER] FROM ANOTHER ORGANIZATION.
>> THERE'S A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE IN THE SAME POSITION WHERE THEY SET UP THESE SAVINGS FUNDS FOR FUTURE NEEDS.
WHERE WE RUN INTO A SMALL HICCUP IS FROM A GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD PERSPECTIVE, THOSE FUNDS ARE NOT NECESSARILY RESTRICTED AND SO WHEN YOU PULL UP THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT, ALL OF THOSE FUNDS ARE COMBINED INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
WE DO RUN INTO A BALANCING WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING BETWEEN THE TWO DOCUMENTS.
BUT FROM A LONG-TERM PLAN PERSPECTIVE, PUTTING THOSE FUNDS ASIDE FOR THOSE FUTURE NEEDS ALSO MAKES SENSE TOO.
[LAUGHTER] I CAN THINK OF ANOTHER WAY POSSIBLY OF HOW WE CAN STILL PUT THOSE FUNDS ASIDE.
>> I'M CURIOUS FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
NOW, IF IT'S A CASE WHERE YOU'VE JUST GOT ONE POT, YOU'RE JUST ACCOUNTING FOR IT IN 27 DIFFERENT POTS, YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
>> THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING.
>> [OVERLAPPING] IS NOT A BANK ACCOUNT THAT IS JUST FOR LIBRARY MAINTENANCE FUND?
>> NO, IT ISN'T JUST A FUND AND IT'S ALL IN ACCOUNTING.
>> WE HAVE OTHER WAYS AND I CAN PROBABLY THINK OF SOME OTHER WAYS THAT MIGHT MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT SO WE DON'T HAVE THESE EXTRA FUNDS AND MAYBE WE CAN COME FORWARD IN THE NEXT YEAR.
>> I JUST WANTED TO HEAR YOUR PERSPECTIVE, FROM A MAINTENANCE PERSPECTIVE.
I COULD ARGUE BOTH SIDES, HONESTLY.
>> YOU WANT MORE FUNDS, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?
>> NO, PLEASE DON'T MAKE ANY MORE FUNDS [LAUGHTER].
>> THAT ANSWERED THE QUESTION. ONE CURIOSITY HERE, WE HAVE THINGS LIKE THE PARK DONATION FUND, WE HAVE ANIMAL SHELTER.
THOSE MONIES WE OPERATE AND CONTROL?
>> IT'S CHARITABLE FUNDS, CORRECT?
>> WELL, PARK DONATION IS WHAT'S COMING IN OFF OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO ADD IT TO THEIR WATER BILL, WHICH IS I BELIEVE FAIRLY STANDARD ACROSS MANY OF MUNICIPALITIES.
>> IT'S NOT A TRUE CHARITABLE DONATION?
>> WE HAVE POLICIES IN PLACE FOR ALL THAT? HOW TO EXPAND IT?
>> GREAT QUESTION [INAUDIBLE].
[01:00:02]
>> I'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW. I WAS JUST CURIOUS.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WE'RE JUST BREEZING THROUGH HERE.
ENTERPRISE FUNDS. WATER AND SEWER.
I'M NOT GOING TO STAY LONG ON THIS BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT ADDITIONAL EXPENSES.
THESE ARE THE REVENUE NUMBERS AND EXPENSE NUMBERS AS WERE INCORPORATED IN THE BUDGET.
I MUSTN'T TOUCH ON THAT UP HERE, WE MIGHT COME BACK TO IT AFTER GOING THROUGH A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS.
IF YOU RECALL LAST, THESE ARE THE CHANGES THAT WERE BUILT INTO THE EXPENSE BUDGET FOR WATER.
OF COURSE, THERE IS A COST-OF-LIVING IN THE GENERAL FUND.
THE WATER FUND IS THE OTHER ONE THAT HAS THE LARGEST COMPONENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE NEXT LARGEST NUMBER OF PERSONNEL WITHIN THEIR FUND.
THEN WE ARE ADDING SOME BUDGET NUMBERS FOR STAYING IN WATER QUALITY REAGENTS, WHICH ARE TCEQ-REQUIRED.
PUBLIC WORKS WANTS TO DO SOME REPLACEMENT PROGRAMS AND JUST GET THOSE DOLLARS ON THE BOOKS SO THAT THEY CAN BE PROACTIVELY TAKING CARE OF SOME OF THIS MAINTENANCE.
THAT HAS ALL BEEN INCORPORATED IN THE BUDGET NUMBERS THAT YOU'VE BEEN PRESENTED.
IF YOU RECALL LAST YEAR, WE WERE IN A VERY UNIQUE SITUATION WHERE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO HOLD OUR RATES, SO UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT QUITE THE SAME.
THIS YEAR WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO PROPOSE A RATE INCREASE.
TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY HAS INCREASED OUR PRICE PER 1,000 GALLONS FOR OUR WATER PURCHASE, OUR PRICE PER 1,000 GALLONS PER OUR SEWER TREATMENT, AND YOU CAN SEE BY ALMOST 15.8 PERCENT, 7.1 PERCENT RESPECTIVELY.
WE WORK WITH A CONSULTANT ON THESE RATES, AND THE FINAL BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS AS WE'RE FINALIZING THE NUMBERS TO PUT BEFORE YOU, SOMETIMES COMES IN AT A VERY HECTIC CONCLUSION.
WE HAD WORKED ON, GOTTEN A RECOMMENDATION FROM OUR CONSULTANTS ON WHAT OUR PROPOSED RATES SHOULD BE.
THEN WE REALIZED THAT THE EXPENSE NUMBERS THAT WE ACTUALLY ULTIMATELY LANDED ON FOR OUR FUND WAS LESS THAN WHAT HAD BEEN USED TO CALCULATE WHAT WERE GOING TO BE THE ORIGINALLY PROPOSED RATES.
WE WANTED TO GO BACK TO OUR CONSULTANTS AND GO, YOU KNOW WHAT, NOW THAT WE KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING LANDED, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THE RATES THAT OUR ORIGINAL MODEL TOLD US WERE THE RATES WE NEEDED TO RECOMMEND, AND THEY ACTUALLY WEREN'T.
WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE WHAT OUR INCREASE NEEDED TO BE FROM WHAT WE ORIGINALLY HAD THOUGHT.
THIS IS THE PROPOSED RATES BASED ON OUR ACTUAL EXPENDITURES AFTER EVERYTHING LOCKED DOWN, AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT A SMALL INCREASE ON THE BASE RATE FOR WATER.
THE VOLUME RATE, OF COURSE, TRA BEING A LARGE COMPONENT OF THAT VOLUME INCREASE ON BOTH THE WATER AND THE SEWER SIDE, AND THEN A SMALL INCREASE ON THE BASE RATE FOR SEWER.
YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE EXPECT THE FISCAL IMPACT TO BE.
THIS IS BASED ON OUR SUMMER USAGE.
THIS WOULD BE A WORST-CASE SCENARIO ON WHAT THE INCREASE WOULD BE ON JUST THE WATER AND WASTEWATER PIECE.
OF COURSE, THEIR ACTUAL BILL WOULD INCLUDE THEIR TRASH, THEIR STORMWATER, ALL OF THAT AS WELL.
BUT BY GOING WITH THESE RATES AFTER WE LOCKED DOWN OUR EXPENDITURES, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE NUMBERS WE'LL BE PRESENTING TO YOU FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
IT DID CHANGE WHAT WE EXPECT ON OUR WATER REVENUE.
AGAIN, THIS IS AFTER ENSURING THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH WORKING CAPITAL, ALL OF THAT BUILT-IN BASED ON THE RATES YOU JUST SAW.
OUR CONSULTANTS [INAUDIBLE] WILL BE HERE AT THE END OF AUGUST TO GIVE YOU A MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION OF WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING ON THOSE RATE PROPOSALS.
BUT WE WERE HAPPY THAT WHEN WE LOOKED BACK AND REALIZED THAT THE MODEL BASED ON HOW WE WERE ORIGINALLY PLANNING OUT THE BUDGET, WE DIDN'T NEED TO GO THAT HIGH BASED ON OUR EXPENDITURES.
WE WERE ABLE TO REVISIT WITH THEM AND THEY AGREED THAT YES, WE NEEDED TO REVISIT THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED TO RAISE THE RATES MORE THAN WE NEED TO RAISE THE RATES.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO PRESENT WITH YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS YOU WILL SEE WHEN YOU ACTUALLY GET TO BUDGET ADOPTION.
STORMWATER. WE'VE GOT OUR REVENUE, IT'S INCREASED.
AGAIN, AS I SAID EARLIER, OUR EXPENSES ARE ABOVE OUR REVENUE FOR THIS YEAR.
THAT IS FOR PLANNED CAPITAL, THE DRAINAGE STUDY.
GETTING THAT INTO PLACE, DESIGN FUNDING FOR ONE OF THE PLANNED PROJECTS IN THE CAPITAL PLAN, OUTGOING.
OUR RATES AND WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING ANY INCREASE IN OUR STORMWATER RATES THIS YEAR,
[01:05:03]
SO THOSE WILL BE WHAT THEY ARE NOW.THAT WAS A REALLY FAST OVERVIEW ON THE UTILITIES.
>> BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ANTICIPATE SOME OF THESE NEEDS, AND THAT'S PURELY A PASS-THROUGH BECAUSE OF THE TRA INCREASE.
>> NOT ENTIRELY. THE VAST MAJORITY IS GOING TO BE TRA, THE OTHER PIECE OF IT IS OUR CONSULTANTS LOOKING AT WHAT OUR REVENUE REQUIREMENTS ARE TO MEET OUR DEBT REQUIREMENTS, TO MEET OUR DAYS CASH ON HAND FOR OUR FINANCIAL POLICY.
THERE IS SOME THAT IS BASED ON OUR EXPENSES.
>> THAT IS UPDATED WITH THE DATA THAT'S IN HERE ABOUT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT [OVERLAPPING].
>> [OVERLAPPING] EVERY YEAR THE CONSULTANT COMES HERE AND SAYS WE NEED TO INCREASE RATES.
>> WELL, AS I SAID, LAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO NOT INCREASE RATES.
NOW, THERE WAS A COUPLE OF FACTORS THAT WENT INTO THAT.
BUT WE ARE ANNUALLY EVALUATING WHAT ARE OUR EXPENSES, WHAT IS THE PLANNED CAPITAL, SO THAT THE RATES ARE SUFFICIENT FOR WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO TAKE CARE OF OUR SYSTEM.
>> IS THERE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE REPUBLIC WASTE?
>> REPUBLIC WILL HAVE AN INCREASE IN JANUARY AS WELL PER ITS CONTRACT, AND WE WILL PUT ALL OF THAT OUT IN THE BEDFORD CONNECTION AND PUT IT DOWN ON FACEBOOK OR SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS, BUT YES.
AS YOU RECALL, WHEN WE ADOPTED THAT CONTRACT, IT DID HAVE AN ANNUAL INCREASE WITH IT.
>> MEG, SOME MIGHT HAVE MISSED IT, BUT STORMWATER FUND, YOUR EXPENDITURES ARE 2.5 AND YOUR REVENUE IS 1.8?
>> BUT YOU'RE NOT RAISING RATES?
>> NO. BECAUSE THIS IS A PLANNED USE OF FUND BALANCE.
THE EXPENSES THAT ARE PUSHING IT OVER REVENUE ARE THE $500,000 FOR STORMWATER DRAINAGE SYSTEM STUDY AND $330,000 WHICH IS DESIGN WORK ON [OVERLAPPING]
>> IT'S JUST ONE-TIME CHARGES?
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON OVERVIEW INFORMATION, ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE?
>> OKAY. WELL, WE'RE GOOD. BECAUSE NOW FROM HERE IT PRETTY MUCH GOES INTO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE AND WHAT DOES COUNCIL SEE AS WHAT THEY WANT IN DIFFERENT CHANGES.
I'LL HAVE IT TURN BACK OVER TO KAREN TO LOOK AT, OF COURSE, OUR LONG-RANGE FORECAST AND WHAT DECISION PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE AND FOR CONSIDERATION FOR COUNSEL.
>> I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO GO BACK TO THE STORMWATER FUND FOR A SECOND.
BECAUSE I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER ASKED A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
SO YES, WE'VE GOT TWO CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THESE EXPENDITURES, WHICH IS WHY.
BUT ONE THING I DID WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE DIDN'T PUT ON THIS SLIDE BECAUSE IT CAN GET CUMBERSOME.
BUT THE FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENT FOR THE STORMWATER FUND AND IN THE UTILITY FUND IS A 90 DAY CASH ON HAND.
EVEN FACTORING IN THOSE TWO CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE ARE ABOUT $900,000 OVER THAT FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENTS.
WE'RE IN A REALLY GOOD PLACE IN THAT FUND FOR FUTURE PROJECTS THAT THEY MAY HAVE.
AGAIN, WHENEVER WE'RE USING FUND BALANCE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE OF IT THAT IT'S CLEAR.
[LAUGHTER] FROM A LONG-RANGE PLAN FORECASTS, SO THIS IS JUST IN THE GENERAL FUND.
MARIA DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB, AND SO I WANT TO GIVE HER 100 PERCENT CREDIT ON THIS.
SHE DOES A FANTASTIC JOB OF PUTTING THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER.
WHAT SHE DOES IS SHE ANALYZES OUR ACTUAL EXPENDITURES AND OUR ACTUAL REVENUES OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
SHE'S GONE BACK TO 2017 TO GET OUR AVERAGE PERCENTAGE INCREASES OVER THE YEAR FOR BOTH THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES.
THEN SHE INCORPORATES THAT INTO THE OUT YEARS SO WE CAN SEE WHAT WE LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
>> KAREN, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH TIME WE SPENT ON THIS WORKSHEET.
>> WHEN SHE SHOWED THIS TO ME, I WAS LIKE, THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL.
>> MARIA MAY HAVE A TATTOO OF THIS PROJECT.
>> BUT ON THE REVENUE SIDE, SHE FACTORED IN A LITTLE OVER A 4.42 PERCENT TO BE EXACT FOR FUTURE YEARS, AND ON THE EXPENDITURES FOR 4.41 PERCENT [LAUGHTER] BASED ON THOSE AVERAGES OVER THOSE YEARS.
IT'S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF HOW THE GENERAL FUND IS.
>> I'M TOTALLY STUN WITH THE RESERVE.
>> I NEVER THOUGHT WE'D GET OVER 20.
>> YES. WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS SLIDE OTHER THAN ME JUST THINKING IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL? [LAUGHTER].
[01:10:01]
BECAUSE WE'D SAT THROUGH MEETINGS. [OVERLAPPING]>> THE EXPENDITURES LAST YEAR.
>> YES, AND WE JUST HAD SO MANY TIMES, WE'D COME HERE, AND WE WERE TO SET TO DIE OR CIRCUMSTANCES AND OH, WE GOT TO DO THIS. THIS IS STUNNING.
>> WELL, SALES TAX IS DOING REALLY WELL AND THAT'S HELPING THIS TREND.
WE'RE SEEING, I THINK THE MAYOR CALCULATED IT OVER AND SO WE'RE DOING REALLY WELL.
AS ANDREA CONTINUES TO BRING THOSE BUSINESSES INTO BEDFORD, WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT SALES TAX DOLLAR.
>> IT'S CHICK-FIL-A? [LAUGHTER] I STOP THERE ALMOST EVERY MORNING FOR BREAKFAST.
YEAH. I MEAN, IT'S JUST TREMENDOUS.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU GUYS ARE STILL BEING CONSERVATIVE IN PROJECTIONS.
WE CAN'T SIT HERE AND BANK ON 14.8 PERCENT GROWTH YEAR-TO-YEAR.
>> SO IT'S ALL GAIN AND WE'VE CLEARLY BENEFITED FROM IT.
>> ONE KEY ON THIS SPREADSHEET IS THAT IN 2023 IS THE 209, 821, CORRECT?
>> CORRECT, AND SO THAT IS THE ADDITIONAL ABOVE THE FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENT.
>> TO GET TO THE PROPOSED TAX RATE?
>> CORRECT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS SLIDE?
>> THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH ME ON A BUDGET.
>> I KNOW, BUT I WATCHED LAST YEAR, SO I'M PREPARED.
[LAUGHTER] I SAY THAT UNTIL THE QUESTIONS START COMING AT ME.
>> YEAH, AND THEN TURN OVER BACK WITH ME.
>> A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER BUDGET, I KEEP GETTING THIS GLARE FROM MEG AND THEN FINALLY AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS IT GOES AWAY.
>> THE NEXT PIECE OF OUR PRESENTATION IS JUST TO SUPPLEMENTALS THAT ARE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING RIGHT NOW.
I WANT TO MENTION ONE PARTICULAR ITEM ON THIS SLIDE AND THAT'S THE VEST FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE REASON WHY THAT'S NOT BEING RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET RIGHT NOW, IS THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF APPLYING FOR A GRANT.
YOU CAN RUN INTO AN ISSUE IF YOU SET ASIDE BUDGET DOLLARS AND YOU'RE ALSO APPLYING FOR A GRANT THAT YOU COULD LOSE YOUR POTENTIAL GRANT FUNDING AND THEY WON'T KNOW, CHIEF, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK IT'S NOT UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
WE WILL NOT KNOW IF WE GET THAT GRANT.
THEN WE WILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL AT THAT TIME BECAUSE IT'S NOT A 100 PERCENT FUNDED GRANT.
>> IS IT 100 PERCENT? THERE YOU GO. YEAH.
>> CHIEF CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE PART-TIME CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR?
>> THAT POSITION WAS ONE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE WORKING.
WE'RE JUST USING SALARY SAVINGS THAT WE TALKED LAST YEAR, ABOUT HOW MANY OFFICERS WE WERE SHORT.
WE HAVE A INDIVIDUAL THAT RETIRED FROM BEDFORD.
THAT WAS AN INVESTIGATOR THAT'S BEDFORD AND FOR HIS PART-TIME, SO REALLY JUST HELPING MANAGE THE CASELOAD.
WE'RE RIGHT NOW FOUR DETECTIVE SHORT IN OUR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION.
HOPEFULLY TO FILL THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
BUT LIKE COUNCILMAN STEVE SAID EARLIER, FROM THE HIGHER POINT ON, IT TAKES ABOUT A YEAR TO GET SOMEBODY THROUGH TRAINING, SO IT'S TAKEN A WHILE TO FILL SOME OF THESE VACANT POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT.
THAT WAS REALLY JUST BROUGHT IN AS A STOP GAP TO HELP US GO AND KEEP GOING.
HE WORKS PART-TIME TWO DAYS A WEEK, USUALLY ON MONDAYS AND FRIDAYS AND GOT A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE.
IT'S A LOT OF EXPERTISE AND A LOT OF EXPERIENCE THERE.
OUR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION, WHEN THE RETIREMENTS HAPPEN HERE, ABOUT 21, I GUESS, WE LOST A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE.
IT'S NICE HAVING HIM AROUND TO HELP US, TO HELP TRAIN SOME NEW GUYS.
WE HAVE TO GO VOTE TO GET US IN THERE THOUGH.
WE HAVE SOME RESOURCES THAT HAVE GOTTEN IN THERE THAT ARE REALLY TAKEN OFF AND DOING SOME AMAZING THINGS.
>> THEN THE LAST SLIDE THAT WE HAVE IS JUST UNFUNDED EQUIPMENT AND OR MAINTENANCE ITEMS THAT WERE REQUESTED.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE GOT SOME HIGH DOLLAR ITEMS ON THERE AS SOME FUTURE CAPITAL EXPENSES.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE FIRE STATION REMODEL.
IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.
>> WHAT'S THE SUGGESTION? I KNOW WE WENT OUT TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND I VISITED THE STATIONS AND I KNOW IT SMALL AND CRAMPED IN THERE.
[01:15:01]
WHAT DID THEY COME UP WITH?>> WE HAVEN'T GOT A FINAL EVALUATION FROM BRW.
WE ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT WITH BRW TO PROVIDE A REVIEW OF ALL THE STATIONS AND RECOMMENDED REMODELS OR REPLACEMENT ALONG WITH COST ESTIMATES.
WE'VE GONE BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM AND TO BE HONEST, I HAVEN'T BEEN SUPER PLEASED WITH WHAT THEY'VE COME UP WITH AND THE PRICING WE FELT IS A LITTLE EXORBITANT BASED ON OTHER FIRE STATIONS BEING BUILT IN THE SAME AREA.
BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION ON OUR STATIONS AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO REMEDY SOME OF THE SITUATIONS THAT WE HAVE THAT I THINK WE WANT TO TACKLE.
THAT IS JUST A BALLPARK PLACEHOLDER AS AN IDEA.
THE NUMBERS I HAVE ARE ASTRONOMICAL SO IT'S HARD WHEN I SEE OTHER STATIONS ENTERING INTO CONTRACTS AT THIS VERY TIME THAT ARE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND A PRICE RANGE THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS AND SOME OF THE THINGS HAVE COME BACK IN OUR DISCUSSIONS.
I'M NOT REAL COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT THE NUMBER IS, BUT WE JUST TRIED TO PUT A HEY, THIS COULD BE A VERY POTENTIALLY LARGE PROJECT.
THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY POTENTIALLY TO BUILD A NEW HEADQUARTERS FIRE STATION.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COMMONS PROJECT IF THE FIRE STATION 1 HAS SIGNIFICANT VALUE TO THAT PROJECT OR NOT, IF IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO PACKAGE THAT MOVE OR SOMETHING.
THAT'S JUST A BALLPARK NUMBER TO GRAB YOUR ATTENTION LIKE, HEY, NONE OF THESE NUMBERS ARE SMALL.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT OUR PRIORITY IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE DORMS, ALLOW THE FEMALE AND MALE FIREFIGHTERS PRIVACY, TO HAVE ENOUGH RESTROOMS AND TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE TYPES OF FACILITIES.
THAT'S THE NUMBER 1 THING, JUST THE THINGS THAT FIREFIGHTERS NEED TO MAKE SURE IT'S UP-TO-DATE.
IF IT'S A LITTLE TIGHT, WE'D LIKE A LITTLE MORE ROOM, BUT HEY, WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT PART OF IT.
A BIG PART IS THE TRAINING CENTER ON THERE YOU SEE.
WE WEREN'T SURE TO PUT THOSE TOGETHER OR NOT BUT THE TRAINING CENTER WE USE IS TARRANT COUNTY COLLEGE, WHICH IS 70 MILES AWAY OR 80 MILES, WHATEVER IT IS. THAT'S A CHALLENGE.
>> WE'VE GOT CERTAINLY WITHIN OUR IDEA OF WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE, BUT ANY SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS HAVE COME BACK ON THE REMODELS OF FIRE STATIONS HAVE BEEN SEVEN FIGURE NUMBERS, TEN FIGURE NUMBERS.
I THINK THAT THERE'S A SMARTER WAY TO GO ABOUT IT TO BE STRATEGIC AND IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO REMODEL ALL THREE FIRE STATIONS TO THE EXTENT THAT IT'S COMING BACK TO US AS FROM THE STUDY.
BUT WE THINK THAT THERE'S SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO PUT SOME FIXES WITHIN THE EXISTING FOOTPRINT, MAYBE HAVE A COUPLE OF STATIONS AND THEN PUT SOME MONEY INTO INTO A REMODEL OF ONE OF THE STATIONS THAT'S MORE SIGNIFICANT.
>> IS IT SAFE TO SAY THERE'S SOME DEGREE OF URGENCY IN SOME DEGREE OF REMODEL, BUT THERE'S NOT A DEGREE OF URGENCY IN A $15 MILLION FIGURE?
>> I THINK THE URGENCY, HONESTLY, FOR US IS JUST TO GET A GOOD PLAN.
I THINK MY URGENCY IS JUST TO MAKE SURE WHATEVER WE DO IS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT.
NONE OF THE REMODELS ARE GOING TO BE EASY AND THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.
WHAT I'M HOPING FOR IS WE'VE GOT ENOUGH INFORMATION FROM THIS REPORT TO SAY, HERE'S WHERE WE'RE AT.
NOW, WHAT MAKES SENSE, WHAT'S SMART, WHAT'S AFFORDABLE? AT THE END, GET TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN SAY, HEY, EVERYONE'S GOT WHAT THEY NEED TO COME TO WORK AND HAVE THE PRIVACY THEY NEED, TO HAVE THE FACILITIES THEY NEED, TO SAY HEY, THIS MEETS OUR NEEDS.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US ARE EXCITED ABOUT SPENDING $20 MILLION OR ANYTHING. THAT'S NOT WHERE WE'RE AT.
I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS WE CAN DO TO REMEDY IT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING MORE FEEDBACK AND THOUGHTS ON WHERE THIS FITS IN WITH OTHER PROJECTS WITHIN THE CITY.
WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES?
>> WHEN I HEAR YOU SAY THIS, MY IMMEDIATE REACTION IS THIS IS PART OF A MORE GLOBAL CONVERSATION ABOUT CITYWIDE ASSETS.
>> I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.
>> MAYBE A LONGER-TERM CONVERSATION, BUT THERE IS SOME DEGREE OF URGENCY IN THAT THERE IS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF REMODELING THAT DOES NEED TO HAPPEN.
>> WITHOUT A DOUBT. THE PRIVACY ISSUE, I THINK WE'RE AT A TIME AND PLACE THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED RIGHT AWAY.
>> BECAUSE THOSE STATIONS WERE BUILT BACK WHEN IT WAS PRIMARILY JUST MALE FIREFIGHTERS.
>> THAT FIRE STATION TOO IT'S TIED IN THERE.
>> YOU STILL HAVE HOSE TROUGHS [LAUGHTER]
>> I TELL YOU WHAT, THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT IT, BUT I'LL TELL YOU, YOU WALK IN THE FIRE STATION, YOU'VE GOT A COMMON DORM AND MAYBE YOU HAVE A LITTLE DRAW CURTAIN OR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
>> GREAT. QUICK QUESTION ON THE TRAINING FACILITY.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO SEE THE ONE IN TARRANT COUNTY WHICH WAS PRETTY AMAZING.
WHAT WERE WE LOOKING AT? WHAT DID YOU PICTURE?
>> WHAT WE'RE PICTURING IS IN PARTICULAR, THE FIRE SERVICE IS REALLY GOOD AT UTILIZING A CONTAINER STYLE TRAINING FACILITY.
[01:20:04]
WHAT THESE LOOK LIKE IS WE LOOK LIKE A BIG STORAGE CONTAINER, TWO OR THREE IN A ROW AND THEN A COUPLE OF HIGH.WHAT WE CAN DO BECAUSE THEY'RE SO DURABLE, WE CAN USE SMOKE MACHINES.
YOU GOT MOVABLE ROOMS IN THERE SO WE CAN DO ENTRY AND SEARCH AND EXTINGUISH FIRES AND PUT PEOPLE IN ZERO VISIBILITY ATMOSPHERES.
WHEN YOU GET A COUPLE OF STORY 1, YOU CAN DO LADDER WORK.
THEY HAVE FORCIBLE DOORS THEY SET UPON US SO WE CAN WORK ON THOSE SKILLS.
WE CAN DO VENTILATION ON THEM.
THEY JUST ALLOWS YOU WITHIN TOWN TO GO TO A FACILITY LATE.
WE DO A MANIPULATIVE JOB AND SO REPETITIVE OF MANIPULATION OF OUR HOSE AND OUR LADDERS AND ALL THAT EQUIPMENT THAT ULTIMATELY LANDS ON SAFETY.
WHEN YOU CAN ROLL INTO A PLACE AND HAVE YOUR FIREFIGHTERS SIMULATE THE SAME THING THEY WOULD DO ON A WORK INSTRUCTOR FIRE, JUST GETTING YOUR GEAR ON PERFECTLY SO YOU DON'T GET BURNED.
ALL OF THESE THINGS JUST REQUIRE JUST DOING IT REGULARLY AND TO HAVE IT IN TOWN.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GO NECESSARILY OUT OF SERVICE, 70 MILES AWAY, WE'RE DOWN AN ENGINE FOR THAT AMOUNT OF TIME AND THAT'S THE REAL CHALLENGE.
>> I HAPPENED TO GET THERE REALLY FAST.
TARA COUNTY IS AN AWESOME RESOURCE, AND WITH OUR NAFTA RELATIONSHIP THERE'S THINGS IT CAN DO FOR US.
WE JUST HOSTED OUR ENGINEERS EXAM OUT THERE, ALL THAT ROOM FOR ALL THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO, AWESOME FOR DAY-TO-DAY TRAINING. [OVERLAPPING]
>> WHERE WOULD WE PUT SUCH FACILITY?
>> WELL, RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT IS BEHIND STATION 3.
THERE'S ENOUGH ROOM THERE TO FIT A REAL NICE PROP THERE.
>> WELL, IN BETWEEN THE STATION AND THE APARTMENTS, YEAH.
>> WHAT'S AT THE OLD THE OLD FRENCH PROPERTY?
>> THE VACANT LAND. [OVERLAPPING]
>> AS YOU DRIVE INTO STATION 3, AROUND THE BACK OF THE WATER TOWER, THERE'S THE GRASS AREA THERE.
BUT LIKE I SAID, WE'RE OPEN TO WHATEVER THE OPPORTUNITY IS [NOISE] WITHIN BEDFORD.
>> CHIEF WE'RE DOING THE FOSTER WITH HBISD.
>> IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH WITH YOURS AND HEARST AND DO ONE OF THESE LOCAL FOR THE THREE OF THEM AND SAVE SOME MONEY AND COMBINE THAT WITH THE THREE CITIES AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT? BECAUSE NOW WE'RE DOING THE PROGRAMS IN THE ISD.
MAYBE EVEN THE PENNINGTON FIELD AREA, IF THERE'S ROOM THERE THAT WE CAN DO IT ESSENTIALLY LOCATED.
IT'D BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD WORK WITH WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, SAVE EVERYBODY SOME MONEY AND TO BE UTILIZED, BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T BE USING IT 24/7 OR SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
>> YEAH. THAT'S A NEW PROGRAM TO ME SO MY DEPTH OF FAMILIARITY ISN'T AS MUCH.
BUT CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, AND WE'RE ALWAYS IN.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN IS WORKING WELL WITH OTHERS.
I THE FIRE SERVICE, WE AUTOMATIC AID TYPE OF AGREEMENTS AND HELP EACH OTHER OUT, SO IN THAT SAME IDEA THAT, ABSOLUTELY, WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AND BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND SAVE A FEW BUCKS, CAN BE EASY.
>> WHAT DOES SOME $750,000 GETS TO YOU?
>> THAT IS CONSIDERING CONCRETE WORK, MAKING SURE THERE'S A FIRE HYDRANT THAT'S AROUND THERE SO YOU CAN UTILIZE IT.
THAT IS ABOUT A FIVE TOTAL CONTAINER.
A GOOD SIZE PROP THIS KIND MAYBE THREE DEEP, COUPLE HIGH.
THAT'S TRYING TO ENCAPSULATE COUPLE OF $100,000 FOR SITE IMPROVEMENT AND ABOUT $500,000 FOR A FULLY SETUP TRAINING.
THEY CALL IT A PROPER TOWERING AND CALL, BUT THE ACTUAL BUILDING THAT YOU WOULD GO INTO YOUR TRAIN ON.
>> DOES IT GET YOU ALL THE ACCOUTERMENTS THAT REPLICATE FIRE HOSE AND WHATNOT IN THOSE CONTAINERS?
>> WELL, SO WE WOULD USE PROPANE TYPE FIRE.
WE WOULDN'T BE USING LIVE CLASS A FIRE THERE, THE NEIGHBORS FIVE FOOT [LAUGHTER] WOULD LOVE TO, BUT THEY WOULDN'T LIKE THAT.
[LAUGHTER] WE USE SMOKE MACHINES WHICH IS EASY TO GET.
THERE'S NOT A WHOLE TON OF THINGS WE WOULD NEED TO PURCHASE ON THAT SIDE OF IT.
WHAT WE UTILIZED FOR VENTILATION PROPERLY, WE HAVE SOME THINGS ALREADY.
TO DO THAT WE JUST NEED A PLACE TO PUT THEM.
IT'S REALLY JUST FIND THE SPOT.
THE BIGGEST COST IS JUST THAT MAIN BIG PROP AND THEN SITE IMPROVEMENT TO MAKE SURE YOU NEED TO DRIVE THE FIRE ENGINE.
I NEED YOUR CLEARANCES, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU'VE GOT A HYDRON TO CATCH, AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
ALSO, I CAN SAY, THE TRUTH MATTER IS IT IS A MULTIFUNCTION HOPEFULLY FACILITY THAT YOUR POTENTIAL PD COULD USE FOR SEARCH AND ENTRY IN THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
BECAUSE THE WAY I SET UP NOW, YOU CAN CHANGE THE ROOM.
WHEN YOUR FOLKS SHOW UP, IT'S NOT THE SAME ROOM EVERY SINGLE TIME, YOU ALWAYS KNOW WHERE THAT THE VICTIM IS THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
[01:25:02]
THEY'RE VERY FUNCTIONAL AND REALLY IS A [NOISE] BIG PRIORITY FOR US. BUT I THINK CERTAINLY IS.>> I KNOW. MAYBE MY MEMORY, SUFFER, I DON'T EVER REMEMBER A DOLLAR FIGURE ATTACHED TO THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE.
BECAUSE AS WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH PRIOR YEARS, I HAD ALWAYS ENVISION A MUCH BIGGER NUMBER THAN THAT.
>> YEAH. BECAUSE WE HAVE THE PROPERTY AND BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP IT TO A REASONABLE SIZE, I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT A LOT OF THESE [NOISE] FACILITIES, YOU'RE TALKING 1,000 SQUARE FOOT OF CONCRETE AND THAT RIGHT THERE IS A MINE BOX.
[OVERLAPPING] YOU LOOK AT THAT.
WE HAVE THAT FOR THOSE LARGER MULTI-AGENCY WHO WANT TO GET EVERYBODY OUT THERE AND WORK TOGETHER TYPE OF THING.
WELL, WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS A LOCAL BEDFORD AND POTENTIALLY, IF YOU LOSE A HEARST WHEN IT COME AND DO SOMETHING, WE WOULD ENTERTAIN THAT WITH THEM.
>> DO WE PAY FOR ACCESS TO THE TCC FACILITY?
>> IS PART OF OUR AGREEMENT, YES.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT. IT'S A HECK OF A DEAL, BUT WE'RE GETTING THERE.
>> IT'S INCREDIBLE. NEXT NEXT YEAR, [OVERLAPPING] THE WATER RESCUE THING.
>> [OVERLAPPING] WHERE I CAME FROM, YOU DON'T SEE THAT IN CALIFORNIA.
THAT IS OUTSTANDING. I TELL YOU.
>> BUT IT REALLY DOESN'T. IT TAKES YOUR PEOPLE OUT.
BECAUSE THEY GOT TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY OUT THERE.
>> [LAUGHTER] YOU'RE NOT AVAILABLE WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE.
>> CHIEF, HAD THE $750,000 FIGURE WAS BASED ON JUST OUR DEPARTMENT THOUGH. IS THAT CORRECT?
>> THAT'S JUST FOR US. THE USE OF THAT WOULD BE HOW OFTEN? ALL WEEK, EVERY DAY, EVERY SHIFT?
>> WHAT WE TRY AND DO IS GET OUR FOLKS OUT TO DO MANIPULATE FIRE TRAINING TWICE A MONTH.
IF EVERY CREW GOT OUT THERE TWICE A MONTH, THAT'D BE QUITE A BIT.
YOU'VE GOT THREE SHIFTS, THREE STATIONS, SO IF YOU ADD UP ALL THOSE FOLKS, YOU'VE GOT NINE DIFFERENT PEOPLE TRYING TO GET OUT THERE A COUPLE TIMES A MONTH.
IT WAS VARY AT TIMES, BUT CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE'D ANTICIPATE GETTING USED, IF NOT EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, MULTIPLE TIMES.
>> HAVE YOU FIGURED OUT HOW MANY? IF IT'S AN ACRE YOU NEED OR HOW MANY ACRES IS REQUIRED FOR A FACILITY?
>> ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF PUTTING IT WHERE THAT STATION IS AND IF THERE WAS A REMODEL, THERE IS, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DO NEED IS YOU NEED BATHROOMS AND YOU NEED CLASSROOMS. THAT'S WHERE, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT STATION 3, IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THE REMODEL THEIR, CLASSROOMS, NOT HARD TO PUT TOGETHER THERE AND YOU'VE GOT THE FACILITIES.
THE CHALLENGE IS IF YOU PUT A STANDALONE IN, NOW YOU'VE BUILT ALL THIS, NOW YOU GOT TO BUILD A CLASSROOM AND ALL THAT FACILITIES GO WITH IT.
THAT IS AN ADVANTAGE TO THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION.
OUR THOUGHT IS IF IT GOES THERE, THERE WAS A REMODEL THERE THAT INCORPORATES ALL THOSE OTHER PIECES AND THAT'S MORE TIED UP IN THAT LARGER NUMBER.
>>THE STONEGATE POOL PROPERTY NEXT DOOR THAT WE OWN, THAT WOULDN'T BE USABLE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
>> WHICH PROPERTY? THE CORNER PIECE?
>> WELL, IT'D BE THE ONE BETWEEN THE FIREHOUSE AND THE APARTMENTS.
>> YEAH. WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT POTENTIALLY.
[NOISE] IN THAT LARGER DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRE STATION IS MAYBE THERE'S A CLASSROOM THERE.
YOU NEED PARKING AND YOU NEED OTHER THINGS.
IS THAT PIECE OF LAND? WE'VE LOOKED AT IT, HEY, HOW WOULD THIS STATION GET MOVED AROUND? WHERE WE WOULD PUT THAT? THERE HAS BEEN SOME PARKING I THINK PUT THERE ALONG.
IT PUSHES OUT A LITTLE BIT AS THE STATION GETS A LITTLE BIGGER.
BECAUSE IN THE REMODEL WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT.
IF WE WERE TO DO WHEN THERE, WE WOULD SWING THE APPARATUS BAY DOOR SO YOU'D DRIVE STRAIGHT OUT TO THE STREET VERSUS A WAY TO DRIVE NOW.
IT IS A BIGGER PICTURE OF, HEY, WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE, AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME MAYBE OTHER POTENTIAL SITES THAT MIGHT MAKE SENSE IN THIS LARGEST STRATEGIC VIEW.
BUT WE DO FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT FAR ENOUGH WITH BRW THAT THERE'S ENOUGH ROOM ON THAT SITE.
WE TAKE THAT WHOLE SIDE OF THE STATION AND WHAT'S NEXT TO IT TO BUILD A FIRE STATION AND ATTORNEYS CENTER AND ADMIN.
WE COULD DO A WHOLE FIRE ADMIN OVER THERE, MAKE THAT THE HEADQUARTERS, TRAINING, EVERYTHING RIGHT THERE, AND I THINK THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM FOR IT.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF? WE'RE AT UNFUNDED EQUIPMENT?
>> YES. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT LIST?
>> ANOTHER QUESTION FOR CHIEF OF THE [INAUDIBLE]
>> THAT'S REALLY, AGAIN, A PLACEHOLDER TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
[01:30:01]
THAT'S BEEN ON THERE SINCE I GOT HERE AS AN ITEM.EMS 15 IT GOES INTO THE OVERTIME THAT WE'VE APPROVED THE ADDITION OF A 17TH PERSON THAT'S TIED TO OUR MEDICAL OFFICER.
WE HAVE A MEDICAL OFFICER POSITION THAT WAS CREATED THAT WAS NEVER ADDED TO THE ROSTER.
SO WHEN IT'S AVAILABLE AND THERE'S ENOUGH PEOPLE IN SERVICE IS EMS 15 TO HELP WITH THE MEDICAL RESPONSE LOAD.
BUT A LOT OF DAYS WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE, SO IT'S NOT IN SERVICE.
NOW THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE POTENTIALLY ENOUGH PEOPLE TO PUT IT INTO SERVICE THE QUESTION IS, WHAT'S THE RIGHT UNIT? RIGHT NOW IT'S A PICKUP TRUCK WITH A BUNCH OF GEAR ON IT.
I CAN TELL YOU, WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE.
I THINK IT'S A SQUAD-STYLE PIECE OF APPARATUS WITH TWO PEOPLE ON IT, ALMOST LIKE SWAT 51 BACK IN THE DAY.
>> SOMETHING THAT CAN GET OUT AND GET TO CALLS QUICKLY THAT'S EFFICIENT.
I CAN TELL YOU THE WAY THE WORLD IS GOING FIRE ENGINES ARE A MILLION DOLLARS AND TAKE TWO YEARS TO GET.
WE NEED TO HAVE SOME MOBILE UNITS TO GET AROUND AND TAKE CARE OF THE CALLS.
WE THOUGHT, HEY, THAT'S PROBABLY A NUMBER.
WHAT DOLLARS WE NEED ON IT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH.
NOW THAT WE'VE GOT THE FIRST TOTAL, IT'S LIKE, "OKAY.
WHAT DOES THIS NEED TO LOOK LIKE?" REALISTICALLY, WE DON'T NEED TO OVERBUILD THIS THING.
WE WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT DOES THE JOB OF WHAT EMS 15 WILL BE.
>> SO KAREN, I'M GOING TO JUST VOICE MY OPINION ON METAL PARK BUTTERFIELD LIGHTING.
WE DON'T OWN THAT LAND, WE DON'T NEED TO PUT ANY SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THAT PROPERTY.
I'M JUST GOING TO BE BLUNT. YEAH.
>> ABSOLUTELY. [LAUGHTER] WE AGREE.
>> NOT YET. [LAUGHTER] NOW I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MAX SO SHE CAN TALK ABOUT OUR NEXT STEPS.
>> OKAY. JUST REMINDING YOU, OF COURSE, THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST OF A PROCESS OF THE LEGAL STEPS AS WE DO MOVE TOWARDS ADOPTION OF A BUDGET.
A COUPLE OF THEM I LEFT THIS ON HERE EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS LAST NIGHT WHERE YOU ACCEPTED THE CERTIFIED ROLE AND THE CERTIFIED COLLECTION RATE.
JUST SOME OF THOSE PROCEDURAL THINGS AS PART OF THE ULTIMATE BUDGET ADOPTION.
LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT IS COMING UP.
ON AUGUST 23RD, YOU WILL DO THAT RECORD VOTE ON YOUR NOT TO EXCEED TAX RATE.
REMEMBER, WE'RE NOT ADOPTING ANYTHING ON THE 23RD, WE'RE JUST SAYING WHAT'S THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE RATE WE WILL ADOPT? OF COURSE, ANYTHING HIGHER THAN THE RATE WE DO HAVE PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET, WOULD ACTUALLY NEED TO CALL AN ELECTION.
I WILL BE FRANK, WE DON'T HAVE THE TIMELINE TO BE ABLE TO ENTERTAIN THAT WITH THE RESTRICTIONS OF SP2 IN THE ELECTION CODE.
>> BUT AGAIN, ALL WE'LL BE DOING AT THAT POINT IS TO SET THAT NOT TO EXCEED RATE.
THAT IS THE RATE THAT WILL THEN GO INTO ALL THE PUBLICATIONS ON THE NEWSPAPER NOTICES, ON OUR TAX RATE PUBLIC HEARING NOTICES.
THAT IS WHAT WILL BE OUT THERE.
YOU WILL ALSO SET YOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THAT DATE, WHICH WILL THEN TRIGGER US TO BE ABLE TO GO PUT ALL THE NOTICES IN THE PAPER AND ON THE WEBSITES, AND ON OUR PEG CHANNEL SO THAT OUR RESIDENTS CAN BE APPRISED OF WHAT WE'RE CONSIDERING.
WE WILL HAVE THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS, ONE ON BUDGET, ONE ON TAX RATE ON SEPTEMBER 6TH, THAT IS THE TUESDAY AFTER LABOR DAY.
IT WILL BE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.
THEN SEPTEMBER 13TH IS WHEN WE ARE SCHEDULED TO APPROVE OUR BUDGET ORDINANCE AND OUR TAX RATE SO THAT WE CAN GET ALL THAT INFORMATION TURNED OVER TO TARRANT COUNTY TO THE TAX APPRAISAL DISTRICT SO THAT THEY CAN UPDATE ALL OF THEIR RECORDS.
OF COURSE, I'M SURE MOST PEOPLE GOT THEIR POSTCARDS THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.
TARINTAXINFO.COM IS A WEBSITE YOU CAN GO TO TO LOOK AT YOUR SPECIFIC PROPERTY ON WHAT YOUR VALUES ARE, BASED ON WHAT ARE KNOWN NEW REVENUE RATE? WHAT ARE VOTER APPROVAL RATE? ONCE WE SET THAT MAXIMUM RATE, WHAT WILL BE IN THERE AS OUR PROPOSED RATE WHERE INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNERS CAN LOOK AT WHAT IS THE IMPACT TO THEM SPECIFICALLY, FOR ALL OF THE TAX RATES, BECAUSE OF COURSE, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ENTITY THAT ARE TAXING PROPERTIES.
YOU'LL HAVE YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE COLLEGE DISTRICT, THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT, AND YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR FEEDBACK SHOULD YOU DESIRE.
OUR INITIAL RATES ARE PUBLISHED ON THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT WANT TO GO LOOK AT THEIR PROPERTY INFO.
FROM THERE THOUGH, REALLY UP HERE, IT'S UP TO COUNSEL IF YOU GUYS WANT TO HAVE ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT HAVING US INCORPORATE INTO THE NUMBERS, WE CAN DISCUSS THAT LATER TOO.
BUT JUST SOMETIME WE'VE TRIED TO LAY OUT FOR YOU GUYS JUST SOME OF THE OPTIONS BASED ON WHAT CHANGES WE'VE MADE AND THEN BASED ON WHAT REQUESTS THAT AT THIS POINT, WE'VE BEEN UNABLE TO FUND.
>> TOP OF MIND, JUST IN AN EFFORT TO HELP ASSIST YOU
[01:35:03]
ALL IN ANTICIPATION OF THE NEXT CONVERSATION, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT SOME OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS, THE GENERAL FUND CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT HAPPY ABOUT, OR OTHER ITEMS TO ADD TO THIS LIST? WITHOUT VOTING ON THE TAX RATE, WITHOUT SETTING ANY OF THAT STUFF.>> I DID NOTICE THERE WASN'T MUCH DISCUSSION ON THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
I KNOW THAT'S SITTING OUT THERE IN LIMBO.
>> THIS IS A PART OF THAT GLOBAL CONVERSATION.
>> BUT I MEAN, EVEN WITH THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AND THE BUDGET HASN'T IT GONE DOWN AS FAR AS THE FUNDING?
>> I'D HAVE TO LOOK EXACTLY AT THE FUNDING, BUT I'LL TELL YOU, ONE THING WE'RE LOOKING AT, THE CHIEF IS PUTTING TOGETHER AN RFP WITH OUR PURCHASING WITH BLAKE TO HAVE SOMEONE COME IN AND LOOK AND SEE WHAT CAN WE DO TO FIX THE BUILDING, TO EXPAND IT OR WHAT HAVE YOU? THERE ARE CITIES THAT ARE WILLING TO PARTNER WITH US, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DRIVE COMPARED TO WHAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING SOMEONE LOOK AT THAT AS WELL AS THE FORMER JAIL SPACE, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL COME TO COUNCIL.
>> WITH THE ANIMAL SHELTER, DON'T WE HAVE BONDS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN SPENT ON THAT FROM YEARS AGO.
>> THERE ARE SOME, BUT IT'S A VERY MINUSCULE AMOUNT.
>> I WANTED TO SAY IT'S LIKE $300,000 MAYBE. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I MEAN, WE SHUT DOWN THE SHELTER, WHAT? THREE OR FOUR TIMES THIS PAST YEAR BECAUSE OF THE SPREAD OF THE PARVO.
IS IT BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH EMPLOYEES OUT THERE TO DO THE WORK OR WHAT'S THE?
>> CANDIDLY AND MAYBE THE CHIEF WANTS TO COME FORWARD, BUT REALLY A LOT OF IT WAS BAD LUCK WITH ANIMALS THAT WERE COMING IN BECAUSE WE BOUGHT THE SUPER-DUPER CLEANING, THE SPECIAL STUFF AND EVERYTHING.
PART OF IT IS ALSO, THE TURF THAT WE HAVE, THE GRASS VERSUS THE TURF AND THAT'S WHERE WE HAD MORE CASES, I THINK. BUT CHIEF?
>> YEAH. A LOT OF IT WE ATTRIBUTE IT TO LACK OF VACCINATIONS.
WITH COVID, A LOT OF PEOPLE WEREN'T DOING THE VACCINATIONS.
PEOPLE WERE ADOPTING PETS, TURNING IN MORE PETS THAN THEY HAD.
BUT IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO THE FACILITIES.
I'M NOT AN ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO PLAY LIKE A CAN.
BUT THE PARVO CAN BE SPREAD THROUGH THE SOIL WHERE SOME OF THE NEWER FACILITIES HAVE ESSENTIALLY AN ELEVATED TURF THAT THE ANIMALS CAN GO OUT AND PLAY, THEY CLEAN IT.
THE NEXT ANIMAL GETS TO GO OUT AND HAVE SOME TIME WHERE WE HAVE JUST A GRASS FIELD.
IT TAKES TIME, I THINK IT'S ABOUT TEN DAYS FOR THAT TO DIE IN THE GROUND BEFORE WE CAN PUT ANOTHER DOG OUT THERE.
WE'VE HAD A BAD SPELL OF REALLY BAD LUCK, BUT IT'S NOT UNCOMMON.
OTHER ANIMAL SHELTERS WERE EXPERIENCING SOME OF THE SAME THINGS, BUT IT'S REALLY JUST THAT FACILITY IS PROBABLY OUTLIVED ITSELF.
>> WELL, THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING TO GO IS I THINK WE NEED TO BE FRANK WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE AN AGED FACILITY THAT DOES NOT ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS AS IT CURRENTLY EXISTS.
>> IF WE TALK ABOUT HAVING A GLOBAL CONVERSATION ABOUT CITIES ASSETS, AND OUR NEEDS TO INVEST IN OUR FACILITIES, THIS IS PROBABLY NEAR THE TOP OF THE LIST.
>> OKAY. [BACKGROUND] THAT BEING SAID I'M JUST LOOKING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL IDEAS ON GENERAL FUND CHANGES.
I'M GOING TO THROW SOMETHING OUT THERE JUST FOR US TO CHEW ON FOR THE NEXT CONVERSATION.
I'D LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO RUN NUMBERS ON AN ADDITIONAL FIVE PERCENT DECREASE IN THE DUES FOR THE NEW GENERATION PARK CENTER FOR MEMBERSHIP DUES.
LET'S JUST THROW THE NUMBER OUT THERE AT FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH PER BEDFORD RESIDENT, THAT'S A MEMBER.
THAT'S AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THE DUE STRUCTURE FOR BEDFORD RESIDENTS AND JUST SEE WHAT THOSE NUMBERS COME TO.
>> WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO FOR FAMILY JUST FIVE PERCENT, FOR FAMILY?
>> WE'RE TALKING FIRST-YEAR, MAYBE REDUCE THAT RATE, IT'S AN INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO JOIN.
I'M GUESSING IT'S GOING TO BE AROUND A $100,000, ITS BASED ON ESTIMATES.
THEN YOU HAD THE THREE UNFUNDED ITEMS, COUPLE OF THOSE LOOKED ATTRACTIVE.
>> ONE OF THEM, WE ARE NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE OUT ON POSSIBILITY OF A GRANT.
>> SHOULD THAT CHANGE THEN ABSOLUTELY, WE WILL LOOK AT FUND WHERE THAT FUNDING IS A BIG.
>> GIVEN THERE'S STILL 209,000.
>> NO, EVEN TO DO THAT IT'S CALLED SUPPLANTING, WHERE YOU'RE PUTTING THE BUDGET DOLLARS AND THEN ASKING FOR GRANT DOLLARS AND THEY CAN TURN YOU DOWN,
[01:40:03]
THEY CAN AWARD YOU THE CURRENT AND THEN PULL IT.>> [INAUDIBLE] OVER FOR SOMETHING ELSE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDS.
LET'S PUT ALL THE FUNDS TOGETHER.
WELL, WHAT IF SOMEBODY WANTED MORE FUNDS HERE? WE CAN PUT THAT PLACEHOLDER.
>> I THINK WE'D HAVE TO TALK WITH LEGAL, BUT I'D BE WORRIED ABOUT SCANNING ALIGN WITH THAT.
>> WE SHOULDN'T BE TALKING ABOUT THIS, STEVE? [LAUGHTER]
>> NO, IT'S CALLED PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE IS WHAT A SPLENDID.
>> WE'RE CONFIDENT WE CAN IDENTIFY DOLLARS IF THAT GRANT DOES NOT COME TO FRUITION, THAT WE WILL GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF BY.
>> YOU ASKED A LITTLE WHILE AGO AND OBVIOUSLY THIS ISN'T A VOTE, BUT ARE THERE ANY REQUESTS THAT ANYONE HAS HEARTBURN ABOUT THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, AND IF IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY TONIGHT IF YOU CAN FOLLOW UP OR OBVIOUSLY IF ANYONE WANTS ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SO I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF WE HAD ANY ADDITIONAL HOMEWORK TO DO QUITE FRANKLY.
>> I KNOW WE'RE STILL DOING IT, BUT THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK, THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BUDGET PRESENTATION SINCE I'VE BEEN A LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR REAL IN TERMS OF THE COMPLEXITY BUT YET THE EASE OF UNDERSTANDING THAT I KNOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN OXYMORON, BUT IT'S REALLY A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU ALL.
>> I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER FOUR, I WAS LOOKING FOR THIS PAGE AND HE FOUND A PAGE WITH THE THREE ADDITIONAL ITEMS.
>> I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE US AT LEAST FUND THE PART-TIME OFFICER FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS.
I KNOW THAT THE PURCHASE OF THE RIFLE RESISTANCE VESSELS, THAT'S THE GRANT, CORRECT?
>> WE'LL AMEND OUR PROPOSED BUDGET TO INCLUDE THAT.
>> WE DON'T HAVE TO USE AS MANY BUCKETS AS WE USED TO, [LAUGHTER] SO THERE'S ONE THAT WAS IN THE SERVER ROOM, HERE IT'S A PHILOSOPHICAL SITUATION BECAUSE AS THE MAYOR STATED, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO A GLOBAL LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT FACILITIES LOOKING AT, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO INVEST ALL THAT MONEY IN A FACILITY THAT I DON'T WANT TO SAY COULD BE REPURPOSED, BUT WE COULD MOVE BUILDINGS AROUND WHEN STUFF LIKE THAT.
THAT'S THE REASON WE FELT LIKE DUCT TAPE AND WHAT IS IT?
>> THANK YOU. ALL THE ABOVE, WILL LAST A LITTLE BIT LONGER BECAUSE IT HASN'T REALLY BEEN AN ISSUE AND REALLY THE LAST MONTH OR SO WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THE RAIN.
[LAUGHTER] BUT I DON'T WANT TO, BUT ALL KIDDING ASIDE, NEVER PRETEND TO SAY, WELL, WE FEEL IT'S BEEN VERY EASY TO MITIGATE QUITE FRANKLY, SO THANKS.
>> MAKE WITH THE COURT OFFICER, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON DOWN AND WHAT WOULD THEY NEED AND.
>> THE MUNICIPAL COURT ASSISTANT?
>> I ACTUALLY WANTED TO PULL THIS, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO SPEAK WITH DOUG ABOUT WAS LOOKING AT EFFICIENCY WITHIN OUR TEAM AND SEE IF THERE IS OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE SOME EFFICIENCIES AND PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES VERSUS EARNING A POSITION.
I ACTUALLY MEANT TO PULL THAT FROM THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND I JUST RAN OUT OF TIME.
>> SOLVE THAT PROBLEM. [LAUGHTER]
>> THIS WAS A RELATIVELY SMOOTH EVENING AND WE ONLY GOT ONE MOTION TO ADJOURN SO FAR FROM GANGLION.
>> THIS TIME FOR OUR [INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER].
>> YOUNGER BUT NOT FAST ENOUGH.
>> THAT IS EVERYTHING WE HAVE PREPARED FOR YOU, SO.
>> THIS IS A WORK SESSION, SO WE DO NOT NEED TO MAKE A MOTION, CORRECT? [NOISE] [LAUGHTER]
>> I HELD ON TO THAT THE WHOLE MEETING.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE, CLEARLY, ALL THE EFFORT WAS NOT HERE WITH MEGAN, KAREN.
CLEARLY THE EFFORT WAS THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS TIRELESSLY FOR SO LONG, WE HAVE HAD SO MANY CHALLENGES OVER THE YEARS, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF CHALLENGES NOW,
[01:45:02]
BUT WE HAVE AN AMAZING TEAM OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WORKED FOR THE CITY WHO DO GREAT THINGS, AND THIS BUDGET IS A REFLECTION OF THOSE GREAT THINGS.I JUST WANT TO SAY ETERNALLY GRATEFUL FOR EVERYONE.
REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE OVER TIME HERE AND REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY, SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED GET US TO HERE, AND WE'LL CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION HERE IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO.
I'VE GOT 6: 45, LET'S ADJOURN.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.