[1. Call to order; Pledge of Allegiance; Establishment of Quorum]
          [00:00:10]
          THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR THE TOWN OF HORIZON CITY IS& NOW IN SESSION. PLEASE RISE AND JOIN US IN RECITING THE PLEDGEE& OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO& THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU SIR. HELLO EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THIS IS GOING TO BE AN EXCITING ONE. ALL RIGHT. CAN'T WAIT, CAN'T WAIT. YEAH. 
          SO. WE HAVE A WE DO HAVE A QUORUM AND NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP FOR OPEN FORUM. SO WE'LL GO 
          [CONSENT AGENDA]
AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE. YES, I, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TOO& APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION. SECOND AND A SECOND. CAN YOU PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL? ORTEGA. ORTEGA. AYE. AVILA. AYE. AMES. GURDIAL. MENDOZA. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. ON TO ITEM 
          [6. Discussion and Action]
NUMBER SIX. THIS IS A DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM. THIS IS ON A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE HORIZON CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION'S FISCAL YEAR 2526 BUDGET. MAYOR COUNCIL. GOODD& EVENING. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTT& IS. SHOULD I TALK LOUDER? YEAH. PERFECT. WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. WE WANTED T& START OFF WITH WITH A BIT OFF& WHAT WE DO. AS YOU KNOW, AS YOU& ALL KNOW, WE WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY. WE ARE, HOWEVER, SEPARATE AND APART INSTITUTION. 
          BUT WE DO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE CITY. WE'RE FUNDED BY YOU ALL. AND SO WE JUST WANTED TO COME BEFORE YOU AND LET YOU KNOW WHA& OUR BUDGET IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, AND ALSO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE TAKEN A PART IN OR WE'VE LED. OR CAN YOU ALSO SEE ON YOU& SCREEN IN THE PRESENTATION? MY SCREEN IS NOT ON. THERE IT GOES. JUST CAME ON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO THE REQUEST IS THAT THE HORIZON CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET OF THE HORIZON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. WE DO RECOMMEND APPROVAL. THIS NEXT SET OF SLIDES IS KIND OF GOING TO GIVE YOU, AS I MENTIONED, AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THE PAST YEAR. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FULLY COMPREHENSIVE. WE KNOW TONIGHT'S KIND OF A LARGER NIGHT, AND WE WOULDN'T WANT TO BOG YOU ALL DOWN WITH A LOT OF THIS STUFF. MANY OF YOU THAT HAD ORIENTATION ALREADY SAW SOME OF THE OTHER STUFF WE'VE BEEN DOING. BUT IFF& THERE'S ANYTHING EXTRA THAT YOU ALL WANT TO SEE, OF COURSE NATURALLY REACH OUT TO US AND WE'LL GIVE YOU SOME MORE DETAIL. 
          SO WE'LL JUMP RIGHT IN. THE FIRST THING THAT WE HAVE IS THE MARKET EVENT. IF YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR AT ALL, YOU APPROVE SOME FUNDING FOR US TO HELP MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD. THIS WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN HORIZON CITY. AND BASICALLY IT WAS A SMALL BUSINESS FAIR. THIS IS FOR BUSINESSES THAT ARE SORT OF THE SWEET SPOT OF GETTING READY TOO& LEAVE THEIR HOME AND GET INTO LARGER COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL SPACES. THEY DON'T HAVE SPACESS& YET. THEY WOULDN'T HAVE MARKETT& YET. SO WHAT WE DO IS WE CREATED A MARKETING EVENT FOR THEM SO THAT THEY CAN SHOW OFF THEIR GOODS AND SHOW OFF WHAT THEY'RE DOING. IT WENT VERY WELL. WE HAD 40 BUSINESSES TAKE PART AS VENDORS. WE HAD A PLENTY OF PEOPLE COME OUT AND WE HAD ALL TYPES OF EVENTS FOR THE PEOPLE. 
          SO THERE WERE FOOD TRUCKS, OF COURSE, BOOTHS, VENDORS AND ALL TYPES OF ACTIVITIES. AND IT WAS REALLY THE FIRST OF ITS KINDD& THAT WE'VE HAD IN HORIZON CITY. AND AS PER THE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH THE MARKET, IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ONES THEY'VE HAD. AND SO THE INTENT HERE IS TO HAVE THIS EVENT MORE THAN JUST ONCE. WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO HAVE IT ONCE A YEAR, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY A GREAT WAY TO GIVE SOME PLATFORM TO THE SMALLER BUSINESSES THAT OTHERWISE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SHOW OFF THEIR BUSINESSES. RIGHT. THEY WOULDN'T HAVE MONEY TO PAY RENT NECESSARILY. AND SO WE DO GIVE THEM A GOOD FOOT IN THE DOOR. 
          AND WE DO THANK EVERYONE FROM COUNCIL AND ALL THE OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIALS THAT SHOWED UP. HERE'S SOME IMAGES FROM THAT DAY. IT WAS PRETTY WELL ATTENDED, AND THIS WAS OVER AT OUR NEW OFFICES AT 1525 OXBOW. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE WAS A LOT OF ACTIVITY, A LOT OF FUN. AND OFF& COURSE, THE MAYOR, THANK YOU, SHOWED UP TO SPEAK WITH THE FOLKS. OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS THERE, AND THERE WAS EVEN THERE WERE EVEN A LOT OF EVENTS FOR KIDS. THAT'S THAT'S MY BOSS'S SON, BY THE WAY. THAT'S ALL POINTS THERE. QUICK VIDEO THATT& WE HAD MADE. AND BEFORE WE GO INTO THIS, I DO WANT TO KIND OF SIDE MENTION THAT YOU ALL ALSO APPROVED OUR MARKETING BUDGET RECENTLY, AND THIS IS THE KIND OF STUFF THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO WITH OUR MARKETING. SO AS WE TOLD YOU BEFORE, WE'RE ABLE TOO& DO COMMERCIALS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT WE ALSO DO COMMERCIALS FOR OURSELVES AND FOR OUR CITY. AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S A LOT OF NEW CAPACITIES THAT WE HAVE. WE HAVE DRONE SHOTS NOW. WE HAVE A LOT OF 
          [00:05:01]
EDITING AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT INTERVIEWS. SO IF YOU COULD PLA& PLAY, PLEASE ON THE MARKET. AQU& EN FAMILIA VIDA MARKET SE HACE DOS TRES VECES POR DONDE VAMOS A LOS NEGOCIOS LOCALES A PRODUCTOS Y SERVICIOS TODOS LOS NEGOCIOS. YA SE LA IDEA DE NEGOCIOS NEGOCIOS PEQUENOS NEGOCIOS NO ESTABLECIDOS NEGOCIOS ESTABLECIDOS EN BIENVENIDOS A PARTICIPAR EN ESTE EVENTO. 
          PROJECT VIDA IS THE PARTNER HERE IN HORIZON CITY, SO THEY INVITED FOOD VENDOR REGISTER OR CREDIT UNION. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS BORDERPLEX, WHICH IS ANOTHER PARTNER FOR THE HORIZON CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. WE JUST DECIDED TO SET UP OUR BUSINESSS& AT VIDA MARKET BECAUSE WE WANT TO SHOW THEM THAT WE ARE A FITNESS BASED GYM SO WE CAN HELP PEOPLE BE THE BEST VERSION OFF& THEMSELVES. LOOK, HEY, ALREDEDOR DE TI Y PUES APOYARNOS ENTRE TODOS HAY DE TODO Y PARA TODOS. SO THAT WAS THAT WAS THE TASTE OF HOW IT WAS THAT IT WAS REALLY SUCCESSFUL. AND YOU KNOW, THE IDEA AGAIN IS, IS TO GET THESE BUSINESSES IF YOU GO TO THIS, I GOT IT FAMILIAR WITH HORIZON CITY, SO THAT IF THEY DO DECIDE TO OPEN UP A BUSINESS, THEY COME HERE FIRST TO GET THEIR MARKETT& OUT HERE. SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF EVENTS. WE DIDN'T INCLUDE EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE IN EVENTS. SO AGAIN, IF THERE IS QUESTIONN& ABOUT ANY ADDITIONAL EVENTS THA& WE'VE GOT COMING UP OR ANYTHING& WE'VE DONE, PLEASE REACH OUT TO& US. I JUST WANT TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING. SO WE'RE GOING TO JUMP RIGHT INTO LAND DEVELOPMENT. WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH YOU ALL. THANK YOU, COUNCIL, FOR APPROVING THE CARNAZZO PARTNERS LLC DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS A RENDERING OF A DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING T& BE CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTED SOON RIGHT OFF CARNAZZO. IT'S MEANT TO BE A NEW OFFICE SPACE GEARED SPECIFICALLY FOR MEDICAL USE. SO IN THE CONTRACT THERE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR THEM TO GO ATT& LEAST 51% MEDICAL USERS. THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE THAN THAT. BUT WE SPECIFICALLY WANTED TO HAVE AN EMPHASIS ON THE MAJORITY OF THEM BEING MEDICAL USERS. SO THIS IS 36,000FT■!S OF OFFICE DEVELOPMENT. THE INCENTIVE HERE, AS A REMINDER T& YOU ALL, WAS FOR THEM TO ADJUST& THE PLACEMENT OF THEIR BUILDINGS. SO THE INITIAL DESIG& THAT THEY HAD WAS PRETTY STANDARD. THE PARKING WAS IN THE FRONT, THE BUILDINGS IN THE BACK. SO WHAT WE DID IS WE WORKED WITH THEM TO GET THOSE BUILDINGS PUSHED UP TO THE FRONT MORE. THE INTENT IS TOO& EVENTUALLY HAVE A LOT MORE OF THESE BUILDINGS AND GET WHAT ARE CALLED COMPLETE STREETS FOR PEDESTRIAN ORIENTATION. SO THERE IS A GOOD THING. THERE ARE GOOD THINGS FOR AUTO ORIENTED DEVELOPMENTS, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO DIVERSIFY THE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS IN HORIZON CITY. AND THIS IS EXACTLY THE WAY WEE& MEAN TO DO IT IN TERMS OF OUR INCENTIVES. SO AGAIN, KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR A LOT MORE OF THESE BECAUSE WE ARE ENCOURAGING FOR THE DEVELOPERS IN OUR REGION TO& COME IN HORIZON CITY AND DEVELOP A LOT MORE OF THESE WALKABLE DEVELOPMENTS. BY THE WAY, WHEN I SAY THAT, WE DO MEAN THE BUILDINGS TOWARDS THE FRONT, THE PARKING IS TOWARDS THE BACK,,& FENESTRATION, WHICH IS JUST THE AMOUNT OF OPEN GLASS SPACE IS EXTENDED SO THAT WHEN YOU'RE WALKING IN FRONT OF THIS BUILDING, YOUR PRINCIPAL IMPRESSION IS NOT THE ASPHALT IN THE STREET OR THE CARS, BUT THE BUSINESSES, MAYBE THE SMELL OF BAKERIES, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT, SO THAT PEOPLE GET SORT OF A DIFFERENT KIND OF IMPRESSION FROM OUR CITY. I SHOULD MENTION THAT ALSO, AS PART OF THE INCENTIVE, THERE IS A HIRING FAIR THAT THEY HAVE TO CREATE FOR THE TOWN OF VERIZON CITY. 
          AND SO HORIZON CITY WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE HIRING& FAIR WHEN THIS DEVELOPMENT OPENS UP IN JUST A COUPLE OF RENDERINGS, SO YOU ALL CAN SEE FOR DIFFERENT SIDES. THEN WE'VE ALSO INCENTIVIZED AND THANK YOU AGAIN, COUNCIL FOR THIS. THE WOLF INVESTMENTS DEVELOPMENT RIGHT OVER HERE ON OXBOW AND PAULINE. AND SO THIS WAS AND I'LL SHOW YOU IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES. THE OLD FAA BUILDING IS& KIND OF OLDER. IT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST BUILDINGS ACTUALLY IN HORIZON CITY. SO THERE'S KIND OF A SATISFIED TOO, IN THE SENSE THAT WE'RE NOT ONE OF THE OLDEST BUILDINGS, BUT WE LIKE TO THINK THAT IT WAS FOR A GOOD REASON. AND SO AS OUR CITY GROWS AND AS WE START TRYING TO EMPHASIZE THIS, AS THE MORE COMMERCIAL SORT OF SPACE THAT WE'RE USING TO ATTRACT PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN, IT DOESN'T WORK SO MUCH T& HAVE THE INDUSTRIAL SO CLOSE TO& HERE. SO WE'RE USING OUR INCENTIVES AGAIN TO RENOVATE THIS AREA TO MAKE IT MORE ESTHETICALLY PLEASING SO THAT PEOPLE, WHEN THEY COME DOWN TOO& USE THE COMMERCIAL SPACE, THEYY& CAN SORT OF ABSORB THAT. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS IS. SOO& THIS WAS AN INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO GENERATE A TOTAL OF 30,000FTS OF NEW OFFICE FLEX SPACE. ALSO A NEW A NEW KIND OF DEVELOPMENT OUT HERE. AND THEY INVESTED $3.& MILLION. AND SO THIS GOT COMPLETED JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO. 
          AND THEY ALREADY HAVE A FEW USERS WHERE ONE OF THEM. BUT WE'VE ALSO GOT A NEW TENANT NEX& DOOR, AND I THINK IT'S A DOCTOR'S OFFICE THAT'S GOING TO& BE MOVING IN AFTER THAT. AND IT'S POSSIBLE FROM WHAT THE OWNER TOLD US, THAT THERE'S A MUSIC SCHOOL MOVING IN RIGHT UP THE STREET, SO IT'S ALREADY BRINGING IN A WHOLE NEW BREED OF BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE HAPPY TOO& WELCOME IN HORIZON CITY. SO THIS WAS A SUCCESS AND THIS IS ALREADY COMPLETED. THIS IS SORT OF IMPORTANT. SO YOU CAN SORT OF APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF THESE INCENTIVES MORE. THIS IS A BEFORE AND AFTER. OBVIOUSLY ON THE TOP LEFT IS LOOKING AT PAULINE I WANT TO SAY LOOKING EAST. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE TRANSITION. WHAT THERE WAS BEFORE THE INCENTIVES AGAIN 
          [00:10:04]
PARTIALLY WITH THAT BUILDING PUSHED TOWARDS THE STREET ON THE TOP. AND IT'S ALSO ANOTHER SHOT AT THE BOTTOM BEFORE AND AFTER PAULINE. BUT THIS IS NOW LOOKING GOSH I WANT TO SAY IT'S LOOKING WEST AT THAT POINT. AND SO AGAIN IT'S CLEAR TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE. AND THIS IS THE KIND OF EFFECT THAT WE ARE MEANING T& HAVE WITH OUR INCENTIVES. THIS IS THE TRANSITION FROM THE INDUSTRIAL LOOK INTO MORE ESTHETICALLY PLEASING COMMERCIAL. SO MORE BEFORE AND AFTER. SO IT'S CLEAR TO SEE THE VALUE OF THESE INCENTIVES, NOT ONLY FOR THE PARCEL THAT WE'RE BUILDING ON, BUT FOR WHAT IT DOES TO THE AREA. AND OUR HCDC OFFICES. AS I MENTIONED, WE MOVED INTO THE BUILDING. THAT WAS PART OF THE INCENTIVE. WE RELOCATED OUR FACILITIES THERE. 
          AND YOU ALL, OF COURSE, ARE WELCOME TO COME VISIT US. THISS& IS A PUBLIC SPACE. WE OPEN THE SPACE UP WITH OUR OUR ANYTHINGG& WE HAVE TO SHARE WITH OUR ALIGNED PARTNERS. SO WE'VE GOT WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS BORDERPLEX THAT WE'RE HOUSING NOW TO BRING THOSE SERVICES INTO TOWN. WE'VE GOT PROJECT V THAT AS YOU JUSTT& SAW, THEY'RE ALIGNED PARTNERS AS WELL. AND SO THIS IS GOING REALLY WELL. IT REPRESENTS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS FOR THE HCDC. AND EDDIE WILL GO& INTO THAT JUST A BIT MORE. SO BIG SUCCESS FOR US HERE. AND WE MOVED IN LAST MONTH. WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FIXING THE INSIDE UP, AND WE WILL INVITE YOU ALL TO OUR OFFICE WARMING PARTY PRETTY SOON. LAND PURCHASES. SO REDEVELOPMENT THE TOD. YOU ALL HAVE HEARD OVER AND OVER HOW IMPORTANT IT IS. THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR DOWNTOWN. AND AS YOU KNOW, THE MAIN OBSTACLE AT THIS& POINT WAS THAT THERE WAS VERY FRACTURED OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTIES THERE. THERE WERE OVER 300 DIFFERENT PARCELS THAT& I WANT TO SAY, POSSIBLY OVER 100 DIFFERENT OWNERS SLOWLY BEEN WORKING WITH PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO CONSOLIDATE THAT OWNERSHIP..& AND WE'VE TAKEN A BIG LEAP FORWARD. AND SO SINCE 21, 2021, WE'VE, WITH THE CITY, HAVE ACQUIRED 66 OF THOSE LOTS. AND THAT'S A BIG DEAL, BECAUSE THE WAY THE STRATEGY MEANS TO UNFOLD IS THAT ONCE WE'RE ABLE TO GETT& THESE SEPARATE PARCELS, WE CAN THEN START EITHER COMBINING THESE TO MAKE THEM MORE ATTRACTIVE TO DEVELOPERS THAT PROBABLY NEED BIGGER SPACES TOO& BUILD THE WAY WE NEED THEM TO BUILD AND OR GET THE DIFFERENT PARCELS AND TRADE THEM OFF WITH& OTHER BIG OWNERS SO THAT EVERYONE GETS A BIG PIECE OF LAND, AND THEN WE GET THE DEVELOPMENT GOING. AND THAT WAS THE STRATEGY THAT WAS PLANNED,,& THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER IN 21 INITIALLY IN 2020 YEAR OLD'S COMP PLAN. 21 IS WHEN WE STARTED DOING THIS AND AS OF 25, WE'VE TAKEN OVER 13.5 ACRES OF LAND RIGHT THERE. SO THAT'S A BIG PLUS AND WE'RE FINISHING OFF A LOT OF THOSE. THIS GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHERE THEY ARE. INN& FACT, IT'S AN EXACT MAP OF WHERE OUR PROPERTY OWNERSHIP IS RIGHT NOW. SO YOU SEE THIS THIS IS AA& PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF LAND. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU CAN SEE THESE ARE LAND PIECESS& THAT ARE CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. SO IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR US TO THEN COMBINE THESE LOTS AND REALLY GET BUILDING GOING. THE NEXT ONE SHOWS YOU OUR LAND IN BLUE, IN COMBINATION WITH THE LAND OWNED BY ANOTHER BIG PRIVATE OWNER THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH. AND THE IDEA HERE IS THAT PRETTY SOON WE'RE WORKING WITH THE TOWN OF HORIZON CITY TO GET ALL OF THOSE PARCELS IN THE HAND, IN THE HANDS OF ONE SINGLE DEVELOPER THAT'S BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE WITH US. AND SO BETWEEN THAT DEVELOPER AND OURSELVES, YOU CAN SEE WE'RE GOING TO OWN A CHUNK OF LAND THERE. AND THAT'S REALL& GOING TO EXPEDITE THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR DOWNTOWN. SO THAT IS HUGE. AND WHEN THATT& TAKES OFF, IT'S REALLY GOING TO GENERATE A LOT OF RESOURCES FOR THE TOWN OF REDLAND CITY. BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LANDD& DEVELOPMENT, IT'S NOT JUSTT& WHAT'S INSIDE OF HORIZON CITY, IT'S ALSO WHAT'S AROUND US. AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF LIMITED AS FAR AS WHAT OUR CITY LIMITS ARE. WE'RE PUSHING UP ON ALL TYPES OF FRACTURED LOTS AND STATE OWNED LAND. SO IT BECAME REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET AHOLD OF SOME OF THAT LAND, OR AT LEAST GET IN FRONT OF THE TEXAS GLOW TO SEE IF WE CAN START TALKING ABOUT EITHER PURCHASING LAND OR ANNEXING LAND. WE AS AN ORGANIZATION WEREN'T TOO SUCCESSFUL BEFORE, BUT WE STARTED WITH A NEW STRATEGY. A FEW YEARS BACK, WE HIRED A PRIVATE CONSULTANT TOO& GET US IN FRONT OF THE DECISION MAKERS BEFORE WE WOULD MEET WITH THEM, BUT YOU HAD A SENSE THAT WE WERE KIND OF MEETING WITH THE PERSON THAT WAS REPORTING TO THE NEXT PERSON. THE NEXT PERSON NEVER QUITE WENT WHERE WE NEEDED IT TO GO, BUT THIS WAS DIFFERENT. WE WERE ABLE TO GET IN FRONT OF THE BOSSES OUT THERE, AND IT REALLY CHANGED THE TONE OF WHAT WE WERE DOING THERE. AND SO WE MET WITH THEM IN AUSTIN BACK IN FEBRUARY 25TH, WITH THE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS THAT WERE ALSO BRINGING IN. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO PARTNER WIT& PRIVATE DEVELOPERS. IT REALLY HELPS PUSH OUR AGENDA FORWARD. BUT THEN WE HAVE THEM COME OVER JULY 17TH. THIS WASN'T TOO LONG AGO, AND THE MAYOR AND A COUPLE OF STAFF MEMBERS ALSO TOURED THEIR LAND. COMMISSIONER, THE MAIN COMMISSIONER, DON BUCKINGHAM, THROUGH THE SITES THAT WE NEEDED THEM TO SEE. AND SO WE LET THEM KNOW WHAT WE WANTED TO DO. WE GAVE THEM SOME DETAIL AND THEY WALKED THE SITES AND IT WENT PRETTY WELL. AND SO NOW THEY ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A DRAFT OF A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT. THAT MAY BE THE DOCUMENT THAT WE NEED TO START 
          [00:15:03]
REALLY TAKING OVER LANDS AROUND& US, AND THAT'S GOING TO RESULT. FINGERS CROSSED ACROSS IN HORIZON CITY, GROWING PHYSICALLY AS A CITY, WHEN WE GET THOSE PIECES OF LAND, WE GET MORE DEVELOPMENT. WE GET CLOSER TOO& I-10 SOUTH, WE GET CLOSER TOO& HORIZON BOULEVARD, HEADING WEST. 
          AND THAT'S A GAME CHANGER FOR OUR CITY. SO THIS WAS A BIG, BIG SUCCESS. AND THERE YOU SEE THE MAYOR WITH COMMISSIONERR& BUCKINGHAM. AND THIS IS JUST ACTUALLY A SAMPLE. THIS IS WHAT I HINTED AT EARLIER. THE NEWER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL SAW SOME OF THESE. WE HAD ABOUT 5 OR 6. IFF& YOU ALL REMEMBER, THIS IS JUST TO REMIND YOU ALL THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE ALSO DO REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FROM THE STATE..& THERE ARE COMPANIES GLOBALLY THAT LOOK FOR PLACES TO COME IN, AND WHAT WE DO IS WE MAKE SUREE& THAT WE CAN PROVIDE ALL THE INFO THEY NEED IN TERMS OF DEMOGRAPHICS, UTILITIES, ETC, BUT ALSO PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR THEM TO CHOOSE HORIZON CITY VERSUS ELSEWHERE. SO THIS IS TO& GIVE YOU A SAMPLE OF THE KIND OF STUFF THAT WE SUBMIT PRETTY OFTEN. I THINK I WANT TO SAY WE'VE SUBMITTED ABOUT 6 OR 7 THIS YEAR. AND OF COURSE WE'LL UPDATE YOU AS THEY THEY START RESPONDING. THIS WAS A $1.88& BILLION PROJECT. AS YOU CAN SEE, SOLAR PANELS, SOLAR PANEL MANUFACTURING COMPANY. THESE ARE BIG JOB CREATORS AND THEY PAY GOOD WAGES. SO WE DO THIS KIND OF STUFF AS WELL. THAT'S THE PAST. AND SO WE THOUGHT WE'D FINISH OFF BY LETTING YOU KNOW WHAT'S COMING UP BEFORE THE END OF YOUR FISCAL YEAR. AND SOO& WE'VE GOT AT LEAST THREE EVENTS ALWAYS LOOKING TO PROMOTE LOCAL BUSINESSES AND TRY TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE RESOURCES THEY NEED. THIS WILL BE A HIRING FAIR. SO THIS IS A COMPANY CALLED CARE OPTIONS FOR KIDS. THEY ARE LOOKING FOR LVNS NURSES. AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR OUR ALIGNED PARTNER WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS BORDERPLEX, TO BRING A HIRING FAIR HORIZON CITY. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE MORE HORIZON CITY HIRING FAIRS MEANS GREATER CHANCES OF HORIZON CITY FOLKS GETTING THESE JOBS. SO WE MEAN TO DO THIS A LOT AND THIS IS OUR NEXT ONE COMING UP. THIS WILL BE AND OF COURSE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO GO TO OUR OFFICES AUGUST 21ST FROM 12 P.M. TO 4 P.M. ALSO GOT THE HORIZON CITY BUSINESS ALLIANCE THATT& WE'RE BUILDING. SEPTEMBER 25THH& IS THE DATE THAT WE'VE LOCKED IN. NOW, HORIZON CITY IS, YOU KNOW, DOES NOT HAVE A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. THAT'S A BIG MISSING PART OF OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY. 
          AND SO WE'RE USING THIS AS THE HORIZON CITY BUSINESS ALLIANCE AGENDA TO CREATE WHAT IS EFFECTIVELY HORIZON CITY BUSINESS ORGANIZATION, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. AND SO THIS WILL BE THE FIRST MEETING WITH THAT AGENDA IN MIND. THIS WILL BE HELD AT A LOCAL BUSINESS. SO WE'RE STILL LOCKED IN. I DIDN'T& PUT THE LOCATION BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THREE DIFFERENT ONES. BUT THIS WILL BE SEPTEMBER 25TH OF THIS YEAR FROM 2 P.M. TO 4 P.M. SENDING THE INVITATIONS WHEN THEY FINALIZE, AND FINALLY DAYCARE WORKSHOP. AS YOU KNOW, DAYCARE IS VERY IMPORTANT. 
          DAYCARE IS A FACILITATE THE JOB WORK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE INN& TOWN. THEY THEY USUALLY OBVIOUSLY IF THEY HAVE KIDS, THEY NEED DAYCARE TO TAKE CAREE& OF THE KIDS, TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR KIDS SO THAT THEY CAN MAK& IT TO WORK. YOU ALL PASS JUST A LITTLE WHILE BACK, A 100% TAX ABATEMENT POLICY. SO THAT WAS VERY BENEFICIAL. WE'VE ALSO HAD A GRANT PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTED SOME DAYCARES. AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE BORDERPLEX COMMUNITY CAPITAL BANK, AND THEY'VE CREATED A DAYCARE SPECIFIC LOAN PROGRAM, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A WORKSHOP TO LET LOCAL DAYCARES KNOW ABOUT THAT. SO THAT'S TAKING PART SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 17TH AND 19TH, PENDING THE EP STARTUP WEEK SCHEDULE. AND SO AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO LET YOU KNOW WHEN THAT'S HAPPENING WHEN WE FINALIZE THE DATES. AND THE LAST THING IS THERE ARE ADDITIONAL PROJECTS ON THE HORIZON. SO FAMILY ACTIVITIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT. WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH A COMPANY THAT'S LOOKING TO BRING IN A BATTING FACILITY. IT'S ONE OF THE LARGER ONES IN THE COUNTRY. THEY REACHED OUT TO US. WE PUT THEM IN CONTACT WITH A LOCAL LANDOWNER AND IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING, AS PER MID LAST WEEK THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY TALKING NUMBERS. SQUARE FOOTAGE COST FOR LEASES. SO THIS THIS IS LOOKING REALLY GOOD FOR US. 
          THAT'S THAT'S THE SPORTS TRAINING FACILITY THAT WE'RE MAKING SURE COMES TO HORIZON CITY. AND FINALLY THE REGIONAL PARK. AS YOU ALL KNOW IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF 2020, A REGIONAL SPORTS PARK IS IDENTIFIED AS ONE OF THE MAIN PROJECTS THAT WE NEED TO GET DONE. WE NEEDED TO GET A HOLD OF THAT LAND. AND SO NOW WE'RE WORKING WITH HUNT DEVELOPMENT. 
          WE MET WITH THEM. I WANT TO SAY IT'S ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, TWO WEEKS AGO, AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT WHAT IT'S GOING T& TAKE FOR US TO PURCHASE THIS 30 ACRES OF PROPERTY OVER ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN. SO WE WEREE& PUTTING TOGETHER AN LOI. I WANT& TO SAY WE RECEIVED A PRETTY RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE. THEY TOOK US TO THE NEXT LEVEL WHERE BASICALLY THEY WANT LOI FROM US SO THEY CAN START PUSHING THAT UP TO THEIR LEADERSHIP. SO WE'RE MOVING THAT DEAL FORWARD, THANKFULLY, AND KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS IN TERMS OF REQUESTS TO PURCHASE PROPERTIES. 
          AND WHEN WE DO BUILD THAT, WE NEED TO HAVE PRIVATE PARTNERS. AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH 
          [00:20:02]
RIGHT NOW, WE'VE GOT TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH TO DEVELOP THE FIELDS, BUT ALSO DEVELOP THE MORE INTERNAL FACILITIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE PART OF THAT. SO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THAT. BUT YEAH, SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE HAD. 
          AS I MENTIONED, THOSE AREN'T EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DONE. WE JUST THOUGHT WE'D GIVE YOU A TASTE OF WHAT WE'RE BEING, WHAT WE'RE DOING SO FAR. WHAT I'LL D& RIGHT NOW IS I'LL TAKE SOME QUESTIONS. IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OVER THAT FIRST PART, ABOUT THAT FIRST PART, AND THEN WE'LL JUMP INTO TALKING ABOUT OUR HCDC BUDGET. SO IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL TAKEE& THOSE NOW. PERFECT. THANK YOU..& NO QUESTIONS. JUST A COMMENT ON THE. YOU'VE BEEN SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK I SEE Y'ALL AS A WE'RE A TEAM AND YOU KNOW, YOU GET A SUPERSTAR RECEIVER THAT GETS YOU GUYS. YOU KNOW THAT'S Y'ALL MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY I APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL DO FOR US. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE KIND WORDS. HONESTLY NOT JUST THROW BACK AT Y'ALL, BUT WE SAID IT. WE HONESTLY ARE JUST SO WE GET THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING OFF THE MOMENTUM THAT PEOPLE HERE HAVE CREATED BEFORE. IT'S BEEN A LOT OF GOOD BRAINS AND A LOT OF GOOD HEARTS WORKING AT THIS FOR YEARS, AND WE'RE JUST HONESTLY PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO JUMP ON A TRAIN THAT'S ALREADY MOVING. 
          SO THANK YOU, MAYOR. BUT BUT JUST TO THROW IT BACK AT YOU ALL, YOU ALL SET UP THIS TRAIN.& WE GOT TO JUST RIDE IT IN THE WAVE OF PEOPLE FROM IT. BUT THANK YOU MAYOR. I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I SAY, MAYOR, YOU'REE& THE MAYOR. BUT. WHAT'S A MAYOR ALWAYS GOING TO SAY? IT'S JUST YOU. AND SO EDDIE WILL COME AND THOSE THAT ARE THERE. I'M SORRY. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. ADRIANO? NO. OKAY. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. SO GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL EDDIE GARCIA, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE HORIZON CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. AND I REALLY WANT TO ECHO WHAT THE FORMER MAYOR MENTIONED BEFORE. YOU KNOW, THE STAFF HAS BEEN REALLY GREAT TO WORK WITH. YOU KNOW, I'VE REALLY PUSHED THEM T& THE LIMIT. YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING MORE THAN WHAT A TYPICAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION DOES IN TEXAS GOT THEM HEAVILY INVOLVED IN WHAT THE CITY IS DOING BY PURCHASING LAND, BY TALKING TO BROKERS, BY DOING LOIS, TO GETTING A REGIONAL SPORTS PARK READY TOO& ACTIVATE IT HERE SOON BY HIRING& A CONSULTANT TO GO OUT THERE AND TALK TO THE GLOW. YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT THE MONEY THAT YOU'VE INVESTED IN THE EDC THAT WE'RE PUTTING TO WORK FOR YOU ALL. BUT IT'S BEEN GREAT WORKING WITH THE MAYOR. HE'S TAKEN A LOT OF LEADERSHIP IN WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND SO IT'SS& BEEN IT'S BEEN WE'VE BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL, YOU KNOW, EVENN& WORKING WITH THE JAIL, BECAUSE THE JAIL WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH. BUT WE GOT THEM TOO& COME DOWN TO HORIZON CITY. WE ACTUALLY GOT THE LANDD& COMMISSIONER TO COME DOWN AND TALK TO US ABOUT MY STUFF. BUT I'LL MOVE ON WITH THE PRESENTATION. AND BEFORE I START THE PRESENTATION, I REALLY DO WANT TO REMIND YOU HOW THE EDC BUDGET WORKS AND THAT WE'RE FUNDED BY SALES TAX DOLLARS. AND SO TYPICALLY OUR DOLLARS ARE IN ARREARS. SO WE GET DOLLARS EVERY QUARTER OF THE YEAR. AND THEN WE'RE FUNDING OUR BUDGET. WE DO HAVE A SOME DOLLARS WHAT WE CALL OUR RESERVE DOLLARS. BUT THAT KEEPS US AFLOAT UNTIL WE GET MONEY FROM THE STATE TAXES. THE STATE SALES TAXES OKAY. SO THAT'S HOW THAT WORKS. AND SOO& THE OTHER THING THAT THAT I WANT TO PRESENT TO YOU ALL IS THAT FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, SINCE 2021 THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, I'VE ALWAYS PRESENTED A BALANCED BUDGET AND I'VE ALWAYS KEPT IT FLAT. THERE'S A FEW ITEMS THAT I'VE INCREASED, YOU KNOW, LIKE ATTORNEY'S FEES, WATER, LIGHT. THOSE THINGS NATURALLY GO UP. BUT FOR THE MOST PART, EVERYTHING'S BEEN FLAT. AND THEN SALARIES GO UP. SO THE WAY WE DO SALARIES HERE WITH THE EDC IS WE MATCH WHATEVER THE CITY IS PROVIDING TO THEIR EMPLOYEES AND WE DON'T GO UP ABOVE THAT. SO TYPICALLY WE'LL DO THAT UNLESS WE HAVE A CONTRACT THAT WE'RE RENEGOTIATING. AND THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE ON CONTRACT IS ME AND RATHKE. BUT FOR THE MOST PART, WHAT I PRESENT TO YOU IS FLAT. AND SO WITH THAT, WHEN WE& LOOK AT THE SALES TAX REVENUE, I GOT TO TELL YOU THAT THE SALES TAX REVENUE HAD ME WORRIED THERE FOR A WHILE WHEN THIS CONSTRUCTION STARTED, BECAUSE W& WERE STARTING TO FALL BEHIND A LITTLE BIT TOWARDS THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, AND THEN IT STARTED TO PICK UP AGAIN. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE, THIS BAR GRAPH HERE, WE HAVE $550,000 AND THAT IS OF AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2025, WE EXPECT TO SEE ANOTHER $180,000 IN SALES TAXES THAT, AGAIN, ARE IN ARREARS, THAT ARE& GOING TO COME INTO THE REVENUE FUND FOR THE EDC. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE AT ABOUT SEVEN 3740 IN TOTAL REVENUES TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR. OKAY. SO WE'RE NOT BEHIND. YOU KNOW WE'RE CATCHING UP. WE'RE DOING WELL, AND WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO DO EXCEPTIONALLY WELL AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF& EAST LAKE. SO THAT WILL GIVE US 
          [00:25:01]
THE ABILITY TO UTILIZE SOME OF THESE DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE IN THE RESERVE FUND TO WORK ON PROJECTS WITH THE CITY. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE DONE IS MADE SURE THATT& WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEE& CITY. A LOT OF OTHER EDC IN THE& STATE OF TEXAS. THEY KEEP THEIR MONEYS TO THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH WITH COUNCIL, WORKING WITH THE MAYOR. WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UTILIZE THE EDC TO THE FULLEST EXTENTT& FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN HORIZON CITY. AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CAPITAL COSTS AND WE'LL GIVE YOU A BREAKDOWN HERE. 
          SO LAST YEAR WHAT WE DID IS WE HAD THE PURCHASE OF 618,080 THOUSAND. THAT WAS THE PURCHASE OF THE BUILDING. SO WE TOOK THA& OUT OF RESERVES. OKAY, 618, $80,000 CAME OUT OF RESERVES TO& PURCHASE THE BUILDING AND TO PUT TENANT IMPROVEMENT TO DO THE TENANT IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR BUILDING. SO IT'S ALL THE WALLS, ALL THE ELECTRICAL THAT YOU SEE IN THERE THAT CAME OUT OF, OF OUR RESERVE FUND. SO LAST YEARR& BUDGET, LAST YEAR'S BUDGET WAS $872,000. THIS YEAR IT DROPPED DOWN TO 166. SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S AN INCREASE BECAUSE LAST YEAR WE HAD $110,000. BUT THE INCREASE THAT YOU'RE SEEING ISS& REALLY THE $49,000 THAT WE WERE PAYING IN RENT TO OUR PREVIOUS LANDOWNERS. SO THERE'S AN INCREASE. THERE'S AN INCREASE. BUT WE DID IS WE PUT THAT INTO OUR PROJECTS TO OUR INCENTIVES THAT WE'RE WORKING. RIGHT. SO WHEN I DO THE BUDGET, WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS TO UTILIZE THE DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING IN FOR ANY INCENTIVES THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE WITHOUT TOUCHING THE RESERVE FUND, BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO SAVE THAT IN CASE WE HAVE WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH DOLLARS TO& PURCHASE LAND FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, THE REGIONAL PARK OR LAND ACROSS THE STREET. YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE DOLLARS OR THERE'S A MAJOR PROJECT THAT'S COMING INTO HORIZON CITY. THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS TO CONSERVE THOSE DOLLARS. SO I ALWAYS PRESENT A CONSERVATIVE BUDGET T& YOU ALL WHEN WE'RE LOOKING ATT& THOSE DOLLARS. SO THE $49,000 INCREASE THAT YOU SEE THERE, OR THE $50,000 INCREASE THAT YOU SEE, THERE IS JUST 3% INCREASE IN REVENUES THAT WE PROJECT ON THE YEARLY. AND THEN THE $49,000 THAT YOU SAW THERE PREVIOUSLY THAT IS COMING INTO THE EDC. THAT WAS JUST THE LEASE THAT WE& PAID THE PREVIOUS YEAR. AND THEN IN TERMS OF. SO HERE'S JUST ANOTHER BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE HERE. SO NOW WE'RE DOING TEN. THAT'S THE ARMS THE THOSE FOLKS WORK WITH THE WITH FORT BLISS. THEY, THEY, THEY PROMOTE FORT BLISS AND GIVE US A HEADS UP AS TO WHAT'S HAPPENING. THERE'S A ANOTHER BRAC. IFF& THERE'S A NEED FOR APARTMENTS, WE WORK WITH THEM DIRECTLY. THERE'S THE BORDERPLEX ALLIANCE. 
          BORDERPLEX ALLIANCE DOES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE REGION. AND THEN WHAT YOU SAW EARLIER WITH THAT BUILDING THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, WE INCENTIVIZED THAT BUILDING WHERE WHERE WE HAVE OUR OFFICES. AND SO NOW WE HAVE TO START PAYING $29,000 A YEAR FOR THE NEXT FOU& YEARS. AND THEN IT'S OUR INCENTIVES IF THERE'S EVER AN INCENTIVE THAT WE NEED TO DO THIS BUDGET CYCLE, THIS NEXT BUDGET CYCLE, WE HAVE $114,000, AGAIN, TRYING TO KEEP EVERYTHING WITHIN BUDGET. SO TOTAL 166 166 FOR 70. AND AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE THE SALARIES INCREASE. IT'S JUST A NATURAL INCREASE THAT YOU SEE MOVING FORWARD. WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF THIS DATA, BUT I THINK LILY HAS HAS WORKED ON PUTTING IT IN THERE. OUR PAYROLL TAXES OF COURSE HAVE GONE UP. THE ONLY OTHER CHANGE, THE DECREASE IN TRAINING, WENT DOWN BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO EL PASO DAYS& THIS YEAR. SO WE REDUCED THAT AMOUNT. IT WILL GO UP NEXT YEAR. AGAIN, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS INCREASED. THERE'S A DECREASE IN FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT. WE HAD 11,000. 
          AGAIN REMEMBER THAT I WAS MOVIN& A LOT OF MONEY AROUND IN THIS BUDGET BECAUSE WE MOVED, RIGHT? SO WE HAD EXPENSES THAT WE WEREN'T EXPECTING LIKE AN ALARM SYSTEM. RIGHT? WE HAD TO WIRE OUR OUR OFFICES WITH, YOU KNOW, THROUGH ETHERNET. RIGHT. SO THA& WE'D HAVE THAT WE'D HAVE INTERNET IN OUR, IN OUR OFFICES& WE HAVE THE WIRELESS. AND WE HAD TO GO OUT THERE AND BUY A FIREWALL FOR WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING TO PROTECT OUR OFFICES AND AGAIN, FURNITURE. S& THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING AROUND IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE STUFF THAT THAT WE'VE DONE AND THATT& WE'RE STILL DOING. SO WE BOUGHT A LOT OF FURNITURE. ONE OF THEE& THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE INVITE WE INVITE A LOT OF FOLKS OVER TO, TO OUR EDC OFFICES, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE GO IN THERE THAT WE PRESENT THE BEST, OUR BEST, YOU KNOW, T& PEOPLE THAT ARE POTENTIALLY GOING TO INVEST IN HORIZON CITY. WHAT WE HAD BEFORE WAS STUFF THAT WAS DONATED TO THE EDC. AND SO WE ESSENTIALLY GOT RID OF A LOT OF THAT STUFF. BUT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO UP OUR GAME HERE WITH& BECAUSE WE'RE COMPETING AGAINST OTHER PLACES. REMEMBER, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REALLY IS A COMPETITIVE TYPE. DEPARTMENT. THEN CONTRACT. LET ME SEE. I'M JUST GOING FOR THE INCREASE. OF COURSE WORKMAN'S COMP WENT UP. ELECTRICITY IS GOING TO GO UP. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO AIR CONDITIONERS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, TWO HVAC UNITS. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO GAUGE 
          [00:30:03]
THIS YEAR WHAT THAT'S GOING TO DO TO OUR BUDGET. WE JUST SO WE'RE KIND OF ESTIMATING THEIR WASTE DISPOSAL. WE DECREASE THAT BECAUSE WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS GOING TO COST US TO HAVE SOMEBODY PICK UP OUR TRASH, BECAUSE WE HAD THAT AS PART OF OUR CAMP AND OUR OTHER BUILDING WHERE SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD DOO& THAT FOR US. SO NOW WE HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR IT AND WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING HERE. LET'S SEE. SO THERE'S JUST THE LANDD& AND LAND RIGHTS. THAT'S THE $80,000 THAT WE SPENT TO WIRE THE OFFICES, EQUIPMENT, 3000. SO ALL THAT STUFF IS ESSENTIALLY GOING AWAY THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO NEED IT FOR 2026, BECAUSE THAT WAS JUST A MOVE WHEN WE MOVED TO THE OTHER BUILDING PUBLIC RELATIONS INCREASE. AND IT DIDN'T REALLY INCREASE BECAUSE IT WAS IN 2024, IT WAS 43, 43,350. WE DROPPED IT TO 32,805 EIGHT 825, WHICH YOU SEE THERE BECAUSE WE MOVE MONEY AROUND. SO THAT'S THE FINAL NUMBER THAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE& THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REPORTING. BUT IT ORIGINALLY STARTED AS 43 350. BUT AGAIN WE MOVED MONEY TO PAY FOR THESE DIFFERENT THINGSS& LIKE OUR ALARM SYSTEM, OUR WIRING, OUR CABLING. ALL THAT STUFF IS MONEY THAT WE MOVED AROUND. BUT AGAIN, IT'S FLAT. IT'S FLAT FROM THE PREVIOUSS& YEAR. AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR TOTAL BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR, IT'S 698,744. IF YOU ALL REMEMBER THE LAST YEAR WE HAD LIKE 734,000 THAT CAME IN. SO WE'RE WAY BELOW BUDGET, BUT ALL THAT MONEY JUST GOES INTO THE RESERVE FUND. SO WHENEVER WE NEED IT TO, TO CARRY OUT A PROJECT OR SOMETHING THAT THE EDC CAN DO, WE'LL CERTAINLY JUMP IN THERE AND WORK WITH THE MAYOR AND WORK WITH COUNCIL TO MAKEE& SURE THAT WE CAN DO THAT. SO. YOU KNOW, AND JUST TO ECHO WHAT RAFA IS DOING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THESE REAL ESTATE BROKERS THATT& ARE OUT THERE. WE KNOW WE NEED TO WORK WITH, WITH SOME OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT, AND WE'LL KEEP YOU ABREAST OF ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S HAPPENING IN HORIZON CITY. BUT THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. 
          THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE THAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU ALL. AND I'LLL& TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. DO YOU HAVE ANY. THANK YOU SIR. APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? YES, SIR. MR. GARCIA. SURE. WHAT'SS& THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AMOUNT AND INCENTIVES THAT WERE PROVIDED OR THAT WERE PAIDD& THROUGH THE EDC FOR FISCAL YEAR& 25, COMPARED TO OUR PROJECTIONS FOR THIS YEAR? WHAT'S THEE& DIFFERENCE? IS THERE A SECTION THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING HERE? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE INCENTIVES RETAIL INITIATIVES. YEAH. SO YOU KNOW, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE DO KNOW THAT. SO THE REST OF MY BUDGETT& IS FLAT. RIGHT. AND SO WE KNOW WE'RE PROJECTING ABOUT 734,000 MAYBE MORE THIS YEAR. AND SO WHAT I DID, INSTEAD OF JUST LEAVING THAT IN RESERVES, I GAV& MY ROOM. I GAVE MYSELF SOME ROOM AND PUT THAT IN INCENTIVES. SOO& IF I EVER HAVE TO PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE TO SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE IT THERE. I'VE SAVED THAT AWAY. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT A BUDGET THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, A BUDGET IS IN DOLLARS. IT'S JUST& WHAT I CAN SPEND ON THE INCENTIVE. RIGHT? THOSE AREN'T DOLLARS THAT YOU KNOW THAT ARE ACTUALLY THERE. THOSE ARE DOLLARS THAT, LIKE I MENTIONEDD& BEFORE, THAT ARE IN ARREARS OR WE'RE GOING TO GET AT SOME POINT. BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M USING. IF I HAVE TO GIVE AN INCENTIVE TO SOMEONE. BUT THE INCENTIVES, THE WAY THEY WORK IS I NEED TO BRING IT BACK TO YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, AND I'M TRYING T& KEEP MYSELF WITHIN BUDGET. RIGHT. WHAT I'M PROJECTING TO DO THIS YEAR, WITHIN WHAT WE'RE ALLOTTED. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH. SO THAT'S KIND OF IT. YOU KNOW, THE IDEA IS TO& PRESENT A BUDGET WHERE I'M NOT EXCEEDING WHAT WHAT THE REVENUES ARE, WHAT I THINK THE REVENUESS& ARE GOING TO BE THE FOLLOWING YEAR. THE STRONG REVENUES ARE GOING TO THEY'RE GOING TOO& THEY'RE GOING TO GET BETTER, YOU KNOW, AS YOU DEVELOP EASTLAKE, I THOUGHT I'D BE IN A WORSE POSITION BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION. BUT IT'S HELD UP SURPRISINGLY. IT'S HELD UP WITH WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING. BUT YEAH, YOU KNOW, THE INCENTIVESS& DON'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO GO AROUND AND HANDING THESE THINGS OFF, THESE THINGSS& NEED TO COME BACK TO YOU BY STATE LAW. RIGHT? RIGHT. AND YOU'LL YOU'LL GET TO SEE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT RETAIL PROJECT THAT WE WERE WORKING, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE. AND SO A LOT OF THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN OUT 29,000. IT'S THE MATH IS AA& LITTLE WONKY BECAUSE OF THE $49,000 THAT WE THAT WE'RE SAVING NOW BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PAYING A LEASE. OKAY. AND THEN ALSO, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE 10,000 INCREASE FOR THE PUBLIC RELATIONS LINE ITEM. COULD YOU JUST WALK ME THROUGH WHERE WHERE'S THIS YEAR THAT'S GOING TO BE. LET'S SEE. PUBLIC RELATIONS. IT'S GOING TO BE ONN& THE NEXT. SO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS OKAY. SO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS IS SO THE 32,000 THAT YOU SEE THERE, A 25 WAS ORIGINALLY 43,350. BUT WHATT& ENDED UP HAPPENING IS AND THISS& 
          [00:35:03]
IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT INTO THE WEEDS. LAST YEAR WE HAD A MARKETING FIRM THAT WE WORKED WITH, BARRACUDA. RIGHT. AND SO BARRACUDA, THEY FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY. WE HAVEN'T HAD A MARKETING COMPANY UP UNTIL FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, I BELIEVE, WHEN I BROUGHT THAT, THAT APPROVAL TO YOU ALL. BUT SINCE THEN THERE WAS A SAVINGS THERE. AND I UTILIZED THOSE DOLLARS RIGHT TO PAY FOR THE CABLING. THE ALARM SYSTEM ALARM SYSTEM WAS LIKE $5,000. AND YOU ALL SAW THAT WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO YOU. SO IT WAS JUST A WE JUST MOVED DOLLARS AROUND FROM THAT 43,000 THAT WAS THERE. AND SOO& NOW WHAT YOU SEE IS 32,000. SOO& IT'S NOT REALLY AN INCREASE. 
          JUST REMEMBER THAT I'M TRYING TO KEEP EVERYTHING FLAT EXCEPT FOR THINGS THAT I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, LIKE SALARIES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. LIKE ATTORNEYS AND WATER AND SOUP, YOU KNOW, AND POWER AND GAS. THOSE THINGS WILL INCREASE EVERY YEAR. BUT THE REST OF THE STUFF I TRY TO KEEP THAT. OKAY. DOES THAT MAKEE& SENSE? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT REALLY WAS 43,000. BUT JUST THE WAY THE SOFTWARE WORKS, IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS LESS, BUT IT REALLY WASN'T. IT WAS 43,000. BUT WE HAD A WE HAD SOME SAVINGS THERE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A MARKETING FIRM IN PLACE, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OVER THERE. BECAUSE I'M WONDERING WHETHER WE'RE GETTING MORE PR PRODUCTS, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, THE VIDEO YOU SHOWED US FROM PROJECT VIDA, OR& THAT THE SERVICES ARE JUST GOING UP GENERALLY. SO IS IT? YEAH. NO, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. YOU KNOW, AND ACTUALLY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE KEPT THE SAME WE KEPTT& THE SAME CONTRACT ESSENTIALLY WITH THIS MARKETING FIRM. YOU KNOW, AND IT DEPENDS ON HOW WEL& THEY DO. WE MAY INCREASE THOSE DOLLARS BUT NO, EVERYTHING'S FLAT OKAY. EVERYTHING IS FLAT. YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR WHAT IT ISS& THAT WE'RE DOING HERE. AND THAT'S INTENTIONAL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TOO& CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR RESERVE FUND FOR PROJECTS THAT COME INT& HORIZON CITY THAT WE NEED TOO& FUND. RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BEING VERY CONSERVATIVE WITHH& WITH OUR DOLLARS, RIGHT? WE'RE ONLY UTILIZING IT WHAT WE NEED TO. BUT WHEN THAT BIG PROJECT COMES, WE'LL HAVE THE DOLLARS. 
          WE'LL HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT OKAY. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE. SO THAT'S THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT I'M TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WHEN I PROVIDE THESE BUDGETS TO YOU ALL IS TO, AGAIN, BUILD OUR RESERVE FUND, BECAUSE WE JUST SPENT CLOSE TO 700 AND SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS. I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S HIGHLY NEEDED. YOU KNOW, THIS THIS THE EDC HAS BEE& AROUND SINCE 2011. YOU KNOW, IN 2021, I CAME IN AND I THINK THE EDC, WITH THE HELP OF COUNCIL, HAS BEEN VERY FRUITFUL FOR US, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S AN ASSET FOR THE TOWN OF HORIZON CITY I THINK. AWESOME. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. I HAVE A QUESTION. HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DO YOU HAVE INCLUDED IN THE SALARIES? THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THAT I HAVE IS IT'S ME, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT. THREE OKAY. YEAH. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY STRIVE TO DO IS, OFF& COURSE, GET THE GET THE STAFF T, TO GET THEIR CERTIFICATIONS RIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE RAFA THAT'S THE THIRD OR THE SECOND CERTIFIED ECONOMIC DEVELOPER AND ALL OF THIS REGION, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S YOU HAVE TWO, TWO CERTIFIED ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS HERE IN HORIZON CITY, CITY OF E& PASO. AND THEN THERE'S ONE INN& LAS CRUCES. RIGHT? AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH VERONICA HERE. YOU KNOW, SHE MAY GO AT SOME POINT TO CONTRACT, YOU KNOW, UNDER DEVELOP STAFF, NOT HAVEE& HER BE THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT ANYMORE AND MAYBE PROMOTE HER A& SOME POINT. YOU KNOW, SHE'S WORKING ON GETTING HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE, BUT IT'S PROVIDING OPPORTUNITY TOO& EVERYBODY. YOU KNOW, WHAT THEYY& WANT TO DO IS CONTINUE TO MOVE UP. THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY THAT& I WANT TO PROVIDE FOR US. OKAY. 
          AND THEY'RE ALL FULL TIME. THEY'RE ALL FULL TIME. YES,,& MA'AM. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT. YES, SIR. IT IS. I WISH I HAD WORDS TO EXPLAIN T& COUNCIL. TO HELP YOU APPRECIATE JUST EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF TALENT WE HAVE AT EDC. EVERY MEETING I GO TO DOWNTOWN, IF WE'RE IN EL PASO, IF WE'RE IN ONE OF THE SMALLER MUNICIPALITIES, IF I'M IN, YOU KNOW, MARFA, IF I'M FARTHER ALONG LAS CRUCES, EVERYBODY ALWAYS COMPLIMENTS US. 
          THE TOWN ON HAVING SUCH TALENTED INDIVIDUALS HERE FOR OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE AMOUN& OF EXPERIENCE THAT THESE TWOO& GENTLEMEN HAVE AND VERONICA AS WELL. IT'S PHENOMENAL. THEY THEY HAVE HELPED MOVE THIS CITY FORWARD THESE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE INN& THIS POSITION. THEY HAVE HELPED ME LEARN BECAUSE THE LEARNING CURVE IS, IS PHENOMENAL. AND THEY HAVE MADE IT SO EASY FOR THE CITY TO MOVE FORWARD, TOO& WORK WITH AND TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH OTHER ENTITIES IN THE AREA. SO I HOPE YOU ALL APPRECIATE EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF TALENT WEE& 
          [00:40:04]
HAVE. LIKE HE SAID, THESE ARE THE ONLY TWO CERTIFIED IN IN THE COUNTY, AND WE HAVE THEM HERE IN HORIZON CITY. EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY COMES TO US AND SAYS, HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO GET BOTHH& OF THEM OUT HERE IN HORIZON CITY? I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT HOW THAT HAPPENED, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO QUESTION IT. I'M JUST GLAD THAT IT DID HAPPEN, YOU KNOW? SO PLEASE UNDERSTAND. AND WHEN IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, GO OVER TO EDC, GO SIT WITH THEM, UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY DO. BECAUSE WHAT WHAT MR. ARELLANO SHOWED YOU HERE IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG OF WHAT THEY DO ON A DAILY BASIS TO GET THINGS MOVING HERE IN HORIZON CITY. SO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR WORKING WITH ME AND TEACHING ME ALONG THE WAY. I KNOW YOU'VE HAD TOO& PULL ME THROUGH, YOU KNOW WITH YOU. BUT BUT THANK YOU. AND I DO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU GUYS DO FOR HORIZON CITY. REALLY REALLY I DO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR SUPPORTIN& US. REALLY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE COULDN'T DO WHAT WHAT IT IS THAT WE DO WITHOUT WITHOUT YOU ALL SO CLEAR. YES, SIR. SO ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? NO MOTION TO APPROVE. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? AND WE HAVE A SECOND. COULD YOU PLEASE PULLL& THE COUNCIL? ORTEGA I QUIROS I ORTEGA. HI, AVILA. HI, AMES. HI. 
          HI, MENDOZA. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU SIR, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE 
          [7. Discussion and Action]
APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. HEY, ON TO& ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. THIS IS A DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM. THIS IS ON THE WORKSHOP ON THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2526. THERE'S A LITTLE TYPO THERE. 
          BUDGET. DO WE HAVE TO DO WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO. THAT'S WHAT II& WANT TO KNOW. GOOD EVENING..& COUNCIL LILY GAITAN, FINANCE DIRECTOR. JUST TO BEGIN WITH, JUST AS A REMINDER OF WHAT OUR SCHEDULE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR ORDINANCE INTRODUCTIONS ON AUGUST 12TH. THAT'S THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. AND THEN ON THE 26TH, WE'LL HAVE THE BUDGET HEARING, AND ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, WE'LL HAVE THE TAX RATE, PUBLIC HEARINGS AND THE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET AS WELL. SO THE COMPONENTS OF THE BUDGET, THE OPERATING BUDGET INCLUDE THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH PROVIDES FOR FUNDING ON THE PROPERTY TAXES, SALES TAXES AND FRANCHISE FEES, PERMITS AND OTHER REVENUES FORR& THE MAINTENANCE AND EXISTING OF EXISTING FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT. DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS CONDUCTED BY THE TOWN OF STAFF. THE DEBT SERVICE PROVIDES FUNDING VIA TAX REVENUE FOR INTEREST ON OUTSTANDING DEBT WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR, AND PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS ON THE DEBT DUE WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR, AND OTHER COSTS ASSOCIATED SUCH AS WIRING FEES, BOND INSURANCE, AND PAYING AGENT FEES. THE STREET FUND PROVIDES FUNDING VIA A QUARTER CENT SALES TAX FOR MAINTENANCE OF STREETS EXISTING& AT THE TIME OF THE VOTER REFERENDUM. INITIAL VOTE IN 201& AND WAS RENEWED IN 2017, MAY OF 2021 AND THIS YEAR IN MAY OF 2025. THE TRANSPORTATION REINVESTMENT ZONE FUND IS FUNDING FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENT VIA TAXES FOR PROPERTY ON PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS. EXCUSE ME WITH WITHIN THE ZONE AND THE SPECIAL EVENT FUND PROVIDES FOR AA& HOLIDAY EVENT SPONSORED BY THEE& TOWN. THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE REVENUES EXPENDITURES BY FUND. AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR REVENUES ARE TOTALING $16,532,000. OUR EXPENDITURE EXPENDITURES AT THIS TIME EXCEEDING OUR REVENUES, ARE 17,110,155. WE ARE OUT OF BALANCE ON THE BUDGET OF $577,000. NOT NOT UNUSUAL FOR US. THIS IS OUR FIRST DRAFT, SO WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THOSE NUMBERS TO REDUCE THE EXPENSES AND FIND MORE REVENUE. IF ALL ELSE FAILS, WE'LL USE SOME OF OUR PRIOR YEAR SURPLUS FOR THE EXPENSES. NON PAYROLL RELATED EXPENSES WERE HELD AT FISCALL& YEAR 2025 LEVEL OR INCREASED ONLY AS NECESSARY BASED ON HISTORY OR PLANNED CHANGES. THE SALARY SCHEDULE FOR ALL OFFICERS COVERED BY THE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN INCORPORATED IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET. THERE'S A 3% ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASE TO SALARIES FOR OTHERS THAT ARE ALL OTHERS, THOSE WHICH ARE THE ONES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE CBA, WHICH USUALLY IS OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. THERE'S NO INCREASE TOO& THE EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFIT ASSUMED BECAUSE WE'RE PENDING OUR FINAL RATES ON THE HEALTH INSURANCE. AND THE BUDGET INCLUDES A PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE MATCH RATIO ON THE TEAMSTERS PENSION PLAN FROM 1 TO 5 TO 2 TO 1, WHICH MEANS THAT THE EMPLOYER MATCH WOULD BE FROM ONE TO 1 TO 
          [00:45:03]
5, $1.1 TO ONE AND A HALF DOLLARS TO EACH DOLLAR TO $2 FOR EACH DOLLAR THE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTES. WITH THIS CHANGE, THE MATCH RATIO INCREASES FOR THE CITY FROM 5.60 TO 6.66. NOW, 5.60 IS A IS THE RATE THAT THE CITY ADOPTED. THE RECOMMENDED RATE BY TMRS IS ACTUALLY 5.04. 
          WE OPTED TO INCREASE THAT BECAUSE OUR LIABILITY WAS TOO LOW. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THA& WE WERE PAYING INTO THE PLANS A& MUCH AS POSSIBLE, SO WE INCREASED THE RATE TO 5.6 LAST YEAR AND THE YEAR BEFORE THAT. WE'RE PROPOSING THE CHANGE TOO& THE MATCH RATIO. SO THE RATE WILL GO UP TO 6.66, AN UNUSUALL& NUMBER, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT IS. THE BUDGET INCLUDES TWO NEW POSITIONS A PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND ACCOUNTANT, TWO FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. THERE WERE ADDITIONAL REQUESTS FOR POSITIONS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH ARE STILL UNDER REVIEW. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE REQUESTS FOR INCREASES IN IN EXISTING SALARIES FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL, AND THOSE ARE ALSO UNDER REVIEW. IN THE REVENUES. THE 5% INCREASE TO THE ANNUALIZED REVENUES FOR IS FOR SALES TAX. THE FRANCHISE FEES MOST ARE BASED ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 REVENUES. BOTH OF THOSE HAVE BEEN DECREASING INN& THE LAST TWO YEARS. SO WE WENTT& DOWN ON THOSE AMOUNTS. AND THEN& THE REVENUES WERE, PER THE CURRENT AGREEMENTS. WE DON'T HAVE THE FINAL AGREEMENTS YET ON THOSE TWO, AND THOSE ARE BASED ON THE AVERAGE COST OF EACH COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST. THE BUILDING PERMITS WERE REVENUES ARE BASED ON ESTIMATED YEAR END 2025 REVENUES, AND INCLUDES THE ESTIMATED FEES OF 500 NEW HOMES PREDICTED TO BE BUILT IN FISCAL YEAR 2026. THE CITATIONS AND FEES REVENUES WERE BASED ON 2025 ANNUALIZED REVENUES, AND THE MISCELLANEOUS REVENUES WERE BASED ON FISCAL YEAR 2025 ANNUALIZED REVENUES. THIS ALSO INCLUDES THE VECTOR REVENUE OF 32,616. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUND, THIS IS OUR SUMMARY FOR THE REVENUE. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PROPERTY TAXES MAKE UP 49.9% OF OUR REVENUE. SALES TAXES OF 25.9%. AND THE REMAINING ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 25% COMES FROM THE OTHER FEESS& THAT WE COLLECT FRANCHISE FEES, BUILDING PERMITS, CITATIONS, FEES, AND ETC. OUR EXPENDITURES& BY FUNCTION, OF COURSE, SALARIE& AND BENEFITS ARE AT 66.7% OF THE TOTAL. OUR PERSONNEL SERVICESS& ARE 1.9%. THE OTHER HIGH EXPENSES, MAINTENANCE EXPENSE AND 1.3. THAT MAKES UP 11.4% OF& THE TOTAL BUDGET AND CONTRACTED SERVICES OF 1.2 MILLION OF 10.3% OF THE BUDGET. THIS IS A PIE CHART. SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO SEE VISUALS MORE THAN THEY LIKE TO SEE TABLES. SO HER& YOU GO. SO THIS SHOWS THAT OUR SALARIES ARE 61%. DEBT SERVICE IS 2% OF OUR TOTAL EQUIPMENT IS AT 3%, CONTRACTED SERVICES ARE AT TEN. MAINTENANCE EXPENSES 11%, PROFESSIONAL FEES AT SEVEN AND OTHERS OTHER FEES 5%. THESE ARE THE COMPONENTS OF THE TAX RATE. THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TAX RATE IS FOR EXISTING FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT. DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS CONDUCTED BY TOWN STAFF. THE INS IS THE INTEREST IN SINKING FUNDS AND THE INTEREST ON DEBT DUE WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR AND PRINCIPAL PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS ON OUTSTANDING OUTSTANDING DEBT DUE WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR. THESE ARE OUR TOTALS FOR 2025 VALUES. 
          THIS IS PROVIDED BY THE TAX OFFICE. THESE ARE THE VALUES. AND IF YOU CAN SEE. WE'RE BASING OUR WE'RE BASING OUR PROPERTY TAXES ON THIS NUMBER RIGHT HERE, WHICH IS THE TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE IN THE IN THE OF ALL THE PROPERTY. AND THEN THE NEW PROPERTY THIS YEAR IS THIS $42 BILLION. THAT'S HOW MUCH WE GREW FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT. THIS& IS A TABLE THAT SHOWS YOU THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE 25 AND 26 TAX RATES. OUR PROPERTY VALUATION WENT UP BY 8.8%, AND OUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE ALWAYSS& GOING TO GO UP BY OR ACTUALLY DECREASE BY 0.42%. OUR DEBT SERVICE IS GOING TO GO DOWN BY 11.44%. SO IN TOTAL, OUR TAX RATE IS GOING TO GO DOWN BY 
          [00:50:01]
4.20%. THE TOTAL TOTAL PROPERTY& TAX IS EXPECTED TO BE RAISED. WITH THIS TAX RATE IS $9,223,000. OUR NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS 0.53 TO 0.5360205, AND OUR VOTER APPRAISAL RATE IS VOTER APPROVAL RATE IS 5.35368. IF YOU LOOK AT DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS TABLE DOWN HERE, OOPS, YOU'LL SEE A COMPARISON O& THE AVERAGE VALUE OF HOME. IN 2025, THE VALUE WAS 193,005 22. 
          THIS YEAR, THE AVERAGE HOME IS 206,000. THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 12.975 12,975. EXCUSE ME. AND THEN THE TAX RATE, THE TAXES LAST YEAR ON ON THIS HOME THE AVERAGE VALUE HOME WAS $1,000.62 82. THIS YEAR WILL BE 1105. AND THE DIFFERENCE IS $23.03. THISS& TABLE. OOPS. OKAY. TOO MANYY& BUTTONS. SORRY. AT THE BOTTOMM& YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S ALSO A COMPARISON THAT WE GIVE YOU ON. 
          MAKE THAT WORK. EXCUSE ME ON THE ON THE LOW END. IF IT'S A $70,000 HOME THE. TAXES ARE GOING TO GO DOWN BY $16.73. AND ON THE HIGH END, IF THE HOME IS VALUED AT 300,000, THE TAXES WILL GO DOWN BY 71.99% DOLLARS. SORRY. I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ON THESE ITEMS. ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. YES. ACTUALLY, CAN WE GO BACK TO THE FRANCHISE FEES? I'M SORRY, CANN& WE GO BACK TO THE FRANCHISE FEES? OKAY. FRANCHISE FEES. FRANCHISE FEES. OKAY. 
          DO YOU WANT TO SEE IT ON THE TABLE? YES. OR I THINK ON OUR TABLET, OUR BOOK THAT YOU GAVE US. I'M SORRY. I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT THE FRANCHISE FEES ARE DECREASING. SO PAGE SEVEN IS THE BETTER. THERE YOU GO. THERE WE GO. LOSE THE SALES TAX. THE SALES TAX. IT WASN'T THE FRANCHISE FEES THAT WERE DECREASING. OKAY, I MISUNDERSTOOD THEN. THANK YOU. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT. SO WHAT'S THE WHAT WAS THE. THE INCREASE. 
          SO FOR THE TMRS RATIO MATCH WE WENT FROM A LITTLE OVER 5% TOO& NOW THAT 6.66 NUMBER. WHAT WAS THE RATIO FOR FISCAL YEAR 24. THE 1.5 TO 1 ONE POINT. OKAY. AND THE REASON THAT WE DECIDED TO LOOK AT THAT IS, IS MAINLY T& FOR RETENTION. WE WANT TO KEEPP& OUR STAFF, WE WANT TO ATTRACT NEW STAFF. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE COMPONENTS THAT WE HAVE. OTHER THAN THAT WE PAY FOR ALL THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS. THE TMRS RECENTLY CAME UP WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY INCREAS& THE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION RATE TO 8%. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT DREW STARTED THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN LLVM AND THE MAYOR AND MYSELF. WE WANTED TO SEE IF WEE& CAN DO ANYTHING FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, NOT NECESSARILY GO UP TO THE 8%, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE UNREACHABLE FOR US. BUT WE WANTED TO SEE IF WE COULD IMPROVE. WE COULD IMPROVE ON THE ON THE EXISTING PLAN. AS WE WORKED OUT, YOU KNOW, DO WE GO, YOU KNOW, 7% FOR THE EMPLOYEE? DO WE GO TO 6% BY THE EMPLOYEE? IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THE CITY AT THIS TIME. SO WE DECIDED TO GO WITH KEEPING THE EMPLOYEES CONTRIBUTION RATE AT 5%, BUT INCREASING THE MATCH TO 2 TO 1, SO THAT AT LEAST THEY WOULD GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THEIR PLAN. WITH THE PLAN BEING THAT WE WOULD INCREASE THAT RATIO AS TIME GOES ON AND OUR REVENUES INCREASE. WHAT'S THE RATIO FOR CITY OF EL PASO? DO WE KNOW THAT? DO NOT KNOW I DON'T KNOW OKAY, I DON'T KNOW. AND SO AGAIN THAT INCREASE IS JUST TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE AND MAKE SURE WE RETAIN OUR EMPLOYEES OKAY. RIGHT NOW CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE ELVIA HERE SHE SHE CONTRIBUTES OR $6 OR $6. $6 CONTRIBUTE 12. SO 2 TO 1. TO MOVE OVER HERE. 
          ONE OVER HERE. SO THE OPPORTUNITY THERE WAS FOR THEM TO CONTRIBUTE MORE, THE POSSIBILITY OF EMPLOYEES TOO& CONTRIBUTE MORE AT THAT 8%. THE ISSUE THERE IS TO FIND OUT 
          [00:55:03]
WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY, THE CITY'S LIABLE LIABLE FOR THAT. NOW THERE'S A LIABILITY THAT COMES WITH THAT INCREASE BECAUSE NOW THAT MATCH FOR THE CITY IS GREATER. SO THAT'S WHERE THE CONVERSATION STARTED. SO WE HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY. THIS HAPPENED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. WE HAD A MEETING WITH TMRS AND THEY EXPLAINED ALL OF THIS. BUT AGAIN BY BY DOING THAT NOW THE CITY'S LIABILITIES GO UP. SO WE WEREE& LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT WAYS TO BE ABLE TO MAYBE REACH THAT OR INCREASE THAT SOMEHOW. BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE LIABILITIES ARE GOING TO INCREASE FOR THE CITY, BUT AT NOT SUCH A GREAT AMOUNT. ONCE EMPLOYEES ARE VESTED AT FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE. 
          SO WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES THAT CONTRIBUTE OR MATCH? 100%? IT'S MANDATORY. 
          IT'S A MANDATORY CONTRIBUTION. EVERYBODY HAS TO CONTRIBUTE AT 100%, AT 5% OF THEIR OF THEIR GROSS WAGES. YOU WERE MENTIONING ABOUT THE ABOUT THE REQUIRED RATE VERSUS THE RATE THAT YOU ALL ARE AT. IS IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN UNDERFUNDED BALANCE IN THE. IT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. OUR LIABILITY WAS NOT BEING MET. YEAH. DO YOU HAVE AN LIKE AN DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE UNDERFUNDED BALANCE IS? I'M JUST CURIOUS. I DON'T REMEMBER BECAUSE THE LAST TIME WE LOOKED AT IT WAS WHEN WE DID OUR IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION ACTUALLY BY THE CONSULTANTS, THE STANDARD AND POOR CONSULTANTS THAT WERE GIVING OUR RATE ON OUR LAST BOND ISSUE. AND HAD THEY NOT NOTICED THAT, WE WOULD PROBABLY WOULD HAVE KEPT ON GOING WITHOUT REALIZING IT. YEAH, WE PROBABLY INCREASED IT A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WE NEED TO, BUT WE WANT TO& GET AHEAD OF THE LIABILITY. WEE& DON'T WANT TO BE HAVING A NEGATIVE LIABILITY OR HAVING TO& FUND IT LATER. WE CAN GET AHEAD OF IT AND THAT'S WHERE IT'S PUT US. NOW WE HAVE THE ABILITY TOO& GO JUST 6.66% RATHER THAN ANY MORE THAN THAT. AND I THINK IT BECOMES A CHALLENGE TOO. AS YOU ADD MORE EMPLOYEES, YOU'RE UNDERFUNDED. AND THEN IF YOU HAVE MORE RETIREES THAT A LOT OF THOSE THINGS FACTOR INTO THAT UNDERFUNDED AND YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW UNTIL YOU GO TO DO THE RENEWAL AND THEN DETERMINE AND THEN ADD IT TO THAT. A LOT OFF& OUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE REALLY YOUNG. YEAH. SO THAT'S A THAT'S& A LONG TERM COMMITMENT, RIGHT..& BY THE TIME THEY RETIRE, WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHERE THAT WE MEET THAT NOT NOT ONLY IN POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THATT& HAVE THE MOST EMPLOYEES, BUT THEN WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THATT& WE MEET THAT LIABILITY LONG TERM AS WELL. AND THE WAY THAT THIS FUND WORKS IS IT WHERE IF THEY DON'T MAKE IT TO RETIREMENT,,& THEY KEEP THEIR OWN, THEIR OWN FUNDS STAY IN THERE, BUT THEY DON'T GET THE CITY. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. THAT'S CORRECT. AND IF THEY LEAVE, THEY THEYY& HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE OUT WHAT THEY'VE CONTRIBUTED. OKAY, OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MISS GAITAN? WHAT'S THE TOTAL NUMBER& OF FULL TIME EMPLOYEES HERE IN THE CITY? BUDGETED? 9797. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SO IS THAT ANY QUESTIONS? SCISSORS. ROCK. PAPER. SCISSORS. WHO'S UP? WHO DO YOU WANT UP? YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HOLDD& THEM. OR FORCE THEM. I MEAN, THAT'S UP TO YOU ALL. UNLESS IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS I MEAN, WE CAN. YOU KNOW, I HAD A FEW MORE QUESTIONS FOR MISS GAITAN. YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR MISS CHRISTINE. OKAY. SO. SO THIS KEEP IN MIND. SO THIS IS OUR FIRST DRAFT, OKAY. AND WEE& CAN HAVE EACH DEPARTMENT COME U& HERE IF YOU ALL HAVE QUESTIONS OR IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION FOR DEPARTMENT HEAD, THEN WE CAN HAVE THEM COME UP. THIS IS THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS. I DO WANT COUNCIL TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS FIRST DRAFT. SO NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE HERE ARE AND MORE THAN LIKELY WILL CHANGE OKAY. AS MISS MISS GAITAN HAD HAD PRESENTED. WE ARE IN A DEFICIT RIGHT NOW CURRENTLY OF $577,876. WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, WE WERE RIGHT AT 1,000,901, 901,000. SO. SO AS THESE WEEKS HAVE GONE BY, WE'VE WE'VE CUT 
          [01:00:01]
WHERE WE NEEDED TO. WE'VE TAKEN SOME ITEMS OUT. BUT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROCESS FOR THE CITY ITSELF. RIGHT. WE ARE TRYING TO& GET AS CLOSE TO A BALANCED BUDGET AS POSSIBLE. RIGHT? WE ARE VERY CLOSE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, AT THIS POINT LAST YEAR, I THINK WE WERE A LITTLE HIGHER AND WE WERE CLOSER TO THE $750,000 IF I'M IF I'M CORRECT. SO WE'RE DOING VERY WELL AND STAFF HERE. EACH DEPARTMENT HAS DONE A FANTASTIC JOB OF GETTING THE INFORMATION TO MISS GAITAN TO PUT ALL OF THIS TOGETHER. SO BUT NOW REALLY, PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT THESE NUMBERS MORE THAN LIKELY WILL CHANGE. SO IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON ON WHY THINGS ARE DONE IN A CERTAIN WAY, WE CAN PROBABLY ANSWER THAT. BUT IF YOU'RE ASKING SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNTS, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND WE CAN WE WILL ANSWER THOSE. BUT THOSE NUMBERS MAY CHANGE. OKAY. JUST FOR THIS NEXT MEETING THAT WE DO HAVE. COOL. ALL RIGHT. SO, MISS GAITAN, I'M SORRY, ALDERMAN. 
          MISS. I'M WONDERING SO UNDER THE REVENUES WE SEE THERE'S OTHER INCOME AND THEN OTHER. AND SO OTHER IS DEFINED AS CITATION AND FEES, INTEREST INCOME AND THEN TRANSFER INCOME. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OTHER AND OTHER INCOME FOR OUR REVENUE BY TYPE. WHAT PAGE ARE YOU LOOKING AT. THAT'S GOING TO BE TAB PAGE& EIGHT. ON THE TABLE. YOU'RE LOOKING AT& THE TABLE. YES. I SEE OTHER INCOME. AND YOU SAID THERE WAS ANOTHER OTHER INCOME. YES. SO WHAT ACTUAL IS I DON'T HAVE PAG& EIGHT. WE'RE UNDER TAB TWO. IT'& GOING TO. SO THERE'S OTHER INCOME WHICH IS THE 9% NUMBER. AND THEN FOR OTHER WITH THE ASTERISK THAT ONE WOULD BE CITATION FEES INTEREST INCOME TRANSFER INCOME. SO I'M WONDERING WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE OPERATING BUDGET. OPERATING BUDGET. YES. I DON'T SEE THAT. I'M SORRY. OTHER INCOME. INTEREST INCOME I THINK INTEREST INCOME, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, YOU'RE REFERRING TOO& THE PIE CHART, BUT I DON'T SEE TWO LINES FOR OTHER INCOME. I DON'T EITHER, I JUST SEE OTHER. FOR THE 3% HOW IT HAS A STAR NEXT TO OTHER. HE'S REFERRING T& THE PIE CHART. IT JUST SAYS INDICATES THE PIE CHART. YES, SIR. I'M SORRY. THE PIE CHART IS REFERRING TO THOSE ITEMS THATT& ARE WITH THE ASTERISK IN THE IN THE TABLE BELOW. SO IT'S CITATIONS AND FEES, INTEREST INCOME AND TRANSFER INCOME. AND SO FOR IT'S GOING TO BE THE 12345 FOR THE SIXTH LINE ITEM LABELED OTHER INCOME. WHAT IS THAT OTHER INCOME. THAT OTHER INCOME IS THE INCOME THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH ESD NUMBER ONE. AND NUMBER TWO, TO SUPPLEMENT THE DISPATCH DEPARTMENT'S STAFF AND BENEFITS. I BELIEVE ONE OF THEM& IS ABOUT 400,035, AND THOSE ARE BASED ON CURRENT RATES. AS I SAID, WE DON'T HAVE THE FINAL AND THE OTHER ONE IS ABOUT $300,000. I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT THE OTHER. I WROTE ALL MY NOTES DOWN ON YOUR MEMO AND THE& I FORGOT THE DOCUMENT, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE OTHER COMPONENT WAS. I BELIEVE IT WAS THE IT WAS IN THE BUILDING PERMITS OR SOMETHING ELSE. IF I CAN GET BACK TO YOU, I'LL SENDD& YOU THAT EMAIL. YEAH. I CAN'T REMEMBER AT THIS TIME. AND THEN& I NOTICED $24,000 PROJECTED DECREASE FOR REVENUE FOR CITATION AND FEES. MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION FOR OUR POLICE CHIEF, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING. WHAT SPECIFIC. OR I'LL WAIT TILL YOU GET UP THERE. CHIEF. SO FOR THE $24,250 DECREASE UNDER REVENUE LABELED CITATION AND FEES, WHAT SPECIFIC CITATION TYPES OR FEE CATEGORIES ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE DECLINE? YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S A QUESTION. OKAY, COOL. I'M SORRY. MARCO. WHAT'S THE CITATION FEES THAT ARE COLLECTED BY THE COURT SYSTEM THAT'S OPERATING BUDGET. SO IT'S A 24,000 TICKETS AND THEN ANY FEES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED STATE FEESS& THAT WE HAVE TO COLLECT THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE CITATIONS AS WELL. AND THEN AND THAT'S JUST BASED ON WHAT WE SEE FROMM& THE PRIOR YEAR THAT THEY'VE THEY'VE DECREASED AS WELL. OKAY. SO THAT WASN'T BASED OFF OF ANY PARTICULAR CHANGE IN POLICY. 
          IT'S JUST THAT IT'S TRENDING TO& THE TREND. EXACTLY. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT I LOOKED AT WHAT WE 
          [01:05:03]
BUDGETED LAST YEAR, AND IT WAS PROBABLY A LITTLE TOO HIGH BASED ON THE CURRENT DATA. SO I DECREASED THE NUMBER OF THOSE REVENUE SOURCES THIS YEAR. THANK YOU MISS. AND THEN MAYOR, IS IT& EASIER IF WE'RE GOING DOWN THE LINE FOR DEPARTMENTS OR ARE THEY GOING TO ARE WE GOING TO BE PRESENTED THEM SEPARATELY? THAT'S UP TO YOU ALL. I MEAN, AGAIN, IF YOU IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS FOR US, IF RATHER IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS, THEN WE CAN GO AHEAD AND CALL THEM UP. 
          DEPENDING ON WHAT QUESTIONS YOU DO HAVE. THIS IS VERY THIS IS A FORMAL, INFORMAL KIND OF KIND OF WORKSHOP HERE OKAY. SO AND AGAIN THAT'S WHY THIS IS CALLED A WORKSHOP. SO THAT WAY IF YOU DO& HAVE QUESTIONS FOR A CERTAIN DEPARTMENT THEN YOU CAN CALLL& THEM UP. OKAY COOL. SO IF ANYBODY HAS A QUESTION LET ME KNOW. IS THERE ANYBODY ANY OTHER FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR. THE BOSS IS I& THE HOUSE. THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO ASK HER QUESTIONS OKAY. SO THANK YOU, MISS BENTON. SO DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR ANY DEPARTMENTS? COULD WE START WITH PUBLIC SAFETY? PUBLIC SAFETY? YES, SIR. SO I ACTUALLY HAVE THREE DEPARTMENTS UNDER ME. SO PUBLIC PUBLIC SAFETY PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCH AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OKAY I'M ON TAB THREE PAGE 13 UNDER PUBLIC SAFETY. SO WE SEE A $27,590 INCREASE FOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE. IS THAT JUST WE'VE PURCHASED ADDITIONAL VEHICLES THAT REQUIRE MAINTENANCE OR MAINTENANCE OVERALL IS JUST INCREASING. SO YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT. THERE'S A VARIETY OF FACTORS THAT KIND OF PLAY INTO THAT. OBVIOUSLY OUR FLEET HAS BEEN INCREASING. THE OTHER ISSUE, OTHER MAJOR ISSUE THAT WE HAD IS WE HAD THE CITYY& OF EL PASO THAT USED TO SERVICE& OUR VEHICLES, AND THEY WOULD NOT SEND US THE INVOICE FOR THE SERVICES. SO, COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING, LAST YEAR WE SPENT A LOT LESS BECAUSE WE NEVER RECEIVED THE INVOICES. SO NOW WE'RE TRYING TO PLAY CATCH UP WITH WITH THOSE INVOICES. AND SO WAS THAT JUST A ONE TIME THING THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR OR ISS& THAT SOMETHING. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. BECAUSE IN 2024 OUR ACTUAL BUDGET WAS 73,600 AND 568. AND FOR THIS YEAR, WE'RE ACTUALLY REQUESTING 83,723. THAT'S ABOUT GIVE OR TAKE $10,000 MORE FROM WHERE? FROM WHERE OUR ORIGINAL WHAT WHAT OUR I GUESS. PROPOSED OR EXPECTED EXPENDITURES WERE FOR THAT YEAR. AND SO I KNOW THIS BUDGET DOESN'T INCLUDE IT, BUT ARE YOU PLANNING TO MAKE ADDITIONAL HIRES TO THE DEPARTMENT, PURCHASE ADDITIONAL VEHICLES? DO EVERY YEAR? YEAH, THAT'S UNDER REVIEW OKAY. IT'S UNDER FURTHER REVIEW. THE PUBLIC SAFETY WORLD. RIGHT? RIGHT. YES. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. WE'RE CURRENTLY REVIEWING THAT RIGHT NOW. QUICK QUESTION. YES, SIR. AS FAR AS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, IS IT THE ONLY DEPARTMENT THAT HAS LEASED VEHICLES OR DO WE HAVE OTHER DEPARTMENTS? WE HAVE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ALSO HAVE THE LEASE. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. OKAY, CHIEF. GOOD QUESTION. SOO& THE MAINTENANCE YOU MENTIONED, WE ARE CURRENTLY ASKING EL PASO TO MAINTAIN OUR VEHICLES. BUT WE WERE, SIR. YEAH. WE. YEAH. NOT ANYMORE. BECAUSE WE HADN'T UPDATED OUR CONTRACT WITH THEM SINCE 2012. OKAY. SO THEY THEY APPROACHED US AGAIN, SAID HEY,,& WE NEED TO UPDATE OUR CONTRACT. BUT OBVIOUSLY NOW AT A MUCH, MUCH HIGHER PRICE THAN WE HAD BUDGETED. SO RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE USING IS A IS A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, A REGION, A REGION 19 WITH A SUPER EIGHT ON AUDIT GEORGE DIETER. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE USING FOR OUR SERVICE FOR OUR VEHICLE SERVICES RIGHT NOW. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE WE TALKING LIKE PM? YES, SIR. OIL CHANGES ANYTHING MECHANICAL THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND HAVE WE LOOKED INTO& THE POSSIBILITY OF DOING THIS IN-HOUSE. I'M SORRY SIR IS YOUR. 
          YEAH. YES. I THAT THAT THAT'S THAT'S ALWAYS, THAT'S ALWAYS THE OBVIOUSLY THE IDEA IS TO HAVE SOMEBODY IN-HOUSE TO SERVICE OUR VEHICLES. I THINK AT THIS AT THIS TIME OUR FLEET ISN'T I GUESS AS BIG. SO WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH WORK FOR, FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL. BUT THATT& THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT THAT'S DEFINITELY AND WE DEFINITELY PLAN FOR. I KNOW THE MAYOR AND I TALKED ABOUT GETTING A LOCAL RFP GOING HERE IN THE AREA SO THAT OUR VEHICLES CAN BE 
          [01:10:03]
SERVICED HERE LOCALLY. WE'D LIKE WE'D LIKE TO KEEP IT IN HORIZON. YEAH, YEAH, WE'D LIKE TO SPEND MY MONEY HERE. YES, YES. YEAH. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT, THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS FINDING SOMEBODY THAT'S ABLE TO DO THE WORK. THAT'S THAT'S THE HARD PART. SO WE'RE COMPLETELY OPEN TO IT. BUT WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE A GARAGE HERE THAT HAS THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND NOT TO GET TOO MUCH INTO THE WEEDS. BUT I THINK PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO& OR WHAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IS WHEN THESE VEHICLES GO EVEN TOO& GEORGE, DIETER OR PM, HOW LONG IS THE TURNAROUND TIME? WELL, ACTUALLY, SURPRISINGLY, A SUPER EIGHT HAS BEEN PRETTY HELPFUL FOR US. GIVE, GIVE OR TAKE ABOUT AN HOUR. 15 HOUR 30. REALLY? YES, SIR. LET THE FIRE DEPARTMENT LEARN FROM THIS. WELL, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CITY, WE DROP THEM OFF THERE AT THE YARBOROUGH YARD AND WE'D WAITT& THREE, FOUR DAYS. WOW. YES, SIR. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROMM& COUNCIL? YEAH, THIS IS A GOOD QUESTION FOR THE OIL CHANGE. YES, YES. YES, MA'AM. YEAH. 
          WE'RE HERE. YES, MA'AM. AND LIK& I SAID, WE THE MAYOR AND I KIND& OF TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PUTTING AN RFP, LOCAL RFP TO AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GOING TO SAVE US MUCH MORE TIME WITH THE TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH. YES. THANK YOU. DO YOU ANTICIPATE BUYING NEW VEHICLES OR. WELL, YES. YES SIR. AND IT'S GOING TO BE AN ITEM THAT'S GOING TO COME UP IN NEXT TUESDAY'S MEETING REGARDING THE PURCHASE OF TWO VEHICLES. BUT WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED A LOT OF WELL, I'LL SAY A LOT, BUT JUST JUST THIS YEAR, WE'VE GOTTEN THREE NEW VEHICLES ON GRANTS. SO THOSE VEHICLES THERE ARE TWO FORD EXPLORERS AND ONE F-150 PICKUP. THOSE ARE ALL THROUGH THE GRANTS, THROUGH THE STONE GARDEN BORDER STAR AND THE CIT GRANTS. HOW MANY VEHICLES D& YOU HAVE CURRENTLY IN THE FLEET? WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY WE HAVE 25, MA'AM, AND WE'RE STILL SHORT. YES, SIR. WE'RE STILL SHORT, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO GET. OUR COUSIN THAT AMIGO MOTORS HE'LL GIVE YOU. 
          HE'LL CHECK YOUR CREDIT. DOESS& HE. DOES HE HAVE A CO-OP? SIR, ARE WE STICKING TO FORD ELITE OR IS IT JUST WHOEVER GIVES US THE BETTER? SO. AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST. IT'S JUST A THING THAT THE RFP THAT WE HAVE OUT RIGHT NOW FOR. AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER ITE& THAT'S GOING TO COME UP IN TUESDAY'S MEETING. IT KIND OF SPECIALIZES IN FORD PRODUCTS. BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE WHATEVER. I& WE CAN GET SOMETHING THAT'S DEFINITELY SIGNIFICANTLY A LOT CHEAPER THAN THAN WE WOULD GO GO THAT ROUTE. BUT I WILL TELL YOU, FOR EXAMPLE, COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING, AN EXPLORER OR GETTING A CHEVY TAHOE. YEAH, THE GAS MILEAGE IS JUST IT'S A IT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR US. SO WE'D RATHER STICK WITH THE, WITH THE EXPLORER. ONE THING I'VE NOTICED THAT WHEN WE STICK TO ONE BRAND, WE HAVE BETTER TECHNICIANS TOO& ACTUALLY SERVICE THEM. AND THEN WHEN WE START SWITCHING BRANDS, THAT'S WHEN WE NEED TO SEND OUT FOR RETRAINING. SO AGAIN, I GUESS STICKING TO ONE BRAND. 
          YES, IS WORKING. ABSOLUTELY. YES, SIR. SO. AND THE LEASE, THE LEASED VEHICLES THAT ACTUALLY HELPS THE CITY IN THAT RESPECT. RIGHT. WE MAY PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE OF THE LEASE, BUT MAINTENANCE WISE IT DOES HELP US FOR LARGER ITEMS RIGHT NOW. NOT NOT THE REGULAR OIL CHANGES OR, YOU KNOW, TIRES, BATTERIES, THAT KIND OF THING. BUT FOR THE LARGER ISSUES, THEN THE LEASE HELPS BECAUSE WE SEND IT BACK. THEY CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE IT IS A LEASED VEHICLE. 
          CORRECT. SO THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT. WE'VE EVEN LOOKED AT GOING BACK THE POSSIBILITY OF GOING BACK TOO& OUTRIGHT PURCHASING VEHICLES. SO, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO JUST CURIOUS, MAYOR, IF CHIEF, IF WE DO GO TO& OUTRIGHT PURCHASES, WHAT IS THE TERM OF A THE LIFESPAN OF A UNIT IN THIS CASE? WELL, I MEAN, I WILL TELL YOU, I COME FROM COUNTY, SO I WAS USED TOO& OPERATING VEHICLES AT THE COUNTY. OH MY GOD. SO I WAS USED TO OPERATING VEHICLES WITH 300,000 MILES ON IT RIGHT HERE. 
          I WILL TELL YOU, HORIZON CITY LIKE OUR 2018 VEHICLES, WHICH IS NOT NECESSARILY OUR OLDEST, BUT ONE OF THE ONES THAT ARE UP THERE IN AGE. THEY'RE THEY HAVE ABOUT 110,000 MILES, AND THEY STILL OPERATE PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD AND PRETTY SAFE. AND AGAIN, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THAT WE DO HAVEE& WITH THE WITH THE WITH THE SERVICE WITH OUR SERVICE ATT& SUPER EIGHT IS THAT THEY CHECK THE, THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLES. SO IF THEY SEE 
          [01:15:02]
SOMETHING THAT'S NOT THERE, THEY'LL REPORT IT BACK TO US. AND THEN WE MAKE A DECISION IF WE'RE GOING TO PULL FROM THE FLEET, PULL IT OUT FROM THE FLEET OR NOT. DOES THE CITY HAV& A POLICY OF HOW WHAT THE LIFESPAN OF VEHICLES ARE? NO, MA'AM, NO, MA'AM, NO, CHIEF. DO WE HAVE RESERVES? I GUESS YOU ANSWERED THAT QUESTION. JUST. NO, NOT YET SIR. NO, NO, THAT THAT IS THAT IS ANOTHER ITEM FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RESERVE OFFICERS? NO VEHICLES. RESERVE VEHICLES. I SHOULD HAVE, I SHOULD HAVE, NO, THAT'S STILL A NO. NO. YES. NO.& YEAH. SO ALL THE UNITS THAT THE CITY OWNS, PATROL UNITS, THEY'RE OUT. ALL OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME. OR DO WE HAVE SOME OF THEM HERE? AND HALF OF THEM ARE PATROLLING. YEAH, SOME. SOME OF THEM ARE HERE AND SOME OF THEM ARE. SOME OF THEM ARE PATROLLING DEPENDING ON THE SHIFT DEPENDING ON THE SHIFT. SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE FOUR UNITS THAT ARE OUT THERE OKAY. AND THEN THE REST OF THEM ARE HERE. AND IF THEY'RE NOT HERE THEY'RE EITHER AT THE SHOP AT THE BODY SHOP OVER HERE& OR SOME OF THEM HAVE TAKE HOME UNITS BECAUSE THEY'RE IN SPECIALIZED UNITS, LIKE WE HAVE SEVERAL OFFICERS THAT ARE PART OF THE COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE. SO THEY HAVE A TAKE HOME UNIT TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND MORE, MORE PROMPTLY. IN THAT CASE, I'M ASSUMING THAT WE'RE NEVER IN A SITUATION WHERE WE ARE DECREASING OUR PATROL COVERAGE BECAUSE OF A VEHICLE THAT CAMEE& BACK DEFICIENT FOR WHATEVER. NO, SIR. NO. OKAY. NO PRIORITY ISS& THE CITY. YES, SIR. ABSOLUTELY. 
          PRIORITY IS THE CITY. HOW MANYY& VEHICLES DO YOU HAVE AT THIS POINT? WELL, LET ME COUNT. SO. 
          WE HAVE. I. I WANT TO SAY SEVEN. SO THE SERGEANTS. YEAH, THE SERGEANTS PLUS THE SPECIALIZED UNITS. AND THEN I HAVE ONE. SO DON'T BE ASHAMED. I'M SURE YOUU& RUN CALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. YEAH. SO RUN 7 OR 8. AND THEN, CHIEF, HOW MANY TOTAL EMPLOYEES ARE WITHIN THE PUBLIC& SAFETY DEPARTMENT? OH 5454 AND THEN HOW MANY HIRES WERE MADE THIS YEAR? HOW MANY HIRES HAVEE& WE MADE THIS YEAR? LIKE NEW HIRES OR OR JUST FOR PUBLICC& SAFETY? FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, LIKE& NEW HIRES? LIKE NEW POLICE OFFICERS? YOU MEAN WE'VE HIRED. WHEN DID YOU DRIVE? WE'VE HIRED SIX. BUT THEN WE WE'VE HAD SOME& THAT LEFT. SO WE KIND OF HIRED TO REPLACE THE PEOPLE THAT LEFT. 
          YEAH. I'M SORRY. WHAT WAS THAT NUMBER AGAIN? SIX. SO FIRED SIX BUT THEN REHIRED SIX. NO NO NOT FIRES. NO. OH OKAY. YEAH. NO WE SO LAST YEAR WE GOT SOME SOME POSITIONS SOME OFFICER POSITIONS. SO WE FILLED WE FILLED THOSE IN AND THEN WE HAD SOME PEOPLE LEAVE. SO THEN WEE& HAD TO FILL THEM IN AGAIN. SO SIX NEW HIRES THAT HAVE COME IN BUT THREE THAT HAVE LEFT. OKAY I SEE SO YOU. PUBLIC SAFETY RETENTION I'M ASSUMING IS CAN B& A CHALLENGE TO CORRECT. YES, MA'AM. AND THAT'S WHY WE WERE W& WERE DEFINITELY SUPPORTIVE OF THE INITIATIVE THAT THAT LILY BROUGHT FORWARD REGARDING THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM. YOU KNOW, I WILL I WILL TELL YOU THAT YOU ASKED EARLIER ABOUT THE QUESTION ABOUT THE FUNDING THAT THE CITY IS FUNDED AT 70% RIGHT NOW FOR THE FOR THE CURRENT CURRENT RETIREMENT. IF WE ADOPT THIS TMRS REPORTED TO US THAT THE CITY WOULD BE 67% FUNDED. SO THREE PERCENTAGE POINTS LESS, BUT THAT THAT DEFINITELY PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE BECAUSE WE HAVE AGENCIES LIKE ANTHONY THAT ARE MATCHING YOU 1 TO 2 AND 7% CONTRIBUTION. WE ALSO HAVE SAN ELIZABETH SAN ELIZARIO DOWN DOWN THERE. IT'S MUCH SMALLER AGENCY. 
          AGAIN THEY'RE MATCHING 1 TO 2 7% CONTRIBUTION. SO I'M SURE WITH PUBLIC SAFETY IS DIFFICULT FOR ANY COMMUNITY. AND SO YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO SWEETEN THE POT RIGHT. YES MA'AM. KEEP YOUR EMPLOYEES BECAUSE EVERYONE'S LOOKING FOR THAT 50 CENT MORE OR THE PTO OR THE SICK OR THE VACATION OR WHATEVER. AND SO IT CAN BE A CHALLENGE. SO YOU'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN. 
          I, I EXPECT IN YOUR BUDGET TOO& KEEP YOUR RETENTION BECAUSE RETRAINING POLICE OFFICERS CAN BE MORE EXPENSIVE, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. ABSOLUTELY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AND THEN, CHIEF,,& WHAT'S THE AVERAGE TENURE OF AN OFFICER HERE? A LOT OF THEM ARE NEW, SIR. YEAH. SO I WANT TO SAY IF YOU WANT TO GIVE IT AN AVERAGE, MAYBE ABOUT SEVEN YEARS, I MEAN, YOU HAVE A LOT OF 
          [01:20:05]
OFFICERS THAT ARE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR OR YOU HAVE QUITE A FEW THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR, I THINK THE MOST, MOST TENURED IS ONE O& OUR LIEUTENANTS. SHE'S BEEN HERE FOR 20 YEARS. AND THEN IT DROPS DOWN TO 15 AND THEN 12, TEN. AND THEN THE MAJORITY OF THE OTHER OFFICERS ARE THREE AND BELOW. 
          OKAY. AND ALSO WHAT'S THE AVERAGE TENURE FOR OUR DISPATCHERS? OUR DISPATCHERS A LOT LESS, YEAH, A LOT LESS. OUR MOST TENURED IS WOULD BE OUR COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER. AND THEN AGAIN, IT JUST THAT ONE I WOULD SAY IS A LOT A LOT LOWER BECAUSE OUR OUR TURNOVER RATE IS MUCH HIGHER. SO A LOT OF OUR DISPATCHERS ARE MAYBE GETTING ON THEIR YEAR TWO YEARS OR LESS. 
          AND DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITHH& OUR INCENTIVES PACKAGE. YOU KNOW, HOW HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE WE'RE RETAINING OUR DISPATCHERS AND NOT HAVING TO CONTINUE OR RETRAINING? BECAUSE I NOTICE FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCH BUDGET, THERE IS AN INCREASE FOR TRAINING AS WELL. YES, SIR. SO, SO AND THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION, SIR. SO WE CURRENTLY PAY OUR DISPATCHERS $19 AN HOUR. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AWARE, BUT PANDA EXPRESS ACROSS THE STREET ALSO PAYS THEIR EMPLOYEES $19 AN HOUR. SO ABSOLUTELY THAT THAT PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN OUR RETENTION. IT'S PAY I MEAN, PAY US RIGHT NOW WITH REGARDS T& WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING REGARDING THE TRAINING ASPECT IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY. WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY NOT JUST WITH HORIZON POLICE, BUT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY WITH THE WITH THE EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT, BOTH ONE AND TWO. SOO& WE DISPATCH FOR FIRE. AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS STRIVING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR, OUR, OUR DISPATCHERS ARE, ARE, ARE BEST TRAINED AND NOT JUST NOT JUST WITH THE TITLE OF SAYING THAT WE'RE THE BEST DISPATCH CENTER, BUT WE WANT THEM TO BE ACTUALLY& THE BEST. SO A LOT OF THE TRAINING PROPOSALS THAT WE HAVE THERE ARE PRIMARILY FOR TO GET CERTIFIED, TO GET CERTIFIED NATIONAL CERTIFICATION AND THEN ALLOW SOME OF OUR DISPATCHERS T& ATTEND SOME OUT OF TOWN CONFERENCES AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY. I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS,,& WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO PLAY CATCH UP, NOT JUST WITH THE TRAINING ASPECT FOR THE DISPATCHERS, BUT BUT THE POLICE OFFICERS AS WELL. AND I THINK WE'VE DONE I KNOW THE MAYOR'S BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF AND FORMER MAYOR HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF US INCREASIN& OUR THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT WE'VE TRAINED OUR STAFF. I DON'T THINK THE PAY REGARDING, LET'S SAY, A RESTAURANT PAY VERSUS A UNIFORM PAY. I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD MATTER. I THINK IT'S MORE PRIDE OF WEARING THE UNIFORM THAN ACTUALLY GOING AFTER THE PAY FOR SOME PEOPLE. YEAH. YES,& SIR. WITH THAT BEING SAID, OF COURSE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHEN W& GET HIRED HERE, OTHER THAN PEACE OFFICER, WHAT OTHER CERTIFICATIONS ARE REQUIRED ORR& DO WE GAIN OR DO WE PICK UP ALONG THE WAY. SO THAT OPENS UP DOORS, LET'S SAY FURTHER ON IN THE CAREER. YES, SIR. SO OBVIOUSLY WE NEED THE STATE LICENSING, THE TELECOMMUNICATOR LICENSING. AND THEN OUTSIDE OF THAT IS, IS JUST CERTIFICATIONS& THAT, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET FOR THEM. LIKE THE CERTIFICATION WAS THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY. YES NUMBER. OH. THAT I'M SORRY. I JUST KNOW IT AS NINA YOU KNOW SO YEAH. SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM WITH THAT OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW WE TRY TO PUSH DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES. I KNOW THE I KNOWW& THAT SHE DOES A GREAT JOB FOR OUR, OUR OUR DISPATCH DEPARTMEN& AND TRY TO KEEP THE MORALE UP. 
          YOU KNOW WE HAVE A SUB A SUB LINE ITEM ON THE ON THE BUDGET FOR RECOGNITIONS FOR EXAMPLE. SO WE'LL PUT TOGETHER A FAMILY DAY WHERE EVERYBODY COMES DOWN AND WE'LL RENT JUMPING BALLOONS FOR THE FAMILIES, GIVE THEM A TOUR OF OUR FACILITY. SO WE'RE TRYING WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF UP THE PRIDE IN IN THE PATCH. BUT YOU KNOW, I WILL TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE THE, THE JOB IS A 24, 2& HOUR A DAY, SOME PEOPLE JUST JUST SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I DON'T WANT TO WORK GRAVEYARD. SO I'LL GO WORK AT A RESTAURANT, RIGHT. YOU KNOW, AND SO THAT THAT AGAIN, IT, IT, IT BECOMES A PROBLEM FOR US AND OBVIOUSLY I MEAN, LIKE EVEN EVEN UP TOO& RECENT, I WAS JUST CONGRATULATING HER BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR, FOR 100% STAFFING. AND LO AND BEHOLD, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT JUST RESIGNED. SO THEN WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, WEE& START ALL OVER AGAIN. AND IT'S NOT JUST STARTING, YOU KNOW, LIKE, HEY, WHO'S NEXT? LET'S HIRE THEM. NO, WE HAVE TO RUN THE ENTIRE BACKGROUND FOR THEM. PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING, ACTUAL INTERVIEWS. AND SO IT'S A IT'S A 
          [01:25:04]
FAIRLY LONG PROCESS. I KNOW FOR THEM, WE SPENT ABOUT $4,000 WHE& WE WHEN WE HIRE WE'RE HIRING SOMEBODY. SO CHIEF. I'LL THIS ONE QUESTION HAS BEEN TIED TOO& BUDGETING. BUT YES SIR. DO WE DO EXIT INTERVIEWS TO FIND OUT WHY WE LOSE PEOPLE? YES, SIR. YES. AND ELVIA AND HER STAFF DO A GREAT JOB. SOMETIMES THEY DON'T WANT TO COOPERATE. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE FEEDBACK IS THE SALARY. OHH& GO AHEAD. NO. GO AHEAD. YOU ANTICIPATE LOSING OFFICERS WITH YOU KNOW, I KNOW ICE IS OFTEN LIKE $50,000 SIGN ON BONUS AND YOU START AT SIX FIGURES. YOU KNOW, IT'S SO I IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY IF THEY'RE GOING TO LEAVE OR NOT, BUT WE'RE TRYING EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR CONTROL T& TRY AND KEEP THEM, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, SOME OF THE STUFF THATT& YOU GUYS OFFER, LIKE THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM, THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING BIG FOR, FOR ESPECIALLY SOMEBODY THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN HERE FOR MAYBE 3 OR 4 YEARS. THEY'RE LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE, I CAN GET A GOOD RETIREMENT SYSTEM HERE. AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT LAST, YOU KNOW, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING THA& WE DID LAST YEAR. I THINK THAT DEFINITELY HELPED BECAUSE NOW WE'RE WE'RE IN COMPETITION WITH WITH THE EL PASO POLICE DEPARTMENT. RIGHT. BUT THE THING IS THAT WHAT I TELL OUR OFFICERS AND WHAT WE FOCUS ON IS, IS JUST SIMPLY THE LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM THAT WE NEED TO& DISPLAY COMPARED TO OTHER AGENCIES, NOT JUST FOR SELF PRIDE, BUT FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO& BE PROUD OF US. FOR IF, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACT EVER GOESS& INTO IMPASSE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY CAN JUST COME FORWARD AND SAY, YES, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR OFFICERS DO DESERVE, DO DESERVE THIS RAISE. JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON THE $50,000, IT'S NOT A LUMP SUM THAT YOU GET PAID YEAR ONE ON CONTRACTS LIKE THAT. AND AGAIN, IF WE EVER NEEDED IF WE HAD A SHORTAGE AND THE TOWN OF HORIZON WAS OFFERING ANY KIND OF INCENTIVE, IT'S ALWAYS HAVING T& DO WITH BUDGETING. SO $50,000, LET'S SAY YOU GET TEN CANDIDATE OR CADETS THAT WANT TO JUMP INTO ICE. THEY DON'T GIVE THEM THE 50,000 IF THEIR RETIREMENT IS 2& TO 25 YEARS, SOMETIMES AS LONGG& AS 30 YEARS, THEY'RE GOING TO DO THE 50,030 YEARS NOT. AND AGAIN, THAT KIND OF ASSURES THAT SOMEONE'S GOING TO STAY 30 YEARS AND COLLECT 50,000 ON TOP OF WHAT THEIR SALARY WAS EVERY YEAR. AND WE'RE TRYING. YEAH, LOTTO PAYS FAST. LOTTO, LOTTO PACE FAST. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. AND WE'RE TRYINGG& OTHER, OTHER AVENUES TOO, YOU KNOW, LIKE LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, EXTENDING OUR, OUR THE MEMBERSHIP TO THE, THE COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM KIND OF KIND OF BRANCHING OUT FROM HORIZON CITY. BECAUSE WHAT WEE& FIGURED IS WHEN WE GOT HERE IS THAT HORIZON CITY WAS VERY ISOLATED, LIKE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PLAY WITH ANYBODY ELSE. AND SO WE MISSED OUT ON A LOT OF GREAT TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, A LOT OF GREAT ASSIGNMENTS. YOU KNOW, NOW WE'RE TRYING TOO& REESTABLISH THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, BUT IT'S GOING TO COME AT A COST. YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TOO& COME AT A COST TO THE CITY. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK THE CITY BENEFITS. I THINK THE CITY'S GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. YOU KNOW, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, WITH, WITH HHC, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THATT& THAT ITEM THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT ITEM BEFORE. AND I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF QUICK BACKGROUND. 
          SO HORIZON CITY DOES NOT HAVE A DEDICATED NARCOTICS INVESTIGATIVE UNIT. SO WHAT WE'VE WHAT WE'VE BEEN MISSING OUT ON THAT IS THE MERE FACT THAT WHEN WE COME ACROSS NARCOTICS CASES, THOSE CASES GET REFERRED TO THE EL PASO SHERIFF'S OFFICE. AND THERE WAS ONE INSTANCE WHERE WE MISSED OUT ON ON SEIZING $90,000 BECAUSE WE DID THAT. SO NOW WITH THIS, WITH THIS NEW WITH THIS NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH CI, WE'RE ABLE TO CONDUCT THOSE INVESTIGATIONS. 
          WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, MAKE THOSE MONEY SEIZURES THAT WAY WHEN IT COMES TO THIS TIMEE& OF THE BUDGET TIME, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WE DON'T HAVE TO STRESS OUT SO MUCH WITH HOW HIGH OUR BUDGET IS, BECAUSE NOW WE'RE WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE THAT MONEY AND PAY FOR A LOT OF CAPITAL ITEMS THAT THAT THE COMMUNITY,,& YOU KNOW, DOESN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR. SO I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT BOTH PUBLIC SAFETY AND DISPATCHING. DO YOU HAVE A PAY SCALE THAT BASICALLY WE CAN DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, THE GROWTH THE FUTURE NEED? SO IF IT'S A 5% EVERY STEP THEY MAX OUT AT TEN STEPS, WHATEVER IT IS, IF YOU HAVE A SCALE, IT HELPS. I THINK THE CITY KIND OF SEE WHAT THE TEN YEAR PROJECTION OF SALARIES& ARE. AND THEN THAT KIND OF HELPS WITH BUDGETING. DO YOU ALL HAVE THAT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY OR DISPATCHERS FOR POLICE OFFICERS? YES, MA'AM. ON THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. AND IT'S A 1010 STEP EVERY OTHER YEAR, 1.5% INCREASE FOR OUR DISPATCHERS. WE DO NOT. 
          [01:30:06]
AND AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THE MAYOR AND I WERE WE'VE KIND OF BEEN BEEN DISCUSSING BACK AND FORTH WITH REGARDS TO THAT I'M SURE MR. LEE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT SCALE FOR ITT& WOULD REALLY HELP WITH THE BUDGETING FROM YEAR TO YEAR. WELL IMPLEMENT THAT FOR ALL EMPLOYEES. YEAH. SO IT WOULD CONTROL COSTS. SO DISPATCHERS ARE NOT A UNION. AND THE POLICE OFFICERS DO HAVE A POLICE OFFICER UNION. SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S A PAY SCALE FOR THEM. 
          NOW SINCE DISPATCHERS ARE NOT UNION UNIONIZED, THEY'RE ATT& LARGE EMPLOYEES LIKE LIKE ANYBODY ELSE HERE IN THE STAFF. SO IF WE DO IT FOR DISPATCH, WE& DO IT FOR EVERYBODY. AND BUT THAT'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO. OH FOR SURE. GET THROUGH. RIGHT. BUT IT HELPS. IT WOULD HELP. IT HELPS EVERYBODY BE MORE EQUITABLE. BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS THE LONGER YOU'RE HERE, IF YOU CONTINUE TO GET THE 3% AND THEN SOMEONE ELSE IS NEW, YOU'RE PRICING YOUR, YOUR, YOUR OLDER STAFF RIGHT OUT OF THIS POSITION. SO SCALES. IT IS A LOT OF WORK. I AGREE I'VE BEEN THROUGH IT MYSELF AND IT'S A LOT OF WORK. ARE YOU VOLUNTEERING T& HELP? SURE. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE THAT. BUT IT'S A LOT OF WORK. BUT IT PAYS OFF IN THE END BECAUSE THEN EVERYBODY FEELS THERE'S. IT MAKES IT MORE AWKWARD FOR LESS AWKWARD FOR SUPERVISORS TOO, BECAUSE THERE'S A SCALE. AND THIS IS WHERE YOU SIT AND EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS. WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE HELPS WITH THEIR FUTURE PLANNING, CITY FUTURE PLANNING. SO WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS NOW. SO WE AND THEN SO THE NEXT STEP FOR US IS TO START WORKING ON THAT. BUT WITH THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE& HAVE HERE IN FRONT OF US, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL BE ABLE T& GET A PAY SCALE TOGETHER IN TIME FOR THIS BUDGET FOR SURE. I THINK IT'S A NEXT YEAR SO THAT IT'S PREPARED FOR BUDGET TIME. 
          YES, MA'AM. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO& VOLUNTEER THEIR. I'M SURE WE HAVE A MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT. I KNOW WE HAVE SHERIFFS DOWN HERE BY SPARKS. YES. ARE THEY THE FIRST MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT WE WOULD CONTACT IF WE HAVE ANYTHING HERE IN HORIZON. SO WE DON'T HAVE A MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT. I THINK WHAT THE DISCUSSION WE HAD WITH THE WITH THE SHERIFF WAS THAT IT'S AUTOMATIC AND IT DOESN'T REALLY NEED A. YEAH, IT'S AUTOMATIC BECAUSE I MEAN THEY'RE THEIR COUNTY, THEY'RE COUNTYWIDE. SO THEY HAVE JURISDICTION IN ANY MUNICIPALITY. SO YOU KNOW THE SHERIFFS LIKE LOOK, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED A FORMAL AGREEMENT, BUT JUST KNOW IF YOU CALL FORR& HELP, WE'RE GOING TO HELP YOU..& YES. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF? CHIEF, HOW MANY DISPATCHERS HAVE WE LOST FOR FISCAL YEAR 25? THREE. AND DO WE KNOW IF OUR DISPATCHERS PREDOMINANTLY LIVE IN HORIZON O& THE MOST? MOST OF THEM DON'T LIVE OUT HERE PREDOMINANTLY IN HORIZON. YES, SIR. AND IT'S FUNNY YOU MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE WE WE'RE WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON A PROGRAM WITH HORIZON HIGH SCHOOL TO ACTUALLY GET THEM CERTIFIED WHILE THEY'RE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. AND ASS& SOON AS THEY GRADUATE, THEY CAN COME IN AND APPLY WITH US FOR A JOB. I THINK WE DID THAT. WE DID THAT LAST YEAR AS WELL. BUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, HE CAME IN, WAS A GREAT DISPATCHER. AND THEN HE TOOK OFF TO BORDER PATROL. AND EVEN OUR EXPLORERS, OUR EXPLORER PROGRAM, A LOT OF THEM HAVE SHOWN INTEREST IN IN THE DISPATCH, IN APPLYING FOR DISPATCH POSITION. SO THAT EXPLORERS PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR IT BECAUSE THEY DO HELP OUT. THEY VOLUNTEER HERE AT SPECIAL EVENTS, AND THEY DO HAVE A LOT OF TIME AND CONTACT WITH DISPATCH. SO THEY SEE WHAT WHAT THE GOINGS ON ARE. SO IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT SOME OF THEM HAVE ACTUALLY APPLIED FOR POSITIONS. SO, SO IN ORDER TO DO RECRUITING, LOCAL RECRUITING, D& WE CURRENTLY HAVE A MEMORANDUMM& OF UNDERSTANDING WITH KILLEEN ISD? NOT YET SIR, NOT YET. WE THE POSSIBLE TIMELINE TO GET THAT DONE. WELL, WE DID HAVE ONE FOR LAST YEAR. OR WAS IT? YEAH, IT WAS LAST YEAR. BUT THEN THEY SWITCHED PRINCIPALS AT AT HORIZON HIGH SCHOOL AND EVERYTHING JUST KIND OF FELL APART. SO WE JUST HAD A MEETING YESTERDAY AS A MATTER OF FACT. 
          AND WE CAN PROBABLY GET THAT GOING. I THINK THEY WANTED TOO& WAIT TILL JANUARY I BELIEVE, IS THAT THEY WANTED THEY WANTED TO& WAIT TILL JANUARY TO KICK, KICK OFF ANY OFFICIAL PROGRAM. SO THAT GIVES US SOME, SOME LEEWAY TO FINALIZE THAT MOU. SO ITT& WOULD BE JANUARY OF 26 TO START THAT OR WOULD THAT. YES. TOO& START FOR THE FALL SCHOOL YEAR. NO, NO. TO START THE PROGRAM ITSELF. YES. BUT AGAIN, THATT& WOULD BE DEPENDENT ON THE HIGHH& SCHOOL AND THE DISTRICT THEMSELVES. YES. SO WE WANT THAT PROGRAM, BUT IT WOULD BE DEPENDENT ON THEM TO ACCEPT IT. 
          [01:35:04]
YEAH. WE'RE READY TO GO NOW SIR. BUT YEAH, YOU KNOW THEY'RE THE ONES THAT REQUESTED TILL, TILL JANUARY. AND SO PRIOR TO HORIZO& HIGH SCHOOL HAVING THAT CHANGE IN PRINCIPAL, HOW LONG HAD THAT PROGRAM BEEN IN HORIZON OR WAS THAT FAIRLY SO IT WAS VERY INFORMAL. IT WASN'T IT WASN'T A& A FORMALIZED PROGRAM. IT WAS MORE ALONG THE LINES OF, HEY, CAN YOU SEND OFFICERS TO KIND O& TALK TO OUR STUDENTS? CAN YOU TEACH OUR STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, ROOM CLEARING, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN CERTAIN SPECIALIZED TACTICS, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN THE TALK STARTED ABOUT THE DISPATCHERS THEN BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE STARTED TO TRY AND FORMALIZE THAT, THAT MOU, ITT& SWITCHED PRINCIPALS AND EVERYTHING JUST KIND OF FELL TO THE SIDE. AND SO THAT THAT WILL& BE A PRIORITY NEXT YEAR. YES, SIR. IT'S A PRIORITY FOR US. I KNOW ALVA IS ALREADY WORKING ON& THAT FOR US. YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF? NO. OKAY. SO NOTHING FOR IT. BECAUSE ONCE& I LEAVE. I'M JUST KIDDING. YOU'RE NOT COMING BACK. SO COULD YOU EXPLAIN THE LINE ITEM LABELED RENTS? NO, WE SEE A $3,000 INCREASE. YES. SO EVERY YEAR WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE OUR PROGRAM MUCH BIGGER. AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS IN COMPETITION WIT& THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO I'M SUR& I'M SURE THEY SAW SOME A SIMILAR INCREASE ON THEIR END. BUT WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND IT MAKE IT MUCH BIGGER. SO THAT INCLUDES JUST JUST INCREASING THE NUMBER OF RENTALS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE. AND THAT'S THE EXPENSIVE PART, IS JUST THOSE RENTALS. AND THENN& ALSO IT'S NATIONAL NIGHT OUT. O& OKAY. YEAH I'M SORRY NATIONAL NIGHT OUT I'M SORRY. IT'S NATIONAL. YEAH. IT'S NATIONALL& NIGHT OUT, CHIEF. I FEEL YOUR PAIN. I DO, THANK YOU, MA'AM. AND THEN ALSO. SO I'LL MOVE OVER TO PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCH, WHICH IS PAY TAB THREE, PAGE 27. SO WE SEE A $43,000 INCREASE IN MAINTENANCE AND EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, NEARLY TRIPLING WHAT WE HAD IN 2024. SO COULD YOU WALK US THROUGH THAT? SO THE PROGRAM IS WHERE WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE A MAINTENANCE CONTRACT FOR OUR, OUR, OUR CONSULATE RADIO PANELS. WE RECEIVE THOSE THROUGH A GRANT. IT WAS A IT WA& A $900,000 GRANT THAT WAS GIVEN TO US. BUT THE AGREEMENT WAS WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOING T& GIVE WE'LL GIVE YOU THIS GRANT.& BUT YOU GUYS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THOSE. SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY MAINTENANCE CONTRACT WITH WITH ANYONE REGARDING, YOU KNOW, THE UPKEEP AND THEN THE THEN THE PREVENTATIVE. I KNOW, I KNOW FIREFIGHTERS LIKE TO USE PM THE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE. RIGHT ON ON THOSE ON THOSE PANELS. SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO IT'S THAT PLUS THE ACTUAL CURRENT CONTRACT THAT'S INCREASED BY BY $5,000 FOR THEE& OVERALL RADIO SYSTEM. AND THEN ALSO A $9,500 INCREASE IN TRAINING. COULD YOU WALK US THROUGH THAT? AND THAT'S IS THAT PREDOMINANTLY FOR NEW HIRES? THAT IS IT'S A COMBINATION. SO THE ABOUT $2,000 ARE GOING TO BE ARE BEING PUT TO THE SIDE TO, T& SEND OUR PEOPLE TO, TO CONFERENCES, TO THE CONFERENCE. AND THEN ANOTHER 2000 IS BEING PUT OR IS BEING PROPOSED TO SEND THEM TO, TO THE, TO THE APCO CONFERENCE. SORRY, TO THE APCO CONFERENCE. AND BUT THE BIG ONE IS THE ACTUAL NINA CERTIFICATION. THAT'S THE ONE THAT THAT THAT'S RUNNING ABOUT 12,000, $12,000 TO GET EVERYBODY NATIONALLY CERTIFIED. DO YOU FIND TOO, THAT TRAVEL AND TRAINING IS JUST CONTINUES TOO& INCREASE EVERY YEAR? YES. AND THAT ACCOUNTS FOR SOME OF YOUR INCREASE AS WELL? YES, MA'AM..& ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I HAD FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. FOR PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCH OKAY. SO. INFORMATION ON IT. IT FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, WHICH I& TAB THREE PAGE 31. YOU KNOW, WE SEE $112,000 INCREASE FOR SOFTWARE LICENSING AND MAINTENANCE FEES. AND YOU KINDD& OF WALK US THROUGH WHAT ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE UPGRADES OR THAT WE'RE GETTING WITH THAT INCREASE. YES, SIR. SO JUST JUST OVERALL IN GENERAL THE IT SERVICES HAVE JUST, YOU KNOW, INCREASED I MEAN JUST INCREASED OVERALL. BUT THIS IS THIS INCLUDES THE ADDITION OF TWO NEW PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE USED BY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IN 
          [01:40:05]
THE CITY. ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS IS THE NEW GRANICUS. IT'S THE NEW GRANICUS SYSTEM. AND THAT'S $36,500. AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER PROGRAM WITH NEOGOV, AND THAT ONE IS $12,000. AND THEN THE LAST PROGRAM THAT THAT THAT& WE'RE PROPOSING TO ADD IS THE SWAG. AND THAT ONE RUNS $27,000. 
          SO THE ADDITION OF THOSE THREE PROGRAMS, PLUS THE INCREASE IN THE COST FOR ALL THE OTHER, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK IT'S MAYBE LIKE 30 TO 40 PROGRAMS THAT WE RUN WITH THE CITY. THAT'S THAT'S THE COMBINATION OF THE INCREASE. COULD YOU WALK US OVER WHAT EXACTLY THOSE SYSTEMS DO? LET ME LET ME GET MY IT PERSON. OKAY. YOU'RE UP. HE THOUGHT THE BACKK& DOOR WAS. HE DOES NOT. MY NAME IS JOSUE MENDOZA. SO FOR THE NEO GROUP, I BELIEVE THAT'S THE HR PROGRAM THAT IS GOING TO BE USED FOR HIRING THE SWAG. IT IT'S WHAT WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW FOR OUR CAMERA SYSTEM AND THE PRESENTATION FOR CITY COUNCIL AND. OUR GRANICUS. GRANICUS ISS& THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE IT'S GOING TO BE EITHER RUNNING THE WEBSITE AND IT'S RUNNING CURRENTLY OUR PUBLIC WORKS SYSTEM. SO FOR GRANICUS THAT'S RUNNING THE CURRENT WEBSITE. IT'S NOT RUNNING JUST YET. WE'RE WORKING ON ON GETTING A CONTRACT. YEAH. SO WE'RE WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE DESIGN PHASE OF THAT. THERE HAV& BEEN SOME HICCUPS. SO BUT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THAT TO, TO SEE WHERE WE CAN KIND OF MOVE THIS THING FORWARD A LITTLE FASTER. THERE'S IT'S A PROCESS I WAS KIND OF HOPING WOULD BE AN EASIER PROCESS, BUT IT IS A PROCESS NONETHELESS. THAT HAS T& HAS TO HAPPEN AS SOON AS THAT COMES ONLINE. AND I DON'T HAVE A TIME FRAME TO GIVE YOU ALL AS TO WHEN THAT'S GOING TO COME OUT. 
          WE, WE LIKE I SAID, WE'RE WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW TO TRY AND GET THAT THAT SQUARED AWAY WITH GRANICUS. THERE'S SOME CONTRACT ISSUES THAT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. BUT AS SOON AS THAT COMES UP THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT. AND I DO WANT TO MENTION IN THE, IN YOUR, IN YOUR WORKBOOK ON THE VARGAS TAB ON THE BACK, IT ACTUALLY LISTS THE LICENSING AND SOFTWARE LICENSING AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS. THERE'S A LISTING THERE, I'M SORRY, TAB FIVE PAGE THREE. CORRECT. SO YOU CAN LOOK THERE AND IT GIVES A LISTING OF THE SOFTWARE HAS HAS PUT TOGETHER A LISTING THERE. SO YOU GUYS CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THA& AS WELL. EVERYTHING SHOULD BE LISTED THERE. BUT THE MAIN ITEMS ARE THOSE, THOSE THREE ITEMS THAT THAT CHIEF VARGAS HADD& MENTIONED. OKAY. SO AND THEN COULD YOU WHAT IS THE 300 OR EXCUSE ME, THE $3,523 INCREASE FOR NETWORK SUPPORT, WHICH IS CONTRACTED. NETWORK. YEAH. SO SORRY. WELL, THAT'S THE CONTRAC& THAT WE HAVE WITH NETIQ. 
          ESSENTIALLY THAT'S THE PRICES. AGAIN EVERYTHING HAS COME UP. THE PRICES FOR NETIQ HAS GONE UP TO INCLUDE SOME ADDITIONAL LICENSES THAT WE GOT FOR EITHER& MICROSOFT OFFICE 365 AUDIO CONFERENCING. SINCE WE HAVE MORE HIRES, WE HAVE MORE LICENSES TO& THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE TO THOSE USERS. OKAY. SO THAT INCREASE IS JUST MORE LICENSES, RIGHT? OKAY. AWESOME. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF AND OUR IT SPECIALISTS HERE, MR. SMITH? NO. OKAY. MAYOR, IF I COULD JUST SAY IN GENERAL, II& MEAN, WE DO A ZERO BASED INCREMENTAL BUDGET. SOO& EVERYTHING THAT WE PUT INTO A BUDGET IS, IS JUST I MEAN, WEE& PUT NOTES IN THERE AND WE PUT QUOTES, WE PUT ATTACHMENTS. AND THEN THE INCREMENTAL PART IS WE TRY TO GET A LIKE A I GUESS NOT NOT NOT FUTURE, BUT WE TRY TOO& PREDICT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND ON SOME OF THESE ITEMS BASED ON, ON SOME OF THE, SOMEE& OF THE COSTS THAT HAVE KIND OF BEEN CREEPING UP. WE WILL TELL YOU THAT FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE'VE KIND OF CUT A LOT OF OUR STUFF ON A LOT OF OUR SUB ITEMS THERE. AND NOW WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO GET BACK UP. YEAH. JUST TO JUST TO HELP HER BALANCE THE BUDGET. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHIEF. APPRECIATE YOU& GUYS. OKAY. WHO'S UP? ANYBODY 
          [01:45:06]
HAVE QUESTIONS FOR ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT HERE? YOU'RE THE SOLE DEPARTMENT CHIEF. NO, I'M JUSTT& KIDDING. THERE'S GOT TO BE QUESTIONS. BUT KEEP IN MIND, YOU KNOW, IF THIS THIS IS THIS ISN'T YOUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY. GUYS, I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT THIS IS A NOW OR NEVER KIND OF THING. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS DURING THE WEEK. GIVE ME A CALL IF THERE'S CERTAIN SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE. I AM I HAVE SEEN THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN HERE. I AM NOT THE EXPERT, BUT I WILL GET YOU THE ANSWER THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. OKAY, SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS? I HAVE QUESTIONSS& FOR THE STREETS. DEPARTMENT STREETS. AND MEMBERS. THIS IS TAB THREE, PAGE 11. GOOD EVENING MAYOR COUNCIL, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. HOW ARE YOU, SIR? HOW'S IT GOING? GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD. MR. SO FOR ELECTRICITY, W& SEE AN INCREASE OF $6,588. IS THAT JUST FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES, OR IS ELECTRICITY JUST GOING UP? IT'S ADDITIONAL SERVICES, YES. SO WE HAVE BASICALLY NEW SUBDIVISIONS COMING IN 1716. SUBDIVISIONS. UNIT ONE, UNIT TWO. AND BASICALLY NORTH IRVINGTON RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, WHICHH& WILL BE HAVING WE'LL BE HAVING LIGHTING. THAT'S THE NEW POLES. 
          CORRECT. THE NEW LIGHT POLES. YES. CORRECT. THAT'S WHAT THAT'& WHAT THOSE ARE OKAY. SO AND THEN AS WELL AS THE $16,000 INCREASE TO SALARIES, ARE THOSE JUST GENERAL INCREASES? ARE WE ADDING ADDITIONAL CONTRACT LABOR FOR THOSE SALARIES. THAT'S JUST GENERAL INCREASE OKAY. AND THEN HOW MANY TOTAL EMPLOYEES ARE YOU. DEPARTMENT WITH MYSELF SEVEN OKAY. ON THE TOP I NOTICED IT ONLY GIVES FIVE EMPLOYEES. I& THERE MAYBE MISSING IN THE TOP. SO HE'S ALSO IN CHARGE OF PARKS AS WELL. I WANT TO JUMP BACK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT QUESTIONN& ABOUT ELECTRICITY. I THINK YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT ELECTRICITY. AND YOU STATED THAT OR SOMEBODY STATED THAT IT'S FOR POLES. 
          STREET LIGHT POLES. YES. YES,,& SIR. SO ARE SOME OF THE POLES BELONG TO US AND SOME BELONG TO THE ELECTRIC COMPANY? NO. ARE THEY ALL BELONG TO US? OKAY. SO EL PASO DOESN'T MAINTAIN THEM, RIGHT? THEY'LL DO MAINTENANCE O& THEM. BUT OF COURSE, WE BASICALLY WE OWN THEM. OKAY. SO& THEN THE ELECTRIC COMPANY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE AFTER WE INSTALL THEM. CORRECT? CORRECT. SO THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE TO CHANGE THE LIGHT BULB. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THEIR INVOLVEMENT ON THE ON THE MAINTENANCE. IF IT'S& GOING TO BE A CONDUIT OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF WORK, THEN THEY'LL BASICALLY TAKE CARE OF IT AND THEY'LL BUILD IT FOR IT. OR BASICALLY WE'LL END UP HIRING SOMEONE ELSE TO DO THE WORK IFF& THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO TAKE ONN& THE JOB. AND BOTTOM LINE, AT TH& END OF THE DAY, WE END UP PAYING FOR IT, WHETHER THEY LIKE THE COMPANY DOES IT, OR WE HIRE SOMEBODY ELSE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GET BILLED FOR IT. THA& IS CORRECT. I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          COULD YOU ELABORATE A LITTLE ON RENTS, EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS STORAGE FOR RENT? SO FOR STORAGE BASICALLY WE HAVE WE HAVEE& BASICALLY WE HAVE STORAGE PLACE WHERE BASICALLY WE END UP STORING JUST EQUIPMENT. AND OTHER OFFICE SUPPLIES OR OFFICE AMENITIES, DESKS OR DESKS OR TABLES. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE. AND WHAT WAS THE OTHER QUESTION AS FAR AS WE ALSO STORE RENTALS THERE? NO, NOT FOR RENTALS..& THAT'S DIFFERENT. FOR RENTALS WE BASICALLY RENT LIKE A TRACTOR T& COMPACT. PONDS, EQUIPMENT RENTALS. RIGHT. EQUIPMENT. AND AGAIN, THE REASON I'M ASKING ONLY BECAUSE OF THE EMAIL, THE TEXT WE RECEIVED REGARDING, I GUESS, THE MUD BUILD UP ONN& CERTAIN STREETS. SO DO WE NORMALLY RENT THAT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT OR DO WE HAVE THAT EQUIPMENT? YOU'RE SAYING MUD BUILD UP, LIKE LET'S SAY FOR INSTANCE, IF WE HAD THE WITH ALL THE RAIN WE HAD, IF IN CASE IT FLOWS DOWN, LET'S JUST SAY INTO ROSLYN. YES, WE'LL CLEAN IT UP. 
          YES, WE'LL, WE'LL CLEAN IT UP. BUT WITH OUR EQUIPMENT OR A RENTAL, IT DEPENDS HOW BAD THE 
          [01:50:01]
SITUATION IS, RIGHT? I MEAN, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE FOR WE& DO RENT A VECTOR TRUCK FOR DROPPING THE CLEANUPS ON ANN& ANNUAL BASIS, BUT AND THEY'LL BASICALLY IT BASICALLY WHAT IT DOES IS IT SUCTIONS THE WATER FROM THE PAVEMENT. SO WE'LL, WE DO WE RENT EQUIPMENT. THAT'S ONE OF THE EQUIPMENT AS FAR AS STREET SWEEPERS DO, WE HAVE HOW MANY WE, WE'RE THAT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE NEXT PURCHASES. YES. THAT IS ONE THAT WE REALLY WANT FOR THE REASON I'M ASKING. 
          YES I KNOW, I KNOW, THE STREETT& IS SUPPOSED TO SLOPE INTO A RESERVOIR. AND UNFORTUNATELY WE& DO HAVE A RESERVOIR OR AT LEAST DRAINAGE GOING INTO THE GOLF COURSE AREA. CARSON. YES, SIR. 
          AND I HATE TO ISOLATE IT TO JUST IS THAT A MAJOR PROBLEM AREAA& THAT WE HAVE CONSTANTLY, EVERY YEAR THAT IT CLOGS UP DRAINAGE OR. YEAH, WE WERE WE WERE THERE. I'M SORRY. I'M BRINGING IT UP. 
          YEAH. AND WE WERE THERE AFTER THIS LAST RAIN. SO TALKING ABOUT THAT EXACT THING. SO THERE'S CARSON ITSELF BEFORE IT USED TO BE HOMESTEAD. HOMESTEAD HAD A HUGE PROBLEM. BUT THEN THEYY& BUILT THAT PONDING AREA RIGHT BEHIND THE HOMES. SO EVERYTHING FEEDS BACK THERE. NOW CARSON IS& THE ISSUE. SO THERE'S AN ISSUE THERE ON CARSON. BUT THEY WENT AND CLEARED OUT THAT THAT DRAINAGE. YEAH. YEAH. SO THAT WAS CLEARED UP BY BY OUR IS THAT THE ONLY PROBLEM AREA THAT WE HAVE OR IS IT NUMEROUS. YEAHH& THERE'S A COUPLE THERE'S A COUPLE OF SPOTS HERE IN TOWN THAT WE'VE WE'VE TAKEN THEM BUT WE'VE ACTUALLY SPOKEN ABOUT CARSON SPECIFICALLY. AND THISS& WAS PRIOR TO GETTING THAT TEXT MESSAGE FROM ONE OF THE CITIZENS OUT THERE. SO, SO BUT YEAH, THEY ARE FULLY AWARE OF THAT. NOW, ALONG WITH THAT TEXT MESSAGE,,& THERE WAS AND JUST SO EVERYBODY ELSE KNOWS, THERE WAS A TEXT MESSAGE, TEXT MESSAGE WE RECEIVED FROM A CONSTITUENT. AND IT WAS CONCERNING THE MUD BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION ON DARRINGTON GOING DOWN. THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT ISSUE NOW FOR US, BECAUSE WE HAVE TOO& NOW BRING IN THE CONTRACTOR TOO& THAT DISCUSSION. RIGHT. SO IT'S NOT SO MUCH STREETS IF IT'S STREETS AND IT'S JUST REGULAR RUNOFF, YOU KNOW, LEAVES OR WHATEVER IT IS, THAT'S ONE THING. STREETS WILL HANDLE THAT. 
          NOW IF IT'S SOMETHING LARGER THAT HAS TO DO WITH A WITH A PROJECT, THEN WE NEED TO BRING THAT CONTRACTOR INTO INTO INTO THAT DISCUSSION. WE NEED TOO& FIRST FIND OUT IF THAT IS ACTUALLY THE ISSUE. YEAH. OR IF IT'S JUST SOMETHING ELSE. NOW IN THIS CASE, IT JUST HAPPENED TOO& BE WE RECEIVED A LOT OF RAIN JUST, YOU KNOW, UNCOMMON FOR EL PASO. AND IT JUST HAPPENED TOO& HIT DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE. SO THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR. BUT THEY'RE ON TOP OF IT. THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WHERE THESE ISSUES ARE. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF THE TOWERS. YES, SIR. SO MR. ON THAT SAME NOTE FOR RENTING EQUIPMENT, THE LINE ITEM, IT'S NOT THAT BIG..& IT'S ONLY $1,200, $1,250. COULD YOU WALK US THROUGH WHAT IS THE TYPICAL PRICE TAG FOR EQUIPMENT RENTAL. SO BASICALLY LET'S JUST SAY WE WANT TO RENT LIKE A TRACTOR. IT COSTS ABOUT MAYBE $800 TO RENT IT FOR ONE WEEK, RIGHT? 300 PER DAY. SO THAT'S A ROUGH ESTIMATE FOR THE VECTORR& TRUCK. WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $1,500 FOR EIGHT HOUR USE. SO WE BASICALLY GO OUT THERE AND START CLEANING DRAINS SO THAT THEY WON'T GET CLOGGED UP. AND SO BASICALLY THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS FOR RENTALS MORE OR LESS ATT& LEAST A TYPICAL, YOU KNOW, AN ESTIMATE FOR THOSE FOR RENTAL EQUIPMENT. WE HAVE WE RENT THE SCISSOR LIFTS AS WELL. WE'RE LOOKING AT AROUND THE SAME NUMBER, 300 PER DAY OR PRETTY MUCH 100 PER WEEK TO TRIM THE TREES. SO THERE'S, THERE'S IT'S A IT VARIES. YEAH IT VARIES. YEAH. SO ON AVERAGE HOW MANY RENTALS WOULD THIS LINE ITEM COVER THIS YEAR. SO IT WILL MOST LIKELY I WOULD SAY ABOUT MAYBE MAYBE 7 OR 8, 7 OR 8 MORE OR LESS DEPENDING ON HOW MANY WEEKS OR DAYS THEY HAVE IT CORRECT. 
          THAT IS CORRECT BECAUSE THE BUDGET'S ONLY $1,250, RIGHT? 1200 OR 12,012 1250 1250 $1,250. 
          WOW. OKAY. I DON'T THINK THAT'S& GOING TO GET YOU VERY MUCH. NO. BUT SO, SO AND OF COURSE I'M TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT BUDGETS HERE. SO BASICALLY STORMWATERR& WOULD BE LIKE A VECTOR. STREETS WOULD BE BASICALLY A SMALL SWEEPER. PARTS WOULD BE LIKE THE LIKE THE SCISSOR LIFT. SOO& THERE'S DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT, DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS. RIGHT, THAT WE TYPICALLY CAN USE. AND THEN ALSO FOR SOFTWARE LICENSING AND MAINTENANCE FEES, WHAT SOFTWARE& DOES THE DEPARTMENT USE. AND IN& 
          [01:55:04]
THE FUTURE ARE WE LOOKING TOO& INCLUDE SOMETHING THAT ALLOWS RESIDENTS TO PINPOINT WHERE CERTAIN MAINTENANCE NEEDS TO BE CONDUCTED? SO BASICALLY, YES,,& AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH GIS. THAT'S ONE THAT'S ONE SOFTWARE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. AND AS FOR BASICALLY PERMITTING, IT'S BASICALLY WE BASICALLY USE THE SAME SOFTWARE AS EVERYONEE& ELSE HERE. SO THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE. OKAY. AND ALSO. THEN I ALSO HAVE QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STREET MAINTENANCE FUND. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE TAB THREE PAGE 34 OKAY. SO WE SEE THAT THE STREET MAINTENANCE FUND IS FOR MAINTENANCE FOR PRE 2011 EXISTING STREETS. IN THE FUTURE WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO PROVIDE COUNCIL WITH A LIST OF ALL PRE 2011 STREETS SCHEDULED FOR MAINTENANCE THIS YEAR. YES. SO I HAVE THE LIST RIGHT HERE. SO WE& HAVE BASICALLY AGAIN THE LIST IS RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE TOP TEN RIGHT. I MEAN WE CAN GET A LOT MORE. BUT THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE PRETTY MUCH URGENCY. AND IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE ESTIMATE OF PROBABLE COST ATT& THAT POINT. THEN WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THE TOP MAYBE MAYBE NUMBERR& THREE, FOUR AND FIVE AND SIX..& AND WE CAN JUST GO AHEAD AND YOU KNOW WE CAN PLAY AROUND WITH IT DEPENDING ON THE BUDGET. SO WE HAVE SOME UNWRITTEN RULE BETWEEN NANDA AND CALVERTON ROAD. WE HAVE ARMINGTON BETWEEN COALVILLE AND ELGIN DRIVE WE HAVE ARCHDAL& DRIVE BETWEEN SOUTH AND LONDON DRIVE WE HAVE SOUTH. BETWEEN WAYNESBORO DRIVE AND SOUTH DARRINGTON ROAD. WE HAVE NANDA BETWEEN DARRINGTON ROAD AND CATHERINE CIRCLE. WE HAVE WE HAVE RICHARD SMITH, WE HAVE PETER LARUE. WE HAVE ROSSLYN BETWEEN NORTH ARLINGTON AND CARSON AND DESERT MESA, WHICH INTERSECTS WITH, WITH WITH CALTON. SO THOSE ARE THE STREETS THAT WE HAVE. OF COURSE, IF THERE'S ANY OTHER STREETS OR ANY COMPLAINT THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE, JUST GO AHEAD. YOU CAN REACH OUT TO ME OR OR TO A MAYOR, AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND LOOK INTO IT. OKAY. AND THEN ALSO UNDER THAT FUND WE SEE $102,971 INCREASE LABELED ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND SUPERVISION. COULD YOU WALK USS& THROUGH THAT? AND I KNOW THAT'S& NOT A FINALIZED NUMBER, BUT CORRECT. YES. AND SO BASICALLY WHAT WHAT I MEAN, THERE'S IT'S NOT AN INCREASE. WHAT WHAT IT'S BASICALLY WAS JUST A MODIFICATION FROM THE 205,733..& IT WAS SPLIT TO THE 113 646 AND 110 336. BUT IT'S BASICALLY TOO& ACCOUNT FOR LIKE THE ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, WHICH WAS WHICH WAS FOR THE STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, $117,252.82. AND TO ACCOUNT ALSO FOR THE CAPITAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT, WHICH WAS IN THE END FOR THE PROJECT. IT WAS ON $1,000,173 WITH 788 AND WITH $0.60, $780 WITH $0.60. SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT IT WAS. SO YES. AND THEN WHAT IS THE 29,000 FOR THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTING. IS THAT FOR ANY PARTICULAR PROJECT. AND SO BASICALLY THE 29,000 WHERE I'M SORRY THAT'S GOING TO BE AT THE BOTTOM, BOTTOM OF THE PAGE UNDER CAPITAL. THAT'S THE OH YOU'RE CONTRACTED. OH OKAY. SO YES. AN& THIS IS ALSO BASICALLY FOR THE IT'S BASICALLY FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE COMPANY. RIGHT. SO IT'S BASICALLY THIS CASE ITT& WAS IN MARCH. SO THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT THE, WHAT WHAT& THE INCREASE WAS FOR. AGAIN IT WAS $117,252.82 FOR, FOR BASICALLY THEIR SERVICES FOR THIS STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM. 
          OKAY. AND THEN IN THE FUTURE, A& WE CONTINUE TO SEE NEW DEVELOPMENT AND MORE SUBDIVISIONS CONSTRUCTED, IS THE DEPARTMENT LOOKING AT MAKING ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT PURCHASES SO THAT WE'RE NOT RENTING OUT? AND IF SO, WHAT'S THE PRIORITY FOR EQUIPMENT THAT THE DEPARTMENT REQUIRES? YES. SO WE HAVE A PRIORITY. WE HAVE A SWEEPER. THAT'S A BIG ONE. SO I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION. YES AND YES. THERE THERE'S SO AND. IF THIS IS IF THIS IS ANY OF Y'ALL'S FIRST BUDGET THAT YOU'VE WORKED ON OR, OR HAD OVERSIGHT ON, EVERY DEPARTMENT BRINGS A WISH LIST TO, TO US. RIGHT. ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, THEY HAVE& A WISH LIST. THEY BRING IT TOO& 
          [02:00:07]
US. THEY SAY THIS IS WHERE WE THIS IS OUR STARTING POINT. AND LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE STARTED AT $901,000 OVER. RIGHT& THAT WAS OUR DEFICIT BECAUSE OF THE WISH LIST, EVERYTHING THAT WAS COMING IN. SO AT THAT POINT AND MR. RAY HERE IS NO DIFFERENT FROM ANY OF THE OTHER DEPARTMEN& HEADS. THEY HAVE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED AND THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING FROM THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE. NOW, WE LOOKK& AT THAT LIST, HE PRIORITIZES THOSE THOSE ITEMS OF WHAT THEYY& NEED. AND THEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? IS IT CHEAPER FOR US TO CONTINUE T& RENT OR IS IT CHEAPER FOR US TO& GO AHEAD AND PURCHASE NOW WE CAN AMORTIZE THAT AND DEPRECIATEE& THAT OVER SO MANY YEARS? OR ISS& IT CHEAPER, LIKE I SAID, TO GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE TO LEASE THAT, TO LEASE THOSE ITEMS OR RENT THOSE ITEMS. SO REALLY THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS YES. 
          THEY ARE LOOKING TO CONSTANTLY UPGRADE WHAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE HERE. NOW IT'S ALL BUDGET CONSTRAINT. THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT IS. SO THEY ARE LITERALLY WORKING WITH WITH, YOU KNOW, THE MINIMAL AMOUNT OF EQUIPMENT THAT THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, AND I'M LOOKING OVER AT JACOB AND HE'S NODDING HIS HEAD AND HE'S LIKE, YEAH, YEAH, WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. BUT BUT THEY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB. I YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THAT THE CITY THE CONSTITUENTS HAVE COMPLAINTS AND THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE COMPLAINTS. BUT THEY DO A GREAT JOB. THEY REALLY, TRULY, TRULY DO WITH WHAT THEY ARE ALLOTTED. NOW KEEP IN MIND OUR TOTAL BUDGET LAST YEAR WAS $16.2 MILLION. IT IS NOT A LARGE BUDGET FOR A CITY OF THIS SIZE. AND WITH THAT, WE ARE HAVE TOO& KIND OF PRIORITIZE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BUY. SO YES, MR. BALLL& HAS A LIST OF ITEMS THAT HE WANTS TO BUY TO INCLUDE A STREET SWEEPER. IF WE CAN GET A STREET SWEEPER, THAT'S A GAME CHANGER FOR US, RIGHT? BUT WITH THAT COMES WE HAVE A STREET SWEEPER. DO WE NOW HIRE SOMEBODY ELSE TO& MAINTAIN THAT, TO DRIVE THAT TO? SO THERE'S A LOT OF COSTS THAT COME ASSOCIATED WITH JUST THE EQUIPMENT ITSELF. AND BEING ABLE TO MOVE THAT EQUIPMENT. NOW IT'& GOING TO REQUIRE A CDL, SOMEBOD& WITH A CDL AND A DRIVER, A TRAILER OR, YOU KNOW, ON AND ON& AND ON. SO YES, WE HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE EXPENDITURES AND THOSE REQUESTS BY EVERY DEPARTMENT. IN THIS CASE, HE HAS BEEN ASKING FOR A STREET SWEEPER FOR HOW MANY YEARS NOW? 2016. THIS IS MY THIRD BUDGET AND I HAVE SAID NO THREE TIMES. SO I'M HOPING NEXT YEAR, BUDDY, I WILL GET YOU A STREET SWEEPER. BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE'RE JUST NOT AT THAT POINT. SO JUST SO THAT WAY EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE PROCESS IS WHEN THEY'RE COMING TO US WITH THEIR WISH LIST. 
          OKAY, SO AND I HATE TO GO WISH LIST BUT IT IS A WISH LIST. BUT IT'S ON WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE AS A CITY. THAT'S REALLY WHAT OUR CONSTRAINTS ARE. OKAY. SO COOL. JUST ONE MORE. JUST ONE MOREE& KNOW. ABSOLUTELY. OUT OF CURIOSITY, WHAT'S THE TYPICAL PRICE TAG FOR A STREET? SO THAT'S THAT'S TYPICAL FOR 100,000 OKAY. YEAH. SO THE QUESTION IF YOU'RE HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT THESE GUYS ARE ARE WORKING WITH MINIMAL AMOUNT& OF EQUIPMENT, YOU BETTER STOP. I MEAN, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT LOAN? I DON'T KNOW HOW CITIES WORK WITH CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT LOANS WHERE YOU BUY THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED IF IT'S AN INVESTMENT. BUT I UNDERSTAND TOO, IS THAT YOU HAVE TO HIRE PEOPLE AND IT GOES& ON FROM THERE. BUT IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO MAYBE IN A LONG TERM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE IN THREE YEARS WE'LL TAKE THIS LOAN AND BUY YOU THIS& LOT BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S HARDER TO BUY BY, YOU KNOW, MINIMUM. YEAH. I'M, I'M, I'M NOT FOR YOU OR AGAINST YOU, SIR. I'M JUST ASKING WHAT THE PROBABILITY IS. IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT THEYY& DO MINIMAL LOTS OF WORK WITH MINIMAL TOOLS. YEAH. AND, I MEAN, I CAN BUY YOU A SHOVEL IF YOU'D LIKE, SIR. NO PROBLEM. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL WE'LL PROBABLY END UP CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE WHAT, WHAT CAN BE DONE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE THEY HAVE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TOO& THEM. THEY TRULY DO. OKAY. NOW DO WE, DO THEY HAVE THE MERCEDE& OR DO THEY HAVE THE CHEVY RIGHT. YEAH I WOULD LOVE TO GET THEM THE MERCEDES, BUT WE'RE JUST NOT THERE YET. YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUS& KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT. SO BUT WE'LL, WE'LL THEY DO A GREAT JOB. I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS I REALLY DO. JUST ON A QUICK NOTE, WHAT IS THE PROPER PROCEDURE FOR A CONSTITUENT TO NOTIFY THE CIT& THAT AN AREA NEEDS INSTEAD OF GOING STRAIGHT TO A SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL, CALL THE CITY, CALL THE MAIN NUMBER AND ASK TO SPEAK TO SOMEBODY. AND WHAT I THOUGHT, YEAH. WHICH IS IN THIS CASE THE& JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE RIGHT. OUR PHONE NUMBERS. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S JUST YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY IN HORIZON HAS MY CELL PHONE NUMBER. SO THAT'S JUST HO& IT'S GOING TO WORK. BUT AND THE PROCEDURE IS JUST THEY CAN EITHER WALK IN OR THEY CAN GIVE& 
          [02:05:05]
A CALL TO THE MAIN NUMBER. AS FAR AS GOING TO THAT NOTE, IF THEY ACTUALLY DO IT THE PROPER WAY THEY WALK IN, THEY BRING THE CONCERN FOR STREETS. IS IT PRIORITIZED? I'M GOING TO KINDD& OF LIKE ATTACK PD. NOTHING AGAINST THAT. BUT PD HAS PRIORITIES. AND OF COURSE ANYTIME YOU HEAR OF GUNFIRE THEY'RE GOING TO BE PRIORITIZED. PRIORITIES. I'M PRETTY SURE YOU GUYS ALSO HAVE PRIORITIES, CORRECT? YES. YEAH. IF THERE'S A IF THERE'S AN ACCIDENT DEGREE P& CALLS OUT, WE'LL GO. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND BASICALLY GO AHEAD AND TAKE CARE OF THAT. IF THERE'S A SINKHOLE WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GOO& OUT THERE AND. YOU'RE CORRECT..& YES. PERFECT. THAT'S CORRECT. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I JUSTT& WANT TO MAKE SURE I FOR CLARIFICATION, I'M NOT SURE IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY. ARE WE LOOKING INTO CREATING A SYSTEMM& THAT WILL ALLOW CITIZENS TO KNOW THAT, FIRST OF ALL, ALLOW THEM TO REPORT THEIR CONCERNS AS EASILY AS POSSIBLE? AND THEN NUMBER TWO, FOLLOW UP WHERE THE& CAN GO LOG IN INTO THE WEBSITE AND SAY, THIS IS WHERE MY CONCERN IS IN THE PRIORITY LIST. OR WE CAN CONSIDER THAT. I MEAN, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT. SO PART OF OUR PART OF THE WEBSITE IS TO ALLOW FOR FORMS WHERE CONSTITUENTS CAN GO ONLINE AND SUBMIT, RIGHT, IF THERE'S ISSUES NOW TO THAT DETAIL, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF RANK WHERE IT IS THAT THEY WANT IT. NOW THAT'S GOING TO BE KIND OF DEPENDENT ON ON THE WORKLOADD& THAT THEY HAVE. BUT PART OF THAT WEBSITE REDESIGN IS TO ALLOW FOR CONSTITUENTS TO BE ABLE TO GO ONLINE AND SAY, HEY, THERE'S AN ISSUE HERE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S TO& MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO FIND IT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND IT'S PRETTY DIFFICULT TO FIND WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY PUT SOMETHING IN. BUT THAT'S WHAT THIS WHOLE REDESIGN IS FOR. SO EVENTUALLY I'M HOPIN& WE CAN GET TO THAT POINT WHERE THEY THEY LOG IN, THEY THEY CLICK WHERE THEY'RE, THEY'RE THERE OR PUT IN THEIR ADDRESS, PUT IN WHATEVER THEIR CONCERNSS& ARE, AND THEN IT'LL BE ROUTED TO MR. MONEY DEPARTMENT. ON THATT& NOTE, MAYOR, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU DON'T HAVE A TIMELINE FOR LAUNCHING OUR WEBSITE. I STILL DON'T HAVE A TIMELINE. THERE'S NO BALLPARK FOR WHERE WE WANT T& GET IT DONE, AT LEAST WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO. WELL, YES..& YEAH. I MEAN, THE WHOLE PLAN WAS TO HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, UP WITHIN ABOUT SIX MONTHS, SEVEN MONTHS. 
          BUT BECAUSE OF SOME DELAYS IT'S EXTENDING OUT. SO I AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE I THINK INITIALLY WE WERE LOOKING AT WHAT WAS THE CONTRACTED TIMEFRAME ON THAT SIX MONTHS, SIX MONTHS. IT WAS SIX MONTHS. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO PAST THAT SIX MONTHS. AND AGAIN AS AS I HAVE UPDATES FOR YOU ALL, I'LL LET YOU KNOW. BUT ASS& OF RIGHT NOW, WE DO HAVE SOMEE& SOME CONCERNS. AND THAT'S JUST CONTRACT ISSUES. BUT BUT I'LL LET YOU ALL KNOW. BUT I DON'T HAVE A TIMELINE REALLY OF HOW WHAT THAT EXTENT IS GOING TO BE& THAT EXTENSION IS GOING TO BE RATHER. SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. VEGA? I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION. OH COME ON, ALDERMAN, FOR THE TRANSPORTATION REINVESTMENT ZONE FUND OR I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S A QUESTION FOR THIS GUY. SO ARE YOU DONEE& WITH MR. VEGA? YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD& LUCK ON YOUR STREET SWEEPER SIR& THANK YOU. I'M ROOTING FOR YOU. ARE THE MEMBERS. THIS IS PAGE OR TAB THREE, PAGE 35 FOR THE TRANSPORTATION REINVESTMENT ZONE PLAN. OKAY, SO, MISS CLAYTHORNE, I NOTICED THAT WE SEE AN INCREASE OF $54,000 TOWARD OUR THE INTEREST PAYMENT WITH NO PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS FOR FISCALL& YEAR 25 AND 26. HAVE WE PAIDD& DOWN THE PRINCIPAL? WE DO. WHEN& WE BUDGET FOR IT, WE BASE IT ON THE INTEREST. OKAY. AND THEN AT YEAR END WE'LL DO THE SPLIT BETWEEN PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST. THAT'S WHY YOU SEE ON 2024,,& THERE'S THAT SPLIT BETWEEN THE INTEREST EXPENSE AND THE PRINCIPAL BECAUSE WE WILL DO THIS. BUT AT THAT TIME WHEN WE BUDGET, I'M THE ONLY BUDGET ON THE INTEREST BECAUSE WE WANT TO& PAY THAT INTEREST OFF RIGHT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I WAS WONDERING FOR THAT ONE. THANK YOU, MISS GAITAN..& YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE HALFWAY THROUGH OUR MEETING. I'M JUST KIDDING THERE, BUT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROMM& COUNCIL? NO, WAIT WAIT, WAIT. SORRY. SORRY, GUYS. YOU GOT 30S. 
          [02:10:01]
BUT IF WE CAN MOVE TO PAGE 37, THAT'S FOR THE FEDERAL GRANTSS& FUND. AND SO I'M SURE THIS IS GOING TO BE A QUESTION FOR EITHER MISS GAITAN OR FOR OUR POLICE CHIEF. SO WE NOTICE A OVER $2 MILLION DECREASE IN REVENUES FOR OUR FEDERAL GRANTS FUND. IS THIS PREDOMINANTLY IMPACTING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT? WELL. THE $2,865,033, THAT ONE. IS THATT& WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? AND JUST AS& A FULL DISCLOSURE, I HAVEN'T REVIEWED THE WHOLE BUDGET BECAUSE THIS IS THE THIS FEDERAL GRANTS INVOLVES THE GENERAL FUND, AND IT INVOLVES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS SEVERAL GRANTS THAT SUBSIDIZE THEIR OVERTIME. 
          THEY ALSO BUY NOW LATELY THEY'VE BEEN BUYING EQUIPMENT AND SO FORTH. IN UP TO LAST YEAR WE WERE USING ARPA MONEY. THE AMERICAN RESCUE, OUR MONEY. RIGHT. SO WE PRETTY MUCH USEDD& ALL OF IT EXCEPT FOR ABOUT $250,000. WE HAD AN AWARD OF ABOUT $4.3 MILLION LAST YEAR. WE MADE ABOUT $2 MILLION WORTH OF PURCHASES OF PROPERTY. SO WE PRETTY MUCH ATE UP ALL THAT WE HAD AVAILABLE. AND THE ONE OFF& THE REASONS THAT WE DID THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAD TO EARMARK THEE& MONEY BY DECEMBER OF 2020 FOR, AND WE COULD SPEND IT UP TOO& 2026, BUT WE HAD TO HAVE A PURCHASE ORDER AGREEMENT OR A FINALIZED CONTRACT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FUNDS. SO WE OPTED WITH THE MAYOR'S LEADERSHIP TO PURCHASE PROPERTY FOR FUTURE INVESTMENT AND FUTURE MUNICIPAL SITES. SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT DECREASE ON THE ON THE REVENUES. AND SO IT WAS EITHER SPEND IT OR LOSE IT, SPEND IT OR LOSE IT HAD TO BE OBLIGATED TO LOSE IT. YEAH. 
          WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOSE IT. IT HAD TO BE OBLIGATED BY DECEMBER& 31ST. THAT'S WHAT I CAN REMEMBER. SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE DECREASE IN THAT. IT'S IN THE PRIOR YEAR SURPLUS BECAUSE INITIALLY WE GOT IT IN ABOUT 2022 AND WE WERE SPENDING IT THROUGHOUT THAT PERIOD. AND EVERY YEAR WE WOULD MOVE WHATEVER WE HAD NOT SPENT INN& THAT FISCAL YEAR TO OUR PRIOR YEAR FUNDS, AND THEN WE WOULD DRAW THEM AS WE NEED THEM. OKAY. AND THEN ALSO WE CAN MOVE TOO& PAGE 33 FOR THE DEBT SERVICE FUND. SO WHEN I WAS LOOKING ATT& THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, I NOTICED THAT THE PRINCIPAL EXPENDITURES INCREASE FOR THE 2014 AND 2019 CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION WHILE REMAINING FLAT FOR THE 2005 BOND, AND THE INTEREST EXPENDITURES DECREASE FOR THE 2005, 2014 2009 DEBT, AND THAT NO PRINCIPAL OR INTEREST CHARGES APPEAR FOR THE TWO 2023 CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION. HAS& THE 2005 BOND FULLY OR NEARLY MATURED? NOT YET. IT WILL MATUR& IN 2029, SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH AT& THE TAIL END. AND THEN ON THE 2023 WE'RE CURRENTLY, WE'RE PAYING ONLY INTEREST. I'M NOT I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY, BUT PROBABLY ANOTHER YEAR THAT WILL& PAY INTEREST. AND THEN WE'LL START PAYING PRINCIPAL ON THATT& ONE. THAT'S A FAIRLY NEW LOAN. 
          AND SO IS IT TYPICAL FOR PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS TO BE DEFERRED FOR MUNICIPALITIES OKAY. AND THEN. WOULD YOU BEE& ABLE TO PROVIDE AT OUR NEXT MEETING THE MODERNIZATION SCHEDULES FOR I ACTUALLY HAVEE& THAT FOR YOU. OKAY. AND IT'S ALSO INCLUDED I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE EXCERPT FROM THE BUDGET, I'M SORRY, FROM THE AUDIT,,& BECAUSE THE AUDIT GIVES IT TOO& YOU BY YEAR AND TELLS YOU MORE DETAILS ABOUT EACH BOND ISSUE, AND THEN TELLS YOU THE DEBT SERVICE FOR UNTIL 2038, I BELIEVE. YEAH. PERFECT. AND THEN LET'S SEE. SO COULD YOU CLARIFY WHETHER THE 2023 CERTIFICATES OBLIGATION DEFERS PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS DUE TO CAPITALIZED INTEREST OR STRUCTURE? AND WHEN THOSE PAYMENTS WILL? IT'S JUST THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOND ISSUE. 
          WE ACTUALLY REQUESTED THAT SINCE WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THE INITIAL COST OF THE BUILDING. 
          RIGHT. AND WE WANTED TO DEFER THE PAYMENTS ON THE PRINCIPAL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. OKAY. AWESOME. 
          THANK YOU. MISS. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS. OKAY. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? I'M GOING TO WAIT TILL MISS GAITANN& SITS DOWN. THERE'S ONE MOREE& QUESTION FROM THIS. NO, I'M JUST KIDDING. YEAH. ARE THERE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR ANY DEPARTMENTS HERE ON THIS FOR THIS BUDGET WORKSHOP? NO. OKAY. SO BEING THAT THERE ARE NO FURTHER ITEMS ON THIS AGENDA, I 
          [02:15:06]
WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TOO& ADJOURN. MOTION TO ADJOURN. SECOND, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.