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[I. Call to Order]
CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.ABSENT, PLEASE STAND AND JOIN IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND TWO, THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
NATION LIBERTY, GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY OF ALL
[II. Study Session: Study Sessions are less formal meetings of the City Council called to discuss broad policy themes and obtain input from the governing body about proposals and initiatives that are still being developed. No formal votes are taken at Study Sessions, and no informal directions expressed at Study Sessions bind the City Council, or its individual members, to vote in a certain manner at a future City Council meeting. Members of the public should limit their remarks to three (3) minutes after Council discussion.]
THIS EVENING'S MEETING IS A STUDY SESSION.STUDY SESSIONS ARE LESS FORMAL MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL CALLED TO DISCUSS BROAD POLICY THEMES AND OBTAIN INPUT FROM THE GOVERNING BODY ABOUT PROPOSALS AND INITIATIVES THAT ARE STILL BEING DEVELOPED.
NO FORMAL VO VOTES ARE TAKEN AT STUDY SESSIONS AND NO INFORMAL DIRECTIONS EXPRESSED AT STUDY SESSIONS.
BIND THE CITY COUNCIL OR ITS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS TO VOTE IN A CERTAIN MANNER AT A FUTURE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE LIMIT THEIR REMARKS TO THREE MINUTES AFTER COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
AND TONIGHT'S TOPIC IS THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET.
AND, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR COUNCIL'S, UH, WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE IN THESE SESSIONS AND TO PROVIDE THE CAREFUL OVERSIGHT TO OUR SPENDING DOCUMENT.
I, I WANNA, I WANNA START OFF BY MAKING A COUPLE OF, UH, REVISIONS TO THE SCHEDULE, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
WE'VE HAD, UH, AN ILLNESS AMONG OUR, ONE OF OUR KEY DEPARTMENT HEADS, UH, THE IT DIRECTOR JIM EDWARDS, AND SO HE'S NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING THIS EVENING AT ALL.
AND SO ALL OF THE FUNDS THAT ARE, THAT ARE, UH, UH, LISTED NEXT TO HIS NAME, THE IT SECTION OF THE GENERAL FUND, THE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT FUND, AND THE FIBER OPTICS FUND 77.
I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THOSE ALL BE MOVED DOWN TO, UH, NOVEMBER 15TH.
UM, I THINK THAT IT PROBABLY MAKES MORE SENSE AS WELL, MAYOR, IF WE WOULD MOVE, UH, CORDIAL PATRICK'S SECTION TO THE BACK END OF TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
NOT MOVING IT OFF OF TONIGHT'S AGENDA, BUT, UH, 'CAUSE IT'S ONE OF OUR FOUR LARGEST DEPARTMENTS.
BUT TO MOVE IT TO, TO THE END BECAUSE IT INVOLVES A LOT OF NON-GENERAL FUND, UH, COMPONENTS, SOME OF WHICH WE MAY TOUCH ON AS WELL ON WEDNESDAY.
FOR PURPOSES OF YOUR PREPARATIONS, I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT BASICALLY WEDNESDAY'S SESSION, YOU MIGHT WANNA NOTE THIS IN, IN YOUR NOTEBOOKS OR WHATEVER, IS THAT BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE COVERING ON WEDNESDAY, BESIDES WHAT'S LISTED HERE IS, IS BASICALLY EVERYTHING FROM PAGE 1 42 ON
SO IN ADDITION TO THE, THERE'S SOME FUNDS, SOME CAPITAL FUNDS, UH, SOME OTHER INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS THAT ARE NOT LISTED OUT HERE, UH, ON EVERYTHING.
THAT'S UNDER WEDNESDAY THE 15TH OF NOVEMBER.
BUT BASICALLY IT'S EVERYTHING FROM PAGE 1 42 ON TO THE END OF THE NOTEBOOK.
THE BUDGET IS, UH, IS NOT AN EXACT DOCUMENT.
UH, AND IT IS A FINANCIAL AND AND REVENUE PLAN.
UM, THE, UH, AS SURE AS I'M SITTING HERE, THERE WILL BE CHANGES IN THE BUDGET.
UH, THERE WILL BE ITEMS THAT YOU HAVE ANTICIPATED.
UH, SOME WILL COME IN BOTH FAR BELOW, WHICH YOU ANTICIPATED.
THERE WILL BE ITEMS THAT THAT, THAT WERE NOT ANTICIPATED AT ALL FOR, FOR MANY YEARS.
THE CITY DID NOT HAVE, UH, OR, OR STAFF DID NOT BRING BUDGET AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
I, I HAVE NO APOLOGY FOR BRINGING BUDGET AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
I THINK THAT THERE ARE ENOUGH CHANGES THAT WE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST ONE MID-YEAR CYCLE OF, OF, OF REVISIONS BECAUSE WE CAN'T ANTICIPATE EVERYTHING.
SO IT, IT IS, IT IS NOT IMMUTABLE.
IT'S NOT THAT THERE AREN'T GONNA BE CHANGES, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A PLAN AND, AND, AND WE DO SO, AND THE LAW REQUIRES IT, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE, UM, THAT THERE AREN'T GONNA BE OTHER CHANGES.
I WANNA PROVIDE A COUPLE OF, UM, UH, COMMENTS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU GO THROUGH THIS EVEN FASTER.
I KNOW THAT IN MY TRANSMITTAL MEMO I MENTIONED THIS, BUT I WANNA DRAW ATTENTION TO THE, UH, TO THE SUMMARY OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES BY FUND ON PAGES NINE AND 10.
THIS IS A NEW SCHEDULE THAT WAS NOT IN PREVIOUS BUDGETS, UH, IN EXACTLY THIS FORM.
AND I THINK THAT ALONG WITH THE PROBLEM OF THAT, OUR BUDGET SOFTWARE DOESN'T SHOW YOU THE, THE, THE BEGINNING YEAR CASH BALANCE.
SO ON THE FAR LEFT SIDE, IT LISTS THE FUND.
NOW ON EVERY ONE OF THE NUMBER PAGES, THERE'S A LOT OF NARRATIVE IN HERE AS WELL.
BUT ON PAGES THROUGHOUT THIS BUDGET WHERE THERE NUMBER PAGES IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER ABOVE THE SOLID BLACK LINE, THERE'S ALWAYS A FUND NUMBER.
FOR EXAMPLE, FUND NUMBER 10 IS THE GENERAL FUND.
AND, AND FOR THE FIRST A HUNDRED PAGES OF THIS BOOK, WE'RE DEALING JUST WITH THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, AND, UH, AND THEN, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FUNDS, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN MANY CASES THEY HAVE A LARGE, YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE STARTING FUND BALANCE IS, MINUS EXPENDITURES, AND THEY'RE ALL ENDING IN THE BLACK, NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE WE'RE SPENDING ONLY WHAT WE RECEIVED IN THAT YEAR, BUT SPENDING
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WHAT WE RECEIVED IN THAT YEAR PLUS THE STARTING YEAR, UH, REVENUES.AND I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT, OH, THIS IS REALLY A COMMENT ABOUT THE ENTIRE BUDGET, NOT JUST WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS WE ARE SPENDING MORE THAN WE ARE BRINGING IN IN 2024, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S A, WE'RE SPENDING $24 MILLION MORE THAN WE ARE BRINGING IN, IN 2024, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN SAVING UP MONEY FOR, FOR PROJECTS.
UH, IN FACT, OF THAT 24 MILLION IN, IN EXPENDITURES OVER REVENUES, 19 OF IT, $19 MILLION OF IT IS IN OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS, WATER, SEWER, STORM, UH, BROADBAND AND SO FORTH.
UH, THESE ARE AREAS WHERE WE'VE BEEN SAVING UP FUNDS.
WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING GRANT MONIES FOR FUNDS.
THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PERIOD OF ENGINEERING AND PREPARATION BEFORE THEY'RE READY TO GO.
OFTENTIMES, THAT, THAT MEANS THAT IT LAPSES OVER INTO ANOTHER FISCAL YEAR.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THAT.
UM, THE, UH, THE OTHER THING I WANT THAT, I WANNA SAY THAT, THAT MANY OF THE FUNDS, ESPECIALLY THE GENERAL FUND, HAVE DIVISIONS, AND THEY ARE NOT DIVISIONS THAT ARE ACCOUNTED FOR SEPARATELY AS A FUND, BUT THEY ARE SIMPLY ACTIVITY DIVISIONS THAT HELP US TRACK AND, AND WATCH A PARTICULAR TYPE OF ACTIVITY SO THAT IT CAN BE DISTINGUISHED FROM ANOTHER.
THE LARGEST DIVISION OF THE GENERAL FUND IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT IT'S ALL JUST A PART OF THE GENERAL FUND.
ONE OF THE SMALLEST ON, ON PAGE 53 IS, IS, IS JUST WHAT, HOW WE TRACK DOWNTOWN EXPENSES.
THEY'RE ALL JUST DIVISIONS OF THE GENERAL FUND.
THEY'RE NOT FUNDS IN AND OF THEMSELVES.
THE GENERAL FUND IS, UM, UH, IS BALANCED.
AND, UH, THE RESERVES THAT YOU CAN SEE ON, ON PAGE NINE AS WELL, UH, INCLUDE, HAVE BEEN CALCULATED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE 25% OR 90 DAY RESTRICTED, UH, RESERVE THAT YOU HAVE REQUIRED IS, UH, IS PROVIDED FOR.
AND IF YOU DO THE MATH, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT'S THERE.
UM, THE, UH, THE $2 MILLION SPECIAL PROJECTS RESERVE ACTUALLY IS IN FUND 45.
IT'S BEEN MOVED THERE, BUT IT'S NOT IN THE GENERAL FUND, BUT IT IS.
BUT IT, UH, NO MONIES WERE SPENT IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, NOR DO I ANTICIPATE THAT THEY WILL BE SPENT IN, UM, UH, LATER BY, BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
BUT IT, BUT I'VE RETAINED IT BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF IT, WHICH I'VE MENTIONED IN THE TRANSMITTAL MEMO.
SO WITH THAT, I WON'T, UH, BE DELIBERATE ANY LONGER.
THE, UH, WE'LL JUST GO THROUGH THE, UH, THE GENERAL FUND AND THE ORDER REALLY THAT IT'S, UH, THAT IT'S IN EXCEPT FOR, UH, FOR JUMPING PAST THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WHICH TAKES US FIRST.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA DEAL WITH REVENUES TOMORROW, EXCUSE ME, ON WEDNESDAY, I APOLOGIZE.
SO THE, THE, THE FIRST DIVISION OF THE GENERAL FUND IS ON PAGE 21, WHICH IS THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET.
UH, JUST STOP ME I GUESS, WHENEVER YOU, YOU WANT, I'LL, I'LL JUST KEEP GOING UNTIL YOU STOP ME.
IS THAT ALL RIGHT? LET'S KEEP IT ROLLING.
SO THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS ARE, ARE THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE EXECUTIVE STAFF.
UH, THE, UM, UH, THERE'S VERY LITTLE CHANGE IN THE, IN THE LEGISLATIVE FUNDS.
UH, YOU, THE, THE COUNCIL'S, UH, SALARY, UH, AND BENEFITS.
UH, THE, UH, OUR PARTICIPATION IN IML UH, COUNCIL TRAVEL IS ALL OUT OF THIS FUND.
UH, THERE IS A, UH, ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY SET ASIDE FOR ANY SPECIFIC PURPOSE FROM TIME TO TIME, THERE HAVE BEEN PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CONTRACTS THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO KEEP A CLOSER EYE ON, MAYBE SOMETHING THAT, THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO DIRECT.
AND SO THAT LINE ITEM IS THERE.
OTHER THAN THAT, THERE ARE NO, UH, CHANGES OF, OF NOTE IN THE LEGISLATIVE SECTION.
THE EXECUTIVE, UH, SECTION OF THE, OR DIVISION OF THE GENERAL FUND BEGINS ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE ON 24.
UH, THIS INCLUDES, UM, THE CITY MANAGER, THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, THE, THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER AND MAYOR, AND DEPUTIES MANAGER, THE, UH, CITY CLERK, THE, UH, DATA, UM, THE, UM, THE CHIEF DATA OFFICER AND AGIS TECHNICIAN.
AND THE, UM, AND THE CITY'S COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR POSITION ARE ALL IN, IN THIS SECTION.
UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, SIR, UH, THE COMMUNICATIONS AND DATA ARE ON PAGE 26 FOR, UH, G FOR GIS YOU'RE RIGHT.
THEY, THEY'RE IN THE GENERAL FUND, BUT IT, IT'S A SEPARATE DIVISION FROM, FROM EXECUTIVE.
THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL SUPERVISED BY THE, BY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ABOUT THE EXECUTIVE SECTION, THE COMMUNICATIONS AND DATA.
WHAT, WHAT, UH, MR. COOLING IS TALKING ABOUT IS THE COMMUNICATIONS AND DATA SECTION.
WE, WE PULLED THE, UM, THE CHIEF DATA OFFICER, HIS GIS ASSISTANT AND THE COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR OUT AND, AND PUT HIM INTO THIS SECTION OF THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, AS A RESULT OF THAT, YOU CAN SEE WITH GREATER DETAIL ON PAGE 26, SOME OF THE, UM, SOME OF THE EXPENSES THAT, THAT GO INTO MAINTAINING OUR DATA
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AND OUR MAPS.UH, THE, UM, AS, AS I MENTIONED AT THE LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING, IN A TRANSMITTAL MEMO, NOT ORALLY, UH, THERE'S THE, UH, THE CHIEF DATA OFFICER AND ALL OF THE GIS AND MIS DATA THAT HE MANAGES REALLY SUPPORTS, UH, MUCH OF THE, OF THE POLICY WORK OF OUR STAFF, AND MANY OF THE REPORTS THAT ARE BROUGHT TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
UM, MY, MY QUESTION ACTUALLY COMES, UH, BEFORE THE TWO COMPONENTS OF THE GENERAL FUND THAT YOU MENTIONED.
WHAT IS THE PROPOSED PERCENT INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES THAT YOU USE IN THIS, UM, BUDGET? IT, UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING FOR DISCUSSION ON, ON REVENUE, UM, YOU KNOW, ON WEDNESDAY.
BUT THE, UM, UH, WE HAVE PROPOSED THE 7%, UH, AMOUNT, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE FOUR OPTIONS THAT WE PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND THEN IF YOU COULD REMIND ME, UM, HOW MUCH WOULD THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE IF WE JUST USED, UM, NEW PROPERTIES IN THE CITY PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS IN ANNEXATIONS? AND AGAIN, IN A PERCENTAGE FORM, PLEASE.
UM, MY HUMBLE REQUEST, MR. HORN, IS THAT WE TALK ABOUT THAT ON WEDNESDAY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THE REVENUES.
IS THAT OKAY? SURE, THAT'S FINE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT? OKAY, MR. WRIGHT CAN KEEP GOING ON.
PAGE 27 IS THE HUMAN RESOURCES SECTION OF THE BUDGET.
UM, HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR IS HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, THE, UM, ONE OF THE MAIN ELEMENTS THAT'S NEW THIS YEAR, AND I'M PROPOSING THAT IT BE A, A PART OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES BUDGET NEXT YEAR AS WELL, HAS TO DO WITH, WITH TRAINING.
WE, UH, AND, AND YOU APPROVED, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO A, UH, PROGRAM FOR SUPERVISORY TRAINING.
AND, UH, AS IT TURNS OUT, UH, MS. WILSON IS, IS ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN, IN THAT TRAINING.
AND, UH, I'VE, UH, HAD VERY GOOD FEEDBACK ON IT.
IN FACT, UH, BOTH PARTICIPANTS AND SOME OF THE SUPERVISORS OF THE PARTICIPANTS HAVE, UH, HAVE SUGGESTED THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE IT.
AND SO WE HAVE, UH, PROPOSED ANOTHER CADRE OF, OF MID-LEVEL AND, AND IN SOME CASES UPPER LEVEL MANAGERS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE, IN THE PROGRAM.
OTHER THAN THAT, THERE ARE NOT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES BUDGET.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS, MR. KHL? I'M SORRY.
BUT, UH, BACK ON THE, UH, COMMUNICATION DATA PERSONNEL SERVICE, I'VE JUST OVERALL BEEN LOOKING AT ALL THE SALARIES ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, AND THEY'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
NOW, THIS ONE'S 18% INCREASE, SO IS THAT ADDING A NEW POSITION IN THAT COMMUNICATION AND DATA, UH, SALARIES 4 0 9 0 0 0, WE, WE ARE NOT ADDING A POSITION.
UH, WHAT HAS HAPPENED THOUGH IS THAT IN, UM, 2023, WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF THE YEAR WHEN WE WERE WITHOUT ONE OF OUR, THE, THE, THE NUMBER TWO GIS PERSON, AND WE MORE RECENTLY FILLED THAT POSITION.
AND SO, UM, I, I SUSPECT THAT THE 2023 YEAR SHOWS AN UNDER EXPENDITURE BECAUSE OF THAT.
BUT WE HAVE NOT INCREASED THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS, UM, THAT, THAT BRINGS US TO IT, WHICH IS SAR ON 31, WHICH WE'RE GONNA POSTPONE.
AND THEN, UM, FOLLOWING THE IT SECTION IS THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT SECTION, WHICH BEGINS ON PAGE 42.
THE, UM, UH, MS MORLAND CAN CHIME IN.
UM, THE, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS NOT CHANGING ITS STAFF EITHER.
UM, IT'S A FAIRLY PREDICTABLE BUDGET.
THE MAIN THING THAT IS UNPREDICTABLE ABOUT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT BUDGET IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE MIGHT NEED OUTSIDE COUNSEL, AND, AND THAT NUMBER IS A VARIABLE NUMBER.
SO ANY OTHER MAJOR CHANGES THAT YOU WANNA HIGHLIGHT? IF THE COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN HEADCOUNT CHANGES, THEY'RE ON PAGE 12 AND, AND 13.
UH, THE FAR COLUMN ON THE, UH, THE RIGHT SHOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE YEAR AND THE NEXT.
NEXT, UH, COMES THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT ON PAGE 44.
UM, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IS, BUDGET HAS BEEN COLORED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE WE HAVE A NEW CFO THIS YEAR, UH, SEATED AT THE TABLE HERE.
AND, UM, UH, ONE OF THE OTHER, WELL, I THINK THAT, UM, RUBY, IF YOU JUST JUST MENTION A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS, I THINK THE, THE KEY HIGHLIGHTS TO MENTION WOULD BE ISSUES RELATED TO THE, THE ALMOST CERTAIN CHANGE IN OUR AUDITOR AND SOME OF THE ISSUES RELATED TO SORT OF CATCHING UP FROM THE YEAR WHEN WE GOT BEHIND OR THE AUDITOR GOT BEHIND, WE DIDN'T GET BEHIND.
UM, AND, AND HOW THAT'S RIPPLING
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THROUGH THE BUDGET, I MEAN, YOUR FINANCE BUDGET, RIGHT? AND SO WITH, UM, THIS YEAR, THE AUDITOR IS CHARGING BY THE HOUR, AND THAT'S RELATED TO BEING BEHIND IN THE AUDIT IN 2021.SO THE 2021 AUDIT TOOK ALMOST A YEAR AND A HALF.
AND SO WITH THAT, THE CURRENT AUDITOR STARTED IS CHARGING HOURLY FOR THIS YEAR, WHICH YOU MIGHT REMEMBER IS, UM, GONNA BE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN FEES.
AND SO WE ARE PUSHING, UH, TOWARDS CLOSURE ON THAT.
WE HOPE TO HAVE, UM, AN AUDIT REPORT FOR YOU, UH, IN EARLY DECEMBER.
SO WE'RE GETTING A DRAFT THIS WEEK, WHICH IS, UM, GOOD, UH, MOVEMENT, UH, HERE RECENTLY, TRYING TO GET THEM THROUGH IT.
AND SO, UM, ONCE WE CAN GET COMPLETION ON THAT, WE ARE WORKING, UH, TO BRING YOU A PROPOSAL FOR A DIFFERENT AUDITOR, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT, AND THAT WILL DECREASE THE FEE SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO I DON'T HAVE THE PROPOSAL YET TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS, BUT IT SURE SHOULD CUT THE FEES ALMOST IN HALF.
SO ONCE I HAVE THAT, WE CAN BRING IT AND, AND THAT'LL HELP THE BUDGET SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND THAT'S THE MAJOR CHANGE IN THE, IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
BUDGET FINANCE DEPARTMENT BUDGET REALLY HAS TWO SECTIONS OF THE GENERAL FUND.
ONE CALLED FINANCE, AND THE OTHER IS PURCHASING.
THERE'S NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
THEN ON PAGE 50 IS THE CIVIC CENTER BUDGET.
NOW, UM, I WANNA POINT OUT TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT WE, UM, WE REALLY SUPPORT.
WE RATHER WE MAKE PAYMENTS TO THE CIVIC CENTER REALLY UN UNDER TWO DIFFERENT WAYS, UH, ONE FOR OUR COST OF USING THEIR BUILDING.
WE ARE, WE ARE TENANTS IN THIS BUILDING.
THE CIVIC CENTER AUTHORITY OF DECATUR OWNS THE BUILDING.
SO WE PAY THEM CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BE HERE AS A, AS A USER OF THE OFFICE.
AND THEN A LITTLE BIT, A FEW PAGES, UH, FURTHER IN THE NOTEBOOK, WE SUPPORT WHATEVER THEIR LOSSES ARE.
SO THEY'RE TWO SEPARATE, UH, PAYMENTS, AND SO YOU WANT TO CONSIDER THOSE TOGETHER.
BUT THIS ONE IS REALLY FOR THE, FOR THE USE OF THIS, THIS POINT ON PAGE 50 IS FOR THE USE OF SPACE ON PAGE 51 IS A SECTION.
UH, MR. MANAGER, MR. KUHL HAS A QUESTION.
UM, I, IT'S JUST A, A COMMENT AT SOME POINT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE SECURITY PLAN IS FOR THE CIVIC CENTER FOR 2024.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL TONIGHT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT AT SOME POINT.
UM, COUNCILMAN KU, UH, AUTHORIZED, I MEAN, NOT YOU, THE COUNCIL AUTHORIZED LAST YEAR A SETASIDE OF FUNDS TO DO SOME, SOME SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS, AS WELL AS TO TO HAVE SOME CONSULT OUTSIDE CONSULTING WORK TO ADVISE US AS TO WHAT SOME SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS WE COULD, UH, DO, INCLUDING SOME THAT RELATE TO MAKING THIS, UH, THIS MEETING CHAMBER MORE SECURE AS WELL.
WE HAVE, UM, STARTED USING SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE, THE MAJOR ENTRANCES INTO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN SECURED, UH, OR, OR IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF BEING SECURED SO THAT YOU CAN ONLY GET IN WITH, WITH ONE OF THESE OR, OR A CALLING.
UM, AND, UH, UH, THE DECISION ABOUT WHAT'S THE BEST THING TO DO WITH THIS ROOM IS STILL BEING DEBATED, QUITE FRANKLY, UM, WHETHER OR NOT IT MAKES SENSE TO PUT, UM, METAL DETECTORS AT THE BACK OF THIS ROOM, OR IF IT'S MORE PRACTICAL TO ACTUALLY SCREEN EVERYBODY AS THEY COME IN ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING.
UH, SO THAT'S THE STATUS OF THAT.
AND I WOULD EXPECT THAT, UH, WE WOULD BRING BACK TO YOU EITHER AS A REPORT, UH, OR AS A STUDY SESSION ITEM.
I'LL DISCUSS THAT WITH THE MAYOR AT SOME POINT IN 2024.
SOME OF THE RESULTS OF THOSE STUDIES, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE THAT TO HAPPEN SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
I'D LIKE TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME THAN WE HAVE SO FAR ON PAGES 51 AND 52, UH, IT'S CALLED, THIS SECTION OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS CALLED GENERAL ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS A, WHICH IS A, A NICE WAY OF SAYING THE STUFF THAT DOESN'T FIT ANYWHERE ELSE,
AND, UM, AND SO YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT SOME OF THE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARRANGED WITH THE, UM, GREATER DECATUR BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO HANDLE THE MLK CELEBRATION.
WE GIVE THEM AN ANNUAL STIPEND FOR THAT.
UH, WE PROVIDE FUNDS TO BOTH THE DECATUR ARTS COUNCIL ON A SEPARATE LINE ITEM AND BUILT INTO THE CONVENTION AND VISIT VISITORS BUREAU'S, LINE ITEM FUNDS TO DO MORE ACTIVITIES DOWNTOWN.
UM, WE HA THE, THE, THE CIVIC CENTER LEASE, SEE THAT'S, UH, IS, IS, IS IN HERE.
AND WHAT THAT REALLY IS, IS WHAT IT COSTS US TO MAKE UP THEIR LOSSES AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
WE HAVE A $500,000 CONTINGENCY LINE ITEM WE SUPPORT AS ONE OF THE VOTING MEMBERS OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
THAT'S OUR PARTICIPATION BASED ON THEIR BYLAWS.
THAT NUMBER HAS BEEN CONSTANT FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
UH, WE PROVIDE FUNDS TO THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU.
IT'S, UH, UNDER THE, UNDER THE TERMS OF OUR AGREEMENT, WE, WE PROVIDE 240,000 TO THEM AS A BASE.
THAT ALL COMES OUT OF, OF, UM, HOTEL MOTEL TAXES, PLUS 20,000 FOR EVENTS, UH, PLUS 10,000 FOR THEIR
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MANAGEMENT OF THE, UM, OF THE TRANSFER HOUSE.IT'S DOWN 10,000 FROM LAST YEAR, BECAUSE IN THE ODD NUMBER OF YEARS, THEY ALSO PROVIDE, WE, WE GIVE THEM, WE HAVE GIVEN THEM AN EXTRA $10,000 FOR, FOR THE, THE FARM PROGRESS SHOW.
WE ALSO MAKE THESE OTHER, UH, TRANSFERS TO OTHER ACCOUNTS.
CHIEF AMONG THEM IS, IS DEBT SERVICE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT DEBT SERVICE AMOUNT OF $1.8 MILLION IS SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN THE ACT THAN, THAN THE AMOUNT OF GENERAL OPERATING, EXCUSE ME, GENERAL FUND DEBT THAT IS CHARGED TO THE TAX LEVY ORDINANCE.
BECAUSE IN ORDER TO KEEP THE TAX LEVY ORDINANCE WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE, UH, WE HAVE TO ABSORB MORE OF THE GENERAL FUND BONDED DEBT FROM OTHER SOURCES.
THAT NUMBER THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR FROM OTHER SOURCES, OTHER THAN PROPERTY TAXES, HAS GROWN EACH YEAR CONSIDERABLY LARGER RATE THAN THE RATE OF INFLATION.
BECAUSE AS I'VE MENTIONED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE, THE FIRE AND POLICE PENSIONS, WHICH NOW TAKE UP ABOUT 80% OF THE, OF THE TAX LEVY ORDINANCE, KEEP BASICALLY PUSHING OTHER GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES OUT.
UH, THE OTHERS ARE MOSTLY, UM, TRANSFERS TO FUNDS WHERE WE PAY FOR CAPITAL OUT OF OTHER FUNDS THAT YOU'LL BE EVALUATING LATER IN THESE BUDGET REVIEW SESSIONS.
THE SENIOR CENTER CONTRACT IS ONE THAT, UM, IS LIKELY TO BE A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AT A LATER CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
THE CITY COUNCIL HAS FOR MANY YEARS, SUPPORTED THROUGH THIS PAYMENT, THE SENIOR CENTER OVER ON 22ND STREET, 22ND, AND, UM, LOCUST THERE, JUST AS YOU COME OFF THE VIADUCT, UM, THEY HAVE DISBANDED AND THEY HAVE MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO MERGE THEIR SERVICES INTO THOSE PROVIDED BY THE PARK DISTRICT ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CITY IN THE OLD SCOVILLE GOLF COURSE, UM, BUILDING, UH, UH, CLUBHOUSE BUILDING.
AND, UH, SO THAT'S A PROJECT THAT IS STILL, UM, IN PROGRESS.
AND THEY, THEY MAY BE COMING BACK AND SAYING, WE WANT, WANNA RE REEVALUATE THAT NUMBER.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A NUMBER, A NEW NUMBER YET, BUT I WANT, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S ONE THAT'S LIKELY TO BE SUBJECT TO SOME CHANGE.
THE OPIOID TREATMENT FUNDING LINE ITEM IS ONE THAT YOU HAVE TOUCHED ON AS YOU HAVE MADE TWO DECISIONS BY RESOLUTION TO, UM, BASICALLY TAKE OPIOID MONEY THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THAT, UH, FROM THOSE, UH, UH, SETTLEMENT OF THAT LITIGATION AND DIVIDE IT EVENLY BETWEEN CROSSING HEALTHCARE AND HERITAGE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, RATHER THAN CREATE A NEW FUND, I ELECTED JUST TO RUN IT THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE IT APPEARS IN OUR, IN OUR BUDGET ANIMAL CONTROL GOES UP, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH THE COUNTY NOW 12 YEARS OLD, UH, BY WHATEVER THE CPI INDEX IS.
UM, AND THE TRANSFER TO MASS TRANSIT HAS TO DO WITH SPECIFIC PROJECTS RELATED TO THE CAMPUS BUILDING OR TO WHERE WE HAVE OBLIGATED TO HELP PAY FOR CERTAIN GRANTS.
UM, I WOULD, IN FUTURE YEARS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT NUMBER INCREASE BECAUSE TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN INCREASE THAT NUMBER FOR EVERY DOLLAR WE PUT IN TO THE TRANSIT FUNDS, UM, WE GET $3 BACK IN GRANT MONEY.
UH, THE, THE, UM, HOW MUCH, I MEAN MORE THAN 90% I, WE'RE NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT TRANSIT TILL WEDNESDAY, BUT MORE THAN 90% OF THE BUDGET OF THE TRANSIT DIVISION, OF THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT COMES FROM STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND IT'S, IT'S DRIVEN UP BY TWO KEY FACTORS, HOW WE INCREASE RIDERSHIP AND, AND WHAT KIND OF MONEY WE PUT INTO IT FROM NON-AIR BOX REVENUES, LOCAL MONEY, IN OTHER WORDS.
AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN INCREASE THAT, THEN WE ARE, UH, WE CAN INCREASE THE STATE AND FEDERAL GRANT AMOUNTS.
UM, SO, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS REALLY KIND OF A MISCELLANEOUS, UH, CATEGORY, UH, OF THE GENERAL FUND.
AND I THINK THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT A DEPARTMENT, IT DOESN'T HAVE A DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR ASSIGNED TO IT.
I THOUGHT THAT I SHOULD SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME ON THAT.
UH, SO YOU SEE, SEE WHERE THOSE ARE ALL AT.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT PAGE? DR. HORN? MR. WRIGHTON? FIRST I COMMENT, AND THEN A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, MY COMMENT IS THAT FOR BOTH THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS, UM, FOR THE GENERAL ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT, I'D ASK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR PERFORMANCE OUTCOME LOOK AT, UM, ATTRACTING NEW RESIDENTS AND RETAINING CURRENT ONES.
IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES, IT TALKS ABOUT ATTRACTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, INCREASING TOURISM, BUT IT DOESN'T MENTION NEW RESIDENTS AND RETENTION OF RESIDENTS.
AND CERTAINLY AS IT PERTAINS TO GROWING OUR GENERAL FUND RESIDENCE IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL.
UM, A SECOND COMMENT IS, UH, SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS ACTUALLY REPORTED ON LAST YEAR'S PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES AND WHAT WAS ACHIEVED, AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS DID NOT PUT IN WHAT WAS ACTUALLY ACHIEVED.
[00:25:01]
I THINK THAT'D BE IMPORTANT TO ADD TO THE BUDGET.UM, BUT MY QUESTION IS IN REGARDS TO PAGE 52 UNDER CONTINGENCIES, UM, WE GO FROM 25 MILLION, OR SORRY, 2,500,000, THAT'D BE GREAT IF WE HAD 25 MILLION, 2,500,000 TO 500,000.
AND IF I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY, SOME OF THAT GOT TRANSFERRED TO FUND 45 ON PAGE 1 46.
THAT'S THE CAPITAL, UM, THAT'S THE CAPITAL FUND.
UM, BUT IN LOOKING AT PAGE 1 56, IT LOOKS, UH, SORRY, 1 56, 1 56, IT HAS A TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND OF 1 MILLION.
AND SO DID OUR CONTINGENCY GO DOWN FROM 2.5 MILLION TO 1.5 MILLION.
SO, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY FOR THIS MR. HORN, UM, AND FOR THE RECORD, I'M ANTHONY COHEN, THE BUDGET AND REVENUE OFFICER.
UM, SO ON PAGE 1 56, THIS 1 MILLION IS, UM, THE DETAIL IS 300,000 IS FOR AN INTERFUND LOAN REPAYMENT, UM, FOR USING, UM, THE WATER FUND, BASICALLY TO DO SOME LIGHTING, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND THEN 30,000 FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
AND THEN, BECAUSE WE ARE FUNDING THE, UH, THE REPAIRS AT THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE CENTER OUT OF HERE, WE HAVE TO, UH, WE TOOK THE, WE, WE TOOK OUT THE LOAN THIS YEAR, UM, BUT WE HAD TO START PAYING THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST.
SO THE SPECIAL PROJECTS RESERVE $2 MILLION IS LOWER ON THE SAME PAGE.
IT IS, UH, THE EXPENSES ARE, ARE HERE TO SPEND IN FISCAL YEAR 24, BUT WE INTEND TO TRANSFER THE MONEY, UH, AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 23.
UH, SHOULD, YOU KNOW, SHOULD THE, SHOULD THE STILL BE, SHOULD THE CASH BALANCE STILL STILL BE THERE? AND SO, UM, THE EXPENSES FOR THE, FOR THE GENERAL FUND FOR FISCAL YEAR 23, THE PROJECTED AMOUNTS, UH, INCLUDE TRANSFERRING THAT $2 MILLION TO FUND 45.
SO IT'LL SIT IN CASH BALANCE, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO WE CAN SPEND IT OUT OF THERE IF WE NEED IT.
SO, SO ANTHONY GAVE THE LONG ANSWER ABOUT WHERE ALL THE TRANSFERS ARE.
THE SHORT ANSWER IS THAT THE 2 MILLION IS THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE AND IDENTIFIED AS SPECIAL PROJECTS RESERVE ON PAGE 1 56.
AND SO LAST YEAR, BOTH THE COUNCIL CONTINGENCY AND THE SPECIAL PROJECTS RESERVE, WERE IN THE GENERAL FUND ON THIS PAGE OF, OF ADMINISTRATIVE, AND I'VE MOVED IT TO FUND 45 FOR SAFEKEEPING.
UH, BUT THE AMOUNTS ARE THE SAME.
OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. MCDANIEL? JUST TO COMMENT, UH, THE CITY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHAT WE'RE SPINNING THAT DRIVES NEW CITIZENS INTO OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE'RE CREATING, YOU KNOW, NEW INDUSTRY WHICH BRINGS NEW, NEW EMPLOYEES INTO THE CITY, UH, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
SO THAT'S THAT INCREASE OUR CITIZEN COUNT.
WELL, THERE'S COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL.
THERE'S ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT THE CITY DOES THAT, THAT DRIVE MORE RESIDENTS IN, INTO THE CITY.
UM, FROM, I MEAN, EVERY DEPARTMENT'S WORK ARGUABLY MAKES LIFE BETTER.
AND, UH, BUT CHIEFLY SOME OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH, I MEAN, WE'VE BROUGHT SEVERAL NEW INDUSTRIES TO TOWN AND, AND OTHERS ARE MAKING COMMITMENTS FOR THE SAME.
UH, I THINK THAT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EDC HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE IN THAT REGARD.
EXACTLY HOW MANY OF THOSE NEW EMPLOYEES WILL LIVE IN DECATUR AND HOW MANY WON'T? IT CERTAINLY REMAINS TO BE SEEN, BUT, BUT, BUT I HAVE NO OBJECTION TO, UH, UM, TO ADDING A PERFORMANCE OUTCOME TO THOSE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, ON SEEING WHERE THE, THE INCREASES ARE.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY WORTH TRACKING.
I I WANNA MAKE ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT, THOUGH, IN RESPONSE TO WHAT COUNCILMAN HORN SAID FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES PROJECT.
UM, I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT IN THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, UP, UP UNTIL, UH, THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
AND WE'VE ADDED IT, AND I WILL BE THE FIRST ONE TO TELL YOU THAT OUR TRANSITION TO FULLY INTEGRATED PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES HAS BEEN SLOWER THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE.
AND, AND SOME DEPARTMENTS ARE FURTHER ALONG THAN OTHERS.
UH, SOME OF THEM, UH, HAVE MORE ROBUST CHARTS, AND YOU SEE THOSE IN THE BUDGET, AND SOME OF THEM STILL HAVE, HAVE A LITTLE WAYS TO GO.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS A, A POINT OF DISCUSSION AT YOUR AUGUST, UH, STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION.
WE HAVEN'T GIVEN YOU THE RESULTS OF SOME OF THAT, UH, COMPILATION OF ALL THAT YET.
I HOPE TO DO THAT HERE BY, BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND, AND PUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT MORE, MORE CONTEXT.
BUT, UH, I CERTAINLY AM, AM HAPPY
[00:30:01]
TO TAKE, UM, MORE SUGGESTIONS ON PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES.I WOULD, I'D LIKE TO HAVE YOU SEE THIS DOCUMENT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT, THAT, THAT'S BASED ON WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT AT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION.
BUT, UH, WE WANT THEM TO BE OUTCOMES THAT NOT NOT ONLY ARE ON POINT TO WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT ALSO ONES THAT ARE EASILY COMMUNICATED TO THE, TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
UM, SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE, UH, COMMENTS ABOUT OUR PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES, MR. COOPER, UM, AS MANAGED ON PAGE 52.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF RECENT CHANGES WITH THE ANIMAL CONTROL BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
HOW DID THAT, UH, IMPACT, IF AT ALL, THE BUDGET FOR THE ANIMAL CONTROL AREA? WELL, IT DIDN'T AFFECT THE ANIMAL CONTROL BUDGET IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT THAT WE TRANSFERRED TO THE COUNTY.
UH, THAT'S THE FINANCIAL COMPONENT OF IT, OF THE AGREEMENT DIDN'T CHANGE WITH THE AMENDMENT YOU APPROVED.
UM, BUT UNDER THE TERMS OF THAT 2011 AGREEMENT, YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT BASED ON THE MIDWEST CPI NUMBER.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR NEARLY ALL OF THAT CHANGE.
THE CHANGE WE MADE HAD TO DO WITH HOW WE HANDLE LARGE WILD ANIMALS.
AND SO THAT DIDN'T IMPACT THIS LINE ITEM.
WHAT IT IMPACTED WAS THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S OPERATING COSTS.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AT THIS TIME? SO THE NEXT PAGE, PAGE 53 IS THE, IS A SECTION OF THE GENERAL FUND THAT WE, THAT WE CARVED OUT JUST BEGINNING IN 2022 FOR PURPOSES OF ENABLING THE CITY COUNCIL TO IDENTIFY THAT PORTION OF THE GENERAL FUND THAT JUST GOES TO MAINTAINING DOWNTOWN.
NOW, THIS SECTION OF THE BUDGET DOESN'T INCLUDE THE SALARIES.
UM, IT, WE, WE TRIED TO DO IT IN 2023, BUT IT WAS, IT'S JUST, IT'S TOO MUCH TRANSFERRING, AND IF THERE'S TOO MANY TRANSFERS, IT THROWS OFF THE NUMBERS.
AND SO IF WE WERE TO ADD ALL OF OUR PERSONNEL COSTS TO THIS, THE ACTUAL COST IS PROBABLY CLOSER TO, TO HALF A MILLION DOLLARS RATHER THAN $285,000.
UH, BUT THESE, THESE ARE THE HARD COSTS, UH, DOWNTOWN WE, UM, SO I FELT THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A SEPARATE SECTION OF THE GENERAL FUND WHEN, AND IF THE CITY COUNCIL MIGHT, UH, DECIDE, OR AT LEAST DISCUSS WHETHER OR NOT THERE SHOULD BE SOME, UM, UH, SPECIAL SERVICE AREA OR, OR SOME OTHER KIND OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS OR POLICIES THAT, THAT RELATE EXCLUSIVELY TO THE DOWNTOWN.
WE, WE TREAT THE DOWNTOWN SORT OF IN A SPECIAL WAY.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THAT SEPARATE ITEM.
SO THE NEXT SECTION WOULD BE, SINCE WE'RE SKIPPING OVER THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT FOR A LITTLE WHILE, THE NEXT ONE I THINK THAT'S ON THE SCHEDULE IS THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
SO LET ME, SO THAT WOULD BEGIN ON PAGE.
UM, THANK YOU
SO WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND PORTION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT THIS EVENING.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS WATER SEWER STORM, UH, ON WEDNESDAY.
SO I, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN, IN PARSING AND DIVIDING, UH, WHERE THE MONEY GOES, UH, HOW THE STREET PROGRAM WORKS, UH, AND, UM, AND SOME OF THE OTHER OBJECTIVES OF THE DEPARTMENT.
SO I'LL JUST, UH, STOP AND RATHER THAN MY MENTIONING THEM TO SEE WHAT QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR THE PUBLIC WORK STAFF.
QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? UH, MR. KEHL, IS IT PROPER TO TALK ABOUT ONE OF THE GRAPHS IN HERE? YES OR YES.
I GUESS THE ONLY THING THAT I REALLY PICKED UP ON IS OUR, UM, CAN YOU GIVE US A PAGE NUMBER WHEN YOU'RE THERE? YES.
IT, IT JUST SEEMS OUR, OUR ROAD GRADING IS CONTINUING TO GO SOUTH, AND, UH, I ASSUME MONEY IS THE ONLY THING THAT WILL TURN THAT NORTH, IS THAT CORRECT? MONEY SOLVES A LOT OF PROBLEMS
BUT, UH, IT WILL, THE, THE STREET SYSTEM, UNLESS WE APPLY MORE MONEY TO IT, WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO, TO DEGRADE.
MR. NEWELL, ON A DIFFERENT SUBJECT, THE, UM, EMERGENCY WARNING SIRENS, THOSE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, ARE PRIMARILY FOR OUTSIDE WARNING SYSTEMS AND CORRECT.
DO YOU, I I'M SURE THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SIRENS PER AREA OR SOMETHING, I'M GUESSING, BUT MY QUESTION IS, AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE HAVE PERSONAL DEVICES AND, AND DIFFERENT KINDS
[00:35:01]
OF SYSTEMS, IS THAT EVENTUALLY GONNA GO AWAY, OR WILL WE ALWAYS HAVE OUTSIDE WARNING? I GUESS WE WILL HAVE OUTSIDE WARNING AS LONG AS THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO HAVE OUTSIDE WARNING, UH, UH, WE, IN THE PAST, WELL, WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE CITY 30 SOME YEARS AGO, IT, WE, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.I MEAN, WE GOT CALLS MONTHLY, I CAN'T HEAR IT, BUT, UH, UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE GET THOSE CALLS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT PEOPLE RELY ON THE EMERGENCY WARNING SYSTEM LIKE THEY USED TO BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE, THE DEVICES WE CARRY.
I GUESS I DON'T HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER AS TO WHETHER IT'S TIME FOR US TO, I MEAN, I MUST GET NOTIFIED BY ABOUT 80 DIFFERENT THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WORLD'S COMING TO AN END, SO I JUST, AND YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE SIRENS, YOU CAN'T ALWAYS HEAR THEM AND THEY WEREN'T DESIGNED FOR YOU TO HEAR THEM INSIDE ANYWAY.
CORRECT? UM, I JUST DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT.
I'M NOT SURE THAT I HAVE AN ANSWER EITHER, BUT I'LL TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE CITIES THAT ARE ASKING THAT VERY SAME QUESTION, MAYOR.
IS IT GIVEN THE CABLE OVERRIDES AND THE, AND, AND THE ALERTS WE GET ON OUR, ON OUR CELL PHONES AND, AND THE OTHER, UM, MORE ADVANCED WAYS OF NOTIFYING PEOPLE AND DOING SO WITH MUCH MORE PRECISION DATA.
I MEAN, IT SIREN GOES OFF, YOU SAY, OKAY, WHAT IS IT? UH, WHEREAS WHEN IT'S ON YOUR PHONE, IT'S, IT TELLS YOU EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
UH, WE FELT LIKE IT PROBABLY WASN'T TIME YET TO MAKE THAT TRANSITION.
UH, BUT AT SOME POINT, THE CAPITAL COST OF SOME OF THESE SIRENS, UH, WILL I THINK FORCE THE COUNCIL TO MAKE THE DECISION.
DO WE, DO WE WANT THIS TO CONTINUE FOR A WHOLE LOT LONGER AND WE DO, WE WANNA BUY THE NEXT GENERATION OF OUTDOOR WARNING SIRENS OR TO MAKE THE TRANSITION? WELL, AND THAT'S THE QUESTION IS DO WE LIMP BY UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT THAT WE REALLY ARE COVERED, PROBABLY IN A BETTER WAY THAN WE, UM, HAVE HISTORICALLY RELIED ON MR. KEHL? ARE THESE, UM, SIRENS, DO THEY HAVE GENERATORS OR THEY JUST ELECTRIC? THEY'RE ALL, UH, THEY HAVE BATTERY BACKUP, BUT THEY ARE ELECTRIC.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE ONE THING I WAS THINKING OF IS IF THE ELECTRIC GRID GOES DOWN OR SOMETHING AND YOU NEED THOSE SIRENS AND SAY, CELL PHONES AREN'T WORKING OR SOMETHING, THEN YOU MIGHT NEED, NEED THAT SPRINGFIELD GOT WIPED OUT THEIR TOWERS, LIKE ALL THE CELL TOWERS GOT WIPED OUT.
UM, MS. GREGORY, I WANNA FOLLOW UP ON COUNCILMAN K'S ORIGINAL QUESTION.
UM, REGARDING THE, UM, PAVEMENT CONDITION IN 2015 OR 2016, THERE WAS A LARGE INFUSION OF CASH THAT WAS USED SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS PURPOSE.
DO YOU RECALL, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU MEASURE THINGS BY LANE MILES OF ASPHALT STREETS.
DO YOU RECALL WITH THAT INFUSION HOW MANY LANE MILES YOU WERE ABLE TO REPAIR? JUST A BALLPARK, OR YOU CAN EMAIL ME.
THAT MIGHT BE THE BETTER, THE BETTER COURSE WE DID, UH, AS, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE, ON THE GRAPH WHEN IT'S AROUND, UH, 20, 20 17 AND 2018 SHOWS, I MEAN, AT THAT, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE, WE OVER DOUBLED WHAT, UH, WHAT WE WERE DOING.
SO, SO WE PROBABLY DOUBLED THE LANE MILES WE WERE WORKING ON.
IF, IF, UH, BUT WE CAN GET YOU THE EXACT NUMBERS IF YOU'D LIKE.
AND DO YOU RECALL HOW MUCH CASH THAT WAS AT THAT TIME? UH, BOY, 5.2 AND $5.5 MILLION.
I MEAN, THERE, THOSE WERE BIG PROJECTS.
WE IMPLEMENTED THE MOTOR LOCAL MOTOR FUEL TAX, DR. HORN, LET'S CONTINUE ON WITH LOCAL ROADS, IF MY RECOLLECTION IS CORRECT, WE INSTITUTED THE LOCAL MOTOR FUEL TAX AND THEN GOT A LOAN SO THAT WE COULD, UM, DO A LOT OF ROADS AND VERY QUICK SUCCESSION.
AND NOW WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN WITH, I THINK IT'S ABOUT A MILLION TO $2 MILLION A YEAR.
AND, UM, QUITE FRANKLY, TO GO FROM ABOUT 2016 TO 2023 AND KEEP THE PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX ABOUT WHERE IT IS, IS, YOU KNOW, I COULD SAY THAT'S A, A GREAT JOB WITH THE RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE, BUT I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE ROADS THAT ARE IN THE WORST CONDITION, WORST PAVEMENT INDEX, AND HAVE THE MOST NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, PLACES LIKE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
DRIVE, YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ROADS SUCH AS, UM, SUCH AS MONROE STREET, UH, AND THESE ROADS GO NORTH TO SOUTH OF THE CITY.
[00:40:01]
IT'S SUBSTANTIAL COSTS, AND I DON'T, I, BASED ON HOW MUCH THESE ROAD PROJECTS COST, WHAT YOU'RE ABLE TO BE DONE.I, I THINK THAT YOUR ANSWER OF IF WE HAD MORE CASH, WE COULD DO MORE, BUT THE NUMBER OF LOCAL ROADS THAT ARE IN TROUBLE IS VERY HIGH.
MR. MCDANIEL, GOING BACK TO SIRENS, I'VE HAD A COUPLE CITIZENS APPROACH ME.
ARE, ARE THERE ANY OTHER SIRENS THAT GO OFF IN DECATUR, MACON COUNTY, OTHER THAN THE CITIES? YEAH, I THINK THE, THE COUNTY HAS A FAIRLY ROBUST SYSTEM, AND I THINK ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES HAVE SIRENS IN THE, OKAY.
WHAT, WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD, HOW CAN YOU, YOU KNOW, UH, AND THE CITY'S SIREN, OKAY, BAD WEATHER.
WHAT IF THERE'S A, A BOMBING OR SOMETHING? LIKE, DOES THAT, IS THERE A DIFFERENT, UM, UH, HORN THAT BLOWS THERE? UH, THERE, THERE WAS OR IS, I MEAN, THE, THE, THE, A STEADY ONE IS USUALLY STORMS, THEN THE UP AND DOWN, UH, NOISE GOING UP, NOISE GOING DOWN WAS, WAS USUALLY SEEN AS LIKE, YOU'RE BEING ATTACKED.
DO WE KNOW THAT? I DON'T KNOW THAT.
YEAH, I, I JUST SEE, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT.
SO IF YOU, YOU START DOING THAT, THEY'RE GONNA SAY, WOW, IT, IT MAKES A DIFFERENT NOISE.
WELL, THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING GOOD TO GET OUT JUST IN CASE.
I MEAN, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN NOWADAYS.
I DON'T, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE'D NEED TO COORDINATE WITH.
UH, WITH THE, OUR EMERGENCY EMERGENCY.
AND WE WOULD STRONGLY ADVISE PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR OTHER ALERT MESSAGES ON THEIR HOME PHONES AND CELL PHONES.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AT THIS POINT? SO THE PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION HAS, UH, SIX SECTIONS OF THE, OR SIX DIVISIONS OF, OF THE GENERAL FUND, PUBLIC WORKS, ADMINISTRATION, ENGINEERING, MUNICIPAL SERVICES, STREETS, TRAFFIC, AND PARKING, WHICH IS MOSTLY TRAFFIC CONTROL.
AND, UH, ONE THAT WE CHANGED LAST YEAR CALLED LAND AND BUILDING MANAGEMENT ON PAGE 100, IT USED TO BE CALLED THE FORESTRY DIVISION.
WE CHANGED IT BECAUSE I THINK IT WAS CREATING THE NOTION THAT THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY WAS ALL SPENT ON FORESTRY, WHICH IT WAS NOT.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S LAND MANAGEMENT AND, UH, AND BUILDING MANAGEMENT.
SO, UH, THE GENERAL FUND ENDS, THE GENERAL FUND PORTION OF PUBLIC WORKS ENDS ON PAGE 100.
ANY QUESTIONS UP TO THAT POINT? HEARING? IF NOT, THEN WE GO BACK TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS ON PAGE COUNCILMAN KUHL 72.
ACTUALLY, IT'S PAGE, YEAH, IT'S PAGE 65.
SO, UM, LIKE THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS, UH, EVERY YEAR, AND, UH, CHIEF BRANDELL HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF UPGRADING OUR REPORTING, UM, PROVIDING I THINK MORE ROBUST LINE ITEM DETAIL IN HIS BUDGET THAN YOU'VE, UH, AND YOU'VE SEEN WE ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE EACH YEAR TRYING TO MAKE THE BUDGET MORE EXPLANATORY.
UH, SO IN, AS WE DID WITH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, I'LL JUST, UH, SAY THAT AND LET YOU ASK QUESTIONS OF THE CHIEF QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF BRANDEL.
ANY EXTRA HIGHLIGHTS YOU WANNA SHARE? OTHER THAN WE'RE ALL VERY PROUD OF THE, UH, WORK THAT YOUR MEN AND WOMEN ARE DOING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I, I DO WANNA MAKE KIND OF A STATEMENT REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO WHEN, WHEN I, UH, BECAME THE CHIEF WHERE POLICING IN GENERAL WAS, UM, REALLY STRUGGLING, RIGHT? AND, UM, YOU COULD LOOK AT IT AS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AND, UH, TAKE THE SITUATION, YOU CAN CRY ABOUT IT, OR YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT AS A CHALLENGE AND, AND VIEW IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY.
MR. WRIGHTON HAD ASKED ME WHEN, UH, UH, HE HAD SELECTED ME AS THE CHIEF, WHY DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS? UH, AND, AND THE INTERESTING THING FOR ME WAS, IS RIGHT NOW IS SUCH A GOLDEN TIME TO DO A LOT OF GOOD THINGS IN POLICING.
AND SO ON TOP OF THAT, THEN I ALSO KNEW THAT I HAD A SUPPORTIVE CITY COUNCIL, UH, AND A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY IN, IN GENERAL.
SO, UH, IT REALLY WAS AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND ALL OF THAT WAS YEAR 2021.
AND THAT WAS THE HEIGHT OF VIOLENT CRIME ACROSS THIS COUNTRY AND THE CITY INCLUDED.
[00:45:01]
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, AND I'LL TOUCH ON JUST VERY, VERY BRIEFLY AND THEN HIT WHAT I VIEW AS OUR PILLARS OF SUCCESS.THE COMMUNITY HAS ASKED US TO DO A LOT MORE IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, RIGHTFULLY SO.
AND AS SUCH, YEAR TO DATE, WE'VE INCREASED OUR SPEED ENFORCEMENT BY 155%.
YEAR TO DATE, CELL PHONE ENFORCEMENT IS UP 21%.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT NUMBER'S GONNA CLIMB BY THE END OF THE YEAR JUST BECAUSE CURRENTLY WE JUST STARTED A, A, UH, OPERATION THAT'S GONNA RUN THE END OF THE YEAR FOR CELL PHONE ENFORCEMENT.
OUR MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES ARE AT THEIR LOWEST LEVELS THAT THEY'VE BEEN IN THE LAST 15 YEARS OR SO SINCE, UH, WE WERE KEEPING RECORDS SO FAR THIS YEAR.
WE'VE HAD A 30% REDUCTION IN SHOOTINGS, YEAR TO DATE, AND A 46% REDUCTION IN SHOOTINGS SINCE 2021.
SAME TIMEFRAME, UH, AT THE HEIGHT OF ALL OF THE VIOLENT CRIME ICR FOUR PILLARS OF SUCCESS GENERALLY BEING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AND GENERALLY INVESTMENT IN OUR, IN OUR PEOPLE AND OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT, THAT TAKES ON VARIOUS ROLES AND, AND, UH, LOOKS, LOOKS, UM, A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS TRAINING.
WE HAVE TO INVEST IN TRAINING IN OUR OFFICERS.
I THINK HISTORICALLY, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WHOLLY UH, UNDERFUNDED WHEN IT COMES TO TRAINING.
AND I THINK IF THE PAST FEW YEARS HAVE SHOWN ANYTHING, IT'S, UH, IF YOU WANT A GOOD PROFESSIONAL POLICE DEPARTMENT, YOU BETTER TRAIN 'EM.
UM, AND, AND WE HAVE GREAT FACILITIES HERE.
UH, AND, AND THE STATE, UH, IS, IS ALSO PUTTING MORE MONEY OUT FOR, FOR TRAINING.
UH, WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE THE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.
UH, AND WE STILL ARE STRUGGLING WITH OUR, UH, RECRUITMENT AND OUR STAFFING NUMBERS.
ALTHOUGH I DO BELIEVE IN 2024, MY, MY HOPE PROJECTION IS BY THE END OF 24, EARLY 25, WE'LL BE AT OUR BUDGETED NUMBER.
UM, IF, IF WE HAVE A HIRING GROUP IN 24 LIKE WE DID IN 23, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE'LL BE.
THE PROBLEM IS, IS JUST LIKE RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE 12 PEOPLE IN TRAINING, SO I COULD BE A FULL STAFF, BUT IF I'VE GOT 15 PEOPLE IN TRAINING, THAT'S STILL A BURDEN ON OUR, ON OUR DEPARTMENT.
'CAUSE IT TAKES A MINIMUM OF NINE MONTHS FROM POINT OF HIRE TO A POINT AN OFFICER IS RELEASED ON THEIR OWN AND FULLY DEPLOYABLE, THAT'S MINIMUM NINE MONTHS.
UM, AND SO IT, IT, IT'S A STRUGGLE THAT'S GONNA BE THERE, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE IT.
WE, I, I DID THE NUMBERS THE OTHER DAY.
UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 46 OFFICERS WITH LESS THAN FIVE YEARS ON OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND BY THE END OF 24, WE FEEL IT'S GONNA BE PROBABLY IN THE MID SIXTIES THAT WE'LL HAVE THAT MANY OFFICERS WITH LESS THAN FIVE YEARS.
NOW, FAST FORWARD 20, 25 YEARS, THAT'S HOW MANY OFFICERS ARE GONNA END UP LEA, YOU KNOW, WILL RETIRE WHEN THOSE TIME COMES.
SO THAT'S GONNA CONSTANTLY HAVE TO BE AN ISSUE FOR FUTURE LEADERS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, MY TIME IS, IS IS CERTAINLY COMING, UH, TO A SUNSET, UH, AS MY CAREER COMES, COMES DOWN TO A, A CLOSE HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
BUT, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM FOR FUTURE LEADERSHIP IN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THAT'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING THAT, THAT STAYS ON THE FOREFRONT OF ANY COUNCIL.
THE NEXT PILLAR IS TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT.
WE'VE INVESTED A LOT OF MONEY IN TECHNOLOGY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND IT'S FANTASTIC.
UM, IT'S, IT'S BEEN, UM, REMARKABLE WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT.
OUR DETECTIVES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO USE OUR PATROL OFFICERS BEING ABLE TO USE, UH, THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S OUT THERE.
UM, AND THEN JUST BEING ABLE TO UPDATE OUR, OUR, JUST OUR GENERAL TECHNOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE DON'T HAVE COMPUTERS THAT ACTUALLY DON'T CRASH ON US WHEN WE TRY TO DO A CELL PHONE EXTRACTION.
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND, AND, UH, AND ALL THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, SOME IT IS, AND NONE OF IT'S CHEAP, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF, AS MATT SAID, YEAH, YEAH, I CAN DO A BUNCH OF ROWS, YOU GIMME THE MONEY TO GET IT.
AND, UH, WE HAVE TO HAVE GOOD EQUIPMENT IF WE WANT TO GO OUT THERE AND DO OUR JOBS THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN AND, AND, UH, BE ABLE TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL POLICING FOR THE CITY.
AND THEN THE FINAL PILLAR IS OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS.
UH, I FEEL WE'VE BUILT A LOT OF GOOD RELATIONSHIPS IN THE, IN THE CITY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
UH, AND OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE VARIOUS GROUPS, UH, AND COMMUNITY GROUPS WITHIN THE CITY, AND ALL THOSE THINGS WORK IN CONCERT WITH EACH OTHER.
IF ONE FALLS OFF, THEY ALL ARE GONNA STRUGGLE.
SO, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THOSE, THOSE FOUR PILLARS ARE, ARE WHAT'S GOING TO MAKE OR BREAK US AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO WITH THAT SAID, UH, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL, DR. HORN.
UH, FIRST ONE IS, WHEN WAS THE LAST CITIZEN SURVEY CONDUCTED? UH, THE COUNCIL GOT RESULTS FROM SPRING OF THIS YEAR, I BELIEVE, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'VE GOTTEN ANY RESULTS SINCE THEN.
CHIEF, WOULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE MICROPHONE? WE'RE NOT CAPTURING ALL THE AUDIO, SORRY.
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WE JUST, I THINK, UH, HAD A MEETING WITH ZEN CITY FOR THE LATEST RESULTS.I PERSONALLY EVEN HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW 'EM.
UM, WE, WE WERE GETTING 'EM QUARTERLY.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA TRY TO CHANGE THAT TO SEMI-ANNUALLY.
UM, FOR THE MOST PART, THE NUMBERS ARE, THEY HAVE REMAINED CONSISTENT AND THE DATA WE'RE GETTING BACK IS CONSISTENT.
UM, SO THERE'S NOTHING TO BE, TO BE QUITE HONEST AND BLUNT.
THERE'S NOTHING IN THOSE SURVEYS THAT I'M NOT FULLY AWARE OF ALREADY.
UH, AND THE NUMBERS ARE CONSISTENT AND, UH, AND ARE WHAT I WOULD EXPECT TO SEE.
AND THEN THIS SECOND QUESTION, UM, IS RELATED TO POLICING, BUT WE MIGHT NEED SOME FINANCE FOLKS TO CONFIRM THIS, BUT ARP UM, ACT FUNDS ARE FUNDING FLOCK CAMERAS THROUGH 2024, IS MY UNDERSTANDING, BUT THROUGH 2025 OR 20 24, 25.
BUT WE CAN, ARP FUNDS NEED TO BE ENCUMBERED BY THE END OF 2024 AND NEED TO BE SPENT BY THE END OF 2026.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHY DON'T WE USE ANOTHER $250,000 IN ARP FUNDS? MY SUGGESTION IS TO USE IT FROM, UH, WATER, UH, BECAUSE, UM, WE HAVE A WATER BOND THAT WE HAVEN'T SPENT DOWN, BUT WHY CAN'T WE USE ARP FUNDS FROM WATER TO PAY FOR THE FLOCK CAMERA LEASE IN 2026? I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A CHIEF BRANDEL QUESTION.
I THINK IT'S A SCOTT QUESTION.
UM, WHEN WE GOT ALL OF OUR ARP MONEY ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED, UH, A SPENDING FORMULA, BASICALLY ALLOCATED IT TO LOTS OF DIFFERENT FUNDS.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY, UH, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE, UM, ARP MONIES FUND FLOCK THROUGH 2025, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WAS IN THAT, THAT SCHEDULE.
WE WILL MEET THE REQUIREMENT FOR IT TO BE ENCUMBERED BECAUSE IT'S YOUR LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
YOU APPROVED A MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT WITH FLOCK FOR QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
IT HAS TO BE ENCUMBERED, NOT BECAUSE YOU PUT IT IN YOUR BUDGET, BUT ENCUMBERED BY A CONTRACT.
AND SO IT, IT MEETS THAT REQUIREMENT.
SO THE REASON WHY IT'S, IT'S ARP THROUGH, UM, 2025 IS THAT THAT'S WHAT WAS IN YOUR ARP FORMULA.
IF YOU, IF AS A COUNCIL YOU WANTED TO CHANGE THE ALLOCATION FORMULA, UH, AND AS LONG AS YOU COULD ENCUMBER IT BY ONE ONE OF 25, THEN YOU ARE AT LIBERTY TO DO THAT.
BUT THE REASON IT'S IN THE BUDGET THE WAY IT IS, BECAUSE I'M SIMPLY FOLLOWING THE COUNCIL APPROVED ALLOCATION FORMULA.
SO WHEN WE READ ABOUT WHERE THE MONEY'S COMING FROM IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR THINGS LIKE FLOCK CAMERAS IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS THE ABILITY TO ACT AND CHANGE WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST AS LONG AS IT MEETS THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT RULES.
YOU, YOU REALLOCATE, YOU THEORETICALLY CAN REALLOCATE THAT MONEY EVERY YEAR.
AND THEN I, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE, THE CRIME STATISTICS ARE GOING DOWN AND, UM, A LARGE REASON FOR THAT, I BELIEVE IS BECAUSE OF THE MEN AND WOMEN ON THE POLICE FORCE AND THE WORK THAT, UH, THEY DO EVERY DAY.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
AND IN ADDITION TO THE GREAT JOB YOU ALL ARE DOING, ARE OTHER COMMUNITIES SEEING A DECREASE AS WELL, OR, UH, IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT, IT FEELS LIKE THINGS ARE SAFER HERE, BUT THAT OTHER CITIES ARE REALLY STRUGGLING.
YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME ARE ARE SEEING SOME GOOD DECREASES AND, AND OTHERS IT'S STAYING STAGNANT OR EVEN INCREASING.
SO, UM, I THINK IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU'RE AT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF WISH LIST THAT'S NOT IN HERE? WELL, WHEN HE GOES ON VACATION OR WHEREVER HE GOES, YOU KNOW, WE GIVE HIM OTHER STUFF, YOU KNOW, WHEN HE IS NOT EVEN HERE AND ASKING FOR, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOUR VACATION TIME
UM, I JUST MEAN, SERIOUSLY, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE THAT YOU AREN'T ABLE TO GET? WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING READY TO DEMO A FEW THINGS.
UH, AND SOME ONE, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS IS, IS, UH, UH, KIND OF THE BUZZ WORD.
I, I THINK IT'S AN OVERSTATEMENT ON THE TITLE, BUT IT'S, IT'S LIKE A REAL TIME CRIME CENTER.
AND BASICALLY WHAT IT IS, IS SOFTWARE FLOCK HAS ONE, WE'RE GONNA DEMO FROM THAT.
THERE'S ANOTHER COMPANY CALLED FIUS, WHICH IS THE LEADER IN THE MARKET.
AND BASICALLY IT, IT ABSORBS ALL OF CRIME DATA.
YOU HAVE IT, UH, AND THEN KIND OF GIVES YOU AN ANALYTICS TO KIND OF PREDICTIVE POLICING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND SO, AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT IS IT'S ALSO A, A REAL TIME OPERATION TYPE DEAL FOR, UH, OFFICERS AND DETECTIVES WORK IN THE STREET.
THEY HAVE AN INCIDENT THAT SAY HAPPENING AT MLK AND GRAND, AND THEY WANNA SEE, MAYBE PULL UP A CAMERA THAT MIGHT BE THERE THAT'S
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ACTIVE AND THEY CAN GO TO THIS, PULL UP THE CAMERA AND SEE LIVE VIEW IF THERE IS A CAMERA IN THAT AREA.UM, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND, AND THAT'S A LARGER PROJECT BECAUSE, UH, IT, IT INVOLVES GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND WORKING WITH THE BUSINESSES AND, UH, HOMEOWNERS TO, TO GIVE CONSENT TO, TO DRAW THOSE CAMERAS IN.
UM, SO THAT, AND THEN ALSO WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, TRAFFIC CAMERAS, UH, AND, AND TRYING TO BUILD THOSE OUT, UH, AND PUT THOSE THROUGHOUT THE CITY TOO, IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S APPROVED.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THE FLOCK CAMERAS, WE TALK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, UH, THE VEHICLES ARE, ARE THE MODE OF THE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION, UH, AND HOW PEOPLE GET AROUND AND, AND WHEN THEY COMMIT CRIMES, THAT'S HOW THEY DO IT, RIGHT? AND SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING, YOU KNOW, STRATEGIC LOCATIONS FOR SOME OF THOSE, UH, VIDEOS IS, IS GOOD AS YOU SEE TRAFFIC AND SOME OF, AND, AND THAT HELPS WITH TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT TOO.
AND, UH, SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT USES FOR IT, AND A LOT OF COMMUNITIES ARE STARTING TO, UH, PUT THOSE OUT, UH, IN PUBLIC SPACES.
COUNCILMAN COOPER? UH, A COUPLE THINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW WHAT, UM, COUNCILMAN HORNE SAID, WE KNOW ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE AND THE NUMBERS ARE IN THESE AREAS ARE REALLY, UM, GOOD TO SEE AND THAT CRASHES ARE GOING DOWN AND, AND, UM, A LOT OF THINGS ARE GOING REAL GOOD.
SO WE HAVE MADE DONE YOUR, YOU HAVE DONE, AND YOUR PEOPLE HAVE DONE A, A GREAT WORK IN A LOT OF THOSE AREAS.
UM, YOU JUST INDICATED ABOUT TRAFFIC CAMERAS, I ASSUME.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ONES THAT, UM, THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT? NO, NO.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE THOSE.
I HOPE I WAS HOPING YOU WEREN'T TALKING ABOUT THOSE.
UM, I DO WANT YOU, I DO WANT, HOPEFULLY GOING FORWARD THOUGH, THAT I STILL THINK, I KNOW OUR CRIME IS GOING DOWN AND, UM, WE STILL DO HAVE SHOOTINGS.
UM, SO WE STILL GOT A LOT OF WEAPONS OUT HERE OUT THERE IN DECATUR, AND I KNOW YOU'RE DOING A LOT OF THINGS REGARDING WEAPONS AND TRYING TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT I HOPE WE CONTINUE TO LOOK IN THAT AREA AND COME UP WITH STILL SOME, SOME ADDITIONAL WAYS, HOPEFULLY, THAT WE CAN REDUCE THE NUMBER OF WEAPONS THAT ARE IN DECATUR, UM, AND ESPECIALLY THE ASSAULT WEAPONS.
UM, UH, DECATUR, WE, WE'VE BEEN BLESSED AND LUCK LUCKY AND BLESSED SO FAR THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD, UH, REALLY A MASS SHOOTING IN, IN OUR CITY AND, UM, THAT, THAT'S GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
BUT I THINK EVERY CITY WE NEED TO BE PREPARED AND WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE CAN DO AHEAD OF TIME PROACTIVELY TO HOPEFULLY TO PREVENT A MASS SHOOTING IN OUR CITY.
UM, AND I KNOW A LOT OF CITIES TALK ABOUT THAT AND SOME GOT PREPARED AND SOME DIDN'T, AND THEY GOT KIND OF CAUGHT OFF GUARD.
AND I JUST HOPE WE DON'T GET CAUGHT OFF GUARD.
UM, AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS THAT WE CAN FIND A WAY TO REDUCE DOWN THE NUMBER OF ASSAULT WEAPONS THAT ARE COMING INTO OUR CITY.
AND I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU'RE DOING JOBS, GETTING WEAPONS ALL THE TIME AND CONFISCATING WEAPONS, BUT I STILL THINK THERE'S SOMETHING OUT THERE HOPEFULLY THAT WE CAN FIND THAT WE CAN EVEN, UH, BETTER CONTROL THE AMOUNT OF WEAPONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR STREETS, SO WE DON'T HAVE A HOPEFULLY, UH, A MASS SHOOTING INCIDENT IN OUR CITY.
SO, SO TWO THINGS I'LL SAY TO THAT.
UM, BUT THERE'S NO DEBATE OR OUT OF, OUT OF ME ON THAT ONE.
UM, THE AMOUNT OF WEAPONS THAT WE SEE IS, IS REALLY REMARKABLE TODAY.
UM, WHEN I STARTED MY CAREER, IT WAS, IT WAS UNUSUAL TO KIND OF COME ACROSS SOMEBODY THAT WOULD HAVE A GUN IN THEIR POSSESSION.
UM, WE HAD SHOOTINGS AND STUFF, BUT PEOPLE DIDN'T JUST RIDE AROUND WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, LIKE THEY DO NOW.
NOW, I MEAN, OUR OFFICERS GENERALLY HAVE, THEY HAVE THE MINDSET AND REALLY THEY, THEY KIND OF HAVE TO ANYMORE, THAT ALMOST EVERYBODY THEY COME INTO CONTACT WITH IS GONNA HAVE A GUN, UM, UH, ESPECIALLY IN OUR HIGH CRIME AREAS.
AND, AND WHEN THEY'RE DOING THAT TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT, UM, AND IT'S DANGEROUS WORK FOR 'EM, RIGHT? AND SO, AND WHICH WE'VE SEEN IT PLAY OUT IN FRONT OF OUR VERY EYES HERE IN DECATUR.
UM, WHAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT IS, IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE THE FLOW OF WEAPONS THAT COME FROM, UH, OUTSIDE OF DECATUR, MANY OF OUR WEAPONS THAT WE RECOVER ARE STOLEN.
UH, AND, AND PART OF THAT'S IR I'LL CALL IT OUT, RIGHT? AS IT IS, IRRESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP BY SOME PEOPLE.
IF YOU LEAVE A GUN IN YOUR UNLOCKED CAR AND A CAR GETS BURGLARIZED, YOU'RE AN IRRESPONSIBLE GUN OWNER, IN MY OPINION.
UM, AND, UH, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF THOSE.
AND THEN NOW WE HAVE HAVE THE ADDED ADDED, UH, UM, PROBLEM OF BEING ABLE TO USE A THREE D PRINTER AND MAKE A GUN AND, UH, DO, YOU KNOW, GHOST GUNS AND, AND SO FORTH.
SO THERE, THERE'S A, I MEAN, I, THAT'S AT THE FOREFRONT OF NOT JUST LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS, BUT YOUR FEDERAL AGENCIES AS WELL, THE ATF AND THE FBI.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK BEING PUT INTO THAT AND, AND FOR GOOD REASON.
OTHER COMMENTS, PAT? I, I KNOW RECRUITING IS TOUGH FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH POACHING FROM OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THE REASON I MENTIONED THAT IS LISTEN TO KOX, THE OTHER DAY IN THE ATLANTA, GEORGIA POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD A, HAD A, UH, HIRING,
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UH, EVENT IN ST.WHICH THE MAYOR WAS NOT AWARE OF.
AND SHE WAS GOING TO MAYBE DO THE SAME TO ATLANTA.
BUT DO WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH POACHING? UM, SO, UH, TO BE FAIR, I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE GOTTEN A FEW LATERALS OURSELVES.
UM, UH, I THINK WE'VE HIRED, I WAS TRYING TO COUNT IT, COUNT IT, UH, TODAY, UH, SEVEN, I THINK SEVEN LATERALS IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, WHICH IS, WE HADN'T HAD SEVEN LATERALS PROBABLY IN THE LAST 10 YEARS PRIOR TO THAT.
UM, FOR US, ABOUT THE ONLY PLACE PEOPLE WE GET POACHED FROM IS THE STATE POLICE.
UM, AND, AND THERE'S VARIOUS REASONS FOR THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, I'M TRYING TO PICK MY WORDS HERE CAREFULLY, NOT TO WADE INTO SOME POLITICAL CONVERSATION, BUT, UH, UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S HOW THE STATE POLICE BUILT THEIR RANKS BACK UP, IS THEY, THEY BASICALLY WENT AROUND THE STATE AND TOOK A BUNCH OF LATERALS FROM ACROSS THE STATE, UH, AND THEN THEY DID IT ON THE BACKS OF LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
SO YEAH, WE LOSE PEOPLE TO THE STATE, AND THAT'S REALLY IT.
UH, BUT THEY'RE GETTING READY TO DO ANOTHER, UH, LATERAL HIRING CLASS SOON.
SO IT WOULDN'T SHOCK ME IF WE LOST A COUPLE MORE BEFORE CHIEF BRENDA LEAVES.
UM, I WANNA DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO PAGE 1 35.
THERE ARE, THESE ARE, UM, SPECIAL PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDS.
THERE'S FIVE OF THEM, AND FOUR OF THEM ARE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, OR MANAGED RATHER, BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT FUND, THE DUI, FINES AND FEES FUND, THE POLICE PROGRAMS AND LAB FUND, AND THE FEDERAL DRUG REVENUE FUND.
ALL OF THESE ARE CREATED, UM, BECAUSE THE FUNDING SOURCE REQUIRES THAT WE ACCOUNT FOR THEM SEPARATELY IN THIS FASHION.
UH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, I'LL LET THE SPEAK THE, THE CHIEF SPEAK TO THE SPECIFICS.
UH, WE TEND TO, UH, BUILD UP THESE BALANCES BECAUSE THEY'RE COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE.
UH, AND THEN, AND THEN USE THEM FOR PURCHASES OF VARIOUS, UH, EQUIPMENT THAT THE FUNDING SOURCE, UH, FINDS ELIGIBLE.
AND, AND SO FROM TIME TO TIME, WE'RE ABLE TO REDUCE SOME OF THE CAPITAL COST, UH, STRAIN OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ON THE GENERAL FUND BY PUSHING IT OVER TO THESE.
CHIEF, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS YOU WANNA MAKE ABOUT THESE FOUR FUNDS? NO, THAT WAS PRETTY GOOD.
COUNCILMAN MCG GREGORY, ABOUT A YEAR OR SO AGO, UM, WE CLOSED DRIVE THROUGH LIQUOR WINDOWS AT 10 O'CLOCK.
HAVE WE HAD THOSE CLOSED LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE ANY TYPE OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHETHER IT HELPED? UM, I ASK BECAUSE WE HAVE GOTTEN CALLS FROM SEVERAL ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE CONCERNED THAT SINCE THE DRIVE UP WINDOW IS CLOSED, NOW THEY GET THE CHARACTERS FACE TO FACE AND THEY'RE CONCERNED.
UM, I, I MEAN, AFTER ONE YEAR, I CAN'T REALLY GIVE A, UH, YOU KNOW, A CONCRETE ANSWER TO THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT DISCUSSION WILL, WILL TAKE, UM, MANY SIDES, RIGHT? UM, I MAY PRESENT, UH, STATISTIC A, B, OR C OR TAKE A POSITION ON THAT, AND THERE'S GONNA BE SOMEBODY THAT'S GONNA COUNTER ME, UH, ALL DAY LONG, UM, JUST BECAUSE, UH, OF THEIR VIEWPOINT ON THAT.
UM, DO I BELIEVE THAT IT HAS AN IMPACT? I DO.
UM, IS IT, IT, IT, THE PROBLEM IS, IS IT'S SUPER HARD TO QUANTIFY THAT, UH, INTO ANY SORT OF NUMBERS OTHER THAN, UM, DOING THIS WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT AND SEEING IT ON THE STREET LEVEL.
SO, BUT LIKE I SAID, UH, THERE'LL BE SOMEBODY THAT'LL COUNTER ME IN A HEARTBEAT ON THAT COMMENT.
MR. COOPER, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON, ON HER, HAVE YOU SEEN, HAVE YOU THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED ANY, UM, MORE CALLS FROM THE, THESE ESTABLISHMENTS TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE AT, AFTER THE 10 O'CLOCK HOUR THAT ARE NOW INSIDE? UH, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
I MEAN, I WOULD'VE TO LOOK AT THAT, UH, UH, MORE CLOSELY, BUT THAT HAS NOT BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION IN TERMS OF THAT BEING A, BY A UNFORESEEN BYPRODUCT OF THAT.
AND, AND THAT BEING SOMETHING THAT, I MEAN, NOT TOO MANY COMMUNITIES HAVE THAT DRIVE UP LIQUOR LIKE THAT ANYWAY, AND ESPECIALLY OURS LIKE THAT.
SO IF IT WAS A BIG PROBLEM, YOU WOULD SEE THOSE, THE MAYBE CONCERNS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, AND YOU'RE JUST NOT SEEING IT.
MR. KEEL, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK YOU, NOT THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO DO, BUT MAYBE YOU COULD GENERALLY TALK TO YOUR STAFF ABOUT THAT AND KEEP AN EYE OPEN FOR THAT, BECAUSE I'VE ALSO BEEN, UH, APPROACHED ABOUT THAT AND THEY HAVE SOME LEGITIMATE COMPLAINTS.
AND SO THAT'S ALL MR. HORN, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT CHIEF BRANDELL SAID ABOUT STATISTICS.
I WOULD JUST POINT TO, UH, PAGE 69, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT, UM, DUI, ACCIDENTS ARE DOWN THIS YEAR AND TRENDING DOWN.
WE STILL GOT THREE MONTHS TO GO.
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ARE TRENDING DOWN, AND WE WANT TO SEE LESS DRUNK DRIVERS ON THE ROAD.AND SO, UM, INDIRECTLY, UM, IT'S HARD TO SAY IF ONE FACTOR IS PLAYING A ROLE MORE THAN OTHER FACTORS, BUT WE WANT TO SEE LESS DUI ACCIDENTS.
WE WANT TO SEE, WELL, LESS PEOPLE THAT ARE DRIVING INTOXICATED, AND THAT WOULD BE INDICATED BY ARRESTS.
AND SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT IS WORKING.
YOU KNOW, I, I I WILL SAY THAT, AND, AND I'VE SAID IT PUBLICLY AND, AND IS, UM, WE'RE REAL AGGRESSIVE WITH DUI ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE IT, IT, IF, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT UP CLOSE, HOW THAT, HOW THAT CAN END, UM, WITH, WITH FATALITIES AND, AND HOW DANGEROUS IT IS.
IT'S LIKE FIRING A BULLET INTO A CROWD.
YOU'RE JUST FIRING IT DOWN THE ROADWAY, RIGHT, TO INNOCENT PEOPLE.
AND, UH, I DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
UH, CANNABIS IS ALSO CONSIDERED ADUI.
HAVE YOU'VE SEEN A, I I ALWAYS LOOK AT THE, UH, UH, DECATUR TRIBUNE ON THURSDAY WHERE THEY LIST, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S GETTING PRETTY BAD 'CAUSE IT'LL SAY ALCOHOL AND CANNABIS.
SO, UH, WE'VE SEEN A BIG INCREASE.
I, I ACTUALLY, I MEAN, WE'VE, FOR YEARS TRACKED WHEN WE TRACK OUR DUIS, WE TRACK IF IT'S DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND STATISTICALLY, THE, THE STATISTICS ARE TRENDING PRETTY SIMILAR.
I MEAN, IF I'M BEING HONEST, IT'S NOTHING NEW.
PEOPLE ARE, ARE DOING DRUGS AND DRIVING OR DRINKING AND DRIVING.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S, WHAT'S DIFFERENT, UH, IS IT'S, IT'S HARDER FOR US TO INVESTIGATE AND MAKE THE ARRESTS FOR DUI DRUGS.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE SPECIALIZED TRAINING IN THAT.
UM, AND, AND HOW IT'S HANDLED IS DIFFERENT.
SO, UM, THAT SOMETIMES PRESENTS US A CHALLENGE, UH, IN OUR DUI ENFORCEMENT.
BUT THAT'S A MATTER OF, UH, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO ONE OF THE PILLARS, THE TRAINING AND MAKING SURE OUR OFFICERS HAVE THAT RIGHT TRAINING TO DO IT.
WELL, AS I ALWAYS SAY, WHEN I MOW MY BOULEVARD, I GET A CHEAP HIGH WITH ALL THE CARS DRIVING BY.
WELL, YOU CAN'T GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT THAT ANYMORE.
ANYTHING FURTHER? THANK YOU, CHIEF.
BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, I MADE AN OVERSIGHT IN, IN ONE OF THE INTRODUCTORY NOTES ON PAGE 77.
UM, I THINK THAT IT CAME FROM SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT AT LEAST EXAMINING FALSE ALARM FEES.
SO ON PAGE 77, ITEM 10, WHAT'S, WHAT'S HERE IN THE NOTES IS THAT WE PROPOSE FALSE ALARM, AN INCREASE, UM, OR ADJUSTMENT OF SOME KIND IN THE FALSE ALARM FEES.
IN FACT, THE CITY CODE ALREADY PROVIDES FOR, UM, FEES FOR FALSE ALARMS, UH, TRIGGERED WITH THE FOURTH END FOLLOWING.
THEY, THEY, THEY GET CHIEF, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THEY GET THREE FREEBIES, AND AFTER THAT THEY PAY OF, AND, AND THEN, SO THAT'S ALREADY IN THE CODE, AND THEY, AND THEY ESCALATE UP 100, 200, 300 AND SO FORTH AS THESE, UH, FALSE ALARMS CONTINUE.
THE LOGIC BEING THAT IF YOU'RE UP IN THAT RANGE, THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXING YOUR SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S WHY THAT ESCALATES UP.
SO, UM, WE'LL REVISE THAT NUMBER 10 TO REFLECT WHAT'S ALREADY IN THE CODE, PROBABLY TAKE THAT OUT.
CHIEF, ANY OTHER KIND OF OVERVIEWS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE ON THE, ON YOUR BUDGET? UM, A COUPLE, THE, UH, MAIN THING THAT WE'RE TRYING, CAN YOU BRING THE MICROPHONE A LITTLE BIT CLOSER SO THAT PEOPLE CAN HEAR BUT LOOK BETTER? I'M BUDGETING A MICROPHONE IN THE NEW YEAR,
UM, A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON IN THE UPCOMING YEAR IS TRYING FOR ONE, WE'VE SETTLED THE CONTRACT DISPUTE AFTER THREE YEARS, SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU UP AND RUNNING.
WE'RE TESTING FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.
HOPEFULLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY, WE WILL HAVE REESTABLISHED AND WE CAN, UH, START OUR, OUR NORMAL DUTIES THAT WE WERE DOING PREVIOUSLY, UH, JUST WITH ONE LESS INSPECTOR.
UM, ANY BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS? THERE'S NOT, THERE'S REALLY FROM YEAR TO YEAR, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF CHANGES.
I MEAN, APPARATUS ARE STILL A BIG PROBLEM FOR US.
UH, THE NEW ONES THAT YOU GUYS APPROVED ARE NOT GONNA BE IN FOR ANOTHER YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS.
SO IF SOMETHING WERE TO BREAK TODAY, WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY APPARATUS TO PUT 'EM IN.
THEY'D HAVE TO GO INTO A, UH, UH, SUV OR OUR RESCUE TRUCK THAT DOESN'T HAVE A PUMP OR WATER.
UH, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
IT'S A, IT'S A, UH, HOPE AND PRAY THAT THE NEWS TRUCKS COME IN AS THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.
UH, THE OTHER THINGS IN THE, THAT WE HAVE IS, UH, I THINK CHIEF BRANDELL
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POINTED THIS OUT A MINUTE AGO WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.WHAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, TURNOVER IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM IN THE NEXT, UH, YEAR OR TWO.
UH, THE TOP THREE FIRE DEPARTMENT STAFF MEMBERS ARE GONNA HAVE 30 YEARS ON THE JOB.
I'M NOT GONNA BE AROUND MUCH LONGER.
I DON'T THINK THE DEPUTY CHIEFS ARE GONNA BE AROUND MUCH LONGER.
WE'RE, UH, FIVE OF THE TOP SIX PEOPLE HAVE 25 YEARS OR MORE.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE A REPLACEMENT COMING, COMING SOON IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO.
UM, WE'RE WORKING ON, UH, AS MR. WRIGHT POINTED OUT, THE CITY HAD A, UH, TRAINING CLASS THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE ATTENDING.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'RE PREPARING, UH, THE FUTURE OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
AND THEN TRAINING, I THINK, UH, AS FAR AS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOES, IF YOU'LL NOTICE, I ALLOCATED MONEY IN OUR OVERTIME BUDGET FOR TRAINING.
OUR, UM, FIRE OFFICERS, SPECIFICALLY OUR CAPTAINS, THEY'RE THE BACKBONE OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S WHERE, UH, ALL THE STATIONS ARE RUN BY A CAPTAIN ON EACH BATTALION.
AND, UH, I THINK IT'S A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT TO SPEND A LITTLE MORE MONEY TRAINING THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE COUNTING ON, ON A DAILY BASIS TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM THEIR JOB, UH, IN THE HIGHEST MANNER POSSIBLE.
SO, ASIDE FROM THAT, I MEAN, THERE'S A COUPLE OF NEW FANS THAT WE'VE PUT IN FOR, UH, THAT I THINK WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF THE LARGER STRUCTURES THAT ARE BEING BUILT IN THE NORTHEAST.
UM, OTHER, AS I LOOK IT OVER, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, IT'S TRYING TO KEEP THE SAME NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS ON THE STREETS EVERY DAY, IS BASICALLY WHAT OUR BUDGET BOILS DOWN TO.
AND THEN EQUIP 'EM WITH THE PROPER EQUIPMENT.
SO IF, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER 'EM.
UH, CHIEF, THE FIREHOUSES THAT WERE NOT REBUILT, THAT WERE JUST REFURBISHED, ARE WE GONNA HIT THE POINT IN THE NEXT FIVE OR 10 YEARS THAT THOSE ARE GONNA NEED TO BE NEW FIREHOUSES? OR ARE WE JUST GONNA BE ABLE TO KEEP THEM UP? WELL, YOU'RE ASKING ME THAT ON A DAY WHERE WE HAD TO CLOSE STATION SIX FOR A WHILE BECAUSE OF A, UH, REOCCURRING SEWER LINE PROBLEM THAT I THOUGHT WAS CORRECTED 20 YEARS AGO, THAT APPARENTLY THEY HAVE TO DIG UP THE FLOOR AGAIN.
I THINK THAT PART OF THE STUDY THAT WAS DONE, UH, WE BELIEVED AT THE TIME, AND THE CONSULTANTS BELIEVED AT THE TIME THAT THOSE STATIONS ARE, ARE GONNA SERVE THE CITY FOR, FOR DECADES TO COME.
NOW, I, I'M NOT, STATION SIX IS IN A GOOD LOCATION TO COVER SOUTH SHORES STATION FOUR AT FIRESTONE.
THAT AREA, I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S NO GOOD WAY FOR ENGINE FOUR TO GET, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF, UH, AS FAR AS GOING EAST AND WEST, THEY EITHER HAVE TO GO DOWN TO PERSIAN OR ALL THE WAY DOWN TO GARFIELD.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A BETTER LOCATION, THOUGH, AS FAR AS WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE GROWTH GOING ON IN THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR.
I MEAN, IT'S UN UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS, BUT THAT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM NO MATTER WHERE YOU PUT IT.
COUNCILMAN GREGORY, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS ON THE BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS, NUMBER EIGHT, UM, C-I-R-D-C AND NUMBER NINE, UM, LIFT ASSIST.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE HERE A YEAR AGO AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT, AND MY UNDERSTANDING WAS PARTICULARLY FOR LIFT ASSIST, THAT WE WOULD HAVE THAT IMPLEMENTED IN 2023.
AND, UM, I ALSO, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT CHANGES TO PROTOCOLS FOR C-I-R-D-C.
I REALLY THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA GET SOMEWHERE IN 2023, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE 2024.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THIS COUNCIL CAN DO TO ENSURE THAT THESE GET IMPLEMENTED IN 2024 TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE IMPLEMENTED? UM, I BELIEVE THAT THE, UH, CAD PROGRAM THAT'S BEING UPDATED AT C-I-R-D-C IS THE BACKBONE OF WHETHER THIS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED AND, UH, IT IS BEING DONE.
SO I BELIEVE THAT IT'LL BE IMPLEMENTED.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT CHANGES, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, WHEN YOU'RE ONLY ABLE TO RUN 65% OF THE CALLS THROUGH A SCREENING PROCESS BECAUSE FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE PERSON CALLING.
I MEAN, YOU NEED TO TALK TO CRDC ABOUT THAT.
UM, IT'S, IT, HOPEFULLY IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I RAN LIFT ASSIST NUMBERS TODAY, SO FAR TO DATE THIS YEAR.
BUT THEN I'LL TELL YOU THIS MORNING, ONE CAME IN AS A LIFT ASSIST, AND BEFORE WE GET THERE, IT'S CARDIAC ARREST.
SO AS YOU'RE, AS YOU ARE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE THESE, THESE EMERGENCIES, YOU CAN'T SPEND 15 MINUTES ON THE PHONE TRYING TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT'S AN EMERGENCY AND WHO SHOULD HAVE THE EMERGENCY, AND DO YOU WANT TO GO OR NOT.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK I, I, YOU'LL SEE IT MY NEXT, UH, MONTHLY, UM, UH, REPORT.
BUT I WANNA SAY IN 2023, A PERSON PICKS UP THE PHONE AND CALLS NINE ONE ONE.
AND, AND IF THEY CAN'T CATEGORIZE IT TO A POLICE DEPARTMENT, CALL A SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT CALL, THEY'RE SENDING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, YOU GOT A POWER LINE DOWN, CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
YOU GOT YOU, YOU NEED HELP UP, CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
YOU HAVEN'T FELT GOOD FOR THREE DAYS, CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
[01:15:01]
IN OUR CURRENT EMS SITUATION, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE MEDICAL CARE INDICATOR OVERALL WITH THE PROBLEMS THE HOSPITALS ARE HAVING, I MEAN, YOU'RE MAKING A CHOICE.DO YOU LEAVE THIS PERSON WHO NEEDS HELP WITH NO HELP? OR DO YOU SEND, UH, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A, UH, YOU KNOW, A WEAR AND TEAR ON OUR APPARATUS AND OUR AND OUR PEOPLE, DO YOU SEND SOMEBODY, I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT CALLING JUST BECAUSE THEY WANT COMPANY, THEY'RE CALLING FOR A REASON.
SO HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, LONG ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, HO HOPEFULLY THAT THE, THE NEW CAD SYSTEM WILL HELP US FILTER OUT THE, UH, CALLS THAT ARE NOT, THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THE FIRE APPARATUS SHOULD BE GOING ON, AND THAT THE AMBULANCE SERVICE WILL BE ABLE TO PICK UP, UH, ANY OF THOSE EMERGENCIES.
WE'RE STILL GONNA KEEP A POLICY THAT IF YOU'RE DOWN ON THE FLOOR, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL GO, I, I CANNOT SEE LEAVING SOMEBODY DOWN ON THE FLOOR OUT IN THEIR YARD OR ON THE PAVEMENT WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO HELP.
AND, AND SO THAT'S OUR, OUR VIEWPOINT ON IT.
SO MY CLARIFICATION IS FOR LYFT ASSIST IN FACILITIES WHERE FAMILIES WHERE MEDICARE, MEDICAID ARE PAYING THE BILL, UM, I TRULY DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE THE CITIZENS OF DECATUR THAT SHOULD BE DOING THE LYFT ASSIST.
IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE THOSE FACILITIES THAT SAY TO FAMILIES, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR MOM AND DAD, AND THAT WHEN THEY SAY THAT THEY'RE NOT RELYING ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THAT CITY.
YEAH, I A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE WITH YOU THERE.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, THE NUMBERS DON'T BEAR OUT THAT THE, THE CARE FACILITIES ARE THE, UM, HIGHEST USERS OF THE LIFT ASSIST SERVICES.
UM, SO I THAT WILL BE NO PROBLEM.
CITY MANAGERS ARE DIRECTING ME TO GET AN ORDINANCE DRAFTED FOR THAT.
THOSE, THOSE SHOULDN'T, I MEAN THAT THERE'S OTHER CITIES THAT ALREADY DO IT.
WE'RE NOT GONNA REINVENT THE WHEEL.
WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING TO YOU IN THE NEXT THREE TO FOUR MONTHS.
OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. KEHL, RECENTLY, I BELIEVE YOU, YOU GOT A PRE-OWNED FIRE APPARATUS.
WAS IT FROM BOSTON? IS THAT WHERE IT CAME FROM? IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO YOU'VE GOT THESE OTHER BACK ORDERED.
IS THERE OTHER WAY TO GET IT PRE-OWNED, OR IS THAT, WAS THAT A STROKE OF LUCK THAT YOU GOT, GOT THAT? OR HOW DID THAT ALL HAPPEN? THAT WAS, UH, THAT TRUCK DIDN'T GET USED.
IT USED TO BE WHEN WE HAD A SQUAD IN SERVICE.
UH, WHEN WE TOOK IT OUTTA SERVICE, WE KEPT THE TRUCK AND WE USED IT FOR OUR TECHNICAL RESCUE TEAMS. THAT TRUCK WAS 20 SOME YEARS OLD.
UH, WE'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE ON IT.
SO WE LOOKED OUT TO SEE WHAT WAS AVAILABLE ACROSS THE MARKET, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T THINK THAT WE NEEDED TO SPEND $750,000 TO BUY A TRUCK THAT MAY RUN ONE CALL THIS MONTH.
AND IT ONLY, IT ONLY FACILITATES THE TRT EQUIPMENT.
SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS IN THE BEST FISCAL INTEREST TO GO FIND A USED TRUCK.
AND THAT TRUCK HAS BEEN, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, HAS BEEN USED A LOT MORE THIS YEAR THAN WE, UH, THAN WE ANTICIPATED IT BEING USED.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WAS THE BEST USE OF OUR MONEY.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S, UH, ANY TRUCKS OUT THERE.
UH, LIKE BLOOMINGTON, WE HAD TO REACH OUT, AND BLOOMINGTON HAD A LADDER TRUCK THAT WE USED FOR A YEAR WHILE OUR TRUCK, UH, IT'S FUNNY YOU TALK ABOUT DUIS A MINUTE AGO, IF YOU REMEMBER, OUR LADDER TRUCK WAS HIT BY A DRUNK DRIVER, AND WE LOST THE USE OF IT FOR OVER A YEAR.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, KNOCK ON WOOD, I DON'T THINK WE'RE IN THAT POSITION WHERE WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR ANY USED APPARATUS RIGHT NOW.
UH, I'M HOPING THAT THE, THE, THE PIERCE MARKET PICKS UP WHERE THEY CAN GET THESE TRUCKS TURNED AROUND A LITTLE FASTER, BUT WE, WE STILL HAVE THREE RESERVE APPARATUS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US.
THEY JUST HAPPEN TO, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE TIME SOMETHING'S IN THE GARAGE BEING WORKED ON.
UM, MR. KALP, I KNOW, WELL, COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY HIT ON NUMBER NINE.
HOPEFULLY THAT'LL COME TO FRUITION SOON.
YOUR ELIGIBILITY, ELIGIBILITY LIST, DO YOU HAVE A CURRENT ELIGIBILITY LIST RIGHT NOW? WE DO NOT.
WE HAVE NOT GIVEN A FIRE TEST FOR, FOR THE CITY FOR THREE YEARS.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GIVE ONE LAST YEAR, AND, UM, THERE WAS SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE, UH, CIVIL SERVICE LANGUAGE.
SO, UM, THEY'RE WORKING ON FIXING THOSE PROBLEMS AND HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE NEXT, I WANNA SAY IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO, WE CAN GIVE OUR FIRE TEST.
AND YOU HAVE SOME IN TRAINING NOW, IS THAT CORRECT? WE HAVE SIX PEOPLE THAT I BELIEVE WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK, WE'LL HAVE COMPLETED ALL OF THEIR TRAINING AND WE'LL GO ON DUTY AND, UM, START, UH, RELIEVING THE OVERTIME THAT WE'VE HAD.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, DOES THAT GIVE YOU NOW ONE 13? I SEE 1 0 7 NO PRESENTED HERE.
WHAT, WHERE ARE WE AT WITH THAT? WE'RE THE 1 0 7 IS OUR AUTHORIZED NUMBER.
AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY, THIS IS PROBABLY THE WORST YEAR IN THE NINE YEARS I'VE BEEN CHIEF BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SO MANY INJURIES THIS YEAR, AND WE STILL HAVE, I BELIEVE, SIX PEOPLE OFF THAT HAVE BEEN ON LONG-TERM INJURY RIGHT NOW, SEVEN SEVEN ON LONG-TERM INJURY RIGHT NOW, PLUS THE VACANCIES THAT, SO 13 PEOPLE OFF ACROSS THREE SHIFTS IS A LOT OF OVERTIME.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY THESE, UH, SEVEN PEOPLE THAT WE JUST PUT ON SIX, JUST FINISHED ONE WAS ALREADY THROUGH AN ACADEMY,
[01:20:01]
SO WE WERE ABLE TO PUT HIM ON SHIFT.HOPEFULLY THAT SLOWS THIS DOWN, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS FOR, FOR, UM, PAT MIGHT'VE BEEN HERE WHEN WE DID IT.
UH, THE MAYOR MIGHT'VE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU REDUCE POSITIONS AND YOU STILL HAVE A MINIMUM MANNING, THERE'S ONLY ONE THING GONNA HAPPEN, OVERTIME'S GONNA GO UP, AND IT'S, AND TO AN EXTENT, IT'S BETTER TO PAY OVERTIME THAN IT IS FOR THE POSITIONS.
WELL, I THINK ABOUT OVERTIME, I ALSO THINK ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH.
THIS, THE PHYSICAL PART OF THE STRESS.
AND, UH, AND I, WE SPOKE ABOUT IT BEFORE.
THIS IS A VERY TOUGH JOB, UH, FOR FIRST RESPONDERS AND TO BE UNDERSTAFFED.
AND OVERTIME YOU CAN ONLY RUN A ENGINE SO HARD AND HUMANS ARE JUST THE SAME.
SO MY CONCERN IS TRYING TO GET THE TESTING OUT THERE QUICKER, MORE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY, AND POSSIBLY GET SOME STAFFING BETTER.
IS THAT THROUGH HR, MR. WRIGHTON, OR WOULD THAT BE THROUGH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE LANGUAGE? WELL, IT'S PROBABLY A COMBINATION OF ALL OF THOSE.
I MEAN, UH, THERE'S, IN FACT, WE WERE, CHIEF AND I WERE TALKING JUST TODAY ABOUT A CHANGE WE'RE MAKING IN, IN THE HR RULES AND CONTRACT RULES IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE TESTING FOR THE INSPECTORS.
AND, UM, SO IT'S, IT'S THE ANSWER, THE SHORT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF ALL THE FACTORS THAT YOU MENTIONED.
I JUST LIKE TO STRESS THAT WE NEED TO PROBABLY, UM, PUT DOWN THE FRONT BURN BURNER IF WE CAN, JUST FOR THE WELFARE OF WHO WE HAVE NOW.
FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE DECATUR FIREFIGHTERS FOR MULTIPLE YEARS IN A ROW.
YOU HAVE HAD RECORD NUMBERS OF CALLS WITH, UM, A LOWER AMOUNT OF STAFFING, AND SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
UH, MY QUESTION ACTUALLY IS SIMILAR TO WHAT, UH, MAYOR MOORE WOLF ASKED, UM, EARLIER, AND IT IS, WE HAD THIS CONSULTANT REPORT, WE'VE GOT NEW FIRE STATIONS, THREE, FIVE, AND SEVEN, BUT THERE WAS A WHOLE LIST OF PROJECTS FOR THE OTHER FIRE STATIONS.
DOES THIS BUDGET CONTAIN THE NECESSARY FUNDS TO MOVE FORWARD ACCORDING TO WHATEVER SCHEDULE NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH THOSE CHANGES, WITH THAT MAINTENANCE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THOSE OTHER FIRE STATIONS? UH, I BELIEVE IT DOES.
I THINK LAST YEAR THE COUNCIL PUT IN, I WANNA SAY THE NUMBER WAS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR, FOR THAT SPECIFIC WORK FOR THE OTHER FOUR STATIONS THAT WE KEPT.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF PROJECTS, UH, WITH THAT MONEY.
AND THAT MONEY IS IN ALLOCATED, AGAIN, IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE ADDRESSING THE, UH, NEEDS THAT THE CONSULTANTS IDENTIFIED WHEN THEY DID THE REPORT.
MR. COOPER, UM, CHIEF BRENTON INDICATED IT FOR HIS OFFICERS, A NEW OFFICER, IT TAKES THEM NINE MONTHS TO ACTUALLY GET ON, ON THE FORCE OR HAVE THE IMPACT.
WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME FOR, UM, YOURS ONCE THEY GO THROUGH THE TRAINING? WHAT'S, WHAT TIMEFRAME IS, UH, FIREFIGHTER ON? IT TAKES US, UH, THE ACADEMY, UH, CHIEF KIN HELP ME IF I STRUGGLE HERE.
THE, THE ACADEMY IS NOW, DEPENDING ON YOUR QUALIFICATIONS, IT CAN RANGE ANYWHERE FROM SEVEN TO 10 WEEKS.
SO IF IT'S 10 WEEKS, THEN THEY START ON SHIFT, BUT THEY DON'T, LIKE, WE DON'T LET 'EM DRIVE.
WE DON'T LET 'EM DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE OFFICER FEELS THAT THEY'RE CAPABLE OF, OF DRIVING THE APPARATUS AND THEY LET 'EM START DRIVING BACK FROM CALLS.
AND THEN, SO I WOULD SAY TOWARDS MANPOWER, IT TAKES ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MONTHS BEFORE THEY, BEFORE THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
IT'S A LITTLE FASTER THAN WITH THE, WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
OUR PROBLEM IS, UNLIKE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SORRY, MAYOR, OUR PROBLEM IS THAT THE, UH, WE DON'T HAVE AN ACA, WE ONLY HAVE TWO ACADEMIES A YEAR, AND THEY'RE IN CHAMPAIGN.
SO EVEN IF WE HAVE VACANCIES, WE CAN'T FILL 'EM IF THERE'S NO ACADEMY TO SEND THEM TO.
MR. MCDANIEL, HAVE WE HAD A INCREASE OR DECREASE IN ARSONS UH, CASES? UM, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK THAT UP FOR YOU BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I WAS RUNNING THE NUMBERS AND, AND I THINK I WAS RUNNING IT ON VACANT PROPERTIES THAT IT WASN'T AS THE, THE NUMBER OF FIRES HAS WENT UP, BUT THE NUMBER OF FIRES IN VACANT PROPERTIES WAS STAYING ABOUT THE SAME.
AND IT, UH, I WANNA SAY THAT IT'S ABOUT THE SAME, BUT I'LL LOOK IT UP AND, AND SEND YOU AN EMAIL.
I JUST WANT, 'CAUSE WE DID HAVE A, A TIME PERIOD THERE.
WE SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF THEM.
IT WAS DURING COVID AND THAT, IT SEEMED LIKE THAT DURING THAT TIME.
CHAD, I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT COUNCILMAN CULP SAID, UH,
[01:25:01]
REGARDING THE STRESS ON YOUR STAFF.UM, IS THE CITY DOING ENOUGH TO HELP THOSE ON YOUR STAFF THAT MIGHT BE UNDER STRESS WITH THIS JOB? I THINK THAT THE, THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE, UH, AND WE'RE VERY AWARE OF IT WITH OUR MEMBERS, IS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE THE NUMBER OF INJURIES WE'VE HAD WITH THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES, AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE FORCING PEOPLE TO COME TO WORK.
AND, AND A REGULAR SHIFT BEING ON DUTY 24 HOURS, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE 48 HOURS OFF, IT'S, UH, IT'S A LONG TIME TO BE AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES.
AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE FORCING THEM BACK TO WORK FOR ANOTHER 24 HOURS, THAT'S 48 STRAIGHT HOURS AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES.
SO I THINK THE BEST THING THE CITY CAN DO IS WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS TO, IS TO GET THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HURT BACK TO WORK AND GET THE PEOPLE THE VACANCIES FILLED SO THAT THE PEOPLE AREN'T BEING FORCED BACK TO WORK.
MS. GREGORY, CHIEF, I WANNA, UM, SAY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
YOU'RE NOT A POLICE OFFICER, SO YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO GET SHOT AT, RIGHT? HOPE NOT.
FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS YOU'VE BEEN STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF A SHOOTING MATCH.
AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR STANDING STRONG.
I WANNA THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING LEADERSHIP TO YOUR DEPARTMENT.
AND THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE ON YOUR, IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, MR. COOPER.
ONE OTHER THING I FORGOT TO MENTION.
UM, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR, AND I DON'T QUITE FRANK KNOW IF I SAW IT IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR.
I, I KNOW YOU SAID FIRE, I THINK FIRE FIRES AND RESIDENTIAL FIRES HAVE GONE UP.
THE VACANT VACANT FIRES HAVEN'T.
UM, AND I'M JUST WONDERING, UM, HOW MANY OF THOSE STEP PLACES MAY NOT HAD THAT WAS DUE TO NOT HAVING A FUNCTIONAL, UH, FIRE SIGNATURE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD THOSE NUMBERS OR YOU TRACKED THOSE NUMBERS, BUT I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, LOOKING AT SOME PROGRAMS MAYBE GOING FORWARD FROM LAST YEAR TO MAYBE, UH, ASSIST, UH, HOMEOWNERS MORE WITH GETTING, MAKING SURE EVERYBODY OR HAS A FIRE, WORKING FIRE SIGNATURE IN THEIR, IN THE RIGHT PLACES IN THEIR HOMES.
SO I JUST HOPE WE DON'T, WE DON'T LOSE THAT IN THAT WE EVENTUALLY WE GET ENOUGH STAFF.
I KNOW IT'S A STAFFING ISSUE, BUT I HOPE WE DO LOOK AT, PUT, MAKING SURE THE HOMES INDICATOR HAVE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS OR WORKING FIRE EXTINGUISHERS TO HELP OUT WITH, UM, HOPEFULLY REDUCING ALSO THE NUMBER OF FIRES OR INJURIES AND FIRES.
WE DON'T, OR DO YOU MEAN SMOKE DETECTORS? SMOKE DETECTORS.
WE, WE DO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, UM, IT'S NOT GOOD THAT YOU BRING THAT UP, BUT THE, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAD A FATAL FIRE, UH, A WEEK AGO, AND, UH, THE GENTLEMAN DIDN'T, AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, DIDN'T HAVE A WORKING SMOKE DETECTOR.
SO WE DO TRY TO DO BLITZES IN THOSE AREAS.
AND WE WORK WITH THE RED CROSS, WHICH WE JUST HAD A PROGRAM WITH THE RED CROSS NOT TOO LONG AGO.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE DO TO DO THAT.
AND THEN WE TEND TO, WHEN WE HAVE FATAL FIRES, WE TEND TO TARGET THAT AREA TO SEND, UH, AT THE TIME WE WERE USING INSPECTORS AND NOW WE USE FIRE COMPANIES AND WE'LL SEE, MAKE SURE THE NEIGHBORS HAVE SMOKE DETECTORS.
WE HAVE 10 YEAR, IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD ONE.
WE HAVE 10 YEAR, UH, COMBINATION DETECTORS AVAILABLE.
WE HAVE, UH, 10 YEAR SMOKE DETECTORS AVAILABLE.
SO OUR PROGRAM'S UP AND RUNNING AND, AND WE'RE STILL, UH, USING IT AS MUCH AS WE CAN, BUT WE CAN'T HELP YOU IF YOU, IF WE DON'T KNOW YOU NEED HELP.
SO IF I ENCOURAGE ANYBODY WHO NEEDS ONE TO CALL, THANK YOU, CHIEF.
I THINK THAT'S PRETTY MUCH DOES IT FOR US.
BEFORE YOU LET THE CHIEF GO ON.
PAGE 1 41 IS THE ONE FIRE RELATED NON-GENERAL FUND COMPONENT OF THE FIRE OPERATION.
IT'S THE FOREIGN FIRE INSURANCE TAX.
UM, STATE LAW CHANGED THIS LAST YEAR TO ALLOW THE FOREIGN FIRE INSURANCE TO BE, TO OPERATE COMPLETELY AUTONOMOUSLY FROM THE CITY.
WHEREAS IN THE PAST IT HAS BEEN, UH, A SUB-COMPONENT OF THE CITY.
UM, THE LOCAL FIRE, FIRE INSURANCE BOARD ELECTED TO STAY, UM, WITH ACCOUNTING SERVICES PROVIDED BY OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE, UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S A SUMMARY PAGE SOMEWHERE, I THINK AT THE BEGINNING OF PAGE 1 35 THAT SUMMARIZES WHAT THOSE, WHAT THOSE EXPENSES ARE USED FOR.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF Y'ALL HAD ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT BEFORE THE FIRE CHIEF LEFT.
CAN I MAKE A QUICK COMMENT ON THAT? SURE.
AS, AS YOU KNOW, MAYOR ATTENDING THE, THE NEW OPEN HOUSES FOR THE FIRE STATIONS THAT WERE BUILT, UM, I GOT, I GOTTA TELL YOU, IT'S THE FOREIGN FIRE TAX HAS BEEN GREAT ABOUT, OR SORRY, FOREIGN FIRE INSURANCE FEE BOARD NOW, UH, HAS BEEN GREAT.
THEY'VE, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO PUT IN THE, THE NEW, THE NEW, UH, FURNITURE, THE NEW, UH, APPLIANCES.
THEY DO THAT FOR ALL THE FIRE STATIONS.
AND SO WHAT, WHAT YOU THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE LEND ITSELF TO MAYBE NOT THE BEST PURCHASES FROM TIME TO TIME.
THEY DO A, THIS GROUP DOES A GREAT JOB ON IN MAKING SURE, I DON'T THINK THE CITY OF DECATUR BOUGHT A REFRIGERATOR IN 20 YEARS OR A STOVE OR ANYTHING.
THEY, THEY BUY ALL OF THAT STUFF.
[01:30:01]
THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR.YOUR, YOUR FOLKS, RIGHT? SO THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT.
UH, THE, WE WILL BACK UP NOW TO PAGE 54.
THAT'S THE ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
UNLESS MAYOR, YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE A BREAK? I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
SO THE, UM, THE GENERAL FUND COMPONENT OF THE COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS, UH, I THINK FIVE GENERAL FUND DIVISIONS.
THE PLANNING SECTION, THE BUILDING INSPECTIONS, NEIGHBORHOOD INSPECTIONS, AND, UH, REVITALIZATION HOUSING SERVICES, AND THEN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SECTION, I GUESS THAT'S SIX.
UM, THE, UH, THIS DEPARTMENT, HOWEVER, UNLIKE FIRE AND POLICE THAT YOU JUST FINISHED, UH, FIRE AND POLICE HAVE ONLY TINY AMOUNTS OF MONEY PARKED IN A NON-GENERAL FUND AREA.
IN FACT, THE LARGEST COMPONENT, UH, OF THE ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS PARKED SOMEWHERE ELSE, UH, IN FUNDS THAT ON PAGE NINE, UM, ARE IDENTIFIED AS COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENTS.
SO IF YOU GO TO PAGE NINE FOR JUST A SECOND, JUST JUST TO GIVE YOU THE BROAD OVERVIEW AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO PAT.
WHAT, WHAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IS THE PORTION OF HIS DEPARTMENT THAT'S IN THE GENERAL FUND FUND NUMBER 10, BUT FUNDS 16 THROUGH 85, THAT, THAT ARE GROUPED THERE IN THAT, UH, SECTION THERE.
UH, I MEAN, SEVEN OF THEM ARE TIF FUNDS, BUT, UH, THESE ARE ALL OUTSIDE OF THE GENERAL FUND AND WHICH SUPPORT THE, UM, UH, THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, THE LARGEST ONE BEING.
AND, AND, WE'LL, AND ONCE WE GO THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND SECTION, I, I WILL ASK YOU TO GO BACK INTO THE PAGES AFTER PAGE 100 WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THESE.
UH, THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE WILL BE FUND 84.
FUND 84 IS ONE THAT WE CREATED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO TO RECEIVE MONIES ALLOCATED BY YOU FROM ARP.
SO THEY WOULD GO FROM FUND 99 INTO 84 BASED ON WHATEVER YOU HAD SAID HAD TO BE USED FOR DEMOLITION REHAB AND SO FORTH.
THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF, UM, OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION PROGRAM, UM, PLUS, UH, SOME OTHER FUNDS AND GRANT MONEY, SOME OF WHICH RUN, RUN THROUGH FUND 85.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE SIZE OF THESE FUNDS REALLY ARE SUPPLYING THE NON-PERSONNEL COMPONENTS.
THE, THE CLEANUP MONEY, THE DEMO MONEY, THE REHAB MONEY.
AND WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE AFTER WE GO THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND SECTION THAT BEGINS ON PAGE 54.
PAT, DO YOU WANNA MAKE SOME INTRODUCTORY REMARKS? SURE.
UM, THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT'S FY 24 BUDGET, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE COMPARABLE TO THE FY 23 BUDGET.
ALL STAFF HAS A HOW DO WE GET TO YES ATTITUDE TO MOVE PROJECTS FORWARD IN A CUSTOMER FRIENDLY AND TIMELY MANNER, UH, WHILE ELIMINATING BARRIERS TO CREATING WHOLE COMMUNITIES AND DOING BUSINESS IN DECATUR.
ALL DEPARTMENTS' OBJECTIVES CONTINUE TO BE, TO INCREASE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY, HELP REDUCE SERIOUS AND VIOLENT CRIME, CREATE SUSTAINABLE MIXED INCOME COMMUNITIES, IMPROVE HEALTH AND WELLNESS, INCREASE WORKFORCE READINESS, AND IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES.
EVERYTHING WE DO AS A DEPARTMENT HAS THESE SIX OBJECTIVES IN MIND.
THE PROJECTS RELATIVE TO THESE OBJECTIVES ARE BROKEN DOWN INTO SIX CATEGORIES, WHICH INCLUDE HOUSING IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING, ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD CAPACITY BUILDING, NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP, INTERNAL PROCESSES, IMPROVEMENT IN TRAINING.
ALL FY 24 BUDGET PROPOSAL REFLECTS THESE OBJECTIVES AND PROJECTS, UH, AS CATEGORIZED AT THIS TIME.
I TAKE, WE'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU, OR CONCERNS, COMMENTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE JUST ON THE GENERAL FUND PORTION.
'CAUSE WE'LL DEAL LATER WITH THE NON-GENERAL FUND PORTION.
WELL, I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS GENERAL FUND OR NON-GENERAL FUND.
I, UM, WAS LOOKING AT PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES AND CURIOUS AS TO HOW YOU'RE MEASURING THAT HEALTH AND WELLNESS HAS IMPROVED.
UM, SOME OF THESE, IT SAYS THAT THEY'RE MET, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE MET.
UM, SO, UM, THE, THOSE ARE THE OBJECTIVES.
UM, NOT NECESSARILY THE, UM, THE PROJECT, NOT PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES, BUT OBJECTIVES.
IT'S JUST, IT'S KIND OF AMBIGUOUS FOR HOW DO WE KNOW THEY'RE MET.
SO PART OF WHAT WE DO, SO WE SEE HEALTH AND WELL IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS, RIGHT? UM, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS, THAT WE CAN IMPROVE SIDEWALKS THERE.
WE'VE DONE THAT IN JOHNS HILL, UH, WHEN CODE ENFORCEMENT GOES OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOT TRASH AND
[01:35:01]
SEVEN, TWO HOUR CLEANUPS.AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS ARE WHAT WE CONSIDER IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELLNESS AS WELL.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE MEAN ABOUT IMPROVING, UH, HEALTH AND, AND, AND WELLNESS IN COMMUNITIES LED ABATEMENT.
UH, WE HOSTED, UM, RRP TRAINING, WHICH IS REPAIR, REPAIR, RENOVATE AND PAINT TRAINING TO MAKE SURE THAT CONTRACTORS ARE REMOVING LEAD SAFELY FROM HOMES WHEN WE DO REHABS, UH, ON HOUSES.
ALL THOSE THINGS FITS IN THE CATEGORY OF, UH, IMPROVING HEALTH AND AND WELLNESS.
UM, UNDER INSPECTIONS WE'VE GOT, UM, ON PAGE 55 THAT, UH, THE VACANT PROPERTY REGISTRATION BUSINESS LICENSE AND A CHRONIC NUISANCE ORDINANCE.
UM, THIS WAS A LITTLE BIT CONTROVERSIAL WHEN IT CAME BEFORE COUNCIL A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
AND, UM, SO I, DO YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK? THAT, 'CAUSE I KNOW WE GOT A LOT OF PUSHBACK, ESPECIALLY ON THE VACANT PROPERTIES BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY'S HOUSE IS FOR SALE, IT DOESN'T SELL.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO IS THERE NEW PLAN? UM, YOU ARE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE CORRECT, MAYOR, THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN WE FIRST INTRODUCED THIS IDEA TO YOU, UM, UH, THERE WAS SOME PUSHBACK PRINCIPALLY FROM THE REAL ESTATE COMMUNITY AND, AND WE TOOK YOUR FEEDBACK AND YOUR INPUTS, AND WE PLANNED TO BRING YOU HERE SHORTLY, ACTUALLY IN THE NEXT, UH, AND I THINK WITHIN THE NEXT 60 DAYS, A PROPOSAL FOR, UM, A SCALE DOWN A VERSION OF THIS.
UM, AND THAT THE, AND THAT THE MONEY RAISED FROM IT WOULD GO TO THE, TO FUND 84 TO HELP FUND THESE REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. BUT I WANT TO, I WANNA MAKE CLEAR THAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS, AND I'LL RELY ON PAT TO AMPLIFY THIS A LITTLE BIT.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS NOT REVENUE PRODUCTION.
THAT IS NOT ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE.
UH, WE HAVE TOO MANY PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE BETWEEN, I MEAN, WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO IS EITHER TEAR THE PROPERTY DOWN OR FIX IT UP, AND WE HAVE TOO MANY THAT ARE ALLOWING THE PROPERTY TO JUST SIT THERE AND, UH, BECOME AN EYESORE.
SOMETIMES THEY ABANDON IT TO THE POINT WHERE IT, IT ADDS TO OUR BURDEN OF HAVING TO DEMOLISH THESE STRUCTURES.
AND IN COMMUNITY AFTER COMMUNITY THAT WE'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT WHERE THERE IS A VACANT AND FORECLOSED ORDINANCE IN PLACE, IF IT'S FASHIONED CORRECTLY, THEN IT DOESN'T, THEN IT DOESN'T SNARE IN PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO ARE SNOWBIRDS OR, OR WHO OR WHO OR WHO REALLY ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO, TO, TO SELL THEIR PROPERTY AND IS FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON THE ONES THAT ARE, UH, THAT ARE VACANT WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO REAL PLANS FOR THEM.
AND, AND SO OUR OBJECT IS TO GET THESE EITHER DEMOLISHED BY THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER, NOT BY THE TAXPAYERS OR REHABBED.
AND, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE PRIMARY GOAL IS, IS TO GET 'EM OUTTA ONE OF THOSE TOO.
YEAH, AND I WOULD JUST ADD, AND THIS, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT FOR THOSE THAT GOT PROPERTIES ZONE AND MARKET FOR SALE AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE REALTORS IN TOWN ABOUT THIS.
THIS IS THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT THINK THAT THEY CAN BUY PROPERTY INDICATOR TO BOREDOM UP AND LEAVE, AND WE GOTTA TAKE CARE OF THE PROPERTY.
UH, WE JUST SHOULDN'T BE DOING THAT.
UH, AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS VACANT PROPERTY REGISTRATION IS MAINLY FOR, FOR THOSE TYPE OF, UH, SITUATIONS.
THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT, UH, IT'S A SAFETY THING TOO, RIGHT? BECAUSE, UM, AS WE SEE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, A LOT OF, WE SEE A LOT OF INCIDENTS WHERE BUILDINGS ARE COLLAPSING AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS AND DERELICT BUILDINGS, UM, AND THEY'RE JUST SITTING DERELICT IN COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? UH, I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE ON MY WATCH THAT WE HAVE BUILDINGS DELICT HERE IN DECATUR, UM, THAT WE DIDN'T, WE HAVEN'T DEALT WITH.
AND THIS POLICY WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD SOMETHING TO THE TOOLBOX SO THAT WE CAN DEAL WITH THOSE PROPERTY MORE EFFICIENTLY.
AND IT AIN'T A HUNDRED PERCENT ON THE TAXPAYERS, UH, TO TAKE CARE OF THEM, RIGHT? UH, YOU BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, YOU OWN THE PROPERTY.
IF IT'S GONNA BE VACANT, YOU GONNA PAY A FEE FOR IT BEING VACANT SO THAT WHEN WE SHOW UP TO THAT HOUSE AND HAVE TO BOARD IT UP OR TEAR IT DOWN, YOU PAY YOUR FAIR SHARE.
UH, UP, UP FOR, FOR THAT VACANT PROPERTY.
QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL, DR. HORN? THA THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, IN REGARDS TO THE FORECLOSURE AND VACANT PROPERTY ORDINANCE, I, I JUST, UM, REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT MACON COUNTY WAS LISTED THE SECOND MOST AT RISK COUNTY IN THE UNITED STATES OF A HOUSING DOWNTURN.
AND, UM, AS ONE MEASURE, THEY LOOKED AT THE PERCENT OF PROPERTIES WITH FORECLOSURE FILINGS.
AND MACON COUNTY IS 12.9 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A FOR FORECLOSURE FILING THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
AND SO, UM, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE.
UM, I TRYING TO STAY ON THE GENERAL FUND AND NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION.
I'M LOOKING AT CONTRACTUAL SERVICES AND MOWING OF CITY AND MCT LOTS, WHICH PAGE, PAGE
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61 PAGE.AND, UM, UH, BUDGETING $600,000 FOR THAT NEXT YEAR.
UM, AT OUR RETREAT, WE BEGAN TALKING ABOUT WHAT I'LL JUST CALL POCKET GREEN SPACES, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM.
WE'VE GOT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR IN US FORESTRY GRANTS COMING OUR WAY.
UH, IS THERE ANY MONEY IN THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR WHAT I'LL CALL IS THE CREATION OF POCKET GREEN SPACES AS OPPOSED TO SPENDING $600,000 MOWING GRASS? WELL, I MEAN, WE CALL 'EM PLACEMAKING OPPORTUNITIES, UH, BUT, UH, THERE ARE FUNDS NOT, I DON'T THINK WE'LL HAVE FUNDS IN THE GENERAL FUND, BUT THERE ARE SERVING FUNDS IN FUND 84, WHICH IS KIND OF BECOMING INVOLVED INTO THIS COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION FUND, UH, TO DO THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE THOSE FUNDS EARMARKED SPECIFICALLY TO TURN MCT LOTS OR EVEN CITY OWNED LOTS, UH, IN PARTICULAR TO GREEN SPACES.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE PARTNER WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, UH, AND THERE ARE IN SITUATION WHERE THEY WANNA TURN SPACES INTO GREEN TO GREEN SPACE OR PLACEMAKING OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE ASSIST, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WE JUST ASSISTED THE SOUTH SIDE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION, UH, WITH, UH, WITH CREATING A COMMUNITY GARDEN IN JOHNS HILL, RIGHT? AND SO WE TRY TO BUILD A COMPASS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT SO THAT THAT IS NOT AN ONGOING COST TO THE CITY TO MAINTAIN THOSE PROPERTIES, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UH, WE, WE ENCOURAGE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND OTHER NON-PROFITS TO PARTNER WITH OF, WITH US IF THEY HAVE IDEAS THAT WE BELIEVE WILL BE SUSTAINABLE LONG TERM, UH, TO DO THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
CERTAINLY THOSE THINGS CAME OUTTA JASPER GRAY STREETS GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS PROJECT, AND SO WE ENCOURAGE THAT MAYOR, UH, MAYBE A POLICY CLARIFICATION, UH, ABOUT THAT.
UH, I REMEMBER THAT DISCUSSION IN AUGUST THAT COUNCIL WAS SUPPORTIVE OF TREES AND GREENING SPACES, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE, AND, AND IF I'VE, IF I'M AN HEIR, THEN PLEASE CORRECT ME.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE COUNCIL SUGGESTED THAT WE, THAT WE CREATE PUBLICLY OWNED POCKET PARKS SO THAT THE PARK DISTRICT IS, IS CHARGED WITH THAT.
I, I THINK THAT I HEARD Y'ALL SAY DO MORE GREENING WITH TREES AND, AND SOME OTHER INITIATIVES LIKE THE ONES THAT, THAT PAT HAS DESCRIBED NOT GET INTO THE PARK BUSINESS BESIDES THE TWO LITTLE PARKS WE HAVE DOWNTOWN.
SO I WANT, I WANNA CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE, BECAUSE IF I'VE PROCEEDED UNDER THE WRONG ASSUMPTION, THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO MENTION IT.
UH, TWO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY, ARE THERE ANY DOLLARS IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE JASPER STREET PROJECT? UM, THERE ARE SOME DOLLARS IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR JASPER STREET.
UH, I THINK THERE'S, THEY'RE PRIMARILY UNDER THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S REVITALIZATION DIVISION, WHICH IS PAY, AND YEAH, I JUST NEED A BALLPARK AMOUNT.
IT'S PAGE 63 IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR JA STREET.
WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY $150,000 ISH BUDGET FOR GRAY STREETS.
PAT, UH, AGAIN, WE HAD DISCUSSED IT AT ANOTHER A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WHEN THE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER CAME UP WITH SOME IDEAS ABOUT FEES.
UH, WE TALK ABOUT VACANT HOMES, WE TALKED ABOUT VACANT COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS THAT ARE GOING DOWN BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF, IN OUR CITY, UH, SOME OLD, OLD COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS IN RIGHT, IN OUR INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE GOING TO POT.
SO I WILL BE A BIG SUPPORTER OF THAT PERMIT, UH, SUGGESTION THAT, UH, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS BE ISSUED, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO GET A PERMIT SO WE CAN, BUT I HOPE YOU GUYS WILL WORK ON THAT AND HOPEFULLY THERE'S SUPPORT FOR THAT BECAUSE THEY, THAT JUST RUIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TOO, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE A OLD DERELICT, UH, COMMERCIAL BUILDING, UH, OLD GROCERY STORE OR WHATEVER.
SO YEAH, I, I WOULD TELL YOU COUNCILLOR MCD THAT, UH, WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES BECOMING DERELICT IN PROBLEMS FOR US JUST AS MUCH AS RESIDENTIAL.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK NO ONE WANTS TO SORT OF ADDRESS THAT ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, BUT IT'S HAPPENING.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO POSITION OURSELVES, PARTICULARLY FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, TO BE ABLE
[01:45:01]
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE FOLKS GOING INTO BUILDINGS, PARTICULARLY COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, UH, AND THEY'RE GONNA GET HURT, RIGHT? UH, WE GET BLAMED ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, YOUR BUILDING DEPARTMENT IS TOO TOUGH AND THEY THIS AND THEY THAT, BUT WHAT OUR PRIORITY IS, IS SAFETY.UH, WE HAVE A, OUR PRIORITY IS LIFE SAFETY.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IF PEOPLE GOING TO BE IN THE BUILDING, THEY'RE GONNA BE IN THAT BUILDING SAFELY.
UH, AND SO WE'LL RUN INTO MORE AND MORE OF COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS BEING A PROBLEM FOR US.
I MAY NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT OWNS A DERELICT BUILDING AND WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING, CAN, CAN WE GO AFTER THEIR ASSETS? CAN WE PUT A BOOT ON THEIR CAR? CAN WE POSSESS THEIR CAR? CAN WHAT? I MEAN, WHAT TOOLS DO WE HAVE TO GO AFTER THESE PEOPLE IF WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE? I'LL DEFER THAT QUESTION.
I MEAN, IF, IF, UH, WE, WE CAN FILE, IF WE'RE NOTIFIED AND IF IT'S REQUESTED, WE FILE CASES ON THOSE AND WE FILE SEVERAL THOUSAND A YEAR ON THEM.
AND DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF CASE, WHETHER, UM, THEY'RE ORDERED TO CORRECT THOSE, THAT'S THE GOAL IS TO HAVE THE PROPERTY OWNER CORRECT THOSE VIOLATIONS ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT THE CITY HAVING TO EXPEND ANY MORE FUNDS FOR IT.
MY HUNCH IS IN THAT THEY, THEY JUST MAKE IT GO ON AND ON AND ON.
IS THAT BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS? NO, NOT AT ALL.
AND SOME PROPERTIES, UM, ARE CORRECTED.
THE VIOLATIONS ARE CORRECTED BEFORE IT EVER REACHES, UM, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
SO, COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THIS, UM, OF THE 150,000 ABOUT THAT'S, UM, ALLOCATED FOR THE JASPER STREET PROJECT, IS THAT A REQUIRED MATCH FOR ANY OTHER GRANT DOLLARS OR IS THAT JUST OKAY, THANK YOU.
NO, IT'S JUST YOUR FUND MONEY.
AND WE STILL HAVE A, WE'VE APPLIED FOR A $10 MILLION GRANT.
OTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT, MR. WRIGHTON? MAYOR, BEFORE WE GO TO THE NON-GENERAL FUND COMPONENT OF THE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT? I, I WANNA SAY THAT, THAT, UM, YOUR QUESTIONS ARE ALL GOOD AND, AND WE, WE KEEP HAVING DISCUSSIONS AS WE RIGHTLY SHOULD ABOUT WHAT THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES ARE.
UM, AND SOME THINGS WE TRY AND, AND THEY'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND SOME THINGS WE TRY AND THEY'RE NOT AS SUCCESSFUL.
BUT I, I REALLY WANNA SAY JUST IN THE INTEREST OF BEING OPTIMISTIC, BUT ALSO IN THE INTEREST OF BEING CORRECT, THAT, UH, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING THIS CLOSELY ARE SEEING PROGRESS.
UH, THERE'S, THERE'S LESS MESSES OUT THERE.
THERE'S FEWER DERELICT STRUCTURES, THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE INVESTING IN THEIR PROPERTY, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT THE, I THINK YOUR CITIZENS ARE TELLING YOU AND THEY'RE TELLING OUR STAFF, THEY'RE TELLING ME WE'RE SEEING THAT WE'RE SEEING THE PROGRESS, AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO GO DOWN SOME ROADS THAT WORK AND SOME THAT DON'T.
UH, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO FEEL, UH, FEEL, UH, KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT IS, THAT I BELIEVE WE ARE MOVING THE NEEDLE.
UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES WE'VE HAD BIGGER STRUCTURES GO DOWN THAT TAKE A VERY, VERY, VERY LONG TIME TO BE ALL THE WAY CLEANED UP.
AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE'RE ALL GUILTY OF FOCUSING ON.
SO, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO THEN THAT TAKES US TO, UM, PAGE 1 0 1.
SO SOME OF THESE NON-GENERAL FUND FUNDS THAT ARE USED TO SUPPORT THE ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ARE FAIRLY SMALL OR THEY'RE FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD, OR YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY ARE.
UH, BUT, UH, HERE'S WHERE THEY ALL APPEAR.
UM, SOME, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, SEVEN, SEVERAL SEVEN OF THEM, SORRY, ARE TAX INCREMENT FINANCING FUNDS.
EACH SEPARATE FI TIF DISTRICT HAS TO HAVE ITS OWN FUND.
UH, SOMETIMES WE CREATE FUNDS BECAUSE A GRANT, LIKE STRONG COMMUNITIES GRANT OR SOME OTHER GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED, UH, LIKE CDBG OR HOME FUNDS REQUIRES IT AS A, AS A GRANT REQUIREMENT.
SOMETIMES THEY DON'T REQUIRE IT.
AND WE RUN IT THROUGH FUND 85, WHICH IS SORT OF A, A GENERAL, UH, CATEGORY OR RATHER FUND FOR GRANTS THAT DON'T REQUIRE THAT.
UM, SO I WON'T GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE, EACH ONE OF THESE FUNDS IN THE INTERESTS OF TIME, BUT I WILL POINT OUT THAT IT WAS, OUR PLAN ANNOUNCED LAST YEAR, UH, TO ELIMINATE THE DCDF, THAT'S FUND 82 AND, AND PUT IT INTO FUND 84 AS WELL.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT, THAT THE BIGGEST OF THE FUNDS THAT UNLESS YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, FUNDS, UH, 16 THROUGH 82, THAT REALLY THE BIGGEST ONES THAT SUPPORT PAT'S DEPARTMENT ARE FUNDS 84 AND 85, EXCEPT FOR CDBG.
AND WE'VE HAD SEPARATE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COUNCIL AND WITH MORE TO COME ON HOW WE ALLOCATE AND HOW WE USE CDBG FUNDS DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
SO, UM, DO YOU WANNA MAKE ANY OVERVIEWS ON FUND 84 AND FUND 85? NO.
SO ON, SO FUND 84 BEGINS ON PAGE
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1 23.SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, THE, THERE'S $3,000, SORRY, 3 MILLION
AND, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT PERIODICALLY COMES UP, AND MAYBE IT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS Y'ALL HAVE, IS, IS THAT ENOUGH OR PERHAPS STATED DIFFERENTLY? ISN'T THERE MORE THAN $3 MILLION IN DEMOS TO DO? AND OF COURSE THE ANSWER IS YES.
UH, BUT WHAT WE'VE DISCOVERED SO FAR IS THAT $3 MILLION IS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN PUSH THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
UH, THERE ARE SO MANY IMPEDIMENTS AND WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, ELIMINATE SOME OF THOSE.
UH, SOMETIMES WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WAITING EIGHT MONTHS ON THE, ON AMEREN JUST TO DISCONNECT THE GAS, OR WE'RE WAITING ON ASBESTOS REMOVAL, OR THERE'S NOT ENOUGH CONTRACTORS OUT THERE TO DO SOME OF THE WORK, AND WE'RE PILING ON 'EM ALREADY AND, AND, AND HAVE A BACKLOG.
AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN ADDRESS SOME OF THE LEGAL CONSTRAINTS CREATED BY THE FACT THAT SOMETIMES WE HAVE A VERY COOPERATIVE PROPERTY OWNER WHO WILL JUST DEEDED US THE PROPERTY.
AND OTHER TIMES WE'LL HAVE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT FIGHT US EVERY SINGLE STEP OF THE WAY IN COURT IN ORDER TO GET, UH, GET THE PROPERTY, AND THEN WE PLACE LIENS ON THE PROPERTY.
WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO FORECLOSE ON THOSE LIENS.
ONCE I SAY TO WENDY, HERE'S, HERE'S ANOTHER GROUP FOR YOU TO FORECLOSE ON.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A MINIMUM OF SIX MONTHS BEFORE WE CAN, BEFORE WE CAN GET A DEEDED ON THESE.
AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS TOGETHER MEANS THAT, UM, GENERALLY ABOUT $3 MILLION IS WHAT WE CAN PUSH THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
NOW, IF I'M WRONG, AND WE CAN PUSH THROUGH MORE, NO ONE WILL BE HAPPIER THAN ME TO COME TO YOU AND SAY, I'D LIKE YOU TO REALLOCATE SOME FUNDS FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE, OR USE OUR SPECIAL PROJECT MONEY FOR IT.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT THAT $3 MILLION IS ABOUT, I MEAN, BASED ON EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING NOW, SORT OF GETS US TO THAT, TO THAT POINT, MUCH OF THE REST OF FUND 84 IS GOING INTO CLEANUP.
RENOVATION AND THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND THESE DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIPS THAT YOU'VE APPROVED WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OR THE CENTRAL ILLINOIS LAND BANK OR WITH DOVE OR WITH, AND, AND, AND SEVERAL OF THE OTHER PARTNERS THAT, THAT WE, THAT WE DO WORK WITH.
UM, AND, UH, WE HAVE A, A GREATER NUMBER EVERY YEAR OF, OF CONTRACT PARTNERS THAT WE'RE DOING, BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO ALL THIS, THIS REHAB ALONE, UH, CICD AND, AND OTHERS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY SHORT SUMMARY OF FUND 84 AND SEE WHAT QUESTIONS YOU HAVE FOR PAT MS. GREGORY UNDER COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION, UM, WE HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY AND CLEANUP, AND THERE'S AN INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR OF ABOUT $250,000.
UM, WHAT ACTIVITIES WILL THAT COVER? WHICH PAGE? I'M SORRY.
SO WE DID A PILOT PROJECT THIS YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUPS WHERE WE HAVE THE DUMPSTER HERE AT CITY HALL, AND FOLKS WILL BRING THEIR, THEIR TRASH AND BE ABLE TO DUMP IT HERE.
SO WE DECIDED TO DO A PILOT IN THE, UM, JOHNS HILL AND TORRANCE PARK, UH, CLOKE PARK AREA WHERE WE TOOK THE CLEANUP TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WHAT I MEAN ABOUT THAT IS THAT, UH, WE WENT OUT AND KNOCKED ON DOORS AND SAY, LISTEN, IF YOU GET ALL YOUR STUFF TO YOUR CURB, WE'LL PICK IT UP.
UH, AND IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
IN FACT, I HAVE SOME NUMBERS HERE THAT I CAN KIND OF, UH, SHOOT AT YOU.
UH, WE DID, UH, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 CLEANUPS.
UH, WE COLLECTED 62 TONS OF TRASH.
UM, WE SERVED 6,550 HOUSEHOLDS.
WE HAD 112 VOLUNTEERS AND 61 HOURS OF MANPOWER, UH, TO DO THIS CLEANUP.
AND THEN WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU IS THAT THAT BEGINS TO CHANGE THE MINDSET OF THOSE COMMUNITIES, EVEN TO THE POINT, AND MIKE CAN, CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THIS, I'M SORRY, HE ON THIS SIDE.
UM, EVEN TO THE POINT THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD AND WITNESSED RESIDENTS STOPPING FLAGGING DOWN CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND TELLING THEM THANK YOU.
WE'VE HAD RESIDENTS THAT SAY, I HAVE ALL THIS TRASH, DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I CAN DO WITH IT, HOW TO GET RID OF IT.
AND SO GUESS WHERE HE ENDS UP AT IN THE ALLEY.
AND SO WE DID THAT AS A PILOT, BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS A MORE EQUITABLE WAY TO BE QUITE FRANK WITH YOU, TO DO NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP.
NOT ALL RESIDENTS CAN GET THAT TRASH TO CITY HALL.
UH, AND SO THE INCREASE, UH, COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY, IS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND THAT PROGRAM NEXT YEAR INTO OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS SO THAT WE CAN GET SERIOUS ABOUT, AGAIN, ONE OF THE PROJECT CATEGORIES, WHICH IS TO CLEAN UP THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? OH, SORRY.
[01:55:02]
UH, JUST ASK SOME GENERAL QUESTIONS.I DON'T KNOW WHICH FUND THEY'RE IN.
UM, I'D LIKE TO FIRST TALK ABOUT DEMOLITIONS, UH, FOR A SECOND.
WHILE I, I APPRECIATE THAT WE PERCEIVE THAT WE ARE GOING AS FAST AS WE CAN.
IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT IF AMEREN IS A HOLDUP AND WE ARE WAITING FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS, THAT THROUGH OUR GOOD INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, WE COULD WORK WITH AMEREN TO, UH, SPEED THAT PROCESS UP.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD WORK ON SPEEDING THAT PROCESS UP.
BECAUSE LET'S THINK ABOUT WHAT'S AT STAKE HERE.
WE HAD ONE OF THE MOST, MOST HEINOUS MURDERS TAKE PLACE THIS YEAR IN A BOARDED UP BUILDING.
SO THIS IS A MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY, AND IT'S A MATTER OF GREAT URGENCY.
WE HAVE HAD ESTIMATES THAT IT WILL BE TO JUST MEAN TO KEEP PACE WITH THE RATE OF BLIGHT, 250 TO 300 HOUSING UNITS PER YEAR.
THAT IS $4.5 MILLION, ASSUMING, UM, $15,000 PER DEMOLITION.
AND WE HAVE BUDGETED $3 MILLION.
AND IT'S UNCLEAR WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN 2025, UH, BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT MONEY IS AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING.
SO WHILE I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS ABOUT WE'RE MOVING AS FAST AS WE CAN, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT AND SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, CAN I, CAN I COMMENT? SURE.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A DEMOLITION PROCESS, RIGHT? AND SO WE DON'T JUST WAKE UP AND SAY, WE CAN GO AND DEMO DEMOLISH SOMEBODY'S PROPERTY.
THIS DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY, RIGHT? SO WHEN SCOTT MENTIONS THREE MONTHS, FOUR MONTHS, OR SIX MONTHS FOR, FOR THESE PROPERTY TO BE DEMOLISHED, IT'S NOT JUST WE'RE DRIVING PAST 'EM EVERY DAY AND WE JUST DON'T CARE THAT THEY ARE BOARDED UP.
WE HAVE TO GIVE FOLKS DUE DILIGENCE AND GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND SO PART OF THAT IS WHAT SCOTT MEANS ABOUT WE'RE PUSHING AS MANY AS WE CAN THROUGH THE SYSTEM, RIGHT? AND SO THE NSOS EVERY SINGLE DAY, I MEAN, THEY KNOW I MEET WITH THEM ON A WEEKLY BASIS, DEMOLITIONS AND THEIR PROPERTY IS A TOP PRIORITY, RIGHT? YOU DON'T PASS BY DEAR PROPERTIES, UH, WITHOUT GETTING THEM WRITTEN UP, WHETHER IT BE FOR IMPROVEMENTS OR FOR DEMOLITION.
SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE'RE JUST NOT DOING IT, IT'S BECAUSE THERE IS A PROCESS IN, IN DOING DEMOLITIONS.
AND WE HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS.
SO YOUR POINT WITH AMERY, I THINK CITY MANAGER AND DE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER HAD SOME CONVERSATION WITH AMERY AND, AND WE HAVE SORT OF RESOLVED THIS ISSUE OF, UH, THEM TAKING 30, 40, 60 DAYS TO BE ABLE TO DO TERMINATIONS.
AND SO THAT IS GETTING BETTER.
UH, IF I CAN SAY THAT, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I CRINGE WHEN WE SAY THAT ONE OF THE WORST MURDERS HAPPENED HERE IN DECATUR BECAUSE OF ABORTED HOUSE.
UM, AND, UH, I DON'T WANNA GET DEEP INTO THAT, UM, BECAUSE THAT IS, UH, I'M GETTING EMOTIONAL TO EVEN THINKING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING TO ME IS THAT PAT THAT'S ON YOUR WATCH.
AND THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED ANYWHERE IN DECATUR.
UH, AND SO OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T WANT DUR LAKE PROPERTIES HERE IN DECATUR JUST AS MUCH AS ANYBODY ELSE.
AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET DUR LAKE PROPERTIES OUT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATISTICS, DEMOLITIONS HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
MIKE WOULD TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, IF I ASK MIKE RIGHT NOW, WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY THAT YOU GET FROM ME EVERY SINGLE DAY WE TALK ABOUT IT'S GONNA BE DEMOLITIONS.
UH, SO I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE CLEAR THAT DEMOLITIONS IS TOP PRIORITY FOR US AS WELL, RIGHT? UH, IF, IF WE COULD DO MORE DEMOLITIONS, TRUST ME, WE'LL DO MORE DEMOLITIONS.
UH, AND WE INTEND TO DO THAT YEAR AFTER YEAR.
THE YOU WILL SEE DEMOLITIONS INCREASE SO LONG AS THIS COUNCIL FUND DEMOLITIONS YEAR AFTER YEAR, WE WILL DO DEMOLITIONS YEAR AFTER YEAR AND THEY WILL INCREASE.
MAYOR, LEMME PROVIDE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT ON TOP OF WHAT PAT SAID.
UH, WHEN I CAME HERE IN 2019, THE HOWARD BUFFETT FOUNDATION HAD GRACIOUSLY, UH, OFFERED $1 MILLION TO THE CITY.
IT WAS TIED TO SOME, YOU KNOW, TAKING SOME MCTS, BUT $1 MILLION TO BE USED FOR, FOR DEMOLITION.
UM, AND WE, WE FINALIZED THAT AND WE TOOK NEARLY TWO YEARS TO SPEND THAT, THAT $1 MILLION.
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THE CITY WASN'T GEARED UP TO HANDLE THAT HIGHER LEVEL OF DEMOLITIONS.WE ARE NOW AT $3 MILLION A YEAR.
AND I DON'T WANT TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION BY MY COMMENTS THAT WE ARE IN ANY WAY COMPLACENT ABOUT OUR CURRENT PROCESSES.
OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE IMPROVED THEM THREEFOLD OR MORE, UH, FROM WHERE IT WAS IN 2019 TO WHAT IT IS TODAY.
WE'RE WELL OVER A HUNDRED, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, STRUCTURES PER YEAR AND, AND GROWING.
UM, AND, UH, AND, UH, PAT IS RIGHT, UH, LARGELY THROUGH THE INITIATIVE OF DEPUTY MANAGER KIN, WE, WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY HAVE A, A MEETING WITH, WITH AMEREN AND, UH, PREVAIL ON THEM TO CHANGE SOME OF THEIR PROCESSES.
'CAUSE IT'S THEIR INTERNAL PROCESS.
THEY HAD TO ASSIGN SOME, SOME ADDITIONAL PEOPLE TO IT AND CONTRACT THEM TO COME IN FROM OTHER PLACES IN ORDER TO CATCH UP ON THAT.
AND HE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THAT DONE.
I DIDN'T BRING THAT UP TO, TO BEAT UP ON AMEREN.
THE LARGER POINT WAS THAT THERE ARE, THERE ARE SO MANY MOVING PIECES TO THE DEMOLITION PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO PUSH THROUGH AND, AND WE CONTINUE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS ON THEM.
UH, AND, UH, AND, AND, AND I EXPECT THAT WE'LL HAVE MORE EFFICIENCIES COME IN IN THE YEAR AHEAD WITH REGARD TO FUNDING, IF I CAN.
UH, BECAUSE UNDER THE SCHEDULE FOR OUR BUDGET REVIEWS, WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH GENERAL FUND REVENUES ON WEDNESDAY.
BUT I'D LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FUND 84 REVENUES SPECIFICALLY.
AND I HAVE A, A COMMENT ON THAT ON PAGE 16 OF YOUR BUDGET BOOKS.
ON THE LATTER HALF OF THAT PAGE, IT'S A PAGE THAT DEALS WITH ALL SORTS OF REVENUES, INCLUDING MANY OF, UH, GENERAL FUND REVENUES THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT ON WEDNESDAY.
BUT IN THE SECOND TO THE LAST PARAGRAPH ON PAGE 16, I SP I SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT FUND 84 BECAUSE AS WE ARE ALL KNOWLEDGEABLE OF, UH, ARP MONIES WILL BE EXHAUSTED IN ANOTHER YEAR OR SO.
AND WE NEED TO THINK PROACTIVELY ABOUT HOW WE WILL FUND, UH, THE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
AND SO I AM PROPOSING THAT BEGINNING THIS YEAR, BUT ALSO CARRYING INTO SUBSEQUENT YEARS THAT WE, UH, PUT TO FUND 84 MONIES THAT COME FROM LAND SALES, UH, AND LAND USE PROCEEDS.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON SOME LAND USE CONTRACTS THAT INVOLVE SOME SIGNAGE ON SOME CITY OWNED PROPERTIES.
IT'S THAT, THAT'S A LAND USE CONTRACT THAT, UH, THAT WOULD PRODUCE MONEY TO FUND 84.
I'VE ALREADY MU MENTIONED THE DIVERSION OF DCDF MONIES.
UM, ANY MONIES THAT COME FROM A VACANT AND FORECLOSED PROPERTY REGISTRATION PROGRAM, ANY MONIES THAT WOULD COME FROM THE CARBON SEQUESTRATION EASEMENTS, ANY MONEY THAT WOULD COME FROM THE PUSH TAX PROCEEDS.
NOW NOT ALL OF THOSE ARE GONNA BE REALIZED IN CALENDAR YEAR 2024.
SOME OF THEM WILL BE, AND SOME OF THEM WILL RAMP UP IN FUTURE YEARS.
AND THAT'S, SO THAT'S OUR EXPECTATION IS THAT AS ARP MONIES ARE EXHAUSTED, THAT THE OTHER REVENUE SOURCES WILL, WILL COME ALONG BEHIND THEM SO THAT WE CAN SUSTAIN THIS HIGH LEVEL OF FUNDING INTO FUND 84 THAT YOU'RE COMMITTED TO AND THAT THIS STAFF IS COMMITTED TO.
UM, GOING BACK TO CLEANING UP OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK OUR PROPOSED GARBAGE HAULER CONTRACT, UH, LANGUAGE HAS BEEN CLEARED UP ABOUT HOW MANY ITEMS CAN BE PICKED UP, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND THAT THAT WILL GO A LONG WAY IN HELPING, UH, UH, CLEAN UP OUR, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
ALSO GETTING, UM, OUT OF THE, UM, ALLEYS HAULERS WILL HAVE TO PICK UP OUT OF THE, UH, UH, OUT OF THE, UH, ALLEYS ALLEYS.
UH, IT'S MORE WORK FOR ME, BUT I'LL DO IT.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, I THINK THERE'S THAT LITTLE BITS AND PIECES THAT THE CITY'S DOING IS GOING A LONG WAY.
AND I AM, I'M NOT SURE THAT MOST RESIDENTS ARE AWARE THAT THEY HAVE THE OPTION TO HAVE THINGS PICKED UP SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR.
I, I, I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S COMMON KNOWLEDGE.
WELL, AGAIN, THAT COMES TO THEIR, OUR, OUR CITY TO GET THAT WORD OUT, NOT JUST ON FACEBOOK.
'CAUSE NOT EVERYBODY'S ON FACEBOOK TO LET THEM KNOW.
I GO BACK TO WHAT I PUSHED YEARS AGO ABOUT A NEWSLETTER.
THINGS THAT PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE OF, UH, THAT NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR SO THEY DON'T GET FINED.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THE CITY IS DOING SO PEOPLE ARE AWARE, YES, THERE'S POSITIVE THINGS GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY NEED TO KNOW THE CODES, CITY CODES, UH, SO THEY WON'T GET FINED.
AND WE'LL HAVE A CLEANER, UH, COMMUNITY.
AND, AND WE, UH, WE HAVE TAKEN YOUR COLLECTIVE SUGGESTION ABOUT SOME KIND OF, OF, UH, UH, NEWSLETTER SLASH UH, COMMUNITY EMAIL TO HEART.
AND, UH, ONCE THE CITY COUNCIL DOES TAKE FINAL ACTION ON THE GARBAGE ORDINANCE, THAT THERE'LL BE A LOT OF PUBLICITY ABOUT HOW IT AFFECTS EVERYONE.
UH, THE, THE THING I WANNA SAY, AND YOU SORT OF ALLUDED TO THIS, MR. MCDANIEL, IS THAT, UH, THE GARBAGE ORDINANCE NEEDED TO BE REVISED.
'CAUSE IT WAS ANTIQUATED AND THE, AND, AND PROVISIONS OF IT HAD EXPIRED THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE ANYWAY.
BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY JOINED AT THE HIP WITH THE CITY'S NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT AND, AND REVITALIZATION PROGRAMS. IF WE CAN'T GET A HANDLE ON THE GARBAGE,
[02:05:01]
UH, THAT THAT STRAYS AND BLOWS AND FALLS OVER IN CANS BECAUSE OF THE WRONG CANS, OR PEOPLE AREN'T UNDERSTANDING THE RULES, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HAVING A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON, UH, ON, ON OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.I MEAN, AS WE CLEAR PROPERTIES, WE FIND PEOPLE USING THEM AS, AS, UH, AS DUMPING GROUND.
SO THEY, THEY REALLY ARE CONNECTED THAT WAY.
MR. KEHL, UM, I HAVE A QUESTION THEN A FOLLOW UP COMMENT.
SO, UH, THE GAMBLING REVENUES THAT WE BRING IN, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, DO THOSE GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND RIGHT NOW? THEY ALL GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND, UM, THE BUDGET ANTICIPATES THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
THE PUSH TAX IS A SEPARATE TAX, UM, AND WILL BE RECEIVED, I BELIEVE WILL, WILL BE RECEIVED SEPARATELY.
AND SO WE CAN PUSH, UNLESS YOU DIRECT OTHERWISE.
WELL, THAT, THAT'S WHY I DISAGREE A LITTLE BIT WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING THIS PUSH TAX INTO FUND 84.
WHY DON'T WE PUT IN THE GENERAL FUND THEN WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY OF MOVING IT INSTEAD OF COMMITTING TO THAT.
I MEAN, MAYBE THERE'S SOME HIGHER PRIORITY THAT COMES ALONG THAT WE MIGHT NEED THAT MONEY.
AM I WRONG ABOUT THAT OR I I ANTICIPATE THAT IN FUND, EXCUSE ME, IN CALENDAR YEAR 2024, WE WON'T SEE MUCH PUSH TAX BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THIS APPELLATE DECISION AND FOR THE GAMING COMMISSION TO FIGURE OUT HOW IT'S GONNA BE DISTRIBUTED ONCE IT STARTS TO FLOW.
UH, I, I WANTED TO MENTION IT BECAUSE I DO SEE IT COMING ONCE IT STARTS TO FLOW, UM, IT CAN BE USED ON ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAWFUL PURPOSE, AND SO IT'LL BE UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO DECIDE WHERE, WHERE WE USE IT.
BUT, BUT I RECOMMENDED THAT ALL OR MOST OF IT GO TO FUND 84, SO WE CAN CONTINUE A HIGH LEVEL OF DEMOLITION, BUT, BUT WE COULD REDIRECT IT THERE AFTER THE GENERAL.
I, I JUST WOULD RATHER SEE THE MONEY GO IN THE GENERAL FUND THAN DIRECT IT INSTEAD OF JUST, THAT'S JUST MY OPINION.
THE CITY JUST GOING TO ONE SPECIFIC, UH, FUND, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS THAT DISCRETION AND PREROGATIVE.
I WOULD JUST SAY AGAIN, UM, MOST OF FUND 84 RIGHT NOW IS FUNDED BY ARPA DOLLARS, WHICH WILL BE GONE NEXT YEAR.
SO, WHICH IS WHY WE DIDN'T DO A NUMBER OF DEVOLUTION IN AS BASKET.
SO THAT'S WHAT I MEAN, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY.
SO IF WE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THESE EFFORTS, THEN WE GOTTA HAVE THE, THE BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
I, I'M NOT SAYING NOT FUND YOUR AREA, I'M JUST TRYING TO BE FLEXIBLE.
SO IN QUARTER TWO OF 2023, MACON COUNTY WAS WORST IN THE NATION FOR THE PERCENTAGE OF HOME LOANS UNDERWATER AT 17.6% WORST IN THE NATION.
SO, LARGE NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THAT.
UM, I'M CONFIDENT OF, WE'VE GOT A MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME THAT IS LOW, UM, AS, AS JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
UH, BUT CERTAINLY THE CONDITION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS A WHOLE, UM, WILL IMPACT, UH, HOME VALUES.
SO, UM, MR. PATRICK, COULD YOU, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DEMOLITIONS.
COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THE FUNDING THAT WAS AVAILABLE IN 2023 FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS COMPARED TO FUNDING IN 2024 IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS? HOW HAS THAT CHANGED? I KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY IN RESPONSE TO THE PERCENTAGE OF HOME LOANS UNDERWATER, BUT LET'S JUST SAY HOW HAS THAT CHANGED? UH, FROM A BUDGET PERSPECTIVE, IT HASN'T CHANGED MUCH, RIGHT? UH, WE HAVE JUST AS MUCH BUDGET FOR FY 24 THAN WE HAVE FOR FY 25 WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE IN FY 24 THOUGH, UM, IS THAT IN FY 23, WE DID A LOT OF WHAT I CALL FOUNDATION BUILDING.
UM, AND SO DURING THE ANALYSIS AND FIGURING OUT WHAT WE NEED TO TARGET AND HOW WE'RE GONNA TARGET IT, WE DID PROJECTS, OBVIOUSLY, UH, WE DID OWNER OCCU OCCUPY REHAB, SMALL IMPROVEMENT REHABS, UH, WE'RE DOING ROOF REPLACEMENTS RIGHT NOW, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UH, BUT I THINK IN FY 24, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN SORT OF PLANNING FOR, IF I CAN CALL IT, THAT WILL COME TO FRUITION IN 2024.
AND THOSE PROJECTS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED, UH, AGAIN YEAR AFTER YEAR.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS THEMSELVES, YOU WOULD SEE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN VALUE IS MINIMAL, BUT THAT TELLS US WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SOME LIKE TO THINK THAT WE JUST HIT ROCK BOTTOM.
I LIKE TO THINK THAT IT'S BECAUSE OF THE, UM, CHANGE THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS MADE AS IT RELATES TO NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AND FUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION.
UH, FOLKS ARE NOT EXCITED ABOUT DOING, YOU KNOW, WORK TO THEIR HOMES.
UH, THE CLEANUP GREENUP PROJECT THAT WE'VE DONE IN JOHNS HILL, UH, WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THAT FOLKS ARE KEEPING THOSE THINGS UP AND THEIR NEIGHBORS ARE KEEPING
[02:10:01]
THEIR HOMES UP AND ET CETERA, ET CETERA.AND I THINK THOSE THINGS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO PROPERTY VALUES, UH, INCREASING, UH, YEAR OVER YEAR IN, IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, BUT I MEAN, BUDGETARY WISE, THE FY 24 BUDGET TRACKS WITH FY 23 ITSELF, WITHIN 24, THOSE DOLLARS WILL BE USED MORE SO FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
CAN I GO TO MR. COOPER OR DID YOU, MR. COOPER? JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
UH, YOU MAY, YOU MAY HAVE AN ANSWER TONIGHT.
I KNOW WE DID, WE HAD A COUPLE PROGRAMS, UM, WHERE FOR RE FOR HOME REMODELING, WE HAD A COUPLE POOP, THE POOLS AND ALL THAT.
I CAN'T REMEMBER, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT 800 PEOPLE APPLIED.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YOU GOTTA ACCEPT IT.
MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE ME, LEMME KNOW HOW MANY, UM, YOU ACTUALLY ACCEPT AND KIND OF GIVE, IF YOU CAN GIVE US A STATUS OF HOW MANY OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE THOSE ACCEPTED ARE COMPLETE, AND WHEN DO YOU THINK THAT THEY ALL WILL BE COMPLETE OF THOSE THAT GOT SELECTED FOR THE POOL? YEAH.
I, I WOULD TELL YOU, AND I GET THE EXACT NUMBERS, UH, FOR THE OWNER OCCU OCCUPY REHAB, WE GOT, UH, APPROXIMATELY 840 APPLICATIONS.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE DOLLARS TO DO 840 NEIGHBORHOOD REHABS.
THE REHABS ON AVERAGE ARE COSTING US ANYWHERE BETWEEN 50 AND $60,000 TO REHAB THESE HOMES.
UM, AND, UH, OF THE EIGHT 50, I THINK WE PULLED APPROXIMATELY 90 FROM THE POOL.
UH, OF THOSE 90, UH, WE HAVE COMPLETED APPROXIMATELY 25 OF THOSE, I THINK.
UH, AND WE HAVE, UH, ONGOING PROJECTS, MEANING SIGNED CONTRACTS, PROPERTIES ARE UNDER CONTRACTS.
REHAB HAS STARTED, BUT NOT FINISHED.
UH, I THINK WE ARE SOMEWHERE AROUND 15 OR 20 OF THOSE ON THE SMALL HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, UH, WHICH WE'LL PARTNER WITH NORTHEAST COMMUNITY FUND.
UH, THEY HAVE DONE 26, UH, SMALL IMPROVEMENT, UH, PROJECTS, UH, AS WELL.
UH, AND SO, UH, THEY SOUND LIKE SMALL NUMBERS, BUT WHEN YOU DO REHAB FULL REHABS ON BLOCKS, IT CHANGES THE WHOLE BLOCK AND THOSE BEGIN TO CHANGE THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, AND KEEP IN MIND, IN TERMS OF THE COST THAT IT TAKES TO REHAB THESE HOMES, UH, I MEAN, AR DOLLARS CAN ONLY GO SO FAR, RIGHT? UH, WE'VE HAD BEEN DOING IT WITH CDBG DOLLARS, UH, WHICH WE ONLY GET $1.4 MILLION IN C-B-C-D-B-G DOLLARS A YEAR, UH, COMPARED TO THE 6 MILLION WE HAVE WITH APA.
SO YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE IF WE CAN ONLY DO THAT MANY DOLLARS, WHAT WE WERE DOING WITH CDBG DOLLARS.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, FROM, FROM WHAT WE WAS DOING WITH CDB JOB, C-D-B-C-D-B-G DOLLARS, WE HAVE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF REHABS, UH, THAT WE'VE DONE.
OH, ROCHELLE WANNA SAY SOMETHING AS WELL, MAYBE I MISSPOKE.
AND BEFORE YOU SPEAK, ROCHELLE, AS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT, AND YOU MAKE AN ANSWER AS WELL.
SO THE 90 YOU'VE, YOU'VE COMPLETED ABOUT, UM, 40 THAT ARE ACTUALLY COMPLETE OR, OR, OR, OR 25 COMPLETE, BUT, OR THE TWO PROGRAMS. MM-HMM.
SO YOU, UH, 90, DO YOU ANTICIPATE GETTING THOSE COMPLETE THIS YEAR? OR, OR, OR DO YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT? DO FINISH THEM NEXT YEAR? I GUESS IT'LL BE BETWEEN THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR, BUT THE MONEY IS THERE.
NO, MA, THEY'RE COMPLETE THOSE 90.
I WAS GONNA SAY, WE, WE, WE ARE HOPING SO, SO I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT DEMOLITION IN THE PROCESS, OUR REHABS HAVE BEEN, UH, A REAL CHALLENGE FOR US, SPECIFICALLY CONTRACTORS, GETTING CONTRACTORS, QUALIFYING CONTRACTORS, MAKING SURE THAT CONTRACTORS HAVE THE RIGHT QUALIFICATIONS IN WHICH TO COMPLETE THOSE PROJECTS.
AND THAT HAS BEEN CHALLENGING.
ON THE CDBG AND HOME SIDE, WE NEED LEAD CONTRACTORS.
WE HAVE 1.25 LEAD CONTRACTORS, AND SO
AND SO, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT, THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO BE BID OUT.
UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, ESTIMATES COMING BACK IN 70, 80, $90,000 AND, UH, WE EITHER WALK AWAY OR WE SPEND THE 70, 80, UH, $90,000 TO, UH, MITIGATE AND, AND GET THAT HOUSE LED FREE.
AND SO, UM, THAT PROCESS, UM, REQUIRES A RISK ASSESSMENT.
IT REQUIRES A CLEARANCE, AND THAT'S THE TIME THAT IT TAKES FOR THE INTAKE AND PROCESS.
AND SO I, I WANT YOU GUYS TO UNDERSTAND AS MUCH AS, AND HOW FAST AS WE WANT TO MOVE THESE PROJECTS.
SPECIFICALLY THE REHAB PROJECTS, A LOT OF THEM, UM, MOST OF THEM, PROBABLY 70, 80% OF THEM HAVE LEAD.
THEREFORE, IF WE ONLY HAVE 1.25 CONTRACTORS THAT CAN DO THAT WORK, THEN IT TAKES THAT, UH, THAT MUCH TIME IN WHICH TO DO THAT.
UM, WHEN WE DON'T ADDRESS THOSE THINGS, WHEN WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT HAS VERY MINIMAL AMOUNTS OF LEAD, THEN WE ARE ABLE TO USE A CONTRACTOR THAT IS RRP CERTIFIED.
BUT AGAIN, WE HAD TO GET THOSE CONTRACTORS RRP
[02:15:01]
CERTIFIED.SO WE OFFER THAT A CLASS FOR THEM TO COME AND PAY FOR THAT SO THAT THEY COULD DO IT FOR FREE, SO THAT THEN WE COULD QUALIFY THEM AND THEN HAVE THEM, UH, BE ABLE TO BID ON CERTAIN PROJECTS.
IT TAKES SOME TIME IN WHICH FOR US TO DO THIS, UM, I'VE BEEN HERE 20 YEARS AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY.
WELL, WE'VE HAD ENOUGH MONEY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE FOLKS IN WHICH TO DO THE WORK.
SAME THING THAT, UM, MOST INDUSTRIES ARE TALKING ABOUT.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE PEOPLE TO DO THE WORK.
UM, THEY DON'T HAVE THE LABORERS, THEY DON'T HAVE THE FOLKS THAT HAVE THE ROOF LICENSE.
I MEAN, AGAIN, WE'RE GOING THROUGH ALL THAT, TRYING TO ENCOURAGE AND, AND, AND HELP DO THAT.
CONTRACTORS, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM DILIGENTLY.
STAFF HAS BEEN TRYING TO WALK THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS SO THAT THEY GET THE, THE SPECIAL DESIGNATION SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO DO THINGS, HELP THEM WITH THE TESTING.
I MEAN, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN AND INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY THE AMOUNT OF CONTRACTORS THAT WE HAVE DOING THIS WORK.
BUT JUST A FINAL CONTINUATION WITH THAT.
MM-HMM,
WELL, WITH THE FEDERAL FUNDING NOW, WE CAN'T JUST NOT DO THE, THE LEAD PROJECTS.
IT'S, WE DO A RISK ASSESSMENT.
WE HAVE TO ADDRESS IT, UM, WITH THE OTHER PROJECTS, WE'RE RECOGNIZING THAT IF THIS CONTRACTOR IS QUALIFIED AND HAS A CERTIFICATION OF THE RFP, THEN WE CAN DO CERTAIN THINGS ON THE HOUSE.
UM, WE CAN PUT IN AN HVAC SYSTEM, WE CAN DO A ROOF, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO, UH, A PORCH AND, AND, AND SIDING AND INSULATION.
SO WE'RE STILL TRYING TO MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS AGAIN, TO IMPROVE THE LOOK AND QUALITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE STILL HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THOSE PARAMETERS, AND THEY'RE LESS ON THE RP SIDE, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE PUSHING MORE DURING REHABILITATION ON THE ARPA SIDE AS OPPOSED TO THE CDBG SIDE, BECAUSE THERE ARE, THERE'S A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY ON THE ARPA SIDE, BUT AS A POINT, AGAIN, THIS MONEY'S GONNA BE GONE AND YOU'RE GONNA BE LEFT WITH THE, UH, STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS OF HUD, WHICH WE KNOW HOW THAT GOES.
GREGORY, THIS MAY BE A REALLY SILLY QUESTION.
UM, GIVEN THE AGE OF OUR HOUSING STOCK HERE AND THE EXPLANATION THAT YOU JUST PROVIDED ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND SOMEONE A, A LEAD CONTRACTOR, WOULD IT BE EASIER TO HAVE SOMEONE ON STAFF TO DO THAT FUNCTION? SO WE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
UH, BUT UH, WE THINK THAT WE ARE OPENING CITY UP TO MORE LIABILITIES BY DOING IT THAT WAY, VERSUS US CONTRACTING WITH A CERTIFIED LEAD CONTRACTOR OR A, UM, CONSULTANT WHO WE USE NOW THAT DOES ALL LEAD INSPECTIONS, UH, FOR US.
AND WE DO THE SAME THING FOR ASBESTOS ABATEMENT, UH, ON THE DEMOLITION SIDE.
SO WE JUST THINK THAT WE OPEN THE CITY UP TO MORE LIABILITY BY HAVING SOMEONE ON STAFF TO DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW CORPORATION COUNCIL FEEL ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S HAS BEEN OUR, WELL, LET ME SAY THIS.
SO WE HAVE HAD STAFF ATTEND LEAD, UH, LEAD WORKER TRAINING, WE HAVE LEAD SUPERVISOR TRAINING.
SO STAFF HAS BEEN, UH, AT LEAST, UM, CERTIFIED IN THOSE AREAS.
THEY CAN'T DO THE LEAD WORK, BUT THEY CAN'T INSPECT.
UM, YOU CAN'T EVEN GO ON A JOB SITE THAT HAS LEAD UNLESS YOU ARE A LEAD WORKER OR A LEAD SUPERVISOR.
AND SO STAFF IS NOW, YOU KNOW, ELIGIBLE AND TRAINED IN DOING THAT.
BUT AS FAR AS DOING THE LEAD WORK, UM, WE HAVEN'T SEEN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES DOING ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE DID HAVE A MEETING LAST WEEK IN CHAMPAIGN.
IT WAS BLOOMINGTON, SPRINGFIELD, PEORIA, DANVILLE, CHAMPAIGN, AND WE GOT TOGETHER AND TALKED ABOUT HOW TO AGAIN, UH, INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LEAD CONTRACTORS, HOW TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT ARE RRP CERTIFIED.
HUD REQUIRED THAT MEETING OF US LAST WEEK.
AND SO, UH, STAFF, UH, WE ALL WENT OVER AND TALKED, AND CONTRACTORS WERE INVITED TO COME TO THE MEETING AND TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO BE A LEAD CONTRACTOR AND HOW THEY COULD GET ACCESS TO THAT FUNDING.
BECAUSE THAT'S NOT JUST OUR PROBLEM.
ALL OF THE CITIES ARE HAVING THE SAME CHALLENGE.
AND LEMME JUST ADD REAL QUICK THAT, UM, BECAUSE OF THE AGE, AS YOU MENTIONED OF THE HOMES YOU INDICATED, WE JUST ASSUME LEAD IS PRESENT NOW, RIGHT? WE DON'T EVEN DO ASSESSMENTS.
WE JUST ASSUME THAT LEAD IS PRESENT AT THE HOUSE, WHICH ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THAT REHAB DIFFERENTLY.
AND THAT'S THE RRP CERTIFICATION, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY LEAD CERTIFIED CONTRACTORS.
WE, THE CITY HAS HIRED CONSULTING TO HOST RRP TRAINING, AND WE HAVE CERTIFIED APPROXIMATELY 60 CONTRACTORS
[02:20:02]
HERE IN DECATUR THIS YEAR, UH, TO DO RRP WORK.AND SO BY DOING THAT, WE HAVE INCREASED ALL POOL OF CONTRACTORS THAT CAN DO ALL WORK.
AND SO THOSE PROJECTS ARE MOVING FASTER NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE CERTIFIED THOSE CONTRACTORS TO DO THAT WORK.
PAT, HOW MANY CONTRACTORS SHOWED UP? MM-HMM.
WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU AS YOU'VE BEEN MENTIONING? YEAH.
I, I, I WANNA, I WANNA SAY THAT HUD RECOGNIZES THAT IT'S A, A PROBLEM.
THIS IS, UM, AND WE HAD WASHINGTON, DC ON ZOOM.
UM, THERE, IT'S A POLICY ISSUE.
SO THE WAY THAT THE LEGISLATION IS WRITTEN, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE REQUIRING OF US, THEY WANT US TO ABATE AND GET RID OF LEAD, UM, IN THESE HOUSES.
SO, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE SUCH THAT CONTRACTORS AREN'T INTERESTED, SO THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT AT LEAST A WAY THAT FOLKS ARE INTRIGUED AND, UM, BY THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH MONEY IN IT.
BUT AGAIN, THEY HAVE TO BE TESTED.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE TO DO A THIRD PARTY TEST.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEIR, UH, THEIR OWN COMPANY HAS TO BE LED LICENSED AS WELL.
SO IT'S, IT'S JUST THE STEPS IN WHICH THEY'RE REQUIRING.
SO JOHNS HILL NEIGHBORHOOD HAS, I WOULD SAY, BEEN A COMPLETE SUCCESS.
THE FIRST STEP WAS TO, UM, PROVIDE FUNDING FOR TARGETED PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS, PROPERTY DEMOLITIONS AND PROPERTY CLEANUPS.
AND I BELIEVE THE FUNDING FOR THAT WAS $1 MILLION.
AND WE HAVE SEEN A SUBSTANTIAL DECREASE IN CRIME IN THE JOHNS HILL NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE THAT WAS DONE.
DOES THE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAVE ANY PLANS TO DO A TARGETED, UM, PROJECT IN 2024? AND IS THE FUNDS PART OF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE 3 MILLION IN DEMOLITIONS THAT, UM, OR IS IT A SEPARATE FUND? SO WE DO HAVE PLANS TO TARGET, UH, IN 24.
UH, IN FACT, UM, THE INCREASE IN THE CLEANUP AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, UH, ARE IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE WE ARE TAKING THE SUCCESS WE DID IN JOHNS HILL AND NOW MOVING THAT AS PART OF THE GRAY STREETS, GRAY NEIGHBORHOODS PROJECT, RIGHT? SO THE GRAY STREETS PROJECT IS NOT JUST JASPER, IT'S MAR LUTHER THE KING TO 16TH STREET PERSIAN TO LAKE SHORE, RIGHT? AND SO, IN TRACKING WITH THE TARGETED CLEANUPS THAT WE DID WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD INSPECTIONS TEAM, WE INTEND TO DO THE SAME THING WHEN IT COMES TO THE CLEANUP GREENUP PROGRAM, DEMOLITIONS.
IN FACT, WE EVEN TARGET OUR OWN OCCUPIED REHAB.
UH, WE HAVE DOLLARS IN THE, UM, CDBG HOME DOLLARS TO, UH, TO DEAL WITH LEAD SERVICE LINES IN THOSE AREAS.
UM, AND SO THERE ARE TAR DOLLARS IN THE BUDGET TO TARGET SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE ADJACENT TO JOHNS HILL.
IS THIS TARGETED F IS THIS A SEPARATE FUND OR PART OF THE SAME FUNDS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT? IT'S, IT'S PART OF, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A MELTING POT.
I MEAN, I GOT, I GOT FUNDS AND DOLLARS EVERYWHERE IN THE BUDGET.
SO IT'S, IT'S ALL OVER THE BUDGET, IF I CAN JUST BE HONEST WITH YOU.
SO THERE'S NO TARGETED, HERE'S TORRANCE PARKS DOLLARS, HERE'S CLOY PARK DOLLARS.
IT, IT IS ALL MIXED IN TOGETHER.
SO THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IS SIMILAR FROM THIS YEAR TO LAST YEAR, BUT IF I GO BACK TO FOUR YEARS AGO, APPROXIMATELY WITH, UH, JOHNS HILL, THERE WAS A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT WAS FOCUSED ON JOHNS HILL.
SO NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SIMILAR AMOUNTS OF DOLLARS TO 2023.
UM, BUT WITHIN THAT IS A TARGETED FOCUS ON JOHNS HILL, OR JASPER STREET PROB GREAT.
THE NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND JASPER STREET, CORRECT? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT CDBG OR TIF FUNDS TONIGHT? YES.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE A PART OF THOSE FUNDS THAT ARE LISTED ON PAGE 1 0 1.
MS. WRIGHT, YOU WANNA GO AHEAD WITH THOSE? UM, I WANTED TO, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT BECAUSE ON PAGE 1 0 1, 1 0 2, THE, IT INCLUDES THE, THE FUNDS THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN HORNE MENTIONED.
[02:25:01]
I WANNA MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT, UH, OUR STRATEGY.UM, IT, WHILE IT IS ACCURATE TO SAY, UH, AT THIS JUNCTURE THAT JOHNS HILL HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL, UM, I, I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S OUR PLAN UNLESS YOU DIRECT OTHERWISE, TO TRY TO REPLICATE JOHNS HILL OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IS DIFFERENT.
EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, HAS A FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT FABRIC TO IT.
I MEAN, UH, THE OLD KING'S ORCHARD, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, THE, THE CATALYST PROJECT THERE IS THE PARTNERSHIP WITH TWO AGENCIES THERE THAT ARE, THAT ARE DOING URBAN FARMING, UH, AND, UH, THE, UH, IN THE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD UNITED AREA.
I'M NOT SURE AS MUCH INVESTMENT IN PRIVATE PROPERTY WILL BE NECESSARY IF THE CATALYST PROJECT, UH, GARFIELD SCHOOL, GARFIELD PARK, AND THAT AREA, UH, MOVES FORWARD.
IT'S, IT HAS BEEN SLOWED DOWN BY IDA.
BUT, UH, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S GONNA MOVE FORWARD.
AND THAT AS THAT CATALYST PROJECT, UH, HAS, HAS AN IMPACT ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA IMPACT THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE NORTH AS MUCH.
AND WE MAY NEED TO USE THE JOHNS HILL MODEL IN THE AREA TO THE NORTH OF, UH, OF GRAND STREET.
SO, SO MY POINT IS THAT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD HAS A DIFFERENT EQUATION, A DIFFERENT SET OF STRATEGIES, BECAUSE EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IS UNIQUE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
THE, THE MARTIN LUTHER KING NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOT GONNA BE RESIDENTIAL.
AGAIN, IT HAS TO BE RETHOUGHT, UH, ENTIRELY ABOUT HOW IT'S REPURPOSED.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING LOTS OF DIFFERENT STRATEGIES ALL, ALL AT THE SAME TIME, RATHER THAN JUST TRYING TO REPLICATE ONE STRATEGY.
I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT JOHNS HILL NEIGHBORHOOD, IT WAS VERY FOCUSED.
I JUST FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU SAY WE GOT PROJECTS EVERYWHERE, IT RAISES SOME YELLOW CAUTION FLAGS FOR ME.
AND THAT IS ONE THAT WE HAD THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD STAY WITHIN THE AREA THAT WE HAD DEFINED AS OUR INNER CITY, AND THAT WE WOULD TAKE TARGETED APPROACHES AS TO, UH, AS OPPOSED TO KIND OF A SHOTGUN SCATTER METHOD, BECAUSE WE BELIEVED THAT MORE FOCUSED WOULD YIELD BETTER OUTCOMES, POSITIVE OUTCOMES, AND BUILDING A FOOTPRINT.
I'M CONCERNED THAT IS SO LARGE.
UM, DO WE HAVE NOT ONLY THE FUNDING TO COMPLETE IT, BUT THE STAFF TO DO IT? AND I DON'T NEED TO HAVE A DEBATE.
THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF MY CONCERNS.
THAT I WANNA SHARE, I'M AGREEING WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I MEAN, STAFF WOULD TELL YOU THAT WHAT WE DON'T DO IS A SHOTGUN APPROACH, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, LIMITED RESOURCES.
I DIDN'T SAY WE HAVE PROJECTS EVERYWHERE.
I SAID WE HAVE FUNDING ALL OVER THE BUDGET EVERYWHERE.
YEAH, WE ARE, WE ARE TARGETING THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WHICH IS WITHIN THE JOSHUA STREET CORRIDOR, RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE TRACKING WHAT JOHNS HILL MOVING TO THE ONE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE NEXT NEIGHBORHOOD TO TRY TO REPLICATE SOME OF THOSE, THOSE THINGS.
NOW WE ARE DOING THINGS IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE JUST CAN'T LEAVE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS TO KINDA, YOU KNOW, DETERIORATE.
UH, BUT MOST OF THE TARGETED RESOURCES WE HAVE ARE IN TARGETED NEIGHBORHOODS THAT TRACKS WITH THE JAPER STREET CORRIDOR.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I CLARIFIED THAT RIGHT.
UH, SO WE'RE NOT TAKING A SHOTGUN APPROACH TO THIS AT ALL.
OKAY, MR. WRIGHTON, WE CAN GO INTO THOSE OTHER FUNDS NOW.
UM, COUNCILMAN HORNE, DO YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TIFF FUNDS OR SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, NON-GENERAL FUND, UH, ACCOUNTING CATEGORIES THAT SUPPORT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT? YEAH, LET'S, UH, I GOT C-D-B-G-C-G QUESTION QUESTIONS, AND I'VE GOT TIFF QUESTIONS.
FIRST DOLLAR TRA TIF DOLLARS ARE BEING TRANSFERRED FROM ONE TIFF TO ANOTHER.
UH, PAGE ONE 16 SAYS THAT $250,000 IS GOING TO THE CENTRAL BUSINESS TIFF FROM THE WABASH CROSSING.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, CAN $250,000 IN WABASH CROSSING TIFF MONEY BE USED TO SHELTER UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS RIGHT NOW? WHY, WHY DO WE NEED TO MOVE IT TO THE CENTRAL BUSINESS? TIFF? I PROPOSE MOVING THE MOVING, UH, SOME MONEY THAT ISN'T PLANNED TO BE EXPENDED OUT OF THE WABASH FUNDS INTO THE CENTRAL TIF SO THAT THE GENERAL FUND DOESN'T HAVE TO ABSORB THE STARTUP COSTS OF THE CENTRAL TIF, WHICH IS THE NEW TIF, UM, UNTIL IT PRODUCES REVENUE.
UH, TIFS ARE ALWAYS ONE YEAR IN ARREARS AND PRODUCING REVENUE.
'CAUSE THAT'S HOW PROPERTY TAXES WORK.
UM, IT'S, UH, THAT WAS THE RATIONALE FOR IT.
I MEAN, I WOULD JUST POINT OUT, AND MY MEMORY'S A LITTLE HAZY BECAUSE THIS REPORT CAME OUT MONTHS AGO, BUT MY
[02:30:01]
RECOLLECTION IS OF ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, WABASH WAS ONE THAT DID NOT SEE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN CRIME.IT CERTAINLY NEEDS GREATER ASSISTANCE.
AND SO I, I'M JUST, I'M WONDERING WHY WE'RE MOVING MONEY FROM WABASH TIFF TO, UM, THE CENTRAL BUSINESS.
TIFF, ACTUALLY, THE WABASH CROSSING NEAR NORTH SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD HAD SOME OF THE BEST NUMBERS, UM, IN THE, WHEN WE WERE QUANTIFYING THE FIVE, UH, CA THE FIVE DIFFERENT, UH, STATISTICAL AREAS THAT SHOWED PROGRESS OVER THE BASELINE OF 2019.
UM, SO, UH, I'M, I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S, THAT THAT'S ACCURATE.
UM, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IF COUNSEL WANTS TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THESE STUDY SESSIONS, OF COURSE.
UM, THE, UM, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE SUMMARY OF AVAILABLE FUNDS AND STARTING BALANCES, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE WABASH FUND WE PROJECT ON ONE, ONE OF 24 WILL BE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND, UH, SO WE PLAN TO USE, UH, AT LEAST HALF OF THAT ON IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WABASH CROSSING AREA.
THE, UM, THE LIGHTING STREETS IN THE WABASH CROSSING PROJECT ARE THE, ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EAST LAKE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE EAST LAKE
UM, AND THERE ARE SOME OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'RE EVALUATING FOR THAT AREA, SUCH AS A, A, A SPEED PLATFORM ON KING TO HELP SLOW DOWN SOME OF THE TRAFFIC, UM, SOME FENCING THAT, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD IMPROVE THE, THE LOOK OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE THIS TIFF COMES TO AN END.
BUT EVEN AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS, I BELIEVE THERE WILL BE SOME FUNDS LEFT OVER, AND THIS IS WHAT I PROPOSE THAT WE DO WITH IT.
UM, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY, I SENSE DEFENSIVENESS TONIGHT FROM YOU, AND I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY SUPPORT EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DEMOLITIONS IS A VERY DIFFICULT THING BECAUSE THERE, THERE'S ALWAYS NEW ONES AND YOU'RE WORKING, YOU'RE TRYING TO PLAY CATCH UP.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU EVER CATCH UP, AND I'VE ALWAYS, I'VE SAID THIS MANY TIMES, IT'S LIKE ROADS.
I, I, I WISH ALL OUR ROADS WERE PERFECT, BUT THEY'RE GONNA WEAR OUT AND THEY KEEP WEARING OUT, AND WE JUST HAVE TO DO THE BEST WE CAN.
I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT I THINK YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB.
FROM WHAT I SEE, I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN THIS FIELD, I HAVE TO TRUST YOU.
BUT YOU'VE EXPLAINED A LOT OF THINGS TO ME TONIGHT, ESPECIALLY THE DEMOLITION PROCESS, HOW DIFFICULT IT IS.
AND THERE'S SO MANY MOVING PARTS OF JUST TAKING ONE HOUSE DOWN.
SO I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S MORE SO PASSION, RIGHT? UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS MY RESPONSE.
I KNOW THE WORK THAT MY TEAM OF 27 DOES EVERY DAY.
I MEAN, IT IS REALLY HARD WORK.
AND, UH, SO PART OF THIS IS TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT COMES THROUGH THE HARD WORK THAT THIS TEAM DOES ON A DAILY BASIS, UH, AND HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO, UH, PUT THESE DEALS TOGETHER IN ORDER FOR THEM TO, TO WORK, RIGHT? UH, WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE LIBERTY OF SNAPPING OUR FINGERS AND A PROGRAM EXISTS, AND IT, IT JUST WORKS.
A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH REGULATIONS AND RULES THAT WE HAVE THAT WE HAVE TO TRY TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CREATE THAT IN A WAY THAT IT MAKES SENSE FOR PEOPLE TO USE THE FUNDS AND DO PROJECTS.
SO, COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I APPRECIATE.
AND IT'S JUST KNOW, IT GOES ALONG WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN KUHL IS SAYING.
UM, THIS IS A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US TONIGHT, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT ADOPTED.
AND AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAKE CHANGES.
AND, UM, I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND SUPPORT ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO, BUT I THINK IT ALSO GOES, IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT IF THIS COUNCIL DIRECTS DIFFERENTLY, IT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS, OR INTERPRETED AS THE WORK THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT DOES, UM, DOESN'T DESERVE THOSE DOLLARS.
UM, WE HAVE CITIZENS IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT CONTACT US QUITE FREQUENTLY FOR NEEDS IN THEIR COMMUNITY, WHICH QUITE FRANKLY, AREN'T REFLECTED IN THIS BUDGET TONIGHT.
AND SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO IS REALLY WEIGH.
AND SO IF THERE ARE CHANGES TO A PROPOSED BUDGET, I WOULD NOT EVER WANT IT TO BE INTERPRETED THAT IT WAS A REFLECTION ON THE WORK OF YOU OR YOUR DEPARTMENT.
I GUESS I'LL GO WITH A COMMENT.
I, I, I THINK YOU'RE COMPLETELY UNDERFUNDED.
I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO,
[02:35:01]
UH, MAKE THE TRUE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE.AND SO, UM, ALL OF MY COMMENTS ARE DIRECTED AT THAT VERY POINT.
THE REALITY IS WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF ARPA MONEY IN 2024.
WE HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ARPA MONEY AND WATER THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO SPEND WHEN WE HAVE A WATER BOND THAT HAS 10 MILLION PLUS DOLLARS IN IT THAT WE CAN USE.
AND SO WE'VE GOT THE MONEY, IT CAN BE ENCUMBERED UP THROUGH THE END OF NEXT YEAR, AND WE'RE IN A RUSH TO SPEND IT.
UM, BUT SO MY COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON THE FACT THAT NOT THAT YOU GUYS AREN'T DOING A GREAT JOB, YOU'RE DOING A TREMENDOUS JOB WITH THE RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE.
AND TO ME, IT IS EXTREMELY CLEAR THAT YOU ARE UNDERFUNDED AND UNDERSTAFFED RELATIVE TO THE PROBLEM.
I'LL JUST, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN IMPROVEMENTS, BUT LET'S BE CLEAR, MACON COUNTY IN QUARTER TWO OF THIS YEAR WAS RANKED SECOND MOST AT RISK IN A HOUSING DOWNTURN.
OKAY? SO THESE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE HAD ARE NOT GOING AWAY AS FAST AS WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO.
BUT GETTING BACK TO TIFFS FOR JUST A SECOND.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE TO PUT $250,000, UH, UH, FROM WABASH CROSSING TIFF INTO THE CENTRAL BUSINESS, TIFF, TIFF THAT COULD BE USED, UH, TO ASSIST THE RESIDENTS IN WABASH CROSSING.
BUT MY OTHER QUESTION IS, WITH THE OLD TOWN TIFF THAT IS EXPIRING, UM, WILL THERE BE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS WHEN THAT TIFF ENDS? WILL THERE BE EXCESS FUNDS IN THE OLD TOWN? TIFF? I BELIEVE THE ANSWER IS NO.
UH, BECAUSE THE OLD TOWN TIFF HAS FOR MANY YEARS FUNDED THE DEBT SERVICE ON THE 2008, 2009 DOWNTOWN, UM, REHABILITATION PROJECT THAT RESULTED IN THE NEW SIDEWALKS AND CURBS AND BRICK RIBBONS AND LIGHTING AND SO FORTH DOWNTOWN.
THE, UM, UH, THE CITY HAS FOR MANY YEARS HAD TO SUBSIDIZE THAT DEBT SERVICE BECAUSE THE TIFF PROCEEDS WEREN'T PRODUCING ENOUGH.
UM, NOW THE CITY COUNCIL, AS COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY HAS POINTED OUT CORRECTLY, THE CITY COUNCIL GETS TO DECIDE WHERE THE MONEY GOES.
UH, AND THE CITY COUNCIL COULD DECIDE WE DON'T WANNA FUND THE DEBT SERVICE, UH, FROM THOSE TIF MONIES.
UH, WE WANT TO USE THAT TIF MONEY FOR SOMETHING ELSE IN THE OLD TOWN DISTRICT.
YOU COULD DO THAT, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO THEN FUND THE DIFFERENCE FROM SOME OTHER PLACE, AND THAT WOULD BE THE GENERAL FUND.
AND SO I'M ALWAYS PROTECTIVE OF THE GENERAL FUND, UH, UH, BECAUSE IT SUPPORTS THE BULK OF OUR, UH, OF OUR OPERATIONS AND PERSONNEL.
UM, AND SO, UH, WHEN THE, UNDER THE LAW, IF A TIF DISTRICT ADJOINS ANOTHER TIF DISTRICT, THEN AS IT'S, UH, AS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S COMING TO ITS FINAL YEARS, WHICH THE WABASH TIFF IS, YOU'RE ALLOWED BY COUNCIL ACTION TO TRANSFER IT TO A PHYSICALLY ADJOINING, UH, TIFF.
AND I RECOMMEND THAT FOR THE REASONS THAT I SAID.
BUT IF COUNCIL WANTS TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH THESE MONIES, THAT'S WHAT THE BUDGET SESSIONS ARE FOR, AND YOU CAN DIRECT US ACCORDINGLY.
DO YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS ABOUT TIFF OR ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY? UH, NOT, NOT ABOUT TIFF.
UH, IF, IF, BUT IF COUNSEL WANTS SOMETHING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THAT'S FINE.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO IT.
UH, COUNCILMAN HORNE, I THINK YOU HAD ALSO HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT CDBG.
SO I'M LOOKING AT PAGE ONE 10 AND ONE 13.
ONE IS, UH, ONE 10 IS LABELED CDBG.
AND, UM, PAGE ONE 13 IS LABELED C-D-B-G-C-V FOR PAGE ONE 10 CDBG.
COULD YOU JUST BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT $1.2 MILLION FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS, $125,000 FOR PUBLIC SERVICES, AND THEN 552,000 FOR FACADE GRANTS.
SO, UH, WE ARE COMING UP ON OUR NEW CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
IN FACT, WE HAVE TO START WORKING ON THAT, UM, NEXT YEAR.
AND SO, UH, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO, AND OF COURSE IT'S GOING TO COME BACK TO YOU, IS DO AN AMENDMENT ON OUR CURRENT CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
UM, IT IS FROM THE 20 TO 24, I BELIEVE, THE FIVE YEARS.
SO, UM, PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, OR PROPOSING IS WHILE WE ARE
[02:40:01]
DOING REHABILITATION WITH THE ARPA DOLLARS, WE ARE GOING TO DO A SHIFT IN THE DOLLARS THAT WE HAD SET ASIDE FOR REHAB, PAST YEARS REHAB, TO DOING DIFFERENT THINGS WITH PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS, PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACADE GRANTS.SO THE FACADE GRANTS WOULD BE, UM, EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS FOR BUSINESSES, UM, HOPEFULLY, UM, UH, ALONG THE JASPER CORRIDOR OR, UM, FURTHER OUT, WHICH AGAIN IS MARTIN LUTHER KING TO 16TH, UM, THE PUBLIC SERVICES AMOUNT, UH, WE ARE ABLE TO SET ASIDE, UH, UP TO 15% OF OUR CDBG ALLOCATION FOR PUBLIC SERVICES.
WE PLAN ON DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH SOME KIND OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO NONPROFITS.
UM, IN THE PAST WE'VE DONE, UM, ADULT EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAINING.
UH, WE FUNDED, UM, ENTITIES LIKE, UH, PROJECT REED, UM, UM, OLD KINGS ORCHARD.
UM, AND SO WE'LL BE DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT WITH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN BE DONE, UH, WITH OUR, UM, PLACE MAKING, UM, DOING SOME SIDEWALKS, HELPING, UM, FACILITATE THE BIKE PLAN.
UM, AGAIN, SOME THINGS, UM, IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE JASPER STREET CORRIDOR.
AGAIN, THIS IS ALL PART OF, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PLANNING, BUT WE HAVE NOT SUBMITTED THIS PART TO HUD, SO IT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE THE IDEAS IN WHICH TO DO THAT.
AND, AND SIMILARLY ON PAGE ONE 13, THE CDBG CV 500,000 FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS IN 584,000 FOR PUBLIC FACILITIES.
SO THIS HAS ALREADY COME TO YOU BY WAY OF THE COVID CDBG ALLOCATION.
UM, WE RECEIVED THIS, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T APPLY FOR IT, IT WAS JUST AUTOMATICALLY DOING COVID.
AND SO THE PLAN, OF COURSE, UM, WAS TO ASSIST WITH THE GARFIELD PARK, UM, DOING, UM, ASSISTANCE WITH OKO AS IT RELATES TO, UM, THE, UH, VACANT PROPERTIES OR VACANT LOTS IN THAT AREA.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, IN THE PAST WE HAD, UM, FUNDED DOVE TO ASSIST WITH RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
UM, BUT NOW WE'VE ALSO USED SOME OF THAT MONEY TO ACQUIRE AND REHABILITATE THE WE FOLKS PROPERTY.
OTHER QUESTIONS ON THOSE ITEMS ON THE CDBG, MR. COOPER, WHAT'S THE, UM, STATUS ON THE WE FOLKS PROJECT? SO, UH, MIKE PRITCHETT, WHO IS OUR FACILITY MANAGER, HAS BEEN, UH, WORKING AND, UH, ON THAT PROJECT WITH US TO IDENTIFY, UM, THE NEEDS THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE TO GET THAT PROPERTY AND THE, UH, POSITION WHERE THE STATE WILL PROVIDE A LICENSE FOR CHILDCARE.
UM, I SPOKE WITH HIM TODAY, IN FACT.
AND SO, UH, WE PLAN TO HAVE AN APPROXIMATE BUDGET OF WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO, UH, THAT WILL LIKELY COME BACK TO THIS COUNCIL FOR, FOR REVIEW.
WELL, WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT, UM, IN, IN WORKING WITH, UH, THE, THE STATE AGENCY FOR LICENSING, UM, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WILL HAVE TO BE DONE TO THAT PROPERTY, UM, THAT'S NOT GRANDFATHERED IN, UH, IN ORDER FOR ANYONE TO GET A LICENSES FOR, UH, CHILDCARE.
JUST BY WAY OF OF REMINDER, THIS CDBG CV IS A, IS A ONE-TIME, UH, POT OF MONEY AVAILABLE.
IT, IT'S ACTUALLY A HOLDOVER FROM THE TRUMP ERA, UH, CARESS MONEY.
AND, UH, WE HAD ORIGINALLY COME TO YOU AND SAID, WOULD YOU SORT OF DIVVY THIS UP? A QUARTER OF IT TO WE FOLKS, A QUARTER OF IT TO THE GARFIELD PROJECT, A QUARTER OF IT TO THE OKO COMMUNITY CENTER PROJECT, AND A QUARTER OF IT TO DOVE.
AND AT, AT THE FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER, DECEMBER FOUR, THINGS HAVE CHANGED
AND SO WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU TO CONSIDER, I MEAN THE, THE POT OF MONEY IS FIXED.
UH, BUT UH, BUT TO CONSIDER A REALLOCATION OF THAT FORMULA FROM WHAT YOU HAD ORIGINALLY ALLOCATED.
OKAY, MR. MANAGER, WHAT'S NEXT? THAT, UH, IF YOU, THAT'S IT.
UM, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OTHER ASPECT OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WE ARE DONE.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK ALL OF YOU MR. KINSEY.
YOU DIDN'T GET TO SAY A WORD TONIGHT, SO I GUESS WE'LL SAVE IT UP FOR WEDNESDAY.
[III. Appearance of Citizens]
WE DO HAVE APPEARANCE OF CITIZENS STILL TO COME IN THIS MEETING.POLICY RELATIVE TO APPEARANCE OF CITIZENS IS AS
[02:45:01]
FOLLOWS.A 30 MINUTE TIME PERIOD IS PROVIDED FOR CITIZENS TO APPEAR AND EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL.
EACH CITIZEN SPEAKING WILL BE LIMITED TO ONE APPEARANCE OF UP TO THREE MINUTES.
NO IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WILL BE GIVEN BY CITY COUNCIL OR CITY STAFF MEMBERS.
CITIZENS ARE TO GIVE THEIR DOCUMENTS, IF ANY, TO THE POLICE OFFICER FOR DISTRIBUTION OF THE COUNCIL WHEN THE MAYOR DETERMINES THAT ALL PERSONS WISHES TO SPEAK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS POLICY HAVE DONE SO.
MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND KEY STAFF MAY MAKE COMMENTS.
DOES ANYONE WISH TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL TONIGHT? AND MR. ROBERTSON? I THINK YOU'LL BE OVER HERE AT THIS PODIUM, WHICH IS OH, OKAY.
SO THE, THE BUDGET IS DRY WORK.
I KNOW IT'S VERY IMPORTANT WORK 'CAUSE IT DIRECTLY IMPACTS THE POCKETBOOKS OF OUR SYSTEMS. CAN PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
THERE'S LOTS OF DISCUSSION TONIGHT OF DETAIL AND DETAILS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT THE BIG PICTURES EVEN MORE IMPORTANT AND THE BIG PICTURE ANSWERS ARE WE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH THIS BUDGET OVERALL.
AND SO I'M GONNA QUOTE SOME NUMBERS.
I BROUGHT THIS COMPUTER TONIGHT 'CAUSE IT HELPS ME FOLLOW ALONG.
WE DON'T HAVE THE DOCUMENTS, BUT DOCUMENTS ARE POSTED ONLINE.
AND IT ALSO LETS ME DRAW SOME COMPARISONS WITH PAST BUDGETS.
TAX REVENUE IS UP FIVE AND A HALF PERCENT ABOVE THE ACTUAL TAX REVENUE FROM LAST YEAR IN THE BUDGET PERMIT AND LICENSE REVENUE IS UP A WHOPPING 40% FROM THE ACTUAL 2023 REVENUE CITY HEADCOUNT IS UP 10% SINCE 2019, PRE COVID NUMBERS.
MEANWHILE, OUR POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT ARE DECLINING.
WE'RE NOW BELOW 70,000, WHICH IS THE SAME LEVEL AS 1950.
IN MY LIFETIME I'VE SEEN THE POPULATION RISE TO 90% AND THEN BACK DOWN TO A POPULATION SMALLER THAN THE YEAR, UH, THAT I WAS BORN HERE.
SO THE SIZE OF OUR GOVERNMENT AND OUR TAX BURDEN CONTINUE TO INCREASE.
DECATUR CITIZENS ARE NOT WEALTHY.
MANY ARE ON FIXED INCOMES AND SO THEY'RE NOT SEEING FIVE AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASES IN THEIR INCOME WHILE THEIR BURDEN CONTINUES TO RISE.
THIS BUDGET AS PROPOSED WILL PLACE INCREASED HARDSHIP ON DECATUR CITIZENS.
IT WILL DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM STAYING IN THE AREA OR COMING TO THIS CITY AND IT'LL SUSTAIN THE DECLINE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED NOW FOR DECADES.
I WOULD URGE YOU TO STAND OUT, TAKE A DIFFERENT COURSE, HOLD THE LINE ON TAXES, AND BRING FORWARD A BUDGET THAT WILL NOT INCREASE THE BURDEN ON OUR CITIZENS.
DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO APPEAR BEFORE? COUNSEL? HI, I'M IAN OWENS AND ONE THING THAT I REALLY WANT YOU TO CONSIDER IS, UM, TRYING TO RECRUIT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS TO GET MORE MEMBERS.
WE STRUGGLE WITH GETTING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
YOU STRUGGLE WITH GETTING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNLESS YOU GET AN ISSUE THAT NOBODY LIKES.
SO, UM, MILLIKEN HEIGHTS, WE DECIDED WE HAD SOME MONEY.
WE'RE A LITTLE BIT OF A WEALTHIER NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION, NOT BECAUSE OF OUR NEIGHBORS, BUT BECAUSE OF MONEY THAT'S BEEN ALLOTTED FOR GRANTS.
SO, UM, WE DECIDED TO MAKE A BROCHURE.
SO ANYBODY THAT LIVES IN THE MILK AND HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU'LL BE GETTING A BROCHURE ASKING YOU TO JOIN US.
I WOULD ASK THAT THE CITY CONSIDER HELPING SOME OF OUR OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS WITH SOME OF THAT OUTREACH.
AND ALSO AS FAR AS THE ROOF REPAIRS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE POSSIBLY MONEY SET ASIDE FOR SENIOR CITIZENS BECAUSE OUR POPULATION IS AGING.
I GET PHONE CALLS AND I'M JUST A CITIZEN, BUT I'M A HELPFUL PERSON.
SO I GET PHONE CALLS LITERALLY WEEKLY FROM PEOPLE.
EITHER THEY'VE MOVED THEIR PARENTS STILL HERE OR THE PARENT, SOMEBODY SEES ME IN THE GROCERY STORE, CAN YOU HELP ME? SO I THINK THAT'S A POPULATION THAT WE NEED TO REALLY CONSIDER TRYING TO HELP A LITTLE BIT MORE.
ESPECIALLY THINGS LIKE ROOFS BECAUSE THEY'RE SITTING THERE AND THEY'RE THINKING IT'S $15,000, I DON'T HAVE IT.
AND THEY'RE OFTEN THE PEOPLE THAT WON'T COME TO YOU
[02:50:01]
WON'T COME TO A MEETING, DON'T DRIVE AT NIGHT OR WHATEVER.SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER.
DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNSEL? HI, MY NAME'S KATHY WILLIAMS AND I DIDN'T PLAN ON SPEAKING TONIGHT.
IN FACT, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS A MEETING TONIGHT, BUT WHEN I FOUND OUT I LIKE COMING TO THE MEETING.
AND I'M GLAD I CAME BECAUSE I HEARD A LOT OF GOOD THINGS AND I WANTED YOU TO KNOW I'VE GOT MY HAT ON FOR MY NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP.
THANK YOU MR. HORN, FOR SAYING THAT THE, UH, JOHNS HILL PROJECT WAS A SUCCESS.
WE THINK IT WAS A SUCCESS FOR MANY REASONS.
ONE OF THEM IS THAT WE'RE MORE INVOLVED WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY KNOW US AND WE KNOW THEM WITH AROUND THE GARDEN AREA.
WE ARE COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE DON'T HAVE WATER ON THE PROPERTY.
ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS WHO LIVES FIVE DOORS DOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET LET US USE HER WATER.
SO WE WATERED THAT AREA 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT IT TO DIE FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS.
AND SO WE SAID WE'D PAY HER WATER BILL.
SO TODAY I HAD TO COME HERE ANYWAY TO PAY HER WATER BILL AND IT WAS A LOT CHEAPER THAN PAYING WHAT WE HAD $300 FOR ONE TIME, THE FIRST TIME WE GOT IT WATERED.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER.
BUT I HEARD A LOT OF GOOD THINGS AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I THANK YOU.
I THINK YOU ALL ARE DOING A GOOD JOB.
I LOVE LISTENING TO ALL OF YOU.
I REALLY RESPECT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THE CITY, ALL OF YOU.
AND I REALLY RESPECT THE, UH, ECONOMIC COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE ENCOURAGED ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS, ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS.
LET ME TELL YOU, THEY ALL LIKE OUR PAT CORDELL, ALL THE NEIGHBORS IN THE GROUP LOVE HIM.
AND SO THEY SEE THE GOOD THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING NOW THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING THE CITY OF DECATUR'S DOING.
I HAVE HAD MY DIFFERENT HATS ON AND BEEN OUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR KONO AND TALKING TO THE BUSINESSES, I DON'T WANT YOU TO FORGET IN THE GREAT STREETS GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT WOOD STREET BECAUSE THERE ARE BUSINESSES BETWEEN, UH, DOWNTOWN AND GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN JASPER STREET.
THERE'S SMALL BUSINESSES THERE.
AND I'VE TALKED TO THEM AND I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY YEARS AGO, WHY AREN'T WE DOING SOMETHING TO CONNECT THE TWO? AND THEN, UH, THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES IN DECATUR.
WE NEED CONTRACTORS, LEAD CONTRACTORS, WE NEED FIREMEN AND POLICEMEN.
SO THERE'S ALL KIND OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE THE VALUE OF EACH PERSON THAT'S HERE BECAUSE PEOPLE IN THOSE AREAS ARE LOW INCOME AND THERE ARE NICE HOMES IN THAT AREA, VERY NICE HOMES.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE THINGS I COULD SAY A LOT MORE.
BUT I'M WATCHING THE CLOCK AND I DON'T WANT TO GET RAN OUT OFF FOR BEFORE I GET DONE SPEAKING.
BUT I WANT TO SAY THAT I WAS IN IMPRESSED WITH EVERYTHING I HEARD.
THANK YOU MS. WILLIAMS. AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO WITH KONO.
I WANTED TO ASK, UM, MR. WRIGHTON ABOUT THE, THE WO THAT GOES ALONG WITH LA HEAP.
IF YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE BUDGET FOR THE COMMUNITY, WE WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND THEN I WANT TO ASK THE COMMUNITY AND THE COUNCIL IF WE CAN COME UP WITH SIGNS.
WE CAN PUT NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, NO AIR NOISE POLLUTION AND IF THEY, UH, IF THEY DO THAT, THEY GET FINES, PENALTIES, AND IMPRISONMENT, YOU KNOW, AND THAT WOULD HELP THE CITY HALL, IT WOULD HELP FOR THE POLICE, IT WOULD HELP BRING IN MONEY FOR THE COMMUNITY.
ALSO, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE POLICE 600 TO 1000 HOURS A YEAR.
IF THE POLICE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET EXTRA MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING AND SPECIAL FORCES TRAINING IF THEY'D LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GET A GROUP OF POLICE WHO AGREE TO, TO GO TO UP, UM, THEIR STRENGTH AND UM, THEIR EXPERTISE AND SELF-DEFENSE, I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO DO IT WITH WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY AND HERE.
AND, UM, I JUST PRAY THAT PEOPLE WOULD DO GOOD.
THERE'S ALWAYS THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T DO GOOD.
AND, UM, I WANTED ALSO TO LET YOU KNOW, UM, TERRORISM IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WE ALL NEED TO GO ANTI-TERRORISM.
AND I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU AND ASK YOU IF
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WE CAN CREATE THE TERRORISM TASK TAX, THE TERRORISM TASK TAX, OR A FUND FOR TERRORISM SOMEHOW FOR THE FOR TERRORISM TASK FORCE HERE IN DECATUR.DO WE HAVE THAT HERE IN DECATUR WE NEED TO, I MEAN, PREPARE JUST IN CASE, GOD FORBID, YOU KNOW, AND THEN ALSO I WANTED TO ENCOURAGE RA RAISING PENALTIES, PENALTIES OF MISCHIEF, PENALTIES OF PEOPLE WHO JUST DON'T CARE ABOUT RESIDENCES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHEN I CLEAN MY LEAVES AND I CLEAN MY YARD, MY NEIGHBORS DON'T LIKE ME.
THEY, THEY THROTTLE ENGINES, THEY SMOKE ME OUT, THEY PUT FUMES, THEY BOTHER.
AND THEN WHEN I CLEAN IT, THEY PUT THEIR LEAVES OUT AND SO IT CAN COME ON ME, ON MY SIDE.
THEY WANT YOUR STREETS TO BE DESTROYED.
THEY WANT YOU GUYS TO WASTE YOUR FUNDS ON THEM.
SHE SAID SHE'S DOING HER BEST TO MAKE PEOPLE MAYBE FIX THINGS ON THEIR OWN.
THEY DON'T WANNA FIX THINGS ON THEIR OWN.
THEY WANT YOU TO FIX IT AND THEY WANT YOUR MONEY.
THEY DON'T TAKE CARE OF THEIR YARDS.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T TAKE CARE OF THEIR HOUSES.
THEY, THEY WANT YOU TO CLEAN UP FOR THEM.
THEY WANT YOU TO DO EVERYTHING FOR THEM.
AND THEN IF THEIR, THEIR HOUSES ARE DESTROYED, THEY'RE GONNA GET FREE HOUSING FROM THE HOMELESS HOUSING, BUT THEY REALLY DON'T DESERVE BECAUSE THEY'RE CHEATING THE SYSTEM AND THEY'RE IN MASS GROUPS, THEY'RE GOING AND EMBEZZLING HOMELESS HOUSING AND HOMELESS FUNDS.
SO I WANTED JUST TO ASK YOU TO RECONSIDER AND THINK ABOUT THE TOPICS THAT I HAVE MENTIONED AND SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH A PLAN TO HELP BETTER THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYBODY.
DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL TONIGHT? DOES ANYONE ON COUNCIL HAVE A RESPONSE? MR. KALP? JUST, ACTUALLY MS. OWENS REMINDED ME, I TALKED TO A 94, I'M SORRY, SHE TURNS 94 NEXT WEEK.
UH, ONE OF OUR DECATUR RESIDENTS AND WHEN SHE WAS TALKING TO WASTE MANAGEMENT, THEY DID NOT HAVE A SENIOR DISCOUNT HERE IN DECATUR, BUT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP SAID IN OTHER CITIES THEY HAVE IT, BUT NOT HERE IN DECATUR.
I WAS HOPING TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION.
POSSIBLY I COULD GET BACK WITH HER LATER ON, BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING I WANTED TO PASS ALONG.
THE, UM, THE ORDINANCE THAT'S BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR SEVERAL YEARS HAS NO SENIOR DISCOUNT THERE.
THERE IS OF COURSE A SPECIAL PROVISION FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HARDSHIP IN GETTING THEIR CARTS OUT TO THE STREET AND WE'LL PICK THOSE UP.
UM, BUT THERE'S NOT ONE JUST FOR, FOR SENIORS AND APPARENTLY HASN'T BEEN FOR SOME TIME.
I'D BE CURIOUS ABOUT SOMETHING WE COULD POSSIBLY LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE.
WE'VE GOT A LARGE POPULATION OF OUR SENIORS AND ON A FIXED INCOME AND IT WOULD DEFINITELY HELP PAT AND I WOULD HAVE TO ABSTAIN ON THAT ONE.
THAT'S THE NICEST THING YOU'VE EVER SAID TO ME.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.