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MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT BRINGS US TO SECTION TWO CITIZEN'S APPEARANCE.
[2. CITIZENS APPEARANCES]
EACH PERSON IN ATTENDANCE WHO DESIRES TO SPEAK TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON AN ITEM NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA, SHALL SPEAK DURING THIS SECTION.EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES EACH SPEAKER.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL ON AN ITEM NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA? SEEING NONE, WE WILL MOVE ON TO SECTION THREE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS.
[3.A. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and provide staff direction regarding the City's legislative program. (Staff Contact: Janalea Hembree, Assistant to the City Manager)]
THREE A IS TO RECEIVE A REPORT, HOLD A DISCUSSION AND PROVIDE STAFF DIRECTION REGARDING THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.THE STAFF CONTACT IS JANALEA LEE HEMBREE, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER.
JANALEA. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
JANALEA HEMBREE, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER.
I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE BRANDON HE'S FROM FOCUS ADVOCACY.
HE'S GOING TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE POLICY AND PROGRAM.
TYPICALLY, THE CITY COUNCIL HISTORICALLY HAS DONE A LEGISLATIVE POLICY AND TALKING WITH YOU GUYS.
SO WITH THAT, WE PARTNERED WITH FOCUS ADVOCACY.
AGAIN, THEY ARE THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANT.
AND THEN OUR HOPE TODAY IS WE REALLY WANT TO IDENTIFY THE KEY ELEMENTS OF THE LEGISLATIVE POLICY.
TIMELINE, KIND OF WHEN WE NEED TO GET THAT OUT IN ORDER TO FIT WITH THE PROGRAM.
SO WITH THAT, BRANDON IS GOING TO COME UP AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT.
MEMBERS OF COUNCIL BRANDON AGHAMALIAN WITH FOCUSED ADVOCACY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
IT WAS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE LAST WEEK.
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH EACH OF YOU IN DEPTH AND WITH KEY CITY STAFF IN DEPTH ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT ARE AFFECTING THE CITY AND HOW THOSE ISSUES RELATE TO LEGISLATIVE ACTION IN AUSTIN.
AS I'VE SAID HERE PUBLICLY BEFORE, AND AS I SAID TO YOU PRIVATELY IN THOSE MEETINGS IT IS ALMOST WITHOUT FAIL THAT THERE IS A TIE IN TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE, TO STATE LAW, TO A STATE AGENCY WITH ALMOST EVERY SINGLE ISSUE THAT YOU DEAL WITH AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
EVERY SINGLE ITEM ON A CITY COUNCIL AGENDA I COULD SIT THROUGH AND SAY, THERE'S A STATE LAW, OR THERE'S A STATE AGENCY OR STATE ACTION OR SOME BUBBLING STATE ISSUE THAT AFFECTS THIS.
YOU ALL PROBABLY HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF AWARENESS ABOUT THAT, BUT I CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE THAT AT EVERY TURN, THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO ALWAYS BE THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU AND CITY STAFF CAN UTILIZE THE RESOURCES OF OUR FIRM TO UTILIZE THE RESOURCES OF YOUR DELEGATION, YOUR STATE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION AND YOUR FEDERAL DELEGATION AT TIMES, TOO.
I KNOW THAT WITH I KNOW WITH CONFIDENCE, HAVING NOW WORKED FOR CITIES FOR THE LAST NEARLY 25 YEARS, THAT HARDLY ANY OF YOU EVER SET OUT TO RUN FOR COUNCIL BECAUSE YOU REALLY WANTED TO GO MESS AROUND IN AUSTIN WITH A BUNCH OF LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY.
Y'ALL RAN FOR COUNCIL FOR THE REASONS THAT YOU RAN FOR COUNCIL YOUR'E LOCAL LEADERS.
YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR CITY.
YOU WANTED TO FIX THE POTHOLE DOWN THE STREET OR BUILD THE PARK OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND HERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW AUSTIN AND THE STATE LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM IMPACTS THOSE ABILITIES.
SO I HOPE THAT OUR FIRM CAN CONTINUE TO BE A BIT OF THAT YOU KNOW, CONNECTIVE GLUE TO HELP YOU WITH THOSE LOCAL WHAT YOU WHAT YOU SEE AS LOCAL OBJECTIVES AND GOALS AND HOW WE CAN GET AUSTIN TO EITHER PARTNER WITH
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YOU AND OR GET OUT OF YOUR WAY TO THE DEGREE THEY NEED TO GET OUT OF YOUR WAY.CAN'T PROMISE THAT WE'LL ALWAYS GET THE RESULTS WE WANT, BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY TRY.
SO I'VE GOT A BRIEF PRESENTATION.
SOME OF WHICH, IF NOT A LOT OF WHICH I RAN THROUGH WITH YOU INDIVIDUALLY TO VARYING DEGREES.
SOME OF US HAD, YOU KNOW A LITTLE MORE ABILITY TO RUN THROUGH THE SLIDES.
SOME OF US, SOME OF US DIDN'T.
AND THIS IS ALSO A PUBLIC MEETING, OBVIOUSLY.
AND SO THIS IS FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL.
SO NO CONVERSATION ABOUT YOUR LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS IN AUSTIN IS COMPLETE OR ADEQUATE WITHOUT FIRST RECOGNIZING WHO YOUR ELECTED LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE. TO BE CLEAR, FOCUSED ADVOCACY IS NOT YOUR KEY TO THE LEGISLATURE.
THESE ARE YOUR KEYS TO THE LEGISLATURE, AND THAT IS SENATOR PHIL KING AND THE SENATE CHAMBER.
AND THEN SOON TO BE REPRESENTATIVE HELEN KERWIN AND THEN REPRESENTATIVE DAVID COOK, WHO, AS YOU SEE THERE IN HIS DESIGNATION, REPRESENTS ABOUT 9100 BURLESON CITIZENS, GIVE OR TAKE.
HE'S IN THE TARRANT COUNTY PART WE'LL DIG INTO THOSE MAPS HERE IN A SECOND.
SOON, SOON TO BE REPRESENTATIVE HELEN KERWIN IS THE WILL BE THE STATE REP THAT REPRESENTS THE MAJORITY OF JOHNSON COUNTY. SHE DEFEATED DWAYNE BURNS IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION.
SMALL BUSINESS OWNER ACCORDING TO RESUME.
THIS IS DISTRICT 58, WHICH IS THE ENTIRETY OF JOHNSON COUNTY AND THEN SOMERVELL .
AND SO YOU SEE UP IN THE TOP PORTION, THIS ISN'T THE MOST CLEAR GRAPHIC AND I'M POINTING ON MY MAP, BUT OF COURSE YOU CAN'T SEE ME POINTING, BUT BURLESON IS THERE AT THE VERY TOP OF THAT AS YOUR FAMILIAR AND THE MAJORITY OF THE CITY.
BUT OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW SIGNIFICANT POPULATION IN CLEBURNE AND THE SURROUNDING MUNICIPALITIES.
THIS IS REPRESENTATIVE COOK'S DISTRICT 96.
AND AGAIN, NOT AN INSIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF BURLESON RESIDENTS.
SO REPRESENTATIVE COOK, WHO IS A FORMER MAYOR, LONGTIME MAYOR OF MANSFIELD.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT BODES WELL FOR Y'ALL'S ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM.
BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU THAT IS NOT GENERALLY THE CASE IN THE LEGISLATURE.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF CITIZENS, A LOT OF CITIES, EXCUSE ME, LIKE YOURSELF, THAT ARE TALKING TO A STATE REPRESENTATIVE OR A STATE SENATOR THAT HAVE NEVER SERVED IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND REALLY A LOT OF THAT IS FOREIGN TO THEM.
SO I THINK IN THAT REGARD, YOU'RE A FORTUNATE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, ON THE SENATE SIDE, THIS IS SENATOR PHIL KING'S DISTRICT, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TARRANT COUNTY JOHNSON COUNTY PORTION IS OVER ON THE FAR RIGHT SIDE.
AND IT DOES THIS, YOU KNOW SWING OUT WEST GOING LEFT ON THE MAP AND PICKS UP A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF VERY RURAL COUNTIES AND THEN HAS EVEN A SOUTHWARD TURN.
SO IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING DISTRICT THAT HAS A VERY UNIQUE BLEND OF AN URBAN POPULATION AND A VERY RURAL POPULATION. SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR YOUR DELEGATION.
YOU SEE HERE A TABLE THAT HAS A BUNCH OF NUMBERS ON IT THAT REPRESENT BILL FILINGS AND BILL PASSAGE AND BILL FAILURE OVER THE LAST NEARLY 20 YEARS, OR ACTUALLY MORE THAN 20 YEARS.
THE BOTTOM ROW IS THE MOST RECENT SESSION.
THE 2023 88TH REGULAR SESSION, WHERE A RECORD NUMBER 8300 BILLS WERE FILED.
A NEAR RECORD NUMBER, 1200 PLUS BILLS WERE PASSED.
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AND YOU SEE THERE THAT PASS PERCENTAGE NUMBER BEGAN TO DECLINE.AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS LATER AS WE GET INTO THE ISSUE OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A PROACTIVE BILL THAT YOU WANT TO PASS, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, PASSING A BILL IN THE LEGISLATURE ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING. IT IS NOT A PROCESS DESIGNED TO PASS BILLS, AND THAT IS ON PURPOSE.
IT IS ROOTED IN OUR CONSTITUTIONAL BELIEFS THAT TEXAS IS A LIMITED GOVERNMENT STATE.
WE DON'T WANT A LOT OF GOVERNMENT.
YOU. I YOU KNOW, BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, AS THEY SAY.
1200 NEW LAWS A SESSION FEELS LIKE A LOT OF GOVERNMENT TO SOME PEOPLE, BUT NONETHELESS, 7000 PLUS BILLS DID NOT PASS. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF A WHOLE LOT OF NOT GOVERNMENT.
TURNING TO OUR CALENDAR AND OUR TIMELINE.
WE'RE HERE IN AUGUST, OBVIOUSLY.
THE NEXT REALLY BIG THING ON THE CALENDAR IS ELECTION DAY IN NOVEMBER.
AND THEN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT, WE'RE REALLY OFF TO THE RACES.
NOVEMBER 11TH IS REALLY THE BEGINNING OF SESSION.
THOSE ARE REAL LIVE BILLS GETTING FILED, AND THEY WILL BE FILED EVERY SINGLE DAY, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM NOVEMBER 11TH THROUGH JANUARY 14TH.
AND WHEN THEY CONVENE, THEY'LL KEEP FILING BILLS AND THEY'LL JUST KEEP FILING BILLS.
AND THAT'S HOW WE GET UP TO THAT 7000, 8000 NUMBER.
BUT STARTING NOVEMBER 11TH, IT'S GAME ON, AT LEAST IN MY SHOP.
AND WHAT WE WHAT WE DO FOR Y'ALL.
SOMEWHERE IN LATE JANUARY OR EARLY FEBRUARY, THEY WILL NAME COMMITTEES.
THAT'S ANOTHER SORT OF, YOU KNOW, TO USE MY INFORMAL EXPRESSION SORT OF GAME ON MOMENT.
YOU KNOW, ONCE COMMITTEES ARE NAMED, THEN THEY NOW ARE WHAT WE CALL ORGANIZED.
THEY CAN START HAVING HEARINGS AND THE PROCESS STARTS AND THEN WE JUST ROLL ON FROM THERE FOR, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT 140 DAYS UNTIL WE GET TO THAT JUNE 2ND.
OF COURSE, AFTER THAT, THE GOVERNOR HAS THE CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY TO UNILATERALLY CALL A SPECIAL SESSION. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF THOSE AS OF RECENT, SO I WON'T BE SURPRISED AT ALL IF WE HAVE MORE SPECIAL SESSIONS.
BUT THOSE SPECIAL SESSIONS ARE CONTAINED TO THE SUBJECT MATTERS THAT THE GOVERNOR EXPRESSES AND WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS THE CALL, THE CALL OF THE SESSION HAS TO BE TO IDENTIFY THE EXACT SUBJECT MATTER.
SO WE DON'T JUST HAVE A SPECIAL SESSION AND SAY WE CAN CONSIDER ANY LEGISLATION.
IT'S EXPRESSLY WHAT THE GOVERNOR AND HE CAN EXPRESS MULTIPLE SUBJECTS.
HE CAN EXPRESS AN UNLIMITED NUMBER OF SUBJECTS, BUT USUALLY, IF NOT ALWAYS, IT IS VERY FOCUSED ON SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC THAT THE GOVERNOR SAYS THE LEGISLATURE DIDN'T DO WHAT I WANT THEM TO DO, AND I'M GOING TO CALL THEM BACK AND TRY TO GET THEM TO PASS A CERTAIN PIECE OF LEGISLATION.
WHAT'S KIND OF THE DROP DEAD DATE FOR US TO HAVE FORMAL POLICY AND KIND OF FEEDBACK TO YOU ON WHAT WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR OR AGAINST? GREAT QUESTION, MR. MANAGER.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE NEED TO BE COMMUNICATING.
WE MEANING Y'ALL REALLY EVEN MORE THAN ME.
YOU NEED TO BE COMMUNICATING YOUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES TO YOUR DELEGATION BY THE LATEST IN OCTOBER. REALLY? PREFERABLY EARLY OCTOBER.
YOU KNOW, EARLIER AND EARLIER.
AND WHAT YOU GET IS SOME PUSHBACK FROM YOUR LEGISLATORS SAYING SOME VERSION OF IT'S A LITTLE LATE.
MY PLATE'S ALREADY PRETTY FULL.
I'VE ALREADY COMMITTED TO DO X, Y, AND Z FOR THIS GROUP OR THAT GROUP, WHATEVER.
AND OR, YOU KNOW, MY STAFF'S NOT GOING TO HAVE TIME TO GET UP TO SPEED ON THIS ISSUE.
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. SO THERE'S A BUNCH OF REASONS THAT YOU REALLY CAN'T JUST SHOW UP IN JANUARY ANYMORE, OR EVEN DECEMBER OR NOVEMBER UNTIL A LEGISLATOR, HEY, I'VE GOT A BIG LIFT FOR YOU THAT WE WANT TO SEE DONE.
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I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT INCREASINGLY YOU WILL GET A LEGISLATOR THAT GOES A LITTLE LATE, GUYS.SO I THINK CERTAINLY WE NEED TO KEEP OUR FOOT ON THE PEDAL HERE, MR. MANAGER, TO GET AN AGENDA ADOPTED, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE AGAIN.
SO IT'S THE TIME IS MORE OR LESS UPON US.
I'VE GOT A QUESTION. YES, SIR.
CAN YOU PUT TOGETHER A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL?HELLO. MINE WORKS.
IF WE PUT TOGETHER SOME KIND OF LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE OF 2 OR 3 COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GO TO AUSTIN TO MEET WITH LEGISLATORS, WHAT'S THE DATE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THIS COMMITTEE TOGETHER AND GO TO AUSTIN BY.
WELL, I'LL UNPACK THAT THIS WAY.
IT IS NOT DEPENDING ON WHAT THE MESSAGE IS.
RIGHT. AND WHAT THE ASK IS WHAT WE COMMONLY, YOU KNOW, REFER TO AS THE ASK.
IT'S NOT TOTALLY NECESSARY TO EVEN GO TO AUSTIN.
BACK TO ALL ROADS LEAD TO YOUR DELEGATION, RIGHT? SO VISITING WITH THEM HERE IS EFFECTIVE, IF NOT MORE EFFECTIVE THAN GOING TO AUSTIN.
AND SO I'M A LITTLE BIT OF A BROKEN, A LITTLE BIT OF A BROKEN RECORD IN THAT BEGINNING TO BEGINNING TO DELIVER THAT MESSAGE TO YOUR DELEGATION, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT TIME IS MORE OR LESS NOW, YOU KNOW, OR VERY SOON.
SO GOING TO AUSTIN AND TO CONTINUE TO REEMPHASIZE THAT MESSAGE, TO HELP THEM REMEMBER AND KEEP IT ON THE FOREFRONT, TO BE THE SQUEAKY WHEEL, IF YOU WILL.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE KIND OF A BENEFIT BECAUSE THEY'RE HOME.
YEAH. AND SO THIS IS WHEN THAT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING COMES INTO PLAY.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO SQUEEZE ONE OF THOSE IN IF WE CAN, LIKE LUNCH WITH ONE OF THEM, WHETHER IT'S THE REPRESENTATIVES, WHETHER IT'S THE SENATOR, BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND THEM HEARING WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE AND WHAT THEY CAN ANTICIPATE.
AND THEN AS WE STRUCTURE THIS AND DECIDE AS A COUNCIL, WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO? THEN WE CAN FOLLOW UP AND BE LIKE, REMEMBER WHEN WE MET? WELL, THIS IS WHERE OUR CITY COUNCIL HAS DECIDED TO STAND AND WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE THIS.
HOW CAN WE WORK WITH YOUR OFFICE? HOW CAN WE WORK WITH YOUR STAFF? I'VE BEEN ONE OF THESE STAFF PEOPLE, SO I REMEMBER GETTING, YOU KNOW, RESEARCH AND ALL OF THOSE ASSIGNMENTS.
AND I KNOW, I KNOW, THEY'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WILLING TO DO THAT.
IF WE CAN ARRANGE THOSE TIMES AND GET A COUPLE OF US TOGETHER AT A TIME, THAT THAT GOING ALONG WITH WHAT LARRY IS SAYING IS IT CAN WE ALL GET TOGETHER OR A FEW OF US GET TOGETHER WITH THEM AND START BUILDING THAT RELATIONSHIP TO KNOW WHAT WE WOULD POTENTIALLY WANT TO DO IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH IN AUSTIN? ONE.
YES, YES, AND I CAN'T ENCOURAGE YOU ENOUGH TO AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS PRIVATELY IN YOUR MEETINGS TO BE HAVING, YOU TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS TO BUILD THESE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THESE MEMBERS OF OF THE THE BURLESON DELEGATION.
I'LL THROW OUT ONE IDEA FOR YOU TO CONSIDER THAT WE'VE YOU KNOW, BEEN A PART OF IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, SEEN BE EFFECTIVE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. AND THAT IS INVITING MEMBERS OF YOUR DELEGATION TO COME TO A JOINT MEETING WITH YOU. A FEW OF THE MAJOR, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENTAL KIND OF STAKEHOLDERS THE COUNTY, A COUPLE OF THE CITIES, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SOMETHING LIKE
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THAT. YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE ANY SORT OF, YOU KNOW, FLAVOR OF THE HOSTS OF THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENTITIES, THE CHAMBER, WHOEVER, JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A BECAUSE IN SOME WAYS IT'S JUST CONSIDERATE TO THEIR SCHEDULE.RIGHT. YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO SEE THE JOHNSON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT.
THE BURLESON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
THE BURLESON ISD, THE CROWLEY ISD.
AND SO IT IS SOMETIMES EFFECTIVE TO ALL COME TOGETHER OR AT LEAST EXPLORE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WHAT SIZE OF THIS, THIS MEETING? I MEAN, IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING.
YOU DO WANT IT TO NOT GET OVERWHELMING.
AND SO YOU'RE SMART TO RECOGNIZE IT CAN BE TOO MUCH.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING ALL THREE OF OUR.
YOU KNOW, OR WE'VE BEEN AROUND VICTORIA AND I HAVE MET WITH A COUPLE OF THEM, PLUS WITH TED CRUZ'S BUNCH AND JOHN CORNER'S BUNCH, AND THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE, THEY'RE RECEPTIVE TO US.
IF WE CAN GET THE TIME DOWN WHERE WE NEED THE GUIDANCE, I THINK IS WE CAN'T BECAUSE OF SIZE.
IF WE OPEN THE DOOR UP, EVERYBODY WILL BE THERE.
AND WE DON'T WANT THAT, DO WE? I MEAN, YOU CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TOO MANY VOICES IN THE MEETING TO BE TOO LONG.
SO, YEAH, YOU KNOW, YOU MAYBE YOU THINK ABOUT IT JUST BEING YOU AND.
THESE ARE AGAIN, JUST SUGGESTIONS.
YOU KNOW, YOU AS THE CITY, MAYBE THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO THE JUDGE WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
WE'VE GOT DAN AND VICTORIA BOTH ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE ON PART OF THAT.
I KNOW THEY'VE GOT PULL WITH PEOPLE.
I COULD SEE THE CROWD GETTING LARGE.
THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR THAT THEY ARE CERTAINLY EXPECTING, ANTICIPATING IT IS REASONABLE TO SAY, HEY, I GOT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE UPCOMING SESSION.
AND IF I'M BEING REAL BLUNT, IF, YOU KNOW, IF A MEMBER OF ANY DELEGATION AT THIS TIME OF YEAR WAS JUST REALLY UNRECEPTIVE TO VISITING WITH YOU, THAT'D BE VERY ALARMING.
BE ANOTHER THING. IF THIS WAS THIS SAME TIME LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, THEY'D BE GOING, GUYS, WE'RE OVER A YEAR AWAY FROM SESSION. YOU KNOW, I DON'T EXACTLY NEED TO JUST CARVE OUT A BUNCH OF TIME FOR YOU RIGHT NOW AS A PART TIME CITIZEN LEGISLATURE THAT IS BASICALLY UNPAID TO DO THIS JOB.
AND AGAIN, REPEATING MYSELF, IT IS CONSIDERATE, IN MY OPINION, ON Y'ALL'S PART TO SAY, WELL, WE WANT TO TRY TO AT LEAST GET 2 OR 3 ENTITIES TOGETHER TO SAVE YOU TIME FROM HAVING TO MAKE MULTIPLE TRIPS OUT OF HERE TO SEE EACH INSTITUTION.
MAYOR COUNCIL, ONE THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT ONE WAY TO KEEP TO ESTABLISH A COMMITTEE TO YOUR POINT, COUNCILMEMBER SCOTT WITH THAT SAID, THE IMPORTANCE OF A PROGRAM AND DEVELOPING IT.
SO YOU GUYS ALL KNOW YOU'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, SO YOU'RE ADVOCATING FOR THE SAME THING.
THAT'S THE OTHER CHALLENGE WITH STAFF.
WE'VE NOT ADVOCATED FOR ANYTHING BECAUSE I THINK WE DON'T WANT TO BE POLITICAL IN NATURE.
AND SO WE CAN BE VERY ACTIVE AS WELL WITH SOME OF THAT.
SO I THINK GETTING A FORMALIZED POLICY, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST STARTING THE GROUNDWORK FOR THAT TODAY WILL BE A LONG WAY TO THAT POINT AND PROBABLY GIVE YOU GUYS A LEVEL OF COMFORT IF 1 OR 2 OF YOU ARE REPRESENTING BECAUSE YOU'VE HAD A CONVERSATION AS A GROUP.
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TOMMY, IT'S GETTING SCARY.YOU'RE STARTING TO READ MY MIND.
YEAH, I THINK THAT IT'S VERY WISE TO MEET WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVES NOW AND GET A RELATIONSHIP GOING.
IF LEGISLATION COMES UP IN A PERSONAL PREFERENCE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT UNTIL WE DECIDE AS A QUORUM ON WHAT WE WANT TO GO FORWARD WITH AS THE CITY, WE SHOULD NOT REPRESENT US AS A CITY UNTIL THAT QUORUM IS COMPLETE. AND ALSO, BRANDON, THANK YOU FOR THE SQUEAKY WHEEL.
YES, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO GO DOWN THERE.
YES. WELL, AND THEN AND THEN IT CONTINUES.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE STILL ALIVE IN MARCH, THEN YOU GOT TO REALLY START SQUEAKING.
RIGHT. YOU KNOW, THEN IT'S TIME TO REALLY GET INTO THE LEAN, HARD PART OF IT AND SEE IF YOU CAN BECOME ONE OF THE LUCKY FEW THAT GETS OVER THE FINISH LINE.
SO HELEN'S BRAND NEW SO THESE TYPE MEETINGS IS DOES THAT GIVE HER AN ADVANTAGE BEING AROUND PHIL AND DAVID.
REPEAT THE QUESTION, MAYOR? WELL, HELEN IS NEW TO ALL OF THIS.
RIGHT. SO THESE TYPE MEETINGS COULD HAVE A REAL IMPACT ON HER.
IS THAT CORRECT? WITH 100%. YES, SIR.
YEAH. AND YOU KNOW, MY ASSUMPTION, I THINK IT'S A PRETTY SAFE ASSUMPTION IS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STARTING TO COMMUNICATE WITH HER. THEY HAVE TO YOU KNOW, THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER AS A DELEGATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST SORT OF TRADITION IN THAT BODY TO REACH OUT TO THE NEW, THE NEWBIE AND SAY, WELCOME, AND HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? AND LET'S START GETTING ON THE SAME PAGE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE Y'ALL'S POSITION WITH THEM, THE THREE OF THEM ARE NOT GOING TO AGREE ON EVERYTHING OR JUST NOT, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY NOT VERY RARE. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THEIR DIFFERENCES FROM TIME TO TIME.
THAT'S NORMAL. THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS.
RIGHT? BUT GETTING THEM IN THE ROOM TOGETHER TO WORK AND TO EXPRESS TO THEM YOUR EXPECTATION AND HOPE THAT THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER TO HELP ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS THAT YOU ALL HAVE, I THINK IS THE RIGHT WAY TO APPROACH THIS.
I MAY BE RISKING NAIVETE ABOUT THIS PROCESS, BUT IF I WERE TO TAKE A SHEET OF PAPER RIGHT NOW AND TRY TO WRITE DOWN MY LIST OF THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO PURSUE WITH THESE VARIOUS REPRESENTATIVES, I'D HAVE A BLANK LIST.
I WOULDN'T REALLY KNOW WHERE TO START.
ARE YOU ASKING OR EXPECTING US TO MAKE A LAUNDRY LIST OF THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE SPECIFICALLY TO ASK THESE LEGISLATORS TO DO? OR DO WE ALREADY HAVE FROM THE PREVIOUS SESSION, A LIST OF UNRESOLVED OR NEARLY RESOLVED ITEMS? I WAS KIND OF LOOKING AT FOCUSED ADVOCACY TO NOT ASK US WHAT DIRECTION TO GO, BUT TO POINT US IN THE DIRECTION YOU THINK WE NEED TO GO IN ORDER TO HEAD OFF WHATEVER INITIATIVES MAY BE COMING UP THAT COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR CITY? YOU KNOW, MY LIST WOULD BE VERY VAGUE IN GENERAL, IF I ASKED THE STATE LEGISLATORS TO DO ANYTHING, I'D SAY DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT ERODES THE AUTHORITY OF THE CITIES TO TAX, TO POLICE THEMSELVES, TO WRITE THEIR OWN RULES, TO RUN THINGS BY.
AND IF I'M GOING TO GO AND TRY TO PARTICIPATE IN A MEETING WITH SOMEONE WHO'S REPRESENTING ME AT THEIR LEVEL, I FEEL LIKE WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE AT THE OUTSET A SET OF DISCUSSION POINTS THAT WE WANT TO HIT PRETTY WELL IRONED OUT, BECAUSE I DON'T GO AROUND WASTING PEOPLE'S TIME IF I DON'T HAVE SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO ASK FOR.
YOU KNOW, LET'S DON'T SIT DOWN AND HAVE A MEETING.
YOU KNOW, LET'S DO SOMETHING. BUT MY POINT IS, I THINK I NEED A LIST OF THINGS I NEED TO BE FOCUSING MY ATTENTION ON VIS A VIS THE STATE. AND I'M NOT CAPABLE OF DRAWING THAT LIST UP MYSELF.
I'M NOT A FAN IN THIS PARTICULAR BATTLE.
SO GREAT. GREAT SEGUE TO NOW GETTING INTO THE WEEDS.
SO TO THAT POINT, YES, IT'S AS WE GET OUT OF THE SORT OF 60,000 FOOT VIEW AND DOWN INTO THE.
SO WHAT IS THE AGENDA? LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
SPECIFICITY IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS MATTERS TREMENDOUSLY.
AND I'LL, EVEN SPIN ON THAT FOR JUST AN ADDITIONAL SECOND.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE FANS OF SAYING THE WORDS ON THE PAPER MATTER.
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YEAH. THAT'S WHAT THIS PROCESS IS ABOUT.IT IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PASSING A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT IS PRINTED ON A PIECE OF PAPER THAT HAS ACTUAL WORDS IN THE THE MAZE VERSUS THE SHALL'S VERSUS THE THESE AND THE ANDS MATTER.
AND SO YOU HAVE TO BE SUPER SPECIFIC COUNCIL MEMBER TO YOUR POINT.
AND SO I APPRECIATE WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
HERE IS SOME INTERIM CHARGES THAT THEY ARE STUDYING CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW THAT BEGIN TO GIVE US SOME SENSE OF WHERE A FEW TOPICS THE LEGISLATURE WILL TAKE UP.
AND AS YOU SEE, PROPERTY TAXES WILL BE A DISCUSSION PIECE.
AND I THINK A MAJOR DISCUSSION PIECE ETJ RELEASE WILL CONTINUE TO BE DISCUSSED.
IS THAT BILL REALLY WORKING IN A IN A WAY THAT IS SUSTAINABLE? THE TOPIC OF HOUSING AFFORDABILITY WITH A SLANT ON IT, OF CITY REGULATORY ACTIONS BEING PERHAPS ONE OF THE REASONS HOUSING COSTS HAVE INCREASED.
AND SO WE'LL SEE BILLS THAT TALK ABOUT OR PROPOSE THAT CITIES NEED TO STOP TAKING CERTAIN ACTIONS, MAYBE HAVE REDUCED ZONING ABILITY, THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT YOUR COUNCIL MAY OR MAY NOT AGREE WITH.
BUT AGAIN, A FORESHADOWING OF THE KINDS OF THINGS AND I THINK THESE TO JUST PAUSE THERE.
THOSE ARE THREE ITEMS THAT I THINK GIVE YOU THE ABILITY TO START TO TALK WITH SOME SPECIFICITY TO YOUR DELEGATION IF YOU IF THE DELEGATION CAME IN RIGHT NOW, I THINK YOU'D HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAY, WELL, SENATOR, REPRESENTATIVE, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHERE Y'ALL ARE GOING WITH PROPERTY TAXES. LET'S TALK ABOUT ETJ RELEASE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY WITH REGARDS TO HOW IT RELATES TO CITY REGULATORY ACTIONS.
IF I WAS TO BE MORE BLUNT ABOUT THAT, IT WOULD BE ON THAT LAST ITEM IN PARTICULAR.
LET'S BE REAL CAREFUL ABOUT PRETENDING OR GOING DOWN A PATH AND PROPOSING TO THE PUBLIC THAT HOUSING IS GOING TO GET REAL AFFORDABLE BECAUSE WE ARE ON A SHORTER SHOT CLOCK TO APPROVE A PERMIT. JUST BEING BLUNT.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF THAT IS POTENTIALLY HAS BEEN SOLD IN THE PAST AND WILL BE SOLD IN THE FUTURE AND WILL BE ADVOCATED FOR BY CERTAIN OTHER GROUPS LIKE BUILDERS, DEVELOPERS, REALTORS THAT WILL BE DOWN THERE ACTIVELY ADVOCATING FOR LEGISLATION AND PROUDLY SPEAKING INTO A MICROPHONE PUBLICLY AND TALKING ABOUT HOW CITIES MAKE HOMES UNAFFORDABLE BECAUSE YOU TAKE TOO LONG TO APPROVE A PERMIT OR ZONING CHANGES OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
ALL THESE OTHER THINGS THAT COULD BE USED AS ADDITIONAL HOUSING.
100% DENSITY STANDARDS ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE ARE ALL GOING TO BE COUCHED IN TERMS OF HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. AND THE PROPONENTS, THE AUTHORS OF THOSE BILLS ARE GOING TO STAND ON THE HOUSE FLOOR AND THE SENATE FLOOR, SPEAK INTO A MICROPHONE PUBLICLY AND SAY THIS WILL HELP MAKE HOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE OR WILL CURB THE, YOU KNOW, STEEP INCREASE WE'RE SEEING IN HOUSING PRICES IF WE JUST FORCE CITIES TO ALLOW ADUS ON EVERY PROPERTY.
IF YOU ALL I CAN'T TELL Y'ALL WHAT TO GIVE THE FLIP SIDE TO YOUR COMMENTS COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR ROLE IN HELPING YOU FILL OUT THE AGENDA.
WE CAN ADVISE YOU OF THE ISSUES.
I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT Y'ALL'S POSITION IS, RIGHT.
THAT'S FOR YOU AS A BODY TO DETERMINE.
RIGHT. BUT I'M TELLING YOU THAT WHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF THESE TOPICS,
[00:35:03]
THEY'RE GOING TO BE BROUGHT UP, THERE'S GOING TO BE BILLS, AND YOU ALL NEED TO BE READY TO TAKE A POSITION.AND I THINK YOU'RE WISE TO START COMMUNICATING TO YOUR DELEGATION RIGHT NOW.
HEY, LET'S STAY IN TOUCH ABOUT THIS.
DON'T FEEL LIKE WE WERE REALLY CONSULTED ON IT.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO REVISIT THE BILL, IF YOU'RE GOING TO REVISIT THIS LAW, WILL YOU PLEASE LET US HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND HELP YOU ALL DESIGN THIS IN A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT LOVE THE BILL, BUT LET'S MAKE IT WORKABLE, BECAUSE HOW IT IS RIGHT NOW PRETTY PROBLEMATIC.
I'VE BEEN WORKING IN CITY HALL PROBABLY LONGER THAN ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM EXCEPT FOR TOMMY.
AND I'VE PROBABLY BEEN DOING THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME HE HAS.
I'VE NEVER IN MY LIFE GONE ONTO AN ELEVATOR IN A MAJOR CITY HALL IN TEXAS AND SEEING A SIGN THAT JUST SAID ETJ RELEASE, GO TO ROOM 204 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW.
AND I WAS GOING, IT'S THAT BAD.
LIKE YOU'RE JUST YOU'RE FLOODED THAT BAD.
IT WAS JUST A COMICAL MOMENT IN MY CAREER WHERE I WAS LIKE, WOW, THEY'RE JUST SIGNS IN AN ELEVATOR.
NOW, ABOUT A STATE LAW THAT WAS PASSED.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE INTERIM CHARGES IN THE SENATE.
AND AGAIN, THERE'S A DOZEN MORE WE COULD GO THROUGH, BUT IT'S A SMATTERING IN THE HOUSE.
THIS LAST SESSION, THEY'RE GOING TO BE YOU KNOW, NOW TALKING ABOUT HOW THAT'S WORKING.
YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN WITH THE LEGISLATURE ABOUT THAT, TO WEIGH IN WITH YOUR DELEGATION, ABOUT THAT SENATE BILL 929, ABOUT NOTICE FOR REVOKING THE RIGHT TO USE A PROPERTY.
IT SAYS ZOOMING. IT SHOULD SAY ZONING.
ZOOMING, I GUESS, IS A WORD NOW BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
SO SPELL CHECK DOESN'T CATCH IT.
AND THEN YOU SEE THE HOUSE ALSO ECHOING THE SENATE'S.
YOU SEE, THE HOUSE INTERIM STUDY LANGUAGE, IN MY OPINION, IS A LITTLE MORE SORT OF ROBUST AND BALANCED ABOUT, HEY, LET'S LOOK AT ALL THESE THINGS THAT MAKE HOUSING COST WHAT THEY ARE, AND NOT JUST LOCAL REGULATIONS.
BUT YOU'RE CERTAINLY MENTIONED IN HERE AGAIN, AS ARE YOU KIND OF A PART OF THE PROBLEM, SO TO SPEAK.
BRANDON, I WANT TO QUICKLY CIRCLE BACK TO MAYOR PRO TEM MCCLENDON'S QUESTION.
SO, DAN, WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH AND STAFF MET WITH BRANDON AS WELL.
BUT I THINK SOME OF THE QUESTION FOR YOU TODAY IS TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE SPECIFICITY OF THE PROGRAM, RIGHT? I THINK IN THE PAST IT'S BEEN A MUCH MORE BROAD TML KIND OF DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT IMPACTS LOCAL CONTROL.
AND, YOU KNOW, BRANDON AND I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS BEFOREHAND AS WELL, IN TERMS OF WHAT SHOULD YOUR POLICY LOOK LIKE? YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY HAVE THAT BROAD, OVERARCHING KIND OF DIRECTION TO GIVE YOU ALL DIRECTION AND THEN SOME VERY SPECIFIC STANCES ON THOSE BILLS THAT YOU CARE SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT.
AND I THINK WE MAY EVEN HAVE A HANDOUT THAT SPEAKS TO SOME OF THAT.
WE DO, AND I APOLOGIZE IF I'M GOING TOO SLOW ON THIS.
BUT YES, THE ANSWER IS A BOTH AND WE NEED OR AT LEAST I WOULD RECOMMEND SOME BROAD.
Y'ALL HAVE MORE ISSUES IN THE LEGISLATURE THAN ANYBODY BY FAR.
THERE IS NO CLOSE SECOND PLACE.
CITIES ARE MORE IMPACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE THAN ANY ENTITY UNDER THE SUN.
EXXON MOBIL, ONE OF THE LARGEST CORPORATIONS IN THE WORLD.
I BET THEY DON'T TRACK 250 BILLS IN THE LEGISLATURE.
I TRACK 2000 ON Y'ALL'S BEHALF.
THAT'S HOW MUCH STUFF Y'ALL DO AS A CITY, RIGHT? YOU PROVIDE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF SERVICES.
SO A LOT OF STUFF IN THE LEGISLATURE IMPACTS YOU A LOT.
SO WE NEED A VERY BROAD LEGISLATIVE AGENDA IN YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE RECOMMEND.
[00:40:02]
Y'ALL CAN DO THIS BY THE ONES IF YOU WANT.BUT THEN TO THE MANAGER'S POINT, THERE IS THEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO HAVE VERY SPECIFIC SORT OF BURLESON, YOU KNOW, ONLY INITIATIVES.
YOU CAN'T HAVE A TON OF THOSE.
YOU CAN'T GO TO THE LEGISLATURE AND SAY, I NEED YOU TO DO TEN THINGS FOR ME, OR EVEN FIVE THINGS FOR ME, BUT YOU CAN HAVE 1 OR 2 THINGS THAT YOU SAY, HEY, THIS IS REALLY SPECIFIC TO US, AND WE NEED A STATE LAW PASSED TO HELP US WITH SOMETHING.
AND SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK I JUST SAID MORE OR LESS, YOU KNOW, IN THIS SLIDE YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT I JUST TOUCHED ON IS UP THERE.
WE NEED AN AUTHORIZATION TO GUIDE US IN AUSTIN.
I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH.
AND I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH, BECAUSE JUST GETTING INTO ONE SUBJECT IN PARTICULAR, THE PROPOSAL THAT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE DEBATED AND PROBABLY PASSED IN AT LEAST ONE CHAMBER IN THE SENATE AS IT HAS BEEN IN THE LAST FEW SESSIONS, AND THAT IS TO PROHIBIT Y'ALL FROM CERTAIN TYPES OF LOBBYING AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS IN AUSTIN, FROM CERTAIN TYPES OF COMMUNICATIONS, VERY SPECIFICALLY FROM HIRING MY FIRM OR ANY FIRM LIKE MINE AND OR PERHAPS JOINING TML. AND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE POINT I'M MAKING IS THAT ADOPTING AN AGENDA BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT TO SORT OF COUNTERACT THAT NARRATIVE THAT AT LEAST SOME MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE VERY PURPOSELY PUT FORWARD, THAT THEY PAINT A PICTURE AS IF PEOPLE LIKE ME ARE DOWN THERE ADVOCATING FOR WHATEVER WE WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR, WITHOUT AUTHORITY AND DIRECTION FROM YOU.
THEY ALSO ON THIS TOPIC, PAINT A PICTURE THAT YOU EITHER THROUGH A FIRM LIKE MINE OR TML, OR THROUGH YOUR OWN DIRECT ACTIONS THAT YOU'RE IN AUSTIN ADVOCATING FOR SOMETHING THAT IS AGAINST THE WILL OF YOUR CITIZENS AND PRIMARILY VERY SPECIFICALLY, HIGHER TAXES.
THAT YOU ARE IN AUSTIN ADVOCATING FOR HIGHER TAXES, OR YOU HIRE ME TO GO DO THAT FOR YOU.
AND SO THIS PROCESS OF PUTTING THESE WORDS ON PAPER AND ADOPTING THIS, THESE POSITIONS BECOME VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT AT LEAST ALLOWS US TO POINT TO SOMETHING FACTUAL WHEN THOSE KIND OF ALLEGATIONS ARE MADE AND TO SAY, WELL, I CAN SHOW YOU.
WE CAN WATCH THE TAPE OF AUGUST 15TH WHEN WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION.
AND WHATEVER DATE IN THE FUTURE THAT YOU OFFICIALLY ADOPT THIS AGENDA, AND I CAN HOLD UP A PIECE OF PAPER AND SAY THIS, THESE ARE THE ADOPTED POSITIONS OF THE BURLESON CITY COUNCIL, AND THEY EITHER DO OR THEY DO NOT SAY THAT WE WANT HIGHER TAXES, OR THEY DO OR DO NOT SAY.
AND I'VE BEEN GIVEN THE DIRECTION AND THE AUTHORITY AND THE LIMITATIONS THAT I'VE BEEN GIVEN.
SO THIS PROCESS, YOU KNOW, BECOMES IMPORTANT FOR THAT ONE DEBATE ALONE, BUT IT CERTAINLY BECOMES IMPORTANT FOR ALL THE DEBATES, BECAUSE MOST CERTAINLY TO BE CLEAR WITH THE PUBLIC AND WITH YOU, MY FIRM DOES NOT FREELANCE.
WE DO NOT DO WE DON'T LOOK FOR WORK DOWN THERE.
I DON'T LOOK FOR FIGHTS AND DEBATES THAT YOU DIDN'T ASK ME TO GO GET INTO.
OKAY. SO THIS PROCESS OF ADOPTING THIS AGENDA IS, VERY IMPORTANT.
ON THAT, I GUESS I WOULD ASK YOU, WE CAN WE CAN SORT OF BOTH WORK OFF THE HANDOUT AND THE SLIDES TOGETHER HERE. BUT AS WE FINALLY GET DOWN TO IT, LET'S YOU KNOW, GET DOWN TO THE FINAL WEEDS AND TALK ABOUT HOW YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD.
THIS HANDOUT IS A VERY CAREFULLY CURATED DEVELOPED PRODUCT OVER THE YEARS.
THAT HAS WHAT I WOULD CALL THREE PARTS TO IT.
A VERY GENERAL LEGISLATIVE STATEMENT THAT I SOMETIMES JOKINGLY REFER TO AS, AS Y'ALL'S POSITION THAT YOU'RE FOR ALL THINGS GOOD AND AGAINST ALL THINGS BAD.
[00:45:03]
SO IT'S A VERY HIGH LEVEL, BUT WITH SPECIFICITY TO IT.MY JOKING ASIDE, IT IS YOU'RE GOING TO OPPOSE LEGISLATION HERE ON PAGE ONE AT THE TOP.
IT'S DETRIMENTAL TO THE CITY'S STRATEGIC GOALS.
RESULTS IN INCREASED COSTS OR LOSS OF REVENUES, OR THAT DIMINISHES THE FUNDAMENTAL AUTHORITY OF THE CITY AND THE ELECTED CITY COUNCIL BROAD BUT SPECIFIC.
PART TWO. A LITTLE MORE SPECIFICALLY GETS INTO YOU SEE ROMAN NUMERAL ONE AND ROMAN NUMERAL TWO, OR ROMAN NUMERAL THREE AND ROMAN NUMERAL FOUR, YOU KNOW, SPILLING ONTO PAGE TWO.
AND THEY'RE THESE SORT OF BIG BUCKETS OF STUFF THAT WE SEE, YOU KNOW, ROMAN NUMERAL ONE, BASIC HOME RULE AUTHORITY TWO, PUBLIC FINANCE THREE, YOUR, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CALL DEVELOPMENT WATER AND UTILITIES.
NUMBER FOUR YOUR PERSONNEL ISSUES MAINLY TMRS AND LABOR ISSUES AND A LOT OF SPECIFICITY.
ADD TO IT, STRIKE WHATEVER BACK TO.
I CAN'T MY JOB IS NOT TO MAKE YOU TAKE A POSITION, BUT IT IS TO SUGGEST THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT YOU PROBABLY OUGHT TO HAVE A POSITION ON AND GIVE US SOME DIRECTION.
I'M GOING TO BACK UP A SMALL STEP, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT SENTENCE THERE UNDER UNDER THAT HEADING GENERAL LEGISLATIVE POSITION, THE CITY COUNCIL, IN A PUBLIC HEARING, ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS AND HEREBY AUTHORIZES STAFF AND CITY REPRESENTATIVES TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS AS NECESSARY; OPPOSE LEGISLATION, OPPOSE LEGISLATION, OPPOSE LEGISLATION AND SUPPORT LEGISLATION.
SO THIS IS AGAIN, THIS VERY, YOU KNOW, AUTHORITATIVE DIRECTIONAL DOCUMENT.
AND THEN FINALLY, AND VERY IMPORTANTLY, AND THIS NOW I'LL GO BACK UP TO A SLIDE HERE, THIS LAST CATEGORY ON PAGE TWO, ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF PAGE TWO, YOUR SPECIFIC LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES AND WHAT I WANT YOU TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF IS THESE THREE CATEGORIES THAT WE SUGGEST. AND THIS IS JUST KIND OF A VERY TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO FOR ANY INSTITUTION LIKE YOURS AND HOW TO DEVELOP AN AGENDA, YOU'RE EITHER GOING TO HAVE THIS FIRST CATEGORY.
THIS THE CITY WILL SEEK INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE OF SOMETHING.
RIGHT. THAT IS A BURLESON IS GOING TO TAKE THE LEAD.
THE SECOND CATEGORY WILL SUPPORT LEGISLATION.
MEANING WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO SEEK THE INTRODUCTION OF PASSAGE OF IT.
BUT IF SOMEBODY ELSE INTRODUCES THIS BILL, WE'LL GET IN THE BOAT AND WE'LL ROW WITH YOU, OKAY.
AND IT CAN BE BIG TIME ROWING.
I MEAN, WE MIGHT REALLY GET IN THE BOAT AND REALLY, REALLY ROW AND BECOME A COPILOT, IF YOU WILL.
OR WE MIGHT OR WE MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, JUST WAY IN THE BACK KIND OF WAVING AND SAYING, HEY, SURE, WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THIS OR ANYTHING IN BETWEEN.
AND THEN LASTLY, AND THIS IS KIND OF THE I PUT THE WORD OPTIONAL HERE.
THIS WE'RE GOING TO MONITOR LEGISLATION.
AND I USE THE EGRET AND AND THE WORKER'S COMP ISSUES THAT FIRE CHIEF BROUGHT UP TO ME.
SO LET'S GO BACK THEN TO THIS SEEK INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE AND TALK ABOUT THIS SLIDE HERE.
THAT'S ON YOUR DECK ABOUT THE QUALIFIED HOTEL PROJECT.
AND THAT IS A TERM OF ART, BY THE WAY, IN THE STATUTE.
SO CHAPTER 351 OF THE TEXAS TAX CODE HAS THIS SPECIAL WHAT I CALL A PUBLIC FINANCE TOOL.
IT APPLIES NOW CURRENTLY TO ABOUT 70 ISH CITIES, SEVERAL IN THE DALLAS FORT WORTH AREA.
AND WHAT IT DOES IS ALLOW THE CITY TO RECEIVE A THE STATE PORTION OF THE HOTEL TAX FOR A TEN YEAR PERIOD, AND THE TAX ONLY COLLECTED AT THIS QUALIFIED HOTEL.
[00:50:10]
MANAGER IN FORT WORTH, PASSED A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT QUALIFIED FORT WORTH AND DALLAS.THIS IS HOW WE BUILT THE OMNI IN BOTH OF THOSE CITIES.
SUBSEQUENTLY PASSED LEGISLATION FOR THE CITY OF IRVING.
WHEN I WENT INTO PRIVATE PRACTICE.
TO BE VERY CLEAR WITH YOU, IN ORDER FOR BURLESON TO SPECIFICALLY QUALIFY FOR THIS SUBSIDY, YOU HAVE TO PASS PIECE OF LEGISLATION.
SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF NOW BACK TO OUR HANDOUT HERE.
THE CITY WILL SEEK INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE OF THE FOLLOWING LEGISLATION.
AND YOU CERTAINLY DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS TO BE CLEAR.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS, YOU'VE GOT TO GO ASK YOUR LOCAL DELEGATION.
HEY, WE BURLESON WANTS THIS TOOL AND WE WANT YOU TO HELP US.
WE NEED YOU TO PASS A BILL SO THAT WE HAVE THIS TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX.
IF WE PASS A BILL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE IT AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUILD A HOTEL.
AND THERE'S NOT A TICKING CLOCK ON IT.
IT CAN WE HAVE SEVERAL CITIES.
I ALWAYS USE CORPUS CHRISTI AS AN EXAMPLE.
I THINK I PASSED THE BILL TO QUALIFY CORPUS CHRISTI IN 2007.
SO, YOU KNOW, 15 PLUS YEARS AGO, THEY HAVEN'T USED IT.
THEY HAVEN'T BUILT A HOTEL BECAUSE OF LOCAL ISSUES, BECAUSE OF LOCAL ECONOMIC ISSUES.
SO YOU CAN PASS IT AND IT CAN JUST, YOU KNOW, SIT ON THE SHELF, SIT IN THE TOOLBOX, SO TO SPEAK.
SO THAT QUALIFIED HOTEL PROJECT AS IT IS, IT IS CALLED OR QHP FOR SHORTHAND IS A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT YOU CAN CERTAINLY PURSUE.
THE CITY OF PLANO IS PURSUING IT THIS SESSION.
THEY ARE NOT A QUALIFIED CITY AND THEY ARE SEEKING TO BE THEY'VE ENGAGED ME TO DO THAT.
I BELIEVE THE CITY OF CARROLLTON IS GOING TO DO THE SAME.
THEY HAVEN'T PUBLICLY MADE THAT DECISION, BUT I THINK THEY'RE ABOUT TO.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER DFW CITY PERSONALLY, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THERE WON'T BE SOME.
THERE WILL BE OTHERS AROUND THE STATE.
LAST SESSION, I THINK WE QUALIFIED LIKE 20 CITIES.
AND THE SESSION BEFORE THAT, I THINK WE QUALIFIED LIKE 15 CITIES.
SO WE'RE DOING THESE INCREASINGLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF SESSIONS BY SORT OF BIG, BIG NUMBERS.
DOESN'T MEAN WE'LL DO IT AGAIN.
I CERTAINLY YEARS AGO HAD BILLS WHERE I JUST QUALIFIED 1 OR 2 OR 3 OR 4 CITIES.
SO IT CAN BE ANY, ANY AND ALL.
I'LL PAUSE THERE BEFORE I ROLL INTO A COUPLE OF OTHER ISSUES TO SEE IF Y'ALL WANT TO TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL OR THIS LEGISLATION, WHAT WOULD BE OUR WHAT WOULD BE OUR POSITION, OUR ROLE THAT WE WOULD PLAY WHEN YOU GO AFTER THIS FOR US, IF WE DID IT.
MUCH LIKE THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION, MAYOR, IT'S, YOU KNOW AT THE RISK OF ANSWERING THAT QUESTION THE WRONG WAY, IT'S , YOU KNOW, IT'S SQUEAKY WHEEL, YOU KNOW, IT'S REPEATEDLY MESSAGING TO YOUR DELEGATION.
GOT TO GET THIS DONE BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY YOU KNOW, I USE THE WORD BINARY A LOT IN THE LEGISLATURE BECAUSE TO ME IT'S A VERY BINARY PROCESS.
YOU EITHER PASS A BILL OR YOU DON'T PASS A BILL.
YOU KNOW, EITHER BECOMES LAW OR IT DOESN'T.
RIGHT. AND SO YOU EITHER ARE GOING TO GET THIS TOOL OR YOU ARE NOT.
WOULD IT BE ADVOCATING TO JUST SPECIFICALLY PUT BURLESON ON THIS LIST, OR TO BROADEN THE LIST OF QUALIFYING CITIES THAT WOULD INCLUDE BURLESON AND PERHAPS OTHERS? WELL, YOUR POSITION.
[00:55:08]
DISTRICTS ALL ACROSS THE STATE IF THE LAW WERE MADE BROADER.THAT'S EXACTLY THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
AND THAT IS WHAT BETTER TO ADVOCATE FOR THE SPECIFIC OR THE GENERAL CHANGE.
SO YOUR POSITION WOULD BE ONLY TO, YOU KNOW, ADD BURLESON THAT'S ALL YOU CARE ABOUT.
YOU DON'T CARE IF THEY ADD ANYBODY ELSE.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS, AND WHAT I WOULD PREPARE Y'ALL FOR, IS THAT YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF.
OR YOU COULD FIND YOURSELF IN A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT HAS MULTIPLE CITIES IN IT, WHAT WE CALL AN OMNIBUS BILL INSTEAD OF PASSING ONE BILL FOR BURLESON, ONE BILL FOR MULESHOE, ONE BILL FOR SPRINGVILLE, ONE BILL FOR WHOVILLE, YOU KNOW, BY THE ONES THEY EVENTUALLY THROUGH SOMEBODY'S, YOU KNOW, KIND OF MANAGERIAL THINKING, SAY, LET'S JUST ROLL ALL THIS INTO ONE BILL.
SO YOU MAY VERY LIKELY FIND YOURSELF IN A BILL WITH MULTIPLE CITIES.
AND TO TAKE THAT EVEN ONE STEP FURTHER.
IF WE REALLY GO THROUGH THIS, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS WE'LL SORT OF HAVE BOTH GOING, WE'LL HAVE OUR BILL AND IT'LL KIND OF LIVE FOR A WHILE UNTIL THAT OMNIBUS BILL EITHER DOES OR DOESN'T TAKE OVER, OUR BILL DIES AND GOES BY THE WAYSIDE.
THE OMNIBUS BILL BECOMES THE VEHICLE.
SO YOU'LL SORT OF LIVE IN BOTH WORLDS FOR A WHILE WOULD BE MY PREDICTION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, PREDICTING THE FUTURE IS CERTAINLY HAS ITS LIMITATIONS.
I DON'T PRETEND TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW IT'S GOING TO ALL GO.
BUT I'VE SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE.
BRANDON, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY.
OKAY. SO IF WE DID THIS, OUR NAME GETS WRITTEN IN THERE, IT'S APPROVED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO USE IT.
RIGHT. BUT AT LEAST SO WHAT DO WE REALLY HAVE TO LOSE? GREAT QUESTION.
IN MY OPINION, NEXT TO NOTHING.
YOU'RE CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, FORGIVE MY INFORMAL EXPRESSION.
YOU'RE EATING UP A [INAUDIBLE] YOU KNOW, WITH YOUR DELEGATION.
BACK TO MY COMMENT THAT I MADE VERY PASSINGLY, BUT I CAN'T EMPHASIZE IT ENOUGH.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO GO, OH, NO, NO, HEY, GIVE ME ONE.
GIVE ME TWO AT MOST KIND OF DEAL.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, IF YOU'RE LIKE, HEY, THIS IS REALLY ALL WE NEED, THEN THEN IT REALLY BECOMES A NO BRAINER, RIGHT? BUT IF YOU'RE TORN BETWEEN THIS AND SOMETHING ELSE, THEN YOU DO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT THAT WAY.
YOU KNOW, AND TO TAKE THAT A STEP FURTHER, LIKE IN SOME, YOU KNOW, BIG LIKE FORT WORTH OR, YOU KNOW, I WORKED A LONG TIME AGO, IT'S A LITTLE MORE COMMON FOR A LARGE, LARGE CITY LIKE THAT TO HAVE THREE, FOUR, FIVE KIND OF NUMBER ONES, COMPETING INTERESTS AMONGST COUNCIL AND STAFF AND YOU KNOW, AND I'M UP HERE GOING, HEY GUYS, I GOT TO HAVE A NUMBER ONE.
YOU KNOW, I CAN'T GO TO LEGISLATURE AND SAY I'VE GOT FIVE NUMBER ONES.
WE GOT TO TELL OUR DELEGATION WHAT NUMBER ONE IS.
SO APOLOGIZE FOR GOING DOWN THAT RABBIT TRAIL WITH YOU.
BUT I DON'T SEE A LOT OF DOWNSIDE TO TO IT ALL TO THE CITY SAYING SURE, LET'S TRY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOTEL PROGRAM? HOW IT WORKS? WHAT? YEAH.
BRANDON, FOR CLARIFICATION, WOULD THEY ACTUALLY WRITE OUR NAME IN THE BILL? OR DO THEY WRITE QUALIFICATIONS OR CRITERIA? THAT ONLY APPLIES TO BURLESON.
I HAVE UNFORTUNATELY WRITTEN EVERY WORD OF IT.
IN THE WHAT THEY CALL THE APPLICABILITY SECTION.
THEY HAVE A LIST OF LITERALLY 70 CITIES, BUT NOT BY NAME TO YOUR QUESTION.
[01:00:03]
GENERAL STATE LAWS HAVE TO APPLY TO EVERYBODY.SO WE TRY TO GET AROUND THAT CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION BY CREATING IN STATUTE THE WORDS A WHAT WE CALL A BRACKET THAT GENERALLY REFERS TO YOU BY SOME COMBINATION OF POPULATION AND A DESCRIPTION.
SO AN EXAMPLE MAY BE I'M MAKING THIS UP, A CITY UNDER 60,000, IN POPULATION, LOCATED IN A COUNTY OVER A MILLION IN POPULATION, ADJACENT TO A COUNTY, OVER 2 MILLION IN POPULATION THAT HOST AN ANNUAL CHILI FEST CELEBRATION OR IS HOME TO A SPORTS TEAM, MAJOR SPORTS TEAM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO IT WILL NOT SAY WHEN YOU SEE THIS BILL, IF YOU EVER CARE TO SEE A BILL LIKE THIS, YOU WILL NOT SEE A BILL THAT SAYS THE CITY OF BURLESON EVER. BUT YOU WILL HAVE THIS, WHAT WE CALL BRACKET.
THAT'S JUST SLANG TALK AMONGST LOBBYISTS AND LEGISLATORS.
AND THAT DESCRIBES YOUR CITY IN THIS DESCRIPTIVE WAY.
SO HE JUST SPECIFIED THAT THE TRACTOR HAS TO BE GREEN.
I'VE MENTIONED THIS TO A FEW OF YOU PRIVATELY.
SENATOR KING IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROGRAM.
HE AUTHORED A BILL IN 2019 OR JOINT AUTHORED, BUT HE WAS ACTUALLY THE MEMBER THAT LAID IT OUT ON THE FLOOR IN THE HOUSE AND SUCCESSFULLY PASSED IT DID AN EXCELLENT JOB.
AND HIS INTEREST IN THAT BILL WAS QUALIFYING THE CITY OF WEATHERFORD.
SO WEATHERFORD IS NOW A QUALIFIED CITY.
AND SO SENATOR KING IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS.
REPRESENTATIVE COOK IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS LAST SESSION.
HE WAS PART OF THE OMNIBUS BILL THAT QUALIFIED THE CITY OF MANSFIELD.
MANSFIELD IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER A HOTEL PROJECT, AS IS WEATHERFORD.
SO THEY ARE TRYING TO PUT A DEAL TOGETHER TO USE THIS TOOL.
AND BOTH OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE FINALLY TO THE POINT OF REAL SPECIFICITY OF WHAT YOUR AGENDA MIGHT INCLUDE.
AND YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU, AS A COUNCIL, NEED TO DECIDE TO GO.
REPEATING MYSELF FOR A THIRD TIME, I PROMISE I WON'T SAY IT AGAIN.
I'M NOT HERE TO TRY TO PERSUADE YOU ALL TO DO THIS.
IT IS YOUR DECISION EXCLUSIVELY BETWEEN COUNCIL AND STAFF, AND THE PROCESS YOU'LL HAVE HERE AT CITY HALL, WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS POSITION AND IF YOU DO, YOU'RE SIMPLY GIVING ME DIRECTION AND MY FIRM DIRECTION AND THE REST OF CITY STAFF DIRECTION TO GO SEEK THE INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE OF QUALIFIED HOTEL PROJECT LEGISLATION.
IS EVERYBODY ON? IS EVERYBODY ON BOARD WITH THIS RIGHT TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO YOU GOT THAT ANSWER RIGHT THERE TO GO FORWARD WITH IT.
THANK YOU. A LOT OF DISCUSSION LAST WEEK ABOUT THAT FIRST WELL, THAT FIRST BULLET POINT ISN'T VERY WELL.
AND WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT PRIVATELY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE HAVE A VERY SIMILAR KIND OF PROGRAM TO THE STATE, TO THE QUALIFIED HOTEL PROJECT, WHEREBY MAYBE THE STATE COULD LOAN A PORTION OF ITS SALES TAX TO THE CITY TO BE SPECIFICALLY USED FOR TRANSPORTATION.
[01:05:01]
AND SO I THINK THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT MAYBE YOU SAY YOU'LL SUPPORT.OR YOU COULD SAY, NO, WE WANT TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS.
WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY APPROACH SENATOR KING AND REPRESENTATIVES KERWIN AND COOK AND SAY, WE WANT YOU TO INTRODUCE A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT GETS US ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS.
I'M GOING TO PIVOT HERE A LITTLE BIT AND BRIEF YOU ALL ON SOMETHING THAT JUST TRANSPIRED REGARDING TRANSPORTATION THAT ALSO COULD BECOME A LEGISLATIVE ISSUE.
AND I WANT TO DO THIS VERY CAREFULLY.
I'VE ASKED TOMMY FOR PERMISSION TO DO THIS.
HE SAID I COULD, BUT I WANT TO START BY SAYING I'M NOT YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL.
AND I'M NOT YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR LEAD CITY STAFF ON THE SUBJECT OF TRANSPORTATION FINANCE.
BUT I BELIEVE MY UNDERSTANDING IS Y'ALL HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF A FEE, PUTTING SOME KIND OF FEE ON THE WATER BILL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR THE TRASH BILL TO RAISE REVENUES FOR ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION.
AND YESTERDAY A DISTRICT COURT STRUCK DOWN A VERY SIMILAR, IF NOT IDENTICAL FEE IN EL PASO WAS BEING STYLED AS A FRANCHISE FEE, BUT IT WAS MORE OR LESS THIS, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY, VERY SIMILAR, IF NOT A KIND OF A FIRST COUSIN TO WHAT Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT.
AND IF THEY PAINTED THAT PICTURE FOR YOU, THEY WERE CORRECT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I TOLD THEM WHEN I LEARNED ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK THAT IN ARLINGTON AND IN AUSTIN, THERE HAVE BEEN LEGAL CHALLENGES TO SIMILAR, IF NOT IDENTICAL KIND OF FEES.
THEY HAVEN'T GONE ALL THE WAY THROUGH WITH JUDICIAL DECISIONS.
BUT THIS IS A PRETTY RESOUNDING CASE WHERE THE COURT SAID THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
THERE IS NO STATUTORY AUTHORITY FOR THIS, AND THIS IS A TAX DISGUISED AS A FEE.
THAT DECISION HAS BEEN RELEASED.
YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL CAN GIVE YOU ACCESS TO IT AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN I CAN.
I BRING IT UP ONE BECAUSE IT'S TIMELY AND TWO, BECAUSE I WON'T BE SURPRISED IF THERE'S LEGISLATION ABOUT THIS TOPIC, AND I WON'T BE SURPRISED ABOUT LEGISLATION ABOUT THIS TOPIC FOR AND AGAINST.
I CAN SEE SOME LEGISLATORS SAYING, WELL, THEN THE COURT HAS SAID WE NEED TO GIVE THIS THING SOME STATUTORY SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE IT TO GIVE IT SOME LEGALITY. LET'S PASS A BILL THAT SAYS THESE KIND OF FEES ARE LEGAL, AND I CAN SEE OTHER MEMBERS LEGISLATURES SAYING, OKAY, IT'S TIME TO BE CLEAR. LET'S PROHIBIT THESE KINDS OF FEES.
THAT ROLLING ALL OF THAT BACK TO THIS FIRST BULLET POINT, I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE FOR YOU ALL TO COMMUNICATE TO YOUR DELEGATION YOUR NEED FOR CREATIVE REVENUE STREAMS, WHETHER IT IS A REBATE OF STATE TAXES OR IT IS A FEE OR IT IS ANYTHING ELSE OF WHICH THERE IS A LAUNDRY LIST WE COULD TALK ABOUT, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE FOR YOU ALL TO BOTH VISIT WITH THEM ABOUT THAT NEED, AND TO HAVE A POSITION THAT SAYS YOU'LL SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT PROVIDES ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDING? SO I'M LOOKING HERE AGAIN AT YOUR HANDOUT WHERE I HAVE A, YOU KNOW, KIND OF FILL IN THE BLANK THERE.
THERE WAS AN ISSUE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION MOVING ON.
THAT BILL HAS BEEN INTRODUCED LAST COUPLE OF SESSIONS, LAST SESSION HAD NEAR SUCCESS ON IT.
[01:10:02]
THE AGRICULTURAL OPERATION WAS A BILL THAT WAS PASSED LAST SESSION, HOUSE BILL 1750.COINCIDENTALLY, THERE WAS A HEARING ON THAT THIS WEEK TWO DAYS AGO IN AUSTIN, WHEREBY CERTAIN CITIES WERE OPENLY CRITICIZED BY THE COMMITTEE FOR WHAT THEY FELT WAS NOT COMPLYING WITH THE LAW.
MY UNDERSTANDING FROM STAFF IS THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED SOME COMPLAINTS, ESPECIALLY IN MULTIFAMILY APARTMENTS AND OR, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOT AND BLOCK TYPE RESIDENTIAL AREAS WHERE SOMEBODY HAS A, YOU KNOW, A PIG IN AN APARTMENT OR A PONY, A PONY IN THEIR BACKYARD.
AND THEY'RE CLAIMING THIS AGRICULTURAL OPERATION, THAT HOUSE BILL 1750 CREATED AND THAT YOU ARE NOW PREEMPTED AS A CITY FROM REGULATING BECAUSE OF HOUSE BILL 1750.
SO THAT DEFINITION IS ARGUABLY OVERLY BROAD.
TML WROTE A LETTER TO THE COMMITTEE ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
BUT YOU'RE CERTAINLY GOING TO THIS IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF IF THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ENOUGH ISSUE FOR YOU TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT, AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT IT IS, BUT IF IT IS, AND THAT IS Y'ALL'S DECISION, THIS IS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, A GREAT EXAMPLE OF, YOU GOT TO GO GET IN YOUR LEGISLATORS FACE ABOUT THIS AND SAY, GUYS, WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, I GOT COMPLAINTS.
DO YOU WANT TO MEET WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS? WE'LL BRING THEM IN.
WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE PIGS IN AN APARTMENT OR ROOSTERS IN AN APARTMENT AND CLAIMING IT IS AN AGRICULTURAL OPERATION BECAUSE THAT SEEMS LAUGHABLE AND NOT THE REAL INTENT.
MY SUGGESTION IS THAT THE TEXAS FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION WILL PROBABLY END UP CHAMPIONING THOSE.
AND SO THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF MAYBE YOU JUST TAKE A POSITION TO SAY WE'LL MONITOR IT.
AND IF THOSE BILLS GET TRACTION, WE WILL SHARE THAT WITH YOU IN REAL TIME THROUGHOUT THE SESSION.
AND YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR POSITION.
AND THAT'S THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF YOUR POSITIONS ON THESE CAN CHANGE, RIGHT.
I MEAN, YOUR AGENDA IS A LIVING BREATHING DOCUMENT.
AND YOU'LL CONTINUE TO HEAR THAT FROM ME.
YOUR AGENDA ISN'T SET IN STONE AND FOREVER FIXED.
YOU CAN TAKE SOMETHING THAT YOU SAID WE'RE JUST GOING TO MONITOR, AND IT BECOMES PRESSING ENOUGH THAT YOU SAY, WE REALLY NEED TO MOVE IT UP TO A, WE'VE GOT TO OPPOSE THIS, OR WE'VE GOT TO REALLY TAKE THIS UP AS OUR OWN INITIATIVE AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
BRANDON, ARE YOU NEEDING DIRECTION ON THIS STUFF? I'M SORRY. YOU NEED A DIRECTION ON THIS STUFF NOW.
I DON'T WANT TO OVERSTEP CITY MANAGER.
I THINK THIS IS JUST A WORK SESSION.
SO TODAY THERE'S GOING TO BE NO ACTION TODAY.
THAT'S WHAT WE HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH TODAY.
TO BRANDON'S POINT ABOUT TIMING, YOU KNOW, REALLY SOONER THE BETTER.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MEETINGS IN SEPTEMBER, BUT FOLLOWING THAT OCTOBER, WE'RE GETTING BEHIND.
SO I THINK AS MUCH SPECIFICITY AND SPECIFICITY AS YOU CAN PROVIDE TODAY IN TERMS OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY ADVOCATE FOR, THOSE THAT YOU WANT TO SUPPORT OR MONITOR, THAT'S REALLY KIND OF WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH TODAY.
COME BACK, REPORT TO YOU FOR THE ISSUES THAT WE DID RAISE.
AND THEN TO TOMMY'S POINT, LET'S WORK RAPIDLY IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER TO BE ADOPTING AN AGENDA AND THEN MOVING FORWARD QUICKLY WITH STARTING TO VISIT WITH YOUR DELEGATION ABOUT IT.
[01:15:08]
SHOULD FOCUS THEIR EFFORT AND ENERGY? IS IT JUST ON THOSE BILLS THAT THEY'RE SEEKING ACTIVE APPROVAL FOR? WHERE DO YOU RECOMMEND THEY SPEND THEIR TIME AND EFFORT? WELL, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.YOU KNOW, BACK TO BROKEN RECORD.
IT'S THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL DECIDE ARE THE MOST ALARMING, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S ANNEXATION BILLS THAT SOME CITIES FIND EXTREMELY PROBLEMATIC FOR THEIR OWN REASONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS USE DALLAS AS AN EXAMPLE.
YOU KNOW, SO GIANT CITY, BIG VOICE IN THE LEGISLATURE DOESN'T CARE AT ALL ABOUT A TOPIC THAT SOME CITIES ARE, YOU KNOW, LOSING THEIR MIND OVER.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION IS BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION.
IT'S WHATEVER THIS COUNCIL IS WORKING ON AT THE DAIS, WHATEVER YOUR PRIORITIES AND THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET DONE AS A COUNCIL, IT'S THAT GO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT IN THE LEGISLATURE.
IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU DON'T CARE, I'LL DO A, FOR EXAMPLE, ANOTHER FOR EXAMPLE.
IF YOU DON'T CARE THAT SOME UTILITY COMPANY WANTS TO GET INTO THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR FREE AND NOT PAY YOU ANY KIND OF PAY THE CITY AND THE TAXPAYERS, YOU KNOW, ANY KIND OF RENT FOR USING THAT, THEN DON'T DON'T WEIGH IN ON IT.
IF YOU CARE A WHOLE LOT MORE ABOUT PASSING A QUALIFIED HOTEL BILL THEN LET'S WEIGH IN ON THAT.
OKAY. SO WE WE LOOKED AT A WHILE AGO, AND LAST YEAR THERE WAS 8000 BILLS.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REALIZE WHICH ONE ARE IMPORTANT TO US.
I MEAN ARE YOU GOING TO BE HERE EVERY WEEK GIVING US A LAYOUT AND STUFF.
BECAUSE I DON'T SEE HOW THAT'S EVEN POSSIBLE.
SO WE HAVE A PROCESS OF SHARING THE BILLS WITH STAFF AND WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH TML.
TML IS AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE ABOUT SIFTING THROUGH THESE BILLS.
BUT THERE IS A HIGH DEGREE OF STAFF RESOURCE THAT HAS TO BE PUT INTO THIS INSIDE CITY HALL BACK TO.
I CAN'T TELL Y'ALL WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, I STARTED TO GET A FEEL FOR IT, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, LONG TERM CLIENTS, WE KNOW MORE AND MORE, YOU KNOW, BUT THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE AND A LOT OF CONSTANT FEEDBACK ABOUT BRANDON.
IT'S JUST NOT OUR OR IT IS ONE OF THE TWO.
WE THINK WE REALLY THINK THIS IS PROBABLY AN ISSUE FOR Y'ALL.
BUT ULTIMATELY, YOU'LL HAVE TO SAY IT EITHER IS OR IT ISN'T.
WELL, THE FIRST ONE YOU BROUGHT UP WAS ALLOW.
WOULD YOU BRING THAT IN FRONT OF IT? APPARENTLY YOU ALREADY HAVE. BUT YOU KNOW.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HOTEL.
WHY WOULD THAT EVEN COME TO US WHEN THERE'S REALLY NO ACTION ON.
I MEAN, WHAT'S THE AND HOW MANY OF THESE BILLS HAS THAT KIND OF STUFF THERE? AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY BRINGING SOMEBODY ON JUST TO LOOK AT THE ITEMS THAT SOMEBODY NEEDS TO BRING IN FRONT OF COUNCIL, OR I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS HERE.
I MEAN, THAT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS.
CORRECT. SO IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN GIVE YOU, GUIDELINES THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN TO NOT INUNDATE OUR STAFF HERE? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
YEAH, I THINK MAYOR COUNCIL, WE HAVE CLEARINGHOUSE CALLS WITH FOCUS ADVOCACY.
BRANDON'S GOING TO CALL US AND LET US KNOW.
[01:20:01]
WE ACTIVELY WATCH AS WELL.YOU ALL PROBABLY ACTIVELY WATCH AS WELL.
MAYOR, TO YOUR POINT, THERE ARE SOME BILLS WHERE ALLOW MAY NOT BE SOMETHING THAT WE WANT.
I'M NOT NECESSARILY TALKING ABOUT THE SPEED LIMIT ISSUE, BUT IF THAT WERE TO PASS, REST ASSURED YOU WOULD GET LOTS OF REQUESTS FOR LOWERING SPEEDS IN RESIDENTIAL SPEED LIMIT. AND SO NOW YOU HAVE TO DETERMINE WHERE DO YOU DO IT.
AND THEN DO YOU HAVE A CONSISTENT POLICY.
NOW YOU'RE SPENDING MONEY TO REPLACE SIGNS.
BUT WHEN YOU DO IT ACROSS THE CITY.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY BENIGN REQUEST AND IN THAT CASE IT VERY WELL MAY BE.
SO DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? IT DOES. BRANDON, YOU MADE MY EARS PERK UP WHEN YOU MENTIONED UTILITIES AND THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
THAT'S LONG BEEN A HOT BUTTON ISSUE OF MINE.
THAT'S THE KIND OF GUIDANCE THAT I'M LOOKING AT YOU FOR.
I'M GOING TO JUMP IN THERE BECAUSE I KEEP GETTING THE LOOK OVER THERE.
IF WE WERE TO TAKE THIS LIST RIGHT NOW AND THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE A CONCENTRATION ON THE WORKER'S COMP AND SO ON FOR THE FIRE THAT I FEEL LIKE SHOULD BE ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES.
IF WE WERE GOING TO PUT IT ON A LIST.
SO OUR WHEN IT COMES TO OUR SPEED LIMITS IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, DOES IT MAYBE NEED TO BE LOOKED AT A LITTLE CLOSER AND STUDIED? YES, IT DOES.
BUT WE'VE ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE NEW TAKING OVER THE LIGHTS AND THE, SYSTEM AND SO ON.
I FEEL LIKE THAT WE'RE ALREADY KIND OF DOING SOME OF THESE THINGS.
SO IF THIS IS THE LIST THAT WE HAVE TO PICK FROM THE BOTTOM ONE FOR THE WORKERS COMP AND THE CANCER PRESUMPTION ISSUES, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT AND WE NEED TO FOLLOW THROUGH FOR OUR STAFF.
BRANDON, IF I MAY SPEAK HERE, AND IF I GET OFF THE RAILS, PUT ME BACK ON, PLEASE.
[LAUGHTER] YOU ARE SITTING BY ME.
I'VE NOTICED, AND I HAVE THIS ALSO.
THERE'S A LOT OF FOG FROM NOT BEING DOING THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AS FAR AS THE LEGISLATION, TML LEGISLATIVE UPDATE IS AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE.
GO THERE AND YOU'LL SEE LIKE NUMBER 1 THROUGH 40, PICK NUMBER 14.
NUMBER 14 IS THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR RELEASES THE SENATE INTERIM CHARGES.
AND EACH ONE OF THESE IS GOING TO BE SPECIFIC FOR MUNICIPALITIES.
SO IT'S ALREADY NARROWED DOWN TO THE MUNICIPALITIES.
WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT 2000 BILLS THAT WILL HELP YOU OUT RIGHT THERE.
LIKE THE FIRST CHARGE IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE.
AND THE FIRST FOUR ITEMS ON THERE ARE THE FOUR THAT WE WENT OVER A WHILE AGO.
SO THEY REFERENCED TO WHAT FOCUS ADVOCACY IS ALREADY TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH.
DO YOU WORK OFF OF THAT LIST? WELL, AT THE RISK OF BEING TOO BOLD THE OTHER WAY AROUND, WE ADVISE TML.
OKAY. SO WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST.
WE'RE TML YES, WE'RE A TEAM. WE ARE HIRED BY TML TO HELP THEM.
WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST GO TO THIS LOCATION.
YES. LOOK AT ALL THOSE MUNICIPALITY CHARGES.
PICK OUT 3 OR 4 THAT YOU KNOW THE CITIZENS.
OUR SHAREHOLDERS WOULD BE THEIR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE.
PICK OUT 3 OR 4 THAT THEY WOULD HAVE AS A SECONDARY OBJECTIVE.
AND THEN THE SEVENTH WOULD BE THE QHP, OF COURSE, AND THAT WOULD LEAVE US ROOM FOR THREE OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT ARE NOT BILLS YET, BUT THERE'S STILL TIME TO MAYBE GET IT AS AN AMENDMENT TO A BILL.
AND BY DOING THAT, WE'RE NOT DILUTING OR OVERLOADING FOCUS ADVOCACY OR OUR SENATORS.
IF WE PICK TOO MANY AND GO UP THERE, IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE WE'RE CONFUSED OR SHOT GUNNING.
AND I'D RATHER GO WITH ZERO AND MAINTAIN OUR INTEGRITY THAN GO UP THERE AND LOSE OUR INTEGRITY.
SO I SUGGEST WE KEEP IT TO THREE AND THREE QHP SEVEN.
AND THEN THAT LEAVES US AN OPTION UP TO TEN.
THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME TO WRITE A NEW BILL OF COURSE.
[01:25:01]
TOMMY'S GOING TO GET US AN OUTLINE OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND THE LINK.AND THAT WAY WE'D BE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
WE'LL ALL KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THERE WON'T BE STUFF BROUGHT UP THAT I'VE NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE.
NOW WE GOT TO DISCUSS IT AND SO FORTH, AND THE MEETING GO ON FOR TWO DAYS.
THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER INPUT ON THAT? I'LL CERTAINLY ECHO THAT EVERY FRIDAY THE TML HAS A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE.
I HIGHLY ADVISE EVERYBODY TO PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THAT.
WE HAVE A ALMOST DAILY NEWSLETTER THAT WE SEND A STAFF WE CAN CERTAINLY SEND DIRECTLY TO YOU ALL AS WELL OR STAFF CAN FORWARD TO YOU ALL.
AND THEN WE HAVE A EVERY OTHER WEEK CLEARINGHOUSE CALL DURING SESSION.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO STAY ABREAST OF THIS INFORMATION.
BUT YOU HAVE UNFORTUNATELY YOU DO HAVE TO REALLY CARVE OUT A LOT OF TIME.
IF THERE WAS AN EASY WAY TO DO THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, I'D HAVE A DIFFERENT JOB.
BRANDON, TO THAT POINT, THOUGH THOSE ARE GOING TO BE EVER EVOLVING ON WHAT'S GOING ON, AND THE COUNCIL IS GOING TO NEED TO ADOPT A POLICY SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
NOW, OF COURSE, TO COUNCIL MEMBER SCOTT'S POINT, LOOKING AT THAT AND SEEING WHAT'S GOING ON WILL THAT BE IMPACTFUL, I THINK, FOR YOU GUYS TO DETERMINE WHAT YOUR POLICY SHOULD BE, BUT IT'S NOT SUCH, AT LEAST MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT YOU WAIT LONG TO ADOPT A POLICY.
THEY'LL STEER CLEAR OF ANYTHING THAT PUTS ANY OF THEIR MEMBERS AT ODDS SO THEY WON'T TAKE THEY'LL STAY. THEY'LL JUST STAY NEUTRAL ON THINGS THAT MIGHT, BECAUSE THEY EQUALLY HAVE BIG CITIES AND SMALL CITIES THAT ARE MEMBERS.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST EXAMPLE OF THAT.
EVERYTHING WAS VERY BROAD BECAUSE THEY'RE LOOKING AT A ROOM OF ALL THESE DIFFERENT POPULATIONS.
AM I RIGHT ON LIKE TML DOESN'T LIKE TO TOUCH LIKE WORKERS COMP STUFF? OR DO. I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER BOEDEKER? I'D LIKE TO MOVE UP THE WORKERS COMPENSATION AND CANCER PREEMPTION.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD JUST BE MONITORING.
I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE AN OPINION ON IT AND BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
BUT THAT IS ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT HTML WON'T TOUCH.
I'M COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING OF LIKE THERE ARE SO MANY BROAD AREAS.
AND TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE SHOULD SPEND OUR ENERGY ON.
BUT I THINK ULTIMATELY WE HAVE TO DECIDE IT'S NOT GOING TO EVEN BE TEN.
I THINK IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A COUPLE THAT WERE ACTUALLY SEEKING OURSELVES.
IF THEY DEAL IN THE REALM OF SPEED LIMITS, WE'LL PAY ATTENTION AND FOLLOW, BUT I WOULD SAY IT'S EVEN LESS THAN TEN THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO OUR REPRESENTATIVES AND SAYING THIS IS OF INTEREST TO US.
WE TRULY HAVE A PASSION ABOUT IT.
BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST AS TOMMY SAID, AND I THINK ALEXA HAVE LIKE ISSUES, LIKE SPEED LIMITS, THERE'S GOING TO BE NEIGHBORHOODS OR AREAS OF THIS COMMUNITY. PHIL WAS JUST SAYING HOW WE NEED TO LOOK AT RENFRO AND HOW THE SPEED ON IT'S 30, BUT PEOPLE SIGNIFICANTLY SPEED ON THAT.
WE HAVEN'T DONE OUR HOMEWORK ON THAT AND I'M SURE THERE WILL BE MANY MORE.
I THINK ONE THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, I WAS THINKING ALONG THE WAY OF WE STILL HAVE SOME LEGWORK TO DO.
IT'S NOT COMING TO MIND RIGHT NOW, BUT.
BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE THINGS THAT WE STILL, LIKE PIQUE OUR INTEREST FOR NEXT TIME, BUT THIS IS JUST KIND OF GETTING OUR FEET WET AND INTO THIS PROCESS AND HAVING MORE OF AN AGENDA FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
[01:30:04]
BUT YOU KNOW THE SECONDARY WOULD NOT BE THE SAME AS THE PRIMARY.IT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY BASIS.
I THINK THAT WAS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
SEEK INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE OF A QHP, PERHAPS ALSO THE AGRICULTURAL OPERATION ISSUE OR DON'T.
AGAIN, IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU AS TO WHAT MATTERS TO GO ASK YOUR LEGISLATURE TO DO.
DOES THIS REALLY ADVANCE A CITY INITIATIVE? I KNOW THAT TRANSPORTATION FUNDING IS VERY TOP OF MIND HERE AND CRITICAL.
NEITHER OF THOSE HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH AN AGRICULTURAL EXEMPTION.
SO I DON'T SEE THAT AS BEING A HOT BUTTON ISSUE FOR US.
AND IT MAY JUST BE SOMETHING YOU SAY, LET'S MONITOR IT THEN, RIGHT? I THINK PUTTING IT IN THE MONITOR CATEGORY, THE DOWNSIDE IS LAST SESSION, THE FARM BILL THAT WAS PASSED ENABLED YOU CAN NOW CLAIM AGRICULTURE EXEMPTION FOR THE ONE GOAT OR THE ONE PONY.
AND YES, WE'VE HAD A FEW OR PIG.
WE HAD THE PIG IN THE APARTMENT.
BUT LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, IS IT ENOUGH FOR US TO HAVE AN OPINION ON IT? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT MONITORING.
ABSOLUTELY. I WISH WE HAD BEEN MONITORING IT LAST SESSION SO WE COULD GO, HANG ON.
ARE YOU PICTURING APARTMENTS? ARE YOU PICTURING TOWNHOMES THAT ARE NEXT DOOR TO EACH OTHER? STENCH AND CLEANLINESS AND ANIMAL WELFARE THERE WERE SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT I FEEL WERE NEVER TOUCHED ON WITH THAT BILL.
HOW IT PASSED IS STILL BAFFLING TO ME, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S APPARENTLY. [LAUGHTER] MR. MAYOR PRO TEM, WE DO HAVE SOME ISSUES THAT HAVE OCCURRED, A PIG IN AN APARTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, OR HAVING ROOSTERS IN ADDITION TO CHICKENS.
WE'VE GOT NOISE ISSUES BECAUSE OF ROOSTERS.
THEN I THINK WE ARE STILL AT A MONITOR LEVEL HERE, BUT.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE THAT'S ONE I DON'T I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE WOULD LIE ON IT, BUT MONITORING BUT THAT'S THE DOWNSIDE IS THAT BILL STRIPPED OUR AUTHORITY TO BE LIKE WHERE BEFORE OUR CODE SAID YOU COULD HAVE FOUR CHICKENS.
WELL, NOW THIS BILL SAYS I CAN HAVE MY ROOSTER TOO.
SO DESPITE WHAT CITY ORDINANCE SAYS, I THINK IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A MONITOR TYPE ISSUE WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE LEGISLATURE IS PROBABLY GOING TO CONTINUE TO POKE AT THIS.
IS NOW THE TIME TO WEIGH IN, ACTIVATE THE CITIZENS, PERHAPS THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THIS, TELL THEM TO WEIGH IN AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
IT'S A FAIRLY SHORT READ, BUT YOU KNOW THAT BACK TO THE HANDOUT HERE, THAT GENERAL LEGISLATIVE POSITIONS, WHILE IT'S STYLED GENERAL, BUT READING THAT VERY CAREFULLY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, BEGINS TO HIGHLIGHT THE SPECIFICITY OF THE ISSUES, YOU KNOW, RANGING FROM PREEMPTION BILLS TO UNFUNDED MANDATES AND YOUR SALES TAX BASE, YOUR ABILITY TO ISSUE DEBT.
YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING DOWN AT 2B TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE 2B2 DOUBLE MY ABILITY TO ISSUE TIMELY DEBT ON PAGE ONE.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF LEGISLATION.
[01:35:08]
WAYS. ALL DEBT ISSUANCE HAS TO BE APPROVED BY PUBLIC REFERENDUM. ALL REFERENDUMS ON DEBT HAVE TO BE IN NOVEMBER.AND YOU CAN'T WRITE YOUR OWN BALLOTS ANYMORE.
ALL WITH THIS NARRATIVE OF CITIES ISSUING DEBT IN THE DARK OF NIGHT AND WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL.
NOT SO MUCH OF, I MEAN, OF COURSE, LIKE AFFORDABLE WATER RATES, BUT I THINK WATER AS A GENERAL ISSUE, WHERE IS IT GOING TO COME FROM? RESOURCES? DRILLING WELLS? RIGHT NOW WE PURCHASE OUR WATER FROM THE CITY OF FORT WORTH.
LIKE, ARE THERE OTHER AREAS THAT WE COULD, LIKE, I THINK, FALL INTO THE SUPPORT WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT ALL WATER TOOLS WE HAVE AVAILABLE AND HOW THE STATE LEGISLATURE CAN HELP CITIES AND THE WHOLE STATE PLAN APPROPRIATELY FOR WATER USAGE AND WATER SHORTAGES.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S MORE LIKE WHOSE BUCKET THAT FALLS INTO.
WELL, I THINK WITH ALL OF THIS, IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH CITY STAFF TALKING TO US ABOUT WHAT THEIR NEEDS AND CONCERNS ARE, AND US TRACKING THAT ISSUE IN THE LEGISLATURE AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO PERHAPS BRING SOME SOLUTIONS AND RESOURCES TO WHATEVER ISSUE THE STAFF IS YOU KNOW, UNDERSCORING FOR US.
WE'RE FORTUNATE IN OUR FIRM TO HAVE TWO OF THE FOREMOST WATER EXPERTS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS BETWEEN SNAPPER AND LINDLEY. SO TO THE DEGREE THAT THE CITY WANTS TO REALLY GET INTO THE WATER CONVERSATION, WE CERTAINLY CAN ASSIST WITH THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'LL TAKE JUST AS Y'ALL AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S CURIOSITY.
NOT CURIOSITY BUT YOUR REAL INTEREST IN AND DEDICATION TO ALL OF THIS.
BUT LET'S ALSO SUBSTITUTE WATER FOR ANY ISSUE YOU WANT, WHETHER IT IS UTILITIES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, WHETHER IT IS DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, WHETHER IT IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLS, PUBLIC FINANCE, WATER, PUBLIC SAFETY, YOU NAME IT.
BRANDON THERE ARE A GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS AND A CONVERSATION CONSTANTLY GOING IN AUSTIN ABOUT THAT AND THE PEOPLE AT THAT TABLE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT GENERALLY ARE WRITING THE LAWS AND GET THEIR WAY.
OKAY. SO WE PARTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, IN A LOT OF THOSE SUBJECT MATTERS.
WE GOT A LOT OF IN-HOUSE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE TO REPRESENT OUR CLIENTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE WAY FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT THIS IS PICK A SUBJECT, WHATEVER IT IS, OR PICK MULTIPLE SUBJECTS IF IT'S PARKLANDS, IF IT'S UTILITIES, IF IT'S WATER, WHATEVER THE I KEEP GOING BACK TO WHATEVER THE PRIORITIES OF THIS COUNCIL ARE THERE'S A CONVERSATION IN AUSTIN ABOUT THIS GOING ON IN SMALL ROOMS. AND WE'LL HAPPILY REPRESENT YOU IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS IF YOU GIVE US THAT DIRECTION.
RIGHT. AND I'M SORRY, MR. MANAGER. I DIDN'T MEAN TO TALK OVER YOU.
RIGHT. SO WE ARE ALREADY ACTIVELY WATCHING ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO REDUCE OUR REVENUE.
SO AND THAT GOES BACK TO THE FISCAL COLUMN AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS.
SO. I'VE DRONED ON LONG ENOUGH, Y'ALL, I THINK.
AND I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN Y'ALL'S PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, PUT AN EVEN CLEANER PROPOSAL IN FRONT OF YOU.
I KNOW, MAYOR, YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT CITY STAFF KIND OF HELPING PUT THIS INTO FINAL SHAPE, BUT WE'RE HERE TO HELP AND SERVE YOU ANY WAY POSSIBLE AND GET YOU TO THAT NEXT STEP OF ADOPTING AN AGENDA AND THEN MOVING FORWARD FROM THERE.
I THINK THE THING THAT I WOULD ADD IS, IS THAT FROM EVERY REGULAR STANDING MEETING, FROM NOW THROUGH LIKELY THE SESSION, WE'LL HAVE A STANDING ITEM FOR YOU GUYS TO DISCUSS THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
[01:40:02]
SO THERE WON'T NECESSARILY BE A PRESENTATION PER SE EVERY SINGLE TIME.THERE MAY BE OCCASIONALLY, BUT IT ALSO GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS.
WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL TAKE SOME OF THE FEEDBACK FROM TODAY AND UPDATE A DRAFT OF THIS, DISTRIBUTE THAT TO YOU ALL. THE 19TH IS COMING UP QUICK, SO WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO TRY TO GET SOMETHING IN FRONT OF YOU ALL, BUT YOU'LL CERTAINLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THAT AT THAT TIME.
EXCUSE ME, BUT VICTORIA BRINGS UP A GREAT POINT ABOUT WATER.
WE HAD THIS TALK WITH PHIL KING AND HELEN.
SO IF YOU SEE ANYTHING LIKE THAT, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU KNOW IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF YOU KNOW, THE WHAT? YOU KNOW, DO YOU GO DOWN THE PATH OF, OKAY, WHAT SOME WOULD MAYBE CALL MORE REGULATION OF SAYING, ALL RIGHT, SO IN ORDER TO GET A PERMIT FOR, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE A CRYPTO FACILITY, DOES THE, YOU KNOW, WATER UTILITY.
THAT'S WHY WE GIVE YOU THE BIG BUCKS, BRANDON.
[LAUGHTER] SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S STARTING TO DESIGN.
I MEAN, WE'RE ALL NEW TO THIS.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING LIKE THAT GOING ON, IT WOULD BE NICE TO KIND OF GIVE A HEADS UP BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE A DAY WHEN THERE MIGHT BE A CHIP MANUFACTURER IN JOHNSON COUNTY. MAYBE SO.
OKAY, CORP MIGHT GET MAD ABOUT IT AND CUT OUR WATER OFF.
SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? I DON'T KNOW, THAT WAS KIND OF A JOKE.
WELL, WHAT WE'D HAVE TO DO IN THAT SITUATION.
IT WOULD HAVE TO START WITH COG.
YES. GET A HOLD OF THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS, CONVINCE THEM WE NEED A LAKE OUT HERE ON BOOGER CREEK.
AND THEN WE COULD USE SENATE BILL 28 TO BUILD OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
THEY'LL FINANCE A BIG PORTION OF THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
SO THERE'S NOT REALLY A SENATE BILL THAT I CAN FIND THAT WILL HELP US WITH THE LAKE OR THE WATER.
AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP COG BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THERE ARE EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE PUTTING TOGETHER OR MAKING UP A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AS WELL.
WE HAVE THESE RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS.
WHY DON'T WE AS A BODY HAVE A COLLECTIVE VOICE WHEN IT COMES TO THE LEGISLATURE? BECAUSE SO MUCH OF WHAT THEY'RE DECIDING AFFECTS ALL OF US, AND HOW WE THEN GET TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR OUR LOCAL BODIES.
SO THIS WILL BE THE FIRST YEAR THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AS WELL.
SO THIS WILL BE THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT DOCUMENT BECAUSE OF COURSE I DON'T EVER SPEAK OUT OF TURN OF LIKE MY LIKE, I CAN'T SAY MY COLLEAGUES AND I ARE GOING WITH THIS UNTIL WE HAVE A DOCUMENT TO WORK FROM.
SNAPPER WAS INFLUENTIAL IN GETTING THE FIRST NEW LAKE IN TEXAS IN 30 YEARS BUILT IN FANNIN COUNTY.
WE GOT A SNAPPER PLANT RIGHT UP HERE ON I-35.
THERE YOU GO. AND BY THE WAY, I JUST THREW SNAPPER'S NAME OUT THERE.
I SHOULD HAVE HAD A SLIDE FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW.
KNOWS A WHOLE LOT ABOUT ELECTRICITY.
[01:45:01]
SNAPPER CARR, WHO IS LEGAL COUNSEL AT TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, HAS BEEN MY BUSINESS PARTNER FOR 25 YEARS.AND LYNLIE WALLACE, WHO A FORMER STAFFER FOR CHIEF OF STAFF FOR REPRESENTATIVE LYLE LARSON, WHO WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, WHICH IS THE WATER COMMITTEE.
SO A LOT OF EXPERTISE ABOUT UTILITIES AND WATER AND ELECTRICITY AND LAND USE.
SNAPPER'S, A RENOWNED EXPERT ON LAND USE ISSUES AND REGULATORY ISSUES.
SO WE'VE GOT A BIG TEAM TO SUPPORT YOU ALL AND A LOT OF IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE.
SO THANK YOU ALL AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO MOVE DOWN THE PROCESS.
I APPLAUD Y'ALL'S EFFORT TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, DIG INTO THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.
AND AGAIN, PLEASE KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE TO HELP SUPPORT YOU AND SERVE YOU.
WE'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO REACT TO.
I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE NEXT STEP FOR YOU ALL TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF GUIDANCE WITH THE GOAL OF ADOPTING THIS NO LATER, NO LATER THAN THE SECOND MEETING IN SEPTEMBER, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
WITH THAT SAID, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I MOVE TO ADJOURN.
SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION BY ALEXA AND A SECOND BY VICTORIA.
THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.