[I) Call Meeting to Order and Roll Call]
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THE TIME IS SATURDAY, AUGUST 3RD.
IT IS 9:00 AM AND I'D LIKE TO CALL THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO ORDER WITH THE CITY SECRETARY.
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL MITCHELL.
WE HAVE A QUORUM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HEISER SENT AN EMAIL TO THE CITY MANAGER AND I, UH, SAYING THAT HE HAD, UH, COVID, UH, TODAY.
AND SO HE WAS NOT GONNA BE IN ATTENDANCE, UH, PER THE POLICY.
I'D LIKE TO MOTION TO EXCUSE HIS ABSENCE.
MOTION BY MAYOR SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARSLEY.
IS THERE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
WHAT COULDN'T EVEN GET ON VIDEO.
[II) Citizen Comment Period with City Council]
UM, NEXT UP IS CITIZEN COMMENTS.AT THIS, AT THIS TIME, WE ASK ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISHES TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK ON ANY ITEM TO PLEASE DO SO.
WE ASK THAT YOU LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES AND YOU DIRECT THOSE COMMENTS TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
WE ALSO HAVE A PUBLIC FORUM, A PUBLIC, UH, HEARING.
UH, UH, AND SO THE PLAN WAS TO HAVE THE, UH, PRESENTER SPEAK ON THE BUDGET, UH, AND THEN WE WILL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC, UH, HEARING AS WELL.
SO YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO HEAR AND THEN SPEAK ALSO.
SO, I DO NOT HAVE ANY COMMENTS FORMS IN FRONT OF ME.
NOW, IS THERE ANYONE WHO WISHES TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK MR. CONNELL? FIRST TIME I'M TALKING WITH HIS EARPIECE IN.
MAYBE IT'LL HELP ME KEEP MY VOICE.
THANKS, UH, FOR HAVING THIS MEETING.
I WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE CREDIT CARD CHARGES, WHATEVER, MS. MYSELF AND MR. LANGLEY HAD A CONVERSATION OVER A YEAR AGO ABOUT THESE CHARGES I BROUGHT UP, AND I HEARD EVERY POSSIBLE REASON UNDER THE SUN WHY CERTAIN THINGS WEREN'T BEING, UH, SCRUTINIZED.
SO LET'S SAY, AND, UM, I COULDN'T ARGUE WITH HIM AFTER READING THE POLICY HERE, UH, THAT HE'S HANGING HIS HAT.
AND I UNDERSTAND HE'S HANGING HIS HAT ON THE FACT THAT EACH COUNCIL PERSON CARD CARRIER CARD USER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN CHARGES.
BUT THE ONE PART THAT'S MISSING IN EVERYTHING THAT I LOOK AT IS, IS THE CHARGE NECESSARY OR REQUIRED FOR DOING BUSINESS OF THE CITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CITY? THAT DOESN'T, THAT DOESN'T WASH FOR ALL THESE CHARGES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT THROUGH.
SO I THINK, THINK WHILE THE POLICY, UH, WHILE HE'S CORRECT IN ITS RESPON, IN ITS RESPONSIBILITY OF HIS CARDHOLDER TO MONITOR THEMSELVES BASED ON THEIR SENSE OF ETHICS, UM, HE HAS A GOOD ARGUMENT, BUT I ALSO HAVE A GOOD ARGUMENT WHAT IS NECESSARY AND REQUIRED TO DO THE BUSINESS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER AND KYLE, HOW NICE IT IS OUTSIDE.
THIS IS ABOUT DOING BUSINESS WHERE THE CITY BENEFITS FROM THAT BUSINESS MEETING.
OKAY? AND WE HAVE ABUSES HERE, AND LET ME JUST READ A COUPLE THINGS HERE.
UH, RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CITY COUNCIL UNDER THIS POLICY, EACH INDIVIDUAL OF THE IS A MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMIT TO FULLY ADHERING TO AND COMPLYING WITH REQUIREMENTS OF THIS POLICY AS ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
THAT PUTS ALL THE ONUS ON THE CARD CARRIER.
THE CARD USER PUTS ALL THE ONUS ON THEM.
I HAVE EXAMPLES HERE OF, UH, THAT NOT BEING DONE.
UM, WE HAVE A COUNCIL PERSON HERE THAT WENT TO WASHINGTON AND SOMEBODY HERE DID A, UM, IN DEPTH, UH, UH, THEY EVALUATED THROUGH THE RECEIPTS AND ITINERARY WHAT HAS HAPPENED.
NOW, THIS PARTICULAR COUNCIL PERSON, UH, THEY LEFT AUSTIN AIRPORT AT 5 45 ON MARCH 8TH, BUT THEY CHARGED LUNCH AT 3:20 PM A PERSONAL MEAL.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT THE STIPEND IS FOR, FOR THINGS THAT WHILE YOU'RE TRAVELING THAT AREN'T COVERED ON THE CREDIT CARD, THAT'S WHAT THE STIPEND IS SUPPOSED TO BE USED FOR.
BUT THAT WASN'T THE CASE HERE.
THIS PERSON ALSO TOOK A SIGHT SCENE TO HER, TO LAKE MEMORIAL, UM, AND YOU, AND YOU THANK YOU, MR. CONNELL.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP, YOU'LL GET ONE MORE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, WE, WE DON'T DO CLAPPING HERE.
WE WON'T DO IT IF WE'RE, THIS IS A PUBLIC
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HEARING.WE ARE GONNA FOLLOW RULES OF DECORUM.
ONE PERSON GETS TO THE FREEDOM TO SPEAK, NOT EVERYONE AT ONCE.
CAN WE GET A LEGAL, LEGAL OPINION ON THAT? YEAH, LET'S DO IT.
I DON'T WANNA VIOLATE ANYBODY'S, UH, FIRST AMENDMENT.
AS A GOVERNMENT, THE CITY HAS A RIGHT TO PLACE REASONABLE TIME, PLACE, AND MANNER RESTRICTIONS ON SPEAKING IN ORDER TO RUN A ORDERLY, EFFICIENT MEETING.
THESE ARE THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WE HAVE CHOSEN TO PLACE FOR THAT REASON.
I, I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATION AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, MR. GZA, BUT WHAT I'M ASKING YOU IS TO BE RESPECTFUL TO THIS.
WE WILL NOT HAVE CLAPPING, GESTURING, JEERING SIGNS, HANDHOLDING.
DO WE HAVE AN OFFICER HERE? THAT'S ALL I NEEDED.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, CANCELING THE CREDIT CARDS AND STIPEND.
IT'S TIME TO END THE MONEY PIPELINE OF THE CREDIT CARDS AND THE $500 STIPEND THAT HAVE BEEN SO HORRIBLY ABUSED.
THE CREDIT CARD USAGE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DRASTICALLY DROPPED ONCE A STIPEND WAS ADDED.
PLEASE GO BACK TO 2021, PRE 2021 AND USE YOUR OWN CREDIT CARDS.
SUBMITTING RECEIPTS FOR REIMBURSEMENTS OF ONLY ELIGIBLE EXPENSES.
I'VE HEARD MANY SILLY EXCUSES LIKE, UH, THE MAYOR SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO PULL OUT HIS CREDIT CARD TO PAY FOR COFFEE.
AND SO, SO HE COULD SAY TO A DEVELOPER THAT NEITHER HE OR THE DEVELOPER PAYING FOR THE COFFEE, WELL HAVE AN IDEA.
PAY UNDER YOUR OWN CREDIT CARD AND TELL THE DEVELOPER, THE CITY WILL REIMBURSE YOU.
THE CITY ALSO REIMBURSES MILEAGE.
SO THAT'S ALSO AN INVALID REASON FOR THE STIPEND.
AS FAR AS TRAVEL'S CONCERNED, IF ONE'S UNABLE TO AFFORD TO PUT THEIR TRAVEL ON THEIR PERSONAL CREDIT CARD, THERE'S A FORM THAT THEY CAN FILL OUT TO HAVE THEIR PER DIEM AND EXPENSES ADVANCED.
I THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS IN INGA FOR PROPOSING THAT THE CREDIT CARDS BE CANCELED IN AN EFFORT TO REIGN IN THE IRRESPONSIBLE AND EXCESSIVE SPENDING BY SOME MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
THE CASE TO CONTINUE TO ALLOW THE CREDIT CARDS IN THE 500 ALL MONTH STIPEND HAS NOT BEEN JUSTIFIED.
THEY BOTH NEED TO CEASE NOW ABOUT TRAVEL.
UH, LOOKING AT ARTICLE 13 OF THE PERSONNEL POLICY ADDRESSING TRAVEL, SAYS YOU'RE LIMITED TO $135 A NIGHT FOR YOUR LODGING EXPENSE.
RESIDENTS EXPECT THE OUTRAGEOUS OVERAGES TO BE REIMBURSED TO THE CITY OF KYLE.
HOST HOTEL STAYS AT $650 A NIGHT, AND WE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR ALL THE DAYS THAT DID NOT INVOLVE CITY BUSINESS.
ALSO, WE SHOULD GO BACK TO FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER FOR TAKING OVER $10,000 OF THE CITY'S MONEY.
THE CREDIT CARD POLICY STATES IS TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND POLICY COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS DIRECTION TO THE CITY MANAGER TO ENSURE CONSISTENT APPLICATION OF THIS POLICY.
THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOT BEEN THE CASE.
UM, THE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THE CA HEALTH INSURANCE FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THE SAME RATE OF FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF BREAKING THE EXCESSIVE SPENDING IN DIFFERENT AREAS.
YOU GUYS BEGAN WANTING THE AVAILABILITY OF HEALTH INSURANCE PAID OUT BY YOUR OWN PERSONAL MONEY, THEN IT WAS NOT ENOUGH.
YOU WANTED A BENEFIT THAT THE CITY'S PART-TIME EMPLOYEES DIDN'T RECEIVE BEFORE THEY, YOU HAD A $900 RAISE AND THEN CITY CREDIT CARDS, THEN $500 STIPEND ENOUGH.
AFTER READING YOUR ORDINANCES, THERE'S NO MENTION OF THE PETITION, WHICH ULTIMATE, AFTER READING THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU'RE GONNA VOTE ON TODAY, THERE'S NO MENTION OF THE PETITION WHICH ULTIMATELY PUSHED YOU TO THIS AGENDA ITEM.
PLEASE PLACE WORDING ON THIS ORDINANCE THAT REFERENCES THAT IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO SILENCE THE RESIDENTS AND TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR HARD WORK.
OKAY, MY TIME IS RUNNING OUT, SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE ON TUESDAY, BUT I WOULD, I'M GOING TO URGE ALL THE CITIZENS TO BE THERE ON TUESDAY TO, UH, VOICE THEIR OPINION ON THE SPORTSPLEX.
I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT, YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTS WANT THIS, BUT WE WERE ALSO TOLD THE RESIDENTS WERE FOR THE HEALTHCARE.
SO, PLEASE, PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU TO LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS AND TO REACH OUT TO THEM, WHICH RECENTLY HAPPENED WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS, RIZZO AND PARSLEY.
IS, UH, UH, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK? MS. CONICA? NEVER SEEN A THIRD GRADER.
I LIVE AT 87 EAGLE CREEK DRIVE.
UM, I'VE SPOKE TO MR. LANGLEY, THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT DISABLED RAMPS.
I AM ONE THAT WAS HIT, HAVE TO HAVE A DISABLED RAMP
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BECAUSE OF A MEDICAL ISSUE.I FEEL IT'S VERY UNFAIR TO CHARGE PERMITS FOR THESE DISABLED RAMPS.
FIRST OF ALL, MOST OF US THAT ARE GETTING THEM THAT ARE OLDER AND DISABLED ARE ON A FIXED INCOME, DOES NOT PROVIDE FOR EXTRA MONEY FOR DISABLED RAMPS.
MY DISABLED RAMP REQUIRED $125 PERMIT, HAD TO MOVE AN AIR CONDITIONER 'CAUSE IT WAS IN THE WAY FOR THE CODE OF THE RAMP, ANOTHER $125 PERMIT.
HAD TO MOVE AN ELECTRICAL BOX BECAUSE NOW THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS 26 FEET AWAY FROM THE ELECTRICAL BOX, WHICH COULD ONLY BE 24 FEET AWAY, ANOTHER $125.
AND I'LL GO, I WON'T GO ON, BUT I JUST FEEL THAT MAYBE THERE COULD BE A WAIVER OF SOME KIND, EVEN IF IT'S NOT FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING, ELECTRICITY, WHATEVER OF THE DISABLED RAMP.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING FOR YOU'ALL TO CONSIDER.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO COME FORWARD? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
UM, I WASN'T GONNA SPEAK TODAY, BUT UM, AFTER THE SITUATION THAT JUST HAPPENED, I KIND OF FEEL COMPELLED TO, TO COME UP AND AT LEAST SAY, UM, A FEW THANK YOUS.
I WANNA SAY I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT TO APPEAL THIS, UM, ORDINANCE.
UM, I WOULD STILL LIKE TO SEE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE PETITION BECAUSE A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT WOULD END INTO THAT.
UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY, UH, NO TO THE SPORTSPLEX UNTIL WE HAVE A REC CENTER.
UM, AND I ALSO WANNA ASK WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS CITY? WHAT IS GOING ON THAT WE ARE THREATENING TO REMOVE PEOPLE FOR CLAPPING? WHAT IS GOING ON THAT WE'RE THREATENING TO REMOVE PEOPLE DURING A BREAK? THERE WAS NO SESSION IN AND, AND YOU ALMOST FORGOT TO, TO RECONVENE.
WE'VE GOTTA GET OUR HEADS LEVEL.
AND THIS IS NOT ABOUT YVONNE AGAINST THE CITY OF KYLE.
I DON'T TELL OTHER PEOPLE WHAT TO DO.
WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET REGARDLESS OF WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER DANIELLA PARSLEY TELLS PEOPLE, I HAVE NO HATE IN MY HEART.
REGARDLESS OF WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER RIZZO TELLS EVERYBODY TO SEE A COUNCIL COME OUT AND ACTIVELY YOU, YOU CAN MAKE YOUR FACE ALL YOU WANT.
I, I TOOK IT FOR THREE YEARS AND THAT WAS TOUGH TO IGNORE.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU SIT UP THERE AND THINK CLAPPING IS AGAINST DEMOCRACY.
NOT LISTENING TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS IS EVEN MORE OF AN ISSUE.
I'M ASKING YOU GUYS TO PLEASE LISTEN.
AND I ASKED NICELY THE FIRST TIME, THE SECOND TIME, AND THE THIRD TIME, REGARDLESS OF WHAT TEXT I RECEIVE IN THE MORNING, THAT ASKS ME TO STEP DOWN AS AN ADMINISTRATOR OF A FACEBOOK PAGE, WHICH REALLY SHOULD HAVE NO RELEVANCE TO ANYBODY'S LIFE.
NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I'M THREATENED, I WILL NOT STEP DOWN.
JUST LISTEN, IS ALL THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
IF YOU DON'T WANNA REPEAL THIS ORDINANCE, THAT'S GREAT.
PUT IT ON THE, PUT IT ON THE BALLOT FOR PEOPLE TO DECIDE.
I NEVER WANTED YOU NOT TO HAVE IT.
I WANTED YOU TO FOLLOW THE CHARTER.
I WANTED YOU GUYS TO GIVE US THE RESIDENTS, OUR VOICES AND IF THAT IS AN ISSUE, IF, IF LAURA LEE HARRIS THINKS THAT WE'RE SCREAMING, CHICKEN LITTLE, ALL THAT STUFF, DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU VOTE FOR.
I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU GUYS TAKE SOME SERIOUS TIME AND NOT SEE ME AS JUST THE ENEMY.
BECAUSE TOGETHER, I FEEL LIKE WE COULD BUILD A GREAT COMMUNITY.
AND IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO DO THAT, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND.
I SEE THE LOOKS THAT I'M GETTING FROM EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, AND THAT DEFINES MY RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
IT SHOULD REALLY BE A TIME TO END IT.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO COME FORWARD? ALRIGHT, SEEING NONE, I'M GONNA CLOSE.
[1) Consider approval of an ordinance repealing Ordinance No. 1310, which amended the City's budget for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 to authorize the Mayor and City Council members to access the health insurance program on the same terms as full-time City employees and amended Ordinance No. 1043 related to City Council health insurance access. Public Hearing ]
CONSIDER IMPOSSIBLE ACTION.WE'LL JUST GO THROUGH IT FROM THE TOP.
CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE, REPEALING ORDINANCE 1310, WHICH AMENDED THE CITY'S BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 23 AND 24 TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ACCESS THE HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM ON THE SAME, UH, TERMS AND FULL TIMES AS FULL TIMES CITY EMPLOYEES.
AND AMENDED ORDINANCE NUMBER 10 43 RELATED TO CITY COUNCIL HEALTH INSURANCE.
THIS ITEM HAS A PUBLIC HEARING.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
AMY ALCORN REED CITY ATTORNEY FOR THE RECORD, THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS
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AN ORDINANCE TO REPEAL ORDINANCE 1310.APPARENTLY THIS CLICKER'S NOT WORKING TODAY.
SORRY, HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THE CLICKER TO WORK.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF GONNA SPEAK TO THIS.
UM, ON APRIL 2ND, 2024, THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED ORDINANCE NUMBER 1310, WHICH, CAN PEOPLE HEAR ME NOW? IS THAT BETTER? THAT BETTER IS THAT IT'S ON, IS THAT BETTER? YES.
ON APRIL 2ND, 2024, THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED ORDINANCE NUMBER 1310, WHICH, UH, AUTHORIZED THE CITY COUNCIL TO RECEIVE HEALTH INSURANCE ON THE SAME TERMS AS FULL-TIME CITY EMPLOYEES.
SINCE THAT TIME, THE CITY HAS RECEIVED A PETITION FROM THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF KYLE.
THE CITY HAS PRELIMINARILY WORKED TO VALIDATE THAT PETITION.
WE WERE ABLE TO VALIDATE APPROXIMATELY 957 SIGNATURES.
THAT IS A LITTLE BIT SHORT OF THE NUMBER THAT THEY WOULD NEED.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET THAT NUMBER GIVEN THE ADDITIONAL 14 DAYS UNDER THE CHARTER.
IT JUST MEANS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT NOW.
WE DO EXPECT THAT IF THIS ORDINANCE PASSES, THAT WOULD MOOT THE PETITION AS THERE WOULD NOT BE AN ORDINANCE LEFT TO REPEAL, IT WOULD ALREADY HAVE BEEN REPEALED.
SO WE, SO WE DON'T THINK THAT WE WILL NEED TO GO BACK AND GET ADDITIONAL SIGNATURES BECAUSE WE THINK THAT THIS ACTION WILL, WILL TAKE, WILL MOOT.
THE OR, UH, THE PETITION AT THE SPECIAL MEETING ON JULY 27TH, CITY COUNCIL ASKED US TO COME BACK WITH AN ORDINANCE REPEALING ORDINANCE NUMBER 1310.
THIS ORDINANCE BASICALLY PUTS EVERYTHING BACK WHERE IT WAS BEFORE AUGUST SEC OR BEFORE APRIL 2ND, 2024.
SO YOU WOULD STILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE HEALTH INSURANCE IF YOU PAID THE PREMIUM OUT OF YOUR SALARY.
THE OPTIONS ARE TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCES DRAFTED, TO DENY THE ORDINANCE AND MAINTAIN THE CURRENT BUDGET AND THE CURRENT ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE.
AND I STAND BY FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSED ACTION? UH, THERE'S A PUBLIC HEARING, SO I'M GONNA LET, UH, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS, I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW.
SO THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN.
THE ITEM THAT'S BEING DISCUSSED IS THE CONSIDERATION TO REPEAL THE ORDINANCE.
DOES ANYBODY WANT TO COME AND SPEAK? THANK YOU.
MY NAME'S YVONNE FLORES KALE, FOR THE RECORD.
UM, I'M JUST GENUINELY CURIOUS AS TO THE LEGALITY OF IT, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE CITY CHARTER AND WHAT IT STATES.
UM, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER TOBIN TOBIAS HAS ASKED TWICE, HOW DID YOU GO AROUND THE CHARTER? UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS YET TO ANSWER THAT.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO, TO TO GET A LEGAL OPINION ON WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY CHARTER, THE COMPENSATION, UH, SECTION 6.09, WHETHER THAT WAS, UH, VIOLATED AT ALL.
UM, I DO FIND IT REALLY, UM, SUSPICIOUS THAT YOU GUYS VOTED JUST FOUR WEEKS AGO TO KEEP IT.
SO WHAT, WHAT ABOUT THIS HAS CHANGED? UM, AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT GONNA PASS UNANIMOUSLY THE FIRST TIME 'CAUSE YOU'RE MISSING A COUNCIL MEMBER, SO THIS WILL HAVE TO COME BACK.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY.
I WOULD LIKE TO, TO FOR HER TO STAND ON HER WORDS.
WE'VE BEEN TOLD TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THIS WAS LEGAL AND THE ATTORNEY SAID IT WAS OKAY.
AND THEREFORE I WOULD LIKE TO PUT THAT ON RECORD.
UM, I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING, BUT I KNOW SOMETHING.
UM, MY INTERPRETATION OF THE, UH, OF THE RULES OF THE CITY IS, IS THAT EVERYTHING BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY MUST GO THROUGH THAT GENTLEMAN RIGHT THERE.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THIS IDEA ABOUT THIS HEALTHCARE CAME FROM.
IT SEEMED TO COME OUT OF NOWHERE.
IT DIDN'T COME OUT OF THE COUNCIL.
IT CAME, IT HAD TO ONLY COME THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER THAT IS, UH, VERY, UH, CURIOUS THAT THAT WOULD JUST OUT OUT OF THE BLUE DID.
BRIAN LANG WOULD COME UP HERE AND SAY, HEY, I GOT A GREAT IDEA.
WHY DON'T WE DO THIS OR THAT? THAT'S WHAT IT APPEARS TO BE.
I WANNA I WANT YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING.
YOUR ALL REALITIES IS OUR WORLD.
OKAY? IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT YOURSELF, IT'S IMPORTANT.
IT'S WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT YOU.
AND WE HAVE A VERY BAD LOOK HERE.
IS THIS GONNA BE A TREND WHERE IF YOU WANT TO GO AROUND THE CHARTER, IT'S TO GO THROUGH MR. LANGLEY'S MOUTH, BRING SOMETHING TO THE, TO THE COUNCIL HERE, AND JUST SAY, HEY, IT CAME FROM THE CITY AND WE'RE APPROVING IT.
THAT'S WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE TO ME.
I'D REALLY LOVE TO HEAR THE BACKSTORY ON THIS, WHERE IT CAME FROM.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES
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TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK? MS. MADAM? DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL TUESDAY.I WANTED TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS INGO, FOR ASKING FOR NON-BINDING PROPOSITION TO ACCEPT OR REJECT THE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
THE RESULTS OF THE VOTE WOULD NOT HAVE REQUIRED YOU TO TAKE ANY ACTION.
IN FACT, THE CITY ATTORNEY SAID THE RESULTS OF THE VOTE WOULD HAVE TO REMAIN PRIVATE.
THE VOTE WAS SIMPLY TO LET THE COUNCIL KNOW CONFIDENTIALLY HOW THE RESIDENTS FELT ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL VOTED AGAINST IT.
THEY KNEW IT WOULD BE ON THE BALLOT DURING A HIGH TURNOUT VOTE, WHICH WAS THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR.
A REFERENDUM PETITION WAS NOT CONSIDERED LIKELY BY THE COUNCIL TO GARNER VERY MANY SIGNATURES.
SO THE COUNCIL WASN'T WORRIED ABOUT IT.
ONCE THE SIGNATURES WERE TURNED IN WITHIN HOURS, THE MAYOR SAID AT A PUBLIC MEETING, HE WANTED TO REPEAL THE ORDINANCE, ALLOWING THE TAXPAYER FUNDED INSURANCE.
THE TIMING OF THAT DECISION IS VERY TELLING.
UH, THE CITY DID NOT, THE COUNCIL DID NOT WANT TO KNOW HOW THE CITY FELT UNTIL THEY SAW THE RESIDENTS HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THIS UNETHICAL DECISION AND THEN QUICKLY CHANGE YOUR TUNE AF AGAIN AFTER READING THE ORDINANCE ABOUT THE INSURANCE.
I NOTICED THERE WAS NO MENTION ON THE PETITION OF THE PETITION, WHICH ULTIMATELY PUSHED THE AGENDA ITEM.
UH, AND THAT WAS NEVER MENTIONED AT THE PRIOR PUBLIC MEETING OF THE, THE REASON WHY THE TURNAROUND, UH, ABOUT THE PETITION BEING INVOLVED.
PLEASE PLACE WORDING IN THIS ORDINANCE THAT REFERENCES IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO SILENCE THE RESIDENTS AND TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR HARD WORK.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT.
SEEING NONE, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, THERE, THERE WERE A COUPLE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED THAT I'D LIKE TO TAKE A GANDER AT ANSWERING.
DO YOU WANT TO ANSWER THE LEGALITY QUESTION THAT WAS POSED TO YOU? I KNOW, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SPOKEN ON IT, WRITTEN ON IT SEVERAL TIMES, BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO AGAIN, I'VE SPOKEN ON IT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I CANNOT SPEAK ON IT IN PUBLIC WITHOUT THE CITY COUNCIL WAIVING THEIR ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE.
I MEAN, DO YOU GUYS WANNA WAIVE, WANNA TAKE A VOTE TO WA THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE? WE CAN DO THAT.
I, I, JUST BECAUSE OF MY ETHICAL REQUIREMENTS AS AN ATTORNEY, I CAN'T SPEAK TO IT WITHOUT FOUR OF YOU VOTING THAT YOU WANT ME TO.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, DIRECT THE CITY ATTORNEY TO WAIVE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE WITH REGARDS TO THE HEALTH INSURANCE QUESTION THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED.
SECOND, OR A MOTION BY MAYOR SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEMS. THERE, DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION.
ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES SIX TO ZERO.
UM, I DID PROVIDE AN OPINION IN EXECUTIVE SESSION PRIOR TO THE VOTE ON THE ATTORNEY, ON THE HEALTH INSURANCE.
UH, MY OPINION WAS THAT THE CHARTER DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY PROHIBIT THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM RECEIVING HEALTH INSURANCE.
IT WAS BASED ON A CASE THAT ACTUALLY CAME OUT OF MY PREVIOUS CITY ON A SIMILAR CHARTER PROVISION, WHICH DETERMINED THAT IT DID NOT PROHIBIT ADDITIONAL BENEFITS SUCH AS HEALTH INSURANCE.
SO THAT WAS THE OPINION THAT WAS GIVEN.
SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE BACKSTORY IS THAT YOU, WE, WE PURSUED AND LOOKED AT HEALTH INSURANCE SEVERAL TIMES THROUGH THE YEARS.
I'VE ALWAYS, UH, FELT THAT IT WAS A, A GOOD THING FOR COUNCIL TO HAVE.
UH, BUT THE, THE THING THAT CHANGED THIS YEAR IS WE WERE TOLD THAT IT, UH, THAT IT DIDN'T VIOLATE THE CHARTER AND THAT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE IT WASN'T CONSIDERED COMPENSATION.
SO, ON THE, ON THE PETITION, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU MIGHT WANNA ASK LIKE, WHERE DID THE, WHERE DID THE, UH, ABILITY TO PUT A NON-BINDING VOTER REFER PETITION TO THE VOTERS? WHERE DID THAT COME FROM IN THE CITY OF KYLE? 'CAUSE IT WASN'T EVEN ALLOWED.
THE BACKSTORY OF HOW THAT CAME TO BE WAS IN 2019 WITH REGARDS TO THE RENAMING OF REBEL ROAD.
UH, I FELT THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO POTENTIALLY HAD VOICES LOUDER THAN THE MAJORITY, AND THAT THE MINORITY WERE PUTTING, UH, UH, WERE MAKING THE MAJORITY AFRAID, UH, TO DO WHAT WAS RIGHT.
SO WE COULD NOT PUT THE QUESTION TO THE VOTERS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO RENAME REBEL ROAD AWAY FROM BEING REBEL ROAD? BECAUSE THERE WAS NO, NO NON BITING VOTER REFERENDUM, NO OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GO OUT AND POLL THE PUBLIC ON A, ON A MATTER.
AND I WAS TOLD AT THE TIME, DON'T, DON'T GO AND CREATE A NON-BINDING VOTER REFERENDUM BECAUSE IT WILL CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PETITIONS EXACTLY LIKE THE ONE THAT WE HAD.
UH, AND I CHOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT AT THAT TIME, BELIEVING THAT THE ABILITY TO PETITION ON CERTAIN ISSUES, TO PETITION THE VOTERS, UH, IS IMPORTANT.
UH, I DO TAKE THE PETITION RECALL VERY SERIOUSLY.
WE WERE TOLD INITIALLY THAT THE PETITION RECALL WAS TO BE THROWN OUT, UH, BECAUSE IT, UH, REQUIRES A, A BUDGET AMENDMENT, WHICH IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED.
UM, I DID NOT FEEL THAT THAT WAS AN APPROPRIATE TO TRY TO SQUASH, UH, THE FOLKS WHO WANTED TO GO OUT AND, AND
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EXERCISE THEIR VOICE.AND SO WE WAITED, WE ALLOWED, YOU ARE CORRECT, A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D GET 950 SIGNATURES.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY AN IMPRESSIVE FEAT.
UH, THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT MADE BEFORE TO GATHER SIGNATURES.
UH, AND SO I, I WATCHED AS THAT WENT, WENT DOWN FRAUDULENTLY.
AND I DIDN'T THINK THAT THIS GROUP WOULD BE ORGANIZED.
I SAID AT THAT TIME IN THE PAST THAT IF THEY GOT THE SIGNATURES, UH, THAT THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING, THAT I WOULD STEP DOWN.
'CAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT I REPRESENT THE PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT ME.
THIS SITUATION WITH 950 SIGNATURES WAS SERIOUS.
YOU GOT THIS, YOU GOT THE SUPPORT THAT YOU NEEDED.
YOU RIGHTLY EXPOSED A DECISION THAT WE MADE THAT WE HAVE A HARD TIME STANDING ON BECAUSE WE DIDN'T FOLLOW THE PROCESS THAT WE SAID WE SHOULD HAVE, UH, THAT WE SET OUT TO FOLLOW.
I ALSO, LIKE I SAID, LAST SATURDAY, THE CHARTER REVIEW, UH, THE CHA THE COUNCIL COMPENSATION COMMITTEE, EVERY THREE YEARS, THAT PROCESS, I ALSO WORKED VERY HARD TO OUTLINE THAT PROCESS.
AND I APOLOGIZE AT THE LAST MEETING, AND I'LL APOLOGIZE AGAIN.
NOW, I, WE, THE SPIRIT OR THE LETTER OF THE LAW COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BROKEN BECAUSE WE HAD ATTORNEYS TELLING US THAT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD.
BUT THAT'S, YOU DON'T ELECT US TO DO WHAT ATTORNEYS TELL US WE CAN DO.
YOU ELECT US TO REPRESENT YOU.
AND WE HAVE BEEN RIGHTLY, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, CLIPPED.
AND SO I, NO, I, I DON'T THINK THAT WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE IS WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE AND IT IS NOT HAPPENING JUST BECAUSE WE WANT IT TO HAPPEN.
AND I'M NOT GIVING UP HEALTH INSURANCE THAT I FOUGHT FOR FOR A LONG TIME, JUST 'CAUSE I WANT TO GIVE IT UP.
UH, AND IT'S ALSO NOT BECAUSE I WANNA GET REELECTED.
IT'S BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
AND I THINK THAT REGARDLESS OF THE MOTIVES OF SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO STARTED THE PETITION AND HOW I PERCEIVE THOSE MOTIVES, A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH GOOD MOTIVES SIGNED THAT PETITION.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM US, BUT IT IS THE TRUTH.
EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED IS THE TRUTH.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE VERY RIGHT TO CALL IT OUT.
AND I, I, I'M TRYING TO, I'M TRYING TO MOVE THIS COUNCIL FORWARD.
I'M TRYING TO HELP US LEARN A LESSON.
UH, I'M ACKNOWLEDGING MY MISTAKES AND I'M TRYING TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
SO, DOES ANYBODY WANNA SPEAK COUNCILOR ZUNIGA? I'M GONNA HAVE TO SAY A FEW THINGS.
YEAH, BUT WE'VE SEEN THIS STORY BEFORE, MAYOR.
I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE THE PRESSURE WAS THERE, THE PETITIONS WERE SIGNED.
THESE PEOPLE REALLY WENT THROUGH A LOT OF WORK AND EFFORT TO SHOW UP TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PUT PRESSURE ON THIS AND, UH, RAISE THE INTENSITY.
I ALSO BROUGHT TWO AGENDA ITEMS UP, KIND OF TRYING TO SPEAK ON THAT, THAT THE COMMUNITY DID NOT WANT TO PAY FOR OUR HEALTH INSURANCE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU DID THE WHOLE RULE OF COUNCIL GAME, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE PETITION, THEY GOT ENOUGH SIGNATURES.
SO WHAT IS IT THAT IS CHANGING IS THE TIMING.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE TIMING AND SEEMS TO BE BENEFICIAL TO SOMETHING IMPORTANT COMING UP.
BUT I WANNA ASK THIS AS WELL, EVEN IF IT'S RESCINDED NOW, WHAT ARE THE SAFEGUARDS THAT NEXT YEAR, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TUESDAY, UM, THAT THE HEALTH INSURANCE WILL NOT COME BACK? BECAUSE THERE'S WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S GONNA PREVENT COUNSEL FROM MAKING SOME KIND OF RASH DECISION, UM, THAT THE COMMUNITY DID NOT WANT TO, UH, FOR HEALTH INSURANCE AGAIN.
I MEAN, SO HOW THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S A YOU POSED TO ME.
DO YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER YOU? YOU, YOU, YOU ADDRESSED ME.
DO YOU WANT ME TO RESPOND TO THAT? AND, AND YEAH.
OR WOULD YOU RATHER OTHERS? AND I WANNA KEEP IT RESPECTFUL IF WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE MAKING COMMENTS BACK, BACK AND FORTH TO EACH OTHER, SO, OKAY.
SO THE, THE, THE FIRST THING I'LL SAY IS I'M TRYING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RESULTS OF A PETITION THAT IS PUT IN CREDIBLE PRESSURE ON THE COUNCIL TO MAKE A DECISION.
IF MR. CONNELL ASKS THE QUESTION, HOW DO WE HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE? WHO IS IT? IS IT THE CITY MANAGER? IS IT SOMEONE ELSE? WHO IS IT THAT HOLDS THE, THE ELECTED ACCOUNTABLE? IT'S RIGHT THERE ON THE BUDGET.
SO THE PROCESS YOU'RE ENGAGED IN RIGHT NOW IS THE FORM OF HOLDING COUNCIL ACCOUNTABLE.
AND IF THEY TAKE AN ACTION THAT YOU DEEM IS INAPPROPRIATE, YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPRESS YOURSELF IN MANY DIFFERENT FORMS IN THIS CITY.
SO, UH, THE, ALSO, THE COUNCIL HAS A RIGHT TO VOTE.
I'VE SERVED WITH 18 COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO EVERY YEAR THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE ITS DECISIONS AND THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND.
AND THAT'S THE WAY DEMOCRACY IS.
I WOULD THINK THAT MAYBE WE WOULD, UH, UH, TAKE ANOTHER, TAKE A BEAT BEFORE WE DID THIS AGAIN, RIGHT.
COUNCIL MEMBER PARSLEY, DID YOU HAVE THE HAND UP? I, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE IT EITHER WAY.
COUNCIL HAD HIS HAND UP FIRST EARLIER.
IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN PUT A PROVISION IN THE ORDINANCE THAT IF THE INSURANCE TOPIC WERE TO BE BROUGHT UP AGAIN, IT WILL BE UP TO
[00:30:01]
THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION ONLY TO THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE WHEN THEY MEET EVERY THREE YEARS.SO YES, YOU CAN AMEND THE ORDINANCE TO ADD THAT SORT OF LANGUAGE.
I WILL NOTE, I BELIEVE WE'RE HAVING A COMPENSATION COMMITTEE NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT'S, SO LET'S SAY THE MOST LIKELY SITUATION FOR COUNCIL COMPENSATION COMING BACK TO THE AGENDA AT THIS POINT.
SO WHAT I WOULD THINK IS, LIKE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE MEETS NEXT YEAR, IF THEY DECIDE WHENEVER, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE IS AT THAT POINT DECIDES NO, WE ARE NOT INCLUDING INSURANCE AS PART OF THE COMPENSATION THAT CANNOT BE BROUGHT BACK UNTIL THE NEXT COMPENSATION COMMITTEE COMES BACK THREE YEARS AFTER THAT.
SO IT WILL NEVER BE UP TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY GET INSURANCE OR NOT.
IT WILL ALWAYS BE TO THE COMPENSATION THAT CLARIFIES IT.
WE CAN ADD A PROVISION TO THE, UM, TO THE ORDINANCE THAT SAYS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOT CONSIDER HEALTH INSURANCE FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, EXCEPT IN THE CONJUNCTION WITH A COUNCIL COMPENSATION COMMITTEE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SUMMARY OF THE, UM, THE ACTION ITSELF, IT STATES THAT THE EFFECT OF THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS TO REINSTATE THE STATUS QUO UNDER THE PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF ORDINANCE 10 43.
SO WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED HERE, UPON PASSAGE OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, THE MAYOR AND MAYOR OF CITY COUNCIL WILL NO LONGER BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS ON THE SAME TERMS AS FULL TIME CITY EMPLOYEES.
IT ALSO STATES THE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL MAY STILL RECEIVE HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS IN ACCORDANCE TO ORDINANCE 10 43.
AS LONG AS THE TOTAL COST OF THESE PREMIUMS IS DEDUCTED FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S SALARY.
THAT'S THE SAME POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE IN THE SAME SITUATION, MR. ZUNIGA.
IF WE SAY NO TO THIS SAYING YOU GUYS ARE NOT GETTING IT.
HOWEVER, IF WE SAY YES OR, OR WHATEVER THE CASE IS TO REPEAL, THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS STILL CAN RECEIVE THESE, BUT IT'LL COME OUTTA YOUR STIPEND.
SO WE'RE IN THE SAME SITUATION AGAIN, WHY, LIKE WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER PARSLEY SAID, WE GOT A COMPENSATION COMMITTEE THAT'S COMING UP THAT WE GOTTA APPOINT.
AND THIS CONVERSATION IS GONNA START AGAIN ABOUT THE INSURANCE, ABOUT THE, THE STIPEND AND WHAT'S QUALIFIED.
SO WE'RE STILL NOT OUT OF THE THE WOODS YET ON THIS.
SO THAT'S WHAT THIS ACTUALLY, THIS VOTE WOULD'VE BEEN, IS TO TAKE AWAY, SAYING THAT YOU GUYS ARE NOT GOING TO GET THE INSURANCE COVERED BY THE CITY ON THIS BUCKET.
BUT WE, YOU GUYS ARE STILL QUALIFIED TO GET IT OUT OF THIS BUCKET TAXPAYER DOLLARS, BUT IT'S COMING OUTTA YOUR STIPEND.
SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS REALLY SAYING.
AND YOU GUYS ALREADY KNOW WHAT MY, MY, UH, A THING ABOUT THE ACCOUNTABILITY 'CAUSE I'M OKAY WITH MY ACCOUNTABILITY.
I, I WAS SAYING THAT IT NEEDED TO BEEN DONE FROM THE BEGINNING.
OKAY? SO THAT'S WHERE I STOOD.
AND ON THE MOTION OVER HERE ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO SPEAK YOUR MIND AND SELF.
I KNOW HOW YOU GUYS FEEL BECAUSE TWICE I'VE TRIED TO BRING THIS TO THE BEGINNING OF THE AGENDA ORDER, AND I THINK SOMEBODY HAD MENTIONED THAT.
AND TWICE I GOT SHOT DOWN BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF MY PEERS.
SO I KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BE SILENCED.
TRUST ME, I KNOW HOW THAT FEELS TO BE SILENCED BECAUSE I FEEL THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE PUT ON AN AGENDA ITEM, WHETHER IT'S ALL THESE CONTROVERSIAL ITEMS THAT THESE GUYS BRING, IT'S STILL CITY BUSINESS NO MATTER WHERE YOU PUT IT, NUMBER FIVE OR NUMBER 25, IT'S STILL CITY BUSINESS MAYOR.
SO I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
SO IF MS. PARSLEY WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION OR SAY, OKAY, GOING FORWARD WITH THIS VOTE, THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL WILL NO LONGER BE ELIGIBLE.
HOWEVER, ALSO DIS DISREGARD THIS LAST SENTENCE OF THAT.
WE WILL STILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE HEALTH INSURANCE.
LET THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE DECIDE THAT, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE THE VOTE ON THAT GOING FORWARD TO SEE IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S GOOD OR ENOUGH.
IT'S STILL COMING OUT A TAXPAYER DOLLAR.
IT'S JUST ONE BUCKET TO ANOTHER.
MAYOR, JUST, JUST FOR THE RECORD COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT WAS THE, THE WAY THAT EVERYTHING WAS SET UP BEFORE WE PASSED 1310.
SO UNDER ORDINANCE 10 43, WHICH WAS WHAT SET
[00:35:01]
THE COUNCIL COMPENSATION PREVIOUSLY, THEY WERE, COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE HEALTH INSURANCE, BUT IT CAME OUT OF THEIR SALARY OR STIPEND.AND I BELIEVE IF FOR WHATEVER REASON THE SALARY AND STIPEND WERE NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO COVER THE FULL COST OF THE PREMIUM, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD HAVE TO WRITE A CHECK FOR THE REMAINDER.
YEAH, THEY NEED TO GET A JOB COUNCIL MEMBER ILLA.
SO YOU JUST WANNA DO AWAY WITH THE INSURANCE COMPLETELY.
I'M JUST ASKING THE QUESTION, SIR.
YES, JUST DO AWAY WITH IT ALL.
JUST, JUST SHOULDN'T BE BROUGHT FORWARD.
SO THEY CAN'T EVEN PAY FOR IT OUT OF POCKET.
WE'RE ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE COME AND GO.
THESE PEOPLE ARE STAYING THERE SINCE THEY'RE, THEY ARE EMPLOYEES.
NO, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK THAT SAME QUESTION BECAUSE I KNOW BEFORE THEY COULD HAVE, I MEAN, IF THEY WANTED THE INSURANCE, THEY HAD TO PAY FOR IT OUT OF POCKET.
I MEAN, IF THEY GET PAID $1,500 A MONTH, THEN THEY COULD USE THAT FOR THE INSURANCE.
SO I WOULD GETTING RID OF THE WHOLE, LIKE THEY CANNOT GET IT THROUGH THE CITY OF CA.
THE ORDINANCE AS PROPOSED WOULD ALLOW IT TO GO BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS BEFORE WHERE COUNCIL MEMBERS COULD RECEIVE HEALTH INSURANCE IF THEY PAID FOR THE PREMIUM OUT OF POCKET.
WHAT I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER TOBIAS IS SUGGESTING IS THAT PERHAPS WE AMEND WHAT I'VE PROPOSED AND PROHIBIT CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FROM ACCESSING INSURANCE ALTOGETHER WITH THE CITY OF KYLE THROUGH THE CITY OF KYLE.
SO YOU'LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH YOUR PERSONAL EMPLOYER PERIOD.
LIKE OKAY, THERE'S PERSONAL INSURANCE COMPANIES OUT THERE THAT CAN BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THAT.
THEY, THEY HAVE THAT AUTO INSURANCE, LIFE INSURANCE AND MEDICAL.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THAT? YES.
I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION TO BASICALLY REPEAL THE HEALTH INSURANCE IN FULL TO WHERE IT SAYS THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY NO LONGER BE ELIGIBLE FOR HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS, THE SAME TERMS AS FULL-TIME CITY BENEFITS AND TO, AND WE WILL BE ADDING TO NOT ALLOW TO AND, AND TO NOT BE OUTED ALLOWED, ELIGIBLE.
SO I, I BELIEVE WHAT YOU WANNA DO, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBIAS, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS AMEND THIS ORDINANCE TO REPEAL ORDINANCE 1310, WHICH AUTHORIZES MM-HMM
WILL HE NEED TO RESTATE THE MOTION? NO, I'M JUST TRYING TO RESTATE IT FOR HIM.
ALL THAT'S, I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S ILLEGAL, THAT'S WHY.
MOTION, UH, BY COUNCIL MEMBER TOBY IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARSLEY, THAT WE REPEAL THE HEALTH INSURANCE AND AMEND THE ORIGINAL, UM, UM, ORDINANCE, WHICH WE WILL HAVE TO COME BACK.
UH, ALL OF IT'S COMING BACK ON TUESDAY, WHICHEVER WAY WE VOTE.
ALRIGHT, UH, UH, IS THERE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? AND FOR MYSELF, I'M, I'M, I WANT TO MAKE VERY CLEAR WHAT MY MOTION IS.
MY VOTE IS ON THE REPEAL VERSUS NOW GOING BACK AND DISREGARDING THE ACTIONS THAT WE PROPERLY TOOK BEFORE.
SO I'M, I'M NOT GONNA, I, I CAN'T VOTE TO, UH, UH, ON THE SECOND PART OF THAT MOTION, BUT I CAN'T, I ALSO CAN'T VOTE AGAINST THE REPEAL ORDINANCE.
SO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THEM SEPARATELY.
THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT, IS TO VOTE ON THEM SEPARATELY.
WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE ALTOGETHER.
MR. MAYOR, WHAT WHAT'LL HAPPEN, MAYOR, IS IF THIS VOTE FAILS, THEN WE COULD HAVE A A SECOND MOTION TO JUST GO BACK TO REPEALING.
[2) Consider approval of an ordinance amending the Policy for Members of City Council Regarding City Business Expenses Charged on City Credit Card and Request for Reimbursement of City Business Expenses, which was adopted by Ordinance No. 1231.]
NEXT UP IS AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE POLICY, UH, FOR MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL REGARDING CITY BUSINESS EXPENSES CHARGED ON CITY CREDIT CARD AND REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF CITY BUSINESS EXPENSES, WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY ORDINANCE 1231.TRUE LOVE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
UM, SO THE ITEM WE HAVE TODAY, UM, IS TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED ORDINANCE, UH, 1231 THAT WAS ADOPTED ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2022.
UM, THESE CHANGES WERE REQUESTED AT THE JULY 28TH WORK SESSION OF, UH, THE CURRENT COUNCIL.
THE PROPOSED CHANGES INCLUDE, UM, ALLOWANCE OF THE US GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, GOVERNED PER DIEM FOOD ALLOWANCE FOR TRAVEL, UH, CHANGING THE DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS FOR RECEIPTS AND OTHER GENERAL CLEANUP, INCLUDING AN ALLOWABLE TRAVEL EXPENSE
[00:40:01]
SECTION TO DEFINE, UH, ALLOWABLE LODGING EXPENSES, MEALS, ALLOWANCES, TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING RELATED TO OUT OF TOWN TRAVEL.SO FOR THE PER DIEM, UM, THE US GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ESTABLISHES THE RATES THAT FEDERAL AGENCIES USE TO REIMBURSE THEIR EMPLOYEES FOR MEALS, UH, THAT ARE INCURRED WHILE ON OFFICIAL TRAVEL WITHIN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES.
UH, THE RATE WILL BE THE MEAL AND INCIDENTAL EXPENSES, UM, THE MANDY, UH, PER DIEM AMOUNT UNDER THE HIGH LOW SUBSTANTIATION METHOD FOR THE OFFICIAL TRAVEL LOCATION.
LET'S LOOK AT WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANS.
THIS IS PULLED STRAIGHT FROM THE GSA WEBSITE.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THEIR PER DIEM RATES AND YOU SAY WHERE YOU'RE GOING, EITHER THE STATE OR THE CITY, THEN IT WILL TELL YOU WHAT THE PER DIEM AMOUNT SHOULD BE FOR THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION.
UM, THERE'S ALWAYS A STANDARD RATE, WHICH APPLIES TO ALL LOCATIONS WITHOUT SPECIFIED RATES.
I PULLED TEXAS BECAUSE I FELT LIKE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD UNDERSTAND.
UM, AND YOU'LL SEE THERE'S THAT FIRST, UH, COLUMN IS THE MANDY TOTAL.
UM, AND THEN IT BREAKS DOWN HOW MUCH FOR A BREAKFAST, HOW MUCH FOR A LUNCH, HOW MUCH FOR DINNER, AND HOW MUCH FOR AN INCIDENTAL EXPENSE.
UM, SO THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IF YOU WERE TO TRAVEL, LET'S SAY TO DALLAS, THEN YOUR PER DIEM AMOUNT WOULD BE FOR THE ENTIRE DAY OF TRAVEL, ASSUMING ALL MEALS, UH, WOULD BE $69.
THE OTHER REQUEST, UH, THAT HAS BEEN, UH, THE, ONE OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT HAS BEEN REQUESTED IS THAT WE, UM, LOOK AT REQUIRING ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION ON RECEIPTS.
SO THIS IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE EXISTING POLICY.
THE ADDITION IS, UH, THE, THE WORDING IN YELLOW.
UH, SO THE, THE ORDINANCE WOULD STATE, OR THE, THE TRAVEL POLICY CREDIT CARD POLICY WOULD STATE THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPILE AND ATTACH ALL ACTUAL ITEMIZED RECEIPTS SUPPORTING EACH EXPENSE TRANSACTION REPORTED ON THE MONTHLY STATEMENT FOR THE CITY CREDIT CARD.
THE FOLLOWING NOTATION, AGAIN, THIS IS THE NEW LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE ADDING IN YELLOW.
THE FOLLOWING NOTATION SHALL BE INCLUDED ON EACH RECEIPT.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBER'S NAME AND BUSINESS JUSTIFICATION OF EXPENSE.
WE'RE ALSO ASKED TO ADD A SECTION TO SPEAK TO, UH, HOTEL RATES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AS WE WERE REVIEWING THE EXISTING POLICY, WE NOTICED THAT WHILE WE HAVE AN EXTENSIVE, UH, SECTION OF UNALLOWED EXPENSES ON CREDIT CARDS, IT WAS MISSING WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER, UH, A STANDARD SECTION OF ALLOWABLE EXPENSES FOR TRAVEL.
AND SO IN ORDER TO CLARIFY THAT, UH, WE'VE ADDED A SECTION, AND I'LL GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE, UH, IN THEIR ENTIRETY.
THAT SPEAKS TO LODGING, MEALS, ALLOWANCES, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING.
SO THIS IS THE EXACT LANGUAGE THAT IS PROPOSED IN THE ORDINANCE.
UM, AND IT SAYS, WHEN AVAILABLE, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD SELECT THE HOST HOTEL OR ONE THAT HAS PARTNERED WITH THE HOST AGENCY FOR ACCOMMODATION.
DURING TRAVEL CITY COUNCIL, MEMBERS MUST SEEK REASONABLY PRICED HOTEL ROOMS OF ACCEPTABLE QUALITY AND CONSIDER TRANSPORTATION COSTS, TIME, AND OTHER RELEVANT FACTORS, AND SELECTING THE MOST PRACTICAL AND ECONOMICAL ACCOMMODATION.
THIS PROVISION SHOULD NOT DETER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM STAYING IN A HOTEL WHERE THE MEETING OR CONVENTION TO BE ATTENDED IS HELD OVERNIGHT.
ACCOMMODATION FOR CONFERENCES AND TRAINING SESSIONS AND OTHER MEETINGS WITHIN CENTRAL TEXAS MUST BE JUSTIFIED IN WRITING AND APPROVED BY THE FULL COUNCIL, BUT ARE GENERALLY NOT ALLOWED IF WITHIN 50 MILES OF KYLE CITY HALL.
THIS THE NEXT SECTION OF THAT NEW ALLOWABLE TRAVEL EXPENSE.
UM, PART OF THE ORDINANCE SPEAKS TO MEALS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS MUST BE AUTHORIZED A MAXIMUM PER DIEM ALLOWANCE FOR, AND WHILE THIS SAYS OVERNIGHT TRAVEL ON THE SLIDE IN THE ORDINANCE, IT SAYS OUT OF TOWN TRAVEL.
AND WHEN I FIXED IT, I MISSED THIS ONE.
SO THIS SHOULD SAY OUT OF IT'S OUT OF TOWN TRAVEL, UH, ONLY AS STIPULATED IN THE MOST CURRENT INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE PUBLICATION NUMBER 1542 PER DIEM RATES, WHICH IS WHAT WE JUST WENT OVER, UH, FOR MEALS DURING TRAVEL, THE CORRECT WEIGHT RATE WILL BE THE MEAL AND INCIDENTAL EXPENSE PER DIEM AMOUNT UNDER THE HIGH LOW SUBSTANTIATION METHOD FOR THE FISCAL YEAR IN WHICH THE TRAVEL OCCURRED.
RECEIPTS WILL NOT BE REQUIRED WHEN A PER DIEM IS ISSUED.
CITY CREDIT CARDS SHALL NOT BE USED FOR MEALS WHEN TRAVELING ON CITY BUSINESS.
PER DIEM ALLOWANCE CAN EITHER BE ISSUED PRIOR TO TRAVEL OR AFTER TRAVEL IS CONDUCTED.
A SUBPAR TO THAT SPEAKS TO PARTIAL DAY ALLOWANCE.
FOR OUT OF TOWN TRAVEL ONLY PARTIAL PER DIEM RATES SHALL BE PROVIDED ON BASED ON THE TIME OF TRAVEL PER DIEM, UH, FOR TRAVEL DAYS WILL BE SET AT 75% OF THE DAILY RATE FOR THE BUSINESS TRIP.
[00:45:01]
WE MEAN HERE SOUNDS COMPLICATED, BUT IF YOU ARE GOING ON A FLIGHT AT FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING, WE'RE NOT GONNA PAY FOR BREAKFAST.SO WE'RE LOOKING AT WHEN THE TRAVEL IS INITIATED AND HOW THAT, UH, WOULD BE SUBSTANTIATED THERE.
SO RIGHT THERE YOU SAID CITY CREDIT CARD SHALL NOT BE USED FOR MEALS WHEN TRAVELING ON CITY BUSINESS, CORRECT.
SO WHERE, WHERE IS THAT PER DIEM GONNA GO? ARE WE GONNA HAVE LIKE A TRAVELING CAR? YOU WILL HAVE, UH, A CHECK THAT WILL BE ISSUED TO YOU OR A CHECK, UM, FOR YOUR PER DIEM.
EITHER, EITHER A CHECK THAT'S ISSUED PRIOR TO, UM, OR YOU ASK TO SEEK REIMBURSEMENT FOR, OR, OR WE WILL ISSUE THE RE THE PER DIEM CHECK AFTER YOU RETURN FROM YOUR TRIP.
SO IS THE PER DIEM CHECK TAXABLE, UH, DO WE HAVE TO PUT ON OUR INCOME TAX? 'CAUSE NOW IT'S PUTTING A BURDEN ON US? I WOULDN'T THINK SO.
REIMBURSEMENT, IT'S JUST A REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENSES.
MAKING SURE I JUST DIDN'T WANT OUR RISK COMING AFTER ME ON A CHECK.
NEXT SECTION, UH, SPEAKS TO ALLOWANCES.
UH, ONE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO, IF, IF THE CITY OF KYLE IS SENDING YOU TO A CONFERENCE AND THAT CONFERENCE INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, A WELCOME LUNCH, THEN THAT WELCOME LUNCH, UH, OR THE PER DIEM, THE DESIGNATED AMOUNT FOR LUNCH ON THAT DAY WOULD BE DEDUCTED FROM YOUR PER DIEM CHECK.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT GONNA BE, UH, ASKING THE TAXPAYERS TO PAY TWICE FOR A MEAL.
UH, THAT'S IF YOUR MEAL THAT'S INCLUDED AS PART OF YOUR CONFERENCE REGISTRATION, THEN THAT IS NOT REIMBURSED AS WELL.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO EAT THAT, BUT THAT WILL BE ON YOUR DIME.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A SECTION THAT SPEAKS TO GROUND TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING.
UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY CLAIM REASONABLE ACTUAL GROUND TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES, INCLUDING SHUTTLE SERVICES AND TAXIS IF DOCUMENTATIONS FOR THESE, UH, EXPENSES IS SUBMITTED.
AND, UH, FOR PARKING, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY CLAIM ACTUAL PARKING EXPENSES WHENEVER POSSIBLE RECEIPTS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED FOR PARKING FEES, UH, PARKING METERS OR PARKING LOTS WHERE RECEIPTS ARE NOT OFFERED.
THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MUST SUBMIT A SIGNED ACCOUNTING OF THE EXPENSE, INCLUDING LOCATION DETAILS, TIME OF DAY, EVENT DETAILS AND EXPENSE.
UM, THERE ARE A FEW OTHER CHANGES IN THE DOCUMENT, BUT THERE ARE MORE CLEANUP, UM, CITY MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNEE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE THE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED BASED ON THE DIRECTION WE RECEIVED FROM COUNCIL LAST WEEKEND.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBIAS.
I SEE, UM, MORE OF A CLARIFICATION ON WHEN IT COMES TO USING THE CREDIT CARD FOR TRAVEL.
AND, UM, BUT WHERE DOES IT STATE, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CREDIT CARDS, WHERE DOES IT STATE ABOUT DAILY USAGES? WHERE DOES IT STATE IS, IS IT, IS IT SOMEWHERE I'M MISSING ON HERE? WHERE, UM, WHAT'S LIKE, WHAT WOULD BE THE CREDIT CARDS BE USED FOR? LIKE YEAH.
ANYBODY COULD SAY, I'M GONNA GO AND TALK TO SOMEBODY ABOUT, UH, AN AGENDA ITEM OR WHATEVER.
WE GO AND HAVE DINNER SOMEWHERE.
SO THAT SECTION OF THE POLICY HAS NOT CHANGED.
IS THIS, IS THIS ONLY FOR THAT TRAVEL? WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED THAT SECTION OF THE POLICY OTHER THAN TO ADD, UM, THIS REQUIREMENT FOR, UH, DOCUMENTATION, WHICH COMES INTO THE DEFINITION FOR MM-HMM.
UM, AND IT'S ALSO INCLUDED IN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR OUT OF TOWN TRAVEL, UM, IT TALKS ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR SETTLEMENT OF EXPENSES CHARGED ON A CITY ISSUED CREDIT CARD.
UM, THERE, THAT'S PAGE, UH, LET ME GO WITH SECTION NINE PART.
IT'S PROBABLY PART FIVE, UH, ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM.
SO WE HAVEN'T, UH, ADDED OR CHANGED ANY OTHER SECTION OF THE CREDIT CARD POLICY EXCEPT TO SAY WHEN YOU ARE RECONCILING YOUR EXPENSES MM-HMM.
SO LET'S SAY THREE OF US GO TO A CONFERENCE AND WE OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S THE DINNERS WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE'VE GOT TO EAT.
UM, SO IT'S BASICALLY SAYING THAT EACH ONE OF US WOULD HAVE TO USE OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL CARD.
VERSUS LIKE SAYING, HEY, THE TOTAL BILL WAS 70 BUCKS.
YOU WOULD EACH, WHICH WE DO ON BEFORE WE'VE HAD, BUT IT'S JUST DOCUMENTING EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS AND THEN GETTING A, UH, WHAT'S IT CALLED? PER DIEM, AUTOMIZED BILLING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO IF THAT EXPENSE IS BEING INCURRED MM-HMM.
YOU ARE BEING ISSUED A PER DIEM.
YOU SHOULD NOT BE USING YOUR CITY CREDIT CARD TO PAY FOR THAT MEAL.
[00:50:01]
GET YOUR PER DIEM CHECK IN ADVANCE, PUT IT IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AND SWIPE YOUR PERSONAL CARD OR YOU PAY.UM, AND THEN WE WOULD COVER YOUR PER DIEM WITH A CHECK AFTER YOUR TRAVEL.
BUT THOSE EXPENSES SHOULD NOT BE PLACED ON YOUR CITY OF KYLE CREDIT CARD IF YOU ARE TRAVELING, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A MEAL THAT IS BEING INCURRED MM-HMM.
CAN I, AND THE REASON WHY I ASK IS I DON'T EVEN USE MINE.
I MEAN, SOMETIMES I FORGET IT AT THE HOUSE 'CAUSE I JUST WELL, AND, AND, AND WE'RE DOING THAT SPECIFICALLY.
I'M JUST LIKE MOVING FORWARD NOW IF I HAVE TO USE IT, WHAT'S THE, THE, THE REQUIREMENTS? BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES I JUST USE MY, BUT THAT WILL BE FOR TRAVELING ONLY.
RIGHT? TRAVELING ONLY THERE'S A PER DIEM EXPENSE.
WE WILL BE ADDRESSING THE SPECIFIC BUDGET FOR MEALS WHILE WE ARE INSIDE THE CITY.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT KIND OF, UM, FUNDS YOU HAVE BUDGETED MM-HMM.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
UH, IF YOU, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE A BUSINESS LUNCH HERE IN KYLE AND YOU GO TO VIA 3 1 3 AND YOU TAKE SOMEONE TO LUNCH AND YOU USE YOUR CITY CREDIT CARD, THE EXPECTATION IS THAT YOU WOULD DOCUMENT ON THE RECEIPT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE AN ITEMIZED RECEIPT.
I THINK WE, WE, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED BRINGING THIS ABOUT A COUPLE YEARS AGO, IT WAS THAT IDEA OF HAVING A SPREADSHEET TO WHERE YOU WOULD DO YOUR EXPENSE REPORTS.
YOU WOULD TURN IN, NOT ONLY YOU WOULD TURN IN YOUR RECEIPTS, BUT YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE AN ACTUAL DOCUMENT OF LIKE WHERE YOU WENT, WHO YOU'RE WITH AND THE DOLLAR AMOUNT.
AND IT SHOWS WHAT IT WAS AND WHETHER IT'S AGENDA ITEM OR CITY BUSINESS.
BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY VERSUS JUST TURNING IN A RECEIPT AND SAYING DINNER WITH RESIDENT.
I THINK WE HAD, I, I, ME MENTIONED THAT I THINK ONCE TO ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER THAT AT A COMPANY I USED TO WORK WITH THEIR SALESPEOPLE WOULD DO THAT.
AND I WONDER IF THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE MORE TASK ORIENTED ON Y'ALL END.
BUT WOULD IT HELP IF WE TURNED IN A MONTHLY SHEET THAT SAID, HERE'S OF ALL WHAT WE WENT TO, HERE'S ALL THE RECEIPTS.
SO ADDING MORE SPECIFICITY OR ADDITIONAL, UH, DIRECTION AS PART OF THESE CHANGES TO THIS ORDINANCE IS UP TO THE COUNCIL.
IF YOU WANNA, UM, IMPOSE FOR RESTRICTIONS OR FOR THE REQUIREMENTS, UM, THIS IS WHAT STAFF HAS PROPOSED BASED ON THE DIRECTION THAT YOU GAVE US LAST WEEK.
WITH RESPECT TO THAT KIND OF DOCUMENTATION.
BUT, BUT WE DO NEED, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DIRECTION THAT YOU GUYS GAVE US.
BECAUSE I DID, WE'VE ADDED THE LANGUAGE THAT SPEAKS AGAIN NOT FOR TRAVEL.
YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE BASED ON THESE RECOMMENDED CHANGES.
WE'RE NOT USING PRO CARDS OR, OR CREDIT CARDS FOR MEALS.
YOUR CREDIT CARD WOULD BE UTILIZED FOR, UM, AIRFARE, FOR LODGING, FOR MM-HMM.
SO IF YOUR PER DIEM RATE FOR THE DAY, WHAT DID I SAY IN DALLAS, IT WAS $69.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO GO TO A GREAT RESTAURANT AND HAVE A BANG UP MEAL YEAH.
UM, AND NOT EAT FOR THE REST OF THE DAY, THAT IS ON YOU.
I THINK PTAS DO THAT TOO AS WELL.
'CAUSE THEY SAY YOU GOT ONLY SPECIFIC TYPE OF BUDGET FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER.
UH, BUT, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA CARRY THAT DOWN TO SAY, SHOW ME YOUR $15 RECEIPT FOR YOUR SANDWICH.
WE'RE JUST SAYING YOU HAVE A PER DIEM RATE.
HOW YOU SPEND THAT IS IN YOUR DISCRETION.
DO YOU THINK MS, AND JUST ONE LAST THING AND NOT LET MS PARTS.
DO YOU THINK, UH, MR. LANGLEY HAVING SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHEN IT COMES TO TURNING IN THE RECEIPTS, HAVING ANOTHER DOCUMENTATION OF ACTUALLY THAT WOULD HELP, LIKE EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT SHEET WOULD HELP THEM HELP OUR CITY STAFF? 'CAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE SPENDING HOURS AND HOURS OF OUR CREDIT CARD OF HAVING TO SHIFT THROUGH CREDIT CARD INFORMATION FROM CITY COUNCIL AND WE DO KIND OF ALREADY HAVE THAT, THE MONTHLY CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS.
ARE YOU ASKING FOR A, A SUMMARY OF THE MONTH OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU DID WITH ALL OF THE RECEIPTS? IS IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE A FORM THAT WOULD, A FORM THAT WOULD BE TURNED IN AND HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION? SURE.
I I THINK, UM, RIGHT NOW WHAT'S ENVISIONED IS THAT YOU WOULD BE WRITING THE JUSTIFICATION ON EACH INDIVIDUAL RECEIPT.
AND SO PERHAPS IF WE HAD A FORM THAT WE GAVE YOU THAT YOU COULD FILL OUT WITH EVERY SINGLE RECEIPT YOU HAD AND UH, A FIELD WHERE YOU COULD PUT IN THE, THE JUSTIFICATION, MAYBE TYPE THAT IN THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
THAT WAY IT KEEPS EASIER TO KEEP TRACK OF.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO IT.
BUT I, I THINK YOU KNOW, YOU, ALL OF YOU, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE EXPENSES, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE REQUIREMENTS
[00:55:01]
MIGHT BE AND YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.BUT, UM, WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR SOME DOCUMENTATION ON THE JUSTIFICATION.
THE PURPOSE IS TO SIMPLIFY IT FOR YOU GUYS.
AND WE ALREADY DO HAVE, I MEAN, YOU ALL KNOW, UM, WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS, UM, ON A, ON A MONTHLY BASIS, YOU KNOW EXACTLY THE CHARGES THAT YOU HAVE MM-HMM.
AND SO TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, WHILE IT'S MANUAL AND HANDWRITTEN, A LOT OF THE TIME WE ALREADY HAVE MORE OR LESS WHAT YOU'RE REQUESTING.
IT WOULD JUST BE CREATING A SEPARATE SPREADSHEET.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE BACK THAT WE WILL BE WRITING JUSTIFICATIONS IN EACH RECEIPT.
HOWEVER, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE SPECIFIC THINGS.
BECAUSE I COULD WRITE EVERY DAY, UM, YOU KNOW, RUN, RUN A COFFEE AND SAY I'M JUST LIKE DOING CITY BUSINESS AND ME WRITING IN THERE, CITY BUSINESS DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT I'M ACTUALLY DOING A CITY BUSINESS.
I CAN JUST BE CHECKING THE CITY EMAIL.
AND THEN WHAT I DON'T WANT IS TO CHARGE COFFEE TO MY DAILY CARD.
JUST WRITE, CHECKING EMAILS AND THEN, OKAY, I WROTE A JUSTIFICATION.
AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE PAID BY THE TAXPAYERS.
SO HOW DO WE MAKE IT MORE CLEAR OR WHAT EXACTLY THE CITY BUSINESS IS BEING DONE THAT COULD BE JUSTIFIED WHEN WE ARE USING THOSE CARDS? LIKE I DON'T WANT TO, LIKE WHEN I USE THE CAR TO MEET WITH RESIDENTS IS THERE IS, IF THERE'S FIVE PEOPLE IN THERE, I DON'T WRITE THE FIVE PEOPLE'S NAME.
SOME RESIDENTS DON'T WANT TO BE NAMED ON A RECEIPT.
SO, BUT, UM, I MEAN, NORMALLY I POST PICTURES AND SO PEOPLE KNOW WHO ARE MY COFFEES.
SO HOW DO WE MAKE IT IN A WAY THAT IT CANNOT BE ABUSED? WELL, YOU MAY JUST, I JUST WRITE CITY BUSINESS, RESPONDING EMAILS, MEETING REST.
BUT HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THAT'S THE BUSINESS THAT IS BEING CONDUCTED? SO ONE, ONE IDEA WOULD BE TO REQUIRE, UM, DOCUMENTATION OF WHO YOU'RE MEETING WITH.
UH, AND I THINK THAT WAS MENTIONED AT THE, AT THE WORK SESSION LAST WEEKEND.
AND WE CAN CERTAINLY ADD LANGUAGE TO THAT EFFECT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME FOLKS MIGHT NOT WANT THAT TO BE MADE PUBLIC THEN THAT MIGHT CHANGE THEIR WILLINGNESS TO LET YOU BUY THE CUP OF COFFEE.
WELL, SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION WAS IS IF IT'S A LOCALIZED FOOD AND BEVERAGE RECEIPT THAT YOU HAVE TO, IF YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU PURCHASE FOOD AND BEVERAGE FOR ANYONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF.
IF YOU, IF YOU'RE MEETING WITH SOMEONE ELSE MM-HMM.
WE CAN CLEARLY MAKE THAT CHANGE.
AND DO WE THINK THAT THAT WILL MAKE RESIDENTS NOT WANNA MEET WITH YOU? BECAUSE YOU ARE LETTING IT WILL, IT WILL MAKE YOU THINK TWICE ABOUT HOW YOU GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT THIS HAS ALL GONE DOWN.
BUT THAT'S ALREADY BEEN THE CASE.
I MEAN, WE'RE ALREADY THINKING TWICE ABOUT EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE WE KNOW IT'S GONNA GET, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT CANNOT BE ABUSED BECAUSE THERE ARE LOOPHOLES EVERYWHERE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE WHERE WE ARE.
BUT THERE'S, THERE ARE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE CHARTER SAYS THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR EXPENSES.
WE'RE THE ONES WHO SET THE POLICY FOR WHAT THAT IS.
IF WE WANNA SAY THAT YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BUY COFFEE EVER, YOU CAN SAY THAT.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHETHER, WHETHER SOMEONE IS, IS JUSTIFIED IN WORKING AT THE COFFEE SHOP AND HAVING COFFEE AND CHECKING EMAILS AND, AND DOING THEIR JOB.
WHETHER THEY THINK THAT'S, IF THEY WRITE THAT DOWN AND SUBMIT IT, I THINK THAT THAT'S TRANSPARENT AND APPROPRIATE.
I SO MAYBE WE, AGAIN, THIS GOES BACK TO THE SHEET.
IF THEY DESIGN THE SHEET AGAIN, LIKE ONE OF THE COMPANIES I I WORKED WITH DECADES AGO, THEY WOULD LIST DOWN EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS.
WE CAN DO LITTLE CHECK BOXES, RESIDENCE, QUANTITY.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE? FIVE.
WENT TO GO HAVE DINNER WITH, UH, RESOURCE.
YOU CHECK IT OFF, YOU INITIAL IT, AND YOU, AND YOU, AND YOU PUT IT ON THERE.
AND THAT WAY IT'S ALL DOCUMENTED.
SO IF WE'RE MISSING A $5 RECEIPT, WE GOTTA FIND OUT WHERE IT'S AT.
IF I'M MISSING A, AND I HAVE EVERYTHING LISTED AS FAR AS EVERYTHING AS FAR AS THE COLUMNS OF BUSINESS, RESIDENCE OR WHATEVER THE CASE IS.
AND IT'S DOCUMENTED ON THAT END.
SO YES, THAT WOULD ALSO SAY, HEY, MAYBE I NEED TO CUT BACK ON THE DINNERS OR CUT BACK ON WHATEVER.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT KEEPS ME TRANSPARENT AND IT HELPS THEM OUT KNOWING WHERE ALL THE ITEMS ARE AT.
THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO LOOK FOR THE RECEIPTS.
WE CAN ALSO TO SAY, THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME I'VE BEEN SPENDING ON CITY COUNCIL.
OKAY, LOOK AT ALL THE RESIDENTS THAT I MET WITH.
[01:00:01]
ARE ALL THE HOURS THAT I SPENT WITH THEM AND HERE'S ALL THE BUSINESS.SO WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO DOCUMENT OUR JOB AND WHAT WE DO AND WHERE WE GO, WE CAN KIND OF LIST IT ON THERE GOING FORWARD AS FAR AS WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR RECEIPTS, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR MONEY.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, DOCUMENTING WHO WE'RE SPEAKING WITH.
AND WE DON'T HAVE TO WRITE THE PEOPLE'S NAME DOWN.
BUT WE CAN ALSO JUST PUT A NUMBER OF HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HAD DINNER WITH.
AND IF A RESIDENT CALLS ME AND QUESTIONS ME, HEY, I HEARD YOU WERE OVER THERE AT THE PIZZA PLACE AND YOU PUT DOWN, THERE'S THREE PEOPLE.
WHO WAS IT THAT YOU'RE MEETING WITH THAT BECOMES A ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD, I THINK IT'S A GOOD PATH FORWARD.
I JUST WANT TO ADD TOO, UM, SO WHAT ABOUT THE HOTEL ROOM AMOUNTS? 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S BEEN BOTHERING A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND THEN ARRIVING EARLY, UM, SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
IF THEY STAY LATER AN EXTRA DAY, THAT SHOULD NOT BE CARRIED OVER BY THE TAXPAYER.
UM, SO THAT, THINK THOSE TWO THINGS ARE IMPORTANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T GET TO TRAVEL MUCH.
I WISH I, I COULD, BUT I, BUT WHEN I DO, I GO THERE TO WORK AND, UH, I, YOU KNOW, I ENJOY HAVING A GOOD TIME WITH EVERYONE UP HERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, GO TO BED EARLY.
I I'M NOT GONNA BREAK THE TRUST OF ANYONE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, I, I'D ALSO LIKE TO GET BACK TO, IS IT NECESSARY TO HAVE FOUR OR FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS? WHICH I, I UNDERSTAND PROJECTS ARE IMPORTANT TO GO TO CON TO THE SAME CONFERENCE.
AND THEN CAN WE LIMIT OR HAVE A ROTATION BASIS? SO SOMEONE'S ALREADY BEEN THERE NEXT YEAR.
DOES THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN AGAIN? I MEAN, AND THEN I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THE CHECKLIST.
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WENT TO DO? WHO DID YOU MEET? WHAT DID YOU LEARN? WHAT BENEFIT IF THAT INFORMATION CAN YOU SHARE BACK? AND IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE AN AGENDA ITEM AND A FULL DISCUSSION, BUT IT SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED IN A REPORT THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBER WHO DIDN'T GET TO GO CAN, CAN SEE, OKAY.
THAT INFORMATION IS WHAT THEY WENT, WHAT, WHAT WENT, WHAT, WHAT WAS, UH, TRANSPIRED OUT OF THE CONFERENCE.
I THINK THAT COULD BE HANDLED DURING THE BUDGET FOR THAT.
DANIELLE, PLEASE LET ME, LET ME FINISH WHAT I, WHAT I NEED TO SAY.
'CAUSE I, I KNOW YOU LIKE TO INTERRUPT.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, THE OTHER THING IS, UM, SEE, YOU MADE ME LOSE MY THOUGHT.
WHERE WAS YOURS? TAKE YOUR TIME.
WAS SHE INTERRUPTED, MAYOR, OR, I UNDERSTAND.
SO, BRIAN, ANYTHING, ANY FEEDBACK WE COULD DO TO THAT? I THINK JUST A FEW MORE RESTRICTIONS ON THE, THE, UH, ABUNDANCE OF, OF THE TRAVEL.
OF COURSE, EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT, BUT I DO WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT WHEN WE DO LAND BIG GRANTS, BIG PROJECTS, THAT'S A TEAM EFFORT.
WHETHER A COUNCIL MEMBER WENT OR DIDN'T GO, WHETHER A COUNCIL MEMBER SERVED BEFORE THIS DAAS OR AFTER THIS DAAS.
IT'S ALWAYS A TEAM EFFORT, TEAM EFFORT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, THERE, THERE'S NOT, I MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
IT'S A TEAM EFFORT, INCLUDING STAFF, INCLUDING COUNCIL.
SO THE WAY WE ARE PERCEIVED, THE WAY WE ARE OBSERVED FALLS ON EVERYBODY UP HERE.
SO THAT'S WHY I AM VERY CAREFUL OF TRAVEL.
SO WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE ON THIS? SO, UM, NUMBER OF THINGS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP.
I MEAN, THE FIRST IS A DOLLAR VALUE ON THE ROOMS. UH, WE'VE TRIED TO PUT LANGUAGE, WHICH WE THINK IS APPROPRIATE ABOUT, UH, TRYING TO STAY AT THE HOST HOTEL.
YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT TRAVEL COSTS.
IF YOU'RE GONNA BE, UH, MAYBE YOU'RE A FEW BLOCKS AWAY OR A COUPLE MILES AWAY, A CHEAPER HOTEL, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO TAKE AN UBER OR YOU HAVE TO GET SOME OTHER KINDS OF TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO THE LOCATION.
ALL THOSE THINGS SHOULD BE FACTORED IN.
UH, I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S APPROPRIATE TO PUT A SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT ON THE HOTEL.
THE COUNCIL CERTAINLY COULD IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT.
BUT WHEN YOU GO TO, UH, LARGE CITIES AND THERE'S LARGE CONFERENCES IN TOWN, UH, THE ROOM PRICES, WHAT MAY BE ON ONE WEEKEND OR ONE, UH, MONDAY MAY BE $250 IN THAT CONFERENCE.
JUST BECAUSE THERE'S MORE DEMAND FOR IT DOESN'T MEAN THE ROOM'S ANY BETTER.
DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING ELSE IS SPECIAL ABOUT IT.
BUT IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THERE'S MORE DEMAND.
SO THAT'S HOW WE'VE KIND OF DRAFTED THE LODGING.
UH, BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THE COUNCIL
[01:05:01]
COULD DISCUSS IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT DIFFERENTLY.UM, THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU RAISED ABOUT PUTTING SOME KIND OF REPORT IN, IF YOU, IF YOU DO GO ON A TRIP AND PUT THAT IN, WE COULD CERTAINLY ADD THAT WE CER STAFF HAS NO OBJECTION TO THAT.
I THINK WE'VE HEARD THAT ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS FROM THE COUNCIL THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU DO A REPORT, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T.
IF YOU WANT TO PUT THAT IN AS A REQUIREMENT THAT IF YOU TRAVEL, THAT YOU HAVE TO WRITE SOME TYPE OF STATEMENT AND SEND IT TO, UH, THE COUNCIL.
AND THAT WE'D CERTAINLY BE GLAD TO PUT THAT IN.
UM, SOME PEOPLE WOULD PUT MORE DETAILS THAN OTHERS.
AND SO, UH, IT'S SUBJECTIVE OF WHAT'S THE RIGHT LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ON THOSE.
I THINK, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF SUBJECTIVITY TO ANY BUSINESS JUSTIFICATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA PUT HERE.
AND I THINK, UH, THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP IN SOME OF THE COMMENTS.
AND ROTATION BASIS ALSO IS IMPORTANT.
IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN LOOK AT A ROTATION BASIS? ROTATION OF MEMBERS OF, OKAY.
IF SOMEONE DOES CANNOT GO BECAUSE OF THEIR CALENDAR OR THEIR SCHEDULE, HEY, GO AHEAD, GO IN MY PLACE.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU COULD HAVE SOMETHING WHERE YOU PUT NO MORE THAN THREE GO, OR NO MORE THAN TWO GO, AND YOU COULD HAVE, UH, SEPARATE TRIPS IF YOU WANTED TO DO THAT.
I, I THINK SOMETIMES, UH, THAT'S PROBLEMATIC.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO GO FOR A PARTICULAR REASON.
IF YOU'RE THERE TO NLC AND YOU WANT TO MEET WITH YOUR ELECTED DELEGATION THAT'S THERE, OR YOU'RE THERE TO TALK ABOUT AN IMPORTANT PROJECT, DO YOU WANNA PUT THAT LIMITATION ON
NOT ON, NOT ON THE VERY ESSENTIAL MANDATORY ONES, BUT THE ONES, I GUESS MAYBE NOT SO ESSENTIAL.
YEAH, I I, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO IT ANY WAY YOU WANT.
IT'S SUBJECTIVE IS THE POINT I WOULD TELL YOU IS WHAT YOU CONSIDER ESSENTIAL, WHAT I MIGHT CONSIDER ESSENTIAL.
AND WHAT EACH, ALL SEVEN OF YOU CONSIDER COULD BE DIFFERENT AND RIGHT.
I'M JUST LOOKING OUT FOR THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE THEN WHEN THEY ASK ME, WHY DID SIX GO, YOU KNOW, AND PERHAPS THAT'S THE JUSTIFICATION WHEN PEOPLE GO ON THE TRAVEL, THEY PROVIDE, UH, THAT WRITTEN, HERE'S WHAT I DID, WHY I WENT, WHAT I LEARNED WHAT I DID.
MAYBE THAT'S THE, MAYBE THAT'S THE WAY TO ADDRESS IT.
BUT THE NOTATION FOR THE BUSINESS EXPENSES, I, WHAT I WAS TRYING TO MENTION BEFORE IS THAT'S SUBJECTIVE.
NO MATTER WHAT FORM WE USE, WHAT, HOW YOU NOTATE IT ON A RECEIPT, UM, THERE WILL BE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THAT WAS AN APPROPRIATE EXPENSE OR NOT.
UH, THAT'S IN THE I BEHOLDER SOMETIME OF WHO, WHO PUTS THAT DOWN, WHY THEY THINK IT'S JUSTIFIED.
UH, THERE IS, ULTIMATELY IT'S THE COUNCIL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DETERMINE IF THAT'S A JUSTIFIED EXPENSE.
THERE ARE DIFFICULT THINGS THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON PROJECTS AND, UM, WHATEVER YOU NOTE IT, WHATEVER FORMAT, THERE WILL STILL BE THAT THERE.
SO I JUST WANT THAT TO BE CLEAR.
SO WHAT LEVEL OF PUNISHMENT COULD WE HAVE ON THE CREDIT CARD? IF SOMEONE IS A HABITUAL MISUSER, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T TURN IN RECEIPTS, THEY ARE NOT, THEY'RE CHARGING STUFF.
SO WHEN DO WE SAY, COUNCIL MEMBER, PLEASE TURN IN CREDIT CARD.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE WITH OUR TEAM TO LOOK AT ALL OF THESE RECEIPTS THAT COME THROUGH.
AND THERE'S VARIOUS REVIEWS THAT GO THROUGH BEFORE, UH, THEY'RE PAID.
IF WE DETERMINE A RECEIPT DOES NOT MEET THE POLICY, IT DOES NOT HAVE, UM, RECEIPT.
IT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR SOME REASON THAT IS DEDUCTED FROM COUNCIL MEMBER'S PAY.
AND WE DO THAT ON A ROUTINE BASIS.
AND A LOT OF TIMES, WE'LL, SOMETIMES A RECEIPT JUST GOT MISSED.
WE'LL CALL BACK TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER AND TRY TO MAKE SURE WE GET THAT RECEIPT.
UM, IF IT BECAME A PROBLEM THAT IT WAS, UH, SUCH A HABITUAL NATURE AND, UH, WAS OCCURRING SO FREQUENTLY WITH LARGE TRANSACTIONS, WE COULD BRING THAT BACK TO THE COUNCIL AND, AND LOOK AT POTENTIALLY REMOVING THAT CARD.
BUT, UH, WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT AT THIS POINT.
I MEAN, THERE'S HERE, HERE AND THERE, THERE ARE TRANSACTIONS THAT SOMEONE LOSES A RECEIPT OR MAYBE THEY THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD WITH THE POLICY, BUT IT WASN'T.
AND WE DEDUCT THAT HOW THE COUNCIL MEMBERS PAY.
HOPEFULLY THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS YOU BROUGHT UP COUNCIL MEMBER ZI JUST MAKE, MAKE SURE I ADDRESS THAT.
I THE HEAR THAT FROM CITY MANAGER ON THE, UM, FREQUENCY AND THE, UH, ROTATION BASIS OF TRAVELING.
AND IF I MIGHT ADD ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BRIAN, YOU DIDN'T SPEAK TO, WHICH IS FINE, THE EARLY LATE CHECK-IN FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, RIGHT.
IF THE CONFERENCE STARTS ON A MONDAY AND I CHOOSE TO GO OUT ON SATURDAY, UM, THE HOTEL, YOU KNOW, WHO PICKS UP THE, THE LODGING EXPENSE? I THINK THAT'S CLARIFICATION WE CAN ADD, UM, TO ENSURE THAT IT DOESN'T BECOME A PERSONAL VACATION.
RIGHT? WELL, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT IS HAPPENING.
I'M JUST SAYING WE CAN CERTAINLY ADD THAT.
I, I THINK THERE ARE TIMES WHERE, UM, I, I THINK THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, DAYS THAT HAVE BEEN QUESTIONED FOR THE NLC TRIP.
AND, UM, IN THOSE CASES, I BELIEVE SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE TRYING TO MEET WITH THEIR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION BEFORE THE CONFERENCE BEGAN.
THERE'S ALSO FLIGHT TIMES OF WHEN PEOPLE ARE GETTING IN AND TRYING TO ARRANGE THAT.
SO WE CAN PUT ANYTHING IN THE POLICY YOU WANT.
UM, BUT YOU DO HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF ALL THOSE DIFFERENT DYNAMICS
[01:10:01]
THAT IF SOMEONE HAD A REASON TO GO EARLY, UH, DO THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO JUSTIFY THAT AS A LEGITIMATE EXPENSE TO SAY, I WENT A DAY EARLY, BUT HERE'S WHY I WENT.UM, BUT PERHAPS YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU WANT TO SPECIFICALLY PROHIBIT THAT WITH A CONFERENCE, THEN THAT'S A CHANGE YOU NEED TO MAKE IN THE POLICY.
BUT IT WILL, IT DOES PUT, UM, RESTRICTIONS ON YOU.
AND TO BE CLEAR, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE ALLOW FOR JUSTIFICATION OF THE EXTENSION OR, OR DIFFERENT ARRIVAL TIMES, UH, BECAUSE THE CITY MANAGER'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT MAKES SENSE TO DO THAT.
AND THERE ARE OTHER THINGS OUTSIDE OF THE CONFERENCE THAT ARE RELATED TO THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE OF CO YEAH, THAT IS FINE BY ME.
IF I COULD JUST, UH, ADD REAL QUICK, I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET AT, I BELIEVE MAYBE DANIELLA MAY BE TRYING TO HIT ON, ON THAT SPECIFIC SUBJECT ABOUT PEOPLE GOING, IT DOES STAY HERE OVERNIGHT.
ACCOMMODATION FOR CONFERENCES AND TRAINING SESSIONS AND OTHER MEETINGS WITHIN CENTRAL TEXAS, UH, MUST BE JUSTIFIED IN WRITING AND APPROVED BY THE FULL CITY COUNCIL, BUT NOT GENERALLY ALLOWED WITHIN THE 50 MILES.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHO GETS TO GO TO THESE TRIPS, AGAIN, IT HAS TO DO WITH OUR OWN PERSONAL SCHEDULES, MR. ZUNIGA.
SO I MAY NOT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO GO WITH YOU GUYS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE 'CAUSE OF MY WORK, WHAT THE TYPE OF CAREER THAT I HAVE.
BUT IT DOES STATE IN HERE THAT IT MUST BE JUSTIFIED IN WRITING APPROVED BY FULL CITY COUNCIL.
SO I THINK TO HIT YOUR POINT ABOUT WHO GETS TO GO TO THESE TRIPS, I THINK IN THIS, UH, VERBIAGE RIGHT HERE IS POSSIBLY HITTING THAT MARK AS FAR AS WHO'S GONNA BE ABLE TO GO AND SO FORTH.
BUT I THINK WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST, UH, EVERYBODY IS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE GONE TO TRIPS BEFORE.
I, I, AND I'M NOT THROWING THIS OUT THERE, BUT I HEARD THERE'S ONE SOMEWHERE IN NEVADA THAT SOME PEOPLE WENT TO.
UH, AND IF IT HAS TO DO WITH CITY, I WOULD'VE LOVED TO HEAR WHAT WAS GOING ON.
OR IF IT WAS A CONFERENCE OR A TRAINING CLASS.
UH, 'CAUSE I DON'T GET TO GO, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THOSE EXPERIENCES AND HAVE OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS OR MAYOR BRING THOSE BACK TO ME SO I CAN KNOW WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE TRYING TO BRING FORWARD.
SO I CAN SUPPORT THESE IDEAS OR NOT.
BUT I THINK IN THIS SENSE HERE, IF UM, IT IT, IT DOES STATE HERE, MR. ZUNIGA, MAYBE THAT'S WHERE IT'S NOT VERY CLEAR THAT FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEEDING TO GO TO TRAVEL, FIRST OF ALL, WE GOTTA JUSTIFY WHY WE'RE DOING IT AND WHAT'S THE PURPOSE FOR THE CITY, HOW IT'S GONNA HELP THE CITY MOVE FORWARD ON THAT END.
UH, IF IT'S, IF IT, IF IT'S ANOTHER TRIP TO WASHINGTON TO MEET WITH OUR DELEGATES, THAT'D BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MEET IN THEIR LOCAL OFFICE.
CAAR HAS AN OFFICE IN SAN ANTONIO, DOGGETT HAS ONE OVER THERE IN EAST AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S THAT KIND OF STUFF.
DO WE, DO WE REALLY NEED TO TRAVEL THAT FAR AWAY TO REALLY VISIT? OR COULD WE BRING THEM HERE AND WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS IN OUR CITY? IN OUR KYLE, I, I KIND OF WISH, MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE THEM BOTH COME DOWN HERE AND SAY, LOOK AT OUR CITY.
LET'S GO TAKE A TOUR OF OUR CITY AND WHAT OUR PROBLEMS ARE IN OUR WATER.
AND I THINK WE HAD THOSE CONGRESSMEN HERE.
I DON'T THINK WE NEEDED TO HAVE TRAVELED THAT FAR, IN MY OPINION.
WE CAN BRING THEM TO KYLE AND SAY, TAKE A LOOK.
WHO KNOWS, MAYBE IT'D HAVE GOTTEN UP MORE MONEY.
AND IF I MIGHT CLARIFY, JUST SO IT'S NOT, UM, TAKEN IN A WAY THAT IS NOT HOW THE INTENT WAS DRAFTED OR HOW IT'S DRAFTED RIGHT NOW.
UM, THIS SECTION WHERE WE SPEAK ABOUT JUSTIFYING OVERNIGHT TRAVEL IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO WITHIN CENTRAL TEXAS.
THE IDEA BEING THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO AUSTIN, THEN YOU'RE, WE'RE NOT EXPECTED TO COVER A HOTEL ROOM WITH THAT WITHOUT COUNCIL APPROVAL, WITHOUT COUNCIL APPROVAL.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT JUSTIFICATION IS SPECIFICALLY WITHIN CENTRAL TEXAS.
NO, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
UH, COUNCILOR TOVIAZ, UH, TALKING ABOUT, UH, MAYBE COUNCIL VOTING ON, UH, WHAT TRIPS ARE REQUIRED, WHAT TRIPS ARE NOT RE UH, REQUIRED TO BE GREAT.
THIS WAY PEOPLE WILL HAVE MORE TRANSPARENCY.
I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NEVADA PEOPLE HAD ME ON A FLIGHT TO NEVADA THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN TO.
IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN TO VEGAS.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO THIS WAY IT'S TRANSPARENT, RIGHT? SO, UH, THE LAST TIME I WENT TO, UH, UH, VEGAS WAS 20 YEARS AGO ON MY WAY TO CAMP PENDLETON.
AND, UH, I DIDN'T LIKE IT THEN.
AND VEGAS IS NOT SOMEWHERE I'D CHOOSE TO GO VACATION OR VISIT.
BUT YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THIS WAY.
UM, WELL YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT BECAUSE JUST SUBMITTING RECEIPTS ONLINE DOESN'T ALWAYS CREATE TRANSPARENCY.
IT CREATES OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO MISINTERPRET THE TRUTH AND SPREAD LIES.
[01:15:01]
A GREAT IDEA THOUGH.COUNCILOR PARSON, WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO, COUNCIL MEMBER SUNGA, YOU WERE JUMPING INTO THE THIRD ITEM FOR THE EVENING, FOR THE MORNING.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO TELL YOU.
A LOT OF THE CONCERNS THAT YOU HAD HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED FOR THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
LIKE, WELL, THANK YOU FOR LECTURE GIVING PERMISSION.
UM, I DO THINK THAT RESTRICTING COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GO TO A TRAINING IS NOT GOOD.
BECAUSE IF SIX PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO LEARN ABOUT SOMETHING, THEY ALL SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GO.
SO WHAT WE WILL NEED TO ADDRESS IS WHAT IS THE BUDGET FOR TRAVELING? SO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER DECIDES WHAT ARE THE TRAININGS THEY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GO AND I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING YOU.
SO OUTSIDE OF, SO I WANT TO ASK, 'CAUSE I KNOW COUNCILOR TOBY, SHE'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT ADDING AN EXTRA SHEET THAT SORT OF COLLATES AND, AND BRINGS TOGETHER ALL THE RECEIPTS.
UM, IT PROBABLY MAKES IT EASIER FOR STAFF.
IS THERE ANY OTHER, IN PARTICULAR IN THIS DISCUSSION, ITEMS THAT YOU WANT TO ADD INTO THIS POLICY? I, I JUST THINK ALL THE SUGGESTIONS UP HERE ARE REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
UM, YOU KNOW, ITS SAKE OF TRANSPARENCY.
I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO MOVE FORWARD.
UH, YOU KNOW, NOT ALL OF US LIKE TAKING TRIPS LOOK HONESTLY, BUT I KNOW SOMETIMES IT'S REQUIRED AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF WHAT THE TRIP IS, WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHAT BUSINESS IS GOING ON, AND HOW DOES IT BENEFIT THE CITY IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
AND I THINK THAT'S ALL THE SUGGESTIONS UP HERE.
SO YEAH, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, UH, WHEN I KNOW, I KNOW I WAS REALLY ADAMANT ABOUT THE TRAVEL AND STOP ALL THAT, BUT THEN I DID LISTEN TO MORE OF WHAT IS IT YOU LEARNED? I'VE, I'VE LEARNED THINGS, UH, ON, AT VISIONING WORKSHOPS.
SO YEAH, IT IS A GREAT WAY FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GET BETTER AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE NEW IDEAS AND SHARE OUR THOUGHTS.
SO NO ONE, NO ONE IS ABOUT, LET'S NOT, YOU KNOW, EDUCATE OURSELVES ON, ON OUR TRAVEL.
THERE ARE THINGS WE NEED TO SEE, BUT THERE ARE ARE A LOT OF THINGS WE NEED TO SEE IN OUR OWN CITY.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK RESIDENTS SCREAM AT US.
IT'S LIKE, COME SEE THIS HERE.
YOU KNOW? AND, AND I'M, I, I'M LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO 'EM.
LIKE, MY BACK'S UP AGAINST THE WALL.
THEY'RE LIKE, WHY? WE DON'T EVEN MATCH WHAT Y'ALL ARE GOING TO GO SEE.
YOU KNOW? SO THEY'RE LIKE, JUST HAVE A BETTER LOOK AT KYLE, BE MORE OBSERVANT IS WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT WHAT I GET THE FEEDBACK IS COMING FROM.
SO I HAVE IN MY NOTES TO ADD, UM, AND DESIGN AND ADD SOME KIND OF RECONCILIATION SHEET, UH, FOR THE MONTHLY EXPENSES.
AND IF YOU HAVE EXAMPLES OF THAT, I WOULD THAT, THAT HAVE WORKED.
MM-HMM,
UM, ADDING, UM, SOME CLARIFICATION AROUND THE DOCUMENTATION ON RECEIPTS THAT FOR LOCALIZED, UH, FOOD AND BEVERAGE PURCHASES THAT INCLUDE MORE THAN ONE PERSON.
YOU WANNA ADD THE NAME OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR DO YOU WANT THAT COVERED IN THE WELL, I THINK THE, I PERSONALLY THINK THE WAY THAT YOU, YOU WROTE IT IS THE APPROPRIATE WAY YOU, THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TELLING ON THE RECEIPT THE PUBLIC WHY WE MADE THE PURCHASE.
AS BEEN SAID, IT'S SUBJECTIVE.
I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK WE NEED TO ADD MORE TO THAT, BUT I'M OPEN TO IT IF YOU WANT.
IT'S, IT WAS AGAIN, A SUGGESTION.
'CAUSE AGAIN, SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT BE COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH WHATEVER IT IS OF PUTTING THE NAME, BUT I THINK IF IT'S A MATTER OF HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE OR JUST IF WE'RE GONNA GET THAT SPECIFIC, I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT THIS AS LIKE WHAT THE CITY DOES OR A COMPANY OR A BUSINESS OR A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR THE SCHOOL BOARD PEOPLE DO HAVING SOMETHING BESIDES JUST THE RECEIPTS THAT WE JUST THROW AT YOU.
NOT SAYING THROW AT YOU, BUT UNDERSTOOD TO WHERE IT'S DOCUMENTED.
BECAUSE AGAIN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT IS NOT, WHAT, WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS AS WE'RE EVOLVING AS COUNCIL AND AS WE'RE EVOLVING AS THESE CARDS, 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE NOT GOING AWAY.
WHAT CAN WE DO MOVING FORWARD TO MAKE THE IMPROVEMENTS? BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE NEXT COUNCIL MEMBERS TO FOLLOW AS, AS WE ARE, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
SO, AND THAT'S MY SUGGESTION IF MR. UH, MAYOR MITCHELL WANTS TO KEEP IT THE SAME AS LONG AS WE JUST HAVE SOMETHING MORE STRUCTURED.
I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT, UM, A GOOD SUGGESTION FOR US, UH, TO MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN A VERY PEACEFUL SETTING IS TO TRY TO USE MORE OF OUR OFFICE SPACES OR CITY HALLS TO MEET WITH RESIDENTS AS WELL.
I THINK THAT THAT IS WHAT A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS REACH OUT AND TELL ME IS, UM, IF I JUST HAD, I DON'T WANT TO MEET YOU, UH, AT AT EVO, I DON'T WANNA MEET YOU AT, UM, RAILHOUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT JUST MAY LOOK BAD TO THEM, TO ME, WHAT YOU HAVE PROFESSIONS TO PROTECT.
SO A LOT OF 'EM ARE ASKING ME, CAN YOU JUST MEET ME SOMEWHERE
[01:20:01]
PUBLIC THAT'S IS A SAFER ENVIRONMENT SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUIN ANOTHER CUSTOMER'S EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, NEXT DOOR IF, IF, IF, IF A TOPIC GETS OUTTA HAND OR YOU CAN'T CONTROL THE, THE TEMPO.SO SOMETIMES IT'S JUST HOW DO WE USE OUR OWN FACILITIES TO CREATE THAT ENVIRONMENT? BECAUSE NOT EVERY ENVIRONMENT MATCHES UP.
AND, AND SOME OF THE, THE COFFEE THINGS ARE GREAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WHO, WHO FOR US, WHO DO 'EM.
BUT IT, IT DOES CREATE THAT, UM, ATMOSPHERE WHERE SOMEONE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TELL YOU WHAT, WHAT THEY MIGHT FEEL BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE AND, AND THEY KNOW THAT OTHERS MIGHT BE LISTENING.
SO, UM, I WOULD JUST SAY LET'S JUST TRY TO USE MORE OF, UH, WHAT'S AVAILABLE, THE RESOURCES WE HAVE IN OUR OWN GOVERNMENT FACILITIES.
AND THEY DON'T COST US ANYTHING 'CAUSE WE'RE ALREADY PAYING FOR THESE THINGS.
SO IT'S JUST THE SAVINGS ON THE BACK END TO THE TAXPAYERS.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE WAY I, I LOOK AT THIS AND I KNOW THAT THERE USED TO BE A LOT OF, UM, NEGATIVE PERCEPTION OF COUNCILS WANTING OFFICES.
UM, I'M STARTING TO SEE HOW THAT COULD BE BETTER USED AND IT, SOMEBODY MIGHT SAY IT AND, BUT THAT'S NOT THE REALITY.
YOU KNOW, IF WE LOOK AT, WE CAN LOOK AT HOW DOES IT BENEFIT THE CITY AND, AND I ACTUALLY PREFER TO USE THE PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER OFFICE.
I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD SPOT, UM, TO MEET RESIDENTS.
IF I MAY JUST QUICKLY ADD TO THAT POINT, WE DO HAVE THE FACILITIES.
I DO HAVE A BADGE AND I'VE MET SEVEN PEOPLE IN CITY HALL.
I DON'T GO TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER.
I GO TO THEM AND I SAY, YOU WANNA MEET WITH ME? I'LL MEET YOU WHEREVER YOU WANT.
I'VE MET SOMEBODY AT STEEPLECHASE PARK BEFORE.
MR. CON HOWARD, HOW WE, WE MET RIGHT HERE.
I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO DAIRY QUEEN, I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO DENNY'S OR WHATEVER.
I HAVE A FACILITY RIGHT THERE.
AND SO IF WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT REALLY GETTING WITH OUR RESIDENTS, WE HAVE THAT THERE.
AND ALSO YOU AND I JUST PROVED THE OTHER DAY WE HAD IT AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
DO DO I, DO Y'ALL WANT ME TO GO THROUGH MY ITEMIZED LIST OF WHO I'VE MET WITH AND WHERE? I MEAN, COME ON GUYS.
IF, IF HE'S MAKING, IF HE'S MAKING THE POINT OF BEING IN A VERY, NOT SO MUCH SECURED OR OR COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT, WE DO HAVE THEM.
WE DO HAVE A LOBBY RIGHT HERE.
WE DO HAVE, UH, MISS, UH, UH, THE, THE ROOM THAT'S RIGHT HERE.
BUT LIKE, I HAVE BEEN IN OFFICE FOR ALMOST LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, TWO AND A HALF YEARS, A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT.
UM, I MEET TWICE A MONTH WITH RESIDENTS, USUALLY AT THE KYLE'S DAILY GRIND.
THEY HAVE DISCOUNTED PRICES FOR COFFEE.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF MY BILLS AT CAL GRAND HAVE COME MORE THAN $30.
SO, I MEAN, WE DO, I HAVE MET WITH RESIDENTS AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER AND WE HAVE, I HAVE MET WITH RESIDENTS OVER HERE.
UM, SO WHAT I DON'T WANT IS TO DISCOURAGE MAYBE HAVING, ALSO SUPPORTING A SMALL BUSINESS DOWNTOWN BY BRINGING EVEN MORE PEOPLE TO THEIR LOCATION.
THEY HAVE BEEN VERY GRATEFUL THAT I HAVE HELD COFFEES IN THERE.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA BE ASHAMED FOR THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SITTING HERE HAVE BEEN AT THEM.
SOME OF THEM WON'T ALLOW FOR US TO BUY THE COFFEE AND SOME DON'T WANT TO DO IT.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT HAS EVER BEEN THE WRONG USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
I THINK, AND, AND THE ONLY REASON I DO THIS, 'CAUSE I GET OUT OF WORK.
I COME RIGHT HERE TO GO HOME AND IT'S IN A PERFECT PLACE.
IT'S A SMALL BUSINESS AND I, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT WOULD BE, I DON'T WANNA BE DISCOURAGED ME OR THE NEXT PERSON WHO COMES AFTER ME TO EVER MEET WITH RESIDENTS IN ALLOCATION.
THAT IS, AGAIN, AFTER YOU'VE BEEN WORKING FROM SEVEN TO 5:00 PM AND YOU'RE TAKING, YOU KNOW, TIME AWAY FROM THE FAMILY, WHICH I ENJOY DOING.
'CAUSE I MEET WITH RESIDENTS PROBABLY TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK.
AND THEN YOU GO AHEAD AND MEET WITH OTHER PEOPLE THAT I GO AND VISIT AT THEIR HOUSES.
I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED.
AGAIN, AND THIS IS THE CONVERSATION WE HAD IN 2022.
NOT EVERYBODY HERE IS GONNA HAVE TO DO THE EXACT SAME THING.
MY MY SETTING IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
AND THEN THE MAYOR WILL HAVE WHATEVER MEETINGS HE HAS, IT'S JUST LET'S NOT DISCOURAGE FOR EVERYBODY TO SURE.
DOING THE JOB THE RIGHT WAY IN THEIR OWN SETTING.
AND, AND EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN WAY OF DOING THINGS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A POINT THAT WE DO HAVE FACILITIES.
YEAH, I, I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH
[01:25:01]
ON THAT.WE DO HAVE FACILITIES AND EVERYBODY DOES IT THEIR DIFFERENT WAY.
I KNOW WHEN, UH, I FIRST HIT THE DAAS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, RIO AND VILLALOBOS AND MYSELF STARTED DOING A TOWN HALL, MONTHLY TOWN HALL HERE AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER HERE AT THE FOG CALL ROOM.
AND THE SAME ONE PERSON SHOWED UP, TWO PEOPLE SHOWED UP.
AND THAT WAS, I THINK SOMETIMES IT CAN BE INTIMIDATING TO BE COMING INTO, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT.
SO SOMETIMES HAVING A BETTER, UH, SETTING IS GREAT.
I ACTUALLY PAY, ANYTIME I MEET WITH A RESIDENT, I JUST PAY FOR IT OUTTA MY STIPEND, OUT MY OWN POCKET IS WHAT I DO.
THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SEE ANY RECEIPTS ON THAT.
UH, BUT WHAT I'LL, WHAT I DO WANT TO SAY IS THAT I THINK EVERYBODY'S DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO MEET WITH RESIDENTS.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY GOES OUT THERE.
MY MY WAY IS TO GO OUT TO ALL THE EVENTS AND, AND Y'ALL SEE MY FACEBOOK POSTS.
I KNOW SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK THEY'RE A LITTLE MUCH, BUT IT'S SHOWING THAT I'M OUT IN THE PUBLIC.
I'M TRYING TO MEET WITH RESIDENTS.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S BETTER AT MARK MARKET DAYS, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, UH, WHEN THEY'RE DOING BENEFITS AROUND TOWN.
I TRY TO GO TO ALL THOSE AS WELL AND MEET WITH THE RESIDENTS AND JUST ENGAGE 'EM ANYWHERE YOU GO.
BUT YEAH, JUST, UH, I MEAN, WE OUGHT HAVE A DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING IT, BUT, UH, NONE OF THE WAYS I DON'T THINK ARE WRONG, AS LONG AS YOU'RE TRYING TO DO WHAT'S BEST.
AND THAT'S ENGAGING THE RESIDENTS, TRYING TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND GET WHAT THEIR THOUGHT PROCESS IS.
WE'VE HEARD, WE'VE SPOKE, WE HAVE ACTION TO TAKE.
UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO WITH REGARDS TO THE UPDATED POLICY FOR MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WITH CREDIT CARDS AND TRAVEL.
UH, AND, UH, AS PROPOSED AND ADD AN ADDITIONAL, UM, UH, PIECE OF DOCUMENTATION TO REQUIRE THAT A, WHAT DID YOU CALL IT? YOU SAID I NOT ITEMIZED, UH, CONSOLIDATION.
YOU USED THE PERFECT WORD SUMMARY SHEET.
SHEET RECONCILIATION SHEET SHEET RECONCILI EXPENSE OR AN EXPENSE REPORT, OR AN EXPENSE RECONCILIATION FORM OR SOMETHING TO BE SUBMITTED TO BE SUBMITTED MONTHLY WITH THE CREDIT CARDS.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER TOBIAS.
UH, IS THERE A DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[3) Receive a presentation, hold a discussion, and provide staff direction regarding the four (4) budget options for the City Council's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.]
ALL RIGHT.NEXT UP IS AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE.
RECEIVE A PRESENTATION, HOLD DISCUSSION, PROVIDE STAFF DIRECTION REGARDING THE, UH, FOUR BUDGET OPTIONS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL'S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 25.
MR. MOHE, THANK YOU FOR COMING ON THIS SATURDAY AGAIN.
APPRECIATED MAYOR, MAYOR PROAM, COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE RECORD ON PERVE MOHE CITY'S DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.
SO COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF TO LOOK AT CITY COUNCIL'S EXPENDITURES AND BUDGET AND TO COME BACK WITH SOME OPTIONS FOR Y'ALL TO CONSIDER.
WE DID JUST THAT AND WE HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD FOUR OPTIONS FOR Y'ALL TO CONSIDER.
SO ON THIS SLIDE, I'LL BRIEFLY COVER WHAT EACH OPTION WAS FORMULATED BASED ON.
SO FIRST OPTION, WHICH IS SAME AS THE CURRENT APPROVED BUDGET, EXCEPT FOR WE'VE REMOVED LEGAL EXPENSES AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE RELATED HARDWARE AND ASSOCIATED EXPENSES.
ALL LEGAL EXPENSES CITYWIDE IN THE COMING BUDGET HAS BEEN CONSOLIDATED IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY.
AND LIKEWISE, WE'VE DONE THE SAME THING WITH TECHNOLOGY RELATED EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE, AND SERVICES.
OPTION TWO IS BASED ON A TWO YEAR AVERAGE OF ACTUAL EXPENDITURES INCURRED BY VARIOUS OR DIFFERENT COUNCIL OFFICES.
SO THIS IS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 AND FISCAL YEAR 2023.
SO WE TOOK ALL SEVEN COUNCIL OFFICES AND WE AVERAGED EVERY SINGLE LINE ITEM.
SO THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP WITH OPTION TWO.
OPTION THREE, WE TOOK THE MOST RECENTLY YEAR, THE ACTUAL YEAR FOR THIS, THIS FISCAL YEAR.
AND SINCE WE HAVE ONLY GONE THROUGH, UH, JUNE, WE HAD INFORMATION UP TO JUNE WHEN WE WERE DOING THIS.
SO WE TOOK THE ACTUAL EXPENSES, ANNUALIZED IT FOR THE ENTIRE FISCAL YEAR, AND THEN AVERAGED IT FOR THE WHOLE SEVEN COUNCIL OFFICES.
SO THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP WITH OPTION THREE.
AND OPTION FOUR IS A HYBRID OF ALL OTHER THREE OPTIONS, ONE THROUGH THREE.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA SHOW YOU WHAT EACH OPTION LOOKS LIKE.
AND A IMPORTANT NOTE HERE IS ALL THE OPTIONS I'M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU, THEY ARE WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS.
[01:30:04]
SO LET ME FIRST GO OVER THE FORMAT OF THIS SLIDE.SO IT HAS THREE SECTIONS, MAYOR'S OFFICE BECAUSE MAYOR'S SALARY IS DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO THAT LINE ITEM IS GONNA BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
THE SECOND SECTION IS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I'M SHOWING YOU FOR EACH COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO IT IS PER COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE OPTIONS.
THE THIRD SECTION IS THE COMBINED TOTAL FOR ALL SEVEN COUNCIL OFFICES.
SO ACROSS THE TOP WE HAVE APPROVED BUDGET, WE HAVE OPTION ONE THROUGH FOUR.
SO THE FIRST SECTION IS FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
YOU'LL SEE IDENTICAL LINES FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL.
SO SALARY AND PAYROLL EXPENSES IS ON LINE.
THE FIRST LINE, ALL OF THEIR SUPPORT COSTS, BY THAT I MEAN OFFICE SUPPLIES, MEALS, TRAVEL, UH, ANY OTHER ASSOCIATED EXPENSES THAT YOU INCUR TO CONDUCT CITY BUSINESS THAT'S COMBINED TOGETHER AS ALL THEIR SUPPORT COSTS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE SALARY AND PAYROLL EXPENSES, IT IS JUST THAT IT DOESN'T CHANGE.
WITH THE OPTIONS, YOU WILL SEE THE SAME AMOUNT UNDER EACH OPTION.
WHAT VARIES FROM OPTION TO OPTION IS YOUR SUPPORT COSTS.
SAME THING FOR COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE INDIVIDUALLY, FOR EACH OFFICE, THE SALARY AND PAYROLL EXPENSES REMAIN THE SAME AMONGST ALL FOUR OPTIONS.
WHAT CHANGES IS THE OTHER SUPPORT COSTS BETWEEN THE OPTIONS.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT BETWEEN THE OPTIONS, THE SUPPORT COSTS UNDER OPTION TWO IS THE LOWEST $11,917.
OPTION TWO IS THE TWO YEAR AVERAGE, AND THE HIGHEST IS UNDER OPTION ONE, WHICH IS 25,463.
SO WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE ALL OTHER SUPPORT COSTS? ANY QUESTIONS ON, ON THE SUMMARY LEVEL? WELL, THE WAY, THE WAY I'M SEEING, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT A CURRENT AVERAGE IN 24, OPTION THREE, WHICH IS MUCH LOWER OR HIGHER THAN THE TWO YEAR AVERAGE, THE TWO YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE SAYS WE DON'T TRAVEL AS MUCH, THEREFORE WE CAN REDUCE IT.
BUT THE CURRENT YEAR, BECAUSE OF, UH, THE VARIETY OF TRAVELING THAT WE DID IS, WHAT IS THAT RIGHT? YES.
ACTIONS, IF WE WANT THE LOWER NUMBER, THE TWO YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE.
SO I, I'LL SAY FOR MYSELF, THIS IS THE BIGGEST TRAVEL YEAR THAT COUNCIL'S HAD FOR A VARIETY OF FACTORS.
AND SO FOR MYSELF, THAT'S CORRECT.
THE TWO YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE I DO BELIEVE IS PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANT BECAUSE SOMETIMES A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER OR, OR, OR MAYOR, THEY, THERE'S CERTAIN TRAININGS THAT THEY WILL GO TO LIKE TML OR NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES TO GET PARTICULAR TRAINING TO HELP THEM START.
AND SO YOUR FIRST YEAR, OFTEN IN ANY TERM, YOU'RE GONNA TRAVEL MORE THAN IN YEAR TWO AND ANY YEAR THREE, YOU DON'T NEED TO KEEP GOING FOR THOSE TRAININGS.
SO I JUST THINK THAT PERSONALLY THE, UH, OPTION TWO, UH, IT ALSO DRAMATICALLY REDUCES OUR BUDGET, WHICH I THINK IS HELPFUL, BUT IT'S JUST MY OPINION.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY FEEDBACK FOR, FOR PERVEZ ON THESE OPTIONS? SO WE WILL GO OVER WHAT EACH AVERAGE, THE ALL OF THEIR SUPPORT COSTS LINE ITEM? CORRECT.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS I'M SHOWING YOU WHAT MAKES UP THE SUPPORT COSTS FOR EACH COUNCIL OFFICE.
SO IT'S FROM TRAVEL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO COMPUTER HARDWARE, BUT THERE ARE NO DOLLARS FOR COMPUTER HARDWARE.
THE ONLY REASON I SHOWED THAT IS THAT'S WHAT'S IN THE APPROVED BUDGET.
SO OPTION ONE, THE SUPPORT COST IS 25,463, OPTION TWO 11,917.
AND THE LAST OPTION IS 15,200.
SO I SEE, I SEE 5,000 AS A TRAVEL.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THE SAME.
LIKE IF WE'RE GOING LOCALLY TO BUY LUNCH OR SOME HAVE SOME LOCALIZED EXPENSE, IT DOESN'T COME OUT OF ITEM ONE.
UM, THIS IS A WEIRD WAY OF ASKING, BUT, SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT ITEM ONE IS OUT OF THE 50 MILE RADIUS, TRAVEL EXPENSES PERS COME OUT OF THAT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO I SEE, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY 5,000 IS MAYBE TWO TRIPS DEPENDING ON HOW YOU DO IT.
UM, UH, PER COUNCIL MEMBER PER YEAR.
IF YOU GO WITH OPTION THREE, THE $10,000 BUDGET, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE SIZE AND SCOPE.
SOMETIMES A TRIP COULD BE A WEEK AT A, YOU KNOW, FOUR DAYS AT A CONFERENCE IN DC WITH, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN OR VEGAS AT ICSC OR
[01:35:01]
WHEREVER.BUT I THINK THAT, I THINK THE SMALLER NUMBER IS, IS APPROPRIATE.
I THINK IF WITH A $5,500 OUTTA CITY TRAVEL BUDGET, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST DO ONE TRIP PER YEAR.
AND IF YOU WANTED TO BE MORE CAREFUL ABOUT YOUR DAYS IN SPENDING, YOU COULD HAVE TWO TRIPS IN A YEAR.
SO MAYOR, DOES THIS INCLUDE THE, UH, YEARLY WORKSHOP? UH, PROBABLY NOT.
DOES THIS INCLUDE, DOES THIS INCLUDE, DOES THIS ADD TO EACH ONE OF OURS? BUDGET FOR THE YEARLY WORKSHOP THAT WE GO TO FOR IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED.
'CAUSE LAST YEAR WE YEAH, I'M THINKING IT'S GONNA BE INCLUDED IN THAT.
SO THAT'S, SO THE POLICY, YOU, THE POLICY YOU JUST ADOPTED ON FIRST READING SAYS 50 MILE RADIUS.
SO IF YOU ARE ENVISIONING SESSION IS HERE, IT MAY NOT GO TO THE TRAVEL LINE, BUT IF IT IS IN DALLAS OR HOUSTON OR CORPUS, IT WILL GO TO THE TRAVEL LINE.
SO SOMETHING TO CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD THEN IF WE'RE GOING TO DECIDE TO GO TO ANOTHER CITY SOMEWHERE 50 MILES FROM KYLE.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE TIME'S COME FOR THAT ANYWAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A TIME AND A SEASON FOR EVERYTHING.
SOMETIMES, IN MY OPINION, IT'S IMPORTANT TO GO OUT AND SEE THINGS AND SEE KYLE THROUGH SOMEONE ELSE'S LENS AS OPPOSED TO THROUGH YOUR OWN LENS.
BUT THERE'S ALSO THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT, WHICH IS TRUE, WHICH IS YOUR TRUTH.
THAT WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO HOW FOLKS FEEL HERE.
AND IF YOU DO ONE AND NOT THE OTHER ON EITHER SIDE, YOU'RE NOT DOING THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE.
AND I WILL, I'LL READILY ADMIT TO, TO THIS AUDIENCE THAT OVER TIME I'VE SPENT MORE TIME THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE THAN THE FOLKS THAT ARE HERE PRESENTLY.
AND THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY WEAKNESS.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY WEAKNESS AS I THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE.
UM, UH, SO, BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, I'M NOT GONNA STOP THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE CITY, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO ENGAGE WITH FOLKS WHO ARE HERE.
I THINK WE'RE SETTING A, A TONE FOR THAT.
WE MIGHT AS WELL, UH, JUST MEMORIALIZE THAT KNOWING THAT WE'RE GONNA STAY WITHIN THE 50 MILE RADIUSS BUDGETS ARE ADOPTED EVERY YEAR.
SO IF WE ADOPT A LOWER AMOUNT, THE 5,000 FOR TRAVEL, UH, AND, AND WE DECIDE THAT THAT KIND OF, UH, PINCHES US FOR A YEAR, WE'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE NEXT BUDGET TO RAISE IT OR ADOPT IT.
BUT I THINK THAT THE MOST CONSERVATIVE OPTION HERE, OPTION TWO, PUTS US ON THE RIGHT PATH TOWARDS, UH, GAINING TRUST WITH THE PUBLIC.
UH, AND ALSO, UM, TREATING OUR RESOURCES AS LIMITED BECAUSE THEY ARE.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S A VERY GOOD SUGGESTION, MAYOR, TO HAVE A VISIONING WORKSHOP.
I THINK IT'S OVERDUE HERE IN THE CITY OF CO.
I MEAN, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL AND I THINK BEFORE, DON'T THINK THAT'S EVER BEEN DONE.
AND IT IS GREAT TO HAVE THE, THE FIRST ONE WAS AT THE, UM, MM-HMM?
OH, WHAT'S THE NAME OF THAT PLACE? IT'S ON STAGE COACH.
SO IT HAS HAPPENED, BUT NOT, NOT SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE.
IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THE, THE, THE LONG-TERM GOALS, THE LONG-TERM VISION TO SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE AND TO STRIVE FOR THAT AND TO TRY TO HIT THAT ALL THE TIME WITH OUR HIGH STANDARDS.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO KEEP WHAT WE HAVE HERE AND SAFEGUARD IT AND IMPROVE IT AND TRY TO SEE WHERE IS THE CITY LACKING? WHERE COULD WE USE MONEY? WHERE COULD WE HELP BUILD OPPORTUNITIES IN SOME UNDERSERVED ZONES OR OPPORTUNITY ZONES HERE? AND I THINK, UM, SOMETIMES HAVING, TAKING A STEP BACK AND SEEING HOW CAN WE SUSTAIN AND MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAVE IS, IS IN CRI CRITICAL FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WE CAN TIE IT ALL TOGETHER IN A VISIONING WORKSHOP.
SO, UH, COUNCIL DR. HARRIS, UM, AN ITEM THAT I'M CONCERNED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HERE IS THE COMPUTER HARDWARE HAS BEEN UNDER OPTION TWO.
UM, UNDER OPTION TWO IS VERY LOW OR COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM ALL OF THESE OPTIONS, RIGHT? NO, 4 0 8 FOR, FOR OPTION TWO, UM, AND REMOVED FROM OPTION ONE AND THE HYBRID I, WOULD THAT MEAN THAT ANY NEW MEMBERS COMING ON AFTER NO.
IF THE NOVEMBER ELECTION WOULD NOT RECEIVE A COMPUTER? NO, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT OUR ASSUMPTION.
SO IF YOU GO WITH OPTION TWO, WE WILL REMOVE THE COMPUTER HARDWARE AMOUNT.
IT WILL BE BUDGETED IN THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT.
SO ANY COMPUTER NEEDS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE, WHETHER THEY'RE CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS OR FUTURE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEY WILL BE COVERED
[01:40:01]
BY OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENTS BUDGET.SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT ITEM IS MORE FOR ANCILLARY SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT SINCE OPTION TWO IS A TWO YEAR AVERAGE, RIGHT? I WAS SHOWING YOU EVERY LINE ITEM, BUT WELL, IF COUNSEL DECIDES ON OPTION TWO, WE WILL ZERO OUT COMPUTER HARDWARE AND LEGAL EXPENSES.
WHAT, WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO SHOW ON THIS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER BY TAKING THOSE OUT AND PUTTING THEM, BUDGET THEM IN EITHER THE LEGAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, LIKE THE LEGAL COSTS, UH, FOR AMY'S AREA OR FOR IT IS TAKE OUT YOUR NON-DISCRETIONARY ITEMS THAT YOU HAVE.
HAVING A COMPUTER, SOMETHING TO COMMUNICATE IS IMPORTANT.
OBVIOUSLY IF YOU NEED LEGAL SERVICES, THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE TO THE CITY.
BUT THIS GETS YOU DOWN TO THOSE DISCRETIONARY ITEMS. THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE WANTS US.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET YOU DOWN TO.
HOPEFULLY THAT MAKES IT A LITTLE EASIER.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THERE'S FRANKLY NOT A LOT OF USAGE IN THOSE OTHER ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE.
AND, UH, THEY ARTIFICIALLY INCREASE THE BUDGET, I THINK BECAUSE IT'S REALLY NOT A CASH EXPENSE THAT YOU SEE.
'CAUSE 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT KEEPING THE COMPUTERS, WE TURN 'EM, WE HAVE TO TURN 'EM BACK IN WHAT'S OUR TERMS ARE DONE.
SO IT'S JUST LIKE A LOAN FOR US.
SO, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BUTCH ITEM, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE THEY'RE ACTUALLY SPENDING MONEY ON US FOR SOMETHING PERSONALLY.
SO THIS WAY IT KEEPS IT, THIS IS CITY OWNED, THIS BELONGS TO THE CITY.
AND WHEN WE FINISH OUR TERMS, IT GOES BACK TO THE CITY.
COULD WE ALSO GET LIKE A, UM, A TRIGGER FOR WHEN WE'RE GONNA BE CHARGED A LEGAL EXPENSE? LIKE IS AN OPINION FOR AN AGENDA ITEM? UM, A LEGAL INCURRENCE, BECAUSE I DID LOOK AT MY REPORT ONE TIME AND THERE WAS A $400 LEGAL CHARGE AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT, WHAT'S MY LEGAL CHARGE? SO UNDER THE, I NEVER ASKED FOR CO FOR, FOR CONSULTING OF ANY LAW LAW LAWYERS.
SO UNDER THE PREVIOUS BUDGET, UM, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE AN IN-HOUSE CITY ATTORNEY, ALL OF THE LEGAL FEES WERE CHARGED TO WHATEVER COST CENTER IT WAS THAT USED THEM.
SO IF IT WAS A COUNCIL ITEM, IT WAS PROBABLY DIVIDED ACROSS THE FULL COUNSEL.
THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN ANYMORE.
IF YOU NEED LEGAL SERVICES, YOU COME TO ME AND I WILL GET IT.
AND IF I NEED AN OUTSIDE COUNSEL, I'LL PAY FOR IT OUTTA MY BUDGET.
BUT, BUT WHEN A COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ASKS FOR A REQUEST, SOMETHING MAYBE THAT'S VERY COMPLICATED IN NATURE, LIKE, WILL WE BE ADVISED, HEY, THIS, THIS WILL HAVE A, A LEGAL, UH, COST.
IF YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL, WANT YOU TO DO, DO THAT.
I DON'T WANT WORK THAT'S GONNA CHARGE THE, THE, MY, MY BUDGET, THE TAXPAYERS, IF IT'S WORK.
THAT MAY NOT BE LIKE NECESSARILY, LIKE WHEN I ASKED FOR CAN I LOOK AT ALL THE LEGAL, UM, EXPENSES WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, I DON'T WANT THAT TO TAKE UP YOUR, YOUR TIME.
YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO GO BACK AND PUT IT ALL TOGETHER AND THEN COMES BACK TO MY BUDGET FOR A REQUEST THAT I JUST ASKED JUST TO GET SOME DATA.
AGAIN, ANYTHING I DO, I WILL NOT CHARGE YOU FOR, I CHARGE YOU THE SAME AMOUNT EVERY YEAR NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WORK.
UM, BUT IF IT'S GOING TO OUTSIDE COUNSEL AND THERE'S GONNA BE A CHARGE, I'M PERFECTLY HAPPY TO EITHER BRING THAT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER OR TO THE COUNCIL OVERALL FOR APPROVAL BEFORE I HIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
SO, SO WHAT I'M, THE POINT I'D LIKE TO MAKE TOO IS THE PETITION, RIGHT? IT DID COST $9,000 TO GET THIS OPINION.
I, I BELIEVE THE AGREE THE ESTIMATED COST WAS 9,000 HAS COME IN LESS THAN THAT I'VE GOTTEN AN INVOICE.
BUT THAT WAS THE ESTIMATED COST OF THAT OPINION.
SO THERE WAS AN OPINION OUT THERE FOR THE HEALTHCARE THAT COST $9,000.
SO THAT, DID THAT GO UNDER THE PERSON WHO REQUESTED IT? WELL, THE, THE COUNCIL WAS BRIEFED ON THAT.
SO THE CITY DIRECTION TO GET THAT OPINION, THE CITY TOOK THE HIT, THE COUNCIL GAVE THAT DIRECTION TO, TO GET THAT OPINION.
SO THERE ARE RAMIFICATIONS TO SOME STUFF.
I GUESS I, THE STUFF THAT HAPPENS, EVERYTHING WE DO.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL, IF I COULD JUST TO TRY TO CLARIFY, THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE IN HOW WE OPERATE LEGAL SERVICES.
SO IT USED TO BE, IT WAS AN HOUR BY HOUR CONTRACT.
SO IF WE CALLED THE NIGHT LAW FIRM, WE GOT, WE WERE CHARGED.
RIGHT? SO ANY REQUEST, NO MATTER HOW SMALL OR HOW LARGE THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A COST.
WHAT WE'VE DONE NOW IS WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY AS A, AS A CITY STAFF POSITION.
SO LIKE AS AMY SAID, SHE'S HERE WORKING IN ANY REQUEST THAT YOU HAVE THAT CAN BE ACCOMMODATED WITHIN HER CAPABILITIES AND TIME IS JUST THE SAME COST NO MATTER WHAT IT IS.
IF WE HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE TO GET AN OPINION, THEN THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL COST.
THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY TIME WE WOULD WANT TO ADVISE YOU OF THOSE.
AND WHEN WE DO GET THOSE OPINIONS, WE ADVISE THE COUNSEL.
SO MAY I ASK, UM, HOW MUCH WAS THE LEGAL OPINION THAT I JUST REQUESTED THAT ONE OF THE RESIDENTS REACH OUT TO? I WOULD LIKE TO LET HIM KNOW.
I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE, THE BILL ON THAT, BUT I CAN LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS I DO.
THE ETHICS ATTORNEY IS UNDER A SEPARATE CONTRACT, SO SHE CHARGES ISSUES USED.
UM, IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE? 'CAUSE I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
SO WHAT I'M LOOKING INTO IS FOR EACH COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE, WE HAVE SALARY AND PAYROLL EXPENSES
[01:45:01]
AND I'M LOOKING INTO OPTION TWO BACK.IS I, WHAT I'M ASSUMING IS, IS THIS STIPEND IS INCLUDED INTO THE SALARY YES.
THE $500 STIPEND IS INCLUDED IN SALARY.
SO ARE WE MAKING THE STIPEND SALARY? WOULDN'T THAT BE SOMETHING THAT WILL HAVE TO GO TO THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE? SO ANY COMPENSATION THAT YOU RECEIVE FROM THE CITY MM-HMM.
SO WHEN IT BECOMES TAXABLE INCOME, IT RUNS THROUGH THE PAYROLL CITY'S PAYROLL SYSTEM.
SO WE CAN DEDUCT SOCIAL SECURITY TAXES, MEDICARE TAXES, AND PAY THE FEDS EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEES CONTRIBUTIONS.
THE STIPEND IS ADDED TO YOUR SALARY AND IT WILL BE SHOWN ON YOUR W2 AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO BEFORE WE KEEP MOVING FORWARD IS TO DEFINE WHAT ARE WE USING THIS STIPEND FOR? WE, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE THIS MANY, MANY TIMES.
I KNOW, BUT I WENT BACK TO THE MEETING, WATCH IT TWICE, AND THERE WAS LIKE NO DEFINITION.
IT WAS, WE, WE THREW IN THERE LIKE TRAVELING MILEAGE, REIMBURSEMENT, COFFEES, DRY CLEANING, THAT, THAT WHERE THE CONVERSATION WAS SO WIDE.
SO I, I LIKE, AND I WENT BACK AND I WATCHED IT TWICE AND I MEAN, I'M NOT STUPID, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE WE GONNA USE IT FOR? THE, THE, THE STIPEND IS FOR EVERYTHING THAT IS NOT A DIRECT REIMBURSABLE EXPENSE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, TO SAY THAT THE STIPEND IS FOR A MEAL OR, UH, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES IS, IS INCORRECT.
THE STIPEND IS FOR ALL OF THE COSTS THAT WE INCUR THROUGHOUT OUR DAILY DUTIES THAT ARE NOT RECOVERABLE IN A TRADITIONAL FORMAT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, DRIVING TO AND FROM CITY HALL, UM, EXPENDING GAS ALL OVER TOWN, GOING TO PLACES THAT YOU DON'T ITEMIZE OUT IN A VARIETY OF OTHER WAYS THAT WE SPEND PERSONAL RESOURCES, SMALL ONESIE, TWOSIE RESOURCES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND NOT EVERYONE DOES THAT, BUT THAT WAS THE WAY WE ADOPTED THAT.
IT WAS, IT WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE, UM, UH, AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT WE SPEND PERSONAL RESOURCES THAT WE DON'T GET REIMBURSED FOR.
AND THIS COVERS THAT UMBRELLA.
WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH IT OR NOT, THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS SET UP AND THE JUSTIFICATION FOR IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT IT STILL IS TODAY.
SO IF YOU TRY TO SAY THAT THE STIPEND IS MEANT FOR SOMETHING, IT WASN'T MEANT FOR THEN, THEN WE DON'T HAVE ANY ABILITY TO EVEN TALK ABOUT IT.
I, BECAUSE I JUST DON'T KNOW, LIKE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I'M USING MY STAMP BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, IT JUST GETS DEPOSITED AND I MEAN I DO, I DON'T GET MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT, RIGHT.
SO I COULD SAY THAT IT IS FOR THAT TWO OR THREE TIMES A DAY YOU'RE TRAVELING AROUND TOWN IN YOUR OFFICIAL CAPACITY DOING OFFICIAL THINGS THAT YOU'RE NOT BEING REIMBURSED FOR.
AND THE STIPEND JUST, IT JUST ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THAT IS THE REALITY.
AND WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH IT OR NOT, I I UNDERSTAND, BUT HOW DO WE KNOW THAT EVERYBODY'S USING WE DO NOT, EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN, UH, WAY OF GOING ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS.
SOME PEOPLE VALUE SPENDING NO MONEY AND, AND DOING, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THEIR VALUE.
THAT'S WHAT THEY SELL TO THE PUBLIC.
OTHER PEOPLE, UH, UH, SELL SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT.
EACH PERSON IS ACCOUNTABLE TO THE VOTERS THAT PUT THEM IN THE OFFICE AT THE END OF THE DAY.
SO, SO ARE WE, ARE WE, SHOULD EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER SAY, THIS IS WHAT I'M USING MY STIPEND FOR? I NO, I DO, I DO NOT THINK I DO.
I THINK THAT THAT IS APPROPRIATE.
I THINK WE'RE IN A GOOD SPOT AND I'M JUST TRYING TO CLOSE THE DOOR.
NO, I'M JUST, I'M TRYING TO, BECAUSE AGAIN, LIKE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE STIPEND, WE HAD THE CONVERSA COMPENSATION COMMITTEE, THAT WAS A SUGGESTION.
WE HAVE RESIDENTS THAT SAY, WELL THAT'S WHAT YOUR STIPEND IS FOR.
BUT THEN I'M LIKE, BUT THEY SAY THAT INCORRECTLY.
I UNDERSTAND, BUT MAYBE FOR CLARIFICATION FOR EVERYONE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS EVERYONE USING THE STIPEND FOR? BECAUSE I DON'T, THERE IS JUST, IT WAS LIKE BLANK STATEMENT.
LIKE YEAH, WE'RE JUST GETTING A STIPEND FOR LITTLE THINGS.
LIKE AM I GONNA SAY, WELL, MY HOUSE INTERNET THAT I USED TO CHECK EMAILS, IS THAT WHAT IT'S TYPED FOR? THAT'S, THAT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT UP, UP AT AT COST THAT YOU PERSONALLY BEAR, UH, TO, TO CARRY YOUR DUTY, CARRY ON WITH YOUR DUTIES, WHICH IS USING YOUR HOME AS A, UH, PLACE OF BUSINESS TO CONDUCT COMMUNICATIONS REGULARLY AND ALL THOSE RESOURCES.
I'M NOT TAKING OUT A HOME OFFICE AND RENTING IT TO THE CITY OR ANY OF THOSE THINGS, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A HOME OFFICE AND USE IT 90% FOR WORK FOR THE CITY, I'M REIMBURSED NONE.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE IDEA OF WHAT THE STIPEND IS.
SO THE ONLY, THE ONLY ANGLE HERE ON THE STIPEND IS JUST TO KILL IT AND, AND TAKE IT AWAY IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANNA DO.
NO, I'M NOT, I'M NOT DOING THAT.
AGAIN, THIS IS JUST FOR KNOWLEDGE.
WE USED TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE STIPEND ON THE ALL BUDGET, BUT SINCE I'M
[01:50:01]
LOOKING AT THE SALARY AND PAYROLL EXPENSES AND I SEE IT INCLUDED, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW AND THAT AMOUNT, DO WE HAVE INCLUDED IN THE SALARY, IN PAYROLL EXPENSES, ANYTHING ADDITIONAL THAT IT COSTS THE CITY TO RUN OUR PAYROLL? 'CAUSE IF WE WERE TO DO THE 1500 OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT COME UP TO THE 19 3 86.SO IT IS FOR THE WHOLE YEAR, AND IT INCLUDES YOUR, FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS IS A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER MONTH PLUS THE 500 PLUS PAYROLL TAXES.
THE, THE THOUSAND PLUS, THE 500 1500 BUCKS A MONTH TIMES 12 IS 18,000.
AND THEN THE DIFFERENCE, THE 1386 IS THE FICA AND SOCIAL SECURITY, THE PIECE THAT THE EMPLOYER PAYS, THE CITY PAYS.
SO YOU ALSO TAKE THAT OUT OF YOUR CHECKS AS WELL, BUT THE CITY PAYS A PIECE AS WELL.
SO DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I'M TRYING TO BE CLEAR ABOUT IT.
DOES MAKES SENSE WHAT THE TOTAL IS.
I'M STILL CONFUSED WITH LIKE WHAT THE STIPEND IS FOR, BUT, BUT THE STIPEND'S FOR IS, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'LL, I'LL ADD THEM ON MY END.
THE STIPEND IS FOR THE SERVICES AND THE TIME THAT I SPENT HERE, LIKE WHAT MAYOR MITCHELL SAYS THAT I SPENT ON CITY COUNCIL AND WHAT I DO WITH MY STIPEND IS THIS PAST YEAR I GAVE OUT TWO SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS AND THEN WE ALSO OUR SPONSORS FOR THE KYLE POLICE, UH, BLUE SANTA PROGRAM.
WE'VE GIVEN MONEY TO A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS AND PTAS.
AND THAT'S THE INCOME THAT I GUESS IF YOU WANNA PUT THE SALARY THAT COMES ON MY, MY END, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT ME ON THIS PEDESTAL, BUT IF YOU KIND OF WANNA KNOW WHAT, WHAT WE USE OUR STIPENDS FOR, WE USE IT FOR DIFFERENT THINGS AS WELL.
IT IT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANNA HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF WHY WE GET WHAT WE GET, UH, BUT I LOOK AT IT AS, AS, AS A WHOLE, BECAUSE OUR FAMILY SUPPORTS ME IN THIS, AND THEN WE, WE DISTRIBUTE IT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY ON MY END.
UM, WHAT MAYOR MITCHELL'S SAYING IS THAT IF THESE ARE ITEMS THAT WE GET MONTHLY THAT WE GET, WE DON'T GET REIMBURSED BACK.
BUT AGAIN, IT COMES BACK TO YOU ON HOW YOU USE THAT.
OKAY? IT COMES BACK TO YOU TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF, IF IT MEANS THAT I GO ON A TRIP AND I USE THE STIPEND MONEY, THAT'S WHAT I HAD DEBATED ALL THESE YEARS OF WHY WE WOULD NEED THESE CREDIT CARDS FROM THE BEGINNING WHEN WE GET $1,500 A MONTH FOR OUR STIPEND.
AND Y'ALL HAVE HEARD ME ARGUE THAT WHEN WE GOT IT, WHY DO WE NEED THESE CREDIT CARDS? BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT SUBJECT.
THAT'S, WEVE, WE'VE ALREADY WASHED THAT UNDER THE BRIDGE.
UH, BUT IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT I DO, WE, UH, MY FAMILY AND I, UH, WITH THE STIPEND MONEY IDEA, WE, WE ASSIST WITH A LOT OF COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES ALSO FOR THE EDUCATION AREA.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S HOW I DISTRIBUTE MY, MY FUNDS IS GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, I WAS, I'M NOT TRYING TO KILL ANYTHING.
IT'S JUST LIKE MAYBE FOR THE RESIDENTS TO KNOW THAT EVERYBODY IS USING THIS STIPEND, HOW IT BEST FITS IN THEIR NEEDS AND THE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S A PERSONAL DECISION.
I MEAN, THE STIPEND I I'M WITH, WITH, WITH THE, I DON'T NEED IT.
I MEAN, BUT WHATEVER I GET, I JUST RETURN BACK TO THE CITY IN ANY FORM THAT I CAN.
IF I, IF I NEEDED TO, OTHER EXPENSES THAT I HAVE TO INCUR AS COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT'S FINE.
A LOT OF, A LOT OF THINGS I, I JUST PAID FOR MYSELF.
BUT TO ME, I, I DIDN'T RUN OFF FOR THIS COUNCIL FOR ANY OF THIS STUFF.
SO, BUT I'M FINE TO SUPPORT ANYTHING WE WANT TO DO, YOU KNOW, WITH THE STIPEND.
KILL IT, NOT KILL IT, CREDIT CARD, WHATEVER.
KEEP IT, DON'T KEEP IT, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T AFFECT ME.
BUT I'VE ALWAYS HAD A QUESTION, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT ITEMS NUMBER THREE AND NUMBER FOUR PER MS. PERVEZ, UH, MEMBERSHIP AND DUES.
ARE WE, DOES EACH COUNCIL MEMBER, A MEMBER OF A SPECIFIC ORGANIZATION THAT THESE DUES COME OUT OF? IS IT LIKE WE'RE MEMBERS OF TML OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT WE'VE GOTTA PAY? AND ALSO SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BOOKS.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN CURIOUS TO KNOW WHY WE HAVE A LINE ITEM BUDGET OF $2,520 FOR BOOKS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS.
I CAN BARELY READ, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I NEED LESS, BUT I'M JUST KIND OF WANTING TO KNOW THE BREAKDOWN OF, ARE THOSE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE AS COUNCIL 'CAUSE UM,
[01:55:02]
AND THEN ALSO NUMBER 10, COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP SPONSORSHIPS.WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? OKAY, SO I'LL TAKE ONE AT A TIME.
ITEM NUMBER THREE, MEMBERSHIP AND DUES.
IN THE PAST, COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE, UH, WANTED TO JOIN SPECIFIC, UH, MEMBERSHIPS THAT HELPED THEM DO THEIR JOB AS A COUNCIL PERSON, WHETHER IT WAS TEXAS, TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, OR SOME OTHER LOCAL CHAPTER OF, OR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION.
SO WE HAVE BEEN BUDGETING A DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO MAKE THAT CHOICE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ALL SEVEN OF Y'ALL BE MEMBERS OF THE SAME ORGANIZATION.
OKAY? SO IT'S BASED ON PARTICULAR COUNCIL OFFICE, HOW YOU WANT TO USE THAT FUND, BUT THAT'S UP TO YOU, THAT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE.
NUMBER FOUR, SUBSCRIPTION IN BOOKS COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE WANTED TO GET SUBSCRIPTIONS TO AUSTIN BUSINESS JOURNAL, WALL STREET JOURNAL TO BE MORE APPRISED OF WHAT THE FINANCIAL CONDITIONS ARE OF THE ECONOMY, LOCAL ECONOMY, AUSTIN, AMERICAN STATESMEN, HAYES FREE PRESS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE ALSO INTERESTED IN PURCHASING SPECIFIC TYPES OF BOOKS THAT WOULD HELP THEM BE BETTER AT, AT WHAT THEY'RE DOING FOR THE CITY OF, OF CALI.
CAN I ADD TO THAT? I DO, I WOULDN'T LIKE TO REMOVE ANY OF THAT BECAUSE ALTHOUGH NOT EVERYBODY MAY WANNA READ ABOUT IT.
SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL WANNA READ ABOUT STUFF.
UM, I AM WITH COUNCIL MEMBER TOBIS ON COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC RELATIONS SPONSORSHIP.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I SAW THAT GOT ADDED TO OUR PREVIOUS BUDGET, AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE DEFINITION OF IT.
NOT EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER HAS IT UNDER THE CURRENT BUDGET.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT GOT APPROVED OR WHAT EXACTLY THAT IS FOR IF, AND I JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION.
'CAUSE IT GOT ADDED TO THIS BUDGET.
WE DIDN'T ADD IT TO AS A LINE ITEM FOR THE 20 23, 20 24 BUDGET.
BUT SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS DO HAVE IT.
SO WE DO NOT HAVE THAT LINE ITEM SPECIFICALLY IN THE APPROVED BUDGET.
WHAT THAT LINE ITEM IS FOR, THERE WERE COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS THIS YEAR HAVE SPENT SOME MONEY IN THAT LINE ITEM THAT WAS TO CONTRIBUTE MONEY TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR SOME EVENT THAT THEY WERE SPONSORING ON, ON BEHALF.
SO WE'RE IN OPTION FOR THE HYBRID OPTION AND OPTION ONE, THOSE LINE ITEMS ARE ZERO, BUT IN OPTION TWO AND THREE, WE ARE SHOWING YOU THE AVERAGE OF ACTUAL EXPENSES.
AND THAT'S THE AVERAGE OF THOSE DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
WILL THAT BE CONSIDERED LIKE DONATION OR CHARITY THAT WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE? I WOULD DEFER THAT, THAT TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY.
SO YEAH, I THINK IF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO PROVIDE SPONSORSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, THAT SORT OF THING, THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO HONESTLY CREATE A POLICY ON WHAT IS CONSIDERED A LEGITIMATE PUBLIC PURPOSE TO SPEND THOSE FUNDS ON.
YEAH, BECAUSE I DO KNOW THAT ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GO TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GOLF TOURNAMENTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WHERE, WHERE DO THOSE FUNDS COME FROM? I'M JUST CURIOUSLY ASKING TO SEE IF THAT, IF I WERE TO, LIKE, WE JUST GOT INVITED TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SEPTEMBER 16TH GOLF TOURNAMENT.
SO DOES THAT COME OUT OF A POCKET FOR A COUNCIL MEMBER? IS IT THE CITY SPONSORING THAT EVENT? OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? AND THIS IS CLARIFICATION FOR ALL OF US, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING AND WHAT IS ALLOWED, WHAT'S NOT ALLOWED,
SO THE CHAMBER EVENTS, HOW WE HAVE HANDLED THOSE IN THE PAST MM-HMM.
THE COST OF THOSE SPONSORSHIPS FOR CHAMBER EVENTS ARE ALL BORN BY THE CITY MANAGER'S.
BUDGET SPONSORSHIPS ARE ALLOWED.
THE CITY CAN DO, CAN DO, UM, MAKE SOME, DONATE SOME, NOT ONLY DONATIONS, BUT SOME CAN PAY FOR TABLES AT EVENTS.
IT JUST HAS TO SERVE, SERVE A PUBLIC PURPOSE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, GOING TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, COMMERCE MIGHT SERVE A PUBLIC PURPOSE IN, YOU KNOW,
[02:00:01]
OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY, TALKING TO BUSINESSES, THAT SORT OF THING.IT'S JUST GONNA DEPEND ON WHAT THE PUBLIC PURPOSE IS.
SO IN, IN THAT REGARD, AND I'M SORRY IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS QUESTION, I'M JUST LIKE, SO FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC RELATIONSHIPS OR SPONSORSHIP, WOULD THAT BE COMING OUT OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE? OR, AND THEN WHY WOULD WE HAVE IT ON THEIR A COUNCIL BUDGET? CAN I JUMP IN? DANIELLA? I THINK THAT'S LIKE FOR WHEN YOU'RE DOING NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, YOU'RE BUYING LIKE CANDY STUFF AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE TRYING TO HELP PROMOTE THESE SOCIAL COMMUNITY EVENTS.
THE, YOU WANNA BUY A TABLE OR MAYBE HELP LIKE A SMALL GROUPS THAT ARE ORGANIZED AND FUNDRAISING THROUGH SCHOOLS OR CHURCHES, WHATEVER.
SO IT'S TO, IT HELPS WITH THAT.
LIKE, SO NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, I'M ALL FOR IT BECAUSE THAT'S THING WE DO WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE MARKET DAYS, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL OF THAT STUFF.
BUT THEN TABLE ON THE MARKET DAYS, IS THAT LIKE PERSONAL, LIKE ADVERTISING? SO NOT, BECAUSE THEN THAT WILL BE LIKE IF YOU ARE CAMPAIGNING AND I'M GONNA USE
IT IT'S NOT FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL, IT'S FOR A COMMUNITY.
SO, BUT, BUT WHAT KIND OF TABLE WOULD YOU SET UP? AND AGAIN, I AM TRYING TO MAKE IT CLEAR, BECAUSE THERE IS ONE THING I WILL ASK.
UM, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH IS COMING LAST YEAR.
YOU CAN DO FUNDS FOR THAT LAST YEAR OUT OF MY BUDGET.
AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THAT WENT IS LIKE, I PAY FOR A TANGO GROUP TO COME AND DO, UH, DISPLAY HERE, WHICH WAS BEAUTIFUL.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT, I HAD PEACE AND PROGRESS AND I HAD TO DO THE SAME THING.
SO IS THAT, WOULD THAT BE THE DEFINITION OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? IT, IT WOULD BE BASICALLY SAYING, THANK YOU TOBIAS, FOR SPONSORING THIS TABLE HERE FOR THE BOY SCOUTS OR THE VETERANS OR WHATEVER.
AND BUT DID YOU REALLY SPONSOR IT OUT OF YOUR OWN POCKET OR DID IT JUST COME OUT THE CITY, THE CITY, THE CITY UHHUH,
WAS IT CITY FUNDS WERE USED IN THIS OR THE GOLF TOURNAMENT OR WHATEVER THEY HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO BASICALLY SPONSOR A TABLE UNDER YOUR BEHALF, BUT IT COMES OUT OF YOUR BUDGET.
IS THAT WHAT IT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE? WELL, IT'S THE SAME WITH ALL WITH OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS, COMMISSIONERS, JUDGES.
THEY ALL HAVE THAT, THAT POCKET MONEY.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET CLARIFICATION.
SO IF WE GO TO, IF, IF THE CITY SPONSORS A CHA UH, UH, TABLES AT THE CHAMBER LUNCHEON WHERE THE PUBLIC OFFICIALS ARE SPEAKING, THAT'S COMING OUTTA THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET.
BUT IF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER INDIVIDUALLY WANTS TO SPONSOR A TABLE AT THE HAYES CALDWELL WOMEN'S CENTER GALA THAT THE CITY IS NOT OFFICIALLY SPONSORING, YOU HAVE ANOTHER BUCKET THAT YOU CAN GO.
IT'S A GOOD, IT'S A, THERE'S EVERYTHING'S SET UP REALLY WELL.
I'M NOT SAYING IT'S BAD WITH THE WAY THAT IT IS.
I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT CAN BE USED FOR, BECAUSE AGAIN, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH IS COMING UP, AND I WOULD LIKE TO, IF YOU WANTED TO DO SOMETHING TO ADD TO THAT UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE RULES THAT WE HAVE IN THE, AND THE WAY THAT THEY'RE BEING OUTLINED, THEN YOU COULD, AND IT WOULD BE DONE VERY TRANSPARENTLY OUT OF YOUR BUDGET.
BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED AT AN EVENT AND THE CITY PUT IT ON AND THEY SPENT MONEY ON IT, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN IT'S COMING OUTTA YOUR BUDGET.
SO IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH WHO'S THE ONE ACTUALLY MAKING THE MOVE.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND SO I THINK IT, I THINK IT'S GONNA WORK OUT REAL WELL.
THEY, THEY'RE ALWAYS ASKING FOR SOME DONATION.
SO THERE YOU GOT SOME COMMUNITY TABLE BOOM, COMMUNITY TABLE C, YOU CAN'T WRITE A CHECK.
YOU CANNOT WRITE A CHECK, YOU CANNOT WRITE A CHECK COMMUNITY TABLE.
SO IT'S LIKE, AND, AND WHAT I DON'T WANT IS LIKE, HEY, I'M GONNA USE MY CAR PURCHASE FOOD DONATED.
AND SO, WELL, IT'S ALL IN THE WAY THAT YOU, IT'S ALL IN THE WAY THAT YOU NOTATE THE EXPENSE.
SO IF YOU ARE GONNA HAVE A, A, A TABLE FOR AN EVENT DOWN IN SAN MARCOS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN IT WILL COME OUT THAT IT'S JUSTIFIED ACCORDING TO POLICY.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WRITE WHY YOU MADE THAT EXPENSE.
AND IT WILL BE PUBLISHED ONLINE AND EVERYONE WILL SEE IT AND THEY'LL DECIDE WHETHER THAT WAS YOU, YOU PROJECTING CITY RESOURCES DOWN MM-HMM.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE OUTLINE, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO SAY DANIELLA PARSLEY, BUT, BUT CORRECT.
UH, SPONSOR THIS TABLE AND THEN TAKES THE ITIES IN ORDER TO GET FAVORITISM SO THAT THEY COULD GET A BUDGET CONTRACT.
CAN WE DEFINE COMMUNITY
BECAUSE MAYOR, NONPROFITS MAYOR, HANG ON.
THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THIS ITEM KIND OF CONCERNS ME IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST CONCERN IS THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS ALREADY HAPPENED AND COUNCIL WASN'T AWARE OF IT.
SO THAT'S REALLY CONCERNING TO ME.
THE SECOND THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO USE THIS FOR POLITICAL GAIN? AND THAT'S SOMETHING I DON'T WANNA SEE.
BUT IF WE'RE DOING IT FOR THE GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY YEAH.
[02:05:01]
IT.I'M JUST, I'M, I'M, IT JUST, IT'S KIND OF CONCERNING TO ME.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE THAT? CAN YOU, CAN YOU SPECIFY WHAT YOU MADE? WHAT ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THAT YOU SAID SOMETHING HAPPENED? WELL, IT SEEMS LIKE SOMEBODY ALREADY DID THIS WHEN COUNSEL SEVERAL TIMES SAID THEY'RE NOT GONNA GIVE THE CHARITY.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE SOMEBODY HAS ALREADY DONE THIS AND COUNSEL WASN'T AWARE OF IT.
UH, I'M, I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE IT AT THAT.
BUT NOW TO BRING IT ON A LINE ITEM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED, IT'S NOT A REASON WHY WE'RE DOING THIS.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S DEFINED THAT IT'S FOR COMMUNITY.
AND THE REASON WHY I BROUGHT IT FORWARD WAS BECAUSE WE DID DO A TOWN HALL GATHERING.
SO I'M WONDERING, BECAUSE WE DID HAVE, UH, THE CITY HELP WITH THAT, AND WE DID HAVE SPACE FOR THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
SO I'M, I AM TRYING TO DEFINE UNDER THIS LINE ITEM 10.
AND LET'S SAY I PLAN ON DOING ANOTHER ONE IN OCTOBER.
UM, WILL THE FUNDS FOR KEEPING THE LIBRARY OPEN OR HAVING THE PERSONNEL THERE, OR THE EQUIPMENT NEEDED, NEED TO COME OUT OF MY CITY BUDGET? OR IS IT ALSO PART, OR IS IT JUST PART OF THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE CITY? SO I JUST WANNA BE SPECIFIC.
'CAUSE IF I'M GONNA GIVE, IF I'M GIVING, LET'S JUST SAY $500, UH, FOR ALL OF US, IS THAT GOING TO BE DEFINED AS IF I WANT TO BE ABLE TO OPEN UP THE CITY HALL FOR AN HOUR ON A SATURDAY JUST TO TALK ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ISSUES WERE GOING ON.
DOES THAT DEFINE THAT KIND OF DEAL THERE? NO, WE, WE DON'T CHARGE YOU A, A BUILDING RENTAL FEE.
OR ANY KIND OF PRO RATA STAFF TIME ON AN HOURLY BASIS FOR AN EVENT.
HOW MUCH STAFF TIME DO YOU THINK WE SPEND IN THIS MEETING? THERE'S 15 SALARIED PEOPLE HERE AND LIGHTS AND ELECTRICITY.
DOES THAT COME OUT OF OUR BUDGET? NO.
SO IT'S NOT PERCENT RIGHT? LIKE THE POINT YOU'RE MAKING IS THAT THERE'S NO END TO HOW WE CAN NITPICK EACH OTHER.
I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE'RE AT, AND PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING AND JOCKEYING OVER WHAT SOME OF THESE SMALLER AMOUNTS ARE.
AND YOU CANNOT TAKE AWAY YOUR OWN LIABILITY FOR HAVING TO ANSWER TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE CITY'S POCKETBOOK.
THEY, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR $367 MILLION.
AND THAT INCLUDES MY SKITTLES THAT I BOUGHT AT THE AIRPORT.
IT INCLUDES THE WHOLE THING IN THE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, 600, WE'VE GOT A POLICY HERE THAT IS, IS, IS DYNAMIC.
IT'S NIMBLE, IT'S TRANSPARENT.
WE GOT A BUDGET THAT WILL WORK WELL.
AND WHETHER WE'RE CHARGING PEOPLE FOR THE AIR CONDITIONER AT OUR TOWN HALLS, WE'RE NOT.
I'M NOT GONNA PARTICIPATE IN, IN ANY GOTCHA.
AND I'VE NEVER DONE THAT IN EIGHT YEARS.
I'M NOT TRYING TO, AND, AND I'M NOT GONNA KILL THIS TYPE OF LINE UNDER IT'S COMMUNITY SPONSOR EVENT.
AND IF ANY COUNCIL MEMBER NEEDS TO USE IT, BECAUSE PEOPLE ASK YOU TO HELP TO GET SOME COMMUNITY SPONSORS OUT THERE, DO IT.
IF YOU DON'T WANNA DO IT, DON'T DO IT.
BUT DON'T START WITH, THIS IS FOR POLITICAL GAIN.
ANYBODY WHO HAS THAT STATEMENT TO MAKE IS THEMSELVES CAUSING POLITICAL.
NOW CAN, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST IS THAT WE INCREASE IT BECAUSE LIKE THE LAST YEAR EVENT, THAT TANGO DANCE, WHICH THIS YEAR I WANNA, I WANNA BRING MORE.
AND WHY IS BECAUSE ALTHOUGH WE DO HAVE A LOT OF MEXICAN INFLUENCE IN THIS AREA, HISPANICS, IT GOES WAY BEYOND THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE THINGS THAT INVOLVE OTHER COUNTRIES THAT ARE HISPANICS FOR THE NEXT EVENTS.
BUT, SO, BUT HERE'S WHAT I WOULD SAY IS DO, DO YOU WANT, UH, DO DO, DO YOU WANT TO, UH, UM, HAVE THIS YOUR BUDGET? IT'S LIKE, ARE WE GONNA USE OUR BUDGET IN ORDER TO GO AROUND THE CITY SO THAT WE CAN INFLUENCE, LIKE, I'M GONNA BUY, I I HAVE THIS VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT THAT I WANT AND THE CITY DIDN'T BUY IT, AND SO I'M GONNA SPEND IT OUTTA MY MONEY TO GO PUT IT ON THE SQUARE.
OR, BUT IT'S COMMUNITY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BE INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY, LIKE RIGHT.
BUT A CITY SPONSORED EVENT GENERALLY SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY THE CITY AND NOT AN INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER'S BUDGET BECAUSE IT'S NOT YOUR EVENT, IT'S JUST, BUT IF IT IS, IF IT IS THE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH THAT WILL HAVE THE COMMUNICATIONS BUDGET AND THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH BUDGET.
THIS, BUT WE AS A COUNCIL NEED TO RECTIFY THAT.
NOT YOU LEVERAGING YOUR INDIVIDUAL BUDGET, IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
DR. HARRIS, THAT'S WHERE WE MAKE THOSE, SOME OF THESE, SOME OF THESE EXAMPLES ARE, COULD BE VERY CLEAR, UM, EXPENSES FOR ARTS AND CULTURE RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS BRINGING AN INDIVIDUAL EVENT TO US.
WELL, WE HAVE TO COME UP, LIKE IF THE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT IS HOSTING THE EVENT, LIKE THE HISPANIC HERITAGE AND MONTH, OR BLACK HISTORY MONTH, WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU'RE HOSTING, WELL, WE NEED TO BRING AN ITEM TO THE AGENDA TO GET APPROVED.
THE AMOUNT TO DO CONTRACTUAL SERVICES WITH WHATEVER, IF THE CITY SAYS NO TO YOUR REQUEST, BUT THE HERITAGE, HISPANIC HERITAGE, ALL OF THAT, THAT IS A CITY SPONSORED EVENT THAT IS NOT YOUR
[02:10:01]
EVENT, EVEN IF YOU'RE THE MODERATOR.I JUST DON'T WANNA START ASKING FOR LIKE, A TON OF STUFF AND, AND THEN DON'T KNOW WHERE TO COME IN.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT THEIR OVERALL BUDGET AND, AND HOW THEY'RE RUNNING.
AND IF WHAT THEY SAY IS, WELL, WE REALLY ONLY FEEL COMFORTABLE UP TO THIS POINT, UHHUH NORMALLY ALL BUDGETS ARE THEN EVENTS IT'LL COME TO COUNCIL FOR.
THEN YOU COULD SPONSOR AN ITEM.
IT'S JUST LIKE YOUR RED, WHITE AND BLUE DAY THAT YOU WANTED A MARKET DAYS.
DID I REIMBURSE THOSE $40 BACK TO THE CITY? YES SIR.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, MAY I MAKE A SUGGESTION? YES.
UM, WHY DON'T WE DO THIS? WHY DON'T Y'ALL CONSIDER LOOKING AT OPTION NUMBER FOUR AND ADJUST EACH LINE ITEM TO YOUR LIKING? SO WITH TRAVEL, WE CAN MAKE IT $5,500 AND JUST GO DOWN THE LINE.
AND ON ITEM NUMBER 10, I'VE HEARD COMMENTS THAT IT NEEDS TO BE FUNDED.
Y'ALL DETERMINE WHAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT IS AND WE CAN ADD THAT TO THAT LINE.
I, I MEAN, I, I THINK JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, STARTING WITH OPTION FOUR, THAT'S WHERE WE WERE PROBABLY GONNA RECOMMEND FOR YOU.
BUT GIVEN THE COMMENTS ABOUT TRAVEL, IF WE WANNA MAKE ITEM 1 5500, AND IF YOU WANTED TO HAVE FOR COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC RELATIONS, SPONSORSHIP ITEM 10, YOU WANTED TO MAKE THAT $300 TO MATCH UP WITH THE OTHER, UH, TWO OPTIONS, TWO AND THREE, THEN THAT COULD BE THE NUMBER.
DOES THAT SOUND REASONABLE? DEBBIE? I WILL SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC RELATIONS, SPONSORSHIPS ITEMS, I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS ONE OR TWO EXPENSES AND IT IS DIFFERENT.
IT'S A DIFFERENT WAY OF USING CITY FUNDS.
AND SO, AND YOU ALSO HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND IT'S BEEN AVERAGED BY SEVEN, RIGHT? SO I YEAH, I I DON'T CARE PERSONALLY, I'M NOT OFFENDED IF YOU USE SOME BUDGET IN ORDER TO HAVE A TOWN HALL AND PAY FOR COOKIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I I IS THAT POLITICAL? WAS YOUR TOWN HALL POLITICAL? YOU CAN MAKE THE ARGUMENT.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE A SITTING COUNCIL MEMBER.
YOU WANTED TO HAVE A TOWN HALL.
YOU HAD, YOU HAD THE LIBRARY, YOU HAD THE ABILITY TO DO IT.
NOW, WHETHER THE QUESTION OF USING STAFF TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR TOWN HALL, THAT'S WHEN IT, IT STARTS TO CROSS THE LINE.
BUT, BUT HAVING THE CITY PAY OUT OF YOUR BUDGET FOR WHATEVER YOU THINK IS APPROPRIATE, AS LONG AS YOU'RE WITHIN YOUR BUDGET FOR THAT KIND OF A TOWN HALL IS APPROPRIATE.
WHETHER I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING OR NOT IS IRRELEVANT.
SO JUST TO SAY BACK, UM, DO I TRAVEL AS MUCH AS OTHERS? NO.
SO IF I DON'T TRAVEL AS MUCH, THEN I SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THE COMMUNITY AND SPONSOR EVENT BUDGET.
UH, I FEEL LIKE THAT IS JUST COST FOR ME.
IF I'M NOT, IF I'M NOT SPENDING ON TRIPS I DON'T NEED TO TAKE, THEN HERE I GO COMMUNITY AND SPA IS SOMETHING I WILL USE.
'CAUSE IT'S JUST GOING RIGHT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT THE IDEA OF A BUDGET IS TO REDUCE, THAT'S THE DEAL.
IT'S NOT TAKING ONE FROM THE OTHER.
THE IDEA OF A BUDGET IS TO BALANCE IT AND, AND WE GOTTA FIND WAYS TO, UM, REDUCE COSTS.
LIKE IF IT CAME DOWN TO DISTRICT SIX, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? I DON'T REALLY NEED MEMBERSHIP DUES.
I DON'T REALLY NEED A MEMBERSHIP SOMEWHERE.
I DON'T GET THE HAZE FREE PRESS.
UH, I I DO, BUT I PAY FOR IT ON MY OWN.
UH, SO THOSE THREE LINE ITEMS I WOULDN'T NEED.
BUT SO COUNCILOR TOBIAS, CAN I ASK YOU THAT? THE, TO THINK ABOUT THIS ISN'T OUR BUDGET, OUR PERSONAL BUDGET, IT'S OUR OFFICE'S BUDGET.
AND WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO GIVE ALL YOUR MONEY BACK TO CHARITY AND ANNOUNCE IT, YOUR OFFICE STILL NEEDS TO HAVE THE EXPENSE SURE.
THAT'S ALL I'M JUST TRYING TO DO IS JUST TRYING TO BALANCE IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
'CAUSE IF I, IF ONE COMES FROM HERE, IT COULD GO TO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL THAT WAS THINKING IN MY MIND.
BUT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS SUNGAS POINT, IF, IF YOU ARE NOT TRAVELING THAT MUCH, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE DISCUSSION WAS TWO YEARS AGO, IF YOU'RE NOT TRAVELING AS MUCH, BUT YOU DO USE YOUR RESOURCES IN A DIFFERENT POCKET, THEN SHOULD YOU BE ALLOWED TO DO THAT? IF THE QUESTION IS, SHOULD YOU BE ABLE TO WRITE A CHECK BECAUSE YOU DON'T SPEND ANY MONEY OR DO IN ANY TRAVELING, YOU SHOULD TAKE ALL THAT MONEY AND BE ABLE TO WRITE ONE LARGE CHECK TO A NONPROFIT OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
I I DO NOT THINK THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE.
SO THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE'RE TRYING TO SPEND CITY RESOURCES.
SO LET'S HAVE A MODEST AMOUNT IN THE EVENT THAT YOU COME UP ON A SITUATION WHERE YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING AND THAT'S FINE, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE'RE NOT GONNA SAY, WELL, I DIDN'T SPEND MY FIVE 50, $500 IN TRAVELING, THEREFORE I'M, THAT MONEY'S MINE TO GIVE TO WHICHEVER ORGANIZATION I WANT.
NOT SURE EVEN WHY YOU LOOKED AT ME TO SAY THAT, BUT I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE SUGGESTING.
WHAT I SAID WAS, THERE'S A LINE ITEM AMOUNT, THERE'S A CAP ON IT.
AND AS LONG AS YOU'RE UNDER THAT 2,500 WAS COMMUNITY EVENT.
[02:15:01]
HEER AND MYSELF DONATED TO PROJECT LAYMAN GRADUATION.SO THAT THOSE SENIORS COULD HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO HAVE GRADUATION AND, AND THEY REACHED OUT TO EVERYBODY.
RIGHT? YOU DONATED, THEY SAID, THEY SAID ALL YOURSELF OR YOU DONATED TO THE RESOURCES THROUGH THE COMMUNITY TO THE, YEAH.
THROUGH THE COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
BECAUSE THAT IS AN AVAILABLE LINE ITEM FOR US.
YES, IT WAS, IT WASN'T UNTIL YOU GUYS BROUGHT UP MM-HMM.
I, I PERSONALLY, THE LAWYER AGREED THAT, THAT IT'S THERE.
IT WASN'T, IF YOU GO TO MY, IF YOU GO TO MY BUDGET, MY CURRENT BUDGET, GO TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE, LOOK AT MY BUDGET.
I DON'T HAVE IT BECAUSE IT WASN'T THERE.
IF YOU GO TO EIGHT MONTHS AGO, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A COMMUNITY SPONSOR.
I'M HAPPY TO BRING IT UP FOR YOU THEN.
HOW DID COUNCIL MEMBERS PAY FOR THEIR NATIONAL NIGHT OUT GOT ADDED? I DON'T KNOW EVEN, I DON'T KNOW.
YOU'RE NOT SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SPEND A DIME ON NATIONAL NIGHT OUT EITHER.
I, AFTER YOU GUYS DID WHAT HAPPENED? AND THAT LINE ITEM GOT ADDED WITHOUT A VOTE TO THE BUDGET.
SO A COUNCIL MEMBER CAN SPEND AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY ON A HOTEL NIGHT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUDGETED ITEMS, BUT TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE COMMUNITY, MIGUEL, I'M NOT, I'M NOT FIGHTING WITH YOU.
I'M NOT FIGHTING WITH YOU ABOUT IT.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT'S SPECIFIC LINE ITEM WAS NOT IN OUR BUDGET.
IT WASN'T, WE MAKE AMENDMENTS ALL THE TIME.
DID YOU BRING IT UP TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO ADD THAT LINE ITEM, ITEM TO THE BUDGET? I'LL SHARE WITH YOU THE EMAIL THAT I GOT THAT IT, THAT IT WAS OKAY TO DO IT.
BUT DID WE VOTED FROM ACCOUNTING, BUT DID WE VOTE FOR IT? DID WE BRING IT FORWARD UNDER US? AND, AND THE ITEMS, I'M NOT SAYING IT WAS A WRONG THING, IT WAS JUST, THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR US TO, IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN.
BEFORE I DO THIS, LET ME CONSULT WITH THE TIMING.
DO I VOTE ON EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO WITH YOUR MONEY? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? AND YOU AND S NO, I HAVE DID IT SO IRRATIONAL, WHICH Y'ALL ARE EVEN TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT, WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS, MR. ZUNIGA, LET, LET ME TAKE A VOTE THAT THE MAYOR CAN CHARGE MAYBE SOME LAUNDRY.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SAY, ZUNIGA, STOP FOR A MINUTE, PLEASE.
NO, NO, STOP FOR JUST A MINUTE.
WHAT SHE'S TRYING TO SAY IS THAT THESE ARE APPROVED BUDGET ITEMS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE YEAR FOR ALL OF US.
AND THROUGH THE MONTHS, EVERYBODY, IT, THE LINE ITEM IS THERE NOW, BUT I, BUT I THINK THAT WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE SHE'S TRYING TO SAY AS WELL IS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE THOSE COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIPS ADDED TO THEIR BUDGETS FOR THESE EVENTS.
WHETHER IT'S RELEVANT FOR THE COMMUNITY OR THE KIDS.
THAT'S ANOTHER THAT YOU PUT THAT ON THE SHELF, THAT'S ANOTHER BUCKET.
IT'S THAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE DID WE DECIDE TO INCREASE THAT FOR THREE OR FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS? WHEN, WHEN EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR, WITH OUR MONEY, WE HAVE TO BRING AS AN AGENDA ITEM, IF WE'RE GOING TO AMEND THE BUDGET TO BRING HEALTHCARE, TAKE $133,000 FROM THE BUDGET TO BE ADDED TO THIS.
WOULDN'T THIS BE THE SAME THING OF ADDING COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIPS FOR EVERYBODY VERSUS SPECIFIC COUNCIL MEMBERS? BECAUSE IF YOU GO TO MINE, I DON'T HAVE IT, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO CALL EVERYBODY OUT ON THAT, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO LOOK AT THE EXPENDITURES FROM EACH COUNCIL MEMBER.
WHETHER IT'S A HUNDRED DOLLARS OR $300, YOUR HEART MIGHT BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
BUT BESIDES ALL THAT COUNCILMAN ZUNIGA, IT'S A MATTER OF WHERE THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT CAME FROM.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WE, WHEN WE AMEND A BUDGET, WHETHER IT'S YOURS OR COUNCIL OR THE CITY'S, IT DOES HAVE TO COME TO A VOTE.
I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, PEREZ, CAN WE GO BACK AND GET THAT EMAIL? THAT WAS THAT WHEN HEISER AND I ASKED IF WE COULD SPONSOR, UM, SENIOR GRADUATION NIGHT.
WHAT WAS THE CLARIFICATION FOR BEING ABLE TO USE THAT COMMUNITY LINE ITEM THAT WE HAD? I'LL HAVE TO DIG IT OUT.
WAS THAT A LEGAL QUESTION RAISED? I THINK, UH, WHAT THE, THE ACCOUNTANTS LOOKED INTO THE BUDGET AND SAID THAT WE COULD USE A COMMUNITY SPONSORED LINE ITEM IN THERE TO OKAY.
MAKE THE SPONSORSHIP DONATION.
SO, AND THAT'S ANOTHER CLARIFICATION COUNSEL CAN MAKE.
AND AMY, I THINK YOU WERE ALSO INVOLVED IN IT.
WE HAVE FOLLOWED THIS POLICY AND WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS POLICY UNLESS YOU TELL US OTHERWISE.
[02:20:01]
WE HAVE ALLOWED THAT EXPENSE TO, TO INCUR.IF THE POLICY GOING FORWARD IS GOING TO BE THAT THOU SHALL NOT EXCEED ANY SPECIFIC LINE ITEM THAT NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED BY COUNSEL TO STAFF.
RIGHT? SO IN THE INSTANCE THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LINE EIGHT, CITY SPONSORED EVENT SUPPLIES.
A LOT OF THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE NOT USED THAT.
THAT MONEY'S AVAILABLE STILL IN THE BUDGET.
SO WHEN THIS SPONSORSHIP QUESTION CAME UP, THE RESPONSE WAS, AS LONG AS YOUR BOTTOM LINE HAS ENOUGH MONEY, YOU CAN INCUR A LEGITIMATE CITY EXPENSE.
'CAUSE I, I HAVE THAT EMAILED.
I'M WILLING TO SHARE IT TO EVERYONE.
SO, BUT IF THE COUNCIL'S INTENT IS THAT EACH COUNCIL OFFICE IS GOING TO BE HELD PER LINE ITEM BUDGET, YOU CANNOT EXCEED THAT LINE ITEM THAT NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED TO STAFF.
RIGHT? IF THAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED, THEN THE AMOUNT OF TRIPS COUNCIL MEMBERS TOOK WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED.
'CAUSE THAT $5,000 WOULD'VE BEEN WAY, UM, NOT ENOUGH.
NOT AS SUFFICIENT ENOUGH BECAUSE THE BOTTOM LINE HAD SUFFICIENT AMOUNTS.
ALL RIGHT, SO GOING BACK TO, WE WERE AT OPTION FOUR, UH, WE REDUCED THE TRAVEL TO $5,500.
IF COUNSEL WANTS TO ADD FUNDING TO LINE ITEM NUMBER 10, THAT'S WHERE WE WERE.
SO IF Y'ALL WANT TO ADD ANY AMOUNTS THERE OR WE CAN LEAVE IT AT ZERO.
IF WE DO 300, THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL TO 15 FIVE, WHICH I THINK'S EVEN AND IT GIVES SOME FLEXIBILITY, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT 11, 11 5, I BELIEVE 4,000 FROM TRAVEL? IF THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE CORRECT.
WILL THIS BE FOR OPTION FOUR? UH, WELL THAT'S WHAT I THINK WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IS MODIFYING OPTION FOUR AND REDUCING LINE ONE TO 5,500.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO DIRECT STAFF TO PROCEED WITH OPTION FOUR.
UH, AND, UH, UH, AMEND THE TRAVEL CITY BUSINESS, UH, ITEM NUMBER ONE TO $5,500 AND AMEND COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC RELATIONS.
SPONSORSHIP NUMBER 10 TO $300.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARSLEY.
IS THERE DISCUSSION ON THAT VOTE OR MOTION? UH, I'D LIKE TO GIVE THE ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC AND OPPORTUNITY IN WHAT'S TO COME FORWARD AND WEIGH IN AS LONG AS YOU TAKE TWO OR THREE MINUTES AND NOT GO TOO LONG IF ANYBODY WANTS TO COME AND WEIGH IN ON THIS FOR SCALE.
I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, THAT IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU GUYS WORKING TOGETHER LIKE THIS AND IT'S APPRECIATIVE THAT YOU GUYS ARE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT, THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU GUYS.
ANYONE ELSE? SO, DR. HARRIS, GO AHEAD.
UH, WELL SAY I'M GONNA, I'M, IT WAS SORT OF A IMPROMPTU, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE TO CLOSE IT NECESSARILY.
SO, DR. HARRIS, WELL, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS TO THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'VE ONLY BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR SEVEN RIGHT AT SEVEN MONTHS NOW.
AND A LOT OF THESE DECISIONS ABOUT BUDGET WERE MADE LONG BEFORE I CAME ON THE COUNCIL.
UM, AND POLICIES RELATED TO REIMBURSEMENTS LONG BEFORE EVEN THAT.
UM, AND I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT SOME, THERE WERE SOME QUESTION, I'VE ALWAYS HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, WELL, WHAT CAN I SPEND HERE? WHAT CAN I SPEND THERE? WHAT IS THIS FOR? WHAT IS THAT FOR? AND I'VE, I'VE GENERALLY BEEN ABLE TO GET REALLY GOOD RESPONSES TO THAT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T USE MY CREDIT CARD IN TOWN, PERIOD.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T BUY COFFEE, UH, WITH MY CREDIT CARDS THAT I, I DO THINK IT'S MY STIPEND, BUT I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE OTHERS USING THEIRS THE WAY THEY DO.
AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UM, WHY WE HAVE THINGS IN THE BUDGET, WHAT THE HISTORY HAS BEEN ON THAT.
AND UM, SO I'VE BEEN VERY QUIET
ANYONE ELSE? WHICH ONE WE'RE GOING AGAIN? MAYOR,
[02:25:01]
I'M SORRY.THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE THE TRAVEL AT 10,000.
AND THEN ITEM NUMBER 10, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC RELATIONS.
SPONSORSHIP OR ADDING 300 BACK.
SO IT'S THE OPTION FOUR WITH A TOTAL SUPPORT COST OF 15 TWO MINUS 4,500 PLUS 300, WHICH IS A TOTAL OF 11 FIVE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE IT'S AN $11,500 SUPPORT COST BUDGET.
AND THEN THE MEALS STAY AT 2,400 VERSUS THE 2005.
IS THAT FOOD AND MEALS, IS THAT OUR PER DIEM OR OUT OUTSIDE? NO, THAT WOULD BE FOR INSIDE.
THE PER DIEM WOULD COME OUT OF IT.
OUT OF THE FOOD, THE, YOU KNOW, WELL OR TRAVEL DEPENDING ON MM-HMM.
BUT THE, THIS IS JUST YOUR BUDGET, THE ACTUAL PER DIEM FOR IS FOR OUT OF TOWN TRAVEL, CORRECT? YEAH, I DIDN'T WANT TO SO IS THAT GOING TO COME OUT OF TRAVEL CITY BUSINESS, WHICH WOULD BE HOTELS, TRAVEL.
UM, TRAVEL CITY PER PER DIEM COUNCIL MEMBER WILL COME OUT OF LINE ONE.
SO IS 5,500 ADEQUATE FOR THAT? I, I THINK IT'S MORE THAN WHAT SOME OF US NEED AND A LITTLE LESS THAN WHAT OTHERS MAY WANT.
BUT I THINK IT'S KIND OF, IT'S GOOD ENOUGH.
EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO GO ON A TRIP NEXT YEAR CAN GO AND IF YOU WANNA SQUEEZE INTO TOO, YOU PROBABLY CAN.
SO THEN THE FOOD AND MEALS WOULD BE FOR LOCAL? YES.
THAT'S STILL PRETTY, PRETTY NICE AMOUNT.
I MEAN, IF YOU WERE TO BUDGET A HUNDRED, DO $200 A MONTH IN FOOD AND MEALS, THERE'S PLENTY.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD GO OVER ANY OF THAT.
WELL, $200 A MONTH, THAT'S CLOSE TO THE 2,400 MM-HMM.
MAYOR COUNSEL, I DID WANNA JUST CLARIFY THE TOTAL WOULD BE 11,000.
JUST IT'S, UH, WELL YOU LET ME ASTRAY.
I KNOW, I JUST, I CAN'T DO MATH.
THE MATH HERE, JUST TO MAKE SURE I, I WAS LOOKING AT IT WITH ADDING 500, BUT IF YOU HAD THE 300, THEN IT'S BACK TO 11,000 EVEN.
SO ARE WE STILL LEAVING? UH, FLEXIBILITY IN THE LINE ITEMS FOR LIKE, THOSE LITTLE MINOR THINGS SOME OF US DON'T USE, THAT'S UP TO COUNCIL BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO WE ARE CURRENTLY REACH THE, UNLESS WE, UNLESS WE CHANGE IT.
NO, I THINK HAVING THAT LITTLE FLEXIBILITY AND HAVING A REDUCED IN SOME OF THESE THINGS WOULD BE FINE.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YOU WANNA KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT? NO.
I MEAN, WE, THERE IS NO TOPIC READY.
I'VE DISCUSSED MORE THAN COUNCIL COMPENSATION, BUT SOME OF IT'S DESERVED.
ALL, ALL THOSE PAPERS SAY AYE.
THANK YOUVE MOTION TO ADJOURN.