[CALL TO ORDER ]
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I HEREBY CONVENE THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF PARKER, TEXAS, OF JUNE 16, 2026.
AT THIS TIME, I WILL ASK MS. HULL, DO I HAVE A QUORUM? YES, MADAM MAYOR, YOU HAVE A QUORUM.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL GO TO OUR WORKSHOP ON THE PERSONNEL MANUAL, AND I WILL TURN THE MEETING
[WORKSHOP]
OVER TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY, KATHLEEN CLIFTON, TO DISCUSS THE PERSONNEL MANUAL.YOU, I BELIEVE, RECEIVED THIS ON THE 31ST OF MAY, SO YOU'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT IT.
THIS IS A POLICY THAT WAS INITIALLY REVISED AT THE END OF 23 AND HAD SOME VARIOUS INPUTS AND A LOT OF WORK ON IT DONE AND SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS RECEIVED FROM THIS COUNCIL, AND ULTIMATELY WHAT I PROVIDED TO YOU DOESN'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE COMMENTS MARKED BECAUSE IT BECAME KIND OF SUCH A MESS TO SEE THAT WAY, SO I PROVIDED YOU WITH A CLEAN COPY WHEN I SENT THAT OUT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
AND THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK, ASK QUESTIONS, MAKE COMMENTS.
SO HOW DO YOU WANT TO DO THE COMMENTS? DO YOU WANT EACH OF US TO TAKE A TURN, OR DO WE WANT TO GO BY SECTION, OR HOW DO YOU WANT TO DO IT? WHATEVER SUITS YOU.
WHAT MY CONCERN HERE IS, IS THAT IF WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE AND A RELATIVE OF THEIRS WINS AN ELECTION, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT SCENARIO HERE, THE WAY THAT'S WORDED, ESPECIALLY WHAT'S AT THE, BECAUSE IT JUST FLAT OUT SAYS LIKE RELATIVES OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY NOT WORK FOR THE CITY, PERIOD.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M FINE WITH, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY'S A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND THEN SOMEBODY APPLIES, THAT'S A RELATIVE, WE SAY, NOPE, WE CANNOT HIRE YOU, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO THE EMPLOYEE IF THEIR RELATIVE GETS ELECTED THAT WE SAY, OH, YOU'VE GOT TO QUIT NOW.
CATHERINE, CAN YOU ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON THE STATE LAW, BECAUSE THE STATE LAW DOES ADDRESS NEPOTISM.
SO I THINK THE STATE LAW ADDRESSES THIS IN A WAY THAT I LIKED, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS WAY MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN WHAT THE STATE LAW STATES.
SO DO YOU HAVE THAT PULLED UP, OR COULD YOU PULL IT UP? I DON'T HAVE IT PULLED UP.
I BELIEVE THE STATE LAW HAS A PROVISION FOR WHEN THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE CREATED AFTER THE EMPLOYEE IS EMPLOYED, THEY JUST CAN'T REPORT ONE TO THE OTHER.
IT'S JUST THE WAY THIS IS WORDED HERE, THAT'S NOT THE WAY I READ THIS.
OKAY, SO YOU'RE ASKING THAT THAT WORDING BE WORDSMITHED.
TEXAS LAW CHAPTER 573 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SAYS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MAY NOT APPOINT, VOTE, CONFIRM, OR PARTICIPATE IN THE APPOINTMENT OF A PERSON WHO IS RELATED TO THEM.
AND THEN THEY DESCRIBE THE LEVELS OF, WHETHER IT'S BY BLOOD OR BY MARRIAGE.
SO THEY SPECIFY ALL OF THAT IN THE STATE LAW.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT HIRING OR SUPERVISING OR ANY OF THAT, I MEAN, IT COVERS THAT PART OF IT.
SO I WOULDN'T MIND JUST TAKING THIS OUT SPECIFICALLY AND JUST ADDRESSING THE TEXAS LAW CHAPTER 573 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT CODE.
I HAD A QUESTION BECAUSE I THINK ROXANNE'S SON WORKED FOR PARKER, AND THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT THAT PARAGRAPH WAS ADDRESSING.
SO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT.
SO I HATE TO LOSE SOMEBODY WHO'S WORKED HERE FOR 10 YEARS BECAUSE MOM GOT ELECTED FOR ONE YEAR.
I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S SAD TO LOSE GOOD EMPLOYEES OVER THAT.
SO AS LONG AS IT'S COVERED WHERE THERE'S NO DIRECT SUPERVISION, I THINK WE'RE OKAY.
BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, I HAD ONE ON SECTION 1.4 WHERE IT SAYS CONDUCT
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BY MANAGEMENT, SUPERVISORS, CO-WORKERS, CITIZENS, AND VENDORS.AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD, AND ALL OTHER THIRD PARTIES OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTIES JUST TO PROTECT FROM ANY OTHER AGENCY-TYPE RELATIONSHIPS.
AND THAT'S THE OPENING PARAGRAPH OF THAT? YEAH, THE OPENING PARAGRAPH.
AND THEN ON THE NEXT PAGE, I'M ON PAGE, WELL, NOW IT'LL BE PAGE SEVEN.
UNDER MANDATORY REPORTING, IT SAYS MUST REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEPARTMENT HEAD, CITY ADMINISTRATOR, HUMAN RESOURCES.
AND MY QUESTION WAS, IS THIS THEIR DEPARTMENT HEAD, THE OFFENDER'S DEPARTMENT HEAD, OR ANY DEPARTMENT HEAD? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WHAT PAGE IS THAT ON? THAT WAS MANDATORY REPORTING ON PAGE SEVEN.
I THINK CLASSIC HR MANUALS WOULD SAY ANY DEPARTMENT HEAD.
SO THAT'S THE CORRECT FOR THAT.
SO A, DEPARTMENT HEAD, RATHER THAN THE DEPARTMENT HEAD? IT SEEMS LIKE IT OUGHT TO BE YOUR DEPARTMENT HEAD.
NOT IF IT'S THE ONE THAT'S HARASSING YOU.
EVERY SUPERVISOR WOULD HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO REPORT IT TO HR IF THEY RECEIVED THAT INFORMATION.
SO PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, IT'S FINE FOR IT TO BE PERCEIVED AS THE DEPARTMENT HEAD OF CHOICE.
MS. PILGRIM, I'M JUST GOING AROUND THE...
MS. BOB? ARE WE JUST GOING THROUGH ITEMS OR...
ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC THING? YEAH, WE'RE JUST GOING THROUGH.
WAIT, ARE WE ON THE SPECIFIC THING OR ON ANYTHING? ANYTHING.
ON THE DRUG TESTING FOR EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYEES WILL BE TESTED FOR ALCOHOL AND OR ILLEGAL AND UNAUTHORIZED DRUGS.
SO I READ UNAUTHORIZED DRUGS TO BE BASICALLY PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE, LIKE UNPRESCRIBED MEDICATION OR MEDICATION THAT WASN'T PRESCRIBED FOR THE USE THAT IT WAS BEING USED.
BUT I WONDER, BECAUSE I WOULD INTERPRET THAT THE USE OF, SAY, DELTA 9-BASED THC WOULD BE PROBABLY FORBIDDEN FROM USE FOR EMPLOYEES WHILE THEY'RE UNDER EMPLOYMENT FOR PARKER, BUT IT IS LEGAL ON, YOU KNOW, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I MEAN, IT CERTAINLY LIVES IN A GRAY AREA, BUT IT DOESN'T FALL UNDER THIS RUBRIC, AND IT WOULD CAUSE SOMEONE TO TEST POSITIVELY FOR DELTA 08, WHICH IS ILLEGAL.
SO I WONDER IF IT'S WORTH CALLING THAT OUT EXPLICITLY, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE COULD MISINTERPRET, AND THEN COME BACK AND SAY, YOU CAN'T FIRE ME FOR THAT.
YEAH, BECAUSE IF THEY WERE TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA, THEN I CAN SAY, IT'S ILLEGAL, I CAN DO THAT, BUT YOU'RE STILL INTOXICATED.
AND THEN ALSO IN THAT SECTION, PAGE 12, TESTING PROCEDURES, IT REFERS TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER, AND IS THAT CLEAR? I MEAN, BECAUSE I SEE HIM REFERRED TO YOU DIFFERENT WAYS, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS CLEAR.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP IN HERE, BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT ALSO, I THINK, IN ANOTHER PLACE I HAVE IT ACTUALLY AS DIRECTOR, AND THERE'S HUMAN RESOURCES, AND GRANT WOULD HAVE TO SPEAK TO THIS, WHICH FUNCTIONS HE DOES, AND WHICH FUNCTIONS PAT DOES, SO PAT DOES ALL THE FILING, A LOT OF PAPERWORK AND STUFF, BUT MOST OF THE H.R. WORK, AND IT'S DONE DIRECTLY WITH ME.
SO SHE DOES, LIKE, THE MINISTERIAL, BUT THE REPORTING SHOULD BE SPECIFIC TO YOU, SO IN PLACES WHERE WE HAVE IT STYLED AS JUST HUMAN RESOURCES, WE NEED TO BE SPECIFIC THAT IT IS THE DIRECTOR, MANAGER, WHAT'S YOUR TITLE, GRANT? DIRECTOR.
THE NAMEPLATE IN FRONT OF YOU SAYS H.R. MANAGER.
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IS THAT...IT DOESN'T MATTER, I THINK IT'S DIFFERENT IN A COUPLE OF PLACES, SO IT DOESN'T MATTER.
YEAH, I THINK CONSISTENT AND CLEAR ARE THE, WHATEVER YOU LAND ON IS THE RESULT.
I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING JUST SO I WON'T BE KNOWN AS THE MARIJUANA GUY GOING FORWARD.
ON SECTION 17, CONFLICT OF INTEREST, NO OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE SHALL USE OR ATTEMPT TO USE THEIR OFFICIAL POSITION TO SECURE A SPECIAL ADVANTAGE, PRIVILEGE, OR EXEMPTION FOR HIM OR FOR SELF OR OTHERS.
WHAT COUNTRY DO YOU WANT? SECTION 17, PAGE 13, SLASH PAGE 17, DEPENDING ON WHICH PAGE NOMENCLATURE YOU'RE FOLLOWING.
IS SPECIAL ADVANTAGE, PRIVILEGE, OR EXEMPTION DEFINED EITHER LEGALLY OR AT A STATE LEVEL SUCH THAT IT ISN'T STRONGLY LEFT UP TO INTERPRETATION? SO AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE RECENTLY THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR WERE INVITED TO CELEBRATE THE INAUGURATION OF A LITTLE CAESAR'S PIZZA ESTABLISHMENT.
AND I WOULD ASSUME, YOU KNOW, IT WOULDN'T BE CRAZY FOR THEM TO GIVE US A FREE PIECE OF PIZZA WHILE WE WERE THERE.
LIKE, I WOULD ASSUME THERE'S LIKE A, YOU KNOW, LIKE A MINIMUM LEVEL THERE THAT'S CONSIDERED ORDINARY FOR BUSINESS VERSUS SOMETHING THAT IS OBVIOUSLY UNTOWARD.
SO IS THAT CAPTURED THERE OR DOES THAT NEED SOME LEVEL OF...
BECAUSE I AM THERE FOR THE CRAZY BREAD.
YEAH, IT HAS BEEN $20 IN THE PAST.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S STILL APPLICABLE.
SO HAS THE LAW ON THAT CHARGE, CATHERINE? WELL, DE MINIMIS IS LIKE $40, BUT I THINK THIS IS A DIFFERENT ISSUE.
THIS IS WHERE, BY YOUR PRESENCE, YOU'RE KIND OF CONFERRING A BENEFIT ON THEM, NOT WHAT YOU'RE RECEIVING.
SO WE'LL WORK ON THAT LANGUAGE.
ON PAGE 16, OR IT'S ABOVE SECTION 1.9, THERE IS RETURN TO WORK FITNESS FOR DUTY.
AND IT REFERS TO AN EMPLOYEE WHO MISSES WORK DUE TO MEDICAL REASONS AND MAY BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A FITNESS FOR DUTY CERTIFICATION BEFORE RETURNING TO WORK.
LIKE, I JUST WONDER IF WE CAN NAIL THAT DOWN SOMEWHERE.
BECAUSE I'M OUT WITH THE FLU FOR THREE DAYS.
I DON'T NECESSARILY NEED SOBRIETY TO FIT A SORE.
BUT IF I'VE BROKEN MY LEG AND I WANT TO COME BACK, YEAH, MAYBE THAT WOULD, DEPENDING ON THE JOB.
ANY COMMENT ON THAT, CATHERINE? NO, I'M JUST FINDING IT AND MAKING A NOTE SO I CAN READ IT.
MS. BOGDAN, DID YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS? UM, I'M ON PAGE 32 OF THE PACKET 28 OF THE MANUAL.
IT KIND OF REALLY SOUNDS OUTDATED.
LIKE, OH MY GOD, PEOPLE ARE BRINGING THEIR CELL PHONE TO WORK.
SO, I'M KIND OF, LIKE, NO TEXTING AND NO CAMERA USE, BUT THE CITY...
I MEAN, THAT'S KIND OF REALLY OUTDATED, SO I JUST GOT ME TO DO IT RIGHT NOW.
I FEEL LIKE THAT SHOULD BE MANAGED AS PERFORMANCE AND NOT AS A TOOL.
LIKE, IF YOU'RE ON YOUR PHONE ALL DAY AND YOU'RE NOT GETTING YOUR WORK DONE, THAT'S A PERFORMANCE PROBLEM, NOT THE PHONE PROBLEM.
CAN WE JUST TAKE A WHOLE SECTION ON IT OR WHAT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT? TALKING ABOUT 4 OR 6, RIGHT? YEAH.
I MEAN, THE FIRST PARAGRAPH I DON'T THINK IS HELPFUL, BUT I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE SECOND PARAGRAPH IN THERE.
THAT'S BASICALLY OUTLINING THAT IT'S A PERFORMANCE ISSUE.
AND THEN, YEAH, SAME WITH PARAGRAPH 3.
YEAH, MY ONLY OBJECTION WOULD BE TO REMOVE THE FIRST PARAGRAPH.
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OF IT I THINK I'M FINE WITH.AND THEN IT IS MADE CLEAR TO NEW HIRES THAT IF THEY USE THEIR PERSONAL DEVICE FOR CITY-RELATED BUSINESS AS SUBJECT TO PIA.
YOU KNOW, THE USE OF A CELL PHONE, BECAUSE A CELL PHONE DOES SO MANY THINGS NOWADAYS, WHILE OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE, IS A PRETTY BROAD TERM, CONSIDERING SO MANY PEOPLE USE NAV SYSTEMS ON A CELL PHONE.
SO, YOU CAN'T TECHNICALLY SAY YOU CAN'T USE A CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING A MOTOR VEHICLE.
A BIG OLD SCHOOL BAG IN A BOX.
WE COULD EVEN PREVENT TALKING, OTHER THAN THROUGH A WIRELESS DEVICE.
DO WE ACTUALLY EVEN NEED TO OUTLINE THAT? I MEAN, THAT'S JUST FLAT-OUT STATE LAW.
WHAT IS? WE'RE NOT TEXTING OR TALKING WITHOUT A HEADSET, ET CETERA, OR TALKING AT ALL OVER THE SCHOOL ZONE.
I DON'T THINK WE NECESSARILY NEED TO REPEAT ALL THAT IN OUR PERSONNEL MANUAL.
WELL, I THINK SOMEWHERE ELSE IN HERE WE HAVE VIOLATIONS.
SO, IF YOU GET PULLED OVER AND ARE SIGHTED WHILE YOU'RE USING YOUR PERSONAL PHONE IN OUR VEHICLE OR ON DUTY, THEN THAT'S THE LIABILITY OF THE CITY IF YOU CRASH.
BUT WE HAVE OTHER AVENUES TO ADDRESS THAT.
JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THERE IS, IN SECTION 1.10, THERE'S A PART THAT SAYS, ONLY THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR MAY APPROVE AN EXTENSION OF A MODIFIED DUTY ASSIGNMENT.
WE RECENTLY DID NOT HAVE A CITY ADMINISTRATOR, SO, OR DESIGNATED, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING TO SAY THAT THE INTERIM, WHAT HAVE YOU, THE MAYOR.
WHAT PAGE WOULD YOU WANT? IT'S, I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE I'VE PUT IN MINE FOR THE FOURTH.
YOU'RE ON THAT FOURTH PARAGRAPH? UH, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE.
YEAH, I THINK IT NEEDS TO SAY MAYOR OR.
IT'S SOMETHING, JUST HAVE WE HAVE BACKUP.
NOT THAT I WANT TO RUN MR. MANTON OFF, BUT.
WHAT I'M LOOKING AT SAYS ONLY THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR OR DESIGNEE, IS THAT THE.
IS THAT THE ONE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? OKAY.
UM, MINE DOES NOT SAY THAT, BUT IF IT'S IN YOURS, THEN I'M HAPPY WITH THAT.
AND THEN, GOING DOWN FURTHER ON THAT SAME PAGE, USE THE CITY'S INTERNET.
AND, I GUESS I'M A LITTLE, I DON'T KNOW, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED AS TO WHAT THAT ACTUALLY IS REFERRING TO, BUT.
I MEAN, I REALIZE THAT YOU'RE USING THE INTERNET ON THE THING, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO GOOGLE SITES AND THAT, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? JUST INAPPROPRIATE USE OF ACCESSING THE INTERNET? RIGHT.
BUT YOU CAN'T DO SOMETHING THAT'S UNLAWFUL.
SECTION 4.4, WHICH IS PAGE 25.
THIS IS ABOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE MEDIA.
I THINK THIS JUST NEEDS SOME CLARIFICATION A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE IT JUST SAYS EMPLOYEES WILL NOT TALK TO THE MEDIA OR WHATEVER.
BUT, BUT THEN IT KIND OF HINTS, OH, THE CHIEF OF POLICE, YOU SEND MEDIA INQUIRIES TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
SO, CAN WE AT LEAST OUTLINE IN HERE WHICH EMPLOYEES ARE ALLOWED TO TALK TO THE MEDIA? YOU KNOW, IS IT THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR? IS IT THE CHIEF OF POLICE? IS IT THE CHIEF OF FIRE? IS IT CERTAIN DEPARTMENT HEADS? I WOULD JUST LIKE CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE THE WAY I READ THIS HERE, IT JUST SAYS, LIKE, OH, EMPLOYEES SHOULDN'T TALK TO THE MEDIA AT ALL.
SO, AND, BUT THEN IT KIND OF HINTS THE CHIEF OF POLICE CAN DO THAT.
SO, I'D JUST LIKE TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION.
I THINK THAT THE REFERENCE IS TO AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE AND AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL, SO WE COULD JUST SAY IN HERE WHO IS AUTHORIZED, WHO CONSTITUTES AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL.
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AND WHAT ARE PEOPLE'S FEELINGS ABOUT THAT? AND KENT, IF YOU HAVE AN OPINION ON THIS, PLEASE.SO, THE PAST EMPLOYEE POLICY THAT I'M USED TO WORKING ON UNDER DESIGNATES THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR AS THE PIO.
YOU COULD ALSO LOOK AT ESTABLISHING A POLICY FOR THE PIO, OR YOU COULD JUST POTENTIALLY REFERENCE IT HERE.
AND IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE A BACKUP DESIGNEE NOW.
FOR EVERYTHING CRIMINAL RELATED, I THINK THAT SHOULD GO TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
HE'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, THOSE MEDIA INQUIRIES, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SPECIFICS NEEDED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WELL, AND YOU HAVE THE SAME ARGUMENT FOR FIRE, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT SHOULD GO TO THE FIRE CHIEF OR HIS DESIGNEE.
BUT AS FAR AS EMPLOYEES NOT, I MEAN, THAT'S OUR POLICY AT WORK.
WE ARE NOT TO TALK TO THE MEDIA, SO.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD STANDARD BEST PRACTICE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET OUR GAME PLAN SO THAT OUR MESSAGING IS CONSISTENT AS IT GOES OUT TO THE MEDIA AND THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING THE CONFUSION.
SO, DESIGNATING A SINGLE PIO IS, I THINK, WOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR A CITY OF THIS SIZE THAT DOESN'T HAVE A COMMUNICATIONS TEAM.
WHAT ABOUT THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR IS THE AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE CITY AND MAY AUTHORIZE ADDITIONAL REPRESENTATIVES AS NEEDED? I LIKE THAT.
SO, TWO THINGS, REALLY, ON THE EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT COULD BE WORKPLACE VIOLATIONS OR GROUNDS FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
SO, I'LL START WITH WHAT AMUSES ME, WHICH IS THE WORD LOAFING, WHICH TIME TRAVELED OUT OF THE 1940S TO VISIT OUR DOCUMENT.
I THINK THE LAST PERSON I'VE EVER HEARD USE THAT WORD IS MY GRANDMA.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS A LOT OF THIS, AS READ, COULD BE INTERPRETED AS, LIKE I WOULD SAY, FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WHEN THEY'RE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE PAID TO WAIT, REALLY, FOR THE MOST PART.
SO, LIKE, THE STANDARD DEFINITION OF THEIR JOB IS NOT IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SPECIFIC POLICY.
SO, HOW WOULD WE DISCERN THEIR DUTIES VERSUS WHAT THIS IS CLEARLY INTENDED TO PREVENT? I WOULD SAY TWO THINGS.
ONE, MOST FIRE DEPARTMENTS, AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE PARKER FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT THEY HAVE JOB DUTIES 8-5 THAT THEY DO AROUND THE STATION.
SO, IT IS NOT DO NOTHING NECESSARILY.
BUT THE REST OF THE TIME, AS YOU SAY, THEY ARE ENGAGED TO WAIT, WHICH MEANS THEIR JOB ASSIGNMENT IS WATCHING TV.
SO, THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO DO.
AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS ON SABOTAGE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IS INHERENTLY AN ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.
I THINK ALL OF THESE BULLETS ARE ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES.
DO WE NEED AN ACTUAL EMPLOYMENT POLICY? YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LINE THAT WE COULD DRAW SOMEWHERE, BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE POLICY AGAINST MURDER IN THE WORKPLACE.
LIKE, THAT'S A PUNISHABLE OFFENSE.
SO, DO WE REALLY NEED SECTION 5 HERE, OR CAN WE JUST ACCEPT THAT ILLEGAL TRANSGRESSIONS ON CITY PROPERTY OR AGAINST THE CITY ARE GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL? WELL, VERY OFTEN, CITIES, AND THIS VARIES FROM CITY TO CITY, BUT THEY DO NOT WANT TO, FOR EXAMPLE, SAY A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED, BUT THEY STILL DON'T WANT TO TOLERATE THE CONDUCT.
SO, IF WE SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS TO BE, IF THERE'S A CRIME COMMITTED, THERE'S GOING TO BE CONSEQUENCES.
I THINK THAT'S COVERED ALREADY.
BUT, THIS ALLOWS ACTION TO BE TAKEN WITHOUT ACTUALLY HAVING TO GO FILE, FILE A POLICE REPORT, ET CETERA.
ALSO, ON A CRIME COMMITTED, YOU HAVE THE WHOLE PROCESS.
YOU CAN BE CHARGED, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO BE INDICTED IF IT'S A FELONY, AND THEN CONVICTED.
AND YOU CAN'T SAY SOMEBODY'S COMMITTED A CRIME IF THERE'S NO CONVICTION, BUT YOU MAY NOT WANT TO TOLERATE THE BEHAVIOR.
SINCE WE'RE IN THIS SECTION, SUBSECTION 17 ABOUT CONFLICT OF INTEREST, IT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE 35.
OKAY, I'M WONDERING IF WE NEED SOME WORDING IN HERE ABOUT GIFTS TO FAMILY MEMBERS OR SOMETHING ALONG THAT THING, BECAUSE IT'S JUST SAYING THE EMPLOYEE CANNOT ACCEPT THE GIFT, BUT MAYBE THE EMPLOYEE, HENCE, I'LL GIVE A GIFT TO MY, YOU KNOW,
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GRANDCHILD OR SOMETHING.YES, EMPLOYEE OR A FAMILY MEMBER THEREOF.
WELL, WE HAVE A DEFINITION UNDER NEPTITISM ABOUT FAMILY MEMBERS, SO I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE IT CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT.
WHAT PAGE ARE YOU ON, BILL? 35-36.
SO I GUESS GOING BACK TO JUST PRIOR TOPIC ON NUMBER 12, SO MISCONDUCT IS ANY CRIMINAL OFFENSE OR IMMORAL CONDUCT DURING OR OFF WORKING HOURS.
FROM THE PR PERSPECTIVE, CAN WE FIRE SOMEBODY BASED ON AN ACCUSATION OR A CHARGE AND NOT A CONDITION, NOT UNLIKE A BACKGROUND CHECK? YOU THREW ME ON THE LAST PART, NOT UNLIKE A BACKGROUND CHECK.
WELL, LIKE IN A BACKGROUND CHECK, I CAN'T HOLD AN ARREST AGAINST YOU.
OH, SO THAT CAN'T BE MY REASON FOR NOT HIRING.
NO, IT'S NOT THE FACT THAT THEY WERE ARRESTED.
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT CONDUCT AND MAKE A DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER THAT VIOLATES POLICY.
SO IT GOES BACK TO THE TIES TO THE LETTER.
I'VE GOT A COMMENT ON ITEM 15 ON THE SAME PAGE, PAGE 35.
THE EMPLOYEE MUST INFORM THE SUPERVISORS OF ALL TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, REALLY RUNNING A STOP SIGN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE TO COME IN AND TELL YOUR SUPERVISOR ABOUT THAT.
MANY EMPLOYERS DO REQUIRE THAT, OR ARE THEY AT LEAST REQUIRED OF EMPLOYEES WHO DRIVE CITY VEHICLES? WELL, IN SECTION 7.2, IT DOES ADDRESS THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S WRITTEN AND SAYS SPECIFICALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO DRIVE FOR THE CITY.
BUT IN THIS SECTION, IT JUST TALKS ABOUT, TO ME, I TOOK THAT AS ALL EMPLOYEES.
7.2 DOES ADDRESS, I THINK THAT SECTION PERTAINS ONLY TO DRIVERS OF THE CITY.
BUT I THINK THIS OTHER PART SAYS ALL.
I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE RUNNING INTO MY SUPERVISOR WHEN I RAN A STOP SIGN.
AND ALSO ON THAT THING, I DON'T THINK 24 HOURS IS REASONABLE GIVEN WEEKENDS.
IF I GET A SPEEDING TICKET, I DON'T THINK MY SUPERVISOR WANTS ME TO CALL THEM ON THE WEEKEND AND SAY, OH, I GOT A SPEEDING TICKET.
SO IS THE DIRECTION TO TAKE OUT THE TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS OR TO CHANGE THE 24 HOURS? IF YOU TAKE OUT THE TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, THEN DO YOU STILL WANT THE REPORT OF AN ARREST OR CONVICTION WITHIN 24 HOURS? FROM A PR PERSPECTIVE, I THINK WE NEED THAT BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT ON FACEBOOK OR THE TV NEWS.
BUT THE OTHER THING, TOO, IS AN ARREST OR CONVICTION IS PROBABLY GOING TO RESULT IN SOME ABSENTEE TIME.
SO THEY WOULD NEED TO BE CONTACTING US REGARDLESS.
AND I THINK IN SECTION 7.2, IT DOES ADDRESS THIS.
I MEAN, I DON'T MIND PEOPLE WHO DRIVE FOR THE CITY THAT THEY COULD TELL ABOUT TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS.
BUT I DON'T THINK ALL EMPLOYEES NEED THAT.
SO I WOULD SAY TO TAKE OUT FOR ALL TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS IN THIS ITEM 15 ON PAGE 35.
AND THEN IN 7.2, IT ADDRESSES IT AGAIN FOR THE PEOPLE THAT DRIVE FOR THE CITY.
WHEN WE TERMINATE SOMEBODY, DO WE WANT TO...
IT SAYS THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR MUST RATIFY.
BUT DO WE ALSO WANT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S INPUT BEFORE WE TERMINATE SOMEBODY? ABSOLUTELY.
BEFORE SOMEONE'S TERMINATED, I THINK HUMAN RESOURCES HAS TO BE INVOLVED AS WELL AS THE CITY ATTORNEY TO MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE IN THE HANDBOOK.
THAT'S A PRACTICE OR PROCESS, NOT NECESSARILY A POLICY.
AND THEN ON THAT SAME SECTION, SO SUSPENSION, ABOUT TO BRING A CHANGE OF BEHAVIOR AND RESULTS AND TIME OFF OF THE PAY.
A DEPARTMENT HEAD MAY SUSPEND AN EMPLOYEE WITHOUT PAY FOR A PERIOD
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OF NOT LESS THAN ONE HOUR.NOR MORE THAN 10 WORKING DAYS.
AND THAT ACTUALLY HAS TO CONFIRM THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR PIECE.
BUT PERSONALLY, MY VIEW OF SUSPENSION IS THAT 10 DAYS IS NOT...
THAT'S PUNITIVE, BUT REALLY THAT DOESN'T SERVE THE CITY.
SO I WOULD RATHER SEE IT TO BE ONE OR TWO DAYS, MAX, MINIMUM, ONE DAY, FOR THE EMPLOYEE TO CONSIDER WHETHER THEY WANT TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR AND CONTINUE EMPLOYMENT OR SAY, NOT MY JAM, I'M OUT.
SO I THINK IT'S A COOLING-OFF PERIOD FOR THEM TO DETERMINE THEIR DESIRE TO REMAIN EMPLOYED AT PARKER.
YOU'RE SAYING A SUSPENSION SHOULD BE, LIKE, A DECISION-MAKING DAY? MM-HMM.
ARE YOU WANTING TO REDUCE THE MAXIMUM FROM THE 10? MM-HMM.
TWO DAYS, MAX, IS MY THINKING.
THAT'S JUST MY PHILOSOPHY, SO...
WELL, I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE NEED TO COOL OFF TO IT, AND THEN THEIR BRAIN STARTS TO KICK IN AND REALLY THINK ABOUT IT.
I THINK A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN...
I CAN LOOK AT THREE, FOR SURE.
I'M JUST THINKING OVER A WEEKEND.
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS ON FRIDAY, THAT GIVES YOU THE WEEKEND TO CALM DOWN.
WELL, THIS IS WORKING DAYS, NOT CALENDAR DAYS, SO...
IF I'M A POLICE OFFICER, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, SUNDAY MAY BE WORKING DAYS.
I THINK IT'S THREE WORKING DAYS.
AND THEN, CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT DEMOTION? BECAUSE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I'VE REALLY EXPERIENCED.
HOW DOES THAT WORK? BECAUSE I DON'T WORK IN THE SAME TYPE OF SPACE WHERE WE HAVE, LIKE, POLICE AND FIRE.
AND THAT'S NORMALLY WHERE YOU WOULD SEE IT, NOT TO PICK ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT IT'S EASY BECAUSE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, LIKE, THE HIERARCHY.
IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT HAS BEEN PROMOTED TO SERGEANT AND THEY ARE NOT BEING SUCCESSFUL AS A SERGEANT, BUT THEY WERE GOOD AS AN OFFICER, THEN THAT'S WHERE YOU WOULD SAY, WE'VE DONE ALL THESE THINGS AND ULTIMATELY THEY MIGHT BE DEMOTED.
BUT THEY WOULD GO BACK TO BEING AN OFFICER AND PROMOTE SOMEBODY ELSE.
THERE CAN ALSO BE A PUNITIVE ON DEMOTION.
OH, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY WHAT THAT'S...
WHICH, ACTUALLY, AND I DON'T, I MEAN, YES, IT CAN BE PUNITIVE, BUT I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW.
I'VE GOT SOME PEOPLE LEADERS THAT DO NOT EXCEL AT THAT, AND THEY'RE MUCH HAPPIER BEING AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR.
SO I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD CONSIDER THAT PUNITIVE.
I THINK IT'S LIKE, YEAH, SO...
5.5, APPEALS OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
I THINK IT'S A LITTLE ODD THAT IF THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR HAS SUSPENDED OR TERMINATED SOMEBODY THAT YOU'RE APPEALING BACK TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR.
SHOULD WE HAVE THE APPEALS GO TO THE MAYOR OR THE CITY COUNCIL INSTEAD IN THAT CASE? OR TO HUMAN RESOURCES? WELL, I'M JUST AFRAID HUMAN RESOURCES REPORTS TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR, SO...
CERTAINLY WE CAN CREATE AN APPEAL PROCEDURE TO SOMEONE ELSE.
OR EVEN WE APPOINT A SPECIAL COMMITTEE THAT, YOU KNOW, A PART OF CITY COUNCIL THAT DOESN'T HAVE QUORUM THAT COULD MEET SEPARATELY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THE CITY IS LARGE ENOUGH FOR THAT, AND ARGUABLY THEY HAVE THE SAME...
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME LIMITATION BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL WORKING UNDER THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR, BUT THEY'LL APPOINT, LIKE, A PANEL OF THREE...
THREE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY MANAGER, BUT THEN IT'S JUST...
IT'S FLIPPING BACK AROUND TO IT.
SO, IN THAT SAME VEIN, UNDER SECTION 5.4, THAT REFERS TO ANYONE THAT REPORTS TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO REPORT TO THE MAYOR OR COUNCIL? WELL...
WHAT EMPLOYEES DO WE HAVE THAT DON'T REPORT TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR? THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR.
IS THAT IT? AND THE CITY SECRETARY.
[00:35:05]
AND IF NOBODY THINKS THAT THAT'S A CHALLENGE, THEN THAT'S FINE, BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE IT IN CONTRACTS, RIGHT? RIGHT.OKAY, IF NOBODY'S GOING, I'M GOING TO JUMP WAY DOWN TO 9.19 ABOUT COBRA.
OKAY, NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WORKS DIFFERENT FOR CITY GOVERNMENT, ALTHOUGH I'VE WORKED WITH A FIRE DEPARTMENT DOWN IN HOUSTON, THAT'S ITS OWN MUD KIND OF THING, AND IT HAS APPLIED TO THEM.
WHEN, IN TEXAS, WHEN YOUR COBRA RUNS OUT, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO GO ON TO STATE, TEXAS STATE CONTINUATION FOR A FEW MONTHS.
IT MIGHT BE SIX MONTHS, IT MIGHT BE NINE MONTHS, I DON'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
SO, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDED TO THIS SECTION OR NOT, BECAUSE, AS I SAID, I DON'T KNOW IF THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS ARE EXEMPTED FROM THAT LAW, RIGHT.
THAT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT WE NORMALLY ADDRESS.
BUT I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT, AT LEAST FOR COMPANIES WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THAT IS THE CASE.
AND IN SPITE OF ALL OF MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS ABOUT AVOIDING REDUNDANCY IN THIS HANDBOOK, I THINK THIS IS A HANDBOOK, AND TO GIVE SOMEONE KIND OF LIKE A LITTLE INSTRUCTION MANUAL OF WHAT TO DO AFTER THEY'VE BEEN ON COBRA AND RETIRE FROM COBRA, I HONESTLY THINK IT'S PRETTY CONSTRUCTIVE TO LEAVE THAT IN THERE OR TO PUT THAT IN THERE FOR BILLY'S COMMENTS.
AND IF YOU NEED ME TO DIG UP WHERE THAT'S DEFINED IN THE STATE LAW, I CAN.
WHO ELSE HAS GOT STUFF? BECAUSE I'VE GOT STUFF.
BUT I'M WILLING TO NOT TAKE OVER THE WHOLE SHOW.
THOSE WERE ALL MY COMMENTS ON THAT.
OH, ON THE SECTION 1.6 NEPOTISM, UNDER, IN THE SECTION ON THE NEXT PAGE, REQUIRED DISCLOSURES.
AND IT SAYS THAT JOB APPLICANTS MUST DISCLOSE DURING THE HIRING PROCESS THAT THEY ARE RELATED TO OR DATING THE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER, OR CURRENT CITY EMPLOYEE.
THAT IS NOT ON THE APPLICATION, SO WHEN DOES THAT ACTUALLY HAPPEN IN THE PROCESS? GOOD QUESTION.
HOW ABOUT DO WE NEED TO FIX THE APPLICATION? YEP.
OH, BOY, DO WE NEED TO FIX THAT APPLICATION.
SO IN THE AREAS THAT ARE FIRST TO SOCIAL MEDIA, SINCE WE DON'T ACTUALLY CURRENTLY HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA, I'D KIND OF LIKE TO HOLD THOSE PIECES OFF UNTIL WE ACTUALLY COME UP WITH WHAT THE PLAN IS SO THAT WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE SAYING THEY CAN AND CANNOT DO.
I THINK WHAT THIS IS ADDRESSING, THOUGH, IS IF AN EMPLOYEE WANTS TO GET ON AND JUST TALK ON UNIQUELY PARKER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT THAT ADDRESSES.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT I WANT TO TAKE IT OUT.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW THE WORDING IN THERE RIGHT NOW, BUT MAYBE WE NEED TO JUST PUT IN THE EXCLUSION THAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT AS PART OF THEIR OFFICIAL JOB DUTIES.
NO, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, SO DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WELL, I THINK WE'LL HAVE A MUCH MORE STRUCTURE WHEN WE HAVE OUR OWN PAGE AND REGARDING OUR OWN SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT I THINK THIS REFERS TO IF THEY GO ON A DIFFERENT PAGE.
THEN ON CHAPTER 2, SECTION 2.2, EXEMPT EMPLOYEES, IT SAYS EXEMPT EMPLOYEES USUALLY WORK IN EXCESS OF 40 HOURS PER WEEK.
AND THAT FRIGHTENS ME AS AN EMPLOYER, LIKE JUST SETTING THE TONE THAT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO JUST ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO I WAS THINKING MAY WORK OR MAY OFTEN WORK JUST SEEMED A LITTLE LESS A LITTLE MORE WORK-LIFE BALANCE.
MINE DOESN'T SAY WHAT YOURS SAYS, WHICH I FIND A LITTLE BIT ALARMING.
MINE SAYS EXEMPT EMPLOYEES ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED TO WORK THE HOURS NECESSARY TO FULFILL THEIR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES, WHICH MAY INCLUDE WORK IN EXCESS OF 40 HOURS PER WEEK.
[00:40:01]
THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU HAVE? YES, BUT I PULLED THE ONES WITH MY NOTES FROM SEPTEMBER, SO YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN, YOU ACTUALLY DID CHANGE YOUR STAFF.AND THEN PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, AND AGAIN, MAYBE I SHOULD JUST LOOK IT ON HERE, ABOUT THE 18 HOURS JUST SEEMED PRETTY NARROW IF WE WANTED TO HIRE A 20-HOUR PERSON IN ACCOUNTING.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WE DO THAT.
THERE'S A SPECIFIC REASON THE CITY DOES THAT, AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S TMRS AND YOU CAN'T GO OVER 1,000 HOURS OR YOU'RE REQUIRED TO PUT THEM INTO TMRS. OKAY.
SO I THINK THAT'S HOW GRANTS WORK.
THAT WORKS? AND THEN IN SECTION 2.6, PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, IT SAYS, MUST APPLY THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT.
IS THAT THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE OR HERE IN THIS BUILDING? MINE SAYS THROUGH HUMAN RESOURCES.
WHAT? YOU PROBABLY MADE ALL THESE COMMENTS TO HER OVER THIS LAST SERMON WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THIS AND SHE'S PROBABLY INCORPORATED ALL YOUR COMMENTS NOW INTO THIS, SO...
YEAH, SOME OF THESE ARE JUST IMPLEMENTATION THAT I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO...
OH, ON PERSONAL APPEARANCE, SECTION 4.2, NUMBER ONE, IF IT'S VERY CASUAL CLOTHING AND EVENING WEAR ARE NOT APPROPRIATE, AND I THOUGHT WE SHOULD ADD EXERCISE SLASH LOUNGE WEAR OR BEACH ATTIRE.
YOU THINK YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO SAY THAT? IS THAT NOT INAPPROPRIATE ON ITS FACE? YEAH, BUT...
WELL, I GUESS IT FALLS UNDER VERY CASUAL CLOTHING, BUT...
THAT HAS ALSO CHANGED PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY.
I WAS TRYING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS, BUT IT'S 56 PAGES AND WE'LL TRY TO FASTER.
OH, I DID HAVE A QUESTION ON THE FINAL PAY UPON SEPARATION.
THERE'S A SIX-DAY REQUIREMENT IN CASE OF AN INVOLUNTARY TERMINATION.
IT DOESN'T APPLY TO MUNICIPALITIES.
WHERE IS THE LACTATION ROOM? ON THAT, I DON'T KNOW.
THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
SO, I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN ABOUT THIS.
SECTION 9.5, DONATION OF LEAVE.
SO, FROM TIME TO TIME AN EMPLOYEE MAY HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE REQUIRING LEAVE.
IT EXCEEDS THEIR ACCUMULATED VACATION OR SICK LEAVE.
OTHER EMPLOYEES MAY DONATE VACATION LEAVE TO AN EMPLOYEE BY NOTIFYING HUMAN RESOURCES AND WRITING ANY AMOUNT OF VACATION THEY WISH TO DONATE.
AN EMPLOYEE MAY RECEIVE DONATED LEAVE ONLY FOR THEIR OWN SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITION OR TO CARE FOR AN IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER WHO HAS SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITION AND ONLY AFTER ALL OTHER LEAVES HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED.
SO, I DON'T WANT TO SEEM CRUEL OR UNCARING HERE, BUT WHEN YOU TAKE THIS LITERALLY THE WAY IT READS, THE SUPERVISOR OR NO MANAGER HAS ANY SAY IN THAT.
SO, IF SOMEBODY'S SICK, ANY OTHER EMPLOYEE CAN JUST START DONATING PAID TIME OFF TO THAT PERSON AND IT DOESN'T EVEN SAY THE VALUE OF THE PAID TIME OFF.
IS IT THE DOLLAR VALUE? SO, YOU CAN HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S GOT A SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER RATE OF PAY THAN A PERSON WHO'S DONATING THE TIME SO THAT THEY GET THAT VALUE OF PAY DONATED TO THEM OR DO THEY GET THEIR ACTUAL VALUE OF PAY DONATED TO THEM? IT'S TYPICALLY DONE BY HOURS.
EVEN BY HOUR? HOUR AT WHAT RATE? NO, IT WOULD BE IF DONNELL GIVES PATTY HER HOURS, THEN IT WOULD BE THE PERSON WHO IS USING THE LEAVE IS PAID AT THEIR RATE.
DO YOU ALL DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN THAT, GRANT? WELL, RIGHT NOW, THE SAME THING.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
[00:45:02]
I'LL MAKE UP A NUMBER RIGHT NOW.SOMEBODY THAT'S GETTING PAID $20 AN HOUR DONATES A WEEK OF PAID VACATION TO SOMEBODY WHO MAKES $40 AN HOUR.
SO, THAT'S COSTING THE CITY MORE MONEY TO PAY SOMEBODY $40 AN HOUR WITH ADDITIONAL VACATION TIME AND THERE'S NO ONE ELSE THAT'S INVOLVED IN THE DECISION ACCORDING TO THIS.
REALISTICALLY, THAT MONEY IS ALREADY BUDGETED.
NOW, I WILL BE THE FIRST ONE TO SAY I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU AND THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES WITH LEAVE DONATION ONE OF WHICH IS THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS EQUITABLE.
LIKE, NO ONE IS OVERSEEING THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S FAIRLY ADMINISTERED IT CAN BE A POPULARITY CONTEST.
I'M JUST, I GUESS I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE OVERALL CONCEPT OF ANYONE CAN DONATE.
I UNDERSTAND IF SOMEBODY'S GOT A SERIOUS ILLNESS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE A SERIOUS ILLNESS.
WE NEED TO HAVE CARE AND CONCERN AND COMPASSION FOR THEM AND MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE A PROCESS WHERE WE GIVE THEM EXCEPTIONAL PAID TIME OFF JUST AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE OR JUST TIME OFF THAT'S NOT PAID BECAUSE YOU MAY EVENTUALLY REACH A POINT WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST NEED, YOU NEED EXTENDED LEAVE.
I NEED A LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM MY JOB FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS TO RECOVER FROM SOME TREATMENT THAT I'M HAVING OR FOR MY SPOUSE OR FAMILY MEMBER TO RECOVER FROM SOME TREATMENT THAT THEY'RE HAVING.
SO, THE WAY THIS IS WRITTEN, WE CAN HAVE UNLIMITED AMOUNTS OF PAID TIME OFF DONATED TO THAT PERSON BY ANYBODY ELSE AND THERE'S NO RESTRICTION ON IT.
THERE'S NO RESTRICTION THAT A SUPERVISOR'S GOT TO APPROVE IT OR ANYTHING ELSE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ASK GRANT FOR THE RATIONALE.
I WOULD, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT ON THE SOMEONE THAT MAKES A LOWER HOURLY RATE DONATES TIME.
I THINK NORMALLY THE SITUATION WOULD BE THE OPPOSITE BECAUSE SOMEONE THAT'S MAKING MORE MONEY AND SPEND THEIR LONGER HAS MORE PTO BUILT UP AND IS ABLE TO DONATE THAT TIME.
I THINK THAT'S USUALLY THE CASE WHEN YOU SEE IT IS SOMEBODY WHO'S IN A SENIOR POSITION DONATING TO A LOWER POSITION.
IN TERMS OF DOLLAR VALUE, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I'M STILL A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT THERE ARE NO BOUNDARIES PUT ON THIS.
THERE ARE NO GUARDRAILS PUT ON THAT.
THE WAY IT READS, ANYONE CAN DONATE ANY AMOUNT OF TIME THEY WANT TO ANYONE ELSE THAT'S IN THAT CONDITION AND IT DOESN'T GIVE EVEN THE SUPERVISOR THE RIGHT TO SAY NOTE.
I THINK IT TAKES AWAY THE DISCRETION OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AS WRITTEN, BUT I AM MORE CONCERNED WITH THE POTENTIAL OF FAVORITISM OR POPULARITY THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
I CAN SEE VERY EASILY THAT SOMEONE WELL-LIKED, EVEN WELL-LIKED BY SOMEONE IN PARTICULAR CAN GET MORE HOURS THAN SOMEONE ELSE, AND THAT NUMBER OF HOURS, AGAIN, MIGHT BE COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLABLE.
I GUESS BEHIND THAT, I REALLY DON'T, HONESTLY, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO GIVE UP THEIR LEAVE, I REALLY WANT THEM TO TAKE THEIR TIME OFF.
I THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE, RATHER THAN LEAVE DONATION, THERE SHOULD BE LIKE AN EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES CLAUSE FOR THE DEPARTMENT HEAD TO MAKE AN ADJUDICATION ON WHAT'S APPROPRIATE.
IS IT UNPAID LEAVE? IS IT PAID LEAVE? IS IT HALF-PAID LEAVE? BASED ON THE SITUATION, THAT WAY THE TIMING AND CONTROL IS DICTATED BY WHAT WE CALL THE CITY OF THE BUSINESS NEED, RATHER THAN THE WILLINGNESS OF OTHER PEOPLE TO SACRIFICE THEIR OWN VACATION TIME.
SO I THINK ROXANNE AND YOU, RIGHT? OR HAVE YOU BEEN SITTING HERE LONG? I'LL JUST GO AHEAD, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO IF THIS ISN'T IN OUR CURRENT MANUAL, WHERE DID IT COME FROM? NOW THIS HAS BEEN LIKE TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO SINCE WE ORIGINALLY STARTED DOING THIS, SO I DON'T RECALL EXACTLY WHERE THAT CAME FROM.
I KIND OF THINK THERE WAS A SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCE THAT HAD HAPPENED THAT WAS ATTEMPTED TO BE ADDRESSED.
WE'VE HAD INSTANCES WHERE WE'VE HAD EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE HAD MEDICAL LEAVE AND GO OUT.
WE'VE HAD EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEER TO DONATE TIME TO THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE NEW EMPLOYEES AND DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING BUILT UP IN THEIR BANK YET.
AND SO THE ALTERNATIVE WAS TO TAKE OFF WITHOUT PAY.
I THINK THIS IS USUALLY UTILIZED
[00:50:01]
IN EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPENS AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE TO WANT TO HELP AND THEY HAVE COMPASSION FOR THEIR OTHER EMPLOYEES AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, I MEAN, TO GIVE UP YOUR VACATION IS A BIG DEAL OR YOUR LEAVE AND I THINK THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
IT'S UP TO THEM IF THEY DO THAT OR NOT.
I MEAN, THIS IS UP TO THEM TO CHOOSE AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE UTILIZED A LOT.
I THINK THIS IS IN EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND WE HAVE IT ADDRESSED IN OTHER PLACES.
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS IS ALSO IN THE PERSONNEL MANUAL THAT WOULD ADDRESS THAT STUFF AS WELL.
SO I HAVE CONCERNS BOTH ABOUT THE FAVORITISM, I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE TIMING THAT IF YOU HAD A TRAGIC ILLNESS EARLIER IN THE FISCAL YEAR THAT PEOPLE STILL HAD THEIR TIME OFF AVAILABLE, YOU MIGHT GET MORE THAN THE PERSON WHO DOESN'T HAVE TO TAKE IT UNTIL JULY.
THE OTHER CONCERN THAT I HAVE WITH THE FAVORITISM IS THAT IF YOU'VE GOT A 50-YEAR-OLD HISPANIC MALE IN PUBLIC WORKS THAT'S OUT IN THE FIELD THAT WE NEVER SEE AND THE PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE DON'T SEE AND HE ONLY GETS 20 HOURS DONATED BUT THE SHINY BRIGHT 25-YEAR-OLD BLONDE GIRL GETS 50 HOURS, THEN THAT LEAVES US OPEN FOR SOME DISCRIMINATION ISSUES.
I SUGGEST THAT GRANT AND I HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS AFTERWARDS AND COME BACK WITH SOME REFINED LANGUAGE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU JUST LOOK AT SOMETHING WHERE IF A PERSON NEEDS THAT KIND OF LEAVE, AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO BE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT DOESN'T HAVE COMPASSION, I WOULD RATHER THE ENTITY, I WOULD RATHER THE CITY GRANT THEM SOME EXTENDED LEAVE THAN INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE, EVEN WITH A GOOD HEART, GIVING UP THEIR OWN VACATION FOR IT.
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE'S NOBODY THAT WANTS TO GIVE UP THEIR VACATION, BUT SOMEBODY'S STILL GOT A SIGNIFICANT NEED TO HAVE SOME EXTENDED LEAVE? IT'S ADDRESSED IN HERE, THE EMERGENCY SECTION IN THE MANUAL.
BUT AGAIN, THERE'S NO APPROVAL PROCESS FOR THIS.
WELL, AND ALSO I HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT PEER PRESSURE BEING USED IN THIS SITUATION.
AND HONESTLY, EVEN IF THAT WERE THE, I MEAN, IF WE DID GO FORWARD WITH THIS, I THINK THAT IF YOU HAD A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF HOURS, THAT WOULD HELP SO THAT IT WASN'T LIKE DUMP IT ALL ON THIS ONE PERSON WE REALLY LIKE AND NOT HELP THE PERSON IN THAT.
OKAY, SO YOU AND GRANT ARE GOING TO GET TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN COME UP WITH.
SO I HAD A QUESTION ON THE HOLIDAYS 9.1 AND IT WAS JUST HOW OFTEN DOES THIS GET WEIRD OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN JUST ADDRESS? LIKE, I MEAN, MY JOB, WE DO THE CALENDAR EVERY YEAR.
LIKE, IT'S NOT A FOREVER BECAUSE THIS YEAR, JULY 4TH, IS SATURDAY.
SO WE WOULD NORMALLY GET THE THIRD, BUT WE'RE ALSO GETTING THE SECOND BECAUSE THEY'RE PULLING IT AWAY FROM SOMEWHERE.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING PRACTICALLY IF IT GETS WEIRD EVER.
I GUESS THAT'S A YOU QUESTION.
NO, I GUESS THAT WOULD BE A GRANT QUESTION.
SO WE HAVE THIS LIST OF THIS IS THE DATES WE'RE TAKING OFF, BUT THIS IS IN PERPETUITY, SO WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO JUST DO A CALENDAR, LIKE VOTE ON THE CALENDAR ONCE A YEAR FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, SO THAT IF WE NO LONGER WANT TO DO GOOD FRIDAY AND WE WANT TO ADD VETERANS DAY, THEN DEPENDING ON WHAT THE TIME NEEDS ARE, JUST A SUGGESTION.
ALL RIGHT, THAT WAS REALLY MY QUESTION WAS, DOES IT GET WONKY? OH, AND YOU PROBABLY FIXED THIS, SECTION 9.9, REFERRED TO SECTION 9.6, WHICH IS ACTUALLY BEREAVEMENT LEAVE, BUT YOU PROBABLY FIXED THAT.
I RAN OUT OF STUFF, I JUST THOUGHT OF SOMETHING WHEN SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT IT, THIS, HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS, IF CHRISTMAS IS ON A SATURDAY? IT SAYS IN THERE THAT IT WOULD BE FRIDAY.
WELL, NO, IT SAYS SATURDAYS ARE FRIDAYS AND SUNDAYS ARE FRIDAY.
[00:55:02]
THAT'S WHEN THE HOLIDAY IS.BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE SAYING A HOLIDAY IS CHRISTMAS EVE, CHRISTMAS DAY, AND THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.
SO YOU GET THREE DAYS OFF FOR CHRISTMAS, NO MATTER WHEN CHRISTMAS FALLS.
I'M SAYING, WHAT IF CHRISTMAS IS ON A SATURDAY? ARE WE GOING TO GET THE MONDAY OFF AFTER THE SATURDAY? THAT'S TRADITIONALLY HOW IT'S BEEN DONE.
OR IF CHRISTMAS IS ON A FRIDAY, SO THEY GET THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND MONDAY OFF.
I THINK WE'RE RIGHT AT 7 O'CLOCK.
IS THERE ANYTHING ANYBODY WANTS TO SAY, INFORMATION? OKAY.
CATHERINE WILL ASK IF YOU WILL MAKE THE EDITS, AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET WITH GRANT AND BRING IT BACK TO THE NEXT WORKSHOP SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE FROM THERE.
CAN WE GET A RED LINE COPY SO I DON'T HAVE TO READ JUST THE FIVE PAGES AGAIN? NO.
THIS SHOULD BE A CLEAN RED LINE.
IT IS 6.56 AND I'M CLOSING THE WORKSHOP.
AND WE WILL START THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AT 7 P.M.
[CALL TO ORDER]
I HEREBY CALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF THE CITY OF PARKER TO ORDER.IT IS JUNE 16, 2026, AT 7:01 PM.
AT THIS TIME, I WILL ASK MS. HALL, DO I HAVE A QUORUM? YES, MADAM MAYOR, WE HAVE A QUORUM.
AT THIS TIME, I WILL ASK MS. KNIGHT IF SHE WOULD LEAD US IN THE AMERICAN FLAG.
AND CHIEF PRICE, IF SHE WOULD LEAD US IN THE TEXAS FLAG.
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.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE, THAT TEXAS WAS ONE STATE, UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
[PRESENTATIONS]
OKAY, AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS.THE FIRST PRESENTATION IS ABOUT COURT COLLECTIONS.
MS. NEWTON, DO YOU WANT TO COME UP AND INTRODUCE IT? I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR ALL THAT.
SO WE HAVE A COMPANY, PURDUE AND BRANDON, THAT ARE GOING TO BE DOING A PRESENTATION THIS EVENING FOR COLLECTING ON WARRANTS THAT WILL BE VERY HELPFUL WITH US.
IT WON'T COST THE CITY ANY MONEY, BUT WE'LL BE COLLECTING ON WHAT WE HAVE OUTSTANDING, AND THEY'RE GOING TO DO A PRESENTATION.
OH, OUR BATTERY IS RUNNING LOW.
MS. DONNELL, DO YOU MIND CHECKING YOUR POWER SOURCE THERE? THE BATTERY IS RUNNING LOW.
YOU SHOULD JUST BE ABLE TO PRESS DOWN.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ERIN MINETTE HUTTO, AND I'M HERE WITH PERDUE BRANDON LAW FIRM. I MANAGE OUR PLANO OFFICE. I'M A PARTNER IN OUR LAW FIRM. I'M HERE WITH MY TEAM, SHYRA THOMPSON AND MELISSA PACE. AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING FOR HELP COLLECTING YOUR DELINQUENT MUNICIPAL COURT FINES AND FEES. AND SO WE'RE JUST HERE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT OUR FIRM, OUR SERVICES, AND THEN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE. OKAY, SO
[01:00:03]
THIS IS OUR TEAM. DOUG BURNSIDE IS THE MANAGER OF OUR DFW OFFICES. I MANAGE OUR COLLIN COUNTY OFFICE IN PLANO. MELISSA, WHO'S HERE, IS OUR DIRECTOR OF CLIENT SERVICES. SHE IS A LEVEL 2 CERTIFIED CLERK. SHYRA'S ALSO HERE, ALSO DIRECTOR OF CLIENT SERVICES. THEN WE HAVE JUANITA VALDEZ IS OUR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, CHEYENNE OLIVAS IS OUR COLLECTIONS MANAGER, AND CYNTHIA HALE IS OUR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, AND SHE'S A MASTER COURT CLERK. OKAY, SO BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE DO, I KIND OF JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON WHY WE DO IT. OUR VISION AND MISSION KIND OF GUIDE AND ARE THE FOUNDATION OF ALL OF OUR PRACTICE. OUR VISION HERE IS TO ENSURE EVERY COMMUNITY HAS THE RESOURCES TO PROSPER. OUR MISSION IS ANCHORED IN TRUST. OUR LAW FIRM PURSUES EXCELLENCE WITH A RELENTLESS DEDICATION TO RELIABILITY, RESPECT, AND RESULTS, CREATING PARTNERSHIPS THAT FUEL SUCCESS. AND THEN THESE ARE OUR CORE VALUES: INTEGRITY, PEOPLE FIRST, BEHAVING ABOVE THE LINE, EXCELLENCE, AND TENACITY.EXCUSE ME. SO THESE REALLY JUST GUIDE THE WAY THAT WE WORK, THE WAY THAT WE INTERACT WITH OUR CLIENTS, AND HOW WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER AS A TEAM.
AND HERE'S KIND OF A HIGHLIGHT REEL ABOUT OUR FIRM. WE HAVE BEEN EXCLUSIVELY COLLECTING GOVERNMENT RECEIVABLES FOR THE LAST 56 YEARS. WE HAVE 15 OFFICES THROUGHOUT TEXAS. 3 OF THOSE ARE IN THE DFW AREA.
WE HAVE BEEN IN THE DFW AREA FOR 40 YEARS. WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS IN COLLIN COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
WE HAVE 425 STAFF AND COUNTING, AND LAST TIME WE CHECKED, THERE ARE 60 ATTORNEYS WITH OUR FIRM THROUGHOUT ALL OF THOSE OFFICES. SOMETHING THAT SETS US APART, WE REALLY PRIDE OURSELVES ON OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE.
LIKE I MENTIONED, WE HAVE CERTIFIED COURT CLERKS ON STAFF THAT ARE ALWAYS VERY QUICK TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOUR COURT STAFF HAS, AND WE REALLY PRIDE OURSELVES IN THAT. SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE ARE VERY GOOD AT IS CUSTOMIZING OUR COLLECTION PROGRAM TO THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF OUR DIFFERENT CLIENTS. SO WE CAN KIND OF TAILOR OUR COLLECTION PROGRAMS. AND THEN JUST ANOTHER, WE JUST ARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO AUTOMATE OUR PROCESSES, STREAMLINE THINGS SO THAT WE CAN GET FASTER, MORE RELIABLE RESULTS TO OUR CLIENTS. SO THOSE ARE JUST KIND OF SOME HIGHLIGHTS.
AND THEN I'M NOW GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE REAL BRAINS OF OUR OPERATION, MELISSA, AND SHE'S GOING TO DIG INTO MORE OF THE COURT CLERK STUFF.
ALL RIGHT, AGAIN, COUNCIL, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE THIS EVENING. AS I GO THROUGH THIS, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE SPEAK UP AT THAT MOMENT. THAT WAY IT KIND OF MAKES SENSE WITH WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
IF YOU EXPECT ME TO REMEMBER, NO, I JUST LIKE IT WHEN HE ASKS AS WE GO ALONG. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE OUR COMMITMENTS TO THE CITY. FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE STAFF THAT DOES NOTHING BUT KEEP UP WITH LEGISLATIVE CHANGES AND THE LAWS WHEN IT COMES TO COLLECTIONS AND OTHER THINGS. WE DO HAVE CERTIFIED COURT CLERKS ON STAFF, SO WE ALSO KEEP UP WITH THE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES SPECIFICALLY AS THEY RELATE TO THE COURT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN OUR CERTIFICATION AS WELL. SO THAT'S ONE BENEFIT.
WE DO HAVE WHAT WE CALL AN ACCOUNT TRACKER. THAT'S AN ONLINE PORTAL THAT THE STAFF CAN LOOK AT ANY TIME TO SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE CASES. IF THEY NEED TO GET INFORMATION ON A CASE, THEY WANT TO SEE HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE TOUCHED IT FOR A PARTICULAR PERSON, THERE'S ALSO REPORTS THEY CAN PRINT OUT THEMSELVES, JUST ALL KINDS OF THINGS THEY CAN DO WITH THAT ACCOUNT TRACKER.
MAPPING AS WELL, THAT TENDS TO BE MORE USED IN SOME OF OUR BIGGER CITIES WHERE THEY HAVE MARSHALS OR WARRANT OFFICERS, BUT IF YOUR STAFF IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT INTERESTED IN ANY WAY IN USING THAT OR MAKING PHONE CALLS FROM THAT, THEY CERTAINLY COULD. WE COULD GIVE THEM ACCESS IF THAT'S WHAT THE COURT OR CITY WANTED. SO MOVING ON TO SPECIALIZED CAMPAIGNS. WE WILL ALSO ASSIST THE COURT IF THEY ARE INTERESTED IN DOING IT. WE DO HAVE TO GET PERMISSION FROM THEM, BUT EVERY YEAR WE DO A SPRING CASE RESOLUTION. AND WHAT THAT MEANS, WE USED TO CALL IT THE WARRANT ROUNDUP, IF Y'ALL HAVE EVER HEARD OF THAT, BUT NOW IT'S NICER, GENTLER, AND KINDER, SO IT'S OUR SPRING CASE RESOLUTION.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE JUST MAIL OUT POSTCARDS ON EVERYBODY THAT WE HAVE IN THE SYSTEM FOR THE CITY OF PARKER, JUST IN AN EFFORT TO TRY TO GET THEM TO COME IN. AND WE WILL ALSO DO PHONE CALLS, TEXTING, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD. AND WE CAN ALSO DO AN AMNESTY PROGRAM IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE COURT AND THE JUDGE IS INTERESTED IN DOING, WHICH WOULD BE SPECIALIZED TO YOUR COURT. COURT STAFF TRAINING, WE DO, AGAIN, WE HAVE CERTIFIED CLERKS. SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THEY'RE INTERESTED IN. YOUR COURT ADMINISTRATOR, LORI, HAS BEEN HERE A VERY LONG TIME. WHERE'D SHE GO? THERE SHE IS. HELLO. A VERY LONG TIME, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH SHE NEEDS US TO TRAIN HER, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY HELP WITH THE SOFTWARE AND THE
[01:05:02]
COLLECTIONS MODULE. EXCUSE ME.SHE'S PROBABLY NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT YET AS THEY'VE NOT USED IT.
BUT OTHER THAN, WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP IN ANY WAY, BUT SHE IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'LL NEED US FOR THAT. AGAIN, THE LAST THING IS GOING TO BE THE SOFTWARE MODULE I JUST MENTIONED. SO UDS IS THE COURT SOFTWARE THAT YOU USE, AND THEY DO HAVE A COLLECTIONS MODULE, AND WE WOULD PURCHASE THAT MODULE, SO THERE'S NO OUT-OF-POCKET COST FOR THE CITY AT ALL FOR THAT. CUSTOMIZED COLLECTION PROGRAM. I WON'T GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL ABOUT THAT, BUT WHAT THAT BASICALLY MEANS IS WHAT WE DO FOR GARLAND MAY NOT BE WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR THE CITY OF PARKER. SO WE REALIZE THERE ARE DIFFERENT PLACES, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS, SO WE'LL CUSTOMIZE IT SPECIFICALLY TO WHAT THE COURT NEEDS. WE'LL TALK TO LORI, WE'LL FIND OUT, HERE'S WHAT WE OFFER, HERE'S SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU AND YOUR COURT? AND THEN THAT CAN CHANGE AS WE GO ALONG AS WELL. SO WE'LL SHOW HER, HERE'S WHAT WE DO, WHAT KIND OF THINGS LOOK LIKE YOU WANT TO DO? WE DO PHONE CALLS, WE DO LETTERS, WE DO EMAILING, WE DO TEXTING.
WE FOUND THAT TO BE, IN THIS DAY AND AGE, ESPECIALLY GOOD AT GETTING PEOPLE TO COME INTO THE COURT AND GET DISPOSITION ON THOSE CASES. AGAIN, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED PEOPLE. THAT'S ALREADY BEEN TOUCHED ON, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION ABOUT THAT, FEEL FREE TO ASK.
AND THEN YOUR DATA. YOU WANT TO KNOW IF YOU'RE SENDING US INFORMATION, ARE WE SECURE? AND WE ARE. WE HAVE TO BE SOC 1 AND SOC 2 COMPLIANT, SO EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEND US HAS TO MEET, WE HAVE TO MEET CERTAIN STANDARDS TO GET THOSE COMPLIANCE STANDARDS, SO IT IS SAFE AND SECURE.
ANYTHING THAT LORI SENDS US WILL BE ON AN SFTP SITE, WHICH AGAIN ADDS TO SECURITY.
WE HAVE TO EVEN GET ACCESS TO OUR COURT ACCOUNT TRACKER, IT'S LIKE I CAN'T SAY THAT WORD, TO GET ACCESS TO THAT IS A TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION. SO IT HAS TO BE AN EMAIL WITH THE CITY, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO RECEIVE THAT CODE TO YOUR EMAIL. SO IT'S JUST AN ADDED SAFEGUARD THERE. THIS IS JUST KIND OF SAYING THE SAME THING I JUST SAID, SO I WON'T GO OVER THAT ONE.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. SO ONCE THE CONTRACT IS ACTUALLY SIGNED, AGREED TO BY COUNCIL, SIGNED ON BY MAYOR AND/OR CITY ADMINISTRATOR, WE WOULD START OUR ONBOARDING PROCESS. SO WE WOULD CONTACT TO LORI, HAVE MEETINGS FOR WHAT, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO, MAKE SURE SHE'S OKAY WITH ANY LETTERS, ANY CORRESPONDENCE, WHAT IT SAYS, WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE WOULD GET OUR INITIAL FILES FROM HER.
ONCE EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOOD TO MOVE FORWARD, WE SAY GO LIVE IS ABOUT 90 DAYS FROM THE TIME THAT WE GET THE FIRST INITIAL FILE FOR OUR IT TO INGEST THAT AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD. ONCE WE'RE UP AND RUNNING, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR OR TALK TO LORI LORI AND/OR THE CITY, WHOEVER THE CONTACT PERSON IS THERE.
IF THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL PERSON TO LORI, WE OF COURSE WILL INCLUDE THEM.
JUST TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. WE DON'T JUST GO SILENT AND YOU WONDER, "WHERE DID MY DATA GO? WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING?" SO WE'RE ALWAYS FOLLOWING UP. BUT 90 DAYS WE SHOULD BE UP AND RUNNING. I PUT THIS JUST AS A BRIEF OVERVIEW SO THAT YOU KNOW THE LEGALITY OF IT AND WHAT'S GOING ON. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE THERE'S BEEN COLLECTIONS FOR THE COURT, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS, FEEL FREE TO ASK AS WE'RE GOING ALONG.
SO THE REASON THAT WE CAN DO THIS IS ARTICLE 103.0031 OF THE TEXAS CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. BASICALLY SAYS THAT A MUNICIPALITY CAN CONTRACT WITH A LAW FIRM OR IT CAN BE ANY ENTITY THAT CAN DO COLLECTIONS FOR THEM. LAW FIRMS, OF COURSE, I THINK HAVE AN ADDED VALUE TO THEM FOR SOME FOR SOME SPECIFIC REASONS, WE'RE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD. AND SO THEREFORE WE HAVE TO CONDUCT OURSELVES IN A PARTICULAR WAY, AND I THINK THAT'S A BENEFIT TO THE CITY. COLLECTIONS ARE PERFORMED AT ABSOLUTELY NO COST TO THE CITY. AS I SAID, WE WILL PAY FOR THE COLLECTIONS MODULE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE 30% FEE THAT WE GET PAID IS ADDED ON TO THE DEFENDANT'S FINE.
AND IT'S ONLY PAID TO US IF THAT FINE IS COLLECTED. SO IT'S ADDED ON TO WHAT THEY OWE. AND IT'S ONLY COLLECTED IF THEY PAY IT. THE COURT CAN SUBMIT A CASE TO US AFTER 60 DAYS. SO ON THAT 61ST DAY IT'S PAST DUE, THEN LORI CAN SEND IT TO US.
BUT IT HAS TO BE AT LEAST 60 DAYS PAST DUE. AND THEN FINALLY, THE COLLECTION FEE IS NOT APPLICABLE IF THE DEFENDANT IS INDIGENT. SO THAT MEANS THAT THE JUDGE HAS DETERMINED THAT THAT PERSON DOESN'T HAVE THE MEANS TO PAY FOR IT AND THEY'RE INDIGENT.
OR NO, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF WE DID ANY WORK ON THAT CASE TO GET THEM TO THE COURT, NO FEE IS COLLECTED. THE SAME AS THE CASE HAS BEEN DISMISSED, NO FEE IS COLLECTED. AND IF THEY'RE GIVEN TIME SERVED OR COMMUNITY SERVICE, NO FEE IS COLLECTED. AND THOSE ARE ALL PER THE LAW, LIKE WE COULDN'T GET IT ANYWAY.
BUT YOU DO GET DISPOSITION OF THE CASE, WHICH IS GOOD.
YOU KNOW, REVENUE PAYMENTS IS GOOD, BUT ALSO DISPOSITION OF THE CASE IS IT'S GOOD
[01:10:01]
BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING IT OFF YOUR BOOKS AND LORI'S NOT HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER. OKAY, SO WHAT IS THE COLLECTION PROCESS? VERY QUICKLY, LORI SENDS US THE FILE. WE BEGAN TO DO RESEARCH ON IT TO GET CURRENT ADDRESSES, CURRENT PHONE NUMBERS, SO THAT WE CAN DO THE CONTACT.WE'RE GOING TO MAIL LETTERS, WE'RE GOING TO DO PHONE CALLS, WE'RE GOING TO DO TEXTS, TRY TO GET PAYMENT, PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS. IF WE DON'T GET IT, WE CONSISTENTLY FOLLOW UP.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP DOING COLLECTIONS ON IT UNLESS THE COURT TELLS US WE WANT THAT CASE BACK. I DON'T KNOW IF SOME COURTS WILL PURGE OLD, OLD STUFF AFTER THINGS HAVE BEEN WORKED ON A LONG, LONG TIME, IN WHICH CASE IF THAT GETS DISMISSED OR TAKEN OUT OF THE SYSTEM, CLOSED, WE'LL NO LONGER WORK IT. AND THEN REPORTING AND DOCUMENTATION, I'M GOING TO DISCUSS THIS IN THE NEXT ONE, I THINK IT IS. NO, IT'LL BE AFTER THIS, BUT WE'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE REPORTING.
SO CHALLENGING CASES, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SOMETIMES DEFENDANTS ARE DECEASED.
THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE DO. AS WE DO RESEARCH, IF WE FIND OUT THAT THE DEFENDANT IS DECEASED OR THEY'RE INCARCERATED, WE WILL EMAIL A PACKET OF INFORMATION SHOWING THAT TO THE COURT. SO THEN THE COURT CAN DECIDE WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO WITH THIS? DO WE WANT TO CLOSE IT OUT BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY PROBABLY NOT ANYTHING GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THIS CASE? BUT WE GIVE THAT INFORMATION SO THEY CAN DECIDE WHAT TO DO. WE'LL CONTINUE TO RESEARCH IT UNTIL WE'RE TOLD NOT TO ANYMORE. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. WE ALSO, WE KNOW THAT WE WORK FOR THE COURT, RIGHT? SO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, WE DO PROFESSIONALLY AND WE'RE KIND AND GENTLE. WE HAVE A PROCESS THAT WE'RE RECORDING THE PEOPLE THAT TALK TO YOUR DEFENDANTS, SO IF THERE EVER IS AN ISSUE, YOU CAN ASK US AND WE CAN.
WE CAN LOOK AT THAT RECORDING AND LET YOU HEAR IT EVEN IF YOU WANTED TO. SO WE ARE CONSTANTLY MONITORING THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PRESENTING OURSELVES THE WAY THAT YOU WOULD PRESENT YOURSELVES AS WELL.
REPORTING. AS AARON STATED EARLIER, IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE HAVE GOOD COMMUNICATION AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. AND PART OF THAT IS GIVING PRESENTATIONS TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU WANT PRESENTATIONS, RIGHT? YOU'RE LIKE, WE DON'T WANT TO SEE Y'ALL ALL THE TIME, WE'RE TIRED OF SEEING YOU. WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT TO YOU, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION THAT YOU WANT.
SO SHIRA AND I, WE BOTH WORK VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER, SO WE'LL BOTH BE ON THIS ACCOUNT CHECKING IN WITH HER FROM TIME TO TIME, CHECKING WITH Y'ALL.
BUT WE DO SEND QUARTERLY REPORTS TO THE COURT, WHICH WOULD GO DEFINITELY TO LORI AND ANYBODY ELSE THAT WANTED IT. IF YOU WANTED US TO DO AN IN-PERSON PRESENTATION SUCH AS TODAY, JUST TO GIVE YOU STATS, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THE COURT, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT AS OFTEN AS YOU WANT.
TYPICALLY, WE'LL GIVE IT AT LEAST YEARLY, BUT IF YOU WANT IT MORE FREQUENTLY THAN THAT, OR IF YOU WANT US JUST TO GIVE YOU A REPORT MORE FREQUENTLY THAN THAT, THAT'S JUST LET US KNOW AND WE CAN DO THAT FOR YOU. OUR ONLINE PORTAL DOES ALSO GIVE LORI THE OPTION TO PRINT SOME REPORTS TO HERSELF IF SHE WANTED TO CHECK IN FROM TIME TO TIME. ALL RIGHT. LET ME GO BACK. THAT IS IT. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? SO HOW DOES THAT WORK WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS, LIKE, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY IT? SO DO YOU GET TO NEGOTIATE THAT, OR DOES IT COME BACK TO THE COURT FOR THE JUDGE TO MAKE THAT DECISION THAT THEY'RE DECLARED INDIGENT, OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO THAT DEPENDS ON HOW WE SET THINGS UP WITH LORI. OKAY, SO IN SOME, SOME COURTS THEY WANT US TO PUSH IT BACK TO THEM AT THAT POINT, AND SO WE WOULD SAY WE NEED YOU TO CONTACT THE COURT, AND THEN SHE WOULD SET UP A PAYMENT PLAN OR SEND QUARTER, OR WHATEVER HER RULES AND PROCEDURES ARE.
SOME COURTS DO WANT US TO TAKE, AND THEY'LL GIVE US PARAMETERS FOR WHAT THEY WANT US TO DO FOR SETTING UP THE PAYMENT PLAN.
IF WE TAKE THE MONEY, THEN WE MIGHT BE SETTING UP PAYMENT PLANS. THE MAJORITY OF OUR CLIENTS, WE PUSH THE MONEY TO THEM BECAUSE WE FIND THAT IT'S SAFER. WE'RE NOT HOLDING THE MONEY, IT'S GOING DIRECTLY TO THE COURT, SHE'S NOT WAITING ON US. SO FOR FOR EXAMPLE, ALL THE LETTERS WOULD POINT TO YOUR EMAIL, I MEAN YOUR ADDRESS, YOUR PHYSICAL ADDRESS. THEY WOULD POINT TO THE ONLINE PORTAL FOR PAYMENTS. SO IF THEY WANT TO PAY WITH A CREDIT CARD, THEY'RE GOING DIRECTLY TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND MAKING THAT PAYMENT. SO YOU'RE GETTING YOUR MONEY FASTER, THE DEFENDANT IS PRETTY CONFIDENT, "I'M PAYING IT TO WHERE I NEED TO PAY IT." THAT'S TYPICALLY HOW MOST OF THEM WORK, BUT WE DO HAVE CLIENTS WHERE WE DO TAKE THE MONEY AND THEN GIVE IT BACK TO THE COURT. SO WE CAN SET IT UP. OKAY. WHATEVER WORKS BEST FOR THE CITY.
THEN THEY WOULD ADD THE 30% ON TOP OF THAT? YES.
HOW DOES THAT WORK IF THEY WANT TO SAY, OKAY, I'M GOING TO PAY HALF NOW AND HALF LATER AND I'LL GO ON THE WEBSITE AND PAY THEN? HOW DO YOU GET YOUR PAYMENT FOR THAT? SO THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN LORI RUNS THE FILE, IT ADDS THAT 30% IMMEDIATELY.
SO WHEN WE GET THE FILE, IT ALREADY HAS THAT AMOUNT ADDED IN THERE. SO WE MATCH WHAT THE COURT HAS. SO IF THEY GO ONLINE TO THE PORTAL, THEY'RE ALREADY PAYING THAT 30%. AND THEN WE USE THE SOFTWARE TO GET WHAT WE'RE GOING TO INVOICE YOU. SO SHE WOULD SEND US WHAT'S CALLED A FEE REPORT EVERY MONTH THAT SAYS,
[01:15:02]
HERE'S THE AMOUNT THAT WAS COLLECTED FOR THE COLLECTION FEE, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE INVOICE, IS EXACTLY THAT. SO THERE'S NO DISCREPANCY IN THAT.SO ESSENTIALLY, AT DAY 60, THE 30% GETS TACKED ON RIGHT THEN? EXACTLY. OKAY.
YEAH, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
YEAH, IT'S RELATED TO THAT SAME TOPIC. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND. SO THE 30% FEE THAT YOU GET...
YOU DON'T GET THAT ONLY IF IT'S PAID IN FULL. YOU GET THAT 30% OF ANY AMOUNT THAT'S PAID. IF SOMEBODY PAYS HALF THEIR FINE AND THEY NEVER PAY THE REST OF IT, YOU GET 30% OF HALF OF IT? IT'S PRORATED. SO IF THEY JUST PAY $30 OF $100, THAT $30 IS PRORATED ACROSS ALL THE FINES AND FEES.
MOST SYSTEMS, 100% HONEST, MOST SYSTEMS ARE SET UP TO WHERE YOU CAN PUT THE COLLECTION FEE TO BE THE LAST THING COLLECTED, AND MOST OF THEM ARE SET UP TO WHERE WE WILL GET IT ONCE EVERYTHING ELSE IS PAID. AND WE'RE AWARE OF THAT. THAT'S THE WAY MOST SYSTEMS ARE SET UP.
OKAY. IS THAT HOW YOU'RE PROPOSING OURS WAS SET UP? THAT'S THE WAY THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE SET UP.
THE INITIAL PROMISE IS IT DOESN'T COST THE CITY ANYTHING.
AND YOU ARE CERTAINLY PROVIDING A SERVICE THAT WE WOULDN'T OTHERWISE HAVE AND COLLECTING FEES THAT WE'D PROBABLY OTHERWISE NOT COLLECT.
BUT THAT WENT BACK TO IF A PERSON ONLY PAID HALF OF IT AND THEN THEY STOPPED, WOULD YOU GET YOUR 30% ON THE HALF? THERE'S A POSSIBILITY WE WOULD NOT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF, WITH A VIOLATION, THERE ARE A LOT OF COURT COSTS AND FEES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. SO DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH THAT IS, IF THEY ONLY PAID $50 OR $60, THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT THAT WOULDN'T EVEN COVER ALL THE COURT COSTS THAT ARE ON IT. SO YOU WOULDN'T GET ALL THE STATE WOULDN'T GET ALL THEIRS YET BEFORE AND WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT THEM TO NOT GET IT BEFORE WE GET OURS. SO, I MEAN, THAT IS A POSSIBILITY. IT'S PART OF THE BUSINESS.
I THINK THIS IS A QUESTION FOR ONE OF OURS.
ABOUT HOW MUCH IN FINES DO WE WIND UP NOT COLLECTING IN A YEAR TODAY? LORI, WOULD YOU MIND COMING UP TO THE MICROPHONE JUST SO WE CAN CAPTURE THAT? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I HAVEN'T BROKEN IT DOWN BY YEAR.
I KNOW I'VE LOOKED ROUGHLY WITH HIM RECENTLY AS FAR AS HOW MUCH, HOW MANY OUTSTANDING WARRANTS WE HAVE, AND A LARGE NUMBER RIGHT NOW.
THAT INCLUDES STATE MONEY AS WELL, SO THAT'S NOT JUST ALL OF OUR MONEY. AND LIKE SHE SAID, THE SOFTWARE IS SET UP THAT AS PAYMENTS ARE APPLIED, IT'S GOING TO PAY THE STATE FIRST AND THEN GO DOWN TO THE FINE BEING THE LAST THING THAT'S PAID. I DO HAVE ON THE MONTHLY REPORT THAT I SEND TO PATTY EACH MONTH FOR Y'ALL TO SEE HOW MANY WARRANTS ARE CLEARED. OKAY. I HAVE JUST NUMBERS OF WARRANTS, BUT I'LL GET WITH KENT, AND IF Y'ALL WANT MORE DETAILED INFORMATION AS WE GET STARTED WITH THEM, WE'LL CERTAINLY EXPAND THAT REPORT. SO, AND WHATEVER REPORT THEY HAVE, I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT WITH THEM TO SEE HOW DETAILED IT IS.
IF I'M, CAN I ASK A FOLLOW-ON QUESTION FOR WHOMEVER WOULD ANSWER IT? WITHIN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT'S THE RECOVERY RATE FOR COLLECTION SERVICES? IS IT 30%? IS IT 50%? WHERE DO WE COME IN? INDUSTRY STANDARD, GO AHEAD, SHARON.
I'VE BEEN TALKING. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. INDUSTRY STANDARD IS USUALLY AROUND 30 TO 35%.
WE USUALLY HAVE BETTER RATES THAN THAT FOR A LOT OF OUR CLIENTS. WE'RE AROUND 40 TO 45% FOR MANY OF THEM.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, THOUGH, THAT'S NOT THE FIRST YEAR.
THAT'S WHAT'S HARD, BECAUSE WE GOT TO GET IT, RIGHT? AND THEN IT TAKES TIME TO WORK IT. SO, BUT YES, TYPICALLY WITHIN A COUPLE OF YEARS WE'LL HAVE 35% AND THEN ON UP IT JUST KEEPS INCREASING.
WHEN, AS THEY SAID, SINCE COVID WE, WHAT WE USED TO DO HERE, WE USED TO SEND OUT THE POSTCARDS AND KIND OF RIDE THE SHIRTTAILS OF THE LARGER CITIES. AND IT WAS AMAZING BECAUSE THE TIME OF THE YEAR THAT THEY WOULD GO OUT WOULD BE RIGHT AROUND WHEN PEOPLE WOULD BE GETTING THEIR TAX RETURNS.
AND THEY WOULD UTILIZE THAT MONEY THAT WHEN THEY GET THEIR BRIGHT COLORED POSTCARD WITH THEIR NAME ON IT THAT DIDN'T SAY IT DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING PERSONAL ABOUT THEIR CASE.
IT WOULD JUST SAY, HEY, YOU HAVE AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT WITH THE CITY OF PARKER. AND WE HAD OUR CITY ATTORNEY AT THE TIME REVIEW THE POSTCARDS, SO IT WAS ALL LEGAL.
BUT WE COLLECTED LOTS OF MONEY WHEN WE DID SEND OUT THE POSTCARDS.
BUT WHEN COVID SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN, AND OF COURSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WEREN'T WORKING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN BACK ONTO THAT ANNUAL POSTCARD MAILING.
BUT NOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THEM, THAT YOU'LL SEE A HUGE INCREASE WHEN THE POSTCARDS GO OUT. AND THAT'S GOING TO BE AT NO COST TO YOU. NOW Y'ALL WON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THE POSTAL.
AND SHE WON'T HAVE TO DO ALL THE PRINTING.
LORI, SO I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND CLEARLY THE ANSWER THAT YOU GAVE TO DARRYL'S QUESTION ABOUT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE TYPICALLY HAVE OUT. WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S OUTSTANDING AT ANY GIVEN TIME? THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. OR WERE YOU TALKING
[01:20:01]
ABOUT WHAT'S NOT COLLECTED IN A YEAR? MAY I MOVE UP TO THE MICROPHONE? I HAVE NOT PULLED ANY NUMBERS FOR YOU ALL FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING TO LOOK AT EXACTLY WHAT A YEAR WHAT, LIKE, WHAT I COLLECTED LAST YEAR AND WARRANT. AND IT DOESN'T REALLY SEPARATE THE WARRANT DOLLARS FROM MY, IT JUST PUTS ALL THE DOLLARS IN THERE.I DO TRACK THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT ARE CLOSED AND COLLECTED ON, BUT NOT THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS. SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO ANSWER THAT ACCURATELY TONIGHT. I THINK THEY WILL BE ABLE TO HELP ME WITH THAT ONCE WE GET THE MODULE SET UP AND THEY'RE TRACKING WARRANT COLLECTIONS ONLY, WE WILL PROBABLY BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A MORE DEFINITE ANSWER ON THAT.
SO IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT BASED ON THE PROCESS WE'VE BEEN USING, WE DON'T REALLY EVEN HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE NOT COLLECTING. IS THAT A FAIR ASSESSMENT? I DO HAVE A SPREADSHEET THAT I HAVE, BUT YEAH, IT'S REALLY HARD TO SAY HOW MUCH. AND THE OUTSTANDING LARGE AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE OUTSTANDING LIKE I SAY, IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY'S MONEY, IT'S ALSO THE STATE COST AS WELL. SO WE'LL PROBABLY, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DEFINITELY BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU MORE ACCURATE DOLLARS ONCE WE GET THINGS SET UP WITH THAT MODULE, SINCE IT'S GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON WARRANTS AND NOT ALL THE OTHER CASES AS WELL.
SO, GOOD. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
OKAY. THEN WE WILL GO TO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, WHICH IS ON BONDS, BONDS 101.
AND ERIC, ARE YOU GOING TO BE DOING THIS? THERE YOU GO. OKAY. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COUNCIL. ERIC MAHA WITH HILLTOP. AND TONIGHT'S MORE OF JUST A DISCUSSION, QUESTION AGENDA ITEM. WE HAVE SOME INFORMATION. WE SERVE AS FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO THE CITY OF PARKER FOR SOME OF THE NEW FACES, AND WE HAVE SO FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. AND TONIGHT WE HAVE SOME INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO THE CITY IN TERMS OF TAX RATE AND TAXABLE VALUES AND SOME OF THE THINGS WE LOOK AT. AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME INFORMATION JUST ON TYPES OF DEBT THAT TEXAS CITIES CAN ENTER INTO.
AND SO WE'LL WALK THROUGH THOSE. AND THEN IN THE BACK, WE HAVE JUST SOME SUPPLEMENTAL RESEARCH-TYPE ITEMS, MAINLY IN TERMS OF INTEREST RATES FOR THE COUNCIL'S BENEFIT.
FIRST SLIDE, AND WE HAVE IT UP ON THE SCREEN. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE PAPER COPIES, BUT THIS IS PAGE, WE HAVE THE PAGE NUMBER. MY VERSION SAYS 4. OKAY. HISTORICAL VALUES.
THIS IS ONE OF THE INPUTS WE LOOK AT WHEN WE DO CAPACITY ANALYSIS WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT TYPE OF PROJECTS COULD THE CITY FUND WHEN IT COMES TO DEBT FINANCING. GOING BACK TO 2016, YOU CAN SEE THE GROWTH IN ASSESSED VALUE.
CURRENTLY, THE CITY IS SITTING AROUND $2.1 BILLION. YOU'LL GET YOUR FINAL CERTIFIED FIGURE IN JULY. THOSE COME OUT EVERY JULY 25TH. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I KNOW STAFF USES AND TRACKS THAT VALUE, THAT INPUT VERY CLOSELY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE BUDGET AND TAX RATE AND THINGS ARE SET ON AT THAT TIME. SO CURRENTLY AT $2.1 BILLION.
WE'LL HAVE THE FINAL NUMBER HERE IN ABOUT A MONTH OR SO.
HERE'S THE FOR THE SAME TIME PERIOD, THE CITY'S TAX RATE GOING BACK TO 2016. THE GRAY WOULD BE THE M&O, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION, AND THE BLUE WOULD BE FOR DEBT SERVICE. AND SO YOU CAN SEE OVER TIME, A LITTLE OVER 35 PENNIES OR 35 CENTS, CURRENTLY RIGHT AROUND 33 CENTS OR SO, AND ABOUT HALF A PENNY WHEN IT COMES TO DEBT. SO AS PROPERTY VALUES HAVE GROWN, AND WE'LL SEE THE DEBT SLIDE HERE IN A SECOND, THE CITY HAS LOWERED THAT DEBT RATE.
FOR DEBT SERVICE. HERE'S A SNAPSHOT OF THE CITY'S EXISTING DEBT.
CURRENTLY, THE CITY ONLY HAS 2 BOND ISSUES OUTSTANDING.
THERE'S $5.525 MILLION IN PRINCIPAL OUTSTANDING. AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE PAY OFF IN 2028 IS ONE OF THE SERIES. THE 2019 BONDS, THOSE PAY OFF IN 2028. AND THEN THE 2018 CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION PAY OFF IN 2038. AND THEN THE GRAPH ON THE BOTTOM, JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IN 2029, THE CITY'S DEBT PAYMENTS ACTUALLY DROP FROM ABOUT $650,000 TO PROBABLY $575,000 AT THAT TIME. AND THEN IT'S LEVEL THEREAFTER. SO IF THERE'S ANY FUTURE PROJECTS OR NEEDS WHERE DEBT IS INVOLVED, WE ALWAYS WANT TO STRUCTURE AROUND THIS. CITY'S EXISTING DEBT PROFILE TO MAKE SURE WE ACCOUNT FOR EXISTING PAYMENTS AS WELL.
AND THEN ONE THING, WE ALSO LOOK AT CALL DATES.
YOU'LL NOTICE THE 2018 IS CALLABLE IN 2028, AND SO THAT MEANS AT THAT TIME THE CITY HAS THE OPTION
[01:25:02]
TO PAY THOSE CERTIFICATES OFF EARLY IF YOU CHOOSE TO, OR REFINANCE AT LOWER INTEREST RATES. SO WE'RE ALWAYS WATCHING CALL DATES AND LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE ON REFUNDINGS OR REFINANCINGS.THE NEXT SECTION WE WANTED TO LAY OUT PROBABLY THE 4 MAIN TYPES OF DEBTS, SECURITIES THAT WE SEE FOR TEXAS CITIES. ONE WOULD BE GO BONDS. WITH GO BONDS, YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR, YOU KNOW, CITY CAN HOLD BOND ELECTIONS TWICE A YEAR ON UNIFORM ELECTION DATES, MAY AND NOVEMBER. IT'S SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE. ON GO BONDS.
LEGALLY, THOSE BONDS CAN BE AMORTIZED UP TO 40 YEARS. WE TYPICALLY DON'T SEE THAT. YOU TYPICALLY AMORTIZE THE BONDS BASED ON THE PROJECT. YOU KNOW, IF IT'S STREETS, YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS OR 25 YEARS. BUILDINGS, A LITTLE LONGER. AND SO YOU CAN CERTAINLY ADJUST THAT AMORTIZATION AS NEEDED. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE, SINCE IT DOES HAVE THE CITY'S TAXING PLEDGE, GO BONDS ARE GOING TO GATHER THE LOWEST INTEREST RATES IN THE BOND MARKET BECAUSE YOU'RE PLEDGING THE TAXING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY TO REPAY THOSE BONDS, SO. AND THEN AN IMPORTANT POINT ON THE BOTTOM OF THIS SLIDE.
I'M NOT SURE WHY THE PAGE NUMBERS ARE DIFFERENT THAN MINE, BUT I SHOWED PAGE 6, BUT THAT SHOWS 27.
ON THE BOTTOM OF PAGE 27, ANY GO PAYMENTS ARE ON THE INS SIDE. THEY'RE NOT SUBJECT TO THE M&O CAP CALCULATIONS THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH. AND THE STATE IS CONSTANTLY ADJUSTING THOSE FORMULAS. AND SO IT'S NICE IF BONDS ARE VOTED AND APPROVED BY VOTERS AND ISSUED. THOSE ARE STRICTLY OUTSIDE THOSE ROLLBACK OR NO NEW REVENUE CALCULATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO SETTING THE BUDGET. SO IT DOESN'T REDUCE YOUR M&O CAPACITY.
COS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MORE COMMON TYPES OF DEBT WE SEE WITH TEXAS CITIES. AND I KNOW THE CITY OF PARKER IS FAMILIAR WITH COS, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION. THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR TO GOS IN THE SENSE THAT THEY ALSO HAVE THE CITY'S TAXING PLEDGE ON THE CO, BUT WE ALWAYS HAVE A SUPPLEMENTAL PLEDGE. IN URAL'S CASE, WE'VE PLEDGED PROPERTY TAXES AND UTILITY REVENUES TO SUPPLEMENT THAT. AND THAT'S NICE BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY GIVES YOU THE OPTION TO REPAY THAT DEBT IN THE FUTURE FROM EITHER REVENUE SOURCE, AND CITIES OFTENTIMES YOU CAN MAKE THAT DECISION EVERY BUDGET CYCLE. SO IF YOU HAVE A CO, YOU MAY SUPPORT ALL OF IT FROM INS OR MAYBE 50% FROM INS AND THE OTHER FROM WATER AND SEWER. SO YOU HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGETING. AND IN TERMS OF INTEREST RATES, SINCE GOS AND COS BOTH HAVE THE CITY'S TAXING PLEDGE FOR THE REPAYMENT, THEY'RE BOTH GOING TO RECEIVE THE SAME INTEREST RATE IN TERMS OF INVESTORS 'CAUSE THEY, YOU'RE GOING TO NOT SEE ANY INTEREST RATE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE TWO. ALSO OUTSIDE OF ROLLBACK, WHICH IS GOOD.
AND THEN ON THE BOTTOM THERE, IF A BOND ELECTION WERE TO FAIL, THE CITY WOULD BE LOCKED OUT FROM DOING COS FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT FOR 3 YEARS. SO THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. IT BECOMES MORE OF A POLITICAL DISCUSSION IF THERE'S A CERTAIN PROJECT, SHOULD WE DO A GO OR CO, IF IT'S AN ESSENTIAL TYPE PROJECT AND IT WERE TO FAIL AT A BOND ELECTION, YOU'D BE LOCKED OUT FROM THAT PROJECT FOR A COUPLE YEARS. SO THAT'S ALWAYS A VERY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION WHEN IT COMES TO GO VERSUS CO. ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO, I GUESS IT WAS 2 OR 3 SESSIONS AGO, THE STATE MADE SOME CHANGES TO COS. I'M USED TO THE CO STATUTE AS MORE BROAD IN TERMS OF TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT COULD BE FINANCED. HERE ON THIS SLIDE, WE HAVE A LISTING OF ESSENTIAL PROJECTS THAT CAN NOW BE FINANCED WITH COS. THE STATE'S MORE OR LESS CONDENSED THAT LIST. SO IT'S MAINLY STREETS, ROADS, UTILITY, PUBLIC SAFETY. THOSE ARE ALL CO-ELIGIBLE TYPE PROJECTS. IF THERE ARE PROJECTS AND NEEDS OUT THERE, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD FOR US TO LOOK DOWN THE LIST TO MAKE SURE WHICH WOULD FIT IN THE CO BUCKET. THAT'S THE CASE. TAX NOTES, THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE THE THIRD MOST COMMON TYPE OF DEBT SECURITY THAT A TEXAS CITY WOULD ENTER INTO. TAX NOTES DO NOT REQUIRE THAT PUBLIC VOTE, DO NOT AND I FAILED TO MENTION ON THE COS, THEY'RE SUBJECT TO PETITION.
THE VOTERS, IF 5% OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS WANT TO PETITION, THEY CAN STOP THE ISSUANCE OF A CO. THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CO AND A GO. GO GOES TO VOTERS. CO DOES NOT, BUT IT IS SUBJECT TO A PETITION PROCESS. SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. TAX NOTES DO NOT HAVE EITHER ONE OF THOSE.
SO THE 5% DOESN'T FORCE IT TO A VOTE, IT JUST STOPS IT, RIGHT? IT DOESN'T FORCE IT TO A VOTE, IT STOPS IT. IT WOULD THEN BE UP TO THE COUNCIL TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT IF YOU CHOOSE TO.
YES, SIR. THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
AND WE'VE HAD ACTUALLY THAT HAPPEN THIS YEAR AT A CITY OUT WEST OF FORT WORTH. THEY WERE PETITIONED, AND SO THEY'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF DECIDING,
[01:30:02]
SHOULD WE PUT IT ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT OR NOT? SO IT DOES HAPPEN FROM TIME TO TIME. TAX NOTES ALSO CARRY THE TAXING PLEDGE. SO IN TERMS OF INTEREST RATES, VERY SIMILAR TO GOS AND COS.THEY DO NOT HAVE THE ELECTION REQUIREMENT, AND THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PETITION PROCESS AS COS. SO TAX NOTES ARE DIFFERENT IN THAT SENSE, BUT YOU ARE LIMITED TO 7-YEAR REPAYMENT. SO YOU MUST REPAY THE TAX NOTE WITHIN 7 YEARS OF ISSUANCE. SO A LOT OF TIMES YOU'LL SEE THESE FOR SMALLER TYPE EMERGENCY PROJECTS, IF YOU WILL, OR SOME EQUIPMENT OR VEHICLES, THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT YOUR LARGE CAPITAL BUILDINGS, ROADS AND STREETS OFTENTIMES ARE ON A GO OR CO. BUT THAT'S NOT A HARD AND FAST RULE.
EVERY COMMUNITY IS DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO THAT. ALSO OUTSIDE OF THE NO NEW REVENUE OR ROLLBACK CALCULATIONS, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND THEN PROBABLY THE FOURTH I'LL JUST MENTION QUICKLY, AND THESE ARE NOT REVENUE BONDS ARE NOT AS COMMON SINCE WE CAN ISSUE COS. MOST CITIES WILL ISSUE COS FOR WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS.
YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO COS, A LOT OF CITIES WOULD ISSUE REVENUE BONDS FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
WITH REVENUE BONDS, YOU HAVE TO SET YOUR UTILITY RATES TO PROVIDE FOR 1.25 TIMES COVERAGE. YOU HAVE TO FUND A RESERVE FUND IN CASE, YOU KNOW, THE REVENUES OF THIS WATER SYSTEM, LET'S SAY, CAN'T MAKE THE DEBT PAYMENTS.
THAT RESERVE FUND WOULD BE SET ASIDE TO MAKE THE DEBT PAYMENTS. SO IT ADDS TO THE COST OF ISSUING REVENUE BONDS IN THAT SENSE. GOS, COS, AND TAX NOTES, WE DO DO NOT HAVE THOSE REQUIREMENTS. SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE PROBABLY 95 TO 99% OF TEXAS CITIES WILL ISSUE COS FOR UTILITY-TYPE PROJECTS AS OPPOSED TO REVENUE BONDS. SO, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN SOME CASES YOU'LL SEE REVENUE BONDS IF IT'S A PETITIONABLE TYPE CO PROJECT.
SOME CITIES WILL CHOOSE REVENUE BONDS BECAUSE IT'S NOT SUBJECT TO PETITION. THANK YOU.
BUT NOT THAT COMMON. VERY QUICKLY, SOME OF THE PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS. OURSELF, FINANCIAL ADVISOR, WE KIND OF MANAGE THE ENTIRE PROCESS FROM START TO FINISH, DEVELOPING THE CAPACITY, THE FINANCING PLAN, AND REALLY WHEN IT COMES TIME TO ACTUALLY LOCK IN THE INTEREST RATES AND PRICE THE SECURITIES, THAT'S WHERE WE BECOME VERY ACTIVE IN MAKING SURE THAT THAT YOU ALL GET THE LOWEST INTEREST RATE POSSIBLE AND ACCESS THE MARKET PER YOUR SCHEDULE AND YOUR TERMS. SO, AND THEN ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CLOSING TO WHEN FUNDS ARE RECEIVED FOR THE PROJECT. AND EVEN BEYOND THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. I KNOW THE CITY IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH ANY ENTITIES WITH BONDS OR CERTIFICATES, YOU'RE ALWAYS DOING THE ANNUAL REPORTING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THE OTHER BOND ATTORNEY, THEY MAKE SURE THAT THESE THESE ARE, IN MOST ALL CASES, TAX-EXEMPT SECURITIES, MEANING THE INVESTORS WHO BUY THESE SECURITIES DO NOT PAY INCOME TAX OR INTEREST OR TAXES ON THE INTEREST PAYMENTS. AND SO BOND COUNSEL IS VERY IMPORTANT. THEY PROVIDE THEIR TAX-EXEMPT OPINION. AND THEN ANY DEBT ISSUED IN THE STATE OF TEXAS MUST GO THROUGH THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE FOR APPROVAL BEFORE WE CAN CLOSE. AND SO BOND COUNSEL IS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT PROCESS BEFORE CLOSING. AND THEN UNDERWRITERS, THOSE ARE TYPICALLY THE INVESTORS. THEY REPRESENT THE INVESTORS. THEY WOULD BE THE ONES ACTUALLY BUYING THE SECURITIES IN THAT SENSE. AND THEN YOU HAVE SOME OF THE OTHER ANCILLARY TYPE SERVICES.
UNDERWRITERS COUNSEL, THEY WOULD REPRESENT THE UNDERWRITERS, THEIR ATTORNEY.
PAYING AGENT, THEY HANDLE ALL THE PAYMENTS BECAUSE WE SELL THESE SECURITIES IN 5,000 INCREMENTS. SO INSTEAD OF THE CITY HAVING TO WRITE HUNDREDS OF CHECKS TO VARIOUS INVESTORS, YOU ENGAGE A PAYING AGENT.
TYPICALLY IT'S A TRUSTEE-TYPE BANK TO HANDLE THE PAYMENTS AND INVOICING FOR ALL THE BONDS FOR YOU, SO. AND THEN RATING AGENCIES, AND WE HAVE A SLIDE HERE IN A SECOND ABOUT THE RATING AGENCIES.
ANYTIME WE GO TO THE PUBLIC MARKET, INVESTORS LIKE TO SEE A THIRD-PARTY RATING ON THE CITY, AND YOU ALL ARE VERY HIGHLY RATED. AS YOU'LL SEE HERE IN A SECOND. AND SO WE HELP MANAGE THAT PROCESS.
EVERY TIME WE SELL SECURITIES, IF WE'RE GOING OUT TO THE PUBLIC MARKET, WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT RATING PROCESS AND WALK THE CITY THROUGH THAT.
NEXT FEW PAGES HERE, WE JUST PUT SOME PRELIMINARY NUMBERS. I KNOW THIS MAY BE HARD TO READ, AND I ACTUALLY HAVE PAPER COPIES IF YOU LIKE THEM, BUT WE TOOK A FEW HYPOTHETICAL AMOUNTS AND AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE WHY THE FORMATTING IS SKEWED THERE.
AND IT IS IN OUR PACKET, SO WE WILL HAVE TO. DO YOU HAVE THE SCREEN VERSION? YEAH.
OK. I'M NOT SURE WHY THE SCREEN IS DISTORTED.
I HAD TO CONVERT IT FROM A PDF TO A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.
SO SORRY ABOUT THAT. NO, THAT'S FINE. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A GOOD NUMBER IN FRONT OF YOU.
IT MAY BE HARD TO READ, BUT WE'VE ASSUMED $2.6 MILLION.
THIS TIES BACK TO A FEW MONTHS BACK. I THINK THERE WERE SOME PROJECTS. POSSIBLY BEING CONSIDERED. AND SO WE SAID,
[01:35:02]
YOU KNOW WHAT, AT $2.6 MILLION, IF WE NEEDED TO PRODUCE THAT AMOUNT, COLUMN B WITH THE 10-YEAR REPAYMENT, COLUMN C 15-YEAR, 20, 25-YEAR TO FUND THAT $2.6 MILLION PROJECT IN THIS CASE. YOU CAN SEE THE ESTIMATED ANNUAL PAYMENTS BASED ON ESTIMATED INTEREST RATES AT THE TIME. AND THEN REALLY I WOULD SAY THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGURE ON THIS PAGE OTHER THAN THE ESTIMATED ANNUAL PAYMENTS WOULD BE ON THE SECOND ROW FROM THE BOTTOM, WE HAVE THE CALCULATED TAX IMPACT. AND SO THAT'S BASED ON CURRENT PROPERTY VALUES. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE CITY WERE TO FUND A $2.6 MILLION PROJECT, COLUMN B, OVER 10 YEARS, WE ESTIMATE THE ANNUAL PAYMENTS WILL BE ABOUT $315,000 A YEAR.AND THEN ON THE BOTTOM, A LITTLE OVER ONE PENNY, SO ONE AND A HALF PENNIES TO THE TAX RATE ON I&S TO SUPPORT THAT TYPE OF PROJECT. AND THEN OVER TO THE RIGHT, WE ALSO LOOKED AT $4.6 MILLION, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY, UM, ADJUST AND MODIFY THESE AMOUNTS ANY WAY POSSIBLE. BUT WE THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE HELPFUL JUST TO GIVE A GENERAL IDEA OF, OF INITIAL CAPACITY WHEN IT COMES TO TAX RATES. SO ANYWHERE FROM 1.5 PENNIES DOWN TO UNDER 1 PENNY DEPENDING ON THE REPAYMENT TERM AND AMOUNT.
NEXT PAGE, 16, IS JUST PROBABLY A GOOD CHART TO HAVE ON HAND. JUST LOOKING AT VARIOUS HOME VALUES. EACH, WE HAVE IT IN 2-CENT INCREMENTS. EACH 2-PENNY INCREMENT IN TERMS OF TAX RATE, YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT DOES ON AN ANNUAL AND MONTHLY BASIS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE CITY'S CURRENTLY UNDER 1 CENT ON THE I&S TAX RATE. IF YOU WERE TO RAISE THE I&S TAX RATE 2 PENNIES, LET'S SAY, UP TO 3 CENTS, ON AN AVERAGE HOME WITHIN THE CITY, IT'S ABOUT $150 A YEAR OR $12 A MONTH IN THAT CASE. AND SO YOU CAN SEE JUST THE INCREMENTAL INCREASE IN I&S, WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER. AND THEN IF YOU FLIP BACK TO THE PRIOR PAGE, YOU CAN SEE ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD EQUATE TO IN TERMS OF PROJECT DOLLARS. PAGE 17, THIS IS PROBABLY MORE TIED TO THE GEO EARLIER THIS IS JUST A DRAFT ELECTION CALENDAR.
THIS IS FOR THE UPCOMING NOVEMBER CYCLE. AS A TEXAS CITY, CITIES MUST ACTUALLY CALL FOR ELECTION WITHIN A WINDOW.
AND THAT WINDOW THIS YEAR IS AUGUST 5TH THROUGH 17TH. SO IF THERE'S ANY PROJECTS BEING CONSIDERED, WE'RE QUICKLY APPROACHING THE AUGUST 5TH DATE TO WHERE IF YOU WANTED TO GET THAT ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. NEXT CHANCE WILL BE IN FEBRUARY FOR THE MAY 2027 BALLOT. NEXT.
AND WITH COS, THAT'S THE GO CALENDAR. COS, THOSE CAN BE ISSUED ANY TIME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THERE'S NOT A RESTRICTION ON TIMING.
IT'S MORE TIED TO NEED, SO, ON COS. WATER AND SEWER REVENUES, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, COS CAN BE SUPPORTED FROM UTILITY REVENUES, AND THE CITY OF PARKER HAS DONE THAT IN THE PAST. SO WE ALWAYS WANT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WATER AND SEWER REVENUES LESS EXPENSES ARE SUFFICIENT TO MAKE ANY DEBT PAYMENTS. AND SO THIS SHOWS FOR LAST FISCAL YEAR END, THE CITY ENDED WITH ABOUT $1.3 MILLION IN SURPLUS WATER AND SEWER FUNDS. SO THAT TELLS US YOU ALL HAVE CAPACITY TO FUND WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO WITH THAT GIVEN THE $1.3 MILLION IN SURPLUS.
IT'S SOMETHING WE ALWAYS KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON AS WELL.
SO THIS IS REALLY YOUR OTHER REVENUE SOURCE. YOU HAVE THE WATER AND SEWER REVENUES, AND THEN YOU HAVE THAT I&S TAX REVENUE WHEN IT COMES TO DEBT. DEPENDING ON THE PROJECT, WE WOULD PUT IT IN EITHER ONE OF THOSE BUCKETS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PLAN OUT THE CAPACITY FROM THERE. THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, WE JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION ON THE CITY'S BOND RATING. I KNOW YOU ALL ARE VERY HIGHLY RATED.
YOU'VE BEEN RATED BY STANDARD POOR'S. THERE'S 3 BOND RATING AGENCIES IN THE MARKET RECOGNIZED IN STANDARD POOR'S. SO AA+ IS THE SECOND HIGHEST RATING THAT A CITY CAN RECEIVE. AND SO THAT'S A VERY COMMENDABLE RATING. YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY THE HIGHER THE HIGHER THE RATING, THE LOWER THE INTEREST RATE IS REALLY HOW THAT WORKS. LESS CREDIT RISK FOR THE INVESTOR.
PAGE 21. WE HAVE, JUST TO PUT THAT IN COMPARISON, YOU CAN SEE HIGHLIGHTED IN, I GUESS THAT'S PINK AA+, THERE'S 63 CURRENTLY TEXAS CITIES IN THE SAME RATING CATEGORY AS THE CITY OF PARKER. AND THERE'S REALLY THERE'S ONLY 41 CITIES IN THAT AAA CATEGORY CURRENTLY.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER TWO AGENCIES. I WOULD SAY BY FAR, STANDARD POOR'S RATES MORE TEXAS CITIES THAN THE OTHER TWO AGENCIES. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE CITY, WE'VE ALWAYS APPROACHED STANDARD POOR'S ON A BOND ISSUE TO HAVE THEM RATE IT, JUST BECAUSE OF THE MARKET ACCEPTANCE FOR THAT RATING. THEN THE NEXT FEW PAGES, I'LL GO
[01:40:01]
THROUGH KIND OF THE LAYOUT OF ONE OF THESE. THIS IS MORE JUST, AGAIN, FOR ILLUSTRATION ONLY, THE AMOUNTS. TIED TO POTENTIAL UTILITY PROJECTS, LET'S SAY. SCHEDULE 1, THIS IS A 20-YEAR CO TO PRODUCE $5 MILLION IN PROJECT PROCEEDS.SO WE HAVE THE CITY'S EXISTING DEBT, COLUMN B ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE. THOSE ARE THE EXISTING PAYMENTS THAT THE CITY IS MAKING FROM UTILITY REVENUES, NOT INS. THIS IS ALL UTILITY.
AND THEN WE HAVE ESTIMATED PAYMENTS TO TO FUND THE $5 MILLION COLUMN C, D, E, AND F. SO ABOUT $375,000 A YEAR TO PRODUCE $5 MILLION IN PROJECT PROCEEDS. AND THEN COLUMN G WOULD BE THE TOTAL, THE EXISTING PAYMENTS SUPPORTED FROM WATER AND SEWER REVENUES PLUS THE ESTIMATED $5 MILLION PAYMENTS. SO ABOUT $930,000 A YEAR IN TERMS OF ANNUAL PAYMENTS. AND THEN WE GO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT SHOWED THE NET REVENUES OF THE UTILITY SYSTEM OF $1.3 MILLION. WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S PROPER COVERAGE TO SUPPORT THE DEBT SERVICE.
SO THAT WOULD BE A CO. AND WE ALSO JUST TO SHOW COUNCIL KIND OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CO AND A REVENUE BOND, ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE CHART IN BLUE, THOSE WOULD BE REVENUE BONDS.
AND SO WITH REVENUE BONDS, IT'S STILL THE SAME $5 MILLION THAT WE'RE FUNDING, BUT WE'RE HAVING TO FUND A RESERVE FUND THAT WE YOU HAVE TO SET ASIDE TO MAKE PAYMENTS. AND THE INTEREST RATE'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE HIGHER BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE TAX PLEDGE IN THAT CASE. AND SO WITH THE HIGHER INTEREST RATE AND FUNDING THE RESERVE FUND, THE ANNUAL PAYMENTS WOULD BE CLOSER TO $410,000 COMPARED TO COLUMN F AT $375,000. SO THAT'S REALLY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COS AND REVENUE BONDS.
BUT COS ARE SUBJECT TO THAT PETITION PROCESS. AND THEN WE HAVE A FEW. SO WE HAVE A 30-YEAR REPAYMENT FOR THE SAME $5 MILLION.
SCHEDULE 3, THIS MAY BE GOOD TO POINT OUT. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ALWAYS WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE EXISTING DEBT. SCHEDULE 03, IN ORDER TO LOWER THE TOTAL DEBT OF THE UTILITY SYSTEM IN THIS CASE, AND SCHEDULE 3, I THINK THAT'S ON PAGE 25 PROBABLY IN THE ONLINE PACKET, ON PAGE 25.
THE PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS IN COLUMN C. WE CALL IT WRAPAROUND THE EXISTING PAYMENTS. SO THAT WAY YOU'RE NOT PAYING OFF PRINCIPAL AS QUICK, BUT YOUR OVERALL PAYMENTS ARE LESS.
SO IT'S KIND OF DEFERRING PRINCIPAL IN THAT CASE TO KEEP YOUR TOTAL PAYMENTS DOWN TO AVOID ANY RATE SHOCK OR RATE INCREASES. BUT LIKE I SAID, IN YOU ALL'S CASE, YOU HAVE ADEQUATE COVERAGE WITH REVENUES. WE WOULDN'T REALLY NEED TO DO DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS UNLESS YOU ALL FEEL NECESSARY. SO YOU SEE THIS IN CASES WHERE THERE'S SOME ONGOING FUTURE NEEDS COMING IN THE FUTURE THAT WE KNOW OF.
AND SO WE DON'T WANT TO PUT TOO MUCH IN TERMS OF PAYMENTS IN THE EARLY YEARS TO COMPOUND. AND THEN WE HAVE A FEW OTHER SCENARIOS, I BELIEVE, FOR THAT SAME $5 MILLION. 20 AND 30 YEAR. AND THEN LASTLY, JUST, I WON'T GO THROUGH TOO MUCH OF THIS, BUT JUST A LOT OF CHARTS AND GRAPHS IN TERMS OF INTEREST RATES. IT'S SOMETHING WE MONITOR CLOSELY. I THINK PROBABLY THE MOST HELPFUL IN MY MIND, I ALWAYS TRY TO LOOK AT THIS EVERY OTHER DAY OR SO, BUT ON PAGE 30, JUST ONE OF THE INDICES WE FOLLOW IS CALLED THE MMD INDEX. IT'S JUST THE MUNICIPAL BOND INDEX IN TERMS OF RATES, AND YOU CAN WE JUST TRY TO SEE HISTORICALLY HOW THAT INDEX HAS TRACKED OVER TIME. AND SO I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE WERE PRETTY LOW GOING THROUGH MOST OF THE YEAR, AND THEN IN MARCH WE SAW IT SHOT UP IN RATE OR RATES SHOT UP GIVEN THE WAR AND SOME OF THE INFLATION IN OIL. AND WE'VE BEEN SOMEWHAT OF A SEESAW SINCE THEN. I THINK WE'VE STABILIZED SOMEWHAT. I THINK THE MARKET HAS PRICED IN ALL THE UNCERTAINTY AT THIS POINT, SO WE'RE SOMEWHAT MOVING SIDEWAYS. I WOULD SAY, IN TERMS OF INTEREST RATES. BUT IT JUST IS SOMETHING WE ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON. AND ANY PROJECTIONS WE MAKE, WE ALWAYS TRY TO ADD CUSHION IN TERMS OF INTEREST RATES, BECAUSE WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT RATES WILL DO IN THE FUTURE. SO I THINK WE HAVE SOME OTHER CHARTS AND GRAPHS THERE. YOU CAN REVIEW THOSE IF YOU LIKE.
BUT HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, I MEAN, RATES ARE NOT WE'RE NOT SEEING CITIES OR SCHOOLS OR COUNTIES SHY AWAY FROM ISSUING DEBT BECAUSE OF INTEREST RATES. RATES ARE STILL AT A REASONABLE LEVEL.
AND ALSO, WE ALWAYS WANT TO POINT OUT, ONCE THE DEBT IS SOLD, AS YOU'RE SPENDING THOSE DOLLARS FOR CONSTRUCTION, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO INVEST THOSE. SO WE SEE A LOT OF CITIES NOW THAT ARE ABLE TO INVEST MONEY HIGHER THAN THEY USED TO, AND SO THAT CAN OFFSET SOME OF THE INTEREST PAYMENTS AS WELL.
THAT'S REALLY THE EXTENT OF THE PRESENTATION. I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PROCESS OR THE TIMING OR NUMBERS OR WE'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO RUN ADDITIONAL NUMBERS IF THERE ARE CERTAIN
[01:45:01]
PROJECTS THE CITY AND COUNCIL HAS NEEDS FOR.ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME FROM, SO SAY IN THE CASE OF THE CO, WE WANT TO GO AFTER A CO FOR, I DON'T KNOW, CITY PROJECT, WE'LL CALL IT. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET THE, SAY, LIKE, HOW LONG OF A WINDOW IS AFFORDED FOR THE 5% PETITIONER, AND THEN AFTER THAT, I ASSUME THAT'S WHEN YOU START THE SECURITY CREATION, IF YOU WILL, IN EARNEST. SO COULD YOU KIND OF WALK US THROUGH THAT TIMELINE? YEAH. IT TAKES 2 COUNCIL ACTIONS TO ISSUE A CO. THE FIRST ONE BASICALLY WOULD BE TELLING US WE'RE PLANNING TO DO THE CO. IT'S CALLED A NOTICE OF INTENT. THAT NOTICE OF INTENT STATES THE NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT ON THE CO. IT ALSO STATES WHAT DATE COUNCIL WILL RECONVENE AND APPROVE AND FINALIZE THE CO. SO THOSE THAT NOTICE OF INTENT IS APPROVED BY COUNCIL, AND WE HAVE TO WAIT 46 DAYS. THAT HAS TO BE IN THE NEWSPAPER FOR 46 DAYS BEFORE COUNCIL CAN RECONVENE.
SO THAT AUTOMATICALLY THERE'S 46 DAYS DAYS BUILT INTO THE CALENDAR FOR THAT NOTICE PERIOD. AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE THAT SECOND COUNCIL MEETING DATE AFTER THE 46 DAYS, IT TAKES PROBABLY 3 OR 4 WEEKS TO CLOSE THROUGH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. SO I ALWAYS SAY FOR A CO, FROM THE DAY COUNCIL SAYS GO TO FUNDS IN THE BANK, YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT 85 TO 90 DAYS. AND WE ALWAYS TRY TO TIE IT TO REGULAR MEETING DATES IF WE CAN. YOU CAN ALSO APPROVE, TAKE THOSE 2 ACTION ITEMS AT SPECIAL MEETINGS. IF COUNCIL CHOOSES. SO WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT.
BUT THIS TIME OF YEAR, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF COS STARTING. YOU SEE A LOT OF THEM START IN JULY BECAUSE CITIES LIKE TO START THE PROCESS IN JULY AND HAVE THE COS APPROVED BEFORE THE TAX RATE'S SET.
THAT WAY, THE DEBT HAS TO BE LEGALLY APPROVED BY COUNCIL BEFORE YOU CAN SET A TAX RATE TO PAY THAT DEBT. SO A LOT OF CITIES WILL START THEIR COS IN JULY. AND THEN ISSUE THEM LATE AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER BEFORE YOU SET THE TAX RATE.
BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
BUT I'D SAY IT'S A 3-MONTH PROCESS. TAX NOTES ARE A LITTLE QUICKER BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT 46-DAY WAITING PERIOD.
AND THEN GO BONDS ARE TIED TO THE ELECTION DATES.
KIND OF A THEORETICAL QUESTION.
SO IF WE HAD 2 PROJECTS. YES, SIR.
WERE A YEAR APART ON WHEN WE WERE GOING TO START THOSE TWO PROJECTS.
WE REALLY WANTED TO FINANCE BOTH OF THEM. MIGHT IT BE BETTER TO BUT WE HAD A LOT OF CASH ON HAND, TOO.
TO USE CASH ON HAND, PAY CASH FOR ONE OF THE PROJECTS, WAIT THE YEAR UNTIL WE'RE READY TO START THE SECOND, GO OUT AND GET A SINGLE FINANCING PACKAGE THAT WOULD COVER BOTH PROJECTS AND ESSENTIALLY GET OUR EQUITY BACK OUT OF THE FIRST PROJECT.
AND FINANCE IT, WHAT WE HAD ALREADY PAID FOR.
YEAH. IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, YOU COULD SPEND FUNDS IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CASH SPENDING MONEY ON THE PROJECT TO GET THE PROJECT STARTED BEFORE YOU HAVE THE DEBT.
YES, YOU CAN. WE WOULD PUT A REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION IN PLACE SO THERE'S A SITUATION TO WHERE IF THE CITY WANTED TO START A PROJECT, LET'S SAY TODAY, START SPENDING MONEY ON A PROJECT, BUT WE KNOW THE DEBT'S NOT GOING TO OCCUR FOR, YOU KNOW, 04, 5, 6 MONTHS FROM NOW, GENERAL FUND COULD OR THE WATER AND SEWER FUND CAN MAKE PAYMENTS, EXPENSES, AND THEN ONCE THE DEBT'S ISSUED AND CLOSED ON, YOU CAN REPAY THOSE FUNDS THAT MADE THOSE PAYMENTS.
SO THAT ALLOWS YOU TO START PROJECTS SOONER THAN THE DEBT.
BUT I THINK IN YOUR QUESTION, IF THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT PROJECTS, I WOULD PROBABLY, DEPENDING ON THE START OF THE SECOND PROJECT, YOU PROBABLY WOULD WANT TO SPLIT THOSE INTO TWO DIFFERENT SECURITIES.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING. IS THERE ANY BENEFIT TO DOING WHAT I DESCRIBED SO THAT YOU'VE GOT ONE SECURITY THAT GOES, IT'S A LARGER ONE.
DO WE GET, CAN WE GET A BETTER INTEREST RATE? IS IT BETTER TERMS ON IT IF WE DID ONE LARGER PROJECT A YEAR LATER AND DID THE REIMBURSEMENT THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT VERSUS SEPARATING IT INTO TWO PROJECTS? AND THEY MAY NOT EVEN BE THE SAME SIZE.
I MEAN, ONE OF THEM MAY BE 80% OF THE NEED AND THE OTHER ONE MAY BE 20%. 20% OF THE NEED.
RIGHT. I WOULD, IF YOU'RE NEEDING 80% OF THE MONEY IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD WAIT BECAUSE ONCE YOU ISSUE THAT DEBT, YOU'RE PAYING INTEREST ON THAT. AND IF YOU'RE NOT SPENDING THE MONEY, YOU'RE PAYING INTEREST ON A PROJECT YOU'RE NOT CONSTRUCTING AT THAT POINT. SO THAT'S ONE CONSIDERATION.
BUT YOU ARE ABLE TO EARN INTEREST IN THE CONSTRUCTION FUND TO A CERTAIN DEGREE. SO YOU CAN SOMETIMES OFFSET. AND THEN THE OTHER POINT I ALWAYS LIKE TO MAKE IS IF YOU WAIT, YOU SUBJECT YOURSELF TO MORE INTEREST RATE RISK. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT RATES WILL BE IN THE FUTURE. SO IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO NEED THAT PROJECT, IF YOU'RE GOING TO CONSTRUCT IT WITHIN 2 TO 3 YEARS, A LOT OF CITIES WILL ISSUE IT ALL AT ONCE. THAT'S KIND OF THE GENERAL RULE. IF YOU KNOW YOU CAN SPEND THE MONEY WITHIN 2 OR 3 YEARS, MAYBE COMBINE IT INTO ONE SINGLE ISSUANCE. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE HAD THE NUMBERS TO KIND OF SHOW IT BOTH WAYS.
[01:50:01]
SOMETIMES THAT'S HELPFUL. AND THEN WE CAN RUN SOME INTEREST RATE SENSITIVITY TO SEE IF RATES GO UP OR DOWN, HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT.OKAY. SO YOU CAN HELP DO THAT KIND OF ANALYSIS FOR US.
IT'S A PRETTY COMMON QUESTION, I THINK, AND IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I MEAN, SHOULD WE SPLIT THE PROJECTS OR DO IT ALL AT ONCE, KNOWING THAT WE MAY NOT NEED THE MONEY FOR A WHILE ON A PORTION OF IT? SO YEAH.
DO YOU ALL HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS? WELL, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT AN INVESTMENT GROUP TO DECIDE WHAT WE INVEST IN, BUT DO Y'ALL GIVE ANY OPINIONS ON HOW TO INVEST THE MONEY IF YOU, IF IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME UNTIL WE'RE READY FOR IT? OH, YES. AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT'S HELPFUL IF YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY 80% OF THE PROJECT IS NOT NEEDED FOR 6 MONTHS, YOU'RE NOT ON TOUCH-UP MONEY, THEN YOU CAN GO OUT AND LOCK IN SOME CERTAIN TYPES OF SECURITIES TO OFFSET THAT.
SO IF YOU HAVE A KNOWN DRAW SCHEDULE, THAT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL. AND WE CAN LADDER SECURITIES. MOST CITIES WILL USE THE GOVERNMENT POOLS. I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THE CITY OF PARKER, WHICH GOVERNMENT POOL YOU MAY USE, BUT TEXPOOL.
YEAH. THE GOVERNMENT POOLS ARE PRETTY, THEY HAVE DAILY LIQUIDITY, AND YOU SEE A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS FROM BONDS PLACED IN THE GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT POOLS.
BUT IF THERE'S A GOOD SOLID DRAW SCHEDULE AND YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING TO NEED A PORTION OF THE FUNDS UNTIL LATER, THEN WE WOULD HELP LADDER SOME TYPE OF SECURITY PORTFOLIO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? THANK YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS, OUR CONTACT'S ON THE FRONT THERE. SO YEAH, QUINTY, MY PARTNER, SHE WAS NOT HERE TONIGHT. WE GAVE HER THE WEEK OFF. SO I KNOW YOU ALL MET, SOME OF YOU HAVE MET QUINTY, BUT SHE'S VERY GOOD. ANY OF US ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
[PUBLIC COMMENTS]
THANK YOU.OKAY. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. AND OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT IS FROM ALLISON SUMROW.
ALLISON SUMROW, 4201 SYCAMORE LANE. HOPEFULLY, THIS IS AN EASY ONE. JULY 4TH IS COMING UP. IT'S A SIGNIFICANT, VERY IMPORTANT HOLIDAY. FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PETS AND LIVESTOCK, IT'S KIND OF STRESSFUL. FORTUNATELY, WE HAVE LAWS THAT SAY YOU CAN'T SET OFF FIREWORKS IN THE CITY OF PARKER. MY REQUEST IS, COULD WE DO SOME COMMUNICATION AHEAD OF TIME? WE'VE GOT 2 AND A HALF WEEKS BEFORE THE DREADED WEEKEND. WE COULD DO, I MEAN, IT COULD BE AS BASIC AND COST-EFFECTIVE AS JUST AN EMAIL BLAST, MAYBE ONE OR TWO, ONE EACH WEEK SAYING, HEY, IT'S A REMINDER. YOU CAN'T SET OFF FIREWORKS. IT COULD BE A MULTIPRONGED APPROACH. IT SEEMS TO ME ONE YEAR WE EITHER PUT SIGNS IN THE MEDIANS COMING IN OR WE TALKED ABOUT IT. SO THAT WAS GOOD FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME. WE COULD DO A BANNER ON THE WEBSITE. LOTS OF IDEAS. AND I'M NOT TRYING TO TELL YOU GUYS WHAT TO DO. I I'M JUST ASKING IF WE COULD MAYBE DO SOME SORT OF COMMUNICATION.
I'M SO TIRED. OKAY. I'M CAROLYN MOBIUS, I LIVE AT 1412 PARKVIEW LANE, MURPHY, TEXAS.
INSTEAD OF GIVING THE SPEECH I WAS GOING GIVE. I'VE SENT Y'ALL A PACKET, AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON A MEETING THAT I HAD WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVE KENNY NOBLE TODAY. I WENT OVER THE, ALL THESE ERRORS AND INTERESTING DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED IN REGARD TO CON COUNTING BUTTON NUMBER 7. AND IN OUR TOPICS, WE DISCUSSED... OOH, TIME TO RESTART.
THE MAIN ISSUE WE BROUGHT UP RIGHT AWAY IS PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND KIM WAS REALLY SURPRISED THAT THERE WAS NOT TWO EGRESS AND INGRESSES BASED UPON 693 HOMES IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE PLAT THAT IS IN THE PACKAGE. THIS ONE THAT I DO BELIEVE IS WHAT THE CITY OF PARKER HAD EVALUATED IN THE P&Z. AND THIS IS THE SAME PLAT THAT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RECEIVED AND POTENTIALLY THE FIRE MARSHAL. AND THEN THE PLAT THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I COULD PRINT IT OUT IN ONE PAGE, BUT THIS IS THE PLAT THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
AND THIS HAS 624 RESIDENTIAL HOMES, WHATEVER. THE OTHER THING YOU SEE IS THAT IT IS SO MATERIALLY DIFFERENT IN THAT THERE'S NO, ALL THE ROADS IN THE BIG PLAT, THE FINAL
[01:55:02]
PLAT, ARE WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THEY GO CIRCLE AROUND OR WHATEVER.IN THAT DEVELOPMENT, WHILE THE ONE THAT Y'ALL RECEIVED IN THE TEXAS DOT HAVE MAYBE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ARE FUTURE CONNECTIONS.
SO THE ONLY THING, AND THE TIA, THE ONE Y'ALL SAW, HAD ALL THE MULTIFAMILY IN 10 ACRES OF LAND VERSUS THE FINAL PLAT THAT THE COMMISSIONERS WERE GOING TO DISCUSS, IT'S MAYBE ABOUT 30 ACRES. SO IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY, MATERIALLY DIFFERENT. THAT TO ME JUSTIFIES THAT CONDITIONAL APPROVAL Y'ALL HAD. Y'ALL ARE NOT EVALUATING THE PLAT THAT THE COUNTY IS DECIDING WHAT'S GOING TO BE FINAL.
IN THE PACKET, YOU WILL SEE THAT'S ONE OF THE CONCERNS. I HOPE THAT YOU REALLY LOOK AT AND UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS NOT RIGHT TO HAVE A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS REPORT AND A JUDGMENT ON HOW MANY ENTRANCES AND EXITS THERE ARE WHEN THE ENTITIES AREN'T LOOKING AT THE SAME PLAT. SO THAT SHOULD BE A REQUIREMENT FOR Y'ALL, PERIOD, GOING IN THE FUTURE, THAT YOU KNOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHAT THE COUNTY MAY APPROVE.
ALSO, WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY, IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN 200 MULTIFAMILY HOMES IN A PLAT, IN A DEVELOPMENT, WHATEVER, THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE SPRINKLERS AND 2 EGRESS AND INGRESS. SO STATE REP.
NOBLE AND MYSELF ARE WONDERING WHAT THE FIRE MARSHAL RECEIVED BECAUSE WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW HE CAN SAY ONLY SPRINKLERS WHEN THE INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE SPECIFICALLY SAYS SPRINKLERS INTO EGRESS AND INGRESS DUE TO MULTIFAMILY. ALSO THE GROUNDWATER CERTIFICATION, WHICH IS... SO, YOU HAVE MY WONDERFUL PACKET. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
SO MANY ISSUES, IT WOULD BLOW YOUR MIND.
[ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEMS COMMUNITY INTEREST. I WILL NOTE THAT ON THURSDAY,[4. THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2026, 5 PM - PLANNING AND ZONING (P&Z) MEETING]
JUNE 25TH, ISN'T THIS MEETING CANCELED? YES, MA'AM.OKAY. THERE WILL NOT BE A PMZ MEETING ON THURSDAY, JUNE 25TH.
WE NEED MORE TIME TO GET READY FOR A MEETING THAT WILL INCLUDE A LOT OF DRAINAGE INFORMATION ON MCCRARY, MOSS RIDGE, AND MCCRARY CREEK. ON FRIDAY, JULY 3RD, THE CITY WILL BE CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF INDEPENDENCE DAY. ON FRIDAY, THIS FRIDAY, 6/19, THE CITY WILL BE CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY. ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 8TH, PARKS AND RECREATION MEETING WILL MEET AT 5 PM IN THIS ROOM. OKAY,
[5. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FOR JUNE 2, 2026. [REGULAR MEETING] ]
NEXT WE WILL GO TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES FOR JUNE 2ND. COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS ON THE MEETING MINUTES? IF NOT, I WOULD ACCEPT A MOTION.I'LL MAKE A MOTION WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR JULY OR SORRY, FOR JUNE 2ND 2026.
OKAY, IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY, OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BARRON AND A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER HALBERT TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FOR JULY 2ND, 2026. ANY DISCUSSION? NOT HEARING ANY, I WILL CALL FOR YOUR VOTES.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
[6. CONSIDERATION, DISCUSSION, AND/OR ANY APPROPRIATE ACTION ON RESOLUTION NO. 2026-900 AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT WITH A VENDOR FOR COLLECTION OF COURT FINES.]
CARRIES. 5-0. OKAY, GOING TO ITEM NUMBER 6 CONSIDERATION, DISCUSSION, AND/OR ANY APPROPRIATE ACTION ON RESOLUTION NUMBER 2026-900 AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT WITH A VENDOR FOR COLLECTION OF COURT FINES. COUNCIL, OR ARE WE ABLE TO PROCEED ON THIS TONIGHT? WE ARE NOT. THAT WILL BE ON A[02:00:01]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEM OR FUTURE AGENDA.APOLOGIES. OKAY. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, BECAUSE WE CANNOT PROCEED ON THIS, I WILL WITHDRAW THIS TO A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM. GOING
[7. BOARD AND COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS (PLANNING AND ZONING AND ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT). (Part 1 of 2)]
ON TO ITEM NUMBER 7, BOARD'S INFORMATION APPOINTMENT. FOR PLANNING AND ZONING AND ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.COUNCIL, I BELIEVE IN YOUR PACKET YOU HAVE SOME APPLICATIONS FROM PEOPLE. AND AS BEST AS I COULD FIGURE IT OUT, WE HAVE ONE OPENING ON PLAN Z FOR A VOTING MEMBER. WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WHICH IF WE MOVE AN ALTERNATE TO A VOTING MEMBER, THEN THERE WILL BE ANOTHER POSITION ON P&Z FOR AN ALTERNATE.
ON ZBA, WE HAVE AN OPENING FOR AN ALTERNATE, BUT IF WE MOVE SOMEBODY FROM ZBA TO P&Z, WE WILL HAVE TWO OPENINGS THERE. I ASK THAT YOU LOOK AT OUR POLICY BECAUSE IT SAYS THE ORDER IN WHICH WE ARE TO PROCEED, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN YOUR PACKET. SO, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? I DON'T THINK IT'S IN OUR PACKET.
YOU DON'T THINK IT'S IN YOUR PACKET? RESOLUTION? YOU DON'T HAVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2021-658 IN YOUR PACKET? BEAR WITH US A MINUTE. OKAY, I'M SORRY, I THOUGHT EVERYBODY HAD THAT IN THEIR PACKET.
MAYOR, WAS THERE A CERTAIN PROVISION YOU WANTED TO POINT OUT HERE? I THINK IT WAS ON THE... YES, WHAT IT SAYS IS IF SOMEBODY IS CURRENTLY SERVING ON A BOARD OR COMMISSION AND THEY'RE AN ALTERNATE AND THEY WANT TO MOVE UP, THEY HAVE FIRST EMPOWERED, THEY'RE TO BE CONSIDERED FIRST. SECOND IS IF SOMEBODY IS ON ANOTHER BOARD OR COMMISSION SUCH AS ZBA AND THEY WANT TO MOVE OVER TO ANOTHER ONE, THEY ARE CONSIDERED OVER ANOTHER PERSON BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY SERVING. LASTLY WOULD BE SOMEONE WHO IS NOT SERVING WHO NOW WISHES TO SERVE.
I CAN UNDERSTAND THIS, AND THIS IS JUST MY UNDERSTANDING.
I'M NOT SAYING I'M RIGHT. IS ON P&Z, WE HAVE AN OPEN VOTING MEMBER.
WE HAVE 3 ALTERNATES. ALL 3 OF THE 3 ALTERNATES DO WISH TO MOVE UP. HOWEVER, 2 OF THEM HAVE ABSENCES. THE 3RD ONE MS. GODFREY, MS. MEDRANO DOES NOT HAVE ABSENCES.
THEREFORE, IT WOULD SEEM MORE APPROPRIATE FOR MS. MEDRANO TO MOVE UP BECAUSE SHE HAS NOT MISSED ANY MEETINGS, WHERE MR. GRAND AND JASMEET HAVE MISSED MEETINGS. THAT'S JUST MY VIEW OF THAT, OR HOW I READ THAT, BUT THAT'S A COUNCIL DECISION.
ARE YOU READY TO TAKE ANY NOMINATIONS? I WOULD CERTAINLY TAKE NOMINATIONS. DO YOU WANT TO GO WITH ONE BOARD OR COMMISSION FIRST? I THINK THAT'S EASIEST.
OKAY, THEN I'LL GO WITH ZBA FIRST, AND I WOULD NOMINATE DEREK BRADLEY AND ALLISON SUMMEROW.
DON'T WE ONLY HAVE ONE OPENING? I'M SORRY. I WOULD NOMINATE DERRICK BRADLEY FOR THAT. I NOMINATE ALLISON FOR P&C. SO I GOT THAT ONE OUT OF ORDER. JUST WANT TO. OKAY.
OKAY. FOR ZBI, YOU ARE NOMINATING DERRICK BRADLEY. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT, MADAM MAYOR.
IS THERE A SECOND? JUST A QUESTION ON ORDER OF PROCEDURE HERE. SHOULDN'T WE NOT, BECAUSE OF THE STATED PREFERENCE IN 2021-906, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, SHOULD WE NOT NOMINATE, IF AVAILABLE, PREEXISTING BOARD MEMBERS PRIOR TO NOMINATING NEW BOARD MEMBERS? IS THAT NOT HOW WE SHOULD DO THIS? YEAH, THAT IS WHAT IT SAYS.
[02:05:03]
AT THE BOTTOM. OKAY.WHERE IT WAS SAYING THAT THAT'S THE ORDER OF IT.
THAT'S JUST HOW IT'S... RIGHT, THAT'S JUST HOW IT'S LISTED.
THAT WASN'T THE FIRST DIBS, SECOND DIBS.
NO, NO, I'M JUST POINTING OUT THAT THIS IS WHAT OUR POLICY SAYS. IT IS, THE SUGGESTION, I GUESS, IS WHAT I'M... AND JUST TO CLARIFY, MAYOR PRO TEM'S NOMINATION HERE WOULD BE FOR THE VACANT ALTERNATE 2 POSITION.
AND WE DO NEED A SECOND ON THAT.
YEAH, AND CAN WE, CAN WE JUST GET ZBA SETTLED FIRST AND THEN LET'S MOVE TO P AND Z SEPARATE? ALL RIGHT, LIKE, OKAY, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM PILGRIM AND THE SECOND BY MS. BALDWIN TO APPOINT DEREK BRADLEY TO THE VACANT POSITION, VACANT NUMBER ALTERNATE NUMBER 2 POSITION ON ZBA. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? NOT HEARING ANY.
ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW DEREK BRADLEY. I WAS WONDERING IF IF MAYOR PRO TEM PILGRIM COULD AFFORD ME 30 SECONDS OF THE NOMINATION JUSTIFICATION OR WHAT YOU SEE IN MR. BRADLEY.
HE'S GOT A FINANCIAL BACKGROUND, VERY BRIGHT GUY, RELATIVELY YOUNG. I SAY RELATIVELY YOUNG, I'M 71, SO THAT'S WHY YOUNG IS ALWAYS RELATIVE, RIGHT? BUT I WOULD GUESS DEREK'S IN HIS 50S, RETIRED.
YEAH, RECENTLY RETIRED. I THINK HE'S BEEN A RESIDENT OF PARKER MAYBE 8 YEARS, I THINK, 7, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
OKAY, DID YOU GET? I DON'T HAVE THAT ONE, NO. OKAY, WOULD YOU PASS? HE DIDN'T.
OKAY, YOU WANT TO HAND THAT TO HIM SO HE CAN READ? PAGE 180 AND 181.
WELL, SOMETIMES WHEN THE PACKET IS 1,000 PAGES, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND ANYTHING. OKAY.
AND I WILL SAY I KNOW DEREK AS WELL, AND I THINK HIGHLY OF HIM. I THINK HE WOULD BE A GOOD ADDITION.
OKAY, I'M GIVING MR. SHARP A MINUTE OR TWO TO READ THE APPLICATION.
IS IT HIS 50S AND HIS 20 YEARS RETIRED? IT'S DONE WELL.
LIFE GOALS. OKAY, OKAY, AT THIS TIME I'LL ASK, IS THERE ANY ANY MORE DISCUSSION REGARDING APPOINTING MR. BRADLEY TO THE ZBA ALTERNATE POSITION 2? IF NOT, I WILL CALL FOR YOUR VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. MOTION CARRIES. MR. BRADLEY IS APPOINTED TO ZBA ALTERNATE POSITION NUMBER 2. NOW WE NEED TO GO TO P AND Z.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD SPLIT P AND Z INTO 2 PARTS, ONE TO MOVE SOMEBODY UP AND SECOND TO APPOINT FOR THE EMPTY POSITION.
I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE THIS IT'S A TWO-PART PROCESS.
FIRST, WE MOVE SOMEBODY UP INTO THE VOTING POSITION, AND THEN WE FILL THE... I AGREE.
I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION. CAN WE REMOVE SOMEONE AT THIS TIME? YOU CAN REMOVE SOMEONE AT ANY POINT IN TIME IF YOU WISH. OKAY.
THOUGH, I THINK THE REASON SHE BROUGHT THAT UP IS I THINK WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OF THE ATTENDANCE. ON PMC, THERE'S ONE PERSON IN PARTICULAR WHO MISSED ALL THE 2025 MEETINGS AND I THINK MORE THAN HALF THE MEETINGS OR ABOUT HALF THE MEETINGS THIS YEAR.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S A DISCUSSION I'D LIKE TO HAVE.
OKAY. CAN I, CATHERINE, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE NOTICED FOR THAT?
[EXECUTIVE SESSION (Part 1 of 2)]
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE.IT JUST SAYS. CATHERINE, CAN WE CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THIS DISCUSSION?
[02:10:01]
OKAY. WE ARE GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION. IT IS 8:14 PM.WE HAVE RETURNED FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION. IT IS . I CAN'T SEE THAT. IS THAT 39? THANK YOU, BILL. . OKAY.
DID YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND TYPE THE? I DON'T KNOW.
071, OKAY, WAS THE REASON WE WENT TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[7. BOARD AND COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS (PLANNING AND ZONING AND ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT). (Part 2 of 2)]
OKAY, WE ARE BACK. WE HAVE APPOINTED DEREK BRADLEY TO THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT TO THE ALTERNATE NUMBER 2 POSITION. WE WERE BEGINNING TO ADDRESS BOOKS, UH, EXCUSE ME, PLANNING AND ZONING. IS THERE ANYTHING ON PLANNING AND ZONING? MR. SHAW? I'D LIKE TO MOTION THAT WE MOVE SUSAN MEDRANO TO VOTING MEMBER.OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCILMEMBER SHAW AND A SECOND FROM MAYOR PRO TEM PILGRIM TO MOVE SUSAN GODFREY MCDONOUGH FROM AN ALTERNATE TO A VOTING MEMBER OF PLANNING AND ZONING. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? DID YOU HAVE YOUR... I'M TRYING TO DECIDE IF I NEED TO AMEND HIS MOTION TO APPOINT ALLISON SUMROW AS THE ALTERNATE.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON MS. MEDRANO'S APPOINTMENT? NOT HEARING ANY, I'LL CALL FOR YOUR VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPOINTING SUSAN MEDRANO TO A VOTING MEMBER OF PLANNING AND ZONING, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. OKAY.
ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. MOTION CARRIES 5-0.
NOW, MOVING MS. MEDRANO FROM AN ALTERNATE TO A VOTING MEMBER LEAVES AN ALTERNATE POSITION AVAILABLE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR APPOINTMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THAT POSITION? I WOULD. I MOVE TO APPOINT ALLISON SUMROW TO THE NOW VACANT ALTERNATE POSITION.
OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND.
OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER HALBERT, A SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER BOGDAN TO APPOINT ALLISON SUMROW TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION IN THE ALTERNATE POSITION. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SO I CAME WITH A LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH IT. ANY OF THESE PEOPLE. WOULD YOU MIND GIVING THE SAME 30-SECOND TREATMENT FOR MISS SUMROW? SHE'S THERE. COME ON UP, MISS SUMROW, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO MR. SHARP.
HELLO, MR. SHARP. I'M THRILLED FOR THIS. I'M REALLY EXCITED.
WE'VE BEEN, MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN PARKER RESIDENTS FOR 30 YEARS. 10 YEARS OR SO AGO, I SPENT 10 YEARS ON P&Z COUNCIL, AND THEN OTHER THINGS IN LIFE GOT IN THE WAY, AND SO NOW I'VE GOT TIME TO BE BACK INVOLVED. AND THIS IS, I'M THRILLED THAT YOU GUYS ARE FOLLOWING THAT WAY BECAUSE SUSAN, THE ALTERNATES ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE FIRST CHOICE. I MEAN, I'D LOVE TO BE A VOTING MEMBER, BUT I CAN PAY MY DUES, AND NOW I KNOW I HAVE TO ATTEND, NOT HAVE TO, I WILL ATTEND ALL THE MEETINGS.
AND I WAS AT THE LAST PNC MEETING. IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING. AND SUSAN, SHE'S AN EXCELLENT CHOICE. I WAS SURPRISED AS AN ALTERNATE HOW MUCH SHE KNEW AND HOW MUCH SHE WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A MEMBER. SO IT'S A GOOD ROLE MODEL. I'M SORRY, SO I CHATTED. WHAT ELSE COULD I TELL YOU? ACTUALLY, I'LL ASK TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE, IT IS AN UNEXCITING RESPONSIBILITY, AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW, WELL, WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO DO IT? I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S UNEXCITING.
I THINK ANYTHING THAT GOES ON IN THE CITY IS EXCITING. WE'VE BEEN HERE SO LONG AND SEEN SO MANY CHANGES, AND I REALIZE THAT I HAVE A LOT OF OPINIONS ABOUT THINGS, AND LIKE THE FIREWORKS, AND SO THE ONLY WAY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT IS TO GET BACK INVOLVED AND HAVE A VOICE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS, YOU HEARD ALL THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ATTENDANCE, AND SO JUST CURIOUS, HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR ATTENDANCE UNFOLDING OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO YEARS? I RETIRED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND WHILE I FEEL BUILD UP ALL THOSE RETIREMENT HOURS, AND I LOVE IT. IT'S NOT
[02:15:01]
A PROBLEM. THIS IS, I HAVE TO SAY, I WAS REALLY EXCITED ATTENDING LAST WEEK, AND I WAS EXCITED HAVING THIS ON THE CALENDAR, AND I DON'T SEE ANY PROBLEM. I MEAN, THERE ARE ALWAYS THINGS THAT COME UP IN LIFE, BUT IN GENERAL, IT SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM.MS. SUMROW, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, THEN I'LL CALL FOR YOUR VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPOINTING ALLISON SUMROW TO THE ALTERNATE POSITION ON PLANNING AND ZONING, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ANYBODY OPPOSED? OKAY, MOTION CARRIES 5-0. MISS SUMROW, YOU ARE APPOINTED. OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE
[8. RECEIVE RECOMMENDATION FROM PLANNING AND ZONING REGARDING THE SIGN ORDINANCE, DISCUSS, AND GIVE STAFF DIRECTION. ]
ITEM NUMBER 8, RECEIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PLANNING AND ZONING REGARDING THE SIGN ORDINANCE, AND WE WILL DISCUSS AND GIVE COUNCIL, GIVE STAFF DIRECTION.IN YOUR PACKET, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN, YOU'VE GOT ME SCARED NOW ON WHAT, WHAT MAY MAY NOT BE IN THERE, A RECOMMENDATION FROM PMZ ON THE SIGN ORDINANCE. THIS IS AS TO ELECTRONIC SIGNS. AND THEY RECOMMEND THAT WE DO NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE ELECTRONIC SIGNS.
OKAY. THERE IT IS, THE RECOMMENDATION RIGHT THERE.
CAN I ASK COUNSEL A QUESTION? SURE.
IF WE WANT TO PUT ASIDE THEIR RECOMMENDATION NOT TO DO THIS, CONSIDERING WE HAVE SENT IT BACK TO THEM PREVIOUSLY, AND THEN THEY'VE SENT IT BACK AGAIN IN SAYING THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY NEED AN UPDATE, WHEREAS I KNOW MYSELF, I FEEL LIKE, FOR THERE'S A VARIETY OF REASONS WE CAN GET INTO THAT. I FEEL LIKE, IT'S IN OUR INTEREST GOING FORWARD TO DO SOMETHING. DOES THE ORDINANCE HAVE TO START FROM PLANNING AND ZONING, OR CAN COUNCIL FORM A COMMITTEE PURSUE IT OURSELVES.
YOU CAN PROCEED WITH. YEAH, ALL THEY'RE DOING IS THEY'RE SENDING US A RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHAT THEY THOUGHT. COUNCIL CAN DO WHATEVER COUNCIL WANTS TO DO. OKAY. MS. BOCKMAN.
I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT THEY SENT IT BACK FOR A SECOND TIME WITH NO. WELL, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THEY DIDN'T CONSIDER IT, THEY DID, BUT I TRULY BELIEVE WE NEED REGULATION ON ELECTRONIC SIGNS. I THINK THIS IS, I WANT CONTINUITY. I WANT, I DON'T WANT THEM TO COME, SOMEBODY TO COME TO CBA AND SAY, "I NEED THIS SIGN," AND THEY DO ONE THING, AND THEN SOMEBODY 2 YEARS LATER COMES DOWN AND BUILDS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE CONTINUITY OF THE RULES. SO I THINK RULES ARE IMPORTANT TO GET WHAT WE WANT. SO I AGREE WITH BILLY THAT I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK INTO WHAT A COMMITTEE OR WHAT, HOW WE WANT TO HANDLE THAT TO COME UP WITH SOME STRUCTURE TO THE RULES FOR THIS.
OKAY, IF SOMEONE WAS WANTING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT COUNCIL DEVELOP A COMMITTEE TO WORK ON ELECTRONIC WELL, I THINK LET'S HEAR INPUT FROM THE OTHER 3 COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THIS FIRST. MR. SHARP.
SO I RECEIVED THIS RE-RECOMMENDATION AS A SIGN OF REALLY THEIR EMPHATIC BELIEF THAT THEIR GUIDANCE IS CORRECT.
AND I HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LAST DISCUSSED THIS, I BELIEVE WE SAID SOMEWHERE BETWEEN LIKE 5 AND 10 BUSINESSES OR NONPROFITS OR WHATEVER MIGHT BE GENUINELY AFFECTED BY THIS. I TEND TO AGREE WITH THEM. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN HANDLE IN A BESPOKE FASHION. COUNCIL APPOINTS THE MEMBERS OF THE ZBA. I THINK CONTINUITY REALLY SHOULD BE AFFECTED THROUGH COUNCIL APPOINTING GOOD MEMBERS OF THE ZBA. I AM INCLINED TO AGREE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION PROVIDED BY COMMISSIONER MEDRANO AND THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMITTEE. I THINK THEY HAVE IT RIGHT. I THINK THIS IS, I MEAN, IT IS, I THINK WE ARE MAYBE THINKING TOO FAR AHEAD IN THE FUTURE OF PARKER WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE 20 OR 30 SUCH
[02:20:02]
ENTITIES, BUT LIKE RIGHT NOW, I SEE HOW WE WOULD, I DON'T SEE HOW WE WOULD NEVER GET ABOVE 10. AND I HONESTLY DON'T SEE HOW WE GET MUCH MORE THAN 5.SO I THINK THIS IS AN INSTANCE WHERE WE MIGHT APPLY A LOT OF TIME TO SOMETHING AND APPLY A RULE THAT REALLY, YOU KNOW, IS ALMOST HANDLED BY A HANDSHAKE AND A ZBA APPLICATION.
OKAY. MS. HALBERT, I'M GOING TO WANT TO HEAR, AGAIN, I HAVE TO BRING UP THE CONTINUITY. SO THIS SIDE HAS STONE, THIS SIDE DOESN'T. THIS ONE'S 7 FEET, THIS ONE'S 3 FEET. I MEAN, I JUST, I DON'T, I THINK CONTINUITY IS VERY IMPORTANT WITH RULES WHEN IT COMES TO RULES, BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S GOING TO GO, YOU GAVE THEM THAT, WHAT ABOUT ME? AND I THINK THAT CAUSES PROBLEMS DOWN THE LINE. AND I AGREE, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A LOT AT THIS TIME, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE STRUCTURE BECAUSE PEOPLE COME AND ASK, WHAT ARE YOUR RULES? YOU DON'T HAVE ANY RULES? GREAT. LET ME TELL YOU SOME THINGS THAT WILL COME OUT OF THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE RULES.
I UNDERSTAND WHERE MR. SHARP IS AT, AND I TEND TO AGREE WITH HIM. I'M, I'M REALLY JUST STILL AT THIS, LIKE, THEY HAVE TOLD US NO TWICE, LIKE, WE'RE NOT EVEN GOING TO ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS THIS, WHEN IT WAS CLEAR THAT THAT WAS COUNCIL'S DESIRE. SO, A LITTLE FRUSTRATED WITH THAT. I DO THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOME GUIDANCE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT I WANT COUNCIL TO TAKE UP MORE OF OUR TIME TO DO THE WORK THAT A COMMITTEE SHOULD HAVE DONE.
WELL, I'LL SAY THIS. I'M HAPPY TO VOLUNTEER MY TIME FOR THIS, SO, OKAY.
OKAY. I'M NOT GOING, I'M NOT ADVOCATING EITHER WAY, BUT I WAS AT THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEETING WHERE THIS WAS DISCUSSED, AND THEY WANTED IT, AS I UNDERSTOOD WHAT THEY SAID, IS THEY WANTED US TO STAY WHERE ELECTRONIC SIGNS ARE PROHIBITED UNLESS YOU GO THROUGH ZBA. AND LIKE YOU SAID, ZBA WOULD THEN HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION BASED ON THE REQUEST, BASED ON HARDSHIP. AND THAT WOULD BE ZBA'S DETERMINATION. AND THAT WAS WHERE THEY WERE COMING FROM. GO AHEAD, MICHELLE.
YOU KEEP GOING. I WAS JUST, I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT'S ACTUALLY MY CONCERN IS THAT THESE AREN'T GOING TO BE HAPPENING LIKE RAPIDLY.
WE'RE GOING TO SUDDENLY GET ALL THESE CBA REQUESTS, UM, AND SO THE TURNOVER POTENTIAL OF LIKE YOU HAVE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MAKEUP NOW AND A DIFFERENT MINDSET, AND THEY DON'T HAVE OUR DOCUMENT TO EVEN WORK FROM. SO THE GUIDANCE OF THIS IS WHAT THE CITY OF PARKER HAS DEEMED APPROPRIATE.
SO THAT'S WHERE I'M LEANING A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THE, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING.
I THINK IT IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE, BUT NOT AN URGENT ISSUE. AND THE PROBLEM IS IT'S NOT GOING TO BE URGENT UNTIL IT GETS URGENT, UNTIL SOMETHING POPS UP ALL OF A SUDDEN AND WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN PLACE. SO WITH THAT SAID, I THINK IT'S NOT URGENT IN TERMS OF ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO SPEND A LOT OF COUNCIL TIME ON IT, BUT IF WE'VE GOT COUNCIL COUNCILMEMBER BARRON, WHO IS VOLUNTEERING TO HELP SPEND SOME TIME ON THIS, AND I THINK HE'S QUITE CAPABLE OF HELPING TO CREATE THE GUIDELINES FOR IT. IF YOU WOULD WORK WITH PLANNING AND ZONING ON IT, SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF PLANNING AND ZONING AS INDIVIDUALS EVEN, I THINK YOU COULD PROBABLY GET IT DONE PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, I WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO GO BACK TO PLANNING AND ZONING. IT WOULD BE MR. BARON AND MS. BOGDEN AND ANYBODY ELSE THAT WANTED TO.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET A STAFF MEMBER, POSSIBLY DYLAN, INVOLVED IF HE'S WILLING. THAT WOULD BE, I GUESS ACTUALLY I WAS THINKING, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A STAFF MEMBER, BUT I'M THINKING EVEN ALLISON, WHO'S GOING, SHE'S TECHNICALLY GOING TO BE AN ALTERNATE MEMBER.
SHE'S INTERESTED OBVIOUSLY IN HELPING ON KEY THINGS LIKE THAT. I THINK SHE'D BE AN EXCELLENT PERSON TO WORK ON A 3 OR 4 OR 5 PERSON COMMITTEE ONCE YOU PUT TOGETHER.
OKAY, WELL, LIKE I SAID, I WOULD CERTAINLY ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION. I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPOINT A COMMITTEE THAT CONSISTS OF COUNCILMEMBER BARRON AS AS THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE, COUNCIL MEMBER BOGDAN AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE, AND THEY WOULD APPOINT A STAFF MEMBER TO JOIN THEM AND ALLISON SUMROW TO DEVELOP GUIDELINES TO BRING BACK TO COUNCIL.
[02:25:02]
OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.I WASN'T SURE IF YOU WERE RAISING YOUR HAND WITH A COMMENT OR A SECOND.
OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM PILGRIM AND A SECOND SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER HALBERT TO FORM A COMMITTEE TO STUDY ELECTRONIC SIGNS WITH THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE BEING COUNCILMEMBER BARRON WITH MEMBERSHIP BEING COUNCILMEMBER BOGDAN, ALSO INCLUDING A STAFF MEMBER AND ALLISON SUMROW. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, COMMENTS? NOT HEARING ANY. CALL FOR YOUR VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY. WE HAVE A VOTE OF 4 TO 1, THE ONE BEING MR. SHARP AS AGAINST. OKAY.
[9. CONSIDERATION, DISCUSSION, AND/OR ANY APPROPRIATE ACTION ON ORDINANCE NO. 916, ADOPTING CHAPTER 55 REGULATING THE USE OF CITY PROPERTY AND AMENDING CHAPTER 153 RELATING TO ELECTIONEERING. ]
NEXT, WE WILL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 9. ITEM NUMBER 9. BEFORE I GO TO ITEM NUMBER 09, I GUESS I REALLY OUGHT TO ASK MS. SUMROW IF SHE'S WILLING TO SERVE ON SUCH A COMMITTEE, BUT SHE WAS JUMPING UP AND DOWN, SO THAT GAVE ME THAT THOUGHT SHE PROBABLY WAS.BUT ARE YOU WILLING TO SERVE ON SUCH A... OKAY.
SHE ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE FOR THE RECORD. OKAY. NOW WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 9.
CONSIDERATION, DISCUSSION, AND/OR ANY APPROPRIATE ACTION ON ORDINANCE NUMBER 916, ADOPTING CHAPTER 55, REGULATING THE USE OF PROPERTY, AND AMENDING CHAPTER 153, RELATING TO ELECTIONEERING.
OKAY, COUNCIL, COMMENTS? I WAS HAPPY WITH THE CHANGES.
I'M SORRY? I WAS HAPPY WITH THE CHANGES.
OKAY. MS. BARTON? I HAVE A QUESTION.
ON ITEM 7, PAGE 193 OF THE PACKET, IT TALKS ABOUT THE DURATION. SO IT'S INSTALLED ONLY DURING THE VOTING PERIOD FOR THE APPLICABLE ELECTION DAY.
SO IS THAT JUST ON ONE DAY, EARLY VOTING IS NOT, THERE'S NOTHING ON EARLY VOTING.
THAT'S THE INTENT, THAT IT'S ONLY ON THE ELECTION DAY.
AND THEN IT, AS FAR AS THE PENALTY GOES, UM, IT SAYS IT'S PUNISHABLE PROVIDED IN SECTION 10.99 OF THIS CODE OF ORDINANCES.
WHAT ALL DOES THAT ENTAIL? DOES ANYBODY KNOW? DO WE NEED TO SPELL THE STANDARD PENALTY PROVISION FOR THE CITY? OKAY, SO THAT'S JUST LIKE THE, SO DOES THE COURT, LIKE, OKAY, SO THEN WHO IS WRITING THE TICKET? IS THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT? IS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT? WHO WRITES THAT? ELECTION DAY'S NORMALLY ON A SATURDAY, SO THERE'S NO CODE ENFORCEMENT. SO HOW DO WE, THERE THERE COULD BE CODE ENFORCEMENT. CODE ENFORCEMENT WORKS GENERALLY ONE WEEKEND A MONTH, BUT WE COULD CERTAINLY DESIGNATE A CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TO BE AVAILABLE, JUST LIKE WE COULD ASK THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BE AVAILABLE.
I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE MORE COMMON THAT THIS WILL BE ENFORCED ON WEEKDAYS THAN ON THE, DURING EARLY VOTING, THEN.
I HAD A COMMENT ON THE SAME THING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER BOGDAN DID. I CAN'T FIND IT AGAIN NOW. WHERE'S THAT SECTION? IT'S ON THE SPECIFIC WORDING OF IT.
IT'S 10, WELL, IN OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES, IT'S 10.99.
YEAH, BUT WHERE IS IT IN, WHAT PAGE IS IT ON IN OUR, IT'S ON PAGE 1, THE ELECTIONEER IS ON PAGE 193 OF THE PACKET.
I'M TRYING TO FIND THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT REFERS TO WHEN IT CAN BE INSTALLED.
OKAY, IT'S PAGE 194, ACTUALLY.
OKAY. IT SEEMED UNCLEAR THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN. IT SAYS A CANOPY MAY BE INSTALLED ONLY DURING THE VOTING PERIOD FOR THE APPLICABLE ELECTION DAY.
I'M CONCERNED SOME PEOPLE PEOPLE MIGHT READ, INTERPRET THE VOTING PERIOD FOR THE ELECTION DAY AS THE ENTIRE VOTING PERIOD FOR THE ELECTION DAY, WHICH WOULD BE THE 2-WEEK PERIOD.
AND OUR INTENT IS FOR IT TO BE INSTALLED ONLY ON THE ELECTION DAY. AND THEN I WOULD HAVE MAYBE ONE OTHER SUGGESTION. I WOULD SAY WE GO AHEAD AND PUT SOME PARAMETERS ON IT, THAT YOU CAN INSTALL IT AS EARLY AS 30 MINUTES BEFORE VOTING AND HAVE IT TAKE IT FOR AN HOUR, WHATEVER YOU THINK IS REASONABLE. NO MORE THAN AN HOUR BEFORE EARLY VOTING BEGINS, AND IT HAS TO BE REMOVED IN NO
[02:30:01]
LESS THAN AN HOUR AFTER, NOT EARLY VOTING, I APOLOGIZE, AFTER VOTING BEGINS, AND HAS TO BE REMOVED WITHIN AN HOUR AFTER VOTING ENDS. AND JUST ONE OTHER COMMENT WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE WONDERED WHY WOULD WE EVEN WANT TO DO THIS, WHY IS IT NEEDED, IS IT NECESSARY? I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAW AT THE COLLIN COUNTY COURTHOUSE THIS PAST LAST WEEK WITH THE PROTEST GROUPS THAT WERE OUT THERE. THERE WERE PEOPLE BOTH PROTESTING IN FAVOR AND AGAINST THE VERDICT THAT WAS ISSUED IN THAT TRIAL OUT THERE. THEY HAD TENTS SET UP THERE JUST LIKE THAT. THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE. WE DON'T HAVE A BIG COURTROOM HERE WHERE WE'RE TRYING THOSE KINDS OF CASES, BUT THE POINT IS, PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SHOW UP AND PROTEST ANYTHING THAT THE CITY MIGHT BE DOING, IF WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN PLACE COULD SET UP THEIR TENTS OUT THERE AND PROTEST ANY DAY OF THE WEEK THEY WANTED TO SET UP. AND THERE WERE TENTS OUT IN FRONT OF THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE FOR SEVERAL DAYS.MR. BOONE? UH, I JUST NOTICED IT JUMPS FROM NUMBER 4 TO NUMBER 6.
THERE IS NO NUMBER 5 IN THE ORDINANCE.
WE DON'T TALK ABOUT NUMBER 5. A COUPLE CLARIFYING QUESTIONS ON MAYOR PRO TEM PILGRIM'S STATEMENT. SO I THOUGHT, LIKE, THE CANOPIES WERE EXPLICITLY FOR THE USE FOR ELECTIONEERING, AT LEAST IN THIS CLAUSE. SO, YOU KNOW, PROTEST GROUP WOULD, BY ITS NATURE, NOT BE ELECTIONEERING. SO UNDER THIS, AS IT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN, WOULD SOMEONE NOT RUNNING FOR OFFICE, OR AT LEAST SUPPORTING SOMEONE FOR OFFICE, EVEN BE ALLOWED TO, LIKE, ERECT A CANOPY IN THE FIRST PLACE? OKAY, SO THAT'S A NON-ISSUE. YEAH. AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS I ALLUDED TO IN OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING, MAYOR PRO TEM PILGRIM AND I CAME TO THE SAME ANSWER BY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. AND MINE WAS REALLY ABOUT LEGAL LIABILITY AND SAFETY, WHICH IS HISTORICALLY THEY COME, THEY PUT THE CANOPY DOWN, THEY LEAVE IT THERE, AND THEN TEXAS WINDS PICK IT UP, THROW IT IN THE HIGHWAY.
RIGHT. AND I'D LIKE TO JUST FLOAT THE IDEA THAT YOU TAKE YOUR PROVISIONS WHERE YOU HAVE TO PUT IT UP, YOU KNOW, AS WELL YOU CAN PUT IT UP AS EARLY AS 30 MINUTES BEFORE AND HAVE TO HAVE IT DOWN AN HOUR LATER, BUT WHY NOT JUST LET THEM DO THAT EVERY DAY IF THEY TAKE IT DOWN? AND HERE'S MY THINKING ON THIS.
NUMBER ONE, IT'S A LOT OF WORK AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PICK AND CHOOSE YOUR DAYS, BUT IF YOU WANT TO DO IT, GO FOR IT. AS LONG AS IT'S DOWN AND IT'S BEING MAINTAINED AND IT'S NOT, DOESN'T HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ACTUALLY BE BLOWN OUT ON THE HIGHWAY OR INTO OUR BUILDING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I MEAN, I HONESTLY THINK, ONE, WHAT'S THE HARM? AND TWO, FOR SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE THE FINANCIAL WHEREWITHAL TO BUY 500 SIGNS OVER THE COURSE OF THE ELECTION, IT IS REALLY THEIR ONLY COURSE OF INTERACTION WITH THE VOTERS. SO, I PREFER THE IDEA OF JUST PUTTING THE RESPONSIBILITY ON THEM TO TAKE IT DOWN EVERY DAY, AND I THINK IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT SELF-SELECTING THAT WAY, BUT I'D LIKE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER IT.
OKAY, I WILL RESPOND TO SOME OF THAT. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR OUR PUBLIC WORKS PEOPLE TO MOW THE AREA WHEN THE TENTS ARE IN THE WAY. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO TREAT FOR ANTS, AND BELIEVE ME, I HOPE I HEARD ABOUT ANTS DURING THE ELECTION BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T TREATED BECAUSE THE TENTS WERE IN THE WAY.
THEY HAVE TO JUST COUNTER WITH BLOCK OFF THE DAYS THEY NEED TO MOW THE LAWN. JUST BLOCK THE DAYS THAT THEY NEED TO MOW THE LAWN. I MEAN, FOR CITY USE, YOU KNOW, IT IS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE EXECUTIVE BODY OF THE CITY. EACH AND EVERY DAY. YOU COULD BE THAT YOU HAVE A MEDICAL TENT SET UP FOR PEOPLE FAINTING AFTER THEY VOTE, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT I SEE WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, BUT I THINK YOU CAN CONTROL THAT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE PERMISSION DAILY.
WELL, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO YOUR SAFETY PIECE. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT THE TENT NOT BE LEFT UNATTENDED. I'M SORRY? THE TENT NOT BE LEFT UNATTENDED. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT DOES FOR YOURS OTHER THAN WHO WANTS TO SPEND 12 HOURS EVERY DAY UNDER A TENT HANGING OUT TO BABYSIT IT.
YEAH, I LIKE THAT TOO, BECAUSE OTHERWISE HOW DO WE KNOW WHETHER IT'S ABANDONED PROPERTY OR YOU'RE COMING BACK? JUST MY COMMENT. I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I WOULD RATHER LEAVE IT JUST ON ELECTION DAY. I THINK THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THIS WAS TO CLEAN UP OUR PARKING LOT OUT THERE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ELECTIONEERING GOING ON UNDER THOSE KIND OF TENTS FOR A 2-WEEK PERIOD OF TIME.
IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO COME UP HERE AND THEY THINK THE KEY TO WINNING THE ELECTION IS STANDING OUT IN THE PARKING LOT 4 HOURS A DAY OR 8 HOURS A DAY FOR 2 WEEKS IN A ROW, LET THEM DO IT. AND IF THAT WINS THEM THE ELECTION,
[02:35:01]
MORE POWER TO THEM. BUT I WOULD RATHER NOT HAVE THE TENTS UP AT THAT TIME. AND MY COMMENT, JUST FOR THE RECORD, ABOUT THE TENTS IN GENERAL AND THE OTHER TYPES OF, THE OTHER REASONS TO HAVE THIS WAS REFERRING BACK TO OUR ORDINANCE THAT WE PUT IN PLACE IN GENERAL THAT DISALLOWED ALL OF THESE EXCEPT FOR ELECTION DAY, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD PEOPLE WHO WERE UPSET ABOUT THAT, THAT WE, WE PUT IN THAT BLANKET PROHIBITION ON PUTTING THOSE KINDS OF THINGS ON CITY PROPERTY.YES. AND I'M JUST SAYING, I THINK IT'S WHAT HAPPENED AT COLLIN COUNTY COURTHOUSE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHY YOU NEED THOSE KINDS OF PROHIBITIONS IN PLACE.
WAS THERE ANYTHING IN THERE ABOUT FURNITURE? I KNOW WE SAW LIKE PEOPLE BRINGING THEIR ENTIRE PATIO SETS AND HUGE TABLES AND ALL OF THAT. LIKE, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S IN HERE. DID ANYONE SEE ANYTHING LIKE THAT? UM, 'CAUSE I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF FURNITURE COMING.
IT TALKS ABOUT, IT TALKS ABOUT THE STRUCTURES AND LIVESTOCK AND EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES, BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT FURNITURE. YOU THINK THERE'S SOMETHING IN THERE? I THOUGHT SO, BUT MAYBE I WAS, IN ANY CASE, I THINK CATHERINE CAN TAKE THAT AS A NOTE. I THINK WE'VE MADE SO MANY COMMENTS NOW THAT, WE CAN'T PASS THIS.
WE CAN'T, I DON'T THINK WE CAN PASS THIS TODAY. I THINK WE'LL LET HER GO BACK. MAKE SOME CHANGES TO IT AND BRING IT BACK.
OKAY. SO, MR. BERRY, YOU WANT TO MAKE THAT INTO A MOTION? DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THAT? NO ACTION. NO ACTION.
[10. CONSIDERATION, DISCUSSION, AND/OR ANY APPROPRIATE ACTION ON RESOLUTION NO. 2026-897 ESTABLISHING TRAINING FOR NEWLY ELECTED OR APPOINTED COUNCILMEMBERS. ]
JUST NO ACTION. OKAY. I ALWAYS ASK, JUST IN CASE.OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ITEM NUMBER 10, CONSIDERATION, DISCUSSION, AND/OR ANY APPROPRIATE ACTION ON RESOLUTION NUMBER 2026-901, NOMINATING OR ENDORSING, APPOINTING A PRIMARY AND AN ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL OF THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS. PACKET SHOULD BE, AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT IS, INFORMATION FROM, WE HAVE INFORMATION FROM THE RTC, THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL.
WE ALSO HAVE A LETTER FROM THE CITY OF ALLEN AND FROM THE CITY OF SACHSE.
PATTY MADE SURE THAT THAT WAS ALL ADDED IN.
YEAH. AND MICHAEL SCHAEFER OF THE CITY OF ALLEN HAS REACHED OUT BY PHONE AND INDICATED THAT HE WISHES TO CONTINUE ON AS AN ALTERNATE MEMBER.
WE'VE ALSO GOT THE LETTER FROM, I'M IN.
MAYOR BICKERSTAFF THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO STOP BEING ALTERNATE MEMBER.
AND THEN, UH, WE GOT THE DEAL FROM MISS MAYOR PORTER, I GUESS IT WAS.
I DON'T THINK WE HAD A LETTER FROM MAYOR PORTER, BUT BOTH THE CITY OF SACHSE AND THE CITY OF ALLEN ADVOCATED FOR THE CITY OF WYLIE'S MAYOR IN SOME FORM OR FASHION.
SO, SO WE ARE POINTING OR DIRECTING THE MAYOR TO DO REGULAR REPRESENTATIVE AND AN ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVE? THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
SO I WILL SAY I HAVE A LONG HISTORY WITH MAYOR BICKERSTAFF WHEN HE WAS OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, AS THE, HE WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER IN SACHSE, AND NOW HE'S THE MAYOR IN SACHSE. I THINK HE BRINGS A BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE THAT NOT ALL OF THE POTENTIAL CANDIDATES DO.
SO I ABSOLUTELY WOULD WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT JEFF BOOKER'S STAFF.
OKAY, AND THAT WOULD BE FOR THE ALTERNATE? FOR THE ALTERNATE.
OKAY. I'LL SECOND THAT ONE TOO.
COUNCILMEMBER HABER, WAS THAT AN OFFICIAL MOTION THAT WE HAVE A SECOND TO? I MOVE TO, UM, NOMINATES ALTERNATIVE REPRESENTATIVE AS MAYOR JEFF BICKERSTAFF.
OKAY, WELL, I'M, THAT HAS A MOTION BEFORE. I HAVE A MOTION BY COLLEEN HALBERT AND A SECOND BY ROXANNE BOGDAN TO NOMINATE
[02:40:01]
JEFF BICKERSTAFF FOR THE CAN I AMEND THAT MOTION? SURE. I'D LIKE TO PUT IT IN ONE MOTION TO HAVE BOTH THE PRIMARY AND THE ALTERNATE.SO, YOU WANT ME TO MAKE THE MOTION? YEAH, I WITHDRAW MY MOTION.
OKAY, SO I MAKE A MOTION, RESOLUTION 2026-901, APPOINTING PRIMARY, THE PRIMARY REPRESENTATIVE AS MICHAEL SHAFER AND THE ALTERNATE JEFF BICKERSTAFF.
DID WE CONFUSE YOU? WELL, YEAH, YOU DID, BECAUSE MATTHEW PORTER HAS BEEN OUR REPRESENTATIVE.
MATTHEW PORTER? MICHAEL SCHAEFFER HAS BEEN OUR ALTERNATE.
THAT'S NOT WHAT HE WAS GOING FOR, RIGHT? RIGHT, HE WANTS A PROMOTION.
OKAY, LET'S TRY AGAIN. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MAYOR PORTER HAS BEEN OUR PRIMARY REPRESENTATIVE AND THAT MICHAEL SCHAEFFER HAS BEEN OUR ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVE, AND MR. BIGGERSTAFF WOULD LIKE TO BE APPOINTED ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVE IN LIEU OF MR. SCHAEFER.
NO, YES, SO MAYOR BIGGERSTAFF WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH MICHAEL SCHAEFER WHEN HE BECOMES THE REGULAR REPRESENTATIVE, AND THEN HE WOULD TAKE THAT EMPTY SEAT.
OKAY, SO IN OTHER WORDS, DO AWAY WITH MAYOR PORTER.
OKAY, I GOT IT. IT JUST TAKES ME A LITTLE WHILE.
OKAY, SO IS THAT YOUR MOTION, MS. BOND, THEN? OKAY. OKAY, IS THERE A SECOND? MS. HALPERT.
OKAY. NOW LET'S SEE IF I GOT THIS RIGHT. I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER BOGDAN WITH A SECOND BY MS. HALPERT THAT MICHAEL SCHAEFER BECOME THE PRIMARY REPRESENTATIVE AND MR. BIGGERSTAFF BECOMES THE ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVE. IS IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
OKAY. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, NOT HEARING ANY, I'LL CALL FOR YOUR VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ANY OPPOSED? OKAY, MOTION CARRIES 5-0. OKAY, MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER 11.
[11. CONSIDERATION, DISCUSSION, AND/OR ANY APPROPRIATE ACTION ON RESOLUTION NO. 2026-897 ESTABLISHING TRAINING FOR NEWLY ELECTED OR APPOINTED COUNCILMEMBERS.]
CONSIDERATION, DISCUSSION, AND/OR ANY APPROPRIATE ACTION ON RESOLUTION NUMBER 2026-897, ESTABLISHING TRAINING FOR NEWLY ELECTED OR APPOINTED COUNCIL MEMBERS. COUNCIL, WE'VE BEEN OVER THIS ON A COUPLE OF TIMES. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, COLLEEN, I REALLY LIKE THE... THANK YOU.I WILL SAY I WAS A LITTLE FRUSTRATED THAT THE NUMBER OF ON-DEMAND COURSES WAS NOT AS ROBUST. WE'RE STILL MISSING PLANNING AND ZONING ISSUES.
THE FINANCE, THE BOND THING TONIGHT I THOUGHT WAS VERY HELPFUL, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD GO OUT FOR. SO I WILL CONTINUE CONTINUE KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT.
SO, DON'T WE HAVE SOME PLANNING AND ZONING TRAINING? OKAY, WE SENT OUR LAST APPOINTEES OTHER THAN SUSAN, BEFORE SUSAN, TO A PLANNING AND ZONING TRAINING SESSION THAT WAS IN ARLINGTON.
YEAH, WELL, I WAS TALKING ABOUT ONLINE, CORRECT, KENT? YOU MEAN OUR, THE ONE WE DID HERE? THE LAND USE ESSENTIALS ON-DEMAND TRAINING, CORRECT? YEAH.
YEAH, I WOULD SUGGEST WE ADD THAT TO THIS LIST.
OKAY, I DID NOT SEE THAT ON THEIR WEBSITE BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING FOR THAT ONE, SO.
YEAH, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S A DISCONNECT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT WE DO HAVE THE ACCESS LINK FOR THAT CURRENTLY FOR OUR ORGANIZATION, SO IT IS AN ON-DEMAND OPTION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS IS $45, THAT IS A FEE TO THE CITY, BUT THEN WE HAVE SHARE OUT LIKE THE ONE HE JUST SENT
[02:45:01]
ABOUT THE MAYOR 101.MS. HALBERT, WERE ALL OF THESE 1-HOUR CREDIT PER CLASS, OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? IT APPEARS, AND BECAUSE I DIDN'T PAY HOW YOU PAY FOR THEM, I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT APPEARS THAT THEY'RE EACH 1 CEU TOWARD THE CERTIFIED COUNCIL MEMBER TRAINING CERTIFICATION, AND THERE WERE A COUPLE THAT WERE SHORTER, SO PROBABLY HALF AN HOUR.
OKAY, SO ESSENTIALLY 12 HOURS, IF YOU ADD ALL THESE UP, IS ESSENTIALLY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE CLASSES.
OKAY. I HAVE WHAT'S PROBABLY PROBABLY A STUPID QUESTION, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK IT ANYWAY. EVERY YEAR, CATHERINE DOES TRAINING FOR COUNCIL IN WHICH SHE GOES OVER ETHICS AND TOMA AND, CATHERINE DOES? YEAH.
DID I MISS THAT? YEAH, I MUST HAVE MISSED THAT TOO.
BECAUSE I DID MY TOMA AND ETHICS AND PIA AT NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS TRAINING.
I THINK YOU STILL HAVE TO DO THE STATE-REQUIRED MANDATED COURSE.
SHE HAS JUST DONE LIKE A 2-HOUR WORKSHOP, OR, YOU KNOW, BROKEN UP AN HOUR AND AN HOUR, AND DONE IT FOR OUR PEOPLE.
AND MY QUESTION IS, SHOULD THAT COUNT IN THE TRAINING? SHOULD WE INCLUDE THAT? WELL, I DON'T THINK IT CAN REPLACE WAYS BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE TO TAKE THE OTHER.
THAT ACTUALLY LETS HER OFF THE HOOK.
OKAY, I TOLD YOU IT WAS STUPID.
IT WAS NOT A STUPID QUESTION, IT WAS A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
OKAY, AND I EXPECT CATHERINE TO DO THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR, NOT ONLY WITH COUNCIL BUT WITH ALL OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM DO NOT UNDERSTAND THINGS ABOUT QUORUMS AND PUBLIC MEETINGS AND LIKE THAT. OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO BAN DYLAN FROM THE MEETING.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? IF NOT, I WOULD ACCEPT A MOTION.
I MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2026-897, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARKER, COLLIN COUNTY, TEXAS, ESTABLISHING TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR NEWLY ELECTED OR APPOINTED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
OKAY, IS THERE A SECOND? A SECOND.
OKAY, WE HAVE I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER SHARP AND A SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM PILGRIM TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2026-897 ON THE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR NEWLY ELECTED OR APPOINTED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES, EXHIBIT A, IF WE WANT TO CHANGE THIS LIST, DO WE HAVE TO PASS ANOTHER RESOLUTION? THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN CURRENTLY, YES, BUT YOU COULD CHANGE IT NOW BEFORE THIS IS PASSED.
SO YOU WANT TO AMEND IT TO INCLUDE LAND USE ESSENTIALS? YEAH, YOU'VE GOT IT. A MINIMUM, I WAS JUST THINKING LONG TERM, YOU KNOW, AS NEW COURSES COME UP, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I'M NOT SO MUCH OH, THESE ARE EXACTLY THE COURSES PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE. I MEAN, YEAH, YOU'VE GOT THESE REQUIRED ONES, THOSE ARE GOOD, BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE SOME MORE, I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD BE OKAY WITH PEOPLE TAKING COURSES THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY ON THE RECOMMENDED LIST.
BUT I THINK THE WAY I'M, THE WAY THIS IS WORDED RIGHT NOW, I THINK THEY HAVE TO TAKE WHAT'S THERE TO GET UP TO THE THE NUMBER OF HOURS.
SO, ACTUALLY- I THINK, BILLY AND THE LONGEVITY THING IS RIGHT, BECAUSE THESE COURSES COULD BE SPONTANEOUSLY NOT OFFERED OR NOT OFFERED AT THE TIME THAT THEY'RE NEEDED. SO WOULD YOU BE OKAY WITH AN AMENDMENT WHERE WE BASICALLY BUILD IN, OR A SUBSTITUTE COURSE, AS, APPROVED- WELL, APPROVED BY MAYOR, APPROVED BY COUNCIL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, WHEN I CAME UP WITH THIS, THIS WAS A RECOMMENDATION, NOT NECESSARILY LIKE I'M ADVOCATING FOR THIS.
SO IF Y'ALL WOULD DETERMINE THAT LEGAL LANDLINES WAS LIKE, THAT SHOULD BE REQUIRED AND MOVE SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE DOWN, THAT WAS TOTALLY UP FOR DISCUSSION. LIKE THIS FLEXIBILITY IS SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, SO.
ANY THOUGHTS ON JUST REQUIRING 12 ADDITIONAL
[02:50:03]
HOURS AND PEOPLE CHOOSE? LIKE, I MEAN, I WAS INTERESTED IN THE GRANT WRITING CLASS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, SO I THINK MAYBE HAVING THE STATE REQUIREMENTS FOR SURE, MAYBE PICKING ONE OR TWO OF THESE THAT ARE, EVERYBODY SAYS IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT FOR MANDATORY, BUT THEN ALLOWING THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO CHOOSE DIFFERENT, BECAUSE THEN YOU'RE GETTING DIFFERENT RIGHT. PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT SPECIALTIES FOR DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE LIKE FINANCE, SOME PEOPLE LIKE IT OR GRANT WRITING OR WHAT HAVE YOU. SO I'D KIND OF LIKE TO SEE A SIMPLE, THE STATE REQUIRED, MAYBE PICKING A COUPLE OF THE PARKER REQUIRED, AND THEN THE REST LEAVING IT OPEN TO APPROVAL. I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN MIND GETTING APPROVED FROM THE MAYOR OR THE ADMINISTRATOR.IF I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE IS THE PARKER REQUIRED TO BE AMENDED TO OTHER APPROVED OR AUTHORIZED COURSES.
MAYBE JUST SAYING JUST ADDITIONAL CREDIT HOURS. I MEAN, JUST LEAVING IT OPEN BECAUSE I THINK WHEN YOU SPECIFICALLY SAY THESE, LIKE COUNCILMEMBER SHARP SAID, THIS MIGHT NOT BE OFFERED IN A YEAR. THIS COULD BE CONSTANTLY CHANGING, AND SO JUST LEAVING IT OPEN UP TO ADDITIONAL CREDIT HOURS, JUST LETTING. SAYING THAT THE STATE MANDATED 3 AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL 10 HOURS ON YOUR OWN CHOICE.
WOULD IT BE SUFFICIENT HERE TO MOVE THEM ALL UNDER FROM PARKER REQUIRED TO JUST UNDER PARKER RECOMMENDED, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE STATE REQUIRED REMAIN? I CAN TOTALLY LIVE WITH THAT.
THAT, AND ALSO POTENTIALLY ADDING IN-PERSON TML TRAINING.
SO TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE CONFERENCE IN NOVEMBER, IF YOU WANT TO DO NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS TRAINING, THERE'S SOME COURSES ON THERE THAT AREN'T REFLECTED IN THIS. SO I THINK THAT GIVES IT THE FLEXIBILITY THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
I'LL POINT OUT THAT THE WAY THE RESOLUTION IS WRITTEN IS, MUST ATTEND 12 HOURS OF TRAINING WITHIN 8 MONTHS OF TAKING OFFICE, INCLUDING BOTH THE STATE AND CITY OF PARKER REQUIRED COURSES, WHICH THE WAY I READ THAT, YOU HAVE TO DO THE STATE REQUIRED AND THE PARKER REQUIRED, BUT YOU COULD FILL IN THE OTHER 12 WITH ANYTHING, WHICH WE CAN CHANGE THAT TOO.
YEAH, SO IF IT'S PLUS 12 ON TOP OF THE THE STATE AND PARKER REQUIRED, THAT'S A LOT.
NO, NO, NO, NO, THAT'S NOT, IT'S INCLUDING THOSE TWO, THE STATE REQUIRED AND THE PARKER REQUIRED, BUT IT DOESN'T REQUIRE THAT EVERYTHING IN THE 12 HOURS COMES FROM THE ATTACHMENT. THE REMAINDER OF THE 12 COULD COME FROM ANYWHERE THE WAY THIS IS WRITTEN.
I THINK THE DISCONNECT IS PARKER REQUIRED. IT IF I'M UNDERSTANDING MS. BOGDEN AND MR. SHARP CORRECTLY, THAT THEY DON'T WANT ANY PARTICULAR COURSE TO BE REQUIRED. THEY JUST WANT THERE TO BE EDUCATION THAT OCCURS.
I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE SOME REQUIRED, BUT I DON'T, I THINK THIS LIST MAY BE A LITTLE BIT TOO LONG.
LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, I DON'T THINK THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND LEADERSHIP LANDSCAPE NECESSARILY NEEDS TO BE EVERYBODY.
BUT I REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT LAND USE COURSE AND THE MAYOR COURSE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND PROBABLY, AND THE BUDGET COURSE PROBABLY SHOULD BE REQUIREMENTS.
I, I THINK THE MAYOR 101 IS PROBABLY A GOOD ONE TOO, BECAUSE I HAD A LOT TO FIGURE OUT WHEN I CAME FROM A HOME RULE TYPE CITY. SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD LEVEL SETTING FOR ANYBODY COMING FROM A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CITY.
DO YOU WANT ME TO REDO THIS AND SEE IF I CAN, WE CAN DO IT ANOTHER WAY.
I'LL MOTION FOR AN AMENDMENT TO MY OWN MOTION.
OKAY, I WAS GOING TO SAY, OKAY.
I MOTION THAT WE INCLUDE LANGUAGE, AN AMENDMENT THAT INCLUDES LANGUAGE FOR SUBSTITUTION OF COURSES AS DETERMINED BY, IN TERMS OF THE REQUIRED COURSES AS DETERMINED BY THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR, AND THAT WE ALSO MOVE ALL OF THE PARKER REQUIRED COURSES BUT THE FOLLOWING TO PARKER RECOMMENDED: MAYOR 101, BASIC
[02:55:01]
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR BUDGET AND TAX RATE SETTING, AND ANY OTHER TAKERS? THERE WAS LAND USE.ESSENTIALS. AND I'M GOING TO ADD ONE MORE, ETHICS IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
WELL, OKAY. YOU'RE WANTING TO, YOUR MOTION IS TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2026-897 WITH SUBSTITUTIONS BEING ALLOWABLE AND THAT BUDGET, MAYOR, AND LAND USE.
OKAY, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? NOT HEARING ANY, I WILL CALL FOR YOUR VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF MR. SHARPE'S MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
AND THAT WAS FOR THE AMENDMENT? YES. PARDON? THAT WAS FOR THE AMENDED.
YES, AS I JUST READ, THE AMENDED MOTION. OKAY, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED, SHALL OKAY, THE MOTION CARRIES 4 TO 1 WITH MS. BOGDEN VOTING
[12. UPDATE(S)]
AGAINST. OKAY, NOW WE WILL GO TO UPDATES. MR. MACHADO, WOULD YOU TELL US ABOUT 2551? 2551 IS, I TALKED WITH THE CONTRACTOR TODAY FOR HARPER BROTHERS, AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH TXDOT TO GET THE CONFLICTS RESOLVED AND PHASING RESTRUCTURED SO THAT THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT.THEY ARE MOVING DIRT ON THE DELAHAY'S, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF LUCAS ROAD, PREPARING FOR SUBGRADE PREP AND PAVING.
SHOULD START SOMETIME IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT MONTH ON THAT.
OK. COUNCIL, ANY QUESTIONS ON 2551? OK. MR. PILGRIM? NOTHING REALLY NEW. I THINK I REPORTED LAST TIME THAT THE HEARING WAS HELD ON THE SEWER TREATMENT PLANT, MAY 1ST. THE PERMIT WAS UPHELD.
THE CITY OF PARKER AND THE INDIVIDUAL PROTESTERS FILED A JOINT MOTION TO THE COURT FOR REHEARING. IT'S LIKELY THAT THAT WOULD BE DENIED, BUT THAT'S A STEP IN THE PROCESS.
WITH THE NEXT STEP BEING, IF IT'S DENIED, WE'RE STILL WAITING TO HEAR.
THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO FILE AN APPEAL WITH THE APPELLATE COURT SYSTEM IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH IS A MUCH BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR GETTING THE SEWER TREATMENT PERMIT OVERTURNED. NOTHING NEW HAS OCCURRED ON THE MUD HEARING SINCE OUR LAST MEETING.
OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS OF MR. PILGRIM ON THAT? OKAY. LOIS LANE. MR. MACHADO.
WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE REPAIR TO THE CONNECTING ROAD, POCO, I BELIEVE, IS THE ROAD. THAT'S BEEN DONE.
SOME DITCH WORK HAS BEEN DONE TO CLEAN UP THE EDGES.
AND WE'RE WAITING TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT A WEATHER WINDOW TO DO THE SLURRY SEAL.
TO DO WHAT? THAT SLURRY SEAL, THE SEAL COAT ON THE OTHER PIECE.
OKAY. WHAT IS WITH THE DRAINAGE ISSUES ON LEWIS, OR HAVE THOSE BEEN RESOLVED? NO, DRAINAGE ISSUES HAVE NOT BEEN RESOLVED. I WISH THEY WERE.
BUT GARY, WE DID SPEND SOME SIGNIFICANT MONEY ON ADDRESSING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE COULD TACKLE ON LEWIS. WE DIDN'T GET THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION AGAIN.
DEFECTIVE CULVERTS THAT WE FOUND WHEN WE WERE THERE DOING ROAD WORK.
WE REPLACED SOME ROTTED-OUT TIN HORN CULVERTS WITH SOME CONCRETE CULVERTS THAT SHOULD
[03:00:02]
LAST A GOOD NUMBER OF YEARS.OKAY. JONES, OR YOU OR MR. BERRY.
OKAY, I DON'T, SO I DON'T REMEMBER THIS I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS BEFORE OR AFTER LAST MEETING. WE MET WITH AMAZON. WE KNOW THE SITUATION WITH THEM. THEIR PERSON'S SUPPOSED TO BE COMING OUT HERE AND CHECKING NOISE LEVELS ON ONE PARTICULAR ROUTE NEXT TIME HE'S IN THE AREA. SO WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR BACK ON THAT. WE FINALLY HAVE GOTTEN IN TOUCH WITH WALMART/WING.
WING IS GOOGLE'S DRONE SERVICE, BUT WALMART IS USING IT TO DELIVER IN THIS AREA. AND THE CURRENT BELIEF RIGHT NOW IS THAT, SO WE HAVE CONFIRMED THERE ARE NO DRONE DELIVERIES COMING OUT OF MURPHY OR LUCAS. OR PLANO, BUT IT APPEARS THAT SOME DRONE DELIVERIES ARE COMING OUT OF THE NORTH GARLAND WALMART INTO THE SOUTHERN PART OF PARKER, LIKE MIRA STATE LANE.
AND WE'RE RIGHT NOW IN THE MIDDLE OF TRYING TO SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH EITHER WING OR WALMART TO DISCUSS THEIR OPERATIONS.
WHAT? WHICH WALMART WAS DELIVERED? NORTH GARLAND.
AND THEN I'M BLANKING ON THE NAME RIGHT NOW. I HAD ANOTHER COMPANY CONTACT ME.
THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY DELIVERING IN PARKER, BUT THEY WANTED TO TALK TO ME. SO I'LL TALK TO THEM WHEN I HAVE A MOMENT. I'M HAPPY TO LOOK YOU 2 IN IF YOU WANT, BUT SINCE THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY DELIVERING HERE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S WORTH YOU ALL'S TIME TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
WING HAS A MAP. THEY HAVE A DECONFLICTION MAP, SO THEY KNOW, LIKE, THE CARRIERS KNOW EVERYBODY WHO'S FLYING. THE ONLY DRONE DELIVERY SERVICES THAT ARE IN THE CITY OF PARKER ARE WALMART/WING, AND AMAZON. NOBODY ELSE IS DOING DRONE DELIVERIES INTO PARKER.
AND I KNOW WE'VE GOT COMPLAINTS, PARTICULARLY IN BLUFFS, SO IT APPEARS THOSE DRONES THAT ARE BEING COMPLAINED ABOUT ARE EITHER AMAZONS OR THEY'RE NOT DELIVERY RELATED.
I HAVE A QUESTION, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HAD SAID THAT THE CITY OF LUCAS HAD NOT PERMITTED THEM TO DO THAT, BUT HOW DID YOU CONFIRM THAT WALMART ISN'T JUST DOING WHAT THEY WANT? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK KENT TALKED TO THE CITY OF LUCAS. CITY OF LUCAS TOLD HIM THAT THEY DENIED HIM.
WALMART HAS ALSO TOLD ME THAT LUCAS DENIED THEM ACCESS.
AND THEY DID USED TO DELIVER OUT OF MURPHY USING A DIFFERENT PROVIDER. I FORGOT WHO IT WAS, DRONE UP OR SOMEBODY, AND THAT FIELD BLEW UP AND THEY'RE CURRENTLY NOT DELIVERING OUT OF MURPHY. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE PERMISSION TO BRING UP SOMETHING ELSE, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY CURRENT PLANS AROUND THAT.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, WHEN WE MENTIONED THAT LUCAS DENIED THEM SERVICE, WHAT WE MEAN BY THAT IS THE CITY OF LUCAS DENIED THEM THE ABILITY TO USE THE WALMART AS A HUB, NOT TO FLY OVER THE CITY LIMITS. THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY ABLE TO REGULATE AT THIS TIME, THERE'S ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND INFORMATION NEEDED.
OKAY, SO ANYWAY, SO NEXT STEP IS WE'RE SETTING UP A CALL WITH WALMART, AND I WAS HOPING TO GET CITY ADMINISTRATOR AND THE MAYOR INVOLVED IN THAT CALL, JUST LIKE OUR CALL WITH AMAZON. AND THEN AFTER THAT, I THINK WE'LL DISCUSS OUR COMMUNICATION STRATEGY REGARDING THIS.
OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING DRONES? OKAY.
CATHERINE, ARE YOU DOING RESTORE THE GRASSLANDS UPDATE, OR BUDDY, OR KIM? I'LL GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE.
YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE APPLYING FOR A PLAT APPROVAL AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, WHICH OCCURRED IN ITS FIRST STEP PUBLICLY LAST WEEK AT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING ON MONDAY, WHICH SEVERAL OF US ATTENDED AND MADE PUBLIC COMMENTS. IT WAS POSTPONED, NOT LAST, WHEN I SAY LAST WEEK, I DON'T MEAN MONDAY OF THIS WEEK, I MEAN MONDAY A WEEK AGO. RTG, BEFORE THE MEETING, GAVE NOTICE THAT THEY WERE GOING TO PULL THE PLAT FROM CONSIDERATION AND RESUBMIT IT FOR THE 22ND, WHICH WILL BE THIS COMING MONDAY. AND THERE WILL BE A
[03:05:01]
NUMBER OF PEOPLE THERE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS AGAIN, WHICH I THINK YOU'VE EVEN GIVEN NOTICE THAT CITY COUNCIL WILL BE ATTENDING AND BE READY TO MAKE COMMENTS AS WELL. IT'S A MATERIALLY DIFFERENT PLAT THAN ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN SUBMITTED TO ANY OTHER BODIES, ANY OTHER ENTITIES FOR APPROVAL, WHICH CREATES SOME PROBLEMS FOR THEM. AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ISSUES WE THINK THAT ARE INCOMPLETE AND INACCURATE ON THE PLAT APPLICATION.OKAY, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? OKAY, THEN, AS YOU KNOW,
[13. ACCEPTANCE OF DONATION(S) FOR POLICE, FIRE, AND CITY STAFF FOR THE RECORD (Each valued at between $0 - $1,000 [RES. NO. 2024-801]) ]
THE MONTHLY REPORTS, THE LINKS TO THE MONTHLY REPORTS ARE RIGHT THERE. OKAY, NOW WE WILL GO TO DONATIONS, ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS FOR POLICE, FIRE, AND CITY STAFF, FOR THE RECORD. MARIA WILLEN, WILLEN DONATED SNACKS VALUED AT $65 TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND[EXECUTIVE SESSION (Part 2 of 2)]
NOW I'LL ASK COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY.NOT HEARING ANY, THEN WE WILL RECESS TO CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AUTHORITY CONTAINED IN TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551.071, CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY ON PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION, OR A SETTLEMENT OFFER OR, XCUSE ME, THE MEETING IS STILL GOING.
EXCUSE ME, THE MEETING IS STILL OCCURRING.
CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY ON A MATTER IN WHICH THE DUTY OF THE ATTORNEY OF THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY UNDER THE TEXAS RULE OF DISCIPLINARY RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT OF THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS CLEARLY CONFLICTS WITH THIS CHAPTER ON ANY OF THE ITEMS LISTED ELSEWHERE IN THIS AGENDA AND/OR SUBJECT MATTER LISTED BELOW. ONE, RESTORE THE GRASS LANDS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT, MUD. 2, SEWER TREATMENT PLANT. 3, PERSONNEL MANUAL. WE ARE NOW IN RECESS. IT'S 9:27 PM. OKAY.
ARE YOU BUSY? I'M RECONVENING THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PARKER CITY COUNCIL. IT IS STILL JUNE 16TH, 2026.
WE ARE RECONVENING AT 11:30 PM.
COUNSEL, IS THERE ANY APPROPRIATE DELIBERATION AND/OR ACTION ON ANY OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS LISTED ABOVE? NO, MADAM MAYOR.
OKAY. NOT HEARING ANY, THEN WE ARE ADJOURNED.
IT IS 11:31.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.